#i did not expect for this to be that big. like i knew in theory but im still surprised | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

teeldaa · 15 hours ago

Text

I wanted to rant a little about Wyll , Mizora and Raphael,their prewrite versions and my issue with how Larian wrote devils and cambions in general and some theories :p This has been sitting in my drafts for a while, I got sick and completely forgot about it ...I think i got carried away with my Raphael theories, because of that i wasn't even sure if I wanted to post this or not(warning:a lot of yapping) And sorry in advance for my bad English :p

Wyll and Mizora first thing that bothers me is i see a lot of people saying Larian rewrote Wyll because EA players didn't like him, but that's not true?!I was looking through Larian's interviews, they either said they’ve redone Wyll because it wasn't working for them, they lost a little bit of narrative room for telling all these stories that he had(x) or they weren’t telling his story as well as they could have done(x)so it was Larian's decision and not players feedback. Pre rewrite Wyll: He wasn't related to Ulder Ravengard, he was a descendant of Grand Duke Eltan,the founder and leader of the Flaming Fist.these are the lines that were datamined during ea(source)

Although Duke Eltan founded the flaming fists, his family had to sell their interest to pay off debt... in the release version if Wyll doesn't sign the contract with Mizora and Florrick is still in jail Cordula Eltan confronts him about Ulder(might be an Easter egg)

after getting caught for thieving, Wyll was sent to flaming fists by his father.he pointed out that he wasn't a good fighter and didn't fit in well there and then one day Spike and his fellow goblins attacked the village

this is the part that a lot of people miss,you could only get these lines if you modded the ea to play as origin Wyll(x) when confronting Fezzerk the narrator said these

Your belly crash into memory, Spike was the one who slashed out your eye this one held your head while he did it

The bile rises in your throat, you hate this cockroach, you hate his chief ,You hate…yourself you'd been selfish,lazy,lustful. you'd all but invited goblins to a slaughter

and If you made Wyll torture the prisoner, Spike would say"The Blade always knew how to throw a party!" So I guess Goblins used throwing a party as an excuse to trick Wyll into letting them in!

I think what they were going for with Wyll was... A nobleman who had to meet high expectations put on him by his status and his dad, went through a very traumatic experience(humiliated, injured, witnessed the slaughter of an entire village)and had no way of fighting back! he was in need of rescue and had no one to help him, so he took Mizora's deal and became the blade of frontiers to prevent that from happening to other people?!

I often see it being said EA Wyll was a "fake hero" or a "glory hound" or … which are not true, He was the only companion who prioritized saving the tiefling refugees over finding a cure, was ready to die for them and would have left the party if you sided with Minthara. He wasn't "evil" he just had more flaws... Wyll decided to break his pact after Mizora asked him to pay "a price he wasn't willing to pay", they were arguing then got kidnapped by mind flayers. these lines are from modded Wyll origin(x) said by the narrator:

one moment you'd been bartering with Mizora for freedom. the next whisked away by tentacle monsters

what was it Mizora had said?oh yes- 'over your rotting corpse'

Spike found Mizora's pod and put a collar around her neck that neutralized all her powers, She communicated with Wyll through his eye and promised to free him if he saved her. Before the party got to the goblin camp, drow came and took Mizora to Moonrise tower and apparently they had"big plans"for her I think this version of Mizora was working for her father based on these dialogues(x)

Mizora: Get .Me .Out of here Wyll: and if i don't? Mizora: then my father will. and your eternal soul will be his.

maybe that "big plans"had to do something with her dad?! The lines that implied she and Wyll might had been romantically involved at some point were these:

Wyll: Don't tell me - someone came to you, an object of desire. made you better. More than better Wyll: Same happened to me. Tav: Someone, yes. who was it you saw? Wyll: An old lover. tempting as a trail of rose petals, and just as fragrant.

and for anyone wondering what does she smell like...

Tav: Tell me more about this old flame of yours. Wyll: A giver and taker. without her, id hardly be who i am, for both better and worse

I kinda get why they decided to change their dynamic, but they made it so much worse... what Wyll and Mizora had was a toxic codependent relationship with a power imbalance but the game was taking it more seriously...in his act1 romance scene You could hug him and make him feel safe. the only datamined Wyll/Mizora interaction we had was this! and this version Mizora is way better! She didn't treat Wyll like a "dog" or use weird degrading pet names. i wish they kept her straightforward and no-nonsense attitude, she had so much personality, probably more content and plot relevancy too She was already lawful evil and the game made that very clear, making Mizora treat Wyll in a super dehumanizing way was just unnecessary in my opinion and it didn't do neither of them any favors. the release version Mizora supposed to be a cambion but she's not really written like one. the most important part of cambions lore is that they are outcasts! They grow up very lonely because they are never accepted by either society, Even in the bg3 artbook it is mentioned that they have to be resourceful to survive "as the forsaken of two races"

They're not always evil, they can be neutral or even rarely good(depending on their mother's alignment). I feel like they were doing a way better job with datamined version of Mizora, You could actually see her half human side more. Tying Wyll to Karlach's story was a bad idea… Zariel's characterization feels kinda off(Karlach called her the biggest liar in all the realms??)and Mizora doesn't exactly seem like the type of person who works for her...Zariel is a warmonger obsessed with stopping the Blood War because if the demons win they will conquer the Material Plane and start destroying things, she's more of a“the ends justify the means” type of evil. Zariel is not into politics of hell, i feel like Wyll should have been forced to fight in the blood war just like Karlach because that's the only thing Zariel cares about. and...if Zariel doesn't own Karlach's soul then why does she want her dead?!Shouldn't Mizora order Wyll to capture her alive?so she can take her back to Avernus? i find it kinda odd there's not an option to ask Mizora to remove your tadpole. I think she should be able to that, In that datamined interaction she had this dialogue:

That's an illithid tadpole in your brain, let it fester for long and you'll be birthing a squid from your head hole. You want that thing out? Brush the dust out of your eye and get over here.

And bg3 has a prequel comic called "Mindbreaker"and a devil(an erinyes who served Bel) did remove an absolute tadpole...

Wyll's transformation into a devil confuses me! The dialogues makes it look much more significant than it actually is...it's just horns, i wonder if Larian was originally going for a more drastic change, bg3 concept art Devils have very distinct features... and btw Mizora turning Wyll into a devil should have cure him, ceremorphosis doesn't affect fiends...

I feel like if they didn't tie Wyll's story to Karlach and didn't change his father, they could have kept most of Wyll's previous content like his ea romance scene which was great And it could still work for the current Wyll. Was all that changes really necessary? And they didn't even give Wyll a unique starting outfit when his Keyart Armor was already in the game files and it looks perfect on him.

Mizora's father Just for fun, there was this Harbs Narbs theory(x) that Mizora's father was Levistus(Archdevil of Stygia) Levistus is the Infernal patron of vengeance and betrayal,His followers are called bladereavers.he is an honorable duelist and his favored weapon is a rapier in that video he said that blade of frontiers tag gave Wyll an automatic rapier proficiency and armor of agathys(Levistus tieflings have that spell) ...and the spell" Tomb of Levistus" was datamined Levistus is described as a tall humanoid male with dark hair, a neat goatee and an extremely pale complexion but would be able pass for a human if not for his pointed teeth and coal-black eyes that practically radiated darkness. Mizora concept art also happen to have "extremely pale complexion" "coal-black eyes"and looks more human compared to other devil and cambion designs...

(I really like this design, specially those small blades that are hanging from her dress. I think the outfit she's wearing now in the game was supposed to be for her human disguise and this was for her devil form) I couldn't find anything else about Wyll, But i think he suffered the most from the upper city getting cut. I am very curious about his EA version's father and his role in the main plot...He probably was the main focus of Wyll's quest in act 3(because Mizora was supposed to end Wyll's contract if he freed her from Moonrise) I imagine this version of Mizora could also become a camp follower, She was tortured badly by goblins so it makes sense that she would help us defeat The Absolute...

Probably not a hot take, but I don't think they should have completely rewritten his entire character that late in development(Just to be clear, I like release Wyll and i think Theo Solomon did an incredible job voicing him.I just wish the narrative treated him better) I completely understand why someone would prefer the current version he's a sweet, loyal and brave folk hero but in my opinion he would have been more popular and resonated with more people if they kept his old self. EA Wyll was more charismatic, chaotic and extroverted, He had A LOT of struggles and flaws but he was trying his best to overcome them and that made him more relatable. The difference between EA Wyll and release Wyll to me is like the difference between Batman and Superman, Batman has a way bigger fandom and more films, games, cartoons and...even though Superman is this uncorruptible and aspirational symbol of hope with so many cool super powers. Another thing I like more was how they were doing the warlock/patron dynamic. The relationship was much more personal and complicated and original version of Mizora was superior in every way (I could be wrong, but I always assumed from the way Wyll talked about the powers Mizora was giving him that the whole thing was some kind of allegory for addiction) that's all i had to say about Wyll and Mizora...

Raphael first the stuff they cut

the most important thing that got cut was his deal that he could solve your tadpole issue in exchange of your soul

in this interview Senior Writer Adam Smith said this:

In one situation, for instance, a devil will approach players with a bargain for their soul. That might seem like an offer to immediately reject, but that deal might also help players understand and control the change happening to their character as the result of a magical parasitic infection.

and in this one Swen Vincke said he is a potential solution for the tadpole problem:

even in the first encounter he says "Oh, A mere trifle. How dear is one's soul, Really?" when you ask him what he wants. ...so i guess that means you could have had Raphael as your patron?!

it was datamined that he wanted the artefact (x) not the crown

the person that supposed to be inside the artefact, helping you and not letting you turn was Orpheus, so Raphael wanted him...for some reason!

there is also this List of All Cut Content!apparently Raphael supposed to be a Merchant and soul coins were there for trading with him...

Raphael the Merchant - Originally Raphael was meant to be a fully viable option to remove your tadpole, in fact the "Soul Coin" items that you collect in game where originally meant to be a powerful alternative currency accepted only by Raphael in exchange for possibly retrieving your soul as well as a long list of incredibly powerful artifacts from the House of Hope that would be sold by Raphael himself.

originally Karlach didn't have her Infernal Engine(x)so that's probably true!

in early access If you didn't give Gale magical any artifact, he would make a deal with Raphael(x) Gale would inform you that he no longer needed anything from you, he didn't exactly tell you why but if you passed the wisdom check the narrator would said this :

You flutter through his mind like a bat through the night and you see… fire. You hear laughter. You smell brimstone. mocking words drift back to you.'This is the House of Hope.'

Origin Karlach could have made another deal with Raphael! she had unique datamined dialogues with him and Korilla

there's 4 unused Raphael models(with different hair style)in the game i see people calling them earlier iterations but they are not, they were datamined all together later in the early access along with companions dream lovers in one room(it was called AA room) They could be for some sort of cut content/quest lines?!

Concept art Raphael doesn't have hair so idk maybe these were supposed to be his different human disguises?! Even in this early live stream he had the same devil model with black hair while his human disguise looked like Lord Farquaad...

this was also on that list of cut content

Mol and Raphael - Isn't it odd how Mol will just escape from Raphael on her own and say it was "easy?" Well it turns out that's because they cut whatever the final leg of that quest was meant to be, instead they allow Mol to escape on her own which more or less skips to the end and around the cut content.

there's one Yurgir line!(you can hear his datamined voice lines here)

now, Leave me. I must prepare for my return to hell, Triumphant.

(thanks @doomsbutt for looking that up) apparently it was supposed to trigger as a fallback for when Raphael can't appear! The tag checked for that dialogue says "Sets if the Last Justiciar contract was completed, but Raphael didn't show up" Currently this is not an option in the game, but we could have just tell Yurgir he can be freed by killing the rats!so maybe there was supposed to be an option that got cut ?!

Astarion and Kith'rak Voss asking Raphael for help were added after rewrite

in early access the game locked you in a cutscene when Raphael visited the camp, you couldn't switch character, pickpocket him or see his health bar!also in ea Korilla wasn't spying on the party

in conclusion Astarion quest, Raphael's dialogues with Karlach and Dark Urge + everything in act3 should be new. Raphael probably originaly had A MUCH BIGGER role, He was mentioned in all the larian's earlier interviews and was on all of the promotional stuff... I think they changed him really late in development as well *take with a grain of salt*larian beta tested the game in july 2022 I heard about that version twice, What they both mentioned that had changed was the House of Hope. one of them said even Hope and Haarlep didn't exist in that version*again take with a huge grain of salt, I heard from someone who had heard it from a beta tester in both cases*

the release version (@tellmeallaboutit sorry it took so long...I changed my mind several times while writing this, then forgot about it for a while...) I know it's because of that late rewrite but in my opinion Raphael's writing in Act 3 is not great!(like everything else in act3) He has a really good set up but it just goes nowhere,his deal just sucks...after Yurgir quest i was excepting the contract to be a song or poem, option to negotiate the terms, and consequences...but nope!nothing! And then you can just go and steal your contract?!(pretty sure that's not a thing, since contracts are magic that bonds your soul to a devil not a actual piece of paper)and even if you break the contract, he won't kill/punish you for some reason. First i wanna rant a little about Hope…i think after they decided to cut all of Raphael's original content, they wanted to give the player a reason to kill him so they made her! she is a prisoner who is being tortured to accept Raphael's deal and...that's not how Infernal Contract works, terms become binding when both parties willingly sign the contract, the contract is void if the devil uses force or even threats. this is from Fiendish Codex II :

The same goes for buying slaves...there's a reason why devils go out of their way to corrupt mortals and offer services, why bother making contract if they could just buy people?! that aside my biggest gripe with Hope is she's not representing hope as a concept , she's very brave and strong-willed but kinda pessimistic. literally the first thing she say to you is"you came. such a shame. curiosity killed all the cats it won't be so kind to you"like??!Isn't that the opposite of inspiring hope? i was re watching her cutscenes and majority of her dialogues are quite cynical...i feel like whoever wrote her and HOH quest straight up confused hope with persistence, strong will and determination! IMO Isobel is a MUCH better character to represent the concept! for anyone who says "Why can't Wyll and Karlach stay in the House of Hope"they cant! Hell is very lawful hierarchical place. You can't just stay there, other more powerful devil will absolutely attack and take over HOH right away after Raphael's death. Another thing that really bothered me about Hope's situation is that it doesn't really line up with what Raphael was saying earlier... To make it easier to explain what I mean, i tried to analyze pre-rewrite stuff separately first: *Disclaimer:I'm not talking about current canon of the game This is mostly just my thoughts and speculations as to what his character and story might have been before the rewrite, i know I'm most likely totally wrong* Destroying people's hope was not exactly Raphael's goal, He even gets upset if you agree to take his deal in the first encounter"Oh. That's disappointing.I prefer it when my clients put up a fight…" and"i really am at my magnanimous best when people make an effort" That's why IMO it just doesn't make any sense for him to torture and imprison a person who didn't take his deal right away, Since he explicitly wanted his clients to have hope and go explore all the options they have, because for some reason he was sure they can't find anything and going to fail every single attempt"only to realize victory was never an option" then they themselves come to him and ask/beg him for help and he gets to be their"savior" The thing I find interesting about pre rewrite Raphael that is completely gone in act 3 is his savior complex and how he tried to portray himself as someone who helps people in need. "House of Hope" is a VERY common name for nonprofit organizations that provide treatment, shelter, financial assistance and...(if you google it and pass through bg3 stuff you can find many of them)I don't think the name's a coincidence because of this line"This is the House of Hope, Where the tired come to rest, and the famished come to feed lavishly"he was supposed to be an option to heal your party from the parasite. He also talking about having"boundless compassion" and "infinite mercy" and his the gathering card is called "Fiendish Savior"These are not things I associate with the devils or the hells. He is named after an archangel. Raphael is known in various religions as an angel who does acts of healing. The name Raphael means "It is God who heals", "God Heals", "God, Please Heal" in Christianity "he is the patron saint of travelers, young people, happy meetings, nurses, physicians, sick people and medical workers. He can cure blindness, eye afflictions, nightmares and..." in Islam "he is a beautiful angel who is a master of music, he sings praises to God in a thousand different languages, the breath of which is used to inject life into hosts of angels who add to the songs themselves."

In the final release the name Raphael seems very random for a cambion but if we look at his cut content it makes a lot of sense,He was supposed to be the party's patron who would cure their "eye afflictions" This could be remnants of Mol's original quest, but notice how even her blind eye healed after she took on Raphael's deal. He could also fix Gale's orb and Karlach's "condition", Maybe that's why he was named after the archangel of healing. another thing I've noticed is in his boss fight when you try to hit him with radiant damage he says this:

I don't think a cambion should be able to that, because "Radiant damage doesn't do anything special to demons/devils but they aren't particularly resistant to it either" No creature is immune but aasimar and celestial do have resistance to radiant damage. and there's also angel/devil aesthetic in the HOH decor...

Both of these are definitely Raphael, The devil one is sticking his tongue out, There's a lot of tongue imagery in Raphael's clothing concept art as well. The angel one(?)has some kind of plants around his head same as that one Ascended Fiend design on the HOH floor(The actual design has antlers instead of those)

Speaking of Ascended Fiend, I find it really hard to believe that they made a uniquely detailed model just for a phase of his boss fight that could be missed. There is no cutscene or explanation why he has a third form(i know about that cut"Mephistopheles, hear your son!..."line but I don't think it's canon anymore, and it's definitely not the original reason why this form exists, The design is already on the HOH floor and on his clothing concept art so it was supposed to be something that he already had) It doesn't look like a devil to me...It is designed in a way to draw all your attention to its head...it has 3 animal skulls smashed together(?)and Stag Antlers. Correct me if i'm wrong but i don't think that skull is for a real animal right?! And those stag/deer antlers are the most in you face part of this design, They are also seen in one of Raphael's concept art design and even in Korrilla's outfit on her chest.

This made me wonder what exactly that Ascended Fiend design was even supposed to be(I saw some say it's a pit fiend But it does not look like a pit fiend at all, pit fiend are heavy, have big muscles and gargoylish appearance)And what's with the antlers? Okay, here's my delulu theory: I think the Ascended Fiend's design and Raphael as a character were both inspired by a Wendigo.

"Wendigos are described as having long limbs, long, sharp claws, and teeth, and their eyes are said to be sunken in and glowing red. They are also said to have a long tongue that they use to lick their victim's flesh and can shapeshift into other animal and human forms." "The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tightly over its bones. With its bones pushing out against its skin, and its eyes pushed back deep into their sockets, the wendigo looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave.What lips it had were tattered and bloody … Unclean and suffering from suppuration of the flesh, the Wendigo gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption" "The wendigo craves human flesh and is constantly starving for it. The wendigo is known to have its preferences: the sweet fat of children, the soft skin of women, the course muscles of men (especially warriors and hunters) Wendigos are embodiment of gluttony, greed, and excess; never satisfied after killing and consuming one person, they are constantly searching for new victims."They also stalk their preys for a long time and prefer to terrify them before moving in for the kill. the description kinda fits the design right? Notice how Raphael's eyes are sunken into their sockets in his human form. this also explains why there is so many tongue symbolism in his house and concept art...and looking back at Raphael's dialogues again, there's a lot of Food-related proverbs/idioms/phrases (they definitely toned it down in Act 3), some even could possibly indicate that he might have been based on a wendigo"through a nice juicy brain""My last contract here fed me for decades" He also called greed his"favorite virtue" and Shadowheart said this about him"there were no right answer with that devil. He was toying with his food-us""A devil sought us out, Teased us with his help…But he also stared as if we were the banquet, Rather the one on the table."(this is a cut line from ea)

There's this line in act2"I have this picture in my head of you tossing and turning in the middle of the night, thinking strange things, dreaming strange dreams..." In Cree mythology, wendigo can possesses people through their dreams and cause its victims a feeling of insatiable hunger, the desire to eat other humans, and the propensity to commit murder. And these were "urges" from early access:

Nausea twists your stomach, But it's hunger not revulsion, Something inside you clammers for blood, For death and only the the tear of flesh will do.

Amid this flurry of questions you feel something else deep inside you, A hunger, A lust for blood.

Durge is the last addition to the origin characters so ea urges should have been for something else so...idk. i looked up to see if wendigos are a thing in 5e but I could not find a solid answer...(put pin on this, I'll have more to say about Raphael and dreams) Another big thing I feel was really missing and should have been explained in act 3 is Why was Raphael so sure that his clients wouldn’t find anything and always come back to him to matter what...first two act was setting up Raphael as someone who likes to play games that he is sure his clients cant win but there was no such game in act3. I believe the current narrative wants me to think it's all an act or it's just him being overconfident but that doesn't make much sense, He acts as if he has never failed before and has the upper hand and lots of advantages in these situations, He shows his true form right away and never hides the fact that he's evil and even denies you If you accept his offer in the first encounter. To me this is someone who is looking for a challenge. You can see this in the way he dealt with Mol and Yurgir(their act2 voice lines were dataminded in patch 8 of EA, So their deals with Raphael were written before that late rewrite...) In act2 Raphael trapped Yurgir in the Gauntlet of Shar by offering help to Lyrthindor...so Raphael did put Yurgir in a situation where he had no other choice but to accept his deal. I'm having a bit of a issue with this quest... i know they tied Astarion to this quest after the rewrite(this is why there is no deal when Astarion is not in your party) and It was supposed to be an option to free Yurgir(because of that unused line i mentioned earlier, I wonder if we were going to see free Yurgir again in Avernus cut content...)So they have changed this quest at least a little. I feel like Yurgir's soul was not Raphael's number 1 priority, He made a deal with Yurgir. There was always a loophole in that deal, He could have sent someone else to kill Yurgir all this time but he didn't. it seems to me that he's just messing with him? And there's this line "My last contract here fed me for decades"as if he keeps getting profit out of that contract?!i don't think he's getting those dark justiciars souls?So what or who was he feeding on all this time? This should have been the quest that basically established what type of person Raphael is and how he makes deal, But the difference between this deal and what he offered the player is so big that it doesn't seem like they were made by the same person. In Yurgir's case the contract was a song, there was a loophole in it, and Raphael didn't play fair, The "perfumed trickster" in act 3 suddenly is an honest and fair devil who doesn't backstab his clients?

Yurgir himself was soften up a little too much in act3, I liked that he was this evil, ruthless devil who could easily kill you and enjoy it, But had a sense of honor. he was reduced to "uwu little rabbit" in act 3 As if we did not see his bed and this is not the same person who said "I made him watch as i ate his concubines and young, Then i fashioned a codpiece from his skull.""Owe you? Every breath you take from this moment now on is my reward to you. Few walk away from me intact."idk it's just a bit inconsistent for me... And there's Mol! She was presented with a deal from Raphael and then suddenly She got kidnapped after right after that...I don't think it was ever confirmed that Raphael was involved in her kidnapping but "It's only a matter of time before the apple is plucked."and"she still has the unconditional freedom to choose the only option she has left"kinda makes me think he may have known this was going to happen?!He had no way of knowing this was going to happen and I don't think it's even possible for him to be responsible for her kidnapping, But he spoke as if he knew... And then in act 3 you can just find Mol and give her back her contract and that's it... which was pretty anticlimactic. It just feels unfinished and rushed, Probably because they cut off Raphael's content and Mol's original story was connected to that said content?! Maybe I'm just being nitpicky but i feel like Mol should have known Raphael's a devil?! He offered her a deal and smelled like sulfur?Like what kind of deal did he offer her that didn't require revealing his identity? (*take with a grain of salt* It wasn't just Mol, If what i heard from that version that they play tested is true, There were supposed to be more children npcs in HOH and i have a feeling the devil with the silver tongue in Wyll's story who took the farmer's daughter away is also Raphael. This could be a cut storyline?maybe?) There are also these lines that do not make much sense to me"You're the best thing for business since the Second Sundering. Countless sorry souls came running to my door after your work in the grove." "To repay you for the souls sent my way, I offer a taste of the truth."Which souls is he talking about here?Why would "Countless sorry souls"go to Raphael specifically after the grove incident?

after rewrite Those were all the pre-rewrite stuff... Kith'rak Voss scene with Raphael must be new, He was a very different character and was involved on that big "The Creche vs The Cult of the Absolute" fight in Rosymorn Monastery that got cut. Raphael originally wanted the artefact not the the The Crown of Karsus so him want to be ruler of nine hell is probably new?! which is ridiculous If you know anything about hell hierarchy and power scaling(the reason is to enforce law and order(?) as if hell isn't already like that and Asmodeus isn't a primal embodiment of lawful evil) Maybe that's just me but Raphael's writing in general feels very different in act 3, My guess is that they gave him to another writer after rewrite, he seems to have been written by a more skilled and talented writer before that...like if you compare the first meeting with him to his monologue before fighting him, the difference in quality is very much noticeable. Raphael himself went from being very smart, snarky and manipulative to straightforward, blunt and comically unselfaware. I guess the current narrative wants me to just ignore all the earlier stuff?! And i have other nitpicky issues, "Down comes the claw" is supposed to be a reference to Raphael's lullaby in Act 1 but that doesn't make sense,This was what happened between the cat and the mouse, and Raphael was supposed to be the fox watching them. if they player was the mouse, who is this cat that they were brightly smiling at? And why "claws coming down" was a form of "love"? My guess is that the original meaning of that rhyme is something that has been cut. In my opinion, the House Of Hope quest itself was pretty underwhelming with lot of questionable writing decisions and basically was a weaker and less interesting version of hag's lair in act 1. I feel like the writer was much more interested in shocking people or getting a reaction than writing a good story. The last thing that bothers me in act 3, Raphael suddenly out of nowhere became really obsessed with law and order...I mean that's what he says but he never really does anything to show that he cares about those things? His house is a chaotic mess and Neither Hope nor those "Eternal Debtors" should be there. Devils can take someone and torture them without owing their soul ONLY IF those people to come to hell themselves(which wasn't the case with Hope) and I couldn't find anything about those "Debtors" in dnd lore. What is even the purpose of their existence beside shock value? Those who sell their souls to a devil become divine energy for the hells, Lemures or soul coins after they die, All of which are relatively worse outcomes and i think he should have served an archdevil in Avernus(but he doesn't)...All that talk about hell's laws but he lowkey not following any of them... IDK maybe he wasn't originally meant to be lawful evil? In act2 he said this about Mol "She cheated, of course, but that's half her charm"i don't understand how can you find cheating charming if you love law and order so much? and he also said this"After all, if there is one rule I hold dear, it's that one must always give the devil his due." Doesn't this contradict what he's saying in act3? He basically said he doesn't care about any rule beside "giving the devil his due" here... And there's Raphael's magic the gathering card "Fiendish Savior"

MTG cards have 5 colors, each of them has their own meaning and mechanic(you can read about them x,x) Raphael's card is half black half red. Black is color of lack of ethical restraint, Power at any cost , self-interest and ... which still kinda fits his character. Red is "impulsive and emotional. The color of passion, frivolity, and chaos"."Red values freedom above all else. It wants to do what it wants when it wants, and to whom it wants, and nobody can tell it otherwise.""Red believes that life is an adventure and that it would be much more fun if everyone stopped caring about rules, laws, and personal appearances and just spent their time indulging their desires through experience." I think this was made before that late rewrite, because it doesn't really fit him any more.(Wyll card is also red and that's definitely for his EA version) Red doesn't always mean chaotic alignment but character with half red half black card are very often chaotic evil. Unlike devils, Cambions can be other alignments beside lawful evil so maybe they were doing something different?!or maybe he wasn't even a cambion?

(Just a warning, I'm about to over analyze a lot of details in bg3 artbook, early access and prequel comic to guess what they might have planned for Raphael before the rewrite, if that's something you don't really care about you should stop reading...A lot of this is just my theories and speculation about the og storyline) Raphael's design I think just like Wyll and Gale, they didn't give Raphael his actual design and he stuck with his ea placeholder model. His final design is really bland and it looks nothing like his concept art. (i can't post more photo because tumblr's limit but you can see them here) I prefer all of them to what's in the final game right now, all of these designs are very bold, detailed and fancy, which I think fits Raphael's over the top personality better. They all have a black and red color scheme with lots of gold jewelry. There's a lot of nature symbolism(vines,roses, thorns and...), Eyes, Tongues and dragons in there as well. I also really like how Raphael's devil form has unique features and isn't just basic tiefling with wings like the release version. I don't know what this is but apparently it was important enough that has its own section on his page...

Another thing I noticed, Gortash's final outfit is very similar to some of Raphael concept art. Specially that early sketchy design (even that dragon tattoo was originally meant for Raphael) similar symbolism: Eyes, Tongues, skulls and dragons, None of these can be found in other Gortash concepts So idk maybe this is just an unused earlier design for Raphael? (Is it just me or the dragon on Gortash's collar looks a lot like Tiamat? it's literally a dragon with several heads. I don't see how she could be related to either to Gortash or Raphael so i didn't look more into it)

Another thing all of these designs have in common is that they are clearly inspired by Jareth the Goblin King and different customs he wore in 1986 Labyrinth. It reminded me of this tweet from back in ea where one of the dev even compared Raphael to Jareth.

that kinda explains why there were children npcs in HOH in that beta version of the game... I was thinking about this comparison then something suddenly clicked for me, Jareth was a manifestation of Sarah's desires(at the beginning movie in her room you can see a picture of David Bowie with her mother). He was offering Sarah her dreams and was trying to get her to submit to a fantasy...And that's EXACTLY what the original dream visitor from early access was...Which is interesting because when i was reading about Wendigo, That also reminded me a lot of EA dreams and urges(They can shapeshift into different human forms and posses people through their dreams and...) I knew Raphael's original role was to be a solution to our tadpole problem in exchange of our soul and be a Merchant. So I thought he would be an ally against the Absolute, but probably had his own evil agenda and dealing with him had its own consequences(kinda like an evil equivalent of Malady from DOS2)...It never actually occurred to me that the reason he wanted Orpheus and our souls was because he was with the cult...This sent me down a rabbit hole. If you haven't played early access you can watch all the dream sequences here. just by these alone it's obvious that the dream person isn't the tadpole specially in the last dream Where their mask fell off... And I think the Absolute and the Dream Visitor were supposed to be the same person...There was this conversation with Lae'zel:

Tav: Those dreams linger in my memory. Do you think that strange figure will come back? Lae'zel: It is a certainty. I had assumed our parasites served a ghaik Elder. But i believe they serve a greater master still. Tav: The Absolute is this 'master'. I'm sure of it. Lae'zel: Perhaps. 'Absolute' may be a mere pseudonym behind which this master hides. Whatever this voice, Whoever this master, It dominates dreams and unites minds.

Minthara also had this line in EA"The Absolute has spoken to you already, in whispers and dreams, but at Moonrise you will be in her presence." and Absolute's pronounce changed depend on the person you're talking to. EA dream visitor was referred to by two names in the game files: Daisy and Desire. This was datamined about multiplayer(x)

Daisy: can have up to four "Daisy" character in game , one for each avatar, The "default" Daisy is the host. Desire : only one "Desire" in the game.based on the Daisy made by the host.

Some NPCs in game files also were referred to as desire, So they were probably Daisy in disguise. for example one of them was Counsellor Florrick.

I recently watch this(x)Remember i mentioned those 4 unused Raphael models that were in the same room with origin character's dream visitors. Now i know what they are, They aren't for cut content 4 naked models are customizable dream visitors for each 4 avatars and there are 4 Raphael for each of them because Now there are 4 extra Emperor with those customizable Dream guardians in there instead ...(They aren't in the separate room like EA and Origin don't have their own Daisy now so they aren't there)

Looking back at EA footage now, I think the original visit to HOH probably was a dream sequence...unlike the release version Raphael would only come to camp at night after a long rest and when the scene ended the whole party was knocked down (Basically you would wake up from it)

I think that's why he said a "lullaby" would suit the occasion? And if you talked to Shadowheart after the first dream, There was an actual option to tell her that our dream visitor could be "that devil, Raphael"

I didn't even remember this because i usually didn't use the tadpole powers(They were to have severe consequences) and i think you only get this if you met Raphael before you get the first dream...Does anyone know what Shadowheart would say if you pick this option?

There's also this Raphael's cut line:

I have a thousand mistresses, Karlach. Fear and pleasure blend quite well.

(I think it could be a reference to “Just fear me, love me, do as I say…”?! ) "thousand mistresses" is something that is not really physically possible BUT if was the dream visitor, this explains who these people could be. I think every person that was tadpoled had their own Daisy.

The Cult of the Absolute itself has changed quite a bit after rewrite, There was this theme of "Power at a Cost"that is gone. The Absolute was going to offer you "powers" but indulging in those corrupting powers would send you down a dark path and had long-term consequences. "Cultist of the Absolute"MTG card had this in the description "you embrace power at any cost, and if it consumes you, so be it." Now the Emperor is the one who insists that you should use this powers, but consuming tadpoles has no real impact, it just a for a powerup system.

I was re-reading bg3 prequel comic Mindbreaker, I noticed something really interesting. At the end of the first chapter a group of true souls teleported to a library to perform a ritual. Then suddenly they started speaking Infernal while they were standing on something that looks a lot like the marks on Astarion's back...

And then a tadpoled priest of Kelemvor "father Alby" killed the true soul lady that was standing in the middle, using a dagger that looked like Rhapsody(it wasn't a 1 to 1 copy but the design were pretty similar) and after that a portal opened and he was like"now it is revealed to us, my fellow true souls…the glory of the Absolute has no limits!" Okay so who's this ritual is for? (It's definitely not for neither The Dead Three, their chosen nor The Netherbrain), And why is this "ritual" look so similar to devil worshiping?! At the start of chapter 2 the comic described whatever happened there as this:

Divine magic is power imparted by a god upon one of their worshipers, a reward for prayer and good service in the deity's name. But there are other paths to power as well…Dark pacts with strange beings whose magic and influence rival the glory of the divine, even if they are not called gods by those who define such things. woe to any who fall under their sway or drink deep from their corruption.

It implies the Absolute is not a real God, and the description doesn't really fit the Netherbrain neither. The use of those "powers" that the Absolute offered were described as "Dark pacts"

After all that, I looked into whether or not devils even could have dream powers and turns out yeah a certain type of fiend do! There's 3 type of incubus/succubus, EA dream visitor was really similar to the fiendish type who are neither devil nor demon : "Fiendish succubi commonly used their ethereal form to slip through walls to reach a mortal's bedside, and linger there as they slept. Here, they filled their victim's dreams with debauched scenes and whispered of forbidden pleasures, tempting them to indulge in dark desires, appetites, and taboos. The more the succubus did this in their dreams, the more vulnerable their victim became to temptation in the waking world. Eventually, the succubus entered the mortal realm directly, in a pleasing form previously seen only in the dreams, and befriended or seduced their victim, so they could influence them directly and indulge all their desires so they would perform evil deeds of their own free will. When the victim was utterly corrupted, such as by committing three betrayals of thought, word, and deed, their soul was in the grip of the succubus, without need of contract or pledge. For a more virtuous victim, this corruption might take longer, but their downfall was all the more rewarding for the succubus. Finally, the succubus slew their victim with a kiss, and the corrupted soul went down to the Lower Planes as their prize." "Fiendish succubi could become ethereal by slipping into the Ethereal Plane. They could also magically charm a humanoid, in sight up to 30 feet (9.1 meters) away, and make them obey any command they gave them. The victim might resist, especially if made to perform a harmful or suicidal action." It's all very similar to EA dream visitor and that also explains why EA dreams were so seductive but the only thing that doesn't line up is succubus could only have one charmed victim at a time...so i'm not really sure.

Looking back on it now, I think the character who replaced Daisy wasn't the Emperor, It was The Dark Urge(or more precisely Bhaal) What we were resisting in EA dreams was the dream visitor themself, not the urge to kill them. This would happen if you failed that charisma check(I find it weird that some people still insist that original Tav was Durge/a Bhaalspawn even when the writer straight up confirmed that's not true.) My theory is those "urges" were the consequences of using the tadpole powers and not resisting the dream visitor. The character that the emperor replaced was actually Orpheus(Emperor existed even before the rewrite. I'm not sure what his original role was, But his name was datamined back in ea) Orpheus was the person in the artefact that help the party and prevented them from becoming mind flayers, Based on this datamined conversation with Halsin (x)

Halsin: You're aware of the monster inside you. You don't bow to the Absolute, like the true souls do. How is this possible…? Tav: A being called Orpheus is protecting me; Shielding me from the worst of parasite's magic. Halsin: That sounds…novel. But alright, Who is this Orpheus? I'd like to bend the ear of anyone who knows about these things. Tav: I don't know the truth bout him. I'm not sure he even has an ear to bend. Halsin: Hmm. There's so much stock you can place in mysterious friends with unknown agendas...

These were also datamined about Orpheus (x)

in the game files " the cube contains the long imprisoned spirit of a gith general, who wants to fall into our party's hand in effort to eventually break free."

He's forcing Shadowheart to either join the party or get killed by the party - either way the cube will be where it wants to be.

A mysterious character who is trying to survive and break free, who prevents the party from turning into illithid and Shielding them from the Absolute's influence...That's just the Emperor now. Raphael originally wanted the artifact, so there should have been some sort of connection between him and Orpheus. Orpheus from Greek mythology was a poet and musician who descended into the underworld/hells to bring her wife back, So maybe there was something going on that got cut? .............. Small rant about Mephistopheles I feel like they just slapped him in the game last minute... The fact that Mephistopheles had the Crown of Karsus but did not use it does not make any sense. Mephistopheles is a wizard, ruler of Cania and second most powerful devil next to Asmodeus. he was desperately looking for divinity so he could beat Asmodeus and take his place.(Especially considering what happened between him and his cambion son Magadon just for a portion of the god Mask's divinity. he managed to get only a fraction of that )He could have use the crown, Steal Asmodeus' divinity and easily defeat him. "frigid archivist who made a miracle into a museum piece" is not really who Mephistopheles is ,he's very power hungry and his "most damaging issues" are his "rampantly unchecked megalomania and recklessness in the pursuit of power" The chosen stealing the crown from him is weird on itself(IMO None of them were smart or strong enough to pull that off)And then Mephistopheles did not go after them and let them carry out their plan?why?! I even think Raphael being the son of Mephistopheles was something they added later for several reason: Everything that connects Raphael to him was added after the rewrite(Him wanting The Crown of Karsus, Astarion asking about his scars and Haarlep). This makes him way too similar to EA Mizora, She was supposed to have a powerful devil father. Raphael's concept art looks a lot like Yurgir and other devil concepts from Avernus cut content and shouldn't he be blue?!Because I read somewhere that Mephistopheles's red skin is the result of the experiments he did on himself and he was blue before all that?!

Mephistopheles's deal with Cazador and him wanting 7007 random souls is also kinda ooc for him. He is the one archdevil who prefers quality over quantity("He has the advantage of having the lowest quotas of the archdevils but with the limitation of the highest standards")that's why he's in debt to some of the other archdevils like Dispater and Levistus. He also only makes deal with skilled wizards and cunning sages(Cazador doesn't really fit the bill) My theory is Astarion's back scars originally might had something to do with Raphael himself. Cazador's lair in bg3 art book looks different, Notice how the set up for the ascension ritual isn't there(Instead there is a pool of blood?)

if you look at Astarion page on BG3 artbook, it is mentioned that whatever is carved on his back is part of a poem.

Mephistopheles doesn't make contract in poem form. When the set of the MTG cards that included bg3 characters was released, They published this video explaining each card, Brandy camel (community manager at d&d i think)said this about about Raphael:

Later in the same video she said this when discussing Astarion's card:

He's an individual who's kind of been operating in that place between being rising to nobility but hasn't quite made it there yet, So he's kind of under the thumb of Raphael and he's not super happy about it.

So originally i thought this could be a mistake but if Raphael was EA dream visitor, I can see how he could be involved with Astarion. Here's a little summary of Astarion's og storyline(source of datamined stuff here) So there was this chosen of the Absolute "the Butcher",He and Cazador had a rivalry over who get to control the Baldur's Gate graveyard.(You could have sided with either of them) Cazador sent some of his spawns to investigate the cult, We were supposed to meet them in act2. Astarion wanted to ally with a monster hunter named "Spencer" against them, But if we talked to spawns we would learn that "the Butcher" send his apprentice "Ohler" to the graveyard(he was putting tadpole inside the skeleton's head and that made them hostile toward the vampires ) then an ancient and powerful vampire called"the Alluring" killed him. They also mentioned how they were happy with their situation and that Cazador is an okay boss"It is good. You don't age and everyone is afraid of you. Cazador is a bit strict but he makes sure we are fed" So about how Raphael might have been involved, "the Alluring" was called "Desire/Alluring" in the game files so he(?) was EA dream visitor in disguise... That explains why Astarion was the only one who had nightmare about Cazador instead of tempting dreams like the rest of the party. also in ea if you speak on dead on gur and asked him who sent him he would say this :

Astarion : Who sent you… Was it Cazador? Gandrel: No… Maiden Fel… Astarion : Who is Maiden Fel? Gandrel: Reason… Even monsters… Have nightmares…

If hypothetically Raphael was Daisy, this "Maiden Fel"was also probably him too? ................ so here's another delulu theory: (I know it's not very likely, I wasn't even sure to include it) Raphael's name still bothered me, I couldn't help but think there must be a reason why they name a devil after an archangel. So I checked to see if I could find some sort of connection between Raphael and any of d&d deities(since angels associated with gods) i have two guesses. the first one is Beshaba. Beshaba is "chaotic evil deity of accidents, bad luck, misfortune, and random mischief" and her holy symbol is the horns of a stag. She is the twin sister and sworn enemy of Tymora, the goddess of good luck(they are kinda like Shar and Selune) Raphael has this line in act1"They do know how to write them in Cormyr, don't they?" "Tymora was the most famous deity around the country of Cormyr, after she protected their capital, Suzail, during the Time of Troubles. Her efforts prompted a resurgence of her faith throughout the nation." and there's this one fallen temple of Tymora in the city of Tantras literally called the unlucky"House Of Hope"(x) Raphael has these dialogues "One might say you're a paragon of luck. I'll be there when it runs out" "You're out of luck." which didn't happen This is less likely guess because dnd evil deities don't really have angels... my second guess is Lathander. He's the deity with most similarities to Archangel Raphael "Lathander was a deity of creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring, self-perfection, vitality, and youth. He favoured those who dispelled the undead and blessed those who planted new life. Lathander was also the god called upon to bless birth and fertility related ceremonies.""A common symbol associated with Raphael is the color green. This color is often used to represent healing and renewal, which are two of Raphael's primary areas of expertise. The use of green in depictions of Raphael can also be seen as a nod to the natural world, which is often associated with healing and growth.Finally, Raphael is sometimes depicted holding a fish, which is a symbol of abundance and fertility. This symbol is particularly relevant to Raphael's role as a healer, as it represents the idea of restoring balance and vitality to the body." And both Archangel Raphael and Lathander are commonly associated with the Sun. Lathander is also a god of "hope and beginnings", He and his followers"Strive to bring hope to others" that one statue in the House of Hope with a sun behind his head and plants around his neck looks pretty similar to Lathander's statues in the game...

There's more to this if Raphael was the Original dream visitor. Daisy also spoke of "change", "growth" and a "beautiful and glorious renewal" If you look at the art of "Cultist of the Absolute" MTG card, You can see a window on the background that looks a lot like Symbol of Lathander. In the prequel comic there was this panel where one of the protagonist asked the tadpoled true soul"father Alby"what happened to him and why is he doing all of this, he replied"A simple answer to both questions, I have been Awakened" Novices in the Lathanderian faith are also called the Awakened. In original storyline that supposed to happen in Rosymorn Monastery(x) Kith'rak Voss got some kinda information from there that he wanted to tell Vlaakith about! He had this cut dialogue "I will make for the plane-gate. Vlaakith must hear of this!".The Absolutists REALLY didn't want this information to reach Vlaakith. Even Daisy was going to make an appearance because of it, this was datamined:

We need a system for showing daisy and making them talk to the player in the world// Daisy insists that the player shouldn't let Kith'rak Voss escape.

Why is this information obtained from a temple of Lathander be so important to the cult of the Absolute? Avernus was supposed to be playable and Zariel was also an angel under the command of Lathander before her fall. so maybe there was something going on between Raphael and Lathander ?! like i said I know it's not very likely... ............. So that's all i had to say, I tried to look into it more specially stuff that was datamined from patch5 and 8 of Early access(there was A LOT)but i couldn't find much, Most of the stuff from those patches were deleted or unlisted on YouTube... Just remember I’m literally just sharing my opinion, it is not a personal attack on you or your taste :P ok bye.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #wyll #wyll ravengard #bg3 raphael #mizora #bg3 meta #bg3 orpheus #cazador szarr #bg3 cazador #bg3 datamine #bg3 daisy #kith'rak voss #long post #bg3 mizora

41 notes · View notes

spiderziege · 10 months ago

Text

art might be kind of slow for a little bit because i started making a tablecloth by accident

#i did not expect for this to be that big. like i knew in theory but im still surprised #i dont even know what to do with this once its done but thats a future problem #filet crochet #wip

472 notes · View notes

astronicht · 7 months ago

Text

Okay I'm almost done with Fellowship, here's an incomplete list of shit I noticed and thought was buck fucking wild on my first ever read-thru: medieval edition.

In literally the second line of the book, Tolkien implies that Bilbo Baggins wrote a story which was preserved alongside the in-universe version of the Mabinogion (aka the best-known collection of Welsh myths; I promise this is batshit). This is because The Hobbit has been preserved, in Tolkien's AU version of our world, in a "selection of the Red Book of Westmarch" (Prologue, Concerning Hobbits). If you're a medievalist and you see something called "The Red Book of" or "The Black Book of" etc it's a Thing. In this case, a cheeky reference to the Red Book of Hergest (Llyfr Coch Hergest). There are a few Red Books, but only Hergest has stories).

not a medieval thing but i did not expect one common theory among hobbits for the death of Frodo's parents to be A RUMORED MURDER-SUICIDE.

At the beginning of the book a few hobbits report seeing a moving elm tree up on the moors, heading west (thru or past the Shire). I mentioned this in another post, but another rule: if you see an elm tree, that's a Girl Tree. In Norse creation myth, the first people were carved from driftwood by the gods. Their names were Askr (Ash, as in the tree), the first man, and Embla (debated, but likely elm tree), the first woman. A lot of ppl have I think guessed that that was an ent-wife, but like. Literally that was a GIRL. TREE.

Medieval thing: I used to read the runes on the covers of The Hobbit and LOTR for fun when I worked in a bookshop. There's a mix of Old Norse (viking) and Old English runes in use, but all the ones I've noticed so far are real and readable if you know runes.

Tom Bombadil makes perfect sense if you once spent months of your life researching the early medieval art of galdor, which was the use of poems or songs to do a form of word-magic, often incorporating gibberish. If you think maybe Tolkien did not base the entirety of Fellowship so far around learning and using galdor and thus the power of words and stories, that is fine I cannot force you. He did personally translate "galdor" in Beowulf as "spell" (spell, amusingly, used to mean "story"). And also he named an elf Galdor. Like he very much did name an elf Galdor.

Tom Bombadil in fact does galdor from the moment we meet him. He arrives and fights the evil galdor (song) of the willow tree ("old gray willow-man, he's a mighty singer"), which is singing the hobbits to sleep and possibly eating them, with a galdor (song) of his own. Then he wanders off still singing, incorporating gibberish. I think it was at this point that I started clawing my face.

THEN Tom Bombadil makes perfect sense if you've read the description of the scop's songs in Beowulf (Beowulf again, but hey, Tolkien did famously a. translate it b. write a fanfiction about it called Sellic Spell where he gave Beowulf an arguably homoerotic Best Friend). The scop (pronounched shop) is a poet who sings about deeds on earth, but also by profession must know how to sing the song or tell the story of how the cosmos itself came to be. The wise-singer who knows the deep lore of the early universe is a standard trope in Old English literature, not just Beowulf! Anyway Tom Bombadil takes everyone home and tells them THE ENTIRE STORY OF ALL THE AGES OF THE EARTH BACKWARDS UNTIL JUST BEFORE THE MOMENT OF CREATION, THE BIG BANG ITSELF and then Frodo Baggins falls asleep.

Tom Bombadil knows about plate tectonics

This is sort of a lie, Tom Bombadil describes the oceans of old being in a different place, which works as a standard visual of Old English creation, which being Christian followed vaguely Genesis lines, and vaguely Christian Genesis involves a lot of water. TOLKIEN knew about plate tectonics though.

Actually I just checked whether Tolkien knew about plate tectonics because I know the advent of plate tectonics theory took forever bc people HATED it and Alfred Wegener suffered for like 50 years. So! actually while Tolkien was writing LOTR, the scientific community was literally still not sure plate tectonics existed. Tom Bombadil knew tho.

Remember that next time you (a geologist) are forced to look at the Middle Earth map.

I'm not even done with Tom Bombadil but I'm stopping here tonight. Plate tectonics got me. There's a great early (but almost high!) medieval treatise on cosmology and also volcanoes and i wonder if tolkien read it. oh my god. i'm going to bed.

edit: part II

#astro lotr #at what cost

3K notes · View notes

lovelettersfromluna · 1 year ago

Text

After Dark

Summary: It’s a universal rule that every ghost face at a Halloween party is hot underneath. Let’s test that theory, shall we?

an: AHHH OKAY! Lemme explain. I made a post about participating in kinktober, and while a lot of you wanted me to, I feel like it’s too late for me to properly participate. HOWEVER, I still want to give you something to kick off the weekend! Something spooky AND smutty for all my ghouls out there. I hope you’re all having a good Halloweekend! Pls stay safe and have lots of fun, I’m sure you all have the cutest costumes planned! Also, I took a different approach to reader, so let me know how you guys like her!! 🖤🖤 p.s I was drunk when I wrote this :p

Warnings: SMUT!!! 18+, MDNI, porn with no plot, strap-on sex, mentions of the word “cock”, mask kink, alcohol usage, mentions of latex, riding, cliche house party trope, slight sugar mommy!ellie if you squint??, lmk if I missed anything!

Out of all of three hundred and sixty five days of the year, today was your favorite.

Today was the one day within the year that there weren’t really any rules. You could wear anything, be whoever you wanted, and it was socially acceptable to get drunk while doing so, and there was no way in hell you would ever pass up on that.

No matter the circumstances, you were invited to a Halloween party. Whether it was some cheesy bash that was being thrown at a friend of a friends house, or a more upscale party, you were going out.

And you always looked damn good doing so.

You were always praised on your costumes, every year it was expected of you to top what you did the last, so there was no doubt in the fact that you were putting in maximum effort year after year.

This year? You stuck with one of the classics of course. The devil.

You were dripping in skin tight latex, the black corset you wore that pushed your boobs out perfectly, your soft skin nearly spilling out of the tight top, the tight booty shorts that hugged the globes of your ass, your cheeks peeking out, the gloves that hugged your arms, and the thigh high socks that shined under the moonlight, everything you wore was that delicious shiny material that made you look almost unreal.

And underneath it all? You had painted your entire body red, paired with fake red horns peeking out of your pretty hair.

So yeah, you were almost always crowned as the queen of Halloween.

This year was no different, halloweekend had been kicked off with quite the everything shower, making sure your body was in perfect condition for everything you’d be attending. You had gotten ready with your friends at your apartment, getting a few shots in before making it to the biggest party of the year. Everyone looked forward to it, putting together their best costumes for the party at the house that almost everyone died to get into.

Walking down the streets of the city on Halloween was like Christmas, various characters from movies and cartoons cheering, dancing, all social barriers that were put up every other day of the year were down, the veil being lifted for one night that allowed anything to be game.

The amount of whistles you and your friends received on your way there was almost appalling, not to mention the amount of people who told you they’d let you torture them any day. You thought that was cute.

Soon enough, the sounds of the party were near, and you could see the red lights spilling out of the big house in the middle of the block, and you knew it was time.

Eyes were on you immediately, and it made you giggle as you scoped out the food group that was there tonight. Of course you knew they’d stare, drool over you with their mouths open, begging for just a moment of your time.

But you were a very picky girl.

Ignoring their advances was like second nature, all you had to do, was shake your ass, drink some free liquor, and wait for the perfect person to take up your time for the night.

And as always, that never took long for you.

Your hips swayed to the music, eyes closed as you enjoyed one of the best parts of parties. The alcohol you drank made your body warm up in the best way, made every touch on your body feel so much more intense, all while numbing out everything else. It made you feel alive, it made you raise your arms above your head and simply let the music move you.

It was only a moment, your eyes drifting open to make sure your friend was still in front of you, and you’re sure if you hadn’t, you would’ve missed it.

Across the room, stood a tall figure. She wore a loose black t shirt, baggy black jeans, black boots….

And a ghost face mask.

The figure was turned towards you, leaning against the wall with a red solo cup clasped between a hand, a pretty tattoo bleeding into it. Anyone else would have seen it, and thought that whoever it was, was extremely fucking creepy. Everyone knew that ghost face was one of the creepiest people you could choose to be for Halloween ever.

But it just so happened, that you’ve always had a thing for masked killers.

Although you couldn’t see the eyes of the person behind the mask, you could feel them, and it made you burn from the inside. You bit your bottom lip softly, throwing back the rest of the alcohol in your cup before you turned your body more towards them, giving them a good view of your body. You began dancing, putting on a show for them, your glove glad hands running up and down your body, your neck, your boobs, your waist, practically having sex on the dance floor with yourself, all for this stranger who was most definitely watching you.

You feel like you have x-ray vision, because although you can’t see her face, you can see the way she grips her cup tighter whenever you sway your hips, turning around to give her a nice view of your ass. You see the way she shifts her weight onto her other foot whenever your hand runs over the curve of your tits. When you really know you’ve got her, is when you rest your hands on your friends hips, and pull her into your crotch, your eyes never leaving the ghost face mask. You know you’ve got her because she sets her cup down, raises her long, skinny fingers, and silently calls you over before she makes her way down one of the hallways in the house.

And suddenly, a game of cat and mouse begins.

You almost never chase anyone at a party, you’re always the one that’s being chased. However, there’s something about this ghost face. There’s an aura radiating off of her, one that’s dripping of lust, screaming at you, telling you she’s got exactly what you need, exactly what you’re looking for during these stupid Halloween parties.

So you break your little streak, and as soon as she calls you, you’re following her.

The house is lit up with all different colors, the kitchen was purple, the living room was pink, everywhere you turned was another tinted space that fit the Halloween vibe perfectly.

As you look around for your ghost face, you can’t help but huff softly. It almost feels as if she’s disappeared into thin air, as if the alcohol in your system made you hallucinate the entire thing. You begin to question yourself, a soft pout on your lips as you make your way down the final place to look for her.

But of course, you finally find her leaned up against one of the hallways, and of course it’s completely lit up red.

You tug your bottom lip between your teeth as you smile, making you way towards her. Once you’re standing in front of her, you expect her to take off the mask, show her who it is that’s hiding behind that silly mask.

But she doesn’t

You giggle softly, your hand toying with the hem of her shirt as you stare up at her with big doe eyes.

“You gonna show me the pretty face you’re hiding under that mask?” You purr out, and the ghost face simply shakes her head. It makes you pout, tugging at her shirt gently as you lean into her a bit, but still keeping your body a ways away from hers.

“But…how am I supposed to talk to you if I can’t see you” you whine, hoping that this little pouty act will get you what you want. It usually does, but this ghost face seems far too stubborn for that. She simply cocks her head to the side, as if clicking her tongue and mocking your pout.

It makes your pussy flutter with need.

She hasn’t even said anything to you, but you’re already squeezing your legs together, eager for some kind of friction to soothe the ache between your legs, your lips rubbing together with the arousal that grew with each passing second.

You hum softly, your latex clad fingers running down her arm, reaching her tattoo and tracing the pattern gently.

Hm…you don’t recall that one.

She gives you her arm with ease, allowing you to see her tattoo, that makes you smile softly.

“This is pretty…” you hum before you look back up at her, biting your plush bottom lip softly. “Are there anymore for me to find?” You question, giving her a playful smile. This one gets her, because you can hear the way her breath shudders, see the way her chest rises and falls for a moment.

She’s right where you want her.

You hum softly, your hand slowly coming up to the mask, eyeing her closely as you gently begin pushing it up, eager to see her face. You flinch when she grabs your wrist, stopping you from lifting it up any further. You pout again, it’s genuine this time, not like before. A soft huff leaves your lips before you open your mouth to complain, tell the girl that if she doesn’t want to show you her face, you’ll leave to find someone else who will.

But before you can, you’re being tugged into a random bedroom.

Upon entering, you can see why this place is the spot was so popular for parties. The rooms are clean, and the host went as far as to decorate them accordingly, the same red lights from the hallway lighting up the place. If you weren’t so hellbent on getting fucked by the ghost face, you’d most certainly be gushing over what a wonderful party host this was.

Your thoughts are completely cut off by strong arms wrapping around your waist, and pulling you into an even stronger chest. It makes you moan softly, your head falling back against her chest. You feel her strong hands running up and down your latex clad body, squeezing your hips, your boobs, running along your thighs. You can hear her breathing behind you, and you can almost hear the sweet tone of her voice through it.

You let out a small whine, one of your hands coming down to lay over hers, keeping her close to you. “Wanna play with you…” you hum softly, it makes your ghost face groan, her hands squeezing your plush body before she turns you around, and pushes you onto the soft bed.

It makes you giggle softly, your hands running along the soft sheets as you watch her. She looks like a god above you, standing so tall, the ghostly mask almost haunting as she eats you up with her eyes, head cocked to the side as you lazily smile up at her.

You move to prop yourself up onto your hands, palms pressing into the bed, your legs spreading for her. “So…you’re leaving the mask on, huh? Does that make me the helpless victim?” You pout out, holding back a giggle as you recite the lines from the movie the mask came from. It earns a slow nod from your ghost face, and you have to hold back a moan.

“Well…please play with me ghost face…I wanna be yours tonight” you purr out, your body sitting up as you reach forward, your fingers snagging around the belt loop of her jeans and pulling her closer.

You hear a soft sigh from behind the mask, and it almost sounds like she’s suffering, like she’s torturing herself just as much as she’s torturing you by not touching you yet. Her strong hand slowly comes up, cupping your chin gently and angling your head up, her thumb dragging across your bottom lip. You moan softly, kissing her finger gently, it makes her groan again.

She slowly moves down, bending down until her hands are pushed against the bed, caging you in. It makes you crawl backwards, a soft whimper leaving your lips. When she’s this close, backing you up onto the bed, you can catch a glimmer of her eyes beneath the mesh material of the eyes of the ghost. You can see her long lashes, and big green eyes. It makes your pussy throb desperately.

Because fuck, you’ve never seen eyes that pretty before.

You almost done catch her hands reaching down between you, pushing into the tight material of your latex shorts, fingers pressing against your soaked core. You’re so desperate for her, that the small act makes you moan softly, eyes fluttering shut as you grind your hips against her fingers. You can tell she’s skilled just by the way she fingers your clit and rubs you slowly, the right fabric of your shorts making it an even tighter fit.

“Fuck…” you hear softly from behind the mask, and it’s the first time you’ve properly heard her voice, it makes you feel like you can cum right then and there.

You blink softly as you stare into her eyes, watching her as she slowly toys with your pussy, making you whine and moan for her from the small motions of her fingers.

“Mmpph…feels…fuck…your fingers…” you moan softly, feeling yourself growing close just from the way she rubbed your throbbing clit. Your hand goes down to her tattooed arm, grabbing it as she begins to speed up. You whine loudly, your back arching as you grind in tow with her movements, and fuck…you’re so close, you feel like you’re going to explode just from a stranger finger fucking you.

And suddenly, her fingers are gone.

“W-what? Why’d you…why’d you stop” you whimper softly while trying to catch your breath, watching as your ghost face began to tug your shorts off. You whine softly with embarrassment, watching as she silently tugged your shorts off, a string of your arousal connecting you to your shorts. You can’t remember the last time you were this wet.

Your ghost face groans softly, mumbling something under her breath that you don’t quite catch. You open your mouth to say something, but you’re quickly being tugged up into her arms as she lays down on the bed.

Now you’re straddling her lap, your bare core dragging along her jeans as her strong hands massage your thighs. You whine softly, because you can feel the prominent bulge pressing against you through her pants. Her hands go to your hips, forcing you to grind your soaking wet pussy against her crotch, your arousal staining her black jeans, making you burn from the inside out.

You moan loudly, your hands pressing against her lower stomach as you watch the way she slowly grinds you down on her as she pleases. You’re eager, so you’re already undoing her belt and unbuttoning her jeans. You almost expect her to stop you, but she doesn’t, and you’re pulling out her pink strap, the length of it making your mouth water.

If you weren’t so fucking horny, the color would’ve made you giggle, but there’s no time for that. You tug her jeans down a bit more, to which she lifts her hips up to help you, and you begin to crawl up her body slightly until you’re hovering over her length, her hand grabbing the shaft as she runs it along your lips, getting it wet with your arousal before she helps you sink down on it.

The moan you both let out is past pornography, the weight of you pushing down her strap rubs against her clit perfectly, and she’s sure she’s never experienced someone riding her so fucking well. The sound of her pretty voice makes you want to cry, because she’s been teasing you so much that you’ll take just about anything she gives you. You begin to bounce on her length slowly, adjusting to her size, your hands pressed against her chest to act as leverage.

“Oh my…fucking god….mmmhhh…a-ah!” You moan out, eyes fluttering shut as you ride her, back arching as your hands go up into your hair, tugging on it, needing somewhat of an outlet to release the pleasure you were feeling. Your senses were on overload, and you weren’t sure if it was the build up of not knowing who the hell you were fucking, or if it was truly that good, but you’re sure you’ve never had a fuck this good in your entire life.

“Fuck…that’s a good fucking girl…bouncing on my cock so well…yeah…that’s it” the voice makes you moan loudly, your eyes opening immediately. She sounds perfect, her voice low and smooth, strong hands gripping your thighs for a moment before they come down on your ass, spanking you hard and making you moan even louder.

You can practically hear the smirk in her voice when she speaks, her voice dripping with lust as you fuck your self down onto her cock. “Haven’t even seen my face and you’re doing all of this for me…treating me special, pretty girl?” She hums out before moaning loudly with you. You can’t help but nod, slowly feeling yourself becoming dumb on her cock.

“S’good…feels so good…I’ll do anything for you” you moan out almost incoherently, saying just about anything that comes to mind in that moment.

As you continue bouncing on her cock, the motions of it all makes her mask come up a bit, and you catch a glimpse of her plush pink lips tugged beneath her pretty teeth. It makes you whine softly, and you realize you can’t fucking do this anymore.

You reach forward, your hand going to the edge of the mask, and you tug it off of her head.

You feel like you’ll lose your breath, keel over and die at that very moment when you see her, because she’s so fucking pretty. Her brown hair is so messy, soft fringe splayed across her face, prettiest freckles littering her red cheeks, those same green eyes staring into yours, pretty lips tugging into a smirk when she sees the way your eyebrows furrow with pleasure, knowing that it was her face that made you feel that way.

“Just couldn’t wait, could you?” She smirks softly, her words followed by a soft groan, hands traveling up your body and gripping your boobs that were nearly completely spilled out of your top.

“Want you to cum for me, princess…can you do that? Cum all over my cock?” She urges on, her words cut off by various moans as you continue fucking yourself down on her. You want to speak, but you can’t, so all you do is nod eagerly and give her a loud moan, feeling the familiar warmth building up in the pit of your stomach, electricity traveling through your body.

Ellie moans with you, her eyes never leaving yours as she gives you an encouraging nod. “That’s it baby…such a pretty fucking girl…been watching you all night…knew I needed to…fuck…have you…come on baby…cum for me” she commands, and you feel like you’ll turn into jelly just from the way she tells you to do it, so stern, your legs felt like they could no longer hold you up, shaking as your back arched almost painfully, and your orgasm raked through your body.

It was electrifying, the feeling of her cock sliding so deep into you, your walls fluttering around it as you came, her hands gripping your hips tightly as she pushed even deeper into you, her own orgasm visibly washing over her as she pushed her head further into the bed, eyes squeezing shut, curse words flying from her pretty lips.

You both sat there for a moment, Ellie sitting up and pressing her face against your chest as she held you close, hands rubbing against your thighs, soft kisses against your boobs, giving both you and herself a moment to collect yourselves after the intense session you’d just had.

After a few moments passed, you pouted softly as you looked down at the bed and noticed some of the red body paint had smeared onto the bed.

“Fuck…you don’t think the host will be mad about that…do you?” You mumbled softly, trying to avoid the embarrassment you felt at the fact that your fucking costume had ended up screwing you over.

Ellie chuckled softly as she looked down at the bed, humming softly as she pressed another kiss to your chest before she pulled you down to lay down with her, having every intention of keeping you there until enough people left, and you could both go for a shower.

“Nah…I don’t mind” she smirked softly, knowing she’d most definitely be making sure the sheets were changed for you both in the morning.

#ellie williams #ellie williams smut #ellie williams x y/n #ellie williams x female reader #ellie williams x you #ellie tlou #ellie x y/n #ellie the last of us #ellie x you

2K notes · View notes

livelaughpeg · 3 months ago

Text

I'm writing this from a throwaway account, because you know...Scientology.

I want to preface this post by saying I am not one of those "I knew it all along!" people. I can't stand that attitude. I was pretty ambivelant towards Neil Gaiman. Prior to the allegations, I didn't hate him but I wasn't that interested in him as a person either. I don't think you can always tell when someone is a bad or good person simply by the topics they write about. If that was the case we'd be arresting every horror writer on earth.

But one thing that did always rub me up the wrong way was the way he talked about getting work.

I borrowed and read "Make Good Art" (a small book based on a speech he gave to graduates at the University of the Arts) at a time in my life that I was really struggling to get by (I still am to some extent, but in a different way). I expected to see some practical advice. Instead it was a bunch of glib shit like:

I got out into the world, I wrote, and I became a better writer the more I wrote, and I wrote some more, and nobody ever seemed to mind that I was making it up as I went along, they just read what I wrote and they paid for it, or they didn’t, and often they commissioned me to write something else for them. Looking back, I’ve had a remarkable ride. I’m not sure I can call it a career, because a career implies that I had some kind of career plan, and I never did. The nearest thing I had was a list I made when I was 15 of everything I wanted to do: to write an adult novel, a children’s book, a comic, a movie, record an audiobook, write an episode of Doctor Who… and so on. I didn’t have a career. I just did the next thing on the list.

Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should do. Make good art. I’m serious. Husband runs off with a politician? Make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by mutated boa constrictor? Make good art. IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Somebody on the Internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, and eventually time will take the sting away, but that doesn’t matter. Do what only you do best. Make good art.

Yeah, well, no shit. If you're a writer or artist you probably do anyway. Whether you get paid for it or not, whether you draw fan art or original art. But the point of Gaiman's speech was to give advice to people who wanted to be paid for their art. To make a career of it. Making art every day isn't always enough. You have to pay the damn rent, you have to eat, you have to network and do social media and promote yourself, and you have to do it while thousands of other people are doing the same thing in a massive crowd of people who want the same thing. Practical advice is much more valuable than platitudes and theory.

I am not a writer, I'm an illustrator, and let me tell you that for most people, 'getting your foot in the door' isn't a one time thing. Quite often you have to work at getting your foot in the door again and again until you become established, and it's very easy to be forgotten. I still feel like I'm in that stage now.

I watched my peers, and my friends, and the ones who were older than me and watch how miserable some of them were: I’d listen to them telling me that they couldn’t envisage a world where they did what they had always wanted to do any more, because now they had to earn a certain amount every month just to keep where they were. They couldn’t go and do the things that mattered, and that they had really wanted to do; and that seemed as a big a tragedy as any problem of failure.

The implication was that he was successful because he wrote every day and his friends weren't because they didn't, because you know, working a second job is tiring. He called this a tragedy, but there was something very glib about the way he narrated this.

I think someone had more financial cushion that he was letting on.

And yes, sometimes it does work that way, (some people are very lucky and make all the right connections) but Gaiman was getting Big Jobs right off the bat and something about that never smelt right to me after the way he talked about it.

And then I saw Jeff's tweets. Oh, that's why...

I suspect the truth is he was living off his family's money and connections, and while I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with that if you're a struggling artist, his family are Scientologists, and I don't think he ever struggled.

I suspect it's all a lie.

#neil gaiman #jeff vandermeer #twitter

396 notes · View notes

dwobbitfromtheshire · 2 years ago

Text

Headcannon that Steve is actually smarter than he let's on because he's so used to pretending to be stupid in front of his dad. Even though he never said, his dad always hated it when a kid was smarter than him. When he got mad at him for not getting into college, Steve figured that it wasn't him that was the problem but his dad. No matter what Steve did, he wasn't good enough for his father. Steve figured out D&D pretty quickly, not that he would tell Dustin that. It was always hilarious when Dustin got mad when Steve called it anything other than Dungeons and Dragons. He was so used to hiding the fact that he understood more than he let on. He even hid it from the party, even though they had been through so much together and they were more like a family than his own family had been.

It was Eddie who had caught on to the fact. He was always watching the former king of Hawkins High, curious to know about the mysteries he hid deep within. The kids always scoffed when he called him that: a mystery. They saw what they wanted to see on the surface: a man with no hidden depths. He was exactly who he said he was. Eddie knew differently. He watched him out of the corner of his eye and watched him smirk at every joke Steve Harrington shouldn't have understood. Eddie knew exactly what he was hiding. He decided to test his theory.

Steve hadn't been expecting it. They were holding Hellfire at his house since the school wouldn't allow them to host it on the property anymore. Steve didn't play, but Eddie allowed him to sit in to watch. While Steve was watching the game, he didn't know that Eddie was casually watching him. When the game wrapped up and Eddie called out to him while he was cleaning up, Eddie asked him a question that Steve shouldn't know.

Steve froze when he answered and looked up to see Eddie looking at him gleefully. Eddie pressed him, and eventually Steve broke, telling him all about his father. He told him how his father hated that he read so much. He hated that his son was such a nerd. He told him how his books had been his only source of comfort growing up because he had been left alone so often. He told him how he had to let that go in favor of sports, but he did eventually love basketball, but he hated being an asshole like his father. When he stopped crying, a thing he was taught never to do, he realized that Eddie was holding him in his arms.

"What else are you hiding from us, big boy?" Eddie asked softly.

Steve leaned over and kissed him. He pulled back, afraid that he had messed things up, but Eddie was smiling. The other man moved forward and kissed him so sweetly that Steve’s legs nearly gave away. It was a good thing that Eddie was holding him up.

"You don't have to hide yourself away, Stevie, not ever. Not with us, okay? And I know I made a big deal about it before, and I apologized to Lucas for it. It's okay to be a nerd and a jock. It's okay to like both."

#stranger things #eddie munson #joseph quinn #stranger things s4 #eddie stranger things #eddie munson lives #steve harrington #steddie #steve x eddie #steve harrington x eddie munson #steddie fanfiction #steddie ficlet #ficlet #stranger things ficlet

3K notes · View notes

simplyraeblue · 2 months ago

Text

hunter and hunted (jjk)

college (summer) break au: a fic in which y/n is pining over Yuji's older brother Sukuna, while unbeknownst to her, Choso is doing the same thing for her. contents: sukuna x reader, choso x reader, modern college AU, yuji and choso are brothers, sukuna and yuji are brothers, smut warning

chapter warnings/tags: MDNI, NSWF, smut, oral (f receiving), p in v penetration, rough sex, degradation, no after care, slight non-con, after bruising, sukuna sucks during sex A/N: I never said Sukuna was gonna be a good guy yet... but that doesn't mean I don't plan to try and redeem him. Sukuna is an absolute toxic man at this point, so keep that in mind.

index part five | part seven

part five word count: 2,931

you couldn't quite figure out what had come over Sukuna recently. over the past few days, he seemed to be everywhere you were. after your kiss, he’d been noticeably kinder—or at least less overtly hostile—and he wasn’t completely avoiding you anymore.

“is it just me, or did someone kidnap my brother and replace him with a clone?” Yuji asked, watching as Sukuna offered you a bite of his food before retreating to his room to eat.

you shrugged, trying to play it cool. “probably, but I’m not complaining. if I can get through a day without being cursed out every other sentence, I’m all for it.”

“it’s just weird,” Yuji said, leaning against the counter and staring at the stairs as if expecting answers to materialize. “it’s like he only acts like this around you.”

his comment made your cheeks warm. there was no way he’d figure it out so quickly. “maybe he’s been sipping on some respect women juice?” you suggested with a smile.

Yuji’s face lit up as if a light bulb had gone off. “that’s it! I bet he found a girlfriend!”

you choked on your drink. Yuji’s theory left you sputtering, trying to regain your composure. “uh, yeah, maybe,” you managed to say, still a bit flustered.

Yuji’s excitement was palpable. “it makes sense, right? maybe he’s trying to impress someone.”

you forced a laugh, hoping Yuji wouldn’t press further. “sure, let’s go with that.”

Yuji seemed to accept this explanation, nodding to himself. “well, if it means he’s less of a jerk, I guess I’m okay with it.”

as Yuji wandered off, you found yourself alone with your thoughts, your mind racing. Sukuna's recent change in behavior was a puzzle, and while Yuji’s theory was amusing, you knew there was more to it. a darker truth, a deeper desire burning inside of your bones that would never dare admit to your best friend.

when sukuna emerged from his room later, his usual guarded demeanor was back in place, but there was a hint of something softer in his eyes when he looked at you. it was a stark contrast to the rough exterior he usually wore.

“Yuji’s got a big mouth. could hear him all the way upstairs,” sukuna said gruffly, though there was no real malice in his tone.

you raised an eyebrow, playing along. “yeah, he does. but what’s this about you being a clone?”

sukuna smirked, a trace of his old self peeking through. “I guess I’ll have to keep you guessing.”

as he walked past you, his fingers brushed against yours, sending a shiver up your spine. you weren’t sure if you should push it with him, but you were aching to bring up the kiss. the way he spoke about wanting to see if you were innocent. the feeling of his hands on your hips – and the fact that you were ready to let him do whatever he wished. maybe if you just-

“you’re starin’ at me like I’ve got two heads, doll.” Sukuna’s voice cracked through your thoughts. he tilted his head quizzically at you, trying to read your expression with a smirk. “having a walking wet dream about me?”

“sukuna!” you hissed, whipping around to scan the living room, ensuring that Yuji and Choso were both well out of earshot. “don’t be so crass.”

Sukuna’s smirk only grew as he advanced, his presence forcing you against the counter. “looks like we’re right back to where we were a few days ago,” he drawled, his eyes glinting with mischief.

you felt a flush creep up your neck at the memory, the way it played so vividly in your mind as if it had happened just moments ago. “I thought you’d have forgotten by now.”

Sukuna leaned in, his breath warm against your ear as he whispered, “if you find yourself feeling lonely tonight, you know exactly where to find me.”

a shiver jolted through your body at his words, and you had to clamp down on the urge to grab his face and pull him into a kiss right there in the kitchen. Sukuna’s low, rumbling chuckle echoed in your ears as he drew back, his eyes dancing with a mischievous glint. with one last, lingering wink, he turned and walked back to his room, leaving you to grapple with the heat of his words and the buzz of his presence still lingering in the air.

you felt like a machine, mechanically going through the motions to get ready to go to bed, the electricity still buzzing inside of you. you combed through your hair (with a little more care than usual), brushed your teeth (maybe a little to vigorously), and applied a lovely, scented lotion. sure, maybe you added some extra steps to your routine, and maybe you slipped on a cuter set of pajamas than usual.

but no matter how much you might have primped, you swore up and down that you wouldn’t be the one to make the first move.

as you lay in bed, struggling to quiet your racing thoughts and falling prey to fantasies that danced through your mind, you heard your phone buzz on the nightstand. you nearly leaped out of bed to grab it, a surge of anticipation and nervous energy rushing through you.

‘Kuna: you up?’

you couldn’t help but chuckle at the audacity of his text—so straightforward, so typical of him. a whirlwind of emotions churned inside you as you debated whether or not to reply. before you could make up your mind, your phone buzzed again.

‘Kuna: get up here.’

your heart skipped a beat. it was as if an invisible string had yanked you from your bed. without a second thought, you slipped out of bed, making sure to close your door quietly behind you. you crept up the stairs as stealthily as possible, the silence of the house amplifying each step you took. when you reached Sukuna’s door, you knocked softly, the anticipation making your pulse race.

when the doorknob turned, Sukuna swung it open, revealing himself in nothing but a pair of sweatpants. your hands were already trembling with nerves, the sight of him in such a casual state sending a jolt of excitement through you. “come in, welcome to my dungeon,” he said with a lopsided grin, stepping aside to let you enter.

as you stepped into the room, a wave of anxiety settled into your stomach. the space before you was one you had always been forbidden from entering—a room even Yuji hesitated to tread. the room was a stark contrast to the rest of the house, a sanctuary that seemed to exude Sukuna’s very essence.

“wow, I feel like I’m breaking some sort of rule by being in here,” you joked, trying to mask your unease as you took in the scene. the room was dark and moody, with deep-toned bedding and a set of weights casually thrown into one corner. heavy metal band posters adorned the walls, each one screaming Sukuna’s personality.

before you could comment further on the eclectic decor, Sukuna closed the distance between you, his hands gripping your hips firmly. he spun you around to face him, his lips crashing into yours with an urgent intensity. “been wanting to do that every damn day,” he growled, his voice rough with longing as he nipped at your lips. the fierceness of his kiss sent shivers down your spine, and all your previous anxiety seemed to melt away under the heat of his touch.

“why haven’t you?” you asked through kisses, your hands already coming around to fist the back of his shirt.

“damn brats all over the place.” he muttered, bringing his hands onto your face. you weren’t surprised by how rough and insistent he was being – your desire to just be touched by him overwhelmed you.

“well, you’ve got me all to yourself now.” you told him as his lips trailed from yours down your neck, biting the skin there and causing you to groan.

he didn’t respond, only guided you backwards until your legs hit the edge of his bed before you laid on your back. Sukuna leaned above you, looking down at you as you stared up at him. maybe, you told yourself, just maybe he was looking at you with actual affection.

“I told you I’ve been wanting to see how innocent you were, now I’ve got the chance.” Sukuna grunted as he dipped his head down to your neck again while his hands began to roam your body. everywhere he touched, everywhere he kissed, left a trail of fire that had your skin burning.

through your heavy, pleasured breathing, you grabbed his face to bring him up to kiss you – but he pulled away to dive into your breasts. you gasped at the contact, feeling him shoving the material up your body and roughly pulling it over your head. “Sukuna,” you squealed, wanting to cover up.

as your arms went to cover yourself, he grabbed your wrists and pinned them over you with one hand. Sukuna immediately latched himself onto one of your perked up nipples, sucking and nipping at them feverishly. when he bit a little too hard, you yelped out, only making him go harder at the sound.

you wanted him to kiss you, but every time you tried to connect your lips with his he buried his face elsewhere. his hand untied your silky shorts, shoving them down your legs. you might’ve thought nothing of it until you felt a cool breeze hitting your already dripping core. he’d taken your panties with your pants.

“Sukuna, maybe we should slow-”

“shh.” he interrupted, letting his grip on your wrist go before moving that hand to cover your mouth. “wanna taste you.”

with your eyes as wide as saucers, you watched as he nuzzled into your heat, quickly licking a stripe through your folds. your back arched and you moaned into his hand at the contact, wanting more. needing more.

as if your reaction told him all he needed to hear, he suddenly slurped up your juices loudly, his tongue diving into your pussy. “Skna,” you whined, muffled by his skin as you squeezed your eyes shut.

“taste s’ good.” Sukuna murmured as he devoured you. instinctively, your thighs began to squeeze shut, clenching his head between them. he didn’t even look up at you as he pulled up from licking you to spit on your clit before taking it between his lips, sucking hard and swirling his tongue around it.

he removed his hand from your mouth to pry one of your legs to the side, gripping it so hard you were sure you’d have bruises in the shape of his fingertips. “Sukuna, feel s’ good.” you rasped as he continued pumping his fingers in and out of you at a faster pace now, every suck of your clit sending you closer and closer to your orgasm.

just as you thought you were about to cum, and were close to warning him, he withdrew his fingers and his mouth, leaving you cold. “need t’ fuck you right now.” Sukuna growled, grasping your hips and flipping you with harsh speed so that you were on your stomach. he slid a hand under you, pulling your hips up so that your ass was in the air.

“fuck, do you have a condom?” you asked, your body trembling with desire and a tightness in your gut from getting so close to your release.

“no, don’t use ‘em.” you wanted to protest, but you were so desperate for him to just put it inside of you.

you tried to turn your body, so that you could see his face, but his hand shot to the back of your neck and lower back to keep you in place. “stay still f’ me doll.” he groaned, and before you could plead with him to kiss you, you felt his tip teasing your entrance.

when the hell did he take off his pants?

while you weren’t inexperienced with sex, having a few flings over your college years, you were pretty sure it had never been like this. just as you were thinking he’d slowly enter you – just like your past experiences – you shrieked as he shoved his cock fully inside of you.

pain and pleasure seared through you as tears pricked your eyes. “you’re so – fuck – so tight.” Sukuna panted as he wasted no time in bullying his cock inside until it was kissing your cervix.

“you’re – mph – too big, Sukuna.” you moaned, trying to will your walls to stretch for him so that you wouldn’t feel the pain. “s-slow down.”

but he either didn’t hear you over his own pleasure, or didn’t care, because his pace only quickened. “that’s right, doll – hah – take my fat cock like the little slut you are.” Sukuna bit out, snapping his hips into yours with such force that you almost fell forward.

“Sukuna, please—” you whimpered, biting your lip in a desperate attempt to stay quiet. you could barely muster the words, but you needed him to kiss you, to slow down and be gentler.

the hand Sukuna held on to the back of your neck slipped around to grab your throat, pulling your body back to meet his pace. “takin’ it s’ well.” slap. “knew you weren’t innocent.” slap. “gonna be m’ dirty whore.”

with every dirty insult, you tried to tell yourself that he probably just had a degradation kink. he didn’t actually mean those things. with your body still at war between pain and pleasure, you felt him bullying your g spot with his cock and you arrived at the edge yet again.

“Sukuna – ha – slow down – mph – ‘m gonna cum.” you hiccupped, tears rolling down your face now at the stimulation your body was being put through. every time his tip hit your g spot you felt the wave start to crash over you. he didn’t slow down, sending you right over the cliff.

your vision went white as a blazing hot orgasm rocketed through you, your body spasming and clenching around his cock while you tried to keep quiet and not scream his name. even as you rode out your release, he continued bullying into you, harder and faster now as he relished the feeling of you milking him.

“that’s right, cum on this dick.” Sukuna barked, his grip tightening on your throat to the point you were beginning to see stars. his hips snapped into yours more forcefully, echoing lewd, wet slaps through the room as he neared the ledge as well, losing control of his thrusts.

just as you were about to tell him to pull out, since he wasn’t wearing a condom, you felt a twitch inside of you as he let out a loud groan. warmth spread through your pussy, coating your walls with his cum as he rutted into you. “fuck fuck fuck.” he growled out, slamming into you until he was absolutely drained of cum.

you both were panting heavily when he pulled out of you. “that was-” you started to say with a weak smile, until Sukuna practically threw a towel in your direction.

“here, to clean up.” he stated, using a washcloth to clean himself off before pulling up his boxers and sweatpants.

shame rushed through you suddenly. he didn’t even look at you as he went to take a drink of water, merely letting you clean yourself off as you felt his cum seeping out of you. you screamed at him in your mind to just look at you, to kiss you softly and help you clean up the mess he made, to hold you and caress you and to –

“’m gonna crash now.” Sukuna broke through your storm of thoughts, pulling back his blankets and climbing in bed while you still sat on the edge. “maybe you should go back downstairs, so it’s not suspicious in the morning.”

tears welled up in your eyes as you scrambled to put your pajamas back on, your movements hurried and frantic. “y-yeah, that makes sense,” you forced out, trying to sound casual despite the tears now streaming down your cheeks. you refused to turn around, unwilling to let him see you cry. “goodnight,” you mumbled as you opened his door and fled from the room, shutting it quietly behind you.

you stood in the hallway for a moment, feeling numb and disoriented, as if your legs were unable to move on their own. with a sense of zombie-like detachment, you made your way down the stairs, no longer caring about making any noise. you trudged into the bathroom; the fluorescent lights harsh against your tear-streaked face.

you grabbed a wet washcloth and began to clean up, your silent sobs almost breaking through. as you wiped your legs, a sudden sharp pain made you flinch. glancing down, you saw dark bruises beginning to form on your thighs, one set specifically looking like finger markings. panic surged through you, and you rushed to the mirror, your breath hitching as you saw a handprint emerging on your neck and a raw, angry bite mark between your neck and shoulder. the sight made your heart race, and your breathing came in shallow gasps, the reality of what had happened crashing down on you with brutal clarity.

when your head finally hit the pillow, your entire body aching and tears still rolling down your face, you found sleep quickly. and this time, there were no pleasant dreams to make you feel better.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

A/N DISCLAIMER: let me just clarify, this is NOT how sex should be unless both parties' consent to this level of degradation and roughness. if you're into that kind of thing and your partner is too, then by all means have at it! I took this from my own past relationship, and how it was, and I know it was never supposed to be like that. so please, don't think this is normal whatsoever. IT IS NOT. this is purely a work of fiction, and I would never tell anyone that this was okay.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ taglist: @nighttwingg @sweetsformysoul @casualpoetrytaco @lvingd3adg0rl @haikomaiko if you’d like to be added to the taglist for this WIP let me know! ♡ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

182 notes · View notes

crescenthistory · 1 month ago

Note

b.11 w/ paul atreides please <3

i hadn't realised how much i missed writing for paul, my best boy. thank you for your request love<3

Prompt: B.11 "Come back to bed"

Words: 1.5k

Warnings: not proofread, tooth-rotting fluff, insomnia, talk of anxiety and feeling the pressure of leadership, cuddles and kisses

Note: again, in my mind this is the same paul and reader as in in the silence, there is an us just because i love them and they both clearly cannot sleep without each other

The cool desert air wrapped around you as you stirred from your barely-there-sleep. The bed felt too big, too cold, and as you stretched out a hand to be lulled back to sleep by Paul’s breathing you knew why – he was gone. Your fingers drifted across the blankets, but only touched emptiness where his warmth should have been.

You sighed, rolling onto your back as your eyes adjusted to the faint light filtering into the room. The Sietch was quiet, but you could still hear the distant murmurs of the desert, the occasional soft sound of wind brushing over the sand. In theory a comforting sound that should help you fall asleep, but you knew from experience that without Paul there, your body refused to settle. Neither would your mind, spinning with worry for your sweet boy who was rapidly turning into a strong man, overworked and drawn too taut the past few months.

Paul had been doing this more often lately, slipping away in the middle of the night, drawn in by the weight of his responsibilities, the relentless pull of being Muad'Dib. You saw that familiar gleam in his eyes slipping more and more, and you ached to inspire it back into existence. That burden was not just his to carry, but you knew that was difficult for him to fully accept, which is why you made it your mission to remind him.

With a soft groan, you sat up, wrapping your shawl around your shoulders to chase away the chill. You knew Paul was not coming back on his own, so you would bring him back. No one can save the world with 2 hours of sleep.

You padded softly through the halls of the Sietch, navigating the familiar paths that had somehow become home. While your mind still spun with all the changes you had had to face, Paul remained your constant and you were determined to keep it as such, grounding him into all he was and all he did. It didn’t take you long to find him, he was exactly where you expected – his private makeshift study, hunched over a table littered with charts and maps of the desert.

You lingered in the doorway for a moment, watching him. He had his back to you, shoulders tense with focus and hair still mussed from sleep. You could see the twirls you had made in it by the nape of his neck as you were falling asleep.

There was a certain beauty to him like this, lost in thought, the weight of leadership heavy on his lean frame, but you knew what it was doing to him, too. You saw the way his eyes darkened when he thought no one was watching, how the weight of being the Kwisatz Haderach pulled him further and further into himself. The worry served a purpose in the daylight, but you couldn’t let him disappear into that tonight.

With a soft smile, you crossed the room, your bare feet making almost no sound as you came up behind him. Yet you could see he knew you were there by the way he sat up a bit straighter, ready to lean into the touch he knew was coming. Without a word, you slipped your arms around his shoulders, pressing yourself against his back.

“Paul,” you whispered, leaning your head against him, breathing him in. “It’s late. Come back to bed.”

He let out a breath, leaning into your touch as his hand instinctively moved to rest over yours where they clasped at his chest.

“My love, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he murmured, though his eyes were still fixed on the maps in front of him.

“You didn’t,” you said softly, your lips brushing the shell of his ear. “Just missed you.”

Paul let out a soft hum of acknowledgement, though he didn’t make a move to get up. His thumb absentmindedly traced circles on the back of your hand, his mind still half-lost in whatever plans were swirling in his head. “There’s… too much to think about,” he finally said, voice low. “I just need to finish–”

“No,” you interrupted gently, tightening your arms around him. “What you need is to come to bed and get some rest while you can.”

He sighed, tilting his head slightly to rest against yours. “You sound like my mother,” he teased, though there was a hint of exhaustion in his voice.

You smiled against his skin, pressing a soft kiss to his neck. “Then you should listen to her,” you said playfully, your breath warm against his skin. “Despite her peculiarities, she is very wise.”

“Mmm, you might be right,” he admitted, turning his head just enough to catch your eye. His lips twitched with the barest hint of a smile, and your heart fluttered at the sight. “But she doesn’t quite have your charm.”

You grinned, brushing his hair back with your fingers. “Flattery won’t get you out of this, Paul. Come back to bed. Your maps will still be here tomorrow.”

His smile faded slightly, his eyes drifting back to the table. “I don’t know if I can. I can’t stop thinking about it all,” he admitted, quieter now. “The future, the Fremen, everything I have to do. It’s… always there.”

You frowned softly, shifting to hug him from the side, so you could see his face better. “I know, love, but that is not yours to carry right now,” you said, your voice gentle but firm. “Not tonight. You’ve done more than enough.”

He didn’t answer immediately, but you could feel the tension slowly draining from him as your fingers continued to comb soothingly through his hair. His body relaxed, his shoulders slumping slightly as he leaned into your touch. He tilted his head back just enough to rest it against your shoulder, closing his eyes.

“You always know how to make me calm down,” he murmured, his voice soft and full of affection. “It’s dangerous, you know. I might never get anything done if I listen to you all the time.”

You chuckled, brushing a kiss against his temple. “I think you could use a little less getting things done and a little more sleep. I promise to use my persuasion to kick you back into sleep tomorrow.”

“I’ve noticed you seem particularly invested in my sleep schedule,” Paul teased, opening one eye to look up at you. “Should I be concerned?”

You smiled down at him, your heart warming at the familiar lightness in his tone, the teasing he only ever reserved for you. “Very concerned,” you said in mock seriousness. “Especially since I can’t sleep without you there.”

His face softened, the teasing giving way to something more tender. He turned fully in your arms, slipping his hands around your waist and pulling you close in between his legs until your foreheads touched. “I can’t sleep without you, either, you know,” he confessed quietly, his breath warm against your lips. “You… ground me. In ways no one else can.”

Your heart swelled at his words, and you smiled softly, brushing your thumb over the curve of his cheek. Familiar words, yet they never ceased to warm you. “I know,” you cooed. “Then let me ground you tonight. Come back to bed with me.”

He stared into your eyes for a long moment, and you could see the struggle there – the pull of duty versus the need for rest. But in the end, he sighed, a small, grateful smile tugging at his lips. “Alright,” he whispered. “I’m coming.”

“Good,” you said with a grin, tugging at his hand as you led him away from the table, back toward the bed waiting to be warmed up by the both of you. “You’ll thank me in the morning.”

As you reached the bed, Paul wrapped his arms around you, pulling you down with him in a tangle of blankets and limbs. You let out a soft laugh as he pressed his face into the crook of your neck, placing sweet kisses there, his warm breath tickling your skin.

“If I didn’t know any better,” he began, his voice muffled against you, “I’d say you’re trying to distract me from my very important work.”

“Very important work,” you echoed with a laugh, running your fingers through his hair. “It can wait, Paul. I’m your very important work tonight.”

He chuckled softly, his grip tightening around your waist as he pressed a soft kiss to your ear. “You make a compelling argument.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

For a while, you just lay there together, his body pressed against yours, the quiet of the Sietch wrapping around you both like a protective cocoon. The world outside faded into the background. Here, in the soft glow of the night, it was just you and your Paul.

“Thank you,” he whispered after a while, his voice sincere and, to your glee, sleepy.

You smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of his bedhead. “Always.”

Neither of you woke up again throughout the night as you slept soundly in each other’s arms.

153 notes · View notes

worldofkuro · 6 months ago

Text

Painted Smile

Painted Smile XV

Pairing: Alastor x Female! Reader

<- Previous Chapter I Next Chapter ->

Summary: You couldn't wait to meet new friends. What you didn't expect was this smiling little boy, only one year older than you, that would take such a big place in your life.

Notes: Because I wasn't satisfied with the last chapter I decided to post the next one right now. I’m so excited about your thoughts because the plot is finally beginning ! I can’t wait to hear about your theories.

“ It makes your boobs look ugly, another one please !”

You were being tugged behind the curtain already being undressed to put on another dress. Today you were with Alice, in one of the most expensive shops of all New Orleans, to find your wedding dress. It was an exciting, amusing and stressful experience. Alice was being, as usual, honest about the dress you have been trying for almost an hour.

“ Alice, how many more dresses do I need to try? You know we still don’t have a date for the wedding? Alastor’s father is still missing.”

“ What about it? His loss if he misses the wedding. Now, I think I’ve found the perfect dress for you~!”

You laughed behind the curtain. Alice didn’t even know Alastor’s father, she never met him but you have told her once that you didn’t feel comfortable with him and she decided that she would hate him until the end of time. You looked at the dresses you have been trying, a part of you was happy to be here with your best friend and yet you wondered…Were you selfish? You knew Alice was in love with Alyzée but they couldn’t get wed to each other… Were you hurting Alice without being aware of it?

“ Alice–?”

“ This one. This one will fit perfectly your waist, your legs, your shoulder, your chest. For heaven’s sake, I’m the best.” she said looking at her nails. Why were your best friend and your future husband so full of themselves while you were always insecure ! “ Come on, try this one.”

“ Alice.. I’m.. You’re okay?” you asked, taking the dresses off her hands.

“ Yes? Well, I’m still shocked about what you told me about John, but you know what we say, we don’t keep trash around us.”

“ Who is “we”?”

“ Me, Myself and I. Now, try the dress, doll ! I’ll find the shoes!” you laughed as you watched her running away. You sighed with a smile, you were surrounded by amazing people, you should try to be more sure about yourself.

The workers from the stores helped you put on the dress and your shoes. You looked at yourself in the mirror. You felt.. pretty. Really pretty. You smiled at yourself, moving the pans of the dress, loving the movement it was doing.

“ Can I see?”

“ Of course Alice.” you turned around. Since you could remember, Alice always knew how to dress you up. From her Christmas’s Eve’s soirée where she had found that beautiful dress from today, she would always come with outfits from other countries, always being new, unique, something Alastor scoffed most of the time. He was always saying that Alice was running toward the future without being aware of her surroundings. And Alice was always saying that Alastor needed to shut up because he was lucky to look good in anything.

“ Oh my Lord. You look ravishing, my friend!” she clapped her hands together, her eyes whelming up a bit. “ Oh God… I’m… I’m so proud of you.”

“ I haven’t done anything yet.” you laughed nervously.

“ Take the compliment for once. So, what do you think? I , personally, think it’s the perfect dress for you. But what do you think?”

“ This is my favorite too. but the price–”

“ Let me buy it.” you opened your mouth, ready to complain but Alice stopped you with her hand.” I know, I know, you’ve never liked me paying stuff for you, expensive things mostly. But please, just this one, let me buy it. I… The next time I go into this kind of shop might be for my own wedding, which won’t be filled with laughter and love like we just did. It might be selfish, but just.. I want this moment. I’m sorry–”

“ Okay.” you smiled, almost moved to tears by her comment “ But Alice, for your wedding, no matter with who, I’ll be there. There will be laughter and love, because you won’t be alone in this.”

You saw Alice nodded, wiping some tears from her eyes. You looked at her, your best friend might never be married to the one she loved, but you will never let her feel loveless.

You took off the dress, as Alice went to pay in cash. You joined her once you were dressed with your own clothes and you both walked toward her place. You saluted the butler, who bowed to you.

You both sat down in the huge living room, sighing in relief. You took off your heels, your feet were killing you.

“ By the way, if we need to find Alastor’s father to be able to have your wedding, do you want me to… pull a few strings for you? I could call the best of the best!”

“ No, no. I won’t lie, the fact that he is missing isn’t… bothering me.”

“ I’ll cheer for that. “ she winked at you before asking for wine. You laughed, she always loved Rosé. It wasn’t very strong in alcohol, it had a very good taste but when the alcohol hitted. Dear lord…

You didn’t drink too much, you had to walk back home yourself after all. You smiled when you saw Alice put on Alastor's broadcast even though she was rolling her eyes at the radio sometimes.

“ Are you hearing him? Gosh. I knew you when your voice was cracking, Alastor !” she shouted at the radio.

“ Alastor voice never–”

“ A woman can dream, dear. Gosh, now I hear his voice anywhere I’m going.”

You laughed behind your glass. Alastor was gaining popularity surprisingly quickly, which was good of course. It was the best outcome you could imagine.

“ Now, about my cottage.”

“ Alice, we told you we don’t have the money and you just bought me my wedding dress.”

“ Who is “we” my dear?”

“ Me, Myself and I.” You stuck your tongue at her, making her laugh. Alice was a girl ahead of her time with her manners and way of talking, she always felt like a breeze of fresh air.

“ Well, if you all say so.” She took a sip of a drink before looking at the door, her father making his entrance. You stood up as the big man smiled at you, he always has been nice, never raising his voice, always wanting what’s best for Alice.

“ Oh, good afternoon ladies. Alice, I just wanted to tell you that you might have a date with the son of the–”

“ Yes Daddy, I know, don’t worry I’ll go.” she said, looking away. You saw her father smile sadly before leaving after giving you both candy you used to like when you were younger. You looked at her, worried. Was she going to be okay? “ Don’t look at me like that Doll. It’s going to be the same as usual, I’m going there, bat my pretty eyes and at the end, I’ll just say to Daddy that the man wasn’t what we needed for the family.”

“ How long do you think you can keep this game going?”

She stared at the large windows in silence. Alice was just like a bird in a cage, she felt like freedom, but would never taste it for herself.

“ As long as I can.”

You stayed with her until the sun was setting down. The maid took her to her bedroom as she was sleeping on the sofa. Seems like going on another date was getting harder and harder for her. Was Alyzée aware of it? You sighed as you gave your goodbye, before walking out of the mansion.

You decided to go into a park, walking between the trees. There weren’t a lot of people outside, even though we were in March, the weather was still cold. You stopped when you saw an old man fall not too far from you.

“ Oh sir! Are you alright, let me help you!” you said as you took the cane that had fallen from his hand. You helped him sitting down on a nearby bench.

“ Oh, thank you little lady.”

The man was tall, black with brown eyes, a white beard, he was wearing a hat, helding on his cane, he seemed like he had injured his leg.

“ Do you want me to take a look at your leg? I’m no nurse, but I used to help my father when he came back from war.”

“ Ahh, war. You don’t need to take care of me, little lady.” he smiled warmly at you. “ You look sad yourself, do you need to talk about it with an old man?”

You looked at him, he felt so warm and he was… cute. His aura was gentle, cute like a kid that wanted to learn something new. You haven’t seen your grandfather since he died during the war, you haven’t had the strength to go back to your old country to go to his grave so… Maybe why not indulge yourself and talk with this man?

“ I’m… I want to help a friend, she is in love but can’t marry that person.”

“ Aah, love. And why can’t she?”

“ She had to marry someone from “noble blood”.” you sighed, rolling your eyes. It was bullshit. “ She has no choice.”

“ Mhn… I think she does, little lady. We always have a choice, when you think you don’t have one, it’s because you already made up your mind. “ he smiled at you with eyes that held so much wisdom.

“ But… What if the other choices are more dangerous?” you asked, feeling like you weren’t talking about Alice anymore.

“ Well, little lady. What would you do?”

You stopped talking. You killed to be with the one you wanted. You had a choice and yet..

“ Are you unhappy with the choices you made?”

“ No, but I’m afraid of what it will bring at my door.”

“ Aah.. Si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait.”

“ What?”

“ You will see, little lady. Your friend is maybe so blinded by what she has to do that she can’t see what she could do. Love is the deadliest poison and yet the sweetest remedy in the world. She should try to think for herself, don’t you think? Would you rather live your whole life in misery or be happy for a short time of your existence? The difference between existing and living is thin, little lady, but it exists.” he nodded before looking at the sky, seeming lost in thoughts.

You stared at this mysterious man. He seemed to be around 60, maybe that is why he seemed so wise. You looked at the sky and gasped when you saw the moon in the sky. It was already dark!

“ Oh, I need to go!” you stood up but before leaving you took the candy from Alice’s father. You smiled at the man, placing the candy in his veiny hands. “ Thank you for that useful advice.” You beamed at him as he looked curiously at the candy before smiling at you. “ Maybe we’ll see each other one day again !”

“ May our ways cross again if needed, little lady, may our ways cross…”

You ran back home, feeling better than when you left Alice’s house. You walked inside and saw your father with Jeff in the living room. They were still trying to understand how Alastor’s father could have disappeared like this. You smiled at the men, walking toward them.

“ Nothing news?”

“ No, my sweet daughter. We are trying, but from the moment he left the bar he wasn’t seen anymore.”

“ I’m sure the wife was having an affair and decided to kill the husband. Classic scenarios.”

“ And how could she have done that?” you sat on the sofa, staring at Jeff with an innocent smile. You almost smirked when you saw him puffing his chest, feeling so much pride in vomiting all the information he should kept away from you.

“ The man came home, drunk. She could easily poison him, hide the body somewhere and end the story.”

“ Mhn… But without a body, you don’t know. What if he was the one having an affair and ran away? From what I understood, he seemed to be someone who drank a lot, maybe he was being ambushed in an alley because we know for a fact he never made it back home.” you smiled at him, your father smiling with pride by your side.

“ That what they say but–”

“ No, that’s what we said. I was there. I’ve never seen this man come back home.” you stared at him down. He shut his mouth. “ You see, I really want to get married and the fact that you are trying to put the blame on my future family in law is getting on my nerves. So please, do me, us, a favor, find out what happened. And if you are unable to, just give up.” you looked at your father. “ I don’t want to wait forever, I want to get married.”

Your father stared at you before kissing your forehead.

“ Alright sweetie, we have a new man who’ll help us in this case. I’ll give him three months, if he doesn’t find anything, I will close the case and we will concentrate on your wedding.” you hugged your father with a happy grin. Finally!

You bid your goodbye before going into your bedroom, getting ready to go to bed. You listened to the noises downstairs, waiting for Jeff to go and your father to go to bed.

You were concentrating so much on trying to hear what was going downstairs that you didn’t notice the shadows behind you. You almost shouted as a gloved hand fell upon your mouth, muffling your screams.

“ You’re such an easy prey, dearest.”

You sighed in relief as you closed your eyes. Alastor was really the quietest being you have ever met, which was surprising when he was the noisiest man on the radio.

You turned your head toward him, looking at his mocking smile. He was so full of himself. You bit his finger before letting it go, going for a hug. He hummed against you.

“ How did you come here?”

“ Well, the windows, dear.”

You scoffed before forcing him to sit on your bed. You sat on his lap and took his hand with yours, playing with his fingers.

“ I have my wedding dress.” you smirked when you felt his whole body tensed underneath you. “ And you won’t see it, because I left it at Alice’s.”

“ Do you really need Alice in your life, dearest?” asked Alastor with an amused voice.

“ Yes! Come on Alastor, be honest with me, you enjoy Alice’s company?”

“ Hah ! I enjoy Alice’s contacts nothing more.” he rolled his eyes, pressing you against his body. “ She is useful and she can be amusing, when she is having problems.” he smirked at you, making you slap his shoulder, trying to contain your laughter. He was such a…

“ Well, I have some news on your father’s case, my dear future husband.” you smiled as you explained what happened with Jeff. You couldn’t help but grin when you saw Alastor beaming with pride as he listen to what you have told the policeman.

“ My, my… So, they think my Mother did it?”

“ For now, we know that we have three months until we are completely free of it.”

“ Have you felt it again?”

You tilted your head.

“ What?”

“ The need to kill.” he asked you, gripping your waist, pressing your body against his. You felt lightheaded.

“ N-N.. Well… I thought for a second.. to kill John.” you saw Alastor’s pupils dilated as he stared at you before kissing your neck. You tilted your head to give him more room.

“ Mhn, interesting, go on, why?”

“ Because he was bad mouthing you.” you tried to contain the anger in your voice, you didn’t want to wake up your parents. “ Who does he think he is?” you rolled your eyes, you were still hurt about what John has said but now you weren’t feeling sadness over it, only anger.

“ Would you like to kill him?”

You looked at Alastor who had his chin against your chest, looking at you in a way too innocent face for the conversation you were having.

“ Alastor, we can’t. There would be too much suspicion on us, we already have your father’s disappearance on us, if we kill John–” he kissed you feverishly making you sigh in the kiss. Oh, how you loved the feeling of Alastor’s lips against yours.

“ Do you hear yourself, darling?” he smiled against your lips. “ In your mind, you are already ready to kill him… ” he sighed against your skin. You stared at him, stroking his cheeks. You wanted to see the Alastor you had seen the first time you killed.

The difference between existing and living is thin, little lady, but it exists.

You kissed Alastor on the nose, with an excited smile.

“ Not now.”

You fell asleep with new marks on your thighs and your neck. When you woke up the next morning, you were already smiling.

You stayed with your mother all morning, spending time with her until you decided to go to Alice’s. You didn’t know when her date was supposed to be, but if you could help her morally before she had to leave, it would be great. You took some pancakes you’ve made and walked toward her mansion, the butler let you enter, escorting you to the living room.

“ Miss Alice shall be here soon.”

You nodded before sitting on the sofa. You put the pancakes on the table and wait until you hear the familiar footsteps of your best friend. You turned your head and smiled at her, as usual, she was beautiful.

“ Hello Alice.” you stood up and you both hugged each other. She sat next to you, holding her head in her hand. “ Mhn, the wine doesn’t taste good the day after, right?” you laughed as she groaned.

“ Please, not so loud…”

“ What a hangover.” you whispered, mockingly. She stuck her tongue at you before digging into your pancakes. “ Well, someone is hungry.”

“ I don’t want this man to think he has a chance with me because I seem eager to eat.”

You smiled, crossing your legs. You told Alice that you needed to wait three more months before finally concentrating on your wedding. You laughed as she let out a sigh of pure relief.

“ Thank God, since when do we stop living because a man disappeared.” she rolled her eyes before eating the last pancake. You look at the butler who came to announce Alice’s date. And like an actress, Alice put on the fakest smile she could conjure, Alastor would be proud. You stood up as a man, looking around 40 came into the living room, he was sweating so much you could see sweat pearling on his forehead.

You gave Alice a look, encouraging her with your eyes before leaving, you even made a face to the butler who nodded at you, with a disgusted face. You laughed before leaving, going out to buy some pastries. You walked to the park, thinking about your weddings. Where should you do it? What about the honeymoons? Did Alastor want children?

You stopped when you saw the same old man from last time, sitting on the bench, smoking a pipe. You grinned and walked toward him.

“ Hello, sir.”

“ Hello, little lady.”

“ Might I sit a moment with you?”

“ It would be my pleasure. You seem happier than yesterday.”

You smiled as you sat next to the man. You felt safe with him, maybe it was because his aura reminded you of your deceased grandfather..? You didn’t know. You began to talk, mostly about what was going on in your life until you began to talk about your wedding.

“ Mhn, you have quite the ring.” the old man said with a little grin. He didn’t have a ring on his fingers, did he never get married?

“ Yes, in less than three months, I will be able to concentrate on my wedding.”

“ Who is the lucky lad?”

“ If you are listening to the radio you might have heard him, his name is Alastor.”

“ Alastor heh..? Quite a name, quite a name…”

You smiled, happy that Alastor was getting a name to himself. You took your box of pastries and held one for your new friend. He thanked you before eating one éclair au chocolat. You smiled as you kept talking with him, the man mostly listening and giving you wise advice.

“ Being too confident is not a good thing, your insecurity might be a blessing on some occasions.”

“ What do you mean?”

“ Don’t be afraid, to feel afraid. The ones who don’t fear are gods, spirits…”

“ But it’s irrational.” you frowned, how many times you felt jealousy when you didn’t need to be.

“ Yes, but it’s instinctive. Here is some wise advice from an old man: trust your feelings. Did they ever betray you in the past, when you needed them, little lady?” he looked at you with a warm smile.

You looked at the ground. Your family always told you, you were sensitive, you would easily be overwhelmed by what you were feeling or what was going on around you.

But when Alastor’s father took the bullets, you didn’t know why, you felt it in your guts that something was going to happen. That’s why you had run outside to find Alastor and that's how you killed his father.

But then, why did you not feel John’s romantic attention towards you ?

“ People who feel a lot are trying to balance themselves by becoming observant. That way, they feel more grounded, they think they are being rational, which can be good sometimes. But you mustn't discard your feelings, you’ll lose yourself like that. You seem like a sensitive little lady, it’s not bad and it’s not good, that's what you seem to be. Why would you want to be like others, they are already busy being themselves.”

“ So.. I should listen to myself more?”

“ It’s a choice you can make. Feeling emotions is a good thing, it connects you to the rest of the world.” he nodded before looking at the sky, smiling warmly. “ And isn’t it beautiful?”

You stared at the man. He was such an.. intense person in a way. Would he talk to you the same way if he knew you had killed someone and you didn’t feel any kind of remorse?

“ What if… by being connected to the world, I might be a bad person?” you whispered.

“ That’s your choice. For some people you will be a bad person no matter what you do, no matter what you think.” he looked at his cane before eating the rest of his éclair au chocolat. “ Soldiers killed during war, the winners are seen as heroes, and the losers as cold blooded killers. Who is right? They all killed people, they all did horrible things and yet they aren’t seen as the same. Your father have killed during the war, right? What made him different from an enemy soldier?”

“ Because… he was fighting for what’s…right..?”

“ Who says?” he tilted his head, always having a gentle expression. He wasn’t judging you, he was just curious about your thoughts.

You couldn’t find an answer to his questions.

You stayed in silence for a moment, thinking about the man’s words. What was strange, was that his words weren't shaking your morals, but it was making you accept them. You had killed, you wanted to kill again, maybe not as strongly as Alastor, but you wouldn’t be opposed to killing again, if it was to protect. You knew it was the difference between you and Alastor, you would kill to protect while you knew Alastor would kill.. Because he wanted to.

And you accepted it, you accepted him, you accepted yourself.

You would be the wife to a murderer, maybe he would kill again, maybe not. You didn’t really care. You would be by his side, as promised.

You opened your eyes, feeling lighter. You didn’t expect to feel burdened by all of this, but maybe, the fact that you were trying to make the wedding happen was a way for you not to think about what happened.

You felt better.

You turned your head toward the man who was looking at the people walking in front of you. They weren’t looking at you, just walking, not even caring about you. You smiled.

“ Thank you. I feel… better.”

“ Is it a good thing?” he asked, amused. You grinned.

“ Well, for my own happiness, yes!”

“ Then, everything is good.”

“ I’m going to meet a friend.. But, can I have your name sir?”

The man stared at you with his usual gentle and wise expression. You waited politely, maybe he thought you were being rude, asking his name out of the blues?

“ Legba.”

You bid your goodbye before walking toward Alice’s home. You were going to encourage her to break free from her chains! She didn’t need to marry a sweaty man, she could handle herself perfectly! You entered the mansion, the butler escorting you once again in the living room. Now, you just need to wait!

You opened your eyes, not even realizing you fell asleep when you heard shouting at the front door. You walked toward the entrance and saw Alice and the sweaty gentleman, your friend was shouting at the man, demanding his departure from her house while he was clearly trying to calm Alice.

“ What is going on?”

“ This man is just a filthy pig! Touching me like I’m some kind of harlot.” she was fuming, trying to contain her rage. What did that man do? The man, who didn’t seem sure of himself became more confident, pointing at Alice.

“ Maybe that’s what you are, kissing the mayor’s daughter like this. What a scoop that would be, unless we come to an agreement of course. I think you would make a darling wife Miss Alice. I’ll let you think about it, and if you need more convincing, I have proof. Now, have a great night ladies.”

And just like that, he left.

Alice closed the door before dropping to her knees, breathing heavily. You took her in your arms, looking for a butler or a maid but nobody was around, which was weird. You tried to calm her but she was panicking.

“ He saw us.. He saw us kiss.. Oh lord, what could happen if he were to open his mouth about it.” she was shaking, nipping at her nails.

You calmly took her hand with yours.

“ Do you have any way to get rid of him?”

She looked at you, seeming torn to speak before sighing.

“ Don’t think I’m a monster but… Most of the richest families have.. people who do their dirty jobs? Sending… assassins or things like that..? I’ve never done that of course, but I feel so trapped right now… Oh, what Alyzée is going to think.”

“ She won’t need to think about it. Use your assassins.” you wondered if you were shocking her. Maybe you were a little too at ease with the idea of killing someone ?

“ No. They would report everything to my father and if they see the proof… My father would know about me and Alyzée.” she sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. You knew it was dangerous, you knew it could backfire but…

“ What about me?”

“ You? What you?”

“ Do you want me to… ?”

Alice stared at you before laughing so hard she was crying. Or was she crying so hard that she was laughing ?You waited for her to calm down before staring at her.

“ Are you serious ?”

“ Seems like she is.”

You both turned around to find Alastor, standing in front of you, the door open.

“ My dear, we don’t talk about taking trash out at the entrance, I taught you better than that.” he smiled widely at you. Alice was looking at you then at Alastor, seeming confused. You sighed before helping your friend standing up. “ Is there a place we could talk about getting rid of the trash?” asked Alastor with a beaming grin.

Alice seemed to come back to herself, and she tugged you to her father’s office. She locked the door behind Alastor, staring at you.

“ Explanation ?”

“ Nothing too serious. You’ve been caught in a big scoop Alice, and you need us to clean the mess you’ve made!” you paled, asking Alastor how did he know, did the bastard already told everyone? “ Oh dear, no, but from Alice’s expression, the only things that could make her so upset would be you or her lovely Alyzée. I took a lucky guess.”

“ Alastor, you are… your father… oh… that explains so much.” Alice let herself drop on her father’s chair. “ So, that’s why you didn’t want me to help to look for his father, because he killed him?” asked Alice, looking at you, confused.

“ We killed him.”

“ Of course you did.” she sighed, putting her head on the desk. “ I need.. a fucking glass of whiskey, I’m not having this conversation sober.” She took a bottle from the cabinet before sitting back in front of you. She poured herself after giving you and Alastor a glass. “ So, let me get this through, you both killed Alastor’s father and now you want to kill the man who knows I’m in love with Alyzée?”

“ Well, Alice, for once you made your brain work. I would almost be shedding a tear if I cared.” said Alastor as he sipped his drink. “ And furthermore, this man is a pig that needs to be slaughtered.”

You felt relaxed. You didn’t know why, but the fact that Alastor was referring to the man as a pig made you feel even less remorse than you could have felt.

“ What are you winning from this?”

“ Nothing–”

“ Doll, I know you don’t want to manipulate me. I know. I’m talking about your murderous husband. He wouldn’t help me freely.”

“ Using your brain for the second time? What a day folks ! It’s simple really, you are at the head of one of the richest families in Louisiana. Having you on my side is a plus.”

“ I’m already at your side–!”

“ No Alice, you could be cutting yourself to prove your faith and I would still doubt you. But a crime, that is a win-win situation. The pig is slaughtered, you are free, my darling and myself are doing what we need and everything is back to normal!” exclaimed Alastor with his usual smile.

“ … Fine.”

As Alice and Alastor were talking about the contract, you felt shivers down your spine. You closed your eyes, trying to comprehend what was happening. You don’t know why but you remembered Legba’s words. You need to trust your instincts. You couldn’t hear Alice and Alastor anymore, you could hear footsteps… You could hear…a shovel digging into the ground.

“ Darling?”

You gasped as you felt Alastor hand on your shoulder. What just happened ? They both were looking at you, worried.

“ I’m okay.. I just.. I’m okay.” you nodded, feeling extremely tired all of the sudden. “ Alastor… Where is your father's corpse?”

“ Six feet underground.”

“ I think.. I think we should check it out.”

“ Why dig up dirt from the past?”

“ Because I think someone is trying to dig him up.”

Tag List: @lukneetoonz @martinys-world @littlepoetnova @sirens-and-moonflowers @eris-norwega @tiredflame132 @mo-0-o @vvollerie @sodavizz @boogiemansbitch @tessemerick @slytherin4ever @kammsinn @alastorssimp @t0xic1vi @diamond-almond @fangirlbitch02 @saccharine-nectarine @thenorthnightingale @bibliophile-yomna @itzjustj-1000 @mothraantics @yourdoorisunlocked @phamtasic @karmakillz @holographicage @sarcastic-sourwolf @akuraluna2468 @everwolf-20 @thesunandmoons-blog @songbrita @noraunor @fandomsbookclub @hokkaido97 @catticora

308 notes · View notes

quin-ns · 1 year ago

Text

Fake Blood (Ethan Landry x Reader)

Word count: 5.6K

Summary: spoiler: the blood isn’t fake. alone in your apartment after your friends had been attacked, you ask ethan to stop by. he does in an unexpected way and you get more than you bargained for

Tags: (18+), friends to lovers, minor violence, knife tw, flirting, making out, virgin!ethan, virgin!reader, fingering, unprotected p in v sex, the ghostface robe stays on during sex, denial ab ethan being a murderer :) (if bad why hot?)

A/N: just watched scream 6 for the first time only a few days ago and couldn’t get this psycho out of my brain (tiktok edits didn’t help lol). timeline might be a little wonky but tbh it’s not relevant. also this follows the theory that ethan did the big apartment attack. I really wasn’t expecting this to be this long but it’s worth it yall I promise

Misc masterlist + main masterlist

As much as you liked Mindy, if you knew becoming friends with her would lead to you being integrated into her friend group of past and present serial killer victims, you might’ve thought about asking someone else to partner up with you for a presentation in your film studies class.

When you’d asked her, it was mostly to avoid having to accept an offer from a guy named Jason, who had always stared at you during that class and brought up the ‘Stab’ movies whenever he could (this was before you knew your friends knew him, but you still got a weird vibe from the guy).

She’d been excited to hang out with you after you two gave your presentation, and that’s how you wound up spending most days with her and her tight knit group of friends.

You were probably closest with Mindy, but you liked her brother too. For a guy named Chad, he was actually pretty chill. You got along with Tara as well, who was in a bit of a rebellious phase after being attacked and nearly killed, which you only learned about once they trusted you enough. Her older sister Sam was mostly cool too, but a bit overprotective. There was a gloomy aspect to her, but you supposed it made sense given that she was betrayed by her murderous boyfriend and now the internet peddled theories that blamed her for a series of killings in their home town of Woodsboro.

They had a tight bond, and even though you grew close with each of them, you knew you’d be an outsider. Like Tara and Sam’s roommate Quinn, Mindy’s girlfriend Anika, and Chad’s roommate Ethan. You all had shared multiple conversations about their trust issues. It must’ve been hard to even start to trust people after all that.

Out of all of the other “newcomers” as Mindy once put it, you got along with Ethan the best. He was a little quiet and sorta dorky (which your friends would tease him about a little—all friendly, of course) but he was fun to talk to. You guys liked a lot of the same stuff, including horror movies, and it didn’t hurt that he was cute.

In your opinion, with his curly dark hair and eyes to compliment, the whole “shy guy” thing was part of the appeal.

You wondered if he’d ever make a move, or if he even knew you were curious about him in that way. You wouldn’t go so far to say it was a crush for your ego’s sake, but you wouldn’t send him running off with his tail between his legs like you did with most guys.

Like that guy Jason from film class, who, just before Halloween, was killed alongside his roommate by a masked killer.

“Didn’t he have a thing for you?” Mindy asked you as you were all gathered around the TV, finding out the news together.

You were sitting crammed in a chair next to Ethan since the others had all taken up the couch space. He didn’t seem to mind, but it did unfortunately make it easy for them all to look your way and stare. You didn’t like the attention.

You were in shock at the news, especially when the anchor revealed Jason had also killed your film professor. Ethan pointed that out, saying if the guy was crazy enough to do that he might’ve even gone after you.

“Maybe the killer who killed him did you a favor,” Quinn suggested in response to Ethan.

The thought terrified you. You looked around the group. “Do you guys think he really would’ve hurt me? He seemed weird, not psycho.”

“We talked not that long ago, nothing seemed off,” Tara revealed with a grim look. “He asked if you and Sam were gonna come to the party.”

You hadn’t planned on going—what the hell would’ve happened if you had?

You exchanged a look with Sam, who seemed to have the wheels in her head turning.

You zoned back into the news as the reporter explained the mask found was a ghostface mask—like from the Stab movies. And of course, the actual Woodsboro killings.

“Pack a bag,” Sam told her sister, springing up to move around the apartment building.

Sam and Tara argued, which was a little weird to witness. You tried to sink back into the chair, while Ethan looked at you like he wanted to say something.

Hopefully it wasn’t “get out of the chair” because you didn’t think you could move.

The night ended with you going back to your little apartment alone. Your roommate was out of town and so your anxiety was on high alert.

A lot had happened that night apparently, including Sam and Tara getting attacked in a convenience store and them being questioned by the cops.

As much as you cared about them, you feared what would happen if you were with them.

That’s why the next night when you were invited over, you had been hesitant. A government paper was the perfect excuse, but you had FaceTimed with them so you all could keep an eye on each other.

You sat at your little desk, your laptop opened to work on your paper, and your phone propped up on your cup so you could talk to them hands free.

Apparently everyone was together at the apartment except Ethan, who told you he was studying in the library when you texted to ask him. You responded that you were working on a paper and that if he wanted to come over to keep you company, he could.

You’d spent some time alone with him, but not a lot when you really thought about it. It was always in the group—who were all murder suspects, according to Mindy’s movie rules.

You knew you weren’t the killer, and you had absolutely no motive. The others were still suspicious of you so that hurt a little (maybe that was another reason why you were keeping to yourself), but you did your best to understand that they weren’t just suspicious of you.

Everyone was a suspect, and no one was safe.

You felt even less safe when Mindy said she’d call you back. You didn’t know why she had to hang up so urgently, but you had a feeling it had to do with the emotional conversation Tara and Sam had been having in the background. You couldn’t make out most of it clear so you avoided mentioning it.

You sighed and checked your chat with Ethan. He hasn’t responded to your text. You were getting nervous now that you weren’t video chatting with your other friends anymore and the thought of being home alone didn’t bring you much ease.

You thought about just going over to the Carpenter’s (and Quinn’s) apartment, not wanting to bother Ethan further. Maybe he was ignoring you on purpose.

However, it was a far walk there. You didn’t feel safe making it alone at night—especially with a killer on the loose, likely targeting your friends. If you had a car, maybe, but you were a broke college student who could barely afford a place to live.

You sucked it up and double texted Ethan, this time asking if he could come over and that you were worried.

When he didn’t respond right away, you gave it a few minutes.

A little while longer passed and since you now couldn’t focus on your paper, you tried to call Mindy back. Then Tara. Then Chad. Then Sam. Then Quinn. Then Anika.

Not a single one of them answered.

You took a deep breath. Then, you went to double check that your door was locked.

You tried to call Ethan, but his phone went immediately to voicemail. It must’ve been dead or powered off.

That left no one else to call, and you felt more alone than ever.

You sat down at your desk and tried to focus.

You ended up going to your bedroom, putting on sleep clothes, and watching a comfort show under all your blankets instead, paper completely forgotten.

Your phone dinged from your bedside table and when you looked at it, you saw a message from Ethan. Only a few hours late, but he said he was on his way up.

That was sudden. You tried to not overthink being alone with Ethan too much.

A few moments later, there was a knock at your front door.

You climbed out of bed, not really caring that you were wearing sleep shorts and a baggy shirt. Your friends had seen you go to class in about the same when you had all night study sessions.

When you got to the door, you got a little nervous. But you knew it had to be Ethan, so you tried to push the anxiety aside and unlocked then opened the door.

You were met with shock and horror.

Towering over you in your doorway stood a figure in a black robe… and a ghostface mask.

You tried to slam the door, but the person caught it. You choked on a scream when they shoved their way in, holding a knife. There was a small stain of red on the metal blade and a darker, bigger mass on the robe.

Blood. Blood was red.

You scrambled back and tried to think of where to go. None of the doors in your apartment locked, not even the bathroom door.

Your heart and mind raced and suddenly you were spewing words.

“I don’t know what to say to make you not kill me, but I please don’t,” you rushed out.

The person—the killer—moved closer to you after shutting and locking your front door.

You ran, but there was really nowhere to go. The killer ran too. You tried to lure them to the bathroom and shove them in, but they dodged and had you almost within their grasp.

They didn’t slash the knife, though.

You ran for the front door, but the killer grabbed you by the arm. You were shoved back against your hallway wall and pinned. Your back slammed against the wall, but not hard. They held the knife to your throat—not too close, but it was still there and still kept you frozen.

“Are you gonna kill me?”

The words came out before you could stop them. You internally scolded yourself. That’s the kinda shit the girls who got murdered asked.

There was a laugh, and then a familiar voice.

“I’d never do that.”

By the time the killer reached for the mask and pulled it off, you still hadn’t processed your shock.

“Ethan?” you gawked up at him while he gave you a cheeky smile. He let the mask drop and the hand holding the knife fell to his side.

“You should’ve seen your face,” he said through a smile, excited eyes scanning your face for realization.

“Is this… is this a fucking prank?” you questioned, finally comprehending. “Ethan, what the fuck!?” You shoved him back by his shoulder, admittedly a little pissed. “You’re covered in blood!”

He stayed standing in front of you.

“It’s fake, I promise. It was just a joke,” he reasoned, looking a little guilty. “Y’know, cause Halloween and… alright, maybe my timing isn’t great.”

You scoffed out a laugh at that. “It’s terrible timing. There really is someone after us.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Ethan apologized with a small, apologetic smile. You stared at him, still surprised. He looked so innocent for someone that could pull off, let alone come up with, such a messed up prank.

“Is this where you’ve been? Dressing up to mess with me while there really is a killer after us?” You questioned, raising your brows and crossing your arms.

“Y’know, if there really is a killer after us, we probably shouldn’t let each other die virgins,” Ethan stated in a flirtatious way he easily could’ve played off as a joke. Maybe it was entirely a joke, but you played along in a different direction.

You scoffed. “And you’re just assuming I’m a virgin?”

He shrugged, the long fabric of his costume rustling. “I see how you are with guys. They want you, you never want them.”

“So what, I’m a tease?” you guessed, used to hearing that but a little disappointed to think it would come from him.

“No,” he clarified quickly. “But they’re just never good enough for you and you know that. Like that jerk Jason.”

You cringed a little at the mention of him, and then felt bad about that. The guy had been murdered, after all.

“Don’t say that, he’s dead.”

“So what?” Ethan asked plainly, surprising you a little. “He was a killer too. He could’ve gone after you, you should be grateful to whoever did it.”

You furrowed your brows. He was starting to sound like someone else. “Grateful?”

“It’s okay, you’re allowed to be.” Ethan’s expression as he spoke was one of reassurance. “You could’ve been next, you never know. He was one of those guys who couldn’t take a hint that he was beneath you.”

You had no idea he thought that way about you—that there were men he deemed unworthy. It was enough to distract you from the shift in his demeanor.

“And what? You’re saying you’re one of the guys who’s good enough for me?” you couldn’t help but wonder. You never thought about your dating history (or lack of) like that.

“Hell no,” he said, surprising you yet again. You were expecting a ‘yes’ with the way he was coming onto you all of the sudden, but what he said carried even more of a self-depreciating brand of charm. “But I’m hoping maybe you’ll pity the loser who’s had a hopeless crush on you for a while now and give him a chance.”

“You’re not a loser,” you said before you registered the rest of his words. When you did, you were taken aback at the confession. “But you’re not usually this… bold, Ethan.”

You wanted to ask him if something was wrong, but there was a lot wrong these past few hours.

“What can I say? I’ve been feeling more confident recently.”

You hummed, understanding that in a way.

“Maybe it’s the whole ‘we could die any second’ thing,” you ventured a guess.

He smiled to himself, like you’d just referenced an inside joke you weren’t a part of.

“Could be,” he agreed. He laughed a little and looked down at himself, then met your eyes again. “Sorry about scaring you. It was in poor taste. We both like horror movies… I don’t know, it was stupid.”

You scoffed, but you weren’t really mad anymore.

“I like horror movies, I don’t want to be in one,” you told him, eyeing the knife he held loosely in his right hand. “Is the knife real?”

“What?” Ethan asked, feigning confusion. He lifted the knife and examined it. “This knife?”

“Yeah, that knife,” you parroted back his playful tone. “You said the blood is fake, but is the knife real?”

A devious look crossed Ethan’s face. He held it to your throat slowly, holding it horizontally. You didn’t flinch, much to his pleasure. He seemed almost impressed.

“Gotta be authentic, right?” he mused, eyes flicking to your parted lips as you breathed steadily. “Can I kiss you?”

When his curious eyes looked back at yours, you couldn’t help but notice he still held the knife. The rush of excitement you felt scared you more than the fear of him letting it slip forward.

“What’s the knife for?” you asked with a surge of confidence, taunting him a little. “If I say no?”

Ethan laughed at that. He pulled it back and let it drop to the floor. It clattered against the wood, and you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding. But it wasn’t from fear—it was from anticipation. Maybe your curiosity was a little more than that after all.

“You’re safe with me,” he assured. “Promise.”

His words felt layered, but in a way you couldn’t define.

Perhaps it was his way of saying he’d protect you. Maybe it was strange, especially given his entrance, but you found yourself feeling exactly that with Ethan. Safe.

Nothing was going to hurt you, certainly not him.

“About that kiss…” you started, giving him the indication that he was looking for.

Ethan took the hint and ran with it, lips crashing into yours in the blink of an eye.

His lips were soft, but the kiss was needy and hungry. You tried to move your lips in sync with his, but he was much more dominant.

A joke that you’d never say flashed by about him practicing.

It was easy not to laugh when Ethan’s hand threaded into your hair and his tongue began to explore your mouth.

The leather glove felt strange. It made you pull back a little, which you almost couldn’t do with the way Ethan eagerly chased your swollen lips with his own.

You glanced over his costume again. It looked really legit—when did he have time to get it? Was he actually gonna wear this for Halloween? You swore you remembered him and Chad talking about some other costume he made out of cardboard for the frat party.

Before you could spiral down that path, Ethan pulled the leather gloves off quickly and cast them aside. It was like he could read your mind. Both hands went to your face, pulling you to meet him halfway in another searing kiss.

You didn’t know what was coming over you, but whatever it was was causing arousal to stir in your belly.

You figured out the answer to that pretty quickly.

It was want. You wanted Ethan.

“Is the other offer still on the table?” you uttered softly when you and Ethan had to part for air.

He grinned, unable to contain it.

“Thought there was no way in hell that would work,” Ethan admitted a little breathlessly. “Thought I never stood a chance with you, but I liked you anyway.”

Ethan had a boyish charm about him usually, but now that was combined with a streak of deviance that you finally now noticed.

You weren’t expecting to be as intrigued by it as you were.

“Give yourself a little more credit,” you told Ethan, raising your hand to cup his cheek. He leaned into your touch a little. One hand rested on your shoulder and the other fell to hold your hip, tucking under your baggy shirt and rubbing your skin beneath. “You are pretty cute.”

Ethan’s smile only grew, but when you leaned in to kiss him again his lips met yours.

He wrapped his arms around your waist and guided the two of you to the ground with your back leaning against the wall. He was in front of you, on his knees, with you in his lap.

You ran a hand through his curly hair and you guided his lips back to yours. From what he’d revealed, Ethan hadn’t had a lot of experience with girls. It was a damn shame, because the boy was a great kisser.

His hand caressed your thigh as he trailed upward. You gave him a soft sound of encouragement when his fingers found their way to the waistband of your shorts.

“Is this okay?” Ethan asked, which made you want to grab him and kiss him again.

“Yeah.”

His hand slid into your shorts and your underwear.

One finger—you guessed middle—pushed inside of you. A small gasp escaped you at the intrusion and he watched your face.

Ethan was making sure the sound wasn’t of pain, which it wasn’t, and you appreciated that.

He withdrew the digit, then pushed in again. He repeated the motion a few more times before adding his index finger.

Ethan’s breathing grew heavy as he felt you squeeze around his fingers. He thrust and curled them inside you with rhythm. He managed to find one pretty quickly. That plus his thumb rubbing at your clit, you were falling apart in mere minutes.

Your brief orgasm rocked your whole body, leaving you clenching his fingers and quivering.

Ethan muttered things to you, but you could hardly hear over the sound of your own heart pounding in your ears.

Your head rested back against the wall as you caught your breath, still trembling from the aftershocks. Ethan withdrew his hand from between your legs and out of your shorts.

Your eyelids felt heavy, but in between slow blinks you saw him lift his fingers to his lips. You watched breathlessly as he placed them into his mouth and moaned at the taste of you.

No words would come out of your mouth, but he took rendering you speechless as a compliment.

“I’ve thought about that,” Ethan started, voice a little ragged. He was watching you, but his hand had moved off to the side. “What you’d look like… what you’d sound like… what you’d taste like.” The awe in his eyes as he spoke left you swooning.

“And?” you managed, sitting up a little straighter.

With the change in your angle, you could feel the bulge in his pants, even though the added layer of the costume he had yet to remove.

“You’re better than I ever imagined,” Ethan finished.

A scrape against the floor alarmed you. You looked to the sound and saw Ethan grabbing the knife off of the floor.

You watched as he brought it between your bodies. He first tucked it through the leg of your shorts, the cold metal sliding against your skin as it caught under your underwear as well. Then, he pointed the sharp side facing out. Finally, he sliced up through the fabric. You gasped a little as the cold air of the room hit your newly exposed skin. He did the same with the other leg, then pulled the tattered material away from your body.

You did the honors of pulling off your shirt. You didn’t have a bra underneath and you almost laughed at the way Ethan gawked at your fully naked body when you cast it aside.

“Your turn,” you told him. You were completely undressed, while he still wore the long, black disguise.

“Actually,” Ethan said a little eerily. There was something in his eyes you couldn’t quite pinpoint. “I was thinking I could leave it on?”

It was a question, there was room for you to say no. Maybe you should’ve, it was a little weird. But you weren’t really thinking about that. You were more focused on how badly you wanted Ethan to fuck you, and that clouded your brain.

“As long as you don’t put the mask back on,” you relented in a joking tone.

“You’re so fucking cool,” Ethan rushed out before slamming his lips into yours. The knife was cast aside again—you didn’t see it happen, but both of his hands were on your face.

You laughed a little against his lips, dazed and drunk on arousal. You didn’t really care about the logistics of it.

His hands moved down, but you were distracted by his lips dominating yours.

You heard the sound of his zipper being undone and he moved a little—you guessed shoving his pants down his thighs.

There was no time to look down because in a rush, Ethan was pinning you back against the wall with his body. One hand gripped your waist, holding you in place for him. The other was presumably guiding his cock to your entrance.

You gasped a little against his lips when he started to press forward while simultaneously pulling you down into his lap. The fabric of the costume draped over your thighs, blocking your view.

The stretch of his cock pushing into you was more intense than you could’ve predicted, but your whole body trembled with pleasure at the feel.

Finally, he either got too excited or lost his patience, and guided you down the rest of the way until he was fully sheathed inside of you.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Ethan cursed to himself, body straining to keep from moving. His head dropped to your shoulder, heavy breaths hitting your neck. He leaned against you, forcing you against the wall.

His cock twitched inside of you and his body tensed, trying to hold back.

You panted slightly, trying to get your breath back. You ran a hand up his back and you felt him shiver. Your hand moved up the back of his neck and into his mess of curls.

You always liked Ethan’s hair.

You gave a small, barely qualifiable tug, but it had an effect. His body jerked, causing him to move inside of you. You gasped a little, but the motion felt good.

He lifted his head to look at you. His face was a little flushed and the lust blown look in his eyes made you quiver.

“You can move,” you whispered out, not trusting your voice.

Ethan didn’t need to be told twice. He secured the arm around your waist a little tighter and he put the other hand on the wall, giving himself leverage.

The slow drag of him moving out of you made you gasp for breath. The thrust back in knocked the air out of your lungs.

He set a quick pace after that, hips slamming eagerly into yours as the pleasure and excitement overwhelmed him.

It felt good, really fucking good.

Neither of you knew exactly what you were doing, but you were sure you’d figured it out because your whole body tingled with pleasure.

You cried out his name, which only spurred him on.

In a jarring movement you could hardly track, Ethan dragged you from the wall to the floor. He put himself on top of you, never once withdrawing from inside of you.

He watched your face as he pounded into you. Ethan had more leverage this way, able to grip your hip in one hand while the other held the top half of him off of you by being planted on the floor near your head.

You wrapped your legs around his waist, which you couldn’t see because the bottom half of your body was covered by the black costume. You hardly paid any attention to that aspect. You didn’t care that he wore it, not when you were this caught up in pleasure.

(In hindsight, you should’ve).

“I’ve wanted you for so long,” Ethan breathed out, hips starting the stutter with every thrust.

The knot in your belly started to tighten as he buried himself into you over and over.

You couldn’t speak, your breathing was so labored as you reached to cling to him.

His head dropped down to your shoulder as he allowed more of his body weight to fall onto you. You found yourself enjoying the feel of him truly being on top of you.

You hardly noticed the fake blood smearing onto your bare skin. When you did, you were too gone to care.

You bucked your hips, meeting his stuttering thrusts. He was getting close to his edge and so were you. You moaned beneath him as his forceful thrusts sparked pleasure through your entire body.

“I’m close,” you managed to moan out against his ear.

“Oh, fuck,” Ethan groaned out, cock pulsing inside of you at the thought. He lifted his head enough to be able to watch your face. “Come again for me, please,” he panted out, nearly falling over the edge at the mere anticipation.

The begging was hot, and your body was already ready to give him what he wanted.

You noticed his eyes flicking down your body, seeing the red stains on your skin. That was quickly forgotten by you when your whole body began to tense and quiver. You held onto him tight as waves of ecstasy crashed over you.

You didn’t see his eyes linger.

Ethan couldn’t hold it together, not with the way your body tightened around him as your orgasm rocked you.

He collapsed on top of you, holding you against him as his forehead pressed to yours. His eyes were clenched shut as he frantically shoved his hips against yours, burying himself deep. His cock twitched, his whole body shivering as he spilled himself inside of you with a moan.

The sound of him alone was enough to prolong your pleasure as you rode it out, but the extra movement and the feeling of him filling you was an added bonus.

He kissed you hard on the lips, effectively pulling the air from your lungs.

After a moment, he found the strength to roll off of you, only to then drag you to his side.

“I can die a happy man, now,” he joked morbidly.

You shoved him a little by the shoulder like you had before, but not enough to actually make him go anywhere.

“Don’t say shit like that,” you argued weakly.

He flashed you a brief grin. “I meant it as a compliment.”

You rolled your eyes and did you best to laugh it off.

You lost track of how long it took you to move from the floor to your couch. The same thing happened between the time it took for you to get from the couch to your shower.

It was a tiny shower that couldn’t fit two people, so you rinsed off as quick as you could. You were tired, and your legs felt weak, and you knew you’d be sore in a way that would make it hard to keep calm tomorrow.

Whatever he had used for the blood, at least it washed off fast. You were able to finish up in a matter of minutes.

You threw on new pajamas and crawled into your bed, managing to tell Ethan to take however long he wanted and that he could stay over if he wanted.

You found yourself hoping he would.

You were nearly asleep when the shower shut off and Ethan finally joined you in bed. He was only in his boxers and a black t-shirt, which he must’ve been wearing under the costume robe.

A thought nagged at the back of your mind about the costume, wondering why he’d gone through all of that just to mess with you for a minute—albeit a terrifying minute. It didn’t seem like him, but then you remembered you’d only met him a few months ago.

You were so exhausted you fell asleep in his arms, not awake enough to care about all of the weird details. In fact, the only thing you could think about was how much you liked falling asleep with Ethan’s arms around you.

In the morning, you found out your friends had all been attacked.

You showed up with Ethan after the feed on your college’s chat app blew up with images of cops swarming and ambulances outside of Sam, Tara, and Quinn’s apartment.

Mindy seemed relieved to see you, but not so much when she realized Ethan was with you. Maybe she’d cleared you as a suspect in her head.

She yelled at him to stay back, accusing him of being the killer. Nobody was taking Quinn’s death well, but Mindy was especially heartbroken over Anika.

“Stay back!” Mindy yelled at Ethan, who did as she commanded.

Everyone turned on him then, even Chad. Everyone except you. They demanded his alibi.

“How do I know you’re not the killer, roomie,” Chad spit at him, amped up.

“I was with Y/N last night,” Ethan defended, holding his hands up in a small show of innocence, before you could say a word. “We were… preoccupied, alright?”

You wanted to elbow him for how he worded it, he couldn’t have been more obvious if he tried. It might’ve been on purpose, you weren’t sure.

He wasn’t close enough to do that, though, and now all eyes were on you.

“Yeah, he was with me,” you backed Ethan up.

You weren’t going to leave him hanging because it was the truth, but you knew what that implied, and so did your friends. They all shared subtle—but not unnoticeable—looks. Your face felt warm, while Ethan bit back a prideful smile.

“So you guys, um…”

“Chad, stop,” Tara scolded him before he could point out the obvious.

“Point is, we had nothing to do with this,” Ethan stated.

We?

They were suspicious of him, and now he was lumping the two of you together. There were always two killers in the movies—you began to doubt if the alibi would ease their anxiety or only spike it.

You thought back to when he had showed up to your apartment in that costume. He’d scared you, but you accepted it when he told you it was a joke that he mistakenly took too far.

It made you wonder. What if it was him?

If he wanted to hurt you, he easily could’ve. That didn’t seem to be his intention. What was? Seeing how much he could scare you? Get your heart rate up? Seeing if you wouldn’t believe him?

Or was it seeing if he could put the evidence right in front of you and have you ignore it because of a crush?

Fuck. Maybe it was some weird combination of all. Were you that gullible? Or were you overthinking it now?

Your brain struggled to come up with a conclusion.

You wanted to believe Ethan was innocent. You really, really did.

It was easier than believing you had slept with a killer. Or potentially worse, that you had feelings for one.

Ethan gave you a slight, assuring smile.

Your head told you one thing, but your heart told you another.

Maybe you shouldn’t have, but you kept your mouth shut and gave him one back.

#quin-ns writing #ethan landry #ethan landry x reader #ethan landry x you #scream #scream 6 #ethan landry smut

1K notes · View notes

goldfades · 7 months ago

Text

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ. NHL MASTERLIST !

♡ fluff ✪ angst ✧ suggestive

𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐦 𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐬

⇨ trevor zegras¹¹

soft launch ♡ instagram!au | y/n soft launches her and trev's relationship. |

friends (with benefits) ✪♡✧ | trevor had always hated your guts. you never knew what for, maybe it was your close friendship with his best friend, or maybe it was because he was jealous of you. that was until, he kissed you, of course. |

sloppy kisses ✧ | request: "CONSENSUAL recording with Trevor because they’re long distance? 🩶 " |

⇨ jamie drysdale⁶

butterflies ♡ | no one has ever made you feel the way jamie did. every day, jamie convinces you more and more that he loves you in different ways. |

𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬

⇨ adam fantilli¹¹

lets compare hands! ✧ | adam fantilli with a size kink |

⇨ kent johnson⁹¹

𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐣𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐬

⇨ jack hughes⁸⁶

everyone wants you, but i don't like a gold rush ✪✧ | y/n had always been in love with jack since she was a kid, but he had always chosen everyone else but her. |

in losing grip, on sinking ships, you showed up just in time ♡ | when you and jack had parted ways, somehow you both knew you'd meet again somehow. |

⇨ luke hughes⁴³

betty ✪ | a small incident at luke's draft party causes a whole lot of drama you never expected to happen. |

worst (best) first "date" [requested] ♡ | request: kind of have a specific request 🫣 im an ohio state fan so it also kinda pains me that i love luke hughes since i hate umich 😭 my request is reader being an osu student and long term devils fan, so when she goes to a devils game in columbus her friends dare her to make a sign for luke during warm ups that says something along the lines of “can i trade you a hat for a puck?” so when luke gives her a puck, she throws him an ohio state hat w her phone number on it. and he finds it really funny and actually ends up messaging her (and then you can end it how you want. fluff, smut, wtv) thank you <33 |

stress reduction [requested] ✧ | request: "shower s-x with luke hughes help" |

⇨ nico hischier¹³

olive theory ♡ | you and nico have only been dating for 6 months but both of you are convinced you've found the one, and a certain theory proves you right. |

𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐬

⇨ quinn hughes⁴³

you are in love ♡ | 3 times that quinn wanted to tell you he loved you, and the 1 time he finally did. |

cowboy like me ✪ | you and quinn were destined to fail from the beginning. |

the big C [requested] ✧ | "quinn hughes x equipment manager reader smut? maybe it’s the start of the season so the reader is helping him get all his gear fitted and situated and she’s calling him “cap” and “captain” and he ends up feeling some type of way" |

𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬

⇨ andrei svechnikov³⁷

251 notes · View notes

weirdmageddon · 5 months ago

Text

why i think aradia and john work so well

(with some stuff i’ve been wanting to yap about for ages)

have you guys ever given arajohn / johnradia (idk if its popular enough to even have a standardized ship name) any thought …? i know it seems kind of out of left field. i’ve considered it and i think its. really really good. i have a bunch of thoughts to unpack. come join me. and maybe grab a snack or something because i didn’t realize how much i'd actually have to say about this

(fantastic art by skeletood)

the other day i made a tweet that did rather well where i said, “john and aradia shouldve talked more. its so simple but i like how she actually earnestly answers his questions. so many characters in this comic are so mean to john for just wanting to know more give him a break”

putting it out there now im not big about shipping for the sake of shipping. there needs to be real chemistry. i need to sense that as a reason why two characters would potentially be a good influence on each other. i never knew why i was always so obstinate about this because it’s fictional and not materially hurting anyone, but i think it might be because i’m not sure how to justify it or explain it if not.

i strongly believe john and aradia would have had it made out for them if circumstances allowed it. (what i mean by “ship” or “johnradia” extends to any kind of interpersonal dynamic, even if just a good friendship. it doesnt even have to be romantic, just some sort of dynamic with them.)

unfortunately aradia originally committed herself to staying out of trolling the kids over their timelines, so john and aradia never talked until year 3 on the ship in the dream bubbles but they never had a truly proper one-on-one without outside meddling. i think if john knew aradia better and her story beforehand, she had more time to explain herself and her history, he wouldnt have been unsettled. and also of course if his experience with the trolls didn’t suck so bad because he already had expectations for how antagonizing most of them were.

i found people’s sentiments about johnradia elsewhere too. i remembered that they were both on the song art for ascend, and searched ao3 to see how many fics have been written to gauge how substaintial it’s been in the homestuck fandom. only 17 of them turned up. but the people who do talk about it are either curious about it or really do like it, and that interested me.

clearly it’s pretty niche character relationship to be depicted in any fanwork and i can understand why. despite being so small, from what ive seen it seems universally agreed upon to be nice. i haven’t seen a single person object to it. what ive seen falls into two categories: “wow i didnt think about this before but i actually dig it” or “(starving) finally some good fucking food”

the pattern im seeing is that people think it’s “random”, but i disagree. there is something there substantiating it even if they’re unable to articulate it.

the fanfic these comments are from is chronology of wind. that fic is really, really good, and sadly unfinished. i have more abstract reasons to believe why aradia and john would be good in theory, so actually seeing someone else actually make something with them helped me read it in action, to get a more tangible feel of the dynamic beyond what we have in canon.

i wouldn’t normally make claims about a relationship with regard to homestuck canon by looking at their relationship in a fanfic, because i think you all know by now i am very nitpicky about accurate characterization, and it does not go unnoticed by me when people get it right because for some reason it feels like a one in a million thing (even though it really shouldn’t be?). so this was a special case. the tone was completely consistent with canon. this fic is so in-character i’d basically consider it an extension of canon. to me it’s like they took the same characters and plopped them into this scenario to see how they’d interact. guys… i love that stuff so much. i love fanfiction or fanworks that depict realistic extensions of canon and stays true to the energy and tone of the source, but deepens it. there isn’t enough of it imo. i want to see more of it.

anyway, what i read of their conversations in that fic basically aligned with what i was thinking in my head about what i’d expect it to be like. i was able to compare how aradia and john talked to how aradia and the other characters interacted, their comparative attitudes towards each other—how they’re treated by others compared to how they treat each other.

have you noticed john and aradia’s communication values are both based on sincerity, being in the proper know, treating people fairly, and thanklessly taking on the necessary work that “must be done” in order to have what they really want — a good time that feels meaningful? and they accomplish this without any adjustment in how they talk to each other.

john is always subtly (or not-so-subtly) asking the people around him to answer him soberly and to the point so he knows whats going on and what that means for what his options are. he needs to know to what end he will be applying his absurd energetic drive into making shit happen. aradia honors his time before john can even become uncomfortable with the amount of time being eaten up by conversation. contrast this with rose, who seems to go on for a while with prose-like conversational adornments. in dire situations that need rapid explanation and definitive answers so he knows what to do, this is really the last thing he needs. aradia doesnt waste john’s time. she answers all his questions, and does it politely to boot. his time talking to her doesn't feel wasted.

john's impatience with this sort of nonsense is also why i can’t see something like dirkjohn working out, for example. to me it feels like @entropicbias also deeply understands this on some level because i literally couldn’t have demonstrated what i mean by it any better myself than that. i'm gonna have to to hit him up about how much i genuinely respect that like tbh hes one of the few i absolutely trust to handle writing and depicting these characters in situations and their interpersonal dynamics. and also care about doing their characterization justice as much as me.

of course people are still entitled to like whatever they like, ship whatever they want to. i dont care. but i just don’t think it would work from the perspective of the minds of the canon characters, how they generally think and approach situations. and i can already tell people might ask me how do i know this? what makes me an expert? i’m not more than anyone else is (although i have been called a "characterization expert" from my friends), but i do know that i can pick up on the energetic chemistry between people, including characters, honestly precognitively, without even thinking? like if it’s stiff or tense or awkward, if people aren’t free to express themselves uninhibitedly, if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. i can sense this almost instantly. it’s something that’s a visceral feeling in my body i cant express and i have to rationalize it after the fact. like i’m doing now in fact writing this big analysis.

> listen to me talk about my special interest boy

for the next section to make sense, you probably want to read this post. i initially started writing it within this post to explain but there was so much brewing i had to explain the context that it turned into something i wanted to post on its own terms.

> okaaaaaayyyyy i read all that

thank you, really. my main point is using the conceptual tools provided by this system to expIain why aradia and john feel nice together and why i’ve seen people positively perceive the idea of a relationship between them even if it seems “random”.

framing them in this system, it wouldn’t be random! there’s a good reason they seem to fit nicely. this is because john and aradia have complementary forms of information metabolism. information metabolism is talked about in this section.

Jung’s psychic types are the types of cognition, or intelligence. But it would probably be easiest to call them types of IM [information metabolism], since the main difference between the types of people lies in their exchange of information with the external world.

Aushra Augusta, Commentary on Jung’s Typology and Introduction to Information Metabolism

aradia megido’s type of information metabolism (otherwise known as a TIM) is LII. john egbert’s TIM is ESE.

aradia and john’s types are duals. you can read more about what that entails here. in theory, their interactions would reflect the duality dynamic. reading chronology of wind, that one really in-character fic that explored their dynamic made me excited because they do!

michael pierce gave an overview of his impression of the characteristics of this intertype dynamic. despite only rough knowledge in socionics while he wrote this, his understanding of duality was spot on to me from my experience and others and i wanted to share it here. (fittingly, i believe he is also LII.)

Now we have the famous duality relationship: in a nutshell, this role is characterized by two traits: 1) a very close psychological distance or intimacy, and 2) a great ease of interacting with each other. It is sometimes described how meeting one's dual can be the event of a lifetime, because it inspires aspects in each party's character that they had never expressed before: the pair may even drop out of society for a time in order to focus on just each other, and to explore themselves through interaction with each other. The curious thing in this relationship is that these parties are rather different in outlook, and when they are not actually interacting as potential friends it's probably more likely for them to dislike or mistrust each other because of how different they are. […] However, when they are able to interact normally, it is a strange and wonderful discovery to realize that the interaction is unexpectedly smooth and invigorating. It's hard for people to describe, but as I understand it: while both parties recognize their differences on the surface, these differences are created by a root structure that coincides perfectly with each other, so that the differences on the surface are entirely complementary and cause no friction at all.

it’s also meaningful to consider that the structure of my own psyche is LII as well. so i’ve got a bit of a bias towards aradia and john.. not in the sense that what i actually say about them is personally biased, but that the bias is moreso my personal attention to people and characters of these two types in particular to see how my own experiences are reflected in them. i really do feel of a reflection of my own thought and work process in aradia and in the more abstract sense she is like an extension of myself. when people say they like aradia as a character i get secondhand joy from that because shares certain specific traits with me. of course i am still my own person though.

these are some of the most apt profiles i've found for these types at a glance. again, think about these characters as you read these descriptions. [from here (ESE / LII)]

ESE (Ethical-sensory extrovert) - john

The trademark quality of this type is a focus on socializing and guiding social situations and interactions so that the people involved can have fun and enjoy themselves. ESEs are typically in the middle of what is happening socially and know about the latest events and what people think and feel about them. They are skilled at bringing people together in fun and interesting ways and making everyone feel actively involved. Their friends know them as people who love life and feel most at home in social situations surrounded by other fun people. In their pursuit of fun-oriented and stimulating social interactions, ESEs typically neglect to structure their own thought processes and views in a way that would help them know exactly what they think and why. They are receptive to others’ attempts to help them introduce more structure and logical consistency in their life and thinking processes. They gravitate most to people who open up to fun and emotional interaction easily, yet are also skilled at systematizing thoughts and views and explaining ideological matters.

LII (Logical-intuitive introvert) - aradia

The trademark quality of this type is a focus on logical, structured thought and generating true assertions and views. LIIs are typically strict thinkers who are concerned that everything fits together in a logical way. They are skilled at understanding, generating, and criticizing logical arguments and instilling their views in the people around them. Their friends know them as people with well-organized thoughts and opinions who know what they think and can elucidate their ideas to others. In their pursuit of logical understanding, LIIs typically neglect their external social interactions and activities that would help them lighten up and experience a connection with other people. They are receptive to others’ attempts to create these fun and lighthearted situations for them. They gravitate most to people who are interested in their opinions and understanding of things, but are also skilled at organizing social interactions and creating a sense of emotional unity.

ive recently consciously experienced the feeling of duality for the first time since i've been communicating with my mom's high school classmate, and it is definitely a real thing. i even remember mom pointing out she noticed when we were all talking on the phone over a year ago that i perked up whenever he said stuff. here is how i explained it:

its bonkers how only once i experience something for myself i’m able to explain in detail what makes it so great based on what my impressions about it were because i tend to have a peculiar way of describing the qualities of an experience. my specialty is deep precision in my analogies for what it’s like. so now i can tell you how conversations with your dual feel… heres the status report. it’s weightless. its so strange. like the topic conversation stretches into infinity that you can pick right back up at any time. it’s hazy and unfocused but still pleasant (unless you’re particularly self-conscious and need to unlearn hiding your true self). but the best parts of it come when you have a specific issue or insecurity that comes with being your most natural self that the world seems to misunderstand about you, or just not give you what you don't even know you’ve been looking for. i think you might mutually intimidate each other at first because you're lowkey both expecting to be made fun of for your inadequacy with certain types of information that the other is nuanced with (and you’re not), but it never comes. you don't feel like what your dual wants in life is wrong. your dual seems so talented in all the ways you hope to shine but you’re always unsure of. for the introvert (me) wishing they felt their own active presence as an object (Se, Ne, Te, Fe) like the extravert does. for the extravert, wishing they felt their own relationships with other objects (Si, Ni, Ti, Fi) like the introvert does. any other intertype relationship (ITR) vs. duality is like the difference between 99% and 100% totality of a solar eclipse, except it’s the level of understanding with another person, like the eclipsing of your own information metabolism with theirs. of course there are other things that influence how well your relationship with this person goes, but i am talking strictly about when it comes to basic communication, the level of understanding you share. sometimes it might feel like you dont have much to talk about or the topic is unfocused, because you two ARE opposites in many ways after all, especially at a glance (domain of interests usually come with specific macroelements. theories about thought structures—like socionics, for instance—are in the domain of intuition, while physical interests and experiences are in the domain of sensorics.) i’m LII in the NT club (researchers) and my dual ESE in the SF club (social-communicative). so they’re constantly providing you with information from their own niche in life that you may be entirely unfamiliar with, but for some reason still interests and relaxes you to hear. you might not feel like you have a lot to say about the topic since but you are fully amazed by this person’s activity. it also makes you feel more sure of yourself and more confident that people truly appreciate and need your natural abilities.

> let’s break it down

here’s some lightly modified descriptions of the information blocks in LII and ESE's information metabolism models from pyatnitsky so you can get an overarching impression of how their type contributes to the informational sphere. i added some of my own adjustments and borrowed some sentences from stratiyevskaya's descriptions. additionally, you can click on the name of the block for an explanation of the role it plays.

i put about a week’s work into these collages but my goal with them was to actually show where i think these information blocks are most pertinent in these characters specifically and where they apply so it’s not just some abstract thing, just as supplementary examples as needed. (for the meaning of these information elements individually you can refer to cysia’s document.)

LII (Logical-intuitive introvert)

EGO (-Ti? -> -Ne!). Analytical thinking. They are well aware of the interrelationships of some objects or phenomena with others, and what laws are in effect or not in effect. On the basis of a comprehensive analysis, they put forward insights about the global essence of specific objects and phenomena, their possibilities. They acutely charge the situation with potential energy. For every situation, there is an archetype.

Super-EGO (-Fi? -> -Se!). Normative ideas about relationships between people and ways to get out of unpleasant ethical situations. Understands ethics as founded on the principles of fairness; to do to one side of the equation that you do to the other. Volitional manifestations in order to protect their living space are carried out only on the basis of personal experience. Because of the limited opportunities to fight back, they react painfully to attempts of any interference in his life. Does not respond to any arbitrary crudeness or volitional pressuring. Does not compromise goals, stubbornly clings to them. Avoids direct confrontation if possible, would rather talk civilly and earnestly. Uses their naturally strong sense of the conditioning of objects over time to avoid collisions with their material interests. Due to this, they may appear as someone with very little weaknesses.

Super-ID (+Fe -> +Si?) Attracts information about a good mood, a specific positive state, or a feeling. They would like to think that they can eliminate serious inconveniences, make the environment around them more comfortable. This skill needs to be evaluated. They are unconsciously activated when there is a need to make the environment more comfortable, which should lead to a better state, raise the mood at least in the immediate environment. In friendly, comfortable, and informal company, their cool exterior thaws and they start lighting up with joviality.

ID (+Te! → +Ni?). Has developed guidelines and methods that relate to specific practical activities, technological effectiveness, and resource use. Spontaneously feels the correct allocation of resources over time, which allows them to effectively solve tasks at an unhurried pace. This pace is deeply rational in nature.

ESE (Ethical-sensory extrovert)

EGO (+Fe! -> +Si?). Perception of the world is fundamentally emotional. Feels the emotional atmosphere well in any situation, knows the relevance of the way of expression, the place and weight (importance) of the internal state in each situation. Flexible approach to solving problems of managing and expressing emotions. They show bright emotionality both negative and positive. Creatively produces around themself comfort, coziness, conveniently arranges space, surrounds others with beautiful things, changing thereby the general condition and mood. Usually opinionated about their tastes.

(wow i really went all out on that this one that tumblr wont even display it in full resolution, so here. john just has so many more lines to choose from, sorry!)

Super-EGO (+Te! -> +Ni?). Practical and technological thinking is tightly based on acquired knowledge and patterns of solving similar problems. Methods of business activity in both general and specific areas are selected based on the opinion of reputable sources, or adjusted to one of the mastered templates. Predicting specific changes in the sphere of their interests is carried out only on the basis of personal experience. He is not able to compare his own method of forecasting with others, so he is sensitive to criticism of poor timing or deadlines, does not like situations that feel like a waste of his time; he is lost in connection with negative events. Guided by purely personal experience, he chooses specific times and deadlines for various tasks with a normative understanding of business activity in general.

Super-ID (-Ti? -> -Ne!). Attracts information about the order, specific logical relationships in the field of activity or interests. Needs someone to suggest specific ways to make connections between phenomena, patterns, and rules. Tries to be reasonable himself, even though he knows that this is not characteristic of him. Sometimes he openly talks of his actions that were poorly reasoned through, as if inviting other people to laugh at his thoughtlessness. The ordering and systematization of thought opens up a new way of understanding of events that are happening around him, as well as new prospects, potential, and capabilities. He likes to think that he understands the essence of a situation and lights up with new ideas. This skill needs to be evaluated. It is unconsciously activated when it is necessary to create order, clear consistency and clarity on a particular issue, especially if their abilities are recognized.

ID (-Fi? -> -Se!). Involuntarily keeps track of communications in their social circle. Without hesitation, they use a variety of ways to establish and maintain relationships that have been developed in his personal practice. Good relationships are important for personal inner confidence in a situation. To prevent unfavorable relationships, they are inclined, often without even realizing it, to act with pressure, forcing a showdown, forcing the partner to change the relationship for the better. Frequently demonstrates his resoluteness, persistence, and purposefulness, as if proposing his behavior as a model for imitation. Usually tells in much detail what obstacles were created before him, and how he overcame them, what he was told in response, and what he replied with, and so on and in the like.

(full res)

you might be able to see already how they would complement each other's thought process nicely. here are some descriptions of what the communication between these types is like:

+Fe! : program function of ESE and dual-seeking function of LII

The ESE periodically tells emotionally charged "program" function stories, telling of how somebody has acted and what they have done. The main orientation of ESE's leading ethical program is: "No one should be offended." The LII carefully listens to these statements, and, demonstrating a full understanding of these issues, develops logical basis for them, e.g. in calm persuasive voice he explains how the ESE has acted justly and fairly. The effusion of turbulent emotions coming from the ESE is counterbalanced by their absorption by the LII, who breaks them down into fragments by asking clarifying questions of the ESE.

-Ti? : dual-seeking function of ESE and program function of LII

The ESE is tuned to accepting information when it's relayed in clear logical form. He issues requests for logical explanations delivered from a point of view of generalized rules underpinning specific life events, which he receives from the LII, who delivers clear unambiguous interpretations, places the dots over all "i's", and demonstrates good understanding of problems that are of concern to the ESE. Not receiving information of this kind, the ESE begins making demands of those around him to be "intelligent" and understand the reasons of his actions.

-Ne! : activating function of ESE and creative function of LII

The ESE feels uncomfortable if he doesn't extend his help to people who are in need of it. His subconscious orientation is: "care and guard the talented", be kind and attentive towards other people. The LII usually meets such criteria by proving in action his aptitude at uncovering hidden capabilities, winning trust, passing on the knowledge. The ESE creates supportive conditions for people who are capable but lacking in assertive "push-through" qualities, among whom the LII finds himself, and a special work regime that protects such individuals from overloads on sensing functions. Newly discovered possibilities inspire and promote the pragmatic and business-oriented activities of the ESE. He can support a new undertaking or initiative with an enormous amount of energy and enthusiasm, light up by new ideas. Only the LII is able to, even having a vague general notion about the subject, construct a developed theory or idea of any issue. This theory shows to be promising in the process of its concrete application within its field.

+Si? : creative function of ESE and activating function of LII

LII tries to take care of their well-being, but may gravitate towards demonstrative asceticism, exhaust himself with work, studies, or exercise. The ESE periodically takes care of creating an environment that "charges" the LII with pleasant sensations: a reception of guests, a good meal, a visit to a theater or a concert, an interesting trip, and so on. At the same time the ESE takes pleasure in this himself.

+Te! : role function of ESE and observing function of LII

The role function of the ESE manifests as business-oriented activity and initiative, supplying interesting information, provision with material assistance to those who are in need, general restlessness and fussy busyness. This function is normative, i.e. the ESE seeks to comply with the norms and accepted ways of doing things. The nuancing of the understanding of these norms, i.e. introduction of activities that go beyond them, is possible only by considering LII's advice and recommendations. The LII serves as a director of this function, adjusting its workings by advocating the necessity of practical application of some beneficial ideas, rejection of useless though spectacular ideas, and the need to ensure standards of life not below average by rejection of equalization.

+Ni? : vulnerable function of ESE and demonstrative function of LII

The ESE poorly feels the flow of time, both physical, which manifests as running late and poor distribution of his strengths over time, and historical, which manifests as poor ability to anticipate consequences of actions and tendency for traditional ways of solving problems. The ESE finds it difficult to make radical choices. The LII fully takes this aspect onto his shoulders. He has an unconscious ability to distribute activities in time, thereby avoiding work stress and overloads, and is capable of making a radical choice. The LII is able to calmly wait and in the necessary moment get to work when the wasteful fussiness of the ESE reaches its critical point.

-Fi? : ignoring function of ESE and role function of LII

On this function the ESE gives advice and makes demands concerning the creation of appropriate psychological distances in form of proper behavior, courtesy and politeness, denouncing rudeness and boorishness. In this manner, the ESE adjusts LII's role function, which in itself contains a set of large psychological distances: a sullen stubborn look, unsociability, etc. With such fine-tuning it becomes easier for the LII to come into contact with people, whereby he becomes more animated, resolves many of his ethical problems that previously frightened him, gains greater insight into human relationships and a more accurate understanding as to whose side to take in situations of conflict.

-Se! : demonstrative function of ESE and vulnerable function of LII

The LII finds it very difficult to exert pressure on other people from his own will and initiative, especially in cases when he needs to attain something for himself. He finds this difficult to do - to press ahead in certain situations, to gather all the required paperwork, to stand in lines and queues, to petition for his own interests, even the ones that are of vital importance to him. He finds it difficult to push a person away, to sharply refuse someone, to quarrel loudly and defend his rights, to put an end to relations that have exhausted themselves. The ESE doesn't directly affect this function, i.e. he doesn't verbally criticize and teach the LII on this aspect, but takes over its functioning completely. The ESE exerts a constant, sometimes intrusive and imposing pressure on other people if there is a need to achieve something, to defend justice and demand fair treatment, to protect interests of those who are close and dear to him. The ESE goes to the right jurisdictions, inspires people around him and directs them towards work and purposeful activity, keeps up a high pace of life himself, and breaks off relations with those who don't deserve trust.

and some miscellaneous excerpts from literature i liked a lot. (i can't remember the sources i used since i've been working on this on and off, for the past week and i was just spilling things onto the post. i think stratiyevskaya?):

Mood - that’s what matters in this dyad - emotions and feelings. Anything that suppresses and overshadows good mood is considered unethical in this dyad and is strongly condemned.

The ESE does not allow the LII to limit him in the possibilities of consuming the amount of pleasures and joys, which he considers to be necessary and sufficient. Fortunately, both partners in the dyad - LII and ESE - are obstinate and unyielding. Both are demanding, unwilling (and not allowing anyone else) to lower the bar of their requirements, unable to give in and make concessions (especially in anything that is of principle for themselves). Both know how to make their partner reckon with their interests and insist on the fulfillment of their demands.

LII is impressed by the emotional generosity of ESE and his spiritual responsiveness. All this finds the deepest understanding in LII, since he is tuned to the same priorities and values. For his part, ESE admires the ability of LII to speak clearly and definitely on every issue. ESE is struck by the harmony of the reasoning of LII, the amazing clarity, accuracy and laconicism of his statements. To ESE it seems that for LII, there is nothing incomprehensible in this world; he can give a comprehensive explanation on every issue. And everything that ESE thought about before is gradually being built into a definite and clear system of views, which he can now very freely and naturally present. Confusion and chaos in his worldview gradually gives way to a stable logical order, as if someone patient and careful was sorting all his thoughts into shelves. Such clarity inspires and activates ESE; he begins to see some prospects for himself, new opportunities. His energy and activity, in addition to emotional and ethical expression, also receives sensory realization: ESE begins to take care of LII and carefully looks after him. If LII is a colleague with whom ESE is especially pleasant to communicate with, he begins to treat him with something tasty, homemade; will make some small, but beautiful and necessary gift (for example: new cologne or a warm scarf).

> okay that's great and all but when are we talking about john and aradia specifically?

yes, that was the point of this post. i just had to build all that up first so i could walk you through my thoughts in a fully substantiated way.

considering chronology of wind again, john doesnt realize it but he needs aradias frankness and insight. even if she’s unable to explicate on vague things, she states the reason why instead of making him feel stupid (it would create a doomed timeline) but thats all john needs to hear. she is self-effacing and only tells him the truth, and we know other people can take advantage of john’s suggestibility in this way. aradia tells john who is or isnt trustworthy, what actions would be useful/necessary and which ones wont, without any selfish personal motive a la vriska or terezi.

^ (juuuust the record my nitpicky ass doesn’t agree with the truth of the classpect interpretation on behalf of the author in the last bit BUT that is beside the point here. the point is that she is answering john’s question in a way that is meaningful for him)

aradia doesnt realize it but she needs john’s friendy goofiness to brighten her up because she is surrounded by people who antagonize her when she’s literally not even trying to get under anyones skin. everybody gets frustrated at her “spooky nonsense” because theyre afraid of their own mortality, basically telling her to put a lid on it because thinking about hard truths makes THEM personally uncomfortable. but to her it’s always just been a fact of life. plugging your ears to reality is ignorance, but at the same time that doesn’t mean there’s no meaning in anything. she wants to help people see this and she dedicates herself to becoming a psychopomp for the deceased and earnestly trying to make people feel emotionally and physically comfortable in their situation through exploring their memories.

john isn’t hostile towards her. by being herself she is immediately able to earn john’s trust when they initially talk. this is also true in canon; the one time they talked when john initially comes up to her, saying “can i ask you something? seem reasonable, and pretty nice.” unfortunately he asked her the one question she didn’t have much to say about, and i can’t blame him for expecting all the troll girls to be basically insane at that point. but i don’t think aradia is insane. yes she is odd, but i think it’s evident that she has a good head on her shoulders with knowledge of the way the universe around her works, and in the end wants to simply bask in watching it play out. i think she deserves to get childishly excited about it, especially considering she was dead for most of her developmental years.

aside from getting his answers answered, john shows curiosity about her and her species and even care about her well-being and state. this naturally comes from their conversation’s ebb and flow. aradia tells this straightforwardly, without bells and whistles and without trying to trick him, unlike the other trolls who seem keen on well..trolling him.. and providing him with unclear answers to those sorts things. maybe aside from vriska, but she did have a little bit of an attitude about it wherein her and john’s dynamic felt uneven or off-rhythm, with a large psychological distance. it’s a different feeling with aradia, however. they exchange information on the same rhythm and so are able to achieve a closer psychological distance in communication.

there are no judgments coming from aradia about john being “stupid”. she doesn’t underestimate him. it’s not just that john wants to understand (although he does), but he needs to understand what he is doing. aradia compliments john about the traits he possesses that allow him to be effective. i guess in a way i’m doing the same thing with john right now.

john is so mobile and strung along by being the action hero going from place to place as a can-do deliveryboy that he never has time to reflect on his losses, think through them, and accept them.

literally who else is more qualified in all of homestuck than aradia for talking to john about these things?

on top of all of this, they have objectively significant connections beyond just mutual self-realization in a way i think could've been fleshed out. there is potential here.

for a story, i can think of a way that a conversation between them could plausibly happen using the systems established in homestuck's mythology. in canon, we see that john never met aradia until year 3 on the golden battleship in the dream bubbles when he goes to sleep.

but john still dreamt out in the furthest ring. that means during those 3 years it was possible for john to have had a dream with her in it, or at least aradiabot. i know john didn't know aradia's name beforehand but let's just explore the possibility that they could have had met before that. remember that all these aradiabots were once this person.

aradia had obtained john's crosbytop, his dads hat, and his wallet quite a while before their sgrub session. theres your entry

imagine john seeing that

memories of dear old dad get stirred up through the link of seeing those items

the dream bubble transforms

john is forced to stand in his memories and explore grief and the meaning of life with aradia

physically being in the space around him would definitely help john reflect easier i think because it will force him to actually exist within the space and talk to someone, taking some time out for this. he wanted to know if anything could've been done or if he was just too late to save them. i know aradia would be able help him slow down and introspect. don't forget the opportunities created by the properties of these spaces that are glubbed out in the furthest ring by the horrorterrors that meld the labyrinthine time and space of their surroundings to the memories of the people and finding others through common points in memory. i would imagine that objects known by multiple people would provide a common point in memory to bring them together.

The bubbles allow the players of Sburb/Sgrub who have lost a life to continue dreaming. The reality constructed in the bubbles is a combination of the memories of everyone inside the bubble accessible to any who has learned the bubble's nature. According to Aradia, it would be quite difficult to exit a bubble to get into a new one, however someone inside a bubble can travel to another one through common points in memory, taking their own memories with them to be integrated into the new bubble. These memories mix and combine, but in general, no new memories are created. Additionally, the bubbles store the consciousness of a player who has lost their dream selves and their original selves, making them double as a form of afterlife; the player is then capable of accessing the memory of anyone else who has gained access to the bubbles. Living players, who have lost or become their dream selves, appear in the dream bubbles when they are asleep. It is in this fashion that the bubbles can be used as meeting places between the dead and the living; even those from alternate universes and doomed timelines can be found in a bubble. Furthermore, in addition to memories, the bubbles can to some extent reflect the thoughts of a player. Beyond that, the bubbles can also behave similarly to Skaia's clouds, showing things that are in some way relevant to the player - such as when coin-flip Dave saw alpha Dave grieving over Bro's corpse - something he was not aware of before being shown it by a bubble.

physically reflect the thoughts of the player…… rubs hands

john and aradia share points in memory related to those objects, and to top it all of they are directly related to john's dad on the same day he died, while aradia grew up with them as bizarre alien artifacts from an archeological dig. the memories are more emotionally charged for john, and i think that distinction would probably be relevant to them both.

to be honest i think after speaking with him for a bit she would readily tell john that she regrets not talking to the kids from the universe her team created sooner before she died, but is glad that she can in the afterlife. in canon, alpha aradia told a doomed dave, "i think its absurd i never introduced myself to you in all that time i spent moping around the lab. guess i wasnt in a very good mood".

now not all the aradiabots would know who john is, because the trolls only found out about the humans once they created the genesis frog and hid out in the lab in the veil from jack who infiltrated their session. the aradiabot in the lab was the last one that survived. so if any one of them would know who john is, it would be the aradiabot that exploded. aradia's dream self ascended to god tier in jack noir's rampage on trolls' derse and took those memories with her which we can assume is what made the last aradiabot explode. its known that any original copy that dies when another rises up becomes a ghost and lives on in the dream bubbles, which would include her. a doomed aradiabot we see in the comic, which was the one that originally landed to alternia in the past, becomes more lighthearted after she dies, a bit more like her alive counterpart.

oh yeah, and the more obvious surface-level connections to top it off? ghostbusters? john ain't afraid of no ghost girl. john would be genuinely interested in what aradia living as a ghost irl on her planet and not as a gaming abstraction in the furthest ring would be like. i imagine she would be able to explain the subjective experience and that she had to prototype herself into the kernelsprite order for her server player to see her. there's also no way john hasn't seen a movie as classic as indiana jones and judging from her poster i can imagine he probably thinks it's sweet that aradia's strife specibus whipkind is a reflection of her own personal tastes, interests and hobbies.

so yeah i've just been chewing on all of this and thinking about it but i know i needed to just get this out there somehow. obviously since i spent two weeks putting this post together i'd be happy to hear your thoughts

#homestuck #aradia megido #john egbert #johnradia #arajohn #homestuck analysis #socionics #mine

167 notes · View notes

gatorbites-imagines · 1 year ago

Text

Kinktober day 10

Miguel O’Hara + Aphrodisiacs

Reader is a scorpion variant cuz I love scorpion. This is shorter than yesterday, but i hope yall still enjoy.

Kinktober 2023 masterlist

You were an abnormality, having been picked up by a sudden portal and sent to a different dimension in the middle of a fight with your original spiderman. You were similar to most versions of scorpions in the fact that you gained your powers from chemicals and radiation, but where other scorpions wouldn’t survive without their suits, you were just fine.

You got uncomfortable at times, like your skin didn’t fit quite right, but a good full body scrub with a rough sponge made most of it go away. You had a theory it had to do with the fact that scorpions changes exoskeletons at times, and your accelerated healing factor might make your skin thicker than it should be, leading to you rubbing up against things and scratching when it got uncomfortable.

You still had a suit that you went around in, as you yourself didn’t possess a tail, though you did have poison and venom in your own body you could trigger through your fingers and mouth. Apparently producing your own poison was rare in scorpion variants, as none of the colourful spiders that came at you expected it when you clawed at them.

The big red and blue one with the elbow spikes definitely didn’t expect you to bite him, but he bit you first, so acting on instinct you struck the closest thing, which happened to be his wide shoulder. Your poison and his venom seemed to mix strangely, as you didn’t go limp like others, but you did become loopy and distracted, your body feeling hot and uncomfortable, somewhat similar to when your skin became too much.

Miquel was as affected as you, his body heating up as arousal brewed in his body, but he was better at hiding it under his suit than you, as your helmet left the lower half of your face exposed. The spiders were able to bring you to HQ, all assuming you weren’t all there because of Miguels venom, which was somewhat correct. You didn’t even pick up on them joking about your sharp canines, or how they seemed to be dripping enough venom to run down your chin. They all seemed a little tense when they saw the venom hit the floor and sizzle like acid though.

For one reason or another, Miquel seemed as feral as yourself though it could be hidden in the way he normally prowled and was standoffish to the people around him, but the feeling in his abdomen kept pulling his attention to you. Miguel could feel his tongue tingle with the deep need to taste you, something deeply instinctual inside him almost roaring to have you, one way or another.

Neither of you were completely sure how you got from one place to the next, maybe Miguel made some excuse to want to check out your poison to find a cure, as he wasn’t the only one who had been slashed with the stuff, though he was the only one bitten. But before you knew it, you were alone in the place some called Miguels cave or office.

Miguel gripped the edge of his desk, trying to collect himself, but his attempts were ruined as he picked up the sounds of groaning behind him. Snapping his head around he felt the heat inside him flare and his crotch ache, there you were, laying on the ground, the upper part of your suit completely gone as you rubbed against the floor like a cat in heat.

You felt so hot and uncomfortable, and the tightness of your gear wasn’t helping, your skin felt raw as you rubbed against the cold floor, but it wasn’t enough. Your head swam as you started clawing at your torso, dragging your sharpened nails across your skin, only serving to make your state worse as more of your poison mixed with Miguel’s venom.

Miguel felt the last of his will snap as you groaned, snapping your jaws upwards like you wanted to sink your teeth into something or someone. Before he could comprehend it, Miguel found himself above you, his suit flickering out of existence as you tore off the bottom of your suit. You were both too desperate, feeling almost high, to even fully get anywhere, as you two rutted against each other.

You found yourselves biting each other, only shooting more of your poison and venom into the other and making you both burn even further, your torsos covered in a slick mess of cum and sweat as you kept grinding and rutting. Kissing only seemed to make it worse, as you both got to taste the others venom from the source, both of your minds clouding even further and narrowing down to the act of getting off.

It became a blurry mess of limbs, spit, venom and other bodily fluids, but at some point even your shared evolved biology seemed to be worn out from the act, even though your bodies clearly wanted to keep going. Even as everything started going dark, your hips were still moving, grinding aching lengths together and lips sealed together in a poor desperate attempt at a kiss.

Lyla tsked as she watched the two of you pass out in a gross pile of limbs, both still twitching and tense from the mixture of venom and poison clashing in your bodies. She was never gonna let Miguel live this down, ever, but she made sure to note down your dimension number in case Miguel needed an outlet like this again.

907 notes · View notes

chaimilkshake · 26 days ago

Text

Evan Peters x Actress!reader

summary: Evan is your boyfriend, but has been hesitant lately about showing you off.

word count: 658

a/n: this is not my best work, i just had the itch to write, so bear with me. criticism and suggestions are welcome <3

warnings: none!

You and Evan had been seeing each other for a few months now, under the radar. It started as a coffee date after a chemistry read, where you were casted as a couple in an upcoming movie. You had hit it off pretty well, and one thing led to another.

It was four months in, and it was getting harder and harder to hide. Your urges to soft launch him on your story were strong, but not as strong as your loyalty to Evan. You would have to talk to him about it first.

“Hey, Ev?” You ask, lifting your head from his chest. The two of you were sitting on his couch, curled into blankets, watching one of those cheesy Hallmark movies. He hums in response, taking a second to tear his eyes from the screen. “What do you think of me maybe posting you just on my Instagram story?” You offer, sitting up a bit more to sit face to face.

Evan paused, clearly not expecting that question. He lets out a prolonged “Uhh” for a second, grabbing the remote to pause the TV. “I mean, I don’t know,” he says eventually, scratching the back of his head in thought.

“Not anything super serious. Just…a soft launch.” You say, watching his expression as it sticks. “I just feel like it’s been long enough. Y’know?”

He hums at that, clearing his throat. “I thought we were gonna wait until after the show aired.” Evan looks at you fully then, making eye contact with you. It sticks for a moment, an unvoiced conversation happening between the two of you.

You deflate, seeing the hesitance in his eyes. “Listen..” He comforts softly, pulling you close again. “I know. It’s easy to jump right into showing each other off when we like each other so much, but I’ve been burned before. I’m not saying I don’t believe in us, I just think we should wait. Okay?” He explains, hand slowly running up and down your arm.

Part of you wants to lash out. Yell about how he’s not proud of you, and he doesn’t deserve you. But that small part of you understands. You weren’t just normal people. Relationships were a big deal in this industry, and had to be passed around carefully. Luckily, that part took hold as you relaxed into his side. “Okay,” you whisper, nodding and returning to your position on his chest. He reaches for the remote and the movie resumes, gaining your full attention once more.

—————————————————————————

Today marked the six month anniversary of you and Evan’s relationship. Half a year may not seem like a big deal to most adult relationships, but to you two, it was something to celebrate. Your TV show had just come out, it was getting great ratings, the two of you were scheduling interview after interview. This was your excuse to be alone.

Evan had made a reservation at a fairly fancy restaurant, telling you to dress your best. You spent at least two hours getting dolled up, and maybe matching your outfit to the color of his suit.

When you two arrived, you were seated immediately. It was a beautiful, dimly lit restaurant with off-white linen tablecloths. The prices were nowhere to be found on the menu, which is how you really knew it was bad.

Before you could think about it any further, you heard the click of Evan’s phone camera. You look up, seeing your boyfriend smiling at his phone, solidifying your theory.

“Did you just take a picture of me?” You ask, watching him tuck his phone away.

“Maybe. Is that a problem?” He teased, picking his glass up to sip his wine.

“I suppose not,” You chuckle. “Who are you sending that to?”

“You’ll see.”

evanpeters happy 6 months <3

liked by yourname and 800.4K others

view all 6,729 comments

yourname what a dork 🩷

hanna_04 HELLO???

arizonatlvr literally called it bruh

#evan peters #evan peters fandom #evan peters x reader #evan peters x y/n #evan peters x female reader #fanfic #fluff

69 notes · View notes

skrrts · 3 months ago

Text

cut(e) like a diamond (oneshot) mature!

✧ fem!reader x kim hongjoong & park seonghwa ✧ genre: non idol, mature, suggestive, complicated relationships, drama ✧ word count: 14k ✧ warnings: paid companionship escorts, adult language, drinking, gentle chin grabbing, deep kissing, playful touches, flirting, nicknames (hun/honey, pretty one), matz flirting & kissing for the job, selfish!hwa, naive mc, she/her for mc, playing with emotions, sex mention, no smut, minors dni

Treasure is a high-class escort agency renowned for its wealthy clientele, glamorous location, and professional work environment. Their elite escorts enjoy financial security and are protected from clients who forget they are paying for companionship, not other pleasures. You quickly make it through the rigorous casting process. No one expected your feisty nature to struggle so much with staying sweet while instructing a client on proper behavior. Fortunately, the two top escorts at Treasure have taken a keen interest in ensuring you don’t lose your job just yet. While Seonghwa only cares about success and fun, Hongjoong seems to care about you.

a/n: i have written a lot of fluff lately & was in the mood to go for something more flirty. i admit this piece turned out to be much longer and plot-ish than intended. please make sure to read all the warnings, it's very different from my usual work and the pace is not perfect 🐿️

The clicking sound of your heels almost drove you insane as you threw your pouch on the free spot next to you, falling onto the luxurious white couch in one of the corners of the ‘get to know’ rooms, intended to give the client and escort a chance to explore their chemistry before final bookings were made. The escort received a fee, certainly smaller than what an actual booking would offer but it was still at least about what any part-time job would make within two weeks. The goal of everyone here was to have a fixed clientele, names who came to return only for you, and with that eventually, willingness to pay more combined with gifts that were all yours whereas a part of the payment went to the agency.

Treasure was the dream of dreams to many, the agency suited in one of the most luxurious hotel buildings in the city, taking several floors and the furniture and interior designed by big names. It was a place for lonely millionaires and future heirs alike, seeking company without the fear of waking rumors of an affair or blackmailing. Thanks to the incredibly difficult way in, the chances for a bad apple to risk the establishment's good name were beyond low.

In theory, there was no reason for them to worry about you. The background check had been perfect, really. A photography major student, incredibly good-looking and with good manners, from a family while not rich, being respectable and most of all, former teen star of the national gymnastics team.

They joked how you made it through the four-week-long casting almost too flawlessly but the issues were showing now. Two weeks in and this was your fifth possible client, a handsome man with a good name looking for somebody who would accompany him to expensive dinners and boring art exhibitions but just like the ones before, his way of talking was such a turn-off, the way his eyes kept slipping.

Of course, you had been aware of the truth. While you literally signed a contract agreeing there never would be any sexual endeavors with any client, it was part of the job to feed just a little into their imagination but somehow, this turned out to be harder than expected. If you did not find at least one client by the end of the month, that would be it. The top escorts had around fifteen clients and you wondered how they managed to meet with each of them giving them this unique feeling.

Maybe it had been stupid, for you to think that being a former gymnastics athlete knew how to portray something for an act of a few hours.

“Bad apple again?” Yeosang’s voice led you to look up but you relaxed back into the comfortable seating right away. “Something like that…”

Yeosang only started to work here a few months before you but he already was considered quite popular. Most escorts preferred to stay for themselves, not necessarily because they thought of each other as rivals but much more because most led a rather normal life outside of this, the least your colleagues knew, the better. Yeosang had been quite open, he welcomed you and helped you a little to settle down, offered advice and an open ear.

“He suddenly leaned in and touched my cheek, I guess I just did not expect that meet and greets would mean they get touchy right away. It was unexpected and I slapped him,” you winced, remembering his face, the moment he stood up, yelled and left. The manager’s expressions when you managed to chase away yet another client.

“You are feisty, I am sure they had an idea when they offered you the contract,” Yeosang replied and crossed his legs, a glass in his hands as he listened to you. It was true, they noted how they enjoyed you were confident, saying Treasure was looking to expand on personalities a little. In fact, it was an agency mostly known for its male talents, only a few other women made themselves a name.

“I only have one more week to get any customer. I was not scheduled in for the last week,” you sighed and looked over to him. It was a simple system: the top tier clients were given choices first, if none of the new possible clients interested them while having open spots, the others got their chance and those nobodies or clients with tricky occupations were often the only ones available to the newbies.

“Don’t overthink it. I would say you are too tense, get home and relax a little. Your next one is scheduled in two days, yeah? I’d say, go shopping, think of your next one like a date. That really helped my nerves when I met my first client.”

You gave him a long gaze, maybe he was right and you needed to get a feel for balance, and be yourself while still acting professional without for them to know it. “I will try that. Thank you Yeosang.” He offered you a smile and raised his drink in a toast to you.

You did not bother to change into your casual clothes, instead only replaced the heels with your sneakers as you pushed the buttons for the elevator of the staff. Treasure was on the upper floors in a cityscape, meaning it was quite way down so you closed your eyes, relaxing against the metal wall. The elevator stopped already just one floor after yours but you did not bother to look who joined, just exhaling deeply and muttering to yourself. Now, you were looking forward to a hot bath and snacks. At least, even if you would fuck it up and lose it, you made enough with those fees to pay your rent for two months and cover groceries while thinking about what else to do. No! You needed to stop giving up so lightly.

“That’s a stunning dress, the shape really compliments you but I’d try a different color. Maybe dye your hair red, it would go well with your fiery personality, or what I heard about it. I believe, try cerulean should you give it a thought, but gold also could do it.”

You looked up as you realized the stranger was approaching you. The other figure was taller, not only because his shoes had light heels but because his entire appearance was stunning, long hair styled back, a pair of elegant sunglasses sitting on top of his head. He wore satin loose pants and a black blouse offering quite a bit of view, a scarf around his neck, and a well-known brand for a bag.

Park Seongwa was infamous, if you worked in this industry there just was no way around it and you could not deny that he wasn’t the reason why you were here. It wasn’t like you were one of those love-drunk women who fell in love with strangers on Instagram, but his style was one of a kind and when you followed him, learning he worked as an escort, it was how you learned about Treasure.

“While I am sure I’d look great in red, I am afraid they really think I am on fire then and not sure if this will be of much help,” you teased and somehow were quite pleased to see your reaction made him grin, likely enjoying it. A pity your clients did not seem to be as fond of somebody with a bite.

“Give it a go, when I started, I went pink. It did not only make them remember me much easier but it helped slipping into the role,” Seonghwa hummed. “I am counting on meeting you on the monthly party then,” he winked before placing the sunglasses down and walked out of the elevator when you made it to the parking area.

The monthly party was held at the end of the month and was meant for escorts to meet, exchange stories, and just hang out. While it was not mandatory, many simply came for the gifts often handed out by sponsors of Treasure or satisfied clients. To go there, you needed to have at least three fixed clients, something that was rather impossible now.

To get where he was… you sighed deeply and walked out, making your way to your sad looking little car.

Your body felt stiff by the time you were finally allowed to move again. Your hairdresser really was a savior, he didn’t only volunteer to cancel another appointment for you but he really did a great work at making you look like a natural ginger. It had been simple when you said it was for work and you’d be fine with him taking photos for his social media platform while paying him extra, he was in.

“I am not sure who convinced you to go for this but bless them, it really suits you perfectly.” He brushed through the curly waves a final time before you finally were ready to go. That much to having enough for the rent for the next two months, the price was steep but you told yourself you’d simply have to make it worth it. “Thanks again, see you soon,” you waved and stepped outside.

It was a lovely day, and as you had no lecture or work today, why not make the most out of it? You stepped relaxed through the city, windows hopping or so was the intention. There it was, a green dress with a perfect cut, one that complimented rather than exposed your figure, the teal color would go perfectly with your new hair and you could see the image Seonghwea tried to paint into your mind quite clearly now.

There was a deep sigh when you pulled on the persona you intended to portray as an escort: somebody confident and classy who could afford this. The saleslady was all over you, complimenting your figure and hair, the way you carried yourself, and was quite eager to show you the dress with a matching pair of heels. When you looked into the mirror, you’d not say this was another version of yourself, more like an upgraded representative of you on the days you felt glorious.

“The shoes are awful and the accessories do not match well;” a voice announced and for a moment, the lady seemed a little insulted by it but quickly fell silent when she looked at the man. He was shorter than others but when it came to fashion, he was far above them. Boldness spoke of the expensive brand pieces that carefully had been updated to complement Kim Hongjoong’s infamous fashion style. A pair of glasses slipped down on his nose when his eyes lingered on your appearance and you felt a slight flush on your cheeks.

What was it with those male escorts suddenly showing up left and right after you failed to get a glimpse of them ever since the first casting round?

“Let’s see, the red hair is meant to be the focus of the outfit. A beautiful face, why would you pair it with those golden shoes? It distracts in a bad way. Here, try those black ones instead, just the heel is a very nice brown to go with it and you do not need a necklace, instead a bracelet will do much better. Something bold, emerald colors.”

Hongjoong wasn’t only speaking from the perspective of a fashion expert, but you understood what he was doing. As an escort, you wanted the client to focus on your face when you were at a dinner date and emphasize holding hands by putting a small highlight on the wrist.

He suddenly stood next to you, offering you his selection. “Try it,” he hummed and suddenly sat down at the armchairs meant for the shopping company. You swallowed (again) and replaced the shoes with the one he handed, the necklace was given to the saleswoman who mumbled something and within a few minutes, the outfit was completed. The only part that was not quite perfect was the missing makeup but you did not feel bothered with this other than lipstick when you left to get your hair dyed.

“Twirl in a circle, let me see it,” Hongjoong’s voice was playful but commanding and for some reason, you gave in, doing just that. Fingers tapped together as he was thinking before shrugging out of his expensive leather jacket which had been altered with shining stones and a logo.

“Put this on, pull up the sleeves so we can see your pretty wrists.” Again, as much as your heart was beating, you went along with it and the pleased grin said all that needed to be.

“Hwa will complain, he likes people more elegant but I think, since you are feisty and bold, you should riot just a little, even in fashion.”

Hwa? Was he talking about Park Seonghwa? You never knew there was a connection between the two high-class male escorts, as you thought before, everyone remained for themselves but then maybe, this was what they told you. The best of the best did not bother to spend any time with the lower ranks and with that, all you knew was heard-said.

As you were about to take off the jacket, he waved, pulling out a credit card: “Keep it. I feel you likely already spent a fortune on that hair, you should give me your hairstyist contacts in return, I quite admire their work. I will pay for her.”

The woman and you looked a little shocked but she hurried over, bowing and accepting it. Hongjoong was already on the door by the time you made it off the podium and wanted to say anything but he did not seem to care too much about it.

“See you at the monthly meeting, pretty one."

Seriously?

“An acquaintance of yours?” the woman asked as she carefully packed the shoes back into the box. You were still staring at the door before turning around: “Something like that.”

You couldn’t stop staring at the price at the end of the listings, the outfit was likely more expensive than your car. It never was the intention to get any of it. You would have been polite and acted as if you were not pleased with the quality, just left it with a dream of a dress you’d not be able to wear more than once with the same client. If you finally would have gotten one.

The makeup was on point as you looked in the mirror. It was today or never, really. The outfit was perfect and gladly, your pouch was just fine with it. The client today seemed a little more promising but you knew when was your last chance. Song Mingi was a famous influencer, handsome and likely well situated but those were not too popular with the escorts of Treasure, they were known to quickly cause rumors and you easily were shown as a random flirt. Still, there was no reason to reject him so he landed on the list of yours to go for.

The influencer booked the first meeting in the lounge, something that would mean being closer while also suited comfortably. A higher fee too because it meant this one was more interested in actually booking you. He was looking for somebody ‘classy and fresh’ who could accompany him to important sponsor events without making a fuss. He was quite handsome and tall, you had to admit that, admiring his appearance before approaching him.

He was obviously surprised to see the changes of your appearance from the profile but his little grin indicated he was pleased about it. You smiled, offering your hand playfully: “Mister Song, a pleasure to meet you.” There was a playful smile on his lisp: “I appreciate you were available on such short notice.”

You tilted your head, pointing towards one of the many comfortable corners of couches and chairs within the lounge: “Of course, shall we sit? It will be much more comfortable to discuss everything there.”

He followed you over, this was it, succeed or apply for a dull retail job. The voice of your trainer returned, for the camera and the jury, you needed to pose, made them think it was your personality. You placed the pouch on the chair, tilting your body slightly aside to allow your legs to cross and the wrists to show.

A waiter appeared and you gave the order for the two of you as it was handled at Treasure and you made sure he felt as if he had your full attention.

“Working with influencers is quite rare,” the client never knew you were fresh meat and he was the one rejected by the bigger people. “I was quite curious to see your name. I peeked through your profile. It’s impressive for a creator of DIY fashion to make it to a very requested model and own business owner. Now, how may I aid your goal?”

Urgh, you were too quick, you should let him talk about himself before you summarized it but he was either just as inexperienced as you or preferred it that way.

“I put quite a bit of work in which is why this is important and I’d rather not risk it with impulsive behaviors. Yet, I need somebody that would look good on my side, authentic. I am about to get offered what you may call the deal of my life, and I need somebody that looks and acts the part without trying to ruin me a month later.”

He emptied half of his glass as his gaze was going over you again, your left feed waved slightly left and right when you took a much smaller and playful sip from your drink. “I perfectly understand and I gladly will prepare to take the role naturally. I quite feel our chemistry is very interesting, we will catch the right eyes.”

Confidence was important, you needed to balance it so it seemed natural, not nasty.

“There would be two events, both of where you would be expected to play as my girlfriend but neither of them is in the public eye. I am very aware of Treasure’s guidelines and limitations, and of course, will follow along with them but I must be certain, you are comfortable with the basic exchanges of affirmations?”

Kissing, holding hands, being pulled on a lap and hands on the cheek, those all were, for an extra charge, part of the companion package offered for those seeking a partner, either for private or public, tho again, the more people ask of you, the higher the charge. This could be a big deal and your way into ranking up faster.

You could not overlook them, as Mingi was sharing a few more details, the two figures were impossible to ignore, one taller than the other but both outstandingly handsome.

Park Seonghwa and Kim Hongjoong certainly knew how to catch the attention of everyone in the room, even the bartender cleared his throat before approaching them for their order when they settled down in the couch niche not too far from you and Mingi.

No, focus! It did not matter why they were here when neither of them ever bothered to interact with staff anymore outside of their managers. It was just how good they were at their jobs.

“I can promise you, there won’t be a reason to worry. If you decide to go with us, we will exchange contact data and we prepare everything, from the outfits to the details in the story. If you wish, we also can go on a date prior to the event, to ensure the chemistry display matches exactly your expectations.”

The man grinned: “Ah, you guys really are the best of the business, that sounds wonderful.” Mingi rose, so did you but when he reached out and kissed your hand, you froze again. Thankfully, he did not comment onto it, only nodded and left since all else first would have to be discussed with your leading manager.

For a moment you stood there, trying to figure out if you finally did it when voices disturbed the silence.

“Honey, why don’t you come and join us?”

“I didn’t remember I offered you pet names, Mister Park,” you teased and turned around to look at the two beautiful men. It was good that the way how the client meeting went was giving you a bit of a boost in courage, as you doubted you’d have been able to do anything but stare otherwise.

“See, I told you, she’s quite feisty,” Seonghwa hummed, leading the glass with a colorful cocktail to his lips. Hongjoong crossed his legs, likely pleased to see you were wearing the outfit he had put together for you. “Quite so, I can see the appeal and why they haven’t kicked her out yet.”

You reached for your glass and tried to look all casually as you moved it in your hand like you wanted to see the quality of the wine.

“A raw diamond, those are the best. They have the beauty of jewelry but weren’t bent by anyone, people forget to just look and not reach out,” Seonghwa continued as he leaned forward to put his glass on the desk.

What the fuck were they up to? You decided to remain confident in your spot.

“I appreciate all the advices given and … gifts but…”

“We want you to join us,” Hongjoong decided just to spit it out, Seonghwa chuckled by his side. “Joongie, if you say it like that, she’ll misunderstand.” The taller moved over, closing the distance to Hongjoong who was sipping on his drink.

“Well, I am afraid you are not wrong and I am not sure what you mean, Mister Park,” you answered and he rolled his eyes. “Please, let’s drop titles. We are all working for the same agency, we should go with names, Seonghwa and Hongjoong but feel free to be bold and go for nicknames.”

His arm curled around Hongjoong’s shoulder and you could feel the heat in your cheeks, almost as if you were caught watching something you weren’t supposed to see.

“Let me clarify it then,” Hongjoong nodded, painted nails tapping against the glass. “You see, Hwa and I have some clients we share and not in the fashion of, we see them on different days. No, they are the highest of the upper class and they pay quite a bit to have the company of the both of us at once. Expensive vacations, dinners in restaurants off to the public, last year, we received a penthouse as a Christmas gift. It might sound excessive to you but what your lower clients have too much in cash, they have in objects.”

Oh, he did not need to explain that. In some way, escorts were like sugar babes but with the freedom to simply stand up and leave by the time the booking was over, remember that based on the agency, able to reject anything, keeping the lines less blurred easily. Treasure was so famous and popular not just for the clients but also because it guaranteed the escorts this safety, if somebody broke the rules, the client was out and done. But of course, you knew reality was different, and at the end of the day, as long as it would not result in legal matters or scandals, it was up to the escort what they did in private settings.

“It still does not explain what it has to do with me,” you replied and placed the empty glass down on the table.

“Hwa prefers the pretty wealthy ladies, whereas I do not care too much about the gender of the client. Based on such preferences, one offers skinship, the other is eye candy. Of course, we are professionals and they know it from the start. Recently tho, more and more asked if we could not add something new to it. As a customer focused business, it is our highest goal to please our clients but Hwa and I have quite a few requirements.”

Hwa placed a slender finger against Hongjoong’s mouth, grinning at him. It was quite obvious that they were showcasing their undeniable chemistry and you could imagine how certain people would melt just for that, rich women in their 40s longing for the admiration of young men who would not betray them for her money.

“It requires somebody who isn’t just pretty but also has wit and something unique. When we heard there was a feisty new escort who scared away clients, it caught our interest and what we saw today, no doubt you are just the perfect fit.”

Seonghwa allowed for his head to rest against the shorter’s shoulder, pairs of watchful eyes now on you.

“You want for me to become part of your high-class escort trio to please and possibly win more clients,” you summarized it.

Hongjoong nodded: “Well, I stand up for claiming uncut diamonds are the best but it does not mean, there is no work to do, not only because the one thing we cannot do for you is ranking up. However, if the deal with that influencer goes well, and a little bit of efforts from our side with the management, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Seonghwa sighed, sitting up and clapping his hands together: “But, you have two of the very best escorts in this city to your full exposure. The bases are all there, we just need to work on the details.”

Then, Seonghwa stood up and walked closer to you, you swallowed when his cool fingers gently grabbed your chin and made you look up. At least, this time you did not have the urge to punch another for doing this uninvited.

“Think about it, hun. Let’s say, we pick you up in three days. If you decide to join, we consider it an agreement and in return, share all of our little secrets and tricks with you. If you do not, we accept your decision.”

Seonghwa smiled sweetly before waving to Hoingjoong: “Let’s go, I got a nail appointment in fifteen.” Hongjoong laughed: “Ah right, now I am your driver again.” He brushed through his dark curls: “See you soon, Pretty one.”

All you could do was to turn around slowly, watching how they left you there, more confused than before.

When Seonghwa said he would send a driver to pick you up, you did not expect he meant to send you a booked car that would bring you to one of the city’s most exclusive buildings with lofts you doubted you would ever be able to afford in a lifetime. As you entered the spacious lift, you checked your makeup again, natural but complimenting your appearance. Your outfit wasn’t overdone, heels, jeans, an oversized button-up semi-tugged into the pants, half open with a tanktop covering too much view, sunglasses on top, and a stylish backpack.

You had no real idea what to expect but after thinking it through, you could not think of a reason why those two men would possibly try and trick you. Why not give it a try? It was not like you intended to work for Treasure forever, finish your major, then just enough to settle comfortably. This was the thing with starting your life with a sports career, once it was over, you needed to figure out where to go and people frowned when you told them how you were still a student at age twenty-five if not going for a medical or law degree.

When the door opened and Seonghwa smiled at you, you exhaled because it seemed you did not go all wrong with the wardrobe. He wore a knitted top that allowed gazes and you noticed how he only ever showed enough to take note of it after looking for a moment but never too much, it never looked thirsty but elegant. It was stunning to see a tall man wear shorts reaching above the knees and a pair of cowboy boots although likely because he only came back, as a hat was placed aside.

“You look great,” the nickname was close to slipping over his lips again when he corrected himself: “Y/N. Now, do you really mind it if I call you hun? We also could think of another name. I assume it is that each of us eventually finds a nickname we prefer to use for clients. Honey, hun, Joongie likes to go with all forms of pretty. Give it some time, you have one as well.”

His loft was stunning, as you took off your heels just because he did so too, you admired how it was both, classy yet comfortable, the small surprise was the array of shelves looking at Lego sets.

“It’s my little escape from our kind of lifestyle,” he waved. “I read, you used to be professional in gymnastics. Still, something you do?” You took notice of how the man pulled out three glasses, indicating it seemed the other would join in as well but it remained empty while he poured clear water in, adding colorful ice cubes.

“Not anymore, it was something of a passion growing up so I wanted to see where it would go but now, I feel more comfortable with my photography.”

Seonghwa chuckled: “Both are very beneficial for this kind of work. Your body control is stunning and a hobby that is easy to talk to. Thanks to Instagram, everyone feels like a photographer so you can easily entertain your clients with it. All you need is a good phone and some feel for frames.”

The man led you over to a comfortable arrangement of couches, his legs crossed as he sipped on his water, now observing your appearance, and the way how you followed him over. As you intended to sit down on the other side, he shook his head and waved you over.

You managed to swallow down the hesitation and walked over, sitting down by his side but your heart was beating when his arm curled around him. Park Seonghwa was a man of beauty unmatched and you wondered what would bring him into the world of a companionship escort, he easily could have become a model, a muse, anything really.

“I like this fashion on you, if anything I believe you need to try less and wear what you think suits you but go with what you enjoy, add a few experimental pieces but don’t worry, Hongjoong is great at that, he will guide you to perfection.”

He leaned forward to place his glass down before his now free hand reached out and held your chin gently again: “Relax, I will not ask you to do anything you are not comfortable with. Never forget, we escort are the ones in charge, like a performance. We choose what we let others see of us. Eventually, you will find clients who enjoy your temper but let’s say, you need to learn how to place it a little more proper, make it add to your charm but I feel there is something else.”

Sudden touch was still not something you had gotten used to, although you knew sitting like this was part of the job, for those who longed to have somebody play their significant other for a few hours.

“Today, Hongjoong and I will show you a few tricks, of getting the best results without too much effort. If you are uncomfortable at any point, you will tell me, won’t you hun?” His thumb gently brushed over your chin again. All you could do was nod and it seemed to be the confirmation Seonghwa waited for to lean in and kiss you.

In your mind, you reminded yourself that this was all part of the job training. Sure, Hwa would also benefit from it if you were able to join their little team but you were doing this for that point alone. It was good to be kissed without a warning, clients would not ask either but none of those would be Seonghwa, the way how his presence made you feel was hard to explain.

The kiss was tender at first, he was leaning in and his arm around your shoulder tightened to bring you in closer. You gasped when he was inviting you to push your tongue in but the moment was interrupted when the door was opened again and Hongjoong walked in, a pair of sunglasses dropped down on his notes.

“Should I go again? I did not know I’d interrupt a date,” he teased, voice a playful purr but it was enough to disturb the scene and Seonghwa withdrew. A small feeling of disappointment in your stomach was quickly ignored as you tried to put yourself back together.

“Of course, not, we just were warming up a little, weren’t we hun?” Seonghwa winked over to you, all you could do was nod and distract you with your water. Hongjoong did not show whether he believed you or not, only humming as he walked over and placed down the bags.

“Well, I brought gifts so I like to think, I can make it worth your time,” he seemed to have brought more clothes and you were a little excited but reminded yourself again, that this was meant to be a work environment and you’d just make a fool out of yourself if you suddenly acted like you all had been friends. It was hard to say just what this even was.

Unlike Seonghwa, the other male escort pulled out a bottle of what seemed to be fine wine and poured it into the prepared glass.

"Hwa is quite the expert, you see. I worked at Treasure first but he really was the one who walked in and showed me how to be most effective, including my own talents in my job," he turned around, the glass on his lips and when he placed it aside, you saw the lipstick on it.

“As already mentioned a few times, the goal is to give them as little as possible to get the most out of it. We show you a few tricks today. Of course, our clients, the ones we want to introduce you to, there will be a little more involved.” Seonghwa relaxed against the couch as he watched you with curiosity.

“Such includes, for the three of us to also exchange certain affections. I believe, us being such a great match in aesthetic will make it quite enjoyable us as well,” Seonghwa chuckled before he got up and walked over to Hongjoong. “Where shall we start, Joongie, what do you think? Y/N looks quite stunning, doesn’t she? I do not think we need any further lessons in appearance.”

The shorter man looked up and down, fingers tapping against his cheek as he grinned: “Agreed. How about we combine simple and extended lessons and then, waste no time? Concluding it with the most fun parts. I know you prepared well, Hwa, didn’t you?”

You had no idea what they were talking about but you found yourself relaxing, an odd anticipation taking over as they spoke. It was enjoyable to watch them, their bodies moving in a rhythm that really was outstanding chemistry, the way how their playful little gazes never failed and touched, so subtle, yet they made you wonder what it would be like, to see them kiss. Oh, you were not prepared just how fast all of that would become reality.

“Of course, you know me. Now, I believe this is a good idea so let’s move to something more suited for practice, shall we handsome? Hun, leave your phone here, you will not need it,” Seonghwa waved, indicating to follow him. You quickly glanced at your phone before turning it on busy before you quietly stalked behind the two escorts.

Seonghwa truly had the most stunning home, when he opened the doors, you were greeted not only by a large pool that did not seem to have an edge but a spacious outdoor area with couches, chairs, a bar that would make many lounges jealous and a large selection of perfectly placed plants. You recognized some of them from the man’s social media accounts.

“As you rank up, wealthy clients love to take you to their vacation homes or spare apartments, often to places such as this, which offer them to relax and feed their imaginations. It will make a perfect practice ground,” Seonghwa explained and brushed his long hair back.

“Hongjoong will be our lucky client today, watch us. We will show you how we often handle our clients, but you are encouraged to enjoy the show as well;” the man grinned and you bit your lip but winked: “I shall observe well.”

The escort was pleased with the answer as Hongjoong shrugged out of his jacket: “It will help because after that we will play a little bit of customer time.” Neither of the two needed to add how likely it would be the three of you at the end of all. No, they did not only intend to show you how they succeeded but also to test your chemistry as a trio, and see how you would fit in before a final decision was made.

The oldest walked over to the bar, opening the fridge to pull out a bottle of champagne, ice cubes and two glasses, pouring them elegantly in while Hongjoong settled down. This was the first time you really had the chance to admire the other man. He was shorter than the majority of male escorts and maybe even your friends but his confidence, his fashion style, it easily made up for it. His features didn’t lack anything at all, you loved how sharp they seemed, yet they held a certain softness, just like those lips.

No okay, what was up with you? First you were kissing Seonghwa a little too long and now you wondered what it would feel like to do the same with Joong. You swallowed, trying to focus and learn from your colleagues.

“Mister Kim, it has been far too long, almost two weeks,” Seonghwa’s voice was playful, teasing the other as he walked around, offering him a glass before taking the spot by his side, legs crossed. His body language was stunning, there were all these little details. The way he moved to present the part of his face he preferred, one hand holding the glass to take only the smallest sips, leading them to plumb lips,, and sometimes his teeth were biting down on them while the other arm was allowed to rest against the bar counter, chin on the hand as he tilted his head slightly, his gaze playing with Hongjoong’s without needing any big works or showcase of skin. Not that there was not plenty to look at.

Seonghwa’s long hair fell naturally around his beautiful face, the top allowed for the collarbone to shine, especially thanks to the way he was sitting there.

“I was quite busy, looking to expand my team,” the younger said, taking a larger sip before placing it down. “Oh? Did you find somebody fitting then?” the other asked casually, his leg moving all so slightly.

“Quite so, stunning young woman. I am working on a dress, I think it would look quite amazing on her. If anything, I find myself imaging how her long ginger hair falls over her shoulders as she puts on a pearl necklace that would go so well with it.”

Your cheeks heat up when you notice he is talking about you, somehow you end up leaning forward without thinking about it, anticipation growing.

Seonghwa’s face changed, playing as he was a little disappointed to hear Hongjoong daydreaming about another.

Of course, this differed from client to client, some really only longed for company, to talk about their day but you could imagine, the people who asked these two to add a third unlikely counted to such. They wanted more, the feeling for their lives to be like a book, surrounded by who they deemed pretty, indulging in imaginations.

“Oh? Should I be jealous? Here I was, thinking I am your muse,” he placed his glass aside, leaning forward. “Do I have to worry I will no longer receive an invitation?”

Hongjoong grinned as he grabbed Hwa’s chin the same way the older liked to do with yours, forcing to tilt the man’s head just a little: “I will not deny, I might find myself thinking about her all so often now but who could ever replace you, pretty star? There is only one of those, after all.”

Seonghwa chuckled, long fingers now reaching out to grab the other’s shirt, pulling him even closer: “Good, otherwise, I fear I’d have tried to win you back.” The last words were barely audible at your spot as their lips sealed in a deep kiss.

Hongjoong was leaning back, giving Seonghwa more room to lean in and the older escort gladly did so. You could see how his teeth bit and tugged on the other’s lips, hands resting comfortably on a slim waist and there was a loud gasp.

It was only now how you realized it was yours and it caught the attention of the two men. While Hongjoong was just smiling amused, Seonghwa seemed more pleased, he let go of the escort and slipped off the chair, moving over to you like a hunting cat.

“Oh, honey. We aren’t even done yet and you already do not like to split our attention?” he teased. It seemed an odd thing to say, he was more talking to you like a client rather than a co-worker trying to simply teach you a few tricks.

“Sorry, I guess, I just did not expect you two would kiss like that,” you admitted and the tall man seated himself next to you. “If the client desires this little daydream, we will entertain it. As Hongjoong said, as for myself, I have a preference for the beauty of women but look at him, a gorgeous man, how could I not enjoy kissing him?”

While he was complimenting the other escort, his gaze was all on you, his body leaning in like he was telling you that he’d rather kiss you again and for a moment, at the edge of your gaze, you felt as Hongjoong’s expressions slipped.

It was hard to really tell because there he went again, kissing you and this time, Seonghwa did not hesitate at all. Instead, he pulled you closer, up onto his lap when his tongue was eager to meet yours but his arms remained around your waist without dropping too far up or bellow.

This was the first time somebody kissed you like that without being drunk. Your ex always tried to get into it but you hated the taste of too much beer but Hwa tasted sweet, like a blurry summer vacation you always longed to get back to. Every soul longed for Summer but when it came, it never lived up to the expectation, the memory.

Why were you thinking about that now? You should enjoy the kiss, who would not fucking do anything to kiss a man like Park Seonghwa? At least, he did not seem to notice that there was a small, doubting voice in the back of your mind. He likely just took your lack of enthusiasm as a sign of being nervous.

“I have to go,” Hongjoong suddenly said and you could see how Seonghwa frowned, not too pleased about the interruption once more.

“We are not done yet, Joongie. Where do you possibly have to go now?”

There was a sign of hesitation, like he did not really want to tell but the older’s gaze was too demanding to simply ignore it. “I sent my article to another fashion magazine and they just replied that they’d like to see a few more …”

It was strange to suddenly see the confident man so shy, but the escort by your side just seemed to get more displeased as the conversation went on.

“Hongjoong, you do not still have this silly dream to become a creative director for a fashion magazine, right? We talked about it. You are far too old to get into this now, and why would you? There are at least ten more years of being an escort in for you, all the money you could need to set up a fruitful future and meet the right people. Why would you start working from the bottom?”

If you hadn’t been too busy trying to take all those pieces of information in, you’d have noticed how the other winced a little. Seonghwa’s sharp voice was not even trying to hide how little he believed in the dream of his fellow escort, even seemed to look down on it.

There was this itch in your chest, a familiarity you knew too well. It was the day when your family and your trainer gathered and you announced you’d not further invest in a career related to a sport you only explored so far because it felt like an exception. Photography, everyone could do that these days, they said.

Seonghwa used similar words earlier, but maybe he meant it.

“Well, I will drive you,” you suddenly announced and slipped off from Seonghwa’s lap but the taller suddenly grabbed your wrist. “And why would you go?”

For a moment, it was impossible to read his gaze and Hongjoong was about to promise he was fine when you casually shrugged it off. You were the escort known to scare off customers, it would not be too suspicious.

“Hongjoong drunk two glasses of alcohol since he came here and it seems, I am the only one who is still sober. Is it okay if I leave my car here for the night, Hwa?” you asked sweetly, leaning in and placing a kiss on his cheek.

It seemed to calm him down and he chuckled: “Ah, so caring. Joongie is quite lucky, isn’t he? I have a keen interest in keeping my two favorite people both happy and safe. Let’s pick this lesson up another time then.”

You exhaled and winked: “I am looking forward to it.” You blew him a playful kiss before moving towards the door: “Shall we?”

Hongjoong still seemed surprised about the way you acted all of a sudden, he moved over, placing a soft kiss on the escort’s cheek: “Thank you for hosting us, Hwa.” Without further note, he also walked out and followed you.

While Hongjoong picked up one of the three bags he brought and his own phone, you got your backpack and pointed for him to lead the way.

“Are you sure? I just could call an uber,” he offered. Did you just imagine it or was he a little shy? You shook your head: “Nonsense, you will need your car and I am used to just getting home somehow. Don’t worry, about it.” You offered your hand to him and he placed a key in. As you made it to the garage, you quickly found it. While the car was definitely a higher-class model compared to yours, it was surprisingly reserved for a man of his style.

You slipped into the driver’s seat and adjusted it while Hongjoong placed his stuff on the back seats before joining you, clipping the safely belt in. “Good to go, Miss Y/N;” he joked but his smile finally relaxed again.

You stared for too long, you knew that because Hongjoong mistook your surprise for disappointment: ”It’s not much…but it does it for me. I saved up most of the money I make, well the part I’d not need for appearance anyway.” There was hesitation in every word and you felt guilty.

His place was nothing like Seonghwa’s. It was about double the size of your own little apartment, instead of a living room, there was an office one would expect to see in a fashion show, like in this 2010 movie of the evil fashion magazine director. Finally, the other escort’s description earlier made sense and you stepped closer. It was so obvious how much passion and love for the detail Hongjoong put into every bit of research made for the most recent fashion shows, upcoming collections, or even just snippets he cut out of another magazine.

“That’s impressive,” you admitted, reminding yourself once again what you concluded just days ago: most escorts preferred to leave their private life outside of the agency’s doors. It made sense, that way you could protect your own little space like this and now you felt even worse because Seonghwa was mocking his own friend so much about this.

Were they even friends, or did you simply underestimate just how on-point their professional chemistry really was?

“Thank you, I… always liked fashion. I started to put together my own outfits and alter them when I was a teen but the truth is, I always knew I did not want to design it but talk about it, share my passion and my thoughts.”

That was something you could understand, you also felt more comfortable behind the camera rather than in front of it.

“My parents, but especially my dad, they were all against this. What kind of career is it to write about clothing?” he imitated a deeper voice and you looked over to him. For a moment, the pain was so obvious on Hongjoong’s face that you finally fell out of this little cloud you had been in the past few days, the adrenaline of feeling like a princess, having been picked by the princes’ of Treasure to work with.

“If I wanted to chase my dream, I’d have to do it on my own. Anyway, there was a rent you had to pay and a student fee I certainly could not afford, not to forget that to write about fashion other than having a specific degree, you were supposed to show it. Working as an escort seemed like a great choice then, Treasure was just opening and the idea of making the level of money without having to sell yourself entirely was just much more tempting. I thought it might also open some doors.”

You had no doubt he was telling you all of this only because he likely had to swallow it down for so long, nobody that cared to hear about it.

“Well, turns out creativity, a degree and money mean nothing without the connections and I barely can ask my clients for help, can I? I keep applying but they want big names like…”

“Seonghwa,” you concluded and the other man nodded, walking over to the kitchen after shrugging out of expensive clothes, and filling two glasses with water. “A year ago, I was reckless… maybe naive. I thought that maybe he could introduce me to the people. Our pretty star is after all, also very successful on social media and unlike myself, he knows the people.”

The way how Hongjong bit his lip told everything and thinking back about the scene earlier, you could picture the rest. In a way, it even answered your own question, of why somebody like Park Seonghwa led the life of a high-class escort when he could be anything: because he wanted to. He got paid for being adored while able to play with people and all kinds of roles. The attention was different from the one a mere influencer received.

“I never brought it up again and just quietly sent more applications, this is the first answer I received at all that was not a straight rejection, so it’s important to me.” You had this silly urge to hug him when he offered you a glass of water almost shyly.

Hongjoong had been nice and caring, and while there was no way around denying just how much you enjoyed Seonghwa’s attention as he mastered to make you feel adored like no other, you wanted to try and support this guy here. “I think it’s awesome, I mean, you walked such a tough way and here you are, still doing your best. If I ever can help you… not sure how but, let me know. Think of it as a token of graduation for the jacket, which I admit I wear a lot in my private time.”

To your surprise, he was grinning rather than seemingly shy. “Well, it suits you better most certainly, I have a few other pieces I think, you’d look amazing in. Although I feel for today, we have done enough.” You glanced at your watch and while you expected for this day to go different, you bit your cheek.

“Would you mind if I stay maybe another hour? I could call a friend of mine to pick me up and get me back to my apartment. She works nearby.”

The older blinked before nodding: “Of course, do you want anything? A snack maybe? Seonghwa is amazing but please do not let him talk you into diets, okay? You are literally PERFECT!” You blushed hearing this, and Hongjoong chuckled. “You know, natural blush does suit you well;” he winked, seemingly back to his more confident and flirty self.

“I … am okay, thank you.” You took the second glass and moved over to the couch, mumbling over it as you took a sip. Hongjoong was starting to place a few things aside while you texted your friend, asking if she could come here.

The silence felt a little awkward so you tried to think of something until your eyes glanced over the photos. “You know, if you want some help taking pictures of your fashion pieces for that example you work on, I could help. I actually put all my savings into camera equipment, since I am working as a photography major. My focus is portraits but I have done some wedding shots when I enrolled in college, to cover some extra costs.”

The man looked up: “Oh that is right, Hwa mentioned it. Mh, this is pretty serious then, huh? I am glad.. don’t get me wrong, for somebody who has been with Treasure for so long and benefitting from clients… don’t get stuck there, Pretty One. There is more for you. Chase your goals, just take it as a kick-off.”

For a moment, it was like he was telling you to be wiser than him but neither of you said it out loud. All you could do was smile, touched Hongjoong worried about you after only knowing you for such a short time.

“I promise, I won’t.”

“You are looking hot,” Mingi whispered, a grin tugging on his lips as his arm curled around your waist. All you could do was look sweetly at him: “Well, thank you very much. I like to think the two of us make quite the couple.” Your first client was pleased with the reaction and he hummed, nodding in agreement. “Why don’t you get comfortable? I will go and get us more drinks. I am sure, the host should arrive any time soon now.” You offered him a nod and watched as the tall man rushed off.

Hongjoong really had outdone himself with the outfit, it was perfect and harmonized with your fake hair color and your eyes. He had shoved it into your hands after your friend picked you up and since then, you did not see him at all. Every time you went to Seonghwa’s place, he excused himself, text messages about a client that was needing more attention than all others. You could see how displeased the older escort was about it, leading to your confusion about maybe there being something else instead.

You were disappointed about it but it was hard to tell why. Maybe you misread Hongjoong’s interest in working with you on his project and he only agreed to it to be polite.

At this point, Seonghwa treated you like a year-old friend rather than a woman he met barely a month ago. He never stopped to shower you in compliments, but he also was anything but shy. The moment you stepped into his fancy apartment, he kissed you, playing with your hair and seemingly enjoying grabbing your chin gently to look at your face. His arms grew bolder, travling further down your waist, and whispering sweet nothings to your ear. There were gifts and alcohol and he took you shopping, rambling it was all part of getting you loose for your first client.

Mingi booked you after another meeting and today was finally the big day. Everything was perfect, or you told yourself so. The fashion influencer was anything but shy, he kissed you quite passionately twice already and maybe, Seonghwa had been right to simply do the same, making you no longer grow tense about the intrusion. At least, while being a flirt, Mingi was rather polite and he kept his hands exactly as far as you told him to be comfortable.

“He’s stunning,” a woman whispered. “But isn’t he an escort?” another asked and you looked up when the word dropped. “Who cares? If I’d have the money, I’d certainly also pay him,” she chuckled and your gaze followed along. The owner of the company, which was about to offer a big deal to Mingi, was a woman and on her arm was no other than Seonghwa. His shoes were made of fine leather, oversized pants made of expensive fabric, and his chest almost laid bare of not for a satin top cut deep. His hair was styled back and the jewelery added the rest to it.

He didn’t once mention that he would be here but then, why would he? This was his business and he never spoke about that with you unless he was given you tips. You really needed to turn on that pretty head of yours and start thinking rather than getting lost in the luxury and thrill.

The moment your gazes met, you knew it was too late. Seonghwa smiled sweetly, whispering to the woman who immediately looked at you and you were relieved when Mingi returned because they made their way over. “I think, this is the host,” you whispered, doing just anything in your power to remain professional.

Mingi swallowed, offering you a glass, and looking at you. You offered him an encouraging smile like a girlfriend would before he looked up, just in time for the two to arrive.

“Mister Song, I am most pleased you have made it,” the woman said and he shook her head, smiling lightly: “My pleasure, I was quite surprised to receive an invitation.” She smiled at him, a beautiful woman in her late 30s, full of confidence and beauty. For a second, you felt a little ashamed of how you seemed so much the opposite, maybe not in beauty but the success. You did not even really try for what you called your own dream…

“Well, I like to invite the unexpected. Those are much more promising. There is some time until food is served. Why don’t we walk to my office, and you tell me more about your current project,” she smiled before turning around to the escort. “Seonghwa, would you mind to stay with Mister Song’s company? I’d hate to steal him and leave her on her own.”

The escort smiled sweetly: “Of course, it would be my pleasure.” Mingi leaned in, pressing a quick kiss on your lips: “I see you later, love. It won’t be long.” You tapped against his shoulder: “No worries, take your time.” As the two people walked away, you could feel how Seonghwa settled down next to you and you needed to swallow the question of why he did not tell you he’d come.

You froze when you felt his fingers playing with your hair. “Why so tense hun? That’s so rare for you now. All of our little explorations certainly have paid out, did they not? Look how relaxed you are, looking stunning, pleasing your client.”

As you tried to reach for the drink Mingi brought you, Seonghwa was faster, leading it to his own lips. You blinked, confused about what he was trying to do. This was a job and you considered that he’d act the part but that was incorrect.

“What are you doing, handsome” you joked but Seonghwa threw the most tempting glances at you, leaving a shade of lipstick on the glass as he offered it to you.

“Paying all of my attention to my favorite flower. It is quite hard you know, you look very kissable today,” he purred and he knew exactly what kind of effect this had on you these days.

Why?

What was it that you forgot all good sense and morals when he was flirting like that when you knew so obviously this was all Seonghwa wanted, attention, playing, pleasure. “Since my other favorite person seems to fancy the company of his paper pages and photos, I am most grateful to have you by my side,” he breathed to your ear.

The memory flashed to your mind when you saw the two together for the first time at the lounge, how comfortable and confident they looked together but now, you wondered if Hongjoong simply played along because it was what Sweonghwa trained the both of you to do.

Admiration, a quickened heartbeat, the high of being given the attention.

“Why don’t we explore the property? She’s one of my most beloved clients and I know all the good little spots. It could be fun.” The way he formed the words indicated that this was the moment you both, craved and feared to come.

He was inviting you to be more, do more. The one difference to Hongjoong was the very fact the other had stated: Seonghwa loved beautiful women, and you were just that based on his words.

“Hwa,” you started innocently: “I do not think that would be a good idea. You said it yourself, ranking up is on me and if this one goes well, it will be much easier.”

His long fingers played with your hair and he was already so close, you could smell the expensive perfume, your mind remembered what it felt like to have the now styled-back hair tickling your face. You swallowed, your body reacted in a certain way.

“I will come up with a good excuse. They will be away for an hour at least, quite long for some bored poor partners being left behind. There is a quiet corner, I think you’d enjoy it, Hun.”

A smile of honey on his lips as he brushed over your cheeks, your heart beating loudly as you stared at him, body reaction, leaning in, imagination running wild. The idea of being pushed against the wall by the taller, feeling his fingertips ghosting all over your body, lips pressed against your neck, sensing how he slowly would trace down…

Your mind finally kicked in.

No. You promised Hongjoong not to forget your dream but somehow you knew, that once you started to give in to such foolish desires, there would be no way out of it. You knew yourself, you would keep finding excuses to stay with Seonghwa, stay an escort at Treasure, just as it took you years to finally stop with the excuses of why you kept going with a sports career everyone but you dreamt for you.

“You are quite good at tests, Hwa,” you chuckled and played dumb. If he read your body right, he’d knew and there was a hint of anger on his fair features, if only for a moment. “Ah, you got me there Hun. You did very well, Mister Song can be quite pleased with you.” For a moment he remained close, like he was waiting for you to change your mind but when nobody happened, Seonghwa lost interest and leaned back.

It only took so long until others joined you, people mesmerized by Seonghwa’s presence who loved the attention and it was easy to excuse yourself at once.

The deal went well and when Mingi returned, he apologized, saying he was invited to an extra event later on. You hurried to tell him it was just fine when he offered to book you a taxi. I the end, you regretted it because you had come here with him and there was no friend you could call to pick you up. How to explain why you were here, dressed like some internet celebrity? There only were two people who came to mind. Yeosang did not pick up but Hongjoong was on the line the moment you pushed his name.

“How did it go?” he asked, voice cheery but grew concerned when it was silence which greeted him. There was a moment when neither of you said anything as you realized you were holding back tears.

You felt so stupid because you finally asked what the fuck you were doing here, with your life, being something you were not.

“I will pick you up,” his voice was soft. He did not need to hear his answer, you could hear how he already grabbed his keys.

“It will be okay, just stay where you are, okay? Take a deep breath. First client and such a big event, it can be a lot. You did well, Y/N.”

All you could do was whisper a Thank You before you ended the call, pulling off those high heels and waiting for Hongjoong in front of one of the city’s most expensive mansions.

You felt a little more collected by the time the familiar car appeared and you slipped onto the passenger seat. It did not change that brown eyes scanned you with worry and you forced a smile: “I am okay, I just overreacted a little. Thank you for picking me up.” Hongjoong looked different today but not in a bad way, more relaxed with jeans and a hoodie, brown waves loosely dancing around his face.

“Hey, there is no overreacting. If your emotions felt too much, that is very understandable and valid,” he tried to comfort you and you placed the heels on the floor as you looked at him. He likely still could see the hint of red in your eyes, although you only cried for a few minutes. “Do you want me to drive you anywhere? Home, or to a friend?” He was soft and did not pressure you to talk about it.

“Actually, do you think I could stay at your place… I have the habit of overworrying about nothing and styled like this,” you began but Hongjoong was quick to flash you a smile, understanding what you were trying to say. Nobody in your private circle was supposed to know. “Of course, the time is fairly good! I have mapped out my article and I can show you if your offer of working on those photos with me still stands.”

He really was giving it his all and you felt guilty how you were fleeing to him after it was Seonghwa you looked at for so long so openly while he was around, just now to cry about having rejected him.

“That sounds awesome.” He nodded and the rest of the drive was done in silence, up until he unlocked the apartment once more, you left your belongings on the door and Hongjoong disappeared in his bedroom before coming back with a pair of more comfortable-looking clothes.

“There are towels in the bathroom if you want to freshen up. I guessed, it probably would be more comfortable, to wear something else. Not that you don’t look gorgeous,” he promised and you appreciated the thought, accepting it. “That sounds nice, thank you.” You walked over to his bathroom and were a little amazed. There was an entire corner purely dedicated to makeup. A mixture of big brand names but also more average every day products, fingers traced along then until you hesitated.

You were a damn lost case, weren’t you? Acting like that all day, just now to reach for his perfume and spray some of it on your wrist. You did notice how Hongjoong always smelt the same, unlike Seonghwa who rotated between different expensive fragrances based on his mood but the younger was more content, it was a comforting but exciting one.

“Ah, shush!” you scolded yourself before stripping and enjoying the shower, your hair finally no longer dying the water red as you enjoyed the feeling. Around twenty minutes later, you stepped out and there was a blush on Hongjoong’s cheek when he saw you in his clothes, one he tried to hide as he cleared his throat and pointed to the kitchen counter where a few sandwiches piled up together with hot cups of coffee and tea.

“I wasn’t sure which of the two you like better but you should eat something,” he insisted and sat down on the other bar stool. You smiled and joined him: “Ah, Joongie, you take good care of me always, you know?” It was strange to admit considering you did not spend so much time together but he always was thoughtful of you and your wishes, and boundaries.

“Mh, I just know bad habits sneak in quickly, I want you to be comfortable and not worry about food.” You grabbed a sandwich and one of the coffee cups, taking a bite: “I promise, I love food too much to do so.” The little remark made him grin and for a while, you just remembered how nice it was to have company for a meal, spending them alone in your apartment most of the time these days.

“Okay, the theme is Spring, we are already dealing with Winter fashion, and the bases for the upcoming seasons are done, so I was thinking, we could do something with this vibe. I have a few friends we could ask to model for us,” he explained half an hour later as you followed the mood board and aesthetics he put together.

“I can see the vision, we can make something cool out of it! There is this small library and a cafe I went to a few times, it could suit it really well, like coming out of a dark Winter in glorious outfits,” you suggested, Hongjoong grinned: “I see, somebody does like fashion. I knew it when we first met and you picked the best piece they had.”

You grinned back: “Just a little. We had very strict guidelines for gymnastics but for events after, you wanted to impress a little, you know, sponsors and all of that.” Another reason why you thought this job was for you. Your parents really were right, you were a naive girl dreaming. As you bit your lips, you could feel Hongjoong’s hand and suddenly, he pulled you into a hug.

“I always thought this helps when thoughts go too wild,” he whispered, searching for your confirmation this was okay and you could feel how you relaxed a little. “It does,” you whispered. For a few minutes, you just stood there like this before he pulled you over to his couch and settled down, allowing you to rest against him. How strange, you felt so content and comfortable with him although you only had known him for a short time.

“Hwa was there, wasn’t he?” Hongjoong finally dared to ask. “I should have known when I looked at the event when I prepared the outfit, I made the beginner’s mistake of not properly researching the owner, since your part was only to look good on your client’s side. I was unaware it was one of his clients, I am sorry.”

You slowly turned your head around to look at him: “Why would that be your fault?”

There was a moment of hesitation before he sighed: “I know how Seonghwa is and I knew what he thought when we all met at the lounge. A beautiful woman with a temper, that’s something new to him, the way how quickly he had grown comfortable around you, I knew he had a particular interest. I guess, I just did not expect he’d go as far as to make his interest known while you were on a job. He could have waited or done it sooner, considering it’s mutual.”

Hongjoong spoke, he seemed to brood over the result when you just were surprised. “Mutual interest? What do you mean?” The other escort looked at you slowly: “Ah I mean … it is quite obvious you are fond of Seonghwa… It’s why I kept my distance, I thought giving you two more time would be appropriate… although I worried how deep his interest goes,” the last words were a whisper.

Maybe deep down, the future fashion director knew that Seonghwa was looking for fun and entertainment, a challenge, beauty but not love. As much as you enjoyed all of the glamour and attention, at the end of the day you were a dreamer looking for love. A helplessly romantic person.

“I cannot admit I am more than smitten with him. He’s gorgeous, not only his style but the confidence he shows, the way he lives… That’s a goal we all have a little but I think I finally realized that I’m not made for this kind of life but I promise you… as embarrassing as it is to admit… my interest in him was more … sensual than romantic.”

You could read the surprise on his face, blinking as he sighed deeply, a hand covering his eyes: “I really was a fool not to get that much and just leaving you on your own when you were all new, I…”

You reached out and stopped him, pleading: “It’s really not your fault. Please stop blaming yourself.” Hongjoong suddenly seemed shy but also longing, there was something in his eyes that was quietly asking for permission: to be gentle, admired, and loved. You could hear your heartbeat loudly in your ears when you gave it to him.

Kissing Hongjoong really was different from kissing Seonghwa. His lips were just as soft but without any products adding taste, the way how he allowed an arm to rest around your figure was careful, gentle. He allowed for his eyes to close and gave the lead up to you entirely. The kiss was curious but far more innocent than any you ever exchanged with the older escort but maybe it was why it felt right.

Hongjoong was all that Seonghwa was not when it came to the time outside of the job. A switch that allowed for him to just be his natural self while no client and no colleagues were looking and you enjoyed it.

As your lips finally parted, he blinked, a shy smile on his lips, admitting: “This was nice.” You returned it, smiling: “It was… mind if we do it again?” Hongjoong chuckled, the confident grin finally returning to his lips: “You may do so.”

Your companionship and chemistry felt more natural, like two people who told themselves being different sometimes was the only way to achieve their dreams, no matter how high the price but all you really wanted was to be who you were.

It showed in the way how you melted into one, the whispers of sweet admiration, of careful exploration and always seeking to act entirely in each other’s comforts. Bodies flushed tightly together and breaths becoming one.

The memory of his bare skin, the way the dark sweaty hair clung to his face and his lips curled into a playful smile stuck with you even by the time you made it home.

It would have been perfect, if not for a tall figure waiting for you there. Seonghwa still wore the same outfit he did hours ago but seemingly a little more tugged. His dark eyes were all over your form.

“So Joongie did pick you up after all. I almost guessed so, he seems to be quite keen, coming to your rescue,” he purred but his eyes failed to play along this time. It was hard to tell if he was simply annoyed or jealous.

“He did, he borrowed me some clothes. I was a little tipsy so I decided to wait, don’t want the neighbors any more suspicious,” you joked but froze the moment Seonghwa grabbed your chin, this time less gentle than he usually did.

“You smell like him, so don’t try to lie to me, little flower,” he whispered. “How peculiar, you were so against the idea to be with me but it seems, not as much with him. Ah, maybe the mistake has been on me, I must have underestimated the softness the two of you share.”

Finally, he let go, looking at you: “It seems, there is no much more I can teach you, hun. You did quite well today, your client was most pleased. What a pity our partnership did not come to happen but I had quite an enjoyable time.”

He turned around and you swallowed, although having been prepared he likely would ditch you just like that. At least, it was a reality check, one showing you that at the end of the day, you just were one pretty flower and he likely had more than plenty to fill the spot.

Maybe losing Hongjoong was much harder for Seonghwa, after working together for years.

As he turned around and walked to the staircase, he said: “Should you ever get bored of soft, you know where to find me.”

He winked, shoving something in his pocket before leaving.

All you could do was staring in confusion as he left you standing there all alone.

“I can’t find my phone,” you sighed and looked at Yeosang. “I must have lost it somewhere. I honestly cannot even remember when I really had it last. I bought a new one but my stupid provider needs like a week to send me a new card for it.”

You sighed, relaxing over the bar. It had been a long two days. Without your phone, it wasn’t as if anyone could reach you but nobody came over either. When you parked, you saw Seonghwa who did not even give you the smallest of glances, like you did not exist.

“It’s insane how it still takes so long,” the other agreed, leading the drink to his lips. You came here to let the manager know you were unavailable until then and ran into Yeosang who invited you to a drink. You were thankful he did not seem to ask about Seonghwa at all, although there obviously had been some rumors, not only about him tho.

“Oh did you know, Hongjoong quit last night,” Yeosang shared casually but you suddenly found yourself sitting up.

“Wait, he did?! Why?!”

This seemed sudden, he said that he was expecting a call from that magazine to check with them if his idea would be appropriate but the idea he just stopped working for Treasure was a little rushed.

Maybe it was the idea how you were quietly waiting if just maybe, he’d show up here at the headquarters after not having come to visit at your place, although you slipped your address into his notebook.

“Well, he said he wanted to pursue another career, it was very surprising to everyone. He’s flying to the United States for an interview. That is what the manager told me anyway.”

Why would he leave so suddenly without telling you? Your stomach flipped when you thought the memories through. After confessing to each other’s softness, of sleeping together, the shy and excited smile and little kisses he gave you when you left, it seemed unexpected he’d just go.

Did you read too much into it?

“I have to go,” you breathed, grabbing your keys and rushing to your car. To your surprise, Seonghwa was leaning against it. You swallowed, not in the mood to deal with him but he made no indication to move away.

“Hwa, I have to go, Hongjoong just quit, I have to find him.”

“I wonder why that is,” he hummed before looking at you, sighing: “You really stirred more than I expected and not what I hoped for. Here I was, thinking you were a great addition to our duo, not that you would be the encouragement to chase his stupid dream. One he is way too keen on sharing with you, considering you know for how long?”

You swallowed, staring at him: “How do you know that?” The escort looked innocently before he held it up, your phone. “Advice for the future, you should hide your screen messages.” He must have pulled it out of your pocket after he waited in front of your apartment.

You grew pale when you snatched it and opened it, reading the messages you did not get to reply to.

Two Days Ago

Joongie: I really enjoyed our time together Joongie: or well, spending time with you Joongie: after having limited my circle to all those caring for money so long I forgot Joongie: so thank you for … liking me Joongie: I… kind of like you, I just wanted for you to know

One Day Ago

Joongie: hope you are feeling better! Joongie: that magazine just called me! and they actually got a free spot Joongie: not fixed but they invited me for an interview! Joongie: I know that’s a little insane, really, it only would be for three days Joongie: but want to come? I got a second ticket for you Joongie: it’s a bit rushed but yeah

Today

Joongie: I guess, I was a bit pressuring Joongie: I am sorry, I should not have thought so much into it Joongie: Make sure you eat a lot, okay? Take breaks Joongie: remember you matter more than clients Joongie: You are… perfect like this

Joongie: my flight leaves in an hour, I guess Joongie: if you ever need anything again, call me Joongie: it was nice meeting you, thank you for everything

You checked the time, the flight was about to leave in less than half an hour. The airport was around fifteen minutes from here.

“You really are hopeless,” Seonghwa sighed but you were in panic mode, ignoring him as you got into your car and drove off like a madwoman, praying to all the gods to please empty the streets for you. Hongjoong likely already turned on airplane mode as he only the Ai voice answered that call couldn’t be forwarded.

You fought back tears, having been so foolish not just to go and show up at his place again, not even bothered to let him know you lost your damn phone. The fact that Seonghwa had stolen it, was likely to cause something like this.

Now nothing mattered, when you slipped out of your car, you just grabbed your phone and after a second, you took off your heels, throwing them onto the passenger seat before you were running through the airport, gaining more than one questioning gaze from passengers who barely bothered to get out of your way.

You could not let Hongjoong go, not like this. It was really hard to tell what exactly he was for you, but he was on your mind often and you knew, your heart would regret it if you did not at least find the answer to the question. There was only one flight that matched the destination and it was already boarding.

You were panting and looking around, seeking the gate as you found it. Families, lovers, and friends still stood there, waving to their loved ones as they were about to go, following the guidance of the flight attendants.

There was only one figure that seemed hesitant, styled up not unlike the day you first saw him, a man in his mid-20s who had a style most would envy, pleasant but a little exciting without being too much. He held a small piece of luggage in his hand, the ticket in the other, and was looking out of the window.

“Hongjoong!” you screamed, you didn’t even try to do anything else.

You looked like a mess, your hair wild from running here, the blouse no longer tugged into the jeans and with slim socks mostly turned after chasing here.

When he turned around, the surprise was written all over his face.

“I will wait here for you”, you called out. “I am sorry,” you waved with your phone and he seemed to understand because slowly, finally that soft, shy smile spread over his lips.

“Sir, the flight has to leave, if you wish to board, you need to do so now,” the stewardess announced.

Hongjoong was just looking at you, his grin relaxed and he sighed.

“Ah sorry for the struggles I will have to take one flight later. I forgot something important,” he replied and without hesitation, walked towards you.

a/n: apology to everyone hoping for a different ending, i just had too much fun writing hwa as the guy who really just doesn't care about feelings and enjoys playing with people. then, I'm also a hongjoong bias. he just deserved a bit of luv since hwa in this piece has lots of admirers who gladly will step up 😭

#reis writes #hongjoong x reader #seonghwa x reader #ateez oneshot #ateez au #hongjoong oneshot #seonghwa oneshoot #ateez writing #ateez suggestive #hj tag #sh tag #mature tag #mdni

120 notes · View notes