#can you imagine... I made this whole piece just because I saw this outfit look from a Uniqlo ad? 8D

[ourlittleuluru]

Steps in tandem ~ onwards to our 215th spring!

(Xavier may say his current 214th Spring is his last on Earth... but no! we shall see more springs to come இ௰இ together!)

[fbfh]

rodrick x hyperfeminine reader hcs 2

wc: 1.7k

genre: mutual pining, minor angst

pairing: rodrick x hyperfeminine!reader

warnings: houseparty, madison and heather aren't very good friends, one brief mention of alcohol/underage drinking but no one is obviously drunk, Brent keeps flirting with you and can't take a hint but it's annoying and inconvenient at most, minor miscommunication, sad roddy at the end

summary: after getting all dolled up for your party (which is really just an excuse to see rodrick and his band play) you spend the whole night not getting to do the one thing you want to do - see Rodrick.

song rec: teenage dirtbag - wheatus, and I imagine them playing put your money on me - the struts, basket case - green day, and of course, diper overlode - loded diper at the party

a/n: the long awaited part 2 is here!! and yes there will be a part 3 that takes place at prom lol

tags at the bottom (tagging all the people who asked for part 2 as well lol)

You’ve spent all week planning your party

Now it’s finally friday after school, and Heather and Madison are at your place, taking on the monumental task of deciding what you’re going to wear

You decide on the new pair of heels you got as your inspiration piece

They’re baby pink and strappy, with a butterfly shape made of little diamonds on the front

You’ve been absolutely obsessed with them, and the party seems like the perfect opportunity to break them in

You dig around in your closet, pulling a few of your other pink dresses

It’s not much of a contest when you see them laid out, and you choose the light pink satin one to go with your shoes

You listen to Heather and Madison gossip while you dig through your jewelry and nail polish, finding some coordinating accessories and your next mani pedi color

“Which earrings?” You ask them, holding up two pairs. 

“That one.” They say in unison, pointing to the one on your left

You were leaning toward that pair anyway, so you’re glad they agree

After finalizing some details and going over what they’re going to wear, all your party outfits are planned

Heather and Madison leave to get dressed, promising to be back within the hour so you can all help each other with hair and makeup

You’ve  practically become their personal beauty guru since you became friends

You always know just what to do to make their makeup look flawless and their hair cooperate when it’s being stubborn

You’re a big ball of nerves while you get the last details set up

Snacks are laid out, drinks are set up

Now all you need is the people

And more importantly

The band

As people show up, Heather drags you around to socialize

You swear, she must make you say hi to every single person there

If you were a little more cynical, you might pick up on the fact that Heather is trying to keep you away from Rodrick

Rodrick, who you’ve been thinking about non stop since you first saw him

You spend the whole time looking around for him and his band 

You think you see him across the room once, but it’s a girl with a dark brown pixie cut

It’s hard to tell in this lighting, and you’re glad you caught it before you made a really awkward mistake

You’re sure it would have been a funny anecdote that lead to you being friends after

On your way back, you get stopped by Brad

He insists on pulling you aside to talk, which Heather and Madison encourage

But right now all you want is to find Rodrick

And all Rodrick wants is to find you

They’re almost warmed up and ready for their set

And GOD he’s never been more excited for a gig

He’s so ready to go all out

To impress you

And to avoid all Justin Bieber songs to prevent another Heather’s sweet 16 incident

He fidgets with his drumsticks and looks around again

He still doesn’t see you

Which sucks, because he’s been thinking about this exact moment non stop since loded diper got this dream of a gig

He’s been making the boys practice way more than normal

Much to his parent’s dismay (even though they’re starting to sound pretty good)

To avoid another Heather Hills sweet 16 situation

But more importantly, to impress you

When Rodrick fell asleep every night this week, he had a variation of the same dream

Playing at this party, rocking the house so hard people talk about it for years afterwards, and getting to see you

You’re so beautiful, standing dead center at the front of the crowd, looking up at him the whole time

They barely finish their set when you weave your way through the band, and walk right up to him

His heart is pounding as you start praising him, telling him how good he was, how you want to be his little rockstar’s girlfriend

He usually gets so excited he wakes himself up after that

And now

It’s finally happening

His literal dreams are coming true

His band got a great gig

And he gets to play for you

This is probably the biggest opportunity since battle of the bands 

The guys know how much he’s been looking forward to this

It’s all he’s been talking about

He really thinks that if everything goes perfect, he might be able to shoot his shot with you

He just has to focus

Focus on playing a perfect gig, focus on figuring out how to woo you

Once they’re all warmed up and hyped up, they start their set

You can hear the band starting to tune up from the other room, and try for what feels like the millionth time to slip away from Brent

You’ve had to turn him down more times than you can count, and he still can’t take a goddamn hint

“I really have to go check on my friends…” you trail off, finally slipping into the crowd

You manage to find Madison, who signals to Heather, and soon all three of you are hiding in the bathroom

You catch your breath for a little while, touching up your makeup while Heather checks herself out and fluffs her hair

Madison sits nearby, texting someone

After a little while, you sigh, figuring you should all get back

Heather and Madison share a look while you straighten out your necklace 

Heather walks to the door with Madison right behind her

She pokes her head out of the door, then closes it quickly

“Brent is right down the hall,” she says, turning back to you as Madison nods, “we should wait in here a little longer

It feels like you wait in the bathroom forever while Heather occasionally sending Madison out to check

After a little while you hear faint music

Your stomach drops

You can’t miss the band, the whole point of throwing this party was getting to see Rodrick and loded diper play 

“Did they start already?” you ask, walking toward the door

Heather grabs your arm before you can open it, telling you Brent is still right outside, and sends Madison to go check if the band started yet

Madison comes back a minute later

“They’re still warming up,” she says, sharing a look with Heather

A little while later, the music gets louder and you don’t want to risk missing their show

You leave the bathroom before Heather and Madison can stop you 

You’re met with loud rock music reverberating through the house

Definitely not just warming up

You try to get to the other room where they’re playing so you don’t miss the rest of their set

Before you get very far, Brent catches your eye and cuts through the crowd

He follows you around and keeps trying to pull you aside to flirt and talk and get you to go out with him 

You manage to get to the doorway of the room they’re playing when he pins you against the wall

He’s going on and on about how you’d be perfect together, you’d be lucky to get with him, everyone at school wants him

But all you can think about is how great the band sounds

They’re like a perfect blend of all the best pop punk and rock groups you’ve ever heard

Right off the bat, you pick out influences from green day, my chemical romance, and metallica 

You’re really fucking impressed

You didn’t expect them to be this good, and you didn’t have low expectations to begin with

You just wish you could get away from Brent to really get to see the rest of their set before it’s over

When the song ends, you hear Rodricks voice and stretch up to try and see him as he leans into the mic

“Thank you, we are Loded Diper! Fuck authority!” he looks over at Chris, then leans back into the mic “And the patriarchy!” 

Your stomach sinks as you realize you missed most of their show, but you still cheer louder than anyone else in the room

Rodrick lets out a little puff of air when Chris taps his shoulder, getting his attention

“Uh, listen man…” Chris starts, but Rodrick doesn’t hear what he says after that

He looks over to where Chris is gesturing, and his heart sinks

Brent has you pinned against the wall across the room, and you two are looking awfully cozy together

“Shit…” Rodrick says

Once again, he looks like an idiot for thinking he has a chance with you

“C’mon, let’s get out of here,” Ben says, signaling to Ward to help them bring their stuff back out to the van

They wrap it up and leave quickly, and Ward, Ben, and Chris try to figure out how to help their heartbroken drummer 

You spend the rest of the party looking for Rodrick

You hope he stuck around, you really want to tell him how great he was

When the alcohol runs out and the party’s over, Madison and Heather sleep over, helping you clean up 

Technically Heather makes Madison help you clean up

All they can talk about is prom coming up, but your mind is still on Rodrick

And how you didn’t get to see him

You wish you could have told him how amazing he was

Even if he’s not into you like you’re really, really into him

You just want him to know that you could listen to his music all day and never get tired of it

“...coordinating dates, and-” Heather says, turning to you suddenly, “you’re going to help us pick out dresses, right?” 

You nod, flashing her a smile and hoping to disguise your disappointment at how the night went

“Yeah,” you answer as she goes on about finding you all dates

But you know that if you can’t go to prom with Rodrick, you won’t want to go at all

You just hope by some miracle you’ll get to dance with him, at least once

@dustyinkpages @the-snake-pit @inthehoneymoonwithconnorrk800 @followingthefanfiction @2220825 @marveldemigod17 @celootaku1 @stay-to-reblog @whos-mixxie @mikulovingtrash @inthemindofaweirdo @b0nes-phobic @myymmeloo @wanderlustingcastaway @debbi3-debaser @lubunnii @imaybewrongbutidoubtit @cloverhasnobrain @bessonasa @strangelysamantha @1-800-starkindustrie @brookeskitty @1ummcalhoody6 @always1s4youbitch-blog @citri-koi @vincentluvr444 @brunnetteiwik @melllinaa @reeces-pieses @mentamaree @jasontodd-artemisgrace4life @jinniy

[kozachenko]

[Click image for better quality]

I FIGURED OUT A WAY TO FUCKING MAKE THE IMAGE SMALLER FOR POSTING ON TUMBLR WITHOUT SACRIFICING THE ACTUAL QUALITY OF THE IMAGE OH MY GOD

Ok so, what I did is go into the clip studio paint file, make a new file, copy and paste the group in the original file, merge everything, get rid of the extra stuff outside of the canvas, and then make the flattened image smaller and crop the canvas. Once you have that, export it and you're done. This helps maintain the actual quality of the image and also helps shrink the file size down to something actually postable (if anyone has a better way of doing this please tell me)

[Edit]: Ok I guess posting something to Tumblr just naturally compresses the image a bit more somehow because I'm looking at it now and zooming in too much makes it a bit blurry so I'm still gonna have to futz around with image quality for future pieces oof

Artist's Note:

I'm so glad I figured out a way to do this because I like working on a big canvas so I can get as much detail in as I possibly can. Only problems are how laggy it gets while drawing lol.

I had an idea for a drawing with Reimu and Zanmu because I really like thinking about their potential dynamic a lot. I also wanted an excuse to draw Zanmu again but in my normal rendering style because last time I drew her she was in my more sketchy style with generally flat colours so I wanted to draw her again. Speaking of, looking at the sketch for this is a jumpscare that I never enjoy seeing, like, man am I glad I didn't use those for my final piece.

Also about her spear. I was originally gonna make it like the ones she had in game, but it kinda threw off the whole piece. It was too big, too blue, and too flat, so I just went "fuck it" and gave her a different one instead. My headcanon justifying this is that the ones she uses in game are for danmaku battles whereas in any other fight she just uses a proper yari, or she still uses the yari and just makes it all glowy to power it up, maybe both lol. I pulled as much inspiration as I could from Sengoku era spears, and even put in some blue into the decorative part of the spear and also added a little skull to pay tribute to the original spear. Also, in my research I saw some art of izanami and izanagi making japan and saw that the yari izanagi has had a little decorative tassley thingy on it so I took some inspo from that and just made it one of Zanmu's tassles (Idk when that art was from or if the spear was still accurate to Sengoku period Japan but hey, probably the same reasons Eirin puts little bow ties on her arrows, it's just for personalization purposes).

I love rendering hair and clothes so much omg, while I like the super curly hair Zanmu, the longer, wavier hair suits her better for this drawing (I imagine it only does that like how Ghibli characters hair moves when they feel angry lol). I love making Zanmu's hair all messy and crazy, as well as giving her grey hairs, this woman has aged like a fine wine. Also, if the hem on the ends of her sleeves, top of her shirt, and her pants look like gold to you, that's because it is! It's fairly light so she's not collapsing under the weight, but it's gold! (I don't care how impractical it is, it's just cool). Not the undershirt though, it's made of a gold fabric. I had a cute idea with Reimu's hair to make it have a red shine to it. I also changed up Reimu's outfit so it isn't just a blob of red. I like it a lot when Reimu's skirt and outfit is segmented into different layers, so I wanted to incorporate that.

I tried to draw their hands differently as well, but IDK how noticeable that is. Also, I am super happy with how the side profiles for the two of them turned out, I used to struggle a lot with how to make the side profile of a character actually look like the character, so I'm really happy that they actually look like themselves.

Also added in the tree and rocks in the background as an homage to Zanmu's character art in Touhou 19, just because I was getting kinda stumped on what to do with the background lol.

In terms of a story idea with Reimu and Zanmu, idk why but the potential plotline of Zanmu wanting to ascend to godhood is so fascinating to me. Like, it is very possible that if she just convinced everyone she was a god (which would be very easy for her to do), she would become one in a heartbeat. Also, if she were to become a god, with her ability to return stuff to nothing, could she hypothetically get similar abilities to (Jojo Part 5 spoiler btw) GER? Like, idk about the death timeloop stuff, but the concept has been haunting me every night as I have been trying to find loopholes in GER's ability for a while now ( for no reason in particular). Back to the main topic, I imagine that she would probably tell Reimu that if she were to become a god she would take over the Hakurei shrine since the god there might as well be dead, and Reimu just says to her, "Over my dead body bitch." Like, I have no idea how to summarize their dynamic but like, it's the type of hero-villain dynamic where the phrase "We're not so different, you and I" would definitely be a phrase said during a fight. I think that if another IN style game were to release, Reimu and Zanmu would be in a team together. They could also have an interesting mentor and pupil kind of dynamic. Can you tell that Zanmu has been charging my mind rent these part few months? Like, instead of living in my head rent free, she kinda just uno reversed the whole situation and now she's the one charging me rent. What happens if I get evicted from my own brain? Actually, scratch that, I don't think I wanna know.

[admirange]

Mcl style contest outfit dump pt. 4

Spectral waltz

I didn't know what spectral meant lol, pinterest gave me ghost artworks so I guess it's just ghost waltz? IDK. Used all white & pale colors and the usual black hair because that's all I have. I WISH I could relive my prom when my whole class waltzed together. My dress was all white and pretty and princessy and it perfectly fit me the first time I tried it 😭 AND HOW IT MOVED WHEN I DANCED okay I'll just go watch the video of our dance. Used music related elements and went for this barouqe/victorian type of vibe with the room. Taki is Queen Charlotte.

Got low ranking with it.

Alien abduction

My first thought was the sims. My second was the woman from that movie Mars Attacks! TRAUMATIZED me when I was a kid lol. Then I thought just fuck it we ball and went to do the outfit. Saw this red shared item shirt and I thought it looked so weird, I just had to use it. I basically built the whole outfit around it. Tried to give off this thight one piece clothing vibe? Idk how to describe it, similar to what superheroes have. Then gave her this health thingy that comes with that sportswear basic outfit, a clock, things like that. At this point I was starting to give her some lore. No way this woman was abducted like this. Maybe this is the alien doing the abducting? Wanted to use the green face mask but I don't have that one. So I gave her a notebook, maybe this is a scientist that got abducted and eventually became part of the alien society? And she's studying them while living on their spaceship. The aliens accepted her as their friend and let her do her stuff while she's also helping them. GOD an Alien cosplay would've gone hard with this theme! I tried to create a sort of hightech environment with the room. Taki got this rabbit suit because she was abducted with this lady and they experimented with her, creating the first ever rabbit goose (no goose were harmed while making this story).

Got low ranking with it. Sad, I really liked this one:(

Underground kingdom

I was thinking really hard what piece of media has this similar kingdom. Recently got back into lotr/the hobbit and I thought a dwarf would go so hard! But dwarf women have beards as well and we don't have that in the game (yet?). So I made the boring choice and made a black fantasy-like outfit. Tried to make a little I'm rich and in the castle just underground vibe with the room. This kingdom is not in a mountains but in the deep oceans! Okay this just gave me a great idea for a fantasy world, I'll write it down. Taki has similar jewelry like I have on my character, just not that dark.

Got well ranked with top 30%

Poisoned garden

Using green was a must, also for the poison idk? Black seems obvious since in movies dying plants often turn black/grey, but in reality when they die they're just brown. Unfortunately I had more black stuff than green & brown lol. The first lore was that this character is a poisoned & dying plant/flower in the garden, then I tried on this white dress accessory thingy and I thought oh! This lowkey looks like a wing! This is a bug! This is a bug in the garden! Maybe this bug IS the poison after all. Anyway this is a lame lore it didn't really move my imagination. I don't have open areas for backgrounds so went with the only (?) green I have. Put some plants in and called it a day. Mushroom Taki is part of the garden as well.

Got low ranking with it. Not surprised, not the best.

At the stake

Another witch theme! I saw some people did almost the same outfits as the witching hour, but this is different. This witch won't do peaceful witchy things in her cottage, this witch is going to DIE today. She is SUFFERING. Her lore is that she isn't even a witch but the people still treated her like one. Put witch jewelries on her and stuff just to prove their point. This girl just wanted to tend the farm animals but NO. They TOOK HER AWAY. The black dress is a shared item btw, can you tell I'm obsessed with it? But chains on her to show she is not free anymore. She is a PRISONER (as I said I don't have open area backgrounds so this is what I had to came up with). Anxiously waiting for the sun to rise because then the townspeople will take her to the stake. But she'll finally be free. They even took away her emotional support goose!!!

Got low ranking with it.

Night court

Ah yes, the theme where half of the contestants make outfits from the show, the other half from the book. But since it's "halloween themed" I guess it refers to the book? I'm not familiar with ACOTAR, since I usually (always) borrow books from my sister and she doesn't have those. Also they don't print them at the moment in my country & I don't like reading online. But I'm a big fan of ToG! So I'm familiar what types of clothing the writer likes to give characters. Honestly have no idea if I nailed it or not, but I like it and that's what matters. Read the fandom wiki about the night court, but didn't help much.

Got well ranked with top 19%

Goth princess

I'm getting bored of my black clothes ngl 😩 I had a friend when I was still at school who dressed similar, SO COOL. Lowkey that was my inspiration. Didn't want to just recreate a similar outfit as the night court because the theme also had 'princess'. Also I know goth people not only wear black, but my candy's wardrobe only has white, blue, black, and some other colors scattered around. Also there's a lot of different goth "subgenres" (??) so I don't know, I tried doing something based on my memories of that friend I had. I just hope people won't stick with the sexualized e-girl "goth" outfits, so much wasted potential. • (Yes I'm writing this before the rankings were done. Future me are the podium outfits good?) • (Yes they're fine dw about it past me) • Such an interesting style, also the music is amazing!

Got well ranked with top 16%

Grave digger

Well it's more of a grave robber but anyway 😬 I had two inspirations but both of them were only from my memories, didn't feel like looking up references. The first one was that grave digger from that old online game bloodmoon if anyone knows that? It was a "waiting game", we could go help the grave digger to have money when we were out of energy for the day from missions. The second was from the second episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities where the robber found huge rat monsters in graves. Tried to do older vibe, feel like the theme fits more with that than today's.

Got well ranked with top 28%

Killer

So much possibilities... so much ideas... and I still went with Jeff the killer... just hear me out on yassified Jeff the killer PLEASE. No actually I think it's a disaster LMFAO. Didn't know what I was doing. Maybe a killer clown would've been more succesful. I have no hope for this outfit. Please forgive me for creating this 🙏

Got low ranking with it. NOT surprised (although at least it's not a butterfly sparkle killer. Seriously people, why can't you stay on theme for ONCE?)

Zombie

Well I love The Walking Dead and overall zombie movies. Thought about cosplaying a survivor but nah, the theme is zombie, let's do a zombie. Just dressed her in basic clothes that can somewhat be considered messy and put "blood" on her. Taki is a normal civilian as well, in civilian clothes. I was trying to do something messy, kinda bunker-like with the room. Overall a simple theme, nothing much to say about it.

Got low ranking with it (why do the podium zombies sparkling tho... do they know... zombies are literally rotting flesh... and they don't sparkle... it really annoys me when the outfit is so good and then they put sparkles and butterflies over it for no reason)

Some bonus infos

Saw complaints (not just on tumblr) about "white candies cosplaying for black candies in style contests" and how it's so offensive. While I agree it's icky when someone only uses them in "dark" themes, I don't consider my outfits problematic, since I used them randomly. Still I rather stayed with my newcrette's skin with the last 10-15 entries I made because fueling this in any way is not on the table for me. I really wanted to use different skin colors but I guess it's safer to stay with the default I have.

This is not a complaint nor a conversation starter (although I'm always open for that), I just wanted to clarify why the same skin color every time from now on. It's not because I don't want to use the other ones. And no I am not mad in any way. Spreading that emotion is the last thing I want to do, that's why I made this decision in the first place.

Thank you for reading and/or looking through my creations<3

[koolades-world]

Genius OM! Character Design

Next up in character design analysis is Asmo!! @xsugarxglass asked that I do him next so I am! If anyone has a character you want me to do next please let me know cause otherwise I’ll probably drag my feet lol

Before I actually get into looking at his design can we please admire that all his buttons are heart shaped?? it’s literally so cute. The hole in the back of his shirt for his wings is also a heart <33

First, I’m going to look at the obvious and pick the low hanging fruit. The golden scorpion accent thingy is pretty clear as to why it’s there and what it does. The splash of gold on a mostly black and pink outfit not only draws more attention to it, but it also helps him as a character. Scorpions, or more specifically, scorpion tattoos can symbolize many things, but the one I found most interesting was it’s meaning of rebirth after ending something toxic and resilience. While all of the brothers did changed in a way, I personally think Asmo was the most upset after the fall. Levi and Beel were also pretty distraught. Levi’s reason was most in tune with Asmo’s reason of hating becoming a demon. I feel as if scorpions help represent how he grew to accept himself the way he was after the fall.

Both the tail and the head of the scorpion have a heart, which could just be a callback to his sin, but I think it might represent his journey as a being. It sounds more stupid the more I think about it, but hear me out lol. He started as an angel, where he loved everything about his life. Nothing could be better. He had everything he could ever want. Until the Celestial War happened. He became something else, hence the red heart becoming gold. (An after thought to this was I noticed the red heart was outlined with gold, but this might be to symbolize how his fate was set in stone, and how he was always meant to become a demon. However, I’m not really sure about that so please let me know what you think.) The scorpion trails around his chest, his back, and finally ends around his hips. I think this might represent his journey as a demon and accepting himself. It isn’t a smooth one. It’s constantly spiny and prickly. While observing the detail more, I noticed some spines were hidden or missing, perhaps representing breaks within this journey of self doubt and hatred. The closer you get to the end, the smaller the spines gets, which could mean he learnt and eventually accepted himself the way he was as a demon, since the scorpion ends in a heart. Or I could be over thinking it LOL

On his torso, he has eleven black roses. I did a little research since I don’t know much about flowers, but apparently eleven roses means “you are my treasured one” and don’t ask where I learned this since this is a random piece of knowledge I just have but apparently it also means rebirth which ties back to my previous point. Black roses usually symbolize death and mourning but again, mean rebirth! See a pattern here?

His wings are the smallest of among (among us lol) his brothers, so I imagine he can’t do a whole lot. He probably can’t carry people super effectively like his brothers can. His wings might represent how he feels kind of unless. Although I did just go on a whole rant about how he’s grown to accept himself as a demon, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t think he’s ugly or pointless sometimes. Not much else to add here because any other point I thought made sense in my head made zero sense written down. If I ever find a way to make it make sense I’ll add it lol

The heart birthmarks? I think they are, on his arm are meaningful too. This is unrelated, but I noticed any brothers with specific marks like these have them on one side of his body, like Belphie, but that’s for later. Apparently three hearts mean the loves of the past, present, and future. This is a bit of a stretch since all the three heart designs I saw were all connected or closer, but otherwise I would have nothing to say about them lol. The hearts are also stressed looking, pulled thin at the tips, which could represent his emotional turmoil. The one outlines in pink almost reminds me of a tear drop. If were still going by the heart tattoo thing, that would be his heart of the present, meaning his current reality is distressed, but he’s happy in a way becuase it’s outlined in his color. This could represent Mc because Mc is the first person he thought he could love as much as himself

What he’s wearing is something I would call faux-formal. I personally love the faux anything style, especially faux-business. It’s like when you wear something that looks like it’s intended to be for a more professional or nice setting, but it’s actually breaks pretty much all of the rules. My personal favorite example is this cute button up shirt I own. It looks totally professional on the hanger, but like it’s actually super see through and the top buttons are fake, so I usually wear it with a short but businessy skirt and blazer to embrace the look. The collar being buttoned up to the very top, his shoes, and the tail coat is giving very formal, but the cutout in the back and his pants ruin this look. I think this might be a way to say “fuck you” to the Celestial Realm or anyone who might judge him for his sin. People often write him off as the horny, comic relief, but he’s so much deeper than that. He’s capable of feeling love, but just doesn’t fully understand it and everyone around him easily say it’s just his sin talking.

Unrelated observations that I don’t think means a whole lot include his nails are pink and lime, and not pink and teal and his horns are dipped in pink and I’m not sure any other brother has colored horns. lowkey he snatched… Bella Hadid 🥳

Let me know what you guys think or if you have anything to add

[atwooozi]

Almost Perfect (Sebastian x Fem!Farmer) Chapter 15: Solarion Chronicles: The Game

Warnings: Slow burn, personal struggles, anxiety, depression, eventual smut

Summary: Angeline prepares for a game night at Sebastian's place, where they are joined by Sam.

A/N:

I know what I said about posting on Thursdays and while I like having that as a set day to post I also get very impatient. Soooooooo, in the nicest way possible please deal with my impatience.

Anyway, writing this chapter before I even started writing this story stressed me out. High fantasy has such a highly intricate style that I don't think I'm capable of, so please go easy on me if you think it blows. I tried my best and I think the the next chapter will make up for it, I promise!

READ ON AO3

Chapter 15: Solarion Chronicals: The Game

Summer 13

Angeline was scrambling to get ready for game night at Sebastian’s. She had only found out recently that the governor was coming to the Luau and that she needed to bring an ingredient for the community soup. Thinking of the whole situation only made her more confused. Why was the governor coming? Why were they eating soup in the middle of summer? What the fuck was a community soup? 

She groaned and picked some of her more decent peppers and set them aside for the party. Hopefully they weren’t too spicy. She only hoped that everyone else in the village brought things that would make sense for the get together. However, she couldn’t be too sure since even Jas and Vincent were permitted to bring things to put in the stew. It was a cute gesture, but one that caused Angeline to fear for her life. Eight year-old Angeline would have put in gummy worms if she was given that much power as a child. She couldn’t even imagine what either of the village’s children would put in. 

Angeline ran into her house and changed rather quickly. She was running out of time fast. She really didn’t want to be late. Especially after Sebastian went out of his way to invite her. She quickly threw on some biker shorts and a big navy hoodie. The outfit wasn’t anything special. She was sure if Haley saw her she would insist that she change immediately. ‘You can’t show up to your crush’s place with messy hair and a hoodie that makes you look like a box’. Luckily, Haley wasn’t here, though. 

Angeline took out her contacts and put on her glasses. She looked in the mirror a bit unsure. She looked comfortable. That was good, right? Maybe she should listen to the Haley in her head. She didn’t look bad , but she did look on the verge of  being too relaxed. She checked the time on her phone, 5:30. She cursed under her breath. She was already going to be late. 

~*~

“Maybe she forgot?” Sam asked as he started to set up the pieces for their game. 

Sebastian stopped pacing and ran a hand nervously through his hair. Maybe she did forget? Or maybe she just pretended to forget and didn’t want to come at all. He patted his pockets, he needed to smoke. This was a bad idea. The whole thing was just putting him on edge. 

“Dude, will you chill?” Sam asked as he looked up at Sebastian. “You’re making me nervous.” 

Sebastian frowned at Sam. He probably looked insane. If he was nervous enough to be affecting Sam he must’ve been worse off than he thought. “Yeah…sorry.” He grumbled and sat at the game table. 

“Let’s wait like a few more minutes.” Sam said as he patted Sebastian on the back. “She’s a busy lady, so for all we know she’s just late.” 

Sebastian hoped that Sam was right. It wasn’t like Angeline to just blow someone off. She had to just be busy. Sebastian busied himself, grabbing his dice bag and his DM screen. That would keep him from freaking out. 

Perhaps the spirits were being kind to Sebastian today because just as he started to lose hope he heard his mother’s voice carry from upstairs. “Angeline! The boys are downstairs. Can you take this down with you? I made snacks for you all.” 

Sebastian groaned internally as Sam cheered beside him at the mention of snacks. He was thankful, but it made him feel like a little kid. 

He got up from his seat next to Sam and opened the door for Angeline as she made her way down the stairs. She was carrying a tray of maki rolls, and a few maple bars that he figured were for Sam. 

“Hey, sorry I’m late!” Angeline said with an apologetic smile. “I lost track of time.” 

Sebastian smiled back and shook his head. “It’s no problem.” He took the tray of food from her. “Thanks for coming.” 

“Ange!” Sam bounced up from his chair almost causing the table to topple over. “Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?” 

Angeline giggled as she followed Sebastian into his room. “I think so.” 

“Good enough.” Sam said as he took a maple bar off the plate that Sebastian had just set down. 

Angeline smiled and sat across from Sam. She adjusted her large round glasses and tucked her hair behind her ear. Angrline was always cute, but something about her looking a little more undone stirred something in Sebastian. Her looking so relaxed put him at ease for whatever reason. It brought a smile to Sebastian’s face as he sat down in between his two friends. All the tension he was feeling just moments before had started to subside. 

“So have you played before?” Sebastian asked as he glanced Angeline’s way. 

Angeline shook her head and covered her mouth as she opened her mouth to speak. She had just popped a maki roll into her mouth. “No, but I always wanted to.” She crossed her legs, getting comfortable. “I could never get a game going because no one wanted to DM.” 

“Sebastian is really good.” Sam interjected. “Sometimes we play with Victor and Abby and he’ll go all out.” 

Sebastian flushed as Sam continued talking. “He even, like, will get music and make maps for the campaigns.” 

Angeline smiled brightly and looked over at Sebastian. “That’s really cool.” She rested her hand on her palm as she stared up at him in admiration. It made his heart race. “I didn’t take you for such a nerd, Sebastian.” 

Sebastian wanted to protest at the comment. It only caused Sam to laugh and pat Sebastian on the back. “Hey, being a nerd is cool,” Sam said with a grin. “And Sebastian here is the king of all nerds. But in a good way.” 

Sebastian rolled his eyes at the two. “Thanks, Sam. I wear my nerd crown proudly.” 

Angeline laughed, a warm and melodic sound that made Sebastian’s anxieties ebb even more. “Well, I think it’s cool.” She smiled, her dimples showing. “I’ve been curious about this type of thing for forever.” 

Sebastian nodded eagerly, feeling a surge of excitement now that Angeline was genuinely interested. “Yeah, it is.” He started to fiddle with the pieces, getting everything into place. “Trust me, once you get into it, you’ll be hooked.” 

As they settled in around the table, Sebastian and Sam began to explain the basics of the game to Angeline. Her eyes lit up with curiosity and interest. Sebastian felt his chest grow warm as Angeline was getting into something that he cared about. 

The three of them quickly fell into an easy rhythm, the worries and tension of earlier fading away. 

“Ready?” Sebastian asked. 

Angeline nodded and smiled at him, brimming with excitement. 

Sebastian coughed and cleared his throat as he settled into his chair.

~*~

In a world teetering on the brink of darkness, three unlikely heroes stood against the encroaching shadows: a wise wizard, a devoted cleric, and a fierce warrior. Their quest was daunting yet clear– to vanquish the malevolent wizard whose dark magic threatened to consume everything in its path. 

As the towering silhouette of the malevolent wizard's stronghold loomed before them, the party steeled their resolve. With spells at the ready, swords gleaming in the dim light, and faith guiding their steps, they marched through the imposing front doors. 

~*~

“Holy shit you guys I really have to pee.” Sam interrupted. Sebastian sighed and face palmed.

Angeline giggled. “We just started, it's okay.” 

Sam got up with Angeline's permission and quickly made his way to the bathroom. Leaving Angeline and Sebastian alone. 

Sebastian looked down at his hands. He felt the nerves fluttering back up again. 

“This is a lot of fun.” Angeline said with a smile. “I was a little bit nervous at first.”

Sebastian glanced up at her and smiled. “I'm glad you're having fun.” 

Angeline opened her mouth to speak but Sam came barreling down the stairs. “Did you guys miss me!” 

“So much…” Sebastian said dryly. “Now sit down.” 

“Yessir.” Sam saluted and took his seat. 

“Does anyone have to use the bathroom, get something to drink, or anything else?” Sebastian said as he glanced between the two. 

Sam shook his head and so did Angeline. 

“Good.” Sebastian said and cleared his throat. “As I was saying…” 

~*~

Their first challenge emerged in the form of a skeletal guardian, it's bones rattling with dark energy. With a fierce battle cry, the warrior charged, the cleric invoked divine protection, and the wizard wove intricate spells of destruction. Together, they shattered the undead creature into a pile of lifeless bones with ease. 

Standing amid the remnants of their victory, they faced a fork in the path ahead. Two corridors stretched out before them, each beckoning with its own ominous allure…

“What do I do?” Angeline had her hand in her hair as she agonized over the choice. 

Sam stood up from his chair excitedly. “Obviously down the path the green light!” 

Sebastian looked between the two amused. “Well?” He asked. 

Angeline bit her lip as she thought about it. “Sam’s right, let’s go down the left path.” 

Sebastian nodded and continued. 

~*~

… After a moment of deliberation, they chose the left path, its eerie green glow casting an unsettling pallidness over the scene before the adventurers. 

They ventured deeper into the heart of the tower. They had stumbled upon a chamber filled with rows and rows of capsules. Peering inside, they beheld the tragic fate of countless mercenaries who had dared to challenge the evil wizard before them. Mercenaries, once full of bravado and hope, now lay trapped within the cold embrace of undeath, their vacant forms twisted unnaturally. 

A heavy silence descended upon the party as they gazed upon the tragic scene. The warrior clenched his fist in anger, and the wizard's jaw tightened with resolve. 

“We can’t leave them like this.” Angeline, the cleric said, her voice soft yet resolute.

With a solemn nod from the others, they set to work, breaking each cursed capsule that stood before them. One by one, the mercenaries were freed from their torment, their spirits finally able to find peace. 

The party pressed onward, climbing even higher towards their final confrontation. At the pinnacle of the tower, amid crackling energies and swirling shadows, they found the malevolent wizard awaiting them, his eyes filled with malice. 

A fierce battle ensued, the clash of spells and swords echoing through the chamber. Yet, despite their determination, the malevolent wizard proved a formidable foe. With a wicked grin, he unleashed a devastating magical blast, sending the wizard and warrior crashing to the ground.   

~*~

 “Wait!” Angeline stood up from her chair, causing Sebastian and Sam to jump slightly at her outburst. “I can’t take him down by myself.” 

Angeline looked genuinely afraid. Her hands were balled into fists at her sides. She looked in between the two guys sitting before her looking for answers. “What do I do?” 

Sebastian blinked at her, he was surprised with how into the game she was. “...Whatever you want.” 

Sam shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, it’s your choice, Ange.” 

Angeline’s shoulders slumped and she sat down back in her seat. She frowned as she looked at the map in front of them. “I…I am going to cast a protective aura around the wizard.” 

Sebastian nodded. “Thanks Angeline.” Sam pouted slightly but nodded to her, letting her know that he approved of her decision. 

~*~

With a whispered prayer, she called upon the healing powers bestowed upon her by the divine. Light and warmth enveloped the wizard, a shield of light surrounding him. 

With a grateful nod, the wizard rose shakily to his feet, his eyes blazing with determination. Grasping his staff tightly, he faced the malevolent wizard once more, channeling all of his magical prowess into a single, searing spell. 

The chamber erupted in blinding light as the wizard’s spell collided with the malevolent wizard’s dark magic. For a moment, the world held its breath, the very air crackling with power. 

Then, with a deafening roar, the malevolent wizard was vanquished, his form dissolving into wisps of dark smoke. 

As the echoes of battle faded, the party stood amid the ruins of the tower, their bodies weary but their spirits triumphant. The world was saved from the clutches of darkness.

~*~

 “We did it?” Angeline asked as she looked between Sam and Sebastian. “We won?” 

“WE WON!” Sam cheered as he bounced up from his seat. 

Angeline squealed with excitement and she jumped from her seat, matching Sam’s excitement. “We won!” 

Sebastian smiled as he looked at the two before him. “That was pretty good, it took me a while before I could finish my first scenario.” 

Angeline sat back down in her seat and smiled gratefully at Sebastian. “You saved us all.” 

Sebastian couldn’t help but grin. “We couldn’t have done it without each other.” 

“Yeah, I helped a lot too.” Sam said. “I wanna be told I did good.” 

“You were great, Sam.” Angeline giggled. 

She stretched and checked her phone, it was now 10. “We were playing for four hours?” 

Sam nodded. “Yeah, that’s pretty typical.” He yawned. “I need to get outta here. I’ve got work tomorrow.” He gave a quick wave and made his way up the stairs.

Angeline gathered her things to leave and Sebastian couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment that the night was over. He was getting ready to say his goodbyes, but Angeline turned to him with a bright smile and sparkling eyes. 

“Thanks for inviting me, Sebastian,” she said, her voice warm and sincere. “I had an great time. I’d love to play again.” 

Sebastian felt a rush of happiness flood through him. “I’ll, uh, let you know when we have another game.” 

Angeline nodded enthusiastically. “Um, h-here…” she said as she presented him with her phone. 

Sebastian took Angeline’s phone and plugged in his contact information. “Text me whenever.” He said, trying to come off nonchalant. Although he was pretty sure he could hear his heart banging against his chest. 

Angeline nodded and pocketed her phone. “I should get going.” She said as she made her way to the door. 

“...Do you want me to walk you home?” Sebastian asked as he rubbed the back of his neck. He felt a bit silly, the girl could obviously handle herself, but he just didn’t want her to go yet. 

“I couldn’t ask you to do that.” Angeline shook her head. “Thanks, though.” 

“At least to the door.” Sebastian offered and Angeline nodded. 

“I guess the door is okay.” 

Sebastian chuckled and followed Angeline up the stairs. He really did enjoy her company. She was so easy going and happy. It warmed his heart in a way that he didn’t even know was possible. As he walked Angeline to the door, bidding her a goodnight he felt like his smile might not ever fade. Not while she was around.

[aprillikesthings]

Between coming back from the Camino and not having any current hyperfixations I can feel my brain spinning a wheel in my head trying to latch on to old ones to look for some damn dopamine lolol

THAT SAID I am strongly considering taking a local class in making stained glass because I realized that of the visual art I've seen in my life that's made me cry and Feel Things the first time I saw it, it's been stained glass more than once, and that's a thought seriously worth pursuing, especially since the classes are surprisingly inexpensive

(the glass itself to make it is pricey as fuck, but thankfully as a beginner I'd only be making small things anyway)

And I know people with ADHD starting a new hobby always think "what if this turns out to be The Hobby, my lifelong Thing" but I am itching to learn enough about gothic stained glass specifically that I could copy it. Also there's multiple studios for making it locally; I don't have to have my own equipment.

Bahaha can you imagine getting a Laurel in the SCA* bc you learned to make medieval-style stained glass, like imagine having to cart a whole-ass rose window to an event along with pictures of you making it and documentation of how it was made at the time**

Anyway while I was in Spain I joked on facebook about making a persona that's a middle-class English woman from the 1300's or 1400's that's super religious and constantly on pilgrimage, like literally just a knock-off of Margery Kempe*** that's less given to being obnoxious, also it would give me an excuse to make a late medieval pilgrim's outfit, and also wouldn't it be fun to do the Camino again but in those clothes (...but with modern shoes****)

(*SCA: Society for Creative Anachronisms, a fairly-large decades-old medieval re-enactment group that is all over the USA, Canada, and plenty of other places; I used to attend events now and then. Laurel: the non-combat equivalent to a knighthood, requires you to not only have extensive, demonstrable knowledge of How People Did Things Back Then, but also that you can teach other people to do said things and judge the results; I once met a person who got a Laurel for researching and learning how to do a specific kind of juggling, I saw another get one for costuming whose outfit (when I saw her) was one I recognized from a specific piece in a French Book of Hours! **This is actually relatively easy to do, there was a monk in the 1100's who wrote a whole book called "On Various Arts" that included glassmaking. ***Margery Kempe wrote/dictated the first autobiography in English. She was given to religious visions, and also screaming and crying hysterically during mass or while thinking about Jesus. Anyway she went on pilgrimage to multiple places, including Santiago. ****look medieval people didn't have to deal with 90% of the Camino being gravel or asphalt, okay; plus the middle-class-and-up pilgrims were often on donkeys)

[crossroadsnumber1doctor]

STATEMENT OF DR LIONEL ELLIOT. STATEMENT CONDENSED TO FIT.

Right. Well, I shouldn’t even have been teaching the class, really. As far as I knew, I wasn’t going to be needed for any teaching on the Biomedical Engineering course this year. I can’t say I was particularly upset. The Human Anatomy module is where a lot of the engineers discover just how messy the human body is, and while the human heart is a phenomenal piece of machinery in terms of design and function, most of the students would be more comfortable holding a transistor. Not to put too fine a point on it, I get tired of… squeamish students, and was glad that I could avoid it this year.

You can perhaps imagine, then, that I was not best pleased when Elena Bower, the admissions officer, emailed me last November to say that there had been a mistake, and I was needed to take a ‘spillover class’. Apparently the system had accepted more students for the course than there were places, and they were trying to organise an additional class for the seven who were unassigned. It didn’t make a lot of sense to me, Anatomy class wasn’t until the second term, so surely this mistake should have emerged earlier, but Elena just kept saying she didn’t know, she just had seven students who needed tutorials. I won’t pretend I took the news gracefully. I have a lot of research due shortly and, well, you know academia – never enough hours in the day. Still, I was the only staff member both qualified to teach the class and technically free when it had to be scheduled. So I agreed, although that really makes it sound like I had more of a choice than I actually did.

I didn’t meet the students until the module started this January. I wasn’t responsible for any of the lectures, so the first time I saw them was in our initial class tutorial. They all sat there, all seven, staring at me, and I felt… oddly uncomfortable. There, there was nothing wrong with them, of course, nothing strange to see or to look at, just… well, this is going to sound stupid to say out loud, but I don’t remember what they look like. Any of them. I remember that each wore blue jeans and a white shirt, though they were all different makes and styles; I think one of the girls had a skirt, instead. I must have noticed that they were wearing the same outfits, but it didn’t strike me as odd. They all just looked so… normal. Unremarkable. I remember their names, though, from the register. They stuck with me – maybe because they were such an international group. There was Erika Mustermann, Jan Novak, Piotr and Pavel Petrov, who I think were brothers, maybe twins, John Doe, Fulan al-Fulani and Juan Pérez.There was no-one else who could take the tutorials. Believe me, I did everything I could to try and find a replacement. Still, once I got used to their stares, their silence, and the fact that their questions were both specific and oddly basic – one of the Petrovs once asked me “How sharp are the knees meant to be” – I swear, it was just about tolerable. I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but I came to terms with the fact that I didn’t care if they passed any exams, and that actually made the whole affair more manageable. I just did my best to stop caring.

And then came our first of two sessions in the dissection room. We were looking at the skeleton. I had been dreading this. Given exactly how creepy and unsettling the students were just sat in a classroom, the idea of what they could do when given access to human remains made me feel quite nauseous. But I couldn’t bring myself to leave them there alone, so I went.

It was even worse than I’d feared, seeing them stood there over the bits of cadaver. Their faces, normally so neutral, were alive with… what was it I saw? Excitement? Curiosity? Hunger? Whatever it was, it didn’t reach their eyes, still staring and blank. I went through the procedures with them and tried my best to keep the trembling out of my voice. When Fulan reached for a scalpel and started cutting into our samples, I felt faint.

I was trying to keep an eye on everyone, but the dissection tables were arranged in a semi-circle around the lab, and each time I turned to face one of the students, I began to hear this cracking sound from whichever tables I wasn’t looking at. Like a snapping bone, or a ribcage being forced open. I’d turn back and see nothing untoward, just John or Erika or Juan or whoever it was, looking at me quizzically over distinctly unbroken bones. But it kept happening. Whenever I wasn’t looking, I heard the crunch and the crack of bone. I couldn’t ask about it. I knew the dead-eyed, mute stare they’d give me if I did, and I just couldn’t face that.

Finally, I managed to position myself so that I could see what was happening behind me in the reflective edge of the metal table. It wasn’t much, but I could see a slightly warped image. It was Pavel, in this case. I saw him pick up a bone – a radius, I believe, from the forearm. He held it up next to his own arm, and then there came that snapping, crunching noise. I swear I saw his arm distend itself, the skin shifting as something inside changed and rearranged, until it matched the length of bone he was holding up to it.I started taking more sick leave after that. I avoided their tutorials as often as possible, and when I did go we largely just sat there in silence until one of them asked a question about human anatomy, which I would reluctantly answer. I know I should have just abandoned them entirely. If they were going to complain to anyone, they would have done it already. But even then, I was worried my colleagues might notice, and I really didn’t want to get a reputation as some absentee tutor. It didn’t help that a colleague of mine, Dr. Laura Gill, once expressed surprise on learning I’d been absent the day before, as apparently she’d passed by my teaching room and my anatomy class had just been sat there, waiting quietly. The thought of them politely filing into every tutorial, just sat there, blank and staring, whether I was there or not, just waiting… To be quite frank I think that bothered me almost more than being sat there with them.

Still, I managed to largely avoid them until the 21st of March, when they had their second lab dissection. Hearts. I’m not an idiot. I was well aware of the sort of sinister nonsense that was likely to happen if I went, but I also knew by now that they would attend whether or not I was there. And to leave them in the lab unsupervised would be the sort of thing that would get me actually fired from my position.

It was a rainy morning. I remember that, because I deliberately didn’t put up an umbrella. Something inside me was so dreading what was going to happen that the very act of opening umbrellas seemed pointless, as though my being dry couldn’t stop what was coming, then there was no reason not to get soaked. So I was dripping wet when I entered the lab, and my glasses had steamed up to the point where I could no longer see through them. When I wiped them clean, they revealed those seven blank faces, utterly unconcerned with my sodden state. Each had somehow got the heart laid out in from them on the dissection tray. I decided not to prolong it, and waved them to start.I don’t know what I expected. Maybe I thought they’d descend into some sort of feeding frenzy, but they didn’t. They just began to dissect the hearts, as any other class would, occasionally asking me polite questions. I was so taken aback at how normal the whole situation seemed to be that it took me some time to actually answer them. I did, though, and the first hour of the class almost put me at least a little bit at ease. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Maybe they were doing weird things to their insides, but if it was the heart, then I couldn’t see it and I couldn’t hear it. And I’d long since decided with this class, that if I couldn’t see or hear it, I didn’t care.

Then Erika Mustermann held up her heart and looked at me. I began to get that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as she asked me “How does the heart pump blood?” I started to explain the biological mechanisms of the heart pumping, when she shook her head slowly and said, “What does it look like?” And then, when I didn’t answer, “Is it like this?”

The heart in her hand began to spasm. Not like the regular, rhythmic pulse of a heartbeat, but like a balloon being rapidly squeezed at one end. Bits of it swelled and stretched and distorted seemingly at random, and blood began to flow haphazardly from the ventricles, dripping down Erika’s forearm and dribbling onto the floor.

I stood there, speechless, staring at this horrible miracle, when from behind her I see Fulan raise his heart, saying, “That’s not what it’s like.” And blood starts to gush from all over his heart in tiny geysers, shooting in every direction. Soon each of them is holding a heart up, each pumping and throbbing differently, blood leaking, spurting out of them in a different way, a different nightmare. They wanted me to tell them which was right. [Nervous laugh] I don’t know how long I stared before I finally raised my hand to point at Jan Novak, who seemed to have the closest to an accurate impression of a regular human heartbeat. Then I turned and walked out of the lab.There was one other thing. When I went to the classroom shortly after what should have been their final tutorial, I found… something on the desk.

It was an apple. Next to it was a handwritten note that said “Thank you for teaching us the insides”. I burned the note, just in case.

I didnt eat it. I cut it in half, first, to check if it was… off.

And Human teeth. Inside were human teeth arranged in a smile.

" What in the ever loving- No, wait, hold on. Human Autonomy? Is this some sort of work of fiction..? If so then uh. Good job? "

[hocusbogus]

Day 7: Hybe Insight, Hangang Park, Itaewon

Our last full day in Seoul after we got back from Busan. It was the day where we’ll be as (possibly) close to BTS as we can be because we were visiting Hybe Insight for the Proof Exhibition, it is a special exhibition that is different from its museum, and it’s BTS’ office.

It was so dramatic to get the tickets because we can’t buy it from the official Hybe Insight website, we had to buy it from Inter-park Global, and it was at the same time as the Busan concert bid if I am not mistaken. The website crashed so hard many times and it was so complicated to login, I almost gave up. It costs 30,000KRW for the ticket, so that’s around 100+ ringgit. Diana couldn’t get through the website till like late at night, the thing was I already bought mine, can you imagine if we couldn’t book the same slot? But of course we did.

Hybe Insight was actually near to our hotel it’s only a few subway stops. It felt so exciting to just see the building, it felt even more surreal than the past few days. We were asking the Hybe crew where to redeem the tickets and only the one with an American flag badge could communicate in English while the rest was somehow quite rude? But maybe they just didn’t wanna deal with foreigners. Couldn’t really tell if they were being polite or not because they were wearing masks, but from the eyes they looked annoyed.

Literally almost everyone in line for our session at 11am were foreigners, it was so diverse! In age, in ethnicity, in genders and language. I was so amazed. It made me love being an ARMY more and love BTS more. That day we felt so on point with our outfit, Diana and I were like “omg why do we look so fucking good?”, and it felt amazing.

Since we weren’t allowed to take any pictures of videos, I will try my best to describe it here. After redeeming our tickets we were guided into a foyer space (we can still take pictures here) where we had to wait for the guided tour, we waited for quite awhile maybe around 30 minutes? The foyer space were just pictures of them from the PROOF photoshoot and there were green lasers shooting out everywhere. Then everyone was asked to get in two lines side by side as the tour started. 

When we went through the tunnel we saw scribbles from the members and their quotes, and we saw mementos from their different album eras, but not all, I forgot which was it. We then walked into a space where their Proof Live performance ft. Anderson Paak was being played on a loop in a big screen with their pictures all over a wall and a carousel. It was just a lot of photos of them, some were released photos and some were exclusive ones that we’ve never seen but we know it’s from a certain photoshoot. We then walk through a tunnel where from ground to ceiling it was all BTS’s pictures, I’m sure I’m not describing the details correctly because I do not remember non key pieces. There was also a space like a digital wall where they played videos of them 360 degree, it felt immersive.

Then we get to see their outfits that they wore in the Yet To Come Music video and iconic concert outfits of theirs.

I think my favourite one would be the tunnel walls of their unreleased practice videos, but you can’t really stand there for long because they will usher you to move along which was understandable but there were a lot of videos and I couldn’t really watch all of them.

We get to see all of their albums in all era, get a random photo-card from this dispenser machine, see random memorabilia. There was also this boomerang banner of the boys playing with the bullet from their Proof photoshoot. That one was never before seen and was so cool.

When we get to the merch section, it was a bit underwhelming, to be honest the whole exhibition... felt underwhelming for us because we’ve seen what the HYBE Insight museum was like, the boys did some content on that, and apparently Namjoon shot a content of him visiting the Proof Exhibition as well but I only saw it when I came back. I had no idea what to get, I’ve never been that into merch anyway, I felt like I wanted to get something to commemorate the day but there was just nothing there that made me jump in joy to own, especially when I bought so much stuff already and was strategising in my head where to even fit everything.

After the exhibition we went to Burger Boy, it was pretty random, we wanted to get Indonesian/Malaysian food but it was kinda far so we decided to just go to a random restaurant nearby. Burger Boy was amazing by the way even though we struggled a bit to order because no English on the ordering machine. We ate at the rooftop and discussed about what we think and felt about the exhibition and we were pretty frank to admit that we were disappointed. It’s normal and healthy to feel that way about idols or people you admire, you’re not gonna like and love everything that they do and the exhibition was managed by their company, they may have a say but still it was a team that curated it and it just didn’t reach our expectations. We wished the merch selections were better, the photo folio that they announced should’ve at least been there, less of BTS collab merch and more on their actual merch that were on Weverse? We see none of that basically. The merch that the boys designed were also not there. Other than that the exhibition were just walls of pictures, and a lot of it were pictures that we’ve seen or at least we know which photoshoot this was from so we’ve seen the look.

There were no interactive activity as well compared to actual HYBE Museum. I’d wish for more interactivity, but we didn’t get to have that. The only exclusive thing we get to enjoy was that unseen practice videos in which we couldn’t even actually enjoy because we were ushered to move along.

We still love and admire the boys and appreciate their team’s effort but we’re also allowed to be disappointed because we had expectations from the  previous HYBE Insight museum contents. 

Anyways, Burger Boy was amazing, the fries were amazing and Diana who doesn’t eat ketchup or sauces in general because of their texture actually ate the fries with the ketchup! It was that good. It was kinda hot at the rooftop but we still enjoyed it.

We decided to go back to Myeongdong and go to Nike to check out the customised stuff, and I needed a duffel bag because the one I bought in Hongdae gave up on me.

We ended up not customizing anything because it was just too long of a wait and we wanted to go check out Hangang Park. 

We didn’t really do much at Hangang, just sat on the steps and soak in the atmosphere, watch some busking performance and donated, and walked around for a bit since it was starting to get dark even though it was still early. A random decision was to go to Itaewon to go to Jonny’s Dumpling.

The minute we got to Itaewon we were already loving the vibe, maybe it was because there were more young people there, and the night life was great with a lot of tourists/foreigners so it felt more diverse and comfortable for us. We were like, “We shall stay here next time!”. The shitty thing was we had to queue for an hour and a half for Jonny’s Dumpling and it weren’t even that good. It was alright, but compared to Myeongdong Kyoja which totally blowed our mind, this pales in comparison.

We walked around Itaewon, taking random street pictures, Diana bought a waffle (was it a waffle?) and we just enjoyed the people dressed in costumes. Not knowing that the night after something tragic happened.

I will jumped straight to how we found out about the incident at Itaewon, the Halloween tragedy. I woke up Sunday morning with a text from Diana about it, and a text from my friend asking me my whereabouts.

I didn’t tell anyone (except for Safwan because he picked me up at the airport) we were already back in Malaysia, I’m sure some of them were worried. When I read about the incident via the link Diana shared me, I was speechless, then I saw the videos and fair to say I was affected and traumatized. I had nightmares for two days. It was slightly survivor guilt even though I was not there during the incident, but I was there the night before and seeing the victims’ from the videos. It felt eerie and I felt so strongly about the incident, I can’t even describe what kind of feelings it was, it was just a very strong feeling.

I spent the next couple of weeks keeping up with the news, saw interviews and was just very much overwhelmed by the whole tragedy. It must be weird for others to see me so affected even though I was literally not even there, I’m not Korean, nor am I a citizen there, but I was just so deeply affected by it. I have no explanation for this.

I’ll stop this sombre closing here, and we’ll talk about homecoming in the next post.

[unluckyhoneybee]

i just read the thirsty thursday blurb with toto wolffs daughter and daniel and i loved it so much omg

could you do a headcanon on how daniel and the reader meet and how the relationship is like

Note: based on this.

It was a while ago, when Toto became an executive in Mercedes and the team principal.

Daniel was starting his career, he was wetting more and more confident and he was starting to show how he was.

You were YN Wolff. You father had just bought a piece of Mercedes and you were respected on the paddock.

It took a while for Dan to talk to you. Because 1, he wasn't that confident. 2, he was a Red bull driver. And 3, Toto.

But when he did you hit inmediatly. You became friends soon, not super close, but I was common to see the two of you chatting in the paddock.

He was in love with you from minute 1. He was completely hooked for Toto Wolff's daughter. But he couldn't date you because he was a Red Bull driver and probably H*rner had warned him or something because I can totally see that happen.

So the poor boy pushed his feelings down for years, going through relationships with people he liked but didn't love. Not like you.

Some of you friend had told you about it because there were so many photos of Danny and you looking absolutely cute and in love around the internet. But you were like: pss no, we are just friends.

Then he left Red Bull and joined Renault and you got even closer. The new proximity changed your feelings a lot.

Danny would usually pass by your garage to say hi. Danny, Renault Danny, looking better than ever, having freed himself from Red Bull, being completely in love with you. He was handsome and he knew it, so he would flirt with you with no shame. And

And just imagine Toto. Sitting on the garage, glasses down on his nose, headphones on, arms crossed on his chest, giving Danny a death look. "I think your dad hates me" "Nah, he just has a reputation to keep"

And then, when you were sure you wanted him, covid came. You had to spend so many months without seeing him. It only made you want him more.

The first time you saw each other after the quarantines, he gave you a bone crashing hug.

It didn't took him long to ask you on a date. And then to confess how much he loved you. And then to ask you to be his girlfriend. But hey, "don't tell your dad just yet". The poor guy was terrified.

You told Susie first and she promised it would be okay and offered you her help.

And then, it was time to tell Toto. Danny was just starting with McLaren then.

"Dad. There is someone I want you to meet" "Your boyfriend?" "D-did you know?" "I know my daughter has a boyfriend yes, who is he?" "I will bring him to the dinner"

And when you walked in the restaurant hand in hand with Danny, Toto sighed and pinched his nose, earning a slap on his arm by Susie.

"Dad" "Daughter"

Dan was grabbing your hand so hard. He was so nervous. So so nervous. He had changed his clothes a thousand times trying to get a Toto Wolffesque outfit. It was actually funny because he wanted your dad to like him, not as a driver but as a son in law.

"Um... Danny is my boyfriend" "Of course it had to be him"

Danny reached a hand and Toto shook it hard. Toto was playing the hard guy, but he didn't hate Danny. The dinner went wonderful, Dan leaving with a good night Toto, instead a goodnight Mr Wolff.

Susie told you how Toto spent the whole way home talking about Danny.

On race weekends you were both seen in the Mercedes garage and the McLaren one. Daniel had no problem with it. He just asked to see you before and after the race. He wanted to say goodbye before getting in the car and have a hug when he got out.

His relationship with Toto was the best. He made him crack a smile the second time they had dinner and laugh hard on the third.

You had moved together in Monaco and he always wanted the Wolffs to come over, loving little Jack and playing so much with your brother. (new necessities, Jack Wolff and Danny Ric playing together)

And you loved him so so much. It was amazing, you both loved cars, you had a pretty awesome collection.

Even though is was well know Danny Ricciardo and YN Wolff were together, Daniel still felt like he had to sneak around with you. "YN, babe. Your dad..." "My dad loves you!"

It was awesome, really. Because suddenly you both would disappear and everyone would know you were together, even Toto. But Danny insisted.

"Are you gonna hide in your wedding too?" Toto asked once.

If he couldn't find you, he knew you were in Danny's motor home. So yeah, being almost caught by Toto was something usual.

Even though, the respect the two of them shared was huge. They both loved you so much and they knew they had to get along for you, so they tried from minute one.

"Bring her at 10 pm" You dad would joke when Danny picked you once from the garage.

[iamafictionfreak]

KINNPORSCHE

(spoilers for those who haven't seen episode 2)

I'm spiralling.

For the majority of viewers, I can imagine you’re all simply watching the episodes and letting it be – I don’t have that option because there isn’t a single person that I know who’s interested in discussing with me and I NEED to discuss it with someone! It’s dire. I need INFORMATION.

It’s not that it’s this amazing show (not that it isn’t either) that needs to be analysed to death. No, it’s the potential there that’s driving me silly, and we have to wait two whole weeks for episode 3 to air. Not sure how I’m going to last.

A show about gay mafia, bodyguards and how their daily lives run and intersect??? How can I not love it?

I have questions. I’m watching this blind – I know next to nothing about it beyond the trailer, ep 1&2, and the scraps of insight left by some magnanimous souls (@lutawolf is one of them) posting about the outfits, the colours used and what they’re indicative of etc. It’s based on a book, I do know that and, honestly, I don’t necessarily need to ask for more. I could just enjoy it. But.

BUT.

When I like a thing, when I really like a thing, I need to inhale as much of the thing as I can. For fun, this is FUN for me. I like doing this.

We have a show about a gay Dom (I’m guessing) Mafiosi hard hitter called Kinn (Anikinn) and a disaster of a human being called Porsche.

YES. I'm sorry. I had to post this (credit goes to Seokhwasan for the pics). LOOK AT THEM.

Ahem.

For anyone who’s read the book, feel free to tell me if anything I write here is incorrect. I’ll be incorrect a lot. It’s how I role. My analytic skills are lacking because I usually get so absorbed that I miss details – like KinnPorsche, it’s a game of chess and you’ve got to think ahead several steps to beat the system, to reach check and find Mate. I’ve never been able to do that with any degree of finesse so feel free to help me.

What I really want to look at are the two leads. Of course, it’s a show about them. A well-made show about them, where all the characters so far feel three dimensional, so that’s great right off the bat. But no, I want focus on certain behaviours exhibited in episode two.

Porsche is a national champion in Taekwondo. You don’t get to that level by being a strutting street thug with little finesse and a slippery ego. You get there through dedication, resilience, will power, hard work, patience, and TALENT.

We saw none of this in episode 2 (just a talent for fucking up).

Let’s back up a second.

Porsche is clearly a gifted little shit, right? But because he’s had to become the breadwinner, it seems that he’s given up on being gifted because gifted costs money. A life he gave up where he won a lot, a life where he had prospects, a life where he shined for reasons that didn’t involve his dick or parading his looks like a peacock for money.

He appears to enjoy being a bartender and getting laid by lots of beautiful women looking to forget themselves with the hot bad boy behind the bar. It's transient and maybe, deep down, it makes him feel worthless, Maybe I'm reaching there.

But does he miss what he might have been? He’ll never blame his brother – he’s doing all of this for him. Basically, if his brother can succeed in life, it won’t matter what happens to him. So, he has layers – there’s a truly selfless piece of him, mixed in with the stripes of grey where he, currently, doesn’t house anyone but his brother.

It's why he took Kinn up on his request (‘cough’ demand/threat ‘cough’) to be his bodyguard – the money, so that his brother can go to classes without worrying about paying the rent.

I’m also going to skip the part where the head of Kinn’s family CLEARLY has a hidden agenda regarding Porsche, which, I for one, think is going to be a fucking huge deal down the line.

But back to the choice to be his bodyguard. He said he’d guard him – he never said he’d do a good job of it.

I get the feeling that Porsche only says what he believes and only makes promises he can keep. Basically, he’s honest. He hasn’t promised to 'succeed' in guarding Kinn. Anyone would think he’d naturally want to do well out of pride – I’m that way. Even if I don’t like my job, I’ll do as well as I can, simply because I can, but Porsche doesn’t think like that, which is extremely healthy in one way. In another it’s detrimental because he’s only just realising that a bad job can get him hurt or killed.

At the end of the day, Porsche really doesn’t want to be there and that’s why everything is going tits-up.

It might be for his brother, but the bare minimum is where he’s at right now. He just has to show up. They’re the ones who went for him in the first place, they want him there – not the other way around. For Porsche, respect and loyalty are earned and they haven’t earned it from him. A substandard performance is all they’re going to get.

But there is another way for Porsche to take his new job seriously – he needs to care, right?

He’s befriended Pete and vice versa. Even after this one episode, if anything happens to Pete, Porsche will be all over it. He’s been humiliated but it didn’t destroy his pride. Now he’s switched guarding Kinn to guarding his brother Tankhun, who - if the official trailer is anything to go by - he’s soooooo going to be throwing a party for, and maybe it’ll be a night where the mafia brothers can relax, because who else knows how to throw a party like Porsche? So, it’s already happening. This is how he starts caring.

But he can’t read Kinn – he’s used to picking up on small behavioural patterns, on the way people dress and how they act around him. He’s learnt it. It made him a reputable bartender.

With Kinn? He saw glimpses of the man, but he knows it’s surface stuff. That scene at the end of ep 2, where Porsche makes him coffee, gets it wrong and Kinn responds pretty much with, practice makes perfect, and Porsche allows the smallest concession there. Then they both confess to trying to figure out who other is. Kinn, under his guise(?) of absolute authority and control. Porsche beneath his loose, undisciplined Pan-likeness. Who are they really?

Curiosity. Doesn’t take much more to get the ball rolling.

All through the episode Porsche is told and shown that the rest of Kinn’s family seem to be more ridiculous, quintessentially entitled, violent, and all-around NUTS in comparison. But Porsche doesn’t agree because there’s just something about Kinn that’s either unsettling or confusing him, and because of that, it’s made Kinn the unpredictable party. It’s made him interesting.

Interest doesn’t equal care, but this is early days. We have 12 episodes more and all of them devoted to figuring out the characters.

What’s equally interesting to me is that Kinn is the first to show attraction.

Porsche is apparently, just his physical type, but I don’t think his personality is, so this might be new ground for Kinn.

Now, I wrote attraction, and I meant it. Attraction. Physical attraction – you don’t need to act on finding someone attractive. I think what I’m enjoying most right now is the levels already being stamped out here. Kinn’s gay, capital G. But the number of men he’s found attractive without doing shit about it, are probably endless. So, what will make whatever he’s feeling become more than just attraction?

He's clearly surprised by it. Has he never been attracted to one of his bodyguards?

Pretty certain the impression of a cold, controlled mafia god has more truth to it than not. But does it actually go so far as to describe him as a Dom? And I’m absolutely referring to dynamics of the BDSM variety, not just someone with a domineering personality. It feels like it does, but I’d rather not assume so.

I breach this subject because Porsche is his own person – he’s entered a military-like compound, where his under someone else’s control and for someone as strong willed as him, Kinn’s personality might chafe- HAS already chafed. Can a strong personality like Porsche submit to someone like Kinn? It’s a long while off but I’m super interested in the journey.

As for Porsche being the worst bodyguard in the history of all bodyguards, I’m guessing that once he has reason to care, he’ll do what he does best, which is become the absolute BEST. He’ll be the BEST bodyguard, like he’s the best swimmer, the best taekwondo pupil, the best bartender. Eventually he’ll go from thug to killing machine – he’ll stop failing and he’ll do it for Kinn.

You think we saw him at his best in episode 1? No, we saw someone who'd had a few drinks, who'd just gotten laid, who was very much used to an undisciplined lifestyle, years away from Taekwondo days. Eventually, he'll stand and walk differently. The gun in his hands will stop being a toy. He'll see exits and entrances instead of the general splendour money can buy.

But right now, everyone needs to think he’s a giant loser or close to it - Vegas now thinks he’s this playful guy with some skill after sending a woman to pretend to try to Kill Kinn for intel. He was drunk on duty and talked back to his boss - it’s sort of interesting but it’d be easy for people to drop their guard around Porsche following that display.

For the future, I think everyone needs to watch the fuck out because Porsche is dangerous. He’s a different type of unpredictable to Kinn, but it’s just as lethal. With time, he’ll master gun-play and everything else, but with that on top of that moral grey heart of his? I’m going to go out on the limb and say that he’ll become exactly what Kinn needs.

Or thinks he needs.

Could Kinn ever let someone he truly cares for step in front of a bullet for him? I mean, when the time comes?

Anyone notice just how close the guards are to the mafia sons? Like, some are friends.

Anyway, ep 2 was hilarious and cringy and exactly what we needed it to be.

…Is Porsche Bi? There’s a vague sense in this show that sexuality shouldn’t be labelled, which I adore but I’m also getting the impression that Porsche may not have been with a guy before. Again, I’m probably very wrong – someone let me know. Either way, it’s delicious.

[rocorambles]

Surprise Interview

Pairing: Kenma x Reader

Genre/Warnings: NSFW, Yandere, Pseudo-Cest, Dub-Con/Non-Con, Verbal Humiliation, Manipulation

Summary: Kenma sees if you have what it takes to be Bouncing Ball’s newest employee.

A/N: This is for @sugawara-sweetheart ‘s Decadence Collab. So excited to be a part of this collab and to be able to indulge in such a delicious prompt and theme. Be sure to check out everyone else’s works! As always, thanks for beta-ing @sawamooora ~

There’s a familiar peace and a new nervousness about coming back home for the holidays. Mostly because home isn’t quite the same home it used to be. You can feel warmth blooming in your chest at the thought of seeing your mom, telling her about everything and everyone (as if your daily phone calls aren’t enough), and just lounging around while she fills you up with her cooking. But you can also feel a certain shyness as you approach the house, a building that still feels brand new and strange to you.

Your mother had gotten remarried during your earlier college years after your father’s passing and you were elated for her. If anyone deserves all the happiness in the world, it’s her. You had met Mr. Kozume quite a few times and you have no qualms with the man. He treats your mother like a queen and even though you playfully gag as they sweet talk and kiss in front of you, you wholeheartedly approve of their relationship.

However, what you aren’t quite as prepared for is having a new step-sibling.

You don’t know much about Kenma Kozume. Well, not much more than the rest of the world does.

Professional gamer. Successful stock trader. Popular YouTuber. Founder of his own corporation.

You know exactly who your new brother is, but other than seeing him a few times in person at family gatherings and exchanging polite greetings, there’s no real connection. Which is why your heart races as you nervously ring his doorbell, anxiety already making your leg twitch as you wait for the door to open.

Your mother and step-father are on a couple’s vacation and won’t be returning for a few days.

(“We just want some romantic time together before we have a full house again for the holidays. Plus this is a great chance to get to know your older brother better!” You hadn’t even been able to get a word of protest in before she had laughed and hung up on you, leaving you speechless and on your own as you hesitantly texted Kenma, letting him know what day to expect you.)

Kenma is quiet as ever as he nods in greeting, silently leading you to your guest room before quietly telling you to make yourself at home and leaving to do his own thing. You let out a huge sigh of relief as the door closes behind him.

There’s nothing wrong with Kenma. He’s smart and successful. Maybe a bit on the quiet side, but that only adds to his down to earth charm. You know your mother and step-father adore him and you can’t blame them. Yet, you can’t help but feel scrutinized, seen so clearly in a way that terrifies you when his feline eyes gaze at you. It takes everything in you not to immediately scurry away whenever you’re in viewing distance of him, desperate to hide all the flaws you imagine he’s noticing and calculating. Your step-father had mentioned how Kenma used to be the strategist of his high school volleyball team, and has always been able to evaluate and accurately break down situations and people. And you believe it.

You’re just grateful the house is large enough to avoid each other and that Kenma tends to reside mostly in his home office and bedroom.

But even the founder of a company needs a break from time to time. Kenma shuffles towards the gaming room, only to blink in surprise when he sees you already inside of it, happily smiling as Animal Crossing visuals and sounds fill the space.

He had known you owned a Nintendo Switch, a piece of information your mom had shared to break the ice a bit. And it’s really no surprise that this is your go-to game. But knowing and seeing are two different things and he can’t help but let his own lips twitch upwards at how calm and relaxed you are tending to your garden, decorating your home, choosing your outfit.

Kenma’s never been good with people, has never been the one to initiate a friendship. He knows he should have made more of an effort to be friendly and welcoming to you as your new older brother. There’s a slight pang of regret in his chest when he sees how at ease you are while you’re unaware of his presence. His eyes are as sharp as ever and he locks in on the way your body slightly stiffens, fingers nervously fidgeting when you finally notice his figure in the doorway, words already stuttering an apology for using his game room without explicitly asking.

You look like a scared mouse about to flee from the claws of a cat. And it pisses him off.

He hasn’t made the best efforts to bridge the gap between you, but for you to fear him? That seems a tad unnecessary, and more than a tad insulting. It’s more than enough to make the sadistic streak in him want to give you something to be scared about.

But he’s never been impulsive and he just quietly sits beside you on the floor, reassuring you it’s fine to play, smirking when you sneak little side glances his way as you continue collecting fruits.

“Kozume, do you want to play-”

“Just call me Kenma.”

Entranced eyes watch as you grow flustered at his words, mouth silently testing the weight of his given name in your mouth. For once, Kenma could care less about playing video games when a shaky timid “Kenma” slips past your soft lips.

“Kenma, do you want to play something together?”

You have no idea how badly he really does want to play together, but it’s a game you’re not ready for. So he calls upon any restraint he has to pluck your device from your hands and change the game to Mario Kart.

It’s amusing how easily you soften besides him, brow furrowing in concentration, eyes intently and eagerly following the screen, any anxiousness quickly forgotten as you get into the game. He greedily watches as you pout when you make a mistake, as your eyes light up every time you pass someone.

If he had known how easy it would be to make you warm up to him, he’d have done this sooner and he genuinely laughs when you whine and fake glare at him as he wins yet another round.

He asks about school. You ask about work. He tells you about his childhood. You share your own stories.

It’s a comfortable rhythmic back and forth and he’s afraid of ruining it, but a certain question nags at his mind, a question he knows may ruin the entire flow of the conversation.

“You’ll be graduating soon. Have you decided what you want to do after college?”

“Kenma not you too!!!”

His shoulders relax at how well you react to the question, smiling at the way you flop onto your back and groan about how mom and dad are already on your case about future plans.

“I’ve been applying to places, but who knows. Maybe I’ll just work for you at Bouncing Ball.”

There’s a playful lilt in your voice when you say it, a giggle and teasing smile accompanying the words. But there’s nothing funny about it to Kenma and your smile falters a bit when you see how tightly Kenma’s gripping his controller, the way his eyes pin you down.

“Kenma? It’s just a joke. I would never take advantage of-”

You try to get up from your reclined position, only to whimper in confusion when Kenma’s hand on your shoulder forces you back down. And suddenly you’re pinned down by more than just his stare as he moves to straddle you, knees on either side of your body, hands next to your head, his whole body caging yours.

It’s a lighthearted joke in the family that if all else fails, you could always work at Bouncing Ball. A joke your step-father and mother always dish out when the arguments get too tense as the three of you talk about your future. But it’s become less in jest for Kenma, especially after Kuroo sent him a scandalous picture of his newest secretary kneeling between his long legs, lips wrapped around his cock.

It wasn’t the first picture, nor was it the last incriminating photo the older businessman had sent him. Kenma merely rolled his eyes before deleting the image from his phone, wondering when Kuroo would grow bored and find a new toy to play with. But he freezes when he sees the following text message from his long-time friend.

“You’re the CEO of a company, Kenma. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone convenient around? A pretty warm body? I bet that cute new step sister of yours would look really good under your desk. Doesn’t she graduate from college soon? If you don’t make a move, maybe I’ll snatch her up right from under your nose. I’m due for a change of secretary soon.”

There’s absolutely no reason for the hot anger that lances through him at Kuroo’s taunting words and he grimaces at playing right into his ex-captain’s hands, already hearing Kuroo’s braying laughter in his head if the older man saw just how much his words affected him.

But initial irritation aside, he lets himself really think, really imagine what a life with you at his beck and call would be like. And he likes what he sees. He doesn’t delete Kuroo’s photos as quickly as he used to, replacing the female faces with yours in his imagination as his hands slip under the hem of his boxers.

He knows it’s a longshot, knows there’s a high chance you’ll continue your lives as is, never destined to exchange more than a few polite greetings at family outings. But now...now hearing you voice the idea out loud yourself, hearing the way his first name sounds from your lips…

Maybe it’s not the silly pipe dream he had believed it to be.

“I’m in need of an assistant if you really do want to work at Bouncing Ball, but you’d need to prove why it would be worth hiring you.”

He almost laughs at how you perk up despite the precarious position you’re in, almost ready to launch into an elevator pitch of your qualifications flat on your back underneath him. You’re quite the multitasker already and he groans at the thought of having you cockwarm him while he tests out a new video game, making you answer all his calls stuffed full of him and desperately trying to hide the lustful tremble in your voice.

But he’s not here to listen to your carefully crafted speech. (Guess you really were practicing for job interviews like you said you were. What a good girl.) And he firmly presses his lips against yours to silence you, taking his time to immerse himself in the way your mouths mold against each other.

Your taste, your smell, your warmth. It’s all intoxicating and he slips his tongue inside your parted lips, subtly rutting his groin against your body. He can feel your body jostle as you lift your arms and he waits for the weight of your arms to lovingly wrap around his neck, only to be shocked when you weakly press against his shoulders until he finally relents and pulls back just enough to look down at you in irritated confusion.

“We- we shouldn’t be doing this.”

It’s not the words that have him clenching his fists, not even the way your palms still timidly press against him in a laughably weak show of defense.

It’s the fear in your eyes, the way you look at him like he’s some monster. It's the way he can almost palpably feel and hear your desire to be anywhere other than here, with anyone other than him, wishing to put as much space between the two of you as possible.

It’s your rejection.

It hurts to know that he isn’t enough just as he is, that he needs to resort to less...savory and straightforward ways to entrap you. But he’s not Hinata or Kuroo. He doesn’t have an electrifying personality or roguishly handsome features and charm to woo you. He only has his cunning and sharp tongue.

And he fully intends on maximizing his gifts.

“Of course, you don’t have to. You can just keep on applying and getting rejected by every company you speak to, if they even bother meeting with you after seeing your pathetic resume. Average college. Average grades. Average major. Tell me, how many interviews have you actually been reached out to for?”

He’s going out on a bit of a limb, but his suspicions are right and he cruelly smirks at the way tears bubble in your eyes at his words, no comeback or denial rolling off the tip of your tongue. He had a feeling you were struggling from the bits and pieces he’s picked up as your parents quietly talk and fret over you actually being able to find a job after graduation.

“Our parents are too nice to say anything about it, but you know they’re disappointed in you, right? Have you noticed how they always avoid talking about how school is going or asking you about how job hunting is going? How they only ask me how work is going? It’s because they know you’re just a loser whose life is going to amount to nothing.”

“That’s not true! They love me-”

“I’m not saying they don’t love you, but doesn’t that make it even worse? Making your loving and caring parents worry and stress over you when they should be preparing for retirement, an easy life? Instead of letting them finally enjoy a carefree life, you’ll be their freeloader daughter who uses up all their remaining funds. Is that what you want?”

You really are too easy and his lips curl in satisfaction at the way you frantically shake your head side to side, fat wet drops streaming down your face, adorable sniffles filling the air.

“If you become my assistant, I’ll compensate you well. You can live here with me, have your own room, a roof over your head, all the food and clothing you need and want. Think about how relieved and happy our parents will be seeing you provided for, seeing us getting along. Isn’t that what you want? For them to be happy?”

He knows how close you are to your mom, how important this idea of a perfect family is to you. He knows how insecurity and doubt about your own capabilities torment you. And he knows you’re hooked on his claws when your hands that are still pressed against his shoulders drop limply besides you, not even a hint of resistance left in you when he leans down once more to rest his forehead on yours, one hand cupping the side of your face.

“This is all you’re good for anyway. Working underneath me.”

If you notice his pun, you don’t acknowledge it, too busy wincing and squirming as he harshly nips and bites a trail from your lips to your neck as he pushes up the hem of your shirt until your chest is on full display for him. There’s something experimental, cold, meticulous about the way he gropes and fondles your breasts.Your face heats in humiliation at how he treats you like one of the many game consoles he’s reviewed for his audience.

But you don’t do anything about it, telling yourself that this is just his version of an interview as he pinches and prods at you, meanly twisting your nipples and chuckling at your yelp of pain. You obediently let him spread your legs apart, only letting out an agonized cry as he tests your flexibility, staring at him with a trembling lower lip as he sharply tells you to shut up while scrutinizing your panty-covered sex.

“You really are made for this, aren’t you?”

You whimper as he nudges the small wet spot on the thin fabric, clenching your eyes shut in denial at how hot and wound up your body feels from his touch, unable to hide your gasp as he pulls the layer aside and rubs your aroused clit.

There’s something so different about the way his fingers slowly sink into your wet pussy, almost lazily curling against your soft walls, his thumb never stopping its careful massage on the bundle of nerves at the apex of your thighs. So different from your own fingers desperately thrusting in and out of you. So different from the drunk partners you’ve hooked up with at college and their sloppy, rapid, frantic movements.

You can feel something large, something intimidating slowly rising from deep inside of you, a volcano about to erupt compared to the bright and fast to fade shooting stars you’re used to. You’re scared. Scared of the intoxicating feeling, of how easy it is to grow accustomed to Kenma’s presence, of how his cat-like eyes are all you can see and think of.

How can something feel so wrong and so right at the same time?

That’s the last coherent thought you have before your world goes blank, pleasure rocking through you as you soak the carpet and your step-brother’s hand with your juices. You’re moaning as Kenma continues to rock his fingers in and out of you, fingertips insistently massaging your clit and g-spot as you ride out your orgasm, body trembling and convulsing.

But even when the tremors slow, when pleasure becomes something sharper, more overwhelming, he doesn’t stop. You wail, begging him to stop, to let you rest, slumping in relief when he finally drags his hands away from you, carelessly wiping the mess you’ve made of his hand on your skin, covering you in your own essence.

Your heavy eyelids threaten to flutter shut as you let exhaustion wash over you, already dreading having to get up and wash yourself. But you’re shocked back to reality as something hard begins to nudge at your still fluttering entrance.

“Kenma! No! Too much-”

You break off into a sob as surprisingly strong hands dig into your hips, holding you still as he pushes and pushes until he’s fully settled inside of you, balls resting against your ass.

You’re still so tight, your quivering walls clamping around the intrusion, and he groans at the thought of being able to sink into this hole every day, multiple times, whenever he wants. His cock is already aching from holding off for so long, from watching your body and face contorted in pleasure. Kenma can feel his end quickly approaching as you scream and wail underneath him, eyes rolling back in your head, drool trickling from the corner of your mouth. You look absolutely obscene and he doesn’t think he’ll ever get enough of this side of you.

But despite the way his balls are tightening, despite the stutter in his hips, he’s determined to watch you fall apart once more, to see you shatter to pieces yet again. He grits his teeth, fingers reaching down to furiously rub at your already oversensitized clit, reveling in how your back arches, thighs shaking in overstimulation, and then you snap.

He wonders what his parents would think of their dear dumb daughter now, looking nothing like their silly angel, looking like a wanton used whore, incoherent garbled noises slipping past your lips as you twitch uncontrollably, your pussy milking him dry as he cums inside of you.

There’s only silence mixed with your pitiful whimpers as he slides out of you, grimacing at the sticky mess you’ve made of yourself and him. But that’s what your other hole is for and he orders you to suck him clean, admiring what a quick learner you are, eager to please as you noisily slurp and lick him clean, moaning at the taste of your combined fluids...

Maybe too eager and he shoves you off of him when you become too enthusiastic, his cock beginning to twitch in interest once more.

You look so lost, still sprawled out on the ground, staring up at him with wide imploring eyes as he pulls up his pants. So vulnerable and in need of guidance.

Good thing you have such a great boss to manage you.

“Not bad. Consider these next few days your internship and if all goes well, I’ll be more than happy to hire you as Bouncing Ball’s newest employee this summer. Now clean up this room and show me that my future assistant can do more than just be a slut.”

[welcometomyfloor]

Ridonculous Race Season 2, Team: The Jocks

I finished the picture!

Also, quick sketch-ies of their swimsuits because I wanted to.

Notes on the Original and Modified Character Designs:

Brick-

I made his crew-cut fluffier because the floof keeps him looking young and not like a grown-ass man. (I also got rid of that stupid maple leaf widows peak whatever the fuck his hair line is because I fucking hate it.)

I never realized how stupid the shorts where until I saw him drawn in other styles. Dawn didn't even need to look at his aura, she just saw the shorts and said "that's some bottom shit chief". And, as you can see, I did not change it, because I love that for him.

And now, I present a "rant" about Brick's tank top: one thing people seem to forget about Brick is that he's kind-of a show boat. Like, his first confessional was spent flexing his arms and talking about how "strong and capable" he is. That being said, he's the only other TD boy to ever wear a shirt with their bathing suit (the only other one being Mike and we all know why he wears one.) And, as much as I love the theory that he's wearing a tank top because Lighting felt threatened by Brick's six-pack, I will instead posit another explanation. Brick's tank top is white, and what, may I ask, happens when white fabric gets wet? It becomes See-through, pretty much eliminating any intended point of modesty. So why the fuck not just go shirtless or wear any other fucking color? Because Brick McArthur wants to slutty in the most convoluted and indirect way possible to maintain humility and show people his tits. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Going off my previous over-analysis on the clothing choices of an animated 16 year old from show that came out 10 years ago, I kept the white tank top. :) I just changed his jean shorts to camo-trunks for the swim outfit because who would swim in fucking Levi's? Also, ixnay on the socks and boots because what the fuck where the animators doing when they did "Backstabbers Ahoy"? Like, did he just want to feel taller? It's not like he's short.

[corrected] To elaborate on the height thing, I'm pretty sure Total Drama doesn't have cannon heights for anyone but Alejandro (6ft, mentioned in "Rapa Phooey!"). On top of that, TD doesn't maintain that good of a scale throughout it, an example of this between Brick and Jo is how in "Truth or Laser Shark" Brick towers over his whole team on their way to the Obsta-Kill Course but is seen as being around the same height as Jo in other episodes and scenes. That being said, I'm going to head-cannon him as being around 6'0"-6'1" without boots. I'd imagine the heels of his boots are 1-2 inches tall so he'd been 6'1" at the shortest and 6'3" at the tallest with boots on. (Height thing to be continued in Jo's portion.)

Jo-

Jo wearing a red-toned and blue-toned gray together makes me irrationally upset. Like, girl, either pick and stick with an undertone or wear more black, it's not that hard.

The way her hair is drawn in TD makes me this it's greasy as shit, like, bitch, shampoo exists. I sketched it as being fluffier but then I was like "nah, looking like a grease rat is apart of Jo's charm".

I hate the color of her shoes, artificial and natural mint have no right to be this close to each other. Even if they're meant to be grass-stained or some shit, I still fucking hate it. Again, Jo, ma'am, you don't understand colors, just wear black.

First three points aside, I do think character design should reflect who the character is and, in my humble opinion, Jo's design (as frustrating as her color combinations and greasy hair are) does exactly that. She's a rough-around-the-edges tomboy that doesn't give a fuck, at least, that's the image she's trying to put out. So yeah, that's why I gave her main design no significant changes despite my complaints about it.

But, I did change her swimsuit because her original one is soo fucking bad and it makes me uncomfortable. Like, you're really trying to tell me that Jo wears a one piece? No, no, no. She wears boys trunks and a baggy t-shirt, don't try and tell me otherwise.

Back to the height thing. I don't know where this number comes from, but I personally head-cannon Jo as being 5'10"-5'11". Yeah, I know that would make her a tall girl but she is the tallest Revenge girl (excluding Dakotazoid for obvious reasons) and would help explain Lightning's miss-identification of Jo as a boy. I also just feel like making her tall makes sense for her character. She doesn't fit in with really any one group, let alone the girls her age, so making her stature distinct from the other girls exemplifies her estrangement from what other's consider traditionally feminine. (Of course, I don't personally agree with this. Femininity and masculinity are social constructs but Total Drama is meant to take place in modern day Canada, therefore Jo's character and design is affected by contemporary gender roles.)

One thing that bugged me in Revenge is that Jo's whistle literally only shows up around her neck for one episode for plot reasons. So, for the sake of my own sanity, I'm just gonna say it's always under neither her hoodie and overtop her undershirt. (It's not important but it's just something I wanted to establish for myself.)

Okay, so onto the shit that actually matters for this project-

Team Dynamic and Background Information for Ridonculous Race Season 2:

If you've seen my original post on these two being a RR team, know that I've made some conceptual changes since then. Still feel free to check out that post if you want, some things will stay the same. Stay tuned to figure out what will and won't change.

One thing I didn't realize was that the Flush of Shame took the contestants to different parts of the world. (I don't remember watching All Stars on cable and I definitely didn't stick around for end credits as a child, so that's my justification for not knowing about the extras.) So, it wasn't until I read "The Egypt Trip" on AO3 that I realized it was a common theory that past contestants picked up the eliminated from their flushed locations. Just know that Egypt will be mentioned in their Ridonculous Race plotline as I am now working off of the head-cannon that Brick brought Jo back to Canada after her elimination in All Stars.

As this is Ridonculous Race Season 2, Brick and Jo haven't shared the screen for three seasons (All Stars, Pahkitew and RR S1). All Stars and Pahkitew canonically take place one year after Revenge. We know RR happens after Pahkitew, but we don't know how much time has passed, so I'm just gonna have to fudge some numbers on how many years after Pahkitew this hypothetical Ridonculous Race Season 2 would take place. Shit happens pretty fast in the TD universe so let's just say it's been around 2 years since Revenge happened. Making Brick and Jo, assuming they are 16 in ROTI, around the age of 18 in RR season 2. (Again, this isn't that important for the story. It was mainly just something I personally needed to establish for my own timeline.) Just keep in mind that these two haven't seen each other in about a year. They are reuniting for the purpose of doing the race (this will be explained in the story).

I am also head-cannoning Brick and Jo as both being from Manitoba. Like Egypt, them living in the same province will be brought up during their plotline. My choice of province was also inspired by CactusPot ("hello" to Leslie if she's reading this. It's like my 3rd or 4th time I've brought her up on my blog, but I just wanted to make sure I'm giving her credit on the ideas I took from her fanfictions.)

Despite the fact that these two haven't seen each other in a year, neither Brick nor Jo have changed very much. Brick still has his military thing (thought his relationship with that and how his love of fashion now intersects with that will be discussed in the fic) and is overall still a kind-hearted and clumsy idiot. Jo is still brooding and confrontational, but, this will explored as a front Jo puts up in-order to protect herself.

If you did read my original post where I explained the potential for character development this concept provides, you know that the RR format is going to be essential for Jo's character growth. Since her and Brick are now a packaged deal, she can't get rid of him without compromising her need to dominate the competition. Along with that, the longer they stay in the race, the more her aggressive façade will fall and her true problems will be exposed and; Brick, being himself, is going to feel the need to help her through it. However, due to his time on Revenge, he also is not going to tolerate blatant disrespect or Jo's refusing to be cooperative. To overview: something's gotta give and both of these motherfuckers are as stubborn as hell.

Personal Life Head-Cannon Speed Round:

Brick-

[revised] His full name is Alexander Grant McArthur. (Brick is just a nickname he got from a Junior Army Boot Camp as a kid, shortened version of Brickhouse.)

[new] He is of Scottish, Romanian, and Turkish decent.

He has an older sister named Elizabeth (nicknamed Liberty), she lives in Toronto with her girlfriend Jordan (might be mentioned in story). He also has three little sisters and 1 little brother (I don't care about them. They just exist.)

His mother works at a nursing home (she used to be an Army Nurse before having her children) and his father is an active Army General. They're in their mid-to-late forties.

Due to both of his parents being soo busy growing up, both Brick and Liberty had to play a parent-like role for their four younger siblings. (The age gap between Brick and Liberty is much smaller than the age gap between Brick and the oldest of his younger siblings.)

[new] He probably grew up going to church (like, more than just the standard Sunday service) and watched a lot of Veggie Tales and other religious programs. I still think he went to public school and was allowed to watch secular media while at a friends' houses, it was just more of a "not in my house" kinda rule set by his parents.

He is heterosexual. (I honestly think he's just a straight guy who likes fashion and has unconventional taste in women. You can have whatever head-cannon you want about his sexuality, I don't care.)

Jo-

[revised] Her full name is Joanne Grace Snyder.

[new] She is mainly of Polish, Czech, and German decent.

Her parents are divorced and messy divorced at that. She lives with her dad, who has only dated since the divorce. Meanwhile, Jo's mom was remarried within a few years and hasn't been in regular contact with her daughter since. (Might be mentioned in story.)

She has two younger brothers who she doesn't know much about due to them being from her mother's second marriage.

Her main source of companionship is her pet pit bull, Bolder, who is actually a huge sweetheart. (Surprise, surprise, the "Take-No-Prisoners Jockette" has a pupper that people stereotype as being mean and overly aggressive.)

[new] She definitely grew up watching Adult Swim. Like, she didn't watch normal cartoons at all and skipped right to South Park and Futurama reruns.

This might just be me but I truly believe that 90% of Jo's energy comes from caffeinated drinks and pure spite (might be brought up in story).

Like Brick, I think Jo is straight. I also know that some people head-cannon her as trans, I do not (neither as mtf nor ftm). (Same disclaimer as with Brick, you can have whatever opinion you want. I just think she has anger issues and is insecure with her femininity, not a lesbian or transgender.)

What's Next for Ridonculous Race Season 2?

I will be illustrating a team picture and writing an info-post (like this one) for each of the 17 remaining teams before writing the fic. (This will give me time to pick locations, create OC's and plan out the season while providing content in the mean time.)

The next team to officially join the lineup will be two returning competitors to the Total Drama franchise. After that, they're will only be one more returning character, the rest of the 31 members of the cast (excluding Don and locals) are going to be my own original characters made for the purpose of this fic.

I have adding the tag #TDRR Season 2 to all posts currently found and to be found on this project, as well as a featured tag on my blog. (Feel free to use this tag when referring to this fanfiction and / or any original characters from it.)

Please be patient with me as I am doing this alone and have a part-time job (and, depending on if I move this summer or not, getting a full-time job and maintaining my own apartment may become a part of the equation.) So, yes, I have a laundry list of tasks to do all by myself so I just ask that you be forgiving of my productivity timeline. Thank you.

-Nessa Rose-

[spiderling-space]

Hi could you please do malleus seeing a fem mc in a swimsuit in the beach when everyone is around? Thank you

You can join the discord server :D xD

Based on this prompt 

Also imagine Malleus swimming 

I added nsfw part after sfw part since I couldn’t help myself :D:D:>

🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉

Malleus Draconia

Valley of Thorns has no beaches and Malleus did not go out of his homeland other than going to NRC. He is curious about the beach that everyone is talking about. Lilia says it is fun but he will need special swimsuit and sunscreen. How will he screen sun? Such weird words... At least he isn’t alone at this. Silver is confused as much as he is while Sebek seems to know what it is about.

The moment the whole academy arrives to the beach, he is faced with naked people! How could they roam around their underwear? Some not even covering their private places enough! How obscene of them! When they reach the beach to settle, Lilia tells him to undress in the middle beach, in front of everyone. When he wore the swimsuit, he thought it would be like underwear that no one sees but now he learned he is supposed to only wear that. After seeing others do the same, he relaxed and undressed.

He doesn’t understand how everyone considers normal for to see others almost normal.

Lilia is applying him sunscreen when he notices (Y/N) in two small pieces. Her whole body is out in the open for all to see. He is shocked to see her wearing this little clothing, that he doesn’t even realize he isn’t staring until Lilia pokes him while laughing. Sebek screams if he should cover his vision of (Y/N) so he would not look that human while Silver is sleeping under the sun. Thanks to Sebek’s voice, (Y/N) hears him and turns, waving at him. 

Malleus feels hotter and cannot take his eyes off of her. He knows it is rude to stare but he can’t help it. His eyes wonder around her body before focusing on her eyes as she speaks to him.

Since he has seen (Y/N) in indecent outfit, he proposes her right there and then in order to protect her honour. It doesn’t matter if he saw others the same way, he doesn’t have those feelings for them so they don’t count. Sebek faints from seeing Malleus’ proposal, Silver wakes up momentarily to ask what happened while Lilia is cheering how romantic it is. (Y/N) is just speechless.

Regardless, since Malleus proposed, he gets protective over her. He is not someone who would meddle with what his partner would wear. His grandmother didn’t raise him like that. He will look at anyone who stares at her more than necessary and Zeus help whoever catcalls her. 

Malleus knows he is fairly good looking and his body shape is considered attractive by some. He hopes this will intimidate anyone who tries to court (Y/N) at beach so he wouldn’t need to use his name  or a speck of his magic to intimidate them.

NSFW under cut

Malleus sees (Y/N), the person who he is attracted to, wearing a little to nothing. He discovers a new feeling. When he asked Lilia about it, he called it arousal. So this is the arousal he has read and heard about. He both likes it and wants to get rid of it. He also wonders if (Y/N) feels arousal when she sees him in swimsuit. He hopes she does.

Malleus asks to speak with (Y/N) privately so he could solve this arousal issue if she wills it as well. When (Y/N) says okay, he apparites them away from the crowd but they are still at beach.

Malleus is blunt and he does not realize how his words might sound to him. He flatly says seeing her in bikini aroused him. (Y/N) says she can see it and points his swimsuit. 

Oh, he knew his penis would erect but he didn’t consider it as his focus was entirely on her. He asks if she wants to help him relieve it bluntly. 

(Y/N) has been horny for Malleus from the start and seeing him in swimsuit made her hornier so she eagerly accepts his offer. She kisses him as her hand moves from his abs to his crotch under his swimsuit.

Malleus stops her before she does something else. “We cannot have sex before marriage.” - “Then what are we supposed to do, Horny boy?” - “Lilia told me there are other things we can do that is not considered real sex. You can take my penis in your mouth and my tongue can delve in your vagina.” (Y/N) seemed to correct him and say it is considered sex too but she is too horny.

(Y/N) gets on her knees, lowers his swimsuit, revealing his erection. She looks in his eyes before wrapping her mouth around his penis.

After Malleus cums deep in her throat, he looks at her state, thinking that it is the sight he wants to see every day. He could watch her all day but he has a job to do, he must do as he promised. He is not going to let (Y/N) lay on the sand because it’s coarse, rough and it gets everywhere. He is a fae so he is strong enough to carry her. 

Malleus gets on his knees, facing her. He tells her to sit on his shoulders, her thighs on each side of his head and her cunt right in front of his mouth. He stands up, holding (Y/N) from thighs as she is holding him from his horns. It is his first time doing it but he gets the git. His tongue explores her vagina.

Malleus could have created a bed on make (Y/N) float on air as he ate her out but he wanted to try this position.

In the end, Malleus is no Batman. He eats pussy

[flowerwrites06]

break my mind’s eye I — jjk

Plot: Jungkook thinks marriage is the only way to seal a deal. 

Pairing(s): Druglord!Jungkook x Fashion Designer!OC (Name: Belle) 

Rating: G | PG | M | R 18+

Type: Drabble | Oneshot | Two Parter | Series

Parts: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Special 

Word Count: 7k+

Genre: Mafia | Angst/Smut/Fluff

Tags & Warnings: drug dealing, marriage through trickery, explicit smut, drug use, dubious consent, prostitution 

Authors Note: finally i was able to conclude that bmme can be reposted!! please welcome back this precious gem of mine 

The first time she saw was before one of her fashion shows. Small event compared to the likes of Gucci or Louis Vuitton but for her the biggest night of her life was about to happen. Unfortunately minutes before the show started, Belle got a call from her uncle to pick Taehyung up from their place and his tone sounded utterly bleak.

Walking away from a highly angered manager she rushed off to pick him up only to find him sitting outside on the porch in the cold wind, laughing a little to himself before swearing at no one. It was the first day Belle found out the things he had been taking.

Weed, ecstasy…she even found a small bag of cocaine hidden in his hoodie after getting him cleaned up.

“Where the hell did you get money for cocaine?” Belle tried to search his expression but Taehyung was too busy stumbling as he finally fell onto her bed.

“I know a guy. I promised to pay him back soon.” Taehyung mumbled turning to rest on his back, his limbs refused to stay still to a point where Belle started to get annoyed.

“Tae, how much do you owe this guy?” She asked, heart thumping a little knowing cocaine especially was not inexpensive and that mixed with other drugs…

His body being ruined was one heart-wrenching thing but she dreaded the amount of money this all cost.

Her brother stayed silent closing his eyes to let out a few breaths which caused her blood to boil even more.

Belle understood why Taehyung turned to something so putrid to relieve him of their recent troubles. There was a moment in time where she even thought to do so, maybe to ease some of the pain of they both went through. But it was getting out of hand.

-

The next morning Belle fixed him up a proper breakfast to distract him from taking another dose of the things he bought. Or was loaned anyway since he didn’t have a job or savings to pay for any of the products she found.

Taehyung didn’t even come to the table.

Instead as she walked towards the bedroom, she found him shirtless snorting something up his nose as he quickly threw his head back. Just hearing his sigh of relief made Belles’ stomach churn to near sickness.

Fuming, Belle grabbed whatever pieces of his stash she could find on the table and threw it in the bin pushing it away when he tried to savor anything that could be fished out. She saw his eyes widen so much that it almost seemed his eyeballs were going to fall on his hand.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” Taehyung yelled, voice growly while his nose still had remnants of white powder dripping and his eyes bloodshot more than ever. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to get shit like that?!”

“I don’t care, you’re done with this!” Belle stood her ground but kept her voice calm, her own glossy eyes fixated on his.

“You don’t fucking get it!” Taehyung winced, face contorting it looked like he was about to cry. “I need it, okay? And I got that shit from a guy that works in the Jeon Cartel!” He gestured over to the entrance of the apartment. “I can’t ask for anymore, I haven’t paid for anything.” He yanked at his hair whining under his breath like a spoiled child not getting the toy he wanted.

Belle shook her head slightly, tears forming at the brim of her eyes. “Tae…” Her voice grew shakier now. “How much do you owe them?” Her bottom lip quivered watching his chest rise and fall heavily.

He stayed silent averting his gaze.

“Taehyung.” Her tone quickly turned firm though her heart pounded painfully. “How much do you owe them?” Belle truly hated acting like the oldest between the two.

Taehyung used to take care of her every single day almost more than her own parents since they mostly focused on their oldest son because he had ‘a lot more potential’. Her stomach ached looking at all the potential slowly going down the drain right in front of her eyes.

“A few hundred…six…maybe seven…” Taehyung muttered trying not to look directly at her when he spoke. He probably knew exactly the kind of shock gripped her face and he was damn right.

Belles’ entire body turned cold, her fingers almost wanting to fish out the substances herself just knowing how much money it cost to get it. But she curled them up into fists wanting to look strong. “I don’t…know how it feels…I do know it hurts and I know why you’re doing this but…I can’t lose you too.” She whispered, vision getting blurry as a lump grew in her throat. “You’re my big brother, you’ve always looked after me.”

Taehyung bit down his bottom lip lowering his head in slight shame.

“Please let me look after you.” She pleaded in a whisper trying to search his expression, to see any sense of softness or thought.

Her brother sobbed a little, running his shaky fingers through his matted hair before nodding but still trying not to meet her gaze. “Okay.”

Belle let out a trembling sigh of relief, a tear escaping slowly down her cheek when she finally relaxed. “I have savings you can use to pay for the drugs you asked for.” She stated in a gentle tone this time as Taehyung stared at her, shaking his head.

“That’s your boutique money, you can’t—”

“Yes I can.” She forced a smile across her face to reassure him. “My boutique can wait. I want you to get better.”

Taehyung gulped down carefully padding over his sister before leaning his head on her shoulder at an attempt of a lazy hug. “I’m so sorry.” He whispered against the fabric of her sweater, a light whimper under his breath. “Thank you.”

The chill that spread through her body now warmed up as she wrapped her arms around her brother, feeling like the younger sister if only for a second. “Who do we have to pay?” Belle asked sniffling a little.

“My debts’ too high…” Taehyungs’ grip tightened around the girl. “…the guy who gave me the drugs tells me I need to go straight to the boss for questioning if I come back again.”

Oh god, Taehyung…what did you get yourself into?

-

Much to Taehyungs’ discontent, Belle insisted on coming with him with the envelope of the payment in her hand. She figured cash would be more believable instead of bank transferring especially since there was so much money piled up for just debt. Her older brother looked at her a little surprised at how well she knew how to maneuver these things. “Being in the fashion industry doesn’t just mean I draw and sew clothes, you know.” She replied simply as she drove the both of them to the address Taehyungs’ guy told him to go.

During the trip she wanted to mention how sneaky it was to just give them the address and not come along. But then again…this wasn’t exactly an ethical business to begin with.

Of course it wasn’t difficult in the slightest to find the Jeon household considering it was on the outskirts of the city. A large sandstone colored mansion with vines growing off of the sides and golden detail on the windows and pillars. They drove in front of the closed entrance where Taehyung told them his name and that he was being expected which thankfully caused the large gate to slide open with a painful screech sound.

Heart pounded so hard it could have ripped out of her ribcages, the hair on the back of her neck stood up and her palms a little sweaty. The guards lined up in front of the door with their suits and shades making her homemade white floral dress look like peasants work. Even from here she could recognize that those uniforms were not made from some random ordinary designer. Even though the design itself was quite ordinary.

Taehyung walked out of the car first before Belle followed suit.

As soon as she walked out, one of the guards held his hand out.

“Ma’am, the boss requests that you give away your car in the duration of the meeting.” He spoke in a robotic tone.

Belle wasn’t even sure if he was looking at her directly since the shades were so dark but she gave him her car keys anyway. The feeling of emptiness eerily seeping through her already nerve-wracked body. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how Taehyung must be feeling around all of this.

They were led into the mansion by three guards. The entrance was really just a big hall that stretched across the whole expanse of the building. When they passed a large open archway then Belle could see the furnished details; a few couches circled around in the middle of the large space with the fireplace behind the sitting, a bar on the far right with some maids tending to the dust while there were stairs on the left leading to the upper level.

Why would they want meet them personally for a few hundred dollars? It looked like a small loss looking at the quality of this whole building down to the outfits their guards were wearing.

Maybe it was more greed than the amount of the money.

“Please be seated. Master Jeon will speak to you shortly.” The same guard declared before moving back to his post and standing there like a statue.

Taehyung and Belle sat at the couch that faced the fireplace. Thankfully the maids were kind enough to turn it on since she hadn’t realized how cool it was going to be in the house. They offered them tea which they both turned down. An empty stomach meant less likely for her to throw up from the anxiousness. Taehyung, on the other hand, lost interest for food altogether barely eating anything but crumbs.

She noticed the hollowness of his cheeks and the darkness under his eyes. How long had it been since she saw a smile stretching across his lips? Taehyung used to be filled with light and passion beyond anything Belle had ever seen. He was the reason she pushed herself to pursue her own dreams despite the side-eyes from their parents. He defended her passion. He protected from unfair treatment always giving her shine he thought she deserved.

Now Belle had to repay the favor. She needed to encourage her brother to restart his path back to one that made him happy instead of one that slowly destroyed him to the core.

Footsteps brought her back out from her thoughts, eyes trailing over to the stairs. A tall built figure dressed in an all-white suit with a button-up shirt to match, loosely done up so his gold necklace could glimmer in the light. Belle noticed the gold cufflinks shimmering from his wrists. Hair styled somewhat neatly with a side part and strands hovering his eye when he moved, lips a rosy hue and his face looked for younger than she expected.

When people said ‘drug lord’ she imagined a stumpy old creep with similar attire except traditionally unkempt with facial hair and untrimmed chest hair that hung over their shirts.

Despite his pleasant appearance, Belle was not going to be blinded to the fact that this man thrived off of her brothers’ suffering.

The man finally met her gaze after only glancing a little at Taehyung before sitting down on the couch in front of them. Legs spread apart ever so slightly, he leaned back with one of his arms extended out. “Mr. Kim.” He spoke in a soft tone, eyes going back to her older brother now. “Do you recognize who I am?” He searched his expression.

Taehyung kept his head lowered but nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Who am I?” He pressed on like a father calmly scolding his child.

“M-Master Jeon Jungkook…” He muttered helplessly almost glancing up to meet his gaze but quickly looking down once again.

“So you do know…” Jungkook nodded, pressing his lips together. “Here I was thinking you consider me a joke. Taking bags and bags of my products while assuming I won’t try to track you down. Is that you what you thought of me?” His tone grew firmer.

Unlike Taehyung, Belle kept her head up, maintaining her gaze on the stranger. It seemed like Jungkook had a good eye for noticing when he flickered over to look at her instead.

“No, sir.” Taehyung shook his head frantically. “I-I just n-needed to get my money together.” He explained in a shaky voice not noticing that his precious ‘sir’ was staring at Belle a lot longer than she was comfortable.

Maybe he was waiting for her to duck her head down like her older brother.

The urge to do so was stronger than ever but Belle persisted. Until Jungkook glanced over at Taehyung again.

Her brothers’ fingers trembled violently at this point. Belle itched to comfort him somehow but she wanted him to try and face on his own to some extent. Coming here and sitting next to him was already being far too lenient but she couldn’t let him do this completely alone. Not when the healing process was so fresh and people like Jungkook would do anything to make sure he stayed addicted.

“Where’s the money?” Jungkook gestured towards him.

Belle took a small breath, placing the envelope on her lap onto the glass coffee table. “One of your men said he owed seven hundred.” She spoke up now trying to keep her voice as steady as possible even though her heart was beating out of control. “The envelope has eight just in case he wasn’t accurate.” A chilly feeling brushed over her body when her savings just sat there on the coffee table. Nothing but petty money for Jungkook but to her, it was the only way she could afford the vacant building in the city for her boutique.

“And you are?”

“His sister.” She muttered, glancing over at Taehyung who let out a deep sigh.

Jungkook stared down at the thick envelope for a few minutes with a raised brow. “Jongho…” He curled his fingers in towards a guard who quickly rushed over to stand beside him. “Please escort Mr. Kim to the second living room for a moment. I’d like to have a word with Ms…”

“Belle.”

“Belle…” The corner of his lip curled up before he gestured again towards the man called Jongho and he immediately led Taehyung away from them.

Belles’ heart raced seeing his helpless face looking back at her not sure if he was trying to apologize or if he was terrified of why they were being separated. “Why’re you taking him away?” She asked, being as polite as possible but her tightening fists told a different story.

“I’m not going to hurt him.” Jungkook murmured. He leaned in to rest his elbows on his knees, eyes searching her expression closely. “I thought it’d be better if I had a private conversation with a more steady minded person rather than your brother.” He nodded behind her.

Her brows furrowed glancing down at the closed envelope before staring up at him. “We got you the money, why do we need to have a conversation?” Belle’s voice was low just enough for only Jungkook to hear and no one else. Not that she could raise her voice even if she tried from how closed up her throat was.

“Because I’m honorable to an extent but I also hate people taking advantage of my kindness.” Jungkook shrugged lightly. “Your brother had been freely given all the products he consumed and he waited three months to give me my payment.” He let his sentence linger in the air to add more effect. “Three months of losing product and receiving no profit in return is not a risk I like making, Belle. Nor do I want to make it again.”

“So…what’re you saying?” Belle thought of the worst possible scenarios. Would they take Taehyung away and punish him? Or kill him? Was he being punished right now and Jungkook was just lying to prevent a scene? She watched his soft eyes trail up and down her form trying to be subtle but Belle caught it immediately feeling the urge to hide away into the couch.

“I’m saying the deal’s changed.” Jungkook declared in the most casual way like you would cancel a simple outing to the mall. “Look I can get money anytime I want to…you know that, don’t you?” He tilted his head a little searching her features. “I asked for this personal meeting on the basis of principle. Taehyung and many people like him need to understand that we stand by codes just as much as anyone. I’m not a money pig that just drools and accepts cash when it’s given to me.” He raised a brow.

Belle winced lightly, shaking her head. “Then why are we here? What do you want?”

Jungkook did nothing for a minute and gave her a soft smile. “Something he can take a little more seriously than cash…well—someone.”

Blood drained from her body from her aching head to her toes. Belle pierced into his smug gaze hoping…praying that he didn’t meant what she thought. The last thing she ever looked to be afraid of but now became the ultimate bane of her visit.

A visit thought to be quick and sweet with cash exchanged. How could she be surprised? These people wanted so much but still asked for more. What more could she expect from the man that took just to have the power to take some more? “Taehyung’s a good man.” She whispered. “He won’t do this again.”

“That’s what a lot of people tell me for years about their relatives or friends, Belle.” Jungkook murmured under his breath keeping the conversation to themselves despite the maids and guards standing around. “My grandfather heard it…my father heard it…every single time those people come back begging for more and then we get blamed for the dead bodies.” He sighed in slight defeat but she didn’t buy it in the slightest.

There was nothing noble about this request. If he were any other man gaining the audacity to say something like this, he would expect a hard punch on his nose. Except now it wasn’t just her own safety in question. Nor was Jungkook any ordinary man who could be taken by police or a punch looking at his build. “What am I supposed to do?” Belle murmured, heat flushing in her body making her more exasperated than grateful at the running fireplace.

Once again, a smile stretched across Jungkooks’ rosy lips. If it were taken out of context you’d think he was some sweet boy admiring something. But the reality was far from that lie. “You’re not going to be my prisoner, if that’s what you’re asking.” He smiled a little wider, eyes glimmering. “I’m not that evil.”

Debatable.

“You’re a lot more intelligent than you let on.”

“You just met me.”

“But I meet a lot of people…a little too many. So I tend to rely on first impressions and hope I’m right.” Jungkook shrugged.

“And if you’re wrong?”

He chuckled under his breath gesturing over to his guards. “They’re not there for decoration…and I don’t always negotiate like this. I’m just having a good day.” She saw his expression grow dark but the smile still remained making him look utterly sinister.

Visions of Taehyung tied to a chair, sobbing flashed across her mind making her mentally slap herself back to reality. She couldn’t look weak in front of him of all people. That’s what he wanted…for people to cower in front of him as he spewed his threats around to get everything he asked for. But denying him completely and storming out wouldn’t exactly be the smartest decision either considering she didn’t actually know where her brother was. The mansion was still mystery to her and Jungkook could easily hurt any of them as he so subtly stated with that stupid, fucking smile.

“So…what do you say, Belle? Do we have an accord?”

-

Taehyung was led back into the main living room, slightly yanking off of Jongho’ grasp and giving him a glare when he walked away. He looked over at Belle, her back facing him standing in front of Jungkook. “Belle?”

Belle looked over her shoulder and gave him a smile as she walked closer. She let out a sigh of relief seeing no sign of injury on the older male.

“Did he do something to you?” After the longest time, Taehyung sounded like an older brother again looking after Belle whenever she looked the slightest bit distressed. “What did he say?” He whispered.

She stayed silent, gaze lowered to look at his T-shirt before flickering up to force a smile at him. “It’s going to be okay.” Belle murmured. “He even offered to pay for your rehabilitation and get you back on your feet.”

Brows furrowed now gaining the urge to glance over at Jungkook but he couldn’t seem to stop searching his sisters’ expression. “Why would he want to pay for—”

“I told him to.” Belle gulped, smile fading away into a small frown.

“Belle, we can’t pay him back for all of that.” Taehyung held onto her bare arms feeling the cold skin underneath his.

She nodded. “Yes we can. He’s only asking for one thing.”

“…What?” He whispered.

Belle bit down her bottom lip, chin quivering a little before she smiled again even though her eyes grew glossy. “He wants me.”

Taehyungs’ heart plummeted making his whole body feel heavy. “No…” He shook his head, grip tightening around her arms as if she was going to disappear if he let go. “He can’t do that.”

“I agreed.”

“Belle!” It was more a loud whisper than anything but it managed to turn a few heads. “He’s going t—”

“I know what he’s going to do.” Belle rubbed his chest soothingly. “But this is the only way I can help you.”

“You have the money, why won’t he take it?” He gestured towards the envelope on the coffee table which now looked long forgotten.

Belle lowered her gaze. “Because he thinks you’ll just do it all again. He doesn’t trust you.”

“And you trust him?” Taehyung retorted causing heat to bubble up inside Belle.

“I trust you to do your part in this promise.” She tightened her jaw, wincing as the lump in her throat grew painful. “Unless you have a better idea to escape a pissed off drug lord then you will do this.” Tears flooded at her eyes threatening to escape but her gaze persisted on him. “Please promise me you’ll try to get better from now on.” Her lips quivered. “I didn’t know how else to help you. But now you need to help me. You need to heal and get back on your feet.”

Taehyung brushed against his fingers through the hair rested on her shoulder. “What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me.” Belle shook her head as an attempt to reassure him but he didn’t look at all convinced. “I’ll be fine.” She smiled faintly, a few tears escaping down her cheeks which he wiped off gently.

“I’m so sorry…” He whimpered, fingers curling around her hair. “This is all my fault, I should’ve just come here on my own.”

“He would’ve killed you.”

“But you’d be happy.”

Belle chuckled sadly. “You really think I’d be happy if I lost you?”

“But you wouldn’t be here.” Taehyung side glanced over at the guards who looked completely unfazed by the whole ordeal while Jungkook had his back turned to them, gazing out into the garden outside.

“Everything’s going to be fine.” Belle wasn’t sure if that was directed at her brother or herself. Was this meant to be her big fork in the road? The path she was supposed to determine her whole life. Maybe her parents were right. Maybe she was amount to only one thing… but she’d be caught dead before she cowered begging before people like Jungkook. If he wanted her then he could have her. But he’d be an idiot to think she wasn’t going to use that to her own advantage one day. “We’re allowed to see each other so you’re not losing me, okay? I’ll be there whenever you need me.”

Taehyung sighed in frustration averting his gaze, boring holes in the back of Jungkooks’ head with his glare. “I want to kill him.”

“Then we’ll never get out of here.” Belle replied simply.

Finally Taehyung succumbed to his sisters’ wishes, pressing a soft kiss on her forehead before letting go, physically deflating as he was led out of the mansion by one of the guards.

One of them, same Jongho walked over to her. “I’ll drive him back safely, Ms. Kim.” He gave her a reassuring smile before following Taehyung out of the mansion.

The double doors closed blocking out whatever light that came from it leaving her empty.

“Taehyung will call you when he gets home. So you know he’s safe.” Jungkook spoke up now in a gentle tone but Belle kept her back to him. “And your personal belongings will be moved here in a few days.”

She licked her lips before lowering her gaze, letting a few silent sobs before wiping the tears away. “Where can I freshen up?” Belle looked down at her fingers seeing the light mascara smudges, trying to wipe at the corners of his eyes to wipe any traces away.

Jungkook seemed like he gestured towards one of the maids because a kind looking woman padded over and touched her on the shoulder.

Her grey hair wrapped up in a bun and the smile lines around her face showed when she gave her a sweet grin, making her look like the only person that seemed somewhat trustworthy in this building. “Let’s go upstairs, dear.” She held onto her arms and led her towards the stairs. “I’ll get some new clothes sent up as well.”

Belle didn’t glance at Jungkook but she could feel his gaze on her when she was led up the stairs to the now shared master bedroom.

-

Similar to what a hotel suite would look like, the master bedroom adorned a modern design with an opaque black curtains drawn to keep the room cool and ambient with the warm lights. A king-sized bed with classic white sheets with some gold detail matching the aesthetic of the whole mansion itself. There was a marble partition that had a small gap on the bottom with a modern looking fireplace on to keep the room warm, situated on the immediate left when they walked in.

On the other side of the partition was a desk with a closed laptop and some files. Another open archway on the right that led to a walk-in-wardrobe with lit up shelves that accentuated all the different shoes and shirts.

Upon walking through the archway into the wardrobe, on the right, there was the private bathroom just as big as every other small area in the monster of a bedroom.

Belle was led into the bathroom by the kind maid where she saw a shower that could have been the size of her laundry room, a sink just in front of it with a bathtub on the far end. The white bathtub contrasted against the grey marble floor with a large window that showed a forest-like view.

“It’s an illusion.” The maid explained as if to reassure her that her baths were not going to be displayed out into the world. “The Master asked for a glass case that held shrubs but the foggy forest is an intricate painting by one of the familys’ personal artists. He likes the feeling of being disconnected from the modern world when he’s relaxing.”

Normally the design would impress her greatly. The idea of having the illusion of a calm forest without the hassle of actually moving to one was genius and the greyish light gave the bathroom a relaxing morning feel. Right now however it made her feel more trapped than ever. Even the view outside was just an illusion in her new cage. Nothing felt solid and real at this point like Belle was a ghost floating around in a dream that never seemed to end.

“Your towels are over on the stand there, dear. I’ll have robes and a change of clothes brought to you outside soon.” The maid smiled patting her lightly on her arm. “Don’t fret too much, darling. I don’t think the master has any intention of hurting you.”

“It’s not him hurting me that’s making me nervous.” Belle smiled sadly, grateful that the woman even cared to reassure her somehow.

“Ah…” The maid smiled and nodded knowingly. “I’ll get you some of my special tea…it calmed me down on my wedding night.”

Belle’s heart sank seeing the woman smile at her a little sadly too. “Is the secret ingredient whiskey?” She tried to lighten the mood which successfully made the woman chuckle. Somehow seeing the way the woman helped her in her own way reminded her of why she was in this glass case in the first place. She remembered Taehyung smiling again, throwing away all the things that tarnished all the peace in his heart and being free. She needed to be strong.

“Not really but…I’ll see what I can do.” She whispered the last bit with a cheeky smile before turning on her heel to leave Belle in a few moments of solitary freedom at the very least.

-

It may have been dark by now.

At least when Belle peeked the slightest outside the curtained window, the sun had been dipping into the hills to give the sky a pinkish hue. Her heart pounded at the lack of notifications from her brother. Her body felt fresher now that she had a comfortable long white nightie with a thin robe to keep her arms somewhat cozy. But skin still heated up significantly with her anxiety.

Then minutes passed before her phone buzzed and her heart released a thousand sighs of relief seeing Taehyung’s name.

“Belle?”

“Yes it’s me.” Belle whispered with a biggest grin on her face from the sheer relief. “You went home okay? They didn’t hurt you?”

“No, no they were just… fine.” Confusion trailed in Taehyung’s voice. “That guy has way too much fucking power, they just dropped me off and left saying they’ll come back to drop me off at the rehab center. Normally his men tried to rough me up whenever they saw me.”

“That’s because they knew you’re the guy that doesn’t pay.” Belle cringed mentally hearing herself defend their actions but…she was a little too good at considering perspectives, she guessed.

“I guess…also I’m the one who’s supposed to be asking you if you’re okay.” Taehyung corrected but Belle let his words linger in the air for a moment.

Sitting in the luxury bedroom wearing a clearly quality robe with people working at her beck and call, in a first glance people would call her lucky. Digging deeper into the surface and seeing that Belle was manipulated into being in his position then people would call Jungkook a monster.

Was it only one of them? Was it both? Was it neither? Was this just a game that Belle had no choice but to play for a time until her brother got better? How far did Jungkook even think this through? Why was he so interested in manipulating Taehyung the most? Did he do this to every sister, brother or parent that came around? Did they even come this far?

“Belle, you still there?”

“Yeah…yeah, I’m okay. I’m just sitting.” She quickly explained.

The thoughts crowded in her head making it ache but thankfully the maid—her name she found out was Nana—gave her a piping hot cup of tea apparently laced with some herbs that helped calm anxiety and nerves. It was an ancient herb given to young girls so they could go through their wedding night without having an anxiety attack or breaking down. Blowing away some of the steam, Belle took a few sips ignoring the bitter taste on her tongue.

“I don’t know what he wants yet but I think I have an idea.” Belle spoke solemnly.

“You really don’t have to do this, Belle.” Taehyung whispered desperately.

“We don’t have any other choice.”

“You could just come back home and I’ll just handle it.”

“You had three months to handle it.” Her voice grew firm quicker than she even expected but she kept her head cool. Silence ran on the other end of the line making Belle sigh to calm herself down. “We just need to keep our heads. We’ll be fine.” She didn’t mean to make her tone sound so dreary but this wasn’t exactly the cheeriest of moments in her life. Her fingers absentmindedly played with the fabric of her soft nightie trying to empty her mind for a little while. “I need to go, okay? I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Okay…Belle…”

“Yeah?”

“…I love you. Be safe.”

The lump in her throat grew again suffocating her when she forcefully swallowed it down. “I love you too.” Belle whispered before hanging up. Taking longer sips from her tea now, it took a few seconds for her feel her limbs loosen like ice melting near a fireplace. Her body cooled down from her heated anxiety to a comfortable warmth she could melt into without the worries of the troubles around her.

For a moment, she could close her eyes and relish in the new found relief wanting to silently thank Nana for providing her this cup of momentary tranquility.

The door opened with the familiar white-suited man walking in giving her a glance as he shrugged his blazer off. “Nana got you some clothes…good.” Jungkook muttered, walking into the walk-in wardrobe and placing his blazer back before taking off his cufflinks when he walked back in the bedroom. “Is it comfortable?”

“Yes.” Belle replied, brushing her palms across the smooth sleeves of the robe. She never worked with satin a lot but whenever she felt it under her skin it gave her the tingle of pure luxury. “I just spoke to Taehyung…he came home safe.”

“I told you he would.” Jungkook murmured, unbuttoning his shirt and shrugging it off his shoulder before placing into a hamper for the maids to take care of.

Belle noticed the stencil like silhouette of a phoenix etched into the right side of his chest as he walked over to his side of the bed. “You kept to your word. Thank you.” Not that you deserve it but…common courtesy.

She caught a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips while he unbuckled his belt and threw it on the floor.

“Do I sense a little bitterness, Ms. Kim?” Jungkook mused.

“Why? You don’t like a little bitter taste on your tongue?” Snakes must get used to it by now, she thought.

“I know you’re not a fan of me.” He stated the fucking obvious. “But you could say no anytime. I’ll just deal with your brother without bothering you again.”

Belle tightened her jaw, gripping onto the fabric of her nightie averting her gaze forcing a long silence to plunge into the room.

Jungkook finally sighed. “I didn’t mean that.” He muttered but Belle was mostly trying to focus back on the relaxation the tea gave her again. “Our accord is as solid any other contract so I’m not allowed to touch your brother…while you’re still with me anyway.”

“Is this how you get all your girls?”

He chuckled walking over and standing in front of Belle, forcing her to look up at him. “Would you be pleased if I said no?” Jungkook placed an index finger under her chin while his thumb hovered for a moment over her lips.

“Only if it’s the truth.” Belle replied simply, her knees melting into the surface of the bed.

Jungkook smirked moving his hands into her hair. “I don’t invite just anyone in my bed, no. But you’re not just anyone.”

“Why do you think that?” She asked as he slowly leaned in closer, fingers sliding down the crook of her neck letting the sleeves of her robe and nightie slip down with a mere touch.

“Because you were the only one brave enough to come this far.” He whispered pushing down the other side of her sleeves to leave her shoulders exposed. “Girls love the bad boys but never seem to understand what they’re asking for.” Cold fingers brushed against her collarbones, across her chest up her neck until he finally caressed her bottom lip with his index finger.

They want a fairytale. Beauty and the Beast. But eventually they find out that the Beast was never a prince in the first place. They realize that a mere kiss won’t break the curse.

“You know exactly what you’re asking for… don’t you?” Jungkook asked in a tone of a warm coo.

I’m not asking for this, Belle bit her tongue. But I do know what I’m getting myself into. What you gave me no choice but to get into. She stared at him determined to keep his gaze no matter how much she wanted to close her eyes. He wasn’t going to overpower her, not in that way. I received a beast instead of a prince…but you’re not getting any vulnerable fucking princess either. Keeping her eyes on his, she parted her lips and took his finger into her mouth barely waiting for Jungkook to make any move before she began suckling on it.

“Of course you do.” The mere action was enough of an answer for the male as his smirk grew darker. Jungkook took his finger away pushing down her nightie and robe further down until her breasts were displayed to him.

Belle was grateful for the warmth from the fireplace spreading through the room at his point. But in mere seconds Jungkook used his glistening finger to brush across her nipple causing it to stand erect almost instantly. A light gasp caught in her throat as she pressed her palms on the surface of the bed making her chest push out a little. When she threw her head back a little, he quickly took the opportunity to devour her lips, tongue pushing against her teeth which she kept clamp shut.

Long enough for him to get impatient and bite down her bottom lip a little. Then she allowed him to push through and explore her mouth. Jungkook knelt down but kept their lips locked as he sneaked his hands under her nightie, pushing the soft fabric, nails grazing against her skin causing a tingle down her spine.

Belle lifted a little to let him push the dress further up until he completely pulled both pieces of clothing off over her head. Before she could even comprehend her exposure, he picked her up a little and shifted so she could rest her head on the silk pillows. Her heart raced against her ribcages but she stopped being sure of why at this point, instead she thought about the herbs Nana gave her. Maybe thinking about how it can help would psychologically increase its effects? Stupid but maybe.

When she looked down at the male out of curiosity, she saw him discard his pants and boxers before climbing back onto the bed.

Belle kept her legs closed loosely before he pushed them apart, hands gliding down her inner thighs to her panties. His thumb pressed against the clothing right against her hiding nub making her jerk her hips a little at the suddenly awakened nerves.

He didn’t waste any time to hook the hem of her panties and strip it off her before dipping down in between her legs. His mouth feasted on her clit, tongue licking around her slit before sliding in teasingly slow and moving back to suckling on her bundle of nerves.

Her chest rose and fell as her eyes focused more on the ceiling, biting onto her bottom lip, light whimpers emitting from under her breath.

Jungkook released her clit with a pop sound before settling his hips between her legs. His already hardened shaft teased her slit a little more, wet sounds tickling her ears before she felt him stretch her out.

A moan finally erupted from her throat, clenching around him making him groan.

“It’s okay…” He whispered in her ear when she turned her head to the side. “Does it hurt a lot?”

Belle’s head felt like it was trying to find a straight line in a completely scribbled piece of paper. Her core ached for a moment. She felt Jungkooks’ thumb rub at her clit making her walls relax a little as she focused on the light wash of pleasure rushing across her lower body. Slowly she shook her head moving back to face him again. “No…it’s okay.” She whispered, meeting his gaze when he still wasn’t moving. Leaning up she pressed a shy kiss on his lips.

It took mere seconds before Jungkook began moving in and out of her, still slowly rubbing circles on her erect clit.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, their foreheads pressed against each other as he grinded into her slightly nudging the spot that sent sparks through her body.

His pace quickened, both hands pressed down on the surface of the bed as he thrusted into her in a steady pattern letting the sounds of skin slapping linger in the air.

Belles’ skull felt numb, her mind locked up all her thoughts and allowed her body to succumb to his consistent pounding. Head threw back against the pillow as he chased his own orgasm, her own juices spluttering onto his lower belly. She hummed lightly under her breath which seemed to encourage Jungkook to go faster until the bed started to shift.

Jungkook lowered down a bit more, pressing wet kisses on her neck, trying to muffle his moans against her skin as his thrusts grew sloppy.

Belle felt a gentle wave of pleasure before Jungkook quickly pulled out with his release splattering all over her belly. She let out a small sigh, rubbing circles on her clit again to prolong her small climax before her bundle felt too sensitive to touch making her legs close up again. She watched the other male catch his breath still kneeling in front of her before crashing on the space beside her.

Whatever piece of physical satisfaction swirled around her body melted quickly into her chest clenching painfully. It didn’t take too long for her to notice all too clearly what spilt on her skin but Jungkook had already pulled out a wash cloth and wiped her clean. The traces still burrowed in her mind now.

Jungkook threw the wash cloth away before resting back on the bed again, shutting his eyes for a moment. Both of them catching their breaths and finally dwindling back to their fucked up reality.

“I can’t break this deal.” He murmured looking up at ceiling similar to her. “If I do, I’ll have to kill your brother.”

Belle swallowed the lump in her throat, a small tear spilling from the corner of her eye. “Am I supposed to be your sex toy until you’re done with me?”

“Contrary to popular belief, I’m not allowed to have…sex toys.” Jungkook sighed. “There’s another reason why I changed the deal.”

She finally turned her head to face him, brows furrowing. “What did you not tell me?”

The male took a deep breath before meeting her gaze. “My uncle and aunt have been forcing me to get married to someone of their choice. It’s gotten so pressing to a point where they’ve paid them to seduce me so it doesn’t look arranged.” Jungkook explained, running his fingers through his hair before resting on his head on his arm. “My rejections have stopped working. So I thought I should get a courtship with someone I choose before I’ll have to succumb to my uncle and aunts’ wishes.”

Belle could practically hear her own heart slamming out of her ears, more tears burning in her eyes. “So… you just…saw me and decided that you were going to make me your wife?”

“Did you want me to ask for your parents’ blessing or something?”

She averted her gaze back to the ceiling. “My parents are dead.”

“…I didn’t—”

“Of course you didn’t fucking know, we don’t know each other.” Belle inhaled a shaky breath before closing her eyes to calm herself down.

You are a fucking beast.

“Darling I gave you a chance to turn back.”

“So you wouldn’t hurt my brother.”

“Your brother was already dead if he kept going the way he did.” Jungkook winced a little before sighing in frustration. “I told you I’m not trying to be evil. A lot of people look at me when they want to see power. The world I live in chews up people who are too merciful.”

“My brother is innocent.” Belle sobbed lightly, forcefully biting down her bottom lip.

“He’s vulnerable to what I offer. Did you really think he was going to stop taking drugs just because he paid the money?” Jungkooks’ question lingered in the air for a while. “Correction: just because you paid the money.”

“So you want me to be your wife…” She swallowed thickly. “…or you’ll kill my brother.”

“When you say it that way, I do sound evil.” Jungkook pondered. “But yes. Everything else in the deal still stays the same. You’re free to do whatever you want.”

“Except leave you.” Belle corrected.

“Except leave me.” Jungkook confirmed in the most casual fucking tone ever.

Belle did nothing but stay silent and turn to her side, back facing him making the male sigh in slight defeat. She felt his hand on her shoulder squeezing slightly as if it was going to give her any kind of comfort.

“A lot of marriages can be worse than this, you know.” He squeezed it again. “You’re going to have to work with me for this to run a lot smoother, yeah? You did so well today.” Jungkook pressed a gentle kiss on her shoulder. “I promise it won’t feel so bad after a while.”

She knew now. Kissing the beast didn’t break the curse.

It made one.

NEXT CHAPTER >>

[harfanfare]

I saw this post and I was wondering if you write Malleus' too, is okay for you to make that?

How to win a heart of Malleus Draconia?

a/n: I started posting my writings here because I want to improve my English — so I technically wouldn't make this request. But! Someone on Wattpad (where I take requests) asked for the same thing, so I rolled up my sleeves and wrote this guide today in both languages. Enjoy~

1. Don't be afraid of him.

It is said that the first impression is the most important.

So when you first saw this guy walking through the corridor of Diasomnia, it was hard for you to get rid of that view from your head.

Illuminated both by the green magic flames set in the lobby, as well as by the moon, which eventually managed to break through the dark clouds and with a bright glow appear in the windows of the dormitory, he seemed... lonely and beautiful.

You shuddered as you took a step down the hallway and the dark-haired man turned to you. He measured you with his emerald eyes. And then you recognized him; all the conversations about the mysterious and fearsome Malleus Draconia flew through your head.

Everything told you to rush towards the hallway and run as far as possible, but a piece of you found it inappropriate. Or rather, no one would want to chase everyone away from themself... right?

When you realized you were looking at him for a while, you took a deep breath and nod slightly.

"Good evening, Draconia-san," you said quickly. After a while you added, "The moon is beautiful today, don't you think?”

 2. Smile a lot.

Today was a really wonderful day: the test was postponed, your favorite dish was given in the canteen, and for some reason, the last two lessons were canceled – your class had to make just a quick note about a topic and it took less than fifteen minutes.

"Something happened?" Malleus asked, seeing how almost in the jumps you walk past him. When you looked at him, he added, "You smile a lot.”

"I can stop smiling if you want," you made a sad face, but after a while, the corners of your mouth began to tremble uncontrollably and twisted up again. "Oops, I can’t. Today... it was such a good day... that I think I'm slowly using my life's happiness.”

"I didn't say that smiling is bad," he said. "You look so much better when you smile.”

"Oh," you sighed with apparent surprise. "Is it a compliment?"

"It’s rather a fact..?"

 3. From time to time visit him during club activities.

"Is this a class of the ‘Gargoyle research society club’?” with a deaf knock you opened the door. Malleus turned to you, making a break from browsing through the materials gathered in the library about the history of each of the gargoyles on the school grounds. And there were a lot of them.

"Yes," he replied briefly, getting up. "Do you need something, [Name]?"

"Not at all, my club don’t have a meeting today," you said, closing the door behind you.

You looked around: the room was as clean as ever, except for one desk, where were laid several huge volumes about statues in NRC.

“Are you here alone?” You said before you thought. You lowered your eyes to see Malleus nodding unconcerned slightly. You blinked several times trying to think of what else you could say. "This room... could be a secret base," that was the first thing that came to your mind. Malleus turned his head to one side, uncertain of your response.

“A secret base..? Why?”

"I have no idea," you admitted quickly. "But the very existence of a mysterious point is interesting, isn't it? Doing normal things, such as watching movies or just talking, seems more interesting in places like this,” After a moment of silence, you sighed. "You know what, this idea with the base is stupid”

"We can try," he replied with serious tone. You raised your eyes to see how he looked around the room. "But you'll just have to explain this idea to me in more detail. We can also tell Lilia, Silver and Sebek about it...” he smiled as if seeing your five together in his thoughts was a pleasure. "It will be surely... fun.”

 4. Get yourself a Tamagotchi.

"Look!" you spin a new key chain on your finger. You finally stopped and showed it to Malleus. "Now they are matching!”

A small electronic toy, in a dark green screen that, when it flashed, showed a virtual, pixelated animal. You were impressed with how good quality it was made, especially since you only gave the Shroud brothers a sketch of a toy that Malleus owned.

Your keychain was exactly the same, just a different color and with another pet.

Malleus pulled out his own device and put it on the table. He pressed one of the buttons and a small pet appeared on the keychain – a dragon.

"They can now be friends," you brought your toy closer to so-called Gao-Gao Dragon-kun.

"Do you think so?" He asked in a very surprised tone, but it sounded as if in a moment he were about to burst out with an inexplicably joyful and surprised laugh.

"Of course. Everyone needs a decent friend, no?”

 5. Gain the trust of Lilia, Silver and Sebek.

Lilia, one of Malleus' closest people. It is much more likely that you will meet him before Malleus. He will be very proud when he learns that Malleus has found a friend. If you become a taster of Lilia, in terms of his pastries, he will 100% like you, and at 20% you will leave the kitchen alive and well.

Silver, who has mastered the art of sleeping in any conditions. It's easy to get him into your plans, although with the craziest ones he will hesitate. Rather well-disposed towards everyone, he can cover for you when you are not in class— but he usually inadvertently falls asleep and both of you often have penal assignments after school.

Sebek, faithful to Malleus, if he doesn't like you, you won't have too many opportunities to stay by Malleus's side without a thunderous glances at you. He will recognize you if you will listen carefully to his monologues about his master and as a sign of your friendship, he will teach you by heart of all the titles and achievements of Malleus so far.

With this trio by your side, you can get a lot further than you might have imagined...

 6. Be a master in hide and seek.

You’d give your right arm that your breath was too loud.

You pressed your hands to your mouth as you crouched in the corner of the room.

From whose voices you already heard, you knew that Lilia had already found Sebek. This meant that you or Silver would still be helping cook dinner since Malleus didn’t come at the start of the game.

This may seem silly, but the ability to play classic games was one of the elements of the art of survival in Diasomnia.

It was thanks to games like ‘stone-paper-scissors’, hide and seek or tag that household chores fell on the shoulders of the losers. Lilia loved the idea, and there was always a proud smile on his lips when he saw his beloved children play together.

You heard the steps behind you and shivered.

Very slowly you turned around and looked up to see Malleus standing over you and wondering what you were doing, crouching in the darkest corner of the room.

Puns were also included in the survival pack.

Fearing that Lilia would hear your whisper, you put your finger on your mouth, asking him not to say a word. You put a begging eye into it – all but not cooking with Lilia. Not again.

Malleus nodded, recognizing the gravity of the situation, although he smiled.

Really, no one would want Malleus to be an enemy.

Or at least in such a situation.

 7. Do not hesitate to ask him for help with learning.

"In theory, you should focus on the space around you," Malleus pulled a wand in front of him. It flashed, and almost at the same time, a thin but incredibly strong protective barrier was created around him. “Weaker spells can be reflected. In turn, the stronger ones are better to block”

You nodded understandingly.

Defensive magic was not something easy to understand. Most depended on the person against whom the counter spell was being prepared. And there are countless people who walk on this Earth and want to start fights.

"Unique spells block or avoid physically," he continued. You nodded at every subsequent sentence, slowly feeling like all the lessons are eventually gaining transparency. “Using unique magic against unique magic, the stronger will win, both will lead to explosions or completely reduce.

He looked at you when you wrote down the last sentence in your notebook.

"I sincerely hope that you will only need this information in class," he said with a sigh. "If you need help, call me. I will come. I promise.”

 8. Sometimes be persuaded to wear extravagant clothes.

"Do you really think it suits me?" you turned around, looking at yourself from every possible angle in the mirror.

You were going to the theater in a few classes to see some era-related play that you've been discussing now in history lessons. Everyone, respecting the reputation, actions and achievements of theatre, dressed in their best clothes.

Malleus stood next to you.

He was already wearing a black and white outfit with green accessories. They all worked so well together and fitted him like a glove that you were sure that the whole outfit was made especially for him.

"Yes," he replied. "Everything you put on today suited you very well.”

Once again, with critical eyesight, you looked at the outfit, face and hair, before you quickly turned off the lights in the room and closed the door behind you.

Then you smiled at Malleus.

"We can go now," you said. You made your way through the portal to the main NRC building. "And... thank you for your help.

"My pleasure," he said. Under no circumstances was it just a polite formula. He really loved looking at you.

 9. Invite him to your birthday/party.

"Another break from school soon, huh?" — you muttered, leaning against the railing.

You took a deep breath and let the fresh, pleasant air refresh you.

"Are you going to home, [Name]?" Malleus asked. Green lights were still flying around him, so you guessed he’d just appeared here.

"I haven't decided yet," you sighed. "It would be nice to go home, but the break won't be very long... Ah, that's right!” you straightened up and turned to him. "How about spending another break together? As soon as I can, I will contact my family... although I cannot promise anything.”

Though he did not show it, Malleus' heart beat a little faster.

Spend free time? With someone? With someone he likes?

"Of course," he sounded less calm than he thought. He wasn’t often invited anywhere, even for the things he should have been on, so there was a lot of excitement growing in his body. "I don't see anything against it.”

 10. From "The Great Malleus Draconia-sama" to "Love".

"Ah, The Great Malleus-sama!" you sighed theatrically, taking from him a box of chocolates with a joyful smile. You could promise that because of this dark-haired boy here, you slowly become pampered. "Thank you for your generosity!”

Malleus frowned.

"The Great Malleus-sama"..?” he pondered, putting his fingers to his chin. "Did Sebek told you again to call me with this title?"

"No," you laughed softly at his reaction. "I did it out of curiosity. Maybe I could call you some cute nickname, hmm?" you smiled mischievously.

"For example?"

"By adding ‘-chan’ to your name?” you turned on your phone and typed something related to the nicknames. You started reading suggestions and struggled to hold back from laughing. ” ’Sunshine’, ‘star’, ‘flower’, ‘sweetheart’, ‘love’...

"I like the last one," he said, and the invisible force stung you to the ground.

"Would you like me to call you like that? Out of curiosity or out of love?" You laughed, but your cheeks were all red with blushes.

He smiled sincerely at your reaction.

"Hmm, I wonder..?"