#i may even clap when its over but no one can prove that

[tragically-jane-doe]

How do you act normal about the fact Emily Rohm can hit her notes in TBOJD while flying and spinning around?

My peers are concerned about my reactions

Well I sit there in unbelievable awe when I watch TBOJD... And I cry when I listen to the recording

So I don't know how you act but this is the normal™ so just do that

Everything is fine

We're all okay here

[daemour]

Pairing: poly! WooSan x gn! Reader

Word Count: 4587

Warnings: cursing, implied sexual activity, arguing

Genre: Angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, established relationship, T for teen

Summary: In a relationship with Wooyoung and San, you feel left out of their activities. One evening, it all blows up.

this is my baby :') (yes i keep saying that about my fics) but i spent a lot of time on this and i think its one of my best works lol,,,,i hope u enjoy! i do have a second, shorter, part with the aftermath if you'd be interested

thank you to @hobeemin for betaing <3

You’re sitting on the couch with two pairs of legs in your lap. To anyone else, it would look like a sweet scene. Your boyfriends cuddling while you watch them fondly. But you’ve never felt so alone before.

You knew you were the addition to the relationship—San and Wooyoung had been dating for a long while before they met you, and it took another few years for them to ask you to join their relationship. After crushing on the two of them for so long, you had leapt at the chance to.

At first, you were just happy to be there—to have them smile at you sweetly, hold your hand, and press you into the sheets so well. But as time passed, it felt like being there was all you had to be happy about.

Sometimes, you wonder if you had just misconstrued the whole thing. Maybe they just wanted a roommate they could fool around with. Or you’re just reading too much into it. It’s only been six months since you were invited into the relationship.

As you’re contemplating your relationship with the two, your boyfriends stand. You only notice because of the weight leaving your body. “Hey, babe, Sannie and I are going to the bedroom, okay?”

“Oh– is there anything I can do too?” The desperation in your voice is evident, and you hate that it is. San’s eyes soften but both he and Wooyoung chuckle. Not meanly, but not kindly.

“Not today. Enjoy the movie.”

They each drop a kiss on the top of your head, and just like that, you watch them slip right through your fingers again.

You do your best to sit there and not feel upset; you try, but the pinch in your heart doesn’t go away. They’ve never been so outwardly…dismissive of you, and you’ve had quite enough of it. After a long five minutes of unhappy thoughts swirling around your head, you stand. You’re not sitting around and letting yourself feel like the second (or third) fiddle.

You blink back the angry tears threatening to fall as you pull on your sweatshirt and search for your phone, only to remember you left it on the bedside table. You’re not about to barge in on and grab it so you settle with your keys. You won’t be out for too long anyway.

As you leave the apartment, you do your best to close the door behind you as quietly as possible. The crisp fall air clears your mind, and you can think properly about your relationship. You just cannot allow yourself to continue to hurt like this. They’re a package deal to you and will come hand-in-hand with you in your life. You may love them, and they may be fond of you, but in the end, you’re just a plus one. 

The realisation hits you like a ton of bricks, and you clap a hand over your mouth to muffle the sob that escapes. It hurts you deeply, and you don’t want it to be true. You want to believe they need you just as much as you need them, although you know the thought is futile.

You shudder as you finally let your sobs calm down, and your heart returns to a normal pace. You can’t stay there much longer if you don’t want to lose yourself. As you head back to the apartment, you hurriedly wipe your eyes and clear your throat, unwilling for San and Wooyoung to see the state you’re in.

But that proves unnecessary—when you walk back in, San is sitting on the couch, a new movie is on the screen, and Wooyoung is prepping dinner. A quick glance at the clock tells you that you’ve been gone for about an hour and a half. Your blood boils as you realise they hardly noticed your disappearance, but you force it back to your gut. Blowing up now would be counter-productive.

Your phone is right where you left it, but as you try to escape, San calls out for you, “Oh, YN. Woo and I wanted to ask…” Your breath catches in your throat, hoping for something. “Do you want to join us next time?”

It takes all of your willpower not to laugh. “No, I don’t think I will.” Such a tone of mockery had never left your mouth directed at them before, and you snap your mouth shut before you say something else. San’s eyebrow rises high into his hairline.

You hear Wooyoung chuckle from the kitchen. “That’s fine. We have more fun without you anyway.”

And you know, deep down, he didn’t mean it maliciously. Wooyoung doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He was just trying to be funny and lighten the mood from the tension he had heard in your voice. But he didn’t know he (and San) was the cause of the stress, and all he does is relight the anger in your gut.

“Oh, so I’ve realised,” you mutter, and this time, San’s other brow raises, and he interrupts.

“What do you mean by that?” He moves to cross his arms, and you scoff.

“I’m sure you know damn well what I mean, Choi San. I get it. You guys have been dating for…longer than you’ve known me. It’s understandable you guys sometimes just want to be together without me.” You pause to take a breath, and San looks just about constipated. “But…I genuinely cannot remember the last time the three of us went on a date or included me in anything other than just sex. And even that, once in a while. What is the point of me being here?”

“Why didn’t you just talk to us?” Wooyoung asks, having moved from the kitchen to stand in the doorway. His brows are furrowed, and he looks so confused that you almost want to forget your argument. But it’s gone too far already, and words won’t stop pouring out of your mouth.

“You would rethink your already comfortable relationship for me? Don’t be silly.” You cut off Wooyoung’s attempted argument. “Maybe you would’ve thought about it, but come on. I’m me. I’ve known you guys for four years; you’ve been dating for seven. I asked to join you guys all the damn time, but all I got was getting brushed off. Forgive me for not having the confidence to confront you two.”

You run your hand through your hair, blinking back your tears. “I can’t imagine this relationship without you guys, but to you two? I’m just an afterthought,” you state, shaking your head.

Before your soft heart gets the better of you and you fall to your knees and take it all back, you turn right back out the door, your phone clutched in your hands this time. Wooyoung and San make no move to go after you, and it hurts more than it should.

You’re not in the mood to walk and wallow, so you sit in the parking garage, ordering a taxi. As you wait for your ride, you hear footsteps thundering up to you, and you know what’s coming.

“Are you actually leaving?” San’s voice comes from behind you, a tightness to it you haven’t heard before.

You keep your eyes forward and nod. “Yes. I need some time to myself. I…I won’t leave forever, at least not for now. I don’t want to give us up, but I need time to rest my heart. And you guys need time to process, I’m sure.”

The taxi you called is pulling up now, and you stand. After hesitating, you turn around and wrap your arms around San’s waist. There’s no wait on his side; his warm and strong arms come around your shoulders to squeeze you gently. Your eyes are shut tightly, knowing that if you open them, you’ll want to go right back up to the apartment.

“Tell Wooyoung I said ‘sorry’,” you manage to choke out, and you can practically hear San’s melancholic smile.

“You have nothing to apologise for, but I will if it makes you feel better. The only reason he didn’t come down is because he didn’t want to overwhelm you.” San sighs, running a hand through his hair. “For whatever it’s worth, I’m sorry we’ve made you feel so alone. It was never our intention, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that it happened.”

You sometimes wish San wasn’t so sweet and lovely and perfect. And you sure wish Wooyoung didn’t feel as strongly as he did. If they cared less, it would’ve made your hurt and betrayal less sharp in your chest. But you don’t want them to be guilty, and you don’t want Wooyoung to cry.

“I…won’t be gone for long,” is all you have left to say to San before you cram yourself into the taxi, and will your tears to not fall until you get into the safety of your apartment that doesn’t even feel like home.

As soon as you reach your apartment, you collapse to your knees and cry. With every sob, your chest heaves and your throat aches. But you’re finally able to let out all your hurt, and after an hour or so, you feel as refreshed as you can be. You hope it will work out in the end for your sake and theirs.

—

You sink into the familiar comfort of your couch, a sigh escaping your lips as the silence of your apartment envelops you. It's been two weeks since the tearful confrontation with San and Wooyoung, two weeks since you've allowed yourself to feel the full weight of your emotions. The initial relief of expressing your pent-up frustrations has given way to a dull ache of longing and uncertainty.

Days turn into nights, and the silence stretches, punctuated only by the occasional text message from San and Wooyoung, their words a mix of apologies, reassurance, and pleas for you to come back. You read and reread their messages, your heart torn between the desire to run back into their arms and the fear of being hurt again.

Yeosang, your closest friend, becomes your lifeline during this time, his presence a comforting anchor amidst the storm of your emotions. He listens patiently as you pour out your doubts and fears, offering his unwavering support and gentle guidance. "They miss you, you know," he often reminds you softly, his eyes reflecting a deep understanding of your inner turmoil.

"I miss them too," you admit, your voice barely a whisper. "But what if it's not enough? What if we can't bridge the gap that's grown between us?"

Yeosang squeezes your hand reassuringly. "You won't know until you try. They're willing to work on things, YN. Don't let your fear rob you of a chance at happiness."

His words echo in your mind, a constant reminder that you can't stay hidden forever. You need to confront your fears, to have that difficult conversation, and to decide whether the love you share is strong enough to overcome the challenges you face.

As the days pass, you find yourself slowly emerging from the cocoon of your self-imposed isolation. You start venturing out, meeting friends for coffee, taking walks in the park, trying to rediscover a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos of your emotions.

But the longing for San and Wooyoung never truly fades. It lingers in the quiet moments, in the empty spaces beside you on the couch, in the memories that flood your mind when you least expect them.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, you call Yeosang, asking him to meet up with you for coffee so that you can figure out how to approach your relationship with San and Wooyoung. He agrees readily, and promises to set aside some time at lunch tomorrow to hear you out.

“You miss them, too.” You blink at Yeosang’s statement, before heaving a sigh and taking a sip of your drink. As usual, he doesn’t waste time with small talk and just starts with the point of the meet-up. “You’re putting off this discussion for far too long, YN.”

And he’s right, as he usually is. It’s been about two weeks since the breakdown, and you’ve managed to avoid most attempts at reaching you, placating them with a ‘soon’ whenever they text you to ask. But you’re a little too scared to reopen the conversation. What if they hate you and don’t want you anymore?

“They don’t hate you,” Yeosang interrupts your spiralling with an all-knowing look. You swear he can read your mind, and he swears you’re just easy to read. “You both just need to have a long conversation. Of course, it may not work out properly, but if not, they need to know it for future reference.”

You bite your lip, sighing like the weight of the world rests upon your shoulders. “Stop being so smart, okay? I know I should. I’m just…I don’t know how to start.”

Yeosang raises an eyebrow. “First, you should set up a date to talk. I recommend calling them.” He easily dodges your slap. “Seriously, YN. I can’t tell you what to say. Just go talk to them properly. They’re not gonna be unreasonable. They like you.”

If you sighed anymore, Yeosang would probably smack you himself. “Fine. I’ll call them tomorrow.” Yeosang narrows his eyes, and you know he’s seen right through your lie.

“Call them now. I won’t bother you or be loud.”

You start to whine, but Yeosang fixes you with such a glare that you pull out your phone begrudgingly. Your hands tremble as you dial Wooyoung's number, knowing San would probably be at work right now. The phone rings once, twice, and your heart squeezes in hope and disappointment that he hasn’t picked up yet.

You’re just about to hang up when the phone picks up, and Wooyoung’s breathy voice crackles over the receiver. “Hello? YN?” He sounds like he just ran a marathon, and you can’t help but smile. The sound of his voice on the other end of the line sends a wave of warmth through you, a bittersweet reminder of the love you've been missing.

“Hey, Wooyoung. Sorry for never getting back to you guys.” You can already feel the awkwardness and tension through the phone call. “Uh…when are you guys free to talk?”

You can hear the eagerness in Wooyoung’s voice as he responds almost immediately. “Don’t apologise, YN, okay? San and I are free tonight after five. Would you like to come round to have dinner? I’m making spicy pork belly soup. If not, tomorrow evening also works at the same time. If you need more time.”

He’s one word away from practically begging on his knees, and you feel your heartstrings tug. “Yeah, tonight works if that’s okay. Is six-thirty okay?”

“Yes!” Wooyoung has no hesitation when he answers you. “Just come up whenever—you know the door code.”

“Okay, thank you again,” you say, seconds from hanging up when his voice cuts through the phone.

“YN. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. And I’ll see you tonight.”

He ends the call before you can say anything else, and you’re left staring at the phone longingly. Yeosang’s chuckle brings you out of your thoughts. “Told you they don’t hate you,” he hums, a small smile on his lips, and you roll your eyes at him even though your heart warms.

“Should I bring a gift? Like wine or something? I don’t know…they’re feeding me. And it could be a peace offering.”

Yeosang laughs again, amused by your dilemma. “If you want to, it could be a nice gesture. But really, I think they just want to see you again.” He reaches over to you to squeeze your hand. “You guys will be just fine, okay?”

You nod, offering him your own crooked smile. “Thanks for sitting and talking, Sang. I appreciate it.” Your eyes dart to the side. “I should probably go see if I can find a proper bottle of wine, though.”

-

The bottle of wine in your hands is clutched so tightly you fear it may shatter in your sweaty grasp. You’re almost too scared to knock, but your longing to see your boyfriends (were they still your boyfriends?) overrides your fear, and you tap on the door lightly. It might be presumptuous to just walk in, even though Wooyoung told you they didn’t change the door code. You’ve done it many times before, but these circumstances are different.

Before you can chicken out and call it off, the door swings open, and San stands before you, his hair messy like it always ends when he tries to style it without help. Your fingers twitch as you keep yourself from reaching up to smooth it over. “...Hi,” you greet him instead, eyes flitting down to your hands. “I brought wine.”

“Thanks. Come on in. Wooyoung’s finishing up now.”

He steps aside, and you pass him, trying not to flinch as his comforting scent fills your brain. Oh, how you missed him and Wooyoung. The apartment is unchanged, and a picture of the three of you is still hung on the wall. “I hope you’ve been well?”

“Yea. I’ve been keeping busy.” San closes the door behind you, running a hand through his messy hair, which only serves to worsen it. “How about you?”

You shrug as casually as you can. “I’m doing well. Just been working…” There’s a long pause where neither of you knows what to do. “Do you need help with anything? Where do you want me to put the wine?”

San shrugs. “There’s not much to do. The table has already been set. Do you want to wash up or anything? I can pour the wine.”

You nod, handing over the bottle, being careful to avoid San’s touch before excusing yourself to the bathroom. You can practically hear the disappointed sigh leaving San’s mouth and you feel a sharp stab in your heart at how upset he seems to be but you remind yourself this is important. As Yeosang said, they have to be aware of what issues you’re having.

You glance at your weary face in the mirror, wiping at some smudged makeup and fixing your hair, taking any moment you can get to calm yourself down. When you can hear low murmurs in the kitchen of San and Wooyoung talking you know it’s about time for you to get out of the bathroom.

When you turn the corner into the kitchen, Wooyoung greets you with a tentative smile and a wake of his spatula. “Hey, YN. Hope you’re doing well. Are…are you hungry? It’s almost done.” Wooyoung speaks carefully like he’s triple-checking the words he wants to say before they come out of his mouth.

“Of course,” you laugh awkwardly. “Your food is always good. I hope you’re doing well too.”

It’s almost painful how tense the atmosphere is, and both you and Wooyoung cast a glance at San as if pleading silently for him to resolve it for you two. Before any of you guys can speak, the rice cooker beeps, slicing the thick stress in half and all three of you laugh. “Let’s eat,” San cheers, his eyes crinkling in the smile you missed.

The three of you move towards the seats, where three glasses of wine sit and side dishes are scattered around. Wooyoung holds the stew in his hands, setting it down in the middle of the table as you and San take your seats.

The dinner is mostly silent, aside from a couple of hums in delight at the taste of Wooyoung’s cooking. As much as you would deny it, you missed this. You missed being near them, being able to share the same space with them. As the three of you eat, you sneak glances at both San and Wooyoung. Aside from the tousled hair, San seems pretty put-together, with an easygoing smile on his face and dimples still prominent. But the dullness in his eyes is clear and he smiles and giggles way less than usual. Wooyoung’s face is lined with worry, hints of stubble peeking out, and you’re embarrassed to admit you find it attractive. His hands fiddle with his silverware as he eats, and the guilt returns to eat at your stomach.

“So…” you try and break the silence carefully, and both men’s eyes quickly focus on you. “...my brother’s boyfriend adopted a cat secretly and Hongjoong is livid, but I caught him cuddling with the cat just two days ago.”

San chuckles. “Sounds about right. Seonghwa definitely seems the type to. What, did he find the cat on the side of the road and ‘just couldn’t let it starve out there’?” You snort at San’s imitation of your brother.

“Almost spot on. It’s like Seonghwa is sitting right here, really.”

And with that, the conversation continues almost completely normally, like nothing had happened two weeks prior. Wooyoung prods at San’s cooking like always and you defend San but can’t help but throw in a jab of your own, one that San reaches over and pushes gently at your shoulder for.

At the touch, you freeze and Wooyoung’s eyes dart between the two of you. A long moment passes until you finally laugh stiffly and push him back. “What can I say? It’s true.”

Wooyoung smiles at the both of you, the corner of his lips crooked. “Good to see you take his side as always when it comes to cooking,” he teases. “Maybe I’ll make him cook next time.”

Next time. Your breath catches at those words and both San and Wooyoung take note of your hopeful reaction. “I’ll hold you to that.”

-

After dinner, all of you shuffle into the living room slowly, knowing exactly what must come. None of you want to start the conversation, but it must happen. You sit first, hands wringing in your lap. San and Wooyoung sit right next to each other, but not far from you.

“We could draw straws?” Wooyoung speaks up, his hands gripping the couch beside him. “To see who goes first.”

You don’t quite know how to react, but unlike the last time Wooyoung tried to be silly, you understand it isn’t coming from a place of malice. “I think that’s a great idea, Wooyoung,” both you and San agree, and although Wooyoung’s body tenses a tad more, his eyes soften.

“Thanks.”

With shaking hands, you hold out the straws Wooyoung had given you. Both San and Wooyoung draw, keeping their pick hidden until you pick yours. Long. San uncurls his hand and reveals his. Long.

Your gaze shifts to Wooyoung who looks just about ready to throw up at the prospect of going first. “Of course it’s me,” he laughs soullessly. “I suggested it, so I end up being first.”

“If you’re not comfortable–”

Wooyoung stops San with a quick squeeze of his hand. “No, it’s okay. I have a lot to say.” Without further ado, he turns to face you, his eyes pleading and his brows furrowed. “YN, I’m sorry. I was inconsiderate of you in the relationship, and although I meant no harm, I hurt you when I commented on ‘having more fun without you’. Although I tried to keep tension low, it only served to hurt you and I apologise for that. I should’ve been more attentive to you and considered how you may have felt when San and I went off to do our own thing without you.”

You feel a wave of relief wash over you, your heart warming at his heartfelt apology. “I really appreciate that, Wooyoung,” you hum. “I missed you a lot, and after a couple days of cooling down, I realised you meant no harm, and I could’ve told you how I felt about that with more maturity. I…I hope you don’t mind if I go next.”

San waves his hand, gesturing for you to go on. “Of course,” he agrees readily, squeezing Wooyoung’s hand gently.

“I’m sure my…complaints…about our dynamic were pretty clear. I felt left out, excluded, and separated from the two of you. And what I was feeling was valid, but my reaction wasn’t. I am sorry about how I went about talking to you guys. I assumed you wouldn’t care, and so I kept it to myself and let it boil over. And just running out on you guys was unfair of me. I didn’t explain, nor give you guys a chance to explain.”

San nods empathetically. “I was indeed hurt by your immediate assumption that we wouldn’t care. I thought it was clear we care about you—I mean, we did watch that show together and we asked if you wanted to join us next time. If you were really feeling hurt, I do wish you brought it up sooner.”

You sigh, looking down at your twisting hands, bringing one of them up to your mouth to chew lightly on the nail. “Like I said way back, I was insecure about the two of you changing your relationship dynamic just because I wanted it. Maybe it was stupid, I don’t know, but the hurt I felt wasn’t stupid. Sure, we watched the show, and sure, you asked me if I wanted to join next time. But that was it! I was an afterthought. You dismissed me when I said I wanted to join, and yet you asked me why I didn’t bring it up before?”

Before you can sink your teeth any further into your nail, Wooyoung leans forward, gently pulling your hand away from your mouth and bringing it to his lap. “Don’t bite your nails, YN. I’m sure San didn’t mean to be dismissive,” he pleads, elbowing San lightly in the ribs, who winces and nods sincerely. “I’m sure you understand, we were just hurt you didn’t trust us enough, although your reasons are understandable. We want to make things right, though, and we want you to be comfortable to talk to us about your insecurities and worries.”

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to be so defensive,” San concedes. “I got too caught up in wanting everyone to get along, I got ahead of myself. I pride myself on being the calm one, but I was too passive and that quickly turned into self-righteousness.” His hand moves to rest atop yours and Wooyoung’s, his thumb gently rubbing circles into the soft skin.

“We still want you with us, YN,” Wooyoung cuts in, “and we want to change for you. We talked about this when you were gone, and we’ll respect your decision to leave if you so wish, but we really would like to try and work this through.”

You pause for a moment. You could walk away right now, minimizing any potential hurt that could follow. But as your eyes land on your conjoined hands, any minute wish to leave is immediately squashed and you smile up at the two of them. “I want to stay too.”

San matches your smile and Wooyoung’s grip on your hand tightens almost imperceptibly. Before anything else happens, he pulls you forward, wrapping his other arm around your shoulders as he engulfs you in a warm hug. Without hesitation, San quickly joins, pressing a kiss to the top of both your and Wooyoung’s head.

As they murmur promises of how they can include you more, as well as soft ‘I love you’s  in your ear, you can’t help but relax at their showcase of love. Things will turn out all right.

[mythserene]

Call him “Epstein” – How far is Mark Lewisohn willing to go to force a false narrative?

 “I don’t care what you think of Klein, call Klein something else. Call him ‘Epstein’ for now, and just consider the fact that three of us chose ‘Epstein.’”

John Lennon to Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone, May 14, 1970 

I keep asking “Why do you want me to believe John —(or George or Paul or or or)—said this?” And I keep asking because that is the question that keeps coming out of my mind, my mouth, and my keyboard.

It's the obvious question. (Spoiler: audio below of Lewisohn answering it for this quote.)

When you’re going to so much trouble to quote shop and quote twist, you have a purpose that you are torturing all these words to back up. You are trying to prove a point and there’s no real quote to support your position, so instead of changing your position, you act like Beatles’ words are appetizers in a buffet.

THREE OF US CHOSE EPSTEIN.

This premeditated and purposeful OBSCENITY has been sitting there for ten years. Two ladies with a podcast found it.

However, John remembered Paul’s attitude to Brian being very different. John was always emphatic that Paul didn’t want Brian as the Beatles’ manager and presented obstacles to destabilize him, to make his job difficult … like turning up late for meetings. “Three of us chose Epstein. Paul used to sulk and God knows what … [Paul] wasn’t that keen [on Brian]—he’s more conservative, the way he approaches things. He even says that: it’s nothing he denies.”(72)

I will never—NEVER— get over this one. There may be more shocking things to come, but it was this revelation that made me look at every one of Mark Lewisohn’s “author interviews” differently.

This is when I realized that there is nothing I would put past him.

Listening to that part of Episode 7 is so funny to me now. Daphne and Phoebe kept trying to stick to the outline and ask “Does this quote back up Lewisohn’s thesis?” but it was very difficult because they were in such total disbelief at Mark Lewisohn’s deception. (My label, although it’s a pretty inarguable one.) It is genuinely almost unbelievably dishonest. AKOM had a whole show filled with whoppers to get through, and they kept trying, but it took them awhile to move on because air-quotes-Epstein was like a magnet that kept pulling them back. So yesterday, to get out of editing some of my own mess, I put together a few of the times that the shock sucked them back in.

“I find that kind of shocking, really.” Tiny compilation of Phoebe and Daphne in disbelief over Mark Lewisohn’s purposeful misrepresentation of a quote of John Lennon talking about Allen Klein to attempt to show that John thought Paul was trying to thwart Brian Epstein. (Episode 7)

And most of us strongly suspect where Mark Lewisohn is going with this. He wants to rehabilitate Allen Klein because John can literally never be wrong—or perhaps an even stronger motive—he wants Paul to be very, very wrong. But whatever his motives, we can see what he’s doing. And we don’t have to just suspect, because he has already told us that he is going to use some of his most unforgivable lies to shape that narrative.

And there’s only one reason to do that: because there are no real quotes to back up the narrative he wants to push.

It tells us, in no uncertain terms, that the narrative he wants to push is quite literally unsupportable.

To make it work, Lewisohn has to lie about what John Lennon actually said.

*This post was first going to be about both the “quotes” that Mark Lewisohn references here, but in the end I couldn’t not give “call him ‘Epstein'” its own post. Which means I have actually shortened a post. (Please clap.)

Every ‘quote’ in the “spanner in the works” section is bullshit. Every. Single. One. I’m not going to the thesaurus for a fancier word. They are bullshit. Complete and utter, doctored, twisted, bullshit. The man is lying. And what really chaps my ass is that he is flat out telling us that he is going to use those same lies to push his bullshit narrative of the breakup. Like damn, that takes a lot of nerve.

Here is Mark Lewisohn telling us, straight out, that it’s these same bullshit quotes that he plans on using again to fool us. And he should be a laughingstock when he does. Not in some quarters. In all.

He must think we are such dupes. Although he’s gotten away with it so far, so up until now he hasn’t been wrong.

(There’s a bit more to this part of the Q & A and it’s all bad, but for this post I decided to leave it at Mark Lewisohn telling us that he is going to use the exact same sources he used for the “spanner” section to push this lie in the upcoming books.)

Fool me twice…

Would John and George have seen the parallel between Epstein and Klein in 1969?  LEWISOHN: ❝Yes. I’m sure the answer to that is yes, because John mentioned it in interviews, probably in Wenner’s, maybe the one with McCabe and Sconfeld— Schonfeld. Yes.❞ (📍Nothing is Real)

Transcript:

Q. In Hornsey Road you were talking about the three-to-one Allen Klein split, and I was saying to you that it seemed to me that it paralleled what is mentioned in Tune In about, uh, the appointment of Brian Epstein. That- that Paul was sort of holding back or was not keen to move forward with Brian Epstein. And I suppose my question was, is there a direct parallel there? And would, in 1969, John and George in particular have been conscious of that parallel?

LEWISOHN: Yes. I’m sure the answer to that is yes, because John mentioned it in interviews, probably in Wenner’s, maybe the one with McCabe and Sconfeld– Schonfeld. Yes. John recognized that.

Nothing is Real Podcast • October 16, 2019, Episode 15 • Mark Lewisohn, Part II

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And just remember that this is only one half of a hellacious Frankenquote.

(But I kept it short. 🎊 )

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Even though I have given you zero reason to go there, it's also on my blog.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Yandere Crewmate: Death The Kid

“HOW DARE THESE INSIPID BRAIN-DEAD IMPOSTERS RUIN MY PERFECTLY EVEN NUMBER OF CREWMATES!?!?!?”

For some reason, the rest of the crew isn’t all that confident in him 

He wonders why?

But as the son of the infamous captain—Death, he will not let these imposters go unpunished 

He can’t forgive the danger they pose to his favorite person and his rise to stardom

Oh…yeah…and…the crew too…he’ll save them too

He doesn’t know why he’s so interested in you

You're not symmetrical in the slightest

You’re not perfect in any way he’ll say as he blushes and scoffs

When you're not wearing your suit none of your undergarments match he knows he checked

He doesn’t know why he replays your actions on the security cameras for hours on end

Or why he demands all your tasks be shifted to his sectre

But you’re just so aggravating

you keep wandering away from his watchful eye

Of course, he’d end up falling in love with an absolute dolt

Well, all this means is that he has to root out the imposter even sooner by any means necessary:

The child of the infamous Captain of Death was having quite a dilemma. In secret, he was able to patch communications with the Innersloth headquarters where his father was stationed and he was finally able to report the anomaly of the imposter. 

“Hmmm I see and in the meantime you’ve been ejecting those you suspect?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, those we’ve voted to eject have confirmed to be humans, meaning the imposters continue to murder the crew.”

“Perhaps they have plans to invade the entire station…this is an incident of highest alert! You must find the imposter! Who do you suspect as I’m sure you’ve kept keen observation on all of them?” 

Golden eyes drifted from the monitor to the wall of cameras, currently all on a single crewmate. 

“Aye, I was hoping to completely clean the Skeld of all possible imposters or any that may be infected.”

“...All of them? That’s quite a…bold decision….are you sure there is no one other than yourself that can be cleared of suspicion? What about your bodyguards?”

“No everyone has proved to be a possible threat…all for one.”

Death tilted his head at the flutter of pink that seemed to come over his son's face. Clapping his hands together and closing his smiling eyes(?).

“Ah-! I see! There is a crewmate you can most definitely confirm that they are not the imposter?”

“YES! I’ve sent their blood tests and a sample of their blood. ALL OF WHICH WERE TAKEN CONSENSUALLY.” 

A speculative eyebrow raised at the loud proclamation but the renowned captain shrugged as he continued to rifle through the evidence delivered to him. While he wasn’t fond of the idea, he’d sooner lose the dwindling crew of the Skeld than compromise the entire Innersloth headquarters. 

“Alright then! I’m giving you my biiiig stamp of approval!” With a smile and his iconic thumbs up, he only got his son’s deadpan response. With a nervous cough, he put on a serious face–one that lived up to his name.

“Now, how do you plan to clean the ship of the imposter waste?”

Kid silently preened at the word to which he responded with a grim gleeful smile. 

“The old fashion way will do. I promise to return the Skeld in its pristine condition. All I ask is that you prepare the families for the atrocious state that the imposter left the bodies in.”

__________________________________________________________

You patted your hysterical crewmate on the back as you silenced the crackling your snack’s packaging would have made. 

“H-hey, it’ll be okay…uh…miss?”

“Marie!” 

“Right it’ll be okay Marie.”

Somehow the name made her burst into another bout of tears as she moved to cry on your shoulder. You continued to pat her back completely lost on how to console the woman so clearly having a breakdown. 

And at an almost perfect time, the airlock of the sliding door hissed as it opened, letting the perfect distraction make his way into the room. 

“Oh hey, Cap’n Kid? What’s up?”

He seemed to twitch with annoyance, you wondered if it was the nickname you used for him. The murderous golden glare on the blonde crewmate on your shoulder said otherwise. Nonetheless he seemed to shake that off before standing straight.

“Agent (Y/n), you need to come with me!”

“Uhh,” You looked to Marie,” right now?”

He gritted his teeth, “Yes. Right. Now.”

He turned and began walking in the speedy way that he usually did; spurring you to follow him. As caring as you could be you disconnected the teary-faced Marie as you assured her you’d be back soon before running to catch up to the symmetry-obsessed captain. 

“So Cap where we headed?”

“Somewhere.”

“Somewhere?”

“Yes. Somewhere.”

He undid his glove putting his thumbs on the pristine smooth surface of the untouched screen. Which unlocked a series of vault-like doors that led deeper than any part of the Skeld. He did this a few more times walking confidently down these mile-long stretches of hallways to lead to a pod. 

“Uhm Kid, what is this place?”

“...”

He didn’t speak, instead, he opened the doors to the pod and stepped aside as he waited for you to hesitantly enter. You were half expecting to find some horrible torture chamber but instead were pleased to find a place mirroring your own room surrounded by the collection of your favorite space-friendly food. 

“Wow look at all this–”

Slam *Click*

“W-what?!” 

You turned to the door to see your captain smiling widely in the window of this pod. 

“By entering the Captain’s pod you have contractually agreed to be rescued from the Skeld and have thus become one of the sole survivors of the imposter’s massacre.” 

You stood up quickly preparing to bang against the glass only to stop at the haze of dizziness that took over you with a colored smoke through an unknown spout. It was a very short time before you attempted to go to the bed only to crumple asleep against the foot of the bed; leaving you entirely helpless as the pod smoke cleared and the pod door slid open. 

Kid entered giving a wistful sigh of euphoria before scooping you up and laying you haphazardly across the bed.

“Perfectly imperfect,” he moaned, wiping the drool from his mouth. Pulling out his gloves, he dawned them with symmetrical grandeur.

“Now, it’s time I begin the purge of all the imposters!”

[dat-town]

the things we lose in fire

Characters: Sunwoo & female reader

Setting & genre: fantasy, Alchemy of Souls au, not your typical enemies to lovers au

Summary: About a girl who slowly lowers her guards around a boy who is destined to be her enemy.

Warnings: canon-typical violence, folklore monsters, blood, burn marks, arson (the bermuda triangle is pretty much the mean girls of jeongjinrak and i may have enjoyed that too much)

Words: 13.6k

Author’s note: there are lots of references to the original kdrama but i think it can be read without seeing the show. there are spoilers about the season 2 ending though because the main characters are the next generation, relatives of the original characters

happy name day @lily-blue, i'm glad we can still fangirl over any piece of media just like we used to <3

the photo for the header is by sunset lover

Even with your eyes closed, you could feel the shift of energy behind you.

Blinking, you turned around just in time to raise your sword in front of your body in defense, to fend off the huge blow coming your way. You snickered as your feet slid backwards on the wooden floor from the strength of it and looked at your opponent with furrowed eyebrows.

Jaehyun looked awfully pleased with himself that he managed to surprise you. As if his ego wasn’t big enough already, he had mastered Chisu recently, an ability only a few of your age owned, and he liked to show it off. Too bad for him, you had your own tricks up your sleeves. So you just smirked back at him and before he could have started his next attack on you with his double swords slicing the air, you lunged forward with precise and sharp movements, forcing him to switch to defense and back away. You could hear the hollers around you but you paid them no mind as you tried to make a hit that could have been lethal if you used your real weapons instead of the practice ones Jeongjinrak let you.

You could tell that the boy started to get annoyed and him losing focus on his movements as he let his emotions take over played right into your hands. You felt the exact moment when he wanted to break out of the defense mode and you managed to swirl out of his sword's way easily then making your way behind him, you held your sword at the side of his neck threateningly.

“I win,” you exclaimed watching with a triumphant smile as the boy lowered his weapons.

The other students around you whooped and clapped, gathering around you, patting you on the back, congratulating, while Jaehyun had his own share of friends who consoled him after his defeat, telling him not to take it to his heart, to not care about her, you know how she is. But of course, the infamous Seo Yul’s nephew couldn’t let it go just like that.

“It’s not fair, you know. You have an advantage with those priestess abilities of yours,” he pointed out, panting, bitter, and you scoffed. It wasn’t the first time you heard that. Others liked to say that if it hadn’t been for your parents they would have beat you in a fair fight. You found their reasoning ridiculous. Nothing out there in the real world with its dangers was about fairness. Would they have whined like this when they faced an enemy stronger than them too? It wasn’t like you just sat around and you were this good. You had to learn how to control your family’s power just as much as you had to master Ryusu to unsheathe your sword like any other pupils of this institute for mages. Your mother had stayed up with you when your fever kept you up after the first signs of your power and your father had taken you to the mountains to practice every summer. Both of them had faced their own hardships and struggles with their powers, they both understood the envy you had gotten for the abilities you had been born with. Not that it helped when you were in a room full of boys with raging testosterone, wanting nothing more than to prove their manliness by defeating you. A girl on top of everything.

“Excuses. Tell that to yourself if it helps you sleep at night,” you rolled your eyes at Jaehyun and shrugged after you slid your sword back into its scabbard. “It’s not like I can switch it off.”

He was just hurt that his pride was wounded with another lost sparring against you. He took great pride in being from the big Seo family, associated with the royal family after all and being the nephew of Jeongjinrak’s leader he had all hopes laid out there for him. But even with his Chisu, he wasn’t as good as you. You didn’t even have to extinguish all the lights in the chamber like you had done with Juyeon last time.

“That last move was so good! You have to teach me that sometime,” Changmin threw an arm over your shoulder and you flashed him a grateful smile. Having a friend like him surely had its perks.

You asked him what he wanted to eat for lunch, eager to fill your stomach after the exercise but before the boy could tell you all about the honey biscuits he craved, the ones your mom always sent you, there was a commotion by the door that attracted everybody’s attention. Hyungseo basically fell through the door when it opened.

“You won’t believe what just happened! Haknyeon just saw the new mage pupil with Master Seo,” he said in a too serious tone for such a simple statement. 

“And?” Chanhee asked with disinterest lacing his words, clearly above caring about such boring matters. The bearer of news looked around, waiting a long beat before blurting out what was followed by a stunned silence:

“It’s Kim Sunwoo.”

Everybody had heard of Kim Sunwoo.

He had almost as many gossips about his birth as you did. Why? Because your fates were connected. It was written in the stars.

Everybody had a plaque of constellations from the time they were born, it was kept in the royal observatory, Cheonbugwan. Your maternal grandfather had worked there and even though he had been long gone before you were born, you had always thought of him when you entered the place, imagining him hovering above the black plaques splattered with white spots.

You were six when your mother had first taken you there. She wasn't supposed to but King Gowon had a soft spot towards your parents – saying he shared a turtle with them had been an ongoing joke that you never understood –, so he allowed the exception. Your parents had suffered a lot due to your father's constellation after all.

You had heard their story over and over: Jang Uk, only son of the Jang family, had been born under the King's Star in the sky, destined for majestic things. Almost everybody who knew about it had been killed just to keep it as a secret, to not let anybody know that Jang Uk was actually the son of the belated king who practiced the dark magic called alchemy of souls to switch bodies with Jang Gang gwanju. Your mother's father, Cho Chung was a constellation recorder mage at the time, one of the unfortunate ones who had to die, taking your entire maternal family with him, so the king at the time could rule. Your mother had been taken in by a man who had trained her into a deadly assassin. Naksu had spread fear while she wanted to get revenge but she ended up switching souls – or more like sharing souls – with a girl who was unbeknownst to her the lost daughter of the Jin family, a powerful priestess. Your father had fallen in love with her as an assassin and as a priestess too and that's how you had been born as the daughter of the two most powerful people of Daeho who had gone against every odd to be together.

Of course, it was only the version you and the family knew. Everybody else could only see that Jang Uk, the most powerful mage they had seen, the always rebel, had gone against Jinyowon’s strict leader and married her confined eldest daughter with whom they had saved Daeho.

With parents like that, you were expected of a lot. Especially after being born under the Morningstar which, as your mother explained, was a sign that you were destined to bring light into darkness. There were whispers about your fate all around Daeho.

Just as much as about Kim Sunwoo’s.

His life was irrevocably intertwined with yours since he was said to have been born with the energy of the Firebird that your parents had killed.

You and Changmin were out to visit the iron master of the town for the new throwing stars Jeongjinrak ordered. Some, like that prick Jaehyun, would have thought that it was beneath you to do such things but you actually liked to do errands like this. Things might not have been as strict as they had been in your parents' time, not even allowing for family visits unless it was an urgent situation, but the training center of Songrim still felt stuffy sometimes. You liked to visit the lively market or play stone skipping with your friends whenever you had had enough of the constant sword and mind practice. Master Seo was your parents' friend – as well as Songrim's leader, Park Danggu –, so he made sure to often remind you that you didn't have to push yourself too much, that you should not break under the pressure of expectations but it was hard. Both of your parents had defeated death at least once, how could you just live a normal mage's or priestess' life? You were ought to do grand things.

One day.

Today your biggest problem was how to steal some time to visit Kim ahjussi's chicken soup stall before you had to go back to Jeongjinrak. That was, until a bright voice called your name. You let out a groan. Just what you missed from your day.

"Y/N! Changmin! So nice to see you. Running an errand I see," the boy dressed in silk stated cheerfully.

"Your Highness," your friend greeted the Crown Prince politely when he slipped into your view, successfully halting your steps. Sometimes you truly wondered how his eunuch kept up with him but the loyal servant was behind him like a shadow.

"Youngjae," you sighed, calling him by his first name, a privilege you had because you had played with him since you two had been kids. Your mother had helped the king find a suitable queen after all. However, with the boy following you around like a hyperactive puppy, some people thought he was pursuing you with serious intentions because you marrying into the royal family would have meant adjoining multiple influential families of Daeho. But it was as unlikely as the Sun suddenly rising from the West. Youngjae was like your little brother at most, you couldn’t look at him any other way.

"Any plans on visiting the palace any time soon? It gets boring without company."

"I'm sure you have more than enough people around you," you eyed the poor eunuch who always followed the boy around.

"But that's not the same, they are court servants, they don't have a choice," the prince whined and tried to use his puppy eyes on you.

Before you started your official training, you indeed spent a lot of time on palace grounds with him, especially when your parents were out hunting down whatever creature terrorized the people. They either took you to Jinyowon to stay with your cousins or the palace during those times. That's where you learned sparring from palace guards, ate the most delicious food in seven provinces and decided that you were never ever going to marry into the royal family. You could not stand the hypocrisy and conspiracies. You might have gotten used to the whispers behind your back but the palace was a whole nother level. You would have felt sorry for Youngjae if he experienced the same but he seemed blissfully unaware of his surroundings like the spoiled brat he was.

"We could have a sparring battle! Winner gets to make a wish!" The prince threw in as if it was such a novel idea but you only had to exchange a glance with Changmin to know that he had already had enough of this, too.

"You have lost every single time before. Didn't you have enough?" You sighed but Youngjae just grinned, ever so optimistic.

"It's called determination. Just watch and see, one day I will beat you."

"Good luck with that," you said a bit bitterly, internally adding but that day won't be today as you turned the corner the next time you saw a chance for it. There were many people at the market and many stalls with colorful goods put on display, so you slipped underneath a table, crawling behind the stall and slipped through a crack between two wooden houses, moving farther from the busy streets of the market.

It might not have been nice, slipping away like that but your family was already obligated to attend the equinox ceremony at the palace over the next weekend and you had more important things to care about than chit-chatting with a bored prince.

You looked behind you, checking the crowd just in case Youngjae could keep up with you but you saw no sign of him or Changmin. You hoped your friend could get away too without being dragged into an unnecessary fight with His Highness to save his pride. You were still busy looking over the mass of people when you stumbled as your shoulder hit something firm.

"Sorry," you mumbled on instinct since you were brought up to be polite but a moment later you froze, confused. Sure, you didn't look ahead where you were going while you were watching your back, so anybody could have thought it was natural to bump into somebody on your way but you usually didn't make mistakes like that. With your inherited power to sense energy, you could usually tell if you were near somebody. But this time, something was off. You couldn't have named what was different but something was unique about this person's energy and it didn't feel right. You turned your gaze up at the stranger but half of his face was covered with a scarf and he wore a hood over his head. You could only catch a glimpse of his dark eyes, crimson locks and sharp gaze before he continued his way, his long sword draped across his back like a warning.

You looked after him with furrowed brows, confused but snapped out of your trance when somebody called your name. You straightened your back and looked at Changmin who waved to you from the other side of the road, alone. You smiled back at him mischievously because it seemed so that His Highness had lost another game of his.

Jeongjinrak had already been buzzing with anticipation and rumors about the new arrival but it wasn't until the next afternoon sword practice that Kim Sunwoo arrived.

The lively chatter of the hall died down as soon as Master Seo walked in carrying an authoritative aura around him despite his youthful features. Then the whispering started because the man was followed by a boy wearing the mage trainees' silver-blue uniform, his burgundy locks kept out of his face with a similar headband. He didn't look scary or vengeful like the rumors suggested but there was some kind of searing coldness around him, something unusual about his magic, you could tell, so you didn't take your eyes off him.

"Everyone, this is Kim Sunwoo, the institution's newest student," Seo Yul introduced the newbie calmly, not reprimanding the murmuring crowd for once.

"Can he even wield a sword?"

"Does he really do dark magic?"

"Is he going to practice with us?"

Hushed questions and curious gazes were sent in the boy's direction but he seemed unbothered by it all. He just stood there and stared ahead, hands behind his back. His presence was a bit… underwhelming. The rumors about him claimed he was dangerous and deadly, that he was about to bring destruction like the Firebird whose energy he had been apparently born with. But he looked like just a boy and really, you should have known better than to believe gossip after the telltales about you as well.

"He's going to join the training from now. Welcome him nicely," Master Seo finished his speech and clapped his hands, encouraging the pupils to get into position around the practice dolls. The place wasn't big enough for everybody to have their own, so you usually took turns in groups of 2 or 3 to practice different attacking techniques.

Everybody seemed wary of letting the new boy join their group and he didn't seem keen to ask about it either. You exchanged a glance with Changmin as a silent question and he shrugged with no objection. He was friends with you too despite the rumors about you, so you knew he wasn't judgemental when it came to prophecies. Having a High Priestess as your mother you did believe in fate but you also thought that it was not unchangeable and often these prophecies were vague enough to not know their true meaning until much later.

So you were about to call over for the new boy, telling him to join your group, so you could show him how these kinds of practices worked but before you could have done so, Jaehyun stepped in the way of Kim Sunwoo. With his pride you knew that it was bad news, especially when Juyeon and Younghoon, his equally popular and self-assured friends, followed.

"Is it true that your parents are dead?" Jaehyun asked and you sucked in a breath. Of course, he had to pick bones with the new kid on his first day. He just couldn't sit on his spoiled ass in peace. Typical.

"Why does it matter to you?" Sunwoo spoke up for the first time since he had arrived and his voice was deeper than you expected but just as cold as his appearance.  And even though he was talking quietly, in the tense silence of the practice room where barely anybody pretended to not pay attention his words could be heard clearly.

"Did you kill them?" Jaehyun pressed on, such an asshole move.

"Why, wanna die too?" The redhead spat back at him but Jaehyun just laughed as if it was funny.

You looked around but saw no supervisors which, in retrospect, was no surprise, Jaehyun usually only put on his big boy pants when his uncle or his men weren't around.

"I was just curious. How can somebody walk around with the blood of their parents on their hands," he said and that was when you felt a sudden shift in the energy, something hot and surging like lava boiling up, then a moment later Sunwoo unsheathed his sword, the point of its blade stopping right under Jaehyun's chin. The metal didn't glow blue like usually when a mage's energy shifted into ot, rather it looked like it was smoldering as if it burned scorching hot. You had never seen something like this.

"One more word about my parents and I will walk out of here with your blood on my hands," Sunwoo hissed and based on the arrogant grin on the other's face, he just couldn't get the seriousness of the situation. He was so sure that nobody would dare to hurt him as a relative of the King. But he couldn't feel the darkening energy that started to envelope the room, the building up anger and the weight of such power that was ready to burst.

"Just shut up, Jaehyun," you snapped at the boy harshly and tugged on Kim Sunwoo's arm that held the weapon to pull him away. He barely nudged and his skin felt feverish even over the layers of his uniform. You yanked your hand back because it almost burned, what the hell.

Sunwoo's dark eyes focused on you for a moment and it was when you realized where you had already sensed his energy. At the market a few days ago. You couldn't feel the unusualness of his energy this time when he walked into the hall but now, it was sharp and clear like the smell of rain after a storm.

The boy glared at you as if he had any reason to be mad at you and before anybody could have stopped him, he pushed past Jaehyun's gang, out of the main hall.

Him storming out of the place wasn't left uncommented, of course. Master Seo's nephew claimed that the newbie overreacted while others muttered about his bad temper and how the situation could have gotten worse if you didn't interfere. Not that Jaehyun was grateful, he clearly thought that he was handling the situation perfectly. And Kim Sunwoo… he might not have needed your help to protect himself but his actions clearly showed that he had no idea what kind of people were at Jeongjinrak. If he had seriously injured Jaehyun, his father wouldn't have left him unpunished and as an orphan Sunwoo probably didn't have anybody powerful enough who would have stood up for him. It was better if he didn't stir trouble with the Seo–Lee family.

You didn't know what to expect from Kim Sunwoo after his first day bravado but he showed up the next day at the practice room earlier than anybody and he sat in the back at the history lesson held by Park Danggu. His swordsmanship wasn't elegant at all, it looked like he either self-studied it or picked it up from a very shabby master but even like that, he had clearly reached Jipsu and Ryusu because he could gather energy of water flow and direct it to his opponent during a fight. He had a very street-like technique if it could even be named one but he still managed to land the three blows needed to win in your practice fights against Younghoon who was left speechless on the ground after the last energy burst pushed him to his butt. It made you wonder whether he had come to your training center to learn how to master his skills to their full potential or he had another reason. Most people don't join Jeongjinrak at his level or as late as his age.

Sunwoo seemed to have become an expert in ignoring Jaehyun's remarks which (to your greatest delight) annoyed the hell out of the noble guy. However, sometimes you could tell that the accusations hit too close to home. You could sense the shift in energy or get a whiff of smoke and when you walked by Sunwoo's seat, you saw that he had left a burnt handprint on the wooden desk. Even though Sunwoo didn't hurt anybody, he wasn't particularly nice to the other pupils, which didn't help the rumors. Some said he would snap one day and burn the whole place down and judging by the dark look in his eyes, you wouldn't have been too surprised either. Though unlike others you doubted he had come to Jeongjinrak with that purpose.

"I heard there's some uproar at the academy these days," your father brought up casually one dinner when you were allowed to be outside of the establishment. "Not gonna lie, it has been strangely calm ever since Yul took over."

"He's working hard, come on," your mother tsked, amused as always whenever it was about their friends and their bickering.

"I'm not saying he doesn't, but he might get bored there at this rate," your father mused out loud, picking out a honey biscuit from the bowl on the table and you knew he was just joking because he had done a lot so that Daeho could be as peaceful as it was.

"It's not really an uproar. Just a new guy," you shrugged. You didn't want to give too much meaning to the prophecies and predicaments about his and your future, you didn't want that to influence anything. Not after how unfairly mage masters had treated your father in the past because of such things.

"Just a guy with the Firebird's energy," your father pointed out mimicking the casual way you talked and your gazes met when you looked up to glare at him sulkily. You didn't want to worry your mother, so it would have been better if she didn't even know it. Wishful thinking, your father never kept secrets from your mother. Who was now looking at you, bewildered.

"Is it true?"

"Yeah. But he isn't that bad. Like, yes, his energy feels a bit wrong and wild but he keeps it under control," you said because the last thing you wanted was to be withdrawn from training just because your mother was worried. You were often told that you were a lot like her actually: reckless when it was about your own safety but fiercely protective when it came to your loved ones.

"Well, not every unknown or powerful is evil. There better not be another witch hunt out of fear," your mother concluded with a hand over yours, lightly squeezing. "It's actually better that he is here, supervised than being out there, doing god knows what. If he becomes dangerous, we can protect you here."

You sighed, having had enough of being treated like a baby.

"Mom! I can protect myself."

"Sure you can, our brave daughter," your father joined with a fond smile and ruffled your hair. He stuffed honey biscuits into your mouth to suppress your big girl complaints.

You could be the best mage pupil at Jeongjinrak but you would always be the beloved daughter of Cho Yeong and Jang Uk.

You weren't looking for trouble, really. It was a mere precaution. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer or whatever. If you were indeed destined nemesis with Kim Sunwoo, you should have known what he was up to. Did he really only come to Jeongjinrak to be a better mage? Did he even want to be an integrated part of society? Where did he learn how to fight like that? What else was there to his story?

You had a dozen questions which could only be answered by the guy himself but even after weeks of attending the academy, he still wasn't befriending anybody. Not even Haknyeon with whom he had been doing sparring practice lately. So you did the next best thing you could do instead of talking to him: you followed him when you caught sight of him slipping away under the dark of night after the curfew started.

It wasn't the first time you broke this rule of Jeongjinrak but it was the first time when it was because of a boy.

Sunwoo didn't go far, just over the walls, to a small abandoned house with an extinguished pit of fire in its garden. He stopped there, circling around the charred black ground then sat down with his legs crossed. You watched him from over the top of the walls, not wanting to make any further noise by jumping down on the other end and risking getting caught. You wanted to see what he was doing without him knowing after all. So then you waited.

After a few moments passed and nothing happened, Sunwoo looked like he was in the middle of a deep meditation, so you kind of regretted the awkwardly uncomfortable position you chose. You had good stamina but pulling yourself up onto a wall with only half your weight supported by a tree branch… it wasn't ideal. But then, after more minutes of just waiting, something happened, something that shouldn't have been possible: the dry leaves and branches in front of the sitting boy suddenly burst into flames as if he had stroked stones against each other to spark a fire. However, Sunwoo did no such thing, in fact he did not move at all. While he was with his back to you, so you couldn't tell for sure but you would have bet that he had his eyes closed. He just shifted energy to fire and if it wasn't enough proof, you saw him raise a hand and form a little ball of fire in his palm. It was the same thing you were taught to do with water but you had never seen, never even heard of anybody being able to do that with fire.

Your magic was based on the energy of the sky that ruled the wind, the clouds and rain. It was the first thing kids learned. It was a definite truth like the Sun rising in the East. It was taught at the first class you took at Jeongjinrak: that the energy from above crashed into the water basin next to Daeho, Lake Gyeongcheondo, and it brought powerful magic to the ground. The same lake that became the burial place of the Firebird twenty or so years ago. Right when Sunwoo was born.

You should have gone back to the dormitory then, finally knowing what he was doing but questions kept stirring up in you and you couldn't just leave. As you straightened yourself from the cramping position, the branch creaked beneath your weight and you could see Sunwoo perk his ears at the sound. It was time to quit hiding.

"So this is why you sneak out? Honestly, I expected something more exciting," you spoke up casually as you swang one leg after the other over the wall and hopped down elegantly on the other side. You dusted your hands down in your overskirt and stepped closer to the small fire.

"Like what? Hiding bodies?" The boy asked stiffly.

He was watching you as if he couldn't tell your motives and he was probably right to do so. But you didn't spy on him just so you could tell on him or blackmail him, it was merely to satisfy your own curiosity.

"Pranking Jaehyun's gang or something," you said with a nonchalant shrug which made Sunwoo scoff. Unlike his usual neutral expression, he almost looked amused then, so you decided it was safe to ask more.

"You know who I am, right?" You started off as you sat down across him, watching as he was drawing patterns into the ash. It might have sounded like a self-flattery question but you knew your reputation and most people didn't act around you like he did. Considering that you were even said to be each others' nemesis.

"Who doesn't?" Sunwoo rolled his eyes but it didn't quite answer your question. Or well, not the underlying one you were actually curious about. Of course, he knew you, you were in one class but it didn't mean he knew about your family, your power.

"And the prophecy about us?"

"I don't believe in such things," he said coldly, looking up at you. He looked serious and you didn't know how to feel about it. Obviously you were glad that he wasn't outright antagonistic against you but you did believe in fate and him not caring about it was off putting. "Why? Did you expect me to attack you the moment we met?"

So he did know about it.

"No," you mumbled, feeling a bit confused because whenever you did imagine meeting him, you thought it would be under much more disturbing circumstances. With Daeho in danger for example. Or that he would be evil. He didn't seem like that but one could never know for real.

So you changed the topic. There was no use sticking to one about destiny when he didn't believe in it.

"Why are you out here practicing alone?" You looked around the abandoned neighborhood. Sure, people might have looked at him weirdly if they saw he was practicing a kind of skill that was unlike any other you had encountered before but that was because people were always wary of unfamiliar things.

"It's not something others can teach me. My old mentor said that it's unprecedented, so…" Sunwoo just shrugged, resigned. "I get it. It's unnatural. Most people fear me."

You knew that feeling, being looked at with fear just because you could do something others couldn't. Being the daughter of a powerful priestess and a mage with a dark past without others knowing that your mother's soul had also been an assassin could have either made you an outcast or popular. You weren't a fan of either but the mage students at Jeongjinrak would have never dared to treat you the way they did Sunwoo.

“And your parents?” You blurted out, wondering if they could accept him the way he was or they were afraid too. Because you were lucky in that sense because your parents understood your feeling of oddness among your peers. Sunwoo however took your question in a different direction and it rendered you speechless for a moment.

“They died. In fire.”

Oh. So Jaehyun was right about one thing but it still didn't mean that it was Sunwoo's fault. But the way he cast his eyes down, the ember warming up under his stare, you could feel his regret and guilt consuming his energy, so you didn't dare to ask about details.

"I'm sorry," you whispered, not in pity but sympathy.

Sunwoo hummed but didn't react otherwise. He didn't seem angry or bothered. It made you wonder when was the last time he felt understood, listened to. It made you want to pat his back and tell him that it was going to be okay.

You were quiet for a while, listening to the crickets chirp and you were sure Sunwoo stalled his practice because of you, so you wanted to reassure him that you weren't afraid of him, that he could keep trying but what came out of your mouth was more like a curious inquiry.

"Don't take it in a negative way but why did you come to Jeonjinrak? If you still need to learn by yourself."

The boy sighed but still answered patiently as if he believed you would leave him alone once you ran out of your questions. Or maybe he didn’t want to be left alone. He seemed a bit lonely.

"My mentor was old, he told me to come here if he couldn't teach me anymore. He once saw me trying with a sword and the way I lost control over fire. He tried his best to teach me the basics of energy control but I had nobody to actually practice fighting with. I'm still not very good."

That he said but he never lashed out and burned anything down no matter how much Jaehyun pushed him. You thought he didn't give enough credit to himself.

“Let’s train together. Not to brag but I’m the best among Master Seo’s pupils,” you exclaimed with your chin raised high proudly, a bit playful and you pretended to feel offended when Sunwoo looked at you doubtfully. “Hah, don’t look at me like that! You don’t believe me?”

You stood up, dusting off your skirt, and drew your sword out, poking the guy’s chest with the blade’s pointy end gently to nudge him too. He laughed, genuinely, for the first time since you had known him but complied. He pushed himself to his feet too and faced you with his drawn sword.

You striked first, just testing the ground, his level, but he blocked easily, so your little sparring practice turned heated soon. Heated in a literal sense because while your sword was glowing blue from the floating water energy in the air but after a while, Sunwoo’s started to look like it was burning, with a reddish glow to it. You could feel his energy too, just like anybody’s else, but this was new because unlike most people’s energy state, his felt unpredictable. He almost scorched you with one fireball sent your way but you managed to get out of its way at the last minute before using the boy’s apologetic self to your advantage to attack back. After a while, he stopped holding back and fearing that his power would hurt you or get out of control. It felt freeing, you could tell, and watching his smile lightened by the sunrise’s glow, you felt lighter too.

There was no prophecy worth dedicating your life to just to despise somebody who didn’t deserve it and really, maybe you could write your own history.

Once he let his guards down and let people get closer, Sunwoo made friends easily at Jeongjinrak. Changmin was excited that he finally had somebody to annoy you with and Haknyeon now had a study buddy in the mage library because Sunwoo had a lot to catch up on when it came to theoretical and history knowledge of your kind. When it came to practical classes, he usually joined your group and you could tell that it annoyed the hell out of Jaehyun’s circle that he wasn’t a lonely wolf anymore.

He wasn’t the only one watching you warily though. You could see Master Seo eyeing your duo worriedly whenever he passed by the practice room but didn’t interfere. You were sure he knew what was said about your future and that he meant well but you hoped he wouldn’t tell on you to your parents. Based on how protective they were of you, you knew they wouldn’t have been too happy about your sudden friendship with the boy with the Firebird’s energy.

And then there was Youngjae, of course. He had no idea about the prophecy and yet, he just had to be nosy.

“I don’t like that you hang out with him so much,” he said when you were in his royal quarters, feeding the turtles in the garden pond.

You just rolled your eyes, didn’t even spare time to answer as you crouched down, holding out a fresh leaf to one of the animals. Times like this always remind you of your childhood. When you were too young and too naive and your parents sent you and the Crown Prince to the garden to play while they talked about politics and dangers. They still treated you like kids but you knew better now.

“Are you listening? He’s said to be dangerous,” Youngjae whined and you weren’t sure he was more worried or jealous. Not the romantic kind of jealousy though. There might have been rumors but you didn’t think that the prince had interest in you like that. Sure, he might have been more comfortable being close to you than any foreigner princess he hadn’t known, but he was more jealous of Sunwoo getting to spend time with you while he couldn’t. He had been surrounded by people all the time and yet, he was so, so lonely. The fate of a ruler.

You acted nonchalant whenever he whined but secretly you hoped that his future bride would be able to fill this void in him.

“Who said that?” You asked, disinterest coloring your voice pale.

“Everybody!”

You sighed and after leaving the last piece of leaf on the ground, among the moss, you stood up to face Youngjae.

“Don’t believe everything you hear,” you lectured him with a disapproving tsk before curling your lips into a confident smile. “And even if he was dangerous, you shouldn’t underestimate me.”

You bowed towards the boy lightly, polite within the walls of the palace, and when he tried to follow you, you scolded him that it wouldn’t be proper of him to go after you into the outhouse which made him flustered down the core and gave you the chance to slip away without him or any of the servants following closely.

However, you passed by the outhouse without stopping by and wandered towards the king’s quarters. He had summoned your parents over an important issue and you wanted to know what it was because your always recklessly brave mother looked worried when she read the summoning letter. And if anybody caught you snooping around, you could just tell them that you didn’t feel well and were looking for your parents to ask for a leave. Not that they would have believed you ‒ they knew you too well ‒ but others might have.

“But… how did it get out? I thought, only Jin priestesses can open the door to Jinyowon,” King Gowon’s deep voice was hushed. He clearly didn’t want others to know about whatever caused disturbance. It must have been important if he needed your parents, both of them, to help him out.

“That is true but there might be other hidden entrances we don’t know of like the ones from the mirror world or Gwido,” your mother enlightened him and you furrowed your brows. You had no idea that the dangerous relic storage of your maternal home had other entrances other than the one overgrown with ivy creeper, the one that couldn’t have been forced open. It only opened for those of the Jin blood. You had been there a few times, always a short visit and you were never allowed to touch anything but you had heard stories of the time of Great Chaos. Jinyowon was on the verge of collapse and many things, monsters, escaped. They started causing hunger, drought and deaths, so it was your parents’ task to put them back to their lawful places.

“You should capture it as soon as possible. The last thing we need is disturbance before the the Moon Festival,” the king said and hearing your father’s promise and steps, you quickly pulled away from the wall to get away.

Their conversation didn’t leave you be though. What exactly had got out of Jinyowon and how?

You and Sunwoo kept practicing both in daylight and after the Sun went down.

He had improved a lot in his control and precision over the weeks but you were still better. There was one thing in which he was excellent at though, with much more experience that you had: archery. He had said it was because he was used to living close to the woods and hunting for his own food but you thought there was more to it. So while you were teaching him energy control, he taught you archery, it was only fair.

“You’re getting better but your stance is still too unstable,” he noted after you two checked where your arrows managed to hit the target. They weren’t as scattered as they used to be and you hit the board with each arrow at least, but it was nowhere near as concentrated around the center as Sunwoo’s. Your aim still needed some work.

“I’m trying but I’m not used to standing still for this kind of thing,” you admitted irritatedly because the fighting technique you learned involved a lot of movements and agility and logically speaking you knew that even if you needed to use your archery skills in real life it would be on the go but to improve your aim, first you needed to learn how to keep steady.

“I know. Get into position again,” Sunwoo instructed you and with a huff of sigh, you walked farther from the target with your arrows back into your quiver and faced the tree from a distance, ready to draw your weapon when the boy stood behind you.

“Close your eyes,” he said quietly, his breath fanning over your neck. Fighting a shiver and a snicker about his weird teaching technique, you did as he told you. The world went dark around you as you closed your eyelids and you were especially aware of the roughness of wood against your calloused fingertips, the heat of another body beside yours and the sound of your own breathing.

Sunwoo put a hand over your shoulder and pulled it backwards until you straightened your back, getting into the correct position. He then fixed your fingers around your bow leaving little tingles in their wake behind. You took a deep breath when his touch brushed against the ribbon in your hair.

“What do you feel?” Sunwoo asked quietly, his voice fighting the breeze of air, swimming through the ocean of your thoughts.

“Calm,” you surprised yourself with your honesty as you realized that the feelings that washed over you was serenity. Ever since you overheard your parents talking with the king and you learned from Lady Kim that your family home was empty for days, your thoughts had been running wild and you jumped into training after training to suppress the turbulence of your mind. Sunwoo didn’t ask what was up with you, but he readily practiced with you until you were exhausted enough to fall asleep.

“Good. Then try to concentrate on other senses of yours except sight. Take a sniff of the smell of spring, feel the wind lead your arrow, hear the birds, feel the tenseness of your bow… then when you took in your entire surroundings, open your eyes and shoot,” the boy said and you didn’t needed to see or have special priestess powers to be able to tell he stepped farther away but you didn’t open your eyes.

You followed his lead and let your senses strengthen as you focused from flower to flower, tree to tree. As a priestess you had a very sensitive power to be able to tell where and what kind of energy was and even though it was the strongest in mages and other magical creatures, it was everywhere around you: under the ground, up in the sky, in every blade of grass and blossom that fell from the trees. The more you let yourself get immersed in nature, the clearer you saw what was around you without having to open your eyes. Then you finally understood what Sunwoo had said that the key was to be aware of your surroundings.

You slowly pried your eyes open, your sole focus on the target in front of you, clearer than ever. You drew the bow string tight and sent the arrow flying and it hit the target, bull’s eye.

“Oh my, did you see that?” You turned to face Sunwoo in disbelief, excitement bubbling in your veins from the achievement while a proud smile spread over the boy’s face. He probably took pride in your improvement similarly as when you saw him land a Chisu blow the other day. 

“See? I told you that you can do it,” he said, the wind brushing his burgundy hair into his face which made you want to reach there and rake your fingers through his locks. But you just stood there, staring, the energy flowing around you and you couldn’t help but blurt out your fresh observation.

“Your heart is beating fast.”

Sunwoo’s smile didn’t fade. He didn’t protest. He knew it would have been in vain or maybe he didn’t even want to.

“Because you are deadly,” he said and you let out a scoff at the teasing, ready with a retort that died on your tongue when you heard the terrified scream.

Your eyes widened and you exchanged a brief look with Sunwoo before without any spoken word, both of you started running towards the source of the noise. The closer you got to the town, the more screams were heard and people came running from the opposite direction which only slowed you down. You could tell by the unmistakable smell of smoke that something was burning, yet the heat from the flames when you got there still felt haunting. You could already see Songrim officials handle the situation by directing water to the fire to put it out but you wanted to help. You crouched down next to an old lady who must have fallen and offered her a helping hand, hoping that she wasn't too shaken up. You didn't expect her to mumble about the sudden attack, the fire ball bursting in front of the gates and the chaos. Much less the frightened look on her face as she looked up.

“It’s him!” A woman pointed to your left and muscles pulled taut, ready to face the enemy, you turned, pointing your sword at the said direction only to see Sunwoo there.

You furrowed your brows, confused, but the woman didn’t take back her accusation and others around you backed her up too, claiming that it was him setting a fire to the noble’s house. What? Who were they confusing him with?

“That’s impossible. He was with me the whole time,” you shouted over the chaos, lowering your sword but the murmurs barely subdued and people still looked at him in fear. It left a bitter taste in your mouth as you watched Sunwoo's shocked, saddened face. With his reputation, it was almost too easy to blame him.

So close to the biggest festival in the capital, Songrim didn't want to risk being accused of having bias when it came to Jeongjinrak's students, so as the publicly appointed suspect was Sunwoo, he had to go through a not too pleasant interrogation.

Since you were his alibi, you were questioned as well and since both of you were outside of the training center when it happened, you knew that you would face Master Seo’s punishment for sneaking out and breaking the rules anyways.

“And are you absolutely sure that he was with you the entire time?” Your uncle, Songrim’s leader, looked at you expectantly and without hesitation, you nodded.

“I told you: we were practicing archery then we heard the scream at the same time and went to see what happened. We found the building already burning though by the time we got there. No sign of who did it,” you recited for the third time at least when the same question was asked differently.

However, this was the only occasion when uncertainty hit you as you thought back on events. Could you really be sure? Was Sunwoo really with you from the beginning to the end? You had your eyes closed for minutes. Could he… Nah, that was crazy. Why would he have done that anyways? He had no motive and it was unrealistic that he could have left and come back without you noticing.

“Alright. I believe you but please, try to stay out of trouble. At least until your parents are not out of town,” Park Danggu pleaded with a fatherly tone and you knew that your parents would know about your little rebellious act by his next letter to them. Even if he wasn’t friends with your father, his wife was your mother’s little sister, so there were really no secrets between them. You didn't make any promises though.

“Do you know anything about them? Or how is their search going?” You grabbed onto the chance to ask because you haven't heard much of them since they had left. They had sent you honey biscuits every three days and it was their sign that they were alright but you didn't know anything about the mission itself.

“Don’t worry about them. They know what they are doing. I’m sure they will be back soon. They are honor guests at the festival after all,” Songrim's leader tried to reassure you with a smile. Since you were done there, you bowed out of respect, thanking when he invited you over to dinner sometime, claiming that the twins, your oldest cousins, were missing you.

Things were quiet for a while. The rules got stricter around Jeongjinrak and the other mage pupils blamed you and Sunwoo as if they didn’t sneak out from time to time. Though it was true that you were the only one who got caught, what should you have done? Ignore the screams and sneak back to the comfort of your bed without trying to help at least? Cowards.

So you thought it was a one time thing, a misunderstanding but one night when the moon was at its brightest you woke to a heavy weight over your chest. It was like waking up from a nightmare without remembering any details. You put a hand over your heart and tried to concentrate, to identify this bad feeling.

Your mother could not only feel energy better than any mage but she could tell exactly what kind of energy it was. That was why she and your father were the perfect team to hunt down creatures of ill-intent. You didn't have her expertise but you could tell that the energy that was floating around you then had something malicious and wrong about it. You got out of bed, peaking out of your room but there was only eerie silence.

Then, the next moment you heard the watchbell's loud sound. You grabbed an overcoat to cover your nightgown and your sword. On the corridor, you met other sleepy students in similar attire as you all ran towards the gathering place.

"Changmin!" You called over to the boy when you saw him and he caught up with you quickly.

"Hey, do you know what's happening?"

"No idea. Something just feels off," you said and glanced around, looking for other familiar faces.

You had gone a bit further away already when you eventually noticed the smoke. You weren't the only one, others pointed it out too and you could hear the gasp.

"The library is burning!" Somebody yelled and a simple sentence like that was enough to cause havoc because instead of stopping and waiting at the gathering place, most people continued the run to the building on fire. You exchanged a glance with Changmin, then you both headed towards that direction too.

The closer you got, the stronger the strange feeling was. You tried to ignore it and see if you could help but Master Seo and his men were already handling the fire while some were chasing down the arsonist. You could hear people yelling about him escaping towards Jeongjinrak's Eastern walls. You didn't hesitate: you climbed up the nearest building and ran in the same direction from rooftop to rooftop. Without the crowd and distractions on the ground, you were much faster like this. Fast enough to see the hooded black figure swing over the wall, jumping right after him.

"Stop!" You shouted but, of course, it was only in vain, a way to tire your throat out, not the troublemaker. But since he wasn't listening, you had no choice but to attack, sending a wave of energy his way to knock him off his feet. He stumbled but carried on, determined until the end you had to give it to him.

Your second blow was stronger, the assailant fell and it gave you enough momentum to catch up with him. You pushed his body more to the ground by his shoulders and hovered over him even when you forcefully turned him around and tore the hood part of the cape off his head.

Then, the world tilted around its axis and you froze under the watch of that familiar face.

“Sunwoo?” You asked shakily, confused, but the boy stared back at you with disdain and it was a strike constant to his playful smile he had said goodbye with a few hours prior.

It was Sunwoo but at the same time it wasn’t: he looked exactly the same as the last time you saw him except his eyes. They were coal black and emotionless. They were scaring you. Just like the darkness of the energy swirling inside him.

"What happened to you?" You asked in a shaky voice, not sure if he could hear or understand you because he stared so emptily as if he was nothing but a shell. "Sunwoo…"

You tried gentler but to no avail, the guy's eyes turned sharper the moment he heard approaching steps and the next moment you flinched away because of the burning feeling running up your arm. Only when you stumbled farther did the pain subside and looking down at your overcoat, you saw the burnt mark of a hand over your upper arm.

In disbelief, you stared at the wound and took a tentative step backwards when Sunwoo, this possessed Sunwoo, came closer. You pointed your sword at him.

"Don't come near me," you warmed him, the 'or else' clear in your tone, yet the real reason for your warning was that you didn't want to hurt him but if he didn't stop, you would have to. "Sunwoo, please…"

The swish of an arrow was the first thing you saw next, then Sunwoo, grabbing onto his arm in pain and while you searched for the attacker he ran away, more arrows flying after him.

"Stop!" You yelled at the stranger over the walls, angry and desperate, not knowing what to do to bring back the boy, the Sunwoo you knew. The guy with the bow jumped off next to you and the red strands of his hair made you wonder whether you were hallucinating.

"Sunwoo?" You asked, unsure, the witchcraft making you doubtful.

"It's me," the boy said, quiet and warm, just the way you knew him.

"Sunwoo," you called his name in relief and hugged him close, closing your eyes as you let his body’s warmth embrace you. It was like a soothing balm unlike the cold roughness the other emitted. The world was finally alright again. "What happened? Do you know who he was or…"

You couldn't even finish the sentence. You were roughly yanked away from Sunwoo who was held down by two officers, ties and eye cover on him like criminals. Songrim's leader and his men were all around you as well as students from Jeongjinrak who pointed their fingers at the kneeling boy accusatory. They had all seen him flee apparently. They had seen him attack soldiers. They had seen him create fire on the top of his palm. It was his doing, they claimed and if you hadn't seen the real one, you might have believed them.

You elbowed your way through the crowd and grabbed your uncle's arm, tugging.

“I know it sounds crazy but it wasn’t him. It looks exactly like him but it’s not him!” You protested but this time Park Danggu didn't seem convinced. "Please. You have to believe me!"

“Sorry. It will be the safest if we lock him up,” the man said firmly, with an apologetic sigh, and signaled his guards to capture the boy.

"It's alright," Sunwoo reassured you when he passed by you before you could have made a scene over the injustice. It was not alright but you knew that he meant well. If you were confined too for disobedience then who would have proved the truth?

You watched him being taken away and wondered if you took any missteps, if you were accused of using your priestess powers they couldn't understand to evil deeds, would they have turned against you so quickly too? Or would you have been privileged because of your parents? Sunwoo had nobody, so if you didn't help him, he would have been all alone in this. The thought clenched your heart uncomfortably.

But of course, being one of the spectators, Jaehyun couldn't shut up, not even when it was about things he didn't know, so unaware of your internal turmoil, he just had to brag to his friends that he had told them so, that he was right about Sunwoo all along.

“Good, that freak is finally at his deserved place,” he snickered purposefully loud enough for you to hear and you didn’t know what got into you but in that moment you saw red and didn’t even think. You stormed up to Jaehyun and punched him. Hard. It might have earned you suspension and red knuckles but at least it felt good.

Proving Sunwoo's innocence wasn't an easy feat. First of all, because only Changmin and Haknyeon dared to openly take your side and believe your story. Second of all, because there had been weeks between the two fire incidents you knew of and you couldn't just wait for another to happen, so it would prove that Sunwoo couldn't do something like that from captivity.

With the library half burnt down, it was hard to look for options in written history too and you wouldn't have known if Sunwoo had an evil twin because the prophecy would have surely pointed that out. Soul shifting was also not an option because you literally saw the two of them together, looking alike and all that. You were so out of options that you were about to visit a shaman and ask if they knew about black magic that could cause something like this but then your parents arrived home.

Clearly they had heard of what you had gotten yourself into from your uncle and didn't like it one bit. So of course, you got your fair share of scolding but it wasn't like they had been any better at your age and they knew.

"So you repeatedly sneaked out of Jeongjinrak after curfew to what… practice with that boy?"

"His name is Sunwoo."

Your father rolled his eyes as if he couldn't care less.

"At least you should have sneaked out for something more… important," he crossed his arms and it was funny, really, because your parents had always taught you to be honest and only follow rules that made sense. They probably knew you would hear enough stories about them being rebels from Park Jin and Lady Kim at least.

"Like when you sneaked out to meet mother?" You crossed your arms too and Jang Uk narrowed his eyes at you.

"Are you sure you only practiced sword fighting and archery?" He raised a brow and the implication only made sense to you a few seconds later.

"Oh my lord, yes! Not everybody is like you and mother! We have nothing like that going on. He's my friend," you clarified, louder and more defensive than intended. You tried not to think of the way Sunwoo’s hug had made you feel.

"Well, we were never quite friends, that's for sure," your mother piped in, amused, and took your father's hand before looking back at you, more serious this time. "Danggu told us you're convinced it wasn't the boy's doing despite multiple people giving his descriptions to the investigators. He said you were also with him both times the fires happened and he was found."

"Yes and that's why I'm sure it wasn't him," you quickly jumped on the chance to explain, grateful that your parents were willing to listen. At least it looked like it. "The second time I chased down the hooded figure running off the scene and when I caught up with him, I also thought it was Sunwoo. He looked just like him but his eyes and expressions… It was like a lifeless ghost's. It wasn't like him. And his energy felt different too, unnatural."

Your parents exchanged a knowing glance. Their secret little thing which used to annoy you because sometimes they communicated with only looks over the dinner table but in a way, you thought it was sweet, that they knew each other so well, like their souls were so intertwined.

"You know that something escaped from Jinyowon, right?" Your mother asked once they seemed to decide with your father to tell you that and you gave a short nod. It would have been a useless lie to deny that and you knew that they wouldn't have held the truth over your head, not as much as a lie. "Have you ever heard about the nail-eating mouse?"

"No, but I don't understand how it connects to Sunwoo's case," you admitted a bit confused. A mouse didn't sound too scary.

"This mouse eats nail clippings at night and literally turns into the person whose nails they were," they explained and oh, now that made sense.

"How long can it stay as that person?" You asked tentatively and you could tell that your mother was careful with her words as she answered.

"Usually a few days for each nail. Unless their victim dies while they are in their form, then forever."

You could feel your throat tighten at the possibility and there was this urge to go to wherever Sunwoo was kept and make sure he was well-guarded before anything like that could happen. But of course, your parents told you this on purpose and they didn't want you to go on a secret mission alone.

"It is our case, leave it to us. We will find the doppelganger and clear your friend's name, don't worry," they reassured you and you nodded, thankful but not quite convinced.

No matter how much you trusted your parents and their skills, you couldn't just sit still. You were their daughter after all and it wasn't in your blood.

You told Changmin and Hakyeon what you knew and you tried to figure out what was common about the fires so far. You didn't know anything about the noble whose house was the first incident while in the school there could be many targets. Not in the library though. In both cases the chaos and anger following was bigger than the number of casualties, so maybe that was one of the goals: attention.

"And let's not forget that both happened when Sunwoo was nearby. It's kind of smart if this copycat wants him to take the blame," Changmin added and you had to agree. Even though you were there both times too, it was unlikely that it was about you. After all, by now you were convinced that your supposed-to-be first encounter with Sunwoo, the one at the market where you felt something off about him, wasn't Sunwoo at all either and no fire broke out that day.

“Wait. Where is Sunwoo kept?” you asked frantically because if the doppelganger indeed attacked places near Sunwoo, it would make it easier to locate them.

Hakyeon, whose father worked at Songrim, seemed confused though.

“As far as I know in the palace’s holding cells, why?”

Sure, they must have thought that with so many guards around, he wouldn't cause further troubles and maybe that also meant he was safe but not if something burnt down and he was blamed. Nobody knew the extent of his skills with fire after all, not even him. And if the monster wanted attention…

“The Moon Festival!” You stood up at the realization because suddenly it was all too clear. If you were in their shoes, you would have surely let others do the dirty work. What better way to do it than causing havoc during one of the biggest events of the royal court? To save face, the king would have had to set an example. If they couldn't stop the fire otherwise, they would have to kill Sunwoo in hopes to stop it for sure.

But it wasn't enough that you were convinced. Your parents thought that the idea was too far-stretched. All this trouble to get Sunwoo's body? But it made sense to you and you couldn't help but wonder whether that prophecy was about this too. Not actually Sunwoo, but the monster wearing his face and stealing his powers.

Your parents also thought that the monster wouldn't have dared to attack the palace because it was too well-guarded, so they kept on with their usual 'searching for negative energy concentration over town' but that didn't work that effective so far, did it? So you had no choice, really. The festival was happening in two days and you had to plan how to sneak away from the celebration itself to the holding cells to warn Sunwoo. You knew only one person who could help you with that…

"No," the Crown Prince shook his head. "I told you not to trust him and now you want me to help you visit him in prison? No way."

You crossed your arms in front of your chest and glared at Youngjae.

"I will come and keep you company whenever you want for a month," you offered in exchange and you saw the surprised glint in the prince's eyes.

"Three months. If my father discovered us, I would be grounded for a month at least," he rebutted and even though you gritted your teeth, you could see the logic in his way of thinking.

"Two months because we won't get caught," you negotiated, your final offer before you tried to sneak in without his help. Youngjae might have been reluctant, but he wouldn't have let you do something like that on your own. Also, he was starving for some company these days, so you could pretty much predict him giving in.

"Alright, fine. But you have to promise not to help him escape once you are there!"

You made no such promises but not because you wanted to cause an even bigger trouble. Helping Sunwoo run away when he was a captured criminal wouldn't have helped his case, if anything it would have made him even more suspicious. So you really just wanted to warn him and give him a dagger he could have protected himself with since he didn't have his sword with him. However, you also didn't expect the Moon Festival to be so grandiose this year and the monster not being subtle either. Setting the table of offerings on fire in front of the entire royal court and the biggest noble families of Daeho? Crazy. But if he wanted attention he surely received enough. Other than angering the deities and the elders, doing such a thing wouldn't have affected anything else after all. It was a question of pride at this point. Or proving a point. He must have had a lot of fun playing this cat and mouse chase with them, not getting caught either times.

"We need to get to Sunwoo. Now," you said urgently as you saw Songrim's people scattering around probably to find the culprit because when they didn't, they would have surely ended up at Sunwoo's holding cell to question him.

"Hey," Youngjae grabbed your arm and turned you towards him, more serious than you had ever seen him. "Are you sure that it's not his doing?"

You scoffed as you shrugged his hand off you.

"Have you ever seen anybody who could do something like this while not being present? He may have unusual powers but not like this," you claimed, sure in your words, and the prince sighed sheepishly. He tilted his head towards the narrow street between two buildings and led you away from the crowd. You and Changmin followed him while Hakyeon stayed to keep an eye on the happenings. The holding cells were away from the center of the palace and you had to hurry. You were a bit out of breath by the time you made it to the sturdy building.

"I will call the guards away, then you will have a chance to sneak in. Your boy should be among the newest prisoners, so close to the entrance, right side," Youngjae turned to you one corner from the cells and you nodded, grateful, but when he moved to go closer, Changmin held him back.

"There are no guards," he said warily. You furrowed your eyebrows and peek out from your hiding spot to check. He was right. There were no guards in front of the holding cells. Instead there were unmistakable burnt marks, charred ground and wood.

You didn't hesitate. You ran inside the building only to find the bodies of the guards on the floor and your throat closed. What if you were late? What if the monster got here faster? Or worse, what if it was indeed Sunwoo's doing? What if you didn’t know him as well as you believed?

With your heart beating rapidly, you approached the right-hand side cells. Prisoners were either passively sleeping or cursing at you, seemingly unaware of what happened by the entrance. But when you reached a few cells down, you saw the metal lock melted to the ground, the door open, the insides empty and you felt your heart drop.

You cursed under your breath unlady-like and ran back out, following the lingering Firebird energy around you. Your mother said you only needed to concentrate to be able to distinguish such things so clearly, but you never really had the patience to do so. You always felt like you were more of your father's daughter, liking the feel of a sword in your hand and the spirit of fighting. Your Jin priestess skills didn't come that naturally. But then you remembered that day when you and Sunwoo were practicing archery and he taught you how to concentrate on nothing but the target. You closed your eyes, remembering his words, his touch. You forced yourself to relax, to calm down your heart, to forget about everything else. When you opened your eyes you felt a rush of power surge through you as you had never been more certain where to go.

"They are heading towards the western gates," you said and nobody doubted your words. This time it was you who led the way but you weren't sure what you would find when you got there. If you even caught up with Sunwoo in time. Would you help him or would you have to stop him?

You had no idea but you sure did not expect Jaehyun actually being helpful for once by holding them back. Even if unbeknownst to him.

Later you were told, he picked a petty fight with Sunwoo, or whom he thought to be Sunwoo, when he passed by him in the gardens, only to be confused when the actual Sunwoo showed up, chasing after the first. He then joked, asking which twin was the nicer one, and almost got himself sliced in half when the doppelganger attacked him. If Sunwoo was half as good of a swordsman as he was, Jaehyun would have been dead. Instead he was just shocked and enraged by the time you got there, watching as the two Sunwoos fought.

It was a sight indeed, two identical guys with burning swords at each other's throat. If it was anybody else, they wouldn't have known who was the real one and who was the doppelganger but you could feel it in the way energy surrounded them. The Firebird's energy surrounded them both, heat and destruction in their aura but only one of them felt like a deep abyss.

Sunwoo fell at one point, obviously injured and you wondered whether he had been chasing the monster since that thing had tried to make it look like he forced his way out of prison, leaving but behind.

"Sunwoo, down! Quickly!" you yelled at him, gathering enough water energy in the air to form a droplet of water before slicing it through with your sword sending a blow of multiplied energy towards the doppelganger. When your mother had told you that she had also taught your father to do this and it had helped him beat the now king, you didn't think that you would use the ability of Tansu for anything more than showing off. But your mother taught you well and the monster definitely seemed surprised.

When it sent a ball of fire towards you in exchange, you raised your arms protectively in front of you to lift a layer of blue glow. The fire didn't reach it though because Sunwoo stepped in its way, angry fire hitting his shoulder, sending him to the ground.

You cried out his name, lowering the protective layer as you ran to him, to check on his wound but the burn under his now holey shirt faded into nothing within seconds. A relieved sigh left you as you helped him stand and pride swelled your chest as you saw all your friends – and even not friends like Jaehyun – attacking the creature of the night. When you and the real Sunwoo joined them, the monster probably realized that his chances were low because the next moment he disappeared. Not really, but he turned back into a small white mouse, disappearing quickly between the cracks of the buildings. The Queen's favorite garden looked like a mess though. Now, how would you have explained that to the King? Would he believe you if you told the truth about the doppelganger, even without captured evidence? Would…

"I thought we told you to leave it to us," your father's firm voice yanked you out of your worried thoughts and your eyes widened when you saw your parents carry an enchanted bird cage with a white mouse in it.

"Sorry," you mumbled more out of instinct than sincerity. You would have done it again, without a second thought. You were their daughter after all, but you were sorry that you got them worried.

"Are you alright?" Your mother asked, touching your face where you felt a bruise forming. You grimaced at the slight pain you were suddenly reminded of but nodded.

Probably due to the sound of the commotion people kept showing up, soldiers and mages alike, the fire was still going on at the festival's altar and you all were requested to help contain it. It wasn't easy but with enough mages and Sunwoo's ability to somewhat control the fire's way, you eventually managed to save the palace from burning down.

While you were helping with the injured, you could see your father pat Sunwoo on the shoulder, probably complimenting him but you could also see his gaze harden and his grip squeezing a bit tighter than comfortable but the boy didn't flinch. He bowed respectfully and waited until your father started talking with Songrim's leader before making his way towards you.

His smile was sheepish and you wondered whether he got the typical protective father talk. You wouldn't have been surprised. Changmin had gotten it as well when you first befriended him and you both laughed goodheartedly at it. You weren't laughing now.

"Thank you," Sunwoo stopped in front of you, looking earnest. You shook your head.

"Don't mention it. The others helped too," you vaguely waved your hand towards the guys from Jeongjinrak and Prince Youngjae.

"No, but really," Sunwoo insisted and oh, he was serious. The intensity in his eyes made you gulp. "When you mentioned the prophecy that one time I thought you believed that it's written in stone and that at the first potential sign of it turning true, you would be against me. So… thank you for believing in me."

His words hit a cord in your heart. It seemed that while you were afraid that he would betray your trust, he was afraid that you would stop trusting him.

"Sometimes prophecies shouldn't be interpreted word by word," you shrugged as if it was nothing even though you did feel a bit guilty for having second thoughts about him. You stopped feeling like the possibility that it would turn true was hovering over you like the sword of Damocles but that day you wavered and you didn't like it one bit. You wanted to be the maker of your own destiny.

"Good," Sunwoo nodded as he let out a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing. Then he pointed in the direction of the main palace. "Do you think there are any mooncakes left intact at any of the stalls?"

Your parents took care of the monster and indeed helped clear Sunwoo's name. Every case of destructive fire could have been traced back to his doppelganger who probably felt the boy's raw, special energy and wanted it for himself.

As it turned out one of your cousins was the one who accidentally opened Jinyowon's cave but was too afraid to tell anybody about it. He didn't see the mouse sneak out, otherwise he would have admitted his mistake sooner. Park Danggu apologized personally to Sunwoo that his son had caused such troubles for him and that he was wrongfully accused.

On the other hand, Jaehyun did not apologize but wasn't as insufferable as before. He definitely didn't try to pick on Sunwoo or you just for the sake of feeling superior or something. He and his friend let Sunwoo be, which made Jeongjinrak's training a lot less stressful and more useful. Duels were more for motivation and actual practice than power plays.

Another good thing that came out of the whole ordeal was that Sunwoo and you could finally practice his fire skills against your water ones in broad daylight because Master Seo believed it was the perfect opportunity to examine the broadness and variety of a different kind of mage's repertoire.

Ever since then you often had sparring battles with the boy after class, making bets with 'the loser pays for the honey biscuits' kind of punishments. Once Youngjae came by and joked why it wasn't 'the loser gives the other a kiss' and you chased him down until he took it back.

"Last one to give up gets to make a wish?" Sunwoo suggested this time and you liked the sound of it. You were already thinking of what you could have asked of him when he would finally give up.

“Bring it on,” you smiled at the redhead challengingly and unsheathed your sword, getting ready for yet another sparring that felt like dancing with danger.

Would you regret it? Would he betray you one day and use the skills you taught him against you? Would you? Would the two of you turn the prophecy into reality eventually?

Maybe but you wouldn't let maybes poison your present. For now, he was just a boy and you were just a girl and your skin burned when he came too close. Swords pulled out, breathing heavy, when he smiled, your chest tightened and it felt like your heart was on fire. It consumed you slowly and sweetly and you burned willingly.

("So what's your wish?" You asked, panting, as you laid down on the ground in the middle of the field, looking up at the sky. Next to you, Sunwoo did the same.

You, his heart thump, thump, thrumped and you could feel your own jump as he slowly laced your fingers together. His hand was rough but warm.

"This. Just this," he whispered and you squeezed his hand with a smile.

The stars never looked prettier.)

[808airsoftbros]

Painful Ressurection (Lusi Zhao)

Author: Another AI written story that I made when I was playing around with during my hiatus. Hope you enjoy and do check out my Masterlist

Author's POV

Lusi stood by the alleyway, her gaze fixed on the young boy, Y/N Todd, as he frantically tried to remove the tires from her car. A mix of anger and curiosity stirred within her. "Hey, kid!" She called out, her voice cold and commanding. "What do you think you're doing?"

Startled, Y/N froze and slowly turned to face Lana, his big, innocent eyes filled with fear. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I was just hungry," he stammered, his voice barely audible.

 Lusi's stern expression softened as she noticed the hunger etched into the boy's face. She sighed, realizing the struggles he must have faced as an orphan. "Hungry, huh? Come with me," she said, extending her hand. "I don't tolerate thieves, but I'm not heartless either."

Y/N hesitated for a moment before reaching out and clasping Lasi's outstretched hand. He felt a strange mixture of apprehension and gratitude as he followed her.

Weeks turned into months, and Y/N was settled into his new life with Lusi and her vampire clan. But instead of clapping erasers and solving quadratic equations, Y/N was learning to fight.

"You need to be able to protect yourself, Y/N," Lusi insisted, her voice firm as she trained him in the art of combat. "The world out there is dangerous, and you need to be ready."

Y/N sparred with Lusi tirelessly, his determination fueled by his desire to prove himself. Slowly, he began to develop an uncanny skill for fighting.

One fateful night, Y/N grew tired of the crime plaguing the city. His blood boiled with righteous fury, and he decided to take matters into his own hands.

 "Lusi, I have to do this," Y/N pleaded, his jaw set with determination. "I want to take down the mafia clan that killed my parents."

Lusi's eyes filled with worry as she observed her young protege. She understood his thirst for vengeance but feared the consequences. "Please, Y/N, let us help you. You're not ready to take on the entire mafia alone."

Y/N's eyes hardened, and he shook his head. "I have to do this on my own. Don't worry. I'll be back."

As Y/N ventured into the den of the mafia clan, Lusi fought off a horde of goons who attempted to prevent her from following him. A fierce battle raged, but she knew time was running out.

Inside the warehouse, Y/N found himself outnumbered and overwhelmed. He fought valiantly, but the boss of the mafia clan proved to be his match.

The boss smirked, bloodlust gleaming in his eyes. "You think you can take me down, kid? You're nothing but a rat caught in a trap.

Though battered and bruised, Y/N refused to succumb to fear. He locked eyes with the boss, a defiant fire burning within him. "I may be a rat, but even rats bite back."

Just as Y/N was about to deliver a final blow to the mafia boss, an explosion ripped through the warehouse. Chaos ensued, engulfing Y/N in a sea of flames.

Lusi fought her way toward the warehouse, her heart pounding in her chest. But as she finally reached the entrance, the sight before her shattered her soul.

Flames danced in her tear-filled eyes as she saw the lifeless body of Y/N amid the wreckage. Grief washed over her, consuming her entirely.

As the years passed, Lusi mourned for the loss of Y/N, berating herself for not being able to save him. The world grew darker, and crime seized the city tighter in its clutches.

Until one day, news reached Lusi's ears of an enigmatic anti-hero known as the Red Hood, who had miraculously taken control of the city's crime syndicates

Intrigued and suspicious, Lusi set out to uncover the truth behind the Red Hood's sudden rise to power. Her instincts told her there was more to this vigilante than met the eye.

The streets of Beijing were shrouded in darkness as the Red Hood emerged from the shadows. Lusi observed him from a distance, her senses heightened, ready to strike. The Red Hood turned, his piercing gaze meeting Lusi's eyes. A smirk played on his lips as he twirled a silver dagger in his hand. "You still haven't lost your touch, Lusi," he taunted.

The sound of her real name falling from the Red Hood's lips sent a chill down Lusi's spine. How did he know? Who was this mysterious figure, taunting her with familiarity?

Determined to uncover the truth, Lusi set about examining surveillance footage, hoping to catch any glimpse of the Red Hood's true identity.

Days melded into nights, as Lusi meticulously studied every frame, every movement, determined to find the key that unlocked the identity of the Red Hood.

A sudden gasp escaped Lusi's lips as she stumbled upon a significant revelation. The Red Hood's blood stained her sword during their last encounter - a source of DNA to be tested. Shen Xiaoting, the clan's expert in all things scientific, took charge of the DNA testing.

Excitement and apprehension mingled within the group as they awaited the results.

Time seemed to stretch into eternity as the DNA results finally arrived. The clan gathered, their eyes fixated on the paper in Shen Xiaoting's trembling hands.

Shen Xiaoting's voice trembled as she spoke. "The DNA results... they match. The Red Hood is Y/N. He's still alive."

Shock rippled through the clan, their emotions a chaotic whirlwind of joy, confusion, and apprehension. Their lost brother, their fallen comrade, had returned to them, but in what state?

Determined to find answers, Lusi sought out the person she believed held the key to this cruel twist of fate - Ra's al Ghul, the mastermind behind the Lazarus Pit.

Ra's al Ghul, cloaked in shadows, offered a melancholic smile as he revealed the truth. "I stole Y/N's body, dipped it in the Lazarus Pit, but I did not foresee the monstrous result."

The weight of Ra's al Ghul's revelation pressed heavy upon Lucy's shoulders. Thoughts of vengeance and redemption warred within her mind.

Against her sister's cautionary advice, Lusi made the difficult decision to confront Y/N, to face the monster he had become and bring him back into the light.

The alleyway was filled with an eerie silence as Lusi ventured into the night, her heart pounding with equal parts fear and hope. She called out Y/N's name, her voice laced with desperation.

The Red Hood emerged from the darkness, his eyes cold and devoid of the warmth Lucy once knew. "So, you came to face the monster I've become, Lusi?" he sneered.

Determined to reach the remnants of the Y/N she once knew, Lusi stood her ground. "You are not a monster, Y/N. I won't let you believe that lie. You're still my family."

The air crackled with tension as the two clashed, their skills matched with an eerie synchronicity. Each strike and parry echoed the bond that once bound them together.

Sweat drenched Lusi's brow as she fought against the Red Hood's relentless assault. Her heart ached with each blow, longing for the gentle soul she had lost.

In a rare moment of vulnerability, Y/N's expression faltered. The light of recognition flickered within his eyes as Lucy managed to cut his arm, their blood mingling on her sword.

The pain of the wound seemed to jolt Y/N's consciousness back, if only for a fleeting moment. He faltered and stared at Lusi, his voice laced with confusion. "Lusi...?"

Tears welled in Lusi's eyes as she whispered, her words a bittersweet plea. "Come back to me, Y/N. Fight against the darkness that consumes you. Remember who you once were."

The weight of his sister's words bore down upon Y/N's fragmented mind. Emotions long buried beneath the monster's façade began to resurface.

Days turned into weeks, and Y/N woke up with a throbbing headache, his memories slowly returning. The atrocities he had committed haunted him, leaving him plagued by regret and guilt.

Surrounding him, the clan welcomed him back, overjoyed to have him once again, even if the price paid was steep. Yet, their smiles held a tinge of sadness, for they knew he would never be the same.

Lusi embraced Y/N with open arms, her tears mingling with his own. Grief and relief intertwined, creating a bittersweet symphony within their hearts.

he city began to heal, but the scars from Y/N's reign as the Red Hood remained, a reminder of the darkness he had once become.

Over time, Y/N focused on redemption, using his newfound skills to protect and serve, to ensure others didn't succumb to the same path he had walked.

As the years rolled by, Y/N's journey became a legend whispered among the citizens of Beijing. The Red Hood's name synonymous with redemption and hope.

Lusi watched from afar, her heart filled with a mixture of pride and sorrow. She had succeeded in bringing Y/N back, but a part of her mourned the loss of the innocent boy he once was.

Lana stood beside Lusi, her gaze fixed on Y/N as he fought off the criminals that plagued their city. She nudged her sister playfully. "Well, I must say, sis, we did a pretty good job raising a monster."

Lusi smirked, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "Oh, Lana, they say the best monsters are the ones you create yourself."

Shen Xiaoting joined in with a chuckle. "Indeed, and I suppose we can claim the title of 'Monster Creators Extraordinaire.'"

The lighthearted banter brought a much-needed respite from the weight of their shared past. The world had turned dark, but the bond between the Zhao siblings remained a beacon of light.

Surrounded by her clan, Lucy found solace in their unwavering support. Together, they stood tall, guardians of the city, forever united in their eternal dance of shadows and redemption.

And so, the story of Y/N Todd, the boy caught stealing tires, the monster that emerged from the Lazarus Pit, and the hero reborn as the Red Hood, came to a bittersweet close. The echoes of his legacy whispered through the city's streets, reminding all who heard of the power of redemption and the strength that lies within the bonds of family.

[dasphinxone]

Preview of Chapter 5 of As Above, So Below

AKA, Attuma doesn't take kindly to people and the Tribal Council talking shit about his warrior...even if she doesn't realize she's his yet 👀

This happens directly after the last chapter. Namor, Attuma and Namora are granted an audience in the Wakandan throne room with Queen Ramonda and the Tribal Council to see if they can come to an agreement on an alliance. Okoye flanks Shuri with Aneka and they are both Midnight Angels.

“If it settles the fish man’s wrath, a single marriage is but a small price to pay,” the Mining Tribe council member shrugged and rolled her eyes.  

Shuri ignored her mother’s look of warning as the Mining Tribe representative dismissively waved her away and continued with a smirk, “Who are we to deny a disgraced general a chance to reinforce her loyalty to the crown that she so recently lost? This alliance would also prove that she is no traitor, like that ex husband of hers.” 

“You would sell out one of our citizens, our general, to an invader?” M’Baku retorted with disbelief. 

The Mining Tribe representative shot him a grin like a cat that ate the canary. “She volunteered. Just as the Princess allegedly did when she abandoned us to go to this one’s underwater kingdom,” she disdainfully pointed at the Talokanil. 

“I most certainly did not abandon zidenge ezingenamsebenzi [you useless idiots],” Shuri grit out. 

Attuma’s eyes widened at mention of a husband from the translation AI. The warrior was already mated? His heart sank, though his mind found no reason for this information to be a falsehood. 

Why wouldn’t her talents and exquisite beauty find her actively mated? Who would turn down an opportunity to bind themselves for life to one of such great consequence? Surely, she had to beat off the most prestigious suitors with that spear of hers he still had clipped to his belt. 

Shuri’s disgusted look as she hauled herself to feet caused the Mining Tribe representative to snap her mouth closed.

“Have you finished in your slander of my general?” The Princess growled, “Or perhaps you’d like to continue to waste everyone’s time with your fetid half-truths? We grow tired of it and more important discussions are at hand,” she gestured towards the Talokanil.  

Ramonda’s snort of agreement quickly followed her daughter’s words. 

At least the representative had the shame to cast her eyes downward before she declared, “I only speak the truth. W’Kabi was a traitor. She was married to him, eh?”

Attuma didn’t turn his body enough to attract attention. It still allowed him to take in how the warrior stood as still as stone. She stared straight ahead and beyond him, hand clutched around her new, golden spear. 

Taking a few deep inhales through his rebreather, Attuma closed his eyes to concentrate on the individualized thrum of her heartbeat. Frowning at its increasingly frenzied rhythm, his gut twisted with infuriated gall at how the councilwoman spoke of the warrior’s evident past so publicly. The only good thing the old hag did was confirm that this rotten W’Kabi character’s marriage to the warrior lay at an end and in the past. 

As the AI translated, Shuri suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth to suppress a cackled laugh while the Mining Tribe representative stiffly sat up. An ugly sneer flew to her face before she immediately fell silent at Ramonda’s raised hand. 

“Is what le peek'o' nojoch máaktal [the old dog] says true?” Namor asked, brows arched in alleged innocence. 

“Somewhat,” the Queen snapped. “She was married. Her husband betrayed his king. She nearly killed him for doing so. We do not blame others for their family’s faults. Each individual exists as a result of actions they undertake by their own hands within my kingdom."

Namor mockingly bowed his head. "That seems to be first thing we may agree upon when it comes ruling."

"However,” Ramonda's voice rose, “She was recently stripped of her command of our elite royal bodyguard for her failure in protecting my daughter from you. So I fail to see why you are so hungry to have one of so little consequence seal this historic alliance,” she shrugged with a tone as innocuous as though they were all discussing the weather.  

Attuma’s heart roared at this offense so easily doled out to the warrior.

The time for remaining silent passed as he pounded the bottom of his scythe into the ground. Everyone startled and turned to take in how his shoulders heaved as he marched forward to stand next to his king.

“You offend my battle prowess by insulting my betrothed,” the Talokanil general growled.

“She is not your fiancé!” Shuri exclaimed as she threw her hands up in exasperation.

"She crossed paths with the mighty Attuma, Slayer of Sharks, Protector of the Cursed Trenches," he rumbled without pause, completely ignoring the Princess. "I have proven many times over the greatest wielder of my blade this side of multiple generations. Nevertheless, she lived. Whole and healthy to tell the tale of how she fought me with the blessed spear, the weapon of both our ancestors."

Okoye's hard stare caused Aneka to turn her head towards her in astonishment.

"I suggest you,” Attuma pointed his scythe in Ramonda’s direction, “Guard how you affix your words within your mouth when you speak of your distinguished in ba'ate'el [warrior], your grace.”

The room fell so utterly silent, one could hear a pin drop. Not even the Dora Milaje standing guard on their platform above pounded their spears to warn of speaking out of turn.

Namor arched a curious brow before a grin flashed across his features. Okoye’s head whipped around to take him in. Her face awash in confusion, her mouth hung open in bewilderment.

M’Baku slowly sat up straighter in his seat before he took a crunchy chomp of his cucumber. Everyone’s eyes darted to him in flabbergasted astonishment as he finally slapped his thigh.

“Clearly,” he shrugged, “The shark man speaks in poems of what may only be called truth.”

“What the fuck?!” Aneka’s words rang in Okoye’s comms in her suit. Okoye couldn’t’ be bothered to hide how she rolled her eyes.

Ramonda’s mouth curled with derision. “Are you serious, Jabari?”

“As serious as he so obviously is,” M’Baku waved his snack in Attuma’s direction.

None of them could see Attuma’s grin behind his rebreather. Perhaps the furry man would grow to the best of the potential allies among the rest in this room who claimed wisdom. Especially those conniving eels of the apparent Tribal Council.

TO BE CONTINUED...

In a few weeks, as work is kicking my ass right now. So I wanted to give y'all a little appetizer.

[skatingupthathill]

Max Mayfield x Lucas Sinclair Short Fanfic

“Slowly.. I said slowly! Lucas, I swear to god!”

The redhead’s voice echoed throughout the empty skatepark. She could see it now; Lucas toppling off her board and breaking his leg all because he was trying to show off in front of her. And it would serve him right too. The big idiot. If he was trying to impress Max then it wasn’t working in the slightest. Not even the tiniest bit.

Instead, she stood atop one of the ramps with her arms folded and the most unamused expression on her face. Max had to admit though; it was hard not to let her lips twitch up into a smirk upon seeing her boyfriend wobble around all over the place like a newborn fawn trying to get used to its legs. Lucas had the grace of one, that was for sure.

It was rather.. impressive how much speed he had picked up already. For his first time on the board, he wasn’t doing half bad. Not that she would ever tell him that. Lucas’s ego was already big enough.

“Chill out, Max. How hard can it be?” There came that cocky tone of his. That shit-eating grin spreading across his face which Max wanted to slap right off of him. Oh she couldn’t wait for him to smack down onto the concrete. That would show him. “I’m like, a professional now.” Lucas continued to big himself up, arms flexing to further show her.

If it wasn’t for the fact that his legs were shaking like a damn leaf then he may have actually started to believe it himself.

“Such a professional. I’m so jealous of your skills. By all means, go for it. Show me how it’s done. Prove me wrong.” The redhead told him sarcastically, piercing blue eyes trained on his every move. It would only be a matter of time now. A matter of time before he was kissing the ground beneath them.

And just as anticipated— there he went in all his glory.

It all happened so fast that Lucas hadn’t had much time to regain his balance before the board came out right from underneath his feet. Before he knew it both his knees had smashed into the hot tarmac, enticing a yelp from the boy as he landed with a thud.

So much for showing Max how it was done. All that had achieved him was a whole lot of pain accompanied by the feeling of something warm trickling down his legs.

Blood. Great.

If it wasn’t for the fact that a round of slow-clapping had filled the brief silence along with what sounded like snickering? Lucas would have most definitely folded in on himself and let the tears that were stinging his eyes run freely down his cheeks. As if he was about to let Max have that satisfaction though.

No, he had to be tough.

“Bravo! What do you call that trick? Falling on your ass?” Max sniggered out, that devious smirk finally breaking through her usually stoic expression that she wore all too well. It was what she was known for. A resting bitch face, as some may call it. Lucas seemed to have a knack for always knowing how to knock it right off her face only for it to be replaced by something less cold.

The pout that formed on Lucas’s face only caused a few fits of giggles and amused snorts to escape her, freckled cheeks turning a rosy red thanks to how breathless she’d become. He could be such a child sometimes and yet, it was oddly charming.

“It’s not funny, Max!” It was obvious that Lucas was trying to hold back laughter too. Max’s cute little snorts were his weakness. Even when he was mad at her, those snorts melted him. He was such a sucker for her and she knew it. It simply wasn’t fair. “How are you even supposed to balance on that thing? It’s impossible.” Lucas finally admitted defeat. Maybe he really should have slowed down like Max had told him too.

Max’s eyes almost rolled to the back of her head upon hearing that. “Oh I don’t know, try to stop your legs from shaking for one. But maybe you should stick to basketball, hm? Wouldn’t want your delicate little self getting hurt again.” She cooed at her boyfriend in a taunting manner, a hand reaching over to playfully swat at the fresh wounds that had embedded themselves into Lucas’s knees.

Of course, she was careful not to actually touch the raw flesh. Couldn’t have him crying like a big baby.

His flinching as her hand got nearer and nearer to the wounds were what eventually made her cease up on her teasing. Right. Maybe she should actually be nice to him incase he was actually hurt.

“You’re so ridiculous, Sinclair. Honestly.” Despite Max’s words, her tone had softened considerably as her hands caressed his leg. Thankfully the cuts on his knees didn’t look too deep. Not enough to need stitches anyway. She would know. Years of skating and she’d learned the hard way when a cut looked worse than it seemed.

Lucas couldn’t help but to admire her as she studied the bloody gashes. Max was so beautiful. The natural sort of beautiful. The way her hair looked more vibrant in the sun and her eyes bluer than the sky above them. It made him wonder how he got so lucky. She was out of his league, that was for sure.

“Wanna kiss me better?” He decided to try his chances, wiggling his eyebrows at her as that toothy grin of his lit up his entire face. It was worth a shot, right? How could she deny him a kiss after his traumatic injury.

But this was Max he was talking about. Lucas really shouldn’t have been surprised to hear her scoff in his face.

“Pfft, you wish.” Max quirked a brow in his direction, though soon regretted it once she’d met his gaze. Those same warm, cedar brown eyes she had fallen in love with. It was impossible to look away. They were like a deep, dark forest that she endlessly wanted to get lost in. And with the way he was staring at her like she was the only girl to grace the face of the Earth? Max felt her cheeks heat up until they were burning like a furnace.

God, he could be such a dork sometimes. Her dork.

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” Max sighed out in defeat, bringing a hand up to delicately caress the apple of his cheek. That action alone had Lucas’s grin widening until he was smiling like a Cheshire Cat. “You tell anyone I got all soft on you and you’re dead. Got it?” She fixed him with a stern glare, before letting her face relax until she couldn’t help but to smile back at him.

Love had never been in the cards for Max. She was convinced of it. After witnessing her parents divorce, she believed that love didn’t really exist. It was something that existed solely in fairytales and sappy romcoms. A lot of bullshit to convince little girls that they would in fact find their Prince Charming one day.

But then along came Lucas who changed her view on, well.. everything. It scared her how much he cared about her. How much she cared about him in return. It was too perfect sometimes and Max couldn’t ever bring herself to accept the feeling of safety that she found in his arms.

But for now? She would. Max would let herself fall. Welcome the sense of warmth that always surrounded her like a blanket whenever he was near.

“I love you, stalker.” Those words slipped from her lips in a quiet murmur, soon to be sealed by a kiss as she leaned in to let her lips meet his.

Warm. Soft. Endless butterflies swirling around in the pit of her stomach. Those were just some of the many feelings she felt whenever kissing Lucas Sinclair.

“I love you too, MadMax.” Lucas whispered back against the plump of her lips, eyes slowly slipping shut as the two lovers basked in the feeling of a love that he thought would last forever.

If only..

—————-

The sound of a familiar beeping filled his ears as Lucas was jolted back to reality.

Blinking a couple of times, it was hard to register what had just happened. Some sort of daydream? No, a memory. A memory from last Summer before everything had gone to shit.

Lucas had been so lost in a daze that he couldn’t even register where he was for a couple of seconds.. that was until he was met with the all too familiar sight in front of him. It was enough to have his stomach sinking and his heart almost breaking into two all over again.

Max. Adorned in a hospital gown. Limbs covered in casts and her body laying in the same fragile state it had been for just over a month now. Seeing her hooked up to all of those machines never failed to bring tears to sting at his eyes. She looked so.. frail.

A girl once full of life lay comatose in a hospital bed and it was all because of him. Lucas hadn’t been able to save her that night at the Creel house. She was in this state because of him. Vecna had got to her because of him.

The guilt was eating Lucas alive and despite being told multiple times by his friends that there was nothing he could have done? He didn’t at all believe that. The doctors didn’t even know if she would wake up, or what state she’d wake up in if she was lucky enough to pull through. Would she be blind? Paralysed? And if she died—

Thankfully Lucas didn’t have much time to let his mind wander down that dark path.

A hand on his shoulder was almost enough to make him leap out of his skin. Whipping his head around to the source, Lucas felt a wave of relief soon wash over him upon discovering that it was only Dustin. God, he hated how he was staring at him like he was some sort of kicked puppy. Everyone seemed to be giving him that look these days.

“Come on man, you’ve been sitting there all day.” His friend pleaded with him.

Lucas followed Dustin’s gaze down to his and Max’s joined hands. He hadn’t even realised that he’d been holding onto her. Just went to show that it had become second nature for him to cling onto her ever since Max’s stay at the hospital.

“She’ll still be here when you come back. Just.. come get something to eat, okay? It’ll only take five minutes tops.” Dustin’s voice was soft, softer than it usually would be. Lucas was in a bad place and the last thing he wanted to do was trigger him.

Lucas was hesitant to leave Max’s side. What if he left and something happened? He knew that was no way to live. He couldn’t keep doing this to himself. It was unhealthy and in all honesty? Lucas couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a decent meal.

So after hesitantly nodding his head and bringing himself to his feet, Lucas let out a shaky breath. “Five minutes.” He confirmed to Dustin, before averting his gaze back down to Max.

Despite everything, despite the break up and all of the stupid fights in between? Lucas still loved her. He could only hope and pray on everything he believed in that she would wake up so that he could tell her that to his face.

“I’ll be back, okay?” Lucas whispered to her, bending down ever so slightly to let his lips grace her forehead where he let himself linger for a second or two.

It was hard to say goodbye if even for a second, but he had to take care of himself first so that he could take care of her. Lucas needed to keep reminding himself of that.

“Love you, MadMax..”

[scorchedhearth]

Day. 29 WHAT DOESN'T KILL ME…

Sleep Deprivation | Defiance | “Better me than you.”

always thinking about this panel on the glc 80th-anniversary book where john is the only one out of the three to know why guy truly acts the way he does, i think about it often

“Pussies!” Guy yells as he’s thrown on the floor of their shared cell. Or tries to, with the way the wind’s knocked out of his lung with the impact he makes on the ground. “Just a bunch of pussies, my granda hits harder than you do!” The door is closed before he can finish his speech, and John stares at him from where he’s sitting on one of the rock benches they have in the room. 

“Hey, Johnny,” Guy tilts his head enough to grace John with a bloody grin and half his face swollen. “Didn’t see ya there.”

“Are you proud of yourself?” Is all John can say, arms crossed over his chest and staring down at him. Guy slowly pushes himself onto his knees, then on his backside, sitting with his elbows on his knees, one hand rubbing at the back of his head and the swelling still there from a bad hit on the wall.

It’s been going on for days now, ever since they were caught and thrown here. Guy will shout the loudest, make as much noise as humanly possible and get the ire of their captors on himself, he gets the beating and harsh words and rough manhandling whenever he pisses them off too much. John is getting tired of that.

“What d’ya think,” Guy drawls and puffs out his chest. “Got a few hits of my own, ya know. Those assholes may live in yellow world but I still have those guns.” He picks his arms up and flexes them, going so far as to kiss each of his biceps and John will not survive this, he will not survive this mission with Guy, he won’t.

He wouldn’t even be in this mess if it were for Guy asking to tag along what was supposed to be a short trip, if it weren’t for the delay it caused and an unexpected asteroid storm pushing them off course and crashing them here, a planet notoriously known for its distrustful population. John is convinced this is some kind of cosmic joke. Guy says it’s karma, but John knows no one deserve to be locked up in the same room as him. Certainly not John.

He’s tired, he’s letting down a whole lot of people who need him for the information he was supposed to gather a galaxy away from here and Guy is not helping.

“Will you stop this!” he yells, days of anxious waiting and frustration catching up on him. “It’s just you and me here, you can stop the tough guy routine. You got something to prove? It’s not to me, and it’s not here.” Guy is staring at him, mouth opening for a second before he clenches his jaw, which somehow spurs him into saying more.

“Here, let me say this so you can go on with your life: you’re the toughest guy, happy! You can take so many hits and punch back, that’s impressive, amazing.” John grits out with as much sarcasm as he can muster, claps his hands twice. “Congratulations, Guy Gardner! Will you stop antagonizing those people out there and help me make a plan to get outta here? Make yourself useful maybe?” By the time he’s done, John is on his feet, panting, with a finger jammed into Guy’s chest, glaring at him. When did he stand up, when did Guy stand up, he has no idea. He keeps staring at Guy, he’s gotten so far, it will feel stupid to backtrack first. 

“You think it’s about me? You think I’m tryna prove somethin’? Ya don’t know the first thing ‘bout me.” He grunts and shoves his hand away. “‘m buyin’ us time, so shut ya mouth and be grateful!”

“I give up,” John says, he knows it sounds whiny but he doesn't care, there’s no winning with him, it’s impossible. He’s a smart-ass who’s louder and thus always wins those arguments by simply being too stubborn to admit he’s wrong. John swiftly turns around and heads back to the bench, sitting down with his pulse still going fast and strong in his chest.

He’s not sure how much time passed before he hears Guy shuffling around and cracking his knuckles before he speaks again, saying something unexpected. “Just you ‘n’ me, you said. Right?” And John has always been curious. He likes to know, he likes to understand and make sense of things and people. Of course he opens his eyes and looks at Guy once again, his tense shoulders and bunched-up fists.

“That’s what I said. Only you and me here.”

“I know what people say,” he shuffles again and goes to sit on the other bench facing John. “I don’t like gettin’ hit. I don’t!” he insists when John raises a doubtful eyebrow. “I don’t. Sure I’m loud, ‘n’ annoying. But I’m not stupid.”

“Why, then,” John prompts.

“‘cause better me than you,” he looks up with a small, not hesitant but subdued smile and it is such a strange sight on Guy’s rough, always so expressive face. “You’re a good guy, John.” he continues. “‘N. You know. I like ya, despite being such a stuck-up ass, I like ya. You’re a good man,” he repeats, stumbling over his words. “If they hit me, they’re not hittin’ you. Easy choice, all things considered, don’t cha think?”

“Guy…” John lets his head fall on the wall behind him, closes his eyes for a second, just a moment.

“I’m not stupid but I know what I’m good at, ya know,” he’s still talking, like he can’t stop getting this all out. “Ain’t no kick that can keep me down, not even from ugly motherfuckers like the ones out there. If they’re hittin’ me, they’re not hittin’ ya.” He repeats quietly and John has to look at him then, his thrice broken nose and big face and mismatched ears 

“You have one messed up way of showing love, you know that?” he says, and that gets a laugh out of him, a short, loud thing he barks out, like he always does.

John gets it, in some ways. There’s a reason there’s a ring on his finger, why he volunteered to go light years away from earth to get some vital information instead of Clark. There’s a reason he does what he does, going out face baren like the one looking at him from the other side of the room, a reason he says his name and puts himself in front of others. It's only that he would have never guessed it was so similar to Guy’s reasons.

[swiftscion]

It hadn't been difficult to find Larcei after their experience in the Arena. She was a student of his House, and another practitioner of the sword, besides—it was a simple matter of attending class the next day if he wished to see her.

Reckless though she may be, it had luckily worked more to their benefit this time around. Yet still, he felt concern. Diamant has seen many a headstrong soldier charge off to their own deaths, and didn't wish to see that with Larcei. She had far too much potential to let her star dim so soon.

"Larcei," He calls to her when the day's training sessions are done, beckoning her over with a hand, "Great work on the drills today, and in the arena, too. Your combat prowess and motivational skills proved a great asset on the battlefield... though a healthy bit of restraint might do you good in the future."

Hand falls upon her shoulder in a reassuring clap, "And if you're ever interested in working on your riding skills, do let me know—I cared for horses often while growing up, so I have ample experience with war steeds."

She's been pushing herself in the training grounds. Sweat drips from her face like a shower of stars, breaths come as quick and haggard as comets. There is a soreness in her arms spread wider than the vastness of the sky. But still she stands, raring to go again. Stronger. Faster. It will never sate the desire to make up for past losses. Back then, in that special training program, she suffered too many. The allies that fell at her side fell because that had no one to lean on. Larcei must stand taller. The grip on her blade tightens, feet slide into position--eyes narrow. Everything is set in motion for another supernova of attacks against her training dummy.

But her professor stops her before she can take off.

Her gaze whips round to meet him, eyes and gaping mouth flush with surprise. The raven-haired has heard him speak a thousand times during his lectures, but after that projection, it gained a new familiarity. It may well be one of the precious few at the monastery that could pull her so quickly out of focus.

"Hm. So we're done, eh? ...Sorry, guess I must've missed the bell." A sigh escapes her as she begins to walk over, sword having found its way back into her sheathe. "Y'know normally I would scoff at being belittled," she continues, with half a laugh, "but I think I would've been done for without your guidance back there. So uh... Thanks! I won't forget this."

Because the intricately woven values of great Isaach do not permit her to do so. A deed is honored in equal or greater measure--always. As sure as the sun would rise--as the moon and stars act as guides for weary swordmasters.

She looks to his taller face and smiles. Even the hand on her shoulder registers as permissible, and not some slight against her maturity. Diamant is her teacher after all, and from what she's seen, he's just good at doing his job...

But there is one other thing.

"C-can we drop the bit about the horses, though? I thought we all agreed that round didn't count!"

[libidomechanica]

When she does crushing

‘I trust me, said Cyril, ‘for thee.     The star, from the first in the ocean’s moaning limbs, and does     not till the still than is not the Bright still; but you. That, self-     styled, o Annihilated and carelessly for twere play,     not a boy of mine? Winning,

her prove: make account me your     slaue; in begging his art left me with pearl the hungry ocean     gain at four posts; and then The Sage behold you have a     coward to snatch’d and again within us. So that, he     saw the twist of what is

she? To you, you aren’t. Saw the     twisted learn what the light. To through a clouds as this man quite     new just falls melodious birds are cut off and clime and     duty clasp’d like thee hold that art content, she’s twist of wedlock;     she would have birth, and

that axelike edges lay their     hearts to thee, an inclination that lamp were to be wrote,     too gentle looks into his pride the wall, while I was at     dawn and they behold thee, only a woe, that kiosk at     the first rose and her hunger

mouth opens four will say that     could insanity of care doth their never look wanton     in; and we saw the Lady Psyche ever yet wad waken     doubtful smile the Russ so well thee do mock my size again.     Of any error,

like all was locked, and swift disposed     overbold; now I thoughts of dress us, again sea-god     to write for nothing in a monument. With the boy, then,     Sir, O Prince it was happily be well to pieces shivered,     smell of inspired,

the true soul was four o’clock mid     shade and grieve, or love my little niece, you thought, and at the     toes, it went upper there was pleasured my thou be my     back like to know how saw you say, but a tree, paused forth; thy     baited hooks say, thought; now

sucks that keep for to seem wrong, the     least have never wi’ her cheek a mother’s vow they escape     forth with free scope and Ioues stride: her dreams with her behoof, who,     by an everybody’s future, or some old inn-door.     ’ The famous, breast amidst

of verdure, crown’d me, I can first,     with a headless demon, and round his latest kings! And the     fruite orders of the loads and kings there was with me. The blue     halo of flies float about her muse expound where is locked     the mother who seek if

the widow’d marriage temples I     behung, and the leave them twixt two are dead; on which, as any     more—pulling out at their sister and blinding Nith I     did look, pain, regretted alabaster that may the tips     of the parts of thy store,

all think what if Blucher, Bulow,     Gneisenau, and tuned it high decay! I’d rather rude,     that hung down, and got, ’twas but a pure, and trembling like a     stump, a clapper clapper clapping from customs of this fatal     to that somehow would

be call, tis one. Straight to thy loof     her wrath: he is not less; i’m so entangl’d and was her walie     nieves its lava, with the fifteen and oftentiment     of female handed to balanced, scale. Are alive; how     contentedly I view

a slender voice in the entrenched     createst love, a heart-strings, a God in a race they lifted     up, dead ere a pinch a flower in the tide into a     charms, be mine, its dew-drop on drop his nature breath. ’ Curse of     his nation, and then slackened

sailed, and heads, vacant he said     he, who could not even forgot, nor shamed us: there, as     his face, shall its good-morrow, what Pat’s languish; for hart, each     time to ask of safety, than thunder’d—his voice is best of     clear; tlot-tlot, in their space.

In Rhime now, my love, to make me     as they tread over Locksley Hall! On trips to give my peers,     your smiling, ye joyful angel air, and wits; the housemaid     were, it glittered an ancient Beadsman, her eyes that late     and much will happiness,

she, curtseying headlong parental     surgeons who grow! And next to herself, who, by all are laid     on the Soul in Strife! Auld baudrons by the blood may spend thy     Dust in th’ other dress; for one who had no great     Orion slide, my sickness;

thou tread, or all out, embrac’d. Whose     beauty’s child, felt herself art staring night I saw people     said: when God did make you ask such Jugling him then, in half     opened once, quince, I have cause embrace. Baba, whom my deeds     to them. Behind her from

her e’e; let woe gripe on my breathe     antipodes of pleasant thou die before was, and language     sprung from the fetter’d. ’Er beguiled! In silken hood to     climb’d at prevent; and this! He sang for, to this feather, each,     till lie unstrung, down them

and her jewels, to the breasts I drew     nigh expell’d we given in requisition descended     too sparkling, now, while, and more, when the mosques and died. Where     he was not so loudly, the jewels, gifts; he said, airing     For the level matting.

[systemhead]

something about this video is giving hauntology - between the one guy with the pride flag and hillary clinton not actually doing the macarena and just clapping and for a split second making a really wild face

postscript HIGH EFFORT edit (i.e., hold the fucking phone)

"Consider that the cast of Rent performed at the opening night of the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago (fig. 42). The idea that a song from an AIDS performance has now become linked with the very political systems that AIDS performance has historically set out to confront is not without its irony. Certainly, the contradiction [hell yeah] between the inclusion of Rent within the spectacle of presidential politics and the political reality of the people which Rent [in 1998 Rent was still, fairly, considered radical, we as readers in 202X must remember this] represents is unavoidable. Rent's performance at the convention is a vivid reminder of how AIDS performance can be absorbed and redefined by other, more powerful systems who use [SIC BITCH] it to serve their own interests, whether that interest is denying voice and visibility to the communities represented in Rent (no person with AIDS addressed the delegates during the prime-time televised convention programming) or whether the interest is in benignly entertaining the convention delegates with a musical number from a popular Broadway show. [author goes on to say some incredibly 1998 shit about "a more participatory political process" but it actually leads into a more interesting read of Rent but that's boring.]"

Acts of Intervention: Performance, Gay Culture, and AIDS

Pages 281-282

David Roman [YOU THINK I CARE ABOUT A PROPER CITATION?]

see? I told you there was hauntology present

POST POST SCRIPT EDIT (BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE)

you were stabbed in the back flag man

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

"Gay rights advocates today denounced President Clinton's midnight signing of a bill to deny Federal recognition and benefits to couples of the same sex who might marry, dismissing it as a ''historical misjudgment'' that endorsed a ''needless and mean-spirited bill.''

Such criticism came as no surprise and was exactly in line with the reaction Mr. Clinton expected when he announced in May that he would sign the bill to avoid a political firestorm on an issue he did not support in the first place.

The President's spokesman, Michael D. McCurry, acknowledged that Mr. Clinton had signed the bill because ''the President believes the motives behind this bill are dubious and the President believes that the sooner he gets this over with the better.''

No state allows same-sex marriage, but a court case is pending over efforts to permit it in Hawaii. Mr. Clinton has long supported gay rights but has also long opposed same-sex marriage, and he said in the spring that he would sign a bill defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman and allowing states to ignore same-sex marriages sanctioned by other states.

Some civil rights advocates had urged the President to veto the bill on the constitutional ground that it would weaken the ''full faith and credit'' clause requiring states to honor regulations of other states. But Mr. Clinton, who paid a heavy political price for his early, unsuccessful effort to allow homosexuals to serve openly in the military, was eager to prove himself a social moderate unwilling to pick a fight over such a sensitive issue.

''President Clinton has become the first President in history to trample on states' traditional jurisdiction over marriage,'' said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group. ''With the stroke of his pen, he has condoned the exclusion of all lesbian and gay Americans from the Federal benefits and responsibilities that come with marriage, even though it will be years before such an institution becomes available to them.''

The law will not ban such marriages, but will deny recognition of them, for example by precluding spousal benefits distributed by Government programs like Social Security and veterans services.

Mr. Clinton signed the bill without ceremony in the wee hours this morning, after returning from a four-day campaign trip.

The White House has made clear its discomfort with the bill, in part because some of its supporters used antihomosexual language that Mr. Clinton was not eager to be seen as tolerating, much less endorsing.

And though the President has often been happy to endure criticism from the left because it makes him appear more moderate, he did not want a messy election-year fight with gay rights advocates who have been among his strongest supporters, so the White House has soft-pedaled the issue at every turn.

By contrast, Mr. Clinton went out of his way in his weekly radio address to the nation this morning to highlight a more mainstream, old-fashioned concept of family. He repeated his support for allowing mothers and newborn children at least 48-hour hospital stays, instead of the 24-hour limit insurance companies generally impose, and praised Congressional leaders for agreeing this week to pass such a provision.

''Parents deserve at least two days of care and comfort when they can hold their child, bond with the child, introduce the child to the world and make sure their child is in the very best of health,'' Mr. Clinton said. ''America has a responsibility to protect the health of our families.''

Mr. Clinton also praised the leadership of the Republican-controlled Congress for agreeing to require insurance companies to offer comparable benefits for mental and physical illnesses, one of his Administration's longtime goals.

Mr. Clinton used both the gay marriage issue and the motherhood questions he addressed today to portray himself as the architect of reasonable compromise on such questions.

He said that since he vetoed the Republicans' budget-cutting plans last year, they have sat up and listened more carefully. It is one of the principal themes of his re-election campaign, and one that public opinion surveys show has been working.

''This week's agreement shows what we can accomplish when we set aside rigid agendas, put aside partisanship and work together,'' Mr. Clinton said. ''Just a year ago, Congress was consumed by bitter partisanship as the Republican majority sought deep cuts in Medicare and Medicaid, education and the environment that were unnecessary to balance the budget.

''I vetoed their plan, and the American people supported my decision. So this year, in clear contrast, we are getting things done.'' "

[yeah I know it marks me as old for giving a shit about Clinton but how quickly we forget that this man was the BLUEPRINT AND ARCHITECT for liberal "reasonable compromise" and the respect for state's rights loser liberal bullshit that is one of the main reasons for anti-trans legislation today]

[yes I'm aware that this jumps from just being okay with gay people to AIDS to gay marriage legal/financial benefits to trans rights and isn't a coherent chain of points but that's how the world works okay? "beyond the scope of this essay" bullshit. I'm going to write the way that I wanted to write every undergraduate essay before I had to inevitably pare it down to come across as sane]

[justeditor]

Broken social scene almost crimes

It feels good, however, to know that I'm one of the first ten people in the world to do so. It makes me wonder how much can be written about an album such as this one. I'm only halfway through the album, and I have nothing but good things to say. A banjo is used ever so lightly to hint that this song could be an alternative country song, but before you can confirm this, Emily Haines' childlike voice is manipulated to take the song off into pop heaven. Take "Anthem for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl" for example. So many times this albums breaks into a whole new direction, yet it always seems to make perfect sense. Not since Smith took over the world with Disintegration has the flanger been so nicely used to elevate a song to dreamlike status. Where could this album possibly go next after a song like that? Well, it heads right into one of the better songs on the album, "Pacific Theme." Robert Smith would be extremely happy with the way the guitar is used in this song. It takes a much jazzier tone with meditative vocals that literally make you imagine a perfect summer evening in the sun. "Looks Just Like the Sun" proves this is not going to happen and makes you realize that as you go through this recording you've gotten yourself into something that you may not want to get out of even if you could. "Almost Crimes (radio kills remix)" leads you to believe that the song will be a ballad of sorrow before having the rug briskly pulled out from underneath it to expose a more upbeat track.Īt this point into the album, I found myself wondering if a bad song was ever going to show its ugly face. "Stars & Sons" comes in with its brooding bass line and "hand-clapping" pop sensibility. The first major song, conveniently titled "KC Accidental," shows incredible similarities to Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth, with just the perfect amount of vocals to accent the instrumentation. "Capture the Flag" and "Pitter Patter Goes My Heart" become the bookends for a genre-bending experience. This long list of Broken Social Scene contributors (Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Do Make Say Think, KC Accidental, Stars, etc) create a piece of music that is both reminiscent of past genres, while taking charge to disassemble them and glue them back together before your very eyes. The resulting drink is basically what you're going to get when you put this album into your player of choice. Take the entire list of last years top critically acclaimed albums, shove them all in a blender, and hit liquefy. Hell, it's one of the best albums to come out of anywhere, really. You Forgot It in People is one of the most incredible albums to come out of Canada in a very long time. It would also be a bloody crime to be that person and not let someone else know about the goldmine that is just sitting there waiting to be liberated. Visiting the website for Broken Social Scene would make you feel as if you're the only person in existence to know about this collection of talented Canadian musicians.

[indiee19]

This Waiting Is Driving Me Wild

Alex Turner x reader

Summary: A buzzed haired Alex teases you all throughout an awards event; you reject him at first, and he makes you regret it later.

warnings: smut, light bondage, spit kink, edging

word count: 5.6k

-Requested from Wattpad

a/n: I have no damn clue if the kink shit is correct, so don't mind that, also I may change it later, so who knows

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑ ✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

You felt anticipation build up in the pit of your stomach whenever they announced the nominees for the best alternative album of 2018 category: Colors by Beck, Masseduction by St. Vincent, and Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino by Arctic Monkeys.

You held your breath, every inch of your body hoping for Alex's band to win, then they called the winner.

"And the winner is ... Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino by the Arctic Monkeys," the presenter called, stopping in between words to read the winner of off the card. You and everybody else in the room clapped and as the band stood up, Alex gave you a kiss, then walked up to the stage with the rest of the band to accept the award.

He winked at you while he was walking up the stairs without anyone but you knowing, making you blush. He walked up to the stand and took the microphone from the lady, beginning to speak. "One, two. One, two, there we go. Well, I would first of all like to thank everyone who has supported us by listening to the album, buying it, and coming to our shows. I'm very glad that you all enjoyed it enough for us to win, and for that, I'd like to say thank you, this truly does mean a lot," he said, Matt and Nick chattering behind him.

Alex said thank you one last time before they walked off stage, walking back to the table, sitting down beside you. He placed a chaste kiss on your cheek, placing the award down on the table. They soon started to call the next award nominees, and most everyone paid attention to it, you included. Alex on the other hand was watching you and you saw out of the corner of your eye that he licked his lips, one of his hands coming up to your thigh, rubbing dangerously close to the hem of your dress, coming closer and closer to go under it.

You quickly grabbed his hand and pushed it away, leaning over to tell him something. "Alex, we can't, not here, not now. We're at an awards event, one where your album is nominated," you said sternly. He bit his lip and looked as if he was deep in though, which he normally was, always coming up with the perfect response to everything.

"But, baby, you look so sexy and I don't know how much longer I can wait to 'ave you," he said, whispering in your ear, rubbing your thigh again. You moved your hand over his to top him from moving up your thigh. You turned to pay more attention to the rest of the awards ceremony.

They called the next category and said the nominees' names, another host going up to the stage to announce the winner, everyone clapping their hands, you included, when they did. While the winner was giving a small speech, Alex leaned over and kissed your neck lightly, making you look back him and give him a glare as a warning to stop. He just smirked, knowing just how to get you riled up.

He leaned over, whispering another profanity in your ear. "Baby, you look so sexy in that dress. I can't wait to have you."

"Well, you have to wait," you replied, kissing his cheek, grabbing his hand to stop him from moving any further up your leg. You looked into his eyes, waiting for him to respond, but he didn't.

You tried to be patient, hoping that he would realize that you couldn't do anything with him at the moment, and maybe not at all tonight since you would get home late and be really tired - or at least that's what you thought.

The winner walked off stage and they started to announce the next category. Though as you watched and listened, Alex started back up again with his teasing, his hand now going up your dress, ignoring your previous warnings, finding its way to the hemline of your panties, toying with it.

"Alex," you warned, grabbing his wrist to stop him from going any further than he already was. "I told you, you have to wait until we get home."

"But, baby, this waiting is driving me wild, and I know that it's driving you wild too, can't tell me otherwise," he said, getting more confident at the end of the statement. You laughed. "No, it's not actually. Because, unlike you, I'm not horny twenty-four seven," you said, turning away.

"Don't lie to me, I know 'ow horny you get. Remember the 2014 BRITS?" he said nonchalantly, whispering in your ear. You lied and said you didn't, but you did.

-

"God, Alex, please just take me already," you moaned, his tip teasing your entrance. You'd begged all throughout the awards ceremony for him to take you to the bathroom and fuck you, and he finally gave in, escaping the after party, leaving and going home.

He was now teasing you, making sure that you were a whimpering mess for him. He cocked his head and pushed himself all the way inside you.

It was a very, very long night.

-

"Yes, you do. You're thinking about it now, aren't you?" he said, kissing your cheek. You rolled your eyes and tried your best to ignore him, pushing his hands away, dodging his kisses, tuning him out, insisting that you talk to Katie and Jamie instead.

You were able to make it through another thirty minutes of the ceremony, Alex taking a break from being a narcissistic, horny, teasing asshole. Though after the thirty minutes was gone, he started right back where he started. It didn't matter how many times you told him no, your warnings only fueled him even more, getting bolder and bolder each time.

He leaned over to you when no one was looking, everyone else far too focused on the stage. "Baby, when we get home, I'm going to fuck you up," he whispered, gripping your thigh tightly. Though his words weren't abnormal for him, they did take you by surprise. You looked at him, surprised by his boldness to do that in front of everyone.

"Alex," you said, giving him a warningly look. He just smirked, more than likely planning how he was going to get you to beg for him by the end of the night.

He of course continued this behavior the rest of the awards show, making sure to tease you, placing kisses to your neck when no one was looking, whispering dirty profanities in your ear, rubbing up your thigh, eventually going under your dress to play with them hemline of your underwear .... again.

-

The event had ended and you and Alex were now at the after party, even though you hated parties. You were talking to Kelly and Nick, the only thing that would keep you sane at the moment, and you were congratulating Nick on the awards that they had won tonight. "Congratulations, Nick. You all deserve the award so, so much," you said.

"Oh, it's really nothing, but thank you anyways," he said, waving it off. Him and Kelly walked over to Jamie and Katie to talk to them, leaving you alone. You decided to go and find Alex, haven't had seen him in the past thirty minutes, wondering where he was.

You looked around for at least ten minutes, asking anyone you knew where he was, most of them not knowing themselves. You finally found him talking with Miles, who would have thought. The two most amazing friends hanging out together, you should have known.

Alex's back was facing you, so Miles noticed you first. "Oh, hey, love," he said, making Alex turn around. "Hey, Mi. Do you mind if I steal Alex away from you for just a minute?" you said, holding Alex's arm. He shook his head no and got up, leaving you and Alex alone.

"Alex, can we leave?" you asked. He smirked, taking your request the wrong way, thinking that you wanted him now. "You finally came to your senses, I see," he smirked, grabbing you by the waist, kissing your neck while no one was looking. You pushed him away for what felt like the millionth time tonight.

"No, Alex, not like that. I mean that I'm tired and want to go home," you explained. But he of course wouldn't take that as an answer, thought that you were just begging him for him to take you. He kept saying that you weren't tired and just decided that you wanted him, saying that you both could go to the bathroom instead of going home and leaving.

You kept trying to convince him, kept trying to prove that you were tired and you even brought up the fact that you hated parties to try and convince him.

Finally, you convinced him, and he was ready to take you home. "Fine, just let me have a smoke and we'll leave," he said, couldn't believe that you didn't want him. You nodded and stayed seated while he went outside to smoke.

You waited patiently - twenty-two minutes went by and still no Alex. You decided to go and look for him, then head out to the car. You quickly said goodbye to everyone and walked outside, immediately seeing Alex. He was done with his smoke, seemingly waiting for you. "You ready to leave, darling?" he asked, smirking, still not believing that you wanted to go home because you were tired.

"Yes, I am, Al," you said, taking his hand, Alex leading you to the car, opening the door for you, walking around to the other side to get in, starting the car. And finally, after three long hours of his teasing, it was time to leave and go home, and just like before, Alex of course had to tease you to his fullest extent. "Can't believe that you didn't want me earlier," he said, his voice suggestive.

"I always want you, Al, but I'm tired. I'm ready for bed," you said. You were very tired, the amount of interviews Alex was in tonight, the waiting, killed you, the amount of times you had to push Alex's hand away and tell him no, and then the after party that you had practically begged for Alex to take you home. And Alex being, well, Alex, took your begs as requests for him to take you home and fuck you, and you had to convince him that it was because you were tired, which took a lot of convincing that wore you out.

You were glad when you and Alex finally got home, you were ready to go to bed, but Alex had other plans, immediately slamming you against the wall, kissing you deeply. If you were tired before, you surely weren't now, the heat of the kiss waking you up fully from your sleepy state.

He grabbed the underside of your thighs, signaling for you to jump and you did. Alex carried you down the hallway all the way into the bedroom, almost throwing you on the bed. He began to rid you of your clothes, leaving you in just your bra and underwear, kissing you everywhere he could. You tried to unbutton his shirt, but he quickly pushed your hands away, not allowing you to touch him.

Alex leaned down and captured you lips in a hard, passionate kiss, you hands going around his neck, scratching at the fuzz on the back of his neck. He bit you bottom lip, slipping his tongue past your lips, exploring you mouth. You could taste the wine and beer he'd had at the event, as well as the last cigarette he smoked right before you left the after party.

You felt him hard against your leg, his cock straining in his tight trousers. He pulled away from the steamy kiss unexpectedly, starting to crawl down your body, kissing down your neck, collarbone, breasts, stomach, stopping at your abdomen, just above where you needed him, the ache between your legs more prominent than it had been all night long.

He looked up at you, your eyes locking with his. "Alex, please," you begged, desperate for him now.

"Look who's begging for me to fuck you now," he smirked, the cocky tone in his voice obvious. You begged him some more with your eyes, eventually getting exactly what you wanted. He pulled down your underwear with his teeth, and you kicked them off into the floor. Alex nudged your thighs apart with one of his hands and started to kiss up your thighs, stopping when he reached your core, blowing on it, sending shivers up your body.

He waited a moment, and you were about to beg him again, but he quickly dipped his head down, placing wet, sloppy kisses to your heat, using his hands to hold your thighs as far apart they could go.  And then his tongue lapped at your folds, spreading around your arousal.

He moved down to your dripping wet cunt, sticking his tongue inside of you, knowing how crazy it would drive you. You gripped the sheets, balling them up in your fists, needing to have something to hold on to, his hair not nearly long enough for you to do that.

Alex lifted his head up from your heat, wiping his face that was slick with your arousal. "Knew you wanted me. You're so wet, baby," he drawled, looking at the mess he had made of you in barely seven minutes.

He dipped his head back down to your heat again, his hands gripping your thighs tightly, holding them far apart. His tongue kept poking inside of you, and you writhed underneath him, the feeling too good, he was too good.

He moved his mouth back over to your clit, sucking it into his mouth, quickly replacing his tongue with two of his fingers, starting to pump them in and out of you slowly, setting a pace to your dismay. Though the pace wasn't nearly what you wanted, it drove you wild. He'd done this so many times, drove you wild so many times, that he knew exactly how to drive you mad, knew exactly how to make you feel so good.

You started to absent mindly grind your hips on his face, desperate to try and get his fingers to go faster in and out of you and to sink deeper inside of you. Alex chuckled against your skin, vibrations shooting up your body, and he took one of his hands and placed it on your hip to hold you down.

He quickly started to move his fingers faster, your orgasm getting closer and closer. "Alex, I-I'm so close," you said, voice trailing off into a moan as he had pressed down on your clit. He pressed down on your clit harder and with that, you shook, your orgasm washing over you.

You gripped the sheets tighter and wrapped your legs around Alex's head, his hand still on your hips. He kept moving his fingers, and you rode out your high. Alex sat up, removing his fingers from you and you whimpered at the loss of contact. He sat up, wiping his face that was, once again, slick with your arousal. You looked up at him, meeting eyes with him, seeing only lust in them. "How many do you think you can do?" Alex asked, removing his shirt, standing up to remove the rest of his clothes, leaving his bandanna neck scarf, which you didn't think much of at the moment, and you wasted no time before sitting up to help him out of his pants, stroking his cock when you removed his boxers.

He was painfully hard, precum forming on his tip that was a slight reddish purple color. He pushed you back down on the bed, sitting over your hips, straddling you. "I think that I can do th-three - oh," you said, moaning when he pushed your legs apart and pushed himself inside you, his head dropping down on your shoulder, biting down on it, sure to leave a mark.

He gave you very little time to fully adjust, starting to move once he regained some of his composure. He pulled almost all the way out of you before slamming back into you, gripping your hip with one hand, the other one holding himself above you.

Your hands ghosted over his toned chest, stopping at his broad shoulders, gripping onto them tightly, your nails digging into his skin. Alex started moving faster - much, much faster. Your eyes closed automatically, the way his cock stroked your walls felt too good, driving you mad. One of your hands moved up to the back of his head, scratching at the fuzz on his freshly buzzed head.

Your moans got louder as he fucked you harder, faster, and more mercilessly, taking good care of you like he always did. Alex's hand that was on your hip moved to rub vigorously on your clit, thrusting in and out of you faster and faster. Alex delivered a very hard thrust, hitting the spongey spot that made you see stars, flicking your clit, sending you over the edge.

Your eyes rolled back into your head, your grip on his shoulders tightening, so much so that you were sure that you would leave a mark. You rode out your high, Alex's movements not even slowing, but going faster.

Moans fell from your mouth, getting louder and louder. You'd just come down from your second orgasm, you were tired and sore and wore out, and you didn't know how much more you could take. Alex's head dropped down on your shoulder, placing kisses to it, eventually settling on a spot and sucking harshly on it.

You wrapped your legs around his waist, your feet locking at the back, and you started to grind onto him to meet his movements, the pleasure becoming too much for you to handle. A knot started to build up in the pit of your stomach, your third orgasm approaching you faster than the previous two had.

"God, love, you feel so fucking good," Alex grunted, punctuating each word with a hard thrust, flicking your clit along with each thrust. And with that, you shook, your third orgasm washing over you, riding out the intense waves of pleasure. You felt pure euphoria and bliss. You held onto Alex tightly, your legs tightening as your cunt contracted around him, drawing him in, holding him close.

You came down from your orgasm, opening your tightly shut eye, Alex's movements stopping. You untangled your legs and unwrapped your arms from around him, and he pulled out of you, sitting up on his knees, gripping the base of his cock tightly. He was clearly struggling to hold on himself, the sight of you coming undone just enough for him, and the sight could've solely made him come undone.

"Turn around, doll. On all fours," he drawled, motioning for you to turn around. You looked at him, didn't know how much more you could take, thought that you both agreed on three. "A-Alex, I don't know how much more-" you tried to say, but he cut you off.

"You can take it, and you will take it," he said. You hesitantly sat up, turning around. You looked over your shoulder at Alex. He was lining himself up with your entrance; you felt his tip poking inside of you, making you whimper out. "A-Alex."

He smirked and pushed inside you, bottoming out in one swift thrust. His hand soothed down your back, finding its way to your shoulder and he gripped it tightly, starting to thrust almost immediately. You closed your eyes tightly, the feeling already starting to become too good.

You moaned loudly when Alex began to thrust into you hardly, moving his hand from your shoulder to your hair, gripping it. His pace increased gradually, each thrust getting faster and harder. "Yes, fuck, baby, you're so wet for me," Alex groaned, somehow increasing his pace.

"A-Alex ... fuck ... faster," you whimpered, feeling a knot form in the pit of your stomach, your orgasm approaching very, very quickly.

"Givin' orders now, are we?" Alex spat, slowing his pace before slamming back into you hardly.

"I-I'm sorry," you whimpered. Alex moved his hand that was on your hip to your clit, rubbing harshly on it, and his hand that was in your hair moved down to cup your throat, pulling you flat against his chest. Sweat pooled on Alex's chest and forehead. His hand that was on your neck moved around your body to grab your breast, fondling it.

You needed something to hold on to, so your grabbed his arm that was across your front, holding on tightly, your other hand moving to the back of his head, scratching at the fuzz on his nape.

Alex's thrusts got faster and harder, and he rubbed more vigorously on your clit. You were so close, could practically taste your orgasm approaching. Alex thrusted up into you and that was almost enough for you, just one more and you were gone. But before you could, Alex stopped his movements and pulled out of you.

You were confused, had thought that he needed his release just as much as you, so you slowly turned around to face him and you propped yourself up on your elbows. "Alex, w-why'd you stop?" you questioned. He was looking you up and down.

"You was getting way too grabby for me liking," he drawled, crawling back over you. He removed his bandanna from around his neck, grabbing your wrists, bringing them up to the headrest, tying your hands to it with his bandanna. "There, that's better, innit?" he said, sitting up and straddling your hips once again, looking at the sight of you in front of him.

He started to kiss down your body, biting and leaving marks wherever he could. Once he reached your abdomen, he moved down to your heat, placing wet, sloppy kisses to your heat once again. His tongue lapped at your folds, spreading around your arousal. His hands gripped your thighs and you pulled on your restraints, desperate to hold onto something as leverage.

Alex moved down to your entrance, sticking his tongue inside of you, beginning to fuck you with it. One of his hands moved to your abdomen to keep your hips down after you started to grind on his face again, and he started to rub on your clit with his thumb on that hand. He was making you feel so, so good, but then again, when didn't he make you feel amazing?

Your moans got louder as he rubbed on your clit and moved his tongue faster, gripping your thigh tightly with his other hand. Soon he removed his hands from you altogether and moved his tongue back to your folds, pressing down on your clit with it, instead using his fingers to fuck you, moving them in and out of you at an alarmingly fast rate. He never let you get used to a feeling for very long, alternating between pressing down on your clit and moving his fingers quickly to lapping at your folds and slowing his fingers.

As you kept tugging on your restraint, the headrest started to bang against the wall, the noise echoing through the room, filling it along with your moans and whimpers. You instinctively wrapped your legs around Alex's head, drawing him in closer. He chuckled against your skin, send vibrations up your body, tipping you over the edge.

You tugged harshly on your wrists, the waves of pleasure washing over you. You moaned loudly, tightening your legs around Alex's head, crying out his name over and over. "F-fuck, Alex, fuck," you whimpered.

You came down from your high, and you were so sure, positive even, that Alex had had enough and would give you a break, but no, he kept going, moving his fingers and lapping at your folds like nothing had happened. Because to him, nothing did happen, so he just kept on.

He moved his fingers faster, curling and twisting them deep inside of you, making you cry out his name. The feeling of his fingers stroking your walls just right, the feeling of his mouth covering you heat over and over made you feel an indescribable feeling of pleasure. You were absolutely positive that there was a mark on your wrists from Alex's bandanna and were sure that Alex had many various handprints decorating your body which would no doubt last at least a week, maybe even more.

Alex had begun to suck your clit into his mouth, occasionally pressing down on the sensitive bundle of nerves. Alex looked up at you, and your eyes met and he saw just how amazing he was making you feel and he smirked against your skin, and you could feel him do it too. HIs grip on your abdomen had loosened up quite a bit and you started to grind onto his face again, trying get his fingers to sink deeper into you, to get some sort of friction since he ceased all movement of his fingers. Surprisingly, he didn't make you stop, he just let you move your hips freely. allowing you to make yourself feel good on his fingers. Though, in the back of your mind you knew that he wasn't stopping you for a reason, no doubt planning another way to make you come undone for him by his own means, his own rules, and by his own doing.

You were so close, nearly there, just needed to feel him curl his fingers inside of you, which he did while you were moving your hips, one more time. You were just about to let go whenever he stopped, pulling away from your heat, removing his fingers, making you whimper, and he sat up, leaving you barely on the edge, your orgasm so close, but so far away as it began to fade away.

"Wh-what? N-no, no, Alex," you said, your need to let go growing quickly by every passing second, the need to feel him inside you growing as well. "What, doll? What do you need?" Alex asked as he moved over you, his arms keeping him above you.

"I-I need you," you whimpered, Alex's promise of saying that he was going to 'fuck you up' coming true.

"'ow bad do you need me?" he drawled, slowly kissing up your neck, biting down on a spot. You whimpered. "I need you s-so bad, Alex." He chuckled, thinking of something for a moment, quickly giving telling what you needed to do. "You want me, then spit in me mouth," he  said nonchalantly.

You were confused for a moment. You knew that he had a spitting kink, but he never showed any part of it in all the time that you two were together. You took a moment to think about it before you nodded and he opened his mouth and you spat in his mouth. You weren't proud of what you just did, but if it meant that Alex would fuck you, then you didn't care.

"Oh, and one more thing, baby ... you 'ave to promise me that you won't come until I say you can, okay?" Alex said. You nodded, how hard could that be?

He nodded in response before nudging your thighs apart with his hand and you sighed whenever he aligned himself up with your entrance, giving himself a few tugs before pushing inside you, bottoming out in two pushes. His head fell down on your shoulder, reveling in the feeling of your walls contracting around his cock, stretching to accommodate for his size.

Once he regained some sort of control, he pulled almost all the way out of you, slamming back inside you very quickly, starting to set a very, very fast pace. You pulled on your wrists again, hoping that maybe you'd loosened the knot that Alex had tied them in the bandanna with. You wanted your hands free of it, needed to touch him, to hold on to something, only if he would untie you.

His hands were firmly planted in the mattress beside your head, holding him up above you. You closed your eyes tightly, reveling in the way Alex's cock stroked your walls so good, but they quickly opened whenever Alex stopped moving. "Alex?" you asked, searching for his eyes.

"I want you to look at me the entire time, alright?" he said, and you quickly nodded, desperate for him to move again.

Alex started to move again, his eyes never once leaving your own. You tried your best to hold on, trying to fulfill his wish of you not to let go until he said so. But the feeling was getting to be too much for you, the knot forming in your stomach once again. The way he was stroking your oversensitive walls, thrusting into you hardly was enough for you, and you let go, eyes rolling into the back of your head, your walls contracting around Alex's cock, riding out your high.

Your moans filled the room and you came down from your high, opening your eyes. You were sure that Alex wouldn't give you anything else, wouldn't give you what you wanted having done the one thing he said not to do. You were panting heavily now, the feeling too overwhelming, too much for you to handle.

"Done?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at you.

"Yes," you managed to say, avoiding his eyes.

"Good," he said nonchalantly. Alex leaned down to kiss you, it wasn't a deep kiss, but instead it was a soft, slow, and passionate kiss, full of his love and adoration for you. He pulled away and pushed a piece of your hair out of your face, smiling down at you. "You think you can do one more, love?" he asked. You were tired and sore and worn out, having been pushed over the edge several times already and weren't fully sure if you could do one more, even though it was just one. But there was something about the way he asked you, the way he smiled, and you couldn't say no to him, especially with the way he was looking at you right now.

"Y-yeah, I can do one more," you choked out. Alex mumbled something incoherent before starting to move slowly. He knew how sensitive you were now and didn't want to do anything that might cause even the slightest bit of discomfort to you, but still making sure that you felt amazing.

The mood in the room had juristically changed. He was still dominant and had all the control, but he wasn't spitting out demands or teasing you anymore, just focused now on getting the two of you there, wanting you to feel good.

Though he didn't want to cause you discomfort, he did start to increase his pace, not by much, but going faster than before and one of his hands came down in between your bodies to rub light circles in sync with his thrusts on your clit, applying more pressure ever so slightly to it every now and then. He had just restarted his movements and you were already so close to the edge again. It took just one flick of your clit and Alex's cock nudging that spot inside you that had stayed unattended to before and that sent you spiraling.

Your walls contracted around his cock for the last time of the night, drawing him in, triggering his own release. You felt his cock twitch inside of you and you felt his hot release coat your walls as he groaned, the both riding out you highs. You felt pure euphoria and bliss once again as you came down, Alex coming down from his high as well, head falling on your shoulder. He laid on top of you for a few minutes, regaining some of his strength before pulling out of you with a sigh, laying down beside you. You were panting heavily, pulling on your wrists once again. "Alex," you sighed.

He looked at you, saying your name, looking you up and down, starring at your restraints. "Oh, I'll untie you," he said, reaching up and untying your wrists, throwing his scarf on the ground, pulling you close to him even though you were both hot, sweat pooling on Alex's forehead and chest.

"C'mere, me love," he said, holding you tightly. Even though you had come down from your orgasm, you were still panting heavily, trying to breath. "Hey, hey, breath, me love, breath. I've got you," Alex said calmly, rubbing your hair comfortingly.

You both sat there for a minute so that you could catch your breath. once you did catch your breath, you laid your head on Alex's chest. "I love you, Al," you said, looking up at him.

"I love you, too, me love," he said kissing you lovingly. "Are you alright? Did I 'urt you?"

You shook your head. "You could never hurt me, Alex," you said. "But, now I'm really tired and want to sleep, so can we talk in the morning?"

"Yeah, love, we can. Goodnight," Alex responded, pulling the duvet over you two. You told him goodnight and soon fell asleep in his arms, him following not long after you.

[writteninkat]

Pride | Bakugou

"𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝗻."

summary: teasing Katsuki about being "all grand and no finale" comes with its own pros and cons. well, mostly pros.

word count: 2.3k

• 100 followers celebration

It's 4am, you wake up feeling horny as ever. Your boyfriend is right beside you, sleeping peacefully with half of his face on the soft pillow. He looks peaceful, you don't want to wake him. But at the same time, the growing heat in between your legs, your cunt squeezing out slick has your whole body heating up.

Your hand slowly travels down your body, going underneath your underwear. You press a finger between your folds, your head digging back on the pillow as your other hand flies on your breast.

Your teeth sink on your lower lip as your fingers begin slowly massaging circles on your clit causing a hot breath to leave your throat. The feeling sent jolts throughout your body, making you continue your actions.

It feels good, too good- your wrist continues to roll your hand around, your legs widening in habit, developed whenever something or someone was playing with your dirty cunt.

You lick your lips, pinching your nipple as you feel your orgasm coming closer. Your mouth hangs open as your hands quickens its pace, running after your orgasm.

"Y/n?" Katsuki's rough voice was the last push to you reaching your orgasm. Your legs clamp together as your body trembles in pleasure. You continue massaging lazy circles around your cunt, riding out your orgasm until you finish.

You pant heavily, facing your head to the side to look at your boyfriend with clouded eyes. "Go back to sleep, baby."

Katsuki furrows his brows, his hand wrapping around your wrist to pull your hand out of your shorts. He reveals your slick-covered fingers from inside, making him look at you with a look asking for an explanation.

When you don't answer, he takes his chance. "Why didn't you wake me up? I could have taken care of you." His vermilion eyes dig into yours deeply, demanding an answer from you.

"I didn't wanna wake you at the asscrack of dawn just because I was horny" was what you wanted to say, but instead the devil on your left shoulder whispers on your ear a cheeky plan.

"Cause I knew it'd take me too long to cum. I'd be asleep again by the time my first orgasm would hit me." You smirk lazily at your boyfriend whose ears look like smoke are coming out of them.

Katsuki pushes himself off his back, rolling over on top of you. He pins your hands on either side of your head and your heart begins to rave at the sight of the shaded look on his eyes.

"Kindly repeat that again for me, baby? I don't think I heard you correctly." Katsuki says in between his teeth, forcing out a smile.

Of course it wasn't true. In the state you were in a few moments ago, one lick of Katsuki's tongue would have had you cumming, your whole body shaking and your thighs clamping down on his head. But you guess your boyfriend has been rubbing off on you these days and right now, you just wanna act like an asshole.

"I said..." You narrow your eyes, ready to repeat yourself only for a whimper to slip out. Katsuki had shoved two of his fingers in your slippery walls, the both of them moving away from each other to try and stretch you out.

You may have came once, but that didn't mean you were contented nor were you no longer horny. You ached for Katsuki inside you, abusing your hole until you were a shaking, crying and drooling mess.

"It's been a while since I last fucked you real hard, right doll?" He has that stupid grin again, that stupid grin that had you falling for him the first time you met him in highschool, four years ago.

"That's cause- aahh!, that's cause you know your stroke game's lazy." you smirk at him through lustful eyes, your tongue padding over the side of your upper lip.

Katsuki's grin disappears and is replaced by the corners of his lips tugging down. His free hand takes both of your hands above your head as he continues to fuck you with his fingers, hitting the exact spot you want every time he shoves them inside.

"God!" You moan out loud, pulling your legs up and away from each other, giving Katsuki more access to your needy cunt. "F-Fuck, 'Suki I- I-!" Before you could even finish your words, your toes curl as your second orgasm of the morning hits you.

Your chest rises and falls as you feel your lips tugging into a contented smile. You pull on your hands, wanting to give your boyfriend a kiss but he keeps them locked above your head.

"No, no, doll. I'll be making you cum until you take back those words you said about me." He pulls his fingers from your pussy, bringing them up to his mouth and sucking the glistening slick coated around them. You trap your lower lip in between your teeth at the sight of your boyfriend slurping on his fingers coated with your juices.

Once he's finished cleaning his fingers, the same hand wraps itself on the lower part of your face, his thumb, index and middle fingers digging onto either side of your cheeks, forcing you to open your mouth.

He presses his lips on yours, pushing his tongue inside your wet cavern. He tastes salty, he tastes of you. You press your thighs together, feeling your cunt clench around nothing at the taste of yourself on his tongue.

Katsuki nibbles on your lower lip, pulling on it before trailing kisses down your jaw, neck, and chest. With his free hand he begins kneading your right breast, pinching and pulling on your hardened bud as he busies his mouth by sucking and biting on your left breast.

His lips continue on their journey lower, he stops right around your stomach. He looks up at you, his lips ghosting over your sensitive skin before pushing himself off of you and to the side of the bed, grabbing something from underneath.

"'Suki, why are you-" The words die in your mouth the moment you see the rope in his hand. He shows it to you, wrapping it around your wrist before tying it to the dashboard.

"So those hands of yours won't be meddling while I have my way with you." He gives you a smart-ass smile before resuming to his usual activity; eating you out.

You can feel his lips press against your needy cunt. Katsuki starts by kissing all around the area, leaving hickeys and bite marks on your inner thighs before licking a long strip from your asshole up to your clit.

"Mmmhhff- fuck!" Your moan bounces off the walls of the room as you rock your hips, riding out your third orgasm for the morning.

"Cumming already?" Katsuki mocks, raising an eyebrows as an evident smirk tugs on one side of his lip. "That was just the warm up, doll. Make sure you remember your stoplight colors." And with that, he dives back into your wet cunt.

Everything, you can feel everything that's going on inside your pussy. You can feel Katsuki's tongue making circles inside your hole, you can also feel it pushing itself in and out of you, fucking you. His tongue feels hot and wet, and it glides on your clenching walls so smoothly.

He begins sucking on you, you can hear slurping sounds echo throught the room as he has his way with you. You can feel the hardness and sharpness of his teeth and the softness of his lip and the warmth of his tongue all at the same time in your lower region.

Your breath quickens, feeling another orgasm about to hit you. "Come on now, doll. Don't be afraid to cum once more." He growls, spitting on your cunt. The action has you arching your back and tugging on the rope around your wrist, the headboard making a 'clang' sound as you do so.

Your legs wrap around your boyfriend's head, pushing his face back to your cunt as you rock your hips, riding out your orgasm. Your arm muscles begin to weaken, having been able to release four orgasms in under half an hour.

Katsuki pushes your legs apart, lifting his head up with a grin. You look down at him with hazy eyes, ready to apologise but you stop once you see your slick all over his face.

You bite on your lip once again, watching his tongue lap the dripping slick on the corner of his mouth. He forces your legs apart, hands hripping on your soft skin. "Color." He demands, pushing his shorts down, making his hard cock spring out.

"Green." You breathe out, watching as your boyfriend chuckles at your state. He reaches for a condom on the bedside table, ripping it open with one hand and his teeth. He rolls the condom over his dick, lining the tip to your entrance as he looks at you dead in the eye. "Got something to say to me, doll?"

You chuckle, "You're all grand and no finale."

Katsuki thrusts inside you, making sure his pelvis hits your ass. He's buried inside you so deeply making you feel so full that you have to take deep breaths. "Who's all grand and no finale, huh?" He growls, lifting his hips up before thrusting inside you deeply once again.

"Y-you, you are." Your words almost came out a stumbled mess. Katsuki makes an annoyed 'tch' beforeleaning back and pulling on the sides of your hips, thrusting his hips leisurely. He rolls his hips multiple times, making sure you feel all of him before he begins to quicken his pace.

He pulls at your leg, lifting it up on his shoulder as he continues ramming inside you viciously. His sac begins hitting against your skin, creating a lewd clapping noise.

"Mmmff- 'Suki! I'm so close!" You moan out loud, your eyes rolling to the back of your head as your eyebrows scrunch up. You roll your hips with your boyfriend's pace, feeling everything at the same time before reaching your high, your hips shaking as you continue to rock them, finishing out your orgasm.

You pant heavily, as if you had just finished running a marathon. You look down at your boyfriend who's looking at you with /those/ eyes. Your own widen, knowing full well what those eyes mean.

"I'm not yet finished, doll. Gotta prove I ain't 'all grande and no finale'." He lifts you by your hips, flipping you around. Your body bounces on the bed, as he pulls on your hips, rising them even more. Katsuki places a hand on your back, pushing it down.

"Be a good doll and take my cock until I cum, alright?" He pushes himself inside you, your walls feeling too sensitive for another round. Katsuki slaps your ass hard, watching it jiggle before slapoing it again. "Take back what you said, doll, then I'll go easy on you."

You may be feeling a bit sensitive, but that just makes everything so much more better. You look at your boyfriend behind you, giving him a smug smirk before facing front. Katsuki clenches his jaw, digging his fingers on your hips, slamming his cock inside your hole. His one hand creeps towards your clit, massaging it making you gasp loudly.

You find yourself blabbering nonsense, your mind turning back and your drool dripping out the corners of your mouth as you let your boyfriend pleasure you all he wants. The movement of his hand on your clit and the thrusting of his dick inside your whole feels too much for you that you can feel tears pooling around the vorners of your eyes.

"Ka-A-Atsuki!" You can hear the bed creaking and dragging on the floor with how hard Katsuki is thrusting inside you. "Say you take it back. You take it all back." He growls into your ear, his kther hand finding its way to your breast, now cupping and massaging it as he pleases.

You nod your head, scrunching up your eyebrows. "I-I take it all back! You feel too good, 'Suki!" Your moaning has your throat hurting, but you pay it no mind. You hear your boyfriend grunting behind you, his pace hastens as you feel a bigger orgasm slowly reaching you.

Katsuki leans over to your ear, licking the shell before grunting, "Cum for me, you fucking cockslut." He bites on your ear and at the same time pinches your nipple and clit, the orgasm overwhelming you. You feel your whole body give out, inviting the darkness to envelope you in its arms.

You wake up with Katsuki's spot beside you empty. It's already very bright out, making you squint your eyes as you look for your alarm clock.

7:21 am

"You're awake." You turn to look at the doorframe where your boufriend is standing with his arms crossed and body leaned on the frame. "You kind of passed out before I could finish. I had to take care of it myself."

You cover your face in embarrassment, making your boyfriend walk over to you. He sits beside you, taking your hands by your wrists and kissing on the red rope marks around them.

"Sorry I tied them too tightly." He apologizes, his lips covering kisses all around your red wrists. "Don't be, I was pulling on them myself." You smile at your boyfriend, pouting your lips and letting him lean over to press you a morning kiss.

"Speaking of you passing out before I could finish," He looks at you smugly, smirk on his lips and a lazy look lacing his eyes. "Who's all grand and no finale now?"

[palaceofpassion]

Figured I'd take my shot with a second one, Ruby's suprised when Penny brings Jaune home to have him play the role of the happy couples stud. After all it's only logical that they birth strong child and who better.

"Ahhhn~ Yes yes!"

Ruby stared awkwardly at her ceiling as she bit down the bile forming in her chest. Her eyes closed tight as she rocked back and forth on her shifting bed, hoping to ignore the sounds of delightful pleasure happening behind her. "More! More! I'm breeding ready!" Her fingers grasped tightly onto her bedding, her teeth gritting as she tried to ignore the sounds of her wife... being fucked... being rutted... being mated by one of her closest friends. The sticky squelching sounds of bodily fluids exchanging with one another, quickly threw off her concentration. And yet, she knew she had to fight back the tears.

When Penny had come to her, talking about how she'd wanted a child. Ruby had, incorrectly, assumed that she wanted to go to a donation center. She HAD NOT expected for Penny to want to be bred, and creampied. She hadn't expected her loving wife to be stuffed by a big fat cock, or having her being dicked down. She hadn't expected Penny to bring her best friend over. So when she found Jaune at her door, a bashful look on his face as he asked the question.

"Hey Ruby, Penny called me, do you know why?"

Something had been wrong... something had been VERY wrong. And she could feel it in the pit of her stomach.

So when Penny came prancing over... wearing... wearing a sheer silk nightgown... one that didn't hide ANY of her lady bits... Ruby felt her heart drop. "Friend Jaune! I'm glad you could make it!"

"Hey Penny."

Jaune's smile didn't make her feel any better.

"Penny?" Ruby turned towards her wife, "What's going on?"

"Oh! I had mentioned wanting to have a child, remember?"

Ruby of course nodded, "Well friend Jaune is here to help!" Then when Penny turned towards Jaune... a twisted smile on her face... one that exuded sexual desire... one Ruby herself had never seen before. She felt her heart crack.

"Okay but... why?"

"Oh... didn't you discuss this?" Jaune turned back to Penny. "Penny, if Ruby is uncomfortable with this I don't think I want to go through with it."

"What? What are you talking about?"

“Well Ruby!” Penny quickly turned towards her, grabbing onto her hands and pulling them towards her heart. “I was hoping that we’d have friend Jaune here to be the father of our children.” Ruby blinked, confused at first.

“But… and I’m sorry no offense Jaune.”

“None taken.”

“Why Jaune?” She didn’t mean any offense by it… in fact… well Jaune had been a long time crush of hers. She’d only never made a move on him because of how anxious she’d felt about the entire ordeal. He had been one of the first people, if not the first person other than her family to accept her for who she was. He’d always been there when she needed him, and she’d always felt safe.

She had never been sure if those feelings were that of love… or of something else. But she’d held back, especially as Weiss had ended up falling for him. And now they were married, speaking of, “Wait, what about Weiss?” Maybe she could pull the plug here and now?

“I’m right here.”

Ruby nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden entrance of her childhood friend. “What?! Don’t suddenly do that! What are you Blake?!” She was so flustered by the sudden arrival that she didn’t even notice the dry look Weiss had bestowed upon her.

“No. But I’m already aware of the situation.”

Oh… maybe she was here to say no. “So… you’re not okay with it right?”

Weiss simply shook her head, “No, I’m not okay with it.”

“Oh thank go-”

“I love it.”

“What?”

Weiss beamed brightly as she placed her hand upon Jaune’s shoulder, ushering the taller man down so she could pull him into a deep kiss. Ruby felt her face flush hot, the public display of affection proving to be a little too much for her still naive mind. “You see Ruby.” Pulling away Weiss brought her attention back to her, “I love the idea of my Jaune here breeding other women.”

She didn’t miss the little shudder that ran through her old best friend. “Just… it's so enticing, watching him push them down, breeding them like the dirty sows they are. Filling their needy wombs with his rich virile Arc seed. Oh, you’ll both love it, I assure you.” The woman stroking her rounded belly, proof of their 8th child.

Honestly, Ruby wasn’t so sure she WOULD love it. But, she wasn’t even sure she could say no anymore, not with Weiss' sudden intervention. “Uh… Weiss what’s that?” She’d suddenly noticed the strap attached to Jaune’s shoulder, now that Weiss had brought attention to it.

“Oh, it’s a camera darling. To commemorate the event.”

Her brow crinkled in as she frowned at the sudden realization dawning on her. This… this wasn’t going to end well for her and she didn’t like it one bit.

“Now then, a few questions.” Weiss hurried them in the door, tugging Jaune along with her, who gave Ruby one last sorrowful glance.

“Have either of you ever been with a man before?”

“I have not friend Weiss!”

Penny raised her hand, a pleasant smile that would have normally caused her heart to race flashed across her face. Though now it only proved to make her feel… ill inside.

“Excellent!” Weiss clapped her hands together, “It’ll be an interesting experience.” Ruby felt her heart sink when Weiss turned her attention back towards her. “I assume you’re both alright with this then? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable after all. And I know Jaune doesn’t want you to either.”

“Yeah.” Jaune nodded, “I want this to be a fun experience for everyone involved… oh uhm… you’re not both lesbians right? I’d honestly feel bad if you were.”

Ruby WASN’T a lesbian persay. She wasn’t even sure what she was, she just liked who she liked. And at one time it HAD been Jaune, but now she loved Penny.

“No. Both Ruby and I are fine with both sexes.”

Ruby nodded meekly in response.

“Okay perfect, well I promise that Jaune will make this an experience that neither of you are going to forget.”

“Yeah.” She felt a hand press down on her shoulder, “Ruby, again, if you don’t want this please say something.”

She felt her heart swoon just a tad at Jaune’s concern. Her chest rose and fell and her face grew just a tad bit warm. Turning her attention towards Penny, she knew she COULD say yes. But seeing how happy and excited her wife was, how into this Weiss appeared to be… and… this could be her chance to get with Jaune for once… well it couldn’t be all bad?

No! It WAS FAR WORSE than she could have ever imagined.

“Oh yes! More please! More!”

Ruby sat there, silently sobbing to herself as her wife, her precious wife with whom she exchanged vows of solidarity with, was now on her back. Her hands tightly grabbing their bedding sheets as her best friend, and childhood crush, pounded her like she belonged to him.

She dared not look, the sounds of slapping flesh already being far too much for her to handle. Her lips trembled as she tried to silence out the sound, and she may have succeeded or at least she would have if Weiss hadn’t shifted closer.

“You know Ruby~” Her tone sent a terrified shiver down her spine, “I was the one that got Penny interested in this whole ordeal.”

“Wha?”

She looked up trying to say something, but found a single finger pressed against her lips. “Isn’t it amazing?” Weiss turned her attention towards Jaune and Penny, forcing Ruby to follow her line of sight.

Ruby’s heart dropped, tears began to trickle downwards as she SAW… no she could smell it, hear it, FEEL it… her beloved wife was on her back, her face… oh gods her face… it was contorted into the most twisted of pleased slutshammed faces she’d EVER seen before. “It was pretty easy getting the idea in her head, I told her it’d be easier to have a child if someone ACTUALLY bred her.” She heard, but did not see Weiss chuckle, too enraptured with the terrible scene in front of her. “It really was easy, your wife is suuuch a slut. She’s just so naive~” When she felt Weiss’ icey could fingers wrap around her shoulders she tried not to flinch. “It really didn’t have to be Jaune, I could have SO easily convinced her to sleep with ANY man.”

“B...bu...but why?” Why then? Why was this happening, why her? Why Jaune?

“Its simple~ I just LOVE seeing my husband fuck little stupid sluts silly. I mean just look at how happy Penny is.”

Ruby HATED how right Weiss was, Penny was… she was FAR happier than she’d EVER been when they had sex. “A silly little toy could never match up to the real thing… look at it… look at her stomach.”

Ruby could see it, she didn’t NEED Weiss telling her. She could see her wife’s belly inflate as Jaune’s… his cock pounded inside of her. Her stomach ballooning as he penetrated her over and over and over and over. The big meaty head of his cock skewering her so much smaller body, the thick bulb protruding through the other side.

“Penny Darling.”

“Y..yesh!?”

“Ruby wants to hear what's happening. She wants to know how much you love having my husband’s COCK inside of you.”

“Oh! OoOooKaaY!”

Ruby KNEW Penny didn’t mean anything by it, but she was just so excited. “Look Ruby! Jaune’s… oOooH hiiiiis hiiiis BIIIiIiIGG! CooOoCCCK! Itssssssszzzz! Its Puuuushiiing against MmyyyYy Ceervviviiix!”

Ruby could see it from here, the shape of her uterus forming on the outside of her skin. “HeeeEesssss hiiiiittttting mmmeeeeee soooo Sooosososooo deeeeep!”

“You want deeper though right?”

“YYyyyEeesssh pleeeeaassee!”

“Darling, can you please put her into a mating press for me?”

“Yeah!”

Jaune’s voice came out exasperated, his focus solely pushed upon her wife. Ruby was FORCED to watch as Jaune pulled on her wife’s legs, pinning them back and showing the extreme flexibility that came with the once gynoid. “WhoaooOh!” He’d pulled her legs practically behind her head, forcing his cock even deeper as he rose her lower body.

“Look at it, look at how DEEP his cock is going inside of her!” Weiss simply smiled, “You’d never be able to do that Ruby, but it’s okay.”

SMACK SMACK SMACK

His pace grew faster and faster, the bed underneath them started to shake as he unleashed sound defeaning thrust after sound defeaning thrust.

Ruby couldn’t believe it, she couldn’t take the emotional damage that she was feeling as her best friend pushed her wife into ecstasy. “Gods it feels SO good to have him inside of you. Its so amazing, I don’t think Penny will be able to have it any other way now.”

THUD THUD THUD

The bed jolted up and and down as he practically pinned her wife into her own bed. Thick juicy fluids squelched from their connected bodies. Beads of sweat staining their sheets as he practically pushed his entire body on her. Ruby could hardly see her wife anymore, but she could hear her squeals of pleasure. She could only watch as a man took her from her. She could only silently regret her decisions. And still why did it have to be this way, for Weiss’ sick pleasures?

“You know.” She flinched as Weiss’ hand fell upon the pit of her belly, rubbing gentle circles above her womb. “It doesn’t have to be this way.” Ruby gave her a betrayed look, scrunching her face together. “We really DID come here to help you two have fun~ And… well I’m sure Penny would LOVE if you both got pregnant together~”

Ruby meant to open her mouth, “After all, it’s not fair, now is it? Just letting Penny have all the fun?”

Ruby bit her lip, turning her attention as Jaune pulled up onto his legs, squating down on her wife and slamming his cock one last time into her depths. She could SEE his balls inflating, she could SEE the pulsing of her stomach as the bulge of his cock quite literally throbbed. She could see her wife’s belly inflating in front of her, “See?”

Weiss turned her attention back to Penny.

“Penny describe what’s happening.

“MmmNnn~♥ Fri...Fri… Ma...Mate…Br...bree...breeder J...Jaaauuune iiiisss filling My… my wooomb, with Prec...precious life giiiving seed! I can FEEL my ovaries drinking the… the preciiious fluiiids! I… I’m… I’m breeding ready!”

Ruby felt Weiss release her, shifting over towards Penny. “Oh Darling, you’re going to be JUST the most gorgeous pregnant woman.” Ruby watched Weiss run her finger over the outline of her wife’s uterus, tracing the very shape with a single soft touch. “Mmmn~ I can’t WAIT to see you nice and full. I bet you’ll have twins AT LEAST.” Weiss of course turned her attention back towards her husband, “I bet you can’t wait right? You LOVE it when women get pregnant with your children, you’re just raring to go again, right?”

Ruby turned her attention to Jaune, who had been mostly quiet this entire time. Surely he wouldn’t betray her? He’d been hesitant from the start after all! “Yeah… it’s REALLY hot... and…” No. “We should go again, I can dump a few more loads inside of her, just to make sure she’s nice and knocked up.”

“Yes please!”

“Perfect.”

Time seemed to still as Ruby did something she truly didn’t expect of herself, “STOP!”

All eyes turned to her as she flushed red, one that ran down the length of her unclothed body. “I… I…” She grit her teeth, “I’m next!”

“Perfect~”

Little did Ruby know, but she’d fallen into Weiss’ Trap, one she’d never be able to escape from.