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love-toxin · 4 months

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Cattle -> Harley Kunuk

plot: a world in which the realm of monsters & yanderes has merged--that's the au you find yourself in as a low-producing cow hybrid. you've never impressed any master as working cattle, always cast aside in favour of prettier, more talented cows. that might change once you get dropped off at the wrong farmer's ranch.

(cws: fem!cow hybrid!reader, chubby+naive reader, yandere themes, explicit smut, lactation, fondling, dry-humping, chest worship, dirty talk/soft degradation, clothed sex/cumming in pants, kinda monsterfucking, power dynamics, reader refers to him as 'Mr. Harley')

a/n: welcome to the long-awaited 'harley x cow hybrid reader' saga LOL

wc: 4.7k (art by milove @the-zipper !! <3)

If not for the grace of the gods, you'd surely be thrown into the ditch or to the wolves by now.

The transition between seedy motels has never been easy, sure, but you've reached new lows since your last rancher kicked you to the curb. Besides, nor has having to deal with the treatment from your superiors been easy when most of them see you as nothing but what your brand reads out.

Cattle.

If farm hybrids have anything, it isn't rights–at least not for undesirables like you. There's probably places out there like Runerhéa where you could live in peace, but this new world is even tougher than the last. When the realms merged as one, everyone on the lower side like you thought it would turn out to be a blessing. Maybe you'd finally get a break and wouldn't have to live like a piece of meat. But so far, it's only been a curse.

Ever since you were passed into the hands of these “livestock traders” your life has been absolute hell. Your last master had at least left you be most of the time, preferring to pay attention to his other, better-producing and prettier cattle rather than get on your case for this or that. These guys that have been toting you around since then have been complete nightmares to deal with–they're callous and cruel and they never let you rest properly, they keep you up all hours of the night with their hollering and drinking and gambling on those awful card games.

Yet, even when you were told that your time with them would be coming to an end, you weren't excited about it. Not one bit. How could you be, when you've been surrounded by horrible people saying such horrible things about your abilities? They've called you “moon-face” and mocked your pitiful history as working cattle, to the point that they've joked about re-branding you and making you a sex toy or something instead, because that's probably all you're good for. You can't even moo right, much less make any milk that doesn't taste sour or curdle within minutes. You're totally useless, and whoever your new owner is, he's quickly going to come to that realization too. Your handlers have been quick to remind you of that, just in case you happen to pick up some worth in yourself on the way there.

That's all you've thought for the past three days since you've been here, too scared to come out from the back of your stall for fear that the big, scary farmer with the loud voice is going to yell at you for not turning out to be what he hoped. You heard him arguing with the traders when you were delivered: ”What the hell is this?! I bought a cow, not some girl! Is this a joke? Did Elias put you up to this?” and since then you've cowered in the corner, refusing even to touch the water and food he brought and left at the door for fear he might just poison you to save the trouble of bringing you back. You've never been kept with real farm animals before, yet even now there's not much interaction you have with them. The big guy put you in a stall far away from his other animals, probably because he thinks you might infect them or something. It's always something with you.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. You've been hearing those noises from outside for the last two days, the sounds of wood scraping and hammering pervading your fuzzy ears and filling your mind with all manner of horrors that might await you. Is he building some kind of horrible torture machine? A rack? A device to forcibly milk you? Oh, that thought sends a chill down your spine. Or is he simply building your coffin? It could be any one of those possibilities or many, many more horrible ones, and it leaves you to tug your floppy ears down and try to block out the noise as you cry softly. I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die, even if I'm bad at being a cow. I just wanna live another day.

You pull the scratchy woolen blanket he left in here closer around your shoulders, hoping and praying with your head bowed that this won't be the end. With the clunk of the barn's door sliding open, with every step you hear thudding closer and closer towards your stall, you tremble harder and hurriedly wipe your tears dry while you pray to the Deity to shelter you from an early grave.

Kh-chunk. The clasp on your stall comes undone from the other side, and with bated breath, you watch as the door rolls open and lets in the streams of light you'd forgotten existed in this endless darkness.

“...Oh.” The farmer utters his surprise softly, his brow easing up as he looks you over. He's perched at the entrance to your stall still, not quite ready to cross the threshold yet. Maybe he's still trying to prepare himself as he sizes you up for the slaughterhouse. “You look…cold.”

You shake your head meekly and throw off the blanket. Straws of hay flutter about your knees as you do so, some of it already stuck in your hair and your meager clothes that don't cover enough for him not to blush and avert his gaze. “Uh…c'mon. We need to move you somewhere else.” He meekly produces a harness from his overalls, but it sits lightly in his hand like he's not really keen on using it. “It'll be safe. C'mon.”

If you weren't a lowly, domestic cow hybrid, one of the very lowest of the monster hybrid species, you'd be tempted to ask if he's always this awkward. He can't even look at you, he barely even breathes once you finally stand and skirt past him out of the stall. And he doesn't dare to touch you as he leads you out of the barn even though you're his property–it's like he doesn't even see you as cattle, but as…you don't even know what.

At the very least, despite the uncertainty around your new home, the first deep breath of fresh air as you step outside reminds you of the home you knew in childhood. Rolling grass in a sea of green, woods out across the field that are far from predators, safe fences and even a big, old farmhouse on the lawn that gives you a sense of homey nostalgia. As big and scary as he looks, maybe he's not so bad after all…maybe, as long as you do everything to appeal to him, he might treat you like nice cattle and not the nuisance you've long been defined as.

As you step out onto the grounds, the farmer introduces himself as Harley. He waits while you sniff around the fresh, clean air a bit before leading you around the side of the barn–that's where a small, shed-like attachment has been built on to the side of the structure, which opens into a surprisingly comfy and spacious area that he must have put together in a hurry. The floorboards have a nice rug over them and there's a soft, downy mattress in the corner on a little frame, and it's all built in and warm like it's an actual room. But when you turn to Harley with a quizzical look on your face and he tells you it's yours, you don't even know how to respond. So you just look at him blankly.

“It's…yours, y'know? It's, uh, like your…bedroom, I guess.” He looks around the space and rubs the back of his sweaty neck, seemingly sheepish about the simple construction even though you're standing there dumbfounded. “I didn't think you'd wanna live in the barn with the animals, but, uh, you wouldn't come in the house. So…yeah.” The silence between you is agony up until he just huffs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Listen, this isn't ideal for me. I don't deal well with people, and you're…sort of one, I guess. To be honest, I hate the idea of sharing my farm with some stranger.” He sighs and runs a hand through his dark hair, incidentally messing up his long ponytail that's just barely keeping all that thick hair tied up. With his hands set on his hips, he looks you dead in the eyes in a way that makes you cower at his sternness. “But you're here now, so whatever. Just behave yourself–and if some guy in a cowboy hat comes around, make yourself scarce. I don't want him messing with my-” He catches himself, but in your bovine wisdom you finish his sentence for him.

“Cattle?”

Harley swallows dryly and nods. “...Cattle. Yeah.” In any case despite the awkwardness and the tense air between you, he shows you how to work the little water pump he built the shed around so you can wash up and drink, your bed and blankets, and where to use the bathroom–which he insists you do inside the house, for no reason that he elaborates on other than the fact that you're able to, so you should. With that he leaves you be, letting you sit and ponder this newfound haven that he so casually dropped in your lap.

By the third day in your little mock cabin, six days since you've arrived here, you're pretty sure you've fallen in love with Mr. Harley. He won't tolerate you calling him ‘Master’ because it makes him all red in the face when you say it, so despite him insisting on no formalities at all you've settled on referring to him as ‘Mr.’ Harley.

It's been an easy process to say the least. Mr. Harley is gruff and speaks bluntly, but he never lays a hand on you and has never called you any mean names. He feeds you more often than he does his other animals, and despite getting annoyed and scolding you if you don't eat like you didn't the first three days, he's always gentle and doesn't yell or kick things over when he's mad. Plus, he treats his other farm animals real nice–you've heard him cooing and calling them by their names when he pets them, and most of them come running or perk their ears up when they hear his voice from far away. One of the chickens even tried to peck you when Mr. Harley was showing you around, and had his hand on your arm as he showed you how to feed them. They love him so much they even get jealous, and it's easy to see why. Mr. Harley is so caring and kind-hearted. He's got pretty brown eyes and such a low, deep voice, and big muscles, and soft hair, he's more handsome than any other master or trader you've come across in your whole life. It's no wonder you've fallen in love with Mr. Harley.

Where it's becoming an issue, however, is with your milk.

The first little while you were here, Mr. Harley didn't even make a mention about your production. There wasn't any bucket around for you to show him anyways, so you've been sitting around letting the milk build up and up and up until you're sore and swollen. The only reason you're sat in your shed with a bucket in your lap now is because Mr. Harley noticed your discomfort (because he's such a nice and caring farmer…) but, with you being too worried about your quality and Mr. Harley being too red-faced to stick around and watch, you're coming up on the end of the day without a drop to show for it. If you don't give him anything, he'll think you're a disobedient cow! But if you squeeze out your milk and it tastes sour, or makes him sick…oh, you couldn't bear to think of making Mr. Harley hate you with the taste of your milk. It's quite the dilemma that you have no easy way of getting out of, so you do what's likely the better option: you milk out just enough to make the swelling go down, but not so much that the taste will be too strong if it's bad.

But even with your clever thinking, your knees shake as you perch on your bed and listen to the big, thudding footsteps of Mr. Harley coming towards the shed. The moment the door slides open you spring into action, and pick up the bucket a quarter full of milk to hand to him, hoping beyond hope that he won't be upset over how little there is.

“..Huh.” After he jolts slightly at your sudden movement toward him, Harley glances down at the bucket and back up at you as he takes it gingerly, peering down at the milk as if it's some sort of magic that you've managed to fill it even as little as you did. He raises his hand and your instincts force you to flinch, your eyes squeezing shut as you anticipate a hit or something equally awful. But the moment passes because Mr. Harley pats your head instead, stroking your hair and your fuzzy ears gently before hiking up the bucket to grab and hold it by the handle. “Good girl.”

Good girl? Are those words for real? Was that…praise? And so easily given, at that?

You're practically on your knees by the time he steps out of the shed, they're so wobbly and weak, but before he can make it outside he halts and turns back to you. “So…” He lingers at the doorway, the bucket hanging from his closed fist. “...Where does your milk come from, exactly?”

Oh. That's…hard to explain. You had a sense that Mr. Harley already knew, but then again he owns farm animals, not hybrids. So you meekly point at your own chest in answer, and Harley's reaction takes you by complete surprise.

“...You're shitting me.” He breathes out in what comes off as disgust, but is really shamefaced embarrassment as he tries to avert his eyes but can't tear his gaze off of your…well, udders. It was obvious that they were impressive, but he clearly wasn't expecting such a blunt and simple answer. Harley clears his throat and tries to get something out, but sooner than he's able to he gives up and just wishes you a good sleep as he shuts the sliding door behind him.

The rest of that night is full of whimpers and soft cries throughout the shed as you weep out all your worries. Mr. Harley doesn't like me anymore! He thinks I'm gross! You sniffle into your tear-drenched pillow as the thoughts grow so loud in your head that they overwhelm you. In time, you cry yourself so dry that you can't help but drift off, your sleep peppered with bad memories and anxious nightmares of what Mr. Harley might do with you tomorrow, now that he's seen how worthless and disgusting you really are.

Though by now you're used to the rooster's screeching to wake you up, your morning is riddled with half-awake mumbles and drool caking your pillow as you try to remember what you were doing. It's not until you rub your eyes and look around that you notice the light filling the shed, and realize with a cold twist in your belly that it's almost midday and well past the time you should've been up and about. The sounds of Mr. Harley's boots in the barn next door rattle you out of your covers and up to your feet, your knees knocking and hands shaking as you try to figure out what to do.

Mr. Harley always comes by your shed to check on you after he's done with the animals, and by the whinnying of the horses as he sprays the hose you can tell he's just about finished up with filling their water trough. And if that's what he's up to now, that means you're next–and gods know what he's gonna do now that he doesn't think you're cute anymore! You're not sure now if he would kill you, or chop you up to sell your bits in some underground meat market, but he might give you back to the traders! You can't let that happen, you can't!

Little do you know that while you've bustled around your shed in a panic trying to figure out what to do, Harley has been pacing anxiously outside the barn doors before finally slamming them shut and heading towards you. Each step rings out like thunder. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump-

The door to your shed slides open, eliciting a startled shriek from your lips as you drop the bucket. It clatters to the ground and rolls to a stop just by Mr. Harley's boot. The two of you lock eyes and he utters a string of words that totally throw you for a loop.

“You had trouble getting your milk out yesterday, so I'm gonna help you.”

The air that hangs between you is heavy once he says that, pierced only by the gentle clinking of the bucket's thin wire handle as he reaches down and plucks it up off the hay-scattered ground. Harley rubs the back of his neck and clears his throat, his steps taken slow and quietly as he slides the door shut behind him and approaches your skittish self.

“You want me to help you?” His voice remains stoic and strong, but when you nod so meekly that your ears twitch his face burns a bright red all the way down to his collar. He coughs into his hand and asks you to move into a comfortable position while he stands awkwardly and prepares himself for what's about to come. You can barely make eyes with him in the meanwhile, every bit of you is trembling as you sink down to your knees.

Mr. Harley sets the bucket down beneath you. The soft, almost imperceptible thunk rings in your ears like a dinner bell. A thought flashes over your head and you wonder if you should get on your hands and knees–but the shame of such a position quickly overcomes whatever else would compel you to do so, and you sit quietly and patiently with your ears flicking nervously in rhythm with your tail. He gets down on one knee and mutters something in your ear to soothe you, but you can barely hear anything over your own breathing as you try to will your heart into slowing down from its fervent pace. When he asks you to pull down your top, however, you certainly hear that command loud and clear.

The moment the fabric swishes down your chest in one clean motion, Harley has a look of utter redness and embarrassment all over his face. He's a bit more composed than yesterday, but he can barely tear his eyes away from them; your udders. They're so soft and weigh so heavy on your torso, it's a surprise you can even lift them up yourself. That's what he thinks, anyways–you can't even comprehend his awe when you're so self-conscious over your nipples pebbling in the drafty air. Your fingernails scrape against each other in a nervous tic while you wait. He has to get prepared, and he warms his hands by rubbing them together; the very action of which sends heat straight to your nethers and a twitch to your soft, fuzzy ears.

“M-My milk doesn't taste good…” You whimper to distracted ears, but still, Mr. Harley holds his hands back from reaching out and he meets your eyes in contemplation. Your worries explode out of you before you can halt yourself. “B-But I'll–I'll try really hard to make it sweet, Mr. Harley!”

To your shock, he just shakes his head. He scoffs, but then–then it's a chuckle. It's laughter, low and gravelly, but it's laughter all the same.

“You taste good.” Mr. Harley murmurs, and his eyes don't look at all daunted. He doesn't correct himself, either. He leans closer, reaches out, and then the callused pads of his hardworking fingers are brushing under the tender skin of your breasts.

The moment is…saccharine. It's divine. It's godlike! You can't see, can't hear, can barely breathe, and you've never felt more exuberance bubbling up in the back of your throat–you want to scream and cry and beg but the emotions jumble themselves all together and leave you stunned silent. You can hardly let out the gentlest exhale of disbelieving breath as Mr. Harley's hands fold over your chest, and you feel a warmth you thought was only reserved for cows of a much better pedigree than you. The man that's bigger and stronger and sweeter than you shuffles in closer, he wants his lips right against your skin; he wants to taste you and touch you while he gives you a squeeze, and when his tongue flicks out to dab the sweat off your neck you could just cry, it feels so exhilarating.

“M-Mr. Harley-” You gulp, your tone betraying your enjoyment in how it trembles with desperate need. Harley's hands start pressing and pulling on each teat, and in no time at all he's coaxing the milk from you as easily as he would his own dairy cows. No mess, no fuss, and no tears–not ones devoid of joy, anyways. You can't help your own instincts in this moment of pure, primal hybrid heat. “I-I love you, Mr. Harley.”

His head raises and tilts down to look at you. He doesn't even have to look to make sure he's getting it all in the bucket, he's so experienced. Something seems to brew behind those dark, cocoa-coloured eyes…and his words stir up the heat within you like a potent, bubbling love potion.

“I'm so fuckin’ glad they got you mixed up.”

With that admission of very Harley-like affection, he buries his tongue in your mouth and presses your lips firmly together in a wet, forceful kiss.

A kiss! From Mr. Harley! Your tail flicks to and fro with happiness while you're melting into it, into the softness and the strength of his tongue and the sticky wetness of your spit mixing with his. You've never been kissed like this, and when he pulls back you just have to lean in for more. He can barely stifle his lustful chuckles when you keep pecking his lips like a touch-starved harpy, hoping for more tongue and spit and warmth. He squeezes your left teat especially firm and a thick jet of milk spurts out, leaving you to hunch forward suddenly as a wet spot starts forming in the seat of your poor panties. Harley's slanted nose is the only thing keeping you up; he nuzzles it under your chin when your body threatens to pitch forward into the hard ground.

“So close.” He murmurs into your mouth as he seals his lips over yours again. His hair is mussed and he's blushing…a lot. “Almost there. Such a good product today. Nearly filled the whole pail. Good girl.” He whispers against your cheek as you try not to feel the delicate rumbles of his voice in your cunt. With a swish of movement, Mr. Harley maneuvers around your trembling body to slot himself up behind you, and lets his hands reach around you just so his thick, muscly biceps will keep you upright through to the end.

“M-Mr. Harley…I think I'm…I-I dunno, I feel-ah! Ah, weird. G-Good weird..” What feels like a brick presses up against your rear in that moment–you have a feeling you know exactly what it is.

“Yeah?” He scoffs with a thrilled smirk against your neck. “Dirty fuckin’ dairy cow. That's what you are, huh?”

“Y-Yes-!” You squeal, but whether that's an answer to his question or simply the reaction he's caused by bucking against you with a groan, it remains to be seen. Either way Mr. Harley is enjoying himself, and it floods your bovine head with vindicated glee that your master enjoys you. You're doing a good job. You're a good cow.

“Good fuckin’ cow,” Harley growls, completely lost in the softness between your thighs and the sweet warmth of your tits weighing heavy and milk-swollen in his hands. Your legs shake against his thick thighs as he pulls you back to practically sit on his lap, held up by the monster straining at his pants, begging to be let out. You've already left a soiled, sticky spot there through your clothes but Harley won't take any apologies–not right now, at least, when your milk is flowing at its peak and he's just about to lose his self-control completely…if he even had any left from the moment he held your soft, chubby body in his hands. A splash of milk jets from your swollen tits and splatters against the side of the pail rather than inside it, and with that you don't need to see Mr. Harley's face to know that he's reaching his end; in fact, he's already there.

A string of “fuck, fuck, fuck!”s erupts from his mouth that he buries in the juncture of your neck and your shoulder, his teeth not only grazing now but biting down hard into your sweat-soaked skin. The spot you'd left on his jeans is nothing compared to the damp mess he makes as his thighs shake beneath yours, his hips ruthless and powerful as he slams them up into you with the desire of chasing that invaluable heat between your legs. You've barely held back from spasming in pleasure this whole time, but once Mr. Harley has his needs sated is when you finally allow yourself to give in to yours. Groans, panting, and soft mooing resonate within the homey little room that you've incidentally turned into a den of pleasure. Mr. Harley finally slumps back with his arms tucked tightly around your middle, and a wobbly, satisfied smile makes its way across your face as you look down and see a pail full of warm, creamy-looking milk. A few spots and tiny puddles litter the hay-covered ground around it from where you spilled, and some still soaks Harley's massive hands, but you still managed to fill it–a whole bucket!

“I did…a good job, Mr. Harley?” You ask in such a sweet, timid voice that he can only manage a breathless scoff in response.

“You think you did a good job?” He asks, but not understanding his tone, you start to fuss and squirm in fear that you've disappointed him. It's only once he manages to wrangle you against his chest and pick you up off your feet with him that he manages to calm you down.

“Relax, little one. You did a good job.” Careful not to let you lose balance, he sets you down on your feet and holds you there, steadying you against his effortlessly strong body. The moment you look up at him with those sweet, wet cow eyes, he can't resist his affections and lovingly strokes your ears. “Very good. You're a good cow. Look at all the milk you made,” He reaches past you to pick up the pail and hold it out for you to see. The glistening milk swishes with the heft of the bucket, so he steps away and ensures he sets it aside amongst the empty ones to keep it from spilling over.

“So…c-can I stay, Mr. Harley?”

It seems your voice does more than earn you an answer from him–Harley whips around to look at you with a dumbfounded expression on his face, and his reaction is more than you ever could have thought you deserved.

“Stay? What d'ya mean, ‘stay’? You're part of the farm. You're my family now. You're not going anywhere.” He reaches out for you and in that moment it takes for him to get to you, the tears are already flowing and you're blubbering pathetically into his chest with gratitude, which he seems much less awkward in accepting now.

“Hey–quit sayin’ such stupid shit. Stay…are you crazy?” He murmurs into your hair, his arms so tight around you you're reminded of the soreness of your hollow chest as your tits press up against his firm body. What he whispers to you then, in the silence peppered only by your weepy cries of adoration and love for your ‘Mr. Harley’, is the one thing that will stay with you for a long, long time–perhaps for the rest of your life.

“Not just cattle anymore, little one. You're…mine.”

#harley kunuk #harley x reader #harley kunuk x reader #spicy writing #hybrid reader #yandere ocs #yanverse #fem reader #male yandere #ellie writes #4k

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sunshine-jesse · 10 months

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Ashley Graves Did Something Wrong

TCOAL plays a lot of fun games with the ways it makes you perceive events. From the title screen itself, to various pieces of official art, it primes you to accept certain narratives surrounding the game. Namely, the one that Ashley is very not good. She is, in fact, very bad! And it's pretty easy to see why- many of her actions fit neatly into the mold of an abuser. She's controlling, she tries to deflect blame, gaslights Andrew into making him take the blame for things she pushed him to do to begin with, and harasses other women to ruin his relationships with them.

It's all so easy, and makes so much sense. Case closed.

Right? Well, no. But actually yes! But actually, it's not that simple.

Y'see, as I said, the game establishes this framing from the get-go. It introduces us to our, uh, heroes and tells us in no uncertain terms that Ashley is bad and Andrew is a non-entity. It sets this framing intentionally so that many players will engage in a little quirk of human psychology called…

Confirmation bias!

I'm sure we all know what that is, right? Well, for those who don't, it's when we start with a bias towards something- or an idea of how things SHOULD be- and view every piece of evidence as confirmation that said bias is correct. The game, very blatantly, does this with Ashley's actions by priming us to see them as part of an abuse dynamic, with her as the primary abuser. And, indeed, it's not too hard to dig into Andrew's behavior and figure out that he, too, is fucked up and awful and come to the conclusion that their relationship was mutually fucked up and abusive. I did that in my last two essays, so I won't cover that ground again here. With this, it's easy to think that they bring out the worst in each other and that any relationship they have would be toxic, fucked up, dark, and every other word or phrase that describes the same idea, whether it makes them happy or not.

… But what if I told you that this, too, was an intentional misdirection?

So. Let us, for a moment, completely remove the framing that their relationship is toxic. Let us remove the framing that their relationship is abnormal or aberrant. Let's even remove the framing that either one of them is responsible for the harm of the other. I'm not arguing that any of this is not the case. Please, for the love of god, do not think that I am, if only so you can take the rest of what I have to say seriously. What I'm doing is trying to examine the two of them free of as many preconceptions as I can, using nothing but textual evidence and inference to figure out why Andrew and Ashley treat each other the way they do.

I will later examine why they MIStreat each other too, but first comes the reasons they treat each other well.

I'm going to start with Andrew, because, despite being the more complex of the two, it's actually pretty easy to figure out why he treats Ashley the way he does based on what he says. Let's go all the way back to the earliest known incident between the two in the story, where the two of them were at their most, uh, "pure," for lack of a better word: The cupcake scene.

Leyley was supposedly a problem child. She was neglected by her parents, disliked by her friends, and had nobody else but Andrew to rely on. She got nothing- absolutely nothing- from anyone else. And so, Andrew decided to celebrate her birthday, by buying her the cupcakes she wanted, by giving her what she lacked from others. By providing for her, and taking care of her. All he wanted was to make her happy, more than anything else. And, as Nina learned the hard way, at the expense of everyone else.

He doesn't lack empathy, per se. Andy just loves Leyley more than he loves anyone else by such a wide margin that his desire to provide for her overrides his fear of consequences… until those consequences threaten to separate the two of them.

That is a very Gender Roles thing to do. More on that later.

So. Ashley. Everyone's favorite disaster. Why does she treat Andrew the way she does? What does she provide for him? Well, isn't it obvious? She, too, wants to provide for him. Remember, she wanted the lemon cupcake because she thought it's what HE wanted. She also does most of the chores around the house. She prepares food, cleans the house, and does their laundry. She also provides for his non-sexual physical needs by offering him comfort whenever he needs it. It makes her feel useful. Wanted. Needed.

Ah, another very Gender Roles thing to do. See where I'm going with this?

The two neatly fit into a standard husband/wife relationship in a lot of ways. It's THE platonic ideal of such a relationship, actually! They make each other happy and provide WHAT THEY THINK the other really wants. It's really cute and perfect! As long as you ignore all the bad.

ignore all the bad …ignore all the bad… But we obviously shouldn't ignore all the bad. That would be ridiculous.

What I want to do is, instead, examine where the bad comes from, and why it's there. With the abuser/abused dynamic in mind, it's pretty easy to come to the conclusion that a mutual desire for control and power over the other is the sole determining factor. It's arguably the Central Theme of the game, and maybe a big part of what Nemlei is trying to convey. But, like, why should it end there? Why should that be where the analysis ends? There's a reason for everything.

They don't want to control each other for its own sake. They don't want to control each other solely to cover their own insecurities.

So why?

Ashley, first. She's obviously an insecure little monster, having never received the validation that she needs to really come into her own as a person. She keeps seeking it. Keeps trying to provide for Andrew. Keeps trying to make herself useful. Now, let's look at her calls towards Julia:

"DO YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN ME!? Just because you can fuck him and I can't?"

Ah, wait, hold on a minute.

"You think that's love?! Are you fucking delusional?? Cumdumpsters like you are just that."

Where does that wording come from?

"He will never love you. Not like he loves me. I am the only one. I am everything."

She doesn't need validation just for the sake of her insecurities. She needs it because she needs Andrew to be happy, and in her mind, she's the only one who can provide it. She knows him better than anyone else. She can see how happy she seems to make him, and that nobody else can do what she does. She knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she makes Andrew more comfortable than anyone. She knows how important physical affection is to him. She can feel it. She doesn't lack empathy towards his plight or feelings; she has more of it than anyone, actually!

But Andrew, crucially, never seems to provide her any validation for this, even though she knows better. That's why she's so insecure.

"But wait," you might say, "didn't he, literally, fucking kill for her?"

Yes. But he always tries to place the blame on Ashley or use her as a scapegoat, when he was the one who pulled the trigger. He never accepts even the smallest amount of responsibility. And if a man can't even take responsibility for the violence he inflicts on others, what does that say about him? What does it say about how much he actually cares? oh. more gender roles. huh.

In Ashley's mind, that validation isn't validation because he didn't do it to prove he cared about her. He did it to shut her up. And… he never says anything to the contrary. He refuses to. All his validation is depressingly, overbearingly conditional.

His words always come with a caveat. They're always said in spite of something. They lack warmth. They lack kindness. They lack affection. She is never, ever given a key to lock the door to her insecurities…

…even though Andrew obviously has that key. He just refuses to give it to her.

But why?

Society! :D

There is something so fundamentally, obviously wrong with the way Andrew feels towards Ashley. She is a tar soul. A pariah. So horrid that her parents don't want her, so obviously bad that even demons don't want her. And yet Andrew, in spite of everything, still wants her. He wants to take care of her, when society tells him not to bother. He wants to protect her from other men, and even from herself. It manifests as jealousy because…

He, too, thinks the only one qualified to provide for Ashley is himself, because he was the only one who ever had. Violence comes so naturally to him that he takes it for granted. He kills for her, threatens to physically assault her when he thinks she's putting herself in danger.

It's so second nature to him that he thinks it should obviously be enough. But it isn't. His violence is so second nature as to be passive. It's non-committal. And what Ashley wants is committment.

But because of how society views Ashley, and how the world would view a romantic relationship between them, he can't truly commit to her. He can't give her the validation she really needs, because everything and everyone has told him that it's wrong. That she's wrong. And all his parents ever taught him is to be afraid of how others will react to that wrongness.

hey look, a man fearing the commitment a woman wants from him! more gender stereotypes!! I wonder what this game is trying to say!!!

Maybe I'm crazy or something. Maybe I'm just looking into it too deep. But I don't really care. I don't care if this is the intended reading, and neither should you. The fact of the matter is that most of the things that define them as toxic are not their fault. Most of the reasons they mistreat each other come from without, rather than within. The only reason they can't love each other is because the world tells them not to. Because it expects them to fill certain roles, to be certain people.

But Ashley can only ever be herself.

Maybe someone who's an actual expert on this subject matter could weigh in and give a true feminist reading. But me? I'm just here to point out patterns. I'm just here to point out facts. And one of those facts is that, to the world around her, Ashley did something wrong: She was born.

The Steam reviews of this game are fucking funny, but a lot of them say one thing that couldn't be further from the truth:

"I can fix her!"

No, you can't. She's only 'broken' in the context of her environment.

But in the words of another analyst:

It's madness to expect tar to behave like water.

So cut them some slack! They might finally succeed in a world that wanted nothing more than for them to fail. It's not our right to take that away from them.

#the coffin of andy and leyley #andrew graves #ashley graves #gaming #gravecest #tcoaal #tcoal #im going all in #and none of you can stop me

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heal-the-ashes · 18 days

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i'm thinking about pl and—like always—i get emotional after anything regarding this series. these stories. the ebb and flow of cherished laughs and pained expressions, the give and take of funny dialogues and heartbreaking reveals. when the end credits songs just wash over the entire experience with additional thoughts (usually angst-y in my case). when you've realized the story you just witnessed and the story that you felt apart of will stay with you for times that seem ephemerally immemorial...

[Slight Miracle Mask and Unwound Future Spoilers near the end]

these games don't show happiness and sadness. they don't show the positives and negatives of how a scene should flow. they don't just have dialogue and action and tone and intonations.

they have perseverance amidst tragedy, the rose within the thorn, the sun within the bleak clouds. they show that everyone in this series is human. they somehow made me feel—and not in some type of pity way—for those npcs who were stuck on what i thought was the easiest puzzle in the world. there was no humiliation, no real sense of judgement. there was respect and patience and... and there was disappointment, only in one's self. there was no invalidity of emotions. yes, there were invalid actions, but i don't have a single memory of anyone saying another character was stupid for feeling a certain way. there was passive acceptance all around and across the series, there was no stuck-up sounding laughter; no one (to my memory) ever called another stupid for messing up.

and hershel layton is one of the most human characters i have ever seen.

i saw a fanart that consisted of hershel in different stages of life. it made me emotional, because:

in each stage of his life that was depicted there… it wasn't growing up. it wasn't milestones of age, it wasn't certain accomplishments in his character. it showed each time he has lost someone. and god does it break my heart to see and realize that he. is still. here. the amount of pain PL characters have gone through just breaks my heart.

and i am so glad and so honestly inspired to know that. and i feel so awful for thinking my problems are bad when i look at the greatest person to ever exist in media ever, who was shaped by traumas far beyond my own. and that is not an understatement: i genuinely believe professor hershel layton is my favorite character in any media. because he and his games tell you that there is more to life than pain. and it is a lesson that i am so glad that i can finally see someone else tell.

miracle mask and unwound future are two of my favorite games because they're the games that tell the audience that he is human. it reveals how he despises—he loathes, he hates—… not emotions. no, not sadness, not regret, not remorse, not disappointment, not pain. no, none of that.

he hates certain parts of himself. he hates how he dealt with grief. he hates it when he's shown with "proof" that he's gone and done the very thing he swore not to ever do. he doesn't even hate anyone else even though he has so much right to. he should've cussed out bronev off screen. he should've yelled at bill hawks. he shouldn't of saved clive but god what did he do. he saved clive. he saved randall.

oh, how love is a weapon. this is it. this is one of the greatest examples of how love is a weapon in storytelling. it's not even platonic love between the characters, its the love the audience has for the characters. stories like these twist this and they do it well. but, anyway—

when i was younger, i thought hershel layton was foolish. i thought he was stupid. i used to think: "what is he doing? someone hurts him, why doesn't he want to hurt them back? what's wrong with him that he doesn't want revenge?"

i couldn't of been more... wrong about how he sees the world.

no, he's the one of the greatest persons i've ever seen in media. i've learned so much from him and the PL series as a whole. i've learned something from each and every character. [what i learned from bronev and bill hawks is just to not be them.]

layton is the kindest person i've seen. there is no earned malice anywhere near him. he doesn't purposefully aggravate others. he isn't mean, he's not one you'd call angry. he's patient and understanding, and he was made from pain.

if every person was at least a little bit like him, i think the world would be a better place. a place where no one has to be made from pain.

#sorry i'm rambling #heal's ramblings #parts of this were typed in discord and i'm just pasting them here so others can see it #and so my one friend who reads it all doesn't have to be alone #professor layton #hershel layton #miracle mask spoilers #unwound future spoilers #lost future spoilers

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aryaqua-reh2o · 3 months

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Apology Tour tomorrow!!

And I’m not ready.

Seriously, after waiting eons for The Full Moon to drop it feels unreal to have a new episode less than a month later. It feels unreal because I have yet to recover from the last one.

What should we expect from tomorrow? In the best-case scenario, I’d say an apology (two really).

Stolas and Blitzø both messed up in TFM, but now part of the truth, Stolas’ truth, is out in the open so it is up to Blitzø to do something about it. As I said before I don’t think we will see a resolution of sorts, maybe the start of something positive if we are lucky. What makes me think this is that scene in the trailer where Stolas wears the new robe and is clearly not pleased about Blitzø being there and the words he uses: ��Do you feel any kind of remorse for what you do?” but is he talking to Blitzø to start with? Can it be all, or even just this part, from Ghostfuckers where Blitz is clearly seeing hallucinations? What we know for sure from the trailer is that in Ghostfuckers Blitzø is far from being happy and healed. We see him hiding away from Millie after the (presumably) possessed Millie says: “You always take from those around you and leave them worse and more broken than you found them”, and aside from that it’s unlikely that Blitzø and Stolas will get (their shit) together in the next episode after so much drama and miscommunication building up for two seasons.

I am scared because of the visuals we have in the trailer but also thrilled to see what this episode will bring. A new Stolas song that, according to I don’t remember who works on the show said on Twitter a while ago, is going to be amazing and sad (were they referring to AT song though? I might be wrong here, sorry), and my favourite two idiots meeting again… Well, Vivienne said it is going to be a slow burn but I am hopeful Stolitz will be end game. No, I actually hope Stolitz will be canon well before the end because we need to see the two of them navigating their relationship. It is not clear if we hit rock bottom or if we will tomorrow in Apology Tour, there is a lot to work on but at least we are out of that awful stagnant situation that had been going on since Ozzie. The boys are both hurting, but they are more angry at themselves for how things went on The Full Moon. Stolas doesn’t hate Blitzø and Blitzø doesn’t hate Stolas despite his outburst.

Let’s just hope tomorrow won’t break them (and us) any further.

#helluva boss #stolas #blitzø #stolitz #helluva boss season 2 #apology tour #helluva boss theory

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cabinofimagines · 5 months

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Better Times p. 1

As I have noticed people on this blog often don't read the longer works I split this one up. Happy birthday to me, y'all are getting hurt >;-) Pairing: Poly!Solangelo x gn!reader, Will Solace x reader x Nico di Angelo Request: halli hallo~ ^^ i wanted to ask if i could request something for solangelo x reader? i'm not sure if your requests are open, i couldn't find anything that said otherwise, maybe i read over it, or forgot a page? if that is the case i apologize! but if they are open, then i was thinking that the reader is just having an off week in general, things are just not going their way, and worst of all, their boyfriends are busy TwT then when the week is over, one of them senses that there's something wrong with the reader, but as soon as they get asked what's wrong, they just start full on sobbing- cuddling ensues? TwT solangelo is my biggest source of comfort right now, and the posts of them from this blog are always so cute and fluffy ^^ Word count: 1.8k Warnings: bad feelings, sad feelings, hurt (not yet comfort). -Asnyox Part 2

You would think that living at camp wouldn’t necessarily be more stressful than going out in the ‘real’ world. However, the distinction between chores and free time was non-existent. Therefore, you weren’t sure whether you were supposed to be working, taking time off and most of all forcing your boyfriends to take a break with you. It was impossible to convince them, because either of them had good reasons that what they were doing wasn’t too exerting of them, or should be put off until after you hung out. For Nico and Will finishing their duties meant free time, and the problem here was that it felt as if they were never finished with their duties, and neither were you.

In short, you would have loved to spend some time with your boyfriends. Yet, Nico was busy relocating the troglodytes after their old home got destroyed, and Will was busy restocking the infirmary before summer. You were busy, being alone. You didn’t blame your boyfriends, of course they were allowed their own lives and tasks, and you respected that they were capable of doing their own tasks. You would just have liked to be able to relax with them for a bit, just a hug perhaps.

It came to the point where Nico even paused your morning sword training sessions (did those count as a free time activity?), and Sherman stepped up to the game. You tried to kindly decline, but he didn’t take no for an answer. After your initial problems when training with Sherman, he seemed to have calmed down and gotten to a more ‘teaching’ approach. However, this did not mean that he would be pulling punches, or slashes in the case of sword fighting.

That was how you ended up in the infirmary, under the worried gaze of your lover. Will carefully stitched the slash on your arm as you tried to stay silent. This was the most one-on-one attention you had gotten from Will in what felt like weeks, and you wanted it to not be a worrying experience for Will. Who were you kidding though, you were hurt so of course Will was worried.

“Here, eat this,” Will softly held some ambrosia to your mouth. You carefully put your lips around it, grazing Will’s fingers in a soft kiss. Will used his other hand to grab your jaw, his thumb slowly moving over your cheek. You wished Will would kiss your wounds better, but he didn’t seem to get the hint.

“Thanks,” you breathed and Will’s worried eyes softened. “Maybe you should wait with training until Nico gets back,” Will looked at you intensely, “You know, he might get jealous if you keep training with Sherman?” you laughed, although you wished Nico was there to get jealous, and take you away, and spend time with you. You hoped it didn’t show on your face. “Well I need to keep up,” you tried to push away the flutter in your chest, “You never know when a Sherman shaped monster tries to get me,” then you sighed, “I wish Nico was here more, but I know he’s busy.” Will hummed, as he turned to put away some of the supplies he used.

“We can maybe plan a date soon.” Will suggested, “We all have been busy for a while now, it would be nice to just have some time with the three of us.” You nodded in agreement, starting to stand up. “Do you have anything planned outside of your infirmary shifts?” Will asked as he looked at you. “Training with Sherman, mostly. Everything else I can probably move.” you said and Will nodded. “Cool, me too. Whoever sees Nico first plans the date then?” he asked and you nodded again. But as you left the infirmary you already missed the shine of Will’s smile, and you sighed as you felt an unexplainable sadness in your chest. You considered turning back for a moment, before you noticed hurt campers coming your way. Right, Will was working and did not need a distraction. You moved out of the way, not sure where you were going.

Just suck it up, you thought. You did not need to add to their list of chores. You were going to be fine.

But, as you were laying on your bed, staring at the ceiling of your cabin, you realized something. You were tired, wanted to cry, and still had tasks to do. So, you decided to make a deal with yourself. If you finished your tasks, you could skip the campfire and indulge in some healthy letting-your-emotions-out time, on your own. Sighing you sat up, took a breath, and went to face the world.

Maybe you wanted to share some parts, but that would once again make it about you. If you could simply make today a good day then it will start getting better right, slowly? Just one good day, filled with love, spent with your boyfriends.

Will was the one to catch Nico, and informed you that all three of you had time for a date a few days later. You hadn’t looked forward to the wait, but a few days was at least a set time instead of wallowing in the impossibility of seeing your lovers ever. Yet, as you met up with them, Nico didn’t seem too happy to see you. He wasn’t smiling, instead he stared at you intently.

“(Y/n), love, are you okay?” he asked when you were within earshot. Will was next to Nico, already holding his hand. Nico wasn’t sure how to breach the topic, but Will and him had talked for a moment already and Will had voiced his worry about you not sharing your troubles. Nico saw what he meant, you looked restless and tired at the same time and there must have been something going on.

“I’ve been,” you hesitated, “... tired.” Was this really the moment to admit it? You had been so strong for the week, and you just wanted some chill, fun time with your boyfriends. So, even if you felt like if you closed your eyes you might either sleep or cry, perhaps both, you didn’t want to talk about your emotions. Talking about them meant feeling them, and feeling was an activity you weren’t affording yourself right now. You want to feel fine, perhaps get a kiss, and move on so you could get these emotions out in a way that wouldn’t upset your boyfriends.

Not that they would ever be upset about you having feelings, no, you didn’t want them to spend the day meant for fun times feeling bad about the fact that you perhaps had missed them, had felt a bit neglected in the past week. You knew they would feel guilty about not noticing your mental state deteriorate in the past week, or that you hadn’t told them about your breakdowns at night, or that you had not considered asking for as much as a hug in the past week because if you were to be safely in the arms of one of your lovers, you knew you would not be able to hold in the tears and hold up the walls that barely contained your emotions. These walls would need to keep standing until after you forcefully had fun with your boyfriends on a cute date with no emotional baggage shared. You wanted to be happy today. But-

“Are you sure that’s all?” Nico’s voice broke your thoughts. “Yes!” you answered a little too quickly, “Let’s get going, okay? We can talk more when we’ve put out everything for the picnic. Would hate to have our date cut short by the dinner bell, right?” Your boyfriends exchanged a look. “Are you sure, love?” Will grabbed your hand, “we can always hold the picnic in Nico’s cabin, have a bit more comfort.” You sighed, before softly grabbing Will’s face, and pressing a kiss on his lips. “All I am sure of is that I just want the comfort of my boyfriends during a picnic,” you smiled softly, feeling slightly undone by the kiss you just instigated. Oh, how you had longed for that, “Okay?”

So, you went out together. The sun shined on you and you could feel how it was energizing you. The blanket was laid down, the food spread out, and most importantly, you were sitting between your boyfriends for the first time in a long while.

Between the strawberries, hand holding and cuddles you finally felt at ease. You were glad that neither of your boyfriends pressed the matter of your well-being, even if you found them staring at you a little more than usual. But it was nice, conversation flowed freely.

“How have the troglodytes been?” you asked, and Nico perked up. “They’re adjusting really well!” Nico probably was unaware that he was smiling. He tended to look younger when he got excited, and he truly did love the troglodytes, “They had been sad about losing some of the hats but have found ways that even I don’t know yet to get new hats.” “That’s cute.” Will said, although you knew he had had some reservations considering the troglodyte business- mostly because he didn’t like how Nico somehow always seemed paler whenever he came back from visiting them, as if Nico didn’t take good care of himself when he went to them. “It truly is,” Nico hummed, “maybe we could visit them someday.” you could see that he was excited for the prospect. “Maybe,” Will said and you hit him lightly on his arm. “I would love to, Nico.” you told him, and Nico nodded, a little less excited at Will’s answer.

Eventually the sun started shining a little less, and you knew the day was coming to an end, feeling dread form as you were packing up. You kissed your boyfriends, before each of you went to your respective tables at the dining hall. Nico had said he still had to fix something with the troglodytes, one of the last things he promised. Will had offered to sit together at the campfire with you today, but you truly did feel tired. You couldn’t pinpoint why, so you excused yourself quickly, brushing off Will’s worried inquiries, before going to your cabin, laying in your bed. Today was fun, and good, yet you still felt like sobbing. Tears were already forming as you simply thought about the fun times you had during the day, the soft kisses and how your boyfriends looked at you. Gods, you loved them so much, but why were you crying? If today was good, why wouldn’t it fix whatever made you feel like this? Why, why, why?

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weirdmarioenemies · 1 year

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I am going to rank more of the Super Mario Galaxies and none of you can stop me

Some galaxies are destined for greatness. But not all of them. Some galaxies are destined for pretty goodness, and that's okay. It's unfair to hold everyone to such absurdly high standards.

Those are the galaxies we're gonna talk about today! We've reached the B-tiers on this Galaxy Tier List, and we're gonna talk about them all today!

In case you missed the first post (which you can read here!), I'm doing a tier list of all the Galaxies in the Super Mario Galaxy series, and releasing a new entry every Sunday until we've covered them all. Forget about Church. This is what Sundays were truly made for.

My opinions don't necessarily reflect every member of the blog (there's like seven of us!), and they may not reflect your own either. If you disagree, that's totally cool.

72. Wild Glide Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: B

Kicking off today's list, we have the Wild Glide Galaxy, another Motion Control Minigame, yippee! Gone are the days of ray surfing and bubble blowing (but not Star Ball rolling. that's still around), now we have a funny bird named Fluzzard, and even funnier birds named the Jibberjays!

The Wild Glide Galaxy is pretty alright. The motion control minigames are rarely really the highlight for me in the Mario Galaxy games, but for what it's worth, I think gliding with Fluzzard controls alright, and I really like the optional challenge of flying through the rings for the Comet Medal. There's not really anything wrong with Wild Glide Galaxy at all, it's just a little ho-hum, but that's okay. I mean, it's the tutorial for this type of gameplay, what are you supposed to expect?

That being said, there's a later Fluzzard gliding galaxy that's way cooler. Like, way cooler. We'll talk about that next week.

71. Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

Did you know? If you put enough flying boats in one place, that's legally a Galaxy. I don't make the rules, I only follow them.

Yeah, these games have a pretty loose definition about what constitutes a "Galaxy"...

Anyway, I don't have an awful lot to say about Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada. It's solid! I definitely prefer the first half with the cannons more than the second half with the autoscroller, though because of Speedrun Strats, I usually end up skipping the first half anyway... Did you know that? You can just blast yourself to one of the later airships and it totally works! I wonder if skipping the more fun part of the level diminishes my opinion of it, though...

That being said, Galaxy 2 kinda went and gave Bowser Jr. both a better "Airship autoscroller" level, and a better "blast yourself places with cannons" level, so the Airship Armada kinda loses out on that regard. Combine that with a Decent boss fight, and the Spranglers that always mess me up on the autoscroller (which I will admit is a Skill Issue!) and we end up with a mission that's fine, but I'm a little lukewarm on.

70. Honeyhop Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: B

Is it just me, or is Honeyhop Galaxy the most forgettable galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy 2? I dunno, I think it's something about the repeated theme without really bringing anything new to the table, besides I guess one segment that brings back the Floaty Fluff from Gusty Garden Galaxy. It kinda just feels like a Honeyhive Galaxy retread, but a bit more condensed.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing to be, Honeyhive Galaxy is a really good one after all, it just makes all of Honeyhop Galaxy feel like something I've seen before. And I don't think the smaller scale really helps, since the large scale is part of what I love about the Honeyhive in the first place!

I feel like I'm being a bit too negative here, so I should probably re-iterate: while this galaxy feels like a bit of a retread, the stuff it's retreading is pretty fun, so I can't really hate it. I just wish they'd find more new things to do with the Bee Mushroom, that's all!

69 (nice). Bubble Breeze Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

And here's another Motion Control Minigame, this time taking advantage of the Wii's pointer! It is your job to blow Mario around in a bubble, but don't let the bubble pop! Because most of this galaxy is a poison swamp which is frankly, Not Healthy To Digest. Do you know why all the crayons you see are non-toxic? Because they melted all the toxic ones to make Bubble Breeze Galaxy, that's why.

Anyway, this galaxy summarizes my thoughts on the bubble minigame: I like it, I don't love it, I'm not too upset that it didn't return in Galaxy 2, but I wouldn't mind if it did. I question how much of this Galaxy ranking so low is the atmosphere, "poison swamp" can be just kind of a dreary thing to look at for too long, though maybe it's just that the minigame can feel a little sluggish since you need to be so precise. It's not too hard, even, just a little time consuming.

I feel if I liked this galaxy just a bit more, I probably wouldn't always take the Speedrun Strat of backflipping to reach an invisible platform behind the checkpoint, from which you can long jump to the Power Star and just completely skip the second half of the level.

68. Flash Black Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: B

I don't know what it says that the lowest-ranking Super Mario Galaxy 2 Hungry Luma galaxy got a higher spot than all but one of the first game's Hungry Luma galaxies. I mean, besides "the first game's Hungry Luma galaxies aren't very good".

Flash Black Galaxy is a galaxy built around a solid gimmick, where the level is too dark to see outside of brief flashes that appear in-time with the music. Stuff like objects and enemies can always be seen which can clue you in to where things are, but otherwise, it's testing your memory, which is cool. I don't think it's the best one-off gimmick, but for a single level, it's definitely a respectable one.

I don't know if I really have much more to say about Flash Black Galaxy. It's pretty much defined by its gimmick, which I consider "good but not great". Makes interesting use of your memory, but slows down the pacing a little, but ultimately the galaxy is short enough that it doesn't ever overstay its welcome. Respectable B-tier.

I originally had it way higher (at 54th place, if you can believe it!) but after writing about it, I found I didn't care about it as much as I thought I did. Sorry.

Don't confuse this with the Throwback Galaxy. We'll talk about that next week.

67. Rolling Green Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

And here's the last of the galaxies that introduces a motion control minigame! I honestly kinda like the Star Ball, it hits a nice balance where it can be a bit tricky to get the hang of, but never really feels like something you don't have control over, which I can't really say about the ray surfing. There's a really fun sense of momentum there, it does a really good job of capturing the feeling of balancing on a ball, not that I know what that feels like...

Makes sense this was the only of the three minigames that returns in the sequel, it's easier to control than the mantas, but never gives you so much control it can feel kinda boring, like the bubbles. As for Rolling Green Galaxy itself, it's kinda what you expect for a level that introduces a mechanic. It's a bit basic, but not necessarily bad, and I like that it offers a few optional challenges on the sides. It also escalates pretty nicely, first giving you areas with fences so you can get acclimated to the controls, then wide open areas without fences, and then having you navigate around holes and islands, I really like that.

I'm probably still gonna dock it a bit for being a bit basic, but as a tutorial, I think it's pretty well designed, and I definitely have to give it props for that. Still, there are definitely other galaxies that I feel have made better use of this mechanic...

66. Rolling Gizmo Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

That being said, I think the "challenge version" of Rolling Green Galaxy, Rolling Gizmo Galaxy, is only slightly better, if not basically equal to Rolling Green.

I think this is pretty well designed as a more challenging follow-up, making you navigate through tighter spaces, rotating platforms, and overall forcing the player into a bit more careful play. It definitely serves well as that "final test" of the Star Ball minigame, testing how well you're able to handle its control scheme.

That being said, I feel that by being more challenging, Rolling Gizmo loses some of what makes the Star Ball missions so fun, you have to take it at such a steady pace that you never really get a chance to build momentum, which is kind of a bummer. Rolling Gizmo Galaxy doesn't really give you the same level of freedom that Rolling Green Galaxy gives, even in terms of alternate routes, so I'm gonna dock some points for that. Still appreciate the added challenge, though!

65. Gateway Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

For what it's worth, if this was a list of galaxies ranked by the order you play them in, this would rank first.

Gateway Galaxy is your tutorial to Super Mario Galaxy, and I think it does a nice job at that. Chasing bunnies is probably never gonna be my favorite thing in the world, but it's a nice way to get the player accustomed to walking around a sphere, and unlike some galaxies, there's no strict time limit, and the bunnies will politely inform you where others might be hiding. It would be kinda unfair if they didn't. This is the tutorial.

And I really like that it eventually extends into a proper "mission," letting you travel between planets, and introducing you to some of the game's mechanics, like collecting Star Chips, spinning to defeat enemies, and activating (or de-activating?) flipswitches. I also really like how you can't return to this galaxy until much later in the game, I think it's a nice way to show you how far you've come, or something like that, I don't really know. I'm not the most graceful with my words!

That being said, I need to be upfront: the Red Star power-up and I have never gotten along. I always felt the flying controls with it were super weird, even if it gives you a lot of freedom! I may as well mention it here, since it never shows up anywhere else...

Anyway, I picked that picture because of this Jacob Geller video, which all of you should watch, by the way.

64. Bowser's Lava Lair

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: B

Bowser building a lava-themed Galaxy? How unexpected...! I wonder what tricks he'll bring next?

Bowser's Lava Lair is a pretty solid, if not slightly forgettable, boss stage. It has all the sorts of things you'd expect from a Bowser stage, really, stone buildings, lava, members of the -omp family, and of course, a boss fight against the Man Himself. It also marks the debut of Mattermouths, which catches me off guard a little even though I totally know they're in this galaxy. They seem like such a Haunty Halls debut to me!

Not a lot to say about Bowser's Lava Lair really, it's solid, but a bit by-the-books, which is why it didn't score any higher. Maybe Bowser could take a few lessons from his son when it comes to designing memorable boss levels...

...That statement feels really weird given both "boss levels" we've covered thus far are from Bowser Jr., but I promise, he gets some really good ones in Galaxy 2.

63. Starshine Beach Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: B

Oh hey, it's that galaxy that sort of vaguely references Super Mario Sunshine! It has Beach, it has Chucksters... it has those lily pad rafts? I think Sunshine had those. Really, throw Piantas in any sort of tropical area and you can probably pass it off as a Sunshine reference.

Starshine Beach Galaxy I feel is one of those galaxies that suffers a little bit from Super Mario Galaxy 2's more compact level design. It's kinda big, kinda flat, and kinda empty. I wouldn't say it's a significantly worse galaxy than Beach Bowl, there are some fun missions here, but if you compare the two, Beach Bowl just feels a lot more Alive to me, you know? This galaxy has like, three towers, a Pianta statue, and a whole lot of tiny islands and shallow water between. The level design in Galaxy 2 is a bit more linear, and in a more open galaxy like this one, it shows.

Still, this place is still plenty fun. The Cloud Flower is always a delight to use, and it's nice to have more exploration-oriented missions in the sequel. I just wish there was more to see when exploring, that's all!

62. Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: B

There are not a lot of good images of this galaxy on the Super Mario Wiki, huh?

Admittedly, originally I had this a good bit lower, where Bubble Breeze Galaxy is right now. Then I looked it over and was like "actually, this one's cooler than that" and moved it up like six places.

I think this suffers some of the same issues as Bowser's Lava Lair, where it feels a smidge generic -- I mean, making your lair Gravity Themed in the game where every level is Gravity Themed? Come on. But after looking back at it, they do some cool things with that gimmick, particularly in the 2D area, where the lack of changing perspective really helps emphasize the weird gravity in this place. I love details like Podoboos jumping out of a pool of lava on the wall and into one on the ceiling, that's really neat.

Still, I think they could've pushed the gimmick a little further, and with some of the entries later on this list (including a Bowser level that occupies the exact same position in the first game!), I feel like they have a lot more fun with 2D gravity shenanigans.

61. Gusty Garden Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

Man, this one hurts. You don't know how much it pains me to put Gusty Garden in B-tier. I mean, it's like, one of the Super Mario Galaxies! It has The Music! How can I hate it?!

Well, if you're taking a B-tier placement as me "hating" something, then your standards are way too high, because I like Gusty Garden Galaxy! That being said, this is a video game old enough to drive a car now, so I'm allowed to be honest about it, and if I'm being honest... the music does a lot of heavy lifting in this galaxy.

Not that the galaxy is bad by any stretch of the imagination, there's lots of fun moments here, like the weird question mark planets, the giant caterpillar that eats through the apple asteroids, and probably the best bunny chase across both games. That being said... Gusty Garden feels a bit small-scale, you know? I feel there's not a lot of room to explore in Gusty Garden, most of the planets are pretty small-scale, and the level structure is a bit more linear than a lot of other galaxies in the first game...

Of course, being linear isn't necessarily a bad thing, a lot of galaxies in the sequel are similarly linear, so why should I count that against Gusty Garden? Well, my issue with Gusty Garden is that a lot of the planetoids end up feeling pretty samey. You go to a small planetoid, kill some Piranha Plants and Monties, and then take a vine or a Floaty Fluff to the next planetoid, rinse and repeat. There's not really much of a sense of escalation here, you know what I mean?

Also there's the fact the third mission is so weirdly out-of-place. It's not a bad mission at all, I think it's a cool level with a cool gimmick, it just doesn't really quell my feeling that Gusty Garden feels like it was cobbled together from bits of other galaxies that were getting a little too big.

I don't want to badmouth Gusty Garden Galaxy too much, because I still have plenty of fun here, and honestly, I always look forwards to it in a Galaxy run! "The music does a lot of heavy lifting" might seem like a defamatory statement, and to some extent I guess it is, but I also think it shows just how much stuff like aesthetics and sound design really matter in the grand scheme of things. Without it, Gusty Garden Galaxy may have felt pretty forgettable, but because of it, it creates an experience that frankly feels like more than the sum of its parts.

60. Beach Bowl Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

Did you know? "B" is for Beach Bowl. I just thought you should know that. Beach Bowl Galaxy is a respectable underwater galaxy with a really cool setpiece. I just love the way this galaxy looks, the huge bowl with water pouring out is a really neat visual, and the Beach Vibes are just on point here. Not pictured is the underwater section, which is decently detailed all things considered. I'd probably visit the Beach Bowl Galaxy if it was a vacation spot in real life.

As a gameplay experience? Beach Bowl is alright. As I've mentioned before, the underwater controls can feel a bit jank to me, which I think drags it down a bit, but I also feel like it's a very nice galaxy to just Explore, which admittedly is something I think the second game is a bit lacking in. Obviously the Galaxy games are a bit more linear than the 3D games that came before, but I feel the first Galaxy hits a nice middle ground for me, giving enough room to goof off while still giving a clear objective to move towards, and Beach Bowl is great in that regard.

The main thing holding Beach Bowl down a bit, besides the controls, is a couple of the missions. The second main mission here, where you grab the Golden Shell from a penguin and take it to the penguin coach, is one of the most pointless in the game, and this galaxy also possibly has my least favorite purple coin mission. I'm not even the biggest detractor of the Spring Mushroom out there, but making it mandatory to grab Purple Coins placed right next to the edge feels cruel. And while I complain about the underwater controls sometimes, you surely could've placed more than five coins underwater, right?

The rest of the missions are alright, though. I think the one where you look for Star Chips takes nice advantage of letting you explore a bit, and I generally enjoy this iteration of the Stone Cyclone, and even the 2x faster version! Still don't like the 4x faster version from the second game, sorry.

I think it's funny that the penguins are associated largely with tropical galaxies in these games. Why is that?

59. Supermassive Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: B

"We grow 'em big here! Watch out!"

Supermassive Galaxy feels like a fun "novelty galaxy" to me, if that makes any sort of sense. What if Mario... but Big? Well, not Mario himself. You're one of the only things in this Galaxy that isn't big. Sorry! This leads to a lot of fun details, though, like the giant Lumas that speak in Big Letters and have a low-pitched voice, or the coin that's so big, you can wall jump off of it.

I wonder if they could've taken it further. Like, there are no oversized Star Bits here! That is a STAPLE of Super Mario Galaxy Level Design. The funniest thing they could do would make the Power Stars in this galaxy into Grand Stars, but I get those are reserved for boss missions.

It's also clever to use this as a place that properly introduces long jumps as a mechanic. Did any galaxy in the first game do that? I'm not sure if any of them did. But the framing of "Mario needs to do BIG JUMPS to make it past gaps in this oversized galaxy" is really fun.

Really, and this is a goofy nitpick, but I think what brings down this galaxy for me is the aesthetics, which kind of end up being a double-edged sword. I think the "generic Mario objects, but Big" is the best way to emphasize this galaxy's theme, but it also feels well... generic. After the Big gimmick, this galaxy isn't really all that interesting to look at. Might also have something to do with how linear it is. Despite everything in this galaxy being huge, there's not an awful lot of room to just goof off and have fun, which I feel is a bit of a missed opportunity.

58. Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

Megaleg I think is one of the coolest bosses across both games, and such a clever usage of these games' gravity mechanics. Megaleg is also pretty much all there is in this galaxy, and I'm not sure if I should count that for or against this one.

It's like, Megaleg doesn't have a lot of buildup. You have one small planet that serves as a tutorial for using Bullet Bills to break glass, and that's really it. I generally prefer galaxies that are a bit bigger in scope, so I definitely feel like I'm gonna dock some points for that. I feel like a boss this cool could benefit from a bit more buildup, you know?

On the other hand, I think that's kinda unfair. This is the first boss level in the game, it doesn't need to be overly complex, showing how the boss works and then doing the boss itself is really all you need, and again, I really like Megaleg as a boss, even if after once you reach the top there's not that much going on anymore.

I guess the takeaway is... these rankings are mostly based on my personal enjoyment, and less so of how Objectively Well-Designed I think the mission is. The difference between "the best" of a group and "my favorite" of a group can be an important one!

57. Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: B

Another case of "this Galaxy is basically in the exact same position as the one before it, and it does some things better, and some things worse". For starters, I don't think Gobblegut is quite as cool as Megaleg. Don't get me wrong, Gobblegut is still cool, and arguably more mechanically interesting, I like how there's an incentive to destroy the later bulges earlier on so the boss is easier in the later phases when Gobblegut speeds up, in exchange for a more difficult earlygame. Still, I don't know if it's as cool as climbing up a giant robot.

The Fiery Flotilla also has a bit more buildup than the Robot Reactor, which I really appreciate. You know I enjoy a little bit of platforming before I take on the Big Boss! Still, the platforming is on the basic side (again, first Boss Level) and unlike Megaleg, the buildup doesn't really tie into the boss at all, you know? Like, "spin the big red orbs" isn't a really tough thing to figure out, especially when they're highlighted in Bowser Jr.'s dialogue, but it does create a situation where the game tells you what to do instead of priming you for it.

Does some things a little better, some things a little worse, so I think it's about equal. Gonna give it the edge because I like having the platforming at the beginning, and also because Galaxy 2 gives each galaxy more than one mission. There's a Gobblegut Daredevil Run! Wish we could've gotten one of those for Megaleg.

56. Sweet Sweet Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

What's that? A good Hungry Luma galaxy from the first game? I never thought I'd see the day...! It's also uh, the only good one in my opinion, given we covered all the rest in the previous post. It's also the first Hungry Luma galaxy in the game, so it's all downhill from here.

But yeah, I like Sweet Sweet Galaxy! I don't know if I'd say I love it, or else I'd probably put it a bit higher, but I enjoy it. I think it has a really nice sense of iterative level design, you know? It takes one idea (moving conveyors with holes in the floor) and riffs on it in different ways up until the very end. First you have a conveyor moving towards the goal, then you have the ones moving left and right, then you have the rotating floor, and then you have the one moving away from the goal. Sweet Sweet Galaxy has a pretty nice sense of escalation.

I also remember finding it weirdly challenging as a kid, for how early in the game it is. It's not brutal or anything, we're not looking at the Dark Souls of Mario Galaxies here, but especially in that rotating floor segment it can be hard to tell where the holes are gonna be.

It's still a little short and linear, but for a small "bonus mission", I think that's ultimately fine, especially for the first Hungry Luma galaxy in the game. Congratulations, Sweet Sweet Galaxy! You might have what it takes to hang out with the Super Mario Galaxy 2 Hungry Luma galaxies!

55. Bubble Blast Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

Did you know? "B" is for Bubble Blast. I just thought you should know that.

Congratulations to Bubble Blast Galaxy, which I personally consider the best of the three Trial Galaxies. As I stated, I can sort of take or leave the bubble minigame, which is why this isn't gonna rank any higher, but as far as it goes, I think this galaxy makes really good usage of it. The obstacles presented feel decently varied, and often require a nice blend of precision with quick reaction timing due to all the moving parts. It's really nifty, both on its own, and as an escalation of what we saw in Bubble Breeze.

Especially great is the bit towards the end, where you have to make your way down a tight corridor of electric fences while being chased by Bullet Bills, forcing you to act quick in a minigame that usually requires a lot of precision. Is it a little unfair? Maybe just a little, but it makes for an exciting sequence that works really well as a final test of your bubble-blowing skills.

Up next, we're going to be testing your jellyfishing and patty-flipping skills, so watch out!

54. Dusty Dune Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

Dusty Dune Galaxy is a weird one to me. It's like, whenever I reach it in the game, I don't really feel like playing it, but once I get around to playing it, it's actually pretty fun! I'm not really sure if there's a mission here I don't like playing, I like the Bone Twisters, I like the sand slides, I like the rush for the star in the sinking tower. Even the untimed purple coin mission is one of the better ones! This galaxy is honestly pretty consistently solid.

So like, why am I not Feeling It? Why is it that when I get to this galaxy in a playthrough, I'm always overcome by this feeling of "yeah, alright"?

I think Dusty Dune might have a reverse Gusty Garden Situation going on, where it has great ideas held back a little bit by so-so music and theming. And make no mistake: it's not that "desert" can't be an interesting theme, because it really can be! (We'll see the sequel's desert galaxy in a couple weeks!) But it's generic desert, you know? Where they kinda slap any vague "desert stuff" together and call it a day. This is a desert with both Egyptian pyramids and cacti! Despite what Mr. Video Game might tell you, those don't appear in the same deserts in the Real World.

I feel like if they leaned hard in one particular direction, Dusty Dune Galaxy could be really cool, but as it stands it sort of suffers "Generic Video Game Desert Syndrome" where it lacks a clear sense of identity to make it stand out more.

53. Sweet Mystery Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: B

The Bulb Berry is a neat power-up, the more I think about it, it feels like a new spin of the Matter Splatter Galaxy from the first game, where what you see is all that's there, but with a bit more player control. I honestly think the lack of control makes Matter Splatter a bit more interesting to me, but I can see why someone else would like this take more.

If you couldn't tell already, Sweet Mystery Galaxy is largely built around this power-up, making for the second sweets-themed Hungry Luma Galaxy, though that's pretty much all the two have in common, because the gimmicks are completely different. Honestly I think the Bulb Berry is a little under-utilized, the only other galaxy I remember using it is Haunty Halls, which is its introduction.

A benefit Sweet Mystery has for being the second level with this power-up is they can play around with it a bit more, using it with stuff like moving platforms, and having optional challenges which can be rewarding, but run out your timer a bit, limiting both your field of view, which also corresponds with limiting knowing where you can stand! It's nifty.

The main weakness of this galaxy I think is once again an aesthetic one. There's not an awful lot of background details, and since it's built around the Bulb Berry, you can't see much of it at once. There's not a lot to see here, besides that giant present with the cake in it at the end. It's another galaxy that sort of shows the sequel's weakness when it comes to making more detailed environments.

52. Gold Leaf Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy Tier: B

As I've stated before, I'm gonna dock some points for reused content. Like, if you're gonna repeat any galaxy, then Honeyhive is a good one, but it can always be a little bit of a letdown to go to a new galaxy and realize it's a place I've already seen before, but with a fresh coat of paint. Especially given it's in the same game as its counterpart! But in this case, I'll mostly let it slide. I like getting to see Honeyhive in gorgeous autumn colors, and for what it's worth, the missions here are all pretty unique.

The Star Bunny mission is kinda whatever, given I've made my stance on bunny chases pretty clear at this point, and the rest of the mission is kinda just exploring a place we've already seen, but the rest of the missions fare a bit better. What can I say! I like Cataquacks and I like that obstacle course. I think building the Cosmic Mario and Purple Coin missions around the obstacle course was a smart idea too, since it helps make the galaxy feel more distinctive.

Being Honeyhive 2 ends up being a double-edged sword, since it kinda takes away from Gold Leaf Galaxy having a more distinct identity, but it does enough of its own that I'll let it slide, and it's also not like I'm gonna complain about getting more missions in a top-10 galaxy.

I guess that's a spoiler for a future review. Look forward to seeing where in the top 10 I put it!

51. Freezy Flake Galaxy

Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2 Tier: B

Autumn turns to winter as we talk about our final galaxy of the day! Freezy Flake Galaxy is a delightful little snowscape that lets you indulge in all the fun of a snowy winter day without any of the icy roads or dismal temperatures of actual snowy winter days. Unless you're playing Super Mario Galaxy 2 in a car sliding down an icy road with all the windows rolled down. Why are you doing that?

Anyway, I think that above all else, Freezy Flake Galaxy feels charming to me, you know? You get to run around in the snow and roll snowballs and incinerate snow statues of Bowser with the Fire Flower! All the things you'd do on your typical winter day. I especially love in the second mission where you get the Rock Mushroom, and get to watch snow build up in your boulder form, it's such a cute touch! I wish we got to do more with the Rock Mushroom, it's kinda ditched past the first planet in favor of the Sorbetti boss fight. I wonder if this galaxy would benefit from the three-mission format of the first game?

My only real complaint about Freezy Flake is that I think it's a smidge on the generic side. I mean, by the time we got this game, we already had the Freezeflame Galaxy, which is a generally cooler take on an ice galaxy (and also a hotter one). Freezy Flake, in comparison, is a bit tame, a bit less exciting, but whatever, it's cute. It's hard to listen to the music and not feel those warm winter fuzzies that I feel until winter actually comes and my hands are dry and I can't go outside without bundling up first and even once I do the ground is going to be slippery so I can't run around as much without fear of falling over except for the days where it is warm where then everything is mushy and gross, and it's dark outside at 5PM and when it is bright outside the sky is usually gray anyway and there's no leaves on the trees so everything looks dull and lifeless

...I hate winters.

And that wraps up today's post! Do you agree with my opinions? Do you don't agree with my opinions? It's okay if you don't. Even the ones about winter! If you enjoy all those things I was complaining about, then more power to you, I'm glad someone can find joy where I couldn't! And if you don't like something I do like, then that's fine too, I guess.

Next week, we'll begin covering the A-tiers! There's a lot of 'em, so I'm gonna be splitting them into two posts, with fifteen galaxies each! Look forward to it! I'll link it here when it goes live!

#mod hooligon #super mario galaxy #super mario galaxy 2

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cho-aaacho · 8 months

Note

Stupid fucking idea that me and my sister made up:

Evil Wesker but with energetic henchman reader. Kinda cartoon villain like but it was too funny me and my sister kept giggling about it.

Imagine Wesker and the reader are trying to infect the world with Uroboros and Chris keeps fucking up Wesker’s plans.

Reader is like “Cheer up boss, we’ll get Chris next time! You’ll reach godhood in no time!”

Wesker hates, but also loves the fact that they’re willing, and energetic to help him achieve his goal. Kinda protective over them.

But imagine at the end of RE5 instead of dying, Wesker is just locked up in some maximum security prison.

But it’s just a little more bearable with the reader with them.

“Aw shucks. Well we didn’t get it this time. But i’m sure next time we’ll get it! Have faith boss!”

A very small, smile itches its way onto his lips. Maybe life imprisonment wouldn’t be so bad with you around.

Haha. What a fantastic idea! I have a scenario about this. I hope you love it!

Wesker is really good at being a leader. We can see how he carries S.T.A.R.S. and how he has a good relationship with them. Despite only acting, no one can detect that at all. So he's a good actor or just a psychopath?

He has charm and charisma, and everyone seems to depend on him. His charisma allowed him to entice people to do his dirty work. Narcissists are known to be charismatic, intelligent beyond the human realm, and highly manipulative.

Even no one notices when he's hacking a Bravo team's helicopter, which is the end game for them.

However, during his days in Tricell, he found someone interesting. And it's you. He barely talks with anyone at the Tricell facility; it's not because he hates them. He just doesn't have time to chit-chat.

At the time, his mind was consumed with Spencer and, of course, Uroboros. But one day, you told him something, and it was simply a strange conversation.

You say, "Let go of anything holding you back and die. There's nothing wrong with harboring dislikes toward others."

Realizing that he was only wasting his time, he started tracking and eliminating Spencer while ambitiously pursuing the Uroboros project. You've never seen him like this before; even Irving and Excella were upset by his unusual behavior.

Wesker even tells you about his Uroboros plans, including a backup plan in case he fails. You could not help but listen to him. Because he appears to be pleased with how you respond to him and reply to him.

"Okay, boss, do as you wish. Even if you try to burn everything down, the world around us remains the same. But it will feel different if you are not beside me."

After facing defeat by Chris and imprisonment, he doesn't hate or feel upset. It contradicted his nature, as he despised being defeated, especially by his archenemy.

Nothing else matters to him as long as he has you...

"Hey, Wesker... it's impressive that BSAA was able to lock us up. But don't worry; it's only a mild prison. After this, Chris will lose interest in us and eventually retire. At that moment, we will shine and return. If Chris wants to stop, he will. It's human nature."

He just... smiled. It was the first time you saw him relaxed like this. Though you are not worth it for that smile, you were really happy with that little detail about him.

"It appears I have your attention, Wesker. I am pleased to see you smiling. Let us try again and see if we can defeat Chris or those who support him, friends, and families."

#albert wesker x you #albert wesker x reader #wesker x you #wesker x reader #albert wesker #resident evil albert wesker

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pieroulette · 2 years

Text

ROUTE 1: HEESEUNG

A STORY THAT STARTS WITH A TEXT

2023 ・18+ ・15k ・YANDERE SERIES: ROUTE 1 MASTERLIST

pairing: lee heeseung x fem! reader

warning: cursing, panic attack, manipulation/emotional manipulation, kidnapping, mentions of drugs, major character death, descriptive death scene, murder (use of guns), violence, force kiss, mild sexual harassment, implied noncon (sa)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: rest assured my brain are now totally fried ^^ thank you for reading!! and reblogs, comments are always highly appreciated! they're the ultimate motivation fuel <3

| EPISODE 10: CARNIVAL |

The gut wrenching text in your glowing screen never ceases to mock you with each and every word.

[9:05PM] Hee01: sweet kitten, let’s start the game, shall we? Now, now, who do you think is the traitor sweetheart? :)

It fucking hurts that you wanna rip your head apart.

And when you think you've done enough crying and screaming to the top of your lungs—that your tears have gone dried and your voice had disappear into nothing—another one escapes before you can stop it.

As pathetic as you think it can be, you couldn't stop.

Your teeth gritted to its deepest core despite the possibility of it cracking, you didn't mind as your arms were shivering in a menacing pace as you had this another utter disbelief spiralling inside you.

How funny and pathetic you could be to stay fool like this, not aware of who the fuck had betrayed you.

[9:07PM] Hee01: still thinking?

Another piece of you were uttering a horrendous amount of questions in your head — questions that had no answers, going on and on like a broken radio.

Or perhaps, you were the one broken right now.

Broken like your trust.

Betrayal, betrayal.

Who could've possibly betrayed you?

It couldn't be your best friend who you've grown up with and have grown to care and trust — Chaeryeong?. .

But it can't be her! It can't be! I refused to believe this bullshit! There it was again — the same words that you utter and screamed a dozen times in your mind, convincing yourself that this is another game, another manipulation of that bastard.

Because you just couldn't believe that this might be the case.

Raging steps of the officers scattered all over the place which pushes the crowd out of their way to form a free path — those people had their arms caging that of EJ's helpless form, dragging him away from the scene.

Your eyes falling on EJ's pathetic form being dragged away brought you a sudden epiphany.

A shock wave of cold riled up across your entire body.

Jungwon! Where is he? Your eyes searched for the said boy but not even an inch of his presence was nowhere to be found — not even amongst the crowd nor on the stage itself. The boy was never present from the beginning of the festival.

Gritting your teeth in this immense pressure, you couldn't bear to get it wrong.

Your eyes fought it's best to blink away its tears but you couldn't fathom the possibility of how he, too, could be the one who betrayed you and EJ.

Possibilities, possibilities. What could be his reason to betray you? To do such an atrocity?

He was the one who brought the tape to you and EJ, if it was him then why would he even go through all that trouble in the first place?

For what? To fool you? It doesn't make sense.

Not even Chaeryeong herself could've possibly had a reason to turn her back against you.

Nothing, there was nothing! What if?! — Your eyes shoot up searching for him, what if this just another game of his to break you apart? It could be!

Your mind ran like a horde of horses racing through the sea of blood, searching for the corpses reeking in the mud. It smells musty, sinister and awful.

But no matter how you searched through it, the deepest depths contain nothing but an empty void.

You couldn't find a single thing of what one of them could have done to betray you.

Were you really dumb? Or were they too good?

Or have you just really thrown away your trust as if it was a dust within your fingertips?

You snap out of your daze as the crowds begin to dissipate—on and off they go to whatever they planned or wished to.

Out of blue you felt this ominous stare digging on your back.

Glancing over your shoulder to look up to the said group you've been wishing for their demise, yet there's no one but one boy who stood still behind the curtains covering the stage.

You gasped unable to fathom the expression of the brown haired boy—it caught you off guard but you didn’t let his dark gaze controlled you.

Next time, next time. You chanted in your mind, eyes darting from him to the entire place—letting out an exasperated sigh before rushing out of the venue.

A gigantic sea of neon lights along with cold breeze hitting your face as soon as you did so, sprinting to the pathway where crowds begun to leave and there your eyes fell on those who you were trying to chase for— screaming at them to stop at once.

"No! No—" you panted as you pry off their arms from the boy, "P-please he didn't do anything! What fucking proof do you have to arrest him like this?!"

They didn't respond rather throwing you daggers and glares through their dark gaze, red bluish lights illuminating the sharp edges of their face and silhouette.

They were firm, huge and strong — and they didn't seem to care even a tad bit of what you were saying which made you grew desperate.

Yet you tried pathetically once more, begging for them to let go of EJ who has by now given up, teary red eyes and gritted teeth. "Who did this, (Name)?!"

"I don't know! I really don't know!" You whimper, holding on to his leather jacket.

"EJ, please don't do anything! Just don't! They could hurt you or anything so please don't do anything!"

"What else do you expect me to do?!"

"Just listen to me please! I promise I'll get this over with as soon as I can, just— just don't do anything!"

It was obvious that EJ, too, were breaking down in this huge dilemma where he and you are unaware of who could've been the culprit.

This was never the plan! Both of you screamed into the deepest void in your minds.

You whipped your head at the remaining officer who had just finished from interrogating the crowds, "Please it's not him!"

The officer looks at you with confusion written all over his face but soon understands.

"There has been a witness proof, kid."

"Who? Who was it?!" your eyes widened in mild shock, desperate to know who it was.

"We can't say who. But consider laying back, you might be an accomplice as well with your attitude right now, kid." He patted your back before walking past you and there you could only watch EJ's form drooping in utter disbelief.

You knew that you and him had the same question running inside your minds ever since then.

Yet you can't let this pass and so you tugged at the officer's jacket, preventing him from leaving in which he turned to you with his dark eye bags that showed his restless and overworked days.

"Then help me please! My family, someone had kidnapped them!"

His eyebrows creased in annoyance, uttering words so fast you couldn't catch up but he eventually extended his hand asking you about proof and so you hurriedly turned on your phone, the bright screen illuminating the edges of your face.

However, someone behind you grabbed your phone and it made you fumed with anger when you snapped your head around to see the person in question — Taehyun, with a bubblegum sticking in his cheek.

"Hm?" The officer raised his eyebrows at the boy's attitude.

The brown haired boy with a smug grin splattered on his face as the flickering lights from the officer's car from behind you formed a hideous reflection on him that you were unable to fathom but this growing menace aura surrounding him had you frozen.

"Give me back my phone!" you reached out for your phone in his tight grasp but he dodged you so quick that you nearly stumbled to the ground.

“Please don’t mind her, Sir. She got some screw loose in her head after getting a few shots for the day." He suddenly pulled you into his tight embrace much to your protests, "Good job for today though! Didn’t had a single thought that this dearest friend of mine could ever think of to do such a hideous thing, how unfortunate.”

"Fucking liar! Do I look drunk to you?— Give me back my phone!"

"Are you sure bout that? She doesn't look even the slightest drunk—"

"She might not look like it but her boyfriend's are telling us to look after her so no worries!"

"N-no he's lying! Don't believe him!" You keep struggling in his arms and this somehow alerted the worn off officer.

"Kid, get your hands off her."

EJ slowly raised his eyes only to see the commotion outside the car window in which he hissed inside the car, squirming against the metal cuffs over his wrists and pathetic attempts to get off from the car.

Taehyun lets out an irritated sigh, leaning down to your ears whispering something so low only you could hear it, "C'mon now, (Name). Heeseung's waiting, you wouldn't want him to wait that long, aren't you?"

You froze.

Leaning backwards he did as he increased his voice in a normal volume.

You didn't move an inch in Taehyun's cage-like embrace till the officer wasn't taking this anymore as he nonchalantly told you to go off and not waste his time before leaving.

You could only watch as the car drove away and the window had EJ in a panic manner as he shouted for you inside.

Clenching your fists in pure agony is what you did as you threw a glare so deep in hatred at the taller boy.

“Give me back my phone! Bitch!”

“Ah, ah, chill.”

“I don’t know what you’re saying, you should've sharpened the edges of your damn brain first before acting with your pretty little useless plans.” Taehyun mumbled and then lowered his gaze at you.

“Give it back, you son of a bitch! I can’t believe you, he’s your friend and you’re doing this to him?!”

Taehyun’s eyebrow furrowed in amusement, “Friend? Last time I checked a friend doesn’t betray their own friend, unlike yours.”

“Wh-what are you talking about? What did you do!” You pulled his collar, forcing his back to bend to level your height.

“What did I do? I don’t know, you tell me.”

“I’m not in the mood of your games! I knew what you did, what you and all your shitty friends did! How could you? What kind of human are you? I guess, no. You’re not a human or even a fucking sane being. You’re a fucking monster who are all desperate for money!”

Taehyun’s eyes seem to darken at your words in a split moment but it soon dissipates and one more giggle emits in the air.

“So you knew, pfft. Obviously,” He paused, then his lips tugged up in a sinister way, “You speak as if you could live without money, though. I thought you were kleptomaniac, could you be a liar too?"

“Is that all you fucking got to say about me? Bitch, that doesn't work on me anymore."

"You know, I have no idea what Heeseung finds interesting in you that he had to go through all that trouble. But I guess, I can see now."

"Wha—"

"You are just like us, you just don't see it."

"The fuck you saying? You and I are not the same. I'm not like you who are selfish enough to use someone's body just so I can get money!”

Taehyun grins, "Are you sure bout that? You're just as messed up as we are, because if you weren't, then you wouldn't have known Heeseung nor end up in this shitty situation."

You froze.

"Because if you've never knew him, then Heeseung wouldn't have been the maniac he is right now if it wasn't because of you. You just don't understand do you?"

He leans forward, exaggerating each word. "It's all because of you."

"But gotta thank you for that, though. Heeseung won't even bat an eye or help us with our gigs but because of you he changed."

Silence, silence, the cicadas formed a thickening burst of faint claps while your claws dug deeper into the boy’s collar.

Your fingertips finding its way to tug on your white dress looking for a safe haven, was it really because of you?

Taehyun spoke in amongst the soft murmurs of the crowds behind your back, "(Name)."

"You really didn't know, did you?" a giggle escaped from his lips.

You flinch ever so slightly as his fingertips find its way on your hair as if to stroke it, and your expression screams "what are you doing."

"Oh, relax. There's a tiny bug." The grin on his face never disappeared as he showed you the crushed tiny red bug, "But you know, it's quite amusing."

"Heeseung said you were damn smart, and so he thought you would be able to catch up quickly when you saw us."

Still, a slight frown washes over your eyebrows along with the growing glare in your eyes, "The fuck?"

A giggle softly escapes his cherry lips, "Ah~ I shouldn't be saying much. But there's one thing I could say," He slowly leans forward, his boba eyes widened in each passing second as if to devour you alive.

"Sweetheart, don't you remember me? Ha, maybe you don't. But how about this?" an ear-wrenching silence ensues when he finally spoke.

"Don't blame me, I'm only doing what Heeseung told me to do." Taehyun giggled.

Huh? What the fuck is he— your eyes followed the necklace twirled around the boy's fingers as he playfully dangled the object before you.

Your world seem shattered to shatter as it the realisation dawned on you, the view began to dissipate in and out and it felt like it was the two of you in this place despite the enormous crowds cleaning up their mess, leaving through the exit, or still in shock over the previous ordeal.

“Now go and play.” and with that, Taehyun left with a smug grin on lips—leaving you frozen all alone by yourself.

You couldn't move, your eyes stuck in such a way that it starts to get strained because of how long you were standing there.

What the fuck? Knees weak, you fell on the ground as you all the memories from the past crashed right into your mind.

The dark room, a pair of strong arms that immediately pulled you and does unquestionable things to you.

“Mmmhhh!!”

The stranger's hands that found its way all around your skin, heavy cologne that you smelled on him even when you didn't see him because of the darkness.

The voice that you eventually forgot, words that surfaces right back to your mind.

“…….”

No wonder, you felt there was something downright odd by Taehyun's scent the first time you met him in the studio.

"Don't blame me, I'm only doing what Heeseung told me to do."

It was him. The one who had stolen Heemin's necklace.

[9:44 PM]

The sharpened edges of the digits splattering on the top of your phone's screen seem to put you in a deeper dread past another one.

Cold ice bites every inch of your skin as you rushed out further and further away from the venue, heading to the main street where you keep waving for a cab. you stormed off out the exit, searching for any signs of Chaeryeong or Jungwon.

The carnival, carnival. You panted. There’s a carnival situated around this venue’s area. Clowns, arcades, cosplays — everything was there.

Every moment under this thickening darkness — your heart pounded under your fragile ribs—reminding you that you had no one right now but yourself. The sea of neon colours hits your perspective as you looked out from the cab’s window, it’s lights illuminating on the edge of your face, making you tear-stained eyes glow and dance along with each and every reflection of this gigantic insect-like city.

Gripping the phone in your hand as you clasped your hand in despair, you waved your hand in attempts to get a cab but it went on and on and still you were unable to find one, before a police car pulls up before you — noticing your ragged form and your immediate relief.

You rushed over to the car, tapping the window in desperate impatience, “Help me, help me please!”

The officer were stunned by your ragged form, "Huh? What's wrong?"

“Help me please! My family! They had been kidnapped!"

The officer didn’t question much and was quick to let you in and drove you to the location, promising that he’ll call for backup soon. You couldn’t think properly nor answer properly and so you just nodded, scared for your family’s life.

Foot tapping the floor of the car relentlessly, you asked the officer for the third time, "How long are we still?—"

"Don't worry, it's traffic." The dark red hue encircling the edges of his face were something you could only see.

You gulped, impatient. It's okay, it's okay! I still had time, I'm not alone, it's okay! You comforted yourself for the nth time.

Pass, pass. It felt like an eternity.

A blaring noise of bells, roaring music and squeaking shoes overflowed through your ears and it had your eyes shooting up to where the source of the noise came from. This was it, the carnival Heeseung wanted you to go to.

You immediately went out, your heels stepping on the soil. “This is the place! They must be here! Let’s—”

The car door immediately closed before you as if to shut you out from it.

“S-sir? What are you doing inside there? We have to find my family!”

You slammed the car's window pleading for him to pull it down but you could only observe as the officer slips in a cigarette in his mouth, lighting up ever so lightly as he gave you a disinterested look, finally pulling the window down.

"What are you doing? You said you'll help me—"

“Here kid.” The officer pulls out a card from his pockets, a puff of smoke blows through the air as he pulls out his cigarette with his other hand.

“The fuck is this?..”

"Get out, kid. This is least thing we could do for you, be grateful." the window immediately pulls up leaving you speechless after you took the card.

Shaking your head slowly, “I thought you were going to h-help me?”

Then it hits you. Hard as a fucking brick. You scoffed. You let out a mocking scoff, your hand trembling as it clenches.

“No don't tell me.. You’re one of Heeseung's?!—” your face contorts in immense disbelief and yet the officer was not a tad bit faltered by your outburst.

You slammed the car window on repeat, rage written all over your face as you gritted your teeth so hard, “Fuck. Fuck. And here I thought you’re going to help me?!”

You screamed at the top of your lungs at the car driving off—leaving you in this pathetic situation.

It kick you right in your guts.

Clasping your hands over your head, you clenched your fists admits your pouring tears from your eyes, a fit of sniffles here and there until you wiped off your tears—not wanting to dwell in your misery— before heading into the main entrance of the carnival, the lights above overflowed through your line of vision and you felt lost at this vast space. Childrens and adults alike scattering all over this place.

Your eyes burned from all crying you did and the piercing lights from all over the place wasn't helping either.

However, you were most overwhelmed by relentless outbursts of noises coming from the distance and when you look over to the source of the noise; a stall with a wooden hanging board above—tarot card shop— with a long line of gleeful children and people in all age groups queuing with cards in their hands.

That brought you back to the card the officer gave you; a blank white card.

Was this the game Heeseung told you to play?

You went to the stall in a frantic pace—unable to wait in your dreading situation however your hasty actions earned a harsh glare from other people, murmurs echoes and harsh narrow glares were thrown at you.

You couldn’t wait anymore, you couldn’t wait but the staff told you to go back and wait and so you did, biting your lip as you scratch your neck in utter impatience every now and then—your feet unable to stay still, tapping it on the ground as you waited for your turn where the children queued up in a long line before you.

The thickening impatience spiraled over you, the moonlight glows so bright signifying that the night is still young.

Hurry up, hurry up! You shut your eyes as you screamed in your mind.

"Next!"

Your eyes shoot open as you realise it was finally your turn and so you hurriedly approached the counter where a clown stood behind it.

The clown's face were painted with twisted expressions that reminded you of him.

"Card?"

Snapped out of your daze, you blinked in utter uneasy you placed the card on his hand.

The clown seems to take a whole minute in inspecting the card you gave and suddenly he lets out a cackle, hands curled in a fist as if to suppressed himself from cackling any further.

You frowned at his strange behaviour.

It took him awhile as he bend down to get something under the counter, sharp sound of shelves opening and closing, and when he finally fixed his posture to face you again — a pair of cards was what he presented on the table before you.

Cards that presented a drawn out painting of a cat and a fox.

"Pick one card whichever you wish to, however remember that the card you chose decides someone's fate."

"Who these cards reminded you of?" The clown strokes his fingers over the cards with eyes that seems to scratch every inch into your soul.

And then realisation dawned on you, pair of cards—a cat and a fox—eyes that screamed those auras.

[9:05] Hee01: Who do you think is the traitor?

Heeseung's text crashes through your mind like a speeding train.

The clown gave you a long, deep hard stare as he watched you picked between the cards.

"Choose! Who do you think it is? Choose wisely, miss." The clown exclaimed each word as if it didn't hold a heavy weight on you.

Who? Who? Your fingers hesitates to find its way one of the cards. To choose. To pick.

"Remember, if you fail. There will be consequences waiting for you."

Your ears started to tear up to the colossal weight of reality on you. The multiple things from the game centre, joyous screams from children behind you, faint sound of photo capturing, the sea of neon lights dancing in this gigantic carnival that almost resembles an insect with all its legs on all fours.

Eating you up on your insides and fleshing your intestines out, devouring every part of your brain.

Who should you choose?

Bam! Bam! Bam! The roaring clap of crowds, the exploding sea of flowers on the nightsky, the overflowing round colour of lights illuminating on the cards before you had you drowning in downright dilemma.

Your mind once again travels through the passages of memories with Chaeryeong's and Jungwon's presence in them, lingering inside it's episodes to see what went wrong and who did the ultimate betrayal on you.

You trembled— tremendous wave of guilt washes over you as your hands keep switching back and forth — wanting to get it right but at the same time, you don't want to.

Tap!

With your eyes shut tight to prevent your soul from withering inside, your hand finds it way to the one of the cards in a swift speed.

Trying to flip it over, the clown stopped you and pulled the card away from you which made you frown deeply.

I'm sorry, Jungwon. But I never really trusted you in the first place! You screamed inside your head, hoping for it to be true but at the same you can't bear to see the truth.

Silently praying that you were wrong.

"Ah." The clown smiles. Thus, the music box in his hand turns opened and its contents begun to dance like a spiralling loophole of hell.

Were you wrong? Did you make a mistake? Your soul were draining from your body like a soap wiggling its way out of your grasp.

His clown face snickered upon seeing the content of the card and there he flips it over, presenting it before your very eyes.

"You were. .—"

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The clown flips the card of the cat and the true form was a fool. You raised your eyebrow in confusion.

His red bob nose bounces ever so slightly, "You're wrong! Deadly mistaken, that is!"

"What? No.. It wasn't him?.." you couldn't form words, "Are you t-telling me it's?"

"We never know, why don't you guess?"

"Don't fucking play games with me! Who was it!" You pulled the clowns collar, your mouth trembling in the process, “You can’t be telling me it’s her!”

"Aw, young miss. Why so upset? This isn't you. Control your emotions."

Utter distress filled you in.

"Relax, the game doesn't end yet, but how unfortunate it is that someone has to bear the mistake you made."

Your hand trembled in a frantic manner as tears instantly filled up the edges of your eyes.

“What?..- so w-what’s going- don’t tell me you're going-”

The clown’s red painted lips curved up in the widest twisted grin as if to mocked you so hard.

“NO! PLEASE DON'T DO IT I BEG OF YOU!” you pleaded, slamming the table.

“It’s not like you can save either one of them, miss.” the clown cackled.

“Now choose one more card! And we’ll see who’ll take your sweet punishment. It’s lose a limb time!”

“I don’t want to choose! I don’t want to! You can’t fucking force me!” you bawled in tears as you clenched your fists.

He tilted his head, “Then if you won’t choose, we’ll gladly do it for you.”

The clown's head immediately picked the card from the table.

“How about this, since you chose that boy, he should take it on himself then!"

"NO! DON'T DO IT PLEASE!"

You shook your head in desperation, eyes widened in complete horror, mouth drooping so hard saliva was streaming down your jaw. Pain, pain it was as it breaks every bone in your body. Scared and desperate, you took out your phone texting Heeseung.

[10:03PM] you: please!! Don’t do anything! Heeseung!

you were typing . . .

[10:03PM] you: HEESEUNG! Heeseung! Answer me!

Bending over your knees, you couldnt stop bawling in tears as you tapped the call button, trying to get to him but to no avail, you were left ignored.

What's going on?

“I’m sorry, Jungwon! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry, i’m sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!” you keep apologising like a repeated mantra. "EJ, I'm so-sorry!"

Dread consumed your insides as you begin to have a panic attack.

Your cries of pain consumes the place but no one can hear you as your cries were drowning in the roaring sound of the fireworks, the people too deep in their fascination for the booming flowers on the nightsky.

“Hmm? Seems like Heeseung had taken a pity on you.” you snapped your head so fast to look up at the clown with the phone on his hand, exaggerating each word of his. “You know the cafe all of you three went to once? Go there! He might be around the corner! However probably dead! It's just around here, right?"

Laughter echoes behind your back as you didn’t think even further nor hesitate but sprinted to the exit, fists clenching as you keep waving off your hand for a cab to appear.

But it was useless.

You ran around in this massive crowd, suffocating in pure agony as they passed and hit your shoulder in opposite ways.

Yet, even the pain wasn't as much as the pain you're going to feel if something has happened to Jungwon. Even EJ won't forgive you once he knew what you did.

Lips trembling, eyes darting in utter chaos, never faltering nor losing focus — you ran to the park, panting, your entire figure so ragged and tired as your eyes darted all around the park looking for him. “J-Jungwon?"

Soft strokes of rain drops dropping onto a stagnant lake from the distance, clouded and dull sky emitting a faint clap of thunder — a foreboding melody approaching each passing second.

Pit pat, pit pat.

You called out for him again as your foot brings you around, "Jungwon! Jungwon? Where are you?!"

"Please answer me!"

Yet the presence of the boy was nowhere to be seen, almost as if he was never in this place. However you refused to give up, still walking forward looking for the boy.

But something, or someone in the distance caught your attention from your peripheral vision.

Halt.

Your breath hitched, but a huge wave of relief passed through your body as you let your feet raced its way to her. “Chaeryeong? Are you okay?! Chaeryeong! CHAERYEONG!”

"(Name)—?" Chaeryeong's eyes widened.

"Chaeryeong! Thank god you're here— are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? I've been trying to call you for the past few hours, why the hell weren't you answering?!"

Chaeryeong whimper, her eyebrows knitted together and mouth trembling, "(Name).."

"We have to go, it's not safe here anymore! Somewhere, somewhere—" you grabbed Chaeryeong's hand, voice panting so hard as your eyes darted around your surroundings—thinking of what to do and where to go. "Fuck, let's just leave please!"

"How amusing."

Your feet froze, head snapping to the direction of the voice and you swore your heart sank into deeper fear when you saw Beomgyu leaning against the tree. You immediately pulled Chaeryeong behind you, using your figure to shield her away from the red haired boy.

"The fuck you doing here?!"

"Why? Can't I?"

You scoffed, eyes growing wide in such a way as to mock the red haired boy. "Just get lost! I'm not letting you get close to her! So get lost or I'll fucking murder you!"

Panic consumed your entire body that you just want the boy to get out of your sight. Your hands tightening the grip on Chaeryeong's wrist. You ain't gonna let anything bad happen to her.

Not now, not ever.

"Pfft!" Loud laughter emits from the red haired boy as he hold his sides with his arms, mouth wide open and eyes shut as if the whole thing was an entertainment show for him.

Silence finally consumes everything for a brief moment when he open his eyes, staring at you intensely but you soon realise he wasn't looking at you but at Chaeryeong.

"Yah, don't you wanna tell your goodie bestfriend what you did?"

Huh?

Suddenly, you felt Chaeryeong's hand trembled in yours, her fingers now tightening in your hand. "Let's just l-leave. ." she whimper in a very tiny voice, her head low as if to avoid Beomgyu's intense gaze.

This wasn't how Chaeryeong usually act. What's going on?

"What? What's wrong?—" you brushed her hair, worried to death if Chaeryeong was hurt anywhere. "Did they hurt you? Did they give you something?!"

"Fuck, I can't watch this anymore!" Beomgyu exclaimed as he pushed himself forward.

You walked backwards, alarmed by the boy's approaching presence.

"Yah, if you don't wanna tell her then I will." Beomgyu pouted, "(Name), you are too kind don't you think? Or maybe too dumb, pfft. That girl behind you are the reason why your plan are now messed up!"

Stop. You stood still as a stone.

You didn't know what to expect nor think about it. Heck, you don't know what to do about what you heard just now—from the boy across from the street before you.

"Y-you're lying.." stuttering as your eyes blinked in an unstable manner. "You're trying to ruin our friendship—"

"Then why didn't she bring your sweet, sweet family to the concert?" Beomgyu tilted his head in a mockery manner.

You froze in utter horror with every word escaping the boy's mouth—lips falling apart, the tightened grip you had on Chaeryeong's hands loosens as you struggled to accept what you heard.

But the girl behind you refuses to let go, tightening her grip on your hand with both her hands—tears now pouring down her cheeks.

"Is.. it true?" your voice came out more as a whisper laced with downright pain and even though you let it out as a question, you wanted her to say no.

Tears brimmed out of Chaeryeong's eyes as she started to shake her head, softly saying each word which turns into high-pitched at the end “Th-this isn’t what you think!”

It dawned on you and yet part of you refuse to believe it.

Your feet made its way backwards. What is this? What is this? What is this?

“NO! (Name)! I didn’t meant it! I was unable to do anything! I’m sorry (Name)!” she tried to tugged your stone like arms, you could only look at her with wide open eyes that screams pain.

“Wha- what did you do? What- What have you done?—” you choked on your breathe, eyes shooting up to glare at her. "WHY DID YOU DO IT?!"

You shoved her arms away, avoiding her frantic approaching hands in a way that shows how your hatred were growing stronger for every drop of the rain falling on your bare skin.

Chaeryeong shook her head, crying, “I—”

“D-don’t touch me! Don’t you fucking touch me!” you trembled as you avoid her touch like it’s venomous to your skin, “Bitch? How dare you betray us!”

You saw red. Everything was growing red as the pure affection you had for the girl seems to vanished bit by bit.

“Where and how did you betray us?! You knew it was important for us! But, but!” gasping for air as this ugly betrayal surges it way to your heart, "I TRUSTED YOU! WE TRUSTED YOU! I—"

High-pitched scream of yours made the cicadas grew silent, lizards went back to their shelter and only the ominous glow of the yellow lamp was what accompany the both of you.

Now, there was only silence deathly silence.

Chaeryeong clenches her fists while breaking down in tears as she continued to apologized to you on repeat, like a broken radio. Broken radio. But really who’s the truly broken radio between the two of you? Was it you or her? Should you blame yourself or her?

Who?!

“It— it wasn’t easy! I wanted to s-stop! But I really couldn’t escape from him (Name)!” Chaeryeong wailed in pain, hanging her head low.

Pit pat, pit pat.

Silence forms as if mother nature had seen enough.

A soft chime!

Your phone’s screen lights up with another notification from him popping up.

[10:03PM] Hee01: you lose the game. Now your family had to pay the price.

[10:03PM] Hee01 has attached an image.

Your breath had caught up on your throat the moment your eyes fell on the attached image he sent to you.

He was too cruel, too cruel, too fucking evil.

Cupping your mouth with your immense trembling hands as tears overflowed out from your eyes for a dozen times.

"(N-name)?.."

Your parents had their heads tied around on a noose as they were laid on a place you couldn't understand where it was from.

[10:05PM] Hee01: let's play another game, shall we?

You were lost at words as if your system had shut down, the horror of this betrayal was something you couldn't bear to have a thought of anymore and now you had to go through another miserable pain.

Your heels spun around in a throbbing pain in your veins as if you've been standing there for an eternity.

"(Name)! (Name)! I'm really sorry! Please where are you going?!" Chaeryeong tries to to grab your arm but you pushed her away in your solemn state.

“G-get lost. Just get lost..” you nonchalantly said it, leaving the girl behind despite her desperate protests and relentless apologies.

A faint clap of thunder, roaring its wrath to the tenants of this vast world. For some, it’s a joy for the crops to drench in for them to grow to their glory, for some it’s in a form of punishment and that someone was you right now.

One, two, a few almost like a soft stroke of the raindrop fell on your skin — disguising as one of your tears dripping down your face. Your phone illuminates for the nth time, every text from him was a pure hellbound tying you with him and you were hoping to cut it off with possibly a knife or a scissor.

Though how unfortunate you were, as you were fighting restlessly to cut it off — it was pulling you even deeper like a sandman’s lair. His lair.

There, and then in the midst of the roaring thunder and the mother-like pit pats of the rain drop — you stumble upon a kid in a raincoat, swinging his arms as he let out his little hops on the tiny puddles across the street.

Fuck, you thought.

The long and wet, grey pathway. Your dress, hair and skin has been now drenched like you’ve drowned.

Laugh, laugh, how pathetic you were. Was it all coming back to you? The petty game you’ve started from the beginning? Karma has bitten you back, isn’t?

All because you sent a text, with a seemingly petty child-like games of yours and it has now been turned into a bloodbath by the very boy you fooled instead.

All the lamps flickered like a bunch of psychos dancing in a round circular pattern.

“I’m tired. I’m tired. .” a whisper so silent it felt like you had no one in the first place.

A soft chime!

A series of notifications pops up on your phone’s screen and you swore you can’t take it anymore as you read through his texts.

[10:07] Hee01: now let me explain our little game!

[10:07] Hee01: your little family and friend is hidden around in the city and you must find them before ur time ends, you got 1 hr :)

As if your life hasn't been shattered completely, you were proven wrong as you lose your footing on the ground — eyes widening in utter horror as you typed out a text so vigorously.

[10:09PM] you: TF YOU THINKING?? HOW AM ELSE I SUPPOSE TO FIND THEM?! ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!!!!

[10:10PM] Hee01: oh honey, dont worry. I’ll give you two hints. Rooftop. Red flag.

[10:10PM] you: what?.. are you trying to tell me that that..

[10:10PM] Hee01: the night is still young, baby. You got 1 hr, that’s all u have. If u fail to find them all, their fate would end up of their blood dripping from their head on the street :’)

Distress etched all over your face as your knees bring you all around the city. Your heavy white dress that flows along with the cold breeze as you keep running, running and running up and down the stairs.

Wiping off your tears in a vigorous manner as you stride off to the street with multiples buildings around you and you felt that there was no hope for you to ever find them.

An endless labyrinth of misery.

[10:13PM] Hee01: time starts now.

Run, don’t stop, if you stopped — they will die. Don’t stop!

Your eyes shoots up up to see a red flag sticking up on the edge on top of the building's rooftop

Sigh of relief.

Eyes darting all over your surroundings and hasty breathing as you went insidr building, sprinting upstairs and pushing open the rooftop’s door and yet you were met with nothing but the empty voids of the night sky and the sea of neon colours of this gigantic city.

Where are they?..

You almost want to cry again. If you want, you could've jump from this building just so you can end this pure torture that Heeseung puts you in through.

But you know you can't, you can't!

You walked slowly to the edge of the building and there your breath were suck out from your lungs when you notice the numerous red flags sticking on every rooftop you can ever see.

You clasped your head in your hand, bawling so loud that there's no way you could find your parents in all these buildings.

Tick, tock.

[10:19PM]

You should be getting up on your feet right now, you should be but why, why can't you stand?

[10:27PM]

You still haven't got over Chaeryeong's betrayal and here you were on the edge of your life trying holding yourself back together, but everything seems to be useless at this point.

Soft chime!

[10:39PM] Hee01: have you found them?

[10:39PM]

The glowing screen of your phone had by now been drowned by your tears.

The entirety of this huge pressure made you gave up. It was too much to bear. You keep panting and panting, searching for an air to breathe but it your lungs ache, pure fear of what could happen if the timer runs out and you weren't able to save them or more frightening was, not even one of them.

But your feet still won't stand up on its own.

It's all over, isn't?

“(Name)?!”

You slowly look up to see those familiar feline eyes. You burst into tears letting out small apologies for accusing him as a traitor and finally told him everything of what had happened to you today including Chaeyeong — it was too much to bear, apparently.

“It’s okay, I cannot guarantee I won’t do the same thing too if I was in your shoes.” Jungwon comforted you.

You nodded, tears forming in your eyes but then your gaze fell on his bandaged hand. “W-what happened to your?—” and Jungwon seem to catch up fast as his left hand brushes it over.

“Oh, it's nothing! Got on an accident earlier, it's nothing serious.”

“But it seems really serious, are you sure you’re fine?’

Your hoarse voice made Jungwon realise how consumed you were with fatigue but he chose to remain silent.

“Yeah I’m fine!” Jungwon tries to pull up a smile as he helps you get up on your wobbly feet. “C’mon, we don’t have enough time anymore. Let’s find them okay?”

Jungwon and you scattered all around the city searching for the red flags hoarding over the rooftops.

Rush footsteps echoes all over the stairs as the two of you barges into the rooftop. An enormous weight of pressure were suddenly released from your chest when you finally found your parents.

Cry, cry.

“Mom! Dad!” you knelt before them, helping them up but soon you notice that they were given drugs so they’re in an unconcious state.

It took you and Jungwon a sudden realisation that it will take you a horrendous amount of time to carry them both.

However, both of you kept going on.

You carried your mother on your back as best as you can while your father on Jungwon’s, your knees was burning in horrendous pain as you went down the stairs, being careful as you as to not accidentally letting them off.

The circular motion of this stairs are starting to make your head feel light, your eyes forming dust and air.

Jungwon notices you and tried to get your senses back, “(Name)! We’re almost there!”

After dropping off your parents inside a bar with an excuse of them being drunk and that you'll come back later — you and Jungwon once again wander limitlessly across the streets, repeating the same action over and over again in the midst of the joyous music of this city.

“This won’t do, we have to split up.” Jungwon pants as he put his hands on his knees.

You nodded, spinning your heels around but before you do, you shouted for Jungwon, “Be careful please!”

Jungwon was taken aback but nodded in return

You didn’t know why you said that out of blue but somehow you already had this growing fear inside you that he, too, could possibly lose his life for helping you like this. You were afraid that something might happen out of nowhere, you can’t rest nor take a moment to think properly — you were running out of time and you swore your head was about to burst.

Was this what Heeseung really wanted?

You keep searching and searching for them, for EJ and your sister. But you weren't sure whether they're on the same rooftop or being separated from each other plus another problem was the rooftop of each building had no longer red flags on top of them so you were going back and forth, circling each intersection and blocks. But don’t worry, you still had time.

I still had enough time!—

Bam!

A full crowd of high-pitched screams suddenly emits high up in the air which had you clasped your head in your hands instantly but you turned around to see crowds gathering in a certain spot and then you looked up only for your stomach to churned in utter fear.

There it was, the red flag dancing with the cold breeze on the top of the building.

No, it can’t be. You let out an awkward laugh as you brought your attention back to the gathered crowd.

Tap, tap, your heels formed a faint soft clicks as you approached the crowd, looking down to your phone

[10:53PM]

You still had time. . .

You still had 10 minutes left before the timer ends so this can’t be.

This must a pure joke, isn’t? Your hand shivered but you stopped it, still giggling inside your empty void.

Tap, tap.

And as you find your way in to the crowd, you were met with the gruesome sight of the lifeless body on the ground and you found yourself unable to move as if your system had shut down. Your brain unable to hold it’s cells for you to think, your heart unable to move so it can pump up blood to your entire body, your lips had gone pale and your pupils dilated to the canvas of horror laying before you.

You fall before it.

Soft chime!

The canvas of horror holding this familiar and gentle brown hair, eyes that hold sincerity inside it which was now left open as if it’s looking up to the air, lips had gone pale and purple as if he had died instantly as soon as his head hitted the ground.

EJ.

—Soft chime!

You couldn’t stop yourself from shaking violently nor held yourself together from falling apart on this cold, rough street. You couldn’t cry, though. The crowds had gathered around the lifeless body of him you couldn’t open your eyes for.

You spoke silently, breaking down inside, “I- still had 20 minutes l-left. .”

You couldn’t stop choking on your breathe, clasping your head when you look up to the rooftop from where you left him initially. W-what’s going on?..

You couldn’t see Jungwon, you couldn’t see him. But there he was, with the expression mirroring yours as he approached the lifeless corpse on your arms. This enormous weight pulling you down even deeper into this empty void.

“Why. . why are you here?” your hand frantically brushes over EJ’s face, a complete contrast from your dead expression, “No, come back. C-come back.”

Too deep in your labyrinth of despair, you failed to notice Jungwon falling behind you—emptiness circulating in his eyes. But he tries to quickly regained his composure, wiping off his tears before pulling out his phone to call for the ambulance.

His hands trembling with the phone within his grasp, his voice stuttering as he tells them your current location.

Another soft chime! And yet you ignored it, eyes with dried tears staring into the empty space hold EJ's freezing hands in yours.

"Why are you so cold?.." you choked on your throat, the freezing weather making your nose aches with every tiny sniff.

Your ears were muffled with this drowning and growing bass and yet despite all of that you could hear ambience Jungwon's desperate voice calling for the emergency.

He's dead.. Why are you still trying? You asked Jungwon deep inside your mind. You couldn’t believe either, was that really the last time you would’ve ever talk to EJ?

“EJ! Remember don’t do anything! Just stay calm! I’ll save you later, I promise!”

Another chime, two, three, four, five, countless of tings emerges from your phone which then results in the gaze of the gathered crowds on you.

Ha, you failed. You failed to keep your promise.. to him.

“(Name)! (Name)!” Jungwon tugs your shirt in hopes to get you back.

Snapped out from your spiraling anguish, your look at the boy beside you with heavy eyes.

"Your phone."

Shaky fingers taps the numerous notifications from him. You're unable to comprehend the texts on your screen as your chest and heart were overflowing with too much anguish from the body laying before you.

This familiar name. Another enormous weight falls on you just after another.

[11:06PM] Hee01: attached an image.

[11:06PM] Hee01: I miss u :( I'm sure your sister miss you too so u better hurry up

From the distance, something caught your attention. A dark, black car pulls up across from the street and you instantly recognized who it belongs to.

Heavy eyes falling back on the lifeless boy on the ground before you, your lips trembled as your fingers stroked his cold rosy cheeks and down to his dry chapped lips that was once full of life.

"Just go, (Name). I'll handle this, just leave your parents to me." a voice like a stroke of a feather as Jungwon's head lies low, you knew that he too were unable to cry nor scream as you both have thought that you two could've save him.

That you still had time.

Silence, silence.

You remained silent throughout the entire drive to the church where Heeseung and your sister was. Curling into your knees, head buried deep inside, only hearing your slow breath amidst the sound of the radio of the car.

Though, the radio seems to be broken.

Broken like you are.

The enormous weight and heavy pressure this snowy dress you had on you is so painful you couldn’t bear to take another step to the colossal church waiting for you across the path.

But you still did, you still kept going on — pushing the enormous main door and there your eyes met his.

The same eyes you grew to despise, love, disgust, loathe, despair for.

Small, slow steps you took as you cross the aisle. The church was so high up to the intricate patterned ceiling, the dark brown painted walls, the holy statues and the entire vibe of this place that was supposed to give you serenity feeling but the devil himself was standing across from you with a wicked smile adorning his face.

“Ah, at last, my darling. You’re here.” Heeseung opens his arms wide for you.

But the only person you had your utmost attention for was your sister, Chaewon who was laid against the wall, blood dripping from her head all the way down to her cheek. For awhile, you thought she was unconscious but you realise that it was far from that by her heavy eyes and fatigued form.

“Unnie!”

Before you could approach your sister, Heeseung stood before you with a smug grin on his face which turn into a pout, “How rude, don’t you miss me though?”

Seeing his face made you wanted to punch him and curse at him for eternity but you can't, not when your sister were right there, a few more meters away from you.

“You fucking dare even ask me that?” your face contorts into utter disgust which doesn’t affects him a tad bit.

"Feisty, I like that." Heeseung grinned as he wrapped his hand around your wrist, pulling you into his embrace despite your protests. “Look at you, so ragged and so tired. I must have made it so hard for you to enjoy your night out, did I?”

It was only now that you notice the presence of an old priest in his all-black attire when you glance over Heeseung's shoulder It gave you a uneasy feeling. What is this. You just wanted this bullshit to end for once and for all.

“You did such a good job playing the game I made for you, now let me see,” He strokes your face with his fingers, eyes scanning every edge of your face, “I’m glad your face is as pretty as it is, all mine.”

His voice caressing your ears irked you so much— Pretty. Mine. All mine.

Your hard and cold demeanour finally broke over his softened ones, you seriously can’t take this twisted words of his.

You suppressed the need to choke on your throat and gather your courage, your lips unable to control itself anymore. “W-what do you want? Please. Let’s just get this over with.”

“Oh, darling. Why are you rushing? We all had the time we needed in this world! Don’t we?”

“I don’t have any fucking time to play your little games!” Finally, tears spilled from your eyes as you pushed him away, “Tell me what do you want me to do just so you can let go of my family!”

Broken you were, helpless you felt as you dug your claws beneath your palms. You just wanted to fall on the floor and crouch in your little world because you were so betrayed by what she did, by what Chaeryeong did. By EJ's death, his lifeless body flashing through your mind. Your sister's worn out form against the wall.

Everything, everything fucking hurts as you shoot a glare full of hatred towards the man standing before you.

A mocking sigh emits from the young man. “How impatient. But fine.”

Your teary eyes shooted up to meet his lovesick gaze, “What?”

“Darling, you’re too dense, aren’t you?” Heeseung giggled, gesturing to the priest standing before you, “Remember? You agreed to marry me.”

You shook your head in a pathetic, small way. "No.."

“Marry me, and then we’ll leave this place, let’s live somewhere where there’s no one but us!” He took your hands in his, voice growing desperate every second, eyes brimming in utmost affection as you shook your head vigorously, “If you do that, then I might be kind enough to leave your family and friends alone. I guess, it’s fair right? You can’t ask for something without giving something darling.”

“But why? Why! We've only known each other for seven months! Why—” you bit your lip so hard.

A spine chilling chuckle escapes Heeseung's cherry lips, “(Name), Isn’t it obvious enough? It is because I love you that I’m doing this for you, for us!”

"For us?! Us?! You're fucking insane!" You yelled at the top of your lungs.

"I wouldn't be this fucking insane if you didn't text me in the first place! And then fooled me as if I was a mere game to you! You knew I like you and yet you gave me fake name! Fake face! Everything is fucking fake!"

Heeseung's voice echoes through the church's hall that had you shuddered in utter fear.

Blood drained out from your face as your lips trembled with the words you let out, "Y-you knew..?"

Raising his eyebrow in a cocky manner, "You think I wouldn't knew? Oh god, darling! You're so smart and yet so dumb!

Air. You need to breathe. Breathe. You need to say something, something — the fear of being caught consumes your entire being.

Shutting your eyes tight you did as you screamed out every single words. "I know i’m sorry for doing such thing! But this doesn’t make sense, you couldn’t have possibly love me — someone you’ve never met! I’m really sorry! I’m really sorry! I'm sorry for doing that to you!”

A gut-wrenching silence consumes the insides of the church.

You slowly opened your eyes to look at him with so much fear spiraling in your wounded heart.

“Shh, shh.” He pulled you into his embrace, brushing your hair in a loving manner, his mouth pouting ever so slightly but in contrast to his dark gaze, “You don’t have to apologise, it’s true it pissed me off that I wanted to rip you to pieces once I met you but when I finally saw you with my own eyes.. I didn't think it would make me you made me fell more harder than I think I could've been.”

You remained silent in fear.

“But I just thought I still had to teach you a lesson.." Heeseung stroked your cheeks with his finger, "The game was fun isn’t? That’s how you made me felt all this time, wandering like an insane and looking all over the places for you. Remember the card game? Choosing between two people whom I never know which was the real person i’m looking for? That was how you did it by choosing your sister as your face, how funny. And the betrayal part? Now you know how it feels, that’s how you made me go through it. It hurts, didn’t it? All these games was what you put me into.”

You gritted your teeth, suppressing your tears as you look down ashamed of what you did.

“Now it’s only fair, that we had gone through the same thing. It’s settled, love.” Gripping your jaw, forcing your eyes to met his intense gaze, "So marry me darling or else.. you wouldn't want your sister to end up like that, do you?"

“If you want, your sister could be our guest, the witness to our love.”

You gritted your teeth. “You’re insane..”

“Yes I am, insane for you and my love for you, isn’t it so obvious at this point?” A devilish smirk adorned his cherry red lips as he reached out his hands for you, “C’mon, (Name).”

"Heeseung, do you take (Name) for your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

What is this.. You trembled within his grasp and suddenly his fingers find its way to your neck, softly stroking your skin—so sickeningly sweet.

"I do."

The way he said it was dreading you.

The priest then turns to you, "(Name), do you take Heeseung for your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

Your lips felt like it had been sewed by a thread, choking on your saliva in this unnerving situation because of his lovestruck eyes that was observing your every bit of action which was so extremely disturbing and unsettling.

It was as if his eyes were screaming— say it! Say it!

You knew there's no turning back right now as your sister were on the edge between life and death, and more specifically being hanged on a noose that's decided by the choices you made.

Hissing in almost like whisper, "I— I do."

When you let such an answer, only then you notice how his sharp expression of waiting you to say that one sentence turned into a sheer satisfaction—absolute exhilaration consumed his eyes.

His teeth came into view as his cherry red lips tugged up in the wildest grin you've ever seen—so wicked and terrifying that you whimper in utter fear.

"Till death do us apart."

Bloodcurdling scream erupts in the empty air—you on your fetus like form with your trembling hands clasping your ear in attempts to recover from what you've seen.

The lifeless corpse before you.

With a gun in his grasp, one loud shot ended the priest’s life as he fell on the floor in a loud thud — his blood scattering all over his face, the holy status on the table and the floor all being stained in red.

"W-why did you have to kill him?!"

You couldn’t process everything, it was too much! it was too much, too much to take.

Heeseung finds it rather amusing to see your state, tilting his head as he blows off the smoke from the gun’s tip. “One out, darling. We don’t need another damn pest crouching into our life.”

"W-why.. Why would you do that?! He didn't even do anything!" You bawled in tears once again.

Witnessing death one after another, wooden like eyes once the soul left it's host, blood sucking out from their once vibrant skin—every single time, your soul are sucked out along with them—one more time, and you are sure to death that you will be only a living doll void of a heartbeat in the end.

Approaching your pathetic wailing form in a light hearted manner as if nothing had happened—brushing your hair in the utmost affection he can give to you because he loves you so much that it hurts, “Hush, love. You'll very well forgot it soon, how about we grab some dinner while we're on our way to our honeymoon?”

The witness to all of these absolute madness had remained stone cold this entire time.

“Fuck, stop crying. I get it that you're adorable but atleast save your tears for later. Hm, how about this? As a present to my lovely wife, i’ll let your sister live. I’m just that kind, right?” Heeseung smiled so sickeningly sweet at you.

It caught you off guard as you sniffed frantically, you find it unbelievable that he was willing to do just that for you but are we still surprise? This guy is a living form of mental derangement but if this is what it takes for your sister to survive then you won't mind a single bit.

Not when you already lose someone so precious to you.

You nodded in a quick hasty manner with your eyes filled with burning tears—darting all around the space, blinking in utter anxiety as he wrapped his arms around your waist — gleefully telling you all the future he could think of with you, to you.

Anyone would've had their hearts swell in pure bliss with his every confession of love and loyalty—but for you, he's akin to a mad dog disguised in an innocent pup image that will eventually devour you if you ever dare so to rebel against him.

Heeseung looked over his shoulder to look at the girl laid against the wall with so much contempt in his eyes.

"So much for all that trouble, I’m letting you live, happy?” was what he said before dragging you away with him to the entrance, his arm wrapped around your waist as it finds it way to your hair, brushing it affectionately like there's no tomorrow.

Only hanging your head low and obedient all for the sake of your sister.

Rain had by far vanished in a silent manner outside the church, yet the clouded sky remain firm and steady.

Nails dug on the carpeted floor resulting in a slow burn screech.

“I’m..” Chaewon clenches her fist as she raised her head up to look at you and Heeseung.

“Huh? Still able to talk?” Heeseung scoffed in amusement.

“You—” you couldn’t bear to see your sister like this and you notice that even though Heeseung had this cold demeanour up, his tense grip on your hand says otherwise.

“You fooled us.” Chaewon cried out in pain, face contorting into immense pain.

Taken aback by her simple cries of pain, Heeseung just laughed. “What a joke, c’mon love. She’s just wasting our time.”

“I’M NOT GOING TO BACK DOWN WITHOUT A FUCKING FIGHT! LEE HEESEUNG!”

—Shriek!

The scene before you was downright a scene of dreadful horror.

Eyes stretched out in such a way you couldn't believe what had happened; an excruciating and agonising outcry of pain emitting in the air and everything happen in a split second when Heeseung fell before you, his grip on your hand loosening as it returns to cupped his forehead pooling out a waterfall of blood.

"Unnie.." you called out for your sister who was shocked to death by what she did as she look down at a holy statue in her grasp, the blood of the boy dripping from the statue's head down to her fingers and staining the red carpet into deeper shades.

"Fuck! Fuck— Fuck! IT FUCKING HURTS! BITCH!—"

You couldn’t move. The loud shriek of Heeseung screaming in pain and Chaewon standing just right there. It all feels like as if death has truly starting to tick it’s bell.

Chaewon immediately recovered from her frozen state and tugged your arm, pulling you with her out of the church.

A menacing glare shoots up to you and your sister's form.

"YOU— ARGHHH! . .FUCKING RUN THEN!" the boy's bloodcurdling scream had you and your sister frozen in an instant and you don't want to look at him but you did and you regret it.

His body trembling so wild while his knees on the floor, hands miserably cupping his forehead which was pooling down half of Heeseung's face in a waterfall of blood had your stomach churned in disgust and not only that—rage, hysteria, madness, agony—eyes widened in such a way it would crawl out to peel your skin alive and mouth contorted into the wildest form of unnerving laughter. "Once I catch you, you'll fucking regret it."

Run.

Run!

Breathe in, breath out, breath in, breath out.

In this empty labyrinth in which you and your sister desperately tries to search for an exit; the way to the city. Every step you took feels like an approach to death instead to freedom, it was starting to drain you and out and your sister was losing it too.

Heeseung had really planned it all too well.

Your knees begin to burn and lungs tightening with each breathe you took and your sister was no different—air sucking out from her face and it dawned on you that Heeseung might've given her drugs.

Ushering her to rest—you two hid behind the tall and overgrown bushes just nearby.

"Are you okay?"

Your hand finding its way to tuck her hair in the back of her ears, voice like whisper that soothes her being, that same affection never vanished into empty air despite everything — it broke Chaewon's insides to pieces, into something she wasn't able to fathom— was it shame? Was it embarrassment? Was it regret?

Every way she think of it, memories from the past crashed right before her eyes—reminding her of every single thing she did and said.

Ah, I'm such a fucking fool. . Chaewon whispered in the back of her mind, wanting nothing but to slap herself, for not fulfilling her responsibility as an older sister to you.

And even more foolish she was that even after that entire ordeal back in Heeseung's mansion that day—she still refuses to believe that Heeseung would've never done such a thing if it wasn't for you seducing him. How funny.

Only then when she was left laying against the walls of the church, forced to take drugs and left to observe the true colours of the boy she grew to love—did she truly accept that everything she had ever felt from the boy; be it affection, sweet words or candy like smiles—unfortunately was only the result of her own delusion.

Or she had been simply fooled.

Witnessing your worn out form had her wondering how of an awful human being she turn out to be for the fake love she was dying to protect this entire time, not realising that the true love has always been standing still and firm just behind her from the very beginning.

And still is here, right in front of her.

"I-I'm okay.." Chaewon stuttered, suppressing the urge to cry and then because what right does she have to cry after all the things she did to you?

Pathetic indeed, isn't?

“Where’s mom and dad?”

“They’re fine, I’ve hidden them somewhere.” you gave a small smile to your sister.

No words were exchanged any further — as too many harsh words, words that cross the line and hurt so bad had been blurted out so many times you two couldn’t count it.

Shame, shame was all Chaewon felt. Yet she couldn’t find words to form nor find the courage to say sorry, and the only thing she could do was take your hand in hers, tightening her grip onto yours which formed warmth, as if she was telling you that she was sorry while she’s avoiding your gaze.

Rustle!

You snapped your head to the sudden rustling noise of fallen leaves far from behind you.

"Did you hear that?!" You whisper yelled at your sister in which she raised her eyebrows in confusion but was also alarmed.

“Gotcha!” a dark and alarming giggle emits from the smiley red haired boy who starts to approached you both. You and your sister walked backwards, panicking— not sure of what to do in this downright despair.

“Stop running. It’s getting tiring and so fucking useless, you know? Heeseung’s coming. Just. Give. Up.” Beomgyu tilted his head, gesturing behind him.

"As if. Fuck you, bitch." Chaewon spat out which earned an amusement scoff from the boy.

Approaching danger.

"You speak as if you had the favour right now." Beomgyu shakes his head and in a deep breathe he took, "GUYS, THEY'RE HE—"

Before you and your sister could spun around to run or before he could finish his words, someone jumped out and punched Beomgyu.

Pure shock splattered on your face, "Jungwon?! How did you?—"

“The fuck?” was Beomgyu’s reaction when jungwon appeared. Trickles of blood dripped out from the corners of Beomgyu's mouth, his eyes screaming insanity.

“Not you too? Fuck are you all traitors then?!”

Jungwon gritted his teeth, using all his strength to overthrow the other boy and yet he won't stop screaming for his group. "Fucking stop— screaming!"

He punched the red haired even harder until it resulted in his unconsciousness.

It went on for a horrendous amount of time that felt so long but in reality it wasn’t.

Your feet couldn’t stick to the ground, eyes darting to the distance and the commotion before you over and over again.

"They're coming, Jungwon! We have to go!" You cried out, your hands sweating as you tighten your grasp with your sister in which she did so as well.

Panic, panic, panic surged inside you and it's not only you. It was evident that it was eating Chaewon and Jungwon as well.

Your head shoots up along with the other two, shouts and screams — voices of men, familiar voices approaching from the distance.

Jungwon immediately gets up, almost stumbling on his feet before backing off before you and your sister.

"We have to split up." Jungwon said.

"Wait why? Wouldn't that be too dangerous?!"

"It's better this way, if they couldn't catch one of us, we could call for help."

"But—"

"We don't have any other choice. Chaewon, you have to follow me."

"No why my sister?"

"(Name). It's so obvious that he wanted no one but you! Give me a piece of your wedding dress and I'll lure them over."

"It's too dangerous!!" You cried out as you dug your nails on your dress, clenching a fistful of it.

"We have no choice!" Jungwon gritted his teeth, as he, too — was in pure fear and desperation. The atmosphere, the situation, the reality of where you three are in right now was a call for death bell.

You two eventually split up after a much hard decision to do, racing into different directions within the woods hoping to reach for the city soon. You turned on your phone, desperately looking for a line to call for the emergency. Someone, someone please pick up, you screamed in your mind.

"Agh, fuck Beomgyu." Yeonjun lightly kicks the unconscious boy on the ground, "You lose like a bitch."

"Your face really gotta be the first thing I see in this broad fucking daylight."

"I'm so sleepy, ah." Kai whined from the distance, slipping his hands in his pockets to avoid the freezing weather.

"They're not so far, I guess." Soobin muttered, "Right, Heeseung?"

There the boy appeared with a fresh red scar on his forehead, the same disinterested and dead look when you're not in his presence.

Looking far in the distance in the woods, he sighed but instead in a dejected tone, it was amusement lingering in the air. "Huh, hide and seek I see."

Run! Run!

Fatigue overwhelmed their body as ragged and unstable patterned of breathing filled through the empty air in this isolated woods that never seem to end like a labyrinth of maze—sweat trailing down their forehead and neck, wide opened eyes growing heavy but ears never faltering from any incoming noise that could be danger.

A torn out piece of your dress had been thrown to the trail they just came from a few minutes ago—all just to lure in the demons away from you.

"Agh!"

"Chaewon!"

The girl fell onto her hands after stumbling upon a laid branch on the ground—yelping in pain as fresh wound on her leg pools out a small amount of blood.

"Are you okay?!" Jungwon knelt down to inspect the wound.

"It's n-nothing—" stuttering and gulping on her throat as she snapped her head to the distance from where they just came from. "We gotta h-hurry, Jungwon."

Frightened, frightened they were as they took each others' hands, heels continuing to sprint forward and away from the devil himself.

Racing forward as faster as they could with their hands interlaced tightly than ever—suddenly a silhouette came into their line of vision—ultimately stopping them right in their track.

"Ah fucking finally!"

Outburst of joy and a series of whistles echoes through the air, those that sang a sheer melody of danger.

"Found you two! Ugh— do you think there's a way out of this place? Dumb you are, aren't you?" Yeonjun sing sang.

The boys gathered around the two, snickers and giggles emitting up in the air – the bluish grey sky that signify morning’s about to come.

The two hissed not knowing what to do at this point; fighting won't be in their favour as they were outnumbered.

Cautious eyes watching each others' every shift of movement.

—Leaves crinkling!

Heels sprinting into the opposite direction resulting in one of the boys' abrupt shift of position, preventing the girl from escaping.

“Where do you think you’re going, huh?!” Taehyun raised his eyebrow, licking his candy in the process.

Kai giggled, a smirk splattered on his face, “Fuck, what a waste of time. Just give up, will you? I could’ve used my time to practice right now!”

“Bitch who cares?!” Chaewon scoffed, eyes and eyebrows widened in such a way as if to mock the younger boy before her, “You could’ve been dead and I won’t give a fuck!”

Her head snapped to the boy she grew to love this entire time.

“And you? How dare you. How fucking dare you? You messed up our family and I did nothing but to believe you!” punching her chest on repeat as she gritted her teeth, wanting nothing but for the boy to understand her pain but she know he won’t.

For the disinterested look in his eyes never ceases to amazed her in a frightening way. Why she’ve never noticed all this time? Was she really too blind?

“Don’t you fucking touch her!”

“Huh? Do you actually think you’re excluded? How stupidd!” Taehyun punched the shit out of Jungwon which causes him to stumble backwards to one of the trees however Jungwon didn't back down without a fight.

Downright chaos erupts as Jungwon threw a hard punch at Taehyun, hands tugging and nails digging in each others' skin—fighting and fits of screams and yelling at top of each others' lungs.

Soobin ushered Yeonjun and Beomgyu to hold the Chaewon down and they did so without much hesitance as they begin to approach her.

And yet, the two won't give up and the horrendous cycle repeats over a dozen times.

Chaos, chaos—a downright spiral of madness.

Heeseung only stood there to watch the chaos he himself had created and he wasn’t the least affected by it. How funny, he thought.

At last, the pair were separated from each other; their arms caged in such a way that only their legs could kick in the air in a pathetic attempt.

The clicks of his leather shoes crinkled the sea of leaves beneath him as he approached them.

"What's so hard about staying away from her? Why are you so fucking stubborn, huh? Was it too hard?" Heeseung bend down to their level with his face screaming a twisted expression and the dried blood on his forehead wasn't helping either.

Twirling the knife between his dainty fingers, humming a song within the depths of him of what should he do with them.

Whose thread of life should he rip apart? Whose heart should he pierce with the sharp edges of this weapon in his grasp? Should it be one or two? Should he spare their lives or not?

Those are the questions that run through his mind and yet, and yet— Heeseung couldn't care less about their pathetic heartbeat as he stared at the two with absolute contempt.

Grey, clouded skies.

As the round source of light refuses to rise,

Those round of life finally fade out of sight.

Blood, blood at last adorned the skies.

Through the silence of the deep woods, leaves beneath goes roaring with every hum escaping from the young man's twisted grin as the soul within his grasp had by now perished to the sky.

“Told you to stay away from her, bastard.” burying the corpse under the ground, relieved that another pest was out of his sweet darling’s life. "Just what's so fucking hard about that."

Low, low sigh of relief. What wonderful day it is.

[ 4:08 AM ]

Woods.

The burning marks of the branches hitting your skin kepts reminding you that this was reality, this wasn’t a dream nor a wild imagination you had while you were having a nap in your sweet home, on your sweet bed. That this would all end after the clock strikes signifying that dinner is ready and you’ll go downstairs, to eat with your mother, father and sister like always.

Yet, you could only hope.

Church. Another abandoned church came into view. It caught your attention.

You sprinted to the nearby abandoned church that came into sight out of nowhere, in this vast and isolated place. Panting, you pushed open the huge main wooden door and use up all your efforts to close it off.

The roaring clap of thunder made you jolted in surprise, the grey cloud sky mocking you with it’s relentless raindrops.

You gulped nervously, striding off to the aisle, eyes darting around in complete anxiety. You cant breathe but you must breathe and yet, you were catching that breathe that seems to go away everytime you reach for it. The dusty air were mixing with your panic breath, it’s only presence that were heard in this silent place was you and your breathe.

Without further hesitance, you turned on your phone — the object that holds the key to your freedom and yet also holds the sword to mercilessly chop off the wings of your freedom.

This cold and hard object that has been the start of everything, the one that bears the story of the fallen fruit, the fruit that you’ve eaten and therefore had summoned the serpent himself.

You hated this, you regret it, you wanted to scream and pray for everything to end all at once, this object that has been in the grips of your hands for awhile and the mocking result was the overbearing print mark of it’s edges gracing your palms. You don’t want think much anymore, you don’t want to for there’s only one thing, only one thing you wanted so bad to do.

To save yourself! You wanted him to go away! To get rid of your unfortunate red thread with him that has been now stained with so much blood, those that scream insanity and morals of his that made your stomach churned in utter disgustment.

The emergency dial — you tap, tap, tap and so on however your slippery fingers as the result to the mixture of the rain and sweat was making you pressed all the wrong digits for eternity.

You gritted your teeth in pure annoyance wanting to throw off your phone, but you can’t.

You can’t, you can’t, you know you can’t.

You have to call for help before they can get you, before he can find you, before your tear-stained and burning eyes drowned even more in this hell called him.

You took a huge deep breathe, your nose sniffing the dusty air of this abandoned church. Looking up, your eyes met those soulless eyes of the holy statue that everyone knelt before, prayed to their heart’s content and begged for when disaster or tragedy befalls upon them.

Worn out and devastated you were as you finally gotten the right number but it was out of line because of the once soft rain that turns into roaring thunderstorm. How unfortunate you were, (Name).

Bawling in tears is what you did, your voice broke and you choked on your saliva as you fall on your knees, weeping silently in your pathetic form and without much thought, your feet bring itself to kneel before the holy statue itself.

The sky that was supposed to had been adorned with the sunrise has now hid due to the grey clouds forming and mingling together, and raindrops returned to it’s glory and within a few seconds.

Lightning strikes and along with it thunder roared. An ominous sign that never ceases to fear you to your core.

But you still keep praying in silence.

Pray, pray. They said pray when you need something, pray when you want to be grateful, pray when you need guidance — pray, pray and pray. That’s what you did, you whispered yelled in the oblivion of your prayers like a repeated broken radio.

Holy sweet grail, holy sweet love.

And yet as you were begging for the enormous holy statue before you, deep you were into your despair of oblivion, you failed to notice the silent and grim arrival of the boy who had you as his image of goddess and love, his lover, his one and only, his soulmate.

Feathery like steps that were left unheard as he approaches and halts behind your praying form.

No amount of prayer would make this incarnation of devil himself to refrain away from you for you had been a part of him since the day he declared so.

“What are you praying for?”

Sheer sound of deathbell in a disguise of an angel’s voice, you whipped your head to the boy in question and no words could express the utter fear in your body upon laying your eyes on his angelic features yet sinister smile on his cherry red lips.

You wanted to scream, yet your breathe were caught on inside the depths of your heart, you couldn’t move yet your shivering nails dug the carpeted aisle, resulting in a sound of like when you tap your laptop’s keyboard.

Heeseung seems to be amused at your reaction, lovesick eyes spiraling into madness as he looks you up and down, eyes that adores every inches of you — bending over to be as close to you as he wishes, this grim situation were eating you alive and yet to him, it was a breathe of satisfaction and achievement.

His dainty fingers that were stained with dry blood made it’s way to the locks of your hair, brushing it in a soft and loving manner, his dark gaze never leaving yours, never breaking nor faltering.

His face graced with dried blood that you knew belongs to him—a menacing glint of the metal object he was holding, his exquisite suit holding the flattering rose that only holds a sweet nightmare for you from now on. His lush black hair sticking to his forehead due to the efforts he had gone through for you, his doe eyes overflowing with loyalty and immense affection for you.

Feverish eyes that held so much madness in its depths. Then you notice his blood stained hands which made your breath hitched.

You couldn’t talk.

He hummed utterly delighted that he found you as he approached you—grabbing you to his side.

"Have fun running around like the doll you are?"

Heeseung yanked you playfully like a mere ragdoll, laughing so hard, bliss splattered on his face. Mouth wide, big grin and eyes crinkled like half moons. His lush wavy hair were drenched by the raindrops and yet it’s still so fluffy. His eyebrows furrowed in complete amusement—eyes so lovesick and so sadistic. Blood from god knows whom painted over his rosy cheeks.

Mixing altogether in a perfect shade.

But nothing can be more perfect as this breathtaking sight that he was patiently waiting for are now standing before him—all his to take.

A silly grin adorns his lips, "But still, it's kinda amusing how you think you can escape so easily with your dead friends."

“W-what—?”

“Hm?” Heeseung brushes his finger over his cheek, seemingly satisfied over the red liquid on the tips of his fingers, “Try to guess, who do you think it belongs to?”

You stumbled backwards but he managed to pull you back by wrapping his arms around your back, you shivered within his touch — compared to his big stature, you were smaller and weaker. Yet that wasn’t in the least of your worries right now as your mind were running through that one and only question.

“W-who?..” your face contorts into the deepest form of despair, lips trembling.

“Why don’t you guess? Is it your lovely sister, Chaewon? Or my friend, Jungwon? Or your bestfriend, Chaeryeong? Or is it our dead buddy, EJ?!”

Your world shattered over and over again.

“Guess who? Of course, we only had Chaewon and Jungwon right? Oh god, only if you weren’t such a brat and listened to me like the obedient girl you were then it wouldn’t have gone this far! Now who do you think i’ve skinned alive?! Or possibly crack their dumb brain until it spilled off for trying to take you away from me!”

You screamed in pure horror, mouth gaping in attempts to heal the overflowing wound in your heart— fingers curling to cupped your mouth.

"It's all your fault, babe. Only if you listened to me earlier."

“How dare you! You’re fucking insane! You’re insane, you’re fucking insane!” Yelling at the top of your lungs you did as you punched him on his chest on repeat.

Lightning and thunder roared into it’s highest void yet.

“WHO? HOW DARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS TO ME?” you screamed and screamed, “if you touch them, if you fucking touch them i swear, i swear—”

“Swear what?” Heeseung raises his eyebrow, “(Name), darling! Don’t you think it's too late to threaten me like this? But I don’t mind, it’s so cute seeing you so weak and helpless. It makes me want to protect you even more–”

“Don’t touch me!” you yank his arm away, walking backwards away from him.

Gripping your white dress, you shut your eyes. “WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?! Why you didn’t follow what you said, you told me as long as the timer don't end, you won’t do it anything! So why?! Why did you kill him?! WHY DID YOU KILL EJ?!”

A glint appears in Heeseung’s eyes which you weren’t able to fathom what it was as it soon dissipates into the dark deep void and instead that same smirk adorns his cherry lips again and giggles soon follows.

“Hm? I've never said I'd play fair.”

You hissed in bitterness. That's right, why did you ever thought he'd play fair?

“Why?..— why are you so damn cruel to me, huh? You said you love me then why are you doing this to me? What kind of love is this?! This is not love at al!”

An eerie silence forms in the void of this church.

“It’s not love? You still don’t understand, do you?” Heeseung pouted, but his eyes had pain lingering in it, “What should I do to prove my love for you? I fucking killed them all and you told me it isn’t love? I hate it so much when people stick to you like a damn pest and you’re telling me it isn’t love? I stayed patient even when you go around like a dumb slut, touching other bastards as if you weren’t mine, being so fucking oblivious but yet so adorable and you’re telling me it ISN’T LOVE?!”

The ground beneath you seemed to sway under your feet as the fear emitting from this boy was too ominous, too big, too dangerous.

And before you could try to avoid his grasp, he pulled you in closer to his embrace.

“Look at us! You and I, in this world — nothing could tear us apart anymore!” His words gets even more maniacal with every passing second. “Look, look! The the ring I specially made for you, the dress i’ve been dying to see you on, your goddamn face that I couldn't even fucking forget for a second”

His finger lovingly stroke your cheek, “So fucking gorgeous, fucking sweet, adorable. All mine, all mine! After all that patience i’ve been through, all that troubles I've willingly put myself in just so I can have you like this in front of me, you had the guts to tell me it wasn't love?"

Remaining silent you did as you were horrified by everything he says to you—he was far too inside his inner world of chaos.

Your hands trembled frantically within his grasp and he felt that, scoffing so slightly as he raised it up to his cherry lips—planting an affectionate kiss on the top of your hand which had you frozen.

However his short and brief kiss turns into a rabid mode; like a starving mad dog feeding on your skin.

Eliciting a pure scream of horror, you struggled to pull your hands and arms away from his teeth and lips and even when you use your little bit of strength left in continuously hitting him with your left hand—your efforts were to no avail as his hands caged yours within his suffocating grasp.

"Stop! Stop!"

Your outcries of disgust engulfed the entire church like an echoing choir, still everything fell to deaf ears for the boy himself as he continued his morbid and disgusting deeds to you—his tongue licking every inch of your hand, teeth biting and sucking your fingers.

You were forced to witness it before your eyes, feel it against your skin and still so helpless and frail before him.

Heeseung finally let go of your hand, his face twisted in such a way that screams absolute satisfaction and exhilaration itself.

Feeling your hands that has been violated for god knows how long, you yelled at the top of your lungs at him, "YOU'RE INSANE!"

You had nothing left to say anymore; mind empty and broken, eyes strained with so much tears and your body aching with all that had happened.

Yet, the boy before you wasn't even the slightest done with you at all.

Heeseung laughed, "My darling, it’s only wise that I ask for something I deserve, hm?”

You didn't understand what he said, confused you were but then the realisation dawned on you. "Wh-what do you mean? Stay away!"

Your eyes widened in utter horror upon understanding his words, stomach churning into throbbing pain when his hand tries to tugged down the sleeves of your dress.

“No! N-no! Get off me— get off me!” You thrashed around, kicking him to his chest which made him stumble backwards. "Heeseung, let go! I beg of you!

Yet, he only laughed. "No, darling. I must be making it sooo hard for you to understand my love for you isn't?"

You panted, you screamed, you whimper — all because of fear, all because of what he’s about to do to you in this isolated church.

Heeseung crashed his lips into yours within a blink of an eye.

A long and deep, hungry kiss that left your lungs burn in pure pain of suffocation. Your hand slapping his back, pulling his hair and scratching his neck, doing everything you could to pry him off away from you and yet it lasted so long that your feet lose it’s footing making you fell on the floor on your but with a loud thud and yet—

And yet, his arms wrapped around your waist never loses its grip and foremost, his lips never leaves yours. Your eyes begun to teared up due to this harsh kiss of his, no, this isn’t a kiss.

It felt like he was devouring you — his prey, alive— wanting nothing but to taste you deeper and deeper till he can get ahold of your soul to taste it as well.

Someone! Help! Drowning in your despair you did as you were forced to feel every inch of him.

He pulled back at last and you catched for the air that was there for the entire time however before you can do even more so, he gripped your jaw with his long and dainty fingers — forcing you to meet his oh so innocent like eyes that scream pure horror of insanity and twisted love.

“Now who’s gonna save you from me, hm?”

🐱AUTHOR'S NOTE: thank you sm for reading! <3

🖇️ TAGLIST: -> @mimikittysblog , @zanyduckkitten , @skuiall , @teugiie , @naddii , @bloodline1632 , @duolingofanaccount

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