#circular lifestyle

[cognitivejustice]

LOCATION: Tha Wang Pha, Nan ESTABLISHED: 2013

To create food security, generate income from surplus produce and bolster biodiversity, Nan Agri-Nature Center is applying an agricultural theory made famous in Thailand by a revered monarch. In less than a decade, the center’s 4,000 graduates have fanned out across the country to spread the word about the benefits of integrated farming and the potential of an entire lifestyle centered on the circular economy

[toyastales]

Gather around the table.

[beingjellybeans]

Reuse & Refill: Solving the plastic crisis in the Philippines

Imagine a bustling Filipino market, where the stalls are brimming with fresh produce and vendors call out prices in a lively chorus, but what’s noticeably missing in this scene is the crinkle of plastic packaging. Instead, shoppers carry reusable bayongs, reminiscent of a time when environmental responsibility was simply a way of life. This glimpse into a sustainable future isn’t just wishful…

[delicatelysublimeforester]

Sustainable Saskatoon: Pioneering Tomorrow's Green Solutions: Meetings

[falling-endlessly]

The Finer Things in Death

Alastor x Soulmate!Female!Reader

Summary: An AU where your soulmate's first words to you are tattooed on your body in their handwriting.

Oh dear, where's your smile?

You knew those words by heart. Could recite them backwards, in your sleep even. Those damning words have been inscribed on the inside of your ankle for as long as you could remember, the elegant cursive strokes poking out of your shoe line.

In theory, somewhere, someone else was supposed to be sporting your own neat, boxy handwriting. You'd say you lucked out with yours. Some soul marks were less than pleasant, and others were downright embarrassing (imagine having the words move, asshole written on your stomach for the rest of your life. No thank you).

At least your soulmate was trying to cheer you up, right?

Yeah, but there was just one teeny, tiny problem.

Your soulmate was dead. Long dead actually.

Were they stillborn? Did their toddler self die in a house fire or something? Night after night you laid awake in your bed, pondering what the hell could have possibly happened to have altered the entire course of fate.

All you really knew was that your soul mark was a light gray (indicating a severed bond) instead of the usual inky black, and it had been since the day you were born. Everyone was in shock to see the faint words on your little ankle. After all, how could a soul mark exist if the other person wasn't even alive to speak those words into existence?

Simply put, you were a conundrum, and it had been some time since you had dedicated effort into figuring out why? You'd accepted it. Your soulmate was dead. Life went on.

Besides, you'd spent enough time grieving over someone you'd never met before.

Your lifestyle was not extravagant by any means, but it was comfortable. You had a steady income, lived on your own in an apartment in the city, and survived off of more than ramen bowls. Every day you would come home and read in your little fluffy alcove that you'd built yourself by your window, or pop open a bag of chips (and the occasional bottle of wine, if you were feeling fancy) while you watched the latest crime show releases from your couch.

Yes, so comfortable was your little routine, that you didn't notice the robbery happening in the convenience store you were browsing in, or the stray bullet coming for your head until it was too late. Your skull exploded in a world of pain, eyes rolling back as your body crumpled to the ground.

Dying was an interesting experience, to say the least. Your soul floated from your body, the final notes of music that blasted from your earphones fading into nothingness like the sound of a car driving away.

There was a brief moment where you were struck numb, hovering in the air as you stared down at your glassy eyed corpse, blood pooling alarmingly from the circular shaped hole in your head. You heard screams of the other customers behind you, but they were kind of muffled, like you were underwater.

It didn't last long though, because before you knew what was happening, you felt an almighty tug downwards,  like an anchor had just chained itself to your stomach.

And that was how you ended up in hell. Fun. What were you here for? You had no idea. Maybe God got mad that your teenage self stole a few packs of gummy bears in high school. But a life of eternal damnation and suffering seemed a little harsh, didn't it?

Before you could contemplate the semantics of it though, something...strange happened. Your ankle, right where you'd tried countless times to forget your soul mark existed, was burning like a fucking brand.

You hissed sharply in pain, frantically pulling down your sock to assess the damage. Was the eternal punishment starting already or something? Shit, you had terrible pain tolerance.

But what you saw made you gasp. In fact, you could hardly believe your eyes.

Because in the place of your faded grey soul mark, the letters had been reinvigorated, darkened with a swift hand and—glowing they were glowing holy shit.

"Hah," you huffed in disbelief, shaking your head slowly. "So that was it, huh? I was destined to meet my shitty soulmate in hell this whole fucking time?" You punctuated the last words with a few angry kicks to an unassuming patch of weeds. What a cosmic joke at your existence.

But, like you always did in shitty situations, you gathered all of your raging emotions, stuffed them tightly in a box at the back of your mind, and cooled your head. Freaking out in this place would do you no good.

Turned out hell was pretty much like the world you'd left, except for the fact that you could kill someone on the street and nobody would bat an eye. Like all of the depraved aspects of humanity were on full display now in a somehow still functioning society.

You managed to snag a job at an old record store, the owner giving you one look before grunting and gesturing to the register—but not before lifting his jacket to show you the long assault riffle strapped across his chest. Yeesh, you got the message.

It wasn't a bad job by any means, especially considering where you were. Sure a little boring and monotonous, but you'd restock thousands of old albums if it meant staying away from the overlords.

Oh, yeah, another thing. Overlords were like the big shots around hell. Messing with them usually meant a death sentence, or worse, a contract.

And if there was anything at all that you picked up from all those nights of watching television, it was that you do not make deals with the devil. Really, elementary level shit. And you'd never actually seen Lucifer, mind you, but these demons were probably a close second, right?

Yeah, so really, you were just living a shittier variant of your life on earth it seemed. Repetitive, safe and comforting. You were even starting to like the scent of musty cardboard, as weird as that was.

And once again, all thoughts of your soulmate slipped your mind.

Until one day, when everything went to shit.

****

It started like this: with the sad sight of your empty fridge.

You groaned, dragging a tired hand down your face. Seriously? You thought you'd restocked already, damn it. 

Your stomach growled achingly, and you sighed, wondering if you'd actually die again if you starved yourself. Begrudgingly, you decided that you didn't really want to chance it, throwing on the first set of clothes that you saw and slipping out of your dingy apartment to make a quick grocery run.

You generally hated leaving your apartment, and didn't do so except to retrieve bare necessities or walk across the block to go to work.

Why? Well, see exhibit A to your left: some poor, random demon screeching and running around on fire. See exhibit B to your right: a turf war between two rival gangs. And finally how could you forget, cannibal colony, slurping up intestines like bloody, chunky spaghetti. Disgusting.

The worst thing about hell wasn't the fact that you were in hell, it was the fact that the worst of the worst people were all cramped together like some fucked up refugee camp, and some people were significantly worse than others. Which sucked, for the poor unfortunate souls just trying to get by. Like you.

You sighed, ducking under a stray stream of bullets (you weren't falling for that shit twice) and side stepping pools of blood and guts. Just a regular Monday morning in hell. God damn it.

It seemed luck wasn't on your side though, because an ugly, dog-headed demon blocked your path, sneering down at you smugly. "Hey bitch, it's your lucky day. The big boss is hiring, and you fit the profile."

You clenched your grocery bags in a white-knuckled grip. Nobody would give a flying fuck if you were dragged off of the street in broad daylight. "Not interested."

"Oh it wasn't a suggestion," he chuckled darkly. You tensed as you were surrounded by at least four other demons. Shit, you knew you should have slept in.

"You like apples?" You nodded sharply at the demon in charge.

His face twisted in annoyance. "Why the fuck do y—"

You reached into your bag, before hurling a granny smith straight at his forehead. He yelped as it made contact, stumbling back as he shook his head in confusion. While everyone was still in shock from your weapon of choice, you shoved your way out of the circle, gunning it straight down the street because your second life did depend on it.

"Get her!" You heard a yell of absolute rage, making you shiver. Fuck, that did not sound promising. That apple must have really pissed him off.

Putting your limited aerobics to use, you ducked, dodged and lunged through the crowd like a pro. Your heart pounded wildly in your chest, air burning your lungs as you pumped your legs faster. But of course, your grocery bag ripped open, sending all of your food tumbling and you by extension, tripping and face planting in the dirt rather pathetically.

A meaty hand gripped a handful of your hair, yanking it up harshly. You cried out as he pulled, hands uselessly trying to smack his away, but his hold only tightened. A liquor-filled breath and cheap cologne invaded your senses, making you cough.

"Uppity bitch," he growled, giving your scalp a painful yank for good measure. "You actually thought you could get away? Maybe I should teach you a lesson, huh? Sample the goods."

You froze, every nerve in your body going cold. So far in your stay in hell, you'd managed to avoid the more depraved souls here. You kept your head down, didn't draw attention to yourself, and were mostly left alone. Looked like today, your luck had finally run out.

"Get the hell off of me!" You spat, twisting around vehemently, only for your head to snap to the side as you were harshly backhanded.

"Stop your fucking whining and stay still!" He snapped, narrowing his eyes.

You bared your teeth, snapping at him aggressively.

A round of mocking chuckles went around the group of your kidnappers, the one holding your hair giving you a wicked grin. "Shit, that was cute. Really—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, because his head exploded. Literally exploded, blood and brain matter dripping from your face. His hand went slack, dropping you on your wobbling knees.

Everyone was silent for a second, staring at the bloody mess where the demon was standing two seconds prior.

And that was when you heard it. Static. Loud, crackling and ominous.

Your mouth went dry. Shit. Shitty shit shit. You knew what that meant. How could you not? The asshole broadcasted his killings all over hell like a fucking psychopath. And now, it was your turn to become hell's gory entertainment. Fan-fucking-tastic.

You stood frozen, breath stuck in your throat as dark, menacing tendrils slowly curled along the walls. A large, grinning shadow rounded the corner, before the culprit himself stalked into view, razor sharp teeth on display as he tilted his head. "Oh," his grin widened. "Am I interrupting?"

"N-No man," one of the braver demons stuttered, taking a step back. "You can have her—"

Splat.

You turned slowly to face the bloody wall, eyes wide in disbelief.

"How distasteful," the radio demon shook his head. "As if I'd participate in your brainless thuggery. No, no. Unlike you gentlemen, I have class. Truly," his eyes lit up like glowing radio dials, a dark shadowy mass rising behind him as his antlers branched out like a gnarled, rotten tree. "Did your mother never teach you any manners?"

Faster than you could blink, the demons around you were reduced to blood, cartilage and splintered bone. The overwhelming irony scent made you want to gag, but you didn't dare move a muscle, eyes fixated on the terrifying sight before you.

When the radio demon noticed your staring, his smile sharpened, antlers shrinking as he leisurely approached you. Oh no. Nononono.

You struggled to keep from hyperventilating, your body going into shock as he leaned into your personal space. Two bloody fingers pushed into your cheeks, forcing your mouth into a morbid, artificial smile. "Oh dear," he tutted in amusement. "Where's your smile?"

You jerked back violently, eyes wide as icy cold realization washed over you. Dread squeezed your lungs as you stared at the grinning, bloody figure of your soulmate in horror.

The radio demon. Psychopath and mass murderer.

Your soulmate.

What the FUCK.

"T-This," your voice shook. "This is not happening."

There was a sudden screech of radio static, before his own eyes widened. Shit. "What," he said sharply. "Did you just say?"

"A-Ah," you trembled, leaning back. Every single nerve in your body was alight, screaming at you to get the ever-loving fuck away from him.  In what was probably the stupidest and most desperate plan of your life, you pointed over his shoulder fearfully. "Look! Another one!"

As soon as he turned his head, you bolted down the street.

****

You slammed your front door closed behind you, double—triple checking your lock before sliding down to the floor in a panting mess.

Immediately you grew paranoid. What the fuck were you thinking? A lock wouldn't keep the radio demon out. You needed fifty more locks and ten more doors. You needed to barricade yourself inside for the next month. You needed—

"Hello there!" An exuberant voice chirped.

You screamed, throwing the first thing you could grab in his direction. He caught the house slipper, inspecting it in amusement, before tossing it over his shoulder.

"My, did I scare you sweetheart? Apologies," he grinned smugly, relaxing in your recliner with a mug of coffee. Your favorite mug.  

You blinked. What the fuck?

"What are you doing in my house?" You squeaked, fingers digging into your welcome mat.

"Oh dear, allow me to introduce myself," he set the mug down on your coffee table, leisurely rising from the couch and offering a hand. "I'm Alastor! A pleasure to be meeting you sweetheart, quite a pleasure."

You didn't take his hand, instead choosing to gape at him like a dead fish.

He retracted his hand, tilting his head with a shit-eating grin. Twirling his cane, he continued like there wasn't just an awkward and terrifying pause. "I hope you don't mind that I followed you! You see, I believe our conversation was cut a bit...short." His eyes glowed as unidentifiable symbols floated in the air around him.

As quickly as they appeared however, they disappeared like they were never there. Jesus Christ, this man was giving you emotional whiplash. "Anywho!" He perked up again, ever the charming grin on his face. "Enough about me! I've yet to catch your name, darling."

Fuck. You really didn't want to give him your name.

But before you could open your mouth, he leaned closer to you, grin widening ominously. "I hope you're not thinking of lying, my dear. I must say, I'm not very fond of that quality."

"Y-Y/n!" You said quickly, raising your hands to shield your face.

There was a slight pause, before a gentle touch swiped at your cheek, retracting after a moment. You peeked your eye open, only to become vaguely ill at the sight.

"You had a little something on your face," he chuckled in amusement, holding out a clump of brain matter. With a swift flick, it was magicked away.

"What do you want?" You whimpered, overwhelmed with the entire situation.

"Oh dear, is it really that strange for me to want to get to know my soulmate?" He tilted his head, leaning towards you uncomfortably close.

"Y-Yes, actually," you stuttered, trying to look anywhere but his prominent red eyes. "I thought you'd do something more along the lines of...killing and eating me." You shrunk back as his grin widened. "Please don't eat me."

"How morbid, I would never!" He waved it away, like the idea was preposterous. "My word! What awful rumors you've been hearing about me!"

"You frequent cannibal colony and I just saw you tear apart six demons like they were freshly baked bread," you stared at him incredulously. "What hasn't been spot on?"

He paused, before giving you a humoring chuckle. "Well it seems your impression of me needs correcting!" Before you knew what was happening, nimble fingers encircled your wrist, pulling it forward gently. He pressed warm lips to the back of your hand, before giving you a charming grin. "Enchanté, ma chère."

You blinked, breath stuck in your throat. "What—What does that mean?"

"Oh, don't you worry your pretty little head about it!" He gently set your hand down, before pinching your cheek condescendingly. "Well my dear, I'm afraid I have other responsibilities I must attend to!"

He stood up with a flourish, leaning on his microphone cane as he smirked at you. "Not to worry!" He snapped his fingers, and a slim, feminine shadow emerged from the ground. "Missy here will watch over you in my stead."

"What? No, I—"

"I'll be back before you know it!" He offered a chilling smile, before melting into a puddle of shadows.

You gaped at the spot where he once stood, trying to process what the actual fuck just happened. Your gaze slid over to the feminine looking shadow, still standing in the corner of your living room. She grinned at your attention, teeth sharpened.

You closed your eyes, head thumping back against your door in exhaustion. 

"I'm so fucked."

****

Enchanté, ma chère : Charmed, my dear

[blackwoodwinter]

Monstober/ Kinktoner Day 3 Naga

Naga god paying a visit to his only human follower, a pretty little human priestess and pumps her full with his cocks.

TW: Blashpemy is you squint, porn with very little plot, vaginal sex reader receiving, double penetration, oral male receiving, oral female receiving, priestess x naga God, worship of God during sex, biting

Working in a temple as its priestess had its benefits. Its own orchid to harvest and offerings for the gods. Cleaning the temple, burning the incense, listening theo the pleas and complaints of the villagers and praying to the gods as their envoys took up most of your duties. Overall it was an easy lifestyle for the lucky priest and priestess chosen to work in the temple. Most days your main focus was maintaining all the marble statues glistening and clean. An array of statues evenly spaced out in a circular space of the temple with a large sacred fire burning at the center. Each altar sparkled with candles, fruits, perfumes,and gifts related to the god that ruled over each domain.

The wild goddess Orchid that held domain over all of nature and wildlife. Blessing the land and its people with fruit and children.The unpredictable storm god Onyx that brought the rain, storms and winds. Or the promiscuous rabbit god Rosier who ruled the farms and orchards blessing the land with his fruits and hundreds of children. 

Many other statues to different gods filled the temple but one statue in particular caught your eye. Tucked away in the back of the temple the satire of the Naga god Nekan remains neglected, his temple and satire collecting dust with no offerings or incense. Nekan was the god of medicine, cunning, and sorrow and noble sacrifice. All his myths ended in tragedy for him, his lovers and followers  resulting in the villagers, priest and priestess avoiding him all together due to superstition that any follower of would be followed by misfortune. 

Still you began to clean his stature, polishing the marble until it gleamed, lighting incense to his name, placing bottles of perfume and fresh fruit for him daily. Fellow priestess warning you saying you would fall to some tragedy or that you wasted your time on a nearly forgotten god. 

Ignoring them, you persisted in your work finding a new satisfaction working and tending to Nakan temple. At first it brought you solace and pride being his only devout priestess, until it brought you a gift and later exquisite delight. First it was a bouquet’s of medicinal herbs and flowers left at your doorstep, window and bed. Then it is small medicinal jars and bottles with inscriptions in gold ink praising your work and thanking you for your devotion. Later it was the jewelry, cut gems in the shape of a snake head. Arm bagels cut to look like scaled snakes around your arms, necklace of metal and gem snakes wrapping around your throat. Soon your home was spilling with gifts, and you appreciated accepting them and cherishing each one. Soon your robes were glittering with metal serpents as your new found status of Naken only priestess brought you recognition. 

Congratulations flew as everyone was stunned at how your God spoiled you. It was coming from the gods to show their approval of devout priests and priestesses by gifting them things or on special and rare occasions visiting them in person.  And as murmurs from other priests said on rare occasions the gods would take their favorite humans to bed. Your gifts continue to pour in along with a new and final gift: the appearances of venomous beautiful snakes would appear in your house, in your garden, in your temple altar. Despite all that they remained as harmless as a kitten might be wrapping their iridescent bodies around your arms and legs, it was seldom seeing you without a snake wrapped nuzzling against you.

One priestess of Onyx, a friend of yours, joked that if you continued to serve the god he might gift himself to you. Rolling your eyes, you played off her banter, giggling at the idea of Naken enamored by you blushing at the thought of being his favorite. 

He loved to spoil you with gifts, so it would be long until he paid you a personal visit right? Faced flushed, you imagined meeting Naken in his temple or even in your bed, quickly thoughts of devotion turned to thoughts of desire. Perhaps he would take you to his bed and like the rumors told, perhaps he'd bury his cock in you and bless you with his seed. Catching your thoughts you shook your head in embarrassment and laughed with your friend at the sheer thought of it. Deciding to not keep thinking on the subject you immersed yourself with temple duties until night fell and it was just you left.

Realizing the time, you realized how lost in work you had become until you peeked outside and saw the darkness outside, stars and moon twinkling in the night sky. Pacing back into the temple you considerethe walk alone at night, but decided against it and chose to spend the night at the temple instead. There were small cots with beds for the occasional overnight stays or ceremonies that were left alone most of the year. Gathering your things you're headed to the temple beds but paused before the statue of Naken to say goodnight. Gazing at his statue you couldn't  help but to admire his stone features, the elegance of his lithe form, sharp serpent eyes, sculpted jaws and cheekbones that lead your eyes down to soft lips with peaking long sharp fangs.  His face was mostly humans as was his torso and arms but beneath his waist was the long tick coils of a snake. Even as a statue he was breathtakingly handsome. Blushing you imagine being visited by him, held by his arms, or coiled tightly in his tail. If you kissed him would his fangs scrape your lips, how would his forked tongue feel like, would his scales feel warm or cool paint your skin? Remembering your place you blushed ashamed at how you thought of the god you were meant to serve, to respect. Buzzing with conflicting thoughts instead you climb the altar steps, standing on your toes and leaning in to barely reach the stone lips of your god. Turning away red and flushed you scurried down the steps and quickly went away to hide in the bed of the temple and fell into a restless sleep. 

Tossing and turning you awoke to the sound and sensation of dozens of snakes slithering over your bed out the door into the main temple area. Puzzled, you watched them slither away, as if hypnotized you rose from bed and followed them to the center of the temple, the main fire lighting the surrounding stone columns and altars in warm orange glow in the darkness. They slithered in the direction of the statue pantheon. Eyes widening in realization could they be leading you to Naken? Was it an omen? Could he had listened to you thoughts and come down to see you? Not waiting for an answer from you followed  the snakes in the darkness they disappeared behind the statue of Naken, even more confused. Your eyes swept the empty temple until you saw the figure of a man looming in front of you from the  shadows. Gasping you stepped back afraid, as if sensing your fear he moved forward into the light of the fire illuminating his face. Bronze skin with rich deep blue scales speckled with glittering gold stood Naken. 

Stooping lower he hunched down to meet you at eye level, his tail coiling around you forming a circle around you. Lithe muscle moved under his scales in rippling succession as he wrapped himself closer to you. Looking up at him gleaming fangs peaked from under his lips enticing you to lean in closer. 

Senses returning to you only mere inches from him the realization finally crashed into you. ‘Naken! It was Naken and he was here in front of you!’. Stunned you dropped to your knees in reverence.

“My lord Naken forgives me I did not recognize, nor did I expect you to b;ess me with your presence. Please forgive my insolence.”

Chuckling he reached out lifting your face  with hand covered in blue scales. 

“There's nothing to forgive for I am truly the fortunate god to have such a beautiful and devout priestess all to me”His voice was slow and deep, speaking as if whispering. Listing your eyes were glued to his face and lips, a forked tongue flicking when he spoke. 

“ I wanted to reward my most devout follower,” Grazing his thumb over your lower lips you felt your lips part and face get warm leaning into his touch. “It's been ages since I heard someone sweetly pray to my name, or give me the sweetest of flowers and fruits. If it had not been for you I would have remained neglected and forgotten amongst my godly brethren.” Pulling you gently to stand he held your hands in his. “Tell me my most beloved priestess what gift can I offer you for your service to me”

“You.” The words slipped from your mouth before you could register what you had said. Shocked at your own boldness you smacked a hand over your mouth cursing your own recklessness. Naken’s eyes widen in surprise and amusement, a grin playing over his lips watching you fuss embarrassed. 

“Me? Well if it's you asking my beloved priestess then how can I say no.” Stunned, you looked back at Naken, ‘He had agreed, for me?’.  Stupefied in place you return to reality when you felt Naken swoop down and kiss you passionately on the lips. Naken long serpentine bodies coiling around your body in a strong embrace. Cool diamond scales bushing against the fabric of your tunic. 

Wrapping your arms around him, you felt him dip his head down, his forked tongue slithering out flickering to taste your lips before claiming you in a hungry kiss. A deep rumble came from his chest in satisfaction as he moaned into your lips. Lips parting you kissed him back, smiling against his lips as his fangs grazed softly against your lips and tongue.

Naken kissed you with demanding and searing passion, his forked tongue slithering deep into your mouth to taste every inch of you. His large hands boldly caress your sides and hips over the thin fabric of your tunic. Moaning at his touch his hands were cool against the fever under your skin. Pulling away from you lips Naken dipped his head back down trailing his mouth along your jaw down the length of your throat, fangs tickling your skin as he did leaving a trail of goosebumps, small bites and heated kisses. 

Removing a hand from his neck you grabbed his and guided it to the straps of your tunic. Instinctively he began to pull at them letting them fall loose on your back. The thin fabric of the tunic falling down your shoulder exposing your bare shoulder and breast. Chills running over your body you shuddered against him, as his hand glided up your sides, his thumb brushing over the soft underside of your breast. 

Licking the side of his face you trailed wet kisses along his jaw hungry with desire. Breathing hard against him your chest rose and fell pressed against him. Soft breast grazing his chest, slithering his tail under you he brought it up between your legs, spreading your legs wide to straddle the thickest part of his tail under you, wrapping a coil around your waist keeping you in place. 

As if bewitched by you, his gaze followed your parted lips moist lips. Leaning in he nipped gently at your bottom lip, his poison dripping into your mouth, A thick honey like substance heating your mouth and throat as you swallowed. Palming your breast he lifted his thumb to play and roll over your nipple, hardening them with arousal. Rubbing his thumb over your nipple he  pulled away to look at the perky nub of flesh under him. Without breaking eye contact he leaned down, mouth open and wet to take your sensitive nipple into his mouth. Hand resting on his shoulder you mewled as he rolled his forked tongue over your nipple. Sucking hard he opened his mouth to fit your breast, sucking lewdly. 

Arching back against his tail, your legs pushed aimlessly, forced apart by the girth of his tail. Moaning as his tongue flicked your nipple you leaned back and grind your pussy against his tail. His scales were rough and ribbed, a strange but pleasuring sensation rubbing against your pussy each time you grind your hips. Following your movement he began to rock against you, quickly his scales were covered with the slick of your arousal, as his mouth remained locked on your chest. 

Popping his mouth from your breast, you nipple was left wet under the cool night air.

“Do you like that my beloved?” He asked in a husky tone, his tail moving in a fasting pace, ribbed scales sweetly rubbing the sensitive nub of your clitoris with each thrust. “Do you like that? Or would you prefer me to be different?”

Gasping you held onto his shoulders, your hips quicken their paces, hips snapping back and forth against the growing bulge in his scales. 

“No, it feels good like this my lord” Throwing your head back, your breath labored as each push against his scales made you pussy gush down,  completely coating the bulge underneath you. Hissing gently beneath you Naken gripped your hips pulling you down with each grind forcing you city to drag helpless against each rigid scale. Each jolt makes your toes curl with an incoming orgasm. Panting against him you squeaked in surprise feeling his hand slide down to your drench pussy rubbing perfect circles over you clit. Desperate you pushed against his hand.

“Please my lord, please you feel you good i want to cum.” Grinning he softly pinched your clit rolling it back and forth from his index with relentless speeds. Moaning in ecstasy, your body shook as the hot waves of ecstasy sent your body shuddering with a frenzy of delight.

Chuckling against your neck Naken “Anything for you my beloved priestess” Relaxing into a painting slump, Naken wrapped himself around you laying down on his coiled up tail. Dipping down he laid you down pulling away at the rest of your fallen tunic until you laid glistening with sweat on top of his tail. Shyly you brough your knees up in a futile effort to cover yourself under his burning gaze. Flicking his tongue he placed a hand on each of your knees before frying them open revealing a glistening cunt with a swollen clit like a pearl in the low light.

The rumbling from his chest returned as he moaned, taking in the sight of you, wet and naked on top of his tail.

“Oh my, aren't you just a vision of ecstasy.” Dipping his head down between your legs he nuzzled his nose, suckling on the soft skin between your thighs groaning as he licked the trails of slick running up to your cunt. Flicking his tongue against your pussy lips, he looked up between your thighs “You would do me an honor, to let me feast upon suck soft lips and drink from your nectars.” Flicking his tongue again, Naken nuzzled his nose against your clit. 

“Please my lord,” You begged and before you could finish he plunged his face between your legs, mouth screeching to suck on your entire pussy as his forked tongue slithered up and down the entrance teasing it  with small thrust. Pushing your cunt against him you dug your hand into his hair pushing his down squishing his nose against the wet lips of your cunt. Kissing wide sloppy kisses his mouth found you clit suckking harshly popping my mouth on and off again blowing small puffs of air onto your clit leaving your legs shivering, your stomach spasm with new euphoric waves of pleasure as he lapped up the juices of your cunt. Sloppily he thrust his tongue from side to side in a wet mess dripping your cum all over his face and neck. Mewling you pushed his head further until Naken thrust his tongue deep into your squeezing cunt swirling it inside making you yell.

“Naken!”

“Come my sweet priestess, cum in my mouth let me taste how much your adore me”He spoke muffled, and as if commanding your body you felt the second orgasm rip through your core leaving you spasming on his tail, legs clamping around his head with his tongue cervix deep.

“Yes my lord, my god…” Your words left you breathlessly as you slowly rode the high off, gradually relaxing your legs to open. Breathless Naken rose smiling, licking his lips. His face was covered slick with your pussy juices, droplets falling from his chin. Sighing he rose from beneath you, his tail wrapping around you to put you in a sitting position facing him. Steadily he rose above you, his chiseled chest rising with deep breathes scales of blue and speckled gold becoming thicker until they covered his waist and all of his tail. Your eyes trailed down his waist and widened as you saw the growing bulge on his scaled crotch leak cum as two thick wet cocks slithered out. Agasp you stared astonished at not one but two thick slick dripping fat cocks hanging from his tail. Each cock had a bright pink tip that looked unlike anything you've ever seen on a human man. You felt your mouth drool as they hung heavy from his crotch. Noticing your drool face Naken moved closer until his cocks hung over your face. Reaching up you wrapped your hand over one, looking up at Naken with innocent doe eyes.

“My beloved little priestess look how riled you have made me,” Sliding your tongue under the length of his cock Naken hissed in pleasure clenching his eyes shut, cocks twitching in your hand. “Worship me, priestess, worship me with that pretty little mouth of yours, worship my cocks” He hissed as he spoke brows furrowed in restraint.

Sliding your lips across one cock while your hands wrapped around the other, “Yes my lord.” Wrapping your lips around the head of his cock your tongue swirled over the head licking up at the tick drops of cum swirling it in your mouth. Bobbing your head lower you swallowed up more of his cock dragging your tongue in across the length. Hands moved at the base of his second cock in a milking motion, while your other hand swirled over the tip, thumb massaging the tip smearing his cum across it. Greedily you swallowed Naken’s cock more and more until his entire wet length fit into mouth making your throat bulge. Rolling his eyes back Naken breathed out praises pushing your head down until your nose pushed against the slit where his cock emerged. Groaning Naken’s labored breathing grew heavier as you swallowed his cock with new enthusiasm, gagging wet sounds filling the temple. Cum and drool dripping down your hands and mouth as you jerked and sucked him off. Pulling away you switched cocks, swallowing the next cock and jerking off the one coated in your saliva. Cursing Naken jerked his hips into your mouth, a soft whine as he felt you make out with the head of his cock, your hot tongue swirling over the tips up and down. Smiling up as you see your god struggle to contain himself you open your mouth tongue out as you fit both tips, frotting them together in a sloppy sucking kiss, swallowing both at the same time. Lurching forward he curled over you pushing your head as his cock erupted with cum. Panting he floods your throat with hot stick thick cum making you gag, eyes brimming with tears as you struggle to swallow the streams of cum flowing out of him. Pulling back, his cock slid out of your mouth with trails  of saliva and cum flowing out into your chin and neck and chest. 

Smiling your lips savored the salty, almost creamy flavor of his cum. Breathing heavy Naken lowered himself, his eyes meeting yours, his pupils completely dilated in lust and desire.  Wrapping his arms around you he pulled you into a passionate demanding kiss. Both your lips wet from the other's cum, mixing each other's taste as shoved his tongue into your mouth. Greedily sucking on his forked tongue earning a guttural groan from him. Lifting you up he pulled you over his tail, cocks slipping and pressing against the opening of your gaping pussy.

“Say I'm your god. Say i'm your only god and i'll be yours.’’ Naken breathed into your ear as he frotted his cocks against you, “Say it my beloved, say your mine, say you want my cock inside you.”

Druck with the taste of his cum and lust panting against his ear, “You're my only god Naken. Im am your priestess, I'm your priestess Naken.”

“Say the rest of it.”

“I want you inside me, I want to have your fat cocks inside me.”

Hissing he gripped your hips pulling you down, the fat wet tip of one cock pressing against your entrance until it finally stretched it out forcing your cunt to swallow it. Crying out his name your nails crawled into his arms as he pushed you down forcing his cock down to the base. His other cock hanged limply smacking wet and hot against your ass, as Naken began to bounce you on his cock. Crying out you saw his cock slide in and out of you as his tail wrapped around your waist forcing you up and down at his pacing, Crying out in a drunken heat your eyes brimmed with tears as each thrust smacked the sweet spot in your cervix. Quickening the pace Naked moved with more animalist craze, drilling into your pussy, second cock smacking against your ass. 

Pulling you off his cock with his tail he held you in the air for a moment, sighing in relief  your crying seized for a second before being brought back down again. Kissing you Naken panted against your lips. “Im sorry my beloved but i need you to take all of me”

Before you could process his words you felt both his cocks lined up against your clenching pussy before being pushed down legs held apart wide by his tail. Gasping as the sensation of being stretched by two cocks spreading your pussy, stretching it wide ripping a new orgasm as he pushed into you with two cocks. Thrashing your hips your overstimulated pussy creamed over his cocks lubing them up making them slip in easier, struggling in vain his tail tightened around your waist and legs locking you in place as Naken shoved both cocks pistoning them in and out. Breast bouncing with each thurst you could only lean back and scream his name as he fucks you with his two cocks.

Eyes rolling back, droll falling from your mouth you can only cry his name as the wet sounds of his cocks pumping your pussy fill the temple.

By the gods you think, if the other priest and priest could see you now getting stretched and pumped with the fat cocks of your god. Oh they would call me a lucky temple whore.

Naken’s hands slid down to hold your back sliding down to squeeze you ass each hand cupping a cheek as he held them apart spreading you wider, slamming both cocks deeper. Nuzzling into the crook of your neck he whispers praises.

“My beloved little priestess, you take me so well. You were made to be fucked by me, to worships me, to worship my cocks.” Laving his forked tongue he licked at the sweat of your neck. “I'll reward you greatly my beloved priestess, I'll pump you full of my cocks and seed, I'll spoil you as long as you worship me. Say my name, priestess, say you worship me.”

Drooling you barely mumbled out, “I worship you Naken, I only worship you and your fat cocks.” Hearing your words he drove forward increasing his force and speed, filling you completely with each pump. His cock popping out with wet sounds from your abused cunt with each thrust. Crying out his name you begged him to finish. “Please Naken it’s too much, please im cumming again.”

Laughing he pressed a kiss against your forehead, “Don't worry my beloved I'm just about to cum too.”

Snarling his thrusting became erratic and fast sloppily slamming into your swollen cunt gushing juices. Sinking his fangs into your shoulder, his fangs injected you with a relaxing aphrodisiac marking you as his. A final brutal thrust and his cocks pumped you full of sperms until your cunt was overflowing and leaking even with both cocks plugging your cunt. Attacked by his cocks and fangs you felt your walls spasm as you came a final time around his two cocks. Burying his cocks hilt deep he holds your waist as his cocks pumps ropes of hot cum into your cervix. The sounds of squelching and labored breaths being the only sound in the temple. The venom of his fangs warmed your body, flooding it with a relaxing warmth that soothes your aching muscles and abused cunt.

Sighing content he released you from the grasp of his tail, letting you slump forward on his chest. Gasping in relief you raised your hips to let his cocks slip out in a gushing wet mess of cum that flooded out your pussy into his tail. Chuckling Naken looked at the mess made and nuzzled into your hair letting out a content huff. “Rest my beloved priestess. You served me well and for that ill you now. Rest I'll clean up this mess.” 

Smiling you look up at him with hazing exhausted eyes, kissing him once more before drifting into black blissful sleep. In the morning when you woke, you arose and startled and scared thinking you would be laying naked leaking cum on the temple floor but found yourself dressed and clean in the temple cot you had originally chosen to sleep in. Confused, you rose from bed thinking it might have been a dream, until the sweet soreness between your legs told you otherwise. Walking to the mirror in your room you saw the two puncture holes of Naken’s fangs from last night. Smiling you draped over a shawl and started to head out until you saw a small neatly folded note in your bed that read.

My beloved priestess,

You have brought me back from the abyss of the lost, you have made me feel alive again. Thanks to you, I now remember what it's like to be a god. Rest my beloved priestess, I'll be counting the days until I can drink from you nectar and bury myself in you again. Until then take care i'll be watching over you.

Love,

Your own personal god, Naken.

He was the god Naken. Your God, yours now

.

.

.

Authors notes: Sorry for the late post I sprained my wrist on the third day of October and couldn't type without my wrist hurting or popping. Anyways please comment what y'all's liked, any unhinged comments, or any suggestions.

Also I did hint at other monster gods so lmk if you guys would like to know more about them.

[dark-konohagakure2]

May I request Rogue Zabuza defeating a female Hunter-nin that's been chasing on his and Haku's heels for a while and he decides to make an example of her? Ties her and fucks her against his sword among other things, maybe even uses a water clone to double stuff her.

tw: noncon, clone sex, double penetration, full nelson, exhibitionism, blade play, kidnapping, size difference, degradation, bondage, tummy bulge

All characters depicted are 18+

Zabuza and Haku are more than experienced with dispatching any bounty hunters that might be after them, the duo deals with hunter nins in the same way one would swat a buzzing fly away. However when one hunter kunoichi catches Zabuza on a day when he's in a particular foul mood, the Demon decides that a lesson is in order.

Zabuza doesn't like it when weak little ladies try to stand up to big strong men such as himself, so he takes it upon himself to put her in her place. He'll order Haku to tie her up tightly, and once she's bound and unable to escape, that's when Zabuza will commence the lesson.

Zabuza will hold his giant Executioner's Blade up to her, the circular cutout around neck, mere inches away from cutting her neck as he tears her clothes right off, making sure his protege gets a good eyeful of the woman's pussy before he rams his cock into her, tummy bulging with the shape of his thick member.

Zabuza's cock will be roughly hammering into her smaller form, letting Haku watch Zabuza destroy the hunter with his cock, making it clear that is main goal isn't pleasure, it's humiliation and dominance over this foolish shinobi who thought she'd have a chance in hell at taking down Zabuza Momochi.

"Watch closely, boy. This is how we deal with pesky hunters, but you already know that... I'll leave this one even more messed up than the last one..."

After he cums inside of her and he sees that there is still some fight left in here, Zabuza decides to up the ante. Forming the necessary hand signs, Zabuza summons a water clone, one that's sturdy enough to withstand a very tight squeeze, before easily lifting her up from behind, looping his muscular arms underneath her legs, lifting her up as both he and his clone rub their hard cocks against her already used pussy.

Just one Zabuza is enough to completely dominate and overwhelm anyone, but two Zabuzas pounding her at once is a mind shattering experience, having two of him to inside of her with their fat cocks bullying her untouched womb and stretching out her delicate walls around the two members relentlessly thrusting in and out of her sloppy pussy.

Zabuza will snidely praise her as he pounds into her, telling her that the hunters he's humiliated in the past couldn't take one of him without passing out, let alone two, but she's taking it like a champ, he didn't know that the Hidden Mist had been raising so many talented sluts when he was away, it's truly pitiful how the kunoichi of his village are more skilled at taking dick than they are at taking hits.

Once she's been thoroughly used and fucked out to Zabuza's liking, he decides to be generous and give her a brand new career path, being his own personal sex toy and stress relief, and it's a job with a terrible salary; a nonexistent one at that.

"You really should have reconsidered your method of earning pay, bitch. Because now you've got yourself a brand new job that doesn't pay a cent; being our own personal cumdump."

Being on the run as a rouge ninja is a pretty stressful lifestyle, but fate seems to be on the duo's side that day, because now Zabuza has his very own slutty stress toy to play with in anyway he sees fit.

[cheezritsu]

The story of how you and Reo Mikage became friends isn’t overly exciting, but it’s a necessary tangent. A precursor, really.

Reo is a collector of impossible things. Call it a byproduct of being rich. His favorite things of all are the things he can’t have. He plays soccer as a dream; a sport he has no business being in as it brings no value to his future fortune. His best friend is a reclusive giant who seems to barely tolerate him. Which, eh. Nagi is his treasure—he’s the person that never bullshits him, the person who says what he’s thinking no matter what. Nagi feels like a compass the same way you do: if Nagi truly hates it, it’s probably worth letting go.

You and Nagi are alike in so many ways: you’re something he took the time to dig in the dirt for, only to polish it and realize it’s precious. A friend he shouldn’t have because your social status deems it so. A treasure born from nothing but whim. Something to chase. Something he can love.

Reo Mikage loves you both, which is why when Reo meets Nagi for the first time, he makes you go to karaoke together.

He’s an actual idiot for making the quietest people he knows go to karaoke, but he lets you bring your friends to be comfortable and invites his entire soccer team for Nagi. “For” being the operative word here. None of this is for either of you. It’s all for Reo.

You don’t mind. Not really. You love Reo too. Reo escapes to you and Aiura’s dorm when he doesn’t wanna go home. Which, with the ongoing soccer drama, has been more frequent. You’re in the same class again, this time sitting next to each other. Reo really is a prince that way, protecting you from gossip and bullies, brandishing his smile the way one uses a rapier. Efficiently and lethally. Aiura also sits next to you, but it’s been the Reo show since school started.

Aiura twirls the boba straw in her drink as you stare absently at Reo. Your karaoke room is—shocker—the biggest one they have. It’s decked out in all signature silly decorations. Reo is literally standing atop the huge long table with the rest of his team, the boys loudly singing Fighting Dreamers. They’re moshing and having fun, save for the white haired boy being jostled under Reo’s hooked arm.

“Who’s Snow White?” Aiura jokes, but it’s a good nickname for him. He’s sleepy looking, with low lidded dark eyes and a neutral expression one might only get when they hit the pillow. He blinks slowly and slumps out of Reo’s grip, falling back on the bench and staying there.

“You ever met him before?”

“Nope.”

Hina and Aiura shake their drinks in the same circular motion. The syncronity feels condescending. “Reo seems chummy with him. You for real don’t know him?”

There it is. You roll your eyes. “I don’t know everyone he knows. You know how it is,” you shift your gaze back to the karaoke stage, seeing Reo bleat out the first verse of MCR’s Helena. A personal favorite of his for no reason. His soccer team is cheering relentlessly, like he’s Gerard Way reincarnated.

Reo’s lifestyle is a revolving door of people. You needn’t learn names because in several weeks time, like a micro trend, they’ll be gone.

Aiura hums. Behind her lime green manicured hand she whispers something to Hina, who whispers back.

“Streets is sayin’ that’s Nagi Seishiro.”

The name isn’t familiar. You two just shrug.

“So, another boy?”

“Another boy,” you sigh. Reo didn’t have many girl friends that weren’t girlfriends. You usually liked them, until the feeling was unrequited. They hated your presence and Reo, who was sharper than most gave him credit for, broke up with them when he found out.

“You mean more to me than they do.”

You never let the charming words coil around your heart. Reo was a smooth talker, but at his core he’s just another rich boy. And you haven’t any interest in that.

“I fucking better,” is your reply, with a hardy punch.

These days Reo usually has the company of a soccer team member, some underclass man who thinks the real resume grabber is knowing Reo Mikage. Not a bad thought, but it still makes you frown.

Seishiro Nagi may be another one of those boys. He drinks from his soda cup with a bendy straw, barely moving his neck forward to meet it. The pitch of the room skyrockets as another anime opening scrolls across the screen, and Nagi’s face creases in discomfort. With his eyes pinched closed and a scrunched nose, he looks just like a disgruntled cat. You try to swallow your involuntary giggle, but Aiura and Hina catch it.

Hina stretches her neck. “What’re you giggling about?”

“Nothing,” you garble around a mouth full of boba.

“Don’t try to distract me by grossing me out.”

Aiura narrows her eyes. If a thousand yard stare could be pointed, that’s what she does. “It’s the boy.”

“Reo?” Hina asks, and you snort.

“Since when is Reo “the boy”?”

Hina rolls her eyes. “Since you had a public meet cute in the quad?”

Phlegm probably escapes you from how hard you scoff. “We had a Mexican standoff??”

“Y’all argued at best,” Aiura defends.

“You weren’t evened there!” Aiura bats away your accusatory finger with a quick roll of her eyes. “The point still stands. Reo was never “the boy.” “

“The boy is Nagi Seishiro,” Aiura nods in the direction. Nagi’s fluffy white hair reflects all the lights beautifully, like a neon halo.

“Didn’t Reo throw this party for yall to meet?”

That premise has fully eluded you. “Damn, you’re right.”

“Well he sucks as a host. You should introduce yourself.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because he’s leaving.”

The room is a chaotic wonderland of yelling, singing and courting. A few of the players on the team try to flirt with your friends, mostly to no avail. Reo, being the common denominator in some way, fractions his attention to everyone except the guests of honor, who have slipped out under his nose.

It wasn’t your intention to follow Nagi. You really were not going to introduce yourself. You just needed air.

You sit down on the bench just outside the room. The pulsing beat of the next song reverbs out into the empty hallway. It’s kind of soothing to be on the outside again; you’re back in the peripheral, a comfortable spot. Flipping through your phone, you found the otome game currently ruining your wallet; an American based game called The Arcana. You had daily spins to replenish, hopefully a way to get more keys for your story.

You criss cross your legs, settling in. You play the slots first, getting a few coins but no keys. The second game was always a gamble; you had four lives total, meaning four keys to potentially win. You’re good mini games. They’re fun to hone in on and lose yourself in the task. The absolutely gorgeous characters aren’t bad to look at either. You hunch forward to giggle at the little romance scenarios that play out, shutting out the world around you. Shutting out Nagi Seishiro, who stands before you.

Nagi stares at the barely visible sliver of your screen. He thought maybe you were on Instagram or Snapchat, but as it turns out you’re playing something. Something he doesn’t know.

He tilts his head trying to get a better look. Your curly hair blocks his vision of the phone. Nagi has never seen hair like yours in person. It really does look like springs; small, shiny little spirals radiating out from the top of your head. Is it soft? How could it be?

Nagi is so lost in the uzumaki like spirals of your hair that he brings the back of his hand to the top your head and skims his knuckles over it and oh-

It’s fairy soft and defying gravity. The little coil bounces, and Nagi’s about to wrap it around his finger when he looks down.

“Wh-“ your startled gasp reminds him of why he’s here. You’re looking up, and past your chin is your unlocked phone. He’s never seen those characters before; they’re beautifully drawn, and decidedly not Japanese.

“Hey, what game is that?” The same finger that was inches from your head points into your lap. Your brows scrunch.

“What?”

“The game? On your phone?” Nagi gets tired of standing and sits beside you. His thigh brushes against your bare knee and the friction feels like lava. “Is it fun? The graphics are pretty.”

Nagi finally looks at your face. He decides that if you were drawn in that art style it would suit you. Unreal, gravity defying hair, pretty eyes framed with crazy long lashes, and lovely lips with an almost two-toned saturation that draws attention, even though you’re fighting for your next words.

“It’s called The Arcana,” you say, but it’s drawn out like you’re going to say more. Nagi waits, and then hears “Did you just touch my hair?”

“Oh?” Nagi’s lips purse, like a pout but more sheepish. He didn’t think you’d noticed. Well, that was a lie, but he didn’t think you’d care. Don’t girls think stuff like that is cute?

“I’m sure some girls do, but this ain’t a petting zoo.” Shit, he said that out loud. And you’re upset. Fuck. He’s like 100% sure that you’re Reo’s friend. His best friend, the one he’s always talking about. The one he borrows books from that have those colored tabs. The one he’s always buying trinkets for. Like the little phone strap you’ve got with—who is that, is it Itadori Yuji?

“Hey!” There you go again, making Nagi feel bad for not listening. The pout reappears on his face, before he slumps back.

This feels weird. Nagi’s having…emotions now and it sucks. It’s bothersome. But, he doesn’t feel inconvenienced by you, he feels inconvenienced by himself. He’s making himself feel stupid and that’s far worse than sitting next to you.

Nagi’s head hits the wall. “M’sorry,” he slurs lazily, turning his head to properly meet your eyes. “I didn’t mean that. Your hair’s pretty, that’s all.”

Oh. The words are blunt force trauma, the head of a baseball bat butted into your sternum. The perpetual drowsiness in his voice makes it feel more like the truth; someone that tired wouldn’t have it in them to lie, right?

You swallow down the damage done to your heart. “Still doesn’t mean you can touch it without permission.”

“Hmm.” Is all he says, staring vacantly for a second. And then “well, can I?”

You’re either dumb or whipped for saying yes. One is far worse than the other. But Nagi Seishiro is gentle when he plucks out a particular curl and runs it between his fingers. Deftly, sweetly, his finger hooks onto the end of the curl and it twirls around the digit. His hands are much bigger than you initially thought. You’re going cross eyed looking at them.

“That’s cool,” Nagi says, and a small smile graces his features. His eyes are actually grey up close. Smokey, endless, and all at once those sleepy, feline like crescents. “Thanks.”

No one’s ever thanked you for touching your hair. No one’s ever been that reverent about it either. Nagi pulls his hand away like he’s finally been sated, drawing his knees up to mimick your criss crossed legs.

“M’ Nagi, by the way.” His belated introduction is funnier in hindsight. It’s very Nagi; satisfy the curiosity first, then do the regular stuff. “Reo dragged me here.”

“Me too. I’m y/n.”

“Are you going to be around more?”

Nagi’s pulling out his phone. You aren’t sure how to answer his question. You’re pretty much always around, whatever Nagi meant by that. Unless he meant more around him.

There’s a spiking heat under your cheeks, something you don’t wanna bring attention to. He seems to have forgotten your existence, looking down at the loading screen off his App Store. But he doesn’t type anything for a minute. He’s waiting.

Nagi shrugs. “You’re less of a hassle than he is.” His thumb presses up to the search icon. “How do you spell Arcana?”

[kkami-writes]

hybrid hearts ━ chapter one. cw. the briefest mention of blood wc. 2k

Time had always felt too slow, yet impossibly fast at the same time to you. Some days had felt like they would drag on endlessly with you feeling bored out of your mind, wondering if this was how life was gonna feel like forever. While some days you would blink and then suddenly the day was over. Sometimes even weeks would pass like this as well. That feeling that your life was passing you by, feeling like you had nothing to show for it was overwhelming at times.

But you supposed it wasn’t all that terrible though. You had a job you loved, having opened up a book cafe after your parents had passed. You had inherited a rather large sum of money from them, as well as their old house they owned in a nearby cozy suburb. However, it had only served to make you feel much lonelier what with all these empty rooms for little old you.

Weeks turned into months and the seasons changed from winter to spring. But your daily routine didn’t change much at all. Although you didn’t necessarily hate it, sometimes it just felt so repetitive that you thought you might lose your mind.

Everyone around you seemed to change, constantly adapting to the flow of time. Yet you found yourself utterly the same and all alone. Though that last part might have been partially your fault, you’ve never really tried to branch out from the cozy bubble you lived in. It was a constant cycle of feeling lonely, yet feeling too attached to your quiet lifestyle to put yourself out there.

It’s early evening on a Saturday when that changes.

You’re sat on the small swinging couch that's connected to your porch, happily curled up with a book and some tea. You were constantly trying to read all sorts of genres, needing to keep up with the latest books so you could have the cafe well stocked. However you found it hard to concentrate when the neighborhood kids were kicking up a ruckus nearby. Their high pitched screams hurting your eardrums.

When you look up to glare at them, it’s then you realize that they’re surrounding one of your trash cans, kicking it around and laughing. You’re quick to get up, abandoning your book as you storm over to them.

“Hey!” Your voice is loud and demanding and it effectively startles the kids. That’s all it takes for them to scatter, running in all different directions. You roll your eyes, not bothering to run after the annoying brats but you are rather curious as to why they had been kicking at your trash in the first place.

Glancing into the bin you find an entirely white ferret sans the small singular black dot under its left eye. The animal is on its hind legs, jumping up and trying desperately to get out of the circular death trap. The trash is only half full and it’s not enough for the ferret to be able to crawl out.

“Hey little guy, you must have been scared from all that kicking” At your voice the ferret startles, falling backwards before squirming back onto its legs. You can’t help the laugh that bubbles up in your throat at its dramatic reaction. “Are you ok? Were you trying to look for food?” You question even though you know it’s not gonna respond.

In the last fifty or so years, hybrids have been woven into modern society after their discovery — though not everyone had treated them fairly. Most people see them as pets, things to own or even worse, sex slaves. Many laws for hybrids have been put in place in an attempt to better protect them, but they were still pretty restrictive. In most cases, people can’t tell a normal animal to a hybrid in it’s domesticated form, so you couldn’t be 100% sure if this ferret in your trash was a hybrid or not.

You had a good feeling though.

The animal glanced at you like it was sizing you up, eyes squinting and head tilting. If the animal was indeed a hybrid, it was most likely a stray. Hybrid law dictates that anyone under 21 required an “owner” or a “guardian” to be in charge of them. In the end, this actually left a lot of strays on the street from terrible people who would abandon their hybrids for various reasons. None could ever be good enough in your eyes to just throw an innocent life onto the streets. At 21 though, a hybrid could declare itself independent and gain the rights to live on their own. Actually finding a place to live was an entirely different problem on it’s own. Many landlords would implemented a no independent hybrids rule and even places of employment didn’t hire hybrids at all or would give them less pay compared to an “actual” human.

People were cruel to things they didn’t understand, so quick to dehumanize someone who might be a little different.

“Are you stuck? Do you want some help?” you call out again softly, slowly extending your hand out to the animal hoping to show it that you meant no harm. The ferret doesn’t take it that way however, it’s teeth sinking into your index finger the moment it gets close enough. You wince at the sharp teeth piercing your flesh, sucking a breath between your teeth at the pain. Still, you don’t shake or make anymore sudden movements.

“S-see? Not so scary right?” The smile you give is slightly strained and the ferret lets out a soft whine. Slowly, it lets go of your finger, backing away with its head down as if ashamed. When you pull your hand back you can see some blood dripping down from the small indentations. “Oof, you’ve got some teeth on you huh?”

“Here, I'll put the trash down ok? So you can crawl out if you want. I’m gonna go address my wound and I'll even leave my door open if you’d like to come in. No pressure but I do have some food if you’d like,” Your smile remains kind as you glance down at the white animal before slowly moving the trash down to its side so it can crawl out.

You turn to walk back towards the house, taking a quick glance behind you to see if maybe the ferret was also following. You try to ignore the disappointment that fills your chest when it doesn’t.

In the kitchen you thoroughly rinse off the wound, waiting for the bleeding to stop before applying some ointment and a bandaid. You won’t lie, it throbs a little but you try to pay it no mind. You remember you’ve left your book outside so you go to retrieve it until you feel something nudging at your foot.

Looking down, you see the pretty little ferret by your feet and a smile immediately graces your lips. In the bright light of your kitchen you can see that its fur is slightly dirty, probably a result from being a stray for quite a while and you briefly wonder how long it’s been in your trash.

“Hi there, are you hungry?” The ferret makes a squeak like sound that manages to makes you smile even brighter at how cute it sounds. You move to open the fridge, glancing around for stuff you have. You’re 100% sure now that that small ferret is in fact a hyrbid, with how it’s been understanding your words and it’s behavior.

You don’t have much in your fridge currently, making a mental note to go grocery shopping some time soon. So you make due with some measly shredded chicken, placing it on a plate before offering it to the ferret. The speed in which the small thing practically scarfs it down is impressive.

“Careful, don’t choke,” you laugh, this time really leaving to grab your book and tea from the porch. When you come back the ferret is at the door waiting for you as if unsure if it should leave or not now that you’ve fed it.

“Do you maybe wanna take a shower? I’m sure you could use one,” the same squeaky noise emits from its tiny mouth and you let out a small laugh. That sound is going to be etched in your memories forever. “ok, sounds good. let me show you,”

So you guide the tiny ferret to your bathroom, showing it where everything is. “I’ll also leave some clothes on the bed if you choose to transform. Oh— but I don’t know if you’re a boy or a girl…well, most of my stuff is gender neutral anyway. Don’t feel pressured though,” With that you leave the ferret to its business. You lay a simple shirt and a baggy pair of sweatpants you hoped would fit whether the ferret ended up being a girl or a boy.

You can hear the shower running and you take that as your cue to leave, exiting your bedroom and closing the door behind you to give them some proper privacy. Glancing at the time you noticed it was getting a little late. Your daily sleep schedule had consisted of trying to be in bed by ten, just yet another boring part of your mundane routine. Though to be fair, owning a coffee shop had required you to open rather early, even if you only had a handful of early morning regulars.

Glancing into your fridge once again, you scope out some ingredients before deciding on an easy kimchi stew, making quick work of the vegetables as you swayed along to a random playlist. In the middle of cooking you feel something crawling up your leg and when you look down, low and behold, it’s the little ferret. It climbs the rest of your body with ease before settling down on your shoulder, to watch you cook. You notice its coat is much whiter now and smells faintly of your vanilla body wash.

“Hi, enjoy your shower?” The ferret chitters back and you have to bite back a coo from the sound. It just chills on your shoulder, seemingly interested in watching you as you cook. “Don’t know if you’re still hungry so i’ll leave the leftovers in the fridge and you can have it whenever you want,” You say while pouring yourself a bowl of your stew. You add some rice before moving to sit at your kitchen table. The ferret runs down your arm and onto the table, curling itself into a little ball.

“If you’re tired you could always sleep. There are three spare rooms and you could pick one if you’d like. At least to just stay the night,” It lifts its head to look at you, blinking slowly before jumping off the table to explore the rest of the house. You eat in silence, something you were used to so you don’t completely mind that the ferret has left you alone. You could have wished that it had kept you some company though. Even though he wouldn’t talk.

The rest of the night goes as normal and you don’t see the ferret again until you’re finally crawling into bed. Once you’re tucked under the sheets the familiar gleam of white fur is climbing up into your bed. You blink at the animal and it blinks back.

“You want to sleep here? Are you sure?” It hops over to you and crawls under the sheets, burying itself into your warm blankets. You let out a small laugh, seeing the small bump taking residence in your bed. “Well, if you’re sure,” You really don’t mind, which is probably strange in itself - to let a strange hybrid into your home and now your bed. Still, if it had wanted to hurt you it would have the moment it came inside or even after you fed it. Maybe it was a little naive of you but you had always tried to believed in the good in everyone. Even if people didn’t do the same for you.

Or you were just incredibly lonely. Could be possible.

You don’t continue that train of thought and instead, bid the ferret goodnight, turning off the lights and falling into a deep sleep.

[donttxtathebeach]

Y/N Williams’ No-Makeup look| Vogue Beauty Secrets

words: 1.6k

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The camera fades in to reveal a serene, sunlit room. The soft glow of candles flickers against the neutral-toned walls, which are adorned with tasteful beach-inspired decor—lush plants in woven baskets, a few minimalist artworks, and delicate seashell accents. A gentle breeze wafts through the open windows, carrying the scent of the ocean. The sounds of distant waves crash softly, adding to the calm ambiance.

Y/N is standing in her master bathroom with a sweater over her dress in order to make sure nothing comes in contact with it. . Her skin glows with a fresh-from-the-beach radiance, and her hair is naturally tousled as if the breeze had just kissed it. The room feels peaceful and bright, reflecting her coastal, laid-back lifestyle.

She smiles warmly at the camera, looking directly into it as if inviting you into her world.

“Hey, everyone! Welcome back to Vogue Beauty Secrets. It’s Y/N here, and tonight I am out at my Charleston home with a close friend. We’re keeping it low-key, cooking dinner, and enjoying each other’s company. So if you happen to hear him in the background, just ignore him. Nothing too special... but I thought I’d share my skincare and no makeup, makeup routine with you tonight. I usually like to go for something super natural and fresh.” She smiles, her tone warm and relaxed. “Let’s start with skincare because everything begins with good skin, right?”

Step 1: Cleaning

Y/N reaches for Renée Rouleau AHA/BHA Blemish Control Cleanser, a gentle yet effective cleanser that’s a staple in her routine. She dispenses a generous amount into her hands and lathers it up.

“So, first, I always start with cleansing. I’ve been using this Renée Rouleau AHA/BHA Blemish Control Cleanser for a while now, and it’s just perfect for me. It’s super creamy, and it doesn’t strip my skin, so it feels hydrated after I wash it off. It’s gentle enough for everyday use, and I love how soft it makes my skin feel.”

She massages the product into her skin in soft, circular motions, her fingers gliding over her face easily.

“The texture is so creamy and luxurious, and it helps to remove dirt, sunscreen, and any makeup leftover from the day. The key for me is always to feel like my skin is clean but not tight or dry. That’s why I love this one.”

After she rinses, she gently pats her face dry with a soft towel, taking a deep breath as if enjoying the calm moment.

Step 2: Toning

Next, Y/N grabs Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner. She pours a little onto a cotton pad and sweeps it gently across her face.

“This toner is my absolute go-to. It’s hydrating and calming, which is perfect for me because my skin tends to get a little dry. I love how it really preps my skin for the next steps—leaving it feeling soft, fresh, and ready to soak up whatever comes next.”

She swipes the cotton pad across her forehead, cheeks, and neck, letting it absorb naturally.

Step 3: Serum

After the toner, Y/N reaches for her Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum, applying a few drops into her palm before pressing it into her face.

“Now for serum. I’ve been using this Caudalie serum for a while, and it’s so great at adding that extra layer of hydration. I tend to get dry patches, especially around my nose and chin, so this is a lifesaver. It absorbs quickly, and I love how it leaves my skin feeling smooth and plump. Plus, it’s got this nice calming effect, which is key for me.”

She presses the serum into her skin, working it in slowly as she looks in the mirror.

Step 4: Eye Cream

Y/N then picks up Dr. Dennis Gross C+ Collagen Brighten & Firm Vitamin C Eye Cream, applying a small amount underneath her eyes.

“Eye cream is something I never skip. I tend to get dark circles from long days or jet lag, so I love this one. It’s brightening and firming, which helps with puffiness and dark circles. It’s lightweight, so it doesn’t feel heavy under makeup either.”

She gently taps the eye cream into her skin using her ring finger, pressing it delicately into the delicate under-eye area.

Step 5: Moisturizer

Next, she grabs Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream and massages it into her skin.

“I’ve been using this moisturizer for a few months now, and I really love it. It’s rich, but it sinks in quickly and gives my skin that smooth, plump feeling without being greasy. It’s the perfect base before makeup. And since I’m going for a natural glow tonight, this one is perfect.”

She massages the product into her face, making sure to get her neck as well, working it in gently with upward strokes.

Step 6: Sunscreen

Even though she’s staying indoors, Y/N applies Supergoop! Unseen sunscreen SPF 40.

“SPF is a must for me, no matter what. But I’m not modeling. I’m home and in the sun a lot, so skin protection really no matter where you are is something that means a lot to me, even with how nicely my skin tans. I just don’t want to have any risks. This one from Supergoop is so lightweight and doesn’t leave any white cast. It gives my skin the protection it needs without weighing it down, and it’s so smooth under makeup. You really can’t skip this step.”

She massages the sunscreen into her face, giving her skin a final layer of protection for the night.

Step 7: Lip Balm

Finally, Y/N applies a light layer of Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask to her lips.

“I can’t go without this lip balm. It’s so hydrating, and it keeps my lips feeling soft all night. Plus, it has this really calming, fresh scent that I love.”

She gently presses the balm into her lips, making sure they’re moisturized and plump.

Y/N takes a moment to admire her fresh, dewy complexion, smiling softly as she looks at herself in the mirror.

“Okay, that’s my skincare done! My skin feels so refreshed and hydrated, which is the perfect base for a simple, fresh makeup look.”

Makeup Routine

Now, she reaches for her makeup products and begins with Saie Slip Tint, a favorite of hers for its lightweight, natural coverage.

“Alright, let’s move on to makeup. For the no-makeup look, I’m all about using minimal products that enhance my natural skin. This skin tint is perfect—it’s super light, has SPF built in, and gives just enough coverage to even out my complexion.”

She dispenses a small amount onto her fingers and applies it gently across her face, blending it in with light taps of her fingertips.

“I don’t want to cover everything—I just want to perfect my skin and keep it looking fresh and natural.” “My skin is actually super sensitive, and I have found whenever I had shoots, they would put foundation on my skin. I would break out really heavily, and so I like stuff that’s lighter on my face just because I try to go for a more natural look all the time, and I’m not always wearing make-up."

Step 1: Concealer

Next, she grabs Glossier Stretch Concealer and applies it to areas she wants to brighten: under her eyes, around her nose, and any spots or redness.

“A little concealer under the eyes always makes me feel more awake. This one is great because it’s creamy but doesn’t feel heavy. It blends beautifully and covers just enough to give me a fresh look.”

She blends the product in with her fingers, focusing on areas that need a little more attention.

Step 2: Bronzer

Y/N picks up Dolce Glow Contour Self-Tanning Sculpt and applies it to her cheeks, jawline, and forehead.

“For a natural look, I love using this contour stick. It’s really easy to blend and gives me just enough warmth to define my face. It’s subtle, but it really adds a nice, natural-looking contour but while also enhancing my tan.”

She blends it in with her fingers, making sure the contour looks soft and seamless.

Step 3: Blush

She then grabs MERIT Flush Balm Cream Blush in “apres” and applies it to the apples of her cheeks, tapping it in gently.

“Blush is essential for that ‘I’ve been in the sun’ look. This shade is perfect—it adds a soft flush of color with a bit of shimmer, so it looks like you’re glowing from within.” "I don’t know how popular this is, but during the summer I actually don’t use blush, I just use cherries. Whenever I was growing up and we were in Greece, my mom would always have cherries on hand, and she was like, These are great for blush, and me being me. I wanted to do whatever my mom was doing, so that’s like a staple I use during the summer."

She smiles, adding just a hint more to get that perfect, radiant flush.

Step 4: Brows

For her brows, she grabs a spooly and runs it through her brows to define and shape them.

“Brows are really important for a natural look. And because of my mom’s genes, I have a lot of eyebrows, so I just brush them and not really do anything to them. I just shaped them with this call it a day."

Step 6: Eyes & Lips

Y/N finishes off with a sweep of YVES SAINT LAURENT Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara and Kylie Cosmetics lip liner in "cinnamon" and Clinique almost lipstick in “black honey,” giving her lashes a natural lift and her lips a glossy, plump finish.

“A little mascara and lip liner, and we’re done! The mascara is just to lift my lashes and open up my eyes, and the liner and almost lipstick give my lips that soft, shiny look that I love.”

Final Look

She smiles at her reflection, clearly happy with the natural, radiant look. “And that’s it! Simple, fresh, and effortless—just the way I like it.”

Y/N grabs her phone as it buzzes, smiling softly as she looks down. “Someone over their is a little impatient. so I’m going to get cooking!” She stands, carefully taking off her sweater.

“Thanks for hanging out with me tonight, guys. I hope you found some inspiration in this simple, natural routine. Remember—skincare is key, and feeling comfortable in your own skin is the most important part of beauty.”

“See you next time.”

The screen fades to black, leaving the peaceful vibe lingering in the air.

[hyufucks]

STARBOY .ᐟ

★ STARRINGS: choi yeonjun and fem!reader. ft choi soobin

! cw – jealousy, possessiveness, yeonjun is aggressive, fingering, unp. sex.

playlist while your read this (click on 'playlist')

2ND PART OF HOW MANY SECRETS CAN U KEEP?

yeonjun's lifestyle is not the typical cliche where he's a bad boy and his life depend on fucking every girl and living from party to party (the latter may have been a bit cliche, but trust me, he dosen't go out every weekend).

you know his reputation, and you know it all too well.

you know he's a top student with outstanding grades, a star athlete, the favourite of the teachers and, above all: a jealous boy.

he has a thing about being the centre of attention, your centre of attention. if you're not with him, if you're not seeing him, if you're not talking exclusively about him and how hot he is, he'll get jealous (too much, i'd say).

several times you met his dark eyes and chilling gaze, almost so sharp that he would effortlessly slit your jugular for the simple fact that you were talking to a boy other than him.

he can't stand not being the starboy, a nickname that echoes through the hallways and teacher's room, but which he only prefers to hear from you.

but what he hates the most is seeing you next to choi soobin: his rival.

soobin is a friendly, smart, shy and funny guy. you don't understand why yeonjun hates him so much and why he wants to keep you away from him all over the coast.

but yeonjun knows things that you might not, and maybe those things are the reasons why he spits shit at soobin.

right?

yeonjun's soft kisses on your neck made you lose your sanity, his cold hands provoking a thousand sensations on your warm skin as he caressed your thighs and waist. his fingers nimbly unbuttoned the buttons of your shorts, and just as he was about to remove your underwear, your phone started ringing.

you reluctantly pushed the dark haired guy away to pick up your phone, quickly sitting up in bed when you saw who was calling you.

'who the fuck is calling you?' your partner asked, somewhat annoyed that you had interrupted what you were about to do.

'oh, it's soobin. i'm supposed to do investigation work with him, remember?' you said with total impunity, as if you had completely forgotten yeonjun's feelings for the poor blond boy.

you saw him tense his jaw and close his eyes as soon as he heard his name leave your lips 'why are you doing it with him? weren't there other options at that stupid hippie college?'

you laughed before quickly picking up the phone, motioning yeonjun to silence.

'hi! soobin, it's so good to hear your voice again' you looked at the dark haired, looking provocation.

and you've done it, because never in your life have you seen him settle between your legs so quickly, taking off your underwear and looking at you like a ferocious animal stalking his prey.

'yes, hello, i say the same thing' his soft voice provoked a certain tenderness in you, unlike yeonjun who's voice only made you wet.

oh, and speaking of the king of rome; his fingers didn't miss the opportunity to caress your clitoris in a circular way. you saw him wet his fingers with his own saliva before inserting two of them into your sweet spot.

you muffled a moan, but it was useless as the boy on the other the line quickly noticed that something was wrong.

'hey, are you okay?' he asked confused and somewhat worried 'i thought i heard something' how cute.

yeonjun brought his face closer to your neck, biting and sucking gently 'put him on speaker' he said with his characteristic deep voice when he was in that mood.

and of course you did it.

'y-yeah, it's just that i'm a little shaken up from today's practice, you know, cheerleading stuff' you lied mercifully, because clearly you wouldn't say that there's a guy fingering you and that guy just happens to be choi yeonjun.

'on a saturday at ten at night?' you heard him laugh softly. looks like he's caught you red handed 'anyway, 'i wanted to know if we could get together monday morning to discuss about the work'.

'of course, at my house or at yours?'

'in mine. it's closer to your college, so i could take-' you couldn't hear him finish. yeonjun took your phone and ended the call suddenly, throwing it angrily on the bed.

before you could say anything to him, he grabbed your wrists with both hands and pushed them over your head, pressing his body closer to yours, preventing you from moving.

'what the fuck do you think you're doing?' you've seen him angry before, but he never got physical like now.

'what are you talking about? he just wants to be nice' he clicked his tongue and sighed heavily.

'yes, of course, and i was born yesterday' he replied with notorious sarcasm 'for you that's being nice, but for me that means he wants to fuck you in his flat and in his damn car'.

you widened your eyes in surprise and almost shocked, feeling a pressure in your chest that you had never experienced with him before.

'what the hell is wrong with you, yeonjun? you can't just think the worst of others. not everyone wants to wet their dick like you'.

'and you can't always think the best of others and believe that i'm the only one who wants to push you against the mattress, damn it' he spat angrily.

he quickly released you and moved away from you, walking away from your bed, walking out of the room. you got up and followed him to the front door.

'where do you think you're going?' you asked behind him, placing a hand on the door.

'finish this on your own, maybe thinking about soobin will help you cum quickly' he pushed you almost roughly and left your flat, slamming the door shut.

'damn son of a bitch'.

almost a week since you and yeonjun last saw each other. you only exchanged glances in the hallways. sometimes you would see him train secretly, and you knew that he did it too.

but no one dared to approach.

throughout that week, you were with soobin and practicing tonight's performance together with your team. tonight, yeonjun and soobin were going to play on different teams.

and you were just afraid.

you looked in the toillet mirror one last time before heading out to the basketball hall, noticing that your ribbon was scruffy and your lipstick was not applied correctly.

the sound of the door opening and the familiar voice caused you to jump a little in place.

'what do you want, choi yeonjun?' you asked without even looking at him at all, you only saw his body resting comfortably on the cubicle doors in the mirror, arms crossed and with that gigantic smile of a mischievous cat.

he looks so attractive like that, that for a moment you forgot what an idiot he is.

'i just wanted to know if you were going to cheer for me tonight' he replied calmly, moving closer to you.

'and what if i don't? are you going to corner me like that day?'

he bit his lips lightly and then licked it. his big hands took your waist and he forced you to turn around, being face to face.

'come on, doll, we can't spend our whole lives pretending we don't exist'

he leaned down to your neck and placed little kisses there, just the way you always liked 'you're so hot when you're angry'.

you sighed and leaned your neck to give him better access, surrendering to him and his charms.

his lips touched yours, joining in a needy, hungry kiss. your hands tugged at his hair, making him moan against your mouth.

he lifted you over the sink and you quickly wrapped your legs around him, feeling the bulge of him pressing against your pussy.

you moved as best you could, trying to create friction between you and him. yeonjun laughed in between the kiss.

'you're itching to fuck already, mmh?' you nodded 'ask me and i'll grant you the wish'.

you squeezed your eyes and sighed 'please, fuck me'.

he laughed again against your lips 'wish granted'.

you gasped when he practically ripped off your underwear and pulled you even closer to him. he removed his shorts and boxer, stroked his base a few times before fully entering and thrusting inside of you with a single thrust.

you heard him moan in relief once he hit rock bottom 'god, i missed this pussy so much'.

you leaned back a bit, touching your back against the mirror. you grabbed his hair again and pulled him close to you, connecting your lips against his.

you bit his lip as his fingers moved in a circular motion over your clit, pushing three fingers inside.

kisses distributed on your collarbones and chest almost make you explode.

the way he would go in and out would drive you crazy, how he would go deep and then not.

yeonjun held you tightly, hugging his body to yours. that is what definitely made you start moving desperately, chasing your orgasm.

'aw, are you about to cum?' he gently caressed your cheek as if you were an adorable little animal 'tell me, did you cum thinking about that idiot the other day?'

you denied 'no, i thought of you'.

he half smile, satisfied with your answer 'who makes you cum?'

'you' muttered.

'say it louder' he grabbed you again and pushed himself hard 'I'm not listening, baby'.

'you' another push 'you' another one 'god, you'.

and you clung to him as if your life depended on it, moaning in his ear, feeling safe.

as it has always been.

the heavy eddies and knots appeared, the approaching heat and the familiar feeling in your belly took you over.

and he kissed you like he never did before.

and you felt something you had never felt before.

he hugged you tenderly and you could feel his heart beating like you had never heard it before, smelling his perfume in a new way and from a different point of view.

and when he moved away, you were already missing him.

'make yourself pretty, but not so cute because you're going to distract me' he laughed coquettishly, winking at you before leaving.

another time you would have rolled your eyes, but this time your heart jumped and your cheeks turned pink and filled with an unknown felling.

you also went out into the hallway and saw him leave, turning his back on you.

from not-so distant you heard his faithful devotees who were waiting for him, who received him with his characteristic nickname and insane applause,

starboy, starboy, starboy!

and you just smiled, knowing that that name would never be the same for him if you weren't the one who told him.

and you knew that it will never change.

© hyufucks, 2023.

[fanaticsnail]

Something Like That

Masterlist here, Request link and mood board here.

Word Count: 4,048

Hi everyone! This is the last x-mas fic I can push out before my time away over the holiday period interstate. I hope you enjoy reading for our boy Zoro. Thank you @sordidmusings for keeping me motivated! Merry Christmas, Anon! Just in case it peaks your interest @gingernut1314

Warnings: Fluff, Christmas, talks of battle scars, kissing, dancing

Just like all of the times you had ventured to Baratie, this time had every intention of being no more than passing time with delicious food. The floating restaurant atop a mighty ship was your favorite stop-off on your way home to Lougetown to visit with your extended family; the food’s glowing reputation almost did justice to the divine quality and the accompanying drinks were what dreams were made of. The fact that the staff was comprised of reformed pirates also held an appeal, considering your ties to that lifestyle as a skilled archer.

Bidding farewell to the vessel you had bartered onto for voyage, you heard a strange amount of merriment floating melodically from the wide fish-mouth at the bar lounge of the grand restaurant. You furrowed your brows, arching one up as curiosity held you captivated by the songs seeping to the surface with a wide array of demonstrated skill. Some vocals were sung blissfully, others shouted with no skill depicted within their throats. 

Taking deliberate steps with your bow in hand, quiver strapped firmly against your waistbelt and traveling satchel thrown over your shoulder, you sauntered to the grand doors and lobby of the restaurant to meet the matradee. He welcomed you with a broad smile, which rose to sit comfortably and warmly, peaking at the apples of his cheeks. His regular white formal garb was replaced with a deep emerald green dinner jacket, a small bushel of pointed leaves with red shimmery berries strung together by twine.

“Welcome back to Baratie!” He exclaimed with glee, “I have your usual table awaiting you.” He gestured a guiding hand to the right and indicated for you to follow his direction to the bottom of the twirled staircase.

Your confusion seemed to set in further as you took in your surroundings. The usual bare bars of the railing were ornately decorated with vines of sharpened, needle-like sprigs and small warm lights shining amongst the shrubbery akin to starlight. Your gaze was drawn upwards, noticing a small and sporadic assortment of floral clusters clinging to the roof and down the pillars of the supporting canopy. The bunches were of pale sage green, floating romantically down and arching their spindles out to grasp the pearled white flowers amongst the greenery.

As your gaze fell to rest upon the circular room, you noticed individuals joining against each other in embraces of romantic twirling and swaying. Their voices would raise to join with the tune regardless of how skilled they were to carry the tune, prompting you to raise an apprehensive smile to your lips.

“What is going on, sir?” you asked the fishman matradee as he chaperoned you to your regular table, “this all seems rather strange and unusual for a Monday afternoon, don’t you think?” Your tone of playful jest prompted him to chuckle in response, pulling out your chair for you to sit within your corner booth. Wordlessly, he took your bow and satchel while you unstrapped your quiver to disarm yourself to place your valuable items to be placed in the cloakroom.

“One of our kitchen-hands has returned to us, settling his dining debt from his time with us,” the matradee informed you, a playful twinkle drawn up to his eye, “and in celebration, we’re attempting to showcase a custom he had picked up on his travels.”

You hummed in response with a polite nod, brows raising with interest as you pulled your gaze over to view the diners amongst the crowd. Noticing jovial laughter and an uproar of cheers, you pulled your gaze to seek out its source. A young man with a straw hat atop dark loose curls immediately captured your attention, his eyes upturned and jaw hanging wide as he allowed another heartily laugh escape from his chest. His arms were hooked around the necks of two of his companions, drawing them in closer to his chest; a woman with short orange hair clutched within his right arm, while a bandana-clad man with a similar cheery expression lay gathered within his left.

Scanning over the remainder of the party members surrounding him, your eyes first drew to examine the tall, blonde companion. His hair skewed the view of his left eye, but what you could make of his right; he was a delight to look at. After holding your eyes against the blonde for longer than you truly thought appropriate, your eyes met with the final stranger of the party. His dark hazelnut orbs immediately locked on your probing gaze, bearing a protective intensity, his moss-coloured locks raised without much care as to which direction the strands fell.

As his eyes continued to hold your attention, you stared him down to reciprocate his wordless challenge. His brows furrowed briefly before a wolf-like grin rose to his lips, smirking up to the right-hand side of his face with an air of arrogance. Training as a skilled archer had drilled the practice of continual focus on a multitude of targets. This small challenge set your heart alight with a similar thrill to hunting a foe, the green-haired man not shying away from your attention and focus.

He was captivating. His air of protection and loyalty to his companions transferred without question of translation. You watched as he drew his dominant hand to fall to rest against a white blade hilt at his side, his wrist hanging limply against the handle atop the scabbard. He arched his left brow up at you and gestured with his chin, indicating to you that he would not shy away from a fight if one was to be offered to him. You arched up your brow with your own smirk, gesturing lightly with your hands over your torso and falling down to your waist; indicating you were currently unarmed.

Without breaking your gaze from his challenge, you reached your hand below the white tablecloth, shielding your hand from retrieving an item from your handbag beside you. You let out an audible laugh as you watched him fix his posture more upright, his smirk falling from his lips as his frown deepened in partial alarm. After feeling the hard object you were searching for, you raised it to no longer be obscured from view and rotated it within your hands to demonstrate how non-threatening the item was.

His face immediately dropped at his idiocy as his eyes took in the novel you were holding within your hands, closing his eyes and having a small smile rise to his lips. As soon as his eyes closed and soft chuckle fell from his lips, you relished in the knowledge that he was the first to back away from the intense wordless challenge he initiated with his eyes, indicating that you had won the small victory. 

While his eyes were closed, you fully examined his face. Eyes first shamelessly raking over his hair, trailing down and over his closed eyes and settling on his parted lips. His coy smile now completely risen against his lips held a foreign beauty, the creases of his cheeks indicating such softness was not a common occurrence. He was intriguing, someone you would have considered pursuing should you have had more time between your usual meal at Baratie and the upcoming ferry you had booked to shepherd the remainder of your journey. 

You shook your head, uncaring whether he would meet his intense gaze against yours again as you opened the pages of the novel you had begun reading on your journey out to sea, picking up where you last left off. The words whittled within the pages were of a variety of archery techniques and forms, a gift bestowed upon you by your favorite uncle - the one you held the most joy in rejoining with in Lougetown. 

A gentle cough interrupts the passage you were skimming, drawing your attention up to the waiter beside you. He placed down in front of you a seasonal beverage, the steam rising from the rim wafting towards your nose to envelop your senses with its rich, velvety and creamy scent. You thanked the waiter as he placed an accompanying biscotti beside the treat, the crumbled texture littering the small side dish with pebbles of its buttery substance. 

Reaching towards the handle, you raised the drink to your face, gently parting your lips and circling them to blow on the scorching liquid. After relinquishing your gentle blows to your particular satisfaction, you drew up the mug and took a quick sip of the contents. Immediately flooded by the indulgent flavor of the caramelized chocolate mixing with the creamy and decadent texture of the frothed milk. You sighed, breathing out your pleasure at being once again welcomed by the perfect combination of flavors offered to you at Baratie. Placing down again onto the circular, ceramic dish, you lifted your novel to continue reading from the last page you left of; blissfully ignorant or willfully ignoring the intense pair of eyes continuing to hold firm their locked gaze upon you.

“Something the matter, Zoro?” the Straw-Hat captain asked from beside the swordsman, clutching the bone of a perfectly prepared tomahawk steak within his right hand while chewing on the sinew, “you’ve been staring at that table for a long time now.” The swordsman remained quiet, not truly hearing the words spoken to him.

“”M’fine, Captain,” He mumbled. It was true, he had become entranced by the person he was currently inspecting. His bewitchment had only intensified as he witnessed your knowing and examining gaze falling to seek out the loud and joyous laughter falling in the air of the surroundings. You had to be a hunter, by the looks of you: whether it be seeking bounties, hunting animals or contesting mark-matching with the bow you allowed the fishman to leave with. 

“You sure there, Moss-Head?” Sanji taunted him, his signature smirk ruffling the temperament of the swordsman further, “you seem awfully focussed on the-... -Oh. Oh, they’re quite pretty, aren’t they?” Zoro snapped his gaze up to focus on the chef whose head was now shamelessly pointed directly at you, eyes searching your body and examining him the way Zoro was trying hard not to. 

“What of it, waiter?” he growled in a disinterested snarl. Sanji slowly dragged his gaze from your body over to face the swordsman once more, eyes darkening with a challenging intensity. 

“I think they’re very pretty, indeed,” Sanji’s exposed brow twitched in an upturned flirtatious suggestion. Usopp smirked, leaning in on his elbows to get a better view of the show Sanji was absolutely going to engage against the swordsman while Nami shook her head. Rolling her eyes, she sat back to rest her shoulders against the plush booth, tilting her head down to shield her smirk to remain hidden in her expression of amusement at their rivalry. 

“I think they’re so pretty, in fact,” Sanji snuck another glance at you, watching as you pursed your lips while turning another page of your novel, “I think I’m going to ask them to dance the next round.”

“What’d you say, waiter?” Zoro tilted his head, attempting to hold his composure and feign disinterest at the challenge. The subtle gruff anchor of his voice gave him away, Zoro winced at his own vocal tone. Sanji chuckled at the failed attempt, choosing to draw his elbows against the table and cradle his chin to rest atop his laced fingertips. 

“It’s not like you’re man enough to ask her to dance, anyway,” Sanji’s smirk rose into a broader grin, relishing in Zoro’s physical reaction of sharpening his posture to rise against the jab. The blonde chef chuckled darkly, drawing his lips to press against his fingertips before suggesting with another jab: “Someone like that looks like they’d prefer to be held in the arms of a real man, not something like you, Demon.”

“I’ll let the two of you know when I see one,” the orange-haired navigator murmured in a low tone, her voice immediately capturing the attention of the two bickering crewmates. Usopp feigned pain, clutching at his heart briefly before nodding in confirmation of her comments: both flinging their heads back in unbridled laughter at the motion. Luffy continued to remain blissfully ignorant, finally sucking at the large bone to rid the object from all edible elements of the dish while offering a small laugh of his own. Although he truly had no idea why they were laughing at that moment, he was happy his crew was getting along - to the best of his knowledge, anyway.

That was the occasion after all: merriment and joyfulness being the central point of the entire reason for this celebration. Sanji and Zoro turned back to face each other again, eyes bearing an electric intensity as they met their rival’s challenge. 

“No,” Zoro gruffly growled, his lips curling in a small snarl. Sanji arched his head to stretch out his neck, eyes closing as he felt a gentle ‘pop’ and sighing in reaction. 

“You gonna actually approach them and ask them to dance?” Sanji lazily taunted him, his smirk returning, “or am I going to get there first?”

At that final nudge, Zoro was away from the table and almost stomping his heavy boots against the polished floorboards like a chastised toddler. Sanji chuckled at the response, reaching forward to claim a portion of the confit potatoes to place on his plate. 

“I gotta know, man,” Usopp leant in towards Sanji, his broad smile rising to his cheeks, “were you that interested in them, or just wanted to get a rise from Zoro? I can never tell with you.”

“That’s my secret, Great Captain Usopp,” Sanji’s left corner of his lip curled up in a smirk with a playful glimmer in his eye returning, “I’m always interested in getting a rise out of him. Beautiful strangers are always a bonus. My favorite is when those two things are not mutually exclusive,” he chuckled, collecting an assortment of ingredients on his fork and raising the utensil up to his lips, “two birds with one stone, and all that.”

The thud of heavy boots alerted you to a figure closing the distance between themselves and your body. The thumps of the hard boots against the polished floor reverberated with a sense of danger. Patiently, with a sigh exiting your parted lips, you placed a small piece of parchment back into your novel to tab the chapter and slowly turned to look at the approaching figure. 

“Can I help you?” you asked, a bored tone with a subtle air of cautious warning befalling your cadence. As you drew your eyes up, you noticed the same intense gaze from earlier falling to meet your sat position on the table. His eyebrow seemed to twitch, indicating slight agitation as his jaw was clenched tightly shut. Cocking your head to the side, you allowed a partial softness to grace your features as you danced your eyes between focussing on each of his hazelnut orbs.

“I-, uh-,” the man was stumbling over his words, unable to string a sentence of cohesion together. He raised his hand to the scruff of his neck, pinching the flesh with his calloused hands and grimacing at his expression. 

“You?” you cooed up at him, a smirk rising once more to your lips. You shook your head, hair dancing at the small sway of movement. Your attention was once again captivated by him; the arrogant energy you had initially met your gaze with was dismantled under his apprehensive aura. 

Zoro had every intention of proving how much of a ‘real man’ he was to his crew, although not so much of a display in masculinity; but more of a need to not allow Sanji the pleasure or satisfaction of flirting with someone so enchanting as you. He was going to simply offer his hand to you, smirk in a gesture to ask you to join him on the dance floor and parade you in front of his crew. But alas, as soon as his eyes met with yours once again; he felt helpless and small under your huntress eyes.

“Well, are you going to stand there all rigid, swordsman?” you taunted, reclining in your seat and resting your elbow atop the backrest, “Or are you going to take a seat?”

Again, Zoro found himself taken aback by your direct approach. He followed your index and middle finger as you gestured to the empty seat in front of you. He shook his head a little to rid him of his prior bewilderment and then apprehensively moved to withdraw the chair to take a seat. You took him in, watching his deliberate movements in the way he sat atop the chair: every action intentional. As he sat, he offered no conversation other than broody silence. His eyes would flitter over to check-in on his prior dining companions and grimacing as his gaze was met with taunting gestures from his crew.

“Friends of yours?” you asked him, brow arched and reaching for the handle of your mug. 

“Something like that,” he uttered in a gruff tone, arms folding abrasively over his chest. You chuckled at his tone, taking a small sip from your mug and eyeing him deliberately. 

“Care to share further, or would you prefer having another wordless exchange?” you placed the empty cup back down on the dish and offered another challenging smile. He snapped his eyes back to yours and his smirk rose again to his lips. 

“They’re my crew,” his rumbly chuckle was withheld in his chest beneath his smirk, “I like half of them, but respect the lot of them.”

You hummed in response, index finger dancing atop the rim of your relinquished mug of hot chocolate. “Would you like to tell me more? I’m all ears about the ones you like and the ones you’re less fond of.”

Over the course of the next few hours, the swordsman and you would swap tales of travels throughout the East Blue and the Grand Line. Foes bested, beasts conquered and sorrows overcome: the tales of injuries you had both granted to opponents and received at the hands of them. He leant back against the back of his chair and slowly unbuttoned his shirt and hooked his fingers within the collar and hemline of his shirt to draw it back to showcase proudly to you. You felt your breath hitching in your throat at not only the physique of the swordsman, but in awe at the large healed mark slashed across his torso. You felt utterly ill-seasoned with your smaller indents of arrows and thrown dagger marks littering your shoulders. As you hooked your middle finger in your left shoulder strap and coyly revealed the small silver, healed markings, Zoro was held captivated by the marks to showcase your tales of battle. 

Enamored, awestruck and enchanted; you both held a small lilt of encaptured silence, leaning in on your forearms against the white tablecloth and gazing into the eyes of one another. Respecting your mutual combatant skill, both you and Zoro’s eyes fell half-lidded in adoration as you held each other’s undivided attention. 

The music and merriment fell into a slow tune, reflective of the seasonal tradition Baratie was attempting to celebrate with succession. Zoro was the first to break the silence between you, placing his left hand on the table with his palm up.

“Would you wanna dance?” he asked, his drawl gruff but attempting to remain polite in his request. You smiled, reaching your right hand to fall within his own, his hand immediately circling around your fingers firmly. His thumb circled over your four fingers, caressing his calloused and experienced hands over your skin.

“You don’t seem like much of a dancer, Zoro,” you commented, both rising to your feet. He drew you in close. Keeping his left hand extended upwards, and raking his right over the mid of your back to draw your torso flush with his, he uttered: “I’m not, but it seemed appropriate. Considering the holiday, and all.”

“Ah, yes. We never did quite get to discussing what all this,” you gestured with your chin, smiling at the decorations surrounding the room, “was all about.”

“I’m not really sure on the minor details,” he shrugged, awkwardly swaying you to the music, “Cap’n just said something about different traditions needing to be incorporated. Something about food, music, dancing, and decoration-...-oh. Oh, no-.”

You furrowed your brows, looking up at the roof to follow after his risen gaze. A small sprig of white, pearled flowers hung over your heads, accompanied by sage-coloured oblong leaves wrapped in ribbons of satin and twine. You cocked your head, left brow raising in curiosity at the flowers and their significance. Drawing your gaze back to the swordsman in front of you, you noticed he was stooping himself all the more closer to you.

“What are you doing, swordsman?” you questioned, halting him in his descention towards you. 

“This is one of those traditions,” he said, unlacing your right hand from his left and wordlessly asking with his eyes for permission to cradle your cheek within his palm. You looked at the hand first, then drew your eyes back up to meet his intense gaze. Smiling, you placed your cheek into his awaiting palm while holding his gaze firmly against your own. 

“Touching a stranger’s face beneath strange flowers is a strange tradition,” you furrowed your brows at him once more in curiosity.

“Kissing them beneath strange flowers,” he corrected you, leaning to join his lips immediately against your own. A small squeak fled from your lips, eyes widening as you felt the intensity falling from his chapped lips onto your own.

This was not how you pictured your return to Baratie to go at all. Sure, you had dreamed of meeting a handsome stranger and sharing an embrace with them. The stars just never aligned for you in any way that drew you close enough to share a kiss with them, only ever moments of story swapping or sharing a meal or two with many travelers accompanying you. 

You allowed yourself to become relaxed into the embrace, reaching your hands up to circle his neck below the assortment of flowers. His brows furrowed in concentration as he inhaled sharply through his nose in reaction to your reciprocation. You smiled, closing your eyes and tickling the scruff of his neck beneath your fingertips; lacing his untamed sea-sprayed locks within them. He expertly opened your mouth to taste more of your lips by angling his chin upwards against your own. A small groan rumbled within his chest, passing from his mouth to fall against your own as he continued to cradle you against himself.

Reluctantly, you pulled away from his embrace with your eyes remaining closed. You felt a small pause falling with his next actions, before you felt a warm forehead press against your own. You reopened your eyes, your half-lidded and lazy smile mirrored against the face of the swordsman you just shared a kiss with. 

Interrupting your embrace, an announcement was called over the speakers. The crackle of cables and wires sprung to life within the metal relay, alerting you with a vocal command: “The next vessel to Lougetown has arrived. All those traveling to Lougetown, report to the peer with your documents. Next vessel to Lougetown will depart in twenty minutes.”

“That’s me, unfortunately,” you sighed, eyes remaining closed but lips drawn up in a wide smile. 

“Business in Lougetown?” Zoro’s whisper rumbled within his chest. 

“Something like that,” you withdrew your forehead from its place resting against his own, “much akin to your crew, although I’m held attached by biological relation.”

“Anyone I’d know?” Zoro smirked, eyes remaining partly glazed over enamored by your small daliance. 

“I never ‘name drop’, swordsman,” you cooed up at him while unlacing your arms from his embrace, “but if you’re in the general area,” you retrieved your belongings from your table and laced your handbag and novel over your shoulder, “I’ll be at the G-5 Marine Base with my uncle for the next month for training.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” he smirked, eyes upturning to indicate his joy at the thought of meeting with you once again.

[noicevibes]

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝

it is said that distance makes the heart grow fonder. instead, it only proves to make the water levels rise a few millimeters.

pairing -> neuvillette x gn!reader

warnings -> sfw, sad neuvi & reader, smooching

notes -> reader's position is a non-canon one

character mentions -> lady furina, fontaine npcs, non-canon melusine characters

wc -> 2.1k

It wasn’t so often that the paths of you and your lover could so seamlessly cross.

As one might assume, governing a nation is not a walk in the park, nor is it a part-time position. It is a twenty-four-seven, midnight-to-midnight, no-matter-how-small-the-crisis job that someone has to take responsibility for— with Monsieur Neuvillette, the Chief Justice, leading the charge of each court proceeding and Lady Furina as its grandest witness, and you, the Maison Ordalie's Directeur Général, helping them to uphold Fontaine’s values and protecting its honour from outside the marbled walls of the Opera Epiclese, Fontaine is a tightly-run ship that seldom allows for its men to enjoy much free time.

Though when it did, finally exiting the realm of your job responsibilities only then meant having to catch up on your neglected home responsibilities— tackling the towers of only partially rinsed dishes; taking out the trash you just knew would be stinking up your foyer since you’d put it there three days ago (which had been the last time you’d even been inside your home); rewashing the load of laundry you’d run out of time to hang up to dry and now was, most likely, moulding from being left in basket, still damp. Ah, and there’s probably so much more you’d been forgetting about.

This cyclic routine of yours had become nauseating a long time ago, only proving capable of transfiguring your already sour mood into something brazenly foul. Typically, there were very few things to exist that could improve it again, but the soft, muffled knocking on your front door by one of your sweet Melusine neighbours when she realized you’d finally returned home, fortunately, is one of those few things.

More often than not, she would bake once the weekend began, knowing you to be around at least long enough to be able to consume perhaps one of her newly learned confections. Somedays, you’d even been lucky enough to sit and enjoy them together whilst enjoying the views from under your shared garden’s gazebo. Being that you lived on the first floor of a three-floored pied-à-terre with three other Melusine living above you, who had also been found lucky to have much more manageable lifestyles, they often cared for the plants of the garden when you could not.

Even luckier for you, though, was having such kind neighbours that would go out of their way to take care of those aforementioned chores for you. Garden tended; garbage bags mysteriously vanished from the inside stoop; dishes sparkling clean and put away in their respective cupboards; laundry thought a lost cause having been hung up, dried, and folded, awaiting your return for them to be returned to their drawers— none of this had been you. Elsie, your second floor neighbour, had been the culprit, you learn, having rounded up her sisters Elie and Eloie two days prior to your return to surprise you.

“Have you seen Monsieur Neuvillette lately?” Elsie inquires, looking up to you from her place on your stoop. When you step aside to let her in, she shakes her head, lavender-coloured ears whipping about. “I won’t be staying. I only came to say hello and to give these to you.”

“Oh, I see,” you say, accepting the circular tin she raises toward you. Cracking it open a few inches, you smile at the soft treats. “Madeleines! Thank you, Elzie. And, to answer your question, no… I haven’t seen him lately… not even for work.”

“You’re quite welcome. Please find time to share them with the Monsieur today, then. Sedene mentioned he looked restless this morning.”

Without missing a beat, your heart skips one of its own, and your expression twists habitually guiltily. You know full well your absence from him, and vice versa, isn’t to be helped, and that the two of you have had this same conversation many times over. But it never proves to help whenever someone else points out either of your miseries.

You’d always thought the Palais Mermonia to be particularly cold, in company’s sense. It never mattered that it was always full of people, of employees, and even of Lady Furina’s raucous, nails-on-a-chalkboard cackle of a laugh, because you knew its Chief Justice much too well. In spite of his assurances that he would be alright, mind occupied by having to organize new cases and sort out the old ones, it wouldn’t be too long of a time later that you found the skies overcast, and yourself drenched by a sudden downpour.

You supposed, after saying your farewells to Elsie, locking your front door, and making your way to the other end of the Court of Fontaine, that today would be no different. Of course, you remembered to carry your parasol on you this time, accompanied by the tin of fresh-baked madeleines you promised Elsie to eat up. Today, the sky was shining blue, quite literally only minutes ago. So, either something sad or distressing has crossed his path, or, he’d been feeling sentimental again, because it’s raining again.

At the very least, you hope the cause for it to be the latter. This way, it can easily be remedied by you appearing before him, rather than him being consumed by the details of a case so heavily, and for an unspecified period of time. And there have been too many of these as of late that compared to last year’s weather, one might consider the possibility of that prophecy coming true just a little sooner.

Clutching the cookies tighter to you and keeping a firm grip on the handle of your parasol, you hasten across the bridge of the Court Region Waterway untoward the Palais Mermonia, greeting Bruneau and Liath and Plessia as you pass. The main doors are heavy, but even with your arms full, you manage to pry one of them open enough to enter the building.

You don’t both to carry your umbrella with you — it would just be yet another mess the building’s staff would have to trail after you for to clean — and instead shove it into the corner to let it drip there, telling the one guard that you would return for it, and them saluting you in acknowledgement.

Inside the Palais Mermonia has always been a plethora of people, staff and guards and visitors alike, but it is as you’d said— there’s a certain degree of emptiness to it that unsettles you whenever you visit here. Perhaps the grave amount of case files that sat in the archives surrounding Monsieur Neuvillette’s office cast such a dreary spell over the place; having been the one to compile many of them, yourself, for his records, you know firsthand just how dark some of their contents had been— to have to pass those off and share them with your lover had been your major grievance for your position. There’d been nothing you hated more than sitting in during his readings and seeing his expression change from the joy of having you appear to him, to the rage and sorrow of taking in the details of a new case. In those moments, you made sure to hold him a little tighter, a little closer, and speak just a little sweeter to him, a little softer.

The rain would, eventually, subside.

You push open the door to his office as gently as possible, and shut it just as carefully so as not to startle him. Without looking first to confirm, you know that he sits at his desk, pouring over the day’s files and records while it pours outside. His stoicism masked the obvious, though at least, this had been to you only— something was weighing heavily enough on his mind that it’d begun to affect the weather outside. Spending enough time with the man made this easy to tell.

“Neuvillette,” you softly call to him when he’d yet to look up. He jerks slightly in his seat, stiff shoulders losing their tension upon recognizing your voice, and the corner of his lips rise before his eyes can even meet yours.

“My love.”

If having you appear in a room filled with such disheartening unkindness is his relief, yours had always been the advent of a smile on Neuvillette’s face. A rare glimpse of the peace you often find yourself daydreaming over while away, the rush of pure joy you feel at the sight of your lover relishing your presence is nearly akin to the blessing of the gods— you only embrace him tightly enough and hope this feeling reaches him.

Nose pressed into the side of your head, hands and arms cradling you almost impossibly close to him, he breathes you in as deeply as physically possible— yes, his gesture promises.

You raise your chin from his chest and peer up at him, grin lazed and tired but pleased all the same.

“You were finally released from your duties?”

“If it were easy to delegate them to my juniors, it might’ve taken less time to escape,” you muse, hands sliding down his robes to claim his hands in yours— he squeezes them gently, grateful. “No one seems to know how to write a proper report anymore; I feel like I’m grading homework.” Neuvillette laments at the sudden shift in your expression, its complete opposite serving to dim the light in your eyes. By the way your grip tightens beneath his fingers, he supposes it must have little to do with your subordinates, after all.

“It’s… been raining for so long now,” you mumble into him, cookie tin forgotten atop his desk. “I tried to hurry to you, I-I…”

Neuvillette’s hand shifts along one of yours, quick to fit thin, nimble fingers in between your trembling ones. He lifts it, and presses your palm and fingertips into the smooth, porcelain coolness of his cheek— few words are found necessary, you’d both once agreed, as he’d always been a man of sterling gestures over forced sentimentality. In each glance, each touch, each curve of his lips upward, his vehemence never went unnoticed; it’d simply been his brand of love— demure and chaste, but abundant. There’d been no questioning his intention.

“I would sooner give up my position if it meant I could stay at your side at all times, if it meant you wouldn’t cry so much. If it meant you wouldn’t suffer alone.” Neuvillette sighs, a would-be defeated sound if not for remembering who he was standing with. “I… feel useless on days like these when I’m not with you.”

“Justice cannot relent so long as villainy works around the clock. It is our sworn duty to see such justice prevail, after all.” Neuvillette swipes a thumb over your lip, and subconsciously, you lean into his palm almost delightedly. “And you have done so beautifully, and without malice. Every word written in those reports from your juniors, while, written juvenilely, speak of your fairness. Your impartiality. Your ability to see both the truth and the good in all.” He turns his hand, pressing his lips into your palm. “It is admirable. It is my pride for you. It is why, as much as I wish you could stay at my side, as you said, I hope you can see the value and honour you bring in helping to protect Fontaine. I can’t imagine many else doing so well as you do.”

You raise your free hand back up to his chest, and push. A fraction of a single second is spent wide-eyed and confused until Neuvillette’s legs hit one of the many couches within the four walls of his office, and he is forced off-balanced into its plush. Your other hand gone unrelinquished, you fall with him, knees parted to either side of his and dipped deep into the cushion; Neuvillette’s breath hitches unnoticeably, yet at your sudden embolden proximity, his pale cheeks burn with vermillion.

“I’m supposed to be comforting you, you know,” your murmur.

A kiss to his temple, to the swell atop his cheek, to the button of his nose, and to the cleft of his lip— you lower yourself into his lap, parted lips dropping to slot between his and hands rising to thread into his strands of falling starlight, pulling him ever closer into you. It’s not enough, simply consuming him. You only wish to drown his sorrows, by whatever means necessary and however possible. If this means only having mere moments to appear before him, to deliver him sweets and treats of various kinds — not including yourself, of course — and holding him as tenderly as you do now for what seconds you must have left before having to leave again—

Tongue posed at his lower lip, your gaze is brought to the side and through the glass of the window. The rain. It stopped.

“And I can promise… you’re doing a fine job of it, my love.”

© nc-vb 2023 please don’t repost! reblogs & comments are always appreciated.

[cognitivejustice]

Learning from the land: Using indigenous knowledge for climate-sensitive circular lifestyles

Indigenous techniques like natural resource renewal, tree-based farming, traditional mud-and-wood housing, and consuming local, uncultivated foods, can address some aspects of climate change and also bring about a sense of responsibility and connection with nature. Promoting agroforestry and integrating trees into farms can improve biodiversity and soil health. Adopting drought-resistant crops and traditional methods like rainwater harvesting, mulching, and using organic manure is vital for conserving moisture, enhancing soil fertility, and minimising external inputs. Building on these approaches, there is a powerful social dimension that further amplifies their impact.

But before proposing viable solutions, we need meticulous landscape mapping: understanding community environments, traditional knowledge systems, and specific vulnerabilities. Fully understanding these dimensions can pinpoint exact strategies to reduce our ecological footprint, and promote lifestyles that minimise electricity consumption and resource use, while drawing on ancient wisdom to enhance our modern lives.

[moineauz]

A ticket for The Brighter Side Of Spring

Dan Feng x gn!Reader (platonic if you may 🙏)

𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋ THE HOUSE OF MUSICA PRESENTS... 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐎𝐍 ノ𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 — dan feng !

synopsis: friends that lead back to each other, again and again in other words: you form an unlikely friendship

side comments: fun fact i've never written for dan feng before so please give me grace! I'm glad to get this out of my drafts hehe

extra: fluff & subtle angst, high cloud quintet is mentioned, gn reader, platonic word count: 1,860

The lives of long-life species possessed their own elusive nature. It humoured you how an adolescent could be your mother. Or how an adult remained blithe and buoyant despite taking as many breaths as your bygone ancestors who wandered distant stars.

You were similar to a weed dwelling between the crevices of the Xianzhou Lofu: an unassuming and unpretentious merchant who cracked dull rocks until its sheltered gemstones glistened in the Xianzhou's morning light. A lifestyle grown and bred into the tangled veins of your arm.

When streets cleared and day melted into the sober tunes of the night: you ran your hands on the walls of Xianzhou buildings and allowed yourself to hum or succumb to the dreaded sensations of stillness. Perhaps becoming a branch for birds to sit on briefly before departing anew, never lingering longer than they desire.

There was no loneliness like there's, no stillness too void or cramp. Hence, despite all your years of solitary travel, the toils of the universe never prepared you for the inner liberality of companionship and the ardour that washed against your bare feet: a tide that clings onto the shore. Sand tucked between your toes in remembrance.

You knew every corridor and tucked away street on the Xianzhou. You knew where the birds came to nurse their young in the spring. You knew where the cheapest tea house was, and you knew where the High Cloud Quintet enjoyed a glass together.

You have observed them. Learned their jokes and playful banter that emerged beneath each victorious battle and spar. You learned who speaks in silence and who blossoms when they wrap their fingers around the hilt of their sword.

Soon, you began to stifle your laughter when the wisps of their jokes reached your ears. Forever wondering who would ever win against Sword Champion Jingliu.

It became a subconscious habit to journey astray from your usual path to pay an unasked tribute to the spirited group of five. Their affable smiles drew tender circles around your heart and gave you the charm of luck. It was a foreign sensation and a craving to observe their lives out of naive curiosity.

If your life as a merchant was a display of various colours blended together, then the lives of the High Cloud Quintet were shape and form, a glowing spark atop the canvas of your indefinite indecision and vagueness. They were magnetic and undeniable, the focus or subject. They brought definition- meaning- to the strange painting of your mundane and quiet life.

It was a pause from the familiar: a fraction of time in which genuine excitement would wrestle with your spent soul and win every time. It was like watching a saga of friends- not soldiers or comrades- you believed would never depart.

There was a peculiar warmth in watching that.

It was one similarly dull afternoon that day; the clouds dancing in puffs and the occasional starskiff racing across the horizon, leaving trails of circular patterns in the sky. Business resumed and paused like a video; breathing and exhaling before grazing against the sky in limbo.

Various stones were on display that day, begging to remain on your stand a minute longer. Other trinkets seemed to accept their tedious fate; the cycle trudging onwards.

At that moment, under the gaze of an autumn breeze, you received a different customer.

Despite aimlessly gazing into the throng for half an hour, you did not notice his figure gliding towards your stand, or how the throng parted like a sea in his presence: similar to the myths you've overheard amongst fruit stands and scholars. You failed to notice the sway of his dignified sleeves and the slight ruffle of his collar against his placid skin. Even the distinct ornament- his earring- was another passing colour in the blurry field of many.

"Is there any item you would suggest?"

His voice is low and taut: the kind that orders the tides to turn and the rivers to bend. It startles you despite hearing it month after month, like a song whose lyrics brush against the walls of your mind. His expression is plain yet the streak of red found by the corners of his eyes creates an inexplicable contrast.

High Elder Dan Feng stood before your stand; washing over you like the fickle image of the moon on the water.

"Well..." you hesitated, searching for your words while attempting to recover from your initial daze, "If you're looking for something pleasing to the eyes then I suggest this." You gingerly lift a glimmering stone to light, its shifting hues bewitching.

Dan Feng nods as he does to the Sword Artisan- Yingxing- when indicating for him to continue. Yet, his expression displays indifference. Hence, your finger twitched and an inkling of irritation shoots through your body. Nevertheless, you bite the insides of your cheeks and maintain the facade: he was another customer amongst the thousands of others. His face and words will fade away with memory and time.

'Don't think of him any differently', you urged yourself.

"Not all treasures have to be that of stone," you muse, switching that mask of your voice into one of rehearsed enthusiasm, "This here is a unique construction of coral from various oceans across star systems," you bring the piece forward, "An abstract piece of art retaining the stories of thousands of seas."

Dan Feng's eyes trace over the ridges of the coral and the colour it illuminates. He seems interested- you note- ease gradually returning to your body.

No matter how often you bid the group of five a silent hello, you had only peeled the outer layers. Thus, the position and prowess they possessed still struck you down. Especially Dan Feng's.

It occurred to you- in all of your raw naiveness- that despite the laughter which rumbled alive in your chest and the genuine fondness you shared for the group, they were still living legends and you a mere merchant.

Dan Feng gazes up from the coral and back to you. "What would you purchase?

"Me?" you reply perplexed. You occasionally received that question. However, you learned customers inquired out of courtesy. The people of the Xianzhou Lofu possessed their own preferences, hence, your insights ultimately held no merit.

Your eyes scan over the various array of stones and jewels, art pieces and items whose sole purpose was to be vain. It has occurred to you to withhold an item. However, if a peculiar item ever spoke to you, then the likelihood of it speaking to another was higher.

Dan Feng crossed his arms; awaiting your response to which you possessed none. His gaze was condemning and acute, like a spotlight that now landed on you.

Dan Feng then spoke, "You're a wandering merchant, yes?"

You nod tentatively, observing him trace his fingers over the arch of a wooden bowl.

"Then surely, amongst all the sights and treasures you've seen, there must be at least one you find pleasing?"

At that moment, it struck you how right he was.

High Elder Dan Feng seldom spoke unless necessary. He bewildered you with the ambiguity of his gestures and the implicit tenderness found at the tip of his spear. Dan Feng resembled a bird: no loneliness like there's, no stillness too void or cramp.

You take in the crisp afternoon air; running your thumb over the crevices of your hand as the words fall out of your mouth like a cool stream, "You're right. There is... one item in particular."

Dan Feng watches you: your hands moving under the stand. "I've been quite selfish," he hears your remark, the item coming out into the light, "It's rather small but special."

Dan Feng raises an eyebrow at the peculiar item nestled into the palms of your hands. Yet, he merely nods.

Then he's gone.

Dan Feng never intended to visit your stand that day.

Or the following months afterwards.

It becomes habitual: like an instinct that can't shake or an itch that can't be satisfied.

It opposed his very nature- Jingliu and Jing Yuan now teased him at every given chance.

"Oh? I suppose High Elder Dan Feng can have friends."

Soon, Dan Feng's presence wove into the seams of the everyday. The merchant district and the other merchants themselves no longer gaped or whispered.

Dan Feng weaved through the crowds, his legs taking him farther than his heart could ever reach: an odd enigma, an acquaintance found in the eye of a shared storm.

"What brings you here today High Elder?" you ask, a smile dancing on the corners of your lips, "I'm afraid I have nothing new in stock."

"Same as last week?" he conceded, his arms crossed over his chest, "A shame."

You scoff, resting your elbows on the stand's smooth surface. "Really? You never buy anything even if I have new items."

"Perhaps something has caught my eye," he replies indifferently, his eyes aimlessly examining the items before him.

"Oh? Please tell."

Dan Feng sighs, shaking his head, weary admits the beaming sun and cloudless sky.

"The denizens of abundance again?"

Dan Feng remains silent, observing the furrow in your eyebrows and the lines of fatigue littering your face. He recalls where your smile ends and starts like the line of the horizon. He knows where the pensive frown on your face dips like the sea churning away.

"You know what? Let's go somewhere."

"Pardon me?"

You chuckle, "You heard me, let go somewhere else." You promptly pack your stand, "We can go somewhere more... quiet."

Dan Feng's heart drops, he reaches for your hand, but, quickly retracts it. "Why?" he asks abruptly, the word escaping him.

"Why?" you remark bewildered.

Silence fills the gap between his words and yours. A lump forms in the back of your throat, weighing you down- reminiscent of times before.

"Well," you being pensive, eyes fixed onto the birds in the distance before focusing on Dan Feng, "That's what friends are for."

You were similar to a weed dwelling between the crevices of the Xianzhou Lofu: an unassuming and unpretentious merchant who opened your apartment door- bewildered and evidently dazed from a night's sleep- to a small box found at your doorstep. The box's shine is subtle and wise while it carries the scent of the sea: a promise unearthed from the rubble.

You crouch down, turning your head left and right before gingerly placing the small box in your hands. Careful not to disturb its tender tranquillity.

Gradually, you lift the lid as the Xianshou's rising sun pressed against its warmth against the cool surface of your cheek: humble like a prayer, bidding you a silent 'good morning'.

Your eyes widen as the object gazes at you, its surface smooth and velvet.

Then you see a note and a bag of Strale:

Don't give it back or sell it. I did buy it from you after all. Thus, it is yours now, you're not selfish for wanting your own treasures.

That's what friends are for.

— Dan Feng, your friend

You tuck the small wooden bird into your pocket, the letter firmly pressed against your beating heart.

masterlist.

[igotanidea]

Cheater : Jason Todd x fem!reader

Here's what you have been waiting for....

Warnigs: smut - MINORS DNI, cheating (duh), heavy swearing, threats, fight, hearbreak, no happy ending.

***

“Hello, baby” his silent whisper and hot breath on her face made her feel at home in his arms.

“Mmm, hello” she muttered, turning around to take him in. For someone so bruised and tired, coming straight from the patrol, Jason was surprisingly breathtaking. “Sore much?” the girl planted a chaste kiss on his lips, but he grabbed her waist and made her stay connected a bit longer, moving hands under her sleeping T-shirt in circular motions “Jason!” she scoffed when he switched positions to that she was pinned beneath him, forced to look straight into his eyes, not that she was complaining.

“Not more than usual” he smirked “And I think I still got some power in me if you are up for a bit of work.”

“Keep talking.” She titled her head, giving him more access to her skin. An opportunity he was more than willing to take.

“The things I want to do to you, baby….” He trailed kissing her skin, leaving scorching trails of his mouth alongside. “is not how a good girl should behave.”

“I am dating a vigilante, I suppose I lost the “good girl” title a long time ago and …. Ah, Jace!”

„Feel good already?” she didn’t even blink and her shirt was off, exposed nipples and breasts begging for his attention.

“More….”

“Oh, I have much more for you. Just let me work on you, baby.” He kissed both of those little rose buds eliciting another moan, back arching to get closer to him, hands tangling in his hair and guiding his head lower. He laughed at her willingness and pulled her pants down, exposing her to him fully.

“No underwear?”

“Who in their sound mind sleep in underwear?” she gritted

“I see I’ve taught you well, love. Always be prepared.”

“Shut up and just….”

“What?” he moved down and started kissing along her calf and inner thigh “do you need my tongue or fingers, sugar? You want to be a bad girl? You gotta tell me exactly how you want me to take you.”

“Oh, fuck, Jace…” he was kissing so close to where she needed him and it was getting so hot she could barely withstand it, and yet craved more “I need your dick. Now.”

“As you wish.”

It was amazing how fast he was with tearing his own clothes off, getting naked and ready as he put his weight on her. Such a sweet, sweet weight, pressing her into the mattress of the bed.

“Jason....”

“I’m going in” he panted pushing through her walls and starting pulling in and out immediately “you good there?”

“Yes, yes, yes….” She chanted like some spell, clutching onto his bicep and shoulders, running fingernails on his muscles, whining and begging ‘So good…. “

“Are you close? He asked, even if her face twisted in pleasure, slightly open lips and those whines told him everything he needed to know. The fact was, seeing her like this was definitely doing things to him and he wasn’t sure how long he could last. He grabbed her legs hooking them around his waist, changing the angle, going deeper, stretching her, hitting just the right place, everytime.  “Come on, baby.” Words followed by nibbling on the soft spot on her neck ‘you make me feel so good. Just let yourself go, let me feel you on my cock. “ his soft whispers were the exact opposite of the speed and force with which he was snapping his hips into her. “Come on, babygirl.”

“Jason!” all that overstimulation pushed her into her climax with the intensity like never before. His name falling from her lips got him mesmerized when he rocked her thought it while fighting the overwhelming urge to just cum inside her. To paint her walls with his seed, to fully make her his.

But they talked about it many times before, none of them were ready for kids. Not with their vigilante lifestyle, crazy characters and emotional instability so barely second before explosion he pulled out, messing up the sheet instead of her body.

“One day I will claim you fully, baby” he panted, capturing her lips and kissing so gently so lovingly that if she wasn’t already spend she would initiate another round. “You are just perfect.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, Jaybird.”

***

“Making me breakfast?” a few hours later, in the early morning, Y/N woke up from the little nap she had and came right into the kitchen, lured by the delicious smell. “Eggs?”

“Nah, I know you don’t like eating them 6 times a week. I made you pancakes instead.”

“Really?” she crossed the floor to kiss him “why so generous all of a sudden? What did you do, Jason?" she raised an eyebrow and smiled at him lovingly.

“What I can say? I like to spoil my girl. And if that gets me another kiss of yours ….”

“I’ll say my thanks after I taste ….”

“How about I give you a taste of something better?” he muttered moving closer to her, whispering in her ear, but she just laughed and took a step back.

“Take it easy tiger. If you think I can’t see all those bruises and cuts of yours, you are wrong. Can’t let you overexercise yourself. Besides, do you remember that we were invited by Babs and Dick for a game night?”

“Exactly. Night.” he rolled his eyes “And that means we have a whole day for ourselves and ….”

“And once we start we won’t ever stop going. So I need to halt you on getting your hands on me. At least for today. “ she smirked “Now. Give me my breakfast and go take a shower, cause baby, I hate to break it to you, but you stink.”

“Stink?” he scoffed “I smell like an alpha male. Don’t tell me it doesn’t turn you on..” he flexed his muscles, showing off.

“Oh, hell no! Now please stop showing your armpits!” she squealed and covered her nose “GO!” her happy laugh followed him on the way to the bathroom.

***

Jason todd was a skilled, careful vigilante and a perfectionist with a well-thought plan. He used to keep his walls up for so long, until on one of the patrols he met Y/N, who tear them all down. She was making him happy and loved and, however crazy that sounded, safe. He was not afraid to be open with her.

And this was about to become his undoing.

While he was absentmindedly showering, his phone left on the kitchen counter started buzzing from all the texts and notifications.

***

Y/N was the person who never stuck her nose into anyone else business, respecting boundaries and privacy. A few years spend with Jay only amplified that trait of hers since she never pushed him to do anything he would not like, be it physical or emotional vulnerability. So why did she feel the sudden urge, the tingling to sneak a peek at Jason’s phone screen? Was it an instinct? Was that just a curiosity? She wasn’t sure, but what she saw froze her to the core.

And much to her embarrassment it got her digging deeper.

***

She kept the pose for the rest of the day, acting like her normal self, hiding her feelings deep inside and giving her boyfriend an opportunity to come clean.

He didn’t.

And so they left for meeting with the other bats and co. in perfect moods.

Or at least it seemed so.

***

The atmosphere started rolling downhill the second the girls started playing that silly game with silly cards with silly questions.

"Would you ever be able to forgive your boyfriend for cheating?" Babs picked up the first card from the pile and turned towards Y/N.

"I'm sorry, what is this game about again?" the girl frowned, heat and pain forming in her chest.

"It's simple truth or dare." Stephanie grinned, patting her shoulder reassuringly "don't stress too much."

"Extreme truth or dare I see..."

"Come on, Y/n, answer it. After all it's all hypothetical, right?"

"Mhm, right, it's all hypothetical" Y/N muttered, her eyes travelling to the other side of the room, focusing on Jason, who was just casually talking to Dick, unaware of the fact that she knew. Just leaning on the doorframe, beer in hands, that characteristic smirk on his face. Normally she would smile at the view, thinking how lucky she got, but now, now she wanted to wipe that freaking expression off his face. Preferably with the bleach.

Who would have thought that a night game with friends that was supposed to be fun would turn out like this.

“Please remind me whose idea it was to play it again?” she scoffed crossing her arms defensively, body language not lying. The hell she was going to answer that question.

“It was mine!”Dick grinned from the other side of the room, approaching the girls and sting by Barbara, Jason following right after him taking a spot next to Y/N. “You ladies are having fun?”

“Not really” Stephanie pouted “Y/N is a party pooper.”

“Really?” Jason smirked, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her temple, almost making her mop it down “What did she do this time?”

“She refused to answer the question” Cass explained in her soft voice “Maybe we shouldn’t….” Orphan was the most skilled in reading body language and if anyone was to start suspecting something it was definitely her.

“What was it?” Dick reached toward the card and read the sentence out loud “Would you ever be able to forgive your boyfriend for cheating. Oh my god!” he laughed looking at his younger brother “I think someone’s in trouble here, Jaybird.”

That was the breaking point for Y/N. She simply could not take it anymore.

“If you’ll excuse me…” she stood up an without another word of explanation run towards the bathroom. Her surprised friends watched her escape and then their shocked and accusatory gazes landed on Jason.

“All right, fine, stop it! I’ll go check on her! Geez!” he scoffed getting up, becoming worried and scared for her on the inside.  

***

 “Y/N?” he came into the spacious bathroom, spotting the girl in front of the mirror with fingers clenched on the sink, head hanging low and breathing heavily. “Baby?”

“Don’t you dare calling me that!” she yelled turning around “you asshole!”

“Y/n? hey, what…” only by miracle he dodged the  hairbrush flying his direction.

“You stupid son of a bitch!”

“I don’t under….”

“You slept with her!”

“What?” his eyes grew wide. Oh, fuck.

“You slept with her and then you came back to me to make me fucking pancakes!?”

“Y/n…..”

“Shut the fuck up!”

“Please let me explain….” He took a step forward, but she moved out of his reach, wriggling like a caged animal.

“Oh no, you.I swear if you take one more step towards me I will throw a razor at you!"

"You really do have to make a scene at Dickhead's place, do you?" he hissed, his eyes turning black from restrained anger.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that my behavior is gonna make you look bad in front of our friends. Maybe I should even apologize for being the reason you cheated!"

"Stop fucking screaming at me! You could have just waited till we get home!"

"Be thankful I did not, Jason. I swear Dick, Babs, Cass and Steph presence outside is the only thing keeping me from castrating you!"

"Shut up!" he yelled and took a step forward, pushing her into a wall and covering her mouth "AUCH! Fuck, did you just bit me?!"

"I will cut your fingers off if you touch me again!"she reached for the manicure scissors and put them in front of herself in a defensive manner "and from what I get, you like when the girl is loud, don't you?Her moans on that recording she sent you are pretty much the proof of it.”

“Her what now?!”

“Ah, Jason. More, please, you feel so good” Y/n whined, trying to copy the way the other girl sounded and fuck, she was so hot at that moment with her eyes widened in fury, hair messed up becasue of the fight and lips red and swollen. It was the worst timing ever, but Jason found himself getting harder. “WHO EVEN DOES THAT? Was this some sort of your twisted sexual fantasy?! Did it turn you on?!"

"IT DID! The same way it did with you under me and ..."

"You fuck head!” she threw the scissors away and started hitting his chest with her fist, again and again and again.

“If you could just listen to me!"

"Of course, do you have any recording of yourself you send to her?! Whispering her name while you were jacking off?! Probably in our bed!? Probably with me next door or ....." she stopped, her eyes grew even wider, if that was even possible "Oh my god...." she turned away towards the sink, grabbing her stomach, trying to catch her breath like a fish out of water "I'm gonna be sick....."

"Fuck, Listen to me! It did not mean anything! ”

“It means everything for me!” she sobbed, all the anger slowly being replaced by feeling of betrayal and only now he realized how bad he fucked up “you wanted to wait till we get intimate, and fuck I gave both space and time, never pushing on your boundaries! FUCK JASON! What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

“You do realize that the rest can hear us, right?”

“I DON’T FUCKING CARE! IN FACT, LET THEM KNOW! Let them know what their friend/brother did. How many times did that happen?”

“Don’t ….” He shook his head avoiding her eyes

“How. Many. Times. Jason. Do not make me repeat myself!”

“Just a couple.”

“JUST a couple?!” she screamed, but it was the final straw. Her brain shut down, unable to process all that revelation. All the energy left her system and he was just standing in the middle of the bathroom, completely quiet staring into the space gazeless.   

“I made a mistake. I’m sorry.” he pleaded, taking her by surprise, grabbing her hand. She did not react at first and he took the chance to kiss her on the lips, but that actually did bring her back to reality when she pushed him away, harder and stronger than ever before.

“You motherfucker! You wanted to beat your brother in the numbers or what?"

"Now you are bringing Grayson into this?! He's a dog! And you'd better not cross the line of comparing him to me!"

"You're right" she smiled wildly, mockingly "you two are nothing alike. you wanna know why? Because once he settled with Babs he let go of that manwhore attitude. Apparently it worked the other way round for you, you ....."

She did not manage to finish that sentence because of the harsh grip on her throat.

"LET GO OF ME!"

***

"Ok, that is enough." Dick spoke since obviously everyone heard that banter not sure if they should react or not. Jason and Y/N never thought before and now, with the hot-headedness they both had it was weird, disturbing and uncomfortable. "We gotta do something."

"If you value your life, you'd better stay here and ...." Steph started but was cut of by a loud thump and Y/N's muffled scream

"That's it, I'm going in!" he tried to open the door, but it turned out Jason was smart (or stupid, depending on the interpretation) enough to lock them "Y/n?" Dick knocked at the wood fervently "are you all right there?! Say something."

'I'm... I'm fine Dick. Go back to girls, we just need to settle something with Jason"

"It does not sound like ....."

"Just mind your own business, Dickhead!" Jason yelled

***

"God, Y/n, I'm sorry" Todd looked at his hands, startled. He could have chocked her. Just because of his anger. "Please, I...."

Was she better than me?” Y/N asked, massaging her throat where re marks were to start bruising soon. Tears gathering in her eyes. How many times can a broken heart break? Was million pieces not enough?

“What?”

“Was she better? Giving you an oral? Letting you fuck her in all those crazy positions I never could? Making you cum faster, harder? Making you feel like a man?”

“No. Of course not. It’s only you and …..”

“Then why, Jason?” her voice was so broken it made his heart shutter. God, what the hell was he thinking? He couldn’t even blame it on Lazarus water or the post-patrol blurry mind and adrenaline. No, it was fully his fault. His responsibility. She trusted him and he broke her into pieces he wasn’t sure he could pick up together again. But he had to try. He just had to try.

“I… I don’t know.” he looked at the floor, felling wetness in his eyes as well.

“Were you bored with me? Was I too much to handle? If you wanted a sex toy ….”

“Please, don’t say that.” He begged falling onto his knees next to her and hugging her legs, to which she surprisingly did not object. “Please, there’s gotta be something I can do to make it up to you…. I’ll do anything, just please, forgive me. Just one more chance.”

“Do you want to know what answer I would give for that question back there?” she was unimpressed by those theatrics he was pulling. Of course Y/N knew he was true in his words, that he was sorry. She only wondered whether it was because he cheated or because his secret found the way into daylight.

“No, baby, please don’t leave me. Not again, I …..” a single tear fell from his eye at the mere of thought of losing her.

“Oh, but you won’t be alone. You got your, wait what was the nickname in your phone? Oh, right, sugarbaby. God I was so stupid for trusting you! Nevermind. Now, you’ll be able to hear her scream your name and writhe underneath you without having any strings attached....

"No, baby, don't throw what we have away."

"We have nothing. Not anymore." her tone was so cold it could freeze the ocean "I despise you, Jason Todd.”

She walked right past through him, leaving him on the cold floor. Sooner or later he would have to get up and get out, dealing with judging looks and harsh words. And maybe some physical fight with Dick. But for now, he could not move a single muscle, just leaning on the bath and hiding his face in hands. She was right, he was a complete fuckup.

***

"Jason called again." Babs announced approaching the coach, Y/N was sitting on. Cass and Steph respectively on her left and right side hugging their friend. The girls jointly decided it would be better for Y/N to stay in their apartment for some time since Jason wouldn't dare invading her here.

"What did you tell him?" Y/N sighed, laying her red swollen eyes on the red head.

"The same thing as I did the previous 50 times he called. To fuck off and leave you alone. You sure you don't want Dick to...."

"No, I don't. This would turn into a bloodbath. I am heartbroken but it doesn't mean I want to have any death on my conscience."

"Dick would be more than happy to have that. He is enraged on your behalf. You know what he said to me after learning what happened?

"No. What?"

"Y/N is a genuinely nice person. She will forget at forgive after some time. But I'm her friend. I get to hold the grudge for her and protect her."

"He did say that?"

"Yes." Babs nodded "And I think I speak for all of us when I say that we second that approach." Cass and Steph nodded

“I know it does not seem like it now, but you’re gonna be fine” Steph assured, rubbing Y/N's shoulders

“I know.” the girl sobbed “it just hurts so bad.”

“Jason is a ….” Steph started but before she could find a proper word Cass interrupted her

“We’re for you, Y/n. whatever you need, you can count on us.”

“Thank you girls.”

“Ice cream, anyone?” Steph grinned

“A bucket please. And the good ones ,not those low fat, low carb shit. If I'm gonna get comfort food might as well indulge myself.

No matter what, she was going to be fine .

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