#il figure it out!!!! somehow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lightbulb-warning]

im not in burn out, im in denial!! :D

[widevibratobitch]

i hate them with a passion

[mclarengf]

il faut que je te dise quelque chose

a new years party? i bet absolutely nothing will happen.

[1.1k]

note: happy new year yall!!! i hope 2025 brings u all a lot of happiness and good luck x

“i’m gonna do it.”

lando looked up from his phone, “what?”  i haven’t been listening to you at all.”

you pouted at him before repeating yourself, “i’m gonna kiss him tonight. at midnight. for real.”

“wait, oscar?”

you flicked him square in the forehead for his stupidity.

“who else, dummy? i’m gonna sit him down and tell him how i feel, and then, if he somehow feels the same way, i’m gonna kiss him.”

he barks out a laugh and tells you, “about time!”

you liked oscar, and lando was the only other person who knew it. ever since he figured it out in miami, lando had made your life miserable, constantly teasing you if you blushed after oscar complimented you, or if you lost your train of thought when he walked in the room.

“anyway, are you done yet? max wants to know when he should pick us up.”

some of your friends in monaco are throwing a new years party tonight, and you and lando, your closest friend here, are getting ready for it in your apartment. 

well, you’re getting ready. he’s dressed already, in a simple button-up and jeans, and has been tapping at something on his phone for the past 20 minutes— something which looks suspiciously like jetpack joyride. 

you tell lando you have to finish doing your hair, but will probably be done around the time max gets to your place if he leaves now. 

“alright,” he slaps his knees as he stands up, “you have to tell me how it goes, yeah?”

he claps you on the back before leaving to the kitchen, probably to start his night of drinking. 

—

the party was loud. whoever was dj’ing had to have hearing damage, because anyone else wouldn’t be able to be in such close proximity to the bass-boosted speakers.

it was about an hour til midnight, and annoyingly, you still hadn’t seen oscar. that’s why you were now making the rounds trying to find him, sliding past groups of people you didn’t recognise and briefly saying hi to the ones you did. 

you were trying to navigate around a stupidly placed configuration of chairs when you bumped into someone.

“i’m so sorry-“ your apology died on your tongue when you saw who it was.

“oscar!”

he greets you with a hug and a quick kiss to the cheek, “how’ve you been? i haven’t seen you since the championship party!”

you smile up at him.

“i’m good! i’ve been a bit busy at home, so i haven’t been able to do anything else. how are you? you look good!”

you take a step back from him to take the sight of him in. he must have arrived a while ago, if his sweaty hair and the drink in his hand are anything to go by.

“you look beautiful, by the way.”

you’ve never been able to handle his compliments well, not when he always tells you like he really means it. 

you manage to keep your composure enough, though, and stutter out a ‘thank you’ before returning the sentiment. 

“you look really good, too.”

he smiles shyly at the ground, then gestures to a nearby booth so you can continue your conversation. 

as you make your way over, he places his hand on the small of your back, subtly guiding you through the small crowd in between you and your destination. the feeling of his hand on your skin burns, desperately drawing your attention. you try to ignore it though, for fear of blushing so hard that oscar will be able to see it, despite the strobing lights.  

wait, why is oscar staring at you? shit, is it that obvious already? 

you press a hand to your cheek as you sit, trying to feel how warm you actually are, but before you can properly judge your temperature, oscar picks up your talk where you had left it, and the two of you fall back into easy conversation. 

you talk about lots of things, in a way you can only comfortably do so around oscar, and you only take notice of the time again when the people around you start chanting down from 60.

“so, oscar, i was thinking…” you trail off, taking another sip of your drink as you consider how to word your confession.

he looks at you attentively, waiting for whatever you’re about to say. 

“i wanted to tell you that-“ you cut yourself off and sigh. this isn’t working. 

maybe you should just wait til another time. there’s no need to rush anything, you suppose.

35… 34… 33…

oscar has a strange glint in his eye, but you brush it off as being his amusement at your evident speechlessness. 

“nevermind!”

you try to smile like nothing’s wrong, but you’re cursing at yourself on the inside for being such a pussy. 

28… 27… 26…

you decide to switch the topic.

“shouldn’t you find some girl to kiss at midnight?”

he shakes his head, and this time it’s his turn to drink before he talks. 

“nah, i’m happy staying here with you. it’s nice.”

you melt at the thought of oscar being content to spend his new years with you over everyone else at the party. now, if only you could tell him how you’d like to spend the rest of your life with him over everyone else in the world, you’d be very happy.

17… 16… 15…

you spend the last fifteen seconds of your year internally debating whether you should still kiss oscar. i mean, if it’s a new years kiss and he has no idea about your feelings, then it’d be fine, right? 

you almost don’t realise it’s turned midnight because you’re too preoccupied, playing a mental game of eeny meeny miny mo to solve your dilemma. 

the time is brought to your attention, though, when oscar places his hand on your cheek, says, “i’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” and brings you close for a new years kiss.

you could swear you feel fireworks exploding in your chest when your lips touch, and it only takes you a second to realise what’s going on before you respond eagerly, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. 

you could die happy now, you think. his lips are so soft, and they fit with yours perfectly. you don’t even mind the taste of jack and coke on his tongue. somehow, it all blends together into one thing— oscar. 

everything is oscar, oscar, oscar. 

when you part, you’re slightly dazed from how passionate the kiss was.

“so, what were you gonna tell me?” 

although his cheeks are also flushed, and his pupils are slightly blown, oscar’s still got a cheeky grin on his face as he catches his breath. 

you roll your eyes, knowing full-well by this point that he knew just as much as you did, the whole time. 

“happy new year, oscar.” 

he raises his glass and tilts it towards you for a cheers.

“happy new year.”

you clink your drinks together, and as he slings an arm around your shoulders, you think, this year may turn out really well. 

[meadowfics]

divine intervention

hwang in ho / young-il / the frontman x f!reader

what are the odds that you would leave the games alive?

warnings: mentions of death, r getting shot

you never expected to find love in a place like this. the games weren’t meant for connections, for soft moments in the middle of a massacre.

yet, somehow, young-il changed that.

at first, you stuck with him because it felt right. he was on the father-figure side to everyone else, and the others underestimated him. however, you saw the sharp glint in his eye, the way he understood things before anyone else. it fascinated you.

001's presence soothed you in a way you couldn’t explain, and you found yourself lingering by his side more often than not.

he noticed.

"you are kind," he told you once, after you helped him after the six legged game.

"kindness is rare in a place like this."

it became natural. the conversations, the stolen smiles, the way he would offer you advice that always seemed to help. you started to care.

too much.

however, the rebellion happened and everything burned. people were slaughtered.

young-il…

he never came back.

you waited. you searched. when gi-hun stumbled out of the chaos, battered and broken but alive, young-il wasn’t with him.

he wasn’t anywhere.

you felt it, the sharp ache of loss before anyone even confirmed it. jun-hee noticed. she was the only one who truly understood what young-il meant to you.

she didn’t say anything, just held your hand while you cried, your tears soaking into the cold floor of the dormitory.

things only got worse.

the next game was the monkey bars. you should have made it. you were quick, agile, but your foot slipped. a mistake.

a gunshot rang out.

pain.

you hit the ground hard, the sharp burn in your leg making your vision blur. the last thing you saw was a guard looming over you, the black triangle on his mask tilting as they observed you.

then, everything went dark.

you expected death, everything went black.

instead, you woke up somewhere else.

the air was different. clean. your skin didn’t feel sticky with sweat and grime. your leg didn’t throb as much as it should have.

blinking, you looked down at yourself... a light blue nightgown, iv drip, bandages wrapped neatly around your leg.

someone had taken care of you.

suddenly, the door creaked open and your heart slammed against your ribs.

a guard. circle mask.

"do not panic," she said, her voice soft, unmistakably female.

"i am not here to kill you."

you should have felt relief. instead, you felt confusion.

"why am i alive?" your voice was hoarse, strained from disuse.

the guard hesitated before speaking.

"you are favored by the boss, which is very rare. it's never happened to a player before."

what?

before you could ask more, she left.

you sat there, staring at the elegant room, the nice sheets, the silent hum of medical machines.

this wasn’t mercy. it was something else.

when the door opened again, you knew.

your body tensed at the sight of the black mask, the aura of control radiating off of him. your hands shook, and the monitor tracking your vitals gave you away.

"calm yourself, y/n." the figure said, his voice smooth. familiar.

your stomach dropped. you knew that voice.

your mind clawed for the answer, the missing puzzle piece.

"you are here for a reason," he continued, stepping closer, "divine intervention, perhaps."

your breath caught.

"what?"

he lifted a hand, undid the mask and there he was.

young-il.

you froze, unable to process it. this was a joke. it had to be.

"no," he said before you could even ask, "this is real."

your mouth went dry.

"you… you run the games?"

he nodded.

your head spun.

"you let all of those people—"

"i wasn’t going to let you die," he interrupted. his voice was calm, but there was something raw underneath it, "not after everything you did for me."

your chest ached.

he had never been in danger. he was always going to survive. you weren’t though.

the weight of it crashed into you, suffocating, unbearable.

he must have seen it on your face because he sighed, stepping back.

"i understand. you need space."

you couldn’t respond.

"i will give you time," he said, before turning and walking out, leaving you alone in a place you could never escape.

this wasn’t survival though, this was captivity.

masterlist

[witch-hazels-musings]

Hello Hazel!

I'd like to request for a Protection ritual for Il Capitano with lavender, black tourmaline and frankincense please!

Thank you and take care!

Evergreen (the unexpected), Black Tourmaline (safety, shielding), Frankincense (confidence) Il Capitano x gn reader | Protection Ritual warning: listen --- I make no excuses (also am I a Capitano girlie??) -- uhhh, reader gets a head injury, Il Capitano being demanding, reader held in arms and manhandled a bit (this is SFW but somehow inappropriate?)

Your bones rattled as the mitachuri's ax connected with your spear. The impact shoved you through the loose dirt leaving a scratch of determination in its wake.

Using what dwindling strength you had, you shoved back hoping it would be enough power to buy you time to escape. It managed to throw the brute off balance, but not for long.

Pivoting, you twisted and bolted toward a line of sharp rocks. If you could reach them, they might provide enough of a shield to keep you safe. Unfortunately, a reaction of electro and cryo exploded to your right, pitching your world and sending you flying through the billowing grass. Your head slammed into the ground, stars flared in the midday sun.

You coughed, gasped violently, and laid on your back. Everything hurt.

The shadow of the mitachuri blocked out the sun, its massive, looming figure sending a wave of adrenaline through you. Bending to your side, you pawed through the grass in search of your weapon but before you could grab it, the monster snatched your leg and pulled you toward it. You kicked, but it did nothing.

Fear stole your senses and you stared in stilled horror as its weapon barreled toward you. Your vision clouded. All you remembered was a biting wind, crow feathers, and the sound of someone's voice telling you to hold on.

---

Warmth. Inviting, powerful warmth roused you from the black. You tried to move but the pain in your head warned you to be still. Groaning, you turned into the scent of freshly fallen snow.

"You've awakened," someone hummed above you. A crips timber and aged depth. You tried to open your eyes but it was too bright. "Ah, one moment. There, try now."

Haloed light formed around your blurry vision. The scene came back to you in flashes. A flaming ax, a crystalized blade, and the frame of someone you didn't recognize. When your vision adjusted, you found yourself gazing up at a man shrouded by metal and fabric.

"Ouch," was all you managed to get out.

"It's likely you hit your head. Try not to move."

"Head."

"Do not worry. I have things under control."

You twisted your neck and saw a battle raging on in the distance. Close enough that you could hear the cries and bashing weapons. Instinctually you reached for your own.

"Did you lose something?" the man asked, his free arm repositioning above you as if to help. You wanted to respond but your head was heavy, filled with a fog you couldn't clear. It lulled to the side. "Now, now, stay awake." Powerful fingers gripped your chin and turned you so he could look at you. "You cannot sleep now."

"But ... I'm tired," you mumbled, slurred, and winced at the oncoming pain. You wanted to throw up.

"You will stay with me, do you understand?"

You grimaced, lips curling into a frustrated pout. The man groaned and jostled you awake.

"Il Capitano, sir," a new voice sounded beside you, grating, painful. You whimpered and tried to turn away from it but the hand on your chin refused to let you.

"What is it?" Il Capitano asked, his attention on you never wavering.

"The numbers are thinning out, what would you have of us?"

His fingers pressed into the soft of your cheek, the action forced your lips apart. "Assist the people. See they do not come to harm."

"But - sir." Il Capitano snapped his head to the scout and an uncomfortable silence followed. "Yes, yes sir."

You could hear their shuffling feet, displaced dirt and gravel as they ran back toward the fray. You wanted to fight.

It was your duty.

Where was your spear?

"Are you eager to fight with them?"

Heavy, tired eyes looked at the man with a hidden face. In the swirl and distortion, you swore you could see the outline of something beneath. The edges of a jaw, the silhouette of a nose, the curve of lips. In your daze, you lifted your hand toward him but he captured your wrist before your fingers could touch him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, but it didn't really sound like a question. Something in his tone changed. "How strong is your delirium, little one?"

You stretched your fingers and brushed against something warm. The man's grip faltered allowing you to run them along what you assumed was his lips. They moved right toward the corner of his mask but where warmth once was, cold suddenly appeared.

Il Capitano stole your hand and returned it to your chest, but he lingered, his thumb running along the back before fading from your senses.

"Tired," you repeated and fell against him.

"I have not yet given you permission to sleep."

"Give it to me."

The sound of battle roared to life while the stranger known as Il Capitano held you in his arms. You couldn't see his eyes, but you felt their pressure, their intensity. Your head fell back so he grabbed your chin and gave you a light shake. "Tell me your name."

And you did.

He requested and you provided, and when your mind began to recover, your world found itself one Fatui Harbinger larger.

Thaumaturgy Anthology (October 11-13, 2024)

This event is based on spells and rituals. Inspiration does not equal understanding; liberties have been taken. All content is owned by Witch Hazels Musings, theft of these images and stories will result in immediate action.

[klownfuckery]

.*✩ Franco ‘il Bambino’ Barbi🍼/Reagent!Reader ✩*.

Just a little blurb that I’ve been wanting to write for Franco. I’ve also opened the ask box so if you’d like to req some hc’s or anything,,, y’know 👉👈 I’d love to write more of this dummy-dumb and see what other stuff y’all’d want to see.

.✩* Chances are, if you’ve managed to survive in Murkoff’s demented little playscapes long enough, you’re bound to be noticed in some form or another. To survive a trial is already a rarity, but to consistently come out on the other side largely unscathed? It’s asking to be acknowledged. Either by Dr. Easterman himself, or by his beloved Assets. Unfortunately— or fortunately, you’ve somehow garnered the attention of one Prime-Asset in particular. Franco ‘il Bambino’ Barbi. Murkoff’s newest pet-project; and Dr. Easterman’s seemingly newfound pride and joy.

.✩* Being on opposing ‘sides’, Franco and you are rarely granted the pleasure of each other’s company. Naturally, you’re housed in entirely different buildings, with no real way to communicate outside of ‘therapy-sessions’. Sometimes you’d go months without ever catching a wink of your beloved psychosexual deviant. Given the circumstances, when you finally do manage to stumble across one another mid-trial, it’s an occasion Franco warrants worth dropping anything he’d have been doing prior.

“Ow— Th’ fuck!? What kinda son of a whore lobs a bottle at a fuckin’ baby?”

Abruptly, you drop the gas canister held in hand, ears straining at the sound of glass shattering— or more importantly, its target. Your head whips around so fast, you’re half-surprised you hadn’t broken your neck. “Franco!” You shout, leaping over traps and wickedly sharp shards of glass. Completely uncaring of your volume as you scrabbled towards the familiar voice. There’s a muffled noise of surprise in the next room over, a quick shuffling of feet that ordinarily would’ve automatically sent you into a panicked crouch, before the door you’d been reaching for slams open inches away from your grasping fingers. The sheer force of the figure barreling through the frame has the wood splintering, near completely broken off the hinges as they barge through.

“Marone— Sweetness? That you?”

An ear-splitting grin threatens to erupt across your face, and it takes all of your will-power to stamp it down and keep some semblance of dignity— rare as it was here.

“Got any other sorry schmucks out here hollerin’ your name to high heaven that I should be worried about?” You jest in a simpering tone, heart hammering in your chest. Maybe it’s just a residual fear response from the early days, but the mobster still has a way about him that sets your nerves skyrocketing. The feeling only multiples by tenfold when he saunters forward into the gloom, all cocky swagger befitting of his profession. Realistically you know he wouldn’t hurt you— mortally, at least. But old habits die hard and the reagent in you, the part that’s kept you alive, instinctively takes a half-aborted step backwards.

Franco’s lips quirk in an unabashed, crooked grin. Surely about to pounce on the opportunity to make some dirty little quip about how you could go screaming his name all night. Hell, you’d practically gift-wrapped the delivery for him. Yet to your immense surprise, he doesn’t.

“Nah, my broad’s not too fond’a sharin’… ‘Sides…”

You can’t fight the reflexive yelp that escapes you this time as gloved hands snags you by the hips, greedily catching you flush against his buttoned-up front. Already you can feel his dirty mitts wandering, pawing blindly to undo the straps of your ESOP’s harness. Eager to feel the plush flesh underneath, unobstructed.

“I ain’t either.”

[eluxcastar]

can we get more dadtore fics plz?🤭🤭🤍🤍

Dadtore and his raccoon child

── ୨୧：il dottore & reader

୨୧﹑synopsis :: dadtore gets his coat stolen and quite possibly has a mild existential crisis at the realisation he is a present and available father

୨୧﹑genre :: fluff

୨୧﹑content :: gn reader, child reader, reader’s backstory is ambiguous, it's finally acknowledged they don't talk but feel free to ignore that, sorta proofread (omg finally I edited something)

୨୧﹑words :: 1.9k

I went to publish this and realised I lost all my dividers because I'm on a new laptop so I'm gonna have to go get those back 😭😭

anyway baby has officially graduated to raccoon status because each day this child grows more feral and will continue to do so 🫵 I'm surprised I even managed to write this cause I've been calling so many grown men babygirl lately Idk what even makes one say that about König from Call of Duty but I do

Whether against your will or the result of some strange form of Stockholm Syndrome, you have somehow come to love the days spent with him. It scares him more than he'd like, knowing that your life rests in his hands, even more so that that bothers him, yet he has been unable to remain especially angry with you.

No matter what you do, what buttons you push, and how much you've forced him to rearrange his lab to practically babyproof it, his desire to consider you a pest dies. It has rapidly died since he realised you clung to him so tightly when you became ill, even if it turned out to be only a low-grade fever that you were free from in a day or two. Something about it made the growing bond he had noticed and his fondness for you skyrocket, and it all happened right under his nose while he was distracted with making you comfortable and keeping you company.

Dottore never thought he'd have a doorframe close to one of the shelves in his lab marred by the marker-made scribbles of a height tracker specifically to tell him when it's time to cram everything up another shelve, yet it's there. He sees it whenever he swivels his chair in that direction or when the segments poke at it, mildly intrigued by his interest.

He can't trust some of them yet — not with you — the ones he does trust are almost entirely uninterested in you because that keeps you safe. His segments can't gain anything from a child who only annoys them by trying to hug their leg until they shove you away. From there, you can sense that they don't want to play from the glares you get that send you scurrying back to whatever corner has the reject dolls Sandrone gave him to mock him for his soft spot, so they don't care.

Despite wishing you were little more than a lingering annoyance he could palm off to the first available parental figure, you trust him so implicitly, and he's falling victim to your charms each time you stand behind him, peeking over his shoulder to spy on him like you're so sneaky, even when he can clearly see you looming out of the corner of his eye. You show interest and want to be around him, to loiter despite knowing you will receive only acknowledgement as he talks to you.

Returning to the lab reveals that you seem to have stolen his coat again — at least, that's what he gleans from its migration from the back of his chair to the floor — though he does not particularly mind even as you drag it back to your little set of chairs set up in the corner for you to play with.

Whatever tables did to you, Dottore has yet to figure out how it made you want to shove the little table you have over there so violently all the time. In your defence, it is usually in the way, and maybe it did something to deserve it that has you holding a grudge, but it's irrelevant as you position your little chairs and drape his coat over the backs of them to make a roof for your hideout.

A child's cubby.

At some point, he noticed you took to childish things like that, even when you didn't do that before, almost like you became more…childish. It's welcome. You warm up to the safety of his care and the joy of goading him into entertaining you.

He used to bar the younger segments from making those forts as they'd put them everywhere and neglected to return the items they grabbed to do so. You are not exactly better, though you tend to use appropriate materials. It is preferable to their habits of senselessly trying to stack things on top of each other and then getting confused as to why they would all fall down when a chasm to crawl inside of does not magically appear in the absence of intentional planning.

There's a reason he's Il Dottore and not Il Ingegnere.

The stealing does not change, however.

Dottore approaches your cubby, intent on investigating this fort you've crafted with the help of his coat. He realises you're humming when he gets closer, as you have been a lot lately. You make more noises now. Not quite words, but noises, and that's more than enough for now. He'd like to hold a proper conversation with you at some point, but you won't even say your own name, let alone keep up a whole verbal conversation that doesn't require a game of charades.

"Just what are you doing?" he asks, and the moment he does, you've grabbed the overcoat from where you had balanced it and run off giggling.

You narrowly escape him, settling off by his chair where you had first obtained the coat — a fickle cat-and-mouse game that will inevitably end one of two ways — you seem intent on keeping that coat, however. He watches as you burrow amidst the thick fabric of the overcoat you mischievously stole from him, the furs tickling your cheeks and warming you up as it sits bunched around your tiny body in a heap of cloth. It engulfs you as you are, but you always like it.

What bothers him so much is that if you were any other child pulling these stunts and creating trouble, Dottore would have found some way to get rid of you by now — he could've given you to the Knave. He can't. He's tried. He tried so hard, even attempting to justify it with his own fondness by convincing himself it would be for your own good. He even talked to her about it at one point, and she almost stole you, thinking the worst, before she realised how spoiled you were by Dottore's standards.

Selfishly, he couldn't do it. He couldn't bear it, even when he told himself Arlecchino would take better care of you than he could ever.

So you're still here, still interrupting his vital work to play a mockery of hide-and-seek where you manage to be the worst yet most endearing hider he could possibly seek, burrowing yourself out of sight beneath his coat as your head disappears and you lay flat on your stomach. A pest. That's what you should be. He stalks toward you like you are a tiny pest hunted by an eager cat waiting to catch you, but stops just before you.

It is nowhere near Dottore's nature to loudly question what this stray pile of laundry is doing lying around, nor can he bring himself to try baby-talking you in that singsong voice people use for children, so he kneels in front of you instead, lowered to your eye level. You wouldn't particularly appreciate it if he did pick up that ear-grating habit anyway.

The overcoat writhes as if a creature stirs beneath it, and you poke your head out to greet him with a slowly forming cheeky grin that devolves into giggles as you realise you are caught. You duck back into the safety of his coat, burrowing amidst its comfort and returning to hiding.

He cannot possibly keep the amused huff he lets out from escaping at the sound of your giggling before shaking his head. "Are you going to come out?" he asks. Of course not. You are going to squirm under there until he pulls you out. "Insufferable little thing," he mutters half-heartedly. He's unable to find the will to be truly angry with you, though he never really was in the first place, merely relenting at your silence.

Dottore rests his other knee on the ground and steals his coat from your little hands. With it, you shortly follow as you are collected in his arms and perched on his lap as he sits back in his chair, leaving you poorly balanced yet able to shift yourself into a comfortable spot where you won't fall. Dottore wraps his coat snugly around you, just as you had done before, and lets you settle into place.

You're so small, pacified by his arms around you to reluctantly grant you the hug he knows you want. You like those. He realised that when all you wanted in your sickness-fuelled stupor was for him to cradle you in his arms and let you lean against him. Something about it makes you look so vulnerable. You need someone who can care for and protect you despite your ability to care for yourself; he is the woefully imperfect choice who should not want to take on that task but who may be uniquely suited to it because of that.

'Damaged' children who have had to adapt to the shortcomings of others do not benefit solely from perfection but can become suffocated by it. They need something that suits their unusual need for guidance without expectation of normalcy. He's living it now as his inexperience with this idea of a family forces him to confront imperfection — dismal humanity.

You will never be like a child raised in a perfect family, nor can you offer him complete dependence and vulnerability; he doesn't mind that. In exchange, he will never be your perfect father figure. He will cradle you with his imperfection and wish that this feeling makes you happy if nothing else.

You offer what you want, and he takes what is given because he wants it. Badly, he wants it, even if he is unwilling to admit the possibility of that being real.

He wants to stay like this, to keep picking you up, even when lifting your weight and gathering you in his arms grows harder each time. He wants to watch you nestle against him, mark your height on the doorframe every month, take care of you when you're sick, worry about someone other than himself, and make room for you in a place where there should be none. He wants to give you what you were almost robbed of, see you make friends and smile each day.

For now, he must start small, no more than sitting in front of what probably looks like jumbled garbage to you and resting his hand on the back of your head to pull you closer in a rare show of affection. Gentle. He is entirely unused to the idea of being gentle and protective of something that lives and breathes.

Dottore hates the very idea of your existence meaning something to him — a visceral reaction to the unfamiliar — but cannot resist the vulnerability of it all, the thought of loving someone who loves him back in a way he has yet to fathom, though he is not so presumptuous as to mindlessly believe you love him, even now. You would not be asked to point to your father and turn to him, but you don't have to. Something in that thought is exciting, a desperate grasp at unconditional love from something he cares for, even against his will, but this middle ground somewhere between babysitter and father is as comfortable as anything he wants will get.

[fr3akshow-d4rlin]

Hwang in ho x reader

Warnings: implied age gap other than that none?

Word count: too lazy to check oopsies..?

A/n: this was prepared beforehand btw, im not just writing fics in like 3 seconds 😭😭🫡

The air is thick with tension as you move through the hall, the sound of frantic footsteps echoing against the walls. You can feel your heart racing, every game becoming more intense, more dangerous. The pressure is overwhelming, but you're trying your best to stay optimistic. Even in this twisted game, you refuse to let fear rule you. You’ve always been the kind of person who believed there was a silver lining in every cloud, a bright side in even the darkest moments.

You keep your head down, hoping not to draw attention to yourself, when suddenly, a figure appears in front of you. It’s Young Il, Hwang In-ho. Your breath catches for a moment as his dark eyes meet yours, sharp but somehow soft at the same time. He’s always been there, lurking in the background, but today, there's something different about his presence.

Before you can say anything, he steps in front of you, blocking your path. You blink up at him, your innocent smile still intact, though your heart is thudding in your chest.

“Uh... do you need something, Young Il?” You tilt your head, genuinely confused but always trying to be polite.

He looks around quickly, his gaze sweeping the hallway, as if making sure no one else is nearby. When he speaks, his voice is low, urgent.

“Follow me,” he says, his tone not leaving room for questions.

You frown slightly, still not fully understanding, but you trust him. There’s something in his eyes that makes you feel safe, even in this nightmare.

“Why? What’s going on?” You ask, voice sweet and innocent, your brows furrowing as you try to understand. “Are we—should we be going somewhere else?”

He doesn’t answer right away, but gently grabs your wrist. It’s not forceful, just steady and reassuring, and you don’t fight it. You follow him down the narrow corridor, the sound of your footsteps echoing around you. Despite the chaos outside, you feel a sense of calm in his presence, something almost... protective.

As you reach a quiet, dimly lit room, he shuts the door behind you with a soft click, and you glance around. The walls are bare, the only light coming from a flickering bulb overhead. You feel the weight of his gaze on you, but you still don’t fully understand what’s happening.

He lets go of your wrist but stays close, his eyes scanning your face carefully. You can’t help but giggle nervously, trying to lighten the mood.

“You look like you’re about to tell me a secret or something,” you say, flashing him a bright smile. “What’s going on? You’re being all mysterious.”

He doesn’t smile back, his face serious, but his eyes soften as he speaks.

“Listen, you need to be careful,” he says quietly, his voice so calm, it almost feels like a warning. “This place... it’s not what you think. You can’t trust anyone here, and if you want to make it out alive, you need to stay out of trouble.”

You blink, the words not fully sinking in at first. You’re still too focused on his voice, how gentle and caring it sounds, like he actually cares about you. You nod slowly, your smile never wavering, even though your mind is trying to catch up.

“But I just don’t get it,” you say, your voice almost pouty. “I mean, sure, everything’s scary and all, but if we just stick together, won’t things be okay? We could all just... be friends, right?”

He watches you for a long moment, his expression unreadable, and then lets out a small, almost bitter laugh. “You’re too kind,” he murmurs. “This isn’t a place for kindness. People here only look out for themselves.”

You shake your head, that optimism still bubbling up in your chest. “But that’s what makes it worth it, right? I mean, if we’re all just looking out for ourselves, then what’s the point? We should be looking out for each other, helping one another.”

His gaze softens again, something flickering in his eyes, but he doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. You can tell he’s fighting something in himself, something he doesn’t want to let you see. But finally, he steps closer, his hand resting briefly on your shoulder.

“You really are something else,” he says quietly, his voice almost tender. “I don’t know how you manage to stay so... hopeful in all this.”

You smile up at him, completely unaware of the conflicted feelings he’s battling. “Well, someone has to believe in good things, right? Otherwise, what’s the point of even trying?”

For a moment, the world outside fades. It’s just you and him in this tiny room, and you swear you can feel a quiet connection forming between you, one that goes beyond words. His fingers brush your wrist again, as if reassuring himself that you’re still here, still safe.

“You don’t have to be so naive,” he says softly, his voice almost a whisper. “The world isn’t kind, but I’ll protect you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

You tilt your head, genuinely confused but touched by his words. “But... I’m fine! I mean, look! You’re here, right? We can do this together!”

Young Il looks down at you for a long moment, his gaze intense, almost like he’s seeing something in you that you can’t even comprehend. Finally, he exhales a long, shaky breath, shaking his head.

“I can’t let you get hurt. Not on my watch.”

You don’t fully understand what he means by that, but you trust him. In that moment, everything feels strangely safe.

You smile up at him, still unaware of the whirlwind of emotions he's battling inside. "But... I’m fine! I mean, look! You’re here, right? We can do this together!”

Young Il stares at you, his eyes searching, intense. For a long moment, there's silence between you two. The air feels charged, thick with something unsaid. He takes a slow step closer, his breath barely a whisper in the room.

“I don’t think you understand,” he murmurs, his voice deep and full of something you can’t quite place. "I’m not just trying to protect you from the games... I’m trying to protect you from everything here. The people. The lies. The darkness. It’s not safe for someone like you."

You tilt your head in confusion, your usual bubbly nature still strong, as if you can’t quite grasp the gravity of the situation. "But that’s exactly why we need to stick together! We can keep each other safe, right?"

For a brief moment, he looks like he’s about to say something else, but the words get stuck in his throat. Instead, he just steps even closer, his eyes softening as he gazes down at you. His hand slowly reaches up to your cheek, brushing a strand of hair away.

It’s a small, simple gesture—but to you, it feels like a thousand unspoken promises. He’s never been this close before, and the warmth of his touch makes your heart skip a beat.

You open your mouth to say something, but before you can, his lips are on yours. It’s gentle at first—soft, hesitant, like he’s not sure if it’s the right thing to do. But it’s also full of urgency, a quiet desperation you can feel through the tender pressure of his kiss.

The moment his lips meet yours, your breath catches in your throat. The world outside the room seems to disappear, the sounds of the game fading away. You forget about everything—the danger, the violence, the uncertainty—because all that matters in this instant is him. His kiss is a promise, a silent vow that despite everything, he will keep you safe.

When he pulls back, his forehead rests against yours, and you can feel his breath mingling with yours. His eyes are closed for a moment, as if savoring the moment, before slowly opening them to meet yours. There’s something different in his gaze now—an intensity, a connection that wasn’t there before.

“I told you,” he says softly, “I’m not letting you go.”

You smile up at him, that innocent, hopeful grin never fading. "I wouldn’t want you to."

And in that quiet, shared moment, it feels like the world might just be okay for once.

[eggluverz]

Ooh, I loved your IL Dan Heng request where he realizes that Reader is no longer around and flips quickly trying to find them out of sheer anxiety that those who still hate Dan Feng would take out their hatred and vengeance on them.

I actually want to try and request fem!Reader getting attacked by a group who just want to hurt Dan Heng through attacking his beloved. But his beloved is no damsel in distress, and fights them off, extremely angry that they are attacking her to hurt Dan Heng for a crime he is not guilty of and finds it pathetic that they continue to hold a grudge against someone who has long passed, not adhering to the Vidyadhara laws that Dan Feng’s sins have been washed away. She tears into them, defending Dan Heng with everything as she beats their ass in an emotional rage with tears that’s only stopped because Jing Yuan has to prevent an Incident from happening even though he would gleefully let her continue beating them down.

Reader is upset that they want to hurt and cause Dan Heng pain. She could care less about them trying to torture or assassinate her.

But Reader still gets injured much to Dan Heng’s guilt and anguish and he blames himself for what happened after he arrives at the scene when he sensed that something was wrong.

Reader proceeds to reassure him that none of it is his fault.

SHOULD’VE BEEN THERE

PAIRING. dan heng x f!reader

CONTENT WARNING. swearing, reader gets slightly injured and is bleeding, mentions of blood and cut wounds

WORD COUNT. 2,317

SUMMARY. you and dan heng are exploring the xianzhou luofu and you get surrounded by a group of assassins who want to hurt you to get to dan heng. you decide to teach them not to mess with your partner. 

SOF’S NOTE. hihi!! thank u for liking my something shiny this way comes fic :3 sorry this took a while to get out but i still hope u enjoy!! badass reader was fun to write ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ she a cool bean ! LOL ty for the request xx

The Imbibitor Lunae Dan Feng wasn’t exactly known for being a beloved figure. Like many infamous individuals of history, there were some who hated him, while others continued their almost unnerving worship.

At the Xianzhou Luofu, the opinions of the general public were mixed and even carried onto his reincarnation. Some would rather have Dan Heng return to the position of leadership, while others wanted him gone from the very land his past life once considered home. 

And while Dan Heng thought it’d best to separate himself from his past, he did see the value in learning about the culture and history of the Xianzhou as well as the Vidyadhara. As his partner, you were simply glad he wanted you along during the times he felt the need to revisit the Xianzhou Luofu or indulge in their delicacies. 

You accompanied him in enough instances that some of the vendors even knew the two of you by name and what your favorite orders were. It wouldn’t have been a surprise it some locals were familiar with the two of you as well.

Today, you both decided to explore the Xianzhou Luofu separately in the morning, and then meet up late afternoon for a meal together. You wanted to try this tea spot in Aurum Alley you hadn’t heard of before. The tea was said to, somehow, make the consumers feel really good and it intrigued you enough to want to go with Dan Heng. 

However, your plans of wandering around and enjoying some time alone was cut short when a group of individuals suddenly appeared around you. 

You startled at the sight. The must’ve been been using cloudhymn magic for you not to notice their presence at all until they revealed themselves. After the initial surprise, your body instantly relaxed as you prepared for a fight. Judging by the looks on their faces’, it didn’t seem like they were friendly fans of the Astral Express crew just looking for an autograph. 

Plastering a smile on your face to turned to the man closest to you. “Can I help you guys?” 

He scowled but remained wordless, feeling like he was too important to speak to the likes of you. 

You frowned. “It’s not very nice to ignore people.”

“Since when did we say we want to be nice to you?” another group member scoffed, already drawing his blade. “Dan Feng’s whore.” 

Murmurs and grunts of agreement sounded from the rest of the group.

Sighing, you placed on hand on your hip and your other on the shaft of your spear. You had many issues with that sentiment. One, you weren’t a whore— You were his partner. And two, if you were a whore, you’d for sure be one only for Dan Heng. Not this old, dead man named Dan Feng people kept going on about. 

“I’m getting a little annoyed here, but I’ll give you one chance,” you said calmly, trying not to lose your patience. “Leave me alone and I’ll pretend this never happened.”

“Or what?” one lady chimed in. 

With a huff, you quickly scanned the circle of people. The group wasn’t too large; there were only about four individuals around you with their weapons now at the ready. You reckoned they must’ve had some skill, given they were able to use the cloudhymn magic typically practiced by assassins, but you were confident you could hold your own and knock them out by yourself if you needed to. 

You tapped your foot and pursed your lips. “You don’t want to know the or what.” There was a mocking laugh to your side and you quickly turned to him with your eyebrows raised. “Is something funny?”

He nodded. “Yeah. You’re not scary at all.”

“She’s just as pathetic as that sorry reincarnation of Dan Feng,” another snickered, nudging your back with the hilt of his sword. 

The woman in front of you shook her head, looking down at you. “No one is as pathetic as that traitor.”

Anger surged through you at his words. Dan Heng was so much more than Dan Feng’s reincarnation. He was his own person— A strong, kind, intelligent person at that. And he wasn’t pathetic. In an instant, you knocked the sword out of your ambusher’s hands with a swift kick and pointed the blunt end of your polearm at the woman who insulted him next. 

“You want to say that again?” you scowled, prodding her shoulder roughly in warning. 

When you moved your weapon, the man behind you swung his sword at your side and you just barely managed to dodge, the blade leaving a long cut across your upper arm. You flinched at the sting but ignored it. You felt small drops of blood begin to roll down onto your elbow, but you sensed the cut wasn’t deep enough for you to be truly concerned. It was nothing compared to what you would do to them if they said one more negative thing about Dan Heng. 

They could hurt you and call you names. That you didn’t care about; you could handle yourself. Sure, you might cry a little after the event took place, but when it came to it, you could hold your own. But when they continually kept insulting Dan Heng, you knew you had to put your foot down. 

Your partner, your beloved, has been through enough shit without having random strangers who didn’t even know him talking behind his back. This particular group even went as far as trying to harass you simply because of your association with him. 

You wouldn’t stand for it. You couldn’t— It hurt your own heart just hearing them badmouth him. 

Red flooded your vision as you glared at the group with your weapon in a readied position, “You only need to look in the mirror if you want to see what pathetic truly is. No need to bring Dan Heng into this.”

The group matched your stance and you rolled your eyes before swinging your polearm in a low sweep to knock two ambushers to the floor. Before you could use your weapon correctly and strike the next assailant, a booming voice sounded from your side. 

“Now, now. If we’re going to resort to violence, please do it away from the innocent civilians nearby.” 

The group of assassins around you straightened up in an instant at the sound of Jing Yuan and the marching Cloud Knights behind him. 

While you were half relieved to see Jing Yuan, the other half of you wanted him to go away so you could enjoy beating the shit out of these idiots who insulted Dan Heng. That would certainly teach them not to spew nonsense about things they did not know. 

The group silently disbanded and disappeared as they ran away, trying to avoid the clutches of Jing Yuan’s men who were soon on their heels. You frowned at their cowardly escape. They couldn’t even stand to face the lawful consequences of their actions? 

“As much as I would’ve enjoyed seeing your execution of justice, I don’t think Dan Heng would want to see you potentially get more injured,” Jing Yuan said with a small smile. “They are assassins, after all.” He examined your arm from a distance before walking up to you and offering a hand. 

You accepted, looking down at your bleeding arm with a slight wince. “They barely even nicked me…”

Jing Yuan shook his head, a fond look on his face despite his chastisement. Before he could sterilize it for you, you two spotted Dan Heng running over. His spear was by his side and his expression was frantic as he ran towards you. 

“Y/N! Are you alright?” called Dan Heng, his breathing heavy partly from physical exertion, but mostly from worry. “I saw Cloud Knights tracking down some people under the influence of cloudhymn magic.” His brows furrowed as he finally reached you and Jing Yuan, most likely remembering his last encounter with assassins using the same technique. “Did you see them? Are you okay?”

Jing Yuan glanced at the guilty look on your face before giving your arm a squeeze and nodding once to Dan Heng. “I shall let the two of you continue this conversation alone. Until we cross paths again.”

Your eyes widened at his quick goodbye. “Hopefully our next meeting will be for better reasons. Thanks, Jing Yuan!” 

“Don’t mention it.” He turned to Dan Heng before he left. “Stay safe and vigilant, Dan Heng.” 

As he walked away, you noticed Dan Heng scanning every inch of your body, eyes clouded with anxiety as he took in Jing Yuan’s words and the cut on your arm. 

Silence stretched between the two of you before he finally spoke up. When he talked, his tone was unsettling. “Who did this to you? Was it the assassins?”

Your gaze softened as his fists tightened in concern. “Yes,” you admitted, gently putting his hands in yours as you ran your thumb over his knuckles. “But I’m okay, they didn’t hurt me.”

Dan Heng looked at you in disbelief.

“This just needs to be cleaned and bandaged, is all,” you reassured with a small smile. “I’m sure the bruises I left on them are worse.”

“You’re bleeding.”

“But I’m okay,” you said, soft but firm. 

You gazed stubbornly at him and Dan Heng returned the look, neither of you backing down. Eventually, Dan Heng sighed, squeezing his eyes shut at the sight of the bloodstain on your shirt. 

“I’m so sorry, Y/N,” he said with an almost imperceptible quiver in his voice. “I should’ve been there for you.”

“Hey, don’t say that.” You frowned, lightly cupping his jaw to lift his head that had fallen to the floor. “You’re always there for me; I know it.”

“Not enough, apparently.” 

Dan Heng’s complexion was paler than normal. You could tell this was really eating him up inside. 

“You couldn’t have known I was going to get ambushed by cloudhymn magic users,” you said, trying to console him. “If you did, I know you wouldn’t have left me alone. But you didn’t know, and so I did my best to handle them myself— And I would’ve kicked their sorry asses for insulting your character if Jing Yuan hadn’t stopped the fight.”

Dan Heng’s expression softened at that, a hint of an amused smile forming on his face. “They would’ve felt sorry for trying to harm you if they knew of your skill, that’s for certain.” He reached out to hold your forearm in his hand, examining the cut with a sigh. “I just hate that you got hurt because of me.”

You shook your head at his wrongful connection. “I got hurt because of the idiot assassins, not because of you.”

“Didn’t they want to harm you because of your relation to me?”

“Yes, but that just means they’re delusional and stuck in the past and wanted to hurt us both,” you reasoned, watching carefully as Dan Heng pulled a first aid kit out of your bag and began to clean you up. “You did not hurt me, Dan Heng. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

He let your words sink in as he sterilized your wound, rubbing the sensitive skin on your inner forearm soothingly as he sensed you tightening up at the sting of pain. Once he disposed of the bloodied cloth, he wrapped a bandage around your triceps and secured the ends. 

You admired his work with a proud grin. “Good as new. Thank you!”

Dan Heng released a huff of laughter as he patted the top of your head before kissing it.  “I wouldn’t go that far, but I hope it will heal soon.” 

“As long as you kiss me daily to make the wound heal faster!” 

“I’m not sure that’s how it works,” he mused. You poured and he looked at you fondly. “For you, I’ll give it a try.” Dan Heng placed three kisses on your face—one on your forehead, one on your left cheek, and one on your right—and one kiss on your bandaged arm. “If I give you multiple kisses a day then, will it heal even sooner?” 

You nodded eagerly, gesturing to your mouth with a teasing glint in your eye. “Definitely! And there’s one place to kiss so it’ll heal the fastest.” 

Dan Heng smiled. “I believe I know the place you are referring to, but we’ll save that for when we’re in private.”

You jutted your bottom lip out and batted your eyelashes at him. “Just a little one?” 

He wasn’t much for excessive public displays of affection. You were rather embarrassed by it yourself. But in this moment, it felt as if it were just the two of you on the entire Luofu. 

Unable to resist the pleasing look on your face, Dan Heng humored you with a chaste kiss on your lips. It was plush and warm and, while the two of you wanted more, it was enough to satiate you for now. 

“Is that better?” he asked. 

“Yes.”

“I’m glad to hear.” He took your hand in his, carefully interlacing his slender fingers with yours. “Thank you for looking after me, even when I’m not there. I’m glad you have my back. I will always have yours as well,” he vowed. “I’ll always be here for you.”

As the promise left his mouth, you knew each word was one he meant from the heart. Dan Heng meant the world to you, and you would stop at nothing to protect him. And you knew he would do the same. You saw it through his actions, and now, he told you with his words. 

Your stomach warmed and your heart squeezed, feeling touched by his declaration. 

“I know you will,” you stated, a confident shimmer in your eyes as you met his headstrong ones. “And I will always be here for you, too.”

[angrelysimpping]

DoL x Outlast Trials

Reader (you, your); Avery, Kylar, Whitney, Wren, Remy, Robin, Bailey, Sydney, Harper, Doren, Winter, Sirris, Mason, River, Ivory Wraith, Leighton, Briar, Eden, Alex, Jordan, Landry, Niki, Darryl, Anxious Guard, Relaxed Guard, Methodical Guard, Veteran Guard (they/them)

No real structure, just ramblin

Thaaaaank yooooou 🩷 @letstalktea 🩷 for yappin with me abt this :3

Contents: implied dub and noncon but nothing explicit; canon typical violence for outlast? Nothing real explicit

Words: ~2.1k

Avery

Prime asset Avery who doesn't have a weapon, not like the others. Just their own two hands. A mother/father "figure." You just have to submit to their every whim. It could be so enjoyable for you if you learned how to just grin and bear it. Balancing getting caught by Avery, risking their wrath, with the stamps and coins you sometimes find stuffed in your pockets after encounters.

God, berserker Avery? Raging constantly. (As they all do but it somehow feels extra with Avery.) Reaching and grabbing and pulling. Manages to get you under them, breathing ragged as they grip you by the calves. Maybe, maybe, maybe, if you relax in their hold, let them spread your legs uncomfortably wide and slot themself between your thighs, they'll let you leave when they're done with you. Or, well, toss you to the side and let you drag yourself into a corner to recover? At least this way you'll survive.

Kylar

Kylar is just another regent, small and easily overlooked. So quiet, all the time. You don't expect them to corner you during a trial, thought it unfathomable that someone like them could overpower you. Yet now here you are, trying to hold back any sounds that try to escape you because it's better to let Kylar do what they want, small hands tucked between your thighs and stuttered breaths in your ear, then get caught. Helps (“helps”) that they use the barricade rig, keeping you somewhat trapped/protected. Kylar is also scarry good at knowing when someone is an imposter, but only for you. That fact seemed odd before they cornered you.

Whitney

Whitney as a regent. Fucking cunt who won't come to your rescue during a trial even though they have the stun rig maxed out. Unless, of course, you'll give them head in when in the common areas. Jokes about striking up a deal with "That freak, baby boots" and there is a non zero chance that cocaine has actually gone missing during Barbi's trials. Has done lewd poses with the mannequins, especially on Gooseberry levels. Has died the most to Coyle. Takes way too many dumb risks trying to taunt the officer. You have strong arm Whitney, your bricks break after one hit idiot.

Whitney as a berserker, though. Hmmmm.

Wren

Wreeeeen. Appearing in odd trials. How did they get here? Oh, they have their ways. Cool smiles and sharp eyes. Trades you for this and that. Technically a regent but you hardly ever see them in the sleep quarters, you've never run a trial with them, and the ex-pop don't seem to mind them that much. You've never seen them with a Prime Asset, tho. They seem to swap between having a jammer rig and a blinding rig, a good tell for when they're hanging around a trial is if you spot a green mine and you know you and none of the other regents in the trial have placed one yet. They also like to hang around bonus rooms. Pure vibes: feel like the Pitcher would either never enter the trial while you're near Wren or seems to always come into the trial when you decide to meet Wren. No in between.

Remy

Prime asset Remy, whip in hand as they stalk after disobedient cattle. Il Bambino is a top client of theirs, trials decorated similarly yet Remy's cattle seem more...cared for. Donated on, even. You could be like them, much better off than some of the other fates that could await you, hm? Oddly enough, it seems Wren is more likely to show up in Remy's trials…

Robin

Screamer Robin. They just, they need to sleep. Please let them sleep. They really, really don't mean to lash out at you when they're startled awake. But it....it feels so good to have you against them. Please, just let them keep you here, just for a bit. And if...if you feel them pressing against you, their hips rocking, don't pay it any mind.

Regent Robin switches between healing rig and jammer. Always tries to be helpful regardless of their relations with other regents but their spirit slowly gets whittled away. You gotta check in on them.

Bailey

Hehe, Bailey. Prime asset Bailey who claims you owe them a long overdue debt and they'll take it out of your hide. I know it's canon that Bailey has a gun but God, brass knuckles? More limited in their reach but extra dangerous up close. Might just let you slip away if you offer up an item they like. Might not. Doesn't hurt to find out though, does it? (It does) Shares the orphanage living space with Gooseberry.

Or regent Bailey. Shakes you down in the sleep quarters. They have an "in" with the guards, make sure your sweet ass doesn't get put into too many trials. Or, so they say.

Sydney

Sydney. Sweet, sweet regent Sydney. Shaking as they run up to you, squirming in a prime asset's grip, to slam their healing rig. Sprints with you to cover so you can get the most out of their rig, slipping into a double locker with you, their hands shaking as they find yours in the dark. They almost give your position away when you bring their hand up to your mouth, lips brushing over their slender fingers, and they involuntarily take in a sharp breath. They seem extra nervous in trials where they know Leighton is around and will stick closer to you during them.

Harper

Harper as the gasser, of course. Excuse me, Pusher, or whatever. (I don't believe your medical degree is valid and you can't convince me otherwise.) But, well, the gas is a last option for them. They'd rather pin you down, force you to watch their pen sway back and forth. Look into their eyes, listen to their voice. You're doing so, so well in the trials. You'll continue to do well, won't you? But first be a dear for them and open your mouth on three...two...one, there we go.

Ooooor regent Harper. They hypnotise fellow regents but they seem to take a particular fondness for you. They usually use their skills in hypnotism to protect themself, make other regents more likely to protect them. But you? They like making you wonder away from others during the trial, seek out a safe place where you greet Harper with dazed smiles and spread legs. The researchers keep a close eye on them, seeing how Harper's hypnotism interacts with their programming. Harper would favor the blinding rig, I thinks.

Ivory Wraith

Ivory as the Skinner Man when you do get gassed by Harper. Rip

Teachers

Idk WHERE the teachers are, maybe part of the Murkoff staff?

Doren

I know in my heart of hearts Doren gets a good laugh if they hear someone call Franco Barbi “baby shoes, never worn.” i think they'd be keeping track of regents with big “personalities.” Maybe also provide “literature” for regents to consume in the sleeping quarters.

Winter

Winter helps set up the traps. Has some more “unusual” that they'd like to try. Some regents can volunteer with their traps testing for a few extra stamps and maybe a few less trials for a couple of days.

Mason

Mason, Mason, Mason. A young researcher? Makes the physical hazards (toxic shock, winter kills)?

River

River is so calm and collected when they're working but jumps when a regent throws themself at the gate toward them. Can fight off regents but they can't look them in the eyes after witnessing some of the things the regents go through in the trials.

Sirris

Mmmm, Sirris watching their own child go through the trials? No, I doubt it. If Sirris is a researcher then Sydney is like, an intern or something. Sirris makes the gas. Sydney as an intern seems to be a bit too….interested in the regents and Sirris tries to keep them from the areas where there's only simple fencing keeping the regents separated from the researchers.

If Sydney was somehow a regent while Sirris was a researcher, they'd keep an extra close eye on them. Especially when Sydney seems to take a liking to you. They almost think it a bit of a shame how regents are sterilized on intake but, hm, well, there are probably was to reverse it if the need arose somehow.

The teachers attitudes toward you change depending on your actions. Volunteer for Winter's tests; do well in Mason's environments; read Doren's propaganda books; don't throw yourself at River or maybe yank back a regent who tries; get used to Sirri's drug (and hope they never see you trying to interact with Sydney)

Leighton

Yeah they're decoupled from the teachers, sorry?

Fuck me, Leighton as a prime asset. The Headteacher, here to set you on a path of morals or however Murkoff wants to spin it. I think they'd share the orphanage’s school area with Gooseberry. Weapon is a paddle ><

Or, fuck me, Leighton as a night hunter? Singing “do you see what I see” as they pull you over a knee.

Head researcher Leighton. Keeping all the other teacher/researchers in check. Enough power to pull out regents from Gen pop for their own “tests"

Briar

Goddddd Briar. Yeah, they're still running a brothel. Fork over some stamps, some tokens, whatever you've got, and they'll tell you what you can afford. They…still seem to have their wine. They've gotta know someone, have some connections (Leighton). And they'll use those connections against you if they think you're cheating them. Their brothel gig isn't…technically sanctioned, but it's pointedly ignored. Besides, easier for the doctors to keep tabs on who is fucking who if there's a brothel like set up going. Though, really, they don't want there to be any sex among the regents at all. The brothel also helps keep tabs on who's still seeking out sex with fellow regents.

Mmmmm, or prime asset Briar? Trying to drag an ungrateful whore back to where they belong? Probably has bits and pieces of connections to the other Prime Assets in one way or another. It'd be so so fucking funny if their weapon was a pimp cane oh my god.

Eden

Eden as a night hunter :3 fucking kicks down doors every single time. Doesn't matter if it's locked or not. Extra rough when they grab you, tending to haul you over their shoulder and take you further into their sanctuary of shadows. They want you disoriented.

Alex

Alex as another regent. Also a stun rig user but more likely they'll come help you out even if you're not on the best of terms. Seems to have a harder time in Remy's trials.

Jordan

Jordan, Jordan, Jordan. Hm. Prime asset. Bringing you into the right religious path. Their weapon is a flog that seems just as much for self flagellation. Shares the Gooseberry's chapple at the orphanage. The worst part is Jordan seems so…nice. They're truly sincere in their want to “help you.” Violently jerks away from you if you grab at your chest or slot a leg between their thighs. Seems to stun them as bad as a full power stun rig. Though, They turn extra violent for a duration.

Guards

Oh, the Prison Guards work as Murkoff guards.

Anxious

Cooing at Anxious to come a bit closer to the fence, you won't bite.

Relaxed

Relaxed almost right against the fence, smiling wide.

Methodical

Methodical seemingly watching you without interest. You can read them easier over time.

Veteran

Veteran sneering as the push you away from trying to reach through the fence.

Darryl

Darryl 🥺 Regent? Kind, but their freeze response is so strong you often have to help them out of trouble. Switches between rigs but favors blinding and x-ray. More likely to use the x-ray rig if Leighton is a night hunter.

Or, a grabber (puncer? Is that theor offical name?). Reaching out from under desks, jumping from barrels, lurching from lockers and closets. Stay with them. Don't leave them. Please, please. No, no, don't scream, don't cry. Don't bring someone else here. Just, stay with them?

Landry

Landry could work similarly to Dorris. Though, I think it'd be interesting if they had you looking for certain things in trials, lil side objectives (Do your dailies fokes) for them to either pay you or maybe slip you a few exclusive amps. Maybe even a prescription. Or straight up lore files too, I'd take that.

Niki

You spot Niki around, on the other side of the glass. They always have a camera around their neck, expression blank as they move around the facilities. They're rarely seen in trials, but they pop in from time to time. Sometimes photographs are needed, and Niki has to be close by. That doesn't fully explain why sometimes you think you see them pointing their camera at you while you're in the sleep quarters and common areas…

[ghost-in-the-hall]

Flowers (Phantom x GN! Reader) FLUFF

WARNINGS: Recreational smoking 🌿, doesn't go into detail, all fluff, Primo being a dad, Phantom being sweet, cute, and nice. Just a good old innocent mutual crush. Not proofread, sorry if there's any mistakes with keeping it GN, please feel free to let me know if I missed anything so I can correct it!

My Masterlist! ~ AO3 Link!

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"Good morning Papa." You greet Primo with a smile, carefully setting down the cup of tea you had brought him on his work bench.

"Good morning il mio Bambino." He responds softly, completely engrossed in his task of pruning one of his many bonsai trees. "When you get a moment my dear would you be able to do me a small favor?" You breathed out an amused sigh. You had been Primo's assistant for a while, enjoying the slow pace of working with the eldest Emeritus brother.

"Papa, you don't need to ask." You giggle, bringing a smile to the older man's face. "Anything you need I'll take care of, don't worry."

"You truly are too good to me." He shoots you a wink causing you to playfully roll your eyes. "There's some produce that needs harvesting in the greenhouse. I was hoping I could have your assistance collecting it all."

"Of course. Let me just make sure I don't have any paperwork to file first." You give his shoulder a gentle squeeze as you pass, leaving him to finish his pruning. You fell into the chair at your desk with a sigh, flipping your letter opener around in your hand to sort through the daily mail. You paused as something caught your eye. A single sunflower sat at the edge of your desk. You picked it up curiously, a smile finding its way to your lips as you spun the stem between your fingers. "Thank you for the flower Papa!" You call into his office. You hear the scraping of his chair against the wooden floor, Primo emerging in the doorway moments later.

You glance over your shoulder as you hear him chuckle. "That flower isn't from me, my dear." He raised an eyebrow at you. "Perhaps you've caught the attention of someone special, hm?" You couldn't stop the blush from spreading across your cheeks as you giggled.

"I doubt that," you state with a wistful tone as you continue to admire the flower in your hand, "I'm pretty plain compared to a lot of the other Siblings. This was probably supposed to be a gift for you if anything."

"I'd like you to keep it regardless." He gently pats the top of your head. "And you are not plain. You have a smile that could light up any room, a laugh so melodic it would rival Cirrus' piano. You're a kind, beautiful soul inside and out. Not to mention your Papa's favorite." He teases with a wink.

"Thank you Papa." He holds out his arm for you to take.

"Come il mio bambino, we have a lot of work to do." You slide your hand into the crook of his elbow, allowing him to prattle on about whatever came to his mind as you made your way to the greenhouse together. No matter the task, working with Primo always managed to put a smile on your face. Over your time as his assistant you had grown quite close to him, Primo had become somewhat of a father figure in your life. The two of you would sit and chat about everything while you worked; filling each other in on the gossip you heard around the Abbey, Primo telling you stories of when he was in his prime, both of you unwinding with a nice cup of tea at the end of the day in his cozy office. Today was no different. You were both droning on about how, somehow, Sister Imperator had been even more stern than usual lately.

"Maybe you should offer her a joint, it might help her stop being so uptight all the time." Primo chuckles at your statement.

"You might be right, I heard she used to be quite the stoner in her day." You both paused at the sound of the greenhouse door slowly creaking open. Primo began to stand, you motioned for him not to trouble himself.

"I'll go see who it is Papa, it's probably just one of the Siblings from the kitchen." You rise with a groan, meticulously pulling off your work gloves before stuffing them into your pocket. As you approached the entrance you were met with the sight of a Ghoul curiously looking over the plants. He froze the moment he picked up on your presence, like a child getting caught doing something they weren't supposed to be. His shoulders relaxed as he realized it was you who emerged from the greenery and not the eldest Emeritus. "Phantom?"

"Hey." He returns your greeting with a sharp smile, fangs glinting in the bright afternoon sun that glimmered through the glass roof. "I was sent to ask Primo about some of his tea." He nervously shifts his weight between his feet.

"Oh, he's right back here actually." You motioned for him to follow you. Phantom takes a couple long strides, allowing himself to walk by your side. "You help in the greenhouse too?" He asks genuinely. You nod, giving him a small smile.

"I work pretty much wherever Primo needs me." You chuckle softly. "If I'm being honest I'd rather be out here than at my desk, it gets awfully stuffy in there sometimes." You whisper to him, as if it was a secret just for the two of you. You found Primo still diligently harvesting the produce you had left him with. "Papa, Phantom needs to ask you about some tea."

"Papa," Phantom bows his head slightly in a polite greeting, "Copia sent me. He's having, uh… that problem again. He said you'd know what I meant." His eyes widened slightly as he waited for Primo to remember what particular ailment he was referring to.

"Right," Primo claps his hands together. "I'll go grab the senna." Once Primo is out of view Phantom's attention immediately shifts back to you.

"What are you two harvesting?" You smile at his curiosity, aside from Primo and the other Siblings that helped in the gardens no one ever seemed interested about the work you did in here.

"Berries mostly." He trails closely behind you as you return to the plant you had been previously seated in front of. "The raspberries came out wonderful this year, I don't think we've ever had this big of a crop." Phantom kneels next to you in the dirt, eyes darting between your hands as they worked and your face.

"Can I ask a silly question?" He inquires sheepishly.

"There are no silly questions." You give him a reassuring smile, gently bumping your shoulder against his.

"What do raspberries taste like?" You paused. You had gotten so used to seeing Phantom dart around the Abbey that you had forgotten he had only been summoned a little while ago. Something as simple and well enjoyed by you he had never experienced before.

"Would you like to try one?" He nods eagerly. You search through the bush, looking for the best looking berry you could find. You carefully held it between your fingers as you offered it to him. "Now, I'm going to warn you, they have seeds and they're kind of fuzzy." He squints at the fruit, bright violet eyes analyzing it closely. He takes the berry between his teeth, taking extra care to make sure his fangs didn't accidentally graze your fingers. He chewed it slowly, eyes never leaving your face.

"It's good… sweet." He smiles proudly at his small triumph. His gaze travels to the top of your head. "You, uh, have a leaf." He points to your hair. You attempt to brush it away on your own but you could tell by the expression he was giving you that it was still there. He cautiously reaches towards you, untangling it from your strands before discarding it on the ground. His eyes scan over your features, a smile coming to his lips as he brushes the disturbed hair back into place. "Beautiful." You let out a flustered giggle. You both jump as Primo speaks up.

"This should take care of Copia's problem." He holds out a jar of herbs to Phantom. Seeing both of your bashful states he pauses. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" He gives you a smug grin.

"No Papa, we were just talking." You nervously fidgeted with your fingers as you spoke.

"Thank you for the tea Papa. (Y/N), hopefully I'll see you soon." He flashes you another dazzling smile before making his leave. You couldn't stop your eyes from trailing after him as he left, turning back to Primo once he fully stepped out of sight. You had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes at the shit eating grin he wore 

"Don't look at me like that." You tried to hide your flustered state.

"I see we fancy ourselves a Quintessence Ghoul, do we?" He returns to the plant at your side with a laugh.

"We were just talking Papa." You reiterate again to try and get your point across.

"Just talking wouldn't cause the two of you to jump like that my dear. I've witnessed my fair share of crushes in my day, it's nothing to be ashamed of." He addresses the matter casually.

"Papa!" You exclaim through a giggle. 

"Fine, fine." He accepts defeat, holding up his hands in surrender. "But, when you do finally come to terms with the fact you're attracted to him, I'll be here to talk." He smiles patiently.

You laugh and shake your head, "I don't have a crush on Phantom, it's just…" you trailed off for a moment. You couldn't exactly put into words how you felt. You had always been pretty close with all of the Ghouls, so when the newest members were summoned you were one of the first to be introduced. When you had first met Phantom he was timid, still feeling somewhat awkward in his more humanoid form.

"Walk me through what you're thinking tesoro, maybe I can help you sort things out." You both kept busy as you talked, knowing if you actually allowed yourself to focus on the words spilling from your lips you would end up overthinking.

"He's very easy for me to talk to. It took me a while to form the friendships that I have, but with him it almost felt effortless. The first night I met him there was something about him that was just so… captivating. He was unlike any person or Ghoul I had ever met." You explain.

"You two definitely seemed to hit it off pretty quickly. Up until he met you I don't think I had ever really seen Phantom interact with any of the Siblings, he mostly kept to himself. Perhaps there are a few members of his pack he's close to, but compared to the rest of Copia's Ghouls he seems a bit reserved." Primo remarks.

"That's the thing Papa… he's not." You thought back to one of the times it had just been the two of you. "Phantom is loud, boisterous, confident." His infectious laugh echoed through your memories, bringing a smile to his face. It wasn't uncommon for Phantom to coincidentally stumble across you smoking alone in the garden, enjoying the twinkling starlight as the pungent smell of herb filled the air. Being with him only added to the dizzying head rush you had. Gazing into his eyes felt like you were running through a field of lavender, his fingers bumping against yours making your pulse thrum in your ears, entirely consumed by the image of him mere inches away from you. The two of you in your own world together as you resisted the urge to lean into him. You were snapped from your day dream as a thorn pricked your finger, you winced slightly, letting out an exasperated sigh as reality set in once more. "Him and I just get along really well, that's all." Primo just smiled knowingly. He had seen that far off look in your eyes many times before; pining Siblings stumbling into his confessional to pour their heart and soul out to him over a friend who they swore would never be anything more than just that. You didn't say much for the rest of the afternoon, the memory of Phantom playing repeatedly in your mind as you tried to convince yourself none of that mattered.

"I'll see you in the morning." Primo waves over his shoulder as the two of you part ways in the halls. You headed back to his office, having a few things to check on before fully retiring for the evening. You look behind you as you hear another set of footsteps join your own in the empty corridor. You were a bit surprised to see none other than the Ghoul occupying your every thought round the corner. You smile at the sight of him, pausing to let him catch up.

"Copia wanted me to bring Primo a thank you note for the tea." You found yourself shoving your hands deep in your pockets, the slight brush of his hand against yours sending a jolt through your body, causing you to have an urge you didn't dare give into.

"Primo decided to turn in a little early tonight…" you trail off, glancing at him out of the corner of your eye. "But, I am heading down to his office now. I wouldn't mind the company if you'd like to walk with me."

"I would love to." He smiles down at you. You blush, quickly darting your eyes down to your feet so hopefully he wouldn't catch your flustered expression. "You seem nervous." You remarked how that was a statement, not a question. You flashed him your most convincing smile, trying to shove your anxiety away so he wouldn't worry.

"It's just been a long day. I'm not really feeling fully… myself, I guess." You found yourself wanting to be honest with him the more you spoke. There was something about being with him that made you feel so undeniably safe that you couldn't lie about how you were feeling. The question flashed through your mind about whether or not Quintessence Ghouls possessed some type of mind control power to make you tell the truth. You noticed him glance over at you out of the corner of your eye. "I promise it's nothing to worry about." You slid into your chair as you arrived at Primo's office, Phantom perching himself on the edge of the desk at your side.

"Have you eaten?" He suddenly chimes. Your stomach decided to answer before you had a chance to, giving off a low angry growl over your hunger. "I'll take that as a no." Phantom chuckles. You return his laugh as you open some of the new letters that had appeared on your desk. You groaned as you recognized Sister Imperator's neat script.

"What now?" Phantom's brow furrowed at your distress. "Great, another meeting with Nihil, Papa's going to be thrilled." You drop your head into your desk with a groan. You felt Phantom's warm head slide across your back, rubbing soothing circles in between your shoulder blades. You reluctantly picked up the receiver of the old rotary phone, dialing the number for Primo's quarters as you propped your chin up in your hand. "Hi Papa." He sighed at the tone you greeted him with, already knowing what was in store for him. "We have a meeting with your Father." You held the receiver away from your ear as a loud string of Italian curses exploded out of it. "I'll be there in ten minutes." You inform him before hanging up. "I'm sorry to run off-"

"It's alright." He cuts you off, grimacing slightly as he realized he had done so. "Are you going to be in the garden tonight?"

You nodded slowly, "probably. I'm sure I'm going to need to unwind after this." You stand with a groan. You collect your belongings, smiling at Phantom as you turn to leave. In a moment of boldness, more than likely brought in by the aggravation of having to deal with Sister, you paused. "These meetings usually take about two hours. I'd really like to see you tonight if you have time."

"I'll be there." He responds eagerly. You try your best to hide your excited smile as you hurry off to meet Primo. The second you entered his quarters he noticed your change in attitude.

"Well, what do we have here? You seem awfully happy my dear." You met Primo's gaze in his reflection. His papal paint half done, still dressed in his gardening clothes. "Might I venture a guess this has something to do with a certain Ghoul?" You knew there was no lying to him in your current state.

"I may or may not be seeing Phantom after our meeting tonight." You spit out your statement hurriedly, knowing he was going to make a big deal about it.

"Hm," he hums, grinning at you, "sounds like a nice little date to unwind after a stressful day, no?" You haphazardly comb your fingers through your hair, trying your best to appear somewhat decent.

"It's not a date Papa, just two friends meeting up." He chuckles at your response.

"Tell me tomorrow if your feelings on that subject have changed." You breathe out a laugh, shaking your head in disbelief for how sure he was of himself. You helped him shrug into his Papal robes before heading to the never ending meeting. Every second felt like an hour, your eyes practically glued to the clock as you waited for the meeting to come to a close. 

"You are dismissed." The second Nihil groaned out the words you bolted for the door, not missing Primo's amused expression on your way out. You headed straight for the garden, expertly winding your way to the spot where you and Phantom always managed to run into each other. A smile instantly spread across your features at the sight of him. He had set out a blanket in the pathway, a small spread of various foods set out for the two of you.

"What's all this?" You ask with a soft laugh as you approach him.

His eyes darted to the ground nervously, you noticed him swaying on his heels slightly as he spoke. "Well, I know you haven't eaten so I wanted to bring you some food. I didn't know what you liked so I asked Mountain and well…" He trails off, motioning to the spontaneous picnic. "I was thinking maybe you and I could have some dinner together?" 

"I would love to have dinner with you, Phantom." He beams at your response, excitement immediately overtaking his nerves as he motions for you to sit. You sat and talked with Phantom for hours, your body and mind feeling lighter the longer you spent with him. As time passed the two of you eventually cleared off the blanket, opting to lay side by side to gaze up at the stars, a lit joint passed between the two of you. You watched the smoke curl high into the air, the warmth of Phantom's body seeking into your shoulder.

"I really like spending time with you." He speaks up suddenly. You blush at his statement, feeling his fingers ghost over yours both of your hands intertwined carefully. You didn't need to respond, he knew you felt the same way. The two of you took turns pointing out different constellations you recognized until, eventually, you decided you should probably get back to your dorm. Phantom's fingers remained intertwined with yours as he stood, hoisting you from the ground after him. You stumble slightly, falling into his chest. You felt the quick, steady rhythm of his heartbeat under his palm. His free hand lands on your waist to steady you. Your eyes snapped up to his, they glowed a beautiful violet in the moonlight.

"Sorry." You giggle nervously. He chuckles, giving your waist a gentle squeeze.

"No need to apologize, are you alright?" You nod, both of you blushing and mumbling out an apology as you realized you were still holding onto each other, taking a moment to separate. The two of you walked in a comfortable silence through the halls until you reached your dorm. You stood across from each other in front of your door, nervously swaying in your heels. "That was fun, maybe we can do that again sometime."

"I'd like that." Both of you searched for something, anything at all to say, to stay with each other just a few moments longer. But nothing came to mind. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, (Y/N)." He smiles at you, beginning to turn away. You reach out, catching his wrist in your hand. He looks back at you, a hopeful expression in his eyes. You stand on your toes, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

"Goodnight, Phantom." You take one final glance at him before you slip into your room. You fell into your bed with a sigh, dragging your hands down your face. "He's so handsome." You groan to your empty room. You let your arms fall out to the side, staring blankly up at your system as you remembered Primo's words from earlier. "I've witnessed my fair share of crushes in my day, it's nothing to be ashamed of my dear." You grimaced, that old man really could read you like an open book. You got ready for bed, dreading talking Primo tomorrow that he was right. But you needed advice. You had never taken the whole romance thing into consideration. Sure, you had dated a few people in the past, but none of those relationships really went past the honeymoon phase or initial hookup. You could already tell that if by some miracle Phantom did reciprocate your feelings this wouldn't be a simple fling. You woke with a start, getting into your overalls as you prepared for a long day weeding the flowerbeds. As you entered the garden you found Primo already waiting for me, a cup of tea waiting for you on the bench next to him.

"Good morning il mio bambino." He greets you with a smile. "These were left on your desk this morning." He picked up three white roses, all tied together with a purple ribbon.

"Was there any note?" He shook his head. You held the flowers to your nose, inhaling their sweet scent with a smile. "I'm going to put these in some water." You quickly run to the greenhouse, placing the blooms in a vase so you could take them home later before returning to Primo. You picked up the tea cup he had set out for you, sitting by his side and enjoying the stillness of the early morning air.

"So, how did last night go?" He prods.

You sigh, "it was perfect, I don't know what else to say about it." You chuckle.

"Are you still trying to keep up the façade that you're just friends?" He asks before taking a long sip of his tea.

"As much as I would like to, I don't think I can." You admit with a bashful laugh. "I've definitely got a bit of a crush on him." You spent a good portion of your morning catching Primo up on the events of the night prior.

He looks at you with an amused smile, "dare I say I think he might be feeling the same towards you my dear." He grins.

"I hope so, I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to hide this from him." Primo collects your cup from you as you finish your drink.

"Well you'll have plenty of time to think things over tesoro. Enjoy the flirting, romance is supposed to be fun, you should be basking in the glow of young love." You blush, shaking your head as you playfully roll your eyes. 

"I'm going to get started out here, I'll come check on you in a couple hours." He pays your head before heading to his office.

"Don't work too hard." He calls over his shoulder as he disappears from the garden, allowing you to get to work.

"Well what do we have here." You jump slightly as Mountain bounds up beside you, a basket of vegetables perched on his hip. 

"Hey Mount." Your hand claps into his as he helps you out of the dirt.

"Primo's got you on weeding duty today?" He asks, a bit confused. Weeding was usually a job saved for new Siblings, Primo believing in a hierarchy of sorts until they got settled in.

"I needed a task that would let me reflect on my feelings." You preach back to him in your best Papa impression. "He's had some suspicions that are proving to be correct."

"Everything alright?" He motions for you to walk with him.

"Yeah." You trail off for a moment. "If I tell you something, can you promise it'll stay between us?"

"Of course, you know you can always talk to me." He nudges you.

"So, there's been someone leaving flowers on my desk the past couple days. Which is super sweet, but I need to find out who it is. Recently I've… come to terms with the fact I have feelings for someone." You chose your words carefully, hesitant to give away who the object of your affection was despite the fact you knew you would end up telling him regardless. "Then on top of that I don't want to say anything to this other person because they might not feel the same."

"First off, I wouldn't worry about confessing your feelings. You're amazing, whoever it is would be so lucky to have earned your affection. Regardless of the answer I'm sure everything will work out for the best. And if you want to know who's getting you flowers, maybe hideout in the greenhouse, they're bound to show up sooner or later." You nodded, that wasn't a terrible plan. "Now, the real question is, who's your secret crush?" He asks in a teasing tone.

"Promise you won't say anything?" You felt ridiculous, you felt like you were in high school all over again. You were a grown adult acting like a teenage girl. Yet you couldn't help the butterflies that erupted in your stomach at the mere thought of him.

"You have my word." Mountain promises.

"It's Phantom." He pauses, looking down at you with the biggest smile. "What?"

"You have to tell him, the two of you would be such a great couple!" You attempt to stutter out a response, Mountain's bluntness getting you completely fluttered. "Seriously though, I think it would be worth a shot telling him. You never know, maybe he could've been your secret admirer the whole time." He chuckles before the two of you parted ways. You headed to Primo's office, already having gotten a good deal of weeding done today. You pushed through his office door with a groan.

"Good afternoon my dear." He greets you jovially despite not looking up from his paperwork. A pair of thin, wire framed reading glasses sat perched on the end of his nose.

"Afternoon Papa, do you need me to take care of anything?" You refill his glass of water in his desk.

"Actually there is, I have a stack of hymns that need to be returned to the music hall. It took me a while to decide which ones I wanted for mass this week." He chortles. You accepted the stack from him with a smile. "When you return we'll have so tea, I believe you're due for a break."

"Of course Papa, I'll be right back." You read through the stack of sheet music as you walk through the halls, humming the melodies presented before you. You kicked open the door to the music hall with your foot. Your ears were instantly met with an all too familiar tune. You glanced up to find Phantom perched at the edge of the stage, his usual black guitar resting comfortably over his thigh as he rehearsed by himself. You sit yourself in one of the chairs in the room, watching as his fingers effortlessly moved across the fret board. He jumped slightly when he noticed you were there.

"Now how did I end up with such a pretty audience." He flashes his fangs at you as a wide grin spreads across his features.

"No matter how many times I see you play you always amaze me. You're so talented." You compliment him, earning a bashful chuckle that made your heart flutter in your chest.

"Thank you." He stands, slowly striding over to you. "Now what brings you all the way down here." You held up the stack of papers.

"Primo needs these returned." Phantom takes the stack from you, knowing howuch of a pain organizing hymns tended to be.

"Want some help? I'm pretty familiar with how Cumulus has it set up in here." He offers.

"That would be great, I'd be here all night doing this by myself." You joke. Phantom clicks on the radio, some oldies station buzzing to life. He slings an arm over your shoulder, guiding you to the filing cabinet where the hymns were stored. Phantom seemed much more relaxed than normal today. He was consistently making jokes, the two of you idly chatting as you sorted everything away. "I love this song!" You exclaim, turning up the volume of the radio. You swayed around the room, humming along with the tune. Phantom chuckles at your excitement. He sets his remaining sheet music down, stepping closer to you so he could pull you towards him. You laugh, letting your fingers intertwine with his as the other slides over his shoulder. The two of you swayed along with the rhythm, Phantom giving your waist a gentle squeeze as he smiles down at you. He spun you around, causing you to giggle. "I didn't know you could dance."

"I wanted to learn to impress someone I like." He winks at you, both of you letting out bashful laughter.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need you for band practice." Sodo leans against the doorframe, eyes darting between the two of you. Phantom reluctantly released his hold on you, holding your hand a few moments longer than necessary before joining the other Ghoul.

"I'll see you soon." He promises.

"Bye Phantom." You smile at him, waving to Sodo as they both leave. You finish filing away the hymns, clicking off the radio before heading back to Primo's office. The rest of the day passed in a blur, the feeling of Phantom holding you close clouding your every thought. You had decided to take Mountain's advice of waiting in the greenhouse, wanting to tell your secret admirer that you already had your eye on someone else. So, once you had said goodnight to Primo, you slipped out into the gardens in hope of capturing the mysterious florist in the act. You hid in a relatively secluded corner, tucked away behind some lush bushes where you couldn't be seen. Luckily you didn't have to wait long for them to show up. You heard their soft humming approach where you were. The soft snips of pruning shears as they collected their flowers. Your eyebrows knitted together as you realized that this was a voice you recognized. You peeked out from your hiding place. You smiled softly at the sight before you, stepping out into the open, you cleared your throat.

Phantom's eyes shot up to you, he froze as he realized he had been caught. He looks nervously between you and the flowers he held in his hand. His mouth fell open but no words came out at first. When, finally, through all his nerves he actually takes a moment to look at you. Your whole face lit up with a smile, eyes searching his face as you waited for him to say anything. He couldn't believe how cute you looked as you nervously wrung your hands. He stands, offering a small bouquet of red chrysanthemums. "I'm assuming you've been getting my flowers." He chuckles. You carefully take hold of the bunch, gazing it down in awe before placing them off to the side. Your body moved purely on instinct, arms sliding around Phantom's waist as you pulled him into a hug. He tenses up for a moment before wrapping you tightly in his embrace.

"They've all been beautiful." You mumble against his chest. You slowly separated from each other, his gaze catching yours. He smiles warmly at you, those gorgeous, glowing purple eyes causing you to melt.

He gently takes your chin between his fingers. "I feel… strange whenever I'm around you." He admits, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Strange how?" You ask through a smile, laughing as he tugs you closer.

"Sweaty mostly." He jokes. "You make me nervous in a good way." He continues to ponder out loud. "My heart starts to beat really fast, and all I can think about is reaching out to hold you… what kissing you would be like." You blush at his admission.

"You're more than welcome to find out for yourself." Your voice shook as you spoke, a soft breathy laugh punctuating your statement. His thumb ran over your bottom lip, his eyes tracing over every detail of your face.

"I'm sorry if I'm not any good at this." He chuckles.

"Just follow my lead." You tease, your hands sliding up his chest and into his hair as he closes the distance between the two of you. His lips crashed into yours. A satisfied hum left your lips as you pushed your body into his. He held you tightly, as if he let you go you would disappear before his eyes. The kiss started out slow, you slowly guided him through the motions. You had found out that Phantom was a very quick learner. His pace gradually increased, the kiss growing more passionate by the second as he grew addicted to the feeling of your lips on his. You pulled back with a gasp, both of you panting softly. You didn't even have time to catch your breath before Phantom's lips were back on yours, earning a surprised squeak as he pulled you flush against him one more. He pulled back slightly, his breathing ragged.

"That was nice." He chuckles. He places another few short pecks to your lips causing you to laugh softly.

"Does this mean you won't be bringing me flowers anymore?" You laugh.

"Sweetheart, I'll bring you flowers everyday if you want me to." He says with a smile as he pulls you in for another passionate kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag List: @spookyghostjelly @ramblingoak @kissingghouls @mustluvecho @belnovacaine @the-hole-in-terzos-shoe @herripinkle @iamsarahsaysso @fleagutz @jennmakesitweird @gothdaddyissues @i-fondued

[dead-boys-club]

†  in the maze : il dottore.

❥ scenario: like a mouse ❥ uuuuuhhhh... there might be triggers, i just genuinely don't know how to address them here. one part makes it sound like there was assault but - no, there was none. ever. just to clarify. toxic things. ❥ i don't have any beta readers - you get what you get.

the hum of machines and flickering of monitors filled the lab, creating a familiar lullaby to your nerves. you stood in the center, eyes following dottore as he worked with his usual calculated precision and occasional annoyed huff. the air was thick with the smell of various chemicals and metal, a reminder to you of the experiments conducted at the hands of your partner; you didn't let your mind wander to how many lives had been lost in the room. though the room seemed cold and hostile, it had been your home longer than any other.

as he adjusted settings on a nearby device, he glanced over to you, his gazed sharp and analytical, studying you for a moment. 'you're unusually quiet today, little mouse,' he remarked, voice smooth but still holding that ever present edge of condescension. the nickname felt like a bee sting with how he said it, like it was meant to be comforting but somehow always came out frayed at the edges.

you thought for a moment before hesitating, your question coming out barely above a whisper. 'why do you call me that? little mouse.. what does it mean to you..?'

dottore paused, fingers hovering above a set of test tubes, filled to different degrees with liquids you didn't dare question. as you watched him, a small, almost amused smile formed on his features before his full attention was set on you. 'you're a curious one today. how intriguing.'

his focus on his project was gone as he began to circle you in the lab, steps echoing against cold tile and empty walls. his gaze never left you, leaving you to feel like a specimen under a microscope - you weren't proud to say it was an awfully familiar feeling. 'you see,' he began, surprisingly conversational, 'it's because, in many ways, that's what you are to me.'

the words hung in the air, heavy with implication. he continued to circle, like a predator stalking it's prey, eyes shining with curiosity and something you could only say was much darker. part of your brain had gone several years with the same sirens and red alerts to leave and run - it was no different standing in that spot feeling like roadkill to a vulture. 'a mouse is a creature that lives in a maze, scurrying through paths laid out for them, guided by one dominant hand. it's a creature that belongs solely to the one who controls the maze.'

he stopped, only for a second, to gesture around the room. 'i built this maze and you, my dear, are no different than a mouse.. bound to my creation and my control.'

you felt a shiver go down your spine as his words echoed in your thoughts. there was a cold logic to his explanation, one that made it clear how he viewed you more often than not - you weren't a person, you were something to be studied. to be controlled. but, you couldn't help but often by confused by his actions towards you. if you were simply a mouse, why were you kept so well?

he watched you and how the words began to sink in before gesturing downward towards your ankle with a gloved hand. 'the mark on your ankle.. do you remember how you got it?'

you frowned. the only thing you could recall from seeing it was.. him. a good feeling. you shook your head, uncertain about wanting his answer.

a satisfied smile curled onto his lips and he knelt down, reaching to brush his fingertip against the scarred skin. 'how could you not remember such a passionate night? it was when you first arrived here, my love,' he said the name so mockingly and it made your skin crawl. he had said it before and it gnawed at the back of your mind to figure out why. 'this mark - these teeth marks - are mine. a reminder to you and everyone else that you belong to me. it's a scar that ensures no one else dares to interfere in what is mine.'

you stared for a moment, thoughts jumbled and scattered, realization slowly dawning on you. a passionate night...? you had never questioned the mark before, never truly worried about it, but now, with his explanation, everything felt disturbingly clear. there were things from your first days with the fatui that didn't seem to exist in your memory - only mild feelings. most of which had grown your affection for the latter. but you frowned as you realized the scar wasn't just that - it was a brand; a symbol of ownership.

'don't be upset now, little mouse.. you asked for it, that is where you wanted it.' the confidence behind his words only proved to make you more curious, looking at him for a moment. 'memories are easily tampered with when you know what you're doing.. some things, they don't need to be remembered - it can make things messy but don't worry, nothing happened that you didn't want. i promise you that.'

you'd gotten to a point of not knowing how to take his words and just stayed quiet.

straightening to his full height as he came to a stop in front of you, he reached to nudge your chin up. 'you are in my maze, mouse, and every path you take is one i have designed. you are my experiment, my project, and no one else's.' there was a possessive edge to his words that made you furrow your brow but you never looked away, trying to answer unspoken questions in his gaze.

as if sensing your unease, his expression softened, though just slightly. 'i do care for you, in my own way,' he continued, voice lower, almost contemplative. 'you are important to me, more than just a subject. you hold my interest... i am.. hm, attached, even. but you must understand, my affection is not like that of others. it is intwined with curiosity, the need to explore and understand you so completely and on a level that even you, yourself, become confused.'

his gloved hand shifted to rest gently at your cheek, his attempt at showing affection to ease the nerves. 'you belong to me, little mouse. and as long as you remain here, in my maze, you will be safe, taken care of. but you must never forget your place as my possession.'

the word 'love' never passed his lips and you knew his need to own you should have made you leave but there was something in the way he looked at you- something that hinted at some twisted form of love. it was born from control, curiosity and the need to keep you close, even if that closeness was defined by his boundaries alone. as you glanced behind him, through him, even, you thought back to the countless subjects that had lost their lives by his hand and decided that if you meant nothing, you wouldn't be standing there. let alone, sharing your life with his in such a close manner.

you nodded, deciding that words weren't necessary. in dottore's world, love was not tender or gentle; it was a form of ownership and control and understanding every facet of the one who had captured his interest. he was kind enough to dip down and press a kiss to your head. 'do not let it sit for too long.' his way of telling you not to worry and you appreciated it, despite still being a little lost.

as he stepped back, returning to his work, you were left with the weight of his word and comforting tingle of the kiss. you thought, though, over being stuck in his maze - trapped, studied.. taken care of but strangely, undeniably, important to him.

[yv0nn1e]

broken - il dottore

summary: it was just casual sex. something to blow some steam off and somehow, you find yourself always ending up in his bed when life feels like screwing you in the ass.

pairing: il dottore/zandik x fem!reader

cw/tw: nsfw, smut, slight dumbification (if you squint), unprotected sex, pet names (he calls you baby once), fuck buddies, slight angst, fluff.

note: this is just short, it's a snippet from a fic that im trying to write. wc: 584

"honestly, is it your hobby to let someone fuck your brains out whenever an inconvenience happens?" zandik chuckles as he watches your figure sprawled out on his bed yet again. sweat covering your forehead, you're taking heavy breaths as the man continued to thrust into you. you could only moan out as you try to respond to his rhetorical question even if you could barely think straight as your mind was only plagued with the thought of his cock pounding into your sopping cunt.

"ah- 'tore." you mewled, looking up at him with a fucked-out haze. your makeup was a mess as your tears were tainted in black with your mascara rolling down your cheeks. 

"aww, poor baby." he cooed with fake sympathy, one of his hands crawling down over to clit and playing with it making you moan his name even louder. "ah- ahh! zandik!" his name fell out of your soft lips like a mantra of prayers. 

for a second there, he was taken out of all the lust the atmosphere around him had absorbed. has his name always sounded this beautiful?

no... it was you.

you and your melodic voice and the fact that he has you at your most vulnerable state, calling out for him. as he continued to use you, his eyes scanned your body. eyes shut as your head was thrown back in pleasure and your back arching as you held onto him for dear life while you continued to moan and call out his name. it felt like you wanted him. that you needed him.

you felt him slow down. opening your eyes, you were met with his ruby red ones shining under the dark as they stared right into your soul. he was panting, the look of lust in his eyes was gone. 

"zandik? is everything okay?" your voice was hoarse and dry yet you still looked up at him and asked. he was just staring at you and before you can even ask again, you felt him quickly grab you. his rough hands caressed your cheeks as he went in for a deep kiss. it wasn't rough, it was passionate. it didn't feel like lust. no, far from it. he caressed you so carefully yet so close. you did the same as your hands wrapped around his neck. he pulls away with heavy breaths, panting as he laid his forehead onto yours and your eyes looked at each other once again. 

"i love you." he said in between heavy pants. "so much."

five words. it took five words to make tears form in your eyes. you were astonished. he has never even shown any signs of affection towards you— all he ever gave you was nothing but pure spite just as you did to him. 

you looked at him and saw something nobody else can take away. it was at that moment you realized that the both of you were not so different. both broken, trying to pick up the pieces and put yourselves back together. you were overwhelmed with all the emotions involved as your heart pounded so fast.

you placed your hands on both sides of his cheeks, thumbs caressing and slowly moving in a comforting way as you looked at him with so much desire and yearning. 

"i love you too, zandik." you whispered before pulling him into a heated kiss. slow, passionate, and comforting. it was suffocating but the both of you didn't care. to be broken with him was better than being broken alone.

[onlyyourhallucination]

I love your fics. They get me want to grab the popcorn and enjoy it like a well done movie/show. Anyhow, your requests? For the 200 followers? Is it still open? If so! I got a plot idea for you. Okay, imagine this. Reader [female], is a trailblazer on the Astral Express. One of the badass members ofc. They got chemistry building up with Dan Heng and/or pinning hard for each other. BUT, somehow the reader is sent way back to the past... To the before the Sedition of Imbibitor of Lunae / when the High-Cloud Quintet wasn't disbanded. Reader , while trying to hide their origins and where they came from, tries to blend in. They can't change the past but dragged into the High-Cloud group. They also try to hard to distance themselves from Dan Feng, who is somehow attached/attracted to reader. Like he tries to confess... But reader is like trying to let him down gently. Eventually, the reader the reader sent back to the future. They get together finally with Dan Heng. You can add/change whatever you want to this request. Just make it happy ending. If you want to clear things up, jut message me. Thanks!

Past, Present, Love

Pairing : Imbibitor Lunae [ Dan heng ] x Reader

A/n : I am quite not sure if the Danheng you requested is already in his IL form yet, so I'll.. Just write it when he is already in his IL form.

Also thank you for your support! 🩵

Him constantly worrying over small things that happened to you, whenever you got hurt he'll scold you, gently for being reckless.

Him always going with you wherever you go, as long as you're safe and okay, he said.

Everyone know how obvious he is when it comes to his feelings, him doing something outside what he usually do just for you

Him going outside his boundaries for you, so that you can, pay attention to him.

Protective over you. Perhaps, a little bit overprotective for you who haven't even start dating yet.

What are you doing? Why are you not confessing yet?

Have I mention how he is easily flustered around you? For whatever that you do to make him feel embarrassed.

His face may not show it, but the shaky sigh and his tail that sways and hit the floor ever so slightly from the frustration and embarrassment.

Him constantly clearing his throat for no absolute reason is a sign for you that he is beyond flustered.

It was just one of the casual day, sitting on the high class, and fancy red couch in the express while playing with your phone.

Dan heng is in the archives, doing his thing. Like usual, you're getting bored, so you asked for himeko's permission to go visit xianzhou, she raised an eyebrow at the request, but eventually lets you. She was about to ask if she should call for Danheng to company you, because, aeons, he will despise the idea of you going out alone.

But you rejected the offer and wanted to go alone, she was a bit skeptical, but then oblige to your wishes. And so you left the express, alone.

To xianzhou you went, walking around, eventually ended up at scalegorge waterscape, the place where Danheng split the ocean into half. You remember that scene like the back of your hand, he looks majestic when he did so.

You were walking towards the statue, the most appealing to you, slowly approaching it looking up at it.

Dan Feng, huh.

You thought to yourself, your hand slowly reaching out to the statue, but before you could touch it, a bright light suddenly comes out of nowhere, making you instinctively covering your eyes.

Ringing in your ears lasted for a few second, after the ringing is out, you slowly shook your head and open your eyes. Blinking multiple times as you tried to register what just happened,

"I, never seen you around before" a familiar voice rings into your ear, you turned to see a familiar figure. You can't deny that, it's, Danheng. But, something's not right.

The familiar figure stared down at you, rising a brow confusedly at you. You both ended up staring in silence for a good minute, "Can you talk?" He cuts off the silence as he approached you. "Yeah, definitely. Uh, sorry for staring." You apologized, you frowned upon the way he talks.

He talks like he doesn't know you, well is it not obvious from how he said that he never see you before. And the next second another family face appeared, blade? With white hair, you are now getting even more confused.

Until you see Jingyuan that's, rather young.

You're sent to the past, well shit, you cursed under your breath. You definitely have to find a way to go back. To your timeline.

But the day after your encounter with Dan, Feng. He had always been, around you more than you expected him to be.

The more you tried to avoid him, the more times you'll see him around. Him constantly being close to you, and helped you with his gentle touch and healing whenever you got hurt.

"Becareful next time" , "Try not to be reckless, think before taking action" , "Why do I care? Hm, I do not know, It's an instinct I believe."

You don't know what to feel, and everything does not go according to your plan when he dropped subtle hints of him taking interest in you.

"Is there anything you like to do?" , "I bought this for you," .."oh, you, don't want it? ... it's okay."

Aeons, you pray that he stopped doing that, numerous times you tried to reject him. But the way he looked dejected made you feel guilty, the way his eyes lowered in disappointment when you rejected his offers, presents even, so you, accepted a few. Just to ease the guilt, but you know very well that it's useless for him to give things to you.

You can't bring them back to your timeline, you stared down at the simple present he gave you, it's a pair of earrings.

You remember how his face lightens up when you accepted his present, you sighed softly at the memory. You gently graze your finger tips at the esrrings, now you miss him.

Him who? Dan heng. The man that you know, that you love. You wonder if he will look for you, you don't know how long it has been ever since you got sent back to the past.

You accidentally got involved into the high cloud group, it was not the intention to get involved but dan feng. That man is quite stubborn that he unconsciously dragged you into the group.

You silently prayed every night for you to open your eyes not in the room you're currently in, but back to the express or back to the scalegorge waterscape.

. . .

And you did.

Thanks to that same ear ringing, followed with the light that shines bright out of nowhere.

You opened your eyes once again, and instead of staring at the ceiling of the unfamiliar room. You're greeted with the smell of the sea, also open skies.

You slowly rised from the ground, you look next to you, the statue standing tall and soon after you heard footsteps from the distance. The step quickens as you tried to look who's coming over, but before you could process what happened, you're engulfed into someone's arms.

You can feel the person's heart beating so fast, when you registered who the person is, you immediately wrapped your arms around the figure.

Danheng, he' shaking. Trembling in fear? Worry? "Dan h-" "Please. Don't do that again." He cuts you off, he sounded so desperate, his hug tightens around you.

He buried his face at the crook of your neck, his breathing slows down, matching yours. His arms slowly loosen as he took a step back, his teal eyes staring at yours.

He clenched his teeth as he looked away, "Dan heng.." he moved his eyes back towards you. "... I'm sorry" you whispered, his eyes widen slightly. He opened his mouth, but then he closed it again. He then frowned, before he looked at you once more.

Slowly leaning close to you, you instinctively leaned closer too, "I like you" you whispered before both of your lips collided.

The kiss is soft, and gentle. But it feels like he stole your breath away when he pulled away, "..I, kept.. going around, and around" he said in a whisper. "I thought.." he stopped half way as he pull you closer into him by the waist, "... Don't leave without me" he said as he buried his face at the crook of your neck once more.

"I won't, I promise.."

. . .

You were just taking off your coat until you heard something fell out, you frowned and looked down to see a small box that's, rather. Familiar.

"oh my god.." you slowly reached out to it, you hesitantly opened it. And it reveals, the earrings Dan Feng gave you. Your fingers grazed along the lines of the earrings, and the next second you felt a pair of arms around your waist.

"What is that?" A familiar voice appeared right next to your ear, "..A pair of earrings" you replied. You can feel him frowning, "It's not from anyone, don't worry. I, ... bought it because it's, ..pretty." you explained. He hummed softly as he kissed your neck, "..It looks exquisite indeed." He agreed.

You silently thanking aeons for him not asking any further, you slowly turned around and wrapped your arms around him. Kissing his cheeks, you let out a chuckle.

"What?"

"Nothing, I like you Danheng. I love you."

"... I love you too."

©onlyyourhallucinations ; do not copy/translate

A/n : I, hope you like this! Thank you for requesting! Reblogs are always appreciated! 🩵

( 1/5 )

[illustrationist-of-the-stars]

• TWST X HSR YUU!CHARACTERS AU •

(Inspired by @enatopiaa 's Robin!Yuu AU)

(Yuu!Herta concept by @trixiegalaxy )

" THEY will watch your performance on this new foreign and tragic stage with bated breath and awe, dear noble flowers of 'evil' and the fairest's of them all...

.

Won't you give THEM all a good show and the new end of all endings for this ancient script? "

.

🖼 Art/Comic 📝Written Works 🥀Angst 💫Extra

Last updated: 19/03/2025

✦•┈๑ Yuu!Argenti ๑┈•✦

🖼 Yuu!Argenti {Character Bio}

🖼 Monsieur Chevalier de Beauté (feat. The 'Extras')

🖼 The Neige and Argenti Combo

💫 In The Stitch Event

💫During The Tsum Tsum Event

[ Coming soon!🌹 ]

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷ Yuu!Aventurine ꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

🖼 Yuu!Aventurine {Character Bio}

🖼🥀 The Painful, Sharp Thorns of a Rose

🖼 It's All or Nothing

🖼 A Strategic Retreat

💫 Being Born Lucky is Not an Excuse

💫 In The Stitch Event

💫During The Tsum Tsum Event

[ 🃁🃜🃚 Patience is a virtue, y'know?~ 🃁🂭🂺 ]

── ⋆⋅Yuu!Jing Yuan⋅⋆ ──

🖼 Yuu!Jing Yuan {Character Bio}

🖼 Sleep Now, Little Lion Man

🖼 Grimalkin Snuggles

💫 In Regards To The Octavinelle Arc...

🖼🥀 Bad End AU

💫 Jing Yuan's Birds and Prince(ss) energy

💫True Age Reveal

🖼Returning Home

💫In The Stitch Event

💫During The Tsum Tsum Event

🖼 Tea Time Talks

[ Why not take a nap once and awhile..? ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 ]

꧁ᬊᬁYuu!Dan Hengᬊ᭄꧂

🖼 Yuu!Dan Heng (IL) {Character Bio}

🖼 An Equal Value Exchange

💫 The Botherer's of the Imbibtor Lunae form post or pre-reveal

💫A bit of Canon Divergence

🖼🥀 Yearning For Bonds and The Time Spent Together

💫 Malleus's reaction on the Imbibitor Lunae form

💫 In The Stitch Event

💫During The Tsum Tsum Event

[✦The Data Bank will be re-updated again shortly...✦]

⋆⁺₊⋆ Yuu!Silver Wolf ⋆⁺₊⋆

🖼 Yuu!Silver Wolf {Character Bio}

🖼 Non-Amenisiac AU

🖼 Gamer on Gamer Violence

🖼Chat Poll Time! ^_^

💫 In The Stitch Event

💫During The Tsum Tsum Event

[ ➤...Let me clear this level first and then i'll get back to you, eventually_ ]

" Oh dear, it seems like other variables and unknown actors have somehow got themselves into the script, how strange... " 𓃠:

🖼💫 Yuu!Sampo Koski AU • 💫A Fool as an Assistant

🖼💫 Yuu!Acheron AU • 🖼 Part 2 • 📝 A Meeting Behind Walls and Closed Doors •🖼 Silver's UM part •💫 In regards to Names and Titles • 🖼 Yuu!Acheron {Character Bio} • 🖼 Part 3 • 🖼💫Lilia's Cooking

🖼🥀 Yuu!Blade/Yingxing AU • 🖼💫 Disapproval From a Devoted Guard •🖼 Reminders of a past flame

🖼🥀 Yuu!Boothill AU • 🖼💫 Father Figure •💫 The Gun Origins • 🖼 Meeting Ortho •🖼 Babysitting Duties • 🖼🥀 Harveston Event

🖼💫 The First-Year Group gets transported into HSR instead (not clickbait)

🖼Yuu!Jiaoqiu AU • 💫Lost Eyesight • 🖼Heart to Heart

🖼 Yuu!Sunday in NBC • 🖼🥀Penance in kinship • 💫Jade Leech thoughts • 💫During Book 7

🖼 Yuu!Dr.Ratio in Twst

🖼 Yuu!Feixiao exercising with Jack and Epel

🖼💫 HSR!Yuu's as Sonic Snapcube Fandubs Out of Context (shitpost animatic)

🖼💫Yuu!Herta as Alice

🖼Yuu!Gepard with Sebek and Silver

🖼Yuu!Firefly's Awakening

💫 All HSR!Yuu's so far with their Clubs

[squarebracketsmileyface]

do you ever picture what things would be like if, somehow, the stars aligned and allowed Tim and Brian to reunite sooner? i had a dream last night where they found each other when Tim was HEAVILY pregnant with Birdie/Birdie was still a teeny-tiny baby, and Brian felt so guilty over losing Jark (Jay/Lark) and overall everything that Hoodie had caused (i go by Joseph DeLage's statement that Brian wasn't in control/not in full control when he was in Hoodie ModeTM), so Brian just went, 'i have to atone for my involvement, and do good by Jark and be a shoulder to lean on for Tim/bonus parent for tiny Birdie since Jark isn't here' and i've been Fucked Up ever since X_X

also, this just gave me the funniest image of Brian just casually wheeling down the sidewalk in Wherevertown going to wherever he needs to be, and ten yards ahead is Tim (with his back to Brian so he doesn't realize immediately), either pregnant AF or carrying baby Birdie in a carrier or whatever, having to stoop/squat to pick up something he'd dropped on the ground; either Brian sees Tim's ass as he's bending over and thinks 'gawd dayum' OR Brian's not as far behind, so when Tim drops the thing, Brian comes to save the day because he carries around a little grabber/pair of salad tongs in the even this situation happens to HIM. Tim either stands up and turns enough for Brian to see his face OR they do the little cliche romcom movie thing where they both just happen to look up at the same time and immediately meet eyes O_O

dear god this got long, one and one thousand pardons aaa

Oh my god I fucking love this. I hadn't thought about this before, but I'm definitely going to now, because god that'd be amazing, things would probably turn out so much more easily for Tim if this had happened. Because in 'canon' he lost Jay, Brian and Alex all at the same time and he feels awful about it. Like sure, Brian isn't dead, but Tim doesn't know that and he massively blames himself for it. He was the reason Brian let go of that ledge and landed just wrong enough for it to kill him. He didn't go back soon enough to check on Brian, to see if he actually was dead, and if he wasn't, was just passed out or paralysed, Tim not going back to check would have doomed him anyway; no one would have known where he was, Benedict hall was abandoned so chances were that no one would find Brian lying there for hours, and if he had internal damage, that length of time was something that'd kill him.

This got... Long :)

Also calling Jay/Lark Jark is so fucking funny, I love it so much 💀

And also also, Tim bending over and Brian being like "👁️ Damn 👁️" At him is absolutely something that happens, in this lil au, and also just in 'canon' Sorry, It's Locked, that's just gonna be them for the rest of their lives. They're gonna be 80 year old men, and Tim's gonna bend over, and Brian's gonna whoosh past him and smack his ass on the way by. They're gonna be sickeningly in love forever. They're gonna be head over heels for each other for the rest of their lives.

This was really fun to think about. I'm probably not gonna get round to actually working on S,IL until after Christmas now, so it was fun to be able to dash out a longish thing about S,IL without having to care about continuity or making it read nicely and all that lol.

So Tim reuniting with Brian right after losing him? I'm thinking they meet before the crossroads episode, while Tim's still trying to get his life sorted out and figure out what to do, where to go, how to be a single parent of a newborn who constantly reminded him of the partner he'd lost. He was in hell. He was beating himself up for everyone's deaths, practically feeling like they were done by his own hands, even though only Alex's was. So if he dropped something, carrying baby Birdie and maybe some shopping bags in his hands, so he couldn't easily grab it himself, and he saw a lil grabber coming out of nowhere to pick the thing up for him, and turned around to be faced with Brian? I think he'd probably have a break down in the street, a little.

I think at first he wouldn't let himself be fully convinced it's actually Brian. He hasn't seen Brian's face since uni, pretty much, except on the tapes, and they're blurry as all hell, so he tries not to get his hopes up. He tries not to kid himself that this helpful guy is Brian. He's thinner than Brian ever was, he has a beard and mustache than Brian never had, he's in a wheelchair and he looks much more subdued than Brian ever did. But this guy's eyes just widen, and he almost whispers Tim's name, like he's also terrified of this being nothing but a cruel twist of the universe.

So Tim whispers his name back, disbelieving and on the verge of tears, putting his grocery bags on the floor and holding Birdie tighter because he just needs to. And Brian nods with tears in his eyes and his lip wobbling a bit as he tries to figure out what he should even say. What do you say to the best friend you haven't seen in years? What do you say when that friend is kinda of the reason you have a spinal cord injury? What do you say when that friend has a baby in his arms and you don't even know enough about his life anymore to know how or when or who.

In the end he just settles on "I'm sorry."

Tim stares at him like he has two heads, almost angry as he asks what the fuck Brian has to be sorry for. Tim's the one to blame for Brian's current situation, Tim's to blame for everything! But Brian is the one apologising? They stay in the street like that for a while, probably too long with how many people step onto the road to walk around them, giving them a mixture of concerned and irritated looks. Eventually they decide to move, head back to Brian's place because Tim knows the lift up to his apartment is broken and has been for ages (he hadn't thought it'd matter before, he wasn't going to be staying there long, planning on moving away from that goddamn town, that goddamn state as soon as humanly possible).

They talk on the way there, Brian offering to carry things for Tim, but realising that the only thing he could really carry would be Birdie in her little baby wrap carrier, because Tim's grocery bags are those really big ones and would tip over really easily if Brian so much as leant forwards an itch. And Tim's not going to just hand his baby over. Sure, this is Brian, but he's been a somewhat malicious seeming presence in Tim's life for years now and he can't quite trust him, not yet, not with his baby, not with the last living piece of Jay that he had left. So they make their way slowly slowly slowly across town, Tim taking frequent breaks any time they get to somewhere he can sit for even a minute.

They talk about everything. Absolutely everything they can.

Brian asks about Birdie first.

"what's their name?" "She's called Birdie."

"That's a nice name, and she's yours?" "Yeah... All mine." Tim says that but with tears in his eyes and his bottom lip curling over as he tries not to cry.

"Yours and..." "Yeah, mine and Jay's." Tim's voice is all croaky when he answers and they reach another place he can sit down, because he just needs a moment to put his bags down again and wrap both of his arms gently around Birdie's tiny body where it's wrapped securely against his chest.

"I'm so sorry." "She's all I have left of him, didn't even know I was pregnant until after he was gone... Finding out was..." "A lot?" "I felt like I was suffocating."

Brian just nods. He feels awful. He feels just as much like this is his fault as Tim does and they finish the rest of their walk in mostly silence. They don't let the conversation stray back to difficult things when they get back to Brian's place, it's just as shitty as Tim's apartment, but it's at least fairly accessible, and he and Brian try to keep things normal for a bit, trying to catch up like they were just normal people who'd lost touch after uni. But they can't really do that, can they? Because they aren't normal people, Tim had thought Brian was dead for years, only to find out he'd been wrong when he thought he was watching him die again. Brian had stolen Tim's meds, he'd stalked him and Jay around for months on end and made them feel almost as unsafe as Alex had.

They aren't normal people.

So the topic finds its way back to MH. They talk about what they remember, about uni and what had happened to Brian when he disappeared after that. Tim finds out that Brian barely remembers most of the last few years, felt like he was watching his body getting piloted around by someone else while he was trapped inside, and he tells Brian about his own memory loss.

Brian remembers at least some scattered bits and pieces from the times he and Tim in the mask were together. He talks about the relief of knowing that Tim was at least alive still, and about how even when he felt like he had no control over himself, he was glad that his body seemed to remember that Tim wasn't a threat, was someone he cared about, someone he loved. He also talks about the end, when he'd let go of that ledge and for the first time in years that felt like an action he had been fully in control of.

He doesn't regret it, he also isn't somehow happy he did it, it was just a thing that happened. What he's really glad for is the fact that Tim didn't have to go the rest of his life thinking he'd killed someone, that he'd killed him. Tim tells him about Alex, about how he had killed someone, and there was no mistaking it for an accident like there could have been with Brian. Tim had slit Alex's throat with Jay's penknife, mercy for Alex and revenge for Jay.

They talk and talk and talk, have dinner together before Tim has to leave to put Birdie to bed properly and take some time to himself so he can scream into a pillow. They get each other's phone numbers though, they refuse to lose contact with each other again.

They meet up as often as they possibly can after that first accidental time, mostly just spending their time at Brian's place, just talking. Tim obviously brings Birdie with him every time, he doesn't have anywhere he can leave her, doesn't have a childminder or anything, and, y'know, she's a newborn, she's only a few months old. So she comes with him. The first few times, she stays in Tim's arms or his lap, he doesn't let go of her the whole time, and Brian doesn't ask to hold her. He gets it. He understands as much as he possibly can from what Tim's told him, about how she's all he has left of Jay, about how he just can't trust Brian with holding her just yet, needs to have her in his arms so he knows she's safe.

Tim's told him about the nightmares he has. He dreams about losing Jay, he dreams about losing Brian, and he especially dreams about losing Birdie. It's almost nightly, he wakes up terrified that she's been kidnapped, or hurt somehow, or that he himself has hurt her, has killed her like he killed Alex, like he thought he'd killed Brian and still can't quite believe he didn't... And like he killed Jay, like he let Jay die. If he'd just put his upset at Jay aside and said they could stick together while they were looking around Benedict hall, he'd have been with Jay when Alex shot him and maybe Alex would have thought twice about doing it, maybe he could have saved Jay.

So when one day Tim asks if Brian would like to hold Birdie, Brian understands just how big a deal it is. He nods, though, he says he'd love to hold her, and he doesn't say a word when Tim fusses around with making sure he's holding her correctly, making sure that the brakes are on on his chair so he won't roll, making sure that Birdie's still bundled up safe and warm. And then he hands her to Brian, and she's a squirmy little thing, making little baby noises and grabbing at him when he cradles her against his chest like Tim showed him, supporting her head and smiling at her with tears in his eyes, because yes, she looks like Jay... But she also looks like Tim.

She looks a bit like Tim did when the two of them first met.

It's her eyes, sure, the shape is more like Jay's, all too big and a bit buggy, a little droopy and looking incredibly strange in her tiny baby face, but the colour is exactly like Tim's.

Tim tells him more about his and Jay's relationship while he holds Birdie, letting her hold his finger and babbling back at her when she makes her little baby noises. Brian decides that he absolutely has to be there for Tim and Birdie. He doesn't even say anything about it to Tim, just decides it for himself as he listens to Tim talking about how he'd tried to count back the months to figure out when Birdie had been conceived. Tim jokes about feeling like a weirdo for it, but he just had to know, he had to figure out what point in their relationship Birdie had started, to know and remember that moment as happily as he could.

Brian listens to it all, he doesn't even really feel jealous, doesn't feel any sort of weird at hearing Tim talking about his last partner. He listens to everything Tim tells him about Jay, the good sides, the bad sides, how awful it was trying to live around being hunted down by Alex and the Operator. Tim even mentions the fact that Jay was clearly figuring out his gender and how awful it feels knowing that Jay never got to live comfortably in his skin before he died.

Brian just listens, he holds Birdie and he listens while Tim gets everything off his chest, and he decides that he's going to be there for him through anything, whatever comes their way, he'll be there with Tim, for Tim. He isn't even doing it because he still likes Tim, because he wants to be in a relationship with him again. He doesn't even necessarily want Birdie to grow up seeing him as her dad too. He just wants to be there for Tim in any way he'll have him, whether that's just as a friend, or as something more.