#i'll probably never write this but i liked the idea

[redrage71890]

Backing Voice (Yan! KPDH x Fem! MC) Part 2

Synopsis: An ending tour marks the beginnings of a change. Just when everything was going so right. A meeting sparks emotions that were buried deep within one and another. What does that mean for our hunters and their source of peace.

Genres: Fluff, Angst, Slow Burn (?), Yandere (?)

CW: None

Prologue, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Word Count: 2.5k A/N: I'll be honest here, the yandere part is quite slow. Apologies if you're reading this purely bc of the yandere part. Also probably OOC.

————————————————————

A lift plunges further into the stages interior with the three hunters excitedly discussing the sight of gold along the honmoon. All their efforts are paying off with the near closeness of blocking the demons away from the surface.

"Did we just see gold?!"

"Yeah, I can't believe we're doing it."

"It's so exciting!"

"Okay. You know what this means. Its time to release the song."

"(Cough) Whoa. That was weird."

"Good thing we're taking a break."

"Yeah. Sounds like you need the rest."

"Yeah. Just need a little water."

"Did someone say water?"

Just as the doors opened the girls were met with an entourage of staff, just to take care of their well-beings after the show. Meeting the proud smiles of their managers Bobby and (Y/N).

Urging to give them water immediately as they walk and Bobby complimenting them on their performance. (Y/N) walks besides the girls and adjusts some of their robes and getting permission to take off some of their accessories.

As a reward for the success and topping the charts yet again, Bobby organised a staycation at fancy resort for them. But they promptly denied since mainly Mira and Zoey were more excited about relaxing on their couch.

Since the resort is now available, Rumi states that he should go to the resort instead. Which Bobby promptly got a robe and face mask on.

"Oh, wait. (Y/N), are you okay? You seem a bit... um, tired." Bobby questions, pausing her exit to follow the girls. Granted she didn't get much sleep due to the stress of organising the venue with Bobby, along with keeping up with the girls every time a demon showed up.

Not to mention the three girls asking for little pointers and ideas for the stage performance up until she firmly told them to stop.

Look. She likes her friends, really she does.

She just wishes they would leave her alone sometimes.

Zoey clung to her space so she can get pointers and ideas for lyrics, while also eagerly curious as to what she does outside of the tower.

Mira is much more chill about how they spend time together, typically asking her to watch something on the TV and eat together. But she started taking more of her personal time and commonly asking where she went by herself.

Rumi can be described as professional, initially. She tried to converse first, but (Y/N)'s shaking body was enough to stop trying for a while. But again, they grew acquainted and the hunter began joining in on her lyric writing and demo making sessions. Though once again, she never left the poor girl alone.

Though for all of them...

They refused to.

"Y-Yeah... I just need to rest for a while. But I got some things to take care of before that." Pulling a reassuring yet still tired smile his way, before following the girls in their shadows.

————————————————————

"You're telling me, that the girls released 'Golden'? Now?!" (Y/N) had been on the phone with Bobby as he made his way back for promotions.

(Y/N) was nervously fiddling with her good luck charm on her waist as she was taking in the news. But as much as she wanted to help with the promotions tonight, she couldn't hold off on what she had to do now.

Speeding through the streets with a guitar case on her back, a baggy hoodie and pants while donning a face mask to avoid people as much as possible.

She didn't wear a mask before, but fans started to recognise her as a manager for HUNTR/X. Her blood pressure by itself couldn't given her a heart attack right then and there when she heard that. Never again. She doesn't even know why they liked her so much.

The city nightlife has always been a somewhat suffocating, yet calming. Bustling crowded streets of people coming off work just to drink and let their worries leave for just a moment, families and friends going to dinner to spend time together and unwind. Such people made the night calming for her.

But the suffocating darkness that lingers underneath...

It always chokes at her.

However, her duties are of the most effective during those darkening nights.

Pushing away her inner anxieties and paranoia about herself, she pursues into the nightlife.

Coming down to a secluded park, long emptied for the streets and lights. Its playground seen better days and benches uncleaned with lingering brown leaves and twigs. By passing the structures, (Y/N) finds a suitable large old tree for herself. Its roots coming out of the ground and some leaving a space that make it appear like a throne among the tree.

Taking a seat in the centre and dismounting her case, showcasing to no one, a black electric guitar with gold and light blue accents along its body. A shiny exterior that makes look untouched, no lingering fingerprints or stains and signs of its use. A small notebook used and battered laid within the case. Stickers of the HUNTR/X girls and other musically themed ones about the cover.

(Y/N)'s touch detests the guitars unused appearance, but causes the accents to glow in the night. Picking up the notebook and flicking through the pages, she stopped at one page and put it to the ground, still visible for her eyes.

Tuning her guitar to its right sound, she began to pluck the strings.

————————————————————

As the honmoon glowed its usual blue, a deep pink purple teared through like paper. Clawing out the hole is a purple hand, followed by a black sleeve of a hanbok.

As soon as their feet touch the ground, a puff of pink smoke covers their body to reveal a young man who looked like he just came out of a drama series.

Middle parted black hair with dreamy brown eyes that can melt a girls heart. A dark teel green hoodie underneath a black jacket, paired with dark blue jeans and shoes.

An attire fit for a heartthrob, an ideal standard perfectly. Too perfectly.

Gwi-ma gave his blessings to humour Jinu's demon boy-band plan, in exchange he would erase Jinu's memories.

Earlier than planned, he decided to scout out the perfect place for the newly formed Saja Boys to debut. Surfacing through the night was a perfect cover for him, nobody would take full notice of him just yet. Using this time to casually scope the area.

Smirking at the large number of souls in the night. Numerous fans ready to be converted into loyal fans for him and the boys.

Though as he was admiring an empty park, he feels a sudden rush of his heart racing. Clenching his chest like he had heartburn, he freezes in his spot.

'What is this? Why does my chest hurt?'

As Jinu was questioning his sudden chest pains, his head flicks up as his ears picks up a haunting voice coming from the park.

"Watch the sunrise along the coast"

"As we're both getting old"

"I can't describe what I'm feeling"

"And all I know is we're going home"

"So, please don't let me go"

"Don't let me go~"

A gentle yet haunting voice echoes through the empty park. Ruptures of calm and contentment filling those along the outsides of the park.

Nobody bothering to humour their sudden feelings and search for the source of the voice.

All but one.

Stepping on the old green grass, Jinu follows the closing strums of a guitar and the warming vocals of the singer.

"And if it's right, I don't care how long it takes"

"As long as I'm with you, I've got a smile on my face"

The echoes of laughter from a once young girl fills her mind. Followed by the joint giggles and chuckles of a mother and father. All just happy to be together.

No care for what setting they were in, whether it was the busy streets of a city or the quiet hums of animals in the countryside, nothing could wipe off their joy and love for one another.

Until it did.

"Save your tears, it'll be okay"

"All I know is you're here with me"

"Ooh ooh, oh, oh oh"

"Oh oh oh oh oh"

A pitiful smile plastered on her face. Pouring her heart and soul into her voice.

Rays of blue and lavender light ripple through the city. Areas closer to the park reveal small parts of the honmoon, glowing a lavender purple.

A memory in her mind becomes as clear as an old tape record. Or one could say a thought.

Her body growing older and older. Watching as those who care for her grow weaker and weaker. A bittersweet image.

"Watch the sunrise as we're getting old, oh oh"

"I can't describe, oh oh"

"I wish I could live through every memory again~"

"Just one more time before we float off in the wind"

"And all the time we spent waiting for the light to take us in"

"Have been the greatest moments of my life~"

Hiding behind a tree Jinu peaks to manage out the silhouette of a figure sitting at the foot of the largest and oldest tree in the park. Based on the voice he could distinguish the singer to be a girl, but her hair was shaggy and covered her eyes.

He did not think this haunting voice would come from here.

"I don't care how long it takes"

"As long as I'm with you, I've got a smile on my face"

"Save your tears, it'll be okay"

"You're here with me"

Lifting her head, facing up to the old branches of the tree. That pitiful sad smile she held brought something unknown to his heart. He couldn't place why it felt so warming. Yet so haunting.

He felt reassured for some reason. Like his guilt and shame was washed away, clearing his head.

There was no sound of Gwi-ma.

For the first time in 400 years, he heard nothing but the haunting yet comforting voice of the singer.

"Ooh ooh, oh, oh oh"

"Oh oh oh oh oh"

"I can't describe, oh oh"

The plucking of her guitar came to an end. An overflowing amount of lavender light spreads along the honmoon, but it didn't push him down.

He felt at peace.

Unknowingly to himself, he took a step out from behind his hiding spot. Continuing to take more and more steps until he was right in front of her.

"Are you the one singing?" He was mentally cursing himself for the obvious question.

The singer in question froze. Slowly turning up her head, Jinu is met with a shiver of nerves. Piercing (f/c) and gold eyes stared back. Her pupils constricting as her hands began to shake.

"W-Who says it was m-me?" He sort of expected a quieter speaking voice. Just not this melodic. Her body was nervously shaking from his presence alone. As a demon, he should feel a certain thrill seeing her so fearful from him. Alluring humans to listen to their own shame and insecurities so they can be consumed by Gwi-ma.

But he hated seeing her shake.

"Uh, you are the only one here. I-I just wanted to say that, you have a beautiful voice." The compliment nearly rolled off his tongue flawlessly. He felt unnaturally shy with her (f/c) eyes on him.

While Jinu was weirdly nervous meeting the singer, (Y/N) felt like she was sweating bullets.

'There's only one explanation for this.'

No regular human pays attention to her singing. The only reason why her backing voice is discussed online, is because its among their favourite girl group.

'He's a demon.'

"U-Um... thank you...its nothing special..." Quieting her voice until it became a near whisper. Trying to ignore the demon as she packs up her notebook and guitar.

"What's your name?"

'He wants to keep talking? Should I tell him?'

Its not everyday that a demon wants to get to know her. It was strange. Unnatural. But what malice did she hold towards the male who has done nothing but try to talk to her.

She's not really a hunter anyway.

"(Y-Y/N)..."

"I-I'm Jinu, its nice to meet you." He holds out a hand for a shake. But he's just met with a blank stare.

(F/c) eyes barely blinking while simultaneously looking him up and down. He's never felt so self-conscious in centuries, he was beginning to sweat.

Thankfully for him, she peeled her gaze off and locked up her instrument once again. Slinging it on her back once she stood up at full height. While this was happening, Jinu put his hand away faster than a car. He could feel blood rushing to his ears out of pure embarrassment. He doesn't even know why he feels this way, they literally just met.

"A-Anyways! I wanted to ask if-"

"What's a demon like you doing here?"

Her question catching him off guard.

She knew what he was.

'Is she a hunter? How does she know?!'

"A regular human d-doesn't usually pay mind to my singing." Her statement coming out a bit louder than before. She didn't exactly look happy with being noticed.

Though in reality, she was feeling her heart race.

Of course she knew the effects her voice has on demons. Its what her ancestors have been doing for centuries. Things just changed when her mother met the Sunlight Sisters. Their duties were altered by the wishes of the hunters.

She can freeze a demons actions just by them hearing her voice. But it does not strengthen the honmoon as much as the hunters. Her weapon can barely kill a demon. Yet her voice and emotion poured into her singing is always enough for them to leave on their will.

Beyond what her mother has informed her of their ancestors, that is all she knows of her capabilities.

Jinu on the other hand didn't know how to respond. Humans don't pay attention to her melodic voice? He was beyond stumped.

'How could the humans not listen to this beauty!? I-I can't even describe how it feels to my body and mind!'

He had to stop himself mentally before he went on a tangent he didn't know was in him.

"I-If you're done staring. I'm gonna go." Walking past him in his frozen like state, trapped in his waring thoughts. Realising she passed him, he quickly snapped his neck over.

(Y/N) stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. Lifting up an arm and doing a little wave, paired with the softest smile he's seen in years.

"I'll see you around, Jinu."

For the first time in 400 years, he met someone he wants to protect again.

Damn whoever stands in his way.

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Edit: Trying my absolute best here :') Its a bit insane. Also if anyone has ideas for duet ballad or even like r&b songs, pls tell me, its for the fic and an idea I have in mind. And tell me your favourite saja boy bc I badly want more content about them.

Tags: @kitsune-05, @the-bookish-artist, @apelepikozume, @shoopershtar, @ravvilicous, @valeriele3, @vikc, @lasa27, @chipster-321, @greensunflowerjuna, @napbatata, @that-one-girl2020, @tagmepls, @thoughtfulbananaduckcroissant, @minepugs, @crescent-z, @colorfulgardenerduck, @poem-bee, @deityofprocastinating, @0-undead-0, @gremlinartstudio, @jessica-mcd, @strayharmony943, @fruityg0rl, @cherryblossomfox, @aominehaven, @kyxmlii, @ssaischilling, @sweaterkitty-fluff, @historygeekqueen, @satansdaughter123, @theall-seeingone, @nvmkyuu, @amenabii, @julianne1024

[karikitdemonrp]

Akimitsu blinked and listened to Inuyasha, giving a nod. "Yes... Souls. I'm sure you can figure out exactly what I mean by it." He muttered, moving his gaze to continue writing in his scroll. "I know it looks like I'm treating her like a test subject but I don't intend to. It's just a being like her has never existed before so this is new information about life. When I sensed what she was I almost blurted it out, though Kagome was quick with that note, that's why I managed to hold back. I suppose Auntie told her about my... Hyperactive and excitable nature when it comes to things like this." The demi-god gave a bitter sweet chuckle.

"I never really felt like I belonged, for multiple reasons. One of which being that I'm a demi-god but I'm sure you had it rougher because of stigma. After all, I'm a demi-god and gods are looked at better than demons but it's still a weird spot to be in. The other is how my brain works." He sighed, pausing his writing for a moment to think. "I don't really get people, more so than others like us. Half human, half something else. But for me, it was always a bit weirder. I was made fun of for my ideas and for how I perceived things. Though, I never fully understood it. So I guess what I'm trying to say is if it comes across that I'm treating her as a test subject know it's not my intention and to let me know about it." The demi-god wrote down what Inuyasha said about Kari's abilities.

"Well... I know what rank deity she is but it's not exactly... ... oh boy." Akimitsu turned around and realized that Inuyasha was still there, watching and probably confused. "Oh! Right, you were watching. Sorry, I got super absorbed in what I was doing I forgot you were there. You see, these liquids are kinda like the essence of a god, to put it as simply as possible. It's not exactly that but it's the best way I could put it. I figured out a sort of system to figure out a gods rank by seeing how a god reacts to different levels. No reaction means no match. A reaction means it's as close of a match as possible. And this--" The demi-god held up the vial of viscous gold and blue liquid. "This is the highest rank possible, well almost but this is the highest rank I could obtain and it was super hard to get. There is only one rank higher than this and there's only one in that category, so Kari being this high a rank means one of two things." Akimitsu took a moment to go write down his findings, then continued to speak.

"Faster than the wind, huh. Barriers too. Symbols glowing when under emotional stress which is kinda normal for a kid regardless. I couldn't controll my abilities very well to start. Any time I got scared the pond outside would bubble and burst out, any water near by reacting to me. Also a shifting of Kari's scent and her aura from what Auntie wrote in her note. Though that's likely due to something with the seal on her scarf and not her." He murmured to himself thoughtfully, eyes glazing over as he continued to think. "One strand might not be enough but I'll try my best." His voice was soft, thought filled as if he weren't fully present but still able to reply. He got to work examining the strand of hair first then adding certain liquids to it, the first being a foggy pale yellow color, being careful to only add small drops to it. Nothing happened to the hair and Akimitsu narrowed his eyes slightly "Ok, not that one. Maybe this one." He pulled out another vial of liquid, this one a sapphire blue color. There was no reaction and Akimitsu showed slight concern. Next was a shimmering ruby red liquid that was more vibrant and more viscous than blood, almost like tree sap. He didn't pour it and instead took the strand and carefully dipped it in the vial. Again no reaction. "This is... Concerning." He gulped, moving to another liquid, this one was also viscous bit this time more like tar, aside from that it was a dazzling golden color with a bit of blue dotted in it here and there and no matter how much it was mixed, the blue never vanished. Akimitsu dipped the strand of hair into the liquid and there was a slight reaction, a small amount of white steam rising off of the small strand of hair. The demi god swallowed hard, taking a breath.

"First, it could mean the rank carried over and one of her parents was that high of a rank, which is most likely. Or two, one of her parents was a slightly lower rank but the strengths of her parents combined and thus gave Kari this rank. Either way, Kari's deific abilities are on par with the goddess of the sun and her siblings. But the dull reaction has me a bit concerned, though it could be because she's also half demon. Something similar happened when I tested it on myself." Akimitsu hummed softly in thought. "As for figuring out how strong her demonic abilities are that's a bit more tricky. I don't get many demons of a higher caliber around here and I'm not one for traveling very far, but I might have something." The demi-god stood up again and began rummaging through a different set of vials.

"Let's see here..." The demi-god hummed softly to himself while he looked. "Ah, here we go. I have a small amount of great demon essence here thankfully and plenty of lesser demon essence and after this I'll try and cross reference some specific demon dna to see if I can figure out what kind of demon she could be, at least as best as possible. Each demon has a certain pattern that identifies them as a part of a certain group, hopefully I'll be able to figure that out sooner rather than later." He informed then got to work doing the same process. Kagome eventually walked back in with some strands of Kari's hair but realized it wouldn't be necessary. But before she could go, Akimitsu asked her to leave them on his desk next to him just in case something happened to this one. He swiftly added the strands of hair to a vial so they wouldn't blow away and went back to work.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha with a confused expression. "So, uh, what's the verdict so far?" She asked, trying not to be too loud while Akimitsu worked.

Inuyasha stood near the doorway, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in quiet thought as he watched the children vanish outside. Once they were gone, and Kagome stepped out after them, he finally shifted, his golden gaze landing on Akimitsu. The half-demon’s posture was tense—not from mistrust, but from the kind of weight that came with watching someone walk the path he once knew all too well.

“Tch. Of course it’s complicated,” he muttered, almost to himself. “Souls, huh…”

When Akimitsu asked his question, Inuyasha didn’t answer right away. His ears twitched slightly, picking up on the distant sound of Kari’s voice, faint and a little steadier than before. His eyes softened a little.

“She’s made a few barriers on her own, yeah,” he finally answered. “First time was when we were ambushed near Kaede’s village—she didn’t even know she was doin’ it. Just instinct. Then again while we were traveling… happened when she got cornered, overwhelmed. Her scent changes every time, her energy too. And when she panics? Those weird symbols on her body—they glow.” The hanyou paused, his jaw tight.

“She told me once she felt like she could’ve run faster than the wind. Like somethin’ inside her wanted to break free… but didn’t. Like her body was holdin’ back.” His brows furrowed, annoyed—though not at Kari. “Didn’t say it out loud, but I think she was scared of what might happen if she didn’t hold back.”

He looked at Akimitsu, his expression suddenly sharp.

“Don’t treat her like a test subject. I don’t care what scrolls you got or how smart you are—Kari’s a kid. Not a damn artifact.”

Inuyasha exhaled, calming himself before he said something more heated. He looked away, ears twitching, eyes distant. “But… I get it. You’re tryin’ to help.” He stepped away from the door and walked over, pulling a loose strand of silver hair from the sleeve of his haori. “She shed this earlier. Take it, if it helps. Might have both demon and god traces on it, I dunno.” His claws twitched slightly before folding his arms again.

“And no—she doesn’t know what she is yet. The seal’s still doin’ its job… barely. But if those cracks keep spreadin’? It’s only a matter of time. We need to know what she is before she figures it out the hard way.” His voice lowered slightly, almost hesitant.

“She asked me if she’d still be okay… even if she could do more than just make barriers.” He glanced toward the door, toward where she was laughing faintly with Shippo.

“I didn’t give her some flowery answer or anything. Just told her… yeah. She’d be okay. Long as I’m around.” His eyes hardened again, gaze snapping back to Akimitsu.

“So whatever you find out—you tell me first. Not her. Not yet. I’ll decide what she can handle.”

[ild-rllrcstr]

Offline, Online part 3 (final)

Lando Norris X You / slow burn / 3.5K

part 1 / part 2

Summary Online, you know him as your constant racing rival and friend who talks about everything. Unawareingly, offline, he's Lando Norris, the charming, frustrating driver you’re assigned to style, who somehow makes every workday a challenge.At work, you don’t like him. He doesn’t take you seriously. But behind the screens, you both vent about each other without knowing who’s who. Slowly, late-night races and shared secrets start to blur the lines between friendship and something more.As reality and virtual worlds collide, feelings sneak up when you least expect them.

Warnings swearing A/N Hesitated to extend to two parts, but thought this idea is probably better without further dragging. BTW, super happy with the GP result this weekend! Hope you'll like it! New story ideas are already in my head! Just need some time to write them down, I'll see you soon!

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡

The showroom was nearly empty. You were pinning the hem of a jacket on a mannequin when Lando walked in, still in streetwear, damp hair pushed back like he showered after a workout. You barely glanced up.

He didn’t speak at first, just lingered near the rack, flipping through hangers like he had a reason to be there.

"How are you doing?" he asked finally, voice gentler than usual.

You nodded without looking at him. "Yeah. Just a bit behind."

"You look tired." You blinked at him. It was not something people usually say, especially not him.

"Thanks," you said dryly.

"Not like… I didn’t mean it like that." He stepped closer, hands tucked into his pockets, suddenly looking… sheepish? "Just noticed, that’s all."

You glanced at him then. His expression was... sincere. It unsettled you a little.

"I'm fine," you lied, with a small fake smile.

He watched you for a moment longer before nodding slowly. 

Then, just as he turned to leave, a song started playing faintly from the studio speakers, a track from your shared sim racing playlist. One you mocked endlessly.

Lando huffed a soft laugh. "Honestly, that playlist’s still a crime against humanity."

You looked up. "What?"

"No… Nothing," he said too quickly. "Forget it."

But something about the way he said it… You frowned, narrowing your eyes at his back as he walked out.

You picked up your phone later that night. No message from Late.

You thought about that moment in the showroom. That weird playlist comment. And you hated that part of you, that stupid part, that wanted it to mean something. But it didn’t, right? Because Late was into someone else. And Lando… well, he was just someone you worked for. Just a guy.

You opened Discord anyway. Typed. Deleted. Typed again.

You: Do you think it’s possible to misread someone for months?

The typing bubble appeared.

Late: Yeah. Especially if they’re trying really hard not to be obvious.

You stared. Your chest tightened. And you really didn’t know who you were talking to anymore.

You: Why would someone do that?

Late: Because it’s easier to lose the chance than ruin what’s already there. Because maybe she only likes the version of me she already knows.

You: That’s vague as hell. Still haven’t tell her?

Late: I’ve tried. I think I even slipped it more than once. She just didn’t hear it.

You: Maybe you weren’t clear enough. Or maybe she didn’t want to believe it.

Late: Maybe, it’s just hard to believe I guess.

You hesitated. Your chest felt tight again. Why did this feel personal? You kept typing, backspace, typing, backspace. Then, impulsively,

You: What do you like about her?

There was a long pause. The typing bubble came and went.

Late: She’s sharp. Quiet, but her brain’s always moving. She doesn’t flirt or try too hard. She just… shows up. Keeps people grounded. Keeps me grounded.

You felt your throat tighten. That could’ve be anyone. Right?

You: She sounds lucky.

Late: I think I’m the lucky one. Even if she never figures it out.

You closed the app.

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You were sorting returns in the back, headphones half-on, too aware of every footstep outside the stockroom. The curtain rustled. Lando stepped through, holding two takeaway coffees like he was not sure if he should be doing this.

You blinked at him. "Do you… need something?"

He offered you the cup. You took it without thinking. He didn’t say anything for a moment. 

"Do you ever think about doing something else?"

The question floored you. Lando, who had never spoken to you about anything outside the job, asking something personal?

"Where is this coming from?"

He shruged. "Just… wondering. You’re good at what you do. But sometimes you look like your mind’s somewhere else."

You looked down at your cup. Your hands felt too warm.

"Sometimes," you admitted. "It’s just a job. I like it. But yeah… I think about other things."

"Like racing?"

That made your head snap up. "What...? I thought you were the driver here."

He smiled, soft. Not teasing. "It’s just you talk about it like someone who’s lived it. Not only just watched."

Your chest tightened. It was too close.

"It’s just a hobby."

"Right," he said, but it was not dismissive. He was watching you closely. Noticing things. Seeing you.

"Ever think about what it’d be like to talk to someone every night, think you know them, and then realise maybe you’ve known them all along, just in a different way?"

Your blood ran cold. Your voice was smaller than you want it to be. Confused.

"What ?"

He looked like he was deciding how far to go. 

 "I’m trying not to fuck it up here."

Silence. You stared at him, heart thudding. You didn’t know what to say, what he even meant, or if you wanted it to mean what you were scared it might.

He looked like he might say more, there was something way too deep and way too dangerous in those eyes. Then he stepped back, nodding toward the curtain.

"Anyway. Didn’t mean to interrupt."

And just like that, he was gone again.

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡

The apartment was dark except for the blue light of your screen. Your coffee from earlier was still on the counter, cold. You haven’t touched it. You haven’t touched anything since you saw the message.

Late: I think I almost told her today. I don’t know if she heard me. Or maybe… she did. And she’s just not ready yet.

You reread it for the fifth time.

You paced. You cursed yourself. You sat back down and opened Discord again.

Your hands hovered.

You: Is this about the same girl? The one you keep saying you like at work?

Late: Yeah. It’s always been her.

You: So tell her. You said you almost told her today. Why didn’t you?

Late: She was right in front of me. And I still couldn’t do it.

You: Why?

Late: Because I don’t want to lose her. And I think she’s already pulling away. I’m afraid she’ll run away.

You: You’re being dramatic. She probably just doesn’t know what the hell is going on.

Late: Exactly.

You: So tell her. What are you waiting for?

Long pause.

Late: It’s you.

You didn’t move. You blinked at the screen and reread that last word like it might morph into something else if you just stared long enough. But it didn’t.

You: What is going on here?

Late: I’m trying to tell you. In the way that won’t ruin it. In the way that lets you walk away if you want.

You: You’re not making any sense.

Late: What if I am?

You: Are you saying what I think you're saying?

Another long pause. He was typing. Then stoped. Then typing again.

Late: I think you already know. But if I say it outright, it becomes real. And real means it could hurt you. Or make things weird. Or worse, make you leave.

You: This is insane. Just say it. If this is some kind of joke…

Late: It’s not a joke.

You: Then who is she?

Late: I’m telling you, she is you.

Your stomach dropped. The silence was deafening. You reread it once. Twice.

You: ...This isn’t funny.

Late: I’m not joking. I was going to tell you at the studio today. I didn’t know how to do it without making you freak out.

You: Who are you?

Late: You already know that too. I’ve been right in front of you.

Your throat dried. Something cold crawled down your spine.

You: No, that doesn’t make sense. You said you’re from Monaco, not Surrey. You’re not saying…

Late: Yeah. I am. I am from Surrey, but I also do live in Monaco.

Late: It’s me. It’s Lando Norris.

You stared at the screen, heart pounding, fingers frozen.

No. No. No. No. No

You shut your laptop hard, the sudden noise echoing too loudly in the quiet room.

Your phone buzzed. A message from Late. You ignored it. Another buzz. Another. You silenced your phone.

Your mind raced, your chest tightened. How long have you been fooled? How much of what you felt was real? And how much was just a mirage?

You didn’t log back in that night. Or the next. Or the next.

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡

The showroom was quiet in the late afternoon. You were at your desk, focused on a task but trying not to think about how you will have to face the situation eventually. 

The door opened softly. Lando steped in, casual but with a seriousness you didn’t usually see. He moved slowly, as if every step mattered. He approached your desk, hands loosed at his sides, no one was around.

“Can we talk?” His voice was quiet, careful.

You didn’t look up, fingers still typing.

He waited a beat, then sat down on the edge of a nearby table, keeping some distance, respectful.

“I want you to know... this isn’t about me hiding anything from you. Honestly, When I found out, I didn’t know how to tell you. I was scared I’d mess it up.”

You finally meet his eyes, guarded but curious. He continues, voice soft.

“I was scared what thic could change, and it did, you’re not back in race for a while now, and it’s not because you’re tires or whatever, I realised you misunderstood because I messed up, just made everything harder.”

You swallowed hard, feeling exposed.

“I get why you shut down. I think I would’ve too.”

He leaned forward a little, but not too much.

“But I want to make it up, if you’ll let me. No games. No running. If I can hit that reset button to just be straight forward with you in the first place.”

Your fingers curled into fists on the desk. You wanted to say no. You wanted to say it was easier to protect yourself.

But something in his eyes held you. Not pleading. Just steady.

A long silence stretched between you.

Finally, you breathed out.

“How did you find out?”

“Accidentally saw your phone, saw the message I sent.”

“Prove it. Show me you are him.” You breathed hard, part of you still couldn’t believe, you still partly thought Late was catfishing you online.

Ping. He texted, your phone received. 

Late: I didn’t know how to tell you. I wanted to test the water, then I figured that I fucked up. I’m sorry.

You stared at the screen.

Your reflection looked back at you in the dark glass of your phone. Pale. Quiet. Bracing for something that already happened. You thought about it, you dreaded it, but when it became the truth in front of you, it hit differently.

It was his voice, in your head now. His actual voice. Not just Late. Not just the messages. Not just a screen between you.

The room felt still, like the moment was holding its breath.

You glanced up at him slowly. He was still sitting there, hands clenched between his knees now, like he was keeping himself from doing anything that might scare you off. He was nervously anticipating your reaction.

You blinked once. Then again. Your voice barely rose above a whisper.

“It’s you.”

He nodded. Didn’t smile. Didn’t speak. Didn’t know how to react. Just carefully reading you. He just let the words sit there.

“All this time...” you said, the weight of it pressing into your chest. “You were right there.”

“Yeah,” he says, quietly. “And I didn’t want to mess it up. But I did anyway.”

Your hand tightened around your phone. Your throat burnt.

“Should’ve said something sooner?”

His eyes flickered… guilt, hesitation, maybe fear.

“Because the second I realised it was you... It stopped being just fun sim racing at night. It started feeling like real life. And I didn’t want to lose you in either.”

You let out a shaky breath. Something between a laugh and a sob.

“I thought this whole time it was another girl… and I complained about you to you…”

He grinned, soft and crooked. “I know. I also complained to you.”

There was a pause. Neither of you moved.

“So I'm just jealous of myself this whole time,” you whispered.

Lando finally smiled. “That jealousy really didn’t look good on you.”

You punched him lightly on his shoulder, and he finally laughed. 

“This is exactly how I imagined.”

“What?”

“The real you in real life.” He had his hand on his shoulder where you punched. And just looked at you, with that warm smile on his face. You felt your cheeks burnt a bit.

“You sent me a meme mid-race once,” he suddenly said, his voice low. “I couldn’t stop laughing. Nearly missed turn 4.”

You looked at him, really looked into his eye, and for the first time in days, the heaviness started to shift.

“And you deserved it,” you whisper.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I did. But I also deserved to know the person behind it. And now that I do…”

He trailed off. You waited.

“...I still want to. Maybe more than I wanted”

You sat with that. Let it settle into your ribs.

There was no grand gesture. No big romantic confession.

Just him. Just honesty. Just you, finally knowing.

And maybe, that was enough.

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡

“Do you want to get some dessert? You know, the one I talked about, the world’s best frozen yoghourt. It’s actually not far from here” ‘

After the shoot, Lando approached when there weren’t much people around.

“I can’t believe that place is in this neighborhood this whole time.”

He smiled and shrugged.

“I want to finally spend time with you, out of chat, out of headset, far from camera and clothes racks, just us.”

You smiled shyly “I’d like that.”

Your little dates happened more and more often whenever he's in town, the sim racing also went back on track, no more emotional sulking pauses hidden behind excuses of work. It was like your extended date after actual dates. Racing turned into late-night sessions that felt different now, flirty, magnetic, even your fastest laps couldn’t outrun the pull between you two.

People noticed. Not everyone, but enough. And of course the crucial ones, your brothers.

Your sim racing group chat had started throwing suspicious emojis.

“Why the fuck are you giggling in quali” your older brother Alex asked you in your family private chatroom, not too happy about it. 

“It was the joke, it was funny.” you tried to defend yourself, you know how your brothers can be.

“You went from crazy woman laugh to girl giggle, there’s something fishy about you and Late, I can smell it. We know the guy is funny, but you are high on a whole another level.”

“Are you guys fucking or something.” your second brother Elijah’s always the one without filter.

“Eli!”

“She’d better not even have met this guy just yet, or let’s say never.”

It was not long after you had to admit you guys were dating, and you’ve seen in real life.

“Do you even know what he looked like before you met? What were you thinking, do you now how people get scammed or killed like this nowadays?” Alex not taking it well was an understatement. But you told him you promise you’ll explain him everything. 

You still needed to talk to Lando about revealing to your brother, but then he was away for the race, which had to delay the talk. You tried very hard to avoid every possible serious conversation about it with your brothers. 

The GP was in Singapore, and you were, for once, watching with your brother at your parents’ place.

Seeing Lando on the screen hit very differently since you started dating. You texted privately, sometimes FaceTime, you wished him luck, and he said he missed you. The campaign thing ended, you were meeting at work anymore, but it was better, it was easier not having to act professional everytime he was around. 

“Late is going to be jealous if he sees you fan-girling over Lando like this.” 

Elijah smirked, seeing you overly excited about Lando. It was always one of your favourite drivers on the track, but now you’re not just cheering for him for that simple reason. 

“Late likes Lando too, he probably wouldn’t mind.” You smiled, only if they knew what you were talking about.” 

Elijah squinted at you. “You say that like you know.”

You shrugged, keeping it breezy. “We’ve talked about it before. He respects him.”

Alex turned his head slowly. “Since when did you guys talk about real drivers now?”

You nodded. “It comes up sometimes.”

There was a silence. The kind that made your skin itch.

“Y/N.” Alex’s voice was low. “You’re not being honest.”

“I am!” You shot back, too fast, too defensive.

More silence.

Then Elijah said, “Bring him to karting, then.”

Your stomach dropped. “What?”

“If this Late guy is all that, I want to race him. Karting. Real track. You bring him.”

Alex crossed his arms. “Good idea.”

“No,” you said immediately. “Come on.”

“We need to meet this guy, you’re dating someone, and we need to meet him, you know the rule.” 

“What rule, Alex? That never existed.”

“Yes, there is now, since you decided to date some random guy online.”

You sighed, hands over your face. “We met in real life, a couple of times. And no, he’s not a murderer, or a scammer, or some 55-year-old pretending to be twenty. He’s… he’s just a normal guy, okay?”

“Oh, now you’ve met him a couple of times?” Alex looked half-offended, half-concerned.

“Another reason to bring him to karting. How he drives like shit in sim, doubt he can even kart.”

Only if you knew Eli, only if you knew. You bit your lip.

Alex leaned back. “This is going to be so embarrassing for him.”

You didn’t answer.

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡

You knew you can’t make up no excuses, Lando will be back during the weekend of your family karting, he gladly accepted the invite, he was a bit too excited to know those were your brothers in the group, and he was thrilled to meet them, or a bit thrilled to see their reaction. 

You arrived with Alex, you were fidgeting, you didn’t know how this was going to go, it shouldn’t go wrong, there was no reason to, but still, you were beyond nervous. Lando hadn’t texted that he’d arrived yet, and your brothers were inside signing waivers, still fully convinced they were about to humble some anonymous sim guy who, in their words, “barely knows how to grip a wheel without traction control.”

You texted Lando: You here? Please tell me you’re here. I don’t have the energy to explain grid penalties to my brothers to stall.

Lando: Already inside. Hoodie mode.

You stepped in and immediately spotted him at the back of the lounge, slouched casually on a bench in a black hoodie and cap pulled low. Low-profile. Anonymous. Until he lifted his head and gave you that smile, the one that always felt like it was just for you.

“Hey,” he murmured when you walked over.

“You sure you wanna do this?” you whispered, glancing toward the other side of the building.

He grinned. “Oh, now you’re worried about my safety? In karting?”

You groaned. “Just… whatever, it is what it is, I guess. I’m just nervous.”

He leaned closer, voice low and soft, holding your hand firmly. “Babe, it’s going to be okay. I’m here.”

Before you could respond, Elijah’s voice boomed across the room.

“Is that him?”

Lando turned.

Alex squinted his eyes, then froze mid-step, his jaw visibly tensing. “No fucking way.”

You closed your eyes. “Lando, this is Alexander and Elijah, brothers, this is Lando Norris, well, Late.”

Elijah stared. “No. No, No, No. You’re telling me this whole time, we’ve been racing Lando fucking Norris online?”

“I didn’t tell you because of exactly this reaction,” you muttered.

Alex looked at Lando, then at you, then back. “This is insane. Heh, I’m hallucinating.”

Lando stepped forward, lifting his cap just slightly. “Hi. I’m Lando. I guess you could say I’ve been… seeing your sister.”

“Bro, were you just acting ass to cover your identity? Because those corners, when we raced, don’t look like you're driving.” Elijah went into criticising mode.

“Eli!” you complained. Lando just chuckled. 

Alex rubbed his temples. “You met a random online stranger, and he just so happens to be a Formula 1 driver?”

“I mean, it wasn’t random, it was… a long story…”

“Unreal.” Both of them shook their heads.

“Okay,” Alex said, snapping out of it. “Fine. You’re real. You’re… you. But just know… if you hurt her, it doesn’t matter how many podiums you’ve got. I’m going to make sure you can’t drive again.”

“Alex?” To this point, you just wanted to dig a whole and hide in it.

“I know,” Lando said, voice calm. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

It wasn’t over-the-top. No grand gestures or dramatic monologues. Just him, standing there in beat-up sneakers and a hoodie, being real. And that was enough.

Elijah clapped him on the back. “Let’s race, Norris. Let’s see if you can still win with real pressure. We’ll make sure it feels like Piastri and Verstappen are behind you.”

Lando smirked. “You’re on.”

You watched them walk off toward the karts, shaking your head. But the heavy stone in your heart also dropped.

Somehow, against all odds, your anonymous sim racing crush had become the guy your brothers were now trash-talking in real life. And if you weren’t mistaken, Elijah was already asking him to join their fantasy league.

⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹☆ ⋆˙⟡

[tumblingaroundtofindout]

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

MAY I?

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Medkit was never a fan of physical contact. Often shrugging off the hands of those that decided to touch him and giving them the disgusted look like they just smeared contaminants on him.

Sure. He can tolerate some of Sword's buddy buddy antics: fist bumps, shoulder-side hugs, playful punches. But all the others? Forget it. Like, just the sight of some of them already drains away whatever patience he has left, how much more if they gave even a slight nudge with their elbow?

Even when he got together with you, who is very touchy, he still doesn't like physical contacts. But, again, he tolerates yours and Sword's.

He hates it. Disgusted by it even. So it surprised him when he mindlessly rested his chin on your shoulder while you were in the kitchen, cooking.

Was he tired? 

Maybe…

His face was a blushing mess. More so when he attempted to hide his face by burying it on your neck.

You could only giggle at his embarrassment. You didn't mind the contact, though it does feel weird a bit since…Medkit doesn't usually initiate physical contacts.

"I'm sorry about this…" Came his muffled, irritated voice. Irritated at himself at least.

You scoffed, amused and just let him be. "Nothing to be sorry about dear. You know I don't mind."

Your voice was gentle. Always soothing to his ears. 

Should I…? He thought to himself.

Lifting his head, he gazed at you from the corner of his eye. His throat feeling dry as he tried to form a sentence.

"Can I…" he swallowed and averted his gaze. "Hug you…?"

You hummed and just continued chopping the carrots and potatoes after peeling them. Now seeming unbothered.

Medkit waited for her reply, all the while his face was just burning with embarrassment.

"I don't know." You teased, "Can you?

You were joking. He knew that, and just scoffed at your sass. His face mildly cooling off with his irritation at your answer.

"May I hug you." He rolled his eye, unamused, yet grateful for the banter.

You giggled again. "Of course. I don't mind."

"I thought so…" he whispered.

Gingerly, he wrapped his arms around your waist and the burning sensation in his cheeks returned as he inhaled your scent and tightened his hold around you.

So he stayed like that for a while as you finished cooking. Even when you warned him about the steam and splash of soup, or how you almost tripped, he still didn't mind.

You don't mind it too. But it does make you moving around the kitchen more difficult with a koala the size of a grown man tenderly embracing you.

No matter. You can just tell him off next time. Or you could get used to this.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Of course the sample story is about Medkit. Gotta love that touch-deprived doctor. Got an idea? Write about it! Or share it and I'll write about it! Probably!

[myddle]

Thinking About Kris & The Weird Route

(Spoilers for Deltarune, Take A Freaking Guess Which Part)

So... you know how Kris sometimes interrupts their own speech, or says it strangely, to circumvent our choices sometimes?

(source)

Yeah. How come they don't do that in the Weird Route?

(source)

As far as I can tell, Kris never actively tries to stop their speech like that in any of the Weird Route prompts, with the arguable exception of the Weird variant of "♥️ I'll never play again", which is notably after the dust has settled and does nothing to stop us.

They don't even seem to pull the tamer trick of saying it in a confused way that throws people off (This one's debateable though, with how much Noelle asks us to repeat ourself).

But why? Kris has little trouble opposing us when we say things they don't like. And Kris doesn't like the Weird Route. That's not even debatable after the bathroom scene.

So why? Why are they struggling to resist us on this, of all things?

I think I noticed this dissonance before the new chapters came out, but I didn't know what to think back then. Not until...

(source)

Eram accuses Kris of, at least partially, enjoying the Weird Route. And they actively acknowledge our control over Kris... and dismiss it as an excuse.

I've talked about Eram's relation to Kris, and how they seem to believe that Kris is, on some level, evil or sadistic. But this is the peak of that outlook, and a huge accusation to make. What behaviour could make someone believe this about Kris?

Well, if Eram was formed from, say, the Horned Headband (Which they definitely are, see my other post) They'd have a front row seat for just the thing.

The Ferris Wheel Incident.

(source)

As far as we can tell, from what Noelle says to and about Kris, when they were young, Kris was just... like this. Possibly just with Noelle, considering we never (to my memory) hear about pranking incidents involving anyone else. Just Noelle. Kris just... loved pranking her specifically. Scaring her. ...Exciting her? Toughening her up?

We don't know why. We don't know why Kris was like this to her. Hell, we don't even know how she feels about it (Although, thanks to Susie, we know that's a question worth asking), and it's possible she isn't sure either. All we know for sure... is that she likes scary things.

Kris & Noelle's dynamic is a captivating Pandora's Box. Good? Bad? Platonic? Romantic? A secret third thing?

Or in other words... something else?

Does Kris even know? Does Kris know why they were like this? I'm not sure they do.

But these feelings, this desire to get a reaction out of Noelle, if mixed with their own guilt, their desire to protect Noelle and their own personal hangups... could all make a very weird emotional cocktail.

Now, I want to be very clear. I do not think Kris is sadistic. I don't think this dynamic is inherently toxic, and I don't think Eram is correct about Kris.

But I think Kris might. Maybe that's why they stopped seeing her. To protect her. From them.

The Weird Route isn't Kris' secret desire, but it isn't completely out of left field for them, either. It's the shadow of the back side of their mind, a corruption of one of their most treasured relationships, an intrusive thought that they'd never act on. Instead, we act on it for them, building a toxic relationship on innocent foundations.

And under our influence, the nightmare becomes real. The entity inside Kris drags their darkest dreams to the surface, and Kris is rendered unable to stop it, powerless to look away, because some part of them, a part they've come to despise and fear, can't help but wonder...

...Isn't it a good thing? She's getting stronger, she'll be able to protect herself. She's doing things by herself, she wants it too. She's smiling, she's having fun.

She's standing up to Berdly.

(honestly, I could probably write a whole other paragraph about Kris' mixed potential feelings about him, but whatever, you get the idea)

But ultimately, they don't want this. They hate it, they hate us for doing it, and they likely hate themselves for being enough of a freak to make it possible.

This, is the Weird Route. We're not just breaking down Noelle, and turning her into a weapon. We're turning Kris into the Sheath.

[badkitty3000]

Hi , I was wondering if you could write a part two for Don't Stand So Close To Me, we’re five and the reader are in an official relationship and move in together please . (:

Ok, so... since posting Don't Stand So Close To Me way back in September, I have had several requests for a sequel. I have always turned them down because I just wasn't feeling it.

BUT, I'm reconsidering this now.

It probably won't be exactly like this request, but I do have some ideas on how to continue the story. Would anyone be interested in this? Sequels, in my experience, never do that well in terms of reader engagement, but I'll give it a go since so many have asked.

If you would be interested in reading a sequel to this story, and would like to be tagged in it when finished, please like this post or drop a comment.

Thanks! 🥰

[skeletonh0e]

Okay this one is for Fresh only because he's my favorite- How would he react and feel about someone really close to him offering up their soul for him to feed on, as long as he's gentle about it and doesn't take too much of course? Gender neutral reader, queerplatonic. :>

This is a very sweet idea lol, I'm still new to writing queer platonic relationships so hopefully I did a good job here, I'm always open to feed back. The term "partner" is used but again entirely in a qp context

A Sweet Treat (Fresh Sans x Reader)

Tbh? I 100% see this happening as Fresh jokingly suggesting this and this getting a hell of a whiplash when you agree

Even more so when you're not bluffing, literally offering your soul to him

He did not think he would get this far

And like.....you're sure?

Listen, listen, I've mentioned this before...but Fresh is lowkey pretty paranoid deep down. Thus he takes trust very seriously, combine that with SOULS being a big deal in monster culture + on top of you being someone close in his life in general

He's touched that you trust him that much and depending on the nature of your relationship he might realize that if the roles were reversed....he trusts you that much too. He can't fully express it cuz emotions are not his strong suit in any situation or any relationship but he's noticeably quiet for a few solid moments

He's playful when he goes to take your soul, obviously heeding the warning of "be gentle" but like even if you didn't say that he does it like...almost instinctively

He's never been a protective person with anyone to begin with, so it's a bit of an odd whiplash that he's surprisingly like that now, with a firm but not too harsh grip on your soul. He'll crack a joke, make one last offer for you to tap out before actually feeding

Admires it for a moment, probably keeps your body physically close as well, probably sitting on his lap or at least leaning against him nearby. Fresh knows what he's doing, he's a parasite, he's done this before with far less willing prey and he's keeping himself in control (the only reason he'd be out of it is if he's starving thus feral hungry but that's not relevant here), but always double checking for when too much is too much.

Then he starts to feed.

And I'll be real

It probably don't feel too good.

It's not super painful, Fresh is being too careful and deliberate for that to happen, but unless there's some form of masochism it's not gonna be pleasant. I'd compare it to having your blood drawn though on a more spiritual level. A sharp sting at first followed by a draining sensation.

The moment you want to tap out, he'll comply and even then he's not daring to test the limits here. Your body completely relaxed against his as your soul is quite literally in his hands and in his mouth. The moment he suspects that enough is enough, your soul is returned to it's rightful place.

You're just kinda tired afterwards, not sore or hurt thanks to Fresh taking a level of tender care with it all but tired. You're gonna need a nap at least, if not several hours of proper sleep.

"You good broski?"

He'll haul you off and fully content to cuddle afterwards if that's the vibe you're fitting. Weirdly enough after the fact while he is literally refreshed (ha pun), he just seems to be a particular warm fuzzy mood. Dumbass jokes and quips never go away, they never do, but that constant fear he has? It suddenly died down a lot.

Again, the entire thing just solidified that he could trust you of all people which is really saying something given Fresh's stance is that he can't due to the nature of what he is. A parasite. Even those that like him seem to believe that he deserves to be snuffed out, avoided or are secretly terrified of him

Not you though.

Clearly this can't be a frequent thing, honestly you probably shouldn't have let him do it once let alone more than twice and it's questionable how fast souls can recover from it if at all. But you feel fine the next day after plenty of rest so make of that what you will. How willing Fresh is to keep rolling the dice is unclear.

Literally gonna call you a snacc tho because funny ha ha jokes aside he ain't wrong. But at least you're his favorite snacc right?

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

Hey, friends.

Long explanation under the cut, but TL;DR: I'm retiring this blog, at least for the foreseeable future.

I started posting here when I was fourteen. Since then, I've changed my header three times, my pfp twice, my theme once, and my url never. Meanwhile, my life has changed exponentially. And, I'll be real, most of those changes were bad. So I think part of why I've done my best to keep this blog so consistent (writing in a similar style that I did when I was fourteen, adding new fandoms but continuing to posting about the same media I did when I started this blog) is that I had this idea that at least on here, I could remain the same person that I did when my life was happier.

But lately I've come to realize that even if I haven't exactly grown in the direction that I wanted, it doesn't mean I shouldn't accept the person I've become. So I want to take some time to figure out who twenty-one-year-old Ray is. What kind of writing style do I want to have? What kind of media do I enjoy because I like it right now, rather than just having fond memories of it? And I don't think I can answer those questions if I'm still trying to run this blog, because I'll always be worried about disappointing the people who follow me for the content I've tried to be consistent with.

And it's hard! Because I still love this blog, I love the people I've gotten to connect with, and I love the memories I've made on here. Seven years on Tumblr, and do you know how many negative interactions I've had? Three. I can count them on one hand and still have fingers left over. Meanwhile, I've had more positive interactions than I could count in a lifetime.

So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. If you've complimented me on my writing or sent me a question or made a joke in my replies, please know that you almost certainly made my day. If you're a mutual of mine, know that the content you put out and your presence in my life has probably gotten me through some of those rough changes I mentioned earlier. I've had so much fun with this blog, and learned so much, and met so many amazing people. No matter what I discover about myself in the days to come, I'll always be proud of what I've built here, and so grateful for the people who were a part of that. I'm not going to delete it- if any of my content has brought you joy or comfort, it'll still be there for you. But it's time for me to move forward.

So may the Force be with you!

BYEEEEEEEE!

And I love you all. I love you so much.

-Ray

[galvanizedfriend]

KC Wip Wednesday

This is my humble contribution to WIP Wednesday! It's a scene from the rewriting of TVD S5 - Yokan's version. In it, The Originals never happens, most of the Mikaelsons remain in Mystic Falls and Klaus and Caroline are kind of a thing, but nobody knows (for sure). Remember that moment where Katherine locks herself up in a safe with Stefan to "cure" his PTSD? It's that, except it's Klaus, not Katherine. This alludes to a very Klefan past, btw. Be warned if you're not a fan.

Also, this is for @definedareasofuncertainty, who wanted me to write her Easter Klefan. 🤧 There you go, friend! And you know, not beta'ed and all that.

--

Klaus lies on his back, takes a calm breath as the heavy door is closed with a thud, engulfing them in absolute darkness. All in all, he'd say a metal box is hardly the most uncomfortable setting he's found himself in. He prefers the comfort of first-class accommodations, but he's traveled in worse. The grown man beating about beside him does make things rather unpleasant, though.

"Stop! Caroline! Get me out of here!" Stefan screams, smashing his fists against the iron safe's indestructible structure. The more desperate he gets, the more uncoordinated and weaker his movements become, thus making the effort completely useless, however accomplished in making the experience all the more miserable for him.

It's embarrassing how incapable Klaus is of saying no to Caroline whenever she asks for a favor. Locking himself up in a box with a traumatized Stefan has to be an all-time low. The things he won't do when she bats her eyelashes and says please.

"Oh, stop it," he remarks in a bored tone as he shoves Stefan aside. The old safe is rather spacious, but definitely not enough to comport two men, particularly if one of them won't stop bloody writhing like a worm in hot sand. "The more you scream, the more breathless you become." The more I want to tear your vocal cords to shreds.

"Get me out of here, Klaus, get me the fuck out of here!"

"Relax, Stefan. I'm here to help," he says. "I'm what you would call a greater agony to alleviate the smaller pain you feel being trapped inside the box. It's reverse psychology, or so Caroline read in a book. What do you think of a little werewolf venom high to speed up the process?"

"You're psychotic. You're fucking insane!" Stefan starts pounding on the box again. "Caroline! Caroline, open up! Open it now!"

"I'm sorry, Stefan!" comes her muffled apology. Even through the metal barrier she sounds thick with guilt. It was her idea, but already she's cracking. That bleeding heart of hers… "I'm sorry, I will -"

"Do not touch that box, Caroline," he commands with his full authority. "Leave it."

There's a long pause, the sound of Stefan's heart hammering away inside his chest in the box as they wait to see what she'll do. A beat goes by before she mumbles a final sorry and scurries away, likely to avoid the temptation of putting poor Stefan out of his misery.

Klaus' lips pull into a grin. "Good girl."

Stefan starts shaking beside him, his breath becoming even more labored. "I can't breathe," he gasps. "I can't - I can't -"

"You don't need to breathe, Stefan. It's all in your head," Klaus reminds him pointedly. "A vampire having a panic attack, honestly. When you think you've seen everything…"

"You're not fucking helping!"

"Pardon me. My bedside manners have gone a little rusty since the last time you've experienced them." Klaus casts Stefan a glance, sees the way his eyes widen in horror, his body growing stiff as a rod, and he can't contain the self-satisfied smile that draws across his lips. "We did once find comfort in each other's company, didn't we?" Stefan makes another panicked sound, smoothing his hands across the cold metal door above them, trying to find a way out. Klaus chuckles. "Don't worry, mate. Caroline can't hear us. Your sordid little secret is safe with me. It's just us here, alone under the cover of darkness. Nothing we haven't done a dozen times in the past. Ahh, the 20s…" he speaks around a dramatic sigh. "It was the roaring years, indeed."

"What are you doing?"

"Making conversation."

"I don't want to talk to you, I especially don't want to talk about that." Stefan nearly chokes on the last word, inching as far away from Klaus as the confined space will allow, as though the mere idea of touching him fills him with utter revulsion. Klaus knows better; it's the way he remembers exactly how it didn't what terrifies him.

Anybody who's met this watered down, colorless version of Stefan would never be able to tell how much of a free spirit he used to be. He was fun. A far cry from the shivering man beside him now. Tragic, really.

"I know you like to pretend it never happened. Frankly, you've become quite an embarrassment of your former self, so I wouldn't proudly advertise it either. This bunny-eating, crying in the dark skin you're wearing these days is someone is wouldn't be caught fraternizing with if you were the last human being on earth."

"Then leave me the fuck alone already."

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not here for you," he snaps back. And then, putting a leash on his rising temper, he continues, "But since I have to be… I can recognize that there was something about that time we had together that suited us both, more than just for the obvious reasons."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you do. I was a tool for you."

"A tool for self-destruction."

Klaus huffs out a disdainful breath. "I was a balm to your tortured soul, Stefan, even at a time when you embraced your true self. I indulged you because you amused me, but at the end of the day, when we were together, it was all rather transactional. It wasn't about sentimentality or a shared appreciation for extravagance. It was about the hollow inside us. The fact we were always desperately seeking to fill it with… Anything, really. Whatever we could find. Passions. Pleasure. Violence. Cravings. But it never lasted, did it? Those things lack a purpose. They're all flitting in their essence, an immense explosion of satisfaction followed by… Nothing. We were both hungry, and we kept trying to find the thing that would sate us. You had lost your mind; I had lost my home. Like drawn to like." Klaus turns his face to Stefan, finds him staring back, eyes glinting with an emotion he can't quite read in the gloom. He always did fancy Stefan's eyes, though. There is something raw about them, something honest for a change. A little opening to the truth in his soul he tries so hard to hide from the outside world. "That's what the darkness is, Stefan," he continues. "Loneliness. It's what restrains us. The monster we cannot outrun. When it all stops - the laughter, the liquor, the hunger - and everything goes quiet around us, that's when we feel it. The curse of eternity. The weight of our years, deep in our bones. And the inevitable loneliness that comes with it. You had your names on the wall, I had my letters, but when all was said and done… We were both stuck in infinite darkness. Except for a few glorious stolen moments, in that repulsive room of yours." The corner of his mouth pulls up into a lopsided smile. "I was the bigger monster you needed in order to humanize yourself. Whatever you were, I was worse, and so I assuaged your guilt. Much like me being here right now. But then of course you found religion!" He laughs, closing his eyes and facing forward once more. "Your spiritual path towards the light. Elena Gilbert." He enunciates the name like it's coated in something toxic. His general distaste for Elena goes further than the fact she has thwarted so many of his plans. It's the boring saint act he cannot get over.

"Yes," Stefan says, his voice rough. "And then I lost her."

"Right. Because she chose your brother." Klaus chuckles. Stefan shifts uncomfortably beside him, the urge to hit him palpable in the air. It only spurs Klaus on. "How so very tacky. No taste, that one. Personally, I think there's no amount of blue eyes or good sex that can make Damon tolerable. What a wanker. I just want to bash his face against a wall whenever he opens his mouth."

Stefan scoffs. "Get in line."

"It's ironic, isn't it? You were at your absolute best behavior, weeding out all of your instincts, everything that made you fun and interesting in order to fashion yourself into a fairy tale prince for her, and what does she do? She chooses the dullard bad boy. Typical." Klaus shakes his head. "Ungrateful little -"

"Shut up."

"Martyr," he finishes with a smirk. "She probably thinks she's going to fix him, doesn't she? I bet he encourages it. But that's the difference between you and Damon, isn't it? Even with all your valiant efforts, you know creatures like us cannot be fixed. We're beyond salvation."

He gets a sudden twinge in his chest, an image flashing in his mind. A smile as bright as the sun. Hair the color of wheat. He sees her shifting under his sheets, feels the warmth of her touch, the brush of her rosy lips against his skin. It ignites a sense of joy inside him unlike anything else, a sense of possession, of belonging, of having found something that is far more precious or rare than any of the hundreds of treasures he's collected over the course of his life. But along with it comes the ever-present fear. Of loss. How long before he ruins her, like he's ruined everything else he's ever cherished? How long before he hurts her, even if he doesn't mean to? Before his darkness tarnishes her and kills that smile? Before she decides he's not worth it?

"How do you make yourself worthy?" he asks, the question tumbling out of his as though of their own accord. "How do you earn the affections of someone so…"

"Good?" Stefan finishes for him, reading his thoughts. "With sunshine and rainbows shining out of their eyes? Someone like, say… Caroline?" Klaus goes quiet, all his humor bleeding out of him in a second. "You don't," Stefan answers his own question. "You'll never be good enough for her, Klaus. Just like I was never good enough for Elena. Not really. The truth is they deserve much better than the two of us." He sighs, deflating with resignation next to Klaus. "I guess we did make quite a pair, you and I."

"Then perhaps we should die together," he says with an edge of aggression, his mood taking a sudden downturn. He's suddenly irritated. With Stefan, with this ridiculous situation, with himself for agreeing to that. "You and I, in a box, at the bottom of a quarry. Over and over again, drowning in suffering for all our sins and the women we don't deserve. How about that?" Silence stretches out between them, absolute. There's no response from Stefan, but there's also no pounding pulse, no disgruntled breaths. "Oh, look," he says dispassionately. "Someone's not having a panic attack anymore. Congratulations. You've conquered your fears. All you had to do was remember there are worse things than dying."

Klaus gives one violent kick on the door, sending it flying off its hinges. He pushes himself up, stepping out of the safe.

Caroline comes whooshing in, eyes wide as she takes in the state of the safe, the way Stefan is still down, cowering from the sudden burst of luminosity.

"What did you do to him?" she demands.

Klaus' mouth inches upward into the barest hint of a grin, no mirth whatsoever. "I fixed him."

[bookshelf-in-progress]

You could make a really cool cottagecore fantasy novel using the structure of Little House in the Big Woods. Where the main characters live in a stable environment and go about their daily lives dealing with the domestic details of the world, but they meet characters who have gone on adventures. So a huge chunk of the book is made up of the stories that these characters tell. The main characters would face very little peril, but you'd still have a book full of thrilling stories.

I'd try for a middle-grade fantasy. Center it on a group of siblings whose parents went on save-the-world adventures, but have settled down to raise a family. Maybe they run an inn that caters to people from a ton of the nations and races of this fantasy world. Or maybe they're just frequently visited by old adventuring companions who always have cool stories to share about the adventures they've been on or the events or history of their homeland.

[tagarilaghost]

I SWEAR CELEBI'S THINGY IS COMING SOON BUT I REALLY WANTED TO POST THIS ALRIGHT

yeaah... future trio got me too...

and Darkrai is there too, because of course he is.

hey look i drew a cute Drifloon :D

...ignore the rest

whatever started at Darkrai doodles ended in brainrot of future trio + darkrai and I'm blaming @scribz-ag24 for this

[amogus-real-not-clickbait]

here's some benreys for y'all!!! it's meal time little ones!!!! nobody starves today. i provide

also random gordo he's here too i guess-

[tea-cat-arts]

The donghua adding in that Lan Wangji was waiting for Wei Wuxian to come back from the dead low key makes him look like an insane person, but it's fun to combine with the book lore of "He spent 13 years grieving" and turn into some maladaptive coping mechanism like-

"Lwj flipped back and forth between full confidence that wwx would come back and crushing despair over wwx just being dead. He collected alcohol for wwx to gift on return, but the only thing stopping lwj from just consuming it himself and getting alcohol poisoning was that he had to stay together enough to raise their son. Lwj incorporated wwx's ideologies and inventions into the Lan students teachings and worked tirelessly to make the world a better place, but could never simply enjoy the results as he was still waiting for the one he wants to show it off too (even if he's kept up at night knowing wwx will probably never see any of it). His hope that wwx could come back only made their time apart hurt more and made it so he was unable to move on"

[mering]

even the dogs!

[amelikos]

Not sure what to think about the preview for HZ102.

Any thoughts about that one Pokemon from HZ057 (Carbou) making a return?

[bumblingsocialmoth]

Thinking about...

Stranger Things Gt (it's back in my brain)

A Stranger Things AU where Eddie is a borrower and he somehow gets put into the cannon universe after The Evil(tm) is defeated or whatever (it’s been a long time since I watched the show I don’t really remember what happens lol). One day Eddie wakes up and his home is gone along with all of his stuff and his uncle is nowhere to be found. Everything else seems the same so he's very confused. He lives in the Henderson household so eventually Dustin catches him. Probably because of a combination of Dustin being hyper vigilant from PTSD and Eddie having to start from scratch as a borrower. In any case, everyone is confused. Dustin isn’t sure if this strange, tiny Eddie is even real. Eddie is now wondering how this kid knows his name.

Eventually they come to an understanding. Eddie manages to convince Dustin to keep him secret while he sticks with the kid to try and figure out his situation. Dustin agrees as he doesn’t want to risk losing Eddie but would feel too guilty keeping him prisoner. However, while Dustin has plenty of ideas as to how this could’ve happened to Eddie, he has no real way of solving the problem. Frustrations grow as does the nagging thought in Dustin’s head that this strange thing that looks and talks like Eddie Munson might actually be something more sinister.

Eventually, Dustin kinda breaks down and goes to the one adult(ish) person he can trust: Steve Harrington. Steve is surprised, to say the least. And immediately suspicious. With all the Upside-down bs they’ve only recently had to deal with, anything even remotely weird is reason to be concerned. And Eddie coming back from the grave as a tiny mouse-person is more than a little strange.

Eddie, meanwhile, who was just getting used to Dustin, now has another giant to contend with. One that seems to think he could dangerous somehow? He struggles with it being thrown in his face that he still has zero agency or control over his situation. But what Steve and Dustin don’t know is on top of all that, Eddie actually knows Steve. In his universe, Steve was also a borrower. And not only were they good friends, they were planning on setting off together, to see the world, to start a new life(this is actually a Steddie fic btw surprise!).

In any case, things get smoothed over somehow. Maybe a scene where Dustin has a breakdown because he’s still not over Eddie’s death (will he ever be?) and borrower!Eddie helps him through it. Also thinking of cute hangouts between Eddie and Steve as Eddie naturally gravitates towards him even though he’s a human. Lots of relationship angst as Eddie inevitably falls in love with Steve all over again. Steve not only having to figure out he likes guys, but also struggling with the ethics of being in a relationship with someone so much smaller than you. Also Eddie struggling with the thought that he's not really the person these people know him as. That this universe's Eddie is dead and gone and he's some sort of replacement. A lesser version somehow. Also Eddie misses his uncle, could he somehow forge a relationship with the human version of the man?

Anyway, those are just my thoughts, enjoy! 💛