#i. i have been thinking. more than you should ever think about a man you hate.

[bunnis-monsters]

NSFW

A/N: this is a kofi request, about a naga that gives you a massage to help with your chronic pain… and that leads to spicy things~

You let out a sigh as you rubbed your sore body, unsatisfied with your doctor’s current diagnosis… or well, lack of one.

It had been a long time since you last brought up your chronic pain, no one ever listened to you before so why keep asking for help when nothing seemed to change? You had found ways to… somewhat manage, so was it really all that bad?

Well, that’s what you thought before yet another doctor dismissed your pain and sent you home with a smile and tip to take ibuprofen before bed.

“Ibuprofen? Does she seriously think I haven’t tried that already?” you murmured to yourself, wincing as you laid on your side. “All that money for an appointment, just to come home empty handed.”

You didn’t react when your phone buzzed on your nightstand, it was late and you didn’t feel like answering anyone’s messages after the day you had.

In the morning when you had some caffeine and could think clearly, you read the message you had been sent the night before.

“Hey, I know you’ve been having some pretty bad flare ups lately. I went to this masseuse and I’ve never felt better! Here’s the address, he said he’s free tomorrow, you should go after work!”

You let out an annoyed huff. Although you loved your friend, you disliked when people recommended random treatments to you.

As if you haven’t visited a masseuse before! Every chiropractor in the area knew your name!

“Well… guess it can’t hurt. I’ve got nothing to do tonight anyways.”

After another work day full of pain and a double dose of anxiety, you put the address into your phone. Luckily, it was close enough to your house that you could justify going home to change out of your work clothes first.

“First impressions are important after all…” you muttered to yourself, brushing off your skirt.

The address led you to a small cottage. It looked more cozy than professional, which you didn’t mind. After all, you wanted to be comfortable and had been through this song and dance so many times you didn’t care anymore.

“Hello!”

You jumped, turning to see a naga slithering up the driveway. It wasn’t often a human like you encountered a magical being, the last time you came face to face with one was in kindergarten when one of your classmates was a troll.

“O-oh, hello. Are you..?”

He smiled, flashing his fangs. “The masseuse? Yes! You must be (Name), your friend said you’d be here early.”

While you walked in, you didn’t notice the way his eyes wandered downwards, taking note of how nice you looked in that skirt.

You did the usual, undressing and laying down on the premade cot before calling him back into the room. For some reason, even though you had been through this multiple times, you almost felt… shy.

“Alright, where are you feeling the most pain?”

You pointed out your sore spots, wincing as his hands went to work. After a few minutes, he frowned and pulled back a bit. “And this isn’t helping, is it?”

“No… it seems nothing really seems to work. Thanks for-“

He stopped you from getting up, helping you relax back into the cot before his hands moved down your body. “I see your friend didn’t mention what I specialize in.”

You saw his fangs again, the way the light glinted off of them making you wince.

“You see, my venom can act as a muscle relaxer. It’s more potent and effective than anything you’ve ever tried, I bet.”

Before you would have hesitated, but you were so tired of the pain and were willing to try anything. “That… sounds nice.”

The naga hovered over you, sniffing your neck before giving it a lick. He was quite handsome, and it had been so long since a man had been this close with you. It felt intimate…

His neck sunk into your neck, and he stayed on top of you as the venom kicked in. He worked his hands into your muscles, humming softly as you let out satisfied moans and sighs.

“Mmm…”

His hands wandered, stopping right at your hips. You were plump, the towel barely covering your fat ass and pretty pussy. Although he tried his best to stay professional, he could feel his cocks beginning to peek through his slit.

“Feeling good?” he asked. You noticed his voice had a slight huskiness to it, and you decided to take your chance.

“Yeah… what about you?”

You couldn’t move much, but the slight shift of your hips into his was enough to have him hissing through his teeth. His cocks settled on your ass as he continued to massage you.

“Mmm… me too. In fact, I can make sure we feel even better… together.”

By the time you got home, your pain and sexual tension was fully relieved, and you already had your next appointment scheduled.

The naga was almost more excited for it than you were.

Want more of this character? Leave a comment!

—————

NSFW TAGLIST: @avalordream @bazpire @im-eating-rn @anglingforlevels @kinshenewa @pasteldaze @yoongiigolden @peachesdabunny @leiselotte @misswonderfrojustice @dij-ology @i8kaeya @lollboogurl @h3110-dar1in9 @keikokashi @aliceattheart @mssmil3y @namjoons-t1ddies @izarosf1833 @healanette @lem-hhn @spufflepuff @honey-crypt @karljra @zyettemoon1800 @exodiam @vexillum-moeru @imperfectlyperfectprincess1 @enchantedsylveon @mysticranger575 @readeryn68 @danielle143 @kittenlover614 @filthybunny420 @annavittoria-mm @makimamybelovedwife @blubearxy @omglovelylaila @toocollectionchaos-universe-blog @fruk-you-usuk-fans @hammerhead96-blog @slightlyusedfloormat @bubblez-blop @sunshineangel-reads @heroneki-neko @soapybabyboop @anonymouskiwi @flamefoxx @sandramalikstyles-blog @breathingstarlight

[pomefioredove]

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Love 101

my week-late valentine's post

summary: third years ask first years for love advice. the first years suck at giving it type of post: blurbs characters: cater, trey, leona, rook, vil, idia, lilia, malleus, rollo additional info: romantic, reader is gender neutral, reader is yuu

I. Cater and Deuce

Cater has always loved the thrill of the chase (or, really, the thrill of stalking your magicam at 2am) and he would have been content with keeping his digital distance if he didn't see you in Vil's last post. Suddenly anxious that he's fumbling, he does what he does best: info. And who would have better info than your best friend? "Uhhh, I dunno," Deuce says. "If you really like someone, then you should be honest with them- that's what my mom used to tell me, at least. Or did I read that somewhere? Uh, never mind. I'm sure the Prefect will understand! Just- you better treat them right, or else!" Be honest? When has honesty ever helped Cater? It'd take two more nights of crushing anxiety for him to send a risky text, spilling all of his feelings for you in a Magicam DM and then handing his phone over to a very confused (but pleased?) Riddle, so he won't check his notifs for your username every twelve seconds...

II. Trey and Ace

Trust me, he was not Trey's go-to. Okay, sure, Ace is your best friend. Sure, he knows everything about you, from your favorite desserts to your grades, and sure, you've probably told him everything about your dream man, but... It's Ace. And unlike darling, doe-eyed Deuce, if someone asked too much about you, Ace would get suspicious and go right into protective best friend mode. So, Trey keeps it vague. "Eh? You're asking me for dating advice?" Ace grins. "About time! I knew you were smart. What you're gonna do is give 'em a little, not too much. Maybe ghost 'em for a week or two, so they'll really miss you when you finally text back!" ...Yeah. Maybe Trey should just stick to desserts.

III. Leona and Jack

Listen, okay, Leona didn't want to ask him, either. But Ruggie had nothing, your other frosh friends couldn't flirt their way out of a paper bag, and Grim refused to give Leona the goods without tuna payments (and he's spoiled enough as it is). Of course, the moment Leona even implied he was thinking of you, Jack jumped. "You have to be direct and honest! This could be your life partner, you have to put your all in!" Right, sure. Why does he even bother with these kids?? You'd be turned off if Leona started spilling his guts like that. He would've given up then and there... but then Jack insisted he come to "support his upperclassman", as if it were a fight rather than a flirtation. Leona cursed the Seven, the stars, and every single student on campus as he stumbled his way through asking you out. "Not that you would, or that I care, but I-" he looks over his shoulder, and Jack is still there, arms crossed like an impatient parent. Leona grumbles. "If you want to..." "He wants to please you, Prefect!" Jack barks. "DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT!"

IV. Vil, Rook, and Epel

It wasn't like Vil sought out Epel for the sole purpose of you, the freshman simply... happened to be in the room while Vil was thinking about it! Out loud! With Rook! In a... slightly argumentative manner! "Epel, settle something for us, would you?" "Oui, you see, I say the way to win the Prefect's favor is by anticipating their every thought!" "And I say that's insane. You know them best, so, tell us, what do they like?" The poor boy looks between them like he's being held at gunpoint. How should he have known?? It's not like you guys spent your time gabbing about boys! "APPLES!" he blurts out. "The Prefect loves apples!! My grandma always said the quickest way to a person's heart is through their stomach!" Rook giggles and Vil mumbles something about Epel's peanut-sized brain. ...Nonetheless, you wake up to crates full of apples at your door the next morning.

V. Idia and Ortho

beeeeeep... beeep... bing! Idia swivels around in his chair at the sound of the printer. Crap, did he accidentally hit print page again? What a waste of ink- that stuff's not cheap, you know! But it's just... Ortho. "Here ya go, big bro! I thought you might need this!" Idia cautiously takes the warm paper, entitled Romance Intel 101. "Uh... Ortho. Why are you giving me this? You know I max out the romance stats in all my games EZ," Ortho giggles. "It's not for a game, it's for the Prefect! Based on the data I've gathered, your heart rate accelerates by 1.2 seconds, and your pupils dilate by 40% when thinking of, or speaking to the Prefect!" Idia turns pink and crumples, as if he were the paper (the first line of which, BTW, reading "step one- make eye contact!") This is going to be a looooong school year...

VI. Lilia and Grim

You probably should've been suspicious when Lilia popped into Ramshackle and offered to babysit Grim for an afternoon, but you weren't- not with assignments due, at least. You said your goodbyes, and as soon as you were out the splintered door, Lilia spun on his heels. Short as he is, he towers over the little direbeast. "Hm, seems like we have time to spare. How about a casual conversation? Yes? Good! So, how do the youngsters these days go about showing their affections? I would like to make my feelings for a certain someone known, but I'm terribly out of practice." Grim thinks for a moment, and then: "Tuna. Looots of tuna. Heaps of it! It's all the rage!" Lilia nods sagely. "Ah, yes, I understand completely. There was a rotisserie chicken fad a few centuries ago... er, so I've read. Isn't love wonderful!" You come home from the library to an unconscious, drooling, but very happy Grim, and Lilia sitting atop a mountain of empty tuna cans and beaming. "Darling! You're back!"

VII. Malleus and Sebek

It had always been Sebek's honor and duty to serve the heir prince of Briar Valley, whether in war or in love. When Malleus wistfully said he wished to know you better, Sebek saw to it. That is, he spent the entire weekend shadowing you. And not subtly- he was never more than a few steps behind, pen and paper in hand. When you asked what in the world he was doing, he- "OBSERVING! NOW, QUIET! BEHAVE AS USUAL!" "You don't have to shout, you're right behind me. And observing what, Sebek?" "NONE OF YOUR CONCERN! ACT AS IF I AM NOT HERE!" At the end of the weekend, Sebek returned to Malleus' throne with a report that titled you "inquisitive, dense, and apparently hard-of-hearing."

VIII. Rollo and You

Your friends had seemed wary when Rollo asked you on a walk with him, though he promised he wouldn't take you too far from their clutches care. You had been in Fleur City for days and he didn't know a single thing about you, other than that you were magicless and pitiful. You were so often spoken over, interrupted, and dismissed, it took Rollo a strenuous amount of grace not to grab you by the wrist and drag you away from your rude, contemptuous classmates himself... He couldn't word the feeling. And he was hoping you could. "So," he says, "They refer to you as Prefect. That is your role? Do you enjoy it?" You shrug. Has being at that terrible school rendered you unfit for social interaction? "Very well. Then what do you do for... fun? You appeared to enjoy seeing the city. Are you interested in history?" You shrug again. How can he be expected to know you if you won't tell him anything?? Rollo decides that words are worthless, and his eyes land on your hands. His own fingers twitch and tingle in anticipation, and for a brief but terrifying moment, he thinks of reaching out to you. ...In the end, he can't will himself to do it. Maybe in another life.

[telephoniii]

Do you accept requests? I really loved the Really him thing and was wondering if you could do that but him reacting to reader being in a polyamorous relationship with Malleus and Leona? Srry id u not comfortable with it. I thought id ask cuz there are like no poly fics

I’ve actually been debating whether or not to do requests. That and I was thinking about making a masterlist! If people really want to request stuff/have a masterlist then lmk and I’d be down to do it. My verdict rn is; if you have an idea, feel free to send it. 🤷

Also! It's not exactly polyamorous, but I've got a longer fic in the works abt Leona and Malleus being love rivals for the reader. So if that interests you than stay tuned!!

Anyways, lets get to the fun and whimsical stuff!

I’m not poly myself so I’m really sorry if anything is misrepresented. I did decide to add more than just Malleus and Leona since I thought it’d be fun! I hope you enjoy :>

REALLY…HIM? (Poly Addition)

malleus and leona

Oh, you’re going to give this man a heart attack. Because what do you mean you’re dating the two most powerful yet reckless students of them all. Malleus and Leona? The two have a heated rivalry, do they not?!Do you have no concern for your safety?!?!The amount of sheer power these two hold together frighten this poor soul. He tells you to keep your distance if they start to fight. As a magicless student, you do NOT want to get involved if a duel were to break out. No, Trein wants you to RUN if that ever happens. Give him some time to get used to it. The sight of you next to Malleus and Leona in the hallways sends panic throughout his nervous system. After a month or so, Trein mellows out. He’ll start asking technical questions that you don’t have answers to. “If you were to marry them both, would all three of you be the rulers of Briars Valley?” ??? No clue, Professor. Can I get back to my test in peace now?

ace and deuce

He’s not surprised in the slightest. Trein always had an inkling that something was going on between you three. He just didn't want to believe it. Why? Because he doesn't like them. Well, scratch that. He doesn't like Ace. Is he supposed to jump for joy at the fact you’re dating the biggest slacker among all the first years? Trein has a habit of nit-picking them both and what they do. However, despite all the smack he talks, deep down he heavily approves of the relationship. He knows the two boys and doesn't doubt their loyalty to you. It's always been the three of you from the start and he views it as an unbreakable bond. So, even though he makes a face when you walk in with Deuce’s sports jacket and says you should take it off because it smells like sweat, he finds himself smiling when he spots you three sitting together at lunch just enjoying each others company. The way you all joke around and laugh together like you’re the only people in the world. He trusts them with your heart more than anyone else.

vil and rook

He actually thinks it's a pretty sweet relationship at first. You all balance each other out. Vil and Rook earned Trein’s seal of approval to date you from day one… and then Rook sends him a creepy letter thanking him for being supportive and— yep. Trein takes back that seal because what the hell. For the senders name on the letter, it was by both Rook and Vil, so Trein pulls both of them aside to talk about HIS boundaries. (He thought he didn't have to explicitly say, “Don’t stalk me before, during, or after school hours” but here we are) Vil is so confused the whole time. What could've possibly prompted this?? Then he remembers his boyfriend next to him who’s blissfully smiling and it all starts to make sense. With a sigh, Vil ends up apologizing to Trein for the whole ordeal and tells you about it as well. Rook gives you a kiss and promises to just watch Trein from afar. You don’t know how much better that is and it seems like Vil is thinking the same thing as he lets out a small groan. Trein is forever unnerved by your relationship— specifically because of Rook.

jamil and azul

Honey, are you being manipulated into this relationship? Which one of them is gaslighting you? Trein knows that they both have deceptive tendencies and is concerned. He’s not actively against it or anything, but he just keeps a close eye on the three of you. Jamil and Azul pick up on this and silently agree to each other that they want to prove themselves to Trein. Expect to get the ultimate royalty treatment everytime the Professor is around. One moment they’re playfully poking fun at you, the next they are cherishing the ground you walk on. (As they should) Unfortunately, it ends up having the opposite effect where Trein is even more suspicious and starts telling you to keep your distance from them. Jamil lets out a tired sigh an decides to do the mature thing by actually talking to Trein about their relationship with you. He drags Azul along with him and makes sure to keep him in check during the discussion. Jamil’s honesty takes Trein by surprise. Usually he wasn't one to make himself notable like that. Azul, reluctantly, ends up being honest about his feelings and relationship regarding you after Jamil. Afterward, Trein doesn’t say anything the next time he sees the three of you together. Instead, he just gives you a small nod and smile. Wow. Ultimate approval. Jamil and Azul high-five each other under the table.

[cl4ssyjazzy]

I've had this draft for who knows how long, I am not gonna make this longer. I'm just gonna release it here in the wild. I saw this piece of fanart, wrote all of this, went to sleep, and woke up having forgotten everything about this and leaving it in draft purgatory for a while. Enjoy

Little mermaid AU but make it an amalgamation of the Hans Christian Andersen version, the disney version, and svsss:

Shen Yuan just couldn't understand, or refused to understand a few facts of life.

Firstly, he couldn't understand why that muttonhead of an author couldn't sit his clock-watcher behind on a chair and do what he must: write more of those famous childrens fairytales of his. Shen Yuan needed more light literature to read- that amused his siblings! (Clearly) But being apparently unwilling to work, the buffon that gave life to such stories was constantly going on long holidays with those drunken, draffsacked so called friends of his.

to clarify, it was not that he particularly cared for the fairytales!! He was, after all, no longer a child. He had been of age for a long time, a highly educated man yet to marry, still loving on his father's state. So of course, upon learning of the author, he had done some... perusing of his other, more recent works, and to say he was disappointed was a light understatement. His novels paled in comparison to his other works, his poems and fairy tales. Who cared for all those auto-biographies he was publishing as of lately? If you asked him, he could throw those in a ditch somewhere in his beloved spanish cities he bragged so much about.

He had sent several letters to Hans Christian Andersen expressing his overall disappointment in his abysmal drop in quality in those tales about travel and "charming bazaars". He had also, kindly advised him to stop with those feables attempts to become a "serious novelist", and to go back to forget those foolish desires of grandeur and focus on his far superior hability to write children's books. Sadly he had not received a response and he was starting to doubt he would ever get one. Some authors just couldn't handle any criticism! He wished someone could think about killing that bloody author!! Had his favourite books been his own, rather than that bastard's, he would truly be happy and satisfied!! A-And he would care for the characters in a far more delicate way!

For example, why should the protagonists in his books suffer so much? Aren't children's tales supposed to be happier? The mother duck in "The ugly ducklings" should have either noticed the difference in the physiognomy of the egg and taken it out of the nest before it hatched as one would assume is the normal behavior of such animal, or accepted the "ugly" duckling and raised it as one of her own like a mother ought to do in normal, more human, circumstances.

And the moral wasn't even that great. He personally believed that a creature needn't be considered pretty to be treated fairly, since only one's character truly matters for one to be respectable. If the author believed so as well, clearly the duckling should have stayed ugly in the end! "Do not judge people based on its looks" says the quack author, but he isn't willing to truly accept his own morals! What a hypocrite! He had similar criticism for all his books, and "The ugly duckling" wasn't even one of his and his siblings, favourite tale.

The book he had the most to say about would be his sister's favorite book: "The little merman". He quite agreed with his sister's assessment of it being the best of the bunch: The prose was well constructed, the characters mostly delightful, and the setting sparked decent conversation, but the tale was one of the saddest he had ever read!

The story was about a young merman prince called Luo Binghe; a beautiful and fair soul who falls in love with a veiled human princess named Liu Mingyan, rumored to be the most beautiful girl in the world. They meet when she falls off board on a trip to a neighboring country and Luo Binghe saves her from drowning, accidentally revealing her face and falling in love with her at first sight.

Ever the relentless romantic, he looks for any possible way to reunite with his love, and that's when he's tricked by the evil sea witch Shen Quingqiu!!

Shen Quingqiu, makes him sign a terrible contract where he promises his soul and blood in exchange for the ability to meet his lover. And if that didn't sound terrible enough, in order for the metamorphosis to take place and legs to grow in place of a tail, Shen Qingqiu cuts Luo Binghe's tongue and tail in half!! And if THAT didn't sound terrible and violent enough, the spell would only become permanent if he successfully kissed the princess after only three days!! If he failed at the task, he was doomed to a life under the witch's torture!! Truly such a pitiful end!

Poor Luo Binghe accepted, but as soon as he took to land and caught a glimpse of his lover, he realized she was already promised to another!! Who she believed was the one who saved her from drowning!!

But still he never gives up. Once he had gained access to the palace by working as a servant, he tried to charm the princess and stop the marriage from taking place. But it was of no use. It was the princess duty to marry since she had no living siblings to take the throne, even if she had been charmed by him, they could never be together.

It was in this moment of despair that NingYingYing appeared in front of Luo Binghe. She was the merman's childhood best friend, and a beautiful, dedicated girl. The sweet mermaid had successfully convinced the evil Shen Qingqiu to make another deal with her, taking advantage of the fact that he liked her to lessen Luo Binghe's sentence. She had given the witch 10 years of her life in exchange for a magical sword that Luo Binghe could use to kill Liu Mingyan, become human forever, and escape from Shen Qingqiu's cursed deal as long as he never touched sea again.

Luo Binghe stares at the sword, but he can't bring himself to kill Liu Mingyan. He uses the sword to kill himself instead, his soul becoming sea foam and escaping Shen Qingqiu forever.

...

WHAT?

He had always hated this ending. WHY did Luo Binghe DIE in the end?? He had been nothing but a loyal lover, a pure romantic soul!! Why must he accept the terrible fate of never knowing peace as lowly sea foam!! He should have killed the bastard Shen Qingqiu!! He is the actual villain, who gives Luo Binghe the worst deals in existence just to see him suffer and die!! And he doesn't even get punished in the end!! In its stead it is the protagonist who constantly gets the short end of the stick.

It's on a restless night, having just put his siblings to sleep, that he decides to write another of his strongly worded letters to that bastard of an author. He writes long into the night, as his ink runs thin, and the candle is almost burnt. He writes, and writes, forgetting the chill, forgetting the rest, and even forgetting his weak constitution, that which prevented him from properly traveling, and working, and leaving his father's state at all. He keeps forgetting, until the candle no longer casts any light. Until the ink has long dried on his quill and forehead sat upon the letter on his desk. And as the morning light returns, he forgets to wake up.

Shen Yuan just couldn't understand, or refused to understand a few facts of life.

Firstly, Hans Christian Andersen's stupidity.

Secondly, why man is not created equal. Why had he been born frail and weak?

And most importantly... Why had he woken up in a dimly lit cave, with 8 TENTACLES INSTEAD OF LEGS?

little mermaid prince bunhe and one delusional sea witch 🐠❣️🐙

[ladysherreeamore]

The Jakolas making up a ship like it's ever going to be a real thing is like waiting for Kanthony to happen when it'll never happen in real life

Why are you shipping gay men with women

it's weird!

Do you hate Luke so much you rather Nic end up with a gay boy who won't even look at her?

We've seen so many pictures and videos of Jake with Nic by now and we should see attraction in his face and body language but we still haven't seen anything more than what i've done with my friends. I have a lot of male friends and sometimes I spend time with 1 more than the others going places, wearing their clothes, giving a hug, talking to them, and many women hold hands with their male friends. Show me something more than what Nic hasn't done with Dylan Llewellyn and her other friends. Yoy say they are dating by seeing them go places together and a general birthday post but she's never said that. Real fans remember her saying not to believe gossip magazines, so why are you believing what they say? She's said she hasn't been in love since she was 9 years old, which may be an exaggeration but it sounds like it's been a very long time even though she lived with a man for 2 years. If she didn't love that man and we've never heard her say she's in love with Jake, then what makes you think she's in love? Why would she get a ring about someone she just met? I don't understand your logic at all so help me understand. She goes places with her friend but don't you go places with your friends? Would you support your friends if they had something big happen in their life? Do you go to their birthday parties? I don't know about yiu but I dkn't know a straight guy that goes to so many gay events and likes a post of naked guys on a nude beach.

Do you know that his friends call him "Twink" which is a gay term?

If he was straight then why would he let his friends call him twink?

What part of this screams relationship goals to you? Do you know she's friends with a lot of people in the LQBTQ community? Name someone besides Luke who isn't gay and that would be a shorter list, if it even exists. I haven't seen Jake hangout with any straight men either and that would be weird if he were straight, but he's NOT! Do you want to see her end up heartbroken when he leaves her for a man? We don't see any attraction so why are you shipping them?

Show me the difference between what we've seen between Nic and Jake vs. Rachel and Kurt

[killerlittlerejects]

Why I No Longer Support Anton Morrow Or Blessed Be The Wicked

Okay, we're finally doing this. As always: Do NOT harass anyone involved. This is not what this post is for.

So, this has been a long time coming. I know I keep repeatedly saying that I don’t wanna cause drama but at this point? It’s not even a drama anymore. There’s a glaring issue that’s been circulating the fandom for a while, and up until now, people have either been ignoring it completely or are too scared to say anything at all — which is understandable. I’m frankly scared to be finally making this post. But with most of the fandom beginning to speak up on this, now is a better time than ever. 

You’ve all most likely seen my latest, very angry, Jeff rant post, and some of you might have already put together as to who it was about: Anton Morrow, the creator of Blessed be the Wicked.

If any of you remember the whole “mistype” situation that happened in 2024 revolving around BBTW, you already know I have gotten into a bit of a spat with him before. Then it was all cleared up, and we were chill. But now, with all that’s been happening, I’m starting to question that situation as well.

When it comes to creepypasta, you gotta acknowledge and respect both sides of the fandom, because more often than not, they tie together. Anton, however, doesn’t do this at all, creating a space where people feel unsafe and uncomfortable like they have to walk on eggshells. 

We are not mad at the fact that you are trying to make BBTW horrifying, grotesque, and realistic. In fact, a LOT of people were hyped for your project. No, we’re mad that you have to be an asshole about it. Shaming anything that doesn’t fit into your view of what a character SHOULD be, hating on the fandom way more than you claim to love it, villainizing characters that should not be villainized, like Jane, who’s a VICTIM of Jeff, not doing proper research (apparently not knowing that Clockwork was an SA victim despite her being your “favorite character”), being a fucking hypocrite (hating shock value yet using it in your work as well), and most of all, claiming to be bringing back the old roots of Creepypasta when you don’t even understand or know what those roots are. 

This fandom has ALWAYS been cringy, weird, and unrealistic. I mean, we have a tall faceless man in the woods, a magical black and white clown, and a guy whose skin turned completely white because of BLEACH. This fandom was never realistic! 

You can only use the “I mistyped” or “you all misunderstood me” excuse so many times.

Are you telling me you didn’t mean ANY of this?

Like, if I recall, David Near’s, MBK’s, Pastra’s, AND Ekatlani’s Jeff’s are NOT soft boys at all. But you refuse to acknowledge that, don’t you? Because even if they are closer to what you claim to be looking for within a Jeff rewrite, you still hate them because they weren’t what YOU THINK the character could be. 

But somehow, that’s not even the worst part. No, the worst thing has to be what you’ve done to Leech. Characters change, I understand that. My personal gripe with her not being the character I initially was excited for anymore is just my personal bias. What’s NOT, however, is the relationship you’ve put her in with Tyrant. 

Now, I’m all for toxic relationships. I’ve written them myself, but this? This is straight-up fucking grooming. It’s non-consensual, and you straight-up called Tyrant PREDATORY. 

And the fact that you tried to edit your post to hide what you said first tells me all I need to know.

Not to mention, you continuously like to bring up how much YOUNGER she is than the other two (Context: She's in a poly relationship with Tyrant and a character named Marc)

This goes past a toxic relationship, this is straight up fucking CREEPY. You admit that Tyrant is using his VICTIM, cause that’s what she fucking is, as a way to feel like he’s not all the negative, that “he deserves love.” No. Just no. 

I’m disappointed. Tired, angry, and disappointed. I thought you were a cool guy, Anton. I thought all of you were cool. I was genuinely excited for Blessed Be The Wicked, as I’m sure a lot of the fandom was. But you showed your true colors the moment your project began to get popular. 

Not so politely, fuck you. And if all you can do is complain about is the fandom having fun, fuck off. 

[klaus-littlestwolf]

an you please write some yandere Daemon hc's

Yan!Daemon T. HC’s

(I also received a request for Daemon and Rhaenyra’s sister HC’s so I’m going to combine them for this one-sorry it’s so short but I just wanted to write a short Daemon one tonight)

Honestly I’m kind of sorry I’m never in more Daemon moods rather than Aemond. Aemond is my Babygirl and my fav Targaryen of all time and ofc my fav little war criminal but I love Daemon and I’ve been asked if I would be willing to write for him more so if you have any specific Daemon requests that you think I would pull off well go ahead and send them🤷🏼‍♀️

~Daemon adored you the moment he laid eyes on you

•He was the first person besides the Maester to hold you. Your mother was sleeping soundly after the difficult birth and as the Maester was bringing Y/n to the King, Daemon cut him off and insisted he would do it himself

•He took his time getting to the small council where the King waited to see his second child, he was content just playing with you as you kept snatching his thumb and trying to suck on it, squeezing tightly which he was impressed by-already a tough Targaryen, he couldn’t wait to see the strong Dragon Rider you would become

•It wasn’t often that Daemon held babies but you were the cutest little thing he had ever laid eyes on and it was difficult to release you.

‘It is a girl brother.’ He announced as he walked in, all men now staring at the vicious Targaryen man that was wild enough to mount Caraxes, as he cradled a small babe who held his fingers tightly without making a single sound.

‘She is beautiful.’ Viserys stated as his younger brother handed him his daughter, grinning like an idiot at the sweet little girl.

‘Another girl. I am sensing a pattern my King.’ The Lannister teased and before the King could comment, Dark Sister was at the idiots throat and he dared not even swallow to avoid being nicked by the Valyrian Steel blade.

‘That is enough brother. You have taught him his lesson. Come now, let us go and find Rhaenyra, she will want to meet her little sister.’ Viserys stood but Daemon cut him off.

‘Actually I believe I should go to the pits, she will need an egg in her cradle tonight. I will choose the most beautiful one possible, brother.’ He nodded and Daemon was off to get his niece her first gift though if he had it his way he would teach his niece to fly right beside him on Caraxes, cradled like their mother had done for them.

~Y/n looked up to her uncle and loved him very dearly all her life

•He was the first one to comfort her when her second egg did not hatch when she was given it at 6, she was heart broken but her Uncle made her feel better

‘Of course you will have a dragon, it will just take time. You will mount your own dragon like a true rider, you’ve nothing to worry about my darling.’ Daemon kissed the girls head before leaving her to her studies as soon as her tears had dried up.

~Daemons affection for her grew as she got older and once she was 17 years old he knew he needed to make her his

•The men fighting for your hand were boys, children who could never care for his precious niece like she deserved and so Daemon took her for himself

•He stole you away in the night and married you, finding the fact that your Uncle loved you as you did him to be something you could not live with married to another man

•Your father lost his mind, he tried to annul the marriage but it had been consummated already and you refused to leave Daemon, getting angry at your father for hitting your husband (though you hadn’t seen the smirk Daemon wore at the idea of having you all to himself)

•You fought with your father viciously once you both returned to the Red Keep and though it went on for almost an hour, eventually your father dropped the subject-not wanting to risk losing his second child over a marriage that he didn’t approve of

~Daemon and his Niece!wife ended up on Dragonstone with Rhaenyra and her sons

•His first two daughters lived on Driftmark with their grandmother and visited often, both loving their cousin/step mother dearly and begging for more common visits however it didn’t happen much once Daemon first filled you up with a baby

•Daemon had never been happier than the day that you went into labor-unlike most men he insisted on being in the room and holding onto your hand tightly (allowing you to squeeze his hand as firmly as you needed)-refusing to let what happened to Laena Ever happen again and telling the Maester months before the delivery that if he so much as even considered cutting his wife open as an option in any way that he would cut him open from balls to brains and find them a new Maester that knew what he was doing

•You gave Daemon his first son the first time you gave him a child and he was over the moon! Once the Maester handed him his son he didn’t want to ever let him go, pacing with the baby boy-Daemion- until he began crying and Daemon realized he was keeping his son from his very first meal as his wife looked over at him truly exasperated

•Once you finally fell asleep as your son had been cleaned and fed Daemon took him down the hall-the King had come when you wrote and asked for his presence since you were so close to giving birth

‘Brother…would you like to meet your first nephew?’ Daemon asked, peeking into the library where his brother waited upon hearing your screams of pain, everyone else having joined him.

‘A boy! Yes! Wonderful brother!’ He grinned, holding out his arms and taking his brothers first son into his hold.

‘What has she named him?’ Rhaenyra inquired, moving to see the silver haired angel along with Jace and Luke, as well as Helaena and Aemond who moved to peek at the boy as well.

‘Daemion. He is in perfect health, and my wife is doing splendidly, even after breaking 2 of my fingers.’ He joked, though he knew it was true as he looked down and still couldn’t move his last 2 fingers on his left hand.

‘May I have the pleasure, Uncle?’ Rhaenyra asked, unable to look away from the perfect little Angel that she called a nephew.

‘Of course Rhaenyra.’

•Rhaenyra loved Daemion more than she thought possible, Aemond, Aegon and Helaena also loving their elder sisters son and her next 3 sons and daughter as well-Y/n having been very good to them in their childhoods in ways that their mother was not, all looking to her for comfort in their youth-it was her in the end that kept the family from killing each other more often than not

~Once the King died, Rhaenyra was promptly settled as Queen thanks to her younger sister-though it was completely unintentional

•Aemond set out to find Aegon as their mother told him to, however both brothers rode for Dragonstone not an hour later with Vhagar and Sunfyre

•Rhaenyra hadn’t realized how much her younger brothers loved her sister until they landed outside of the courtyard, everyone coming outside in question of the impromptu appearance, and she knew in that moment that if it wasn’t for her sisters kind heart in raising those boys when Alicent didn’t that the idea of her being Queen may have just been a fantasy

‘My sweet boys!’ Y/n smiled, raising her arms and hugging the both of them to her firmly, Aemond and Aegon hugging the girl back as they always did (Y/n ignored Daemons jealous growl at the interaction-he hated the fact that he knew his nephews had “Mommy Issues” and they were much too in love with his wife in his opinion-Both boys just avoided the subject since they knew he was right, keeping it very well hidden from her all their lives)

‘Hello Sister!’ Aegon smiled, kissing her cheek.

‘What brings you both here like this…what has happened?’ She worried, looking to Aemond to explain as she picked up her daughter, holding her tightly as she was now worried at the looks on her brothers faces.

‘We wished to avoid a war all together. Father is dead…and our Mother is determined to see Aegon ascend the throne. Grandfather insisted that you should all bow to the new King or he would send Vhagar to burn Dragonstone to the ground…I could never in my life have come to hurt you or your children sister, nor could Aegon.’ They all knew that there was no love lost between Rhaenyra, her sons, and her brothers but everyone knew that both brothers and Helaena loved Y/n passionately.

‘Helaena could not get the twins and fly with us quickly enough however she is waiting for you all with excitement.’ Aegon told her, pulling something from his bag and stepping closer to their eldest sister, unwrapping the object and presenting Rhaenyra the crown of “Jaehaerys the Conciliator”. ‘My Queen.’ He spoke softly, clearly not enjoying it but kneeling in front of her, Y/n taking the crown and setting it onto her sisters head as everyone around them knelt before their new Queen, Y/n joining them quickly.

~Daemon and Y/n moved back to Kings Landing with Rhaenyra and her family

•Daemon ended up on Rhaenyra’s council along with his wife who forced him to work with Aemond in controlling the Queens army

•Rhaenys made a wonderful Hand of the Queen as the last hand ended up in the Black Cells for the rest of his life

•Daemon was content with his wife in the Red Keep as his days were not full of commanding the Army and impregnating his wife who ended up giving him 5 sons and 3 daughters all together-Caraxes providing almost all of Daemons children with dragons with both Silverwing who Y/n ended up mounting and Syrax-also providing Aemond and Alys’ sons with dragons of their own a few years later as well (Daemon having introduced the two in order to keep Aemond away from his wife who he seemed to become more and more obsessed with the more babies she gave Daemon)

~Daemons obsession and marriage to his young niece seemed to have given almost everyone everything they wanted-at least it gave Damon everything he wanted and that’s all that mattered to him in the end

Daemon T. Masterlist

[leashybebes]

seventeen, or forty, or nine! :^)

here is number 9 - bookstore AU. went for more of a meetcute vibe than either of them working in a bookshop but *handwave*

Buck's tried three book stores, two of which got him blank looks, and one an apology about being out of stock and an offer to order in. Karen's birthday drinks are tomorrow night, so that's a bust. He's already got her actual gift, but he saw the book title in a list of queer non-fiction recommendations that he was browsing the other night for…reasons he's kind of feeling his way around the edges of, and it jumped out at him immediately. The reviews are kinda mixed, but the title is too good to pass up, and he knows Karen will get a kick out of it even if she doesn't wind up loving the book itself.

His final stop is Skylight Books in Los Feliz and in the crowded shop, with shelves of all heights and at all angles, it takes him a second to find the queer section mainly because - as he belatedly realises, a big, bulky guy is blocking the sign as he stands with his arms folded, scanning the shelves. Buck ducks towards it, sees the title of the book, a single copy whose cover proudly proclaims Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America. And then the title is obscured when the guy reaches out his big hand and scoops it up, and Buck blurts, "Wait, wait, no!"

The guy looks at him, eyebrows up, dark blue eyes a picture of puzzlement and Buck's reasons for scanning those lists of queer literature and movies and history crystallise sharply. He's gorgeous. He's so tall and so broad and his eyes are so pretty and his jaw is so stubbly and strong and Buck wants to taste it. He also really, really wants that book.

"Hi," Buck says breathlessly. "I'm really sorry, but I need that book."

The guy glances down to the book, back up to Buck.

"I hate to pull playground rules, but finders keepers, man."

"No, wait, you don't understand, it's a birthday present."

"Same," the guy says, starting to step around Buck and towards the checkout. Buck's heart sinks at the imminent disappearance of both the book and the guy.

"No, no, c'mon, the birthday drinks are tomorrow, you've got time to find another copy, right?"

"That's a coincidence," the guy says. "My friend's birthday drinks are also tomorrow. Sorry."

"No, wait, like - look, I saw the book on this list of like - interesting queer non-fiction, and uh, my friend - well, my friend's wife originally, but my friend too now, she's so cool and so interesting and I think I gotta ask her questions about like. Being queer. So this would be a really great segue into talking to her about how I'm like…ninety percent sure I'm bisexual - " Some reflex takes over and Buck does a quick up and down glance of the guy's body. " - ninety nine percent sure, okay, so like. You gotta help me out, man."

The guy blinks, something amused in the small curve of his lips. "No dice, buddy. No one gave me a coming out book shield, so. You'll do fine."

"Aw, c'mon, please! Karen's so cool, and I - "

"Wait, Karen Wilson?"

Buck blinks. "Uh. Yeah? What the hell?"

"I used to work with Hen."

Buck's head is filled with static, running through a mental rolodex of people Hen or Chim have ever mentioned as predating him at the 118. There's always the chance this guy is a pharmaceutical rep, but he definitely has more of a firefighter's build. 

"I work with Hen right now!" Buck says.

The guy looks him up and down, tilts his head. "Wait. Are you the - the disaster magnet probie?"

"Yes!" Buck says, way more pleased than he should be. "I mean, not anymore, I haven't been a probie in years, but uh. That's me! Evan Buckley!"

"Tommy," the guy says, and holds out the book. "Going on what I know, there's a non-zero chance the store collapses in on us if you don't get your way, so. Here you go. Good luck with the bisexuality."

"It, uh - it could be a joint present?" Buck suggests, his mouth taking over. 

Tommy's eyebrows go up again. "Little early for that, isn't it?"

"Get coffee with me, then," Buck offers, his heart in his mouth. He's asking out a guy. He's asking out the hottest guy he's ever seen. He's asking out the hottest guy he's ever seen and if he crashes and burns he's going to have to see him tomorrow at Karen's birthday drinks and - 

"Sure," Tommy says, half-smirk broadening into a smile that lights up his whole face. "I'd like that, Evan."

[iixch]

�� iixch production

from boyfriend- to baby daddy- to husband pt.1

synopsis: You and Gojo have long been separated, but your son keeps you two in each others lives. You’ve found a new man. Your son isn’t pleased and Gojo is determined to remind you what your missing

warming: cursing

A beautiful little boy named Hiroto was the result of your relationship with Satoru Gojo. Though after three years, you grew apart, the stress became too much, Satoru was hardly ever at home and devoted himself entirely to his work, you couldn't take it anymore and broke up.

Nevertheless, he still transferred the money for his son to you every month and picked him up on most weekends or holidays.

Snow was melting on his jacket when he knocked on your door. Unannounced. Saturo had been given the day off and spontaneously wanted to pick up Hiroto, who was now sixteen.

But the sound of arguing and back and forth yelling made him alert. It seems it wasn't so pointless to make a spare key to your door (unknowingly to your knowledge). Unlocking the door, he followed the noises towards the living room, but when he saw your current boyfriend- well more accurately Fiancé, in a screaming match with you.

Seeing Saturo seemed to enrage the man all the more. "Fuck you! Both of you," the Fiancé suddenly spat, his fist slamming into the wall just inches from your head, making you flinch.

As the man attempts to storm out of your house Gojo grabs him by the shoulder, “Don’t ever yell like that in her damn house again.” Before letting him go and locking the door behind him. His blues eyes now turned to you, “Hey, everything alright sweetheart?”

“We’re fine, Saturo… just a disagreement.” You say sighing and rubbing your face as you take a deep breath. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“It was a last minute decision, came to see my favorite son and baby mama,” He says with a grin, focused entirely on you.

“You should’ve text me before hand, he’s not here, he at a friend’s house.” You tell him apologetically.

“Bummer, but that means we can catch up,” He says as he watches you sit down on the sofa. “Like first of all, why’s that jackass yelling at you in your home?”

You groan at the mention of the previous argument. “Hiroto and him don’t get along, and I told him that I would ask for my son’s blessing before officially agreeing to marry him.”

“And why in the world would you wanna marry him? You already had me baby. Doesn’t get better than that.” He says sitting on the couch next to you, extending his arms over the couch.

“Apparently not,” You mumble sarcastically to yourself as you twist the engagement ring in your finger.

When you and Saturo first met you two were young, and stupid, and that’s when you two first became entangled. A couple years later you to find each other again and it’s a real relationship. Until you ended it. Not fighting for you has single handedly been Gojo’s biggest regret, and everyday that he’s seen you since has been him trying to make up for his shortcomings during your relationship.

“Y/n you know you deserve better than him,” He tells you scoffing. “I especially don’t like how he acts with our kid around.” It came from both a place of paternal worry, and selfish jealousy.

“Someone better? Someone like you, huh, Gojo?” Now it’s your turn to scoff and roll your eyes.

“Baby, we have a kid together, you can’t be so formal as to call me by my last name.” ‘Should have been our last name….’ he thinks. “Can you at least set your ego aside for a second to admit you’re miserable with him, without me?”

“You are one to lecture me about ego, Gojo,” You glared at him. “You’re the biggest hypocrite I know.”

Saturo huffs at the level of formality you’re forcing. “Hypocrisy doesn’t mean I’m wrong, baby.”

“Stop calling me that. I’m not your baby anymore.”

“And that’s the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.” He says suddenly very vulnerable.

You shake your head. You didn’t have the emotional energy to unload that comment and enter into the topic of discussion at this moment in time.

But Saturo was.

“Y/n, I know I took you for granted… but my greatest triumph was thanks to you, our son. And despite what you say about me, I know you still feel something.”

You looked at him with a brow raised and an unwavering expression.

“God, Y/n, just break up with that pathetic ass of a man! Please? You don’t even have to admit I was right, just do it-”

You’re astonished by his audacity, “You think you can just waltz into my house and tell me to end my engagement because- what? We have a kid together?”

You’re flabbergasted when the asshole actually nods. You force yourself to stand, physically and metaphorically looking down on him as he’s still seated on your couch. “You want me to admit feelings? Okay, I wanted us to work, and you had your chance- that time is up. I don’t care if you approve of my Fiancé or not, I get to make that choice, Gojo.”

Suddenly your Saturo hands are on your hips and in a quick forceful tug, he brings you down to sit on his lap. “I’m Saturo to you Y/n L/n.”

Your taken back but in quick recovery shake off your surprised expression. “Very mature, Gojo.”

His grip suddenly tightens and he urges your hips forward, forcing you to scoot in close to him. “You doing this on purpose, sweetheart? You know the name. You’ve said it many times before. Scenarios similar to this one…”

You shove his shoulders, though you feel warm on your face from memories past. You would never admit it to him, but Saturo has been the bed lays you’ve ever had.

“You don’t have to get back with me…” He says a hand slips under your shirt, and his freezing hand runs itself up your warm skin, he chuckles when you shriek back. “You just have to leave him.”

“You need to leave.” You retort.

“Come onnn baby, you don’t mean that.”

“Saturo, it’s going to take more than just- one good act, from you and a bad one from him.” You tell him standing up and off his lap. “Do better.”

Saturo Gojo was barely ever shook, he barely cared w people had to say about him, much less to him. But when it came to you? He cared. You were telling him to be better? The one thing he cared the most was proving himself, and he was ready to prove himself to you. And fuck anyone who thinks he’s not getting you back.

[emmyrosee]

Please for the love of all unholy don’t read this (also if you do read it, pls bear in mind I’ve only watched the anime PFFFFFF-)

———-

“Whaddya mean youre not dating!”

You’ve been at this argument for what feels like hours.

Drinks with adolescent friends shouldn’t be this… harrowing, especially not with the friends you’ve decided to pick. After all you’ve been through, after the trials and tribulations, them saving your ass more times than you’ve known, you’d assumed that now you’ve reached adulthood, you can have civil conversations about work, childhood memories, the weather, anything other than your relationship status of yourself and the one and only Umemiya Hajime.

“Please, Sakura,” you sigh, massaging your temples. “I think the neighbors heard what you said.”

“YOUR NEIGHBORS SHOULD KNOW THAT YOUVE BOTH FUMBLED EACH OTHER!” He quickly barks back.

Suo takes a sip of his water, “be careful, neighbors might think you’ve caught feelings yourself, Sakura.”

He sputters in indignation while Neiri leans over to you, “he’s not entirely wrong, you know? Of all of us, you both managed to stay the closest, and it’s not like either of you hid your crushes from each other well back in high school.”

You roll your eyes and groan at the memories of yourself and the former captain of Bofurin, who indeed played many a game of telephone about your crushes on one another, but that stopped once Kotoha got fed up with it, and forced you both to awkwardly confess to each other. The fact that your friends can remember the cringiness of your actions with Umemiya is detrimental enough to your mental health.

But right now, Suo is smirking at you. Knowingly. He’s quiet, characteristically so, but it’s clear there’s something brewing in his head.

“You, im ignoring- quit smirking at me.”

Without a moment to spare, the door opens swiftly, revealing the one and only Umemiya, dressed down casually with a bag of snacks dangling from his arm. As all heads whip to the new arrival, you feel your shoulders relax, butterflies fluttering around your tummy as he cards a big hand through his hair and sighs dramatically.

“Sorry to be late,” Umemiya sang, making himself comfortable around the coffee table, working his way between you and Suo; even in his youth, he’d always had a pinch of jealousy for you and the other man’s dynamic, a slight hint of possessiveness that came from the fact that you and Suo were close, even though you’d spent hours yapping in Suo’s ear about Umemiya constantly- not that you’d ever mention that to him, of course.

And judging by the way Suo is currently chuckling at you, it’s obvious he knows the jealousy lingers as well.

“Traffic was a nightmare, why do you have to live so far away, when I-“

“Now’s not the time!” Sakura hisses, hands flat on the table as he looks at Umemiya. “How the sweet hell did you friend zoned! For fucks sake, you’re the great Umemiya, what kind of dickhead like you gets friend zoned!”

You bury your face in your hands as Umemiya slowly turns his head to look at you, “why’s he yelling at me?”

Sou shrugs, “that’s kind of what he does. Apologies.”

Umemiya returns a pleasant, nostalgic sigh and nods, “ah yes, I recall from back in high school.”

“DONT TALK ABOUT ME LIKE IM NOT HERE!”

“Why’re you still yelling in my house?” You hiss.

Amidst all the commotion of Suo’s sass and Neiri’s feeble attempts to quiet your mutual friends down, Umemiya leans closer you, his voice low and raspy as its whispered in your ear, “you told them we weren’t dating?”

You start to smirk. In your peripheral, his face morphs from his casual smile to return a cheeky smirk.

“They’re not ready for that kind of news,” you whisper.

“That’s fair.” He gently shifts his knee to nudge against yours, a symbol of secret affection to hide the true status of your relationship with Umemiya:

That being, absolutely smitten with each other.

[altarecs]

note: welcome back to altarecs! we're reviewing in depth tonight, fellas. strap in.

today's fic is actually by a dearest friend of mine. shall we?

spoilers under the cut!

notes before reading: POSEIDON THIS PU-*gunshot* also, i wrote a fic for this collaboration too! but anyway i digress. onward!

real as hell already, jessifer.

me either, chan!! sometimes i think about them

oh i'm already so sad...

ageism prevalent in the world of greek gods is CRAZY work but i see the vision.

i have no idea why this made me as sad as it did. it really shows how losing all you know, everything you have can change you as a person and warp your sense of self. it's kind of like losing yourself in the past while still trying to prevail in the present.

no clue what you're talking about, i'm never wrong.

mentions chan without mentioning chan is my favorite thing ever.

MY FAVORITE PLOT DEVICE EVERYBODY, KWON SOONYOUNG!!

this entire paragraph reminds me of the call of the void, actually. i feel the same.

OH I LOVE LEE CHAN I LOVE LEE CHAN LEE CHAN DO YOU NEED HEAD!

i do girl, give that application here.

me convincing myself that everyone isn't out to get me

girl fym 'thankfully'??! that's pookie! he's our endgame, idiot!

CLOCK HER, TIGER MAN!

oh lawd the goin' is gettin' GOOD.

goodness me...maturity does the soul good, doesn't it.

soonyoung, oh soonyoung...i love you so dearly.

GUYS IT'S SHERLOCK

I AM GIGGLING AND KICKING MY FEETTTT AUAUAUAUA

still cutie patootie chan, after all. i love him so dearly, it's like that video of him at a photoshoot when he got shy after lifting up his shirt. i love himmmmm so BADDD FREE ME

that wasn't the question, chan. you're not slick.

circle time with mr. lee telling us stories is my new favorite thing.

something about it makes me think of that connect the dots meme

this one

anyway, i digress

OH YOU BITCH THEY KISSED

I LOVE A MAN THAT LIVES FOR VERBAL CONSENT I LOVE A MAN THAT ASKS FOR CONSENT I LOVE CONSENT

alright bro.

BLUSHES LIKE A SLUT? HELLOOOOO LEE CHAN?

man i wanna come work at the aquarium too tf

yanno, i could feel the angst coming and yet i ignored it

butter me up and call me a biscuit bc i'm stupid as fuck for that

when did you meet my ex, jessifer???

YN IS ME YN IS MEEEE

WE'VE REACHED THE IMAGE LIMIT SO WE PROCEED IN INDENTS.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that’s when it clicks. That’s when he realizes. You’re not just a reincarnated sea nymph. No, it’s much deeper than that. He knows your soul more intimately than he knows his own. He can’t believe that he didn’t see it right away. Can’t believe he’s had you in his bed for months now without realizing.

girl this is amphitrite, get with the program.

“Poseidon. The one true love of my life, yes,” he says. 

is this where we kiss again!! long lost lovers found each other across the time and space continuum!!!

She should have been given a say in her own life rather than treated like property by her father and the man who claimed to love her. 

ah yes. because we are somebody, not just some body. thank you for touching base on that.

Now, it just felt like she had been forced into a life she never wanted.

this makes me so incredibly sad for the both of them, and i've read and reread poseidon and amphitrite so many times.

There’s the sparks that always fly between you two.

sparks flyyyy it's like electricityyy

also funny because he's the god of the sea and sparks =/= water

Then, almost as if on cue, that whispering voice returns. It reminds you of how you felt when you first met Chan. Of the distaste you had without being able to place it.

we can never have nice things, can we? sigh...

a part of me feels really...i understand her. but thinking about the hurt that both of them have been through, and to think that she could potentially rip herself away from him after all of these conversations and all of these truths...where does that leave her? where does that leave him?

He’s incredibly sorry, but he’s going to be leaving for a while. He knows that it’s not fair to you, but it’s something that he’s got to do.

for some reason...i can hear 'the power of love' by celine dion playing in my head right now.

also, i've begun to tear up! yay!

It’s selfish, he admits, so incredibly selfish, but he can’t move forward with you, even if that’s what you want, without knowing more. He can’t watch as you age and he doesn’t. Can’t grow to love you more and more only to know you have an expiration date. It’s cold, he knows, to say it that way. It’s also the way he’s going to approach it. The whole letter is filled with apologies and acknowledgements followed by buts. 

seeing the route you took and comparing it to the route i made seungkwan and y/n take in my fic is so insane. we are so different and i love it, i love how your mind works.

'wherever you will go' by the calling is playing as i type this.

It seems like both of you have a lot to figure out before you see each other next.

i hate you for doing this to me.

ENDING NOTES:

This fic has made me incredibly sad, and I could physically feel my chest tighten and loosen up with every word. I wanted to understand mc, and while I do...I think I appreciate both of them taking the decision to search deeper for answers. Do I think maybe Chan could've done this face-to-face? Yes, of course. But then I'd also be hoping for a yearning, a begging scene of rekindlement, of "we can do this together, please don't leave me."

Well done, Jessifer. I love it.

as wild and untamable as the sea | l.c

pairing: greek god!chan x reincarnated sea nymph!f!reader genre: angst, romance, smut | reincarnation, fantasy, greek gods!au rating: explicit, minors DNI word count: ~15.8k warnings: mentions of past unhealthy relationships, (possibly inaccurate) greek mythology, lots of POV switches (but i don't think it's confusing) mentions of eating, explicit smut, multiple sex positions, unprotected sex (just don't), slight edging, overstimulation, fingering, oral sex (f. receiving), chan is strong and very in control, i think that's all but let me know if it's not

summary: Chan remembers everything. Every little thing that's happened to him since his days as one of the twelve Olympians. Poseidon to be exact. Even though he tries not to think about it now that he's living in modern times running a sad little aquarium, some memories are more vivid than others. Then, you stumble into his life and he can't explain the draw. You can't seem to figure out how this man is keeping an aquarium like this running when it seems like it's not that busy. Something about him really seems to put you off, despite the fact that he seems drawn to you. None of it makes any sense...until it does.

a/n: this is for the 13 Gods of Olympus collab that @beomcoups & @wooahaeproductions have been tirelessly working on. thank you so much for hosting this! i know this isn't the end for this couple, but i really needed to get this out into the world. if you want to know what happens next with them, let me know.

a/n 2: this is semi-unedited and i'm just throwing it out into the world but i'll come back. if you see anything glaring, no you didn't!

tag list: @illiadiaz, @syluslittlecrows, @yini-yang, @fancypeacepersona, @bitchlessdino, @newjihoonie, @tinyelfperson, @dokyeomkyeom, @miriamxsworld, @hongrizon, @klecksstorys, @gyuminusone, @aaniag, @straykidswhoo789, @kimseokgen, @beomesbabe, @haolistic, @vanishingboots, @harry-the-pottypus, @pyeonghongrie, @nuttywastelandmentality, @writingbarnes, @gyuhao365, @divinityyy, @dibidibidismynameisleeknow, @tusswrites, @cookiearmy

Another day, another dollar. 

Wasn’t that what the humans said about another day spent working at some mindless job? Despite all the years he’s spent blending into their world, Chan still doesn’t really understand the humans. Doesn’t really understand why they put up with so many things they seemingly hate. Doesn’t really understand why they waste their short lives on something that makes them miserable. But, in fairness to the humans, Chan has also never had to worry about the trivial things that come along with working like money, possessions, or a home. When you’re one of the original gods of Olympus and life is seemingly infinite, money isn’t really an issue. 

That’s who Chan was in another lifetime: Poseidon. The God of the Sea, among other things. At least, until Olympus fell. A painful thought that he usually tries to push from his mind.

In the early days after Olympus fell, Chan still went through life acknowledging who he was. He leveraged his powers for favors or for payment. He used his control of the water and everything in it to get him what he needed. But, the years went by and the Olympians became the stuff of myth. Of stories. The kind of characters that you read about in books. Only the most eccentric members of society continue to worship the Olympians as if they’re real. Which they are, Chan reminds himself. Or, they were. As the faith faded, so did the Olympians’ belief in restoring themselves to full power. One by one, they gave up the task of finding a way back until it was only Chan and Zeus left. Two of the brightest minds of Olympus. Even they had to admit their own defeat. 

Which leads to the present day. Chan has taken on a new persona, for the…well, he’s lost track of what number this one is. He’s just thankful for his ability to shapeshift into someone new whenever he needs to. Takes a new name every time, too. At first, he tried to keep in touch with his siblings and the other Olympians. That, too, fades over time. It’s been at least a century since he’s spoken to any of them. Though, occasionally, he’ll catch wind of something through the chattering of local sea creatures. Something that says at least some of them are still out there.

Chan sighs. There’s really no reason for him to be wandering down memory lane in this way. He thinks, not for the first time, that maybe he needs to pick a different cover job. One that will keep his mind a little more occupied. The reality is, though, he’s tried nearly everything he could think of over the centuries. Changing professions is a frequent occurrence when he doesn’t want to let his body show too many signs of age. Not that he minds, it’s just that people start to ask too many questions about how he’s handling things someone “his age” shouldn’t be able to handle. In the end, working with sea life has always been the best. And this set up, where he’s running a smaller aquarium off of some long forgotten boardwalk in an area that doesn’t get much traffic, is also great. It isn’t even that Chan doesn’t like being around people. He finds humans entertaining in most senses. It’s just that nothing in this life is permanent for him. He’s not going to fall in love and grow old with someone. Best to just keep things at arm’s length. 

Most days are more or less the same and Chan works the majority of them. On the rare days off, he’s not far away since his little house is within walking distance of both the aquarium, the boardwalk it’s on, and the water. He trusts the limited staff that he has because he pays them well. Better than any other similar business, but he values loyalty. And they don’t seem to question how he’s able to make things work. That is largely due to the anonymous donors that make monthly contributions to the aquarium. Really, it’s just Chan funneling money that he’s earned over his many years on Earth so that he can keep a business afloat. Nobody seems to have anything to say. Beyond the staff not asking questions, they are all very good at their jobs. It makes life easier for Chan that way because he doesn’t have to micromanage them. Everyone knows what they’re supposed to do and will only ask questions if they hit an actual block. No, the aquarium runs very smoothly. It just doesn’t get a lot of business.

Since every day kind of blends together, Chan almost never realizes as days or weeks or even months pass by. He’s in a sort of autopilot where he also knows what he has to do and just does it without question. It’s just rinse and repeat day in and day out. 

Until it’s not. Until the first day that he notices you in his small, out of the way little aquarium. Until the day that everything starts to change.

You’re not really sure what pulls you in for the first time. You’ve probably passed this sad little aquarium dozens of times without giving it a second thought. Then, one day, you decide that you might as well go in. The cost of admission is incredibly reasonable, but you think that’s probably why you haven’t gone sooner. It might seem counterintuitive. You just wonder how well the animals can be taken care of with such a low cost of admission.  You’re not sure if you can handle seeing animals mistreated. Still, there’s no going back now. Even with the outside seemingly a little poorly cared for, you still find your feet pulling you forward. 

You’ve never been more wrong about anything in your life. 

The dingy outside gives way to a vibrant inside that’s teeming with love and light. The art on the walls is carefully curated to match the different areas of the aquarium. There are workers with genuine smiles going about their days. Even the animals seem to be happy. It’s also deceptively large on the inside. It makes you wonder why it looks so run down from the outside. Surely, someone that cares this much about the animals could care a little more for the outside as well. Maybe that’s the point. Why waste money on an outside nobody really cares about when it can go to the best care possible?

Almost immediately, you feel a sense of peace wash over you. Just this morning, you were ready to explode from all the stress in your life. Now, stress feels like the furthest thing from your mind. In fact, you can’t even remember what you were stressed about. Strange. This is the first time you remember a single place erasing any sort of worry. Just as you’re about to consider that the place holds some kind of magic, you realize that not everyone seems to be as at ease. A mother scolds her child and an elderly couple bicker. It breaks a little bit of the illusion, though you still feel calm. 

Subconsciously, your feet carry you to the area with the sea otters. They have always been some of your favorites, even if they’re not the typical sea resident that people think about. As you watch on, two chase each other around the enclosure. They seem like they must be young with the way they can’t seem to stop playing. It’s incredibly endearing to watch. Another, slightly larger, otter emerges from around a bend and the original two quickly dip under the water to shoot off. It almost seems like a mother scolding her children, but maybe you’re creating too many stories within your own mind. Your imagination, especially around sea life, can be a bit active.

A few minutes later, a worker comes out and starts feeding all the otters. They’re quick to come and get the food, showing just how many there are. You weren’t expecting to see such a large population in this off-the-beaten-path aquarium. The man feeding them looks young, but that’s true of nearly everyone that you’ve seen here. They all look young and entirely too pretty. This man is no different. He’s sporting a very blond, shaggy semi-mullet that doesn’t look like it could possibly be his natural hair color. Yet, it looks remarkably believable on him. When you frown at the amount of food he’s giving to the otters, he walks over to the side of the enclosure and leans on the railing close to you. He tosses a bucket of crab legs out into the water and the otters go crazy for that. It seems an odd choice for animals living in captivity, but what do you know? 

“Did you know,” the man begins, “that sea otters eat 25% of their weight in food every day?” 

Well. That certainly explains it. “I didn’t.” 

“I like to give them the crab legs too because it’s a fun little activity for them,” he carries on with a smile. “It’s also something they’d eat in the wild.” 

“That seems…expensive,” you say carefully. 

The man only smiles bigger. “Oh it is! But our boss has really great donors for the aquarium and we can afford to feed them well.” 

“Well, then the otters are definitely lucky,” you note and turn back to the otters.

“We all are. Chan takes care of us just as well as all the animals that live here,” he says. 

“Chan?” you ask. 

“Oh, our boss,” the man carries on happily. “I’m Soonyoung, by the way.” 

You take his extended hand and give your own name in response. Soonyoung happily carries on with telling you all about the otters they have, including the name of each one. Then he offers to take you on a tour of the aquarium because of your interest. It’s too nice of an offer to turn down. It also further proves that you should not judge a book by its cover. Every inch of the aquarium is so masterfully cared for and every living being seems happy. That is, if a fish can also seem happy. The tanks aren’t overcrowded or dirty. And, you can’t explain it, but you can just tell they’re happy. Each person that they encounter seems to genuinely love their job. You’re not even sure why you’re paying such close attention. Or why you care so much. 

Truthfully, there’s always been something of a call to the ocean. A peace that comes over you when you’re near the water. It was enough to get you to move cities, figuring that would satisfy that need. The pull only got stronger. Plenty of people feel at peace surrounded by water, you reason, and don’t think further on it. You don’t consider that worrying about the conditions in an aquarium may not be normal. Don’t consider that most people don’t start getting moody when they’ve been separated from the ocean too long. Don’t consider that it really is only the ocean. Although sometimes a freshwater lake, when it’s big enough with plenty of fish in it, will fill up your cup, it never lasts as long. It also never works to alleviate your mood when you do something as simple as going into the pool. 

The trip around the aquarium with Soonyoung seems like exactly what you need. Until suddenly, it doesn’t. As he’s taking you through an exhibit area, a young man appears from behind a closed door marked as Staff Only. He’s got a dress shirt on with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His short dark hair highlights striking features. And, you think, he would be beautiful if it weren’t for the frown on his face. He looks entirely too serious for someone so young. He’s also much more dressed up than anyone else at the aquarium.

“Oh, there he is!” Soonyoung exclaims, causing the man to turn towards the two of you. His face softens a bit at seeing Soonyoung before studying you somewhat quizzically. 

“Soon,” he says with the air of someone exasperated at Soonyoung’s antics. 

“This is Chan, our boss,” Soonyoung carries on and your eyebrows fly into your hairline as he introduces you to his boss. 

Truthfully, Chan looks younger than Soonyoung in some ways. But, there’s a wisdom in his face that your new friend lacks. Like he’s lived a hundred lifetimes already. It catches you off guard. But, Chan extends his hand to shake yours and that’s when you feel it. A sudden surge of annoyance that lasts only as long as your hands are connected. If he feels anything, he doesn’t show it. His smile is friendly and it only confuses you further. 

A moment later, Chan excuses himself from the pair of you and Soonyoung leads you away to continue the tour. You can’t really shake the odd feeling you got from the handshake, though. When Soonyoung concludes his tour, you ask about opportunities to volunteer. There’s something about this place that feels like home and you’re not really sure what it is. Soonyoung’s face brightens. 

“Chan doesn’t believe in volunteers. Even if you only come in once a month, he pays you for your time and obviously waives the entrance fee so you can come visit even when you’re not working,” he says with a bright smile.

“Oh, I don’t need a job…” you start before he waves you off. 

“Leave me your contact information and I’ll pass it on. He coordinates everything himself and he can go over it all with you. I’m sure he’d be happy to have another animal lover around here,” Soonyoung says with a smile that you can’t ignore. You just met this man, why are you already incapable of saying no to him? 

“Do you have some paper?” you ask.

Chan spends the rest of the day thinking about you after a simple handshake. Then, when Soonyoung tells him that you’re interested in helping out, his pulse races in a way that’s entirely foreign to him. He can’t remember the last time a human turned his world upside down with something so seemingly trivial. In fact, he was so focused on keeping his face neutral, he didn’t notice the look on your face in response to him. He’s too concerned with seeing you again to consider anything else. Too consumed by the need to unravel whatever mystery there is to you that he can’t seem to place. Honestly, Chan can’t remember the last time he felt anything even approaching this. Nothing makes him really feel in this way. Not anymore, at least. He finds himself counting down until your first shift.

Until it actually gets here, that is. 

You report to Chan’s office, just as he asks. He holds his breath as you cast your eyes around his office area. Wonders what you’re thinking when your gaze lingers on certain things within the office. For a second, Chan considers whether it seems human enough. It’s been nearly a year since anyone new joined the staff and he wonders if he’s gotten sloppy. Nothing in your face seems to give any sort of feeling away. It surprises Chan a bit that he can’t seem to read anything about you. When your eyes rest on him, he sees a flicker of something he can’t place. Something that looks an awful lot like annoyance. 

He confirms it when his hand accidentally grazes yours to hand over your new ID. It says volunteer since you insist on only being there when you have the time, but it’s a full ID anyway. That’s just how Chan does things. When his hand meets yours briefly, he gets the sharpest flash of irritation he’s ever felt. It’s confusing because it is definitely not his own emotion that he’s feeling. And that’s not something that Chan can remember happening before either. Not like this at least. 

Chan has powers, he knows that. He can, sometimes, tune into the emotions of others. It’s easiest when he’s trying to tune into a sea animal or someone at home in water. Back before Olympus fell, he was able to tune into the emotions or even the minds of all the creatures in the sea, like the sirens, sea nymphs, merpeople, and everything else you could imagine. Even then, he usually has to actively try to tap into those emotions. It’s not something that just…happens. Not when all he’s done is let his hand graze someone else’s. Not when he’s not actively trying to feel something. It shouldn’t be something that happens with a mere human, either. 

You, for your part, don’t seem to realize there’s anything out of the ordinary. Your face looks the same. The same annoyance that you’re trying your hardest to mask under a poor attempt at indifference. Trying to shake it off, Chan calls for Soonyoung to come into the office. But, that doesn’t make it any better. It’s worse, really, because your face immediately changes into one of genuine happiness. Soonyoung seems just as happy to see you and happy at the prospect of showing you around. To be fair, Soonyoung always seems happy when there’s someone new around for him to chat with. Still, your face lighting up for him frustrates Chan in a way he can’t explain. 

Your first few times volunteering at the aquarium go really smoothly. Well, once you’re handed off to Soonyoung, it’s smooth. There’s just something about your new boss that you can’t really put your finger on. Seeing him causes annoyance to flare within you. It’s something deep that you can’t really explain and can’t recall feeling before. There’s no reason for you to dislike this man. He’s really just a man, which shouldn’t be enough on its own. Whenever he’s around, he’s perfectly friendly. It’s obvious that he cares deeply for every living thing within the aquarium. This is something he’s incredibly passionate about, which should endear him to you. Yet, it doesn’t. You can’t recall ever disliking a fellow animal lover until now. 

Thankfully, you don’t really have to deal with Chan very often. Soonyoung handles your training when you’re working, but everyone that works there seems kind. And everyone seems young. The place is full of bright-eyed 20-somethings who all genuinely seem to want to be there. It contributes to that little nagging feeling in that back of your mind that something is just…off. Not with anyone that works there apart from Chan, though.

Soonyoung seems delighted to see how quickly the otters warm up to you. Apparently, they can be a bit picky with new people. But, the first time you meet them, they all flock to you instead of their normal handler. Anyone else might be frustrated. Instead, he only thinks it’s cute that they seem to love you. Tells you that he thinks he means you're a good person. Apparently, he often judges people based on how the animals react. You both have that in common. It only seems to reinforce the point when this happens with each new enclosure you go to. None of the animals seem to treat you like a stranger. It’s more like they’re greeting an old friend. You can’t really explain that you feel the same way. Your brain periodically supplies a story for some of your new animal friends, too. It’s not the first time it’s happened and you figure it only makes sense in this setting. Your imagination is active and you love the sea creatures.

Each new visit to the aquarium seems somehow better than the last. Well, in most ways. You often feel Chan’s gaze on you before you even look over at him to check. And each time he is actually looking at you. There’s something that just sets your nerves on edge about it. Even the animals around you seem to react to the sudden surge of anger that courses through you. It’s a strong physical reaction without any clear reason that you can figure out. Yet, it’s the way you feel every time you sense his attention on you.

“You good?” Soonyoung asks, eyes cast down at your hands balled into fists. 

“Yeah, sorry,” you apologize, turning back to him. “What were you saying?” 

“What’s going on with you and Chan?” he asks skeptically. 

“Between Chan and me?” you ask with clear surprise.

“Yeah,” he says. “He spends half the time you’re here watching you and…” 

“He does, doesn’t he?” you ask, a little too loud. “What’s up with that?” 

“What’s up with your hatred for him?” he asks instead.

“I don’t know, I just get a bad feeling,” you say after a moment. “Do you like him?” 

“Do I like the boss that overpays me to hang out with animals all day?” he asks with a laugh. Then, he looks at your face and carries on. “Oh, you’re serious. Yeah, I love Chan. None of us really know him that well because he keeps his distance from the staff outside of work, mostly. But, he’s the best boss I can imagine having. I don’t ever get bad vibes off him.” 

“Huh,” is all you say before turning back to whatever Soonyoung is teaching you.

Your eyes catch on the mysterious aquarium owner once again and that anger flares. But, you realize that it’s something more complicated than anger. It’s far too complex an emotion to put a name too and definitely too complex for someone you barely know. 

It’s just odd you think, not for the first time, that someone seemingly so young is running an aquarium that doesn’t seem to be that busy. How is he affording to take care of the animals and pay his staff so well? How is someone that seems so unlikeable able to convince so many donors to give money when it could be better spent elsewhere?

The nagging voice in the back of your mind reminds you that you seem to be the only person that doesn’t love Chan. Everyone on the staff seems to love him. The few donors his staff have met also seem to only have good things to say. You have to consider the possibility that your feelings about him could be personal or that you’re seeing something that doesn’t impact anyone else. It’s still weird, though. Nothing about this business model should work. Is that a reason to hate someone you don’t actually know? You’re not sure.

Chan speaks with a dolphin that he’s grown to trust. No, not Chan. Poseidon. He’s Poseidon again, in all his glory. And he’s asking the dolphin to find someone for him. He’s explaining where she might be and what to say to her when the dolphin finds her. Stressing how important it is that the dolphin is the one to find her because they’re not the only ones looking. There are others looking as well and Poseidon doesn’t want them to find her. It would be bad, he knows, if anyone but himself or someone working on his behalf were to discover the truth. He’s protecting her as much as he’s protecting himself. At least, that’s what his brain insists. Whether it’s true or not, well…

The scene blurs and shifts. Poseidon is once again by the sea and this time speaking to a giant squid instead of the dolphin. The squid tells him that the woman has been found. That the dolphin succeeded and is currently speaking to her. That brings Poseidon a small sense of relief. Surely, when she understands the situation, she’ll be not only willing to come home but happy to do so. Nothing can keep them separated any longer. They are truly meant to be. 

Again, the scene blurs and shifts. This time, Poseidon sits on his throne, trident in hand, while one of his brother’s messengers kneels before him. When she rises, she delivers the message that Zeus has requested for Poseidon and his bride-to-be to join himself and Hera for an upcoming event. That’s not good, Poseidon thinks, not good at all. Surely his brother isn’t fully aware of the situation and yet he sends his messengers with invitations like this. Just as Poseidon prepares himself to make an excuse, the door to the room opens. Usually, he doesn’t allow interruptions, as his guards well know. But, the sight of his love walking through with her head held high keeps him from scolding the guards. He cannot believe that she’s back and walking in as if nothing happened. As if it hasn’t been weeks since they last saw each other. He got word she was coming back, but had not dared to hope for this.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt, my love, but I heard your brother had sent an invitation,” she begins. The messenger won’t notice the hesitation or the emotions that pour off of her because she doesn’t have that gift. Poseidon feels it, though. It doesn’t put him at ease

“It’s fine. You are always welcome to hear anything shared here with me,” he says quickly. 

She turns to the messenger with her signature soft smile. “I would still apologize for interrupting your message. However, I heard that you were here with an invitation. I fear that my darling may have declined as I was recently suffering an illness.” 

“Yes, that is what I was about to do,” Poseidon agrees.

“There is no need for that as I have told you that I am feeling much better now,” she says with a brief, but calculated, smile at Poseidon. She returns to the messenger. “Please inform Zeus that we would be delighted to join him.” 

“I am thankful to hear you’re feeling better and to…see you with my own eyes,” the messenger says slightly suspiciously. 

“I am also thankful that I will get to see Hera. After all, we have so much to discuss with the upcoming wedding,” his bride-to-be says. 

With pleasant goodbyes, the messenger takes her leave and Poseidon excuses the guards remaining in the chamber. He indicates that his bride should follow him to a much smaller room off to the side so that they can speak. After all, there is so much to discuss after her running away and only to finally return. Yes, she had indicated to the messenger that she intended to go through with the wedding, but Poseidon needs answers. He needs to know why she left and to impress upon her that she could not do something like that again. 

Chan wakes up in the early hours of the morning in a cold sweat from the most vivid dream he’s had in centuries. The fact that a dream lingers at all is strange on its own. He doesn’t dream. Not anymore, at least. When he does, the subject is usually something inane and the remnants of it are gone by the time he’s fully awake. This dream is both vivid and lingering, seared into the back of his eyelids like it may never leave him. Perhaps it is because it’s not just a dream.

There’s a lot to Chan’s past that he wants to forget and for good reason. When he was one of the gods of Olympus, he made a lot of decisions that he wouldn’t make now. Or, he likes to think he wouldn’t make the same decisions now. It’s hard to remember the feeling of the weight of the world so many years later. But, he knows he did a lot of things in the interest of finding the greater good. Something that ruined some of his closest relationships and clearly still haunts him today. 

Which leads him to this dream. A dream of Amphitrite. The legends about the gods of Olympus over the years have gotten a lot of information both right and wrong. Unfortunately, the legend of Poseidon and Amphitrite seems mostly right, at least to Chan. She was the one true love of his life. The only being in the entire universe that he actually wanted to spend an eternity with. And he had not treated her the way he should have. Hadn’t appreciated her and respected her autonomy the way he should have. That’s something he thinks about now, as he continues to mature and evolve to understand all the mistakes he made once upon a time. He knows that the way he tried to hold onto her was wrong and that he worried entirely too much about what the other Olympians would think if he lost her. 

There’s also a part of him that lingers on the way she looked in the dream. He remembers that conversation because it actually happened. But, he’s not sure if he’s actually remembering the way she looked or the way he felt a tightness to his chest. That could just as easily be him looking back on the interaction through a different lens. There are so many things he wishes he could go back and change with her. So many things he wishes he could say. Mostly, even though he loved her more than he even loved himself, he wishes he could go back and give her the chance to walk away. To leave him without any sort of reprisal from the other Olympians. 

After all these years, he regrets how their relationship went. It wasn’t love when someone didn’t have options. He knows that he can’t change the past. He knows that he can’t even ask for forgiveness. It’s part of why he keeps himself from getting too close to anyone now, he thinks. As a sort of penance for forcing the only one he ever loved into a marriage that he can’t say that she wanted. Of course, she told him when she came back it was because she wanted to. Insisted that she was just nervous to be thrust into such a spotlight by his side. Says that she was worried because he had other relationships with other people and she saw how it affected other Olympians, like Hera with Zeus. That wasn’t who she ever wanted to turn into. Chan took her at what she said. It was only after he lost her that he realized it may not have been the truth. Their love may not have been the great story that he created in his head. 

He knows that he won’t be able to fall back to sleep, so he resigns himself to starting his day. After he gets ready, he sits down with a cup of coffee and his schedule for the aquarium. Today is the once per month visit from the local marine veterinarians. Although miraculously, it seems the animals never need much care, the vets still come in every month. They collect samples and run their tests to ensure that everything is going well as a general health study. They have staff that come over more frequently for some of the animals that need more consistent care. It’s also an excellent place to study since Chan allows them such complete access. 

That monthly visit isn’t what really catches his eye. Your name is on the schedule and Soonyoung has you listed as the person who will be working with the vets to make sure they have the help they need. It’s standard, really, and Chan knows Soonyoung will be around as well. That man can never ignore a chance to chat with anyone that comes through regularly. Chan also knows that Soonyoung trusts you. There’s just something about your name that sends his stomach lurching without an explanation. Sure, you haven’t exactly been the warmest in the interactions with Chan, but you’re good at the jobs assigned. It’s like there’s something just on the edge of his consciousness about you. Something just out of reach. A connection that he should be able to make and can’t. At least, not yet. 

Even though he’s going to be very early, he sets off for the aquarium and tries to shake the feeling that there’s something about you he should see. He’s never been very good when he can’t solve a problem. You may present his most complex puzzle yet. 

It’s one of the best days since you first started volunteering at the aquarium. Somehow this is the first time you’ve gotten to see the vets there for a full day and it even makes you extend your own shift. Well, it’s partially influenced by Soonyoung’s offer to buy dinner if you’re still there when he gets finished. Mostly, though, you’re just fascinated watching the vets do their work. It’s interesting to see how willing the animals are to be still for tests and how it seems like they know what to expect. You know that animals are smart and they can learn. There’s something a little different about this, though. Not only do they seem to actually see the veterinarians, but they also actively wait their turns to be seen. 

At the end of the day, you’re a little tired and feeling very accomplished at the same time. Maybe all of Soonyoung’s energy is actually infectious because you find that you’re ready to go get dinner with your friend after work. His presence is somehow calming to you even in all of the chaos. Once you make sure everything is done, you change into the spare clothes you have with you. The last thing you want is to smell like fish and whatever else got on you over the course of the day. Then, you go to find your friend. 

“Hey, are you ready for dinner?” you ask without realizing that he’s standing with Chan.

“You guys have plans?” Chan asks with curiosity, looking from you back to Soonyoung.

Soonyoung looks incredibly apologetic. “I’m so sorry, but I completely forgot that it’s roomies night in and I can’t skip it because I missed the last one.” 

“Oh, that’s fine,” you say quickly and wave it off. 

“You should come! We always have a bunch of appetizers and stuff. I can’t remember what movie it is tonight, but it’ll be fun!” he says, as enthusiastic as ever. “I know I offered to buy dinner tonight…” 

“I appreciate it, Soonie, but I think I’m just going to get dinner and go home,” you say. “I’m going to hold you to your dinner offer, though.” 

“I was actually just about to go get something to eat myself,” Chan interrupts and you narrow your eyes. “I would be happy to get dinner for you as well as a thanks for everything you’ve been doing here.” 

“I don’t want to make…” you start, only to have Soonyoung cut across you.

“That’s so nice of you, Chan,” he says and turns to you. “You should go! He’s got the best taste in restaurants. I still think about the last time he took all the staff out.” 

“It’s really fine, I can just get something on my way home,” you say. 

“I insist,” Chan says with something unreadable on his face. “Please. Let me say thank you for jumping in so completely.” 

“Yeah, what reason could you have to say no?” Soonyoung asks with a smirk. That’s the other thing about your new friend. He can be such a shithead when he wants to be. Of course he’s using this to needle you about your dislike of the boss. It comes up at least once every time you’re at the aquarium (and plenty of times when you’re texting outside of work).

You sigh, knowing that there’s no easy way to get out of this. “Okay, let me just get my things and I’ll meet you at the entrance.” 

The walk from the aquarium to Chan’s favorite restaurant is outwardly quiet. It’s not entirely uncomfortable to walk in silence with you. Or, it wouldn’t be if your emotions weren’t screaming into the silence. The general annoyance that seems to be present any time Chan is in the same space as  you comes through loudest. There’s more now that it’s just the two of you outside of work now, too. He feels a kind of anger and distrust coming off of you along with confusion about why you feel any of these emotions. It takes time to separate that as your own confusion because Chan’s also confused. The two of you barely interact at work and yet your distaste for him rolls off of you in violent waves, like an angry ocean. It’s the only time he’s felt something like this from someone at work. Everyone else seems to like him at the very least. Something about you is very different. 

Thankfully, it’s harder for Chan to sense you once you get into the restaurant. It’s a little busier since it’s a weekend, but you still get seated right away. If you’re impressed with how Chan greets the staff like old friends, you don’t show it. Just sit down in the chair and accept the menu with a smile before disappearing behind it. Suddenly, this doesn’t really seem like the best idea. What does it matter if you don’t like him? 

“You don’t like me,” Chan announces a second later. He never has been able to let a mystery go unsolved. He’s also always prided himself on being able to work out a puzzle. He tries not to ever be as arrogant as his brother, though. 

That makes you peer across the table at him. When he thinks you’re not going to answer, you blurt out: “No, I don’t,” and seem genuinely surprised.

Chan chuckles and looks back at the menu. “At least you admitted it.” 

“I really don’t know why I just said that,” you carry on, setting your menu down. 

“Is it not true?” Chan asks. 

“No,” you say and that makes Chan raise his eyebrows. “I mean, it is true. I don’t really like you. I’m just not sure why…”

“Why you said it? Or why you don’t like me?” he presses.

“Both,” you say with a shrug. 

“Can I ask you something?” he wonders.

“You can,” you say. “I’m not gonna promise to answer if I don’t want to.” 

“That’s fair,” Chan says with a smile. “Why do you volunteer at the aquarium if you don’t like me?” 

“I like to be around the animals,” you say immediately. “I feel at peace.”

“You misunderstood part of what I was asking,” he says. Your eyes are wide. “Why not let me pay you if you don’t like me? You could be making money instead of offering your time for free.” 

That actually makes you laugh. Not a fake polite laugh, one of the real laughs he hears when Soonyoung gets you going. It’s a beautiful sound and it instantly reminds Chan of something. Or someone. He’s not really sure beyond wanting to hear it again. 

“You’re kind of funny. I’ll give you that,” you concede. 

“I’m glad you think so,” he says, eyes still glued to you. 

“I don’t know why it doesn’t feel right to take money for working at the aquarium. It just doesn’t,” you shrug. “It’s the first time in my life that I’ve ever really felt like I was where I’m supposed to be and I probably sound crazy saying it. But, I get to the aquarium and my brain gets quiet and it’s like a weight lifts off my chest.”

“You don’t sound crazy,” is all Chan can say for a second. 

He’s looking at you differently now and he’s not even concerned if you realize it. It’s like something clicks for him. Like he finally pinpoints what it is about you. Of course he didn’t realize at first. It’s so unbelievably uncommon that he never thought to look. But, there’s no denying it. The way you are around the aquarium, the way you seem to slot in like you’ve been there all along, the way he can read your emotions without trying. 

This isn’t your first life. He’s only seen it a handful of times since Olympus fell. The main gods of Olympus, like himself, were able to seek refuge on Earth. Other beings were not so lucky. Many managed one or two reincarnations, but more still just…ceased to exist. It’s something he and some of the others spent a lot of time working through in the beginning. It’s been over two hundred years since Chan came across a reincarnated soul. Yet, here you are. Sitting before him. There’s no mistaking it. Once upon a time, you had been a sea nymph in Olympus. Everything clicks into place when he acknowledges that. He knows the sea nymphs as well as he knows himself. It seems impossible that he wouldn’t recognize all the signs and mannerisms. Then again, he hasn’t come across a reincarnated sea nymph in a very long time. Centuries. 

“Are you okay?” you ask after a few moments. 

“Yeah, sorry,” he says and shakes his head. This isn’t the place to try to process this. “I just haven’t met anyone that could relate to the way I feel in a long time.” 

“You don’t think I’m crazy?” you ask, voice thick with hope. It’s the first time he’s been around you without feeling any negative emotions. 

“Not at all,” he assures you. “I should have known that you understood as well. I felt like you were a kindred spirit, but…”

“I’ve been cold?” you offer with a light laugh. 

“Cautious, I would say,” he disagrees. 

“Maybe we should just start over,” you suggest and that makes Chan smile. 

Dinner actually gets much livelier from there on out. Realizing your past allows Chan to entirely change his approach. Without saying anything before you’re ready, he lets his guard down. In doing so, he hopes that some part of you will realize the connection runs deep. It seems to work, even if it’s only a little. Curiosity becomes the most prominent emotion and he capitalizes on it. 

Chan is able to suggest some of the dishes that he really likes before you ask if you can just get a few things and share them. You’re asking questions about the aquarium and his life that he tries to answer in a way that sounds honest without inviting follow up questions. Instead, he finds himself wanting to know more about you. Despite your initial reluctance to talk too much about yourself, he gets you to open up to his questions. Each answer you give draws him in further. Gives more of a glimpse into you as a person. Nothing feels too small to learn. He wants to map each of your reactions to things you actually love to things that seem difficult to speak about. 

Before either of you realizes it, it’s been over two hours and the restaurant is starting to wind down. Of course, nobody rushes you since Chan knows everyone there by name. But, you still insist it’s probably best to head out. Surprisingly, he’s still only picking up on warmer emotions from you now and maybe that makes him a little bolder. 

“There’s this really great ice cream shop just a little walk that way,” he says as you’re exiting the restaurant. 

The sideways look you give him leaves him wondering if he’s misread the situation. Then, you’re smiling like you know a secret. “I’m shocked you eat dessert.” 

“Are you…are you checking me out?” he splutters. Very little manages to catch him off guard and you have him stumbling over a simple question. 

Without answering, you just laugh and start walking in the direction he indicated. When he doesn’t immediately follow, you look over your shoulder and call out to him. “Well? I thought we were getting ice cream.”

“You can’t just say shit like that and expect…” he starts as he hurries to catch up with you.

“Expect what?” you ask, actually poking out at his side. “I would bet my entire life savings that I’m not the first person to check you out.”

“Oh, so you were checking me out,” he says like he’s just won. 

“I think that’s only fair with how many times I’ve already caught you checking me out,” you fire back, effectively wiping the smug look of Chan’s face. 

It’s been a long time since someone challenged him the way you seem to. Now that you’re talking openly, it feels like he’s known you for years. There’s a comfort that he can’t remember feeling in centuries. It feels like you just implicitly understand a piece of them that he tries to hide in any other situation. 

Something whispers from the back of his mind, like a tickle of familiarity. He ignores it, though, in favor of getting to know the incredibly interesting person before him that doesn’t seem to hate him anymore. 

After having dinner with Chan, you start to look forward to your shifts for an entirely different reason. Yes, you still get the peace that comes along with being around so many beautiful animals and so much water. You also get to feel the pleasant shift of feelings when Chan is around. Instead of feeling like something gnaws at your consciousness, now you feel a warmth coursing through your body. It’s a little strange, too, because it’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before. 

Soonyoung notices the way you and Chan gravitate towards each other now and says nothing despite the knowing smile. You don’t have to ask him to know that he thinks it’s down to him insisting you get dinner together. He doesn’t comment, though, and you’re not going to give him the satisfaction. It’s hard to stop yourself from smiling, even when that makes Soonyoung smile even harder. It’s like he wants all the details of something that you don’t have many details on. At least, not at first. 

Hanging out with Chan outside of the aquarium becomes a regular thing, even on the days that you don’t go in. Each of you shows the other your favorite places in the area and you find yourself looking forward to that time more than anything else. Once or twice, you even consider asking Chan if he’s got a more full time position for you at the aquarium. You don’t quite realize you’re not living fully until something like this happens and so much more of life opens up before you. For now, though, you’ll settle for dragging him to a couple of food trucks that you love. He looks entirely out of place in his slacks and dress shirt, though at least he’s rolled up his sleeves. 

“So when are you going to come work with us full time,” he asks after sitting down with his food in front of him. He doesn’t ask you to work for him. Even his phrasing is considerate.

“Oh, well, I…” you stutter out.

“You don’t have to, of course,” he assures you. “I’ve just never met anyone that’s better at it than you and you’re not even there that often” 

“I have been considering it,” you admit. 

“What’s holding you back?” he asks. 

You take a bite to give yourself a minute to think about the answer to that. What is holding you back? Admittedly, you’ve never felt more at ease anywhere else. It’s increasingly harder to leave every time your shift is over. You look forward to when the next one will be. Have even added extra shifts when you can fit them in. There’s a part of you that also looks forward to seeing Chan. Although, you know that you could see him whenever you wanted. He always seems to make time for you. 

“I don’t know,” you finally say.

“Well, there’s a position waiting for you if you ever want it,” he says with a look on his face that you can’t quite read. 

“Why are you so patient with me?” you ask.

“Because we understand each other,” he answers a little too quickly. 

“It’s more than that,” you press, feeling, for the first time, like he’s keeping something from you. 

Chan sighs and sets his food down. “It is, but this isn’t the place to discuss it.” 

That catches you a little off guard. Thinking that there was more to the story and having him admit it so easily were two different things. “You’re not secretly in love with me or something, are you?”

He laughs at the look on your face and it eases a little of the tension. “I don’t think it’s a secret that I love being around you.” 

“No, I guess that’s true,” you say with your own laugh. 

“You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’ll tell you when we finish eating and we can leave. This kind of thing…well, it’s best to say to you somewhere that’s not so out in the open.”

That announcement surprises you, but it also excites you a little. It’s difficult not to rush through dinner, a fact that Chan picks up on and laughs about. Makes a joke about wanting to get him alone that has color rising on your cheeks. There’s an air of confidence about him despite whatever he’s going to share with you. It makes it a little easier for you to also be calm because it can’t be that bad. If it were bad, he would not seem so confident. 

After dinner, and a short back and forth, he takes you back to his apartment, which includes walking by the aquarium. Somehow, you’re still much more nervous than he seems to be. It seems like the most natural thing in the world for him to invite you back to see where he lives. He also seems quick to assure you that it’s not that he’s trying to get you alone. It just needs to be a space that is actually private. 

Despite any better judgment you may have, your curiosity is piqued. What is it that he has to say to you that others can’t overhear? Is he about to admit some crazy belief? Or tell you that somehow you were destined to meet? You’re not really sure what sort of comment might come once the two of you are alone, but you’re distracted the second you step into his apartment. It’s amazingly decorated. It feels both cozy and modern at the same time. It also feels so impossibly like him and the ocean combined into one. Maybe that’s saying the same thing. He does give you the impression of the water sometimes. 

Being inside of Chan’s personal space also feels surprisingly natural. He disappears off into the kitchen without a second thought and allows you to look around the space. When he returns, it’s with a drink for you as he encourages you to take a seat on his couch. It’s the most comfortable couch you’ve ever sat down on.

“How much do you know about the Gods of Olympus?” he asks without any preamble. Thankfully, you haven’t taken a drink yet. Otherwise, you might have spit it out.

“Like the stuff from mythology?” you ask. It’s so unexpected.

A little voice whispers in the back of your head asking if it’s really that unexpected. The truth is: you’ve always been incredibly fascinated by the myths. There’s a draw to them almost to the point of getting lost in them. But, are you going to admit that you’ve read all the books you could find and watched all the shows or movies? It’s only fantasy, really, when you think about it. You’ve bared a lot of your soul to Chan without meaning to. You’re not sure you want him to laugh at you about this. That same little voice comes back to ask if he would laugh. You’re not so sure.

“Not exactly,” he says with a knowing laugh. “You consume it though, don’t you? I can see it on your face.” 

“I - well, lots of people do, don’t they?” you ask noncommittally. 

“Not like you, I’d bet,” he answers, unbothered. 

“I guess it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure,” you finally admit. 

“I think it’s more than that,” Chan presses. 

“How can it be? They’re just myths after all,” you say.

“Do you believe that?” he asks and it’s like he’s challenging every one of your long held notions. 

“Chan, what did you want to tell me?” you ask.

“Let me tell you about Olympus as I remember it,” he says. 

“As you…remember it,” you say slowly. “Chan, what…”

“Just hear me out and let me tell you a story. You can decide afterwards if I’m crazy or if it makes everything fall into place,” he says. 

And he does tell you a story. It’s a story about the Gods of Olympus with more information thrown in than you’ve ever read in any story or seen in any movie. It’s at once more fantastical and somehow more believable than anything. There are parts that you recognize. Parts that seem to line up with the stories. And there are parts that feel entirely new. Parts that are deeply emotional and clearly difficult for Chan to say. You delight in the way his face lights up when he talks about the parties or living amongst the sea animals. Completely accept it at face value when he tells you about how his scouts used to be dolphins and how much he misses that. Your heart breaks when he talks about the fights with his siblings and the other Olympians. It all feels like you’re walking along beside him in his stories. 

It’s insane to think that any of this could be real. You keep telling yourself as you listen to the stories. But, it’s hard to remember that when you see the look on Chan’s face. There’s fondness when he talks about some of the sillier memories. Like he can’t believe that anyone was ever that ridiculous. There’s genuine pain as he tries to get through the more complicated parts. When it comes time to tell you about how Olympus fell, he chokes up. 

You believe him. It’s like something shifts and you can tell that he’s not crazy. He’s not delusional. He’s not on some crazy conspiracy theory. He was Poseidon once upon a time. The feelings of calm that you feel every time you walk into the aquarium wash over you. Like this is the only thing that’s ever made sense. That should be a little disorienting to take in all that information. Instead it feels like the most natural thing in the world.

Chan isn’t even done talking when you lean over and press your lips against his. You’re not even sure why you do it or if it’s the right thing to do. When you go to pull away, he puts his hand behind your head and holds you against him. Kisses you breathless like nobody has ever kissed you before. It feels instantly familiar and new all at the same time. Like something you may have done before. But, it also sends sparks flying through your entire body. 

“So, should I carry on with telling you how you fit into all of this?” he asks when the two of you break apart from the kiss. 

“Me?” you ask, still recovering from the impulsive act of kissing him. 

“Yes, you,” he says with a soft smile. 

“I’m just a person lucky enough to meet an actual god, what could I…” you start.

“You’re not just a person,” he contradicts with a frown.

“I’m not trying to diminish myself or anything,” you assure him, but he still shakes his head.

“Can I talk?” he asks without any exasperation, though you may deserve it. You just nod. “You’re not just a person. You’re…well, I’m not sure how it works, really. I’ve come across it so infrequently. You have the reincarnated soul of a sea nymph within you. Possibly even one I encountered in another life.” 

“How can that be?” you ask with wide eyes. “No, I’m just a normal person, I…” 

“If you think about it, it actually makes perfect sense,” he says and carries on.

It sounds so simple when he outlines it for you. He asks you about your connection with the ocean, talks about your instant familiarity with the aquarium and how at peace you feel. Points out that you never feel at peace in a swimming pool, though you’re sure you’ve never said that to him. He talks about your mood shifting when you’re away from the water for too long or the way that everything about the water just seems easier. He even laughs when you admit that once when you were on vacation, a dolphin came right up to you in the ocean and seemed like it wanted your attention. It’s also not the only time something like that happened. 

Everything starts to fall into place. It’s like decoding the last little cypher of your life up until that point and showing you memories in a different light. You wonder if you’ll be able to remember anything from being a sea nymph and Chan looks apologetic when he says he doesn’t think it’ll work like that. But, he admits he’s never gotten close enough to another reincarnated soul like this to fully be able to answer it. The excitement drowns out a small voice in the back of your head that’s urging you to move cautiously. Urging you to consider if all of this really sounds right. 

You can’t really help the way your bodies seem to be drawn to each other. Many more kisses follow now that the invisible barrier seems broken. When he’s not kissing you, Chan runs his hands along whatever part of you that he can reach. 

Eventually, you don’t really want to talk. It seems absentminded, the way that Chan runs his fingers along your arm or squeezes your thigh. It’s driving you insane, though, and you need to know if he’s feeling as bothered as you are. 

“How much are you paying attention to this conversation?” you ask.

“Uh…” he says, eyes widening a bit at the question. It’s the first time he’s looked remotely out of control. 

“You’re driving me crazy,” you whine and look at his hand gripping your thigh. 

That causes his look to change entirely. He’s not out of control anymore. Now he looks a bit smug. “Oh, I’m driving you crazy?”

“Yes,” you admit without a second thought.

“I thought you weren’t even sure if you liked me?” he presses and you huff out a breath.

“I already kissed you, Chan. I think it’s clear I’m not on the fence anymore,” you say.

“Maybe I should show you my bedroom,” he says and stands.

You take his outstretched hand without hesitation. “Finally.” 

The two of you get through the doorway into his bedroom and he doesn’t even bother pretending to give you a tour. He only turns around to face you, crowding your space and forcing you back into the doorframe. He takes your face in his hands and kisses you hard. It’s not desperate, it’s perfectly controlled. Nobody has ever kissed you like this before. At least nobody that you can remember. His body presses tight against yours until you’re gasping for breath. Still, he doesn’t let you relax. He’s proving a point. If you thought he was driving you crazy earlier, it’s nothing to this. 

You gasp into his mouth when he moves a hand to hitch one of your legs around his hip. Gasp again when he does the same to your other leg and he’s balancing you against the doorframe. It seems impossible that he’s this strong. Maybe that’s part of being a god because he also barely seems to lose his breath as he keeps kissing you. You’re not usually so content to let someone else lead, but it’s so easy with him. It helps that nothing is frantic. Even though he’s driving you crazy, you love that it doesn’t feel rushed. Love that he’s really taking his time with you.

It could be minutes that Chan kisses you or it could be hours and you’re not really sure if you would know the difference. When he sets you down, it feels like an immediate loss. At least until he pulls you towards the bed. Only his eyes give away how badly he wants you. They’re dark with lust that you’re sure your own eyes reflect back at him. 

“Is this still okay?” he asks, voice thick with desire. You nod. “I need to hear you say it.”

“Yes, Chan. I want this,” you assure him. 

Thankfully it’s the only reassurance that he needs. He gently pushes you back onto his bed and immediately gets to work pulling your clothing off you. His eyes drink in every mark on your body and for the first time, you’re not self conscious. You don’t feel like there’s something wrong with you and it has nothing to do with the way he looks at you. Though, it doesn’t hurt that his desire only grows as he peels your clothing off. No, there’s just this inexplicable comfort with him. That voice in the back of your head quiets. You’re not sure if it’s because you’re so in the moment or because this is actually right. You’re not really sure it matters. 

When Chan steps back from you, you have the briefest moment of insecurity. It’s gone the next moment when he starts to undo the buttons on his shirt. Actually, your entire mind goes blank. If Chan was beautiful with clothes on, it’s nothing to seeing him removing his shirt. You know that he can change his appearance at will and know that it’s how he’s fit into places this long. So, you know that it might not be entirely him, but you’re not sure you care. Your eyes travel over the scars he still has. Probably remnants of real scars over the years. Somehow the imperfections make him more perfect in your eyes. You’re so caught up in looking at the scars that you miss him removing the rest of his clothing until he’s approaching you.

“Sit back,” he instructs.

You do as he asks without even thinking twice about it. That, at least, makes a voice stir in the back of your mind. Makes you wonder why you’re so content to do as he asks. When he climbs onto the bed and settles between your legs, the voice goes quiet again. He peppers up your leg and down the other with feather light kisses. He doesn’t draw out the build up, though. 

Chan runs a finger carefully through your folds and it makes you shudder. He watches your body carefully as he does it again, like he’s trying to map your reactions to everything. Like he wants to know exactly how to make you come undone. It’s such a simple action that works you up. When he licks into your pussy, you think it’s your new favorite feeling. It makes your entire brain go fuzzy. You don’t even realize that you’re arching your back until one of his hands snakes up your stomach to press you back into place. 

It’s almost too much, the way he works you over. He’s constantly changing the pace and his movements. His mouth moves up to suck on your clit and his finger moves down to pump into your pussy in lazy motions. The contrast of the movements makes you squirm. When you feel like you’re getting close to an orgasm, he switches it up again and pulls you back from the edge. Over and over again. He keeps switching up his attention every time you feel yourself getting close. 

“Chan, oh my fucking god,” you groan. “I’m going to die if you don’t let me come.” 

“Well, you got one thing right,” he says, pulling away from your pussy. “I am a god.”

“I hate you,” you say without any heat.

He pulls himself up your body so that he’s hovering over you, entirely too close. You can see the way your juices cover his lips. He eyes you greedily and it’s the hottest thing in the world. It’s even hotter when he lets you pull him down on top of you and kiss him. You moan into his mouth when he ruts his hard length against your thigh. 

When he pulls back, you know that you lost whatever game you’re playing. “Doesn’t seem like you hate me.” 

“Just please fuck me,” you say, completely breathless. 

“Anything you want,” he says. 

You gasp when he leans forward again to capture your lips in a bruising kiss. Everything about him seems so in control. Yet, you can feel how much he wants you, too. It’s obvious that you’re not alone in wanting this and that he’s just better at controlling the situation. 

Somehow, as he’s kissing you, he manages to spread your legs apart underneath him. It’s embarrassing the way you chase his lips when he pulls back. Or it would be if you didn’t meet his eyes to see all the desire reflecting back at you. He repositions so that he’s between your legs again and lines himself up at your entrance. Chan runs his tip through your folds while he watches for your reaction. It’s all you can do to stop yourself from wiggling to urge him to work faster. Nothing he does is fast, though, and why would this be any different. Slowly, he presses himself into you. Even as you’re begging him for more, he inches into you instead of snapping his hips forward. 

Finally, after what seems like minutes (and is probably only seconds), he’s fully buried and it’s the best feeling in the world. Your fingertips dig into his shoulders as he adjusts his position. Then, he pulls almost all the way about before snapping back in and your mind goes blank again. Like nothing else exists apart from the two of you, the sound of his skin on yours, and the words shared between you. Praise spills from Chan’s lips as you’re just asking for more and more of him. 

This time, he doesn’t bring you right to the edge only to pull you back. He picks up his pace and has you coming so hard that you see stars without warning. You’re so thankful that you don’t immediately realize that he doesn’t pull out of you. He stills himself inside you and peppers gentle kisses all over your face as you work through the orgasm. 

He’s definitely not so gentle once the aftershocks work through your body. 

In one motion, he has you in his arms and in a completely different position. It’s a level of strength and speed you’re not expecting. You’re sitting up now and about to protest that you don’t have the energy to fuck him like this, when he does the work for you. Even though you’re straddling his lap, he plants his feet and thrusts into you. It’s a slightly slower pace than you’re expecting. Just enough that you feel the tension building, but not enough for it to do anything. At least for you. You’re not sure about Chan. 

You can’t help it. All you want to do is kiss him so that he knows how good this feels. Not that he really needs more of an indication. You think he can probably read your body pretty well. The first time with someone new is usually awkward. This has been anything but. He knows exactly what you need and just how far he can push you before it’s too much.

And that really does seem true. You’re just about to go into overstimulated territory when he changes the position again. You get the briefest of breaks for him to settle behind you. It could be as innocent as cuddling until he hikes your leg up and presses his length into you without warning.

“Chan, jesus fuck,” you cry out. 

“You’re being so good for me, baby,” he coos into your ear. “Can you be good for just a little longer?”

“Yes,” you pant. 

“Even if I fuck you hard?” he asks, experimentally picking up his pace.

“Yes, please, just…fuck,” you yell out as he snaps into you harder.

“So perfect,” he murmurs into your skin. 

His thrusts immediately get faster and you can tell he’s ready to stop dragging it out. He’s still doing more than his share of the work and it’s insane to realize how much stamina he seems to have. The new angle allows him to hit you deeper than before. You’re already so worked up that it’s not long before he’s pushing you into your second orgasm. This time, he follows right behind you, erratically thrusting as his breath stutters by your ear. 

He collapses behind you, but still holds you close against his chest. Your breathing matches his without even thinking about it. Neither one of you really needs to say anything to know that it was something completely unexpected. You can’t remember ever having better sex than with him. Leave it to Chan to ruin you for anyone else that could possibly try to come after him.

Eventually, Chan pulls himself out and off the bed. He holds out his hand to help you into the bathroom with him. You make a joke about how you don’t have another round in you and his smile is instant. His features go soft when he says he just wants to help you clean up. 

(That doesn’t hold true for the next morning since he insists you should sleep over. You may be incredibly sore afterwards. You also know that you don’t care. In that moment, you think you would let Chan fuck you senseless for the rest of your life without complaining. Who cares if you’re a little sore? You’ve never felt so connected to someone in your entire life. And he just happens to be one of the gods of Olympus.)

Things seem to fall into place quickly for you and Chan after he shares his past with you. It’s like the last two puzzle pieces in an absurdly complicated puzzle. One of those ones where the pieces aren’t in the standard square shapes. Yet, now that you’re perfectly slotted together, it’s like you’ve been that way your whole lives. The two of you are together more often than you’re not. Late nights exploring or staying up until the early hours of the morning talking. Lazy mornings wrapped up in the covers of the bed (where you actually get Chan to spend more time away from the aquarium than he ever has before). Chan doesn’t even really have time to overthink anything.

His biggest win comes when you finally admit that you’re ready to leave your boring job and come to work at the aquarium full time. That only takes a few weeks after he tells you that you were a sea nymph in a former life. He’s still even a little at the complete lack of pushback on it. You accept it just as easily as you accept that he was Poseidon once upon a time. And you’re not accepting it in the way someone does to pacify a crazy person. That much is clear with how much more time you spend anywhere that Chan is. Somehow, the rest of Chan’s staff doesn’t even seem to comment on how quickly you become inseparable. Soonyoung seems to be smiling even more than usual (a feat Chan didn’t think possible). But, otherwise everyone just accepts the new normal. Everyone seems thrilled to have you around more permanently and that makes Chan’s heart constrict. 

He doesn’t have time to think about any of it. Until he does, very suddenly, think about all the feelings you bring up in him.

Chan is careful with relationships. He’s friendly with his staff, but they’re not really friends (despite Soonyoung’s best efforts). He doesn’t get to know anyone at any of the places he shops or have any hobbies where he interacts with people. It can get lonely if Chan thinks too closely about it, but what is the alternative? People’s lives are finite, measurable. Chan’s is not. At least, it hasn’t been yet. There are no signs he’s slowing down over the many centuries he’s been through. Then there’s you. You who are very much human. Though, it’s been a long time since he’s come across another reincarnated Olympian. There isn’t a rule book for how those lives go and there’s never been one that Chan stuck by long enough to find out. 

The real question, though, is whether he’s willing to stick around this time to see how it works. Is he willing to risk everything only to figure out that you’re merely a mortal? That you’re going to fall victim, if you’re lucky, to the curse all humans succumb to? That’s if you’re lucky enough to live to old age and something else doesn’t happen before then. Human life is so fragile. It’s a lot to process. More so since he’s not really talking to you about how he’s feeling. 

You notice. Of course you notice. Chan starts to get a little more distant as weeks turn into months. He’s still physically present with you and he still tries to act like everything is fine. But, he can feel it in the shift of your moods. Doubt creeps in and he gets snippets of your feelings or even your thoughts. It isn’t fair and he knows that it’s not. He knows he has to talk to you instead of just acting like everything is normal. 

“Are you ready to talk to me yet?” you ask one evening when you’re sitting on his couch with your feet in his lap. 

He stops scrolling through something on his phone and looks over at you. Somehow, you always seem to know when it’s best to apply just a little pressure. Knows his moods and senses when he’s ready to talk about something. There’s no use in acting like he doesn’t know what you mean.

“It’s nothing you’ve done,” he starts and you smile.

“Oh, I know that,” you assure him. That makes him laugh. It’s you all over. 

“It’s just…I don’t usually let myself get close to anyone,” he starts and your eyebrows knit in confusion.

“Bit late for that, isn’t it?” you say with an attempt at a joke, though it doesn’t quite land.

“I think we both know you’re special,” he says quickly to reassure you. “It’s just…well, there’s a reason for that. Human life is so fleeting.”

“Ah, yes,” you say with a wry smile, “because you’re ancient.”

“Enough,” he chastises without any real heat. 

“Sorry,” you say and throw up your arms.

“I am kind of ancient, though. Not in this body since I’m always changing forms, but in mind. I’ve been around a long time and you…” he says and trails off.

“You’re so sure I have an expiration date?” you ask.

“You’re human,” he says simply.

“And also have the soul of a reincarnated sea nymph,” you remind him. As if he could ever forget. 

“I know,” he concedes. “But I don’t know what that means for your…”

“Life expectancy?” you offer. There’s something almost detached and also calming about the way you say it. “You can’t say for sure that I won’t live beyond a normal human life, either.”

“No, I can’t,” he says. “I’ve never wanted to stick around another reincarnated soul the way I can’t seem to let you out of my sight.”

“Doesn’t that mean it’s worth at least considering?” you ask. 

There’s nothing desperate or emotional about the way you approach the conversation. It’s all based in fact and the information in front of you. As much as you and Chan like to go out on dates, you also like to sit with him while he tries to do research. Both of you want to understand what your soul means for the rest of your body. You want to understand why sometimes he can feel your mood or even hear some of your louder thoughts. It’s fun when you can control it and send something disruptive towards Chan. Fun for you, at least. He doesn’t always appreciate the image of what you want to do to him while he’s trying to do something at work. 

So, you go through all the knowns with him again. Go over everything that you’ve learned. Go through the questions you have unanswered and where there might be more information. You talk things through logically in a way that feels familiar to him. Chan finds himself getting lost in his amazement at your brain and the way you process information. It’s also incredible to him to watch you work through a problem. It lulls him into a place that he hasn’t been in since…

And that’s when it clicks. That’s when he realizes. You’re not just a reincarnated sea nymph. No, it’s much deeper than that. He knows your soul more intimately than he knows his own. He can’t believe that he didn’t see it right away. Can’t believe he’s had you in his bed for months now without realizing.

“You’re not listening anymore,” you comment. You don’t seem upset, only curious. It’s like you want to know where his mind goes.

“No, I’m sorry,” he says and you wave it off. “It’s just, well, I figured out who you used to be.” 

“Uh,” you say, clearly missing a piece. “Yeah? A reincarnated sea nymph? We’ve already covered this.” 

“No,” he disagrees. That makes you raise your eyebrows. “Well, you are, but you’re also more than that. Your soul, it’s…”

“What is it, Chan?” you ask, full attention focusing on him. 

“I should have known. You feel so familiar, like I’ve known you for years,” he says and it’s like he’s talking to himself. “It’s not just some ordinary sea nymph’s soul…”

“Yes, because sea nymphs are so ordinary,” you say with a scoff. “Like people every day are just coming across sea n-”

“It’s Amphitrite’s soul,” he finishes and that stops you mid sentence. Your eyes lock onto his, wide and wondering. 

“Amphitrite? As in Goddess of the sea, most prominent of the sea nymphs and wife of…” she says and can’t seem to finish the sentence.

“Poseidon. The one true love of my life, yes,” he says. 

If you think anything of him referring to Amphitrite as the one true love of his life, you don’t say anything. You go into a contemplative silence. Like if you think hard enough, you may be able to remember her or the relationship with Poseidon. Who knows? Maybe you can. Try as he might, Chan can’t seem to think of a single instance where something like this has happened before. Doesn’t remember someone like Hera returning in this way. He also can’t think of any reason why you would return now, after all this time. Unless this is just the first time he’s found you. There are far more questions than answers. 

“This…changes things,” you say.

“Does it?” he asks. 

“Doesn’t it?” you immediately return. 

“I don’t know,” he admits. “It’s like it suddenly makes sense in a way I wasn’t expecting. But, it also feels…more complicated.” 

“Complicated, how? I mean, you were in love with Amphitrite and I assume she, or I, was also in love with you,” you say. “Doesn’t that explain this pull we have to each other?” 

“Our relationship was incredibly complicated,” he says softly. “I have…many regrets about how I handled things when it came to her. And I also can’t wrap my brain around her reappearing after so many years or what that means for you.”

“Why don’t we just start at the beginning? Tell me about your relationship,” you prompt.

“There are parts that were ugly,” he says without meeting your eye. 

The couch shifts and dips as you get closer to him. You lift his chin up gently so he’s looking at you. “The fact that you can admit parts were ugly or that you have regrets shows you’ve learned. So, tell me the whole story and then we’ll go from there.” 

So, he starts talking. 

It starts at the beginning. He was at a celebration when he saw Amphitrite dancing among the other Nereids, the daughters of Nereus, who was also known as the Old Man of the Sea. There had been other consorts before her, but he was instantly smitten. She symbolized everything beautiful and kind about the sea. Everything that he could ever want. So, he approached her father before ever approaching her and asked for her hand. Her father was, understandably, thrilled. It seemed like there was no better match than to allow Poseidon himself to marry one of his daughters. In hindsight, that was absolutely the wrong way to go about it. She should have been given a say in her own life rather than treated like property by her father and the man who claimed to love her. 

Chan talks about what he can remember of their courtship as honestly as he can. From his perspective, everything went wonderfully. After all, why shouldn’t she have been thrilled that he wanted to marry her. Once he had nothing but time to think back on what he had done, he realized that she had not seemed all that interested. It was more like she was going through the motions because she had to. He tried to include her in everything that he could so she would see what her life could be like. Maybe that had been the wrong choice. But, she was a natural when it came to hosting or offering opinions in meetings. At the time, it made him happy to see how well she settled in. Now, it just felt like she had been forced into a life she never wanted.

As the wedding itself got closer, she fled to the far reaches of the ocean. It was a dolphin scout of his that finally managed to find her. He never knew what his scout said to her that made her return. He only knew what he told the scout. They never spoke about it once she came back. She simply returned, assured him she had only been nervous about how important he was, and said she wanted to get married still. So, he also acted like nothing happened, which he knows was as wrong as he could have been. He does think that he tried to be a better partner to her after that, though he’s not sure he succeeded. When he had to make decisions between what might be best for her and what might be best for his position, he chose himself. He also chose the sea over her when he had to make those choices. It was never fair to her. 

Somehow, through all of that, he did really grow to love her. He valued her beyond what he showed. He appreciated her for her unfailing kindness and her insistence when she knew she was right. He appreciated her wit and her mind. He appreciated the way that she was never afraid to tell him what she thought or to let him know when he was making the wrong decision. He appreciated that she didn’t just bend over backwards for him or fawn over him. He only realized after she was gone that he never appreciated her the way that she deserved to be appreciated. Once he lost her, he realized that he should have done anything in the world to protect her. He realized he should have given her the entire sea and made her the ruler because she was far smarter than he had realized. 

You only listen intently without interrupting. In the few moments where Chan looks at you, he struggles to figure out what you’re thinking. Not that you won’t tell him. He knows you will. It’s just very daunting to speak that long without you interjecting. When he stops speaking, you’re still quiet for a moment. 

“I think…Chan, I think I’m starting to remember,” you say with wide eyes. 

And that’s the last thing he expects to hear. He figures you may tell him that he’s horrible for putting someone he claims to have loved through that. Or you could say that it sounds far-fetched to think she’s not just a sea nymph, but a specific nymph that he was deeply in love with. He doesn’t expect for you to look at him in wonder and say you’re remembering. That’s another unknown in this entire mess of a situation. 

Before he can consider if this is something that should even be possible, your lips crash into his. There are so many emotions behind that kiss that he can’t begin to process. There’s longing and a long-forgotten love. There’s excitement about returned memories. There’s the sparks that always fly between you two. The mix of the established feelings with ones Chan never expected to feel again is startling. So, he just lets his mind wander. He lets the feeling of kissing you consume him so thoroughly that it pushes any other conversation out the window. All that exists in that moment is the two of you, however you want to define that. 

The excitement of finding out a long forgotten identity wears off far quicker than you expect it to. Not that you have any frame of reference for this sort of thing. But, surely it should last longer than this. Longer than it takes for you to fall into bed with Chan again. Longer than it takes for him to worship your body as he’s done before and for him to bring you to an orgasm so good it has you screaming. Somehow, in the post-sex haze, he doesn’t realize that you’re quieter than usual. Perhaps that’s a blessing. He kisses you so softly, so sweet and tells you that he’s going to do some research. That’s fine, you insist, because you want to get back home to really get a good night’s sleep. It seems unspoken that he wants to let you process.

But…well, you’re not really sure if you’re still okay with the information. It’s like having sex this time triggered a new flood of memories. Some come across as clearly as if it was something you directly experienced. Others come through more as feelings than anything else. And it’s a lot. Overwhelming in a way that nothing else has been. It’s how you expected to react to finding out that all those myths you were so drawn to were actually real. That feels easy to accept, especially now. Remembering is something else entirely. Because remembering Amphitrite’s experiences as your own just feels complicated. 

Maybe it’s wrong to think of her as a separate person if her soul lives within you. That part isn’t hard to accept, not when you can feel it. The hard part is accepting the feelings about Chan. The memory pushes back on you calling him that. Accepting is also the wrong word. The hard part is reconciling the person you’ve gotten to know with the memories that come flooding back. 

Then, almost as if on cue, that whispering voice returns. It reminds you of how you felt when you first met Chan. Of the distaste you had without being able to place it. Which is true, isn’t it? You didn’t like him without any reason beyond just a feeling. The voice presses memories onto you. Things you actually experienced with Chan mixed in with scenes between Poseidon and Amphitrite. The more you see, the more it feels like your own memories. Like something that you took part in directly. 

It’s putting it mildly to say that things are complicated. There is clear affection there for the person that Amphitrite got to know. Although it’s clear she did not love Poseidon from the beginning, she grew into much stronger feelings. Yet, she can’t separate those fully. She can’t say for sure that the feelings would develop on their own. Did she just love him? Or was it because she, at times, had little contact with anyone outside their palace? Though, that was largely her own choice as things went on. There were too many things to do at home to leave. And there was too much unrest.

Yes, it feels complicated. Now your own memories or the past few months mingle with decades of memories from someone else. You can’t decide if you want to push your own memories aside to make room for the returning ones or keep them side by side. Your new memories don’t really seem to fit, though. Which isn’t surprising. The person you know isn’t the same one that Amphitrite knew. He’s grown in ways that she can scarcely understand or imagine. He’s thoughtful and considerate and much more mature. That doesn’t sit perfectly with the memories. Although, you can tell that there’s a part of the lingering voice that appreciates the growth. Maybe even feels a little responsible for it. Wants to believe that she’s part of the reason he made the changes. 

By the time you make it back to your apartment, your head feels like it’s going to split open. You’re no closer to any answers about what you want to do. No closer to reconciling incredibly complex feelings. No closer to the next step. That’s fine, though. All you can really do now is let yourself drift off to sleep and revisit 

The morning, unfortunately, doesn’t bring answers. You’re not sure how to approach Chan other than to ask for time to process your feelings. That seems like as good a place to start as any because it’s a lot to take in. He must know that. Surely he’ll understand. Even though you seemingly accepted the news yesterday, it’s a new day today. And your brain is fighting to catch up. 

You’re trying to figure out how to approach the conversation with Chan when you make your way through the apartment. A piece of paper by your front door catches your eye and you approach it. You pick up the envelope and recognize the writing on the front of it as Chan’s. There’s something so impossibly him about the gesture. Of course he would write a letter instead of…wait. A moment too late, your brain catches up. Why would Chan be writing you a letter? What changed?

Opening the letter feels close to the last thing you want to do. But, you know that you need to just open it to see what’s going on. See if anything changes. 

A lot can change overnight, it seems. Chan fills the letter with apologies for things you can’t even begin to understand. He’s apologizing to you and also to Amphitrite. It seems he got to the conclusion much faster than you, which shouldn’t be surprising. He’s had centuries, apparently, to learn and to spot things others may never notice. That’s especially clear as you read through his letter, now. 

Getting past the general apologies, you find more specific apologies. He’s incredibly sorry, but he’s going to be leaving for a while. He knows that it’s not fair to you, but it’s something that he’s got to do. At least he acknowledges that it should ultimately be your decision on how to proceed with the relationship. He can’t let you do that without more answers to his questions. He needs to know how it’s possible for Amphitrite’s soul to have found its way into your body. He needs to understand what that means for your own mortality. It’s selfish, he admits, so incredibly selfish, but he can’t move forward with you, even if that’s what you want, without knowing more. He can’t watch as you age and he doesn’t. Can’t grow to love you more and more only to know you have an expiration date. It’s cold, he knows, to say it that way. It’s also the way he’s going to approach it. The whole letter is filled with apologies and acknowledgements followed by buts. 

Chan goes on to say that he’s going looking for his brother, Zeus. He’s the only one that might be able to help them understand what’s happening. The problem is that he hasn’t seen his brother in centuries and doesn’t entirely know how to find him, or if he’s even still surviving. He just has to trust that he’s out there somewhere, going through the same motions as Chan and chugging forward in the only way either of them know how. Somehow this tidbit is a lot to process. Accepting the existence of Poseidon was easy. Maybe that’s because of your own past. Accepting Zeus is something else entirely. Some of that stems from your own disbelief. Most seems to come from Amphitrite’s complicated feelings about her brother-in-law.

Just as you’re about to put the letter down in frustration, you see the postscript. Chan asks you to help his staff look after the aquarium until he returns. He knows that it’s not fair to ask. He knows you may even say no. Your heart tightens at the thought of the animals without Chan. Now that you know who he is, you know that they’ll miss him when he’s not around. You don’t have powers the way he does, though. And it’s his choice to just leave on a whim to chase answers for a relationship that may not even be there when he returns. 

Well, two can play this game, you think. It may not be a fully rational thought. It may not even be fair. Before you can overthink it, you send a text to Soonyoung saying that you’ll be out of town for the next few weeks, at least. You just tell him that you have some things to work through and leave it at that. In the meantime, you throw things haphazardly into a suitcase and you’re out the door before even getting a response.

Your letter from Chan stays sitting on your table as you rush out of the apartment without a second thought. All you know is that you’re going to let Amphitrite guide you on a journey of your own to find missing memories before you make any more decisions. 

It seems like both of you have a lot to figure out before you see each other next.

[film-in-my-soul]

The Face of Hextech | 1,957 | AppleSharon / @applesharonfiction

Summary: Jayce likes serving Viktor’s sweetmilk in the Man of Progress mug because sometimes Viktor looks down at the picture and laughs. He makes it a point to ensure that Viktor’s brown mug becomes a holder for pens, pencils, his compass, and other assorted stationary. It’s unfair that Viktor doesn’t have a mug, Jayce thinks. It’s unfair that people don’t recognize Viktor for the brilliant person he is. After receiving a mug with his face on it at their hexgate celebration party, Jayce wants to make sure that Viktor receives the recognition he deserves. Based on this art commissioned by the LoL Germany account where Jayce drew Viktor's face on a mug.

your heart was on fire bright | 4,667 | adoctoraday / @crownofstardustandbone

Summary: It's just Sunday dinner, it shouldn't be this hard for Jayce to open his mouth and ask Viktor to come, but somehow it feels even scarier than it'd been to stand before the Council and risk banishment.

Your Past is Always Close Behind | 7,442 | Miikado

Summary: After his time in the wastelands of Piltover, Jayce is thrown back further in the past then he intended, and finds himself standing in front of a version of his partner, before they invented Hextech. Maybe he has more options than he'd thought. And maybe, just maybe, he can allow himself to be cared for, for once. “There will be time for questions later… Come.” Viktor holds out a hand, helping the other man to his feet with some difficulty. “You need a bath.”

High Hawk Season | 9,959 | JeanLuciferGohard / @thefaustaesthetic

Summary: Three weeks, and the south-facing side of his apartment is still missing, and they won’t even let him sleep there with a tarp tacked over it, because the ‘structure of the building was compromised’ and it’s ‘not fit for habitation’, as if student housing, even student housing on the Kiramann’s dime, ever had any claim on habitability in the fucking first place. “I've been sleeping at the lab, Viktor.” (which he probably would’ve done anyway, but it’s matter of principle–it’s–okay, it’s fundamental question of free will and fair housing practices and not having to live with his mother, who publicly called him a lunatic) Sometimes, you are a genius, and a sizable explosion knocks out most of your living space, and you end up living with your research partner, and it's only weird if you make it weird.

(see more recommendations below!)

Another Bite for Our Hextech Dream | 12,969 | virtualbugs

Summary: “Have you eaten recently?” It seemed to catch Viktor by surprise. The man paused, his eyes getting glazed over for a moment as the gears in his head started turning again and he thought about the question. “I, uh, cannot recall.” Viktor had been getting thinner and more exhausted throughout the years, replacing basic human needs with magic and metal. Jayce couldn't help but get worried.

All that I am | 20,441 | FatherBroken / @fatherbroken

Summary: The distant look in the Mage’s eyes snapped to the gap of the roof, to the near-silent tuttering of other, watchful machines down below. “No, it doesn’t matter. You will be safe up here. It should be simple enough, to lay protective wards into the earth of the tower. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he vowed. Promises held no impetus in this world, where nothing happened, nothing changed. The Machine reset its position on its knees and replaced its hands on the weapon of a fallen era. I can’t stop you from making useless promises, can I? Somehow, without doing anything, the Machine had gained a visitor and protector.

Observational Studies | 7,573 | begaydocrimes10001

Summary: It is difficult to understand a person like Viktor. He is the smartest person Jayce knows, that's for certain, but it's difficult to say anything for certain beyond that. He's proud of his work, but he outright rejects any opportunities to brag about his work at galas. He's cold and sharp when he interacts with people, but he makes time to think about every child in the Undercity. He's mesmerizing, but he's also the guy who will whack Jayce in the shins if Jayce makes one more wrong remark about an equation. Jayce can't help but fall for him. (A collection of moments where Jayce learned more about Viktor as a person. It is hard not to observe someone as unique as Viktor; it is harder not to fall in love with him.)

Run It Back | 11,224 | spqr

Summary: The first thing Jayce sees when he wakes up is Viktor, frowning at him. “Jayce,” Viktor says, with that same cautious patience he gets when he wanders into the lab to find some contraption of Jayce’s half-built on the table and he doesn’t know whether he can touch it without running the risk of blowing himself up. “What did you do?” (or: Jayce builds a time loop after the council attack, and Viktor dies again. and again and again and again.)

Better Hypothetical | 15,186 | Miikado

Summary: Jayce Talis joins the Piltover Academy to work on his research, and meets his new lab partner. It’s all downhill from there. OR : Jayce and Viktor start working together under different circumstances, the struggles of getting along and the inevitability of finding each other

Ivory Tower | 30,051 | aban_asaara / @aban-asaara

Summary: Knowing that Viktor’s dying anyway should’ve made it easier, but it doesn’t. They should’ve had their entire lives spread out in front of them. Should’ve kept changing the world one eureka at a time. Should’ve returned the favour and made Viktor’s dream a reality. Helped him. Helped Zaun. Jayce waits. And waits. And waits. Following Jinx’s attack on the Council, Viktor slips into a strange, unnatural coma. It falls to Jayce to release him.

Imagine Being Loved By Me | 8,285 | FourOddApples / @fouroddapples

Summary: “If I didn’t know any better I would think you are trying to make me blush.” Behind Viktor’s ostensibly joking tone, their eyes meet again, and Jayce’s throat goes a little dry at the focused intensity of them. Alright. This…is admittedly not quite the direction he was originally planning to take this. Doesn’t mean he’s not willing to take a chance like this if it is offered to him so freely. “Is it working?” Or: Jayce, a young man from Zaun with no prospects and a scientifically inclined mind, decides to take his future into his own hands. In a stolen academy uniform at a party, he meets a Councillor’s son named Viktor who makes him question what he thought he knew about topsiders—and who is just overall very distracting.

the only living boy in piltover | 11,215 | weatheredlaw / @weatheredlaw

Summary: There is a beautiful stranger sitting on Jayce’s favorite bench. or: jayce and viktor meet. time passes and it doesn't. not everything is as it seems.

And It's Called Black Magic | 12,068 | beta_mackerel

Summary: Hogwart's potions master Viktor could never have expected this. How was he supposed to know that Jayce Talis, genius, golden boy extraordinaire, and fellow professor would be foolish enough to eat the love potion-filled chocolates he'd confiscated from a student? But he can fix this. All he has to do is slip Jayce the antidote without him knowing and forget about the love-sick puppy looks he's been giving him all day. It should be fine. Right?

High-Viscosity | 12,629 | capyshota

Summary: Jayce knows having a plumber over is like… the sex cliche, but he’s never even thought about fucking a client, let alone actually done it. His job isn’t sexy, it’s dirty, and kind of boring, and those things don’t usually spur hot fantasies for him. But smartly dressed older men with indiscernible European accents, he’s come to realize, definitely do.

maximum capacity | 14,537 | Sinister_Queer

Summary: Jayce is everything Viktor ever wished for in a partner: intelligent, kind, strong, handsome and — … well, he has everything Viktor ever hoped for and he fully intends to enjoy it to the fullest. (AKA the fic where Viktor is a size king and Jayce happily indulges.)

singular focus | 14,797 | Sinister_Queer

Summary: Jayce has always back-burnered relationships in favor of chasing his dreams - putting the possibility of love and connection aside again and again until the day he looks up from his work and realizes with sudden clarity that he is a 30 year old virgin. And Viktor has some thoughts on how to fix that. (AKA: the virgin!Jayce fic that needed to be purged from my mind like an exorcism.)

Your Hands on My Body | 15,274 | UndercityViktor / @undercityviktor

Summary: *Viktor voice* "I present to you...": A Modern AU with Jayce working as a physio and sports massage therapist after crashing out of medical school, and Viktor, who works at the university and researches and builds bionic prosthetics etc. After he is referred to Jayce for a sports massage, Viktor unwillingly goes and finds that it’s not as much hokum as he was expecting… Chill Modern AU where everyone is pretty happy, and no one gets hurt and there's no big drama, just found family taking care of each other. *Rating has gone up from Teen to Explicit, so please be mindful of that.*

the 7 years between (and a bit of the after) | 16,440 | yellow813

Summary: Jayce falls in love with Viktor in the small moments tucked within those seven years together. He doesn't realize until it's too late. Or; The events of Arcane told through Jayce's eyes.

And They Were Roommates | 18,252 | Neibba

Summary: “That is just how Jayce is, Sky.” Viktor argued. “There is nothing about him that even hints he is anything other than straight. He brought home literal Barbie last night, she did the walk of shame out of our apartment this morning.” “Well I said he was queer not that he had bad taste.” Sky mused and Viktor shot her another glare. “Viktor, when am I ever wrong? You don’t even need to answer that because the answer is never and you know it.” Or: Viktor is helplessly in love with Jayce, but Jayce is straight…or is he? This is just supposed to be a quick, short project to get the creative juices flowing. It is not supposed to exceed 20k words! We’ll see if I hold myself to that.

I've Been Thinking of All the Little Things That You've Been Missing | 19,664 | FourOddApples / @fouroddapples

Summary: “Just a note. If someone is in love with you and you don’t want them, the kind fucking thing to do is to let them go.” Or: Viktor takes a chance that Jayce doesn’t know what to do with. Things are different after that, and slowly but surely Jayce begins to second-guess his response.

advanced practical physics (the laws of attraction apply) | 26,045 | Sinister_Queer

Summary: Jayce has five months left until he finishes his undergraduate degree. Five months until he could start his real life, until he could start doing what he wanted. The only thing standing in his way is one group project and the partner he'd slept with two nights ago. (Jayce and Viktor have a one night stand, then end up as group project buddies.)

Bad Machinery | 27,239 | Tlon / @tlonista

Summary: It's as predictable as the laws of physics: a Piltover golden boy should despise a starving inventor from the undercity. But when Viktor's tipped off to a scholar buying strange materials in the Lanes, he's desperate enough to sneak topside and propose a deal. He's not expecting to break every rule he's learned to live by for a man who needs him just as much. Or, the Arcane Act 1 AU where Viktor never left the undercity, but he found Jayce anyway.

Blog Info ☆ 2025 Reclists ☆ 2024 Reclists

[myceliumsunshine]

The Truth Hurts - Sam Winchester

A/N - longest one shot i've ever written! fluff and angst galore. no use of y/n, reader is shorter than sam and has hair (no length described)

word count: 3865. enjoy!

He’s asleep at the table with his head in his arms when you come back to the bunker. You’re quiet - silent because you have to be, you can’t wake him. You don’t want to wake him because waking him would mean facing him. You hear someone clearing their throat softly, drawing your attention to Dean standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and a look of concern written all over his face. Your shoulders sink - you’re exhausted, having been bouncing from hunt to hunt for the last few days, with no rest in between.

Hunting was the only place you would be safe, away from the eyes of the man sleeping on the table.

You glance at him again, begging Dean to be quiet with your whole being.

“Where have you been?” Dean said softly, glancing at the sleeping man as well. “We’ve been worried.”

“Hunting.” You whisper into the air, the word pulled from your chest. You’d figured out the best option was not talking, followed by simple one word answers.

“Hunting? That’s it, that’s all you got for us? You’ve been missing for 2 weeks, no contact, nothing. You get hit by some spell, tell us you’ll meet us back at the bunker, and then disappear off the face of the earth! Not even Cas could find you!” The softness that had previously been in his voice was gone, anger apparent.

“Wanted to figure out the counter-spell. Couldn’t.” The second part escapes you before you can help it. Dean’s eyes soften, his lips pulled down into a frown.

“Did you talk to Rowena?” He asked.

“I don’t consider her answer an option.” You tell him.

“Wait, so Rowena has an answer but you won’t do it? What do you have to do?” Dean asked.

“I don’t consider it an option.” You repeated simply, feeling the real answer tug at you, trying to move to your lips without your consent. 

“What spell did you even get hit with?” Dean asked, putting his hands on his hips. Your eyes widen, trying to think of something.

“I don’t want to tell you.” You said simply. Dean growled lowly in the back of his throat.

“You aren’t giving me much to work with.” He sighed. “Will you at least tell Cas when he gets back? He might be able to find you something that you ‘consider an option’,” Dean’s fingers quoting around the words.

“I don’t want to tell him, but I have to if I want to attempt to fix this the way I want to.” You said with annoyance, the words pulled from you. “If Cas can’t find anything then I want to leave again. I want to know when he’ll be back.”

That had been an annoying part of the spell. Questions like ‘when will he be back?’ technically had no truth to them - as there was nothing to be truthful - so you had to rephrase them to be truthful.

“Jeez, he’ll be back soon.” When you open your mouth. “And before you demand to know more, I don’t know exactly when.”

You frown.

Sam’s still asleep at the table, confirmed by a flicker of your eyes. Dean looks over at his brother, catching the way you check on him.

“This is the longest he’s slept since you were gone.” Dean tells you, and your frown deepens.

“He-” You look for the right words to say. “It’s not healthy. To stay healthy, he should be sleeping 8 hours a night.”

It’s not what you wanted to say, but it’s the truth. Dean frowns.

“This spell affects what you say, doesn’t it?” You sigh.

“It does. I don’t want to tell you how.” Dean shook his head at your answer.

“Does it have something to do with him?”

Your shoulders drop. “I’m making it have something to do with him. I don’t want it to have something to do with him. I want the spell to be gone and for everything to go back to normal.”

Dean looks at the floor. “You have to tell the truth. And breaking the spell - you have to tell him the truth about-”

“That’s what Rowena and the witch who spelled me said. They said it was the only way to break the spell. I don’t believe either of them.”

Dean watches as you say the last word and take a sharp, painful intake of breath. You let out a choked noise of pain, obviously trying to be quiet so as to not wake Sam, blood covering your teeth.

“What, what happened?” Dean rushed to your side, catching you as you threatened to drop to the ground.

“I have to tell the truth. I can lie. Lying while under the effects of the spell will kill me.”

Dean’s eyes widened. “Why did you lie?”

“I didn’t mean to lie. I thought I didn’t believe either of them, but I clearly do, deep down.” You sigh. “I know deep down that I have to tell Sam.”

A small noise came from the table. Confused and sleepy, it pulled the arguing pair’s attention to the man at the table. He shifted, sniffed, let out a little sigh and settled back into sleep.

“I don’t want to wake him,” You murmured softly. Dean set you down on your knees, as you clearly weren’t getting up any time soon.

“He’ll understand, you know?”

“I don’t want understanding, I want… I want reciprocation. I know I’m selfish. I know not telling him will probably kill me, Dean, But I want to be selfish for once.” Dean’s eyes traced your face as you looked at the ground. You look pathetic, on your knees, skin covered in a sheen of sweat, spitting out blood to the floor beneath you. You looked up at him, tears threatening to spill. “I think I deserve to be selfish.”

The coughed choking that spills from your mouth, the blood that splatters on his shoes, it makes Dean’s eyes soften in upset.

“You do. You deserve to be as selfish as you want. You don’t have to tell him.”

“Dean… Most things I say around him are lies. I- I can’t tell the truth without telling him.”

“So, if you talk to Sam, you’ll die?” He whispered, looking over at his sleeping brother. You look at Dean, and the pain in your eyes is all the answer he needs. “Then you won’t talk to him. We’ll keep you away from him while we figure out how else we can break this spell.”

You turn back to Dean, who’s looking at you like you’re the most tragic thing he’s ever seen - no, like you were the most tragic thing anyone had ever and would ever see. The look on his face, it’s begging you not to leave again.

“Okay. I’ll stay. But I don’t want Sam to know.” You choked again, gagging.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay.” Dean rubs a hand on your back and helps you up. The tears that had threatened to spill did so then, and he pushed your head into the crook of his shoulder. “You don’t have to say anything.”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

It had been weeks.

Weeks of sneaking around the bunker, away from Sam’s sight, away from Sam’s questions, away from Sam.

It was killing you.

Watching as Sam moped around the bunker he didn’t know you’d gone back to living in, it felt the same way that lying did. Pain built in your chest, seizing your heart and tugging on it.

You hadn’t talked much in the weeks you’d been back at the bunker, Cas having mostly one sided conversations while Dean distracted Sam. And when you did lie, Cas would do what he could to ease the pain, his blue eyes bleeding with the same pain you felt in your chest. 

Cas couldn’t get rid of the spell. That had been the first avenue of help that Dean had tried. Then he looked into the books, searching for a way to break a spell. He’d talked to Rowena, threatened her, but she’d only told him the very thing that the books had been telling him.

“A spell that strong, the condition needs to be met. The witch that cursed them has control over the spell until the condition she set is met. Until then,” Rowena had said, “there’s nothing anyone can do.”

If Dean had been a stupider, more desperate man, he might have gone to the cross roads to bargain for his friend’s freedom, but he knew you would have killed him.

Besides, what Dean didn’t know was that you’d already tried that avenue and been turned down.

Your eyes flickered over Sam as you watched his usually tall frame curled up on a chair at the table, doing research on something. You frowned before turning away. You couldn’t watch him anymore. It was too painful.

Walking silently through the bunker, your feet against the cold ground, you came to your old room. You’d been staying in some random room deep in the bunker since you’d gotten back, somewhere Sam would never go.

You opened the door to your old room and slipped inside. Nothing inside had been moved, your gun still half put back together on your bedside table, the sheets still messily strewed across the floor where you’d pushed them off in the middle of the night, your closet still open, shirts hanging above the graveyard of dirty clothes. It was familiar. It was comforting.

Your hand came to your face, wiping the tear that seemed to burn a track down your face. You were tired. You wanted to sleep in your own bed. The bed in the other room at the back of the bunker was rock solid, dusty, and one of the springs was broken and no matter how you slept, it always seemed to stab into some part of you.

You picked up the sheets off the floor, making your bed neatly, before slipping into it. You turned to lay the way you usually did, with your stomach on the bed, your leg propped up, your arms under the pillow and your head facing away from the door, with the mirror facing it in the corner of your vision. You sighed happily, finally comfortable after nearly two months of sleeping in beds that weren’t your own.

Your eyes drifted shut.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Sam sighed, closing the laptop. He hadn’t made any progress on finding you. You seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth.

He stood and stretched, feeling the relieving crack of his back that had been hunched over his laptop for the last 16 hours. He yawned, frowning and looking at the time. Shit. It was late. He’d promised Dean he would try to get more sleep. But he just could sleep knowing you were out there somewhere affected by some spell.

He wandered through the halls, thinking about you. He missed you. Every day. You brought light to his life that he hadn’t even realised was there until you weren’t. You made him laugh, you made him smile, you made him happy. You… he hadn’t realised until he didn’t have you anymore, but you were the love of his life.

He placed his laptop onto his bed side table with a gentle hand, looking at his bed. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep in here. He needed to go to your room.

Sam had been doing that recently. He realised that your bed seemed to hold at least a bit of the comfort that you brought him. It eased his mind, if only slightly, to sleep where you once had. He hadn’t touched anything, leaving the sheets on the ground where you had pushed them off, your clothes dirty in the bottom of your closet, the gun on the side table.

He pattered through the halls, being sure to stay silent, before slipping into your room and closing the door behind him. Turning around Sam was met with the shock of his life.

Someone was asleep in your bed. And it seemed to be you.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

An arm slipped around your waist.

You frowned sleepily, making a noise in questioning. The warmth behind you let out a quiet shushing noise, assuring you everything was okay.

“Go back to sleep,” The warmth told you. You felt safe in the warmth’s arms.

You drifted back to sleep.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

“Cas!” Dean whisper-shouted. “You were supposed to keep an eye on them!”

“It’s not my fault! They were staring at Sam and I couldn’t watch them anymore! They were just standing there sadly!” Cas whisper-shouted back.

“Well now they’re missing, and so is Sam!”

Cas glared at Dean, but he knew the human was right. “Look. I’m sorry. But I couldn’t pull them away, and I couldn’t watch them stare at him like he was all they ever wanted, just out of reach. They’re my friend, and it makes me sad to see them in so much pain.”

Dean sighed, grabbing Cas’ hand to comfort him. “Well. They couldn’t have gotten too far. Maybe they’re both still in the bunker?” Dean suggested weakly, knowing it probably wasn’t true.

“Let’s look in the bunker first, just in case.” Cas agreed, his tone just as weak. The pair searched the bunker together, first the area where they had confined you to, and then slowly back to the middle where the group usually hung out. No luck. 

The door to your old room was ajar. Dean looked to Cas.

“Surely they didn’t go into their room?” Cas asked. “No, Sammy’s been sleeping in there since I forced him to promise he’d sleep more.” Dean informed him. He stuck his head in the door, checking on his brother, who had finally moved the sheets back up onto the bed and was wrapped in them. He smiled softly at the sight, his brother finally having what seemed to be a good sleep, wrapped around a pillow that Dean couldn’t see.

He closed the door behind himself looking at Cas, who was asking the question with his eyes. Dean shook his head before pausing.

Since when did his brother wrap himself around a pillow to sleep? Dean opened the door once more and walked inside this time, moving around the bed.

And there you were, wrapped in his brother’s arms.

Cas stood behind Dean. “Should we wake them?” He asked quietly.

Dean shook his head, before pulling out his phone and taking a photo. “Let them figure it out on their own when they wake up. Let’s go.”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Waking was a slow and comfortable affair. Warm, wrapped up in sheets, an arm over your waist. It didn’t click that there shouldn’t be an arm over your waist until Sam was pulling you closer and burying his face into the back of your shoulder.

Your eyes widened. The man you had been ignoring for nearly two months was curled around you like he belonged there. You needed to get out, before he woke up and ruined everything. You needed to leave the bunker and never come back, damn the consequences, damn the curse. You could learn to live with it, or you could die a premature death having not had to put up with Sam’s puppy dog eyes begging you to explain your absence.

You moved, pulling yourself away from him as slowly as you could so as not to wake him.

Sam stirred regardless.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Sam felt the warmth in his arms move away from him. He muttered something, not really sure what he was saying, but it was some form of disapproval of the movement in his arms.

“Shh. I want you to go back to sleep.” He heard, the voice familiar and soothing. It was you. You were here, in his arms. And then Sam remembered what had happened last night. Finding you asleep in your bed, deciding not to wake you up, crawling in there with you. Finally sleeping soundly, no nightmares, because you were here, in his arms, safe at last.

But now you were getting up, leaving him again.

“No…” He whispered. “Stay. Please.”

You paused. Then you kept moving. Away from him.

“Don’t leave me again.” He whimpered, still mostly asleep. He didn’t understand what was going on. Why wouldn’t you stay with him? Why wouldn’t you just tell him what was going on?

Something wet fell on his hand as he reached for you. When he opened his eyes, you were crying. “I want to leave.” You said, a pained look crossing your face, a sharp hiss of breath leaving your mouth.

He was up in second, by your side, all sense of sleep gone from his mind. “What? What’s the matter? Are you hurt?” More tears tracked down your face.

“I’m fine, Sam.” Another wince escaped you, and he looked over you for what was causing the pain.

“Just tell me what’s hurting you, and we can get Cas to fix it. Okay?”

“I want to leave.” You said again, clutching your chest as blood poured from your nose and ears.

“DEAN!!” He yelled. “DEAN!!”

Dean was in there in a second, at your side and pulling you away from Sam and into his arms. Cas was behind him, and he pressed a hand to your head which was against Dean’s chest and the blood that was leaking from you stopped and disappeared.

“God, you weren’t just being stubborn.” Dean said. “It really will kill you.”

Kill you? What did Dean mean by that? Did he know something that Sam didn’t?

“What do you mean, ‘kill you’?” Sam asked, and Dean turned to him, then to Cas. He passed you to Cas, and you leaned against him weakly.

“Take them and get them away from Sam.” Dean told the angel, who nodded and then they were gone, Cas having flown them somewhere.

“Where did he take them? What’s going on Dean? They’ve been missing nearly two months. How do you know what’s going on? And why do they need to get away from me?”

“They… They’ve been staying in the bunker. They came back two weeks after they disappeared.”

“TWO WEEKS? They’ve been missing two months, but no one thought to tell me that we found them over a month ago?” Sam hissed angrily.

“It wasn’t for us to tell you.” Dean hissed back. “They insisted.”

Sam paused at that. The anger drained out of his body. “Do they really hate me that much?”

“No. God, Sammy, no. The spell. They can’t talk to you because of the spell. You saw what happened.” Sam looked at his brother. Right. The spell that had hit you right before your disappearance.

“I’m killing them? How did they know I would kill them?” He asked.

“Uh, you were asleep at the table when they got back. I… I should go talk to them.” And then Dean was gone, leaving Sam alone with his thoughts.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

“What were you thinking?” Dean hissed as he stormed in, causing you to wince. You were still weak from the spell. Cas’ healing was beginning to not be enough, the spell hurting you stronger than what the angel could do for you.

“I wanted to sleep in my own bed. That’s what I was thinking.” Dean frowned, looking at you as you lay back on Cas’ chest in the bed that you’d been staying in. You looked weak, pathetic. You looked like you were dying.

“We can’t find anything on this frigging spell and how to break it.” Dean changed the subject, pulling his eyes away from you. 

“We know how to break it.” You said with a sigh. “I have to tell him. Or I have to die.”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Tell him what?

Sam knew it was wrong. Following Dean, eavesdropping on your conversations. It was wrong, but Sam needed to know what was going on.

“You didn’t want to tell him though.” Cas reminded her as he brushed your hair off of your forehead. Sam silently seethed, he should be the one holding you, comforting you, but with every brush of his hand, your face seemed to relax more, the pain in your eyes seemed to dissipate, so Sam let it go.

“I know. But it seems like it’s the only way. I have to tell Sam the truth or I have to die. Because there is no other cure to this spell. And this spell will kill me if I don’t tell him soon.” You said softly. Dean nodded.

“Okay. If you want to tell him, then that’s your choice. But what will you do if this doesn’t go the way you want?”

You sighed. “The spell will be broken. My life will be saved. But my time with you will be over.”

Over? What did you mean, over? Sam waited for you to continue, but Dean just closed his eyes, nodding, before pulling you up off of the bed from Cas’ arms and into his own.

“I hope this goes right. I’ll miss you if it doesn’t.” Dean said quietly. Cas stood, then joined the hug.

“We will miss you.” He corrected.

You nodded, knees shaky and eyes filled with tears.

“I have to go find Sam.”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

You slipped out the door of your room and looked at Sam.

“I want to know how much you heard.” You said quietly. Sam looked at you, panic clear on his face.

“Tell me what? Don’t leave again,” He begged. “Don’t leave me.”

You looked into his eyes. They were full of tears, full of pain.

“I love you.” You blurted out. Sam blinked, and then he was on you in a second, one hand in your hair, another cradling your face, his lips on yours.

You melted into the kiss, gripping onto his shirt in an attempt to stay upright. Sam noticed your jelly legs, and backed the pair of you up until you were pushed against the wall. You smiled into the kiss, feeling the spell wash away from the grip it had on your heart. 

Sam pulled back from the kiss, resting his forehead against yours, both hands cradling your face now. “Tell me again.”

“I love you.”

“Again.”

“I love you.”

“One more time?”

You giggled. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

You leaned up to his lips again, your hands threading through the hair on the back of his neck.

“Say it again?” You asked, and he laughed, throwing his head back.

“I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I love you too.” You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him in for a hug. He settled into it, tucking his chin under your head and breathing in contentedly.

“What was the spell?” Sam asked curiously, keeping your head tucked under his chin.

“‘Tell the man you love the truth about your feelings for him or die a painful death’,” She repeated what the witch had told her. “I figured out pretty quickly that lying was what caused the death. But I figured the truth would hurt more.”

Sam smiled into your hair. “You love me.” He teased in a sing-song-y voice.

“Always have. Always will.”

[bobbimorses]

hi there! as the foremost clint barton expert on this site, i have what i hope is a fun question for you: do you have any favorite underrated/often forgot about friendships between clint and any other heroes? in my writing i'm realizing i kinda default to the same like 3 characters and it would be fun to expand that roster, but also my read through of his comics is very, very slow going lol. thanks for existing, and ofc no pressure to answer if you don't want to! 🫡

would love to know what the 3 characters are in case i end up accidentally picking one--i'm gonna assume cap and tony are out, and anyone more cap-affiliated, as well as long-term relationships, so i'll skip those. here goes:

clint and rhodey had a good thing going in the 90s

disrobing while having home-cooked chili with the bros

so much so that they were called "brothers in arms" (it was the 90s. don't ask.), and clint also happened to regularly appear with rhodey in the 90s iron man cartoon (wearing his ugly 90s costume. don't ask). it started with rhodey, as iron man, being on the first iteration of the west coast avengers when clint opened up shop. he was at the inaugural bbq!

in the wca, bbqs always followed a moment of respect and admiration, or when you gazed longingly at your teammate, or on sundays, or when you cleaned the fridge

after bobbi died, rhodey was one of the only avengers clint "let in" and seemed close to for a bit. they briefly channeled their friendship again when clint was ronin and appeared in an issue of war machine around that time (it was a mini wca reunion), but the friendship's been kind of forgotten in the comics. rip

2. clint and wanda have been good friends since starting out in the avengers together as ~reformed villains~ on cap's kooky quartet. our favorite annoying (ok that was almost entirely on clint's end) 19-21yos grew into their own and have remained close as a result

they've gone shopping together. they have diner dates.

once again, chili is involved.

mind you the friendship got strained when she killed him twice, but he...got over it? whatever. pietro can tag along if he wants

3. clint and pietro. just kidding! they're haters. if pietro killed clint twice he would say yeah that checks out and shoot acid at his shoes. but they love to hate each other. even now, pietro thinks he's winning the hating game by saying his eulogy will be better than clint's

pietro has never tried clint's chili

but clint is actually winning the hating game bc he already had a eulogy, and by eulogy i mean he ensured he had no eulogy and thus it consisted of 0 words.

clint could show up at pietro's funeral and say "lol" and it would meet pietro's standards. it's called playing the long game

4. for historical accuracy i should mention clint and hank pym were always friendly when on the same roster.

now i'm going to be honest with you. i have no idea what the current status is regarding hank. last i remember he was basically dead and ultron had taken over most of his body robocop style? a controversial entry i guess. i doubt you'll find yourself in a situation where you're writing hank pym if you're not in the weeds but there we go. the friendship dynamic was transferred to the emh cartoon iirc

there isn't a panel confirming hank actually tasted clint's chili and that's why he's dead(?) now.

5. hawkeye and two-gun kid. i also doubt you will ever end up writing the two-gun kid; i just want everyone to remember that clint is obsessed with cowboys. he once left the avengers and ran off to a dude ranch with this time-displaced cowboy (clint brought him to the future), and when clint was time-displaced a different time, he immediately sought out this cowboy.

they had chili here

6. clint and jen started out competitive, and by that i mean clint was being a dick and then he broke his leg so he sulked about it. jen threw a taxi at him. deserved. they've always had a sort of will-they-won't-they energy going on; and one time, they did--in an alternate universe (don't ask). jen cured clint of misogyny (this is a joke). thanks, jen.

you'll notice two-gun is also here....

7. karla sofen is not a hero. karla sofen is arguably not a friend. this is like "are they lovers?" "worse." but the other way around?

you probably can't have a situation where clint and karla roll up to have a casual conversation out of nowhere. this doesn't fit your prompt at all. i just wanted to remind everyone that karla and clint had a real thing. an indescribable thing.

karla hates clint's chili. karla will tell clint she hates his chili. but by god is karla eating it

8. i wasn't gonna put clint and jan bc they technically had a relationship as well, but jan loves clint. clint loves jan. consistently best buds!

9. clint and khonshu. i'm just kidding, this is a one-sided crush on khonshu's end

because he lacks a corporeal form, khonshu is unable to taste hawkeye's chili. but he wants to. he wants to.

[misplacedlizard]

I wouldn't normally consider the feeling of personal satisfaction from completing a crossword puzzle "praise," but lets accept that definition for the sake of argument.

Let's say someone invited me to their home for movie night, then paused in the middle of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and refused to let me watch the rest of the film unless I correctly completed a crossword puzzle first.

If I complete the puzzle, watch the rest of the film, and the host praises me for finding the ark of the covenant and stopping the nazis I'm gonna look at him weird, because I certainly didn't do that!

If I complete the puzzle, watch the rest of the film, and the host praises me for completing the puzzle... I'm still gonna think that's weird, because it's just a crossword puzzle, it's not a big deal, and also who stops a film in the middle to force someone to do a crossword puzzle, but it'll probably find it less weird than the above.

If the same thing happens with a film adaption of The Final Problem, and when I finish the puzzle, the host criticizes me for how long it took me to do so, I'm not gonna like it, but I'm not gonna argue that hard, because, as an action I actually took, I can't deny how long it took me.

If the above happens, and when I finish the puzzle and the film plays out, the host criticizes me for killing Sherlock Holmes, because I could have stopped writing on that crossword puzzle at any time, and then charges me for coming and watching the movie with him, I'm not going back to his house ever again, because he has no grip on reality.

In games with linear narratives, the player might control the character, but the player is not the character. The character can have their own arcs and choices separate from the actions of the player. (How many times have players easily beaten a boss without a scratch, only for the cutscene afterward to depict the player character struggling to so much as stand in the face of such a challenging opponent, or vice versa?) Like most fiction, some audience members might relate to a particular character's struggle more than others, but a video game character overcoming their depression has certainly never been the sole factor in a player overcoming theirs. In these works, the gameplay is less "controlling the narrative" and more "turning the page."

You can witness this disconnect between the actions of the players and the actions of the characters even further by listening to how people talk about their accomplishments in games. Very rarely do you hear "I finally rescued Peach and saved the Mushroom Kingdom." More often it'll be phrased as "I finally beat Bowser!" or "I got a no hit-run on stage 8!" The things they will receive "praise" for are their feats of skill, not their moral choices. This occurs less often in games with less linear stories, because the element of choice in the narrative means that a player is doing more than just turning the page, and is in some small ways, controlling the narrative. In these special cases, criticism of a player's moral actions can make slightly more sense.

Spec Ops The Line wants to have its cake and eat it too. It wants to criticize players (directly, in fourth-wall breaking ways, not just the in-game character,) for making bad moral choices, while giving the player a movie that stops and starts based on their ability to solve the "use gun on other man" puzzle, rather than any meaningful choices bar the one "shoot into the air" example every video essay praising the game brings up, or "JuSt DoN't PlAy ThE gAmE! But no refunds!"

I see no reason to respect the game, or its ham-fisted message.

But lets apply your standard consistently: should anyone who started the original Mario or Legend of Zelda, and quit because it was too hard, or they didn't have time, be criticized for letting the princess die alone and forgotten in her arch-nemesis's dungeon? Should they hold the sole blame for the fall of Hyrule or the Mushroom Kingdom? Better yet, should every death even a successful player incurred be treated as a bad timeline, and the player criticized for? And what of those that never bought the game at all? They had a choice to help, or sit back and do nothing as Ganon and Bowser pillaged and burned, after all.

If I started talking like that to people, they'd rightfully look at me as crazy. So what's the difference here?

Spec ops the line be like

[bloogers-boogers]

Lucifer: *sigh*

Alastor: ...

Lucifer: *sighs even louder*

Alastor: ...

Lucifer: *sighs obnoxiously even louder*

Alastor: *eye twitches* WHAT.

Lucifer: nothing nothing

Alastor: *eye twitches*

Lucifer: *side eyes him* *sigh*

Alastor: WHAT.

Lucifer: NOTHING, jesus!

Alastor: *growls, ears and eye twitching annoyed*

Lucifer: *sighs longly while slumping on the counter*

Alastor: Charlie, dear, get your sulking father away from me before I decide to go on a killing rampage

Husker: you do that even without being provoked

Alastor: yes. But this time I have a reason.

Lucifer: I dunno you guys.. you think I have a chance with Adam this time around?

Husker: ... I mean, you fucked both his wives. I'm not seeing any chances, Lucifer..

Alastor: he would be blind and stupid to fall for the man who ruined his view on marriage. So I hope that answers your question.

Lucifer: *glares* THANKS. You're such a great friend.

Alastor: I don't follow all that sappiness you call "friends", friendship is a lazy excuse for being weak.

Lucifer: yeah, bitch. But so far you're my best friend at the moment, so shut your cunt mouth and give me good advice, cause my ex best friend doesn't even want to acknowledge my existence after his fall! You'd think after getting a taste of his own medicine he'll understand what Lily and I went through but no, all he cares about is going back to heaven and be their golden dog again!

Husker: seems like you're stuck into a corner. Look, the best you could do, is let him be. If by any chance Adam wants to reconcile the relationship you once had then he'll be the first to speak to you

Lucifer: yeah. That's the problem. He will NOT ever speak to me.

Alastor: he's stuck in this hotel until he redems himself, which would take some time if not ever. Sooner than later he'll have no choice but to accept you around, atleast. Like I did when you first showed up and stank up the place

Lucifer: oh shut the fuck up, I smell great. You on the other hand should learn about mouth spray cause rotting flesh is all I can smell from here, fuck, for real you need to learn how to properly care for your mouth, euck!

Husker: he's got a point

Alastor: *eye twitches*

Angel Dust: hey, guys! Watcha talkin' about?

Husker: Lucife-

Lucifer: nothing! Nothing! Just hanging, HAHAHAHA

Angel Dust: *raising a brow*

Lucifer leaning close to Alastor and Husker, eyes dark: he's Adam's sinner best friend, don't tell a soul!

Lucifer: so how's Charlie!?

Angel Dust: uhh, she's literally right over there? *points at Charlie speaking to some of her guests*

Lucifer: cool, cool.

Husker: so... what have you been up to? I hadn't seen you all morning

Angel Dust: oh! I've been on a mission

Husker: what kind of mission?

Angel Dust: A... *smirks* MAKEOVER mission!

Alastor, Husk and Lucifer: ... *blinks*

Angel Dust: Adam has a date tonight and asked ME for help. So I did him a little touches here and there and BAM. He's smocking hot now. Thank god he was already hot or it would've been a challenged to do. Brunettes aren't my specialty

Lucifer: .... a date? But that would only mean he'd be dating a sinner??

Angel Dust: well duh? He's stuck down here. Ofcourse he'll only meet sinners.

Lucifer: but he doesn't like sinners!

Angel Dust: WOAH! let loose on those racist comments, shortie, Adam can date whoever he wants. I'm pretty sure he'd date anything as long as it has a hole to get his dick wet

Lucifer: *eye twitches*

Husker: *slowly glances at Lucifer before looking at Angel Dust* so... who's he going on a date with?

Angel Dust: *shrugs* some dude he met at a bar

Lucifer: *yanks off some of his hair*

*Adam then walks into the lobby where he greets some random sinners that came in a group*

Lucifer's jaw dropped. Adam's wavy hair was neatly brush to the side and he had a mouth piercing set on the corner. His eyes were decorated in black eyeliner and shadow making his golden eyes pop even more. A ripped black vest and a grey tshirt. His arms covered in black long sleeve gloves that only exposed two of his fingers! Which being Adam was already a huge deal! Showing off some of his flesh was always a big deal for Adam... he thought only shame from his body, covering it whole, including his face until he fell and started feeling more free and comfortable to be without the mask. Lucifer always found it kinda hot that Adam reserved himself more than a nun. It left a lot for the imagination to wonder what was underneath all those layers. He supposed Charlie's group sessions have helped him alot to open up. But why was it such a turn on to see those fleshy fingers out in the open!? Lucifer they're just fingers! Get over it!

He was also wearing leather black pants that were visibly very tight on the ass and and groin area. With black spiked boots.

Lucifer: holy fuck. You didn't have to make him irresistible!

Angel Dust: that was the whole point of the makeover!