#i have to say though i made fries right away and they did not stick one bit so i did a killer job with that

[rentoraanyan]

triggered the buildings fire alarm by seasoning my pan. LET ME COOK !!!

[the-marshals-wife]

Strangers Like Me (Orm Marius x Reader)

─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ⋅☆⋅ 𝐀𝐎𝟑 ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─

A/N: I love Orm so, so much, and I've wanted to write for him since my major obsession with the first movie back in 2019. The sequel was everything I could have wanted for his character, and now that he's had the perfect open ending to his cinematic story, I finally let the inspiration run wild. This is the longest fic I've ever posted, and I'm proud to say he was the muse that inspired it.

Description: Orm Marius/Ocean Master x Fem!Reader (human), friends to lovers | Warnings: suggestive themes, steaminess at the end, cataclysmic levels of fluff throughout | Setting: after The Lost Kingdom | Word count: 5.8k

Gif credit: user acecroft

Imagine Orm opening up to you about who he truly is, and wanting to be part of your world

If someone had asked you a few months ago where you liked to be most, you wouldn't have said the boardwalk. Now, it'd become your favorite place in the world. Not for the noisy crowds, overpriced deep-fried foods, or vendors overflowing with cheap beachwear and souvenirs for the tourists. Those things you could have done without. That is, until you met Orm. Ever since that fateful day, everything around you had transformed into something new and exciting. Today was no different.

"I can't believe you've never had a corn dog before," you say.

Orm walks alongside you, well into his second serving. "And I can't believe something this abysmal in appearance can taste so good," he replies before taking another bite.

"Seriously, what have you been eating all this time?" you ask, wiping the mustard from the corner of your mouth with a napkin.

He swallows before answering, "Fish, mostly."

He was completely serious, as usual.

"You really love seafood, don't you?"

"Where I'm from, it's just called food," he counters.

Once again, you found yourself wanting to ask where exactly that place was. The last time you inquired yielded little insight. He gave a vague reply to the tune of "somewhere far away" and quickly changed the subject. For a while, you'd assumed he was originally European or something like that. Yet the more time went on, the more difficult it became to believe in that explanation. There must be a reason he did not want to talk about it, and you knew when he was ready, he would probably tell you. Still, you couldn't help but wonder where he had come from, and why he had not showed up sooner.

"So, what did you think of your first corn dog?" you ask instead.

"It was excellent. And I imagine it will not be my last," he says, tossing the stick into a trashcan as you walk by, "I still don't understand the name though, if it's not made of dog."

"Me either, honestly," you laugh as you toss your trash as well, "I'll have to look it up sometime."

"Speaking of, I listened to the singer you told me about."

"You did? What did you think?!" you exclaim, almost bumping into a passerby in your excitement.

"She is quite good, vocally. But I do think Ms. Parton would have more success exposing her rival publicly," he suggests.

"I know you're not talking about Jolene right now," you burst out laughing, covering your mouth.

"Indeed. This Jolene is a siren. She lures men with her wiles, and then goes unpunished because of her beauty," he explains wholeheartedly, holding his arms behind his back.

"Well that's the point of the song. Dolly is calling her out," you remind, "Plus what about her man? Shouldn't he get some of the blame? Falling for Jolene when he's already in a relationship? I mean come on, he's talking about her in his sleep. That's pretty low."

"Indeed, he misses the treasure that is right in front of him because he too has no honor," he expounds, his expression turning thoughtful, "You're right. Ultimately, they're deserving of each other."

"See! I told you," you chuckle victoriously.

Orm shakes his head, "I could not be tempted by such a woman."

"Oh, I don't know. You heard Dolly. Her beauty is 'beyond compare'."

"That is merely a facade," he dismisses, waving his hand, "Besides, I have seen far more beautiful than her."

You're about to inquire about his remark, but then you realize he's looking over at you. You can only hold his attentive gaze a moment before averting your eyes toward your feet, heart fluttering.

The previous moment still hanging heavy in the air, you walk together quietly for a minute before Orm stops in front of a beachwear vendor.

"Now that is amusing," he declares.

You backup a couple of steps to stand alongside him, "What is?"

He points to a pink tee shirt, the image of a mermaid riding on the back of a smiling dolphin printed on the front. "Dolphins are actually quite aggressive. They do not enjoy having riders on their backs. Sharks are much better mounts."

You stare at him, brow furrowed. "And how do you know that exactly?"

"I, uh, saw it on a television program," he stutters, "about taming sea life."

That was a lie if you'd ever heard one, and a strange one no less.

"Uh-huh," you reply unconvinced, walking away.

In silence, you resume your short walk to the end of the dock, Orm trailing close behind you. Once you reach the end, you lean over and rest your arms on the weathered wood railing, and he stands beside you. A few moments pass as you watch the waves crash upon the shore below and breathe in the salt air. It's not long before you feel his gaze on you once again.

He finally speaks, hesitation thick in his voice, "Something...on your mind?"

You smirk to yourself before looking over at him, "I'm just trying to figure you out."

"What do you mean?" he asks, concern visible in his bright eyes.

"I've never met anyone like you before. So much of what you say is a mystery," you remark.

"That is a fair point," he concedes, "I don't wish to vex you. There's just...so much that I don't know how to say."

You stand up straighter, smiling at him softly.

"I didn't mean it as a bad thing. Everyone has parts of themselves that they hide. Parts they don't want anyone else to see. There's nothing wrong with that," you reply, turning towards the ocean, "You don't like talking about your past, and I respect that. I just don't want you to think you have to hide. It's awful feeling like you don't belong, just for being yourself. I wouldn't want that for you."

"That is kind of you to say. Truly." He mirrors your posture on the railing, moving closer to you as a result. "You don't make me want to hide, Y/N. Quite the opposite, actually. I've learned so many things from you these past few weeks, and I have greatly enjoyed your company."

You look back to him, your heart skipping, "So have I."

His gaze softens. "I've also never met anyone like you before. You find joy and purpose in even the smallest of things. It inspires me how gracefully you view the world. And I've known no one whom I've wanted to share it with more."

Everything else around you melted away as you find yourself becoming just as lost in his eyes as you've been in his words.

Before either of you can move an inch closer, the chime of your cellphone cuts through the thick air between you.

Cursing inwardly, you shoot upright, embarrassed, and retrieve it from your pocket. It's an all-caps text from your sister with many exclamation marks, quickly followed by another. The sister you just now realized you forgot needed picked up.

"Oh no. I have to go," you say, frenzied, "My sister's waiting for me. I have to drive her home from her class, I completely forgot!"

"I understand," he nods, touching your arm assuringly, "Do you want me to accompany you back to the lot?"

"I really appreciate it, but I literally have to run. I'm so sorry, Orm," you say, turning to leave.

You make it only a few steps before you hear him call out.

"Y/N!"

Despite the urgency of your escape, you can't help but turn on your heel expectantly.

"Would you meet me tomorrow? Down on the beach, beneath the pier around sunset?"

A grin spreads across your face. "I'll be there!"

♆

It took everything in you not to grin like an idiot the entire drive to pick up your less-than-amused sister. You weren't ready for the brutal interrogation that would surely come if she saw the look you knew was on your face. After apologizing to her profusely and letting her chew you out, as was her sisterly right, her suspicions were already raised.

"You've never looked this happy for me to yell at you," she said, glaring at you.

"I'm just really enjoying my book! I started the sequel I told you about," you defended, flashing a smile even you knew was pretty fake.

"Enough to forget all about me," she rolled her eyes and punched your arm, "You're not telling me something, I know it."

"I'm dying to know if she's really the lost heir to the throne, I heard the reveal is like halfway through," you add, ignoring her last words.

"Mhm," she grumbled, "Fine don't tell me. I'll figure it out, just wait. You can't hide from me."

"The only thing I need to hide from you is my chocolate bars," you argue in a desperate attempt to throw her off the subject.

"I'll find those too," she snickered confidently.

You laughed it off and went back to biting down hard on your lip. It was the only thing you could do not to spill everything to her as she continued to give you the side-eye. Your body was at the steering wheel, but your mind, and your heart, were back on that boardwalk. The final glare she gave you in her driveway was unmissable, but for now, you'd evaded being found out as you made a getaway back to your own apartment.

That night you'd hardly slept, the moment at the end of the dock replaying in your mind over and over well into the morning. Work only made it worse, the monotony making the perfect backdrop to picture what the coming evening would bring. When your shift ended, you couldn't get out of there fast enough to go home and change.

Now, with sunset fast approaching, you were circling the parking lot trying to find a space, and close to bribing someone to move, when a spot finally opened up.

"Someone loves me," you exhale, hurriedly locking your car as you throw your bag over your shoulder.

The words linger in your thoughts. You can't help but blush at the notion, given your current destination, and who was waiting there.

In some ways it seemed like a lifetime since you met Orm, and in others it felt like only yesterday. The memory of that fateful day comes to the front of your thoughts as you start the long trek to the path that cuts through the dunes.

Unlike your fib from last night, you'd actually been desperate to finish the book your coworker had been pestering you about all summer. With only four chapters left, you'd escaped to the boardwalk one sunny Tuesday afternoon, hoping to find a bench, a fresh lemonade, and far less crowds than the weekend so that you could finally finish in peace.

Just as you'd sucked up the last drop of your drink and reached the last handful of pages, you noticed something out of the corner of your eye. On a bench across the way from you, you saw a man trying to untangle the most knotted pair of earbuds you'd ever seen in your life. You watched him from behind the top of your book, and suppressed a giggle as he became more animated in frustration. He ran a hand through his blond hair and seemed near to giving up on the whole endeavor. Unable to watch him struggle any longer, you tucked your book beneath your arm, tossed your empty cup in the trash, and started to walk over.

"He did this on purpose," he muttered as you approached.

"I can take a crack at them, if you'd like."

In his fierce concentration, he hadn't noticed you approach. He jumped a bit at your greeting, and squinted up at you, confused.

"Hi. Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Would you like some help with those?" you smiled hesitantly, "I just, I couldn't help but notice you were having a hard time with them."

"Well, you are welcome to try," he invited with a sigh, extending them to you, "Although I have seen seaweed less entangled than this."

You took them and sat down beside him, analyzing the knots.

"Earbuds are pretty notorious for getting tangled," you began, pausing to focus a moment, "These, however, look like a sailor used them to practice tying his knots."

"Courtesy of my brother," he said with no small amount of exasperation, "He delights in making things difficult for me."

"As brothers are wont to do."

"Indeed," he conceded.

Untying your own numerous pairs of earbuds over the years had more than prepared you for this moment. You'd made quick work of separating the right and left buds, down to the last few kinks in each.

"You're quite skilled at this," he observed.

"I should probably put it on my resume, huh?" you chuckled as you conquered the final knot.

"I think you might consider it," he laughed as well.

At last, all the tangles were gone.

"There you go," you declared, handing them back, "Good as new."

"Impressive," he remarked, marveling at your handiwork before looking back at you, "Thank you for your assistance."

"You're welcome," you smiled and pointed to the iPod in his lap, "What do you like to listen to, if you don't mind me asking?"

He hesitated, picking it up, "I'm...not actually sure how this device works. Are you familiar with the technology?"

"An iPod?" you laugh, "Yeah, I had one in high school. It's been a while and it wasn't this exact model, but they're all pretty much the same. MP3 players, that is. I had so many songs on mine, I couldn't add any more. Never went anywhere without it. I had to tape it together in senior year because I used it so much."

"Perhaps you could show me how to properly operate it?" he posed, turning towards you more, "My brother sent it to me. He said it contains music inside that I must hear, but I'm at a loss on knowing how to make it play."

You gazed at him bewildered a moment, caught off guard. Never had you met anyone who didn't know how to work an iPod before. But then again, you reminded yourself, not everyone had a chance to own one.

"Sure," you grinned, "I can show you. There's not too much to it, really, once you know the basics."

"Thank you," he replied sincerely, "It's not often that I've met a lady with such kindness, and lightness of fingers."

Heat immediately rushed to your cheeks at his gracious works, and suddenly it was difficult to hold the gaze of his rich blue eyes.

"It's no problem at all," you replied, offering your hand, "I'm Y/N, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Orm Marius, and the pleasure is mine."

Before you could blink, he'd taken your hand, and instead of shaking it, he kissed your knuckles. If he had lingered, perhaps it would have alarmed you. But he did it so quickly, it was like it was second-nature to him. Practiced or not, your head spun nonetheless, and launching into an urgent, flustered spiel about how to power on the iPod was all you could do to keep yourself held together.

You spent the next half an hour showing him everything from the buttons to the way to change the background image on the menus. Before long, you were talking about all of your favorite songs and artists, simultaneously making lists for each that he would have to listen to. Orm listened eagerly to your recommendations, and soon the conversation turned to any and every subject, from foods to places to dreams. You still remember the feeling of the rest of the world fading away as you talked to him, afternoon turning to evening. And the thrill you felt when he asked if he could see you again.

In the almost four months since, every meeting followed much in the same manner as that first day, with introducing Orm to the many things he'd never experienced before, and hours of conversation on the pier or walking along the beach. You'd stolen away to this area as many times as possible to see him, well over a dozen now. Of course your sister was more suspicious than ever after yesterday, but you still weren't ready to reveal where you'd been spending so many evenings, and who you'd spent them with. There was something exhilarating about you and Orm meeting secretly, and you wanted that feeling to last as long as possible.

He had such wonder about the world, like someone who'd not been in it very long. It was one of his oddest qualities, but his curiosity was endearing to you. Despite knowing so little about his past, you'd come to trust him like few others in your life. Whoever he'd been before, and wherever he was from, it seemed he had no intention on going back. If you were honest with yourself, you didn't want him to. There were so many places you wanted to take him further inland, yet he was still hesitant to go far from from the ocean. You'd never gone beyond a couple of blocks from the boardwalk together, but tonight, with the energy of yesterday's encounter fresh in your mind, you'd planned to breech the topic with him.

Now, the sun is sinking lower in the pale orange sky and your pulse quickens with the threat of being late. With all your reminiscing and daydreaming, you'd lost track of the time. You nearly run across the wooden walkway over the dunes and down the broad stairs. As soon as your feet hit the sand, you remove your sandals. Grasping them in one hand and the strap of your bookbag in the other, you take off into the best sprint you can manage. The pier is still a good distance up the beach, and you want to curse out whoever built the access so far away. You run at an angle towards the water, the wetter ground giving you better traction than the loose sand.

Just within the shadow of the great structure, you finally see Orm up ahead, his back turned. Out of breath, you slow your pace and try to catch some of it back before you reach him. Once he's within ear shot you call out to him.

"I'm sorry I left in such a hurry yesterday," you pant.

He spins on his heel. Relief is written all over his face.

"You came. I was afraid you might not," he sighs, walking up to meet you.

"Of course," you exhale, dropping your shoes and brushing away the hair clinging to your forehead, "Why wouldn't I?"

His expression indicates he had not thought of an answer to that question.

"I don't know," he hesitates, "I didn't mean anything by that. I mean, I wouldn't have blamed you if you hadn't. I did ask you at the last minute."

You can't help but chuckle as he stumbles regretfully all over his words.

"I brought you something," you declare to change the subject, much to his gratitude.

"A gift? For me?"

You can tell by his tone that he is actually baffled. Reaching into your satchel, you retrieve the item. In your outstretched palm, you hold a small snow globe, a miniature skyline of New York City contained inside.

His confused expression leads you to elaborate. "It's called a snow globe," you say, turning it upside down so that the little flakes inside swirl around, "You told me once that you never get to see snow where you're from. Now you can see it whenever you want."

He tentatively takes it, entranced by the miniature flurry.

"That's where I'm from. Well, I grew up there. We moved here when I was sixteen," you add, chuckling, "It's a little bit nicer in person."

Orm looks up at you, visibly touched by the gesture, "It's wonderful. Thank you."

"You're welcome," you smile, "I, hope that I can show you the real thing some day."

"I would like that," he replies with the smallest hint of sadness, pausing to behold it again, "I will treasure this always."

You'd never met anyone who talked like he did. Everything word he spoke was with full conviction. Others might sound pompous or conceited speaking the way he does, but when he said something, you believed he truly meant it.

"I'm glad you like it," you say, tucking your hair behind your ear.

"I do, very much," he says, frowning a bit, "I'm only sorry that I have nothing to give you in return."

"That's alright," you dismiss.

"Will you keep it safe for me while we are by the water? I regret that I have no pockets large enough to carry it."

"Absolutely," you say, putting it securely back inside your bag, "I know that feeling all too well."

When you finish with the zipper and lift your head up, you see Orm offering his arm to you. Surprised, and twice as excited, you take it.

As you cross beneath the pier and set off down the beach together, you suppress the urge to glance up at him. You agonize over what to say next, hoping he would speak first. When he did, it only made your heart beat faster.

"Actually, when I said I had nothing to give you, that was not entirely true," he said, clearing his throat before going on, "As much as I enjoy your educating me in foods and traditions I've never tried, I was hoping this evening we might enjoy a treat of a different kind."

Just up ahead, something on the shore comes into view. Your mind races in anticipation, and moments later, you come upon a blue blanket spread out neatly across the sand. A single white rose lies in the middle.

"Oh Orm," you breathe.

"It's not much, but I thought you would like to watch the sunset with at least some level of comfort," he says, a veil of nervousness in his voice.

"It's perfect," you exclaim.

He releases your arm and picks up the rose, presenting it to you.

"For you."

You feel nearly breathless once more as you take the flower and inhale its sweet fragrance.

"It's beautiful," you sigh, "Thank you."

He smiles timidly at your approval. "Shall we?"

"This is amazing," you say, removing your bag and carefully sitting down on the soft blanket.

He follows suit, and you gently place the rose in your lap as he comes to rest close beside you. The glow of the setting sun warms your skin, but it's nothing compared to the warmth in your chest.

You'd never seen him act like this before. He was normally so calm and collected, but now he was almost pure nerves. You work up the courage to glance over at him. He's staring hard ahead, clenching his jaw and rolling a seashell between his fingers. It's slowly becoming clear that you're not the only one who wanted to say something this evening. Normally, you found the rolling of the waves to be one of most soothing sounds in the world. But at this moment, they were far too loud.

You decide you have to break the excruciating silence.

"I've only watched a true beach sunset alone before."

Your voice brings him out from his trance. "I've also been by myself. I'm glad I have someone to share the splendor with."

"Me too."

He smiles weakly, and fixes his stare back on the horizon.

To your disappointment, the silence returns. Before long, everything is bathed in golden light. The sky transforms into rich oranges and reds before your eyes. The beach is surprisingly deserted apart from the seagulls and sand pipers, making it seem all the more that this moment was tailor-made just for the two of you.

Just when you're about to speak again, Orm at last turns towards you.

"I wish I could show you my world, Y/N. It is a realm of beauty, and strength, and light. You belong in such a place."

You feel your cheeks flush as he continues.

"Where I'm from, you can't see the stars at night. But there is a place with magnificent, glowing lights. A cave, filled with luminescence of every color you can imagine. You would absolutely love it."

"That sounds magical." You hang on his every word as you try to picture it.

"My mother used to take me there when I was a boy. I remember my whole hand disappearing inside hers." He smiled at the memory, but it faded as he spoke once more, "We used to go there seeking solace from my father."

Frowning, he throws the seashell towards the water. The sun begins to dissolve into the ocean, but neither of you take notice.

"Did you not get along?" you ask, hoping it was not too personal to do so.

His gaze falls downward again. "That's one way of putting it. Growing up in his shadow was- challenging. He was severe about many things, and against all of the rest. He expected me to become just like him. Demanded it, more like. Yet he was never up to the task of teaching me how. I wanted nothing more than to please him, but as I look back on it now, I'm not sure that I ever did. I was never worthy enough to be his son."

His words make your chest ache. You reach to gently touch his hand on the blanket.

"You are not an unworthy son," you assert, your feelings coming to the surface, "He was an unworthy father. I don't need to have met him to know that. Because I know you, and you are a good man. The most thoughtful, polite, decent man I've ever met."

He stares at you, emotion all over his face. A wistful look shines in his eyes.

"If only I had known you then," he reflects, "Perhaps I would not have gotten so lost in the tides of his storm."

"I wish I had known you too," you agree, more shyly than you'd expected, "But wouldn't have needed me. You already survived it, all on your own. You're stronger than he ever was."

His expression steels.

"Y/N, there is something I must tell you," he says, his tone turning grave, "It will not be easy for you to hear it, but I can't go on without you knowing what I am. I cannot hide it any longer. You deserve to know the truth."

Your heart starts to race quicker than your thoughts at his startling declaration. "What do you mean?"

Without warning, he casts off his jacket and stands up.

"Orm, what are you talking about?"

"Perhaps, it would be better if I showed you," he says, reaching out his hand to you, "I want you to understand. No more secrets."

For just a moment, you look up into his pleading eyes. Then, as if it had even been a choice, you carefully set the rose aside and take his hand. He helps you to your feet and leads you down past the water's edge. The cool water on your feet sends a shiver up your spine. The foam is lapping at your ankles when he stops just in front of you.

"You see that marker?" he points ahead.

The breeze whips your hair into your sight as you fight to push it away. You have to squint to see the outline of the buoy, the red light on top twinkling faintly in the twilight.

"Yes," you hesitate.

"Keep your eye on it," he directs calmly.

With that one instruction, he retreats further into the water, stopping until it is well above his waist. You cross your arms against the chill of sea spray and wait worriedly. He looks up and down the beach, as if to make sure no one is watching. You are still alone. Before you can call out to him, he dives headlong into the waves.

What follows you can only describe as a thunder beneath the water. It looks as if a missile has been launched from where Orm stood, careening toward the marker. Mere seconds later, a blast like a whale spout shoots above the horizon, and the buoy rocks violently as it is landed upon by the figure that flew up out of the sea.

A gasp escapes from your agape mouth as you witness the silhouette wave at you, and proceed to dive back into the blue.

Three pounding heartbeats later, Orm immerges from the surf and walks toward you, slicking back his dripping hair. His tee shirt clings to his muscular form, and his soaked jeans don't seem to encumber him at all. You're frozen in the sand, staring at him with only one word on your parted lips.

"How..."

"There's no simple way to say it, but you must know. I am from the Kingdom of Atlantis," he confesses, struggling to hold your stare, "I am Prince Orm Marius, son of Queen Atlanna. Although I was once ruler, I made many mistakes during my time on the throne for which I was banished. My penance is served by my exile here on the surface. I deserve my fate, and I gladly uphold it, but it is not something I wanted to keep from you any longer. I'm sorry that I was not honest with you sooner, but I didn't think that I could trust any surface-dweller with my secret. I was...proven wrong."

"You're a real Atlantean?" you manage to get out.

"I am," he nods, apprehension still in his voice, "I was raised to hate the surface and its inhabitants, but much has changed. You, Y/N, have had no small part in that."

Despite your reeling head, it's slowly becoming clear what Orm is saying by this grand unveiling of his true identity. As you struggle to process it, however, your silence compels him to go on.

"If all of this is too much, I understand. It is my burden to bear, and you did not ask to be part of it."

"I-It's not that," you stammer as the shock starts to wear off. You step closer to him. "Not at all. It's just a lot to take in. I need a minute, that's all. I promise."

Hope lights up his eyes.

"Absolutely," he agrees eagerly, "I apologize, I know this reveal was sudden. Please ask any questions that you have. I will withhold nothing from you."

As you finally begin look at him instead of through him, only one question lodged in your throat.

"Why?" you ask through threatening tears, "Why did you tell me all this?"

You knew why, because it was the same reason you wanted to tell him all of your own secrets. The same reason you came back to this beach over and over. The same reason your heart skipped every time you saw his handsome face, and heard him speak your name. You just wanted to hear him say it. For any of this to work, you needed to hear it.

His anxious gaze softens as he weighs his answer.

"I meant every word of what I told you yesterday. When I'm with you, I see a future that I never thought I would deserve. You make me feel like I can be more than I've ever been. And for the first time in my life, I have felt true happiness," he says, finding the words along with his conviction, "I never thought I would belong anywhere but Atlantis, but now, I want to know more about this world and its many gifts. And most of all, I want you to be by my side to show it to me."

"I want that too," you respond, tears threatening.

He gently takes your hand in his. "Even after all that I've done, part of me hoped that I might find some kind of redemption here on the surface. I wasn't sure how, and then I met you," he says tearfully, searching your eyes, "Y/N, you gave me that hope. Your goodness, your charity, your beauty. This realm has much to offer, more than I ever dreamed, but you are what I love most about the surface. From that very first day we spoke, I knew that you were what I was meant to find here."

Your vision blurs as he reaches to gently stroke your cheek.

"All of that to say...I've fallen in love with you, Y/N."

A sob escapes your throat as you look into his eyes and see it.

"I fell for you too. From the first day," you nod, finding your own confidence, "Being Atlantean doesn't change that. I don't care about who you've been or what you've done. I want to be with you. I love you too, Orm."

His composure crumbles along with yours as you embrace. The distance between you vanishes as your lips meet in a desperate kiss. You rest your hands on his chest and melt into his touch. He sighs and deepens the kiss, pulling you close against him. You feel the coolness of this still-dripping clothes soak through to your skin as you become lost in the taste of salt and longing. When you're forced to come up for air, you're both beaming.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," he smiles, caressing your face.

"Me too," you giggle, lacing your arms around his neck, "What did you think of your first surface-dweller kiss?"

"Not too bad. I think I'll have to try it again before I decide if I really like it," he smirks.

"Well, if you get me out of this frigid water, I'll see what I can do about that," you tease back.

"Now that I can do," he announces.

You shriek in surprise as he swiftly lifts you from the water and into his arms as if you weighed nothing at all. He chuckles in amusement and carries you bridal style back toward the shore.

"Orm!" you protest, in an obviously half-hearted fashion.

"I have to admit, concealing my Atlantean strength has been considerably more difficult than I anticipated," he reveals, wincing a bit, "I intended to bring a bottle of wine tonight as well, but- the glass here is far weaker than what I'm accustomed to."

You laugh. "Well, it's the thought that counts."

"I'm glad you think so. Because I thought since I'm responsible for us missing the best part of the sunset, that perhaps we could lie under the stars instead?" he suggests, setting you down gently on your feet upon the blanket.

"I would love to," you say, looking up at him, "But aren't you freezing in those clothes?"

"I'm used to it," he shrugs, "I don't think I feel the cold the same as you."

"In that case," you say, pulling him closer into a tender kiss, "What do you think about that?"

He grins.

"It was perfect, and I'm certain it will not be my last."

You no longer feel the chill as you cling to him, and he rests his forehead to yours. It didn't matter where the tides of life would take you next. As long as Orm was there to hold you in the waves, you would always be in your favorite place.

[yaniiiiism]

stars and raindrops. -k.sm 🥯 // 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾.

chapter one <3

☆┆pairing : kim seungmin x fem!reader ͏ ☆┆ info : sadfic , fluff , melancholy , unrequited love (cough cough) , feelings , mature themes , suggestive , bsfs , one sided , uni au , happy ending (?) ͏ ☆┆ personas + bg : uni students ; best friends ; trio of jisung, seungmin and reader. music students! ☆┆ word count : 3.1k ☆┆warnings : sad, seungmo's a sweetheart but just clueless. notes at the end !!

𓇼 ! 🖇️ 🪽 🐇 𓊇

i ) ꕤ it's useless, everything is useless, even if they say it's useless.

The brunette sat slouched on his dorm's worn-out, velvet couch, his eyes locked onto the ceiling but his mind clearly elsewhere. He hadn’t moved in the last half-hour, a dead giveaway that something was eating away at him. The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the air conditioner, the low volume of the random drama playing on the tv, and the occasional distant sounds from the campus just 9 floors below.

The sound of the door unlocking barely snapped him out of his trance. His dorm-mate pushed the creaking wooden door open with her hip, one hand loaded with takeout bags, a pepero stick hanging loosely from her lush lips, and her familiar, black, guitar case slung over her back, the stickers on it glistening slightly as it reflected in the muted sunlight. She huffed as she struggled to balance everything in her hands.

"Guess which lovely roommate of yours got takeout!" she announced grandly, her voice still a contrast to his silence, despite muffled by the chocolate pepero in her mouth. She stepped inside with an exaggerated sigh, kicking the door closed behind her and using her feet to slip off her converses, the effort almost graceful. The strap of her grey tank top slipped slightly off her shoulder as she tossed her guitar case to the side, which she barely managed to catch before it hit the ground.

But that idiot, too busy day-dreaming, didn’t notice her, his eyes still distant, staring blankly ahead. Without skipping a beat, the annoyed lady tossed the pepero box toward him, admittedly aiming for his– fluffy, brown hair that always drew her attention and made her drool; hoping to catch his undivided attention. The box smacked lightly against the top of his ear, ruffling a bit of his hair, then his shoulder, making him yelp in surprise. He straightened, finally aware of her presence.

"Hey!" Seungmin protested, grabbing the box and rubbing his shoulder to ease the ‘pain’,  as if the impact had actually hurt. "What was that for?"

“Don’t blame me,” The girl in question simply rolled her eyes, an annoyed glint in her eyes as she struggled to walk with all the weight in her hands, him unbothered by her presence. “You were totally zoned out, daydreaming about Eunha, probably?” Her voice carried a subtle hint of meekness, though she tried to cover it up.

The loverboy slightly flinched at the mention of her name, his expression shifting from startled to slightly defensive. His eyes, usually warm and inviting, now held a depth as he shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "I wasn’t daydreaming about anyone," he muttered, his voice a bit too sharp, betraying the truth behind his denial.  (stage 1: denial but we’re on y/n’s side rn so fuck u eunha)

"Right, because that totally explains the sulking," she shot back, her tone playful but her eyes sharp, catching every little telltale sign of his mood. 

Y/n glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she unpacked the takeout, laying out the boxes of fried chicken and spicy noodles with precision, yet distraction. The savoury aroma of the food filled their small dorm, mingling with the faint scent of his cologne that lingered in the air. Food and nothing else –  a simple meal that should have made him smile, but today, the same as the past few days, it felt more like her gesture barely registered.

"What, did Felix crack another lame joke, and Eunha laughed too hard at it?"

He groaned, leaning back into the couch, the takeout momentarily forgotten. "It’s just... I don’t get it," he finally admitted, his voice quieter now, almost as if he were talking more to himself than to her. "He’s not even that funny, man, but she just—" He trailed off, his frustration evident as he buried his face in his hands.

The girl just watched him, her heart sinking a little. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen this coming; her roommate’s massive crush on the university’s most loved girl, who aced in academics and in talents, had been as clear as day from the start. But seeing him like this, so tangled up in feelings that seemed to lead nowhere, the stupid unrequited love, it bothered her in ways she didn’t want to know. 

She bit down on the same pepero, trying to focus on the crispy sweetness in her mouth rather than the ache in her chest.

"Well, maybe he is kinda friendly or funny?” She blurted out, accidentally, earning a loud whine and a glare from the guy in front of her – that she almost choked onto the pepero. “What I meant was.. maybe she just has a.. terrible sense of humour!" she offered lightly, hoping to lift his spirits, even just a bit. "Or she’s just... I don’t know, blind?"

After getting some water, and washing her hands, the girl plopped down on the floor, her back resting against the edge of the coffee table, her knees drawn up as she tore open a pair of chopsticks. "If looks could kill, the ceiling would’ve been toast by now."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, the strands flopping back into place with that annoyingly perfect, tousled look, she’d say. "You’re terrible at talking, I think shutting up would be easier for you."

She chewed offendedly on another quick pepero stick, her eyes never leaving his annoyed face. He could feel her gaze, like a warm, steady pressure, and it made him fidget under the weight of it.

 "Look, I’m sorry but Jisung and I, both, are really running short of ‘comforting’ phrases right now, for your certain unrequited love,” she quipped. She simply shrugged, used to this, as she dug into the bowl of hot noodles. “It’s been a year, Seungmin.”

He avoided her eyes, joining her on the floor too, reaching for the same with a mumbled thanks, but she wasn’t about to let him do that just yet.

She lightly slapped away his wrist, “Wash your hands first, dipshit,” She shot a glare, not wanting her meal to be ruined by his groggy, lazy attitude.

He groaned at the pain, standing up lazily, having no option but to obey her.

“Being a close friend and a roommate to me doesn’t make you any less of a guy, you know!” She called out, the corner of her lip curled into a teasing smirk as she continued to eat.

They fell into a comfortable silence after that, the quiet ticking of the clock filling the space between them. She busied herself with the food, passing him a box of fried chicken, which he accepted with a small smile. He was grateful, of her and Jisung both, even if he didn’t say it outright.

the next day.

The day rolled in quietly, the sun casting a pale glow through the blinds of her room, illuminating the soft dust particles dancing in the morning light. 

Her roommate had been up earlier than usual, probably pacing back and forth in front of his mirror, combing through his dark, chestnut hair like a man on a mission. He mumbled to himself, practising lines as if they were the opening of some grand opera, but in reality, it was just another attempt to talk to Eunha.

How’d she know that?  You’d ask, but blame the loverboy. It was seven in the morning, their rooms were right on the two sides of the wall, so yes, she could hear his footsteps and groans.

Fuck you, Kim Seungmin, she thought. Turning her head away and pulling the blanket tighter over herself, she tried to slip into slumber once again. Yet, even in her half-asleep state, she could feel the familiar pang in her chest. 

Unable to sleep, she got up from the bed with a groggy groan, almost tripping on her slippers, before wearing them quickly. She walked out of her room, approaching his room, as she twisted the knob slowly.

She stared at the guy through the little crack, him being oblivious to her presence. Nothing new, of course. 

"You know, practising in the mirror, early in the morning every day, won’t make you any better at flirting," she muttered, her voice hoarse from sleep.

Seungmin stopped his pacing and turned to face her, the hint of a blush dusting his cheeks. "I’m not trying to.. flirt. I’m just– preparing," he said defensively, tugging at the collar of his shirt, trying to make it look presentable.

“You’ve woken me up for the ninth time this week.”

“Oh.” He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, “Sorry, I’ll keep it down next time..” He mumbled out an apology, her eyes softening and glistening a light tap of vulnerability to his voice.

But she clouded it, once again, “You better.” She pretended to act annoyed, grumbling under her breath as she left his room.

During breakfast, the two met again. Since it was a Thursday, it was the girl’s chore to make breakfast. After a while of stir-frying vegetables, making 2 omelettes, and roasting some bacon, the brunette emerged from his room, smelling the food.

"Does this hoodie make me look too... I don’t know, comfortable? Casual?" Seungmin asked, his brow furrowed in frustration as he fidgeted with the drawstrings, walking to the counter. His breakfast was casually plated well, as he reached the fridge to get the usual apple juice, mumbling out a quiet thank you.

Y/n, who was too busy flipping the last omelette, which was hers, didn’t need to look up. "You look like you’re going to a study group, not a date," she quipped, fingers idly reaching for the black pepper from the upper shelf.

He turned to her, pouting. "It’s not a date, and anyway, Eunha said she likes when people are… casual."

She rolled her eyes, biting back a sigh. "Right. Because clearly, what Eunha says and what she does are the same thing."

Ignoring her sarcasm, Seungmin got his plate, his glass of apple juice, and mumbled a quick thank you again, before walking to the couch.

Later that afternoon, the raven-hair found herself idly snacking on another pack of pocky sticks, on a bench outside the university cafeteria, sharing the space with Jisung, who, as usual, had his earbuds in and was tapping away at some random beat on his phone, with the occasional talk. She glanced up just in time to spot Seungmin standing across the courtyard, his face lighting up as he spotted Eunha approaching with Felix.

"Here we go again," Jisung mumbled, pulling out one earbud as he noticed the scene unfolding. "Seungmin’s endless mission to woo the girl who has no idea how to even spell his name."

Y/n couldn’t help but snort. "Right? I swear, he’ll bring her banana milk today, and Felix will show up with chocolate milk, and they’ll just stand there, offering her beverages like some weird vending machines."

"And guess who’ll win?" Jisung raised an eyebrow.

"Not Seungmin, that’s for sure." Y/n's voice was a little more bitter than she intended, but Jisung didn’t seem to notice, too focused on the spectacle ahead.

As if on cue, Seungmin greeted Eunha with a shy smile, handing her a neatly packaged bottle of strawberry milk this time. Felix, not to be outdone, pulled out a chocolate bar from his bag, causing Eunha to giggle softly.

Y/n watched the exchange, the ache in her chest growing with each passing second. It wasn’t just Seungmin’s persistence; it was the way his eyes softened every time Eunha smiled, the way his posture changed when she laughed—he stood a little straighter, as if her attention alone gave him some kind of superpower. It was... poetic, in a tragic way. 

"Look at him," Y/n muttered under her breath, her voice thick with unspoken feelings. "He’s like some lovesick poet in a cheesy romance drama."

Jisung followed her gaze, and with a dramatic sigh, he added, "Oh yeah, totally Shakespearean. Except instead of 'Romeo, Romeo,' it’s more like 'Eunha, Eunha, why don’t you notice me?'"

Y/n snickered, even though it hurt. "And here I am, the sad side character in the background."

Jisung glanced at her, eyebrow raised. "You sure you’re not the main character in this tragedy?"

Before Y/n could respond, Seungmin beckoned them over from across the courtyard, clearly having noticed them. She sighed, pushing herself up from the bench. "Come on, let’s save him from himself."

As they approached the trio, Seungmin’s eyes lit up, clearly relieved to have his best friend and dorm-mate join him. "Hey, you guys! We were just about to grab some lunch. Wanna join?"

Eunha smiled brightly, seemingly pleased with the idea. "Yeah, come with us! The more, the merrier."

Felix, ever the friendly competitor, added with a grin, "Yeah, plus, we could use a buffer. You guys can make sure Seungmin doesn’t steal all of Eunha’s attention."

Y/n forced a smile, ignoring the jab of jealousy that Felix’s words brought. "Sure, why not?"

As they sat down together in the cafeteria, Seungmin was, unsurprisingly, absorbed in Eunha, hanging onto her every word like she was some rare bird singing a once-in-a-lifetime song. He laughed at every joke, even the ones that weren’t all that funny, and leaned in a little closer every time she spoke.

And Y/n? She could only watch from across the table, her heart twisting in knots as Seungmin admired Eunha the way she admired him. It was almost poetic, the way his gaze softened when he looked at Eunha—the way he seemed to forget the rest of the world when she was near. Y/n knew that look all too well, because it was the same way she looked at Seungmin, hopelessly and silently.

Felix, ever perceptive, seemed to notice the shift in Y/n’s mood. He leaned over slightly, nudging her with his elbow. "You okay?"

She plastered on a smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just... tired, I guess."

Felix didn’t push, but he gave her a knowing look, his gaze flickering between her and Seungmin before he turned back to the conversation at hand.

"So, Eunha," Seungmin was saying, his voice almost reverent, "what made you get into photography? You’re so good at it."

Eunha blushed slightly, twirling a strand of her hair. "Oh, I’ve always loved capturing moments, you know? I think there’s something beautiful about freezing time in a picture. It’s like... you get to hold onto a memory forever."

Seungmin’s smile widened, and Y/n could practically see the admiration glowing in his eyes. "That’s... that’s beautiful."

Y/n, on the other hand, silently picked at her food, each bite feeling heavier than the last. How long was she going to watch him fall for someone else? How long was she going to be the one sitting on the sidelines, waiting for something that would never come?

Jisung, noticing her quietness, nudged her under the table. "You’re unusually q—" he whispered, or tried to.

She shrugged, shooting a glare his way. "Quit it, squirrel face.”

Jisung raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. He knew her well enough to recognize when she didn’t want to talk about something, and right now, her facade was clearly visible to him.

The air between them thickened slightly, a tension she couldn’t quite shake off. Her heart pounded in her chest, its rhythm uneven, as her thoughts wandered. She stole a glance at the brown-haired boy across the room, her gaze softening as it settled on him. 

His fluffy hair, a tousled mess of warm chestnut, danced lightly with each nod and drift of the wind, catching the sunlight in a way that made it seem almost sun-kissed. 

He was talking animatedly with Eunha, his every gesture filled with an energy she had grown to both adore and dread. 

His smile, wide and genuine, lit up his entire face, causing his eyes to shine with a brightness that made her chest tighten with a familiar ache.

His presence was magnetic, effortlessly drawing her in like a moth to a flame, even as she tried to resist. She watched the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, the soft curve of his lips that always seemed to hover between a grin and a laugh.

 It was a sight she could never grow tired of, yet it pained her all the same. 

He was a picture of effortless charm, with his broad shoulders and lean frame, the way his clothes always seemed to fit just right. But it wasn’t just his appearance that captivated her; it was the way he carried himself, the kindness in his voice, the gentleness in his movements. 

But more the way he cared. Not a lot for her, but for the people he loved.

The way he went out of his way for those he cherished.

Even when she wasn’t one of them.

It was.. cruel, in a way. But how could she hate him? That’s the guy who made her fall in love for the first time. Who made her feel ‘love’ for the first time. Even when he didn’t know it.

He had a way of making everything around him seem brighter, more alive, more.. appreciated.

And then there was Eunha. Her presence beside him was like a shadow that made her heart sink into a deep hole, even as she tried to push the feeling away. 

Eunha, with her flawless skin and effortless beauty, her laughter like music that filled the room. She was everything Y/n wasn’t – poised, graceful, just.. perfect. And it was clear that her lover saw it too.

The hopeless romantic could see it in the way his gaze lingered on Eunha, how his eyes softened whenever she spoke. The way he leaned in just a little closer to catch every word she said, his attention fully captured by her. His admiration for Eunha was evident in every glance, every smile, every word he spoke to her.

She watched him as he admired Eunha, the way his eyes seemed to trace every delicate feature of her face, the curve of her lips, the way her hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders. 

His expression was one of quiet reverence, as if he were witnessing something godly, something precious. It was a look that maybe she, herself, found to be doing, to him who was so busy with someone else. The look, she had once hoped to see directed at her, but now, she could only watch from the sidelines, her heart burying with each passing moment.

Y/n admired him with the same intensity, her eyes tracing the familiar lines of his face, the way his hair fell into his eyes, the way his smile seemed to light up the entire room. But while his gaze was filled with admiration for Eunha, hers was filled with longing, a silent yearning that she knew would never be returned.

She swallowed hard, the knot in her chest tightening. She could hear their laughter ringing in her ears, but it was distant, drowned out by her thoughts.

It was too much.

˖ㅤㅤ۫ㅤㅤ ♡ ㅤ۫ㅤ ೀ ˖ㅤㅤ۫ㅤㅤㅤ✧

a/n ♡︎

guys i js became seungmo biased (this series is the output.) AAAAAAsshshaa no1. seungmo no2. minchan. new series AAAAA gonna try to update daily !! yes ik just fine is YET TO BE POSTED but i swear im js putting it on hold till my mid terms end !! cuz it kinda has complexity and i won't be able to spend a lot of time writing <3 this series is som i wrote during my breaks between studying ^^ plz give sm love to this series, i love it sm😭😭 made another spam acc for skz @loveforseung ALSO I HAVE AO3 NOW !! user's same as @loveforseung go follow !! also making a masterlist for all of my posts, plz lmk if u wanna be a part of it ! <3 have a good day ~ – love, yani ♥︎

[pumpkinbxtch]

MY LAST REQUEST 😭 I feel so bad requesting right away AGAIN but I loved your response so much I want more. I CRAVE more of it PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP MAKE A PT2 DO ANYTHING WITH THE PART 2 SLIGHTLY ANGSTY AND FLUFFY PLSPLS 😭🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️ TYSM AGAIN LIKE YOURE LITERALLY THE BEST ur single handily fueling my obsession rn this will be my last one for a while TRUST unless you say otherwise, I don’t wanna overwhelm you ❤️💔

• ° . ☆ “Free coupons, take one and cry all afternoon ” II

— apollo x mortal!reader

part i

summary: part ii, you need to read it, the link is above. run, go warnings: none a/n: really forgive me, haha. I wanted to do something very nice but, well, you'll read what I did. I don't know, forgive me 😔 I couldn't control myself HAHA Still I hope you enjoy it.

Lester was about to throw up the burger, or well, the two bites he had taken. No misunderstanding, it was good.

But you continued to check that they were well taken care of; Giving him pretty smiles and walking near him with that lavender smell of yours. Shit, he wanted to be close to you.

They were too many of you, so they had to join several tables and, among the place that was about to explode, they stood out.

A very lively table, Apollo assumed.

Percy played with his soda making swirls telepathically, Leo put his hand in and undid it, it was funny until the son of Poseidon realized that the drink was disgustingly tampered with. He didn't take a sip again. The other boys laughed.

The girls were talking and laughing and pushing each other, including Meg.

Nico picked at Percy's fries and sipped on Will's soda. Living his best life, Apollo thought.

He liked the idea of being with them and being able to take care of them (even though they beat them to the times they had saved his ass) he could now return the favor.

Oh, if only you could see it. You would be happy. You told him in almost all your lives that he was guilty of being self-centered.

Apollo found himself struggling with the thoughts of him, you weren't dead. You were in front of him.

You passed the door to the counter, holding a tray in each hand. That image flashed in his mind, transporting him back to when you used to walk around with two vases on your shoulders, dancing among the people. Some chains hanging from your neck and the jewelry clashed. You have always been beautiful. Whatever way you came back to him; Boy, girl, you were always beautiful.

— LESTER! —He jumped out of the seat and collided with Jason's shoulder.

— All good?

No, he wanted to be with you.

— The girl over there is talking to you, — Will said with a worried look for his father.

He looked up and spotted you behind the cash register. He made his way towards you without hesitation.

—Mr. Lester, I see that you didn't wait two seconds to use those coupons.— You said with a smile on your lips. Some strands of hair were sticking out from under the cap you were wearing.

—We were hungry.

Idiot, couldn't he think of a better line?

You let out a laugh, and he leaned slightly on the bar, his stomach wouldn't leave him alone.

You leaned over the bar, closing the distance between you. The boy smelled like sunshine and some kind of sweet scent, totally pleasing to your sense of smell. Strangely, you wanted to be even closer to him, like a little impulse to be with him alone, to hug him. Were you attracted to him? But it seemed like a joke, they had only met by chance. You cleared your throat.

— Everything's alright there? — You pointed with your eyes to the table where the rest of his friends and sister were. Although this one had nothing in common with him.

You looked at him. The blonde curls mixed with the black ones making a particular blend, you wondered if it was something genetic and his blue eyes, you had seen them. You were sure.

He touched your shoulder excessively softly, as if he was afraid of breaking you.

— Excuse me?

You let out a laugh and straightened up. Again he was a little further away and you didn't like the feeling.

—I didn't hear you, sorry. Did you say?

Lester smiled.

— It's all good. If we make too much noise, we can leave.

You denied without thinking, almost as an act of desperation. You and he chatted a little more, and you told him to sit down so he could finish his meal.

Walked into the kitchen and cursed under your breath. It was inevitable, he would have to leave at some point. What if you asked for his number? The thought made you bite your lip, and you squeezed your eyes shut.

You felt stupid. Would you look like that in front of him?

You gave him the coupons you had collected to go out with your friends for half a month, just for the sake of it? You never talked to strangers on the street, but Lester didn't seem like a stranger to you.

Apollo returned to the table and ate a chip without much enthusiasm.

Rachel glanced at Piper.

— Any problem? — Frank said drinking soda from the straw.

The god shook his head and sighed. He felt useless, helpless because he wanted to be with you, but he couldn't find a way. Maybe he could ask you for your number. Yeah! Or not?

— I think it's better that you eat. —Rachel said. As if she could guess his thoughts. Or maybe yes? He looked up and took the burger in her hands, after examining it, he handed it to the son of Hades. Nico ate it almost in an instant. And he got up again to go with you.

— Excuse me!

— Tell me — A waiter served him. Apollo felt stupid, so he ended up ordering ice cream.

He returned with the cone in his hand and a pout on his mouth.

Piper hid her giggle behind the paper menu.

The thoughts of asking for his number also didn't leave you alone, but every time you tried to approach him, something simply interrupted you.

You quickened your pace towards him. You cursed the fact that Lester's back was turned, and an arm stopped your path.

— Miss…

Again. You ended up in the kitchen, mumbling and grimacing.

Apollo also couldn't find you at any time that you could speak. He slammed his hand on the table and bumped his forehead against the plastic surface. It seemed like a joke!

Rachel shook her head slightly and stroked her head.

—Hey, Apollo.

He denied rubbing his face on the table.

Everyone wanted to ask, but the redhead put a finger on her lips.

— Apollo

— It's not Apollo, it's Lester

She understood, things weren't going well, but it was inevitable. Rachel got down to Apollo's level.

— Try it one more time, if you hate this, try it as many times as necessary. But know that you tried everything.

The god's blue eyes peered through his hair, and stood up with a sigh.

Everyone at the table pretended not to have heard, they played dumb talking about the weather.

And he tried again.

and he failed again.

You didn't feel any different, you felt like everything had been so easy until you got it into your head that you needed to be with him. You looked through the delivery window and noticed that his table was almost empty, you had worked in food chains for so long to know that they were about to leave the place. Your soul felt a despair that at the same time seemed meaningless to you.

You looked for a pen and paper, a sheet they use for receipt notes.

You wrote your number and a note: call me!, and you doodled a heart. Inexplicably, you also drew a sun. If you couldn't get close, someone else could.

—Brenda!

Your coworker stopped her pace and raised her chin. She just had a tray in her hand, perfect. You walked over to her quickly.

— Deliver this to table seven.

She nodded.

Apollo was already feeling hopeless, he drank Piper's drink and talked to her friends. During the conversation, your coworker handed the note on a small tray. Rachel looked at the paper and waited for Apollo to take it.

He did, and while he was laughing about something Frank had told him, he crumpled it up and threw the ball of paper into the metal trash can.

The redhead didn't say anything, she knew what was happening. She knew that even if she went to the boat and gave the paper to her friend, it would be something else.

The food was finished, and the rest had been pleasant.

Then everyone rose from their chairs.

Apollo looked again at the same window through which you had been spying on him, until at that same moment it was your turn to throw out the trash.

And that's how things ended.

Apollo walked away from the place, and you didn't see him leave. Both felt their spirits on the ground, their stomachs full of anxiety. It was strange, it was fleeting. But when things didn't have to happen, it was that simple. They just wouldn't happen.

At least, not in this life of yours.

Every chance with Apollo would wither, corrode, perish. It didn't matter how much they tried or struggled.

It was not going to work. At that moment, you were destined to meet but not to stay together, not even for a full day.

And how cruel because there was so much he wanted to show you.

But not now, but until 100 years later.

[aaaaafro]

You're not wearing that to sleep. - LE SSERAFIM - Yunjin x M! Reader. (+18)

tw: mommy kink, choking, light degradation, first seggs?

Pt 2 here

"Why not?!" You really didn't want to start an argument with your girlfriend but here you are.

"B-because..." And it seems that your mind is trying to tell you not to continue.

"Because? Because what?!" There goes her voice raising.

"Uhm... It's impractical and... It looks uncomfortable." A scowl look from her sends you warnings as your window of opportunity is slowly closing.

"You're not being serious with me right now jen."

A scoff or almost an empty cough was the last straw, as she stood up from the bed getting ready to leave.

"Jen wait." A desperate plea from you stops her movements as you reached your hand out to hers.

She reluctantly took it and you pulled her towards the bed, although the night was still young you two are supposedly too exhausted from your date to have this argument right now.

"Give me a good reason as to why can't I wear this gorgeous outfit in my sleep?"

"If you can't, I'd gladly rent another room to sleep in, on my own without someone telling me about what I can wear to my comfort?"

Come on dumbass think! There must be something that you can conjure up. You can see in her eyes her anger slowly building with every second you took.

"Because..."

"Y-you..."

"W-won't...–need it." Seriously? Your horny ass thinks out of all the times you'd like to propose an advancement to a home run, right now?

Yes, going second and third base with Yunjin was something but it's Huh Yunjin we are talking about. You mentally smack yourself, while she steers her look away from you.

"Jen?" You called seeing how silent she became.

Without another word she quickly stood up and turned away from you. Scared that you'd be left alone for the rest of the night you got up but immediately was sat down to the chair right in front of your bed by Yunjin's push.

"Stop calling me Jen." She says in a tone that's in the middle of shaky yet confident.

"But–..." You're about to reason that ever since the two of you dated you always stick to nickname basis and none of those corny-ass endearments.

It's a bit much but considering the two of you are just a freshly made couple you understood. What you didn't understand is when Yunjin lets her black dress drop all of a sudden.

"J-jen?" You called as she finally turns towards you with both her hands working on the buttons of her shirt.

First button.

"Is that the best reason you can come up with?" She asked.

Second button.

"You're really gonna keep calling me jen?"

Third button to which completely exposes her glorious, flawlessly sharp shoulders and collarbone was enough for you to sit there and let your brain get fried with the overwhelming sight.

"Uh–.” You tried talking but got cut off when Yunjin suddenly pounced on you.

"Ssshhh, say it again." She whispers as her face closes onto yours her hot breath brushing against your skin.

"S-say w-what?"

"The thing you said earlier and the reason you gave." With Yunjin's hands snaking up your chest and to your neck gave you little to no choice but to oblige.

"You're not wearing that to sleep." You did your best to make it sound normal but with a million things happening in your mind you honestly didn't know how it sounded.

Though a smirk from Yunjin reassured you that you're doing great.

"And why is that?" She asked cheekily.

"Because y-you wont nee–... mhmmhp–.” Her lips sealed yours as her arms have completely snaked around your neck helping her to pull you in even more.

You can feel her tongue probing in, obviously you'd let her in but of course who are you not to return the favor? The two of you engage in a tongue battle, trying to see who'd be more insatiated with one another.

Now, this isn't the first time the two of you have kissed but it sure is the first time to which it might lead to a home run. For most of the time it just leads to second or third base because you two would do it in Yunjin's dorm in which for obvious reason is not the ideal place to do it since her group mates are always present.

So now given the opportunity of a lifetime to which you've found yourself on a solo date with Yunjin you could only pray that this'll lead to something more.

"Mhmphh." Yunjin moans into the kiss as she finally felt your hands aimlessly fly on her body landing on her sweet peaches.

A quick squeeze earns you a yelp that made Yunjin's lips regretfully detached from yours though it also did reward with another smirk from your girl before she pulls you up to the bed.

There's no fight in your system as Yunjin just threw your almost ragdoll body on the bed before following it and straddling you.

Without further ado she starts peppering you with kisses, on your face to your neck to where she paused realizing there's too much cloth obstructing her goals.

Like a skilled hunter, she took your shirt off as if she's skinning her prey. "Isn't this your first time?" You asked wondering where all of this is coming from.

"You think you're the only one who's been wanting this?" She replied before ferociously lapping you up.

As much as you wanted to retaliate she's holding you down, with your hands over your head and your hips locked by her soft thighs.

Surprisingly enough she actually stopped, admiring her work on your top half, you took a peek downward and lord are you not covered with red markings, you honestly didn't know if it was from her lipstick or just pure hickeys but you actually didn't care.

Nevermind, you actually care special once she starts standing up, towering over you, her toned legs are the stars of the show as they are in full view along with her dark boots that she not surprisingly didn't take off.

Questioning Yunjin's thinking on why she left the boots on was immediately excised, when she used it to step on your chest.

It's degrading, uncomfortable, demeaning and yet you're just accepting it because it's giving you a better look at your girlfriend's tone legs.

"Say my name." She says while crossing her arms.

"J-je– argh!" The sudden pressure on your chest made you rethink your life choices specially on what to call Yunjin in bed.

"That's mommy for you." She demanded as her foot finally leaves your upperhalf.

"M-mommy?" She smirks at you before reaching for the hem of her shorts and oh boy are you in for a treat.

You've got yourself questioning how much hotter can she be with her exposed shoulder with a tube bra that hugs her orbs perfect and yet she's upping the ante when she slowly pulls down her safety shorts, giving you a feeling like you've won the lottery when you see her shaved core glistening with her love liquid.

You're currently salivating at the sight specially when Yunjin steps forward and lines it up to your face. There's an overwhelmingly sense that your carnal desires will not hold for long seeing that merely inches away from your face is your girlfriend's moist core and yet you're too scared to try and move as she just looks down at you both literally and figuratively, a look that solidified she's in control and the moment you try and defy her she can crush your dreams.

"What does my baby boy want?" She asked with her most sultry voice.

"I-i want you to s-sit on my face." You answered but Yunjin's eyebrows furrowed.

"It's seems like you're missing some manners." She replied before placing her boot on your throat.

"Try again." The conviction in her tone sends shivers down your spine.

The pressure on your neck lightens allowing you to finally breathe.

"I-i want mommy to sit on my face..." One of her eyebrows rises telling you that you're missing something.

"P-please?" Finally a smile forms across Yunjin's lips and god if she isn't the most attractive woman alive.

She then lowers herself onto you, with so much anticipation you couldn't help but brace yourself and inhale so much air but not even a tiny lick, Yunjin stops midway with her knees sandwiching your head.

"Look at you, so pathetic." Yunjin's insulting voice hits you like a knife through the chest pair with her eyes that shows nothing but contempt.

"Are you that hungry for mommy?" Her tone is coming at you with such loathing.

It's supposed to hurt and yet here you are getting a hard-on which isn't difficult considering her wet flower is still inches away from your face.

You just gave her your best pleading face to which she responded with a scoff before lowering her pelvis to your neck. Obviously, you'd like to get choked by her core but you'd much appreciate it more if it was through the mouth asphyxiation, but oh god does her wet snatch on your throat feels so damn good.

"You're not even struggling baby." She victoriously chuckles as she grinds her core on your neck. This vicious attack along with soft caress on your cheek gave you the most confused hard-on of your life and yet you're not upset about it.

"You like this don't you? You fucking pervert." A slap sent your head sideways with a stinging cheek before Yunjin rose up from your neck that is now covered by her juice.

You move your hand up to try and collect it and maybe taste it but it was swatted away before it could even reach your neck.

Yunjin then slowly slithers her way downwards levelling with you as her core now rests on top of your still clothed raging boner and despite the frustrating barrier you're still able to feel how floodlingly wet Yunjin is.

As if a light bulb lit up in Yunjin's brain, with a bright smile before a suggestive lip bite causes your senses to worry however when she stood up from straddling you and reached for something on the floor that you've gotten more anxious.

That anxiety was quickly washed away when you saw that it was just her dress that she retrieved from the ground but what Yunjin did next was something you'd never expect with her shirt still unbottoned and still exposing a significant amount of her godly flawless skin she one up herself even more by removing her tube bra exposing her beautiful orbs right in front of you. However a click of her tongue dissipates your smile as she then took the dress and wore it again despite her orbs barely being covered.

Just as she was finished dressing up she then did the contrary to you by pulling your pants down along with your boxers in one quick motion. Your manhood springs up proudly as Yunjin's eyes widens, she then licks her lips in a hungry fashion before palming the base of your rod feeling the hardness and girth before engulfing with her hands.

You're now waiting for her to slip into her 'mommy' role and dominate you but none of those things happened, instead she took your length into her mouth like there's no tomorrow, lapping it all up, her hands jacking it off, even spitting on it occasionally.

What took you by surprise the most is when your tip hits the back of her throat causing Yunjin to gag but after a couple more of those she's gotten used to it and just took your manhood like a famished animal meanwhile you just laid there trying not to go feral from the pleasure.

With a pop she releases your cock from her mouth leaving a healthy trail of spit that hangs on her chin, if you thought you've seen everything already, oh lordy the way she casually wiped it paired with her piercing eyes locked onto yours causes your member to twitch in her hand.

Yunjin then snakes her way up towards you as she lines your length to her core. Painstakingly slow, she rubs your member on her entrance to unnecessarily lube it up but who are you to complain specially when her hot core is slowly sandwiching your rock hard member.

As much as you'd like to witness the initial penetration you regretfully had to close your eyes as your weak self couldn't handle how tight she is but it seems like you're not the only one currently drowning in pleasure, as your girlfriend's airy moan echoes through the wall and perhaps may have alerted the neighboring rooms of the lustful act the two of you are currently partaking in but to hell with them, you're all in on this and it seems like Yunjin isn't going anywhere as well.

"Fuck! You're so fucking tight." You exclaimed.

"Argh!" You groan but it wasn't for her walls choking you it's from a slap courtesy of Yunjin.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" And that's when you realize that she's still in her role.

"Sorry, mommy, you're so tight." With that reply she finally smiled before bouncing on your length.

To say it was erotic would be an understatement, it's her face, the way her hips rise and fall, they way your member disappears inside her, her long airy gasps, her long dark nails clawing your chest, her golden strands scattered around, and the sloppy moist slaps of your skins.

You can easily climax at any given moment but you wanted it to last, just a few more minutes, seconds or if possible an eternity. Yunjin bites her lip to try and suppress her moans and boy the sight of her pupils crossing the outright expression of her face bringing you closer and closer to your limit.

"Mommy." You called afraid to cut her off of her high.

"C-can I be on top?" Yunjin's movements stop you prepared yourself for a slap or even a bit of choking perhaps but none of that happened.

Instead she detaches herself from you with an enthusiastic smile across her face. She takes the empty space right next to you, facing down with her legs hanging off of the bed displaying her plump behind. You couldn't get up any faster and stood right behind Yunjin with her peach display right in front of you with a hint of redness from her rodeo earlier.

Your hand sneakily made it's way to her slim hips as you aligned your length to her entrance and you're an idiot if you think she'll make it easy for you as she crosses her legs tightening her already tight yet moist hole.

"Do your worst baby boy." Her gutsy tone just gave you a boost of energy.

Slowly but surely pushing your way in her moan wails throughout the room and it was just pure ecstasy to see your member inch by inch disappear in her. Being drown in pleasure and her wetness you bit your lip to hold back a moan before pushing for the final inch and a gasp from Yunjin almost made you climax.

"You're sooo fucking big–Aahhh~!" Her sinful mouth echoes.

You started pumping slowly, gradually working your way to a steady pace and before you even know it you're in the zone with just Yunjin's moans, you focused on her pleasure alone, digging your fingers tighter and tighter on her hips carefully watching yourself and not hurt her, though it may seem completely useless since it's only pleasure that Yunjin's feeling at the moment.

"Say it baby." You manage to hear in the middle of her moaning orchestra.

"Say you love mommy." She continued before resuming her moans as you start to pick up your pace.

"I–ah... Love mommy–..." Even out of breath you manage to reply.

"Mhhmmm~." Yunjin's moans continued.

"I-... Love mommy's tight walls."

"U-huh." Her replies encouraging you to do better.

"I–shit... I love how wet mommy is." You catch a glimpse of her cheek forming up and this only suggests that you're doing a good job.

You then leaned down pressing your forehead on her nape causing you to penetrate her even deeper as she arched her back throwing her head upwards. Once her ear is closer, you run your tongue on her earlobe before whispering "I love you."

"I love you more." She broke her character for a second as she pushes her behind towards you even more, as your head presses forward.

Noticing that your face is right next to hers she placed a kiss on your cheek. "Baby, I gotta tell you something..." She whispers.

"Yes mommy?" You replied.

"I've came like 5 times already. I think it's your turn, pump that love into me."

You almost passed out due to her hot breath on your cheek but this isn't the time for that, you fixed your positions, pressing her body onto the bed more, as you just go jackhammer into her.

Her cry of pleasure resonates like never before but it wasn't relevant to you, as you only got one goal in mind and that is to fill her up with your seed.

She tries to muffle her moans by biting the bedsheet but you're not having any of it. You took a good amount of her hair before looping it and pulling her head back.

"Aaarrgghh you fuckin–..." She didn't even get a chance to finish her words as you started slamming more aggressively.

Feeling your climax closer and closer you finally let go of her hair and your hands return to her hips giving you a better control of her body.

"S-shit, mommy I'm close." You didn't even care to wait for a response as your balls tighten and with a final thrust you stayed in deep as deep as you could before your seed floods her insides your knees almost gave out from too much pleasure letting all of your love pour into Yunjin's, meanwhile she gasped holding tightly on the ruffled sheets.

The two of you crawled your way up the bed into a spooning position, with her being the little spoon as she pulls up the blanket covering the evidence of a sinful act before everything went dark.

Next thing you know a small light radiating from the corner of your eye stirs you awake, having to feel your Yunjin's frame in your arms, you couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and a smile but before you can even enjoy a good cuddle your feet clash with something rubbery.

Pulling the blanket off, you're surprised yet in defeat seeing how Yunjin actually slept with her clothes on, your chuckle wakes her up as she turns to face you with a cute bright smile.

"Looks like you're wrong." She gave you that mocking yet teasing tongue.

"Seriously?" You replied playfully before she gave you a proud smirk.

You could only shake your head in response before returning back to cuddle with her for the rest of the morning.

[sugahbunnies]

BUCKET LIST ☆ 09

Saiki really wishes your bucket list did not consist of activities that required more than one person.

There he is, with you and sadly, one little kid with turquoise hair.

You smile bashfully at Saiki, you're holding Yuuta's hand and Saiki is holding his other hand. From another person's point of view, you look like a couple going on to the playground with your kid. Saiki has the picnic basket to his side, you three walk to a clear spot under the tree but it's still quite crowded. Which Saiki absolutely hates.

You smooth out the blanket across the trimmed grass, telling Yuuta he can go play on the playground since it's close by

"Thank you Cinnamon Bun!" He yells at you in excitement, kissing your hand then running off to the swings.

You snort, glancing at Saiki who's already shaking his head. Yuuta has been binge watching this new show that has been playing in the mornings on the weekends. When he first saw you this morning when you were walking by Saiki's house, it clicked in his head that you're indeed the character named Cinnamon Bun from his new show.

"How does he have so much energy, it's ten in the morning?" Saiki rubs his eyes, setting down the basket in the middle of the blanket.

"Tell me about it, he followed me all the way to your house in a hurry" You add a "heh" at the end of your sentence. Saiki is not sure if you found it funny or annoying, but he rather not ask. You both sit facing each other, the sun rays slightly shining through the trees.

"I made club sandwiches, oh I also cut up sausage and made fried rice. I bought hot sauce" You start bringing out food and condiment items out of the basket, showing them off to Saiki and explaining what they are.

Saiki could care less, truly, he was hoping he could get a day off from you since he's been spending the past three months with you. Since you're in his class, right next to him and Kaidou invited you to the friend group, he's seen your face in his dreams even!

Then being assigned to you as a partner for this damn bucket list project, he cannot just escape you can he?

You're fixing up the food, adding rice and shrimp to a plastic bowl and adding hot sauce to it. You pass it to Saiki, whose hoping the shrimp is cooked and not raw. He really does not want to experience food poisoning.

"You like hot sauce right? Oh jeez, I should have asked you before adding some huh?!" You grimace as if you're in pain, mentally punishing yourself for not asking Saiki.

"It's fine, Y/n".

You perk up your head at the sound of your name, placing a fork into the bed of rice and handing it to Saiki. You take out the digital camera and begin filming Saiki eating, zooming in dangerously close on his face.

"Bet you're tired of sticking around me" You say, waiting in anticipation and praying the pink haired boy does not agree.

"You're alright" He responds, digging into the food and cracking open a can of sprite. He ignores the fact that you're propping up the camera to show you both. He throws a peace sign at the camera, and you copy him right away. Then, you clap your hands together and take out a packet of four coffee jellies.

You can see Saiki's eyebrows rise in slight exhilaration, maybe? You unwrap the plastic surrounding the jelly containers, and pass one to Saiki.

He immediately dismisses the bowl of rice, scooping up a big piece of coffee goodness and munching on it.

The birds are chirping too loudly for your liking, but at least the sun is lazily shining through the trees and giving you some vitamin d. Which at this rate you truly need because the doctor told you yesterday that your vitamin intake is lowering, even though you take them everyday.

You also forget about the fact that Saiki can read your mind, at this moment he's focusing on trying to find a clear answer on what you are going through.

Illness or just a sickness? They really don't clarify what's wrong. He shakes his head in annoyance, wondering why you will not tell anyone about your condition.

He sees your cracking skinned knuckles, and your broken nails. Plus, you seem to be losing hair but its not so noticeable. Saiki just seems to notice more than anyone since he's been so focused on what's troubling you.

"So!" You exclaim, interrupting Saiki's contemplation. He snaps back into reality when he sees rice pieces hanging on the sides of your mouth. Hot sauce is also coating the outlines of your lips.

"You got.." He waves his finger at his own mouth, attempting to show you that you have something on your face.

"Huh? Oh, yeah oops". You wipe the rice away with a napkin, painting the white paper with red coloring and grains.

"This picnic of yours is on your list, right? I'd hate to waste your time" He asks, setting down the empty plastic that was once carrying the coffee jelly. You nod, pulling out the crumbled paper with color writing. You point at the sixth activity, clear letters spelling out "Cottage picnic!".

"Cottage?" Saiki asks with a mouthful of rice. You nod, quickly explaining how cottage seems to fit the aesthetic of a picnic.

Saiki blankly stares at you, his interest plummeting down the more you talk.

He hums at everything you say, the higher your voice gets, the higher pitch he hums.

"You're totally ignoring what I'm saying". Your loud smacking of lips catches his attention, he reads the label of the chips you're eating.

Double hot chips. XXTRA.

"Yeah, I gave up listening" Saiki speaks, his hand reaching for your chips. You willingly give him some to try out. He throws some in his mouth and nods, he seems quite satsfied with the outcome.

"So good, right?!". You continue snacking on them, watching over Yuuta who's killing some kid at the climbing wall.

"He's a handful" Saiki comments, putting away the plastic bowls and utensils into the basket.

You hum, mimicking how Saiki was doing it moments earlier. He notices this, raising an eyebrow at you in amusement.

"Am I handful?" You ask suddenly, propping yourself up on your elbow. Saiki shakes his head, as if it was a reflex. You hum again, not believing him at all.

"I feel like I can be a burden" You admit, your tone flat and low. A lightbulb goes off in Saiki's head.

Is Y/n finally going to talk about what's happening to them? He thinks to himself, leaning forward and patiently waiting for you to continue.

"Because jeez! I do eat alot of snacks right?! I feel like our friends always seem to buy snacks for me and I feel bad for it!".

Saiki's shoulders slump in disappointment at your chattering. He should've expected this, you will never straight up admit something is wrong.

Saiki reassures you that no one is forcing themselves to buy you snacks, they do it because they want to. He sees relief wash over you, and he's glad.

As you continue being a chatterbox, he starts thinking of methods on how to get you to talk about your illness.

And of course, nothing seems to work according to how stubborn you are.

He grabs the camera and presses the stop button, replaying back the footage of you sipping cherry coke. He makes sure you're not looking, and smiles gently at how loudly you drink.

You're quite a handful, Y/n.

☆

Saiki did not know what went through his mind when he asked you to hang out all night. More like a sleepover but he thinks that the word "sleepover" is too much of a friendly term. He hands you an t shirt of his and some basketball shorts that seem to fit you just fine.

"Woah, I'm transforming into Saiki. Good grief, good grief, what a pain, what a-" Your sentence comes to a halt as Saiki holds up a finger and goes "I don't say that so much".

"You totally do!" You burst out, stabbing your thumb into Saiki's ribs. He jerks away, sighing and taking out a sleeping bag from his closet. He's had sleepovers at his house of course, Kaidou and Nendou always called him up to arrange such things.

"Let's go downstairs, my parents should be asleep by now" Saiki insists, his body halfway out the room. You follow him willingly and into the kitchen, where all your snacks you bought from the gas station are.

"Jeez" You both say as you hover over the table full of mini soda cans, sour and sweet candy. Plus, a variety of chips. And don't forget the two tubs of ice cream in the fridge!

"Jinx, you owe me a soda" You pop open two cans of cherry coke, chugging one down and burping loudly.

Saiki holds up a finger to his mouth and shushes you. A soft "Sorry" comes out of you, sipping the other can and crushing the empty one.

"We have plenty of soda, why would I owe you one?" Saiki crosses his arms and starts eyeing the cheesy chips. The bag is practically calling his name so he rips it open, the cheesiness smell overwhelming but he likes it that way.

You offer him a can of sprite which seems to be his favorite.

You both sit next to each other at the dining table, ripping bags of chips and cookies. A tummy ache is bound to happen to you both but that doesn't seem to be a concern for either of you two.

Ever since Saiki found out you have a sweet tooth like him, he's been smothering you in snacks and shares his with you.

After minutes of desperately munching and heavy breathing, you lock eyes with Saiki. You immediately shift your eyes to the very interesting tub of double fudge brownie ice cream. Saiki brought it out after you began drinking the coke. Stabbing a fork into the frozen dessert, you scoop up a good amount of softness into your mouth. Saiki finds it odd how you use a fork to eat ice cream, but he also thinks you're unique in that way.

His stare examines the dark eyebags you've had for the past weeks. Along with the fading bruise on your nose from when he hit you with a ball in PE class. Why hasn't it gone away?

Saiki reaches out and brushes strands of hair out of your face.

"Your eyes .. look so tired" He whispers, his fingers still tucked into your hair. You hold up your hand to push away his wrist, but you end up grasping his fingers instead.

"Because I am" You mumble, holding his hand in place. Saiki's gaze flicker from your eyes to your hair, as if he's trying to decipher what comforting words he can say.

"Tell me what's wrong. I want you to be the one to tell me. I don't want to read your thoughts to find out what's wrong with you."

You stand up and step back, your bottom lip trembling as tears threaten to come out of your eyes.

"Nothing is wrong, I swear" You choke out, your throat becoming dry as every slow second passes. Saiki shakes his head, not buying what you are saying. He steps forward, placing his hand on top of your head.

He ruffles your hair a bit, and you furrow your eyebrows in confusion. You look up at him and see sympathy drawn on his expression, his words coming out delicately but you cannot focus on what he is saying.

Need to come up with an excuse ..

You stumble back and begin fanning yourself, all the stress he has caused is heating you up. Your shaky hands pull out a doctors note and you show it to Saiki.

"I'm just fatigued, which is why I'm always out in PE, g-got it?" You stutter, he carefully takes the crinkled note from you and reads it.

L/n Y/n has fatigue and may tire quickly, do not let them participate in PE as this can harm them.

Saiki crumbles up the paper and throws it across the room, stepping closer to you in apprehension. Now he seems really upset, his eyes glistening in worry. He exhales shakily.

"Tell me the truth please" He murmurs. You let out a nervous laugh, your hands covered in a light coat of sweat. You rack your brain, coming up with solutions on what to say.

You cannot burden your friends, can you?

"It's nothing, I promise" You say in a low tone, wiping your palm dry of wetness. Saiki hangs his head low, letting go of your wrist and placing his hands on his head in frustration.

"Okay, if you say so". Although, he is not convinced at all. I mean come on, the way you look and the way you act contradict.

He holds up his pinky, his gaze practically burning into you as he waits for you to link his pinky with yours.

"You promise me?" He softly speaks, knowing you take pinky promises very seriously so he knows something is up if you decline.

"No, I'm sorry I can't I-" You end up choking up on your words, shaking your head profusely and rubbing your neck nervously.

"I'll tell you sometime, I promise" You wrap your pinky with his, returning his gaze. Saiki decides to just accept it, he's closer than ever to finding out what is bothering you. He'll just have to wait.

Saiki just hopes you're not dying, seeing that you're wilting like a decomposing flower.

Snuggling into your sleeping bag, you tell Saiki goodnight. He says it back, watching you in the dark until he knows you're asleep. He reaches down and caresses your hair, his lips twitching in concern.

"Please be okay" He whispers quietly into the dimly lit room. You said you're afraid of the dark so Saiki took out an old night light. He sighs, his fingers tangling in your hair. His heart seems to flutter, as the scent of your shampoo finds it way to his nose. He sniffles, continuing to tuck your hair behind your ear.

"Goodnight Y/n, my best friend".

Saiki drifts into sleep, his arm dangling over the bed and his fingers still knitted into your hair. And your strawberry shampoo still lingering in scent.

[dansconcepts]

Diner AU - “86 'em!” Pt. 1

I make SO many mistakes at work, it's kinda insane. Because of that energy, I thought it'd be fun (and therapeutic) to delve into some of our wonderful protag!servers' learning journeys and working through bad experiences because we're all human (unless you're not, which is a-okay too @/Kiibo @/AlterEgo). This also became more angsty than I intended (particularly with Shuichi omg). This idea was inspired by @kelperings' doodles for this AU in this post (specifically Hajime walking away because of pickles hAHA). Check it out! She's an icon!

Starting off with an anxious Shuichi having difficulty with making eye contact with customers.

Okay, there's a person at Table 12 ordered the burger and he has to get them fries after, the family at 13 wanted another straw, he has the water for 5, 9's been waiting too long, haven't they? He needs to get their orders soon. 15 wanted the check... Wait, did another person just come in? He has to get to them after too. He's going to need 1, 2- “SHUICHI! Bro, how’s it going?”  -3 menus, he has to get them some water as well. What did the family need again? No, wait, deal with the water first... but he needs to say hi to Kaito, he doesn't want to be rude! “Sorry Kaito!” He quickly blurts out, and it sounds out of breath even to his own ears. “I'm doing great, just got some tables to finish up! Lunch rush, you know?” The detective gnaws at his lip. Straw done, get the cheque, drop off this water... “Oh, my bad bud. I'll be right over here!” Ah, there's someone about to leave, just gotta walk past them, don't make eye contact, you already have too many things to think about right now... the server drifts his gaze downward. Okay, everything's fin- SPLASH! He jolts upward, his gaze meeting widened plum eyes and the noticeable wet spot on his white shirt. “Oh god! Kaito, I'm so sorry!” This is all his fault, if only he looked up more. ” “Hey, it's all good man! I shouldn't have been standing here, it's totally my bad...” At the corner of his eye, he sees the bright apron of his coworker approaching. “Hey, is everything okay?” Komaru asks. He nods. Distantly, she can hear him asking Kaito if he needs some tissues, but he's too focused on the ground and the litany of all your fault, look what you did Shuichi, you can't get anything right. “Shuichi.” A soft voice cuts through. “Hey, it's basically time for your break anyway. Go and take it! I got your tables covered, just be a little more careful, okay?” Komaru says it kindly, but it still hits him like a bullet. He wishes that he had his hat with him. “Of course. I'm really sorry, it won't happen again.” Komaru's white shoes leave his peripherals, meaning she must have walked away. The ends of Kaito's long purple coat remain, though. He feels the familiar slap against his shoulders. “C'mon Shuichi, let's go outside. We can talk there if you want, yeah? It's really all good.” He's been through this before. He needs to step out. Just follow Kaito. He wills his feet to move next to the other's. Feeling the fresh air against his face, no one else in sight, his breath returns to his lungs. He lets himself stay there. In and out. The sky is cloudy today. In and out. The fog in his mind feels less hazy now. In and out. I made a mistake. I feel terrible about it. It impacted people I cared about, which makes everything so much wor-. In and out. Just stick with the facts, Shuichi. I made the mistake because I tried to avoid eye contact, which I still struggle with. In and out. I have improved, but it was what I relied on for a long time, so it's understandable I can get back into that habit. It doesn't mean I've failed myself. It doesn't mean it'll keep happening. You're working through it, you know that. You're okay. I'm okay. No, that's not right. I will be okay. He's certainly feeling a little better, at least. He turns back around the corner, seeing a cross-armed Kaito perched against the wall. Upon his entrance, the astronaut straightens, looking at him expectantly. “Hey Kaito, sorry for giving you such an unpleasant dining experience...” “Are you kidding?! When I said I'm here to support you bro, I meant that in every way.” The corners of Shuichi's mouth lift. “How're you feeling?” “Feeling better. Thanks for being here, Kaito.” He's nestled into a side hug. “Anything for my sidekick!” “Hey, for your meal, it's on the house, okay?” “You don't have to do that!... But I ain't gonna object.”

And a sleep-deprived Shuichi.

Another busy day. Another glass to fill. Caffeine rushes through his veins as he lazily pours the pitcher. When did he last go to sleep? When was Komaeda's rope case? Was that yesterday or two days ago? Genuinely, it's concerning how nonchalant the man was about an attempted kidnapping... At least he helped him figure it out. Hopefully that provides him some peace of mind. “Hey!” Someone yelps. Well, that certainly woke him up. He darts upward to see the furrowed brows on the male customer's face. Did he pour water on him? He checks him, but he's fine. Instead, there's a small puddle formed underneath the glass. “Oh sorry sir, I didn't mean to overfill it-” “Where the hell's your manager!? I'd like to talk to them.” Luckily (or unluckily), Makoto is already within earshot and comes over. Immediately, the man is angrily discussing the origins of the spilled water, and Makoto sends him off to fetch another glass. As he walks away, he hears him quickly following behind. “Hey. While it definitely isn't great, I get mistakes happen. You're going to be more focused though, right?” “Yeah, sorry about that...”

Also:

“Oh Shuichi...” Kaede frowns, gazing at her friend's sleeping form on one of the booths. His position doesn't even look comfortable, but she knows the booths are comfy enough. And he looked so tired earlier... “It’s okay, let him rest.” Makoto chimes over her shoulder. “We're nearly closing anyway.”

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

And here's a highly stressed Hajime giving the wrong dish(es) to the wrong table(s).

He places the plate in front of Komaeda, already ready to rush over to the next person because that one asshole is glaring at him for not getting his damn soda, like damn, it hasn't even been that long! “Hajime.” Does he have time for this? “What.” He hisses out, perhaps a little more tersely than he should, but it's Nagito. He's definitely heard him act worse. “Why is there-” The guy shudders, “rice?” Rice? Why the hell would there be rice, he knows he hates that shi- His eyes meet the plate. Fuck, he got the wrong one. He turns, and sure enough, the lady who ordered the fried rice meets his gaze with a confused tilt of her head. She eyes the dish in front of Nagito longingly. “Wrong table, huh? It's okay Hajime, it's really expected of a Res- Hajime? Hajime, why are you already walking away?” Yeah, he's not in the mood for the reminder. The last thing he wants to think about is his exams. Fuck, they're going to be the death of him. He unceremoniously plops Nagito's correct plate in front of him after returning the fried rice and even getting that other guy's soda, just for good measure. “Here you go. Enjoy.” He scowls. The other opens his mouth, but he's already walked away. He darts toward whoever he's supposed to pretend to be civil in front of next, and blond hair enters his vision, a silver-haired girl across from him. Is that who he thinks it is? When he approaches them, Fuyuhiko greets him while Peko nods her head in acknowledgment. Wow. “Hey guys.” He allows a smile to peek through. “Hey. Saw what happened over there with Komaeda.” The blond starts. Ah. Is he seriously about to get a lecture right now? “Yo, no judgment man, can't say I don't get it. Especially since Natsumi told me you guys have exams coming up?” He feels his mood further tank at the reminder. “I'm fine.” He huffs, pursing his lips. Where is he going with this? “Look, I don't want to overstep, or whatever, but like... I know you don't mean your attitude right now, but I don't think that guy knows. He kind of looks like a kicked puppy from here, honestly. And also, you're working. It's unprofessional.” Who cares? He would voice the thought, but, “It is understandable to be angry, Hinata.” Peko says. “Give yourself this moment to collect yourself.” And he listens. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he opens them, he nods. He does feel a little better. “Thank you, both of you.” They smile at him before telling him their dishes. After he drops off their order with Rantaro (and he's thankful he's got no other tables to attend to at the moment), he sits himself into Nagito's booth where his eggs sat untouched. Grey eyes glance up at him. “Hajime. I genuinely didn't mean to upset you, but of course I manage to.” He sighs, gritting his teeth. “It wasn't personal, Nagito. I shouldn't have acted that way towards you. I'm just... ugh... I've got some shit on my mind. Exams. Way too much fucking homework. Other stuff.” He braces for the Exams? Seriously? That's what you're acting up over? How pathetic! But of course you're going to be struggling over something so basic. “Oh.” The guy says instead. “Really? I'll try not to be a burden anymore than I have been.” “You-?” don't care? Aren't going to mock me for it? “Your reasoning isn't special, Hajime.” There it is. “It's entirely normal, you know. I know how people act regarding it, and I know how you act. After all, I've been on the receiving end.” Hajime cringes. Their earlier interactions were NOT the best. “So I can't help but feel a little relieved.” Yeah, that's not addressing the actual issue.  “I won't treat you like that again, you know. I-” He ignores the way his cheeks warm. “-respect you. I know other people here don't deserve it either, even if some are assholes.” Like that one guy who said took you look enough because seriously, fuck that guy. “I won't lash you out at you if you don't deserve it.” He pauses. “Until you start acting like a smug asshole again.” Nagito looks down, but he has a smile on his face.

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

With Komaru learning there's an etiquette to follow that isn't always told.

Everything's going pretty well! Just another hour and she'll be back at home in her comfy, comfy bed. All she's gotta do is finish up these last remaining tables. She grabs the glass and starts pouring water from the pitcher in her hands. Alright, that's done, onto the next one. “Um, hello?” Their voice, suddenly gaining an edge, cuts in. “Can I have another glass?” She tilts her head. Another glass? “But I just refilled it?” “Yeah, but you touched where I drink. Did you even wash your hands?” Huh? Well, she definitely washes her hands, that's literally a part of her job description. All she did was just grab the glass... what's wrong with that? “I’m sorry?” The server says, both confused and slightly irritated. What is happening? She didn't do anything weird! She does this at home all the time! The customer scoffs. “You should be!” “I-! Well!”. She frowns, but tries to remain upbeat. “I apologize! Let me get you a new glass!” “Could someone who's actually competent get it? Honestly...” Her eye twitches. Seriously? Regardless, she bows her head. “Please excuse me then. And sorry again!” While she's not necessarily running, she does make a beeline to the back. She finds her brother the moment she gets there, currently placing orders on the counter for Rantaro. “Makoto, Makoto, Makoto,” The newer server groans, slumping against the wall like it's free real estate. “I'm so done! What is she even talking about??? Is there something I'm not getting? What did I do wrong?” “Whoa, slow down Komaru. What happened?” “All I did was grab the glass. How else am I supposed to pour the water without spilling it? Should I not be touching the glass at all? I'm a little too clumsy for that...” “How did you grab the glass?” She blinks. How? That's a weird question. At her questioning look, her brother brings a cup and places it in front of her. She mimes holding a pitcher in her other hand as she grabs the cup from near the top, like she usually does. “Ah, that explains it.” Huh? Makoto sighs. “It's a little obvious. It's a hygienic thing for some people. Don't touch where someone would put their lips on the cup. It's safer to just touch the lower half.” “Oh. I didn't know about that...” How was she supposed to know about it though? It's not in anything she's ever read before. Training never brought it up either. It sounds pretty understandable put together like that, even if she personally wouldn't pay it any concern. Komaru huffs. It's not worth thinking too much about it. “Speaking of that, could you go to Table 3 and get her some water? She doesn't want me doing it anymore after that...” The younger Naegi sheepishly grins. “I promise I won't do it again!” “I'll do it if you take 9.” Hazel eyes narrow. “What's wrong with 9?” “Please just do it.” She shrugs. She knows he wouldn't ask if the customers were really weird, so it can't possibly be that bad. “Alrighty, big bro. But you owe me a new manga!” “I'm already doing you a favour!” He yells back, but it's drowned out by her laugh.

[write-r-die]

Man's World - Part 6

I finally figured out what I want to do with this story! Get ready for a real plot to form!

masterlist

It was the middle of the night for us when the flare happened.

People who were outside at the time were the ones who died right away or got an aggressive case of sun sickness. People indoors got slightly less, people on the lower floors of buildings got less, etc. 

I was in my parents’ basement when the flare happened. The accompanying earthquakes jammed the door to the stairs shut. It was a few hours before I finally made it out. 

In the end it was sheer dumb luck that I survived, that I didn’t get sick. 

Evolution, survival of the fittest – that didn’t factor into it at all when the world ended. Just your location.

I’m sure down the road I’ll have some sort of horrific health problems, that everybody will because you don’t encounter that much radiation without some of it infecting you. But I’m still alive and healthy for now. 

I don’t know about the rest of the world, though. Nobody does, since all the technology was simultaneously fried and there’s no real way to get across an ocean anymore. 

Usually I try not to think about it, but the soldiers accompanying us are talking about their travels while in the military. Two of them were stationed in Japan for a while; a third was stationed in South Korea. It was the middle of a sunny day in those countries when the flare hit.

One of the men from Japan shakes his head, smiling sadly. “I’ll never have sushi like that again,” he says mournfully.

The other frowns. “It’s a fuckin’ shame.”

We’re mostly on bikes or horses. A pickup truck accompanies us to carry back anything of value we find, but August tries to minimize car usage whenever possible, so we have a single truck with us to lug back whatever valuables we find. 

We all pull off to the side when we reach the neighborhood. A bunch of identical little houses on cul-de-sacs that were once full of yuppie commuters. Now it’s empty.

“Each of you will have one guard,” August says to the six of Miss Ally’s people. “You will not leave their side. You will wait for them to clear each and every room before you enter it.” He pairs them up and sends them all in different directions, telling them to return to this exact spot in two hours.

They all head off. Only August and I are left.

“I don’t have a guard,” I say once everyone is out of earshot.

August gives me a shit-eating grin. He’s my guard. Of course. He motions me toward a one-story home with a detached garage. “Come along. We’ve got things to do.”

The first house we enter has no front door. The windows have all been blown out, but the treadmill and stationary bike in the living room appear to be going strong.

August picks up a discarded magazine from the floor. “Health nuts,” he says sadly. “Not known for having full pantries.”

“You’d be surprised,” I say.

He cocks a dark eyebrow. “Oh?” He gestures toward the kitchen. “In that case, take the lead. I insist.”

Health nuts can be similar to squirrels in terms of stashing food for a rainy day. We don’t bother opening the freezer or fridge because whatever was in there was either eaten by now or has turned it into a mold jungle.

August and I work in silence, scouring the kitchen for anything that might be of use. August immediately finds a bottle of wine, which he looks over, then seems to contemplate deeply. He puts it in his pack and I have a feeling he’ll be adding it to his private collection.

I pause in the middle of ransacking a drawer full of oatmeal packets. “You really couldn’t wait until I was out of the tent to fuck somebody else?”

August doesn’t miss a beat. “I could and I did. Andie came in unannounced and uninvited,” he says, pulling out a plastic jar of protein powder. “You woke up before things got too interesting.”

I square my shoulders and return to sorting. “I take it that sort of thing happens a lot.”

“Often enough.” He shuts the cupboard and sticks the powder into his backpack. “Find anything?”

“Oatmeal packets mostly. And this.” I hold up the plastic jar of trail mix. “It’s mostly empty but –”

“We’ll bring it. We need everything.”

His choice of words gives me pause. Need, he said. But I’ve seen the supply trucks myself and we seem to have plenty of almost everything. Nobody in the camp goes hungry or lacks in basic necessities, at least not as far as I know. But I’m also not part of the inner circle. 

The pantry upstairs boasts two value-sized bottles of shampoo and three bars of soap, plus about a thousand toothbrushes still in their packaging. “Jackpot.”

“I’m checking the bathroom. Start on the bedrooms when you’re done.” 

My bag is brimming with floss picks and antiperspirant. 

The nearest bedroom once belonged to a woman. I can tell by all the expensive - and now very expired - perfume and makeup.

“Do we need clothes?” I call over my shoulder. 

“Underwear and socks,” August calls back. 

 I head for the dresser. I don’t love the idea of wearing someone else’s panties even if their clean but I guess beggars can’t be choosers. 

There are plenty of socks, so I grab a bunch of those. As I reach back to access the underwear, my hand brushes against something else. 

I grab it and pull it out and see a familiar book cover. I used to have a copy on my Kindle, not a well-worn paperback like this. But it’s the same story. I want to squeal with delight. Of course that’s when August comes in. 

“Find anything good?” he asks, leaning a shoulder against the door jamb. 

I reflexively hide the book behind my back which is of course a dead giveaway. 

He raises a dark brow, a smirk growing on his incredible lips. “What’s that?” 

I don’t reply. I know he won’t believe anything I say until he sees it for himself. 

He crosses the room to stand in front of me and holds his hand. Reluctantly, I give the book over. He watches my face, reveling in the embarrassment for a moment before looking at the book in his hand. 

Slowly, his smirk widens. He flips to a dog eared page and begins to read and I want to die. 

“He gripped her wrists in one of his hands, pinning them against the wall above her head. With his other hand, he cupped her sex over her dress and squeezed – not enough for it to be painful, but enough to make it clear that he was in charge, and this would go exactly the way he wanted it.”

I hate him. I hate the way he reads it in that deep sexy voice and I hate the way he smirks up at me and the fact that it’s getting me going and I hate him. 

He’s smirking again when he looks up at me. “Is this the sort of thing you’d like?”

“It’s just a smutty book.” I try to sound dismissive. 

He turns back to the book. “Her pussy throbbed under his touch —“

“Jesus Christ, stop that!” I snatch the book out of his hands and I’m way too turned on just by the fact that he said pussy and he’s still smiling and I hate him. “You’re acting like a teenager, trying to embarrass me.”

“I’m not trying to embarrass you,” he says. “I’m trying to turn you on.” He takes a step toward me; I take a step back. “Get you wet.” Another step and I’m pressed against the dresser as he looms over me. “I have a feeling it’s working.”

I hate him. 

And then he’s leaning in slowly, lowering his head as I turn mine up. 

And his mouth is on my mouth, his fingers digging into my hips and I can’t breathe around the lump in my throat, the ache between my legs, that God-awful feeling in my gut that I will regret this.

But it doesn’t matter right now. Because right now all I can think about is the man pressed against me, the way his fingers are tugging at my hair enough to cause the slightest bit of pain that somehow makes me want him more. 

My right mind isn’t in control – I know that – this sort of aching need is primal and weird and frankly a little scary because I’ve never felt this out of control before. 

And then a shout comes from outside. “Boss!”

August pulls back enough to shout, “What?” My mouth is slightly open because I can’t get enough air through just my nose and all the while, August’s eyes are on that mouth, and I know he’s imagining everything that he could do to it and that it could do to him. 

“We found some people in one of the houses. They’ve got Draven’s mark.”

That snaps us both out of our lusty haze. 

Michael Draven is one of the six most powerful warlords roaming the continent. Besides August, he’s probably the scariest. Maybe even scarier, since August at least takes people in and protects them. From what I know, Draven only takes warriors and prostitutes into his group, and they’re not necessarily warriors and prostitutes by choice. 

August’s soldiers have rounded up a man and a woman – a boy and a woman, more accurately. The woman is around my age but seems much older, and she glares at us hatefully enough to make me shudder.

They each have a tattoo on their forearms that identify them as Draven’s people. Some of August’s people have similar tattoos to identify them, but not all. Bearing any warlord’s mark is a gamble because people are about as likely to attack you for your allegiances as they are to show consideration for it.

“We’re not his people anymore,” the boy says. “I cut the mark. See?” He points to a few still-healing cuts slashing through the crow tattoo that marks him as one of Draven’s. It’s how his followers got the nickname crows. The girl’s mark is pristine.

August takes the man’s wrist in his hand and angles his forearm to get a better look at it. The man winces at his touch.

August drops his wrist. “And why are you no longer his people?”

“He . . . wasn’t a good guy,” the boy says slowly.

“Warlords aren’t known for being good guys,” Miss Evaline – one of Miss Ally’s people on this outing – says. “Except for the Boss.” She sounds more than a little condescending. 

“I’m certainly not a good guy,” August says dismissively. He really isn’t and him saying so really shouldn't be hot but I still clench my thighs together. 

After weeks of ignoring him, of keeping my legs shut and my vagina as dry as the desert, he reads one teeny tiny snippet of a bullshit Kindle Unlimited-esque romantasy in front of me and here we are. 

“Give me details,” August says.

The two crows exchange a look. 

“I wasn’t asking.”

“There were rumors of something going down. A merger, a trade, I’m not sure exactly what,” the woman says.

“A trade with who?”

The boy swallows. “John the Revelator.”

John the Revelator, who earned his nickname back before the world ended through apocalyptic religious and political rhetoric, is pretty freaky, too. He was somehow elected to the House of Representatives a year or so before shit hit the fan, and when it did, he knew just how to play it. His followers, now called Thoroughbreds, were ready to flock to him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a muscle tick in August’s jaw. He keeps his eyes on the crows when he addresses his soldiers. “Tie them up. We’re taking them back with us.”

The boy’s eyes widen in panic. “We’ll tell you anything you want to know!”

“I’m glad to hear it,” August says. “Blindfold them, too.”

***

Our little mission has been cut short. Whatever information those two people have is worth more than anything we’ll find in these houses.

I go back into the house to grab my shit. I hurriedly stuff the book into my bag and bury it under a bunch of shit. There’s no way in hell I’m leaving this thing behind. 

“Still have that book?”

I jump at the sound of August’s voice; he neither notices nor cares. 

“Why?” I challenge. “Gonna make me put it in the library truck?”

“Of course not,” he says. “That book is yours.”

I quirk an eyebrow because I find that difficult to believe. “Really? You want me to keep it?”

“Really,” he agrees. “In fact, I insist.”

“Why?” He can’t possibly just want me to keep it out of the goodness of his heart.

His eyes travel down to my mouth and linger there before returning to mine. “Because I know you’re going to think about me every time you read it.”

Fuck. Why am I turned on when I know he has every intention of torturing those two crows if they don’t give him what he wants? 

He’ll torture the boy, at least. I heard a rumor that he doesn’t torture women – at least not physically – and I don’t know if that makes him a gentleman or a chauvinist. 

***

August Walker had an unfailing ability to keep himself in check.

He was especially grateful for it at times like these, when he was simultaneously interrogating prisoners and imagining Delilah Reid pleasuring herself as she thought of him.

How did she like to pleasure herself, he wondered? Was she the sort of woman to rub frantic circles around her swollen clit, desperate for release, or would she take the time to tease herself?

Perhaps she put fingers into her tight cunt. Two at a time, he guessed, and only up to the first knuckle. He was very good and guessing the little details that brought women pleasure.

When he had her, which he inevitably would, he would start with one finger. He’d penetrate her slowly and deeply and only give her enough time to catch her breath before plunging in and out, steadily increasing his pressure and pace. 

Thankfully, he stood with his back to the rest of the men in the tent, bent forward at the waist to mark the maps laid out on the tabletop. If anyone saw the impressive bulge in his pants, they assumed it was because he was in the middle of an interrogation, that his subjects; fear and his own power were what turned him on.

Not that a random, rude blue-collar twentysomething had him in knots – especially since that rude twentysomething wasn’t at the level of drop-dead gorgeous that was required for most men to withstand such high levels of bullshit.

“Where did you hear the rumors?” Sy asked the boy. He was in a wooden dining chair with arms, as was the woman. Neither of them were tied or taped down, though most of the soldiers in the room had rope or duct tape – a clear threat of what would happen should they cease cooperating.

“One of the other soldiers said he saw Draven meeting with a Thoroughbred at a stopover,” the boy said, using the nickname for John the Revelator’s followers. 

One of the other soldiers in the room produced a knife and started tossing it up into the air and catching it by the blade. The boy saw and started speaking faster.

“One of them should’ve killed the other but they didn’t. They passed things back and forth; I don’t know what.”

“There’s not enough food in Draven’s camp,” the woman said, her words stumbling over the boy’s. “It’s not sustainable. Draven would only trade if he absolutely had to.”

“Is that why you left, then?” August asked without turning towards the captives. “You were hungry?”

“I left cause all Draven has to trade is women,” the woman snaps. “I’m not gonna be a whore for a bunch of white supremacists.”

Sy turned to the boy. “And you left because?”

“Because he’s in love with her,” August said dismissively. He finally turned to look at his prisoners. Judging by the look on his face, the boy had never voiced his feelings. Judging by the look on hers, the woman was fully aware of this and chose to ignore it.

“You were a whore in Draven’s camp?” August said. The woman looked him up and down, eyes briefly catching on his groin, and nodded once. “Would you like to be a whore in mine?”

The woman’s eyes went back to the bulge in his pants.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” August said. “It’s not for you.”

Lilah was probably fucking herself right this second while the rest of the camp was sleeping, he thought. She was probably doing it under the covers on her shitty cot in her shitty tent with at least ten other people in there. 

Maybe some of them were awake. Maybe Lilah knew they were. Maybe she was too desperate to care.

“If I don’t want to be a whore?” the woman asked.

“Then I would hope you have something else of value to offer,” August said. “Otherwise, well . . .” He shrugged casually. “Take the night to think about it. Sy, put them somewhere secure for the night. I have other things I’d like to get done.”

[cf56]

My thoughts on episode 2

SPOILERS for season 3, episode 2 of the Animaniacs reboot

Two days lived, two episodes watched. I really liked this one! It's already becoming super hard to see all the filtered spoiler posts of other people talking about season 3. I'm planning to stick with my plan, though.

I'll just go through the episode in chronological order this time. The Warner segment was pretty much what I thought it would be, after I got through all the Teeniacs speculation. I LOVED seeing Yakko and Wakko be disgusted for and protective of Dot once they learned what was going on.

I thought Nora flailing around on rollerblades was funny, because that's exactly how I handle on them. Whoever animated that scene knows the struggle.

I was surprised that they mentioned HBO Max by name on Hulu! That's the kind of shocking meta content we need to see more of in the reboot. Stuff that makes you go "Can they really say that?" The original had it in droves.

Also, apparently the reboot doesn't make any money in-universe.

Wakko ringing the doorbell and loudly announcing their presence was funny!

I've expressed my opinion on intra-sibling violence in the reboot. This one's better because the power dynamic between Wakko and Dot is more equal than between Yakko and Wakko. Siblings fight physically sometimes, but what I didn't like about this scene was how violent it seemed to be. It wasn't just cartoony violence that went away immediately. Wakko carried a black eye into the next shot.

And the shot after that...

A bit much, in my opinion. Just show her playfully choking him and erase any possible damage the second the camera moves on to the next shot.

So they meet the influencer. I wish it was clarified if Gigi actually did intentionally steal Dot's look or not. Anyone notice she has the same name as the barking dog on the train from season 1?

The song was alright. Obviously autotuned due to what it was parodying. I wouldn't put it in my upper echelon of Animaniacs songs. I was surprised at how many of the childhood things they mentioned I actually did as a child, considering how much of a homebody I was/am. The song cutting off suddenly and never resuming was funny.

The segment itself also has a super abrupt ending where it's made clear that Gigi didn't actually learn anything. Alright, mixed messages. I respect the audacity of just ending it that way.

Starbox and Cindy was Starbox and Cindy. Since the beginning of the reboot, it's been a segment where I zone out and have my brain flattened by the nonsensical ramblings of a small child. This one seemed to have more intentional comedy than the ones in the first two seasons. It's definitely the best/most memorable one I've seen.

The part where Starbox's love interest doll suddenly dies was one of the funniest moments of the entire episode. Though, again, they already showed it in the trailers, dampening its potential impact. Damn marketing teams.

Does Cindy have actual malice towards Starbox? Does she know what he is and what she's doing to him? From this point on, I'm only talking about Starbox and Cindy lore on this blog. No more Warners.

As much as it pains this Warner Sib fan to say, the highlight of this episode was undoubtedly Pinky and the Brain. Effortlessly funny, and it gave us our first explicit Brinky moments of the season. (Of the series?)

I like how Pinky is the one so hopelessly out of step with British slang, despite... you know. The 5,000,000 pounds joke was hilarious, even if it was a groaner.

The patient set up of the joke where Pinky eats poker "fries", and the ensuing confusion over their name, was so cleverly done. You'd completely forgotten about that joke, you thought it was a one-note gag at the beginning of the episode, and then it comes right back in full force. It makes all the sense in the world, too. I felt like I should have seen it coming.

The song was probably the best of the two episodes I've seen so far.

Still probably doesn't go in my upper echelon of Animaniacs songs, but that's a very high bar, and this song was very good.

And then, of course, there's the royal flush.

So, this segment gave us the first seeds of Brinky for the season. You can clearly see Pinky's infatuation with Brain, but Brain refuses to openly acknowledge it and continues to abuse Pinky without a second thought. We'll see where it goes. (Don't tell me!)

This episode was good. Definitely the better of the two I've watched. The Warners segments have been a little disappointing to me so far compared to the PATB ones. The Warners haven't had any mind-blowingly good songs yet, and their jokes have been mostly mildly funny, in my opinion. Their dynamic feels off to me. We need some sibling fluff. Dot in particular feels like she legitimately doesn't like her brothers so far this season. They stepped up to defend her, helped her without a second thought, but she barely acknowledged it and went on to beat Wakko up for his trouble.

It's only been two episodes, though. The segments I've been most looking forward to are still solidly on the horizon.

My current ranking of season 3 episodes:

Episode 2

Episode 1

For those who have already watched the season, you're either looking at me right now with excitement at what I'll experience, or you're saying "oh, you sweet summer child." I don't want to know which. I definitely encourage you to interact with this post if you have anything to add to the discussion about this episode or the one before it. Don't say anything about any of the episodes after episode 2.

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[complementme]

Okay, so I wrote some AU fanfic for the current DnD campaign I'm in. I'm posting it because someone should read it, even if they know nothing about the characters (though if you want to ask, I will literally talk your ears off).

She hated going to the gym, especially so gods-damned early. But she had promised Sunny she would join her sometimes, and stick to the plan better this time, so here she was at ass o’clock on the elliptical facing the free weights area. Sunny said it was to keep an eye on her, as if she would have trouble operating a simple elliptical machine, but Felis was sure it was to keep her from slipping away into the sauna. 

I’d be bored there, too, she thought, rolling her eyes as the song on her headphones changed over. Sitting by myself, much like I’m moving my legs by myself over here. Sunny would be doing weights with her in another fifteen minutes, as her needs were very different and she’d wanted to finish her workout first. Not that Felis blamed her — she was little and her form for lifting was probably terrible. 

Felis shifted her gaze as another gym goer racked what weights they’d taken with them, stretching in front of the mirrors. Her attention was caught momentarily at their movement, but waned quickly after assessment — blonde, on the taller side, a cocky grin to himself. 

Not interesting. Not my type. Not that she’d even entertain flirting with someone at the gym, they probably wouldn’t have anything in common. 

At least, she hadn’t until he got down on the floor in pushup position. Though he was blonde, she could appreciate the way his arms looked as he went through the exercise. She amused herself for a few minutes imagining feeling those arms, how he’d be so flustered with her approach when she was more dressed up, wondering how many drinks she could get him to buy with just a smile. 

And then he changed position to begin the set anew using only one arm at a time. 

Her attention was transfixed. Something about seeing the move done in-person for training rather than showing off or on TV did something to her. She hadn’t realized she’d stopped pedaling, or that Sunny had returned to her side as she watched the stranger continue his workout. 

“All right, Felis, ready to try weights?” When she failed to answer in the affirmative, stumbling through syllables, Sunny turned to follow where she was looking. “Oh?”

“I’m done for the day, I think I need to go home and have some water!” She yanked the headphones from her ears and put them in their case. 

“Would you say you’re… dehydrated?” Sunny teased, wiping her brow with her towel. 

Felis groaned, dropping her forehead against the middle bar. There would be no living this down. 

“This is a rare opportunity for me,” Sunny continued, pretending to be oblivious to her discomfort at being caught ogling the man. “That’s Thornsteel, we talk sometimes about how to improve our sets.”

“So you have a gym friend, good for you.”

“I also happen to know, loosely, his schedule for coming in.” Felis knew she was smirking. “You know, if you wanted some additional pointers.”

“I don’t.”

“And that he happens to also be very single.”

Felis groaned, forehead still against the foam-wrapped metal. “I didn’t come here to get a date, I came because you nagged me.”

“Two birds, one stone.”

Felis huffed in annoyance. There would be no discouraging Sunny with how invested she was in romance novels. “Blonde. Pass.”

Sunny snorted, and Felis knew she was in trouble. “Oh, he’s coming this way. I guess it’s cardio time for him.”

“You waved him over, you traitorous bitch.”

“You didn’t see anything, you don’t know.” Felis made a noise to indicate she very well did know what her best friend was like, and what she did. “Oh, hey Thornsteel, how’s it going?”

“Pretty well, got all my supers done with no issue.” Felis tried not to groan again — his voice matched what she’d imagined. “Your form was great today, Sunny.” He paused, making a questioning noise before lowering his voice. “Is your friend… okay?”

“Felis is great,” Sunny replied, and she could envision the smile. “Just a little dehydrated, she’s not one for sports drinks.” Sunny rubbed a few circles on her back, as if she wasn’t the reason she was currently slumped over the machine in absolute misery at being caught staring at the blonde man. 

“Neither was I, at first,” Thornsteel agreed. “But then I tried this, and it changed my life. No strong artificial flavors, doesn’t have the same sticky feeling…” he trailed off, and Sunny took longer than would be appropriate for a conversation between them to respond.

He’s talking to me, Felis realized belatedly. She steeled herself and lifted her head to see a bottle offered to her, the gesture confident but also concerned. It was unopened, the label turned so she could read it before accepting. 

“Uh, thank you,” she replied, hesitating. “I wouldn’t want to take your drink, though, when I could just go home…”

She made the mistake of meeting his gaze when she responded. His smile was disarming and infectious, and his eyes lit up as she looked at him.

“Nonsense, I couldn’t live with myself if I knew a friend of Sunny’s was suffering.” He offered the drink more insistently. “Besides, I came prepared.”

“Right, of course.” Sunny and her other friends were all like that.  She took the drink, holding it awkwardly in her hands as the other two exchanged a look. 

“Well, I should let you get back to your workout,” Sunny suggested carefully, nodding towards the treadmills. “It was nice chatting with you today.” She gathered Felis’ things, almost too casually for her to be trusted. “We’re going to cool down and head out.”

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Felis,” he told her, smiling as he ducked his head. “I hope you feel better soon.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but he closed his mouth with an audible click before marching off.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Sunny muttered as they headed to the locker room. “He’s not so bad, right?”

It wasn’t until she’d gotten home and turned the bottle over to read the ingredients that she’d seen a phone number written across the back label, putting the pieces in place.

Her phone was in her hand, dialing Sunny’s number before she had a chance to stop herself. She was sent to voicemail immediately — not that she was surprised after her morning.

“I cannot believe you set me up like that! I’m never going to that gym again! You two are the worst!” 

here have some AUs as if there aren't enough on your dash already

“i came to the gym to work out but holy god i can’t stop watching you do one armed push ups that’s so hot” au

“this is totally awkward considering before this the only interactions we’ve ever had have been casual nods to each other in the hallway but there’s a huge fucking spider in my bath tub and you seem like the friendly neighbor type please help me” au

“you’re the only delivery person who gets to my house in any semblance of the word fast which is why i keep requesting you but you don’t believe me and tease me constantly about it” au

“okay i get it you’re a great thief and don’t want to go to jail but i’m the exhausted af detective that’s assigned to catch you i stg if you let me bring you in so i can sleep i’ll get you a good deal” au

“okay i get that there are no seats left in this cafe but like i am trying to read here no you cannot have this chair my feet are using it thank you very much please get out of my face now” au

“my parents moved me halfway across the world when we were twelve and before that we were best friends but now i’m back and moving in across the hall from you so hi?” au

“i’ve been travelling a lot and somehow you’re in every single city i go to seriously what the fuck who even are you how are you doing this” au

“we’ve been nothing but friends for our whole lives but then we played seven minutes in heaven on a dare and now i think i might actually be in love with you” au

“ngl i thought you were the weak one of this friend group but your whole life just went to complete shit around you and somehow you’re still acting the same so if you want to be weak you can be around me” au

“my guitarist quit the night before the gig that could mean the big break for a band that i have put my soul into and supposedly you’re really good but i swear to god if you screw this up for me i will hunt you down and slit your throat” au

“it seems we’re the only two people in this class that actually know what the fuck is going on want to team up for this project and ruin everybody’s lives” au

“we started arguing about which hogwarts house this one character would be in and we completely lost track of time and now you’re demanding i take you out to dinner is this a date” au

“i’m the private investigator that was hired by your ex to track you down and you totally caught me sitting outside your apartment in a rental car so hi what up” au

“i came to check out this support group but things have kind of been majorly sucking lately and you were there and i didn’t even know anything was wrong but we’ve known each other for months what gives” au

“i’m the lawyer helping you get custody of your daughter and oops you’re all kinds of adorable with her and also i think she’s growing attached to me is this good or bad” au

“i meant to text the contact one above you in my phone’s contact list for a booty call but i didn’t realize i hit your name until i sent it so now i’m just sitting here feeling those little three dots hardcore judging me” au

“we started dating after months of sexual tension between us but then you moved across the country so now we’re trying to figure out how to make this brand new relationship work long distance” au

“so not to be rude or anything but i’ve been coming to this cemetery at this time on this day every week for fucking years and i’ve always been alone up until now seriously what the hell” au

“it’s the middle of the night and i’m walking home alone in the dark and there’s this guy following me and he’s starting to gain on me and i found this phone booth with a lock on the door and i tried to call my best friend but my hands were shaking so badly i accidentally dialed the wrong number and i don’t even know you but help me” au

[sobachyakukla]

i like to sit out back & pretend im hanging out with a bunch of alt-leftists in the one world army. its neat. i pretend im hanging out with a bunch of people who laugh at the things i say & i laugh with them, & they make me laugh with the thoughts they beam to my brain & what i beam back is great too. & then we just chill in our little fried people only lounge. see ive made the mistake of making my mother seem cooler than she is to people in my life, all my life. leonid was allowed to stay the night one night & he started playing guitar & she kept coming out to tell him to stop. "i have to work in the morning". i mean, she did, & it was kind of rude to play guitar while someone was trying to sleep. it was wild that we were even allowed to have the tv on playing Harold & Maude. we watched it & when i knew she was asleep i went in my room & got the book of shadows i was making to bring out & show him. i showed him my tarot cards & he like them, told me they were really neat. he liked my book of shadows too. this is right when i was skipping school all of the time. she knew i was. & didn't really care. see thats the thing, she goes along with anything. as long as its not satanic. even though she used to laugh at some of the stuff i would show her. she used to only get like this when she'd come back from going to see my grandmother in Arkansas. now she's fully fuckin' jesus-rific all the time. it could very well be the death of my grandma looming ahead, making it more imperative that she continue impressing her with the lord & all that. but i thought i heard her call me a demon on the phone & it really upset me. i hate when they talk about me being demon possessed. im not. im really not. demons dont exist. im worried about my mother & i being mixed up too. i know all her stuff was gotten into when i was in California & Colorado but my stuff was gotten into long before that. & i dont like it when the disembodied voices overstep their boundaries. or mix my mother & i up. or consider us to be too similar. my mother has been balls deep in the small town church ethic since the 80's. she went almost every day, they raised each others kids. & then i can call myself a liar all i want, because ive had the therapy to combat those thoughts. my mother has not had therapy very often / doesn't let herself accept she has any problems. so when we get mixed up i lose my ability to self-regulate. & start talking down to myself & abusing myself because of how she has treated me in the past. the other day it was more prevalent than it had been in a long time. i dont know, its all a mess. but hopefully this jump will make the right amount of difference. my mother will get physically ill. but i'll be dead & all of it will be over. it will finally be over. also her obsession with children is getting to be too much. & all these years of her saying shit like "i dont have a foot fetish. fetish is a word that means you hate something." & then the memories of my early childhood like kindergarten & first grade / second grade when my dad was letting her come around every now & then but them taking me into the shower & stuff & finding out what it meant to get sick from not having opiates for the first time. & i was just THINKING about my abuse the other night & "oh come on" came OUT of HER MOUTH i SWEAR IT DID but then the next day she told me she thought someone was in the house. its the ghost of my schizophrenic father & he has come to take me to hell. read every hospital note you can of mine, its in there. hes covered in mud & sticks & he is rotting away & he has come here to take me with him to hell. & the voices give me locations & numbers & names of people to hurt. this isn't just my first rodeo, its my only rodeo, its the only bullshit to ever bullshit in my life. its all been leading up to this.

[hospitalterrorizer]

diary153

2/14-15/2024

wednesday - thursday

the day started awful, but somehow, at like, 1 pm-ish, my illness improved massively.

i wonder/worry if tomorrow will be similar or if this feeling basically a lot better will continue. cuz i don't think i should/can call out. so i guess ultimately it doesn't matter.

anyway, since the illness is a lot better, today i was able to work out, and also i was able to work on music, but mostly the problem song, i did the return track thing, it is a good idea, i think it sounds pretty good, one thing is just that the vocals still seem a bit too fried, but i'll see what i think of that tomorrow, maybe i should do this to another track before the night ends, too, just so i can get more progress made on the record.

anyway, i just started doing something maybe pointless but maybe not, doing tiny pixel art ufos, it seems cute, just to have them if i want to stick upscaled 32x32 pixel art ufos on the album art, a good homage to my affection for how space invaders looks, and stuff like that.

and now a 16x16 squid. i forgot how fun doing tiny things like that was. i should learn how to get actually good at it, like good enough to draw a tiger or somethingg.

i also have to get around to doing a ribbon, either in 64x or 32x, cuz i know i'll use that on the album.

now i am reopening ableton, just to start at least on the next song's mix/master.

here's a really cute song + mv.

now i'm thinking, as something exports, about how i have a funny tooth, the snaggletooth thing, kind of like that whole yaeba thing every news site was talking about forever ago, which is/was part of the whole exoticizing japan in weird ways thing, that everything/one still does on some level, even when they're talking about how japan is awful, or reasons to hate japan (some valid like racism/sexism/work culture/pedophilia (though i'll be honest and say this last one feels overemphasized, at least around people i know (describing it as an island of pedophiles))), they make it exotic and unique in its evil. anyway the tooth thing always struck me as funny, because i am part japanese and it's a weird beauty standard, but i've also just seen it naturally occuring in other japanese people, it feels like a funny tether i guess. but it's not, like, the only one. for a while i was raised around my grandma, my mom and i living with her a couple times over the years, but she is dead now, all i have are the memories and the things she's given me as habits, and the things my mother has given me as habits she's received from her mother.

i still need to get to talking to my mom soon. idk why it's so easy for me to just hide from my parents. it does feel like hiding. they both would so quickly get mad at me growing up, it made me want to avoid them altogether, a lot of the time. you'd hope, getting older, that this would go away, but it won't, unless i make it, but even then i think it'd have to be something i keep at the front of my mind, but i don't think i can, i have too much i'm thinking about normally, and so scattered too.

the song doesn't sound bad rn, but i want it to be like, more, brighter and stuff. idk. i think i can get it there in a bit.

hopefully after this export it makes a bit more sense, as a thing, and then i can go to bed or something.

yeah i think i got it pretty close to right, maybe i should bring the guitar up by 0.5db.

and omg i forgot to post this last night, i was so tired, so

byebye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ducknotinarow]

[Star Tots AU Brook Nina - because we talking about it on Discord xD]

Brooklyn looked up to her sister, in every way possible. Which is why she had gone to her for her next set of issues. She had already asked their dad about how he knew when he loved Peggy, but his answer had left Brook wary. He wasn't angry or anything when she, heavily, implied she had a crush on some guy at school. Actually, Brook couldn't really pin point what was going through his head at the time - but she felt it wasn't good, whatever it was.

So, instead, she went to Nina for help. Which was her second mistake in this entire thing. Maybe she should've asked Uncle Stark instead.

"Sooooo, Nin-Nin," Brook started, clutching the pillow she stole from her sisters bed as she got comfortable on the arm chair in their room, "If you wanted really liked someone, you know, romantically, how would you...ask them out?"

And suddenly, Brook is hearing boss music, and getting that same bad feeling she got when talking to dad. Face red, and hidden against the borrowed pillow, she immediately regretted this entire thing.

Well, as they say, in for a penny, in for a pound.

With a sigh, she looks up, voice partially muffled,

"It's Casey Jones, I want to ask out Casey Jones okay!" Her face couldn't get redder, even more so when she has to be a bit more specific, "The guy on the Hockey team, black hair, missing a few teeth?" Nope nothing, "The guy you beat up like two weeks ago for reasons I don't actually know - yes that Casey Jones!"

There was more regret in her then there was height. Groaning, she throws her head back dramatically, and makes her opinions known,

"I should've asked Uncle Tony for advice."

| Muse Interaction

Nina walked into her bedroom and dropped her bag to floor, her brain felt a little fried after hours of being in school letting her legs give out from under her weight as she dramatically crumbled to the floor. Closing her eyes she swore she would be seeing equations for weeks even in her sleep. Her brain felt like it would explored out from her skull with everything she was cramming into her skull. Letting her head rest back against the door uncaring if she was blocking the entrance to the tower for anyone else to come in. Nina had decided this was where she lived now. She could make it work she had her water bottle still with some water and she had some granola bars in the bottom of her bag that had just been living there for some time now right? She could survive off that alone. The door was budging though all Nina did was groan and flop over to lie on the floor slightly rolling away from it as she rested on her back.

Come on in" Nona groans "Don' talk ta me though my brains going to explored if I have to think anymore than I have" Nina complains only peeking open to see big wide eyes of her younger sister peering in before they walked in and made herself at home in the room. Nina returned to dying on the floor. STEM and AP classes were fun but man were they weighing down on her brain. She could maybe nap here on the floor?

"Sooooo, Nin-Nin,"

So much for that it seemed Nina groaned under her breath a little, Brook's tone made it clear she had something to ask her but that meant thinking. Thinking was off limits Nina just wanted to space out turn her mind off maybe watch some stupid mind numbing videos till she had to be back at school. She tips her head back though blue eyes opening to look at her sister once again. Nina sighs before moving to sit up now sticking to the floor for now but she dose at least remove her backpack.

"If you wanted really liked someone, you know, romantically, how would you...ask them out?"

"I dunno guess it depends on the person." Nina mentions, shes dated a bit here and there herself but it's a bit different when your only interested in girls yourself. "When I asked out Ruby I did it - wait." Nina's brain really must be out of commission if she only now was clocking in to everything she just heard.

Moving to stand up as she eyed her sister now. "Wait wait wait hold on a sec here." Nina starts her words moving faster across her tounge as she looks down at her sister. "Excstly who are you over here talkin 'bout?" Rolling her eyes as her sister simply moved to hide. "Shrimp you brought it up, might as well face music and spill. Or do ya really want me ta find out on my own? You know I will and you know I'll embrassed the fuck outta ya when I do."

Eyeing jer sister as she finds a way to hide into her Captian America sheild pillow she taken off from her bed before she made her self comfortable in the arm chair.

"It's Casey Jones, I want to ask out Casey Jones okay!"

Nina couldn't really make out what her sister had said here however though so she simply stood with a brow lifted. "Dude I can' speak mummble." Reaching over to grab from the pillow and force it away from her sisters hold.

"The guy on the Hockey team, black hair, missing a few teeth?"

She did at least catch the description of the guy. apparently, her sister was crushing on and thinking of asking out even. "That dosen't help there's 'ike almost thirty guys on our team."

"The guy you beat up like two weeks ago for reasons I don't actually know - yes that Casey Jones!"

Nina finally gave a sharp, hard tug and ripped the pillow out from her sisters hold as she smiled, feeling like she won the tug of war here. Before moving to think a bit on the answer. Casey Jones? Hockey team, and she apperntly kicked there ass? One would think any of that would be enough for Nina, especially the last, but we'll Nina wasn't excstly a model student when it came behavior. "That fuckin' punk ass weasel?" It did finally click who Brook was speaking about when Nina thought about it. Looking between her sister and the pillow she idly tosses it at her head before movingnto sit down on her bed.

"Nope not happening your too good from that guy. Anyone is too good for him." Nina doubles down as if she somehow as any right or say on this. "Ain't not way that guy who bearly can out up a fight gonna be datin' my baby sister! Why not litterally anyone else on the team? He'll the school even?" Nina goes to ask. Watch hiw brook tossed back her own head from annoyance over Nina's reaction here.

"I should've asked Uncle Tony for advice."

"Damn, you're desperate if you think the dude who ditched a chick on the roof would be useful here." Nina so nicely points out. Watching her sister a moment she rolls her eyes again. If she really had consider thier uncle though? She guesses that's saying something here. "Look why ya even waste breath on the guys name I ain't ever gonna understand nor do I want to so don' try being all." She pauses to set her cupped hands under her chin and offers her best mock Brooklyn voice she can in the moment making it pretty whiny on purpose when she dose. "But Nina he's a real swell guy once ya know him!"

Dropping both her hands and her expression as she fixes her sister with a look. "But I guess I can help. He plays hockey? There's a game soon why not get tickets and invite with us." She waits for Brook to pick up on the 'us' bit. As she pulls out her cell phone to start looking up tickets. "If you thought I was gonna let you go alone your crazy. I'll be chill enough to let us have space dunno of you can really talk at a game but for your sake might be a good thing." She was teasing when she said it.

"But I mean it if he turns octopus all the sudden he'll be getting up close to the ice when I fuckin' throw him to it." She threatened as she peered over the top of her phone before going back to what she was doing. "Sides, this way? Pops ain't cool with it we lie and say it's just us going."

[cmdr-prio]

05/07/3309

02:32 UTC

So first up, Heck Yeah I can fly again! I ran back to Sagittarius A* to grab a photo, hopefully it came out okay and I can attach it here. If there’s nothing attached here then it didn’t come out okay.

As it turns out, I misremembered/misread what I’d read before regarding a landable planet in the system. It’s a neighbouring system, Stuemeae KM-W c1-342. One of the moons was used as a camp during an expedition in 3302. Allegedly the black hole at SagA* is visible in the sky from here, but I’m not seeing it.

I mean I can target it in the nav computer, it’s definitely up there, I just can’t make it out among all the other junk in the ‘verse.

On the other hand, views like this never get old.

A quick rest here, then on to Altum Sagittarii.

Oh, right - I found more spiky things on the way here. Also some bulbous things. Hopefully this photo comes out better than the last one.

Side note: When I try to boost, I get an alert saying I can’t. Not enough energy in the capacitor or something? What did I break? I guess it’s a power consumption thing, right? It’s not too important right now while I don’t need to boost, but given I never got a warning like “Hey, you won’t be able to boost if you do this” when I did whatever the frell I did to make it this way, it’ll be nice to know for future reference what to avoid.

♫ Currently listening to: Various Artists - Brandywine ♫

03:43 UTC

Currently on my way to Nyuena JS-B d342, stopped off on some rock for a brief pit stop because my tummy has the rumblies. I could just eat while I fly, but let’s at least pretend I’m a responsible pilot.

This one time, back in the day.. I can’t remember what I was doing, maybe shipping cargo? Or maybe it was on the long ride over to Hutton Orbital. Or both, I guess. Either way, I had an autocruise assist module on that ship, so while that dealt with the actual flying, I was sat back, feet up on the dash, eating fried chicken without a care in the world. So of course it was at that moment that someone tried to interdict me. I feel like I escaped with my cargo, and chicken, intact, but that could just be my ego talking.

Of course, I’d be kind of impressed if I ran into any pirates out here. Impressed, but annoyed all the same. Pirates can be a nuisance. I got no issue with dudes who wanna cause some trouble for the feds or the empire or whoever, but I’m just some guy, go after the bigger fish.

♫ Currently listening to: Diana Gallagher - Cosmic Concepts More Complete ♫

05:40 UTC

I’ve made it to Altum Sagittarii. Turns out the fellas from that expedition I mentioned before, also stopped off here. I guess that’s why it was marked for historical interest. I’m currently parked on the same rock they made their basecamp, though I’m nowhere near where they actually were. Navigating latitudes and longitudes aren’t for me. I can land you on a planet, but if you wanna be somewhere specific on there, we may have a problem.

But all that aside, I’m pretty much at the top of the galaxy! I mean, will ya just look at it!

All my friends are in this picture!

From here it’s on to Nyuena RO-Z d184. Nyuena Prime. I hear it’s the highest point anyone’s ever managed to get to. I’ll plot a route to see how far it is. Not sure if I’ll be able to get there today, repairing the stick took longer than I wanted it to. If it’s too far, I’ll just camp here and take a nap.

06:44 UTC

So I guess this is the actual top of the galaxy. There was a tourist beacon here, because of course there was. It said you can make out the galaxy’s spiral arms from here, but I dunno, I couldn’t see ‘em. But I am long overdue to get my eyes checked.

I also saw more spiky things. I guess they come in many colours. At the spot with the red ones, my sensors started picking up.. Something? Off in the distance? Well, two things. Too far away for me to just eyeball whatever they were. But on the sensors, they would sort of.. Flicker in and out?

I guess they could’ve been some kind of reflection or interference from all the spiky bois. But I just. Sat there in the silence, just the idea of some mystery ship, or worse, just beyond the darkness. I started to feel really uncomfortable. I hightailed it out of there pretty quickly.

(Note while editing this back, the same thing was going on at the spiky cluster way back in the fourth image. But I was too preoccupied with the discovery that some of my ship controls had become remapped somehow to notice.)

My next destination will be the Black in Green. Not sure if I’ll be able to make it there before the sleepy takes me, but we’ll see.

Ah. Looks like this is a multi-waypoint journey. Definitely not getting all the way there before the sleepy takes me. But I can make a start.

♫ Currently listening to: The Orion Experience - Children Of The Stars ♫

09:31 UTC

Two waypoints down. Or is it three? My brain is jelly.

I’m currently in Theema RO-I d9-1963. The usual drill when I reach a waypoint. Did a scan. Picked a rock to land on. But I thought I saw something on the horizon so I drove the SRV around a little.

This rock has  weeds on it.

Feels good to be flying again. But I gotta put food in me then hit the hay.

[rustedhearts]

everytime (steve harrington x fem!reader)

summary: despite your break up two months ago, you can't seem to stay away from each other. when you need him, he's there. but how long can this really last?

uses she/her pronouns and female anatomy.

♡ the steve collection ♡

tags: steve + reader are college age (early-mid 20s), alcohol consumption, angst, hurt/comfort-ish, reader may have a bit of a substance abuse issue (it's heavily implied), accidental casual dominance? (steve really just takes care of her)

"every time i try to fly i fall without my wings, i feel so small. i guess i need you, baby. and every time i see you in my dreams, i see your face, it's haunting me. i guess i need you, baby."

—everytime, britney spears (ethel cain cover)

hawkins, indiana 1999

For your first date, Steve took you to Harvey's: a little retro milkshake diner off the interstate with the soggiest salted French fries and the smoothest strawberry shake you'd ever had in your life. He kissed you against the tin wall, right beneath the neon crimson exit sign. He held your hand on the drive home and kissed your knuckles at stop signs. You're so fuckin' beautiful, he told you on your porch.

That was senior year, three years ago.

For your last date, Steve took you to Enzo's: the fanciest Italian restaurant in town with bitter sauce and crunchy breadsticks. He didn't kiss you on the way there, nor the way back. You barely looked each other in the eye during the entire meal. When the check came, Steve slid it into his lap and turned to your hand, limp and empty on the tabletop. This isn't working anymore...is it? he asked you.

That was two months ago.

Your relationship had been on the outs for a while. All you did was fight, and not the fun, witty banter you used to have. The arguments turned explosive: doors slamming, engines revving, broken picture frames. Steve accused you of flirting with every man you came in contact with. You accused him of insecurity and projection. The pair of you made a scene no matter where you went, and soon it became exhausting just to be in your presence. You were bitter and bitchy, no longer the sweet girl he loved to make giggle. You became resentful and mean, and he became passive and silent.

It wasn't working, and it hadn't been working for a while.

You moved out of the apartment and in with a friend from college, taking the tiny spare bedroom she'd been using for storage. Most of it lived in the closet now, but the space was yours. The move was difficult—you'd lived with Steve since the day after high school graduation. You were gonna get married. You were gonna move west to California when you were done with school and abandon Indiana together. The pair of you had dreams bigger than this town, and now that you had gone your separate ways, they felt out of reach.

But you hadn't really gone your separate ways, had you?

You spoke on the phone a few nights a week, murmuring in the darkness about your days. Though it always went unspoken, I miss you bled through every phone call. When he inevitably sighed, and the receiver crackled with his shuffling, you had to bite way tears. I should get to bed, he'd say, and he'd say it like an apology. You soaked your pillow, wishing you'd told him you loved him a little more than you did when you had the chance.

Because you always loved Steve, and you were certain you always would. Nobody had ever been so kind to you, so sweet and understanding. Steve saw you for who you were, and never wanted you to change. But you pulled away from him, pushed him out when he tried to get in. Nobody bothered to stick around as long as Steve did. And that scared you.

Now here you were, crying yourself to sleep.

♡ ♡

One thing you didn't lose in the breakup were your friends. They refused to pick sides, insisting that there was no need to choose one or the other when they could easily split their time. More often than not, you found yourself waving to Steve through Eddie Munson's apartment window as he got into his car and drove off—like switching shifts, alternating between your visits and Steve's. He'd wave back, a stiff palm in the air directed your way in the windshield, paired with a tight-lipped, solemn smile.

Tonight, Eddie was hosting a party with his girlfriend, Gwen, and you knew the crowd would be absent of Steve. The only reason Steve ever attended parties was because you wanted to. He much preferred staying in and reading, or going to dinner just the two of you. He hated crowds and loud music, the 'sloppy drunks and fuzzy potheads' as he called them. He hated Eddie's other friends, and he hated you around them. You were always a little too eager to guzzle alcohol and puff a joint—it was the topic of many of your arguments.

He wasn't wrong, and that's what pissed you off the most.

Because here you were, on your third rum and coke of the night, sipping from a tiny red straw and chewing on the plastic. Eyes hazy and rimmed pink, cheeks flushed with warmth, sweating down your spine. The apartment was crammed with people like sardines in a tin can, and you stumbled through them on your way to the kitchen for some sort of snack. There, you found Robin and Gwen leaning against the sink, eyeing you pitifully as you fell between them with a sigh.

"What's up, girls?" You were out of breath and slurring your words.

They shared a look over your head, cringing. "How many have you had, babe?" Gwen asked.

You hummed, rubbing at your eye and smearing glitter across your cheek. "Uh...like two? Three. Definitely three."

"Three and?"

You huffed, tipping your head back exasperatedly. "Three and, like, one fucking hit. How many have you had, Robin?"

Your tone was mean. It always got a little sharp and cruel when you had too much to drink. The words always came flying out before you could swallow them, and you always woke the next morning with a massive headache and a ball of regret the size of Canada sitting in your throat. You felt it, a pang of guilt stabbing your gut, when you saw your friends' faces fall. You felt it, wringing your heart like a wet washcloth when Steve would stomp off.

"Hey. We're just looking out for you," Gwen interjected, brows furrowing at your tone.

Your cheeks flamed, teeth digging into the fleshy interior of your cheek to stop the tears of humiliation from springing forth. You turned around shakily and took a warm cheese cube from the platter on the counter.

"I know. But I'm...I'm fine. Okay?"

The girls sighed, and Eddie came shuffling into the kitchen with a beer and a cigarette in hand. He wrapped an inked arm around Gwen's neck, pulling her in by the crook of his elbow to plant a loud kiss on the top of her head. She fit into his side and nuzzled his neck, smiling in greeting. You swallowed, throat coated with thick warning. You were going to cry, and you sure as fuck weren't gonna do it here.

"Hey, what's up, scholar?" Eddie asked you, smacking your arm playfully.

You refused to turn around, knowing if you did the whole kitchen would see your glossy eyes and wobbling lip. But this just made you mean again, and as you plucked more cheese from the counter and poked at limp peppers, you pulled in on yourself. Eddie turned to his girlfriend and Robin, who shook their heads dejectedly.

"You okay, honey?" Robin reached out to rub your arm, and you curled away to wave her off, keeping your face angled toward the floor.

"I'm fine. I just...I'm gonna...go wash my hands."

You hurried off, refusing to meet their eyes as you went. You staggered through a sea of people, dizzy and foggy-headed, struggling to breathe. Gwen and Eddie's bedroom was the last door on the left, and you burst into the room with an urgent gasp of breath. The door slammed after you, and you had half a mind to sink onto the floor and lie there for the rest of the night until you stopped crying—but then you saw the phone.

You didn't even think about it.

You knew the number by heart. You dialed the numbers like second nature, lifting the phone to your ear to cradle the cool plastic with shaky fingers. You sniffled to clear the snot, swiping at the tears dripping down your cheeks. The dial tone droned. Once, twice, three times. You sank onto the floor against the bed, leaning your head back against the soft mattress.

"Hello?"

You squeezed your eyes shut. "Stevie?"

It was quiet a moment, and then another soft sigh. "Honey...why are you callin' me? Is everything okay?"

His voice, so soft and smooth like it always was, felt like a security blanket. It wrapped around you, tendrils curling around your bones to hold them tight like he used to. And you wanted nothing more than to hear that voice murmuring in your ear, with his arms around you to keep you safe. Everything's been so off-kilter since he left. Since you left each other. Every day feels like finding your footing all over again. Naked and bare, you weren't sure which direction to go in unless he was there to guide you.

And as selfish as it sounded, you wanted him to guide you again.

"N-No. I'm so fucked up, Steve—it's so fucked up."

Shuffling crackled through the receiver, and you imagined Steve sitting up in bed and rubbing his tousled hair. He sounded tired when he spoke again. "You been drinkin', baby?"

You nodded, sniffling nosily. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Stevie."

Keys tinkled like wind chimes in the distance of the other line. "Where are you, honey? Hmm? Do you know?"

You sighed, snot rattling in the back of your throat. Your hand fell to the itchy carpet beneath your legs, rubbing your palm to scratch it. You hated how this sounded like a routine. Like he expected you to call, all fucked out and lost. You wished you were better for him.

"M' at Eddie's."

"Oh, okay," Steve sounded a little relieved. "Stay where you are, alright?" He was coming to you.

"Steve...you don't have t' come, m' sorry. M' sorry, just...I'm all over the place."

"I'll be right there."

The line clicked, and you carefully placed the phone back in the cradle. The tears started up again, full force and breathless. You gasped for air and hiccuped like an infant as you clawed your way onto the bed, sprawling out on your back. You were grateful the room was dark. You didn't want to see yourself like this.

You listened the songs change while you waited to calm your cries. The room hadn't stopped spinning, and your throat felt so tight. Your chest hurt with a hollow ache that hadn't gone away since your last night at Steve's. You slept in the same bed, facing opposite walls. In the morning, you slid your key across the table and kissed his cheek. He carried your boxes to the car and stroked your cheek with his thumb against the passenger door. He smelled like hazelnut coffee and sleep.

Four songs passed before you heard familiar voices murmuring outside the door.

"Jesus, Steve, you can't keep coming to rescue her," Robin huffed.

You wiped your cheeks, lips downturning. Tough love really hurt when it came from your closest friends.

"Mind your business."

"This is my business. I care about both of you, and this is just...this is unhealthy!"

"Get out of my fucking way, Buckley."

The door handle jiggled, and you turned your head to watch it open. A streak of yellow light sliced through the blue darkness of the room.

"You don't know shit," Steve muttered, and then he was standing in the room.

The thump of music became muffled by the door once more, light clamped off to return the pair of you to darkness. A strip of moonlight beaconed over his face as he stepped closer, hands in the pockets of his jeans. You could hear his keys jingling as he fidgeted. He tipped his head at the sight of you lying there.

"Hi," you whispered. It was the sweetest you’d sounded in months.

Steve swallowed, trying not to rush over and kiss you. He had to fight the urge each time he saw you, even in passing. It felt wrong to part ways without a kiss goodbye. Even when you fought, you always stopped to kiss each other before going to work or heading to bed. It became one of Steve's favorite habits. He felt empty without it.

"Hi," he murmured back.

You sniffled, carefully turning your head away to look toward the ceiling. You were disappointed to see it was still swirling. You suddenly wished you were sober. Maybe he'd see you differently.

"You didn't have to come."

Steve shrugged in your periphery. He was wearing one of those collared polos that you loved. Three buttons always left undone, tight white t-shirt underneath. You wanted him closer. You wanted to smell his cologne again.

"But I'm here."

You shuffled to your elbows, groaning softly. Something lurched in your stomach, coiled tight in your belly. You were gonna be sick, but you didn't want to be in front of Steve. Pushing off weakly on your palms, you sat upright and wiped your cheek, smearing more makeup in the process.

Steve inched closer, waiting for his cue to step in. It came when you stood and wavered on the carpet, reaching for a steady surface.

"Alright, easy, honey." He swooped in, arm wrapped around your waist to guide you toward the bathroom door.

He pushed it open and flicked on the light, propping you against the sink like a Barbie doll. With an open palm on your stomach, he kept you upright as he rummaged through the drawers for a rag. You played with the brown leather band of his watch as he ran the rag under warm water, a pout embedded on your mouth.

"Wanna hop up there f' me?"

You braced the cold counter with the heel of your palms, lifting on wobbly arms to sit on top. "Atta girl," Steve mumbled under his breath, and even in your bleary state you flushed with warmth.

Resting against the mirror, you watched Steve lather powder white soap onto the wet cloth until it bubbled, bringing two fingers under the pink cotton to wipe against your cheek. His eyes were steady on his own ministrations, watching his hand clean away the smeared mascara and tears.

Your eyes, however, could only focus on him. His big sad eyes, swampy green and brown flanked by long, curled lashes. The mocha-colored freckles grazing his cheeks and collarbone, sprinkled along his neck. The pout on his plump pink lips, taken between his teeth in concentration.

When he switched the cloth to the other cheek, you exhaled shakily and caught his wrist. His eyes flicked to yours, finally catching your gaze. He blinked, another one of those toothless, tight-lipped smiles breezing over his lips. It was painted with pity.

Wrapping both hands around the warmth of his forearm, you tipped your cheek into his palm and the soapy, damp cloth encompassed around it. Steve sighed, chest deflating beneath that handsome polo. In the fluorescents of the bathroom, he looked prettier than ever. You were smaller than he'd ever seen you, crumpled and disheveled.

"You drank too much again." He said it the way he orders a cheeseburger in the drive-thru: casual, predictable, cool. He expected this.

That's what always hurt you most.

Your mouth opened to utter a reply, but all that came was a shuttered breath. Your lip downturned, jutting out in a petulant pout that made him ache. He swiped two fingers, cool from the cloth and scented of clean soap, across your temple and into your hair, tucking it behind your ear.

"Just felt sad," you admitted lowly, rubbing your hand along his arm.

Steve placed his hand against your other cheek, suddenly cradling your face. His thumb made circles in your sticky skin—firm, tender, just the way you used to like it. Your eyes fluttered closed, head falling deeper into his hold.

"About what?" His voice was so soft, so small. The rest of the world fell away outside of his tiny, outdated bathroom.

You scoffed humorlessly, head shaking. You opened your eyes again as you fiddled with his watch. "You know what."

Steve's gaze rolled over your face, swollen and pink, stuck in a defeated frown. He wondered if you'd remember this in the morning, or if it'd be another night you fell fuzzy on.

"Yeah...yeah, I know, baby."

You huffed, breath hot and laced with liquor across his arm. "M' sorry. M' sorry I made you come out here, and...m' just...m' just sorry—"

"—hey, come on—"

"—no, Steve...m' a mess. Everyone's right about me."

The pads of Steve's fingers scratched at your scalp, and you hated how easily you purred like a kitten at his touch. Your neck craned, and if it weren't for his hand holding your head up, you might've lied down right there on the sink. Inebriation had its claws in you deep.

"Hey," he cooed, urging your head up with his wash-clothed hand. "Don't talk like that."

When you did nothing but continue to frown and sniffle, Steve sighed and steadied you upright. "C'mon, lemme finish cleanin' you up."

Your shoulders slumped, head bobbing gently. "Okay."

Steve chuckled, rubbing your other cheek with the soapy cloth. "Okay."

You were pliant to his pulling and prodding, allowing him to clean you without complaint. He tucked your hair behind your ears when your face was washed, and filled a Dixie cup with cool water for you to drink. He rested his hands on your bare knees as he watched you gulp it down, patting them when you were done.

"All done?"

You nodded, handing him the paper cup. He tossed it in the trash bin, nudging your chin up with two fingers. "Hey. You with me?"

You nodded again. "Mhm."

"I'm gonna take you home, okay?"

You grasped his hand, pushing your fingers through his. "Okay."

He helped you off the counter, but he didn't drop your hand. He held it as he guided you through the dark bedroom and into the hall, using it to pull you into his side to fit through the crowd. When you made it to the kitchen, you were stopped by your friends, and you pressed your head to Steve's firm back as their voices melded into a yell.

"Oh, fuck off, Munson, seriously, this is none of your business. Last I checked, our relationship only involved the two of us."

"What relationship? You broke up—weeks ago, by the way, in case you forgot—"

"—I didn't forget," Steve hissed, side-stepping and pulling you with him to avoid Eddie. "And for the last time, it’s none of your business.”

You peered back at the group of your friends huddled near the sink as Steve steered you toward the back door. You knew they were disappointed—you could see it in their empty eyes and pursed lips. You could see it in the way Gwen had to rub Eddie’s arm to calm him down. Because the two of you were making a mistake, and you’d never move on if you kept crawling back to each other every chance you got.

But maybe you didn’t want to move on, and maybe Steve didn’t either.

Steve took you home that night, and sat you on the end of the bed. He pulled your dress down your legs and replaced it with a big t-shirt: sunshine yellow, drenched in Steve. He tucked you under the blankets and kissed your head. And then he crawled in beside you, and held you the whole night.

He took you home, where you belonged: with him. And he didn’t know if you’d wake the next morning wondering where you were, or happy to see him nuzzled in your neck, but Steve was willing to roll the dice. For now, he could pretend this was how it always was, and that you never left.

[twisted-jamil]

Hi! I love your Twisted Wonderland content so I decided to make a request. Could I have Azul, Vil, Leona and Jamil's sweet and small female s/o get angry at someone for insulting the boys?

I didn’t write this very seriously cause my brain is super fried from sick and lifeguard training rn >//< I hope you like it anyway !

Sweet reader getting angry at someone insulting Leona, Azul, Jamil, and Vil

Female reader

,, CW: cursing

In relationship

Etc: I didn’t proofread this ; Kinda crack cause I’m still sick, also I’m biased

I DON’T HATE AZUL

Leona Kingscholar

- Most people wouldn’t dare to insult this sleepy delinquent lion, knowing that he would have his teeth shaking their neck within minutes, but what could he do if he couldn’t hear what they said? They would simply talk behind his back.

- Unfortunately for a particular group of hateful people (that were making fun of him for his true lazy second-prince nature), the grumpy man and his smiley s/o were walking by right as they made one of their many rude comments.

- You could see Leona’s ear flick, his eyes darting to the group as he prepared to say something in retaliation, but you were faster.

- “What did you just say?!” you shouted. Leona looked taken aback at the sudden angry look on your face, never having seen you like that before.

- But soon enough he felt his heart swell with pride as the group jumped to look at you. “Maybe you should watch your mouth about people you talk about, huh?” you continued. “It’d be good to keep in mind that him not being the king doesn’t mean he’s not royalty. You’ll always be below him!”

- Leona could feel his heart beating as he looked from you and to the group, giving them a condescending smirk. He never expected his kind little girlfriend to stay up for him in this way. These fuckers were done for.

Azul Ashengrotto

- Your wimpy boyfriend was no stranger to people making fun of him. Of course, it always stung when he heard the unkind words of students reaching his ears, but he would simply have to strike a ‘very worth-it’ deal with them later.

- At least, that’s what he thought would happen. You had happened to overhear someone talking about how bad a manager he was of the Monstro Lounge and how he could easily be overtaken by literally anyone else (who else could be as psychotically micromanaging as him?? Vil). Your boyfriend seemed to have not heard it, but it still didn’t sit well with you.

- “You wanna repeat that you $/&!#%@?!” you yelled at them, waving a fist in the hand and preparing yourself to chase. Azul had frozen to stare at you, eyes wide behind his glasses before he couldn’t see out of them anymore: was he crying?

- This stopped you in your tracks, staring at him with equally as wide eyes. “A-are you ok??” you asked, reaching your hands out to cup his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.”

- He’s never had someone stick up for him so openly before. It truly struck your wimpy boyfriend’s tiny , dead heart.

- You knew Jamil was perfectly capable of sticking up for himself, although he rarely did in order to maintain his appearance as Kalim’s retainer. He never said you couldn’t stick up for him though (and he never expected you would, you were his tiny, kind girlfriend after all).

- But when you overheard a group of first years talking bad about your busybee partner on the time you FINALLY had together, you couldn’t help but feel the bubble of rage start to rise from your belly to your head. How dare they?

- They turned their heads to look at you, having felt a burning sensation coming from your way. You were giving them the deadliest glare possible. How were you even able to do that?! “Keep talking,” you said. Were you even blinking?????

- Jamil had walked a few steps in front of you, but turned around when you weren’t following suit, face going slack at the wide-eyed dead stare you were giving to a bunch of students.

- “What are you-” “I’m defending your honor.” “Ok.”

- He would have to drag you away from the mess, although he would be sure to compliment and reward you for your protection at a later time.

Vil Schoenheit

- Vil wasn’t insulted very often. The only times he’s really been battered by the stinging words of an individual, is when they were saying how lovelier Neige was than him.

- Which is what you heard when walking with him down a busy road, you both ignoring the stares of people shocked to see him and the multitude of fangirls trying to get his autograph being pushed off by security. You could tell the comment stung.

- In your mind though, defending him mattered more than his reputation. “No one is prettier than Vil,” you growled at the person, quiet enough that you weren’t shouting but loud enough that they could hear you, giving the victim a list of obscenities afterward. Your eyebrows were knit together in an angry frown.

- Your boyfriend had taken hold of your wrist, pulling you back toward him. He wasn’t very shocked that you would defend him: you were his partner after all. But, he didn’t expect you to get angry, especially not while in public.

- “Watch yourself, love. It would do you good to not ruin my reputation,” he said to you, his voice low, shooting the bewildered culprit a glare before pulling you away. He would also be sure to reward you later.