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fivelakesinwriting · 4 years ago

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Out of Character (Rafe Cameron Part 7)

Warnings: Violence, swearing, talk of drug use, sexual innuendos

Author's note: Please let me know what you think if you have a moment. Taglist is still open xoxo

TAGLIST:

@sodasback @lovelyxtom @multisimpinghoe @cooper8224 @chicagoblackhawkslover96

If I missed you, let me know!!

"JJ Maybank!" Her voice echoed throughout the Routledge property, the slam of her car door followed her yell.

JJ scrambled off of the hammock with a fuck as he made his way to the driveway.

"You sunk his boat? You sunk his fucking boat!" She screamed as she stormed up the dirt path.

"Babe, it's not like.." JJ began as he held his hands out in defense.

"Do not call me that." Gemma seethed as she came face to face with him. She pushed his broad chest as hard as could before JJ grabbed her wrists.

"Listen to me, Gemma. It wasn't me who sunk Topper's boat. It was my idea, but I didn't pull the plug. It was Pope." JJ replied as he held her wrists against his chest.

"JJ, your face." She whispered when she finally looked at his face and saw the purple bruises all over his cheek, eye, and his split lip.

"Consider it the upfront interest on the $30,000 for Topper's boat." JJ smiled softly as he let her wrists go.

"Have you cleaned it yet?" Gemma asked as her fingertips pressed against his wounds ever so gently.

JJ shook his head with a wince. He pulled away from her touch slightly, even though he didn't want to. She grabbed his hand and led him into the Chateau bathroom.

"Did you know Pope told me not to come here anymore?" Gemma asked as began to root through the cupboards for anything to clean JJ's face.

"He said what? When?" JJ asked as he reached for her hip to turn her around to face him.

"I guess the day you guys sunk Topper's boat." Gemma replied as she turned and leaned up against the sink.

"You mean the day your boyfriend and his idiot squad jumped Pope?" JJ countered as he stood up. He placed his hands on either side of her on the porcelain sink and looked down at her.

Fuck, he missed her. She smelled the same as always. It released a rush of endorphins in him just to be near her.

"Rafe didn't.."

"Say anything? He wouldn't. Pope is your friend." JJ replied as he lowered his head down a bit to hers.

"I don't have friends." Gemma muttered as she moved her lips out of reach from his. JJ's lips pressed against her forehead and he let out a heavy breath while he gripped the ledge of the sink.

"You have me..Babe." JJ stated as he placed another kiss on her forehead.

"What did Rafe say to you the other day at my house?" Gemma asked while she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"That he would kill me if I touched you again." JJ took his right hand off the ledge of the sink and placed it on the small of her back.

"Guess we both broke the rules." Gemma looked up at him, her lips pressed to his chin.

"You can't do this to me right now, Gemma. Plus I know you have to get ready for Midsummer tonight." JJ whispered as Gemma began to press soft kisses against his neck.

JJ closed his eyes as he felt her lips against his throat. His mind raced as he thought about the dress she would wear tonight. If he was lucky maybe he could get her in the fancy closet or something before the mission was over.

"I don't care about Midsummer." Gemma muttered against his skin as she pulled at his shirt.

"And I don't care about Rafe breaking my legs if I touch you again." JJ stated as his fingertips crept up the back of her shirt.

"You're already touching me, JJ."

"This isn't what he meant, and you know it. Though I'm sure he wouldn't be particularly happy about this." JJ mumbled as his fingertips gently skimmed over the strings of her bikini beneath her shirt.

Maybe it was the heat. This side of the island didn't have any generators, or maybe it was the closeness of the two, but the small bathroom became unbearably hot. JJ's fingers pulled at the strings of her bikini and watched as it fell from beneath her shirt to around their feet.

"I love the yellow one." JJ growled as his hands reached for her breasts, his mouth surged forward for hers.

"Are you fucking kidding me!" Came the voice of Pope from the threshold of the door. Neither of them had even heard him come in the house.

"Jesus, Pope! Put a bell on or something." JJ cried as he pulled his hands out from Gemma's shirt and jumped back away from her.

"What is this, JJ? Why is she here?" Pope was furious as he pointed from Gemma to JJ.

"Can you just give us a minute, please?" JJ asked as he ran a hand through his hair, his eyes fixed on Gemma's bikini top on the floor.

"Both of you are unbelievable." Pope scowled before he closed the bathroom door for them with a slam.

"He's never going to forgive me for that." JJ bent down to grab her yellow bikini top, turning it over in his hands.

"I shouldn't have come here anyways. Pope is right. I don't belong on The Cut. I'll see you around, JJ."

Gemma plucked her top from his hands the opened the bathroom door without another look back at him. JJ wasn't sure if it was the old wood of the doorframe that cracked, or his heart as she left.

"Asshole, Pope." JJ grumbled as he tugged at his hair with both hands before he planted a firm kick against the side of the shower.

Rafe smiled to himself in the mirror as he straightened his bowtie. He didn't think this blue was his colour, but he certainly looked good.

"So, we all know you look good. But what about me?"

Rafe turned at the sound of her sweet voice from his ensuite bathroom. His heart pounded a little harder in his chest, though that could have been the bump of coke he did while she finished her lipstick.

"My Kook Queen." Rafe growled with his right hand over his heart, while his left reached for her.

A soft blue coloured dress that matched his suit, satin beneath his fingers. Straps over her shoulders that looked like they would snap with the smallest of tugs and a back so low Rafe thought he might catch a glimpse of her spectacular ass.

"My King." Gemma smiled as she held onto the lapels of his suit and looked up at him.

"Are we positive that we have to go? Can we stay up here? No one will miss us." His fingertips crept gently over the thin straps of her dress to move them off her shoulders.

"You know both our dad's are waiting for us." Gemma smiled as she as she played with his bowtie.

"You're right, the Warden is waiting. Guess I'll steal you away later after some champagne." Rafe grinned after he pulled the straps of her dress down to plant a kiss on each shoulder.

"Don't make me wait long." She whispered in his ear as she placed a hand on the back of his neck.

"You're not making it easy to leave, Gemma." Rafe growled against the warm skin of her shoulder, his teeth lightly grazed her flesh. Not enough to leave a mark, but enough to leave it red for the drive to the country club.

Rafe led Gemma inside the Midsummer party, his hand placed both lovingly and territoriality on her lower back. Rafe nodded at all the boys he knew as they walked inside.

"Look who finally showed up." Ward Cameron smiled as he stood near the back of the party with Anthony Mercer, a glass of whiskey in his hand.

"Dad. Mr. Mercer." Rafe smiled as he extended his right hand towards Gemma's father.

"Rafe. You look nice, young man." Anthony smiled as he shook Rafe's hand with a firm grip.

"Thank you, sir."

"What took you so long? We were supposed to walk out as a family." Ward grumbled as he reached for his son's hand.

"Oh, that was me, Mr. Cameron. This dress Sarah helped me pick out has just the most finicky straps. I didn't know what us up and what was down." Gemma replied as she walked over to the Cameron patriarch for a hug.

"Hm. Well, you look lovely." Ward forced a small smiled as he let Gemma go, his hands on her waist as he looked from his sons girlfriend back to Rafe.

"Thank you, Mr. Cameron." Gemma smiled with a gentle pat of his shoulder.

"There's food and non-alcoholic drinks outside, Rafe. Maybe show Gemma around and find your sister?" Ward stated as he released Gemma and turned back for another drink.

"Sure. C'mon, Gem."

"Non-alcoholic. Is he crazy?" Gemma whispered as she linked her arm with Rafe and let him lead her outside.

"Don't worry, baby. I got us covered." Rafe smiled as he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a flask.

As the night went on the adults drank more, not paying attention to what their children did. Chatter of summer vacations, dinner parties and possible business deals flowed throughout the party as the young adults snuck glasses and bottles of wine onto the dancefloor.

Sometime in the night Gemma lost Rafe. He left her on the dancefloor, saying he was going to the bathroom. She stayed on the dancefloor with Sarah as they not so secretly passed a bottle of white wine back and forth.

"Shit. JJ?" Sarah gulped her wine down as she looked over Gemma's shoulder.

Gemma turned quickly on her heel, teetering in her high heels and with the wine in her system. JJ stood behind her, dressed like the catering staff and his face just a little cleaner than earlier.

"Babe, you look...wow." JJ exhaled as he looked Gemma up and down, several times. He gave his head a shake when he realized why he was there in the first place.

"JJ, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked as she took up post next to Gemma, her stance wobbly as well.

"Uh..Vlad is here for you." JJ stated as he quickly looked from the blonde Cameron girl, to the slightly shorter brunette Mercer girl.

Sarah's eyes lit up before she took off with a run out the large French doors towards the awning of the club. JJ smiled as he watched then turned to look at Gemma infront of him.

"And who is Vlad?" Gemma asked, a small slur in her voice.

"Probably gave you that vodka you been drinking." JJ grinned as he reached a hand for her hip then recoiled quickly as he realized he was in a den of Kook lions, and he was nothing but a lamb.

"Not vodka, wine." Gemma smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck the began to sway to the music.

"Sure it was just wine?" JJ asked as he placed his hands on her hips, his eyes scanned the crowd for anyone onlookers. Anthony Mercer, most of all.

Gemma only smiled as she pulled at his tie, a tug to pull his mouth down to hers. JJ wasn't one for willpower, especially when it came to pretty girls in backless dresses. His mouth hovered over hers, the sweet smell of white wine enveloped his senses.

"Well, look who it fucking is."

JJ's eyes darted from Gemma's face, the colour drained from his cheeks. He removed his hands from her hips and began to back away from the dancefloor.

"Hey, Topper. I think I saw Sarah go out to find her other blonde friend, if you're looking for her. Out the back terrace. Lovely to see you as always. I'm going to leave." JJ rambled as he stumbled over his feet.

"So soon?" A hand clapped over his shoulder and JJ turned around to see Kelce behind him.

JJ cursed under his breath before he took a sharp turn to run through the halls of the club, taking every turn he could to evade The Kooks.

"Rafe! He went this way!" Kelce yelled from a not too far distance behind him. JJ bulldozed his way through the party goers as he tried to find his way out, or a place to hide.

"There's my guy." Rafe smirked as JJ bumped into his chest in the back bathrooms of the club. Rafe grabbed hold of JJ's shoulders and held him at arm's length, looking him up and down.

"I didn't do anything. I didn't touch her, Rafe. Fuck off." JJ grumbled as he fought against Rafe's grip, pushing his arms off his body.

"Then why are you here?" Kelce asked as he put JJ in a headlock from behind.

"My invite got lost in the mail, I guess. Figured I would make an appearance." JJ replied as he pulled at Kelce's biceps to release his hold.

"See, I think you need to be taught a lesson. You sink my buddy Topper's boat, and you just can't seem to stay away from my girlfriend. So now, I'm gonna cave your fucking face in." Rafe replied as he grabbed the hair on the top of JJ's head to make him look up.

"Maybe she can't stay away from me." JJ grunted as he reached a hand forward to paw at Rafe's face.

"Don't fucking touch me." Rafe spat with a twist of JJ's wrist.

"Not really fair you have all your dudes in here and it's just me, Rafe." JJ breathed out as Kelce held him upright but held his arms behind his back.

"Yeah? Kinda like how you brought a gun to the beach?" Topper growled from the doorway as he stood guard.

"Shut up, Topp. I got this." Rafe replied with a glare. He fixed the collar of his jacket as he looked JJ up and down.

As Rafe closed in on JJ, their chests almost touching JJ pursed his lips and spat in the Kooks face. Vulnerability, willpower, and rational thinking, were not strong suits.

"Oh, shit!" Rafe scoffed as he backed away, his fingers brushed his face. He cracked his knuckles as he looked at JJ again.

"Do it, fucker. She will never forgive you." JJ replied as he stiffened, Rafe's fists clenched ready for the punch.

"It's not her forgiveness I want." Rafe replied, his eyes full of hate and something JJ didn't care to place.

JJ refused to flinch. He had taken hits from people better than Rafe Cameron. He would not flinch or even close his eyes as he waited for the punch. Rafe raised his fist, pulled his arm back and requested Kelce keep the boy steady.

"Gentlemen."

Each young man turned to see Anthony Mercer stand in the doorway with a security guard beside him. Both men had their arms over their broad chests, neither impressed with the scene in front of them.

"Mr. Maybank, are you supposed to be here?" Anthony asked firmly as he took a step inside the locker room, his eyes fixed on the blonde boy trapped in the arms of Kelce.

"Uh. You know what? No. I am very much trespassing. So, this guy.. big one..I know you got cuffs so, slap'em on. I like them tight." JJ replied as he shook Kelce off then held up his wrists.

"Not necessary. Please just leave, and David will escort you." Anthony replied with a deep glare at Rafe.

"David, huh? Date with David. Alright. Bye, boys. This was....fun. Raincheck on that face caving, Rafe?" JJ stated as he cautiously walked towards the security guard.

Rafe scoffed with a shake of his head as he watched JJ leave. He was beyond flustered. His girlfriend's father was not supposed to see that, now he would tell Ward. Rafe could feel the hatred bubble inside him.

"Tell Kiara she looks pretty hot for a Pogue." Rafe yelled after JJ, as he smoothed out the sleeves of his suit.

"Motherfucker.." JJ growled as he turned quickly in David's grip and took another charge at Rafe before David grabbed his waist to pull him back.

"Mr. Cameron, please go and find Gemma. David, escort Mr. Maybank off the property. The rest of you, this is a party. Don't you have somewhere else to be? Chasing girls or something?" Anthony stated before he walked down a dimly lit hall to a private bathroom.

"Who was that asshole?" Kelce asked once the Kooks were alone in the locker room.

"Gemma's dad. My dad's bitch." Rafe replied before he walked away with a stomp to find Gemma.

To be continued...

#outer banks #rafe cameron #outer banks smut #drew starkey #outer banks imagine #rafe cameron fic #rafe cameron imagine #jj maybank #jj maybank fic #jj maybank imagine #aka welcome to the OBX bitch #out of character

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vampish-glamour · 4 years ago

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I agree with most of your views (Including nb’s using labels like lesbian), expect for the views on nb existence. The reasons I see most is that it doesn’t make sense or that nb’s are using gendered terms so they must be gendered or that it’s just people uncomfortable with the gender roles so I‘m just offering another perspective. 🧷1/?

I’m nb because the idea of being male/female gives me dysphoria. It’s not about the gender roles or anything, it’s the idea of having male/female genitals or being perceived as male/female. I try to portray myself as androgynous as possible. I have shorter hair in a pixie cut of sorts, I bind, I avoid wearing things that may make me seem more feminine or masculine, I wear gender-neutral clothing, I don’t use gendered terms like lesbian or gay man. 🧷 2/3

I admit that it may be some internalized transphobia or something but it’s just better for me and my mental health to just use the preferred name/pronouns and try to look as androgynous as I can. As for it not making sense, the human brain is complicated and not everything that it feels or experiences is going to make sense scientifically. It doesn’t make it not real, though. 🧷3/3

I appreciate you sharing your perspective!

I do want to say that “it not making sense” or “enbies use gendered terms therefore they aren’t genderless”, while being common points, is a bit of an oversimplification of things.

A lot of us don’t believe in nonbinary for scientifically based reasons—an example being that the way brains in relation to sex are understood currently makes the concept of a genderless/sexless brain unlikely to exist. (Here’s a really good post about it. And another, because both of these put it scientifically much better than I could ever put it.)

“It’s just being uncomfortable with gender roles” is true for what a lot of us think, though. Because this can go from small things like not being comfortable with traditional clothing, to not liking the societal view of certain body parts.

My opinion on nonbinary “dysphoria” is that there’s likely better explanations for it than being gender dysphoria in the way trans people experience it. Like body dysmorphia, internalized sexism, internalized transphobia, or even just distress around not wanting to be seen the way society views your sex. I think this especially because the vast majority of nonbinary people, in my experience, are female. And there are a lot of societal perceptions of female anatomy that don’t exist for male anatomy.

Here’s my line of thinking;

Gender dysphoria for a trans man would be distress over not being male. From what I understand, his brain would know his body is supposed to be male, and be able to pinpoint things that make it not male. Breasts, genitalia, higher voice, different bone structure, all that sort of thing. The brain would not recognize this as the male body it’s expecting to see in the mirror.

The key point is that the brain is expecting male features instead of female ones.

With nonbinary dysphoria, how would this work? If we say that a hypothetical genderless brain exists, what would it be looking for? How would it determine what a nonbinary body would look like, if nonbinary is not a human sex like male or female are? And how would one achieve a nonbinary body? Take away the breasts and be smooth like a ken doll? Are curves able to be considered nonbinary? How about muscles? And what about skin texture, body/facial hair, smell?

Breasts, genitals, curves, muscles, skin texture, body/facial hair, smell, etc. Are all things trans people take into consideration when transitioning. They’re things that can make somebody appear more or less male or female. Again, since there is no nonbinary sex, this is impossible to pinpoint for the idea of nonbinary bodies.

So, this is where my idea that nonbinary dysphoria is actually something else comes from. Because nonbinary dysphoria works so differently from trans gender dysphoria that I find it hard to consider it the same thing.

I think it’s really important to take into consideration other possibilities. I mentioned social implications/views of certain body parts, and I want to elaborate a little on that.

I’ll use female parts as an example, since I did say they tend to get more of a hard time than male parts.

Female bodies tend to be hyper-sexualized, and put into a very specific box of “submissive sexual object”. Breasts aren’t seen as ways to feed a baby anymore, they’re seen as sex objects. Female genitalia is mostly just reduced to a hole for sexual purposes. Women are expected to be hairless, smooth skinned, curvy in the right places yet still skinny, etc. I truly believe that this impacts how women see themselves and their bodies, including feeling detached from or uncomfortable with them.

So a female nonbinary person might feel greatly uncomfortable with their female body because of subconscious discomfort with how society has taught them to view their body... but also feels uncomfortable with having a male body because they’re not trans. This puts them into a place in the middle—not feeling comfortable being either male or female—that might feel like nonbinary dysphoria, despite not actually being gender dysphoria.

I really do recommend checking out the posts I linked above though, because this is all just my thoughts. Both of the posts talk about the more scientific side of things instead of just opinion or my personal like or thinking.

“As for it not making sense, the human brain is complicated and not everything that it feels or experiences is going to make sense scientifically. It doesn’t make it not real, though”

I agree, but as mentioned before, as science understands the human brain right now—nonbinary brains are very unlikely. It’s not that scientists are marvelling at a miraculous unexplainable phenomenon, they’re saying “here’s how we believe the brain works”, and people can easily make the conclusion that the current understanding makes nonbinary brains unlikely. So it’s absolutely fair to make the claim or theory that nonbinary is not a real biological thing, based on current scientific understanding.

I approach nonbinary in the same way I approach the existence of a god. Meaning, my reasoning for not believing in a god is pretty similar to not believing in nonbinary.

I, and many other atheists, don’t believe in a god partly because of lack of evidence. We don’t want to accept something as reality when there’s hardly anything to prove it to be real. In this case, there are many scientific theories that either better explain, or completely disprove things said in religious texts. This doesn’t mean that if there were rock hard evidence we’d plug our ears and ignore it. But until then, saying “I don’t believe in a god” is a fair statement because there’s no evidence to say otherwise.

The same goes for myself and others who don’t believe that nonbinary is a real biological concept. We don’t want to accept something as reality without evidence. Especially not when there are scientific theories that provide better explanations for nonbinary dysphoria, or disprove the idea of being biologically nonbinary. This doesn’t mean that if there were solid evidence for nonbinary dysphoria and being biologically nonbinary, we’d ignore it. But until we get that solid evidence, saying “I don’t believe in nonbinary” is a fair statement.

Just because nonbinary is something that people hold dear to their hearts as an “identity”, does not mean it is free from skepticism. People are allowed to be sceptical of claims that don’t hold factual weight. Whether that be claims of the divine like god, claims of the occult like ghosts, claims of fantastical creatures like rainbow unicorns, or claims of humans being genderless.

The problem only arises when people start blatantly ignoring scientific evidence or claiming it’s false without providing reason for that claim.

As far as it being better for your mental health goes, I understand. But I do encourage you to look deeper into the issue, because ultimately it’s better to identify what could actually be going on instead of just going with the easiest answer.

And keep in mind that just because you do something for your mental health doesn’t mean others have to accept it as reality.

However, I appreciate that you don’t use gendered terms. Even though I don’t exactly believe in nonbinary as a real thing biologically speaking, I don’t have as much as an issue with people who actually are consistent with it and are respectful to gay people as I do with the people who aren’t. And I certainly hold more respect for nonbinary people who genuinely believe they are experiencing gender dysphoria and don’t disrespect gay people or enforce gender roles than I do for the “I’m nonbinary because I like dresses AND suits and I’m also super gay!!” Types.

My thoughts on this are a bit hard to explain, as I’ve said with a lot of things it’s very clear in my head but hard for me to put into writing. So I hope that at least some of this makes sense lol.

#asks #anon

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heedra · 4 years ago

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hi! sorry if this is a broad question, but i don't know anyone else with rats to ask. i'm thinking of getting rats for the first time and i was wondering if you have any tips or like care guidelines you think are really important. ive been doing some research and ive kept mice before but i really want to make sure i give any rats i might get a good home and some information out there seems either contradictory or just flat out wrong and im terrified to accidentally mistreat them. ty for reading!

Oh geez, that’s a big question! I’m going to start with some of the things I think might be the biggest, most critical and vital differences between keeping mice and keeping rats; if you have more questions after that, feel free to shoot me another ask! 1. Two rats is an absolute minimum, regardless of whether you own males or females. People will tell you that it’s critical to own at least two rats, and they’re technically correct, but imo the ideal minimum is actually three or four. Rats are very social, just like people, and, just like a lot of people, they are happiest when they have a group of people to build relationships with. If a rat living as part of a group isn’t getting along with one of his cagemates, he has others whose attention he can go seek out, unlike with a single pair. Introducing rats can be tricky, though, especially with boys, so if you are trying to combine rats who are strangers into one social group, definitely do your research. This website has a great rundown of some of the different methods used to introduce rats. 2. Rats absolutely cannot live in a glass tank. Even if the tank is just one part of a cage that has a ventilated wire portion up top. Rat’s noses and lungs are very sensitive to urine buildup in a way mice’s aren’t, and glass tanks offer no ventilation. Rats also need a lot of vertical climbing space in a cage, relative to mice; tall, wire cages are must for this, as are a lot of climbing toys and hammocks. 3. Related to the above, rats are very prone to respiratory infections. I mention this because this is probably the most common health problem you will encounter with them, and it’s important to know the signs. A vast majority of pet rats either have or will get mycoplasmosis (a bacterial sinus infection) at some point in their lives, and while it’s usually benign at baseline, this infection flares up in the presence of poor ventilation, excess dust, or stress. If you notice that your rat is whistling or wheezing when they sniff and breathe, or that they are snorting/sneezing a lot, talk to the vet you go to for small animal health about getting them on an antibiotic. Respiratory problems are a part of life for rat ownership, and usually wont affect your animal’s quality of life, but if left untreated can develop into pneumonia. You don’t need to panic if your rat starts sneezing or wheezing; even if you’ve already treated them for those symptoms before; rats with myco often have more than one flareup throughout their life, and sometimes it will go away on its own once a rat gets settled in a clean environment or stops being stressed out, but you do want to get it checked if it persists! 4. Rats cannot eat alfalfa or timothy hay. This is an important one to keep an eye on, as, because almost all other pocket pets can eat these things, a lot of treats that contain timothy hay and alfalfa will be branded as being for all pet rodents, even when they’re not safe for rats. It’s not that these are immediately poisonous to rats, they just can’t digest them, so too much of it will inevitably cause intestinal blocks.

5. Male rats can’t eat citrus. This one is kind of debated, but I think it’s fair to err on the safe side. D-limosine, a chemical found in citrus peels, is considered to be linked to testicular cancer in rats. I’d personally suggest just avoiding citrus entirely with rats. 6. Rats need at LEAST 30 minutes a day of playtime with you, outside of their cage. Ideally, this should be closer to an hour. This is important both so that they can bond with you as their human, and so that they’re getting a source of exercise and mental stimulation that goes beyond what they can find in their cage. Set up a safe play area in your home; an enclosed bedroom, a clean bathroom, or an area fenced off by some kind of plastic barrier work well; make sure the space is free of dangerous things to eat and electrical wires. Furnish it with things the rats can climb on and hide in, leave some treats around for them to find, and make sure you’re present and keeping an eye on them! This is a great time to try and train your rats to do tricks or run obstacle courses, or to play games with them (mine really like to chase strings and tissue paper around).

7. There’s no difference in emotional, exercise, and enrichment needs between male and female rats. There’s a big myth that male rats are lazy and cuddly, while female rats are playful and active. In truth, any rat can be any combination of these things; it all comes down to individual personality. “Lazy Buck Syndrome” (the idea of male rats being couch potatoes) is more often the result of owners not providing enough for male rats to do based on this misconception, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. The one exception to this is that male rats are more prone to back-leg paralysis in their old age, and may need more ramps and sitting levels as they age. I also want to end this by plugging two rat care channels on youtube: The Rat Guru, and Emiology Both these individuals are far more experienced rat owners than I, and they both have a whole bunch of videos addressing specific rat care topics and common questions. I also love the website ratbehavior.org; it’s got great information on how rats perceive the world, and what rat behavior means, written from a biology and behavioral science perspective.

EDIT: I almost forgot a really critical one! It’s not really a “care tip that differs for mice” since the same is true for them, and I’m pretty confident I’m preaching to the choir here, but, just in case, Please avoid getting rats from the pet store, especially big box places like Petco or Petsmart! These places breed and house rats in inhumane conditions that should not be financially supported, and rats purchased at these places are going to have shorter lifespans and be much harder to socialize to humans. I recommend looking for reputable rat breeders in your area and adopting from them, or looking to your local humane society or small animal rescue for adoptable animals.

#long post #ratblogging #Anonymous

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vantaenims · 5 years ago

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anemoia | jungkook

pairing: jungkook x reader

genre: futuristic au | fluff, mystery

word count: 11.7k

warning/s: mentions of death and a bit of a make out session (oh my).

summary: It’s a well known fact that a person only dreams about people they’ve already seen in their life but how come you’re dreaming about someone you’ve never seen before, someone who is probably a person your subconscious created, and someone that continues to only exist in your dreams.

Part of BTSGhostieBingo (futuristic!au prompt)

masterlist

According to a study, as much as 95% of all dreams are quickly forgotten shortly after waking.

Reverie is a helpful device where you can securely store your dreams and archive them by syncing the device through the Reverie Application. With other built-in features, you can now customize how your dream works by choosing your desired location and inputting any character you want to appear in your dream.

With Reverie, you can build your own dreams.

You slid the switch to turn on the device and a blinking blue light is now visible on it’s side though it was only for a moment as you successfully paired the device with your phone and the application.

As usual, you registered for an account and input the required necessary information but what piqued your interest the most are the so called built-in features like the location where you can choose from various choices like beach, urban city, garden, festivals, etc. and lastly, the characters, wherein you should input a picture of a person that you like to appear in your dream.

This is the reason why you’re so keen in purchasing Reverie because it’ll be the only way you can actually see your late mother in limitless ways. You barely remember your memories with her since she passed away from Ovarian Cancer when you were only four - an age where memories can be pretty hazy.

You can only remember her through pictures and stories your father has told you so it’ll be a joy to at least watch your dreams with her in it or perhaps watch the memories you’ve invented.

Spreading the covers, you soon get in your bed as you ready yourself to sleep, clicking the Reverie app to choose your location in a garden and clicking the picture of your mother you uploaded a while ago as your character.

You placed your phone on your nightstand as soon as you finalized your dream customization, putting the Reverie device on your temple while you managed to lay down on your bed, tapping the circle device as you close your eyes until you can finally sleep and dream.

All you could see are stars in the wide vast dark sky, they’re so clear and bright since there are no clouds to cover them for tonight but you could definitely feel most the cold wind of the night enveloping you though you could feel the warmth of the person next to you - your mom.

“How are you, my dear?” you turn your head to the side to see your mom plucking some leaves around the stem of a red rose, “You’ve grown to be such a beautiful lady.”

You were suddenly hit with a surge of overwhelming emotions, thinking how the moment feels so vivid and real like it’s really taking place right now though you’re fully aware that this is only projection of your subconscious.

“You look perfect just like what dad told me” you smiled as you got the red rose from your mother’s hand, twirling it to examine it’s petals.

“How old are you now?”

“I’m turning 23 this year” you held your mother’s hand that was right by your side, squeezing it as you moved closer to rest your head on her shoulder, both laying down in the middle of the garden to stargaze.

“Ten years from now you’re gonna be the same age as me”

“Aren’t you like 52 now just like dad?” you peered up at your mom but then surprisingly, she looks too young to be in her early fifties.

“The dead doesn’t age, dear” your mom chuckled as she kissed your forehead whilst she pointed her fingers towards the sky, “We’re all up there amongst the stars where i constantly watch you from above”

“Heaven does exist?” you said like a curious child.

“I suppose so but you see that little twinkling star right there?” you nodded as you listened attentively to what more she could say, “I’m always right there.”

“Can i look at that star whenever i feel lonely?”

Your mom warmly smiled, grabbing the rose from you as she broke the stem to make it shorter, placing it right behind your ear whilst she thread her fingers soothingly along your hair to fix it.

“You can and not just when you’re lonely but whenever you feel happy or whatever it is you feel. I’ll always be here for you, my dear.”

You woke up not too long after your mother had said that which instantly made you feel better though you felt like the dream’s too short and only happened in a span of five minutes but then time seems to be irrelevant when you’re dreaming since it��s clearly morning now and it has been seven hours since you slept.

So far, you could say that the Reverie delivered and met your expectations. The dream was lucid and felt so realistic which happens to be true to what the device promised though they have warned that the flow will not be consistently like that as it’s in the nature of our dreams to be purely irrational and weird which something the company is trying to eliminate by continuous extensive research.

You start your day ahead with a wide smile on your face, feeling exquisitely happy that you got the chance to spend time with your mother even though it’s just a dream but if it’s the only way you could get to be with your mother then that’s what matters.

You rung the doorbell of the veterinary clinic which is the place you’re working for as a receptionist - a job you took since you’ve gotten practically bored being unproductive halfway into your gap year so might as well apply for a job that doesn’t require much work plus you figured that it’d be fun since you’ll get to be around lovely dogs and cats all day long.

“You’re early” you smiled back at Hoseok who happens to be the veterinary doctor and the owner of the clinic, so practically he’s your boss though he’s rather much of a friend to you given how he’s just a few years older from you.

“Good morning”, you said, “Is Jimin still not here?”

Jimin is also a veterinary doctor much like Hoseok but he’s acting more of an assistant doctor in this clinic.

“He bought some pastries down the bakery” you nodded as you settled yourself inside your booth, opening the computer to check the appointments scheduled for today in the spreadsheet until you noticed Mickey - Hoseok’s Shih Tzu dog - sitting on the floor right beside your feet, staring up at you.

“Hello, Mickey”, you spoke in a little voice as you picked him up and placed him in your lap to pet him, noticing how he’s wearing a new striped shirt, “You have new clothes, hm?”

The chimes attached to the door rang as you see Jimin entering the clinic whilst he rummages around the paper bag he’s holding until he holds out what seems to be like cheese bread to you.

“I got this for you,” Jimin said as he placed the cheese bread and iced coffee on your desk, “And for you” also giving the same thing to Hoseok.

“Thank you Jimin but you don’t have to”

“Eat up besides all the pastries in the bakery today are buy two, get one” Jimin sweetly smiled at you, leaning one of his elbows on top of your desk as he took a bite off the cheese bread.

“What’s the schedule for today?” Hoseok asked as he joined Jimin, also leaning against your desk.

“Ms. Nam Chung Hee scheduled an annual booster shot for her two dogs at 2 p.m.” you said as you read out through your computer.

“Does she already have a record here?”

“Yeah, I checked yesterday” you spun your chair to rack through the filing cabinet, taking out the folder with the client’s name on it as you handed it to Hoseok.

You set down Mickey on the floor as you stood up to grab the remote of the television from your desk, turning it on and setting the channel to National Geographic for the guests to watch in the waiting area.

With nothing else to do, you sat behind the reception desk as you took out your phone to go to the Reverie app, thinking it’d be best to kill time whilst you watch your dream from last night. You plugged in your earphones to your phone, putting only one piece of it to your right ear just so you could still be aware of your surroundings.

Clicking on the video dated yesterday, you instantly saw the familiar starry night sky though you could already tell that the video quality is bad but not bad enough that you can’t make it out - it’s more of like a 144p video, it’s not like you could complain though as Reverie is said to be still up for improvement.

Despite how blurry it is, you smiled as soon as your mother’s face appeared on your screen, listening back to your conversation on how she’s the little twinkling star on the sky but then you were disrupted when you heard the door chimes, causing you to remove your earphones and placing your phone back to the desk.

“Hi, i scheduled yesterday a booster shot for my dogs”

“Ah yes, you must be Ms. Nam?” you asked as she nodded her head to confirm, thinking that she’s a few hours early from an appointment but it’s not like a problem at all considering you don’t have any clients or customers yet to attend to.

“Can I have your dog’s vaccination cards please?”

You prompted her to sit in the waiting area for a while as you wrote down the information on your records that you have detached from the folder to put it in a clipboard along with the vaccination cards, reading out the name of the two Maltese dogs - Blossom and Bubbles.

“Here are their records, I'll be calling Hoseok” you handed the clipboard towards Jimin who just got out of the bathroom right in time as you were about to call him and Hoseok.

“Dr. Park will assist you for a while” you said before you disappeared to go to Hoseok’s office, knocking your knuckles against the door before you peered your head inside to inform Hoseok that Ms. Nam had arrived for her appointment.

“Oh it’s the Powerpuff dogs, Blossom and Bubbles” Hoseok exclaimed as he read out their names in the record that Jimin handed to him, petting the dogs who are now placed in the metal table.

“Y/N, can I have one of those record sheets? There are only two lines left for me to write in here” you looked back to see that Jimin had followed you on your way back towards your desk.

“Is there a Buttercup?” you asked as you handed Jimin a blank record sheet. Jimin was confused for a moment until he catched on to what you are referring to.

“Ah no, she said she’ll save that name for when she gets another dog” Jimin smiled and raised his eyebrows at you before he went back to the room to assist Hoseok.

You sat down as you put back the folders of records you got out from the filing cabinet, unaware that you started to subconsciously hum to the song Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations.

You sat on one of the benches under the waiting shed, taking out your phone to watch again the clip of your dream but before you could even unlock your phone, the sound of the bus doors opening caught your attention. Coincidentally, it happened to be your bus hence you stood up to enter inside, choosing the seat at the far right end, continuing the video once you’ve sat yourself comfortably.

As you got yourself comfortable, you then started to watch your dream and you think you don’t mind replaying it all day long, still finding the whole thing impressive. You can’t help but feel excited for the memories and moments you’ll build in the future with your mother, not minding a bit that it’ll be artificial.

Surprisingly, you arrived at the bus stop near your home earlier than usual, thinking that you must’ve avoided the rush hour since Hoseok decided to close the clinic twenty minutes early from it’s closing time since there are not much clients after Ms. Nam’s appointments, just the usual customers who are buying pet foods are coming to the clinic.

You managed to stop by a convenience store first to buy two pints of salted caramel ice cream for you and your dad whom you’re still living with since you promised to him that you’ll not be moving out anytime soon unless you get married that is. You were an only child so ever since your mom died, it was only you and your dad.

“Dad, I’m home” you left your shoes at the door mat, slipping on to your slippers as you directly went to the dining room upon whiffing something savory once you entered the door.

“Oh you’re right in time, i just finished preparing the smoked salmon” your dad said, placing the plates on the table.

“It looks delicious”, you eyed the salmon which is plated and designed elegantly, making it such a fine piece of meal with the presentation alone, “and it tastes one too.”

Your dad works as an executive chef for a five star hotel in Seoul which makes you lucky since you got to taste their premium menu specialties and other delicacies for free once in a while, like tonight since he took a day off.

“Eat as much as you want, I've prepared enough. In fact, why don’t you bring some at work tomorrow and also give it to those two doctors…” your dad looked as if he’s trying hard to recall the name of your co-workers.

“Jimin and Hoseok” you laughed as you reminded him.

“Give it to Jimin and Hoseok, i’ll put it in a microwavable container so that you could heat it up”

You warmly smiled at your dad at how caring he is, placing your hand on top of your dad’s on the table, squeezing it with yours, “Thanks, Dad.”

“You know, i just remember that i’ve never seen them yet” your dad said, “They must be good looking huh? I mean a doctor ain’t a bad choice is it?”

You stopped chewing as you playfully glared at your dad, knowing where this conversation is heading.

“Dad, it’s inappropriate if i go beyond our professional relationship” you shook your head, thinking how you dad has countlessly pestered you about getting a boyfriend since he thought that your life is pretty lonely for a 22 year old girl who chose to spent most of her time with his dad whom he’s still living with which you’re pretty content with but your dad must’ve thought the other way around.

“I just want you to be happy, that’s all”

“Being single doesn’t equate to being lonely” you clarified, “Anyway, I am happy so don’t worry about that plus I’ll eventually find someone.”

“Well, you’re not getting any younger and it’s probably what your mom wants for you too” your dad shrugged, looking at you and then to your plate where your asparagus seems to be untouched.

“Aren’t you going to eat that?”

“You know that i don’t eat asparagus, dad”

“It’s glazed in honey though, try it you might like it”

You picked up your fork to try the honey glazed asparagus but it still tastes wrong to you and your dad must’ve noticed when he saw you scrunch your nose in disgust, shaking your head in disapproval.

“You’re like a little child” your dad sighed as he transferred the asparagus into his plate to eat it.

Majority of your dinner was spent with your dad asking you loads of questions about Jimin and Hoseok, defending himself that he just wants to know the boys that are working with his precious girl. Defeatedly, you have no choice but to answer his questions as you both eat over the pint of ice cream you’ve bought.

After you’ve washed the dishes, you wished your dad good night even though it’s still pretty early for bedtime, heading straight away to your room to wash up and ready yourself for bed. It’s funny how you’ve never been this excited to sleep except the times when you’re sleep deprived.

As you plopped on your bed, you then grabbed your device from your nightstand to turn it on as you plug in your phone to your charger, opening the Reverie app to pair it with your phone but then a tab suddenly appeared as it got paired.

Would you like to continue your dream?

Confused, you got the manual inside your drawer to find out that you could continue your previous dream for two times only as the brain could only take so much. You declined the option to continue since you want to try first the other locations.

Train Station is what you choose since you plan to travel around Seoul with your mom. As soon as you got to choose the location and character, you placed the device on your temple as you try to sleep.

You soon found yourself in front of the ticket vending machine, getting the cards from the machine’s dispenser.

“Let’s go” your mom said as she got on the escalator, prompting you to hurriedly catch up with her, “Hurry, the train’s about to leave.”

You run up the escalator, excusing yourself as you try to catch up with your mom who’s already standing on the platform but then the train doors had closed already as soon as you step foot onto the platform.

“It’s okay, let’s just sit and wait for the next one”, your mom said as she sat down on the bench, tapping the seat next to hers for you to sit.

“Where should we go?” you asked but you were rather met with silence. Looking to your right, you noticed that she’s no longer sitting beside you. Furrowing your brows, your scan around the platform as you search for your mom but it’s as if she just suddenly disappeared into thin air.

The clinking sound of coins hitting against the ground has caught your attention, turning your head to the side to see an old man bending down to pick up his coins whilst one of his coins managed to roll towards your direction, only stopping as it bumped the side of your shoes.

You picked it up as you went over to the old man to give it until he smiled at you, stopping your hand that’s about to give him his coin.

“Keep the change” he chuckled as he rode the elevator, leaving you there with his ₩100 coin.

Shrugging, you then played with the coin in your hand, tossing it just to catch it mid-air to slam it at the back of your hand. You then removed your hand to reveal that it landed on tails.

You grasped the coin in your hand as you watch the train pick up its speed by the second, setting aside your hair that has made its way to your face from the gush of wind until the rumbling sounds of the train completely faded out in the distance making the station a quiet and calm place once again.

Once again, you heard the clinking sound of the coin hitting the ground, realizing that it fell off your hand at the sight of a boy at the other side of the platform who seemed to be staring straight at you. You looked at your sides to see if you were mistaken but it looks like you’re the only one standing on your side of the platform much like him.

But then he broke eye contact as he walked towards the stairs of the station, causing you to rush towards the stairs so that you’ll be able to catch him before he’s out of your sight. Thankfully, you managed to grab his arm before he could pass through the turnstile. You felt him tense a bit as you touched him, turning around to look at you with a surprised look on his face that instantly turned into confusion once you spoke.

“Jungkook” you whispered.

Suddenly, an odd blaring sound blasted throughout the station, jolting you up from reality that the sound you happened to hear came from your phone. You extend your hand towards the nightstand to grab it, snoozing the alarm.

Sitting up, you open your bleary eyes as you remove the device from your temple, staring at it for the weird dream you’ve just encountered but dreams are supposed to be weird isn’t it? But how come everyone’s faces are blurry except for your mother and that boy - Jungkook - whom you followed after.

It’s not like you’ve ever seen that face or know anyone whose name is Jungkook but you shrugged the idea off, remembering the warning in the manual that dreams don’t consistently flow smoothly since it’s in the dreams nature to be purely irrational and weird though you can’t help but wonder about the boy that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Who is Jungkook?

You found yourself sitting in the waiting lounge, watching some sort of a Moose Documentary in National Geographic Channel. The battery from the remote control ran out so it’s not like you have any choice but to watch whatever’s playing but it’s not like it’s bad at all, you just happen to learn that Mooses can dive up to six meters or twenty feet and they can hold their breath for a minute!

The door chimes rung, making you dart your attention towards the door. A young boy who looks to be thirteen came in with a Beagle Pup on his arms, stopping in front of your desk with quite a lost look upon noticing that the reception is empty with quite a worried look on his face.

“Hi, how can i help you?” you stood up, instantly going behind your desk to assist the young boy.

“I think he’s not feeling well” the boy lightly cradles and bounces the puppy like a parent trying to calm a baby.

“Well, can you explain to me what’s wrong?”

“He’s been constantly vomiting since this morning and i think he’s getting weaker by the second”

“Let me just call the doctor” you said, standing up to go directly to Hoseok’s office to inform him and Jimin who’s also in the room that there’s an emergency waiting for them outside.

“Do you have a record in here yet?” you asked the boy as you got behind your desk to ready the clipboard for Jimin.

“Uh I don’t know he’s actually my sister’s dog”

“Okay, what’s her name then?” you smiled, noticing how he’s panicking a bit but he sighed in relief once he saw her sister come through inside the clinic, helping her brother to give out the necessary details.

Jimin then assisted them to go inside the room for the check up whilst you followed them to give Jimin his clipboard, giving you a chance to witness Hoseok question the siblings when the symptoms appeared while he assessed the dog’s condition. making you leave the room to go back to your desk now that your task is done.

You went back behind your desk, continuing to watch the documentary whilst you eat some sliced apples that your dad prepared for you, saying that you should start eating healthy foods rather than fast food you’ve always been eating.

“What happened?” you asked just as Jimin got out of the room.

“The dog’s dehydrated and he needs to be put in a drip so he’ll be confined here for a while until he gets better”, Jimin explained as he placed the clipboard on top of your desk and then grabbed the fork to eat one of your sliced apples.

Soon after, the girl got out of the room as he handed you a piece of paper that happens to be a prescription and also the list of supplies needed for the dog’s in confinement that was written by Hoseok.

“Are you getting all this?” you peered up towards her just before you could write it in an official receipt to which she confirmed by nodding.

“Should i bring his dog food here?” The man asked you but Jimin beat you to it to answer him.

“Yeah, you can but you could also just buy some here, you know to save you some legwork” Jimin smiled as you purse your lips from smiling further at Jimin’s tactic of encouraging customers to buy your products.

“Sure, could you add the dog food too” she said to you, nodding as you wrote down the additional item before you ripped the receipt to give it to her and also the calling card, informing her that she could call anytime for updates about her dog.

The siblings soon leave after they’ve watched Bruno - the name of the Beagle - put on a drip with Hoseok assuring them that he’ll be treated with proper care. You then volunteered to be the one to bring the beagle his food, saying how it’s the least thing you could do to help Hoseok and Jimin.

You came into the room where the beagle is supposedly being confined inside a cage that’s large enough for him to fit as you carry the bowl filled with dog food.

“Here you go” you said once you opened the cage and placed the bowl in front of Bruno who appears to be lethargic as he did not make any move to eat the food, only looking up at you with it’s such big adorable puppy eyes.

“You’ll be better soon” you gently petted the base of his neck.

Before you could stand up and leave, you picked up the card that’s placed atop of the cage as you wrote down the time on the card which is meant for monitoring his food intake and other medications.

“I’ll get going” you said to Jimin while you grab your belongings behind your desk.

“Alright, be safe and tell your dad we enjoyed his smoked salmon”

“Sure thing” you waved as you exited the clinic, making your way down to the bus stop to finally go home.

—

Would you like to continue your dream?

You were instantly reminded of your bizzare dream last night about that boy named Jungkook who you don’t even know and also clueless as to why you followed and chased him down.

Nonetheless, you tapped the ‘No’ option since you planned a while ago that you want to have some kind of a nice dinner setting in a restaurant with both of your parents present since you’ve been wanting to have a clear memory of having your family complete.

Laying down, you did the routine of setting up Reverie and next thing you know, you’re in one of those fancy restaurants located on the rooftop where the view of the towering skyscrapers of Seoul mixed in with the city lights. It took you awhile to register that you’re inside the five star hotel where your dad is working at.

“What must be your dad cooking for us hm?”

Sitting in front of you is none other than your mom who seems to be fashionably dressed well in a straight black dress paired with a dainty pearl necklace and earrings, hair perfectly styled that stops right just at her shoulders.

“Probably something delicious”

“Isn’t it nice we get to eat here? Who knew that your dad’s perks could come in handy” your mom chuckled as she looked around the expansive room that you guessed to be one of the private rooms since you’re the only ones inside.

You looked around to examine that the two sides of the room are glass walled while it’s also well lit thanks to the big elegant chandelier hanging in the middle of the room but most of all, it’s perfectly beautiful because of the night sky view from up here.

Suddenly, the door to your right opened as a waiter who’s holding a tray came inside to place the plate filled with smoked salmon paired with honey glazed asparagus in front of you, speaking to say that it’s the main dish for tonight.

“How are you two doing?” your dad said, following suit to enter the room.

“I thought you’ll be joining us” you said once you noticed that your dad’s still wearing his uniform.

“It’s a pretty busy night, I'll try to catch up later” your dad said, “besides why don’t you first enjoy your time with Jungkook here?”

You took a glance in front of you to see that your mother has now been replaced with Jungkook whose exchanging a few words with your father as if they’ve known each other for a very long time, making you confused to decipher how your dream got weird again but mostly surprised to see Jungkook appear.

“I’ll leave you two for now, okay?” your dad left you a kiss on top of your head whilst he patted Jungkook’s back as he exited the door to go back to the kitchen thus leaving you two alone.

“I remember how you always boast about your father’s cooking skills and I must say, you’re not exaggerating even a bit”

“See, I told you so” you said even though you’re partly confused because the you in your dreams always manages to act dominantly.

“Would you like some wine?” you peered up at the source to see that a waiter’s waiting for your confirmation before he poured some wine on both of your glasses when you sent him a nod.

“Let’s make a toast” Jungkook said as he raised his glass at you but then you were confused to say the least.

“For what? It’s not our anniversary, right?” you asked, suddenly growing anxious that you might’ve forgotten that today’s supposed to be special but you do know that your anniversary as a couple is months away.

“How could you forget this?” Jungkook asked, chuckling as he widened his eyes at you in disbelief, “It has been a year since the day we met!”

“Has it been a year already?”

Jungkook hummed as he transferred your untouched asparagus into his plate once he devoured all of his portion but then he glanced up at you to see just as he’s about to eat a piece of your asparagus.

“What? You don’t like asparagus” Jungkook said in an unfazed manner, happily munching on his food as he hummed in delight until he remembered the untouched glass of wine. He wiped his mouth hurriedly with the napkin to grab the wine glass.

“Cheers?” Jungkook said with his mouth still full, smiling as he placed his hand atop of yours, thumb lightly grazing against your skin.

“Cheers”

Adjusting yourself on your seat, you propped your elbow against the desk as you leaned your head over your hand, watching the dream from last night wherein your mom magically disappeared out of nowhere and was instead replaced with Jungkook who you assume is your ‘boyfriend’ in your dream.

You’re still unaware as to why he appeared in your dream for the second time again that’s why it prompted you to search on the internet if Reverie users have experienced the same thing as you but there was none so far.

But you know for sure that dreams are heavily influenced on what happened to you in real life thus the reason you were eating the smoked salmon dish with asparagus because of that dinner you had with your dad one day ago and also the reason why he’s your boyfriend because of that talk with your dad.

Sighing, you stand up as you leave your desk to sit beside Jimin who’s watching a movie in the waiting area.

“Do you want some?” Jimin stretched his hand that’s holding a pack of peanuts. You held out your palm to him as he poured over some nuts until it’s enough for your liking.

“Thanks” you said as you popped them into your mouth, “Jimin…”

“Hmm?” you were a bit hesitant if you should talk to Jimin about Reverie since it gained a bad image with one news outlet saying that the device’s original purpose got taken out of its context and was instead converted into something controversial - it was now being used by others to satisfy their sexual fantasies.

“What do you think about Reverie?” you shyly said.

“The dreaming device?” Jimin asked, “I don’t know much about it except that everyone uses it to dream about wild things, why?”

Well, it looks like that article broke out the internet already and it made you even more bashful to open up to Jimin that you’ve purchased the device yourself even though you know that you’re using it for another reason.

“I, um, bought it”

Jimin peered his eyes away from the television as he looked at you with his eyebrows raised, momentarily stopping himself from munching down the peanuts.

“I mean i have it since you know, my mom died a long time ago and it’s the only way i could only see her” you defended yourself, feeling a bit embarrassed from how you talked so fast.

“Well, I thought you bought it for another reason” Jimin chuckled, “How is it?”

“It’s good, i get to see my mom anytime i want but then it started getting weird recently” you purse your lips as you contemplate if it’ll be a good idea to tell him the boy in your dream - Jungkook.

“Go on”, Jimin said, urging you to continue.

“I was dreaming about my mom but then a boy would constantly take her place but what’s weird is that i called him ‘Jungkook’ and i don’t even know anyone who has that name”

“What does he look like then?”

“Well, he has big doe eyes, sharp nose, nice smile and i must admit, he looks quite handsome and cute at the same time” you think you’ve imprinted the image of him in your mind with the amount of times you’ve replayed the video as you try to ponder if you’ve ever seen Jungkook before but nothing came in mind.

“Sounds like he’s a sexual fantasy of yours” you threw the rest of your peanuts at Jimin as he doubled in laughter.

“But jokes aside, do you think you could vividly dream about a person you didn’t know in the first place?” you curiously asked as you waited for Jimin to calm down from his laughing fit, adjusting himself on his seat as he properly answered you.

“No? I mean, maybe those are the physical traits you like in a person and your subconscious just so happened to create this ‘Jungkook’ guy” Jimin said.

“You think so?”

“Don’t take it from me though, I’m a veterinarian not a neurologist” you shrugged, returning your attention back on the television.

After the credits rolled on the television, you went inside the room where Bruno is to give him the food and water he needs just before you leave the clinic. He seems to be getting better but it was still clear that he’s still weak at some point.

“Hello, Bruno” you pet his head, cooing as his head leaned further to your touch.

It reminded you of that time when you would endlessly beg your dad to get a dog, reasoning out that you’re tired of having no one to play with as the only child you are and that a dog was your best bet in having a playmate or so although that did not fully convince for your dad to get you one.

That only resulted for you to ignore your dad for a few days as the brat you are until he came home with a cage where a hamster resides rather than the dog you’re wishing for but it’s enough for you to smile at your dad, thanking him for the new pet.

You mutter a goodbye to the Beagle, standing up to go towards the door when you get suddenly surprised by Hoseok when his head suddenly peeked inside the door.

“Y/N, could you help us for awhile?” Hoseok said, resting his shoulders on the door frame.

“Are you going to put up some Christmas decorations?” you said as soon as you saw the box he’s carrying where a ‘Christmas Stuff’ is labelled on the front with a permanent marker.

“Yeah, it’ll be just quick though” Hoseok reassured you since the clinic already closed a few minutes ago.

“Alright” you grabbed the box from Hoseok, exiting the room to find Jimin already setting up the mini Christmas Tree in the waiting area.

“How many days is it before Christmas?” you asked, standing up on a chair as you try to stick the garland against the walls.

“Uh twenty nine days” Jimin grabbed the rest of the garland as he assisted you.

“Oh really? Time must’ve passed by quickly”

“Yeah, days are shorter during this time of the year so maybe that’s why” Hoseok shrugged as he embellished the Christmas Tree with some decorative balls.

It was spring when you started to work in the clinic which means that it has also been mostly eight or nine months since your stay. You were only supposed to work here for six months but you’ve quite enjoyed it that you managed to delay applying for a job in your field, thinking how you’re going to complete a year in the clinic before you do so.

—

Sitting on your bed, you managed to turn the television on to continue the movie you were watching last weekend whilst you slurp over the instant noodles you’ve cooked yourself as your late lunch since your dad isn’t home as he usually is this time since his work demands him to be present in days like the weekend and holidays.

That’s the great thing about Sundays, it’s the only day you could have the whole day for yourself considering you only have to work until 12 p.m. in the clinic today and you can lounge around your house just by yourself, not that you don’t like the presence of your dad but you guess you’re one of those people who prefers alone time.

You turned off the television once you felt the burning like sensation from your eyes probably because you’ve taken only four hours of sleep last night. Plopping down your head sideways on your pillow, the device came into your sight, remembering how you forgot to wear it last night from how tired you are from decorating the clinic.

The conversation you had with Jimin yesterday came flashing back when he told you that it could be a probability that Jungkook is a character made by your subconscious and Jimin’s not wrong when he told you that Jungkook might be just a reflection of what you want in a person because you could say he’s piqued your interest.

Would you like to continue your dream?

You clicked the ‘No’ option right away as you still find the whole thing quite odd though you’re quite unfazed by now. It has been a while since that first vivid dream you had with your mom so that’s why you hope Reverie won’t alter your dream though that’ll be highly unlikely.

The fireplace is the first thing you saw in your dream, Christmas decorations and picture frames filled the mantel though you can’t completely make out who the individuals in the pictures are but you’re sure it’s someone else’s house.

“What is your dream?”

You looked sideways to see your mom sitting beside you on the sofa as she sipped something on a mug after she had said that statement, the snow outside the window catching your attention for a second before you looked back at your mom with a quite confused look.

“Like my dream in life?” your mom nodded, intently looking at you.

“I dream of having my own business someday” you said, “But i’m still not sure what kind of business it’ll be?”

“Your dad’s a chef, why don’t you hire him and build a restaurant?” your mom suggested, making you laugh at her suggestion though you think you’re going to consider it into one of your ideas.

“What about you mom?” you laid down on your mom’s lap as you looked up at her whilst she softly caressed your hair, straying out some strands of your hair that had made way into your face.

“I dreamt about having a beautiful daughter when me and your dad got married and look you’re here”

“Isn’t it sad we only get to be together for three years?” you frowned.

“Out of all the years i’ve lived, those three years are the most precious thing that happened to me and it’s because of you, my dear”

You think you must’ve shed some tears as your mom wiped the corners of your eyes with her thumb, gently smiling at you as she told you not to be sad but to be happy.

“There’s a dream I have for you but I could only do so much,” she said, staring straight ahead at something. Your eyes are about to look at where she’s looking at but she held your face gently just before you could turn your head, “Always remember to follow your dreams.”

You could tell when your dream is about to end, it’s when the scene in front of you dims slowly into the void and that’s what’s happening right now but before you could slowly succumb into consciousness, your mom squeezed your hand tightly as if to remind you one last time.

“Follow your dream.”

Tears ran down your face once you opened your eyes, noticing that your tears are what must’ve woken you up. You’ve cried for a bit, thinking how unfortunate it is that she’s gone and how you’ve greatly missed her.

After you’ve calmed, you grab the device as you stick it once again on your temple to continue your dream to ask her about the dream she has for you and also taking advantage of it now that Jungkook didn’t manage to appear.

You found yourself once again in front of the fireplace when you chose to continue your dream. It looks exactly the same when you left although you could hear some Christmas songs playing now and the space beside you where your mom should be seating is now empty.

“I have a surprise for you”

A voice said that doesn’t belong to your mom but you definitely know that it’s Jungkook who seems to be covering your eyes with both of his hands as he whispers into your ear, his breath tickling you a bit.

“What is it?”

“I’ll have to get it first” he said, “Promise me you’ll close your eyes?”

Jungkook took off his hands once you gave him a nod though you’re tempted to open your eyes to see what the surprise is, you tried your best to be obedient and soon enough, you heard his footsteps in front of you.

“Okay, you can open them now”

Jungkook’s hair is now dyed pink like cotton candy pink which caught you by surprise but that’s not what surprised you more because your eyes immediately panned towards the adorable thing he’s cradling like a baby in his arms.

“Merry Christmas!”

“Oh my god a puppy?” you said in awe as you stretched out your hand for Jungkook so that you could cradle it instead though he more of placed it on your lap, making you coo how the Beagle pup is trying to remove the red ribbon that’s loosely tied around its neck with its cute tiny paws.

“I remember when you told me that you wanted a dog ever since you were a kid” Jungkook scratched his head, sitting down beside you who seems to be so caught up with the puppy as you giggled at how playful it is.

“Let’s call her Buttercup” Jungkook didn’t question you for the name as he instead admired how the big smile on your face made him feel so much warmth in his chest, perhaps it’s because from the sense of pride that he’s the reason behind your happiness although it’s somewhat more of the puppy who's still on your lap.

“Your gift is much better than mine, I feel bad” you playfully frowned.

“Don’t be, what is it then?”

“It’s in my house, you’ll get to see tomorrow” you winked, thinking if he would even like yours which is a newly released game he’s been dying to play ever since it was announced plus some quirky love note on the side as the low key romantic person you are.

It never even crossed your mind to consider if Jungkook might’ve bought it already, so it’ll be really lame of you if he ever has it though you think he hasn't got it yet when you clearly remember scanning his shelf filled with his games when you came by his house. You can’t help but be worried but if that’s the case then the love note might as well work then.

“Hey, you’re already a gift to me” Jungkook tilted your chin upwards so his eyes could meet your worried ones.

“You’re so mushy” you laughed, gently tilting Jungkook’s head to the side so he can stop staring at you like that, like he’s so into you and it’s making you want to hide and shy away from his stare, “Anyways, thank you-”

“I love you”

You were dumbfounded for a while as you try to process those three words that just came out of Jungkook’s mouth. Your dad wasn’t lying when he told you the time he felt his world stopped when your mom said those words to him for the first time because fuck, this is indeed the first time Jungkook said this to you and you felt like your heart stopped beating too.

“I just wanted to tell you and y-you don’t have to say it back” Jungkook stammered, panic settling within him.

Jungkook’s the one who’s more expressive in your relationship, the one who’s more romantic and cheesier than you while you’re more of an awkward and shy one since Jungkook is your first boyfriend. Not that you don’t love him the same but you’re quite not sure how to properly show affection to him none other than through letters and notes that is.

Impulsively, you cupped Jungkook’s cheek as you leaned in further until your lips were mashed together that’s why it’s understandable that Jungkook’s not been responding to you for a while, possibly shock that you initiated to kiss him when it was always him who’s used to kissing you first.

Jungkook then smiled as he kissed you back, taking it up a notch when he grabbed your waist towards him, making you straddle him as you put one hand on his shoulder whilst the other is on his neck where you’re gently caressing his hair, making him audibly emit a low hum against your lips, shy at how that got you so bothered.

You felt the warmth of his hands more after it had made its way under the base of your shirt, thumb gently grazing on your skin above your hip bone where he drew circling motions on it, making you emit a chuckle at how ticklish it feels yet it’s enough for you to melt more into the kiss.

Jungkook detached his lips to yours to pepper your chin with kisses instead then making his way to the side of your jaw where he left a trail of wet kisses, eyes closing from pleasure and how good it felt until you got distracted by Buttercup’s bark.

“Wait” you gently pushed Jungkook back by his shoulders so you could look at what’s bothering the puppy who seems to be running back and forth towards the edge of the sofa and practically just barking at the floor, taking a look to see that there’s nothing on the floor which left you to think of what could possibly be bothering her.

“She wants to go down but it’s too high for her” Jungkook helped you out.

You scooped Buttercup up so you could finally place her down on the floor whilst Jungkook held you in place by tightening his hold on your waist so you wouldn’t fall.

With the barking gone, you then smiled, proceeding to continue the heated kiss you shared with Jungkook but not for long as you opened your eyes in panic when you realized something that made you break the kiss once again, removing your weight on Jungkook’s lap to sit instead next to his side, making him furrowed his brows in worry at you.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your parents and your brother could walk in any minute!” you whispered at him, fearing that you might get caught making out with Jungkook in their living room and it’s not good, not when you just met his family.

Jungkook’s family lives in Busan that’s why it took so long for you to actually meet them personally. The reason you’re also here is because you and Jungkook both agreed that you’ll celebrate Christmas Eve with Jungkook’s family while he will then celebrate Christmas itself with you and your dad tomorrow.

“Let’s go to my room then” Jungkook said as he kissed your cheek, standing up whilst he pulled your arm to get up and follow him upstairs. You were at the end of the stairs when you heard tiny whimpers coming from the living room.

“Oh no, how could I forget?” you let go of Jungkook’s hand as you briskly walked towards the living room to pick up Buttercup, pecking her kisses and muttering apologies for forgetting and leaving her all alone in the living room.

Once you're back on his side, Jungkook pulled you in by the waist to give you a peck on the lips but he must’ve got carried away as he tried to deepen it, not that you could blame him if it’s addicting in the first place only for Buttercup to ruin the moment again as she barked, causing you two to break away.

“I’m starting to think Buttercup doesn’t like it when i kiss you, hm?” Jungkook said, cupping the Beagle’s head as he glared at her, “Shouldn't you be nice to your dad?”

You watch as Jungkook continuously played with the puppy on your arms, finding it cute that Jungkook just referred to himself as Buttercup’s dad which made him more endearingly adorable if that’s possible.

“I love you too, Jungkook”

You’d like to believe that Jungkook felt his whole world stopped too just like what happened to you when you noticed how he’s staring at you with wide eyes and mouth agape until he placed a hand on his chest, dramatically heaving a relieved sigh.

“Thank god, I thought i’d be raising this puppy all by myself” you gently shoved Jungkook’s shoulder as he put his hand above where you hit him, face contorting in pain as if he really got hurt, making you chuckle more at his silliness.

“Just lead the way” you pushed him with your free hands when he made no move to go up at all.

“Alright, someone’s too eager” Jungkook doubled in laughter once he felt a slap against his back.

“I love you” he said, stealing a kiss right before he dashed up the stairs.

You joined Jimin and Hoseok in the waiting area, sighing as you stretched your neck and shoulders. The clinic was pretty busy for today and you’re glad you don’t have any clients to attend now considering the closing time will be in an hour. Mickey jumped off of Hoseok’s lap to transfer to you instead, smiling at the Santa outfit he’s sporting today.

“Why don’t we watch some news?” Hoseok took the remote from Jimin, both of you not muttering anything as you find the film showing in the television to be a bore anyway. You focused on petting Mickey instead, observing how his eyes were slowly fluttering by the second.

Well, it seems like not only three but the four of you are tired from today. Mickey was about to close his eyes until he got startled from Jimin’s quite loud voice.

“Have you ever dreamt about lottery numbers?” Jimin asked, making you confused until he told you to watch the news which is currently featuring the story of how a man won the lottery simply because of the Reverie device, stating that he won the lottery thanks to the random numbers that showed up in his dreams.

“You own a Reverie?” Hoseok asked but before you could answer, Jimin interjected to explain why you got it whilst you continue to watch the news again where they’re showing a similar story from the lottery man.

A high school student whose identity was disclosed is shown holding her nearly perfect exam paper to the camera, saying how she dreamt about the contents of the exam beforehand the test that’s why she was able to get a high score and how she intentionally omitted mistakes to not raise suspicions.

“Did something like that happen to you?” Jimin asked, shaking your head no, “Still dreaming about your mom?”

“Yeah but not that often anymore, it’s more of-”

“Jungkook?” Jimin cut you off, laughing as he saw you nod at him, “Any sexual fantasies yet?”

“No!...That’s ridiculous” you denied though it’s clear that you’re embarrassed because it was exactly three days ago since that Christmas Eve make out session with Jungkook happened. You stopped using Reverie for a while because of how that particular thing weirded you out because who even is Jungkook and why are you doing something intimate with him?

You’re scared because what if Jimin is right and Jungkook is a sexual fantasy of yours that you just strongly deny but it’s not like you completely dislike the idea of Jungkook, it’s just taken you aback how things escalated quickly. After all, there’s no harm dreaming about him.

“Well, you should tell me if ever you’ve dreamt about lottery numbers, okay?” Jimin said, winking at you.

“Why would she tell you? If I were her, I'd just enter those numbers by myself” Hoseok argued, “Plus, isn’t this just some kind of marketing ploy for the device?”

If you come to think of it, maybe Hoseok’s right. Reverie is surely just producing these kinds of stories in order to steer away from its bad reputation the internet has given them though for you, they should’ve let it be - bad marketing is still a form of marketing. It’s not like you could blame the company, they gotta do what they need to do to save its image.

How you wish that you get to have the same kind of dreams from the users they’ve interviewed but you only manage to dream about this boy who only continues to exist in your dreams instead.

Jungkook is his name and his family lives in Busan - those are only the two things that makes him distinct from your dreams but you’re sure that it’s only your subconscious who made that up. Sometimes, your curiosity gets you to wonder things about him that’s beyond what your mind can imagine.

What if Jungkook does exist in reality?

“Hi, how may i help you?” you asked once you saw a woman enter the store with a dog on a leash and a little girl came following

“We’re here for the 2 p.m. appointment”

You did your usual task of retrieving the records and clipping them on a clipboard for Jimin to take. Assisting the woman to the room where Hoseok is supposedly preparing the materials and equipment needed.

“Just sit and wait for me, okay?” the woman crouched down as she said this to the little girl until she looked back at you, “Can you please look over her for a while? Thank you”

You guided the little girl towards the waiting area as you told her that she could watch the television while she waits for her mom, leaving her to walk back to your desk once she got settled though you would still look at her from time to time.

With nothing else to do, you find yourself writing down your signature repeatedly on scratch paper until you get tired of it, resorting to writing another word or perhaps another name - Jungkook.

It has been a week since you managed to continue using Reverie again and you noticed that Jungkook is pretty much an inhabitant of your dreams by now with the amount of time he appears more in it than your mom that you started to be more accustomed with the boy and there’s no denying that you have come to let him live in your dreams.

Sometimes, you feel bad that you’re more looking forward to dreaming about Jungkook than your mom nowadays though you still hope she could appear once again. You’ve been missing the talks you have with her specially if the last talk you’ve had with her was back at Jungkook’s family house where she told you to follow your dreams.

“Hello miss”

You stopped from writing down Jungkook’s name as you heard little grunting sounds coming in front of you. One pair of cute tiny hands came into your view, the girl clearly trying to clutch both of her fingers around the edge of your desk as she finally managed to propped her chin after successfully tiptoeing.

“Hello, what can i do for you?” you said in a rather cheery voice to match her energy.

“Can i watch some cartoons, please?” you can now only see her eyes at this point, figuring that she must’ve given up from trying to reach the desk.

“Sure” you grabbed the remote from your side as you stood up to make your way and sit towards the waiting area with the little girl. You’re just casually switching the channels as you told the little girl to tell you to stop if she finds what she wants to watch.

“Cinderella!” the little girl squealed.

“Oh would you like to watch that?”

The little girl nodded at you, increasing the volume as you relaxed back to your chair to watch the Disney film until you notice her singing along to A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes in that scene where Cinderella was assisted by the birds and mouses as she gets ready for the day.

“No matter how your heart is grieving,

If you keep on believing,

The dream that you wish will come true”

“You must’ve watched it a lot of times, hm?” you asked once you noticed she knows the lyrics to the song all too well.

“Birds aren’t nice,” the girl said, “I thought they’re helpful.”

“What do you mean?”

The little girl then proceeded to tell you that one time she’s too lazy to fix her bed in the morning so an idea popped in her mind once she saw the movie. Since they have a love bird in their garden, she thought it’d be a good idea to get the cage and set them free into her room, thinking that they’ll help her clean the room just like in Cinderella.

“Did your mom get angry at you?” you stifled a laugh at how cute and innocent this little girl is who then pouted and nodded at your question.

“But it was funny watching her and dad trying to catch and get them back” the girl giggled as she recalled the memory.

Not long after, the little girl’s mom came out of the room, making her way towards the desk to pay the fees.

“Thank you for watching over her”, the woman said as you gave her a polite smile.

“Goodbye Miss!” The girl cutely waved at you, waving back at her as you gush at her cuteness.

Time pretty much passed by quickly after the little girl left because next thing you know, you’re getting off at the bus stop, walking towards your house as you keep your head up to look at the clear sky, giving you a perfect view of the stars.

You then refrain from walking once you spotted the familiar star which your mom told you where she is in your dreams. Smiling at the thought even though you probably look crazy with how you look - standing at the side of the road and smiling at the sky.

“I miss you” you said under your breath, “I’ll promise to follow my dreams”

“Wait, I’m getting the change” you chuckled as Jungkook impatiently tugged your arm as soon as he heard that the Disney Illumination Show will start in five minutes.

Grabbing the churros from the vendor, Jungkook then started to drag you along with him towards the front of the Cinderella Castle, chuckling in the process as you can’t help how Jungkook acts like a child with how excited he is right now that he even devoured his churros as fast as possible so he could potentially focus during the show.

Thankfully, you got a pretty good spot and you’ve arrived right in time as the show is just about to begin in a minute.

The lights that are lighting up the castle are then turned off only to be back on but are now illuminated with different Disney animations, music then starts playing with the water fountain and fireworks perfectly synced to the beat, clearly understanding Jungkook’s excitement for the show as you stand and watch in awe.

Halfway to the show, you glanced beside Jungkook to see his glassy eyes, remembering how Jungkook could get so emotional and touched in things like this and next thing you know a tear rolled down on his face that you managed to wipe with your thumbs as you endearingly smile at him.

Jungkook chuckled, clearly abashed that he unknowingly cried resulting in him to pull you in towards his chest, enclosing you in a back hug where he rested his chin on your shoulder. You look sideways at him to kiss his cheek, placing your hand on his arm as you continue to watch.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” you asked.

“Do you want me to say you’re beautiful too?” Jungkook teased as he raised his eyebrows at you.

“If you say so”

“You glow more than these fireworks”

“You’re cheesy, I hate you” you glanced at your side to see Jungkook already staring at you.

“But you love it anyway” Jungkook smiled, leaning his head towards you to kiss you on your cheeks and then on the corner of your mouth until you moved your head a bit to the right so that you could fully kiss him.

“I could still taste the sugar” you chuckled, turning around to wipe the corner of Jungkook’s lips with the sleeves of your sweater from the sugar he possibly got from the churros.

You turned back to your previous position as you continue to watch the show and as soon as it ended, you two headed out towards the exit with Jungkook wildly swinging both of your hands that are intertwined while his other hand is holding the bag that contains the BB-8 Soda Container and two shirts that you got in the souvenir shop.

as he keeps on singing the songs that played out in the show awhile ago but he’s more particularly singing the song in the Cinderella movie.

“Did you have fun?” Jungkook asked in between the songs he kept on singing ever since the show ended, more particularly the song from Cinderella that played out in the show.

“Yeah, it felt so magical right?”

“Being here with you is magical enough” Jungkook raised your intertwined hands as he kissed the back of your hand, smiling as he saw you leaning your face towards his arm to hide how flustered that just made you feel.

“I hate you” you mumbled, still hiding your face in his arms.

“I know, I love you too”

Jungkook removed his hand from yours to place it instead on your shoulders to pull you more into his side, kissing the crown of your head as he continued singing the song that has managed to plague his mind.

‘Have faith in your dreams and someday,

Your rainbow will come smiling through.

No matter how your heart is grieving,

If you keep on believing,

The dream that you wish will come true.’

When you opened your eyes, you were then drifted back to reality when the ceiling of your room came into view. You then placed your hand on top of your chest as soon as you felt your heart thumping rapidly, smiling as you relive the dream that got you so giddy first thing in the morning.

But then you were pulled out from your dreamy state when you grabbed your phone, thinking you woke up right before your alarm went off but it looks like you’ve slept through it when you saw the time and Hoseok’s text, asking your whereabouts.

You threw your blanket away off of you, rushing inside your bathroom to get ready as fast as possible and next thing you know, you’re right outside of your house in just fifteen minutes, locking your door as you jog towards the bus stop which is thankfully just a few meters away from your house but then morning rush sure is hell as you notice the slow traffic flow.

As if you aren’t startled enough from being late, your phone went off to show that Hoseok’s calling you.

“Hi Y/N, where-”

“Hoseok, I woke up late, I'm sorry but I’ll be there in twenty minutes!” you said, quickly rushing towards the train station which is the best possible mode of transportation in your situation right now even though you’ll have to switch trains but it’s not like you have any choice anyway.

“Okay, just make sure you’ll make it in time for the two appointments in the next hour”

After the call ended, you quickly placed your phone in your pocket wherein you also retrieved your transportation card to scan it through the turnstile gate only for it not to open since your card’s balance is insufficient, making you even more agitated as you load your card down by the ticketing machine.

Thankfully, you passed through the gates and you’re now rushingly going up the escalator as soon as you felt the incoming rumbles of the train but then a man was blocking the walking side of the escalator.

“Excuse me” you said but the man made no move to step aside, annoying you even more until you noticed that he’s wearing earphones. The man just noticed that he’s on the wrong side of the elevator when you tapped him on the shoulder, profusely apologizing as you lightly smiled before you ran up again.

As soon as you got on the platform, the doors of the train closed as if luck wasn't by your side this morning. Sighing, you make your way to one of the seats as you feel your adrenaline rush wearing out, finally accepting that you’re late for work.

You picked it up as you went over to the old man to give it until he smiled at you, stopping your hand that’s about to give him his coin.

“Keep the change” he chuckled as he rode the elevator, leaving you quite puzzled all of a sudden because why does it feel like this has happened before yet it feels strangely unfamiliar at the same time perhaps could this be just a deja vu?

Until you remembered why it was so familiar to begin with. Skeptically, you tossed the coin in the air just to catch it mid-air as you slammed it at the back of your hand just to see if it’ll result into the same scene that happened before in your dreams

You don’t know why you’re so anxious to remove your hand. Perhaps you might freak out a bit if it happens to land on tails but there’s still a bit of probability that it could land on heads instead.

No, it landed on tails.

Baffled, you thought to yourself that this could be just a coincidence. You start to feel the hairs on your skin rise and your hands are starting to become clammy because you know well how the next scene will play out.

What if Jungkook is standing on the other side of the tracks?

It can’t be, Jungkook is just a figment of my subconscious, you reminded yourself.

You grasped the coin in your hand, fidgeting with it as you watch the train pick up its speed by the second, setting aside your hair that has made its way to your face from the gush of wind, anticipation building up by the second.

Waiting.

Impatiently Waiting.

The rumbling sounds of the train completely faded out in the distance making the station a quiet and calm place. Once again, you heard the clinking sound of the coin hitting the ground.

‘Follow your dreams’ is what your mom told you but is it possible for your dreams to follow you? As inconceivable it may seem, you're directly looking at a boy you just saw in your dreams and a boy you never knew existed in reality until now.

Who would know that the conscious could meet the subconscious.

A/N: I guess I took the futuristic!au quite literally. I think it wasn’t futuristic enough except for the device though it somewhat looks like it’ll fit as a Black Mirror episode haha. Hope you liked this one!

Also, coffee?

204 notes · View notes

hyuniebaby · 4 years ago

Text

Focus (7)

Pairings: Baekhyun x Y/N x Junmyeon

Warnings: mentions of sex

AU: College student! Baekhyun, Professor! Junmyeon AU, college!au

A/N: I don’t proofread when I post so there might be typos 😅 I’ve been busy with work so I haven’t updated in a while~ If you’re still reading this fic, I just want to say thank you!

@coffee-prince-kyungsoo

You spend the next few days avoiding Baekhyun. The task was extremely hard since you were both in the same program. One time he had his Advanced Biochemistry class just before your Organic Chemistry class in the same room. When you saw him making his way out of the room, talking animatedly to Jongdae, you immediately went to hide behind Seulgi. Lucky for you, you were shorter than her. He wasn’t able to notice you but your sudden movement caught Jongdae’s eyes. He smirks but doesn’t say a word to Baekhyun. Especially not when you were trying so hard to hide.

Jongdae, being Baekhyun’s best friend and roommate, naturally knew about Baekhyun kissing you. As much as he wanted to help Baekhyun out of his misery, he didn’t want to interfere. The last time he did, it went extremely uncomfortable for him as you’ve both been seen by a professor walk out of the janitor’s closet. It ended up with him being shouted on by Baekhyun and being ignored by Baekhyun the whole night when he tried to explain what happened.

Baekhyun, on the other hand, wanted to apologize again but this time for kissing you so suddenly. He honestly doesn’t know what he was doing and why he did it. But how was he supposed to tell you that? “Y/N, I’m sorry I kissed you, I don’t know why I did it.” Uh, no. That doesn’t sound like an apology to him. So despite having seen you many times when you tried to hide from him, he only looks at you longingly and doesn’t try to talk to you just yet. Maybe you weren’t ready to hear it too, he guessed, considering you were going out of your way to avoid him. Not to mention you running after he kissed you. To him, it seems logical to give you some time to process and get over it before he tried to apologize.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

You’ve been so hung up on Baekhyun’s kiss that you neglected your studying. By the time the weekend came, you rejected your friend’s invite to a party. You planned to study the whole weekend at home to catch up with all the lessons you weren’t able to read about for the past few days. You were halfway through your Organic Chemistry notes when someone rings the doorbell. “Delivery for Ms. Y/N!” You hear someone shout.

Huh, you weren’t expecting something to come today, you thought. You went to open the door only to be greeted by a bouquet of flowers. “I’m sorry but I think you have the wrong address,” you tell the delivery man. The “delivery man” lowers the bouquet to reveal his face.

“Junmyeon?” You gasped. The first thought that came to your mind was that the person in front of you wasn’t Mr. Kim today, he was your friend, Junmyeon. He ditched the smart casual outfit and only wore a hoodie and some pants.

“These are for you.” He hand you the flowers. “Can I come in? I wanted to talk to you.”

You guide him to the dining table where your laptop and notebooks were scattered.

“I’m sorry to disrupt you from studying,” Junmyeon says as he scratches the back of his neck.

You respond with a nod as you carefully placed the flowers on the table. You were still quite mad at him for leaving you high and dry the other day.

“I just wanted to say sorry for the thing that happened a few days ago...”

“Oh you mean when you didn’t allow me to cum?”

He smiles sheepishly, flustered at how blunt you were being.

You’re friends with Junmyeon even before anything sexual happened between the two of you so you were open and comfortable talking about it with him than with Baekhyun. “I mean come on, Junmyeon, I understand we all have sexual urges. It’s fine. We’re human.” You ran your fingers through your hair. “But personally I think it’s unfair that you didn’t let me cum,” you sigh.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I just — my mind got clouded when I saw your hickey. I wasn’t in the right headspace.”

You were used to having sexual affairs, it wasn’t a big deal to you. You’ve had plenty of one night stands over last year with strangers. The only thing that was weird right now was that it was Junmyeon you did it with. A friend. Your professor. So you don’t know how to proceed with this. Same as how you didn’t know how to act with Baekhyun because of what happened to the two of you between the sheets.

It even complicates things when you hear Junmyeon say those last words. He worded it as if he was jealous that you’ve been doing this act with another man. And then you remember how Baekhyun sounds exactly the same the last time you talked and he reacted the same way. How possessive, you thought.

But if they were possessive, you were greedy. You wanted to have them that way again, despite the strain in your “relationships”. You wanted them to touch you and fuck you. Your thoughts were heading in another dangerous path so you cough and try to clear your mind.

“Yeah, whatever, Junmyeon. Just don’t do it again next time.” The words flew out of your mouth before you can even comprehend what you said.

Next time? His eyes widened. Will there be a next time? He sure as hell hopes so. Your mouth was amazing and he wanted to feel you again, but in your pussy next time. This excites him.

You were flustered with what you said. But if you talked right now, you’ll be embarrassing yourself more so you remain quiet. You stare at your notes as if they were the most interesting things in the world. You were hyper aware that he was looking at you. You kept your mouth shut.

Then Junmyeon sighs. “What are you studying, princess?” You blush at the pet name.

“Organic Chemistry.” You say. “I didn’t know it was supposed to be this hard.” The sexual tension now gone as you talked about your studies. “I mean, I know some basic stuff because of the training we received for the quiz bee last year but some of these things are really hard to understand. My professor won’t even teach us properly. She makes us answer all the problem sets in the book every meeting. How can you even answer something that you haven’t learned yet?”

Junmyeon looks at you softly. “I think I can help you with that. Although, I’m not as good in Organic Chem than I am with Biology...”

Your eyes sparkled at what he said. “That’s alright! You know I need all the help I could get. I’m pretty sure you know that I need a dumbed down version of the lesson if I need to get the hang of this.”

So for the next few hours, Junmyeon helps you study. Being your tutor for over a year, he knows how to get his point across to you so it wasn’t really hard for you to understand what he was saying.

The study session was interrupted once again when you hear jingling of keys. You see your parents standing by the door and you got up from your seat so fast to hug them. “You came earlier! I thought you weren’t supposed to come back until next week.”

“We missed you, darling.” Your mom coos.

“Next week’s meeting was rescheduled so we decided to go back here. How are you sweetheart?” Your father says.

“Everything’s fine. Junmyeon’s here, he’s helping me study.”

On cue, Junmyeon shakes hands with your parents to greet them. Your parents respected Junmyeon because he tutored you for over a year and had significantly improved your grades. They knew you remained friends with him after so they weren’t bothered by the fact that you were hanging out. Your mom invites him for dinner, but Junmyeon politely declines, claiming he still had some paperworks to sign and that only dropped by to help you study. He bids everyone goodbye after a few minutes of small talk with your parents and leaves.

By dinner time, you converse with your parents, asking them about their trip and what they did. In turn, they asked you how was your first week back at school and you internally cringed at the fact that the first week of your school was troublesome. You don’t tell them that though. You just tell them that it went by pretty quickly.

When you’re done with the dishes, you resigned to your room to study again. You studied until the weekend was over. You were a slow learner so you needed to promptly start studying instead of cramming everything the day before a quiz or major exam comes up. It works for you though, you get to learn at your own pace.

The next thing you knew, it was Monday again and you had Bio class. Since you and Junmyeon made up, you were slightly less worried about going to class. The only problem was Baekhyun was there and you don’t know if you should still avoid him or if maybe you should make up with him too...

As you enter the room, you scan for any sign of Baekhyun or Sehun. You release a breath of relief when you realized they weren’t there yet. Having arrived 15 minutes earlier than the start of the class, you sit by the middle row and start plugging on your earphones. You reread the lessons you studied over the weekend.

You were interrupted when someone taps your shoulder. You remove your earphones and look up to see Sehun smirking at you. You roll your eyes at him as he sits beside you.

“Is that the proper way to greet your friend?” He says.

You immediately fake a smile and use a high pitched voice, “Hi Sehun~”

Sehun frowns in disdain and shakes his head. “So... has was your talk with B?” He moves his eyebrows up and down.

“I remember making a promise to you last week? And it goes by ‘I will kill you,’ do you remember?” You smile at him.

“As I’ve said, I’d like to see you try.”

“Can I borrow your hand?” You ask him.

Sehun eyes you warily but gives his hand eventually. You smile and grab one of his fingers and start bending it backwards.

“Ow!” He shouts and snatches his hands away from you. “What a devil!”

You roll your eyes. “Stop overreacting. It wasn’t that bad!”

He raises his brow in response.

“Now that that’s all done,” you start saying, “last week he apologized to me. For — uh, reacting weirdly when he saw me and Jongdae. He explained how Jongdae wanted to ‘seek me out’ when he found out what happened between me and B. And then....”

And then Baekhyun arrives and you immediately shut your mouth. Sehun notices Baekhyun’s arrival but continues to look at you, asking you through his eyes for the rest of the story. But you don’t budge. Sehun figures that you won’t talk if Baekhyun was there so he sighs and pinches his nose in frustration. He hates it when people leave him hanging.

You didn’t expect Sehun to turn around and ask Baekhyun what happened last week. Your eyes widened. You look at Baekhyun and he looks at you. You plead with your eyes, asking him, no, begging him to not say anything to Sehun. But if anything, Baekhyun doesn’t like that Sehun still hangs around with you and that he sits beside you when it was supposed to be Baekhyun’s seat.

So out of spite, he says, “I kissed her.” at the same time that Mr. Kim comes in the classroom. Somehow, Mr. Kim heard what Baekhyun said and figured out that he was referring to you. Sehun, on the other hand, was shocked. He faced you while you buried your face in your hands.

It hasn’t been an hour since you’ve sat on your chair, but you feel like you’re so done for the week already.

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shannygoatgruff · 4 years ago

Text

Only Fan(s) - A Thriller

Genre: Thriller

Pairing: Modern Ivar/OC

Warning: Language, sex, stalking, obsession, kidnapping, sexual assault

Rating: MA+18

Summary: Sometimes OnlyFans subscribers want a little more than internet pictures. Sometimes they want to be your ONLY fan...

Header by: @flowers-in-your-hayr

Thanks to @xbellaxcarolinax for being my beta.

Disclaimer: This story will deal with some topics that might be a little uncomfortable for some people. As always, I’ll try to tackle the hard stuff as tactfully as possible.

A/N: This is a fic I started 10-years ago for another fandom. I never finished it, but I loved the concept. I have an idea of what I want to do with it - hopefully, I’ll finish it this time around.

Part i - Train Wreck

It had taken forever to get the subwoofer out of the Challenger's trunk without damaging the cords. However, it was done with such skill and precision, it appeared a surgeon had removed it. The tricky part had been hooking the stereo back up to the factory-installed speakers after the subwoofer had been removed, and making everything look nice and neat, so the car’s owner wouldn’t be aware.

It had taken longer than usual, but it was well worth it. Whoever installed this particular unit, did a really good job. They were so meticulous with their installation, right down to the intricate wiring system – not that straight out the box shit that comes with aftermarket speaker setups. It had proven to be a tedious job, but not impossible.

No matter how daunting the task of removing the subwoofer had been, it wasn’t half as difficult as hooking it up to the old iPod without the benefit of a stereo. It had been a painstakingly slow process. One wrong splice of the cord and the mp4 player would short out. But tenacity always paid off. The result looked raggedy, with cords kept in place with electrical tape, the iPod balanced on its side, held in place between two books, and a huge metal subwoofer vibrating next to it. It was ugly, but it worked.

The volume on the iPod was cranked up to the highest level. It was so loud that the walls shook with each kick of the bass drum. There was no reason to ever use a speaker that powerful in a room this size, but the song demanded it. All good music demanded to be blasted at the highest of decibels; this song in particular. It had been playing on repeat for the past hour. One song. One constant beat. One melody, and one voice screeching over that amazing guitar riff. Listening to it on anything lower than the max was the true definition of insanity.

The people staying in the room next door disagreed because they had already done everything to get her to turn it down. They had yelled, banged on the walls, kicked her door, and even called the manager. It didn't matter. The fucking neighbors could eat a dick. Even if they called the National Guard the volume wasn’t changing. This song wasn't "noise", it was destined to be a fucking classic – in her room, if nowhere else. If it was possible to play the song any louder, she would have.

These fuckstick neighbors. They were the only ones that didn't understand how places like this worked. The rule was, there were no rules – that was the beauty of it. That's why this particular room was the best choice. It was on the second floor, around the back facing the alley instead of the highway. There was nothing else on this side of the building except the five rooms on this level, garbage dumpsters, the on ramp, and a peeling billboard. What in the hell were they expecting? If one picked a shit motel, with a shit room that offered no view, why would they think it would be quiet?

Anyone could stay in a two or three-star hotel. But, a bed-bug infested No Tell-Motel? People stayed here because they wanted to get away with whatever dirt they were trying to do. That's why these places charge by the hour and not by the night. Most people wouldn't even want to stay for the entire night. Dirt didn't take that much time to commit. For the most part, the only people who stayed in places like this only needed the space for about 20 minutes…a few hours tops, if they had a lot of stamina. It was don't ask, don't tell…don't listen, don't knock. These assholes should know that.

Annoying ass neighbors aside, the room was comfortable. The thick smell of stale cigarette smoke clung to the air was reminiscent of home. The smoky air coupled with a heavy bassline made it feel like a rock video. The only problem with the room was that it was hotter than a crack whore's crotch.

The air-conditioning unit in the sole window did little more than blow the smoke rings further around the room. It provided a nice buzzing sound that served as background noise and as a reverb for the music. There was also a burning smell that came from the window-unit being cranked up to full blast. It had been a little hard to get used to, at first, but two packs of cigarettes later, it was no longer noticeable.

The roaches sure didn't seem to appreciate the extra heat in the room. They constantly ran in and out of the vents of the air-conditioner like they were trying to find a cooler climate. Or maybe they were just hungry. The box of half-eaten pizza on the dinette table not only provided a suitable temporary home but also a hardy meal. They gathered there, grabbing their lunchtime snacks before running off to other wall cracks to share in a meal with their friends and family.

Most people would have found the place a disgusting, germ-infested, death trap. But, Torren wasn't most people. She didn't seem to notice anything in particular about her living conditions. She had other things to focus on. She had already paid for this week, and next, so what did she care? The place had all of the essentials; electricity, toilet, running water, a bed, and a TV.

Granted, the electricity was spotty, to the point that she couldn't have her flatiron and blow dryer plugged in at the same time. The toilet was so soiled that it still hadn't been determined if there were rust stains in it, or if it just had never been cleaned…ever. The water ran brown when it rained and a cloudy gray the rest of the time. It didn't get hot either, but it did get tepid if she let it run for 10 minutes, but not hot. Not hot enough to sanitize your hands, or to take a bath in.

But, it was already hot in the room, so a cold shower wasn't so bad. Besides, the tub was indescribable. If someone told her that a family of six had been murdered, and dismembered in that tub, she wouldn't be surprised. It just had that horror movie slaughter look, and the stains to prove it.

The bed was hard and lumpy and judging from the DNA left behind from past guests and holes in the sheets, they probably hadn't ever been changed. The TV was small, but at least it was in color. Hell, the room even came with its own pets, and it was only $50 for the week! There truly wasn't anything to complain about.

Torren Sykes sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, surrounded by ripped out, stolen magazine pages and color copies of photos she’d downloaded and printed at the library. She rocked her head and shoulders in a slow sway to the beat of the song playing. Haphazardly she flipped through the pages until she found a suitable picture and smiled. Picking up the scissors, she licked her lips slowly and ferried her brow, as she started the task of cutting it out.

"Goddammit!" She yelled before slamming the paper down on the bed. Stomping angrily toward the door, she pulled it open and narrowed her eyes at the man standing there. "I swear, if you knock on this door again, I'm gonna slit your fucking throat," she cringed, narrowing her eyes and pointing the shears at the man's neck.

The motel manager was taken by surprise at the half-naked woman holding shears to his neck. Standing before him was a beautiful brunette, with dark features. She had a creamy, light coffee-colored complexion – these days it was hard to judge a person’s ethnic makeup, but if he had to venture a guess, he’d think she was bi-racial. She had perfectly shaped large, almond, brown eyes that gave off nothing but a vacant stare, and a heart-shaped face. The soft dimple in her chin, and the one just at the curve of her mouth, gave her an almost angelic look. She was considerably shorter than him, about 5'5", and well built.

She wouldn't have been considered thin; she was far too curvy for that – the term slim thick instantly sprang to mind. She had thick thighs, extremely pronounced hips, and presumably a large ass. Yet, her waist was small, and her stomach flat, and big breasts. Not too big, where one would sprain their thumb trying to hold them, but they were big enough to keep any man occupied.

The manager wondered if she had some work done to get a body like that. It wasn’t uncommon for women around her to have a little nip, tuck, and a whole lot added to try to look like a vid-hoe, these days.

She was wearing the smallest pair of underwear he'd ever seen. And what was the purpose of wearing a cut off top that stopped just under her nipples? She might as well not be wearing a shirt at all. He could see the curve of the lower half of her breasts because the shirt failed to cover the lower half of her chest. If she raised her arm any higher he would have gotten a full-on nip-slip.

She glistened with a fine sheen of sweat all over her body; her long hair clung to her cheeks and neck, with it. It was almost like her hair was beating as quickly as her pulse was. He could feel the rush of heat come out of the room, as soon as she opened the door. It was like she had just opened the door to an oven. She was hot and sweaty, yet she still wore long tube socks that came up to her knees.

If she hadn't been assaulting him with a deadly weapon, it would have looked like something he’d recently seen on Porn Hub.

He had been so taken aback that he couldn't think of anything to say to her. Instead, he took a step backward and watched as she slammed the door. The entire encounter took about 5 seconds. Long enough for her to open the door, threaten him, and slam it again in his face. He wasn't sure what he was more surprised by, how she answered the door almost naked, the temperature of her room, the level of her music, the anger in her voice, or the scissors that had been pointed just inches below his throat. The whole scene was just wrong and it scared him.

In the 20 seconds that he continued to stand in front of the closed room door, he thought about what scared him the most. It was the look in her eyes. Those beautiful almond-shaped eyes were intense. They were concentrated. They had absently stared right through him. Something about those eyes wasn't right. Had she even seen him? He would never admit it, but he hoped like hell that she hadn't. He hoped that she didn't remember what he looked like. He didn't want any trouble, and he could tell that she definitely was.

Stomping her way back to her bed, Torren resumed her aforementioned position, picked up the copied photo, and started to sway to the music again. She smiled a little taking a second to run her fingers over the image on the page before she resumed cutting. Scraps of paper fell to the bed and the floor, some even stuck to her sweaty legs.

She clutched the cut-out to her chest, before falling back on the bed. Settling on her back, she held the picture up to the light. With tenderness, she brought the piece of paper down to her lips. She kissed it...him, with such passion, before sticking her tongue out of her mouth, and letting it rest on the computer paper - where his lips were, her wet tongue instantly wetting the page and smearing the ink. Planting her feet on the bed, she lifted her waist from the mattress and started to thrust upward with the beat of the song.

Seductively, she flipped over on all fours, laying the picture down on the pillows. She whipped her hair around her head, before letting it hang over her shoulder. She scooped her neck down and began kissing the picture again. As she did, she started to grind her hips hard against the balled up blankets.

She let one hand travel down her torso, toward her panties and smirked at the picture as she did. She braced herself on her left knee and elbow, before lifting her right leg out, then up. Roughly, she took her fingers and plunged them deep inside of herself. She bit her bottom lip, hard; she could taste the coppery blood on her tongue, and when she leaned down to kiss the picture again, she managed to get a nice bloody lip print on it. She twirled her hips and moaned loudly as she pleasured herself. Her eyes never left the picture. She removed her fingers, only to trace the dampness on the image before placing them in her mouth. Her taste was incredible. It always turned her on.

She had to have him. She needed him.

She flipped over on the bed, this time grabbing a magazine cover she had torn off from one of the stacks she found in the library. This one had him on the cover.

With a sense of urgency, she smoothed the waxy page down her body, before stuffing the picture along with her hand inside her panties. She closed her eyes. She felt his tongue running over her; she felt his fingers inside of her. The pillow next to her, the one covered in taped photos of him was now on top of her to simulate his body on hers, as her hand and the magazine continued to work. She couldn't get enough of him. She would never get enough of him.

In the middle of a mind-blowing orgasm, that happened to coincide with the best guitar solo ever created, blasting from the speaker, she managed to yell one word, "IVAR!" Then she flopped back on the bed in hysterical laughter.

She straightened out the magazine cover and picked up her bloody cut-out from the pillow.

Wordlessly, she stuck them both to the wall with her juices; amongst the 50 other printouts of him that hung just over her headboard. After giving him another kiss, she finally turned down the volume on her makeshift stereo, picked up a piece of pizza from the box, shook it off, then headed into the bathroom for a cold shower.

Part ii

Let me know if you want to be added/deleted from tags:

Tags: @idea-garden @youbloodymadgenius @xbellaxcarolinax @a-mess-of-fandoms @didiintheblog @conaionaru @peachyboneless @flowers-in-your-hayr

#OnlyFan(s)#Modern Ivar #shannyland

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tatiletotesamaze · 4 years ago

Text

“Good Morning, how are we feeling?” Mentor XX asked, sitting down and smiling. The man who stared back at them seemed tired, worn. Perfectly understandable given the circumstances. “Not too chatty then? That’s fine. Thirsty?”

They popped the top off the thermoflask. Steam floated out, bringing with it the faint waft of spicy, warm tea. The man blinked slowly. Mentor gently pushed the full cup across the table. Their newest charge watched blankly, almost gormlessly. But inside something was still ticking along. They could see it in those dead, grey eyes.

“Everything in the Empire is built on solid foundations, isn’t it?”

***

“Tell me what happened on the Void.”

“There was a blue light and… everyone just faded away.”

“Do we have to start over, Cipher?”

“Start over? That’s what happened! You have the footage. I know the Navy wouldn’t have scrapped the computers before you got your hands on them.”

“Now now, Forty-Five-”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Temper.”

“I have a name.”

“Do you? What is it?”

“It- it’s… I…”

“Now, Cipher, what happened on the Void?”

“There was a blue light-”

“Try again.”

“There was a blue light-”

“Why don’t we take a break for now, and give it another go in a few hours? Once you’ve had a chance to calm down.”

***

“Lieutenant Rochester Windthorpe, deceased.” Mentor XX carefully laid the datapad on the table. The room was cold, grey and decorated with harsh lighting. “You seem quite lively for a dead man.”

Rochester stared at them. He’d been in this room for four hours now. Before that… various places he couldn’t remember. Days had passed. Six, he was sure, since…

He said nothing.

Mentor XX smiled. It was a warm and friendly smile and if Rochester was in a place to feel, he would have been afraid.

“Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Solid grades, not exceptional, but demonstrating an analytical mind and a penchant for ‘individualism’. Certainly officer material. Though it would do you a disservice to say you got into our programme on anything but merit, I think we both know your familial connections played some part in your being accepted.” Mentor shrugged. “If nothing else, it helps to know Sith.”

And not be intimidated by them, Rochester thought.

“A shame you couldn’t stay,” Mentor paused, checking something on the datapad. “Lord Vizloch just would not allow it.”

“No…” His voice croaked. His throat was dry, jaw stiff from clenching. “I failed… I wasn’t good enough.”

Mentor XX stiffened. It should have been imperceptible. It was, almost. But he noticed it, the sudden flash of steel behind the eyes, a tightening of the smile. Do we have to start over?

“Is that so?” The smile warmed again. Mentor’s tone was soothing, underpinned with something patronizing. Like he was a child. A stupid, petunlant child. He had said the wrong thing. “Well, if you’re not good enough, I suppose we’re done here.”

***

“Cipher, forget this conversation.”

“You said that last time.”

“Did I? Well, it’s been a long day. Good night, sleep tight.”

***

“Hello, how are we feeling today?”

Mentor XX closed the door behind them. Only a flash of the bleak corridor outside, but it was enough to get the man’s attention.

“Sore.” He said.

“Are your sleeping quarters not to your liking?”

Rochester looked behind him. There was a crease in the wall where a bed would pop out, whenever it was time to sleep. The lights were always on.

“It’s fine. I fell.” A quick roll of his shoulder, to show where he’d once tripped? Slipped? He’d gone down hard, seen something.

“Bed rest and stretches.” Mentor set the datapad down and took a seat. “Now, please tell me about what happened on the Void.”

“I t- We picked up the team from [planet]. They had some cargo. The manifests for it weren’t filled in correctly, so I had to fix that before we could leave. One of the crates… it came from Belsavis… but that wasn’t noted down anywhere. I was going to fix it but Major… Major…” He stops, brows furrowed as he cannot remember the name, nor anything else about the Major.

“Forget the Major, Cipher, what happened next?”

“We left the system. We were going home to Kaas.”

“Good.”

“There was an explosion. No, the atmosphere. We vented atmosphere? But there wasn’t an alarm. I checked, nothing failed. There was a bl-”

“Calm down Cipher.”

“We lost atmosphere, somewhere near the Doldur sector. I tried to send out a distress call. There was a hull breach. There was… they were… in the walls, the floor-”

“Calm down. Cipher.”

“-bits. That’s how I fell.” His voice full of wonder, looking at his shoulder, imagining the blood that coated him, seeing the face.

“Cipher, do we have to start over?”

“Yes.” Rochester swallowed. Panic and pain rising with bile in his throat as he remembered that awful corridor. Red lights flashing, red on the floor, the walls.

He wanted to start over. He wanted to forget.

---

His rib bent. He felt the bone shift and come dangerously close to breaking. He was at his limit. It was only the first fight. The fist kept going and he rocked with it. Let it push him back and away from the followup. Not fast enough. His opponent crashed an elbow into his sternum. Rochester went to the floor in a heap, gasping.

“That’s what you want to train?”

He heard them muttering across the room. His new cybernetics were better; too good, really. His spine was more flexible and the only pain he could feel in his back was the surgical incisions, still healing. The plate from his stomach was gone. He had an armour plate over it at the moment - the plugs and muscles were delicate, taking their time. That part of him was off limits for now.

His opponent helped him to his feet. He got up, wanting nothing more than to just lie on the ground forever.

She was a little shorter than him. Well-muscled in a disarming way. She had an air of being designed; of being sculpted and molded into a weapon for any occasion. He didn’t know her name or her designation and, being in the middle of forgetting his, he’d been introduced as Red. In turn, she’d introduced herself as Grey.

She didn’t smile. She wasn’t kind. And she’d beat the living shit out of him until told to stop.

“Again.” Shadowy assessors lined the room. He was sure some of them even were real.

---

“We need to concentrate on combat abilities. I believe the asset could excel in close quarters given enough time.”

“Is that why you’ve struck the seduction practicals from the itinerary?”

“That subject isn’t strictly relevant to--”

“It’s a core part of being a Cipher. If the asset cannot make a lasting impression on the target a mission will fail.”

“If you look again, Trainer, you’ll see only certain parts of the practical have been struck.”

“I noticed, Mentor.”

“And if you check against the asset’s history, you’ll see there’s only so far we can push before that mind breaks. Irreparably.”

“We can run a mental assessment. Perhaps the control levied in a training scenario will help to overcome previous trauma?”

“The asset has been sexually active for some years now so I don’t believe that’s entirely the issue.”

“Then what, Mentor?”

“The issue of control, as you said.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Quite. Keeper?”

“I agree with Mentor, for now. Keep the adjusted itinerary. However, assessments should be carried out routinely and should the asset be deemed capable you can entrust it to Trainer. Keep it at an appropriate rank until such time as it can meet all the requirements of being a Cipher.”

“Of course, Keeper.”

“Thank you, Keeper.”

“Dismissed.”

---

“Trainer, this is Forty-Five.”

Trainer’s eyebrows creased in a brief, if obvious, loss of control. Mentor didn’t bother to admonish her.

“He’s… familiar with the theory, Mentor?” She asked, now pointedly ignoring Forty-Five.

Mentor nodded. They were as stern and emotionless as always but Forty-five could tell something was off. Perhaps Mentor was concerned he might fail? Or perhaps enjoy the studies too much. There had been mutterings about other candidates - field agents all - who were deemed a little too eager. That would not be an issue. Mentor left with nary a word goodbye.

Trainer waved him into a little room. A table, some props and…

“We’re of course aware of your personal preferences, Forty-five, but personal preferences do not apply on a mission. Do not think of this as a test,” Lie. Everything was a test. “Today we are simply gauging your inherent abilities. Mimicking romance will not be necessary here - consider that any and all types of connection are important. Now, this is my fellow Trainer, Sixty-Four. Seduce her, befriend her, whatever you see fit. I will observe.”

He nodded. The immediate panic did not subside but he was able to quash it. He sat, unsure of how to begin.

Sixty-Four took the lead. Her body language changed dramatically. Her stiff posture and cold stare disappeared. She seemed all at once carefree and her smile was a joyous one, meant for a festival or a lover.

He mirrored her. It was not easy. The muscles in his face rallied against being pulled into an unnatural smile. Memories of who he might have been looking at, once upon a time, threatened to overwhelm him. Feeling sick, his gut knotting, he twisted these visions, picking them apart and erasing the one person he most dearly wanted to see. It was over. He would have to change.

“Hi.” He said, a little laugh in his voice.

“Hey.” She said back, happy to see him.

#swtor #open thinking #writing

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faefictions · 5 years ago

Text

Lonely People | Ch 1

(If you would like to listen to the Lonely People playlist, either send me an ask/message or search for it on my profile!)

Pairing: Harrison Osterfield x Reader (slowburn, enemies to lovers)

Word Count: 4,015

Warnings: underage drinking (that’s all for this chapter, but I would just like to state now that this story will deal with some heavy topics later on, such as abuse, addiction, and mental health issues. Those chapters will have those warnings before them!!)

“Y/n get over here!”

She searched the room for the voice calling her name, scanning over what seemed to be hundreds of heads before her eyes landed on her friends. The 2 were standing next to the beer pong table, waving their hands, urging her to come over.

“Jace needs a partner,” Sierra explained, handing her the ping pong ball as she approached.

“And why couldn’t you play with him?”

“Because I wanted the best, now get over here,” Jace said, pulling her wrist so she would join him.

Ten minutes later, y/n had made every shot while the other team had made none.

“Well, as fun as that was, I think I need to actually drink,” she winked at Jace, before grabbing Sierra’s hand and rushing off to take shots.

“It’s really good to see you two finally socializing again,” Sierra commented loudly over the music.

“I told you he would get over it eventually,” y/n replied.

Just two months prior, Jace had tried to pursue a relationship with y/n, but her reply was less than ideal. Her exact words were that she didn’t “do the whole relationship thing”. They didn’t speak for more than a month after that, creating an awkward situation for Sierra considering their shared residence.

“I mean I don’t think he’s really over it, he just knows that ignoring you isn’t going to get him anywhere.”

Y/n poured 2 shots, hoping that her best friend would just drop the subject. She had done her best to avoid talking about it for the past two months.

“I thought you thought he was great anyway, I don’t get why you don’t just give him a chance,” Sierra remarked as she took the glass.

“How about shut up before I stop talking to you too,” Y/n joked, clinking their glasses together and downing the liquid.

2 shots later, the girls made their way to the living room of the house, sitting on the couch laughing through another story from Sierra’s childhood. This was their usual Friday night, although it wasn’t unusual to find them drunk at a party any other night of the week.

The three roommates were all in their sophomore year of college and at that point, it was a miracle that none of them had been kicked out of their university. They all had their fair share of absences, tardies, and failing grades.

Sierra and Jace grew up in the same town, and went to the same schools most of their lives. They didn’t really become friends until they went to college though. People tend to gravitate towards what is familiar, especially in foreign situations. That was the real reason the two became friends, but their bond became inseparable through their freshman year.

They had met y/n halfway through their first year. She was at a party with her old best friend and Sierra ended up accidentally spilling a drink all over her. She helped her clean up and introduced her to Jace. That was just the first party of many for the three. Y/n fit in right away, and their friendship extended to make them an inseparable group.

As they were laughing on the couch, the girls heard Jace’s cheers and laughter. They both turned around to see him running laps around the beer pong table, a sign that he had definitely had enough to drink already.

“We should probably get him home,” y/n stated, a bit disappointed that she hadn’t had the chance to drink nearly as much as she wanted to.

They both sighed as they got off of the couch, heading over to where he was still cheering. He was now high- fiving his partner, stumbling a little as he did.

“Hey Jace, Sierra isn’t feeling too well, we should go.”

The thing about getting a drunk 20 year old boy to leave a party is that he never wants to go. Without a good reason, there is no way he will depart without a fight. So the girls had a system of getting Jace home. They always lied about one of them feeling ill. If he wasn’t drunk every time they used it, he may have caught on.

“What a shame, he’s one hell of a partner,” the boy beside him chuckled out.

“Are you sure we’re talking about the same guy? Because as far as I’m concerned, he’s never made a shot in his life,” Y/n snarked, making Jace gasp comedically.

“I never said he was good, just fun. I’m Tom by the way.”

He reached out to shake both of the girl’s hands. Y/n looked at Sierra as she shook the boys hand, and it was obvious that her friend was smitten.

“I’m y/n, and this is Sierra.”

“It’s nice to meet you both,” he said, holding eye contact only with Sierra.

Jace came over to y/n and threw his arm around her shoulders in an effort to keep himself up, causing her to tense.

“You know it’s a good thing you guys are wanting to go, I’m starting to feel like maybe I had a liiittle too much.”

“Ok, big guy, let’s go,” she chuckled, then glanced to her other friend, “Meet us out front?”

Sierra nodded in response, prompting y/n to try to guide Jace out the front door. After a lot of struggling and weaving in-between underage drinkers, they were at the front door. As y/n reached to open it, Jace fell to the floor. She sighed in annoyance and tried to help him up, but he refused to let her grab him.

“You are the most stubborn piece of shit.”

“I could say the same about you,” he chuckled from the ground.

She rolled her eyes at his remark as Sierra and Tom appeared at her side.

“Need some help?” Tom asked.

“If you can work the miracle of getting him out the front door, be my guest.”

Tom stuck out his hand, and Jace took it right away, sticking his tongue out at y/n as he got up. The girls watched as Tom helped their roommate stumble out on the front lawn. They reached the front sidewalk when Jace suddenly stopped. He stumbled over to the tree a few feet away and used it to prop himself up while he spewed everywhere.

“We were only here for like an hour. How is he this drunk already?” y/n mumbled to Sierra.

“I told you he’s not over it. This is just exhibit A. Welcome back to the shit-show.”

A bit of guilt hit her in the chest, but she pushed it away. She told herself she shouldn’t feel bad for not liking her roommate back. At least she didn’t string him along, she told him the truth the second he mentioned his feelings.

“Hey, mate, everything ok over here?” they heard someone call over to Tom.

“Oh my God, there’s two of them,” Sierra squealed quietly to y/n, causing her to stifle a laugh.

Tom told his friend that he was helping the girls get Jace out of the house, and introduced the boy to them. “This is Harrison.”

They all mumbled some nice to meet you’s before returning their attention to Jace. He was now leaning against the tree, luckily his puking had paused.

“I’m taking the chance between hurls to start walking him home. You can stay here if you want, Si.”

She knew Sierra would have much rather stayed and gotten to know the boys. The expression on her face every time she glanced at Tom really gave it away.

“I’ll feel like a terrible person if I don’t help you get him home.”

“We live like 2 minutes from here, I’ll be fine. You should really stay. I don’t know that there will ever be a party where you don’t have to babysit Jace again.”

“Hey, I can still hear you,” Jace called from by the tree.

“Seriously, Si. Stay, and call me if you want me to come back and walk you home.”

Y/n walked over to Jace and put his arm around her shoulders again, helping him stand up. She was almost a whole foot shorter than him, so she wasn’t the best support, but she was better than nothing.

They got back to their apartment, only having to stop twice for Jace to puke again. As soon as they were in the door, he rushed to the bathroom in his room, too rushed to shut any doors. She sighed at the sound of him violently heaving, knowing he was going to feel like shit the next morning.

She went to her bathroom cabinet, grabbed some tylenol, and went into his room. She got his water from his bedside table, replacing it with the tylenol, and grabbed a blanket from his bed. Jace was sitting against the wall across from the toilet, so she took a place right next to him, setting the blanket over his legs.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

“No problem, now drink,” she said, handing him the water bottle. He reluctantly grabbed it and took a few sips before closing it again.

“I put some tylenol on your bedside table. Take a few when you wake up, and when you’re done they go in my cabinet. Where’s your phone?”

“In my jacket.”

“Ok,” she grabbed the phone from his pocket and walked to his bed to plug it in.

“It’s charging. Feel free to come knock on my door if you’re dying, Ok?”

“Ok… Thank you y/n. Seriously,” he was quiet, but she knew he appreciated her.

“Of course. What are friends for?”

She returned to her room, finally getting the chance to look at her phone.

She had four texts from Sierra.

OH MY GOD this Tom kid is my future husband stg

His friend Harrison is pretty cute too. We could double date. Jace would hate it ;)

TOM IS GOING TO WALK ME HOME LATER!! AHHHH!!!

It might be the alcohol, but I think I’m in love

She chuckled at her friend. Their romantic lives were exact opposites. Relationships were the last thing on y/n’s mind, love didn’t matter to her anymore. But to Sierra, EVERY-SINGLE approachable boy was automatically her new soulmate. Going to the mall with her was like going on Tinder. Y/n was annoyed by it initially, but she found it entertaining at this point in their friendship.

Y/n waited up for Sierra, wanting to be sure she got home safe. When she heard the front door open, she peaked her head out of her bedroom. She heard Tom and Sierra exchange goodnight’s, and watched as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before walking away.

The blush on Sierra’s cheeks was evident even in the dark, as she closed the door with wide eyes.

“Ok, for a heartless woman, even I thought that was adorable,” y/n whispered from her doorway. Sierra immediately turned to her, a giddy grin on her face.

“He was such a gentleman. Those don’t exist around here. I told you, I am marrying him. I have dibs. Every other girl can suck it.”

********

On Monday morning, y/n woke up to her alarm loudly sounding off. She hated Monday’s because she had one of the only classes she cared about. She had it on Wednesday’s too, but skipping parties on a Tuesday was easier with her roommates. But Sunday nights were a little more difficult for her to turn in early. If she skipped class, she would feel guilty, but getting up at 7 am was hell. So when the alarm went off, she got up and threw on some pants and a sweater, bracing herself for the chilly morning.

She walked into one of her few Photography classes, being 2 minutes early for the first time all year, despite having stopped for coffee on the way. She sat down near the door on the left side of the room, getting her laptop out of her bag and sighing in and effort to ready her brain for the lecture.

It was a fairly small class, full of Visual Arts majors. Y/n wanted to be a photographer when she graduated, that was the reason she never skipped that class. Even if she got herself kicked out of the university, at least she would have soaked up some knowledge about what she actually wanted to do.

There were only about 12 students in the class when the professor, Mr. Sullivan, walked in, quick to comment on her being there before him. She wasn’t teachers pet, but she definitely had a relationship with this professor. She wasn’t lacking talent and he was quick to pick up on it. He wished she had better work ethic, but he knew that nothing he said could change that in her.

After the first few minutes, the full class was there, a measly 16 students. The professor was going over some kind of composition lecture, but y/n wasn’t exactly paying attention. She tried her best to not go out drinking on Sundays, specifically so she could go to her Monday morning class without a hangover, but Jace and Sierra had begged her to go out with them for a couple hours. They promised they would be home by 9 pm, but 9 turned to midnight, and by the time they were leaving, she was about 6 shots in. That was the point where she went over the line between tipsy and drunk.

So she was definitely hungover that morning, despite drinking a couple cups of water before bed. She tried her hardest to pay attention, but her professors voice was monotone and seemed to fade to the background, her headache the only thing on the forefront of her mind. She grabbed the bottle of pills she kept in her bag, full of tylenol and allergy pills. She took a couple pain relievers with the coffee on her desk, before trying again to concentrate on the lesson.

Halfway through the hour, her professor finally caught her attention by announcing that they were going to begin working on their midterm.

“We are going to be partnering with one of my colleague’s Fashion Modeling classes. I want you to make a portfolio as if you were applying to be a fashion photographer. I know that isn’t the field a good chunk of you are interested in, but it’s a good source of income and you might find yourself doing it on the side at times. You’ll all be paired up with a model at the end of class, and together, next week, you will find a few different outfits that our theatre department is nice enough to lend to us. The portfolio will be due on the last Wednesday of the quarter, so you will have about 2 months to complete it.”

Y/n sighed, resisting the urge to bang her head on her desk. She had taken portraits of families and High School seniors to make money on the side, so she knew how the general public was on the other side of her camera, but the one time she had worked with an aspiring model, she wanted to punch the girl’s face in. She was so bossy and entitled, and she openly said that she could have taken better photos of herself. After that, y/n openly hated models.

He continued on to show different examples of fashion photography from magazines and websites, being sure to go over every single tiny detail of his favorites.

With about 15 minutes left in class, someone poked their head in the door, asking if his class could join them. The modeling class came in. There were 18 of them, meaning that 2 of the photographers were going to be having 2 models. The only thing that would have made the situation worse for y/n would have been having to work with two models instead of just one.

“We took the liberty of pairing you up based on prior assignments,” her professor announced before starting to call off the names of partners.

She breathed a sigh of relief when the second photographer with 2 models was called out, knowing she only had to deal with one diva.

“Y/l/n, you will be photographing Harrison Osterfield.”

She looked around the room to see which model raised their hand. She was relieved that she would be working with a male model, and when she saw who was raising their hand, she was even more relieved to see the boy she had briefly met at the party on Friday night. He hadn’t seemed too horrible, so she had hope.

The professors finished calling out names and released the students to meet their models, get acquainted, and exchange contact information so they could begin planning shoots.

She said hello to Harrison as he approached her, opening her sketch app on her laptop, ready to begin planning shots.

“You’re Sierra’s friend right?”

“Yeah, y/n,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand.

“It’s nice to put a name to the face,” he smiled.

“Here,” she said, writing her name and number on a piece of scrap paper. She tore the excess off and handed it to him with a small smile.

He entered it into his phone, shooting her a text letting her know it was him.

“When you have exchanged information, you guys are excused. We will be meeting back here first thing on Wednesday,” the modeling professor announced

“Y/l/n, stay behind a second,” Mr. Sullivan called out before she could make her way out of the class.

“Ohhhhh,” the boy sitting next to y/n whispered to her.

“Oh, shut up, Rob,” she scowled, swatting at his shoulder, causing him to chuckle.

Y/n packed up her belongings in her bag, and made her way up to the professors, leaving Harrison behind without so much as a glance goodbye.

“So, y/l/n, we paired you two up for a reason. According to Mr. Reynolds over here, Harrison is the most promising model in his class. He asked me to pair him with my most talented.”

“And you didn’t give him to Robin?” she asked in false surprise, causing the professor to scoff.

“Don’t be a dumb ass. But since I paired him up with you, that means you are going to be coming to class on time from here on out, right? And hopefully this is the last class you come to with a hangover.”

“Professor, you and I both know I am too young to drink. I would never come to my favorite class with a hangover. How dare you?” she said, sarcasm thick in the entire interaction.

“They’re going to get along well,” Mr. Reynolds scoffed from the side.

“I’m serious, y/n. You and I both know you have more potential than you are showing right now. This is my second year with you, and I am not going to go as easy on you as last year. I’ve let a lot of your behavior slide, but I am not going to be like that anymore. I want a perfected 15 shot portfolio from you. Anything less will earn you a failing grade.”

Her smug expression fell, “15? You told everyone else 10.”

“Well, congratulations, you are my most promising student, and I’ll be holding you to a higher standard for this assignment. Show me you can do it and your final will be the same as everyone else’s at the end of semester.”

“Ok, fine, but you better expect an extra photo at the end of my portfolio, a picture of a very specific finger.”

He laughed at her snark, knowing fully well that she was serious. She had turned in a photo just like that for one of her assignments the previous year. The composition fit the criteria exactly, so he hadn’t failed her, and that had started his interest in her as a pupil.

“I’ll expect nothing less, I’ll see you on Wednesday, Ms. y/l/n.”

She smiled as she walked out the door, ready to go home and fall back asleep in her bed, but the boy in the doorway ruined her plans of that.

“Wow, you really have some balls,” Harrison said and she passed him.

“Were you listening to that whole thing?”

“Of course. I heard my name as I was walking out, so I had to eavesdrop. Glad to know I’m the most promising in my class, and that I’ll be working with the best photographer.”

“Oh, trust me, I am far from the best in my class. Sullivan just has some weird obsession with pushing me harder than anyone else. I think he thinks I am a prodigy or something, and he assumes that if he pushes me hard enough I’ll have some kind of breakthrough and become this amazingly famous photographer and I’ll owe it all to him. I would shut that theory down, but he lets me get away with a ton of shit because of it, so I let him think whatever he wants.”

“So if you aren’t this amazing photographer that he thinks you are, should I be worried about the midterm grade?”

“Oh, no, don’t worry about that. I have perfected the art of giving that man exactly what he wants. We’ll pass with flying colors.”

“Ok, good to know,” Harrison chuckled, “By the way, Tom hasn’t shut up about your friend since Friday night, in a very obnoxious way. Any chance she likes him too?”

“Why doesn’t he ask her himself?”

“Is that a yes?”

Of course y/n knew how much Sierra liked this guy. She had spent the weekend listening to her drone on and on about him, asking why he hadn’t texted back or complaining that he hadn’t shown up to the same parties. It had gotten old after the 17th time she had brought him up, so y/n understood where Harrison was coming from.

“That’s her business. But if he wants to see her, we’re going to a party tonight. I can send you the address.”

“But it’s a Monday.”

“And?”

“Do you often go out on Monday nights?”

“Day of the week doesn’t matter. You want the address or not?”

“Sure, why not.”

“Ok, well I’m going to go sleep off this headache, I’ll send it to you later.”

She departed their path, leaving him smiling after her. He was amused by her. She was a small girl with the personality of a seasoned bouncer outside a nightclub. Something told him that working with her was going to be a difficult task though.

Sure enough, a few hours later, he got a text from her. It was an address of a house about 20 minutes away from his shared apartment with Tom. Harrison was in his bedroom waiting for Tom to get home when he got it. He glanced at the message, too focused on the textbook in front of him to actually read it. He knew that if he was going to be going out that night, that he should get at least some of his work done beforehand.

Tom came through the door, throwing his bag down on the floor in exhaustion. He had 2 back to back morning classes and then a 4 hour shift at work. He wanted to lounge for the rest of the night, but his plans were quickly ruined when Harrison appeared from his bedroom.

“So guess what I did,” he called with a smug smile.

“Good afternoon to you too,” Tom replied, collapsing onto their sofa.

“You know that girl you won’t shut up about?”

Tom’s face lit up, eagerly asking Harrison to continue.

“I got the address of a party she’ ll be attending tonight. Figured you would want to go.”

“But it’s Monday.”

“That’s what I said. Sounds like you found yourself a party girl. You want to go or not?”

Tom let out a loud groan. Of course he wanted to go, he had a huge crush on Sierra, but he didn’t want to stand up ever again.

“Fine, when is it?”

“We’ll leave in 2 hours, lover boy.”

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#harrison osterfield #harrison osterfield x reader #harrison osterfield fluff #harrison osterfield angst #tom holland #harrison osterfeild imagine #harrison osterfeild x reader #harrison osterfield blurb #harrison osterfield fanfic #harrison osterfield fan fiction #harrison osterfield fanfiction

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kenganwritings · 4 years ago

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The Fighter’s Bond

Gaolang Wongsawat and Saw Paing Yoroizuka

Their conversations could be severe, with words almost too harsh for friends. Yet, this was just the way they functioned.

Spoilers for the later chapters of Kengan Ashura

Upon retrospect, Gaolang’s injuries were not as bad as they could have been. Out of all the damage, his shattered right fist was the worst; knowing the Fang’s strength, it was already miraculous that he was still alive, let alone able to pull himself out of the stadium with minimal help. Especially since the atmosphere within that battlefield turned from a ‘desire for victory’ to a ‘desire for survival’. Despite Kaneda and the nurse’s advice to rest in the sickbay for a while, Gaolang left immediately after his fist was treated. As King Rama’s subject, he needed to report to him as soon as possible to apologise for that defeat. So he took a direct route there, politely waving away Kaneda’s offer to help. Gaolang didn’t expect to run into anyone, but perhaps he should have; after all, Saw Paing was on the island, too.

“Gaolaaang!! I saw your match! You’re amazing, you know that!? I’m all fired up again!!”

“… So I’ve heard.” He, and everyone else on Ganryuu island. “At least you’re not wallowing in self pity anymore.”

Gaolang had never seen that side of Saw Paing before- so hopeless and miserable. Truthfully, he had suspected something more had happened for the Burmese fighter to lose faith in himself, but he’d felt so sickened at seeing him disheartened that he didn’t care to ask. And he wouldn’t.

“Yeah! And it’s all thanks to you! You gave it your all- just as expected of my rival!!” It’s at this point of their conversations that Gaolang considered wearing ear plugs- but now he had a reason to excuse himself and leave. Or… that’s what his plan was, until Saw Paing’s eyes drifted to his bandaged hand, and his face took on a serious expression.

“Your fist…” He began.

“It’s broken. I’ll be wearing this for a while.”

For Saw Paing to be at a loss of words was rare; before he could say anything, Gaolang sighed. “It’s my problem, not yours.”

“Not my problem? You’re my rival!” Saw Paing stepped forward. He was just barely shorter than Gaolang, yet with the way he was glaring, he seemed to grow taller. “It’s definitely my problem if you won’t be able to fight anymore! How am I going to defeat you otherwise?!”

Any outsider witnessing this conversation might think, ‘that doesn’t sound like a good thing to say to someone who lost their match and shattered their fist- especially not with an expression like that.’ And if they’d heard Gaolang’s outburst just a few hours before, they would probably tell him he’d gone too far.

But his and Saw Paing’s relationship was not a regular friendship. It went deeper than that: a rivalry and camaraderie that only those who’d fought each other could truly understand. Saw Paing’s goal was to beat him, but at the same time, they pulled each other up to improve. Seeing Saw Paing’s sudden disheartenment, solely at a single loss that wasn’t even to him, was an insult.

People could say that they were too harsh with each other, and they would be right. But to the two of them, that harshness was a form of encouragement- a reminder of what they strived for. And hearing Saw Paing say such words meant he finally regained that fiery spirit.

“With your tactics, I’m sure I could beat you without my right hand. You need to work on that if you want to get better… well, I’ve told you that already. But it’s up to you if you want to listen.”

“Like I’d fight you if you weren’t at your best! It doesn’t mean anything unless I beat you when we’re both at our peak condition! So you’d better heal up soon, or we’ll never settle that score, Gaolaaaang!”

Once more, Gaolang sighed. “We’re indoors, Saw Paing, you need to be quieter.” If he didn’t end this conversation now, the bodyguards would probably come to tell them to stop making a ruckus. And besides, he really did need to speak with King Rama. As he walked past Saw Paing, he paused.

“I hope you’ve improved by the next time we fight. An easy fight would be boring.” Gaolang didn’t wait for a reaction- because Saw Paing’s declaration would be loud enough that the whole island would know he accepted the challenge.

#fanfiction #gaolang wongsawat #saw paing yoroizuka #I had a sudden desire to write haha #Kengan Ashura #Kengan Omega

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sunonyoreface · 5 years ago

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Forest Nymph | Geralt of Rivia Pt.5

Hello! Sorry it has been a while since I have last posted, I am quite busy with my final essays right now. Thanks for taking the time to read my story! This is part five of my first series. This chapter is more of a filler chapter so it is a bit shorter, but I can’t wait to get more into the juicier stuff!

Word count: 2587

The King’s words ring despairingly in your ears. A declaration of war. A war you certainly cannot win. Just look at what they did to your forest! Angry tears well up in your eyes. If anything, you should be the one to declare war.

You hate crying. It happens so easily and always at the worst of times, but never when you’re sad. Why can’t you just cry when you’re sad? It would make life so much easier. At least Geralt can’t see your tears.

Roach gallops at a steady pace heading north of Asenguard towards Kafka, you think the village is called. You cling onto Geralt’s stiff back. His body is full of adrenaline both from the fight and what still remains from the elixir. Metal and leather armor rub against each other quietly, however, you find the sound soothing to focus on, at least more so than the sound of the King’s threats. His hair whips in the wind and if you were any taller it would strike you straight across the face. Thankfully, that is not the case.

Neither of you has said a single word since leaving the village and given the chance, you don’t know if you can. What will you say? Thank you? At this point, such a simple gesture feels so insignificant.

If someone were to ask you how long the ride took, you wouldn’t have an answer. Somewhere between twenty minutes and twelve hours. It feels as though you have been on his horse for ages, yet seemingly out of nowhere the nearest village appears. The Kingdom of Kafka, reads a wooden sign posted at the edge of town.

Paranoia fills your thoughts. Has King Cassius set his army after you? Do the villagers of Kafka know how many coins they could get for your head? It’s only time before they find everything out. Unless they already know.

Geralt brings Roach to a slow canter upon entering the quiet town. Everyone is asleep except for a few wandering drunks who pay the two of you no mind. You don’t know where he is going until Roach stops in front of an inn.

“Put your hood up.” Geralt’s rough voice breaks the silence. You wordlessly follow his orders. “Look, the king won’t send for us in the middle of the night, so we’re safe for now, but tomorrow we need to keep moving.” His amber eyes pierce through the night, gently searching your face.

“Do you have anywhere you can go?”

“There’s a woman who lives near Norwich, a friend of a friend who will house me for a bit.” Your voice comes out rough from prolonged silence. The words feel as though you are no longer the one truly speaking them, your native language suddenly feeling foreign.

“Ok.” He sighs. “Good.”

Upon entering the inn, you come to realize it is more of a whore house than anything. A brothel, to put it politely.

“And what can I do for you?” A woman’s voice made thick from excess mucous, cuts through the warm, slightly musky air of the room. She wears a red hat of unfamiliar fashion and pants. Something most women would be beaten for wearing. She exudes power over the dimly lit and certainly unethical business of hers.

“I’m looking for someone.” Geralt’s voice is much quieter than it has been previously. “A bard.”

“In a blue suit? Well, we had one check-in not that long ago, but it will be extra to share his girl.” She smirks. “My girls aren’t cheap.”

“No girl. Just the room.”

“Right then, five coins. He’s down the corridor to your right, last room on the left.”

Without another word, Geralt drops the coins in her hand. He spares a quick glance down your way before starting off. You are nearly stepping on his heels, suddenly afraid he might leave you behind. The wooden floors are uneven with boards sticking up every few feet or so. The whole structure of the building has greatly shifted since being built. That isn’t uncommon as you go more north. The forests become littered with different areas of muskeg which freeze in the winter and cause the ground to shift. Kafka sits right on the edge of one of those swamps. Nothing lasts long around here, not even the infrastructure.

Geralt doesn’t knock on the door. So, when the two of you walk in on a naked man and a woman hard at work earning her coin. You can’t really blame the so-called bard.

“Jesus Geralt! Fucking knock first!” He shrieks in surprise.

“Leave.” The demand is directed at the woman on her knees. She looks to the bard for permission and it becomes clear her job is now done. She takes her coin and rushes out of the room, leaving the bard to frantically look for his knickers.

“What the hell was- wait a minute. Who are you?” His attention suddenly becomes fixated on you as he finally finds his trousers. Your tongue finds itself in a knot. You freeze, stiff as a board, not sure whether or not he is safe to introduce yourself to.

“Her name is Briar, of Asenguard.” The bard’s head snaps up at your place of birth.

“Asenguard?” He questions. “Is that why you went back Geralt? For a girl?” An excited gasp leaves his lips.

“Well Briar, you must be pretty special. A girl, Geralt what has gotten into you?” He shoots a mocking glance at Geralt before turning to you. A genuine smile spreads across his face. He smiles with his eyes especially, they gleam like crystals. His presence carries no sense of threat and you start to feel your shoulders relaxing.

“Hello, Briar.” He reaches for a handshake. His hands warm and welcoming, slightly calloused at the fingertips from the strings of his instrument, but otherwise soft. “I’m Jaskier.”

“We need to talk Jaskier.” Geralt interrupts. You take the chance to finally look around the room. It is large for a brothel, with two midsized beds and a closed-off area for washing. You poke your head inside to find a wooden tub. A bath would feel amazing right now.

Geralt tells Jaskier about the fire, a topic you wish you could just escape.

“Uhm.” Your voice cuts into their conversation. “Sorry to interrupt, but do you know how I could get water for a bath?” Geralt’s eyes quickly flit to yours, you can’t tell if he’s annoyed at you for interrupting.

“I’ll ask some of the lovely ladies if they would be able to bring some water for you,” Jaskier says as he heads for the door. The room stills in his absence. Your eyes have yet to leave Geralt’s.

“Look, I know saying thank you could never even compare to what you have done for me, but thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” He speaks softly. “I’m partially at fault. I am the one who told the king you were a witch.” Confusion arises at his statement. A witch?

“Why’d you tell him that?”

“I thought if he thought you were a witch, he’d leave you alone. Witches aren’t to be dealt with lightly.” Guilt laces his voice, but how could he have known the king would burn down the forest.

“So that’s why they started the fire.” The words feel tight in your throat, your quiet voice barely above a whisper.

“Briar, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” You blink back a stray tear, threatening to spill. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine”

He hesitantly reaches out to you, clearly out of his element, yet he doesn’t pull back. You lean into his touch and find yourself in a comforting embrace. You all but dissolve into Geralt’s warm hug, his firm arms gently wrapping around you. His broad figure easily engulfs you, as you nuzzle your head into his chest. He reluctantly rests his chin on the top of your head, still shocked at the fact that you accept his embrace. Neither of you are used to physical affection, not in a world as cruel as this one. A feeling of acceptance of who you are and what you’ve done is mutual. One thumb traces circles between your shoulder blades as you scrunch your eyes closed and inhale his scent. Although still masked in the smell of smoke, underneath it all he smells like the forest, like home with the additional comforting undertones of leather and a trace of Roach’s pungent odor. You never want to leave his strong, safe arms, but of course, good things never last.

Jaskier barges through the door with four girls carrying buckets of steaming water.

“Bath time!” He announces in a sing-song voice.

The pleasantly warm water embraces your smooth skin and washes away the last traces of ash from the fire. The sour smell of living wood being burnt is taken away with a bar of lightly scented lye soap that was generously provided by the working women. If it weren’t for the circumstances which brought you here, you would consider this a lovely vacation. Of course, you’ve never been on a vacation before so you don’t know what else to compare it to. The brothel is certainly different than your forest. Oh, your forest.

You grieve for your home as though it was another person. In many ways it was a living, breathing being which provided for you in the same way your mother used to. You haven’t felt this type of sadness since her death. She is the one who taught you to live in harmony with the forest, and now it too is gone.

On the other side of the thin bamboo-like divider, Geralt and Jaskier murmur in low voices. You know they’re talking about you.

You and all the trouble you bring along. Despite this fact, their voices don’t sound angry, tense yes, but not angry.

“Briar!” Jaskier calls out.

“Yes?”

“You can take the bed on the right, Geralt and I will share the other.” You hear a scuffling of feet and what sounds like a grunt of disapproval from Geralt.

“What? It’s not like it’s the first time.” He directs towards Geralt. You have to stifle your laughter at his stubbornness.

Eventually, the water is no longer warm and you begrudgingly let it out through a plug at the bottom of the wooden tub. It methodically flows out into a tiny trough in the floor which leads through a small hole in the bottom of the wall and to where you can only assume is a dugout of some sort. You can’t really tell, it's too dark and there is only a small stub of candle light left.

The room is silent on the other side of the divider, they must have gone to sleep. You can’t bring yourself to find out. Instead, you turn back to the damp, wooden tub.

When you step inside, the hem of your dress absorbs the last of the water pooling at the bottom. You flatten your hands onto the base and let out a warm stream of energy that flows through your veins and out of your fingertips. A emerald glow momentarily lights up the room as a layer of moss starts to form on the bottom of the tub. You’ve always loved moss. It is one of the first plants you learned to grow. Moss simplistic in nature with only one set of DNA and doesn’t need any dirt to grow, just a bit of moisture. Soon enough it covers the entire interior of the tub and provides a soft, cushiony bed for the night.

Morning comes all too soon.

“Did we seriously share a bed just for her to sleep in the tub?” You awaken to Geralt and Jaskier looking down at you cocooned in your makeshift bed. Jaskier, while mildly annoyed is clearly impressed at whatever you pulled off with the plants. “Huh.”

“We need to leave.” Geralt’s raspy morning voice cuts through the air.

Roach happily greets Geralt in an unspoken language only the two of them seem to understand. The horse blatantly ignores Jaskier but makes a point of saying good morning to you, by nuzzling her head to your hand. Okay, maybe she isn’t greeting you, but rather looking for some apples.

“I’ll grow some more for you once we’re out of town.” You whisper to her.

The trip to Norwich should take anywhere from five days to a week on foot. While you are lucky enough to get a lift from Roach, Jaskier is forced to walk and while it is not his fault, he does slow the three of you down.

“Why does she get to ride on Roach? The only time I got a free ride was when you nearly killed me with that djinn.” He whines

“The djinn was your fault.”

“Maybe so, but it has been the only time I didn’t have to walk.”

“That’s because Roach doesn’t like you.” Geralt states plainly.

“Doesn’t like me.” He gasps in astonishment.

“What do you mean she doesn’t like me? She’s a horse!”

“I think it’s your singing.” A sly smile spreads across Geralt’s face and you can’t help but laugh at their childish pettiness.

“Maybe you should feed her some apples, as a peace offering.” You suggest.

“Apples! Where in the world am I going to get apples? They aren’t even in season.”

“I’ll grow some for you.”

“Right, with your magic voodoo powers.”

“Voodoo? It’s not voodoo!” You laugh.

“So if it’s not voodoo then, what exactly is it that you do?” The question catches you off guard. What do you do? You have never really had to explain it before. With almost no connection to your relatives and any other mystical creatures, you have only ever compared yourself to humans, which feels almost unfair since you share no lineage with them.

“Well, I suppose it is technically magic. I live in harmony with the forest, its energy is my energy and I can shift that energy into different forms. I’m not sure how else to explain it. When one of us thrives, we both thrive.”

“Is that why you stopped the farmers?” He asks. “No need to worry, Geralt filled me in on everything, I won’t tell” He jokingly whispers to you, but the atmosphere has already changed. Geralt hasn’t said anything, but his eager ears hang on to your every word..

“It is.” You pause a moment, struggling to find the right words. “When the farmers cut the trees down, it pains me. Not physically, but spiritually I guess would be the closest way to explain it. All I wanted to do was protect it and now, well now I can still feel the fire burning.”

“I’m sorry to hear that Briar.” He says sympathetically. “Do you still have your ‘powers’ then if we leave the forest?”

“I can still feel the energy now. As long as I am in the forest, I think I’ll be fine, I don’t really know what happens if I leave, I’ve never had a reason up until now.”

“If it eases your sorrow, we don’t actually leave the forest to get to Norwich.” Geralt speaks up.

“It does.” A gentle smile finds its way to your lips.

“Did you say Norwich?”

“Yes, there’s a friend of a friend I’m going to stay with there.”

“Well, I’ve got some friends there!” A sly grin spreads across Jaskier’s face.

“Friends?” Asks Geralt.

“You could call them that.”

---

pt.4

https://sunonyoreface.tumblr.com/post/613676968381136896/forest-nymph-geralt-of-rivia-pt4

Tag list: @nadia-rosea @nerdstuff1994 @whatawildone @mac-the-oregonian @mac-the-oregonian @romanoffs-heart @atozfantazyxx

#the witcher #the witcher fanfic #the witcher imagine #the witcher x reader #geralt of rivia #geralt x reader #geralt of rivia x reader #jaskier #roach #forest nymph #pt5 #forest nymph imagine #dryad imagine

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