#by the time more named characters go they know. we all know

[chuulyssa]

──── ★ I WANT YOUR FEELING AND EVERYTHING IN YOUR FIBER ──── hwang inho x front(wo)man!reader

teaser you’re left pleasantly surprised when the love you’ve been trying to forget all this while shows up as a participant in your games. even more so when you discover his reason for joining.

starring player!hwang inho x front(wo)man!reader count 3.75k genre dark themes, psycho!reader, yandere!reader, gn!reader, borderline obsession, jealousy, hinted murder, smut but not too much, masturbation, reader is lowkey a creep but aren’t we all, implied angst, cliffhanger ending

a/n we need more of psycho reader content !! everywhere i look i only find yandere characters, WHERE ARE THE YANDERE READERS???

Your eyes froze on the file you had just opened.

Player 132 Name: Hwang Inho Social Security Number: 760202-1171651 Born: 02/02/1976

That date. That name. That face. You knew it. You remembered it all too well. It was as though time stopped. Every smile, every word, every fight that left you breathless in its aftermath — it was all staring right back at you, etched on this piece of paper in your hands. 

What the hell was he doing here?

Occupation: Unemployed.

Unemployed? That didn’t make any sense. He had always dreamed of becoming a police officer, and you’d believed in him more than he believed in himself. You could still hear his voice from years ago: “I’ll wear the badge one day, you’ll see. Then I’ll make everything right—everything for us.”

What had happened? Your eyes slid towards the end of the page. You read the word ‘bribery’. Bribe? The Inho you knew would never have done that without a reason.

Your grip on the folder tightened. Where had all that conviction gone? What had happened to his dream?

Your fist clenched and slammed onto a button. Almost immediately, the door opened to reveal one of the guards. His mask was a Circle.

“More information on 132. Now,” you spoke, though the mask covering your face made your own voice seem foreign to you.

“Yes, ma’am!” the guard stammered. He straightened up as if scared to upset you, took the file from your hands and bolted to the printer in the corner of your office. The printer hummed faintly, spitting out the file you’d just requested at a slow, tantalizing pace, as if mocking the Circle guard for his nervousness around you.

But what could the guard do? You were ruthless. He had heard you had shot one of the Square guards dead for losing track of the Recruiter’s movements the other day. And the next, you had shot a Triangle one for missing a target during practice.

The sound of your foot tapping impatiently on the tiled floor made him second-guess choosing the Red Ddakji. The Circle guard shifted nervously as your pace grew faster. He knew better than to keep you waiting, but what could he do?

The printer finally released the paper, and the guard practically tripped over himself to hand you the file back before flying out of the room. The door hissed shut behind him, leaving you alone with the thick silence of your office. You exhaled sharply, glancing back at the file still sitting on your lap.

Residence: 37-124, Chunghyeon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.

You stared at the address for a long moment, lost in thought. He had always had big dreams, and an even bigger ounce of determination to achieve it. Why was he stuck behind in the same place he had grown up? The same place he had sworn he’d leave behind?

Your fingers curled tightly around the folder’s edges. No, waiting for answers wasn’t your style. Not at all now that it had come to him. You stood abruptly, dropping the file on the table in front of you. Slowly, you peeled off the suffocating black coat you wore, and tugged off the hideous mask from your face.

No. This wasn’t something you could leave to a guard or a report. You were going to get your answers yourself. Whatever had led Hwang In-ho to this place — to your games — was something you needed to know.

Something you needed to understand.

And for that, you’d need to go where it all began.

── ★

The streets of Chunghyeon-dong hadn’t changed much. The same cracks in the pavement, the same stubborn weeds sprouting through them, the same faint scent of roasted chestnuts wafting from a distant street vendor. Every turn and every landmark whispered his name, and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t shake the feeling of longing and loss that you kept feeling ever since you opened that file on your desk.

You slowed your pace as you neared his address. You didn’t even have to ask for directions. Your feet seemed to carry you wherever the right place was. Your fingers absently pointed at the trees lining the street, a faint smile tugging at your lips. “That’s where we used to sit,” you murmured to yourself. You could still picture it — Inho lounging against the trunk, his head tilted just so as he teased you, pretending to be deep in thought. He’d called it “having a chat,” but it was always more than that.

The corner café wasn’t far, and your steps faltered again when you saw it. It looked so much older now. The paint had faded, and the lights were dull, but it was unmistakably real. You could almost hear his laugh echoing through its walls. Oh, how his hand would brush yours under the table during one of those so-called “study dates.” Because heaven forbid he admit he liked you just as much as you liked him.

And then the park came into view when you turned right. The swings swayed gently in the breeze, taking you back to all those years ago. How many times had you sat there next to him, pretending to be as carefree as he did? How many times had you let him pull you closer — let his lips brush yours just for him to do it all over again?

You shook your head, trying to clear it. Those moments felt like a lifetime ago, but standing here now, it was as if no time had passed at all.

You finally reached his house. It was quiet, too quiet — though you wondered what you had been expecting to see. Of course, he wasn’t here. He was in the games now. The curtains were drawn, and the whole place looked abandoned. 

You turned to the neighboring house and knocked on the door. After a few moments, an elderly woman appeared, judging your posh outfit silently.

“Excuse me,” you tried being polite. “I’m looking for Hwang Inho. He lives — well, lived — next door. Do you know where he might be?”

The woman’s expression softened with recognition at the name, but her next words sent a jolt through you. “Oh, that man. He’s been missing for a few days now. Poor soul, after what happened with his wife... I’m not surprised.”

You blinked, your stomach feeling like it was being stabbed by a knife. “His wife?”

She nodded solemnly. “Yes, his wife passed away a few years ago. I think it broke him. They were so close, always together. When she died, well... he just wasn’t the same. And now, with him gone, too...” She trailed off, shaking her head.

You could practically hear you heartbeat pound in your ears. Wife? Nowhere in his file was a wife mentioned. Heck, you’d have been okay if you had gotten some sort of wedding invitation — at least it would’ve brought some closure to your love.

The things you were feeling right now. They were ugly. Who was she? What did she mean to him? Was she even half as pretty, as smart as you? Why was she chosen and not you?

“Do you know her name?” you asked, trying to sound casual.

“Oh, I don’t remember now,” the woman admitted. “But I heard they were going to have a baby, and then she passed away. It’s tragic, really. He was broken.”

Your hands clenched at your sides, your mind racing. A baby? He was about to have a baby with someone else? When he had promised you that you would be the only one in his life? He had gone ahead and done that?

A small part of you laughed at the fact that she had died. Because how could she be able to break through those walls in ways you never could? Served her right.

You forced a polite thank-you and turned away before she could notice the storm brewing inside you.

Who was this wife? What had happened to her? And why had he never told you?

You shook your head. It didn’t matter now. What mattered was that he was alive — here, in your games. If you wanted to save him, you’d need to unravel the truth, jealousy and all.

And maybe, just maybe, you’d find out if there was still room for you in his heart.

── ★

You kept your eyes trained on the screen, your gaze unwavering as you watched him protest during the voting round. You cocked your head to the side, smirking under your mask.

In the first game, he had done fairly well, although you had had to pull a few strings to ensure his survival. Extending the duration of the doll’s singing to let him pass had been easy enough, and the subtle redirection of the triangle guards’ focus away from him wasn’t even noticeable — you were quite sure of that.

But it was his decision now that truly intrigued you. His face lit up with blue light after he pressed the button O. He wanted to stay. Perfect. That meant you would get to see him more.

Although, even if he had chosen to leave, you would still find a way, of course. You would stalk him to eternity if you had to. After all, you had missed sight of him for a few years and he had landed right in your palms. You wouldn’t miss this second chance at all.

Your boots clicked softly against the floor as you walked across the floor of illuminated tiles, each displaying a picture and number of a player. You stopped in front of his. Player 132.

His face stared back at you from the glossy surface. He wasn’t smiling, rather the opposite actually. It was as if he understood that the Squid Game sounded too good to be true. Free money for playing games? There had to be a catch. And he was right.

But he also wasn’t. He wouldn’t die if he lost, after all. He had you to keep him safe, even though he didn’t know that. You kept looking vacantly at his picture. Beautiful, beautiful and untouchable. There was something about him that had always drawn people in, even when he didn’t try.

It definitely drew his “wife” in, you thought bitterly.

Behind you, the faint sound of a throat clearing pulled you from your thoughts. You turned sharply to find the Circle guard you had sent earlier bowing, a small stack of files balanced by his hands on top of his head.

“Leave it in my cabin,” you said curtly, barely sparing him a glance. He scurried off without hesitation, and you scowled at his retreating figure. Too slow. You hated waiting.

Turning your attention back to the control room, you addressed the guards stationed there. “I need footage of 132,” you said, gesturing at the screen displaying Inho’s face, and your eyes softened when you saw him. “The ddakji with the recruiter, the aftermath, before that — everything. Ten minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am,” came the chorus of responses, and the guards immediately set to work.

You strolled back to your cabin. The recruiter’s approach might offer a clue as to how Inho ended up here. What had driven him to this point? What had changed in his life? Or rather, who had changed his life?

You sighed softly. If it hadn’t been for that woman, he wouldn’t have ended up here at all. Then maybe you’d have been able to reconnect without a mask on your face. But then again, if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t be here in front of you either.

Whatever had brought him here didn’t matter now. What mattered was that he stayed. That he survived.

And if it took bending every rule in the book, so be it.

── ★

The triangle guard you had politely threatened had done his job fairly well. You had pointed a gun at his head and “requested” that he keep an extra triangle dalgona on hand, just in case Inho broke his. The guard had stammered out a fearful nod. This was obviously against every rule in the book. But you didn’t care. You couldn’t take risks — not when it came to him.

Thankfully, it hadn’t come to that. Inho had passed the round with ease. You had kept your eyes on him the entire time. Watching the way he moved, the way he carried himself — every little detail. The small quirks you remembered so well: the subtle clench of his jaw when he was concentrating, the way he would tap his thumb against his thigh when waiting. It was all still there, unchanged by the years.

He wasn’t much of a talker, though, you noticed. He stayed reserved, observing more than engaging with others. That sharp mind of his was working overtime, you could tell. Even during the chaos of the “special games” at night, he had defended himself so bravely, you were practically cooing at the footage.

Flipping through the file in your hands, you skimmed the details you had demanded from the guard earlier. Something about a liver transplant, unborn child, undead wife, high loans—

Wait.

Your eyes froze on the words. Undead wife?

So she was alive? The old woman had lied to you?

You clenched the edge of the file, the paper crumpling under your grip. You felt a flicker of rage at the thought. Had the neighbor been instructed to lie? Or was she simply misinformed? Either way, you had half a mind to go back and put a bullet through her head for wasting your time.

But if the wife was alive, where was she? A hospital, perhaps? That would make sense. If she was sick, then Inho would have a reason to be here — to pay for the bills, to save her.

Oh, poor, poor In-ho.

Your lips curved into a bitter smile as you leaned back against your couch, staring at his image focussed on the video on the screen. What would happen if he won, only to return home and find his dear wife gone?

The thought lingered heavily in your mind. You allowed the corners of your mouth to curl further upward.

You had no intention of letting her — or anyone — stand in the way.

── ★

The suit you had picked for him was immaculate. A deep charcoal gray with subtle pinstripes, paired with a crisp white shirt and a black tie. You had chosen it yourself, despite the wardrobe team’s protests. No one else would have dared to question you, of course — not when you held absolute authority.

It reminded you of the past. Back when the two of you would dress up in your finest clothes just to spin around your tiny, cluttered room. How he would hold you close, laughing as the two of you stumbled over each other’s feet, tripping over discarded books and materials.

The memory hurt more than you cared to admit.

You had wondered for years why he’d left you without a word. Back then, it was an unbearable wound, an unanswered question. But now, you knew the answer. He hadn’t disappeared because of ambition or fear like you had thought. He had left because of her. His wife. His child. His life that he had built without you.

And now you had taken that away from him. What would he do now that he had nothing? Run back to you, just like you had been waiting for all these years. Yet none of that mattered as you watched him now.

He looked devastatingly beautiful in the suit you had chosen. His face was gaunt, shadows carving hollows under his cheekbones. His gaze was darker than you remembered — haunted, like he had seen too much and survived too little. But his face was still untouched. His sharp jawline, his delicate lips, his deep, expressive eyes — they were all as perfect as you remembered. That was all that mattered to you.

The shrill ring of your telephone shattered your thoughts, dragging you away from the screen. With an irritated sigh, you muted the footage and picked up the receiver.

“Yes?”

“It’s me,” Oh Il-nam’s voice came through, and you let out a groan. “You’re walking a very fine line.”

You didn’t bother replying, letting him ramble on.

“The VIPs aren’t pleased,” he continued. “Your blatant favoritism is starting to show. The adjustments to the games, the extra leniency — it’s too obvious. If you keep this up, it won’t just be your job on the line.”

You held the receiver away from your ear, his words fading into the background as your gaze drifted back to the screen. There he was, sitting quietly at the opulent dinner table with the other finalists. The suit hugged his frame perfectly, accentuating every detail you had memorized so long ago.

Before you could stop yourself, you stood. You weren’t entirely sure what you were going to do next. You placed the receiver on the table next to you, and began stripping off your dress. Piece by piece. Just like he used to.

You discarded the elegant fabric of rose gold, standing bare before the floor-length mirror in your quarters. The reflection staring back at you was a stranger. Scowling lines etched into your face, your eyes cold and calculating, your body tired. You looked older. Harsher. Someone he might not even recognize anymore.

You pressed a hand to the glass, almost surprised when the person in the mirror repeated your actions. You couldn’t even tell yourself anymore. Was all of this worth it?

But then your eyes flicked back to the screen.

He looked so painfully perfect. The sound of Oh Il-nam’s complaints became white noise in the background. You reached for the phone.

“Done yet, old man?” You said in a bored voice. “Don’t try threatening me. You need me.”

His voice quietened on the other end, and you let out a dark chuckle.

“I don’t give a fuck about your VIPs. If this man survives,” you stared at the screen again, keeping one leg on the couch and the other on the floor, “I will not repeat this ever again.”

“You shall either keep your word and your title, or none of those. If you ever—”

You slammed the receiver down, cutting the call abruptly.

Nothing else mattered. Nothing else ever had.

You poured a glass of wine for yourself. Tilting the glass to your body and letting it pour all over you, you lay down on the couch, still keeping an eye on the screen. You ran a hand down your body, from your cheeks to your neck. From your nipples to your legs. From your thighs to your core. Just like he used to.

You hadn’t done this in years. You couldn’t get off to the sight of anyone but him. And now that you had him, plainly and simply in front of you, you couldn’t miss this opportunity at all. You shifted your body so your mouth could be covered by the couch, and began.

You loved him. Even though he had hurt you.

And you could never bring yourself to take those words back.

── ★

The 2015 Squid Game had ended.

Hwang In-ho had stood at the finish line, battered and broken but alive. He had walked away with the bloodstained briefcase in his hands, containing enough money to rebuild a shattered life — or so he had believed.

You had watched every second of his return home through the monitors. He had entered his small apartment, made a few calls only for his smile to fade promptly, then dropped the briefcase on the floor, and sat in silence. The money didn’t seem to matter to him. Not after everything he’d lost.

You had anticipated this moment with a sick, gleeful longing. His wife was gone. You had seen the death records and confirmed it yourself. The woman he had chosen over you was nothing but a memory now. He didn’t even bother visiting her grave. And that made you smile.

But he was grieving. Grieving over something you had had complete control over. His eyes now carried the weight of loss, and though he hadn’t cried, his silence was deafening. But you didn’t care.

You couldn’t see him with anyone else. The thought of him belonging to another woman had always made the invisible knife in your stomach twist and hurt. And now, you had him all to yourself. Even if he didn’t know it.

The idea of him discovering your hand in all of this sent a thrill down your spine. You had touched yourself to the thought more than twice, chanting his name like a prayer. Poor Inho. He’d be so upset if he ever found out.

But none of that mattered. What mattered was that he was still yours.

The next games were fast approaching. Oh Il-nam had entered your office, and while you might’ve bashed the skull of whoever did so, you couldn’t do it to the superior standing in front of you.

“I trust you’ll stay out of it this time,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “Your antics last year nearly cost us everything. No favoritism. No interference. Do you understand?”

You rolled your eyes but nodded anyway, knowing better than to argue.

“I had someone I wanted to introduce you to,” he said when a knock echoed at the door. You frowned, turning toward the sound. “Come in,” Ilnam said, almost amused.

The door opened, and your breath caught in your throat.

It was him.

Hwang Inho stood there, dressed in a sharp black suit, his face calm and unreadable. He looked different. Stronger. Colder.

For the second time in less than a year, you found yourself wondering: What the fuck was he doing here?

“This is Hwang Inho,” Ilnam said, gesturing toward him. “He’s the new Frontman.”

You felt the air leave your lungs. The world tilted on its axis, and for a moment, you couldn’t breathe.

“He’ll be replacing you,” Il-nam continued. Then, with a sly smile, he added to Inho. “Your assistant,” he gestured towards you, and your eyes snapped back to him.

If he wasn’t your superior, you would’ve broken his bones. They looked pretty fragile anyway.

Inho extended a hand toward you. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said smoothly. “What’s your name?”

[hxlxnaaa]

𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠

★ synopsis: in order to get a creepy coworker off your back, you begrudgingly let sylus play the part of your fake boyfriend. unfortunately, your emotions and pride quickly spiral out of control.

★ character: sylus

★ cw: first person pov, enemies to lovers, fake dating, part 1 out of 2, angst, some swearing

★ word count: 5k

★ a/n: i had HELLA writers block while writing this, so if it seems chaotic and rushed that's why. i really wanted to scrap this but i spent so long on it i would be disappointed if i did. this is part one out of two, and i promise to get part two out super soon! it should be a lot better than this one *sob*

“Is that a new necklace?”

I grimace, the annoying twerp’s voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard.

“No, Nicholas, it's the one I always wear.” I press my lips into a tight line, staring at the papers in front of me. After everything I’ve tried, I don’t know how he hasn’t caught on with how absolutely, utterly disinterested I am.

Nicholas was a recent graduate from the academy, starting his first year here at the Association. At first he seemed sweet, like an infatuated kid, but it quickly worsened and now I have to deal with harassment every day at work.

He’d do anything and everything to spark a conversation, trying to work any attention out of me despite all my efforts of ignoring him. I tried to be nice originally, letting him down easily whenever he’d pay me compliments and ask me out to lunch.

That didn’t work.

He became more persistent, and I resorted to either giving him the silent treatment or being straight up rude. Throwing him off my back seemed like an impossible task, and I was convinced I had developed some sort of parasite that was bound to me until I retired.

“Ah, I’ve never noticed…” Nicholas sat himself in front of me, and I could feel his stare on my face.

Don’t look up, don’t look up, don’t look up.

“Hey guys!”

Thank God.

Forcing a smile at Tara’s cheerfulness, Nicholas paid her a nod, clearly unsettled with her interruption. She came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. If there was anyone who was capable of putting a wedge in between me and my borderline stalker, it was Tara.

“Are you excited for the Hunter’s Ball? I can't believe it’s already coming up…” She sighed dreamily behind me, resting her cheek on the top of my head. While the Hunter’s Ball wasn’t my favorite event, it was typically a good time.

Well, at least before Nicholas came along.

I couldn’t imagine how it would go this year, him crawling six feet up my ass as I try to shake him off the whole night. It’s bad enough I have to deal with him sober, I can’t even imagine how much more unbearable he’d become with drinks in his system. This was the one night of the year the Association actually shows their appreciation for their employees, and I’d be damned if I couldn’t enjoy myself.

“It’s always nice we get a plus one,” Tara mentions, “I can't wait to see who everyone brings." She nudges my shoulder with her arm, laughing.

The look in Nicholas’ eyes told me everything he was about to say. I could practically hear the words come out of his mouth before he even spoke them-

“Yeah, I’m gonna bring my boyfriend.” I spoke before thinking, the words an act of desperation. Nicholas’ eyes widened and Tara’s arms flew from my body, as she whipped herself to stand in front of me.

Oh no, why would I say that- Why did I say that?!

“Your… what!” She started grasping at my hands, questions flying out of her mouth before I couldn’t even process half of them, “Since when? What’s his name? Where’d you meet him? Do you have any pictures?”

I knew I had gotten myself into trouble, I didn’t even have the slightest clue as to who I could possibly feign to be my boyfriend; but the look on Nicholas’ face told me I needed to keep up whatever I was doing, because it was working.

I smiled innocently, “We’ve been keeping it on the down low, things are still pretty new. I was planning to hard launch us at the Ball.” Chuckling nervously, I was convinced nobody was believing a word I was saying.

“Ohmygosh Mystery Man! I’m so excited!” Tara continued to blabber on, trying to pull any detail she could out of me. I made eye contact with Nicholas and thought about how soon the Ball was - only a week away.

Letting out a sigh of relief because of my believable lie, the feeling soon faded and was replaced with chest crushing stress. I had no boyfriend, and no plan; I was going to have to think fast.

-

Laying in my bed that night, I scoured my brain for any potential suitor. I thought maybe Zayne, a cardiac surgeon and childhood best friend. He’d be perfect, all my coworkers would be so pleased, but a cow would have to jump over the moon before he’d even think about complying. Maybe Xavier’s friend Jeremiah? A sweet florist…No, Xavier would never let me do that.

I flipped onto my stomach, screaming into my pillow. Smushing my face into the fabric, I silently prayed I’d suffocate and be free from this mess I’d webbed myself into.

Before I could pass out and be put out of my misery, my phone started to ring.

Not even looking at the caller id, I picked it up and answered with a disgruntled, “Hello?”

“You never sound pleased to hear from me, Kitten.”

I screamed into the pillow again, Sylus being the complete utter last person I wanted to hear from right now.

He chuckled over the line, “Actually, I think that might be the unhappiest I’ve heard you.”

“What do you want?”

“Can I not just call to talk? I’ve had a rough day and wanted to hear your voice.”

I let out a forced laugh, “You’ve had a rough day? YOU’VE had a rough day? You will not believe the day I had then.”

His voice softened, “Talk to me about it then.”

While I most definitely realized my day couldn’t be comparable to his, as he was essentially a mob boss running the N109 Zone, venting about my problems felt nice. As much as I couldn’t stand Sylus, with his incessant arrogance and backhanded flattery, he was easy to talk to sometimes.

Sometimes.

“I don’t even know how I got myself into this situation. Well, I do know, I just didn’t mean to!” I groaned, throwing my face into my hands.

He sits in silence for a minute, and I can hear the soft playing of one of his records in the background. It’s annoying how he feels the need to call and bother me, with a side of music, to wind down at night.

“When is it?” He finally asks, and I hear shuffling.

��Next Saturday, so…” I can practically see the clock ticking down, “Shit, a week from today.”

“What time?”

“9- Sylus, why?”

“I’ll be there at 8:30 then.” There’s mirth in his voice and my face goes pale, “Sylus, no, don’t you dare. It cannot be you, just let me borrow one of your men or something.”

Sylus lets out a low laugh, “Now why would I do that when I could just be your date?”

“Not date,” I cut him off, “fake boyfriend.”

“Of course, fake boyfriend.” He clucked his tongue, “Why would I let someone else be your fake boyfriend?”

“I don’t know, maybe the fact that you’re the big bad Onychinus boss?” Pressing a finger to my temple to ease the headache that he was becoming, I started to pace my floor. “You’re stepping into enemy territory at this event, there’s no way I’ll be able to save your ass if you get found out, let alone what will happen to me and my place at the Association.”

“I’ve already met some of your coworkers before, remember? It’s best if it's me instead of some stranger, and trust me sweetie, they won’t know.”

My coworkers did take a liking to him when they met during one of our outings, Sylus just had this charisma about him that sucked everyone in; the mysterious fruit vendor Skye who was absolutely horrid at karaoke. He stole their hearts quickly, and I’m lucky if they don’t ask me at least once a week how he’s doing. Sylus was just magnetic like that, even if you tried your damndest to hate him, there’s just something about his demeanor that’s magic.

He has a point here, and it’s killing me to admit he’s right.

“Fine,” I snap, “but absolutely no funny business.”

“I’m not sure what you could possibly mean by that, Kitten.” Sylus lets out a low laugh that makes me want to punch my phone, “I’ll be there at 8:30.”

Before I can respond, he quickly hangs up. I’m left sitting on my bed with racing thoughts of everything that could possibly go wrong. Was bringing Sylus really worth getting this creep off my back? Well, if there was anyone who could scare him off, it would be the leader of Onychinus. Worst case scenario, I have Sylus pull a gun out on him.

I shake my head, trying to clear my stupid thoughts.

I sent him a picture of the invitation, which included the dress code. I wasn’t too worried about him making a fool out of me, just the overwhelming anxiety of bringing a top criminal as my date to a work event where we quite literally are attempting to hunt this exact man down.

Trying to trust Sylus isn’t the easily discoverable type, I make a miserable attempt to put my mind to rest, and get some sleep.

-

The next week following my abrupt news of a boyfriend was hell. Not to my surprise, word was quickly spread through the Association, and I was constantly being flooded with questions and endless pressure to just ‘give them a name!’. I even had Xavier at my desk with questions one morning, and he was always the type to steer away from work related gossip.

Not to mention Sylus himself was being utterly insufferable. He was taking this far too seriously, sending lunch and flowers to my work with paper love notes attached. It was bringing on more attention at work, and every time I told him to stop, he’d just send more extravagant bouquets that cluttered my desk and made the surrounding area smell like a funeral.

At one point, I woke up to a box in the mail. Inside was a black velvet dress, a ruby necklace, and heels. Sending him an angry text about how I have my own clothes, he just responded by transferring 200 dollars into my bank account saying, ‘Get your nails done too. Match the outfit.’

By Saturday night, I was almost ready for everyone to meet Sylus, just so people would stop with the ‘fake boyfriend trivia’ while I’m on the clock, and his annoying attempts at romantic gestures.

The night of, at 8:30 on the dot, I heard a knock at my door.

On the other side was a well dressed Sylus; I think it was the first time I had ever seen him done up so nicely. He wasn’t ever one to slack on his looks, but in his black pinstripe suit and red tie that matched my gifted necklace, I had to take a second. Even though he made me constantly want to take my gun and replicate the time I shot him, I could never deny he’s hot. His arguably perfect looks just adds to the hatred.

He looked me up and down, smirking. The dress he had gotten me was backless and stopped at my ankles, with a slit up to my thigh that had me worried that with one wrong move I’d flash all my coworkers. Opening his mouth to I’m sure to make a snide comment, I cut him off.

“I have to put on my shoes and that necklace, but then I’m ready.” I walked over to the coffee table and grabbed the ruby piece that was gifted, struggling with the clasp thanks to the nails I was practically forced to get.

“Here.” Coming up behind me, Sylus took the necklace from my hands. Brushing my hair out of the way, I felt his fingers against my neck as he secured the jewelry with ease. I turned around to face him, and he smiled down at me.

He gestured to the couch, “Sit.”

His one word commands were starting to get on my nerves. “What?” I glared at him.

Grabbing my shoulder and softly pushing me back, I tumbled onto the couch. Sylus snickered, “I said sit, Kitten.”

Getting on his knees, he picked up my ankle, slipping the heel onto my foot.

“I could’ve done this myself.” Scoffing, I averted my eyes to anywhere that wasn’t Sylus on his knees in front of me.

“I’m sure you could with those nails, sweetie.” He hooked the straps around my ankle, and I felt my skin burn red where his fingers danced. It was definitely red with anger.

For sure.

Standing when he was done, Sylus reached a hand out to me. Narrowing my eyes at his hand, I ignored the help. To my dismay, I stood up too fast in heels and lost a bit of my balance. Sylus caught my waist and gave me a smug smile, pulling me into him. “You look absolutely beautiful tonight, my love.”

I grimaced, pulling away from his grasp and heading to the door. “Oh, do not do that. No more of that.”

“We have to get into character, I’m just being prepared.”

“Be in character when we’re there. Not here.”

“I have to get into the mindset.” Sylus creeped closer to me, and I stepped back. At this point, I was essentially pinned in between him and the door. “After all, I have to practice so I can impress everybody.” He leaned down, his breath fanning against the side of my neck.

“Right.” I rolled my eyes, opening the door behind me and taking a backwards step out. Sylus stumbled at the sudden movement, and I smirked at his loss of composure. “Let’s go, we’ll be late.”

-

When we arrived, I felt my heart begin to race. All the mental preparation I had done for this exact night fled my mind as soon as Sylus put the car into park. My worry was not of showing off my new fancy fake boyfriend, it was the fact that I was bringing my new fancy fake boyfriend into an arena that was hunting him. Over the past week I’ve tried telling myself he’s not easily discoverable, I mean, if he was, the Association would’ve had him tracked down by now. However, knowing my luck, I was preparing for the worst.

Sylus gently placed his hand on my thigh, attempting to give me a reassuring smile, “It’ll be okay, Kitten. Just follow my lead.”

We’re fucked.

He walked around, opening the door for me. His car was clearly the nicest and most expensive out of all the guests tonight, and I knew if anybody saw I’d never hear the end of it.

When we were nearing the entrance, I sighed, shoving down my pride and grabbing Sylus’ arm, wrapping myself sweetly around his bicep. I watched his lips curve upward into a smug smile, and I suppressed the urge to throw myself off and take my heel to his-

“Invitation please.” Sylus handed the men working the door the two slips of paper, and I begrudgingly walked in clinging to his arm.

‘Playing the character’, I thought.

The venue the Ball was being held at was extravagant, with a high, golden ceiling, and golden marble floors.

It was filled to the brim with people that worked for the Association, plus their guests. I winced at the sheer amount of people, automatically going into defense mode due to the overwhelming fact that we were outnumbered.

“Smile, sweetie.” Letting go of his arm, Sylus took his pointer finger and thumb, lightly pulling the corners of my mouth upward.

I nipped at his finger, and he poked my nose as a warning.

I heard someone shriek my name, and I whipped around to see Tara quickly approaching. “Oh wow, you’re beautiful!” She wrapped me up in a tight hug, rocking me side to side. Letting go of me just as fast, Tara gasped when she saw Sylus.

“Skye! Oh my gosh it’s you, how sweet!” She fawned over us, and he smiled kindly at her, “You look lovely tonight, Tara.” If he kept up the nice talk, I was going to put my head through one of the walls.

“Here, come with me. Some of us already have a table together!”

Tara dragged us over to a table where a few of my most nagging coworkers stood around talking. Introducing him to the ones who had never met him, I groaned internally, ready for the torment of questions to begin.

“So,” Tara dropped the first bomb, “how long have you two been a thing?” I know this has been weighing on her worse than me all week.

“About a month now.” Sylus answered with ease. I tried to suppress a shocked look on my face, because I was planning on doing all the talking; but that continued, them rapid firing questions and Sylus answering all of them as if he had this all thought out. I mean, shit, he was convincing me.

“I have to know how this happened!” One of them said, and Sylus tucked my hair behind my ear, pretending to recall the moment.

“I had feelings for her for a while,” He said, smiling down at me, “and it got to a point where I couldn’t take it anymore. It was spur of the moment, but I showed up at her door in the middle of the night and had to ask her if she felt the same.”

Damn. He was good.

All the girls squealed, “That's so romantic!”

I placed my hand on Sylus’ chest, batting my eyelashes up at him, “I’m gonna go get a drink, d’you want anything?” He grabbed my hand, matching my energy, and kissing my knuckles, “No, sweetie, that’s quite alright. I’ll stay here and entertain your friends.”

All of them cooed at the sight, probably thinking we were so lovesick for each other it hurt. Well, it did hurt, this whole thing was a pain in my ass I needed to be over.

I grabbed a glass of wine from the drink table, the group out of sight. Sighing, I resisted the urge to down the glass all at once. While I was uncomfortable, I couldn’t deny everything was going well. Everyone was pleased, so I tried to relax.

“That's a pretty necklace,” I heard from behind me, “is it new?”

Nevermind.

Turning around, there stood Nicholas. His eyelids drooped, and he reeked of wine.

“What did you say?” I asked, looking around for the quickest exit route.

“I said I liked your necklace. Is it new?”

God, does this twerp have any other material?

“Yes, it is.” A low voice said, and I felt an arm wrap around my waist. My head shot up to meet Sylus in the eyes; I guess my face was screaming, ‘Help me!’, because he gave my side a soft squeeze of reassurance.

“Oh.” Was all Nicholas replied, shooting his eyes back and forth between Sylus and I. In his head, I imagined the pieces clicking together. ‘This is it,’ I thought, ‘finally he’ll leave me alone!’

“This song is nice… Would you care to dance?” There were no thoughts behind his eyes. This guy was genuinely dense. I could’ve sworn my jaw dropped at his stupidity, and Sylus chuckled next to me.

“So sorry, but tonight she’s mine.” Swiftly sweeping me away, Nicholas and my glass of wine were quickly left behind.

“Why don’t you dance with me instead, sweetie?” Sylus said, leading me to the open floor where people were dancing to the soft classical music.

Sylus put my hand on his shoulder, intertwining my other hand with his. Placing his hand on my lower back, he pulled me in closer to him.

“Look at me.”

His eyes stared into mine, and there was something behind them I couldn’t quite place my finger on. We started slowly ballroom dancing in our own little spot on the floor, a bit away from everyone else. As much as I wanted to strangle this man, I could relax a little in his arms. He just felt safe sometimes.

Sometimes.

“You’re doing good tonight.” Sylus said, still looking into my eyes.

“Thanks.” I started playing with the hair on the nape of his neck, “So where do we go from here?”

He raised a brow, “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I really don’t think I do, Kitten.”

“How am I going to tell my coworkers that we ‘broke up’ right after this? They’ll be suspicious.”

“We could keep doing this for a while.” Sylus shrugged, smirking.

Groaning, I slammed my head on his shoulder, “Tonight was bad enough, I can’t do this for any longer.”

“Do you have a better idea?”

He was right. I didn’t have a better idea.

-

So we did just that.

I was going to give it two months. Then, it would say we were together for three months total, which looked like a completely reasonable time to test run a relationship and then call it quits.

At first, I was completely miserable. I already couldn’t stand Sylus as a friend, how could I stand him as my ‘boyfriend’? After that night at the Ball, to my dismay, he completely won everybody over. It made me feel like I had to put more effort into faking all of this.

The extravagant gifts sent to my work started getting sent to my place too. I told him he didn’t have to send them to me outside of work, let alone at all, but he always insisted so he could “stay in character”.

Whether it was convincing me to let him take me out to fancy places, like dinner or a show, it was always just to keep him ‘in character’. I think he just liked using that excuse so I would be forced to hang out with him and not be able to deny or complain about it.

Though, after a bit, it became easy to slip into a groove.

I started to not mind the talk about Sylus; everything started to become bearable, and dare I say it, kind of fun.

We had played with the claw machines once, and he won a white cat plushie. Jokingly, I had told him it looks exactly like him, and snapped a picture of the cat next to his face to prove a point.

I made that photo my wallpaper, to make things more realistic. It freaked me out for a while whenever I’d open my phone, but I came to like it after a while. Sylus looked kind of cute in the photo, his expression mocking the plushies. He looked kind, warm, a soft look on his face you didn’t see on him often. The more I saw the photo, the more it made me smile.

I began looking forward to his calls, his texts. He’d call me to say good morning, or tell me goodnight, even if he was in the middle of a meeting. The ‘fake dates’ became less uncomfortable as I grew more accustomed to the situation we had put ourselves into. The roles we were playing came easier and easier with time.

Which was causing a problem.

It wasn’t hard to notice the way my body would flush when he touched me, or how my once strong demeanor around him would start to falter. Words and actions of his that would be fast to anger me, quickly changed into something else.

I was starting to care about him. How annoying.

There was one day when Sylus decided he was going to pick me up from work. “Your coworkers will think it's cute.” He had said, and who was I to deny a free ride home.

He showed up on his bike in his leather jacket, in all his badass glory. Leaning against the bike, he stood up straight and smiled at me when I came outside. As time had gone on, Sylus was slowly becoming less hard and uncaring towards me. He began treating me like I was fragile, always so gentle with me. Him getting into character I suppose.

Sylus held his hand out towards me, and when I took it, he pulled me into his chest. I squealed, laughing at the sudden gesture.

“They’re looking,” He said, glancing at a few of my coworkers still inside, watching us intensely, “Kiss me.”

I choked, “What?”

He grabbed my chin, tilting it up slightly. He cocked his head to the side a bit, almost as if to ask, ‘is this okay?’.

Nodding my head yes, Sylus smirked before leaning down and pressing his lips against mine. For how aggressive he can be as the leader of Onychinus, the kiss was unusually soft. I had imagined kissing him, for all of this, and I never expected him to be the type to be so kind and gentle.

My blood was rushing in my ears and I thought I was going to melt under his hands. I didn’t realize just how bad I subconsciously wanted this until it was happening, and I wanted more. I wanted to kiss him so hard I could steal the air from his lungs, I wanted to grip his shirt so tightly my knuckles turned white because I could finally have him.

When he pulled away, and kissed the corner of my eye, I knew I was fucked.

I didn’t just care about him, I wanted him. I wanted Sylus to be mine, I wanted this to be real, I wanted-

No, I couldn’t want anything.

It would never work. Our lives were too different, we were too different, everything would be doomed from the start. He was a faraway dream that would never come true. He could never be what I wanted.

I always wanted security, someone stable and safe. Sylus could never give me that.

So why do I want him so badly?

-

It was my friend's birthday party.

I had invited Sylus, because what had originally been a fake relationship to get a creep coworker off my back, spread like a wildfire to a fake relationship that was now known by all my friends.

I only invited him because I knew it would be strange if I showed up without him.

After he kissed me, and my feelings became a living hell to deal with, I started to pull back; started to psych myself out mentally, constantly spending time just trying to convince myself how bad we would be for each other. Trying to will myself to hate him again, go back to where I was two months ago. When Sylus was a nuisance, an annoying pest.

I don’t even really think he noticed. Or if he did, I couldn’t tell.

When we got to the party, the music and laughter could be heard from outside, a drastic change from the almost silent car ride. Sylus tried to make conversation, and I shut him down almost every time.

We walked in, and my friends all greeted him with easy familiarity. They gave him hugs, pats on the back, and he was welcomed effortlessly.

I stood a distance away as he laughed with my friends, and my chest began to hurt. Guilt, dread, I felt doomed. He wasn’t meant to be here, he was never meant to be here. Sylus doesn’t belong with my friends. Sylus doesn’t belong with me.

None of this is real. All of this is one little lie that spun into a web of something so much bigger, and I’m stuck in it.

He looks happy with them, happy with my friends. Happy in my space, with my people. How could he? He’s an intruder, he knows it.

I knew tonight was the night I was done. This couldn’t go on any longer. No more playing house with Sylus, no more pretending. We’re adults, and this whole thing was so childish, and it ends now.

I stepped outside, sitting on the back patio. The night air was cold, and I wasn’t sure if it was the sharp air of my distress that was making my lungs constrict.

“There you are.”

I didn’t turn around to meet the voice, just kept staring into the trees ahead.

Sylus stood beside me, running his fingers through the top of my hair. I relished the feeling, ‘one last time, it’s okay’.

He didn’t ask any questions, didn’t ask why I was out here, if I was okay. I was happy for that, it could give me another reason to be mad at him. To hate him again. To try and rile up all my old feelings, stir old bitterness.

“I want to go home.” I finally said, breaking the silence.

We got in the car, this time he didn’t try to speak. His face was hard again, the soft look long gone. I think, in a way, he knew too. He knows this is for the better.

I said goodbye, told him goodnight before he left. Told him to drive safely.

It had been two months, that’s what I gave him. It was time for it to be over anyways. I changed my wallpaper, changed his name back. I didn’t care if I had to deal with Nicholas at my job anymore, anything was better than the gutted feeling I got from every interaction with Sylus. Nothing was worth that.

The next day, it was radio silence. For the first time in two months, there was nothing. No good morning, no texts throughout the day, no calls to tell me goodnight; and that just continued. For days. Silence.

I had perfected the speech I was going to tell my coworkers, “We gave it our best, but it just wasn’t going to work out between us.” It was reassurance for them, and myself.

It just wasn’t going to work out between us.

(divider by cafekitsune)

[nattikay]

Yeah, Izzo actually mentioned that panel specifically! We technically don't know for certain whether that particular character was meant to be her, but I'd say it's a very good reasonable guess and definitely the closest thing we have! Certainly gonna be my headcanon for now, until/unless we get something a little more concrete.

Speaking of which, I went ahead and transcribed the part of the interview about Norm, tagging @theoptimistictabby again because you're gonna want this, Norm fans are gonna be hype for this one haha. I'm gonna put the full thing under a cut because it's just a tad bit long, but the tl;dr bullet points are:

Izzo really wants to do a Norm comic at some point, exploring his past and/or the gap between A1 and A2

Norm's family probably won't make a direct appearance in the films, but might appear in other media such as comics

One of his kids is named Popiti and she, along with a sibling, do appear in The High Ground; he mentioned the panel with Norm playing the violin specifically

The majority of the Olangi clan died in the Battle of the Hallelujah Mountains and the survivors were absorbed into the Omatikaya clan. Norm's mate was one of these survivors and he met her in during the aftermath of the battle.

By the way, for those who didn't catch it on the other reblog, Izzo also confirmed later that day via this comment that Popiti and her sibling are indeed Norm's biological kids, not adopted!

...soooo with all that in mind, if we take that violin panel you posted and zoom out a bit:

I think there's a pretty decent chance that those two kids in the front holding hands are Popiti and her sibling! :D

Transcript from interview:

Mako: In the Visual Dictionary and The High Ground, it is hinted that Norm has a family. Do you know if we will ever meet them? Izzo: Yes! So, keen-eyed viewers…well, meet them on film, like, visually? Probably not. That will probably be, like, a lore, derivitive media sort of thing, but keen-eyed viewers…his children appear in The High Ground. They’re in there! There’s a couple panels where you see them, like when the Sully family return, and they have that kind of dance party, it’s at the top of book 1, I believe, where Norm is playing a musical instrument or something like that…Popiti and his other kid are there. They’re in that scene. But yeah, I would love to more with that; Norm is a character that….and actually this is something that again Ray, our creative guy, he’s talked about doing stuff about the Avatar program, the AVTR program, from a comic book perspective, he’s had some really interesting ideas…but Norm as a character is one that I’d really love to do some comic book or some other media about that’s either…y’know…I’d love to do something that’s between A1 and A2. What is he up to, what’s he doing, and y’know, touching a little bit on his past: where’d he come from, his study to be in the Avatar program, his relationship with Tommy, the meeting of all of the Na'vi, and kind of all that stuff…I think that it’s really rich. There’s some really meaty story there that I would love to do. But yeah, going back…the question, probably not on screen, but in other media, would love to. Would love to give it a shot. Mako: Well, I can imagine you just set off a flurry of comic book pages of people going to grab their copy of The High Ground to go digging… Izzo: Yeah, probably! Mako: But you’re right that the comic book format, the way that you guys have set that up right now, lends itself really well to anthology stories and character studies, I mean, the very first one was a Jake character study in a lot of ways, and we had Mo'at, and we’ve got So'lek in the latest ones, of course, so….yeah, it could be really interesting to see a Norm-centric story emerge in that format. Izzo: Just right now, just for the room…and I don’t know if it’s in the Visual Dictionaries…but in our documentation at work...this is all subject to change, so, y’know, of course, I’m gonna say it, but Jim might have different ideas…his mate, his partner, is one of the Olangi clan that he met during the post-Battle of the Hallelujah Mountains, one of Akwey’s people…and because Akwey’s people essentially got destroyed during that battle, the Omatikaya clan sort of absorbed a lot of their remnants, their lost, because that’s what happens during the wartimes…you saw that’s also what happened to So'lek’s clan…they passed away and then other clans abosorbed their survivors, and the Olangi clan came and lived with the remnants of the Omatikaya in their yurts on that border of Hell’s Gate between Hell’s Gate and the Omatikayan rainforest. So yeah, he was….we have it in our paperwork that he’s mated and partnered to an Olangi woman. Mako: Oh, ok yeah. That’s not lore that I personally knew, so that’s really really interesting, and again further stuff to potentially explore in a character study. Izzo: Yeah, super fun!

Norm family lore drop!!

so for Avatar fans who don't already know, Kelutral's "Omaticon" online convention (streamed on their Twitch channel) is going on this weekend, and the kickoff panel earlier this evening featured franchise loremaster Josh Izzo.

Some may remember this little panel in the High Ground, featuring Norm with a Na'vi child addressing him as "Daddy":

In the Visual Dictionary, there's also a very brief mention that Tuk has a best friend named Popiti.

...so here's the fun bit:

Izzo confirmed that this "Popiti" is in fact Norm's kid!!

Apparently Popiti also has a sibling, and her mother/Norm's mate is from the Olangi clan (which makes sense given that the Visual Dictionary mentions Norm having a bunch of Olangi trinkets).

ngl I love this lore drop but now I have so many more questions also!! How old is Popiti (I assume close to Tuk's age since they're best friends but there's still some wiggle room there so)? Is her sibling older or younger and what's his/her name? If they're Norm's biological kids, do either of them have avatar features like Kiri and Lo'ak? What's Norm's wife's name, what's their story? Norm didn't get his consciousness permanently transferred like Jake did, so how does him switching between two bodies affect things? PLZ I NEED TO KNOW

@theoptimistictabby thought you'd be interested in this one ;)

btw let it be known that I speculated all these things like two years ago, my mind is still reeling that what I thought was merely wild wishful-thinking speculation at the time turned out to be CANON lol

[love-byers]

i had the misfortune of ending up on mileven tiktok by accident and found some gold

dude. how many times do we have to say its not the fact that they're standing next to each other. its the fact that they're standing next to each other when all the other characters are paired off with their significant other with significant space between them. they are SANDWICHED between two couples that they have numerous other parallels with. like you have to be playing dumb if you think we're just saying byler is endgame because they're in the same proximity. and WDYMMMM MIKE ISN'T EVEN LOOKING AT HIM why does that matter?? the whole point is that they're all looking forward at the fucking apocalypse beginning. nancy and jonathan weren't looking at each other, joyce and hopper weren't looking at each other. why does that matter?? and holy shit watching them try to analyze media is hilarious. the byler commenter was very concise an respectful and ofc the mlvn has to be backhanded. no, the 2 minute scene of mike saying i love you is not random, it's actually meticulously crafted so that we're able to tell mike is lying...

uhh because WILL IS THE MAIN FUCKING CHARACTER OF SEASON 5 AND THE WUOLE POINT OF AN ENDING SHOT OF A SEASON IS TO FORESHADOW THE NEXT SEASON???

do they think we're making this up???

he is the center and lead of season 5 and his arc is going to tie the whole series together. but nah they just paired him with mike and left him in the background on the hill just because el needed to be in front. they could've done a million other set ups where it actually comes off that mike and el are a team and in love and want to work together. they could've had those couples together and then had will alone or behind them and done a close up like they did with el in the actual scene, but no, he had to be with mike. and not only is he with mike, he and mike are paired off together and CENTERED. the CENTER of season 5 is CENTERED in the final shot of the season and he is standing with his long time best friend who he is desperately in love with. and all of this is foreshadowing for season 5, which if you've forgotten, is all about connection and finding belonging with others.

"People talk about mythology and The Upside Down, and all that is huge, but the magic of S5 are the characters who find a sense of belonging with other and through that connection, become heroes."

"[Season 5] It's about a group of people who question their value, who find each other, and who find superpowers in connection."

remember when mike beat himself up and questioned his value as a person because he feels weak and powerless and stupid next to el and then will gave him a painting where mike is a literal knight in shining armor and and confessed his own feelings about how mike holds everything together and makes him feel like he's better for being different and gives him the courage to keep fighting and how he'll always need mike and that finally made mike feel reassured

yeah...

alright you guys have to be lying. you can't think of a single reason why people would ship byler?? not a one??? you know what actually, you're right. why on earth would people ship two characters where one is canonically in love with the other, they've been best friends since the first day of kindergarten, they are always a duo, they have a special friendship compared to the others, one said asking the other to be his friend is the best thing he's ever done, one thinks home isn't the same without the other, they hold hands, put their arms around each other, always look out for each other, etc etc ETC. no yeah i don't see it

was the person who confirmed this named mike wheeler...

no yeah we just say random things. those of us using the knowledge we gained in film school/creative writing school to analyze a form of media are just saying random things. i just love making shit up!

mlvns are so silly lol like they really think they know more about film/writing than people who STUDY IT AND DO IT FOR A LIVING

[featseungmin]

quest complete | bc

bang chan x reader It’s late by the time Chris finally manages to drag himself home. wc: 0.8k genre: domestic fluff warnings: none thanks to @lovetaroandtaemin for the banner 💙 I wrote this at 11pm last night. hope you enjoy

It’s late by the time Chris finally manages to drag himself home. More morning than night, there’s a certain ethereal energy to the night. The beep of the lock as he punches in the code is almost too loud, the jingle of his keys as he places them on the little table in the entry too harsh. It’s a shame to ruin the silence like this, but he’s so tired that there’s nothing he can really do about it. The exhaustion has seeped deep within him, through his muscles and down into the bone. 

He almost feels like he’s crawling through the house, he’s moving so slowly, and when he rounds the corner into the living room, he’s shocked to discover the television is still on. For a second, he thinks that you’ve fallen asleep in front of the tv again in an attempt to wait up for him. There’s a brief moment where he considers just collapsing on the couch beside you. But then his brain catches up, and he realizes that it’s a video game on the screen, not a movie, and that you are, in fact, still awake.

“Jagi?” he asks softly, and his voice sounds hoarse, even to his own ears. 

You tilt your head in his direction, attention dividing automatically between him and your game. “I thought you’d end up sleeping in the studio again,” you admit. 

After a second, you pause your game and reach an arm out to him, beckoning him closer. It would take even less to convince him on a normal day, but right now, his body–his soul–craves your touch, and he’s more than happy to oblige. He hums as you place a delicate kiss to his temple, and there’s a warmth that spreads through him like wildfire.

“What are you doing up still?” he manages to ask. 

Just being beside you is enough to energize him even slightly, and he wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer into his side. You snuggle in almost immediately, getting comfortable against him.

“I’m so close to the next chapter,” you tell him, unpausing your game. Chris knows you’ve been dedicating huge amounts of time to it of late. It’s the remake of one of your favorite games, and he knows you’ve been trying to do all of the side quests. Your character–he knows the guy’s name, but his sleep-addled brain can’t seem to recall it–is atop a giant chicken, running through a desert. “I only had a couple more side quests to do, but then the story kept happening and I dunno.” You laugh softly. “Just got sucked in I guess.”

He hums, resting his head against your own. 

“Sleepy?” You almost sound amused, your hand coming over to squeeze his thigh.

“Little bit. Long day.”

You pause your game again. “We can go to bed. Let me just save and-”

“‘M comfy here,” he tightens his arm ever so slightly, squeezing you against him. “Get to your checkpoint or whatever.”

He likes to watch you play, sometimes. Your games always seem to have these long narratives, he can’t help but be drawn in. Sure, he misses some of the story sometimes, but he’s usually more than happy to spend time with you while you’re playing, and he knows that you don’t mind filling him in with the story bits that he wasn’t around to see.

Except tonight, he’s exhausted. Normally, his insomnia would have no trouble keeping him awake–there’s been more than one night when you’ve stayed up with him, playing one of your games half-asleep and just going through the motions. Tonight, though? He’s exhausted enough that tonight might actually be one of the nights where he miraculously doesn’t need some sort of sleep aid.

For a moment, you lean to the side and look at him. He’s not quite sure what you’re looking for, maybe you’re just generally looking, maybe you’re checking to make sure he’s okay. Whatever it is, you seem to find it, because you squeeze his thigh again, patting the inside of his leg gently. You cradle the controller in your hands, arm coming to rest half on your lap, half on his own, and you settle back into the game.

It’s sweet, how you try to explain to him the little bit of the story that he’s missed. You’re telling him about how you found the big chicken, and he tries to pay attention. He really does. But you’re so warm, and so soft. And he’s so tired. He can feel himself slipping, his head resting heavier against you as you play.

You hum softly, and he feels your thumb rub gently across his leg where your hand rests. “Good night, my love,” you whisper, soft lips brushing against his cheek.

He falls asleep to the triumphant sounds of a completed quest.

[mchib]

this idea is very

interesting to me!!!!!

i would talk a lot about kaneki's obvious paranoid schizophrenia which wasn't really outwardly diagnosed but very obviously there*, and how that might have changed his perception on what was really happening, at the end of the day its up to sui ishida but i can dream lol

i watched parasite grey recently, i had watched the original parasite a few years back. and it kept bringing up that, because the parasite only had control for a quarter of an hour, it was a sort of jekyll and hyde situation (they names the parasite heidi after hyde xd) and while i know that kaneki acknowledges that rize changed him as a person, i feel like the narrative should really highlight her significance in moving the plotline this far

*the thing is, kaneki thought that rize's consciousness had been residing within him due to the transplantation of her organs and the fact that she had deceased, but we found out that she was alive the whole time, so that'd be impossible.

but, like, what if, while she was immobile, her consciousness really had been trapped in kaneki's body? and she discreetly led him to her body to kill her? that'd be more likely, but i still wish she would take control of his body and go crazy more often than not, although that'd kinda ruin kaneki's character development, how despite the audience thinking rize had changed him, he changed himself showing that he had the capacity originally to do all the things he did without her and exceeding our expectations

imagine being an affair baby to someone who is basically a cult leader and being raised for the sole purpose to become a womb to preserve that cult leader's blood line so the cult's offspring is always this mutant little baby groomed into becoming an assassin to kill ultimately every one of their own kind except you werent supposed to happen so the cult doesnt really gaf about you so decide to run away with the help of your also illegitimate half brother but you have to starve because you cant get caught and you almost die but not to fret cuz japanese tarzan saves you and decides to adopt and raise you as his daughter so now you have a new life, name and surrogate father except your appetite becomes ravenous and you cant stop overeating as a trauma response from almost dying from starvation and your dad isnt having none of it but ur a boss bitch except u get raided by a fucking federal agency cuz u were being too much of a fatass so u have to run away again and u lowkey become a vagabond but its ok cuz u get to stuff ur mouth as much as you want and so u meet this little asshole who likes books and rip his abdomen open but before u can eat him ur half brother who helped u run away crushes you with steel pipes from a construction area so a terrorist physicist pretending to be a doctor harvests your organs and puts them in that jackass you were about to eat so this dick thinks hes going through shit whining about seeing your schizophrenic hallucinations while ur barely kept alive in a tank so ur dragon organs can be harvested every time they regrow but then u get saved by a hippie ghoul but oopsie ur now in another lab in chains being made to starve so you can barely stay alive (sound familiar?) and lose your sanity all together while the same asshole who got you stuck here in the first place is bitching again about you being his sleep paralysis demon just because you tried to literally eat him a few years back so then your surrogate father tells your captors to leave you alone not because he wants his daughter back but because ur a wanted woman and it’d put your captors in danger but after a short while of freedom you get captured AGAIN by your half brother and used as an organ doner against your will for the third time meanwhile also haunting that guy you tried to kill a decade ago that won’t let it go so he goes and kills your half brother and then kills you to end the rampage even tho ur more of a victim than anyone else in the situation (also the guy who killed you is married with kids to the waiter who took your order on the first date)

[cokoweee]

OKAY.

Took me WAY too long to finally analyze this bad boy but I’m HERE NOW-

Let’s begin. ~

First off- THIS BACKGROUND.

Look at it. Just- LOOK AT IT. This seriously looks like a storyboard from a Disney movie, you wickedly talented person, you. The lights, shading, and perspective are all GORGEOUS.

Next.

We know that Donnie has a huge struggle with drinking ever since his family passed. Drunkenness is what helped him through that horrible time, thrusting himself into the inebriating arms of the liquid that helps him forget and live without feeling all the pain.

And yet- there’s this newest update. Here at an extravagant party, an event where you’re ENCOURAGED to overindulge on the drinks, Donnie has had about a sip. That’s all.

And here he’s actually thinking that he won’t finish it. A drink. In his hand. His old friend that has helped him through every night of his miserable life- he’s refusing completely on his own.

Donnie’s seriously grown so much. 🥹 Getting to know Kendra, having the device in his head removed, and truly FEELING emotions again have been helpful steps in his mental and emotional recovery.

And even how much he and Kendra have grown together- how he protects her and how she fights for him.

And here’s a nice little comparison- DONNIE is helping Kendra when SHE’s drunk. We’ve seen this before, but in reverse! Tello has always been the one in the inebriated pov, but here he’s helping and protecting Kendra.

And that’s just lovely to see. 💜

Even here, Donnie’s having a “spidey sense” moment looking out for Kendra. As well as AGAIN refusing a drink.

Character 👏 growth 👏 YESSSS

And now we get to this panel. And to an important question we’ve ALL been worrying about:

What happened to Kendra while Donnie and her were separated at Big Mamas?

I don’t know about you guys, but I was not convinced that everything was a-okay on Kendra’s end. After she emerged from the bathroom, she was acting strange. Like- not Kendra strange. Almost like she was drunk enough to be calm- but we didn’t see any alcohol- so hmmmmm???????

And then her and Donnie go on a flippin musical date-night montage trying on outfits for Big Mamas party. And AGAIN. Kendra is NOT acting like herself.

And Donnie catches this too, the panel before this one asking if Big Mama did something to Kendra.

And THIS is her reply-

Sooooo OKAY. 😦👌 Now we know that Kendra has most likely seen Big Mamas spider lady form. Fantastic. But what Kendra says AFTER is what’s really throwing me for a loop-

“She could literally peel me like a shrimp before I get the chance to scream.”

That… sounds like a threat from Big Mama. Just add a few “biddlidoos and bobsquinkles”…

So. WHAT. The FRICK HAPPENED.

Also… “watched her eat a bus-boy”

Eh SCUSEEEE ME?!?!?…..

*brain attempting to process information noises*

To add on to the mystery of what’s going on with Kendra- she says THIS.

Donnie’s ACTUAL name. Not “Othello” not “dummy” not “nerd”… she called him by his true name.

THAT AINT NORMAL.

And then- the biggest thing in this update that exploded my perception of time and space~

*brain fizzling and popping noises*

THIS IS ALL WRONG- THEY WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO- NOT NOW- AND KENDRAS MORE INEBRIATED THAN JACK SPARROW-

She doesn’t even know what that kiss just did to Donnie’s brain. (Nevermind his HEART). She probably won’t even remember it after that night-

AAAAA COKO HOW CAN THIS BE SO AMAZING and DEVASTATING at the same TIMEEEE??

(But seriously your story is amazing and I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for what happens next!!)

Okay I’m done. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk

Drink water and when you can see what the sun looks like. ;)

~ Melissa

Thank FUCK the background was okay cause I struggle with that shit so much. Love seeing asks like these makes me all giggly kickin my feet n shit like a goof

Donnie’s finally in his “slightly better kinda” arc lol. Bout time innit? He’s been blended enough. Speaking of blenders I’ve been having Kendra in hers 🤓 and she ain’t done yet

Glad you liked the update tho! Actually a lot of yall did hot DAMN. I was planning to have atleast three this week but my backs killin me and I’m bein too slow.

[kurogane2512]

Vautour Bleu Birthday 2025

18+ CONTENT

Game: Path to Nowhere

Characters: Vautour Bleu x fem!reader (Chief)

Type: Fluff and smut (long fic, Vautour's real name is used in some places, references to her backstory and event).

I know I'm late 😔 Sorry Vautour but belated happy birthday I love you so much 🥹

Vautour Bleu opened her eyes to the warm rays of the sun falling on her face, accompanied by the dusty wind of WhiteSands clouding her vision. The start of a new day meant many things, for her it was forging new deals and continuing her business no matter what day. She sat up on her bed and stretched her arms with a yawn, drowsiness slowly leaving her body as the scent of her favourite tea and pastry covered her nose. She smiled to herself looking at the neatly arranged tea set and pastry box on her table, along with a bunch of gift-wrapped boxes and packets arranged on the side. Of course, she knew what this meant. Today was that day, after all.

After freshening up, she made her way to the table and poured out the tea before taking a bite from the pastry. The delicate and intense sweet flavour filled her with a sense of joy like no other, her body relaxing to enjoy this brief moment of respite. She looked at the several boxes and packets, having no interest to really open and respond to them. It was going to be the same old things again. Her mind wandered to a distant memory of her past, familiar hazy faces occupying her sight as she recalled what she used to do on this day long ago with her loved ones. Her life was different now and those old pleasures were no more.

She stood up to glance at the gifts briefly, checking out the name cards and accompanying tags to find out their senders. Some officials from the Outland Affairs Agency, some old and regular clients, and others from acquaintances she had small dealings with but were always looking to gain more from her. The content of the gifts didn’t really matter to her. She appreciated them but knew their hidden intentions well- none of them were genuine. As her eyes glided over the boxes, she curiously looked to find something from a particular bureau, from a particular Chief, but found nothing.

“Heh, what am I expecting? This is a trivial matter to her....” she let out a sigh then took a huff from her pipe and let out a cloud of smoke gather her sight.

She then kept all her thoughts aside and went out to go about her day as the enigmatic Vautour Bleu, a shrewd and cunning merchant in the WhiteSands. By afternoon, she had already gone through several business meetings that left her drained and she planned to take a break when a letter arrived from MBCC. She perked up for a moment, becoming curious of the content. However, it was a simple letter reminding her of the meeting scheduled today along with the usual pleasantries.

Vautour shrugged and kept the letter away. By 3pm, it was time for her to head over to the bureau as promised. She boarded the vehicle arranged by you and arrived after 3 hours. She immediately headed to your office and found you waiting outside the door, looking at her with a gentle smile.

“How have you been, Vautour?” you asked.

“I’m well, thank you for asking. How about you? I trust my souvenirs reached you in one piece.”

“Yes, they were beautiful. I had them placed around the building.”

“Wonderful. So, what regulations do I need to abide by today?”

“Not much, you can head to the medical centre for a checkup then come back here to discuss what we agreed in the letters.”

Vautour nodded and was escorted to the medical room while you headed inside your office.

“Nightingale, tell everyone to be prepared. I’ll bring her in an hour.” You spoke in your earpiece.

“Noted, Chief.” Nightingale replied.

You watched Vautour enter the medical room in the surveillance camera then sat on your desk and waited for her to return. The checkup merely took 15 minutes and she was on her way back to your office. You were well prepared on the agendas you had to discuss with her and hoped it wouldn’t take too long; though, knowing her, it would certainly be done quickly and smoothly. Vautour sat in front of you soon after, leisurely leaning on the chair with one leg draped over the other and huffing from her pipe.

“Some desert bandits have been rather rowdy lately, attacking markets and caravans on the move. I can protect my caravan, but the atmosphere in WhiteSands is degrading day by day.” She commented while looking at a report.

“I see....” you couldn’t really assist in any manner when it came to situations like this.

Vautour continued the conversation, asking about the refuges she had sent your way. She was always more enthusiastic to know about Dèsir’s people, still keeping close tabs on them to ensure they were okay. She then gave you some intel on things you had asked her to investigate if possible, and she got you more useful information than you hoped for.

“Hah~ Is there anything more you’d like to discuss?” she remarked as you had finished discussing all the agendas. You looked at your tablet and noted the time then stood up with a smile.

“Would you come with me for a moment? There’s something I want to show you.”

Vautour raised an eyebrow then stood up, “Interesting.... What do you have in store, little Chief?~”

“I hope you’ll like it~”

Curiosity grew in her as she followed you, she didn’t know what to expect. You reached the cafeteria and stood outside the closed door before pressing your earpiece.

“We are here, Nightingale.”

“You can come in, Chief. We are ready.”

You turned around to look at Vautour with a smile then slowly opened the doors. Party poppers erupted as soon as you stepped in, accompanied with sounds of clapping. Vautour’s eyes widened for a moment when she looked at the scene in front of her- the cafeteria was decorated with balloons and frills and in front of her was a table having a familiar looking cake.

“Bon anniversaire, Vautour.” You wished and gestured to bring the cake closer, which Hecate did by pushing the table forward a few steps.

Vautour stared at the scene in silence, feeling quite surprised. The atmosphere and vibe were warm, comforting as she looked over the Sinners gathered around who came to celebrate for her. It reminded her of her past, the buried memories of the simpler days with her family. Yet, she donned her confident smile quickly and walked towards the cake before picking up the knife.

“Gâteau opéra? Oh my, you really know how to appeal to my tastes....” she said with a smile.

She then cut the cake as the Sinners around and you sang the birthday song for her. She couldn’t describe the joy and warmth she felt in her heart at this moment, still appearing composed to you all. Once the cake was cut, many of the Sinners, especially children, came forward to give gifts to her. She again felt overwhelmed receiving such wishes but remained calm and thanked each of them wholeheartedly, even kissing and patting their heads. Afterwards, you came forward carrying a bouquet consisting of an assortment of various flowers you had come to know she liked, the signature ones being datura.

“Happy birthday once again.” You wished while extending the bouquet. Vautour accepted with a smile and gazed at the flowers for a moment then looked at you.

“Mèrci, dear Chief. This was a wonderful surprise, how long ago did you plan this?”

“Ah, it’s our tradition for every Sinner. Either we make special arrangements if there are requests or we do this little celebration. It’s not much since our budget is tight, I tried to include things you like most.”

“I see.... I keep getting impressed by how attentive and caring you are towards us~”

You blushed, “It’s the least I can do. Still, if you have a particular wish then feel free to say. I’ll try to fulfil it as best as I can.”

Vautour smirked, “I’ll keep that in mind~”

When you were almost finished talking with her, Nightingale came to inform that dinner was served and you asked her to escort Vautour to the table.

“Well, shall we dine together? It’d be my pleasure to have you eat with me~” Vautour suggested.

“A-Ah, I’m sorry, I’d love to but there are some matters I have to attend to.”

“Oh, that’s a shame. I hope you can make it up to me some day then~”

“Of course, I promise. I trust you can manage here now, Adjutant?”

“Yes, Chief. You can rest easy.” Nightingale replied.

You took your leave with a smile and one last birthday greeting to Vautour. She gazed at you walk away and couldn’t felt but feel a certain attraction to you, also having some suspicions in her mind. She was not used to being shown such selfless appreciation as she had grown accustomed to dealing with everything in a business manner, always giving back n forth. She enjoyed the feast with everyone, letting herself be relaxed for the moment and relishing the celebration.

After the celebrations were over and she thanked everyone for the wishes, she came to your office to get some answers and clear her suspicions. While she knew you were genuine and different from others, she couldn’t help but feel there was more to this. Old habits die hard, after all. She reached your office door and was about to knock when she heard faint talking sounds from inside, she could make out there was only one voice which belonged to you and concluded you were talking on the phone.

She slightly opened the door and found you standing near the shelf, conversing on your earpiece while going through a file in your hand. She then knocked on the door and you turned around to see her standing at the doorway, seemingly waiting for you. You were about to hold your call when she gestured you to carry on and simply walked in to sit on the sofa, patiently waiting for you to get free. She huffed her pipe and gazed around the office, admiring the sophisticated and professional decorum. Her eyes fell upon certain paintings and statues she had sent you as souvenirs, smiling to herself knowing you placed them in good places.

“Yes, I will send a team to investigate the matter tomorrow. Tonight? I’m sorry but my Sinners also need rest; unless it’s very urgent, I won’t dispatch them at such an hour.” You firmly spoke on the call, making Vautour intrigued at the conversation.

“It is not about protocols; it is about their well-being and health. They are also human beings. If you have issues then I suggest contacting the Public Security Bureau instead.”

Vautour leaned forward and rested her head on her hand, occasionally taking huffs from her pipe.

“You can reach out to the 9th Agency if you want, my decision remains final. Have a good night.”

You finally cut the call with a sigh then turned around to face Vautour.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. How was the party?”

“No worries, little Chief. The party was great, everything was to my tastes~”

You smiled, “Glad to hear that. Was there something you wanted to talk about right now?”

Vautour nodded and stood up, taking a few steps towards you.

“Something has been on my mind for a while, care to satisfy my inhibition?”

“Of course, what is it?”

You walked closer to her, standing beside the sofa.

“You said organizing such parties for the Sinners is a tradition and that you arrange things according to their likes.”

“Indeed, was something unsatisfactory in the party?”

Vautour gave a small smile, “No, everything was satisfactory. In fact....” she paused and came closer to you, “....too satisfactory.”

You blinked in confusion, “What do you mean....?”

She let out a chuckle then placed her hand on your chest, slyly rubbing it across.

“You said you have a tight budget yet were able to bring a 1-pound opera cake and other Eastside desserts I like, along with all the decorations and gifts the Sinners arranged which I’m sure were mostly paid for by you.... You know how expensive Eastside desserts are, don’t you?~”

“....W-We do have a tight budget but we can arrange this much. I planned out the things in advance to be able to fit in everything, what are you trying to imply?”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand me. I appreciate you doing all this, my suspicions are different. It’s not about how you arranged it, but it’s a matter of.... ‘why’~”

You couldn’t understand what she was getting at, feeling conflicted over her words.

“I.... I still don’t get it. I told you it’s just our tradition for everyone....”

Vautour narrowed her eyes, “Let me get to the point then. What is it that you are trying to get from me by doing this?”

Your eyes widened in surprise, “What? Why would you think that....?”

She let out a small laugh, “It is a simple matter, Chief. I appreciate your efforts, but I believe you wish to gain something from me through this. Perhaps, something highly important that you couldn’t ask through normal methods. Am I wrong?”

You furrowed your brows, almost feeling offended at her assumption.

“I wouldn’t do things like this to gain favours, Vautour. What I told you is the absolute truth. You are my Sinner and I will treat you like everyone else. Everyone who gave you gifts and helped in arrangements did it with genuine intentions because they like you and enjoy your company, I did not force anyone. It was an expression of our well-wishes and I’d appreciate it if you don’t jump to such conclusions and undermine their efforts.”

Vautour was a little surprised by your serious and firm reply, realizing she seemingly made you upset. A gentle smile drew on her lips then with a simple push, she made you sit on the sofa and straddled your lap before you could react.

“Is that so? Hehe, seems I offended you by that. I didn’t mean to undermine their efforts, I was simply questioning your intentions....” she slowly cupped your face, “An expression of your well-wishes, you say? Mèrci, I appreciate it. Don’t mind it so much, just a habit of mine to interpret it this way~”

You let out a sigh of relief, “You made me really anxious for a moment there....”

She softly chuckled and wrapped her arms around your neck, gazing at you with a smile. You became nervous and blushed a little then cleared your throat to speak.

“To make such interpretations.... I guess you receive ‘gifts’ in this form a lot.”

She twirled your hair around her fingers, teasingly playing with them.

“Indeed, I cannot say when was the last time I received something so genuine with no ill-intentions or favours aligned.”

You looked at her with a sympathetic look, feeling sad at her words.

“On that note.... do you mind if I ask for something more?”

Her question caught you off-guard, but you were more than willing to accept.

“Sure, anything. There are no obligations between us.”

She smiled more then suddenly pushed you further on the sofa, making you lie on your back. She climbed on top of you and pressed her body to yours, keeping you in place with her weight.

“That wish you spoke about, shall I ask for it now?~”

Your face turned redder at her implication. Her left hand cupped your face and traced a finger along your jaw, smirking at your flustered expression.

“....What do you wish for?”

She leaned slightly closer, “If you satisfy a lady’s heart well enough, she begins to burn for something more..... tangible~”

You could feel Vautour’s breath brush your lips, your eyes fixated on her beautiful face that you’d never seen so close from before. Her words only made you more flustered, your heart racing faster at the situation. Your hands slowly wrapped around her waist, gently holding her.

“So, dear Chief, I wish for.... you. Just for tonight, be mine~” she whispered in a soft hushed tone.

Your lips trembled as you contemplated her words, “Is that all? You can ask for something.... better.”

Vautour chuckled and drew closer, her lips lingering over yours.

“You already gave me everything else. Besides, what makes you think you aren’t the best option I have ever come across, little Chief?~”

You blushed and thought for a moment before nodding with a smile, “Does that mean you’ll be mine as well?~”

Vautour raised an eyebrow in amusement, “Well, a deal works both ways. Although, I’m already quite bound to you as your Sinner~”

“You know that’s different.”

Vautour chuckled, “Indeed.... Then, we have a deal~”

You gazed into each other’s eyes, feeling captivated by her deep blue eyes and the sight of her above you this way. She leaned even closer and finally placed her lips on yours, gently moving them together. Her hand slowly slid up your wrist and traced circles on your palm, her luscious hair cascading over you. She could feel your heartbeat reverb this way, your fingers fidgeting as she teased them with her own.

Her free hand cupped your face and tilted it as she kissed deeper, pulling on your upper lip before grabbing onto your lower one and sucking it. Restrained breaths and small moans resounded between you both, then she moved her lips lower to kiss your chin before pulling back completely. You gazed at each other with uneven breaths, you knew your face was flushed red by now while Vautour looked same as before, except for her smudged lipstick.

“Hmm, a rich taste.... akin to a mille-feuille. I must admit, I do miss having you as my cute little neighbour, the way you used to have your eyes on me all the time, watching my every action was..... adorable~” she husked with a smirk, caressing your cheek and her thumb tracing your lower lip.

“Shall I show you how we kiss in my hometown? I’d love to see your reaction~”

With a gentle pull, she parted your lips and stuck out her tongue while approaching you. You braced yourself as her tongue entered your mouth and lips enveloped yours, kissing you deeply and passionately. The sensation was wildly different from a normal kiss, her tongue explored every corner of your mouth as if searching for a lost relic, to relish in your sweet taste before dancing with yours.

You couldn’t help but moan into her, surprised by the way your tongues rolled together. Your heart raced faster than ever; eyes open wide before becoming hooded due to the hypnotizing sensation of the kiss. Vautour’s eyes remained closed, her movements slow and effortless as if she was used to this, but you didn’t miss the way her hand tightened in your hold and the slight shift of her body to come even deeper.

“Haah.... V-Vautour.... mmh~” your words came out in a muffle, making her open her eyes slightly then becoming narrowed with a mischievous glint.

“Hehe, and you said I should ask for something better? Oh, ma chèrie, having you in this state is a treat itself~”

She was about to kiss you again when you suddenly tightened your hold around her and sat up, making her sit on your lap with her arms locked around your neck.

“Oh my, what’s the hurry? We have all night, don’t we?~”

You smirked then slightly pulled her closer, “Yes, but I had something else in mind.”

She once again became curious and stroked your cheek, “Do enlighten me~”

You slowly dragged your hands up her back, tracing her curves.

“Let me service you tonight, if you don’t mind.”

Vautour couldn’t help but feel surprised, silently pondering for a moment.

“You are really unique, little Chief. Saying such bold words to me.... are you sure you can meet my expectations?~”

You smiled, “You chose me for a reason, didn’t you? Perhaps I’ll even surpass your expectations~”

Her lips curled up in a smirk, “Very well. I’ll look forward to it, little Chief~”

You nodded, “Let’s go to my room.”

Vautour agreed and stood up from you, fixing her dress while you packed up the things on your desk before moving out together. You had barely walked a few steps outside of your office when an idea occurred to you and you stopped her in her tracks then stood beside her.

“What do you have in mind, de-”

Before she could complete her sentence; you placed one arm around her back, careful not to pull her hair, and the other behind her knees then effortlessly picked her up, holding her in your arms bridal style. Of so many things she was prepared for, she didn’t anticipate this and simply stared at you in silence as your faces remained close. She regained her composure quickly afterwards, lazily wrapping her arms around your neck and smirking.

“Oh my, aren’t you charming?~”

You smiled, “Just want to make you feel special.”

The sincerity in your words and the expression on your face surprised her, yet she kept up her calm demeanour. You walked to your room while carrying her the entire way, she simply remained motionless and couldn’t take her eyes off of you. You soon entered your room and kicked it close then were about to place her on the bed when she cupped your face and kissed you, enrapturing your lips with hers. It started as a slow kiss but you were soon devouring each other, tongues mingling and breathy moans exchanging. You walked to the bed this way and sat down on the edge while keeping her in your lap, your bodies pressed closely and continuing to kiss.

Vautour stood up on her knees slightly and deepened the kiss, one hand wrapping around your neck and clenching your collar from the back while the other gripped your shoulder. Her tongue soon slipped in and flicked yours, kissing you with passion. Your hands slowly caressed her curves, tracing the sides with your fingertips. You slid your hands towards her ankles this way and slyly removed her heels, making her smirk against your lips for a brief moment then kissing you again. She then sat down on your lap, completely putting her weight on you.

You placed your hands around her back now; sensually caressing her bare skin underneath the coat, tracing her shoulder blades and the curve of her spine before settling upon her hips. You gave them a gentle squeeze, earning a low moan from her. She pulled back abruptly, biting your lower lip with her eyes hooded and gazing into yours. She was about to say something, perhaps to tease you, but you took her by surprise when you tightened your grip around her and swiftly spun to make her lie down on the bed. Her back hit the mattress with a soft thud, shielded by your hands securely.

“Oh-?! So, you have this assertive side in you, little Chief?~” of course, she still had the mettle to tease you.

You simply smiled and lowered yourself closer to her, “Be glad it’s just assertive, Vautour. You don’t want to see me lose control.”

Vautour raised her eyebrow before extending her arm to cup your face, stroking your cheek with her fingers.

“Perhaps I do? You should let the beast unleash once in a while, dear Chief~”

You chuckled and lightly gripped her held out hand, “I’ll show you some other day. For now....” you paused then pulled her hand away and pinned it down with your own, applying minimal pressure to keep it in place, “....Just rest back and let me love you, okay?~”

Hearing the word ‘love’ sent butterflies in her stomach. Despite your assertive actions, she still felt gentleness in your touch and didn’t move away. In a similar way, you dragged her other hand to the side and pinned it by her wrist too, holding her open for yourself. You gazed at her this way, her shining fluffy hair sprawled over and the subtle rise of her chest as she breathed slightly faster than normal. You lowered yourself further and pressed your lips to her neck, planting tender kisses on her skin.

She sucked in a breath feeling your lips travel around her neck, her eyes hooding at the sensation and breathing becoming faster. Your kisses were soft and delicate, akin to kissing a lover. When you asked to service her tonight, she didn’t think you’d be this gentle and caring. The touch was feather-light, yet sent electrifying sensations in her body. She felt your hands that were pinning her wrists slowly slide up to her palms now before intertwining your fingers in a gentle grip. She could break away anytime, yet the comforting feeling made her stay.

You moved to kiss her other side in a similar manner now, keeping track of her reactions. She was strangely quiet, simply letting out deep breaths. Her own fingers now slowly closed on yours, giving you enough indication that she liked what you were doing. You occasionally licked at some spots and moved lower to her chest, kissing on the exposed part of her breasts. You could feel her body arch for a moment when you kissed between her breasts, but she refrained from giving any more reaction.

Vautour couldn’t describe the sensation she was feeling, her hazy vision glued to the ceiling. Why did such soft touches feel so good to her? Was she really seeing you as her lover at this moment? If she was, then she was going to let it continue for tonight. She pulled her left hand out of your grip rather easily and wrapped it around your head, lacing her fingers through your hair and pressing you further close. She let out a hum when you caressed her breasts, gently fondling them over her dress.

You then released her other hand and moved further down her body, kissing over her clothed belly and abdomen then sitting up between her legs. She anticipated what you’d do, yet you surprised her once again with your next action. You shifted back more and started caressing her feet, sensually rubbing her ankles and calves before placing kisses on her legs. She almost pulled back out of reflex but kept her composure and watched you, eager to see how you’d service her. You kissed up till her knees, her breath almost flinching at the tickling yet loving sensations.

Each touch of your lips on her skin sent shivers in her body, but she continued keeping her unfazed expression and silently watched with a smirk. She watched as you moved past her knees, her fingers clenching the mattress expecting something but you stopped when you reached the hem of her dress and sat up with a smile. She almost felt dumbfounded, betrayed even. Her body heaved with long breaths now, feeling pleasure build up inside her despite such simple touches.

“May I undress you?”

You asked with utmost sincerity, your tone laced with care. She nodded and sat up to let you remove her blue coat followed by the collar. You were about to slide down the straps of her dress when she instead pulled you closer by your collar and started unbuttoning your shirt, smirking to herself.

“Don’t expect to have all the fun, ma chèrie~” she whispered against your lips.

You smirked back and let her remove your shirt then pulling off your undershirt, leaving just your bra on. Before you could do anything else, she pulled you along with her as she laid back down and embraced you in her arms. You let out a yelp of surprise then were silenced as she kissed you passionately, her hands roaming on your back then pressing down, nails clenching your skin. You groaned into the kiss then pulled away with a sigh, gazing at her while panting. Once again, you placed your hands on her dress straps and began sliding them down.

Vautour laid still as her body came into view, simply arching up when you reached down. Her beautiful breasts enthralled you, subconsciously licking your lips at the sight. Soon, you finally pulled off her dress and only left her underwear on. You leaned down to kiss all over her belly then moved up to breasts, capturing them in your palms and gently kneading them. She hummed in pleasure as you moulded them, pressing and squeezing in between.

She bit her lower lip when you attached your mouth to one nipple. She felt your tongue flick over the nub while your lips sucked on it, your hand twirling and pressing her other nipple. She arched up a little when you pinched her nipple with your fingers, followed by grazing your teeth over the one in your mouth. Her hands once again wrapped around your head, tugging your hair strands with her fingers.

“Oh, little Chief, how adorable you look....” she spoke in a breathy tone.

You sucked her breasts more, swirling your tongue around and pulling before releasing with a pop. She whined softly, then watched you go lower until her naval. Your hands grasped the waistband of her panties, your eyes met hers for a moment before sliding them off as well and bringing her complete naked body to view. She looked no less than a model, perhaps even better, like a Goddess. Her soft and fair skin was perfect to the touch, completely unblemished in every crevice. You caressed her inner thighs and gazed at her core, throbbing slightly in front of you. The sight was marvellous, you couldn’t tear your eyes away.

“Rendered speechless already, little Chief? I believe you must have seen this sight many times~”

“No matter how many times, it’s always beautiful~”

Vautour scoffed teasingly, “Why don’t you put that tongue to better use, ma chèrie?~”

“Well....” you placed your arms under her thighs and raised her body slightly, “Be prepared then~”

You lowered between her thighs and gave a small, teasing lick to her clit. She didn’t give a verbal response, but you didn’t miss the slight shake of her legs. You continued further, now licking up long and slow strips across her folds and clit, and your hands gently caressing her inner thighs simultaneously. She barely reacted most of the time, simply taking in deep breaths. You then went faster, licking up her slit before pulling it open and inserting your tongue inside. Her hips bucked in surprise and a breathy moan left her throat before being concealed by her own hand as she bit down on her finger.

You smirked to yourself and realized what she was trying to do, she was reluctant to give in to you and submit. You had the patience to make her lose her mind, you could do it for as long as it took. You pushed your tongue deeper, parting her spongy walls and lapping up her sensitive spots. Your nose bumped against her clit as you increased your pace, lapping her walls faster and more intensely. Her thighs enclosed around your head in response, essentially capturing your face in between and making it harder to move. You tried to look up to see her face but were instead pushed down as she placed her hand on your head and pressed you in further.

You applied some force to spread her legs, but she was adamant in locking your head in. You decided to give up for now and focus on pleasuring her, you could see her face drowned in ecstasy anytime later. With a faster lick and suck, you slurped up her folds drawing out her essence and chasing her release. Your fingers rubbed her clit occasionally, pinching and squeezing right in time with your tongue motions. You could feel her walls tighten around you, and her thighs also closing in further, indicating how close she was. Yet, in all this time, you barely heard any proper moans from her. Vautour’s face was turned to the side, her eyes hooded and body rising with your ministrations. She still covered her mouth and only moaned through deep breaths, her voice coming out restrained and muffled.

“Hn.... C-Chief.....~”

The only time she moaned your name; it was music to your ears. You gave her hips a little push and folded her knees, making her legs rest on your shoulders as you pushed your tongue inside her the deepest possible. Her hand that was placed on top of your head now tugged your hair and pushed your head further down, her body lightly rutting against your held out tongue. Her body arched as she approached her release, her free hand clenched her sheet and she bit down her lower lip. Then, an explosive release washed over her when you stroked her sensitive spot, making her cum on your mouth.

“Aaah.... hah....” she panted out as she came, feeling your tongue religiously lap up her essence like a starved wolf.

Her taste was sickly sweet as you had anticipated, just like all the desserts she loved. You cleaned her up before sitting, licking your lips in a hazy state of mind and relishing her taste. You finally looked at Vautour and found her taking in deep breaths, her fluffy hair covering her face and her body heaving. Still, you missed the look of when she’d came. It seemed as if she was intentionally preventing you from seeing her vulnerable state.

“Are you okay, Vautour?” you asked in a concerned voice and crawled forward then swiped away her hair and cupped her face.

“Yes.... mmh.... that was good.....” she answered in between sighs.

You gazed at her dishevelled state, her messy hair scattered around, sweat glazing her fair skin and her lipstick smudged- everything was perfect and you felt lost in her beauty, even feeling flustered at having made her this way. Vautour placed her hand on your held out one, gently grasping it and looking back into your eyes with a deep emotion bubbling inside her. She leaned into your palm a little, cradling her face and you couldn’t help but lean down to kiss her.

“Say, little Chief....” she husked and placed her other hand on your shoulder then traced a finger down your chest, “.....You have been meeting my needs so well, I assume you have something more to offer?~”

Your face flushed more, realizing her implication.

“O-Of course, if you are not satisfied then I will continue....”

Vautour smiled and slid her finger further down, “Do you happen to have something a little.... intense? Something that feels different?~”

Your mind racked for a moment to ponder what she meant then finally understood.

“Uh, I do have some toys, including a strap-on..... Are you okay with that?” you asked shyly.

Vautour seemed amused and let out a chuckle, “Oh my, quite well-prepared you are to please a woman. I wonder, have there been more affairs of this sort in here, my naughty Chief?~”

You averted your gaze shyly, unable to respond to her. You then stood up from the bed and walked towards your cupboard to fetch the strap-on, she sat up and watched you with intrigue while taking a huff from her pipe. Her mind thought back to the recent happenings, your touch lingering on her skin and the strange feelings she felt. She didn’t know why her heart was beating this way, it wasn’t the rush from just having an orgasm but it was something far deeper. She expected to treat this as a casual affair, just to have a little fun on her birthday. Yet, here she found herself experiencing intimacy like never before.

The wisps of smoke from her pipe clouded her vision as she pondered further back, going down her memory lane. At some point, she used to dream of such simple things. To be able to live with her loved ones while doing painting, gardening and enjoying desserts. Yet, her dream was shattered long ago and buried in the depths of WhiteSands with her loved ones. She may have decided to protect the dreams of others instead of shattering them like her own, even if it meant deceiving them forever. But after meeting you, she wondered if she could have those dreams again, and if you would fulfil them for her.

“Vautour.”

Your voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked to see you standing nearby, holding the tool in your hand.

“This is what I have, is it okay?”

Vautour kept aside her pipe again and stood up with a smirk while glancing at the object, “Hmm, not bad. It’s sufficiently sized.”

“Uh, I also have some lube so I’ll put that. Let me just wear this....”

You turned to face away from her and were about to fasten the strap when Vautour turned you around again and gripped your shoulders.

“Let me help you, ma chèrie~”

She whispered and brought her hands to unbutton your pants, followed by zipping down the flyer. You blushed as she opened your pants and you kicked them away then she helped fasten the strap around your waist. She looked at the tool intently, holding back a giggle watching you wear something so daunting. You were then about to make her lie back again but she instead pushed you down on the bed first, looking at you with a smirk and coming close to climb on top.

You understood what she wanted and made no arguments. You shifted back on the bed to give her space and watched her crawl to straddle you, standing on her knees with the tip of the cock resting on her belly. The sight was breathtaking for you, just having her sit on your lap this way sent butterflies in your stomach. Vautour grasped the cock and rubbed it a bit, feeling the material and size. She then came forward and grinded her clit across the length, humming at the pleasurable friction.

“U-Uh, let’s put the lube. It could pain you otherwise....”

You picked up the bottle from the side table and sat up slightly to pour it over the toy, but Vautour stopped your arm midway and made you keep it back.

“No need, I’ll do it myself~”

“But-“

“Shh~” she placed her finger on your lips, shushing you.

Soon after, she stood up more and pointed the cock to her slit. You could see she was considerably wet, but were still worried about putting it in. She, meanwhile, seemed unbothered and started pushing the length inside while sitting down on it. You gripped her thighs and helped her ease on it; a hiss left her lips as the toy penetrated her, pushing past her tight walls. You expected to go slow but she suddenly sat down with a single push, taking it all the way in. A throaty moan resounded in your ear when she sat down, taking in the sight of her in this position.

“V-Vautour, you shouldn’t have put it in so fast....!” you said in a worried tone, keeping your hands on her waist.

She smiled and dragged her hands to your shoulders, gripping them tightly.

“Don’t treat me as someone so fragile, little Chief. I have been surviving the unforgiving WhiteSands every single day for the past decade~”

“It’s not that. I just—"

“Shush now. Let me enjoy this~”

She smirked and pushed you back more, making you lie down flat. She then started grinding back n forth on the length, accommodating the stretch and lubing up the toy with her juices. You remained still and watched her in silence as she wanted, letting her as she pleased. It was a treat just getting to watch her this way. Her expression remained fairly unchanged, holding the smirk on her lips as she started rising up and down the cock. The penetration soon felt pleasurable, enjoying the way it scrapped against her walls.

Her movements were precise, pushing herself in and out at just the right angles and speed. Her hips rocked backward as she rode you, her waist coiling forward into your skin and making her appear almost akin to a cat on prowl. Searing hot pleasure coursed through her body and tightened fingertips by which she held you, the little Chief who had given her so much love. She ground down as she sought you deeper, your name cradled atop her tongue. Through half-lidded eyes, you watched her, and emotions danced between you like flames. You were smitten, finding her unbelievably beautiful.

Vautour gazed down at you as well, noting your fascinated expression and how you couldn’t take your eyes off of her. She too felt enthralled by you, looking down to see how she was pleasuring herself on your lap so openly. The deep and intense emotions came back in her, and so did her mind conjure up some memories again. She placed her hands on your stomach and leaned forward while continuing to grind, and a surprising statement left her lips before she knew it.

“Happy to take my first time, dear Chief?~”

Your eyes widened in surprise, taking a moment to understand her words.

“First time? Wait, you mean....?!”

Vautour chuckled at your shocked expression, “Oh, how adorable you look. So, it seems you assumed I was experienced. Shall I say I’m a little offended or impressed?~”

You immediately sat up and kept your hands around her waist, stopping her from moving more.

“N-No, I.... I’m sorry about that..... for assuming that.... Actually, it’s my fault. I should have asked you before we began....”

She wrapped her arms around your neck, “And, what would you have done if you knew from the start? Treated me as delicately as possible?~”

“W-Well, I’d certainly be more considerate....”

She gazed into your eyes, knowing the sincerity and respect you showed.

“Are you okay right now? We can stop if it feels uncomfortable any- mmph~”

She pressed her lips on yours and prevented you from speaking further, then started rising up and down on the cock. She moaned into the kiss before letting go with a gasp and pulled your face near the crook of her neck, lacing her right hand in your hair while the left clenched on your back.

“You have already made this experience very comfortable and memorable for me. I’m glad I chose you for this.”

Your heart skipped a beat at her words, an urge bubbling in you to make her yours. Well, she was indeed yours for tonight. Now, you felt like owning up to her expectations even more. You wrapped your arms around her and suddenly thrusted your hips up, hitting a spot deep inside her and making her arch with a loud moan. Her fingers dug in your back, painted nails scratching your skin. You kept up the pace and thrusted into her as she bounced, making a pleasurable rhythm that hit all the right spots for her. She was moaning more than before, even if still restrained.

You tried to move your head up to look at her pleasured face, you wanted to etch the sight in your memory. Yet, once again, she tightly held you and kept you down, preventing you from seeing up. You were buried in the crook of her neck, her breasts almost smothering you from the tight grip she had on you. Her fingers intertwined and pulled your hair strands lightly as she threw her head back and continued riding you. You licked up her exposed neck and kissed on several spots, even biting down to mark her fair skin.

“Ngh.... Chief.... Aaahn~”

You could tell she was close as she was bouncing harder than before from her walls clenching around the length. Your hands squeezed her hips as you pulled her closer, rutting into her to make the cock hit more spots. Just then, you felt lost in the moment and muttered something unexpected.

“....Madeleine, you are so beautiful....”

Her movements halted for a second, her cloudy vision suddenly opening wide. You breathed against her skin and planted several kisses on every spot you could access and continued moving your hips into her. She would have found anyone unruly for using her real name without permission, yet hearing it from you felt serene. It was as if she was craving for it, longing to hear it from you.

“Do you.... mind if I call you that?” you asked. She smiled to herself and placed a kiss on your forehead before caressing your head.

“No.... mmh.... just say it only when we are alone.... aaahn~”

“As you wish~”

You moved your lips all over her neck and chest as she resumed bouncing before stopping to simply hold her. Her legs wrapped around your waist now, giving you the reigns to make some final pushes. You placed your hand on her back and swiftly thrusted into her, making her arch into you. Her head fell back as you angled the cock deeper inside, grazing just the perfect spots she wanted. She bit her lower lip as she edged closer to release. You embraced her again and for a moment, she gave in to you.

She fell limp in your arms as she finally released, drenching the toy with her essence. Her body convulsed as she moaned the loudest tonight. You missed seeing her expression once again, but you weren’t as disappointed as before. You held her in your arms as she came down from her high, intensely panting and her arms tightly wrapped around you as well. She lightly kissed your forehead then held you with content as well, relishing the moment.

“....More~” she suddenly mumbled and you looked at her in surprise, while she simply smirked and joined your foreheads together.

“More....? Madeleine, why did I not know you are insatiable....”

“Why, I want to make the most this time, of course. You are mine for tonight, you should know I have high expectations for that~”

You let out a sigh then suddenly spun around to place her on the bed, rubbing the drenched toy over her slit while gazing at her.

“I wasn’t going to deny you anyways. Are you sure you don’t want to take a break even?”

She extended her arms to wrap them around your neck and pulled you down, your lips ghosting hers.

“Time is precious to a merchant, ma chèrie. We have made a deal, let’s not waste time with unnecessary matters~”

You had no reason to deny her if she was so eager. Throughout the night, you gave her all the love and pleasure you could, treating her no less than a lover. Although, you still weren’t able to see her ecstatic face anytime. Each time you attempted to look, she’d be one step ahead of you and do something to hide your eyes. You wondered if she was insecure about something, or just didn’t like having herself being seen that way. Still, you hoped some day you’d get to witness the sight.

There was no sunlight or the dusty wind of WhiteSands that woke up Madeleine the next morning. She woke up by her own body clock, used to starting the day early. Her eyes fell upon the artificial lighting on the ceiling which somehow felt warmed than the natural sun she was used to feeling every day. Perhaps, it was due to the loving presence beside her. She moved her gaze to the side and looked at you peacefully sleeping, a gentle smile drawing up her lips.

She turned on her side and extended her hand to lightly stroke your hair and tuck some strands behind your ear. She recalled the memories of last night, knowing that the precious time was up. If she could have that again, she would never end it. She still didn’t have a name for the feelings you gave her, for the emotions you surged in her. But she was grateful for the unforgettable memory.

She leisurely sat up and stretched her arms with a sigh, missing the scent of her regularly morning tea and dessert. Just then, she felt the mattress on your side move and realized you had woken up as well. She watched as you rubbed your eyes before opening them, only to see her face gazing at you as she laid on her side propped up on her elbow.

“Good morning, Madeleine....” you said with a yawn and turned towards her with a smile.

“Good morning, dear Chief. Had a good sleep?~”

“Mhm, it was fine. How about you? Does it pain anywhere?”

“I’m fine, ma chèrie....” she extended her other hand and cupped your face, “You were perfect last night~”

You blushed at her words then sat up while stretching your arms before looking at the clock.

“Ah, it’s still early. No wonder I didn’t hear my alarm.”

You scratched the top of your head then suddenly heard a giggle from Madeleine, becoming confused at what she was laughing at.

“Reminds me of your first morning in Dèsir when we were talking across the balcony....” she sat up and extended her hand towards your head and gently caressed some strands that were messily sticking out, “Hehe, how cute~”

You blushed in embarrassment and quickly fixed up your unruly hair while she chuckled more.

“I’m surprised you remember those little things from then....”

Madeleine hummed, “Hmm, don’t you as well? Sometimes I can’t help but feel you miss the time when we were neighbours~”

“....I do miss it. It was strangely.... comforting, or I suppose that was just Dèsir’s atmosphere.”

She tilted her head with a sigh, “Indeed.... it was a paradise.”

You looked at the way her eyes stared into distance, seemingly pondering something deep. You extended your hand to hold hers then leaned forward to kiss the top of it, catching her by surprise.

“We can still have that here, if you allow me to show you.”

Her eyes widened before she gave a smile and came forward to peck your lips, “I look forward to it, little Chief~”

If she had met you earlier, perhaps her dreams would have come true. But it didn't matter anymore, she was happy with what she had and the memories you gave her, and she hoped to make such more memories with you.

[fushiglow]

10 things I've learned about being a fanfic author over the last year

At the time of writing this post, I have been writing and sharing fanfiction for Jujutsu Kaisen for almost two years. This time last year, my in-progress longfic, Over the Threshold, started to gain popularity and, over the last twelve months, I think it's fair to say I have become somewhat of a BNF in the SatoSugu community... Sigh...

While every creative wants their work to be seen, there is a threshold (ha) past which visibility brings difficulties, and unfortunately I went over it (ha) in recent months. It has changed my fandom experience significantly, and not entirely for the better. While there have been friendships for life forged, beautiful memories I'll carry with me for the rest of my life, and more kind words and fanart than I can shake a stick at, there have also been opportunists, naysayers, and even outright bullies.

Seeing your name thrown around in fandom spaces with little regard for the real person behind the writing — for your character, for your circumstances, for your creative liberty — does force you to re-evaluate your relationship with your work and your audience. With that in mind, I thought I'd share the lessons I've taken from the last year as a fanfic author.

I really hope this serves as advice for any fanfic authors seeking more visibility on their work, and also generally encourages more thoughtful engagement with fandom creators. Let's go!

1. Writing for anyone except yourself is still a bad idea

That doesn't mean it isn't sometimes worth taking reader preferences into account. It's just about knowing when to disregard them. We write fanfiction for lots of different reasons that vary from fic to fic. Sometimes, making other people happy is a good enough reason to write a fic, as long as that's what you set out to do and you're under no illusions about that.

However, letting reader expectations creep into your approach to your other work in a way that doesn't serve your personal creative vision is a bad idea, especially because...

2. People disrespect fanfic authors even more than you thought

There are plenty of kind, supportive people in fandom. However, the unfortunate truth is they are vastly outnumbered by people who will gobble up your work without even taking a moment to say thank you for the meal and who will, in fact, demand more from you instead.

Trying to please entitled people who are impossible to satisfy, who bring nothing of value to your fandom experience, and who may even resort to bullying if you don't play by their ever changing rulebook is a pointless endeavour — so don't bother!

3. Your writing process is a constant work in progress

Because you are a constant work in progress. You can't always expect something that worked for you a year ago to work the same now. There are too many variables in play, not least your skill as a writer. If the stabilisers you put on last year are no longer helping, maybe it's a sign you don't need them anymore. Maybe it's time to take them off and try something new.

I am still planning a more in depth writing process post, but the simple truth is, my writing process can be summed up as...

4. Whatever works!

My main piece of advice when it comes to writing is always going to be, "at some point, you've just got to do it". Sure, there are tools and techniques you can use to aid the process, but ultimately it always comes down to you and the words.

There's no right or wrong way to write, and there's no point comparing your process to someone else's, because ultimately you'll do whatever works for you. Whether you're someone who religiously practises a warm-up routine before sitting down to write or someone who stares at the screen for two months straight before vomiting up a masterpiece whole (or someone like me who jumbles their way through with a slightly different approach every time), it's all good as long as it ends with words on paper.

5. Writing for an audience changes the game

For better and for worse! Having an engaged readership on a WIP has, on occasion, created unique and invaluable opportunities to elevate my work beyond what would have been possible by myself. I'm very grateful for the artist-audience dialogue that I know we all crave when sharing our work with the world but aren't always fortunate enough to experience.

However, being aware of your audience while writing also influences your approach in unhelpful ways, no matter how much you try to get around it. Ensuring that I maintain control of that dialogue (or, at the very least, a 50/50 back and forth) requires constant vigilance.

6. Community is a double edged sword

I think everyone in fandom is seeking community of one kind or another. Building a dedicated community around my writing and seeing real good come of it was an unexpected by-product of sharing my fic with the world, but a deeply rewarding one. However, communities aren't static and they require a collaborative effort to maintain.

Series come to an end, fandom trends shift, people move on. On the flipside, you build something so wonderful that others want to share in its benefits without contributing in meaningful ways. Seeing a community so closely tied to your work and your sense of self shift into something unrecognisable until you start to feel like a stranger in your own space is very hard. Furthermore, managing a community in a dedicated forum takes significant time and energy which could be spent writing, which is why...

7. The most successful fanfic authors are selfish

What I mean by "successful" is up to you. However, whether it's replying to comments, supporting fellow creatives in the fandom, or even tagging work for discoverability, some authors disregard anything that prevents them from getting words onto the page. Some people are here to post their shit and leave — and more power to them.

The more of yourself you offer, the more people come to expect until, eventually, the already generous act of writing thousands of words for your fandom becomes the bare minimum. This is often where the topic of "fandom etiquette" comes up, but fanfic authors are already taking on a disproportionate share of the burden simply by sharing their work in the first place. Anything beyond that is a courtesy we are not obligated to extend. We should thank authors who thoughtfully choose to extend those courtesies anyway, rather than vilifying them when they don't.

8. Guarding your enjoyment is paramount

If, like me, you're an author who does enjoy being an active member of the fandom community, then it's important to watch out for the myriad of things that can come between you and your stories. Fandom politics, or even just fandom trends, can have a huge influence on your relationship with the characters that originally inspired you.

However, what other people are doing with them doesn't need to have any bearing on what you choose to do with them if you don't want it to. Responding to fandom trends in your writing can be satisfying, but maintaining a degree of separation between wider fandom and the stories that really matter to you is crucial, I think. That being said...

9. Collaboration feeds creativity

Some beautiful moments have been born from throwing an idea back and forth with my fellow fans. Simple things can rapidly snowball into territory you would never usually set foot in, and expanding your creative horizons like that can only ever be a good thing! Being open with your ideas in fandom spaces is always a bit of a worry, but the reward for extending that trust far outweighs the risk in my experience.

Additionally, I think we get caught up in the idea of absolute originality, but if you're active in fandom, you're always taking inspiration from your fellow creatives. Freely crediting the people who have inspired me has only ever brought wonderful things my way, and I've even gone on to develop collaborative relationships with some of them. Fandom is more fun with other people!

10. But ultimately, writing is lonely work

No matter how many friendships you forge, you still have to retreat into solitude to write the damn story eventually. Writing doesn't lend itself to active human connection as much as art or music. You can chat to someone while drawing or play an instrument alongside another person, but when you're writing, you have to go it alone.

And the worst part? Even when you eventually share your story with the world, no one will ever care about it as much as you do. Writing is such a deeply lonely experience most of the time, I think — which is why it's so important to hold onto all the things that make it worthwhile.

And that's that! I have been stewing on all of these thoughts privately, but I wanted to share them in case they're of value to someone. I tried to keep it as measured as possible, but I acknowledge that I'm in a bit of a bitter headspace about fandom in light of the Discourse TM and subsequent harassment over Christmas.

I don't think it will stop me writing stories for this fandom, but I do think it will make me more guarded in my interactions with the wider community, and I think that's a shame. I joined this fandom as a fan first and a creator second, and I'm deeply sad to feel like some of the parts I used to enjoy most are no longer accessible to me.

This experience has certainly got me thinking more critically about the trend of fandom creators seemingly becoming more distant as they gain popularity. The word "arrogant" is often thrown around, but I think it's much more likely that taking a less active role in fandom spaces isn't as much a choice as it is a necessary measure for the sake of wellbeing and even safety.

Fascinating in a sort of sick way.

[celtrist]

Need to reblog this because all of these are excellent points. I didn't even THINK how many stories we missed until @mimblizzy said it. But MAN was that disappointing to realize. For me, it was from the perspective of visuals and visual storytelling. Hazbin having a rundown, old building for the hotel is what gave the premise of the show charm. Because it was an underdog story with so many things going against them. But now they have, in bible, the literal third strongest being in existence. Like the Vees are NOT a threat in the next season. I mean, they are, but by all accounts, they're a downgrade from the FIRST MAN. But that's a story not related to the building.

And while I don't have a huge issue with the hotel being rebuilt and all nice and perfect, it doesn't feel earned. If we had time with this old rundown building, and had those episodes of the crew dealing with the crappy things about it, the rebuilding would feel earned. But I would say unless you were one of the people who already knew Hazbin and were waiting for the amazon series, viewers didn't have a huge attachment to the building itself. They may have had an attachment to the CHARACTERS and THEIR reaction to the destruction of the hotel, but not the building itself. Which considering the show's name is "Hazbin HOTEL", the hotel IS something people should connect with. Sort of like "sure it's unsanitary and barely working, but it's cozy and familiar for us and OUR mess". But we never really saw the hotel non-functioning and are already getting a huge upgrade that wouldn't have those "underdog" vibes. And this would fit fine it it wasn't in THE FIRST SEASON they did this.

And that's to also add that Hazbin Hotel has a biiiit of an awkward thing that, by all accounts take all the scenes that happen in the hotel and they don't really NEED to happen in the hotel. It's very good to have characters interact with their environment in a story as it gives space and grounding. And it's what's normal for people, like think of in your home. You are interacting with your environment in your house all the time. And Hazbin Hotel didn't have moments in the hotel where characters interacted with the environment like that of a hotel. Niffty rolling on a trolley would've been a nice touch. Even the suggested episodes above make this point essentially and would've added to the connection between the residents and viewers to the hotel as well as giving the hotel a personality. When we got to "Dad Beat Dad", it was sorta like the hotel just SUDDENLY for that episode only decided to be a bit more rundown. But if we saw, hell, if we at least HEARD about the problems the hotel had before, the disarray of the building wouldn't feel so random and out of nowhere when we get to ep. 5. I know for me, it didn't initially feel as weird for the "rundown disarray" feel that Lucifer had towards the building and the building suddenly having issues like a chandelier falling because I KNEW that's what the hotel was supposed to be. I've known them since 2019, but for someone who wasn't as aware, it probably seemed a bit random. Then again, the show is kinda charismatic so it is sorta easy to miss glaring issues. With that said, it should be important to note too that I don't think the building was a hotel initially. If I remember right, it was just an old random building the Morningstars had. But that's something that would've been nice to know and learn about, maybe build some connection between Charlie and the building so viewers can feel that much more for her when the building is gone.

Sorry, that got more into a rant than I planned (as is usual for me with this series, I like it I swear). I just got bummed out with all the missed opportunities and how bad of a move the remodeling of the hotel is when it's only been season 1. Again, it's not earned. That's probably my biggest issue. Rebuilding the hotel wasn't earned as we didn't really ever see it "at its worst". We didn't see its problems. We didn't see how the residents really felt or connected with the building. We didn't get accustomed to the building and have a connection to it. And when the core premise surrounds this hotel, I feel like it should be important that we DO build that connection with a freaking building. But we didn't. We arguably don't even spend all that much time forming that connection with the building. It was just another piece of the environment, not something personal to the characters and in turn to the viewers.

The environments are super nice in this show, but having the interior of the hotel be more messy, maybe have a bit more of other resident's flare around (Like maybe Vaggie having a dummy in the main room or Angel leaving stuff around), I don't feel warm and cozy in seeing the ramshackle hotel. It feels to me empty. Which is upsetting since I feel like a more smaller vibe for the hotel would've been great to counter the clean, superficial vibes the VVV tower should give. Like the hotel isn't really great, even a health hazard, but it's home and has heart. Whereas the VVV tower has all the best things, nothing's rundown, but it's all superficial and empty feeling. But we didn't get that, the hotel is arguably just as empty feeling as the VVV tower, lacking a connection with the viewers as well as the characters.

But we didn't get that. The hotel just got an upgrade. That's it. It doesn't feel satisfying. It would've felt SO GOOD to see that upgrade when we were seeing the hotel broken down and a mess, but we didn't. It was relatively fine quite honestly aside from the bugs Niffty was chasing. And to be clear, I get they only had so much time. 20 mins and 8 episodes are not a lot. But this does not change that Hazbin is arguably a poorly written show, if not at least passable. It does not change that I full-heartedly believe they could've approached it and written it better. I understand that they wanted to get everything out because of the long wait and wanted to make sure they were able to get through everything within at least 2 seasons. Especially the long wait, I understand Spindle probably felt like they needed to bring in the angels, have a redemption, introduce Lucifer, and all that. I. Get. That. But I don't think they approached it well. I think, even if scarier for them, they should've been willing to be more risky. 8 Episodes isn't a lot for a plot-driven show, but it's adequate for a SLICE OF LIFE show. Which, was sort of the initial thought with what was originally planned (and sure, I still have issues that they wanted to introduce Lucifer early but whatever). Eight episodes of slice of life were what people thought it would be and good to introduce the characters, build their relationships with one another, and connect to the building with all of its faults. Then you can get into plot stuff in season 2. A rushed work to get everything on the plate is not as good, and won't be remembered/rewatched as much as taking the time to do these things. It would've been a big risk, but I would've preferred it rather than what we got. Especially since let's be honest, for the people who've been WAITING for this series? We were not all dying to know the plot with the angels. Like yes, we wanted it, but we were more interested to see the characters. How they interacted, relationships, personalities, stuff like that. I don't envy the tough position and understand it was the best they could do. And I get wanting to tell the story, I do. But Like Helluva, Hazbin detracted from the pilot's premise. Aaaand I'm gonna stop here because now I'm detracting from the point of my original post.

Again, sorry, ranting. It just frustrates me the more I realize things with how crappy that the hotel got revamped. Just- agh

Was looking at the hotel for a drawing and never realized the large degrade from the pilot design (on the left).

I think it was a good choice to simplify it down as the OG design was VERY complex compared to the new design (and some things like the carasoul up top didn't work well considering Alastor was moving his tower up to there). So while I like the pilot hotel more, 100% good move to change it to what we got.

HOWEVER, the pilot design gives that dingey, rundown feels SO MUCH better than the final design. I think background-wise the pilot is better in a lot of ways (like with colors, having them less saturated than the characters). But the hotel in the official series, especially the interior, didn't look as rundown and dingey as I think it was meant to.

You could argue "well Alastor could've spruced it up", but we see in the episode "Dad Beat Dad" a chandelier falling, cockroaches, and Lucifer clearly supposed to be unimpressed with the place. But the show had a very clean and nice looking hotel both interior and exterior. The pilot was good with it being dark and dirty feelings on both these ends. While the final design was super clean-looking but SUPPOSED to have a "roughness" to it, the pilot had a really nice exaggeration of its roughness that gave it a lot of character and made it more interesting. Between the two, I'm more interested in what's inside the pilot hotel than the final design. And it sorta sucks because season 1 ALREADY had the hotel rebuilt all nice and pretty (which like Lucifer showing up, SHOULD'VE been saved for a later season. I get why they did it, but I think the risk of not doing it in season 1 would've had a stronger payoff in the later seasons).

Again, I think it was obviously the right call not to make the hotel so complex for the show. However, there's a stronger mood and personality to the pilot hotel over the final one that feels like it wants to look super nice but it is supposed to be seen as rundown and needs to be fixed-up. And that sucks because I would've loved seeing the rundown place, but we really just got a nice-looking hotel that, in the universe, isn't supposed to be seen as "nice looking" or "clean" (and issues with the hotel concerning its structure and everything was ONLY brought up in "Dad Beat Dad". Little details like a character saying the plumbing was broken AGAIN or things breaking/falling in the background or something would've gone a long way).

It's just a bit of a bummer that the hotel really lost the mood and personality that it did have in the pilot when I really think they honestly could've kept those aspects without making it super complex. I don't dislike the final hotel design, but I don't like the lack of personality and mood it's SUPPOSED to have that the other design achieves.

[xo-edwinspaynes]

It's the first day of DBDA character appreciation week, which means that I will be making a very special post about a very special boy.

(This is going to get somewhat personal, so be forewarned. This is okay to reblog. I didn't go into specifics.)

An open letter to Edwin Payne -

As much as I love Charles and Niko, you have had a special place in my heart since the moment I turned on Dead Boy Detectives. I don't know why - maybe it was just a premonition of how much you would come to mean to me.

When I was in high school, I was horribly abused by a teacher in my school. The entire system worked to cover it up; after all, the district didn't want a scandal, and the other teachers didn't want a blemish on their good name. The rug-sweeping and the lack of justice hurt almost as much as the years of abuse. There's no feeling that small, that insignificant, to feel like experiences that left you changed and shattered don't matter.

By the time we got to your scene in the butcher shop, I already had fallen in love with your character ten times over. We're both obvious queerdos and I love you for it.

But when you started talking about the school covering up your death, and Charles's, and how nothing happened when you died, it struck a nerve. Because we didn't matter, in a voice so hurt and resigned, was something that resonated with every molecule in my body.

I'd thought the words a million times over. We didn't matter. Why didn't we matter? We deserved to matter!

It was the first time anyone had echoed that sentiment that I held close to my chest. And immediately I realized why I love you so much.

You and Charles work to get justice for others who didn't have it. I bet if you were real, and I were dead, you would work to get justice for me like no one has. Watching you work and solve cases, watching you make sure that everyone's trauma matters, it makes me feel like there's hope for me. Because there are good people like you out there, real people. People who would read to a dying boy after escaping literal Hell.

Edwin, I am completely and utterly gone for you. There are precious few characters as dear to me as you are, and without you, I know that the resentment that still sits inside me would have festered and burned. Your tenacity and your bravery astound me, and the way you escaped an undeserved fate in Hell is nothing short of beautiful. Your kindness after what you have seen and been through is astonishing, and the way that you altruistically help others and love selflessly feels like it's broken me apart and remade me into something better than I have been.

Thank you, Edwin. Thank you. Thank you. I love you more than I can say.

[reccyls]

Would you be able to give us a review of azels route after you’re done?? With spoilers if possible

Thank you!!!

I've now finished both endings of Azel's route so here's my review of it + answering a few other questions that I've received about different aspects. This will have a lot of spoilers that will impact a blind experience of his route, so do bear that in mind

So briefly, some questions out of the way:

Who falls first, Azel or Emma? - I think Azel does, but it takes him a really long time to even begin considering love as a possibility given his prior experiences. Emma also takes a while to come to her own realization about what her feelings really are but she's much more decisive about it than Azel is once she does realize. This is definitely a slow burn route, you're going to be waiting until chapter ~20+ or so for things to really start coming together in the relationship department.

Which ending do I prefer? - Romantic for sure. It actually portrays a couple of things that were just implied/mentioned in the Dramatic, and has more callbacks to earlier moments in the route, namely: Azel's eldest brother who had been exiled, the true identity of one of Azel's attendants, Obsidian's involvement in Tanzanite, the significance of some mentioned side characters, how Azel actually faked his death. It also answers a bunch more questions like why Azel respects Silvio so much. I also think it has a more emotionally satisfying resolution to some other aspects of the story. Also it has some hilarious moments too. The emotional whiplash I got going from chapter 24 to 25 of the romantic was something (I mean this in a good way).

Which do I find more realistic? - Hmmm, well, both of them do go into quite fantastical territory. Azel can just visit people's dreams apparently and that's not really given an explanation. All in all I would have to go with Romantic I think, mostly because it relies less on the Acolyte's semi-hypnotic incense as a plot device.

How spicy is it? - Quite tame. No smut in the route itself (it's offscreen in dramatic route, and only kissing in romantic). There's the start of some smut in the epilogues for each route, but still not a lot, mostly just the foreplay is described.

Things I liked about Azel's route:

Azel's really cute. I love his dynamic with Emma. He's the most obvious kind of tsundere and it's so funny to see him backpedaling furiously after Emma catches him being nice to her or accidentally admitting he likes her or thinks she's cute. The pinching cheeks thing is adorable.

The side characters. The route's equivalent of Cyril/Cyran, Roderic, etc. There's one in particular that is so much fun but you have to play the romantic end to really get the most out of it: Kamal, Azel's eldest brother. He initially appears as one of Azel's attendants, posing as a mute woman because he had to hide his identity. He drops the disguise in the romantic end and gets to interact with a lot more characters--Emma, Silvio, Azel, and Enis--and it's so much fun. (As a note, Kamal is an okama/onee-san archetype character, so you could interpret him as nonbinary/bigender/genderfluid/a man who just likes crossdressing/etc as you like. The one thing I don't think he is is a trans woman because he never protests at being called Azel's brother, but hey, headcanons never hurt anyone!)

Emma and Silvio's friendship. This was so unexpected but they bounce off each other so well, it's really nice seeing them with each other.

Angst, I love angst. Chapter 24 of the romantic route was a masterclass of angst: it ends with Azel dying on a stage in front of pretty much all of Tanzanite, and the attire story is basically everyone in mourning as Emma has a flashback to the last night they spent together. We as the readers who have seen the ending CG previews and/or know that Cybird won't really go there know he isn't actually dead, but Emma doesn't.

The overall conflict and plot I think is quite predictable, but I don't mean that in a bad way. The hints that are dropped everywhere build up to a coherent whole and come together in a satisfying way. The value that Azel places on free will and the ability to think for oneself is very obviously leading to a plotline where Azel seeks to end Tanzanite's dependency on him and his prophecies, and the hints we get scattered around everywhere are leading to exactly how he intends to do that: there's been a bunch of fortune tellers who have been attacked because their fortunes go against Azel's proclamations (Azel has been deliberately telling false fortunes to break people's faith in god); Obsidian has been trying to smuggle in shipments of weapons to help destabilize Tanzanite (Azel uses a gun to help fake his death); Azel's room has books of all sorts scattered around everywhere including books on astronomy (the prophecy about Tanzanite losing its moon refers to a blood moon + eclipse, Azel has been studying from astronomy books to calculate the precise time to pull off his plan), etc. The foreshadowing works quite well imo, though some hints admittedly do come up quite late (like the existence and exact text of the doomsday prophecy only becoming known around chapter 18/19)

Things that could be iffy for people:

Azel's backstory and a lot about his situation is pretty blatantly sympathy bait, but I think that's par for the course with Ikepri. It worked really well for me but it may not work as well for other people.

If people didn't like Motonari calling the Ikesen MC a slave, this crops up a lot in Azel's route with him frequently calling Emma his slave/indentured servant due to the debt that he blackmails her into

As I mentioned a little bit above, there are some supernatural/magical elements that just remain unexplained and are never really brought up again. Azel's dreamwalking ability being one of them, and probably the most egregious. It doesn't really have plot importance as far as I recall, it's just there at the very beginning and the very end of the romantic route. Also aphrodisiacs are a thing (they happen once early on, and also at the very end of the dramatic route), but there's no dubcon because of that.

It makes sense in the context of the story, but the message may not sit right with other people: Emma's epiphany about true love is "to wish for the best for someone else, even if it hurts you" in the context of letting Azel go through with his plan of committing suicide for the sake of his country, vs the Acolyte/Azel's dad wanting to stop Azel from dying (so he could remain in control of Tanzanite's people by brainwashing them essentially). She had tried to convince him otherwise, or tried to think of ways to fake it, but in the end she relented when she realized that dying was what Azel really wanted to escape the caged existence that being Tanzanite's god put him in, and was he thought was the best path to get Tanzanite to stop relying on divination for everything and to start making their own future. We know that Azel never really did intend on dying for real, but in the moment, that is not really a great message to send.

I'm not great at separating my bias from how I perceive something, so I'm probably being very charitable towards Azel's route. But I really did like it! I think it's revived some of my interest in Ikepri because I really am curious about how Azel and Emma's relationship develops from now on (I'm going to die during this year's June bride/proposal event......)

[lillaydee]

Matchmade Part 4

Millionaire! Joel Miller / Reader

Having experienced traumatic, life altering events, a freshly divorced Joel worked to repay his debt to the person he owed his life to.

WARNINGS:

Good Parent Joel (The Last of Us), Soft Joel (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Joel Lives (The Last of Us), Protective Joel (The Last of Us), Alternate Universe - No Cordyceps Outbreak (The Last of Us), Character Death, Fluff, Angst, Eventual Smut.

SERIES MASTER LIST

Part 3

---

Joel went home with a headache that day. He wasn’t sure if it was the remnants of his injuries, or the frustrations he felt at getting no information from the nurses at all. They wouldn’t tell him anything. They wouldn’t even tell him your first name. He asked for your number, your address, email, even asked if they could contact you for him and have you call him instead, all met with sorry sir, we cannot provide that information for you, or sorry sir, we cannot do that for you.

He really wanted to get in touch with you, needed to tell you how sorry he was, to see if there was anything he could do for you. For Allie. The girl who saved his life.

He asked his Mama to take Sarah for a bit, he needed to sleep this headache off. He woke up just as the sun was going down, his room darkened.

“Hey old man.”

He jerked in bed, turning to see Allie sitting cross-legged in the reading chair by the window. He turned to switch the lights on.

“No, please don’t. The lights hurt my eyes.”

Joel looked at her through the dim lights. She didn’t look like the same chirpy, confident, teasing Allie he had met. Her shoulders was hunched, her head down, hands playing with her shoelaces.

“Allie, I’m so sorry kiddo.”

She shrugged. She looked sad.

“When it’s your time… I tried though… but…”

She gave him a weak smile.

Joel didn’t know what to say to her.

“I heard what you said to me. That day, in my room. Thank you for visiting me. I thought you’d forgotten all about me.”

“Never. You’re unforgettable kiddo.”

“You said you have a kid?”

“Yeah, Sarah… she’s three.”

“I would’ve loved to meet her.”

“I think she would’ve loved you.”

She looked at her shoelaces again. She seemed to be contemplating for a bit, as if afraid what she was about to say might offend him.

“Joel, can I ask something of you?”

“Anything.”

“Can you find my sister? I don’t know where she is. I can’t find her. I need to know she’s okay. She gave up her whole life for me. I am… I was… the only family she had. She raised me. And now…”

She looked so sad, so worried, so defeated. Tears were brimming in her eyes.

“Of course, I’ll find her. What’s her first name?”

The front door slammed closed, and Joel was jolted from his sleep. Sarah was calling out for him, telling him she’s home.

Oh, he was dreaming. For real this time. The sun was still out.

He rubbed his face, trying to figure out how to find you.

**********

You pulled the shutter to the storage unit down and locked it. You went back to your car and drove to the parking lot of the local store. They would let you park there overnight. It’s been three weeks since Allie passed. And you… just… lost the will to fight.

Mrs Anders had offered you her guestroom. You couldn’t possibly count on Mrs Anders forever and was looking into some rooms to rent. Some were available but were either too far out or wasn’t available for a few months. You needed to secure a job before you could decide where you were going to live. But Tanya had subtly implied that perhaps her mother was not in her right state of mind, having lost things more often these days, forgetting this and that. Maybe having you around was not such a good idea. It’s confusing the poor old woman, who kept calling you Allie more often than not – which, magically, you had never heard. Maybe it’s time to put her in a care home?

You had bristled at this, and offered to take care of her if that should be the case. Oh no, she’s her mother, not yours. Maybe you should leave, find a cheap motel to live in for now, or work from, if you know what she meant. You were not welcomed there. You don’t get to come in and play good daughter when the real daughter was still around. Haven’t you done enough damage? Now, shoo.

You couldn’t afford to rent a place on your own just yet, not without a job, and the area was expensive. You just felt more secure if you had a job before committing to a place. But to get a job, you need an address. Mrs Anders was kind enough to let you use hers – just please don’t tell Tanya. Allie’s medical bill left you with not much to live on, even after the house was sold. For now, you slept in a motel every few days, and lived in your car for the rest of it. No sense in spending money you should be saving when you didn’t need to. It would be different if Allie was still around. But it’s just you. Sleeping in your car wasn’t too bad. The rest of your stuff was in storage, all you had with you was a suitcase with some clothes, and an urn carrying the remains of your baby sister.

Your heart shattered every time you thought of her. You worked all those years trying to give her a good life, but in the end, all she got was a simple cremation, a few of your friends and neighbours present. You simply couldn’t afford a proper funeral and the cost of the upkeep after for now. Some offered to pay for a proper funeral, but you couldn’t possibly accept their offer. You didn’t want to trouble anyone. This was your responsibility. I’ll do it Allie. I will give you the farewell you deserve. I just need some time. I promise.

On one of the days that you slept in your car, someone knocked on your window. It was Cecilia, Jimmy’s girlfriend. She was shocked to see you living in your car. Tanya had told everyone that you were living at her house. She insisted that you follow her home. You politely declined. You couldn’t do that, that’s not proper. Jimmy was your ex; you couldn’t do that to the both of them. You’ll be fine, you told her. It’s just until you get a job. She wouldn’t take no for answer, and when you declined further, she asked you to come with her instead. She may have a line for a job for you. It’s not much, and she couldn’t promise you anything, but it’ll do for a while.

You hesitated, but it wasn’t as if you had many options. She was meeting up with a friend for breakfast, and the friend owned a day care facility. Join them, at the very least, you get a breakfast out of it? You agreed. You quickly made yourself presentable in the bathroom of the store and went with her.

The friend turned out to be Julianna, one of your old friends growing up, your neighbour from back when your parents were alive. They moved away before your parents passed, but she remembered your babysitting skills, how the parents clamoured to get you to babysit for them. She was shocked to hear about your situation, although not surprised that Tanya would do what she did. The job was yours for the taking, they had just received some applications for their services, and they had to decline at first, due to staff shortage, but now, it looked like they could take in some new clients! The pay was alright, enough for you to live on your own. A few months, and you would be financially secure enough to get a place of your own. Okay, this was good.

She asked if you could start soon, she could make phone calls to the parents who had applied. Of course, you said yes. You went to the office that day and filled in the necessary forms for your employment. You asked her if she would mind you parking in the lot at night. She told you that you could live at the daycare for now, there is a room at the back, for emergency overnight cases. You could stay there in the meantime, until you get a place of your own. You hugged her and wouldn’t let go, sobbing your eyes out, silently thanking her for her kindness. She pulled a face at you when you pulled back, with a pout and a shake of her head. Don’t mention it, she mouthed. You won’t be a bother, you told her. Two, three months, tops. Just until you were stable enough to come up with a deposit. She laughed and kept telling you to chill. You had a hard time saying thank you with your heart lodged in your throat.

Okay, you thought, as you brought your suitcase into the room. Things were looking up. New beginning.

**********

The next morning, you began working by helping the other staff with the meals and cleaning – you have yet to be assigned any kids, they hadn’t started, but will soon. You were worried at first, worried that all these children would make you miss Allie too much. But being surrounded by this many kids under five? You’re lucky if you could actually think about your own problems. Someone, somewhere, always needed you. Even without assigned kids of your own, you had no time to even scratch your head that day. Miss Addie, the straw won’t go in my juice box, Miss Addie, blow on my cut, Miss Addie, Lindsey looked at me funny, Miss Addie, my toy is too high, Miss Addie, the tire on my truck came off, Miss Addie, my crayon broke, Miss Addie, I pooped my pants.

You slept hard that night, exhausted just from getting down to the kids’ levels. But you were not complaining, it’s a job. A new start for you. A lonely one, where you were alone, but let’s not get bogged down with that. Allie wouldn’t want you to be all weepy, pulling at your hair mourning her. She would want you to stand up and be strong. She was a tough girl, so you needed to be tough too.

The next day, Julie asked if you could go pick up the groceries at the store – their delivery guy was in an accident, and they needed the groceries to make lunch. She would handle the new arrival, she said. So you went.

When you came back, a new child had joined the group. A little girl. A three-year-old named Sarah. She was hiding in the playhouse when you got back, sobbing, wanting her Daddy. She had never been sent to day care before, Julie told you. She usually stayed with her nanny, or grandparents and aunts or uncle. The other staff tried everything they could to coax her out, but she refused to come out, wailing even harder if someone so much as tried to peek into the playhouse.

So you went and plopped yourself where she could see you but pretended you couldn’t see her. You had her overstuffed bag with you. You asked Julie whose bag this was. It’s Sarah’s, Julie said. Who’s Sarah? You asked. Oh, she’s the new girl. Oh? You asked, where is she? I don’t know, she said, clocking your strategy. No one has seen her yet. Oh my, you said, she must be one of those special girls. Only special people can see her. Oh… how you wish you were one of those special people. You really, really want to see this special girl. Let’s see if we can find clues about her. You opened her bag and a unicorn plushie puffed out, spilling from the small bag. Ooh… she has a nice unicorn toy. What do you think this unicorn’s name is, Miss Julie? I think it’s Tom. No… Julie said. I think that’s a girl unicorn. Lucy? Hmm… too human… maybe… Willow? Hmm… I still think it's a boy, you said. I think his name is Roger.

“Apple.”

A tiny voice said.

“Huh? Did you hear that?”

“Apple.”

“Someone said Apple! Is his name Apple, special girl?”

“Her. She’s a girl.”

“Oh… she’s a girl… hi Apple. I’m Miss Addie. Nice to meet you. You seem like a lovely unicorn. Now, if only I can see your friend, Sarah. I can hear her, but I still can’t see her… But… it’s okay, she’s a special girl. And I know only special people get to see her. Maybe one day I’ll be special too and can see this Sarah. Will you tell her that, Apple?”

“Boo!!!” she jumped up in front of the window.

You pretended to be so shocked you fell backwards. Sarah looked horrified and came out.

“Miss Addie? Are you okay?”

You looked at her incredulously, who are you little girl? Where did you come from?

She giggled. I’m Sarah, she said. You smiled and offered your hand for her to shake. And after only two more hours of coaxing from you, Sarah decided that everyone was special and could see her too.

She did well that day, even made a friend or two. She decided she didn’t like Ben, the boy had a cowboy rocking horse, who she was convinced was mean to Apple. You and Sarah spent a lot of time together. That evening, a pretty lady called Tess came to pick her up, and she very excitedly introduced Miss Addie and Miss Julie to Auntie Tess.

Tess asked you how she did on her first day and laughed out loud at your verbal report. She didn’t really have other kids around her growing up, she said. Her dad was supposed to pick her up, but he had a doctor’s appointment that ran long. He’ll meet you soon. Thank you so much for making sure she came out of her shell today. You smiled and told her it was your pleasure. Sarah gave you the biggest hug before leaving, sad that you could not come with her, but looked really happy when Tess told her she would see you again tomorrow.

The rest of the week, Sarah improved so much, greeting you with hugs and kisses, so happy to see you and her friends. She was much less shy by pick up time on Friday, and actually cried when Anita, her Nana, told her that she won’t see Miss Addie until Monday. You promised her you would see her Monday, be a good girl this weekend, okay?

She nodded, eyes all teary, and gave you one more hug before taking her Nana’s hand and following her out.

**********

Joel left the daycare that Monday morning after dropping Sarah off in disappointment. Miss Addie was out getting groceries, again. He needed to meet this Miss Addie. Since Sarah came home from her first day there last Tuesday, all he heard was Miss Addie this, Miss Addie that. All of a sudden, she wanted warm milk before bedtime, and a cold glass in the mornings, despite swearing to him all her speaking life that they made her feel eww. They made her bones strong, Miss Addie said. No Daddy, I don’t want another cookie, despite only wanting cookies for dinner for the entire week before daycare. Cookies made your teeth bad Daddy, Miss Addie said so.

Suddenly she wanted carrots and broccoli with her dinner. He thought for sure his hearing was impaired when he heard that. This was the girl who flung carrot squares at him since she could eat solids. Veggies were yucky daddy! No veggies! He tried everything. Covering them in cheese, offering cookies as a reward, ice cream, heck, he was considering learning how to puree, whatever that was, just to get her to eat her veggies. But two days at the daycare, and suddenly a request for veggies. Veggies were delicious, because Miss Addie said so. Veggies make you strong, Miss Addie said. Veggies make you pretty, Miss Addie said. Miss Addie ate a lot of veggies. That must be why she’s so pretty. She wants to be pretty like Miss Addie.

Tess and Anita agreed with her. Miss Addie was very pretty indeed, a sly look thrown Joel’s way. He ignored them. He just got divorced from a woman who tried to kill him, for God’s sake.

She wanted the green ‘pesgeti’ like the ones Miss Addie made for her for lunch when they went out to eat on Saturday. That got almost the entire family to choke on their water. Sarah? Pesto? Really? Wow. This Miss Addie was magic.

He had to delegate the pickup this past week, he had been busy. Lots to do when you miss work recovering from an extensive injury for almost two months, so he hadn’t met this elusive Miss Addie, who was never there when he dropped Sarah off.

Honestly, this Miss Addie was making him look bad. He told her that veggies would make her strong and pretty. He told her that milk was good for her. He told her that too much sugar would rot her teeth. But oh no… they’re all only true if Miss Addie said them.

He had been hesitant to send her to daycare, worried that she would have trouble adjusting. But Mrs Adler had politely refused his offer for her to come back, her son had just had twins, and she wanted to stay home and spend as much time as she could with them. So he resorted to getting a company to come clean, but the family persuaded him to place her in daycare, so she could make friends. She had been scared, clinging to him since the night before, begging him not to let her go to school.

She only relented that morning when he agreed to let her bring Apple, the overpriced, oversized unicorn plushie with her. But she had gotten embarrassed before they could get out of the truck and made him stuff her in her small bag. The five minutes drop turned into half an hour of peeling her off of him, so many tears, so much wailing, so many no Daddy don’t gos.

But when he came back from his follow up, she greeted him so happily, so relaxed, Miss Addie’s name with every sentence. He had to meet this Miss Addie who was making him look like an amateur parent. Maybe get a few tips from her. And if she really was pretty, well, good for her.

Sarah doing well at daycare was a refreshing change from his worries lately. He had returned to work and found himself the centre of attention. He was the sole survivor from that wreck. He lost ten good men, good friends that week. He felt completely useless when everyone else got declared missing and presumed dead. He made sure their families were compensated well, but surely, money was just a means to make things easier, and not a solution? He felt so guilty that his Sarah could still hug him good night, but the children of some of his men would never be able to again. He made sure such incidents would never happen again. Accidents happen, of course, but he would be darned if he didn’t do something about it.

He laid awake at night wondering why he was given the chance to live, when his friends, good men, were not. It made him a lot more thankful for his mind allowing him to see Allie, who he hadn’t seen since that evening in his dream. But with follow ups and physiotherapy and work and Sarah, he had made little progress with his search for you.

He initially thought of hiring a private detective to look for you, but when he told his family about it, Tommy and Tess brought up a good point. If someone had hired a private detective to look for the women in his life, would he trust those people? Come on, Joel, Tommy had said. She didn’t even give you her name. Tommy’s right. You didn’t. Why on earth would you ever speak to him again, if you found out he had hired someone to track you down? That’s just creepy stalker 101.

But Joel was really failing here. Short of bribing someone at the hospital to look at Allie’s record, he had no idea where to find you. He couldn’t get the way you were screaming and crying when Allie’s heart rate went up that day out of his head. And when Allie told him you didn’t have anyone, his heart broke. He should’ve been there for you. The thought of someone being alone going through all that… he simply couldn’t imagine. He had to find a way – but Williams… that’s a common name, apparently. So many Williamses live in the area.

He'll keep looking. He won’t give up.

But right now, today, he needed to make sure he was free to pick up Sarah this evening. Just to meet this famous, supposedly pretty - not that he was thinking about that bit - magical Miss Addie.

**********

You helped Sarah pack her bag up, the drawing she made of her and her dad rolled up and tied with a ribbon for her to gift him. She couldn’t stop talking about her dad, telling her how funny he was, how strong, too. She got sad when she told you her dad had a bad ‘ouchie’, but he’s better now. She didn’t like it when her dad had the ‘ouchie’ cause he couldn’t be at home with her, he had to stay at the ‘shopital’ and she was too little to go see him there. He read a story for her before bedtime, but she missed him lying next to her until she fell asleep. She missed him when he had the ‘ouchie’.

It made you wonder. She talked about her dad, her aunts, her uncle, her Nana and Papa, but never her mom. You didn’t pry, though. It’s none of your business.

“Sarah, your dad is here,” Julie’s voice called out.

“Daddy!!!” she squealed, as you were trying to zip up her bag to give to her, Apple’s horn refusing to stay inside. She ran all the way to the door, and pulled her dad’s hand inside, wanting to introduce him to you. Miss Addie, Miss Addie, come meet Daddy, she squealed. You couldn’t help but smile at this little girl’s excitement. You got up and walked to the front door, head down, hands still trying to zip up the bag, wanting to spare Sarah the embarrassment of being seen in the five yards outdoors that it took to get to her dad’s car with a unicorn plushie in plain sight.

Just as you got the bag to zip, you collided with something warm and very, very solid. You lost your balance and fell backwards, your eyes closed, bracing for impact, but you never landed.

You opened your eyes and found yourself inches from a familiar face. His arms solid and tight around your body, a smile of recognition on his face.

“Ms Williams.”

“Joel.”

“Hi.”

---

Part 5

@peelieblue @feenoire @vickie5446

[separatist-apologist]

I don’t think I’ll ever sent my money to her again. I‘ll either just support my local library and read the upcoming books from there or download pdf.

Sjm and Bloomsbury clearly don’t gaf about her fans and I‘m not going to waste my money just for her books to come out mediocre. Hofas was absolutely stupid and I‘m still mad about the fact that I wasted money on that crap. And all these ridiculous bonus chapters? There was absolutely no need to include that many bonus chapters, except they just wanted more money.

Anyway, I‘d love to pay you instead.

I keep trying not to sound bitter and exhausted but like...I guess maybe I am a little bitter and exhausted.

My hater opinion under the cut. Read at your own hater risk

I don't think SJM enjoys this series anymore, and nothing and no one can convince me she does. ACOSF was...I mean, she said it herself, she was not in a good place when she wrote it and I think going back and re-reading, you get the sense that she was not as in love with those characters/stories like maybe she was, once.

Ultimately I'll never know because I don't pretend to have any insight into SJM's emotional/mental well-being. I could speculate all day long on why things are done the way they're done.

What I do know is that publishing is a dying business and SJM brings Bloomsbury a TON of money. People are always talking about ACOTAR, doing free advertising in a multitude of ways (discussing theories, posting tiktoks, commissioning art- all of that is free advertising for the books/publisher), and I think they're going to ride the runaway success of the series for as long as they can. People will buy anything with SJM's name printed on it- why not these lazy "nightcourt editions" too?

And look what happened. They post them and it reignites the arguments, the theories, the excitement that I thought was dying down a little. It also silenced some of the criticism (or, at least, drowned it out). Now people are back to passionately arguing what the bonus chapters mean (nothing other than $$$), what nightcourt means (nothing- they're just black), theorizing the next couple, when the books will drop, and being overall excited about just the possibility of something new.

And I am personally just very tired of all of it. I've said for a long time SJM's fanbase is far more passionate than she is, that they (we) do a lot of work on the backend to make these stories make coherent sense, and are generally exceptionally passionate in a way that, for example, allows SJM to sweep the Goodreads Choice Awards despite writing what was, in my opinion, a very sloppy conclusion to a series people were incredibly excited about.

I have no interest in a gwynriel/elucien book, personally, which I don't think we'll be getting in 2025. I haven't really enjoyed one of her books since ACOMAF/Crown of Midnight- you can see the decline in quality despite the ballooning word count. And I know someone is gonna show up/vague me about how HOFAS was a masterpiece and like. Whatever, I guess, you can gaslight yourself but you can't gaslight me.

[tricksh0t]

★ the aspect of the warrior

☾ ellaria sand & oberyn martell x top m reader (+ olyvar)

𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘩0𝘵 ⛥ first threesome 😜 (technically orgy); connected to broken merchandise (petyr baelish) but can be read as a standalone. unfortunately ended up having a lot more olyvar than i intended, so take that in mind.

𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘴 ⛥ 3.25 words

cw: switch reader, top male reader, bottom oberyn, switch oberyn, blowjobs, non-descriptive cunnilingus, prostitution, use of the name whore, missionary, doggy, mentions of the Faith religion, lighthearted and humorous s*x, unfortunately rather fast paced

You've served a long variety of clientele before. Men and women, cock and cunt. You've tugged brown, black, blonde and red hair; stared lustfully into brown, onyx, green and blue eyes; kissed both rough and soft lips as well as given and taken.

You've had real warriors who played into your character or were simply too clueless.

Bastards, too. Waters, Rivers, Flowers, Hills and Stones. Maybe a Pyke and Snow or two, but never a Sand.

Nobles, as well, of many different statures. Wealthy and unfortunate, Lords and Ladies, heirs, but never a Prince.

Prince Oberyn Martell and his paramour, Ellaria Sand, were simply not an offer you could refuse; but they had come without an appointment or any notice, and so you were already caught up with another client.

You'd never miss this for the world, though.

"There he is. The Aspect of the Warrior." At the sound of Oberyn's voice, Olyvar pulls off the prince's cock with an obscene, wet pop.

Prince Oberyn looks you up and down, taking every inch of your well-oiled, famed muscles, from your neck to your calves. Eventually his eyes land on your already sweaty small clothes, and the forming bulge of your arousal. "You are very late, Ser Strong. We would have died if you had been a second too late. You come without your armor, even."

"Cut him some slack." Ellaria chimes. She pets the girl's hair who's currently eating her out absentmindedly, like it's nothing. "He was obviously previously preoccupied. Though, if you ask me, he should've cut whatever he was doing to come straight here."

Olyvar watches, both amused at your humiliation and also annoyed because you've taken his attention.

Oberyn grabs a handful of your new salesman's hair, just calling for his attention as he tugs. "How much is he, then?"

"Expensive."

"More than you?"

Olyvar scoffs, but does give in and nod.

The prince doesn't let the gesture slip by. "What is it, do you two not like each other?" He is growing more amused by the second.

Olyvar looks at you. There, beneath his glare, you catch a glint. He's just playing. While both the prince and his paramour may know your warrior reputation is only a facade, they do not know many other things about how you play. "He is distasteful. Just look at him, all that muscle and he does nothing but fuck all day."

Both Ellaria and Oberyn laugh, falling into the web of how captivating Littlefinger's whores can be.

"Let them have a go at each other, see if that settles their differences." Ellaria suggests.

Oberyn agrees by silently letting go of Olyvar's hair, but his face gives off all his excitement. He's looking for a show.

Olyvar approaches you in quick strides, then he's quickly wrapping his arms around your neck and giving you a kiss that'd steal the breath of anyone that isn't used to him. You reciprocate, roughly grabbing hold of his naked hips, shifting more towards the small of his back. You grasp, getting the bones of his hips and the meat of the top of his cheeks within your knuckles.

"Let's give them a show." Olyvar whispers as he pulls away. You can barely reply before he's pushing you, knocking you down on the bed right between Ellaria and Oberyn. The perfect spot.

He climbs onto your lap and you're back to kissing again. It's a clash of teeth this time, a methodologically feigned hunger for you and what you can bring him. Your hands quickly find his hips, and you're playing just as hungry, guiding him into a harsh, unsubtle grind over your thinly veiled cock.

You can faintly hear the other girl shifting, pulling away from Ellaria as the woman has stopped paying attention to her.

Olyvar moves and so do you, back on your elbows and lifting your hips so he can take your small clothes off. Your cock springs out and he's already grinding against it, ready to take it in in one swift go.

Before that even happens, though, Ellaria gasps a "ooh" and Oberyn wolf-whistles.

The prince's voice stops the two of you. "Now that is a cock that cannot go to waste."

You and Olyvar exchange looks. It's a quick thing, before the blonde is slipping off your lap, his job accomplished.

Oberyn gestures for you to come to him, but Ellaria grabs hold of your bicep before you do. Her hand cannot even wrap around it. "Ladies first." She says, addressing her lover with a smirk.

The prince obliges with a smile of his own, but you've long years of reading people and can see below that a slight bit of disappointment.

Ellaria lays further back onto the bed, her short hair falling behind her, splayed out like a halo. She spreads your legs as if to show herself off as your prize, that charming smirk on her face daring you to take it.

You kiss a path up her ankle. A Sand, tanned skin and dark hair yet both are smooth and shiny, unlike what Lords tell you about Dorne. They portray it as a land where the people broil miserably under the heat, causing wrinkles in the youthful. Perhaps it is that they are wrong, or perhaps it is that Ellaria Sand is a woman well taken care of, lucky to have caught the eye of a Dornish prince.

That same eye follows you as you trail up her leg and to her cunt, getting a taste of it; protective, perhaps, or otherwise jealous.

"I've had enough of tongues," Ellaria says, calling your attention. She tilts up your chin with just two finger, "'sides, that cock of yours is what we're interested in, Aspect of the Warrior."

"Nothing about my muscles?" You respond, fixing yourself up into position, kneeling between her legs.

Ellaria can admit that her eyes trail down, beginning at your shoulders and your biceps all the way down until she can't. "They are very appealing, but you must understand I often get my fill." She glances towards her lover.

Oberyn winks when you glance over.

You concede with a small laugh and the shake of your head. "Then what appeal is there to The Aspect of the Warrior?"

"Fame and reputation." Oberyn answers for the both of them. Ellaria is much too impatient on the other hand, and beckons you in by kicking your ass slightly with her foot. "You're rough, but also pliable. Headstrong, but also willing."

You'd reply, but Ellaria is staring you down with such a look of "just do it already".

You obey her, slowly pushing into her warmth. Her hand lands on your shoulder, well-kept nails digging into the flesh.

"I'm not fragile." She says confidently.

And again you obey, though you'd been cautious initially for a reason. Ellaria gasps, legs wrapping around your waist with a start. Her nails rake down your back.

"A stretch?" Oberyn asks, head propped up with his elbow, much more interested in this than the whore licking at his asshole and prepping him.

"Very." She says, almost having to choke it out. She sounds eager anyway when she continues, "Go on."

The first you give her seems to Ellaria much too boring. If you have a big cock, she expects you to know how to use it. "Is that the hardest you can go, aspect?"

You'd expected her to learn her lesson after the shock of having to take all of you in swiftly.

"The Aspect of the Warrior is also part of the Faith." You almost scold as you grab her by the lower back and hold her up, giving you a better angle to thrust into her cunt. "So, as much as strength is a part of him, the Faith cares for his subjects."

"Very charming, the way he talks in third person." Oberyn jokes, but his paramour is much too preoccupied with the cock splitting her open, the way she seems to like it.

She clenches around you, head already falling back. Her mouth splays open with mutterings of curses and moans.

She can hardly let go of you, even, the clench keeps you there, as if her legs don't do a well enough job already, and her arms are wrapped around your back.

"You must have a name, beyond Faith and Warrior. You don't expect her to scream those, do you?" Oberyn steals one of Ellaria's hands from your back to lazily intertwine his fingers with hers.

"They have been heard, around the halls." Olyvar responds for you, still servicing the prince with his tongue.

He looks amused at that, exclaiming sarcastically, "Oh, warrior! Save me, warrior."

"Yes," Ellaria moans, caught up in her own world, "yes, ser."

"Hmm." Oberyn hums, impressed. "That works."

You wonder if you're doing a better job than the prince usually does. For a couple so active, you'd imagine there's some sort of desensitization by now. There's some pride in knowing that you're making her feel this good, to lose her mind, when Oberyn might not even do the same anymore.

Speaking of, he watches in interest as you lick your thumb to press it down against his paramours clit. She keens loudly as you rub the nub in circles, prompting a quick and shuddering orgasm.

"That was fast." Oberyn teases, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Oh shut up, you." Ellaria wheezes out, regaining her breath. She squeezes back.

She gives your cock one final squeeze, like a parting gift, as you pull out. As soon as you do so, Oberyn is beckoning you over, much better at hiding his impatience and so displaying it now.

He's slower with it, though. It is merely having you that excites him already.

He parts only one leg, encasing your side with it, while he keeps the other under you so your hard lengths are not far apart. When he grabs the back of your neck to pull you down for a kiss, it is an intentional move, as you lean down towards him and your cocks press against each other.

His tongue was hot against yours, his swollen lips addictive, and so you chase him as he parts from the kiss. He grinds his cock up against yours, and so you chase that as well with your hips.

Oberyn's already got you wrapped around his finger.

You hardly notice the way Oberyn is sizing you up until Ellaria speaks up, propped up against the pillows in a heavenly kind of way in her post-orgasmic glow. "He's bigger. No use in denying that."

"I usually don't like brutes." Oberyn says, and somewhere, vaguely, you know he's playing it off by monologuing. His hand reaches down to guide your cock to his hole. "The bigger men get, the more disproportionate and ugly they become. Take the Mountain, for example. That kind of man can only be loved by his mother."

"I bet even that isn't true." Ellaria laughs.

Between the two of them, you're more preoccupied with getting your cock into the prince. For one, you've yet to orgasm, for two, he's a prince.

Maybe it's being a Prince that makes you pretty, or maybe it's being a Lord that makes you ugly, because in the hierarchy of nobility, Oberyn Martell is probably the best noble you'll ever get to fuck, and it isn't for his money or his status.

Oberyn stares you down as you push in. His stare keeps you in place, washing away any aspects of having the bigger body and muscles, of being The Aspect of the Warrior.

He's stoic, like this isn't his first time.

Olyvar speaks up, calling your attention. He's splayed out comfortably on the bed besides Oberyn, instigating, playing that game again. "Have you taken any bigger, Prince Oberyn?"

You and Oberyn turn back towards each other at the same time. The prince reaches up to cup your cheek, some form of endearment that once more keeps you submissive to him. He's inclined to say yes, to poke fun, but, "No, I have not."

"You're playing him a fool." Olyvar says. His hand is warm on the small of your back. Its thumb flicks over your spine, making you shudder.

Oberyn whistles. He felt that. "It is rather fun, you know. A brute at your heels."

Not The Aspect of the Warrior, pointedly. Oberyn sees past your act, doesn't care for it. To him, you're just a big man with a big cock and muscles you don't know how to use.

He takes the sex casually, not giving much reaction to the thrusting of your hips, however slow you're taking it right now. You can't help but take it as an offense. You've always been revered as The Aspect of the Warrior with your clients, for your strength and your build, even by Ellaria herself.

You yearn for a reaction from this tough prince.

You play into the submission, leaning down to capture Oberyn's lips in a kiss, because you want him to think you're needy for it.

He smiles into the kiss, heaving a small laugh through his nose. He finds you amusing.

Little does he know, it's only a distraction. You lift him up, causing him to gasp, then place him on his stomach. Oberyn immediately turns his head to look back at you with indignance, but his eyes shut quickly when he you thrust up to the hilt, because he gets to feel all of you.

"Does that feel good?" You lean down to whisper into his ear as you start up again, going slow just to tease him, because you know he can take more. "To feel all of me?"

He tries to keep stoic, but it's clear in the way his breaths grow ragged that the answer is a resounding yes.

"Did you prep him properly, Olyvar?" You ask just to tease the prince, feigning care.

The blonde chuckles. "Spit and tongue then oil and fingers, my love."

"My love? They've been playing us a fool, Oberyn." Ellaria jokes, but her paramour is much too preoccupied with the cock splitting him open on the more literal sense to notice.

Oberyn sucks in a gasp when you thrust up particularly harshly for the first time, then follow up with that same strength over and over, resulting in a sharp whistle-y sound. It seems to embarrass him.

Much of you embarrasses him, though it seems to please him at the same time. You're bigger than him in body and muscle, engulfing his figure as you fuck into him; you've got a bigger cock, and you pleased his paramour well with it.

There's jealousy somewhere in there, but he doesn't act on it, not when he gets to have you.

"He's good, isn't he?" Ellaria hums.

"Yes he is." Oberyn replies. His face isn't even pointed towards his paramour. It's rather amusing for you this time.

You pick up the pace, and he still doesn't break; because it's not admitting that you're good that you want, it's making him moan unabashedly.

You move his knees, propping him up on them to better fuck into him. Oberyn's breath hitches. Then you press a kiss upon his spine, and, "Oh, warrior!" How ironic.

A steady stream of groans leave Oberyn's mouth as you fuck him. You keep a hand beside his head to lean over him, and another warm hand over his cock. It wraps around the girth of it easily, and then some.

Ellaria laughs, because she of all people should know that Oberyn does not often get like this. "You're no Warrior."

"You're the Stranger." Oberyn chimes up for his part. The need for humor and the lift of his lips in an open-mouthed smile afterwards shows you just how much he likes it.

You chuckle, "Shall I be the death of you today, then, Prince Oberyn?"

"You know, at some point," He laughs too, shakily, "it gets rather fatuous."

He is right. You let your movements take over, pleasuring him. As is your job, pleasuring him, and even past the "honor" of fucking a prince, there is the pleasure of fucking Oberyn.

He's tight, but not like a virgin, you're not his first experience and you like that, because you can go as rough and fast as you like and Oberyn will take it. The pleasure is in knowing that you're the one creating the obscene slapping of skin in the room, and the eyes that watch you, the beautiful Ellaria Sand and Olyvar, your occasional lover. The pleasure is in knowing that you're making a real warrior such as Oberyn shiver and moan.

The hand you have wrapped around him begins to work him in tandem with your thrusts, and it has him spilling over.

Oberyn slumps forward with a sluggish smile, closed teeth now that he has a break. "Will it put a dent in the fortunes I have brought if I ask for another round?"

Olyvar smirks, "If you make it quick, it won't."

"And the warrior still hasn't finished." Ellaria remarks as you pull out of her lover, cock still proud and strong.

"Endurance," You reply, "a selling point."

"And here I thought we were simply not good enough for you." Oberyn turns around to lay on his back. His breaths slow as he relaxes. He nods his head between you and Olyvar, "So, you and him, history?"

"Just coworkers." Olyvar says, all business. "I'm sure you know there are certain folks that simply aren't good at this sort of thing."

"So we weren't good enough." Ellaria laughs. "I'd like to see you get the aspect off, then. If we simply aren't experienced enough."

Olyvar is more than welcome to. In fact, he seems eager to, as you fix yourself upright on the bed and he crawls towards you. Once more, you are playing a show, except this time, there is no goal except to pleasure you.

"Prince Oberyn, Lady Ellaria," Olyvar says as he nears your cock, "take pride in knowing you are simply not whores."

You feel like a King, getting to have all this: a Sand's cunt, a Prince's hole, your part-time lover's mouth. "I'm pampered." You voice.

He stares up at you as he takes you down to the base, something that causes clear surprise in the two Dornish. Olyvar's words make sense to them now, it's the experience that comes with working as a whore that allows him to do this. Or perhaps it isn't, perhaps it is your history together.

You won't voice it, but it's comforting coming back to Olyvar. The way you watch him isn't sultry, it's endearing. The way you grab a handful of his blonde hair isn't sultry, it's appreciative.

Olyvar has boundaries with his clients. He won't swallow, and he won't let them finish inside him, but you're not a client.

When you cum, you do so down his throat, and he swallows gladly.

Oberyn applauds, pulling you away from the sight of Olyvar. "And the show comes to an end."

"So it does." Ellaria sits up and leans towards you, capturing you with a much-needed kiss. She is just a good a kisser as her lover. "Whenever we find ourselves in King's Landing again, I'm sure we'll cross paths."

"I might have him brought back to Dorne, actually." Prince Oberyn jokes.

"You'd like the competition?" Ellaria teases.

Oberyn's eyebrows furrow at that, his anger at the idea almost real. "Perhaps it is a bad idea, then."

A Sand and a Prince, added to your list.

[fandomsfordays21]

My "Ink Sans" AU

So, I've had this idea for a while, but I'm sharing it now due to my mutuals @mrgrimreaper1 and @t3m1 encouraging me, and because they shared their own ocs. (Go check them out Sketch!Sans is pretty cool)

Basically, I was thinking a bit too hard about Ink's backstory, and I started feeling really bad about the others in his universe. This was especially true for his Papyrus, since he was the only other person in _____!tale that showed any form of emotions.

Then I got onto a train of thought about Ink's creator specifically. We know they dropped the idea of Ink's universe when drawing became a chore, leaving the sketches unfinished, but nothing else about them. I got to thinking, what if Ink's creator was to come back? What if they came back and finished I _____!tale after Ink was gone?

That brings us to Sketchtale, also known as the Completed Concept AU for those outside of the UTMV.

For the basics, Sketchtale is the universe that _____!tale was supposed to be, or at least a reworked version of it. The Creator, after a long while, rejoins the Undertale Fandom and decides to revisit their unfinished au from all that time ago. The name "Sketchtale" is meant to reference that it was left as a sketch for a long time.

Sketchtale is a universe based entirely off of art and multiple art forms, each area of the Underground being based off of certain mediums.

Ruins: Sculpture, carvings, engravings, mosaics.

Snowdin: Graphite and colored pencil, crayon, marker, charcoal.

Waterfall: Watercolors, paints of any variety, resin.

Hotland: Glassblowing, pottery, metalworking. (Art done with/using technology is also found here, but it's more common around the CORE and is not the main art medium.)

New Home/The castle: Knitting, sewing, crotchet, quilt and clothes making.

I'll make posts about individual characters later, but Monsters as a whole have some unique qualities that are important to know.

Monsters in Sketchtale have colored SOULs, with each monster having 1 or 2 unique colors. These colors are not Traits, like they are in Humans, and are instead types of Magic. Each color has specific abilities, with having more than one color being both rare and powerful. (Most bosses in the game have dual-colored SOULs.) A monster who has absorbed 7 Human SOULs gains a special, incredibly powerful SOUL type, called a Prism SOUL or God SOUL, that can use all colors at once.

A Monster's Magic will express its color(s) by binding to one or more specific utensils or mediums, which will be used in battle. (Imagine every Monster in Sketchtale as having their own Broomie, or having the specific paint magics.)

I'll have a separate post with diagrams and charts once I draw them, but I hope this post is clear enough to understand. This is just a very basic rundown of the AU, so if anyone has questions or wants specific details about Sketchtale, my askbox is open.

This is kind of a half-baked idea for now, so things are open to change and I will have to finish developing certain details and characters, but I'm willing to keep working if you guys like this idea. I have a lot of cool stuff planned for the Sans (Doodle) and Papyrus (Sketch) of this au and some angst ideas that I'm excited to share, so stay tuned!