#i wrote this in like 6 hours instead of sleeping

[nile-the-empathy-cleric]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Interview with the Vampire (TV 2022), Vampire Chronicles Series - Anne Rice Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Armand/Daniel Molloy Characters: Armand (Vampire Chronicles), Original Characters, Original Therapist character Additional Tags: Armand goes to therapy, Therapy, Trauma, Mental Health Issues, Autistic Armand (Vampire Chronicles), Mentioned Marius de Romanus, Minor Armand/Marius de Romanus, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Sexual Abuse, Slavery, Vampire Turning, Devil's Minion Era Happened (Interview with the Vampire TV 2022), POV Alternating Series: Part 1 of Therapy with the Vampire Summary:

Armand goes to therapy. That's it, that's the fic

@mylu @marmarthehatterverse @calipsan @emeraldinerosefaedragon @captainfanoftheceiling @slapjacq as promised, Vampires go to therapy, a work in progress. Thank you for being interested in my idea!

[writtendaydreamm]

The On-Call Room

Summary: Y/n and Langdon try to get some rest in the same on-call room but get a little distracted.

Warnings: 18+ NSFW, Smut if you squint

Author's Note: Based on this request. Sort of a prequel to The Hospital Gossip Mill. Let me know your thoughts and feedback!!

Two loud knocks was all it took and Langdon was wide awake. 

Already in a shitty mood having to pull a double today, all he wanted was some peace and quiet. Was that too much to ask? To get just a little bit of sleep in before having to go through another eight hours in the pit. 

Looking down at his watch, he groaned. By now he would’ve been at home, probably getting ready for dinner plans with Y/n. But instead, he was here. At the hospital. Where he has been since 8AM. All because of that nasty bug going around. Already short-staffed, it was one sick call after the next this past week. From doctors, to nurses, to admins - everyone was catching it. One of the few left standing, Langdon took one for the team, staying back to cover Dr. Ellis on the night shift. 

Throwing his legs over the stiff, sorry excuse for a bed the hospital furnished the on-call rooms with, Langdon walked up to the door grumbling to himself. This better be an emergency otherwise someone was about to get ripped a new one. He wrote it clearly on the whiteboard outside: 

DON'T KNOCK, CALL IF URGENT 

Can people not read? Brows furrowed tightly, Langdon yanked the door open wide, raring and ready to unleash the string of profanities on the tip of his tongue until he saw who was in front of him. Y/n.

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” she teased, walking straight past him before he could even get a word out. 

Sticking his head out scanning the halls, he was relieved to see they were empty. No one at work had a clue they were dating and they intended to keep it that way.

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be home by now?” he asked trying not to sound too annoyed as he locked the door behind him. 

Yeah, she should have been. The last surgery on her schedule today was a simple hernia repair. It wouldn’t have taken more than an hour. But the patient’s stubborn mother decided to ignore the explicit directions not to feed her 24-year-old man-child any food while he waited for an OR to open up. Now the 20 minute wait for an OR turned into a 6 hour wait for the casserole to digest. 

“I don’t know how she snuck that Tupperware past the nurses,” Y/n snorted, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Looks like we’re both in for a long night.”

Leaning into her touch despite himself, Langdon’s eyes closed instinctively. The feeling of her thumb agaisnt that sensitive spot on the nape of his neck transported him back to the night before. How her fingers brushed against that exact spot, how they worked down his back, the welcomed burn of her nails as they scratched against his skin, the sound of her gasps in his ear as he-

Snap out of it, he told himself. Now was not the time for dirty thoughts about what they did last night. What he needed was to go lay down, not get worked up. Clearing his throat and his mind, he focused on the present.

“The on-call rooms full up there?” 

She nodded. They always were. About to slum it on one of the sofas in the surgical staff lounge, she remembered one of the last texts he sent her:

ED lounge is empty and lonely. 

Wish you were here 

Well, here she was. Wish granted. Sure, it was risky sneaking onto the ED floor. If someone saw her that would’ve been the start of a new rumor for sure. It would’ve spread around the hospital faster than that bug everyone was sick with. But he said it himself, no one was around. And with their dinner plans obviously canceled, this way they can squeeze in more time together. Even if it was spent just napping. 

“You don’t mind, right?” she pouted, looking up at him, willing him to forgive her for waking him up like she had. Batting her lashes, her thumb brushing that spot on his neck that had him like putty in her hands. 

He rolled his eyes. It wasn’t that he minded. It was that he was concerned about getting some actual sleep. He wanted to get at least an hour in before having to go back onto the floor. But two of them, confined in a tiny room with basically nothing but a bed, getting sleep was low on the list of things they could get up to in here. 

What was he supposed to do? Kick her out? Tell her no? He couldn’t. Even when he really wanted to, even when it was the right thing to do, even when she got on his damn nerves - like just now, blatantly ignoring the sign he wrote on the door - he could never say no to her. 

They managed to fit on the small bed slotting into one another like puzzle pieces. It was a tight fit considering these beds were made for one, but neither of them minded. The sheets were scratchy and the pillow paper thin, but with her back against him, his arm draped over her, it was actually kind of cozy. 

After promising no funny business, the room was silent save for the AC burring and their steady breaths. 

Finally dozing off, Langdon suddenly tensed, feeling Y/n shuffle in his arms. Her hips backed into him. It was only slightly but it was right against the one part of his body he had no control over. Assuming it was a one-off, he shuffled himself back a little to create some needed distance between them. But she did it again, just moments after.

Here we go, he groaned to himself. Just what he was afraid of. They were supposed to be sleeping with each other. Not sleeping with each other. 

He wasn’t going to react. Nope. He wasn’t going to give her the pleasure of a reaction, of knowing the effect she had on him. 

Summoning his will power, he fought against his body’s natural, primal response to her body moving against his. It wasn’t easy. Not only did she consume his physical senses, but she consumed his mind as well. Every thought was of her. Memories of her pretty face contorted in pleasure, her bare skin meeting his, her smart mouth stuffed full of him, all glued to the forefront of his mind.

He forced himself to think about that gross bleeder he cauterized this morning and that biker in South 2 with his leg bent out of shape waiting for Ortho, but it did nothing. How could it when with each passing second her movements became more brazen and shameless. Each roll of her hips grating on his self control.

“Y/n, stop,” he warned.

“Stop what?” she mumbled, playing innocent. But there was nothing innocent about what she was doing, the way she grinned her ass into him. It was deliberate and debilitating. 

“You promised,” he scolded. But there was no conviction in his voice. Or in the way he gripped her hips, a vain attempt to stop her before they went too far, before he couldn’t hold himself back. 

“I can’t help myself,” she whispered in a whine. Her hand moved behind her, palming him over his scrubs. Pleased at how hard he had gotten already, she chuckled. “Seems like neither can you.”

Whatever was left of his fragile resolve crumbled under her touch. His body had betrayed him totally. Fuck it, he thought. He was only human after all. Once again unable to say no, he surrendered to her whim for the second time that night. Placing feather light kisses on her neck, he indulged himself in the feeling of her hand stroking him slowly, sensually. Up and down, up and down. It was just enough pressure to offer relief but not enough to satisfy.

“Y/n,” he said again. This time less like a warning and more like a plea. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”

“Good thing I’m a doctor,” she smirked.

“Smartass,” he murmured against her skin. 

No longer fighting his own need for her, his fingers dipped under her scrub pants. Her gasp was quiet and small, but unmistakable as his warm fingers pressed against the growing damp spot on her lacy panties. Feeling just how wet she was already, he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck whispering against her skin. 

“This what you wanted, huh?” 

Reveling in the sensation of his five o’clock shadow grazing against her skin, of his fingers sliding her panties to the side and slipping between her slick folds, she could only hum in agreement. 

That wasn’t good enough. No, he wanted to hear her say it. 

“Use your words, baby,” he demanded, his middle finger teasing her entrance.

Oh, she loved it when he got like this. All controlling and assertive. The tension in her core tightened. She pulsed against his finger in anticipation. About to speak up, to tell him this was exactly what she wanted, a loud beeping and buzzing beat her to it. 

“Son of a bitch,” he exclaimed louder than he should have. Throwing his head back on the pillow in exasperation, he couldn’t believe his luck. Of course his phone would be going off at this exact moment. 

The sound of Y/n’s laughter filled the room as he answered it. A finger held up to his lips, urgently gesturing her to quiet down. Not just because they could pick it up on the other end, but the way she was laughing they could probably hear her through the walls out in the hallway. Hand taped over her mouth she muffled her laughter as best she could, but this was just too good. A call right as they’re about to really get things started, right when he finally gave in? It wasn’t fair at all, but it was damn funny. 

Langdon was not nearly as amused by all this as she was. Not amused at all actually. The look he gave her as pointed as a knife’s tip. She knew just how to dull that sharpness though. Running a soothing hand up his back, fingers gently massaging the back of his neck, ensuring to touch that sensitive spot again.

The only thing Langdon found more upsetting than getting called back down to the floor early was how easily he folded for her. He was wrapped around her finger, and even worse, she knew it. Dragging a hand over his face, hoping to wipe away his fatigue and frustrations, he let out a deep sigh rising from the bed. They needed an extra set of hands down there, and as shitty as he felt, the patients down there felt a whole lot shittier. 

In the middle of adjusting his scrub pants, trying to conceal the hard-on that hadn’t gone down yet, he paused, confused as to why Y/n was getting out of the bed too. It wasn’t common practice to use other departments’ on-call rooms, but there weren’t any rules forbidding it. “You can stay y’know.”

“I know, but I should go back up anyway. Make sure my patient’s mom isn’t feeding him any more casserole,” she said, only-half joking. “Besides, I’m all strung up after that. No way I’m falling asleep now.” 

He shook his head, a smile creeping on his face as he watched her fix her own clothes. She was nothing but trouble, but she was all his trouble. As she turned towards the door, he grabbed her arm whipping her back around and into him. Face to face, chest to chest, he leaned in taking her by surprise for a change. The kiss was hot and hurried, leaving them both wanting for more. 

“Meet you back here after that hernia repair?” he suggested breathlessly.

Y/n nodded excitedly, “Definitely.”

High off each other, the pair stepped out into the hallway without so much as a second thought. In hindsight they should’ve checked to make sure no one was around, or maybe not walked out at the exact same time. For two people trying to keep their relationship a secret, it was a quite careless thing to do. But it was what they did. And now they had to convince Perlah, who was out in the hallway brows raised in surprise, that there was a totally normal explanation to what she just saw.

“I was just looking for an empty on-call room,” Y/n said, beginning to explain the situation to Perlah. The way she worded it made sense. The on-call rooms up in surgery were full, so she ended up here only to find Langdon already inside the room.

But Perlah did the math in her head and it wasn’t adding up. If Y/n came down to crash in an open room, and Langdon was using the room but is heading back to the ER now, why wasn’t Y/n staying in the room then?

“If he’s leaving, why are you leaving?” she questioned Y/n skeptically.

“Well I just got a call to check on my patient,” y/n answered back smoothly. Not a total lie but definitely not the whole truth. 

“Yeah she got the call exactly the same time I got called back,” Langdon added trying to really sell the idea this was all just some big coincidence and nothing more.

Perlah eyed them both suspiciously, not completely sold on the BS they were throwing at her. But like Langdon, she was working a double too, and didn’t have any extra energy to waste. So, she ignored her inner tsismosa urging her to keep digging for details, and let it slide this time. She left them in the hall, heading into the storage closet across the on-call room, grabbing whatever it was she came down here for in the first place.

Langdon and Y/n exchanged uneasy looks. Worry settling in the pit of their stomachs. Was this it? Had they been caught?

“Do you think she bought it,” Langdon mouthed, barely above a whisper.

Y/n could only shrug and pray that she did.  “Let’s hope so.”

[gyeomsweetgyeom]

[6:58 pm]

(cw: yeah it’s hurt with comfort babes)

For weeks now you’d been left with some kind of numb, bittersweet feeling stuck in your gut. You wanted to address it, of course you did, it was big news. However, every time you let your mind linger on the thought you felt sad and physically ill. It didn’t help that your time with him was so limited either. When he had time at home, he was catching up on sleep and trying to enjoy the time you had together, even if some days it was just breakfast together.

There was no avoiding it anymore. Now, it was just a couple of days away. His comeback commitments were done, he’s been taking more and more calls, and every second you spent around him made you want to cry. How were you just supposed to go from talking to him everyday to just a small window of time to talk to him? How were you supposed to get used to walking from one room to see him to just not having him there anymore?

The front door opened as you blinked your eyes to get rid of the tears. Jaehyun was back home from his top secret errand of the day. “Honey, I’m home,” he sings out playfully.

Your heart skips a beat as it usually when you hear Jaehyun’s voice, “I’m in the living room!”

You turn as you hear his footsteps and gasp when he comes into view. His hair is gone. His lovely, long blond locks are gone and he has a buzzed head. No hair. Bald. You will your brain to think of something to say but instead your throat tightens and your eyes get wet.

“Is it that bad?” Jaehyun awkwardly chuckles.

It’s as if his voice breaks the dam of all your bottled up emotions. You can’t stop the shake of your shoulders, your shuddered breaths, your tears, or any of the racing thoughts. How is he just going to be gone in 2 days?

Jaehyun comes over and pulls you into his hold while he rocks you back and forth while your tears stain the cotton of his shirt. “Love, you have to tell me what you’re feeling. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me,” he tells you in a calm voice.

“But you can’t help me! You won’t be here! For 2 years!” You exclaim through your tears.

“I thought it was a little strange you refused to talk about this,” Jaehyun hums, going quiet for a second to gather his thoughts. “I know whatever I say will be easier said than done, but just listen to me, alright? We’ve already done the long distance and weird hours haven’t we? How many times have I gone on tour and been a handful of time zones away? Countless, my love.”

“I’ll be back before you know it. We’ll be in the same country. I can take breaks to come see you. We still get to talk to each other. I’m not going to space,” Jaehyun smiles, swiping his thumbs under your eyes as your tears slow.

“It’s just,” your voice breaks, “I’m so used to having you home. I like having you home. Now, it’s going to be 2 years of not being able to walk down the hall and see you. Your body wash won’t go down, your clothes won’t move, I’ll have to choose dinner for myself, I have to go grocery shopping alone, I won’t have to sit through those random basketball games you play. I’m going to miss you!”

“You think I want to live with a bunch of random men for 2 years? I’m going to miss you too, my love. More than anything in the world. But I promise you, it’ll be more like I’m on tour. We’ve done it a bunch of times already. We know we can do this. Plus, it’s not like you’re going to leave me right? That ring on your finger isn’t for nothing.”

You stare at his fingers, twisting your engagement ring around your finger as you sniffle. You’re going to miss this too, “Don’t even joke about me leaving you. I wouldn’t have committed to you for over like 7 years now if I want in it for the long run.”

“Like 7 years,” Jaehyun scoffs playfully, “you mean 6 years, 6 months and 14 days?” He kisses your forehead, holding you impossibly close, “I committed too, this is only going to make us stronger. You’re actually going to be so sick of me. I wrote you all these little letters, I have deliveries scheduled, I pre bought you birthday and Christmas gifts even though I’ll be here for those. I’ll call you every chance I get. I promise you, my love.”

You snuggle closer to him, “you’re the best.”

“I know, alright. You can play with my hair now, I know you want to,” Jaehyun smiles.

Your open hand runs over the new, short hairs, “you look really handsome. I like it.”

“Haechan said I’m my head looked bigger.”

“Well, it’s a handsome big head.”

[kidicaruslover911]

The Damsel of Devastation Masterlist

-> Synopsis: When you, a supposedly wandering swordswoman (and doctor at your ‘lost hours’), happened to bump into your one and only childhood friend again, much had changed.

But some things just didn’t.

Despite all the years that had passed, he still hadn’t given up on his pledge of vengeance, and the both of you honored your vow to achieve mastery over the sword.

So now you find yourself following a demon’s path.

*Mizu is a man from reader’s perspective (not for too long tho)*

-> Pairing: Mizu x fem!Reader

-> First posted on AO3

-> Current Word Count: 92,1k

-> Status: HIATUS (Ongoing)

Warnings - Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Crossdressing Reader, Reader has BPD | Borderline Personality Disorder, obviously undiagnosed bc it is the 17th century, I Wrote This Instead Of Sleeping, Period Typical Attitudes, Edo Period, He/Him Pronouns for Mizu, Eventual Smut, Emotionally Constipated Mizu, Ableist Language, Prostitution, Brothels, Past Child Abuse, Bilingual Character(s), Bi-Curiosity (on Mizu’s side), historians will say that they were very close friends', Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Original Character Death(s), Past Character Death, Developing Relationship, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Mental Instability, Female rage, Past Sexual Abuse, Insane Reader, Lesbian Reader, She/Her Pronouns for Mizu, Mizu Needs a Hug, Mizu is Bad At Feelings, Reader Needs a Hug, Slow To Update, Angst and Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Past Pregnancy Scares, Past Miscarriages, Past Relationship(s), Tags May Change, Emotional Roller Coaster, Past Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Murder Wives, Open to Interpretation, it gets better before it gets real bad before it gets better again, yk lesbians, girl friends or girfriends?, Two women and a cat, Ringo is THE emotional support, debatable consequences, sapphic yearning, Toxic Yuri if you squint, Doomed Relationship (maybe), The Author Regrets Nothing, ALLEGEDLY, gay ppl can never just say "i love you" it always gotta be some crazy complicated shit first smh, Tattoos

➤And the Mizu x Reader playlist that goes with it ofc (pls listen to it on shuffle it’s better that way)

ENJOY!!!

CHAPTER 1: The Damsel of Devastation

CHAPTER 2: Sigh of an Old Friend

CHAPTER 3: Trail of Shadows

CHAPTER 4: Interwoven Nostalgia

CHAPTER 5: Rhythm from Ancient Times

CHAPTER 6: Red Lead on the Chessboard

CHAPTER 7: Stories Untold

CHAPTER 8: Foxes at Play

CHAPTER 9: Mournful Whisperings

Chapters; 9/21 to be continued…

Likes and reblogs are appreciated!

whether it be criticism or compliments, comments are always appreciated!🤎

[bloomzone]

Okay, so I just recognized some mistakes I’ve been doing lately literally just saved myself from repeating them again. And honestly, I noticed a lot of other students are making these same mistakes too. So here’s Part 2 of my “Study Mistakes I Did But Saved Myself Before It Was Too Late.” If you relate to any of these, take it as your sign to stop before it’s too late.

part 1

lesson 1 : the “failure” mindset.

Right now, I’m literally in this crazy state. Like the failure mode. It's insane , I do a million past papers, then I tell myself, “Yes, you did well today.” But I wake up the next day with the same mindset: No, girl, you need to do more. Like, what if all those questions don’t show up on the exam?Yes, stress can help it drives you sometimes. For me, it worked most of the time. That fear of failure push me to study harder. But don’t let failure control you. I really wish I could change my mindset, especially before big exams or finals.We always think, what if I fail instead of what if I succeed? So please, try not to stress too much. Even small efforts count. Stay motivated. I know discipline is important, but we’re human. Especially high school students there’s pressure from everywhere. Everyone expects something from you.So try to motivate yourself. Make your breakfast in the morning. Watch something motivational when you wake up. It will remind you why you're doing this.You’re a student. You need to succeed. But sometimes we lose that passion . So keep some backup motivation ready. Think: What if I succeed? Always and Study hard. Do everything you can so you can feel good and proud about urself later.

lesson 2 : using AI for essays.

Please, please, please stop using AI if you’re still doing it especially for essays idk about u use ai or not it's ur life idc but if u are a STUDENT hear me out If your exams are still a bit far and you’re using AI to do your homework, especially your essays, stop now.I swear, some classmates of mine used AI the whole year. Especially for French essays. I know not everyone is great at French even if it’s our mother tongue , some people treat it like a second language tooThere’s this one girl in my class she used ChatGPT for every single argumentative essay. And our teacher praised her: “Oh my god, I love your writing!” and gave her plus points. I got mad. Like… I wrote my essay 100% by hand, all real. And then the teacher accused ME of using AI? I was like Girl wtf 💀💀💀 this is 100% mine.And in the actual exam, that girl got 13/20 and i I got 19/20 and then the teacher believes me after •́⁠ ⁠ ⁠‿⁠ ⁠,⁠•̀.f you use AI all year, you’ll look so stupid in the exam. So please, even if you need help, don’t rely on AI. Just read articles, watch videos on YouTube, act like AI doesn’t exist.Read more, watch teachers online, documentary anything that helps you build real knowledge and vocabulary. You’ll get better and your essays will show it.

lesson 3 : Not organizing your notes.

This one is real. Please don’t do what I did: I lost every single note from first semester. I still don’t know where I put them.So if you’re someone who writes by hand, please always keep a folder next to you. As soon as you finish a paper, put it in the folder. Keep your folders in a place where no one touches them.The only thing that saved me I take pictures of my notes. So please, every time you write something important and feel like you might lose it take a photo. Just in case.

lesson 4 : Not sleeping early.

I’ve been doing this mistake recently, during prep week when we’re home from school. The stress is too much. Not because I can’t sleep I actually fall asleep in minutes. The problem is I don’t sleep early. I have no fixed schedule.If you study in the morning, you need to sleep early. I wake up around 5 or 6 a.m., but I sleep at midnight. That’s just 4–5 hours of sleep. And it’s not enough. I get headaches. I burn out.Today, for example, I woke up at 6 after sleeping at midnight. I had the worst headache. I made coffee but didn’t even drink it.Also, if you get headaches easily, be careful with coffee. Drink water first. Move around a bit before having it.So then I tried studying but couldn’t. I opened a YouTube video to study, but I couldn’t focus. I ended up lying down, playing the video on my phone, and falling asleep again with the teacher’s voice still playing I felt like a loser fr it made me so sad. So please, if you work best in the morning, be in bed at LEAAAST by 10 p.m.And if you’re a night owl and study until 2–3 a.m., please sleep long enough after that. Your brain needs it.Just be organize your sleep schedule. Everyone has their best time to focus just build your routine around it. The time will pass anyway, so spend it right.

stay healthy everyone 💭

@bloomzone

[eliossun]

LAST SHOT - first meet

synopsis : interning at a random ship in space sounds like a great idea for your paper. don't you think? part -> 1 | other chapters -> 2 3 ?

characters : anya, swansea, daisuke, curly, jimmy, gn!reader (daisuke x reader if u squint)

content : filler. lots of filler. lots of people being people. the series is sort of a fix it fic (?) only warning is mention of.. jimmy... eugh

wc : 3.4k+

before you read, reader is : cold, non expressive, and a psychology major...

close to an oc.. but also not an oc? features of the reader is never described, and i wrote it as gender neutral as possible

- you were an intern in the pink pony express.

- .. more specifically, a university student with honours in their bachelor's degree in psychology. you did plan on going back to get a masters once you're done with this internship. the pay wasn't much, but since it covered your living expenses for a year, and since the internship being valid enough to put into a research paper (after confirming there's psychological tests in the ship) you say this wouldn't be so bad. 

- ..or so you thought.

- the first day you boarded the ship, you were baffled by the lack of security measures of what, or what you can't bring to the spaceship. sure there were manuals, but the actual boarding of the ship? no security, at all.

- you knew the conditions that the company puts their employees in from online forums.. so you tried to prepare beforehand with a backpack. woo! (it took you hours to recount your basic needs)

- you managed to sneak on board your little backpack (it was huge) and thankfully, you managed to stash it away in your room before anyone else noticed. 

- .. and thankfully the directions were easy to read as well, otherwise you'd be lost.

- you don't want to bring all that around the tour of the ship either, so this would be the most efficient solution.

- pretending to be waiting in front of the ship unnoticed was also easy. however, imagine the surprise when another intern trips into the spaceship, last second.

- the captain - you find his name to be curly, only managed to give you a brief welcome, before asking the nurse of the ship - she introduced herself as anya - to show you around.

- whilst going around, the other intern tried to start conversations with you. which briefly went as follows:

"hey! my name's daisuke, yours?" 

"y/n."

"woah! cool name!"

"..."

"..not much of a talker...it seems... hehe.."

- you only nod in response. 

- anya seems to have read the room, and immediately guided you away to introduce you to two other people instead. swansea the mechanic, and jimmy, the copilot.

- however the atmosphere persisted. you stayed in silence most of the time. daisuke was close to starting another conversation with you, but seemed to back out last second.

- you feel rather bad for being cold towards him. but your body is way too exhausted to respond. maybe you should’ve brought some painkillers as well..

- ... or perhaps you could pay off your sleep debt on this trip as well. ahh… a faithful wish..

- that aside, you also found out you would be interning under anya. she was soft spoken, and overall, you have a feeling that you wouldn't mind sticking by her side for the next.. year.. or so.

- having a singular nurse for a 6-man crew isn't too bad. but now with her teaching you the basics, you think that you’re capable of taking some of her responsibilities. (you're glad to take some weight off her back)

- you agreed on weekly psych checks with the crew (much to swansea’s and jimmy’s dismay) so you’re ready to keep your journal very, very filled.

- the routine was simple. you'd wake up, check your stash of items which included - airtight sealed snacks which consisted of a lot of sweets, your journal, a lot of thrifted power banks for your ds to charge on, your ds of course, a taser, a gun, and a personal emotional support voicemail on one of your mp3 player - then go into the lounge for breakfast, and finally, follow anya around for the rest of your day.

- sometimes you would bump into swansea and daisuke while you're passing by the utility room. and sometimes daisuke stops you for a small talk

- you eventually warm up to him. he's awfully smiley for someone close to your age, then you find out he doesn't go to college, and your question was quickly answered. 

- after a bit more small talk, you realise that you both were from the same town (what a small world)

- he mentions that he missed eating a specific candy - it’s called sunshines, silly name, you know - which you could only get from the bakery near your town, and you look away, fully knowing that you had the same candy in your bag.

- .. oh well. maybe another time.

- your interactions with swansea was rather limited.

- you both see each other and simply choose to ignore each other's existence.

- perhaps it's a part of you that sees through him. and he sees through you too. 

- silent understanding is a better word, perhaps. 

- you both only talked on the few occasions where you were there to take your psychology evaluation tests. he keeps complaining about daisuke and whatnot - but you know that look in his eyes. that’s not hate.

- after a while, he stops complaining - resorting to grunts and short answers. perhaps tired of attempting to trick you.

- quick yet blunt. the way you prefer things to be.

- you sometimes offer to read out daisuke’s psych test to him. only the parts where you deem as okay to say, though. mostly parts where you ask how his internships are, and him answering with praises towards swansea. 

- swansea refuses each time, but you read some of them anyway. when daisuke complains about swansea though, you read out his response to "how was your day". which mainly consisted of his joys of the day.

- swansea pretends he doesn't like it. once again, you know that look in his eyes.

- you thought he would be done with acting around you, but you suppose, ego can't be beaten sometimes

- you really like their father-son-like dynamic. you just hope daisuke doesn't let the old man's words get to him.

- after doing curly's and jimmy's psych test (jimmy needed a lot of convincing in order for him to take these seriously) you find that they were friends that go way, way back.

- you're unsure if curly could see it, but you could tell that jimmy admires him. that man admires curly a bit too much. you're familiar with situations like these. you just hope it won't tip towards envy. oh who you were kidding - it's almost too late now.

- you finally realise why you felt uncomfortable around jimmy after the first month.

- the envy and self depreciation is overwhelming, and you truly applaud anyone who holds a conversation for longer than five minutes. (maybe you should applaud yourself as well)

- self destruction is the only path he’s going towards, and you would help him if he wasn’t so.. stubborn. for a lack of a better word.

- but overall, this trip isn't too bad so far. right?

- its been a month and a half. 

- you and anya had formed some sort of sibling relationship..? 

- it started with her seeing one of your stickers you had placed on one of your items, and her nostalgia of having them on her cup as well.

- you both began to talk more from there. continuous stories about your daily life (which isn’t the most pleasant) but you got to know each other better from there.

- you were immediately stunned at her determination and passion for nursing. - and perhaps, after this all, you could plausibly send a recommendation in for her. 

- you didn’t tell her that, of course. you weren’t able to guarantee it, and you wouldn’t want to give false hope.

- you find that she was incredibly good at games after you lent her your ds. and all of sudden, her competitiveness on game board nights didn’t look so out of place after all.

- she had encouraged you to get out of your shell.. despite many protests from you. (it.. sort of works…?)

- curly, after more interactions, seems to be a great guy. great leader, optimistic despite.. well. everything else, really. you’d be miserable if you had to live outside of earth half your life.

- the very brief interactions you have with him were pleasant. 

- a bit concerning to think he’s carrying all this responsibility for all these years though. perhaps a little rest could do - is what you said.

- he only responded with a chuckle, and a ‘it is what it is’.

- there isn’t any other response you would’ve expected from him, anyway.

- you just hope that once he does find the end of this career, he’ll find something more.. lighter.

- maybe a baker. maybe a craftsman. maybe something else entirely, all you know that this whole leadership thing might end up causing him more harm than good.

- which is what jimmy turned out to be. 

- whenever it’s your turn to do jimmy’s evaluations, you always groan a bit. 

- you show a bit of interest, and he goes the mile to talk about himself. not quite boasting - but very much putting others beneath his shoes to seem… “relatable” to you.

- you only nod. you give him a small phrase from time to time, but otherwise - it’s all nods.

- the issue with jimmy is not his current state itself. sure, it’s annoying and insufferable - but what’s dangerous is next stage of what people like him become.

- envious. greedy - dangerous. you wouldn’t trust him even if it kills you.

- and so you don’t. you try to keep a wary gaze on him.

- another thing you find that swansea is quite similar to .. other people in your neighbourhood.

- he talks about how he’s been struggling with alcohol, on a particularly hard night.

- you listen. he keeps talking. you add on his statements a little bit from time to time, to show that you’re listening. otherwise, you’re dead quiet, eyes staring at him, and his eyes towards the false sky by the medical bed. 

- he complains to you more than anything though. about.. nearly everything. about how daisuke won’t do this properly, about the food for dinner, about him being unable to see his wife at home, how he won’t be able to see his kids grow up, and you, in exchange, tell a bit about yourself.

- he understands you; and you understand him too. you were both trapped under the same situation at the start of your lives, and you, by chance, managed to escape. 

- he makes a joke about it. it leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth. 

- …although.. this meant that you were a bit privileged in the way swansea treated you. 

- this showed in the way that he allows you to mess with his toolbox (maybe you were the only other person who was interested in his toolbox, aside from daisuke..) 

- he teaches you the basics, and daisuke often chimes in from what he had studied before from swansea as well.

- you often thank the two for the lesson, and swansea seems a bit more smug after, whilst daisuke seems more proud of himself.. and due to that, you are more than welcome in the utility room.. from time to time.

- ah, speaking of daisuke..

- he’s incredibly sweet. you wonder if he particularly needs the sweets anymore from how overly sweet he is. you do end up sharing your snacks either way, and thankfully, he’s obedient enough to only request one sunshine every one to two days. (at this rate, you might have just enough to last you the entire.. 9 months? close to 8 now..) 

- he also plays games, and showed you his own ds, stickers of pokemon, doodles, and small little things indicating his other interests were plastered all over it - which you end up telling anya. 

- this is where anya’s willingness to help you connect with others come in. 

- not before long, you, anya, and daisuke managed to make a post-game night activity.. which included playing the ds until you all reach the specific curfew anya had set (thankfully, she did set one, otherwise daisuke would’ve tried to beat you until his fingers fell off.)

- there was one time that he was too tired, and you had to drag him back into his room. with an arm slinged around your shoulder, and anya following behind in your footsteps, he stayed asleep the entire time.

- he wasn’t drunk. hell, do you even have alcohol in the ship? the answer was no. unless you were to drink cleaning alcohol.. but point is. he didn’t get drunk, and he was just that tired. you wonder what kind of new training he’s been trying to do.

- you tried your best to drag him, but once you were beside his bed, you had only one choice.

- you slowly placed him back into his bed, lifting his leg up to remove his shoes - before placing him properly on the bed.

- anya had already excused herself back to her room, and with the silence (and occasional snores from daisuke), you find yourself observing daisuke’s room.

- pink weights, a very, very patterned backpack, and a charger. those were the main things that caught your eyes. 

- .. and you had his ds in your hand. so out of kindness, you went over to plug in his ds for him.

- before you left him alone, you checked up on him for the last time. he’s sleeping soundly. you try to close the door as silently as possible.

- you hope he continues to dream tonight.

- so far the worst thing you had to witness from the male was the absolute mess that was his laundry pile. 

- it started when you - whose room was beside daisuke’s - smelt something akin to the concentrated scent of the (sun) detergent.

- you knocked at his door, and only a muffled wait echoes inside, before you could hear him tripping over his own feet to open the door.

his eyes meet yours - looking quite frazzled. He’s heaving slightly, perhaps a side effect of rushing to get the door.

“h..hi!”

the detergent smell only got stronger, and it became very much obvious that he.. had a little accident with the laundry. your focus flickers between the mess he is, and the mess behind him.

“...did anything happen?”

he chuckles nervously, avoiding eye contact.

“oooff course not! and i almost forgot that i had to- uhm- change my sheets! so see ya soo-”

right as he was about to shut the door, you had kept it wedged open with your shoes. his eyes actually meet yours, again, and you tilt your head slightly, arms folding.

“i can smell it from the hallway. let me help you.”

“no- i can do it!”

you send him a particular stare. it seems to make him falter, and you sigh once more.

“let me help you.”

he looks hesitant, his grip on the handle weakening. a moment passes, and then he closes hie eyes, and smiles at you - defeated.

“alright then... but don't be angry!”

- as you step in the room, you’re met with the sight of.. very, very many bubbles on a stack of clothes. 

- and when you look back at daisuke, he only offers you a guilty grin, and a look that said i told you so

- that’s the story of how your fingers managed to smell like detergent for a whole week, and the event that hallmarked your almost instant closeness with daisuke.

- ever since the laundry accident, you two have been together quite often.

- every lunch break was simply just sitting alone, until anya or daisuke approaches you. If anya approached first, then daisuke followed. if anya couldn’t join you in the lounge, then you’d go to the medical bay, and if you’re allowed in - daisuke would follow right after.

- everytime you manage to get spare time to lounge on the extended sofa, daisuke immediately joins you. the only difference from before was the way he joins you on the couch. sometimes by closing your eyes from behind and asking you to guess (even when it’s apparent), sometimes by jumping or launching himself to the spot beside you.

- every now and then, he scares the living soul out of you. he laughs until you start chasing him with a cup in your hand.

- he tries his best to make you laugh. the best he got so far was an amused stare from you.

- apparently, it’s good enough for him. he cheered the entire night you made that expression.

- on his psych tests, he talks a lot.

- there’s.. not much time to talk to you. you only realise once he starts to talk about his week, instead of his day. 

- nowadays, you focus on getting your analysis done. how each person’s behaviour have changed - in general, of course. you’re not going to mention their every detail, and rather, you ask them to fill out little questionnaires (which is the only detail you’re submitting)

- usually, before you got close, he mainly talks about his day, and only his day. 

- sure you spent a lot of time together, but since this was the only chance to be truly alone, it’s usually the time that he opens up.

- he barely does so. but it’s much easier to see his emotions on his face, with far more vulnerability. 

- it starts from little things, like how he really thinks swansea might get tired of teaching him. or maybe the way jimmy got mad at him because he accidentally spilled oil on his shirt. 

- then it turns to things in his house. how he missed his mother, how he missed seeing his cat, how he felt like he had to take this internship because he felt like he had to prove something.

- you offer him hugs from time to time. he accepts them. 

- sometimes you feel tears soak into your shirt. you try your best to comfort him after. whether it would be rubbing circles into his back, or offering him an extra piece of sunshine - you tried your best.

- you know you aren’t the best at that. but if this is all you can do, then what else should you do?

- sometimes you wonder if this ship really does need to be human automated. 

- what costs do they cut by hiring human workers instead? innovation? investment in machinery? why keep people on barely minimum wages in a random ship being sent out to space, with minimum facilities and minimum safety and security? isn’t it a safer bet to go all out with machinery, then turn a profit later down the line - rather than close to losing this hunk of metal nearly every other day?

- then you look into the lounge in what is assumed to be “six in the morning” - you don’t trust the clocks. everything feels fake - and get hit by literal beams of sunshines in your way ( read : curly, anya, and daisuke laughing together )

- maybe you can keep those thoughts for another day. you ate.. pretty okay pancakes that morning.

- perhaps the only thing you wished you could change, in definite terms, was the way jimmy lingered around anya’s room. 

- so stop it you did. or at the very least, attempted to stop it, you did.

- that’s the main reason you ended up sleeping on the front of anya’s room. (with her permission, of course)

- the reason you proposed to her was, and you quote, 

“i keep on having dreams of cockroaches.” 

- anya looked at you half asleep. the other half concerned, worried, and confused. you shuffled in front of her room, your hand hauling a mattress and your blankets awkwardly.

- .. she finally allowed you after a small while. maybe its because you looked pathetic. maybe its something else. you do not know, and you don't want to know.

- you eventually placed your mattress back into your room (due to the lack of space, you should’ve expected that - your only reason was that you did this on a whim), and slept on the floor, facing the walls with your blanket covering you like a silkworm.

- it’s not comfortable. thank god the tulpar has - at best - subpar air conditioning, otherwise you’d freeze to death in this huge metal hunk in space.

- it successfully warded off jimmy though. or so you’ve observed. so you really don’t mind the way your back aches every morning. 

- maybe you should bring more pillows…

the door behind you croaks slowly, and slowly- your eyes peek open, looking up at a dimmed figure. an anya-looking dimmed figure. you immediately relax back in your blanket.

“..nightmares again?” she looks concerned about your sleeping position. for a moment, you feel bad for lying.

you purse your lips, and nod at her.

“.. yeah.”

she watches from the door, and nods at you. 

you think she finally figured out that you knew about jimmy’s recent lingering. she spares you a thankful glance, and sends you a soft nod.

“..goodnight. thank you.”

you nod back, and once the door shuts back, you slump further. as much as these metal walls allow you, anyway.

you hope you dream this night. maybe of home, or of something sweet. maybe of something better.

you aren't sure what that something is. but you hope you find it soon.

but, oh, who were you kidding.

you never got the chance to dream. this night isn't any different.

you slip into a void; your body awaiting tomorrow.

i hope u enjoyed reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it .. !

initially started off as a daisuke x reader insert but i went too far and suddenly i have this.. this...... series.... will get more into the romance after i world build a bit more.. if you have any specific requests for the reader in this au, don't be afraid to shoot something in my ask box!

extra notes: in order of youngest to oldest, i hc daisuke to be youngest, then reader, then anya, curly/jimmy and swansea !

sun & moon dividers by : @/saradika daytime screen & medical bay from mouthwashing

[andromeda-pleiades]

Just Trust Me

WORD COUNT: 1,828

PAIRING: Simon 'Ghost' Riley x F!Reader

Back by popular demand ٩(◕‿◕)۶, I've decided to make this a 6 part series.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

The morning light seeps through the blinds, casting soft golden streaks across the bedroom. Simon’s arm is draped over your waist, his slow, steady breathing pressing against your back. You keep your eyes shut, feigning sleep, listening for any sign that he’s awake.

Minutes pass before he stirs. He presses a lingering kiss to your shoulder before rolling out of bed. You wait, forcing yourself to breathe evenly, until you hear the shower turn on. Only then do you dare to move.

Downstairs, the scent of coffee fills the air, but something feels off. Simon moves too quietly, his footsteps deliberate. When you enter the kitchen, he’s already at the stove, humming softly—yet the sound feels more like an act than a habit. He glances at you, eyes scanning your face, before flipping an omelet onto your plate.

“You’ve been quiet lately,” he muses, taking a sip of his coffee. “Not feeling sick, are you?”

You shake your head. “Just tired.”

He nods but doesn’t look convinced. His fingers trail across your wrist as he sets down his mug, a slow, almost idle touch—but it lingers. Every word, every gesture, feels like a test.

After breakfast, Simon settles in the living room with his laptop. His presence in the house makes your skin itch, but you keep up appearances, waiting for an opportunity to be alone.

Hours later, Simon finally steps outside to take a call. You move quickly, slipping into the office and grabbing your phone. Your fingers move with purpose, typing in the search bar:

How to leave an abusive relationship safely.

You hit enter. Nothing happens.

The page doesn’t load. You frown, refreshing it, but the screen remains blank. You try again:

Shelters for domestic abuse survivors near me.

Still nothing.

Confused, you navigate to your browser settings, clicking through menus until your stomach drops.

Search history linked to external device.

Your hands go cold.

You scroll further, heart pounding as you see the timestamps. Every site you’ve visited, every search, every desperate late-night inquiry—Simon has seen it all.

The room tilts.

Your mind races back through the past few weeks. The way Simon had made little comments—“What made you think of that?” “That’s an odd thing to look up.”—hadn’t been coincidences.

He had known.

He had always known.

Your breath comes faster, chest tightening. You can’t even look up how to leave. There is no safe way to plan this.

A shadow moves in the doorway.

You whip around, shoving your phone under the desk as Simon leans against the doorframe, arms crossed. His expression is unreadable.

“Everything okay?” he asks.

You nod too quickly. “Yeah. Just—just checking something for work.”

Simon’s lips twitch, almost amused. He steps closer, reaching out, and for a horrible second, you think he’s going to take your phone. But instead, he tilts your chin up, forcing you to meet his gaze.

“You know you can always come to me, right?” he murmurs. “If something’s on your mind?”

The weight of his words presses against your ribs. You nod. “Of course.”

He smiles. “Good girl.”

He leaves the room, his footsteps slow, deliberate. You don’t move until you hear the front door open and shut behind him.

Then, and only then, do you finally let out the breath you’ve been holding.

That night, after Simon falls asleep, you try again.

This time, no Google searches. You open a notes app and type instead:

He’s tracking everything. I need a way out.

You go to delete it—but before you can, the text disappears.

Gone. Erased.

A cold chill races down your spine.

Frantic, you type again.

Can anyone see this?

It vanishes the moment you press enter. Like you never even wrote it.

Simon doesn’t just see your searches. He controls what you can say. What you can keep.

You stare at your phone, fingers trembling. There is no way to look up an escape plan. No way to even write things down.

You are trapped.

You stare at the dark ceiling, heart pounding, as Simon breathes evenly beside you. The weight of the realization crushes down on you, pressing like an iron vice against your ribs.

If you’re going to get out, you can’t rely on your phone. You can’t rely on the internet. You can’t even rely on your own thoughts staying private.

You’re completely, utterly alone in this.

But then… an idea.

Kyle.

Kyle. The only person who might help. Unless... No. He wouldn't be working with Simon. Would he?

You close your eyes, willing your breathing to slow. If Simon is watching for any change in behavior, you can’t let him see the shift in your mind.

So you do what you’ve done so many times before. You bury the fear deep.

You pretend.

You smile in your sleep.

And you start planning in the only place he can’t reach.

Inside your head.

The house is quiet. Simon left fifteen minutes ago, his departure punctuated by a kiss to your forehead and a murmured, “Be good.” Now, you’re finally alone.

You move quickly, slipping into the office and shutting the door behind you. Simon’s desk is organized with clinical precision, but his laptop sits open, the screen dimmed in sleep mode, as if he expects to return soon.

The desktop screen glows to life, requiring a password. Your stomach clenches. You try the basics first—birthdays, anniversaries, military references—but nothing works. Frustration bubbles under your skin until you pause, recalling a memory.

“Captain always said to keep it simple,” Simon had once mentioned, laughing over beers. “Overthinking gets you caught.”

You type the name Tommy and hit enter.

The screen unlocks.

Your breath catches, but you force yourself to focus. If he’s monitoring your phone, there’s no telling what kind of security he has on his computer. But this might be your only chance.

Rows of folders are scattered across the desktop. One catches your eye immediately: OpSec_T141. Your pulse quickens. Task Force 141—Simon’s unit.

You open it. Rows of files populate the screen, names and numbers blurred together in a flood of information. You skim past mission reports and encrypted documents until you find something chillingly familiar.

Your name.

A lump forms in your throat as you click it open. Detailed notes spill across the screen. Timelines. Psychological assessments. Weaknesses. Preferences. Even things you’ve never voiced aloud—your tendency to hesitate in confrontations, your instinct to placate instead of fight.

It’s all there: your schedule, your habits, your fears. The photos are the worst—images of you at the park, at the grocery store, sitting alone on the couch. Your breath turns shallow. He’s been watching you far longer than you realized.

You bite back a sob, forcing yourself to keep reading. One section stands out, labeled Emotional Vulnerabilities. You skim it, horrified. Every private fear you’ve ever shared with Simon is laid out like a blueprint.

Prefers to de-escalate conflict.

Struggles with confrontation.

Easily guilted.

Tendency to freeze under stress.

Your mind flashes to past arguments, to the moments where he’d twisted your own emotions against you. The times he made you feel irrational for doubting him. The way he always knew exactly what to say to make you stay.

Every interaction, every emotional response, cataloged like a case study.

You scroll further. There are other names. Kyle Garrick—Gaz. A woman you don’t recognize. You click on her profile. At the top, the file name reads:

Price’s Woman.

Your stomach churns. The picture attached is grainy but clear enough. A woman with dark, tired eyes, standing beside a man just out of frame. Price.

You click through the notes. The similarities to your file are eerie. Psychological breakdowns. Manipulation tactics. Control strategies. The last entry is chillingly abrupt.

Status: Secured.

Your hands shake as you snap photos of the files. A sudden noise outside makes you flinch. You hurriedly close everything, heart pounding as you return the laptop to its original state.

When Simon walks through the door minutes later, you’re already seated on the couch, pretending to scroll through your phone.

He smiles at you, easy and warm. Too easy.

“Miss me?”

You force yourself to smile back.

The weight of your discovery presses heavy against your chest. Simon isn’t acting alone. Price trained him for this.

You were never supposed to find out.

Dinner is quiet, the soft clink of silverware against porcelain filling the space between you. Simon’s gaze lingers on you more than usual, studying your every movement. You keep your expression neutral, offering small smiles, playing the role he wants you to play. Inside, your mind races with everything you discovered earlier.

“So,” Simon starts, setting down his fork. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Your fingers tighten around your own utensils. “What is it?”

His smile is easy, affectionate. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small, elegant box. “A gift.”

A cold weight settles in your stomach. You force yourself to keep your hands steady as you take the box and lift the lid. Inside, nestled in black velvet, is a delicate silver bracelet. The design is simple, understated—something you might have picked for yourself.

“It’s beautiful,” you murmur, running a finger over the smooth metal. You don’t miss the way his eyes flicker with satisfaction.

“I wanted you to have something to remind you of me while I’m gone.” He leans forward, brushing a kiss against your temple. “And something to keep you safe.”

Your throat tightens. The implication is clear. You turn the bracelet over in your hands, pretending to admire the craftsmanship while discreetly searching for anything unusual. It doesn’t take long—there, near the clasp, a barely visible indentation.

A tracker.

You swallow down the nausea rising in your chest. Of course, Simon would frame it as protection, as a sign of love. But this is just another layer of control.

You force yourself to look at him, let warmth seep into your voice. “Thank you, Simon. I love it.”

He beams, taking your wrist and fastening it for you. His fingers linger, thumb grazing over your pulse. “I love you too.”

The words feel heavier than usual. You smile back, keeping the mask firmly in place.

Tonight, you decide, you won’t just endure this. You won’t just wait. You’ll start pushing, subtly, carefully. Testing the edges of the cage he’s built around you.

You tilt your head, letting your expression shift into something thoughtful. “When do you leave?”

“Next week,” he says, studying your reaction. “It won’t be long.”

You let your smile falter, just slightly. “I’ll miss you.”

Simon’s eyes soften, and he reaches for your hand. “I’ll miss you too, sweetheart. But you’ll be safe. You’ll be here.”

You nod, feigning acceptance. But inside, something shifts. He wants you to stay in place, trapped under his watchful eye. That means your time is running out.

You need to act soon. And you need to be careful.

[pleasestayawayidonotlikeyou]

The headcanons you wrote for Berry and Rasp were so good! Would you be willing to do some romantic headcanons for the cool skellies? (Cross, fresh, and epic?) I'm so excited to see what other stuff you write and draw!

Oh my thank you traveler! I hope you enjoy the future content on my blog <3

Featuring:Fresh, Epic, Cross.

Masterlist

Fresh

Traveler did you really fall for a parasite?

Looks like you have a very cool datemate broski!

Fresh definitely has trouble showing affection at first, he's never been in a relationship before ya know?

However, he asks his best buddy Dream for advice! He also asked Ink and Error but they didn't have very useful advice

He's not a fancy guy, nah, he's taking you to the skate park or just a random park for a date and doing picnics until the moon appears.

Does not have a house of his own, he's a parasite, he doesn't work silly, so he lives with you on the omega timeline.

He tries to help around the house, he swears the microwave exploded on its own though!

I headcannon most Sanses as tall, and Fresh's probably the tallest (if we're not counting with Ted) , it's pretty common how much he picks you up just because he wants to.

Sometimes he says he's "going to work" and comes back hours later, turns out his "job" is annoying the living shit out of Error.

If you ever want to learn skate boarding he'll gladly teach you with a smile stuck on his face during the process.

Epic

Oh my, dating the King of memes are we traveler?

He's one of the best skeletons to date on the multiverse, lives in the omega timeline, is funny, treats you like you're the most important person who ever existed for him, now that I think about it you're kinda lucky traveler.

Talking about memes, he lags your phone with how much he sends you, Epic does not have pity on your poor phone.

He's the type of guy who the moment you ask for attention, he's cuddling you in the couch while a movie's playing on the TV.

Epic surprisingly knows more about the multiverse than how to cook. He managed to burn pasta. PASTA.

Grabs random cats from the street and adopts them, y'all have like 6 cats now, and one is named oi oi oi... Please stop your man traveler...

Makes you laugh on every opportunity he gets, especially when you're feeling down.

Takes you out to outertale pretty regularly, and every time he points at the brightest star he sees and says "Look at it darling! It's ya!"

Cross

Sometimes Killer teases you asking if you got yourself a boyfriend or a dog.

This is because Cross kinda acts like a guard dog, he's big and he can be scary when he wants to, plus, he works with Nightmare! What if someone tries to take you hostage? He can't let that happen can he?

I am aware that in canon Cross isn't part of the bad Sanses and all, but in this version he works with Nightmare destroying and terrorizing worlds to reconstruct his own.

You're definitely not living in the omega timeline, you're living on his unfinished AU instead!

He's used to waking up early, 6 am maximum, so when he sees your cute sleeping face laying next to him, he just can't let himself get up without filling your face with kisses.

Chara teases him for being such a softie around you.

Cross loves sleepy cuddles in the morning, especially when you're burying your head on his chest while murmuring for him to get back to sleep.

When he gets back from a long mission he usually brings you small gifts he thinks you'd like.

[ohtobeleah]

Grief in Grace and Memory // A Goodbye

Woah…guys. 🥹 The love and support in my asks and DMs is beyond my ability to express my thanks.

If you missed episode three (the month that was March) of season 26 of Leahs Life, heres a recap. This is my experience and a little of Dads eulogy I wrote. Tw: surgery/death

On Monday the 10th of March, I underwent a exploratory laparoscopy to diagnose suspected endometriosis. I also underwent a tubal dye study to confirm the viability of my fertility and fallopian tube quality.

-> Diagnosis: Endometriosis and a non-viable left tube. 🥲

Four days after surgery, on Friday night, my dad had a major medical episode that required immediate medical attention and care. I was told not to lift anything substantial for a few weeks. Because although routinely done through keyhole, a laparoscopy is still major abdominal surgery that requires recovery.

However, dad needed help and at the time I was the only one who could. I made sure to get him off the floor before paramedics arrived.

Adrenalin is a fantastic biological response to emergency situations. With less than 45 minutes of sleep for Friday night, as I'd gone to bed close to midnight, it kept me going for the next 17hrs.

My sister (who joined us at 4am after 41 missed phone calls and a frantic dash to her house) and I, made sure all of dads advanced care directives were followed. My mother was inconsolable.

I've never experienced anything like this before. The ICU. The family waiting room that's off to the side where doctors ask you and your loved ones to wait for hours on end while they do everything humanly possible to keep your loved one alive.

I remember about 10 hours into the traumatic experience, I was lying on the floor of the waiting room with my legs bent at the knees on the nearest chair. My stomach was in fire. My incision sights were burning, and the gas trapped in my right shoulder was extremely uncomfortable.

But my dad was dying…the emotional toll of knowing that was far worse than the physical pain I was in.

I had a doctor in emergency check my stomach and administer some pain relief to get me through the next 7 hours of pure hell. (I am still under strict recovery orders)

The waiting. The unknowing. The sadness. The sorrow. The sound of delusional laughter that sets in as your husband and brother in law try their best to keep your mother, a soon-to-be widow, occupied by infomercials that repeat over and over again.

And then comes the hardest conversation you ever hear and never want to be apart of again. Its the conversation that the doctor has with a patients family when all avenues have been explored…Dads not coming home…

The disbelief sets in quickly. I'd grown up believing in the theory that Dad was going to be the only person who survived the end of days. He was always so indestructible. Immortal. Even though the last seven years of his life as he battled two aggressive forms of throat/tyriod cancer.

But here I found myself, saying goodbye to my Dad for the final time. My mother, my sister, my husband, my brother-in law, and later my grandmother would all say goodbye. And at 6:30pm on March the 15th 2025, my Dad passed away.

He chose to go when we weren't there. He didn't want us there to see him like that.

And the truth is, I’ve been trying to write this all week. I've been too preoccupied by this one bumblebee that won't stop harassing me around the house. I've convinced myself it’s Dad.. and don't get it twisted either, it’s not just a regular bee.

There's a difference, bumblebees are much larger and fly without any sort of conviction. So, instead of writing this, I've been researching bumblebees and why this one specific one keeps trying to fly into the house and keeps making a B-line straight for the garage.

I’ve found it quite challenging to commemorate and summarise my dad’s entire 61 years in a eulogy. I’ve had way too many memories clashing around in my head to really sit and organise any of the chaos and pick out a select few. But four things came to mind every time I tried to sit down and express our family’s love.

Dad was never a man of frills. I was ever convinced he owned anything but work shorts and tracksuit pants until I was at least seven. He’d wear the same shirt until it was falling off. But that was just Dad. He never turned down grabbing a beer or two at the ‘Redacted’ Tav with his mates, he lived for family barbecues on a hot summer’s afternoon with all the cousins, aunties, uncles and friends... And whenever the opportunity presented itself, Dad loved to grab the paper and sneak down to ‘Redacted’ Beach to watch the waves, listen to the races and enjoy his vices.

If you passed Dad on the road, you were sure to receive the classic one-finger wave of acknowledgement, or in dad code, the ‘ol mate’ in the old Rodeo Ute that’s held together by hopes, dreams and a hell of a lot of bog. A blessing so meaningful, that if you were ever lucky enough to receive an ‘ol mate’ I wholeheartedly believe that it is now one of the most lucrative clubs to be a member of. The old mates club.

I’ll forever cherish the memories of butcher runs and icy poles, the laughs shared during late-night holiday fun, and the adrenaline rush ‘redacted’ and I felt when we would steal Dad’s high-quality concrete sand for our much more important backyard cooking show.

I'm sure it was a joint effort, but to my very core I attribute my first real-world experience to the whole ‘actions have consequences, even though the consequences were not a direct result of my own actions’... to Dad. you see, it may not look like it now, but I was well and truly a ratbag of a kid. So much so that if I didn't knock it off and knock it off quickly, that brand new fibreglass pool that had only just been installed, would be up in the air faster than I could blink.

I knocked whatever I needed to right off because summer was right around the corner and I wasn't hightailing it to the beach every day. So I worked on fixing the attitude I’d come across. Only to come home the next day to the same fibreglass pool I had made my entire personality for at least six months, was in the air, as promised by my dad who was actively encouraging the crane to lift it higher.

Cut back to little Leah for five seconds…Picture the tears, the crying, the guttural pain of a little girl whose pool was being taken away before she even got the chance to swim in it. I was, rightfully so, devastated beyond belief. And if you could suspend your belief in reality momentarily for me, I can not stress to you all how much I thought the world was ending and I would never recover from the fact my Dad had followed through with his promise of taking away my beloved pool.

If you’re still tuned in, amongst my grief and completely understandable crash out, I missed a crucial piece of information. It had rained the night I had been up sorting my attitude out. The pool had popped out of its hole and rain that had made its way under the pool, needed to be drained…

In hindsight, and the point of telling this specific memory, is perhaps if I had taken a second to look at the bigger picture around me, I would have seen that, although my world was ending and my brief run-in with what a heart attack must feel like, scared be into rethinking my entire personality, that if I took a moment to process the situation, I’d be sad for a while about my pool, but life would keep going, the tides would still push and pull, the earth would keep spinning and the sun would rise the next day.

As an adult, I keep thinking back to this moment, because while we try to process living in a world without Dad, the tides will continue to push and pull. The world will continue to spin, but the sun will always look a little more impactful now that someones up there to paint the skies and keep the cold ones cold.

Although actions have consequences, the biggest consequence Dad ever had to deal with was having a family that loved him till his last breath…

Because like fuck was he gonna go through life without one.

***~***~***~***~

[empresskaze]

Ok it's only been 6 months since I wrote this Ambrose and Cecil drabble based on @mimikusu ask (and who gifted me this amazing fanart!) but I finally completed what will be the 2nd part of at least 3 (maybe 4 depending). Working title is Trouble in Paradise but I don't love it....so it might change. Enjoy!

~~~~

Truthfully, Ambrose wasn't surprised when he woke up well before sunrise to find Cecil no longer by his side. In their time together, they'd only shared the full night together once.

He also was not surprised at how congested he felt, given the sneezing he'd been doing before finally drifting off to sleep.

Looking over, he noticed a stack of pristine handkerchiefs on the bedside table along with a note in Cecil's hand.

Wishing you a swift recovery

Ambrose smiled and then sighed, taking one to rub the growing itch. Not fast enough.

Heh’TCHh! Ih’TSHh!

His lungs not even healed from his last illness squeaked with every exhale. Staying in bed definitely felt like a fine idea, though he worried about Cecil's well-being after all that time spent in the rain. Ambrose didn't have much time to dwell on it as his wavering breath hitched again.

Hhhh...Hh…h-hihh...Heh'eshuhh! Heh'KSHewww! Heh'TxrCHshuh! Ng'TCHht!

"Merciful heavens." He groaned, handkerchief clasped firmly over his poor nose. After blowing his nose forcefully, Ambrose debated on simply dressing and finding Cecil but the cough that broke out decided against that. So after a change into comfortable clothes, Ambrose read in bed, sneezing and coughing into his handkerchiefs until a knock came later in the afternoon.

"Mr. Beaumont," A young gentleman entered pushing a tray, "Master Lockhart ordered your meals to be taken here today." The man smiled as he wheeled the food over to the bedside.

Ambrose nodded with a faint smile, "Please thank Cecil for me." He said, trying not to sniffle, "and ask that he visit at his earliest convenience."

The young footman looked up nervously as he set out the food. "Master Lockhart is currently away at Lord Lockhart's request. They had business to attend to."

"I see." Ambrose said, clutching his handkerchief. "Well, if he returns at a reasonable hour, please tell him to come see me." Though he had a sinking feeling, he'd be alone today.

After setting up the food, the footman left, leaving Ambrose lying in bed. He ate, though not a lot. His thoughts drifted to what Cecil business he was attending to, and why couldn't Clifford have managed instead? "It must deal with antiques." Ambrose muttered to himself before catching another volley of cold sneezes in his handkerchief.

A maid brought him tea, some syrup for his cough which tasted terrible but other than staff checking in on him, per Cecil's request, Ambrose spent a long, boring, lonely day in bed, staring out the window at the meadow beyond the garden, wishing he and Cecil were once again riding through it.

****

The Next Morning

The halls of the main floor were bustling with activity, Ambrose then remembered tonight was the first night of the party Edmund was hosting this weekend, no wonder they'd cleared the tree yesterday. The recipients of invitations would be arriving in the coming hours, some staying at Edmund's estate, others staying at their own only coming to enjoy the party.

Many servants bid good day to him as he meandered down corridors looking for Cecil, stopping only to muffle his cold into a handkerchief, staff blessing him as they passed.

Finally, nearing the entrance to Edmund's personal art gallery, Ambrose spied a familiar figure speaking with Clifford and a few others, whom Ambrose did not recognize.

Hovering in the door, Ambrose didn't wish to interrupt them, but Clifford noticed him, giving a knowing look to Cecil, who turned. Ambrose's heart sank at how tired and uncharacteristically pale the antiques dealer looked.

Excusing himself, Cecil approached Ambrose, taking his arm, ushering him to the side near an alcove. "Why are you out of bed, belle?" He asked, brow knitted with concern.

Ambrose frowned, "Tis a mere cold, Hart, I kept to my room all day yesterday without a word from you. Besides tomorrow is...the..." 

Hp’Ndghx!

Turning away he masked a harsh wet stifle which shot pain through his sinuses. "Art auction is it not? I assumed you'd need my services." He sniffled hard trying to regain some form of control.

Cecil brought a hand up massaging his forehead, it was then Ambrose noticed the subtle sweat beads around his hairline.

"Staff kept me abreast of your condition," Cecil said quietly, "I was needed urgently at my father's request yesterday..."

"Of course you were." Ambrose interrupted.

"...the sale of several items he wanted to procure for auction." Cecil tilted his head, his face softening as he took in Ambrose's state, "My apologies for being away whilst you were bedridden, but you still should rest, your cold does not appear to have subsided plus your lungs sound..."

Ambrose put a hand up, "Where are the items?" He asked, looking around, hoping a distraction would help against the tickle he felt growing again.

Confused, Cecil raised an eyebrow, "Pardon?"

"You purchased items, I assume paintings or sculptures for your father." Ambrose subtly rubbed his nose against his handkerchief, sniffling. "I'd like to assess them, I am your personal appraiser, remember." He smiled hoping it would transfer to Cecil.

However, this was not the case. Ambrose noticed the faintest twitch in Cecil's eye. "What Hart?" He asked, placing a hand on Cecil's arm.

"Ambrosia...please do not be upset..." Cecil, forgetting himself, cupped Ambrose's face as a splash of red flushed across it.

"W-what?"

Cecil's mouth opened to form words, as if whatever was forming took all his power to speak one syllable.

"Lockhart!" A voice called. Cecil immediately cursed, dropping his hand from Ambrose's face, who still had not broken his own eye contact.

"N-no...you...didn’t..." Ambrose's lip quivered, refusing to turn toward the voice which slowly approached them.

"Lockhart, if you're ready, I have the...oh Beaumont, I wasn't anticipating seeing you. Lockhart informed me you were laid up recovering from being ill."

"Did he?" Ambrose said through gritted teeth as he finally turned to the older man who stood before them. "Well, Reginald, you'll be pleased to know I've..." He swallowed in an effort to once again quell the increasing tickly. "Made a swift...recovery." A slight cough escaped him.

Thomas Reginald raised an eyebrow, "Truly excellent news. I trust you'll be at the gala tonight?"

"Mr. Beaumont..." Cecil began.

"Will definitely be in attendance, I wouldn't dream of missing it, especially as Cecil's personal appraiser." The last two words he overly emphasized while looking up at Cecil, who remained rigid.

"Wonderful. I look forward to discussing my acquisitions with you." Reginald nodded his head then pivoted to Cecil, "Your ear when you're finished, please." Though his smile was genuine, it made Ambrose's blood bubble.

"Of course." Cecil said, waiting for the appraiser of Lord Worthington to be out of ear shot.

"Ambrosia, listen..." He started turning back.

"Don't ‘Ambrosia’ me, Cecil. How could you?" Ambrose felt tears stinging the edges of his eyes, "Reginald? Of all the appraisers you asked Worthington's? You know how I despise him!" Ambrose's strained voice broke. He sniffed back tears hoping in some way Cecil could explain this betrayal.

Cecil, looking over his shoulder, pulled Ambrose further into the alcove. "Lord Worthington will not be attending this weekend, hence why he sent his staff." He replied, trying to keep his voice hushed.

"Is that supposed to bring comfort?" Ambrose pulled away his arm, "Don't you dare think for one moment he won't take...pride...in..." His breath staggered, Ambrose fought against the growing pain in his chest along with the tears welling, which in turn caused his congestion to loosen. Sniffling thickly, he pivoted away from Cecil in a vain attempt to hide his growing struggles. The tickle, which had been slumbering, now pricked again as his tears made his nose run. He coughed into his handkerchief before swiftly dabbing at his eyes. Ambrose then glared back at Cecil, his heart tugging seeing those grey eyes distressed. "You know...Worthington will revel in Reginald appraising your fathers acquisitions." He spat the name.

"I wished not to disturb you, belle." Cecil said, his own voice wavering, "After the incident in the rain, the chill you caught..."

"As did you!"

"I am fine, but with your..." Cecil's eyes darted to the room then back, which made Ambrose's temper rise, "Difficulties, I preferred that you rested. Reginald was a mere last-minute decision." He placed his hand on Ambrose's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "You know I trust your eye more than anyones."

"Yet you still let that pompous windbag get the better of me again." Teardrops now fully streaming down Ambrose's cheeks. A sharp intake of breath, another thick sniffle, Ambrose could still see out the corner of his blurred vision; the two men had an audience even if most were pretending not to be listening.

"Well..." Ambrose stepped back from Cecil, swiftly wiping at his eyes, "As my services are not required, please do not let...me keep you, Mr Lockhart. Perhaps you'll make time tonight, though I understand if my time is simply not worth yours."

Before Cecil could reply, Ambrose nodded politely then stormed out of the room, down the hall towards the back staircase away from guests who might be arriving. Tears stained his face, his nose running terribly, he balled his handkerchief over it, blowing it softly. His lungs, anguished from trying to keep up with his stamina, broke as he coughed harshly. Ambrose ducked into a small side room. It was furnished with a few chairs, a fireplace, bookshelves, and a fine layer of dust.

Bending forward, he hacked into his handkerchief, expelling air from his burning lungs. Not even a moment after he regained his breath, his nose twitched as blowing it had done nothing to soften the reignited tickle. Ambrose's congested breath hitched hard as he sneezed forcefully twice.

Heh… heh-TSCH’iew! Hhh’juschew!

Cupping both hands over his now sodden handkerchief, he blew his poor nose again, which had begun to sting from all the attention it received. That only caused more issues, Ambrose distressfully rubbed it, hoping to calm his sinuses, but nothing helped.

Ng'TCHht! Heh'ESHHuh! Es’chHHeheww! Heh’TCHh! Hn’TSHjuh!

Finally the fit passed, Ambrose forcibly blew his nose, firmly rubbing the sides of his inflamed nostrils.

"Well bless you."

Ambrose's head shot up, his vision partly blurry due to remaining tears, but he knew the voice of Ephraim Lockhart.

"You don't sound well." Cecil's brother said, smiling coyly, holding out a handkerchief. "Take it."

Hesitantly, Ambrose took it, as his own was sorely in need of washing. "Thank you, Freddy." He said quietly, dabbing at his eyes and then his nose once more. Sniffling, he turned away, giving another small blow before clearing his throat.

Ephraim, who preferred going by Freddy, gave a flourishing bow. Whereas Cecil always wore monochrome, the middle Lockhart brother loved bold colors and patterns. A fine red satin ascot and brightly embroidered flowered waistcoat adorned him, "I heard you'd been ill again, didn't expect to find you in this state, hiding in...." He quickly did a once over of the room, then waved dismissively, "Whatever father uses this for." He took a step toward Ambrose, who in response backed away. The shortest of the brothers and a bit stockier, Freddy's personality alone made him feel as if he towered over those taller. Ambrose swallowed nervously.

Cocking his head slightly, Freddy's grin widened as he studied Ambrose's face. "Trouble in paradise?"

Ambrose felt his face flush hot, "I-I-I don't know what you could mean by-by-by that...nothing is wrong, I've simply have a cold that..." His words cut with a congested cough.

Freddy laughed, gesturing a hand in the air as he pulled back, "Beaumont, you're a terrible liar."

Not having to worry about being the heir apparent, the notorious playboy circled Ambrose like a shark upon a wounded fish. "My my my, I definitely understand why Cecil fancies you. Those curls and porcelain skin, poor nose the color reminiscent of a setting summer sun. It must be a devil of a cold."

Ambrose looked away, clearing his throat again, "If that's all, Freddy, I'll be...ta..ta..." His face slacked, Ambrose sneezed again into the provided handkerchief.

Heh'ESHHuh!

"Excuse me..." He said rushing past Ephraim, who wiggled his fingers in a mock wave.

"Gods." Ambrose muttered into the cloth as he walked along the corridor back to his room. A growing headache loomed from all the sneezing. As much as he wanted to spend the rest of the day hiding beneath his covers, he needed to get this ailment under control. He would be attending tonight's event and the auction tomorrow.

Back in his room, the tears he wasn't able to shed after Freddy's interruption fell. How could Cecil do this to him? Ambrose went through most of the stack of handkerchiefs that had been left for him as he sobbed. Now he stood looking at his pale, tired red rimmed eyes, chapped nose in the mirror. Maybe he shouldn't go, he looked frightful. Then he remembered Reginald wanting to speak with Cecil and his fist balled angrily.

A knock at the door brought him out of his stupor. "Mr Beaumont, are you in?" Never had Ambrose been happier to hear Molly.

"Yes, please come in." He said, straightening his waistcoat, hoping not to appear as disheveled as he felt.

Molly walked in, giving a curtsy to him, "My apologies, sir, the Master sent for me yesterday, but I could only find passage on this morning's train. He said you'd taken ill?"

Ambrose rolled his eyes at the mention of her employer. "It's nothing terrible, Molly, though I am pleased you're here, I require your care in efforts to rid myself of this infernal congestion so as I might attend...tonight's festivities." A cough escaped him.

"With all due respect, sir, the Master requested you stay in bed tonight." Molly replied hesitantly.

"With all due respect to you, Molly, I do not give a damn what the Master asks of me tonight." Ambrose said, loosening his tie. "Now, please fetch me some medicinal rub for my chest as I might flush out this cold."

"Yes, sir." Molly said, grinning before exiting his chambers.

[jazeswhbhaven]

Funny that Ch 7 finally came out just when I was going to leave WHB aside. I mean I still did because now it's just a game that I don't touch until it updates with something worth reading. Anyway back to my overthinking nonsense and I'm running on 3 hours of sleep so here we go!

Someone on twitter pointed something out of the fact Foras seems to not mind at all about MC taking every demon dick possible, but yet he gets pissed of the idea that MC has a baby with their childhood friend. Listen, Foras is my favorite, but it all goes back to PB's questionable choices in writing. I can overlook the whole being a peeping tom while invisible but I do wonder why they gave a voyeur philia to an Envy-based devil and be so inconsistent with it. I mean I guess it gives writers Yandere opportunities but I'm not a fan of that genre. I love the Foras content, what I don't love that he's madly in love with a terrible MC. Do better my guy, there's a ton of people out there who would love you better than that default MC, who won't love you at all because they're taking multiple dicks in less than 24 hours.

Speaking of bad PB writing, it seems like the general consensus is Levi needs to be kicked down several flights of stairs and as someone who initially picked him and liked him, I REALLY agree because....seriously what the hell did I read? I hate that I focus on the negative stuff but honestly where did the development of Ch.6 go? Just when it felt okay, that trainwreck of dealing with Levi getting plot armor and MC being a wet blanket again. IDK if I'm being choked I'd fight my way out or something, or panic. Not my last thoughts being Levi has a bad past and then cry about that, and god why did they have to write in the "WAAAAHHHHH" parts? Like no one's written that way since early 2000s, at least for me. Like I would like to say MC has gained some backbone but I really don't see it. They're just existing to be every demon's sex toy.

I skipped the H scenes actually, mainly because I just don't have interest in them. But I know MC is loathing Barbatos for the poison thing which is the ONLY thing that's consistent here. But like, PB does that to Barbatos, but Levi has gotten how many passes from trying to kill MC? Foras even got slapped for protecting MC. wtf is this inconsistency? Seriously I'm revoking WHB rights from PB and giving it to someone else. Just anyone who can actually make this game good in writing, gameplay, and features. delete the MC please. Delete Levi too, or at least delete the entirety of that scene because man I cannot right now.

And the PG 13 WHB game? Seriously what the hell is going on here? You spend resources to make a rated 13 game that is actually WORSE than your existing one instead of focusing on improving the existing one?

thank god for this community existing to keep everyone fed.

-💭

And another inbox thought from 💭 anon (this isn't a bad thing I like reading them)

First and foremost like to point out what you said about speaking in negativity, which I mean...you're pointing out something you'd like to see done better and I think that warrants a valid viewpoint. Anything other than "I just don't like PB or this game, fuck it all" (this is fine to admit too but at some point saying it more than once or twice means you probably should just not play or pay attention to the fandom lol)

I do wish PB would remember their own details for characters between making the side stories actually coexist and be canon with one another but in the main story suddenly MC just forgets everything that they learned in the side stories? I need a better what happened in what time frame because piecing it together myself just has me wondering if I'm even correct.

Now speaking on Foras??? I believe they may have wrote that weird instance of immense jealously because while he knows he can compete with everyone else other than Levi, he can't compare to a human child created by another 'human' (because I'm second guessing if Minhyeok is actually human now). But that's my wishful thinking of why they had Foras act like that.

And usually I'd talk about MC, but I am exhausted about talking about them. Everyone here knows how I feel about them at this point to where it's embarrassing lol It's the same with the pg13 version. I've seen a few opinions formed about it, and I'm like yeah what a waste of time and money on their part. And that Levi scene? Yeah I've spoke on that too, 💀

As far as stepping away from the game until there's something worth signing in for, I'm hoping there's some hope for old players to come back because something cool did happen! With the updated designs, and new bloodshed cards, I'm hoping they've got something good coming up!

[keysorsomething]

Before the Sun Rises / Caught

1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7

The double feature chapters I wrote :) Just wanna say thanks to everyone who's supported these fics, it makes me very happy to see all the likes and reblogs !!

Cross-posted on ao3

Before the Sun Rises

You awake the next morning with no pressure on your chest and nothing in your arms. Still half-asleep, you look around the room. You’re disoriented, like when you take a three-hour nap in the middle of a weekday and wake up covered in sweat and unaware of the concept of time. One thing you catch is that the room is still dark, but you would guess that it’s always dark in here. You haven’t seen a window, after all. You start to rub the sleep from your eyes, fighting a yawn as you try to find the man who seems to have disappeared into the night. Melting into the darkness, as he had each time before.

“Nikto?” You ask, sitting up. Or at least you try, before strong hands meet your shoulders and shove you back into the pillow. You spot his blue eyes staring down at you almost ridiculing, clearly not pleased with your attempt to get out of bed. It’s almost startling, the speed and force with which you’re slammed back, not the hardest you had been slammed into something, but it was sure lacking any form of gentle grace you would expect from the motion. In this context at least. But you’re too tired to really think about the strength in him like you had before or to think about how he had seemingly teleported into your sight and personal space with no sign of where he was prior.

“Stay,” Nikto’s voice growls out. You look up at him, confused and groggy. He lowers himself back on the bed, and then back onto your chest. “I was not done,” He huffs, taking the sleeve of your shirt between two fingers. He pulls on the fabric, turning it over in his hand. His eyes narrow at it, as if your sleeve had offended him.

“Okay,” You mumble, letting your eyes fall back shut. You spend a while like that, enjoying it. Laying on your back with him on your chest, feeling the gentle pull of his hand as he busies himself with your shirt sleeve. It’s a moment of peace, expanded when he stops pulling at your sleeve - it was actually kind of annoying - and instead, his hand rests on your bicep, unmoving. He lets out a soft sigh, and you assume he closed his eyes too. Your breathing synchronizes, as your hand goes back to rubbing his shoulders like you had been doing the night before.

“You will come back tonight,” He states firmly, breaking the shared moment of silence. Your eyes shoot open and your hands pause, unsure how exactly to respond. You did want to come back again. Hell, you wanted to move in with him. You dare to even think you want the world to melt away, for time to be this moment and this moment alone, always and forever, but should you really let him boss you around like that? Should you just agree? Should you agree enthusiastically, with a ‘yes, sir!’? Or do you say no on principle?

“Can you ask nicely?” In a patronizing tone is what comes out of your mouth instead. Like a mom talking to a toddler who just demanded ice cream or something. You don’t have many references for modern-day parenting in the army. Maybe you shouldn’t compare those two things, that was kind of weird. But it wasn’t mansplaining patronizing - and you knew mansplaining, since that was the only thing that came out of Graves’ mouth - it was the other kind. You had no other words for it.

Nikto groans, presumably rolling his eyes, “You will please visit us again tonight,” He corrects, but he doesn’t seem all too happy about it. “пожалуйста?” He breaks out the big guns. How do you deny a masked man who’s speaking in his mother tongue? It may be your biggest weakness.

You sigh, conceding, “Okay. I will,” And he lets out a pleased rumble. A sound you could very much get used to.

“Now go back to sleep,” He huffs grumpily. “пожалуйста..?” You almost listen instantly, but then another thought pops into your head.

“What time is it?” You ask, the thought of being caught once more nagging at the very back of your psyche. He lets out another less-than-pleased huff of a breath at you, this time through his nose. But, hey, is he really blaming you for worrying about both your careers? His head shifts so his eyes meet yours better, and you see a small smudge of eye black left over from him watching it on his right eyelid, hugging the lash line. It almost looks like eyeliner. You also see the curve of his nose. That is skin that is clearly scarred, looking like it would be rough to touch. Healed burns, probably. Chemical burns that stretch over from the right of his face. You aren’t too sure how the mask is doing that, as all of the points where it attaches to the blast plate seem intact, and it’s only a small dip from where it normally sits. You decide not to comment on it, however.

“Early. Four-fifty or so,” He replies firmly. “I would not let you overstay your welcome,” His words are aggressive in phrasing but soft in tone. An odd combo he seems to use often, which you can’t be sure if that is just him or because he isn’t a native English speaker. But, his brows soften too, his hand sliding up but hesitating to make contact with your face or hair. It retreats away. When you look into his eyes, you feel like he wants nothing more than to touch you, and you feel he agrees that this moment is ever so precious. But he doesn’t want to touch you. Perhaps he’s afraid, or perhaps he doesn’t like his face being touched, so he won’t touch yours. The Golden Rule and all that. But you still smile softly down at him, gently rubbing his back. A silent encouragement to do as he pleases, one that is not listened too. After just a beat, you speak again. There’s no point in making the fleeting movement a whole ordeal.

“Well, wake me up when I have,” You tell him, trying to keep your voice low and comforting, the way he likes. He nods in response, eyes staring up at you warily. You both share for a moment the fear of being found out, but you don’t voice it to him. And he does not voice it back.

“Of course,” Nitko mumbles, sliding back into the position he was before your question. You chuckle, wrapping your arms tight around him as he matches the gesture, and lean your head into his. You take a deep breath, letting the whole moment sink into you. The warmth and weight of the man on your chest, the sound of his breathing, the feeling of the cold, hard blast plate against your cheek. It’s all the best thing to ever happen in this place, and you have a feeling it’s the best thing to have ever happened to him.

You sigh, it's nice to share this moment with him. Every moment over the past few days had been precious. You let your head fall back - you had been keeping it up to look at him - but keep your eyes on him as best you can. You still your hand on his back, letting your arm fall limp. He shifts his head slightly on your chest, fully committed to using you as a pillow. The image of him and his peacefully rising chest is wiped away by your eyes falling back shut.

---

Caught

You reawaken to a soft patting of a gloved hand on your cheek. Your eyes open to Nikto just a few inches from his face, his hand gently twapping your cheek to wake you up. You groan, your muscles stretching as best you can under the weight.

“It is time you leave,” He mumbles, but you can see the disappointment in his eyes. “You do not have much time to get back to the barracks before the rest wake up.”

You pout, blinking up at him, “…How come you get a room all to yourself? It’s not fair,” You mumble, closing your eyes. His bed was so much more comfortable than your cot. And it was so much better than sleeping in a room with multiple other people. Just you and him. There’s a moment where you desire much more of this. So much more of this, in a much more domestic manner, but that fantasy is short-lived by a second round of pats on your cheek that don’t relent until your eyes open back up.

“It was a specific request,” Nikto replied, eyes narrowed on you as he tries to keep you from falling back asleep. As always, they are an icy blue that doesn’t match the feeling of having them on you at all. But by now they feel so much cooler than before, like a warm hug or a heated blanket instead of a hot iron. “I told them I would not take the job if they did not accommodate me.”

You nod, rubbing your eyes with a huff. That makes sense, you think. He seems like the guy to do that. Your eye opens now that your hand isn’t over it, and he hasn’t moved. Something a part of you deep inside is grateful for. You don’t know how well you could cope if he was gone just like that. Like how he had appeared earlier. That thought doesn’t last long, none of them do. He was just so much to think about. His eyes are wide, wild as they look down at you. He seems to think that you’re a lot to think about too. Or perhaps you’re assigning that to him, like when people speak for dogs and cats. You’ve been doing that with him a lot more often since that night in the armory. His eyes get a little less wide, and then even less wide. Until his eyes look closed, but you can tell they’re still partly open. God, he has pretty eyelashes.

He then, all at once, presses his still-masked face into yours. The fabric of the mask covering his mouth is rough against your lips. There’s no movement under it, almost as if he’s just smooshing his lips into yours like he isn’t sure how to do it. You feel the cold metal of the blast plate pushing into your forehead like a headache. It almost hurts, but there’s no way it’s enough. Somehow being too much and too little, but not just right. Your hand goes up to cup his cheek, but you don’t get the chance too. You didn’t even get the chance to close your eyes or lean into the kiss. It’s gone all at once, the same way it came. The pressure on your chest where he was laying there, on your forehead where the protruding parts of the metal dug into your skull, the rough fabric almost painfully hot on the skin of your lips, all of it. He pulls away before you can fully process it, before you can take it in for all of its glory. He rolls off of you, laying on the bed next to you facing away, partly curled up. You have to take a moment before you can do anything. You just kissed the Nikto. No, you were just kissed by The Nikto.

“Nikto?” You ask, voice soft and wavering, like if you speak too loud you’ll create a rip in space-time and it will have never happened. He cuts you off before you get any more in.

“Go,” He responds gruffly, and you nod, pulling off the bed. You’re a little stunned, and you do have places to be. You’d be worried that he was upset with you, but you have a feeling he’s just processing it, the same as you. Maybe he’s worried you’re upset with him? You almost feel like you need to cover up, and are subconsciously pulling the covers with you as you try to. You notice when you almost trip, but you catch yourself and throw them back on the bed. You take a deep breath, trying to ground yourself before speaking. And before leaving. You had appearances to keep up once you got back to the barracks and you had the three musketeers riding your dick.

“Okay,” You squeak, backing away. Your voice sounds so much more pathetic than you wanted it too, and you really can’t be having that. “See you tonight,” You say very quickly, hoping he’ll know you aren’t upset with him. You then promptly spin on your heels, and swing the door open. You go to step out of the room when you come face to face with a chest. You look up with a soft curse, only to find judging blue eyes staring back at yours from under a makeshift mask. The eyes are hard, angry. You’re in trouble.

“Oh, good morning, Colonel,” You manage to get out through a panicked breath. His arm is raised, you had interrupted him mid-knock. He lowers it, and it’s easy to tell his scowling down at you, eyes narrowing further. He bends slightly at the waist, and you hear the fabric shift and Nikto starts to speak when the room behind you goes silent. König looks behind you, and then back down at you, inching ever closer.

Then, you hear your voice hissed through teeth, a heavy Austrian accent filling your ears.

[oshawottarchive]

[Pt 1] [Pt 2] [Pt 3] [Pt 4] [Pt 5] [Pt 6] [Pt 7] [Pt 8]

More because I am bored again

————

Jimmy: *standing at the top of the stairs* What are you all doing at the bottom of the staircase?

Impulse: I accidentally fell down

Tango: Skizz PUSHED ME down the stairs because I refused to pay HIS part of our rent!

Martyn: Scar bet me fifty bucks that I couldn’t reach the bottom of the stairs faster than Impulse did falling down them, so I slid down the banister

Pearl: I don’t know how I got here. One moment, I was sleeping in my bed, three floors up, and then suddenly I was waking up here, just in time to get crushed by Martyn

————

Grian: Hey guys, today Jimmy pushed me so I’m starting a kickstarter to put him down

Grian: The benefits of killing him is that I would get pushed way less

————

Tango: *pulls a glass of water from out of nowhere*

Scar: Where did you get that?

Tango: My pocket

Scar: How do you keep a glass of water in your pocket?

Tango: Skills

————

Pearl: The four Gs

Pearl: Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss, and Gem

————

Etho: Life is like Bdubs. It’s short

————

Gem: Do you see yourself as a glass half-full person or a glass half-empty person?

Grian: Half-full, definitely

Grian: Half-full and constantly rising

Grian: Soon the water will escape its container and consume us all

————

Etho: Today at 7 AM, Impulse poured a monster energy drink in his coffee, said “I’m going to die”, and drank the whole thing

Skizz: I watched Impulse brew his coffee with monster instead of water. Three cups in two hours. I think he ascended into the astral realm

Tango: The survivability of the human race never fails to amaze me

————

Tango: Who would you swipe right for, Imp or Skizz?

Etho: I would delete the app

————

Tango: We can bake these cookies at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or 4,000 degrees for 1 minute

Etho: No, that’s not how you make cookies

Skizz: Floor it!!

Tango: How about 4,000,000 degrees for 1 second??

Etho: You’re gonna burn the house down!

Tango: I’M GONNA HARNESS THE POWER OF THE FUCKING SUN TO MAKE COOKIES!!!

Impulse: Do it!

Etho: NO—

————

Impulse: Small creatures are much more vicious because they have a smaller body to bottle up all their emotions

Bdubs: Ridiculous. Give me some examples

Tango: Wasps?

Skizz: Terriers?

Etho: Bdubs

————

Etho: You were stabbed. Do you remember anything?

Impulse: Only the ambulance ride to the hospital

Etho: That wasn’t an ambulance, I drove you

Impulse: But I heard a siren. . .

Tango: That was Skizz

Skizz: Sorry, I got nervous

————

Scar: I wouldn’t put it in those words, exactly

Grian: Why not?

Scar: Cause I don’t know what they mean

————

Scar: Dude, I will never forgive Craigslist for banning me after I wrote a post seeking a sworn nemesis. Whoever reported it is obviously my nemesis but I was so pissed

————

Skizz: Can we go to a haunted house?

Impulse: What’s wrong with the one we live in?

Skizz: Wh-what?

Scar: *through an intercom* Goodnight, Skizz

————

Tango: Are you busy?

Impulse: Yes

Tango: Okay cool. Hey listen to this—

————

Skizz: Man I’m so glad we didn’t forget the marshmallows

Impulse: Yeah, imagine if we got lost in the forest without s’mores ingredients

Grian: I still say that if everything goes south we should eat Skizz

Tango: *being used as a campfire* Screw you guys

————

Impulse: Everyone has a toxic trait. Except Skizz, he’s cool like that

Skizz: WRONG. My toxic trait is how badly I want to domesticate a raccoon

————

Skizz: Hey, G-Man! Where’s Top, Dipple-Dop, and Scarface?

Grian: They’re playing hide and seek

Skizz: Where?

Grian: I don’t think you get how this game works

————

Skizz: If you put “violently” in front of anything to describe your action, it becomes funnier

Skizz: Violently practices

Grian: Violently studies

Tango: Violently sleeps

Impulse: Violently shoots pictures

Zedaph: Violently boxes

Scar: Violently murders people

Tango: Violently worries about the previous statement

————

Grian: Why are you two always out during rainstorms?

Skizz: It’s very peaceful and refreshing. I love the smell of rain

Tango: Scar bet me that I couldn’t get struck by lightning, but he’s WRONG

————

Scar: Truth or dare?

Zedaph: Dare

Scar: I dare you to kiss the hottest person in the room

Tango: *catches fire*

Tango: I’m ready, Zed

————

[tklfst]

Asami’s Prank

paring: ler!Korra, lee!Asami

word count: 1.8k

I wrote this a while ago and wanted to send it to someone anonymously before posting it so it didnt seem as if I was trying to gain more traction than I would’ve originally. But I’m too impatient to wait any longer!

It was a glorious Saturday morning. The sun was shining, the sparrowkeets were chirping, and neither Korra nor Asami had anything to do today. Even with a clear schedule Asami continued to be an early riser, waking up at 7am instead of a weekday’s 6.

Asami’s eyes fluttered open as she yawned and stretched her limbs out. She rubbed her eyes with two fingers to get rid of both her drowsiness and the eye crusties that had formed in her sleep. She opened her eyes and noted the fading amber glow of the sunrise around the bedroom. Glancing at the clock on her nightstand, the time read 7:23am.

Asami didn’t want to encourage her inner monologue to begin. Instead deciding to roll on her side and gaze lovingly at her girlfriend, Korra, rather than acknowledge her current comfort.

As expected, the Avatar was still asleep, snoring even, with limbs sprawled about and her blanket a mess. The two tried to share a singular blanket but a multitude of problems quickly arose.

Asami chilled easily and required a thicker blanket while Korra and her Southern Water Tribe genes was overheating from the thinnest of blankets. Korra moved around a lot in her sleep and would often wake up to her blanket on the floor while Asami was mostly still throughout the night. Trying to share one blanket only led to both parties being dissatisfied, so Asami had her thick blanket while Korra had a cooling one (which didn’t really matter as she’d kick it off in her sleep but oh well).

Asami just smiled at Korra, taking in the adorable scene for a while. After a few minutes the urge to freshen up grew too strong and Asami just had to get up. She sighed as she stood up from the bed, adjusting her pink nightgown and walking into the bathroom to do her morning routine.

Nearly an hour later Asami was finished with her ritual and gently returned to laying in her bed, being careful as to not rouse Korra. Asami chuckled as she thought back to Korra’s earnest attempts to convince her that the daily ritual was much too long with the very serious reasoning of cuddle time being cut short. “Not all of us can roll out of bed looking perfect like you.” She had responded with a peck on the cheek.

Now she had ample time to just observe the powerful sleeping beauty of a mess beside her. It wasn’t too long before a wave of mischievousness washed over Asami and she quickly began sifting through her nightstand drawer.

She smirked as she pulled out a marker.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Korra shifted around multiple times, trying to get comfy enough to fall back asleep. She groaned as she accepted her fate and opened her eyes.

Korra sat up and stretched, cracking her back, shoulders, neck, and any other stiff joints. She looked to her right, immediately making eye contact with her girlfriend who was smiling (was that a hint of amusement?).

“Good morning beautiful.” Asami sighed happily.

“G’mornin’ Sams..” Korra replied as she finished stretching.

“You’re looking awfully.. special, this morning.” Asami smiled.

Korra narrowed her eyes, there was definitely a hint of amusement that time. ‘What is she up to?’ She pondered.

“You’re awfully suspicious this morning.” Korra stated.

“Whatever do you mean, sweetie?” Asami responded with her most innocent voice, going as far as to bat her eyelashes.

“Okay something is definitely up, cmon, out with it.”

“I am absolutely appalled at these accusations. Cant a girl just admire her wonderful girlfriend?” Asami couldn’t help but glance at Korra’s lips.

Korra noticed the glance, couldn’t help but think it was a little higher than usual, but decided to put aside any suspicions. She definitely preferred where this was going.

She leaned closer and opened her mouth to flirt back, when suddenly Asami’s hand clamped over her mouth and pushed her back.

“Nuh-uh, not until you brush your teeth. The only thing evil about the morning to me is your breath.” Asami teased.

Korra huffed playfully and begrudgingly got out of bed, heading into the bathroom.

She picked up her toothbrush from the sink counter and squeezed a blob of toothpaste on it, turning on the faucet to shake some water in her mouth as well. She looked up at the mirror, about to put the toothbrush in her mouth, when she noticed two swirly lines above her mouth.

Someone had drawn a mustache on her face, a mustache! This was absolutely unacceptable.

“What the- Asami!” Korra called out.

Asami joined Korra in the bathroom and “gasped” when she saw Korra’s face.

“Wherever did that come from?” Asami bit back a smile.

“Oh I think I’ve got a good idea.” Korra glared playfully at the prankster.

Asami just giggled and pat Korra’s cheek, turning to walk away. But Korra wasn’t having any of it.

“You’ve got five seconds to run.” She simply advised.

Asami glanced at her and quickly took off running out the bedroom. True to her word, Korra ran after her no later than five seconds later.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Asami ran through the halls of her mansion as she slipped on her purple robe. She evidentially hardly had enough time to grab it, as Korra was right behind her.

Asami just couldn’t lose Korra, even when shutting doors behind her and trying to juke her. She had an idea when she spotted the staircase nearby and quickly began to make her way down it. Just as she predicted, Korra used airbending to cushion a jump down all the stairs. Asami immediately whirled around and went back up and to the left, out of sight, leaving Korra in her dust.

“I’ll get you for that and the mustache!” Korra shouted after her, climbing the stairs to follow once more.

Korra ran down the left hallway, which led to a dead end. There were only two rooms to hide in and Asami was in one of them.

Korra decided to look in the room to her right first. She opened the door and did a quick once over. This was one of the several living rooms in the Sato Mansion, not many hiding spots but Korra knew the engineer was resourceful.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are~.” Korra sing-sung as she walked around the large, elegant sofa.

She stared at the curtains, checking for any disturbances, when suddenly she heard a small giggle coming from the other side of the sofa.

“Aha! There you are!” Korra shouted as she immediately ran around it.

Asami was crouched down behind it. She had crouched behind the couch when Korra entered the room, and quietly made her way around at the same time she did. Asami quickly pushed herself up but Korra ‘s tackle came right after. They playfully wrestled on the ground, trying to one up each-other.

Korra eventually came out victorious, straddling Asami’s waist and pinning her wrists beside her head as they both caught their breath. Korra was easily captivated by her girlfriend’s beauty. Especially when her face was bare and her hair was sprawled about in a wild mess. The way her chest rose and fell, her emerald eyes…

Asami’s chuckle broke through her train of thought.

“You still have the mustache on?” She giggled.

Korra was immediately thrown back into why she chased the prankster down and fortified herself against the woman’s beauty, pouting.

“Tsk tsk tsk, you almost got yourself out of this.” Korra simply answered before freeing Asami’s wrists to dig her fingers into her torso.

“Whahaha!” Asami’s arms quickly went to try and protect herself as she began laughing. Korra just brushed them aside and continued scribbling her fingers up and down her middle. After a few moments of that, she switched to squeezing up and down Asami’s sides which elicited a squeal.

“EEEEE! Wahahait waitwaitwait-” Asami laughed out, still grasping for Korra’s hands.

Just to tease, Korra paused. “Hm?”

Asami didn’t expect Korra to actually stop, but this was her chance!

“I- um, it’s just a marker! You didn’t even wash it off so obviously it doesn’t bother you.” Asami argued, still smiling from the previous attack.

Korra just laughed and continued to tickle her.

“That’s the best you’ve got? It doesn’t even make sense!” Korra said, thoroughly amused by all this.

Asami weakly grabbed Korra’s wrists and pushed at them, weakened by her laughter. Korra easily grabbed both wrists and was about to pin them above her head when she had a better idea.

Korra slowed the squeezing to just tracing up and down her side while holding her wrists in her left hand. “Hey Samiiii.” She drew out with a teasing tone.

“Whaha- what?” Asami giggled back.

“Clasp your hands for me.” Korra innocently directed with a sweet smile.

Asami shook her head as she giggled, knowing just what Korra was up to.

“I didn’t wanna have to do this…” Korra sighed dramatically before leaning down to blow a raspberry on Asami’s neck, as her nightgown left her tummy protected from that.

Asami shrieked and laughed while pulling on her wrists and moving her head about.

“I’ll keep doing that until you clasp your hands, Sami.” Korra warned playfully, already taking another breath to blow another raspberry.

“Okokok!” Asami gave in and clasped her hands, leaving the fingers of one hand up.

“Thank you.” Korra gave her a peck on the cheek and clasped her left hand with Asami’s. Effectively locking her hands together with much less effort than trying to hold her wrists.

Korra immediately continued her assault, this time on Asami’s ribcage. Asami laughed and pulled uselessly on her hands as Korra pinned them above her head. Now available, she went for her armpits.

“I’ve hahahad enohohough!” Asami exclaimed through laughter.

“I dunno… I mean, you haven’t really said sorry so..” Korra sighed, feigning hurt.

“I’m sohohorry okahay?”

“Hm, no. Not good enough.” Korra blew another raspberry into Asami’s neck, causing another shriek and wave of hysterics.

“EEEEE! Okay! I’m sohohoho sohohorry Korrahaha! Plehehease stahahap!” Asami pleaded.

“I suppose you’ve learnt your lesson.” Korra stopped her tickly assault on Asami, letting her catch her breath.

Korra let go of Asami’s hands and they immediately wrapped themselves around her body. As Korra climbed off Asami, the engineer curled in on herself; still giggling a little as she panted. Korra smirked victoriously as she sat with her legs crossed and pulled Asami into her lap.

“I will never draw a mustache on you again, spirits that was certainly a way to wake up.” Asami chuckled as she leaned back into her girlfriend.

“Damn, I thought that was fun! I suppose I can find other infractions you commit against me.” Korra responded playfully.

“Right back at you.” Asami poked Korra’s side.

[lesbicosmos]

day 1 of @palasakiweek !!!

day 1 prompt: hurt/comfort / sickfic

summary: crystal's on her period and suffering with it. niko helps with movies, noodles and cuddles.

notes: wrote this for my girlfriend :3 ( @giolovesyousm ilysm <33 )

also on ao3!!

found the place to rest my head (never let me go)

Niko awoke to the loud repetitive beeping of her alarm. She reached over to turn it off, but stayed lying down for a few minutes, just looking around her room. It was strange seeing all her things organised so differently – she may not have been living in Port Townsend for very long in the grand scheme of things, but she’d gotten used to where everything was there; everything had its place in the one huge room that was her apartment. Now, it was all different. The bedroom itself was smaller, so her bookshelves had all been pushed together and there was less wall space for her many posters. It was a welcome change, but a month after moving in, she was still getting used to it. Although, anything was worth it when there were other things mixed in with hers. She wasn’t alone anymore - she had Crystal. Crystal’s clothes were hung amongst hers in the surprisingly large wardrobe in their room, Crystal’s music posters joined her anime ones on the wall, Crystal’s long purple jacket hung right next to her thick green one on the back of the bedroom door. Having a roommate was brilliant, but even better that she was her girlfriend.

Niko rolled over, intending to gently wake the girl in question up – she always managed to sleep through the alarm somehow – only to find the other side of the bed completely bare, the space where Crystal should have been lying so cold, as though not having been slept on in hours.

Worried, she got out of bed, slid on her bright pink dressing gown and left the room. It really wasn’t like Crystal to go anywhere without telling Niko first, especially this early in the morning on a day they were supposed to be meeting Charles and Edwin at the office.

“Crystal?” she asked into the quiet of the apartment.

“’M’in the kitchen,” came a quiet response.

Niko entered the kitchen to find Crystal sitting at their small two-seater table with a cup of coffee in her hands. Her hair was strewn everywhere and she had bags under her eyes as she smiled weakly.

“You’re up early,” Niko said, walking over and dropping a kiss to the top of her girlfriend’s head on her way to the fridge.

“Does it count as being up early if you didn’t sleep in the first place?” Crystal replied as Niko poured herself a glass of orange juice.

“Oh. You okay?”

“Y’know how I started my period yesterday?”

Niko nodded.

“Yeah well, cramps decided to hit just as I was trying to get to sleep last night,” Crystal groaned, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Oh no. They’re bad?” Niko put her glass down on the table across from Crystal, instead running her hand through her girlfriend’s hair. Crystal relaxed slightly. “Day 2 always hits you hard, doesn’t it?”

“Yep. Took painkillers at like 6, they’re barely doing anything. What time is it now?”

“Just after 8."

Crystal’s eye’s widened in panic.

“Shit. We said we’d be at the office for 9.”

She made to move but Niko gently pushed her back into her chair, shaking her head.

“Nuh uh. You need to rest,” she insisted.

“But we’ve got new clients coming in, Charles and Edwin-”

“Charles and Edwin have been doing this a long time, I think they can manage this one without us.”

“Fine,” she grumbled, apparently unhappy with the idea; but Niko knew Crystal too well by now, could tell she was secretly relieved at not having to leave the flat. “Wait, without us? You don’t have to stay, you know. I’ll be fine.”

“But I want to.” Niko leaned down again, this time pressing a kiss to her forehead. Crystal’s eyes closed and she smiled. “I’ll go tell the boys.”

Niko headed into the living room and picked something up from the coffee table. At first glance, the object looked like a simple rock, like something a child would bring home from a day at the beach. However, it was actually one of two communication devices they had received as payment for a recent case. They were similar to the Spirit Finder stones the boys already had, only these ones were connected to each other, and worked like an audio texting device between any two locations. There was a phone in the office, but Edwin had insisted they use these stones – the phone was for clients only.

She tapped the rock three times, waiting for it to glow white to indicate the connection. She thought it was wild how easily her mind had adapted to the existence of such magical objects. But, she supposed, a lot of things become much more believable after you have two troublesome sprites try to rip you open from the inside, and then get killed by an evil witch’s spell but survive because of a magical bear stone and live in an alternate dimension for a few months until you find a way out. Yeah, that makes a lot of things easier to take in.

“Hey guys!” she spoke into the rock. She didn’t feel the need to check they were there; they always were, especially when the girls were due to go over. “Really sorry but me and Crystal aren’t gonna be there today! Crystal barely slept last night, she’s on her period and she’s not feeling too great so we’re gonna stay home and chill. Hope everything goes well with the new clients!”

She tapped the rock once again to end the message, and waited for a few seconds. Sure enough, the white glow returned and Charles’s voice sounded from the device. None of them had any idea how the sound came from the stone – there were no speakers – but who were they to question magic?

“Hey Niko! That’s fine, we’ll manage without you guys. Hope Crystal’s feeling better soon and we’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

Three taps.

“Yeah, hopefully!”

Niko went to return to the kitchen, but suddenly remembered something, and turned back into the living room, making a beeline for the bookshelf. She pulled a handmade square of quilted fabric off a large mason jar, and was met with groans of disapproval from its residents.

“Too fucking bright!”

“Seriously, are you trying to blind us?”

Kingham and Litty had also returned to the plane of the living when Niko did, and the others continued trying to convince her to get rid of them. Niko had refused. They had, after all, helped her come back, so it was the least she could do to not, you know, drown them or anything. She’d mentioned wanting to free them but changed her mind when she was met with looks of horror from Edwin and Charles.

“We really don’t need a dandelion epidemic in the middle of London, Niko.”

“Yeah I think keeping them in the jar is for the best.”

They’d complained, but didn’t seem too upset with the outcome when they’d been bought a bigger jar. And in the end, Crystal agreed to living in the same apartment as them, as long as they weren’t in their bedroom. So, the bookshelf it was.

“Look, I’m sorry for waking you but I need to talk to you.”

“What is it?”

“Seriously what’s so important you need to wake us up at the fucking ass-crack of dawn.”

“First, it’s like 8am! That’s a normal time to wake up. Second, you guys really need to be less you today.”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Crystal’s on her period,” Niko explained. “She’s not feeling great and I really don’t want her having to deal with your…you-ness.”

“Oh boo-hoo!”

“Hey! She’s in pain! Wait- do sprites get periods?”

“Why do you care?” Litty asked, seemingly offended.

“She does,” Kingham nodded, and Litty groaned.

Niko really wanted to ask what exactly a sprite period consisted of given they were trapped in a jar, but she couldn’t get a word in because within thirty seconds, they were yelling at one another.

“Guys! This is exactly what we don’t want. Can you just like…be quiet for one day please?”

“Ugh, fine!”

“Can you at least put the cover back on? If we can’t talk I at least wanna get some fucking sleep.”

“Gladly,” Niko replied. “Now be good.”

With that, Niko placed the quilt back over the jar, blocking out most of the light. She took a deep breath before returning to the kitchen. She’d grown attached to the sprites, especially since they spent so long together in that weird inter-dimensional igloo, but god they could be assholes sometimes.

“Were you just talking to the sprites?” Crystal asked as she walked in.

Niko didn’t know if she’d heard them or if she could tell based on her tense expression. Probably both.

“Yep. They’ve promised they’ll be quiet today,” Niko picked up her glass of orange juice and took a sip, stepping over to stand right next to Crystal.

“Really? You sure they didn’t have their bitchy little fingers crossed behind their backs?” Crystal looked up at her, raising her eyebrows knowingly.

“Okay they probably did. But don’t worry, they won’t disturb us.”

“Thanks.” Crystal leaned into Niko. “What did the boys say by the way?”

“Charles says he hopes you’re feeling better soon.”

“That’s sweet. They’re sure they’ll be fine without us? I feel bad.”

“Crystal, they’ll be fine. They were fine for thirty years before us, right?”

“Debatable,” Crystal snorted.

She had a point.

“Still. You need to rest.”

“Fine.”

“Come on, wanna cuddle on the couch?” Niko stepped back, offering her hand to Crystal.

“God, yes,” Crystal replied, taking it.

“You go get comfy, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Niko pressed a quick kiss to Crystal’s lips before Crystal headed into the living room.

Nothing felt comfortable. Crystal tried to find a position on the sofa that didn’t feel like something was trying to claw its way out of her abdomen chestburster-style, but to no avail. She groaned, having given up trying after five minutes, when Niko walked in. She had two blankets over one arm and was holding a hot water bottle in the other.

“I didn’t know which blanket you’d want so I got the fluffy one and the thin one. I don’t want you getting too hot.”

“Thanks Niko,” Crystal smiled at how sweet her girlfriend was. “I think I’ll be alright with the thin one, especially with the hot water bottle as well.”

“Okay.”

Niko handed her the hot water bottle and the thinner blanket, folding the fluffy one up and placing it on the floor in front of the sofa just in case.

“And…” Niko started, reaching into the pocket of her dressing gown and pulling out a chocolate bar.

“It’s like 8am,” Crystal laughed, taking it from her and putting it on the side table next to the sofa.

“So? You’re allowed chocolate at 8am when you’re on your period. It’s like…the law or something.”

“Thank you.”

“Sorry that it’s just what we had in the cupboard, I can get dressed and go out and get you your favourite if you want-”

“Niko,” Crystal stopped her. “It’s great. You’re already doing more than enough for me, now come and sit down I need you.”

“Oh? What do you need?”

Niko sat down beside her on the sofa. Crystal immediately snuggled up next to her, her head on Niko’s chest and the hand not holding the hot water bottle resting on Niko’s knee.

“Just this,” she sighed.

“Ah. I can do this,” Niko replied, wrapping one arm around her and placing the other hand on top of Crystal’s, intertwining their fingers. “You comfy?”

“Yeah.”

It was nice, just sitting there in silence wrapped up in one another. It was quite the change to their usual day-to-day activities of running around London chasing after spirits and demons. Niko loved moments like these with Crystal, where she was calm and relaxed rather than her usual fiery, snarky, occasionally short-tempered self. Of course, Niko loved that Crystal too. She loved all of her, even the parts she was still trying to accept. Because no matter how mean she’d been in the past, no matter how often she lost her temper or started an argument with Edwin, she was still the person who offered her life for Niko’s after barely knowing her for two days, the person who became her friend when it felt like she was entirely alone, the person who tried her best to help her deal with her grief from her dad and convince her to get back into contact with her mom, the person who held her and cried for her as she died and was the first to pull her into a hug when she returned. She was gorgeous and messy and imperfect, and Niko loved her. She held her closer on the sofa, her hand running through her dark curls.

“I’m kinda glad we’re not working,” Crystal said after a few minutes. “I don’t know if I could handle Edwin’s…Edwin-ness today.”

“He’s not that bad.”

“I know, I know. He’s my friend and I love him like a brother at this point but…God, he can be frustrating at times. I feel like I’d just end up yelling at him when I’m this tired and like…hormonal.”

“It’s not your fault,” Niko comforted.

“I know that too, it’s just, since I got my memories back…like, I was so mean before. I really don’t wanna be that person anymore.”

“Hey.” Niko squeezed the hand she was still holding and kissed Crystal’s head. “You’re not. Who you were in the past…I know she’s technically still part of you but you’re not that girl anymore. You’re kind, and compassionate, and beautiful and sure, sometimes you and Edwin end up at each other’s throats a little but that doesn’t make you a bad person. Like you said, you’re like siblings. Most people are like that with their siblings, I think.”

Crystal looked up at her. In their position, it was difficult but neither really wanted to move.

“Thanks Niko, that really…it means a lot.”

“Well, it’s true.”

Niko leaned down the few centimetres necessary to press a kiss to the tip of Crystal’s nose, making her giggle softly.

“Wanna watch a movie?” Niko asked.

“Sure."

“What do you wanna watch?”

“I dunno,” Crystal shrugged. “You pick.”

“You sure?”

Crystal nodded as Niko reached for the remote.

♡ ⚢ ♡

Four hours went by in a comfortable domestic quiet, the two of them cuddled up together on the sofa watching the movies Niko picked, until the credits began rolling at the end of Princess Mononoke and Niko heard Crystal’s stomach rumble.

“You hungry?” she asked.

“Yeah, I didn’t exactly eat breakfast this morning. The only thing I’ve eaten is that chocolate we shared halfway through the first movie.”

“I’ll go and make lunch, what do you want?”

“I dunno,” Crystal shrugged again.

“You’re really not up for making decisions today, huh?” Niko giggled.

“No,” she laughed.

“Wanna try some of my noodles? They’re always good when I’ve got cramps.”

“Sure, what kind are they?”

“Well, my favourite ones are the chilli ones but you might not want those. Spicy and cramps don’t tend to mix. I think we’ve got some chicken ones in the cabinet too, they’re the ones I usually find helps with the pain.”

“Sure.”

“I mean they’re nowhere near as good as the chicken udon my mom used to make, but they’re still good.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Crystal chuckled.

“I’ll go make them, you choose the next movie while I’m gone,” Niko said, untangling her limbs from where they had become indistinguishable from Crystal’s and standing up. “This is supposed to be your day and so far, we’ve watched two Studio Ghibli movies.”

“Hey, I like Ghibli too!” Crystal argued.

“I know but I was the one who chose them so it’s your turn.”

Niko leaned down to press yet another kiss to the top of Crystal’s head before heading into the kitchen. Crystal smiled to herself – that was the fourth head kiss today and it was barely the afternoon. It had become their thing over the last couple months, and had begun when they’d only just got together, back when they were living out of the rarely used spare room of Charles and Edwin’s office. (After the girls finally got a place of their own, with funds from both Crystal’s parents and the Agency’s steady stream of clients helping to pay their rent, the boys redecorated the bedroom for themselves. Crystal didn’t ask why two people who physically couldn’t sleep needed a bedroom. She didn’t want to know.) Whenever Niko left a room, or entered it, or whenever she liked, really, she would kiss the top of Crystal’s head. At first, it was Niko playing on their height difference, the fact her lips were at Crystal’s head-height unless Crystal was wearing her platform boots, but it had become such a routine for them there were no signs of it stopping. Even Edwin found it sweet, though he seemed to feel that way about almost everything Niko did. That was one of the many things the two of them had in common: their overwhelming love for one Niko Sasaki.

♡ ⚢ ♡

Niko returned several minutes later, a pot of noodles in each hand. She handed one to Crystal.

“Hope you like them. Oh, and don’t forget to take some more meds, you could’ve had some like two hours ago.”

“Shit, yeah,” Crystal swore, moving to get up.

Before she could, Niko pulled the box of tablets out of her pocket.

“Thank you,” Crystal sighed.

Soon, the two of them were resettled on the sofa to start the next movie, both with a pot of noodles in their hands, still leaning as far into each other’s space as they could without causing a food-related accident.

“Jeez, I can smell the spice from here,” Crystal laughed.

“Yup,” Niko replied.

“Can I try some?”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

Niko twisted some of the noodles around the fork, as Crystal leaned forwards to eat them off it. She swallowed, then immediately started coughing.

“Holy shit!”

“You okay?” Niko asked, worried and reaching for the glasses of juice she’d poured them while the noodles were cooking.

“Yep. Just…wasn’t expecting them to be that spicy.”

“Too hot?”

“No, they were good. I like them, I just… yeah I don’t think they’d pair well with the current state of feeling as though my uterus is trying to claw its way out of my body.”

“Oh no…”

“The noodles are helping, though. Thank you.” Crystal smiled, returning her attention to her own non-spicy pot.

“You like them then?”

“Yeah, they’re so good.”

“Good. Did you pick a movie?”

“Yep.”

Crystal picked up the remote, and pressed play. Niko recognised the film immediately.

“Scooby Doo: The Movie? I said pick something you like.”

“Hey I do like this! I was obsessed with this movie when I was like 9. It kickstarted my obsession with Sarah Michelle Gellar. Then I made my dad buy all the Buffy DVDs when I was 12, then that was my favourite show for like two years,” Crystal said proudly.

“Woah."

“Yeah, imagine the shock on my face when I found out demons and supernatural beings and shit were real, and I was kind of one of them.”

“You’re my favourite supernatural being,” Niko said proudly and leaned across to kiss Crystal’s cheek.

“Shut up.”

“Nope,” Niko grinned.

♡ ⚢ ♡

“Hey,” Niko said quietly, around 20 minutes into the movie. “Do you wanna pause the movie a sec? I’ll go put the pots in the trash.”

“Sure.”

Niko stood up and went back into the kitchen, and when she returned less than a minute later, Crystal looked at her and laughed.

“What?” Niko asked.

“I just noticed, your lips are like, bright red.”

“That’ll be the noodles,” Niko giggled.

“You look somehow even more kissable than normal.” Crystal’s head was tilted to the side slightly in the way it always was when she flirted.

“Oh. Really?”

“Mhm.”

Niko barely had chance to sit back down on the sofa before Crystal pulled her in, quickly connecting their lips. Niko kissed back gently at first, not wanting to cause Crystal any more pain than she was already in, but Crystal’s eagerness spurred her on and soon she was pulling her as close as physically possible, both of them seemingly attempting to devour each other’s mouths. Niko tried her hardest to bite back the sounds threatening to escape her throat as Crystal took her bottom lip into her mouth and sucked.

Eventually, they broke apart, for no reason other than the need to breathe.

“Feeling better then?” Niko whispered.

“A little. Still feels like there’s some kind of rave happening in my uterus, but it’s not as bad as it was earlier.”

“Yay, the meds are helping.”

“I think it’s mostly you to be honest. And the noodles. But mostly you. Thank you for this.”

“Of course.”

As much as she wanted to pull Crystal’s lips back to hers, she knew they had all the time in the world for that. So, with one more kiss to the forehead, Niko gently pulled Crystal back into their cuddling on the sofa and pressed play on the movie once again.

♡ ⚢ ♡

“You up for another?” Niko asked after the end credits of Scooby Doo 2 finished rolling a few hours later. “We could watch the 2009 movie, too. You might have had a thing for Sarah Michelle Gellar but I was obsessed with Hayley Kiyoko. Her as Velma was an awakening.”

“Hmm…” Crystal hummed into Niko’s shoulder.

“Are you falling asleep?” Niko giggled.

“No.”

Liar.

“Yes, you are.”

“S’not my fault you’re comfy.”

“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” Niko shifted to move but Crystal held her still.

“It’s like 5pm. You’re not tired.”

“I don’t care. You need to sleep in a proper bed.”

Crystal gave in, allowing Niko to lead her into the bedroom and under the covers. Niko left the room, only to come back a few minutes later.

“I refilled your hot water bottle and brought you more meds,” she said, placing them down on the bed.

“Thanks babe,” Crystal muttered, yawning.

After Crystal had taken more painkillers, Niko climbed into bed next to her. Crystal immediately resumed their cuddling from the sofa. Niko never would have expected Crystal to be the clingy type, but she is not complaining.

“You know, I’m genuinely shocked the sprites were actually quiet.”

“Well…when I made them their little quilt I may have asked Edwin to put a silencing charm on it. They were probably yelling at one another all day.”

“Genius,” Crystal laughed, burying her head into Niko’s chest.

She seemed to have made a home on Niko’s chest over the last few months. Even before they got together, they would cuddle up together on the sofa in the office while the boys were out, or in the spare room while they were there, and Crystal would lay her head on her chest, listening intently to her heartbeat as though making sure she was still there. Every time Niko would hum softly, ensuring Crystal felt the vibrations of the sound. It was her wordless way of replying, of reassuring her she was really there, she was back, and she wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.

“Thank you for today,” she said, her voice more of a mumble against Niko’s pyjamas.

“You don’t need to thank me, it’s what I’m here for.”

“It’s not though, you’re my girlfriend.”

“Well as your girlfriend, it’s my job to be here for you when your period’s kicking your ass.”

“I really don’t deserve you.”

“Hey,” Niko gently took Crystal’s jaw and tipped her head up to look at her. “Yes you do. We both deserve this. Well, you don’t deserve to be in pain, but us lying here together, just…in each other’s space…we deserve this.”

Crystal still didn’t fully believe her. Niko absolutely deserved it, but she still had doubts about herself. She still carried so much guilt for the horrible person she was before she met David, the even worse person she was once he’d really gotten to her. But, she supposed, if someone as intrinsically good yet painfully damaged as Charles could want to be her best friend; if someone as hurt and austere as Edwin could value her friendship and want her around despite their bickering; if someone as sweet and kind and loving as Niko could want her like this, could feel comfortable and safe with her in her arms and want to do everything to help her when she was feeling down, well…maybe she could believe it a little. Maybe she could accept that after everything, despite what she had done in her past, she did deserve something as good as the life she had now, wrapped in the arms of the girl she loved, who loved her so much in return.

“I love you,” she said, squeezing her arms around Niko’s waist even tighter.

“I love you too.”

With one final kiss dropped into her curls, Crystal finally drifted into sleep.

-----

It was around 8pm when Charles picked up the communication stone that sat on one of the many shelves in the office and tapped it three times.

“Hey guys,” he said into the rock. “Just letting you know today went great! It was just a run-of-the-mill haunting in the end, so it’s all sorted now, hope you two are doing okay!”

A minute passes with no reply.

“Guys?” he says again.

Still no reply. Charles put the rock back in its place and walked over to the mirror.

“Charles, you know they said we could only use their bedroom mirror in absolute emergencies,” Edwin said from the desk.

“They’re not replying! This could be an emergency, mate, what if some poltergeist or something got into their flat?”

Without thinking for a second, Charles reached out and tapped the mirror. Ripples appeared centred on the point he touched, and the image changed from a reflection of the office to the view of Crystal and Niko’s bedroom from their dresser. Charles couldn’t help but smile at the sight before him.

“They’re probably just asleep, Niko did mention Crystal barely slept last night.”

Edwin was right. The girls were both lying there, only their heads and shoulders visible poking out of the duvet, Crystal’s head on Niko’s shoulder as they slept soundly.

“Yeah, they are. They’re fine.”

“Good. Now, are you going to help me finish up this case file?”

“’Course love.”

Charles took one last glance through the mirror at the two of them – curled up in each other’s space, holding one another close, the very image of domestic bliss – before tapping the mirror once again, leaving the two of them to their peace.

[heavenlycloud]

dream a little dream: yunjin x fem! reader ✧°🍒‧｡°

request: hi! It says that soft hours are open and I just had a thought from watching the LE SSERAFIM x Dream Academy Video where the fimmies surprised the contestants. Imagine being the 6th member of LE SSERAFIM and being in a relationship with yunjin and you both are smiling happily and holding hands while greeting the contestants, and then once you all leave some of the contestants are like “omg the way they look at each other, they’re definitely dating” or something of that sort LOL 🩷

a/n: ok so funny story i read this and then wrote it all whilst being sleep deprived and slightly delirious…so i lowkey mixed up the details but i can go back and rewrite it if you’re not satisfied (this is why i need sleep and why i need to stop trying to write from memory cuz i can’t do it).

Becoming an idol had been your dream since you were 14 years old as a freshman in high school. one of your friends showed you their favorite girl groups and you were immediately sucked into the world of kpop. as you went through high school and entered university your hope of making your dream come true slowly dwindled. companies were starting to debut girls younger and younger which you didn’t think gave you much of a chance at 18 years old. that was until you got an email from someone about submitting an audition for a new girl group that would form under HYBE in the next year. at first you thought it was a scam, but after doing a deep dive on the internet you realized it was more real than fake. you submitted the audition with little hope knowing that you’d practically ‘aged out’ of the trainee age range, on top of the fact that you hadn’t been singing or dancing since infancy like every idol seemed to have done. so it was a huge surprise when you got an email back 8 weeks later confirming that you passed the audition. by some miracle you’d convinced your parents to let you go to Korea to become a trainee under HYBE with the hopes of debut. truthfully, they only said yes knowing that you’d probably be sent back home after 6 months…and your university credits were valid for the next 10 years so you could pick up where you left off. 

Much like your parents assumed, you were sent back home, but instead of after 6 months, it was after 2 years. you gave everything you could to the trainee program but in the end you didn’t make the final cut due to “not having the look the group needed”. you were heartbroken to leave your new friends, the seven girls who were supposed to make HYBE’s new girl group. the three younger girls that had become like your little sisters, the two older girls that were like your older sisters, and the one same aged girl who was your best friend…maybe a little more. on your last day in the company you laughed while saying your final goodbyes, clinging onto your girls in a huddle as you tried to have a positive outlook on a shitty situation. when you got back home you were devastated to say the least. for the first few weeks you only cried and wished things had worked in your favor, until one day you refused to wallow in your sorrows any longer. 

you made a promise that you’d see them again, that you’d see her again and laying around crying all day wasn’t going to make that happen. so, you began practicing again using the techniques and lessons you’d learned over your 2 year long trainee experience. when the audition announcement came out this time around you didn’t hesitate to apply to the same company that let you go a year ago. given how hard you worked, it was absolutely no surprise when you found out HYBE wanted you back in their trainee program. at this point your parents didn’t bother refusing once again knowing university would be there if you ended up coming back home again. however, with the way you’d been training yourself it wasn’t looking like that would be an option. honestly you didn’t know if your driving force was to prove to yourself or to the people that sent you home that you had what it takes, but regardless you were ready this time. by the end of the first mission it was clear to the judges, trainers, and other contestants that you were certainly a force to be reckoned with. you’d only ever heard praises and slight critiques that could be fixed immediately from your trainers and judges. 

the eighteen of you all filed into the practice room and filled the seats as you sat in front of the screen that was presumably going to show your second mission. you sat between lara and sophia holding both of their hands as you anxiously watched the screen in front of you. their grips on your hand tightened when they saw the members of le sserafim appear, reacting to the Dream Academy trailer. squeals and screams filled the room as everyone shared their shock but you only laughed, finding it funny that this was the way they were seeing you again for the first time since you left. lara shook your hand and told you, “i swear if we ever meet them, i’m asking them to dance fearless with you.” a bunch of the other girls around you oohed and agreed before putting their attention back on the monitor. at some point you completely zoned out, only coming back to when you heard eunchae say, “the second ANTIFRAGILE team members are “Iliya, Karlee, Samara, Megan, and Y/N.” you leaned forward and looked at them with a big smile, nodding in agreement over your excitement to be teamed together. 

the five of you sat on the floor of the practice room and started talking about the song choice, karlee starting off with explaining how she wanted this song more. you all nodded in agreement and the other girls chimed in talking about their worries and what they were most excited for. after a moment the conversation stopped and all eyes were on you, “what?” your teammates laughed at you and you admitted, “i mean like…i’m not that nervous guys. i’ve done this performance in the shower a bunch so i meannnn…plus if i flop yunjin called me pretty so-” the girls around you fell over laughing and karlee pointed out, “dude she literally knows you.” in return you playfully glared and held your hand out, “can you let me have my moment?” megan and samara laughed even harder while iliya covered her face though her giggles. you all divided up your parts evenly, you getting kazhua’s part because of the leg extension, and megan insisting yours looked better when you couldn’t tell much of a difference. 

Throughout the practices you were given the dance leadership role which you tried to avoid but it was inevitable given your trainee history. there were little to no breaks, an incredible amount of jet lag, and a time crunch of only a few days before your performance. the pressure was certainly there and you could feel it especially with the weight of being an ex- HYBE trainee and the leader of your group. hours passed with you all in the practice room, your trainer comforting iliya as she cried out of stress and exhaustion combined with her own self doubt. you patted her shoulder and told her, “it’s okay…i cried yesterday in the shower and almost drowned in my tears and the shower water because i breathed through my nose.” the younger girl couldn’t help but laugh and you did too seeing the smile return to her face. 

*meanwhile*

“We’re watching them react to us watching their trailer and mission announcement.” chaewon and yunjin explained to their members in their van. the girls huddled around the ipad and a smile tugged at all of their faces when they saw you amongst your teammates. they watched closely, listening to all of your members speak their worries until it was your turn to talk which caused all of them to laugh, especially your banter with karlee. yunjin murmured, “i didn’t know i missed her this much.” chaewon side eyed her discreetly while eunchae and kazuha stifled a laugh. they then sent chaewon inside the practice room to pose as a staff member to record a tiktok for you and the rest of the contestants. when you all were in line you noticed how she was more covered than the rest of the staff members in the room. you narrowed your eyes, and then it was your turn aside Manon. when you made it to the front you just knew, but you only smiled and danced, the only person who also knew was chaewon herself when you winked. 

chaewon pulled off her mask and hood, “surprise!” the other girls screamed in excitement, only getting louder when the other idols walked in soon after. you ended up with marquise clinging to your side with her hands over her face. yunjin then started speaking in english, “we heard you all were practicing our songs right?” they all nodded and she added, “we’re so excited to see you guys, it’s crazy that we’re meeting you in this practice room. yunjin asked the contestants, “did you all expect it?” the girls overlapped one another with refusing responses to which the black haired girl responded, “we thought it’d be obvious…so we were like we should prank you.” the girls once again reacted with laughing and squeals which yunjin took the opportunity to make louder, “wait i think i know all of your names though.” 

Everyone straightened out into a more clear line and yunjin looked down the line and asked, “Iliya, right?” your teammate nodded and yunjin continued, “and Ezrela. Sophia, Emily, Celeste, Karlee, Marquise, Y/N-” there was a difference in her tone when she said your name, a different smile on her face, until you deadpanned, “No.” there was a second of complete silence before you burst out laughing and said, “no i’m kidding i’m sorry. do your thing.” yunjin and her members all laughed too, chaewon immediately mimicking you quietly, “no.” the black haired girl then said, “she always does this.” your teammates all laughed and nodded in agreement earning a satisfied smile from you. yunjin continued, “sorry ok- um Y/N, Megan, Brooklyn, Lara, Lexie, Samara, Daniela, Manon, Mei, aaaand Ua. Aaaand Nayoung, Yoonchae. Right?”   everyone cheered and clapped and she explained, “because i see you guys so much on like TikTok, YouTube, and everything!” you all turned into each other giggling and smiling until it was time to perform for the girls with your mission teams. 

Your team went first, you gathering your girls into a small huddle and telling them quietly, “just relax. we got this. alright come on, eat it up?” your teammates said in unison, “no dinner!” you laughed at the phrase you taught them on the first day, still using it now. while performing you had your nerves, especially knowing that the idols in front of you had seen your practice videos, one of which included you crying, something they’d never seen in the two years they knew you. while performing you kept your eyes on your old friends, primarily the one who still held a piece of your heart. the hours of practicing and endless stretching to get kazuha’s leg extension perfect paid off when you saw the look on all five of their faces when you did the move. 

Iliya stood beside you as you were between her and samara while le sserafim gave you all feedback as two teams. chaewon pointed out samara, praising her for the eye contact she made opposed to looking into the mirror, a common mistake amongst trainees during evaluations. kazuha looked at you and said, “y/n, your leg extension was so good! honestly you could just take my place next time we perform because you were that good.” you laughed and thanked her, sending a fond smile her way, the same one that always brought her comfort after long practices. samara tickled your leg and you playfully swatted her hand away, making her giggle quietly. when you thought one of the girls would now talk to the two teams as a whole, yunjin turned her attention to you. yunjin looked you dead in the eye, pulling a smile onto your previously stoic face. she told you, “y/n. i know from the practice videos you were worried about being leader, looking at everything to the smallest detail. but everything you did for your teammates paid off because you’re perfe- your team was perfect.” everyone in the room ouuuuu-ed which made you cover your face in slight embarrassment, yunjin doing the same. she then added, “and karlee i know you weren’t feeling well but you literally killed it…and team A, you guys chose your name right because you slayed.” the four girls burst into laughter and you all thanked the girls for their feedback before heading back to your seats, not before you sent a wink yunjin’s way which she instinctively made a heart with her hands back to you. when you sat back down you were sandwiched between lara and megan, both of whom whispered together, “you’re perfecttttt” then made the same hearts with their hands to you that yunjin did. you playfully scoffed and hoped they couldn’t feel your body getting hot with embarrassment as they teased you. 

after everyone finished their performances you all had the chance to ask the girls for anything you wanted to know. you were the first to raise your hand, “i think a big worry of us, as in all 19 of us is that we are now in a place where this is competition. all of us want to do well individually but even more than that we want one another to succeed so we can make it to the end together. it’s a given that the group won’t be 19 members. so knowing that eventually we will be sending home many of our best friends, sisters, soulmates… or whatever- like what can we do or tell ourselves so we don’t end up just dwelling on that fact? how can we keep going after dealing with that over and over?”  yunjin nodded in understanding and responded genuinely,  “wow that is a big question. there is like a motto that i live by where i just try my best to believe that everything happens for a reason. you all met for a reason, and you’re together for a reason…and i think goodbyes are unfortunately inevitable-” it was at this point that you realized she was staring directly at you. yunjin caught herself staring and looked away as she continued, “ but i think that is part of growing. and just the fact that you all collectively have this kind of worry is very touching and i kind of like teared up a little inside because it’s very hard to meet people who both support you while also maintaining your own individual driving force. i think it’s just kind of making every experience and opportunity…it’s important to continue rooting each other on. i think that’s the best way to keep going forward just knowing you know-” again her eyes found yours, “just knowing that even if you’re not together one day you will end up seeing each other again.” now there was a smile on her face as she looked at you, looking away to make it less obvious, “that’s what happened to me actually. I had practiced for quite a few years but after debuting and working my best in the end we came full circle and they were also doing their best so in the end we met.” she looked back at only you, “just take this time and make as many memories and relationships as you can. don’t be afraid of the pain that comes with having to let someone go because you can use that to get to where you want to be.” she paused then spoke as if you were the only other one in the room, “because look where we are now y/n.” you nodded and the four idols around yunjin ouuuu-ed making the rest of the contestants giggle. eunchae quietly remarked, “this just got really personal…” everyone laughed as yunjin slapped her leg lightly and brooklyn beside you started poking your side. 

a few seats down from you sophia spoke up, “i should have went before y/n because my question is gonna sound unserious…chaewon, how do you like blink on the beat in Antifragile because every time i do it i look like i got a bug in my eye?” everyone erupted into laughter and sophia added, “i’m so serious guys i look so dumb doing it!” which only made everyone laugh harder. chaewon stood up and danced the specific part before motioning for sophia do to it with her, then by herself. the idol praised your friend, “yes! you got it!” everyone clapped and sophia ran happily back to her seat with her face a light shade of pink. ezrela raised her hand, “so in your choreographies you all do a lot of like hand holding, and so like…how do you all not miss each others hands?” the idols in front of you all laughed and eunchae explained, we just have to trust each other like you go up i go down. we talk about it like that in advance and you have to hold the hands tight. even if one hand slips off, the others should hold them tight to prevent the accident.” ezrela nodded in understanding and laughed while thanking eunchae for her reply. 

right when you thought everyone was going to be done asking questions, lara raised her hand, “i have a request but you all can say no.” all five idols looked at her intently and your friend asked, “can you dance to fearless with y/n?” all of your teammates immediately cheered and your old friends looked at each other with smiles. they agreed and despite you refusing, yunjin stood up and pulled you over, engulfing you in a hug first. kazuha took off her heels and joined you her members on the floor. your friends were all giggling along, especially when they noticed yunjin had her hand slipped into yours, fingers intertwined. meanwhile the idols looked at you and you asked, “second chorus to the end? the debut formations?” they nodded and chaewon said, “from 겁이 난 없지, 없지” you nodded and found your place and let the music play. from this part of the song you were in the center, a smile on your face nobody had seen on you thus far. during the refrain everyone of your teammates saw the way yunjin looked up at you while she faced them, like you were the only girl in the world. the six of you danced to the end and when the song stopped everyone clapped and the five girls pulled you into a long and tight hug. when you all parted each of them hugged you individually, sakura first. 

the eldest told you with a fond smile, “i’m so proud of you y/n. i can’t wait for your debut.” kazuha spoke up next, “i’m wishing for your debut, unnie.” chaewon squeezed you tightly, “i’m so happy to know you didn’t give up. i’m so proud of you y/n.” eunchae pulled you into a hug, “i missed you so much unnie. i’m happy we got to see each other like this.” yunjin was last, and she mumbled into your shoulder, “come see me tonight?” you murmured back quietly, “mhm.” she grinned as she pulled away while you tried to hide the look of joy from your face. everyone thanked le sserafim and said their goodbyes before you all got a quick break, mostly for cameras to be moved and reset. the second you were alone with manon, your closest friend, she asked all knowing, “so when are you seeing her?” you tried to play it off but she knew you too well already, so you caved, “tonight.”