#happy birthday squid boy

[idanart]

It's something simple but I had to make a drawing for the birthday boy 😊

Happy birthday to Shrike 🥳🎉

[flopsxii]

tokyo revengers boys with their crush (aka you!) <3

feat. sano ‘mikey’ manjiro, ryuguji ‘draken’ ken, hanagaki takemichi, baji keisuke, matsuno chifuyu, hanemiya kazutora, mitsuya takashi, inui seishu && kokonoi hajime

notes: first time writing for so many characters and some for the first time :0 i hope it isn’t ass!!! sorry if some characters i haven’t written for before are ooc and inaccurate! ALSO I HATE SQUID GAME BUT TRANS BADDIE.

— i will release a part two soon :)

sano ‘mikey’ manjiro

ꪆৎ i think mikey would be somewhat upfront with you about his crush. of course, he wouldn’t outright confess until he knew you shared the same sentiment. however, he’d make it fairly obvious that he thought highly of you and how he loves spending time with you over anyone else.

ꪆৎ he’d definitely ‘kidnap’ you from classes, begging you to leave because it’s an “emergency”, but really he just wanted to spend time with you. you’d scold him after, reminding him about the importance of school, but he’d just stand there with a love struck smile on his face. it didn’t matter wether you were lecturing him or ignoring him, being in your presence was enough to bring him happiness.

ꪆৎ his crush is blankly obvious to all of toman and probably other gangs in the near vicinity. no one dared to talk to you in a negative way, a bonus of having mike’s affections. and suddenly, if anyone was mean to you, it didn’t happen anymore… sometimes you wondered why but mikey would shush you immediately. “maybe they just realised that bringing down such an amazing person was a reflection of themselves, y/n-chan!”

ꪆৎ would love it when you accompany him on foodie ‘dates’, rides on his motorbike and even accompanying him to toman’s meetings. it genuinely shocked everyone when mikey would interrupt himself to stick his tongue out at you just to make you giggle. truly toman’s royalty!

ꪆৎ also would most likely pitch up at your house at random points of the day. even as ‘friends’, he’d want to nap together and just hang out alone where he wouldn’t have to maintain his reputation as the ‘invincible mikey’. with you, he could just be manjiro.

ꪆৎ in terms of confession, i think mikey would let it slip out when he’s most vulnerable. either when he’s super sleepy or just generally having a rough time. small whispers of how much he appreciates you and likes you would fall from his lips. once he realised what he had done, it was most likely too late to take it back. he just hoped you shared the same feelings.

ryuguji ‘draken’ ken

ꪆৎ unlike his best friend and captain, draken would keep his feelings to himself and it probably would stay that way for a while. it’s not because he doesn’t wanna be with you, in fact, it’s the opposite! he’d most likely think that a relationship with him would come hand in hand with people jeopardising your safety. so more likely than most, he’d stick to being your friend (a very close friend) until he knew you’d be safe.

ꪆৎ probably would trail behind you whilst you’d go shopping, a unreadable expression on his face but instead, his mind was overwhelmed by the thought of you! how adorable you looked as you pointed out cute things, making a mental note of items to buy you for your birthday.

ꪆৎ definitely would be the first one at your door if you came down with any sickness. even if it was a common cold! he’d remind you that sickness could get worse if left untreated and you should ‘stop denying him and just accept his help.’

ꪆৎ he’s immensely protective over you, even if he doesn’t necessarily need to be. other toman members would try and remind draken that he doesn’t need to be worried over your safety, after all the whole of toman would take care of you!

ꪆৎ i also feel like draken would be the type to pick you up and drop you off before and after school. even if the walk was 10 minutes and under, he’d remind you it could be dangerous alone! it’s purely just an excuse to spend more time with you even if he does act like it’s a chore.

ꪆৎ would probably confess to you if there’s imminent danger towards you or it would slip out without him realising. he’d definitely have to take a couple moments to compose himself if it was the latter, a furious blush erupting over his cheeks causing you to giggle.

hanagaki takemichi

ꪆৎ he’s so so shy around you! however, no matter how much he makes a fool of himself in front of you, he just can’t stay away. it’s like he’s in a constant state of fluster whenever he’s in your presence.

ꪆৎ definitely walks you to and from school, holding your hand if you initiate it first. he would probably also try carry your school books for you, even if you remind him that your arms work just fine. he just wants to help you in anyway he can!

ꪆৎ would also 100% feel awful when he sees the sad expression on your face whenever he turns up with new bruises and cuts covering his face. his heart would break when you graze your fingers over the wounds, asking a meek “do they hurt, michi-kun?”

ꪆৎ also the type to try show off to you whenever he can but fail miserably. although, if he sees that amazing smile, the humiliation he feels is always worth it! even if he ends up hurting himself, he won’t mind if you make sure he’s okay after. maybe a hug wouldn’t hurt also…

ꪆৎ speaking of hugs, he’d probably malfunction the first time that your arms wrap around him. even if you were doing it out of worry for his wellbeing, he cherishes the moment for the rest of his life.

ꪆৎ he doesn’t confess… it’s actually you who tells him how you feel. it’s a heartfelt conversation you two share after you see the boy beaten to a bloody pulp so that his friends would be alright. his loyalty and tenacity being one of the few reasons why you adore him so much!

baji keisuke

ꪆৎ honestly, he’s the definition of whipped. even chifuyu is surprised when he sees how baji acts in your presence. it’s so impossibly clear how much baji likes you to anyone else in the room, except you!

ꪆৎ he’d probably start fancying you if you helped with his studies and actually persevered with him despite how difficult he tried to make it. initially, he’d deny your help, grumpily saying he can handle it and to leave him alone. however, when you sit across from him and start reading through your notes and helping him correct his wrong answers, he’s floored. any other person would’ve left after his shitty response but you stayed.

ꪆৎ would act like your best friend but to anyone else, they view you as baji’s partner (albeit unofficially). is fiercely protective over you and if anyone makes you upset (even a little bit) are met with baji’s anger and very soon after, his fists. of course, you lecture him for jumping into action without consulting you but the fact he cares so much makes your heart beat impossibly faster.

ꪆৎ would definitely invite you over to his house to hang out, just so he could have some time alone with you. even if it’s just you reading and him silently laying beside you, it’s almost heaven to baji. if it was heaven, you’d be spilling your undying love for him but he thinks he wouldn’t be so lucky.

ꪆৎ would also end up sometimes bringing you to toman meetings if he absolutely has no other choice. but you’d stick by his side the whole time and if he’s not available for some reason, chifuyu is there to stand in!

ꪆৎ much like takemichi, you’d have to confess to baji first or you’d be playing cat and mouse with him for the rest of eternity. even his mum knows how he feels but he’ll deny every accusation. however, she’s just happy her hot headed son has someone he cares about and she’s so happy it’s you!

matsuno chifuyu

ꪆৎ chifuyu is definitely the type to crush on his best friend! someone he shares such a deep bond with and trusts on an immensely deep level. i doubt he’d fancy someone he knows on a surface level, he doesn’t know them well enough. however, he knows you inside and out, it never feels awkward around you (despite the constant blush on his cheeks that he hides everytime).

ꪆৎ he’s definitely protective over you, along side baji who will take care of you if chifuyu isn’t around. if he sees anyone hassling you, he’s the first to jump in and defend your honour!

ꪆৎ he always invites you round to his house just to see you cuddle peke j. furthermore, he’ll take you to the zoo, aquariums or just pet shops to hang out since you both share the same sentiment towards animals. it’s one of the reasons he’s fallen so hard for you.

ꪆৎ his mum adores your ‘friendship’ with her son, she’s never seen him so happy (in a romantic way!). she will buy food specially for you to share and even sometimes drop devious hints in your ears about her sons feelings; you don’t take it seriously at first.

ꪆৎ he probably doesn’t initiate physical contact with you too much, it makes his brain overload. but, the option is there… he will without a doubt wrap you in a bear hug; savouring the feeling for as long as possible.

ꪆৎ chifuyu is definitely the type to try reenact scenes from his favourite mangas then make a complete fool of himself. however, he doesn’t know that you appreciate him trying nonetheless, no matter how silly he looks doing so.

ꪆৎ following his shoujo manga’s ideology, he’d confess in a subtle but heartfelt way. i think either using peke j as a messenger, a small note tucked into his little collar. or he’d tell you up front and be as sincere with his words as his silly brain would allow.

hanemiya kazutora

ꪆৎ it’s likely that no one knows that kazutora has a crush on anyone, most of all you. i think he wouldn’t interact with you that much in public, instead opting to spend time with you in private when he could truly be himself.

ꪆৎ the amount of times kazutora has to cover his raging blush on his cheeks each time you hang out is insane! he never knew that compliments he hears on the daily about his appearance could make his heart beat so fast, until they came out of your mouth.

ꪆৎ he definitely visits you if you have a job, sneaking in and surprising you with a huge smile on his face! he’s also the type to stay until your shift ends and make sure you get home safely, wether you ride on his motorcycle or not.

ꪆৎ he may also sometimes slip you unexpected gifts, only small ones though that have sentimental value. maybe it’s cinema tickets from the time you dragged him out after his release from juvie.

ꪆৎ he doesn’t want you involved with any gang activity so it’s quite unlikely that you find out he’s still involved with that stuff. however, he would tell you flat out if you heard any rumours about him and would reassure you that he’d keep you seperate.

ꪆৎ it’s unlikely he’d confess, liking things how they are, no matter how much he wishes your relationship could progress. either he’s worried you’d see him as a monster, due to things he did in the past and in the present or he just wouldn’t know how to say it so it’s better left unsaid anyways. it would have to be you to lay your feelings out for him to see and decide what to do next.

mitsuya takashi

ꪆৎ i think mitsuya would be one of the most upfront about his feelings on this list without saying it directly. toman can clearly see the sentiment he shares for you, even girls in his class and sewing club know that he’s essentially spoken for!

ꪆৎ he loves inviting you along to his days out with his sisters. not only because he loves spending time with you but also because the two girls adore you as much as he does! one of his favourite photographs is the four of you on one of your days out, a scarf he made wrapped around your neck.

ꪆৎ speaking of clothes he’s made; mitsuya definitely surprises you with new pieces every so often. even if you’d try refuse, telling him he should try sell them as they’re just that good, he’d remind you that he’d much rather see them on you and wants no payment in return (no matter how much you insist).

ꪆৎ gentleman mitsuya always gives you a ride no matter where you need to go! even if you mention in passing that you’re going shopping in the coming days, he will insist that he’s your ride! after all, he can’t stand by whilst you lug heavy bags home.

ꪆৎ once mitsuya is certain about your feelings reflecting his, he’d be direct with his words. “i have feelings for you, y/n-chan.” a simple statement that gets the biggest weight off his chest. he can only hope you accept his confession…

inui seishu

ꪆৎ you’re most likely a childhood friend to seishu, i find it unlikely he’d fancy a classmate or a passing stranger. perhaps, a childhood friends sibling? that way, he’s able to determine wether you actually like him for who he is.

ꪆৎ alongside kokonoi, he trusts you immensely. i highly doubt he’s able to form romantic feelings for anyone without the formation of trust. you’re his confident and he’s yours, and it has always been that way. at this point, seishu is unable to see himself confiding with anyone else the way he does with you.

ꪆৎ when he first started gaining feelings for you, i think he probably would give you the cold shoulder, not understanding how he feels. but, he’ll make things right with you once his minds less foggy!

ꪆৎ if you don’t exactly share the same interests, such as how he’s very interested in motorbikes and mechanics, he will try very hard to get into your hobbies so you can spend more time together. however, it means an immense amount to him that you’ll sit there and let him ramble about his favourite bike that shinichiro worked on, even if it was so long ago.

ꪆৎ he would probably confess when everything has settled down in his life. that includes his involvement with gang activity. he would hate to put someone so close to his heart in jeopardy. however, if you can’t wait, you could always confess yourself…

kokonoi hajime

ꪆৎ it would take him a long, long time to actually acknowledge his feelings for you. he would probably feel like moving on was a betrayal to akane but there came a point where he couldn’t ignore those feelings anymore.

ꪆৎ he would treat you amazingly, even if he’s battling with the thoughts inside his head about you and akane. he’d offer you money if you needed it (you will most likely hand it straight back), buy you gifts and happen to forget the receipt…

ꪆৎ even after several talks that you like spending time with him because of who he is and not what he can do for you, kokonoi still finds it hard to accept. he probably will see some resemblance to akane in that sense and would probably think she’d want him to be with someone like you.

ꪆৎ one of his favourite things about you is that even if he isn’t in a sociable mood, you will still sit with him and enjoy his company. not to mention he’s floored by how amazing you look everytime he sees you!

ꪆৎ he also loves going on day trips with you and seishu, finding every different place the three of you visit special.

ꪆৎ his confession would be sincere and precise. he would lay his feelings out and would promise to treat you amazingly and of course, take care of you in anyway you’d need.

[gyuswhore]

Grease (the tragedy)

“Careful, those marks on the floor aren’t just oil and paint.”

jeon wonwoo x reader

word count: 5.8k

warnings: smut [minors DNI], fluff, angst, mechanic!wonu, annoyances to lovers, blind date gone wrong but then gone right, kissing, clit stuff, oral (f. rec), thigh fucking (oop), this all happens at a desk LMAO, title is a what I thought was a funny spin on how people say "grease (the musical)"....has nothing to do with the musical though but lots to do with actual grease!!!

synopsis: In which you have to sit through one of the worst dates of your life, followed by the insistent tug of fate and compulsion that lead you straight back to where you'd sworn you'd never go.

[a/n]: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WIFE CAMOTHY @highvern everyone go say happy birthday to cam or ill appear in your room at night 🔫 anygays HAVE FUN READING THIS I hope this is all the sexy wonu content you wanted, I cant wait for your reaction hehehhehe

and also bigbigbigbig thank you to jessifer @the-boy-meets-evil for proofing this for me!!! ily heh

and and to everyone reading this who is not cam, I hope you enjoy reading mechanic!wonu as much as I liked writing him heheh PLS REMEMBER TO REBLOG AND TELL ME UR THOTS it could be in the tags, replies, an ask literally anything!!!! id love to hear what you guys think!!!!

masterlist

 [You]: do you think he died on the way [Liv]: hes still not there??? [You]: what do you think????? [Liv]: let me ask Amelia [You]: dont bother [You]: he can show up whenever he wants im leaving in 5 [Liv]: you promised you’d sit thru this!! [You]: sit thru what? an empty seat across from me???

Liv doesn’t respond immediately, and you immediately know she’s buggered off to ask her cousin why your date still wasn’t here. 

It’s not like you couldn’t have asked him yourself, the sparse textbox sitting just under Liv’s contact. You open it to inspect the contents. 

[liv’s cousin’s something]: Amelia gave me your number [liv’s cousin’s something]: friday night at the sage&salt at 7  [liv’s cousin’s something]: is that okay [You]: uh hey [You]: yeah that’s fine

Today 7:20 PM

[You]: im here?

The first thread of texts were enough to make you feel like this was some cold business meeting instead of a date, knowing wherever this would lead would be either the city dump or off a cliff. Liv was hearing none of it, taking the guilt tripping route, saying she’d already committed and her cousin was irritating enough even without a scuffle.

So when Friday evening came around you’d pulled on the first dress your fingers could find, took all of ten minutes fighting with your makeup to make it look like you did something and left the house with zero expectations. 

Despite that, as you see a man walk into the establishment dressed like he’d gotten into a fight with a squid and a paper shredder, you feel the stone in your chest tank into the abyss. Zero expectations, and he’s somehow managed to strike out anyway. 

The jacket looks like he’s put it on as a weak cover for the grime stains on his shirt and trousers, a couple jet black splatters across the outfit to really pull the whole thing together. It’s not like he looked homeless or anything, his face surprisingly handsome with his hair pushed away from his forehead. Although he remains looking like he’d been playing football in some neighbourhood parking lot before remembering he had an adult appointment too. 

You’d never seen the man in your life, but your gut told you this was the shit texter who’d kept you waiting for nearly an hour. He seems to notice too, eyes locking from across the restaurant as the waitress leads him to your table. 

“Wonwoo,” you greet with a difficult smile, half sure it came out as a grimace. “Right?”

“Yeah,” he huffs as he practically slams back down on the chair, and you wonder for a moment how the legs didn’t give out. He says your name and you nod. “Sorry I’m late, I got a call in the parking lot.”

He’s been in the parking lot this entire time?!

It’s like you’ve been doused in gasoline and lit on fire, yet somehow needing to give him a shaky reply anyway. 

“O–oh, I see.”

The waitress saves you from spitting in his face when she asks if you were ready to order. 

Dinner was off the table, as you discussed with Liv who forwarded it to her cousin to her–whoever it was that set up this god awful date–and agreed on dessert and perhaps a drink. 

“I’ll have the chocolate cake,” you request in an attempt to make this somewhat better. You consider for a moment before asking for a drink as well, “And a dry gin martini, please.”

“Um,” he staggers as he barely skims the menu, ultimately flipping it closed. “I’ll have the same, I guess.”

Deep voice. You might’ve liked that if you weren’t already so peeved. 

The waitress disappears with the menus, leaving you two alone for the first time. 

“So,” you start with an exhale. “How do you know Amelia?”

“Her husband.”

“I see.”

Silence. 

“How do you know her husband?”

He sighs like this is all inconveniencing him, and it irks you to an irrespective degree. Like you wanted to be here either. 

“He brings his car to the workshop alot, became friends somewhere along the line.”

“Workshop?”

He looks a little startled, cocking his head to the side. “I’m a mechanic? Did Olivia–was it–not tell you?”

“No, she didn’t.”

It’s silent yet again as the man across from you refuses to elaborate. You curse as you ask him a follow up question. If there was anything you hated more than shouldering a dead conversation, it was sitting through an awkward silence. 

One hour. You’d sit through this for one more hour and then you’d leave. 

“What kind of cars do you work on?”

“Expensive ones,” he answers. You might’ve kicked yourself if he’d ended it at that, but he continues with a purse of his lips. “Ones that rich people abuse to an inch of the machine’s life and wonder why the dealership gives up on it. Vintage pieces too.”

“Have I heard of it?”

“The cars?”

“No, I mean,” you let out a breath. “Your workshop.”

“Jeon Motors, just a couple streets down actually.”

You did know what he was talking about, not expecting to recognise it through the empty question, passing by it on multiple occasions in this part of the city.

“Oh, I’ve seen it a few times.”

“Yeah, we’ve been there for a while.”

“Family business?”

“Uh–sort of.” 

“Okay,” you sigh in an irritated laugh. This was going to be a very difficult hour. “Keep that to yourself too.”

“Is there a problem?”

Just as you lift your eyes to lock with his, a ready yes, there is actually a problem on your tongue, there’s an intrusion. 

“Here are your chocolate cakes,” the waitress places the cakes down, and then the drinks. “And your dry gin martinis. Do you guys need anything else?” By the time the waitress is gone you’ve somewhat forced yourself to put that sudden surge of flames out, to a degree at least. 

“Okay,” he sighs, grabbing his glass and downing nearly half the contents. He emerges, wiping a bit of a spill from the corner of his mouth. “Let’s get this out of the way.”

“Hm?” He’s speaking to you with a very weird surge of intensity, and it confuses you.

“Neither of us wanna be here. You’re clearly trying to be hospitable but I’d really rather you not, especially when we’re both doing this to get our respective ticks off our hides.”

There isn’t much you can do but stare at him. 

“Have I misjudged your advances?” he asks over his glass, sharp eyes piercing. 

“No!” you yelp, reaching for your drink yourself, taking big sips only to emerge sputtering and heaving. 

Your date looks like he’s rising out of his chair when you raise a hand to stop him. 

“No,” you repeat, less jumpy this time. “I guess we could’ve cleared that out from before.”

Did he…snort?

“Sorry.” Dropping his chin to his chest, he composes himself. 

“What?” you ask, remaining annoyed as ever. 

“Nothing.”

That does it. You slam your now empty glass down on the table, slipping your fork out of the napkin a little forcefully, the metal glinting in the light of the restaurant. You dig into a corner of the cake and shove it in your mouth. 

If he was gonna be rude, you could be too. 

“I don’t know about hospitable.” You swallow. “But I assumed not being an ass was kind of an unwritten rule for any situation really. Including the ones you’d rather not be in.”

Wonwoo stares at you with a blank face, his cake untouched. “I’m being an ass. My laugh couldn’t have offended you that much.”

“So you did pick that up,” you comment. “With the way this conversation’s going I would’ve thought it flew right over your engine.”

“I’d argue your laugh was the least offensive thing you’ve done tonight.” You plunge your fork into your cake again. “But clearly we’re in different realms of etiquette.”

Your eyes meet the rough stains on his attire, and then his own that bore into yours like a challenge. The cake isn’t too sweet, rich just the right amount and texturally sound. Maybe something good did come out of this fiasco. 

“Okay fine,” he announces, sitting up straighter. “I apologise.”

“For laughing?”

“And for being obscenely late.”

“And?”

“And…” he genuinely looks like he’s struggling to figure it out, but catches your eyes flickering to his tattered and stained outfit. “And for my entirely inappropriate dressing sense. You’ll have to forgive me for that one, oil and grime are my spoils of war.”

“Wear it like a badge, mister mechanic, but perhaps somewhere it’s appreciated.” 

Wonwoo has already finished his drink, his cake remaining untouched. “You’re quite adamant on disliking me.”

“And you’re quite adamant on being a horrid conversationalist.”

The corners of his mouth lift the slightest bit. Opening his mouth to respond, you cut him off. “Cars don’t talk? Or perhaps, machines are easier to understand?”

“More like I don’t care to be personable.”

“That can’t be good for business.”

“The cars speak for themselves.”

He’s a weird one. Even more so when he offers to pay the entire bill, promising you he wasn’t lying when he said he was good at what he does, and to “make up for lost personality points.” You manage to pay your half anyway, considering the circumstances. 

“Can you at least let me drive you home?” Wonwoo asks as you both step out of the establishment soon after. 

“Depends.” You fix the strap of your bag. “Will it fall apart on the highway?”

The blaring white of the restaurant's outdoor lights backlight Wonwoo to make him look like some sad angel. He turns to you, the same slight smirk that seems to be plastered on his face. “Why don’t you find out?”

“What do you mean sell it? I got this thing a year ago!” 

There isn’t much you can do but sigh loudly as you listen to Olivia talk about the state of her car, the one that cost too much to justify but she seemed to use and abuse like a very replaceable toy truck. 

Leaning against the hood of the darn thing, you talk to her. “The dealership is giving you a shit deal to take it off your hands, you might as well try your luck.”

The look on her face is easy to read as she silences. Not convinced in the slightest, waiting for the conversation to end just so she could figure it out on her own. Sighing loudly, you look back to the dark beauty with a crate of issues that make it spit and sputter to a stop every few weeks. 

“How much did you say the repairs cost again?”

“Enough to put me on food stamps,” she whines through her frustration, tears pricking against her eyes as they glisten under the neighbourhood streetlights. “Why are you smirking like that?!”

“It’s just,” you pause as you consider your next words, pressing your lips together. “This is a little bit your fault.”

Lies, it was entirely her fault. 

Liv stares like you’ve just offended her, which you’re sure you have.

“Care to share how this possible bankruptcy could be my fault?"

“Because you drive the thing like you have a secret reserve buried somewhere in Tenerife.”

“My apologies for making a habit of not being a public nuisance and going forty on a national highway.”

“Your speed-o-metre is not the issue here.”

“Yes, of course, everything’s my fault.”

“Liv, please!” You groan loudly. “Just…let’s try putting up a listing tomorrow. Consider the prospects and you can decide from there.”

Sagging her shoulders and stretching her neck, Liv decides to simply trudge back indoors in silence. You take it as a begrudging yes, and follow her inside. 

That very night, when you were at the very cusp of falling into the dark space of sleep, your brain re-awakens before your eyes do. A jolt as the memory comes back to you of the many months ago, sitting in that restaurant across from a man who was too handsome for the personality he seemed to sire. 

“Expensive ones,” he had said. “Ones that rich people abuse to an inch of the machine’s life and wonder why the dealership gives up on it.”

How fitting. 

“Are you going to explain or should I explode instead?” 

You’d mentally prepared for the bombardment of accusations from Liv, her questioning perfectly right as you yourself cringed at the thought of showing your face here of all places. The one last one that’d officially banned her from ever setting you up with an individual of her choosing ever again. 

Hearing only silence as her answer, she appeals; “I thought he was the worst date of your life.”

“Nothing to do with his skills as a mechanic,” you mumble, refusing to make eye contact. 

“And everything to do with this being a horrible idea anyway!” Liv stares up at the sign on top of the garage. Jeon Motors. “What makes you think this guy can fix my car?”

What did make you think he could fix Liv’s car? If you’d known you might have given her an answer, but as you stare at the giant signboard that you’ve driven past for longer than you can remember, you can’t help but feel this place has been haunting you. Just a little. 

You can’t help but feel the tingle of goosebumps rise on your skin, the hairs across the expanse standing up at the thought of walking inside. There was no way you could differentiate the reaction from plain nerves or from the cringing drills that sound all the way outside the establishment. Regardless, you make an attempt to look confident as you make your strides into the pungent of the workshop. 

The first thing you note is how…clean everything is. Cleaner than any other workshop you’ve walked into anyway. 

The interior is bigger than it looks from the outside, the ginormous hall hosting about a dozen cars within your eyeshot alone. One side of the great hall holds an array of parked cars in different stages of dismantled and deconstructed, while the other side is lined with contraptions that look like stripped and enlarged elevators. 

Once you’ve inhaled a beyond recommended amount of smoke fumes and listened past all of the clanging, banging and sparks, you register the people that are elbow deep in the hoods of the vehicle they’re working on, enough to leave you and Liv standing at the entrance of an establishment that you can barely make sense of. 

“Can I help you?” A man in stained beige overalls approaches your wide eyed pair, face half covered in his baseball hat and hands occupied with a rag. 

To your slightest dismay, it isn’t the man you’re looking for.

“Uh– is Wonwoo here?” you ask. 

“He’s in a meeting right now. Are you a friend?” 

No, just a failed love interest.

“He,” you falter. If you weren’t a friend…then what were you? “He gave me his card.”

“Do you need help with your car?”

“Mine, actually,” Liv pipes. “It’s outside if you wanna take a look first.”

With one sweeping look across the warehouse, your eyes land on one of the few doors on the left. You register the plain look of it for barely a moment before joining Liv outside. 

By the time her car has been rolled and parked inside for a more thorough inspection, it’s taken you every last grain of your willpower to not stalk back out and wait in your car. For whatever reason, you can’t help but feel a very familiar spasm of irritation spark through you. Here you are, left anxiously waiting for the same man for a second time, merely feet away but remaining occupied with more important things. 

At the very least, the multiple hands prodding around the car’s engine were being somewhat of use, attempting to survey the same issues that had been looked at about a dozen times before. You silently promise to be a better person if this trip wouldn’t be for vain.  

“Am I late for something again?” 

Your throat is suddenly clogged as you open your mouth and no sound graces your presence. The face that meets you has his eyebrows raised as he stares at you in expectation, a ghost of a smile on his face. 

“W–Wonwoo, hi, um.” You clear your throat loudly, heat cursing your cheeks. “No, of course not.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure after…four months?” he asks, hands on his hips and his back straightened.

“I…my friend’s car needed to be looked at so…”

“Ah, of course!” He turns to where you’ve motioned, looking at the popped hood of the car his employees are working on. “I’ll take a look at it myself, don’t worry about it.”

He’s already walking away, towards the car and leaving you a ways away from the action. You stare at his back; the overalls tied at the waist and the stained white T-shirt that clings to his form from the humidity.

Wonwoo remains a man of a few words, and you remain at wits end about it all. 

A loud honk gives you something to do as you jump at the sound so up close, scrambling to move away from the smack centre as another car pulls into the garage. 

“Careful, those marks on the floor aren’t just oil and paint.” Wonwoo snickers from his place hunched over the hood as he cranes his neck to look at you. 

You walk over to where he is to get out of the way. “Was that meant to sound like an innuendo?”

“I was talking about the occasional running over someone’s foot,” he answers. “Not sure what you were thinking.” 

Ignoring the jab, you note that it was now only you and him crowding the car, “Where’s Olivia?”

“Went to look at spare parts.” You watch him as his gloved hands reach further into the enclave and yank at something hard. 

“So you can fix it?” 

“The car? It’ll take a couple days but it’s not really an issue.”

Furrowing your brows, you press on, “But the dealership—”

“Dealerships are the spawn of the devil,” he grunts as he finally wrenches out a spare nut or bolt or something that’s covered in oil. “Let me guess, they wanted her to sell it back to them?”

It’s your turn to raise your brows. “Yes. They tried fixing it, but it'd just stop again.”

“Because they’ve been fixing the symptoms.” He raises his eyes to meet yours, hands occupied with rubbing the part in his hands relatively clean with a rag. “They haven’t bothered to do anything about the actual problem.” 

“Because that’s gonna cost…?”

“Couple hundred, give or take,” he announces nonchalantly, turning his focus back to the engine. 

“But—” That’s it?

“Fifty extra for every question I have to answer after this.” You briefly wonder if Wonwoo’s eyes were always this piercing, boring into your soul like he didn’t need words to know what was going on with you. 

“Fine,” you huff, moving to drag a chair over, mostly just so you could have reason to break eye contact, and plop down as you watch him work. 

The more you think about it, the more you can find yourself unbothered by his strange behaviour. He wasn’t bleak, but nowhere near one of the more interesting people you’ve met. Taking the opportunity to really scan the man head to toe, you can’t say you find anything truly concrete to be this put off by him. 

Not much of a talker, but with the times you’ve prayed for a man that knew when to shut up sometimes, you wonder how much you can actually complain about this boon in particular. 

Besides, he was a looker, and you were completely content shutting your trap if it meant you got to shamelessly ogle at him from this close. 

“You know, this place looks bigger than it does from the outside.”

Wonwoo stares pointedly. 

You raise a shoulder in nonchalance, “Wasn’t a question!”

He simply huffs as he mumbles, “More length than breadth I suppose.”

“What are those things called?” you ask as you watch a sedan get lifted into the on some platform on the other end of the row. 

Glancing back, he answers, “Post lift, car lift, whatever you wanna call it.”

“What does it do?”

“Take a wild guess.”

“Touché.” 

Glancing back at him, you catch sight of his stained shirt once again. “Is that the same thing you wore to our date?”

Chin to chest, he registers what he’s wearing, hands still working on pulling bolts and boxes out of the hood. “Have about twenty of the same shirt, I can never be too sure.”

“You’re impossible.”

He smirks, “Touché.” 

You questioned if this was a mistake. 

Olivia could pick up her car herself, so why did you insist to be the one that did it? As you pay the taxi driver, you feel your ankles lock for a moment as you move to slip out of the cab. Frozen, you hear the driver ask you if everything was alright, to which your legs seem to work again, finally foot to gravel in front of the dreaded workshop.

The Jeon Motors sign blares the same as it always has in the afternoon light, glinting as it encourages you to walk in and do one of the stupider things you’ve done in life. Other than the ridiculous outfit you’ve put on, of course. 

But alas, as you hand over your slip to one of the many mechanics in the workshop, you find yourself praying he wasn’t here after all, that perhaps you could miss him as you leave and never have to see him again. 

Somebody yells out his name, and the dream drifts away like smoke. 

Finding the courage, you look up to where the man shouted for him, and immediately wish you hadn’t. 

Wonwoo remains in his overalls, the same ones that he had tied to his waist the last time you saw him. His undershirt however…

The tank top is revealing too much for you to pretend you don’t care, his hair remaining pushed back and away from his forehead as he walks over to you in what feels like slow motion. He takes the slip that he does not need, smiling at you as he says his hellos. 

“Car’s all fixed up, just need some papers that need signing and you’re all set.”

“Oh, but Liv isn’t here today.”

“That’s alright, you can sign them too,” he reassures, motioning for you to walk with him towards the car. “The car was alright in the test drives, revving hasn’t caused any problems either.”

He halts in front of the now (supposedly) fixed black sedan and pats the hood lightly, “If anything happens tell her to bring it straight here, although it shouldn’t have any more problems.”

“What’s your rate of return on customers?” you ask, a slight smirk on your face.

He thinks for a moment, “Pretty crap. But I guess that means I’m doing something right.”

You consider yourself something of a helicopter parent when it comes to your own car, but perhaps you’d change that if it meant you’d get to come here a little more often. 

Goodness, what’s gotten into you.

Wonwoo’s smiling too, and for a brief moment the silence is nearly awkward. A pause before he proposes leaving. 

“Shall we go to the office then?” 

Nodding eagerly, you trail behind him as he leads you towards the other end of the workshop, passing by even more cars in all their stripped or constructed glory. Glancing in front, you catch sight of Wonwoo’s back, ensnared for a moment before you snap your head away, reciting every curse word you know like a mantra. 

“It’s less hot in here too, keep the air on all the time.” Wonwoo stands in front of the plain doors, hands on the handle to wrench it open. You recognise it as the same door you had noted a few days ago. “Would you like anything? Coffee, tea?”

“Um, just water is fine, thanks.”

It’s quite plain, beige and leather against cream walls and unfittingly white lights. There’s a desk on one corner that’s beyond cluttered with more papers than you can register, pens and other office supplies mixed into the disorganised chaos of the large tabletop.

“Sorry about the mess, I can never find time to sort through it.” To your surprise, the light tinge of his cheeks suggest he might actually feel a little embarrassed. 

Cute. 

There’s cabinets that line on one of the far walls, and you watch him take his gloves off to open it and reach for a cup. The white porcelain emerges stained with an ashy grey as his fingers betray him. He looks flustered, glancing at his hands and back up to the cabinet. 

You can’t help but laugh a little, moving forward to help. “It’s alright, let me.”

“Sorry,” he apologised again, with a sheepish look on his face. “I’ll, um, wash this off.”

“Go on, I’m here,” you reassure as you move towards the water dispenser in the corner to fill your clean cup. 

He returns with significantly cleaner hands and apologises one last time. “Seems all I do around you is apologise.”

You have the good humour to chuckle, “So I’ve noticed.”

He does well to clear out most of the clutter that’s on his desk, leaving enough room to set down a few pieces of paper as you take a seat on the opposite side. 

As you scan through the papers, he attempts to make sober conversation. “You should…bring your car around for inspections if you want.”

“Oh? Even if I ask a million questions?”

“I can make an exception or two,” he grins. 

“And if you charge me double?”

“Might not charge you at all.”

“Might?” you question as you lift the pen he’d given you to sign the first space. 

“Might.”

“And what’re the conditions for that?” 

He doesn’t answer as he ponders and you fill in the second blank. “I’ll have to think about that.”

You snort before you can help it, your last signature coming out a little wonky as your hands shake. Turning the papers over to him, you continue, “Well then, let me know when you figure it out.”

He stares pointedly as he accepts the papers before dropping his eyes again, “Can I?”

“Hm?”

“Can I? Let you know?” 

It’s like you’ve been frozen over, the typewriter in your mind jamming as it punches out the implications of what he’s saying. 

“It seems, at least to me, that we may have gotten off on the wrong foot,” he continues. 

You hesitate. “I think so too.”

“I…I don’t want to put anything like pressure on you but–” 

“Would you like to try the new gelato place downtown this week?” you ask finally as you save him from his misery. “If…you’d like.”

He looks stunned for a moment before he’s scrambling, “Oh–of course! Yes, anytime is fine with me.”

“Great,” you smile, lifting from your seat. “It’s a date.”

“I’ll promise to wash my hands this time…and my shirt. And I won’t be late.” 

“Let’s not make promises we can’t keep,” you tease. 

You’re nearing the door as he follows behind, and just as you’re about to pull down on the handle, you hear him say your name. 

Turning around, almost too eagerly, you look up at him in expectation. He’s close, almost right behind you as he looks like he’s debating whether opening his mouth is a good idea. 

“Are you doing anything else today?” 

“Um,” you stutter for a moment. “I don’t have to drop off the car till later tonight, that’s all really.”

He swallows. “Do you wanna stay? Just a little while. We can stay in here, nobody comes in anyway.”

You aren’t entirely sure why you said yes, because you did actually have dinner plans with Liv later tonight, but the teeny tiny voice in your mind egged you on anyway. Besides, Liv wouldn’t mind, not if you were cancelling for this.

This entailed the very friendly contact of Wonwoo’s tongue in your mouth, and the extremely cordial way it seemed to caress your insides. If somebody asked you how it led to this, you don’t think you’d have an answer. Not that you care, especially when his hands are grabbing your waist and hips like that.

He’s already locked the door, reassuring you that nobody would find their boss and client in the smack dab middle of the devil’s tango. You take his word for it, relishing in the way his hot breath hits your skin below your ears, his mouth sucking under your earlobes as you whimper ever so quietly. 

Your hands are on his exposed biceps, feeling him up all to your heart's content. “Do you–Do you always wear stuff like this?”

He emerges, wet lipped and eyes trained. “So I wasn’t imagining it.”

“Imagining what?” you ask as you let him unbuckle your trousers.

“Please. Like you weren’t stripping me with your eyes.”

If you were warm before you, you're boiling up now. Were you being so obvious?

“It’s alright,” he reassures as you feel his fingers make contact with the crotch of your panties, pushing in to put pressure on your clit. “Wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t picked up on it.”

You feel his fingers push the dampening fabric away as his fingers make contact with your hole, coating his fingers in the arousal that’s made itself known. It’s hard to not hiss at the way he begins to circle it, thanking the universe that the loud noises of the workshop outside were masking whatever evidence of the heinous crime you were committing inside. 

Back against the couch in his office, you settle into the cushions once you feel him rub at your clit, one hand spreading your lips apart as he continues to massage your own wetness onto your throbbing cunt. 

When he retreats you almost cry out, but are smothered when he plunges two fingers into your hole instead, curling them almost immediately inside you. The consistent brush of the tips of his fingers on your walls are making it difficult to keep your eyes open, and absolutely impossible to keep your moans at bay. 

“Wonwoo, that’s so good, fuck.”

Through your closed eyes, you don’t note when Wonwoo gets on his knees. But you do feel him yank your trousers off entirely, and you definitely feel him place his wet mouth flush on your lower lips, sucking at your clit as he continues to pump his fingers in and out of you mercilessly. 

That’s all it takes for your noises to become increasingly high pitched, hands buried in his beautiful hair as he continues to pleasure you beyond imagination. 

“I’m so close, keep going, please, it feels so–”

He somehow buries his face in deeper, sucking harder, licking faster, and it’s enough for you to finally feel yourself collapsing on the inside, your composure dissolving as you moan so loud you’re sure they can hear it outside, even through all the clanging and revs of cars. 

There’s no way for you to know how long you lay there slumped against the couch cushions, but when you hear Wonwoo speak to you in your ear, you answer. 

“Was that okay?”

“More than okay,” you say as you grab his face and pull his lips to yours, tasting the tang in his mouth from your arousal. “Do you have a condom?”

“I–fuck,” he thinks for a moment. “I don’t think I do.”

You try not to feel too disappointed, but you sigh into his mouth anyway. 

“Can I fuck your thighs?” you hear him ask, and you might have just orgasmed again, untouched. 

“Fuck, yes you can.” 

With a yelp, you feel yourself lifted off the couch as you wrap your arms around Wonwoo’s neck, letting him guide you to his desk. “Wonwoo!”

You hear a loud crash of the desk being stripped of all its inhabitants, and your back hitting the cool of the table top. 

Wonwoo unties the arms of his overalls around his waist, letting the legs pool to the floor before slipping his hard cock out of his boxers. 

You don’t see it as you feel him lock your knees together and lift both your calves to rest on one of his shoulders. But you do feel it as he pushes the head into the seam of your thighs, watching the indent as the pink of his dick appears before you through the skin of your thighs. 

Wonwoo’s face is contorted as he pulls back and pushes back through again, this time brushing against your still sensitive clit. You gasp at contact, and immediately feel him thrusting faster. 

“Wonwoo,” you grunt. “Lower.”

He obliges, pushing his dick lower so it can rub flush against your clit as he begins to roughen up his pace. 

You moan as you feel his free hand that isn’t holding your legs trail to the ends of your shirt, caressing over your stomach to pull it up and reveal your bra clad tits. He pushes his hands under the nearest cup and begins to grope you so wonderfully with his big, warm hands. Rolling the bud between his fingers, you can only grasp onto his wrists as a handheld to keep you down on earth. 

The desk beneath you is rattling with noise, the full drawers making themselves known as Wonwoo pounds into your thighs like he would die if he stopped, mouth coming in contact with whatever skin of your legs he could reach, his breath fanning the side of your knees. 

You’re close again, and you know he is too with the way his thrusts are beginning to grow sloppy. 

“There,” he pants. “Almost.”

You orgasm for the second time, the throb your clit beyond comprehension as the rough of his dick slides across your clit mercilessly. 

“Cum like this, Wonwoo please I need to see you cum.”

And he does, shooting the heft of his load to cover your already wet cunt and thighs, landing on your stomach as he continues to ride out his high between your legs. 

The back of your head hits the table as you take in gulps of air through the aftermath of it all. Wonwoo is putting his weight on the back of your thighs, holding onto the table for support. 

“Oh, Liv is never gonna let me live this down,” you pant, lolling your head to one side as you register him. 

He peers up at you through his hair, the stupid smirk on his face, “Do you care?”

You’re smiling a little too when you answer, “Not really.”

And then your legs are off his shoulders as he nestles between them instead, diving in to lift your head and kiss you. 

And you let him, although you wouldn’t really call it too much of a kiss—not when the both of you were smiling like idiots through the clash. 

[theemporium]

[10k] an investigative study into the mysterious fish that saved his life; by oscar piastri with the assistance of logan sargeant, google searches and a crush that makes a man blind to the obvious signs that his coworker is a mermaid.

happy birthday @scuderiahoney!! for one of my fav people and one of my fav spirals we have had together<3

inspired by this moodboard

warning: mentions and descriptions of drowning!! idk why that wee bit went angsty but it did so be warned!!

.

THE PREFACE 

Oscar Piastri never considered himself a ‘go with the flow’ kind of guy, but more of a ‘never have a plan’ kind of guy instead. 

He likes to let fate guide his decisions, or at least that’s what he told himself. That the universe was looking down at him and putting him where he needed to be. 

Because it was fate that he read the wrong room number, ending up in an ocean wildlife conservation lecture rather than the mechanical engineering one he was meant to be in. 

Because it was fate that he found a map, with a small seaside town circled, in the glovebox of the secondhand car he managed to save up and buy. 

Because it was fate that that very seaside town had one of Australia’s biggest ocean conservation programmes that was currently accepting applicants. 

Because it was fate that the dodgy, beachside cabin he bought for ridiculously cheap ended up being home to a stray dog who would become his best friend. 

Because fate was the only explanation for so many things in Oscar’s life that he never planned to happen nor did he believe would’ve just happened if he followed along the way he was. He chose to believe that there was some superior being up there that was making sure he was sticking to the path that was meant for him. 

And so far, it hadn’t led him astray. 

In fact, all things considered with his mother’s constant questioning and uncertainty of him moving so far from home for the programme, things had been working out pretty well for Oscar. 

He enjoyed the routine he had settled into in the almost year of being in one of Australia’s most picturesque, scenic seaside towns. 

Every morning he woke up just before sunrise, when the sky was breaking into pinks and oranges and yellows. He would shuffle his way into the kitchen, pouring a bowl of kibble for Buddy and a bowl of cereal for himself before taking a run along the beach (that was essentially his front garden) until the sun was in the sky. Some days he hit the water, most days he tried to stop Buddy from eating the jellyfish that had washed up on the beach. 

He would have a quick shower, put out some more food for Buddy before riding his bike fifteen minutes towards the water park (because unlike the others, he listened to Sebastian’s talks on lessening your carbon footprint). 

He would greet Alex and George by the door, the two already arguing or disagreeing about something or the other. 

“Alex, they have to show you proof of university ID to get a student discount!” 

“They looked trustworthy!” 

He would pass by the gift shop where Lando would be sitting on the cashier counter, swinging his legs back and forth and fiddling with the speakers to play whatever music he was feeling that day. 

“I’m telling you, Aussies love country music, Osc. You’re clearly the odd one out.” 

Some days, he would pass by Charles and Max by the tourist booth, bickering back and forth about the customer shows and tours for the day. 

“I can’t dedicate thirty minutes of my tour to you, Charles.” 

“But the penguins have learnt new tricks!” 

Other days he would pass by the labs where Sebastian would stick his head out, waving at the boy and throwing some weird and wondrous fact at him. 

“Hey, Oscar, did you see that the squid killer parasite was treated successfully last week?” 

And some days Sebastian stayed in the lab, the door closed and locked behind him which told Oscar and the others that Mark, the park’s owner, was visiting. 

And by the time Oscar reached the staff room to drop his stuff off in his locker and prepare for the day, Logan would’ve somehow hunted him down and began yapping his ear off about something or the other before he eventually brought up his favourite topic. 

The crush Oscar had on you. 

“You must be happy this morning,” Logan commented offhandedly as they left the main building, heading down towards the animal habitats. 

“As opposed to every other morning when I’m always angry and upset?” Oscar deadpanned, shooting the American a look. 

“Just thought you would’ve had a small mood booster after seeing the rota,” Logan shrugged, but there was a mischievous and knowing glint in his eyes. “Heard you were on the late shift.” 

Oscar narrowed his eyes. “Uh huh.” 

“On the late shift with a certain someone,” Logan continued. “Someone you happen to—”

“Do you have to do this every time?” Oscar asked, deadpanned.

But Logan was already nodding. “Yes, it brings me great joy when you try to act nonchalant and then lose your mind in front of her.” 

Oscar scoffed. “I do not lose my mind in front of her.” 

“Hey, guys!” 

Oscar felt his mouth run dry when he turned his head to find you already out on the dock by the dolphin enclosure. It was embarrassing the way his brain went blank, the way his eyes were glued to you—your outfit no different to the uniform both he and Logan and everyone else wore—and not a single coherent thought could leave his mouth. 

He felt Logan jab him in the ribs, kickstarting his brain and letting out an awkward garble before he managed to blurt out, “Heyo!” 

He wondered if jumping into the tank with the dolphins would save any of his dignity. 

“What he meant to say was hey back,” Logan called out, far too smiley as he tried to hold back his glee. “You’re out here early.” 

“I was teaching Rufus a new trick,” you explained, something quite fond in your voice as you turned to smile at the dolphin who was currently nudging a ball towards you. “And then Gizmo felt left out so I played with him a bit too.” 

Logan raised his brows. “With one ball?” 

“I’m creative,” you shrugged. “If you were working in the dolphin enclosure, I would’ve taught you my tricks, Sargeant.” 

“Well, you can always teach Oscar!” Logan said, giving his friend a slightly rough slap on the back which caused him to stagger forward. “I’m sure he would love to learn anything you wanna teach him!” 

Oscar shot Logan a glare. 

Logan only grinned wider. 

“I’ll see if I can make him a dolphin whisperer,” you teased, lighthearted and playful and unaware of the lingering tension between the two boys. You turned to Oscar with a kind smile on your face, one that kind of made his brain go fuzzy. “It’s been a while, Piastri. I’ve missed working with you.” 

And Oscar could feel his cheeks burning up but he couldn’t bring himself to care as he mirrored your smile, his heart beating wildly in his chest. 

“I’ve missed it too,” Oscar replied, sincere and genuine. 

He did. He really did. Because despite all of Logan’s taunting and teasing about Oscar’s crush on you—which was very much real—he also appreciated you as a friend. He had since the day you both started, anxious and eager and leaning on each other for support since day one. 

Just somewhere along the line, Oscar managed to catch some feelings he couldn’t quite shake away. But it was fine. He had them under control. He had long ago accepted they wouldn’t be requited and he would let them run their course before the friendship returned to normal—whilst you were none the wiser. 

“The dolphins missed you too,” you added. “That’s just ‘cause you feed them an extra herring.” 

“I gotta bribe them!” Oscar defended. “You have some secret bond with them. It’s not fair.” 

You snorted. “Well, lucky for you, you’re on swimming duty. Get that wet suit on, Piastri.” 

And then, you flashed him a wink and turned around and—

Yeah, Oscar was far from moving on from how he felt about you. 

But it was fine. Because Oscar Piastri was the kind of guy who let fate take the reins for him. 

Because fate led him to this town. Because fate led him to this job. Because fate led him to you and all the others he had bonded with to make a dysfunctional but supportive family. 

Because it was fate that led him to making one of the biggest discoveries in his life. 

…

THE SIGHTING 

It was as normal as a morning could be. 

He had woken up a little earlier than his alarm, a weird and unsettling feeling in his chest that he brushed off as the few hours of sleep he had managed to get. Buddy wasn’t much better, not as eager to get out of the house as he usually was when Oscar stood by the door for their morning walk. 

It was a little chilly, enough to warrant Oscar wearing a jumper as they wandered down the beach until Buddy felt a little more relaxed and playful. 

But by the time they returned to the house, Oscar was still wired with some restless energy itching under his skin and still three hours until his shift started at the park. 

He thought a quick go at the morning waves would help settle the feeling buzzing through his body before he started scratching at his own skin. 

The water was cold and refreshing and definitely washed away any last dregs of sleep that Oscar had been clinging onto. The exhaustion was long gone, now replaced with a different type of adrenaline that made him seek out the waves that made him work for it. 

It was still early, far too early for many people to be on the beach. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon and Buddy was still half asleep on the beach by his towel, no real rush to join Oscar in the water any time soon. 

Everything was fine. 

Everything was normal. 

The morning sun was starting to shine through, but instead of fluffy, white clouds like the forecast had assured, large, dark clouds were taking over the barely blue sky. It was disconcerting, especially when the waves seemed to be getting rougher. 

He took one glance down at his watch, assuring himself he had enough time for one more wave before he headed back to shore to get ready for his shift at the marine park. With a deep breath, he narrowed his eyes at the water and began paddling with his hands. 

The wave didn’t look too big or risky. It should have been an easy attempt, one that Oscar could do with little to no thought on a day with good weather. But the wind was stronger than he realised, the water more temperamental than he assumed and it didn’t take Oscar long to realise that this wave wasn’t going to end well. 

But the panic didn’t start setting in until the wave washed over him, knocking him off his board with little time for him to take a breath before he went under. He could feel the current tugging his body in different directions, pulling his arms one way whilst the leash around his ankle pulled him in the opposite direction with his board. 

And no matter how hard he kicked his legs and propelled his arms, he couldn’t seem to get any closer to the surface. 

It hit him that he was absolutely fucked when he could feel his lungs starting to burn.

Buddy would be left on the beach, whining and crying out for Oscar until someone found him. Or, god forbid, the loyal dog would try to swim out and find him himself. Oscar was all he knew, the only family Buddy had ever known and it was clear that the dog loved him. It made him feel a twisted sort of pain at the idea of leaving the dog behind. 

People at work would be confused when he didn’t turn up for his shift. Logan would probably be the first to notice when he spends far too long waiting for Oscar in the staff room, watching the clock with a frown. The blond would probably offer to drive out to his house to check up on him. Charles would probably offer to join and might even offer to drive if he could see the boy’s hand shaking too much. He wondered if you would join. 

Sebastian would probably have to call his family back home, to tell them. His stomach twisted into something bitter and awful at the thought of leaving his family behind, of never being able to hug his mother again or tease his sisters or surf with his father. 

His body stopped fighting at one point, too tired to even attempt to reach the surface. But his brain kept going, kept haunting him with the life his family and friends would lead whilst he continued to float and float and—

And then he saw it. 

It was blurry, his vision dotted with black and white blobs as the overwhelming urge to close his eyes took over his body. But he saw it. He saw the flashes of orange, the scales glimmering in the little light under the surface. He saw a fin and scales and then—

Skin. 

And hair. 

And arms reaching for him. 

And he swore he saw the features of a human face staring back at him, but before he could even try to force his eyes to focus, everything was going black and Oscar let it happen. 

…

The first that hit him was how fucking cold he was. 

The second was—

Well, the second hit him when his eyes blinked open, barely giving him a chance to acknowledge the people surrounding him before he coughed, emptying out the saltwater that was still stuck in his lungs. 

He could feel someone’s hand soothing his back, the action almost relieving if it weren’t for the fact Oscar swore he couldn’t stop shivering. 

“Let it all out, honey, atta boy,” a woman’s voice soothed as Oscar laid on his side, panting heavily and trying to wrap his head around everything before he felt a furry head pushing against his own. 

“Hey, Buddy,” Oscar breathed out, his lips twitching as he let the dog practically throw himself on top of Oscar even if it was still a little hard to breathe. 

“Smart dog you got there,” the woman spoke up again and Oscar finally turned his head to find a kind-looking woman smiling down at him. It took a few seconds before he realised she was wearing the paramedic uniform. “He managed to drag a couple out of their car to come help you. They are the ones who called us.”

Oscar blinked. “You swam out?” 

The woman frowned a little. “Of course not, honey. The waves seemed to have washed you in. You were lying out on the beach when we got called out.” 

“I—” Oscar blinked again, his confusion growing as he stared out at the ocean for a few moments. “Right. Of course.” 

“Do you remember what happened?” The kind paramedic asked.

“A little,” Oscar admitted. “I was surfing and the wave took me under. The current started dragging me further out. But then I saw—” Before he paused. Images of orange scales and a human face flashed in his mind but there was a voice in the back of his head that told him to stop, to keep that to himself.

“Saw what?” The paramedic prompted. 

“I don’t know,” Oscar eventually said as he shrugged. “I think I blacked out after that.” 

“I see,” the woman nodded, though he couldn’t read whether she believed him or not. “Think you can stand up? We just wanna do some standard tests, make sure you are alright. Then maybe someone you know can come pick you up.” 

“No need, my house is just there,” Oscar said as he nodded towards the cabin in the distance. “I feel fine, I promise—” 

“Procedure,” the woman said with a sheepish smile. “C’mon, it won’t take long. Promise.” 

And true to her word, it hadn’t taken long. 

Beyond some tests to prove that he knew his name, had basic motor functions and wasn’t concussed, he was allowed to head back home with Buddy by his side and a blanket wrapped around his body to try and maintain what little heat he had left.

His body was running mostly on muscle memory as he shuffled into the house, pulling the blanket off (against better judgement) and starting to unzip his wetsuit so he could peel it off his body like a second skin. 

He was smiling down at Buddy, who had refused to leave his side, when he felt a sharp prick against his finger. He winced, lifting his thumb to his mouth without second thought before glancing down to see what had nicked him. 

His eyes widened comically large when he saw an orange scale stuck to the side of his leg, sparkling and glistening the same way he swore it had under the water. The attempt of removing the wet suit was quickly abandoned as he glanced around the room, swearing under his breath before shuffling towards the kitchen. 

Buddy followed, whining and huffing as Oscar slammed cupboards doors open and shut before finding a small container. He leaned down, grabbing the scale as gently as he could before transferring it to the container. 

“M’telling you, Bud, that thing out there saved my life,” he spoke, his voice still a little raspy and raw. “I don’t know what it is but it wasn’t a normal fish. And I’m gonna figure out what the hell it is.” 

With all due respect, Buddy looked at his owner like he was insane but Oscar didn’t seem to notice. 

…

“I need you to look at something for me.” 

Logan let out a high-pitched scream, his body reacting quicker than he could keep up with and causing him to fall out of his seat before he noticed Oscar standing there, a frown on his lips. The blond let out a curse, his hand pressed against his chest as he let out a deep sigh of relief. 

“Fucking hell, dude, don’t sneak up on a guy like that!” Logan grumbled before pausing, scrambling to stand up and really focus on Oscar this time. “What the fuck are you doing here? You should be resting!” 

Oscar blinked. “I’m fine.” 

“You almost drowned,” Logan said slowly, like he was explaining the point to a child.

“Yes, Logan, I’m aware,” Oscar deadpanned. “I was there, believe it or not.”

“I—” Logan let out a deep breath. “You’re insane. Like actually insane. I think you lost too many brain cells because you shouldn’t be out of bed, let alone at work—”

“I’m not here to work,” Oscar corrected before flashing his friend a grin. “I came here because I need your weird fish encyclopaedic knowledge.” 

Logan stared at him. “Be honest with me, did your board hit your head?” 

“Shut up,” Oscar rolled his eyes before gesturing to the jar he slammed on the table before Logan fell off his seat. “Look.” 

Logan frowned a little, picking up the jar and peeking inside. “I know you work with dolphins but I’d at least hope you know that’s a fish scale.”

Oscar shot him a look. “I know it’s a fish scale but I need to know which fish it belongs to.”

Logan blinked. “You think I’d be able to take one look at this random scale and tell you which fish it belonged to?” 

“I mean,” Oscar shrugged. “Yeah. Kinda.” 

“You’ve been hanging around the dolphins far too much,” Logan murmured. 

“Listen, whichever fish that scale belongs to saved my life,” Oscar started. 

Logan stared at him like he had grown a second head. “A fish saved you from drowning?” 

“Yes.” 

“And you are sure you didn’t hit your head?” 

“Oh my god,” Oscar huffed. “Look, I know what I saw. It had a huge orange tail but it also had…like…skin and hair.” 

“Very commonly found in marine animals,” Logan deadpanned. 

“I’m serious,” Oscar said, his lips turned downwards. “And think, if it is a new kind of fish and you help me discover it—” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Logan muttered, waving him off. “For the record, I still think you’re going insane but I’m your friend so I’ll help you out.” 

Oscar grinned. “I knew you’d help.” 

“You owe me lunch though,” Logan added. “I dropped my burrito when you scared me.” 

Oscar rolled his eyes. “Fine, deal.” 

…

THE INVESTIGATION

Despite his concern, Oscar managed to convince Sebastian to let him come back to work the next day (after saying he would be bored out of his mind at home) with the condition that Buddy be allowed to join him at work considering the dog had downright refused to leave his side since the accident. 

George and Alex had been awkward at the front. They had been less than subtle at their surprise that he had come into work so soon, and in turn, had been dreadfully unprepared in the etiquette of how to talk to your coworker friend who had almost drowned and died less than twenty-four hours earlier. 

Lando had been no better, downright asking him if he met God in the few minutes he lacked oxygen under water before being washed back out to shore. He hadn’t understood why Oscar—and even Buddy—had stared at him blankly.

Charles had been a little more sympathetic, though oddly protective of the boy. He had been a little fussy at Oscar coming in so early, insisting that he would make sure the boy had proper breaks and meals, even if he had to talk to Sebastian himself. Max had rolled his eyes at the other boy’s antics but clapped Oscar on the back and said he was happy he was alive. 

Even Logan had been cautious around the boy. Despite his agreement to help search for the fish that saved him, he still constantly looked at Oscar like he had downright lost his mind. And maybe he had. 

The only person who seemed to be acting remotely normal towards him was you, or at least it felt that way. 

“You know, Rufus really missed you yesterday.” 

Oscar raised his brows as he walked down the pier towards where you stood, two buckets of fish in each hand. “I think we must be talking about different Rufuses.” 

You rolled your eyes, though it seemed quite fond as you patted the spot next to you as you sat on the edge of the dock. “He likes you. He just also likes teasing you.” 

“That’s easy for you to say, he is a little prince around you,” Oscar commented, smiling softly when Buddy rushed towards your side, nuzzling you fondly. 

“There’s my favourite dog,” you cooed, taking Buddy’s face in your hands and pressing a smacking kiss on the top of his head. “Such a handsome boy.” 

Oscar chose to ignore the fact he was feeling oddly jealous of his dog of all people. 

“You’re just a dolphin whisperer,” Oscar said eventually, looking out at the two rescue dolphins that were currently chasing each other with a red ball between them. “I don’t get how you do it.” 

You shrugged, but your smile was mischievous. “If I told you, I would have to kill you.” 

Oscar snorted in response. It would have been embarrassing if it didn’t make your smile widen. 

A few moments of comfortable silence passed between the two of you with Oscar watching the dolphins and your attention on the needy dog now half-sprawled across your lap. You waited a few moments before you found the confidence to speak up again.

“How are you feeling?” You asked, your fingers tangled in Buddy’s fur as the dog sighed happily. “I mean, obviously you don’t have to answer that but if you want to talk about it—”

“I’m okay,” he answered with a kind smile. “It was…weird.”

You snorted before you could stop yourself. “Weird is an understatement.” 

But Oscar just shrugged his shoulders. “I was lucky, that’s what I’m choosing to focus on.” 

You nodded but you didn’t say anything in response. You didn’t get the chance as Logan came barrelling down the dock, a huge grin spread across his face and a bunch of scuba equipment in his arms.

“Dude, you won’t believe what Seb let me borrow!” 

Oscar’s eyes widened as he quickly scrambled up, shooting Logan a look that he didn’t seem to understand. 

“Don’t worry,” Logan rolled his eyes. “I didn’t tell him about your mission to find—” 

But Oscar reached over to smack his hand over Logan’s mouth before the boy could continue, laughing awkwardly as he looked over his shoulder at you. “He doesn't know what he’s talking about!”

You glanced between the boys, eyeing the scuba equipment curiously. “Hiding some top secret mission from me?” 

“No, of course not!” Oscar quickly blurted out. “It’s just…something stupid.” 

You raised your brows. “And requires state of the art diving equipment?” 

Oscar just laughed nervously.

Logan finally managed to push Oscar’s hand away, something mischievous and cunning shining in his eyes as he glanced at Oscar before looking at you. “You know, we have spare equipment. You could totally join us tomorrow—”

But before Oscar could intervene, you were already responding. 

“Oh no, I can't swim.” 

Logan blinked. “What?” 

“I, uh, mean,” you laughed, awkward and stilted as you quickly stood up, almost tripping on Buddy as you did so. “I swim. I can swim. Just not well.” 

Logan nodded slowly. “Well, Oscar could always teach you—” 

“No, no, don’t let me hold you back,” you insisted before clearing your throat. “God, would you look at that! I should go get some more fish. Bye, guys!” 

Neither boy got a chance to say much before you were running down the dock, heading towards the main building. Logan watched you for a moment before looking down at the two full buckets of fish by his feet. 

“Well, that wasn’t weird at all,” he deadpanned.

Oscar rolled his eyes. “You’re reading too much into it.” 

Logan gave him a weird look. “Dude, she’s literally lying. It’s a part of the entry requirements to be able to swim and be fully lifeguard trained.” 

“Well, maybe you made her uncomfortable and she felt the need to lie,” Oscar retorted.

Logan rolled his eyes. “A man in love is a blind man.” 

Oscar shook his head. “Pipe down, Shakespeare, and show me what Seb gave you.” 

…

As it would turn out, aimlessly diving around the area Oscar almost drowned was a useless and fruitless endeavour. 

Who would have thought?

Logan, clearly, considering the boy had been insisting as much since the two of them waddled back into Oscar’s cabin, their wetsuits drying out on the balcony and the heavy weight of exhaustion on their shoulders after the hours of searching was something that was not there. 

“Maybe it needs a purpose to show itself,” Logan suggested as he slumped down on the couch, happily letting Buddy jump up and join him. “Maybe you need to almost die again.” 

Oscar shot him a look.

“Right. Too soon. Sorry.” 

“No, I—” Oscar paused, shaking his head and letting it drop. He was too tired to deal with it anyways. “That is not a theory we are going to test.” 

“Whatever you say, man,” Logan shrugged, settled against the soft throw pillows Oscar’s mother had insisted he needed to buy to make his place seem a bit homier. “What’s your plan anyways?” 

Oscar frowned a little in confusion. “For what?” 

“When you find this fish,” Logan stated. “Like, what are you gonna do? Say thank you and move on with your life?” 

“Well, no, I—” he paused for a moment. “I hadn’t really thought about it. It’s a weird fish.” 

“And diving the depths of the ocean will get us nowhere except having a very boring hobby for the next fifty years,” Logan deadpanned. “Describe the fish again. Maybe we can note down some main features and do some research. There’s probably something on the internet.” 

“I don’t know,” Oscar shrugged, turning his attention back to whatever scraps were left in his fridge that he could somehow make a meal from. “I have never seen a fish like this.” 

“Because you know every fish ever to exist.” 

Oscar rolled his eyes. “Shut up.” 

“C’mon, just try,” Logan whined as he reached for his phone, muttering out a small ‘sorry’ when he had to manoeuvre Buddy on his lap before he pulled up a new tab. “We have orange scales, big, skin and hair-like features—”

“It was skin and hair.” 

“Yeah, sure,” Logan murmured as he continued to add a few more details Oscar had told him before hitting search. He waited a few moments, looking through the top searches before he let out a loud snort. “Okay, maybe you were right. Maybe googling is useless.” 

“Why? What does it say?” Oscar asked, reaching for the jar of pasta sauce that seemed to be shoved towards the back of his cupboard. For the sake of his rumbling stomach, he decided not to linger on how long it had been back there for.

“It says you’re looking for a mermaid,” Logan snorted, his amusement clear in his voice. “I mean, come on! Like any sucker would believe that.” 

However, when he turned his head to see if Oscar was laughing along with him, he found the boy staring back with a contemplative look on his face.

“No,” Logan groaned, leaning his head back against the pillows. “No, Oscar, we are not—” 

“It might be,” Oscar argued back.

“You need to get your head checked,” Logan grumbled.

“Just find as many reliable sources on mermaids as you can whilst I make lunch,” Oscar retorted, waving him off as the American let out a squawk of protest.

“He’s gone insane. My best friend has gone insane.” 

“I can hear you.”

“Good!” 

…

“I can’t believe these words are about to leave my mouth—” 

“You don’t need to say that everytime.” 

“But how do we know we are dealing with a mermaid and not a siren?” Logan questioned as the two of them sat on the dock by the dolphins, sandwiches in hand as they enjoyed their lunch break whilst entertaining Rufus and Gizmo with the new toys Sebastian had ordered.

“Because it would have killed me if it was a siren,” Oscar responded matter-of-factly. “If it was a siren, they probably would have eaten me.” 

“Should we really be saying it? Wouldn’t it be a she?” Logan asked, but before he could even wait for an answer, he was continuing. “And how do we know she speaks English? Like, she could speak some ocean language. Maybe you need to start speaking fish so you can thank her if we find her.”

Oscar blinked. “Speaking fish? Really?” 

“What? I am just making assumptions here,” Logan murmured. “It’s not like there’s a lot of accurate and reliable sources for mermaid logistics and habits.”

“Well, she is also probably a human living in this town,” Oscar pointed out. “So, I think my chances of her speaking English or any other human language is high.”

“So you think,” Logan muttered under his breath.

Oscar glanced down when he felt a nudge against his foot, smiling when he felt Rufus nudge him. “I wonder if she can speak to fish.” 

“Hm?”

“Like, imagine how cool it would be to be able to talk to different sea animals,” Oscar commented as he leaned down, his smile widening when the dolphin lifted his head up to meet Oscar’s hand.

“Well, your girlfriend is the dolphin whisperer,” Logan teased, nudging the other boy’s side with his elbow. “She could maybe teach you something, help you practise your fish language before you find your knight in scaly armour.” 

Oscar could feel his cheeks burn. “She’s not my girlfriend.” 

“But you wish she was,” Logan sang. 

“Plus, some people just have a special knack with animals,” Oscar shrugged, watching as Rufus continued to nudge his foot to gain his attention. “She’s one of them.” 

“A shame she can’t swim with them,” Logan muttered.

“Oh my god, get off her back with that,” Oscar groaned. 

“I am just saying—” 

“Stop saying it.” 

“—it’s a little weird that—”

“You’re a little weird.”

“—she was so dodgy about her swimming and then ran off—”

“You are reading far too much into it.” 

“—like she’s hiding something!” Logan exclaimed. 

“Who’s hiding something?” 

Both boys let out a scream, whipping their heads to find you standing a few feet away, looking far too amused at the expressions on their faces. You raised your brows, glancing between them and watching the way they both floundered for a response. 

“Were you talking about little old me?” You asked, a dramatic gasp following as you placed your hand over your heart. 

Oscar’s eyes widened. “No, we just—”

But before he could even come up with a half-assed, lame excuse to try and sell, a large splash of water hit the three of you. The water was cold and a shock to the system and the almost mocking laugh of Rufus as he swam away was the cherry on top. 

Oscar glanced down at the soggy sandwich in his hand before shifting his attention to you, noticing the way your eyes widened in panic. 

“Hey, you look a bit pale,” Oscar started but you were already starting to walk backwards. 

“I have to go!” You blurted out before turning on your heel and sprinting down the pier. 

“Wait!” Oscar frowned, ignoring the odd look Logan was giving him as he began to chase after you, watching you make a beeline towards the main building. 

He could feel his legs burning as he tried to catch up, as he chased you through the windy footpaths of the park, only to find himself at the main building with the door still locked and you nowhere in sight. 

He called out your name, his teeth starting to chatter a little as the water seeped into his clothes and hung heavy on his frame. 

But you were nowhere to be seen. 

…

“Do you think there is a way to find the human version of the mermaid?” 

Oscar barely lifted his head up from his phone, glancing down at the series of unread messages he had sent to you over the course of the last few days. Sebastian had said you called in sick, saying you needed a few days to recover from your cold without giving it to anyone. 

But Oscar wasn’t buying it.

“Because maybe we just need to look for the very obvious clues.”

Of course, there was the potential option that you really were sick. It was quite chilly the other day and Oscar’s mother always did say that wet clothes and chilly weather were never a good combination. It was why his first message was staged as a simple wish for you to get better, seeing if you would reply to him. 

You didn’t. 

“You know, like people well affiliated with fish. And maybe avoid water. And maybe have a suspicious background we don’t know about.” 

The following messages had been sent by accident. His thumb had been hovering over the second message when Buddy bumped into him and made his thumb hit the screen. And then, with the embarrassment already settled, he found himself sending a few more to follow up. 

But still, he hadn’t heard a single word from you. Nobody had. 

“It does make me wonder if your kids would come out as mermaids or fully human though.” 

Oscar blinked, head snapping up to stare at Logan with a bewildered look. “What?!” 

Logan huffed. “Have you not been listening to a word I’ve been saying?” 

“No, clearly not. Though, if you’re talking about how mermaids reproduce then I’m glad I zoned out,” Oscar deadpanned. 

“You should have a lot more interest considering your girlfriend is a mermaid,” Logan retorted. 

Oscar blinked. “Come again?” 

“Don’t tell me you don’t see the signs?” Logan prompted. 

Oscar shot him a look. “I don’t see the signs.” 

“God, love really is blind,” Logan sighed, shaking his head. “The signs are right in front of you, dude. She’s the one you’re looking for. Maybe. Potentially. It’s mostly a hunch.” 

“You’re ridiculous,” Oscar scoffed. “I know her. I know her better than you. And I know that isn’t her.” 

“In denial your girlfriend is a fish?” Logan teased, nudging his foot against Oscar’s shin only to let out a wince when Oscar kicked him back. 

Oscar rolled his eyes. “I’m not in denial about anything!” 

“Who’s not in denial about anything?” 

Oscar’s head snapped around, his cheeks burning when he found Charles and Max standing at the door of the staff room, looking between the two younger boys with a questioning but amused look in their eyes. 

“Nothing!” Oscar flashed them a strained smile. “Truly nothing. We are talking about absolutely nothing.” 

Max raised his brows. “Doesn’t sound like nothing.” 

“Well—“ Oscar laughed, another half-assed lie ready to leave his lips but Logan bet him to it. 

“Oscar is just in denial about his lady fish!” Logan blinked, realising what he’s been saying. “I mean his friend who’s a fish! I mean, his lady friend who likes fish. She isn’t a fish. No one is a fish but fish!” 

Oscar shot him a look. 

“You know?” Logan laughed awkwardly. 

To his credit, Max looked positively delighted like their misery was great for his amusement. But Charles looked downright concerned, looking at Oscar with a solemn look as he walked around the table. He placed a hand on Oscar’s shoulder and gave him a small squeeze. 

“We will fight your fish fetish together,” he said in a completely serious voice. 

Logan choked. 

Oscar blanched. “I do not have a fish fetish!” 

“It’s fine, accepting it is the first step and we will get there together, yes?” Charles said with a kind smile. “You’re not alone, Oscar.” 

“I’m not there at all,” he retorted. 

“You have a support system here, Oscar,” Charles said. “We are your family too.”

Oscar groaned, his head slumping down to rest on the table. “Logan, I’m not going to kill you.”

“Logan is your friend and he just wants to help,” Charles continued, patting the boy on the back like he was trying to comfort him. 

It was safe to say he wasn’t focused on your lack of response to his messages after that. 

…

THE REVEAL 

It was actually totally by chance that it happened that morning.  

Just before his shift ended the day before, Sebastian had managed to catch him on his way out, ranting away about storms and stocking up and eventually ending his ramble by asking Oscar to come in early for his shift tomorrow to help deal with the morning feeds in case they have to shut down the park for the storm. 

He had agreed, assuring the older man he would be at the park before the sun had risen before he left. 

The next morning, he had been cursing his past self as he dragged himself out of bed and forwent his usual morning swim for a quick walk with Buddy before cycling towards the park. 

He was barely awake as he sauntered towards the staff room, putting his things away and just barely noticing your locker was already full before he made his way out towards the dolphins where he assumed you would’ve started. 

After all, Sebastian never said you two couldn’t work through the breakfast shift together. 

Oscar still felt a bit half asleep and bleary when he saw you at the bottom of the pier, talking away to Rufus and Gizmo. It made him smile, listening to whatever you were saying without even really processing it. 

In fact, it was because he was so entranced that he almost missed it at first. 

“Okay, one more but then you’ve gotta have your breakfast,” you sighed, shaking your head fondly at the two dolphins before lifting your hand. 

It took a second for Oscar to even realise there was a massive ball of water floating in front of you. It took a few more seconds to realise it turned to ice seconds later. And he was already rubbing his eyes to try and wake himself by the time you threw it into the water, letting the dolphins chase after it. 

He stood at the bottom of the dock, mouth agape and heart thundering in his chest that he missed whatever you said to the squeaking dolphin before you dove head first into the water. 

His body kicked into action by that point as he sprinted down the pier, yelling out your name and already trying to shrug off his coat so he could dive in after you, only to pause when he saw something in the water. 

Not something—you. 

It felt like deja vu as he stared at you under the water’s surface, stuck between confusion and awe. It was still dark but somehow the scales of your tail still glimmered in the water, dancing and shining and downright mesmerising. It was orange and gold and yellow and just breath-taking to see when he wasn’t losing oxygen. He watched your hair flow behind you as you swam effortlessly beside the dolphins like you belonged, like you were meant to be in the water. 

It was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. 

He had barely picked his jaw up off the floor by the time you rose to the surface again, your eyes widening as you saw him kneeling on the pier staring out at you. 

You gulped a little. “Oscar, it’s not what it seems—”

“It’s you,” he interrupted, though his voice was soft and awestruck. “You’re the mermaid. You’re the one that saved me.” 

“Yeah, well, you wouldn’t need saving if you hadn’t been an idiot surfing when it wasn’t safe,” you retorted, almost defensive as you squirmed under his watchful gaze. 

“I can’t believe it,” he murmured, shaking his head in disbelief. “You are so—”

“Scary?” You supplied. 

“Beautiful,” Oscar corrected with a small frown. 

“Oh,” was all you managed to say. 

His eyes drifted down once again, his eyes lingering on your tail and the way it swayed gently to keep you above the surface. It was long, much longer than he realised the last time he saw you. But it was there and it was real and it belonged to you and— 

It was overwhelming. 

And it was also deeply annoying that Logan was right. 

Oscar opened his mouth. “I have so many questions I want—”

“I’m sure you do and I will answer them but,” you flashed him a sheepish smile, though the defensive tone in your voice was still there. “Not now. Later. Promise.”

Oscar nodded, a little dumbly. “Come back to mine after work?” 

You nodded back, your smile a little strained. “Yeah, of course.” 

…

“Would you like some tea?” 

The wind howling and the rain pattering against the window from the storm managed to break some of the awkward silence as you sat in Oscar’s living room, picking at the skin around your nails and avoiding eye contact with him completely. 

“Uh yeah,” you nodded. “Tea would be nice.” 

Oscar nodded before shuffling towards the kitchen, grabbing two mugs and putting the kettle on before he glanced over his shoulder to peek out at you. 

He smiled a bit as he watched Buddy trot towards you, letting out a whine and knocking your hands away from each other and instead placed his head on your lap until you started scratching behind his ears instead. 

“He’s a bit of a clinger,” Oscar warned as he wandered back into the room, two cups of tea in his hands as he placed both on the coffee table before taking a seat on the opposite side of the couch. “If you give him too much attention, he will never let you leave.”

Your lips twitched upwards. “That doesn’t sound too bad.” 

“You’ll think twice when he starts chewing your shoes because he wants to go out in the morning,” Oscar retorted. 

You let out a soft laugh in response. 

He watched you for a few moments as you cooed at the dog in front of you. You had told him you’d make your way to his house, considering Oscar’s shift ended half an hour earlier than yours and he had only driven a bicycle into work. 

He had tried to be really casual and nonchalant about the whole thing, pretending like his mind wasn’t spinning all day since he saw you in the water. It got a lot worse when he got home, practically pacing the cabin and wearing a hole into the carpet as he kept glancing at the clock—so often that even Buddy started whining about it. 

And then, just minutes before the rain started, you were knocking on his door and walking into his house and—

He felt like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

He wondered if he was meant to be the one to drop it. 

“So, a mermaid, huh?” 

And maybe it was the shitty icebreaker or maybe it was the nerves catching up with you, but you couldn’t help but snort. 

“Really?” You teased, finally looking at him with something that felt oddly close to fondness. “That’s what you start with?” 

“I panicked,” he admitted with a sheepish smile. “And…I don’t know how much you want to share.” 

“Most people would be demanding answers,” you told him, your voice a little defensive like you expected him to be the same. 

“I’m not most people,” he responded before pausing. “Wait, other people know?” 

“Well, no,” you confessed before shrugging. “I just assume people would demand answers. I sure as hell did.” 

Oscar’s brows furrowed together. “You haven’t been a mermaid your whole life?”

“Since I was sixteen,” you told him, shaking your head. “It’s a long story. Full moons, sea caves and a very confusing attempt at a shower the next day.” 

His lips twitched upwards. “And you’ve hidden it this long?” 

You nodded. 

“That must be exhausting,” he murmured, his chest tightening a little at the idea that you had been carrying this secret alone for years. 

“I’m used to it by now,” you answered honestly with a shrug. “Plus, technically speaking, other people don’t know but other creatures do.” 

Oscar blinked. “You can actually speak fish?” 

You shot him an odd look. “Well, it’s not really a universal language amongst all fish but I can communicate with them.” 

“And control water,” Oscar blurted out, remembering what he saw that morning. 

You smiled softly. “Being a mermaid has its perks.” 

“The park is a risky place to work,” Oscar commented with a frown. “Aren’t you scared of constantly being exposed?”

“Like the other day?” You huffed, shaking your head. “I’m usually quite safe and I’m careful. Rufus was just being a dick.” 

“He…knows?” Oscar said slowly, like his brain was still catching up with the fact you could speak to marine animals. 

“He’s very demanding during our morning swims,” you admitted with a soft smile. “He also has very strong opinions and can be quite pushy with them.” 

Oscar raised his brows. “And what was he getting pushy with this time?” 

You fell silent, your attention quickly falling back to Buddy. 

He frowned a little. “I won’t judge, whatever it is. Unless it’s like a mermaid-slash-fish insider thing I wouldn’t understand, then I totally get it but—”

“It’s whatever,” you quickly interrupted, your smile seeming a little more put on and strained. “It’s not true, anyways.” 

Oscar’s frown deepened but he didn’t say anything as he nodded. It was only in the moments of silence that he realised how heavy the rain had gotten, with the drops sounding like harsh patters against his window. 

“Fuck,” you murmured with a frown. “It’s going to be impossible to get home.” 

“Home as in…a house or a sea cave or…?” Oscar started to trail off, having the decency to look a little embarrassed when you shot him a look. 

“I have a place on land,” you confirmed, though he could hear the amusement in your voice. “Although considering the fact I have seconds before I change, I won’t even be able to make it out your front door before I grow a tail.” 

“You can stay here,” he blurted out before he could second guess himself. “If you want to. I don’t mind. Neither does Buddy.” 

As if on cue, Buddy let out a soft bark of agreement as he nuzzled his head against your lap. 

You looked at him. “Are you sure? Because I—”

“I’m sure,” Oscar confirmed with a nod. “You can take the bed, I don’t mind taking the couch. Although, you may have to deal with Buddy trying to cuddle with you.” 

Your eyes widened slightly. “Oscar, I can’t kick you off your own bed.” 

“I don’t mind,” he repeated with a shrug. “Plus, the couch can be tricky to get comfy on if you don’t know the exact way to sleep and I’m used to—”

“I’m not letting you sleep on this couch,” you said, pausing for a moment before sheepishly smiling. “No offence.” 

His lips twitched. “None taken.” 

“We can—” You paused again before straightening up in your seat. “We can share the bed. It’s just one night, no?” 

Oscar blinked. 

“Friends can share beds, right?” You added, trying to keep your voice steady. 

“Uh, yeah,” Oscar blurted out. “Yeah, totally. Absolutely. We can so do that. No problem at all.” 

He was fucked. 

…

All things considered, Oscar thought he was doing pretty well until the two of you actually had to fall asleep. 

He gave you some spare clothes to borrow and took the gentleman’s route of letting you use the bathroom first. He let you choose your side of the bed and borrowed some of the throw pillows from the living room to act as a barrier to make you a little more comfortable. He had even made sure Buddy was squished on his side of the bed so he wouldn’t disturb you. 

But then, the silence settled between you both after he had turned the lights off and climbed into bed and not even the pattering rain could ease the suffocating tension. 

“Logan knows,” Oscar blurted out. 

You blinked, turning your head as though you could see him in the dark. “What?!” There was a pause. “You told him?” 

“What? No!” Oscar quickly corrected. “No, of course not. He guessed it. Kinda. He was, like, forty-seven percent sure you were a mermaid.” 

You frowned. “And the other fifty-three percent?” 

“That,” Oscar snorted a little. “Was him being confident that mermaids didn’t exist at all and I hit my head during the accident.”

“You almost did,” you confessed. 

Oscar swallowed before turning his head to look in the direction of where you were lying. “Thank you,” he whispered in a softer voice. “For saving me. You really did save my life and you didn’t have to.” 

There was a small pause before Oscar felt you reach over the wall of pillows to take his hand. “I would’ve never left you hanging, Osc. You’re my friend.” 

He squeezed your hand a little. “Right, friend. Of course.”

Another moment of silence passed between you two. 

“You know I would never tell anyone your secret, right?” Oscar whispered, something about the moment feeling soft and quiet. “Even with Logan. I’ll throw him off your tail, stop him from bothering you.” 

A laugh slipped out. “Off my tail?” 

His cheeks burned but he smiled. “The pun was unintentional.” 

You hummed before responding. “You’d actually do that?” 

“Of course,” Oscar confirmed, genuine and sincere. “You’re my friend.” 

“Right, friend. Of course,” you repeated when nothing else came to mind. 

And once again, the silence settled between you but it was thick and suffocating and desperate to be cut and—

“Rufus wanted me to be honest with you,” you blurted out, squeezing his hand a little like it was the small sign of comfort you needed. “That’s what he’s been bugging me about. Gizmo too, actually.” 

Oscar frowned a little. “About telling me you’re a mermaid?” 

“No. Yes. Kinda.” You took a deep breath. “They wanted me to be honest with how I feel.” 

“I didn’t realise they were licensed therapists,” Oscar commented.

Your lips twitched. “They are delusional like that.” 

“Whatever you wanna say, m’not gonna judge you,” Oscar murmured, squeezing your hand to solidify his point. 

“I like you,” you whispered. 

“Yeah, I like you too,” Oscar replied casually. “And nothing you say can freak me out. I promise.” 

“No, Oscar, I like you. Like like.” 

“Oh.” 

“Fuck, sorry,” you swore under your breath as you moved to pull your hand away. “I didn’t mean to put you in an awkward position—”

“No, I just—” Oscar let out a huff. “Wait a second.” 

Your brows furrowed in confusion as you listened to him shuffling around on his side of the bed. It took a few seconds before you realised what he was doing, throwing the pillow wall on the floor and reaching for the lamp on his bedside table before he turned to you. 

“Better,” he murmured before reaching for your hand again. “You mean it? You like me?” 

“Are you really gonna make me say it again?” You winced a little. 

“I mean, it would help me redeem my response beyond a pathetic ‘oh’,” Oscar confessed, his cheeks flushing pink as he bit back a smile. 

You watched his expression closely. “And what would your response be this time?”

He swallowed harshly, gaining what little confidence he had left in himself before he chickened out and second-guessed himself. “I would say I have been pretty much in love with you since the day you accidentally trapped me in that huge fishing net and had to cut me out with a shitty pair of craft scissors.” 

Your brows furrowed together. “But that was our second day working together—oh.”

“Yeah, oh,” Oscar repeated with a grin. His eyes dropped to your lips for a moment before returning to your eyes, squeezing your hand as we spoke. “I like like you too.” 

“Even if I’m half fish?” You asked, watching as Oscar’s expression grew adoring. 

“Even if you told me I had to live on a dinghy for the rest of my life to be with you,” Oscar confessed. 

“That,” you paused as you laughed a little. “That might be one of the weirdest but most romantic things someone has ever said to me.” 

“You should see me flirting after a few drinks,” he deadpanned, not bothering to hide his smile as you rolled your eyes fondly.

“Just kiss me, Piastri,” you murmured.

“Yeah, I can do that,” he nodded before slipping his free hand to cup your face before leaning down to kiss you.

You let out a happy sigh, pulling your hand free so you could wrap both arms around his neck and tug him closer. Oscar rolled closer, keeping his weight off you as he deepened the kiss and smiled a little at the satisfied noise you let out. 

It was soft and sweet and adoring and made your whole body feel like it was on cloud nine by the time he pulled away, strands of hair falling in his eyes and a gentle expression pained across his face.

“We should probably sleep,” Oscar murmured.

“Yeah, we probably should,” you nodded in agreement.

“Glad you agree,” he hummed.

“Totally,” you responded.

Neither one of you could bite back your smiles as you leaned in for another kiss. 

…

THE AFTERMATH 

“This is cheating.” 

“How is it cheating?” 

“Okay, maybe it isn’t cheating but it is unfair.” 

You snorted, shaking your head in amusement as you lightly flicked your tail to splash the boy sitting on his surfboard. He let out a small noise of annoyance but he was still smiling, looking down at the seashell in his hand with utter love and adoration. 

“My gift seems lame in comparison now,” Oscar grumbled as his thumb smoothed over the ridges of the shell. 

“That’s a bit dramatic,” you retorted, leaning on your crossed arms as you leaned on the edge of his board. 

“Yeah, well, I bought your gift and you literally dived to the depths of the ocean for mine,” he replied but he still held the shell with a great sense of protectiveness, leaning down to press a soft kiss to your lips. “Thank you, babe. I love it.” 

“Thought it would look cute for your collection,” you grinned back, sighing happily at the ease and relaxation written across his face. It had been an intense few weeks at work and this was the first mutual day off the two of you had. You almost forgot how much you loved seeing Oscar so laid back and stress-free. 

“It’ll be the best one in my collection,” he grinned, staring down at the shell for another few seconds before reaching for the small zipped pocket in his wetsuit. “Okay, close your eyes.” 

You rolled your eyes but did as you were told, holding your hands out as you listened to the sound of the zip. You waited a few moments before you felt cold metal hit your palm and tried to bite back your smile.

“I know the mermaid magic has a whole mind of its own but I thought maybe this would be one thing you can wear both on land and in the water,” Oscar confessed, and you could hear the hint of nerves in his voice. “Something from me, so I can be there with you when you are deep in the ocean getting me cool shells.” 

You snorted a little, but the amusement was quickly replaced by awe and surprise once you opened your eyes and spotted the silver locket in your palm. Your thumb traced over the necklace, smiling a little when you noticed the gem was the same shade of blue as his favourite board—the same one he was currently sitting on—and Buddy’s eyes.

“Oscar,” you whispered when no other words seemed to leave your lips. 

“Open it,” he prompted. 

You gently clicked the locket open, your smile widening when you noticed a picture tucked into the frame. Staring back at you was one of your favourite photos of you, Oscar and Buddy on the beach that a passing local had taken for the three of you when you were out one morning for Buddy’s morning walk. It had been one of your and Oscar’s favourite photos, considering it was currently framed and sitting on his bedside table and another print tucked into his locker at work. 

You looked up at him, your chest feeling so warm and tight and full with all the love you had for the boy. “It’s beautiful.” 

“Perfect for you then,” he murmured with a grin before nodding his head. “Turn around, let me put it on for you.” 

You listened easily, moving your hair over your shoulder as the boy reached around to place the necklace on before clasping it together. Your fingertips brushed over the locket as you glanced down at it before turning to look at him. He was already staring back at you, his expression soft and fond and so full of love that it almost made you wonder how it took you so long to confess your feelings when he had been staring at you like that long before you started dating.

“I love you,” you murmured, your heart warming at the sight of his cheeks blushing at the same three words you have said countless times to the boy.

“I love you too,” he replied easily before leaning down to kiss you. “Happy one year anniversary, baby.” 

“Happy one year, Osc.” 

,

[hwangjoanna]

'Red Light, Green Light.'

SKZ Squid Game AU

Hyunjin X Reader

Enemies to lovers, strangers to lovers

Dom/Hyunjin, Sub/Reader

Possessive & jealous Hyunjin

Hyunjin, Seungmin & Minho are all mean (sorry)

Felix & Jisung (best boys)

Word count - 3,522

A/N: I wanted to release chapter 2 in celebration of our boy’s birthday! Happy birthday Hyunjin 🫶🏻 I hope your day is filled with love! Love you Hyune!

Chapter Warnings: 18+ mdni! use of pet names, attempts at kissing. Use of guns. Gore, violence. Mass deaths (no main characters). Threatening behaviour. Anxiety issues. Debt issues. Degradation.

Chapter 1 <— read first

Chapter 2

The room was filled with an undeniable sense of dread. Everyone in the room was now either cowering by themselves or huddled in various groups talking about what could possibly be happening in the next few minutes. It had been about 30 minutes since the guards left and everyone was feeling the tension. You, Felix and Jisung were sat on one of the lower bunks together trying to figure out a game plan. Which was going absolutely no where due to the fact you had no fucking clue as to what you would be going into.

“Whatever happens if we keep our heads calm and stick together we can do this. How bad can it really be?” Felix said. You could tell he was trying to be strong for yours and Jisung‘s sake but there was a slight hint of fear in his tone. “We were literally kidnapped and locked in this room Felix? They changed our clothes! You saw how that guard spoke to that woman?” You said, panic started to take hold of you again. “Hey, I know y/n but I’m trying to keep us from getting too worried yeah?” He said his eyes glanced from you to Jisung, signalling that he wanted you to play along. The illusion that all was well so Jisung wouldn’t get upset. He really was such a sweet and protective friend. You had already started to feel happy at the fact he had chosen you to buddy up with. “I’m sorry Felix, you’re right” you said with a smile. “We need to put our heads together when we get in there and work as a team.” Jisung was smiling at the interaction between you both whilst his body was still a little tense. “That’s my girl.” Felix said with a wink. You felt yourself blush slightly at his praise but it soon turned sour once you glanced across the room to see number 320 staring at you with a dark look in his eyes, smirking once he saw you had noticed him. You quickly averted your gaze back to the sweet pair of boys offering a small smile in the hopes they didn’t notice. “I’m just gonna head to the toilet before we have to go to wherever the hell it is we’re going.” You said quickly rising from the bed and walking towards what you assumed was the door to the toilet. The boys nodding before continuing a conversation amongst themselves.

As you walked to the bathroom you glanced back at number 320 but at this point he was back to chatting amongst his group. You headed into the toilet, once you were done you took a minute to wash your hands and look at yourself in the mirror. “Fuck, what have I gotten myself into?” You asked yourself.

The bathroom was eerily quiet in comparison to the outside room. You couldn’t even hear anyone outside the door. It was then you heard slow footsteps starting to enter the room. You assumed it was another lady coming to use the bathroom but when you looked up into the mirror to see number 320 had walked in and was leaning against one of the cubicles, arms crossed with that stupid smile gracing his gorgeous face. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. “You know this a women’s bathroom right? You spat. “You’re not welcome in here.” You looked back into the mirror at yourself hoping that ignoring him would send him on his way. “Ouch, she bites.” His smirk grew wider. “I like my women feisty.” You could see in the mirror that he was enjoying winding you up. His dark eyes flickered over your form. “In what world do you possibly think that I’d be your woman!” You said now turning to dry your hands with some paper towels. “Oh sweetheart, don’t play hard to get now. I thought we were just getting to know each other?” He had started to take slow steps towards you. You began to feel heat rise to your cheeks so you kept your back facing him, though you were well aware you were now trapped as he was in between you and the door to the main room. “Come on thirteen, I know you’re greedy for some attention, why is it that your only allies in here are two little pretty boys? Hmm?” He said you could feel the heat coming off him behind you.

You turned on your heel towards him. “Don’t fucking call them that.” You said with malice. “I thought… what was his name again?… Felix was your guard dog? Not the other way around, princess?” He said, your threat having no effect on him whatsoever. “Call him a dog one mor-“ “Okay calm down, thirteen” he cut you off feigning innocence. “I just like playing with you.” He said smirking again and taking a step towards you. “You wanna play sweetheart?” He said towering over you, his voice dropping slightly. His eyes flickered briefly at your lips then back up to your eyes. Just as you were about to open your mouth to retaliate a voice sounds over the speakers. “The game is about to begin. Please make your way through the doors and follow an assigned guard to the game room.” Number 320 looked back at you after turning his head slightly to listen to the announcement. “Saved by the bell, unlucky thirteen.” He said with a sarcastic tone. “Let’s see what you’re made of in this first challenge.” With that he turned on his heel and exited the bathroom quickly.

You found yourself stood there for a moment trying to recollect yourself when you heard the door open again. “Y/n!?” You could tell from the deep voice it was Felix. “You coming?” He shouted. “Yes!” You replied, walking quickly towards the door where you saw him waiting for you. A smile on his face though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Let’s go.” He said offering his hand to you which you gladly took and followed him out of the room.

The corridors leading to the ‘game room’ was more like a tall room with several paths of stairs. The walls coloured in soft pink and pastel yellow. The floor a light blue. The fact it was decorated like a nursery had you feeling even more on edge. The guards walked with precision, stiff body language and not saying a word as you and the other contestants followed single file up the stairs. You felt a light poke of a finger on your left hand and turned your head slightly to see Jisung looking up at you, following you up the stairs. Felix leading the three of you in front. “I’m scared y/n” Jisung said, his boba eyes glistening with unshed tears. You took hold of his hand running your thumb over his. “Me and Felix have your back okay?” You whispered, turning your head back but keeping hold of his hand as you all continued to walk. One thing was for certain. You hadn’t known the two of them for more than a few hours and yet you trusted them as you hoped they trusted you. The need to protect Jisung and follow Felix had almost come naturally to you. Making you wonder if you could be friends with them on the outside world. Your thoughts were quickly interrupted by the queue of people in front of you suddenly coming to a halt. “You will now enter the game room, please keep behind the line until further instruction.” The voice spoke with a demanding tone. Sending a shiver on your spine. You all began walking in the room.

The room had no ceiling, you looked up seeing the sky. It was a cloudy day, the sun peaking through enough to warm your face. You looked around noticing the dirt floor and the walls around the room with landscape motifs as if you were stood outside. You stood behind the line as instructed, all 356 of you piling in. At the other end of the room a large doll like figure was stood with two masked guards stood either side of the doll. It was eerily silent amongst the contestants, all looking around with dumbfounded expressions. You turned to Felix and Jisung. “Just listen to instructions and keep your wits about you. Yeah?” Felix said with determined intensity. You both nodded and looked around with Jisung coming to the side of you, linking his arm around yours. Felix patted him on the head and smiled at you.

“The game is red light, green light. Make it across without getting caught and you won’t be eliminated.” The ominous voice broke through the speakers. “Get caught, you’re out of the game for good.” You and your two friends glanced at each other moving forward slightly to be nearer the line. You were aware of the rules of the game. Having played it as a child growing up in the outskirts of Seoul. You assumed Felix and Jisung had the same experience. However, Felix had grown up in Australia only having moved to Korea as a teenager. He turned to you and asked what he had to do. You briefly explained but half way through your explanation the doll started to turn. “MUGUNGHWA KKOCH-I PIEOSSSEUBNIDA!” A few contestants already started to bolt to the other side including number 320 and his group. Felix went to run but you held him back. “Wait for the next turn.” You said in a stern tone. He nodded pulling back to you with his lips pulled into a line. The doll turned back catching around 17 contestants, each of them shot dead to the floor. You remained motionless, a tear falling down your cheek. Fuck, when they mentioned people would be eliminated you didn’t think it would be at the cost of their own lives. You were in shock, eyes boring into the dead bodies now limp on the floor. The fear started taking over you. Panic suffocated you, but you were trying your best to be there for Jisung who was shivering with anxiety at your side. His arm now clutching you like he was scared you’d disappear. Felix turned to you, “I need you to get through this for me y/n.” He said in the most soft but sincere way. The blonde was searching your eyes like he was almost begging you to stay with him. “MUGUNGHWA KKOCH-I PIEOSSSEUBNIDA!” The doll had turned again with that you dragged Jisung with you trying to make your way across the room. Keeping yourself as steady as possible but quick as you could. The doll turned back to the room, killing around 22 people this time. People were dropping like flies and you were willing yourself to keep calm whilst tears were running down your face and your breathing was frantic. Luckily you kept still enough to not be caught, Jisung still gripping your hand like his life depended on it. Felix just ahead of you both. “MUGUNGHWA KKOCH-I PIEOSSSEUBNIDA!” “Let’s go!” Felix said in a raised voice, you and Jisung followed behind as quickly as you could when the doll turned all of the sudden and a contestant right next to you and Jisung was shot. It was the girl would had screamed at the guards earlier in the day. Her warm blood splashing against your face and all over your teal tracksuit. You held firm, standing as still as possible. Jisung next to you whimpered slightly but you couldn’t turn to comfort him. “MUGUNGHWA KKOCH-I PIEOSSSEUBNIDA!” “I got you.” You whispered to the puffy cheeked boy as you continued to pull him beside you. At this point you could see ahead that number 320 and his group had made it across, all stood around waiting like they had somewhere to be. You thought better than to roll your eyes mid run. As the doll turned back to the room you were mid trip but just as her gaze turned to you, you had stopped midair. Jisung had caught you. He was stretched out gripping you like you were his lifeline. Both shaking slightly. You were keeping eye contact with each other, both of you with tears streaming down your face. He was also covered in the woman’s blood. His beautiful face looked lost but with a hint of something you couldn’t quite place. Was he really willing to keep you alive for the sake of his own life. You had only met him a few hours ago? How did you get so lucky? You could hear shots bouncing round the room with blood curdling screams but you didn’t dare move to look.

“MUGUNGHWA KKOCH-I PIEOSSSEUBNIDA!” Broke you out of your train of thought and Jisung pulled you up. You both running together. Felix had made it but was hanging back to make sure you would both be there. The doll turned once again and killed several people behind you but at this point you were so close to getting to Felix you almost had gone numb to what was happening. Your survival instincts kicking in. “MUGUNGHWA KKOCH-I PIEOSSSEUBNIDA!” You and Jisung jumped forward into Felix’s arms. You all sighing with relief but Jisung collapsed in tears hugging felix’s leg. “I’m s-sorry” he was saying in choked breaths. Felix crouched over him, holding him tightly. “Hey, stop that. Ji, we are all okay.” Felix started rubbing his palm over the dark haired boys back. “We’ve got this okay?” The blonde started rocking Jisung slowly. Meanwhile you looked back up into the floor space. Seeing the last dregs of contestants being shot one by one as if they were nothing. Your tears continued to fall as you turned to look at those who had survived.

“Hey, thirteen.” You heard in a soft but distinct voice. You already knew it was that arsehole number 320 before you even glanced his way. “I’m impressed sweetheart.” Your eyes now meeting his. “I was sure your little group would be on the floor with the rest of them?” He said low enough that only you could hear. Stepping towards you with a slight curl to his lips. He bought his thumb up to your tear stained cheek and dragged it down rubbing your jawline before pulling away. He then leaned in again his mouth inches from your ear, his voice dropping to a silky whisper. “God you’re so pretty when you cry.” You flinched slightly moving away from him. He winked and turned walking back to his group.

You turned back to Felix and Jisung. At this point they were stood together watching you. “Everything okay?” Felix asked his eyes brimming with concern. “All good,” you said trying to maintain your composure. Not wanting any more trouble. “He’s just bored and wants someone to mess with. I can handle him.” You looked at Felix with a small smile. He was going to reply but the speakers suddenly blasted with a screeching noise followed by that dreaded voice. “Well done. You have survived the first challenge. Please exit to the main room. A guard will lead you back.” You and the boys exchanged looks of discomfort. How could they say it so nonchalantly? People were dead!

You took Jisung’s hand in yours and began to walk towards the exit. Thank god you had made it with your friends. Although your mind couldn’t handle how flustered number 320 had made you feel a few moments ago. What was his game plan? You were yet to find out but for now you were grateful you had lasted at least one round. This didn’t stop the knot in your stomach forming. There was still far more to go. The game had only just started.

The waiting room was filled with contestants either pacing, huddled in groups or those sat by themselves in shook. A few sobs and whimpers could be heard amongst those that were talking. You had gone to the bathroom to clean the blood off your face though the rest of it still remained on your clothes. The rich red a stark contrast to the teal colour. You exited the bathroom and walked over to Felix and Jisung. Both sat together silently as though trying to grasp what they had witnessed in the game room. You perched next to them on a set of small steps opposite a tower of bunk beds in the corner of the room. The room now seeming a lot bigger, you now noticed that quite a few people had been eliminated. You realised some beds had been removed too, no longer towering as high as before when you had left for the first challenge.

“So.” Felix began. “What made you guys join the game?” He looked at you both. Searching your eyes to see who would answer first. When you both didn’t reply he continued. “Oh come on guys? We all know we were offered the chance to join? We just didn’t know it would be like this.” The last part of his sentence turning into a whisper. Jisung spoke first though he seemed a little hesitant. “I have a big family. We are very poor and my single mum has been struggling to make payments” he looked down almost ashamed of his history. “She does what she can for us but…” he sighed whilst looking up again at the two of you. “..meals have become few and far between recently. I do a pizza delivery job to help but it doesn’t even scrape what we owe. When my dad passed away a year or so ago he left us in a lot of debt.” His eyes now downcast again. You offered a squeeze on his knee with a small smile in the hopes of showing you had no ill judgment towards him. He didn’t seem convinced but still returned the smile. “What about you y/n?” Felix asked, the two boys now looking at you with intrigued curiosity. “I-I’d rather not talk about it if I’m honest.” You said quietly, breaking your eye contact with them. There was no way you were going to explain your situation to them. They were both really kind to you but there was doubt in your mind that they would understand. Just as Felix was about to respond the door to the stage area opened and what looked to be the same magenta wearing guards entered the room. The room falling silent and everyone looking towards the seven individuals with tentative expressions.

“Well done for getting through your first challenge.” The square masked man started. His tone lacked any emotion. “Let’s see how much money has been added to the prize pot.” He stated looking up to the middle of the ceiling. A large clear piggy bank lowered in front of you all. Some contestants including you and the boys stepping forward to get a better view. The screen at the front of the room lit up, it read 0 won. The number started to climb up as the piggy bank filled with stacks of cash. Each representing an innocent person who had died at the hands of the game. It was blood money. The thought alone making you feel sick. What twisted individual had put you all here to die for the sake of some won. It started to feel like it was definitely not worth it. Though your mind was pulled out of thought when the number stopped climbing, the piggy bank swaying slightly from the weight of the cash. The screen read 1.02 billion won. A crazy amount of money for all of the contestants in the room, let alone one individual. That meant 102 people had been killed in the first round leaving 254 of you. Your eyes scanned the room, individuals with mixed expressions some shocked, some smiling others still sobbing from what happened an hour or so ago. A look of greed on some which made you feel bitter. Had they forgotten what happened in order for that money to be available? As you continued to look around once again your eyes fell on 320 he was nudging his friends, all of them giggled together like they already won the money. Why on earth did he have to be so god damn hot. Not to mention the company he kept. You had a good look at the other two men now. One of them soft features with a beautifully polished jaw line. He had short black hair and dark eyes that looked almost innocent but his cunning look told you other wise. He looked like a cute puppy though you had a feeling he was more like a Doberman. His number on his tracksuit read 143. The other man looked almost cat like in comparison. A slim athletic body and sharp features. High cheekbones with dark eyes that almost burned through your soul. He had an eyebrow piercing with fluffy brown hair. His stance alone was extremely intimidating. The group of them seeming at ease with each other though cold to anyone watching. His number read 312 you noticed as he smacked number 143’s butt.

“Dinner will be served soon.” The guard continued. You were so caught up staring at the group of beautiful men that you forgot the masked people were still present. “You will all line up and take what is given to you.” He said in a colder tone. “No exceptions.” With that they exited the room again. The room silent for only a moment before you heard Felix whispering to Jisung about something you couldn’t quite catch. “Please form two lines” the guard with the same tone billowed through the speakers in the room. You walked into the right line not really catching where Felix and Jisung went since they were having their own conversation. Once you grabbed your food you turned walking past number 320 and his group. You kept your head down hoping to avoid them when a hand could your wrist in a firm grip. “He there unlucky number thirteen.” The voice smooth as silk. “Why don’t you sit with us?” It was the cat like boy with the number 312 across his chest. At this point you decided it would be better to sit with them then turn away. The three of them had eyes all looking you over like you were their prey. “O-okay.” You agreed. Fuck why did your voice have to shake. “I got a space right here for you to sit sweetheart.” Number 320 said as he patted his lap. Instead you rolled your eyes and sat opposite him. The cat like man sitting just next to you not really allowing you any space to yourself. You glanced over at Felix and Jisung who were sat on the other side of the room. Looking at you with a concerned gaze. You quickly offered a small nod and smiled as if to signal you were fine for the moment. “You got a name, thirteen?” The buzzcut man asked. His eyes running over your features. God who the fuck made him so beautiful. “Uh - y/n” you offered. “Pretty name for a pretty girl, I should have known.” He replied with his signature smirk. His eyes still staring into yours as he seductively took a bite of his food. His tongue ran over to wet his plump lips. You had never seen someone so perfect before. He clearly knew the effect he was having on you because he chuckled to himself looking back at his plate.

“I’m Hyunjin, this is Minho.” He said pointing to the man with the eyebrow piercing. Causing you to turn to Minho his eyes still cold as ever with a pissed off expression. “-and this little puppy is Seungmin.” He chuckled again at his own words. You turned to Seungmin to find he was smiling at you in a way that made you feel like he could bite you at any moment. How the fuck did they find all these gorgeous men and put them in a room with you. Why did you have to think with your pussy during times like this? You turned back to Hyunjin with a little smile almost wanting to play at his own game. “So Hyunjin,” you said dropping your tone slightly when you uttered his name. “Did you tell your little minions that you followed me into the bathroom earlier in hopes of getting your dick wet?” Your eyes narrowed slightly at an attempt to tease and embarrass him but to your surprise he just tutted. “Tsk, well in fact princess-“ he rose from his seat and moved towards you. He moved so gracefully almost like he was walking on water. He leaned down to be at your eye level his friends chuckling at his antics. “They encouraged me to. A sweet thing like you shouldn’t go unnoticed, even in a place like this.” His eyes flickered down to your lips briefly then back up to your eyes. “What do you say hmm? Maybe we could go in there now and you could let me have a taste?” He was beginning to bring his face closer to yours. You felt trapped between the three of them, your cheeks becoming flushed and your panties getting wet. He paused, his lips just centimetres from yours. His breath tickled your features. Almost daring you to make the first move but in that moment you found yourself turning your head away. “You wish.” You retorted, rolling your eyes. The devil on your shoulder pissed off at you for refusing the beautiful man. He chuckled and sat back down, looking around the room as he did so. His eyes fell on Felix, sending him a quick wink.

Felix narrowed his eyes at Hyunjin, his jaw clenched and lips pulled to a thin line. You didn’t catch the exchange however as you had turned to your food, in the hopes of pushing your arousal to the back of your mind. “So thirteen,” Hyunjin continued, still amused by the rise he got out of you and Felix. “You ever thought about coming over to our side?” You looked up at him ignoring your food again. “What do you mean?” Your brow knitted together in confusion. “I mean, why would you want two little lap dogs? When you can have us take care of you? Hmm?” His smirk plastered over his face, head tilted slightly. You knew he loved using your friendship with Felix and Jisung as a weapon. Your previous arousal replaced with anger, bubbling slowly beneath the surface. You kept your face as calm as possible not wanting to let him think he’d won. “Something tells me you’re a bit of a lap dog yourself Hyunjin.” You spat, your inner brat was starting to take over. Seungmin looked up at you both, extremely entertained by the show. The corners of his mouth curled slightly and he had a glint of mischief in his eyes. “I think he’d prefer if you were the one on all fours wearing a collar y/n,” you turned to look at Seungmin, the tips of your ears going red with a mix of emotions brewing inside you. “I know I would.” He added, he looked so smug, giving you elevator eyes as if he were imagining it. Your face was now burning red. The last thing you wanted was to make a scene so you rose to your feet leaving your tray of food. “I think I just lost my appetite.” Your eyes narrowed, your nails digging into your palms. Where the fuck do they get the nerve? You stomped away not giving them a second glance.

“She’s even cuter when she’s angry.” Minho commented under his breath to the other guys. “She’s really something isn’t she?” Hyunjin replied, his eyes trained on you as you walked away.

Chapter 3 - Out Now!

Proofread by the lovely - @hoes4minho (please check out her ffs!

Please do not copy my work!

Images in banner are not mine!

Dividers by - @sisterlucifergraphics

Taglist - @eridanuswave @astro-des @ot8girlfie @estellan0vella @nightmarenyxx Open!

[squiddy-god]

happy birthday tartaglia

If you're seeing this, and you think to yourself, hey, I've seen this before, it's a re upload from my terminated account squid-god-supreme. This is another older one so please bear with me here. If you followed me before I am re-uploading Almost everything

CW : gn reader, fluff, childe is happy, Ajax used, just cutesy stuff

Ah yes , our favorite ginger's birthday!

Since he joined the fatui he's had to celebrate his birthday away from home but this year he has you!

the best way to wake him up on his birthday i to make breakfast, something homemade to help him feel less homesick

he’ll wake up o the smell of cooking and smile before sauntering outside to the kitchen and draping himself over you 

childe prefers homemade gifts over expensive ones, something you took time to  mak is always something that he’d cherish

he expects(demands) birthday kisses

lots of them, just litter his fae with kisses

makes you call him ajax on his birthday 

Another quiet morning, ocean eyes fluttering open at the lack of comforting warmth next to him and being taken in by the scent of spices. his lips quirked up into a wide and lopsided grin. 

swinging his long legs off the side of the bed he took but a moment to stretch before his excited step where echoing down the halls hein straight for the kitchen. Before long you felt strong arms wrap around you, childeOs weight resting comfortably against you. “childe-” 

“ajax for today”he corrected, chin resting on your shoulder. “haha ok, ajax i was planning to make breakfast in bed”  his arms only tightened around you more. “But this is a much better gift...so maybe we could stay like this a little longer?” you turned around to face him, his head now resting on your chest. “Anything for the birthday boy” you smiled. 

“well if that's the case” his arms suddenly stopped under your legs, hoisting you into the air and holding you against him. “The birthday boy wants kisses' ' you pressed your lips against his face, forehead, corner of his eyes, peppering kisses all over his face and avoiding his lips. “the birthday boy would like one more kiss dear” you laughed as he looked up at you expectantly. “alright ajax” you said kissing the tip of his nose and smirking down at him. 

your joke victory was cut short however when your lips were pressed into his. “did you think I'd let you win in a battle so easily, comrade? perhaps you need more training” he states before pulling you in for another kiss.

[samscartoonsofficial]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHRIKE SANCHEZ!!

gathered the boys over in the MW oc server and did a HUGE magma canvas of the birthday boy himself!!

@drawermary @havockingboo @haileybirdart @houseofdoodles @toastedclownery @dark333rose @loobydoopoppycock

Will host another one tomorrow too! To get even more shrikes in here!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR FAVORITE SQUID HEAD! 💥🎉🍕🍕

[tillichan]

𓎩 𓂃 Your Life in Wind Breaker for @shysquidthing 𓂃 𓎩

I'm veeery late, but Happy Birthday, my dear Squid! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ I wish you happiness, health and a lot of inspiration! You're very talented writer and a precious friend of mine! I hope you enjoy this little birthday story I did for you! I also look forward to our flowers exchange and one more my birthday present for you is 5 bonus free flowers for Poe!

You were born in Makochi, a small town in Japan. Your family owned a little cafe, but unfortunately the family business was not doing very well due to rising crime. It was closed almost the entire time, and as soon as your family opened the cafe, a group of punks hit it and left a mess behind. Your parents were desperate but you didn't give up. You knew, you believed that one day you will be able to open this cafe. That's why from a very young age you learned to cook, made up a menu and design of your future cafe. It was your little dream that came truth one day when you met a boy named Umemiya Hajime.

His dreams and wishes seemed unachievable, very few believed that he actually could change this town. But you were a part of these people who were by his side. Somehow your cafe became a location where Hajime and his friends gathered, even before Kotoha started working in a Pothos cafe. They protected your cafe and helped your with some stuff, and you treated them to some delicious food and took care of their wounds as a thank you. And so your family business thrived on the coattails of your friends. Seeing how much you like the cafe, how much you involved in it, how much effort you had put in, your parents decided to let you work there officially.

There was no end of your happiness when you changed the design of a cafe decorating it with cute stuff such as your favorite mushrooms and introduced a new menu with a stew as your main dish. You planted a garden in the backyard of your house and started to grow vegetables, herbs and berries for your cafe along with Umemiya who did his best to help.

Nowadays, you are a high school student and you still work at the cafe after school. Your cafe is very popular, especially for young people who are attracted by a cute design and aesthetic but still delicious menu. And of course it is a safe place for Bofurin boys. Even the first years or middle schoolers who are just planning to join Furin High in the future know for sure that this cafe is a secret base of Bofurin. There you can taste the most delicious stew with sandwiches in your life, drink some herbal tea or coffee and met cute and beautiful owner of this cafe, you. Needless to say that you're a very famous person in Makochi as a mother of Bofurin, their guardian angel and main supporter. Be assured that all of them are more than ready to protect you with their life and shower you with their adoration.

Skills

▣ Cooking: needless to say that you're a great cook. Everything from growing your own ingredients to design of the dishes is just perfect. But more than trendy or modern your cafe rather cozy and cute. It attracts the customers with delicious homemade food that gladdens the heart and soothes the mind. Your special menu is a stew made with farm meat and vegetables, seasonal sandwiches and lavender iced latte.

▣ Comforting: it's not about the way you talk to the customers or the way you carry yourself. It's about your comforting aura that makes your friends feel safe and loved. Indeed, you are like their mother and your cafe is like their home, where they feel at ease.

▣ Unexpected Punch: even though people consider you to be a cute wholesome girl (this is pretty much true), but no one expect that you're actually strong physically. Maybe you can't fight as good as your Bofurin friends do, but they spent a lot of time training you to defend yourself. They were worried about your safety, especially when they were just starting out. And so you learned to fight. Your signature move - Unexpected Punch. Unexpected because no one expect you to punch them, and no one expect that you could knock anyone's lights out with just one punch.

Romantic Matchup: Sugishita Kyotaro

♡ Your first meeting with Kyotaro happened when Umemiya saved him and dragged him into your cafe. At first Kyotaro resisted, all he wanted was to go home to his grandparents. He absolutely wasn't interested in this hangout. But as soon as Kyotaro entered the cafe, when he felt the smell of a homemade meal that reminded him of a home, his determination to leave wavered. Yielding to the entreaties of Hajime, Kyotaro sat down at the table. And then he spotted you in a cute apron with a pattern of the mushrooms. You were by to take their order. Kyotaro took one glance at you before quickly turning away. He was suddenly flooded with warmth, a gentle blush began to redden his cheeks.

"What happened, Sugishita?", asked Hajime concerned about his condition. "Do you feel bad?"

Kyotaro just mumbled something incoherent. He had yet to find out about an unfamiliar feeling that settled within him.

♡ Who would have thought it, but Kyotaro grew addicted to your cafe. And no, absolutely, definetely, one hundred percent not because a certain girl occupied his mind. But he just lied to himself. Kyotaro felt incredibly comfortable in the walls of your cafe. The way you were so calm and welcoming attracted him. You didn't try to move the conversation, but also weren't afraid of him. You just were there doing your work and somehow Kyotaro couldn't help but stared at you from time to time, he was enchanted by your presence. And your little cafe slowly became his second home, the place he felt at ease, in safe. And of course his tiny crush on you was very obvious for Umemiya and his friends, but still not so obvious for you. Hiragi had to stop Hajime when he started reading the inspiring lecture on the topic: "Enjoying the Youth". Spoiler: it didn't work out at all.

♡ Kyotaro realized his feelings for you because of Umemiya and his friends. They were the ones who pointed to his obvious crush on you and not that Kyotaro actually tried to challenge this. If Umemiya-san said it, that's the way it is. Another thing was that Kyotaro always thought that he would spend the rest of his life without friends, let alone a significant other, so the fact that he developed romantic feelings for you has baffled him. So Umemiya squad decided to play wingman and bring the two of you together. Only Toma tried to calm them down and let you two to sort out your feelings. Nobody seems to have listened to him, though.

♡ They thought up a whole plan and, surprisingly, it worked. The plan was to ask you and Kyotaro to join them for the fireworks festival and then leave you two alone. They were sure that a romantic atmosphere of the festival would encourage Kyotaro to confess. Knowing about his feelings were mutual they didn't worry about your answer.

And so the two of you were left alone waiting for the setting off fireworks. The place was not so crowded and it made you two feel comfortable, but also nervous. Kyotaro's thoughts were upside-down, because you were dressed in yukata. Tsubakino outdid themselves helping you with your look. And it was so beautiful, so different from your casual clothes and apron, that Kyotaro kept staring at you unable to look away. But every time he noticed that you turned to him, Kyotaro awkwardly looked away. An awkward silence hung over you two. It was strange, because usually the two of you spent your days together in the comfortable silence of your cafe and never, never felt this weird tension.

"Uhm", muttered Kyotaro trying to start the conversation, but somehow it was especially difficult this time. One look at you was enough to turn his mind into a chaotic mess. The words were stuck in his throat and he didn't know what he wanted more to blurt out the confession right now or to roll over and get away.

The sound of the fireworks interrupted his train of thought. People around him looked at it enjoying spectacular fireworks show, but all Kyotaro could think about was how beautiful you were in the light of dazzling fireworks. Without noticing himself, Kyotaro opened his mouth in awe. Oh. Umemiya-san was right, he is never wrong. Right now, at this very moment, Kyotaro realized how much in love with you he was.

"... like you", he said as if he was in a trance. Сrackling sounds from the fireworks drowned out his voice, but you was able to understand what he said.

♡ Kyotaro is a very protective boyfriend. He is well aware about this town is a dangerous place full of punks. But don't worry, he is always there to protect you with his life. Usually Kyotaro meets you after school and walks you to your cafe. And then the two of you spend the whole day together. He's absolutely whipped for you and does everything you want. And even the fact that you know self-defense techniques can't change his mind, you are still his adorable girlfriend who needs to be loved and protected. Not gonna lie, when Kyotaro saw how you beat a punk who burst into the cafe, he changed his mind a little. But it's more like he started admiring you even more. His girlfriend is not only cute and beautiful, but also strong and cool, he thinks. Kyotaro becomes the proud boyfriend every time people mention how cool you are.

♡ When Kyotaro is in love it's very obvious to his friends and people who know him. Because this scary unsociable guy who doesn't want to communicate with people except Hajime has the biggest soft spot for you. Kyotaro usually spends his time hanging out in your cafe, helping you in any way or sitting at the table. His eyes follows you, he can't keep his eyes off you. Even though the second and third years already knew about your relationship, the first years had yet to find out. But when Sakura blushed immediately looking at your cute interaction, Kyotaro's classmates realized that the two of you were dating.

♡ Needless to say that his friends and family adore you a lot! You are their sister figure, their precious friend, the person who always looks after them, of course they support your relationship. If you are happy, they are happy too!

The third years are obviously the main supporters of your relationship with Kyotaro. They were the ones who helped Kyotaro to realize his feelings and the confess, so they, mostly Hajime and Tasuku, consider themselves as your wingman. They find you and Kyoto so cute! The way you calm him down and make his world wider, they appreciate it so much. It's a bit like watching your precious child grows up. And they are sure, now he is in a safe hands.

His classmates enjoy teasing Kyotaro about his relationship, but they still support you two very much. Some of them are jealous that Sugishita of all people entered into a relationship the first of the entire class. The way this Sugishita is simping over his adorable girlfriend makes them laugh sometimes, because his behavior changes so much when he is with you.

His grandparents can't wait for the moment when you become a real part of their family. There is no better girlfriend for their Kyotaro than you. Every time you come to visit them or when they come to your cafe, you and his grandparents spend a good time together talking about Kyotaro, his childhood and about you, of course, because they think of you as of their granddaughter and love you a lot.

♡ Kyotaro's favorite memory with you is definetely these calm peaceful days spent in your cafe. He cherishes this home atmosphere more than you can imagine. Your cafe, you, everything related to you is his home, his safe place Kyotaro sworn to protect. He loves helping you with cooking, even though he is big and clumsy and looks out of place in your cute kitchen, Kyotaro does his best to see your smile, oh, he lives for it. He loves taking care of your garden with you, he learned a lot helping Hajime with his vegetable garden. He loves these silent moments after closing time, when he helps you with cleaning and washing the dishes. There is something very intimate about it, it makes Kyotaro dream about your future life together. Ah, he wants it so much!

Ship Tropes

♡ scary and intimidating guy (him) x his soft spot (you) ♡ "you touch her and I'll kill you" (him) x sweet pie unafraid of a terror behind her (you) ♡ two introverts are each other's safe place

Relationships

Umemiya Hajime is your brother figure and a good friend of yours. The two of you are a childhood friends who went through fire and through water and finally have got what you two want. Hajime fulfilled his dream of a peaceful city and you became a cafe owner. Even though Hajime is on more extroverted side, the two of you get along very well, since you two share similar dreams and hobbies. It was you who inspired him to start his own garden, because you two spent so much time in your garden growing vegetables and herbs for your cafe. Sometimes Hajime becomes too energetic, but he always notices the moment when your social battery completely drains and gives you some space to rest. Hajime thinks of you as of his precious sister he loves and protects a lot. Your cafe is still a safe place for him and for Furin boys, Pothos is just more spacious than yours. But even now Hajime comes to you every time he wants to talk to you or feels nostalgic for your past days. The family atmosphere of your cafe comforts him. He is also the main supporter of your relationship with Kyotaro and main wingman. He is happy that the both of you enjoy your youth and wishes you happiness.

Tasuku Tsubakino is a good friend of yours. The two of you met through Hajime and got along really well. Tasuku is an adorable yapper and your personal cheer squad. They are always there if you want to ramble about your relationship or anything you want and whenever you want to go shopping to buy some new skin or hair care cosmetic. As a two skincare enthusiasts, you and Tasuku enjoy to host the beauty days. Nothing special just comfortable evenings spent in a good company of your precious friend doing your skin and hair care routine and talking about the stuff. Tasuku respects personal space, so they hang out with you only when you want, they want you to feel comfortable and at ease. They also were the one who helped you and Kyotaro to get together and now supports your relationship a lot, Tasuku is very happy that you found your love and adores your couple very much.

Sakura Haruka considers you his sister figure, but he would die rather than admit it. The two of you met for the firs time when Akihiko took him to your cafe, because it was an important place where Furin members gathered when they started out. Haruka who already got used a little to Pothos cafe wasn't interested in yours at all, but he slowly changed his mind. Your cafe and you are just so comfortable and your cooking is so delicious, that Haruka fell in love with this place. He was too shy to interact with you at first and you did not insist. However all that changed when Haruka found out that you and Kyotaro are dating. It was so confusing, but the way Kyotaro admired you so much as if you were his treasure, made Haruka interested and intrigued. Slowly but surely, you and Haruka started talking more, especially when he teased Kyotaro with his classmates. When he wasn't too embarrassed to say something of course, because his romance sensor goes crazy every time Haruka sees you two together. And that's how you and Haruka became friends. He is attached to your kind and calm personality, not to mention that you are a strong person too. He comes to you very often to talk or enjoy your homemade food.

Nirei Akihiko is your friend who admires you a lot. The reason? You are well known as a cafe owner who helped Bofurin more than once, the most powerful and cool people of this town love and adore you a lot, you yourself are the coolest girl in the whole universe, still need more reason? To Akihiko you are an idol just like all Furin members. He has the whole page in his notebook about you, your past and abilities. When he was younger, Akihiko has a tiny crush on you, but it was more like a crush on famous idol. You also were the one who encouraged him to join Furin since Akihiko often came to your cafe to talk to you. Nowadays you and Akihiko are a good friends. He is very proud of himself that you call him your friend and does his best to help you if you need something. Not that Kyotaro actually lets Akihiko help you instead of him. But whenever Akihiko mention your achievements, Kyotaro nods in agreement.

Suo Hayato has a crush on you. He knows you not so long but even during your short meetings he managed to fall in love with you. You always were so sweet and welcoming, the tea blends you do for him knowing that Hayato is on a diet are so delicious, your cafe is so cozy and comfortable, oh, Hayato feels he grew addicted to it. However, he is not a heartless guy who would try to win you over even though you are already happy in a relationship, so Hayato just shuts down his growing feelings and tries to... just be a good friend for you. The both of you feel comfortable around each other, since you two are the introverts. Hayato likes to visit you and spend time at your cafe talking to you and drinking some delicious tea. His feelings are is very difficult to see, almost impossible. But sometimes, just sometimes, Hayato looks at you with such a yearning that makes your skin crawl.

[wiglian]

mismatched socks, an illuminated wand and muttering encouragements under your breath as you look for secrets , a journal falling apart at the spine filled with things only you seem to understand , the hogwarts clock tower at dusk feet dangling over the edge as you read , blue eyes that seemed to sparkle at the mention of conspiracy , and the same worn out shoes you’ve had since school .

XENOPHILIUS LOVEGOOD ; though he'll tell you xeno works just as well . standing at 183 centimeters , long limbs a lover rather than a fighter and it shows . made of wild ambitions and mop of blonde hair with sharp blue eyes , who seemingly marches to the beat of his own drum . sorted into ravenclaw when he went to hogwarts . equipped with a wand 13 and a half inches made of pear wood with a unicorn hair core ( surprisingly swishy flexibility ! ) . often described as loyal , eccentric , and maybe just a touch gullible . a pureblood whose allegiance lies with the order .

you came into the world lungs full of air as you screamed on december nineteenth . your parents dotted on you their one and only child , giving you the name xenophilius . what a name to predict what kind of life you would live chasing your fantastical creatures and the oddities of life that no else seemed to pay a second thought to . life was nothing short of magical , far from materialistically rich you were rich in love . you had your mother , your father , and grandmother ( who told you of the mischievous nargles ) .

school for xenophilius was just well , he kept under the radar for the most part never really excelling in any one subject . he wanted desperately to be be exceptional in care for magical creatures but he always seemed to fall short in identifying certain aspects of said magical creatures . what he was good at was listening and writing , journals filled with his own observations of what made hogwarts truly magical . he'd readily interject with his own opinions on why certain things would happen a quickly get peculiar stares from his classmates it didn't seem to matter the house either they all looked at him the same .

he had a small grouping of friends but never a grouping that would go along with whatever he was getting up to in the castle . which was just a lot of him looking for secret rooms and creatures his grandmother would tell him were KNOWN to tuck themselves into corners . he was honestly a little distraught the forbidden forest was well forbidden .

he maybe had a crush on someone then but his lips never seemed to loosen on the matter , all he'd say was he knew it was something one day in the clock tower when he was trying to listen for the sound of daedalian keys .

after school he tried to work at the prophet but thought the material to be absolute rubbish for ignoring things that were clearly important ( ! ) . thus the quibbler was born , he still doesn't have a whole lot of money to his name but he'd rather be happy doing as he pleases rather than doing something he absolutely hates . he still finds it difficult to sell papers but he's sure people will catch along soon , the quibbler only publishes the most important of things after all .

the house he stays in was left to him by his grandmother when she passed away shortly after his twenty-third birthday .

panromantic demisexual . he sometimes talks a lot but finds himself tongue tied when coming face to face with someone he fancies .

of all his little adventures at hogwarts the one of the greatest things he discovered was that the squid in the lake liked buttered toast . he tried jam at one point and just ended up with sopping wet clothes he had to wash and dry in the boys bathroom . he bears no grudge he would've done the same thing if someone gave him food he didn't care for .

has a pet ferret named odysseus after homer's epic poem .

still has trouble properly identifying magical creature parts and has a cabinet of mislabeled findings .

probably needs glasses but doesn't really want glasses .

doesn't know how to dress himself sometimes . mismatch socks because someone told him it was bad luck to match them .

believes with his whole chest in the story of the three brothers .

the tales of beedle the bard is by far his most worn out book .

has journals upon journals filled with his theories and stories of creatures that probably don't exist . illustrations also fill the pages most of it comes from his grandmother .

[blackr23]

Hyunjin in FANS 💌

👤 : Hyunjin-ah, you really play guitar... How about posting a video of yourself playing guitar on Instagram? 🥟: I'll show you when I get better 😉

🥟: Ah Yang Jeongin, I could eat you... cute boy

👤 : Hyunjin-ah, what did you have for dinner? 🥟: Dosirak (A lunch box)!! Rakrakrak

👤: Hyunjin-ah, I'm sure I'll get a ticket tomorrow, right? 🥟: So it's tomorrow... see you at the show, Fighting!

👤 : Hyunjin-ah, yesterday was my birthday… can you wish me luck on my birthday? 🥟: Happy birthday 😉

👤 : Hyunjin-ah, I heard that wisdom teeth come out if you eat a lot of hard food 🥟: Ugh~ if only I had eaten less squid~~~

👤: Hyunjin-ah actually I was your wisdom tooth. I didn't want to break up so I stuck to you like gum (!! I'm sorry it hurts you. I'm sad because we can't be together nowㅠ) 🥟: You came out in 8 pieces, are you okay? Everything's fine?

👤 : Hyunjin-ah, make sure you gargle well until the stitches come out ~~ once they are out, it will heal quickly... (I'm yesterday's dental hygienist on bbl) 🥟: Doctor, gargling is too scary... it burns but I will do my best, thank you

👤 : Did it break into 8 pieces? It's almost a pizza 🥟: Ah 🥟: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ turns out I had a pizza in my mouth, ugh🤦

👤 : Hello Uncle Hyunjin, this is 🧒, eat some delicious snacks with me in my dreams. Can I come play in your dreams uncle? I miss you man, I love you! 🥟: What is this? The boy is so cute...

[cathy-gabby]

SHIPPING: Sink or Sail

(Disclaimer: The following contents are based on my own casual observations. Please do not shoot. If you are an avid fan of another member, please skip this blog.)

Life has been very hectic these days I could hardly breathe. During these times, I would have opened my AO3 and read Jnkk aus for relaxation and stress-relief. However, there is now a dearth of Jnkk aus that interest me and I have reread all my favorite stories too many times I can recite their lines with my eyes closed. So I resort to YT and look for Jin and Jnkk videos – sadly, because of ME, most recent videos are recaps of famous moments and Jnkk roman empires. My favorite YT channels have also gone on hiatus; others even deleted their accounts. I think I have also reread all of my favorite tumblr posts. So I checked X and searched for Jnkk AO3 recommendations and voila, several promising titles popped up. Clicking on some, I found many have a million or more views. Wow! The most viewed Jnkk au I have read has only around 200k views.

These aus are of course of the most famous ships – tkk, jkk, and surprisingly, ymn. There were even some spe, njn, and tjn. As much as I talked myself into thinking that I would open at least one for curiosity’s sake, I could not make myself do it. I cringe just with the thought of reading these stories – well written, perhaps – of other ships that I am not interested in. My HYPOCRITE self cannot believe that there are people who romanticize real people’s interactions; some may even actually believe that these real people are together in real life. (Shout-out to the writer for describing herself.)

There is a tried and tested formula to kpop – rapper, dancer, vocal, visual members; rigorous dance routines despite the inane music, and of course, shipping and fan service. One could even make a sweeping generalization that shipping is synonymous to k-pop. Never mind the rappers who cannot dance, the visuals who cannot sing, or the vocalists who overuse autotune – as long as the members perform fan service on stage, fans go wild with happiness, which means more album sales, more streams, more money.

And because shipping is such a lucrative business, BTS is not even exempted from it. Go where the river flows, they say.

When most of the members were underage, there was only playful banter among the members. tkk were the playful evil twins – running amok like the mischievous rascals that they were. jkk were the Busan boys – little jm as baby jk’s confidante and both were Jin’s little helpers for whenever he cooked for the group. When all the 7 members were of legal age, tjn emerged as the first ‘romantic’ ship. And so here we are now, a multitude of ships later of even the most bizarre and ridiculous pairings, with tkk and jkk fans killing each other squid-game style as to who is the realist pair.

But hey, who am I to discount anyone’s belief of their ship when I myself am a ‘believer’? When us Jnkkrs claim that we are not shippers but believers, what stops others from being ‘believers’ and not shippers of their own otp? I could list down a hundred reasons why Jnkk is real and others will list thousands of their own, with footnotes, annotations, and references in APA 7th edition format. So I say, to each his own. Whatever floats your boat.

As for me, I believe in Jnkk because I believe in Jnkk. Jin is my ultimate bias; I only pay attention to him – every quirk, every twitch, every word - so I notice who he is bias to and who else tries to attract his attention. All members might have been attracted and ‘in love’ with him at some point in their lives. Namjoon with puppy eyes a little upset that Jin did not make seaweed soup for him on his birthday (but made one for Jungkook a few weeks before). Suga professing his undying love for Jin while intoxicated (Maybe that was the only time he could tell his very oblivious hyung his intense feelings for him?). Jhope being overly touchy with Jin. Jimin confessing that he fell ‘in love’ with Jin’s face when he was 16 years old. Tae claiming that Jin was his most favorite person in the world. And Jungkook?

No comment. Teeheehe.

When members and fans say that Jin is the best hyung, he is really the best hyung. (Again, disclaimer: These are all my own opinion and observations.)

Despite being older, Jin respects Namjoon as the leader. Now that they are both mature, their relationship has always been that of mentor-mentee dynamic – the CEO referring to the chairman for advise. Why does Namjoon stay close to Jin during speeches and interviews? Why did Jin seek Namjoon after he gave that iconic speech about sajaegi while the latter clapped his hands with much ardor and pride for his hyung? (But when he got nervous as the music show MC, Jin looked for Jungkook.)

When Jin needs someone to drink and do things with, he asks Yoongi even when Yoongi does not want to. Getting a morning meal during ITS4? Going fishing very early in the morning? Getting a buzz cut for military service? Jin asks Suga and Suga comes along 100%. (Of course he will always choose Suga as a roommate, not even his mother, or father, or brother, or Jungkook.)

As a casual observer, I can say that Jin has always been protective of Jimin. Of all the members, Jimin is the most prone to depression and anxiety; he has always been hard on himself. Did he not say that Jin taught him how to be happy (or something to that effect)? Jin, to some extent, allows Jimin to be playful with him (but not as much as he allows Jungkook to get his way with him). It is no surprise then that he is one of the most affected when Jin left for mandatory service, second only to Jungkook.

Not surprisingly, Jin also tolerates Taehyung’s advances, to some extent. He knows that tjn ship has long sunk in the deep recesses of the ocean but he gets Tae’s level of skibidi and indulges him and the handful of loyal tjnnies.

Of them all, Jin is most comfortable with JHope. Yes, Jhope, not with Jungkook. He gets to be young and playful with him. He knows that whatever interactions they would have, people will not put any meaning to it. It’s the same with how he is comfortable with Suga, on a mature and philosophical level. They are not a ship and no one ships them. With the other members, Jin is always wary with the cameras and fans’ reactions. Either because they are a ship or the other members’ fans are just next level crazy.

So, is he not comfortable with Jungkook? He is. Very much. But he always has to be the level-headed and circumspect one. Some of Jungkook’s fans and most of his shippers are off-the-charts bonkers. Plus, he always has to be ready for what Jungkook will do or say next to him, cameras and audience be damned. I’d say it is all Jin’s fault. JK has always been his ultimate bias. He has allowed JK to always have his way with him, from head to foot. Manhandling him any which way he can, which Jin is obviously likes (bonus points if they are ripped, tattooed, and pierced).

Does JK also get his way with other members? Does he also melt them with his googly eyes? Yes, yes, and yes. If Jin is the ultimate hyung, Jungkook is the ultimate baby of the group, a spoiled brat in the good sense of the word. Jungkook has always been Namjoon’s number one fan (and crush – oohh, those thighs!); Suga is his most favorite older brother (his idol even, when it comes to fashion and drinking). He is also very playful with JHope (who tolerates him like an older brother to a younger brother). His relationship with Tae is a little complex because of shipping and because at the height of the tjn ship, Tae always got his way with Jin, insensitive to Jin’s discomfort and Jungkook’s feelings. But I daresay when Jin was enlisted, Tae was a very good friend to JK, inviting him for games and activities with his friends (to maybe distract him from his loneliness). He is most comfortable with Jimin, of course. I think I have written already about how Jimin perhaps might have been the first to know about JK’s blooming infatuation towards Jin. Jimin might have even acted as the ‘bridge’ so JK will get closer to Jin. It is obvious how comfortable he is with Jimin as he promotes their ship willingly and happily.

All these pairings are just with Jin and JK with other members. There are other pairings and more popular ships out there. But I am more interested in how these two interact with the others and with each other.

So is Jnkk a ship? (In my previous draft, I wrote 2 pages of Jnkk history but I scrapped it to stay on the topic. Maybe I would be able to post it someday.)

At first, they tried to sell it as a ship – hyung-maknae dynamic. And their interaction was purely playful, with Jungkook getting his bratty ways with Jin. But one cannot deny Jungkook’s longing stares, and possessive actions. Of course, as the youngest in the group whose members were all attracted to Jin, one cannot help but be territorial. But did Jin reciprocate?

Jin’s soft and adoring gazes were all brotherly. The man was oblivious, through and through. (Even now. But that is a story for another day.) Anyway, personally, I believe Jin was with jhs before their debut and until about two years after. Then later, maybe with ljh, around 2016. (Jin’s clean break habit is so thorough. When he is done, he is done. Period. I followed jhs on IG – he posted a big fat F U to his musician friend who attended Jhope’s listening party where Jin and JK were cozy. Interestingly, he archived all his posts and went on IG hiatus on the day HAPPY was released. ljh, on the other hand, could not stop talking about Jin until now. Sadly, Jin does not even acknowledge his existence, despite inviting Sandeul twice on Run Jin.)

Around the time when JK was already of legal age, the dynamic changed. Instead of hyung-maknae, it is now a friendly banter between friends of the same age. Perhaps they were both excited but there were times when they would forget themselves, hence, the Dispatch article which started some rumors about them. After that, they always had to stay guarded; or rather, Jin had to be always on high alert because Jungkook did not care about restrictions and shipping and audience. He would get unhappy and detached when he’s not near Jin to downright sulky when Jin would not pay him any attention.

Later as JK matured and perhaps when they became more secure with each other (JK might have been afraid that Jin would prefer someone older; Jin might have been wary that JK would want someone younger), the public displays and playfulness have mellowed down. (The pandemic might have helped, allowing them to become even closer. But like water that seeps through cracks, love isn’t something that can be covered up; it flows through in the simplest moments, making it clear to anyone watching. But that is a story for another time). JK is now more active in promoting his ships; Jin is a happy onlooker while also giving the bare minimum for his own ships. All to make the fans happy. (And to draw attention away from them.)

Yes, their separate ships and those of others must be fed. Despite being already at the pinnacle of success and this generation’s representative band, members STILL perform fan service and EVEN NOW while serving in the military. Of course, I am not discounting the fact that these seven members have gone through hell and reached the top together for more than ten years. Their bond is more than that of friendship; it’s brotherhood. Their interaction, therefore, is as real as any other.

So why does BTS still perform fan service?  Is it the fans who put stupendous meaning to every single word or twitch or eye contact? Is it the company which heavily promotes these ships so they run their way to the bank? Is it the members themselves who capitalize on genuine interactions for extra attention? or to satisfy the terms of their contract?

I say – all of the above?

I just hope that after everyone has served ME and when they play out the terms of their new contract, that the fan service will stop. That Jungkook will put an end to all the deluluness of his shippers. If tkkrs and jkkrs will all collectively perish because of it, then so be it. If Jnkk is also a ship, then he should stop looking at Jin like he is undressing him in front of everyone (teehehe!).

But no, for me, Jnkk is not a ship. Whatever they may have, it is only for them and between them. I and the rest of their believers are just so happy that we get to witness it in this lifetime. If, somehow, Jin ends up married with another partner, that is all right with me. I will support him and his partner all the way. Will I be angry that I may be deceived? No, because I choose to believe in them. I would just feel thankful that at some point, and on busy days like today, Jnkk makes me happy.

And then I move on.

But for now, I am here.

PS: I am rambling so bad. I have to get back to work but I need to get all of these off my chest. Perhaps, someday, I would get to edit this.

[midnightmoonbeams]

Ya-boy-kai drew some cute artwork for Team Spice. RIDER also drew some cute artwork, but theirs was for Team Sweet. *Chizu* drew their inkling in squid form, sleeping. Zorakas drew a smallfry with a candy cane in its mouth, captioned, "Merry Splatmas!" ivorny drew some artwork for Team Spicy. GSstandard wishes Rina Itou (the woman who voices Pearl) a Happy Birthday! Cool Girl! says, "Merry Squidmass :)" R=TROtm drew a communication error.

From December 22nd, 2022

[crazyyanderefangirlfan]

Teresa Diamandis

"Sometimes all you need is a positive attitude and a knife"

---+---

BASIC   

Name: Teresa Diamandis

Nickname(s): Teri (by close friends), Teri-Teri (by Satori), Love, Dear, Honey (all by Wakatoshi), T, Harpy (by best friends).

Alias(es): Shiratorizawa's most beautiful Swan, The Succubus, Aphrodite (in Shiratorizawa), The Huntress (in St. Trinians).

Gender:  Female

Sexuality: Straight

Ethnicity: Greek

Blood Type: O+

Age: 17-18

Birthday: November 23

---+---

APPEARANCE  

Hair:  Back length snow white hair in space buns with bangs framing the upper sides of her face.

Eyes: Ruby red eyes with black eyeliner and mascara.

Height:  166cm

Skin: Snow white

Body: Lean but curvy

Tattoo(s): None

Piercing(s): Gold star dangle earrings.

Scar(s): Faded bullet wounds on her shoulder

Other: She wears pink lip gloss and her left leg is amputated so she has prosthetic. On her neck she wears two chokers: a black fabric gold crescent moon and a simple gold near her neck.

---+---

SCHOOL  

Occupation: Manager

School: Shiratorizawa Academy

Year:  3

Class:  3

Club(s):  Boy's VBC

Number: None

Role/Position: None 

Attendance Record: Good

Average Grade: B

---+---

STATISTICS (out of 5)

Power: 4/5  

Jumping: 5/5  

Stamina: 5/5  

Game Sense (ability to 'predict' or 'sense' the opponents next move): 3/5  

Technique: 3/5  

Speed: 5/5  

Overall (total): 24/30

---+---

CHARACTER  

Personality: Teresa is a kind, caring, organized and supportive girl who is also determined and sometimes persistent, frank, as well as adventurous. Generally easy-going, she's a positive individual who is straightforward, she doesn't keep anything hidden in her heart. She's compassionate and honest, Teresa can bring out the best in people and has a way of getting what she wants.

She may not look like it but she has great intuition and sensitive to the emotions of others, this makes her adaptable to many people but feel exhausted from too much stimulation and will stay in her room for hours to recharge.

She's family-oriented due to having such a large family, though in some cases she can get embarrassed by them. Such as the time when half of them visit Japan to see her and spend time with her, though flustered she appreciated the gesture.

Teresa is proud to be the manager of a powerhouse team though not to the point of arrogance and bragging. She's highly protective of them especially her juniors. One time when she witnessed Tsutomu getting bullied, she threaten to stab his bullies with her heels in their crotch if they don't leave him.

Behind her pretty exterior hides a very sadistic, sarcastic, and hilarious nature. Teresa is a skilled huntress and finds pleasure in her prey's pain, she gets particularly excited when her prey runs as it makes more exciting for her, especially to hear their pained screams.

Though not she's cruel, she will be as a form of retaliation to bullying if they continue, this especially applies to entitled and toxic fangirls who are delusional in thinking she wants all the boys in VBC team to herself, promising to disfigure they're faces if they continue to bully her.

Her relationship with Wakatoshi is similar to an 'old married couple as they often act like parents to the team. She's supportive of her boyfriend and often stays behind with him to help him practice and encourages him to take breaks and relax. Due to his popularity, she's quite possessive of him and would subtly lay her claim on him whenever other girls flirt with him. However, deep inside she fully prepared if he ever chooses volleyball over her, caring about his happiness over hers.

Likes: Family and friends, Wakatoshi, grilled squid and octopus, hardcore yaoi, music, flowy dresses, strong sunblock, sewing, fashion, volleyball, pom-pom pens, knives, her turtle Chelone.

Dislikes: Harm to her friends and family, her ex, toxic and entitled fangirls, her juniors and friends bullied, ginger, forgetting to use sun block, her leg acting up, her extended family being too much, her younger brothers taking things without her permission, entitled people, people saying she should need more sun on her.

Hobbies: Impalement arts, volleyball, shopping, cooking, roller skating, spear fighting, sewing, watching anime and movies, hunting, kick boxing, reading, pottery, playing video games.

Goal(s): To make sure the team is in top form and figure out what she wants in life. (Hopefully to marry Wakatoshi).

Current concerns Hiding her more extreme mangas from Satori.

---+---

SOCIAL  

Mother(s): Tula Diamandis

Father(s): Niko Diamandis  

Sibling(s): Percy, Hector and Jason Diamandis (younger triplet brothers)

Relative(s): Numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.

Friend(s): Shiratorizawa VBC, Shoyo Hinata ,Yukie Shirofuku, Kaori Suzumeda, Shinobou Murasaki, Elise Fontaine, Sara Feng, Josie Sanchez and other girls in St. Trinians

Best Friend(s): Bridget Fortuné, Heather O'Cleary, Irene Song, Juliette Chaveleir, Skyla Barretto, Cat Tamami.

Love Interest(s):  Wakatoshi Ushijima

Rival(s): Any who thinks they have a shot with her boyfriend or tries to replace her as manager with ill intentions

Pet(s): A common box turtle named Chelone.

[ygtahoy]

Ok so I learned a few things while trying to make @nyoxt ‘s Ram in the sims. First mods and in game custmization options are super heavily biased towards females so some things are not as good as they could be because that’s as close as I could get.  Surprisingly his facial hair was the hardest one to find anything close, well that and I couldn’t find his forehead horns or next stripes. His skintone mod also very rudely took away his bicep tattoo and his bodyhair.

Starting off this was a random outfit the game decided he should wear for his party look and I just loved how dapper he was in it even if I didn’t keep it, very suave and handsome man he is.

Now initially I was planning on having them go to the beach for summer shenanigans, until I remembered that would probably give Reina squid incident ptsd so winter fun times instead. For some reason while playing Reina she would always get on the sled in the back and it, it did not work out well for them.

The next night I played as Ram and they got to enjoy some hot pot that was maybe a bit spicy for him but they still got a happy sentiment of bonding from hotpot.

Then they built, or attempted to build, a snowpal of well it’s cute.

The festival of snow happened so I had them try sledding again to much greater success, now that they figured out Ram in the back there was no more falling.

Finally ending the day with some karaoke that got absolutely ruined in their second song by an angry werewolf who had spent the first song kicking over a trashcan.

I decided to save and quit when they were running around in terror from the newly transformed werewolf.

Well Happy Birthday Nyoxt, I may have traumatized your boy.

[redraven393]

catching up to Philza Minecraft Qsmp Streams Vod

30th June ya'll I've been sleeping my days off these past few days after the exam cause my body just crashed down

I have missed so much shits on the QSMP stuff holly hell the fuq happened

anyway LETS START WHOO

Welcome home PHILL

oh hey the Flower Fall shirt looks cool

dadza had been rambling about space

QSmp time

so many Flower creatures

KELP will HELP

dadza isn't sure about the slogan

LOL Forever

CHAYANNE AWAKE

AWW CHAT

ma boi I miss yu

TALLULAH WAKE UP

the"sir" stuff is Tallulah's admin right?

TALLULAH BABY HOW ARE YOU

Tallulah will get the whole solar system at this point

Chayanne shrine

AW NO TALLULAH

Holly that is so many Chayanne

the Crows love his son

Tallulah BACK!

WHALE WATCHING?!

AW TINNY TALLULAH WITH THE SAMBRERO

Chayanne and Chayanne

ah so they cloned themselves

oh god what happened

YEAH Ramon Saved the day such a good little hero

Chayanne why?-yeah that's fuq up

WHY ARE YOU KIDS WANT TO SEE A CROCODILE

?

did they fight a crocodile before???

don't use shaders kids

use you dragon magic kids- HE'S HERE

dangerous mission

omg Tallulah noo

yeah scold her Chayanne

magical trip

oh shit he's invis

nooo Ramon it's not drugs

EYYY he's HERE

Kids get up

oh, Mike had a barber?

wait why would Fit go to a barber?

ugh sea mission is scary

Ramon we don't kill whales they are endangered

"There is no shame in leaving" thankyou Fit

yes Ramon Pls you all in one life

Chef Chayanne lets gooooo

oh yeah good idea Tallulah safety first

Oh shit Chayanne didn't have one

Shave it off??

Noodle Soup!!! i want noodle soup today

oh god wat happened in the debate??

don't jinx us phill

ahh so Phil is in team Foolish-Phil noooo

I like that the kids always go for the trampoline first

HELLO MINECRAFT PHILLZA WE READY FOR ADVENTURE MINECRAFT PHLIZA

nervous abluoeto-RAMOOOONNNNN

what is there a TNT canon-wait Ramon-wait Chayanne-kidsss-oh shit-oh okay thank goodness-OMG KIDSS- CHAYANNE-OMG TALLULAH

good lord, I'm aging-omg Phill

oh no the solar system is here

bunch of manly men with boats

clean coal

boat timeee

oh shit the WHALE-DRIVEEE-Oh shit-omg these kids are killing me-oh shit CHAYANNE-oh noo TALLULAH

yeah two whales is enough

okay get cooking Chayanne

did ramon just trows away a tusk???

RAMOONN NOOO

waiting on Tallulah

its revenge for Baghera???

oh nooooo the whale

HOLLLY SHIT THE JUMP

omg

the Whale was gunning for it

ITS BEEN SO LONGGGGG

TALLULAH YOU BACK SWEETIE

either her or the whales

ohhhh Seafood menuuu

the trick to defeat the monument

ohh the seaside stuff had been decorated

off to the monument we go

ok here we go-ramon with the bomb-you two old men shut up-milk squid?

omg Fit is an Alpha and Phil is a Beta-someone pls shot me

Ramon works fast-creepy ghost fish-yey Phill killed em

things have been pretty smooth so far

OMG RAMON NO

Mission donee

HAIR CUT TIME

emotional support for the bald man lets go

wat? a giant squid?

lol Phil has trauma taking care of more than 2 eggs

HI CELLBIT

Fit and Ramon is a dangerous dad and son duo

Yummy~~~

WAT!!!! oh shit-

THAT IS OK CELLBIT

HI RICHA

really love the kid-ah of course burning village

another VIDCON TRIP in French

ohh a NEW video Game made by Cellbit pog

OMG RICHA HAPPY BIRTHDAY

oh no scarey barber

Dollified Richa

oh no the bike-Phil is taking revenge on Mike

Holly hell they fast ZOMING

wat?-OMG OH SHIT-that's the train? so cool

Hi mike hi Pac-OH GOD THEIR HAIR

YAEH PEER PRESURE-phil really cant say no to Tallulah huh??

TRAIN TIME-oh no out of fuel?-RAMON NO-TALLULAH NO

aww sweety

omg law suit evaded pog-omg the safety protocol is being ignored left and right

oh no Chat broken

HE'S IN

OH NO TALLULAH-subway surfer omg-the album omg-she is so her dad's child

Train conductor Chayanne LETS GO

RAMON PUT YUR ARMOUR ON-and stop griefing the Brazilian

"boys will be boys"

egg cats-sewer egg-hi Richa-OMG ITS RADIATION??

ohh it's done???

aww cute richa moment

hi cellbit-egg for the cake lets gooo

OMG BLOND BADBOYHALO

HE's BALD MARKIPLIER-PINK BRAID OMG-he feel Bonita

PHIL'S turn-Fuq HIM UP FAM-Dangerous

oh no Richa lock them in

love that Chayanne and Tallulah is the model good kid eggs like they are literally the cousin that every parent compares you to

Riddle time!-omg-Comedian Chayanne-HAH GOT EMM

A MONTH!?-until the election?-wet stone lol

HEY AYPIEREE-Ramon no

yeah TECHNICLY CORRECT-OMG FIT NO-the BELL HAND LETS GO

well maybe you will have feathers like that one dragon

lol everyone ready with a camera-omg good lord-fallen off Phil lets go

CELLBIT is YOUR TURN

dot mess the white he says-oh no that could be true

oh no RICHA LOOK THEM in

oh no yu okay?-noise canceling pog-aww Tallulah

oh Will is in Poland??-STOP BEING TALENTED AND GOOD

hello there-omg the Yaoi land is getting to them all

the voice is the problem or the catfish is

YEAH ARTIST RICHA APPRECIATION

no meta-gaming Phill

AWW SO CUTE

CELLBITS HAIR CUTS DONE-OMG LOL HE CALLED IT-THE CAT EARSSS OMG-EARING TOO

Worse than the torture he says lol

Furry Cellbit lets go

Richa Party lets go

turtle eggs?? oh it's from dapper,

omg he's is keeping it

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICHAA- yu did perfect Phil

2 MONT LETS GOO

Mike no not at the eggs bday party

HOLLY SHIT PAC AND MIKE ARE KILLING IT

THE GIFTTSSS-so many foods from Chayanne-HOLLY SHIT RAMON

omg the mix they do with the flutes is so cool

What was that a radio?-a pancake?

Hi BADBOYHALO-loblond besties-omg Cellbit lol

HI DAPPER-the twins are fighting that's okay I guess

PHOTO TIME

cool beach they really did good

omg wat?-is that guy riding a dead decaying bird?-hu

wait-wat oh fuqin shit they're back-the Kids oh no -oh thank god thanks Bad

omg those fukers are back

OH FUQ OFF

yeah you jinx it Phill

oh god they can't hurt him

OMG THE KIDS

oh no he's going

OMG it's GOING TO THE NEST-omg it's going there

oh no the thing is trying to go inside

on the roof -where is it-fucker son of ditch hole bitch

bastard ditch suker- are the Kids safe in their room???

FUCK ALL OF THESE MOBS ARE ANNOYING

the thing still didn't catch any damage-oh fuq off he's trying to hurt the kids using the ghost

OH WAIT-OH FUQ-its in the window-oh okay but fuq

Leo?? oh god they are targeting her-omg Leo's Room was broken-just get lost already

WAT? TAKING PICTURES?-THAT BASTARD BITCH-OMG IT REALLY TAKING PICTURES

oh good lord Tallulah Sweetie I'm so sorry you have to see this

ok, I think it's gone now-you okay Chayanne?- THANK YOU FOREVER

Tallulah Darling I'm so sorry-okay it's gone thank god-are we safe?

ok so Leo and Pomme are targets

aww Tallulah darling I'm glad ur safe-okay back to safety

fuq that was fuking horrible-yeah that is annoying- yu jinx it

a wat?-omg defup-lol-the VOICE-multiple gegg nice-ah yes put him in the cage-oh he is not there?-lol is a zoo now

Phil that is not a lullaby

WE LOVE YOU TO KIDS BYE

the hotel is fuqed-Forever we need you

oh god its getting stronger

okay get ur rest old man

[chouettedesmarais]

The BEST birthday gift

This takes place in World Without when Gryf and Solaris are still at the Arbos Elementa.

REGEENNN !!!

Regen jumps violently as she was pulled out of her book by a wild Solaris.

What's going on Sol!? I thought you were still fighting with Gryf to see who is the fastest apple eater!

Well, that was months ago, but that's not what we're talking about, Reg!

Solaris takes Regen's desk chair to sit more comfortably.

Regen waited patiently for her friend to speak, but as the silence began to lengthen and Solaris seemed to be deep in thought, Regen completely forgot, the pink-haired girl decided to break the silence.

So?

Ummm, it's about…

Sol.

Okay okay, it's about Gryf

Gryf?

That was a surprise. Since when does Sol care about Gryf? Unless it's to prepare a bad joke for him?

Mouii

What's going on with Gryf?

Well, in a week it's his birthday

So what ?

Well, we have to find him a present ! The elf with silver hair declares with big gestures.

But I can't find a present for her. At this last sentence she seemed completely disappointed.

Well, that's a bit normal, there's no store at Arbos Elementa, Sol.

Yes, but he was able to find the perfect gift that I wanted for my birthday!

Sol, it was a pair of rollerblades.

But still! He won't beat me for the best birthday present this year either!

Regen should have known better, it was just another competition. Although this one looked a little more adorable and a lot better than the last one - digging up as many earthen cups as possible, she didn't even know how they got there!

Okaaayy. So you have to find the gift that will please Gryf the most, right?

Yes.

Well, now you just have to find out what he really likes!

But how? I've known him for years and all I know is that he hates red, loves blue, meat -especially squid-, that he likes to climb trees, jump over them and sneak up on people to surprise them !

And as if to confirm his last statement, Gryf's upside down head appears in front of the open window of Regen's room.

The two girls let out surprised exclamations before Regen knocked him off his perch with his wind and they saw the boy fall back on his feet.

The redheaded boy only gives a mocking look before running away to avoid the wrath of the two demons

Sometimes I feel like I'm dealing with my cat. Murmurs Regen under his breath

But yes! Solaris exclaimed as a bright idea flashed through her mind.

What ?

Gryf is literally a cat dressed as an elf!

And?

We just have to find out what cats like!

And you know it?

Well, no, but you do!

Ok, ok, I'll help you.

Great!

She's jumping for joy because this year it was sure that she was going to win the best birthday present contest !

oOo

Uhh, what is it ? Asks Gryf confused while holding the funny package with inside some strange grass.

Catnip ! declares Solaris looking extremely happy with herself.

Finally Gryf won again the contest of the best birthday present.