#how do you make this compute in your brain

[henry7931]

You Signed A Contract Part I

Jeremy:

I wish I never met Don Hughes and I wish I never signed that stupid contract!! It sucks because I can’t even talk about everything after signing that non-disclosure too.

The last couple of months have been awful. Ever since I met Don while on my shift.

*FLASHBACK*

I’m a college student so I wait tables part time. And one afternoon I met Don, who sat at my table.

He was charismatic and you could tell that the guy has money. We chatted for a while, he asked me about my life.

By the end of his lunch, he said to me, “if you ever want to make a ridiculous amount of money—call me.”

He handed me his business card and went on with his day.

It took me about a day before I called Don’s number.

When I called he automatically knew it was me.

“Jeremy, I was hoping you would call.” 

“Yeah sorry it took me a little bit to get back to you.”

“Oh no! You’re perfectly fine!”

We talked for a few before he told me to meet him at an address.

When I arrived I was shocked to see that it was a McDonalds.

Don was waiting for me in a booth grinning.

“Well hello Jeremy.”

“Hi Don.”

“Come sit, you hungry?”

“I could eat.”

We grab food and Don basically laid everything out on the table.

“So I have an offer for you, let’s look at it as a short term form of employment.”

“Okay, I’m listening,” I say taking a fry.

At first I thought Don was about to pimp me out. But what he said next shocked me even more.

“So over the years, my company has grown into high technology. We’ve created things that only appear in movies. You’d be surprised by how advanced this world could actually be…”

He pauses and takes a deep breath, “so what I’m offering is this— a short term body exchange. 3 months and you get $500,000.”

I nearly spit out my drink, “wait repeat that?!?”

“We basically swap bodies for 3 months, I have your body, you have mine. No one outside my company knows about it. I’ll have a very lavish apartment for you to live in, all expenses paid. And then after 3 months, you get your body back and $500,000.”

I was shocked, I wasn’t sure what to say. I mean $500,000 is a lot of money.

“Is it safe?”

“Yes, it’s safe. This isn’t the first time I’ve used this machine. In fact, my company regularly swaps bodies within our staff. It can be fun.”

“So no other rules? I have your body and you have mine. You won’t do anything crazy with it will you?”

“Good god no! I just prefer to be inside a more youthful body at times. And to be completely honest, I just found you to be very handsome. If anything, this swap could be more of a liability for me…. So what do you say? We got a deal?”

Don pushed over a contract to me and I hesitate for a second.

“I know this is a lot Jeremy but just think. It’s only 3 months.”

“Fine, let do it,” I say picking up the pin and signing the document over.

“Great! Now let’s head to my car. The swap begins immediately.”

A fancy all black car pulls up and we get inside. All I could think about on the ride over was that Don’s body was about to be mine for 90 days straight.

I look at his older hands and feel my stomach turn. I feel anxious and all of the what ifs start to fill my brain. What this guy has some terminal disease? What if he backs out?

Ugh… I try think about anything else. And then we pull up to what looks like an abandoned building.

A giant guy comes up and greets us.

“Jeremy, this is Rocky. He’s my body guard but he’ll be with you the next 3 months.”

I shake Rocky’s hand as Don heads inside. Rocky gives me a wide grin and says, “It’s a pleasure, don’t stress. This isn’t Don’s first rodeo.”

“Can you tell I’m nervous?,” I say to him.

“Of course, but it’s worth it. I promise. And I’ll be with you.”

Hearing Rocky’s words gave me a little assurance.

I head inside with him and walk into the biggest laboratory I’ve ever seen. Computers, machines are everywhere and multiple scientists.

I get directed to go down a hallway where I find Don again.

He’s sitting by a giant machine with two helmets attached to it.

They ask me sit down in one of the chairs. A scientist straps one of the helmets on me. And then Don’s sits and they do the same to him.

“Here we go Jeremy! 1…2…3..”

I tighten my eyes and then….

Don:

Being a very wealthy businessman, I always get what I want. Even if it’s supposed to be unobtainable. Like this body for instance. Jeremy is just one of many bodies I’ve taken over.

And honestly I get tired of them after a couple of months. But what’s nice about having a younger body means, I can still run my board everyday.

All of the members are fully aware of my body swap shenanigans. But they don’t fuck with me, mainly because they know I’ll put them in a random body so quick…

Oops, I didn’t say that!

What I love about having a body like Jeremy here, is that I can get my work done and then have fun at night.

I’ll fuck whoever I want, party at any bar, and I especially love seeing a cute face in the morning.

I have several fetishes— I like younger guys, feet, dominating people… but getting a new body to explore feels like my dirtiest fetish. Just touching someone else’s cock, licking a strangers feet while using there mouth, hooking up with another guy who has no clue who I really am… fuck! I’m getting hard just thinking about it!!

What’s great about all of this is if I stay out all night, I know bodies like Jeremy here can handle it. All it takes is a little headache medicine and a Bloody Mary. And I’m back in business!!

Now I think this time, I’m going to take things a step further… starting out, I’m going to have some of my selective staff swap bodies with some handsome guys. They’ll be my personal house boys.

Where I tell them how I want to be pleasured and they listen. God, just imagine— I say footjob and some handsome hunk comes in to just jerk me off with a sexy pair of feet…

It’s settled, “Henry, find me 3 handsome guys in there 20s. Offer them swap contracts.”

“Yes sir,” say my loyal assistant.

“Also, I want them swapped with 3 willing employees. I’ll pay them stupid just to suck my cock on demand.”

“Right away— and sir?”

“Yes, Henry…”

“May I be one of those employees?”

I grinned at my assistant who looks so eager.

“Ohhh have you taken a liking to this body?,” I say to him.

Henry blushes and says, “ for you sir, I’ll be anyone just to make sure you’re happy.”

“Great, well I want a handsome frat boy. You’ll need to suck this daily,” I say pulling out my cock.

“Yes sir!,” he says to me and then runs off to get to work.

Man, I love being this rich!

[hanniebaeee]

Clueless: Plus One

Changbin x fem!reader

Warnings: suggestive content MDNI

Genre: work besties to lovers, fluff

Summary: You and Changbin work in the same office and are work besties. He's so in love with you, but he's totally afraid to cross that line. And then you ask him to be your plus one for a wedding.

Clueless Masterlist

It was a normal Monday morning at the office. Changbin was staring at his computer screen, trying to focus on his work while his eyes kept drifting towards you. Because today you were wearing that pretty white dress that looked so good on you.

And you were flitting over to him like a fairy, that little bounce in your step making his heart flutter. Your head cocked to the side as you gave him a sweet, innocent smile you always wore when you needed to unload.

You leaned over his desk, placing your arms on it letting the drama unfold.

"Bin, I need to vent," you whined. "You won’t believe the crap I’m dealing with right now."

Changbin felt his breath catch, because even though you both have been friends for years, and he was literally your emotional support human - damn, did he love being needed by you.

"Come on, let it all out," he said, pulling a chair for you to sit on.

---

Chan: Guys, we need to have an intervention for Bin.

Felix: We do?

Hyunjin: Dude, just tell her already. She’s like, right there.

Jeongin: You're literally her work husband. She'd be happy to hear it.

Minho: He’s hopeless.

Jisung: Okay, what’s the plan? We can’t have him turning into a simp for the rest of his life.

Changbin: I want to tell her, but she’s too... innocent. I don’t want to scare her away.

Felix: Oh my god. Bin, she wants you to make a move.

Chan: No, no, we need something strategic. You don't have to scare her.

Seungmin: Just ask her out to lunch. Keep it simple.

Minho: Get her one of those giant stuffed bears.

Felix: Actually, I think Minho hyung's right. Bin, buy her a stuffed animal, write her a sweet card, and then tell her how much you care.

Changbin: What if she doesn't feel that way?

Jisung: Bro. She’s into you. She's with you all the damn time.

Chan: She already knows, Changbin. She’s just waiting for you to take the first step. Stop overthinking it.

Changbin: You think she knows?!

Felix: YES, YES, YES, SHE KNOWS.

---

Meanwhile, you were completely lost in your own world, flapping your arms and pouting over the office drama you were dealing with. And once you finished your tirade, you let out a dramatic sigh and Changbin’s eyes softened. His hand reached out, patting yours gently.

You blinked up at him, noticing the way he was staring at you.

"What?" you asked, half-laughing, thinking you’d said something funny.

"Nothing," Changbin said quickly, snapping back to reality, his cheeks going pink.

Changbin had rehearsed in front of the mirror. Made Hyunjin even pretended to be you for him to practice. And he'd just built up the courage to tell you. But the moment your eyes met across the room, you were zooming towards him like an excited puppy.

"Changbin!" You bounced in excitement, grabbing his wrist, your fingers warm against his skin. "I have something to ask you! I need a plus one for my friend's wedding next weekend, and obviously, you're the only person I’d want to go with."

Changbin’s brain? Completely fried. His heart? Beating at an inhuman rate. His ability to form words? Gone.

"A w-w-wedding?" he stammered, eyes wide.

You laughed at his reaction, completely oblivious to the internal crisis you had just triggered.

"Yeah! It’ll be fun! Free food, an open bar, and we can totally judge people together. Please say yes? Please please please!!!"

Changbin could barely function as he nodded quickly like a bobble head doll.

"Y-yeah. Of course. Uh. Totally. Wedding. Yeah."

You beamed at him, squeezing his hand before skipping off to your desk, leaving him standing there like a short-circuited robot. The second you were out of sight, he lunged for his phone.

---

Changbin: GUYS. HELP. EMERGENCY. RED ALERT.

Hyunjin: LMAOOOO WTF NOW

Minho: Did she lean over your desk again?

Jeongin: Did she?

Felix: What happened, Binnie? Breathe, mate.

Changbin: SHE INVITED ME TO A WEDDING. AS. HER. PLUS. ONE.

Jisung: OH MY GOD

Hyunjin: THIS IS PERFECT!

Chan: Okay, calm down. Breathe. What exactly did she say?

Changbin: “Obviously, you're the only person I’d want to go with.” WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN???!

Seungmin: It means she wants to go with you, you dumbass.

Changbin: NO BUT LIKE. AS A FRIEND? OR IS THIS A THING?!?

Minho: It’s a date, you idiot.

Hyunjin: It’s giving ROMANTIC TENSION. It’s giving she wants you to rail her after the wedding.

Felix: HYUNJIN.

Jeongin: Oh my god.

Jisung: Binnie, listen. This is IT. This is your chance. Weddings are basically breeding grounds for romance. It’s scientifically proven.

Changbin: I CANNOT PROCESS THIS RIGHT NOW. HOW DO I ACT NORMAL?? HOW DO I NOT EMBARRASS MYSELF??

Chan: First of all, stop freaking out.

Seungmin: Second of all, do NOT overthink it. Just go, look hot, and vibe.

Minho: Third of all, make a move at the wedding. The atmosphere will be perfect.

Hyunjin: Bro, imagine slow dancing with her, looking into her eyes, and then whispering something smooth in her ear…

---

Changbin was literally hyperventilating, and the phone shook on his jittery hands.

---

Changbin: STOP I’M SWEATING

Felix: Okay, okay, let’s be practical. What are you gonna wear?

Changbin: WHAT DOES IT MATTER WHAT I WEAR I’M TOO BUSY DYING

Minho: No, Felix is right. You need to dress to seduce.

Jisung: I vote black suit. Tight. Tailored.

Hyunjin: Ohhh, and like, leave a few buttons undone. Chest slightly out.

Jeongin: Yup. Maximum thirst trap.

Chan: Okay but seriously, just be yourself. She already likes you.

Changbin: HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT???

Minho: SHE INVITED YOU AS HER DATE, CHANGBIN.

Seungmin: I have never seen someone so painfully unaware of being wanted.

Jisung: Can we get a camera crew to film this wedding? I need to witness everything in real time.

Hyunjin: Maybe Binnie will finally grow a pair and confess.

Changbin: I AM GOING TO SCREAM.

---

Changbin dropped his phone on his desk and exhaled sharply, running his hands down his face. This was happening. This was real.

Changbin wasn’t sure how he got here. One moment, he was reeling from your wedding invitation. The next, he was being dragged - literally dragged - through a high-end boutique as you picked out suits for him to try on.

You were in your element, flipping through jackets, touching fabrics, and occasionally holding up pieces against his chest with a concentrated pout. Changbin, on the other hand, was struggling to stay alive.

The worst part? You were so hands-on. Adjusting his collar. Running your fingers over his cuffs. Tugging at his jacket to make sure it fit properly. Each time you touched him, his brain went on a vacation. He was convinced he was going to drop dead in this fitting room.

---

Changbin: I AM NOT OKAY.

Hyunjin: How's it going?

Jisung: WHAT HAPPENED. DETAILS. NOW.

Changbin: SHE’S TOUCHING ME.

Felix: Oh my god.

Seungmin: LMAO

Jeongin: Kinda vague, bro. Need more context.

Changbin: SHE’S FIXING MY COLLAR. SHE’S ROLLING UP MY SLEEVES. SHE’S ADJUSTING THE DAMN CUFFS.

Chan: You’re so dramatic.

Minho: No, no, let him suffer. This is hilarious.

Changbin: SHE JUST RAN HER HANDS DOWN MY ARMS AND WENT “HMM, THIS FITS NICE.” I AM NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE WEDDING.

Hyunjin: SHE KNOWS. SHE ABSOLUTELY KNOWS.

Jisung: Confirmed. She’s torturing you on purpose.

Jisung: If you wanna follow Lix's path...it's the fitting room after all...

Felix: THERE IS NO PATH TO FOLLOW YOU MANIAC

Hyunjin: I agree with Ji 🤣

Chan: DON'T FLASH HER. I REPEAT, DON'T FLASH THE GIRL.

Seungmin: You could subtly drop a hint.

Changbin: WHAT IF SHE’S JUST BEING NICE?!?!

Minho: Bro.

Felix: BROOOOOOO.

Jeongin: THERE IS NO WAY. NO ONE IS THIS PHYSICALLY AFFECTIONATE BY ACCIDENT.

Hyunjin: SHE IS FLIRTING, YOU IDIOT. FLIRT BACK.

Jisung: BINNIE. LISTEN TO ME. IF A GIRL IS TOUCHING YOUR ARMS, ADJUSTING YOUR CLOTHES, AND LOOKING YOU UP AND DOWN WITH “HMM, THIS LOOKS GOOD” ENERGY, SHE WANTS YOU TO RAIL HER INTO THE FLOORBOARDS.

Changbin: I AM IN PUBLIC, YOU UNHINGED LUNATIC.

Felix: Can confirm. She’s flirting.

Changbin: But what if

Chan: STOP OVERTHINKING. SHE WANTS YOU.

---

Meanwhile, you were blissfully unaware of Changbin’s complete and utter breakdown. You turned, examining him in the mirror with a critical eye, tapping your chin.

"I don’t know, Binnie," you mused, stepping closer, your fingers slipping under the lapels of his jacket. "This one’s good, but I feel like we can do better."

“Yeah? Okay,” Changbin gulped, his entire body locking up.

You nodded and said, "Hmm. Maybe something darker? More fitted?"

You tugged at his lapels absentmindedly, smoothing them out before looking up at him.

"What do you think?"

"I-I...uh. Yeah. Sure." Changbin thought he might pass out.

You smiled, patting his chest. "Okay! Next one!"

As you spun away to grab another suit, Changbin slumped against the wall of the fitting room and sighed dramatically, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

---

Changbin: SHE. TOUCHED. MY. CHEST.

Hyunjin: OHH PSYCHOLOGICAL MOVE.

Jisung: IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER.

Minho: Bro is living a dream and still doesn’t get it.

Seungmin: If you don’t make a move at this wedding, I’m exiling you from this group forever.

Jeongin: Omg

Felix: Bin, mate, she’s literally dressing you up. This is it. This is your chance.

Chan: Just enjoy it. And for the love of god, STOP PANICKING.

---

Changbin inhaled sharply, watching as you approached with yet another suit. This one was black. Sleek. You held it up to him, smiling in satisfaction.

"This one," you said decisively. "I just know it."

Changbin groaned internally. He was so screwed.

Okay, so you were right. Changbin was dying. The suit was fitted, hugging his muscles in a way that felt borderline scandalous. The black fabric contrasted against his skin, and with the first few buttons of his shirt undone, he looked -

"Oh, my God." Changbin gulped.

"You okay in there?" you called.

No, I am NOT okay, I am experiencing a crisis because I want you to pin me against this fitting room wall, he wanted to say. But he wasn't Hyunjin. Or Minho for that matter.

"I’m fine!" he blurted, voice cracking. "Totally fine!"

"Lemme see, Binnie." He heard you giggle.

He stepped out slowly, and the second your eyes landed on him, your entire expression changed. Your mouth parted slightly. You blinked. And then you whistled.

"Wow, Changbin," you breathed, eyes raking over him. "This is the one."

He swallowed hard, shifting under your gaze. "Y-you think so?"

You nodded, stepping closer, your hands reaching for his cuffs - because of course you had to touch him again.

“Yeah," you murmured, adjusting them carefully. "This looks perfect on you."

Changbin thought he was going to pass out.

---

Changbin: *Sends a picture of himself in the said suit*

Hyunjin: HOT HOT HOT

Jisung: YOU LOOK HOT! SHE’S DROOLING, ISN’T SHE?

Minho: She’s probably imagining tearing that suit off you.

Seungmin: Or making you wear it to bed.

Changbin: I AM IN HELL.

Felix: You’re in a dressing room.

Changbin: SAME THING.

Jeongin: CHILL

---

Changbin had never had this much fun at a wedding in his entire life. The night had been perfect.

You clung to his arm dramatically when you saw an ex from college, whispering ridiculous insults into his ear. You had both rated every outfit in the visinity, and you had even whisked an extra dessert plate for Changbin when you saw the way he eyed the chocolate mousse.

And you dragged him onto the dance floor, laughing breathlessly as he spun you around like you were the only two people in the world.

God, he was so in love with you.

---

Jisung: STATUS UPDATE, NOW.

Hyunjin: Are you two making out yet??

Minho: Or have you found a dark corner to “talk” in?

Changbin: I AM TRYING TO SURVIVE THIS NIGHT, LEAVE ME ALONE.

Jeongin: So no dark corner? Disappointing.

Felix: Are you at least having fun?

Changbin: The best time.

Chan: Then why haven’t you CONFESSED YET???

Seungmin: Yeah, what’s your excuse?

Changbin: I’M WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT.

Jisung: YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR FIVE YEARS, BINNIE.

Hyunjin: DO IT. BEFORE WE SHOW UP OURSELVES.

---

By the time the wedding was over, Changbin felt warm - not just from the champagne, but because of you. You grinned up at him, swaying slightly as you both made your way back to the car. Every time your fingers brushed his, it sent sparks up his arm. And right to his heart.

This moment felt perfect.

“This was so much fun, Binnie,” you hummed, glancing at him. “Did you have a good time too?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I always have fun with you.”

You beamed at him, and he smiled, his heart doing some drastic flips. He loved you so damn much. And he needed to tell you that.

“Y/N…” He swallowed hard, and his hands clenched. “I…I need to tell you something.”

“What’s up?” You stopped walking, turning to face him fully.

He exhaled shakily. Okay. Okay. You got this, Bin.

“I…I really like you,” he blurted, his ears turning pink. “Like, really like you. And I’ve liked you for so long, but I didn’t know how to tell you. And I didn’t wanna ruin what we have, but -”

Changbin froze, and his words died on his lips. Because you were crying. Panic slammed into him, and he was on autopilot in a second.

“Oh, shit! Wait - are you okay? Did I -”

And then, before he could fully die, you hugged him. You wrapped your arms around him so tightly, pressing your face into his chest, and whispered, “I was so afraid to say anything.”

His breath hitched. What?

“This is the happiest day of my life,” you murmured. “Because I love you too, Binnie.”

Changbin’s soul left his body. He squeezed you back instantly, his heart nearly exploding.

“You do?”

You nodded against him, sniffling slightly. And all he could do was hold you, completely overwhelmed with relief, with joy, with love.

---

Changbin: Sooo…Chan hyung, I may have found a plus one for your wedding

Chan: Ok…?

Chan: Changbin, is everything ok?

Felix: Please. Don't tell me you put it off till Chan hyung's wedding.

Minho: You two are gonna be doing this till all of us get married at this point.

Seungmin: Let the man speak

Changbin: Thank you, but I'll be attending Chan hyung's wedding with my girlfriend 😎

Jisung: OH MY GODDDDDDDDD.

Hyunjin: THANK YOU. FINALLY.

Minho: Oh wow. Ok.

Felix: YESSSS BINNIEEEEE!!

Seungmin: Took you long enough, dumbass.

Jeongin: I’M SO HAPPY I CAN’T EVEN INSULT YOU RIGHT NOW.

Chan: Well, congratulations Bin!

Jisung: NOW KISS. KISS HER RIGHT NOW.

Hyunjin: Yes yes go

---

Changbin laughed breathlessly, shaking his head as he tucked his phone away. And got into the driver's seat.

He turned to look at you as you were pulling on your seat belt. You glanced at him, your eyes shining, your smile soft.

And with his heart bursting, he did exactly what Jisung demanded.

He kissed you.

Divider: @saradika-graphics

Tags: @moonchild9350 @velvetmoonlght @eastjonowhere @pixie-felix @sailor--sun @chancloud8 @captainchrisstan @hansmic @emilyywhyy @inlovewithstraykids @my-neurodivergent-world @nightmarenyxx @channie4lifeee143127 @hanadulsetaad

[sexhaver]

i like that my robotgirl post is still going around because the main people reblogging it this far out are the ones with an actual robot fetish, who tend to touch on two specific parts of the fetish ive never been able to get behind:

"can't you imagine a future where sentient robots aren't controlled by corporate overlords?" no, i cannot! this one has always baffled me because i get the motivation behind it, but, like, what person or organization is out here making sentient humanoid robots to send out into the world for shits and giggles? governments and companies wouldn't want to do it, and private individuals wouldn't have the resources to. "but that means these robots have free will but are still slaves to the company that made them" yes "that's horrifying" yes

"you idiot, i would be the robot!" no you wouldn't? if you are a human brain reading this then you are going to die as a human brain no matter what. your consciousness is not getting transferred to a computer, that's not how consciousness works. the closest you could possibly get would be transferring your physical brain to a cyborg body or Ship of Theseus-ing all of your non-brain body parts out to get the same effect, but 1. you would still be very much mortal and 2. actual robots would probably treat you like a "transracial" advocate if you called yourself a robot

[dollerin]

. 𝐏𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐔𝐀𝐑 (𝐎𝐓𝟖)

𝖻𝖾𝗀𝗀𝗂𝗇’ 𝗈𝗇 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗄𝗇𝖾𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝗉𝗈𝗉𝗎𝗅𝖺𝗋，𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍’𝗌 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖽𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗆，𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟.

ׂ ִ 𝐗𝐈𝐗. 𝖶𝖧𝖤𝖱𝖤𝖨𝖭， 𝖸𝖮𝖴 𝖬𝖠𝖪𝖤 𝖳𝖧𝖤𝖬 𝖥𝖠𝖫𝖫 𝖥𝖮𝖱 𝖸𝖮𝖴．． 𝖲𝖮𝖬𝖤𝖶𝖠𝖸， 𝖲𝖮𝖬𝖤𝖧𝖮𝖶. • 𝐩. 𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖾𝗓 𝗑 𝓇𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑔𝑖𝑟𝑙 ／𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 𝐠. 𝑠𝟤𝑙．𝑓𝘳𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠，𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐰. 𝗉𝗁𝗒𝗌𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝗍𝗈𝗎𝖼𝗁，𝗃𝗈𝗄𝖾𝗌．𝑒𝑡𝑐.

𝐐. 김홍중

working with HONGJOONG on your latest project had been a memorable experience for you both. the shared laughs, the tension-y moments, and even the “accidental” flirting. you could tell that he was attracted to you, but he was good at trying to hide it. he never wanted to admit how nervous you made him or how his heart would skip a beat whenever you leaned in close to him. you had a certain feel, a certain aura, that he just couldn’t resist.

“well, what do you think of this one? maddox and i tweaked some of the chords to give it a bossy kind of vibe.” joong explained, discussing the instrumental of your new song as you both sat in his studio.

you hummed, pretending to think for a moment. in reality, you weren’t really thinking about your songs then. you just couldn’t keep your eyes off of hongjoong.

he glanced over at you when you still hadn’t given him an answer.

“y/n?”

“it doesn’t really matter to me, just as long as you’re the one producing.” you said suddenly, making hongjoong’s eyes widen. his reaction made you chuckle a bit, seeing his ears turn a bright shade of red.

“i.. um, well,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

you moved your chair a bit closer to his, leaning in like you were waiting for a response. his breath hitched as he avoided your gaze, going back to looking at the computer.

“you are the one producing, right?”

“y..yeah…” he mumbled, fidgeting with his keyboard.

“good.” you smiled.

the next few minutes were silent but anything but normal. hongjoong’s nerves were sky-high as you both continued to discuss the process of your songs.

“can we just talk about the rest of the tracks over dinner? i’m getting a bit hungry,” you said, placing a hand on your stomach.

“really? i could order something—“ joong began, grabbing his phone.

“nah, it’s okay. my treat.” you flashed another smile, adding in a small wink before getting up to grab your coat.

𝐐. 박성화

SEONGHWA did not expect you to show up when his professor told him he’d be tutoring a student. he’d never held a conversation with you, and he didn’t want to.

you were known around the whole school and for whatever reason, everyone loved and adored you. you weren’t one of those arrogant, annoying, popular girls. you just liked to have fun.

you walk into your tutoring session with a confident stride, maybe a little too casually for seonghwa’s comfort. he silently cursed himself for ever agreeing to give tutoring lessons in the first place.

“so, are you the genius that’s fixing my grades, or—?” you ask, taking a seat next to him while adjusting your blouse.

he shifted in his seat, clearing his throat and avoiding your gaze, “uh, i guess.”

you hummed in response, placing your books on the table.

seonghwa did the same, placing his pens beside your things and taking out some paper.

“alright,” he sighs, putting his glasses on, which seemed to make him even more attractive.

“let’s start with something easy. if an object is dropped from a height of 50 meters, how long does it take to hit the ground? assume gravity is 9.8 m/s².” he says, pointing at your physics notes.

“um, about 3.19 seconds,” you glance at him and back a your writing.

he blinked for a moment, shocked that you would even know that off the top of your head.

“did you.. just guess that?”

“no, i used the formula.” you said casually.

brains and beauty? he was done for.

he leaned forward, pointing at the next problem set. “let’s try momentum. if i roll a 2kg ball at 5 m/s and it collides with a stationary 3 kg ball, how do you find the final velocity after impact?”

you adjusted yourself in your seat, moving closer to him to get a better look at the problem. it surprised him a bit, but he didn’t back away. the scent of your perfume almost hypnotizing him.

“well, you would have to use the conservation of momentum formula.”

he raised an eyebrow. “go on.”

you grabbed the pen from his fingers before quickly scribbling the problem down. hwa watches your handwriting, but then realizes how close you had gotten.

“so,” you whisper, looking up at him while batting your eyes slowly, “do i pass?”

“clearly you don’t need any tutoring,” he mumbled, glancing down at your lips for a moment.

you laughed, “well.. I wouldn’t say that. c’mon, ask me another question.”

“no, i think you know enough already.”

“okay, well at least let me buy you coffee? for tutoring me for ‘nothing’.” you placed your hand on his arm, feeling it tense up at the contact.

he looked at you through his frames, not wanting to say no to the slight pout on your face.

he sighed, “fine.”

𝐐. 정윤호

“i’m just saying, man. she’s not like anyone you’ve ever met.”

YUNHO raises an eyebrow as he helps wooyoung unload the bags from his trunk. “you’ve said that at least 3 times, woo. what’s so special about her?”

wooyoung smirks, grabbing the black duffel bag. “she’s rich.”

“so?” yunho scoffs, closing the trunk.

“she’s also effortlessly cool, ridiculously hot, and kind of a menace,” wooyoung lists, counting on his fingers. “but in a funny way. you’ll see.

“so.. you, but with a loaded bank account?”

before wooyoung could respond, a sleek white sedan pulled up next to the villa that you all would be staying in for the next week and a half.

you stepped out of the driver’s side, shades on and dressed as if you walked off of a high-end magazine shoot. knowing you, you probably were.

you smiled in wooyoung’s direction, jogging up to him to jump in his arms. he laughed, picking you up in his arms, hugging you back just as tightly.

yunho stood next to you both, looking around, confused.

wooyoung put you down before he introduced you to yunho.

“yunho, this is my gorgeous, cool, friend i was speaking to you about earlier.” he grinned.

you rolled your eyes at woo before turning to yunho, extending your hand. he took it, smiling softly.

“you’re cute.” you said, smiling innocently. yunho almost choked, causing wooyoung to cackle at him.

you walked away from the two, to grab your bags and head into the villa.

yunho stood there for a moment while wooyoung grabbed his things to head inside behind you.

“this is gonna be an interesting trip for you, brother.”

later in the evening, the rest of your friends arrived at your vacation home and you all decided to start the break off strong.

“we’re going out tonight, no excuses.” wooyoung clasped his hands together, grinning as he looked around at your friends. no one had finished unpacking but he could care less.

“didn’t realize we’d be partying before getting groceries.” yunho said, leaning back against the couch with his arms crossed.

wooyoung scoffed, waving him off.

before either of them could finish their thoughts, you came downstairs, heels in hand.

“can someone help me buckle these? they’re killing me,” you say, plopping on the couch next to yunho.

“sure,” he said, extending his arm, taking the heels from your hands. you looked over at him, almost surprised that he offered his help.

you lifted your leg, placing it on his lap so that he could slip the shoe onto your foot. his hand wrapped around your ankle, gently holding it in place as he strapped your shoe on.

“thanks,” you flashed a smile at him, making him look away from your gaze, mumbling a ‘no problem’.

𝐐. 강여상

as you walked into the cafe, you scanned the room for YEOSANG. it’s been years since you two last saw each other and it’s an unfamiliar feeling—like catching up with someone who’s both familiar and distant. you find him sitting in the back, fiddling with the edge of his cup. his posture is relaxed, but you can tell he’s in his own little world.

“hey,” you greet softly, smiling down at him. he looks up, startled for a moment before smiling back and standing up to hug you.

he wrapped his arms around you and all of the memories came rushing back. you still smelled like home, just a little more expensive now.

“hey, how are you?” he asked as you both settled down into your seats.

“i’m good. you?” you ask, placing a hand on his.

his gaze fell to where your hand was, as he bit his lip before responding, “uh, good, i guess. nothing.. nothing special.”

“how’s the boss life treating you?”

“eh, it’s nothing special either.” you shrug.

yeosang scoffed. “are you kidding? you’ve got everything you wanted. probably married, too.”

“hm, not exactly.” your eyes flickered to his, seeing him blink in confusion.

“you’re not married?”

“well, no. but i’m not talking about that, silly” you said chuckling, squeezing his hand gently. he definitely didn’t know what you were referring to, but you weren’t going to tell him straight up.

“i’ve missed you, y’know. you’re the only thing that’s missing.”

yeosang blinked again. you wanted him back in your life? you two were only ever childhood friends but you left when you turned 19 to turn to the city life, eventually becoming a boss in your own company. why would you ever want anything to do with him when you had all of that?

“come back to the city with me.” you said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“m-me? i barely even have enough to pay off my tuition, i don’t know if i can—“

“you’ll live with me. and you can have a position at the company, it’s already arranged.”

yeosang stared at you in shock. he didn’t know what to say. he wasn’t going to refuse, of course, but he didn’t expect you to do that for him.

“uh, sure, of course. but why?” he asked:

“i think you know why.”

𝐐. 최산

SAN noticed you the moment you stepped out onto the runway. the same way he notices you now.

cameras flash a celebrities, designers, and industry designers move through the grand venue, drinks in hand, exchanging air kisses and quiet deals over laughter.

it was another successful show in paris— san could tell by the way people were talking, voices buzzing with admiration over the designer’s latest collection.

models emerge from backstage, their post-show glow still fresh, moving seamlessly into the crowd. you’re among them, slipping into the space as if you belong there— because you do.

even after the runway, there’s something captivating about you and the way you move. you’re effortless, smooth confidence and lingering adrenaline still riding the high of the show.

“damn,” wooyoung muttered next to him.

san didn’t respond right away, too distracted by the way you glance over at him, your eyes meeting his.

then, just as smoothly, you break eye contact and turn back to your conversation, giggling up a storm with your colleagues.

he’s still watching you, when you finally move to start conversation elsewhere. you’re not in a rush, stopping here and there to exchange words with other designers, photographers, and fellow models.

san tells himself that he’s not staring, but wooyoung chuckling next to him says otherwise.

“you just gonna stand there, or—?”

but before he could finish, you made your way past them. not close enough to be obvious, but close enough that san catches the faint scent of your fragrance. rich, but sweet.

your gaze flickers to his for a split second, the corners of your mouth turning up slightly in a gentle smile.

and just as quickly, as you’d came, you were gone.

san exhaled sharply, letting out breath he didn’t know he was holding.

but later on, it doesn’t take long for him to be introduced to you.

as he’s speaking with another artist, the designer of the show politely interrupts, approaching him with a smile.

“san, there’s someone i’d like you to meet!” she says as she calls you over.

you walked over to where they stood, catching san’s gaze once more.

“y/n, this is choi san from ateez, san, this is—“

“i know,” he says, extending his hand. you smile, your fingers slipping into his with ease. your scent hit him again, and he could see the small details of your makeup, the subtle glow on your face and glitter that decorated your collarbone.

“i really think you two would be amazing together in a campaign. y/n, have you considered working with any idols?” the designer beamed.

you hum in amusement, “it depends. can idols keep up, mr. choi?”

“i guess you’ll have to find out for yourself.” he chuckled.

𝐐. 송민기

MINGI had almost regretted taking the job for the first few hours. his boss had sent him to watch over his daughter while he was away and to make sure she was safe from any hounding press people or insufferable fans.

the daughter that happened to be you. you were alluring to mingi, but absolutely irritating.

“do you have to follow me around like that?” you asked as you walked out of the dressing room of the boutique.

“unfortunately.”

“even to the dressing room?” you glanced back at him, smirking.

“outside of the dressing room.” he said flatly.

you hummed in response, “so you do have boundaries.”

he didn’t say anything, nearly resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

but after you spend nearly an hour in the boutique and trying (but failing) to lose mingi in the boutique, you accept that he’s impossible to shake, so you do what you do best and annoy him.

while you’re eyeing a diamond bracelet, you sneak a glance at him in the glass. he wore his usual unimpressed expression, dressed in all black with his hands tucked behind him.

“you’re good at this, mingi.” your voice was light and teasing.

“at what?”

“following me around and keeping me in line.. think you’d follow me if i ran off to italy for the weekend?”

“if it’s in my contract.”

you let out a loud sigh, “so devoted to your job, it’s kind of endearing.”

“it’s my job.” he repeated, clearly irritated by your constant teasing.

you turn back to the jewelry, “shame. i was gonna say you’d make a great boyfriend.”

that’s what got him. it was barely a reaction— but just a small, sharp inhale, the kind most people wouldn’t catch. and when you glance up, there’s the faintest bit of amusement in his face.

“did i say something wrong?” you turn around to blink your eyes up at him innocently. he just looks you up and down, barely able to conjure up a response.

𝐐. 정우영

you and WOOYOUNG have been friends for a while so his usual flirtatious comments don’t surprise you anymore. you had always made it clear that you weren’t interested, but he couldn’t help himself. he was head over heels for you.

you were at a small get together at a friend’s house, chatting with some others before wooyoung came up to you, casually draping an arm around you.

“look at you,” he says with a grin, his breath warm against your ear.

you lean away from him, rolling your eyes before take a small sip of your drink. “you say that every time we see each other, woo, it’s getting old.”

he raises his eyebrows, “getting old? i’m just being honest, sweetheart. i like what i see.”

you scoff before turning away from him.

“why’re you playing hard to get? this popularity thing is really changing you, y/n.”

you whip your head around, “i’m not playing hard to get, wooyoung, i simply said i’m not interested.”

but wooyoung wasn’t taking that for an answer. if anything, your stubbornness only made him want you more. before you became so independent and began working for yourself, you and him were inseparable. so close that people thought you were dating at one point.

wooyoung knew you felt the same way about him, but for some reason, things changed over time. you both grew apart. and it wasn’t one of those things where people grow apart because it’s normal, it was something else. something that wooyoung couldn’t figure out.

“that wouldn’t have been your answer if i asked you 6 years ago.” he said flatly, watching as your expression changed.

you swallowed hard, not wanting to say anything.

“call me when you wanna give up the cold girl act.” he mumbled before standing up to leave.

𝐐. 최종호

seeing you work with other colleagues in the meeting was infuriating to JONGHO. he wasn’t sure why but it annoyed him. you and him had a thing going on—you weren’t dating, but he was heavily attracted to you. as were you. you had grown closer to each other each time your companies met up in the conference room.

“you seem tense, jong.” you murmur, coming to stand behind him in his office as he looked out at the window displaying the busy city. you brought a hand up to rest on his back, small gesture but sent shivers up his spine.

he hummed, not moving from his place.

“can i ask why?”

he exhaled, “i’m tired of seeing you with everyone else and not me.”

“oh?” you smirked, amused by his straightforwardness.

he turned around, looking down at you before pulling you in closely.

“don’t act like that,” he said, flatly.

“like what?”

“like you don’t know what’s going on.”

you looked away for a moment, biting back a smile. jongho let you go, walking over to his desk to settle in his chair, leaning back and closing his eyes.

“you make me feel like i’m insane or something.” he mumbled.

“sorry, boss.” you chuckle, making him groan in irritation. you knew how jongho felt but it was entertaining to see him get so worked up any time your attention wasn’t on him for more than a minute.

💌 : apologies if this seems short or rushed, I’ve been working on this same fic for so long and it’s now almost 4 am……. if i made it any longer I would’ve went insane so pls js take it how it is.

[littlemissmentallyunstable]

bella PLEWSDE WRITE A GRAYSON HAWTHORNE BLURB OR WHAYEVER WITH READER WITH LOW IRON AND LIKE SHE ALMOST FAINTS BECAUSE THERES LITERALLY ZERO. ZERO FICS THAY HAVE THE READER WITH LOW IRON SO PPELAPSPESLLEPWDLEEL

AHHHHHH BELLE LET ME JUST BEGIN WITH AN APOLOGY BECAUSE I AM SO SO SO SO SORRY THIS FIC HAS TAKEN ME THREE BILLION YEARS TO GET AROUND TO WRITING!! THANK YOU FOR YOU REQUEST AND I PRAYYYY THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED…. (if not I will redo)

title: I’m fine

pairing: grayson hawthorne x reader

synopsis: a story where ‘I’m fine’ means ‘I’m totally not fine but I’m not going to admit that’

warnings: dizziness, fainting

a/n: dedicating this to the beautiful @midiosaamor 💖💖 ily <33

taglist: @lovethornes @whatsamongus @wish-i-were-heather @inmyheaddd @never-enough-novels @fleuriosa @midiosaamor @sweetreveriee @emelia07 @f4iry-bell @zaraaaabear @thoughtdaughter3 @benny1989fredd @elysianwayy77 @maybxlle @sheisntyou @anintellectualintellectual @aleatorio1234 @adalia-jaycee @off-to-the-r4ces @lyra-kane @reminiscentreader @lyrakanefanatic @imaseabear @elizaa31 @loveinalocket @lanterns-and-daydreams @hermesenthusiast @eternal--dream @shattered-glass-roses @book-nerd-emi @peppapigsposts @foreverwinter22

It only started as a headache, not bad enough to be classed as a migraine but bad enough to be considered more than your average headache. Still, I carried on typing the words out on my computer, my brain pulsating in pain.

I didn’t have time to rest off a headache, there was too much to do. I’d only started working four hours ago and if I didn’t get this done by tonight then my boss would not be happy. I mean it wasn’t exactly my fault she decided set me an assignment with a deadline on the same day but still, I had to work it all out and push through.

The tasks seemed endless, I typed word after word, in a state of not really registering what I was writing, just making the robotic movements to write. Clicking the keys and forming coherent sentences without anything being properly processed. It wasn’t unusual, I was used to my brain working faster than my body sometimes.

Still, my head throbbed on. For a second, I stopped the incessant tapping on my keyboard and pressed two fingertips softly to each temple. My hands were ice cold. I breathed in and out deeply a few times with my eyes shut before beginning to work again, praying a tiny reset would be what I needed. I knew I was lying to myself, I knew it would take more than that to soothe any pain but I carried on like I didn’t.

“Are you alright?”

As small gasp escaped my lips as I looked up to see Grayson standing in the doorframe, one hand at the top taking most of his weight. I wondered how long he’d been stood there and I hadn’t noticed.

“Mmmm,” I hummed in reply, going back to finish the sentence I was typing before I lost my train of thought. Then I looked back up at him again, “why?”

He walked in slowly looking at my face intently, “you look a little pale.”

He took my face into his palms and rubbed my cheek with his thumb. Small, gentle, long strokes, that made me lean into him further. I wanted to just curl up in his arms and sleep, but my work clearly had other ideas.

“Just a headache,” I brushed it off, pulling away from his touch reluctantly, “is there any aspirin?”

“There is,” he nodded slowly, his eyebrows pinching together in concern, “but I really think you ought to lay down if it’s this bad.”

“I don’t need to,” I shook my head stubbornly, standing up to look him dead in the eye, “I’m fine.”

What a lie.

“You don’t look fine,” he told me softly, the anxiety rippling across his perfected features. His hands curved around the small of my back and I tried to enjoy it instead of thinking about the throbbing of my head.

So despite my ache, I smiled, “well I feel fine.”

Sometimes I lied so easily and so well it worried me. I shouldn’t be this good at something so cruel. But maybe more than him, I was lying to myself to convince a part of me that I wasn’t as feeling as bad as I thought I felt.

Grayson gave me another worried glance, thumb running up and down the base of my spine rhythmically, the softness of his touch sending a chill through it.

“Have you eaten today?” he asked me, the tingling up my back dying down.

“Earlier,” I nodded, my eyes flicking the time in the bottom corner of my screen realising my ‘earlier’ actually meant six hours ago. On cue, my stomach seized in a hungry protest, sending a tight knot like sensation across my abdomen. I prayed it wouldn’t grumble, betraying my lies to Gray.

“I haven’t seen you eat or-“

“Stop the fussing,” I grinned to bear it, “I’m fine, just need a tablet and some water.”

“Maybe lay off the work then,” he suggested, cocking his head towards my computer screen.

“Grayson I need to get this done,” I sighed gently, “a little headache can’t stop me.”

“Okay…” he said unsurely, hesitating for a few seconds.

“Stop worrying,” I forced a laugh through my searing brain, glancing up at him and looking through those truth-reeling gray eyes.

“I’m not,” his right hand twitches at my side. Liar. “Sit down and I’ll go and get you the aspirin, okay?”

“Okay then,” I nodded, sitting down. Another chill ran through my spine, though this time it was because of the empty place left where his hands had just been.

I took a few more deep breaths, feeling a little out of it all of a sudden. It was like I was in the room but I wasn’t at the same time. I closed my eyes and let the weight of my skull fall into my palms, breathing even deeper, heavier.

I let myself hang, like a lifeless marionette forgotten by her puppeteer, everything leaden and dopey. When I heard Grayson coming back and quickly opened my eyes and sat up a little bit straighter. If he saw me like that he’d get stressed and that’s the last he needed. It was only a headache after all.

Just a really bad headache.

“Thank you,” I kissed him on the cheek as he passed me the aspirin pill and a glass of water.

He cupped my face in his hands, “you promise me you’re fine?”

“I promise promise promise you,” I whispered, feigning another smile. My jaw was starting to ache. I don’t know it’s it from the guilt of lying or the forceful action of smiling or maybe it was just the headache transferring.

I took the tablet between my fingertips and put it at the back of my mouth before swallowing it quickly with water. I shivered afterwards. I hate taking tablets.

Grayson squeezed my shoulders softly, “do you want me to stay here?”

“Didn’t I just ‘promise promise promise’ you I was fine?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

He looked at me and sighed. Worry ran riot across his eyes, swirling anxious thoughts into pools of grey. How bad did I look?

“I haven’t got much work left to do, okay?” I said, “I just need to get through this.”

He took his time walking out and although I didn’t look at him I was convinced he kept looking back every through steps to check on me. Finally he left and I downed the glass of water.

I sat still for a moment, analysing how I felt. I didn’t think it was possible but my head had worsened. I internally groaned as dread filled my body. It wasn’t supposed to worsen. I prayed the tablet would kick in, after all I hadn’t really given it a chance.

I took a long breath out and continued tapping away at the keypad. After a while the continuous clicking and clacking was beginning to irritate me. Like an itch I couldn’t quite scratch. My already pounding head felt pounded with the small noises over and over like they were making a mockery of it. Still I continued, there wasn’t much left now and if I could just finish it l, all would be okay.

After about a billion spell checks - seriously why does psychology have a ‘p’ and ‘h’ in it, it’s so irrelevant - I thought I might be ready to finish when I realised I’d missed a whole section.

By now my head was almost unbearable. Torturous agony was creeping up behind my eye now as well as the front of my head. A whole section felt like it would be the death of me. And I’d noticed something weirdly unnatural about my breathing. Every breath in didn’t feel like enough oxygen. So I began to breathe more deeply and when that wasn’t working, more quickly.

That only fuelled my rising panic about the weird nature of these symptoms. They were familiar. Why couldn’t I breathe normally? What was wrong? Maybe it was more than a headache? Questions raced through my head faster than it had time to process them all.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

My head pounded on and like the idiot that I am, I carried on writing. My vision blurred out for a fraction of a second then cleared shortly after. I rubbed my eyes. It was just the screen. Just the screen.

It happened a few more times, so I cleaned my glasses with the bottom of my jumper for good measure. More notes, more notes, more notes, more notes. I quickly hit save in the document for fear if my computer crashed I would lose it all. I sighed as I then went to drink from my water glass only to realise it was empty.

“Gray!” I yelled, “could you grab me another glass of water please?”

I barely registered his reply, my only focus being the stupid piece of work. ‘I can last a little longer’ I repeated over and over in my mind. Until I was bored. Until I was delirious. Until I was too brain dead to care.

I could hear Grayson approaching so got up to meet him at the door. I wanted a ten second break from staring straight at the glowing screen. Suddenly, mid step, I stumbled. Straight away Grayson had one hand around the small of my back gripping tightly and the another on my upper arm, steadying me. I try to laugh it off as a I mistake but even that sounded weak.

“Woah sweetheart,” he said, his hold firmer as he set me straight, “what’s going on?”

“I’m fine,” I shrugged, trying to get back to my chair, my legs feeling too much like jelly for my liking.

I could see he didn’t believe me completely, he didn’t have to say a word. Grayson, instead, took me in his arms. I couldn’t ask to sit down after that, then I’d be admitting that something was wrong. So I stayed standing, my body against his. The only thing holding me up was him.

He looked at me, tender eyed and consumed with concern, “you’re clearly not my love.”

“Gray, I just tripped,” I said smoothly, praying he’d let me twist the truth as I tried to stop my legs from shaking.

“Don’t lie to me,” he murmured in a low voice, curling his other arm around my waist for support.

“I’m not lying,” I shrugged, continuing to be in denial as I gripped to his shirt so tightly my knuckles went white, “I’m fine.”

As soon as the words left my lips everything spun. I closed my eyes and pressed my head against his chest, hoping it would all just go away. My feet swayed a little and panic seized my throat at the unsteadiness. I made a choked sound, halfway between a gasp and a silent scream.

“It’s okay,” Grayson whispered softly, “I’ve got you.” He brought a hand up through the back of my hair and gently held onto the back of my head to steady it.

“Dizzy,” I murmured into him, my voice slurred and slowed. I felt so out of it.

We stayed like that for I don’t know how long. My concept of time was as hazy as my vision. I just remembered staying very still, Grayson’s hands not leaving my body and how hard my forehead was pressed against him.

After a while, I tried to stand back on my own, thinking the dizzy spell was over but as soon as I did the room became a whirlpool of colours and blob-ish shapes. I felt myself lose my footing completely and before I knew it was falling backwards.

Strong arms tensed around my torso and quickly caught me, “oh sweetheart,” I heard Grayson say as he safely lowered me to the ground.

My legs became lifeless pieces of flesh, heavy as led but weak as a flimsy childhood doll. My head felt heavy in his lap as it pounded on. I sewed my eyes shut, it helped a little with the dizziness. His cold fingers tentatively touched my forehead and I leant into them ever so slightly with what energy I had left.

“I’m going to carry you to bed,” he told me gently, as I felt one arm around my back and the other under my legs.

“But my work-“ I groaned, feeling a little nauseated from the dizziness.

He held me tightly, “no sweetheart, forget about work, you need to rest.”

I didn’t reply and instead feebly gripped my deadened limbs around his neck and prayed for all of this to just go away.

“Gray,” I murmured into his chest.

“Yeah?”

“I’m not fine,” I said, somewhere between a sob and mumble.

“I know sweetheart,” he whispered, pressing a shaky kiss on my temple, “I know.”

He scooped me into his arms and carried me to the bedroom, laying me on the bed, before tucking me under the covers. Not letting go of my hand, that gripped him so tightly I don’t know how he didn’t complain. I heard him dialling a number.

“Who are you calling?” I slurred.

“Someone to come and help you,” he responded swiftly.

“Mhmm,” I could only muster in response.

His thumb rubbed circles up and down my hand, “I’m going to stay right here okay?” he comforted, “can you still hear me?”

“Don’t go,” I whispered, feeling quite pathetic but not self-conscience enough to care.

“No I’m staying sweetheart,” he squeezed my palm in his, “I’m staying.”

My eyes fluttered open as my head lazily lolled to one side, “I’m dizzy,” I groaned, not remembering if I’d mentioned already.

“I know,” Grayson whispered, a hand pushing my hair out of the way, “I know.”

“Can I rest my eyes?” I asked him, closing them anyway.

“No, you can’t go to sleep,” he told me.

“No just rest my eyes…” I trailed off, pausing for a long while, my train of thought wavering, “…to stop the spinning.”

“Squeeze my hand every three seconds then,” he said, “so I know you’re awake.”

“Deal,” I barely managed to whisper before I felt the need to increase my breathing rate. It felt like there wasn’t enough oxygen in my system.

I squeezed his hand every three seconds, just about keeping track of the numbers. But with every squeeze I could feel myself growing weaker and weaker, like all of my energy was being drained slowly and mercilessly. The only thing that kept me from closing my eyes was Grayson’s gentle touches. His soft fingertips trailing over my face, tracing the contours or drawing spirals on my upper arms and neck.

I opened my eyes for a moment, when the darkness was just as bad as the light, when I felt dizzy no matter whether my eyes were closed or open. Things blurred and cleared, darkened and became normal again over and over and over. Until, a piercing ringing coursed through my ears and everything other sound seemed to be submerged under water. I knew what that meant I was close to.

“Gray,” I murmured shakily.

“Yes?”

“I’m going to pass out,” I told him, a single tear trailing its way down my cheek, “I can feel it.”

I knew the signs well enough and every sign was pointing that way.

“It’s okay,” he said, positioning himself behind me, so my back was pressed against his torso and he could support my head, “I’ve got you.”

“I don’t want to pass out,” I sobbed, black spots dancing across my vision in mockery.

The worst part is always before you passed out because when you’re out you feel and remember nothing. But before, you know what’s coming and you know you can’t stop it.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” he mumbled into my hair, slowly, comfortingly, “you’re safe, if you need to pass out, you can and your body will, whether you like it or not.”

My hands were shaking, fingers rocking back and forth, bumping into one another clumsily, “I’m scared,” I said between uneven breaths.

I grabbed Grayson’s forearm to attempt to still them, my fingers so brutally desperate in their clinging that they constricted his blood flow. No matter how many times I’d passed out,, I always felt just as scared.

“You don’t need to be scared,” he soothed gently, “I’ve got you, I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”

“You promise,” I panted, looking up at him, chest rising up and down harshly.

“I promise,” he leant down and planted a sweet of kiss on my nose.

I kept looking up, until his gray eyes clouded with dark spots, until calm expression replaced with an endless see of nothingness, until the whisperings of sweet words ceased. My breathing was heavy, growing heavier by the second and then… then there was black.

***

I felt thick and heavy with drowsiness. My body felt so weighted it ached. My back was against the mattress, my head flat on the pillow, I was anchored to my bed. The covers had been adjusted to just under my neck and I could feel someone’s hand in mine.

I winced as I opened my eyes, the light attacking them too viciously. Immediately Grayson dimmed it down, holding my cheek tentatively in his palm.

“Hey sweetheart,” he whispered, kissing my forehead.

“Gray?”

He traced a soft thumb over the bone where my eyebrow sat as he asked, “how are you feeling?”

“Tired,” I mumbled, stifling a yawn.

“Here,” he said gently, “have some water.”

Slowly he helped me prop myself up, his hand pressed up against my back, the other tipping the glass towards my lips. I swallowed, the water feeling odd against the dryness of my throat.

“How long was I out for?” I coughed.

“Only a bit,” he said, laying me back down, “the doctors have come and gone, they say you’ll be okay with some rest.”

“Why did I pass out?” I asked tiredly, “do they know?”

“You hadn’t taken your iron tablets in three days,” Grayson explained, cocking his head towards my table.

I glanced to my bedside and gasped. Three days worth of unconsumed tablets sat there. I never usually forgot, one day maybe but three whole days. That was unheard of. Guilt permeated me, all the stress I’d probably put Grayson under could’ve been entirely prevented.

“I must’ve forgotten,” I sighed leaning deeper into my pillow, “work has just been so hectic lately and-“

“Hey, hey, hey, I didn’t tell you to worry you, I told you so you wouldn’t overthink what was wrong,” he said softly, “but it’s okay, you’re okay, that’s all that matters.”

“But it’s not okay because it’s all my fault,” I bursted into tears, the shock wave of random emotion leaving me senseless, “I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you I wasn’t fine and then I just passed out and that probably really stressed you out and I could’ve stopped all of that if I’d just taken the stupid tablets.”

“Sweetheart,” he pressed a palm flat on my chest, “breathe, it’s okay.”

His voice was the constant in my current of chaotic overthinking. This had happened before many times, my low iron deficiency had always been an issue, but even the very first time I’d passed out he was so much calmer than I’d expected.

He kept calm for me.

“God I feel like an idiot,” I choked out a pathetic laugh, wiping my eyes roughly with the back of my hand.

“You’re not an idiot, love,” he soothed, taking my hand gently into his and replacing with with the pad of his thumb, as he gently wiped away the tears that were left, “it happens.”

“It shouldn’t happen,” I shook my head defiantly.

I don’t forget things. I never forget things.

“Hey,” Grayson said, “look at me, you’re fine, I’m fine and that’s all that’s important.”

He held my face in his palms and looked at me like I meant the world.

“I’m sorry,” I let the weight of my head fall into his hands, taking the ache from my neck.

“Don’t apologise,” he said, “there’s no need for you to, just relax.”

I closed my eyes, his palm warm and comforting against my cheek. His fingers found their way to the top of my head, soothingly running through my hair over my scalp.

“Do you want me to get in with you?” he asked.

I nodded sleepily and watched as he slipped into the bed beside me. I was quick to snuggle close, intertwining my legs with his and burying my face into his chest. I inhaled and exhaled slowly.

“You okay, sweetheart?” he whispered in a low voice in my ear as his arms curved around my waist.

“Tired,” I mumbled.

“It’s okay,” he ushered, “you can go to sleep.”

“What if you go?” I asked, like a child.

“I won’t, I promise,” Grayson said, “I’ll stay here with you.”

I smiled to myself, and squeezed his arm, “I love you,” I murmured, “so much.”

“I love you too sweetheart,” he planted a kiss on the top of my head, “more than this world. Get some rest now.”

So I shut my eyes and fell longingly into sleep’s arms.

a/n: hope you enjoyed guys, sorry I haven’t posted much 💖💖

TIG masterlist

[walkingnearfoxes]

The Space Between the Lines (Homelander x Reader) - Chapter 3

1.7k words. 18+. Warnings for stalking and the Homelander being horny. She/Her Teacher Reader. 

There are a dozen teachers who would kill for this job. You’re just not sure that you’re one of them.

The Homelander had been watching you for weeks.

He didn't have much of a choice. He clearly couldn't trust Ashley and her merry band of mediocrity to pick an educator for Ryan. These "teachers" brought to him were either idiots, ugly as goddamn sin, or too busy shitting their pants at the sight of him to educate his son. One bald and sweaty winner was all three; he took care of that one. That dumbass wouldn't be teaching anyone any time soon.

Clearly, to ensure the best possible future for his son, the Homelander needed to step in. He looked at the curriculum. He re-mapped the lessons with wide-eyed instructional designers. He looked at the resumes. He burned the resumes. He asked Ashley whether she was picking these fuckers out of the sewers or the prisons.

And then, to her luck, she found you.

At first, he wasn't very impressed. You were young, first of all. Educated, sure. Cute, even. But young. Weren’t the best teachers supposed to be ancient? Set in their ways?

"She won an award for education, sir," Ashley had offered at his evident ambivalence. Your file was displayed across the screens of the conference room. The Homelander sat back in his usual chair, gloved fingers drumming at the arms.

He rolled his eyes. "Did she win by having a fucking pulse? Honestly, Ashley, after the zombies you sent me-"

But then she clicked on the video that came with your award profile. It showed a clip of one of your lessons - an introduction to the War of 1812 with a rambunctious group of middle schoolers. He would have fried them immediately, but you were the image of calm. 

It was the way you held yourself that caught his attention. You had energy, but you were always in control. You answered each question the little shits had for you concisely and even joked with one or two of them. When a student reached for the cell phone bulging in their jean pocket, your glare across the room was enough to stop them and give you a mumbled apology.

You cared. You cared deeply.

He stared at the screen for another minute, his gaze following you across the screen. Finally, he nodded. "Bring her in."

Ashley looked like she might just come from relief. "Absolutely, sir," She breathed and turned to the computer for all of two seconds before her dirt brain got distracted. "I-I should mention, she doesn't have a background in math or science-"

"Oh, boo hoo." The Homelander drawled as he stood. "Now we won't know how a plant fucks itself. Half that shit isn't real, Ashley. Just bring her in."

He didn't take part in the interviews. He had actual work to do and lives to save. The notes that Ashley gave him were all things he already knew. You were quick, intelligent, and wanted to make a difference. No shit. He didn't need an hour-long conversation to know that. He knew that keeping an eye on you was much better than any performance task. He did the actual work.

It was comical to him how little people paid attention. He was invisible to all the ants if he didn't want to be spotted. He easily flew from building to building, neighborhood to neighborhood, all to learn more about cute, unsuspecting little you. You weren’t hard to find; Vought had all of your information before you even applied.

His findings were boring as fuck at first. You had a small group of friends, you read all the fucking time, but you kept yourself in shape. He appreciated the last part, at least. But you weren’t as refreshing as he thought you would be from the teaching video. The only thing that slightly caught his curiosity was the mysterious relationship to your family. Your mother called about twice a week - sometimes more. From his x-ray vision and superior hearing through the ancient walls of your apartment, he learned enough to know your family didn't live far away, but you made no effort to visit them. Every time your mother called, he saw your lips thin and your eyes narrow. You usually were doing something else while speaking to her - browsing the Internet, pacing the living room, even punching a pillow. Why, he wondered? Maybe mommy and daddy were neglectful of you. A favored sibling, maybe? Drugs? There are limitless possibilities, but you never spoke about it to anyone. Was it a minor issue then, or were you so selfless that you didn't want to bother anyone with your problems? His mind drifted to the matter more than once. He didn’t quite comprehend what would make someone distance themselves from their blood when it was so close at hand.

Then, there was the run.

You very stupidly liked to go for runs at night. Alone. With headphones on. It was like you were asking to be gutted. Sure enough, only about two weeks into his watch, a mindless oaf of a man found you at a stoplight. From his standing perch on a nearby rooftop, his body cloaked in shadow, the Homelander rolled his eyes. 

Was he going to have to save you already? Christ.

But then, he noticed your movements. The man was to your back, but you had already turned off your music and lowered your headphones. You already knew he was there. 

"You lost, baby girl?" The man murmured, stopping a mere five inches from your back. "I can bring ya home and warm ya up..."

You turned to look at him, and the smile on your face - a grin full of teeth - wasn't polite. It was a warning. "I'm just fine, buddy. Now walk away."

The man bristled - he had a good foot of height on you and about three times the fucking body mass - but then your smile disappeared. The Homelander saw the way your eyes changed. There was something darker. Something he was intimately familiar with.

The man swallowed, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and shuffled backward. "Right. Sorry. Ma'am."

You watched him for a long moment, ensuring he truthfully intended to leave you alone. Once you were sure, the Homelander watched as you put your headphones back in and carried on as if nothing had happened.

Oh.

Oh.

You weren't just a cute little teacher. There was something else.

His lips twitched upwards in approval. There was another twitch down south, but that wasn't too surprising. He’d always admired strong women. He could take care of that later; the few “accidental” peaks of you in your shower had given him plenty of material.

So, he told Ashley to hire you and continued to keep an eye on you. It wasn't out of surveillance now; it was out of curiosity. He didn't see another glimpse of that side of you again, but that would come with time. You weren't perfect. Your clothes were boring, you couldn't nail down a signature scent, and he loathed your roommate.

But that look. He could do something with that look.

And so he sat and watched as you taught his son. He had to admit that you were good. Ryan was paying attention, and he was smiling. He was smiling a little too much - he certainly never smiled that much with him - but what was important was that he was learning. What was also important was that you were slowly becoming more at ease. You had stopped your adorably nervous glances at him about 20 minutes ago, and adrenaline had stopped obnoxiously pumping through your body. He could barely detect the scent anymore. 

You were explaining how the colonists had grown independent from Britain when Ryan's brows began furrowing.

You, the diligent educator that you are, notice right away. "What's up?"

"I'm...a little confused," Ryan admits.

You smile encouragingly. "Well, share with the class. It's my job to help with that."

Ryan points to his textbook. The Homelander can see from across the table that he's touching an image of a plantation. "You said George Washington had slaves?"

You hesitate, and your eyes move to glance at the Homelander. He says nothing, the same polite smile on his face. You look back to Ryan. "That's right."

Ryan's frown deepens. "He wanted the colonies to be free but he had slaves?"

Uh oh.

The Homelander laughs, and it's the first sound he's made this entire lesson. Ryan meets his eyes immediately, and you barely mask a flinch. "Whoa there, buddy," He says, standing up from his place at the table. "It's a little more complicated than that."

There's barely a beat after his words before you reply. "Yeah, their whole idea of freedom is a bit...convoluted."

The Homelander blinks and raises a brow. "What do you mean, teach?"

Your smile is polite, but your eyes are a bit less so. "I mean that Ryan is making a good point. It's a bit hypocritical."

He scoffs and steps forward, his hands moving to his hips. "Are you calling our founding father a hypocrite?"

There it is. There's that look in your eye. Without missing a beat, you nod your head. "Yes."

He hadn’t expected to see it again so soon - certainly not directed at him. But there it is.

There is a long silence interrupted only by Ryan's fingers anxiously tapping against the table. It's death to the Homelander's eardrums, but he doesn't care. He's staring at you, waiting for you to flinch or murmur an apology like all those other mudpeople did. You don't.

"Well, on that exciting note, I think we can call it for today," He announces, turning to give his son a warm smile. "Ryan, you earned yourself some Tournament of Heroes time."

Ryan turns to look at you - a decision that makes the Homelander's fists clench on his hips - and you smile back at the boy. "Same time tomorrow?"

Ryan smiles shyly back. "Yeah. Definitely." He stands up slowly, closes his notebook, and looks at his father. "Do you wanna come play, Dad?"

The Homelander grins. "Sure thing. You set up the VS5 and I'll be there in a jiff," But he looks back at you with a wink. "I just gotta have a word with Miss Benedict Arnold here before she rushes out on me."

The way your pulse skyrockets makes his heart sing.

[lilacsandstone]

making this its own post bc it ended up longer than i expected lol

a few months ago i made a post theorizing abt mumbo's lore for s10 and in retrospect the conclusion even based on ep 39 was pretty obvious However i still predicted it so yay

now onto some smaller theories ive been thinking abt since the lore drop:

i am a grumbot s10 truther. esp after all the lore in s9 with the empires crossover!! it might be a reach but i think ultimately the huge computer mumbo's building is going to be s10's version of grumbot

he hasn't kept his database updated but i'm wondering if when he built it he meant for it to connect to the computer? as like part of his memory

the main thing i'm getting tripped up on is why is there a chicken involved??? there's no way it's going to go fully according to plan, and iirc in the video he a few times describes the computer as housing his consciousness instead of a way to transfer it to something else. my gut feeling is he's going to upload his brain to the computer for the transfer, only to get stuck inside the computer. that or grian's going to get involved and complicate things lol

on the topic of grian. yes i think he's going to be part of this lore somehow. and totally not because i miss s7 and i'm delusional. the missing waffle from the start of the season just feels like a chekov's gun situation to me. like if he isn't involved in the lore AT ALL then why bother removing the waffle from the mc skin? he started aging as soon as it was gone. he had gotten it originally to replace his own soul. something happened that took grian's soul out of him, making him age rapidly/making him mortal. something is here and theres still pieces missing and its driving me crazy hgjfdg

im thinking about his starter base now too. incredibly convoluted, a home that is unreachable from the outside--you need to be (re)born into it. surrender your mortal possessions so they can be stored separately, giving yourself access to a previously locked door. meticulously end your own life to recreate a message that only you can understand. your consciousness is transferred to an enclosed, suspended space (a sort of cloud?). you can access your belongings for as long as you stay inside. mumbo's starter base wasn't separate from magic mountain row. it was the prototype.

and if you don't believe me about the bases being connected. while writing this i have picked up another piece of the puzzle. back in episode 3 of mumbo's s10, he mentions the comments were calling the mothball an impossible build structurally. do you remember what he did to make it "structurally sound?" CHICKENS. he put leads on chickens and tied the leads around fences on the support beam to look like tension cables.

so why did he abandon the mothball for this new computer? iirc, he started getting annoyed about having to remove his items each time, and not being able to access his stuff without dying each time first. there wasn't enough space in the mothball, and his items were getting stored outside instead. very inefficient. but most importantly: the structural chickens died. after that point, the mothball "fell".

so knowing that now, how is he planning on keeping this chicken alive once he puts his consciousness into it?

well! since grian is apparently the key to immortality, mumbo is putting his consciousness into poultry man.

(lmao jk for that last one could you imagine)

if you guys have any of ur own ideas/theories feel free to add onto this!! im so excited for him to reveal more of the story he's going for :D

[rainbowolfe]

yall really liked this one-- sure, i'll yap. Took awhile cause I started rambling about tangentially related things and it got too long.

Tagging since you guys asked too: @normal-about-the-dca @engel-hageshii

so.... the knock-knock joke is actually not where this thought process starts, its where it ends. Its more of a "in hindsight" observation. I've had Big Thoughts™ since reading Tales From the Pizzaplex.

thoughts i've kept to myself because they are not the thoughts the popular theorists are having lmao 3:

My main thought is that all of these stories about seemingly random people outside of the Pizzaplex actually did happen in the Pizzaplex in one way or another. It's just an augmented reality. Or maybe even just an alternate reality. Something along those lines.

"I read an article about something called 'quantum immortality.' It's a theory that says we never actually die. [...] It's related to the many-worlds theory. No matter which branch of reality you follow, your consciousness is experiencing existence. Each path leads to more existence." -Under Construction

I cannot elaborate on this in science-y terms. But this is how Homestuck does time travel. Except in this case, it applies to everyone. When you're about to die, your consciousness gets blipped into a different but similar version of yourself—in another world across time. You are still dead in that other reality, but you wouldn't know or care because as far your mind is concerned, you didn't die. Not in this reality.

A lot of people die in this book series. Gruesomely, in detail. And I suspect the reason this series still gets to be rated 12+ is because its not actually people who are dying. They're all animatronics who, through being haunted by emotion (usually Agony, but other emotions do apply), gained consciousness. Something stated to be theoretically possible in Fazbear Frights, and proven possible by the Silver Eyes trilogy.

So who's to say that, if a living animatronic met the requirements for death/near death, that they wouldn't also experience this transference of consciousness? Isn't that sort of what FNAF World is?

All of this ties into the Epilogue. Where the more obvious 'transfers' are Lucia (Luca, from Pressure), Wade (Wade, from Dittophobia), Adrian, and Jayce (Aiden and Jace from HAPPs). That's the other place this logic leads, but I won't get into it here. Some other time. Maybe I'll finally finish making that video. *big inhale*

chapter two

The Monty Within

The Monty Within is about the Daycare Attendant. But I suspect the world-building presented can be applied to all living animatronics, past and present.

For reasons that would take me like 20 minutes and a slideshow presentation to explain, Moon is alive. Via haunting he was brought to life, it just wasn't Agony that did it (I think). Just uhhh, take my word for it for now and keep an eye out for another FNAF theory from me.

Moon is Kane and Monty is Sun. The Pizzaplex has been open for about a year at this point based on Kane's anniversary with his girlfriend. Kane's senior thesis is called "The AI Within". And if it's anything like Dr. Taggert's theories, it's more like a very explicit explanation of the world-building with like. One thing wrong. ((The thing Taggert gets wrong is the existence of ghosts))

Just like 'hauntings'/infused emotion and the power of intent, its based in real-world pseudoscience but places it in a world where the supernatural (and a bit of scifi) actually does exist. To quickly summarize both the real pseudoscience and what's presented in the story:

The Left Brain (classified by Kane as your 'computer half') is responsible for most of the heavy lifting. It controls motor functions, speech functions, the ability to read/write, comprehension, and communication (ex: describing what you're seeing, repeating given information). The Right Brain (ditto as your 'sentient half') deals primarily in abstract thought. It recognizes language, but can't speak. It can't "see", but it can perceive (ex: it can know there are three people in the room, but wouldn't be able to recognize that it knows those 3 people using its eyes alone.) It cannot communicate using written language, but it can draw and express itself that way.

The "self" is contained within the Right Brain. It's what makes you "you". Its your humanity, morality, etc. Kane also refers to it as 'your conscience'.

Though it holds all the power, the Left Brain is passive, giving all control to the Right Brain. Kane posits that disagreement between these two halves (the Right Brain wanting and doing things the Left Brain isn't "programmed" [read: raised] to do) is what leads to low self-esteem and behavioral problems. ((gestures at Roxy and Monty, respectively))

The control of the two halves is also flipped. The Right Brain controls and feels through the left side of the body, while the Left Brain controls and feels through the right side of the body. (Control of the legs is split but leans towards the Left Brain)

Kane [Moon] has a Right and Left half. A Self and a Mind. Monty, when zapped into Kane's brain is placed into his Left Brain.

Effectively, Moon is running two AIs.

I say that Moon is the 'main' personality because the Self is dictated by the Right Brain. And that's where Moon resides. ((its also where Kane resides by the end of the story)) Who they 'are' is Moon, even when Moon's inactive/asleep because Sun doesn't have a Self at all.*

And we can tell that Moon is the one with a Self from both their designs and clues in Ruin.

Designs

Working backwards from Eclipse, the legs are equally controlled by Sun and Moon. Their left arm is blue, connecting it to their right eye—yellow. So Moon is "Eclipse's" right brain. Philosophically, this body belongs to Moon. But it's being controlled by Sun, yellow and red. Their right arm is yellow, connecting to their red** left eye.

*I suspect Sun gains a Self he didn't have before based on the events in The Monty Within. That Red influence combined with the pre-existing Yellow would morph into a new personality-AI combo: orange.

**appears red in this render, but its notably orange in-game. The organized version of the Daycare Attendant's room actually sorts Sun's plush into the orange category, not yellow.

Now comparing Ruined Sun and Ruined Moon... In VANNI, Sun appears in their Right Brain this time. Philosophically, this is Sun's body—but both his mind and self are shoved to one side.

So there's a little discrepancy. Because with the mask off the body, philosophically, becomes Moon's. Ruined Moon has both his eyes, one is just malfunctioning. So we have Moon's entire self on the Right, and Sun's entire self on the Left.

So... someone's a liar.

And it's Sun.

For one, his arms should be either red or orange. They're grey. Which means that, no matter what color his Self should be, it's not active. We're talking purely to AI (which also means all that sobbing and sad rhyming is just manipulation).

For two, Ruined Sun's pants are entirely Sun's.

The reason the pattern on the pants is split is because that Yellow is as much apart of Moon as it is Sun. Which means that even if Moon's Self can't access VANNI for some reason, his AI can. His AI (the yellow) has to be present for Sun to even exist.

And for three, the final nail in the coffin. Remember how I said earlier that the Right Brain can't write on it's own (or do much of anything--)? The "N0 LIGHTS" sign—the only written text in this entire section—is in red. If it were at all written in collaboration with Moon, it would be purple.

Red can write, so red is attached to the Left Brain. This would also imply that the one allergic to light(and the one who physically shuts down, like the Endos) is Sun. Cause this wasn't a problem before. You know who else can write? Orange. "BANNED" written on every possible entrance to the daycare.

Not only is Sun presently the Left Brain in Ruin. It means he's always been the Left Brain. The one calling the shots. The one in control of a body that isn't his.

Further details that suggest Moon is relegated to the Right Brain:

-Moon's association with sleep and comas. All of his marketing depicts him as sleeping. Moon hasn't actually been active/conscious up until now. ((I suspect Somniphobia is also about him. Moon can feel pain, so being mauled by a ""dog"" and having his face eaten off would've triggered his AI to put him into the sleepy, dazed state of mind (which Kane also experiences) that leads to him entering a coma. That "dog"? Roxy. The catalyst for what happens in TMW is a pair of scissors, the symbol for Roxy's salon.))

-Moon struggles to speak. Some of the things he says are just, like, wrong. Like a toddler learning to speak for the first time. "The light makes us hurt." and "Merry-go-round broke down." for examples. The very fact that he doesn't just say not to listen to the fake Sun in our head emphasizes this. All he can express is that there's "No more Sun" and that what Cassie is doing is "naughty". Moon's clearest sentences, including the Knock Knock, are clearly coming from the AI. Pre-programmed phrases.

-The doodles always place Moon on top and on the right (the portraits are presented flipped based on the position of the hat). The side that red is on should also be the side the hat is on. But it also always places him with Yellow. The art style changes, so the artist presumably changes too. (I also noticed how orange never seems to attempt to communicate with us. It's only ever yellow, blue, green, or red)

-Moon demonstrates that he can't actually see. Not really. Because he's the Right Brain he can only 'perceive'. He knows someone's in the daycare, and he knows they have a light. Many signs point to the idea that whoever was in the daycare before now was weaponizing light against him. Yet, when he grabs Cassie's wrist, he's no longer inclined to attack her. Even though she flashed him with the light (albeit accidentally).

Just like Roxy.

It's a bit more obvious that Roxy can't see, and although she can clearly hear Cassie's voice, she still thinks its Gregory's she's chasing up until she grabs Cassie's wrist. And the fact that she can maneuver the halls at all means there's still some way that she's able to perceive her environment. ((it likely has something to do with the bracelet Cassie's wearing))

-When jumpscared, they initially just try to pick Cassie up—same as they did with Gregory in SB. That's likely their shared programming at work. They end up setting her back down as they start to fight. Moon covers their left eye, and avoids looking at her. But one hand is still attached to Cassie. This hand is effectively stuck in this position now [see: Monty Within, cafeteria struggle]. Moon can really only consistently stop Sun from acting, he can't truly control Sun's movements. Cassie's attempt to remove Sun's hand herself draws his attention (it probably hurt, considering the state of their body). The one that hits her is Sun. Because the one who looks at her and truly sees her, is Sun.

You can even see a difference in the way they 'observe' Cassie. The first time, they look at Cassie with both eyes with the little head-tilt only Moon ever does. The second time, they only look at Cassie with Sun's eye, straight-on, and it's centered in the middle of the screen.

We see in that cafeteria struggle that the Left Brain can take advantage of and intentionally misinterpret the Right Brain's intentions. Considering its the first thing Eclipse does, Moon is likely trying to take Cassie off the play structure and to the exit. But there's a shift in intentions when Cassie struggles.

Cause it probably hurts. Jack-O-Moon demonstrates that it's not just light that causes discomfort. They can feel pain, because they can feel. Period. They show as much if you throw a pumpkin at them. (or anything from Arts and Crafts) And pain completely overrides anything the Right Brain has to say about anything.

Step 1: Stop child from inflicting harm. Step 2: Remove child from the daycare.

If the child is dead, she will no longer be able to inflict harm and can then be removed from the daycare lol It's a solution that satisfies Moon's subconscious desire to lash out back at her. Sun shares that same desire, but can't begin to comprehend why Moon wouldn't want to act on it.

Its the difference between having actual humanity and artificial humanity. Moon is fully able to recognize that both times it happened, Cassie isn't trying to hurt him. He absolutely flashed himself when she first entered. He also probably has the ability to recognize that she's just a child. He might even be able to recognize that she's Cassie, one of the kids he took care of oh-so-long ago.

There's like a plethora of reasons for why the appropriate reaction to a child hitting you is not hitting them back lol

Its a very important detail that crops up in the Bobbiedots, the one other story Moon appears in. The old gen of Bobbiedots try to hurt the MC because they're afraid. He's giving off fearful vibes, and the last person who gave off fearful vibes utterly mangled them then abandoned them. The new gen of Bobbiedots are trying to hurt the MC because they don't like humans lmao. ((The other moral of the story is that its the broken, scary-looking animatronics that are actually our allies and the shiny, new ones are just pretending))

But I've yapped long enough-- Thanks for reading.

As a bonus, check this out!

Look. The deactivated animatronic "skeleton" in white, powered solely by the agony and rage-soaked shell in red. And wrapped in that fiery cage is that tiny bit of green. His right eye (and thus connected to his right brain). That's his consciousness. His humanity. What's still good. As the TFTPP Epilogue puts it...

His desire to reach out and make a connection with someone.

That's the Monty within. :')

That's probably why he keeps following Cassie around. His entire existence is entertaining children. He's just trying to do that. He might even have the awareness to know that he needs help. But he's a passenger in his own husk of a body. He can only put out intentions.

Intentions that, no matter how good or innocent, are left up to the interpretation of a malicious entity. [See: Fetch]

Moon having a "knock, knock" voice line programmed into him would imply that he's actually the lead personality.

[dandylion-s]

It's kind of insane that better call saul never won any emmys when you consider that they literally gave awards to the big bang theory.

[icewindandboringhorror]

I occasionally wish to reach out to old friends/acquaintances I haven't spoken to since high school/some other even earlier time in my life, but I have SOOO little social energy even for required tasks (like making dr phone calls or etc), I never have any leftover for extra ones, and it would be very odd to message someone I haven't spoken to in like 5 years out of the blue but then take 4 entire months to respond back lol.. My natural curiosity with nostalgia/collecting details of the past/etc. (literally if I were born a little earlier I would definitely do scrapbooking or something lol) is very strong, but, alas, not strong enough to beat out the Social Issues Demons apparently

[always-a-slut-4-ghouls]

Getting off my ass and downloading my favorite fics to put on a jump drive I bought with a fuck tonne more storage than the two I already had from when I was in school and, wow, this is actually so much easier than the rest of the stuff I’ve been downloading for various reasons (articles on stuff I want to have around but worry might be impacted by this new presidency). You just pick pdf (or whatever you like) and bam! It’s right there in your downloads ready to be stashed away, no annoying nitpicking where I have to delete stuff I don’t need in the document or huge blank spaces, it’s just ready! Like, listen. I love “print friendly and pdf” Firefox extension, but I always have to end up deleting some stuff that is just taking up space. It does its job! It’s just not going to be neat and tidy when the website doesn’t intend for you to do this. Archive of our own does that whole thing of making a pdf themselves! This is going to go so much faster than the other stuff I’ve been downloading as pdfs

Anyway, I love you as well Smithsonian magazine website for not only being free, but also just having that extension on all your articles! That’s actually how I found it in the first place. Before that I was copy pasting every paragraph into a pages document and it was way more tedious.

[mars-ipan]

i do love my family very dearly but the internalized ableism the men in here struggle with is. so much

[foxsicle]

man forgetting to take my concerta yesterday and then having it this morning w/ a giant cup of coffee was a decision

[cluescorner]

Me: Into the Spiderverse was such a good movie! I’m so excited for the next one! I heard the animation is even better and-

Someone: Yeah, if only it was live-action.

Me, unreasonably angry: I’ll kill you. 

[kon-konk]

Could you imagine if Shuichi processed things like I do? Dude goes and sees a crime scene, does his investigation, then just goes "yeah, I'm gonna go take a nap. When I wake up I'll have some theories" and then shuts down while he's processing the info.

[watch-out-it-bites]

Made so mucb preogress with the picrew...