#i'm sorry if that's all you have but if it's all you have your situation is quite dire indeed

[prael]

Day 6: Revenge Or Fate

IOI/Gugudan Sejeong x male reader smut

words: 5,611 12 Days of Praelmas Masterlist

"What's that look for?" you ask with all the whimsy you can muster. "I only said that I bought your favourite popcorn. Why are you staring at me as if I just got down on one knee and proposed?"

"You did say you'd marry me someday," Sejeong jokes. Then she does that thing she always does when she's nervous—tugging at the lobe of her ear.

You roll your eyes. "Yeah. I mean when we are both in our sixties. When you have become the crazy cat lady and I the bachelor with a penchant for wine and cigarettes. It's not even close to that time yet."

"Why would you be smoking?" Sejeong wrinkles her nose. She knows you can't stand the smell.

"Because I'll be an ageing bachelor, duh," you answer with a dismissive wave of a hand as you sit by her on the couch. She's got her legs curled up against her chest, the way she always does when it's cold outside. You'd know—she's been sitting like that on your couch every winter since the beginning of time.

She lets out the softest of laughs before it quickly dissipates into silence. She's staring across the room, but not really looking at anything. Her face is painted in melancholy. You know her well enough to know that look, and you hate it. Hate everything it represents. You sigh. The first time you saw her like this was back as teenagers, after the dog she grew up with had been hit by a car. It still hurts your chest.

"You've got that look again," you tell her. "Like there's a million and one things in your mind and none of them particularly good."

"I'm okay. Just tired." Sejeong's smile doesn't quite convince you.

"I wasn't going to say anything. I thought you'd tell me if you wanted me to know, but it's been months since you asked me to come over on a Friday night, so something has happened. I haven't seen this much annoyance behind your eyes since the end of Game Of Thrones. What is it?"

"I'm just feeling overwhelmed, that's all. I wish you weren't so observant."

"You should be used to it by now."

Sejeong flashes a half-hearted smile and takes hold of your hand as she used to do when you were kids. You feel guilty for the way your stomach flutters.

"I guess we have always known each other better than anyone else," she admits, her hand still clasped around yours. It's warm and familiar. You feel the urge to push away, but how can you? It would give far too much away. She has always had this effect on you—you could never distance yourself from her warmth. "He's an asshole."

"You don't need to tell me twice," you chuckle. Then: "Tell me what happened."

"I think he might be cheating."

The air escapes from you at once. The way Sejeong said it is so casual, almost as if she'd resigned herself to this fate a long time ago. And here you are, trying your best to keep your anger under control, like always. But not for her sake—rather, for yours. You know where your feelings belong, and they have no place in the situation at hand. Not today, and definitely not ever. You take a deep breath and look her square in the eye.

"What did he do?"

"I shouldn't have mentioned it," she laughs nervously. She doesn't want to put any more weight on your shoulders than she already has, because that's who she is, you suppose. But how can she expect you to ignore it when she looks like a sad dog staring into the rain on someone's front porch?

"We're best friends. I want to hear everything," you insist.

"He's been acting differently lately." Sejeong pauses. "Distant. Like there's something he isn't telling me."

"Do you think there might be?" you ask carefully.

"It's always something with work. Or a friend that really needs him. Or a family member or—fuck. I don't know."

"I'm sorry."

Sejeong sighs and runs a hand through her hair. There are unshed tears in her eyes. This bastard is making her cry. You want to smash something, preferably his head.

"I don't wanna bother you with this shit," she whispers. She sounds exhausted.

"Don't say that," you retort softly, squeezing her hand in yours. It's clammy. "Don't ever say that again."

She gives a curt nod.

"God knows I've told you enough about my romantic misadventures over the years," you joke. Your chest tightens when Sejeong lets out the tiniest of laughs. Maybe you can still make this right, whatever this is. "Misery loves company."

"You know," she begins, pausing to look at you properly. There is something unreadable in her gaze, something that you've never seen before. It makes you hold your breath in anticipation of whatever is to come. "If there's one person I could choose to be miserable with, it would be you."

For a brief second, you forget that time exists.

"Well, I'm very honoured," you reply eventually. There's another pause where you ponder what to say next. Then, simply, because that seems like the easiest answer: "Do you want me to go beat him up?"

Sejeong laughs and punches you in the arm.

"I thought you were a pacifist?"

"Yeah, but exceptions must be made sometimes."

She raises an eyebrow at you. You can't tell what she's thinking. "For me?"

"Yes."

It feels like standing on a cliff. You want nothing more than to jump, to feel freefall in your whole body. The only problem is that you'll most certainly die. The ground below is made of jagged rocks and bad ideas. Yet, here you stand, willing to do anything in the world for the beautiful girl next to you. Even if it means lying broken beyond repair.

Sejeong breaks your trance when she explains, "There's this girl he works with. We had dinner together with some people from their office two weeks ago, and... I don't know. They just seemed off. She kept looking at him. You know that look? The one where they linger on someone just a bit too long."

"So that's what gave it away?"

"Well, that and the rumour. They had a thing before he met me. It's over now, or it was." A single tear rolls down her cheek. She wipes it away quickly, seemingly irritated at herself. You frown. Sejeong has no reason to be ashamed of being hurt. She should be allowed to shed tears, even buckets full if necessary. You wouldn't judge. "At least that's what he said. He promised me it was over. But... God."

You reach forward to wipe the tears from her cheeks. Her lips tremble, so you quickly move your eyes back up. Staring at her lips is dangerous territory.

"You don't deserve this shit," you say resolutely.

Sejeong chuckles sarcastically. "Then why do I keep ending up here?"

That question stings. Not because it's directed at you—it isn't—but rather because you know the answer. Sejeong has been in this kind of position too many times to count. She attracts guys like honey does flies; every single time, with no exceptions. Only the worst seem to make it past the rest. Sejeong gets caught in their deceitful net time and time again, only to inevitably break her heart after months and months of manipulation disguised as devotion.

"Want my honest answer?"

"Yes."

"I think it's because you're the sort of person that believes the best in everyone. And that is a beautiful trait. I love that you do that. I really do. But sometimes..." you trail off, not quite sure how to continue without sounding accusatory.

"Sometimes I get screwed over," Sejeong finishes. You nod in response. "You're right. I guess it's my fault for trusting too easily."

"No," you shake your head. "It's not your fault. That part is absolutely wonderful. It's just..." You're suddenly hesitant. What if Sejeong takes this the wrong way and shuts you out?

"What?" she probes.

"Have you ever heard the expression 'you can't see the tree for the woods'?"

"Sounds stupid."

"It means you can't see what's right in front of your nose," you explain.

Sejeong stares at you for a long time. You think she understands, but it's impossible to know. It would probably be better that way—if she understood and did nothing about it. You aren't supposed to feel this way about her. How many times haven't you imagined what it would be like if things were different? If circumstances were perfect, if her current guy hadn't appeared out of anywhere and swept her off her feet before you'd even realised what was happening.

But that's just your luck.

"Thank you," Sejeong whispers. "Can we, um, watch something? I don't wanna think about this right now."

You let out an awkward cough. "Yeah. Yeah, of course. Do you remember when you forced me to watch Twilight, and I spent the entirety of the movie complaining about how terrible it was?"

"You still watched all of them with me." A tiny grin appears on her face. Thank God.

"That was truly the highest form of torture," you joke. "I hope you brought something better today. Please don't tell me you downloaded another movie about sparkly vampires."

Sejeong punches your arm. "I'll have you know I am extremely cultured nowadays."

"Yeah? Show me then."

A couple of hours pass and everything feels decidedly normal. You rest against the arm of the couch and Sejeong rests against you. You make jokes at the expense of the film as you always do and she laughs that soft, carefree laugh of hers. The credits roll and Sejeong sits up, stretching her limbs like a cat after a nap. You smile at the familiarity of it all. For a moment it doesn't matter what she has—or hasn't—been crying over.

"I'm tired," she says. She blinks slowly as if to prove it to herself. It's quite endearing, actually.

"Yeah?" you ask nonchalantly.

"Will you let me stay here tonight?" Her voice is small, unsure. But why? It's not the first time she has stayed here. This place is practically a second home to her.

"Like you need to ask," you retort lightly as you stand up and look down at her.

She opens her mouth to speak, but that's when her phone rings. When she sees his name flashing across the screen, she visibly freezes. Annoyance seeps into you like acid rain. His nerve—to call at such an hour, and expect her to pick up. Sejeong just watches, almost paralyzed, until eventually, she does pick up.

"Hey," is all she says. The reply is much longer. You can't make out the words he's saying but the tone tells you all you need to know.

"I was going to," Sejeong replies tersely. Silence. Then: "I told you already, I went over to—" Pause. She swallows thickly. "You didn't tell me you were going out." A longer stretch of silence, during which his voice gradually increases in volume. Suddenly Sejeong sits bolt upright. Her eyes grow wide with confusion and disbelief.

"Me!?" She shouts. "He's my best friend! I wouldn't—" Another pause. She takes a deep breath. "No. No, that isn't fair. You can't—"

It sounds like he hangs up. Sejeong doesn't move. Her hands are shaking violently.

"Do I even wanna know?"

"I should go home," she murmurs flatly.

"To him? To the guy who's probably just fucked his co-worker?"

Sejeong turns to glare at you, eyes cold as ice. You immediately regret your words.

"I'm sorry," you quickly amend. "That was uncalled for. It's none of my business. I shouldn't have said that."

"Why?" she asks bluntly. Your heartbeat picks up in a hurry. There's anger in her eyes. Anger that could turn against you so quickly.

"Why what?" you reply defensively.

"Why don't you wanna be with anyone? You've rejected every single person who's tried to get close to you since we were sixteen. There's got to be a reason."

The world grinds to a halt. Time, space, and life itself stop existing for a minute while you consider your options. On the one hand, you could lie; come up with a suitable excuse and maybe she won't push for more. On the other hand, you could simply admit to the truth that's haunted you for years.

You open your mouth. Close it. Fuck.

Sejeong stands up, wading in the silence towards you. You can't help but take a step backwards. In that split second, you're sure she knows—and yet you cannot tell.

"Have you ever loved anyone?" Sejeong demands to know.

Your heartbeat roars in your ears. "I don't understand why you're asking me this," you choke out. A part of you wishes you were back there on the cliff. At least then you could've jumped off of your own accord, with a little dignity left intact.

"I need to know," is all Sejeong says. Her gaze is relentless. You hate it. It makes you want to claw your own skin off—and there are truths under there that you plan to take to the grave.

"Why?"

"Because I need to know if what I'm going to do next is the right thing."

She stands beside you now. On the edge of that cliff, though it's starting to feel more like you're on the roof of your car. Staring up at the stars on some forgotten summer night. The jump seems more like a flight.

"I have," you admit. Somehow it seems easier than to try and fight whatever force is controlling the both of you. It feels strangely liberating.

"But you won't allow yourself to do anything about it." You know her well enough to discern a question from a statement, no matter how carefully she might try to veil them as the latter.

"It's complicated," you say quietly. She's so close to you now that you can hear the hitch in her breath. Why is she pushing this? "Why are you doing this?"

Her eyes flit from yours to your lips, then back again. So quickly. One, two. But you saw it. And your entire body tingles in anticipation. You'll dare move away—not now, not when the leap of faith feels more like a hop.

She doesn't say anything else. One more small step and her body collides with yours. Lips press against lips and suddenly, all thought scatters. Sejeong tangles her fingers through your hair and pulls. A gasp escapes you before you regain control and kiss her properly. It's frantic, rushed. Years of pining bleed out with every touch. You grab her, pull her as close to your body as possible, and lose yourself completely. Something is swelling inside you. A feeling so large and uncontainable that you think your chest is going to explode any second.

It is indescribable.

All of it—the sensation of kissing her, holding her—surpasses description. You're falling from that cliff, but she's holding you, and before you can hit the rocks she's dragging you to the couch and climbing on top of you.

It feels unreal. The entire world disappears as your lips find hers again and again and again. You don't care to question what happens after. This moment is yours, forever branded in your memories, and nothing can take that away from you. Even if it ends here—even if she were to walk away now—it would've been worth it. Completely and irrevocably.

When you finally part to catch your breath, you can't help but stare at her in awe. She's so beautiful. A masterpiece. Your hand moves to her cheek almost automatically. Sejeong lets her head fall against it with a soft sigh.

"Wow," she whispers.

"Yeah," you croak.

"Please don't regret this in the morning." Her voice is so quiet, filled with so much pain, that it breaks your heart. Your own fears are secondary.

"I never could," you breathe. Then you lean in to kiss her again, slower this time, savouring every sensation as if it might be the last. By some miracle she responds eagerly, fingers wrapping around the collar of your shirt as she holds you steady. You have no idea where this leaves the two of you, but you want her closer—now. You reach around and slide your hands under her thighs, pulling gently upwards. She follows your lead, settling against your lap in a way that makes the situation undeniably real.

As you kiss, her hips start moving back and forth. Soft, shallow movements. Little whimpers escape her throat and fall directly into your mouth. Fuck. She moans—actually moans—into the kiss and a violent shiver travels through your whole body. You break away momentarily to look at her face, flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes staring back at you.

"Do that again," you whisper against her lips.

"Make me," she pants.

The next kiss is searing, open-mouthed, and accompanied by Sejeong grinding her hips against you. Harder now. Unrelenting. Your hands travel up her waist, slipping beneath her blouse to feel warm skin underneath. You feel every tremble of her body when your fingernails drag lightly across her flesh. A gasp—then she leans backwards, with her arms outstretched and clinging behind your neck, to look you dead in the eye as she continues moving her hips against you.

"Sejeong... What are we—"

"Shh."

Your hands snake further up her shirt. Her back arches in response as she grinds down hard, moaning loudly. Your eyes flutter shut briefly to enjoy the sensations—the sounds—coming from her. You force them open once more because you can't miss this show for anything. You push the shirt up and over her chest. Her hands slip from behind your neck momentarily so that you can get the garment over her head. And then she is there before you, bra and sweatpants-clad, panting softly and waiting.

"Sejeong—"

"Fuck me." It is barely more than a whimper, but it rattles the very core of your being.

"What?"

She lunges forward and kisses you forcefully. There are tears in her eyes—tears you didn't notice until now. Her desperation bleeds through.

"Please," she whispers into your mouth, her voice breaking slightly. "Please."

You can't deny her. How could you? You're unfastening the clasp of her bra and your hands are everywhere on her. Pulling her closer, exploring every inch of bare skin you can get your hands on. Her fingers start unbuttoning your shirt—clumsily, but getting the job done. Once open, her nails dig into your bare shoulders, as if testing out whether you're really here, tangible and real. As if you could disappear at any moment and leave her stranded. A loud groan escapes her when your fingers brush against her nipples.

"You're so fucking beautiful," you murmur into her ear. She whines at the words, nails digging deeper into your skin.

The friction between your legs is driving you mad. You've got the burning urge to pick her up and slam her into the nearest wall, but you savour what you have. First, you kiss her neck, then it's a trail down her collarbones. Your teeth nibble playfully at the skin until she moans, begging you to do something. You obey, leaning in to flick your tongue across a nipple before swirling it around the bud. Her fingers fly into your hair and hold you against her breast.

"Holy shit."

Your mouth latches on tighter. Sucking. Biting. The heat pooling between you grows more intense. Eventually, you detach and move on to the next, eliciting more delicious sounds from the girl above you. All those nights spent fantasising about exactly this don't come close to the real experience. You're supporting her, around the waist and the small of her back, while she leans back in your lap, presenting herself to you.

You appreciate every inch of her slender figure. By eye and then by tongue. You draw constellations along her skin, your touch is feather-light. Across her toned stomach to her hips, then right up the side of her body. She throws an arm above her head and giggles lightly as you lick all the way up underneath it. You follow a path to her armpit. Sejeong giggles more when you begin to nibble there too. When you raise your eyes to meet hers she blushes fiercely.

"Weirdo."

"Just appreciating you," you murmur, pressing soft kisses against her shoulder and up to her neck.

"Mm. I like it," she replies hoarsely.

So you spend some time like this. Appreciating her bare body and making her squirm. Kissing, licking, and biting everything that you can possibly reach until her writhing becomes borderline violent. Then she grabs a hold of your jaw, looks you deep in the eyes, and utters the most sinful words you've ever heard her say.

"Enough teasing. I want to ride your cock now."

Every inch of you lights on fire. From your forehead to the tips of your toes, you feel flames lick at your insides. Sejeong climbs off you without another word and starts pushing her sweats from her hips. You watch, spellbound, as she wiggles out of them. Her panties follow suit.

Then she turns to face you. Standing fully nude, absolutely breathtaking in every sense of the word. A goddess. Every bit as perfect as you had imagined. Even your fantasies weren't this good; nowhere near as intoxicating as this moment right now.

"You have ten seconds before I sit on your face instead," she deadpans, you both laugh. At least she hasn't lost her humour.

You unbuckle your belt and shuffle them down as best you can while still seated. Enough that she can reach down and pull your cock free from its confines. Your eyes roll to the back of your skull when she wraps her slim fingers around it. Pumping up and down. You're hard already, unbelievably so, and when she drags her thumb across the head of your dick it actually twitches. You suck in a deep breath, willing yourself to focus.

And then she sits on your lap, sliding along the length of your cock. Fuck. She repeats it a few times. Back and forth, slicking your cock with her wetness.

"I always pictured this," she admits.

"Really?" you croak.

"God yeah, I remember back in college. I must have rubbed one out to you more times than I can count." She smirks at you then—a wicked smirk that makes your entire body shiver. A filthy admission to you and you only. She does it again, drags her wetness along you. How on earth are you supposed to remain composed when she says things like that and does things like this? You wrap an arm around her back and pull her closer, staring at her as if seeing her for the very first time.

"You can't say things like that, I'm gonna—"

She cuts you off with her tongue in your mouth. Kissing you like it's the last thing she'll ever do, and your lips the only form of sustenance she'll ever need. It gives way to her frantic little moan, desperate and unrestrained. For the life of you you can't comprehend what is happening, only react, and fuck if it isn't the most incredible experience you've ever had. Her skin is burning against yours, hungry and yielding to your every touch.

Sejeong shifts slightly and grabs a hold of you properly. Your eyes widen when the tip of your dick brushes against something wet, warm, and soft. The very centre of her. She repositions herself, now holding you carefully against her, and then... slides down the length of your cock, pausing halfway down. The pleasure is so acute that you cannot control the way your back arches off the couch, and neither do you control the profanities that spill out from your lips.

A sinful grin spreads across her face. As her legs are pinned around your waist, you cannot move, but Sejeong certainly can. And boy, does she know how. She starts bouncing herself up and down, riding you so expertly and looking so good doing it. You've thought of this so many times—having sex with your best friend, of all people—but you did not picture it like this.

"This okay?" she murmurs in your ear. You hear the smile in her voice.

You utter the only word you can muster: "Yes."

She laughs airily, placing a kiss on your temple as she continues her rhythm. When she moans—a long, drawn-out moan, half-pained, half-pleasured—and throws her head back, you stare up at her, eyes drinking in the beauty that is in a position so incredibly vulnerable yet completely in control. How you long to capture this moment and keep it somewhere safe forever. She looks down at you now. Her heavy-lidded eyes pin you to your spot as much as the physical manifestation of her pinned against your skin. She traces her fingers down your jaw, your neck, and the top of your chest.

"I wish he could see me now," Sejeong hisses, anguish evident in her voice.

"You look so fucking good."

"He doesn't know what he had," she laughs bitterly. "Fuck him."

"Fuck him," you echo. Sejeong smirks and moves her hips more fluidly. Goddamn. Her tight little cunt feels so perfect clenched around your cock.

She watches your face closely as she keeps riding you. As you keep clutching her hips and help her along, grinding deeper. Groaning when she throws her hips forward faster and faster. Her cunt is so hot and tight. She sucks at the life seeping out of your pulsating cock and squeezes it with her inner muscles in ways that no one has ever done before. Sometimes she pulls completely off you, her breath shuddering as you twitch, only to take you deep inside her again.

Your hands have a mind of their own, sneaking upwards to grip her neck. You give it a gentle squeeze, just enough to get her attention. All the while you're staring intensely into her eyes. They've become glassy, intoxicated, more than just wanting but longing for it. Her voice is hoarse, strained, as she says, "How have I been so stupid? All this time—you're right here, and I never—"

"It doesn't matter. None of that matters."

"You're so—fuck."

Her body trembles and she falls forward onto you. She's gripping your arms, nails sinking into your flesh. Sejeong's breath grows increasingly laboured. After a long string of expletives, she lets her head rest on your shoulder as you snake an arm around her back and support her. Her whole body is rigid, teetering on the edge of an orgasm.

"Never felt this good," she forces the words out amid moans as you buck your hips up into her, picking up the slack as she begins to falter. The rhythm is quick now, urgent, filled with unbridled passion and everything left unspoken for too long.

When Sejeong cums, you feel it all around you—her pussy quivering, leaking her arousal around you, dripping down your thighs and saturating you, almost drowning in the intensity. It makes her moan into the crook of your neck and rock her hips, fucking herself while trying desperately to quiet the sounds of her ecstasy against your body. But that is unthinkable, to silence someone like that, and you tell her so. Whispering the filthiest things in her ear as she throbs around your cock, dragging out the last tremors of pleasure of her orgasm as much as you possibly can. She spills everything out into your shoulder, every word, every whimper. Until at last, you can feel her sagging in your lap, breathing heavily and spent.

"Keep going," she pants, tightening her grip on your arm. "Don't stop."

She throws herself to the side, pulling you with her, and somehow lands flat on her back with your body on top of her. You wince at the sudden shift. But not for long. Because Sejeong opens her legs wide, hooks her calves around your hips, and tells you again not to stop.

You smirk and lean forward, trapping her beneath your body and capturing her lips in a sensual kiss. It is deliberate, lingering. Her arms fly up and tangle themselves through your hair, locking you together. When your tongues meet, you sigh deeply against her. There is a warmth settling over you. Languid, dream-like. Like you're both floating through clouds, carried away by the sweetest of breezes.

There is nowhere else in the world that you would rather be than right here, between her legs.

You rock into her, once, then twice, each time more intense than the last. The angle is entirely different. You grab a hold of one of her legs and hitch it up a bit, allowing yourself to thrust deeper inside her.

"Are you okay?"

"Mm. Move slower. Nice and slow," she instructs.

And you do. Eventually, a hand comes up to cup the nape of your neck. Sejeong stares into your eyes and your breath catches. Then you're kissing, again and again, but there is not so much desperation and anger anymore, but something else. It is the feel of her hips meeting yours, the way you press your bodies together, the softness of her lips and the taste of her mouth. Her breaths rush from her lips to yours, from hers into you.

Sweat starts to bead at your temples as you rock into her. Slow, deep, patient strokes. It is not desperate fucking anymore, or an attempt to pour all of your heartbreak into some meaningless action. It's almost reverential—the way you're holding each other, soft and sure. A sweet torture, a sublime suffering, for as long as time allows.

You don't talk. Your mouths say nothing, at least. With your bodies, however, your fingertips whisper praise against her skin. Spirits float free and serenade each other. Sounds escape her that you haven't even dreamed of. Broken, wanton, as if wrenched out of her. They rise above and meet in a higher plane of reality, where two minds are one.

It takes time. A slow build to the crescendo. You know when you've struck the final note by the way she cries out, over and over again, her pretty little hole convulsing, spasming around your cock. She wants to squirm away but has nowhere to go. You refuse to let her. You smile against her neck and sink your teeth into the skin there.

Soon you follow, groaning her name into the warm flesh. It's a flood—your insides are melting, pouring out from your loins and into her heat, her insides contracting, trapping every ounce inside. Hot, sticky, yours. This feeling. It is as if your heart has grown wings, a phoenix born anew from the ashes of who you used to be. You don't have to be lost anymore. She will carry you, always, her fingernails tracing patterns in your damp skin. There is nothing to fear.

Sejeong whines and moans softly as you fill her. One more careful thrust and you still, collapsing on top of her as the waves subside. All the while she is there, stroking the back of your neck and quietly reciting every piece of filth that she can think of.

You wonder whether this will last longer than the night.

God. Would you be okay with that?

When you eventually move back to look at her, to make sure she's okay, there are tears in her eyes. Uncertainty overwhelms you. Before you can react, before you can ask what is wrong, Sejeong cups your cheek. "Thank you," she whispers, eyes boring into yours with an intensity that takes your breath away. This girl. All these years. All the wasted time. It feels right being with her; everything is finally where it should have been all along.

"You were worth the wait," you breathe. You place a kiss against her brow before rolling off and settling next to her.

"Do you..." Her voice fades. She runs a finger along your collarbone, eyes anywhere but yours. "Do you want this to be a one-time thing?

"No," you answer without hesitation. You catch her hand in yours, entangling your fingers, willing her to understand everything that you're unable to tell her.

Sejeong smiles. Genuine, unapologetic. For the first time in months, she looks happy. Fuck him, indeed. "Good," she says with a soft laugh that evaporates any of her lingering doubts. Her eyes flick to your lips and she whispers, "So, uh, we've got some lost time to make up for."

"Yeah?" you whisper while rolling her back over and climbing over her. "If there's a debt to be paid..." You start trailing kisses down her neck, down her sternum, grinning at the tiny shivers it elicits. "What better time than now?"

Your kisses lead you over her toned stomach. Once you reach the juncture between her thighs, you pick up her leg and set it over your shoulder. Sejeong is already squirming, anticipating what is to come. You take a look at her—mussed hair and flushed cheeks, mouth slightly open, beautiful, tempting. It feels almost gratuitous—that you're able to see her like this. It makes you pull her even closer, and stick your tongue into her center. Her upper body lifts almost immediately and her eyes fly open. A shaky whimper leaves her lips.

She's right. There is a lot of catching up to do. Luckily for her, there's still the whole night ahead of you and a lot more you'd like to show her.

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM DIE HARD *  assorted dialogue from the 1988 christmas movie, adjust as necessary

no fucking shit, lady!

does it sound like i'm ordering a pizza?

come out to the coast. we'll get together, have a few laughs.

i've got a hundred people down here.

who gives a shit about glass?

who the fuck is this?

i am in charge of this situation.

oh, you're in charge? well i've got some bad news for you. from up here it doesn't look like you're in charge of jack shit.

you listen to me, you little asshole...

now you listen to me, jerk-off.

if you're not a part of the solution, you're a part of the problem.

are you still there?

yeah, i'm still here. unless you wanna open the front door for me.

you know my name, but who are you?

do you really think you have a chance against us?

yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.

now i have a machine gun.

welcome to the party, pal!

you'd have made a pretty good cowboy yourself.

what was it you said to me before?

i thought i told all of you i want radio silence.

i'm very sorry [name]. i didn't get that message.

that's very kind of you.

you are most troublesome.

sorry, wrong guess.

whoa, these are very bad for you.

who are you then?

god. that man looks really pissed.

you want money?

so that's what this is about? a fucking robbery?

put down the gun.

you throw quite a party.

now i know what a tv dinner feels like.

who's driving this car, stevie wonder?

drop it, dickhead.

you won't hurt me.

after all your posturing, all your little speeches, you're nothing but a common thief.

i am an exceptional thief.

hey, how you feeling?

what the fuck?

geronimo, motherfucker!

you motherfucker, i'm gonna kill you!

i have someone who wants to talk to you.

they're giving me a few minutes to try and talk some sense into you.

i know you think you're doing your job, and i can appreciate that, but you're just dragging this thing out.

what have you told them?

i told them we were old friends.

you shouldn't be doing this.

they know people are listening.

didn't you hear me?

shut up! just shut your mouth!

go fuck yourself, [name].

put down the gun.

i'm going to count to three.

what do you think, i'm fucking stupid?

i have a request.

what idiot put you in charge?

i don't enjoy being this close to you.

can't you see what's happening? can't you read between the lines?

you couldn't drag me away.

you don't wanna know.

i had an accident.

the way you drive, i can see why.

drop the fucking gun!

the hell with this.

you are done.

thanks for the advice.

i hope that's not a hostage.

i'm going to count to three. there will not be a four.

what the fuck are you doing?

how the fuck did you get into this shit?

i hope i'm not interrupting anything.

you're amazing. you've figured this all out already.

hey, business is business.

you use a gun, i use a fountain pen.

he could be a fucking bartender for all we know.

the FBI is here.

want a breath mint?

are we on schedule?

what about the body that fell out the window?

i can live with that.

why the fuck didn't you stop them?

oh god, please don't let me die.

i'm on your side, you assholes!

i wanted this to be professional, efficient, adult, cooperative... not a lot to ask.

something's wrong.

you don't like flying, do you?

you didn't bring me along for my charming personality.

we are both professionals.

do you smoke?

right up the ass.

you macho assholes.

i know the type. i think he's got his eye on you.

we may have some problems.

i need backup assistance!

no one is coming to help you.

no one kills him but me.

are you crazy?

good enough?

[lunaandco]

guys my age; part two

pairing: alexia putellas x ofc

summary: claudia is getting on alexia's nerves. a punishment was long coming

warnings: smut, spanking, age difference, power imbalance, angst

author's note: many wanted a part 2, and i usually deny any request, but after i had this idea i kinda had to... there will be a final 3rd part and that will be it!

masterlist // part one // series masterlist // I do not take requests

Claudia was doing it on purpose. Alexia watched her as she sat on Salma's lap, giggling about something she was showing her on her phone, her pretty smile directed towards someone other than herself.

Alexia knew she was being punished, in a childish petty way. Claudia was pissed at being denied more of their illicit activities, since Alexia insisted their one off in the hotel room had been a unique mistake that would not happen again.

She should be happy Claudia was finding someone else to be with, but jealousy was blinding her completely.

Alexia needed a full intervention, if she wanted to keep her dignity and reputation. A twenty year old starlet could not be the end of her.

The worst thing was, it was starting to be obvious. The night before, Irene had looked at her with an arched eyebrow and the knowing curl in her lips of a woman that was being lied to her face, when Alexia said nothing was going on with Claudia.

She obviously ended up caving. Irene was not necessarily approving, but she didn't blow off at her either.

"Sometimes we want thing that we can't have," she told her. "Be wise, capi."

Alexia hated how much that nickname reminded her of Claudia and what happened between them.

"Capi?" Alexia shot her gaze back to Claudia, who had left Salma's lap to approach her silently. "Can you take me home, please?"

"Can't Salma do it?" Alexia didn't mean to be rude, but as they got closer, Claudia started to get lifts almost exclusively from Salma.

"She's got family stuff she can't be late for."

"Ah."

Alexia should come up with an excuse. Say she also had something with her family or a dentist appointment. But just as it was unprofessional to sleep with her players as a captain, it was to avoid them at all costs.

So she ended up leading Claudia to her car, heart risen to her throat as she watched the youngster buckle up her seat belt. They had been in this situation cuntless times, but this was the first since they had... well, Alexia did not want to think about it too hard.

It would get her in trouble.

Claudia didn't seem to care about the tension—or percieve it at all—as she connected her phone to the Bluetooth to put her own playlist, humming one song or another.

"You've been avoiding me," she stated calmly.

"I—" Alexia didn't want to deny it, it would only add gasloghting to the list of crimen she had committed up until now. "We should keep a profesional distance. That is what I'm trying to do."

"Bullshit."

"I'm sorry?"

"I said bullshit."

Claudia's eyes were blazing with emotion.

"You want me. I can see it." Claudia's whole body was turned towards Alexia.

"Claudia we..."

"No. You. All our issues are actually your fears." Fire started filling Alexia's veins. "You're just a coward. You don't have the balls to take what you wan—"

Alexia took the wrong turn, and began driving in direction to her home, not Claudia's. It was closer and it had private parking. And her bed was there, if things escalated. Which theye were going to.

"What—"

"Silence."

Claudia gulped, the fight gone from her body. Alexia might have skipped a few traffic laws in order to get them there sooner, parking in her garden and exiting the car immediately. She swung open the passengers door, grabbing Claudia by the arm and quite literally dragging her inside.

The girl had very little time to stare at her surroundings and drink in Alexia's living space, before they reached the bedroom. She was not going to cower under Alexia's wrath, though. With a quick turn, that drove rival players insane, Claudia got on her tip toes and kissed Alexia, relishing in the way the captain returned the kiss.

But a sharp slap hit her ass.

"You need to be taught a lesson on repeat," decided Alexia. "I am your captain. For better or for worse. You will address me as such."

"Yes, capi," she breathed. Alexia gasped. She was still not used to that fucking nickname coming out of Claudia's pretty pink lips.

Still, she was not deterred. Alexia helped Claudia strip, who obeyed without protest, too enthralled by Alexia's sudden burst of passion. It was what she had been hoping for, by being a little more touchy with Salma than was necessary.

Once she was completely nude, Alexia sat on her bed, still dressed. She palmed her lap a clear non-verbal order. Claudia draped herself across her thighs, her ass right in front of Alexia, who squeezed one cheek.

"I presume you already know what is going to happen, you've been hoping for it, haven't you?"

"Yes, capi."

"You wanted this?" A harsh slap fell on the cheek she had been groping.

"Yes, capi."

"You understand this is a punishment, not a reward?"

"Yes, capi."

Another harsh slap on the other thigh.

"I would give you a count, but I don't want you to know how much is left."

Claudia gasped. It was as if Alexia already knew what she needed. The onslaught on her ass was non stopping. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, as she cried out. Claudia loved it.

Once her vision was blurry, and her throat was dry, Alexia's hand returned to gently squeeze the reddened skin.

"You were good, baby," she praised.

"Thank you, capi."

💙❤️

Claudia woke up later that evening. The sun was long gone, there was a dull throb on her backside, that had been clearly treated for the bruises with cream. A blanket was thrown over her body, and Alexia was sitting in silence by the foot of the bed.

"Capi?" she called with a stuttering voice.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure?"

Alexia's face was lined with worry. Claudia's body tensed, as if she could feel the thoughts swirling through her captain's head.

"Yeah," she whispered. "I really liked it, earlier. I—"

"It should not happen again."

Ah.

Claudia knew this would happen, in the back of her mind. Alexia clearly wanted her, there were already two instances of her doing exactly what she said they shouldn't, but the rejection still stung.

"Oh, c'mon. It's not a bad thing, I know you're hungry up with the age difference, and the captain thing, but I'm sure there is a way for HR to—"

"I said no, Claudia."

"Alright."

Furiously, Claudia got up from the bed, quickly finding her clothes and putting them on, even if it ached in the bruised areas of her ass. If Alexia still insisted she didn't want her, then Caludia would not beg forever.

"Wait, let me wash you up and make you some dinner at le—"

"No!" Interrupted Cludia with tears of frustration streaming down her face. "You don't get to reject me and then have aftercare. If you want to be all sweet and attentive, then fucking date me!"

Alexia looked hurt, but Caludia didn't care, storming off the house.

[certifiedsexed]

I'm really sorry if this is off topic, you post a lot about trans stuff and I don't know where else to ask for advice. Ignore this ask if it doesn't fit the blog and have a nice day.

Has anyone here dealt with partners who have switched views from radfem to TERF? For context, I'm a pre-everything trans male and I don't pass at all. I've been dating my girlfriend for a few years now, she's always been supportive, until this year.

Two years ago she adopted radfem views and this summer she began to deadname and misgender me for the first time and hasn't stopped after polite corrections. She keeps saying I'm just confused and other things, you know what I'm talking about if you've ever interacted with a TERF. It happens every day now.

Is this normal and just a bit rude, or something serious? It's exhausting and I don't feel safe with her anymore, but everyone says I'm just overreacting and I don't know how to handle it carefully, since I don't really have any support now.

Is it really selfish to want to be at least called by another (gender neutral in my country) name if you look like a girl?

No apologies needed! I'm happy to help and I appreciate you trusting me to answer. <3

I need you to genuinely listen to me for a second, Anon. I do not say this lightly. The behavior you're experiencing with your girlfriend is abusive. It's not "just a bit rude", it's not safe and its not appropriate.

Everyone who is telling you that you're overreacting are frankly not trustworthy either if they're telling you that your girlfriend refusing to use your name, misgendering you and trying casual attempts at what sounds a lot like conversion therapy bullshit is not an immediate "get away from that person now".

It makes sense you feel unsafe. She's being consistently abusive towards you and you have no support behind you, that's awful. Whether you "look like" a girl or not, you're not a girl and you've said so.

It is not selfish to ask people to respect your gender and pronouns.

I'm not sure how to handle this carefully either, if i'm honest, because I don't know your situation and I don't know what you have access to.

But my primary advice is to find a way out of this relationship and away from your girlfriend, since it sounds like she is the biggest issue here. I'd frankly also advise finding more spaces with openly trans people, even if that's just online, so that you can find more people like you, in situations like you.

I think it'd really help, especially since people in your life don't sound very supportive. I also think looking up information specifically on trans people, dealing with transphobic abuse would be helpful. This is an article, for example, that might be helpful for you to read.

I don't know how helpful this all is but I'm so sorry you're dealing with all that, Anon. I've dealt with [and still deal with] some of what you're talking about and I know that's such a burden. Sending love. ❤

Let me know if you have any other questions. If anyone else has suggestions, feel free to add on. <3

[koenigami]

tags : fem!reader, fluff, suggestive wc : 990 synopsis : he makes you forget about time and space... and tara's party. - It takes a while for your sleep ridden mind to register that the sudden consecutive bangs and sounds of people cheering loudly, are not part of a vivd dream.

You groan as you try to sit up, wanting to properly take in your surroundings, yet somehow you can't. Move, that is. A heavy arm is locked around your waist, keeping you fixated on your bed and pressed flush to someone's warm body.

"Xavier-" You dazedly mutter his name, trying with the little force that you still have left in you to wriggle free from his arm, though your efforts are for naught. Accepting your defeat, you huff and let your head loll to the side, facing the large balcony window.

Bright radiant lights grace the night sky, colouring your rooms in all kinds of colours after each loud bang. Such pretty fireworks, you think and tiredly close your eyes for another brief serene moment.

...

Fireworks?!

Hastily your body jerks up but you don't even have time to triumph over finally having budged your immovable force of a boyfriend. Your gaze searches the clock on your bedside table even though you have to admit that you'd rather prefer not to look at it at all, knowing that your suspicions will likely only further be confirmed.

Eventually, when you snatch your phone from the ground and curse at the sight of a dozen missed calls from Tara, only then does the mentioned immovable force beside you stir awake.

"Mmh... why are you so loud? And turn the lights off, it's still too early." Xavier yawns and buries his face into your side to shield himself from the bright illuminations of the fireworks that are still going on outside.

"Xavier, it's past midnight. Not only have we missed Tara's party, we also missed the countdown."

Drowsily, he lifts his head and squints through the room before his eyes fall on the scenery outside. A quiet oh, is the only reaction that you get from him before he shifts his gaze back to you. His hand wanders from your naked waist down to your hip, but you quickly slap it away before he can get any lower.

Those seemingly innocent gestures of his are what has gotten you in this situation in the first place.

"It's all your fault!" You sound anything but genuinely upset when you pout childishly and mutter something akin to "horny idiot" under your breath which only makes Xavier chuckle delightedly.

"Hey, now-" He interrupts his own words with a big yawn before he decides to perch himself right over your body, balancing on his forearms as he traps your body between his thighs. "You know I can't control myself. Couldn't help myself when I saw you in that dress."

His warm breath tickles your face when his nose gently brushes against yours before it starts leaving a soft trail across your cheek and further down to your neck. He inhales deeply, as if trying to burn your smell into his memory even though you're convinced that by now, you smell more like sweat and him, than the perfume you've put on before he attacked you like a hungry hyena.

"We didn't get to kiss on midnight." Your voice sounds as if you're genuinely upset, though Xavier can't help but smile against your neck.

"Yeah, what a shame." He doesn't sound sorry at all. With a falsely sympathetic expression on his face, he thumbs at the fresh red marks along your neck. He's sure there must be a few more between your thighs. "I guess these were not enough, huh?"

"Xavier, I'm serious. This was our first-" You haven't even noticed that one of his hands has travelled further south your body, until all your nerves seem to activate, and you flinch when the tips of his fingers graze your lower parts. His smug smile is quickly replaced with genuine concern when you whimper in response.

"Love? Are you in pain?" His thumb draws calming and comforting circles over your hipbone as he keeps you still beneath him, like a hawk watching over you for any other signs of ache. You believe that there's not even an ounce of regret in him for the way he had pulled one orgasm after another out of you, until you were nothing but a shaky mess. But the pain etched on his face once he becomes aware that he's responsible for your discomfort truly makes your own chest ache and swell with love at the same time.

Biting the inside of your cheek, you can't even bring yourself to look him in his eyes, opting instead for the sky outside which has returned to its usual dark self, with little stars sprinkled like droplets of white colour all over a black canvas.

"No, I'm just a little sensitive and sore because someone couldn't control himself." You mock and bite a grin back when he sighs and leans down to playfully nibble on your cheek. The pillowy skin of his lips leaves tender caresses along your face as he promises you to clean you up soon, but not before he lets himself fall back beside you with a soft grunt.

With his face so close that the tip of his nose nearly touches yours, all you see is Xavier. Your own starlight that only shines for you. Ever so bright and always guiding you and keeping you company, never leaving you alone in the dark.

"My love." His voice is nothing but a whisper as he tucks your hair behind your ear, and closes the little distance left between you. You breathe a weak gasp against his lips when his warm palm grabs your thigh and throws it over his hip, fingertips delicately dancing along the delicate flesh and leaving goosebumps in their wake. "Happy new year."

The new year has come, yet something is telling you that the night has barely begun.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello, I came to say that dragons are mythical creatures often depicted to be possessive in mythology and literature, sometimes known for their immense power, territorial instincts, and the symbolic association with hoarding wealth and treasures...

Twisted Wonderland in context, Malleus Draconia was confirmed to be a dragon fairy (essentially a dragon who can take a shape of a man), and I was curious if Malleus may have exhibited possessive traits in canon, whether through main story or vignette...?

The reason I ask that is because mischaracterizing characters or making them OOC is the last thing I want to do when it comes to writing or analyzing...

**Sorry if I was not able to word it in a way that you can understand what I'm trying to convey because sometimes I feel inferior that my wording may come off as blunt or insensitive. I just want to leave a brief note that I don't mean to come off as rude or dismissive. I appreciate your understanding!**

In my opinion, Malleus in canon is protective but not possessive. What do I mean by that? Glad you asked. Let's start by laying down some definitions.

In this situation, when I say “protective”, it implies good intentions. It means actively looking out for others' safety and wellbeing. To be possessive, on the other hand, implies a more controlling desire to own or to restrict another's actions. It’s commanding and demanding all of a person’s attention and love. It means having a disrespect for others' autonomy and instead trying to displace it with your will. (Yes, I know that you're probably automatically thinking of The Big Exception of book 7, but I will address that later in this post so hang on for a moment!)

This gets long, so buckle up! We’ve got a lot to talk about.

First thing's first, a lot of the "possessive Malleus" interpretations originate from fandom, especially when it comes to yandere, yume, or generally romantic fan works. (And to be clear: This is NOT to shame the folks who enjoy these kinds of works; I am only listing them here as examples.) Oftentimes this occurs due to individual fans bringing in ideas from media outside the bounds of Twisted Wonderland. This is totally expected and normal; there is no such thing as someone who has an interest in ONLY a singular thing. We will naturally apply our previous knowledge to help us understand and interpret new information.

For example, in irl mythology, fae are hurt by iron--and even in Disney's own films, such as Maleficent, iron is depicted as harming fae and sapping them of their power. This led to many Twst fans headcanoning that iron does the same thing to fae in Twisted Wonderland. However, we learn in book 7 that this is NOT true. Fae, particularly nobles, do find the smell of iron nauseating, but the metal does not appear to impede their powers or hinder them in any way. Lilia and his men are still able to dispatch several Silver Owls (who are dressed in iron arm and battle with iron tanks and other machinery) without issue.

Another example that’s pretty popular is fans believing that whole “if you tell a fairy your name, it grants them power over you” thing. Some have claimed this will come into play in book 7’s final battle. Others claim this is the deeper or secondary reason as to why Malleus doesn’t reveal his own name to Yuu until book 5, as giving his name would grant Yuu power over him. However, there’s nothing in-universe to suggest that names have cultural significance to fae or that any sort of power or status is granted by relinquishing one’s name. Yuu (or Malleus’s hundreds of other classmates) have also demonstrated no such control over him.

Remember: what is true outside of Twst, including in Disney's own works, is NOT necessarily true inside of Twst.

Going back to the initial question, I believe that "Malleus is possessive" is also a headcanon of a similar vein; fans are coming into Twst familiar with other mythos which state that dragons are possessive, territorial, and greedy on top of being powerful. Because Malleus is a dragon fae and is known to possess great power, it's very easy for fans to see the parallels between him and the dragons they already know of. This then leads to them filling in the gaps of his personality and projecting other stereotypical draconic traits onto him. In Malleus's case, this was extremely easy to do because it took a few years for him to see any significant spotlight in both event stories (Glorious Masquerade) and in the main story (book 7).

I think the easiest way for us to analyze whether Malleus is protective or possessive is to examine his closest relationships in the narrative of Twst. I will not be counting Sebek and Silver individually here, as they are both his bodyguards and Malleus maintains a mostly professional relationship with them. Instead, we shall look at Malleus's attitude by looking at his relationships with Lilia and Yuu, then proceed into discussing related behaviors.

I believe it's indisputable that Lilia is one of the most important people to Malleus. Lilia trained him, taught him, and trained him. He is basically Malleus's father figure. The fear of losing Lilia is what causes Malleus to emotionally spiral and take drastic measures in a desperate attempt to avoid that unhappy ending. His entire motivation for unleashing his UM is "not losing [Lilia]!" You would think that if Malleus was going to be possessive of anyone, it would be with Lilia. But the truth of the matter is... he's mostly just... not? Lilia is a very sociable person in the student body. He's frequently gaming with Idia, taking care of or lending wisdom to others (Silver, Sebek, etc.), hanging out with Cater and Kalim in their club, interacting with dorm leaders and freshmen when Malleus is absent for ceremonies, and more--yet Malleus doesn't seem to express any jealousy over sharing Lilia. I'd also like to add that although Malleus lacks parents, he doesn't really show envy over Lilia treating and calling Silver his own son instead of himself. Oh, Malleus certainly does express jealousy to some extent. Who would forget the time in his Dorm Uniform vignettes when he crushed Lilia's phone? The thing is though, the times when Malleus is upset are not fueled by not wanting to share Lilia or wanting to monopolize his time. In the previous example I cited, Malleus broke Lilia's phone because Lilia had received a picture Kalim and the other dorm leaders took after a meeting. Even the dialogue exchanged implies this; Malleus did not automatically get mad when he noticed that Lilia had a notification, he only got mad after realizing he was excluded from something the other dorm leaders were all involved in. Malleus was upset that he was not invited, not that Kalim was texting Lilia. Additionally, it is stated that the dorm leader must grant permission for others to use the lounge. If he wanted to, he could withhold the permission for Lilia, who wants the lounge for his farewell party (which everyone is invited to), or stipulate that he wants a more formal affair with just Diasomnia members present. Malleus doesn’t act in this possessive way though. He grants Lilia what he desires without issue.

Next up for scrutiny is Yuu! Now, there's some gray area here because part of Yuu's relationship with Malleus is defined by how much the player projects onto the self-insert/blank slate character. Please note that, when I discuss Yuu, I am leaving out individual interpretations and going STRICTLY by the information presenting in canon.

It can be said that Malleus slowly develops a fondness for Yuu's company over the course of the main story. At first, he is surprised and maybe even a little disappointed that someone has taken residence in Ramshackle--it used to be desolate, which makes it a perfect spot to visit on his nightly strolls. However, Malleus soon finds amusement in the fact that Yuu, not being of this world, has no clue who he is or what his status is. This grants him the freedom to speak at ease with this human and to "be himself" in a way that he cannot be with others, who typically cower at his name. You could also argue that Yuu telling Malleus they may have found a way home expedited the despair he felt in book 7, as he learned so quickly that two of his friends would be exiting his life soon. This, however, is not possessiveness. It's normal to have fear and anxiety about losing the people you love.

Malleus's voice lines also do not indicate possessiveness. Yes, there's the usual and expected fanservice-y lines where he invites Yuu to come and engage in various activities with him, but nothing in those suggests he would exclude others or become upset if they also wanted to join. (Are you telling me that Malleus wouldn't want to talk for hours on end about the glory of gargoyles to TWO people instead of just one?????) Additionally, all the characters get similar fanservice-y lines, so it's not something exclusive to Malleus. There was one line that gave me pause: "You always seem to attract a crowd... More so than I'd like, really." Buuut I think this could be read a number of ways, not solely in an ‘I want you all to myself’ way. Malleus actually goes like to be alone, hence his nightly strolls. The line can therefore also be read as Malleus enjoying solitude or one-on-one conversations as opposed to addressing a group. In that case, it's a personal preference and not necessarily a sign of possessiveness. He’s definitely not completely averse to group activities though; there are lines where Malleus invites Yuu to do things with him and other characters. For example, from his PE Uniform: “Sebek has been badgering me to help train him. I'll permit you to join us. ... You're coming, I trust?”

The guy generally doesn't get angry or annoyed if Yuu mentions having other friends or managing the 7 member VDC/SDC group. In fact, he sometimes encourages Yuu to interact with others. One of his birthday lines is, "You needn't linger and focus on me to the exclusion of others. I want everyone to enjoy the party, yourself included." Malleus doesn’t so much as flinch or react when a complete stranger kisses the back of Yuu’s hand either. If he was truly possessive, wouldn’t he have gotten angry or—at the very least—have frowned or tried to put some distance between Yuu and said stranger? Yet Malleus doesn’t really react or comment on it despite being present.

Malleus seems to understand that it's not very polite to demand all of someone's time or attention--and this makes perfect sense of his character. He is a royal, and that means he was taught proper manners. Malleus has even indicated before that his grandmother stressed the importance of observing etiquette, particularly around invitations. You don't just invite yourself to functions or insert yourself into others' lives if not extended said invites... and Malleus, for the most part, adheres to those rules. In various voice lines, he even frets over committing social faux pas, wondering if he has offended his peers with certain behaviors. For example, from his Masquerade Dress: "Flamme shoots me stern looks on occasion. Have I behaved improperly in some way...?"

Malleus is also not generally possessive when it comes to his items or territory. He wants to share cake with others; eating a whole one gave him heartburn and now whole cakes are his least favorite food. Additionally, he tends to welcome people to Diasomnia rather than chase them out or expel them. (After all, they so rarely get visitors in the first place.) Malleus will at least hear out the reasoning for seeking him out. As an example, Leona (someone who has had a rocky history with Malleus) goes to Diasomnia in his Ceremonial Robes vignettes to exchange robes after a laundry mix-up. This is a stark contrast to the highly territorial Leona, who attacks a magicless human in thd Botanical Garden and also allows his own students to wail on Yuu and co. for simply walking being in Savanaclaw. Leona joins in on this bullying too. I think it's pretty clear that Malleus handles guests with far more tact, grace, and patience than his fellow prince.

I want to point out that though Malleus is usually amicable with guests, there are exceptions. Ramshackle, as I mentioned earlier, is a place he enjoys a lot. He indicates in his Halloween Dress card that “If anyone dares to damage [this] dorm, I will be as a lóng and reduce them to cinders. I have become rather fond of that place, after all.” Indeed, he does act on this promise in Terror is Trending and comes close to striking down Magicam Monsters for disrespecting a place he holds so dear. Is this possessive though? Yes, it’s a place he loves—but it’s also a place where his friend Yuu lives.

There are many other examples of Malleus going to extreme lengths to protect the things he loves. He vows to destroy Rollo Flamme, who poses a threat to his people, the fae (who depend on magic as their way of life, and the sentient gargoyles, whom he has recently befriended. He unleashes his mighty magic to attack those who wound his pride. He stops time and kidnaps the entire student body all for the sake of including ghosts in a Halloween celebration. And, of course, he sends Sage’s Island to sleep in a desperate bid to stop losing everyone. The majority of these behaviors involve him lashing out at those who pose legitimate threats to things he cares about. It’s not as though be is acting for no discernible reason or because he is doesn’t want his loved ones being with people other than him. Does that make these actions right? No, absolutely not. But I would say they are definitely more protective than possessive.

Very rarely is Malleus actively preventing his peers from spending time away from him. Sure, he gets upset that he’s not invited to join them and sure, he wishes people would invite him too—but there’s a difference between longing and being mopey about this and acting so domineering he’s breathing down the necks of others to only be with him. He is not stopping people from being with their friends and family. He is not stopping people from using his things or entering his territory. Even when he makes everyone sleep, he grants them the space to craft their own dreams and doesn’t even make the dreams center around him and his own involvement on their lives. Oftentimes the dreams involve several other characters that are important to the individual dreamer and Malleus does not appear at all. (Again, this doesn’t mean using his UM was the best move to resolve his issues; I’m just saying his actions were not necessarily possessive.)

So, in conclusion, I stand by the thesis at I proposed at the start of this post: Malleus is largely protective, not possessive, despite what many fandom interpretations would have you believe.

[lucifermorningstxr]

Chloe's comfort was not only welcome, but it was well-received in the wake of all that they'd been through. Lucifer had long blamed himself for any and all the bad that had befallen them, because he'd only ever seen himself as evil incarnate, but his human was helping him to see the light, ironic as it was. "Right... you know, I'm starting to see it now indeed. It doesn't make it easier though, nor does it excuse my actions after the fact." Dr. Martin and her yammering about accountability were finally sinking in. "I never meant to hurt you, Detective. I brought Candy back with me so she could help keep track of my mother, as per our deal. I mean, yes, in part, I was trying to move on from you because I thought it'd keep you safe, but in doing so, all I did was hurt you more. And for that, I am deeply sorry, Detective."

The reaction Chloe had to Lucifer's heartfelt confessions was akin to the most divine warmth he'd ever felt in his eons. He was so happy to have it all out there and that his human agreed! Albeit, she had stipulations, but he agreed with her on those counts too. He kissed her back and nodded with a relieved, reassured smile. "Absolutely! I don't want anyone getting between us again, Detective. It's for the best. And besides, maybe it'll be spicy to sneak around." He smirked suggestively, holding her close to him. "Not that I wouldn't shout it from the rooftops the second the moment arose."

Chloe's mention of Pierce, while it wasn't ever a pleasant topic of conversation, was reassuring in itself, made all the sweeter since the bastard was in Hell where he belonged. Still, Lucifer replied with the sensitivity required to handle her heart on the matter. "Right. I should've stayed for the coffee. In retrospect, it was the worst bachelorette party ever. Totally not worth it. Anyway, I suppose we've both been trying to move on from one another for so long, getting ourselves into these situations... for what? I'd have to say Pierce was far more dangerous than Eve or dearly harmless Candy, but still. We're right where we're supposed to be now." He punctuates the line with a warm, deep kiss.

"But it's so bloody adorable! I can't help myself!" Lucifer relaxes his finger, jesting with Chloe as he settles his hand back on her. With a sly smirk and a wriggle of his brow, he guided her face back to his gently, his hand on her cheek. "I hear you! You want your silver-tongued Devil in a different way. Far be it from me to refuse such a deliciously appealing offer, Detective." He laughed softly before leaning in, planting his lips on her once more. Each kiss more electric than the last, this is truly where the pair belonged.

Hearing that Chloe hadn't hated Lucifer at all throughout the last nine months was maybe the most healing thing he'd heard in a long time, and that was saying a ton since this entire night had been incredibly cathartic for him. He'd known about his behaviour two years ago and had long made up for it, but as of late, he'd thought there was no real reconciliation, so it felt like Heaven on Earth to hear that from his human. "Right, well, you have no idea how that makes me feel. At the risk of being far too sappy once more, I'll simply say thank you, Detective. And in turn, I'd like you to know I could never hate you. I can be hurt, I can be upset, but I can never hate you. Far from it. I..." He cleared his throat and turned his attention to Chloe's inquiry about Candy. He hadn't told her about that yet? Well, here it goes. "Yes! Well, partially. I met her at a club where she'd picked my wallet and lifted my ring to pay debts on said club inherited from her father. I was impressed with her skills, although nobody steals from the Devil. So, I met with her privately to discuss our issues, and we agreed to help one another. I'd pay off her debts if she married me and agreed to keep tabs on my mother. It was a mutual agreement, but an agreement... a deal... nonetheless." Lucifer tucked Chloe's hair behind her ear before adding one last line. "Oh, and by the way, the only reason I ran off to Vegas is because you nearly died, and I blamed myself because it was my fault. So, I thought I was protecting you by leaving. Anyway, I couldn't stop talking about you with Candy the entire time. That's the foundation on which we built our deal. There you have it. The whole story."

"Yes, I want to be with you, Detective. Only you, with no sharing on either side. I'm not quite sure if you picked up on it, but I bloody hated Pierce besides the Cain thing, because he had you and I didn't. I hate any guy who has you instead of me. I'd tell you to ask Dr. Martin, but that'd probably be in violation of some confidentiality laws. So, ask anyway." He smirked. "Seriously, I want you, Detective, and I don't dare what we're doing. Watching Buffy here, playing the piano there, solving crimes anywhere... I just want to be with you, Detective. That is my truest desire."

"We can do whatever it is that you desire." Lucifer smirked once again, booking Chloe's nose playfully. "As long as we're together, I'd do literally anything. And that's the Dad-honest truth."

[lynnie-ee]

Hellooo, I checked your rules carefully before requesting, Could i have a oneshot for Jack howl? where his and fem reader's child (or maybe children) travelled back time where the child/childrens' parents time in NRC, and both of them wasn't in relationship as couple or haven't confessed yet.

╰┈➤"Days at Night Raven College were never normal, but not even the Prefect of Ramshackle could have imagined that on her way to her dorm, she'd find her future children. On her free day, on top of that."

╰►Female reader, oneshot, 2.1k words.

╰► Characters: Jack Howl.

╰►Note: Thanks for requesting! This has been sitting on my ask for two years already omg, I'm so sorry TT. I'll do my best to resume answering asks! Either way, I hope you like it, and sorry if there are any grammatical mistakes, english is not my first language :>

╰►Masterlist / (requests open)  

⤿

⤿

‘My bed, my bed, my bed… All I need right now is my bed. And a warm drink. Oh, and my fluffy pajamas, and maybe a snack-'

After a long day at school, it was evident the magicless prefect was in need of a more deserved break. But it was Friday, and Grim joined Ace and Deuce at a game afternoon, so she could rest, for once. Oh, when was the last time she had a peaceful evening? It was nice not to be buried in work, at least for a second.

“Oh, mommy! We’ve been looking for you, mommy!”

What.

“I really should go back to sleeping eight hours, I’m even starting to hallucinate.” The prefect mumbled to herself, because why else would she hear the voice of a CHILD in the middle of school?

“Moooommy! Don’t ignore me, I know you can hear me!”

Again.

“Maybe a nap of five hours will fix this, yup.” She continued her path towards Ramshackle. If I don’t acknowledge it, it doesn’t exist...

“Mother, please!”

“A nap and a balanced meal, that’s all I need…”

The young kid seemed to have grown tired of her failed attempts to call the prefect, so she was quick to hurry to where the Ramshackle student was, interrupting her walk. Instead of continuing to call her from afar, she abruptly stood in front of the tired girl.

“Mom!”

“A CHILD!”

The magicless student suddenly screamed, visibly perturbed at the fact that her ‘hallucinations’ actually belonged to a rather tall girl (who seemed to be at least eight years old), instead of some voices in the back of her tired mind.

“Oh my… I’m so sorry, are you lost?” She immediately swiped her demeanor, trying her best to shake away the fatigue. “What’s your name? Were you looking for your parents?” The prefect was quick to ask, crouching down to be at the same level as the kid.

“Ah, you finally noticed me! Please don’t get mad at me, it was Uncle Ace I swear!”

“Sorry?”

“He was bragging about how great he was Ancient Curses when he was at school, and then he wanted to make a demonstration but Uncle Deuce stepped in and interrupted him and then everything went BAM, and then WOOOSH and we woke up here, so we started looking for you and Papa and-“

“You lost me at Ancient Curses.” She mumbled while sighing, a bit startled by the child’s sudden outburst. “But you said something about Papa, right? Tell me what he looks like and we can look for him.”

“You know what he looks like! It’s not time for your jokes.” The child pouted, seemingly offended at the statement of the prefect, whose confused expression contrasted with the annoyance of the kid in front of her.

“…I don’t?”

“But you’re married to him.”

“…”

“…”

“I’M NOT MARRIED YET?”

“Yes, you are! You told me you got married after university!”

“I’m in high school, so how can you…?” She paused quickly, straightening her back to stand up as she grasped her words, her shocked expression only growing as she analyzed the situation. Then something clicked, and she anxiously crouched again to speak to the little girl. “Wait, wait, oh no…Who did you say were your uncles?”

“Well, there’s Uncle Ace and Uncle Deuce, but also Uncle Epel, Uncle Sebek, and-“

"How old are they?"

"I don't know? 30...40... Something like that I guess."

(Y/n) sighed heavily, promptly closing her eyes, her hands softly pinching the bridge of her nose as the situation started to be clearer for her. After a few overblots, some kidnapping and other incidents, (Y/n) found hilarious how plausible the possibility was that the child before her was telling the truth. She was now living in a world with magic, after all.

"So, it's more likely that you...are my child?” The kid nodded. “From the future?" Another nod.

"Yeah, exactly! I've never been in the past so sorry if I said something confusing, Mama!"

Mama.

Oh, great seven.

"Don't worry, kiddo. It's alright, it's alright..." The prefect mumbled, mostly for herself rather than for the child, as she patted her head softly. "Now I suppose we have to look for someone who can help you to come back to...the future, yeah. Let's go." (Y/n) tried to recover herself as quickly as possible, ignoring the questions in her mind by extending her hand for the little girl to take it.

"Oh, but I have to come back to tell my siblings that I found you!"

"Please tell me I heard 'siblings' incorrectly."

"No, no, but you'll be happy to meet them! Let's go find them~."

'Breath in, breath out, everything's fine. The children won't come into your life right now. You have a lot of years ahead before, you can do this.' The prefect thought, reassuring herself that this brief taste of her future life would go away as soon as she found someone who would send her kids back where they belonged, hopefully without even getting to know who was the father of the kids, and the person she would probably marry.

The last thing she needed was information that would only make her feel awkward with one of her classmates. That, if her future husband even went to Night Raven College, perhaps it was someone she hadn’t even met yet-

“OOOH, YOU FOUND MAMA!”

“Oh, hi Mom. You look different.”

Wolf ears.

Fluffy tails.

Golden eyes.

“Great Seven…”

There was no denying it now.

She knew very well those features; it was painfully easy to reach a conclusion.

“Is…Is there a chance, that maybe, your dad’s name is Jack?”

Perhaps her crush on the Savanaclaw student wasn’t as hopeless as she thought.

⤿

⤿

Her children were quite interesting.

After giving a long explanation to Professor Crewel, he (begrudgingly) promised to come up with a solution to help her. After finishing their conversation, he left the alchemy classroom where she found him, willing to go looking for books to fix the situation, giving her time to observe more carefully the kids who waited on the chairs next to hers, as the teacher entrusted her not to leave the room while he looked for the solution.

As she sat in one of the classroom chairs with the youngest kid on her lap playing mindlessly with the buttons of her blazer, she could only watch as the other two children played with some books they found around, carefully noticing the little perks of their personalities.

The oldest was a tall one who had less noticeable beast features, which could be the reason why she didn’t figure out immediately the resemblance she had with the Savanaclaw first-year, as the similarities lay more on her strong personality and respectful demeanour rather than her looks.

Contrary to that, there was the second born, an energetic six-year-old boy, whose appearance seemed to be almost identical to his father. (Y/n) had never seen photos of Jack when he was a child, but even so, she could swear that would be exactly how he looked when he was young. Perhaps she could ask him about it later…?

However, with the youngest, it was a bit more difficult. She was a lovely five-year-old, with hair just like hers in both colour and form, but her face seemed different, and she couldn’t figure out if she looked more like Jack or herself, so perhaps it was a mix of them, she supposed.

“All of you are very cute.” The prefect commented mindlessly, not aware of the smile that adorned her expression, as she ran her fingers through the soft hair of the youngest child, who seemed happy at the contact, seemingly used to it. “It’s quite nice to know that I’ll have such a lovely family in the future…”

“It seems Professor Crewel wasn’t lying, after all.”

Who…?

“PAPA! You’re here too!”

“Jack?!” The Ramshackle student acknowledged the presence of the first-year with a little more intensity than she intended, as she turned around to see him standing close to the door. The Savanaclaw promptly closed the door before getting closer to them, as the youngest child jumped out of her lap to run towards him.

“Prefect.” The beastman greeted with his usual stern voice, unaltered at the two youngest children that quickly climbed to his arms, carrying them as if he was used to it, as both children bombarded him with greetings and questions.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were in club practice.”

“I was supposed to be there, yeah. But Professor Crewel informed me about the…situation. So, I’m here to take responsibility and help him to find a solution.”

“…Responsibility?”

“For my kids. Future. Future kids, of course.” He said, but the prefect couldn’t help but notice the lack of eye contact he had, something unusual for him, although, given the circumstances, it was understandable; but was that a blush on his cheeks…?

“Our kids.” (Y/n) mentioned, pushing his limits slightly, curious at the reaction of the first year.

“…Yeah.”

“You seem fairly comfortable with them, by the way.” She added, pointing with her chin at the way he held the kids, making Jack glance at both kids as they kept talking to each other.

“I’m used to carrying my siblings in this way, I suppose it’s natural for me.”

“Interesting.”

An awkward silence reigned over the room; the children surprisingly going silent, maybe waiting for the teenagers to speak to each other, but it seemed that they were…too embarrassed for it.

“Should we take a look at the books we have here while we wait for the Professor to come back? Perhaps we can help him.”

“Good idea.”

“Good.”

⤿

⤿

“Bye, mama! Bye, papa! See you in a few years!”

“Haha, yeah, see you…”

“Come back safely.”

After Professor Crewel was able to send the kids back where they were supposed to be, both Jack and the prefect were quick to bid them goodbye. When everything was fixed, their teacher excused himself to come back to his duties, as both first-year students thanked him for the help.

She sighed with a tired demeanour as their teacher left the classroom, and then realized that Jack was still in the room with her.

“Would…would you like to talk about what just happened?” The beastman broke the silence, an awkward air surrounded him, and (Y/n) could sense the anticipation in his voice covered by his usual respectful tone.

“If I’m honest with you…Not really. What’s in the future should be left where it belongs; in the future. I think there’s no need for us to worry about something that’s not gonna happen until a few years more, you know?” Answered (Y/n) in the sincerest way she could reply. She was already too tired after running around the campus with three little children at what was supposed to be her free afternoon, and way too exhausted to be concerned about kids that didn’t even exist yet.

“It’s alright, I understand.” She could see a glimpse of disappointment on his face combined with a weird touch of relief. Maybe he wanted to speak about it but preferred not to push her if she didn’t want to.

Jack’s politeness and sense of justice was something the prefect always admired about him, one part of his personality that led her to develop a small crush on him, one she thought was senseless as the beastman didn’t seem to have any interest in her. But it never hurt to prove her luck.

“But if you’re up to chat about anything else, perhaps you want to take a walk in the city tomorrow? I have to pick Grim at Heartslabyul in a while, but I don’t have any plans for the weekend.” She suggested timidly, a tender smile making way its way to her expression, a vibrant contrast against Jack’s surprised face.

“Oh- I…I guess I’m free at that time, so I suppose I can, yeah.” The Savanaclaw student answered, trying to play it cool, ignoring the heat at his cheeks, awkwardly resting his hand on the back of his neck.

“That’s great! We can meet at the front gate-”

“I’ll pick you up at Ramshackle, don’t worry.” He added, his gaze far away from the prefect’s eyes. “If you’re okay with it, of course.”

(Y/n)’s smile quickly changed into a gentle laugh as she was amused to see the sudden shyness of the first year, giving her more confidence to answer. “I’d love to, actually. I look forward to it.”

“Great, see you tomorrow, then.” The white-haired boy turned back, wanting to go back to his dorm before he could get more embarrassed.

“Oh, Jack, before you leave.”

“Yeah?”

“Someday, can you show a picture of you when you were little?”

“Uh- why?”

“I just want to prove a theory of mine.”

“…I will, then.”

“Cool, thanks.”

⤿

⤿

[pinkshortbread]

Can you do members of the tulpar with a partner who struggles with mental health issues (like depression or something of the sort), if it makes it easier for you to only do one of the tulpar members tho that’s fine !! love your writing btw ^_^

Thank you so much for your feedback ! 😭💞

For the moment, I only write for Curly, Daisuke and Anya. I hope you all don't mind. Maybe later for Swansea, I'm uncomfortable with writing about Jimmy (even though I like how written he is, eh I don't even need to justify myself why I don't want to write for him, anyway-) 😔✌️

WARNING : MDNI ; May triggers some people ; Sensitive Subjects.

[How do the members of the Tulpar cope with their partner who struggles with mental health issues ?]

Due to personal experience, I have chosen anxio-depression. When you went on broad the Tulpar : you lied about your condition to protect yourself from losing your job. In fact, Pony Express used to be precise and kept an eye on mental health issues but now, it's not quite the case (unfortunately).

💫 Curly 💫

Curly noticed some details : you felt restless, you had trouble sleeping. That's why you went to the lounge pretty late at night to pass the time.

"Curly ? Why are you here ?" "I should return the question Love." "Trouble sleeping, but I'm okay." It ticked something inside Curly's chest, you weren't okay. Everytime he left the cockpit to go to sleep to his quarter, you were here : your eyes on the screen, in your own world, looking tired, drowned in your thoughts.

He sat next to you, placing his hand onto your thigh, rubbing sweet circles to soothe the stress feeling you were breathing out. "I'm sorry, but I know you're not..."

The next thing you did is throwing yourself into his arms. You cried, cried so much into his shoulders, confessing to him that you were struggling with your depression on broad the Tulpar, that you lied about your issues, you didn't even talk about it with Anya. You were lost, you didn't know what to do. That only built up your anxiety you already tried to control. It was unbearable for you to keep everything to yourself.

And Curly listened. He listened to everything you said : your had trouble to manage the little of energy you had, you didn't know how to feel positive, your sleeping schedule is completely broken...

He kept your crying form close and tight to him, almost afraid of losing his partner and companion. He is the only one who were able to listen and feel what you felt at the right moment, he did it perfectly.

"I lied to everyone about it, even you !" "No you didn't, you kept to yourself and you needed to let go. But I'm here and I'm not dissapointed by you. I love you"

Let's just say, not too short after that, you asked him if he could sleep with you in your quarter after your confession. He accepted.

🌺 Daisuke 🌺

Daisuke didn't notice at first, but : sometimes you where quite irritable to him, which questionned him but he couldn't put his finger on it, maybe you were nervous about the "not being on Earth situation", was he wrong ? But one day, you stormed into his room, sliding and opening his door wide.

"Daisuke..." You started crying as you fidgeted your fingers nervously. "I'm sorry, I've been awful to you..."

As he turned his head to see you crying, his door completely open. Your cries started to resonate inside the Tulpar. He rushed to you, closing his door behind you in the process and cupping your cheek. "No no no, baby what's wrong ?"

Between your cries and hiccups, you told him about your mental health, that you've been struggling even more with your stupid job and that you felt like it started to ruin your relationship, your medication started to run low due to a debut of an anxiolytic addiction. It was bad.

"Shit, baby, I didn't know about that..." Daisuke felt helpless about your issue but : "Is there anything I can do to make you feel better ? Food ? Video games ? Cuddles ? We can take the whole night if you want to talk about it, I can't leave you like that..."

"I don't want it to ruin our relationship-" Suddenly, Daisuke grabbed you by your hips, bringing you even closer to him. "Don't you dare to say that again Boo, I still love you."

💧 Anya 💧

Due to the fact that Anya is the nurse of the whole crew, you told her about your mental health way longer before your relationship started. But one day, you didn't show yourself to the psych eval. It was very unusual from you.

Anya decided to look for you around the Tulpar, questionning everybody. They didn't see you, so you must be in your quarter.

And there she saw you, sitting on your bed and staring at the floor. "Oh no Honey..." She faced you, sitting in front of you. "You weren't ready for your psych eval today ?" You nodded.

You needed some time to talk about it with her, when job and personnal issues start to bond together that's where the problems start you told yourself. Anya told you that it couldn't be an issue, but your thoughts were louder than her voice.

Anya brought her hands to your calves as she layed her head onto your lap. "It's going to be okay, I'm here. You don't have to talk about it, you are not alone." Her words sounded right, you shoulders relaxed. Your hands meets her hair, your fingers intertwined with her strands. You let out a big sigh.

"I love you..." Anya looked up at you, some tears rolled onto your cheeks. You didn't want to lose her. Her look softened. "Oh, I love you too, so so much... Don't forget that..."

For the first time, you heard her.

[fictional-reylin]

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ Hawks // Takami Keigo with an underground hero

Warnings: Reader having intrusive thoughts about violence, Reader being horny for Keigo, nothing explicit, mention of blood

Word Count: 3.500

Author’s notes: Didn't know if I wanted Reader to be flustered by Hawks attitude or annoyed since the original post didn’t have a specific reaction, so I did both. I may have made the reader a bit too aggressive, I'm sorry. Also, was inspired by this post. I noticed that there was like a whole "saga" following it but I already had the idea for my ending so I just added bits and pieces where I could.

You are welcome to send requests, don't forget to check this post: ಇ.┊[requests] .ᐟ

It was late in the evening, maybe like three hours after school hours have finished. You were walking back from your way to work to finally catch a break when you noticed your old teacher from UA. You and Aizawa have kept in contact after you had graduated, but never really had the time to speak casually until today. So now you were sitting on a bench in some random park waiting for Aizawa to return with some coffee to catch up. Only for him to sit and complain with you about his current students now that you were an adult and could understand why he found kids annoying.

“I swear, these stupid kids are going to kill me one of these days…”

You took a sip of your coffee that he ordered for you, scrunching up your nose in disgust before swiftly pouring the rest of the drink in the nearby bushes. “Well you said the same thing about my class yet here you are, still alive” you said casually, remembering how annoyed he used to be with your class and antics that you all pulled off. You turned to look at him only to find him throwing you an annoyed glare, but you just laughed at that.

“Remind me why I even bother keeping contact with you ?”

“Cause I’m your favourite old student ?”

Before Aizawa had the time to object to that, you heard your work phone buzzing in your pocket and took it out, thinking that it was some kind of emergency if they called you after your shift. Reading the email that was sent to you, your eyes widened slightly, and the older man raised an eyebrow at that.

“What is it ?”

You re-read it a second time, making sure that you weren’t imagining it, before you read it out loud to him. “They’re inviting me to… some hero event ? Isn’t this defeating the purpose of me being an underground hero ?” You turned to him dumbfounded, and he just shrugged, sitting back and continuing to drink his coffee.

“They sometimes do that. They see an underground pro with a “Bigger Potential” as they say and try to get them to be more public. It makes them more money, and people consider this as a bit of an ego boost.”

You scoffed, you didn’t know if you should be flattered that they noticed you enough to invite you or insulted that they thought you were the type of person to easily chase after fame. Either way, you shoved your phone back into your pocket and crossed your arms over your chest. Aizawa noticed this and decided that for once he would be openly comforting. “You shouldn’t this an insult, you’re a great hero [Name]. And maybe you should consider going.”

You gave him a deadpan look, thinking that maybe from the last time you two spoke he developed some sense of humour. But by the serious look on his face, you guessed that it wasn’t a poor attempt at a joke.

“Are you kidding me ? You hate the paparazzi”

“But you don’t.” He interjected, “At least not as much as me. And you can always just be present there, talk to so some interviewers see how it all works and then go back to working as an underground hero. It’s not like you’re going to stand out much when the top ten, even twenty heroes are going to be present.”

In hindsight, he was right. Amongst the sea of popular heroes whose interviews people were dying to watch, you wouldn’t stand out like a sore thumb, you would be more like a needle in a haystack in this situation. And to be frank, you were always curious about this sort of events since you didn’t know any public heroes, at least not personally. “Well, I would like to experiment with that but… I would feel out of place. Plus, what am I supposed to do when I’m not talking to interviewers ? Look at a random wall ?”

Aizawa was almost regretting encouraging you into actually going, seeing how nervous you were getting solely at the thought of it, but he sighed and calmed himself down for your sake. “If you really nervous about going alone, I can ask Hizashi to accompany you there since he’s going anyway, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind catching up with an old student while there.”

You were so happy about him taking the extra step to make you confident in accepting the invitation that you almost hugged him, but quickly stopped yourself and simply bowed before you could embarrass yourself, “Thank you, Mr. Aizawa !”

Getting ready for that hero event was more torturous than you had expected at the start, because it felt like a dumb family reunion from your teenage years all over again. You wanted to dress casual because in the invitation there wasn’t even a specific theme that they were going for the event, so you were expected to just show up. But according to your friends that previously watched it on TV from a year ago, this was totally unacceptable, and you had to put extra effort into your appearance. Apparently, the fact that heroes were tired every single day from fighting and keeping Japan safe wasn’t enough of an excuse to be casual for one day, and they had to dress up for a bunch of strangers that they were never going to meet again for the rest of their lives.

So here you were, standing in a dress that you deemed was fancy enough for you to not get judgmental looks from the other guests and some light makeup to hopefully hide your tired face. Even though your friends cheered you on when you showed them your outfit, you still felt something was going to go wrong this night. But you decided to brush it off, blaming it on your nerves. You figured that since you weren’t important for the media anyway, nobody was going to pay you the slightest attention. Taking your bag, you locked the door of your flat behind you and quickly made your way outside, waiting for your ride to arrive.

So here you were, riding along with your two old teachers, Present Mic and Midnight. It felt weird given that unlike Aizawa, you didn’t keep in contact with the two of them after your graduation, yet these two were treating you so casually. You figured it was a way for them to show you that they respected you as a fellow hero or something, but it felt too odd coming from your previous teachers, especially Kayama who kept bugging you about your love life and such, to which you could only respond with fidgeting and a nervous smile. Thankfully you didn’t have to listen to any more of her questions since the three of you finally arrived. The first thing you noticed is the extreme number of paparazzi inside and outside the building, the bright camera flashes almost making it impossible to see properly.

You got out of the car, following suit after the blond man to not get lost and end up alone in the big crowd of unknown people. Last thing you needed was to get stuck chatting with heroes that you had no interest in talking to and having to explain your quirk like ten times in a row to different people. Kayama being herself obviously went off to flirt with someone while Yamada stayed close to you and decided to spend time catching up with you, you guessed it was because Aizawa never actually talked about you or never specifically brought you up.

“So, how’s the hero life treating ya, kid ? Everything you expected from when you graduated, or you’re ready to quit ?”

“Isn’t every job that exists making you feel like you’re ready to quit at some point ?”

You did some more catching up with him, talks about hero work and just life in general after graduating from UA, before eventually it was your tun to be interviewed, and surprisingly you enjoyed it. It wasn’t something that you would want to do every single time, you chose to be an underground hero for a reason after all, but it still felt nice to get some sort of attention. Like people saw you and acknowledge you for what you did because it was right, not because you looked cool while doing it. Even if it didn’t last very long and the interviewer immediately turned his attention to Present Mic and talked about how he was so awesome and in return the hero kept shouting compliments and anecdotes, but you were too busy covering your eras to not become deaf to hear anything he yelled, which was too loud for you even if he didn’t use his quirk.

The next day after the event, you sat on your couch and decided that since it was your day off, you could spend some time watching the interview that you did just for some fun. Everything was how you remembered, you took some time to admire your outfit, before you noticed something that made you a bit flustered: Hawks, the number two hero Hawks, passing by you and staring at you, like full on eye fucking you. You sat there for a couple of seconds before telling yourself that he was probably staring at someone else. He couldn’t possibly be staring at you, what kind of reputation he would have if he would just stare at random pro heroes that were only invited on a whim.

Then out of curiosity, you decided to watch his interviews. Everything was normal, some questions about his work, fans, etc… Until you pass somewhere behind him, the camera focusing on him barely catching your silhouette as he turns to yet again stare at you, less openly this time. Then he’s turning back to the camera, and you swear to God you can pass out from his words. “Damn, who is that ?” The way he’s saying it, plus how you can clearly see his face turning slightly red, has your brain short-circuiting and making you hide our face in a pillow like a teenager who got a confession from their crush.

But after some thinking about it, you sit up and now, you’re actually feeling annoyed. If you had just been interviewed, then people would probably forget about you in a week or so. But this is the № 2 hero we’re talking about, people will be gossiping about it for months, maybe even call out to you on the streets, with paparazzi spreading any sort of gossip to make money out of it. And the crazy fangirls, you weren’t ready to wake up to death threats by fanatics that somehow found your private account and thought that Hawks was their boyfriend.

Before you could get angrier about the situation, you heard your personal phone ring and quickly put it on speaker. On the other line, you heard your friend yelling out your name like it was the end of the world or something, which honestly, it felt really fitting to you.

“Did you watch Hawk’s interview from last night ? Dude, he is so into you !”

You could only let out a groan in response to that, sliding from your couch on the floor and hiding your face in your hands. “My life as an underground hero is ruined. Why did I ever decide to go there…”

“Aren’t you a little proud that Hawks of all people thought you are hot ? I mean that’s kind of an accomplishment.”

“I already knew that. I didn’t need someone to say it on national TV” You could only hear a bark of laughter from the other line “Well anyway, I’m sure that something else will pop up and people will quickly forget about Hawks crush, or whatever the media will call it.”

They, in fact, did not forget about Hawks crush on you. And yes, that’s how they called it. For the past week, you had been bombarded with paparazzi, and people from talk shows. They kept inviting you to talk about the situation and your feelings towards the № 2 flirty remarks and questioning about your relationship with him, as if you had any to begin with. His fans who theorized online if the two of you were secretly dating and were just putting on a show for everyone, as if. And just as you had expected, his fangirls were going crazy over this, threatening you to stay away from him. You almost wanted to fake a confession just to see who was willing to find you and murder you in your own home so that Hawks would feel guilty about his comments. But you decided that your intrusive thoughts were best kept inside your brain.

Even villains begin to recognize you, and it especially felt humiliating when you were about to arrest them and all they cared about is if the rumours were true, followed by your teammates' laughter. Hell, even Hawks was pouring salt on the wound. Of all the things that he could have answered when talking in another interview when they brought up the clip of him looking at you and what was your relationship, he responded “If I’m lucky, my future spouse”. The only thing that filled your thoughts at that moment is how you wanted to rip off his swings so that he would finally stop smiling. And again, you decided to keep your intrusive thoughts to yourself.

This had been exhausting to say the least, to the point where you were asked to take a break by every single one of your friends because of how… not mentally okay you looked. It’s not like they were wrong; you kept beating yourself up from every single failed mission because instead of stealthy defeating a villain, your hero name was screamed and shouted at you, making you lose your concentration. It left you wondering how others put on a show when fighting. Lucky for you, you didn’t have to wonder more because some big scandal about Mountain Lady got out, and you were quickly forgotten and were able to come back to that quiet life. Even if some articles about the subject would pop up, people mostly just ignored it and shrugged it off as Hawks being his usual flirt. Which, all things considered, was kind of true, so you didn’t have to worry about him remembering you either if someday your unluckiness forced you to meet him.

…

“I jinxed it, didn't I…?”

It was a couple of days after the scandal with Mountain Lady. You were leaning on the side of a building, munching on whatever dessert you had ordered, the fancy name that it was given already forgotten. When suddenly, you noticed a pair of red wings out of the corner of your eye. That alone was enough for you to start feeling a mix of annoyance and anxiety slowly building up, and that only worsened when he spoke.:

“Heeeey, you’re that sexy underground pro I saw last time. How you doing hot stuff ?”

Currently, your mind was torn between wanting to leave multiple stab wounds over his whole body or making him leave multiple love bites over yours. You knew the guy was handsome, but dammit, seeing him in real life and to top it off in casual clothing was doing something to your body and mind. “So that’s why people say that cameras don’t do him justice. Noted…”

“You birdbrain had managed to ruin my entire image in just two interviews, which by the way I don’t know if you care enough, was not supposed to exist at all. You know how many people called out to me while I was on a mission, and even more had asked me if we were a thing ! And what the hell were you thinking by basically telling people that you wanted to marry me someday ?!” You whisper yelled at him, but apparently your anger towards the man in front of you was doing nothing but amuse him in response.

“Well, what were you thinking when you decided to go there ? That’s a public event sweetheart; people were bound to notice you. Plus…” He leaned closer to you, hands casually resting inside his pockets as he looked down at you with a smug grin. “By the way your cheeks are burning up, I have a good guess that it’s not because you’re angry. So I feel like you enjoy my attention.”

You could’ve answered with a snarky comment; you could’ve acted aggressive towards like you did all this time when you thought about confronting him, you could’ve just glared at him to not give him any satisfaction of being right about your feelings. Instead, your face got even more red than it already was, and you just sprinted off before he could another embarrassing comment about your state. And Hawks couldn’t do anything but stare in amusement as you got further away from him. He had expected you to react like this, but he was not ready to how much he would enjoy this “cute…” He thought to himself, before entering the coffee shop like he initially planned.

After that incident, you thought that you wouldn’t have to see the winged hero again, since you basically stalked all of his accounts to know where not to go when you weren’t on hero duty. But fate had yet again decided to go against your wishes, since not even two days after that, you bumped into each other again, in a less-than-ideal moment at that.

Hawks was busy chasing a mutant type of villain that no one could catch because he kept liquefying his body, when he got into a building. He chased after him, settling for a run since his wings didn’t have enough room to spread properly and let him fly. But before Hawks could do anything, the villain grabbed a civilian that was passing by, pressing a knife against their throat so that Hawks would have no other choice but to let him go. The civilian in question was you, just coming back from grocery shopping with now facing the winged hero as he thought about a solution to not get you killed in the process of arresting this guy.

To put it simply, the situation annoyed you. You were exhausted from hero work, and the only thing you wanted to do right now was go back home to satisfy your hunger with the meal that you had just bought. And you were not going to wait for that birdbrain to come up with a plan while you were at the brink of death only because he was useless at the moment. So, you grabbed hold of the knife along with the shoulder of the villain and threw him over you with full force. You looked down on him, an unimpressed look on your face. “Before taking a hostage make sure they’re not a hero, or don’t do martial arts” You glanced at your now bleeding hand that was holding the knife, sighing at the fact that you would have to clean the floor afterwards to not scare your neighbours.

Hawks didn’t waste any time to cuff the villain, and immediately after checking on you, “I’m so sorry for this. Let me help you clean your-” You cut him off by showing your now completely healed hand, as if the incident had never happened, minus the little scare that would also disappear with time. “Fast healing. Don’t worry about it” He stared dumbfounded at your hand, before eventually regaining his composure and going back to his cheerful persona, a satisfied grin on his face.

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay… And I really am sorry.”

You raised an eyebrow, shoving your hands into your pockets. “For making me almost die or the interview ?”

“Whatever you choose, songbird”

You scoffed, watching as he descended the stairs to finally leave. You leaned against the railings, looking down at him as he made his way down before shouting “If you feel sorry for the latter, you can always invite me to dinner !”

He looked up, a smirk on his face as he considered your offer before replying in a very enthusiastic manner, “Be ready tomorrow at ten. Casual.”

And with that, he finally left. You pushed yourself up, walking towards your door as you picked up your groceries, humming to yourself. “Should have invited him inside maybe…? Nah, then the poor villain would be stuck listening.”

ಇ.┊[bnha masterlist] .ᐟ ಇ.┊[AO3 version] .ᐟ ಇ.┊[navigation] .ᐟ

@moodyvoid

[kateswallofweird]

EX-BOYFRIEND DICK GRAYSON . . .

dick grayson x reader who drinks coffee (though the coffee doesn't rlly add to or take from the plot so !); cw angst ish, highs and lows of a relationship

💭 a reminder that love isn't supposed to hurt. it might sting and it might be rough, but it isn't supposed to ache. take care of yourself and protect your heart xo

PART 2 HERE

being in love with dick grayson was like hot chocolate on a cold winter night and the first fall of snow upon season's change. he was warmth and light laughter. he was diving into the deep end of a pool and coming up for air when you thought you'd gone too far. he was brightness—your single star against the cerulean backdrop of the vast night sky.

but loving dick grayson was also silence after a long night. it was watchful eyes and rising tension despite your confusion. it was changing topics and a dismissive laugh, empty and unsettling. it was the cold creeping up and blanketing you in a chill you couldn't escape. it was midnight blue—a darkness that didn't seem all encompassing until you were stranded in the middle.

loneliness is a gut punch when you're surrounded by love but kept from it by distance. it's the hurt you feel at night, the ache that grows in your heart. it's knowing that things are over before it is, and the final act of desperation before joy evades you and light slips through your fingers. it's drowning without water and suffocating in your own desolation.

"i'm sorry."

your relationship had ended with a simple apology and unsaid words. there were no tears shed, no screaming match, no final attempt to stay together. there was only bitterness (of a love so great lost) and the sad realization of the end upon you (one long time coming).

but that was two years ago. things were changed. you were changed, and you had healed (though his initials were still etched into you). dick grayson was a thing of the past, or so you were convinced.

"it's . . . it's been a while, hasn't it?"

crackly like his connection was weak, his voice filtered through the speaker of your phone from your inbox of messages left from missed calls. he'd changed his number.

"i got a new phone and changed my number this morning. some wayne stalker situation. and bruce, he said to call him first, but i—" he laughed lightly like he couldn't believe himself, "i found myself dialing you instead. apparently, i still have your number memorized."

and you stilled in your kitchen, nursing your mug of scalding coffee, because what if you moved and you realized all of this wasn't real?

"i've been thinking a lot these days . . . about you, about us." he took a deep breath. "i messed up. i see it now. i'm sorry."

memories of your fights fought to the front of your mind, the scars his sharp words brandished on you and the fresh wounds your insults left on him. loving dick grayson was worth it, but it certainly wasn't easy.

"and i miss you. i hope that isn't too selfish of me." he cleared his throat, and you set your mug down to pick up your phone. "oh, it's dick by the way . . . in case you happen to have any other ex-boyfriends hitting your line. not that i'm wondering." he mumbled something under his breath that the phone didn't quite pick up, but a smile betrayed you. you could practically imagine his sheepish expression.

"so goodbye i guess," he said, his voice a lot closer to the microphone now as hesitance rang thick. "and um now you have my number, which i realize now you may not want, but if you ever feel some urge to, uh, call me—you can, and i'll answer. no matter what."

the line clicked and the message ended, leaving only the ghost of dick grayson and a whisper of your ex-boyfriend in your kitchen.

💭 how are we feeling dick grayson nation? attacked? comforted? good? bad? well there's going to be a part 2 (it's on the way!) so hang on tight ig!

[saintsonnet]

please expand on the lancelot x gawain i keep seeing on your blog 🙏

okay sorry i took so long i decided to shower after you sent me this because i knew that if i started then i would never end up showering today. and then it was an unfinished routine so i had to lotion and brush my teeth and floss and do hair stuff too.

so, obviously, it's lancelot du lac and gawaine of orkney. both knights of the round table, etc etc. you know who they are. i hope. they're not exactly similar to their bbc merlin counterparts---lancelot is of noble birth in classic arthuriana, gawaine is arthur's nephew (though bbc merlin doesn't exactly...keep the familial relations that canon does), things like that---but i'd honestly say that their character personalities are similar enough that it's verging on acceptable! just as a reference point for you, i suppose.

gawaine has lost a fair fight only to six knights in his time, launcelot being one of them (Le Morte d'Arthur, Sir Thomas Mallory. book IV, chapter XVIII) (the other five being sir tristram, sir bors, sir percevel, sir pelleas, and sir marhaus). he is mentioned to throw fights against lancelot because he loves losing to him (cannot remember the source for the life of me) and, of course, lancelot always notices when he does.

then there's this famous quote:

(vulgate II, p140) where launcelot tells galehaut (another man that he arguably has...something...going on with) that he would share with gawaine everything he loves, save guinevere, in order to have gawaine forever. gawaine then goes on to say that, essentially, he would wish to be the most beautiful woman so that lancelot would love him as a wife.

also, in Morte, which i don't have photos of because my copy is a physical book rather than a pdf like how i'm reading vulgate and i don't want to take photos with my laptop camera. there is this quote "and Launcelot with this sword shall slay the man that in the world he loves best, that shall be Sir Gawaine." which is engraved in the hilt of the red hilted sword, balin's sword that merlin encases in stone and which galahad, lancelot's son, eventually wields.

^this, also. from vulgate IV, p140. after launcelot accidentally kills gawaine's brother gareth (named here as gaheriet; all the orkneys have...many ways of spelling their names. look up a list of all of gawaine's names over history, i dare you) who was guarding guinevere's cell...he begs gawaine to forgive him and even promises to swear himself and all his men into subservience to gawaine if gawaine would only forgive him. "I want to be your companion just as I used to be." mhm...

and "I'll swear to you on 'relics that I didn't kill your brother Gaheriet intentionally" is a huge promise. swearing on a holy relic in such a deeply, fundamentally christian society was the vow that you could make. the reason why honour was so important in that time was because the grand majority of people were illiterate, so one's word was the most one could give, in the majority of situations! and here is lancelot, saying that he'll swear on a holy relic that he did not mean to kill gareth if it means gawaine will forgive him and love him again.

there is also, right before gawaine eventually dies (from a sword wound to the head from lancelot) he writes a letter to launcelot begging forgiveness for having been so horrible to lancelot before his death, and wishing he could see him before he dies, for he knows he won't live long.

And then when paper and ink was brought, then Gawaine was set up weakly by King Arthur, for he was shriven a little to-fore; and then he wrote thus, as the French book maketh mention: Unto Sir Launcelot, flower of all noble knights that ever I heard of or saw by my days, I, Sir Gawaine, King Lot's son of Orkney, sister's son unto the noble King Arthur, send thee greeting, and let thee have knowledge that the tenth day of May I was smitten upon the old wound that thou gavest me afore the city of Benwick, and through the same wound that thou gavest me I am come to my death-day. And I will that all the world wit, that I, Sir Gawaine, knight of the Table Round, sought my death, and not through thy deserving, but it was mine own seeking; wherefore I beseech thee, Sir Launcelot, to return again unto this realm, and see my tomb, and pray some prayer more or less for my soul. And this same day that I wrote this cedle, I was hurt to the death in the same wound, the which I had of thy hand, Sir Launcelot; for of a more nobler man might I not be slain. Also Sir Launcelot, for all the love that ever was betwixt us, make no tarrying, but come over the sea in all haste, that thou mayst with thy noble knights rescue that noble king that made thee knight, that is my lord Arthur; for he is full straitly bestead with a false traitor, that is my half-brother, Sir Mordred; and he hath let crown him king, and would have wedded my lady Queen Guenever, and so had he done had she not put herself in the Tower of London. And so the tenth day of May last past, my lord Arthur and we all landed upon them at Dover; and there we put that false traitor, Sir Mordred, to flight, and there it misfortuned me to be stricken upon thy stroke. And at the date of this letter was written, but two hours and a half afore my death, written with mine own hand, and so subscribed with part of my heart's blood. And I require thee, most famous knight of the world, that thou wilt see my tomb. And then Sir Gawaine wept, and King Arthur wept; and then they swooned both. And when they awaked both, the king made Sir Gawaine to receive his Saviour. And then Sir Gawaine prayed the king for to send for Sir Launcelot, and to cherish him above all other knights. (Le Morte D'Arthur, Sir Thomas Mallory. book XXI, chapter II)

(vulgate IV, p139). honestly? no comment here. it speaks for itself. this bit is where the ship name remarkable comes from.

of course, this is by no means a comprehensive post, just moments i can remember off the top of my head. and a lot of this can be attributed to today's view of male homosociality and how it's changed since the middle ages, skewing our view of what could have been, by all means, a platonic relationship. however it is my personal belief and interpretation that they were in love <3 muah the end i hope you enjoyed. i tried my best to explain both story and cultural context the best i could without going into irrelevant detail...i hope this is enough!

[oliversrarebooks]

The Rare Bookseller Part 79: Oliver's Questions

tw: mind control

Previous > Masterlist

October 1925

A knock on the door startled him out of his thoughts. "Oliver? May I come in?" It sounded like Emily.

"Sure," he said, not especially in the mood for talking, but wanting to be out of his own head for a moment.

He heard the click of the door unlocking, and Emily pocketed the key as she walked into the room. "Vivian thought maybe it'd be a good idea for me to check on you. How are you doing?"

"I'm managing."

"Have you heard your master -- your former master's voice?"

"No. But I will tell you if I do." The least he could do for Emily and Vivian was to try to resist and let them know right away. Purposefully betraying them after they'd gone through this effort to save him was unthinkable.

"I think I might understand a little about how you feel, you know. Defending Alexander even though he's a monster."

"You do?"

"I mean, Jessica was awful through and through. She robbed me of everything and treated me like a housecat. I'm glad that she's dead. But still, sometimes… I think a part of me misses the certainty." She curled in on herself a bit. "I don't know what I'm going to do now that I'm freed. It's back to nasty jobs that pay peanuts, while trying to find time and energy to make art good enough to sell, I suppose. Struggling every day. I guess it was nice not to struggle for a while, even if it was a terrible situation."

"Yeah," said Oliver. "I understand. I wasn't struggling like you before the vampires, but it still was nice to feel like I had a purpose, even if it was feeding a vampire."

"I think if Jessica had been just a little bit nicer to me, the way Alexander was to you, I would feel a lot more conflicted," she said. "But you know that he didn't really care about you, right? I don't think monsters like that can feel real feelings."

"…Yeah." Even if she were right, it was a bitter pill for him to swallow.

"If Alexander really cared about you, he wouldn't have put you through all of that with his sire. He would have protected you, or stood up to him, or hidden you away, or something. Instead, he told you that he'd never let you free. That's what you said, wasn't it?"

"It is."

She must be right. It wasn't as though Oliver hadn't had that same thought, even while enthralled. His show of being caring was always a convenient lie to keep Oliver happy and docile.

But then, he thought of how tenderly Alexander had cared for him after he was blinded, how he reassured Oliver and soothed him to sleep with his song. He thought of Alexander by his bedside when he was sick, feeding him warm soup and wiping his forehead with a cool washcloth. Small comforts, perhaps, but more than Oliver had before.

"I suppose… a part of me wishes he did actually care about me, and that's why I don't want Vivian to kill him."

"…I get it," said Emily quietly. "I'm sorry I was so harsh on you earlier, but honestly, I do understand. I once had a lover… it's a shameful story, but I guess you've seen me in the lap of a vampire, so it's not like I have any dignity left. I once had a lover who showered me with gifts and affection, and made me feel like I was someone special -- when he was sober and in a good mood. When he wasn't, he was a nightmare. You can probably imagine it. And it took me such a long time to understand that if he truly loved me, he wouldn't treat me that way, not ever. Even when I did, it took me even longer to leave, because I wished he would be someone different, someone who actually cared."

"I'm sorry that happened to you."

"Don't be. Lesson learned."

"You shouldn't have had to go through that to learn a lesson," said Oliver. "But I do understand what you mean. I'm not sure if it's quite the same since Alexander certainly wasn't my lover, just…"

What was Alexander to him, exactly? His friend? His master? Neither of those could really captured the unwavering devotion, the powerful draw he'd felt.

The draw he was feeling even now, knowing how manufactured it was.

Tears sprang to Oliver's eyes as he was overcome by a wave of deep sadness, and although he'd been sad all night, this felt both foreign and strangely familiar, feelings that weren't his own, a sense of loss and melancholy and grief coming from far away, tethering him to…

"Oliver, what is it? You've gone so pale."

"Alexander. I can feel him. I think he's calling to me."

"Oh, no -- I'll go get Vivian right now." Emily rushed from the room.

It wasn't like a song, now. It was comprised of images, emotions. The library, cold and dark, Alexander weeping and calling him back. Oliver tried to push it away -- nothing more than a jailer upset that his inmate escaped. But he couldn't truly believe that, not with Alexander's own emotions clouding his mind.

"Go away," Oliver whispered to the empty room. "Leave me alone. Stop tormenting me with this."

"Emily said you've heard your former master?" Vivian was standing over him with furrowed brow.

"Yes, I'm sure of it. I can feel what he's feeling. It's almost unbearable."

"That's the blood connection." She looked out of the window, where the sky was growing lighter. "The sun will be up soon. If you can endure it until then, the vampire's power will fade when the sun rises. Do you think you could do that?"

"I think so." He didn't seem to really have a choice, not unless he wanted to betray Vivian and go running back to the manor.

"It'd be best if you could stay up for most of the day, to start to get used to a human schedule again. I can find ways to keep you busy and take your mind off things. And then when night comes around, I could give you something to make you sleep, so that you don't have to endure vampires intruding on your mind. How does that sound?"

Oliver nodded. "I don't think I've ever really thanked you for your help. You don't need to do all of this for me."

"It's my job," she said. "Besides, no one else has ever provided me such a treasure trove of information about my sworn enemy. It's been well worth it."

Oliver anxiously watched the sky outside his window, feeling as though the sunrise might never come, as though the vampire's power might endure forever. But of course the sun rose once again, and as Vivian predicted, Alexander's feelings faded away as the sun crested over the buildings.

He was exhausted, but found a second wind of energy helping Jenny prepare breakfast and eating a sizable portion of it himself, along with ample coffee. Emily overslept and dragged herself down the stairs just as they were about to clean up from the meal, pouring and chugging what coffee remained.

After breakfast, Vivian assigned Emily and Jenny chores, in particular taking care of Bobby, an erased thrall unable to care for himself. Oliver was reminded once more of all of the grievous harm of the auction house, even if he himself had escaped the worst treatment. Lily had done those things, and Alexander was more than complicit.

"What would you like me to do, Vivian?" he asked, more than eager for some work to quiet his mind.

"I was hoping you could accompany me to the grocer's and the butcher's, to restock the pantry. It would help to have an extra set of arms to carry back the food."

Oliver looked at Vivian's arms, recalling her struggle with Alexander. She was clearly far stronger than Oliver, and he suspected that needing someone to carry bags was an excuse to make Oliver feel helpful. Regardless, he thought that the fresh air would do him good. "I'd be happy to help."

"Great! Here, there's some spare coats in the closet. See if one fits you."

Soon enough, Oliver was out the door, blinking in the midday sun. He'd had so little sun, especially since he'd been sleeping in Alexander's room instead of his own. People were bustling about on the sidewalk, a mailman was making his way down the street, and all of the shops were open. The leaves were beginning to fall from the trees, but the foliage that was left was drenched in reds and golds. Oliver realized that he hadn't actually been outside during the day since his capture.

"You must have missed this," said Vivian as they walked to the grocery store. "Ordinary human life, I mean."

"I guess I did." In the light of day, it was a lot easier to put the world of vampires behind him as though it were all a bad dream. Under Alexander's spell, he didn't realize how much he had missed being able to simply walk down the street to a shop on a crisp fall day. He thought of sitting in the park among the autumn trees, reading a book and watching the people walk by, as he had liked to do on breaks. How much had the vampires stolen from his mind, to make him forget all of this, to make him content without it!

Even the ordinary grocer's was a delight. He'd always had plenty of food in the manor, and Alexander had bought him whatever he put down on a list, but there was a simple pleasure in looking over the grocer's wares and choosing it all himself. Vivian was mulling over whatever was cheapest or on sale to feed herself and the thralls back in the safehouse, and Oliver trailed along, carrying her purchases and making suggestions.

In the harsh light of day, with a clearer head, it was easier to see the vampires for what they were -- monsters who had stolen his life from him.

And yet, there was still a nagging part of him who felt like he didn't quite belong here, not any more. Not now that he knew that vampires and their establishments were all over the city. Not when he'd been getting so used to being on Alexander's arm, serving him and accompanying him.

He'd been the perfect thrall, supposedly, and although Alexander could have just been saying that to keep Oliver mollified, Oliver really couldn't deny how comfortable he'd felt in the role. Even as he was enjoying a sunny afternoon in the city, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was just playacting as a normal person. Alexander had convinced him so swiftly and so thoroughly that he belonged as a thrall that Oliver feared he might never be able to shake it.

But didn't that mean Vivian was right? Oliver would never be safe as long as Alexander and his sire were out there, beckoning him to return. And even if Oliver himself managed to escape, Alexander would only take some other poor soul and turn him into his slave. Leaving him alive would only be condemning person after person to be ripped away from the world of humans and trapped in the dangerous world of vampires.

The thought of Alexander taking someone else as his thrall made him sick.

If Alexander really was going to spend decades or centuries taking human after human, it would be wrong to leave him alive, wouldn't it? As much as that made rational sense, he couldn't accept it.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she said as they carried the groceries home.

"I was thinking about what you said before -- about how you need to kill Alexander. I confess that I still don't like it, not at all, but maybe… maybe it is the right thing to do." His heart ached from betrayal even as he said it, unable to convince himself.

"Thank you. I know it must be a hard thing for you to consider," she said. "I do understand your reluctance, at least a little bit. I did see you in your gilded cage. I saw that he treated you decently."

"He did." Oliver couldn't help but be mortified at the next question he wanted to ask, but he knew he needed to ask it anyway -- the question he'd been turning over and over in his mind since the ritual. "Vivian, you know a lot about vampires, right?"

"I'm not the world's foremost expert or anything, but I like to think I do, or else I'd be dead by now."

"Do you think it's possible -- god, this must sound ridiculous to you. But do you think it's possible for a vampire to care about a person? Not just for their blood, or as a servant, but actually care for them as a friend?"

"No," said Vivian immediately. "Maybe that's not what you want to hear, but no, they can't."

"I thought that's what you'd say."

"I've seen a lot of vampires in my time. Some of them treat their thralls well, like Alexander. Some of them beat their thralls, or chain them to the wall, or erase their minds to make them as helpless as a baby. Some of them don't keep thralls at all, but prey on people they find on the street, or in their places of business. The circumstances are always different, but there's one thing every vampire has in common -- they all prey on innocent people. No matter how gentle a vampire may seem, they still desire human blood above all else, and are driven to keep humans as their possessions."

"I see."

"You were a very prized possession of your master, I don't doubt that. He did value you. But if your happiness were actually his concern, he wouldn't have taken you from your bookshop. He wouldn't have had to hypnotize you into believing you were happy if he could actually make you happy. Don't you think so?"

"I suppose so," said Oliver. "I think you're probably right. It just hurts to realize. I guess a part of me…"

"A part of you what?"

"Never mind." He didn't actually know Vivian that well, and couldn't bring himself to say it, how a part of him wished that someone else in the world actually did care about him. "I suppose I'm also apprehensive, because if I'm to be free of Alexander, what should I do with my life now? That must sound terribly pathetic."

"No, it doesn't. Most thralls aren't sure what to do with themselves once they're freed, especially if they've been enthralled for years, or if they've been under a very deep spell, like you were."

"What do they end up doing?"

"Some of them return to whatever they were doing before they were taken, of course. But for a lot of them, that's not really possible. Being a thrall seems to change them in ways I don't even fully understand. And for those who have spent years or even decades in a vampire's service, the ordinary world of daylight is as foreign as the surface of the moon," she said. "Some of them are so lost that they end up in a madhouse or prison, or worse, find themselves a new vampire master. I can't say hunters look too kindly on thralls who are rescued, only to sell themselves back to the god damned auction house."

"I won't do that," said Oliver, wishing he actually felt as confident as he was trying to sound.

"Good. If you have the stomach for it, and are interested, sometimes former thralls become part of the hunter's guild. You see, one of the things that makes it difficult for thralls to return to their lives is the fact that no one believes them or understands the experience they went through. In the guild, you'd be surrounded by people who know all about vampires and other supernatural creatures."

"Oh, I don't think I could do that. I've never been the slightest bit athletic. I could never fight a vampire, even a weak one."

"You wouldn't have to fight. The hunters get the glory and the spoils, but there's a lot of other work to be done. If you have an education, they could use people capable of doing research."

"Research, hm…" Oliver couldn't deny that that might be a good fit for him, with his expertise in rare and unusual books. He wondered what sort of rare and interesting books the hunter's guild might hold. "Vivian, if you kill Alexander, what would happen to his library?"

"When a vampire is killed, it's customary to split the spoils among the hunter who killed it, the guild in general, and any thralls left behind. We'd each be entitled to a portion of what Alexander owns."

"I see." Even if he could accept that Alexander must die, it felt absolutely ghoulish to talk about splitting up his possessions. "If you were to kill him… do you think you could make sure that his library ends up in good hands? There's an absolute treasure trove of rare information there, one that would take multiple human lifetimes to recreate."

"Of course! I think you'd be uniquely qualified to catalog it. The guild would want their share, but they would be glad to accept an expert's opinion. And I'm only interested in money and things that are easy to sell. I'm not the reading type."

"Maybe… maybe that's something I could do, then." Something to distract from the guilt he felt pre-emptively, both for betraying his vampire master and for being one of the thralls lucky enough to be rescued when he wasn't even sure that he wanted it.

Previous > Masterlist

Thanks for reading! Next week, Vivian and Oliver both lose their patience.

@d-cs @latenightcupsofcoffee @thecyrulik @dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night @wanderinggoblin

@whumpyourdamnpears @only-shadows-dwell-where-we-are @pressedpenn @pigeonwhumps @amusedmuralist

@vampiresprite @irregular-book @whumpsoda @und3ad-mutt

@sowhumpshaped @whumpsday @morning-star-whump @silly-scroimblo-skrunkl

@steh-lar-uh-nuhs @pirefyrelight @theauthorintraining @whump-me-all-night-long @anonfromcanada

@typewrittenfangs @tessellated-sunl1ght @cleverinsidejoke @abirbable @ichorousambrosia

@a-formless-entity @gobbo-king @writinggremlin @the-agency-archives @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi

@enigmawriteswhump @bottlecapreader @whump-on-a-string @whumpinthepot

@cinnamoncandycanes @avvail-whumps @tauntedoctopuses @secret-vampkissers-soiree @whatamidoingherehelpme

@strawbearydreams @ghost-whump @tippytappytyping @natthebatt @fire-bugg14

@fuckcapitalismasshole @slightlydisturbedbeans @paperprinxe @demetercabingreen-thumb @the-broken-pen

@pokemaniacgemini @jumpywhumpywriter @basica11ywhumped @anoontjecanush @cepheusgalaxy

@whump-me-harder @whump-till-ya-jump @the-monarch-whumperfly @ium1naryy @wumpbean

[wildflowerteas]

It's been a while...

sorry to be dramatic about coming back after 5 months but a lot has happened in the interim and I feel the need to both profusely apologize and explain my absence. to put things simply: I moved to another country! halfway across the world! the first month was a rough adjustment--getting used to the culture shocks, new people ( I knew no one ), and my new and terrible living situation [ more about this at a later date, if people are interested ]. While I was abroad, I found some amazing friends and threw myself into academic work, but my living situation didn't get much better, no matter how much time went by. I didn't have a safe space to cook, sleep, or brush my teeth, let alone write. And to top it all off, a lot of old issues started flaring up again ( my health started to deteriorate quick and even my family told me to slam the brakes on writing and stop driving myself into an early grave ) so much so that I could not physically write some days.

I didn't mean to be melodramatic about it, but I found myself simply logging out…of a lot of platforms. because I was just so busy and overwhelmed with everything else. But it's gotten well enough--and life has slowed down with the semester over and all--and I finally felt well enough and able enough to write again and so here we are! I started tearing up several times going through the messages in my inbox and retrospring over these last few days as I prepared to post. A part of me was definitely thinking 'Oh no one would miss this fic/miss my writing' and i was proven wrong so so many times. I've beaten myself up over it for a while. thank you all so so much.

it's such a blessing to have people who make sharing your hobbies with the world feel so fulfilling.

photos from my life incoming to my blog!! I've had such a wonderful time ( in between all the bad, of course ) that I can't help wanting to share it.

chapter 22–the interlude chapter ‘nobilissima’—will come out after a short 1 week ( I promise ) hiatus! just so I can get my bearings and celebrate the New Year. I'm also planning on updating the references post so that all the little easter eggs and connections to canon can all live in one place. I'm so so excited to start part III! Everything is going to fall into place now that the soukoku have avoided fate (?) and atsushi knows the truth, but the stakes are bigger than just that! After all, there's a mayoral election to win ;) - niko <3

[scruckels]

Hi! I noticed you're accepting questions, so I'm reaching out with a few questions I've had for a while in my head — Would it be inappropriate to refer to him as "fish" or "fish guy"? He's got some fishy features, but what if someone wants to call him something like 'hey, cute fish', like in a friendly way (diminutive nickname)? Would that be okay? I don't understand the subtleties between non-humans and humans in the Arcane world. — Can he eat seafood? Like… I don't know :D

(Sorry for my English - it's not my first language.) Thanks for your research and interest!

I LOVE YOU, AND NO WORRIES! I'M GLAD PEOPLE LIKE READING MY YAP 😭🫶🩷

I ACTUALLY REALLY LIKE BOTH OF THESE QUESTIONS, AND AFTER SOME THINKING, I'VE GOT AN ANSWER FOR BOTH OF THEM. ( evidence included because i'm a nerd )

SO HERE IT IS.

In Arcane, there really isn't any show of hate towards different species or races, both in Zaun and Piltover. Both the topside and undercity are very classist, but not racist. Maybe they are ignorant to some things about other species, but there typically isn't any ill intent or harmful action because of it.

Back to the first question.

IS IT OFFENSIVE TO CALL STEB A FISH OR "FISH GUY?"

( Or anything of that nature. )

My answer!!:

It's probably a little weird.

While there isn't much show of derogatory terms towards Vastaya or other species, it still seems rude for a number of reasons.

Steb isn't really a "fish." He seems to be an aquatic half-Vastayan. While his DNA may derive from some kind of fish, I don't think that's how he would be referred to as. It would be like walking up to a human and calling them an ape or a chimpanzee because of their appearance and DNA. Imagine a civilized, talking, otherworldly species coming up to you calling you a "cute chimpanzee." It just seems kind of odd.

But that's using our world logic. Could he be classified as a kind of fish in their world? Maybe...? Nobody in Piltover or Zaun really makes any comments about other species, so it's hard to say how he's typically classified. Maybe he's referred to as a fish Vastaya. But even then, just calling him a fish isn't very accurate.

That aside, do I think Steb would be offended, even if it is an odd thing to say? I doubt it. He probably wouldn't have much of a reaction. I can talk about this for a very long time, so I'll just leave it at that and make a whole separate post about how he is with people. In this situation, if you two are close and you frequently call him that, I'd say there's a good chance he'll find it a little funny. (Maybe even sweet?)

Before I go to the next question, I'd like to clarify that I DO NOT have enough information to be 100% confident in my answer. Maybe calling him a fish is okay!! Throwing cute in with it might even make it a pretty cool abnormal compliment! Maybe Steb had been called that before? Who knows!!!

But with all of this new information... my next point.

CAN STEB EAT SEAFOOD?

Probably.

There's this... butcher... cook... chef guy in Zaun...? (His name is Jericho.) But as you can tell, he appears to have aquatic orgins.

↑↑↑↑↑↑

And he certainly doesn't mind cutting up and serving some aquatic life. ( Or watching Vi smash the seafood in front of him )

While this is in Zaun, I'm assuming the same rule applies in Piltover. Since this guy isn't a fish, he can cut up and serve fish. Since Steb isn't a fish, he can probably eat fish.

Conclusion of the yap:

Fish Vastaya / Aquatic Vastaya = not animal

Fish / Aquatic life = animal

(Following human people logic)

SHOUT OUT STEB NATION!! 🗣🗣🗣🗣⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️💯💯💯💯💯❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️🔊🔊🔊🔊🔊

[mistressmxggot]

Chapter 6- ✰ Her Property ✰

"𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿.

"𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗯 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂? 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.""

Tags: Masturbation, attempted robbery, physical assault, blood, violence

~Your back hurt. Your head hurt. Your neck hurt. Your heart hurt. Your ego hurt. Everything hurt. You wanted to shower. Shame, sweat, and your own juices clung to your skin. You needed to shower. She was all over you, the feeling of her in and out of the dream.

Her body was ingrained into you, it's all you could remember. It's all you could think about. It was cold and uncomfortable in this cell, yet you were burning hot. This was the absolute worst.

Footsteps began to approach, your heartbeat picking up. There was Rictus, and thankfully he was alone. He opened the door, waiting for you to exit.

"Ms medarda has ordered you to see her."

Worry was added to the other million emotions you were feeling. You sighed.

"Do I have to? She really wants to see me?"

Peering at him, you limped out of the cell. He just stared at you, one eyebrow raised. Well there was your answer. You followed closely behind him, heart beating faster than before. She was probably still angry. Why else would she want to see you the minute you woke up? You just hoped that no other punishment would follow being locked in a cell all night.

The two of you climbed the stairs, both leaving that dreaded basement of imprisonment. You couldn't imagine what else had happened in there. Rictus locked the door behind you. A sigh of relief left your mouth. You'd never wanted to go back in there again.

The walk towards Ambessa's bedroom was just as nerve wracking as the first time you were meant to see her. Rictus knocked on the door, your breath stopping for a moment.

"Come in."

Oh here we go again. There she was, back turned with another glass of wine in her hands. Just please don't kill me. She turned towards you. Rictus had already gone, leaving the two of you alone, unfortunately.

"Your behavior the previous night was unacceptable."

She brought the glass of wine to her lips. Your whole body was on edge. Right to the point. You gulped.

"I know!"

It came out a little more aggressive than you wanted it to. God this was a mess. "Uhm I know....I know I'm sorry."

She hummed, watching you. Her piercing eyes always sent shivers down your spine, and last night's dream definitely didn't help. It felt as if she knew everything you were thinking. It felt as if she was judging every part of you, which she probably was. Angry embarrassment bubbled in your chest.

"I mean you can't expect me to be super happy about this situation."

"Can't I?"

You sighed. Shame crept back onto your skin. She was wrong. You didn't like it here, and you didnt want her.

"Come to me little lamb."

You blinked at her.

"What?" You questioned her. She gave you a weird look.

"I'm sorry...uhm yknow maybe we can make some kind of deal..." You fidgeted as she began to frown. "I just want to go home. Please. You can visit me at the brothel free of charge. I'll give you whatever you want. I- I just want to go home." Ambessa tilted her head back, a smirk appearing on her face. She walked towards you, making your heartbeat pick up.

"Whatever I want?"

Her muscular body approached you, hips swaying seductively.

You backed up, panicking. "I mean within reason." She kept towards, stopping only until you were face to face. You looked up at her.

Her heavy, lustful eyes never left yours.

You felt your body heat up. All you could do was stare at her face. You wondered what her lips would taste like. You looked at the scars on her face and her deep, brown skin.

"You have mistaken your place here child." You snapped back to reality.

"Wha- What?"

She laughed. "I bought you. I have done you great services, still you are ungrateful."

Was she serious or was she just joking? What does mean bought you?

"What are you talking about? You stole me from him. You perverted weirdo!"

Her rough hand met your cheek. It knocked the wind out of you, your whole face burning. It should have made you angry, instead it sent heat to your core. Maybe you were the perverted weirdo. Every moment with her was burning, wanting agony.

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Can't you see how much that man despises you? This is a gift. You are free of him, of that brothel."

She snarled, backing away from you. You finally breathed out, still holding your cheek. You thought about what she said as you gazed at her. She looked so hot when angry. Stop it!

"I- I don't know what to say... thank you? I'm sorry?"

She glared at you. "Leave. Go out somewhere. I don't want to see that sorry, whiny face any longer."

Embarrassment took over you, your face becoming red. Were you just something for her to pity? Was this all just a random act of kindness she did in the moment? Were you just a stupid child to her? You swiftly left the room, your breathing picking up. Why did she make you feel this way? Your emotions were always all over the place because of her. You could never make up your mind, your body always feeling too much.

You were burning hot, once again. Tingling, cramps burned in your abdomen. It traveled down your thighs and up your back. This was the worst, she was the worst.

"Oh god."

You pushed open the door to your bedroom, shutting it firmly behind you. You practically ripped your clothes off. You hurried to the bed, pushing yourself under the covers. She was a plague. She affected your whole body and your mind. God you wanted her so bad. You knew you shouldn't. Your hand ran over your breasts, your fingers brushing over your nipples. Silent moans fell out of your mouth. Her hands were so big, the feeling of them on your skin was all you could remember. What was wrong with you? Your nipples were hard against the blanket. The friction sent sparks through your body. Your hand quickly made it's way into your waistband. You rubbed at your clit, moaning in satisfaction. Your hole twitched, grasping at nothing. You wanted to know what her fingers would feel like. Your middle finger slipped into your dripping cunt. A groan shook your chest. Her thick fingers would pleasure you so much better. Much, much better. You slipped another finger in. It burned, stretching you out. She would be rough, taking exactly what she wanted.

"Oh Ambessa please."

Whines and pleads for her filled the room. Your fingers continued to pump in and out of you. The thought of her was the only thing on your mind, sweat building on your neck and hands. Your rough but sloppy thrusts making your fingers cramp. You felt your orgasm coming strong. You slipped your fingers out and desperately rubbed at your swollen clit. The thought of her body numbed your brain, practically drooling on yourself. Sharp tingles were assaulting your body. Juices squinted onto the bed, your back arching off of it. Your high was so intense, pussy spasming violently.

"Yes yes Ambessa yes!" You mouth fell open, eyes squeezed shut. You continued to rub, only stopping when your orgasm was completely finished and gone. Mind hazy, you felt complete bliss. Ambessa whispered praises to you in your head.

Soft knocks pulled you from the afterglow. Your eyes struggling to open. You squeezed the blanket, pulling it up to your chin.

"May I come in?"

You gulped. "Sure."

Viv crept into your room, her eyes keeping to the floor. She heard it all didn't she? She was dressed up, holding a purse.

"Ms Medarda had ordered us to go out. Get ready, it will be fun."

She still didn't look at you. A heavy sigh left your lips.

"How much did you hear?"

Her cheeks flushed, gaze still on the floor. She giggled to herself,

"I don't think that's important. Get ready, I'll be waiting outside."

This was humiliating. "I'm gonna shower. I'll hurry up."

You hid your hand that you literally just fucked yourself with under the covers.

"Take you time."

With that she left the room, leaving you alone. You stood up, your folds and thighs uncomfortably slick. A shower needed to happen and it needed to happen immediately.

Vivian shut the door. When she heard the shower running, she made her way to Ms Medarda's room. She knocked on the door.

"Come in."

She entered the room, Ambessa writing something at her desk. She turned towards Vivian.

"It's working. She was...well.."

Ambessa raised her eyebrows in amusement. "She was what?"

Vivian laughed. "She was.. touching herself, but she seemed to be calling your name."

Ambessa sighed in accomplishment. This was alot easier than she thought. You were such a naive, lovestruck, little lamb. Such easy prey. Even if you acted rebellious, your spirt was weak and compliant. You would suit her needs perfectly. You were perfect.

"Any details you feel comfortable enough to share?"

Vivian smiled widely. "I believe she was fingering herself. I have to get someone in to clean those sheets." She laughed aloud. Mischeif was all over Ambessa's face. She just had to keep pushing. You were breaking, trailing down a path you couldn't come back from.

"Keep an eye on her. Talk to her. Make her feel comfortable."

Vivian smiled. "Will do."

You dried yourself off, slipping on flowy pants and a tank. You paired it with a jean jacket. There were countless pieces in your closet. They were all still casual, not uppity like Ambessa's wardrobe. You wondered if that was intentional.

Lipgloss and perfume finished the outfit. You didn't know if you needed a purse, so you took one anyway. Viv was waiting outside for you. She smiled when she saw you.

"Let's go." She handed her arm out to you.

The marketplace was better than last time, very busy. You and Viv had talked about so much. She told you about her past jobs, how she met Ms Medarda, and her interests. You told her about similar topics. You decided to not talk about Malik, not really wanting to even think about him. The food was amazing, your favorite being these bread things filled with cheese. Cheese made everything better. Half of the money you spent had to be on food. You had also spent alot on jewelry, probably too much. There were just so many unique pieces. It was getting late, and your feet were tired. Most of the people were gone, the streets becoming more bare. You were just about to ask Viv if you could go when a man approached you.

"Hello ladies, would you like to sample some perfumes? Perfect to attract that lover in your life." Viv glanced at you, your cheeks heating up.

"Y'know what, sure."

He handed you a small paper with a scent on it. It was amazing and you needed it. Goodness, how much money were you spending?

"I want it. I need it" Viv's eyebrows knotted in worry.

"It's a little expensive."

You scoffed. "Yeah this slightly overpriced perfume is totally gonna put her in debt. Hand me your purse."

Viv reluctantly handed it over. You rummaged counting the amount you needed. The man stared at you.

"Here you go." He handed you the perfume, taking the money a little to quick, to count it.

"Let's go home. I can't spent anything else." The two of you began to head off.

"Wait."

The man grabbed your wrist. You glared at him, the action making you uncomfortable.

"I believe you miscounted."

You frowned. "I thought I-" You rummaged through Viv's purse again, this time the man grabbed the handle. You looked up at him, confused. Viv approached him.

"Please unhand-" A gasp left your mouth as the man backhanded Viv and pushed her to the ground. You gasped again as he kicked her. Worry and anger made you tense. You tried to snatch the purse from him, only for him to grab your hair and shove you away. He grabbed both of your purses and began to run away.

Your eyes widened as you saw him run right into Rictus. Rictus grabbed the man by the neck, throwing him to the ground. He punched the man, blood splattering onto the ground. You hurried to Viv.

"Are you alright?! Please tell me your alright." She slowly sat up, rubbing her cheek.

"I'm fine. Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Her face was filled with worry.

"No I'm fine." You helped her stand up, holding onto her arm.

Soldiers approached the both of you. Rictus ordered the soldiers. "Take them. I'm arresting this man."

The both of you were still very shaken up when you returned. You weren't sure where Rictus had taken the man, and you weren't sure if you wanted to know. When you saw her, Ambessa looked very angry. She hurried over to you. She grabbed your arm, dragging you to her room. You looked back at Viv, who just watched. She slammed the door behind her and you jumped, nervous for what she would say.

"Are you alright? What did he do to you?"

"I'm fine. He just riled us up. He hit Viv and he kicked her."

Ambessa rolled her eyes. "Did he hurt you?"

You glared at her. "I said I'm fine. He just pushed me, but he hurt Viv."

She gulped in anger, turning aggressively away from you. Anxiety came over you once again.

"What are you going to do to him?"

You heard her laugh. "What I see fit. He touched something that didn't belong to him."

Your body began to heat up.

"I don't belong to anyone, but I didnt know you cared about me like that."

She turned back towards you, a smirk on her face. She came towards you. You felt your heart beat faster.

"Not a bright little lamb are you? You do belong to me, and I'll make sure anyone that lays their hands on you is dealt with."

She came closer, her chest slightly pressing into you. The heat in your body traveled to your groin, a shaky breath leaving your mouth.

"You'll make sure?"

"For you? Always."

Your lips involuntarily turned into a slight smile. You stared into her piercing, golden eyes. You should go. You gasped as she came closer, pressing herself into you. Her hand firmly grasped the back of your neck.

Her hand was so warm, so big, possessive. It made your cunt twitch. She leaned down, her lips so close to yours. You closed your eyes, waiting. Her lips slightly brushed against yours.

A chunk of time passed. You opened your eyes again, eyebrows pushed together. She stared at you, whispering softly against your lips.

"Do you want something little lamb?" You whimpered and closed your eyes once more. You messily pressed your lips against her. They were just as soft as you imagined. Her hand gripped your neck harder, her tongue pushing into your mouth. She tasted so good, better than you imagined. The feeling of her tongue only turned you on more. She sucked on your lips before pulling away. You whimpered again, looking at her. This was real. What had you done?

She saw the worry and shame on your face and laughed at you.

"Get some rest little lamb. Don't think too much."

You sighed a breath of relief, hurrying out of her room and to yours. You hid under your blankets, only slightly regretting what you did. It wasn't exactly regret, just shame and embarrassment. This is what she wanted. She wanted you to be dumb for her. That kiss was all you were going to get, this was it. You had to distance yourself from her.

"Don't think too much."

What a bitch. This you could do. You could stay away from her. You had to be neutral, pretend you didn't care. She wouldn't get you, you could guarantee that.~

You. Always. Masterlist.

Doing a little pov switch. I promise chapter 7 will come come quicker than this did and boy is it gonna be good.

Taglist: @maaaaaaaaaaari , @ivorydevil , @trizxyp , @ambessaswifey , @randomstuffthatdontmakesense , @simplyxwwww , @last-dropsevi , @vffantasy, @fruitfulfashion , @trexsuit

Lmk to be added.