#if anyone has ideas or would like to plot.... I'm always open to that....

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Broken Mind | Josh Washington x Reader

......

Another day, another Until Dawn rewrite by yours truly <3

I've got Rami Malek on the brain again so I decided to revise this old 2016 fic I wrote about Josh being accompanied by Reader in the shed (after his prank reveal). Changed a few things around and added stuff from the prologue, but all in all the plot's the same (except they're together)

Anyways enjoy!

......

"Hey, [y/n]. Got a special delivery for you."

Hearing the quiet giggles of the Washington sisters, you looked up from your phone and smiled upon seeing your boyfriend being held up by the two of them.

He looked plastered as hell and half-asleep, but his eyes were slightly open. The moment they landed on you, lopsided grin spread across his lips.

"[Y/n]...baby...?"

"Yes. It's me, Josh." With a chuckle, you put down your phone and assisted the girls in helping him lay on the sofa. You decided to let him rest on top of you, seeing as he already had his arms wrapped around your torso. "Jeez, so clingy, huh? How much did you drink?"

"Mhm...I forgot.." His words were slurred.

"Of course you did." Putting your arms around him, you lightly scratched at his scalp with your fingertips, hearing his hums of content as he looked to his sisters.

While Hannah left, Beth smiled back and took a picture of him being all cuddly with you, reminding herself to send to you later. After that, she finally left you both alone.

"They take good care of you."

"Yeah..they're..the best." Josh mumbled tiredly into your chest, hugging you tighter. "But 'm glad you're here...thank you for being by my side. I love you sooooooooooo much."

"Of course, Joshie. I love you, too." You chuckled, holding him close until he dozed off again, before you ended up falling asleep yourself, enveloped by the warmth of the cabin fire and the one you loved most.

He probably won't remember much of this in the morning, but that was fine.

For once, everything felt right in the world.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"[Y/n], honey? Baby? Sweetheart?"

Blinking, you returned to the cold and cruel present, looking to the man tied to the post.

"Yes, Josh?" You sighed tiredly, wiping the blood from the corner of your lip.

"I'm pretty cold. How 'bout we loosen these restraints a little and-?"

"I'm sorry, but...I don't think that's a good idea right now."

"What? I....I can't believe it. You would let those jerks do this to me?!! Your boyfriend? After all I've done for you?!!" Angrily, Josh tugged at his restraints, gnashing his teeth at you like some animal. "I feel hurt. Who does this to someone they love?!"

"First of all, I didn't tie you up. And second...you're not the only one who's gotten hurt tonight."

"If anyone deserves to feel hurt, it should be me! After what they did to my sisters..they had it coming."

As much as you wanted to snap at him for acting this way, you knew that he wasn't well, and getting angry right back wasn't going to make anything better.

Instead, you opted to look outside the shed, observing the snowfall while trying to ignore the sounds of him whining and struggling with the ropes.

Such sights used to calm your nerves, but now...it was nothing more than a grim reminder of how long and unforgiving this night has been, and how there's still a few hours until sunlight and rescue arrived.

How did you get here?

Well, it was supposed to be a reunion between friends.

You and Josh were still together after the horrible tragedy that befell his sisters exactly one year prior, and you were with him through the long days he spent trying to isolate himself, and the difficult nights he spent wishing he didn't wake up at all.

You stayed with him no matter what.

No matter how many times he tried pushing you away...you always stayed. And while he didn't express it as much as he wanted to, he appreciated it.

That's the only reason why he didn't subject you to the "prank" he had laid out for the rest of the group.

You knew his passion for film projects, having helped him with some small YouTube ones yourself. You knew that this year, he wanted to do something to "really bring the gang back together", and you let him be when he insisted on working alone.

God, why didn't you press him on what exactly this prank entailed?

Why didn't you pick up the signs that he was off his meds?

What he enacted was horrific beyond measure--a prank that you didn't even think he was capable of carrying out.

One that seemed so real that you were almost convinced that you lost him to a murderer.

When Chris came to you sobbing in remorse over how the "Psycho" tricked him into killing your boyfriend, you didn't know what to feel. You wanted to see the body to confirm it, but given his and Ashley's reactions..it wasn't worth scarring your eyes or mind over.

It left you unbelievably sad and numb, although you were left confused when through his blubbering, he admitted that the saw blade was rigged to kill Josh despite choosing to save him.

That was the first sign that you knew something was off.

You didn't know anybody that held a massive grudge against him to the point of rigging a trap to murder him only.

But only after Josh revealed everything to Chris, Ashley, Sam, Mike, and you....that's when it all made sense.

And you felt betrayed.

You couldn't believe he'd orchestrate this whole scheme behind your back.

How could you have been so naive and trusting?

You felt like you should have known what he was up to. The others gave you suspicious looks and even Mike wondered for a moment if you were an accomplice...but you weren't.

That was the truth.

You had no idea.

Now all you felt was lingering guilt and festering anger that this was Josh's twisted idea of "revenge" against the people who didn't even kill his sisters. Against people like Chris who didn't even know what happened until he woke up.

And in a way, you felt like it was against you for not waking him up in time to stop the prank that led to Hannah and Beth running out of the cabin.

No matter how many times he claimed you had nothing to do with it, you felt like he was punishing you, too.

So now, you, Chris, and Mike have taken him away from the others, to a shed where he couldn't hurt anybody. Apparently Jess was dead, and despite his insistence that he didn't kill her....Mike didn't believe a word he said, having seen her body firsthand in some mining elevator.

Then when he started making lewd comments about Chris and Ashley, both of the men were growing agitated, debating on whether to make him shut up by force or not.

Finally, you intervened before they could decide, offering to watch over him until sunrise. You're the only one who had a small chance to talk some sense into him and make him realize his mistakes.

Mike was reluctant to leave you alone with him, thinking he'll guilt trip you into letting him go, but you convinced him and Chris you'll be fine.

There were some...scary things you've seen out in the woods earlier, and the last thing you wanna do is leave Josh alone with them nearby.

Even after all the shitty things he did, even after faking his own death...you still loved him.

You didn't believe he murdered Jess.

That's not what Josh would do.

"Your sisters wouldn't have wanted this." You quietly said, looking back at the wide-eyed man. "I wish things were different that night. I wish they didn't get humiliated. God, I wish Hannah had talked to me instead. But this...all of this was wrong, Josh. What happened doesn't justify-"

"But it worked, didn't it? Listen, I...I-I didn't want anyone dead." He stammered. "I just wanted to see that same terror on their faces. And I got them good! I got you all!!"

"...did you have to give Ash a black eye, though?"

"Look, she stabbed me with scissors! And it still hurts like a motherfucker."

You just gave him an expression that read "well I would have too if a killer was chasing me", and he seemed to understand...given how his shoulders slumped with defeat.

"Baby, 'm sorry..this...was not how our night's supposed to go. But you know what? I'm glad I was the only one laughing! Because NOW THEY KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE!!" Tears of anger pricked his eyes as his voice unexpectedly rose.

You whole body tensed, but you stayed calm, knowing he's only lashing out. "Josh, I know they hurt you. And hurting them back might feel good..but you hurt me too by faking your own death and not telling me how far you intended to take this prank."

"..you would've stopped me if I told you." He mumbled.

"Well maybe I should've been more persistent." You huffed. "If I was, we wouldn't be here. We wouldn't have to talk about why Jess died and why you seem to be the prime suspect-"

"I swear to god, it wasn't me! I don't even know where she is!" Josh snapped, before he curled up, like a child in timeout. "Mike..he wouldn't explain the wheres and whens. He just kept hitting me, pushing me..telling me to shut up...but I didn't do it...I swear. Please, please believe me, [y/n]. I'm sorry that you got roped into this. I-It's..the..the last thing I wanted.." His voice softened. "I'm sorry I've been bad..."

Slowly, you could see bits and pieces of the Josh you once knew coming back. His mind wasn't all there, of course, but you've known him forever.

You should be thinking with your brain and not your heart.

But....

You still love him, and believe in second chances.

"Joshua."

He perked up, anticipating the worst as you pulled up a chair to sit in front of him. For you to say his name like that couldn't have been good.

Maybe you were gonna side with all the rest of them and spit on him.

Maybe you were gonna say that you're leaving him alone here, as Dr. Hill had warned would happen.

Maybe you were finally going to tell him what an unforgivable monster he wa-

"I believe you're innocent. You're not one to take a life. No matter what they say." You suddenly spoke, putting a hand to his soot-coated cheek

Almost immediately, his twitching stopped, and he stared straight at you.

It's like you put him in a trance.

"I'm not gonna leave you."

"..e-even though I've been..all messed up?" He asked cautiously. "I-I mean..I haven't been a good boyfriend lately..."

"That hasn't stopped me from being there for you before." You chuckled. "We're gonna work through this. Even if it's just you and I."

"............"

"I believe you when you say you didn't kill her. Do you believe me?"

It took him a few moments to study your expression, seeing the genuine care and warmth in your eyes. Despite all the horrors you've seen tonight, there was still a spark of hope in them.

That was the light he needed.

"...I-I do..I really do." He sniffled, resting his head on your shoulder, grateful that you didn't push him away despite being covered in dirt and fake blood. "'m sorry...I-I don't deserve you."

"Oh, honey..." You put your arms around him, sighing softly as you felt him tremble against you, tears slowly dampening your jacket. At this point, you knew you got him back, and you were so relieved. "We'll figure something out. Just stay with me."

"You don't think I'm a monster..?" He asked through his sobs. "I mean, everyone treated me like one...you've seen them.."

"....I know. Neither of us can change how they feel. But listen, the only monster here is-"

All of the sudden, a shrill inhumane screech echoed from somewhere outside, deep in the woods, interrupting the tender moment between you two.

Josh sat up with a start, his tearful eyes wide and terrified as he looked to you. "Wh-What was that?"

"That's the real monster I was gonna mention. They call it the Wendigo. Hang on." Crouching down, you managed to find a small pocketknife on his toolbelt, using it to cut the ropes binding him. "It's fast. But it's blind as fuck. We need to get out of here."

Nodding, he got up as quickly as he could, having no time to rub his aching wrists as you grabbed his hand.

The shrieks became louder, forcing you two to hide further inside the shed, sticking close to the back wall where the shadows were darkest. "Shit. Don't move a muscle, okay?"

His breath hitched as the wendigo dropped down in front of the entrance, creeping inside the small building to look for prey. But he took your advice and tried staying still.

You could practically hear you own heartbeat as you held your breath, thumping louder and louder as the creature wandered around. Josh watched it scrape its claws along the wall, creating a sound most unpleasant in an attempt to make him flinch.

It then made direct eye contact with you both.

While you managed to keep perfectly still, you could hear Josh's quiet whimpers, indicating he had a much harder time considering how jittery he was earlier.

All you could do was hope and pray it would leave.

Otherwise...both of you were dead.

Just when you thought your boyfriend was going to lose it completely, the distant snapping of a branch caused the wendigo to turn at blinding speed and sprint out of the shed, returning to the surrounding woods.

"Okay...thank christ.." Letting his hand go, you took a breather, only to see that he was still standing rigid. His eyes showed nothing but pure terror, as he began mumbling something like "was it real" under his breath.

"Josh? Baby?" You shook his shoulders a bit, and he blinked several times, coming back to reality. Relief immediately crossed his face as he realized you were still here. "It's okay. It's gone."

"Tha....That thing w-was real?"

"Yes. I know how to outsmart it. But we can't stay here. We'll be safer at the lodge with the others. We just gotta keep our heads down until then."

"But..what about the-?"

"Don't worry about them. Let's worry about getting out of here, alright?"

Wordlessly, Josh nodded, practically clinging to your arm as you both headed outside and down the snowy trail. He kept mumbling incoherent things, reassuring himself that he was safe with you.

Obviously, he seemed pretty shellshocked, considering the monster he just encountered was real and not a product of his imagination.

He didn't know whether that was better or worse.

Either way, you allowed him to hold onto you, knowing he needed someone--anyone--to lean on right now. And fortunately you were exactly the person he needed.

The only one who could help him come back to his senses.

You swore to never abandon him, and you intend to keep that promise even after all that happened tonight.

You still loved him, and he loved you.

That hasn't changed.

[ahsxual]

Stu Macher x Fem!Reader where they are dating but the readers parents hate him so one night are 2:33 am Stu knocks on the readers window and she opens it it tells him to leave but before she can get a word out Stu is kissing her and telling her how much he misses her and one thing lead to, and so Stu had to push the readers head into her pillow so she didn’t wake anyone.

Sorry if the store request does not make any sense i’ve been wanting to request something from you for a while and this idea kinda came to my brain as I was falling asleep at four in the morning so I am very sleep deprived lol anyways I love your story. I hope you have a great day

Surprise Baby

Genre: Fluff & Smut

Warnings: +18 content, clingy and soft Stu, dirty talk, degrading, cursing, dom!Stu, p in v (w/o protection), sad Stu at the end (reader comforts him)

Word Count: 1,8k

A/N: This was actually a very interesting request and Ik very well that our daydreams before we sleep are the best 🤭 I added something to the plot at the end, so I hope you still like it! Tysm, I'm so glad you like my writing! It always feels so gratifying whenever you guys tell me that &lt;33

Right now you're lying on your bed crying, while hugging your favorite bunny plush that Stu gave you for Valentine's Day. You'd just had an argument with your parents, since they weren't the biggest fans and supporters of your relationship with your boyfriend Stu Macher. You didn't understand why they didn't like him and didn't even make an effort to, even though Stu always made you happy and made your life more colorful and enjoyable from the moment you met him. Of course Stu had his flaws like everyone else, since perfection is impossible to achieve and that was fine by you. But not for your parents. They said that Stu distracted you from school, that he "lived" for parties and didn't give you your "precious" time to concentrate on your studies, because he always took you on dates so that he could spend more time with you, even when you said you were busy.

You perfectly knew that Stu wasn't a guy who would take "no" for an answer. Maybe it was because he'd always been spoiled by his parents and didn't understand the meaning of that word? Maybe he hated the fact that you would say "no" to him, because if you truly love him as you always say, why would you reject an opportunity to go out with him? Both answers to those questions are probably correct, because you knew that Stu didn't know how to respect your personal space either, not that you minded anyway. But your parents did and that was the problem. They even told you once that Stu was obsessed with you and that your personal life has also become his, as if it were his property. Maybe they were right about that, but that's how Stu showed how much he loved and cared for you and it always worked well in your relationship. And you really missed him.

Sleep didn't want to make its presence known, so you decided to watch your favorite show on your new tv. However, you still couldn't stop thinking about the argument with your parents. Of course you defended your boyfriend and were always on his side to protect him against anyone, even your own parents, but it did made you very upset... all you wanted was for your family to see how genuinely happy Stu makes you feel, how he always admired you and treated you as if you were the only woman to walk on earth and how he's so funny that it's practically impossible not to laugh because of some silly joke he's made until your cheeks hurt. You just wished your family accepted him and loved him as much as you did...

Your thoughts were suddenly interrupted when you heard your window being knocked on repeatedly. You screamed for a second, because you weren't expecting that to happen in the middle of the cold night. Nevertheless, you immediately felt relieved when you saw Stu standing there with his puppy eyes and big smile on his handsome face you loved so much. A wide smile appeared on your face the moment you realized your boyfriend wanted to surprise you and that he had actually made an effort to see you.

His giant body barely fit through your window and the way he clumsily tried to get into your room, like a cartoon thief, made you laugh until your belly started to get sore.

"Baby, what are you doing?? It's cold outside!" you asked worriedly, before you watched him fall face down on the floor as he let out an "ouch". You couldn't stop laughing at his poor attempt to sneak into your room, as he already knew that your parents would never let him in, especially so late at night. You looked over your bedside table, where your alarm clock was, to see what time it was, as it marked 2:33 am.

"Surprisee baby!" he shouted excitedly, with a contagious smile that didn't leave his face for a moment. His breathing was accelerated, which made you realize he had some trouble climbing up to your window. You felt your heart warming at his romantic gesture, yet you didn't want your parents to find out and kick him out of your house or worse.

"Be quiet babe, you're not supposed to be here! You need to leave Stu, my parents are gonna ki-" you were really worried about your boyfriend's safety, but Stu didn't give you a chance to finish your sentence, as he grabbed you firmly around your waist and began kissing you passionately with his long, skilled tongue. His hands were all over your body and his grip was tight, not allowing you to move away from him.

"Shh- don't worry about them. It's just us now. I've missed you so much, baby." he admitted, before kissing your neck eagerly. When he he'd had enough, he pulled you up by your hips and laid you down on your bed, his mouth never leaving yours. You couldn't help moaning as you felt his sweet, loving assaults on your body, his lips and big hands making you melt into his addictive touch.

"Love, we have to be quiet... and you're making it hard for me." by now you were feeling breathless, unable to contain your desire for your horny and needy boyfriend. Instinctively, you rubbed against Stu's crotch which made him groan in pleasure, as you could feel him already hard under his jeans. He began to gently pinch your nipples through the fabric of your short pajama top, enjoying and closely analyzing your reactions to his teasing touch.

"Looks like I have to shut you up so we don't get caught, baby..." the last thing you saw was a mischievous grin on your boyfriend's face, before he firmly turned you around so that you were on all fours for him. He pressed his erection against your ass, while his eyes rolled back as he put his head back from the stimulation and his mouth was slightly open. You were starting to enjoy this game way too much, to see who couldn't hold back their moans, and you made sure you would win this battle. You pushed your ass against him and started rolling your hips in a provocative way, knowing that Stu wouldn't be able to hold it much longer. He bit his lips at this and frowned, realizing what you were trying to do to him.

"My girl really wants to get some, huh? You wanna play dirty, doll? Do you really think you can win this game against me?" he laughed trying to mock you, making you feel pathetic if you really thought you could stay quiet with the way he was about to fuck you.

"Just fuck me already Stu, I can't hold it much longer..." you quickly gave up and decided to beg him for mercy, so you could feel him inside you for once. You were dripping by now and the thought of having to keep quiet so no one would catch you at such a vulnerable and intimate moment turned you on even more for some reason.

You finally felt him give you want you wanted, since Stu himself wasn't a very self-controlled guy when it came to you. You felt his tongue lick a long, firm strip from your throbbing clit to your pulsing, empty hole. This made you grip your pillow as hard as you could while he ate you out from behind. Unfortunately, it didn't last much longer like you'd hoped, as you didn't realize how horny and impatient Stu was feeling that night. Suddenly, you felt his fully erect cock enter you without any resistance, sliding easily into you because you were so wet with your cum and his saliva. He didn't give you any time to adjust to him as he usually did and started pounding you hard and fast. He knew you all too well, so he pushed your face against your pillow to prevent any sound coming out of your pretty mouth and kept his strong hand on your head. You prayed that no one would hear you both fucking like horny teenagers who can't control their sexual hormones. It wasn't your fault that you and Stu were so fucking attracted to each other and that your shared love was considered obsessive, right?

"You like that, don't you babygirl? You love it when I fuck you like this... You needy slut, can't get enough of your boyfriend's cock inside your tight hole. I bet your parents would be so embarrassed if they saw you getting fucked this good." he whispered in your ear before changing his angle to fuck you deeper. Wet sounds, your muffled moans and his heavy breathing were the only sounds being heard in your room, turning you both on even more. It didn't last much longer when you both came at the same time, since Stu was way too horny to hold his orgasm. He was so glad he'd made you cum before he climaxed inside you.

After the moment of ecstasy you both experienced, you lay there trying to catch your breath while staring at the ceiling. It was then that Stu pulled you closer to him and hid his face on your neck, clinging to you more than usual. He was acting way too needy and clingy, and wasn't trying to be the "dominant" one, which made you worry about him.

"Are you ok, love? Do you wanna talk about it?" you asked him softly as you caressed his hair and cheeks. You knew him too well to recognize whenever he wasn't feeling good, even when he was trying to hide it.

"My girl knows me so well." he chuckled weakly, trying to find the right words to tell you what was had been bothering him. After a moment of silence in which you tried to comfort him with your tender touches, he finally spoke. "My parents won't be able to make it for my birthday. Again." your heart ached for him, because you knew this problem had happened before. Although Stu's parents loved him and treated him right, they had never been very present throughout his life and that took a tool on his emotional behavior. That explained why he was so addicted to your attention and wanted you all to himself, all the time. It made you really sad that you couldn't help your boyfriend properly, because the presence of anyone's parents is irreplaceable.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, baby. I'm sure they're extremely busy with work and that's the only reason for their absence on such a special day. We both know that they love you and I'll be there for you to make sure you have the biggest party ever." you gently grabbed his face and smiled warmly at him, admiring his ocean eyes that reminded you of the maldivian water, as he stared back at you with pure love.

"I know you will. What would I do without you? You're the love of my life, you know that right?" you chuckled as you softly kissed his cute nose.

"I love you too, Stu... so much. You have no idea of how much love I have for you and no one ever will."

[julietcpulet]

what do you think would be the most satisfying ending for jinmao?

i'm so conflicted about them because while i do not want jinshi to ascend the throne, i have to admit a part of me thinks renouncing his true position would be a waste. i mean, he's a damn pretty good leader and sometimes i enjoy imagining him and maomao being a power couple together. but then i'm always like damn they both canonically wouldn't like that </3 (so, thank the lord for fanfics, right?)

anyway, an unhappy jinmao is hardly a satisfying ending. but then i also wouldn't want them to be commoners because, again, it'd be a waste. as for the "faking their death" ending, it sounds really romantic but i feel like it's too cowardly and ooc for them. they'd never back down from a challenge after all.

so yeah i don't know how natsu-hyuga will conclude their romance. maybe the ending will just be them finally getting together? like the ending of the kaguya-sama movie where the last shot focused on the two main leads' interlocking hands, and then boom, the end credits. that would be an open ending (and i think that's what natsu was intending from the start), but is that satisfying? i'm not sure. just wanted to know your thoughts!

Love this question! And so sweet of you to be interested in my input 💕. Here's a breakdown of my thoughts on each possible ending and my personal speculation on an ending I like. Of course I have no idea what Hyuuga is really planning but just going on general direction and how things could play out if these were the proposed endings. (Spoilers below)

Emperor and Empress ending - I agree that this isn't the ideal nor the likely ending. To me, although there are factions pushing for Jinshi to be Emperor, it all feels like a mis-direct to the final outcome. Both Jinshi and Maomao are opposed to him becoming Emperor and he knows she would be miserable as a woman at the head of the nation, holding scorn from the other women.

Jinshi felt it was something close to a miracle that he had met a woman like Maomao. That was why he didn’t want to let her go. He’d gone so far as to press a brand into his own side, all to keep her.

He has struggled a lot to make it clear Maomao is the only woman he wants, he doesn't want to be the Emperor and also just is not the right person for the job. I don't believe these plot points are in vain only to be reversed later by a realization of avoidance and Jinshi wanting to accept his position out of familial obligation or maturity, nor do I think the plot is moving the characters in that direction. If anything it's continually showing that Maomao and Jinshi have to be willing to assert their own wishes against that of others despite what may be expected of them. And while Jinshi does have excellent leadership qualities, as Maomao easily points out, his kindness often brings him to overwork himself and struggle with dealing out harsh punishments or having necessary and uncomfortable entanglements an Emperor would have to have.

Jinshi was watching the pitiful family closely. He didn't seem to be thinking of how to punish them, but rather how to connect this to whatever came next. As he watched the family, Maomao silently watched him.

Romeo and Juliet ending - This was a favorite of mine previously and I still think there's the smallest possibility for it to happen but it's unlikely. I liked it simply because it brings back the resurrection drug which was a recurring theme for so long with Maomao wanting to obtain it and also the potential for a callback to the beginning of the novels with Shisui somehow making an appearance since she is the only character to disappear successfully and not be found. The downfall of considering this ending is two-fold. One is that Maomao and Jinshi do have some connections with people they may miss if they faked their deaths and disappeared. Her father Luomen might be able to come but Basen, Mrs. Chue, Lihaku and anyone else would never be able to see them again. Secondly, Maomao herself has said she sees death as a cop-out for escaping the fallout to problems you have caused.

"I hate it when people think everything's over just because they're dead!" It was as good as refusing to face the consequences of whatever you had done.

This to me is the biggest indicator this likely won't be the ending. It's interesting to consider and could bring back some fun appearances from early novel plots but I agree that given Maomao and Jinshi's character they're not much for disappearing and leaving others to handle the mess.

Grand Commandant and Court Physician ending - This is personally the most satisfying end for Jinmao I can imagine right now. Basically if Jinshi renounces his title as Moon Prince and Maomao accepts her role in the La Clan then they go on to get married with Jinshi being brought into the family, he could take on her clan name. From there, Lakan could step down as Grand Commandant and have Jinshi take the role. This would be optimal for both as Lakan appears to enjoy the strategy involved in military affairs but often delegates the rest of his work to his aids. He has found Jinshi interesting and should like to have a son-in-law who will take his position so he can retire to play Go games which is what I imagine.

To his surprise the eccentric strategist was there, lying on a couch and drinking from a gourd. To all appearances he was quite at his ease, but a secretary placed some paperwork sheet by sheet on a table and gave Lakan a stamp to press on them.

Being Grand Commandant would also give Jinshi the ability to back up the Emperor's son with Gyokuyou while not being his enemy. Jinshi has had a clear interest in the military from having the training, to when he stormed the Shi clan stronghold himself and then has wanted to boost the ranks of the military but been denied given that his current position is mostly in name and he has to go through others to do the things he wishes in the government. It also removes Lakan as such the fearsome threat against the Emperor and puts his son in the position whom he trusts.

When the younger brother had at last appeared, though, it turned out that he was as beautiful and as gossamer as a celestial nymph-and that he was also a hale young man as skilled in the military arts as the administrative.

As for Maomao, her accepting her place in the La Clan is integral to both her and Jinshi potentially being free from the grip of Imperial politics. Ironically this whole time Jinshi has been taking the burden on himself to find ways of removing the obstacles for both of them by getting himself taken out of the line of succession. It would prove to me to be funny if it turns out that Maomao accepting a noble position is the key to both of them finding actual freedom.

From my perspective if she becomes the La Princess not just in others recognizing she is outwardly but taking on the Clan name and what comes with it, I think it could open other possibilities for her and Jinshi. Like I said above she and he could get married if he was no longer royalty and he could take on her clan name, as we've seen that men can be welcomed into a wife's family and become the head of that family.

The position itself would bring her a noble status, which she could then use to work in the circles Jinshi would be in as Grand Commandant. For instance, if he is no longer considered a threat to the Emperor, he could also put forward more initiatives like he used to in the rear palace like helping the women read but along the lines of potentially having female physicians. I think the Emperor would accept without a problem, he merely needed someone who was respected with in the Imperial Court and who could make a reasoned argument for it to present the idea.

If Maomao then becomes a Court Physician in her own right she can still see Empress Gyokuyou and treat her as a doctor without having to be her lady-in-waiting or her servant and not being able to have a connection to Jinshi. She could be friends with the Empress again because she has her own established position which finally removes her biggest fear that has driven so much of Jinshi's efforts to remove himself as a potential successor.

Finally, I find this possible ending to be the most satisfying because what Maomao and Jinshi want most is to help people. And a place they can be where they have the best ability to help people is where they would thrive the best.

"You're only human, Master Jinshi. You're not some mythical immortal who can save everyone." She held his face in her hands, the fingers of her left hand brushing his scar. "You can be wounded, scarred, brought low. Only human."

Being Emperor and Empress would only stifle them because as we see with the current sovereigns there is a lot they cannot do and their hands are tied by relations with foreign nations and keeping friendly terms in the palace itself. Being commoners wouldn't work either because as we have seen with Maomao, having to constantly work and scrape for very little causes a defeatism of feeling like you're not able to do much for others or improve life for yourself.

Sadly but truthfully, Luomen won't be around forever and to me Maomao will find happiness taking over for him as Court Physician and working with the Quack in the Medical Office where she's comfortable and able to help the ladies and others, plus she'll always have access to the best medicines and can visit her Verdigris House family at any time. This ending also brings back the feeling of the early novels where Jinshi can peek in on her in the medical office after he's finished his paperwork as Commandant but this time they're able to go get chicken skewers together and have the freedom as husband and wife.

He wished he could have gotten her tucked into bed sooner, with a nice, soft blanket around her. She hadn’t been able to resist her first sleep in days, and she looked as comfortable as if she were in a pleasant bath.

Here they're both able to work, doing something they enjoy but freed from troublesome entanglements, all the while finding new ways to improve the lives of others. That's a happy ending to me.

Lastly, I don't see it having them be together and fade-to-black, I think we'll know some of what their future holds. To me the idea of being open-ended is more, the possibility for further adventures to be had. So we can see them get married, have jobs and be happy but that doesn't mean there couldn't be more, there just wouldn't be at the time we leave them because they've achieved a certain peace for the moment.

That was longer than I intended it to be 😂 but fun to write and explore the different endings. Thanks so much for the question!

[dailynnt]

FRIENDS WITHIN TOUCHING DISTANCE

⊹ Summary: Jungkook and you, his childhood friend, live together in an apartment, sharing space as roommates. Your relationship, built on years of friendship, is gradually becoming strained by growing sexual tension. You decide to become friends with benefits, trying not to complicate your feelings. But Jungkook's world is not so simple. When you begin to realize that he is hiding something, you open the veil of his double life - a world of mafia, criminal activity, and risk that could ruin not only your deal, but everything you valued in each other.

⊹ Couple: Jeon Jungkook/ Fem!Reader

⊹ Characters: The Reader, Jeon Jungkook, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, Min Yoongi, Kim Seokjin, Kim Namjoon, Jeon Hoseok.

⊹ 🔞 Age restrictions: 18+

⊹ 👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏻 Relationships: ⚤

⊹ 📘 Number of part: 6/30

⊹ 🖇️ Tags: best friends, friends with benefits, slow longing, sexual tension, protected sex, unprotected sex, alcohol, drunken sex, inexperienced main character, mafia au, illegal trade, deaths of minor characters, weapons, swear words. Tags will be added as the story is written.

⊹ 👩🏼‍💻 From the author: As I promised, there another part by the end of the week. I hope you will enjoy it as well. There's already a main plot twist here. But man, I have so many ideas for what should be in this story that I think there will be more parts than I expected. Maybe it will be somewhere around 30 or more, I'm not sure. As always, I welcome your comments and likes. I so appreciate that you like my story.🥰💜

⊹ 🫂 Dedication: From this part, I want to dedicate this work to my darling @myjungkookthighs who has been supporting and loving my story since the first part. My darling, I so appreciate all your love for my story and your endless support. Now this story is for you.💜🥰

⊹ ⚠️ Warning: English is not my native language, so there may be mistakes in the text. Please don't get mad at me too much! Those under 18, please don't read this story!

⊹ 📋 Tag list: @myjungkookthighs , @notsevenwithyou (If anyone wants to be in my tag list let me know)

≣ Chapter Index ↓

Part 6: A school friend and an offer that's hard to refuse.

You look at the cup of hot cocoa that the waiter places on the table in front of you. The cup is large and red with the words "Merry Christmas" written on it. The cocoa is decorated with marshmallows, which you don't like. You look at this cup and you don't want to touch it at all, even though cocoa is your favorite semi-winter beverage, except for hot chocolate.

"I remember that you like cocoa. When we went home from taekwondo school, Jungkook and I would always buy you some." - You turn your attention to Doohoon as he speaks. His speech is relaxed, with elements of nostalgia. You look at him, and all you feel is disgust. You don't feel comfortable sitting at this table in a café and talking to him, but you probably have to talk to him.

Doohoon used to be your best friend, just like Jungkook. You've been friends since you went to taekwondo school together. It was because of Jungkook, who had a talent for making friends wherever he went. Even though you were a year younger than the two of them, you never had any problems. The fact that you were a girl was also normal for them, and you liked hanging out in their company more than with the girls in your class, who were all afraid of you and didn't really want to talk to you. You didn't suffer because you had Jungkook and Doohoon.

You knew Jungkook almost from birth because your parents were friends. So Jungkook was the one who introduced you to Doohoon. They were almost inseparable. And it seemed that nothing in life could separate them, and they would remain friends forever. But this is life, and it is not as we would like it to be.

Everything began to fall apart when Jungkook and Doohoon, who were classmates to all that, was at graduation class. Jungkook was the best student at your taekwondo school. He was often participated to compete and always came back with a victory. In his senior year, on the recommendation of his coach, he was supposed to go to a sports university and train professionally in taekwondo. Jungkook was very promising in this area and would have had a brilliant career, if not for one incident. This incident was directly related to Doohoon.

Doohoon was always number two. He could never beat Jungkook no matter how hard he tried. It seemed to hurt his pride. Doohoon really tried not to worry about this fact, but when Jungkook became more and more popular and needed by everyone, it finally destroyed his friend who had always been in the shadows.

Jungkook came to you one evening after school, upset and irritated. He sat in your room and barely spoke when you told him about your plans for the future and that you wanted to study journalism. And that you were jealous of him because he was graduating this year and you had to study for another year. When Jungkook answered "uh-huh" once again, your nerves gave out and you finally decided to ask him.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you just mooing like a cow?" - You were angry.

"Nothing's wrong." - He said dryly, not even looking in your direction.

"Did you come to my house in such a mood just to sit next to me and ruin my mood?" - You kept asking. Jungkook turned his gaze to you and stared for a few seconds without blinking. You were embarrassed. He exhaled heavily, and it was clear that he didn't want to talk about it at all. But that's why he came here, isn't it?

"Actually, something happened." - He finally admits. You roll your eyes. Did it?

"What is it?" - You ask, trying to be patient.

"You know I have to go to a competition at the end of November. This competition is very important because it will help me get high scores when I apply to the Korean National Sports University." - Jungkook began.

"Yes." - You said. "You're representing our city in this competition, I know."

"I should have to, my school principal has already signed me up to participate in the competition." - Jungkook says in despair.

"Wait, what do you mean, 'should have'? You're not going? What happened?" - You asked. Jungkook looked at you again, and you saw him turning more and more like a black cloud.

"Doohoon's father asked the principal to spar with me. He said I had to prove that I was really the best student in the school. Doohoon is also good at taekwondo and he has a good chance of winning the competition." - It's like you were hit over the head when Jungkook finished. What Doohoon, there must be some mistake.

"Stop, Jungkook." - You say in an attempt to clarify things. "Doohoon is going to fight with you? But you were chosen because you have the highest level in the school. There's no need to spar with you because it's obvious that you're the best and you'll win. What is wrong with this fool? Couldn't he stop his father? You're best friends with him. Besides, Doohoon's family has so much money that these competitions don't matter to him. He can get into that university just because his father will pay for it!" - You protested. Jungkook just sat there silently with his head down. You were silent until Jungkook broke the silence.

"When I heard that, I went to him. I asked him if he really wanted to fight me for this competition. And do you know what he told me?" - Jungkook was almost shaking with anger.

"What?" - You ask quietly. Jungkook laughed hysterically.

"He said he wanted to fight and this time he would beat me. Because I already grabbed such a star that I don't even notice him. And that he's the only one who can beat me." - Your eyes became the size of 10 won. He couldn't have said that. Doohoon is a good guy and friend. He wouldn't say something like that.

"No way!" - You were laughing hysterically, too. "Doohoon? He would never turn against you in his life. He values his friendship with you so much... He's told me that many times. He..." - You stuttered. But why would Jungkook lie? What the hell is going on between them?

"I don't know..." - Jungkook said, picking up the toy that was lying on your bed. It was a rabbit that you loved very much. Jungkook gave it to you on March 14 when you were 14 years old. "I think I offended him with something. We've really started lack talk to each other lately. I'm so pissed off..." - Jungkook got angry and clutched your rabbit in his hands. You saw your pet being strangled and snatched it out of Jungkook's hands.

"No wonder, you're always busy. Competitions, studying, girls." - You said the last word with a complaint. Jungkook looked at you with a smile.

"What's wrong with my girls? Are you jealous?" - You choked on your indignation. Why would you be jealous of him, you piece of fool?

"Jesus, Jeon, that girls are all over you only because they don't know what an asshole you are. They're only attracted to your looks! They piss me off because they're always writing these stupid threats or requests, like 'please stay away from my oppa because I don't like that he has a girl friend'" - You said in a squeaky voice. Jungkook laughed loudly. It was so similar to those girls who were chasing Jungkook. "So, God forbid I should be jealous of you."

"But what can I do, I'm so hot and I'm really handsome." - Jungkook smiles slyly and runs his hands through his hair. It parted in a section on his head, forming an almost perfect style. You stare at your friend in awe and realize why they all run after him. He really is very attractive. But damn, he's so cocky.

Jungkook grabs your hand and pulls you to your bed, where he was half-sitting. You scream in surprise. A second later, you find yourself in his arms. You try to get away, but it's no use. Jungkook holds you tightly. He leans his head against yours, and you still protest, although you are excited inside at his sudden embrace.

"I'm sorry that these girls are writing you these things. I'll deal with them so they don't hurt my best friend, who I will never leave." - He says gently.

"But you will forget about me as soon as you find a girl. I'm sure none of them saw me as just a friend to you. They all think there might be something between us." - You say, not wanting to get out of the pleasant hug.

"Then I'll have to be without a girlfriend, because how can I live without you?" - He says looking at you. You turn your head and don't expect him to be so close. You instantly look hot. But you don't turn away quickly so that he doesn't suspect that your heart is beating out of your chest.

"What are you talking about, Jungkook? Of course you can live without me and find a girl. When you do, you won't need my friendship." - You try to speak calmly.

"I'll always need your friendship, don't be silly." - Jungkook says and leans his head against yours again. You sit there for a minute and are silent. You remembered about Doohoon and feel sorry for his behavior.

"Do you want, I’ll talk to Doohoon? I'm sure he's under the influence of his stupid father!" - You say.

"No. You shouldn't do that. If he wants to fight me, I'll fight him. He's trying to prove something, but I don't understand to whom or why." - Jungkook looks at you again. "I'll beat him like you said." - You smile at each other.

A few weeks passed after your conversation with Jungkook, and the day of the fight between your friends came. Almost the whole school came to the fight and surprisingly there were a lot of people who came to support Doohoon. You are here to support Jungkook.

You didn't talk to Doohoon. You got mad at him after you talked to him the next day, after you talked to Jungkook. Doohoon seemed to have changed. He said things to you that you didn't recognize him anymore. You tried to prove to him that the friendship you had was more valuable than any competition or status, and Doohoon was not swayed.

"Jungkook thinks he's the best, he's long since given up on our friendship, and you're always on his side. Do you like him?" - Doohoon asked. You froze. What does that even matter right now?

"Are you crazy, Doohoon? Why should I like him? We are talking about completely different things right now!" - You said, irritated.

"Oh, come on. You've been with him since you were a kid. I see the way you look at him." - Doohoon persisted. You were getting angry.

"What the hell is going on? Why are you acting like this?" - You shouted, unable to stand it.

"I'm acting like a jilted friend. And even you don't care about me, but as always, only about him. Even though the three of us were best friends." - Doohoon said.

"We were the best of friends until you started acting like shit. Do you know how important this competition was to him and what you did? You complained to your dad to put in a good word for you. Are you envy of Jungkook or something?" - You demanded. Doohoon exhaled angrily.

"I'm not envy of him." - He said, but you could feel him holding back the last of his strength. "I'm a good fighter too, but who notices me when there's the great Jeon Jungkook. He was immediately signed up for that competition without any fights. But we have a lot of good guys in our school who can go to those competitions. And I, as the second in the school, also have all the chances. And I'm sure I'll beat him today." - Doohoon said with venom in his voice. You were preparing to charge him right in the forehead.

"You'll never beat Jungkook. You know that better than anyone. And if you were truly his friend, you wouldn't do this to him. You're envy of him and that's the only reason you're acting like this." - You said and walked away. You never spoke to him again.

The fight went in Jungkook's favor almost all the time. Jungkook was doing a good job of taking care of her friend, but Doohoon wasn't going to go down easily. It was not pleasant to watch this fight, to see Jungkook get angry and to see how Doohoon was behaving. In the second round, when Jungkook wanted to make another attack, he didn't count on Doohoon dodging the punch and putting his foot down. With all the force he was trying to put into the punch, Jungkook hit his leg and felt a lot of pain in his knee. Jungkook instantly falls down, unable to stay on his feet. He writhes in pain and the referee and coach run up to him. You instantly get up and your heart is pounding like crazy. No, is Jungkook really injured?

Doohoon is standing nearby, watching. He's trying not to smile, even though you already know he won the fight. He won technically. He heard Jungkook's knee crunching.

All the stands are buzzing and trying to see what's wrong with Jungkook. Doctors come to him and you realize that the worst has happened.

A few minutes later, the coach comes out on the mat and announces that Doohoon has won by technical defeat of Jungkook.

You remember that day as if it were yesterday. Back then, Jungkook was treated for a long time for a knee injury, an injury so serious that it threatened his ability to go to university. But fortunately, Jungkook was treated well. He didn't go to the competition he was supposed to go to.

Doohoon lasted only until the 3rd round of the competition and then dropped out. Do you remember that after that he and Jungkook made up because Doohoon came to him and apologized tearfully. They entered the National Sports University together and studied together. At the time, you were in Suwon and in your senior year. You used to talk to Jungkook and Doohoon n the phone. With Jungkook, of course, more often.

At some point, Doohoon stopped answering you, and you asked Jungkook what happened. He told you that he and Doohoon were no longer in contact, that they had a serious fight, and that Doohoon had been expelled from the university. You were shocked. You tried to find out what happened more than once, but Jungkook never told you. At first you were angry, but eventually you stopped bothering Jungkook about it. So you forgot that he was ever in your life until today.

"Why did you show up now? Where have you been?" - You asked Doohoon. He kept smiling at you. You wanted to wipe that smile off his face.

"You better start drinking your cocoa, because it doesn't taste good when it's cold." - Said that former friend instead of answering your questions. You looked at the cup without touching it.

"You're still as stubborn as ever." - Doohoon said. You looked at him and noted to yourself that he was getting good looking. He was as tall as Jungkook. His physique was manly and handsome. He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater and gray classic pants. He looked like some kind of chaebol. He had a fashionable hairstyle on his head and even seemed to be wearing makeup.

"It's true. I haven't changed much, but you seem to have." - You say with reproach. Doohoon bursts out laughing.

"No, I'm still the same Doohoon..." - Your former friend says, but you interrupt him.

"The same piece of shit?" - You ask sarcastically. Doohoon freez during holding a cup of coffee to his lips. He smiles at your insult and takes a sip anyway.

"Do you hate me that much?" - He asks. You huff. What are you doing here, anyway? You need to study for your exam, and you're sitting here with this fool who's wasting your time.

"I don't hate you. I don't care about you." - You tell him with undisguised disgust. "Listen, Doohoon, i’ve doesn't have much time, I have important things to do tomorrow. So if you want to tell me something, you have exactly 15 minutes."

"I just wanted to have coffee with you, we haven't seen each other for almost 3 years." - Doohoon explains.

"What makes you think I just came here to have coffee and talk like old friends?" - You asked. "I want to know what happened between you and Jungkook."

"Didn't he tell you?" - Doohoon asked.

"No. He didn't tell me. So you're going to do it." - You answer nervously.

"So you're still friends with him. For how many years now? You haven't started dating yet?" - Doohoon asked.

"We're going to be friends like this. Because he is important to me. And no, we're not dating..." - You wanted to say something like "nothing can happen between us," but you stopped in time. You thought it would be an excuse, and besides, something happened between you. But this asshole doesn't need to know that.

"I thought you would. You liked him..." - Doohoon said. You clicked your tongue nervously. You were sick of this conversation.

"Hey, Doohoon! Shut the fuck up. This is none of your business. This is my personal relationship with him. Whether I like him or not is none of your fucking business." - You were angry. Doohoon raised his eyebrows and then shook his head as if in surrender.

"God, Y/N, you're like that fire. I was just saying..." - He defended himself.

"I don't need your assumptions. Either you tell me or I'll leave." - You said decisively, not wanting to stay here any longer than necessary.

"Okay calm down." - Doohoon said. He looked at you with suspicion. Your reaction was too obvious to him. There was something similar between you and Jungkook.

"If Jungkook didn't tell you, how can I? He's the one who should tell you everything." - Your ex-friend finally says. You roll your eyes to the sky. You are so pissed off at this idiot.

"He doesn't want to tell me, that's why I'm asking you. I've tried many times to find out what happened, but without success, as you can see. So you tell me. Or I'm really leaving." - You say. Doohoon takes a few sips of coffee slowly, testing your patience.

"The only thing I can tell you is that I set him up. I was just saving my own skin." - He finally says. You try to understand, but in vain. "And after I set him up, we got into a fight in the university cafeteria, I attacked him first. I got kicked out, although my father was about to make a fuss, I stopped him and then he decided that instead of Korea, I would go to study in the United States." - Doohoon finished his conversation. You were stabbed with anger. When did Doohoon become such an idiot? He was so good boy at school.

"How did you set him up?" - You asked coldly. Doohoon finished his coffee and put the cup on the table.

"If you want to know, let Jungkook tell you." - You stared at him for no more than a moment and then grabbed your jacket and backpack.

"I'm going to go." - You said, already heading for the exit. But Doohoon grabbed your arm, stopping you.

"I'm really sorry for what I did to Jungkook. I care about him too..." - Your former friend began to feel sorry.

"Who are you telling fairy tales to?" - You ask, taking your hand away.

"No, I'm really sorry." - Doohoon says, standing up. He towers over you and you feel uncomfortable. "I know you're going to tell him you saw me, so please tell him I'm sorry..."

"I don't want to tell him that I saw you. I probably won't know what happened between you two, because you're two assholes who won't tell me anything. If you want to apologize to him, you have to meet him in person." - You said sharply. You started to leave, but Doohoon stopped you again.

"Y/N, you didn't change your number, did you?" - He asked hopefully.

"No." - You answer, standing in a half-turn.

"Can I text or call you?" - Doohoon asks.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I wasn't glad to see you. Bye." - You say and finally leave the cafe.

You don't feel good after that. You feel like you've been sitting in the mud. You decide that you'll take a taxi home because it's too cold to walk. And you also have an obsessive thought that Doohoon might be following you.

So you returned home around 8 p.m. You were mentally exhausted, and you had to check the project. Why so many problems in the last two days?

You did some housework and quickly changed your bed, remembering what happened yesterday. For a moment you were amused, but then you tensed up again. You were nervous because you hadn't seen Jungkook for a whole day after you had sex. And then you ran into that asshole Doohoon.

Everything was so annoying.

After you finished with your bed, you went to the bathroom and threw your clothes in the washing machine. After cleaning the apartment a bit, you finally sat down to check the project.

You were sitting in the kitchen because it had a wider table than your room and were checking it out when you heard the sound of a combination lock. Jungkook had come home.

Your heart immediately started pounding. Your breathing sped up. You turned to your laptop, hoping to hide behind it.

Jungkook found you at the kitchen table. You were looking at something on the laptop, and there were some papers scattered around.

"Hi, baby." - He greeted you. When you met his eyes, everything inside of you broke. What is happening to you? It was just Jungkook. He was dressed in a black sweatshirt and jeans that were also black. He was damn handsome. You blushed and immediately looked down at your laptop.

"Hi." - You squeezed out. Jungkook continued to stare at you for a while, and then moved towards you.

"What's up? How was your day?" - He asked curiously. You tried to calm your heart and breath, and you gently inhaled and exhaled, concentrating on them. You remembered your meeting with Doohoon, but immediately pushed the thought away. You're not going to tell Jungkook that you met him. At least not today.

"It's okay. I was on campus, had dinner with Suyoung, and came home." - You answer without looking at Jungkook, who sits down next to you and looks at you shamelessly. You think you're going to die, if he won't stop staring at you like that.

"Are you hungry?" - You ask, pretending to edit something.

"No. I had dinner." - He says and you realize he's holding back a smile. You give him a quick glance, unable to look at him any longer than necessary, and raise your eyebrows.

"What's so funny?" - You are indignant. Jungkook can't stand it and laughs louder now.

"Honey, don't do that." - He calls out when he stops laughing.

"Do what?" - You get angry, looking directly at him.

"Don't create this awkwardness between us." - He says and reaches for your hand. You jerk your hand away from his.

"I'm not creating any awkwardness!" - You protest and are about to go back to work when you feel Jungkook grab your elbow and pull you into his lap in one swift motion. His lips pressed against your ear.

"Then why don't you kiss me?" - You forget how to breathe. His voice vibrates in every cell of your body. "I've missed you all day." - He says in your ear. You exhale nervously. You try to get up from his lap, but he holds you tighter. When you're back in his arms, he inhales your scent and runs his nose along your jaw.

"Jungkook, let me go. I have a lot of work to do." - You say.

"Your freedom is just one kiss away." - Jungkook bargains.

"We're not at market." - You complain. "By the way, aren't you going to talk about what happened last night?" - You start, still sitting on his lap and feeling the warmth of his body. It feels so good to sit here.

"We had sex." - Jungkook states.

"Yes, we did." - You confirm. "So?"

"So?" - Your friend tries to understand.

"So everything is fine and it should be?" - You ask. Jungkook stops caressing your jaw with his nose for a moment and looks at your face.

"It’s some doesn't suit you?" - He asks.

"Me? No, it’s fine. I just want to know what's going on between us." - You answer. Jungkook leans his head against you.

"I don't know..." - He starts to say. "We both wanted this, didn't we?" - You don't say anything. The idea that you might start dating doesn't fit in your head.

"I don't know either. What about our friendship now?" - You ask.

"What about it? We're still friends, just like we were before." - Jungkook assures you.

"Yes, friends who slept together. Otherwise, everything is just as it was." - You can hear the sarcasm in your voice. Jungkook giggles.

"Why? It's like a new level. Now we're not just friends, but friends with benefits." - You laugh nervously. That's what he's offering you.?

"You want us to be friends with benefits? What if you fall in love with me?" - You ask jokingly.

"Baby, it's more like you'll fall in love with me. I can be very charming and charismatic." - You burst out laughing.

"How cheeky you are, Jeon. I told you before, there's no way I'm going to fall in love with you. Even if the world ends." - You assure him. Jungkook smiles.

"Well, that makes it easier then. We can have sex without the fear of someone falling in love." - He concludes.

"Have I given you my consent yet?" - You ask, looking at Jungkook. He's dangerously close.

"I know you. You want this too. Besides, I have an offer for you that you can't refuse." - You raise one eyebrow curiously.

"What can it be?" - You ask.

"I'm going to teach you how to have good sex. And when you meet your boyfriend, he will owe me." - You were stunned. This arrogant man is too smart. You slapped him on the chest.

"You're so cocky." - You said. "Why should he owe you anything? It's just me being a good student. You know how good I am at studying!" - Jungkook laughs at your words. So you agree to his proposal. You think it's just a deal between friends, nothing more. Jungkook can really teach you a lot. Dating with him feels strange. He's been your friend for so many years.

Now your number one task is not to really fall in love with Jungkook. Because what you feel around him sometimes scares you. But no. It's not a crush. You just know yourself.

"So we have an agreement. Shall we start with the kissing lesson?" - Jungkook asks, and he grabs you by the neck and pulls you close. Your lips merge and you let his skillful tongue into your mouth. Your tongue immediately finds his, and it feels incredible. You think you could kiss this guy forever. Jungkook kisses you a little greedily, of course he said he missed you, you can feel it. You're getting hot for this kiss, but no matter how much you want to, you have to study for your exam. Why is everything distracting you today? If you don't do well on your exams tomorrow, you'll kill everyone who's been disturbing you.

Luckily for you, the sounds tell you that the laundry is done. You try to tear yourself away from your friend's lips.

"Jungkook..." - You say into his lips, because he won't let go. "The laundry is done, can you take it out and hang it up to dry?" - You ask, finally pulling away.

"Yes. I'll do it." - Jungkook agrees and lets bites your lips one last time.

He goes to the bathroom and you don't see him for a few minutes. You return to your work and feel soaked. Why are you reacting like this? Is this normal? You didn't know, and you were embarrassed to ask Jungkook, because if it wasn't normal, it would be his excuse to bully you.

Jungkook finished with the laundry and returned to the living room. He wanted to watch TV and asked your permission if he would disturb you. You said “no”.

You were sitting at the table and decided that you needed to rest for a while. You got up from the table and stretched your numb muscles. Without noticing Jungkook watching you, you turned to the kettle and turned it on to make yourself some tea. While it was boiling, you walked over to Jungkook and sat at his feet.

"Do you want some tea?" - You asked him.

"I do!" - Said Jungkook. You smiled.

"I'll make some for you." - You said. "What are you watching?" - You turned your attention to the TV, trying to figure out what was on. You didn't hear an answer, and when you turned to Jungkook, he was looking at you.

"Are you okay, baby? I think you want to say something. You nervous. " - He suddenly says. You can't understand why he thought that.

"Me? To you? What do I have to say to you?" - You wondered. But you really wanted to tell him about Doohoon. You didn't want to upset Jungkook, but did you have to hide this meeting from him?

"Yes, what's wrong? Are you worried about what we talked?" - He asks and sits down next to you.

"No. No." - You assure him. "There's nothing wrong with that. I just..." - You think of the best way to say it.

"Go ahead, baby, I've answered any question you have." - Jungkook reassures you. He touches his fingers to yours, and you look at his tattoos.

"You're not answering that question!" - You say bitterly. Jungkook raises his eyebrows.

"What question am I not answering?" - He asks.

"Jungkook... what happened between you and Doohoon?" - Jungkook freezes at the sudden question. It's been a long time since you've mentioned your mutual former friend. Why does she want to know now?

Jungkook lets go of your fingers and lies down on the couch.

"Why did you bring him up now?" - He asks instead of answering you.

"I met him today. And he took me to a cafe. He told me that he once 'set you up to save his own skin'."- So you admit that you met him today. Jungkook's face is distorted by anger. He sits back abruptly and grabs you by the shoulders.

"You saw him today?" - He is angry. His eyes radiate anger.

"Yes." - You say, frightened.

"Did he hurt you?" - Jungkook asks. You don't understand what is happening. Why does Jungkook think he could have hurt you?

"No, we were just in a cafe with him. I didn't even drink what he ordered for me..." - You say, and then you realize that Jungkook was only surprised that you met him, not that he showed up at all. "Wait a second... you mean you knew he was back?"

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[iamsebastiansstan]

for granted, in vain - stepbro!NAC x fem!reader

PART 2/2 OF STEPBRO!NICK - CLICK FOR PART ONE

summary - If this is something he’s capable of, he’s never deserved her in the first place.

He starts walking backwards in a daze when her hard voice stops him.

“Fuck you if you go back to her, Nicholas.”

In a voice that he doesn’t recognize, he says, “Fuck me, then.”

wc - 8k - MINORS DNI !

warnings - dark!Nicholas so beware, angst, hurt/comfort, stepcest, manipulation, oral (m and f receiving), crying during sex, dirty talk, face slapping (mostly the non sexual kind), p in v sex

A/N - good God this took ages to finish, I'm sorry. I feel like I started this series with a bang and part two is a likkle flat... especially because it's so plot-heavy lol but I still hope you like it!! lemme know what you think my Darlings, I love you always <33

It goes on like that for a while. 

The secrecy, the careful nature with which they handle their relationship, they get used to it, they manage well, make sure not to lose each other in the process.

It is still deliciously forbidden, and Nicholas never would have thought that he’ll get to live this fantasy of his, which makes it all the more special that he finally does. 

Mom and dad leave them alone, mostly, but it is still too risky to go all the way like they want to- need to, at this point- and the danger connected to finally fucking his stepsister for real licks at his spine with more discomfort than he likes to admit. She doesn’t ask, never did again, after that first time, and despite his newfound controlling nature and incessant obsession with her, he doesn’t want to push. 

He pushes with other things, has before, but not with this. When he fully makes her his, he wants her to have demanded it beforehand. 

Holding back isn’t easy, though, never has been, with her. 

When she’s on her knees for him, begging with her eyes, he almost breaks the skin on his thigh the way he’s digging his nails in, all to hold himself back. When he loses himself between her thighs, stretching her open until she’s crying with it, he has to bite his lip bloody to keep from just sliding in without much preamble. It takes a lot of restraint, which thankfully, Nicholas does have, thank you very much. 

He finds his heart aching for her. When they’re at the breakfast table and her laugh pierces his chest, the epitome of happiness in that sharp sound; when they bicker needlessly, jokingly, about things only they have come to understand about each other; when the sun illuminates her skin just so, makes her appear like an angel before him, come to free his damned soul. 

And damned it is, for what he feels for her, for how angry it makes him, for how it causes him to act around her- towards her, even- when she deserves so much better. So much better than him. 

When the new semester starts, too soon for anyone’s liking, they decide to keep their distance at college. The last thing they need is prying eyes on them, the questions their friends would undoubtedly ask if they saw them interacting more than usual.

She doesn’t like it, he knows.

“We could just tell them that we’ve gotten closer over summer break,” she pouts, head on his chest.

He plays with her hair a little, entertains the idea, decides against it.

“Any kind of change will draw attention, (Y/N),” he drawls, “attention that we can’t afford. Not now.”

“Yeah, but-“

“Drop it,” he snaps, leaves no room for argument. It’s tearing at him, not giving her what she wants, but he’s got to be smarter than that. If he lets her push, he’ll give in, and damn them both.

The way she deflates squeezes at his heart a little, but his big brother protectiveness doesn’t allow him much leeway. 

He doesn’t fuck anyone else either, for that matter, and while her eager throat and skilled hands pull orgasm after orgasm from him whenever he demands, it’s just no comparison to what it feels like to sink into a willing, wet body, a tight pussy that he gets to shape for his cock, even if just for one night. It’s stupid, really. Hornyboy-brain is all it is. 

It costs him, inevitably. 

His friends coax him out of hiding and take him to a party to celebrate the start of the new semester and he agrees, because if there’s anything he likes, it’s the comfortably humane way the colder months announce themselves at the end of September, would leave his bare arms chilly if not for the alcohol thrumming through his system. He says yes when they ask him to come and he says to her when she asks him if she’s allowed to go with her friends and he says yes to the knee-length dress she wants to wear that night. Nicholas is in a charitable mood. 

They arrive separately, though it gnaws at him, the fact that her friend Stacy or Casey or whatever the fuck will drive them, the fact that he doesn’t know her little group and thus doesn’t trust them with her. But he has to. He’s had to so far, and all had gone well. Nicholas makes his way through sweaty bodies, smiles at a handful of familiar faces, gets himself a drink that tastes way too strong to have mercy on his liver and downs it in one go. Tonight is for letting go, and he plans to do exactly that, shed the armor of responsibility that he himself has put on his broad shoulders and just be Nick for a few hours, the Nick he was before she corrupted his every thought, every single fiber of his being. 

He knows it’s not fair to put this on her, but if he puts it on himself, he’ll break. So he lets the poison seep into his thoughts and lives with the guilt, at least for one night. Tomorrow, he’ll make her breakfast and kiss her sweetly under the shower and promise her that soon, he’ll claim her completely, and he will be hers in return. Nicholas gives as good as he gets, always has. Tonight, though, he will allow himself to be unhinged. 

The bass is pumping something fierce, making his bones shake, and he loses himself in the crowd of people dancing in the spacious living room, the mansion they’re in providing generous space. It’s beautiful here, the way the chandelier catches the colorful lights, the way they’re all here to enjoy their youth while building a future for themselves. There’s so much stress and desperation in those godforsaken lecture halls, those endlessly long hallways, but here, the feeling of freedom flows through the atmosphere so heavily they can taste it on their tongues. 

All he feels around him is skin, rubbing against his and filling his nostrils with sweet perfume, heady cologne, clean sweat. It’s intoxicating in the best way, reminds him of a time before he wound himself into knots over a woman he can’t love the way he wants to, and when he drives his hand through his damp hair, looks ahead, he can see her staring at him from where she’s perched atop the kitchen counter.

She’s sitting with her thighs slightly spread despite how high her dress is riding up, smokey eye dangerous and hair mussed as if she’d gotten fucked before this. He knows what that looks like on her, one way or another. The air around her is arrogant, little sister petulant, and it makes him grit his teeth. A drink gets handed to her by a nameless girl and she accepts it, doesn’t take her eyes off his as she lets the tip of her tongue play with the white rim of the red plastic cup, and if Nicholas wasn’t a handful of shots and two handfuls of drinks in, he’d feel anger surge in his chest. Now it’s only need, desperation in a way, recklessness. 

When an unfamiliar hand, dainty and soft, touches his arm he doesn’t back away, doesn’t stop looking at her when he grabs a wrist, spins a body around- a back to his front- and starts a slow and dirty grind that makes the hairs on his neck stand up. She’s sipping now, face unbothered if it weren’t for the fire in her eyes, the kind of fire you ought to put out immediately before it swallows you whole and makes you regret ever having lit the match. 

The girl in front of him has blonde hair down to her curvy ass, hips perfect for grabbing, and he closes his eyes when he inhales her scent, smells spice and danger, gives into it with a lick of his tongue against the side of her bared throat. The music is humming around him, but his ears are ringing, but he refuses to look up, to back down, to show his sister the power she has over him. He was a fool to think he’s got the upper hand. All that he is, all that he wants to be, starts and ends with her. 

The pair of lips pressing on his only surprise him a little, and he kisses back feverously. The taste is all wrong, the contours of her face as well, and none of it is her fault. Still he holds on, cradles a head and licks at some teeth, bites softer than he knows he’s capable of, doesn’t hand out marks where they haven’t been earned. 

When she pulls away, dirty smile playing on red lips, he exhales harshly and leans down to her ear.

“I’m gonna get a drink, you want anything?”

She shakes her head, gets on her tippy toes so he’d hear her.

“No, thank you. But will you come back?”

The cheek in his grin is as fake as his lust for her, but if there’s one thing he knows how to do, it’s play it up for the big show. 

“A’course.”

It’s the first time he looks up since he allowed himself a taste of this stranger, and when he finds her glaring daggers at him, he grits his teeth and bears the pain. Making his way through the crowd proves to be easy with his height and built, and he ends up standing face to face with her sooner than he’d like. He steps between her thighs, a safe distance apart, leans his upper body closer. 

“Where are your friends?”

“Doing coke in the bathroom.”

“Are you serious?” His fists clench.

She shrugs, nods once.

“You’ll never see them again, you hear me?”

He can’t hear her scoff, but he can see it, can see the corners of her mouth turning up cruelly while the heat in her eyes goes from a simmer to a boil in zero point two seconds. 

“What about blondie? You gonna see her again after tonight? Or is this just another one of your hump and dump stories, hm, Nicholas?” 

He deserves this, but he hates it, nevertheless.

“That’s none of your business, (Y/N).”

He knows it’s mean for no reason, but he can’t help it. He can’t have her the way he wants, the way he needs, for now and forever, so why even bother? Why prolong the inevitable, spend years gathering ammunition only to shoot himself in the heart, kill her in the process? Nicholas thought he knew what pain was. She came along and showed him how she could prove him wrong. 

“Do you get off on talking to me like that? Like you haven’t-“ her voice breaks, she swallows hard before continuing, “-like you haven’t spent all day today holding me, telling me how beautiful I am in my dress, how beautiful I made myself look for you. And now look at you. Hanging onto the first girl that throws herself at you.”

The monster in him that’s been clawing its way to the surface decides right then and there to bear its ugly head.

“Beats sitting alone and watching the person that won’t fuck me try to fuck someone else.” 

His words slice through her, deflating her with one sentence. His ears are ringing again, for a different reason this time. Nicholas can’t believe he just said that. Put the girl he loves in front of him in a room full of spectators and started distributing lash after lash, watching her bleed out because of him. He doesn’t notice the moment his hands start shaking, the moment the bile starts rising in his throat, the glass of her teary eyes the only thing he can focus on. Knows he can’t take this back, wishes he could, thinks it might be for the better. 

If this is something he’s capable of, he’s never deserved her in the first place.

He starts walking backwards in a daze when her hard voice stops him.

“Fuck you if you go back to her, Nicholas.”

In a voice that he doesn’t recognize, he says, “Fuck me, then.”

*** 

He ends up not doing it. 

The girl- Tara is her name, as it turns out- doesn’t seem to mind much, hands him his shirt that she gracelessly tore from his body, presses a small kiss to his cheek. 

“’m gonna go back to the party, ‘kay?”

He nods wordlessly and waits until he hears the click of the door closing, then lets himself fall heavily onto the bed in the guest room of the house. He thinks about locking the door, but his legs feel like lead, preventing him from getting up. What the hell is he doing? What the hell was he thinking, talking to her like that? His baby, his (Y/N), the girl that relies on him so heavily yet twists his heart into knots until it feels like it’s going to stop.

If he goes there with her, he knows, he’s never letting her go, and what good would that do for her? Her brilliant little self would be stuck with him, with his average grades and later his average job, hiding from their family and friends, putting on a front so they wouldn’t be questioned; with his bad temper and violent grip, his loud voice and the fear, the guilt that eats at him day in and day out. He’d pluck that beautiful rose from a prosperous garden and watch it wilt on his windowsill. Gladly, at that, so long as it’s within his eyeshot. 

Nicholas can’t do that to her. Thinking about letting her go kills him, but he can’t do that to her. 

He fixes his clothes and his hair before stepping out of the room and into the booming of the music downstairs, looking around to make sure nobody saw him. Sneaking out of the house is easy now that everyone’s too drunk to pay him any mind and he almost makes it to his car that he’s parked two houses down- away from anyone that might stumble outside and fuck with it- but luck is not on his side tonight and he gets noticed.

“How was it, huh, Nick?” he hears her voice, slurred and mean, and it sends a shiver down his spine.

Not here, not now, not like this, please. But he can’t move when she goes on.

“Was she good for you? Obedient, just the way you like? She let you throw her around, make you feel like a real big man, huh? Answer me!”

Her grip is tight as she grabs him and turns him to face her, albeit clumsily. He lets her, because at this point, he deserves every hiss and snarl she sends his way. No, he won’t answer her, same way he won’t meet her eyes, can’t.

“Why don’t you want me?” she sobs, lets her head fall forward to rest against his chest. Nicholas inhales sharply, his sight getting blurry. “I try so hard, and yet… you just don’t wan’ me. Did you get bored, is that it? Is there- Can I do anything to- to-“

“Stop!” he snaps, grabs her by her shoulders and pulls her away, looks at that tear streaked face, those blotchy cheeks, that cherry red mouth. Wants to kiss it, reels himself in, hates himself for even the thought. “(Y/N), please… please don’t.”

All at once, her face hardens.

“Don’t what!” she screams, makes him scared that someone will overhear their heated argument, but the lawn is empty of people and every house on the street is dark. “You don’t, Nicholas! Where the fuck is all of this coming from?” 

His eyes close without his say-so, trying so hard to keep his patience in check. 

“You’re the one who’s throwing this all away, and for what?” she continues, oblivious to the sound of his heart cracking. “For that girl in there? She that good, Nick?” He tenses when she gets close again, the tequila on her breath making him nauseous as she nuzzles his cheek with her nose, starts peppering his skin with kisses. “I can be just as good, big brother, I promise. Let you do anything you wan’, don’t gotta have any limits, not with you. Please, Nicholas. Please, just gimme a chance, wanna prove it to you, wanna be your good little girl, pl-“ 

“I said fucking stop it, (Y/N),” he yells when he can’t take it anymore, grabs her hair in a tight fist and yanks her head back, makes her look up at him. He’s seen that fear in her eyes before- seen it directed at him, even- but it’s always been clouded by lust, by need. Now it’s pure, unadulterated, and it makes him swallow down bile. “You think that I don’t want you, stupid girl? You think I don’t die a little every time you fucking ask me for this, and I have to say no? What have we been doing that you think this isn’t all I want? All I fucking want, you hear me?”

His cheeks are damp but he doesn’t care, can’t bring himself to stop. 

“It’s all I want,” he finishes weakly, presses his face into her hair as he tries to calm his breathing down. He loosens his grip while he’s at it, suddenly aware of every strained muscle in his body. Nicholas feels bone-deep tired. 

“So why deny us, huh? Why are you doing this to-“

“All I want,” he starts, voice hard through how shaky he’s feeling, “is to take you to parties and dance with you and kiss you when you’re tipsy, feel you up a little, take you home and tuck you into bed but I can’t. And all I want is to hold your fucking hand when we walk down the halls of our college, but I can’t. I can’t tell my friends about you, I can’t know if you’re only mine when I let you go out with your fucking friends, I can’t have any of that. How much longer, huh? How much longer can we take the hiding until it fuckin’ breaks us, baby?” 

He just wants her to see. He’s not the bad guy here, he’s doing this for her.

The tremble in her lips makes his stomach turn, knowing his words are the cause for it.

“So why pursue me in the first place, Nicholas?” she snaps, angry now, and it makes his temper rise. As if she’s the only one hurt by this. “Why not leave me alone, huh? You are the one who started this, and you pushed and you pushed and now you’re, what, scared? You should’ve just left me be, fuck!”

“Do you think I knew I’d fall in love with you when I first started this?” he bellows, ears ringing at the urgency of his words, the anger, threatening to choke him if he doesn’t get them out, consequences be damned. His grip on her arms tightens despite her wide-eyed stare. “I didn’t fuckin’ like you, (Y/N), I couldn’t stand you when I first had you. I wanted to fuck you up for being such a brat. But then,” all his bravado, all the air in his lungs leaves him at once and he gentles his hands, moves them into her hair as he eyes her face. That beautiful face. “But then you turned out to be the best girl f’me. Just needed a firm grip, didn’t you? Needed your big brother’s guidance.” 

There are tears streaming down her rosy cheeks again, stirring up something ugly in his gut. 

“You fucking ruined me, is what you did, and now that I’m trying to be selfless for once, you won’t let me! What the fuck do you want from me, huh? Fuck you!” 

She’s staring at him slack-jawed, eyes wide, but he can’t bring himself to care. He’s angry and he’s drained and he wishes he were numb. There’s still some tequila in his father’s cabinet, he’ll sneak that when he gets home, drink it by the pool and do his best not to drown himself in the chlorine filled water. 

He shakes her off and steps away. “Call a cab when you decide to go home, don’t you fucking dare get in a car with those whore friends of yours, y’hear me? I mean it, (Y/N). I see you coming home in anything other than a taxi, I’ll make you regret it in a way you won’t like.” 

There’s that fear again, but that’s a good thing. Maybe that’ll make her stay away. He’s too out of it to drive, so he walks.  

*** 

He heard her enter the house last night, saw the cab drive off. It didn’t take her long to come home, and by then, Nicholas had already abandoned his plans of drinking himself into a stupor. Better to avoid that hellish hangover. He’s proud of himself today.

Leaving his room is not much of an option to him and when he really does have to, he first makes sure she’s nowhere to be found. He sneaks food into his room and only uses the bathroom once his bladder feels like bursting. It’s a small price to pay for avoiding the awkwardness that’d come with running into her.

Monday comes around and they have to leave for classes at the same time, which means they have to get ready at the same time. Nick isn’t looking forward to that. 

She stumbles out of her room when he’s on his way back to his from the bathroom, and the tense eye contact they make feels like it’s inevitable. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but he steps aside and disappears before she can, heart in his throat. He hates this. Hates it so much, wishes he didn’t have to do it, wills himself not to give in. 

The next few days pass by like that, with the air thick around them. She tries, always does, his girl isn’t one to back down that easily. For once he wishes she would.

At breakfast she sits next to him, drives her toes along his calf. He ignores it, keeps chewing his oatmeal. 

“Nicholas, please,” she whispers, conscious of their parents bustling around the house, getting ready for work. “Let’s talk.” 

It only takes a moment, but his appetite is gone. He lets his spoon fall into the bowl with a clink before he pushes his chair back, its scraping against the floor undoubtedly making gooseflesh appear on her skin, and he gets up to leave the room. Healthy breakfast and heartbroken little sister abandoned behind him, but that’s what he’s got to do. 

In the bathroom when he’s getting ready for bed, she steps behind him, presses her chest to his naked back, surely feels his pulse hammering. She knows his weak spots, so it slices like a knife when she whimpers, “Big brother, please… Please, don’t do this,” into his ear, and it takes all of his willpower to not slam her against the door and ravish her mouth right then and there. He bends to spit in the sink, doesn’t bother wiping his mouth before his sharp elbow finds her body, doesn’t hit but shoves her firmly away from him so he can exit the room. Her inhale, sharp from the hurt he just caused, stays with him until he falls into a fitful sleep. 

Ignoring her is the highest form of cruelty she thinks he can allow himself right now, but Nicholas knows better. It’d be crueler to take her for himself, keep her, keep her away from everyone and everything that isn’t him, because that is what he wants. And she’d let him. Stupid, wide-eyed girl she is, she’d let him. And he’d hate himself for it. Hate how much he’d love it.

It's been so long that he’s surprised that he still recognizes the sound of it, but once he hears it, he can’t ignore it. Grip tight on that last thread of patience, he waits with clenching fists for her bedroom door to open before he storms into the hallway, grabs her throat and slams her against the wall next to the bathroom door. Her gasp of surprise gets lost to him when he sees the apprehension, borderline fear in her eyes, but he ignores it. Finds her hand and wrenches the soiled toy from her grip, throws it on the ground and, without breaking eye-contact, crunches it under his foot. 

It satisfies him for only a second, then he feels numb.

“Who do I go to now, when I have this… problem?” she asks, voice small, and even the thought of her with someone else makes him boil over with rage.

Making sure she hears every syllable he mutters; Nicholas gets close to hiss, “I ever see you with someone else, it’ll be the end of you both, do you fucking hear me?” 

He knows it’s unfair, but she needs to know that, despite everything, she’ll never not belong to him. Not while they share a roof. 

He waits for her shaky nod before he disappears again, leaves her leaning against the wall. 

*** 

Nicholas is unsure of her play here. She doesn’t let up, no matter how many times she’s shrugged off, rejected, ignored. It pains him immensely to do that to her, but what choice does he have? His obsession had reached a new, scary height, and he doesn’t want to bear the weight of her ruin on his conscience. 

It's almost midnight, he’s had a long, shitty day- hell, a shitty week, even- and he’s looking forward to a hot shower and the softness of his mattress under his aching back. Steps sluggish, he makes his way into the kitchen, sees the leftover lasagna in the microwave and decides to heat it up despite the late hour. He’s got to be up in six hours. Fuck his life. 

He doesn’t know what’s wearing him down the most: how stressful college has been lately, how tense the atmosphere at home leaves him, or the fact that he hasn’t gotten off in days, all his fantasies looping back to his little stepsister, making him even more frustrated than before; but when he hears the pitter patter of her naked feet approaching him, he leans his forehead against the cabinet and pleads instead of ignoring, “Not now, (Y/N). Please. I can’t. Not now.”

Nicholas knows he’s a cruel man, knows what he’s capable of, how low he can stoop when he needs to, but let it be said, once and for all, that his girl is not a smidge better than he is. She observes, memorizes, pouts, attacks. She puts herself back together for the sole purpose of him having something to chip away at. That is his doing, he knows. He’s carved her into an entirely new animal. 

Rosy scent fills his nostrils when she plasters herself to his back, and he doesn’t need to look to know how stunning she is.

“Did you mean it, big brother?” she rasps, intertwines her hands in front of his stomach. At his questioning hum, she clarifies, “When you said you loved me, did you mean it?” 

The pain slices through his gut like a dull knife, and he’s so, so tired. 

He nods.

“I know,” she says, “I’ve known for a while. I can feel it.”

It’s just about the worst thing she could’ve said, her words hitting and making him crumble as he swiftly turns around, ears ringing with rage. It doesn’t take much to bring her to her knees, pliant as she is, and as soon as her glossy eyes meet his, her head cracks to the right, the shape of his palm immediately blossoming on her cheek. 

The microwave dings, but the sound is not nearly enough to snap him out of his delirium. 

Her cheeks feel soft against his fingertips when he grips them, turns her head to look at him. 

“Yeah?” he hisses, lets go and strikes her again, in the opposite direction this time. “You feelin’ it, huh? You feel loved right now, baby?” 

One more, then one more, one more, he loses count. She starts crying because this is a trigger point for her tears, he smirks devilishly because he knows that, of course he fucking knows that. But she lets him. Looks up at him again and again, after every strike, silent begging in her eyes as if she’s saying if this is what it takes to have you, I’ll give it to you, if this is what you need, I shall give it to you.

It fills him with rage, sadness, gratitude. A mix of emotions that threatens to overwhelm him. 

By the time he’s done, her cheeks are fiery red and tear stained, the skin of his hands pulsing slightly. She took it like a champ, despite the snot running down to her lip, despite her labored breathing. 

God, he’s so stupid for not checking if their parents are asleep. He should’ve, but he lost himself in her. If they had gotten caught, it would’ve been her fault, yet again. 

“That’s what it’s like, with me,” he breathes, gets really close so he can whisper those words into her mouth. “’s that what you want, little girl? Is that what love is, huh?” 

She doesn’t skip a beat.

“With us it is,” she sobs, eyes darting down to his lips and back to the chocolate of his eyes. “I love you, Nicholas.” 

Hearing those words come from that gorgeous mouth is like a round of buckshot to his brain, and he gives in, gives in to the heaven and the hell that awaits him. 

She’s easy for him to pick up- his body made to support hers, he feels like- and she immediately wraps her legs around his waist, finds his hair and pulls him towards her cherry red lips. They taste like salt and a rotten promise and he’ll take that over the heartbreak he’s felt these past few weeks any day. 

This house has been his home for long enough that he doesn’t need to watch where he’s going as he walks them to the bathroom, doesn’t need to detach his mouth from hers, doesn’t have to stop the suck of his lips around her tongue. Seating her onto the countertop, he pushes away gently and locks the door, starts the shower, takes his shirt off as he watches her do the same. Nimble fingers undo her pants, his strong grip tears them off her long legs, leaving her in a sweet matching pair of underwear. Meant for daily use, comfortable, not for the debauchery he plans for tonight. 

Well, not plans exactly, he thinks as he undoes his own belt, gets rid of his own pants under her watchful gaze. He wasn’t planning this, and he doubts that she was, either. He’s following something that feels like instinct, is taking his time as if he’s seeing her for the first time. Maybe he is, in a new light, at least. The way her eyes sparkle as they trace him top to bottom, he assumes it’s the same for her. 

They don’t break eye contact when he removes her underwear first, then his own, no need for greedy gazes. This is theirs, has been theirs, from the beginning of time. This feels like coming home. 

Legs around his torso again, one wide step into the shower, matching sighs as the steam of the hot water engulfs them. Careful not to get her hair wet, Nick angles her away from the stream, kisses her until her grip on him is lax enough to let go. An exchange of words is not needed as they watch each other through hooded eyes, as they use gentle hands and familiarly scented products to wash each other, prepare each other, take care of each other. The knot in his stomach is the tightest it’s ever been, and he knows it’s because added to the pleasure and lust is now the undoubted thrum of love he feels for her. He can’t wait to release that into her body, cock so hard it makes his skin vibrate.

While rinsing her off, he leans down to whisper, “You’re so beautiful, little girl. Your face, your body, they will bruise after tonight.”

Her head falls back onto his shoulder, getting the tiny curls on her nape wet. 

“Wanna hurt for you,” she whimpers, lip trembling. Her tears are barely visible through the steam. “I’ve missed it, Nicholas, you have no idea.”

And that’s the crux of it all, isn’t it?

He indeed has no idea. He has no idea how she so willingly presents herself for slaughter by his hand. He thought himself sick and twisted, but her naked need makes even his veins run cold. 

“God, you’re so fucked, (Y/N),” he chuckles, no humor behind it. He turns her around forcefully, doesn’t ease his grip on her upper arm. He tilts his voice down a notch, coos, “Did you get dropped on your head as a baby, sweetheart? Did mommy and daddy not love you enough as a child? What happened to you that crossed your wires enough to let me do this to you, huh? Have you got no self-respect at all?”

It's all her fault. He wants, but so does she. He needs, and she lets him. Her fault. 

Her smile is gentle, almost sad, when she reaches up and tucks away a strand of his hair. 

“Maybe it’s just you.” 

Huh. Maybe it is. 

His lips feel numb as they press against hers, insistent tongue making itself a home in her too-honest mouth, and together they stumble through the process of drying each other’s skin, following rubs of a towel with kisses and licks. It’s their floor so they have no qualms about leaving the bathroom naked, and he leads them into his room automatically. He wants her surrounded by his scent, drowning in it, claimed on the outside the same way he’s going to claim her on the inside. 

Nibbling teeth graze his pounding pulse point before she whispers, “Do me bare tonight, big brother. ‘ve been on the pill for weeks now.” 

That request, those tiny words, make his brain short circuit for a second before he smashes his body into hers, throws them onto the bed together. He kisses every inch of skin he can reach without moving his head too far away from hers, wants her to see the fire in his eyes. 

“Made for me, weren’t you?” he pants between presses of lips, between the sounds of her moans, “Oughta thank your parents for this masterpiece, this wretched little fuckdoll they’ve gifted me, fuck. ‘m gonna load you up so good, you’ll have to pray that none of it takes.” 

She whines all little sister overwhelmed, grabby hands on his toned body, seeking out the cock he hasn’t let her touch in weeks. She’s a come greedy girl, always has been, playing with it every chance she gets. Tonight, he’ll make sure to breed her up good so she can find new games for her body to play. It’s his turn right now, though, the hunger for her body clawing its way up his dry throat. Skilled togue licking a path down her neck, between her breasts, over her soft tummy and to her throbbing mound, Nicholas doesn’t break eye contact as he licks a sweep across her center.

Her legs fall open obscenely, as far as they will go, and her wide eyes don’t dare look away from his face. He’s got her right where he wants her, pinned like an insect under his heated gaze.

“Missed this cunt,” he moans, parts her swollen lips with his tongue before teasing at her dripping hole, smirking at the way it’s pulsing. “Even though you haven’t been good for me, I know nothing can fill my little girl up the way this fat cock can.”

“B-been good, only t-touched once,” she stammers, and he chuckles darkly.

“Aw, only once and I caught you doin’ it? Unlucky.”

Her knuckles in her mouth keep her from screaming as he starts sucking ruthlessly on her clit, thumbs pushing her pussylips apart to tease at her entrance. He’s not going to give her prep, wants her tight and wet around him, wants to punish-fuck that cunt apart and show her what happens when she’s being a tempting little whore.

It doesn’t take long for her orgasm to crash through her smooth body, making her grip the sheets as hard as she’s gripping his hair, causing him to hide his hiss in her skin. It’s okay, though, she can hurt him all she wants. It’ll never compare to what he’s going to do to her. Spitting her own juices into her mouth and watching her swallow them down greedily, open her up for more, makes him feral. He wants to drench her in everything he can give her. 

“Nasty bitch,” he grins, makes her whine in delicious embarrassment, spits onto her tongue and smacks her on the mouth as she gulps it down. 

“Yours, Nicholas,” she moans, “Say it, please, say it, make me.”

“You’re mine,” he moans, bites into the delicate skin of her neck and holds her down through her scream. He draws a smidge of blood, can taste it, keeps it for himself. “You’ve been mine, and you always will be mine. Nobody gets to have you like I do, to fuck you up the way I will.” 

“Wan’ it, ‘m not scared.” 

That statement makes a cruel laugh escape his throat as he climbs up her body, places his knees on either side of her head, grips his cock in one hand and smacks it on her stuck out tongue a couple times, revels in her whining. His balls are aching something fierce, but it’s easier to take now that he knows she’s there to let him dump all that come inside of her.

“You oughta be,” he smirks before he grabs her hair and shoves his dick as far back into her throat as it will go, no preamble, no mercy. 

She chokes immediately, because of course she does, he hasn’t given her any time to adjust, but he doesn’t care. Nicholas’ mission for tonight is to show her that he owns her fully, and if he says she doesn’t need a voice for speaking, then he’s the one who gets to take that away from her. 

“Yeah, take that dick,” he groans through grit teeth, guiding her head back and forth the way he likes, the way she wishes she could take him, but he makes sure to keep control and have her struggle one hundred percent. “Missed this, didn’t you? Choke f’me, little girl, that’s a good stepsister.”

The thrashing sound behind him comes from her legs, but she makes no move to give him their agreed-upon sign for when she can’t safeword out, and he takes advantage of that fully. Pulls out, slaps his spit-soaked length across that gorgeous face, pushes back in. Groans at her constricting throat, cants his hips up to feel her chin against his full balls. When her tears and spit and sobs have satisfied him enough, he gets off her and pulls her into his lap, kisses her deeply.

“Need you,” she sobs against his mouth, licks his bottom lip, “Wanna feel you fucking me, I’ve waited so long, Nicholas.” 

Who is he to deny his babysister anything? 

He keeps her in his lap as he lines his cock up with her drenched pussy and pulls her down as he thrusts up in one fluid motion. A wide palm muffles her screams, and already he’s addicted to the feeling of making sure her agony goes unnoticed. It’s probably ripping at her walls on the inside, the way he so ruthlessly gave her the entirety of him, but he wants her to feel it, wants her to keep feeling it for days. 

Her body is lax, but he doesn’t mind, gives her his bicep to hold on to, snaps his hips up to feed the tightest little hole he’s ever been in, fighting through the dizziness. 

“That’s a good baby, fuck,” he pants, sucks at her chin, “yeah, scream for me. Let everyone know what your brother is doing to that cunt, you sick little fuck.”

“So de-e-ep, N-Nick,” she whines in gargled syllables, and he grins as he punches up.

“Not gonna stop ‘til your cervix is the same color as my cockhead, y’hear me?” 

“Fuck,” she whines from deep within her chest, ruts her hips against his as if in heat, and he can’t suppress the nasty grin that makes its way onto his face.

This is her being delirious with need, unapologetic in the way she’s chasing her pleasure, selfless with how she’s breathing through the pain he’s undoubtedly causing her just so he can feel good. She was made for him; he’s never been surer of anything in his messed up little life. 

A large palm on her stomach, a slight push, has her tearing up. “You feel me here, baby? I’m turning your body inside out, y’feel it?”

A shaky nod, nothing more.

He fucks her like that for a while, hauls her up and down his cock, meets her on the comedown, bites and sucks at the skin of her face and tastes the salt there. Nicholas has been close ever since he stuck his dick inside her sister-sweet pussy, but he’s good at holding it off. That self-control he keeps talking about, as you can see. He’s proud of himself.

When her body seizes up at one particularly hard thrust, he knows he’s got her number.

“That the spot, huh, baby?” he grins, bites his lip in concentration as he hits it again, gaze never leaving her bug-eyed stare. “That the spot I own? The little spot your big brother’s gonna make you come with?” 

“G-gonna, plea-please, need- need it, b-big brother, n-“

“Let go for me, (Y/N). Lemme feel my baby’s cunt clench around this fat cock.” 

It’s pure porn, the way they fuck, the way they talk- but it’s heaven, the way she clenches around him and comes with a choked cry. Her heart is hammering against his chin where he’s got it pressed to her chest, looking up at that ecstasy-stricken face. If this is heaven, she is his God. 

The fact that he has to use most of his strength to hold her down when she comes surprises him, pushes him so close to climax he has to grit his teeth until they hurt so he wouldn’t let go so soon. Her body is spasming, trying to buck off him, but he’s willed to fuck her through it until she’s shaking with it, nearing overstimulation. Once she’s done, breathing labored but body lax, he grabs her thighs and flips them so he’s on top of her, nestled deep within her guts and comfortable. When he starts giving it to her from that position, her hands start flailing until they find his back, short nails digging into his sweat-soaked skin.

“Yeah, jus’ lie there and take it,” he groans, nails her g-spot with every trust, knows where it is blindly. “Good little girl, good little fucktoy. Fuck, making my cock feel so good.”

“You’re fucking me,” she’s gasping, genuinely surprised as if she’s been in a trance so far. “Your cock is inside me. Your big fucking cock. And you’re fucking me. Fuck, Nicholas… fuck.”

It’s then that she comes again, taking them both off-guard, and Nicholas has to still completely so he wouldn’t just cream her tight pussy up right then and there. She works him good, too good. 

“Fuck, (Y/N),” he laughs, as if mesmerized, “what the fuck are you doing to me.” 

Her tears are running freely now, body shaking under his as he lines himself up and pushes in in one long, brutal thrust, giving her no time to adjust before he’s hiking her legs up over his shoulders and snapping his hips into hers. He’s close and he can feel it, bites his lip as he stares into her clouded eyes. There’s droplets of his sweat on her face and he moans when her sweet tongue darts out and licks some of them up. She’s his. She’s his and he’s hers but she is his. 

“Fuck, fuck- oh baby, gonna-“

“Come inside me, big brother,” she breathes, voice shot. “Give your baby your babies.”

He squeezes his eyes shut and lets go, loses all his brain capacity along with his load, slumps over her powerlessly when he finishes. The way she immediately starts stroking his back makes him smile into the skin of her neck, pressing a small kiss there. 

They hold each other, sweaty and sated and bone-deep tired. 

“Y’re mine now,” he whispers into the side of her face, kisses here there.

She hums.

“Been yours for a long time now, Nicholas.” 

He supposes she has. 

*** 

It’s a slow process, the getting closer without raising suspicion. They start with hanging out more, talking more where people can hear them, helping each other out with assignments and chores. Their parents love it, how they’re getting along better than ever.

 What they’ll never know is that it’s been a long while since they’ve slept in separate beds, that almost every night Nicholas fucks (Y/N) to tears while whispering what a good little sister she’s being to her big brother, that they’re the same brand of twisted and loving it. They’ll never know that each piece of furniture they help their kids pick out for the new apartment they’re moving into together, in a city far away that offers better postgrad programs than the college in the one they live in, will have their combined juices on it at some point. They’ll never know why exactly (Y/N) let herself get officially adopted by Nicholas’ father, why she chose to take on the last name everyone else in the family has been carrying for years now. They’ll never know that in that city, their kids don’t tell anyone that they’re stepsiblings, but that they’re a young married couple, having moved shortly after the wedding to start a new life together, that the little detail about their relation is something they only mention when Nicholas is balls-deep inside his little girl and wants to make her even wetter than she was before. They’ll never know that Nicholas loses his temper, sometimes, and decorates their little girl’s cheek with his fingerprints. They’ll never know how she cries when he does, but he’s her big brother who knows what’s best for her, so she lets him. 

They’d never understand that this is what makes them happy. They’re together, they’re happy, and it’s all his doing. He did this, built this relationship up, nurtured it into something livable. He did this, not her. 

He did. 

taglist (imma tag this off the top of my head sorryyy): @exqorcism @lalavenderangel @nicholaschavezbby @emluvsuxo @hoeforanakin @faeromis @niteskysx @makebanks @aisforarlili @khloberry <3

[ch-4-eri]

Hi, I hope you had a good day

Can you write DI Jill x reader smut (age gap plz) that would contain SCISSORING (I'm tired of strapons I love pussies)

(Death island Jill is my favorite if she wont be in my bed on 14th February im gonna quit it)

Love your work!

I LOVE THIS REQUEST THANK YOU SOO MUCH!!

Jill X fem! Reader.

Warnings: mentions of trauma, slight angst, sad Jill, post death island Jill, scissoring, cursing. Smut, porn with plot, vanilla sex lowkey, Jill is much much older and reader is of legal age.

Word count: 1.7k

Guys I can fix her, I swear.

Your mom’s best friend had an almost near death experience at her job, which is almost every mission.

Jill Valentine has been your mom’s best friend for at least a good decade now, they both met at a support group and the friendship took off, surely a trauma bond lasts a lifetime.

As you both picked up the woman from the airport as she decided to unwind and forget about the horrible island she was talking about, in so little detail— knowing Jill for that long, she’s a woman of mystery, doesn’t say much but does say enough for you to grasp the full picture that lacks detail.

You were in the backseat as your mom drove— Jill staring outside the window with her beat up clothes, you’ve no idea if she liked ripped clothes or she’s just too busy to buy new clothes— either way, she was perfect, she smells nice and takes good care of herself, her almost greying hair perfectly trimmed and tucked behind her ear, she cuts her hair like a mother— not that she has kids, or even wants any.. which is fair.

Your eyes were taking in every detail about her, the way she was sitting, her hands calloused and placed atop her thighs as your mother was making conversation, dragging words out of her… barely so.

She turned to look at your mother which caused you to catch a glimpse at her nose, her blue eyes shining as the aging lines around her eyes were more prominent than last time you’ve seen, and before her visit to that island.

Jill felt eyes on her as she caught you staring, turning those to the backseat, giving you a half assed smile adults give to children and looking away, surely you’re no kid— but to Jill? It kind of doesn’t matter.

Deep down you’d take any kind of attention from her.

You always kicked yourself for thinking of that woman that way, Jill seems like the untouchable kind of woman— anyone’s lucky to even talk to her. you’ve no idea why she gives off that sort of energy… maybe because your mother is her only persistent friend outside of her job ones, and even so she barely talks, you’re curious, you wanna know more, and it grows to an attraction or even an obsession on your behalf.

Each time your mother brings her up, you’re tense, the hair on the back of your neck stands and your heart races, not even in fear, Jill was never threatening around you or your mother despite the training and whatever she’s capable of, and you know exactly what she can get away with.

But she’s a good person, and a good friend, and your mother loves her… so do you, except it’s a different kind of love, or maybe lust, a mere curiosity about the woman with decent intentions and morals, seeing it in her eyes as your mother insults a bad driver on the road and Jill just shushes her, she’s perfect, looks innocent even.

And you know she’s not, not even close.

You tossed and turned next to your mother in bed that night as you gave your room to Jill so she can rest on a bed instead of sleeping on the floor or the couch like she usually argues to do so.

And the thought of her sleeping on your bed is driving you crazy, your bed will smell like her, have her fucking perfect face on your pillows.

The overwhelming feeling made you sit up, not even in the mood to sleep at this point as your mind circled around the same thing, you wanted her.

To talk? Let her open up to you? Oh god she’s asleep on your bed.

And it’s like your legs had a mind of their own, you slowly got out of your mom’s bedroom, and closed the door— letting out a breath so heavy you felt your lungs shake.

Your room was right there, the door closed as Jill was right behind it, on your damned bed.

Your shaky hand was placed on the doorknob as you twisted the handle, allowing yourself to be creepy just this once as the desperation was eating you alive, making you feel smaller.

What if she gets mad? You never saw Jill angry, she’s incapable of being disrespectful like that, she’s too perfect, no matter how much she argues she isn’t.

You saw her awake and staring up at the ceiling, her gaze falling on you, and again; Jill would never be angry with you.

“Hi, sorry.. I just wanted something.” You lied, closing the door behind you.

“No worries.” Jill spoke up, the sound of her voice sending chills down your spine, you needed a fucking grip. “You alright?” You ask, not caring about the act of needing something from your bedroom at this point, what you wanted was her, to talk— to fuck— god anything.

“Just thinking.” Jill responds after a moment of silence, knowing she’s trying not to open up like usual, maintaining her secrets but still keeping a firm honesty— no matter how much it lacked, but you were so done with that, you wanted her to talk, say more, cry it out, anything.

You sat on the edge of the bed and faced her and she looked even more beautiful like this, wearing a gray tank top that barely covers anything, your eyes trying their hardest not to slip up, keeping them on hers instead.

“You can talk to me, you know?” You start, maybe just maybe this would get her to talk, it’s late and Jill looked vulnerable, worn out even. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Goddamn it, it was too close.

“Why not?” You found yourself arguing, were you that desperate? Perhaps, you absolutely were. Jill raised an eyebrow at your persistence, straightening back as she tilted her head. “Because, I don’t want to.” Jill replied, her tone firm like she needs you to stop arguing back if that’s what you were trying to do.

You gulped, you wanted to argue, wanted to tell her off, wanted to let her know she’s got you, that you were right here; anything.

“You should go to bed.” Jill ordered, her tone as firm as a moment ago, making you narrow your eyes in challenge.

“I don’t wanna go to bed, I know you wanna talk and I’m not leaving until you do.” You said, not sure what the hell’s gotten into you, and now Jill was starting to look pissed, a sight you haven’t seen before, maybe part of you was relieved you provoked her, maybe she’d say something, do anything.

She doesn’t say anything for now, you know she’s thinking something over in that head of hers, wishing you had a clue what the fuck it was. “Come here.” Jill gestured at you to come closer. Her fingers pointing at the bed, opening the blanket, her long legs exposed to your hungry eyes as you gulped.

“I said come here.” Jill repeats, her voice louder now, like she’s holding back yelling at you in the middle of the night. You obliged, unsure how you did so— all you could think about were her legs.

You came closer to her, crawling on the bed in front of her, watching the way her eyes studied you, her lips parted with anticipation as she grabbed your waist and brought you closer forcefully, feeling how strong her grip was, making you bite on your lip.

“Why are you suddenly so curious about it?” Jill asked, her fingers splaying themselves on your hip, keeping you close in such a strong grip and that’s just one hand.

“What do you want me to tell you?” Jill whispered, her other hand coming up to part your knees for her, gripping your thigh as she picked you up and brought you into her lap, like you weigh nothing. “That I’m so fucking tired; I’m so fucking sick of everything?” She whispered into your ear, her tone strained like she’s holding back the tears and the despair she’s felt for so so long.

“What do you want to hear?” Jill asked, her voice choked with tears. She wanted to cry but she refused to, her leg moving around your hip. Bringing you closer, her mouth placed near your neck. “I want you talk to me about it, maybe I could help—“

“You can’t help me, doll.” Jill whispered, her breathing fanning your neck, her hands placed on your waist. “Nobody could.” She adds, positioning your middle on top of hers. Her hips slowly moving against yours, desperate for any kind of friction. “Jill—“ you gasped, catching a hold of her shoulders as you were both bumping against each other.

“Please doll just let me do this.” Jill begged, her hands gripping your hips hard as her clothed pussy was sliding up into yours, the fabric so wet as it bumped against her clit and made her bite into her lip, trying not to scream at the pent up feelings and frustrations, your eyes were glued to her pussy, you wanted a taste, to feel her throb in your mouth, your pussy cumming at the friction as Jill moaned, her hands moving your hips with her full strength with both your panties soaked, Jill’s fingers moved in between you two and rubbed at both your clits, her breathing strained as she lifts her fingers up and shoves them into your mouth.

Seeking pleasure from the way you suck on her fingers, her other hand bringing your lower back closer as she chased her high, you had no idea your legs could do that, it was not a common position but it felt fucking amazing with your mouth full of Jill’s fingers and her pretty pussy fucking into your own, “come on— cum inside of me baby.” She urged, bringing your hip closer, pushing your pussy into hers. “Need you to cum inside of me.” Jill pants, too focused on her pretty eyes, mesmerised by her entire being, your noises were soft whimpers and whines as she got wetter at the sound of them.

“Jill—“ you called her name, your muscles spasming as you let out a choked gasp, your cum mixing with Jill’s as you both orgasmed at the same time, your foreheads pressed together and you both panted at the feeling, holding Jill’s shoulders while hers held your hips.

“I better not hear you ask anything else about me,” Jill requests, lifting your hips to get you off of her.

“You know enough doll, now trust me and get some sleep.” She says, slipping out of bed to get you cleaned up before you’d sleep. Leaving you dumbfounded and flustered.

[idrellegames]

When would be an appropriate point to open a blog for my story? I plotted my whole story, got the story down, finished 95 percent of the code, started writing a little, and now I just need to fully figure out the rest of my cast (procrastination 😬). I'm a little confused when and tbh... how lol. Been questioning myself a lot. I want to start early to build a fanbase, but I also don't want to lead anyone on. You've been around a while, so I feel like you know your stuff.

So, there's really no right or wrong answer to this kind of thing.

But I think the most important thing is that you need a substantial demo and to know exactly what your vision is for your game before you start to build an audience. Don't build a fandom before you have something for them to be a fan of—story summaries, character introductions, and all that kind of stuff is well and good, but if players don't have something to play, you're setting them (and yourself) up for disappointment.

You need to have a demo that is functional, substantial, and gives the player a solid idea of what your game is about and how it is going to play. You need enough material that what they can play is satisfying and leaves them wanting more.

I think you also can't underestimate the impact a growing audience has on your work, and how excitement over in-development ideas can influence you in ways that will ultimately harm your game. The audience doesn't know what you want or what your vision is, only you do. Know exactly what you're creating so you can stand firm on your ideas.

My one regret in starting my blog when I did (which albeit was for a completely different game, Wayfarer as it is conceptualized now didn't exist when I made this blog) is that I announced too many characters too soon. If I was doing this over again, I would keep my mouth shut about any upcoming characters, especially companions, until they were actually in the game—even if it meant that no one knows who they can and cannot romance.

Companion/RO lists are the number one marketing tool for IF games on tumblr, but in practice this only works for a small number of games with a very specific structure. If these characters are not in the game from the first chapter, don't say anything about them. Don't hint. Don't announce. Don't offer information. Keep it blind.

Development is always, always, always going to take longer than you expect.

Trust your gut instinct. Keep more things to yourself than you think you need to. It's better to let future updates surprise your playerbase than to let hype for a future character or moment lead to disappointment when it ends up taking you a while to get there.

Good luck!

[yewphoric]

Updated reference sheet for my beloved LDB, Ragnar! (he/it)

I'm so fucking happy with how this turned out!! Ragnar hasn't had a reference (or frankly a design) I've ever been truly happy with, but now it does!

I lightened its color scheme and added a few more details that I'm happy with, properly plotted out scars (and made the burn scar much more accurate, and better positioned imo), and gave it a casual outfit heavily inspired by @/sothasil 's Khajit fashion concept art. Specific post I used as inspo is here!

I'm also happy with his new weapons. Previously I'd just been using ebony war axes for his weapons, but I really like the idea of him getting them custom made. In keeping with Ragnar's very heavy Kyne association (which I'll talk a bit more about here in a sec), they have a sapphire core that catches the light and appears quite blue, and are enchanted with lightning magic.

As for the casual outfit, I wanted him to wear something that's a mash of Khajiit and Nord culture. Growing up in a caravan, Ragnar would have dressed like most Elsweyr-born Khajiit, which, going by the linked post, is typically just a tunic with a scarf. However, all of that clothing and such was destroyed when Alduin attacked Ragnar's caravan, and so it had to get new clothes. So, everything it wears is sourced from Skyrim, but tailored (by our resident tailor's son and Ragnar's qpp, Jenais) to be worn by a Khajiit, with more Khajiiti influence.

The amulet of Kyne was also hand-crafted! I like to think Ragnar carved the token himself, and then scavenged dragon teeth and hawk feathers for it. There's no enchantment on it, but it's spiritually very important to him because it represents his connection to Kyne. Hell, maybe Kyne has blessed it in some Moon-and-Star-esque way so that it grants a boon to Ragnar and Ragnar only.

Oh, and his burn scar! I've done much more research on burns and burn scars since his last reference sheet (2023....) and I made it more realistic. This injury occurred when Alduin destroyed the caravan and left Ragnar with a scar to remember him by (didn't kill him outright because he wanted to have an honorable battle). It took months to recover from, and Ragnar was made to do stretches and have massages frequently so that he could keep his range of motion. Exercise was also important to avoid muscle atrophy in such an important area. Even still though, the restoration magic couldn't completely fix it, and he suffers chronic pain that fluctuates day by day. It also frequently itches, and on certain days he can hardly move. I'm thinking about giving him mobility aids for those days potentially?? If anyone is more knowledgeable on that and has ideas for what kind of aids he could use, let me know!!

But yeah um. I'm so normal about him. My dragon kitty thing. Not sure if any of this rambling makes much sense (I never remember how much I've already shared about him here) but uh yeah!! I'm always open to questions about it, if anyone wants to know more :>

Oh, and shoutout to @oblivions-dawn for the screenshot I used for the background!

[timeslipcamp]

obligatory theory about the kyklos and what i think is happening.

literally every time i finish an episode i go and jot notes down in my lil mental notebook of theories and laugh like yuri in his lab

spoilers through ep 15

so i've seen this idea tossed out but no one really went in depth on why they thought it so i'm going to list off MY reasons why i thought this is what's happening.

fair warning: this is going to be long, i've got about five million thoughts on this and it's only going to get worse as more episodes get released. get comfy and grab a snack

i think mc and the ghouls are trapped in a time loop

it's a trope that when handled well can be really really cool, and with how many moving parts and ghouls there are to distract from what's happening, it's super plausible. the only reason i'm hesitant to say this is 100% what i think it is is because it's still only episode 16 and we know next to nothing about the clash and anything that happened last year. plus the game's only been out for a year, we've barely scratched the surface of the plot.

that being said, we're getting about 3-4 episodes per every couple months, which means by like episode 20-24 we'll be coming up on a year since mc was cursed. maybe. i'm bad at math. (EDIT: someone else did the math and it will probably be closer to 40 that we hit the year mark lmao) is the story going to be over then? i don't think so. i think the following chapters would follow us through the time loop as we finally work to solve it

if i had to guess, this is how i think the general timeline goes: mc, despite the ghouls best efforts and someones sacrificial jump into flames from a balcony, turns into the kyklos. to stop the teachers/school-aligned ghouls from killing her, someone sends her away--and accidentally sends her back in time instead. taiga, however, has been told by mc that if she were to turn, kill her before she hurts anyone. taiga goes back with her to stop her.

crazy concept: the one eyed sleeping beauty murder was the trigger event. the kyklos has one large eye. this part is still muddy given that we literally don't know shit about any of this, but i think it wasn't a one eyed beauty that was killed, i think the one eyed beauty killed someone while those other ghouls happened to be present. we got the five suspects based on them either being in the wrong place at the wrong time or by reputation (a la alan and jiro.) i think this is how zenji died as well, but i have zero basis for that other than vibes.

future!taiga continues to chase the kyklos, runs into his past self and explains (or maybe he's always known, or maybe whatever's going on with his brain makes him able to remember every loop, OR something is actively working against him remembering all of it) past!taiga does something that triggers the clash, and eventually, the kyklos finds her way to mc on the train. the following chapters would then begin to follow mc at the beginning of the loop again

this is literally all me guessing. i'll make an updated post once we finally know more about the clash and the one eyed sleeping beauty murders. and literally everything else smh

another quick note before i forget: i do think it's interesting that everyone who lost a day to the casino anomaly had their memories replaced of a girl in a tower in the woods. rapunzel reference? orrrrrr in early versions of the sleeping beauty tale, she was said to be in a lonesome tower waiting for someone to wake her up. coincidence? probably! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

anyways

"how did we end up here?"

SUPER compelling that this is one of the opening lines. the whole intro is generally a vague "humans avoiding darkness" spiel, but i do personally think its alluding more to the coming together and working as a team theme than an actual darkness. to me it feels like it's implying (based on the story so far) that working together is the light that can drive away the darkness (her curse)

one of my big things that made me wonder right at the beginning was how it almost immediately dropped the line "if we could do it all again" (paraphrasing). the whole theme about doing it again and would we do it again kinda made me think repetition was going to be a theme in the story, but once i got a few chapters in, i was definitely hurtling towards the time loop theory.

mc starts off talking about how she's sad it's over and we come to see she's talking about a band breaking up, and one by one the group chat members leave until she's left alone with just mina.

now mina itself as a name is an interesting choice. it's a fairly international name with a couple different translations. one translation has it meaning love, one says it's the same word as a mockingbird (a bird that can imitate human sounds) and in japanese, mina is a name meaning lovely/beautiful while min-na is a term sometimes used to mean "all of you", like saying all yall in english. fun play on words there if the time loop theory is correct and the kyklos we see at the beginning is in fact mc (aka all of us)

mina's profile picture is also a red spider lily, commonly known in popular media as the death flower

it's often planted in graveyards to ward off evil spirits and help guide those who have passed to the afterlife. another meaning for the flower is reincarnation: yet another implication of a cycle.

(it's also a popular flower in hanahaki disease fics, which is a fic trope where flowers bloom in the lungs of someone whose love isn't returned, but that's unrelated)

actually now that i'm really staring at that picture, it looks more like a red surprise lily, which is even funnier imo. apparently it's just a sister flower of the spider lily

mina says it must be destiny and that she's been waiting to meet us. spooky. we haven't really seen any other anomalies do anything premeditated like that, they're all mainly reacting to their environment, other than mr long legs i guess. but his felt more like predatory i need to eat intent, not "i'm tracking down this specific person" type of deal. definitely correct me if i'm wrong on that, though. i'm super interested in the "intelligent" anomalies vs the reactive ones. i'll make a post on that later

i've seen a couple other posts talk about how kyklos means circle in greek (aka another point in the time loop basket) but it's also interesting to note that kyklos comes from kuklos, whose root word kukló was often used to describe something that encircles. broke out a couple of my old humanities research packets and found this:

"a group of people...positioned around a central point"

whether that's intentional or not, i do think it is interesting that the whole time loop could be centered on this group of people that are positioned around a central point: the kyklos and mc. everything always revolving around the main character and the curse that started it all.

almost immediately after, mc is swiftly taken to darkwick and told that she'll die in a year (which we later find out is a lie) and sent off to live her life

taiga is the most suspicious person in the WORLD to me. fuck the traitor shit i wanna know what taiga knows

our brief introduction of him (and a scene on campus) tries to convince us he's insane

fairly compelling

but it's in the small cut scenes we see with the other ghouls that really get me.

TAIGA knows something!! the second one really gets me, especially in the context of a time loop, and even more so if taiga is aware of the loop. the second screenshot reads to me as either he's 1. about to make a deal with either haru or whatever he's summoning with a coin, or 2. he's like "fuck it, i've seen this loop a hundred times. there's ways where they survive and there's ways where they die. pick one, we'll try it again and see if it changes anything this time."

i don't think he's actually lost his mind. i think he's putting up an act to throw someone off his scent (namely the traitor and whoever the traitor is working with.) i also get the feeling, especially after rereading the auction chapter, that there's something actively working against taiga having all of his memories. it might be the pact he made with his demon, but i almost wonder if it's someone else's stigma or ability preventing it. we don't know what all the ghouls can do yet, or even the teachers.

maybe it's the time loop itself that's keeping taiga from keeping all the timelines straight. maybe he's done this so many times he doesn't know what's real anymore. additionally, if you pick him in the beginning, this is what he says:

once again, i'm getting the vibes that he's trying to figure out what could possibly be different about this loop that might finally break us out of it.

anyways, those are my basic notes on why i think this is gonna center around a time loop. given that haku's flute can transport and subaru's stigma has to do with memories and we dont even know half of the stigmas yet, i think it's entirely possible. but we'll see!

feel free to comment your own thoughts on what's happening :) ask box and dms are always open

[love-byers]

Hi! Not gonna lie I was a bit disappointed that you believe the birthday gate stuff... The Duffers wouldn't have admitted to have made a mistake if that were the case. And most of all, it would've come up in volume 2! Now if something happens in S5 it would just feel like they came up with it during the 3 years between S4 and S5. They can say it was planned all they want, people would call bullshit, and rightfully so. I'm sorry I can not believe how anyone can think birthday gate could be a real thing. Not to mention it doesn't even make any sense. Please bylers let's just accept the Duffers made a mistake!!

i disagree with everything you said

1. "the duffers wouldn't have admitted to have made a mistake if that were the case"

they lied.

the duffers are sneaky snakes who want us to analyze and always be looking for little details. they have literally said there are no coincidences in the show.

so yes, i completely believe that they would go out of their way to lie in order to save the surprise for s5. i mean actually think about it, if it really was just a mistake, why would they not just fix it?? they have the full power to just do a little voiceover edit and boom, problem solved. they explained exactly how they'd do it. but they didn't. 2 years have passed and they still haven't changed it when that little tweak would literally solve all their problems if it really was a mistake.

they lied. they're liars.

2. "it would've come up in vol 2"

since when does every single problem have to be solved in one season?? do you know what show you're watching??

there are hints and foreshadowing all over the seasons. vecna is foreshadowed in s1 ep1 when will's door was opened with telekinesis, and we had no idea he existed until 6 years and 3 seasons later.

in s1 they don't fully explain how will was communicating with joyce. but after s4 everything clicks into place.

they show us that will can clearly hear her and is finding a way to make the lights light up. then in ep 8 they show joyce and hopper making the christmas lights light up as they walk through the byers upside down house. jonathan sees this and asks if it's joyce, and joyce hears him.

that isn't addressed AT ALL in s2 or s3. it is fully explained and explored in s4, when nancy steve eddie and robin are stuck in the upside down. they fully show us how it works and acknowledge that it was how will communicated with joyce.

the creators knew exactly how the light upside down stuff worked the entire show. but it wasn't time for it to be explained just yet. it was meant to come up later on. it's a masterful way to write a story with longevity.

stranger things teaches you to never just write something off. everything is important. don't let it go just because it hasn't been fully explained. there will be payoff.

3. "now if it comes up in s5 it would just feel like they came up with it the 3 years between s4 and s5. people would call bullshit."

respectfully i think you're projecting a bit.

the average viewer who does not spend their time on forums is not going to think that whatsoever. the average viewer is going to think "wait what?!", go back and watch s4 ep 2, and think "holy shit it was planned all along that's so cool!"

like that's such a dumb way of thinking. you have to be a master level hater to see a well written plot twist and think "they just did that to cover their asses" like that's some next level hating

and i guarantee you once s5 comes out the duffers will be like "yeah of course we had to lie you guys were too close to figuring it out!"

david harbour has talked about how hard it was for him to flat out lie to people about hopper being dead. it's really not that crazy to think they lied

4. "it doesn't even make any sense"

....it does.

i don't know how you could think it doesn't make sense

rink o mania day was march 22nd. will's birthday. they have not changed his birthday. his official canonical birthday is still march 22nd.

but no one mentions it. even will doesn't seem to know it's his birthday.

s4 is all about memories and trauma and feeling isolated from others. we also literally learn there is a powerful monster man who can read minds and enter other people's memories, just like el can. so i don't see how it's so outlandish to think there's some memory fuckery going on.

of course we can't explain exactly why or how, because it hasn't been adressed yet. you have to wait for the pay off.

5. "just accept the duffers made a mistake"

i would accept that they made a mistake if they actually fixed the mistake LIKE THEY SAID THEY WOULD. they said "we are going to edit the episode and change it to say may 22nd" and then DIDNT. EVER.

and not only that, they wished him happy birthday on march 22nd 2 years in a row. noah schnapp posted a bts photo on march 22nd 2024 with the caption "Do you know what March 22nd is? It's your birthday. - Joyce Byers"

they are saying "yes it's still his birthday so get hyped for s5 where it'll be addressed" every way they can without spelling it out for you.

i really don't know what more you need

[yanderes-galore]

May I ask for lmk Macaque with your list of prompts 59, 57 and 22 :3

Sure! Here's sadistic shadow monkey that follows you around :) I really do love him, lol. Hope you like the plot (It isn't much but I'm sure him learning you have other friends... opens old wounds.)

Yandere! Macaque Prompts 59, 57, 22

"Are those friends of yours? Are they your everything?"

"You're stuck with me, like it or not."

"They never loved you. Only I love you."

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Emotional manipulation, Stalking, Jealousy, Possessive behavior, Clingy behavior, Forced relationship/companionship.

Macaque had recently found a new toy to mess with. He had always been one to mess with humans for his own amusement. Mischief was one of his favorite things.

Speaking of favorite things...

"You aren't ignoring me, are you~?" His voice echoes around you, shadows changing shape on their own. You had grown used to such anomalies recently. Shadows following you around had been something you were dealing with for months.

"Aww, come on, sweetheart! Did you really think I'd just leave you alone? You're far too interesting for that...."

Just like that the shadow monkey manifests, piercing yellow eyes staring into you as he materializes. He has a grin on his face, arms crossed as he circles you. Here he was... your forced companion.

"It's just so boring without you in my sight, Y'know?" Macaque purrs, acting like he ever let you out of his sight. He follows you from the shadows and in animal form. Really... there's no way he ever takes his eyes off you.

Which is why he felt he should 'cut in' when he saw you with a group of supposed friends.

"Didn't even bother to invite me~?" Macaque pouts playfully, dramatic as ever. He then wraps his arms around you, fur tickling your skin as he flicks his tail. He can feel your body tense under his touch, making his grin return stronger. "I thought you loved me~? Aren't we friends?"

Macaque can see your teeth grit at his comment. In response he really rubs it in, nuzzling into you playfully with a sigh. Oh how he loves your little reactions.

"Not now, Macaque." You say, trying to shoo him away but the monkey stubbornly stays. You had just had finished hanging out with your group of friends before Macaque stepped in. So luckily... they didn't have to see you try to shake off a shadow monkey.

"Why~?" Macaque whispers, tail swaying as his grip tightens. "Were those friends of yours?" Macaque coos, circling so he's in front of you. His grin is teasing... but also appears to be hiding something underneath. "Are they your everything?"

"Yes?" You answer, making Macaque lean back and cackle. You glare at him... only to pause when he stops with a serious expression. He looks... irritated.

"Oh, sweetheart..." Macaque purrs, staying close to you. "Do you really think they care about you?"

"Hey, what's your problem!?" You growl, pushing at the monkey as he grips your hands. He grins, holding them up to place on his cheeks with a cruel look in his glowing eyes.

"What? Don't believe me?" Macaque frowns in a growl, playing with your mind. He doesn't like the idea of you having other friends. Really... you deserve so much better.

"Of course I don't!" You hiss, pulling your hands away as Macaque frowns.

"Really now?" Macaque tilts his head before giving a concerned look. "If anyone knew the truth, it would be me!"

You look at him confused, Macaque humming with a nod of his head. He begins to circle you again, occasionally prodding at you affectionately. He loved when you squirmed.

"Don't give me that look, dear! Can't you tell?" Macaque prods, leaning his head against you. "If I can follow you around... Then I can follow them! Which means..."

Macaque notices the hurt in your gaze, leading him to quickly latch onto you.

"Oh, don't worry... that's why I'm here!" Macaque chirps, embracing you. "You look like you're about to cry... it's okay... just let me comfort you~"

Macaque knew how to use his words. He knew just what to say to manipulate others. You, poor oblivious thing, looked like you believed him.

Which made it much easier to lure you in all for himself.

"They never loved you. I heard it myself!" Macaque nods, playing the role of looking genuine as he sees your eyes water. Such a bittersweet look. "Really, only I love you."

"You're lying..." You whisper, the monkey leaning closer to your face.

"I swear I speak only the truth." Macaque whispers, tilting your chin up. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Macaque observes as you stare ahead, not quite trusting him. He understands, he's a known liar. In fact, he's lying right now.

But your emotions are quick to take over rational thinking.... It's not like you can prove him wrong, right? Maybe your friends really are just pretending.

"I see..." You whisper, Macaque smiling when he realizes he has you wrapped around his finger.

"You never needed them anyways, sweetheart." Macaque shakes his head, humming while he pets your hair. "Seriously, they were so dull."

You can see Macaque stick out his tongue in disgust before returning his attention to you. You swore his piercing eyes dilated as he wraps his tail around you. You couldn't believe this.

"Well, I think it's time I made you feel better." Macaque hums, patting your back playfully before grabbing your hand. "How about we go on a little walk? Get something to eat?"

You look hesitant. Macaque wasn't someone you could necessarily trust. Although... he's been working on getting better lately, right?

It's not like he's hurt you....

"Again with the looks?" Macaque pouts. "Yeesh, the truth hurts, doesn't it?"

You nod and Macaque hums, a grin returning to his face before he pulls you into him.

"Well, come here then!" Macaque sighs, embrace tight against you. "I'll be here to comfort you... maybe even teach them a lesson for you, yeah?"

Macaque chuckles darkly, eyes half shut while he holds you tight against him and presses his face beside your ear.

"After all, You're stuck with me, like it or not, sweetheart."

[saintslewis]

❝ 𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐂𝐇 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 ❞

𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 - 𝐋𝐇𝟒𝟒

pairing: sir lewis hamilton x fem!oc

summary: we’re still in america 🗣️ . let’s party with nadia, shall we?

warnings: outfit descriptions, cussing, social media environment, slight jealousy, typos, links to tag are down below and let me know if you want to be tagged in this series!

saint’s team radio 🎀: let’s not talk about how long overdue this chapter is, okay? 🫶🏽 hope you guys enjoy and i hope y’all missed Lewdia as much as i did!

pls like, comment and reblog!

fc: @/unclewaffles_ on ig!

pic cred: pinterest. dividers: @cafekitsune

-

With the jingle of the house keys, the pair laughed into the night as Nadia carried her heeled boots in her hand. Lewis held onto her as she was on his back, his kind self offering to carry her since they left the arena.

"Out of all the songs they could've used, why'd they choose old school Drake when we showed up on the jumbotron?" She chuckled, removing the last of her tears of laughter with her thumb. "Nah, I'm still on the baby who wouldn't let go of you during halftime. Your jewellery was like the most interesting toy ever." He smiled at the memory, someone randomly handing Nadia their baby and started taking pictures.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that many cameras around me. The kids back at work are gonna have so much to say.” She admitted, watching the large front door open up and the entry hall greeted them. Nadia tapped his shoulder and he took that as sign to let her get on the ground. “Thank you for the piggy back ride, Sir.” She smiled and turned on her secret sock covered heel to enter the house.

He’ll never admit how much he loves when she calls him sir. Maybe one day he will, maybe he won’t.

Although sad that Roscoe wasn’t there to greet them due to him getting to be with his other dog friends, Nadia pushed that to the back of her mind and thought of her Gucci sandals for the comfort of her feet. “If we ever go anywhere where you know i’ll be cheering, please remind me to take my sandals with me.” She said out loud, slowly heading upstairs when an idea popped into her head.

The night was barely over and ending it so awkwardly didn’t sit well with Nadia.

“I have a feeling that you’re plotting something.” He stated, standing still waiting to hear what she could possibly come up with.

“Would you be up for ice cream right now?” She smiled while turning around to face him from the bottom stairs.

“At this time? Wouldn’t most shops be closed by now?” Lewis asked, confused by the idea but he knew he didn’t want to decline it.

“We could take a drive to find out,” The smile on her face was mischievous. “The night is way too young for us to come back from a game and sit in the house in silence.” She continued.

After a beat of silence, he had made his decision. “Let’s go change and you’re driving.” Lewis gave in. He felt it was right to let Nadia lead such activities, getting her used to such a busy lifestyle.

She walked out of the guest room with a basic athle-leisure romper and the same simple gold jewellery from earlier and her uggs were hugging her feet. “Hey Lew? Do you have a hoodie I could borrow?” She called out as she reached his room door that wasn’t closed all the way. Although not answering her, he walked out with a hoodie that smelled exactly like him, seemingly from Dior. Only written “CD” on the top left of the hoodie and just like she preferred all her hoodies, it was oversized.

“Dior? Are you crazy? I could stain this.”

“We have a laundry room downstairs, Nads. I could always buy another one and the whole store for you.” He slightly smirked.

“If that’s not the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She jokingly put her hand on her chest and they burst into laughter a few seconds after.

Sitting in the almost empty ice cream shop, Sweet Oasis, the two were on their second sugarcone bowl of their respective ice cream flavours. Nadia with cookies and cream and Lewis with vegan vanilla. The first round of desserts were deemed free by the all too excited cashier who was a big fan of Lewis.

“So in hindsight, Mission 44 is to help uplift the youth into STEM spaces including f1. Man, that’s so cool and to hear it growing so fast makes me feel proud.” Nadia nodded as she played around with her ice cream.

“Thank you, I really want to expand even further in different countries such as Brazil and surprise surprise, South Africa.” He chuckled at her face once mentioning her country of origin. “You’re already in my good books, Sir. Once you meet my friends and Rea then maybe you’ll be in the top five.” Nadia smiled, biting down on the wooden spoon.

“What are your friends like? Feel like I have to prep myself to meet them.” Lewis joked by moving his shoulders around. “They’re really cool and incredibly funny. They tried their best to make me famous but looks like I did that all by myself.” She teased.

Taking another bite of the ice cream, she spoke again. “The boys will try and intimidate you, especially Chunks and Filly. The girls will be welcoming, just always bring chocolate with you.” Nadia informed him, smiling at the thought of her friends.

“Then Rea is like my child although she’s my cousin. She’s gonna stay with my mom while she finishes year 12 but I think I might just take her in, I miss her too much.” She said, not wanting to let him know all about the tension with her mom just yet.

Looking at the McLaren that Nadia drove to the ice cream shop, Lewis could tell that she wanted to switch topics because of the tone in her voice and her completely avoiding eye contact with him.

“Do you want to talk about something else?” He asked and all she did was nod. She mouthed a thank you to him afterwards, feeling herself become safe with him. “So we’ve got quite the week ahead of us. Rhode, Hailey Bieber’s skin company, is hosting a party and we were invited.” He spoke.

“You wanna give me a heart attack or something, dude? I’m gon’ be around the Biebers? I still haven’t recovered from Beyoncé!” She replied, whispering the last words to him so that the few people around them wouldn’t be able to hear them.

He grinned at her reaction, her dramatic excitement along with her smile that she would always try hide would always make him feel something in his heart. He didn’t want to think that far. Lewis wouldn’t allow himself to think that far.

“Then the big news that Tia shouted at me to tell you is that we’re going to a Versace event in Cannes on Tuesday I think. Then it’s the Monaco gp which is a spectacle on its own.” He informed then chuckled at her putting her head in her hands.

“Your surprises are going to send me to the hospital one day, what do you mean Versace? That’s like a lifelong dream for me, dude.” She expressed, not sure whether to feel excited about experiencing all of these things or terrified for the busy schedule.

Finishing the last of his ice cream, he pushed the cup to the side and held out both his hands towards Nadia. Taking the sign to put her hands in his, he held them tightly. “Are we bout to pray right now? It’s a little too late for that, the ice cream’s done.” Nadia joked, looking i between their hands and his face.

“Nads.” Lewis started. “Sorry, serious stuff now.” The man couldn’t resist the smile on his face as she joked around, revealing more of her personality to him.

“My life gets incredibly busy, even I get exhausted. So, you don’t have to be everywhere with me. It would be cool to see how you do things while we’re at all these events but you need your time to yourself, y’know?” He continued.

Nodding her head, she spoke up. “Yeah no, I get you. It’ll take some time to get used to everything and I don’t mind the travelling, you’re cool to be…around. Pookie, we gotta go.” Nadia’s eyes were concentrated on whatever was going on behind Lewis.

“Don’t look back, they’ll know we’re watching them. Let’s just get up and go to the car.” Nadia said, still holding his hands and she put on a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

And as she said, the pair stood up and threw away their trash, saying goodbye to the worker whilst ignoring the flashes from the large window shops. She lifted her hood before walking out the door that Lewis opened for her and the flashes tripled. Looking at her husband, he already had his sunglasses on and dug in his pocket to give her the car keys.

Once in the McLaren, the car front was surrounded by the paparazzi but the tinted windshield gave them a little bit of privacy. In the driver’s seat, Nadia took out her phone and connected her phone to the car after igniting the engine. “Have you heard of Amapiano?” She asked him, watching him get comfortable being the passenger.

“Uh, kinda. Why?”

“Wanna take a lil drive and listen to it?” And there was her mischievous smile once again. Before he could get his answer out, different beats started playing until the beat started to flow and the artist started singing in a different language that Nadia clearly knew very well.

Rolling down the windows a bit, she reversed the supercar and drove off, leaving the paparazzi speechless.

-

nadiahamilton

liked by lilymhe, nataliatheedon and 484,828 others

nadiahamilton rhode ready &lt;3

view all comments

loriharvey i’m actually obsessed with you, i can’t wait to meet you

nadiahamilton i’m too excited

lewishamilton you’re so welcome for me curling the back of your head

nadiahamilton sleep with one eye open, pookie 🫶🏽

user blasting amapiano at night while driving to you is cool?

nadiahamilton it’s one of the best things i’ve ever done

user it’s just unnecessary publicity

nadiahamilton you wanted to be in the car with me, didn’t you?

justineskye your face card is insane, i’m hyperventilating

nadiahamilton that’s all you 🥹

user mother

user it’s still weird that you guys are here praising a woman who spawned out of nowhere

user like why is no one talking about this???

user it’s very simple. they’re married and she’s only showing herself to the public now

haileybieber i want to be your mirror, just stare at you forever

lewishamilton that’s what i’m there for!

beyonce 💗

user WAIT WAITTTT HOW TF

user THERE’S NO WAY BEYONCÉ COMMENTED

user NADIA YOU BETTER SPILL

nataliatheedon 5,6,7 what?!

amarawinston ATEEEE

charlotteparks my friend is so super stunning

nadiahamilton awww you guysss 🤭

user idk what he sees in her, she barely is dressed

yungfilly come back to the UK nads, it isn’t the same ☹️

nadiahamilton i willllll, i’m just doing stuff with my husband 😝

chunkz tell him to come back as well 🫵🏽

lewishamilton 👋🏾

chunkz ay big ups brotha, the champion 🙏🏽

nadiahamilton chunkz pls 😭😭😭

user does anyone know if she’s got a studio for styling??

user i actually don’t know if she does

centralcee not yet, she works through emails and shit

user and how tf would YOU know

ajshabeel alr, pack it up cench 😐

user WHAT’S THE BEEF? THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTING

user please come back home to south africa 🇿🇦

nadiahamilton ofc i will 🥹

versace 🪩💗

-

“How do you do that? So easily too?” Lewis questioned as he read through her instagram comments. The way she casually spoke to everyone as if they were long time friends was absolutely fascinating to watch.

“It’s a technique I learned from my kids. I always want them to be comfortable in class especially when it’s a tough topic like post-Renaissance.” She shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing and continued to fluff her hair a bit more.

The two, coincidentally, were matching in colours. Nadia’s corset wasn’t too tight but it complimented her jewellery and she felt comfortable wearing such short shorts because the high top Rick Owen sneakers were just the right fit. Her Dior saddle bag sat next to her as they rode in the back of the Escalade.

And of course, they were both wearing their grillz.

“Thank you for introducing me to Amapiano fully. I can’t get any of the songs out of my head.” He said, constantly bouncing his hands on his legs to whatever beat he was thinking of. “It’s addictive! I told you, sthandwa.” She smiled softly but didn’t see him whip his head towards her.

“…What?”

“Oh! It’s a term of endearment from South Africa, it means ‘love’ then sthandwa sami is like my love. Just like how you brits say love.” Nadia explained. Lewis definitely heard everything she said but he was hooked on how she said it. If he thought that hearing songs with her native language was addictive, he could most definitely get used to hearing her speak it.

“Just to clarify, it’s Zulu. Whereas in Sotho, it’s something completely different. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you so that you don’t fuck up when we go to sa.” She chuckled but then stopped in her tracks.

“That’s if we do ever visit, don’t want to be too forward.”

“Of course we’re going to South Africa, are you kidding? I feel like I’ve just discovered a whole new world.” Lewis assured, basically jumping in excitement.

“What have I created?” Nadia joked to herself.

-

Although she knew that this was Hailey’s event and she knew that it was going to be full, Nadia didn’t expect it to be this full.

Leaning into Lewis as they walked through the crowd of paparazzi and hired photographers, she turned to him a little more. “I feel severely underdressed with my sneakers.” She worried. “You look amazing though, your feet are still not fully healed from yesterday right?” Lewis asked as discreet as possible.

“I mean I knew damn that I wasn’t going to wear heels because of yesterday.” She replied, waving to the photographer calling her and Lewis’ name. All of this was very weird. It felt weird to just be called by paparazzi.

“Exactly, so you’re cool. As long as you feel comfortable and you feel good, then I’m good.” He reassured her.

Before she could answer, they had reached the door and there was a girl standing with cocktails on the tray she was holding. They thanked her but politely declined to it and entered and the atmosphere inside was lively.

The colour scheme for Rhode was beige and other earthy colours which fit the aesthetic perfectly of the decor of the event. Sow r&b music was playing quite loudly while everyone in attendance was talking amongst themselves. As soon as her and Lewis stepped foot inside, many people’s attention went to him and Nadia.

Squeezing his hand a bit tighter, Nadia and Lewis made eye contact and he slightly relaxed because she looked calm but obviously a little nervous.

“Oh my God! The Hamiltons are here!” Someone shouted in a singsong voice and as Nadia was trying to identify who was that, Hailey Bieber and Lori Harvey appeared right in front of them with the the biggest smile on their faces. “Oh my goodness, welcome to Rhode! I’m so excited to see you guys and,” Hailey gasped as she took a look at Nadia.

“Nadia! You’re so beautiful, whoa. Where are my manners? I’m Hailey!” “And I’m Lori and girl, I was serious when I said i’m obsessed with you.” They introduced themselves and their smiles were damn near blinding. “It’s nice to meet you guys, this is exciting.” She smiled, grateful that they couldn’t see how nervous she was.

“Okay okay so let’s go take pictures now then I’ll introduce the products then we party!” Hailey said all too enthusiastically. In all of this, Lewis watched as Nadia interact so gracefully with the same people she was nervous to meet and he couldn’t help but feel proud of her and how she handled everything.

After taking photos with everyone and meeting Justine who damn near fainted at seeing Nadia in front of her, they were seated on their own little table just like everyone and were served hors d’oeuvres during the presentation of the skincare brand.

“How are you feeling?” Lewis leaned in and whispered as one of the products were being shown.

“I’m good, feeling much better. Wasn’t expecting so much love from the girls today.” She leaned over to him as well, careful to not make a noise for other guests.

“I knew they’d love you. And maybe you work with them in the future?” He mentioned, noticing her head resting on his shoulder so he moved a little closer where she could be more comfortable.

“When I get my own studio or truly advertise myself to such a crowd.” She replied. He nodded and she felt it, making her smile a little. “I have the strongest of feelings that there’s an after party when this is all done.” Nadia said, slightly lifting her head to look around the crowd that looked it was ready to party.

“Yup, it’s at their house. It’s like 5 minutes away from home so whenever you want to leave, we can.” And there go the butterflies in her stomach.

-

Walking into the Bieber’s home and seeing how it came alive, Nadia felt like she was in a movie. People who she always thought she would be lucky to see in person were introducing themselves to her and greeted her husband with the most excitement she’s ever seen.

After ‘settling in’ and finding a designated sitting spot to come back to from the dance floor, Nadia could be seen having the time of her life singing lyrics to the group of girls she met earlier including Jordyn Woods. The music shifted from hiphop to Afrobeats and the energy in the whole room was ignited.

Random people that she didn’t know started partying with her and hyped her up after each song. Once Amapiano started rolling in, all eyes were on her as she was dancing but didn’t want to use all her energy. With only a shot in her system, she started feeling rather thirsty and knew that it was time to go sit with her.

As she walked towards their table, she watched as Lewis danced in his seat at the song she was playing earlier in the day. “Now I have to take you to SA. Look at you shimmying.” She laughed as she flicked her hair back and sat next to him on the couch.

“Look at me? You were the party! Miles calls you Ms Party.” He laughed as Nadia saw where he pointed at and there was Miles and Amara but her eyes were closed. “Miles! Hey, damn it’s like i haven’t seen you in forever!” She greeted, opening the water bottle that Lewis saved for her. “And what’s up with Amara? Is she good?”

“I just got here with Amara and she ate two edibles on the way so she’s sleepy.” He smiled, not moving much as Amara was laying on him. “And Abel says hi.” Lewis said, tapping Nadia’s shoulder to catch his attention.

“Abel? As in Abel ‘The Weeknd’?” Nadia asked, gulping her water down as soon as she realised. All Lewis did was nod and just smile at her, their faces quite close already.

“Damn. Let me go find Justine, she got chocolate for me somewhere-” Nadia’s sentence was cut off short because she stood up and bumped into someone. She was still close to the table so she held onto the small table for balance.

Looking up, she saw a tall white man with a very obnoxious smile and recognised his face to be Jack Harlow. “Oh damn, I’m sorry, Ma. I really should watch where I’m going.” Jack apologised, reaching for her left hand and held it in her hand to hold in between his hands.

With her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes watching this man’s actions, she didn’t bother to answer him. “Don’t you feel the ring on my hand?” She fired at him with all lifted brow.

“You’ve got rings all over your hands and by the way, they’re quite soft, damn.” He straightened up his posture to feel on her hand even more. “What’s your name, Ma?” Jack asked with a dopey smile.

Feeling a hand circle her entire waist, she felt her body being pulled down and landed on something that didn’t feel like the couch. Looking down, Nadia was sat on Lewis’ lap. His lap and his hand was still on her waist quite securely.

“Go on, say your name love. He wants to know.” Lewis’ husky voice traveled through your ears and brought chills down your spine.

“Nadia Hamilton.” She managed to get out, shimmying her hand out of Jack’s hold to formally shake his hand. The white man’s face dropped at the sight in front of him. He really tried to flirt with a legendary f1 driver’s wife.

All Jack could muster up the strength to do was nod. “I’ll catch y’all later, it was nice meeting you guys.” He pursed his lips together and walked away.

Turning her head towards Lewis’ face, she resisted the urge to smirk. Deciding to be a little messy, she made herself comfortable on his lap and moved a bit, feeling an even tighter squeeze on her waist.

“You’re gonna be jealous of a lil white boy?” She teased but his smirk could not be wiped off his face. “Never that, Mrs Hamilton.” He responded, knowing he succeeded because she looked away as she was blushing.

“I’m so happy I was awake to see that.” Amara whispered to Miles as they watched their friends catch feelings for each other in real time.

nadiahamilton

liked by bellahadid, sza and 826,828 others

nadiahamilton miss party

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user i’ve never suffered from fomo like this before

user i wish i was an influencer rn

kehlani what can one do to party with you

nadiahamilton come to next week’s race 🫵🏽

kehlani already got the tickets 😝

fencer MISS PARTY 🗣️🗣️

nadiahamilton is this nickname going to stick?

spinzbeatinc you know it!

haileybieber you’re so much fun ily

nadiahamilton ily!!

loriharvey is this a sign to take a girl’s trip to sa?

justineskye i hope so!

ryandestiny can i come? it looked so fun

jordynwoods i’ve already got my bags PACKED

theestallion count me in, i’ll get to know you on the plane ride baby 😝

lewishamilton sthandwa sami 🕺🏽💗

nadiahamilton 😚🫶🏽

user HOW DOES HE KNOW ZULU???

user he’s got a Zulu wife bro

user this is so shocking to see 😭

user this better be a public holiday when they come over

niko now come back and party with us

nadiahamilton can you give me like a week?

ohnosharky this needs a celebration

nellarose_ Nadia’s homecoming if you will!

kingkennytv ‼️‼️‼️

student now you HAVE to spill the tea with us in class

nadiahamilton ugh fine 🙄

amarawinston 🪩🪩🪩🪩

user i was a server at the rhode event and omg you’re gorgeous in real life 😭

nadiahamilton thank you my angel 🤍

user i was a server too and since nobody’s saying it, you’ve got an ASS on you ma’am (i’m a girl)

nadiahamilton tears thank you 🤭

saint’s team radio 🎀 (once again): my fingers hurt from typing. Hope you enjoyed! Lewdia rises once again!

tags: new post

[archiewantsheetmetal]

Hello Layton Nation. I am creating an AU based on those freight-hopper stories set in a time based on the Great Depression.

Major PL spoilers!

This is my first ever AU I am making public! The first chapter is already in the works while I plan out the major plot points of the story.

To summarize, Professor Layton's life has been almost completely destroyed in this 1930s-esque England, amidst a economic depression. Severe economic crisis has rippled across the globe, and Layton has been unable to get back on his feet since his attack shortly after Claire's death, losing his job and his money. He's left his city life behind and now lives wherever the tracks take him, staying out of the way of his previous loved ones in order to spare them of his problems and to relieve them of his burden.

Luke Triton is much the same as he would be pre-Last Specter, but everyone was effected by the depression. His family had to juggle treading financial waters and taking care of issues within the village until a greedy, desperate-for-money, immoral organization, Targent, destroys Misthallery in search of the Golden Garden. He runs away in order to save his own life after everything he knows is destroyed. He hops into a nearby freight, and meets a sleepy and free-roaming gentleman.

They ride the tracks together until Targent, which was also hired by the government to snuff Layton out, destroys the freight while it's still moving along the rail, propelling Luke and Layton off the familiar track and into the main story;

Phantom Railway.

After escaping from Targent at last with the notion that a mysterious assassin is on their tails, Layton and Luke learn of a strange railway that supposedly suddenly appeared one day. There are many myths and legends that surround the tracks, saying that those who manage to board the train that rides them are taken to the afterlife, and any who try to follow the tracks to the end disappear, never to be seen again.

With his interest piqued and his money nonexistent, Layton figures he wants to go explore this mysterious railway. Luke, of course, with nowhere else to go, insists on going with the man, and the two set off.

Phantom Railway I hope will do at least a little bit of justice to the types of stories on which it is based, and I hope those who read it will enjoy it. It will be less of a mystery-type and more of an adventure, but I'll try my best to incorporate both aspects into the storyline as much as I can.

I came up with this idea while driving past an abandoned railway in my town, and figured it looked eerie enough to make a cool story. I then found myself thinking about one of the scenes from a movie where a group of chain-gang prisoners escape to hop into the boxcar of a moving freight train, which has always been one of my favorite scenes in cinema.

This is my first time writing a project like this, so I'm hoping it does decently.

I'm still working things out, and if anyone has any questions, please ask! Honestly, it will help me understand my own lore so I can build and write it a little more fluidly.

This is still heavily WIP, and so many things stated in this post may change!

If anyone has any sort of objections, tell me those too! Correct me on anything, talk to me, ask questions, I'm open!

THANKS! -ARCHIE ☻

[spnjediavenger]

Order and Chaos (matt murdock x sister!reader)

Title: Order and Chaos

Type: one-shot; matt murdock x sister!reader

Warnings: couple swear words, person being rude to Matt (insensitive to blindness; didn’t know any cliches or derogatory things thankfully so i had to look up what to say. Just needed it for an idea. You’ll see what i mean), kind of au with Nelson & Murdock and Karen knowing Matt’s secret?, implied sex between Foggy and Marci

Spoilers: none?

Notes: another request! I'm so honored yall!

For the anon that requested: i didn't go super goth cuz im not 100% comfortable/knowledgeable about such things but i hope i did your request justice!

As always, love and/or constructive/friendly criticism is welcome and encouraged! (As are requests!)

Disclaimers: i do not own daredevil, its characters, or plot

Request: Ok hear me out, Matt X sister reader, but she’s like super goth, I’m talking piercings, tattoos, very upfront and blunt. (She is who I want to be) total opposite of her brother which makes their dynamic that much more funny cause no one understands how they could possibly be related let alone be besties.  And just like scenarios in which they are a dynamic duo despite how different they are. I just imagine her getting a new piercing or tattoo and he’s like “dude I can smell the ink/sore skin how are you not covered by now”. Lmao

Word count: 1181

Yin and yang. Fire and water. Light and dark. Order and chaos. 

Y/n and Matt Murdock were both many things. But similar was not one of them. Sure, they both had a love for those close to them and they were good people. They both had a sturdy head on their shoulders and could stand up for themselves. But that’s really where the similarities ended. 

Matt was a lawyer - Y/n was going to school for journalism. Matt often wore suits when he was out - Y/n favored relaxed, baggier clothes. Matt meditated and did research - Y/n listened to rock and heavy metal. Though Matt had scars littering his body, the rest of it was clear - Y/n seemed to be on a journey to cover herself head to toe in tattoos. While Matt could be a smart ass when he wanted to be, Y/n openly said whatever she wanted - often to ehr detriment. Matt tended to be more analytical - Y/n was a bit of a hot head.

Those things aside, the two siblings loved each other and got along better than anyone. The whole ‘opposites attract’ thing was usually geared towards romantic relationships but it seemed to be perfectly true in the familial sense in this case too.

Y/n would often visit the office of Murdock & Nelson between her classes. If Foggy or, more likely Karen, texted her that it was going to be a long day, Y/n would stop and get coffee for the trio on her way.

Cup holder in hand, she jogged up the steps to their office. She opened the door with one hand, balancing the cups in the other. “Your salvation has arrived!” she called, closing the door behind her.

“If it isn’t our very own Wednesday Addams!” Foggy said, holding his hands up before bowing. “We are eternally in your debt, my lady.”

Y/n chuckled and smirked and handed him a coffee. “I may look the part but I smile too much to be an Addams.” 

“She is pale enough though,” Matt added with a mischievous grin, plucking his own drink from the carrier and placing a kiss to the side of his sister’s head. “Though she has enough ink to make that questionable,” he added.

Y/n rolled her eyes but smiled, pushing his shoulder a bit. “Actually, speaking of which,” she said, turning to hand Karen her drink, then back to Matt. “I have another appointment on friday and I want you to come.”

Matt raised his brow. “Another one? How are you not completely covered by now?” he chuckled.

Y/n smirked as she finished her drink, dropping the empty cup in the garbage, and kissed Matt’s cheek. “Better to have artwork instead of bruises, Daredevil,” she called over her shoulder as she left the office.

Karen threw a hand up to conceal her shocked chuckle but Foggy openly laughed at his friend’s expense. 

Though he knew Y/n was too far away to hear him, he said, “Touche.”

Friday came quickly and Matt and Foggy walked the streets of Hell’s Kitchen with Y/n after they finished work for the day. Foggy was going to split after her appointment but decided to walk to the tattoo parlor with them since it was near his weekend destination. He pulled his phone out for the third time on their walk.

“It was nice of you to walk with us, Foggy,” Y/n said. “Even though it’s out of the way of your apartment,” she continued, feigning innocence.

Foggy, who was pulling up the rear of the trio, shrugged as he put his phone back in his pocket. “Like I’d ever miss a chance to see our queen of darkness get some new ink.”

“Not sure how you plan on seeing it when you have your nose in your phone the whole time,” Matt commented, biting back a smile.

“Ok, you need to stop listening to my movements,” Foggy said, exasperated.

“He doesn’t need to listen to your movements to know you’re texting your weekend booty call,” Y/n smirked.

“Yeah, how is Marci? Assuming you guys take time to actually talk between your…activities.”

Y/n spit out her water, stopping in her tracks to laugh along with Matt, high-fiving him when she saw Foggy’s face reddening. The Murdocks’ ability to easily riff off one another sometimes astounded even themselves.

“Yeah yeah, very cute, dynamic duo,” Foggy said under his breath.

Before anyone could say anything else, a man walked between them, glancing unkindly at Matt.

“Watch it, cane-tapper,” the man said, roughly brushing past Matt and pushing his cane out of his way.

Y/n’s eyes immediately widened and her nostrils flared as she glared after the man, taking a hot step forward to go after him but Matt raised his cane in front of her chest to keep her from doing so.

“Don’t,” he said. “It’s not worth it.”

Y/n turned hotly and looked at him, confused but still heated. “Matt! You can’t just let that dick talk to you like that!”

“Y/n, no.”

“But-”

“No.”

Y/n huffed and her shoulders slumped. She speed-walked in the direction they were headed in the first place, not waiting for Matt since she knew he could find the way without her.

Matt, on the other hand, chuckled and shook his head before following after her.

“Seriously,” Foggy said, slight fear lacing his features at Y/n’s 360 change in demeanor as he walked with Matt. “I have no idea how you two are related.”

Matt chuckled again, simply walking on towards the tattoo place.

Out of all the tattoo appointments Matt and Foggy went to with Y/n, this one was probably the shortest. Neither of the men looked as it was being done, just conversed with Y/n as they all waited. When the artist was finished, Y/n got up from her seat, turned in front of the mirror at the new tattoo on her left shoulder, and smiled. 

She turned towards her brother and friend. “Foggy?” she said, showing him.

The man smiled as he saw the image then looked her in the eyes. “I think it’s perfect, kiddo. Best one yet.”

Once the tattoo artist left, Y/n pulled Matt’s hand to the area, letting him gently brush his fingers over the image. He focused on the risen skin under his fingertips, where the edges began and ended, the corners of his lips turning up as he felt the outline of his Daredevil helmet. He couldn’t help but chuckle and full-on grin as he shook his head in slight disbelief.

Y/n smiled back. “Well? What do you think?”

Matt raised his blind gaze higher towards her face. “I think Foggy’s right. Best one yet.” He gently held her face and dropped a kiss to her head, wrapping her in a tight hug after. He and Y/n may not have had a lot of things in common. But one thing they did share was their love for one another.

[utilitycaster]

Any tips or ideas for GMing the end of the Age of Reclamation? I want to be sure to get all the ramifications of the Divine Gate falling, and of the different social movements that come from the loss of the deities, but most of all I’m curious what someone as invested as I am in the narrative cohesion of Exandria would like to see in it.

Honestly? I don't really have tips - I don't GM anything in Exandria that will touch on it (Netherdeep game scheduling has been rough and I don't run any other games) and while I very much enjoyed EXU Divergence and Wildemount Wildlings I didn't really have much in the way of like, theorycraft/worldbuilding concepts in mind based on them.

Also, not to put too fine a point on it, but one aspect of why I think Campaign 3's plot struggled so mightily is that divinity and organized religion in Exandria were never very well laid out - @the-littlest-goblin has a post about the former, and I know I've touched on the latter a few times. Vasselheim is the cradle of civilization and a religious hub for the prime deities, but there doesn't appear to be any centralized power (Fy'ra and Morrighan do not seem to go through Vasselheim to be named champions) - and why would there be, given that the gods can communicate around anyone who claims to be a mouthpiece? The reality of the presence of the gods was, again as the-littlest-goblin pointed out, not really explored well within the text (and I include any of the texts). I think Matt is rightfully lauded for worldbuilding in terms of political structures, history, geography, and even new systems of magic; but actually, the specific role of religion has always been a weakness that we simply did not see until the role of religion and the gods became a major focus and the narrative infrastructure to support it was simply not there.

So anyway with that in mind: I actually wonder if we'd see Vasselheim actually become much more like our real Vatican/catholic church now that there is no divine voice of say, The Stormlord available to everyone. The idea that pre-Catatheosis Vasselheim was akin to the Vatican was very much not supported and entirely, in my opinion, projection from people who struggled to imagine something wholly unlike our world; but now that Exandria doesn't have gods that can simply talk to you (especially during the decade-plus period at least before the gods are found again), I think more formally organized religion and more authority among religious leaders than previously would feel realistic. I also suspect there will be perhaps increased religiosity in the world - if you cannot feel their presence, you may seek out religion for ritual and community instead. Ironically, I think Exandria might go from a very "religion as personal journey" almost modern attitude to a rather more medieval one.

I also think that false prophets/people claiming to be gods will be at minimum a cottage industry, especially a few years after; I'm unsure if the demons as we saw during the campaign will come back or if the bloody bridge/leylines were part of that problem so you can do whatever fits your particular campaign for now; and I think that some people will lose faith.

It's not all scams and the development of Fantasy Catholicism, though; I think the positives are going to be that the Accord will have established some degree of international cooperation and eroded the isolationism we saw in Campaigns 1 and 2, and of course Ruidians and access to Ruidus itself will open up entirely new perspectives! I think there will be leaps in biological research particularly, given that was the focus of Ruidian science. I would like to think that surviving members of the Grim Verity and the reveals of Ruidus's nature, not to mention the fact that vaulting everything up didn't stop Ludinus, will lead to an opening of said vaults and perhaps even an increased focus on Exandrian historical research; the perspective of the Kryn, now less isolated, will be incredibly valuable here. I also would like to think that the Empire being in some degree of turmoil will resolve, but with the dissolution of the Assembly. My guess is it will just continue in the Dwendal line, but if you want to focus on Wildemount I think you could make an argument for the Empire to follow in the footsteps of Tal'Dorei's relatively recent transition to a council (or for upheaval or even a civil war to lead to that transition). Either way I expect the Clovis Concord and Dynasty to develop more of a relationship and more power on the continent.

I also wonder if the international community will focus again on Aeor (now that Ludinus isn't trying to control access) and if there were be redoubled efforts to address the corruption of the Savalirwood. (Man, Ludinus REALLY fucked Uthodurn over as collateral in multiple ways, huh). It really might be something of an industrial revolution for a world that was already on the cusp of it.

Finally, think about all the sealed things or long-running enchantments that failed - what happens with them? Some might be cool, Umudara; others might be violent require further cooperation to address, like Desirat. This could be a great hook for adventures you run.

[stonesense]

i had a dream last night where sol was a companion in veilguard (your ocs are invading my dreams. not that i'm complaining <3) and now i have to ask..... what would sol's companion quest be like if they had one

omg

i did think about this at one point. i thought it would be fun if i leaned into sol’s bodyguard role i.e. viago sends them to help protect you. they would be clearly irritated by this. charming, and never unkind, but their priorities are clearly at home and in their lighthearted way they make it clear they’re not all that interested in the world-saving business. (you need the de riva backstory incident and the year with varric to ease them into that, which i’m assuming they don’t have here.)

you’d think them pretty callous but always fun until you’re fighting darkspawn, when they suddenly seem to... come into focus? like everything else was a performance and suddenly they’re really alive. laughed off afterwards. sol conveniently by nature has broadly two paths for the future—staying with the crows or leaving with some kind of blight-fighting veilguarding purpose. so that suits a “hero of the veilguard” choice. reaffirmed crow sol is more “fun” and funny in their erratic adrenaline-seeking way, sharp and brittle, whereas blight fighter sol is a little steadier and warmer

i wasn’t sure what to do with their “mini villain” that every companion gets. i had a vague idea for something elaborate with a house kortez survivor, as blindly loyal to the dead talon whose plot viago uncovered in tevinter nights as sol is to viago. self recognition in the other (derogatory). they would be set in their ways if they kill them, and stunned and open to change if you encourage them to try to reach out with mercy (which they do very reluctantly, clearly just humouring you) and it works. or something. to recreate the impact bellara and davrin’s personal quests had where they suddenly realised people could change? idk this is messy and i don’t know what the blight has to do with it. the kortez has a blight bioweapon from ghilan’nain or something blah blah blah who cares. separately, an awakened darkspawn would be funny and thematically appropriate but is also a wild can of worms to open in the middle of this game

they’d have opinions on abandoning treviso but i don’t think they’d be mechanically “hardened” by it, since viago’s fine, and they just wouldn’t expect any different. they kind of come already hardened by nature lmao so everything you do for them is a surprise not a hope you can disappoint, if that makes sense

if romanced by rook, i think you could do a funny casual sex -> idiots -> lovers dynamic since iirc nobody in the lighthouse is covering that classic. they’d turn up the ill-advised charm and to themself be like “since i’ll convince viago to bring me back home any day now, what’s the harm in a little fun while i’m here?” and then instantly trip and fall in love with you. like a sucker. they immediately freak out about how they only know casual relationships and a life of violence and betrayal and they’re not good enough or safe enough for you—but wait don’t date anyone else they’ll do it! clown.