#i have never felt as good about myself as i do now
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As someone who had Chronic Pain for the first like 25ish years of my life... Abled people literally do not understand the concept of a pain that never goes away.
They literally can't.
It's impossible. It even felt impossible for me because my pain was so early and so consistent that my brain literally just ignored it until one day I was doing physical therapy for a different injury... and it was just gone.
I felt it's absence and I felt the best I've felt in 20+ years.
I hadn't had a particularly good meal that day. Still had my stomach issues. Slept badly. My back hurt. Probably dehydrated. Definitely had tooth pain. But that was literally the best I can in memory, had ever felt.
The closest experience I can describe to it, is when you've got an abscessed tooth and they relieve the pressure and the pain is just gone and it's wonderful.
If there is no absence of pain... there is no relief. You can't just sleep in and feel better. You can't just drink water and feel better or get a new pillow etc. That's just your new default.
Now as someone who had previously considered myself abled who now has had an official disabled tag on me and all that... (I for the most part lucked out with a temporary disability. But know that plenty disabilities are chronic, permanent or get worse the longer you go.) I felt I was educated that I was an advocate but absolutely nothing prepared me for my body failing me so consistently. I listened to disabled folks and tried to amplify their voices.
I 100% was the person to go to bat for people who were in pain on my team. The problem is that for many people, pain is temporary. With rest, it goes away. With healing it gets better.
Most of those folks are sadly not educated. And conceptually it's a hard concept to work on despite all the empathy in the word.
The bigger the chain, the less likely that the person making the schedule can just hire another person and of course we all know companies have been understaffing on purpose for decades. This is definitely a Worker Rights issues. We've got a toxic working environment almost everywhere and the majority of the Working Class that's still working literally does not remember it being any better. You absolutely deserved better. And You definitely could use the support of an Advocate. I got in multiple fights on the behalf of co-workers all the time for these kind of issues. And when I was temporarily injured on the job, I had co-workers who fought for me too. The problem is people don't understand that we must stand together for this. For the abled folks, this is a temporary problem... just like their managers have been telling them understaffing is a temporary problem.
Look at your disabled co-workers folks and realize... one day that's going to be you. We literally all will at some point most likely be classed as disabled in some way. Sometimes permanently and sometimes not.
What you stand for TODAY is what might be left for you when it's your turn. Your managers/middle manager answer to a higher power then you and that is the greed of a very rich guy who literally sees you all as EXPENSES not VALUE.
DO NOT sacrifice YOURSELF on the Alter to Someone else's greed.
I understand the job market is tough and there are crappy work places that reveal themselves as crappy slowly. But YOU help create the CULTURE at WORK. ANYTIME I overheard management complain about such and such an employees issue with scheduling or with their ability. I ALWAYS spoke up.
I mentioned what a hard worker they were. How we'd been short on people for a long time. How we all deserved to be staffed enough that every one of us should be able to leave for 2 weeks and not have the store fall apart. I made people team lift. Reminded them that Corporate could not give them a new spine.
I trained most folks to speak up. And the more I did it, the more of use who would speak up.
And United We Bargain Divided We Beg.
The primary thing a manager is supposed to do is keep us compliant enough to work. Disgruntled rumblings are powerful when echoed.
Speak Up. Speak Up about TEMPORARY PAIN caused by WORK. TEMPORARY PAIN becomes PERMANENT PAIN if allowed to CONTINUE. PAIN is your body's FIRST attempt to get YOU to STOP doing something THAT IS HARMING YOU.
They decided that our anti-fatigue mats were a hazard. (It was actually the fact that our Stockroom was too small for the Stock they sent us and our Staff couldn't clear it with no space to work.) And tried to remove them. Every one of us had our shoes wear sooner and we all had greater back pain. I made sure to voice how weird it is that I hurt more now that we didn't have those mats. Sometimes I'd even sit down when we were unloading the truck to give my back a rest. I'd tell my other co-workers to do as well.
If a manager had the power to bring them back came in when I was sitting... I'd interrupt their telling me off for sitting that I literally hurt and what the cause was. That I'd probably be going to the doctor soon.
(Be sure to document your work pain by texting (not work but also work) other people about it. About how you hurt because blah blah at work. You might need it to prove that they should be paying to fix you if you ever need doctoring or disability pay.)
We got the mats back.
I would like to see more people talk about how jobs treat disabled employees.
I used to prep, wash dishes, and cook at mellow mushroom. I had chronic pain that wasn't NEARLY as bad as it is today, but it was still very debilitating. I told my employer "i cannot stand more than 4 to 6 hours. I CANNOT do shifts longer than this due to my illness." And even though i made my boundaries VERY clear, everyday i worked it was 8 hours at the least and 10 or 12 at the most. I would go up to my manager and say "look i really need to leave, my shift is over, my chronic pain is killing me." And he'd say "we really need to here, you HAVE to push through." And so i did, and after one, ONE month of that job my crps got incredibly worse to the point where i could no longer walk my dog around the block which was .5 miles. I quit, and that was FOUR years ago, and ever since that day I HAVE BEEN BEDRIDDEN AND HAVE TO USE A WHEELCHAIR. It is my biggest regret in life.
My best friend who has seen my whole journey has recently developed undiagnosed chronic pain, and she is in the EXACT same scenario i was 4 years ago. Busting her ass at a pizza place with extreme pain that hurts her so much she tells me "im in so much pain i don't even feel like a person." She doesn't feel LUCID. And her manager and coworkers are saying the same thing "if you don't help us you will let us down, we'll be in the shit."
That job thats hurting you isn't fucking worth it. I promise you no money is worth losing all your physical abilities and never getting them back. Your coworkers and boss do not give a shit about you, so don't you dare suffer for them. They will never understand your struggle and they will never try. They truly think being understaffed is worse than whatever pain you experience. They would rather you permanently damage yourself than inconvenience them. FUCK THEM. DON'T FUCKING DO IT!
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THE SLEEPOVER Ë . Ęđđ. Ęâ
summary; during a lovely sleepover with your best friend sarah cameron, you admit to never once having orgasmed before, the confession makes your best friend feel ever so guilty, she feels simply obligated to show her innocent best friend how to please herself right now.
content; pillow humping, fingering, guided masturbation, innocent!reader
this evening has been ever so lovely, just like every evening on which youâve slept over at your best friend sarahâs house. youâre always taken care of so well there.Â
right now youâre sitting up on her bed with her, all tucked in while you both watch some neon pink 2000s chick flick on the tv. although not much attention is being paid, youâre both too absorbed in a happy conversation.Â
youâre all about oversharing with sarah, you do it all the time. sheâs does it with you too, in fact sheâs doing it right now, going off on a rant about some stupid guy who tried to come on to her at the country club.Â
âand I considered it just for the sex, yâknow, because I havenât had a good orgasm in weeks,â she stresses the last word with wide eyes, leaning a little closer to you before continuing, âbut I decided I couldnât be bothered to deal with him. I can just make myself feel good after all.âÂ
you tilt your head, nodding along, âthat makes sense.â of course you have not a clue about it. youâve never had sex, or even pleasured yourself for that matter. it has just never been something that had occurred to you to do. âdo you.. do that a lot?â you ask, you know she wonât be opposed to it.Â
ânot more than itâs normal to,â she shrugs, leaning back, âI mean you do it right?â her question is intended to be pretty rhetorical but she notices immediately when you react unexpectedly.Â
you look down, âI donâtâ I- I havenât..â self consciousness washes over you for a second. even though you know that itâs not oversharing in her eyes, itâs still a little embarrassing to admit.Â
she looks shocked to say the least, her mouth falling slightly open before she can stop herself and regulate her reaction. âlike.. never?âÂ
you shake your head, âno⊠donât know how even if I tried.âÂ
that sentence seems to make her think, her eyebrows furrow for a second before she shakes her head, not accepting your statement, âno. no no no. you canât.. not know. youâre missing out.. I mean.. how do you even feel good? no. Iâll just have to teach you.â
that is the conversation that leads you into the most vulnerable position youâve been in for a long time. sitting up, leaning back on your arms, legs spread open over a pillow, your nightgown pulled up to reveal your glossy folds.Â
âoh you need it,â sarah coos, sheâs bent down so that her face is level with your pussy. âgive me your hand,â she speaks gently, reaching out to take it. she pulls it down and guides you to touch yourself.Â
your fingers are cold, having been out in the air conditioned open. it proves quite a shock when two of them collide with the small bundle of nerves you know to be your clitoris.Â
you let out a whimper of confused emotion, mostly pleasure, mixed with some unsureness and maybe a little bit of curiosity too. youâd felt pleasure before, and of course youâd had that small need for pressure in this area before. but actually feeling that pressure, itâs overwhelming.Â
you notice that sheâs guiding your fingers in small circles in time with the pulsing of your nerves. her free hand climbs up to touch your hole before sliding two fingers in and moving them in a rhythmic pace with the circles. creating the perfect mixture of feelings to make you feel amazing.Â
you both keep it up for many minutes. your hips are bucking and moving involuntarily as the sensation becomes more intense. the pressure gets stronger and you start to feel a sort of knot forming in your stomach.Â
at some point sheâd let go of your fingers to let you rub yourself independently, like how a parent lets go of the back of their childâs bike when they become confident they can ride by themselves.Â
âoh! mâgonnaââ you can barely make up words as the pleasure overwhelms you. your breathing is all ragged and shaky, âsarah⊠gonna cum.â you cry out, movement speeding up frantically before the feeling of bliss finally washes over you.
it's such a new feeling, and yet so primal, like it's rooted into you. you could tell when it was coming and now you lean into it and experience like you already had one hundred times. you throw your head back and moan loudly, completely disregarding the fact that you and sarah are not the only people in this house.
sarah is looking up at you with a grin on her face. she's still touching you, helping you through and letting you savour the feeling for as long as you possibly can. she has a proud little twinkle in her eyes, she's so happy that she's been able to help her best friend feel such a good feeling for the first time, she realises she wouldn't have wanted it to be at the hands of anybody else.Â
she waits for you to come down and once you do she swoops in, leaning forward to pull your tired out body against hers, âyou did so well,â she kisses you cheek in a gentle, affectionate manner. âwere gonna get cleaned up now, yeah? then we can rewind that movie.â
#sarah cameron prompt#sarah cameron concept#sarah cameron blurb#sarah cameron smut#sarah cameron x reader#sarah cameron#outer banks
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You guys wanna know a silly silly idea of Luci and mc talking I think abt often? Ofc you do,
(THIS IS A PLATONIC READ!!) (mc uses the word âloveâ though not in a romantic sense, also GN mc as always, any âsheâ and âheâ used is in relation to luci and Lilith, NOT mc,)
I canât help but imagine mc struggling with being related to Lilith, they canât really help it. After belphie had⊠you know. And the truth came out, it just felt like everyone cared so much more all of a sudden. sure they all cared about mc before, but they feel like being related to her is the only reason they were missed so much..
so here they are, standing Infront of a portrait of her. she seemed so.. familiar. Maybe it was something about her jaw- or maybe her nose? Or the way her eyes seemed to be rested shut in a calm wise smile.. in their chest they know itâs probably because they see themselves in her. Or.. see her in themself. Itâs odd to see her with similar features as mcâs own mother/father, sure liliths genes most likely had been watered down over all the years, but a small part of her seemed to still stand out. mc tugs at the bottom of their night shirt. They couldnât sleep and didnât want to bother anyone. So they found themself here, staring and wondering. Theyâve come here more often as of late, and itâs really not doing well for their self imagine. Would things have been different if they werenât related to her? Would the brothers have even given a second thought to mc after they left? Even though they know these thoughts are ridiculous, they canât help but think about it.
eventually the sound of footsteps ring through their ears, a familiar heel clicking as the eldest approaches. They hear his footsteps pause as he notices them, they donât bother turning their head to address him, secretly hoping heâll just continue walking. though of course, he doesnât. his footsteps grow louder and closer until he is standing right next to them, staring at their face for a moment before looking at the portrait as well. and it stays like that for a while, the two just silently standing together and staring at the painting. Eventually mc just canât bite their tongue, and speaks up a bit involuntarily.
âwould you have still loved me if you never knew?â
they bite their bottom lip almost the moment it leaves their mouth, regret and anxiety immediately makes their chest feel heavy and cold. They hardly even have to glance over to see his shocked expression, before it softens slightly.
âwhat?â
âI-i meanâŠ.â
they take a deep breath. Might as well get it over now..
â⊠would you guys have still cared if I wasnât related to Lilith?â
they stare at the painting, waiting for him to speak, though the shock from mc asking such a thing is shutting him up. So they continue,
âsometimes.. when you look at me, it feels like you arenât look at me like Iâm.. well me⊠it feels like youâre looking at someone else. whenever I hear anything about her, itâs always so much good, about how amazing and kind and sweet she was. But I donât know her. Iâve only ever seen her once and that was when I died. And then everyone including myself learned I was related to her, and it suddenly felt like everyone immediately cared a lot more about me.â
without thinking much of it they just keep talking, part of them wants to shut up but they just canât.
âIâm my own person, I know I am. Iâve spent my whole life figuring myself out, struggling and fighting to be a good person, going through school, going through my life. But, now it feels like every move I make is being silently compared. I justâŠâ
they finally shut up before they find themselves going around in circles, though they feel a heavy tinge of regret.
ââŠIâm sorry..â
their voice comes out small and ashamed. finally the eldest is able to regain his words and inhales,
âyes.â
âwhat?â
âOf course we would still love you Mc, I would still love you. Even before we discovered it, I could tell my brothers began to care deeply about you, and part of myself felt frustrated that I could understand why. you are smart, and determined, and kind, and extremely lovable. And quite frankly, I couldnât imagine what life would be like if you hadnât wormed your way into our hearts. i miss my sister, we all miss her. But we accepted her death a long time ago. Though the grief still hangs heavy on us, we know that you arenât her. That would be cruel to not just us, but you.â
he reaches an arm out, mc stares silently, finally turning their head to look at him as tears start to well up in their eyes. They lunge forwards and wraps their arms around him in a tight hug in which he reciprocates.
âYou have nothing to be sorry about Mc, myself on the other hand..â
he inhales,
âI am sorry.â
#obey me#obey me mc#obey me mammon#obey me leviathan#obey me asmodeus#obey me lucifer#obey me beelzebub#obey me belphegor#obey me one master to rule them all#obey me satan#obey me lilith#Obey me angst
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Haunted
charlie mayhew x reader
summary: Charlie seems to be haunting you so you must be haunting him
Charlie and I had once been inseparable, our relationship full of passion and dreams for the future. We spent years together, growing and learning from each other. However, as time went on, our paths began to diverge. We eventually went our separate ways.
Years later, I found myself attending a wedding at a quaint church in a small town. As I entered the church, I was struck by a familiar presence. There, standing at the altar, was Charlie. He was now a priest, his demeanor serene and composed. My heart skipped a beat as memories of our time together flooded back.
After the ceremony, I approached Charlie, feeling a mix of curiosity and old emotions. "Charlie, it's been so long," I said, my voice trembling slightly.
Charlie looked at me, a gentle smile spreading across his face. "Y/n, it's good to see you," he replied warmly. Despite the years and the changes in our lives, the connection between us was still palpable.
âIâd love to get together, catch up a bit?â I asked. âMe too y/n, meet me here later tonight.â He smiled.
We spent the evening catching up, sharing stories of our separate journeys. While Charlie spoke of his calling to the priesthood and the peace he had found, I couldn't help but notice the familiar glint in his eyes. The feelings we once shared were still there, lingering just beneath the surface.
As we parted ways that night, I couldn't shake the feeling that our story wasn't quite over. And Charlie, though bound by his vows, couldn't deny the unresolved emotions that seeing y/n again had stirred within him.
I couldn't shake the feelings that had been growing inside me. Every time I saw Charlie, my heart would race, and I felt like I was being haunted by my own emotions. We stole glances at each other whenever we thought no one was looking, our eyes meeting with a mix of longing and regret.
Charlie felt it too. As a priest, he knew he could never act on the feelings he had for y/n. It was a constant battle between his duty and his heart. He found himself thinking about her more than he should, each stolen glance only deepening the ache inside him.
We both knew it was impossible. Our roles in life meant we could never be together, and yet, the connection between us was undeniable. It was as if our were two souls destined to be apart, forever haunted by what could never be.
One evening, after everyone had left the church, I found myself alone with Charlie. The silence between us was heavy, filled with unspoken words and emotions. I finally gathered the courage to speak.
"Charlie, we need to talk about this," I said softly, my voice trembling slightly. "We can't keep pretending these feelings don't exist."
Charlie looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and longing. "Y/n, I know. Believe me, I know. But what can we do? I'm a priest now, and you're... well, you're you. We can't be together."
I took a deep breath, fighting back tears. "I know it's impossible, but it's tearing me apart. I can't stop thinking about you, and every time we're together, it feels like we're haunting each other with what we can't have."
Charlie stepped closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's the same for me. Every glance, every moment we share, it just makes it harder. But we have to be strong. We have to let go, for both our sakes."
We stood there, the weight of our words hanging in the air. It was a painful realization, but they both knew it was the truth. Despite the deep connection we felt, we could never be together. The only thing we could do was try to move on, even if it meant living with the ghost of what might have been.
Charlie found himself in a whirlwind of emotions as he stood with y/n under the soft glow of the windows in the church. All he could think about was how close she was, how her eyes sparkled when she laughed, and how her lips looked so inviting.
Before he knew it, he leaned in and kissed her. It was meant to be a brief, gentle kiss, but the moment their lips touched, something ignited within him. He tried to pull away, to regain his composure, but he couldn't. The warmth of her kiss, the way she responded, made it impossible to stop.
I seemed to feel the same way, my hands finding their way to his shoulders, pulling him closer. Every time he thought he should stop, the connection between us grew stronger, more intense. It was as if the world around us had disappeared, leaving only the two of us in this perfect, endless moment.
Finally, when we did break apart, Charlie was breathless, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked into my eyes, seeing the same mix of surprise and desire reflected back at him. "I... I didn't mean to... I just couldn't stop," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper.
I smiled, my cheeks flushed. "I didn't want you to," I replied softly, and in that instant, Charlie knew that this was just the beginning of something incredible.
#nicholas alexander chavez#nicholas chavez#nicholas chavez imagine#nicholas chavez x reader#nicholas chavez x y/n#nicholaschavezimagines#charlie mayhew x reader#charliemayhewimagine#charliemayhewimagines#nicholas chavez imagines#nicholas alexander chavez fanfic#nicholas chavez fluff#nicholas chavez fanfiction#father charlie mayhew#cha
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Word Count: 2,555
Reading Time: ~10m
Warning: Abduction. Suspense.
         âMorning, Toni!â
         âMorning, Uncle Eli,â I said sleepily.
         âIâve made some bacon and pancakes, and freshly squeezed orange juice is on the table.â He looks at his watch. âI have to run. Iâll pick you up after school, okay?â
         âAlright.â
         âI love you,â Uncle Eli said before kissing me on the forehead. âHave a good day at school, and please, learn something.â He laughed.
         âYeah, yeah, yeah. Love you, too,â I said, waving him off.
         Uncle Eli grabbed his satchel and blazer and rushed out the door as I sat at the kitchen table. I put a few pancakes on my plate and reached for the bacon when I noticed the newspaper on the table.
         âAh, Uncle Eli!â I groaned, picking up the newspaper and running to the front door. By the time I reached the front yard, he had already pulled off and was on his way to work.
         Uncle Eli worked at Wise University as an English professor, and every morning before he started his day, heâd drink a cup of coffee and read the newspaper. However, heâd have to find new reading material to go with his coffee this morning since he forgot all about it.
         I trudged back inside, flinging the newspaper on the kitchen table, and flopped onto my seat. Then, I grabbed a nice helping of bacon, poured myself a glass of orange juice, and chowed down.
         âWhy does he always read the paper when he could just watch the news? Uncle Eli is so old,â I chuckled. âWhatâs in here anyway?â
         Curiosity got the best of me, and I picked up the Wise Gazette newspaper. I flipped through the pages as I shoveled mouthfuls of pancakes and bacon into my mouth. I landed on the last page of the local news section.
         âMs. Mrytleâs dog is missing,â I mumbled. âHmm! Snickers has been missing for a while, too. Hope no oneâs snatched him up. Otherwise, heâs got himself a new -â
         As I flipped to the next page, I found another newspaper stuffed between the pages of the Wise Gazette, the Richmond Dispatch.
         âThe Richmond Dispatch? I havenât seen one of these since ⊠since I was last there,â I uttered as memories flooded my memory. âWhat is this doing in here? Mmm ... what is Uncle Eli doing with a Richmond paper?â
         I wasnât sure why Uncle Eli had a newspaper from Richmond. Yes, we were from Richmond, but we hadnât been there in ages. We no longer had family there, so we never visited. I thought maybe he just missed home like I did at times and felt nostalgic. So, I began flipping the pages of the Richmond Dispatch.
         As I flipped through the local news, nothing sounded or looked familiar. It wasnât a surprise. So many years passed, but for some reason, I was hoping that something would pop out at me. Anything to jog my memory and make me go, âOh, I remember this!â or âOh, wow! Thatâs still there!â But nothing like that happened.
         I finally got to the last page of the local news, and as I scanned the section, my heart stopped. I dropped my fork on the table and harshly swallowed the bacon down. Just after missing pets were missing persons. There was only one person listed. The listing read as follows:
Antonia Clare Duff
Missing since June 9, 2004
Age: 14
Sex: Female
Height: unknown
Weight: unknown
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Missing from: St. Paulâs Daycare
Report #: 20-621117
Circumstances: Antonia was last seen on June 9, 2004. She was waiting for her grandmother in front of the daycare in the parent pickup section when she suddenly disappeared. She was 4 years old then (see picture above). She is now 14 years old. Below is a picture of what she may look like now. If you have information about the whereabouts of this missing person, please contact the Richmond Police Department's Missing Persons Unit.
Special Message from Parents: Antonia, we love you. We hope you are okay, and if you see this, please know weâve never stopped looking for you. Please come home! We miss you dearly.
         âI ⊠Iâve been missing? My parents are alive? What the fuck!â
         I clutched the newspaper in my hands, and the tears began building up in my eyes when I heard a familiar sound coming from the driveway.
         âUncle Eli!â
         I took the page of the missing persons, shoved it in my backpack, and folded the newspapers the way I found it. I shoveled a large piece of pancake into my mouth and pretended that I was scrolling through my social media just before Uncle Eli â or whoever he was â walked in.
         âAh! I was about halfway to the university when I realized I left this behind,â Uncle Eli said, grabbing the newspaper. âI wasnât too far, so I decided to turn around.â
         I nodded.
         He studied my face for a moment. âHave you been crying?â he asked.
         I shook my head and pointed to my phone. It was a clip of a bride walking down the aisle.
         âSo beautiful!â I said with my mouth full.
         âOh, boy! Haha! You get so emotional over the smallest things.â He petted my head, and it took everything in me not to jump away from his touch. âTry not to get yourself worked up before first period.â
         âWill do!â I smiled.
         The man who claimed to be my uncle gave me another kiss on the forehead and walked out the front door. I swallowed the pancake with some difficulty. My hands shook as I pushed my plate away. I ran over to the window to make sure Uncle Eli was gone again, and once he was, I whipped out the newspaper article. I read it over and over again.
         âThey survived. They didnât die.â The tears welled up in my eyes. âHe ⊠he lied to me!â This time, I couldnât stop the tears from falling.
         For over 10 years, I believed that my parents had drowned when their cruise ship capsized after a smaller boat hit them head-on. They were celebrating their 6th year anniversary. The morning before they boarded the cruise, they dropped me off at my grandmaâs house.
         âBehave for Grandma, okay?â my mom told me.
         âOkay!â
         âWe love you!â
         They kissed and hugged me goodbye; that was the last time I saw them.
         Two days later, at daycare, I was waiting on a bench in the pickup circle for my grandma to get me. The teachers were talking to a few of the parents who were there picking up their kids. Everything was normal. I just happened to look over toward the playground and saw Uncle Eli standing there by the fence. I waved at him, and he waved back. He put his finger to his lips and waved me over. I looked to see what my teachers were doing. They were still yapping with the parents. So, I jumped off the bench and quietly ran to the playground fence.
         âHi, Uncle Eli!â
         âHi, puddinâ! How was daycare?â
         âIt was good. Iâve been learning to count and write my name,â I told him.
         âOh, thatâs good. Real good,â he stated, his expression turning gloomy.
         âWhatâs wrong, Uncle Eli?â
         âPuddinâ, Iâve got some awful news, but I canât tell you here.â
         âWhy not?â
         âBecause I need to show you something. Youâll come with me? Itâs important. I promise!â
         âMm! Grandma is supposed to pick me up, though,â I state with concern.
         âI know, but sheâs a little tied up right now, so she tasked me with picking you up today because of whatâs happened.â
         What happened? I thought it must be serious if Grandma sent Uncle Eli to get me. He only came to pick me up occasionally with my father.
         âOkay. Letâs go,â I conceded.
         âAlright, Puddinâ,â Uncle Eli said with his hand extended.
         I grabbed his hand, and we walked to his car. He put me in the childâs seat he already had in the backseat and buckled me in. We pulled off seconds later. Sometime later, we arrived at his house, and he turned on the news and showed me that the cruise ship my parents were on had sank. The reporter kept saying that many were dead and missing, and they were still looking for the bodies. I cried my eyes out. Uncle Eli comforted me and said that Grandma was too old to look after me long-term, so I was going to stay with him. Then, he told me that staying in Richmond was too painful because it reminded him of his brother and my mom. Thatâs when he told me heâd already packed my bags and we were moving to Wise, which I discovered much later was on the other side of Virginia.
         Then, about three weeks after moving to Wise and asking about my grandma a billion times, he told me that she had died of natural causes. I cried even more. What family did I have left besides Uncle Eli? My heart was unbelievably shattered at the age of four.
         However, now sitting at my abductorâs kitchen table, catching him in a lie about my parents, I wasnât so sure my grandma died of natural causes. My brain was overwhelmed with questions. What happened on that ship? How did they make it out? When did they find out I was missing? Was Uncle Eli really related to my dad? Did they suspect him or someone else? What really happened to my grandma? I wanted all of these questions answered, but I knew I couldnât get the answers here. So, I folded the newspaper neatly this time, put it back in my backpack, and headed towards the front door.
         Out of instinct, I grabbed my keys from the key holder on the wall. I stopped myself and glanced at the keys. My house key, garage key, and spare key to my uncleâs cabin in Washington were attached to a glittery pride flag keychain he got for me shortly after I came out of the closet to him. He said it symbolized his undying love and that he'd always love me no matter who or what I was. I cringed at the thought.
         I put the keys back on the hook and opened the door, but something stopped me from leaving. I looked back at the keys.
         âActually,â I snatched the keys, âI may need these later. I donât need him suspecting me either if things donât pan out. Uh! Where do I even begin?â
         After a moment, I thought of my friend, who also happened to be my neighbor, and wondered if she had left for school yet. I locked the door behind me and sprinted two doors down to her house.
         âToni!â Sophia greeted me with a hug. âI thought you wouldâve left by now. I was just about to leave myself.â
         âActually, Sophie, I thought I could talk to you for a second. Iâve got a really big problem, and I donât want to be alone right now.â
         Sophia nodded. âOh, okay. Well, letâs walk and talk.â
         She tried to walk through the door past me, but I held my arm out. She stopped and gave me a puzzled look.
         âSophie, we canât talk about this out in the open,â I explained. âWe have to talk about this inside. I canât risk the wrong person overhearing us. This is serious.â
         âWhat is going on?â Sophia questioned, pulling me inside and sitting on the living room sofa.
         I pulled out the newspaper article and showed it to Sophia. Her eyes widened once they landed on the missing persons section. She looked at me and then back at the picture of 4-year-old me.
         âOh my god! Thatâs you! Well, your last name is different,â she mentioned, "but that's definitely you!"
         I rubbed my temple. âYeah, my uncle wanted us to have a fresh start, so we changed our last names once we got here.â
         âWhoa! This is insane!â Sophia exclaimed, reading through the rest of the article. âOh my â have you tried calling them?â
         âNo, I havenât called anyone,â I answered. âI donât even know what to say.â
         âYou donât know what to say?!â Sophia looked dumbfounded. âJust say, âHey! Iâm the girl everyone is looking for.â Thatâs what you say. Look! Your parents even have their number listed. Donât you want to talk to them after all this time?â
         I followed Sophiaâs finger on the page, and sure enough, my parentsâ number was listed beneath the police departmentâs number.
         Growing up in a completely different setting from Richmond gave me a physical disconnect from what I once knew. The house I once lived in. The daycare I attended. My grandmother. My parents. It all seemed nonexistent and out of reach once Uncle Eli and I started fresh in a new town, but now that all changed. Right in front of me in ink was a sure way to reconnect with the parents I missed dearly.
         âToni,â Sophia gently called my name. âHey, earth to Toni.â
         âWha-?â The shock was finally getting to me.
         âHey! Youâre zoning out on me. Listen to the sound of my voice. Thatâs right. Take some deep breaths. In,â Sophia inhaled, âand out,â she exhaled.
         Together, we did this simple breathing exercise until she felt I was cognizant enough to follow the conversation again.
         âGood now?â Sophia asked.
         âYeah, for now anyway,â I said.
         âSo ⊠what do you want to do?â
         Honestly, I knew I had to reach out to the authorities and let them know who I was and what had happened. I knew I had to get away from Uncle Eli and snitch on the guy who had been taking care of me for ten years. I knew what I had to do but hadnât thought about what I wanted to do. Yet, as soon as the question was posed, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
         âI want to hear my mom and dadâs voice,â I whispered.
         Sophia nodded. âOkay, letâs give them a call.â
         I reached for my phone and started dialing the number, but Sophia snatched the phone from me halfway through.
         âWhat the hell!â I yelled.
         âNot on your phone!â she advised. âUse mine instead. Just in case Uncle Whatever-the-fuck-his-real-name-is checks your logs. Weirdos like him usually have crazy habits, you know.â
         âOh,â I said. âGood thinking.â
         I nervously pushed the numbers on the keypad, and my hands shook as I stared at the number on the screen. âIâm so nervous. What if they donât think itâs me? What if they donât answer? What if âŠ.â
         Sophia looked at me while she considered my concerns. Then, she said, âIf someone I loved was missing, and I was looking for them for a very long time, Iâd try my best not to miss a single phone call because one of those phone calls could lead me back to them. So, yeah, they may not believe you, or they may not answer, but I highly doubt that. Someoneâs bound to answer.â
         I was thanking the universe that I had such a great friend in Sophia. So, with her encouragement, I pressed dial. The phone rang forever.
         Ring! Ring! Ring! Ring!
         âHello?â
Author's Note: When I saw this prompt, I knew I just had to write this. It took me a while to actually get it done, but voila! Thank you for taking the time to read this, and as always, comments, likes, and reblogs are welcome.
Toni D
Visit my bookshelf to read more!
Credit for dividers to @cafekitsune đđ€đ©·
"Mine, Part 1" © 2024 by Toni D
All rights reserved. No part of this written work may be reproduced in any form without permission from the author. Do not repost, translate, plagiarize or otherwise repurpose.
You, 14 years old, wake up and head to the kitchen for breakfast before school. While you're eating you see the newspaper and glance at the missing kids section. Itâs you. Date missing: 10 years ago.
#hey Toni#the bookshelf#suspense#prompt#writeblr#black writer#black blogger#writing community#spilled ink#writing prompt#creative writing
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Ëââ§ê°á preparing winter arc à»ê± â§âË
It's been a while uh? Since... September I guess. I manifested stuff like food... Basically food and 1k subscribers. Which is nice and
Thank you so much!!! đ©”đ©·đ©”đ©·
Here is a little story. Before I made this page, I've already made many many many tumblr accounts about Loa. Nothing happened. I posted and waited for people to come. I wanted to be popular. But.. No.. I had 5 followers.. Counting myself with.
With Pamicakery, when I created that page.. I felt like my post will be viral if I can put it like this. For me, it was a great idea. No doubts it's gonna flop. I decided. Today I am here sitting with 1k people with me. 1k. I never had so much in my life but I knew. I decided, I told myself that this page is gonna grow. People will come and appreciate what I have to say.
Before the Pamicakery account, I had an Instagram page. I used to post my drawing and nothing happened. For 3 years. Even if I posted, the best I could have got was 5 likes.
I put it as a goal. I want my 100 followers. I want them and I will have them. I affirmed, for days. 3 days I affirmed. Even thought I saw that. For me that 84 will change into a 100.
And here we are 3 days later.
Your life can change In a snap of the fingers.
It's not a lie. This is what a change of mindset do to your 3d. I wasn't destined to keep my 72 followers for the rest of my life. It was a circumstance but I decided that I was above it.
And I was thinking about my appearance and I was like.. How many
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Are we gonna be like this? Crying over our desires, seeing summer and winter pass. How many time? Because one day, if you do nothing your Sp will be taken, your job offer will go away. How many time will your scroll on tumblr for the best advice? Are you gonna have epiphany at 60's?
Why do you keep asking '' Can I manifest this or that? ''.
You decide. It's like going in a restaurant and asking another customer if you can order this or that.
Stop seeing your life Scrolling in front of eyes. Years and years are going. We have to be strong, we have to decide and persist.
It's not that bad if you don't believe it but keep persisting in having the thought that you can do it.
Keep thinking it. It will become an assomption.
You are the General and your army follows you. If you think you will fail, you army will think that too.
You don't want to be a loser anymore, you don't want to whine about your circumstances. So do i.
We have only one 2024 in all the history of humanity and you are wasting this. So get up, and train your mind to success, Saturate it with your achievement, be happy because you will succeed, Program your brain to success. Affirm, visualise. The success must be running 24/24 in your mind.
Get up early, if it's hard? Go harder! But never stop, decide. Don't let the 3d making fun of you anymore. If you think it's to hard, you are weak, the 3d will not sugar coat you.
Be stronger, be unstoppable. Shout in your 4d, Roar in your mind, and keep going! Keep going and keep going and keep going. Take 5 minutes and repeat that you will succeed, go to your mind to seek for evidence, persist and never give up.
One day there will be no more 3 days, or a week, or tomorrow. Decide to change today, right now.
-choose.
-see it as a goal.
-The image of your success should be your 4d wallpaper.
-Affirm and Condition Your Brain for Success
-Persist and know that it will change.
-make internal conversation.
-Repeat the thought of you being good at manifesting
LET'S DO THIS WINTER ARC AS MASTERS MANIFESTER.
(I just came here to say that, but then.. I'll put myself in the state of a conqueror, a warrior and a master Manifester. đ)
#loa tumblr#law of assumption#loassumption#robotic affirming#loa assumptions#manifestation#affirming loa#loa blog#affirm and manifest 𫧠đâš ÖŽÖŽÖ¶Öž Ù Ë#affirm and persist
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i remember the day i decided to be yours, mere months in. i spent a lot of time at your place back then, i didn't want to subject you to the dmz that existed at mine. i had offered to cook that night, indulging your seafood craving with a mixed ceviche. simple, low-effort, nutritious.
i wasn't paying attention to your netflix selection, i was too busy snuggling on your chest. you had me shift my weight some, acting as if your arm had fallen asleep, but used the opportunity to put your mouth right up against my ear.
"From now until I say otherwise, if you speak, I'll ban you from this house for a month." the honeyed threat made my eyes open with concern, and just as I tried to turn to see if you were serious your hands held my head in place. "No moving, no talking. Your job right now is to listen, bunny, this is important." a moment passed in silence. then a second. my body finally relaxed, and then it began.
i'm sure you'd said the first few things before, how much you loved me, how much i meant to you, how much you missed me when i couldn't be with you, maybe in passing when we went out on dates. i wondered silently if you really thought I would object to them. of course, this was just the artillery, the real onslaught came after.
you whispered to me about pride, about admiration, about impact. you felt me tense again but just cooed softly in my ear about strength, about resilience, about perseverance. every alarm in my head was screaming, but i dared not defy you. whispers dripping with affection flowed like rapids, and when i realized you meant every word... i broke down.
you'd seen tears on my face before, quickly wiped away and plugged like a leaky dam, but you'd never seen me cry. a switch must've flipped in your mind because the confident whispers turned to gentle soothing and shushing. your arms wrapped around my body and you pressed me into your chest. i couldn't stop it now, years of bottled suffering soaked your sweater. i tried to apologize between sobs, paddling upstream with all my might so you'd know i took responsibility for ruining the moment, that i didn't deserve your kindness or your attention, but between gasps for breath and a stuffy nose, i don't think it sounded coherent.
"Empty it all out, bunny, let it all go for me," you cooed lovingly, and i didn't have the bandwidth to argue. whatever you had playing on the television was long over by the time i had fallen silent. i had nothing left, not an iota of energy; i felt myself slipping. i must've mumbled something as i passed out, your voice was the last thing i remember.
"Yes you do, bunny, all of it. You're such a good boy for me."
#gentle fdom#gentle domination#subby bunny#boy sub#subby men#subby boys#mommy k!nk#1cky mommy#stream of consciousness#letters to nobody#spilled ink#praise k!nk
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November 8 - Friday
Whew! Caught up at last!! (took me long enough)
Today was actually pretty good. I called Angel before school which made me really happy!! (I love him sm ill sob rn actually). My class wasn't toooo bad. The teacher talked sooo much ugh, but I drew the whole time so it was fine. I made my oc thinnn n pretty, love him. Also we had to go around the room and talk to people for like 30 minutes. 30. (did yk you have 30 minutes??)
It was so nerve wracking, especially because I was unprepared lol. I bet I looked like such a total weirdo with the lack of eye contact I was making, but at the time I was just trying not to break a nervous sweat LMAO.
Then, after my class I went to the library (on call w/Ange) and did an assignment. I went home afterwards because my phone was gonna die, and I needed my charger.
After a bit at home, I went to my next class, and I had a test in this one. It went good I think! We studied beforehand which I'm really grateful for.
We had a break in this class, so I went to walk around for a minute, and during this my mom texted me with:
"Eli
What did u eat today"
...
nothing. So, I said "I had some chicken nuggetss after my class hehe"
to which she responded "No fries no pop. How many nuggets"
GURL. So i was like "I did get some fries lol? and i got 10 why?"
and she just CONVENIENTLY NEVER RESPONDED. UGH.
(but wait theres more.)
After my class ended I went home and got ready for work. I was otp w/Angel (because seriously when am I not?) and he was playing minecraft. It was so peaceful and entertaining to watch and listen to him play- I loved every bit of it. Then, we talked about how we should play together (I ltrly will do anything to idc).
Work was actually ehh, not toooo bad. My dad and friend and her mom stopped by which was nice, and also my hairdresser LOL. They both tipped really well (obviously my dad did but yk).
I went home after what felt like one billion years, I was so so so happy. When I got home I just said a few things about my day like I usually do, and made sure to slip in the fact that I got a free meal at work. Which isn't wrong, I did, but I didn't get anything. I actually am just gonna let my friend get something tomorrow. but they don't have to know all that shhhhhhhh.
Then my mom stopped in front of me and was like what did you eat? and so i repeated myself bc no one listens to me <3
(I told her fried chicken tenders, fries, mac and cheese for context, a very 'me' meal tbh or at least it was)
Then, she was like "how many chicken tenders?" "no drink?" "did you finish it? all of it?" "so then you ate 2 full meals today?"
oh. my god. like. genuinely.
why. is. she. interrogating. me. pls. fucking. leave. me. alone. IM GENUINELY MORTIFIED AND HONESTLY IM SO AGGRIVATED. LET ME STARVE IN PEACE HOLY FUCK.
I tried to act like a normal person and be like ??? why are you interrogating me? BC WHY ARE YOU (as if I'm not literally starving myself)
She was just like "because I need to make sure you're getting nutrients." ok girl.
Then, I went to my room and she went to bed. I cleaned my room a bit and did a homework assignment, so I'm pretty proud of myself.
Also if you couldn't tell by now I fasted today. I was gonna either 48 hr fast or do 2 24 hr fasts back to back, but I think I'm just gonna do around 36 hrs. I wanna eat in front of my mom tomorrow so maybe she'll start leaving me alone (I seriously doubt it).
It just gets really frustrating when every meal I have she thinks isn't enough, even when I'm genuinely full. I can't eat like I used to like I physically cannot, she has to get that.
Anywho, I was thinking of making some cucumber boats tomorrow, I think it'll be fun.
Total Steps: 6.7k
Look at me meeting my step goal for once. I'm gonna start really making an effort at meeting it!
'Til tomorrow :)
(P.S. actually getting activity on these makes me so nervous but haiii)
#light as a đȘ¶#th!nsp0#thinneristhewinner#thinspĂž#thin$po#tw restriction#light as a feather#3ating d1sorder#th!n$piration#âïž ing motivation#putting the â in âving#âïžve#âïžvation goals#âïžrving#tw skipping meals#tw ana blĂžg#tw ed ana#tw ana rant#tw 3d vent#tw thinspi
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you coming out of your isolation cavern to read đ€ me going to my isolation cavern after posting (we love our isocaverns don't we) BUT YES YOUR NAME! AHAHAHA no i needed that validation, tho i ended up making my villains milder than i had initially planned
AHAHAHA you should not have held back i would love to hear the feedback from bleach's perspective I USED SO MANY QUOTES HERE BRO but i'm sure you noticed most? of them hehe thank you for being so thoughtful tho <33
wc who i don't know her (it's 16kish im so sorry folks)
THAT MIDDLE PIC AAAAAAAA RIGHT i found it by chance but it's so fitting considering how all the cameras are pointing to him hehe
omg you're the second person to compare this to new world and this was unintentional but it ended up this way and now i see why too. he's a delulu prince in that fic, he's a delulu politician here. same same.
doing reblog reply same format as you so hongjoong:
PREP WHAT did i forget to mention that you're already PREPPED for him should i have to spell that out READER WAS PREPPED BEFORE THE EVENT EVEN BEGAN LOLLLLL (is prep short for prepared bc how come i never connected the dots)
omg the collective pronouns vs first person yes thank you for noticing i can always count on you to notice all the details (even those i haven't noticed myself LOL)
YES OMG we are manipulated and aware and trapped and in love and also wanting to be free we are âšconfusedâš
AND YES MY FAV DETAIL from going to being the salvation of the common people, 'they will, for the sake of loyalty, put a blindfold over their eyes. they will hold him in high reverence as he becomes their lord, their saviour' TOOOO he is 'your lord, your saviour' WHO ARE WE ARE WE THE COMMON PPL
seonghwa:
what do you mean you had to google what jekyll was about DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO/WHAT JEKYLL AND HYDE IS (screams do you not get the concept) (<-i've been using tiktok too much)
with park seonghwa... you gotta be delusional to function man
HELP AHAHAHAHA PREYING WHY DID ANIMALS BY MAROON 5 STARTED PLAYING IN MY HEAD WHEN I READ THAT LINE
LMAO okay miss ma'am i see you're the obsessive kind hmm *takes note*
lmao yes the soul society was supposed to be an alternate term for their society name but i came up with nothing better (i was cbs) so soul society it is
THEY'VE TEASED EACH OTHER ENOUGH IT'S TIME TO GET đ€Ș FREAKYY
bruh so real story: i made seonghwa an alter-ego serial killer first, right. but... it wasn't working for me, bc for that to be impactful with someone like seonghwa, i felt like the reader had to be the victim or be morally white at first. but then it would become a story about seonghwa morally corrupting the reader (i think i should make that a separate fic) anddd then i decided seonghwa is a saint in all universes and must not get his hands directly dirty LOL idk i failed to write him as a true villain he's so morally white coded that all i could get to was morally grey seonghwa yfeel
yunho
AHAHAHA yes hunter yunho with that moodboard HITS (also another real story i planned to make him a stalker/serial killer but then i was like there's so much stalker stuff out there and then i spent some good time thinking what other villains he can make. cult leader- again, a lot of fics about it. so serial killer it is. again. basically guerrilla LOL)
can there be one yunho fic without a mention of his hand in my blog? if that happens, that's not me. that's an impostor.
how would girlie know he kills for fun when it's THE JEONG YUNHO come on chron we know we all would fold instantly
i'll fix him :D (i want him to fix me-)
YES AHAHAHAHA THOSE QUOTES are some of my fav from bleach and yes about your analysis that's not what i intended but if it comes off like that to the reader, that's a bonus for me bro (i actually wrote all of this fic head empty no thoughts so surprisingly the details you've caught in this, 90 percent happened on their own)
yeosang
oooo not even bones sounds interesting but yeah medical malpractice and stuff like this happens a lot in real life unfortunately :/
lmao the imagery right ahhahahaha đđ just tired but can't-wait-to-see-the-loml yeosang coming for his daily kiss before he gets back to work LOL
THE GUTS WAS UNINTENTIONAL TOO SEE NOTHING SO FAR HAS BEEN INTENTIONAL BUT THANK YOU FOR ANALYSING THIS FIC LIKE A LITERATURE STUDENT LOVE YOU
RIGHT that bleach quote when i tell you i've been ITCHING to use it somewhere since i first came across it and only to end up using here is kinda diabolical djfghdfkgh
yeosang and chicken are besties again if i don't mention chicken in a yeosang fic? impostor
san
WAREHOUSE MENTION HEHEHE
yess also one of my fav quotes hehe and omg that quote hits too i'm gonna save it for sth in the future (also literally who do i need to sell my soul to to come up with the juiciest dialogues like tite kubo does)
yeah so san was the 3rd or 4th member i wrote (yeosang first and seonghwa second and maybe yunho after) and by that time i had already lost the plot (of how villains was not supposed to be cute fluff like THIS) but i'm happy with how this turned out anyway :')
yepp i'm gonna try doing the judge, jury and executioner trio fr in some fic in the future (says i who is taking a break from writing LOL it's never a break with me)
mingi
youth mv mingi >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
yep very domestic now this was intentional AHAHAHA thank you for commenting on it <3
RISKING IT ALL FOR A TIP LIKE A TRUE KDRAMA LEAD okay but when i write and i need to think about plot twists or whatever i usually think of my fic like a kdrama too and play it in my head so yes you can see the influence here
ahaha i'm glad i got mingi's characterisation good bc honestly for me he's been the hardest to write (bc he's literally me i'm literally mingi minus the being scared and jumpy part we're literally the same ppl)
omgg yes now that comparison you made thank you that put a smile on my face (says i who's been giggling the entire time i read your reblog)
EXCUSE ME WDYM YOU (H)ATE HIM DFGHDKJFGH IM CALLING THE COPS
real tho. mingi's was my fav to write too which is why i'm hoping i can make a full fic out of this and have exactly this painting scene somewhere :'))
wooyoung
wooyo MADE for e2l fics ngl
lmao your wooyo feedback is so funny WDYM GET IN LINE FDJGHKDFG
no but the clash between their jobs/morals and then their attraction. doomed lovers. oh, how i love doomed lovers :')
jongho
RIGHT my fav reader character was the jongho one we love a powerboss girly slay pop who's got crazy comebacks huehuehe
but yes the vulnerability in between this game they're playing. ahhh. they need to sit down and have a drink and really, really talk about why they are the way they are
AND YES i loved this lil moment where jongho tells reader to stand up straight like?? we love a man who recognises a woman's worth. the only time he'd want the reader to not stand up straight and maybe bend and maybe maybe be on her knees is when she finally submits to him iykwim-
BUT YES he remains a (loveable) little shit
YOU WILL NEVER OWN ME says she when in reality we all know that's not happening we fold way too easily-
Ateez as Villains
disclaimer: read at your own risk. do not interact if not comfortable with any tropes. reminder that this is a work of fiction and must be treated so.Â
warnings: absolutely no morals here, 18+ mdni, illegal acts (abduction, murder, physical abuse, stalking, trafficking, financial crimes, dirty politics, corruption), suggestive/nsfw scenes, explicit language (swearing, insults), death, violence, blood & injuries, weapons, smoking, drugs, alcohol
a/n: couldn't have done this without @eightmakesonebraincell's and @chronicvagabonds' validation lmao also tribute to tite kubo for coming up with the juiciest dialogues, some of which i quoted here
Hongjoong
The Manipulator
hongjoong always knew he had leadership skills
from being the team leader whenever he played games as a young child, to growing up and eventually influencing people
he was often told that he has a certain way of pulling peopleâs attention and leave something stirring inside them with his words
so it is no surprise that hongjoong is where he is today. a renowned businessman, philanthropist and⊠politician
hongjoong adjusts the sleeves of his shirt and glances at you from the mirror
you are standing behind him, holding his coat for him. he wears it with a proud smile and holds his chin high
âtonight is very important. for me. for this country.âÂ
he goes on about how there will be people from all over the country
people who are the foundation of this nation. people who care about the future of this worldÂ
and if you werenât so blinded by the adoration you have for this man you would have called him delusional
but the fact is that you are deluded by him. hongjoong has the ability to cast a spell with his words
he feeds his supporters the lie of a better world in the near future, and they bow to him
hongjoong smiles devilishly at the thought of what entails the events of tonight
he can picture it clearly- the cheers and desperate screams of his followers as he steps on the podium
the cries of these people, as helpless as sheeps in a herd, waiting for an upright politician to save this nationÂ
he can feel the thrill just imagining what it will be like tonight when he addresses the nation as the new face of his political party
to a common person, he would just be another man with a good heart striving for a better change
but the common person is weak, and for them⊠he is their salvation
they will hear his words tonight- words he has carefully crafted himself. the cues will register in their minds, and they will end up seeking him to announce their undying support and loyalty, to shower in his glory
you straighten hongjoongâs coat and smooth over his shirt, your hands unsteady with anticipation
âarenât you happy to be right next to me when i conquer the stage tonight?â he whispers, lifting your chin up
you meet his eyes and he can see his answer there
you hope he doesnât see the conflict in your eyes. the conflict is to be concealed in your heart, in the deepest, untouchable corner of it
you are blessed, they tell you, to be the politicianâs favoured
and you are- you truly are. hongjoong loves you. he adores you
in fact⊠heâs almost obsessed with you
and why wouldnât he be? you were the one who led him here
you were the one who held his hand and showed him the right path- his partner, and now his secretary
oh, how you sometimes wish you could turn back the hands of the clock and go back to when hongjoong was hopeless and thought that the world was a wretched place beyond saving
that is when you told him that the only way to run this world was to join hands with the elites of this nation- or to become one
it must be the fates that led him to where he is today
after all, isnât he a king without a crown? a ruler without a throne?
he is a born leader and a strategist. he has always been good with his words
itâs how he earned the favour and graces of the elites and the politicians and made a place for himself- not under them, but beside them
but to stand beside those people, you have to be a little⊠corrupt. and morally ambiguous
the world is not run by saints, after all
âsweetheart?â he calls when he sees you are distracted
you donât miss the warning tone in his voice. tonight, you have to be on your toes
you have to seek out willing supporters and show them that they mean the world to hongjoong and his political party
but more importantly⊠you need to target other politicians, find their weaknesses and if lucky, have some join hands with you
âiâm here,â you tell him and he nods firmly, pressing a kiss to your temple
âi will see you tonight,â he promises, and you know what he means
he always gets such a thrill out of playing the leader
he gets so much energy, and he has to take it out one way or another
and what better way to take it out in the form of lovemaking?
you feel warmth course through your body as he trails his finger down the middle of your chest purposely
he almost smiles maniacally as he leaves first, giving you a moment to gather your wits
you pour yourself a glass of drink- you canât possibly do this sober
you join hongjoong as he gives his first speech- a very normal talk about how this nation is on the verge of collapse
corruption, crime, inhumanity, dirty politics? you name it
you admire his resilience, really. whatever he is talking about comes straight from his heart, and he has been talking about these issues for a long time now
you also admire his pompousness and the audacity to talk about dirty politics, when he is the face of dirty politics
you join the audience when they clap for him, your heart full of pride
there is a break where he meets with the high-profile people and asks them to consider joining hands with him
âto make a better world for the future generationsâ. such inspiring words from such a young political leader
except hongjoongâs trick is that he always, always has something over them
he has a team dedicated specifically for this task- to dig dirt on his political targets so he can wield them like the blade of a guillotine over their heads
despite his evil means to climb the top, somehow, his image and reputation remains far too clean
and that is because he knows to take these actions behind the scenes, away from any eyes
a true politician, heâs been dubbed
it is about midnight when the hall almost empties, leaving only the members of your party and some new faces- people who are willing to hear him out and decide if they want to join his party
you wish you could tell them that it is a trap- hongjoong will promise that their efforts and support will lead them to something great
âthe greater goodâ, he always says, except these people do not know what they are getting into
they are merely sacrificial lambs, the stepping stones that will lead hongjoong closer to his utopia
they will, for the sake of loyalty, put a blindfold over their eyes. they will hold him in high reverence as he becomes their lord, their saviour
he will feed them copper pellets and claim that this is the best that they can get while he himself sits on a throne made of gold
and when they empty every last drop of whatever they have to offer- their blood, sweat and tears
hongjoong will discard them without remorse. that is who he is- a master manipulator
when you are done wrapping up the event in the deep, dark hours of the night, hongjoong finds you in your bedroom
his chest is heaving with energy that is threatening to combust from within him
he outstretches his hand and you saunter over to him
his hands are dominating when he holds you, though his kiss is soft and unrushed
until that too becomes scalding hot
he is quick to lead you to the couch where you sit on his lap, finding him painfully hard
he groans loudly and starts to unbuckle his pants, and you instantly know what he wants- you always know what he wants
he easily slides his hard length inside your warmth and groans heavily in relief, resting his head back and just letting you both stay still
you only move to rest your head against his shoulder. he can have you like this for as long as he wants
âwe have a lot of new supporters tonight,â he begins, chuckling deeply, âthe polls seem to be in our favour too.â
his dark curls caress your face as you snuggle against him
âwe also managed to score deals with many influential politicians and businessmen tonight,â he tells you and you look at him with pride as he names them
âsoon,â he begins, trailing his hands under your dress and squeezing your thighs, âsoon⊠we will have our people in every sector- in business, healthcare, industrial, courts⊠we will be controlling the nation- we⊠we are the leaders of this nation.â
his cock twitches inside you as he finishes that sentence and you bite your lips in thought
âwhat are you thinking, love?â he asks, caressing your face
âi just sometimes wonder,â you begin- can you admit your bare thoughts to him?
he squeezes your thigh as a sign to go ahead
âi wonder how we got here, joong,â you admit, âyou know that we are exploiting people-â
âfor the greater good-â
âfor the greater good, yes,â you finish, nodding and he furrows his brows in concentration
âthese people are just like us. we were once slaves of this society, but now we are the leaders. and they are our slaves. butâŠâ
âthey will offer us what they have,â hongjoong replies softly, âand we will make the best out of it. isnât that right?â
you nod. there is no more space for any more questioning
you have never like the darkness in his eyes when you question his- your- methods
all he knows is that he is right
he knows what he is doing is wrong in essence, but it is about the bigger picture- he is doing this for his nation
and you cannot expect to run a nation claiming to be a saint
the nation is run by wolves, and to make space there, you must be some sort of a predator. that is who he has become
his grip on your thighs tighten and he starts to grind your body on him
between the sounds of pleasure is the groan of pain as he spanks your thighs and remind you of your place
âall you have to do is follow me,â he breathes into your ear, trailing his lips across your cheek. âall you have to do is stay with me. togetherâŠâ he thrusts hard inside you. âtogether, we will rule the world one day, you and i.â
you nod and he swallows your moans as he kisses you, thrusting with all his might until you both come crashing down
he takes you to the shower and you both quickly clean up and get in bed
as you watch his figure relax and succumb to sleep, you confess to him
âyou are a great politician, hongjoong,â you tell him and the corners of his lips curl in a smile. âiâm just afraid of going too far with you. every day, we learn that we can get worse than we are, yetâŠâ
âyet, it has become my addiction and my duty,â he whispers, hand finding your bare arm and caressing it. âdonât you want to rule the world?â
âyou will rule the world. i will be treading on your shadow, following you closely and sharpening my teeth⊠but afraid.â
âafraid of what?â
âof you,â you breathe and he opens one eye
âyou wonât leave me, will you?â he asks innocently, yet it is there- the warning in his tone
you are responsible for who he is today. you are an accomplice
every person he ruins to get closer to the top, you are equally responsible for it
âof course not,â you tell him, âi canât leave you.â
hongjoong notices your choice of words
you can not leave him- you do not have a choice
he holds you close and kisses you like he means it that night
it would be such a shame if he would have to throw you away after all of this, right?Â
it would truly be such a shame if you are just like the others in the end- weak and helpless
since you know exactly what is going on inside hongjoongâs head, you tell him you love him like you really mean it and you let him hold you close
it may be a trap, but you donât mind being trapped if this is where you end up every night- in his arms
your lord, your saviour
The Manipulator and the Manipulated
Seonghwa
Jekyll
park seonghwa is a man who is adored wherever he goes
be it at work- at a prestigious university as a neuroscience professor, dr. park, or at social gatherings, formal or informal
he is a man born with the best manners, the most caring and generous heart
youâve seen him around the department as a masters student and attended a few of his classesÂ
but you never got to interact with him personally until itâs time to choose a thesis supervisor and you learn that you have a chance with him
itâs purely because heâs amazing at what he doesÂ
your subfield matches with his specialty so it will be better if heâs your supervisor (and itâs only a bonus that the man is painfully hot so youâll never be bored)
your professor recommends you to seonghwa and he goes over your synopsis which leaves him intrigued because coincidentally, heâs researching in molecular neuroscience as well
he gladly takes you on because he believes you both will be helping each other along the way
plus, he recognises your name- youâve always had a different air about you (and he remembers you from somewhere else too)
heâs looking forward to working with you, thatâs all
so when you arrive on your first day as his supervisee and research assistant
you catch him in his natural habitat- unaware of his surroundings, humming a tune to himself and swiping his hair hurriedly to the side with the hand thatâs holding a clear solution of some sort while struggling not to drop his notes on the table that has a few microscope slidesÂ
basically, moments away from a disaster
he spots you and grunts as if asking for help and you immediately drop your bag to rush towards him, only now noticing that somehow, heâs holding his glasses by his teeth
you first take those out of his mouth and he groans in relief. âcan you please help me wear my glasses? those cultures are moments away from expiring.â
âoh goodness,â you mutter and you lock eyes with him as you put on his glasses for him
and your intrusive thoughts take over because you simply cannot take how his hair is poking his eyes so you gently brush his hair out of his eyes
for a moment, time is frozen for all sorts of reasons
before seonghwa takes a deep breath and you blink, immediately getting out of his way and holding his notes for him
the notes apparently hold the readings on how much solution he needs to pour so you read it for him and consequently save him from a disaster
as soon as he is done freezing the cultures, he holds the edge of the table to save himself from slumping in relief
and you share a laugh, the ice breaking just like that
he tells you that the student assigned for taking care of the cultures had an emergency and he had to rush from another department
and he thanks you for helping him
you both move to his office to go over your thesis and he helps you create a timeline
you wrap up the meeting with a clear direction of whatâs next and with a schedule of shifts where you will be assisting him
it doesnât take long to get used to being a part of his team of five calm students with a little streak of crazy
and you suppose dr. park has an eye for people like that because you fit right in
you are all very dedicated so he seems to be at ease when you are working, though he does monitor you more closely since youâre new
you start to spend more time in the lab simply because you like how it feels there
it is like a little cocoon where you can tune out the rest of the world and work on your thesis without distractions (plus, it helps how people from your team pop in once in a while to throw some suggestions at you)
you like how it is there- neat and clean
the sound of metal against metal, glass against glass. the smell of the cleaning agent which calms you since it is something familiar now
and then thereâs dr. park himself, gentle and composed, yet at times clumsy and rough which results in the room cackling with laughter
however, thereâs a side to him that you only see when youâre alone with him
youâre not sure if heâs like that with everyone- he must be, right?
does he pay as much attention to everyone else as you?
perhaps, youâre delusional. that must be it
seonghwa knows you must think that, because he has not been very obvious but he has not been subtle either
itâs just that he remembers you from that time. he remembers seeing your face in his friend wooyoungâs data
wooyoung, who is an expert at singling out people like them
people like seonghwa who have a little streak of crazy in them, yet manage to be a part of the society almost seamlessly
wooyoungâs company does a good job at managing these people because they ultimately help the black market grow
seonghwa is half convinced wooyoungâs company is just a faction of the government but of course he canât confirm that
all he knows is that he cannot act out too much and get caught
in return, he knows when someone like him is in his radar
here you are, glasses perched on the tip of your nose as you examine different slides under the microscope, muttering to yourself about the readings as your scribble them
he canât help but notice how you always wear that one specific shade of deep red on your lips or how your hair falls in the most irresistible way in front of your face
heâs never looked at a student this way- ever- but youâre not just a student now, are you?
so when he makes his move, approaching you from behind as silently as he can
heâs not disappointed when you turn- he didnât make a sound, yet you knew
youâre not even surprised, and that excites seonghwa to no end
âah, dr. park,â you go casually, as if him sneaking behind you was normal behaviour. âcan you approve of these hypotheses?â
seonghwa hums and stands awfully close to you, your sides brushing against each other
he purposely crowds in your personal space as he leans in to confirm the readings of the specimens on the table
âeverythingâs perfect,â he announces, meeting your eyes
youâre still sitting so you have to look up at him and lord. what a sight he is even from this angle. you could totally get used to it-
âwhat are you looking at, sweetheart?â seonghwa smirks knowinglyÂ
you have to physically struggle to maintain your composure because you are pretty sure you were gawking
ânothing, just zoned out,â you say, which isnât a lie but not the whole truth either
he knows though. he knows the effect he has on you because he hasnât been subtle
from the casual touches to the unnecessary (but not undeserved) praise
from the prolonged eye contact to the suggestive smirks
there is something electric between the two of you, an undeniable tension
and while youâre not one who sticks to the rules, you canât help but wonder just why is dr. park playing with you?
âyou sure youâre okay?â seonghwa leans in and searches your eyes for any signs of lies
upon finding none but gaining satisfaction from the way your lips part in surprise, he draws backÂ
you try your best not to make things awkward for the rest of the time youâre with him
and in the following days, his advances only start becoming stronger in nature
you like the attention he gives you. you like how he always puts his hands on your shoulders and gives them a little squeeze whenever he finds you sitting
you like the way his warm breath caresses your cheek when youâre both sitting side by side inspecting a specimen
you enjoy the sound of his gentle voice as he instructs you
itâs almost as if he knows. itâs almost as if heâs asking for it
does he not know that once you become obsessed with something, youâll try- no, you will possess it at all costs?
so one night when youâre both working at late hours, busy with wrapping up one section of your thesis
you canât take it when seonghwa scolds you teasingly for being clumsyÂ
âyouâve got pen on your chin,â he says and before you can take care of it, he himself scoots closer-
too close for it to be professional anymore because at this point, he can probably count the freckles on your face too-
and begins to rub at your the skin near your lips gently
he frowns when it doesnât come off, and then he has the audacity to lick his thumb and rub your skin again
âdr. park,â you mutter, about to remind him how you are supposed to be a teacher and student
youâre not friends (despite the very friendly relationship you have developed with him)
seonghwa only hums and you canât help but notice how he stifles a smirk as he moves his thumb to your lower lip and swipes it, all the while maintaining eye contact
you raise a brow in challenge, silently questioning why heâs still holding your chin
he leans in as if to kiss you and you stop breathing
except he tilts his head to whisper in your ear
âwould you like to attend the next soul society meeting with me, love?â
to say that you freeze is an understatement
you donât move when his lips caress your cheeks as he stays in that position
you donât move when he purposely trails his lips along your cheek as he draws back
âwhatâs your classification?â you manage to ask, your voice barely a whisper
the way seonghwa smirks is something youâll never forget
âjekyll,â he says. ânice to meet you, hyde.â
thereâs a moment of silence where all you can do is stare at the man in front of you
a moment of pure static
as soon as you take off your mask and your lips curl in a smirk, it happens
you donât know who took the first step but youâre both kissing each other
itâs rushed, passionate and desperate, the air filling with your grins and giggles and youâre only glad youâre not in the lab right now because the way seonghwa clears the table with a swipe of his hand, making the notes fall on the ground
only to lift you up and seat you there so he can kiss you better? being in the lab would have done some damage alright
between kisses, you learn how seonghwa recognised you
you ask him if he lured you here somehow, but he tells you itâs just luck that youâre here as his student right now. you donât quite believe him though
but you let it be- if heâs jekyll, that means heâs got the brains to scheme
he tells you that heâs glad to have found his hyde because he would prefer someone else to do his dirty work for him
you agree- itâs been far too long since youâve had an adventure, and youâve heard about the notorious jekyll in the soul society too. you just never connected the dots
he takes you to his private lab (not before feasting on you and fucking you on that very table)
for the next few weeks, you familiarise yourself with his actual research
mind altering chemicals and drugs, anything to do with control
very illegal stuff, but the soul society funds him with whatever he needs
he canât believe he found you- youâre perfect for him
seonghwa believes he has morals and he can be a good person
so you make the perfect partner because you can be the bad person in his stead
youâre his alter ego, the voice in his head that he never lets come out
youâre the person who not only matches his freak but helps bring it into manifestation. you are now his face
while he advances in molecular neuroscience in the world, you advance, on his behalf, in the underworld
thereâs no blood on your hands- you both only produce drugs. youâre not responsible for what is done with them
you do sometimes assist in the practical work, which seonghwa avoids, because after all, he has a reputation to maintain as dr. park
no one suspects a thing. youâre just supervisor and supervisee who share a similar obsession with research
nothing to worry about
Jekyll and Hyde
Yunho
The Hunter
when you finally got to a blind date that your friend begged you to go to, you didnât expect to meet a man who would actually catch your eye
there is something about this man, jeong yunho, that instantly pulls you in as if you really are tied by a threadÂ
for starters, he is incredibly handsome and has a soft vibe to him that exudes warmth
his voice has a soothing quality and his mannerisms are as gentle as his gaze. his laugh is pure and he makes quite a good company
he just makes you feel comfortable and safe right away, which is kind of surprising
so when yunho tells you about himself, confirming that he is indeed a corporate lawyer at a well-known firm, you are simply in awe
you thought your friend was bluffing when she told you that she is trying to set you up with a âbeauty with brainsâ
she was not lying, is all you can think now
youâre a simple school teacher, you tell yunho with a laugh
however, the manâs eyes are practically twinkling as he hears your stories about schoolÂ
youâre only telling him because he insisted, and now he canât stop appreciating your profession, saying that itâs admirable how you are able to connect with children and educate them
the conversation steers to your likes and dislikes, your preferences, and what youâre looking for in a partner
surprisingly, the two of you have a lot in common
you both have a special place in your heart for food. you both love travelling. and there are some things he does not need to say out loudÂ
like how heâs a caring person- always making sure youâre comfortable and your bowl is full, draping his coat over your shoulders when you leave the restaurant and scour the streets for something sweet
the hand that he offers you is not suggestive and you like that (you also like how tall he is and how his hand engulfs yours almost entirely)
just two people who talk about anything and everything- thatâs who you become by the end of the night
as you settle in bed later, youâre still smiling about how his eyes twinkled when he learned that you too have a thing for gaming too
you have good feelings about this person so far but thereâs a feeling scratching at your heart that has you restless
it is the way his eyes darkened almost dangerously, only momentarily, when you insisted that you could get home on your own
he was a gentleman, no doubt about it, insisting that you could never be too sure these days especially with the news being so horrible lately, the crime rate spiking up dramatically in the past few months
you just did not like the idea of having a stranger accompany you all the way to your home, even if it was this gentleman- this was only your first meeting
so he made you promise to call him and let him know when you get homeÂ
and here you are. you dated him for a few months before you both decided to move in together into an apartment that suited your needs
heâs perfect in every way- attentive, responsive, caring, funny, and he gives you space when you need it
which matters the most because you value your personal space a lot
he understands the importance of personal space very well and even though you share a room, you both let each other beÂ
you let him be when heâs gaming, and he lets you be when youâre staring at the ceiling or reading
more often though, heâll have you sit on his lap as he games
since heâs so much bigger than you, youâll curl on top of him to read or scroll and heâll be focused on his game, liking your presence
it doesnât always lead to something but when it does, itâs always fun
he has you smitten- his kisses still make you feel like itâs your first time sharing a kiss (and heâs damn good at it)
his touch lingers on your skin throughout the day and you cannot wait to be back in his arms again
it is just another night when you decide to walk and take the longer route back home because apparently yunho was going to be late and you did not want to be home alone
it gets quieter as you navigate through the streets and alleys
and when you take a turn and notice a familiar figure, you stop in your tracks
is that⊠not yunho? the back and the height looks pretty much the same
the man is watching a woman at the end of the street who is using her phone as if waiting for someone
the woman catches the man watching her and grows wary- you can tell even from the distance
you can tell that she is very much pretending to be on call when she starts moving
despite every cell in your body urging you to ignore this and go back home, you start to follow the man when he starts to follow the woman
you are careful to maintain a distance, cursing yourself internally for being a curious little shit who seeks thrill like thereâs no tomorrow
but the woman takes a left, and the man takes a right, leaving you standing in the middle of the street, taking a few deep breaths
nothing happened, you think. you turn and start to trace your path back
and just a minute later, thereâs an unmistakable sound of a womanâs scream filling the air
every hair on your body rises as your heart drops and eyes widen
youâre frozen in one spot with no idea what to do next- should you go check on the woman? see if it was the same person?Â
not once do you think of calling the police though
you walk back home, lost in your thoughts with the image of the manâs familiar figure branded in your mind especially since you are pretty damn sure that those were little sunflowers embroidered on the hem of the hoodie
sunflowers that you embroidered on yunhoâs hoodie
when you open the door to your apartment, though, you hear the sound of the TV and yunho is sitting very casually on the couch
âah, youâre home,â he grins and waves, just like he usually does
heâs not wearing the hoodie anymore
âi thought you were gonna be late?â you ask
âyouâre late,â he counters. âwhy did it take you so long to get home?â
âjust decided to take a walk,â you smile, ruffling his hair and planting a kiss on the top of his head before going to your roomÂ
you grab your clothes and move towards the bathroom to take a shower, and it is then that yunhoâs eyes widen
âah, babe?â he calls, his voice uncharacteristically high
when you donât answer, he rushes towards the bathroom and finds you standing in the doorway
your eyes are fixed on the sink which is a pale shade of pink with handprints on it
yunho curses himself internally- he rushed to hide his hoodie as soon as he got home, jumped in the shower, spotted the bloody sink from when he first washed his hands and decided to make it look like he had been home for a while before cleaning the sink
only he fucking forgot
it doesnât look as bad- itâs not a bloody red, for starters
âah, i forgot to clean that up,â yunho awkwardly laughs, proceeding to move inside and open the tap, taking a sponge and cleaning the edges of the sink
yeah. it does not look that bad
âi accidentally spilled that red ink you have in the room- i donât know why i got curious and messed with it.â
thatâs not the colour of your ink, though, and you know it never leaves stains like these
âdonât worry about it,â you tell him, but your eyes are wider than usual. yunho notices that
he lets you shower in peace, all the while thinking if you suspect something
truth be told, he saw you when you were following him back there which is why he took another turn to mislead you
he also knows you are far too observant for your own good
he canât lie- one of the reasons he fell for you is because of that. you are just like him
though you are free of sin unlike him, your mind is a mess
you notice too much that is not meant to be noticed. you sometimes say things that even he has not thought about. you question if human morals are an actual thing or a made up construct
is it from reading too much fiction? he thinks not
when you come out of the shower, something possesses you to move to the balcony
and thatâs another thing yunho likes about you (which also scares him a little at times)
it is your intuition- which leads you to inspect the little corner where you pile up useless stuff. you can see the sleeve of his hoodie there
you pick it up and find it wet in certain spots
on its black base, you canât tell what it is, but the sunflowers are stained a suspicious red colour, and itâs definitely not your inkÂ
you look towards your right where yunho is standing, vigilant
there is a moment of silence before you lower the hoodieÂ
âit really was you,â you say, unwavering
your heart is not speeding because youâre scared- it is speeding because you are right
yunho is still, contemplating how to deal with this
did he think he could hide his secret from you forever? no. was he prepared in case he gets caught? no
he just never imagined it would unfold like this
and now⊠will he have to hurt you if you threaten to expose him? he canât bear to hurt a hair on your head
you bring out all the good in him. he does not know how you do that, but you make him believe that he can love with all of his heart too, just like any other person
you make him feel whole, and it would be such a shame if things fall apart now
to his surprise, you drop the hoodie back and walk towards him until thereâs little distance between the two of you
you hold both of his hands in yours and look at him earnestly
âare you going to tell me what you have been up to?â
yunho is surprised at how calm your voice is and how accepting your eyes are
he sighs deeply before steering you to the couch in the living room
and then he bares his heart to you
he is a monster. that is it. he hurts people and it satisfies this ugly part of him
he does not always want to, he justifies, but sometimes, he just canât help it
and the only reason he gets away with it is because he is not stupid and carefully chooses his victims- people who are miserable. people who have no one around them
âwell then⊠iâm lucky to have one person in my life, right?â
yunhoâs eyes widens at your response
you fulfil the criteria of being his victim- you have no oneÂ
you have no one but him- how did that happen?
he thinks back to your first date and he canât help but feel overwhelmed
he buries his face in the crook of your neck, his head about to explodeÂ
why are you not running away from him? why are you caressing his head and holding him close?
you donât tell him everything right away. you only ask him to trust you
so he trusts you and waits for you
he learns little bits about you- you, who do not care who yunho is, as long as he is transparent with you
you, who has a twisted sense of morality. you, who might be as bad as yunho, even worse
though, your hands are clean, you tell him sarcastically, itâs just your head that is a mess
and itâs a blessing that you two are together and can be honest about this too, right? how lucky you are to have each other
âyou, without sin, are like the sun,â he tells you one night as he kisses the top of your head and holds you close
âyou, even with sin, are like the sun,â you respond.
The Hunter and His Guide
Yeosang
The Mad Scientist
there is something about the innocent features of his face, the gentleness in his mannerism, the absolute ethereal aura about him
that contrasts strikingly with the pitch black (or maybe, just two shades lighter) of his soul
the man only knows how to scheme and how to take the best possible route towards his goals
the goals are all related to science
sure, he is contributing to the scientific area, doing researches no one else would do
doctor kang yeosang- a scientist and philosopher, held in high reverence in the medical field, contributing with numerous researches centering the human body
nobody needs to know exactly how he gets such extensive, solid results to support his theories
he comes off as a soft-spoken man, someone who possesses a kind heart
he is willing to overwork himself in order to make life easier for others
he is much appreciated by his peers
they donât need to know that behind his neat and professional setup is a dark, cold space that holds his real workspace
the endless corridors lined with shelves upon shelves of jarsÂ
jars containing the human body parts within them
from the brain to the spleen, from the heart to the liver
each jar meticulously lined in an organisation such that only yeosang could close his eyes and know where to pick what he needs
each organ in the jar has a story of the human that it once was- the story that yeosang himself scribes and tucks in the safe (and in a corner of his heart)
taking it out only to read and reminiscence, or to make another addition
such as the one that he is about to make now, sauntering with an almost skipping manner, highlighting his delight in the events about to unfold
his pristine white lab coat flows behind him, a symbol of everything that he would not be doing tonight, which only adds to the irony of it all
he finds you mirroring his expressions, eyes wide with anticipation and lips curled in a stifled smile
and he canât help but smile wider, the sound of his footsteps echoing loudly as he speeds towards you so that he can finally hold you after the long day he had, tired of playing it cool in front of everyone
you are snaking your arms around his neck immediately as he bends down to capture your lips in a fierce kiss, earning a surprised but pleased yelp from you
you let him have his moment, kissing him back with equal passion until he draws away and rests his forehead against your shoulder
âlong day, huh?â you press your lips against his temple. âhow did the presentation go?â
the presentation being at a conference of the national medical association where yeosang was the chief guest, awarded for his valuable insights to the medical world
âi sometimes wonder if iâm the only one wearing a mask,â yeosang confesses.
you know what he means
there surely must be others just like him
you canât expect to make medical advancements while sticking to the stupid laws and regulations they have carved for you
the medical associations do not allow anyone freedomÂ
âitâs tiring to pretend my research was simply a result of my teamâs hard work,â yeosang continue, âthey didnât do batshit. i wish i could credit you instead.â
âbut you canât,â you caress his dark locks. âthat would certainly raise suspicion since iâm⊠underqualified.â
well, thatâs arguableÂ
you may not be as good as yeosang at what you do but considering that you come from a non-medical background, yeosang would say that you are pretty close
in fact, overqualified
âi donât think thereâs anyone more qualified than you,â yeosang lifts his head to look up at you, eyes scanning your face. âyouâre an expert of the human body.â
you are an expert, that is true
you did what you had to do to survive as a young girl who lost her way
you were meant to be a test subject yourself but you created your own path and proved that you were good with your hands- almost artistic
and that you could open up humans as long as you had a good knife
your skills were a bit rusty when yeosang found you in the black market
but he was thoroughly impressed and made an offer. it was an offer that you couldnât resistÂ
you would no longer be bound to be a slave for the rest of your life
you would be his equal. an accompliceÂ
âbut you are the mad scientist. iâm just your unofficial assistant,â you pat his cheek in answer
itâs a wonder that youâre here now, in his arms
a muffled sound interrupts your little moment
you both steer towards the big room and yeosang looks around for a moment to take in the glory of his workplace
the crisp white walls and clean tiles smelling of antiseptic, marred with red stains of blood that is dripping from the manâs limbs
the man who is currently tied to a stretcher in the middle of the room
the instruments and tools that he would be using tonight to open his test subject up are glinting with silver, ready to be used
he has chosen the perfect target- a relatively healthy, middle-aged homeless man
really, no one would care if he went missing
in fact, you were doing him a favour by putting an end to his miserable life, right?
surely, he did not wish to live without a home and the means to survive
though here he was, sedated but struggling nonetheless, as if finally having found the will to live
âah, he created a mess,â yeosang begins, clicking his tongue in disappointment as he inspects the bruises around the manâs wrists. âiâm sorry you had to wait so long, hmm?â
itâs almost eerie, how yeosangâs voice drips with pity
but thatâs what you like about him
he thinks of the greater good. he is doing all of this for the greater good
there is no personal desire to kill random human beings, no
he simply needs test subjects to study the human body, so there can be advancements in the medical world
he just canât believe that the world does not have a cure or even a prevention for most of the diseases in this age
he has taken it upon himself to contribute to the medical world so people do not have to suffer anymore
he complains about this a lotÂ
if people had guts, they would have done this ages ago
sometimes, he refers to the awful medical experiments done by humankind- especially on women
he is different from them, he claims
he cares about their pain- that is why he makes sure to make his subjectsâ death quick and painless before he starts to conduct his experiments
itâs just too bad that he doesnât have much time after the person passes to study certain functions of a living human
(so sometimes, he makes exceptions and asks god for forgiveness. easy peasy)
you watch yeosang with a sort of wonder and a little something that resembles fear as he caresses the manâs head in farewell
he asks the man to say his last words, to choose them carefully, to take his time and to make peace with the fact that there is no way out
the sedatives seem to have made the man somewhat placid
the test subject stops resisting to lock eyes with the doctorÂ
he says something about the regrets heâs had in his life and how he just wants his misery and pain to end now
yeosangâs brows are furrowed in concentration as he listens to each and every word, nodding along as if he aims to fulfil every desire this man possessesÂ
his hand is gently caressing the manâs head
when the man is done, yeosang tells him that his contribution to medical research wonât be forgotten
he looks at you to find you already staring at him with an unreadable expression
he signals you to get the job done and you inject the medicine meant to stop the manâs heart
you watch the man take his last breath, his face contorting in pain as his heart ceases to function
yeosang has already moved on from the little moment he had, putting on medical gloves and snapping them against his skin rather dramatically
âletâs get to work, shall we?â
you smile in response, following his instructions
soon, you are testing the functioning of the manâs abdominal organs with various equipment and drugs that yeosang has bought from the black marketÂ
you have to work quickly before necrosis begins and hinders you
yeosang is very careful with his methods. his hands are steady as if he has done this a thousand times alreadyÂ
and though he comes off as clumsy in the public eye, he is anything but here
his eyes are focused, darting between the electrodes placed on the manâs liver to the readings on the screen
it goes on like this for a while, yet another failed experiment as the liver fails to respond as desired to the electric shock and necrosis takes over
it doesnât disappoint any of you though
yeosang has a strong vision and no amount of failed experiments is going to stop himÂ
plus, thereâs always something you learn even from failure
you begin to clean up when you notice a broken nail lying on the stretcher
you pick it up with tweezers and inspect it- it must have broken when the man was struggling to break free
yeosang catches you looking at the discoloured nail with curiosity and he hums in question
âhair and fingernails are beautiful ornaments.â you ask, âso why do they seem so baleful when they are removed?Â
yeosang stands beside you, pondering
âthe answer is simple. they are previews of what is to come. of death.â
you look at him to find his eyes twinkling with the knowing glint of someone whoâs seen it all
after you both finish recording the data of tonightâs session, yeosang is back to being the cute and clumsy person that you absolutely adore
the man is craving chicken after todayâs hard work so you fulfil his wish and take him to his favourite place
you both sit across each other, drinking beer and savouring the juicy meat while talking about casual stuff- just an assistant and her boss
just two friends who met by chance and felt an instant pull towards each other
just two lovers, fated to be together and find solace in each otherâs company
as if the stars have aligned for you yet again, a familiar face walks in and sits on the table next to you
you meet yeosangâs eyes and you both stifle a smile
itâs one of the potential test subjects youâve had in your file, due for observation
and what better observation than to sit next to them in a casual setting and eavesdrop naturally?
yeosang raises his beer glass in toast and you share a knowing smile, raising your own glass in toastÂ
just two partners in crime. thatâs who you are
The Mad Scientist and his Accomplice
San
Executioner
choi san works hard during the day
he goes to the school and makes sure his students are in top shape
as their p.e. teacher and coach, he has every studentâs physical status on his fingertips
he knows their strengths and their weaknesses. he also knows their desires
so if a student is not a good runner but wants to run better, he would never tell them to give up, he would personally coach them and make sure they know that their body is not the limit
they can be a good runner, a good player, a good swimmer- anything
as long as they are steadfast, they can conquer the world
so choi san is loved and respected by the students, known to be a very caring teacher
but choi san works harder at night. no one needs to know that
certainly not his colleagues who always go about how hardworking a teacher he is
when he is free from the school, he goes to his home and changes before driving to his friendâs place- a warehouse where a few of you hang out
someone programmes, another composes, another works out
just an innocent hideout that youâre all using even in your early thirties
except that you also huddle around to read the new request you receive on your app
âi am a twenty-one year old female. two years ago, the man who dated my older sister killed her, but due to lack of evidence, he did not receive the jail time he deserves. he claims that he is innocent, but ever since he got out, heâs been bothering me because he had to serve his short sentence anyway. he is threatening to kill my family and then me if i go to the cops. i am scared to leave the house because he is stalking me and i can always see him wherever i go. please help me. i wonât go to the cops anyway- they didnât do anything then, and they will not do anything now.â
san is contemplating if he should accept this request
you look at wooyoung who is immediately weighing the pros and the cons
you look back at san who is still deep in thought and you gently rest your hand on his thigh, bringing him out of his head
âiâll take it,â he mutters. âaccept the request, y/n.â
you nod and go back to the computer to accept the request
you have a phone call conversation with the client where you set up a meeting
itâs you and wooyoung who go to meet with the respective parties. san works in the shadows
the next night, san finds you deep in thought outside, leaning against the worn out wall of the warehouse
he joins you, hands in the pockets of his baggy jeans
âi know what youâre thinking,â san begins, glancing at you. âyouâve been awfully quiet since the meeting.â
you shrug in defeat. âi know i canât change your mind.â
âitâs not going to be the same,â san refers back to the one time you all took a request from a 19 year old girl who was being bullied by her seniors
it got to a dangerous point and had you been a little late, you might have lost the girl
san lost his temper that time, though
and while he couldnât physically harm the kids who were bullying the girl, he had them locked in a room for one night while he educated them
and funnily enough, san was scarier that night
scarier than every other time he actually wields a weapon
you asked him that night if there were any just people left in this world full of evil
âall people are evil. to believe that you are just, you must believe that someone else is more evil than youâ
was his response. safe to say, the girl was living her best life now, but you saw a new side of san that night
a side you had never seen all your life, and that was saying something since you were childhood friends
âwe wonât let it get to that point,â san assured, outstretching your hand and you pouted before taking it
he caressed your knuckles, his voice assertive. âi will take care of it. properly. i always do.â
âdo you think i only worry about things going wrong?â you finally say out loud, the words that you want to say to him every time he goes out in the fieldÂ
san, despite himself, breaks into a smile that would seem so out of character to anyone who has not known him for long
âyou canât smile your way out of this,â you sulk further, snatching your hand away and folding your arms
âbaby,â san begins, trying to take your hand again but youâre not having any of it
âiâm worried youâll get hurt. iâm worried about the pain youâre willing to go through so you can lessen the pain of others.â
san stops teasing then, mimicking your position as he leans against the wall next to you
there is a thick silence surrounding you and you wonder what wooyoung is doing inside- is he napping?
âitâs something i have to do. something only i can do. you know that, right?â
âi know,â you say, almost a whisper. âand thatâs what makes this more frustrating.â
because it was originally your idea
on a summer night when you were all about to graduate, a tragedy happened in your town
a man went on a spree, killing and wounding multiple women and children for weeks
you, who knew one of the victims personally, were shocked by the act and disgusted at how lazy the police were being
it turned out that the assailant was a high-profile businessman and the police were trying to cover the case up as per the orders of their superiors
the three of you were hanging out in the warehouse, each burdened by their own train of thoughts, until you finally said it out loud
âwhat if we were some sort of a private service where we help the victims? especially when the police canât?â
it was wooyoung who agreed first, and san who disagreed
it took him some convincing to finally agree, and you set rules
you were not going to kill anyone- only maim
if itâs a serial killer, you maim their hands so they can never hold a weapon again
if itâs a bully, you maim their mouth so they think before they speak
the three of you are a team, but san is the executioner
wooyoung is his eyes and feet, and you are the brains
so it is ironic how worried you are about san now, when you gave him this role
âi know that i can get hurt,â san begins, taking a deep breath. âbut there is no pain as long as i keep my eyes on the balance scale.â
this time, when he outstretches his hand, you take it. he plants a sweet kiss on your knuckles
âdonât worry about me, hmm?â he tugs you closer so you can rest your head against his firm chest as he embraces you. âi canât focus when youâre so worried.â
âi canât help it,â you tell him. âyouâll just have to get used to it.â
san lifts your face with his thumb below your chin, his brows furrowed with concentration and worry as he looks at you
his eyes are sharp as he scans you so you smile
immediately, his body relaxes and the corners of his lips curl in a smile as he pecks your lips- once, twice
and it is about to turn into a deeper kiss when wooyoung claps loudly to get your attention
âalright, lovebirds. get inside. we have a heads-up.â
you scowl at wooyoung who smirks in response but you both immediately join the youngest inside
your client has texted to let you know that sheâs about to go out so you can stalk her stalker
you and wooyoung take your equipment to the van and san prepares himselfÂ
heâll be observing tonight, but he is prepared in case the stalker catches on
just like that, you observe the stalker for a few days, assuring your client that she is safe
you plan a trap to lure the stalker to an abandoned area where san will have a little chat with the stalkerÂ
and when the day comes, all your client has to do is threaten to call the cops on him
he comes after her and that is when san knocks him out with a punch
the stalker finds himself tied to a chair in an empty room when he opens his eyes
there is the stale smell of something resembling death in the room, and that makes the man resistÂ
from the darkness, san emerges, clad in all black, his face covered with a mask
and his favourite weapon, the dagger, in his hand
you and wooyoung are watching from the camera embedded on his coat
you can see the glint of the dagger as he twists it dramatically in his hand
san circles around the man once as if to gauge the roomÂ
even through the camera, you can tell how thick the air must be feeling
san meets eyes with the man and removes the tape over his mouth, wincing when the man screams his lungs out in hopes that help would come
there is no help, not for miles
âwho are you?â the stalker spits on the ground near sanâs feetÂ
san only shuts his eyes in mild annoyance. he is not easily riled up
âyou have been found guilty of the crime of stalking. tell me⊠what should be your sentence?â
the man pales, fresh beads of sweat trickling down his foreheadÂ
âit will be better if you admit to your wrongdoings and give me a fair number. you donât want to leave it in my hands.â
âwhat do you mean sentence?â the stalker starts struggling fiercely, almost falling off the chair. âi have already served!â
san grins under the mask, closing in like a cat and stomping on his foot, making the man let out a guttural groan of pain
he leans in to whisper in his ear
âbut⊠that was for murder. and unfortunately, i am not charging you for murder tonight. otherwise⊠you would not have walked out alive.â
the man gulps loudly, meeting eyes with who has to be the person he has heard so much about in prison
most of the people in prison feared this man- the judge, they called him
the man was the judge, jury and executioner for criminals, feared more than the cops or actual prosecutors
âsurely⊠youâre not him, are you?â
you wince at the fear in the stalkerâs voice and meet wooyoungâs eyes
san never confirms if he is that. he simply finishes the job right there
the stalkerâs screams are heard for quite a distance, even outside your earpieces
you shut your eyes momentarily and when you open, you can see the blood oozing out of the manâs left leg
san is wiping the dagger with the manâs own jacket as he tells him that he will never be able to stalk people again
the man screams and screams, waiting for something more, but nothing else comes
sanâs job is done
he tosses a broken piece of glass near the chair for the man to free himself if he wishes to
when san comes back to the van, the air is sombre, just like after every finished request
wooyoung pats his shoulder in acknowledgement and mutters a joke in an attempt to lighten the mood, which works
âthey still call you the judge, huh?â wooyoung teases as he drives
âjudge, jury, executioner. how scary, choi san.â
san raises a brow at your comment- he can tell what youâre referring to
youâre referring to the first time when he came back covered in blood
and the first time he realised that no matter what he did, you would never be scared of him
and that you and wooyoung would always have his back and guide him
âi think iâm only the executioner. you both are the judge and jury.â
âmakes sense,â wooyoung agrees. âbut the world does not need to know that.â
Judge, Jury and Executioner
Mingi
The Overseer
âthe future, pitch black, upside downâ
mingi dips his brush into the onyx ink, finishing writing the words on the big canvas
the canvas that is a splash of colours- red for the blood on his hands. white for the innocence he lost too soon. blue for all those nights he spent trapped with only the moon as his friend
and finally, black for the future. the future is the only uncertainty in his life
despite being a leader of a notorious gang, he can never be certain about his future. there are always people after his life
he cannot trust anyone- not one soul-
âsir,â a voice interrupts and he knows who it is instantly
even if he did not hear your voice, he knows you are the only person who would dare interrupt him in the middle of his private time-
âtea, sir. youâve been cooped up in here for too long,â you say, placing the mug on the table
-for something as meagre as tea
mingi spares a glance in your direction, noticing how you are still dressed in your usual all-black fit
which means you have not gone to sleep yet, even though itâs well past midnight
âand what are you doing up so late?â he asks as he picks up the cup and sips it, finding it exactly to his liking. a flavour only you can nail
âwatching you paint,â you confess without hesitation
because in this place, in this room, between the two of you, there may be truths hidden, but there are no secrets
mingi is amused to hear that though he does his best to hide it
âand what do you think of the painting?â he asks, allowing you to take a closer look
you smile at his permission to inspect his art and you inch closer to the painting, now standing beside your boss
you read the words on it in a whisper and cock your head in thought
âisnât this too dark, even for you?â you questionÂ
mingi shakes his head in amusement and looks down. only you could have made this observation, having been at his side for a solid seven years now
where others would say that his paintings were too âcolourfulâ considering the kind of person he is, you still find them too dark and void of life
youâd know better, because you know mingi inside out
he first found you when he was a street thug in the process of becoming something big
all he had was his raw strength, a strategic brain, a few rusty weapons and some loyal friends
he went on to fight gang after gang, always emerging victorious and merging the losing team with a good deal- itâs how he earned respect around and gained a reputation
every other gang knew not to stand against him unless they wanted to risk losing everything they had
when he first opened his office in the darkest part of the town, he found you purely by chance
you were nearing the end of your teens- a rebellious little girl who cut ties from her family and ran away from home
at that time, you had multiple part-time jobs trying to make ends meet, hoping to find a place to live
and one fateful night, you found yourself in front of a building to deliver chicken, peering up at the light coming from the 4th floor- this must be itÂ
although⊠you werenât sure if the loud sounds coming from the floor were just men having a good time or if something had gone really, really wrong
men will be men, you thought, wanting to get the delivery done with so you could move on
only when you reached the 4th floor, you spotted men lying on the ground and clutching their limbs, blood all around
while every sane part of your brain screamed at you to pretend you saw nothing and go back, you recalled how when you received the order, they promised a big tip to the rider
you could not miss that, could you? you had to find a place to live, and you needed every penny
so you started with the men who seemed to be unconscious. you took any cash they had, being careful to hide your face in the hoodie
you moved to the office, hearing a crashing sound and flinching
you made quick work of grabbing more cash from the thugs- they had to be thugs
they all had guns, for fuckâs sake
you went into one of the neater rooms and placed the bags of fried chicken there
and you froze when a burly man made his way inside, wiping blood from the edge of his mouth
âah⊠you must be songâs girl, eh?â he snickered, scanning you up and down
âi- iâm delivering chicken,â you pointed at the table. âiâll be on my way then-â
ânot so quick,â his gaze darkenedÂ
instinctively, you grabbed the nearest object, which so happened to be a mug and chucked it at the man, successfully hitting his head
he clutched his head in pain and you made a dash outside, bumping into another man
the tall man seemed mostly unscathed save for a bruise on his cheek
he held your wrists to steady you and his eyes darted in the manâs direction who was clutching his head no more
âoi, song!â the burly man called. âteach your girl some manners, will you?â
the man called song pushed you to the side and a gunfight ensued
you took shelter behind a shelf, observing how the taller man successfully shot his every target
when he thought he was done- and was out of bullets, he looked in your direction and tsked loudly
you were about to come out of the shadows when you noticed one of the supposedly unconscious men take aim of songâs head
your eyes widened and almost instinctively, you grabbed a heavy metal object from the shelf and rushed to the man who was targeting your saviour
to say that mingi was surprised to see a young girl save him from his enemy by nearly crushing the manâs skull?
he knew you were something special right away
you both stared at each other for a long time before he told you to go back to his office, lock the door and not come out until he comes back
he was done sooner than you thought, and while his men cleaned his mess, he found you in his room, sitting rather calmly
âso youâre the delivery girl,â he narrowed his eyes
âi hope the chicken is still warm,â you responded. âif you can just pay me so i can leave-â
âwhy did you do that earlier?â he asked, voice low and rough that sent shivers up your spine
âi donât know,â you answered truthfully
mingi paid you more than extra that night and told you to come next time they place an orderÂ
the next time would turn out to be the last time you would ever work a part-time job
mingi offered you a place in his gang, and you took it
you are still not sure what your position in this gang is though- they smuggle drugs but keep you away from the work, so what are you doing here?
personal assistant? chef? manager? all of these?Â
sometimes, you are accompanying wooyoung in the field- the gang now has an official base and a few legal businesses
sometimes, you stay in the kitchen with seonghwa and wooyoung to cook
other times, you sit with yunho and hongjoong to plan and offer your opinion on their strategic takes
you arenât sure if you are qualified for that- you probably arenât
somehow, though, the gang members respect you for whoever you are
you are the light in their dark life, they joke. you are someoneâs friend now, sibling to some, secretkeeper for others
but you still arenât sure what you are to mingi
whenever you ask him why he took you in, mingi always responds with something different
âyou were clever grabbing all that money from our enemiesâ
âyou saved me- though i must say i could have handled itâ
âyou looked like a lost catâ
âyou didnât report usâ- excuses, all of them
truth be told, mingi has no idea what you are to him either
he has a certain fondness for you that he has for no one else. of course, it didnât happen instantly
he took you in because he realised you had a strategic mind and he could really use that
he insisted the office needed a âfeminine touchâ even though it came in the form of a cranky teen who wouldnât stop asking questions
but somehow, the two of you formed an unbreakable bond
he finds solace just being with you in one room, even in complete silence
he loves to hear you talk, even though you mostly question his morals
because he is not a good person, you found out
song mingi is not conventionally good. he is a man of principles, but he does not have the best morals
despite all that, you learned a lot from him. the world is a harsh place, and only he can protect youÂ
he learned a lot from you too. the world is a harsh place, and only you are his safe space
when at times things get stressful, he comes to seek you. he finds you in the shared residence and sits with you
if he is feeling down, you will have him lay his head in your lap. you will caress his head and let him be
if he wants to talk, he will. otherwise, he will watch you for a long time until he falls asleep, unguarded
when he gets tired, he will seek your arms. all he has to do is show up and you will know what to do
you will drop whatever you are doing and spread your arms
it is his home at this point. thatâs how things are like
are you in a relationship? you donât know
all you know is that song mingi is the most important person in your life
it doesnât matter if he lives life the way he does
it doesnât affect you anymore- the blood on his hands or the chaos in his mind
it doesnât bother you because you know his heart, and that is all that matters
so standing in his private space right next to him, inspecting his painting with a critical eye, you tell him that the painting is not him
he tells you to pick a colour and you reach out for a box, making him chuckle
âreally?â he asks
âthe future may seem black, butâŠâ you begin. âit doesnât feel so dark when iâm with you.â
mingi takes a deep breath at your words. you always get him like this, and he is not sure if he can restrain himself anymore
your heart aches when you see him curl his fists, a sign that he is holding back some words or an action
âtell me what youâre thinking,â you request, though it registers like a command in the gang leaderâs brain
âiâm thinking that i never should have given you this life.â
you shake your head at that- how many times has he voiced out that he wished you had lived a better, normal life, away from the clutches of the underworld?
âno, youâre thinking something else too,â you comment
âiâm thinking that i want you to stay here, with me, forever,â he responds
you nod in approval. âiâm right here. iâm not going anywhere.â
âyou could get hurt,â mingi says, taking a step closer and closing the gap between your bodies
âi am a big girl now, mingi,â you laugh, wrapping your arms around his waist and hearing his erratic heartbeat
his arms are still by his sides for a moment before he embraces you
âiâm old now, in fact. how much longer will you keep me waiting?â
mingi grows stiff at your question. so you know
of course you do
mingi cups your face and locks eyes with you
âi wonât break,â you promise
âi know,â he smiles, pecking your forehead. âiâm afraid you will break me.â
your lips curl in a smile and he rests his forehead against yours
âare you sure about your choice?â
âyes,â you breathe. âi want you. iâm yours.â
mingi draws back
âi meant your choice of colour,â he tilts his head in the direction of the painting and the box of paint you picked for him
âof course you did,â you laugh at his attempt to distract you
mingi leans in to close the distance between your lips
it is soft and unrushed. you both have waited for the right moment, the right time for years and everything feels absolutely right at this momentÂ
you go first, asking him to join you in your bedroom and he agrees
he assesses the canvas once again
as a finishing touch, he sprays a final splash of yellow- the colour you picked for him
yellow for hope, for all the light in his dark world
The Overseer and his Shelter
Wooyoung
The Maniac
it has always been a cat and mouse game with you and wooyoung
you chase after each other, running in circles with no start or end
itâs almost as if you both have sworn to keep your eyes glued on each other, watching every move, anticipating what is next
someoneâs lips curls up in a failed attempt to restrain a smile- a smile that drips with mischief and mockery
someone elseâs eyes glint with threat and promise that this is not over, their fists curled in anger
you chase after each other like cat and mouse
onlyâŠyouâre not sure who is the cat and who is the mouse
sometimes, it is you chasing after wooyoung
jung wooyoung, the son of one of the richest businessmen in town
a privileged piece of shit who is not right in the mind
a crazy bastard who has made it his lifeâs mission to not only drive you to the edge of the cliff but to push you and laugh in victory as you fall
he takes advantage of you being a criminal investigatorÂ
some people jest that they canât tell if wooyoung means to ruin your career or lead you to your promotion
with the amount of times wooyoung has gotten himself in trouble (and gotten away with it) he keeps your desk full of cases that you spend most nights investigating
while he keeps your hands full, what frustrates you to no end is that he almost always gets away with his crimes only because of his social standing and his connections
he gets away with petty crimes. he gets away with bloody fights that could very well have him spend one night in the station, cuffedÂ
he gets away with major crimes such as money laundering and tax evasion
no matter how much you try to investigate, you cannot
there are the warnings of your superiors who threaten to fire you because this is not your worry
and even if you do start to investigate, wooyoungâs team is quick to wipe any evidence of said crimes
youâre pretty sure that at this point, he might be hiding a body somewhere in his house
you wouldnât be surprised. man once set his enemyâs mansion on fire
to make things worse, he got away with it- even when he was the only one grinning and playing with a lighter on his way outÂ
while the others scrambled like mice, he sauntered in style
he gets away with anything
you reputation at the station is already in shambles because of it
they call you his shadow at this point, considering how you are always following him
the truth is, you just want to wipe the shitty grin off his face for once
you want him to suffer defeat when you finally put him behind bars
you want him to chase after you like you chase after him
you might come off as delusional, but youâre half convinced that whatever wooyoung does is on purpose at this point- to get your attention
it wasnât always like this, you and wooyoung
it started with a simple fight that broke out at a party where all the high-profile people were
someone was stupid enough to call the police- but you were more stupid because you went ahead and handcuffed wooyoung
you told him that you couldnât waste this opportunity because you were investigating another case related to his fatherâs company anyway
and he? he laughed out loud like a maniac
you soon learned why, going home with the sound of your superiors scolding you still ringing in your ears
here you are, a few years and a lot of chasing each other later
except⊠you get something out of the chasing now
all he has to do is corner you. all he has to do is rile you up as he tells you why you lost this game yet again
with his burning gaze and honey voice, he pins you to the spot
with his fingers tracing the curves of your face, he tells you how much he loves you chasing after himÂ
as if heâs all that you ever think about. he might be right
âdonât you think weâre meant for each other?â wooyoung questions almost innocently, licking his lips subconsciously as he trails his finger down the curve of your neck until he reaches the first button of your shirt
âdonât think too highly of yourself, wooyoung,â you respond, your chest rising and falling in controlled breaths
you can not let him know the effect he has on you
however, wooyoung doesnât need any sort of confirmation
you can try to keep your gaze steel all you want. you can attempt to sound sure and fake indifference, but the fact is that wooyoung knows
all he has to do is take another step forward and fill the gap between you two
his warm breath caresses your face and you gulp despite yourself
he watches you intently and squeezes your neck just a bit, causing you to part your lips for air and then he brushes the tip of his nose against yours
his other hand is slowly but surely unbuckling the belt of your pants and taking it off
you can only thank god in an ashamed relief that youâre in a private space- the space being one of the empty rooms in a random building on a random street because you had been tailing wooyoung
(at least the door is locked)
wooyoung brushes his lips against yours as your pants fall on the ground and pool on your feet
the sound that makes has heat rushing to your face- this should not be happening
you are a fucking detective and wooyoung is your target
but you canât complain when his fingertips dance along your hip bones
all he has to do is swipe his fingers up your panties
upon finding them soaked (as usual), he smirks and you smack his chest
he catches your fist in his hand, though
âall for me?â he asks
in a matter of seconds, your lips are upon each other, tongues in each otherâs mouth as you wrap your legs around him
he picks you up effortlessly and places you on a very dusty table
he gets rid of his clothes all the while kissing you expertly, aiming to please you, dominate you
he sucks on your lips, your neck, anywhere he can get his mouth on
and when he finally takes off all your garments, he has more places he can get his mouth on
âadmit it, detective,â he breathes against your clit. âyouâre obsessed with me.â
âget to work before i cuff you and fuck your brains out, wooyoung.â
wooyoungâs laugh echoes in the room as he recalls that night- a night he is sure he can never forget
âdoes that mean i get to experience that again if i stop now?â
you are moments away from your high- how dare he ask if he can stop?
he gets the hint and gets to work, and he makes sure he does a good job, licking and sucking at your clit until youâre screaming
for bonus points, he dives his cock inside right after and stays still as he starts to kiss you eagerly
this time, youâre the one who loses to him and lets him take control
you let him thrust into you. you let him praise you and humiliate you to no end
truth be told, youâre addicted to him. there is no going back from here
wooyoung knows how to use his tongue and he whispers sweet nothings
he is also surprisingly good at aftercare, even though you donât accept it from him
well, you try not to, but he is insistent
he takes you home and he invites himself in
you go to the shower and he goes to your room to admire the effort you put into bringing him down
loads of files and a board full of his âaccomplishmentsâ staring back at him- nothing he doesnât know
âyou think your daddy will help you if i start to investigate the slush fund you have?â
âwhich one?â is his response, and he grins widely as you gape at him
he can practically see the gears in your head turning and he adores that
it is a cat and mouse game after all. he must give you something so you keep coming after him
(and you must give him something so he keeps finding you too)
while youâre still processing what he just implied, your phone rings
you flinch when you pick it up, getting an earful from your team leader once again, because where were you?
you were supposed to tail wooyoung to confirm that he is meeting up with a notorious gang member who does his dirty work
the case youâre team is on these days is targeting the gang, and yet again⊠wooyoung is involved
so what the hell were you doing, your superior asks
âjung wooyoung did not meet up with the gang leader,â you say into the phone, your eyes fixed on wooyoungÂ
wooyoung has a shit-eating grin plastered on his face
âand how do you know that? i thought you lost the tail-â
âyes, i did lose the tail,â you bite your lips in thought- you canât tell your team leader that wooyoung has a strong alibi this time-
but wooyoung goes ahead and snatches your phone from you
âdetective lee,â wooyoung greets and you mutter a string of curses under your breath
you watch wooyoung charm his way through the matter
telling the detective that he was in a tight spot because of the gang they are investigating
and how it is a shame that a âcivilisedâ person such as himself is being linked to thugs
he tells him that he almost got attacked but you saved him, and you hid him in an abandoned building, being wise enough not to blow your coverÂ
you canât tell how he does it, but by the end of the call, your team leader is fully convinced that you did a good job today and he even praises you when you take the phone back
when you end the call, you glare at wooyoung
âwhat?â he shrugs. âi needed an alibi.â
âis that why you took me to the building to fuck me? because you needed an alibi?â
wooyoung watches you with mild curiosity
âdid you think it meant something else?â he asks
it would have hurt if he really meant it, but thatâs the thing
you both know he doesnât mean what he says, especially about whatever is going on between you two
he has risked his position and even his life far too many times just to get you alone and fuck you
so you only smile and shake your head in response before telling him to fuck off and get out of your sight
(and he does. not before a second round)
when he leaves, you watch his car disappear from the window before going to the board and updating everything you got out of him tonight
everything about his business and his crimes. everything to make your case on him stronger
itâs truly a wonder how much you can get out of fucking someone right and youâre positive you can see the end of this case now
though⊠youâre not sure if you will ever take this to court. but thatâs something youâll worry about later
for now, you will follow him like a cat follows a mouse
and he will chase after you like a cat chases after a mouse
The Maniac and his Shadow
Jongho
The Tyrant
it is always a little too cold in the building for your liking
the building that is choi enterprises, located at the heart of the city, standing tall with numerous floors, laden in luxury
it is a workplace and home to some of the people in this city and a symbol of something untouchable to the others
as you enter the building, accompanied by your secretaries and a guard, you instantly feel the temperature drop despite the warm tones of the interior
the employees that greet you may have smiles on their faces but itâs all an act. you can tell, because you know what a genuine smile looks like
choi enterprises somehow always manages to keep the most calculating people to themselves. it might be why the company has flourished so much in such a short period of time
âto the private elevators, miss,â a man says and you recognise him as one of the ceoâs personal staff
you follow him and tug your jacket closer, wishing you had worn it instead of draping it over your shoulders
you catch your reflection on the golden glossy door of the elevator and straighten, lifting your chin up
you will not be pushed into submission, you repeat for the umpteenth time
however, things are not in your favour this time
in this never ending game of business rivalry, you and choi jongho have never seen eye to eye. you always stand in opposition, defensive or offensive
sometimes, you manage to outsmart him while making a new business deal or scoring a new project. other times, he is a few steps ahead and wins the game
except when you lose, somehow, the loss is much greater and a bit personal
your company always suffers more when you lose, which is why this little meeting you are going to have with jongho is no less than a negotiation- a war, if you must
sometimes, you wonder if jongho has a personal grudge against you. these meaningless battles start to seem like an excuse to see you
if not, then why is jongho looking like he just won the lottery at the sight of you?
âas beautiful as ever,â he says, scanning your figure slowly
you donât move an inch, pretending those words donât affect you
the secretaries move to another room, leaving you and jongho alone
jongho gets up from his chair and moves to the middle of the room, motioning you to take a seat
you watch as he pours a drink for you, his muscles flexing through the coat heâs wearingÂ
you take the drink- you need something to calm your nerves
âi suppose the odds are not in your favour, considering you found your way back hereâ
an allusion to the time he said that you were meant to find your way back here again and again, that you were just a lost kitten and he was your master, controlling you
at that time, you thought he meant to spite you, but time after time, he proved himself right
you always find your way here, always as the opposition. this time, though⊠you wonât bend
âif the odds are in your favour,â you begin experimentally, downing the drink in one gulp and then pouring one for jongho. âwould you like me to join hands with you?â
now this is new- jonghoâs eyes slightly widen at your remark
âah⊠how the tables have turned,â jongho started to chuckle lowly
you let him be for a moment, scoffing internally
jongho had earned the right title over the years since he stepped up as ceo of his fatherâs company
a monster of capitalism
known to be the owner of many questionable businesses, borderline illegal, evading taxes and having slush funds unashamedly, heavily involved in money laundering- the list goes on and on
a true financial villain- a true monster, yet⊠being able to get away with everything, unscathed. thatâs who jongho is
he has bribed every soul who would dare go against him. and those who do not take the bribe? he makes sure they kneel
and you⊠youâre pretty close to being his next target- he did say you would look pretty on your knees for him
âis business not going well?â he asks, faking innocence. he knows
you are a rival company- seo enterprises. everything that jonghoâs company is, but⊠more legal
your forefathers were once partners, and they created their independent companies without a hint of rivalry
they were the definition of true brothers (and partners in crime)
the difference between the values of your company came when you and jongho stepped up as ceo
you had made it your lifeâs mission for your company to earn a good reputation and moral image, while jongho seemed to have made it his lifeâs mission to simply conquer the world, no matter what or who the stepping stone is
âbusiness is well,â you narrow your eyes at him. âitâs about the land in ilsan.â
jongho doesnât seem surprised to hear that. it is always like this- he knows what moves you will make
âah, the one where we are about to construct a gallery?â jongho asks
âwe?â you repeat. âthat land is a shared property. why have you not consulted us before going ahead and signing the documents? how could you begin this project without us-â
âthe other option is selling it to the government because of the redevelopment project,â jongho leans forward, âand you know how much i despise the government getting their grubby hands on whatâs mineâ
you know he is right, and he knows that you are not here to argue about why he started this project without telling you
jongho relaxes back, considering all his options before deciding to strike. âyouâre worried about your involvement in that project, is that right?â
âwell,â you mirror his position, âi would like to keep my reputation clean unlike yours.â
he chuckles at that, proud of his deeds. âyeah, well, thatâs going to be hard, sweetheart. that gallery is going to be an optimum location for storing money.â
you know what he means. the gallery is going to display priceless pieces of arts. those pieces are but a means of illegal transactions for the elites
you swallow your anger, taking a deep breath. âiâd like to have my shares back, then. before construction starts.â
âuhâŠâ jongho gets up, fixing his clothes. âyouâre going to have to convince me for that.â
âplease,â you scoff, but he only shakes his head, ignoring that because he knows this âpleaseâ was wholly sarcastic
âtry harder,â he smiles mockingly before turning his back to you and moving to the window, putting his hands in the pockets of his pants and staring down at the city
a tyrant- thatâs who he is
he expects to get the maximum output out of anything he set his eyes on, no matter the cost- money or lives
you join him by the window, pointing at a few spots. âthatâs where people held protests against your company last week,â you tell him. âapparently, you have been exploiting labourers too.â
âthatâs what they think,â he spits. âi gave them more than they deserve. they just never learn to accept. they never get pleased.â
you look at jongho- he sounds like he is saying the truth. he has the art of sounding like a victim at times, thus justifying his actions
âdoesnât all that venom in your heart make you dizzy?â
jongho glances at you, his lips threatening to curl into a smile at your words
âdoesnât it get tiring, pretending to be moral?â jongho asks, trying to read your guarded eyesÂ
âthereâs no pretending. i never claimed that i was full of morals, mr. choi,â you sigh. âi just wish for my business to have a legal foundation.â
âand it will, you donât have to worry,â he responds, curling a section of your hair that had been resting on your shoulder in his fingers
you donât flinch at his touch. youâve known him since the beginning, and nothing he does fazes you anymore- except when he leans closer experimentally, locking eyes with you and trying to read you
âyou will get your shares, but you will have to convince me,â he says, voice barely above a whisper
it is a challenge. it is always a challenge with choi jongho
âwhy are you so obsessed with me?â you laugh this time, swatting his hand away
he joins, and everything almost seems normal for a moment- just two friends with too many inside jokes, except⊠it only lasts for a moment
âhow can i convince you?â you ask, sombre
âyou know what i want from you, y/n,â he replies in a similar tone
he wants a true partnership, except his idea of a partnership is where you bend to his will (and so is yours)
âdonât turn this into a legal battle, jongho,â you warn, âi would hate to summon you to court.â
âdonât turn this into a petty rivalry,â he counters, âyou will benefit from this project. you reputation wonât be harmed.â
âi donât want my name next to yours,â you tell him in all honesty and you think you see hurt flash in his eyes
âthat is not possible,â jongho declares. âour companies are not mentioned without each other. we are fated like that, you and i.â
that is true. no one dares to touch the two of you, so you two have always been alone
there is no one you both can trust. there is no one next to youÂ
except the two of you are always together, wherever you go, be it business parties, political dinners, or high-profile events
you can only trust each other, because despite knowing everything about each otherâs business, despite being at war with each other
you are always honest with each other- honest about your intentions and purpose
there is no one next to you because you two are always together, leaving no space for someone else
do you hate that? not really. does he hate that? heâs not sure
âyou can buy my shares from me,â you start, âor you can shift them elsewhere. i can handle whatever loss comes with that.â
âor⊠you can let it be and use the revenue for something âmoralâ,â he taunts and silence envelopes the room
âno matter how much you try to maintain a clean image,â he starts, gentler this time, âyou cannot undo the damage your forefathers have done to your company, y/n. seo enterprises will always be known as the company that exploited the weak to get to the top.â
you donât wince at that, though your heart aches to hear that
âjust like your company. except you are continuing in their footsteps,â you say
jongho nods, watching how your shoulders are curling inwards
âyou are not weak, y/n, stand straight,â he almost scolds, taking you by surpriseÂ
you find yourself straightening at his words, confused to see how conflicted he looks
âyou are the strongest person i know,â he tells you, and he means it. âi just donât get why you are atoning for their sins.â
âi donât know either,â you smile in defeat. âi just am.â
âwell, if you ever get tired,â he gently places his hands over your shoulders, âi am here for you. you can lean on me.â
you lock eyes with him, scanning his face. his smile seems genuine
the way he kisses your forehead makes your heart melt
when he embraces you, you lean on him physically
and you almost give in, exceptâŠ
âi can lean on you, huh?â you say, soaking in the warmth of his body, taking as much as you can before you continueÂ
âso you can end my career, merge our companies and crown yourself king?â
you look up at him, finding him smirking
just like you thought
ânot a chance, choi jongho.â
ïżœïżœïżœhow can you see right through me every time, y/n?â he laughs loudly as you smack his chest and move towards the sofa to grab your purse
âiâm the only person who knows who you are,â you tell him. âyou can own the world, but you will never own me.â
his eyes glint almost dangerously
âchallenge accepted,â he says
you mockingly wave goodbye before exiting the room
choi jongho never changes, and neither do you
but somehow⊠it gets more addicting and electrifying to be with him, to compete with him and to stand with him
even though he is a tyrant, and you are everything that he is not
The Tyrant and His Defiant Ally
#chron <3#as always i love to see your reblog#makes having written that fic worthwhile#also really fun to reply back to you hehe#basically im smooching you#fic: ateez as villains#ateez x reader#ateez scenarios#ateez angst#ateez imagines#ateez headcanons#ateez smut#ateez au#ateez fic#ateez fanfic
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It's A Man's World
Chapter 3 (My House)
(Gif credit to Pinterest)
We did it! I can hardly believe itâwe won! The excitement in the air is palpable as we look at the final score flashing on the scoreboard: 7-3.
Inside the boysâ locker room, a wave of energy washes over us, and cheers erupt from every corner. The scent of sweat and freshly laundered jerseys mingles with the smell of beer as we come together to celebrate. Laughter and shouts echo off the walls, creating a symphony of joy and triumph.
As the impromptu celebration kicks into high gear, teammates are gleefully pouring beer over one another's heads, turning the locker room into a chaotic yet joyful beer bath. The sight of everyoneâgrinning, soaking wet, and filled with a sense of accomplishmentâtruly captures the spirit of our hard work paying off.
In that moment, it doesnât matter who played the best or who made mistakes. What matters is that we put in the effort as a team, battled through challenges, and shared in this unforgettable victory together. These moments of unity and joy are what make this journey worthwhile.
After a beer bath celebration and a nice shower, I'm finally lying in the comfort of my hotel when my phone rings I look down to see who it is.
Facetime call from JaâMarr đ§Ą
I swipe accept on the call and his face pops up on the screen.âYo! Congrats sisâ he says. I smile back into the camera âThank you very much. But just know when I see you I'm going to hurt youâ I say playfully
Jaâmarr and I have been friends since LSU, even though he graduated a class before me. I was on the softball team and he was on the football team, our paths often crossed in the sports center on campus. But became good friends when he and the football team decided to surprise us after we had won the state championship game.
âYeah, yeah, well, see? What are you doing?â he asks. I shake my head. âNothing, just relaxing.â
He looks at me as if Iâm crazy. âRelaxing? How come youâre not out celebrating?â I shrug my shoulders. âThe guys are, but Mia has to work in the morning, and I just didnât feel like it.â He knows Iâve never been a party person.
âGet dressed! Iâm coming to get you. Dress comfortably.â I do a double-take at the screen. âHuh?â I exclaim. âSend me your location. We are going to celebrate tonight whether you like it or not. Youâre in my house now.â I roll my eyes, knowing thereâs no point in arguing with him. Plus, heâs right: his house, his rules. âAlright, Iâll be ready soon.â
About an hour later, I found myself standing at the front door of Jaâmarrâs house, my heart racing with anticipation as I waited for him to unlock it. The air was thick with excitement, and I couldn't help but tease him. âBoy, you don't know the keys to your own house?â I called out, a playful smile on my lips. He responded with a dramatic smacking of his teeth and a roll of his eyes. âGirl, shut up,â he retorted, clearly unbothered by my banter.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Jaâmarr opened the door and stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter.
As soon as I crossed the threshold, the lights suddenly flicked on, and a chorus of voices erupted with a gleeful âSurprise!â I was taken aback, my eyes widening in shock. My mouth dropped open as I jumped back, unable to contain my astonishment. âWhat the heck!â I screamed in disbelief. Spinning around, I shot a mock glare at Jaâmarr and playfully backhanded him in the middle of his chest. âReally!â
He laughed, raising his hands to protect his chest, pretending to be wounded. âSorry, I had to get you back somehow,â he said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. I turned my attention back to the sea of familiar faces in the room, and my jaw dropped when I realized that half of the Bengals Football team was crammed into his house, mingling and laughing, including Mia, who had sworn to me that she had to work. Ha! âWork,â my mind scoffed.
âHi, everyone,â I called out, injecting energy into the room as I waved to the crowd.
In response, a collective âHi!â resonated back, accompanied by enthusiastic waves from the players. My gaze shifted to Mia, who was trying to suppress her laughter. âGirl, you knew about this!â I accused playfully, narrowing my eyes at her. She nodded, still chuckling, and managed to reply, âSorry, sis.â
I shook my head in disbelief, pushing my tongue into my cheek in mock annoyance. âOkay, yâall play entirely too much,â I said, glancing back and forth between Jaâmarr and Mia. But one person caught my eye, standing near the steps while everyone else began to mingle. He had his hands casually tucked into his pockets, an easy smile playing on his lips, and I felt my heart skip a beat.
âThought you could leave without a party, huh?â he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes.
âYeah,â I replied, pinching my fingers together to indicate how close I had come to escaping. âThis close, Joe. This close.â He chuckled softly at my exaggerated gesture.
âHey, Riley,â he said, making his way over to me with his signature swagger, and wrapped me in a warm side hug. âHey, Burrow,â I responded, his name rolling off my tongue as smoothly as water flowing over stones.
âDamn, how much muscle have you put on since last year?â I asked, stepping back to look at him as we broke the hug. His smile broadened as he shrugged nonchalantly. âA few pounds, not much. But I should be asking you the same question!â he remarked, eyeing me with genuine curiosity.
Feeling a slight blush creeping onto my cheeks, I tilted my head down, suddenly self-conscious. âI couldn't stand looking like a popsicle stick anymore,â I admitted, trying to hide my embarrassment.
He smiled again, a warm and sincere expression. âHey, either way, you look great,â he complimented softly. I felt butterflies start to flutter in my stomach as I returned his smile, the moment feeling charged with unspoken tension.
Girl.
Uh uh.
Snap. Out. Of. It.
âThank you.â I managed out
âCome on, future superstar, for once a party is not about me,â he says, leading me to the living room where everyone else is.
Even though I really hate Jaâmarr for putting me in a room full of people I don't know, after a while I started to warm up to them. I might not remember half their name at the end of this but hey. At least this is better than watching another episode of Love and Hip Hop in my hotel room by myself.
I was in the middle of a group conversation when I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. Excusing myself from the group I make my way to the patio and pull my phone out.
Jake Thompson. The contact name read.
Suddenly my heart rate started to pick up. This could be my go-home call. Oh god, I hope Mom still has my bed in my room.
My thumb shaking over the green button I swipe accept and put the phone to my ear âHelloâ I say with a hesitation
âHey Sierra it's Jake hope I didn't call you too late,â he says from the other end.
âNo, you're fine! Everything OK?â If I could smack myself I would ask that out of all the questions.
âOh no problems here. I just got out of the meeting with the big heads in the front office, and they were quite impressed with your performance, Riley,â He told me. Something in my gut is telling me there's a but coming.
âSo impressed that they have informed me that they would like me to tell you that you are officially eligible to be drafted in the 2021 MLB Draftâ
Bitch..did he say what I think he just said.
I feel like I'm going to pass out.
I feel my eyes burning as I try to hold back my tears âOh my godâ I manage to sit on one of the patio chairs âCongrats Sierraâ Jake says and I can tell he is smiling on the other end of the phone âNo thank you Jake for everythingâŠâ I managed to say through my choked-back sob.
âNo thank you for all your hard work and your skip for pushing us to call you for the combineâ Jake responds âBelieved in you from day one kid. Know you're going to do great things. See you in a couple of days a the Daft Sierra" Jake says
âSee you soon. Thanks for the callâ I say through my silent tears
âNo problem kidâ I pulled the phone away from my ear and hung up.
I don't move, not a muscle. Still trying to process the information told to me. I'm going to be in the MLB Draft.
What. The. Fuck.
The sliding glass door opens with a soft whoosh, and the sudden movement jolts me from my mental fog. I can hear Miaâs voice behind me, filled with hope. âPlease tell me itâs good news.â
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I close my eyes for a moment, allowing myself to gather my thoughts. âLooks like Iâm staying for a couple more days,â I finally announce, my voice barely above a whisper. As I open my eyes, I focus on Miaâs face, watching as her expression shifts from anticipation to disbelief; her mouth drops open in shock. At that moment, I can no longer hold back my emotions, and tears begin to stream down my cheeks.
Without hesitation, Mia moves closer, sitting beside me and wrapping her arms around me in a warm embrace. At that moment, words feel unnecessary; the sheer support in her presence speaks volumes. âIâm so proud of you,â she finally says, her voice soothing and sincere. Hearing those words sends me over the edge, and I let out a sob, clinging to her even tighter as the weight of the moment crashes over me.
Iâm acutely aware that I might look a bit unhinged, crying in front of a group of people I just met, but in this whirlwind of emotions, I really donât care. This is my moment, a culmination of dreams and hard work, and Iâm reveling in it.
Once my sobs begin to quiet and a sense of peace washes over me, I muster the courage to ask, âPlease tell me this is a dream, Mia.â
She shakes her head gently, a soft smile gracing her lips. âNo, this is the dream that you have, and itâs about to become a reality,â she replies, tenderly wiping away my tears with her thumbs.
Just then, I hear Joeâs voice cut through the moment as he steps out onto the patio alongside Jaâmarr. âPlease tell me those are happy tears,â he says, an encouraging grin spreading across his face.
I nod vigorously, managing to give them a weak smile while still sniffling. âNothing but happy tears,â I assure them, my heart swelling with joy. âIâm going to the Draft!â
In an instant, Jaâmarr brings the excitement to a fever pitch. âHey, Sam! Open up the champagne!â he yells back into the house, his voice echoing with enthusiasm, causing a ripple of energy to surge through everyone present. The celebration was about to begin, and I couldnât wait to embrace every moment of it.
@hoodharlow
#joe burrow#joe burrow x reader#black!reader#black oc#joe burrow fic#joe burrow fan fic#cincinnati bengals#Spotify
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going crazy (forgive the ugly-ass colors, I had to try and find good color coding for 14 people, and still have it have enough contrast against the background to be readable). for the record I had to transcribe these lyrics myself in Google docs offline mode using the downloaded file I had of the song. with no wifi, so no spell check or googling lyrics I wasn't sure about. which was hell on my audio processing disorder brain
anyways I am very far from done and I want to try and get each soulmate pair in at least once, so far as you can see we've got scar & Grian, Martyn & kind of Cleo but not as a pair yet, Pearl & Scott (and kind of Cleo), and then impulse (and bdubs but that line isn't in this screenshot)
anyways if anyone has suggestions for all the remaining people. hmu in reblogs (please). also these aren't all the lyrics to the song ofc, i'll put them under cut with my notes (this song is just very double life to me so i'm hoping some day I'll be able to animate it):
Separate faces help him to walk and cross the tiles As he justifies existence with flinchesâ
andâ
false smiles
^ something something maybe Grian and scar? unsure
And theâ
hand he used to feed hisâ
hunger shriveled from the cold He's borrowed more than he can pay, his debts are getting old
The cracks had always been on show,
^ referencing martyn's lore?
the spirit always broke The bottle always emptied well before the candles smoked Tobacco always there on cue in someone else's glass
Someone else's secrets become someone else's path [past?]
^ martyn's lore? w/ grian
I know you well, I know you felt Like it should've been someone else who fell But I'll never forget your face You melt into my life [light?]
I want the attention that she's getting From your loving arms
^ Pearl, Scott, Cleo
You let me soak your face into my memory Like you want me, and you kept me Wanting more as I don't know you I don't own you, I just sew you Into pieces of this fabric that I wear over my shoulder
Like a dream, you fill me up
And make me cold, just like a soldier Trains her mind to do the killing Even though he isn't willing I have pain, and I am cold Without your heat to make me bold
^ pearl and scott
Just forget that we're not molded We're just solitary soldiers
^ Grian and scar?
Given [giving?] up on all this love stuff It's made up and we're just older I give up on you, we're over [I gave up when you were over?]
I want reciprocal lovers I want trust, and I want safety
^ pearl
I want space, and I need chasing
^ impulse if you know his character and see DL!impdubs in the toxic way. please. someone see it
I want to feel that I'm the only girl Around you who can know you
But I want to see you luring Other women who can't own you I want to see their faces When you make them lose their graces
When you make them feel they're placeless
^ pearl
Like a chain around an object that keeps moving You're a concept of a man and of an object
You are everything I wanted All I seem to crave Like a hero needs to save
Except when I get up close There is a maggot on the rose
^ again. impdubs. they're picture perfect until they're not
Like a magpie stealing shiny things There's [they're?] sometimes diamonds, sometimes tin
You are my darkness, and you understand I don't want anything but your hand Just hold [pull?] me steady, hold me steady (hold the frame) And I'll shoot again, now
I can't stop thinking about you
And if you're stripping me down to My brittle bones and crumbled joints These open wounds just need some salt, oh
^ impulse and bdubs (I am big on clockduo/impdubs DL toxicity ok)
It would be better if you left If I can't see you, I can't step Into the light you've cast about you I can't have you, but I want you
This obsession is not letting me slide I feel I'm damaging myself to stay alive I am destroying all I have to let this burn This little flame is not so dangerous on its own
#enen says stuff#double life smp#double life#traffic smp#life smp#dlsmp#pearlescentmoon#smajor1995#martyn inthelittlewood#zombiecleo#impulsesv#bdoubleo100#joel smallishbeans#ethoslab#goodtimeswithscar#grian#bigbst4tz#rendog#tangotek#solidaritygaming
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omg ppl really don't lie when they say your life can drastically change for the better in a short amount of time, don't let depression tell you otherswise
#like i've had 2 friends from school reach out to me about hanging out and that along with therapy has pretty much made my fear of everybody#secretly hating me VANISH#i have never felt as good about myself as i do now#and to think that about a year ago i was so depressed i could barely change my clothes everyday#and like. absolurely DRENCHED in anxiety about the future#and now i have a job prospect that acrually mwkes me feel excited about work/school and i've managed to do so many new things#so my fear of never learning to be independent is also slowly disappearing#bro at the beginning of this year i was so convinced i'd be a burden to my parents until they die and felt so so guilty about thst idea#and now boom#instead of dread i actually feel excited about the future??#amazing#moots i'm sending some of my joy to you so you can feel as amazing as i do because WOW#i feel like a whole new person life is great#stella's horoscope
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.
#not to be a broken lil man on main#but I was on the phone with my dad for 30 minutes just now (that's a lot for a phone call with him) and like.... damn. yeah. i do have one#parent who's not horrible huh#we talked a lot about my plans for the future...... which I only now told him bcs scary and bcs........ I never ever during my 25 years of#being alive got the impression from my parents that something like this would be an acceptable career choice or something they'd support#and I mean. my [redacted] of a mother is the best example for how. not alright it is with her that I'm doing something that's not very...#traditional for this family#but anyways. my dad was absolutely fucking lovely#to the point that I get getting teary eyed and felt my throat closing up cause. huh. i guess in his own way he does love me and believe in#he asked me to send him a link or a pdf of my first conference report because he wants to keep it somewhere đđđđđđ#I'm....... ouch. ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch#you know the ghosting I am really good at with tumblr chats (sorry guys. ilu. I just suck at communication)???? i'm also extremely good at#that with whatsapp chats and just. not calling my irl loved ones#so idk. hearing him say he understands and just wanted to make sure I wasn't upset with him and like. wanted to know if I was doing okay.#damn. okay. damn#idk#this was such a good talk and he was so suppertive and non-judgemental and I actually told him about my birthday and how my mother's call#upset me and he was like. yeah. same. and like... he's basically gone no contact with her as well as it turns out#idk. I really should give him more credit and like... I feel like there's so much shifting and change and development happening while I'm n#not there and sometimes it's hard to remember that he actually /could/ understand some things. just cause I've always been so used to not#sharing anything about myself because it wasn't safe when I was younger and... idk........ lots of emotions going on rn#so glad we talked though. so glad#simon.out.#if you read all this.... idk man.... sorry for oversharing but thanks for caring ig <3
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2014 - realized I liked girls but began desperately trying to âpray the gay awayâ
2016 - stopped believing in Christianity as I began to better accept my sexuality
2020 - publicly came out as bisexual, and shortly after my gender crisis began
2021 - nonbinary ? weâll run with it, Iâm experimenting! Iâm playing with it! Iâve been in college for a year so now I have the room to try some things out!
2023 - my first pride parade! and the gender crisis continues onâŠ. I would really love more masculine features⊠a deeper voice is my dream⊠I see men with flat chests and I get so envious. maybe Iâm trans?
2024 - FINALLY allowing myself to use multiple labels that feel right! nonbinary, transmasc, genderfluid, genderqueer, they all feel like ME! planning on starting HRT after I get married and get onto my fiancĂ©âs health insurance. plan on getting married in a wedding dress because THATâS WHAT I WANT! because gender is not a strict binary and I am allowed to play with it however I want! my gender is not for the pleasure or comfort of anyone else! I got to experience my SECOND pride finally feeling content with myself and my identity! Iâm happy! Iâm so happy :)
#the journey of finding yourself is a long process and honestly it never ends#Iâve been in the journey of self discovery for a decade now and Iâm still learning something new about myself every day#but I finally feel like I know myself#I have a good community of understanding people#and you know what? tumblr really helped!#make fun of this hellsite all you want but the people on here are so helpful#getting reminders from a wide community of people that you donât need to fit into strict labels#or you can use multiple labels!#or none at all!#just do whatever feels right to YOU#there is no wrong way to be queer!#I love you tumblr queers#even when I had my first blog in 2014 when I was 12 it felt nice to have a space that made me feel like I was gonna be okay#thank you tumblr queers#trans#lgbtq#ftm#trans man#transgender#transgender man#transmasc#trans pride#donnieisaprettyboy#ftm problems#genderfluid#genderqueer#nonbinary
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Quin walked with Cesare at his side, his mind racing from everything that had happened. He was downright terrified for his uncle to find out about the engagement. There was no doubt in his mind that his uncle hadnât figured out Cesare stole Quintus back from him. There was now just as much of a target on Cesareâs as on Quinâs. In truth, he didnât know what his uncleâs next move would be, but he had a feeling lingering in the pit of his stomach that it would be war. Since he could not retrieve Max and Quin, heâd take Adros by force to get them back.Â
He was so lost in his thoughts he didnât realize Cesare was moving forward until Quintus was already wrapped up in his arms. He leaned his weight onto the prince, tucking his head beneath Cesareâs chin, his arms looping around his waist. âI needâŠâ Quin started, then paused. He knew what he needed. He needed to know what happened on the border, specifically between Cesare and Beau. While he firmly believed that Cesare would never sleep with someone else, Beau was an actor. He was precise in his ability to impersonate Quintus. And he knew he could have asked Cesare outright for the story and get mostly a truthful answer in return. âI want to clean myself up, change out of these clothes, and then I need to see Max.â He pulled back, looking up at Cesare. âWhile I do that, you should go down to the kitchens and get us food, bring it up to your quarters, and Iâll meet you there when Iâm done.â Quin leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Cesareâs chin. He could feel the princeâs protest in his bones. It was torture for Quintus to ask for time apart, even if it was for a couple of hours after reuniting. âI need this,â He said, squeezing Cesareâs waist. âOkay?âÂ
Quintus pressed himself against Cesareâs body again before pulling away, his hand sliding down to grip Cesareâs. âGo collect us a feast,â He said, walking backward until their connected hands were stretched out, still connecting them. Then he let out and turned around to head back to his quarters.Â
Entering his rooms, Quintus sighed to see Beau sprawled out on his bed, flipping through one of his journals. âRiveting diary,â He said, closing the book with a snap. âI donât appreciate being left out of club meetings when Iâve done so much to get you here.âÂ
Quin laughed, the sound echoing through the room. He stopped at the end of his bed to grab his journal from Beauâs hands. âYouâll be present when I want you to be present.â
âThen what am I doing here?â Beau sat up, crossing his arms over his chest.Â
âI want to know what happened at the border,â Quin said, sitting on the chest at the bottom of his bed. âSpecifically, what happened between you and Cesare.âÂ
âOhhh,â Beau purred, crawling towards Quin. âI see.â He sat next to the prince, his back pressed up against the bedpost. âSomeone is riddled with jealousy. Did my beloved prince sleep with another man?â Beau pressed a hand to his chest, pretending to be faint. âI have to say, Quintus, youâre fortunate. He is such a giving lover. And, honestly, feeling the weight of his body press you down into the bedâŠâ Beau closed his eyes, inhaling slowly. âIâve never experienced such a feeling of security and protection.âÂ
âHe wouldnât have been fooled. He would know it wasnât me at some point and would have stopped.â Quin felt like he was going to be sick. Everything Beau said was the same thoughts Quintus had after sleeping with Cesare. âHe knows me.â
Beau lazily opened his eyes, raising a brow at the prince. âOf course, he realized after a while. We may look the same and may have been trained to fuck by the same man, but I am far more experienced in this act than you are. Cesare is too good of a man to point out your inexperience, but we both know you lack skills in bed. Richard always mentioned how frigid you were in the sheets. Cesare noticed the same thing. Unfortunately, that is not something I can do in bed. Or maybe he just fucked me, so I would help him get you out; who knows.âÂ
âI donât believe you.â But he did. Quin felt like he had been doused in cold water, his inner insecurities exposed to the room. He was open and bleeding from every word Beau had thrown at him. Every nerve in his body felt raw and exposed. âHe is an honor-â
âHeâs a man, a future King,â Beau said, snorting at Quinâs words. âHeâs had lovers before; you know that just as I do. Fucking you was probably like fucking a virgin. You canât blame him for seeking out someone who has experience. What did he tell you about that night?â Beau looked at Quin before his mouth curled into a villainous smirk. âAh, I see. You havenât. Interesting. Does that mean youâre staying in here tonight? Because you should know, Iâm a cuddlerâŠâÂ
________________________________
The prince was either out of his mind or had completely lost it. The verdict was still up in the air.Â
Getting into Prince Cesareâs quarters was easy. Quintus had lived in the castle prior and had snuck into the princeâs quarters because they let him walk right in even though Cesare was not back yet.Â
So he had some time to kill. He made himself comfortable in the room, lounging on the princeâs bed, limbs sprawled as if he owned the space. He had always been good with that, walking around with confidence and being able to claim space for himself. Growing up like he had, they would eat you alive if you didnât. It also helped that he was a quick study, much like his counterpart. The more time he spent around him, the more he learned they were alike. Even if it pained him to admit it, there was no denying that.Â
It was another twenty minutes until the door opened, and Cesare walked in, his face lighting up until his gaze spied the clothes he was wearing. A brief look of suspicion crossed his face. âPrince Cesare,â He purred, drawing out the princeâs name. âIâve been waiting for you. I thought we could discuss the deal we made back at the border. My feelings are hurt, but if you make it better, maybe Iâd be willing to finish what we started back in my quarters.â He ran a hand down his chest, fingers toying with the fabric. âHmm?â
The king just smiled and waved the boys to sit back. "I'm going to make sure he hears of it." He countered Quin's last bit to Cesare and found himself relaxing back into his own chair. "My page is going to deliver the news to every neighboring kingdom of the engagement and your brother and I will discuss a dowry and things of that nature." Cesare tried not to blush at that but still couldn't pull his gaze away from Quin. It was all he could have asked for, the two of them. "You two can decide when but I want everyone to know." He looked warmly at his son and found himself sighing just so softly. "You deserve that. The both of you do." His gaze drifted to Quin and he offered him a small smile.
He gave it all of ten more seconds before he turned to Max and insisted the two of them discuss matters more. He, afterall, was King of their greatest alley. Or would be soon. Cesare peered over at Max and nodded towards the door, his shoulders lifting slightly. And though he looked rather put out, he nodded and gave them the room to leave. His father looked as if he were itching to discuss everything regarding the safety of their countries and now all of them. "I owe you." He spoke softly and then smiled at his father. "You owe me too." He chimed in and shooed the two of them off for the final time.
Cesare wasted no time in whisking Quin out of that room. He needed to just be alone with him. There had been so much to tell him and ask. There had been too much time and too much stuff that had happened. Mostly, Cesare just wanted to make sure that he was okay. As okay as he could be given the circumstances. Gods he hadn't even had a chance to ask him about that. Actually, he probably wouldn't. He was near absolutely positive that he would not tell him what happened. Not everything if anything at all. But he'd have to worry about that on his own. He just really wanted to finally have some time with the man he so desperately clung to at that moment.
They'd only walked just down the hall but already it felt miles off. He sighed and fell into step with Quin then, their hands between the pair of them and Cesare squeezing his hand tightly. "I thought we'd never get out of there." He teased, a little laugh escaping as he said so. But it didn't feel right to be laughing. Given everything he thought it best to not make an ass of himself. "I'm really glad you're safe." He told him in earnest. Because at the end of all of this, that is what had mattered the most. His fingers gave a squeeze and he moved to pull Quin to a stop and wrap his arms around him. Cesare needed to feel the weight of his body against his for just a moment. He knew it was probably pushing it but he just couldn't help himself.
After a moment or two he'd pressed his nose into the other's hair and took a deep inhale. He didn't smell like he normally did but there would be time to right that. His breath was warm on Quin's cheek as he pulled back and looked at him finally. "Are you hungry? Would you like to lie down maybe?" There were a million things to get done for him and to him. Mostly he just wanted to ensure his safety and comfort above all else. "Tell me what to do for you Quintus and it'll be done." He gazed into his eyes, finding it so hard to keep the smile from his face. He was home.
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đ«đâïžđ
#so i did âmeet my old friend from years ago yesterday. i was sooooo nervous omgggg. and i was waiting outside the cafĂ© we agreed on#and then saw them walk in and i was like omgggg. the anxiety... but then i gathered courage and walked towards it and thry saw me thru the#window and came out and immediately hugged me. then they were like 'omg i've been so nervous. even more than before like a date!!'#so that made me relax a bit. i feel like i dont really fully estimate what i mean to them. maybe they care about me as well haha !!#then we just got our stuff and i chose a smoothie and was ready to pay but they just got it with their stuff (they work at this chain so#they got a discount). i feel so so bad & anxious when someone else pays for me. like i feel like a burden#but i asked twice if i should send them money for it and they were like no that's fine. so i had to tell myself to just shut up abt it đ„Č#bc if u keep asking u make it into a thing and make them uncomfortable etc. so i really appreciated that and it was nice even if i felt bad#but yeah then we just sat down and talked. and it was so much easier to talk to them than i had been worried abt#like it flew nicely and yeah.. i feel like i forgot a lot abt them. like they're good at conversating. so they kept it going & even if i was#awkward it was fine for them. i did however get swept up in my own anxiety so as they asked me questions i answered#but then was too whirlwindy so i didnt really ask as much back and there were things i wanted to ask but didnt :')))#then they had cards and a card game with them. so we played for a bit too. and it was a lot of fun!!! (i was anxious and kinda slow lmao#bc when i dont know smth or the rules etc already my brain stops working so yeah.. even if it was simple games i was like um um what do i do#felt stupid but yeah again they didnt do anyhing to contribute to me feeling stupid but i still felt slow >.<#but i still thought that was so much fun. i wanna do more of that T-T like yeah...that was nice#then we took a lil longer walk to a bus stop before hastily said goodbye bc the busses came T-T#it was really really really nice tho. i have missed them a lot#and i didnt .. think we would ever see eachother again. i really didnt think this could happen#im so glad i somehow got brave enough to message them and im so so glad they wanted to see me too#i cant help but wish i could go back to when we were younger#and we spent every day in school together and messaged during the days and evenings and spent sm time together#when we went into the city like several times a week and took long walks. ahh... well. im glad we got to have those moments#& idk what will happen now. i really really want to see them again. even if we'll never be that close friends again i'd *wish* that we could#still be in touch. but im so bad at replying which doesnt go over great with them.. i'll try my best to reply quicker to them#*if* they message me. sadly i cant erase my avpd but i'll try my best to reply faster if and when they message)#they also complimented my sweater i was wearing (which is my fav sweater) !!!! and yeah.. they looked so cool. which they always have#and i kept thinking abt how nice their eye makeup was (i was too shy to compliment it tho bc im really bad at like 'nice' affectionate and#anything feeling related. like im so bad... so i couldnt say anything </3)#ugh it was just so nice to sit and talk with them. im so glad i went despite my fears. bc this was so good and nice :')))
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