#devastate him. lay waste to him.

[sciderman]

johnny with a mustache looks like a p.e teacher,,,,, you could put that man in a white t-shirt tucked into red gym shorts (those really short ones) with sneakers and tube socks and a whistle around his neck and make him play dodgeball and i wouldn't even question it

i do not think johnny storm would ever desire to look like a p.e teacher. i think of all the looks johnny storm would want to serve, p.e teacher chic is not one of them.

[princessbrunette]

ugh sleepy pussy rubs with jombee. SOMEONE SEDATE ME RN.

and if i say outlaw!johnb?

♡༻🌸༺♡︎

your body is all hot and glowing with a thin sheen of sweat. it’s storming outside, yet the air is thick and humid and you’ve removed the thin night gown you’d gone to sleep in, naked body writhing in the dark beside john b.

“s’too loud. m’hot and it’s loud and i can’t—” you whine, devastated. he pitied you. he was used to sleeping in worse conditions, but the storm was clearly upsetting you — and he could tell you were incredibly tired and just wanted to be able to relax. you tense up once more as the thunder cracks, and john b pulls your body closer.

“sure you can. ‘storms outside. we’re inside… and you’re safe with me, right?” he presses a kiss into your temple, watching the way your chest heaves with an exasperated sigh, the moon illuminating the fat of your tits in the dark.

“i know but… i just can’t relax…” you mewl, and even though you’re not looking up at his face he imitates your pout, thinking for a moment.

“i might be able to remedy that.” he coo’s lightheartedly, chest rumbling against your back as you lay slightly against him. he reaches downward, pulling your thigh over over his leg to open your legs wide, the warm night air caressing your folds that were already a little glossy from being near to your man. “there we go, easy. juuust spreadin’ you like butter.” he smiles, hand sliding down your tummy. his little catchphrase which would usually make you giggle makes your body relax a little against his and he presses a kiss to your cheek. “good girl.”

he wastes no time, his cupped fingers pushing between fat folds and rubbing your bud, making you let out a croaky whimper. “iiii know. settle down now sweetheart, just relax for me.”

you do as he says, eyes fluttering shut as you squeeze out your arousal making it easier for him to stroke you. the storm continues to crash outside, and you jolt just a little, causing the brunette to hold you tighter. “hey, hey… i’m here… get some shut eye, sweet girl… storms passing anyway…”

john b continues to talk to you quietly whilst stroking your cunt. there was no end goal in sight with this, drifting in and out between your own pleasure as the boy who’d worked in your barn all day continued to put in the work to soothe you, knowing he’d still be up early in the morning to get back to work. you couldn’t believe such a sweet man could be an outlaw.

♡༻🌸༺♡︎

[rose24207]

Make them pay

Summary: When your favorite café is shattered by violence and your friend needs help, you turns to your mafia husband, Lando Norris, to bring justice and restore peace to those you hold dear.

Genre: Mafia!Lando, angst, fluff

TW: Mafia, violence, fraud, threats, mention of weapons

A/N: I watched the first episode of bloodhounds and knew what I needed to do! Let me know what you think! English is not my first language. I hope you enjoy it though! Requests are open and welcome!

Masterlist

The brisk winter air nipped at your cheeks as you walked down the familiar cobblestone path toward La Petite Rose. A smile tugged at your lips despite the chill. The café had always been your escape, a pocket of warmth and comfort amidst the chaos of life.

As you neared the shop, however, a strange unease settled in your chest. Something felt... wrong. The faint scent of coffee that usually wafted through the air was replaced by the acrid tang of something burnt.

You quickened your pace, rounding the corner—then froze.

The sight before you was devastating.

The café’s large front window was shattered, jagged glass glittering like cruel shards of ice against the pavement. Chairs and tables lay overturned, some broken. A dark smear of blood streaked the stone steps leading to the entrance.

"Marie!" you cried, your voice sharp with panic.

You pushed open the door, the bell above it hanging crooked and silent. Inside, the destruction was even worse. The once-cozy space was now a warzone.

And then you saw her.

Marie was slumped against the counter, her apron stained with blood. A nasty gash above her eyebrow leaked crimson down her pale face. She clutched a trembling hand to her forehead, her eyes glazed with shock and tears.

"Marie!" You rushed to her side, dropping to your knees. Your hands hovered over her, unsure of where to begin. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Her lips quivered as she tried to speak. "They... they came... demanding the money. I told them I didn’t have it yet, and they..." Her voice broke into a sob. "They destroyed everything."

Rage boiled within you, hot and unrelenting. How dare they? Marie was the kindest, sweetest person you knew, and these monsters had terrorized her—hurt her—for what?

"Who did this?" you demanded, your tone low and trembling with fury.

Marie shook her head, clutching your arm as though grounding herself. "I don’t know their names. They said they were from the company I owe. They... they said if I didn’t pay by the end of the week, they’d do worse."

You clenched your fists, the fury bubbling over. "I’ll fix this, Marie. I swear to you, they won’t get away with this."

The drive home was a blur, your mind racing as your hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. By the time you arrived at the sprawling estate you shared with your husband, you were vibrating with barely-contained anger.

Lando was in the study, his tie loosened and a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked up when you stormed in, his brow furrowing.

"Darling, what’s wrong?" he asked, setting the glass down.

You didn’t waste a second, pacing the room as you recounted everything you’d seen at the café—the broken glass, the overturned tables, the blood on Marie’s face. Your voice shook with emotion, switching between fury and anguish.

"She’s my friend, Lando," you said, your eyes glistening with unshed tears. "She’s the sweetest person, and those bastards attacked her like she’s nothing. They destroyed her café. Her dream. And for what? Money she doesn’t even have because she was scammed!"

Lando rose from his seat, his expression darkening with each word. When you finished, he stepped closer, placing his hands on your shoulders. "And you want me to deal with it," he said, his voice calm but cold.

"I don’t want you to deal with it," you snapped, glaring up at him. "I need you to. You have the power, Lando. I know you can make this right."

His green eyes bore into yours, searching. You held his gaze, your own fierce and unwavering.

"You’re furious," he murmured, almost admiringly. "It suits you."

"Don’t patronize me," you said, your tone sharp but not unkind. "Marie needs our help. I’m asking you, as your wife, to do something about this."

Lando’s lips quirked into a small, amused smile. "As my wife, huh? Throwing the titles around now?"

You narrowed your eyes. "Lando."

"Alright, alright," he relented, holding up his hands. His expression turned serious. "I’ll take care of it. But you know this won’t be pretty."

"I don’t care," you said firmly. "They deserve whatever’s coming to them."

Later that night, you couldn’t sleep. Images of the shattered café and Marie’s wounded face haunted you, fueling your anger. Lando, however, seemed unbothered, lounging in bed with his phone.

"Are you really going to help her?" you asked, breaking the silence.

He glanced at you, his brow arching. "You doubt me?"

"No," you admitted softly. "But this is important, Lando. Promise me you’ll make them pay."

He set his phone down and turned to you, his hand brushing a strand of hair from your face. "I’ll do more than make them pay," he said, his voice a low murmur. "I’ll make sure they never bother her—or anyone else—again."

You nodded, leaning into his touch. Despite everything, you trusted him. Lando might be a criminal, but he was also your husband. And when he made a promise, he kept it.

Two days later, the storm you had unleashed began to brew.

Lando had sent his men to gather information, and it didn’t take long for them to uncover the truth. The scam company was a front for a rival crime syndicate, one that had been encroaching on Lando’s territory.

"They’ve been playing dirty," Lando told you during breakfast, his tone casual despite the gravity of the situation. "Using small businesses as leverage to launder money."

"And Marie?" you asked, gripping your coffee mug tightly.

"She was just an easy target," he said. "But they made a mistake going after her. Now, they’re on my radar."

The confrontation took place in a dingy warehouse on the outskirts of town. Lando’s men had lured the scammers there under the guise of a business meeting. The rival syndicate’s leader strutted in, flanked by his own guards.

The tension in the air was palpable as Lando stepped forward, his presence commanding the room.

"You’ve been busy," Lando said, his tone deceptively calm. "Scamming innocent people, threatening them... destroying their lives."

The other man sneered. "Business is business, Norris. Don’t act like you’re any different."

Lando’s smile was cold, almost predatory. "The difference is, I don’t target the defenseless. And I certainly don’t touch what’s mine."

Before the rival leader could respond, Lando’s men moved. The sound of guns cocking filled the room, and within seconds, the enemy guards were disarmed and subdued.

You watched as Lando stepped closer to the rival leader, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You made a mistake targeting my wife’s friend. And now, you’re going to pay for it."

The man paled, his bravado crumbling. "I-I didn’t know—"

"Now you do," Lando interrupted, his tone icy.

What followed was swift and brutal. Lando’s men dismantled the rival operation, ensuring they wouldn’t recover. By the end of the night, the scammers were dealt with, and Marie’s debt was erased.

When you visited La Petite Rose the next morning, the café was already under repair. Lando had hired a crew to fix the damage, and Marie’s face lit up when she saw you.

"Mon Dieu," she breathed, rushing to hug you. "I don’t know how, but... they called this morning. They said the debt is gone!"

You smiled, hugging her tightly. "I told you I’d fix it."

Tears filled her eyes as she pulled back. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

You brushed a tear from her cheek, your heart swelling with relief. "You don’t have to thank me. Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself, okay?"

Marie nodded, her smile returning. For the first time in days, you felt at peace.

As you left the café, you glanced at your phone, where a text from Lando awaited.

"Handled, as promised. Dinner tonight?"

You smiled, typing back a quick response.

"Always. Love you."

Thank you for reading!

[thisonegirl]

On The Ground

pairing : keigo “hawks” takami x reader rating : nsfw warnings : angst ; sexual descriptions wc : 1.6k (edited) part I part II

You gasped at the particularly hard thrust Keigo gave. Your hips moved against his as you used each other to chase your highs. You were both sweaty and clammy and you loved it like that. He held your hands, pinning them down beside your head as he hid his face in the crook of your neck, occasionally sucking and biting down on the sensitive skin. You were sure that it was all marked up, just how he liked it.

He let go of your hands, putting one of his on your throat while reaching the other down between your bodies to your clit as his pace fastened and roughened. The intensity made you arch your back, dipping your head further into the pillow under you as a loud moan ripped out of you. He leaned down to close the space between your lips, locking them in a messy kiss with teeth and tongue everywhere. 

You subconsciously reached your arms around his neck, pulling him closer to your body as his grip tightened around your neck. His rough and fast pace forced you to hold on tighter to him with your nails scratching down his back… Big mistake!

The second he felt your hands go down his back with ease, he flinched and quickly pulled away from you leaving you hot and empty. You closed your eyes, scolding yourself for forgetting to keep your hands away from his back. You watched Keigo from behind as he sat at the edge of the bed breathing heavily as he tried to calm himself. You knew better than to open your mouth or even touch him when he got like this, so you sat quietly waiting for your time to approach him.

You sat with your back leaning against the headboard, the sheets pulled up under your arms to cover yourself. You sat there in silence, stewing in your guilt as you stared at his scarred and wingless back. 

Before long, he abruptly stood from the bed and made his way to the bathroom. Maybe now I can try to talk to him. You thought as you followed him, picking up your underwear and your top from off the floor and putting them on. You knocked on the door and waited for a response. When you got none, you tried again but didn’t wait before going in. 

You found him in the shower with his back turned to you. You knew the water was cold. That was the only way he showered since the war. You figured that the coldness reminded him of the cold air he felt when he flew high enough way back when. Not wanting to intrude, you closed the lid of the toilet and sat on it. 

The silence stretched on and on with only the sound of the shower to offset it. Sighing, you decided you sat with your anxiety long enough and spoke up, “I’m sorry,” you said softly but loud enough to be heard over the sound of the shower, “I was just so in the moment that I forgot.”

You looked at him, his back still facing you as you chewed your lip anxiously waiting for an answer.

“It’s fine, Y/N. I just needed some time,” he responded gruffly before turning the shower knob to the left to heat the water up, “come on,” he beckoned you much to your relief. You wasted no time taking you clothes off and joining him under the now warm falling water. 

He wrapped his arms around you as you wrapped yours around his waist laying your head against his chest as he laid his against your head. You stood there, silently comforting each other.

Ever since AFO took his quirk, he hated being reminded that he no longer had his wings. You still remembered the devastation you felt when you saw him after the battle. All battered up, hanging on for dear life. He spent days in and out of consciousness and you spent those same days glued to his side, crying your eyes out. 

Everyone spoke of how important of a role he played in your victory, how he was a true hero, how his sacrifice was worth it as it helped save millions upon millions of lives but you hated hearing that. His sacrifice cost him more than anyone but you knew. It cost him himself. It cost him Hawks.

You knew Hawks was more than his wings and though you haven’t given up on trying to explain that to him, he simply didn’t want to hear it. He was stubborn, and you both liked and disliked that about him.

“I’m sorry for how I reacted back there��� I just-”

“Shhh,” you hushed him. Your eyes closed as your arms tightened around him, “Don’t apologize. Just know you can talk to me whenever you’re ready, okay?” You felt him nod and you returned to your now comfortable silence.

You stood in the shower for a while before finally growing tired of it. You dressed up and made your way to the kitchen where you made a quick sandwich for the two of you as he sat by the island watching your every move. You cooked in silence, ate in silence, cleaned up in silence and when you finally finished, you laid in bed in silence. 

Silence became a staple in your home. It was constant and everlasting. There was the occasional conversation, a little chuckle here and snort there but nothing like the cheerfulness that once filled your home. 

You wondered if you’d ever go back to how it was. You wished he never left, you wished you could somehow give him back his quirk. You knew that was what gave him his sense of purpose and as much as it pained you to not be enough for him, you knew him losing his wings was like losing himself, therefore no amount of love he had for you would give him his purpose back.

“Do you think Eri could-” you began to ask before he interrupted you.

“No. And I don’t even want her to,” he mumbled, “She’s been through enough, she doesn't need the weight of that request on her.”

You recoiled feeling guilty for even considering using the little girl like that. You nodded, returning to your state of silence. 

“It’s alright, you know?” He said. You looked at him with furrowed brows, confused by his sudden statements. “It’s alright. I’m alright. We won, and we’re all alive and well so everything is alright.”

You couldn’t help but feel like he was trying to convince himself rather than you but you nodded nonetheless, placing a tender kiss upon his lips before cuddling up to him. 

“I know you probably don’t want to hear this but it’s not so bad down here with us,” you tried to joke but it fell flat. 

“I know…I’m grounded but at least I got you down here to keep me company,” he chuckled softly. You felt somewhat relieved that he didn’t take your sad attempt at a joke the wrong way. “On another note,” his voice lowered, taking a more seductive tone, “I left you hanging earlier. How about we pick up where we left off?”

You smirked at his suggestion but you knew he just wanted to distract the both of you from the topic at hand. Knowing that it was better to not push him, you let him pull you in by the back of your neck into a deep kiss. His tongue slipped into your mouth and tangled with yours. His hands skillfully removed the clothing from both of your bodies and before long he was in you again, thrusting as though he had never stopped in the first place.

“You feel so good around me, angel, “ he groaned, the sound of it making you clench around him.

“Please go faster,” you whimpered, this time mindful to not let your hands touch his back, “please make me cum.”

He, obeying your requests, quickened his pace coaxing out louder and more frequent moans out of you. He took a hold of your hands, intertwining your fingers with his and connected his forehead to yours as your breaths mixed with how close your lips were to each other.

“I’m close, baby,” he announced, “are you too?” You nodded, closing the distance between your lips only for him to pull away. “Answer me.”

“Yes, baby, yes I am,” you gasped. His thrusts grew rougher and sloppier and you felt a knot tighten in your stomach. You were at the edge of your highs and you were desperate to reach it. “Please make me cum, please…” you whined.

“I’m coming baby, fuck…” he groaned, releasing into you, shivering from the intensity. Your legs trembled as you came with him, eyes closing tightly and toes curling as the bliss took over you. 

His thrusts slowed but didn’t cease until he felt your body relax, and only then did his movement halt and his body collapsed on top of yours. 

You laid there, his head on your bare chest and you hand stroked his hair. You both breathed heavily, trying to catch your breaths though you were still in a state of high and bliss. 

“I meant in, by the way,” he said. You didn’t even open your eyes as you waited for him to elaborate. “I really am alright. I don’t mind being grounded if I’m with you.”

Your heart swelled in your chest. You could feel tears begin to sting you eyes but you refused to let them fall. 

“I love you, Keigo,” was the only thing you could think of to respond.

“I love you more.”

You knew then that you’d be alright. Both of you would. You just needed some time to adjust to being on the ground full time.

——————————

masterlist

[adventuringblind]

Keep me Close

Past Jules Bianchi x reader, platonic Charles Leclerc x Reader

Genre: angst

Request: yepyep finally got me some angst things to write

Summary: Charles's new girlfriend can't understand why he's so attached to the reader

Warnings: talks of death, name calling, a table gets flipped

Notes: I definitely didn't cry writing this at one point. Also, no hate to Alex!! I know hardly anything about her, but I know her and Charles are currently together, and it fits the Timeline, so please bear with me.

Masterlist

Your love for Jules was something you find in fairy tales. It was beautiful, and both of you felt connected on a level deeper than anything imaginable.

It started when you were both merely kids. You were six, and he was eight. The two of you had met at the wedding of a mutual friend. Dressed in nice clothing, he'd marched right up to you and claimed to be a knight looking for a princess.

You were inseparable after that. It was like you'd found your soulmate.

When you turned eighteen, Jules had immediately proposed. And when you countered by asking if you were both too young, he said, 'Why waste time when I know I'll love you forever?'"

You'd gotten close with Leclerc family. Specifically with Charles since Jules was named godfather. He spent a great deal of time with you and Jules.

Then 2014. Everyone was sure Jules was going to get a seat with Ferrari. It would be a crime if he didn't.

You remember kissing him, good luck. The last feeling of his lips on your before getting in the car.

You remember telling him to be safe with the rain; that you love him dearly. He replied with his signature wink and an 'I love you more and I always am.'

Then everything stopped. The world seemed to no longer spin. Time refused to move forward as you willed it to go back.

It couldn't be real. There was no way it had happened. You still thought that as you sat at his bedside faithfully for months. There wasn't a world you wanted to live in if it didn't have Jules.

Charles was similarly devastated. He'd lost someone dear to him. The boy spent all his free time sitting with you in the hospital. Even bringing around food that Pascale had made to keep you alive. Something you didn't want to be at that moment.

The bond you'd formed with Charles during this time is hard to explain. There is nothing romantic. He's family despite the age gap not being that large.

He was, and is still, family. You'd promised to still take care of him despite the loss of Jules, and he promised to do the same in his stead.

The start of the 2024bseason brings on an interesting turn of events. Charles had split with his girlfriend before the new year and is now with his new girlfriend Alex.

You like her. She's very sweet as far as you've been told. But there is something there that makes you worry. You just blame the fact that you want the best for Charles.

The first time you met her was at a family dinner. Charles brought Alex with him to introduce her to everyone.

You were actually the first person he introduced her to. You felt honored, but there was something behind her eyes that you couldn't quite pinpoint. But you kept it to yourself and made friendly conversation.

The next time you saw her was when she dropped by the Leclerc family home unannounced. The position she caught you in wasn't a bad one, but it probably didn't look good to her.

Charles had a rough race in Monaco, as per usual, and was laying with his head in your lap while you ran fingers through his hair. It's the same thing Jules had done when Charles was a child after a bad Karting race.

Alex definitely didn't look pleased with you. But she managed to put kn a smile and say hello.

It was awkward. Especially after Charles and her went into another room because you could hear them talking in hushed whispers.

Your fingers find the chain with your wedding ring on it. Your lips press against the cold metal as you hold the ring to your mouth. "I hope I'm doing this right, Jules. It's hard without you here."

The last time you saw Alex was at a birthday party. Your birthday party. Something you don't like having after Jules because he was the one who always made the day special.

Charles is a stubborn man though and decided it was necessary. Partly because this is his way of remembering that you are alive and with them, but it also gives him and excuse to drink and dance.

It wasn't anything massive. Or at least - not a massive as it could have been. There were a good number of people crowded into your Monaco home. The food is good, and the music is better. It definitely felt like a party Jules would have dragged you to in your youth.

It's not long until Charles appears at the door with Alex in tow. He comes to you, and you embrace him as usual. The smile on his face makes everything worth it. despite having to deal with a party for a few hours.

Pierre also finds you and starts up conversation. The three of you fail to notice the fourth becoming increasingly agitated.

A loud crashing sound pulls all of their attention. Alex flipped over the table in her agitation and is now sending chills down your spine with the look on her face.

"Why are you so determined to be some kind of homewrecker! Why can't you just stop being a creep to Charles and let us live in peace!" She screams. It hits your mind like a shadow. The world fades away, and your thoughts are filled with the doubts you have daily.

Tears fill your eyes, and your body goes rigid. "I'm Charles' godmother. Y/N Bianchi. I am no homewrecker." You choke.

Charles and Pierre take a protective step in front of you. "Get out!" Charles' voice drips with venom. Alex looks stunned. She doesn't move even as Charles shouts at her. "Nobody gets to speak like that to my family! Get out!"

Then she runs. Avoiding the gazes of disapproval.

Charles spins around and places his hands on your shoulders. His eyes scanning your face to assess the damage.

"I'm so sorry that happened. You're amazing. Always have been. And anyone who says differently is a fucking asshole."

Even through the tears, she smiles. Jules couldn't have left her in better hands.

[taisho-era-secrets]

Don't look at me as I fumble some quick Rengoku fluff out of my pocket as I trip and fall. Listen, I've been a little sad lately (just a little, just a little) and Rengoku keeps me going. I also don't know if this has been done before or not but I'm still tossing it out here.

CW: Talks of disability, hard of hearing Rengoku. This is a sfw fic, savor it while you can. We're going right back to business after this.

It all came to a still - the hustle and bustle of the day, the work, the errands. The seemingly nonstop chaos always comes to a still at the end of the day as you lace your fingers in with his. The nightly ritual of just connecting was something that you both looked forward to, but as you lay here you couldn't help but feel this twinge that something was... off. Something was a little different this time around and it wasn't welcomed, sending ripples into the oasis that you had so desperately looked forward to.

Your cheeks rubbed against his chest as you looked up at him and noticed his gaze burning a hole into the ceiling, brows pinched together, deep in thought.

He was never really good at hiding his emotions.

"Kyojuro?"

"Hm?"

Blinking back into reality, he tilted his head intently towards you, locks of hair draping and bunching around his face. He tried to beam brightly at you like he normally does. But again, he was never really good at hiding his emotions. Your lips pursed, letting him know that you knew something was up.

He was caught. And he knew it.

"My apologies, I just..."

His fingers wove into yours tighter as they rested intertwined atop his stomach. You could hear the anxious thump of his heart as the fire in his eyes simmered to a calm ember and his muscles relaxed just slightly. Then those eyes wandered away, avoiding your concerned gaze as you could see the cogs in his head start to return back to his previous thoughts.

"Earlier... When we were making dinner, you said something to me... and I couldn't quite hear it," his voice was softer than normal as he recalled the event to you.

"Please don't mistake my concern, I'm not upset at you by any means, but..."

His lips pinched together for a moment as you could read the pain in his tone.

"It dawned on me," his voice started to waver a bit. "You already know that my sense of hearing is... not the greatest. I can hear you when you're close to me like this."

His hand brought yours up closer as his lips brushed against your knuckles. That worried look on his face grew stronger as if he was done fighting himself and had decided to sink into the abyss of his thoughts.

"I'm worried at the possibility that I may not be able to hear you at all one day."

You sank back down into his warm chest. It wasn't something that ever really crossed your mind before, but you could tell this thought wasn't something that just suddenly popped into his mind. It was something that was formed gradually over time from his insecurity.

"Not being able to hear your voice is... a devastating thought. The thought of my body eventually betraying me like that as I grow older is alarming."

You were at a loss for words for a moment; There was rarely a time that Kyojuro showed that anything was getting to him like this. He was usually able to power through his concerns, dismissing them as a waste of worries, but this one seemed to have festered for a while. That same fear he expressed was seeping into you as well. What if there was a day you knew that he couldn't hear you tell him how much he meant to you? How much you loved him?

Then it hit you.

"Kyojuro..."

His eyes came back to you like the rays of sunlight peaking through the storm. You untangled your fingers and lifted his hand close to you. The puzzled look he gave you as you pressed his fingers firmly against your vocal cords made you smile.

"You can feel this, right?"

His expression softened, a smile slowly tugging on the edges of his mouth as his fingers caressed your neck.

"Yes."

"You can feel this just as much as you can feel my love for you, and that's something that can't be taken away with time," when those words fell out of your mouth, you could see the realization hit him.

And there he was again, slowly coming back to his usual self as a chuckle bubbled out from his chest. There was a silent realization that he was rubbing off on you with his motivational speeches, but that couldn't possibly be a bad thing.

"That's very true," he smiled so brightly, the dewy wetness of his narrowed eyes sparkling. "I don't know what the future may hold, but at least I know that... and I can keep that close to me in my heart forever."

[luvvictoria]

Let the world burn

+ pairings. sukuna x f!reader

+ tags. romance, dark romance themes, age gap, Heian era Sukuna

In a world drenched in chaos and blood, Ryomen Sukuna stood at the center, a cursed king feared by all. He thrived in destruction, relishing the terror he inspired and the ruins he left behind. Love, for him, was a weak emotion, something beneath the might of a cursed being like himself. He never imagined that anyone could pierce through his hardened soul.

But then, there were you. You were a light in the darkness, a woman of warmth and kindness in a world that seemed to be falling apart.

In a cruel twist of fate, the day you crossed paths with Sukuna was a day of carnage. Sukuna had laid waste to an entire village in his pursuit of power. The streets were littered with destruction, but amid the chaos, you stood—unwavering, not in fear but in sorrow for the lives lost.

Sukuna’s blood-red eyes fell on you, and instead of finding another trembling victim, he saw a girl standing tall, your gaze soft yet determined as you helped those around you, despite the destruction all around you. You didn’t run from him, didn’t scream or cower. Your kindness in the face of such darkness intrigued him.

“What are you doing?” Sukuna’s voice was a low, menacing growl as he appeared before you, towering like a demon from hell.

You looked up at him, unafraid. You eyes, deep and soft, met his deadly gaze. “Helping,” you said simply, as though his presence didn’t matter, as if the carnage he caused was just another storm to endure.

Sukuna was taken aback by you audacity, the strange way you weren't pressed or terrified of him. The cursed king smirked, finding amusement in your innocence. “Do you not know who I am?” he asked, his voice laced with dark amusement.

“I know exactly who you are, Sukuna,” You answered, your voice calm. “But even monsters deserve compassion.”

Sukuna didn’t know what compelled him to spare you that day. Maybe it was the fire in your eyes, or maybe it was the challenge you posed by not breaking before him. Either way, you had intrigued him in a way no one had in centuries.

He began seeking you out, watching you from the shadows, always lurking. He was the storm, and you the calm within it. Wherever he went, destruction followed, and yet, you remained constant—always kind, always caring for others, even in the face of ruin. Your resilience fascinated him. You were a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve.

Soon, he stopped watching from afar and began confronting you. Each time, he tried to provoke you, taunt you, hoping to see you break. But you never did. Your kindness never wavered. You spoke to him as if he were just another person, not a cursed king with blood on his hands.

"Why do you continue to help people who will only die?" Sukuna asked one evening, his tone laced with dark curiosity. You two stood in the remnants of another destroyed town, the sky above you painted with the fiery glow of the setting sun, mirroring the devastation below.

You looked at him with your calm, steady gaze. “Because it’s all I can do in a world like this.”

Sukuna scoffed, but something about your answer gnawed at him. It was madness, this need to care for a world that was doomed. And yet, it was that very madness that drew him closer to you. Your compassion, your refusal to succumb to fear or hatred — these were things he didn’t understand, things that made you seem untouchable, even to him.

Against his better judgment, Sukuna began to fall for you . He didn’t understand it at first. How could someone like him, a being of destruction and hatred, be drawn to someone so gentle and pure? He found himself wanting to know more about you, wanting to see what lay beneath that calm exterior.

You, too, felt the pull. You knew what Sukuna was—what he had done. But there was something in him, something broken and lost, that you couldn’t turn away from. Beneath his cruelty and his cold exterior, you saw glimpses of a man who had been consumed by his own darkness, a man who, at his core, was fighting against his own nature.

Your relationship was fiery and dangerous, a dance between light and shadow. Sukuna would destroy, and you would heal. He would taunt you, and you would calm him. The more time you spent together, the more you became entwined in a toxic yet irresistible pull.

Sukuna, for the first time, began to see the world through your eyes. He didn’t change — he still embraced his nature as a curse, but you made him feel something different. You were a flame that burned in the center of his cold world, and though he knew it would destroy you both, he couldn’t pull away.

One night, under a blood-red moon, Sukuna found himself standing beside you. The world around you was in flames—another town he had destroyed. But in that moment, as the world burned, it felt like you were the only two who mattered.

"Why do you stay?" Sukuna asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

You looked up at him, your eyes filled with a sadness that mirrored the destruction around you two. “Because even in all this darkness, I see the man you could be.”

Your words stung, a sharp contrast to the brutality of his existence. No one had ever spoken to him like that. No one had ever cared to.

“If I let the world burn, will you still stay?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, almost like a plea.

You smiled softly, “I’m not afraid of the fire, Sukuna. I’m not afraid of you.”

And so you remained, two opposites bound together by fate. Sukuna, the cursed king who let the world burn, and you, the woman who stayed by his side, unflinching, even as the flames consumed everything around you.

It was a love that was never meant to be—a dangerous, twisted bond that could only end in tragedy. But in the end, you both knew that you would let the world burn just to stay by each other's side for one more moment.

Because even in the ashes, you had found something worth holding onto.

[marvelavengerspovs1]

Comfort

Pairing: Bucky x F!reader

Warnings: Light mention of politics, fluff

Length: 494

Summary: Bucky comforts you during your time in need.

A/N: Normally I’m not one to be overly vocal about my beliefs, but after the shit show that was the election, I can’t not be. If you know me, I believe that everyone deserves rights, no matter who they are, how they identify, who they love, etc. The type of hate that we see now is only going to increase and I cannot stand by and not say anything. My page will always be a safe space for everyone, no matter what. I wrote this partially to comfort myself, but now I am posting it for everyone else who also needs this. To my friends who are going to be affected by this, I am so sorry that this country has failed you. I am sorry that your rights will be affected by this. I am sorry that people carry this immense amount of hate and don’t know how to mind their own business. Know this; My page will be a safe space for you to be yourself, even in this horrible time. You have someone in your corner who will not judge you and cares for your overall well being. We may not know each other, but I support you.

This is not proofread, I just wanted to put this out.

I do not consent for my work to be translated, copied, or sold!

You lay in your bed, thinking about life. It’s a tough pill to swallow. There are no words to describe the devastation you feel for your friends and family. You continue to stare up at the ceiling, thinking about how much you wished Bucky was home.

Bucky had left a few days prior on a mission. While it shouldn’t be much longer, you still wished he was home. You wished that you could lay in his arms and cry while he held you, telling you that he would do everything in his power to try to help you.

You are so lost in thought, you don’t hear the front door to your apartment open. 

Bucky quietly opens the door, hoping to not disturb you. He gently locks the door and takes off his boots, leaving them by the front door. Alpine is the first to greet him, rubbing against his leg. 

Bucky picks her up to pet her, giving her a gentle kiss on the top of her head. “Hey girl, is she still in bed?”

Alpine purrs to say yes and rubs herself on Bucky’s chest. Bucky frowns slightly but he knew you would be like this. He walks to your shared bedroom, knocking on the door.

“Doll?” He asks tentatively.

Your heart jumps before you turn your head. “Hey, Buck.” You whisper with a small smile and tears in your eyes.

Bucky gently puts Alpine on the bed and cuddles up right next to you. “I’m so sorry, Doll.”

You only nod your head and turn your body to be engulfed by him, wrapping your leg around his waist. “You just being here is helping.”

Bucky doesn’t say anything, only rubbing your back and kissing your temple as you cry in his arms. If there was anything he could do, he would do it. But that’s not possible and he wants to destroy everything because of it.

“I got you, Doll. You can cry, scream, punch, do whatever you need to do.”

You shake your head. “I just need to be with you.”

Bucky nods. “Then we can lay here and waste the day away. Have you eaten?”

You shake your head once more. “No.”

Bucky frowns slightly. “Doll, you need to eat. It’s almost 3 pm.” Alpine meows in agreement.

“I know, I just couldn’t pull myself out of bed.” You reach for Alpine and she lays between you and Bucky, purring at her favorite humans.

“Ok, well do you want to order food?”

You shake your head and scrunch your face. “I feel like if I eat, I’m going to throw up.”

Bucky looks you in the eyes. “Baby, I know. But you have to eat. How about I make you some toast? It’ll fuel you and isn’t super heavy.”

You nod. “Yeah, ok.”

Bucky kisses your forehead. “I know Doll, but we’ll get through this. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you’ll be ok.”

[cotl-flower-crown]

How and why did Lamb fall in love with Narinder to the point that they got married and had children?

Besides, if we consider that Narinder was evil and just wanted to use her to return to the world of the living.

TLDR: Slow burn, very slow burn

Feel free to ready the wall of text I prepared below

Angel (the Lamb) ever since they met The One Who Waits, was deeply devoted to him, so when it was revealed that he had plans to sacrifice them, they were devastated. It took them a long time to approach the Gateway, hesitant to fulfill their purpose, but when they thought they were at peace with their fate, Angel finally met him there.

Their plan was to negotiate. Perhaps if Angel pleaded with him enough, they would spare him, but they could tell from the moment he opened his mouth that he was not open for negotiation. But Angel tried anyway. They tried convincing him that perhaps there is another way to free him and if there is one they would be happy to do so. But what The One Who Waits saw was weakness, he saw fear in his vessel's eyes as they looked at him and questioned their faith in him. Were they not as devoted as they claimed to be? No, they doubt his judgement. Him! The One Who Waits Himself! Their God! Such blasthemy could not stand! He called The Lamb out for their cowardice and shamed them for their lack of faith. He demanded for the final time that they kneel to him, so the prophecy could be fulfilled.

But Angel could not do what their God has demanded. Even their deviotion had its limits. Through out the whole journey to free him, Angel was encouraged to learn to stand up for themselves, even by him. And now he's demanding that they ignore all their teachings and bow to him. It all felt so wrong. If they are gone, what will become of her followers, what will become of the scraps of Sheep folk's culture that they hold in their heart? It will all be gone, THEY will be gone.

They could not stand for that. With tears streaming on their cheeks, they drew an axe and pointed it in his direction. "I cannot leave yet" they whimpered through their tears. And so the battle begun.

As it ended, Lamb had no idea that The One Who Waits would survive this battle and yet, there he was, laying in front of them. A stature not taller then theirs, not even able to hold himself on his legs. But he was alive. Their prayers and hopes were heard. A wave of relief washed over Angel's body, and while they still felt betrayed by their ex-God, they didn't have it in them to finish him off. So despite his protests, they brought him to their cult. They would decide on his fate later.

When brought to Lamb's cult, Narinder felt many emotions. Anger, disappointment, fear even. Mostly anger though. He was angry that his vessel betrayed him, that he's stuck in the cult now and stuck in this weak, needy body that cannot even stand on its own. Lamb would help him get back on his feet and he hated that the most. How long would it take for the Lamb to change their mind and finish off what they started? In the best case scenario, he will be killed, free from this mortal body, but in the worst scenario, they will imprison him again. He could not read their mind anymore, he couldn't even read their face, shrouded with unreadable cold disapproval. It was both unsettling and annoying.

For many months Narinder was dependant on Lamb's help to recover his ability to walk. They would help him stretch, accompany on his walks in case he falls over from his croutches, they were his personal assistant in a way, which without a doubt Narinder liked to abuse. But eventually he would learn to stop it, as such behavior was not acceptable among Lamb's followers. They did not take kindly to him making their leader cry and Narinder will forever remember the day those people locked him in prison and threw rotten food and excrements at him. He also remembers well the night when Lamb came to him to clean off the waste off of his head and let him out of the stocks. He knows that they enjoyed watching him being served with justice a little, they told him as much, but he couldn't help, but help feel relieved by their mercy. It's not something that he would do, that's for sure. Supposedly, it was a good reminder that even if Lamb is not keen on punishing him, they have no issues letting the others do the dirty work.

Angel's grief passed soon enough, seeing Narinder's legs getting better. Witnessing him be able to stand and walk on his own, run even, was the most joyous they have felt for a long time. Still he wasn't exactly in the best shape, so the regular walks were still mandatory. Lamb didn't have to accompany him anymore, but they still did to Narinder's distaste. They would not usually speak much, but when Lamb warmed up to him a little, they begun to try and start a conversation. Though Narinder would usually turn those attempts down and challenge Lamb's attitude, one day he insulted how the cult looks, and when asked what's wrong with it, he couldn't point out specifics and stammered that there's not enough red candles. Lamb took it upon themselves to fix that issue, partially out of spite. Begrudgingly he allowed Lamb to take that win. (Narinder's first quest)

Finally the time came when Narinder was well enough to start working. Lamb assigned him to work at the farm. As he worked around with the camelia flowers he mentions Leshy, before he gets back to work. Time passes and Lamb comes back to bring him the flowers, straight from Darkwood. He expresses how he didn't ask for them, but Lamb could see past his exterior, see that they made him a little happier.

Suspicious of Lamb's intentions Narinder challenges Lamb to go to Anura and bring him mushrooms unscaved. Angel teases him a little before the travel and brings him what he wished for. Then as they talk more, Nari sends them off to Archordeep, wishing to see their crystal walls crumbled. And when that's done, he quietly asks Lamb to bring him silk from Silk Cradle. He waited by the entrance as the Lamb came back from the crusade and handed him the silk. And they brought him tea as he at last allowed himself to process the grief.

Narinder grew attached to the Lamb as there was nobody else he would think of as a worthy company. Although he did not consider them a friend, nor anything of that matter. It was hard for him to describe what his usurper meant for him at that point, but he couldn't help but follow them if he wasn't at work or asleep. They would discuss the common topics, like the weather, the jobs, hobbies and their own health. While he didn't seem to let go of his grievances with Lamb, they noticed that he wasn't exactly angry about them either.

One day Narinder witnesses a follower's death for the XYZth time and he grows curious. He hasn't been exactly a regular attendant of Lamb's sermons and he wasn't planning to be, but he realised that he doesn't know all the rites the Lamb and their flock performs as well as he wished he did. He approaches the Lamb, admiting his apprehensions towards them as worthy of the crown, demanding in his usual fashion that they show the legacy of the new God of Death. Lamb did not plan to bring anyone back from the dead that day, but they will not turn down his challenge, if that mean that they can make him eat his words.

They did not expect a genuine praise though. It felt somewhat offputting to see Narinder laugh and sound proud talking of them. They were put off guard by it and Nari didn't blame them. He was surprised himself too, to the point that had to take a step back, but it was undeniable, he was proud to see that his vessel is continuing what he started. Perhaps they have some wits in them after all. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to attend their sermons more often.

Time passed and while Narinder grew to get used to his new home, the more he stayed there, the more trapped he felt. The cult grounds seem a lot smaller once you learn all their nook and crannies. He was itching to see more of what was left of the Lambs of the Old Faith after the millenia of imprisonment. Angel excouraged him to do so, but at the same time, they were worried for his safety. The outside world is dangerous and Narinder was no longer a powerful god. While it wouldn't be impossible to bring him back to life, Angel did not want to see him dead. They eventually figured out that giving him a company to make sure that he's alive would make them a lot calmer about the expedition. They decide that they will send their most experienced missionary with him. Meanwhile Narinder and Shepherd (one of Lamb's most loyal followers, the leading farmer and the missionary veteran) shared another petty interraction, which this time ended in a fight that Lamb needed to break off.

Later, Narinder learned that him and Shepherd would be stuck together on a mission. He was vocally not happy about it but did not fight it. A human shield is always in value.

They get through their shenanigans and end up becoming friends.

When they come back, Narinder is injured and seems like it got infected, but he insists that he's fine. He stops objecting when Shep fistbumps his arm (very much intentionally) and makes Nari speechless. Angel takes Nari to the med bay, and there Nari thanks Lamb (the end of the final quest)

So, by the time the quests are finished, Nari and Lamb are kinda like friends. Acquaintances, maybe. After that, Nari spends his time either working, sunbathing or hanging out with Shep and/or Lamb. Him and Shep turn into bros, but he doesn't really know what to think about the Lamb. They're ok in his eyes.

As the time went by from then on Nari developed a vague fondness of Angel as a companion. He's not in love or anything tho. Meanwhile Angel develops a little crush on him. They think he's cute the way he is now and they enjoy spending time with him. They don't try anything with him because they don't want to ruin their friendship, but they get jealous when someone else shows interest with him and they may contribute to his dwindling love life.

More time passes and Nari begins to develop feelings for Angel. He's very dismissive about it and denies when asked, but Lamb knows and they are very fond of him at that point and really wants to say something, but doesn't want to jump this ship only to later learn that he's not happy. They made that mistake before and they don't want to pressure him into anything so they wait for him to make a move.

Meanwhile Nari tries really hard to convince himself and everyone around that he doesn't like the Lamb, even though he gets very possessive over Lamb's attention and jealous when they speak fondly with anyone else. He also wants to kill people who just happen to have a crush on the Lamb or those critical of them. He's not sure why, but he can't help it.

Even more time passes, and it finally gets through Narinder's skull that, yes, he is in love with Angel, and it's not a hex. He realises it after him and Lamb share a dance among the crowd and after talking with Shep about it. He finally decides to start courting the Lamb, but the way he wanted to do it was to give his life to them, aka stabbing himself in front of them and Shepherd was like "NOPE, how about you try the more casual ways of courting instead?". So he tries the gifts first. Gifts that consist of bones, snake skins and dead critters. Because cat instincts. Shepherd tells him to stop and try something else. After some trial and errors Narinder decides to just stick with his original plan.

He meets Lamb at night when everyone else is asleep and Narinder begins with confessing, then he pulls out a sacrificial knife and aims it at his chest. Lamb stops him, saying that they don't want to see him dead, but Nari argues with "how am I supposed to accurately show you how strong my feelings are if I cannot give you my life" and Lamb is like "do it by being by my side, not like this" and then Nari lets go of the knife and complains that now he doesn't have any plan B and Lamb proposes for him to "court them like a mortal" by sharing a dance together. Nari complains that there is no music to dance to, but that is easily fixed by waking up one of the followers to play music for the two. They share a lovely soft slow dance that ends with them kissing.

They end up getting married soon after that. And after some time spent getting adjusted to married life, they decided to try for children for one reason or the other.

And that's that. Slow burn narilamb beloved <3

[withdenim]

I think it’s time I introduce my doomed ancient yuri to the ninjago fandom. I’ll leave the story under the cut if anyone wants to read it 💜 it includes my Wojira backstory and why I draw Nyad as oni

Wojira is the younger, less powerful sister of firstbourne, I think. Wojira and Firstbourne we’re both chill with Oni, but Firstbourne was more Reserved about it . Like, she didn’t enforce weird rules or anything but she also . Didn’t stop her kids from being really awful.

Wojira spent more time with Oni than other Dragons. Even her kids (wind and water Dragons) were sort of weird about it. She didn’t really like the sort of power hoarding attitude of the other Dragons and decided to teach them a lesson about it.

When the first master was born she realized that Oni blood COULD bear elemental magic, and she took in two Oni kids (Nyad and her brother who I made up and haven’t named yet lmao) and gave them wind and water (separately) magic. And the other Dragons were VERY mad about this. They thought it was disgraceful.

They tried to get Firstbourne to banish her . Firstbourne refused and so her kids just all worked together to banish her instead. And sort of gave her a fucked up cursed eternal headache (in the amulets) Whoops . Nyad and her brother followed Wojira into the realm of Ninjago and tried to ease her pain for years but eventually it just sort of broke her mind and she started laying absolute waste to everything.

The FSM goes through his whole story (still figuring out details of it in my headcanons) and comes to Ninjago, desperate for a new home. And Nyad and her brother (I really need to name them DIFNDKFM) are scared of him at first. But he shows them his elemental magic and they realize he’s like them (Oni with elemental magic). And they bond over that and tell him about Wojira. The first master decides to help Nyad convince the Merlopians and Islanders to resist Wojira and hopefully bring peace to the realm.

Over several months they become good friends, and they often calm Nyad’s brother by making beautiful little worlds out of their elemental magic for him. And the FSM promises that one day Ninjago will be safe like these worlds, and they’ll all be able to live there.

And these very very lonely people have made a little family.

Of course, the Oni hunters are sent to track down the FSM, and Mystaké is the first to find them. She announces herself and demands the first master return with her. He begs to stay just long enough to make this world safe for the people there, and she reluctantly agrees when they show her the safe world they’re planning to build. It looks beautiful.

Mystaké joins their efforts, hoping to speed along the process of the first master’s return to the first realm, but she finds herself amazed by their magic and (worse) deeply fond of the little trio. She falls in love with Nyad, and starts letting herself indulge in their hopeful fantasies of a safe world where no one will find them. In this time, Nyad gives the FSM a name of his own to use when they have their safer world. Hajime.

When the preparations are as ready as they’ll ever be, the Battle of Nine Days begins. On the eighth day, Nyad’s little brother (who wasn’t even fighting) is struck near-fatally, and Nyad launches a risky attack to try and end the battle once and for all. It’s unsuccessful, but she realizes Wojira’s weak spot. Like in canon, she merges with the sea, desperate to give the others a chance at the world they’d all hoped for, and hoping that her brother could be saved if the battle ended and he could get proper help.

She knows she should kill Wojira, but she can’t bring herself to. And instead of killing her she decides to take the amulets, and send Wojira into a deep, painless sleep, hopefully eternal.

Hajime is devastated by Nyad’s death, and though Mystaké grieves her as well, she’s a lot more accustomed to death, and watches her go, surprised by the ache in her heart.

The brother lives, but passes on his element very soon after the events of the battle, sick of it’s consequence. Hajime builds the new world and appoints new masters, though he doesn’t know where the water and wind elements went (not his domain). Mystaké never even brings up the idea of taking Hajime back to the first realm again, and protects him from other hunters when she can. Hajime lives a long long time before choosing to pass on and find peace for himself. Mystake lives another thousand years, farming strange enchanted teas, occasionally a companion to Wu and Garmadon.

In Hunted, she confides in Lloyd that if or when she dies, she would like to be sunk into the sea where the battle took place (not that she tells him the story. Just the location), and Lloyd thinks it’s just some weird senile old lady talk. But when she does die at the hands of his father and the Sons of Garmadon in Hunted, Lloyd doesn’t get a chance to row her out until after March of the Oni.

She liked Lloyd. He was a lot like Hajime.

[ktkpopping]

Burn

summary: following a devastating breakup, your best friend Mingi helps you to put yourself back together

Hello again!! This fic was inspired solely by how Mingi says “burn it” in Outlaw. I heard it and immediately had the thought that it would make a cool fic idea. If you like some angst and a lot of hurt/comfort, then this is the fic for you!!

This fic can be read as gender-neutral! There are no identifying traits to mc or their ex-partner.

warnings: depictions of depression and anxiety throughout the story. This is a fic following a nasty breakup and the mc struggles in the aftermath.

pairing: best friend Mingi x reader

genres: heavy angst, fluff, hurt/comfort

word count: 8.8k

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60850432

———

You sat there stunned, unable to comprehend the words displayed before you on the screen.

LOML💕

It’s over, I found someone else

Sorry y/n

Your person, or who you THOUGHT was your person, had found someone else??

As you stood there in your apartment, your phone fell from your hands as you dropped to your knees, sitting there unseeing at the linoleum floor as you tried to process the abrupt end of your relationship.

How were you supposed to move on?

You wondered if you’d ever be able to stop crying, or if your eyes would ever cease to be swollen.

It’s been weeks since your breakup, yet you still felt the pure anguish and heartache, which were slowly fading their way into anger. How could they do this to you?

Two years of time wasted on someone who had the utter AUDACITY to callously end your relationship VIA TEXT MESSAGE because they had “found somebody else.”

What the fuck? The texts were a blow to your self esteem and you weren’t sure you’d be able to recover. You hated what those words made you see in the mirror–someone unworthy of anyone’s time.

How could someone who had claimed to love you exhibit such cowardice? Had you really known them at all? How long had this dalliance been going on? Did they cheat? Was it physical or emotional?

Dark clouds loomed in your mind as you spiraled and felt more tears leak out.

What was the point in anything? You stayed in bed and refused to shower because you were just going to get dirty again. You didn’t have the energy to stand upright for that long anyway. Staying here in bed was your safe haven, and you didn’t want to move.

Burying your face into your pillow you screamed until your voice was hoarse and you felt a little dizzy, hoping that the exhaustion and misery would overtake you.

That’s how your best friend, Mingi, found you. Laying face down and sniffling on a messy bed and a floor covered in tissues, takeout wrappers, and dirty clothes, while attempting to dry your tears on the sleeve of your oversized hoodie. Probably one of Mingi’s old ones, if he had to guess.

Mingi was the only person besides your partner, well, ex-partner, that had a key to your place. He made a mental note to remind you to change the locks, though he doubted the fucker would ever come back here for any reason.

Mingi couldn’t help but feel his heart clench painfully at the sight of his best friend in this state. It looked like you had barely moved in days. You deserved so much better than someone who would throw you to the side so easily.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to get your attention, but you were too far gone in your anguish to hear him. Tentatively, he ventured closer and tried again. This time, you heard his deep cough and turned your heavy head toward the sound.

His eyes found yours and softened even more at the heartbroken expression on your face. He came closer and you felt the bed dip as he sat his large frame close to you.

You abruptly shifted and flung yourself into his arms, hearing him exhale an “oof” at the unexpected contact, but quickly locking his arms around you in a comforting embrace.

You sobbed harder into his chest as he tucked your head under his chin and began rubbing his large hands up and down your back in a comforting motion.

The two of you stayed like this for a while until your heaving sobs quieted into soft sniffles, his grip on you never relenting.

“How could they do this to me, Min? I know it’s been weeks, I just can’t—I can’t fucking believe they ended it this way!! Found someone ‘better’,” you scoffed. “What the fuck does that even mean?!? Did I really mean so little to them?”

The tears welled up as your breaths became uneven again.

You and Mingi had had this conversation before, but it was clear it would take a while to come to terms with the reality of the situation. Mingi’s heart continued to break for you, but he vowed that he’d always be by your side and he’d do his damndest to help you get through it.

You could feel the rumble of his deep voice against you as he spoke. “It’s cliche to say, but they’re not fucking worth it. I know in the back of your mind you know this and you probably don’t want to hear it right now, but it’s true.”

You choked out what sounded like a scoff.

“I know. I KNOW. But like…I just…I loved them. I LOVED them. Did they even love me? They’ve made me feel so fucking worthless and I don’t know why I can’t just let it go!” you wailed into his chest.

He tightened his hold around you. “You don’t have to justify your feelings to me, you’re entitled to feel however you want about that jackass. I’m not the one to dictate how you grieve or process. I’m just here, as your best friend, to hold you and help you through it. I always will be,” he murmured above you.

Your tears spilled out a little faster and you sniffled into his chest. “What would I ever do without you, Min? I can’t believe I have you in my life sometimes.”

You and Mingi had known each other for well over a decade, having attended high school together and remaining close friends through college and the start of your careers.

You honestly don’t know how you would’ve made it this far without him.

———

“Mingi, promise me we’ll stick together no matter what. You’re my best friend in this whole world,” you stated, staring up at the stars with Mingi sitting next to you in the bed of his beat-up pickup.

“Of course y/n, I’ll always be with you. You’re my best friend too.”

And that’s how you always were. A package deal. Two peas in a pod, inseparable, but not in a way that makes the people around you uncomfortable. You and Mingi were the type of friends who could pull anyone in and make them feel like they’ve known you their whole lives.

You were eternally grateful for Mingi and his steadfast friendship, a strong and enduring presence in your life.

Him supporting you at events in high school, you in turn sticking with him in his obsession with e-sports and the quarterly decision to become a gym rat, giving up a mere 3 weeks later.

Him being a protective big brother at frat parties when someone got a little too handsy with you when he could see the distress plainly on your face.

You willing to go to war for him when some girl led him on and bruised his ego for a while one semester.

He was your best friend, your ride or die.

And you hoped it would always stay that way.

———

In the back of your mind you wondered if your friendship with Mingi had played into a hidden insecurity with your partner. Were they threatened? You were together for two years, if they were feeling insecure or threatened, why didn’t they vocalize it?

Little did you know, Mingi wondered the same thing. He hadn’t hated your ex until now, but they had treated you well and had never given any indication that they were a shitty partner or that your friendship with him had been a sore spot. The reasoning for leaving you really confounded him.

Noting your silence and sensing your impending spiral, Mingi squeezed you again to bring you back to the present and forced your focus back onto the feeling of his strong arms around you and his large frame pressed against your side.

You heaved out a sigh. “I still have so much of their shit here in the apartment, not to mention all the fucking photos we’d taken together. What am I supposed to do with it all? I don’t want to see that asshole’s face ever again if I can help it.”

“Burn it,” came Mingi’s casual reply.

You had to wonder if you heard him correctly. “I’m sorry, did you say BURN it?”

“Yeah, I did. Burn it,” you could feel his shrug as he shifted around you.

Turning to look up at him with disbelief in your eyes, you met his intense gaze with an incredulous one of your own.

“I can’t just BURN everything! There’s gotta be some fire code against that or something. Like how the fuck am I supposed to burn a PlayStation??” You remarked, exasperated. “I didn’t know you had a penchant for pyromania!”

Mingi chuckled in his rich, husky tone. “I was referring to the photos, maybe some of their clothes. We can either throw the rest at them or pawn it. Your choice, really, he hummed. “I just think it would be cathartic for you to set fire to some of the physical memories as a way of letting go. Perhaps even a phoenix-esque rebirth for you.”

You mulled over his suggestion.

“You don’t have to decide right now, I think you need to take some time to think about it and really allow yourself time to begin the moving on process,” he spoke into your hairline.

Mingi knew you were depressed, the state of your room and your mental wellbeing a clear indication to him. He knew exactly how it felt to hit rock bottom and feel so helpless, with zero motivation to do as much as even lifting your arms. He really wanted to be there for you as you had always been there for him during his bouts of depression and anxiety.

“In the meantime, you’ve been cooped up here in your room for far too long. I know how hard it is to break out of a despair so heavy, but you should take a shower and maybe brush your teeth to allow yourself to feel refreshed. I can help you with whatever you need, even if it means lifting the toothbrush myself. Hell, I could help you shower if you wanted. I don’t care. If you don’t want that, then I can help you clean up in here a bit. What would you prefer?”

He continued to rub soothing circles into your back and thigh as you considered his offer. “I’ll even carry you to the bathroom myself if that makes the decision easier.”

You sighed heavily and tightened your grip on him which indicated to him that you were going to take him up on this offer, so he kept his hold around your shoulders and scooped you up under your legs to bring you to your ensuite bathroom.

He deposited you on the counter and turned to look for your hair brush, hoping to work some of the knots out of your slightly matted hair before your shower. He found a comb, settling beside you to gently begin the detangling process. He worked in silence, being as thorough as possible without tugging too hard and causing you pain. You allowed him to work as you felt yourself zoning out and staring at the tile.

Eventually, he worked out the tangles and turned to start the shower. “Would you like me to help you shower, or do you think you can handle it yourself? If you want my help, I can bring you a bathing suit if that would make you more comfortable.”

“Mingi, we’ve both seen each other in extremely compromising positions in our years of friendship, I don’t care if you see my ass or any other bits for that matter, but I would love your help. I…just really don’t have the energy to hold myself up at this point.”

Nodding, Mingi moved to help divest you of your clothing, followed by his own. He turned back toward the shower to test the temperature, deeming it acceptable and then once again hoisted you into his arms to step into the shower.

Placing you gently under the spray, he set about looking for your face wash to start. He squirted some into your palm. “I don’t want to get any in your eyes, I know you can do this one,” he cooed softly at you, bringing your hands up to lather your face. As if on autopilot, you washed the buildup of oil and dried tears from your face and allowed the water to cascade over you.

Once you were finished, you turned back toward Mingi and he resumed his search of your products to locate your shampoo. Placing a suitable amount between his large palms, he turned you back around so that you were facing the spray and began to work his large hands through your hair and massaging your scalp.

You let out a contented hum as he massaged, shuddering a little at the feeling of his hands as they circled near your nape. Once he deemed suitable, he turned you back around to place your head under the spray as he let the water run through and wash away the suds. He continued to lightly massage his fingers through your now-clean hair, which left you uttering another contented sigh at the feeling.

Next, he went for the conditioner and turned you back around so that he could work the product through your ends. Once satisfied, he rinsed off his hands and reached for your silicone loofah, globbing body wash onto it and setting out to scrub the grime and dead skin off of you. He remained gentle as he worked his way up and down your body, nudging your legs apart at one point to wash between them. Following that, he detached the shower head and began rinsing you off, washing away however many days of wallowing and with it, some of the tension you had been feeling since you woke up that morning.

You leaned yourself back against Mingi and he wrapped his arms around you, once again locking you in a tight embrace as the water cascaded over the two of you, encasing you in a brief reprieve and moment of serenity.

As the water started to run tepid, Mingi turned off the tap and led you out of the stall to wrap you in a massive fluffy towel to dry you off. He worked diligently on you before grabbing another towel for himself and wrapping it around his waist.

“Wait here, I’m going to go strip your sheets and re-make your bed so that you have something clean to lay on.”

He left the room and you heard him banging around your closest looking for your clean sheets. Once again, you found yourself zoning out. You don’t know how long he was gone, but eventually you saw his blurred frame in front of you, snapping you back into the present and forcing your eyes up to his.

He reached out to caress the side of your face while holding your gaze. “Would you like me to help you brush your teeth, or do you think you can handle it yourself?”

Feeling a little bit less in your own head, you decided that you could handle this task yourself. You turned toward the sink and reached for the toothbrush and toothpaste to slowly rid your teeth of plaque and freshen your breath. You were slowly feeling a little more alive than previously thanks to Mingi.

Once you finished and rinsed your mouth out, you turned back towards Mingi and he offered you a hand, leading you gently out of the bathroom and back toward your room.

You noticed that he had thrown away all the trash and put your dirty clothes in the basket. Feeling your eyes well up a little bit, you turned to Mingi to thank him for his kindness and all his help.

“You don’t need to thank me. I know you would do the same for me if the situation were reversed. I’m happy to do anything you need to help you feel like yourself again,” he replied in a soft tone, hand once again moving to cup your face.

You closed your eyes and leaned into his touch for a moment, relishing in the comfort only Mingi could provide. Parting after a moment, you shifted back onto your bed, suddenly feeling the weight of everything settle on you, feeling utterly spent.

“Rest for a while. I’ll be right here when you wake up, I promise.” Mingi climbed in after you to settle against the headboard and help you into the blankets. You curled onto your side to face him as you got comfortable.

“Really, truly, thank you Mingi. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” His words echoing in your mind as you finally drifted off to sleep.

———

The next few weeks progressed with Mingi spending as much time as he could with you. You were able to get medical leave from work for another week to allow for a little more time to recover.

You and Mingi would spend evenings on your couch snuggled up and watching dramas and some of your favorite movies, and he would cook a delicious meal almost every night. Tonight, you and Mingi were curled up under a few blankets with bowls of stew.

“Have you given any thought to what you’re going to do with your ex’s things?” asked Mingi between mouthfuls of food.

Swallowing your food, you tried to remember if you had heard from your ex in the previous weeks. Not remembering anything of note, you shook your head.

“They surprisingly haven’t asked for any of their shit back, so I’m not really sure if it needs to be an urgent matter or not. Frankly, I don’t care what they want because they broke my heart and deserve to rot.”

He chuckled. “Damn, brutal.”

You smirked back at him and took another bite of stew, reveling in the comfort of having your best friend here with you.

As you ate, you looked over at Mingi. His eyes were focused on the screen and you just took him in as he sat there. You were so grateful for him, you wouldn’t want anyone else as your best friend.

He must have felt you staring and he shifted his gaze back to yours.

“Do I have something on my face?”

You giggled at him as he smirked.

“Yeah, you do,” you said as you placed your bowl down and grabbed a throw pillow before launching it toward him.

Luckily, his reflexes were quick and he caught the pillow midair before it could smack him.

“Oh you’re gonna pay for that one alright” he chuckled in a dangerous tone.

Eyes wide, you stood up quickly and bolted down the hallway toward your bedroom. Mingi followed after you, catching up in just a few long strides. Damn his long legs, you were no match for his pace.

He grabbed around your waist and threw you over his shoulder as you kicked your legs and slapped at his shoulders.

“Put me down you big dummy!”

“Do you yield?” he asked as you dangled helplessly, flailing in an attempt to be put down, but Mingi’s grip did not relent.

“Fine, fine!! I yield! Please put me down now!”

He gently set you back on your feet as you felt the blood rush back down from your face after being upside down.

You caught your breath and Mingi just continued to smirk at you with small chuckles.

“You’re a bold one, that’s for sure,” he intoned in his deep drawl.

You turned to glare at him, but were unable to maintain the expression as you looked at the goofy grin on your best friend’s face. You ended up doubling over to laugh, leaning forward to catch Mingi in a hug.

“Come on big guy, let’s go back to the couch and finish our show.” You grabbed his arm and pulled him back toward your nest of blankets on the couch, settling back into the comfortable silence.

At some point you must have drifted off, because you wake to a darkened room and a blanket placed over you. You blink a few times and let your eyes adjust to the low light and see a note on the table.

I put away the leftovers and washed the dishes. I would’ve stayed but I have an early meeting tomorrow so I needed to head home. I’ll be around all week if you need something or want to hang out. Let me know if the idiot contacts you, I’ll be there with a lighter.

xx Min

You smiled at his barely legible script. Yeah, you really were lucky to have him as your best friend.

———

Another few weeks pass without contact from your ex. You were becoming comfortable with the idea that they genuinely didn’t care about whatever they left at your apartment, and had almost forgotten they left anything here at all.

You were finally able to go back to work, feeling a little less like the world was going to cave in on you. The despair you had previously felt morphed into righteous anger, then transformed again into a bit of numbness. But it was enough to make you forget about your failed relationship and return to a relative normalcy.

Evenings were still spent with Mingi, either at your place or his as he continued to find ways to help keep you and your mind occupied.

It was one night a week later as you were both sitting on opposite ends of your couch. You were sketching in a notebook and Mingi was reading a graphic novel, glasses perched on his nose and hair a little ruffled as if he had been absently running his fingers through it.

It was an adorable habit of his, messing up his hair as he focused on something. You smiled to yourself as you peered at him, looking back down to continue sketching.

You had lost yourself in the moment until you heard your phone go off. Thinking nothing of it, you flipped it over, blood immediately running cold at the familiar number on the screen.

Mingi looked over at you, dropping his book when he noticed the look on your face. You were frozen in shock, not sure what to do.

Mingi entered your line of sight as the ringing stopped, taking your phone out of your hands and placing it back on the coffee table. Grabbing your hands in his large ones, he squeezed, drawing your attention back to him.

“Hey, look at me. You’re shaking. Look in my eyes. Match your breathing to mine, okay?” Mingi grabbed one of your hands and placed it to his chest, prompting you to regulate your breathing to help you stave off the impending panic attack.

As you continued to breathe, you heard the phone go off again, prompting another small spike of panic.

“Hey, hey. Keep your eyes on me. Do you want me to answer it and talk to them?”

Unable to form words due to the rising panic and bile in your throat, you gave Mingi a barely perceptible nod.

“Okay. I’ll deal with it. What I need you to do for me is to keep your hands on your thighs and keep working on your breathing. In for four, hold for four, out for four. Can you do that for me?”

He holds your gaze as you nod again.

“Alright, I’m going to let go of your hands now. I’ll be in the kitchen, in your direct line of sight. I won’t be long, I promise.”

He gives your hands another squeeze as he turns to grab the phone. A scowl crosses his features and he has to take a deep breath to prevent himself from blowing up at your ex over the phone.

Swiping the screen, he answers.

“What do you want, asshole?” Mingi practically growls.

“Mingi? Where’s y/n?”

“None of your fucking business, that’s where. Why are you calling? It’s been months. What the fuck could you possibly want?” Mingi seethes.

He supposes he could handle this a little more calmly, but he’s fucking LIVID at this idiot for the way they hung you out to dry.

“Hey man, lose the hostility. I’m not trying to start anything, I just want to come get the things I left at y/n’s place. Can I come by and grab it this weekend?”

Mingi sees red.

“Absolutely fucking not. I’m not letting you anywhere near y/n after the shit you pulled. What you’re gonna do is text me a list of the things you need, and I’ll leave them outside for you,” his voice low, dangerous, as he growls into the receiver.

“Jesus Christ Mingi, when did you become their guard dog? I always knew you two had something going on between you,” came the snide reply of your ex.

And there it was. If Mingi weren’t pissed before, he was furious now. That insecurity must’ve been festering long enough for them to seek comfort in someone else instead of being and adult and talking to you about it.

Though Mingi wondered if even that would’ve been enough for the sniveling little insecure worm to have been satisfied.

Drawing in a breath, Mingi closed his eyes and counted to 5 before responding.

“Y/n is my best friend. I’m sorry that your insecure ass couldn’t handle them having me as a friend. If that’s the reason you broke up with them, you’re a bigger idiot than I thought you were. You could’ve, you know, fucking TALKED to them about this instead of seeking comfort in the next person who fucking blinks at you. Pathetic. Send me your list, and don’t contact y/n ever again. We’re done here.” He hangs up before your ex can get another word in.

He continues to seethe. He can’t believe that little worm had the gall to show their face again all these weeks later. Steadying himself and forcing calming breaths, he turns his gaze back to you, eyes closed and head reclined back on the couch as you breathe deeply.

He pads back over to you, clearing his throat to announce his presence to prevent you from startling. You slowly crack your eyes open at his large form in front of you.

He kneels in front of you again, resuming the position with your hands in his.

Your voice is small and a little cracked as you speak.“What did they want?”

“They want their worthless stuff back. Why they couldn’t do this weeks ago is beyond me. Regardless, they want their shit.”

Your eyes widen in panic a bit. They’re going to come here? You don’t know if you can handle seeing them again.

Mingi squeezes your hands again. “Don’t worry, they’re not getting within 100 yards of you, I promise. We’ll gather everything and leave it outside so you don’t have to interact with them at all. I’m making them send me a list of everything.”

At this, your breathing evens out a bit, shoulders sagging in relief. Mingi leans forward to engulf you in his arms. “I’m here for you, y/n. You don’t have to do any of this alone. Ever.”

Once again leaning into his touch, you let Mingi embrace you until you feel your heartbeat and breathing returning to normal.

Finally calmed down, the encounter had left you absolutely wrung-out. “Min, I’m exhausted. Can you bring me to my room?”

“Of course, hold on tight.” He wrapped his arms tighter around you and hoisted you up off the couch. Curling into him, he walked you to your room and placed you down on the bed.

You shifted to get under the covers and he came around to lay next to you. You rolled over and rested your head on his chest, immediately being enveloped in his embrace.

He caressed your hair softly as he spoke. “Remember, I’m here for you and you’re not going to do this alone. We’ll start sorting through their things when you’re ready, and I’ll handle contact with them. We do this on YOUR terms. Not theirs. Alright?”

You nodded in assent and snuggled closer to Mingi as he continued to run his fingers through your hair.

“Thank you, Mingi,” you murmured into his chest.

He leaned down to press a kiss to the top of your head and you allowed your eyes to close and finally relax. You fell asleep that night in Mingi’s comforting embrace.

The week continued without any further contact from your ex, just as Mingi had promised. You were coming to terms with the fact you would have to face them, albeit in the form of their possessions, but face them and confront the memories and hurt you still felt.

After another few days, you felt that you were ready to confront them. You pulled out your phone to dial a familiar number.

“Min? I’m ready.”

Mingi arrived at your apartment about a half hour later with cardboard boxes, tote bags, and trash bags.

”Let’s fucking do this.”

———

You were fairly certain that most of your ex’s things were confined to your bedroom and ensuite bathroom, so that’s where you would concentrate your efforts.

You started with your dresser while Mingi focused on your closet.

Feeling unnerved by the silence, you decided to queue up a noisy playlist to fill some of the room and ease your anxiety over the situation. Mingi’s presence helped, but you figured that ambient noise would calm some of the buzzing in your brain and under your skin.

You heard Mingi chuckle when he realized what playlist you went for and you shot him a shy smile from your side of the room. He knew you well enough to understand you couldn’t handle silence when you were feeling anxious.

You heard his deep voice rumble out the rap of the song that was currently playing. You never failed to be amazed by the way he was able to follow the flow of a rap and add his own flair to whatever song he was going along to. In another life, you were sure he’d have a successful career as a rapper or an idol.

Having combed through your drawers and found all of your ex’s clothes, you shoved them into a trash bag and sealed it. You couldn’t care less if the clothes were wrinkled, the jackass deserved worse.

Steeling yourself, you moved over to Mingi’s side to work on the closet. When you reached him, you noticed him fixated on a box in the corner. You realized that it was the box of photos and other memories from your relationship that you had unceremoniously tossed in the corner like they had unceremoniously ended your partnership.

Your eyes began to well up with unshed tears and your breath hitched. Mingi immediately wrapped his arms around you and brought his focus to you. “You’re not alone. Remember, I’m right here. We don’t need to go through that box today. I still think we should burn it all, but it’s your choice on what to do with it,” he spoke softly into your hair.

You shuddered out a deep breath. “It’s okay. I knew in the back of mind that it was there, seeing it just caught me off guard.”

He held you steady as you re-regulated your breathing to match his, just like he taught you. Feeling calmed down, you opened your eyes and felt a new wave of determination wash over you. Mingi’s comforting words and embrace bolstered the confidence that you could get through this.

Leaving the box in the corner for last, the two of you combed through your clothes and other effects to gather all of your ex’s errant belongings and shove them in the bags and boxes Mingi had brought.

Your ex had left a surprising amount of clothing and a few pairs of shoes, so it was no wonder they finally came around to asking for their items returned. It wasn’t your fault they were thoughtless enough to leave shit at your place while they were warming someone else’s bed.

“I want to leave the box for last. I’m fairly certain it’s mostly photographs and other paper items. Let’s go over to the bathroom and deal with whatever bullshit they left there.”

“I’m sure they left half empty toiletries that we can just trash,” intoned Mingi. “No need to save any of that shit and burden us with excess bags.”

You nodded and moved to stand, but Mingi beat you to it, holding out his hand to help you to your feet.

Moving into the ensuite, you noticed that Mingi was dead-on in his assessment. Most of the things left were half empty tubes and bottles along with a used disposable razor and toothbrush you were absolutely not going to keep. You had half a mind to clean the toilet with it and give it back to your ex, but decided against it and tossed it into the trash.

The only other items of theirs that you had found around your apartment were the PlayStation, a few charging cables, books, and a pair of headphones.

Confident you had rid your apartment of the bad energy left by your ex’s belongings, you packed everything up and brought it into the living room.The only thing that remained was the box in the corner of your closet.

Mingi brought it out into the living room wordlessly and set it on the coffee table.

“What do you want to do?”

You took a steadying deep breath. Proud of yourself for coming this far, you were inclined to push through and get it over with, but you knew that some of the memories would engulf your emotions and you felt it was probably best to take a break first.

“I think I want to take a break and get something to eat. Maybe take a nap before I get into it.”

“Do you want me to drop this shit off? It doesn’t need to stay here while you relax. The sooner we’re rid of it, the better you’ll feel.”

You were so grateful Mingi was willing to do all of this for you. Cutting out direct interaction with your ex and going in your stead so that you wouldn’t have to.

You loved Mingi so much.

“Thank you Min, I honestly can’t thank you enough for being willing to do this for me.”

“I told you, y/n, you aren’t alone, and you never will be.”

You almost started crying right there. He noticed your shift in mood and came to sit beside you on the couch. You rested your head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around you.

“I’ll call them and let them know I’m dropping this shit in their front yard. That’s all the warning they need.”

Mingi squeezed you a little tighter before dropping his arm and tilting your chin up to look at him.

“I’ll be back in a few hours with some food. Take a nap and relax for a bit and then we’ll have dinner from one of your favorite takeout places. How does that sound?”

“Sounds like heaven, Min. Thank you so much.”

He smiled at you and his eyes crinkled in the way you loved. “Of course. I’ve always got you.”

You returned his smile easily. “Okay, I’m going to shower and get rid of some of these bad vibes after handling so much of their shit, and then I’m going to nap. Thank you again for all of your help today.”

“No problem, y/n. Now go shower, you reek of bad vibes,” he wrinkled his nose playfully and chuckled.

You giggled back and smacked his arm lightly for the barb.

You both got up and you pulled him in for a hug. Surprised by your show of strength, Mingi let out an “oof” as you slammed into him and squeezed his abdomen.

He wrapped his arms around you and held you tight for a moment before you let go and disappeared into your room.

Unbeknownst to you, he followed your retreating figure with an easy smile and all the fondness in the world for you, and pride for your strength and resilience the past few months.

He made quick work of gathering all the bags and boxes and brought them down to his car. Dialing your ex’s number, he barely waited for the call to connect before he was speaking. “I’ve got all your shit and I’m leaving it in your front yard in the next 30 minutes. After this, you have no connection to y/n. You don’t get the privilege,” Mingi spoke tonelessly.

He heard your ex seethe on the other end of the line. “Fine. You’re an ass, Mingi.”

He chuckled darkly, “I could say way fucking worse about you. Delete y/n’s number. We’re done here.” He ended the call and promptly blocked the number.

Satisfied, Mingi started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot of your apartment.

Arriving exactly thirty minutes later, as promised, Mingi unceremoniously dumped everything in the grass outside the house. Sending a middle finger and sarcastic salute at the house, he got back in the car and drove off.

An hour later, you were woken to the sound of your front door closing and the shuffling sound of plastic takeout bags.

You groggily stretched as you heard Mingi making his way around the kitchen to prepare the food for you both.

You shuffled yourself toward the kitchen table to find Mingi setting out a literal feast before you.

“Jeez Min, did you buy out the whole shop or something? There’s just the two of us!”

He chuckled “I wanted you to have all of your favorites and enough for leftovers. I know how much you like to snack late at night.

You pursed your lips at him as he continued pulling containers out. “I hate that you know me so well sometimes.”

He shot you a smug look as you went over to the kitchen to pull out plates, silverware, and glasses for your meal.

You and Mingi enjoyed a comfortable silence during your meal, feeling immense relief that much of the daunting task of confronting your ex’s belongings was almost complete.

“Did you see them when you dropped everything off? Did they say anything to you?”

Mingi chuckled darkly and shrugged. “Nope, the fucker wasn’t home and I just dropped everything on the front lawn. Not my stuff, not my problem.”

You let out an incredulous laugh. “Well at least it’s out of our hands now. Thank you again for doing that for me.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me, you know I’d do it for you in a heartbeat, just as you’d do the same for me.”

You smiled at each other and continued eating in peace.

———

You and Mingi were seated on the floor around your coffee table with the box in front of you.

“Are you ready?” Mingi asked gently.

Closing your eyes and taking a few steadying deep breaths, you centered yourself before nodding and removing the lid from the box.

Your plan was to thumb through everything as quickly as possible to make sure you weren’t destroying anything actually valuable.

The box contained years worth of photographs, polaroids, notes, tickets, trinkets, and countless memories. It was almost painful to see the container filled to the brim with paper, knowing what it had cost you in the end.

You knew you were better off without your ex, but you were still dealing with the fallout and had to remind yourself that it was okay to grieve.

Sensing your hesitation, Mingi shifted and pulled you over his lap and between his legs, startling you.

“I’m going to be right behind you to help ground you, okay? I won’t let you go.”

You felt your eyes well up and sniffled, leaning back into his chest as he wrapped an arm around your midsection and placed his chin on your shoulder.

“Thank you, Min, this feels nice.”

Having his warm, steady presence behind you made it easier to breathe, knowing you weren’t doing this alone.

With a newfound sense of calm and determination, you began sifting through the box, separating everything into piles you categorized as “trash,” “pawn,” and “burn.”

Mingi didn’t say anything as you worked, just held you and rubbed your sides and shoulders to comfort you and remind you that he was right there.

It ended up taking you about an hour to sort through everything.

Taking a deep breath and placing your hands on the table, you surveyed the piles.

You felt, rather than heard Mingi chuckle behind you, clearly amused at the size of the “burn” pile.

“Mingi, are you a secret pyromaniac?”

He chuckled again. “No, I just think that for situations like this it can be freeing to let everything go with a little fire.”

“Have you done this before?”

“Yes, I’ve burned things for myself but I also helped some friends in college when they went through a similar situation. It made them feel a little better, so I figured it would be beneficial for you as well.”

You hummed, considering his words as he shifted behind you. “Alright then. I think to start we throw the garbage out and then take some of these nicer items to the pawn shop to see what we can get for them. I doubt they gave you anything truly expensive, but some of these things might fetch a few bucks. Then we use the firepit in my backyard to burn the rest. Does that sound alright to you?”

“I think that sounds perfect. Are you free tomorrow?”

He shifted again and pulled out his phone to pull up his calendar. “Looks like I’m open all day. Let’s go for it.”

You turned and smiled at him over your shoulder as he squeezed you around the waist.

Tomorrow, you would be free of your ex for good.

———

When you woke up the next morning, you felt simultaneous looming anxiety and relief over what you and Mingi were going to do today.

Letting go of a significant part of your life was never easy, but you finally felt like you were ready.

You stretched your stiff joints and ambled to the bathroom to start your morning. In the shower, you close your eyes and let the hot water run over you, soothing some of the morning ache and relaxing you further. Showers always have a profound calming effect on you.

After finishing your morning routine, you texted Mingi to let him know you were ready for the day. He showed up at your door about a half hour later with two coffees and a bag of pastries from your favorite cafe in tow.

You smiled brightly as you greeted him, hugging him tightly as he placed everything on the counter. “Are you ready for this? How are you feeling?” Mingi asked from above you in the embrace. You looked up at him, his concerned but soft gaze searching your face for any obvious signs of distress or discomfort.

You gave him an easy smile back, grateful for his presence. “I think I’m good. I feel...well I don’t know how to describe it. But I definitely am ready to get rid of all this extra shit.” You gazed back at the piles of garbage bags from yesterday’s cleaning spree, a pang of grief making itself present, knowing what you were about to do.

You shook it off after a minute, letting yourself feel, but strengthening your resolve that this was the correct choice. You looked back to Mingi and squeezed him a little tighter. “Yeah, I’m ready,” you replied.

He hummed above you as he replied “Good. Remember, I will be with you every step of the way today.”

Nodding into his chest, you further steeled yourself into action. Finally turning out of his embrace, you made your way over to the garbage bags. You cracked your neck and hands and rolled your shoulders, ready to rid yourself of the phantom of your ex.

Mingi made his way to your side, catching your eye and giving you a nod as he bent to pick up some bags. You nodded back and followed suit, grabbing the remainder and hefting them up off the floor.

Trudging out of your apartment with the bags and Mingi in tow, you made your way down to the parking lot to throw the actual garbage away in the dumpster, saving the burn pile for later.

Mingi hefted his bags into the bin and dusted off his hands. Turning to you, he clocked your emotions again, ready to act if you changed your mind about all this. Seeing nothing but determined steel in your gaze, he grabbed the burn pile and cleared his throat.

“Ready?” He asked.

You closed your eyes and took a centering breath.

“Ready.” You replied with conviction.

Mingi brought the bags to the backseat of his car and opened the passenger door for you to climb in. Settling yourself inside and buckling your seatbelt, you kept your eyes forward, waiting for Mingi to start the engine.

Not wanting to spend time inside your own head, you turned the radio on as Mingi started the car and prepared to head over to his place.

Mingi, noticing your effort to stay present, kept easy conversation at the forefront.

“Do you want to pick up some snacks on the way, or should we scour my pantry?” He asked, eyes focused forward on the road.

“Honestly, I think stopping would be fine. Lord knows what kind of amalgamation of frat boy apartment snacks we’d create out of the bare bones of your pantry,” you joked.

“Hey now, I resent that! I keep my pantry stocked and ready for company!” He retorted.

“Min, bags of mashmallows and the odd can of soup don’t exactly create the most enticing meals,” you chuckled as he pouted.

“Fine, I guess you’ll never know the joys of my culinary prowess,” Mingi sighed.

You laughed, keeping up the conversation as you pulled up to the grocery store for snacks.

“Would it be too gauche to roast marshmallows and hotdogs over the fire?” You pondered.

Mingi let out a loud cackle at the idea. “No, I don’t think so. But if you had a hesitation in doing so, I say we stick with the basic gathering foods. Chips and dip, perhaps charcuterie?”

“Now you sound pretentious. A whole charcuterie spread as we burn photos of my ex. Should we add aperol spritzers to the mix?” You giggled.

“You laugh, but that sounds perfectly lovely for an evening like this,” shrugged Mingi.

“Alright fine, you pick the snacks and I’ll go along with what you decide,” you acquiesce, not particularly caring what you eat, as your appetite had fluctuated throughout the day.

Finally packed back into the car, you and Mingi rode in companionable silence back to his apartment, the radio playing a calming playlist in the background.

As you arrived at Mingi’s, he grabbed all the groceries while you grabbed the bags holding your tainted memories.

Bringing everything around the back to the patio, you settled yourself in one of the Adirondack chairs while Mingi puttered around setting up the snacks.

Once he was confident in his snack spread, he turned to assess your mood.

“How are you feeling?” As asked as he came to kneel in front of you.

“I’m…surprisingly okay I think.” You looked up into his earnest eyes and felt the warmth radiating out of him. You once again felt overwhelmed gratitude at having Mingi in your life.

Reaching out to place your palm on his cheek, you regarded him in a soft voice. “Thank you for doing this with me, it means the world to me to have you in my corner.”

Mingi smiled and leaned into your palm. “Best friends for life, remember? I’ve always got your back just like I know you’ve got mine.”

You smiled and allowed yourself this moment of comfort.

Finally ready, you dropped your hand and nodded up to Mingi. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Mingi nodded in return and set to work starting the fire in the pit.

You watched as he expertly set the kindling in place between the wooden logs, allowing it to catch fire and create a beautiful, warm fire.

Once the fire was going strong, you finally stood up and stared into the embers.

Were you ready for this? Could you bring yourself to place all of these memories into the flames?

Mingi, sensing your hesitation, made his way to your side and placed his large palm on your shoulder, channeling his support into you.

You heard him quietly in your ear. “It’s okay. You can do this. Burn it.”

Feeling the comfort of his warm palm on your skin, you shook off the doubt and hesitation, ready to start this next phase of your life.

You turned to the bags, opening up the first one and grabbing the first photo you saw.

It was a lovely shot of you and your partner standing beneath the beautiful blooms of a cherry blossom tree. An image that once evoked so much happiness and comfort in you now felt hollow.

You allowed yourself to mourn the peace this image once brought you, tracing your hand over the memories of what once was. Then, with a steady hand, you brought the image forward, and slowly lowered it into the flickering flames.

Allowing the picture to catch fire at the ends, the flame slowly licking its way up through the center of the photo, taking with it the image of your ex.

Once the flames reached your visage, you carefully dropped it into the fire, letting it engulf the rest of the photo, erasing it from existence.

You allowed tears to leak from the corner of your eyes, a mixture of sadness and cathartic release taking over your emotions.

Throughout this, Mingi’s hand stayed firmly planted on your shoulder, bolstering you. He knew how hard this was for you, and he was so proud of you for taking this first step.

You leaned back, allowing Mingi’s arms to encircle you as you cried for what once was, for the last time.

After a while, the tears dried up and you and Mingi pulled some chairs closer to the fire so that you could snack while dropping memories into the flames.

You told stories associated with the photos and other mementos, allowing yourself to feel as you dropped each reminder into the fire, watching as each piece of your old relationship turned to ash.

Mingi stayed strong next to you, listening intently and keeping a hold on you in any way that he could, be it holding your hand, touching your arm, or putting an arm around your shoulders, keeping his promise to not leave you alone through this.

Eventually, the snacks ran out and the number of photos in the bags dwindled down to one single image remaining.

It was a candid shot you had taken of your ex, one you had adored and kept close to you at your workstation. You gazed upon the photo, once again allowing yourself to feel and remember, building up the emotion to let it release in a mix of blue and red flames. Ready to let it burn.

Touching the tip of the photo to the fire, you coaxed the flames to consume the last image. Placing it delicately on the wood, you watched as the corners of the photo met in the middle, turning what remained into a pile of embers.

It was done. You were finally free of your ex.

Sitting back, but keeping your eyes on the flames, you felt Mingi embrace you once again.

“I’m really proud of you, you know. You did it. You are free of them, free to live your life on your own terms. I can wait to see you continue to grow from here,” he murmured into the dusk.

You felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude once again. The love you feel for your best friend bursting out of you into a comforting warm glow you always associated with Mingi.

“Thank you Mingi, for everything. Always.”

Resting your head on Mingi’s shoulder, you closed your eyes and took a deep breath, reveling in the smell of a bonfire and the warm embrace of your best friend as he pulled you closer. Opening your eyes, you watched the whispers of memories turn into nothing but a pile of ash and fading embers.

You stayed like this for hours, soaking in the comfort of friendship and embracing the strength derived from overcoming grief.

As you gazed in the dying embers of memories of a life once lived, you felt an overwhelming sense of peace finally settle deep in your bones.

Rising from the ashes of despair, from this day forward, you are reborn anew.

[augustus-rok]

Nebula AU

Maybe I'll write a fic for this, maybe i won't, but here are the basics. Also if this inspires you to write something chuck me a tag cause I wanna see it.

Set during older/later high school rather than freshman year for Danny. However the portal accident still happened at the canon time.

Ghosts are more or less invisible with out tools or certain contamination levels. This also applies to general noise they make, they have to focus extra to be heard by humans. Typically yelling only equates to a whisper when right next to someone if you're a ghost.

As Danny doesn't become a hero immediately and gets to settle into himself first, his ghost form reflects more his track towards being an astronaut. Aesthetic more along the lines of solar flares and start dust. When ghost do actually come through the portal with intent to do harm he gets a helmet and thick gloves and has a sort of jacket layer over top. I imagine that his ghost form suffers from something like what's described in this post, and the helmet and glove and jacket are learned extra thing.

Story stuff. So it turns out when the ONLY ghost to wander through the portal other than little glowing blobs that only hover, is the antithesis of your theories you have to go back to the drawing board. So the Fenton's (kept out of the loop for a couple of months) and GIW are very much good guys and BETTER Scientists. And the militaristic mind set is swiftly put down when all of the subjects (the one) book it at the slightest hint of aggression.

Now Valarie, nicknamed Red Huntress during her internship, interns/volunteers with the GIW as a field watch/interviewer for Nebula. Which is the code name given to a Danny who never introduces himself and as such gets named by vote like a new firetruck by the community.

Hey BTW this is a portal Danny AU in my head.

The basement portal? That is a direct route to his lair, which is an astronomer's dream wrapped in a, you guessed it, nebula. The Wastes (or the area the Fenton Portal spawns in in canon) inhabitants spend a good few months flipping out at the arrival of what looks like a god or something. It's a decidedly "do not fuck with that" thought process.

Danny eventual.y introduces himself and makes friends without the protect the town from day one aspect. They all tussle a bit but the other ghosts go "hey it's a baby" and give him a proper lay of the land.

Cut to 21/2 years later after the Portal Accident, and Vlad decides to be a bastard and go after the adopted mascot.

Now the scientists have all learned that fighting= play/bonding. So they are all wildly caught off guard by the very sudden warpath through the city park.

Vlad doesn't put together Halfa Danny in this AU until well after there's been conflict. And after he managed to expose the active portal to ghosts outside of the immediate area of the portal that are perfectly willing to break into Danny's lair and some have figured out the horror aspect described here: FIC I RECOMMEND

So back to that fight. Ghosts are QUIET, especially Danny who even with the tech, radio/coms that make other ghost audible, has to be boosted to be heard by even other ghosts. (I imagine lots of sign language in this au) So this darling little sky watching ghost screams, a terrified child's noise, as this ghost that looks like a Vampire and a hoard of vultures(?) actively assault the poor thing? God the humans, the humans are scared. Everyone could hear that out side of the coms, and everyone saw it. They got good at televising the ghosts.

Sam and Tucker, decidedly only civilians are terrified for their friend. They know what play fighting looks like, they've been to the lair. Valarie who catches on fast thanks to being the intern bestie to Nebula and maybe future girlfriend to Daniel "Hot space nerd in row 4 of homeroom" Fenton, is forced as fights, proper devastating ones, continue happening to keep her friends away. Especially the first time. Most importantly that first fight.

REMEMBER Danny's portal, not the one in the basement. Well he stretches, upper body desperately crawling away from his lower half trapped by the vultures, keening all the way. Still scarily audible. Then from the gap made of flaring stardust and molten plasma that is the active void that consumes the area his stomach would have been was he human- Comes a raging adult ghost. More than one possibly.

I especially like the idea of Skulker and his missle launcher showing up, being the third ever recorded humanoid ghost, and absolutely steamrolling Plasimus who is not a Halfa as in halfway point like Danny is so loved by the Waste ghosts for being. But rather just half a ghost, a human with a funky little boon.

Now as Skulker has the time of his afterlife chasing Vlad and the Vultures, lets have say Lunch Lady slip out of Danny's portal, maybe one of the more teenagery ghosts too.

Anyways, instant fussing. Danny relaxes enough to stop being a portal to hell and the humans are very careful in approaching them all. What with the older ghost's yelling at the aggressors to leave the baby alone. Skulker is dramatic, and likes embarrassing the whelp.

After this point things beginning to resemble canon more, only the humans have a natural non-guessing gauge of hostility for the ghosts in town.

They figure out pretty fast that the physical portal and Nebula portal only let through friendlies. (Not entirely true but they don't know that.) And the threats, well lets just say Nebula is never caught off guard in his own territory again. He becomes ruthless.

Meanwhile, Danny Fenton has friends both dead and alive helping him fight a guerrilla war against madmen. He sits in class undisturbed even as he tracks the startbursts he knows are his friends protecting him and everyone else untill he's free. He huddles in the attic crawlspace filling out data sheets and pin boards as his girlfriend and best friends scour government documents.

Nebula sits in the portal, toxic light cascading like water around him, watching his parents and GIW agents work in the FentonWorks lab.

He always gives good greetings to those who offer, and when asked he whispers secrets of the universe he's learned from the source over the radio.

The scientists for get to ask for his sources, but when they do they are always both awed and terrified of the sources.

Things go well. And things as always progress.

Link to Doodle I did that actually drove me writing all this.

[heallearngrow3]

a complicated enigma

part 4 | a complicated enigma

pairing: Connor x f!Reader

summary: “But somehow you managed to get under his artificial skin”

warnings: swearing

notes: I’m currently bedridden and have so much time i’ll probably write a lot for this series. also this is slow slowburn, like so slow you can’t even see it coming, so you’ll need all of the patience in this world for this

chapters: 1 , 2 , 3

The androids on the market were imprints of you. Straightforward, indifferent. Everything you’ve implanted in their software was a carbon copy of your own self, an outstanding remake. The qualities that made them the obedient, intelligent machines were concepts of your genius.

You remembered the planning of Connor. It was an unique proccess, one of its kind and you overachieved your own expectations with the outcome. He was a never-seen-before android, one that offered crucial insights and analysis on crime scenes, one that never got tired of the chase. Infact, his mission was above anything else. Your uncle’s face was in front of your eyes when you finished putting him together, his badge resting on the table next to you. He was the greatest investigator you’ve ever met: He was obsessed with his work and saving others, and that was the irony of it all. His life was lost, wasted, because of a drug addicted nobody who valued his poison more than a human life. When they arrived to your family home that night to tell you that your uncle was shot dead during a house search, you were devastated and angry. So angry that you wanted to kill that asshole with your bare hands, and keep the blood on your palms as a permanent reminder.

Connor was the very first android to take the lead as a detective but he wasn’t the last. You’ve had plans, dreams for many others to follow, but you had to put it to the side for the time being, mainly because there was a more pressing issue to deal with.

You locked your storage room, and found models to replicate the broadcast androids. The JB300’s laying on your table, their biocomponants spread out on the surface looked exactly like the ones you were hiding, except they were never activated. You had to put on an act to keep the three androids - and yourself - safe from the hungry hands of the repining humans starving for gratification.

You made fake reports with made-up calculations and false numbers. Your file ended with the cause of their conduct being inconclusive and you wrote remarks on their so-called interference and accomplice, calling it questionable. There wasn’t any iron clad evidence of it, and their software was compact and undamaged, leaving it up to you to decide if they had any role in the attack or was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. The substitute androids were put in a container, with their wires and limbs carefully separated, and you sent your report to Fowler, ending the message with expressing your pity for not being able to find out more.

After cleaning up your laboratory, you opted for your much more comfortable office, and turned on the TV. The news were all about the Stanford Tower invasion, debating the terrorist threat, and you watched as they replayed Markus’s speech over and over again, his face solemn and determined even without skin, his eyes never leaving the camera. His tone was confident yet gentle, and you’ve wondered if he had a somewhat leader position, fight with his people for justice. Your phone was buzzing, your colleagues worried, and you were sure that these events definitely had an effect on the outlook of the company and made the public reconsider if the utility of the machines was worth the risk. It was fascinating, even amusing, how one instance could overshadow years of hard work and time invested, destroying the image of a futuristic company dedicated to progression.

You needed a distraction to take your mind off the present moment and to forget. Alcohol was never your posion of choice, but smoking? Oh, you could never say no to a cigarette, especially after such eventful few days. You also had to go home: do laundry, check on the lady in the house next to yours, and eat something more substantial than granola bars. At the back of your mind your father’s worsening condition was also encouraging you to pay him a visit, but you were unsure whether it was a good idea.

On the way back, you were driving on autopilot, your legs moving independently, hands turning the steering wheel from memory. Lafayette Avenue was on the blatantly pompous side of the city, the street always busy and well-kept. The trees were cut, the bushes were incised, and to the naked eye it was the american dream materialized. The number 8941 was engraved into your mind, and you could not mistake the mansion for another. Carl Manfred’s home reminded you of a warm hug, and his paintings decorating the whole place made it even more welcoming. He was a celebrated, world-known artist after all, despite his troubled past. A past that you were a part of, an unfortunate consequence, and an uncomfortable reminder of his past life that he tried so hard to get out of.

You didn’t bother with knocking, the wooden doors opened before you with the always present gentle female voice.

“[Name] detected. Welcome home.”

You crossed the hall, going straight into the living room. The giant giraffe statue standing in the corner was glaring at you with accusing eyes, following you until you stepped into the studio, and you felt your muscles loosen a little bit.

“What a pleasant suprise!” Carl’s voice ranged genuinely, his eyes locking on yours. “I haven’t seen you in ages, [Name].”

Your father’s impending death loomed over him, his features slowly fading, the bags under his eyes getting darker and his coughing less bearable. In front of you wasn’t the shaken up man you’ve met ten years ago but a living corpse, clinging to his brushes and canvases with shaky hands and rotting nails.

His accident and weak health was just a fragment of his suffering. He was hunted by his memories - you were sure of it - and was forced to relive it day by day. You couldn’t pity him: it was his own doing. His decisions led to his fate and considering how he had no problem with abandoning his own children, his mutts, and years later try to recandle long dead realitonships, you were positive that he deserved his drawn-out agony.

“Yeah, it’s been a busy month.” you weren’t entirely lying. It really was eventful. “How have you been?”

Carl wheeled himself closer to you, seemingly lost in thought.

“I tried calling you, but you didn’t pick it up.” he put down the brush he was holding. “Markus was shot. Leo broke into the studio and tried to steal a few of my artwork. I thought he was dead…turns out he wasn’t.” you could tell it was entertaining to him. “Markus…it was inevitable. Just a question of time. I always knew he was more than just a servant.”

You didn’t say anything, keeping your eyes on him. Markus was never just an ordinary android to him. He was the perfect son, created for him by Elijah in the name of their friendship, and he filled in the position of a nurse, a companion and a child all at the same time. Markus was fascinating, you knew that, always curious, always willing to engage in Carl’s banters, always learning. To many, treating a machine like family was foreign, but your father has been a peculiar man his whole life, shedding off the expectations and choosing his own strange ways.

“I saw the speech…” your drifted off. “He made quite an impression on the public. I wonder where all of this will lead to.”

Carl turned his wheelchair around, rolling to a cabinet and opening one of the drawers, picking out a brush.

“I told him to paint something. Something from his soul, not his memory.” he held up the small piece of wood and horse hair like a trophy. “He made that.” he pointed to a canvas in the corner. “He has talent. Just like you.”

You ignored the last bit of his sentence, measuring up the painting. It was impressive, the shadows and strokes in a perfect mess of order. The screaming face, the LED on the side glowing like a beckoning light of the lost was gut wrenching and peaceful at the same time.

“The police is looking for him. And eventually when they find him, he’s gonna be destroyed.” you stepped in front of him. “You had a hand in this, Carl, and don’t you dare deny it. Markus’ deviancy is rooted in your lessons.” your last word sounded like a hiss. “Your dreamland means hell for him and his kind. Your ideas…they are venom.”

You backed away, keeping your eyes trained on his form.

“I can’t be everyone’s hero.” you said and without casting another look at Carl you stepped out of the studio.

You were the result of a drunk one night stand, a mistake, but you had something that Leo didn’t possess.

Dignity.

You decided to smoke and treat yourself with a burger downtown that definitely didn’t pass the health regulations. Chicken Feed was no better than a bodega, but Gery definitely had a talent to make the oily food full of fat taste like heaven.

Parking right next to the food truck, you got out while tucking a string of hair behind your ear. The best burgers in town - you thought, and readied yourself to resist Pedro, who was standing nearby. His bets were a losing game, you’ve never won and called his business crap one time, which didn’t leave the best impression.

“[Name]!” he already started to walk towards you, and you thought about getting back into your car to run him over. That might have shut him up. “I got a shit-hot tip for you, girl!”

You shook your head.

“I’m giving you jack shit, Pedro. Get off my ass.” you ignored his shouts, trying to convince you to invest in another bet. “Hey Gary!”

You leaned on the counter, looking at the menu.

“Got something for me?” you raised your brows playfully. “Something high in calories, I’m begging you.”

He smiled widely at you, already picking up a bun.

“Of course, sweetheart. Give me five, and you’ll get the best burger you’ve ever had.” he winked at you, turning to the stove. Your heart fluttered at the term of endearment, grateful for Gary’s easygoing nature.

“Thank God. I’m starving.” you sighed. Your eyes scanned the area and immediately noticed the two familiar silhouettes.

Connor and Hank were standing next to one of the tables under an umbrella, too far to hear their conversation, but judging from Hank’s pained expression, it wasn’t a nice chat.

“Hank’s got a new buddy.” you whipped your head to Gary, who was also looking at the pair. “He called the android a fucking poodle. Fitting if you ask me.”

Knowing what Connor was capable of, the comparison was strange. But from what you’ve learned about Hank, he wasn’t a fan of technology and machines, not after what happened to his son, therefore forcing to have a partner - an android, nonetheless- was less than ideal and certainly irked him.

Your burger was truly ready in a few minutes and biting into it felt like a long awaited relief. You edged closer to Connor and Hank, listening in on their conversation.

“Why did they make you so goofy and give you that weird voice?”

Hank’s sarcastic question was answered by the unartful Connor. His wording was your making, and hearing his carefully chosen words, you’ve wondered if you had done a better job than you’ve thought.

“[Name]!”

The RK800 was always aware of his surroundings, paying close attention to the details, and it didn’t come as a surprise that he noticed you.

“Hello Connor.” you looked at the gray haired man beside him. “Hank.”

The older man seemed to be too busy with his burger, disregarding you with a small nod. Connor was infatuated with your presence though. He knew who you were, your position at CyberLife was impressive and your hand seemed to reach far, but he was made to ignore non-important humans and details, his focus was supposed to be solely on his mission. But somehow you managed to get under his artificial skin, always appearing to be a complicated enigma, leaving him to wonder if you were truly who you showed to be or if it was just a well created facade, made for distraction and deception. He was troubled by you, and the software instability notifications in his vision didn’t help his case.

“How’s the investigation? Found anything?” Hank’s mouth was full, his chewing louder than his words.

“I’ve just finished the report, I’ve already sent it to the captain. I found nothing.” you shook your head in false disbelief. “It’s weird. How about you? Do you have anything new for me?”

This time Connor was the one to answer.

“We didn’t locate any other deviants.” he was scrutinizing your face, looking for a reaction.

Just a short nod, that was all you had to offer.

“But you are not giving up, are you?”

Connor was staring at you with wide brown eyes.

“I don’t intend to.” he replied. “My mission is important, and solving these cases can lead to preventing a war.”

You accepted his response without a comeback, not wanting to make the situation more awkward.

“Do you think there is a connection between them? Something tying all of these androids together?”

“What they have in common is this obsession with rA9.” Connor looked at Hank like he was asking for permission to share something intimate. “It’s almost like some kind of… myth. Something they invented that wasn’t part of their original program.

Hank finished his burger.

“Androids believing in God.” he wiped his mouth with a shaky palm. “Fuck, what’s this world come to?” he looked at you. “Have any idea what rA9 could be?”

You remembered them talking about if rA9 could be Markus back in the broadcast room a few days before, but other than that, this was the first time they mentioned it.

“No. Unfortunately I do not. We didn’t code that in their software, that’s for sure.” your lies were silky, flowing in the air like a breeze.

“An android we questioned said that rA9 will set them free to make them the masters.” Connor’s LED was yellow, and it reminded you of the last rays of light before dawn. “I just can’t figure out what it could be.”

You took a few steps back, ready to leave. You didn’t like where this conversation was heading, and you didn’t have the energy to keep up with it.

“I gotta go.”

You didn’t hear their replies, already walking to your car. After getting it, you turned up the radio to drown out your thoughts.

rA9 was not worth mentioning. And it had to stay like this.

You pulled out the glove department and pushed the black album full of photos further in. You had to find a better hiding spot incase someone decided your Honda was worth snooping in. It was the clue the police was so eager for and what you were guarding for years. The images inside were sacred to you, something that had to be locked away.

You pressed the gas pedal and glanced back in the review mirror to take one last look at the duo.

Connor and Hank were going to be a problem.

[dread3r]

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Last Chapter

Amaranta Úrsula’s shrieks, her songs of agony would break out the same at two in the afternoon on the dining-room table as at two in the morning in the pantry. “What hurts me most,” she would say, laughing, “is all the time that we wasted.” In the bewilderment of passion she watched the ants devastating the garden, sating their prehistoric hunger with the beam of the house, and she watched the torrents of living lava take over the porch again, but she bothered to fight them only when she found them in her bedroom. Aureliano abandoned the parchments, did not leave the house again, and carelessly answered the letters from the wise Catalonian. They lost their sense of reality, the notion of time, the rhythm of daily habits. They closed the doors and windows again so as not to waste time getting undressed and they walked about the house as Remedios the Beauty had wanted to do and they would roll around naked in the mud of the courtyard, and one afternoon they almost drowned as they made love in the cistern. In a short time they did more damage than the red ants: they destroyed the furniture in the parlor, in their madness they tore to shreds the hammock that had resisted the sad bivouac loves of Colonel Aureliano Buendía and they disemboweled the mattresses and emptied them on the floor as they suffocated in storms of cotton. xxx xxx

After cutting the umbilical cord, the midwife began to use a cloth to take off the blue grease that covered his body as Aureliano held up a lamp. Only when they turned him on his stomach did they see that he had something more than other men, and they leaned over to examine him. It was the tail of a pig.

They were not alarmed. Aureliano and Amaranta Úrsula were not aware of the family precedent, nor did they remember Úrsula’s frightening admonitions, and the midwife pacified them with the idea that the tail could be cut off when the child got his second teeth. Then they had no time to think about it again, because Amaranta Úrsula was bleeding in an uncontainable torrent. xxx xxx

He could not find the basket. At first he felt an outburst of joy, thinking that Amaranta Úrsula had awakened from death to take care of the child. But her corpse was a pile of stones under the blanket. Aware that when he arrived he had found the door to the bedroom open, Aureliano went across the porch which was saturated with the morning sighs of oregano and looked into the dining room, where the remnants of the birth still lay: the large pot, the bloody sheets, the jars of ashes, and the twisted umbilical cord of the child on an opened diaper on the table next to the shears and the fishline. xxx xxx

Aureliano could not move. Not because he was paralyzed by horror but because at that prodigious instant Melquíades’ final keys were revealed to him and he saw the epigraph of the parchments perfectly placed in the order of man’s time and space: The first of the line is tied to a tree and the last is being eaten by the ants. xxx xxx

Only then did he discover that Amaranta Úrsula was not his sister but his aunt, and that Sir Francis Drake had attacked Riohacha only so that they could seek each other through the most intricate labyrinths of blood until they would engender the mythological animal that was to bring the line to an end. xxx xxx

Before reaching the final line, however, he had already understood that he would never leave that room, for it was foreseen that the city of mirrors (or mirages) would be wiped out by the wind and exiled from the memory of men at the precise moment when Aureliano Babilonia would finish deciphering the parchments, and that everything written on them was unrepeatable since time immemorial and forever more, because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth.

[xoxodiluc]

lapis dei | zhongli ( genshin impact ) x female! reader

— part four.

series genre romance, angst, smut, fantasy mafia! au

summary in your family, being married and giving an heir to a certain man you’re married to is a must. after zhongli lost his wife guizhong — he was devastated. but there’s no time in wasting to find another woman who shall be his wife, and you were chosen.

cw in this chapter mentions of pregnancy, threats, mentions of blood, violence, character death, use of guns, use of sword | please read at your own risk, and please send an ask if i missed any content warnings here. not proofread.

word count 1.5k

notes + at the end this is a reupload!!! since this app wanna act up… epilogue soon :)

one | two | three | four ( you’re here )

You haven’t seen Zhongli much after the incident in the dining room a few days ago. Even if you bump into him, you doubt he would notice you.

“Madam Y/N?” A maid knocked on the door, and you told her to come in. She bowed as she entered. “Breakfast is ready.”

You nodded, thanking her before following her to the dining room, and to your surprise, Zhongli was there drinking tea.

But he didn’t acknowledge you.

It only took moments before he got up and went to his office, much to your disappointment.

He was so confusing.

Lately, you’ve been feeling tired even though you were only always lonely and bored in the mansion, and you’ve been feeling nauseous.

If you were pregnant, you were scared about what Zhongli’s reaction would be. He’ll be glad you finally gave him an heir...

But what about you?

You cursed your family for requiring you to be in an arranged marriage. Because now you were in love with a man who won’t love you back.

“Madam, you called for me?” Arya, one of your trusted maids, showed up in front of your room in no time.

“Yes. Can you keep this a secret, please?” When she nodded, you continued. “Buy me a few pregnancy tests.” She was surprised for a moment but nodded in understanding nonetheless.

“Of course, Madam.” She bowed when you thanked her before walking away, and you sighed as you closed the door.

“And if I am pregnant,” You whispered, looking down at your stomach, “What would I name you?” You scoffed, “Or would Rex Lapis name you instead?”

After Arya bought you pregnancy tests, you went to the bathroom to test them and waited for the results, and you were right.

You were pregnant.

You were elated, finally having a child, but you weren’t happy with your marriage.

Sighing, you walked by the window and noticed a letter sitting there. It was unsettling because there wasn’t any sign of who it was from. Slowly, you opened the letter, and you gasped.

‘Now, you shall perish.’ Written in blood.

“Don’t move.”

Your breath hitched when you sensed someone behind you, “W-Who… How—”

“Don’t speak. Just come with me.”

The person covered your mouth with a cloth, and you lost consciousness.

“What’s up with you these days?”

Xiao’s voice interrupted Zhongli’s thoughts. “…Hm?”

“You’ve been acting… weird.” He crossed his arms. “Is there something wrong?”

“I’d rather not talk about it. It’s not that big of a deal.”

The Yaksha was worried, but he just shrugged it off. “All right. Also, there are still no reports about your superior’s death. We’ve been investigating it for so long…Tch.”

Zhongli sighed, “We just need to try our hardest.”

A few moments later, Ganyu came bursting through the door. “Mr. Zhongli! Madam Y/N is missing! And she has received a suspicious letter… There isn’t any sign of who it’s from!”

“What?” Ganyu gave him the letter, and when he opened it, his eyes widened.

Immediately, he ordered Xiao, Ganyu, and the Millelith — “Find my wife. Now.”

“I told you to kill her, not bring her here…! Have you fucking lost your mind?!”

“I-I’m sorry… I couldn’t bring myself to!”

You slowly gained consciousness. It took a few seconds to realize your hands were tied up as you lay on the ground of an empty warehouse.

“You’re finally awake.” You recognized that voice, Raiden Shogun!

You looked up at her, glaring. “Zhongli will fucking kill you. He’ll come to find me.” You didn’t know why you said that. It slipped out of your mouth.

But you knew he wouldn’t come to find you.

“Oh? When he does come to find you, he’ll also see the woman he actually loves.”

Your eyebrows furrowed. “W-what?” As if on cue, a woman came up behind Raiden.

Lady Guizhong. Zhongli’s former wife, she’s alive?

She gave you a pitiful look, and you looked back at Raiden, a disturbing smile forming on her face. “She’s not dead. She killed Morax’s superior for her beloved husband to be the leader.”

Oh my God.

You were overwhelmed. It was slowly making sense. Raiden Shogun had probably planned this for so long — Lady Guizhong had killed Zhongli’s superior for Zhongli to be the leader, and Raiden Shogun somehow found out who the killer of his superior was, then used her in her plan.

But what would happen to Lady Guizhong now?

“Didn’t I tell you to count your days, Y/N? I’m gonna get rid of you.” Raiden Shogun pointed her gun at you, and you closed your eyes, your heart pounding so loud that you could almost hear it.

‘I’m sorry, my future child.’

You waited for the gunshot, but then Raiden hummed. “Or what if… Guizhong just kills you instead? Wouldn’t that be so fucked up?” She let out a laugh.

You opened your eyes immediately, and Lady Guizhong shook her head. “N-No please, I can’t—”

“I’m ordering you. Kill your former husband’s current wife.”

Guizhong sobbed as Raiden pushed her gun into her hands, and she looked at you. “I’m sorry.”

Suddenly, you heard gunshots outside the empty warehouse.

“How?!” Raiden Shogun angrily exclaimed, and Guizhong took the opportunity to remove the rope tied up around your wrists as soon as the Millelith crashed into the place, shooting Raiden’s soldiers.

“I left the letter you received in your room on purpose so there was evidence you were kidnapped, and I hoped they could come and save you.” Guizhong flashed a sad smile, “I’m sorry once again.”

“Raiden Shogun. I knew you were suspicious ever since you visited Liyue.”

Zhongli… He came.

He ran towards you but slowly stopped once he saw Guizhong.

“You… You’re alive…?”

Guizhong shook her head, “I’m sorry. Please. Save Y/N and forget about me.” He stared at her in shock.

“Ah, my plan is all ruined!” Raiden Shogun spoke up, holding a tachi in her hand. “Guizhong killed your superior for you to become the new leader, Morax. She deserves to perish, doesn’t she?”

Slash!

And just like that, Guizhong was dead. Zhongli’s breath hitched.

Tears formed in your eyes as you grabbed the gun Guizhong was holding and pointed it at Raiden Shogun. You shot her in the shoulder as she cried out in pain. “You…!”

Zhongli immediately grabbed your hand and pulled you towards the door to escape, but you felt Raiden’s sword slashing your back, making you groan and fall. He looked back furiously to shoot her, but she managed to flee the warehouse.

“Go! I’ll take care of this!” Xiao yelled out as he shot Raiden’s soldiers. Zhongli picked you up, starting to panic when he saw you losing consciousness as he ran out of the warehouse. Ganyu then showed up and helped Zhongli carry you.

“Y/N... Live. Please.”

That was the last thing you heard from him before you passed out.

You opened your eyes slowly, attempting to get up, but it hurt like hell. “Ow!”

“Finally.” You heard someone say, then saw Zhongli giving you a small smile. “Don’t try to get up yet. You’re still not well.”

You slowly sat up and looked away from him, making him frown.

Didn’t he tell you to fuck off because you aren’t his real wife? Why is he here?

“Um…” You started, “How did you know where I was?”

“You received a threat, right? Then you went missing. I immediately ordered Xiao to do everything he can to find you. The first person who came to mind is Raiden Shogun, who’s been suspicious ever since she visited Liyue. I was right.” He sighed, “And I was scared… You’d be dead as soon as we got there. I’m glad you weren’t.”

You huffed, “Why would you be scared?”

“Because… I love you.” You looked at him, surprised at his sudden confession. “After Guizhong ‘died’, I was scared of falling in love again. That’s why I said those foolish things and started avoiding you because I realized I was falling in love with you. I’m sorry for that.” Zhongli held your hand, “But trust me, I do love you.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” He said, “Fuck the contract. I’m willing to break the contract for you. Only you.”

You swallowed a lump in your throat. “How do I know you’re not lying?”

“I’ll prove it to you. I’ll do anything. Please.” Zhongli — Rex Lapis got on his knees, looking up at you as his hands clasped yours tightly. “I beg of you, believe me when I say I love you.”

Take the risk or lose the chance.

Because even after all the unfortunate events, you still loved him.

You sobbed, pulling him up to his feet and hugging him. “I believe you.”

“We still have a long way to go,” He kissed your forehead, and you saw tears in his eyes as he looked down at your stomach. “We’ll take care of this little one, too.”

“You knew?”

He intertwined his hand with yours. “I saw the test before we came to find you. Thankfully after the incident, our baby is fine. You’re so strong.”

You smiled, and it quickly faltered when you remembered the previous events. “What happened to Raiden Shogun?”

His face suddenly turned serious. “She managed to escape after attacking you, which is unfortunate. Fear not, I made sure you’re completely protected and no one is taking you away from me now. I won’t allow it.”

You laughed. “Noted.”

notes that’s it for zhongli’s series! idk i kinda feel eh about it 😭 but there might be an epilogue :) thank you so much for reading! 💖

taglist @dori-mon @angel-of-requiem @xxshinimakixx @aclairysm @celesther @pluviophilefangirl @eternallyvenus @shrynkk @diachibaby @rimsthebest2 @byundumb @youngpainterpizzalawyer @swirrley @deimmortales99 @whattaweeb @hoanganhduong @kyomihann @puppieee @dancing-hillary @limelightsuperhero @beef-stew @local-mr-frog

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[sapphiresaphics]

I wanna talk about how DEEP the lore of League of Legends actually is. Because while some people might be confused by the events of some things that happened in Season 2 of Arcane, the series itself is less so pulling from our own earthly history, but instead that of the history of Runeterra.

Let me tell you about the tale of Azir:

“The youngest and least-favored son of the Shuriman emperor, Azir was never destined for greatness. He was a slender, studious boy who spent more time perusing the texts collected in the Great Library of Nasus than training to fight.”

Azir befriends a slave and the two of them bond over their love of ancient texts and magic. Eventually Azir is so enamored with his slave friend that he names him Xerath and appoints him to be his closest adviser.

After a series of cataclysmic events that resulted in Azir being in a position to become the new emperor, Xerath convinced him that “to stand as ruler over the entire world, Azir would need to be all but invincible, a god amongst men – an Ascended being.”

Azir agrees to undertake a dangerous ascension ritual, unaware that Xerath has actually been studying the dark arts and was seething with jealousy, hatred, and rage for being a slave.

“At the height of the ritual, the former slave unleashed his powers and Azir was blasted from his place on the dais. Without the protection of the runic circle, Azir was consumed by the sun’s fire as Xerath took his place. The light filled Xerath with power, and he roared as his mortal body began to transform.”

“But the magic of the ritual was not intended for Xerath, and such awesomely powerful celestial energies could not be diverted without dire consequence. The power of the Ascension ritual exploded outward, devastating Shurima and laying waste to the city. All that remained of Azir’s city were sunken ruins and echoes of its people’s screams on the night winds.”

“Azir saw none of this. For him, all was nothingness. His last memories were of pain and fire; he knew nothing of what befell him atop the temple, nor what became of his empire. He remained lost in timeless oblivion until, thousands of years after Shurima’s doom, the blood of his last descendant spilled onto the temple ruins and resurrected him. Azir was reborn, but was yet incomplete; his body little more than animate dust given form, held together by the last vestiges of his indomitable will.”

Azir comes across a woman who was stabbed. By using his powers he is able to resurrect her and heal her of her wounds.

“And with that act of selflessness, Azir was lifted up in a column of fire as the magic of Shurima renewed him, remaking him as the Ascended being he was meant to become. The sun’s immortal radiance poured into him, crafting his magnificent, hawk-armored form and granting him the power to command the very sand itself.”

“With the power and prescience of an Ascended being, Azir summoned an army of sand warriors to march alongside their reborn emperor saying; “I will reclaim my lands and take back what was mine!””

———

I had to edit a lot of that down and find respective screenshots that emulate the scenes that were being referenced… but I wanted to do this because I think it helps explain some of the stuff going on in Arcane.

Arcane is VERY MUCH drawing from its own lore and history of Runeterra. When you start digging into the lore you’ll start seeing these direct parallels and references, and some of the oddities start to make sense. I know we like to joke about Viktor being hextech Jesus, but his arc and storyline more closely resembles that of Azir than of Jesus.

League of Legends lore is FILLED with stories like this. Stories that are referenced by Arcane in many subtle ways that won’t be obvious to outsiders. This stuff runs DEEP, and the creators of Arcane know the lore enough to use it to tell their own stories with it as a guideline and reference.

Additionally it’s helpful to know that magic in League of Legends lore is a sentient thing that corrupts and WANTS to be used. This is why Heimerdinger hypothesizes that mages who use the Arcane magic often go astray and that this temptation to use the magic to commit world ending cataclysms “might be a property of the Arcane itself.”

As Rise says:

"Magic wants to be used, It is all around us, emanating from the first fragments of creation. It wants to be wielded. And that is the true challenge on the path we both walk. When you realize what the magic wants, how eager it is... Well, then the difficulty isn't how to begin wielding it. It's knowing when to stop."

Arcane tells the story of Viktor, a weak boy who makes a friend over their shared interest in studying and learning. Who goes through a metamorphosis after a cataclysmic event, saves people with his benevolence and newfound power, is ultimately betrayed and killed by his closest friend, and is resurrected through the use of (Warwick’s) determination and will to live, reborn into a godly figure who can control armies of his followers.