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witcher-and-his-bard · 3 years ago

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In A Silvery Night

Pairing: Eskel x Jaskier Warning(s): underage, monsterfucking, loss of virginity (see ao3 for full list of tags) Rating: explicit

Fic Summary: Jaskier has heard rumours of a beast in the forest who fucks men that trespass into its territory. He decides he wants this monster to take his virginty.

[read it on ao3]

@greyduckgreygoose asked for ‘ Naga + DP (two penises??) + Lambskier or Jaskel?’ for monsterfuckertober and here we are 7k later. Ty Grey this was a delight!

be aware, this gets horny almost immediately

Jaskier knows he shouldn't be out in the woods so late at night, knows that one day all of this will be his, that until his eighteenth birthday, he's confined to the palace grounds without an armed escort. But he's curious. And Jaskier's tastes have never aligned with what is conventional, he learned this rather abruptly after speaking to Valdo about their vastly differing tastes in (potential) sexual partners. And there's a rumour, one Jaskier's heard since he was a small boy, about a creature out in these woods who takes men back to its cave and fucks them stupid.

An attempt to repopulate its species, some say. A depraved man in disguise, say others. But Jaskier doesn't care what they say, nor does he believe the fabled creature is simply a man. Because tonight is not the first night he's snuck out into the forest. For months now Jaskier has been trying to catch a glimpse of the creature, finding nothing but odd grooves in the dirt and deer carcasses outside a cave.

He's been too nervous previously to enter the cave, but tonight is the night he's decided to do it. His assortment of creatively shaped sex toys isn't enough for him any longer and he wants something more. His cock twitches in his trousers at the thought and he's already filling out. Tonight he's going to get fucked by the monster.

Even thinking about it makes him ache and he presses the heel of his hand to his cock, eyelids fluttering at the sensation. Since his fourteenth birthday two summers past, his cock has taken it upon itself to perk up at the slightest provocation, but Jaskier has found the thought of anything odd and monstrous really gets him going. A few months back, he'd found a book in the library about a maiden who spent her evenings with a pack of wolves, letting them take turns with her body. The first time he'd read it, Jaskier came in his trousers at his spot in the library. The book now sits under his mattress for nights when he wants a little extra encouragement.

And tonight it's his turn. There are no wolves - nor werewolves - anywhere in the kingdom, but his monster need not be a wolf, so long as they have a prick and are willing to put it in him.

Jaskier groans again as his own cock throbs at the thought, but he cuts himself off abruptly as a rustling sound nearby breaks the silence of the forest. Jaskier straightens up, one hand still pressed against his crotch as he looks around. At first, there appears to be nothing, but then the shape of a man appears in the dark and Jaskier's traitorous cock decides he'd be good enough for a quick romp. But Jaskier tamps down the thought as he approaches. He wants his monster.

But as he gets closer, he realizes the man is far taller than he ought to be, standing at least two heads higher than Jaskier - and Jaskier is the tallest of his siblings.

"What are you doing out here, princeling?" the man asks and the low rumble of his voice goes straight through Jaskier's cock. "Playing with yourself? Surely you have private rooms to do that in, hm?"

Jaskier glances down at himself and realizes he's still squeezing his cock through his trousers. He quickly lets go, but it only makes his cock jut out further, revealing his arousal and proving the man's point.

"No, I-" Jaskier clears his throat and steadies his voice, "I'm here for the monster," he says.

"Monster?" the man asks, lifting an eyebrow in a way that makes Jaskier want to drop to his knees. Jaskier nods and tries to peek around the man.

"There's a cave near here," he says, "that's where it lives."

The amusement on the man's face grows and he nearly grins at Jaskier.

"Does it now?"

"Yes and I think I'll be on my way now."

"And what do you intend to do with the monster, should you find him?" the man asks and he seems to shrink before Jaskier's eyes. "Do you intend to hunt him? To steal his scales or milk him for his venom?"

"I- er… no?" Jaskier flounders. "Scales?"

"Mm, yes. You see, the creature you seek is a naga," the man explains, "with the upper body of a man and the long, scaled tail of a snake."

"O-Oh, I didn't know."

"I didn't think so. The scent of you says you're out here for something more than hunting or exploring. It's been a long time since someone came out looking to get fucked by the monster, I had assumed she'd gone back and told everyone there was no wolf-man, no sex-crazed beast, but in fact a snake-man, vile and repulsive."

The man moves eerily smoothly as he comes out from behind the bush and Jaskier is so focused on his bare chest, on the thick thatch of hair there, and the bulk of his arms, that he doesn't realize that the man is not a man at all. Just below his waist, dark smooth skin gives way to red shimmering scales that stretch out far behind him.

"Oh you mean yo- I don't think you're vile and repulsive," Jaskier says firmly.

The naga frowns. Clearly, he was expecting a different reaction. But Jaskier just takes a tentative step forward, keeping an eye on the naga's face to ensure he's not pushing too far.

"Still want to fuck, little prince?" the naga asks bitterly.

"What's your name?" Jaskier asks, ignoring the dismissal.

"Eskel. And you must be Julian," he hums, "none of the others are old enough or stupid enough to come out into the forest looking for a monster. But here I am, you've found me, what do you want with me?"

"I-" Jaskier starts, abruptly realizing he hadn't expected the monster to be sentient.

He hadn't expected to ask to be fucked, hadn't expected to have a conversation with him first. If he's honest, Jaskier had been expecting a mindless beast that would mount him as soon as it smelled his arousal and fuck him quick and hard, not caring for a moment about Jaskier's own pleasure.

"Well, princeling?" Eskel asks again, slithering forward and bending low so they're eye-to-eye. "You came out here to get fucked, didn't you? Don't tell me you've changed your mind?"

His tone is sharp, bitter, and speaks of years of rejection, maybe even hatred. But Jaskier can only think about how those arms would feel around him, how beautifully the moonlight bounces off Eskel's scales, how he learned once from Valdo that snakes have two cocks.

Jaskier finds his mouth has gone dry and all he can do is shake his head and meet Eskel's eyes, hoping his sincerity shows through. Eskel hums at him and brings his tail up under him, coiling it so he can lean back on it and inspect Jaskier.

"You're serious," Eskel concludes, "though you're barely more than a child."

"I have experience," Jaskeir insists.

"Experience?" Eskel smirks, tauntingly, "with what? your own hand?"

"I have-" Jaskier starts defensively, then falters as Eskel leans close enough that Jaskier can feel his breath, "toys…"

"Mm, and do you fuck yourself on them? Finger that pretty little hole until you can shove something inside it?"

Jaskier whimpers, nodding without meaning to, and his cock dribbles in his trousers. His whole body shudders as Eskel leans in, pressing his nose into Jaskier's neck.

"Please," Jaskier breathes. He doesn't know what he's asking for, but he wants whatever Eskel is willing to give.

Eskel's lips brush against Jaskier's skin as he pulls away and he stretches out, crooking a finger and motioning for Jaskier to approach.

"If you're determined to get fucked tonight," Eskel rumbles, "I'm not going to stand in your way."

Jaskier hurries forward, tripping over his feet in his rush and when he's close enough, Eskel stops him with a palm to his chest, holding him firmly as he dips down. At first, Eskel's lips only barely brush his own and Jaskier moans needily, desperate for more, aching for it.

"Tell me, little one," Eskel hums as he slides his palm down Jaskier's chest to where he's hard in his trousers. "Have you been fucked by a man before?" Jaskier shakes his head silently. "A woman?" Another shake of his head and his breath quickens. "Anyone?"

"No," Jaskier confesses, "but I have had a cock before."

"Mm, wooden cocks are nothing like the real thing, pet. Don't worry, you'll see."

Jaskier chokes on a groan as Eskel's hand cups him through his trousers, squeezing hard and stroking him with the heel of his hand. It takes all of Jaskier's strength not to come right there and then. But he doesn't want Eskel to think he can't control himself. He's easy, sure, but he wants to prove himself a worthy bed partner.

"Come here," Eskel says, sitting back on his tail again.

Jaskier steps forward and when Eskel gestures for him to come closer, Jaskier climbs up into his lap, his hard cock pressing into Eskel's soft stomach. He presses his hands to Eskel's chest gently squeezing the swell of his pecs and groaning at the feeling. Eskel hums too, tipping his head to nose at Jaskier's temple.

"You're so eager," he whispers, "why don't you show me what you want?"

"I can… touch you?" Jaskier asks and Eskel nods.

"Whatever you like."

Jaskier just squeezes harder then, tipping his head up to see Eskel's face, brushes his thumbs over the naga's nipples. He knows it feels good for him and he's thrilled to find that Eskel enjoys it too. Eskel bucks under him and strong arms come to wrap around Jaskier's waist.

"Good?" Jaskier asks and Eskel draws him forward into a bruising kiss.

Jaskier has only ever kissed one person and it wasn't bad, but neither he nor Valdo had really had any experience. Kissing Eskel is a whole new experience, and his skin prickles all the way down to his toes. His cock throbs as Eskel deepens the kiss, slipping his forked tongue into Jaskier's mouth and Jaskier lets out a sharp whine, hips rutting forward against Eskel's stomach.

He shudders, fingers pinching hard at Eskel's nipples. Beneath him, Eskel is hot and wanting and Jaskier has never felt so powerful. He sucks tentatively on Eskel's tongue and while he allows it, Eskel tires of it quickly, taking back control easily as he pulls Jaskier's shirt up over his head. The cool air makes Jaskier's skin prickle and he can feel his nipples harden in the night air, groaning at the sensation.

Jaskier reaches up, running his thumb over his own nipple and moaning loudly. He balks a little at the sound of himself, but Eskel just fixes him with a heated look, leaning back and letting his hands drift slowly down to Jaskier's waist.

"Show me how you like it, little one, I want to see how you bring yourself off at home thinking about the big bad monster in the woods." Eskel hisses the words come out low and half-threatening. "Prove you can handle it and maybe I'll let you ride my cocks."

Jaskier whimpers. So the rumours are true, after all. His hole clenches around nothing and his cock throbs at the idea of being stretched full of two thick, hard cocks.

Jaskier pinches his nipple, keeping his eyes on Eskel. He wishes he had one of his toys with him because he could finger himself in Eskel's lap, but he's already worked up that he wants more than that. He wants those cocks and he'll do anything to get them. So long as it doesn't mean getting naked.

He's fantasized for years about someone stripping him out of his clothes, about gentle hands unbuttoning while they kiss or of desperate hands yanking and pulling. So Jaskier compromises.

He shoves a hand down the front of his trousers, noting the way Eskel's golden eyes track the motion. Jaskier wraps his fingers around himself, biting back a gasp as the touch is so much more sensitive than he expects it to be. He nearly comes right there, shifting awkwardly in Eskel's lap and he has to squeeze the base of his prick to keep from embarrassing himself.

Slowly, Jaskier starts moving, keeping his grip firm and controlled as he slides to the head of his cock. He fingers the head, slipping around the crown and sliding his thumb along the slit. As he pushes a little further, a bolt of arousal zips through him and Jaskier's eyes flutter shut.

"Is that what you like?" Eskel murmurs, "playing with yourself under the sheets when mommy and daddy have gone to sleep? Keeping quiet so no one finds the little princeling with his fingers in his ass?"

Jaskier chokes and splitters, gasping out a groan as he spills over his hand, coating the inside of his trousers. Horrifically, Jaskier can't stop once he's started and his orgasm seems to last an eternity as he jerks into his own fist.

"Oh," Eskel breathes, "you do like that, don't you?"

Jaskier just whines low in the back of his throat as Eskel leans down to kiss his neck. But as Eskel shifts, something nudges up against the back of Jaskier's balls. He shivers at the teasing touch, but Eskel pulls back to look at him.

"Now look what you've done," he hums, "got me unsheathed already."

Eskel rolls his hips up and Jaskier realizes abruptly that it's Eskel's cock he can feel jutting up into him. It makes him squirm and as Eskel leans in to brush his lips against his, Jaskier shudders.

"I think you should show me yours."

Jaskier hesitates. He wants to, wants to give Eskel everything he asks for, wants to be good for him. But he wants Eskel to undress him, to feel those thick fingers brush against his skin, to shiver with every touch. Eskel cocks an eyebrow at him and Jaskier opens his mouth to speak, but he doesn't even know what he wants to say.

"Something wrong?"

"Would you-" Jaskier asks suddenly, but he can't find the words.

"Oh, is that how it is? You want me to undress you? Want me to strip you bare?"

Jaskier nods weakly and Eskel's hands come to settle on his hips. Eskel rubs his thumbs against Jaskier's skin for a moment before pushing his trousers down. Jaskier shifts to help ease their removal and the trousers are quickly discarded with Jaskier's soiled smalls. Now that he's fully naked, Jaskier feels powerful, sexy in a way he never has before with this powerful creature wrapped around him and asking for more.

"Oh, you are a wonder, aren't you?" Eskel muses, "still covered in your own spend and already hard again for me."

Something thick and solid comes up under Jaskier's ass and it takes him a moment to realize it's Eskel's tail. Something about the thought of it sends a shiver down his spine. Then Eskel's winding the tip of his tail around Jaskier's waist and lifting him up, coiling underneath him for him to sit comfortably. Like this, Eskel's head is at crotch level and Jaskier's cock twitches at the proximity.

"Should clean you up, messy boy."

Eskel doesn't give him any more warning than that before flicking his tongue out and sliding it up the length of Jaskier's slick cock. Jaskier moans softly as his hands scramble for purchase, eventually settling on winding his arms around Eskel's bulk.

Each flick of Eskel's tongue makes him squirm, but then Eskel presses in closer, pushing his head between Jaskier's legs and mouths at the head of Jaskier's cock. He pays no mind to Jaskiers whimpers and frantic whines, taking him deeper until his lips seal around the crown. Jaskier is already barely holding it together, but then when Eskel sucks, he shoots off, sobbing as his hips rock into Eskel's mouth.

But Jaskier's orgasm doesn't deter Eskel from licking and sucking his way down the rest of his length. If anything, it seems to encourage him, and while he doesn't touch, Jaskier basks in the heat of Eskel's body all around him.

Big hands push Jaskier's thighs apart and pull his hips forward, giving Eskel better access to his cock and Jaskier settles in, ready for whatever Eskel has to offer. But then Eskel pulls off his cock altogether and Jaskier whines at the loss. He writhes against Eskel's grip, but doesn't succeed in anything but tiring himself out.

Eskel licks and sucks the come off his prick and his thighs before gently letting him down again. Jaskier's legs wobble beneath him, but Eskel catches him, pulling him up into his lap again, sitting lower this time so Jaskier has a view of Eskel's cock where it peeks out from his sheath.

"You've done such a good job already," Eskel muses, "why don't you get me hard."

"Oh," Jaskier breathes, "okay."

He reaches forward with a tentative hand, brushing his fingers up the tip of Eskel's prick. It's smaller at the tip than his own, coming to a dull point, and Jaskier slides his fingers over it, letting them spread as he slips lower. But only a little of Eskel's cock is exposed and Jaskier is determined to get him fully hard. He still wants to be fucked tonight, after all.

So he tentatively dips into the sheath, feeling around the girth of Eskel's cock. Partway down there's a ridge and his fingertips catch on it before slipping over and further inside him. He wonders what it would feel like inside him, how it would feel when it slips inside, popping in like a knot. Jaskier whines at the thought and Eskel leans back on his elbows, looking up at him.

His cock slips free as Jaskier watches, encouraged by the press of his fingers, and when it's nearly fully exposed, the second slips out underneath it. Eskel moans softly, his hips shifting as his cocks slip free of their sheath and Jaskier can't help but reach around to feel the second. They're practically identical in every way; same purplish-red in colour, same bumps up the length, same ring around the middle. Gods, Jaskier has never been so desperate to get something inside him before.

"Mmm, that's good," Eskel breathes, leaning up to watch Jaskier's fingers wrap around him. "A little tighter, pet."

Jaskier squeezes around him, stroking him slowly, but his fist catches on the ring and Eskel ruts up against him. The look on his face is stunning and Jaskier can feel himself twitching back to hardness as he watches him. His cock is tender, even the shift of Eskel's tail under him has him gasping, but the sight of him, the sight of his cocks already has Jaskier wanting to come again. He wants to rut against him, to jerk himself off on Eskel's plush chest, to sink down on those cocks and let Eskel fuck him dry.

His skin prickles with need and he doesn't realize he's licking his lips, staring down at Eskel's cocks until Eskel reaches down to wrap his own hand around himself, gently nudging Jaskier's aside.

"Why don't you use your mouth?" Eskel suggests and Jaskier is dipping down before he can even think why not to.

Jaskier immediately wraps his mouth around the first cock, running his tongue along the ridges as he slides down the length of it. Eskel shudders, but settles quickly, reaching up to brush one hand through Jaskier's hair. He doesn't press, doesn't guide him, but Jaskier likes the pressure of his palm, the warmth of it.

So Jaskier takes him further, surprised both by the ease with which Eskel's cock slips between his lips, and how achingly good it feels to have his cock in his mouth. He likes the way the ridges bump against his lips, making them tingly as they force his mouth open, likes the heady feeling of having Eskel's permission, likes the taste of him. Eskel's cock is slick, wetting Jaskier's lips as he slides between them and Jaskier slides his tongue to the base of him, dipping into Eskel's sheath to taste him properly.

Eskel shivers under him and the fingers in Jaskier's hair squeeze a little tighter. Jaskier moans around him and that only makes Eskel squirm harder, gasping softly as his hips press up into the touch. Until now, he's been happy to let Jaskier suck him off without pushing, to follow Jaskier's pace, but his patience seems to grow thin as Jaskier wraps a hand around his second cock, stroking it in time with the first.

When Eskel's hips roll again, working in a slow, steady rhythm, Jaskier pulls up, sucking hard at the head of his cock before pulling off all together.

"Has anyone ever sucked both your cocks at once?" he asks and Eskel just lifts an eyebrow at him.

Jaskier knows what he must look like right now with his flushed cheeks and dripping prick and he knows to Eskel, he's barely a child, but he wants to be able to give him something no one has before, aches to be able to make himself memorable. Eskel just huffs above him and wraps his hand around his free cock, stroking slowly.

"Worry about one, little prince, don't want you to hurt yourself."

But Jaskier is running on adrenaline and the unending desire running through his veins. Even after coming multiple times, his cock still throbs every time he looks at Eskel's cock and he's slowly leaking over his tail, already close to coming again just from sucking him off. So Jaskier doesn't listen, slipping his fingers into Eskel's sheath and running them around the base of both cocks, slipping between them and slicking them up before wrapping his hand around them both.

His hand isn't quite large enough, so he shifts to circle both hands around them, propped up by Eskel's tail as he leans down to slide his mouth over them.

The tips of both cocks fit easily between his lips but about halfway, his lips are stretched around them. It doesn't hurt; if anything, Jaskier enjoys the stretch, enjoys the knowledge that he's being stretched open by two cocks, and even the saliva dripping from his bottom lip can't quell his burning arousal.

As he takes them deeper, he rolls his hips forward, rutting against the smooth surface of Eskel's scales. The friction is just this side of too much and Jaskier isn't sure he'll be able to come again after this, but he's too eager now, past the point of stopping himself when Eskel pulls him back, elevates him just far enough that Jaskier's cock can't rut against him. Jaskier whimpers pathetically around Eskel's cocks, but it only makes Eskel squeeze tighter around his middle.

"Fuck," Eskel mumbles, "look at you, so desperate for it, so worked up you could come just from sucking my pricks. You like it that much, boy? Like those cocks deep in your throat?"

Jaskier barely manages a nod and a muffed yes before Eskel's hips shift, pushing himself deeper into Jaskier's mouth. The heads tease the back of his throat now and Jaskier's lips burn a little from the unusual sensation of being stretched so wide, but he wants more, wants Eskel to fuck his throat, to use him.

A wave of arousal passes over him at the thought and he goes limp in Eskel's hold, hoping he'll understand and take what he wants from him. And he does, to an extent. Eskel is still gentle with him, but this time when his hips roll forward, he doesn't stop when Jaskier moans, just pulls back a little before sinking in again. And Jaskier's cock aches where it dangles helplessly beneath him, oversensitive and still desperate for any contact. He wants to reach down and bring himself off, to come all over Eskel's tail. But to do that, he'd have to let go of his cocks and he wants to make Eskel come in his mouth. Absently, he wonders if he comes from both cocks or just one, if it's a normal amount or twice as much come, which leads to the mental image of himself fucked out and covered in naga come. It sends a pulse of arousal straight to his cock and Jaskier's hips twitch forward on their own, succeeding in nothing but frustrating him.

"Had enough yet?" Eskel asks and Jaskier shakes his head firmly.

He doubles down as if to prove it, running his tongue along Eskel's cock as well as he can and slipping it between the two of them. He hums around them breathing hard as Eskel bumps the back of his throat again. Jaskier's so turned on he can't think of anything but burying Eskel's cocks in his throat and he shuts his eyes, pushing through the discomfort as he tries to do so. But Eskel catches his chin and tugs his head up, pulling him off his cocks completely.

Jaskier whines, but the sound is abruptly muffled by Eskel's lips against his own, unbearably soft after the pressure of having his mouth held open for so long.

"You're really somethin'" Eskel mumbles between kisses, "so eager to please, so sweet for me."

Eskel nips at Jaskier's bottom lip and for the first time, Jaskier notices his fangs, longer than the rest of his teeth and sharp and he wants to slide his cock between them, all sense of danger and caution long gone. When Eskel draws back, Jaskier stares at them, taking in the slight curve and the smoothness of them, working out the best way to slide his cock between them without hurting himself.

"What are you thinking, princeling?" Eskel asks, abruptly pulling him from his thoughts, "what's got that look on your face."

"What look?" Jaskier asks innocently.

"Like you're up to something," Eskel mumbles, leaning in to kiss Jaskier's throat. "Don't tell me you want me to bite you. You have to know that's impossible. My venom would kill a human as scrawny as you."

"'M not scrawny," Jaskeir frowns, "and that's not it."

"Then what? What would my little prince like, hm?" Eskel adjusts his tail around him, stretching so the tip comes up just under Jaskier's jaw and tips it up. "You can tell me."

"Wanna feel your teeth," he mumbles.

"I can't bite-"

"On my cock."

"Oh." Eskel stares at him for a moment as if trying to decipher Jaskier's true meaning. But when he looks back up at him, Eskel's face is painted with amusement. "You want to fuck my mouth? Little one, you won't last two seconds with a hot mouth around that prick. Look at you, you're basically spilling already.

Jaskier glances down at himself and he's a mess. There's a steady stream of pre-come dripping down to Eskel's tail, pooling there and dripping down to the ground.

"Come first and I'll suck your cock." Jaskier whimpers and rocks his hips pointless but Eskel huffs a laugh as he leans in next to his ear. "I'm not going to touch you," he says simply, "but if you want I'll talk to you."

"Please," Jaskier whines, "wanna come."

"Mm, I bet you do," Eskel whispers, "look at that little prick, so swollen it's ready to burst, dripping all over mine. Humans are always so soft and easy, but you're so beautiful when you're young, so eager and desperate and bursting with sexual energy. You'd come from nothing if I told you to, wouldn't you? So needy and desperate for it? Little slut."

Slut. The word sends a ripple of arousal through Jaskier's body and he cries out as his cock throbs with need.

"Yes," he whispers, "your little slut. Suck me please, I need to come-"

"Come first, then I'll suck you."

Jaskier chokes on a whine, but Eskel just huffs a soft laugh and moves to kiss his lips softly.

"You're already doing so well though, so good and wet for me. Look at the mess you're making, little one, spilling all over me, marking me up with your come. I'd let you fuck me if you wanted, but there's no point is there? You shoot off too quickly, wouldn't even get inside, would you? Too eager," Eskel chides, though his lips are soft and gentle when they catch Jaskier's in a deep lingering kiss. "Look," he says, and Eskel's tail slips away so Jaskier can tip his head down.

Eskel's fingers slip down below his cocks, teasing a seam in his scales that Jaskier hadn't noticed before. He pushes in slowly, parting the scales and Jaskier whimpers.

"Oh, you like that don't you?" Eskel asks, stretching himself wider so Jaskier can see. "You'd like to put your cock in me, wouldn't you? Like to sink into that hot hole and take your pleasure. Mmm," Eskel grins, pulling his fingers away so his slit falls shut, "we both know you'd ruin it. You wouldn't even get that pretty little cock inside before you'd come all over yourself in your eagerness."

Jaskier chokes and he doesn't hear the rest of Eskel's words as his cock throbs and he comes with a cry, spilling all over Eskel's tail just as he's described. His mind goes foggy and his body limp and Jaskier is only vaguely aware of Eskel guiding him onto his back. His tail pulls away and Jaskier misses the warm pressure of his body around him. As Jaskier settles, he brings his fingers up to his stomach, tracing the indent of Eskel's scales in his skin. He likes them, likes the thought that they were left by something so blatantly inhuman.

"Can you-" he starts, but Eskel's mouth seals around the head of his soft prick and Jaskier's sobs, fingers clenching in the soft grass beneath him.

Eskel is relentless, sucking him hard despite Jaskier's clear oversensitivity and all Jaskier can do is lie there and take it, shuddering with every pass of Eskel's tongue. Eskel sucks him down into his throat and Jaskier's on the edge of a knife, teetering between pleasure and pain as his cock fills again, growing hard between Eskel's lips.

He doesn't think he'll be able to come again like this. He's pushed himself further before, made himself come five times in a night once when he was feeling particularly horny, but never in a row like this, never without a rest between. But the sheer delight he feels when he opens his eyes and finds Eskel watching him, lips round where they encircle Jaskier's cock tips him over into pleasure.

Tentatively, Jaskier rolls his hips, testing Eskel's willingness and pushing his cock deeper into his throat. It's not quite the image Eskel painted for him, but it's good, too good, and Jaskier is already losing control again startlingly quickly. He wants Eskel's teeth around him, wants to grind up against them, but he can't stop himself, too caught up in the rush of arousal. But Eskel presses a hand to his abdomen, holding him down easily as he slips further up the length of Jaskier's cock.

As he nears the head, Eskel really leans into it, letting his teeth graze against Jaskier's skin and when he changes the angle slightly, Jaskier's prick slides perfectly between his fangs. Jaskier wails at the first slide, unable to stop from rocking forward into it again and Eskel remains still, letting him fuck himself stupid between his teeth. And Jaskier does, crying out after only a handful of thrusts.

Eskel swallows him down as he comes, taking his cock into the back of his throat and Jaskier writhes beneath him, grabbing at Eskel's hair and sobbing as he rides through the rush.

When Jaskier's settled again, his face is wet with tears and his whole body feels loose and weightless as Eskel pulls off and presses his thighs apart. Jaskier's still floating, only half-conscious in the face of oversensitivity, and he lets Eskel maneuver him however he wants.

Gentle hands press between his thighs dragging through Jaskier's spend and sliding down behind his balls. The first touch is sensitive, but Eskel doesn't wait before rubbing firmly against Jaskier's hole, using his own come as slick to ease the way as he presses into him. He gets two fingers in easily, rocking them in and out until Jaskier's hole flutters around them, desperate for more.

"Please," is all he can say, fingers clenching and unclenching in the grass at his hips, "Eskel, please."

There's a faint hum from his feet and then Eskel's hands are under his thighs and lifting him up until Jaskier's resting on his shoulders. The position might be uncomfortable, but Eskel is supporting his entire weight, holding Jaskier like a doll in his arms. The first pass of Eskel's tongue on his hole makes Jaskier cry out. His muscles are too sore to do anything but take it, but he wants to roll his hips down, take Eskel's tongue inside him and fuck himself on it. Eskel gives him exactly that, pressing in close and pushing his tongue inside.

He slides deep into him, licking in and out of his hole until Jaskier is slick with it, dripping a combination of come and saliva onto Eskel's hands where they hold him, and just when he thinks he'll die on Eskel's tongue, too overwhelmed by pleasure, Eskel pulls away.

"Ngh-" Jaskier whines, but Eskel hums softly, tilting his head to kiss Jaskier's inner thigh.

"Patience, my prince," he whispers, "how much do you think you can take? Think you can take both my cocks at once?"

Jaskier nods desperately and immediately, something firm is prodding at his hole again. It pushes in as deep as Jaskier's body will allow, then pulls back, fucking in and out in short thrusts to ease him into the stretch. And it does stretch, splitting Jaskier wider than any of his toys ever had, though it's a single object pushing into him, not Eskel's cocks.

Jaskier groans as it pushes deeper, brushing up against that spot inside him and Jaskier realizes with a start that it’s Eskel’s tail. His breath catches in his chest and Jaskier looks down at Eskel, eyes drifting lower to his cocks still hard and wet beneath him, but not inside him.

“Oh,” he groans, “are you- fuck." Jaskier groans as Eskel’s tail thrusts in and out gently, stretching him and filling him fuller than he’s ever been in his life.

“Still good?” Eskel asks and Jaskier nods soundlessly.

His cock throbs and he knows he could come like this, with Eskel’s tail thrusting into him and stretching him open. Jaskier’s eyes drop shut just as Eskel’s hands come up to his chest, holding him with huge hands that fit easily around his sides and brushing his thumbs over Jaskeir’s nipples.

“Gonna come for me again?” Eskel asks.

Jaskier just nods weakly, his cock aches, sore and still needy and he wants to come, wants to show Eskel how good he can be for him, but he’s not sure he can. He’s sore and chafing but he wants so badly to come on Eskel’s cocks - or at least on his tail, which is not something he ever even considered before tonight.

"Hurts,” he whines and Eskel pauses for a moment.

“Too deep?”

“No, ‘s good. My cock- oh!”

Eskel’s hand wraps around Jaskloer’s cock, squeezing gently and slowly pulling up to the head. He hums in amusement as Jaskier sobs and lurches forward, but he doesn’t let go.

“Come on princeling, you can do it. I know you can. Come for me, pet and I’ll give you what you really want. Tell me,” he taunts, twisting his wrist under the head of Jaskier’s cock. “What do you want, little one?”

“Your cocks,” Jaskier pleads, “Eskel, please-”

“Come for me,” Eskel says, pressing his thumb under the head of Jaskier’s cock and rubbing firmly.

Jaskier whimpers and his hips jerk into the touch, pushing him further onto Eskel’s tail. It nudges against that spot, rubbing into him and forcing him into an overwhelming orgasm that leaves him twitching and limp in Eskel’s hold.

“There you go,” Eskel whispers, slipping up to palm the head of Jaskier’s cock.

Jaskier cries out, trying to shift away from the touch as Eskel plays with him. It’s like electricity shooting through his entire body, so overwhelming that Jaskeir can’t do anything but sob and take it, reluctant to pull away but also aching for relief.

And just when he thinks it’s too much, that he can’t handle any more, pain gives way to pleasure and he can feel himself begin to swell again under Eskel’s ministrations. He sobs as his cock fills in Eskel's hand and Eskel tips forward to kiss him, nibbling at his lower lip and breathing heavily into his mouth.

“You’ve been so good, little prince. I think it’s time I reward you, hm?”

Jaskier can’t do anything but groan. He still wants Eskel to fuck him but he's not sure he'll survive it at this point. Eskel's lips pull from his mouth, trailing down his jaw to press hot kisses down his throat and over his collar bone. He's soft and gentle with each movement, but Jaskier can feel the heat beneath the surface, and he sees Eskel's cocks, he knows how badly he wants it. So Jaskier opens to him, tipping his head back and giving Eskel better access to the most sensitive parts of his neck.

His own cock sits heavily between his legs, dark red and still wet with come and each pass of Eskel's mouth sends a bolt of arousal straight through him. Then Eskel's mouth closes around one of his nipples, tongue flicking insistently at him and Jaskier whimpers, shaking as his body tenses with sensitivity. He feels like he's being torn in two, so desperate to continue this pleasure, but aching for it to stop. His cock has caught up with things again and it's half-hard between his thighs, though the faintest touch makes him whine.

It's too much but so good he can't stop and Jaskier's afraid he's been ruined for anything else. He'll never be able to bring himself to this level of overstimulated bliss and then push further. Left to his own devices, he's weak and will wait half an hour between orgasms until his prick has settled. But Eskel doesn't care to wait, doesn't care if Jaskier's aching and he brings him off again just playing with Jaskier's nipples, not even touching his throbbing cock that hasn't even fully hardened again.

There's a low rumble of approval and it takes Jaskier's lust-addled mind a moment to realize it's Eskel, cupping his balls and gently rolling them in his palm as his fingers slip back, prodding at Jaskier's hole where it’s still stuffed full of Eskel's tail.

"You look so pretty like this," Eskel muses, "dishevelled and perfect and all mine. Imagine how your father would react to seeing you like this? Or your mother. Oh, little prince, they'd be horrified."

The simple mention of his parents seeing him like this should be enough to quell the arousal vibrating through him, but it makes him feel incredible. He's always been the perfect son outwardly, attending awful meetings and learning the ways of palace life so that when his father passes, he can take it over. Imagine his advisors seeing him now, stuffed full and sobbing in the hands of a man they would call a monster.

"Let them," Jaskier mumbles and it comes out far less forceful than he means it to, but it seems to spur Eskel forward.

Eskel pulls him into his arms, his body sliding away back to the ground and slipping from Jaskier's hole. It feels horribly empty without him and Jaskier whimpers pathetically into Eskel's shoulder. But Eskel doesn't wait before laying him out on the ground, running one hand down Jaskier's stomach and toying with his cock again as Eskel adjusts himself over him.

But he doesn't fuck him immediately. Instead, Eskel brings his hips up to rut against Jaskier's sensitive cock, kissing his neck and nipping at his skin as he continues slipping against him. Jaskier can't do anything but sob, hips twitching with the need to get away from the pain and the desire to press closer. Eventually, Eskel makes that decision for him, pressing him firmly to the ground with his own body and grinding painfully slowly against Jaskier's cock.

Just when Jaskier thinks Eskel is never going to fuck him, Eskel slips down the length of his body, mouthing at his hip and his cockhead before sliding a finger into him. Jaskier wails as Eskel seeks out that most sensitive spot inside him, pressing against it and rubbing roughly.

Then, abruptly, Eskel shifts so his cockhead presses against Jaskier's rim, pushing in beside his finger and he's inside him. And Jaskier sobs. He writhes and squirms to push Eskel deeper, have him fully buried in his ass, but Eskel just rocks slowly, letting Jaskier adjust.

"'S easier with the maidens," Eskel mumbles, "one hole for each prick. You think you can handle them both in one?"

"Yes," Jaskier whines, "I can, I need it, please-" he's barely coherent now, begging and whimpering as Eskel pushes the first cock into him, burying himself in the tight heat of Jaskier's ass.

Eskel pulls back a little, fucking shallowly into him, then he draws all the way back, so the head of his cock is barely stretching Jaskier's rim, and reaches down to align his second cock. Jaskier grits his teeth at the stretch - more than any of his toys, more than Eskel's fingers or his tongue or his tail. It burns at first, but Eskel pushes in until they're flush against each other and he settles.

But Jaskier can feel the way Eske's twin pricks twitch within him, how badly Eskel wants to move, and when he looks down, he can see the outline of them against his stomach, bulging where he's stuffed full.

"Move," he whines and Eskel does immediately.

He's too quick at first, but Jaskier can hardly hold it against him after how long he's waited. Around them, the sky is lightening even as Eskel pins him to the forest floor and rams into him. Jaskier is oblivious to the passing time, unaware of how long he's been out here, or of anything but Eskel's body around him, within him.

Growling, Eskel takes Jaskier's hands, twining their fingers together and pinning them above Jaskier's head. He kisses him hard, slipping his tongue between Jaskier's lips and deepening the kiss as Jaskier moans for more. And Jaskier feels like he could split apart, like he could spontaneously combust at any moment.

His cock is hard again, his limbs loose and pliant and unable to even wrap around Eskel's body properly when he tries. He sobs into the kiss, fingers grasping desperately for purchase in Eskel's hair as his cock is pinned between them, trapped in the constant push-pull of their bodies.

When Eskel finds that spot inside him again, angling his hips to hit it with every thrust, Jaskier is thrown into another near-painful orgasm, choking on his sobs as Eskel kisses his neck and shifts to gently stroke him through it. But even the soft touch is too much and Jaskier shudders.

"Oh little prince," Eskel coos, "you spoil me. Look at you, absolutely wrecked for me, full of me-" he rises up, sliding his tail under Jaskier's hips to lift them. "Look," Eskel says, "see how full you are? Watch me, watch my cocks as they fuck into you."

Jaskier couldn't keep his eyes off of them if he tried. In this position, he can see every little shift as Eskel fucks him and he reaches down, brushing his fingers almost dreamily over the bulge in his stomach.

"You like that, princeling? Like being so full you can see it?"

Eskel is close. Jaskier's head is foggy and he feels floaty, but he can tell Eskel's close in the way his hips jerk unevenly, the way he talks. So Jaskier clenches around him as best he can and presses against the bulge in his stomach, doing his best to bring Eskel off.

And Eskel shudders above him, hips snapping hard and then settling deep and he groans a low rumbling sound that vibrates through his whole body as he buries his face in Jaskier's neck. Eskel shudders as he comes and Jaskier wraps his arms around his neck, guiding Eskel down to his chest and running his fingers through his hair.

Eskel comes for what feels like hours pumping Jaskier full until his cocks are not the only thing making his belly swell. When Eskel finally pulls out, Jaskier can feel the gush of it and it makes him a little squirmy, but Eskel bundles him up into his arms and brings him somewhere soft and dry to lie down.

Jaskier is only half-awake, exhausted and sensitive and cold now that the rush has passed, but Eskel curls his tail in such a way that Jaskier can lay on him, curled up into his chest. He listens to the sound of Eskel's breathing, the slow beating of his heart and it easily lulls him off to sleep. Just before he slips into unconsciousness, Jeaskier hears Eskel whispering to him, ruffling his hair with his breath as he presses a kiss there.

"Sleep well, little prince, I'll watch over you."

#eskel x jaskier #prince!jaskier #monsterfucking #rex writes #monsterfuckertober #the witcher

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lucifer-is-a-bag-of-dicks · 4 years ago

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Thank you for asking people to back off on the op of that vivisection post, but I think it needs to be more visible than in the tags. I get that the phandom is a friendly bunch, but it seems no one has actually read deeper than the notes on the post (as most people on tumblr are wont to do) and seen that the op on their blog has stated they don't like the constant "this is what DP is about!" and "sorry for ruining your innocence/you had to find out about the phandom/angst/gore this way" responses when they are (1) a fan of ACTUAL non-DP-related gore and therefore not "innocent" (and that they're a bit freaked out by the constant implication that they are/the phandom acts as if they invented gorey fics) and (2) did not ask for anyone to tell them why they should watch it (and has in fact said they are NOT interested in DP). Like, I get that the phandom is super enthusiastic and wants to share their love of the show/fandom with others, but at this point it's like unsolicited advice from a stranger--unwanted, unasked for, probably irrelevant to their own interests, and annoying. All the unsolicited badgering only seems to make them more adverse to getting into DP, it's not like a best friend saying they're ok with listening to you ramble about your hyperfixation. I feel bad for OP. The phandom IS one of the friendliest and well-behaved people though, and you're really well-articulated (unlike me, look at me I'm rambling), so can you maybe help come up with a way to curb this kind of thing in the future? Maybe encourage people to pick up the behavior of not only checking the notes but checking the blog to see if the OP already got answers or even wants them? Making sure others know to do that too?

you know what, I'm glad you sent me this because that post really bothered me too

I actually added those tags as a direct response to the op telling people to stop

yeah like this stuff really doesn't happen to us very often so it is really funny and exciting to see 'outsiders' react to our weird shit, but it got very excessive very quickly, and a big part of that is something that bothers me about MOST of the internet tbh and that is

people don't check the comments before commenting

what that means, is that you get fifty people commenting the exact same thing, and that is not fun, in fact that can be very frustrating, especially for someone who isn't actually interested in the topic to begin with, op's activity would be drowning in this content they don't actually want to see

the first couple of responses to that post were VERY funny, and even op was playing along! but seeing them be dogpiled like that was really upsetting and I hate to admit, kind of embarrassing to watch

our fun shouldn't come at the expense of other people, I love this phandom to death (ha) but we do tend to get overexcited about things and that can lead to people being unintentionally inconsiderate, this is one of those times

also? some of those comments were just kind of... hm, 'not like other fandoms'-ish? which personally does not sit very well with me, it's a somewhat toxic mindset, yes our phandom is remarkably discourse light, it's a very friendly and cohesive place to be and I LOVE it here like no other fandom, but we shouldn't be acting like we're... special, we're no more special and important than any other fandom

just, no shame to anyone to be clear, this so rarely happens to us and was clearly a matter of people getting VERY overexcited and just lapsing in judgement, but I would ask people to be considerate of this in future, this would have left a really bad impression of us and that's something none of us want

#asks #this is not to SHAME anyone or to throw HATE on anyone #my intentions here are purely to educate and remind people #danny phantom

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timextoxhajima · 4 years ago

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death to 2020

cause fuck 2020 lmao

disclaimer: im usually a really brutally honest person with alot of vulgarities because that’s how strongly i feel about stuff im willing to talk about, so... brace yourself for alot of vulgarities and occasionally a word you wouldn’t understand cause it’s a singaporean vulgarity

now where the FUCK do i start?

i started 2020 really happy, though i was still reeling from the shit relationship i was in for most of 2019. he was a cunt and we broke up in september 2019. i got attached again in feb 2020 to a guy i was seeing from late 2019.

ANYWAY

my tumblr journey began in july (i don’t fkin remember what date it was anymore because it doesn’t matter) and long story short, tumblr has become my escape from reality. as most of you know i’ve been writing since 2014, just never touched this platform until 2016 because i was busy reading smuts WUPS but decided i wanted a more interactive platform with my readers so i ended up here.

ANYWAY X2

below is the list of people i wna thank for making my tumblr journey so much more worthwhile, though we might not be close. i also don’t take note of my moots so im so fucking sorry if i missed you out, seriously just drop me an angry ask and ill bow down at your feet.

ANYWAY X3 LET’S BEGIN

to qiu: @stealerz

for being the little sister but like, my sunbae? LMAO uk how when a younger idol debuts but they meet an older idol that debuts later lmao yeah that’s us. i always find it honorable that you come to me for advice, and while i am known among my friends for giving great advice, i never fucking agreed because more often than not, i don’t follow my OWN advice. so qiu acts like a reminder that hey, maybe i shd stfu and listen to myself. but i really wna thank qiu for keeping me in the circle because im not one to initiate conversations (EVER) and she’s always the one talking to me about sch stuff which actually grounds me? makes me believe that school and my virtual reality can still coincide. thank you for being such an amazing friend, for being a person i actually feel close to because...? proximity? HAHAH but anyways, happy death to 2020, love.

to yu: @lsangyeons

for trusting me so much with whatever you tell me about your life. i’m someone who doesn’t offer trust easily, and even if it does seem like i do, there are alot more things i tend to keep from people about my private life, so i know exactly how it feels to talk to someone you only know online about the things that bug us. your drawings are so fucking amazing and adorable, it’s just endearing to see that hardwork come out in something else besides writing (because that’s all ive been fkin doing lolz). i hope 2021 treats you alot better, because you deserve it. HAPPY DEATH TO 2020.

to bella: @fullsunsays

for also trusting me with your emotional breakdowns (i hope you are alright with me saying this here because you talk about it on your acc every now and then but if you’re uncomfortable just give me a sound out and i’ll get rid of it). i just get so fking flattered because it just feels like you feel safe around me? and that? you treat me like a safe space? ion know it’s just all pretty new to me, about being in this online community. thank you for screaming with me/at me about different things, thank you for being so endearing with my shit, and i hope nothing but a better year for you. happy death to 2020, my love.

to violet: @yunhoiseyecandy

for putting up with my nonsense every now and then and being so accepting to my feral side. i dont know if its because i know you’re an ateez stan and yknow ateez stans are usually more feral than tbz stans (idk i rlly dont) and like, i just find myself screaming to you every now and then and you’d do the same and it gives me ‘a pair of dumb feral bimbo’ vibes so, i dont know what i’d do without you, honestly. sometimes you’re the reminder that i have ateez stuff in my drafts or sitting in my laptop waiting to be published and youre a reminder that half my masterlist is also ateez content LOL. we don’t rlly talk about our private lives much but i definitely appreciate you way more than you think. happy death to 2020, vio.

to gina: @sunlightwoo

for closing the gap so quickly! i earnestly dont remember how we got to be moots and all i remember is you screaming to me about smth and i screamed back and we just clicked from there, ion know LMAO. i love it that you’re so endearing and so patient with my shit and the stuff you write! omg. not many things make my heart flutter and BEST BELIEVE i DIED when i read your eric fic for the 12 days of christmas collab. we don’t rlly know much about our private lives and that’s alright, but i just want you to know that you deserve everything. happy death to 2020, gina!

to daisy: @sangyeon-lee

for confusing the fuck outta me when you switched from a fluffy yunho (??) mydaintydaisy to sangyeon as ur dp and sangyeon lee as ur user i was like ???? who the fuc-- OH. BUT YOU ARE SO FUCKING SWEET like i swear on GOD you are that one friend in the grp of girls that bakes cookies and give hugs and offer sweets and... give more hugs i really can’t uwu. (but now that your dp has changed i might have second thoughts hm). anyhow, we haven’t really interacted much besides in the 12 days of christmas collab gc but i just want you to know that i appreciate you in my notifs SO MUCH and i just hope we have a chance to get closer. happy death to 2020, daisy.

to han @fleurseoul, april @tbzlvr and ri @sunwoowuvbot

for being such amazing readers, for constantly giving me encouragement, for always being my first notes or reblogs and i NEVER miss out on reading your tags like EVER because they are what keeps me going and keeps me motivated to keep writing. like, i really have no words to describe the gratitude i have.

ANYWAY X4

below are the moots in my awareness (because im a fucking idiot ngl) that i appreciate and hope we can get to know each other better uwu

@elcie-chxn @experimentalwrites @ddadadada @chaoticdeobi @atbzkingdom @micaronn (i feel like i have a fuckload more but my goldfish brain cannot handle it lmao)

please send me an angry ask if i’ve missed you out >:(

ANYWAY x5

here’s to a better 2021, here’s to a year that’s not so much of a shitshow. here’s to the death of 2020. PEACE OUT.

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minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong · 5 years ago

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Smoke and Mirrors Chapter One

Smoke and Mirrors: a magician’s trick, the art of making an entity appear to be floating through the use of smoke and mirrors. In figurative speech, something which, once examined, is proven to be an illusion. Like the moon reflected on water, or a flower reflected in a mirror. Unable to be touched.

Description: Listless idol Jeon Jungkook has lost his creative spark. Something just feels...missing. And between jet-setting across the world and constantly evading public scandals, Jungkook’s life up until now has felt like a movie. One thing Jungkook can count on, however, is video games. Y/N has been gaming forever. And when a new VR game called Arcana is released, both Y/N and Jungkook are all over it. But what will become of Jungkook’s online persona when life forces the two to work together? And will Jungkook manage to keep his identity a secret from one of his closest Internet friends?

Genre: Romance, Drama, Fluff, Angst

Pairing: Jungkook x (gender unspecified) Reader

Word Count: 12.1k

Tags: Solo Idol!Jungkook, Gamer!Jungkook, Makeup Artist!Reader, Manager!Seokjin, Florist!Hoseok

Warnings: Swearing and mentions of alcohol, although infrequently

A/N: Haha....ha....ha....um, well this is awkward isn’t it? I haven’t been active on here in a long, long time! But God does it feel nice to return. In the time I’ve been away, I’ve been working on a lot of things at once. Too many chefs in the kitchen, except the chefs are projects/responsibilities and the kitchen is me and is also on fire. I think right now more than ever, I’ve leaned into writing to help me feel a bit better about the world. So if this story can make you happy that’s honestly all I can ask for. I don’t think I’ll be keeping a posting schedule, as that feels like too much for me right now, but maybe in the future I’ll come up with a schedule that doesn’t feel overwhelming! Regardless, I’ve missed you guys and I’ve really missed posting my writing here. I hope you all still remember me! And I hope you enjoy this story. Really. As always, please feel free to send me any thoughts or concerns! Questions, critique, comments: send them all my way! I can’t wait to get chatting with you all again.

And I’m on Twitter! I’ll put the link here if you want to follow. I’m very active over there!

- Mercury

Previous Chapter – Next Chapter

Masterlist

“On God, if you don’t start healing me-!”

“I’m working on it! Christ.”

“Well work harder, damn. Tiki’s about to go down,” you say, gritting your teeth as you whip around toward the dragon staring your party down.

It circles you, never once looking away, several stories tall with glowing yellow eyes that seem to leave trails behind in the darkness of the cavern. You feel at once impossibly small and impossibly fragile in front of such a behemoth, all purple scales and saliva stringing across pointed fangs.

“Just focus on offense for now,” says Sapphire, grunting as he lunges sword-first toward the dragon.

Your brows shoot sky high as Sapphire, a DPS like you, runs straight for the enemy. His silver knight’s armor clanks in his wake. “Wait!” you call, but it’s too late. Your teammate has his sword plunging in and slicing out and slashing wild before you can even prep your next spell. “Jesus, Saph!”

You hear his laughter like bells echo through the cavern, seeming to bounce against the domed ceiling and drip like water from the clinging stalactites. “Tiki! Distract!” you call as the dragon whips wildly: first toward Sapphire and then toward you. “Shit,” you whisper, examining your mana with a hiss. “I need a second to recover!”

Tiki, a massive green orc and also your team’s tank, rushes in with his battle axe. Upon the first hit, the dragon writhes in pain and turns toward Tiki, ire in its yellow eyes. Tiki says nothing, just lets out a string of labored breaths as he swings his heavy weapon. Sapphire is quick to attack at the dragon’s heels. The dragon opens its mouth to spew flames across the charred cavern, aiming right for Tiki, but before it can Zero finally heals him with a flash of white light and a bolt straight to his broad green chest. You jump, turn to the side to see Zero is standing beside you about twenty feet from the dragon.

“Get spelling, Nova!” he shouts, long blonde hair flying in the breeze his spell created.

His voice, deep and gruff, doesn’t suit his pretty, dark-skinned elven body: particularly the well-rendered female…curvature. Every time he talks, it takes you off guard. You shake it off and nod once.

“Loli! Get punching!” you call to your resident monk as she idles near the dragon’s tail. She says nothing. You sigh, rest a hand on your hip. “Loli!”

She jumps to attention. “Sorry! My roommate needed me,” she says with a laugh, rubbing the back of her half-shaven head.

“Tell her to piss off!” calls Tiki as the dragon, halted by Zero’s healing spell, recovers and swings a mighty paw his way.

Your mana is finally restored and, shutting your eyes, you summon a bolt of ice. With a shout, you spin your staff over your head before slamming it down with a thunderous clap. Ice splinters dizzyingly fast from the ground beneath your staff and crawls like frost until it hits the dragon, stunning it still for a few seconds.

“Health’s low! Saph, go for the kill!” Lolita shouts as she lands a solid punch on the dragon’s belly that shatters your freezing spell.

Without waiting a second more, Sapphire shoves his sword into the dragon’s heaving chest as it writhes from pain. It looses a cry that sends vibrations through the cavern. A few rocks tumble from fissures in the cave walls, and a stalactite cracks and careens toward the ground where it explodes into shards.

And, with that, the massive beast falls to its stomach, its head clunking to the ground in front of Tiki’s feet. The ensuing silence rings in your ears as the five of you stand completely still, waiting. It wouldn’t be the first time an enemy has fallen only to reveal a dormant ability that results in a second battle. None of you says a thing until the massive body before you begins to dissolve into pixels, leaving you with only the skull as a prize and a bag of loot in place of a carcass.

Lolita is the first to break the silence with a loud hoot. “Wooh! Hell yeah!” she shouts, clapping her hands.

You chuckle, lean on your staff. “Loli, you can only celebrate halfway since you missed half the fight,” you tease with a fond sigh.

She rushes toward you, wipes off her blue robes and crosses her arms. “My roommate came in!”

“And you didn’t warn us,” Zero chides as he smooths a few flyaway hairs, smiling. That model of his is just too pretty…

“I-,”

“Guys!” Sapphire shouts, jumping once as he examines the loot bag. “Look at this!”

You spin your staff in your hand and jog to stand beside the knight. His red eyes are bright, digging through the bag until he produces in one gloved hand—

“Is that a Philosopher’s Stone Fragment?” asks Tiki, similarly enraptured as he comes up beside Sapphire’s flank.

Sapphire nods. “Which means—,”

“Which means we’re one step closer,” you say, and you lock eager eyes with Sapphire who only nods. “Well shit!”

“Also means we were right to come this way,” Lolita says, holding up one finger as if correcting us. “And whose idea was that?”

Zero shoves Lolita by the head and turns back toward the loot bag. “Anything else?” he asks.

Sapphire digs around before shrugging. “A shield,” he says.

“Don’t need it,” Tiki says.

“And…mm…,” he pauses, brow furrowing as he pulls out a piece of paper. He purses his lips, runs a hand through his blue-black hair, cocks his head to the side. “Schematic?”

“For what?”

“Oh!” he exclaims, turning to you as he hands you the paper. You look it over and scoff. “Superior elemental staff.”

“Cuts down the mana I need to do spells,” you say, rolling your eyes as you pocket the paper. “Coulda used that today.”

Sapphire claps your shoulder. “Next time! We’ve still got three fragments to find before anyone else does.”

You nod. “Well, with that settled…,” you begin, itching to use the bathroom.

“Ah! You gotta leave?” asks Sapphire.

You nod. “Got work in the morning.”

“Eugh,” he sighs, shoulders slumping. “Me too.”

“Me three,” says Zero.

“Ah, the working world. We’re lucky, huh Tiki?” Lolita says with a wistful sigh as water from overhead drips onto her shoulder. She jumps a little, but settles easily. “Don’t you miss your reckless college days?”

You laugh. “I only graduated last year,” you say, turning toward Sapphire. “Speaking of which, Saph did you ever go to school?”

He stiffens. “Ah, uh…,” he begins, glancing at his feet. He’s quiet for a moment. “No. Not past high school,” he says with an almost sheepish nod.

You don’t say anything, but it seems like there’s something he’s keeping to himself, something he doesn’t want to share. Sapphire is always like that, but this feels a little different.

“Hm,” you say, sensing his discomfort. “Welp, I’m gonna peace out for the night. Message me when you guys wanna go for the next fragment. I’ll keep researching where it might be.”

“Mm, sounds good,” says Tiki. “I’m starving. Loli, wanna get some food?”

Lolita glances at Tiki out the corner of her eye. “You mean, like, real food?”

Tiki sighs. “Obviously real food. I don’t wanna waste money on game food.”

She laughs and nods. “Alright. I’ll meet you at your dorm.”

“Mm.”

Without another word, both Tiki and Lolita blink out, leaving nothing behind them. You turn toward Zero and pat his back. “Sorry for getting on your case tonight,” you say. “I was worried Tiki would fall and then…well, you get it.”

Zero shrugs, examining one of his perfect fingernails. “No, I wasn’t on my game tonight. I’ll be better next time.”

“Me too,” you say, waving as Zero too blinks out.

You turn toward Sapphire and offer a smile. “Sorry for asking about college,” you say.

He stiffens, brows raised. “Hm? Oh, no it’s fine,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck with a smile. “It’s just, uh…well, you know my dad always wanted me to go to college so…”

You wave your hands, shake your head. “Forget it, alright? I won’t bring it up unless you do first.” You smirk. “You played tank tonight, didn’t you?”

He laughs. “Yeah, a little.”

“Don’t do that shit,” you say, but you can’t help your smile. “What would we do if we lost you in the middle of a battle?”

You can see his posture go a little straight. He turns to you, blinking. “You…?” he begins, but cuts himself off with a laugh. “Ah, mm, well…I’d better get going.”

“Mhm. Message me if you get any new info about fragment locations,” you say, then chuckle. “Or if you just wanna talk about The Bachelor or something.”

He laughs with you. “I don’t watch The Bachelor!”

“Well, whatever you watch!” you call as you jog a few paces away. You offer a wave which Sapphire mimics before pressing the disconnect button on your headset.

You shake your head, disoriented as you return to your bedroom, your window sitting before you, the outskirts of Bucheon spreading out in spindly arms around you. Your head throbs a little and you wince, removing your sensor gloves and setting them gently on the light wood table beside your computer. You guide one of the philodendron leaves to the side so it won’t tickle the gloves. You shuck off the sensor jacket too and leave it draped over the back of your gaming chair. Slowly, you return your attention to the window, smiling down at the sea of lights undulating in the dark. It’s a nice evening, you notice as you press the pads of your fingers to the cool glass.

Your phone, until then sitting dormant on the tabletop beside your potted jade plant, pings to life with a notification. Your eyes widen and you grab for it, stretching your torso as you do to work out your aching muscles. Tonight’s session with the group had gone long, and the fatigue on your back is severe from slumping in that gaming chair like a shrimp. And even though you have to move your upper body to activate the full range of Arcana’s sensor controls, your ass feels like you’ve just sat through back-to-back, four-hour lectures.

BeastSlayers™

SacredSapphire: miss u guys already :-(

You laugh, watch as Tiki begins writing a message in response.

TikiTikiRoom: ..

TikiTikiRoom: dont be soft bitch ill kill you

You pad down the hallway, watching your phone as you stumble through the dark apartment with one hand on the wall bracing you. You connect your phone to the TV speakers and play some lofi something or other, bop your head as you enter the kitchen and flip on a flickering yellow light. You rifle through the freezer, produce a cherry red popsicle. You press it to your lips and smile.

Lolovely: I haven’t even made it to Tik’s dorm wtf why are you being sappy already?

CodenameZer0: Looool, Saph? More like SAP.

TikiTikiRoom: press f

SuperNova: I think it’s sweet :’)

SuperNova: Wanna voice chat?

SacredSapphire: nonono

SacredSapphire: someone’s coming over lol

Lolovely: ominous…

You chuckle and take a bite of your popsicle. But as you do, the thing turns to mush and slides from the stick like slop, staining your white shirt and your lips red. “Shit!” you exclaim, then rush to the freezer.

With a sigh, you notice that a layer of ice is frosted over the back. And as you jam your hand in, you can feel that the temperature is higher than it should be. Hence, melty popsicle. You groan, take to it with a knife from the creaky drawer. You chip away at the ice and keep chipping until the back of the freezer is visible once more.

“Cheap piece of crap,” you mumble, kicking the fridge with your socked toe.

You return to the group chat to a slew of messages.

TikiTikiRoom: WAIT SAPH DO YOU HAVE A BOY/GIRL/THEYFRIEND??

TikiTikiRoom: IM GONNA HAVE AN ANEURISM

Lolovely: !!!!!!!!!

Lolovely: ??????

CodenameZer0: Hohohoh

CodenameZer0: Could it be?

SacredSapphire: NO!!

SacredSapphire: i don’t have a boy/girl/theyfriend! i’m too busy, rip

SacredSapphire: it’s just someone

SacredSapphire: don’t worry about it lol

Lolovely: sus…

Lolovely: nova’s better at this stuff

Lolovely: interrogation

Lolovely: think if i scream hard enough nova will come back?

Lolovely: NOVAAAAAA

You laugh and take a few photos. First of the old laminate floor which now resembles a crime scene in cherry popsicle red. Next of your shirt, now streaked in slush. Third, of your face, lips stained like you’ve smeared lip tint on your skin. You pull a pout before snapping the shot, then send all three together.

SuperNova: I crave death.

SuperNova: Stupid cheap fridge. Freezes over literally monthly.

SuperNova: I hate it here.

Lolovely: oooh that pic…

Lolovely: kinda….sexy hehe

SuperNova: ???

You set your phone aside and take to cleaning the floor. Last thing you need in this shithole is an ant infestation. Your music bumps gently through the sound bar beneath your TV. Sure, your apartment is decked out in tech, but the place itself?

You glance around the kitchen, a sanitary white with pretty fixtures, and suppress a sigh. It’s all for show anyway, this apartment. Like almost all the others in the area, it only looks nice. The reality, however…

Well, it’s melted popsicles and a shower that only runs lukewarm.

You check your phone with a hip against the countertop.

TikiTikiRoom: lewd lol

SuperNova: Shut up lmao nothing lewd about my shitty fridge.

SuperNova: Anyway, no I’m not gonna help you bully Saph.

SuperNova: Leave him alone or I’ll bite your ankles.

Lolovely: !!!

Lolovely: qu'est-ce que pas?

Lolovely: Nova…you’ve been defending Saph lately…

Lolovely: hold on i’m seeing something…

CodenameZer0: Don’t threaten my ankles.

SacredSapphire: nova baby ur the only loyal one here

Laughing, you type your response and make your way to the couch, falling flat on your stomach with an unpleasant thump.

Jeon Jungkook sits still, swiveling in his gaming chair with a soft smile as he watches the messages surge through the Discord group chat. Even though they’re busy teasing him, Jungkook can’t help the swell of fondness in his chest for his group mates. He leans back precariously far, the room nearly pitch black save for the shifting LEDs on his keyboard and the purple screensaver on his monitor.

SuperNova: It’s you and me, Saph.

SuperNova: Now come here and get your kith :3

Jungkook chokes a laugh with his hand, covering his mouth as his eyes squint. He tosses his head to the side, lets out a sigh. Quietly, he touches the photo you sent and lets it spread across his screen. He chuckles, examining your expression. Displeased, you eye the camera with furrowed brows and a pout. Briefly, Jungkook considers telling you it’s cute.

But he quickly clicks out of the photo, clears his throat, and catches up with the chat.

CodenameZer0: God, barf.

TikiTikiRoom: no kithes for zero

Lolovely: lolol i want a kith :(

SuperNova: Get in line then. Saph first.

SacredSapphire: i….*blushes*

SacredSapphire: N-N-Noona!

CodenameZer0: FUCKING BARF GOODBYE

Zero’s icon goes offline and Jungkook laughs in earnest now, his head lolling back. But before he can respond, the door to his studio opens with a robotic jingle. He jumps a little, turning his whole body toward the door. He nearly falls off the chair as he swivels.

In the doorway, Kim Seokjin shuffling across the threshold with two cups of coffee in a carrier. He looks a little disheveled, hair windswept and eyes scanning the room round and round. His gaze lingers here and there: resting on Jungkook’s wall of figurines, then on the futon still pulled down and covered in a messy heap of sheets, then on Jungkook’s face as he sits perfectly still, perfectly redhanded. Jungkook’s mouth agape, his fingers poised to type another message to the group chat, his computer monitor showing no lyrics, no notes, no Ableton. Just his screensaver.

Jungkook had planned to pull up his WIP song before Jin arrived, but the opportunity to do that has long since passed.

“Uh…,” Jungkook says, dumbfounded with round eyes glowing in the flashing keyboard lights. “Hey, Seokjin.”

Jin’s nostrils flare, his expression fiery. His attention flashes to the sensor gloves, the controllers sitting beneath them, the sensor jacket left astray on the ground, haphazard.

“Jeon Jungkook-,”

“I can explain!”

Seokjin glares at him, cocks one single brow. “Uh-huh?”

“I…,” Jungkook begins, flustered as he rises to his feet. He feels like he’s in school again. Seokjin’s gaze is disarming, intense, and his knuckles are white as he crushes the cardboard handle of the coffee carrier. “Uh…I was taking a small tiny little break.”

“A small,” Seokjin begins, placing the coffee on Jungkook’s work desk and resting his palm beside it, “tiny,” he continues, leveling his eyes with Jungkook’s, “little break?” Jin’s jaw is clenched.

Jungkook swallows hard. “Mhm…”

Jungkook expects Seokjin to bare his canines, to sneer at him, to scold him to kingdom come. But his manager simply eases into a sigh and leans away from Jungkook, rubbing his forehead. It’s clear the will to fight with Jungkook is slowly leaking, and before long Seokjin has fallen backwards onto the futon, crushing the blanket mountain in his descent.

“Listen,” Seokjin says, fatigue in his voice. “You’ve got…so much going on in the next few months, you know?”

“I know!” Jungkook says, quick to sit beside Seokjin, brows knitting. He feels like a kid again, and the disappointment laced through Jin’s words feels like his childhood. “Trust me, I’m not just…like, procrastinating. It’s not that.”

Jin eyes him sidelong. “Then what is it?”

Jungkook stiffens, his back straight as a board. He clears his throat, stares at the coffee. “Let me get those,” he says, rushing to his feet with a clumsy stumble and grabbing the coffees before returning to his spot beside Jin. He hands Jin a coffee, expectant and, begrudgingly, Seokjin takes it and sips.

“Don’t avoid the question,” he says, stern. “If anyone’ll understand, it’s gotta be me, right?”

Jungkook nods. “No, you’re right!”

“Like, we’ve gone through some hard shit and where have I been? Right behind you. From day one,” he says, leveling a serious look at Jungkook. The lighthearted mood has fled from the room through the cracks in the walls. “All I’m asking is for you to put in the effort.”

Jungkook sighs, rests his forearms on his knees, laces his fingers around the coffee cup. He stares at the space between his toes. “I just…,” he begins, voice choked with insecurity. He doesn’t want to say it. In fact, he’d rather do just about anything else.

Because, after all, saying it means it’s real.

And if it’s real, then it’s a real problem.

“Listen,” Jin begins, patting Jungkook’s back. “I get it. Making music…it can be really tiring, right?” he says. Jungkook can only shrug. “And sometimes you might not feel like you can do it. Like you don’t have the inspiration.”

“Mm…”

Seokjin gives another pat, stronger this time. “But that’s how life is, Jungkook. Work doesn’t just wait. You’re an adult now. You’ve got adult responsibilities. And when you make a passion into your full-time job, you kinda sacrifice the freedom. Deadlines are a thing. You can’t just…be flippant and casual about it.”

“I’m not being casual,” says Jungkook, and for the first time since Jin walked in his voice is strong and steady. He sits up straight and meets Jin’s imploring eyes.

Seokjin offers a small smile. “Good,” he says. “I trust you. And, you know, you’ve got a whole team of producers behind you who wanna see you succeed. All you’ve gotta do is call.”

“I know.”

“You’re not doing it alone, alright?” he asks, and Jungkook’s throat tightens a little. “That’s the good thing about making your passion into your full-time job, huh? Now…well, now it’s not just your responsibility. It’s divided.”

“Yeah.”

“Well…,” Seokjin says, patting his thighs as he pushes to his feet. “Just wanted to drop by and check on you.”

Jungkook offers a smile and nods, standing with his manager. “Yup.”

“You do remember what’s on deck for tomorrow, right?” asks Seokjin, cocking a brow as he takes another swig of coffee.

Jungkook nods again. “Screen test with the drama people.”

Jin smacks the side of Jungkook’s head and crosses his arms. “Not the drama people!” he says, rolling his eyes. “It’s IJBC.”

“IJBC, right,” Jungkook says as he tenderly rubs the side of his head. “I remember.”

“Do you even know the name of the drama?” The younger boy falls silent, sheepish. “It’s called Give Up Generation, Jungkook.”

“I remember,” Jungkook says, pouting a little. “I just…forgot for a minute.”

Jin can’t help chuckling. “Get to bed early then so you don’t have dark circles,” Jin says with a smile, nodding as he turns toward the door. “Ah!” Seokjin pivots around, casting a disdainful look over Jungkook’s shoulder at the foldout futon. He pulls a scowl. “Sleep at home tonight, will you?”

Jungkook chuckles. “Alright. Stop nagging now,” he says, patting Jin’s back as he guides him out the door and into the hallway. “Bye, Jin!” he calls, not awaiting a response.

Slowly and with his head down, Jungkook shuffles back inside and slumps into his gaming chair, staring at his screensaver. He heaves a deep down sigh, lets it escape through his lips nearly pinched shut. Like exhaling cigarette smoke.

His phone pings to life with an incoming message.

SuperNova: Alright, I had your back before but I don’t cosign the Noona Agenda. I don’t even know if I am your noona.

Lolovely: seconded.

Lolovely: plus it’s icky.

TikiTikiRoom: boooooo

SuperNova: Wait, I think I just heard something in the hallway. Hold on.

Lolovely: SCARY!

TikiTikiRoom: burglars lol

Lolovely: ctrl z yourself, tiki

Lolovely: what if it is though…?

TikiTikiRoom: doubt it.

SuperNova: !!!

SuperNova: Lol it was a package…?

Lolovely: so late…?

SuperNova: Yeah…Lemme open it hold on.

The next message that comes through is a photo you send. Jungkook sits up straighter, opens it quick, and grins once he realizes what it is. A cardboard box, relatively big, sitting torn open on your kitchen floor, the photo features a look inside at several pretty makeup palettes and brushes. Jungkook doesn’t know the names of everything he sees, but he knows why it’s a big deal.

SacredSapphire: !! they finally sent it!!

SuperNova: They did!!

Lolovely: wait what? what did who send?

SuperNova: Lol, sorry. Uh I guess I only told Saph. But the brand I’ve been communicating with actually sent me a PR package! I’m gonna use it on my next job.

SuperNova: This shit’s super expensive too, so I’m lucky I’ve been in contact with a rep.

SuperNova: Gotta use the best to be the best!

TikiTikiRoom: i forgot ur a makeup artist lol

TikiTikiRoom: .-.

SuperNova: …

SuperNova: We’ve been group mates for like four months jfc

SuperNova: Anyway, yeah I’m glad. I guess they sent it to the wrong apartment? So my neighbor brought it over. He just got back from work.

Lolovely: neighbor?

Lolovely: cute neighbor?

SuperNova: He’s like seventy so no, not really my type.

SacredSapphire: nova, that’s super cool. i’m sure you’re gonna get big gigs soon.

SuperNova: Well, I can hope haha.

SuperNova: No, well…all I can do is work hard.

SuperNova: >:-)

All you can do is work hard, huh?

Jungkook tosses his phone to the side and rubs his hands up and down his face. He pinches his eyes shut and relaxes into the back of his chair, feeling the lull of sleepiness finally pulling at him.

And instead of going home like Jin asked, Jungkook simply pads over to the futon and, without moving the blankets, collapses atop them and falls asleep where he falls.

“I’m very sorry.”

“No…uh, no it’s fine.”

“Of course, you can keep the fees or whatever.”

“Oh, um, I…no, I’ll refund those too.”

“Really? I’ll give you a really good review!”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m really sorry.”

You sigh, plant a hand on your forehead and heave a sigh. Forcing a smile, you shake your head and press your phone into the crook of your shoulder, bending down to give your fiddle-leaf fig a hose down with your watering can.

“It’s fine. Things come up, you know?”

The girl on the other side of the phone, a young independent model going in for headshots, had called you an hour ago and had spoken at length about why she has to cancel her appointment with you today. How the photographer did this or that, how she actually watched a few tutorials online and figured she could do it herself, how she felt so so bad. You feel bad for her, of course. Kind of.

“Listen, I’ll give you a shoutout on my page, alright? I’ll tag you in my story,” she says.

You shake your head. “No, that’s fine. Just, um…you know, take care. Remember to clean your brushes.”

At this, she laughs. “Thanks for being so cool. I was actually super nervous to call and cancel. I’ve had to cancel a few things like this before, and I’ve had bad experiences,” she says. “Anyway, I’ll recommend you!”

“Alright.”

“Thanks!”

You nod as she hangs up the phone. Gently, you rise to your feet and set your watering can aside on the kitchen table. You set the phone beside it, pausing to glare at the black screen. Well…there goes your Sunday. You turn over your shoulder, pad to the window, crack it open a little. A bracing breeze whistles through, cooling your skin. You shut your eyes against it — only for a moment — before you turn on your heel, shove your feet into your sneakers sockless, swipe your phone and house keys, and shove out the door.

The florist’s is a healthy walk away, but the weather is nice enough and you’re too tired to brave the subway even if it’s only a few stops. You pass buildings and parks as the landscape becomes more and more urban and the high rises look like they could puncture the cloud layer. Before long, you’re standing in front of Happy Garden and, stepping through the sliding doors that are always left open and all-but nonfunctioning with the lush green plants climbing all around. You breathe a sigh of relief, pat your chest a little as the fresh, grassy scent settles your heart.

You aren’t there for more than half a minute before Hoseok stumbles out from the back room, grinning wide with a bouquet of hydrangeas in his hands, wrapped in butcher paper and twine. He curves around the stumbling greenery littering every surface and encroaching on every walkway and comes to a stop in front of you. He smiles.

“Hey,” you say before he gets the chance. You hold up one limp hand in a lazy wave.

He glances up and down, from your head to your toes, and sighs. Still holding the hydrangeas, he rests a hip on the checkout counter and cocks a brow.

“That is the opposite of encouraging,” you remark with a scowl.

He chuckles, pats your arm. “What’s up?” He jerks his head toward the front of the store where bouquets are displayed and you follow behind him as he leads you there. “Unsuccessful raid?”

“Contrary to popular belief, my life doesn’t revolve around video games, actually,” you say, but his laugh wipes the grimace from your face.

His fluffy hair bounces as he bends down to add the hydrangeas to the display and when he stands upright once more he crosses his arms. “You know what I mean. You’ve been in here a lot lately.”

“Pardon me for trying to raise plants,” you say with a pout.

Again, he laughs. “Jesus, stop trying to pick a fight!” he says. “You must be in a really bad mood if you’re here acting like this.”

“Well what’s that supposed to mean?” you begin, outrage all over your face, before locking eyes with Hoseok and composing yourself. You sigh, nod your head. “Yeah, no I’m being annoying.”

He smiles, heart-shaped, and the apples of his cheeks grow rounder. What a joyful guy, you think to yourself with a wistful sigh. “Tell me about it then.”

He pulls one of the empty display boxes over and offers you a seat as he begins tending to the plants all around. You oblige, settle in, and sigh again. “It’s just…everything kinda feels like a dead end right now.”

“Hm?” he asks over his shoulder, graceful hands guiding a waxy leaf back in place.

“Like with my work,” you say, then shake your head. “No, that’s not it. Not entirely.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like…things are okay, you know? I’m getting PR gifts. I’m growing my following on Instagram. I’ve got consistent clients,” you say, nodding. “Like everything is fine, you know?”

“But something feels…missing maybe?” Hoseok offers as he moves to spraying the ferns with water.

You shake your head. “More than that, it’s…like, I feel like I’ve hit the ceiling of what I can do, you know? Like what if this is the best I’ll ever do?”

“Is that bad?” he asks.

You sigh. “Not bad, just…disappointing,” you say. “I wanna work on movies. Red carpets. Editorials.” You rest your chin in your hand and your elbow on your knee. You stare up at Hoseok, now trimming brown leaves from another plant across the store. “I don’t wanna be stuck doing birthday parties forever.”

Hoseok hums, turns toward you with his hands in his apron pocket. He offers a smile. “You sound like a brat.”

You stiffen, eyes wide. “I-,” you start, but there’s really not much you can say to retort. So, softly, you slump once more and shrug. “Yeah…”

“And if you keep that attitude, you’re never gonna be an editorial makeup artist. I can promise you that,” he says with a nod as he approaches once more and crouches before your knees, still smiling. “Everyone has to grow somehow, you know? Be grateful you’ve got opportunities to build your resume.”

You nod. “Yeah.”

“What brought all of this on?”

Shrugging, you glance away toward the big croton plant in the corner, basking in morning sunlight, leaves all stiff and red and green. It’s a pretty plant. You tilt your head to the side, stare longer.

“That model bailed,” you say, but you’ve almost forgotten the self-pity of a moment ago. You stand to your feet and wander toward the plant, hitting halfway up your thigh. You crouch before it and look it over. “Hoseok, this is a really big croton.”

He laughs. “Mhm.”

“How much?”

“With the pot and given its height, it’s going for thirty-five-thousand won.”

You raise your brows. “I expected worse.”

“We’re fair here!” he protests, wagging his finger at you as he comes to stand beside you.

You smile softly, run a finger along the edge of a leaf. “It’s really pretty.”

“Suits you,” he says.

Without noticing, your anxiety begins to subside. “I think I’ll take it.”

“I’ll give you five-thousand off since you’re having a bad day,” he says, patting your back.

You turn to him with a smile. “Thanks.”

He chuckles. “I’ll loan you the dolly so you can get that thing home. Just bring it back before two.”

You stand up, stare down at the plant, nod once. “Mhm.”

Hoseok makes his way toward the cash register, punches in a few numbers. You linger a few steps behind, still staring at the croton. You get a good feeling off that one. Hoseok would tease you if you said as much, but you know when to listen to your intuition.

“Your big break will come Y/N,” Hoseok says as he rings you up, not once glancing to meet your eyes. “Just keep going.”

Jungkook sits with his head leaning against the rattling van window, eyes half-shut. Seoul blurs past him in shades of silvery grey and it’s all he can do to keep himself from falling asleep. For all his nagging, Seokjin had been right about one thing: Jungkook was sporting purplish bags beneath his eyes from a restless night’s sleep. Jin sits beside him now, frowning at his phone as he scrolls through Twitter. He’d given Jungkook a very stern talking to once he’d seen him, and really Jungkook deserved it. He knows that.

“Your voice is in good condition, right?” asks Jin.

Jungkook sits up straight, clears his throat. He shrugs. “Yeah. Why?”

Still stewing over his phone, Seokjin waves his hand without looking up. “Don’t worry about it.”

Jungkook sighs, leans back once more, gazes out the window once more. His phone buzzes once and he grabs it quickly, eager to distract himself.

BeastSlayers™

SuperNova: [image attached]

SuperNova: check him out OJO

Jungkook clicks the image you sent and chuckles as it loads up. The photo features nothing of you save for one hand, reaching out from behind the camera, throwing up a peace sign. Behind your hand, a houseplant. A pretty big one at that.

Jungkook smiles and drafts his reply, but the others are quicker.

CodenameZer0: Another plant? Lol isn’t your apartment overflowing with them by now?

SuperNova: Hush. Look at him.

LoLovely: cute!

LoLovely: does he have a name?

SuperNova: I don’t name my plants.

TikiTikiRoom: lol

TikiTikiRoom: because THAT would be weird

CodenameZer0: At least Nova can care care for a plant in the first place.

CodenameZer0: Let’s be honest here, Nova’s probably the only one among us who is even remotely responsible enough.

SacredSapphire: Nova it’s cute!

SacredSapphire: name him after me ;3

SuperNova: Sapphire?

SacredSapphire: hmmm say my name hehe

CodenameZer0: STOP IT FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST

CodenameZer0: IF THE FLIRTING DOESN’T STOP I’M GETTING YOU A TWO-WEEK BAN ON ARCANA

SacredSapphire: SHIT okay okay, let’s just take it easy

SacredSapphire: talk this out like adults…

SuperNova: Once I’ve finished setting up my new plant, I’m gonna play Animal Crossing. Anyone free to join? I’ve got oranges and mums.

SuperNova: Also had a meteor shower last night and have leftover star fragments first come first served.

The offer is tempting, to be sure. Not only would he receive star fragments, he’d be able to wander your island with the others. It might feel like you guys are side-by-side for real. Jungkook reaches into his backpack, slumped between his knees, and rifles around for his Switch. But as he produces the case, Seokjin shoots him the evil eye.

“If you’ve got time to play games, you’ve got time to review your lines,” he says, cocking a brow.

Jungkook sighs a little, slides the Switch back inside his bag. “I’ll look them over again.”

“Good.”

He takes one last look at his cell phone, checking the group chat with a frown that pinches the sides of his lips.

TikiTikiRoom: MEMEMEME

TikiTikiRoom: if any of you fakes get there before me ill go apeshit

TikiTikiRoom: i need so many

LoLovely: don’t need fragments, just wanna see ur cute face hehe

SuperNova: /blushes

SuperNova: I’ll open the gates once Sapphire Junior is nice and settled.

CodenameZer0: I’ll come too. I wanna shop.

SuperNova: Can’t you be cute like Lolita?

CodenameZer0: /gags

SuperNova: You coming, Saph? I’ll save a few fragments for you.

TikiTikiRoom: FAVORITISM

SuperNova: I am transparent about my favoritism toward Sapphire.

SuperNova: Because he is indeed my favorite.

LoLovely: *shocked pikachu face*

SacredSapphire: soz :-( i can’t

SacredSapphire: working

SuperNova: :-(

SuperNova: Next time we’ll all come to your island.

Jungkook tries not to feel that twinge of melancholy that tugs at his chest. That one he always gets when his friends go out for barbecue or grab drinks and hit the karaoke rooms. The one that feels like he’s really, deeply, fundamentally missing out on something important.

No, he doesn’t feel it. Instead, he focuses his attention on the printout Seokjin had given him three days ago. He scans the lines over and over, committing them to memory.

“No! That’s the thing, she didn’t even tell me!” says the girl below your brush.

You attempt to guide the highlighter across her cheekbones, but before you can make contact with her skin she’s jerked away once more, talking so animatedly that you can’t even tell if you’ve made her eyebrows even.

“That’s shitty,” says her friend beside her, likewise preoccupied as Jieun struggles to match her skintone.

The two of you lock eyes, both hovering over the two women as they chat over matching cups of coffee. Jieun puffs out her cheeks, raises her brows, and goes back to work, smoothing foundation on to the client’s chin with a brush.

You stand in a nice apartment — all marble floors and high ceilings and windowed walls overlooking Seoul. When you’d gotten the offer for a Seoul gig with Jieun, you’d been hesitant. The subway ride is long and you prefer to stay relatively local. But something made you agree. You don’t know exactly what. Call it divine intervention or epiphany or Jung Hoseok, but the words just keep going had been replaying in your brain since you last saw your friend. The pair of women — likely in their thirties — had booked both you and Jieun to do their makeup for a Sunday luncheon.

“And you know she’s looking out for him,” says Hyejin with a scoff. “As if I’m gonna bite the kid’s head off.”

“Maybe you will,” jokes the other woman, laughing just as Jieun reaches in to apply some liquid blush to her cheeks. “You know she’s got a soft spot for him.”

“Yeah well it’s a soft spot in all of our wallets if he doesn’t get his shit together,” says Hyejin, sighing. There is real woe in her expression and you can feel from the shift in atmosphere that things have turned serious. “He’s talented, you know? But…sometimes I think she goes too easy on him,” she continues, and this time her tone is decidedly softer, the movement of her face less pronounced.

You use the opportunity to work some powder beneath her eyes with a sponge. “Well, that’s motherhood for you,” says the other, flippant.

“Have you seen what the folks are saying on Twitter?” asks Hyejin as you apply shadow to her eyelids. “About his voice.”

“Hm?”

“Well some of his bigger hate communities have been compiling all the footage of his stage mistakes and they’re spreading it around,” Hyejin says with a huff. “Stupid, honestly. They’re making it out like he makes those mistakes all the time.”

“Netizens are like that, Hyejin,” says the other woman, now easing into her chair with her eyes shut as Jieun can finally get to work setting her base.

“Still…”

“Now you’re the one defending him,” she remarks with a laugh.

“It’s not that,” Hyejin says, scoffing. “It’s just…like if he doesn’t prove himself soon, all those commenters are gonna have more ammunition, you know? Which is annoying for all of us.”

“Sounds like you care a little bit.”

“I dont.”

“Hm.”

You focus on Hyejin’s full lashes, applying mascara with delicate, steady strokes. She hums a little as you use the pad of your fingertips to tame stubborn eyeshadow into blending more seamlessly. It seems, at least, that the conversation has died down. For that, you are very grateful.

“Say, do you two know anything about k-pop?” asks Jieun’s client.

The two of you lock eyes once more. It’s true that you are well-versed in pop culture: video games, TV shows, YouTube drama. But you’d be lying if you said you tune in to Inkigayo every week. And despite Jieun’s age and her trendy look, you know she’s not the type to keep updated on current idols. And you see in her brown eyes your own shock mirrored.

“Um…no, not particularly,” you answer for the both of you. Jieun releases a breath she’d been holding and smiles her thanks. “Do you two work in the field?”

Hyejin waves her hand and sighs. “Don’t go bothering them with those sorts of questions,” she says, and you notice for the first time the easy poshness that this woman has. Even with her head tilted back and her eyes shut tight, she seems sure of herself.

You envy her just a little for that.

“What? They’re young,” says the other woman, grinning with her eyes shut as Jieun works on her eyeliner. “You ever heard of RTE?”

“Hey now,” says Hyejin, warning in her voice.

“I’m just curious,” the woman continues with a sigh. “Look us up if you haven’t.” The woman chuckles, reaching out blind to smack Hyejin’s upper arm. “Hey, maybe even tweet something nice about our artists!”

“Knock it off and let them work,” Hyejin says, prying open one eye to meet yours. She offers a smile, apologetic, and sighs. “She’s just playing around. You can ignore her. It’s what I do.” She nods her head and leans it back once more.

Quietly, you get back to work. But you can’t help but feel like this woman’s incredible presence makes you paler somehow.

“What’s the point if it makes me unhappy?” Jungkook shouts, brows knitting, eyes growing watery. “The money, the lifestyle…what good is it?” his voice settles into a bare whisper, cracked.

“You only say that because you’re young! You’re stupid! You’re naive! You think things work out just because you want them bad enough?” says his costar, glancing down at the script every now and again as the two stand across from one another.

The set bustles on behind them, crew carrying tall lights and fixtures as they scuttle by. But Jungkook and his costar — a man named Namjoon acting as his older brother — continue their scene under the watchful eye of the cameras, trained right on them. Less of a screen test and more of a chemistry check between actors, Director Lim watches the monitor closely with his scrabbly chin in his palm.

“So what if I fail?” Jungkook asks with a quiver, referencing his script once to make sure he got the line right. “What’re you gonna do? Tattle on me to Dad?”

“I won’t have to,” Namjoon says, sighing as he grips the bridge of his nose. “He’s got his watchdogs trained right on you.”

Jungkook stiffens. “He’s been…following me?”

“I told you you’re too naive for the real world, Jiwon.”

Director Lim claps his hands and in an instant the tension and the scene are broken. Jungkook takes a respectful step back from his costar, and Namjoon offers him a bow of the head. Jungkook returns it, fighting off a nervous grin, and turns to the director as he circles around the equipment to stand in front of them. He’s a middle-aged man, handsome in a way with salt-and-pepper hair and eyes that seem to grab you and hold on like a snare. Jungkook is pinned in place like a bug in a shadowbox.

But Director Lim’s face splits in a crooked smile and Jungkook feels himself ease, exhaling long and slow. “Great job, boys!” he says, clapping both of their shoulders. “You were selling it well.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Jungkook replies too quick, like an eager child.

Director Lim chuckles, pats him again. “I’m praising you, kid. Don’t look so scared.”

He swallows hard. “I…I know. Um…thank you, Sir.”

Behind the trio, a group of stylists cart a rack of costumes quickly to the other side of the set, snagging the back of Jungkook’s shoe as they do. Jungkook stumbles to his knees, caught off guard, and the girls jerk to a stop as they catch themselves on the clothing rack. The two stare down at Jungkook, wide-eyed, and each of them covers their mouths. Immediately, they bow their heads in apology, both muttering sorry, so sorry almost too quietly to hear. Jungkook shakes his head and stands to his feet.

He too bows his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been standing there,” he says gently, hoping to assuage their concerns.

But the girls remain bowed, as if too afraid to even lift their heads. Jungkook, puzzled, leans down slightly to meet their eyes, but they glance away so quickly that he can’t even get a proper look at either of their faces.

“Um…it’s really not a problem,” he says, but before he can say more Director Lim approaches with a grim severity in his eyes. Jungkook, quick to stand up straight and face the director, stutters a little as he settles himself in front of the stylists. “It’s no big deal,” he says to Director Lim, but it’s like the man can’t even hear him.

“We were distracted, Sir,” says one of the girls, raising her head slightly to meet Director Lim’s gaze. “We are very, very sorry.”

“It really isn’t-,” Jungkook begins.

“You think it’s appropriate to crash into my actors? In the middle of a conversation about their performance?” Lim asks, but it’s clear the question isn’t meant to be answered. His tone has shifted into something cold. “You could have very well injured Jungkook.”

“I’m fine-,”

“But what if you weren’t?”

Jungkook shuts his mouth, staring helpless at the girls as they both stand up straight once more, eyes on the floor and hands knitted in front of them. He feels a hand on his back between his shoulder blades and jumps a little, turning quick to find Namjoon standing close.

“Don’t,” is all he says, voice terse and so quiet Jungkook almost doesn’t hear it, before dropping his hand and taking a half step back.

Jungkook’s jaw clenches, his hands work into balls as he stares. The lighting is low, dramatic as if a scene composed by Lim himself. The two girls lift only their eyes to gaze up at him.

“We’re very, very sorry, Sir,” says one of the stylists, guiding a lock of dark hair behind her ear.

“Mhm,” he says, looming. “Make sure it doesn’t happen again. Can’t afford to replace two stylists and a makeup artist in the same week.”

Jungkook simply stares, Namjoon’s warning freezing through him like ice. His limbs feel leaden. And as the two girls rush off, dragging their rack behind them, Jungkook focuses again on Director Lim.

He swivels back around to the two actors with a bright, fatherly smile. “Pardon me,” he says, waving his hand with a warm laugh. “Gotta keep the crew in check otherwise they’ll slack off.”

“Ha,” Jungkook puffs out in response, smiling in turn.

Namjoon hums a little. “Why don’t we try the reconciliation scene?”

“What in the world do you mean?” Hyejin yells into her phone just as she ushers you into her apartment. You eye her as her face grows red, her brows coming together. “He’s not quitting!”

Hyejin pauses to offer you an apologetic smile. She’s dressed in a modest pajama dress, padding barefoot along the cool marble floors. She leans against the arm of a nice black leather sofa, raises a hand to her flushed cheek, looks at her toes with vexation. Carefully, you set your makeup kit on her kitchen island, meeting her eyes with raised brows as if asking permission. She waves her hand, nods once before pinching the bridge of her nose between her index finger and her thumb.

“Listen, we knew Lim was difficult. But this is a huge opportunity for his career.” Hyejin rubs her kneecap, massaging. Her short hair falls along the line of her jaw as she dips her head in a deep sigh. “I know you know that, Seokjin. But you’re his manager. You’ve gotta keep convincing him.”

You begin unpacking your things, setting them neatly along the edge of the countertop, and try not to eavesdrop as Hyejin continues letting out chopped sighs. You can hear her fidget around the apartment behind you. She’d called you again, only a few days later, to secure you for another important event. A meeting, she’d said. You didn’t want to agree. Wanted to say you were too busy, that the commute was too much.

“Hey,” she whispers behind you. You jump, but turn nonetheless to find her cupping one hand over the phone’s receiver. Her eyes are severe, jaw clenched. “How long can you stay? This call might take a while.”

You raise your brows, think back over your schedule. “Hm…,” you respond, then shake your head. “I’m free all day. But…when’s your meeting?”

She stiffens, eyes flashing to the clock on the oven. “Shit,” she mutters. She approaches you with a frown. “I’ve only got two hours to get everything ready—Yes! Yes, I’m still here Seokjin. Stop panicking, for Christ’s sake—,” she says, her shoulders pinching. She glances at you again. “Um…”

You glance around the apartment. It’s spotless, as usual. But you spy in the corner beside a massive potted umbrella tree a taupe pantsuit, hanging beside a steamer. You’d have thought someone in her position would have sent it to the cleaners to be properly steamed, but perhaps it had slipped her mind. With the way she’s pacing around the apartment, still dressed in her pajamas, you wonder if perhaps she’s not as put together as you thought.

“I’ll steam that,” you say with a nod, pointing to the suit.

She stares at you, wide-eyed. “Oh, no. You don’t have to do something like that-,”

You shake your head. “No problem. What else do you need done here?” you ask, consulting your wristwatch with a hum. “If we keep it light, I can have your makeup done in forty-five minutes.”

She blinks at you. “Uh…well…,” she begins, then jumps a little as a voice in the phone shouts loud enough for you to hear. “No! No! Can you relax? I’ll talk you through it in just a minute! I’ve gotta sort some things out,” she shouts back at the phone. She turns her attention back to you with a sheepish smile. “Um, I need to steam the suit, wrap the fruits — they’re a gift for the client —, call the restaurant to confirm the reservation, shine my shoes, organize our documents chronologically and set them up in a binder,” she says.

You have to admit that the sheer volume of busywork has you taken aback. But you steel yourself with a bracing sigh, nod once, and offer her a smile. “Consider it taken care of,” you say.

“Ah! I…I really feel bad dumping all of this on you,” she says, crossing her arms with knit brows. “Normally I’d have my assistant doing all of this, but she’s ill.”

“Not a problem,” you say, smiling once more. “Just take care of your phone call and leave the rest to me! As long as we’ve got forty-five minutes for makeup, we’ll be fine.”

She lets out a sigh that seems to deflate her, shoulders slumping as if in profound relief. She nods once, smiling, and turns on her heel. “I’ll be in my office, alright? I promise I’ll be out in time!”

You give one wave as she rushes through a clouded glass door and shuts it behind her. You roll up the sleeves of your sweater and get to work on the suit.

Two hours later, and you’re accompanying Hyejin out into the apartment hallway. She pauses as the door clicks shut, waiting for it to give a chime, and turns to you with a sigh. She looks pretty. You had to rush a bit once she emerged from her office, and after taking care of the other chores you found it difficult to focus on her makeup, but you’re proud enough of your work given the circumstances. You’ve managed to match her eyeshadow to her pantsuit with gentle oranges and reds.

Since you were rushing to finish everything in time, the two of you hadn’t had a chance to exchange words. Perhaps you are curious — just a little — about the emergency she had to quell over the phone. Or maybe you just want a proper thank you. So you linger beside her in the well-lit hallway, you let your eyes wander to a potted fern in the corner by the elevator, wait for Hyejin to say something.

“I’m sorry,” she says, sighing. She glances at you through her lashes.

Your eyes go wide. “Hm? What for?”

“For having you do all of that,” she says, flitting one manicured hand. “I feel guilty.”

You shake your head. “No,” you say with a smile. “It’s no problem at all, honestly. You had me booked for an hour and a half anyway.”

She sighs again. “I really feel bad.”

“Don’t worry about it…,” you say, eyeing her. She crosses her arms, vexed, and purses her lips a little. “Um…was that call about an artist?” you ask.

She snaps back to herself, glancing at you. “Oh? Yes. That was about our biggest artist actually,” she says. “I think I’ve got it taken care of though, thanks to you.” She guides the two of you to the elevator. “I’ll pay you extra, alright?”

You laugh. “No, no. It’s fine! I’m just glad it all worked out.”

She stares at you, scanning you for a very long moment as the elevator rises to your floor. You try not to fidget, not to shrink under her scrutiny, but you feel yourself recoiling just a little. Her gaze is intense, knowing, as if she can see right through you and she’s looking for something. And as the elevator arrives, she gives a hum that sounds contented and you wonder if she’s found it.

Jungkook glances around the empty pavilion, scanning the cobbled streets for any sign of escape. From above, a dark mage is laying waste to the small shanty town. Not a single player has ventured out this way, all following a lead in the Elysian Forest to the west. But after you had mentioned a tip you got from researching at the Library of Arcana, you’d suggested visiting the seaside nook on the far south of the map. A legendary evil slumbers hidden, you’d recited over voice chat with a laugh, Sounds about right.

Only now, Jungkook’s alone. His hands are sweaty around the controllers in his palms and the realistic graphics are serving only to make him more nervous as the mage swings low near the central fountain and sets off a spray of fire just in front of him. Jungkook can almost feel the heat.

Jungkook had set out to do some scouting. Nothing extreme. Just a simple peek about, seeing if he could find any clues. He sent a message to the group chat, but he hadn’t waited on a response before he signed in. He’d had no idea that the Big Bad herself would come flying from the fountain the moment he touched the water with his sword. And now she’s circling him like some sort of hawk. Quickly, Jungkook calls up his inventory menu and searches through his items. A few extra swords he picked up, some ritual herbs, his old chainmail armor, some healing potions and…

The fragment…

If this mage takes him out, he’ll end up dropping his entire inventory. Including the fragment.

And by the time he can make his way back over here, other players will have come running from the commotion.

And the fragment will be gone.

“Shit,” he hisses out, dismissing the menu and focusing back on the mage as she releases a chilling cackle.

The quaint village is smoking, with thatched roofs catching fire and whole storefronts crumbling into piles of simmering stone. The sky is nearly blotted out with ash, and all he can see is that mage, swirling around up there in billowing black robes and shiny white teeth exposed in a wicked grin.

Jungkook glances over his shoulder toward the street he’d taken in to the village, but it’s too smokey to see anything more than the outlines of ruined buildings. There’s no way he’ll be able to navigate his way out of here without a lantern. And if it’s this smokey, he’s absolutely positive that nearby players have noticed. Which means more competition.

And more people to snatch his fragment when he falls.

The mage gives a cry, shouts her line, “Not enough yet?!”, and swoops down at a dizzying pace. Jungkook stumbles back, but he’s not fast enough. She’s approaching in a dark blur, too quickly for him to counter. A flash of regret washes through him as he squeezes his eyes shut inside his VR headset. He doesn’t want to see this.

He waits for a tense moment that way, anticipating the melancholy piano chords that accompany in-game death, but none come. Instead, he hears very keenly the sound of the mage grunting as if in pain. And, in an instant, he opens his eyes wide to see standing on the other side of the fountain, a small, white-haired mage, staff searing with frost and ice as the dark mage clutches her chest.

His heart kicks up. “Nova!” he calls to you.

You turn toward him and, to the extent that you’re able in a video game, square him with a sour look. “You moron!” you shout back.

But he can’t help his grin as he stares at your character. “How’d you get here so fast?”

You launch another ball of ice toward the dark mage, sending her hovering just above the cobblestone in front of the fountain. “I saw your message and figured you’d already gone ahead like an idiot so I logged on right away.”

He laughs, but you’re too focused on dealing ice damage to reciprocate. It seems of all his allies, you’re the best equipped to deal with a dark fire mage. He notices in your hand the staff you wield has changed. Where before you used a gnarled tree root with a rune, now you’re swinging a cool white metal staff with a glowing blue gem.

“New staff!” he calls, pointing.

You nod. “Mhm. The schematic from last time,” you say, dealing another blast. The dark mage falls to the ground, groaning. Jungkook is too excited to see you to notice his cue to act, but your head is very much in the game and you jerk your staff toward the fallen mage. “Well? You gonna slash her or what?”

Jungkook stiffens, jumping back into action. He hoists his sword and lunges, giving the mage a few good hits before recoiling back as she rises into the sky once more. The dark mage sends out a barrage of wild, uncontrolled fire that manages to miss Jungkook and hit you.

“Shit!” you call, pausing to glance through your inventory like Jungkook had before. “Dammit! I’m out of health potions,” you say. He notices your health bar is looking low.

“Why are you so hurt?” he asks as you rush toward him.

You sigh. “I ran into some boars in the woods on the way over here and they drained my health a little.”

“Shit,” Jungkook repeats.

“Yeah,” you say, watching as the dark mage readies another spell. “This is why I wanted all of us to go here together.”

“I know,” Jungkook says, his cheeks flaring hot. “I’m sorry.”

You sigh again. “Don’t worry,” you say, flitting your hand. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to start the battle.”

Jungkook is quiet, thinking. You’d always been this way. From the first time the party played together, you’d been generous with him. With everyone. When Tiki fell in the party’s first battle against some goblins, you’d been the one to retrieve his stuff and give up your armor for him. When Zero — the richest player by far — forgot about your scheduled meeting to gather supplies, you’d paid for everyone’s health potions and weapon repairs in his stead.

He shook his head. “No, I shouldn’t have gone off on my own.”

“No you shouldn’t have,” you say, humming. “You need to remember you’ve got a whole team of people who have your back.” He can hear a smile in your voice.

“I-,” he begins, but you cut him off.

“Alright, here’s what we’ll do for now. She’s at half health, so I’ll just wail on her with my ice until she’s within melee range and then you slash her,” you say with a nod. “And if I fall, I fall. Hopefully by then she’ll be low enough health that you can finish her off alone.”

“No, no. If it comes down to it, I’ll take the hit. I’ve got more HP and you’re the one who can do ranged attacks anyway,” Jungkook replies.

There’s no more time to argue, however, because the dark mage turns her fiery eyes toward the two of you and screams before pointing her staff right at Jungkook. Startled, Jungkook glances over at you to see you’re watching too. Neither of you has a chance to say anything before the blast hits, sending the two of you flying back against the fronts of buildings turned to ashy rubble. You let out a shocked gasp through Jungkook’s headset and, as the dust settles, he turns to see your health bar is dangerously low.

“Oh!” he shouts, pulling up his inventory. “Let me grab a health potion! You can have it—,”

“Alright, now I’m pissed,” you interrupt, sidling up to the fountain with measured steps. You consult your inventory and heave a sigh. It seems like you’re mulling something over, but it’s impossible for Jungkook to know what exactly is on your mind. “Use your health potion, Saph!”

He stares at the back of your character’s head, at the capable set of its shoulders. And he feels somehow like he’s really looking at you. The real you. Silhouetted against grey smoke, with a dark mage glowing black and orange in the air above you, he can’t help but think you seem…really cool.

He recalls what you said before. That he has a team of people who have his back.

You grumble something under your breath before deftly swinging your staff around a few times and launching a powerful icy blast toward the mage. She cries out and before she can ready another spell, you’re hurling another ball her way.

“Whoa! Nova, how’re you doing that so fast?” he asks.

“Shut up and heal now!” you shout, and he’s quick to oblige.

You send another blast toward the mage’s chest, and it’s just enough to get her in melee range. But as you do, the staff you’re holding shatters and breaks into shards. The force of the break seems to have some kickback, and you take a few points of damage as you stumble back half a step. You’re down to your very last HP.

“Oh my God! Did it break?” Jungkook asks, stunned.

“Go hit her!” you bark.

Jungkook sends his character rushing the mage once more and gets in a few heavy hits with his sword, pressing furiously on the controllers and moving his arms about wildly in his chair.

He expects her to fly back into the air. Rinse and repeat until she’s finally dead. But this time, perhaps since she’s so low on health, the dark mage simply hovers in front of him. Quickly, she swings her staff back and rears it forward once more, the black orb embedded in the top glowing red.

“She’s gonna hit you!” you shout, and in his shock Jungkook can only turn to look at your character.

Before he can blink, however, you’ve blurred in front of him in a flash of white hair and when the dark mage deals a mighty, close-ranged fire attack, you take it straight to the stomach.

And just like that, your character blinks out of existence, spilling your entire unequipped inventory on the steaming cobblestones in front of Jungkook’s steel shoes.

“Nova?” he calls out, but of course you can’t answer. You’ve warped back to the nearest infirmary somewhere past the woods.

He curses underneath his breath and swings his sword a little wild once, twice, three times until, at last, the dark mage lay prone on the ground, wailing ghostly. She lets out one final scream before withering into pixels. And there, beside your lost inventory, is a canvas loot bag. Jungkook grabs it and pulls from inside a multi chrome shard, glinting in the light refracted through smoke. He examines it. There’s no doubt. It’s a Philosopher’s Stone fragment. Which means your hunch was right.

It also means your party it one step closer to completing the legendary stone, receiving more gold than any of you could ever spend, maxed out HP, and a permanent plaque in Central Square with all of your usernames.

Jungkook sighs as he puts it away in his inventory. He scans through the other loot. A crossbow, some alchemical herbs, and an Imperial Knight’s sword. He pockets everything and, pausing to save, immediately logs off and yanks the headset from his eyes. He drops his controllers, removes his gloves, and sets the sensor jacket aside as he reaches for his phone on his studio desk.

He types in your name in his contact list and calls you right away. Lucky for him, you answer on the second ring.

“Did you get her?” you ask, not sparing even a moment for hellos.

Jungkook stutters a little like an old engine firing up before replying, “Dude what the hell did you do that for?”

You sigh. “I figured you’d have a better shot killing her since I broke my staff.”

“Yeah, but why'd you break your staff?”

“How else were we gonna get her down?”

Jungkook is quiet for a moment. “You spent a long time crafting that, didn’t you?”

You hum. “Not too long.”

“Liar,” he says, but you don’t reply. After a few moments of silence, Jungkook sighs. “I got her.”

He hears you laugh through the phone, followed by a satisfied exhale. “Hell yeah! Then it was worth it.”

“I got the fragment too.”

“She had it!”

Jungkook can’t help but smile a little, staring at his computer screensaver. “Mhm,” he says. “Thanks for taking the hit. I would’ve dropped the first fragment if she’d gotten me.”

You pause. “Oh, you had the first fragment on you?” you ask.

And Jungkook realizes something crucial as the words come crackly through his phone. You didn’t know he was holding it. You didn’t know he could have lost it. You’d jumped in front of that mage not to save the fragment in Jungkook’s inventory, but to save him. He swallows hard, because the silly, stupid sentiment of it makes his eyes a little misty.

“Um…yeah, I did,” Jungkook says slowly, as if testing cold waters.

You sigh. “Why’d you go on your own anyway?”

Jungkook’s shoulders pinch like he’s been struck. Truthfully, he’d logged on after a particularly frustrating call with Seokjin. After begging his manager to let him out of his contract with IJBC, Jungkook had been forced not only to continue working with Director Lim, but to keep good behavior lest the company seize their promotions of his previous album. But after chatting with you, Jungkook’s work is the furthest thing from his mind.

“Um…some issues with my work were getting to me so I figured I’d scout around a little,” he says. “Sorry I didn’t wait for you guys to tell me not to go.”

You laugh. “Turned out okay in the end,” you say easily. “But…your work?”

“Yeah…”

You’re quiet for a moment. While the silence isn’t awkward, it certainly feels thoughtful. “You don’t talk much about your job, so…I guess I was just curious. Like…what sort of issues…,” you continue, voice trailing off.

Jungkook thinks for a moment. What can he safely share without divulging too much? “Um, it’s…like this guy I’m working for is just kind of a dick,” he says, nodding once. “He’s awful to the employees and he’s been firing staff who piss him off. Just the other day he almost fired two people because they ran into me.”

“Oh?” you say, pensive. “So you’re pretty high up then?” you start, then let out a soft grunt and a laugh. “Sorry, I’m prying. Um…he sounds awful. It’s been bothering you working for him?”

Jungkook nods and picks at the skin around his thumb. “Yeah,” he says. “It’s only for a few months, but if it’s this bad after only a few days I don’t really know what to expect. I’m thinking about quitting somehow.”

“Well,” you begin, and Jungkook can hear the sound of things shuffling on the other side of the phone. “Here’s how I see it. If you quit, that’s one less person looking out for the people below you, you know?”

“Hm?”

“Like…if you’re there, maybe you can do some good and prevent other people from getting fired. But if you’re gone, you can’t really help anyone,” you say, then sigh. “I dunno. Just…if you’re forced to work with the guy, I figure you can try to find a way to turn it around. Maybe make things better for the people under you.”

Jungkook is quiet for a long, pregnant moment. He lets your words seep into his skin like a plant photosynthesizing. He really chews on them. “I…I guess I hadn’t thought about that.”

You hum. “It’s okay. I can understand how working with someone like that would be really hard,” you say. “But…imagine how hard it is for the people who can’t just up and leave? The folks who have to sit there and take it and don’t have the option to quit, you know?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook says, brows furrowing. He crosses his arms. “That’s true.”

“I mean, obviously you’re an adult and can do whatever you want, but…I dunno, I guess it would be pretty cool of you to stick around and try to help where you can,” you say. Before Jungkook can respond, however, you gasp. “Oh! I got a text from a client.”

“Oh? Who?” he asks.

“Ah, a woman named Kim Hyejin. She works for some entertainment company or something,” you say, and Jungkook’s blood runs cold.

Kim Hyejin. As in Rooftop Entertainment’s Kim Hyejin? As in Jungkook’s manager’s boss? The reason Jungkook can’t quit? He shakes his head, swallows the lump that’s growing in his throat, tries to silence the incessant thumping in his heart. It can’t be her, right? Surely not. But…really, how many Kim Hyejin’s work for ‘some entertainment company’ and require personal makeup artists? Even if the name is common, that’s just too sensational.

“O-Oh…um…is she the client you saw this morning?” Jungkook asks, but his mouth feels cottony. If you, of all people, were to somehow find out about him…

He shakes his head to clear it.

“Mhm, hold on a sec I’m trying to read it,” you say.

Jungkook doesn’t want to hold on. He doesn’t want to sit and wait for you to answer. He wants to end the call and throw his phone on the futon. He wants to take a long walk around the company building. He wants to delete his Arcana account.

But something keeps him on the line, like a string wrapped around his chest. He’s captive to your every word, desperate to know what Kim Hyejin has to say to you. Has she perhaps found out about Jungkook’s online friends? About the Beast Slayers? About you? Is she reaching out to make you sign an NDA? Did she approach you under the pretense of getting her makeup done only to lure you into accepting some sort of bribe to keep his identity secret?

Is she going to force you to stop contacting him…?

“Holy shit,” you say under your breath.

“What? What is it?” Jungkook says, too quick, too breathless.

You scoff. “Holy shit.”

“Please tell me,” he begs, voice frail. His hands are shaking.

Just when he’s found a group of people who he can connect with, who he can play with, who he can feel comfortable with, something has to come in and ruin it. Jungkook’s heart aches with the dread of anticipation.

“Dude,” you begin, but he can tell you’re smiling. “She just offered me a job on a TV show.”

Jungkook feels that same chill from before creeping up his spine like frost across a windowpane. “What show?” he asks.

If not a premeditated approach, then this has to be…

“Give Up Generation.”

Some sort of divine joke.

#bts fanfic #bts fanfiction #jeon jungkook #jungkook fanfic #jungkook fanfiction #jungkook fluff #bts fluff #bts angst #bts au #jungkook au #bts jungkook #jungkook angst #bts reaction #bts reactions #bts imagine #bts imagines #jungkook imagine #jungkook imagines

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high-stakes-gambler · 6 years ago

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Trust NPC: Teledji Adeledji

Selection: “You must truly be desperate to ask me for help.” Job: Merchant Prince (DPS) Weapons: Gun, Potions, Poisons/Debuffs

AI Behavior: Teledji Adeledji keeps his safe distance from any AoEs and he is quick to run to safety. If the player misses a treasure box, he will prompt them to pick it or go right at it and pick it without them. Prone to taunting the enemies and generate more enmity than normal DPS. Tanks be aware! Chances of obtaining additional items from the dungeon is slightly increased! Good for mob control for he will rain debuffs in AoE splash damage but he will do less damage on single targets.

Battle Lines:

• “With face as this, one would think your mother had dropped you in your wee years.” - Starting Attack Line • “Want to hear the oldest joke in the book? You!” - Using Specialty Skills, Variation 1 • “Not half-bad, hm?” - Using Specialty Skills, Variation 2 • “Don’t think it a favor for free.” - Assisting an ally

Limit Break:

• “Make way! Or don’t. It matters little to me.” - Using limit break with 1 bar • “I've got one more trick up my sleeve!” - Using limit break with 2 bars • “Time to cash in your chips!” - Using limit break with 3 bars

KO’d:

• “N-not... again!” - Variation 1 • “ T'was worth it…!” - Variation 2

Revived:

• “Ugh, I... may have gone too far, I admit.” - Variation 1 • “Y-you have my gratitude... - Variation 2

Tagged by: @spotofmummery thank you! I used your template too! Tagging: @little-ironworks @bloodsworn-marshal @zuraoftheblack @luathescholar @tiergan-vashir @tidusyumemiru @samurulantis @jasleh @trishelle @sunlitpeony @the-sultansworn-stationmaster anyone who wants to do it! Go for it, steal away! It’s a lot of fun!

#Tagged!#ty for the tag!#Teledji Adeledji #ye local lil shite :D #kinda tempted to do one for tulala too hmm!#ffxiv #lalafell

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verai-marcel · 6 years ago

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The Reality of Idle Fantasies (RDR2 Fanfic, 18+, Prisoner AU)

Summary: You had casually mentioned in passing that being with two men had been an idle fantasy of yours. Arthur listened. There’s only one man he’d trust to handle you as well as he does.

Author’s Notes: I chose not to write DP; this particular Reader-Insert doesn’t like anal… Yet.

Tags: Medium honor Arthur, Charles, D/s, gentle dom, spanking, blow jobs, rough sex, bondage, blindfold, roleplay, eiffel tower, modern AU

Find it on AO3 here.

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You lay in Arthur’s bed, blindfolded, your wrists tied behind your back. The sheets were soft against your skin, and you felt a little bit chilly with no clothes on, but you knew you wouldn’t be cold for long. Hushed voices were coming from the direction of the kitchen, and you tried to calm your frantically beating heart.

“You been a bad girl,” Arthur crooned. “Gettin’ in our way. Now you pay the price.”

“But since you’re a beautiful little thing, we’ll be gentle,” Charles said, his voice like velvet on your ears.

“Speak fer yourself,” Arthur mumbled.

You heard the two of them walk closer to the bed, and felt the bed dip as they both came closer to you. Oh god, this was happening, this was really, really happening.

***

“You got any other naughty fantasies you ain’t told me about?”

Arthur sat at your kitchen table, watching you cook some spaghetti. His question came out of nowhere, and you were momentarily stumped. By now, the two of you were pretty open about your sexual needs, and you found it refreshing, once you got past the initial embarrassment of talking about some of your more not-so-vanilla kinks.

“Well. Um. Have you…” You trailed off, and started gesticulating wildly, almost knocking the spoon out of the pot of tomato sauce. “Have you ever heard of an eiffel tower?”

Your face heated up as Arthur chuckled. “Of course I have. That somethin’ you interested in tryin’?”

Turning back to the stove, you stirred the sauce, watching it simmer. “Just an idle thought, I guess,” you mumbled.

“If you had the opportunity, would ya do it?”

You turned back to him. “Who would the third be?”

“Charles.”

You considered the thought. There were some nights when both Charles & Arthur would come by, bringing you take-out after their day at work ended and your shift happened to end at the same time. You had gotten to know him the past few weeks; he was a nice guy, had started to volunteer at the local animal shelter since his apartment complex didn’t allow pets, and was into archery.

And if you were honest with yourself, he had a nice, thick, muscular body, and a voice that could melt the panties off a woman in two seconds flat.

“I’ll think about it,” you finally said.

***

A few days after that conversation, Arthur brought it up again.

“You think about havin’ a third?”

“Yeah. But I think I could only do oral. I don’t want another man inside my pussy except you.”

“Hm. Okay.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. “What was the ‘hm’ for?”

Arthur cocked his head at you. “Yer not interested in anal?”

You shook your head.

“May I ask why?”

You looked away. “Um… never tried it, actually. It just seems… dirty. Like, physically dirty.”

“It ain’t so bad,” Arthur chuckled. “So for now, no butt stuff, got it.”

Side-eying him, you continued to fold your shirts while Arthur folded your pants. For whatever reason, the most sexual conversations the two of you had were while you both were working on the most domestic of things.

***

When the two of you finally started discussing the logistics and limits of your threeway, Arthur had jokingly suggested that the set-up could be that you had come home while they were robbing your place, and had tied you up and blindfolded you before punishing you. When your eyes glazed over at the thought, Arthur noticed and gave you a sultry grin before calling up Charles.

So now here you were, about to be ravished by two men.

As the two men shifted closer to you on the bed, your skin tingled and a heat pooled between your legs. Two pairs of hands started stroking your bare arms and legs, and you shivered with want. Laying on your side, you felt one of them sitting in front of you, the other behind.

One of them caressed your cheek and kissed your forehead; it was Charles. You could tell from his light scent, different from Arthur’s. He said to Arthur, "You're right, she is beautiful."

"I keep tellin' her that, but she never listens," Arthur replied. You could imagine the wry grin on his face.

"So that's why you punish her so much?"

"Until she learns."

"Maybe she needs a softer touch," Charles said as he massaged your scalp, making you feel relaxed. You could feel heat radiating from his body like a furnace. His hand caressed your cheek, and he pressed his thumb to your lips. You instinctively opened your mouth and started sucking on it.

"Good girl," he said in a hushed voice, humming as he felt your tongue swirl around his thumb. His other hand caressed your shoulder, your arm, then reached out to palm your breasts, his big, calloused hand enveloping them in warmth. Brushing your nipples, he leaned over and kissed your cheek as you moaned.

Arthur had been quiet, his hands gently stroking your legs this whole time, but then you felt him move behind you, his hands moving up to knead your ass.

Then he spanked you.

You yelped, and then Charles' hand was around your throat, holding you ever so gently. His fingers moved up and down the column of your neck, his thumb stroking your pulse.

Arthur spanked you again, and you gasped and whimpered. Then his fingers stroked your pussy, dipping in his fingertips just to tempt you into moving. You knew better.

"Wet already? You achin' to be my slut?"

"Yes Mr. Morgan," you begged.

"Such an obedient girl," he praised. "Show Mr. Smith how well trained your mouth is."

You felt Charles shift, felt the tip of his cock brush against your lips. You opened your mouth to take him in, and nearly gagged. He was thicker than Arthur; you relaxed your jaw and did your best to pleasure him with your tongue. You were rewarded with a deep moan as Charles wrapped his hands in your hair, pulling your head towards him as he moved you on his cock.

After a few minutes, he pulled away from you, letting you go as he leaned back. Arthur then rolled you onto your belly and grabbed your hips, forcing you up on your knees, your face in the mattress. Feeling the tip of his cock gliding along your nether lips, lubing himself up with your slick, he hummed.

"My dirty whore, takin' it from both ends. Open up for us, darlin'."

Arthur pulled at your arms, forcing you up so your upper body was parallel to the bed. You parted your lips, letting Charles thrust back into you as Arthur invaded you from behind. They both had their hands on you, forcing you still as they took their pleasure from your willing body. You moaned and whimpered, your mouth and pussy full of cock and you loved it.

Arthur spanked you as he fucked you, telling you what a naughty girl you were, while Charles guided you in how to suck him off, how to lick his shaft and tongue the head of his dick. He was such a gentle Dom, different from Arthur's hot and heavy ministrations.

You whimpered when Charles pulled away, gasping as Arthur wrapped one hand around your neck and pulled you further up, still taking you from behind while you were on your knees. He untied the blindfold, letting it fall away, and your first sight was of Charles, magnificent in his nudity, a thick, muscled man, stroking his giant cock. You instinctively leaned forward, wanting him in your mouth again, but you strained against Arthur’s hand on your throat.

“My horny slut, wantin’ more cock? Is that it? You want him in your mouth?”

“Yes, please Mr. Morgan,” you sobbed with need.

“I dunno. Maybe you should ask him,” Arthur teased as he let go of your neck, letting you fall face first onto the bed. Lifting you up by your hips, he shoved your body towards Charles, who was kneeling on the bed front of you. Arthur stopped moving inside you, opting to just warm his cock inside of you for now, as you looked up at Charles from your position, on your knees with your ass up in the air, your head resting on his thigh.

“Mr. Smith? May I please suck your dick? Please?”

Charles smiled and caressed you, his fingers running along your scalp so soothingly. “Of course, sweetheart.” He gently nudged his cock into your mouth and let you suck him, groaning as you licked the entire length of him slowly.

“I can’t take it,” he moaned, grabbing the back of your head with both hands and face fucking you, making you feel the power in his thighs as he pumped down your throat. Arthur started to shove into you again too, his cock stirring you up as he moved his hips in circles, forcing you to stretch for him.

You gagged and choked on Charles, his cock thicker than anyone else you had experienced. Arthur was longer though, as he continued to push deep inside you. When Charles pulled back once more, Arthur leaned over you so he could play with your clit, forcing you towards your peak. You panted and moaned, your eyes locked with Charles, who was watching you with a smoldering look as he stroked his cock.

Arthur kissed your cheek and nibbled on your earlobe. “Come for us, sweet girl. Show us how much you want this.” And he stroked your clit even faster, pumping his shaft inside of you. You thought you couldn’t take much more, and then Charles got closer and shoved his cock into your mouth once more.

An avalanche of pleasure roared through you as you came hard at the act of two men forcefully taking your body. Being used like this, being tied up and treated like a playtoy was so freeing that you almost passed out, your climax was so good and so intense.

“Gonna cover you in cum, darlin’,” Arthur growled as he pulled out of you and shoved you onto your back. Both men towered over you as you lay there, helpless with your hands tied behind your back. They stroked their cocks above you, looking down at you and breathing heavy, grabbing your breasts or your pussy as they pumped themselves, chasing ecstasy.

“Fuck,” Arthur moaned as he came first, grabbed a fistful of your hair and splattering all over your face and neck. He sat back and caught his breath as Charles took his turn, pulling your hair as he nudged your mouth open. Unlike Arthur, he pumped straight into your mouth as you sucked him dry, bobbing your head up and down as he came, making him shudder with pleasure.

“God, you’re good,” Charles rumbled as he pulled out and sat back, breathing hard.

You smiled. You knew you must look a mess, with cum dripping all over your face and neck.

Arthur looked at Charles.

Charles nodded at him. “You have this?”

“Of course,” Arthur scoffed.

“Alright.” Charles leaned in to kiss you on the one clean spot on your forehead. “I had a lot of fun. Thank you for inviting me.” He crawled off the bed and went to the bathroom to clean up. You lay back on the bed, your eyes beginning to droop close as Arthur crawled over to you and held you close, untying your wrists and massaging them; the rope had left some marks, not too bad, but still a bit red.

When Charles came back, he handed Arthur a washcloth to clean you up, and went to get water for both of you. As Arthur wiped you down, Charles quietly put his clothes back on, waved goodbye, and took off.

You looked at Arthur. “No cuddles?” you asked.

He pulled you closer as he gently kissed your temple. “Not from him. Aftercare is a very personal thing for us. I’m the only one who gets to give it to you.”

You nodded. It was a very intimate thing, even more so than the sex itself. As Arthur tucked both of you under the blanket and bundled you up in his embrace, you sighed happily.

Yes, only Arthur could give you this wonderful, soft feeling.

***

“So, you think you’d do that again?”

You were sitting at his kitchen counter next to him; he had finally bought a second bar stool so you two could actually sit next to each other and eat if you were at his place. The man knew how to cook a few basic meals, but they were really well seasoned, grilled to perfection. Staring down at your plate of roasted potatoes and grilled pork chop, you answered him.

“It was fun, but I think once was enough, just to have tried it. I like just being with you alone much more.”

Arthur laughed, sounding relieved. “Glad you said that, honestly.” He wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “I’d let you have anything, but I wasn’t gonna be happy about it.”

You leaned your head against his shoulder for a moment before going back to your food. As you chomped away, you glanced over at him, noticing him quietly going back to his food, and started rolling his words around your head. He always told you to be honest; but was he being 100% honest with you?

“When were you going to tell me that?”

Arthur was silent.

“Goddammit, if you want my trust, you’ll have to be a hundred percent forthcoming with me too,” you said as calmly as you could.

“I know, I know,” Arthur muttered. “I’m not a fan of sharing you, but I’ll do it every once in a while if it makes you happy.”

You looked at him.

He looked at you.

You raised an eyebrow at him.

He sighed. “Look, I know what I said. I’ve never lied to you, but I haven’t always told you everythin' that’s on my mind. I’m workin’ on it.”

You nodded. He was only human. The two of you could work on being fully open together. Thinking back to your first meeting, you thought of how he had cornered you, trapped you, forced you to think about things you hadn’t considered.

“So what the hell was our first time?” you asked, finally asking the question that had been percolating in the back of your mind all this time.

Arthur bowed his head. “That was wrong of me, I know. I’m sorry.” Then he looked back up at you. “But I had to have you, and you never said no. I asked you every time, and you never denied me. And you did text me after I left, when you coulda just forgotten about me.”

That was true. You had always been in full control, choosing to sneak away with Arthur whenever the opportunity arose. And that first time? You could have taken him down with the taser in your duty belt. Instead, you had uncuffed him and let him fuck your brains out. He even came inside of you, and you still went back to him for more.

You had chosen to give in from the very beginning. You had wanted him to dominate you, even if you hadn’t realized it in so many words at the time.

“Shit. You're right,” you finally said, calming down, understanding yourself a bit better.

He smiled. “Besides, I’ve seen you take down bigger men than me. I know that if you didn’t want me, you woulda kicked me in the nuts and dragged me back to my cell in cuffs.” Pulling you into his arms, he nuzzled your neck and breathed in your scent. “And honestly, I still woulda loved you if you had.”

Your eyes widened. “You… you loved me then?”

“Since the moment I laid eyes on you, sweet girl. Yer so strong, so beautiful; how could I not?”

You remember the first time he was brought in; you had just knocked down a prisoner, pinning him down on the ground, arms twisted behind his back to keep him subdued while two other officers helped cuff his ankles and wrists. You looked up to see another officer bringing in a new prisoner. Your eyes had met, and he had given you a lopsided grin. You had just glared.

For two months, he slowly got you to open up a bit more, and eventually, well, that night in the interrogation room happened. It was all a runaway train after that.

But looking at him now, his face beaming with a tender affection for you, his body surrounding you with a warmth and trust you had only dreamed of, you felt like nothing could touch you.

You didn’t regret a single thing.

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End Notes: Last one with these two for a while. I realized that the first part, Submit to Release, is quite a bit different from the rest of this series, so I tried to, uh, connect it a bit better here. Not sure if I pulled it off, but oh well. Next part: Charles x Vet!Reader!

Just want to give a couple of shout outs: @pixieisonline for helping me with my questions regarding BDSM, thank you so much! @dva-xo for being my beta reader, many thanks, my dear!

#arthur morgan #arthur x reader #charthur x reader #charles smith #rdr2 #rdr2 fanfic #fanfic #writing #smutty fanfic #nsft #prisoner AU #modern AU

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