#click on read more if you want the nice clean version

[veerbles]

"He doesn't say goodbye. He just lets go."

goodbye at dawn.

[touchme-teezme]

hi mimi! idk if u take requests but last pick was everything to me like i lovedddd the book that inspired you 😭🥹 can i PLEASE get a san version with the “did you want to watch me burn” poem? just destroy me. my heart is yourssss

This Time.

PAIRING | collegeboy!san x fab!reader

TAGS | arguments, smut with a plot, kissing, oral, angsty unprotected breakup sex, san has great pull out game, and a (sort of?) cliffhanger… again? idk i suck at writing tags and proper endings lolololol

RATINGS | NSFW 18+ (minors pls DNI/if it makes u uncomfortable don’t read it)

SONGS | No One Noticed - The Marías, Not You Too- Dr*ke & Been Like This - Doja Cat

SUMMARY | The breakup for this couple was on the horizon. One of them was in denial, and it’s not you.

AUTHOR’S NOTE ▸ thank you all for showing Last Pick a lot of love & anon for enjoying it. since a san version was requested, here ya go :) lmk which member should be next if you'd want me to actually make this into an angsty atz smut series. kinda like the idea they’re all connected?¿ like a smutiverse… im a little tipsy rn writing this part. also if u catch mistakes, no u didn’t. kk bye love uou

+ 💌 click here to see my Love Interrupted series masterlist [ot8] — check out the other parts!

inspired by a quote from Save Me An Orange by Hayley Grace: what more did you want from me? i gave you my heart my soul my body i let you build a home inside of me but you still went to the store and bought a lighter just to set me on fire did you want to watch me burn?

You’re usually an optimist but it wasn’t until San smashed the vase you bought and painted together at that one arts and crafts store that you realized optimism could only take you so far.

A screaming match broke out immediately. Words bounced off the walls, echoing in your small apartment as fingers were being pointed. He followed you around the entire house as you tried to walk away from the conversation, pinging in your ear like a fly.

San gets emotional when he cares. It was the first thing you liked about him when you first started to talk. How nice would it be to be with someone so well in-tune with their emotions that they don’t why away from it?

If only you’d known it would result in this.

The relationship was done for. It had been for a while. He had been far too busy juggling classes, work, and his new friends who seemed to suddenly fill all the time he used to spend with you. You’d barely even seen him in weeks, and when you did, it was like you were fighting for scraps of his attention.

San’s voice cracked as he shouted behind your head. “You think I don’t know I’ve been busy? I’ve been juggling everything, trying to keep it all together, and you—you—think I don’t feel guilty? You want me to just drop everything? Stop hanging out with my friends? Quit school? What do you want from me?”

He was following you now, not letting you get a moment of peace. You forced yourself to focus on the task of cleaning up the shards, trying to block out his words as you looked for the broom around your house.

“Do you think I want this? You think I want to feel like this? You think I want to hurt you? But you keep demanding more from me, and I can’t do it anymore! I can’t just stop living my life to fix yours!”

“Oh fuck off!” You barked back, finally finding the broom that was in an odd spot in your wardrobe (probably because San had placed it there the last time he used it). You were now growing more annoyed.

“Don’t curse at me! Listen to me for goodness sake!”

Your hands trembled around the broom handle, but you marched towards the vase shards and started sweeping, trying not to hear the poison dripping from his mouth. You had given up on fighting—there was no point anymore. He was too far gone, wrapped up in his own world that was so difficult for him to show up.

“You’re too much, alright?” he spat, his voice cracking with frustration. “I can’t breathe, I can’t think. Every time I try to focus on something else, you’re right there, needing something from me. I can’t fix this. I can’t keep being suffocated—“

You dropped the broom.

You turned slowly, meeting his gaze for the first time, and in that moment, you never felt like this about him before.

“Do you hear yourself?” Your voice was shaking, but it was steady, sharp. “In that whole rant you just forced me to hear, not once did you mention us—not once did you mention me like i’m not in this fucking relationship with you! Not once did you mention all i’ve done for you, and the only time you did was to insult me!”

San opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He just stood there, eyes wide, lips trembling.

You stepped forward as if to challenge his speechlessness, your heart pounding in your chest. “What the fuck are you still doing here then?!”

The room fell silent.

And then, out of nowhere, he tried to reach for you.

It was a movement fuelled by panic if he was truly honest, it was a final desperate attempt to fix things without actually knowing how.

He just knew that he had to have you in his arms and you’d melt. His hand caught yours, pulling you closer, but you yanked it away.

He stepped closer, his breath ragged, reaching for you again with a look in his eyes that was pure guilt you knew all too well.

Your stern face broke when he managed to get you in his large strong arms that wrapped around you.

You stood there, shaking, breathing hard, barely able to hold back the tears.

“Why do you keep doing this to me?” Your cracking voice was muffled against his hard chest.

And then, in his painful silence, he cupped your face and pressed his lips against yours.

You did not stop him.

In fact, you couldn’t.

His next kiss was more desperate and frantic than the last, like he was trying to compensate for all the times he had utterly let you down.

When he finally found the self control to pull back, both of you were panting, faces flushed, hearts racing. He looked at you with a mix of fear, guilt, and longing in his eyes. He wiped your damp cheeks, cupping the sides of your face.

"I don’t mean to," He whispered. “I-I swear, everything I said, I-“

You shook your head in denial, wanting to just shut him up with more kisses knowing if you both talked, you’d eventually argue.

For once, you didn’t want to fight. If the relationship was crashing and burning right now, might as well get one last lick out of it, right?

Metaphorically, and quite literally.

San groaned softly into your mouth, his hands coming up to tangle in your hair and snake to the small of your back as he deepened the kiss with his tongue.

"You drive me insane," He breathed against her lips, breaking the kiss to look into her eyes.

It was true, you always had, in the best and worst ways possible. The feeling was mutual as you stared back at him.

He couldn't resist your pull, the way you were in the moment consumed him entirely. His hands roamed your curves, and reached down to grip your ass firmly as he walked you backwards towards the couch.

You let out a soft gasp, your fingers digging into his waist as you let yourself get sat down with him positioned above you. His knee perched up right between your slightly parted legs.

The friction his knee brushing between your legs sent a jolt of desire straight to your core. He could feel your pulse quickening, and your breath hitching as he sucked and kissed the sides of your neck.

Your hands slipped beneath his black shirt, seeking for skin. With a slight eager tug, he took it off without any argument, revealing his lean muscled torso that you did not hesitate to touch and admire knowing it was going to be the last time.

Instead of letting that knowledge crush you or him, with a low moan, he just leaned into your touch.

“Tell me to stop…” He breathed out, hands on your shoulders to steady himself. He struggled to maintain control as his arousal throbbed against the inside of his zipper.

“Keep going.” You replied in a husky whisper.

With a groan, he gave in to the temptation. His tongue met yours, as his hands slid down to your chest to cup your breasts through the thin fabric of your top, having to bite back a smirk when your back arched into his technique.

Your nimble fingers freed him from his jeans. Unbuttoning, and then zipping down before massaging his hard on through the fabric of his underwear. A breath of relief escaped his lips when his throbbing cock was finally freed.

He helped you out of your top, watching you stroke his impressive length in your hands from above. His hands glided down your back and unclasped your bra, letting your breast sit in all its glory.

He was going to take care of you first until your mouth engulfed him without missing a beat.

“O-oh my god.” His hips bucked involuntarily forward as your skilled hand continued to stroke, the dual sensations of her and her fingers wrapped around his member threatening to overwhelm him.

San’s eyes rolled back as you took him entirely into your mouth. His body weight leaning on his forearms that were on either sides of your head, holding onto the back of the couch for dear life.

Your skilled tongue and throat working in tandem to bring him to the brink of madness. The wet heat blanketing his aching cock was almost too much to bear, each bob of her head sent him more and more over the edge.

"Oh f-fuck!” His mouth hung open as he fisted your hair and fought the urge to thrust deeper.

A part of him couldn’t make sense why this was happening now of all times. He could’ve just taken your desperation to touch him for granted but something about it didn’t feel right.

With effort and a hell lot of focus, San gently stopped you before he could cum. He stroked the side of your face when you looked up at him confused. He shot one of the sweetest dimpled smiles at you.

Seeing that dimpled smile light up your face.

With a hand behind your head, he laid you back on the couch gently. Your hands politely stayed on your own chest, cupping them as you watched his next move.

In one swift motion, he tugged down your underwear with your pyjama shorts and tossed them away.

One of your legs get thrown over his shoulder, and he used his other hand to part your leg wider. His head moved down to your glistening sex and his tongue licked a strip up your folds.

Air got caught in your throat. You let out a shaking deep breath through your lips. His hand on your thigh moved up to your chest, intertwining his fingers with your fingers against your racing heartbeat.

You gripped onto his fingers every time he’d do something that sent shockwaves through your body either with his lips, tongue or his nose. He kissed your sensitive clit, alternating his tongue between that and pounding into your entrance.

“San,” You whined, which only encouraged him to keep going. You tilted your chin upwards, facing the ceiling as tears began welling in your eyes. Unclear if it was the pleasure or the sinking feeling in the out of your stomach.

Then you felt that body shock again, jolting you as you let out a loud moan.

You met his eyes. Those cat-like eyes staring back at you between your legs with laser focus before lazily shutting when he turned his head to the side to lap up your slick arousal from the inner part of your thighs.

He got up and took off his underwear before hovering on-top of you, centring his hard shaft just past your entrance as he supported himself up by the armrest behind your head.

His chain necklace to drop down and dangle in your face.

He gazed into your eyes, reaching down to rub your slick folds once more. He leaned down to kiss you, tasting yourself on his lips as he readjusted his hard dick between your legs. Your hands wrapped themselves in the dip of his waist as your knees pressed against his hips.

“We can’t keep fighting forever,” You told him in a faint whisper.

Leaning down, he distracted you by capturing your lips into a tender loving kiss to slowly pushed in. He felt your teeth on his lip as your walls adjusted to him.

“I know.” Was all he could murmur against your face as a hand cupped one side of your face.

He kept having your lips in between his as he started to move, his hips rolling in a slow rhythm designed to slowly ease into you. Small gasps escaped your lips and you clutched onto his biceps for support while your neck stretched upwards.

“Baby, you feel incredible.” He picked up the pace slightly, his thrusts growing deeper, and more insistent, as he chased the intense feeling coursing through him.

The way your body clenched around his length, the soft gasps falling from your lips.

With your moans of approval, he seized the opportunity to go even deeper and quicken the pace in your wet welcoming heat. He pulled in your mouth for intoxicating searing kisses he couldn’t get enough of.

“I miss you,” You whimpered out the truth between the kisses. “S-so much.”

He snapped forward with new determination accentuated by the lewd sounds of your skin slapping against each other.

He let go of your mouth to focus on your chest. "I'm right here baby." He mumbled over your breasts as he cupped one in his large hands, brushing over your nipples before reaching down to lick.

He alternates between wet kisses and whirling his tongue, aimed to only give you pleasure. In his defence, he hasn't had the opportunity to do this in a while.

You grabbed a side of his face to look into his lustful eyes. “I really did love you.” You breathed out.

“I love you too.” He replied, too entranced by the moment to catch that single word in your sentence.

You crashed your lips against his. The technique of his kissing made you moan loudly into his mouth, and then against his jaw with your eyes shut when he was hitting the perfect spot over and over.

Your body was tensing up tighter and tighter as the pressure of the inside you. You could feel yourself teetering on the edge, ready to shatter into a million pieces at any moment.

“I’m close,” San panted. “Come for me. Come first.”

As a result of his husky words, your walls clench around him, and your climax comes crashing in. One passionate thrust as he buried himself inside your convulsing sex, the intense orgasm shook your entire body violently.

While your final convulsions faded, you slumped against the couch, panting heavily. Meanwhile, San rode off your enjoyment only to abruptly slip out of you before blowing a load inside you without a condom on.

He released himself from your legs that were wrapped around him and hurried to your nearby bathroom, his hard-on in his hands.

You lay there in a daze, trying to make sense of everything, feeling a mix of confusion and shame. You covered your face with your hands, desperate to hide from the reality of the situation.

Slowly, you pulled yourself up from the leather couch to sit up, its surface sticking a little to your sweaty skin, before you reached for your underwear lying forgotten at your feet.

You managed to get most of your clothes back on when he returned. The sight of him—his broad athletic build and that confident stride—distracted you just long enough for him to lean down and kiss you, his hands gently resting on the side of your neck.

You instinctively covered his hand with your own, locking eyes with him.

“Everything okay?” His voice was soft.

You stayed quiet for a moment, the weight of his question sinking in.

He kissed you again, his lips warm and insistent, and for a moment, the thoughts swirling in your head began to fade.

Before you knew it, he lowered himself down onto the floor across from you, wanting to pull you on top of him to straddle him.

“Stop. No more.” you murmured, pushing him away gently.

Your heart pounding as your knees pressed against the hardwood floors when you realised you were already sitting on his thighs.

San sharply sighed, a little disappointed, but he didn’t fight it. He let go of his grip on your waist, and you slowly kicked yourself off him.

The two of you lay on the floor, side by side, your breaths finally slowing after whatever that was. The silence between you wasn’t comforting in the slightest.

He reached for his underwear with his feet, slipping it on slowly, his eyes never leaving you. He was trying to read you, trying to understand what was going on.

You turned your head to look at him. His eyes turned to the ceiling, his expression unreadable, distant even though he was right there.

“San,” you began softly, your voice breaking the stillness. “I think we—”

His phone buzzed, cutting through the tension, and he glanced at it with another sigh. You felt the moment slip away as he got up and fumbled for his phone left in his pants by the couch.

“It’s Mingi,” he muttered.

“San,” you tried again, your tone heavier this time, begging for his attention. But he’d already answered the call.

You stayed on the floor, your chest tightening as fragments of their conversation reached your ears.

“Dude, what? I’m in the middle of… Huh? No, I haven’t heard from her,” San said, his tone sharp but tinged with concern. “She’s been dodging everyone since that night at Yeosang’s when you wouldn’t shut up about your conquests.”

Your frown deepened as you propped yourself up on your elbows to watch him. His brows furrowed, his full attention on the call like you weren’t even there.

“Well, maybe you should go check on her then,” San said, leaning back against the couch. “What, come over? Her place or yours?”

A pause, then his expression shifted—confusion, followed by clear exasperation.

San ran a hand through his messy hair. “Fine, whatever. I’ll come over later.” He hung up, tossing the phone onto the floor like it had personally wronged him.

“Mingi needs help with something,” he said it like that was enough explanation.

You stared at him, baffled and angry, “So you’re going?”

He turned to you, guilt flashing briefly in his eyes before he looked away. “I don’t have a choice,” he said quietly.

The words hit you like a slap, but what was worse than the sting was the inevitability that this was always how it would be. You, waiting for scraps of his time, his attention. Him, running off to play hero for everyone but you.

“You always have a choice. You just never choose me.”

Guilt and shame took over his tired expression, “That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it?” You shot back. “You couldn’t even let me finish breaking up with you before answering his call.”

“What? Babe, it’s not like that. Look, he really likes her and—“

“Save it,” you cut him off, your voice sharp. “Since you’re always serious about everyone else, just go.”

He hesitated, his hand hovering near his phone. “You’re being—”

“Go,” you repeated firmly, tears welling in your eyes but your tone unwavering. “And don’t ever come back this time.”

For a moment, he looked like he wanted to defend himself, or to stay, but then he stood up. He pulled the rest of his clothes back on, grabbed his phone, and shoved it into his back pocket without a word.

He glanced at you on his way out, his gaze searching for something, anything, to make this easier. He convinced himself he’d call you tomorrow, that this wasn’t really goodbye like the other times you both have tried to end it. He didn’t realize how serious you were this time.

He walked past the shards and the broom and left. The door clicked shut behind him.

[kpopsexstories]

jist recently found out about your acc and WOAH I NEED IT especially the jisung gay one my bottom ass was LIVID now i need a dream version where they treat me like their pocketpussy cause of the dating ban and cause they cant for the life of them have a girl 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 i am ready for all 7

Wow, this made even me blush 🤭 Are we doing this? Yes, we are doing this 😄 Let's move on from Jisung, to Heachan...

NCT Dream Dating Ban #2: Haechan

NCT Haechan can’t date girls. As his gay friend you help him out with his sexual needs (*Requested*)

Content Warning! This is a 100% gay story. Check out this post for my straight smut or this post for more gay smut.

Pairing: Top NCT Haechan x Bottom male reader

Content: Blowjob, Haechan fucks you from behind against a couch

Type of Sex: MEDIUM

Word Count: 3.6k

Click here to read the previous 'Dating Ban' story with NCT's Jisung.

You're on the couch of the NCT Dream communal living room. Haechan is lounging beside you, with bare legs and his feet brushing against your thigh. He's in a dark hoodie and really short shorts.

He's focused on the TV too, but you can swear that he's glanced at you several times since you started the movie. You can sense it in the corner of your eye. His feet have gradually moved closer to you.

They poke your thigh as Haechan stretches out. No biggie. You may be Jisung's best friend, but you're on good terms with all of the boys and feel like you know them pretty well. It actually feels good that they can be so comfortable in your presence.

Haechan suddenly lifts his bare feet and puts them in your lap. You instinctively turn to look at him.

“Is this okay?” he asks.

“Sure,” you say and smile at him. You rest your hand on his ankle.

You sit like this for a while, and you can swear Haechan is looking at you again. You become fully aware of it as he appears to keep staring for quite some time.

You begin to stroke his leg. The skin is nice and smooth. Gradually, your strokes get longer. You go to his toes and all the way up to his knee.

Until you reach his thigh. It feels thrilling to touch the man like this, and you're getting closer and closer to sensitive parts. Though he was first to test your boundaries, you wonder at what point he will find your touching weird.

When Haechan doesn't move or stop you, and you keep feeling his gaze upon you, you finally turn to face him.

“Is it true that you and Jisung had sex?” he asks when you look him in the eye.

The question surprises you. You had thought that was something Jisung would want to keep a secret.

“Did he tell you that?” you ask and laugh.

“Yeah. Is it true?”

You hesitate for a moment. “Yes,” you finally admit.

Haechan smiles faintly at you, then adds: “You know, he's not the only one with a dating ban…”

There's no point in dancing around the subject. You've been around, sexually that is, and you can sense where this is going. Haechan's feet near your crotch, your hand on his bare thigh, his curiosity and questions. They must mean something. And yes, if asked, you wouldn't say no to Haechan.

You giggle. “Are you horny?” you ask and let your hand wander higher still. Your fingers are almost touching the bottom of his shorts.

Haechan decides not to dance either. “Yes,” he says.

“Do you want to have sex?” you ask.

“Yes,” Haechan replies.

You smile at the man crookedly. “Haechan… Are you gay?”

“No. But neither is Jisung.”

Fair point, you think. I love this dating ban.

“I'm not some sex toy for you to play with,” you point out.

“Is that a no then?”

Uh-oh, I'm losing him. “I didn't say that.”

“What's it like anyway?” Haechan asks.

“What's what like?”

“Sex with another man.”

You smile wide, turn your body and fold a leg under you as you scoot up on the couch. “Oh, it's wonderful,” you say and lean on your elbow on the backrest of the couch. “An asshole is so much tighter than a pussy.”

Haechan's eyes widen. “Isn't it disgusting?”

“I mean, it is a hole meant for… something else. But no, not if you clean yourself properly before doing it.”

“Doesn't it hurt?”

“It can. But it's individual. It usually doesn't hurt me.”

Haechan gives you a teasing smirk. “Because you're so used to it?”

What he's implying is rude, but it isn't wrong. You've always been promiscuous. You decide to laugh at the joke. “That might be part of it. But I've always been able to take a dick, no problem.”

A moment's pause follows. Then Haechan finally does ask what you've been hoping he'll ask: “Will you take mine?”

Yes! you think. “Hmm, I don't know,” you say, but really only just to tease him back.

Haechan's smile fades and you realize that you might lose him again. To keep the sexual conversation going, you add: “You wouldn't find it disgusting?”

“Are you clean?”

“Always.”

“Then no. Look, last night I fucked a peach. That's how sexually frustrated I am.”

“Gee, such a romantic,” you say and laugh. “I feel so flattered.”

Haechan reaches out and slaps you playfully on the arm. You laugh and jolt, and when you lean back down your hand slides even higher up Haechan's thigh. This time, your fingers reach all the way inside the shorts.

“Alright,” you say. “I'll have sex with you. If that's what you want.”

Haechan's eyes widen again, and his smile is bigger than ever. “Yes!” he says eagerly.

Blowjob starts here…

Without saying anything else you scoot closer to him. You reach all the way in with the hand. You feel the bottom of Haechan's underwear and stick your fingers inside them.

His dick is already growing and he feels a tingle between his legs. You find the dick and touch it, then wrap your fingers around the shaft. It grows to full size in your hand.

Haechan keeps looking at you, and you at him. You stare at each other until you stroke the cock and Haechan closes his eyes, as lust and pleasure takes hold of his body.

He opens his mouth and inhales deeply, then breathes out slowly.

“Does it feel good?” you ask.

“Oh yeah,” Haechan moans. He pulls himself a little higher on the couch.

You follow, half way laying down beside him to reach the cock. You take your arm off the backrest and go for the top of Haechan's shorts.

Slowly, you begin to slide them down. He lets you, and even lifts his ass slightly to aid you.

“How long do we have before the others are back?” he suddenly asks and opens his eyes.

“At least another hour. Don't worry, I have a feeling you'll be done long before then.”

Haechan stares at you as the shorts slide down his hips. You lift his underwear to free his dick, and look on with anticipation as it appears. He pulls his hoodie up to give your hands more space.

You can hardly believe that Haechan is letting you do this, that the straight man wants this, and that, if this is going where it appears to be going, you'll have sexually pleasured two of the Dream team members in two days.

You let go of the dick to pull the shorts all the way down. Haechan lifts his hoodie even higher, revealing his soft tummy. Soon enough, he's laying half naked in front of you while you jerk him off faster.

You wonder where his limits lie. A hand job is one thing, but what would he feel about a blowjob? You decide to find out. You know that you're an excellent sucker, and once Haechan has gotten a taste of that he simply won't be able to say no. You've got him exactly where you want him.

You lean all the way down while looking at him for a reaction. He's got his eyes closed again though and can't see your approach. You decide to act swiftly.

You open your mouth wide and put the full length of the shaft inside it. You build up a significant amount of saliva, then slowly drag your lips upwards, tightly sealed around the cock.

“Holy fuck,” Haechan exclaims when you wet his dick.

You stick out your tongue and play around with it. “You like it?” you ask when the head falls out of your mouth again.

“Oh my God,” Haechan moans. He puts a hand on your shoulder and squeezes it hard. “Yes, don't stop.”

What ensues is a most wonderful blowjob, something Haechan has never experienced before in his life. You have, and you take great pleasure in making the man squirm and moan in front of you.

The blowjob is short though. You lick, kiss and suck for almost a minute, until Haechan is so overcome with the pleasure you spawn in him that he pulls your hair.

“Stop,” he suddenly exclaims. Then he repeats the word, a little calmer when your head becomes frozen in place. “Stop. You're gonna make me come.”

You release the cock and look at him with a smirk. “Isn't that the point?” you ask.

“Yeah, but didn't Jisung get to fuck you?”

“He did. You want that too?”

Haechan looks at you with puppy eyes. “Yes,” he almost whispers.

You work hard to contain your excitement. This is insane! Calmly, you sit up straight and hold out your hand.

Haechan takes it and you both stand up. He follows you, but then pulls your arm when you attempt to lead him into Jisung's bedroom, where you're sleeping during your week-long visit.

“Wait,” he says. “I want to do it here.”

“On the couch?” you ask and raise your eyebrow.

“In the living room. It's not often we have the place to ourselves like this. I want to take full advantage of that.”

“Alright,” you say with a smirk. You let go of the hand and playfully grab Haechan's hard dick. “I'll be right back.”

You turn around and leave the man standing there, half naked and a little confused. You go to Jisung's room to grab a tube of lube from your bag, then disappear into the bathroom.

You smile to yourself when you wonder what Haechan is doing right now. You've left him hanging, and he must wonder what's taking so long.

Let him wait, you think. This is fun.

When you return to the living room, Haechan has taken his shirt off. He's sitting naked on the couch with a pillow covering his crotch. Maybe a part of him is worried that the boys will come home earlier than expected, and he wants to hurry up.

You have the same worry. “Are you sure we shouldn't go to the bedroom?” you ask.

“Yes,” he says. “Just relax.”

You scoff, then giggle. You should be the one who's helping him relax.

With the tube of lube in one hand you hold out the other. Haechan takes it, removes the pillow from his dick and stands up.

“So how…” he begins, but you interrupt him. You pull him closer and kiss him on the lips.

Shit, I shouldn't have done that, you think. But Haechan doesn't seem to mind.

Your eyes meet and you smile softly at each other. Your hand falls down his side and grabs the still hard cock. Then you take his arm and guide it, to the front of your pants.

“Take them off me,” you whisper.

To your delight Haechan is quick to comply. He undoes the button and pulls down the zipper.

With your pants half open, you walk to the side of the couch. You gently pull Haechan's arm to encourage him to go with you. You stand facing the couch and lean on the armrest with one hand, guiding Haechan to go behind you with the other.

You put his hand on your hip, then yours on the couch. You spread your legs slightly and straighten your spine, bending your body in an almost ninety degree angle.

“Take them off,” you say and turn your head, to see the man in the corner of your eye. This is a test. You don't want to push him, but want to see if he's willing to work for what he's asked for.

Haechan looks down, grabs the top of your pants and underwear, and slowly starts to pull. The seams round your cheeks and your ass is revealed. He strokes it softly while taking in the sight.

“Here,” you say and hand him the tube. “Put some in your hand and rub it on your dick.”

Haechan seems to take forever. You reaffirm your stance and spread your legs a little more, and move your elbows closer together on the armrest.

Eventually, Haechan returns the tube by holding his hand out beside you. “Done,” he says in a cheerful tone.

You bend your spine and hunch over, to reach in between your legs. You find your asshole and stick a finger in it. Haechan has a hand on your hip, just below your shirt.

“Get closer,” you say. Haechan takes a small step forward, and you feel the dick brush against your cheeks. You reach in even further. “Right here.”

Sex starts here…

Haechan understands the instruction. He takes his cock and puts it near the hole. You stretch yourself with your fingers, until you feel the head press against them. You pout your ass to help Haechan get into position.

When the head is pushing harder against your asshole, you remove your hand and instead reach around your body. You find Haechan's naked ass and pull him closer still. His hand becomes firmer around your hip, and he holds his breath when the slippery cock eventually slides inside.

“Ahh,” you moan, partly to encourage the man. “Oh yeah, fuck me Haechan.”

It does the trick. The hard part is over. If Haechan ever had any reservations – which his initial questions suggest that he did but which his actions seem to prove that he does not – he's already overcome them. Now, all that remains is to make him come, and you secretly hope that he'll go all the way and do so in your ass.

When the shaft is half way in, Haechan begins to rock his hips slowly back and forth. He's still quiet and you wonder what is going through his head. But as he grows comfortable with the sensation, and the reality of what you're doing, he gradually picks up the pace.

“Oh, yes, fuck me,” you moan again, hoping that it will help him feel more relaxed. “Yes, Haechan, fuck me.”

You feel a second hand on your hips, as he grabs you tighter and thrusts a little harder into you.

“Faster,” you encourage. He heeds your words and starts to pull your whole body onto his shaft.

“Yes, that's it,” you say. “Yes, yes, yes!”

Haechan is deep inside you, fucking you fast and hard from behind, grimacing and grunting occasionally while pulling your hair with an arm stretched long above your back. Your legs are spread wide and your head is tilted so far back you face the ceiling. Your eyes are closed and your mouth wide open, and you clench the front of your shirt to hold it up and keep it from falling down onto your ass and Haechan's hands and cock.

“Oh, yes, ahh, fuck me, fuck me!” you almost scream repeatedly. “Yes, yes, ahh, your cock feels so good, yes, Haechan, you're amazing.”

The way you submit yourself to him and allow him to fuck your ass so passionately proves to be an immense turn-on for Haechan. Maybe it's the deeply rooted sexual frustration, caused by the now infamous dating ban, but you'd like to think that the man is not as straight as he might claim to be. Maybe he's hiding it, from the world and maybe even from himself, another possible consequence of strict SM policies and cultural taboos.

Whatever the case, the sex is great. You love Haechan's dick inside you, and judging from his eager thrusts and lustful grunts, he's loving it too. You're surprised by how much he's evolved since you sat on the couch and stroke his legs.

The couch is shaking violently on the floor and you let out another scream. You can hear Haechan pant behind you, as he lets loose and puts and end to God knows how many months of sexual frustration.

He does not get to come, however, before the sex is unexpectedly interrupted.

“What the fuck?” a voice suddenly exclaims.

You immediately stand up straight and grab a pillow to cover your crotch. Haechan pulls you closer, slipping his cock in deeper, as he's trying to hide behind your half naked body.

Chenle is standing in the door. He stares at you with his mouth wide open, then bursts out in an instant fit of laughter.

“Go away Chenle!” Haechan shouts. But rather than pulling out he only holds you tighter and pulls you closer.

Chenle looks away, but doesn't stop laughing.

“Are you alone?” you ask calmly.

“Yeah,” Chenle says. “But I can call the others and tell them to hurry back.”

“Don't,” Haechan pleads. “Please, Chenle. Go to your room.”

Chenle calms himself and looks at the spectacle again. “I mean, I don't want to interrupt your… fun time,” he says and waves his hand as if painting a picture of whatever it is he's witnessing.

“Thank you,” Haechan says, and to your surprise he's not ending the sex right then and there the way you expect him to do. “We're nearly done, just let me finish.”

“Take your time,” Chenle says and walks away. You hear his door closing behind him.

You turn your head and giggle. “What the fuck?” you ask, having just gone through a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.

Haechan begins to laugh too. Then you feel his body relax behind you, as he gently pulls up your shirt while slowly thrusting forward, pressing his pelvis against your ass cheeks.

“Wait, you don't want to stop?” you ask, genuinely confused by the situation. “Shouldn't we?”

“Why?” Haechan asks. “It's only Chenle. He's already seen us anyway, so what's the point? You don't want to help me?”

You scoff at the remark. What does the man think you're doing? But hey, if he wants to continue, you don't want to back out now either.

So you reach behind your head and push on Haechan's neck. His cheek brushes against yours as he rests his chin on your shoulder. He wraps his arms around your chest and stomach, gliding them all over your body and inside your shirt.

Gradually, his gentle thrusts begin to pick up the pace again, and you suddenly feel the need to be completely quiet. There's no more screaming or violent thrusting, only shallow breaths and gentle moans, as you pull your shirt higher and Haechan holds you tighter.

His thrusts remain slow but hard. He takes his time when he pulls back, but jolts each time he thrusts hard and fast back in. He repeats the sequence, a little faster and harder each time.

You open your mouth again and tilt your head back. Still with your hand on his neck you moan softly each time he hits you, and his cock is jammed inside you.

You feel his breath on your skin and hear him panting by your ear. You don't want this to end, but know that any of the others could return at any moment. Or Chenle might grow weary of staying in his room.

“Oh yeah, come for me baby,” you say, partly to encourage Haechan to finish.

He stops moving his hands and buries his face in your neck. He holds you tight around the chest while thrusting hard. He keeps going at a steady pace, until he's finally brought over the edge.

“Ah, yes, come for me,” you whisper when he holds his breath and plants his lips on your skin. ”Come inside me.”

Haechan eventually jolts a final time, and you can tell that it's the finish line from the way he grunts and suddenly digs his fingers into your skin.

He erupts inside you, releasing his load in a powerful explosion. He hasn't been this horny and felt such a strong orgasm since before the last time he had sex. Or maybe ever, at least you'd like to believe that. Regardless, the long period of sexless existence is over for him, or at least reset at zero.

“Ahhh,” he sighs deeply when he's finished, and his body comes down from his orgasm.

“Mm,” you moan. “Holy shit, you're so good Haechan.”

You can feel his smile against your skin. “No, you are,” he says softly. “Thank you.”

You turn your head to kiss his cheek. “You're welcome babe.”

Now that it's over, however, you're quick to push him away, encouraging him to pull out. You don't want anyone else to see you, and you wonder how you can explain all this to Chenle.

But then you realize that maybe Chenle is more Haechan's problem than yours. You should probably worry more about Jisung, and what he might think of what you and Haechan have done. You have no idea if your best friend will laugh or get mad, if he ever finds out.

You wonder if you should tell him or not, and whether Haechan will. The boys all seem to be very tight.

For now, you decide to let it go. What's done is done. You release your shirt and pull your pants back up, and help Haechan gather his clothes. He too gets dressed, and when your eyes meet he smiles wide at you.

You smile back. You're happy to be of service, because maybe you wanted this even more than Haechan did. It really was good sex.

“You can come out now,” Haechan suddenly shouts.

“Okay, thanks,” Chenle yells back, but he doesn't open the door.

You sit back down on the couch, and Haechan lays down beside you. You un-pause the movie and Haechan immediately puts his feet in your lap again. You watch in silence while you gently stroke his legs, get fully into the movie, and wait for the boys to return.

Click here to read the previous 'Dating Ban' story with NCT's Jisung.

Click here to buy me a coffee.

[pimosworld]

Only if you catch me

Pairing-Frankie Morales x f!reader

Series Summary-You meet Frankie when you least expect it. Both of you hiding from your past and trying to find each other won’t be easy, but it’s worth it if forever is with him. 

Series Warnings- 18+,MDNI, NSFW, Angst, hurt/comfort, Slow-ish burn, Explicit Smut, D/S dynamics, canon typical violence, Tom is mentioned (but dead), The boys got the money, Frankie helping reader open up in the bedroom, mentions of past abusive relationships, recovering addict, PTSD, tough family relationships, healing through therapy, protective Frankie, protective TF boys, found family, reader is a photographer , no description of reader other than the nickname Flash. 

WC-7k (who am I?)

A/N- This introductory chapter got me so excited for this. I hope you love these two as much as I do.

[Series Masterlist][Main Masterlist]

Not beta read

Chapter 1. Aperture

This should be a simple shoot.

  In and out. 

  Easy enough to dust off the cobwebs and get your name out there in a new city. An amateur boxer about to go pro. He needs a promo bill for some huge fight he has coming up. The details don’t really concern you about why. It’s the who. 

  Capturing a good shot isn’t about the camera or the angle, it’s not even about the time of day or lighting. That’s all secondary to who and what is in front of the lense. The emotion makes the image feel one hundred times better than the camera could ever try to capture. 

  You figured this would be a good way to dip your toes back into working. 

  You're early. An odd habit you picked up from knowing that the most meaningful shots are captured when everyone’s guard is down. When the family is setting up or when the bride is hanging out with her friends. When everyone is too preoccupied to pose…that’s when the magic happens. 

  It’s a modest gym, warehouse style on the edge of town. Thankfully not far from your new apartment so you didn’t have to stress about still not knowing your way around. Judging by the minimal trucks in the parking lot it’s a private shoot. That helps your nerves settle a little more not having to be in too large of a crowd. 

  You can tell you’re stalling so you brace your hand on your tote bag and the other on the door handle and haul yourself out of the old green Jeep. The most tried and true possession you own besides the Nikon Z nestled neatly in its case. 

  ****

  Low rumbles of men’s voices hit you when you enter the gym. The scent of sweat soaked leather and old wooden floors. The faint hint of liniment and gym mats. 

  The front desk is empty but you wait there for a brief moment. Taking in the clean front entry way  with various pictures on the wall. Some posed and some candids of the most attractive men you’ve ever seen. Just beyond the desk is a large framed photo of some of the men and one brunette clad in military gear. 

  A huge roar of laughter sounds from the other room, a welcoming sound that you feel yourself being pulled towards. So you take a deep breath, shrugging your strap higher on your shoulder and venture towards it. 

  You wanted to look nice,professional on your first job. Now the heels clicking against the wood, signaling to the men that a woman is approaching seems like the worst idea you’ve ever had. All eyes land on you as you enter the main area of the gym. There’s two men in the ring. One man is hunched over, dripping sweat as he looks like he ran several miles. A tall blonde leans on the ropes, looking the opposite of exhausted as he does nothing to disguise the way he rakes up and down your form. A huskier version of him is making his way towards you, a look in his eyes almost like he’s stalking prey, yet there’s something familiar there and it dawns on you that they were in the photo. 

  Another man across the room leans against the wall, his broad back turned away from everyone while he talks on his phone. His hand flits nervously to the back of his neck as he continues his conversation in hushed words. 

  “You’re early. I like that.” The man extends his hand and you compose yourself briefly to offer a former handshake than he expected. You can see it in his eyes as he releases it. “I’m Will, that’s my brother Ben in the ring that you’ll be taking photos of.” 

  “Hi sweetheart.” Ben blows you a kiss with his gloved hand and you raise your eyebrows at the forward gesture. Handsome, cocky, definitely not your type. 

  “Ignore him.” 

  “It’s kind of my job to do the opposite.” You offer up as you make your way to an open bench and he laughs genuinely. 

  You can feel the nerves rolling off you in waves as you open your bag to set up your camera. You know they’re watching, waiting for instruction and something about having the cool heavy metal in your hand always turns you into a bit of a bossy bitch. You don’t mean it but you can tell around these men you’ll have to hold your own or run the risk of being treated like a joke. 

  Will had already gone over in great detail via email what his vision was for Ben’s promo. The man was meticulous in his description of how he wanted his brother to look. You could tell how much he cared about his image in the way he wanted you to capture his youthfulness and passion for the sport. You didn’t need any further direction when you squared up alongside the ring. 

  “You here to capture my boyish good looks?” Ben flexes his muscles as you take a photo catching him slightly off guard. 

  “Just pretend I’m not here.” You gesture towards the other man in the ring who’s finally gained some composure. 

  “That’s James, don’t worry about him. He likes getting his ass kicked.” 

  “Oh…I guess you would know.” Ben scoffs and Will has to hide his smile behind his hands at your banter. Not one to back down from a little teasing and unbeknownst to Ben capturing candid photos while he tries to flirt. 

  You flit your eyes to Will in a silent communication. 

  “Ben! Focus please.” 

  It’s almost immediate the way he switches to fight mode. Dancing around his opponent, toying with him like he’s a child. He doesn’t seem phased by the snap of your camera as you take a few test shots. 

  The way he bites his lip when he’s squaring up his opponent. How he bounces left to right when he doesn’t have a good shot. Maybe only you notice because you’re watching him so intently when he realizes he’s found his opening. His vision zeroes in and his movements cease. 

  That’s when you take the shot. 

  “He’s too photogenic.” The low sultry voice registers behind you but it doesn’t cause you to startle. 

  “Disgustingly so.” 

  He laughs, and there it is again. The boldened, unadulterated laugh that these men have a lock on. 

  You don’t have to turn around to know the mysterious voice is accompanied by the man that you’ve been eyeing since you got here. He’s confident enough to penetrate your bubble of safety to occasionally peek over your shoulder as you check the shots you're getting. 

  If he notices you flinch at the sound of leather meeting skin he doesn’t say anything. 

  “It’s a shame such a handsome face chooses to subject itself to such torture.” You say as you continue to adjust the angle. He glances over to you, watching you work. Trying to keep his eyes off your legs exposed in your knee high sundress. 

  His body is closer to you now, this stranger. 

  “He doesn’t make a habit of getting hit.” He smirks when you look at him and there’s no cover for you as your lips curl into a smile. “It’s easy to not pretend that he’s so good looking.” 

  “Don’t sell yourself short.” 

  He looks at you then as he brushes his fingers along his lips. Chocolate brown eyes piercing into you and you can’t help but snap a picture. 

  It’s brief. The moment of apprehension from him as you study the photo on your lense camera. This stranger is awaiting your approval. Likely not having his photo taken in such an intimate setting in quite some time. Another one of the handsome men from the front desk picture. 

  It takes you by surprise when you see it. 

  If he notices he doesn’t say a word. 

  He’s beautiful. An old world beauty with all hard lines and soft eyes. He sidles up next to you and the warmth emanating from him is enough to have you delirious. 

  “So…what’s the verdict?” 

  You bite your lip and hold on as you glance up at him. His mouth slightly parted in an o shape as he watches you release it. 

  “You’re a natural.” 

  “Francisco.” 

  You give him your name and he says it like a command. 

  “Hey, I’m not paying you to take pictures of his ugly mug.” Ben’s voice cuts through the little moment you were having with him as he flips his friend off, looking a little sheepish at having displayed it in front of you. 

  You send him an apologetic look as you get back to work. You occasionally check the images to make sure the lighting isn’t off. It’s glaringly obvious that Ben is posing and it’s throwing you off. You want him to look more natural but instead it’s coming off like a cheesy catalog. 

  “So…you borrowing that camera from Andy?” There’s that voice again, so close to you and you can’t deny it does something that you wish it wouldn’t. 

  You smirk glancing down at the black and white label just above your lense. 

  ANDY

  “No, that’s her name…Andromeda.” Offering up no further explanation you continue shooting, walking around the ring because you have to find a way to work around Ben's chaos. 

  He’s following closely behind as his heavy footsteps creak on the old wood floors. His arms crossed against his chest as you look over your shoulder. His face reads exactly what you would expect from purposefully leaving someone in the dark for your own amusement. 

  “Andy because Andromeda wouldn’t fit…Andromeda was rumored to be the most beautiful and…” You trail off as you admire it in your hand. “She’s the most beautiful in my collection and the most important to me.” 

  Running his tongue over the front of his teeth you think he wants to make fun but it’s quite the opposite. You’re distractingly beautiful and cute and if he was feeling adventurous he’d call you Andromeda but he’s not confident enough to dish that one out. So he stays quiet. 

  Too quiet. 

  You’re panicking thinking how you’ve embarrassed yourself in front of this handsome man and you should back pedal. Explain away your ramblings because you’re so used to not being understood. Yet he surprises you. 

  “I have a heli named Lucy.” 

  He mentions all casually and you have to register that he means helicopter. Subtle 

  “Francisco.” 

  “Frankie, my friends call me.” 

  “Frankie…you own a helicopter?” 

  Will stepped into the ring to let Ben know he can stop torturing James. Frankie has to thank his friend as he sees him grab Ben to keep him from intruding on one of the best conversations he’s had in awhile. 

  “It’s not meant to be a brag, but yes.” 

  You hum in approval as you turn to look at him. Your eyes pin him to the spot and he feels his face grow hot. 

  “Lucy is a lucky lady.” 

  It’s the gleam in your eyes. The way his stomach does a flip when he gets a whiff of your perfume. He’d throw away all notions of the cliche love at first sight because maybe he finally sees how it’s possible. It also welcomes another uneasy feeling. The feeling that people are so quick to settle for less, something he’s done most of his life because that’s what he thought he deserved. His last few relationships he settled just to feel comfortable and one of those almost took him under. 

  “So did you turn me into a model or what?” Ben slaps Frankie on the back and he’s never wanted to strangle him more. “Or what.” Mumbled under his breath and he catches your smile ear to ear. 

  You don’t answer as you see Will approaching already knowing who has the final say. 

  Ben’s ribbing him, sending all sorts of suggestive eyes at Frankie as he wraps his sweaty body on his shoulders and you slink away to handle business. 

  ****

  “These look great.” You know Will is being nice when it comes to your work…you don’t want nice. You want honest. 

  “They could look better.” He snorts as he looks over at his brother shadow boxing Frankie.

  “Tell me more.” 

  ****

  You’d said your goodbyes and made your way out of the gym with your dignity intact. Stepping out into the parking lot to take the first deep breath in over an hour. 

  Will was thoroughly impressed with the photos. So impressed that he asked you…practically begged you to photograph Ben's upcoming fight. You think this may have just been an audition for that but you can’t be mad since he paid you for today and you got to meet Frankie. 

  He could sense your apprehension and assured you that the fights are nothing but professional and he would be there if you had any concerns. Of course you were secretly hoping Frankie would be there as well. 

  Since moving to Tampa Florida a year ago you knew dating was out of the question. The dramatic fashion in which you ended up here was enough to have you swearing off all forms of a relationship. As the months passed and you watched your savings dwindle you knew it was only a matter of time before you picked up your camera again and tried to find that sliver of hope that you hadn’t lost the passion for something you once loved. 

  Meeting Frankie was unexpected and it makes you wonder if you’re even ready for this. It seems you’re getting a little ahead of yourself because all you received when you left him was a polite nice to meet you. You didn’t miss the way his friends looked at him as though he had more to say. 

  You put the keys in the ignition of your old Jeep praying to anyone listening that it will still turn over. You know it’s on its last leg but you definitely can’t afford a new car right now. The weak ac blows in your face as it roars to life and you curse yourself for having chosen a place so humid that everything clings to you to the point of suffocation. 

  Your phone is buzzing in your tote and you already know who it is before checking. 

  “Hi Dom.” 

  “How’d you know it was me?” You take a long pause and hear her chuckle on the other end. 

  “Dominique, you’re the only person I talk to.” 

  Your sister, the only family member you can still stomach talking to. The only sane one who understood your struggles and didn’t dismiss your need to separate from your toxic mom and stepdad. 

  You felt bad leaving her behind but she had a family of her own that kept her afloat. Her wife Elise and your adorable nephew Casey were the only family you acknowledged at this point. 

  “So how was the shoot?” You can hear it in her voice. You know what she’s really asking. Are you okay?

  “It was great honestly.” You pause long enough for her to seem worried. She always worried, being your older sister. 

  “Hmmm.”

  “I’m being honest. It went a lot better than I thought. I was having second thoughts at first with this being my first one, but the second I started it was like riding a bike.” 

  “And you were fine with the fighting?” A beat of silence. 

  “Yes…it wasn’t really fighting, more so just throwing a few punches and dancing around.” You clear your throat. “The boxer is actually a sweetheart. His friend and brother were there too and they were really nice.” 

  “Ohhh tell me more about this boxer.” 

  “Oh no he’s not the one.-“ You hadn’t stopped yourself in enough time to catch the way you specified that there was one. 

  “The brother…wait no let me guess.” You groan at your sister’s incessant detective skills. “It’s the friend isn’t it?” 

  “It’s no one actually.” Which isn’t quite a lie. “Oh shit.” 

  You hear your sister frantically asking what’s wrong when you see Frankie exiting the gym. It looks like he’s coming right towards you but maybe he’s just parked near you. You don’t seem to be that lucky when he rounds the side of your car and taps on the window. 

  “Give me a sec Dom.” 

  You roll down the window as you try to calm your beating heart. He leans against the side slightly ducking to shield himself from the sun and you notice how snugly his shirt fits around his bicep. 

  “This Jeep has to be almost twenty years old.” He glances in at the pristine interior admiring your mini camera charm hanging from the rearview mirror. 

  “Wow, we’re starting off with insults.” You smile and he can’t help the way it’s already so easy with you. 

  “It was meant as a compliment.” The way he drops his voice and his close proximity has you sweating, or maybe the humidity is taking over. “Anyway…I just wanted to let you know I’ll be there on Friday. Will said you seemed a little nervous.” 

  You groan as you hide your face in your hands “Was it that obvious?” 

  He hesitates as he looks at the worry lines between your brows, wanting to smooth them out with his thumb and he thinks me might actually be losing his mind over you. “No…I’m sure it was fine.”

  Fine

  He removes his cap as he runs his fingers through his hair and it’s not evident if he’s doing it on purpose or if it’s a nervous habit but you wish he would stop looking so handsome. 

  “I look forward to seeing you and Andy on Friday.” His eyebrow arched and his lips curled up into a smile. 

  You plop your hands dramatically on the steering wheel. “I’ll be the awkward one with a camera if you can’t find me.” You both laugh and a moment passes as you wait for something, you’re not sure what. “Bye Frankie.”

  You roll up your window and sigh at the cool air hitting your damp skin as he takes one last look at you over his shoulder. You think he’s heading to leave but he retreats back into the gym and you realize he came out here looking for you. You are so fucked. 

  You shakily hold the phone up to your ear. “Dom, you still there?”

  A shriek echoes in your ear as you hold the phone away. 

  “I’m deaf now…are you happy?” You can practically see her face on the other end. All teeth and tongue as she tries to contain her sarcasm. 

  “Who’s Frankie, how does he know about Andy? What’s happening on Friday?” She’s spiraling now and you don’t have the patience to sit in this parking lot any longer. 

  “I gotta go Dom, I’ll explain later.” 

  “Don’t you dare hang up-“

  ****

  Friday

  You’d been nervously counting down the days leading up to the fight for several reasons. The thought of seeing Frankie again and the fact that Will had a lot of confidence that you were going to be perfect for the job. Despite never having watched a professional fight let alone photographed one terrified you. 

  Blood made you squeamish and the thought of possibly witnessing any broken bones had you sweating through your shirt. 

  You’re early again but Will was impressed by that. The fight is being hosted at a much larger gym so you wanted to make sure you didn’t get lost on the way. Giving yourself a once over before hopping out of your car with your tote and Andy in tow. 

  Heels didn’t seem appropriate for a fight so you went for a casual look of jeans and some thrifted tee shirt from ages ago that had Mike Tyson on the front. 

  Going anywhere alone always gives you anxiety but you muster up the courage to head inside. The moment you step through the door it’s an assault on your senses. The unmistakable scent of stale sweat and cheap cologne greets you. There’s a lot of people already here crowding around the ring and taking their seats. The air vibrates with a hum of conversations, discussions of strategy and predictions. 

  There’s a clear divide of supportive colors, some people clad in red and other patrons in all black with Miller boxing on the back of their shirts. 

  You’re thankful no one seems to notice you as you mill about searching for that one familiar face you’re hoping is here like he said he would be. 

  You’re taken aback by a promo poster of Ben along the wall. The image of the tall blonde flexing with his arms raised, looking proud as a peacock was definitely a photo you took the other day. Whoever designed the poster did an amazing job at not taking away the raw charm of the original photo. 

  “Admiring your work.” Will steps up next to you, arms crossed as he stares proudly at the photo. 

  “This poster looks pretty good for such a quick turn around.” You told him with a genuine smile. 

  He shrugs his shoulders. “I dabble here and there with photoshop.” 

  He notices you glancing around him, a small smirk gracing his features. “Looking for someone?”

  This isn’t the first time you notice how obnoxiously intuitive he is. “No, just taking in the scenery.” It’s a lie he'll let you get away with for now. 

  “I’m actually glad you’re early, if you don’t mind snapping some shots of Ben in the locker room.” He gestures towards the large double doors across the room. 

  You have to laugh at him. “I don’t mind doing my job, Will. It’s what you hired me for right?” 

  He starts walking and you follow close behind. “Sorry, I’m used to giving orders to men and asking for permission from women.” 

  “Will, please don’t ever apologize for that.” You add before he opens the door stepping aside to usher you in. His presence is so reassuring, it’s dizzying being around men that actually make you feel safe for the first time since you left home. 

  Will whistles and it echoes off the walls in the locker room. Ben glances up from his hands being taped and shoots you a nervous smile. You can tell his attitude is in fight mode, his adrenaline no doubt focused on his opponent. The bouncing, jovial man from the other day is subdued, concentrating on the task in front of him. 

  Your hands instinctively reach for your camera  to capture the pre-fight moments. There’s a woman taping his hands with red hair and strikingly beautiful green eyes. She doesn’t seem to mind as you close in on their space to get a shot of her intricate tape. Ben’s hands shake slightly but he does his best to hold them still. 

  He’s clad in all black shorts and shrugs off the Miller boxing shirt when she’s done taping. He can’t help himself as he turns to you and flexes. 

  “I think this is your signature pose.” You say as he turns to his brother, sending him a look of  ‘I told you so’. 

  “Don’t encourage him.” The woman adds as Will slides up next to her planting a kiss on her cheek. 

  “I think you both forgot why she’s here.” Ben gestures to you. “Yours truly is the main event.” 

  “I don’t know how the other guys gonna fit in the ring with Ben and his ego.” Will and the woman laugh as Ben looks less than amused and you snap a photo, candids being your favorite. 

  “I’m sorry, excuse my manners.” His hand placed gently along her lower back as he ushered her towards you. “This is my wife Amber.” 

  She raises her eyebrows at him as you offer your name and you look slightly confused as Ben scoffs. “I’m his fiancé, but I should be flattered at how eager he is to be my husband.” 

  “Wife has a better ring to it.” He leans in kissing her again and Ben just groans. 

  “They’re like this all the time. It’s obnoxious.” He says with mock disgust. 

  You snap another photo of the intimate moment, since they didn’t protest the first. I think it’s beautiful. 

  ****

  Still no sign of him

  But you can’t think about that right now as Benny prepares to enter the ring. The bright lights surrounding the room and the raucous noise is starting to get to you but you take a few deep breaths and hope you can hold out. 

  Amber and Will are preoccupied on the sideline, hyping Benny up as he sized up his opponent. Who somehow seems two times the size of the young blonde. Something tells you not to underestimate him as the stone cold look washes over his features, making anyone who stands in his path sorely regret it. 

  The crowd roars as the bell signals the start of the fight. Your camera poised and ready with your nerves and excitement swirling in equal measure. If you thought Ben sparring the other day was bad, you were wildly unprepared for the sound of the first blow to his opponent’s face. You wince behind your camera flash as the distinct grunt of a possible broken nose is evident. Ben takes a wide shot to the ribs but he doesn’t falter. Blow after blow and it seems you’re getting more comfortable with the onslaught of violence for some odd reason. 

  Perhaps it’s the way Benny has handled each one or the fact that you’re finally getting the shots you so desperately wanted the other day. He’s actually focused on what’s in front of him and not on you. You can drown out the rest of the noise besides Will's coaching and Ambers cheers of encouragement. The shutter of Andy is all you need. 

  “Sweetheart, you should take my picture.” 

  You recoil at the sweaty palm on your lower back and the pungent smell of cheap liquor invading your senses. It’s no surprise when you turn to see a random man, bloodshot eyes from too many long nights and too much booze. You already knew by the sound of his voice that it wasn’t who you’ve been expecting. 

  “No thanks.” You gesture to your camera. “I’m sort of working here.” 

  You continue to try and focus back on the fight as it seems Benny has him on the ropes and it’s not too long before the other man is going down. 

  He’s closer now, caging you against the ring as his hand threatens to move lower and everyone is too preoccupied to notice that you want to crawl out of your skin. 

  “Come on hun, you don’t have to be bitch.” The last part he practically spits at you and with his opponent keeled over momentarily Benny’s eyes flash to you like a caged animal. 

  You think for a brief moment he might jump over the ropes but he flashes you a wide grin and continues to back up as the ref gestures his hands for the countdown. 

  The pressure is suddenly off you and you feel like you can breathe again, as you whip around to see where he went. “You know you shouldn’t touch women without their permission.” Frankie’s large palm is gripping the man’s shirt as he struggles to get out of his grasp. 

  “Get the fuck off me Morales, I know you’re not gonna hit me.” Frankie's eyes flash to you briefly in worry, a signal that he knows this creep and doesn’t want to be associated with him. 

  Frankie drags him by the collar just out of earshot as he sees you turn back to the fight so as not to miss any important shots. 

  “Listen up Jones.” He grits out through clenched teeth. “You’re gonna get yourself in some real trouble one of these days.”

  “Hey, Morales I didn’t know she was your lady okay.” 

  “She’s not…” He lets out a sigh of frustration. “Just quit fucking around, I can tell you’ve been drinking again. If I don’t see you at a meeting this week I’m gonna throw you into the ring with Ben and see if he can knock some sense into you. Comprende?” 

  He releases him with force as he shrugs his shoulders, trying to smooth out his shirt. “Ya ya, you’ll see me.” 

  Frankie watches the man disappear into the crowd toward the direction of the bar and just shakes his head. You’re still there as the ref signals that Benny won the fight and he shoves his way back through to you on the sideline. 

  There’s a look of relief and something else on your face when you turn to him. 

  “Benny won!” You flash him a bright smile as he laughs to himself. 

  “He always does.” It’s said assuredly and proud as you turn back to the ring. His arms lean protectively on the ropes beside you, careful not to touch you but close enough where no one would try to push you out of the way. 

  You glance down at the monitor to take a deep breath as you feel him behind you. His woodsy cologne mixed with the fresh body wash wafts towards you. That mixed with the fact that he was so instantly protective of you has your head spinning. 

  Trying desperately to focus back on your job you realize the last shot Benny’s slightly blocked by the ropes. You let out a huff of frustration as Frankie leans down close to your ear. 

  “Everything okay hermosa? Is it Andy?” No it’s you

  You close your eyes as you let the deep lull of his voice calm you. The voice you’d waited hours to hear. The one you couldn’t stop thinking about since that first day. 

  “Ya everything is fine.” You laugh to yourself at his genuine concern for your most prized possession. “I just can’t see very well.” 

  He worries his lip hoping he’s not overstepping after your encounter earlier. “I have an idea.” 

  Intrigued, you turn to him as he gestures to the side of the ring. “Step up.” You tilt your head at him and he raises his eyebrows and points to the ledge. 

  “Frankie.” 

  “I promise I won’t let you fall.” You falter for a brief moment, but the crowd cheers as Benny runs around the ring and you can’t waste another shot. 

  He steps up behind you, careful not to touch until you’re ready as you take one hand and hoist yourself up with the rope. Your other hand is securely on your camera. You think you’re fine but the rope gives a little and you start to fall back but the breadth of his shoulders is right behind you as he instructs you to lean on him. 

  Your heart is going to pound out of your chest as you realize how intimately he has you wrapped up. His arms around your thighs hold you steady and yet you can tell he’s doing it with the utmost composure to make you feel comfortable. 

  Benny runs over to you, flexing his arms with his signature pose, coined by you. Your hands still aren’t moving and Frankie nudges you slightly. 

  “I’ve got you.” You sure hope he does for your sake. The way he’s looking at you and holding you right now, you don’t think you’d be able to stand up on your own. 

  You turn back to Benny and snap a few shots of his winning smile. 

  “Fuck me, the flash is on.” You make a few adjustments and disable the automatic flash. The bright lights surrounding the ring provide plenty of light amongst the room. 

  Frankie has to take a few deep breaths, especially when your choice of words has him thinking things he shouldn’t with your body as close to his as it could get. He’s trying to be professional, he did suggest this after all and it would be rude to take advantage of the situation. 

  He can tell you’re relaxing as you go back and forth between glancing at the screen and Benny. Your ass is perched  perfectly along his shoulder as his arms protectively bracket your legs to keep you upright against the ropes. He can smell vanilla and something familiar, even through your jeans which he’s grateful for, if not for them his cheek would be touching the smooth skin on your thigh. 

  The crowd starts to disperse as Will and Amber join Benny in the ring. Benny playfully jumps on his older brother as he shrugs his sweaty body off of him. Despite you not taking any more pictures Frankie still has you wrapped as they come over to join you. Amber sends you a knowing look and your face grows hot as you halfway pretend to look over photos. 

  “So…how did it turn out?” Ben bounds over with a gleam in his eye. Adorned with a few scrapes and bruises but otherwise untouched. 

  He leans on the ropes as you hold out the camera flicking through a few of your favorite shots. His arm draped over you and the sweat and adrenaline is rolling off him. You can’t be too upset, the man just single handedly pummeled his opponent like it was just another day. Frankie swats him playfully to save you from the post fight stench about to seep through your tee shirt. 

  “Sorry, he doesn’t really know what personal space is.” You glance down to Frankie and realize how ironic that statement is coming from the man who's been the closest to you physically in over a year. 

  “Oh shit, she got a perfect shot of me crushing his nose.” Ben jumps up and down as Will sends you a half apologetic look. 

  You’re slightly knocked off kilter as Frankie tightens his grip on you. 

  You look over to see another handsome dark haired man pulling himself up to the ropes next to you. 

  “Who might you be?” His aquiline smile and toned muscles rippled through his shirt as he grips the rope. You recognize him from the photo on the desk but opt to stay silent. Assessment was your strong suit and he seems like the type that likes a challenge. 

  Amber looks like she’s going to say something but doesn’t get the chance as you’re quite literally swept off your feet. Your grip on Frankie’s arm tightens as he pulls you away from the ropes and the sickeningly sweet man beside you. 

  “Relax hermosa, I’ve got you.” He gently sets you down and grabs your hand, pulling you even further from the prying eyes as you try to catch your breath. 

  ****

  Santiago points at you and Frankie as he shrugs his shoulders. Indignation dripping off his features. 

  “Oh, I know he’s frustrated when he’s gone non verbal” Ben teases as he ruffles Santi’s hair. 

  Will sidles up next to his fiancé, wrapping his arms around her as he leans in. 

  “You’re staring at her like a piece of meat babe.” 

  “Sorry.” She hisses under her breath. “It’s just…she would be perfect for the wedding.” 

  “I know, but why don’t we give her some space. Let her get settled in.” He nods his head toward the two of you. “Also maybe give Frankie a chance to ask her out before you ask her to photograph the wedding. It would be awkward if she said no to him.” 

  “How do you know he’s asking her out?” 

  Will lowers his voice as Santiago raises an eyebrow at him, doing his best to pay attention to Ben and eavesdrop. 

  “Look at his stance, he can’t stop moving from one foot to another.”

  “He’s taken his hat off twice.” 

  “Now his hands are in his pockets, and I can almost guarantee he’s sweating.” 

  ****

  You’re not sure what to do as he stares at you. His scent envelopes you even now that you’re apart. 

  Frankie clears his throat awkwardly as he bounces from one foot to another. He’s nervous and you’re not entirely sure why, seeing as though you’d spent the better part of the fight attached to his shoulder. 

  “I ugh…hope this wasn’t too traumatizing for you.” 

  You laugh as you dip your head. “It was definitely eventful. But you made it a lot easier to handle.” 

  He tries to hide his smile as the red creeps up his neck. His obvious nervous tick as he takes off his hat for the second time, running his fingers through his hair. You have the sudden wild urge to do it yourself as you busy your hands with the hem of your shirt. 

  “We usually go out for drinks after his fights to celebrate.” He leaves it open ended as he watches you visibly tense. 

  Shit 

  Shit

  “It’s been a really long day.” Not entirely a lie. 

  You can see his demeanor go from nervous wreck to utter panic and you can’t leave him out on a limb. 

  “Listen Frankie, I have to be honest with you. I don’t drink. I’m not a buzzkill or anything but…”

  “I’m sober.” He doesn’t mean to shout it at you but it comes out all rushed and now he can feel the sweat dripping down his back. “If that changes anything, if not I understand.” Frankie feels like he’s scrambling and realizing how much easier this was when he wasn’t sober. 

  You let out a sigh of relief as you glance to your right at the small audience huddled around the ring. Santiago quickly turns around while Amber and Will do an awful job of seeming interested in the ceiling. Benny flashing you a thumbs up as you chuckle to yourself. 

  “I would love to join you guys, another night maybe. I think I’ve had enough action for one day.” You hope the open ended invitation isn’t completely shutting you off from any chance with Frankie. 

  Every nerve ending in his body is screaming at him to stop but you do something to him that he hasn’t felt in a long time. That small subconscious part of his brain knows if he leaves it like this he may never work up the nerve to say something. 

  “Would you be up for dinner? Maybe sometime next week?” His voice cracks a little at the end like he’s some kind of pubescent boy. If the floor could swallow him whole or Benny could come over and just put him completely out of his misery that might suffice for the next few weeks. 

  You bite your lip, consciously or unconsciously. He doesn’t care either way. Some wild part of his brain wants to reach out and pull it down with the pad of his thumb. 

  “I would love to go to dinner.” 

  Relief floods his features and you have to fight the grin that crosses over your face. 

  “So it’s a date.” 

  Fuck a date. 

  You haven’t been on one of those in ages. 

  “Ya Frankie, it’s a date.” 

  He’s finally stopped fidgeting and he seems so much more confident now that you can really appreciate him. 

  You're both in your own little bubble of flirtation and you could care less who or what’s going on around you. 

  “Would it be okay if I hugged you?” 

  You smile. “I think after how close we were for the last hour it would be weird if you didn’t.” 

  His arms wrap around you instantly and that familiar scent is becoming so comforting for you. You have to fight the urge to deeply inhale as your nose is pressed against his chest. His touch is so delicate and grounding all at once and you fear you’ll grow to associate him with someone safe. 

  Why would that be a bad thing?

  The last time Frankie was this impulsive he got himself into a lot of trouble. This doesn’t quite feel the same as he tries not to inhale the scent of your shampoo as his cheek rests on the crown of your head. The way your body molds perfectly into his. The way he has to gain some level of composure when it comes to you and yet all reason has gone out the window. 

  It’s dizzying when you finally break apart. Your shoulder bag slipped slightly down and he reached over to secure it for you. 

  “Well, I should say bye to everyone.” 

  “I’ll do it on your behalf if you want to make a break for it.” He winks at you and your knees might give out right then and there. 

  Letting out an exasperated sigh. “You’re a lifesaver Francisco.” 

  You wave goodbye to more than a few confused faces and exit the gym to a mostly empty parking lot, inhaling the fresh night air. 

  ****

  “Did she let you down easy?” Benny teases as his brother smacks him on the back. 

  “Yee of little faith gentleman.” Amber says as she directs her attention to Frankie. 

  “As a matter of fact, we’re going on a date next weekend.” 

  Amber squeals and Benny pats his friend in the back as Santiago looks thoroughly annoyed at still being left in the dark. 

  Will's phone pings in his pocket and he pulls it out, the widest shit eating grin plastered on his face. 

  “Our boy is a little rusty.” 

  All heads turn to Will confusion written among their faces. 

  “You’re gonna need her number if you’re gonna take her on a date, Fish.” 

  Okay, so maybe he was a little rusty but he had a date. With you. 

  “Alright boys…and Amber. Let’s get some drinks to celebrate.” Benny jumps over the ropes like it’s nothing and heads toward the locker rooms as the rest of the men follow. 

  “Is someone gonna tell me who she is!?” Santiago yells out to them as they all leave him seemingly in the dark. 

  At least for now, Frankie’s gonna keep you to himself. 

Comments and reblogs are much appreciated

Taglist- @sawymredfox @morallyinept

Next

[writerfae]

Christmas movie AU Advent Calendar 🎄

Day Six: 🧣Scarf🧣

Christmas special tag list: @bunnymermaidsblog @deadlycupid @dustylovelyrun @ladywithalamp @sleepy-night-child @theguywithnonickname

“Are you sure you’re okay? That looked like it hurt.”

Yes, Talon was okay.

Physically that is.

The only thing that took damage from his very ungracious collision with the Christmas tree was his pride.

“I’m fine, really.” He waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “You should probably worry more about the Christmas tree.”

Maybe he shouldn’t have come here.

Maybe this was a sign for what a bad idea this all was.

A warning to stay away from the Christmas tree farm.

Talon would love to do that, but then he’d probably get fired. Son of the boss or not.

“Pine trees are sturdy, it’ll be fine,” Aiden said, patting the tree’s bark.

“They’re resistant. Your pretty little city boy face however… I’m not too sure about that.”

Didn’t Talon embarrass himself enough already today?

Did Aiden have to give him even more reasons for his face to light up like Christmas lights?

That much for being professional.

If anyone else had seen him running headfirst into a Christmas tree because he kept staring at Aiden, that would’ve surely destroyed his chances from being taken serious.

“You’re really red in the face,” Aiden commented.

Talon wanted to strangle him.

“You should come inside, it’s warmer there.”

The barely hidden grin on the other’s face made Talon think that Aiden knew very well that the red of his face was from different nature.

But either he was too nice to mention it or he kept it as teasing material for later.

As he followed Aiden all the way to what looked like it was the main house, he noticed that no one else was there.

Shouldn’t a Christmas tree farm like this have more workers?

“Where are the other workers?” he passed his question on to Aiden.

The face Aiden made to this was very different from his usual smile, it looked a little grim, which was something Talon hadn’t seen before.

“We are a little low on money lately,” he admitted.

“So we couldn’t really afford helpers this year. There’s Theo and Mathilda who help us out a little, but today they have to work at their father’s. And Holly and Hazel are both sick at home, so it’s just me.”

That was strange.

“And what about Mr. Hunter? Isn’t he helping?”

Aiden froze, but only for a second before regaining his composure.

“He can’t help,” he said even more quietly.

“Not anymore.”

Before Talon could ask what exactly he meant by that, they reached the porch of the house.

Aiden got a key out of his pocket and opened the door, signaling Talon that he should come inside.

“Father? I’m home! And I brought a guest!” Aiden called.

Talon stopped dead in his tracks.

Father?

He followed Aiden into the living room - and wanted to leave immediately.

There in an armchair sat a man who looked like an older version of Aiden.

His hair was curlier and his face not clean-shaven, but the similarities were undeniable.

Aiden stepped behind the armchair, putting his hands on the man’s shoulders.

“Talon, this is Milan Hunter, my dad.”

He smiled down at the man, squeezing his shoulders lightly, before looking back at Talon.

“And dad, this is Talon, a friend.”

And just like that, it all clicked into place and Talon’s world came crashing down.

Of course. How could he have been so stupid.

Mr. Hunter had a son. Two sons, to be exact.

He had read it in the report. He had known and yet he’d been too blind to see.

Maybe he didn’t want to see.

But it all made so much sense now. And it was absolutely horrible.

It was Aiden’s family that the farm belonged to. It was Aiden’s family Talon was send to to talk them into giving up their farm for some rich asshole’s stupid resort.

Giving up their home, their whole life.

My family has always been part of this town, for generations, Aiden had said.

He couldn’t take this away from them. What was he supposed to do now?

“Are you okay?” Aiden asked him for what felt like the tenth time today.

Talon cleared his throat, he couldn’t let Aiden know about the storm raging in him right now.

He smiled. “Yeah, I was just thinking how cozy it looks in here.”

You liar, he scolded himself. All you do is lie to Aiden.

Shaking that thought off, Talon went over to offer Aiden’s father his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Sir.”

Mr. Hunter’s grip was strong but gentle. “Nice to meet you, too.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. In general he looked a little absentmindedly. His eyes, deep brown like Aiden’s, were dull, as if a haze lay over them.

Aiden looked at his father fondly, brushing back a strand of his hair for him.

“I know you’re tired today, so we won’t bother you for too long, I just wanted you to meet.”

He kissed the back of his father’s head and Talon was very close to either run or fall to his knees, admit to his true motive about being here and maybe ask for forgiveness while he’s already at it.

Luckily, before he could do either of those things, Aiden lead him into the kitchen.

Talon watched him in silence as he made tea for them.

“Your father…” was all he could say before his voice gave out.

He didn’t know if it was his place to ask. But Aiden gave him an answer anyway.

“A couple years ago, he had a car accident. Things went downhill from there. Physically, mentally,” he paused, before quietly adding.

“Financially.”

He served the tea and they drank it in relative silence.

When they were done, Aiden looked over to him and smiled.

It wasn’t as happy as his usual smile, but his mood seemed at least a little better.

“Hey,” he said. “Have you warmed up enough now?”

Talon nodded.

“Then how about I give you a tour through the farm? You said you wanted to see it, right?”

Yes, he wanted to. That was why he was here.

But now the thought made him a little nauseous.

Still, the longer Talon was in this house, the more guilty he felt and Aiden was clueless about his original motive anyway, so he agreed.

They got dressed and Talon already wanted to leave the house but Aiden stopped him.

“Wait,” he grabbed an extra scarf from the wardrobe and with a quick motion wrapped it around a surprised Talon’s neck.

He smiled as he looked at Talon then and Talon was glad to recognize it as one of his normal smiles, the one that made him feel all warm.

“I’ve been watching this for long enough now, can’t have you freeze to death this close before Christmas.”

Talon smiled. He buried his nose into the soft warm cloth of the scarf.

It smelled like Aiden.

“Thank you,” he said.

And he was thankful, but deep down he thought to himself that he didn’t deserve this.

He didn’t deserve this at all.

[goatcheesecak3]

Bus stop pt 2

Adam Faulkner-Stanheight x F!reader

Click here for M!reader version!

Click here for part 1!

Includes: fluff, slight angst, brief mentions of violence

Summary: after meeting at the bus stop yesterday, you and Adam go on a day out together, but when he sees a disturbing article in a newspaper, Adam decides to come clean to you about his past.

Adam threw on the cleanest clothes he owned and sat at the edge of his bed. He pulled out his phone and reread his text exchange with the nice girl from the bus stop for the thousandth time.

Y/n: this is y/n from the bus stop :) was so lovely to meet you! You doing anything tomorrow? x

Adam: not much, I was gonna hit the record store and maybe go feed the birds in the park. Wanna join me?

Y/n: sounds great! It's sweet that you like feeding the birds, I used to do that with my parents when I was a kid

Adam: haha yeah, I love animals. More than people tbh. I always feed the stray cats in my area, they're so cute

Y/n: wow, that's so kind :) I wish there were more people like you in the world haha! What time should we meet?

Adam: haha thanks :) is 2 good with you? At the stop we got off at yesterday

Y/n: two sounds perfect, see you then!

It was 1:40, he had 20 minutes to get to the bus stop to meet with y/n. He was excited, for once in his life, mooning over her kind words and positive attitude. Adam was most definitely attracted to this girl, but he tried not to think about that, he didn't want to get too ahead of himself, he needed to actually make a friend before he started thinking about a relationship. Despite this, however, he couldn't help but feel almost giddy at the thought of her smile.

He waited patiently at the bus stop where the pair had gone their separate ways the night before, with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. The weather was gloomy and a chill was in the air, but it did little to bring down his mood.

After only a few minutes of waiting, y/n appeared from down the road, and she merrily made her way over to Adam. Adam watched in genuine awe at how sweet she looked, bundled up in a sweater and a tatty scarf, looking elegantly dishevelled and so incredibly cute. He felt a blush creep it's way onto his milky white face, and he prayed she couldn't read his mind and see what he'd been thinking of her- that's if his pink face didn't betray him first.

"Good afternoon! I like your jacket" y/n smiled, her face practically shining.

Adam looked down at his own attire, he wore a plain black tshirt, a pair of ill fitting worn out blue jeans and an army green jacket. His clothes were by no means weather appropriate, but hypothermia was something he was willing to risk if it meant he would look presentable.

"Heh, thanks. I've had it since I was a teenager"

Just at that moment, the bus pulled up and the pair entered and took their seats.

The windows on the bus were all fogged up, and the seats were cold to the touch. Adam let out a small shiver as he sat down, beginning to regret his decision to opt for fashion over functionality. It would appear that y/n noticed this, and without hesitation, she pulled her scarf up and wrapped it over his shoulder, so that they were both wearing it.

Adam was slightly taken aback by this small act of kindness,

"Wh- what are y-" he spluttered

"Please," y/n chuckled, "you were making me cold just looking at you."

Adam turned to look at her, a shy (and very smitten) smile on his face,

"Thanks".

The seats were small and cramped, so their knees touched, and Adam swore he could taste his own pulse when their hands brushed against eachother. Did she do that on purpose? Was that how girls flirted nowadays? No, surely he wouldn't be so lucky. When they approached their stop, Adam pressed the button to alert the driver, and began to lift the scarf off of himself so that he could stand, when y/n stopped him. She took the scarf off her own neck and adjusted it around his.

"Keep it on, I don't want you to freeze to death" she joked with a warm, nurturing glow.

Adam felt a calming, protected feeling. Y/n seemed to want to take care of him,  and he felt as though he didn't have to be stoic and brave with her. He relaxed into the warmth of the scarf, savouring her scent as the pair of them stepped off the bus.

"Just down this street," Adam directed, leading them to his favourite record shop. Y/n followed eagerly,  gripping onto Adam's sleeve to keep up with him.

"I can't wait, I used to love record shops in my home town" y/n remarked gleefully.

Adam couldn't help but let himself take a moment to fantasise about a future with y/n. He barely knew her, yes, but good god imagine if he got to know her better? He thought about long evenings spent listening to music with her, watching old movies together, holding eachother close under a blanket. He knew it was unrealistic, but can't a man dream?

They entered the record shop and began to browse.

"Wow, look at this!" Y/n gasped, "there's all the prodigy albums on vinyl!"

Adam approached to look at the rack she was observing, and to his very pleasant surprise, y/n had been browsing the alternative and punk section of the store.

"I've got most of these records at home," he said,  "if you want, you can come over and listen to them at my place"

Y/n nodded enthusiastically

"Oh I will most definitely  be taking you up on that. Don't songs just sound so much better on a record player?" She beamed.

Adam couldn't quite belive what he was hearing. A beautiful girl, with the same interests as him wanted to come to his apartment to listen to music? Surely he was dreaming, this sort of thing only happened in cheesy movies, not in real life.

Much like waking up from a dream, Adam was bitterly snapped back to reality later on in the day when the pair arrived at the park. Just at the entrance stood a little news stand, advertising the latest issue of the local paper. On the front page, in big bold letters read: "JIGSAW KILLER RETURNS, POLICE HOSTAGE"

"What the hell is the jigsaw killer?" Y/n asked, sounding rightfully horrified.

She turned to look at Adam, who's face had turned stark white. His mouth hung open and his eyes were practically bulging out of his head.

"Adam?"

Adam had already turned away and began hastily walking through the park. Y/n followed worriedly, jogging a little to catch up to him.

"Adam, what's wrong?"

Adam wanted nothing more than to tell y/n exactly what was wrong. He was sure that if anyone knew how to comfort him, it would be her, she was so lovely, of course she'd be able to. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth, she was such a radiant and beautiful person, he didn't want to risk freaking her out and ruining this friendship. His racing mind was halted when y/n spoke once again.

"Come sit down, Adam. You look like you could use it" she said, sitting down on a bench and patting the spot next to her.

"You don't have to tell me what's bothering you, but you do have to tell me how I can help you" she said.

Adam couldn't believe his ears, it seemed as though y/n just knew exactly what he needed to hear in that moment. She was so kind, so attentive, so perfect. So unlike anyone else Adam had ever encountered. Her kindness struck a chord within him that he didn't know he had, and seemingly unprompted, tears began to well in his eyes.

"Oh, honey!" Y/n gasped, "Don't cry, sweetheart, come here, it's okay" she cooed, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and rubbing his arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm being stupid" Adam choked  as he cleared his throat, trying his best not to cry.

"You're not being stupid, don't say that! Just take a few deep breaths, alright?" Y/n said, still smiling, ever smiling. How did she do that?

Adam breathed slowly, attempting to steady his shaking hands. He knew he'd have to tell her about what he'd been through at some point, but he wished he could have gone just a little longer without having to. Just a little longer to be Adam, the animal loving, record playing, charmingly moody guy from the bus stop. He didn't want to have to go back to being Adam, the paid stalker, the jigsaw victim, the self defence murderer. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

Letting out a deep breath, Adam began to speak.

"I need to tell you something, and I understand if you don't wanna be friends anymore once I've told you"

Y/n's brow furrowed, but she didn't seem afraid.

"I was um.. a victim of that jigsaw guy, the one from the newspaper"

"What?" Y/n said in disbelief.

"He kidnapped me and chained me up in this room with this doctor, said that if we wanted to escape we had to saw our own feet off. A whole bunch of other shit went down, this guy came in the room with a gun and tried to kill me and the other guy, so I had to.." he trailed off and pursed his lips, "anyways, the doctor, he sawed off his foot and got out. I was too fucking scared and I'd already been shot by that point, so I just waited for him to get help. But the asshole never came back. I was in there for a couple days until the cops found me. Doctors say that if I'd been left just a few hours longer I'd be dead now."

Adam's face was expressionless as he started straight ahead at something that wasn't there. His fingers tangled themselves around the ends of the scarf he wore in an absent minded attempt to soothe himself. He could have swore that his heart stopped, the birds ceased their calls, the wind stilled and the world stopped turning for the painstakingly long few seconds he waited for y/n's reaction. He braced himself for the goodbye.

"Wow." She said softly, "you know, I think most people would let something like that turn them into a not so good person. It speaks volumes about your character that you're still so..."

Adam turned to look at her. She was smiling.

"... great" she said.

The look on her face was one that Adam had never seen before. It wasn't one of pity, not even a hint of disgust, just pure, unadulterated kindness. Adam thought she might very have been an angel in that moment.

"So... you still want to be friends?" He asked, feeling slightly more confident.

Y/n pulled him towards her by the scarf and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Adam, I want nothing more than to be your friend"

Adam felt himself smile, only slightly in relief, mostly just in pure ecstasy. Things were finally starting to go right for him.

A/n Hello! Thank you to those who said they wanted a part 2 to this! Comment if you wanna be tagged when part 3 is up :^)

Replies and reblogs are very much appreciated! I thrive on your validation lmao

Requests are open! Check my pinned post for details and masterlist! <3

[angelicckittyy]

LoveDoll

Summary: As the CEO of Voxtech and powerful Overlord of Hell, Vox has everything he could ever want. But the only thing missing is someone he can love and treasure. When he gets some overpriced moth doll online, he finds the love he’s ached for right on his doorstep. This Doll in question is a bit...different than most dolls. Much more Violent.

a/n: hi everyone! The first two chapters are officially up on ao3! The first chapter is below! If you’d like to read more, check it out on ao3! Though i might post chapters on here as well? Let me know! Thanks for reading! ^_^

Love was something Vox always wanted.

He never really got that though. The CEO of Voxtech was neck deep in meetings, filming for shows and brainwashing commercials, and business opportunities. He never had time for love. But when he had the chance to ruminate on his love life, he realized he was incredibly alone 95% of the time. Usually, If he was really that lonely, he’d engage in an affair with a random demon he met at a meeting, or a business party. Do some mind control, turn them into a fully devolved toy. Then he’d kick them out days later when he got sick of it. That’s always how it went, and Vox was content with it.

However, After years of this cycle, he was starting to get tired of it. Bored of his nightly flings and one night stands. He wanted something more…permanent. Someone he can control with a snap of his fingers, but still has their own mind. There are only so many demons in Pentagram City that’ll do his bidding.

After an evening of hellish alcohol and cigarettes, Vox was tipsy. More relaxed. More eager to make impulsive decisions. He mindlessly scrolled through The Sin of Greed’s site, Mammozon, for something to waste money on. He’d usually just window shop, however he wanted something big and simple to spend. It’s not like he’ll suffer after buying it. He's the CEO of VoxTech, after all.

Then…Something caught his eye.

It was a listing of some new revolutionary idea from the embodiment of greed. It resembled a moth demon, with lavender skin and piercing crimson eyes, barring any pupils. There was fluffy white neck fur sprouting from it's neck and fluffy antenna on it's head. to Vox, he was already interested in how it looked. Four limbs were connected on it’s tall, slender body. A long, dark red cape that resembled wings curled around the doll’s backside. Vox squinted his optics at the description.

“Introducing your very own Pleasure Doll:™! Available in thousands of bodies and kinky features! into Imps? We got ‘em! Succubus? Got em! Love Hellhounds but hate how aggressive real ones are? Why not get a doll version?! All Pleasure Dolls have plenty of modes for you to explore! It can clean! It can cook! It can help you relieve the stress of life! It can even help you with important business and be a caretaker for your home! IT CAN DO ANYTHING! BUY ONE NOW!”

Vox rolls his eyes at such a cheesy and out there description. A fuckdoll? Seriously? Mammon was really running out of ideas after Fizzarolli quit. So derivative of those Fizz-Bots. Though, maybe it was because he was more tipsy than a college student at a frat party, but he felt…compelled to buy an overpriced sex doll. It was something about the moth doll that made him curious. He wasn’t sure why, he just felt…Connected to the doll. He was almost infatuated by it.

Vox takes a deep breath, attempting to reflect on himself about this investment. Does he really need one? It’s so fuckin’ expensive. Waste of money. What if it breaks on the way to his apartment? Mammon NEVER sends refunds out. It says it can do anything, though. It would also be…Nice to have someone always home to greet him after a long, hard day. He never had that before. It had been so long since someone was there to help him relax after work.

Vox grumbles, tapping his screen with his sharp, electric blue claws…giving into Mammon’s stupid business idea. He uses his other hand to click on the “Buy Now” button. Fuck it, his life is already boring as is. Nothing wrong with a bit of spice in his life, right?

Little did the CEO know, It was definitely going to be more than that.

=======

The next morning, Vox was surprised to have heard a knock on the door. Was it that quick? He sat up on his bed and examined the security camera on his front porch, peering to see who had arrived. The Camera revealed one of his employees, next to a large package. The package was as big as the worker, as he nervously looked at the camera. “Excuse me, Mr Vox? There’s a package here for you. It says it’s from Mammozon.”

Holy shit, it really was there. Vox scrambled out of his large bed, going down the elevator, and opening up the door. He was still in his pajamas, but he could care less about his appearance right now.

The demon yelped at the sudden opening of the door. “Ah- Hello sir, Pardon the interruption! What did you order? it’s… so huge..” The demon exclaimed, tilting his head.

“Ah, It’s a rare souvenir from a far, distant land called Nunya Business. Help me bring it in, will ya?” He retorted, voice cold and serious. The skittish employee nodded, scrambling to help carry the large package into the living room.

Once the pair got the package safe and sound inside, Vox rushed his employee out. The TV demon barked orders and forced him to get back to work. With a slam of the door, Vox turned to admire the large box. He took a step forward, already preparing to unbox his new toy.

He effortlessly cuts the box with his sharp claws, throwing out all the wrapping paper and bubble wrap. The doll was much larger than he thought, measuring at about 10 feet. It did give Vox a power trip thinking about dominating something so large. He continued to throw out wrapping paper to reveal the doll’s physical frame. He had seen photos online obviously, but seeing this doll in front of him…He couldn’t help but stare.

When Vox revealed the doll’s face, his eyes softened at how it looked. The Doll was Blank, relaxed. It almost looked like an actual doll, pale lavender ball joints around his limbs. Vox couldn’t help but feel hard already at the sight. He never expected to be into it, but perhaps it’s because he’d be fully in control. Vox takes the large doll out of the box, as it flops like a ragdoll around the smaller tv demon. Vox shouts in frustration, attempting to stand it up. He gives up and drags it over to the dining room chair. The doll slouches slightly against it, as Vox turns around to read the manual at the bottom of the box.

“Hello! My name is Valentino! Thank you for buying me! I hope I will serve and satisfy you well. Before you turn me on, please read the instructions in this manual.”

Vox scans his eyes through the book. It mostly describes how to clean the doll, what different features it has. Something did catch Vox's eye. At the bottom of the page, in little tiny text, reads:

“WARNING: This version of The Pleasure Doll™ has a common glitch, where it is prone to angry and violent outbursts. If you experience these bugs, please troubleshoot with this manual. The only way to stop this is to change his mode into “Doll” Mode, with the switch on his back. We are not responsible for anyone getting harmed and killed by Valentino. Don’t sue us!”

Vox's face looks deeply puzzled by this. Why sell this doll if he’s prone to violence? That sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen. But, i’m sure Mammon really doesn’t care and would rather make a quick buck than care about his customers. Businessmen are always like that in Hell…Including himself.

Vox continues to read the manual as he steps over to Valentino’s power button. He mumbles the instructions aloud to himself. “To turn on your Valentino doll, press the button on his neck. To turn off, hold the button for 5 seconds…” Vox leans over to examine the doll’s upper body. He plays around with the doll’s arms, as they stiffly move in place as he poses him. “Interesting, so it’s like an actual toy when you're off. I could use this..” He says to himself.

Vox fumbles around the back of The Doll’s neck, A lot of his neck fluff was in the way. But he finally finds the button, switching it to “On”. a few seconds of silence before the moth doll’s eyes lit up.

“Good Morning. Please state your name to start.” the doll says in a flat, monotone voice, which shockingly makes Vox feel the tent in his pants get tighter. He dashes in front of the doll, blinking in astonishment.

“Holy shit, it does work..” Vox stares at the doll, before clearing his throat. “Uh, it’s Vox.”

The moth processes the name, before nodding. “Thank you for buying me, Owner Vox. What mode would you like me to start in?”

Owner? Now that’s something he can get by. He looks at the manual, squinting at all the different modes. “Hrmm…Care to tell me what Modes you have?”

“I have over 20 modes, each unique in their own way.” Valentino replies, his voice flat and lifeless as he explains. “Please say aloud what Mode you’d like. If you want to manually set me to one, press my button on my neck.”

“Riiight…” Vox says slowly, thinking for a moment of what mode he wants. He’d like to play around with it more, but he has a meeting later today and he wants a bit more shuteye. He shrugs, just one mode to play around with before bed would be fine, right? “How about we start with Basic?”

The moth nods. “Processing request…” The doll’s eyes glow brighter for a moment, then his face contorts to a bubbly smile. “Hello, Owner! Thank you for choosing me as your Doll!” The doll bows, although very stiffly. “My name is Valentino, i am very well equipped in helping you with day to day tasks. Do you need any assistance?”

Vox looks overloaded just from how Valentino was. Mindless, compliant, willing to assist him in anything. It made the tent in his pants visible. He gawks in astonishment at the Cheery Doll.

“Are you feeling well, Owner? Or would you rather i call you Master?“ Valentino speaks after a few minutes of Vox glaring at him like a deer in headlights.

Vox practically short circuits from that nickname, but he keeps his cool. “I’m fine, Valentino. Just surprised that you’re so…” he tries to find the right words. “Attentive? Caring? …Cute?”

Valentino stiffly puts his first set of hands on his cheeks. “Oh! Thank you, Owner! That is very kind of you!” He coos in a cheery voice. His movements are mechanical, jerky. This just seems to turn on Vox further.

The TV demon blinks at this, but his screen curls to a mischievous smirk. “Actually, Dollface…I do have a favor to ask of you.” He says, putting on his smooth talk voice like he would to his past flings.

“What would that be? I’m willing to do anything for you, Owner!” Valentino replies, hands on his lap.

Vox strives over to the couch, sitting down with his legs parted. “C’mere on the couch for me? I have something I can teach you as your…First lesson.” Vox’s voice is low and seductive, and The Doll can’t help but follow him with a mindless and willing grin.

While the height difference is very visibly there, it’s obvious which one is in control. Vox slowly starts to slip off his pants. “Now, for your first task…” Vox’s hard and needy dick springs out of his pants, already aching for some relief. “Take my cock, and you’ll get a reward.” Vox usually wouldn’t do this to a real life person, he’d wine and dine them before he’d get into their pants. But this is just a doll, so he can use this opportunity to get some relief.

Valentino looks at the dick with wide eyes, nodding at the request. “Yes, Master!” He replies obediently, leaning his head down to the TV demon’s cock. Val first starts to gently lick the shaft, caressing his owner’s balls. This earns a moan from Vox, which beckons Val to continue to pleasure his master.

Vox leans his head back, relishing in the noises of the doll sucking him off. “Oh, fuuuuck yes, your already doing so well…” he moans, feeling Val take his dick in his mouth already. Vox’s screen glitches from how well Val is taking his cock, and the almost pornographic moans coming from the doll. “How the fuck can a doll suck dick so perfect…i wonder if i can give you a pussy…so i could use you for hours..” Vox mumbles out to the doll, playing with his antenna as Val continues to bob his head down Vox’s length. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, dolly? Would you like to get fucked by my huge cock?" he's babbling dirty talk to the doll at this point.

As Vox rambles on about how much he wants to use Valentino's doll hole, the moth simply continues to pleasure his owner. All he wants is to satisfy his owner.

All the sensations he’s feeling makes Vox want to cum on the spot, but he attempts to edge himself, trying to wait until the best possible moment….

…Unfortunately it isn’t long until Vox cums, as Val’s mouth is too much for his body to handle. The doll’s mouth is practically like a pussy pouch. Just better, more lifelike. More real. Vox lets out a loud “OH FUCK YES!” from this, his cum shooting inside Val’s mouth.

The doll takes all of his cum, swallowing and taking his mouth out with a wet pop. Val then smiles. “Did I satisfy you, Owner?” Val smiles cheerfully.

“You…wow…shit…” Vox pants thoroughly, screen head still thrown back against the couch. He slowly tilts his head back to look at Val. “I…Thanks. You did well.” Vox replies, looking away from embarrassment.

“Thank you, Master! What’s my reward?” Val exclaims, looking excited by the idea of a reward from his owner.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” Vox yawns. “For now, I think I'm gonna go back to bed. Thanks again for your service.” Vox reaches over to click the button on Val's neck again.

“Okay! Thank You, Mas-“ before Val could finish his sentence, he slumps over on the couch. The doll’s eyes rolled back.

Vox makes a little chuckle at this, pulling up his pajama pants. He knew he was gonna have a fun time with this doll. He’ll have to see what other accessories he comes with. The CEO turns off the living room lights, before moving upstairs to go back to bed.

What Vox didn’t know was Val’s button light was still blinking in the darkness, as he was still on.

[stevetown]

On The New Tumblr Desktop Dash

I've been using the new Tumblr desktop dashboard for a few days now and I have some Thoughts that I thought would be useful to put out in to the wild. Most of the reaction I've seen has been...abnormally harsh about this UI update, so I think it would be interesting to actually go through the changes and point out what I like, what I don't, what I think could use some improvement, and maybe break down a little about why those Twitter comparisons are way off the mark.

More below the fold, but the tldr for me is - I think it's great! At the end of the day, I feel like I use the desktop version of Tumblr more and more since the change. Whereas before I used to just pick up my phone and refresh the app, now I get a hit of dopamine flipping over to the Tumblr tab when I need a work break.

The change is clean and logical, and as someone who came to Tumblr a year ago and still never quite grokked what all the icons at the top meant, having them spelled out is much nicer than guessing what they mean, even for someone who has become more familiar with the site. And to be clear, from what I can tell that's the goal of this change - to make it easier for newer people to use Tumblr and find their way around. Despite all the hate this change is getting, that is an unabashedly good thing.

The Left Nav

It's really, really clean. The old dash had a lot of unused space on the left, it makes sense to carve some of that out to have a menu that actually lays out what each icon means. The font size and style is comfortable without overcrowding. It just feels more...confident? Like these are the features Tumblr has. Use them! It's also just a more familiar web browser experience for anyone who has been using web apps since the dawn of email.

The badges also fit much nicer with the left nav. They don't float above an unclear icon, they're right next to what it says on the tin. You got 20 new posts to read, buddy. 5 new notifications. 1 anon ask. It's just better on my eyes.

I do understand the gut reaction that things are "too" cluttered. One of the first things I did was snooze Tumblr live and that helped me out a lot. Just removing all of the noise of live tags and loading-in thumbnails of people I'm not interested in watching went very far. It brought the post content further up on the screen.

A little before and after snoozing Live:

Explore

I didn't even know what Explore was used for before. It was a compass icon. I think I thought it was some kind of search? I can't remember if I ever clicked on it before. Explore is much more interesting to me. It makes me curious. For a site that struggles with getting new users to find new content, it's a beacon that says "Find some cool new stuff!"

My problem with Explore is that clicking on it...doesn't get me much. The landing page just takes me to a feed from @todayontumblr that almost never has any content that I'm interested in. The "For You" tab on my regular dash is where I go mining for new blogs, along with "Your Tags." If Staff finds this change leads to more Explore click-throughs, I'd love if the tab itself get some love and made it a hub for finding new content easier. Maybe mixing up a feed of any tags you're following, trending posts, and other algorithmically sorted goodies that I'll want to take off the shelf and put in my chronological dash. I want it to be a place with the goal of encouraging me to follow new blogs.

Live

The transition to the Live page doesn't feel good to me. You're taken to a totally different kind of page, and the UI jumps all the way to the left. It feels like you're going to a separate site. At least when you snooze Live it also removes the menu item. That's really nice! But I'll save Live thoughts for another day.

Activity/Messages/Inbox

I never knew how much I suspected these things were a bit redundant, but I'm glad now that they're separated and labeled correctly. I don't have to remember what the face icon/mail/lightning bolt all mean or why they're different. Things are much cleaner in that regard.

I don't really care for the popups when you click on them. Those do feel cluttered to me, like I'm going to lose sight of my dash, or the notifications. I don't have much UX advice here, other than to say I think I prefer how the Inbox is handled, where you're just taken to a full page view of the page. However maybe another solution would be how the Account and Settings icons are conducted...

Account/Settings

This is the section that sold me on the new dash. On the old dash, I found navigating the Account and Settings options...ephemeral. I was afraid I was going to lose my place if I didn't find the menu I needed. Here, having them slide out as a drawer, keeps me in place and lets me orient myself easier. It's made exploring settings overall frictionless. I've changed dash palettes like ten different times just because I could and it was easy to find. Maybe something similar for inbox/messages/activity would make the UI feel more consistent and less overcluttered-feeling?

I do notice that the Account dropdown adds a new scrollbar which makes things like the t logo and badges jump to the left. That can be a bit disorienting.

TumblrMart/Get a Domain

The Get a Domain menu item is fine, but TumblrMart feels like it needs some love. On a new refresh, clicking the icon loads for a total six seconds before the mart pops up. By this point, if I wasn't intentionally testing, I would have just moved on. Again, I also just don't like pop-ups like this. Feels loosey. Much prefer the full-spread domain page you get.

Create

This is maybe my least favorite change. Every time I switch to my Tumblr tab, I see it in the bottom left and think it's the "Where were we?" button. When I do want to create a post, it feels like I have to travel far to get to the button, and then I have to travel again when the dots come up to select what type of post I'm making.

I wonder if just tucking it at the bottom of the menu under "Get a domain" would be better? Or at the top of the menu? Not sure. I feel in my jellies there's a better spot for this one.

On Twitter

If I can address the most frequent criticism I see on this site, which is that @staff are trying hard to "ruin" Tumblr by "turning it into Twitter," I understand that gut reaction.

But I'd encourage folks to think about that for a minute. UIs change, and a left-aligned nav is extremely common for a reason. Since the dawn of email, menu navigation has been relegated to a left sidebar. Twitter is not "burning to the ground" because their nav bar was on the left. Having a left sidebar means literally nothing in the grand scheme of what makes a website what it is.

What, truly, has this nav update changed? It does not change the functionality of the site at its core at all. It doesn't change what you can post, how you can post, what content you find, reblogs, or tags. For a site that struggles with new users "getting" the site and finding their way around, this nav change makes it much easier to settle in with something a bit more ubiquitous to the modern browser-viewing experience.

Thus leading me to believe the only reason people hate on this change so vehemently is they don't want to see new users or any effort at all to attract them at all, and I think that's exclusionary crap. Knock it off.

Change is Scary!

That said, the change is scary! Having your muscle memory interrupted isn't fun and can take a while to get used to. Every change has a growing period. I get that. For me, I got over that period fairly fast, but I recognize this process is different for everyone, especially those who have been around here for a lot longer than I have.

The change is also open for valid criticism. There are usability and likely accessibility concerns for sure. Staff needs time to iterate, and they need to know what problems are actually worth fixing and addressing. "I hate it turn it back" doesn't help anyone - it doesn't help Staff, and it doesn't help new users who are trying find a new place on the internet to call home after *shakes fist at the rest of the internet.*

I really like this change as a starting point, and I can't wait to see it iterated on further.

And on a small end note, if you also have thoughts and opinions that you want to tell Staff, please, please, please remember there are other human beings on the other end of line.

[venusandverses]

Blogging 101: What’s a Blog and Where Do You Start One?

Hey there! If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what exactly a blog is, you’re not alone. I used to think blogs were just fancy online diaries where people overshared their weekend plans or posted endless travel pictures (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). But it turns out, blogs are so much more than that.

So, let’s break it down in a simple way—without getting boring, I promise.

First Things First… What Is a Blog?

Imagine this: back in the day, people wrote in journals or diaries, right? “Dear Diary, today was a disaster…” and all that. Well, a blog is basically the internet’s version of that diary—but instead of hiding it under your bed, you’re sharing it with the world (or at least whoever clicks the link!).

A blog is an online space where people write about topics they care about—whether it’s travel, food, fashion, books, tech, or even personal experiences. Some blogs are super casual, while others are more professional. Either way, blogs can be informative, entertaining, and sometimes even life-changing (seriously!).

Where Can You Create a Blog?

Now, if you’re thinking, Okay, cool… but how do I actually make one?, I’ve got you covered. Here are some of the most popular platforms people use to create blogs these days:

1. WordPress.org

This one’s like the go-to place for serious bloggers. It gives you a lot of control and options, but you’ll need a bit of patience to figure it all out. Worth it though!

2. Blogger

Simple and beginner-friendly. Since it’s owned by Google, it connects easily to your Gmail and other stuff. Great if you just want to start quickly without too many decisions.

3. Medium

Perfect if you’re all about writing and less about designing. It’s clean, easy, and there’s already an audience there waiting to read interesting stories.

4. Wix

This one’s fun because you can literally drag and drop things wherever you want on your blog. Super easy to make something that looks nice without having to code or anything complicated.

5. Squarespace

If you like things to look really polished and aesthetic, Squarespace is a good option. It’s a bit more artsy and stylish.

6. Tumblr

Okay, hear me out—Tumblr is kind of a vibe. If you’re into sharing short posts, images, quotes, or artsy stuff, Tumblr has a really chill community.

Why Start a Blog in the First Place?

Honestly, why not? You can use a blog to share your thoughts, teach people something new, or just have fun writing. Some people even make money from their blogs! But mostly, it’s a great way to express yourself and connect with people who like the same things you do.

Plus, it’s pretty cool to have your own little space on the internet, right?

Wrapping It Up

So, in short: A blog is like your own corner of the internet. There are plenty of easy-to-use platforms to start one, and what you write about is totally up to you! Whether you’re into books, baking, or just sharing your random thoughts at 2 AM—there’s a place for you in the blog world.

Now all that’s left is to start writing! (And maybe, someday, you’ll be the one people are googling “How do I start a blog?” because of.)

P.S. This started off as a simple assignment (shoutout to my professor!), but while writing it, I realized… why not actually start blogging? So here I am, thinking about turning this into a space where I share my thoughts on different topics—life, books, history, maybe even a little about the stars (hello, Venus ✨).

If you’ve read this far (first of all, you’re amazing!), drop a comment or suggestion about what you think I should write my official first blog on. I’m open to ideas and would love to hear from you!

Until next time, Palak 🌸

[audio-luddite]

More Old Vinyl

I warmed up the steam powered stereo with Apple Music and Billy Joel. We were watching that TV special in a place they let him finish his last song. So with all these songs in my head I decided to let them ride. He has a lot of songs.

After 90 minutes I decided to dust off Bruce Springsteen. Also NY metro as in New Jersey rather than Long Island. ( I have a bit of history in that area) I have a few Springsteen albums. I pulled out "Darkness at the edge of town" and "The River". These I think map his shift from a Jersey Shore party punk to more of an urban version of country music. Soulful and reflective and solid common man stuff.

Oh and full disclosure, I saw mention of these on that annoying Better-Records site. They want $750 USD for one apparently very good copy of the River.

I and thought hey why not. I have those.

I never thought to listen to these "critically" I bought them new soon after their release. I only played them on good equipment and kept them clean. The two albums consist of three disks total.

Darkness was a clean and rather hot record on the first track. The extreme treble was almost too much, not distorted or wrong, just like the knob was turned a bit too far. The rest were more reasonable. No clicks or dirt sound and very good condition for an early 80s disk. There actually was some realistic space which I find surprising in a studio record. The drums and Bass were very good. That record store wanted $400 USD for their copy.

My copy has intensity and drive and all those things. I know that the Boss was looking for a particular sound ( I read his book) and that was tricky as he and SVZ were new to the producer game. Generally they seem to have got it in the end.

The River was more reflective and felt more influenced by old school country and folk like Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie. (I am old remember). There are two disks with one of my favorites "Hungry Heart". My granddaughter likes that song too and sings along with her 7 year old voice. One of the interesting things is I often play this off my Iphone in the car and well it sounds much better than that on the big system, surprise! Overall it has good sound and timbre and even space. But it is not about sonic tricks and that. It is a document on dreams, pain, and loss. Hey if you want a scholarly analysis, that exists just wiki it. I am just one guy in the crowd.

You know this curating of old records is laced with irony. Who spends almost $1100 bucks to buy 2 "good copies" of albums singing about failure, loss, broken dreams, and the working class? It almost feels like betrayal. Hey I know Bruce is wealthy and successful now, but then..... He worked really hard for it.

If a disk is free from damage and dirt let it spin dammit. Clean it if needs be. Listening critically is not what you are supposed to do with this stuff. It is not for audiophiles, but just normal guys. If such has a nice system well rock on. If not just share the feeling.

[verycharismaticdragon]

Okay, as threatened promised, I am elaborating on why I think BingQiu is guy yuri in more ways. This is written as someone who submitted both of these ships to this tournament (as in, see the propaganda they have under the poll? for both ships, one of those quotes is mine), and consistently voted for both throughout the entire bracket. I very much think they both deserve to be considered guy yuri, but: BingQiu simply matches HuaLian point for point on every count, and then has some more qualifiers on top of that. Here we go:

Popularity of femslash version in fandom: both have dedicated tags for f/f content, #lesbingqiu and #hualesbians. Equally matched.

Gender shenanigans:

Hua Cheng has a (canonically mentioned) female form, and Xie Lian can swap his gender (as other gods canonically do). Neither of those things however actually happen on page. Xie Lian does dress in female clothes several times, and his Heavenly Ceremonial Procession costume is canonically noted to be designed with both feminine and masculine markers. But as for Hua Cheng, there aren't really any femme markers aside from the aforementioned never-seen female form, and many have actually noted that he is rather transmasc coded.

BingQiu, as already mentioned in the og propaganda, embody multitudes. Shen Qingqiu often casts himself as a wife, and sometimes also as a mother. At the same time, he consistently refers to his Luo Binghe as Bing-mei (little sister Bing) to differentiate him from the original toxic-masc version, and often compares him to a delicate-hearted young maiden. (If you didn't click thru the links in the og post, Pio has a nice compilation of Shen Qingqiu mentally femme-ing them both up here. This is far from complete list though there's so much more.) On Luo Binghe's side, while we don't get his inner monologue like with Shen Qingqiu, we do know that he very much performs the duties of ancient Chinese wife. This includes not just things like cooking and keeping the house clean, but also waiting on the husband and running the household. Like, when Luo Binghe does paperwork for Shen Qingqiu's Peak? He's putting himself in the role of a wife. Also, when he was proposing, he explicitly offered Shen Qingqiu both options for which of them would be "marrying in" - as in, which of them would be "the wife" socially. He was ready to take either. Additionally, while I think the genderfuckery described above is more guy yuri than what I'm about to say next, I'd be remiss not to mention that their dynamic lends itself nicely to t4t f/f reading. As previously mentioned, moving away from (toxic) masculinity is a major theme, and the ending in particular can be read as a transition metaphor. Like if you wanted to write a fic where they are transbians post-canon? You wouldn't need to change anything, you could just follow the thorough-line charted by canon.

On this aspect, I'd say bingqiu are having more fun with it.

Applicable lesbian stereotypes: hualian are u-haul lesbians who moved in together the day they met; bingqiu are toxic lesbians with tons of drama and a blast radius of Their Entire Deal affecting other people's lives. Equally matched.

Religious themes:

Wait, you might ask, how is this even related to yuri? Well, consider how many yuris are set in Catholic schools and the like. Yuri loves its religious imagery and themes. There are some real-world considerations we could have about that, but for the purpose of this funi little poll, we will not be discussing that and just take the genre as it is, okay? Okay.

In hualian, we have yuri where gay love and devotion to God are considered as similar, one understood through the other. In an extremely on the nose way with Xie Lian literally being Hua Cheng's one and only god.

In bingqiu, we have yuri where gay love is explored instead through the motif of temptation and original sin. (This is not, btw, necessarily a negative in yuri. Some of them use God/religion as stand in for the patriarchal, so.) It even does something neat with it, by having the outward perception of bingqiu and the actual inner workings of their relationship not match. On the outside, Binghe is "the devil" (literal demon) corrupting Shen Qingqiu - who, similarly to Eve, is perceived as a witless victim: if only they could see it is the devil speaking to them, if only they took a moment to think and perceive the lies, then they wouldn't have sinned! But when you look deeper, Binghe is the one who was corrupted ("blackened") as a result of Shen Qingqiu's actions. And this is ofc paralleled with him being corrupted/"bent" - in Shen Qingqiu's perception - into being gay, also as a result of SQQ's actions. Even the heavenly demon mark on his forehead is called, canonically, a mark of sin! So: Binghe is Eve. Shen Qingqiu is the snake/the devil. And SVSSS is the kind of yuri that goes 'fuck the idea that female choice is inherently sinful and that being a man is inherently better than being a woman. Also Eve and the snake are girlfriends now.'

So: both are yuri-coded in this aspect, just use different themes. Equally matched.

Yuri-like plot points:

Dying for the other party (Hua Cheng: 3 times, Shen Qingqiu: 3 times. Luo Binghe arguably 1 time; an attempt was made.)

Watching the other party die (Hua Cheng had to watch helplessly as Xie Lian was killed again and again over the course of one night; Luo Binghe had to watch Shen Qingqiu die in his arms on three different occasions, the last of which prompted the aforementioned attempt to die too.)

Long term pining (yes, Hua Cheng did 800 years and Binghe only 11. But considering it as relative to potential lifespan, we only know about a version of Binghe going up to 200 years in age, and it's implied he is dying eventually; Hua Cheng could theoretically go on "living" indefinitely. His scale is naturally going to be different. Also, I'm inclined to give Binghe extra yuri points for tenderly and intimately caring for Shen Qingqiu's corpse, preventing it from decomposing, for 5 of those years. Reversing time in defiance of natural order is very yuri.)

This far, pretty matched. However!

SVSSS has an additional edge here because, as previously discussed at length, its entire plot is built on not one but two very yuri-like thematic frameworks. TGCF simply aint got that.

---

So, to sum up: bingqiu has pretty much all of the guy yuri features hualian does, but are having more fun playing with femininity and their novel's plot is much more yuri-like. They deserve the first place.

---

Addendum (1):

Actually, both Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu also have some interesting feminine-aligned coding that's not so much guy yuri as it's just. there, existing, which I want to point out for completion's sake.

Luo Binghe is an example of a danmei trope shàonǚ gōng - lit. young maiden top. I wrote about it in some detail before, for another character in this poll, but the short version is: the purpose of this trope is to fuck with the portrayal of the top as traditionally masculine, and it's done by giving him traits, values, or interests that are considered traditionally feminine. (This specifically originated as pushback against 'masculine top, feminine bottom' stereotype in BL.)

Shen Qingqiu's arc throughout the book, in a way, is him transitioning from fanboy to fangirl. (/a joke but not entirely) To explain: there are two pretty distinct styles to fannish activities, that I will call 'lore-keeping' and 'transformative' (because I lost the article I got this concept from and dont remember which words it used) We all know what 'transformative' means. For 'lore-keeping', think Star Wars fan who knows every kind of ship and every alien species in its extensive canon - in other words, it's a fan who expresses their love through knowledge of canon. Now, while both styles can be performed by people of any gender, and while any particular fan may perform both styles to some degree, due to the particular fannish spaces where each style originated, lore-keeping tends to skew male (fanboys), and transformative tends to skew female (fangirls). Applying to Shen Yuan|Qingqiu, you can see that he starts very much on the lore-keeper side. His gripes with canon are due to plotholes and structural problems and other things he finds lacking, which he expresses thru trying to shake those things out of the author. However, by the end of the book, he admits to himself that filling plotholes and knowing more brought him no joy or satisfaction, and only made him sadder for the characters. Instead, he finds happiness in transforming the original PIDW into a gay love story where his blorbo ends up happy and content. So: Shen Qingqiu went from demanding the story to be changed for him to changing the story through his (fan)work. From lore-keeper to transformative. From traditionally male-fan-performed fannish activity, to traditionally female-fan-performed one.

Addendum (2):

It isn’t easy being a cultivator girl… (famous bingqiu pad commercial, now in gif form)

⭐ Guy yuri tournament finale ⭐

All propaganda under the cut!

For Bingqiu: "One is a housewife and the other is a trophy wife. They both want to be each other's wife so bad (even though Shen Qingqiu would never admit it)"

"Where do I even start... Housewife x trophy wife. Every gender havers. Shen Qingqiu can't decide if he himself is wife or mommy, but is convinced his husband is a delicate lovesick maiden. Luo Binghe has self-assigned himself all of the wifely duties of an ancient Chinese wife years before Shen Qingqiu has become remotely aware of his crush. Also later in the novel he acts like a jealous girlfriend. And specifically girlfriend, like it was an important part of his arc that he stopped acting like a jealous boyfriend and started acting like a jealous girlfriend instead. This has won him his man."

"They're insane, fucking unhinged"

more here and here

For Hualian:

"Xie Lian is a god and Hua Cheng is his devoted believer, which is very yuri. They've also been separated for 800 years, which is very yuri too. Oh and they've been through The Horrors! With one of them forced to helplessly watch as the other suffered unimaginable pain! Now that's extremely yuri of them, if magical girl animes are to be believed..."

"What's more yuri than 800 years of devotion? Nothing that's what! Ghosts usually move on and disappear after a century of so, Hua Cheng is fueled by love so strong he very literally crawled out of hell, became a Ghost King, fought and defeated 33 gods and searched for his love for centuries until they were finally able to meet again. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian are so yuri there's an entire section of the fandom that just draws/writes them as women, not too weird since being separated and then connected by fate to ultimately defeat a really powerful evil god together is sapphic culture"

this post as well

[danses-with-dogmeat]

I love love love how you write! The little details you add into your reacts are amazing <3 I was hoping to ask if you haven't done so yet, what would the romanced companions say in their own version of the "Hi Honey" holo tape? It could be them making their own tape for any reason or to replace the one the SoSu's spouse made becuase it was destroyed or buried with them, it doesnt matter, just thought that would help the angst/comfort factor 😅 have a good day, love <3

Fallout 4 Companions' Versions of the "Hi, Honey" Tape

Okay, I adore this <3

It's a.... bit more angsty than I meant it to be, but it's all happy and fluffy underneath, so, you know... kinda my forte 😅 And also some of them are... more romanced than others, as you'll see, so just a heads up on that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Also, I tried kind of a different format for this one, almost like you're reading the subtitles/script for the holotape, so hopefully the unique format makes this one interesting 😁

Oh, and just a quick TW for mention of suicidal thoughts/actions!

Cait:

"Oi, ya fucking-- Does this damn thing even work?"

*exasperated noise*

"Alright. There, I think that's done it."

*muffled adjusting*

"Okay."

*sigh*

"Hey. Sole... I uh, I don't really know how to tell ya everything I'd like to... Before I go through with this, you know. I'm not sure what's goin te happen, but I wanted you to know one thing before I go inte that machine, since... I don't know, I might not come back out as meself. Or, or even at all."

*deep breath*

"I just, in case somethin' happens, I want ya te know..."

(pause)

"I love ya."

*short chuckle*

"I know, sounds strange comin' from me, I'm sure, but... It's the truth. I do, and I have, for a bit, but... I'm not really sure why it took me this long te tell ya. Maybe cuz I was scared. Scared that I'd scare ya away."

*Huff of breath*

"Me? Scared? I know how it sounds, trust me, but it's true. I was... worried about losin' ya. Cuz, truth is, Sole, yer the first person who actually seems to give a damn what happens te me. You know this, I've told ya, I know, but even me own damn parents didn't give a shite about me. An' the ghoul, well, he only ever considered what I could do for him. Knew how to keep me hooked, to keep makin' him money. But you... I had my doubts, I'll be the first to admit, but... You've looked out fer me better than anyone, and you did from the start, with nothin' to gain by doin' so."

(pause)

"I don't know why ye did it. Almost scared me off, the thought of someone bein kind te me fer no reason at all. Thought you were gonna end up worse than all the rest, because there was no way you were just bein' that nice with nothin' te gain from it. But I was wrong. And I've never been so damn glad te be wrong in me whole life."

(pause)

*Deep breath*

"An' I want ye t'know one more thing... I knew about this machine. I knew about it a bit ago. I could've gone with someone else, could've gone on me own, even. Maybe I wouldn't have made it out alive, but it didn't really matter te me at the time. And neither did gettin' clean. I told you I'd been trying to get sober for awhile, but nothin' was workin', and that wasn't a lie, but... Before you, I didn't really want te get clean. There was just..."

(pause)

"There was no point to it. Get clean fer what? I didn't want to feel anythin'. Well, anythin' but the rush of psycho. Couldn't feel anything if I was off it, I was so damn numb to the whole world... But you... you changed that. Somewhere along the way, when I was with you, I felt... somethin' else. I want te feel that again, but I want te feel it all. No psycho, no nothin'. Just you. And I'm hopin' you feel the same, but if you don't... It doesn't matter too much. I just... I wanted you te know."

(pause)

*huff of air*

"So there. I said what I meant to. You heard it. An' whether or not ye feel the same, I... I just hope it means somethin' to ya."

*click*

Curie:

"My love! Look at what I 'ave found! Or... Listen to it, rather."

*giggling*

"But isn't zhis wonderful? I can now tell you 'ow much I love you! Zhough, I do suppose I say it quite often... Still, what better day zhan zhis? I know zhere are many who no longer observe zhis holiday, but it is our first one together and I wanted to do something special. I thought of many possible zhings to gift you, since I feel as zhough I simply could not give you enough!"

*laughter*

"But zhen... I settled on zhis idea... I want you to listen to zhis recording, any time you are not feeling at your best, when I am not around to help you, or whenever else you feel like it, even when I am in zhe room next to you, you will have zhis at your disposal."

"I just want you to know 'ow much I care for you. You are zhe one who saved me, who made me not feel so alone in zhis new world, who helped me not to be afraid. I was afraid, mon amour, you remember. I was afraid to go out on my own, so you stayed close to my side, I was afraid I could never follow my dreams, zhat I could not become who I am today, afraid I would never be able to be with you, to feel all zhat I do when you are near and beside me. I would not be myself without you, I would still be in zhat 'orrible vault, would still be afraid and alone..."

(pause)

"But I am not, and it is thanks to you. You are... zhe most beautiful person I have ever come into contact with. The kindest, the most loving, zhe gentlest, and you are zhe one I love, when I did not know I was capable of such feeling! You made it so, my lovely Sole, and I could not be more grateful to share all zhese new-- all zhese so very human experiences with you. I love you, vers la lune et retour."

*giggles*

"It is amazing zhat I can say such things and mean zhem! I had heard about love, had read about it, and knew of zhe chemicals and such, but to feel it, to say zhese things, to know why I'm saying zhem, who is making me feel zhem, it is a wonderful feeling, mon cheri/e."

(pause)

"Oh!"

*shuffling paper noises*

"And I almost forgot! Comme c'est drôle de moi... I have a poem to read to you! It is one I read from a novel long ago, I had to dig to find it, to make sure it was correct. I did not understand it zhen, not as much as I do now, but now, it is all zhe more beautiful."

*clears throat*

"Je dédie à tes pleurs, à ton sourire,

Mes plus douces pensées,

Celle que je te dis, celles aussi

Qui demeurent imprécisées

Et trop profondes pour les dire"

"I can translate as well! Do not worry! It just sounds so belle en François. What it means is, zhat I dedicate my sweetest thoughts to both your tears and your smiles, all of my thoughts, zhe ones zhat I say to you, and zhe ones I 'ave no words for, zhat are too imprecise. Even zhose thoughts zhat are so deep zhat you cannot say zhem aloud, even zhose go to you, mon amour. I dedicate so much to you, because you 'ave given me so very much since zhe day you and I met. It does seem rather small in comparison, just zhis little poem, after all you 'ave done, but it is zhe truth. I love you so much, my Sole. 'Appy Valentines day."

"Love, Curie."

Danse:

*clears throat*

"I know I'm not very good at these sort of talks in person, and... I'm honestly not sure it'll be any better through this tape. But I feel like I have to try."

"I'm... Well, let me just preface this by saying that I'm sorry for what happened today. You weren't meant to... Well, let's just say that I should've thrown that tape recording away a long time ago. That same day that I recorded it, even. And if it's any consolation, I never paid the contents of it any further mind after our talk at the Bunker. When I think of it now, I..."

*deep sigh*

"Knowing what I do now, what was to come... I can't believe I would've just... Just ended it."

(pause)

"Everything was so jumbled then. After I found out what I was, I felt so lost. My existence, without the Brotherhood, it felt so... purposeless. The words on that tape... they just helped me get everything off my mind. Helped me feel like there was a way out of all that uncertainty, as rash as it may seem in hindsight."

"Then you appeared below the surface. Even with all my defenses... I don't even know why I put them up, if I was just planning to...

*sigh*

"It's not a day I like to remember."

"You are what made it bearable. Not just that day, not just my... whole self discovery, but everything. Without you, I wouldn't have only been dead, but I would have been lost. Everything I truly believe in, all that I've worked for... I felt like less than nothing when it was all stripped away. Along with my identity. My personhood. But these past couple years... you've built me up again. You've made me into something-- someone I can be proud of. Helped me make the difference I thought could only be achieved through the Brotherhood, and I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you for all that you've given me."

"My life, my belief in myself, the courage to move on when I felt I had nothing, that I was nothing... But I was wrong. I was always wrong. I never had nothing, not even on my darkest days, when I wished beyond reason that I could crawl out of my own synthetic skin. Even on those days, I still had you."

"The day that you confessed your feelings to me was the first day that I began to question a few of the core beliefs of the Brotherhood. With the overwhelming strength and certainty of my own feelings for you, I wondered how the Brotherhood could ever consider me-- my kind, to be soulless abominations. Every day my feelings of fondness for you grow stronger, and every day I stray away from the belief that I'm nothing but a mere machine. I never could've done that without you."

"Ever since the day I met you, I've felt like... somehow, our fates have been tied to one another. Like I was always meant to know you. And it might be strange, to phrase it that way, to think that some... higher power pulled the strings in such a way to ensure our meeting, our friendship, o-our love, but if it hadn't turned out that way... that tape I made would be in the Brotherhood archives, and I would be..."

*exhale*

"I just hope that my presence in your life has yielded even a fraction of the happiness, security and support that you provide me with. If so, it'll all have been worth it."

"I hope what I said on this tape doesn't make you uncomfortable, I-I know the subject matter is quite upsetting, but if I can offer further consolation, the tape in question no longer exists. I erased it, in favor of this message. I thought it would be... symbolic. The way our love for one another, and my dedication to you has erased the negative feelings I had for myself, that almost drove me to complete ruin. I apologize again for what you heard on that tape, and it pains me to know you felt guilt for not being able to do more after my... self discovery. The truth is, Sole, you were the only thing standing between me and the ending that that tape promised for my life, and I could never find a way to thank you for all that you've done for me."

"I love you, Sole. More than I thought could ever be possible, even before finding out that I was a synth."

(pause)

*clears throat*

"Anyway, that was what I felt I had to say. I know it was long winded, and I... well, I never know quite how to end these conversations, but I suppose it's worth saying it again. Thank you, Sole. For giving me my life back. The rest of it belongs to you."

Deacon:

"Csssshhhhk this is your captain speaking, yeah, we're gonna be traveling at around fifty eight thousand feet in a minute here, so just wanted to tell you to get comfortable, drop those trays, get out those peanuts, oxygen masks, space suits, and--"

*muffled laughter*

"No, but anyway... Hey Sole, it's ah, it's me. You're favorite crimefighting deathbunny, and partner in all things inappropriate. I... just wanted to make this... I know we don't have the same type of job security or workers' compensation from before the big booms, so just y'know, like an insurance policy, especially now that there's all this added paperwork with our little developing relationship status, it just felt important, y'know? Another record to dust off one day. And... I wanted to be sure you could always have a way to hear my lovely voice, my bad jokes, my flawless singing, you know, just in case... I know how much you'd miss it."

*sighs*

"Look, I... I know it hasn't always been easy, everything you've been through, to add all my problems to the pile. The trust issues, the compulsive lying, those pesky little intimacy problems that make things extra fun, and... I could go on, but I'm afraid the tape would run out of space."

"I guess, what I'm trying to say is... Thanks. Sole. You're everything I needed and never deserved or expected. I had this plan, this idea of what the rest of my life would be like, and you just--"

*breaks into laughter*

"You just waltzed right into those catacombs and blew those ideas to smithereens. Shot 'em down with your charm and your selflessness and good looks, and man... I didn't stand a chance. I can't believe you chose me. You coulda had anybody. Even Carrington, if you kept at it, but you chose to love me, even with how... difficult it must've been-- must be..."

"I still don't know why you did it, but I've never been more grateful in my life. You're my partner in crime, my fellow deathbunny, my bestie, and now you're my husband/wife?! ... It's crazy. Crazy awesome, and I... I never thought I'd tread that kind of path again, not with anyone, and I wouldn't have... if it weren't for you."

"Ahh, you. You're just... The best, and I love you. I know I don't say it enough, and when I do, I don't sound serious. But no matter how uncomfy it makes me feel to say it aloud, it's true. I love you, Sole."

(pause)

"But alright, bestie, I've gotta go. I'm about to have the best sleepover of my life, with this awesome person, I'm sure you know them, and I'm really feeling like I'm gonna get lucky. You can't see it, but I just winked at you. Anyways, wish me luck, and I'll... I'll see you in the field."

"Deathbunny out."

Gage:

“Hiya there boss… It’s…”

*under his breath* “I hope this damn thing is even recording.”

*snorts*

 “But, it’s me. Jus’ wanted to say some stuff…"

*sighs*

“Look, it’s tough for me, I’m sure you know it more than most, but, it’s tough for me to reach out like this. I never… Well, you know this too Sole, but, I never done this sorta thing before. With the relationship and the… I don’t know, man, the arguments. Before, well, fights like this usually meant the end of things, but you said that ain’t how it’s supposed to be. We’re supposed to work through this shit, somehow, and so I… I guess I figured I’d start with this.” 

*deep breath*

“I’m sorry. Sole. There, okay? I’m sorry for bein’ an asshole, for not givin’ you enough credit, not remembering that yer new to this whole raider thing, this whole Overboss thing. And that… well, you’ve probably never been with someone like me before. I sure as hell’ve never been with somebody like you, but… What can I say? It’s hard to find folks like you out here anyhow. You’re your own breed, boss. And that’s far from a bad thing. Jus’... Well, you know me. If you’re your own breed, I’m a goddamn mutt. I’m rough around the edges, not used to tryin’ to make things work. I’ve solved a hell of a lot more problems with my knife than I have with my words, but… I wanna… Well, I wanna make things work this time ‘round, boss… Sole… I mean, you know how I feel about ya, and I… I ain’t never had anything like this, and I just don’t know how I got along so long without you, cuz… Well, Sole, cuz you just make everything better.”

(pause)

“I mean… my life’s not worth a whole lot, that ain’t no mystery or nothin’, but when yer in it… It feels like somethin’ worth having. Not like the rest of my life, oh… stumblin’ around looking for scraps of quick fixes that could make me forget how little my life really means, but… having something worth holding onto, worth bein’ around for… that’s what it’s like with you.”

*dry chuckle*

“And to think, I was stupid enough to think that one little argument was worth losing all this over. Worth losing the only thing in my life that really makes it worthwhile. Cuz that’s what you are, baby. That’s what you are to me. Even though I don’t say it a whole lot… It don’t mean that I… That I don’t mean it, you know?”

*sigh*

“I can’t be the easiest to get along with, I’m sure. I’m so damn hard-headed most of the time, and I always act like I know what I’m talking about, which… Well, you know that usually ain’t the truth.”

*chuckles*

“But somehow you got the patience for all this. All my shit. And… I may not always be the sharpest knife in the drawer, or whatever the saying is, but I know what I got with you. I know what you’re worth, baby, and it’s more than I got, and I know you bein’ with me at all is a charity, but… Well dammit, I hope I got some worth to you too, cuz I just… I need you now, Sole. I wanna be worth the headache and the patience, and I wanna work through the fights and learn how to make it up to you. I never had this before… I never felt this way about no one. I don’t wanna lose it. I can’t… lose you. Things jus’, well, they just wouldn’t be the same…” 

*deep sigh*

“I know I’m going ‘round in circles a bit here, but you know apologies ain’t really my strong suit. An’ neither is all this mushy stuff, but I’m trying all right? I’m trying for you. And I’m gonna keep on doing that until you tell me you can’t stand it no more. It’s just the kinda reckless, hard-headed, stubborn fool I am, Sole. Gonna keep telling you how you changed it all for me, how you’re so damn incredible it makes my chest hurt, how I… Well dammit. Guess I’ve gotta say it now, huh? Look, there. You did it boss, you got it out of me. Damn near slipped out before I could even catch it too. Nasty little words, but… It’s never been truer. I love you Sole.”

(pause)

*comical sigh*

“And while we’re at it, might as well say I’m sorry again, too. There. You got both outta me. Got it all. There’s nothing left for you to take, baby, all my cards just out on the table like that and I forgot how to fucking bluff.” 

*soft chuckle*

“Nah, but… I mean it, Sole. I ain’t nothin’ without you. Next time we fight, just pull this shit outta your pocket and I’ll shut right up, I promise. And… If I’m ever not sayin’ all that… All that I should, if I’m being an ass like I do sometimes, just listen to this while I’m off sulkin’ somewhere. Cuz it’s true. It’s all true, and no amount of me bein’ pissy or stubborn is gonna change that... Is gonna change the fact that… Well, dammit, I do, I love you, Sole.”

(pause)

“Greedy bastard, you’ve gotten it outta me twice now, so you should be all caught up for awhile… Just don’t use it against me too often, okay? Don’t abuse this shit, or you definitely ain’t gonna hear it as much, I’ll tell ya that.”

*chuckles*

 “Alright, don’t know when this thing is gonna run outta tape, but it’s bound to be close. I’ll, ah, I’ll see ya soon, baby.”

*click*

Hancock:

"Heya, Sunshine. It's, ah, it's me. I know it hasn't been all that long since we've seen each other, and I know you're busy. Hard being the hero all the time, hard being the best person there is in the Commonwealth, I get it. But I wanted to tell ya, that... I miss you. I miss you when we're not together, from the moment I see you leave through the Goodneighbor gate, I'm already turning to tell you how much I'm gonna miss you, before I realize that you're gone. That's how bad it is, sweetheart, I-I talk to you even when you're not here."

*chuckles*

"Maybe it's cuz I'm a little nuts, or something, I don't know. Either way though, when I'm alone like this, jus'... thinking about you, I wish I had a way to hear that pretty voice o' yours. So, I thought we could make somethin' like this. Just a reminder, that I'm thinkin' about ya, I'm wishin' you were here, even though I know it's important that you're away."

*sighs*

"Still doesn't change that I want you back here by my side. Or to be out there with you. Kickin' ass. Making a difference. Watchin' you in action, if you know what I mean, heh. Yeah."

(pause)

"Damn this hurts. I get it. I do. I know you have to be out there. I know I can't go everywhere with you all the time, an' I don't mean to make you feel bad, baby, not at all. Jus' want you to know. Know how much it affects me when you're not here."

*sniffles*

*forced chuckle*

"Fahrenheit even notices. Says I'm no fun when you're not around anymore. She's had to drag me outta bed a few times this week... Yeah."

*shaky breath*

"Sorry 'bout this, Sunshine. Sorry if it doesn't make much sense. Brain's kinda foggy right now. I don't mean to make ya feel bad, you know? Jus'... just wanted you to know."

(pause)

"Shit, already said that, huh? Damn, it's just, it's true. I miss you, I love you, baby, and I want you with me all the time."

*muffled* "Oh Jesus. What are you doing?"

"Nothin,' Fare, go on."

*Fahrenheit* "Who are you talking to?"

"Sole. Now go on. Not done yet."

*Fahrenheit* "Sole? Hancock, Sole's not--"

"I know. Leaving a message for 'em. When they are here."

*sigh*

*door closing*

"Jesus. See? Goin' crazy over here, with her hoverin' over me. Need you, baby."

"Now... what was I sayin'?"

*laughter*

"Sorry it's so all over the place. This is what you do to me."

*a breath*

"There's just one thing I'm gonna ask from you, baby. You can go, I know you've gotta sometimes, just... come back. Alright, Sunshine? Come back to me. Do what you gotta do, but just know, now, that I've got you. You're part of the package. The coat, the hat, my whole look, the talk, my title, everything that makes me, me, now you're in that. I can't--"

*sniffles*

"I can't be without ya. Not for good, ya hear? So all I gotta know, is that you're gonna come back to me. Just... Try and think about that when you're out there on your own. Don't take the risk if you don't have to. You're good, baby. The most selfless person I ever met, and I love that about you, but... don't make the sacrifice, okay? I know I'm bein' selfish, but I ain't a saint like you, so I'd say it's pretty on-brand."

*soft chuckle*

"Just don't... Jus' come back to me. That's all I'm saying. It's all I need, okay, baby? Just need you..."

*sigh*

"Think I should probably let you go now, huh? So you can get back to bein' a badass, an' all that. Just one more thing though, before you set this tape aside... I love you, Sole. Just need you to know that, if you haven't listened to anything else on this tape, just know that. I love you, and... I'll see you soon."

MacCready:

"Geeze I hope this thing works..."

*fiddling noises*

"How do you even know if it's recording? Is that...? Hmm."

(pause)

"Okay. Well, here goes nothing."

*Clears throat*

"Hey, Sole. I, ah, I hope this works, because I've got a few things I wanted to... um, say. Wow, geeze, really off to a good start here, huh? I just hope this dang thing is even recording."

*chuckle*

"But if it is... Well, I just wanted to say... thanks."

*soft sigh*

"Truth is, I wouldn't even be doing this if it weren't for you. Maybe one day, yeah, it was always the plan to go back to Duncan, to be with him, but... I never thought I'd be bringing him back to a family. It was... one of the reasons I think I was putting it off. I mean, what do I have to offer? As a dad I-I'm doing my best, but... Is it enough? Will he be lonely with just me? Can I look after him as well as I want to, as well as he deserves? Is he going to be happy, with just me? And maybe he was, and I worried for nothing, but... With you, the decision was so much easier. And..."

*deep breath*

"Well, without your help, I... I might not even have been able to ask those questions. Duncan might not have... You know."

(pause)

"But you helped me. Even when you barely even knew me."

*laughter*

"I didn't think there was anyone like you out there, who would just help me, and not expect anything in return, I didn't think I'd ever find someone out there worthwhile. I mean, after the Gunners, well, they made it hard to see the good in the world, and even when I met you, I know I was... Well, I was a bit of an ass, huh?"

*chuckles*

"But that didn't seem to phase you. No... I don't think anything I could've done would have scared you away for good, once you saw how badly I needed you."

"And that's why I love you so much, Sole. You put other people before you, and you don't expect a damn thing in return, and it's so... Gosh, it's so weird that you do that, I've never met anyone like that, and I've never met anyone like you, and I didn't think, honestly... I never thought I'd be able to fall for someone again, after everything, but... I never saw you coming. And I mean... I'm a sniper. So I've got good eyes, you know."

*breaks into laughter*

"Sorry for that one. Sort of. But I can see that face, without you even being here, I can see that amused but... disappointed look you give me when I make those bad jokes. Those 'dad jokes' as you call them."

*more chuckling*

"I love you so much, baby. I didn't think I'd ever be able to say those words again. To say those words and-and mean them, but I can. And... I know you felt the same way, about loving again, after everything you've lost, but... I'm glad you found me. In that dingy old underground bar, where I almost got my butt whooped by those Gunner clowns, where I was spending all my hard-earned caps trying to drown out my problems... You pulled me out of that, and probably saved my life... No, you did save it, cuz without you, if I'd lost Duncan too, I just... Yeah, I wouldn't have been able to go on much longer if I didn't have him. If I didn't have you."

*sniffs*

"But he's going to be..."

*laughs*

"Just so excited to meet you, I mean, I've told you about him, he's just so adventurous and playful, and even when he couldn't talk at all, he loved meeting new people, and he's- god, he's gonna love you. And I'm gonna have my work cut out for me, cuz, I mean... you think I'm cute? Just wait, I mean, I'm never gonna see you again, you're just gonna want to run off with him and leave me behind, I mean-- his eyes, Sole, they're so blue, and his little cheeks, and gosh, there's nothing I love more than him... than you, too, and the thought of you two together? Heck, I don't know what I'm gonna do with myself, I'm not going to be able to handle it all. To handle... for the first time in so long, being actually... happy. Being part of a family again..."

*exhale*

"You know... I think you know that it... It makes me nervous. To be so happy. To have so much to lose, but... I know that you know what that's like. And I just- I just can't wait for us all to be a part of it. No matter how scary it is, or how strange it'll feel to have it again, to have a family, but have it be different, but... I'm so glad it's with you. And I just... I can't wait to see you, baby. Can't wait for you to see him."

*a breath*

"Just promise me... promise me you won't... leave."

*sniffs*

"...That you won't run off with Duncan and leave me behind. I promise, there's enough of him for both of us i-if we ration, you know?"

*teary laughter*

"We can share him, just... Just stay safe, for me, Sole, okay? I don't want-- I can't lose... I just... can't do this alone."

*deep breath*

"But, ah, anyway, I'll see you soon, okay Sole? I'll see you when I-- when we get back. I love you, and the next time we're together... we'll be a proper family."

Nick:

"Hey there, Sole. It's ah, it's your Nick here. Just wanted to make somethin' for ya, to help get you through these next few... days, maybe. I know this isn't gonna be easy, but I want you to know, I'm proud of you. You did it. You made it where no one thought you ever could, and hopefully, it pays off."

*low sigh*

"God, I hope it does. If there's anyone out there who deserves it, it's you. But we both know it doesn't always work that way..."

*exhale*

"No matter what happens in there though, I'm here for you. Always, alright? I don't mean that lightly, Sole. I've helped you come this far... even when it really didn't seem like you needed my help."

*chuckle*

"I mean it was you who saved me first, right?"

*more laughter*

*small sigh*

"Anyway, guess what I'm really saying here, Sole, is that... I want it to go right. I want you to find your boy, I want you, more than anything, to be happy. You've been through so much, more than anyone should have to go through, and I want you to be able to rest, to have the family you wanted, that you deserve, or, part of that family, at least. You're one of the best damn people I've met in all my years, and no matter how this all goes, I'll be by your side to help you face it."

(pause)

"You know... I'm not really sure why you picked me, if I'm honest, Sole. I'm just a rusty old synth, but... I'm a rusty old synth who's... in love with you. Who wants, more than most anything, for you to just be happy. And if I can have some part in making that happen, well, then I guess I shouldn't really question it, huh? But who am I kidding? I'm a detective, it's in my nature to question unlikely things."

*small chuckle*

"Well, guess I've rambled on here quite a bit, but I wanted you to have something. For when you're in there, so you remember that you're not alone. You've got good friends out here, so many people who care about you, who are rootin' for ya. Me, most of all. No matter what happens, we're all proud of how far you've come. No one even thought this would be possible, but since the day I met you, I've been realizing that the word 'impossible' really isn't in your vocabulary, huh? Who would've thought some pre-war vaulty would get as far as you did? Well, you did, and you really showed anyone who thought differently. It's one of the, oh, couple dozen or so things I love about you, darling. You always show those that need showing, always right the wrongs around you, even when some would argue it ain't your business. But you show those folks too, don't ya?"

*chuckles*

"You're just a whole lotta something, there, Sole. I never met anyone like ya, and there's no one else I could think of who could get through everything you've survived. You'll get through this too, I know it. And... I don't know, maybe I'm just losin' a few screws or something, but I believe you're gonna find your boy in there... But no matter what happens in the Institute, just know you got people out here waitin' for ya. Wishin' ya the best. Wishin' for ya to make it back home to us. We all love ya, Sole. And me? I love ya most of all."

"Yours, Nick."

Piper:

"Come on, come onnnn."

*Nat speaking indiscernably*

"That did it? You think?"

*Nat* "Yes."

"Oh. Okay. Geesh, this is why I just wanted to write a letter or something, but Nat said I should... cuz of the tape that you lost, and what it meant to you, and hearing my voice and-- Geeze, already rambling. So unlike me, huh?"

*laughter*

"Uh, anyways, um... Hey. Blue."

*more laughter*

"Who let me do this? This is awful. I wanna just talk straight to you, you know? See that cute little face of yours, that embarrassed smile with the way your eyes crinkle. The face you're probably making right now. Eh? Did I getcha? Are you making that face? Bet you are."

*giggling*

"I guess I know you pretty well by now, huh? Four years, Blue. Four! I don't know how I've put up with you all that time, but also, I... I don't really know what I would've done without you. That day we met... I think back on it all the time. How perfect everything had to be for us to meet like that, to get that great first impression. It always makes me laugh, the way we still give Danny a hard time about it, blaming him whenever we have those silly little arguments, just so we can't blame each other. I wonder if other couples do that? If they have a sort of scapegoat for their silly little..."

(pause)

"Okay, yeah, getting off topic. The reason I made this, well, this tape recording, that I wanted to be a note, that I probably could've just said straight to your face, was so I could just say... thanks. I know I tell you a lot how much you mean to me, but, I also think you always need to hear it. You've been through so much, lived through multiple lifetimes... you really were-- and are, the story of the century, Blue. You're incredible, and strong, and goofy, and absolutely adorable, if I do say so myself."

*giggles*

"Ahem, anyways, um... Where was I?... Oh! Yeah, you're..."

*quick breath*

"You're a great leader, and you could do anything you set your mind to, I mean really, once you've lived over two hundred years, learned how to fight giant monster lizards, how to cure super mutants, travel through someone's brain, and even teleport, I think the sky is hardly the limit."

*more soft laughter*

"Yeah... I knew I'd get just a little off topic, but when it all comes down to it, there's really only one thing you need to know, Blue."

"I love you. And I'm so grateful to have you in my life and as my partner in everything, and though these past few years have been like... the best of my life, I think the future holds a lot for us. Keep being strong, keep being you, and I'll be right here, cheering you on, loving you. Like I have from the start."

(pause)

"Oh, and Nat'll be here too. Rolling her eyes. Scrunching her face when we kiss in front of her and pretending to barf, but... she'll be loving you too. Won't you, sis?"

*Noncommittal noise*

"See? She agrees. Love ya, Blue. See you soon."

(pause)

*whispered* "Which one do I press to stop it? Which one? Oh. Oh, okay, I see--"

*click*

Preston:

"Sole? Hey. It's Preston."

*light chuckle*

"But you could probably guess that, huh? Yeah, well, I just wanted to say a few things. So you have them, so we do, for later, and everything... I'm just... Where to even start with you?"

*a breath*

"You're just... so amazing. You have been, since the day I met you, and every day since. You've taken everything the Commonwealth throws at you, and you've turned it into something beautiful. Something we can help grow, help to make this world a better place. And... you've given me hope."

*light laughter*

"It sounds so simplified when I put it like that, but it's not."

*soft sigh*

"I had no hope, before I met you. It was gone, and I just felt... hollow, but now I see all of the amazing possibilities for the world, for you and me, and the Minutemen. I never would've made it this far without you, and what we're doing now? This big adventure we're taking together? I know... I know you've been there before. That you... had a family before, and I know the way it turned out, and I can't imagine how difficult it is to look past that, and to try again. But... I want you to know I'm here for you. I always will be, just like you were there for me, when I needed you most."

"I want this for us, and you're... God, Sole, you're just so strong to want this too, so brave, and selfless, and-- and you just see the possibilities in life and you go for them, and I love that about you."

"Even just saying all this, it has me smiling from ear to ear. Just thinking about you does that to me, babe. I couldn't tell you the last time I smiled like this before I met you. I don't think I even could, to tell you the truth, but now... I mean, my cheeks hurt. Just thinking about seeing you after this mission, thinking about our talk, about us... settling down... Yeah, it's gonna be tough. Like you said, it's hard to get me to stay in one place, but you like to wander a whole lot too, you know."

*laughing*

"But I don't think I've been more ready, more excited for anything in my life. I love you so much, I almost can't believe it sometimes, but then I see you, and I... Well, I can believe it, because you're just that good. That perfect, that kind and loving, and selfless, and I just can't believe that out of all the other people in this world, I was lucky enough to meet you, and somehow, you wanted to be with me too."

(pause)

"I think I might've told you this already. At least once, but just in case, I'm gonna tell you again... Sole. I loved you from the moment I saw you. I... I couldn't believe it."

*laughter*

"I thought it was crazy, thought I lost my mind or something, but it was true. As soon as you came into my life, I was ready to pledge mine to you. I-I was in love. And as unbelievable as it seemed at the time, so soon after meeting you, that's never changed. And I'm betting that it never will."

"I love you, Sole. So much, and I can't wait to see you back here, and I can't wait to make that pledge all over again, can't wait to start our family, and... And god, I'm so excited to see you, I can't even sit still, I just--"

*muffled voice*

"What? Now?"

*sound of confirmation*

"Already? But I thought--"

*Annoyed sound getting further away*

"No, hold on, I'm coming!"

"Sturges says you're here."

"You're... you're home. You're home early..."

*disbelieving laughter*

"I'm gonna go and see you. Now. Right now, I've gotta--"

*muffled rustling noise*

"I'm gonna go. Sort of. I love you Sole, see you soon!"

X6-88:

"Sole... Ma'am/Sir. This is X6-88. I..."

*small sigh*

"I would like to extend my condolences to you. Your son... I wish you could have known him as I did. As so many of us did, as you never had the chance to. It is unfortunate, but... What I said, before, when I told you that I believe in you... It was not a lie, sir/ma'am. I do believe, fully, that you are meant to take his place, that you will do incredible things for The Institute."

"To be honest, I'm not sure why I felt the urge to record this message for you, but... Perhaps it's because I feel... that you should be able to hear this, to listen to this tape if ever you feel... inadequate, or... alone. You are neither, sir/ma'am, I assure you."

(pause)

"And I also... I know what it's like. To feel that way."

"Perfection is something that's required in every unit that is created to be a courser. It's something hardwired into us, and so is our aptitude for solitude, and yet... Either there is great fault with my programming, or you were enough to bypass all of it altogether. I've never felt less... Well, perhaps not less perfect, but I've never felt... more..."

*quietly*

"Human, than when I'm with you."

"It is not by my own conscious decision, but all of my defenses seem to lower when you are at my side. I've spoken so outwardly with you, I've... laughed, which is something I never knew I was capable of doing. I've come to despise being alone completely. Or... perhaps not alone, but more... without you. It makes my chest feel tight, and my thoughts wander to your safety whenever I'm not by your side. I'm not... I'm not quite sure why I feel so differently about you than I do anyone else I've met, why you elicit these reactions and thoughts, but I do know that they are enough for me to believe you are... exceptional."

*soft exhale*

"There is no one more capable, or better suited to leading us. No one who has had the influence over me that you do. Not Ayo, not Father, not even the... infuriatingly endearing young Shaun."

*short laugh*

"None of them... and yet you, from the beginning, have surprised me. Your prowess in combat, your amusing commentary, your strange empathy and searing wit... It all took me by surprise. Which isn't easy, I'll have you know. I'm a courser after all."

*muted chuckle*

(pause)

"I'm a courser... And yet, you've always treated me like an... an equal. Not a machine, or a weapon, not something to fear or to order around without regard for my own preferences, my own... conscience. It's something I never thought that I would find to be a virtue. Not something that's ever mattered to me, and yet, now... Now anyone who's not you, everyone here who disregards me the way they always have... It tries my patience."

(pause)

"I blame you, for that, sir/ma'am. But also I'm... Thankful to you. I'm... glad I've been able to accompany you in your travels, that I've been able to guide you in your new time in this world, I feel privileged that I've been able to witness your transformation, that I've gotten to know you, after all this time, and I... I want you to know that I'm here for you. Now, as you grieve the loss of your son, and in the future, as you take on your new responsibilities as the leader of The Institute. I will be here, by your side. To protect you, to help you, to amuse you, even, if that's what you require from me, since I often seem to do so without realizing it."

*soft exhale*

"I want the best for you, Sole. I want you to feel safe, I want you to be... happy. It's not something I'm used to... wanting these things for another, but as always, you are the exception. If you need anything from me, if you want anything, I will be here. For you, Sole."

"Sincerely, X6."

[mr-voorhees-husband]

ANON IM SORRRY I DID A DUMB BUT

THIS IS FOR THE ANON WHO WANTED PENGUIN N HARVEY DENT X VIRGIN READER

Also I'm sorry for being like, hella dead on here. Life's been life, to put it bluntly.

How about.. Arkham!Twoface and... Reeves!Oz

Warnings/tags: losing your virginity, soft sex, very gentle, Daddy Kink (Oz), slightly ooc Harv? Idk its my hc version so..

Reader: Gender Neutral, virgin

Arkhamverse! Harvey + Harv Dent

Good god are they soft.

They were scared that you'd yet to sleep together, but, when you finally came clean? Both were so relived they didn't even realize what you said at first.

The first one to fully react it Harv, he wasn't as worried about the 'no sex' thing as Harvey, surprisingly. So while he was relieved, it clicked almost immediately.

He chuckles and grins, taking control so he can yank you to their chest and tilt your head up with his hand, Harvery's resting on your waist, "Why didn't ya' just say so, Doll? Y'know we'll never judge ya'."

Oddly gentle for such a sleazy, rough man, but it's simply because he can understand it. He technically was a virgin too, even if Harvey wasn't. Yeah, he'd know what to do, Harvey had plenty of experience, but, he'd never actually had sex before.

The idea of you both being eachother's firsts made him giddy, already planning the perfect date night to end with you three in bed.

Harvey, on the other hand, when he comes too, is so completely awestruck. He really had expected someone else to sleep with you before him.

The fact no one had though... it's kinda hot to him. Unlike Harv, he's excited at the idea because this means he gets to mold you to be absolutely perfect for them

They both get very possessive at the idea, though. This means they'll be your only frame of reference, and if they do good enough? You'll only ever want them.

"Oh, darling..." Harvey mumbled against your skin, watching in awe as you whined and squirmed on the bed. They'd been unintentionally teasing you for what felt like hours, calloused fingers stretching you open while a rough hand rubbed and stroked your most sensitive parts. "You look amazing."

"Harrv.." You whined, hoping that maybe if the other took control, they'd finally fuck you like you'd been planning for them too.

"Yeah, dollface?" Harv muttered, moving up just a bit to kiss your chest. They didn't stop their assault, though, continuing to bring you to your third climax of the night. "What'dya need?"

"You two- please-" You almost sobbed out the words, moaning as they sped up their ministrations.

"Soon, sweetheart." Harvey promised, kissing your jaw.

"We'll fuck you real soon." Harv agreed, nipping your clammy flesh with a lovestruck grin.

Over all, extremely soft and sweet about it. When they fully take you, they're muttering praises against your skin. Harvey telling you how good you're doing, thanking you for letting him do this, while Harv is growling out how good you feel, how gorgeous you look splayed out like that

Aftercare is a must, of course. If you're exhausted, they'll carry you to the bath and help you scrub off all the sweat and cum, cooing softly as they do it. They're absolutely in love right now, literally over the moon that you'd trust them both enough to take your virginity.

The morning you have breakfast in bed and a nice planned day of relaxation and plenty of cuddles.

They secretly hope you'll want to do something else that day, something a bit more sensual, but they're happy to just have you in their arms.

Reevesverse!Oswald Cobblepot

Okay let me explain, my friend's version of Oswald literally made me simp SO hard that I went looking for an Oz that was similar. I read one fanfic of this guy and he won me over. Sorry anon I declined I was wrong this guy is such daddy material, i will gladly write for him now <3

"Hm? Oh, okay, sweet cheeks."

Yeah, that's his response. It takes him a moment to fully process it, honestly, but he doesn't tease or mock you, he never really does. Instead he urges you onto his lap, kisses you softly and goes "do ya' want daddy t' change that, sweet thing?"

Immediately after you agree though, he's giving you that smile he gets when he's made a good deal, kisses you again and softly tells you to wait here until one of the girls comes to get you.

Eventually, when one of the girls do come and grab you, you make it into your room and are pleasantly surprised to see how much Oz has set it up just for you.

He'd make it overly romantic, but, in a good way. Candle are lit, some soft music in the background (or the slightly muffled music from the club below), with nice silk sheets and champagne or wine (whatever's your preference) for when you finish.

He starts it off slow, letting you set the pace so he knows for sure how you want to handle it. Getting you to straddle his thighs, hands resting on your hips as you kiss and slowly grind down against him.

He's so unbelievably sweet, the exact opposite when he's in the club. The sleeze isn't gone, but the teasing is, giving you whatever you whine or ask for in moment. You want his mouth on your neck? He'll gladly oblige, licking, kissing, and biting every inch of skin he can reach.

Oswald has to prepare you, definitely, he may not be that long below the belt, but he's wide. He won't even humor the idea of fucking you properly until you can take at least two fingers, though, preferably three.

When you're finally nice and loose for him, though, he'll ask you softly if you're 100% sure you want this. When you agree, downright begging him to fuck you already, he gets a small, loving smile and shushes you gently.

"Go slow, sweetheart." Oswald groaned out, keeping careful hold on your thighs so you couldn't try and slam down like you wanted too. "I know ya're excited, but ya' gotta go slow so I don't hurt'cha."

"Ozzie please-" you moaned softly, trying to force him deeper inside you. "Ozzie-!"

"Shhh... C'mon baby, be patient." He urged softly, lowering you down just a bit, biting back a grunt as you clenched around him. "Daddy'll get there, he's just gotta make sure ya're not gonna hurt."

"Daddy..." You whined, being met with a kiss from your lover. He mumbled softly against your lips in Italian, letting you take more of him inside you. "Daddy please.."

"Paitent baby," Oswald smiled, kissing your lips once more, "be patient for daddy and he'll make it worth it. I promise."

Afterwards, he'll help you sip on some cool champagne, before pulling you to the bathroom for a nice shower before bed. He's way more cuddly than usual, too, large arms keeping you to his belly and chest all night long.

In the morning, he'll call you both up some breakfast, and ask if you'd let him give you oral before it gets there.

"Just a snack before breakfast, sweetheart, where's the harm in that?"

An insatiable, depraved, incredibly soft and sweet man indeed.

[goatcheesecak3]

Bus stop pt 2

Adam Faulkner-Stanheight xM!reader

Click here for f!reader version!

Click here for part one!

Includes: fluff, slight angst, brief mentions of violence

Summary: after meeting at the bus stop yesterday, you and Adam go on a day out together, but when he sees a disturbing article in a newspaper, Adam decides to come clean to you about his past.

Adam threw on the cleanest clothes he owned and sat at the edge of his bed. He pulled out his phone and reread his text exchange with the nice guy from the bus stop for the thousandth time.

Y/n: this is y/n from the bus stop :) was so lovely to meet you! You doing anything tomorrow? x

Adam: not much, I was gonna hit the record store and maybe go feed the birds in the park. Wanna join me?

Y/n: sounds great! It's sweet that you like feeding the birds, I used to do that with my parents when I was a kid

Adam: haha yeah, I love animals. More than people tbh. I always feed the stray cats in my area, they're so cute

Y/n: wow, that's so kind :) I wish there were more people like you in the world haha! What time should we meet?

Adam: haha thanks :) is 2 good with you? At the stop we got off at yesterday

Y/n: two sounds perfect, see you then!

It was 1:40, he had 20 minutes to get to the bus stop to meet with y/n. He was excited, for once in his life, mooning over his kind words and positive attitude. Adam was most definitely attracted to this guy, but he tried not to think about that, he didn't want to get too ahead of himself, he needed to actually make a friend before he started thinking about a relationship. Despite this, however, he couldn't help but feel almost giddy at the thought of y/n's smile.

He waited patiently at the bus stop where the pair had gone their separate ways the night before, with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. The weather was gloomy and a chill was in the air, but it did little to bring down his mood.

After only a few minutes of waiting, y/n appeared from down the road, and he merrily made his way over to Adam. Adam watched in genuine awe at how sweet he looked, bundled up in a sweater and a tatty scarf, looking elegantly dishevelled and so incredibly cute. Adam felt a blush creep it's way onto his milky white face, and he prayed y/n couldn't read his mind and see what he'd been thinking of him- that's if his pink face didn't betray him first.

"Good afternoon! I like your jacket" y/n smiled, his face practically shining.

Adam looked down at his own attire, he wore a plain black tshirt, a pair of ill fitting worn out blue jeans and an army green jacket. His clothes were by no means weather appropriate, but hypothermia was something he was willing to risk if it meant he would look presentable.

"Heh, thanks. I've had it since I was a teenager"

Just at that moment, the bus pulled up and the pair entered and took their seats.

The windows on the bus were all fogged up, and the seats were cold to the touch. Adam let out a small shiver as he sat down, beginning to regret his decision to opt for fashion over functionality. It would appear that y/n noticed this, and without hesitation, he pulled his scarf up and wrapped it over Adam's shoulder, so that they were both wearing it.

Adam was slightly taken aback by this small act of kindness,

"Wh- what are y-" he spluttered

"Please," y/n chuckled, "you were making me cold just looking at you."

Adam turned to look at him, a shy (and very smitten) smile on his face,

"Thanks".

The seats were small and cramped, so their knees touched, and Adam swore he could taste his own pulse when their hands brushed against eachother. Did he do that on purpose? Was that how people flirted nowadays? No, surely he wouldn't be so lucky. When they approached their stop, Adam pressed the button to alert the driver, and began to lift the scarf off of himself so that he could stand, when y/n stopped him. He took the scarf off his own neck and adjusted it around Adam's.

"Keep it on, I don't want you to freeze to death" he joked with a warm, nurturing glow.

Adam felt a calming, protected feeling. Y/n seemed to want to take care of him,  and he felt as though he didn't have to be stoic and brave with him. He relaxed into the warmth of the scarf, savouring y/n's scent as the pair of them stepped off the bus.

"Just down this street," Adam directed, leading them to his favourite record shop. Y/n followed eagerly,  gripping onto Adam's sleeve to keep up with him.

"I can't wait, I used to love record shops in my home town" y/n remarked gleefully.

Adam couldn't help but let himself take a moment to fantasise about a future with y/n. He barely knew him, yes, but good god imagine if he got to know him better? He thought about long evenings spent listening to music with him, watching old movies together, holding eachother close under a blanket. He knew it was unrealistic, but can't a man dream?

They entered the record shop and began to browse.

"Wow, look at this!" Y/n gasped, "there's all the prodigy albums on vinyl!"

Adam approached to look at the rack he was observing, and to his very pleasant surprise, y/n had been browsing the alternative and punk section of the store.

"I've got most of these records at home," he said,  "if you want, you can come over and listen to them at my place"

Y/n nodded enthusiastically

"Oh I will most definitely  be taking you up on that. Don't songs just sound so much better on a record player?" He beamed.

Adam couldn't quite belive what he was hearing. A gorgeous man, with the same interests as him wanted to come to his apartment to listen to music? Surely he was dreaming, this sort of thing only happened in cheesy movies, not in real life.

Much like waking up from a dream, Adam was bitterly snapped back to reality later on in the day when the pair arrived at the park. Just at the entrance stood a little news stand, advertising the latest issue of the local paper. On the front page, in big bold letters read: "JIGSAW KILLER RETURNS, POLICE HOSTAGE"

"What the hell is the jigsaw killer?" Y/n asked, sounding rightfully horrified.

He turned to look at Adam, who's face had turned stark white. His mouth hung open and his eyes were practically bulging out of his head.

"Adam?"

Adam had already turned away and began hastily walking through the park. Y/n followed worriedly, jogging a little to catch up to him.

"Adam, what's wrong?"

Adam wanted nothing more than to tell y/n exactly what was wrong. He was sure that if anyone knew how to comfort him, it would be him, he was so lovely, of course he'd be able to. But he couldn't bring himself to tell y/n the truth, he was such a radiant and beautiful person, he didn't want to risk freaking him out and ruining this friendship. His racing mind was halted when y/n spoke once again.

"Come sit down, Adam. You look like you could use it" he said, sitting down on a bench and patting the spot next to him.

"You don't have to tell me what's bothering you, but you do have to tell me how I can help you" he said.

Adam couldn't believe his ears, it seemed as though y/n just knew exactly what he needed to hear in that moment. He was so kind, so attentive, so perfect. So unlike anyone else Adam had ever encountered. His kindness struck a chord within Adam that he didn't know he had, and seemingly unprompted, tears began to well in his eyes.

"Oh, honey!" Y/n gasped, "Don't cry, sweetheart, come here, it's okay" he cooed, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and rubbing his arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm being stupid" Adam choked  as he cleared his throat, trying his best not to cry.

"You're not being stupid, don't say that! Just take a few deep breaths, alright?" Y/n said, still smiling, ever smiling. How did he do that?

Adam breathed slowly, attempting to steady his shaking hands. He knew he'd have to tell y/n about what he'd been through at some point, but he wished he could have gone just a little longer without having to. Just a little longer to be Adam, the animal loving, record playing, charmingly moody guy from the bus stop. He didn't want to have to go back to being Adam, the paid stalker, the jigsaw victim, the self defence murderer. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

Letting out a deep breath, Adam began to speak.

"I need to tell you something, and I understand if you don't wanna be friends anymore once I've told you"

Y/n's brow furrowed, but he didn't seem afraid.

"I was um.. a victim of that jigsaw guy, the one from the newspaper"

"What?" Y/n said in disbelief.

"He kidnapped me and chained me up in this room with this doctor, said that if we wanted to escape we had to saw our own feet off. A whole bunch of other shit went down, this guy came in the room with a gun and tried to kill me and the other guy, so I had to.." he trailed off and pursed his lips, "anyways, the doctor, he sawed off his foot and got out. I was too fucking scared and I'd already been shot by that point, so I just waited for him to get help. But the asshole never came back. I was in there for a couple days until the cops found me. Doctors say that if I'd been left just a few hours longer I'd be dead now."

Adam's face was expressionless as he started straight ahead at something that wasn't there. His fingers tangled themselves around the ends of the scarf he wore in an absent minded attempt to soothe himself. He could have swore that his heart stopped, the birds ceased their calls, the wind stilled and the world stopped turning for the painstakingly long few seconds he waited for y/n's reaction. He braced himself for the goodbye.

"Wow." he said softly, "you know, I think most people would let something like that turn them into a not so good person. It speaks volumes about your character that you're still so..."

Adam turned to look at him. He was smiling.

"... great" he said.

The look on his face was one that Adam had never seen before. It wasn't one of pity, not even a hint of disgust, just pure, unadulterated kindness. Adam thought he might very have been an angel in that moment.

"So... you still want to be friends?" He asked, feeling slightly more confident.

Y/n pulled Adam towards him by the scarf and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Adam, I want nothing more than to be your friend"

Adam felt himself smile, only slightly in relief, mostly just in pure ecstasy. Things were finally starting to go right for him.

A/n comment if you wanna be tagged when pt 3 is up :^)

Replies and reblogs are very much appreciated! I thrive on your validation lmao

Requests are open! Check my pinned post for details and masterlist! <3

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Homesick

CW; Some dehumanizing language (not much, and not purposeful), nonhuman whumpee, lab whump aftermath, blood, medical whump, mer whump, needle references, clinical depression

Signs of the Sea Masterlist

-

BAHRAM’S NOTES

Written on paper with pen, kept folded in a copy of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

January 15th, 20XX

1:42 am

Mer in Residence: 93 Days

He’s homesick. I mean, of course he is. I’d be homesick too if they’d taken me away from my parents when I was a kid and dumped me in an enclosure that looks like the uncanny valley version of my life, surrounded me with things who don’t speak like I do and had to learn to communicate by force just to beg for mercy I don’t get

I’m dwelling again. Maman keeps telling me not to dwell, that that’s how everything fell apart before. Why I ended up dropping out, how I fell headfirst into the universe’s oddest babysitting job in the first place. I mean, she doesn’t say that, exactly - she doesn’t know just what I’m doing. Maman and Baba think I’m watching an orca calf. 

I think that’s what I told them, anyway.

Honestly, things are kind of running together, and that’s scary - that’s what happened before. The days run together, I spend more time lying down than upright, and eventually the haze just gets heavier. I stop reading, I stop gaming, eventually I just... stop. I can't do it again. I can't.

I told Maman I might go back on my medication. She said, you know, that’s up to me. She wanted me back on it ages ago, but she never says I told you so and that’s why I tell her these things first, and not Baba. He always asks me why I can't just decide to be happier.

I would if I could, Baba.

Earlier today, after Dr. L was done with the mer, she just... cleaned herself up and then stepped right out. Left. Said she had to make a phone call.

The mer was still on his back, weeping blood all down one side from Dr. Lachlan’s work today. It was pooled all over the floor. At least she seems to have finally decided she’s taken enough of his scales, and his tail doesn’t look like such a mottled, reddened mess any longer.

She says we’re going to give him an MRI soon, and I am not looking forward to trying to get him through any of that safely. Not that safety is something Dr. L is remotely worried about. 

Safety or, you know, basic employment protocols to keep me from losing my mind. I’m on a 24-hour shift, and I should be sleeping right now, but even though I can barely handle standing up, I’m wide, wide awake.

I think it’s making the thoughts worse. I never sleep anymore, except when Miah comes in to give me a day off now and then. She can tell, I know it, but she’s nice enough not to say anything.

I should ask her out on another date, the first one was amazing, but... I don’t know. We kissed at the end and she asked me if I wanted to go inside with her and I said no. Because...

I don't know why.

Because I'm afraid I'll, what, infect her with depression? Who knows. I don't even know. Sometimes it's just too hard to do the thing I want to do. She's made a few attempts to talk since but I just can't seem to find the right signs to connect my brain with my hands.

I should tell her about why I dropped out of grad school, shouldn’t I? I should tell someone that it's happening again. I should tell someone I'm thinking about k

I’ll think about that later. 

Anyway... Dr. L left, and the mer was just... lying there, still strapped down to the examination table, looking at me with those huge green eyes. I thought they were eerie at first, almost emotionless, but I can see all the little shifts now, as he follows my movements. I know some of his clicks, what he’s trying to ask.

I know that he asks for help over and over again, and I know that I don't provide it. I can't.

I could

I can't.

I was pushing over the tub of water we use to move him around when he clicked at me three times, head tilted back. There was dark red blood, nearly purple, staining his white hair. She did some exploratory cuts along his neck, I think prepping for a full surgical look at his vocal chords soon.

She told me why. She did. It's just... I’m just having a hard time listening now. 

I keep looking at him and thinking of how I would feel if my life had gone from family and ocean life to being strapped down and made to bleed for the education - and probably entertainment - of creatures I couldn’t even begin to know.

We talk about alien abductions, but humans are the ones who sometimes just take things and cut them apart to look inside. To Kima, I’m the alien, the evil villain, the monster under the

Bahram you are losing your grip. Stop it.

The blood he lost pooled underneath him and it stained the water as I moved him from the exam table back to his tank. It stained his hair and my hands. He smelled like copper and seawater in those moments. He smelled like bloody tears.

I almost threw up but I couldn't find the energy even for that.

Dr. L told Miah’s dad that forced-captive mer don’t usually last more than a year, especially young ones. I was thinking about that, and how does she know? There aren’t even enough official captivities to begin to have expert knowledge on that, let alone of calves.

Right?

Is there something she’s not telling me about how she knows that kind of information?

Kima clicked at me three times and I just smiled at him. He’s getting used to smiles, I think he gets that they’re not a sign of danger or being angry at this point. He tries to smile back sometimes, although that mouthful of fangs is a little unsettling, even if he means well. 

I said, “I know it hurts, but I promise I’ll put something on there for the pain in just a second.”

He made a sound very much like a chirp and settled back as best he could, but I could see how it hurt him. 

I hate this job.

I hate myself.

I rolled him back down into the tank room, past the computer and the couch and everything, but when it came time to give him an injection to sedate him I just... couldn't do it.

I had to sit down on the couch and just stare. I don't even know what I thought, or how long I did it. But eventually I heard a soft sound like rhythmic scrapes, and I looked up-

And there's Kima.

He was throwing himself against the side of his rolling travel tank to make it roll inch by inch across the floor, closing the distance between us.

When he got close, our eyes met.

I was in the water and out of it, breathing through gills and breathing air. I had rubbery thick skin and heavier weight and thin layers of delicate cells interlocking over muscle and bone. All of it at once.

In my head, I thought was told, Bahram sad.

"Yes." What else could I possibly say?

Kima watched me, solemn and still, with those enormous allover green eyes. Then he pushed upwards, hooking his arms over the side of his travel tank. Dark blood ran mixed with our imported seawater down from the cuts over his neck, staining grayish skin

Kima sad.

None of this was in words. All of it is simply... thoughts. Full thoughts, slipping back and forth like fins in water, slippery as eels. Thoughts that aren't words, but images, feelings, visions behind my eyelids.

I should tell Dr. L he talks to me this way.

I should absolutely not tell her that.

"I'm sorry," I said. My voice cracked, like being a teenager all over again. I could share with him how awful and guilty I felt. I could show that to him. "I didn't know. I didn't know you were... You could think."

"Bbhhh-rrrmmm," Kima said out loud. He tries so hard to make the sounds work. I can't possibly type them out in a way that actually reflects how he says it. "Bhhhh-rmmm. Heh-... ehp. Ulp."

Bahram help.

His brow furrows a little, head tipping to one side. White hair sticks to his cheeks and forehead, drips water down him. His nose slits flare as he breathes through lungs for the moment.

"I don't know how to help you," I said, and put my head in my hands. "I don't know what to do."

He was quiet, then. He looked confused more than disappointed.

After a while, I found the energy to put him back in his big tank and even dropped some fish in. After that, it took all I had in me to dump the bloodied travel tank water and make it back to lie down on the couch.

I've been here basically ever since.

I should read or study but I can't. I just physically can't make myself move. Kima watches me sometimes, and I watch him nurse the bruises and blisters and bloodied wounds Dr. L opened on him. The new ones starting to layer over the old.

He tries to think Bahram help but I don't answer. I don't even have the words to begin.

How do I tell him I need help, too?

If I do, I could lose this job.

Would anyone else talk to him? Miah, yeah, but she has school, she can't be here very often. Who else would take this job?

Would they be worse at it than I am?

Is that even possible?

The alarm just went off

Never mind. It was just Dr. L, she bumped one of the alarms with her hip. She's come back carrying a box. She said tomorrow we take some skin.

I didn't ask how much.

Just said okay, watched her head for the lab, and laid back down on the couch. Kima asked what skin is. I decided not to tell him.

I can't keep being the bad guy, I have to quit.

I can't quit, who would take care of him?

So instead of doing anything, I do nothing. Just like before.

I should tell someone it's happening again.

I should tell someone, anyone, that it's happening again.

Literally anyone.

I'm so tired.

Bahram help.

Okay, but could someone help Bahram, maybe, too?

-

@astrobly @burtlederp @finder-of-rings @thefancydoughnut @whumptywhumpdump @boxboysandotherwhump @yet-another-heathen @fanmanga1357-blog @justabitofwhump @crystalrainwing @keeper-of-all-the-random-things @orchidscript @whump-tr0pes @hackles-up

[simsontherope]

Essential NPCs

All the essential NPCs for various packs, edited to match my sims style, with some nice outfits (three in the everyday category), skills, likes and dislikes, additional traits, lifestyles and more. I used content from many packs to dress them, so if you need to replace some outfits, simply edit them in CAS from the Manage Households window, it should work.

Install these sims on an empty lot, and don’t go in Live Mode with them (otherwise, they will lose their NPC jobs). Instead, evict them immediately. Then, in the Manage Households window, mark them as Unplayed and move them in the Other Households tab. You also need to delete the original version of these sims, in the Manage Households window (but first read the whole post).

For some of these households, I've added additional instructions below, along with links to download the tray files. Or you can use my EA ID simsontherope to find them in the gallery.

If you want more sims, download my Townies Packs (Part A, Part B, Part C, Occults and Essential NPCs ), or my Families Packs (Part I, Part II and Part III ).

And feel free to browse through my other creations!

Sages for Realm of Magic

Nothing special for these sims, just install them by following the instructions and delete the original households!

Download the tray files for the Sages: SimFileShare

Townies for Henford-on-Bagley

Unfortunately, you can’t delete the original version of Agnes and Agatha, as  the Crumplebottom household is hidden by default. But if you have the MC Command Center, click on a mailbox. Go in the  MC Cheats menu, click on Sims/NPC Households Cheats, and then Unhide Hidden Households. In the window that just opened, select Agnes or Agatha, and validate. Their household will now be visible in the Manage Households window, you can delete them from here.

Download the tray files for the Henford Sims: SimFileShare

Werewolves from Moonwood Mill

They will no longer be part of their original wolf pack when you install them, but it's easy to fix!

Add the original leaders (Kristopher for the Moonwood Collective and then Rory for the Wildfangs) to the household, ask the relooked version of the sims to join the pack, and assign them their rank (Werewolf Pack menu, and then Pack Hierarchy) and Entrust the leadership of the pack to their new version. You can now delete the old versions of the sims. Then, you can evict this household, and split it in the Manage Households window if you want to install the Volkov household in their original house.

So no cheat needed, but it's a bit more tedious than usual!

Unfortunatly, I couldn't get Celene and Wolfgang to keep their NPC jobs, so you won’t see them working at the library or at the bar (but in any case, they would have ended up being replaced by random sims!). In my save, I included Celene instead of Lily in the Volkov household, and I installed them in my renovated version of their house (so you can sometimes see Celene walking around in Moonwood Mill).

Download the tray files for the Werewolves: SimFileShare

High school staff for Copperdale

I changed some of their traits (the principal was Neat, but it was annoying to see her spend her time cleaning the showers or toilets instead of staying in her office), their ages for the seniors (in my game, they were both afraid of dying because of the new fear system, so they were running around looking scared all the time), and I replaced the cafeteria worker with her husband, because I wanted more guys.

Download the tray files for the High school staff: SimFileShare

And that’s all! If more essential households are added with future packs, I will update this post!