#inspired by a connection made by my brother who enjoys making up facts

[incirrata]

I just discovered something! so you know all those sayings where the real, older version means the complete opposite of the shortened versions everyone says? like “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb” or “jack of all trades, master of none, but better than a master of one”? we’ve also been using “looking a gift horse in the mouth” wrong this whole time!

it’s a really confusing phrase if you think about it—like, what would be in the mouth of a horse? but. what really famous gift horse actually had something important inside of it?

…the trojan horse! it’s actually a good thing to look a gift horse in the mouth, otherwise you might, you know, lose the trojan war. it was originally a phrase sort of like “no such thing as a free lunch,” about the importance of questioning gifts. but over time people started to think it was rude to be skeptical of a gift, so they began to say “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” as a rebuttal. I say we bring back the original version if it seems like a gift is coming with hidden strings attached.

^ post I’d make if I wanted to try and convince tumblr users of an unimportant but completely false fact. the phrase (very old, a calque from latin) actually refers to inspecting a horse’s teeth to see how old the horse is. fake etymologies are fun to invent though. also I like the idea of telling someone they should probably look that gift horse in the mouth.

[elix8r]

Pink Whitney (psh) 

PAIRING: park sunghoon x fem!reader

GENRES: smut, fluff, crack, college au, friends to lovers au, brother’s best friend au, frat au 

WARNINGS: profanity, alcohol, mentions of birth control and Plan B, niki and jungwon causing chaos, one night stands, american college experience, unprotected sex (pls be safe!), mentions of pregnancy, drunk sex, frat parties, oral (m and f receiving), fingering, face-fucking, facial, and overall cuteness :)))))

SUMMARY: You had always trusted the beautiful bottle of Pink Whitney to deliver crazy fun nights with little to no hangovers in the morning. It was almost a sacred bond between you and your go-to drink. But that trust was shattered after a night that should have been like any other. Instead, you found yourself waking up in bed with your younger brother's frat bro, and worse, narrowly avoiding pregnancy. Now, as you navigate the awkward aftermath of it all, you feel betrayed by Pink Whitney, the drink that had never let you down before. But even as you mourn the loss of that trust, you find yourself more worked up over the boy who shattered it. 

Fuck Park Sunghoon for ruining Pink Whitney for you or better yet fuck Pink Whitney for making you fall in love with Park Sunghoon.

WORD COUNT: 19k

AUTHOR’S NOTE: this is definitely the fastest i’ve ever written but it’s because i had literally so much fun writing this! So many moments in this story are inspired by real life events and i have loads more of insane college stories that i will definitely be adding on to my upcoming series set in this same universe: The Frat Diaries! I really really hope you guys enjoy reading this and i love hearing feedback so feel free to send them my way! thanks for all the love so far and i’ll see you soon! 

GLOSSARY LINK  

THE FRAT DIARIES MASTERLIST

Of course, you would much rather be anywhere on a Thursday night (which was still a school night btw!) than at Epsilon Nu’s notorious welcome back party, but a promise was a promise and you couldn’t back out on it. Especially when it was a promise you made to your brother. Jungwon was a relatively easy sibling that rarely asked for much from you so when he came running across campus to you with a request, you couldn’t turn him away. 

“I promise it’ll be the best night of your life!” You doubted it but you let him continue rambling as it was becoming almost entertaining with how desperate your younger brother was becoming. 

As a first-year and a pledge, he was automatically sent to the bottom of the food chain and in the hierarchy of a fraternity if he didn’t bring anything to the frat, then he could wave his membership goodbye. 

“You know I never ask you for anything but if you and your sisters could come then it would help me out and by that, I mean like reaaaaaallly help me out!” His eyes were wide and shimmering towards you. 

“Ok fine, I’ll be there. I’ll probably be able to bring a couple of us but I can’t assure you anything.” You finally give in and before you can even finish your sentence, Jungwon was already pulling you into a tight side hug while jumping in glee. 

Each pledge was tasked with inviting girls to the party and the more that came under their name would be awarded more points and your brother was aiming to be on the top of that list. He was smart for reaching out for your help as you had the connections to help him out as you were also involved in Greek life. It wouldn’t be hard to convince your sisters to go as you knew many of them were already planning on going but it was the fact that you personally weren’t planning on going until now. 

“You won’t regret it! I promise I’ll make sure we’re stocked up on that Pink Whitney shit you like so much and I can even see if Heeseung hyung would be able to pick you and the girls up so you guys won’t have to worry about driving!” 

Seeing how excited he was also brought a smile to your face but if you knew what Thursday night had in store for you then you would have most definitely declined and stuck with your original plans of staying back at your sorority house lounging in the new pajama set you bought at Target while starting on assignments you were already given. But you were no fortune-teller and also weak to your brother’s puppy eyes how could you have known? 

Winter stood in front of the full-length mirror, frowning as she analyzed her outfit. "Is this cute enough that it gives off the vibe that I’m hot and fun while still being classy or is it giving try-hard slut?" she asked, mostly muttering to herself though. You stood beside her, admiring her fashion sense. Winter was a fashion design major and her exceptional understanding of style always showed in her outfits. The two of you were roommates at the Alpha Epsilon Sigma house and were lucky to have gotten a two-person room, unlike some of your other sisters who had to move into four-girl rooms. 

"Don't worry, Winter. You look absolutely gorgeous! You do this every time we go out, but I've never seen you dress bad," you reassured her. Winter's outfit was stunning: a sexy black dress with strategic cutouts that accentuated her figure. You, on the other hand, had opted for a more classic look with a corset top and jeans. 

Just then, your phone buzzed with a message from Heeseung saying that he had arrived and before you could even text the other three girls in your group of friends, they burst into the room. Times like this made you wonder if the five of you actually ran on the same brainwave. Without hesitation, everyone ran downstairs and piled into Heeseung's car, Winter sitting on top of Giselle (her big), while Karina and Ningning scrambled to find their seatbelts in the back. 

"Hey Heeseung, thanks for this!" you greeted him with a smile, giving him a quick hug. The other girls echoed your sentiment from the backseat. You could say that you were pretty good friends with EpNu's president, as he ran in the same friend group as you not to mention you shared a few classes (and maybe even a few smooches) with him in the past.

"Seriously, don't mention it. It's honestly my pleasure. Plus, I couldn't say no to Jungwon when he asked. I don't know how he does it, but that kid is really good at making you want to do anything for him," Heeseung said, crinkling a warm smile as he navigated the car out onto the road. 

"Oh, I know. He's literally so cute! You boys did really good with rush this semester," Karina chimed in from the back. Your big was the VP of Recruitment this year, so she knew exactly how impressive it was to have a successful recruitment. 

"They always do. I mean, EpNu's always top tier, which is why I'm even more looking forward to tonight," Ningning's grin widens as she chimes in. 

"Damn, now you've got all the pressure on us to deliver to your expectations." Heeseung laughed, playfully acknowledging the challenge, "Well, seriously thanks. And it seems like AES also had no issues getting their top choice in PNMs. A bunch of us drove by all the houses on bid day, and it wasn't a surprise, but you guys definitely did the best." 

"Well, you boys better behave tonight because most of our new girls are coming, and they better be treated well. Wonyoung texted me earlier that she, Yujin, and Liz were gonna pre-game before," you informed the group as you approached a familiar house, already bustling with people. 

"Thanks, again Heeseung!" you and the girls chimed as he parked, and everyone started getting out. As the group walked towards the door, you spotted a tall boy with a baby face standing in front, obviously on door duty to make sure no guys other than the EpNu brothers were coming in. "Hey, Niki," Heeseung nodded in acknowledgment, and the younger boy reached out for a high-five. 

"Welcome in, ladies! Enjoy yourselves and let any of us know if you need anything. You are our guests tonight!" The young pledge, Niki, said with a big smile as he turned to you and the girls. He was obviously full of excitement with the greeting he gave you all. 

"Aww, he's so sweet!" Giselle gave the younger boy one of her award-winning smiles, and you and the girls laughed as you could see Niki blushing furiously at the interaction. 

Heeseung shook his head, laughing along. "Well, I'm gonna go find the rest of the guys, and like Niki said, find me if you guys need anything. Have fun!" He gave you a small wink before leaving you and the girls in the foyer.

As Heeseung walked away, Winter leaned into you with a mischievous look on her face and poked your side. "Man, Heeseung's so cute, Y/N. I don't know why you've never done anything with him. I mean, he's obviously interested," she whispered. 

You playfully rolled your eyes before replying, "I don't know, I think my crush on him just kinda wore off but if you want him, then go ahead." 

You then took the opportunity to grab the girls and lead them to the kitchen, eager to get the party started. You knew that’s where they kept the good stuff. And by good stuff, you meant alcohol. You hoped Jungwon wasn't lying about the Pink Whitney.

As you entered the kitchen, you see a few EpNu brothers that you recognized, already drinking and having a good time. They waved at you and the girls, inviting you to join them. You spotted the promised bottle of Pink Whitney sitting in all its glory on the island with a sticky note specifically with your name on it so you didn’t hesitate to reach for it and take a swig. The sweet, tangy taste hit your tongue, and you could feel the alcohol warming you up from the inside. 

"Ah, I was wondering when you guys would show up," Jay greeted the group with his usual confident demeanor, reaching for the Pink Whitney bottle on the counter to pour himself a shot. You swatted at his hand, but he was already successful in pouring and knocking back the alcohol. You gave him a glare and punched his arm, but he didn’t even spare you a look as he pretended as if nothing had happened. 

"No, Jay, you were wondering when Ningning would come," Karina interjected with a smirk. 

"Yeah, you're not very subtle," Giselle added, and you and Winter couldn’t help but giggle as Ningning's cheeks turned pink. 

Jake, standing next to Jay, let out a loud cackle. "Damn, bro, they're already on your ass!" He reached over to fist-bump Karina and Giselle, and you all join in on the friendly teasing. Jay always seemed to become the target of everyone's jokes, but his reactions make it all worth it. 

"Alright, alright, you girls are ruthless," Jay shook his head sheepishly but didn't try to hide his arms wrapping around Ningning's shoulders. 

"Looks like Ningning and I are gonna have to find somewhere else to hang out where there’s more friendlier company. See ya, losers!" he playfully jabbed before leading Ningning out of the kitchen.  

You all laugh at his response, waving goodbye to your friends. Despite all the teasing, you couldn't help but think that the two were adorable. While they weren't officially together, everyone knew they were seeing each other semi-seriously, so none of this was a surprise and in fact, you were very much in support of the relationship.

As soon as Jake took a step closer to you, your instincts kicked in and you held the pink bottle closer to yourself. "So Y/N, you're cradling that bottle like it's your baby or something. Not thinking of sharing it anytime soon?" he teased, raising an eyebrow in your direction. 

"Oh hell no. If you know Y/N, then you know how precious Pink Whitney is to her," Winter shook her head before adding, "You'll probably have an easier time getting into her pants than getting her to share." 

You all chuckle at her remark, but deep down, you knew it was true. Pink Whitney was your absolute favorite drink - a perfect mix of sweetness and potency that always left you having the best night of your life.

"Is that a challenge?" Jake raised an eyebrow in your direction, but you were quick to react in disgust. 

"No chance Jake. Get the hell away from me. I don't know what kind of diseases you have with the way you sleep around!" Sure, Jake was attractive - but he was also a notorious womanizer who liked to sleep with anything that moved. You weren’t interested. 

"Yeah, get away from her, you horny bastard," Giselle added, teasingly holding you in her arms like a protective mother. 

Offended, Jake let out a loud and playful scoff. "Whatever, it's your loss," he said before pouring out four shots of Tito's for himself, Karina, Giselle, and Winter. "None for you, Y/N, since you're not willing to share. Neither am I."

As you watched the three throw their heads back and wince at the afterburn that came with the vodka your eyes started wandering around seeing who else was at the party. You couldn’t seem to locate any of your new sisters and frowned a bit as you were looking forward to seeing the girls. Like Heeseung mentioned earlier, AES definitely got the top picks in PNMs and you really enjoyed this year’s class. You were even hoping on picking up Wonyoung as your little and just at the thought a smile appeared on your face so you decided to shoot the younger girl a text asking if she was here yet.

Another swig from your bottle and you realized that the usual EpNu trio was missing one member. 

"Hey, where's your triplet?" you asked Jake, who was now making a concoction for Karina that you knew she would regret tomorrow.

"Why? Wanna fuck Sunghoon instead?" Jake quipped back playfully, and you played along.

"I mean, he has a better chance than you," you joked, "but seriously, you three always go everywhere together. I wouldn't be surprised if you go to the restroom together."

Karina winced as she took a drink from Jake's concoction (you knew it was gonna be bad) before giggling. "Well, actually, we’ve caught them all in the bathroom together before. Do you guys remember--" she started to say before Jake covered her mouth with his hand.

You're flooded with memories of witnessing Sunghoon and Jay holding Jake up, watching as Sunghoon lost a game of rock-paper-scissors to Jay and ended up having to pull the trigger for his friend. It was a cringe-worthy moment that Jake clearly didn’t want to relive, and you couldn’t blame him. 

The girls erupted in laughter at the memory, their cackles echoing through the kitchen. Sunghoon's face, twisted in a mix of disgust and determination, before he plunged his fingers down his best friend's throat in a desperate attempt to induce vomiting, was unforgettable. The mere thought of it made him scrub his hands with industrial soap for weeks. 

Giselle, struggling to catch her breath between bouts of laughter, managed to gasp out, "That's one of the funniest things I've ever seen!" She turned to Jake, wagging her finger, "Better be careful with your drinks, don't want you to traumatize Jay and Sunghoon again." 

Winter, seizing the opportunity, snatched the vodka bottle out of his hand, chuckling to herself. "Speaking of restrooms, I need to go. Anyone else want to follow?" 

Without a second thought, Giselle grabbed Winter's hand and dragged her out of the kitchen, blowing kisses and waving to the remaining guests. 

Left alone with your big and a pouty Jake, you were about to respond when you felt a sudden force collide with your back. Your brother had arrived, his giddy self already a couple of drinks in. You hugged him back, unable to resist his infectious energy. 

"Karina noona, you're here too!" he exclaimed, rushing over to her and hugging her as well. Jake had to pry Jungwon off Karina, holding him still. "Hey, kid, how much have you had? You gotta pace yourself," Jake said, ruffling his hair. 

Jungwon hummed, "Seriously, not that much, I promise. I think it's actually the edible finally kicking in." He paused, then added, "Anyways, you don't have to worry. I'm not a lightweight like you, hyung." Jake was left with his mouth agape, stunned by the younger boy's audacity. 

"What is this, gang up on Jake day?" he muttered incredulously. “Whatever I’m gonna go find Sunghoon, you guys deal with his drunk ass,” Jake then gave Jungwon a final pinch on the cheek before leaving.

“What’s up his ass?” You and Karina laughed while Jungwon frowned obviously oblivious to all that had happened before his arrival. 

Karina once again winced after finishing her drink. "Don't worry about it, baby Yang. Anyways, where've you been?" she asked. You took her cup and grabbed the cranberry juice to make her another drink, confident that your vodka cran would be much easier to handle than whatever Jake had given her. 

"Just around with Yeonjun hyung," you heard Jungwon say and from your peripheral you caught your friend becoming much more interested in what Jungwon was saying after the older boy’s name was brought up. 

"Where's he at?" you asked, to which your brother pointed vaguely in a direction outside the kitchen.

"Well, I haven't seen him in a bit, so I'm gonna go and see if he wants to catch up," Karina said which leads to you and Jungwon sharing a snicker as the two of you knew this was her way of saying she was going to go and see if he wanted to hook up. 

"Use protection, babe!" your brother giggled as you shouted out at her. She flipped you off, but you knew it was all in good fun. 

"So, Jungwon, what about you? Anyone on your radar?" you asked, feeling it was your duty to keep tabs on your brother's love life. Who else would protect him from crazy girls if not you, his older sister? 

"I mean, I'm not really looking for anything, but..." Jungwon trailed off, and you knew that meant he definitely had someone in mind. So, you decided to probe him further, after all, you were a nosy bitch. 

You snaked your arm around his shoulders to pull him closer to you, "C'mon Wonie, you gotta let me in on what's going on! You're always up in my business, so consider this me returning the favor." 

"Well..." he began drifting off again, but you gave him a small pinch. "Okay, okay, fine! I don't know, I mean, Wonyoung’s kinda cute," he shyly revealed, his eyes not meeting yours. 

Your mouth widened. This was news to you, but you weren't mad at all with his confession. In fact, millions of thoughts on how to bring the two together were flying through your mind. Now that he mentioned it, you thought the two would be absolutely adorable together, and it got you excited. 

"Oh my gosh, you have a crush!" you basically screamed out to everyone in the kitchen, and your brother panicked while shushing you. 

"Y/N! Shut up!" He attempted to calm you down and unfortunately failed.

"She's coming tonight! Wait, she might already be here!" you quickly checked your phone, and you were right. The younger girl had texted you that she was at the house about 15 minutes ago, and this instantly kick-started your body to go hunt her down. 

"Let's go," you said with determination as you dragged Jungwon out of the kitchen, with one arm linked with his and the other still cradling your beloved bottle. 

The party was at full force by now, and the sheer number of people was jaw-dropping. But to you, finding your future little was the only thing on your mind. 

Outside, Ningning and Jay could be seen conversing with one another on the couch, and you only spared them a small wave. Your brother, on the other hand, mouthed "help" quite dramatically  to them, but his cries went unnoticed. Realistically, finding the girl was going to be a challenge, but you were once a freshman like Wonyoung was, so you roughly knew how her mind worked. At least how a freshman sorority girl’s party-hungry mind worked. At a frat party like this, if you weren't by where all the drinks were, then you were most likely where all the dancing was happening. At the EpNu's house, this would be in the basement.

"Y/N, hold on, you don't even know where she is!" You rolled your eyes at your brother's lack of faith in your ability to locate Wonyoung. He seemed to forget that you had a talent for finding people in crowded spaces. But you didn't waste your breath arguing with him. 

Descending the stairs to the basement, the music blasted through the speaker system, and the smell of sweat filled your nostrils. You knew that EpNu's parties were always wild, but tonight's was on another level. Bodies swayed and bumped into each other as they danced to the latest pop hit you vaguely remembered hearing from TikTok.

Your brother's complaints by now had faded away, and you both scanned the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of Wonyoung. Suddenly, as if luck was on your side, you spotted Yujin, one of your sorority’s new members and Wonyoung's best friend, dancing with some other familiar faces. You tighten your grip on Jungwon's arm before leading him through the crowd towards your target. 

As you approached the group of girls, they greeted you with warm smiles and even a few hugs. It was clear that they were all having a good time, most of them with drinks in their hands. You remembered how you were during your first few parties as a freshman. Those were definitely some of the wildest nights of your life.

"Hey, girls! It's so great to see everyone! I hope you all mentioned Jungwon's name at the front," you said, pushing your brother forward. He awkwardly waved and thanked them, clearly grateful for you coming through in getting him so many names. 

"Well I just wanted to stop by and say hi. Have so much fun you guys and stay safe! Oh, and by the way, did any of you come with Wonyoung? I have something of hers that I'd like to return." Your small fib got Yujin to point towards the area where the kegs were located, and you thanked her and waved goodbye to the girls before taking Jungwon's arm once again to move towards your goal. 

"Wonyoung! I finally found you!" You hugged her tightly, feeling happy to see her again. 

"Oh my gosh, Y/N. I was just about to text you!" Wonyoung exclaimed before noticing the figure behind you. 

"Hey, you guys have met before, right?" You tried to introduce Jungwon into the conversation, as naturally as possible. 

"Yeah, Jungwon. Nice to see you again!" Wonyoung reached out to give him a small hug, and you could tell even with the dark lighting that he was blushing. 

"Hey, Wonyoung! Glad to see you here. Are you having fun?" Jungwon asked shyly. You couldn't help but feel proud of your matchmaking skills. This was already going so well.

"Oh no, babe. You can't have any of that. It's horrible!" You decided to give the two the final push in getting closer and pointed at the keg before turning to Jungwon. "You need to show her where you keep the good stuff." You nudged your brother closer to Wonyoung, and before he could say anything, you walked away, feeling like a successful wingwoman. He definitely owed you one.

As you walked out of the crowd, the smile on your face had you completely distracted, until you suddenly collided with a figure. Your feet failed to find their footing and you dropped straight to the floor, feeling wetness all over your back. Fuck, your Pink Whitney. 

“Shit, I’m so sorry! Wait Y/N, fuck are you okay?” The figure quickly picked you up from the floor, but you were too absorbed in mourning the loss of your favorite drink to even register who you ran into. 

As you turned your face towards the person with an angry expression, you were ready to cuss them out until you realized it was a face you recognized. 

“Oh, Sunghoon,” you awkwardly let out, all the previous expressions leaving your face. 

Park Sunghoon was a frequent figure in your life, but you couldn't really say he was one of your closest friends. You were much closer to Jake and Jay than you were to him. The two of you shared many mutual friends and had seen each other at loads of Greek functions and classes, yet moments of just the two of you were next to none. It was always shared with other people, so you could say he was the last person you were expecting. 

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going. You fell kind of hard, are you okay?” His thick brows furrowed in genuine concern as he gave you a once-over to make sure you weren't sporting any immediate damage.

“It’s okay Sunghoon, I wasn’t looking where I was going either. I think I’m okay, just my bottle of Pink Whitney…” You trailed off, looking back down at the bottle now fully emptied out on the grimy floors of the basement. 

Sunghoon clearly didn’t even notice this before, as his eyes widened at the sight. “Ugh, Y/N, I’m so sorry,” he reached down to pick the bottle back up when he realized your entire backside was drenched. 

“Jesus, it’s all on your hair and back, come on,” and with that, he didn’t hesitate to grab your hand and lead you back up the stairs. 

You had never held his hands before, but they were soft and big. Your hands were being dwarfed in his, and you blushed at the realization. 

Lost in your thoughts, you failed to recognize what was happening until you found yourself already upstairs with Sunghoon leading the way towards the fraternity's dorms. You notice Karina sitting on Yeonjun's lap, and she shot you a wink while yelling, "make sure to use protection, babe!" Your face turned red with embarrassment as you realized everyone thought you and Sunghoon were heading upstairs to hook up, which was very much not the case. Wait, why was he leading you upstairs in the first place? 

"Sunghoon, where are we going?" you finally asked as you reach the top of the stairs. 

"My room, duh. You need to change," he responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He takes you to a room far down the left side of the house. 

The room took you aback. Firstly, it smelled amazing, like someone has baked fresh cinnamon buns or something, and secondly, it was clean—really clean, considering it was a frat boy's room. The walls were adorned with posters of bands and movies you liked, and the bed was neatly made, with a warm-looking comforter and fluffy pillows. You couldn’t help but feel a little surprised that Sunghoon has kept his room so tidy. 

"Wow, your room is really nice," you commented, still taking in the neatness. Sunghoon shrugged as he rummaged through his drawers, searching for something. 

"Yeah, I like to keep things tidy. Plus, my mom would kill me if she saw my room in a mess." He chuckled, finally pulling out a t-shirt and a pair of sweats. "Here, you can change into these. The bathroom’s across the hall.”

As you made your way to the bathroom, you couldn't help but smile at the thought of Sunghoon getting scolded by his mom. Unlike the bathroom on the main floor, which was borderline a health hazard, the one that the boys actually used wasn't that bad at all. Of course, it couldn't compare to the amenities of your recently renovated sorority house, but it was surprisingly clean and even had Bath and Body Works foam soap. 

As you looked at your reflection in the mirror, you couldn't help but let out a laugh. Your hair was sticking to your body, and your once-white corset top was stained pink with your favorite drink. You cursed at the sight but quickly got undressed to see if you could at least clean yourself up a little bit. 

Sunghoon had given you an EpNu formal shirt that smelled like him and a pair of sweatpants that were way too big for you. With your hair pulled up into a messy bun and the oversized shirt and rolled-up sweatpants, you looked a little funky, but it was definitely better than being in your sticky, wet clothes.

When you returned to Sunghoon's room, you found him sitting on his bed, scrolling through his phone, waiting for you to return. 

"Hey, seriously sorry about everything," he apologized sheepishly once again. But before he could continue, you cut him off. 

"Sunghoon, it's alright. You lent me your clothes, so it's fine. Seriously, stop apologizing," you giggled at his wide-eyed expression. 

"Well, I suppose you don't want to go downstairs wearing that, right?" You nodded, not wanting to face your friends looking like a hot mess. Your urge to party was out the window.

"Oh wait, I forgot! Hold on, wait here," Sunghoon suddenly jumped up and ran out of the room, leaving you puzzled. But before you could even step out to see where he went, he returned, holding something in his hand. 

Wait, is that...? 

"Pink Whitney!" Your face instantly lit up at the sight of your beloved drink, and Sunghoon let out a small laugh at your reaction. The way your entire demeanor changed at the sight of a single bottle of alcohol made him find you even more endearing.

"Wait, where did you get this from?" While not an expensive drink, Pink Whitney wasn't a common item at a frat house. It was stereotypically a sorority girl's drink, which made sense since that's what you were. 

"I remembered that one of our pledges, Niki, brought some bottles of alcohol back to the house a couple of days ago, and this was one of them." Ah, Niki was the cute boy you remembered being on door duty. 

"I don't want to steal from him!" You shook your head and offered to give the bottle back, but Sunghoon laughed and pushed it back into your arms. 

"It's fine, we'll consider it as him providing drinks to a cute girl." You blushed at his words and quickly thanked him. 

The room was filled with silence as you sat on his bed and he leaned against his desk. This was probably the longest you've talked to Sunghoon one-on-one, and the awkward tension was palpable. 

"Uhm, well, do you want to share?" You finally broke the silence, surprising Sunghoon, who looked confused. He remembered the last time he saw you nursing a bottle of Pink Whitney; you almost beat Jay with the bottle itself for drinking half of it when you weren't looking.

“Are you sure? I mean you’re known for not sharing… I don’t wanna get my ass kicked like Jay,” you rolled your eyes. 

With a playful grin, you open the bottle and took a swig of the vodka and pink lemonade straight from the bottle, the sweet and tangy aroma instantly filling the room. "Well, I think I can make an exception for you," you said, passing the bottle to him, who reciprocated your action. As he took a sip, he turned to you in surprise. 

"Wait, that actually goes down really easy. You can barely taste the vodka," he exclaimed, finally understanding why you favored the drink so much. 

"See, you get it now!" You reached out to take another swig, as Sunghoon moved to sit on his bed next to you. 

Suddenly, he asked, "Wanna watch a movie?" It wasn't a bad idea, considering you wanted to drink and didn't feel like going downstairs. You easily agreed and adjusted yourself underneath his cozy duvet, as he reached for the remote. 

Netflix popped up on the screen, and the two of you debated over some of the options that were presented to you until something caught both of your attentions. 

"Boss Baby?"

You woke up to a dry mouth and a blinding light that made it hard for your eyes to adjust. As you tried to take in your surroundings, confusion only intensified. Where were you? This wasn’t your usual room with your roommate across from you in her pink sheets; instead, you were met with a desk, clothes on the ground, and an empty bottle of Pink Whitney nearby. 

Suddenly, a groan came from next to you and an arm tugging your bare waist interrupted your thoughts, making you realize that you were naked next to another nude body. You panic and widened your eyes as you tried to recall how this could've happened. Unlike you, Sunghoon, your friend and now bedmate, was still sound asleep, cuddled up to you with soft snores escaping his lips. The last thing you remember was friendly exchanges and laughter while watching Boss Baby on the screen. How did it end up with you naked in his bed? The thought of you fucking while Boss Baby played in the background made you want to hurl, and you quickly stood up wincing in pain as you felt the tightness in your inner thighs confirming that you did indeed have sex. Nevertheless, you tried your best to ignore the burn and reached for your clothes (well, technically, his) on the floor. 

Sunghoon woke up to your movements, letting out a low groan before he realized the situation and sat up in a panic, his face filled with horror. You were half-dressed, wearing only his shirt, when your eyes met. It was as if the two of you were frozen in time, neither knowing how to approach the situation. Fortunately, the awkward tension was broken when the door opened. 

“Hey hyung do–” Niki's eyes widened as he took in the scene, and it was as if none of you knew how to move. Before you could say anything to the pledge, his mouth opened, and he screamed out, “Jungwon! Hey Jungwon, come over here quick!” That little shit. 

As if on cue, your younger sibling sauntered in with a toothbrush in his mouth, looking barely awake. But as soon as he took in the scene, his mouth immediately widened and toothpaste dropped from his mouth and onto the floor.

“What the fuck!” The scream Jungwon let out was the loudest you think you’ve ever heard your brother being. 

By now, Niki could be seen cackling behind Jungwon. The boy you had once thought was a cutie was officially on your shit list. You regretted ever complimenting Heeseung on his group of pledges. 

“Why are you naked?” Your brother shrieked out as you struggled to form any words. 

“Well they obviously fucked,” Niki once again added more fuel to the fire that he had started not giving a shit about the mess.

“Get out! The both of you!” Sunghoon was finally able to yell out as you walked over to push your brother out and shut the door on the two pledges. Protests from your brother could be heard but your quick reflexes kicked in as you quickly locked the door. Slowly you turned back around to face Sunghoon.

“Shit Sunghoon I don’t remember anything,” you softly said to the boy who had yet to have moved from his bed. 

“I don’t either other than fucking Boss Baby.” If this was any other situation, you would be laughing but you weren’t. Obviously, neither of you planned on sleeping with one another so how did you end up like this? 

The only culprit your eyes could find was the empty bottle of Pink Whitney lying on the ground. Never once had Miss Whitney done you dirty but here you were with more than half of the night missing from your memories.

You quickly reached down to throw Sunghoon his clothes as you searched for your panties which seemed to be missing. 

“What do we do now?” Sunghoon broke the awkward silence. You had no idea I mean you’ve never slept with any of your brother’s friends before and one-night-stands were not really your thing so you were lost for words.

As you tried to gather your mind to respond you realized something that made you freeze. Karina’s words echoed in your mind. “Make sure to use protection babe!” 

You quickly scrambled to the small trashcan next to his desk and rummaged around. Out of confusion of your action, Sunghoon moved to hover over you in hopes to figure out what you were doing. He inquired about your actions but you ignored him. There was no evidence of any protection used and you whipped your head towards him.

“Did we use a condom?” Your frantic eyes took Sunghoon aback but he tried his best to remember. 

“Uhm I’m not sure… But I’m clean so it’s fine.” No sir, it was indeed not fine as you were recently taken off your birth control as it was giving you lots of hormonal troubles. 

“Sunghoon I’m not on birth control!” You screamed out as the color from his face completely drained.

As if a bucket of ice-cold water was poured over you, panic set in as soon as you realized the gravity of the situation. Your heart raced faster than ever before, and adrenaline pumped through your veins like a rushing river. You frantically began putting the sweatpants on, and with a speed you never knew you were capable of, you finished dressing and yanked Sunghoon out of the room. The two of you ran down the stairs, passing by a couple of Sunghoon's bewildered brothers, who looked at the two of you with confusion etched on their faces. 

The house was a complete mess, but that was the least of your concerns at the moment. As you reached the bottom of the stairs, you spotted your brother still in shock on the couch, with Niki and Jake flanking him on either side. He got up, ready to confront the both of you, but instead, you pushed him aside and made a beeline for the door. 

"Where are you going?" He screamed out, trying to chase after you. 

"She's not on birth control!" Was all Sunghoon could yell out before he followed you to his car, and you both quickly got in.

“What the fuck! You got my sister pregnant?!” Was what most of the EpNu brothers woke up to that lovely Friday morning. 

You have always been an advocate for safe sex yet here you were sitting on the hood of Sunghoon’s car reading the directions on how to take Plan B. He was peering intensely at you with the bottle of water clenched tightly in his hands. 

You gingerly popped the pill out of its package and said a little prayer before popping it and chugging the water that Sunghoon was holding. The $50 pill had better work, or you'd be suing. 

Sunghoon looked at you with concern still present on his face. The two of you had run into the pharmacy demanding the morning-after pill, looking like a couple of hot messes. “Are we good now?” he asked tentatively.

“I mean, probably. If not, I'm actually going to sue Plan B," you responded with a stern tone, making Sunghoon wonder whether you were serious or not. He wisely chose not to question you and nodded in agreement.

As you drove back to the house, the silence was palpable, but the panic had subsided. You were still reeling from the fact that you had slept with Sunghoon.

“You think Jungwon’s gonna kill me?” Sunghoon's question made you chuckle, despite the tension that lingered in the air. You knew your brother Jungwon didn't have a violent bone in his body, but then again you had also never been in any situation like this before so you really didn’t know. 

"I mean, he can try, but I doubt it'll be fatal. You've got a good couple of inches over him, you'll be fine," you reassured Sunghoon, but this didn’t do much to ease the boy. 

He did bring up a good point though as you knew that dealing with Jungwon was going to be a pain in the ass. While he had never had issues pertaining to your love life, it had also never involved a friend of his before. The fact that he was present to witness the aftermath of you and Sunghoon's drunken hookup made your head pound with worry. As Sunghoon parked the car back at the house, you braced yourself for the inevitable confrontation with your brother.

“You gotta hold me back if we see Niki, I might actually go after him,” you grumbled while walking up to the door. 

"Go ahead, I'm not gonna hold you back. He deserves it," Sunghoon laughed, momentarily easing the anxiety in your chest. But as soon as you entered the house, the anxiety came back with a vengeance.

The two of you were met with multiple pairs of eyes staring straight at you. It was as if everyone was waiting on the couch for the two of you to get back. Then out of nowhere, you see Ningning running up to you and giving you a tight hug.

“Jake ran around the whole house screaming that Sunghoon got you pregnant!” She cupped (more like squished) your cheeks together as she harbored wide eyes. 

Your face wrinkled at what she said and you quickly whipped your body to the said boy who seemed to be looking around at everything but your eyes. 

“Jake, what the fuck? I’m not pregnant!” He still had a hard time meeting your eyes indicating guilt. 

“I’m sorry Y/N! You know how dramatic I get! I just couldn’t believe something like this was happening to someone else for once and not me!” His pathetic excuse caused a couple of his brothers to shake their heads in hopes to distance themselves from the Australian’s failed attempts at justifying his actions. 

This group of boys was certainly going to take you to an early grave, and you could do nothing but roll your eyes and let out a sigh before searching for your brother. Surprisingly, he was not present in the group of people (hyenas) waiting at the door for you and Sunghoon's return.

“Where’s Jungwon?” You asked the group and Jay pointed up towards Jungwon’s room.

“I think he’s lowkey traumatized. It’s fine though, Heeseung hyung is with him.” You nodded at Jay and turned around marching up to his room.

You knocked on the door, but there was no immediate response. As you raised your hand to try again, the door opened, and Heeseung greeted you. "Oh, hey Y/N," he scratched his head awkwardly. There was a moment a silence before he spoke again. "Well, I have to get to class, so I'll leave you two to it. Bye, Jungwon. See you later," he said and before you could even say anything back, he left leaving you alone with your brother. 

Unlike Sunghoon, Jungwon had a roommate, probably Niki, making his living space cramped and messy. A small moment of silence passed between the two of you before you decided to speak up. 

"Sorry for this morning," you said, unsure of how he would respond. But instead of being upset, Jungwon looked genuinely confused. 

"What are you sorry for?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. You were taken aback by his response, as you had expected tension between the two of you after the scene he made earlier that morning. 

You paused for a moment, trying to gather your thoughts. "I thought you were upset with me for...what happened," you said, not wanting to bring up the embarrassing details of the previous night. 

Jungwon's expression softened. "Oh, no, I was just...surprised, I guess. I mean yeah I was kinda mad that you slept with one of the guys that I was hoping would be my big, well now thinking of it I don’t know if I want my big to be someone who’s been inside of my sister–" you quickly cut him off before he was able to continue on further.

“Ok, I get it no need to go into details!” You protested waving your hands at him as if that would immediately erase what he had just said. Your brother seemed more nonchalant than you though as he just shruged.

“I mean, you were the one doing stuff with Sunghoon hyung, not me! But anyways, I’m probably more mad at him than you. Maybe I’ll drag it along a little further with him. Make him my bitch for a little bit,” he said with an almost mischievous look in his eyes, clearly relishing the idea of getting revenge on his fraternity brother. You couldn’t help but raise an incredulous eyebrow at your brother's words and made a mental note to keep him away from Niki, who you were sure was making an influence on him. 

“Like it’s fine though. Well, not really. It’s gross but whatever I’m not going to judge you for who you sleep with 'cause you don’t do that to me.” You couldn’t help but feel grateful for your brother's words as it was clear that he didn’t want to make things awkward between the two of you. 

“Actually, I do judge you, but I just don't say it out loud all the time,” you teased, hoping to ease the tension. Your brother rolled his eyes at you, but he couldn’t hide the small smile forming on his face. 

“But seriously, neither of us planned this, and we don't remember what happened. So it's almost as if it didn't actually happen,” you explained, hoping to put the situation to rest. “You can forget about all of this because I promise you, I won't be sleeping with Sunghoon, or any of your fraternity brothers anytime soon.” 

You meant what you said. Sunghoon was a mistake, and you blamed it solely on Pink Whitney (and maybe Boss Baby).

“So, I’m guessing you took care of the whole potential pregnancy situation? Because I don’t think I’m ready to be an uncle,” Jungwon asked, his expression serious. You had completely forgotten about that whole part of the ordeal as your stress about Jungwon overpowered everything else. 

“Yeah, we were quick to do a fetus deletus. Plan B was fucking expensive, but I made Sunghoon pay,” you said with a slight shrug. The thought of raising a child right now was terrifying. After all, you were just starting your second year in college. 

Jungwon shook his head before piping up in a much less serious tone. “Have you seen those TikToks of people showing how they were raised by frats and sororities because their parents got knocked up in college? They’re kinda wholesome. Like EpNu could've had your kid as a mascot or something.” 

You rolled your eyes, thinking about the idea of your non-existent child being raised by the Epsilon Nu brothers (specifically Jake). “Not happening, at least not to me. So, you can let go of that fantasy of yours,” you said firmly before standing up and heading downstairs, with Jungwon following closely behind.

To say the week after the party was unremarkable was an understatement. In fact, you were surprised at how fast people got over what had happened seeing as they made such a big deal out of it on Friday morning, but you weren’t complaining. Sure the rumor of you being knocked up by Sunghoon (once again, thanks Jake) was passed around like a disease with the amount of YikYak posts talking about how you were getting kicked out of your sorority for being pregnant but as soon as you showed up to class on Monday in your letters, everyone went quiet realizing that none of it was true. Plus, the glares that Karina shot at the new members during chapter the second she saw anyone whisper or point at you was quite effective. 

“So are your parents coming down for the weekend?” Winter asked out of nowhere while she plucked her eyebrows. You on the other hand was furiously typing away on ChatGPT to see if it could help you obtain sources for an upcoming paper so her question failed to register in your mind.

“Huh?” Your fingers still continued to type as you slowly peeled your eyes away from your screen to face your best friend.

“Parent’s Weekend? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten I mean both of your parents’ kids are in Greek so I’m guessing they’re both coming at least for the game.” To be honest, you had in fact totally forgotten about reminding your parents about coming but you were sure that your brother at least would have brought it up to them.

“Shit, I totally forgot. Thanks for reminding me I’m gonna call Mom right now,” you thanked her before grabbing your phone and running downstairs to go outside on the porch. 

It took a couple of rings before your mother answered and you were met with her familiar sweet voice, “Hey honey!” A smile instantly lit up on your face.

“Hey Mom, sorry it’s been a while since I’ve called,” you started the conversation, guilt creeping in for not keeping in touch with your parents as much as you should have. “I was just wondering if you and Dad were gonna come down this weekend? Jungwon probably already told you Parent’s Weekend and the game, but I know the both of us would really love having the two of you guys here.” 

As your parents were big fans of football, you knew that your parents were most likely coming. Your mom's response confirmed your assumption, "Yes, your brother did actually call a few days ago. He specifically emphasized Epsilon Nu’s tailgate and how it was going to be amazing. Of course, your father is much more thrilled about that than I am, but I’m just happy to see both my babies." 

You grinned at her words. It was nice to hear her voice again. You missed her and your dad. “That's great to hear, Mom. I can’t wait for you guys to meet some of the new girls. I know the girls would love to see you guys again. Oh, and you have to meet Wonyoung! Jungwon’s got a major crush one her,” you gushed out to her.  

As soon as she heard you, you could feel your mother’s excitement at what you had just said, “Oh my goodness, of course, he didn’t mention anything! What’s she like? Is she an AES girl?” 

You laughed at her eagerness, “She’s such a sweetie and she’s in the pledge class below me so I’ve actually been eyeing her as a potential little. I’ve been really hoping she felt the same way. You’d really like her.” It was as if you had the Midas touch as ever since you forced Jungwon to get closer to Wonyoung, they’ve actually been hitting it off well. He even texted you earlier today asking if you knew her schedule as he wanted to go pick her up after class.

“Wow, that’s wonderful!” Your mom exclaimed. “I can’t wait to meet her. It sounds like your brother is adjusting well to HybeU. How about you, honey? How’s your second year going so far? Any special boys catch your eye?” At her question, your mind instantly went to Sunghoon. 

Wait what the fuck. You were taken aback at what you had just done, but you did your best to brush it off and get back to answering your mom. 

“It’s going great, Mom. Classes are good, and the house is amazing. No boys, though. Well, anyways I actually have to go back to working on my paper, but I can’t wait to see you this weekend. Love you and tell Dad I love him too. Bye!” As your mother bid you goodbye and you ended the call, your mind went back to Sunghoon. Why did he pop back into your mind out of nowhere? You were definitely confused but decided not to probe your mind further and tried your best to focus back on your paper. 

As Saturday quickly arrived, you found yourself sitting in front of your vanity, carefully adding finishing touches to your makeup. Ningning and Giselle were stationed on the floor, equally focused on getting their makeup just right. On the other hand, like always, Winter was furiously debating over her clothing choices for the day. The last of your group, Karina, was probably somewhere downstairs running around and putting final touches on the house as she was tasked with making sure the sorority house looked flawless for the parents. 

“Where are you guys tailgating?” Giselle asked the group. You knew that you were obviously going to head over to the Epsilon Nu house with your parents to see your brother. You also assumed Ningning would probably be going there as well as she previously mentioned wanting to introduce Jay to her parents. 

“Well, I was actually thinking about stopping by the SKZ house just cause I heard there was going to be a mechanic bull,” Winter said while finally deciding on a scarf top and a fringed bottom. 

“Wait I heard that too! My lab partner, Felix was talking about it the other day,” added Giselle, fully convinced by the idea of a mechanical bull.

“That honestly sounds like so much fun, but surprise surprise, I’ll be over at EpNu for obvious reasons,” you said and Ningning shot you an agreeing smile before spraying her face down with an excessive amount of setting spray. 

“What, to introduce your baby daddy to your parents or for Jungwon,” at Winter’s playful remark you quickly threw one of your decorative pillows at her head which she ducked to avoid just in time. You rolled your eyes at the three who were giggling but you knew that the small jokes that your friends had been making all week were all out of fun and harmless so you didn’t actually mind at all.  

“I swear if you guys say anything like that in front of my parents, I will actually kill you,” to which the girls laughed out loud again. You were of course joking as you knew they wouldn’t do anything like that to make you actually uncomfortable. These were your girls and though you had known them for roughly a year, they already felt like lifelong friends to you. 

As if on cue, your phone vibrated, alerting you of a text message from your parents, informing you of their arrival. Hastily, you got up, grabbing your clear purse that was stuffed with your essentials - a small case of Advil, sunglasses, your beloved Dior lip oil, and your sorority stickers and pin. "C’mon, girls. My parents are here. They want to say hi before we head out to see Jungwon," you said and everyone followed suit, grabbing their belongings, and heading down to the foyer. 

As you made your way downstairs, the house was already abuzz with parents. You easily spotted your parents as your mother's recognizable laugh drew you to them. Karina could already be seen giving them a warm welcome, and you saw your mother continuing to laugh while your dad smiled at whatever your big was telling them. 

"Mom, Dad!" you rushed over to give them each a hug. The girls followed suit as they were already well acquainted with your parents. 

"Oh, all you girls look so lovely today!" Your mother beamed at the five of you. It was no secret that your parents deeply approved of your group of friends that you made at HybeU, even inviting them over to your place for a month over the summer. 

"Yes, and the house also looks amazing. I'm guessing Miss Karina had something to do with that?" Your father added, winking at Karina. He was right; while the house always looked great with its marble floor and chandelier, Karina's touch with peonies all over the place elevated it even more. As your friends continue conversing with your parents, you heard someone call your name. 

"Y/N!" You turned around to see Wonyoung waving at you with her parents next to her, looking at you with warm smiles. You had already met them before on bid day. "Oh, hey Wonyoung," you greeted her and you could see lights go off in your mother's mind as she heard her name. "Hey guys, this is Wonyoung. I've told you guys about her," you introduced her and her parents to your own. 

Soon enough, the rest of your friends' parents also found their daughters, and the group all seemed to be getting along well as small talk was shared between everyone. Suddenly, a text from Jungwon interrupted the friendly conversation, reminding you and your parents that you had a place to be. With this, everyone bid your family goodbye before the three of you headed out making your way towards your brother’s frat house. 

The drive to your Jungwon's frat house was short, a mere 7-minute ride away from your sorority's house. As you approached the house, you saw the lawn full of friends and family alike, all sporting a drink in their hands while enjoying whatever was on the grill. Jungwon was easy to spot and as soon as he saw you and your parents walking towards him, his face lit up with excitement. He greeted your parents with a warm hug equally enthusiastic to the one you gave them, and didn’t hesitate to lead your dad to meet the other dads by the grill. You and your mom followed closely behind. 

As you made your way through the crowd, someone offered you a freshly grilled hotdog, which you eagerly accepted. You savored the juicy flavors, when your mother nudged you before saying, "So Jungwon, we just met Wonyoung and she seems like such a lovely young woman. I can see why you’re so fond of her." 

Jungwon, who was in the middle of taking a sip of his White Claw, choked and coughed, trying to regain his composure. His face turned red, and your dad had to pat his back a few times to help him breathe. You couldn’t help but laugh at your brother's discomfort, while your mother feigned ignorance to his reaction and gave him a wink indicating that she knew all about their relationship already, courtesy of you.

"Uh, yeah, Wonyoung's great," Jungwon finally managed to say. "I'm glad you guys got to meet her." 

You could sense your brother sending you a look of annoyance at you for bringing Wonyoung up to your parents before he could have had a chance to, but you ignored him and continued to laugh with your parents. 

You went in to take another bite of the hotdog when you heard your brother say, “Oh, yeah Mom, Dad you have to meet Sunghoon hyung, I’m hoping for him to be my big,” and with that, he turned around and called an unsuspecting Sunghoon over. “Hyung come and meet my parents!” Now it was your turn to choke on your food. You couldn’t believe that your little shit of a brother just Uno reversed you. Touché Jungwon touché.

Sunghoon was taken aback when Jungwon's voice called him over. He was enjoying a drink with Heeseung, their parents engaged in conversation nearby. Jungwon motioned for Sunghoon to join them, and he quickly informed his parents and Heeseung of his departure before making his way towards the group. As he approached, he noticed the two individuals standing beside Jungwon, whom he assumed were your parents. And there you were behind them, seemingly coughing furiously.

As you were recovering from choking, you realized that this was the first time you’d seen Sunghoon since Friday morning. You couldn’t help but check him out. Fuck, he looked real good with his black hair flopping perfectly down his face and school jersey that fit him perfectly. The single gold chain that he was sporting around his neck alone was about to send you into a frenzy.

Sunghoon also noted how pretty you looked however, his thoughts were quickly overtaken by his skepticism of this whole thing. Jungwon had been making him do every little task imaginable during the past week. It started innocently enough, with Jungwon asking for a cup of water or help with assignments from his introductory classes. But the requests escalated, reaching a point where Jungwon even made him go on an alcohol run, a duty specifically assigned to pledges. When Sunghoon tried to protest, Jungwon guilt-tripped him with a dramatic monologue about his traumatized state after witnessing his sister half-naked in Sunghoon's room. Before he knew it, Sunghoon found himself already halfway on his way to the liquor store. Jungwon was diabolical, and Sunghoon couldn't help but think this was his punishment from the heavens for having unprotected sex.

“This is Sunghoon hyung! He’s been one of the guys that took me in with open arms and showed me the ropes around campus and the frat when the semester first started,” Jungwon tightly wrapped his arms around Sunghoon’s shoulder while excitedly introducing him to your parents.

Secretly in Jungwon’s mind, he was laughing his ass off relishing in this. Jungwon was killing two birds with one stone as he was not only getting back at you for telling Mom about Wonyoung and also just messing with Sunghoon for sleeping with you.

"Actually, Sunghoon and Y/N are really close too," Jungwon added with a sly grin. "I believe he even bought her a nice gift last week, worth around $50 or something." He pretended to ponder the details.

Your parents remained oblivious as they greeted Sunghoon, but both he and you were taken aback by Jungwon's audacity. Sunghoon found it difficult to meet your parents' eyes, especially your father's, but he mustered his composure and extended his hand for a handshake.

"Oh, you sound like such a sweetheart!" Your mother exclaimed, already won over by the boy and clearly proud of the company her two children were keeping at school.

"Absolutely, son. It's a pleasure to meet you," your father chimed in a wide grin on his face. He even reached down from the cooler to hand Sunghoon a can of beer, a gesture symbolizing his gratitude.

Out of nowhere, Sunghoon felt a hand come down his shoulders and as he turned around he saw that his parents had joined him. 

A sigh of relief escaped Sunghoon as he sensed your own tension easing upon the arrival of his parents. Your eyes met, conveying a shared feeling of relief, before diverting your attention back to his parents, warmly introducing yourself to them.

"I can already tell how well-behaved your son is, not to mention how handsome!" your mother complimented Sunghoon to his mother. The two women giggled, clearly getting along and enjoying each other's company. The topic swiftly shifted to the upcoming game, with your fathers also having no trouble engaging in a discussion about their predictions. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they failed to notice you harshly slapping the back of your brother's head.

“You fuckhead, you’re such a little shit. I actually hate you so much, I can’t believe you actually did that,” you uttered in a low voice, ensuring none of the parents could overhear. However, the anger in your tone was evident to your brother, and Jungwon started to feel a twinge of fear under the intense gazes both you and Sunghoon were directing at him.

Fortunately (at least for Jungwon), your dad spoke up, extending an invitation to the Parks inviting them to join your family in the stands if they didn't have any other plans. Sunghoon's parents gratefully accepted the offer without hesitation, and as the group made their way toward the school's stadium, you caught sight of a familiar figure across the lawn. It was Ningning, accompanied by Jay and both sets of parents. They all appeared to be getting along well, which made you smile, and you started waving at Ningning, who returned the gesture. However, her expression shifted to one of confusion before a sly smile took over as she noticed the company you were in. She nudged Jay, drawing his attention to you, and the two of them burst into laughter, clearly finding amusement in your current situation. Sunghoon also notices their behavior and sends them a quick finger while rolling his eyes at their antics before guiding you back toward the stadium.

The sun beat down mercilessly as your group finally found a good spot in the stands. Your mom and Sunghoon's mom decided to go to the restrooms while also offering to fetch some water for everyone before the game began. Meanwhile, your dads continued their conversation, and Jungwon appeared engrossed in something on his phone, most likely Wonyoung, you presumed. Silently, you and Sunghoon sat next to each other.

As you were about to say something, he beat you to it, “Think you got enough in there to spare me one?” His smile was playful as he pointed at the plethora of gameday stickers in your bag which reminded you that you had yet to fully decorate everyone in them. 

“Yes, of course! I totally forgot about these,” you quickly said before taking them out and handing him one. You proceeded to put one on your brother and offered them to your dad and even to Sunghoon's dad as well. 

Everyone gladly accepted the stickers, eager to represent your sorority. Your brother, however, delved further into your bag, searching for more to wear.

"Here, take this," he said suddenly, passing what seemed like a spare pin you had in your bag to Sunghoon. The pins were not as readily distributed as the stickers since they were typically worn by sorority members or their significant others. You knew what Jungwon was up to when he handed a pin to Sunghoon, but before you could say anything, Sunghoon didn't hesitate to accept it and pin it to his shirt.

The nonchalant way in which he accepted one of your pins caught you off guard and caused a blush to rise to your cheeks. While Sunghoon was undeniably one of the most attractive guys you had ever met and always kind, he had never really captured your attention before. So, what had changed now to make you feel this way toward him?

Lost in your thoughts, you were snapped back to reality by the return of Sunghoon's mother and your own, carrying cold and refreshing drinks. Gratefully, you accepted one and gulped down the water, hoping it would quell the butterflies fluttering in your stomach because of the boy sitting next to you.

"Oh, you guys look so cute with the matching pins! Perfect for the game. Come on, let me get a quick photo of you two before it starts," Sunghoon's mom exclaimed excitedly as she noticed the pin that had previously not been on her son's shirt, swiftly grabbing her phone.

"Mom, I think we're fine. You don't—" Sunghoon tried to protest, but his mother paid no heed, cutting him off and insisting on taking a picture. Following suit, your mother pulled out her phone, eager to capture the moment as well.

Unable to resist their wishes, you and Sunghoon obliged, striking a pose. His arm draped effortlessly around your waist as you leaned closer to him, both of you wearing beaming smiles. Soon after, your brother was ushered to join, and the parents took turns capturing photos of the three of you before the game finally started.

During the kickoff, your phone buzzed with a text notification from your mom. Opening it, you found that she had sent over the pictures taken moments ago. Another text arrived, causing you to look up at your mother, who gave you a subtle wink.

“No boys my ass. He’s a cute one.” 

Anticipation had filled the air as everyone gathered for the game, confident that your school would emerge victorious. As the final whistle blew and the outcome proved them right, the festive mood carried on well into the night. However, the time had come for you and your parents to bid farewell to the group and make your way to the sorority's dinner, specially arranged for Parent's Weekend. Parting ways with the rest of the group, you couldn't help but appreciate the sight of everyone getting along. Surprisingly, even Sunghoon appeared less tense around your dad, their bond strengthened through the shared excitement of the game. Your parents even exchanged contact information before saying their goodbyes, showering your brother with warm hugs before he joined Sunghoon and his parents, who kindly offered him a ride back to the frat house.

The remainder of the night unfolded smoothly as your parents enjoyed their dinner, engrossed in conversations with other parents at the table. The topic of Sunghoon didn't resurface for the rest of the evening, as everyone was caught up in socializing and making connections. Even you, for a brief moment, managed to forget that you had spent nearly the entire day in Sunghoon's presence. However, that respite of course vanished the second you walked into your room.

To your surprise, Ningning and Giselle were seated on Winter's bed, sharing a bag of chips when you walked in. Their unexpected presence caught you off guard, especially since your actual roommate wasn't even around. As soon as they laid eyes on you, they bombarded you with a barrage of questions, eager for all the details.

"What happened? Ningning told me she saw you with Sunghoon and his parents!" Giselle quickly ushered you to sit between her and Ningning, the latter's hand freezing mid-air as she pulled it back from the chip bag, eager to not miss a single detail of your story.

"It was all Jungwon. I spilled the beans to Mom about him and Wonyoung, so he decided to get back at me by introducing Sunghoon to our parents," Ningning snickered, earning a disapproving look from you before you continued. "It was so fucking awkward, I swear I thought I was going to strangle Jungwon right then and there. He even mentioned how Sunghoon supposedly 'bought me a $50 gift,' and Sunghoon looked like he was going to pass out next to my dad." At this, neither could contain their giggles which in turn transformed into full-fledged cackles with Giselle even seeming to be sporting tears. 

"Hold on a sec, Karina needs to be here for this," Ningning exclaimed before rushing out the door to find your big.

"Where's Winter?" you asked Giselle, as her laughter started to subside.

Giselle wiped at her teary eyes. "Oh, I introduced her to Felix, the SKZ lab partner I mentioned earlier, at the tailgate and they hit it off really well. Like she was with him the whole day and is at the SKZ house right now. She’s probably partying with him."

You noded, at least your roommate was having fun living her best life. The door then slammed open, as Ningning returned hand in hand with Karina. Karina swiftly took a seat on the ottoman next to Winter's bed, eagerly requesting you to recount what she had just heard from Ningning. Unsurprisingly, she joined in the chorus of laughter as you told her exactly what you told the other two, "Fuck, Y/N your little brother is an absolute legend!"

"Whatever. If my dad ever found out what those fifty dollars were actually spent on, Sunghoon would probably be six feet under by now," you muttered, silently grateful that your brother didn't delve further into the specifics.

You decided to shift the focus away from yourself and directed it towards Ningning, who seemed to have had an eventful day as well. "Hey, how did your parents like Jay?" you inquired, and her face immediately lit up. She eagerly delved into how her parents adored Jay and even extended an invitation for him to come visit their home one day. Ningning also revealed that she and Jay discussed taking their relationship to the next level and making it official, prompting squeals of joy from you and the other girls. Finally, you thought, it took them long enough. 

Suddenly, Karina gasped, capturing everyone's attention to her phone. "Y/N, look at what Sunghoon just posted on Instagram!" She thrusted her phone in front of your face, revealing the photo that was taken by your moms posted with the caption, "Thanks, Mom, for this one! Also, peep the matching pins :)"

Your jaw dropped in astonishment, and you instinctively reached for your phone to confirm the post's existence. More squeals fill the room as the other girls examined the post. Your notifications confirmed that Sunghoon indeed shared the photo, as Instagram alerted you that you were tagged in a post.

"Y/N, he definitely likes you! There's no way he would post you on his main if he wasn't interested," Giselle exclaimed, her eyes brimming with excitement as she swiftly liked the post and contemplated a comment.

Ningning fervently nodded in agreement. "The caption says it all!"

However, you were too shocked to respond to the girls' remarks. Could they be right? Did Sunghoon actually have feelings for you? 

"Not just a sticker, but a pin," Karina wiggled her eyebrows while nudging you. "You sly girl, it's like you were claiming him."

"No, that was Jungwon’s doing again," you rolled your eyes, yet deep down, you wondered if Jungwon's mischievous act inadvertently worked in your favor. Was this his way of paying you back for what you had done for him with Wonyoung on Thursday night? 

"All right, but the real question is: Do you like Sunghoon?" Giselle's question hung in the air, causing the room to fall silent as all eyes focused on you.

"Um, I'm not sure," you pondered, feeling a blush creeping up your cheeks. "Honestly, I've never really paid much attention to Sunghoon before this semester like he’s just been one of the guys in our friend group, but after the party, he keeps coming up in my thoughts. I'm not sure if that means I like him, but maybe?" Your answer seemed to have left the girls satisfied as they enveloped you in tight hugs.

"Oh my gosh, my baby's in love!" Karina dramatically exclaimed, pretending to wipe away tears.

"I never said I was in love with him!" you retorted playfully, though a smile graced your face as the realization that you might have a crush on Sunghoon sank in.

"You have to text him right now!" Ningning insisted, passing your phone to you and urging you to open the messaging app swiftly.

"What am I supposed to say? Don't you think it's weird for me to text him out of the blue?" You felt a hint of apprehension, unsure about taking the plunge. 

"Babe, you literally spent the whole day with him, and he just posted a picture with you! He practically made the first move and is begging you to react!" Giselle interjected, snatching your phone from your hand and swiftly typing something, with the other girls huddled by her side, nodding in approval.

"Here, send this," she said, and as you read the message she wrote, you were impressed. It sounded natural and confident: 

"Just saw the post. Feeling honored to have made it to the main, but you do realize this means you won't be able to rep any other sorority from now on?"

"You have to send it, Y/N. It's perfect," Karina pleaded, her excitement palpable. Your finger hovered over the send button, contemplating whether to go through with it or not. Saying a small prayer, you took a deep breath and pressed the button, unleashing a wave of anticipation.

You gasped in excitement as you saw the typing indicator appear instantly, and the room filled with a collective hush as everyone gathered around the phone, their eyes fixed on the screen, waiting anxiously for Sunghoon's response. And then, the message appeared: 

"Wouldn't dream of it ;)" 

In an instant, everyone in the Alpha Epsilon Sigma house could hear screams of joy erupting from your room. 

The following two weeks breezed by, filled with steady and playful exchanges between you and Sunghoon. You were pleasantly surprised by how genuinely funny he was, as his late-night texts consistently left you in fits of laughter, desperately trying to stifle your giggles so as not to wake up Winter. It was remarkable to think that you and Sunghoon hadn't had much one-on-one interaction before this semester because his personality complemented yours so perfectly. The two of you were quick to make a habit of walking to classes together and you even found yourself going over to his every other night to watch Love Island. Spending time with him suddenly became the highlight of your days. Even your friends were picking up on how well the relationship was developing based on your mood. Just last night, Jungwon (who was also still upset with the fact that Sunghoon only posted the photo of you two and none that included him) even texted you, telling you to stop distracting Sunghoon from their big/little bonding dinner. He even went as far as to complain about how he felt like a third wheel. It was safe to say that the both of you were completely smitten with each other.

While your social life seemed to be thriving, school on the other hand was not as kind to you.  You were really struggling with a couple of the assignments, specifically a 12-page sociology paper that you were only halfway done with that was due tomorrow. Clearly, procrastination was something you struggled with. Determined to find a conducive environment that could fuel you to stay concentrated on finishing it by tonight, you decided to head to the library. As you typed away on your computer, nodding your head to the rhythm of the music flowing through your headphones, a cup of iced coffee suddenly materialized before you.

You whipped your head around to be greeted with Sunghoon's familiar dimpled smile. He was casually dressed in an EpNu shirt and gray sweatpants with his backpack lazily hung over one shoulder, but he looked effortlessly attractive like it was borderline criminal that it caused an immediate smile to spread across your face.

"It's for you," he said, his smile still beaming. "I noticed you were here and thought you could use a little pick-me-up." He was absolutely right, and you gratefully reach over to take a sip of the coffee, feeling already an instant rejuvenation and you let out a sigh of relief.

"You're an angel, Park Sunghoon, I swear," you exclaimed, to which he chuckled. "Wanna join me?" You gestured to the empty space in front of you, and he nodded before settling down across from you and unpacking his belongings.

"Studying for an upcoming exam?" he questioned, gesturing towards the open book beside your computer.

"No, it's a paper, but it's sucking all the energy out of me. I have to write 12 pages by tomorrow, and it's been a struggle. So, expect me to be here all night," you admited, feeling the stress weigh on you. However, deep down, you knew you were more than capable if you just focused hard enough.

He exhaled audibly upon hearing your plans before offering, "I could keep you company until you finish. If you're okay with that, of course."

His response caught you off guard, and your eyes widened. "Oh, no, seriously, you don't have to do that. I don't want you to waste your night here with me when you probably have better things to do," you quickly dismissed his offer, feeling that it would be too unfair to accept.

"Y/N, you do realize that I'm also a student, right?" he chuckled lightly before adding, "I have an anatomy test next week that I've been putting off, so this will help me out too."

Although you still felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that he had his own studying to do eased your mind. "Okay, well, in that case, you're more than welcome. But seriously, don't feel obligated to wait for me to finish. If you're done studying and want to leave, go ahead!"

With a nod of agreement, he retrieved his computer and textbook. Hours slipped by unnoticed as you delved deeper into your essay, your focus unwavering. It was only when you by chance took a glance outside that you realized the sun had long disappeared, leaving behind the blanket of a starry night sky. You now only had a couple of pages left before you would be able to submit your assignment. Sunghoon, too, has been deep in concentration, his handsome face displaying a serious expression. Though you exchanged words from time to time, you both managed to dive back into your work seamlessly. If you had known that studying with Sunghoon could be so enjoyable and productive, you would have made him your study buddy much earlier. 

"Wanna take a break?" he broke the silence as you finished a sentence, and you looked up to see him stretching his back.

"Yeah, I think we're way overdue for one. Wanna check out what they have at the vending machines?" you suggested. With that, you and Sunghoon left your belongings at the desk and made your way towards the front of the library, where an array of snacks and drinks awaited you.

After contemplating for a moment, you decided to grab a bag of chips and a Gatorade from the vending machines. Sunghoon followed suit, opting for a bottle of Gatorade and a candy bar. Back at your table, the two of you munched away on your chosen snacks.

"You know anything about what the upcoming social is going to be about?" Sunghoon asked, finishing his candy bar. Your sorority and Sunghoon's fraternity were organizing a joint social event this weekend, but unlike previous occasions, they've kept the theme a secret.

"No idea, but I could probably get Karina to spill the beans since she’s on exec, so she probably already knows what’s going on. It's unusual for them to be so secretive," you replied, puzzled by the lack of details. Typically, you would have known about upcoming events months in advance.

"I saw Yeji noona at the house doing something with Heeseung hyung the other day, so I'm guessing they were planning the social. And Jake mentioned that he thinks it's going to be a really big one," Sunghoon shared. The news of your sorority president meeting with EpNu's president caught you off guard. Usually, the planning was left to the social chairs, so their involvement suggested that something significant was in the works.

"I can't even think of a reason why they would need to be involved," you chuckled, a humorous thought crossing your mind. "Imagine if it's a frat wedding."

Sunghoon joins in the laughter. "Can you imagine? I mean it would be a big thing to plan, but there's no way!"

Little did you know... 

"What?" you exclaimed, mouth agape in shock, as Yeji revealed to you on Thursday as soon as you return to the house from your morning class.  

"Yup! I'm going to announce it in the GroupMe tonight, but I wanted to let you know first. EpNu and our sorority decided it would be fun to host a fake wedding since we haven't had one in a couple of years," Yeji explained, confirming the absurd notion you mentioned to Sunghoon earlier in the week. The idea of a fake wedding between the two houses was actually coming to fruition.

"Oh, and I'm giving you an early heads up because we've chosen you and Sunghoon to be our bride and groom," she casually added, causing you to lose all words. "He and his frat are coming over later tonight so that he can 'propose,' and I want you to dress up and look cute. Everyone will probably be taking photos—it's going to be a blast."

You were still processing the news that you and Sunghoon would be the ones tying the fake knot.

"Why us?" you finally managed to ask, feeling a mix of confusion and embarrassment.

"Well, everyone knows there's something going on between the two of you, ever since, you know..." Yeji began, a mischievous smile forming on her face. "Initially, we thought Jay and Ningning would make a good bride and groom, but they're like too in love and would actually make the whole thing like an actual wedding so we decided that it wouldn’t be as fun as having you and Sunghoon. We're even planning to have Jungwon walk you down the aisle, with Niki and Sunoo as the flower girl and ring bearer! And, of course, you'll have the father-daughter dance with Heeseung since he's Sunghoon's big, and vice versa with Sunghoon and Karina, as she's yours. Jake will officiate it cause Lord knows that boy can run his mouth. All you need to do is find an outfit and write your vows!" It became clear why Yeji was involved in the planning with EpNu—they had thought of every detail.

As the shock and apprehension settled in, you found yourself caught between conflicting emotions. The idea of being the center of attention and having an entire night dedicated to you made you nervous, considering you had never experienced anything like it before. And then there was the fact that you would be fake marrying the boy you had a crush on, adding a whole new layer of complexity to the situation. However, amidst the uncertainty, there was an undeniable sense of excitement bubbling within you.

The thought of spending the entire night with Sunghoon, dancing, and even sharing kisses sent a thrill through your veins. Deep down, you couldn't deny the flutter of anticipation that accompanied the idea. With these conflicting thoughts swirling in your mind, all you could manage was a small nod before quickly retreating to your room. 

As the night fell, the anticipation grew, and the house became a flurry of activity. Word had spread quickly, and girls from your sorority kept coming in and out of your and Winter's room, eager to be part of the preparations for tonight's fake proposal. Yujin skillfully curled your hair, while Wonyoung and Winter engaged in a debate over the perfect outfit. Ningning added the final touches to your makeup, and outside, Karina and Giselle scattered rose petals onto the lawn. It seemed like the entire sorority had gathered at the house, each person eager to witness the spectacle. You couldn't help but wonder if a similar scene was unfolding at EpNu.

“They’ll be here in 10 minutes!” Yeji bursted through your room with Lia, another member on exec, excitedly telling everyone.

“Ok, I think we finally got an outfit!” Wonyoung said as she handed you a cute pink dress that had sheer sleeves. You figured it was something of Winter’s since you had never seen this piece ever in your life but you didn’t mind as you put it on carefully trying not to mess Ningning and Yujin’s work. 

Winter then gasped at the sight of you, “You look like such a pretty princess! I can’t believe you’re getting married!” Everyone laughed at your best friend’s dramatic statement. You couldn’t help but agree that you did look really pretty but anxiety was coursing through your body. 

"They're here! Take her to the balcony!" Karina's voice boomed throughout the house, signaling the boys' arrival. Lia swiftly ushered you to the balcony, and as you stepped outside, a sight greeted you that brought forth laughter. 

Roses were scattered everywhere, and the boys of EpNu were standing dressed handsomely. Word had spread like wildfire throughout Greek Row, attracting the attention of other sororities who eagerly gathered to witness the spectacle with their phones out ready to record. Heeseung gestured for the boys to form a semicircle around the balcony, and their melodic voices filled the air as they serenaded you with Taylor Swift's "Love Story." Their harmonies were surprisingly impressive, and Jay's exaggerated riff at the end elicited laughter from the crowd. Then, Sunghoon emerged, wearing a radiant smile and holding a box that presumably contained the fake ring. He approached you, and as he went down on one knee, your heart threatened to burst. He looked absolutely breathtaking as he opened the box, revealing an obnoxious sparkling ring that perfectly fit the occasion. 

"My beloved Y/N, I know this may come as a surprise," Sunghoon began, eliciting laughter from the crowd, due to the irony. "But this morning, I realized that I couldn't envision a future without you. So, if you're willing, would you make me the happiest man at HybeU by saying 'yes' and marrying me this Saturday?" Phones were raised, capturing the moment between you and Sunghoon. With a nod, you set off a resounding cheer that rippled through Greek Row. You quickly went downstairs to join the excited crowd. Sunghoon enveloped you in a warm embrace before sliding the ring onto your finger. The cheers continued, and amidst the flurry of photographs, your brother emerged from the crowd, lifting you off the ground in jubilation.

“My sister’s getting married!” 

Later that night, the video capturing this enchanting moment found its way to your unsuspecting father, plunging him into a state of panic, resulting in a frantic midnight phone call that left you laughing and reassuring him of the truth.

As Yeji had mentioned on Thursday, you only had two tasks to complete before the wedding: finding a dress with a veil and writing your vows. Luckily, Wonyoung came to the rescue, lending you the dress she had planned to wear for initiation. The white, flowing gown was a perfect fit, and to complete the ensemble, your Amazon delivery with your veil came just in time. However, the task of writing your vows proved to be more challenging. Unlike traditional wedding vows, frat wedding vows usually consisted of much more playful banter, which you found incessantly difficult to come up with.

"Stop stressing, Y/N. It's actually quite funny, trust me!" The room was filled with your friends once again as you all prepared for the social. Ningning skillfully applied your makeup, and you couldn't help but admire how stunning you looked.

"Yeah, and by the time of the actual ceremony, everyone will be drunk, so no one will remember if it’s bad," Winter chimed in, carefully adjusting the veil atop your head.

"Ugh, I just don’t like being the center of attention," you confessed. Presenting in front of a crowd had always made you uneasy, so the thought of so many eyes on you tonight was daunting.

"Just take a few shots before we go in, and you'll feel better," Winter suggested with a knowing smile. You had already planned to do just that as being the only sober person at your own wedding was not an option.

"Alright, are we ready to go?" With everyone seemingly prepared, you took a deep breath, steeling yourself before heading out. If the fake wedding was making you feel this way, you couldn't even fathom the emotions that would accompany your real wedding day.

Jay offered to drive you all to the house where the social would be held. It was no surprise that Ningning had convinced him to do so. Squeezing into the sedan as best as you could, Ningning handed something to you from the front seat. The unopened bottle of tequila felt weighty in your hands as you opened it and took a much-needed swig. You passed it on to Karina, whose lap you were currently on, and she did the same before the bottle made its way around the car.

Arriving at the house, it seemed that you were among the last to arrive. The place was already bustling with your sorority sisters and the EpNu brothers. Taking one final gulp from the bottle, you handed it off to Giselle before stepping out of the car.

"She's here! The bride has arrived!" A pledge (Sunoo maybe?) shouted excitedly, igniting cheers from the crowd. As you and the girls you chose to be your ‘bridesmaids’ were escorted to the kitchen to wait, you were met with the rest of the wedding party which consisted of Yeonjun, Jay, and Beomgyu as they eagerly passed everyone shots before pairing up to walk. Your brother was also present as he greeted you with a big hug and you could tell he was already drunk. The doors then opened signaling everyone to start walking down, then the familiar sound of the Bride's March then blared through the speakers, cueing Jungwon to offer his arm.

As you made your way down the aisle, the air was filled with screams and shouts of excitement. The backyard had undergone a shocking transformation, adorned with white chairs and a beautifully decorated altar surrounded by flowers. Sunghoon stood at the end of the aisle, looking dashing in a perfectly fitted tuxedo, and next to him stood Jake, dressed as a priest. Whoever had assigned him the role of officiating the ceremony deserved an applause as you were laughing at how silly he looked. As you approached the end of the aisle, you were met with Sunghoon’s smile radiating warmth, instantly putting you at ease.

"Alright, alright everyone, settle down!" Jake's voice boomed through the microphone, commanding the attention of the crowd. "Today, we have gathered here to witness the union of our dearly beloved brother and sister," Jake continued, interweaving jokes and witty remarks that ignited waves of laughter among the guests. However, your focus was solely on the man standing before you. Whether it was the lingering effects of the tequila or something more profound, a burning sensation swelled within you. The way Sunghoon looked at you, his eyes filled with a depth of emotion you had never experienced before, leaving you breathless. Despite the fact that the two weren’t even dating, you couldn’t help but wonder if this was what it felt like to be in love.

Lost in your thoughts, you were abruptly brought back to the present as Jake passed you the microphone, signaling that it was time for you and Sunghoon to exchange vows. From behind, Winter handed you the piece of paper you were previously meticulously writing on. Taking a deep breath, you grasped the microphone.

"Hi Sunghoon," you began with a bashful smile, setting off laughter among both Sunghoon and the crowd. "To be honest, when we first became friends during our freshman year, you weren't the one who immediately caught my eye. In fact, I think I had a thing for Heeseung, which I'm sure everyone already knew of," you playfully winked at Heeseung, who joined in on the laughter, seated at the front row with the rest of the audience. "I’m sorry to say, but the only remarkable thing you did that gave me a lasting impression last year was when you stuck your finger down Jake’s throat and he threw up all over your arm. Like that’s a sight I’m never going to forget, but that all changed in an instant, sorry Heeseung, when you accidentally made me drop my beloved Pink Whitney bottle at the EpNu back-to-school party a couple of months ago. Now, for those who know me, know just how much I adore Pink Whitney, so I should have been furious with you. However, you won me over in that very moment when you not only swiftly snagged a replacement from a pledge to appease me, thanks Niki, but also had the audacity to put on 'Boss Baby.' Yes, you heard it right."

A collective chuckle ripples through the crowd as memories of that night resurfaced. Sunghoon joined in on the laughter, his eyes fixed on you with affectionate amusement. "But, of course, the enchantment of that moment quickly faded the morning after when I discovered that you had let 'Boss Baby' be the soundtrack to our fucking. Let me tell you, Sunghoon, I truly believe you've forever tarnished 'Boss Baby' for me. So, thanks for that," you teased, earning another round of laughter. "And to make matters worse, you almost got me pregnant! I think it's safe to say that you left quite an impression on me, enough to make up for the lack of one that you gave me during our freshman year." 

Pausing for a moment, you let the lightheartedness settle before continuing, "Now, while your dad jokes can sometimes be horrible, and your obsession with 'Love Island' occasionally turns me off, I can honestly say that I wouldn't be happier than being fake married to you. So, here's to hoping that our one-day marriage surpasses all expectations!" The room immediately erupts with cheers, hoots, and applause, celebrating the witty and heartfelt vows you've just delivered.

Sunghoon was genuinely impressed, even honored, by your heartfelt and humorous vows. Now, the pressure was on him as he took the mic from your hands and retrieved his own set of vows. "Well, well, well, Y/N," he began, adopting a playful tone that draws laughter from the crowd as he mimics the tone of your introduction. "During our freshman year on bid day, I was cruising down Greek Row with the boys when my eyes landed on a girl at the AES house, passionately air-guitaring with a broom in hand alone. I thought to myself, 'Wow that’s interesting,' before continuing on with my day. Little did I know that fate had a different plan in store for me, because the following week, I was introduced to you at a party. And let me tell you, it was a surprise that surpassed all expectations because my initial impression of you was spot on. You're a bit of a weird girl, but hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Sunghoon let out a little laugh before he continued, "Honestly, you kind of scared me just a tad from then on, and it didn't help that I witnessed you taking down Jay," he glanced behind him, catching Jay pointing a finger at you as he shook his head at the resurfacing memory. "So, when I accidentally knocked you over at that party, let me tell you, I was scared shitless so that's why I was so quick to steal from Niki. Thank you, by the way," he added with a grin."I was also shitting my pants when you informed me that you weren't on birth control, and let's not forget the time your lovely asshat of a brother forced me into meeting your parents. I'm still grateful that your dad remains oblivious to the Plan B incident, but I must admit, I'm glad my first gift to you turned out to be a rather expensive one.

Pausing for a moment to let the laughter subside, Sunghoon continued with a touch of sincerity, "I have to give a shout-out to Jungwon for bringing us closer together though. And while you still maintain your status as the wonderfully weird girl I first saw on bid day, especially with your unconventional milk-before-cereal habit, I'm relieved to admit that I'm no longer as scared of you as I once was. That fear has now been transferred to your father, but maybe I'll work on overcoming that too." 

Sunghoon's playful and heartfelt vows reached their crescendo, leaving you unable to wipe the radiant smile off your face. "I genuinely hope that our marriage exceeds all your expectations, fulfilling every hope and dream you've ever had. Oh, and I made sure to come prepared this time," he concluded with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he reached into his pocket before whipping out a condom, drawing cheers from the crowd. 

As the playful energy infused every word of your vows, a deeper, sincere emotion lingered beneath the surface. Both you and Sunghoon couldn't help but feel the genuine affection woven into the words you exchanged. 

"I can't hold back the tears, you guys. That was incredibly touching," Jake exclaimed, taking charge of the ceremony again. "Well, it seems there's only one final thing to do before you two lovebirds become officially married," he said mischievously, reaching down and producing a bottle that was way too familiar to you.

"Take a shot, seal it with a kiss, and then make your grand escape, my dear sweetlings," Jake declared, passing the Pink Whitney to you. Without a moment's hesitation, you brought it to your lips, savoring a sip of its contents, before passing it to Sunghoon, who followed suit with a generous gulp. The room fills with cheers as the anticipation around the kiss builds.

Locked in each other's gazes, you and Sunghoon shared an unspoken understanding. His hand tenderly reaches to cup your face, and with a gentle touch, your lips meet. The kiss was pure magic, his softness melding seamlessly with yours in a dance of perfect harmony. The air becomes electric, charged with the palpable energy of love and celebration. The sounds of friends whistling in delight further amplified the moment as Sunghoon concluded the kiss by dipping you ever so gracefully. With a burst of shared exhilaration, you take each other's hands and make a swift, joyous dash down the aisle. 

As the clock struck midnight, the EpNu house transformed into a haven of intoxication and euphoria, with every single person succumbing to the infectious celebratory vibes permeating the air. Sunghoon's arms remained firmly wrapped around your waist, anchoring you to his side with an unwavering grip, unwilling to let you wander off into the chaotic crowd. Your bodies melded together intimately as you swayed to the rhythm of the music, caught up in the enchantment of the moment. Glancing around, you witnessed your friends engaging in similar fervor, each lost in their own uninhibited dance of revelry.

A soft whisper then caressed your ears. "Wanna get out of here?" Sunghoon's words instantly intrigued you as you understood the implications behind his words. You nodded subtly before playfully tugging him towards the front door.

Confusion flickered across his face as he questioned your actions, "Shouldn't we just go upstairs to my room?" 

You clearly had something else in mind though. "The house is empty," you revealed. "How do you feel about fucking in my room?" The knowledge that boys were forbidden upstairs in your sorority house made this offer even more enticing. After all, this was your wedding night. Who would catch the two of you when everyone was here?

Sunghoon considered the implications, obviously intrigued. "But what about Winter?" he asked, his desire quickly taken as he remembered that you didn’t live alone.

In response, you retrieved your phone, unveiling a message you had received earlier from Winter. "Look," you told him, displaying the words before him. "Leaving for the SKZ house tonight! Room's free—have the best wedding night, Mrs. Park!" A radiant smile spread across his face, and laughter bubbled forth as you both ran out of the house.

As expected, your sorority house was dead silent indicating that there was no one home. You still made sure to be quiet though as you could never be too careful and quickly dragged an eager Sunghoon up the stairs.

He took a moment to admire the elegance of your room, finding it far more luxurious than his own. But his focus quickly returned to the purpose of his visit. This time, you took charge, pulling him in and initiating a passionate kiss. His lips pressed against yours with a hunger that contrasted the gentle tenderness of your previous encounter at the altar. As your lips part, you invite his tongue inside, while your hands move down his body to skillfully undress him.

His jacket slips off effortlessly, and you eagerly worked on unbuttoning his shirt, planting kisses along his neck. The intoxicating scent of his skin drove you to emit a soft moan.

"God, you sound so pretty," he whispered, causing a blush to creep up on your cheeks. Emboldened by his words, you decided to push the boundaries further. Stepping back slightly, you reached for the zipper of your dress, conveniently located at the side. Without hesitation, you unzipped it and let the dress gracefully slide down, revealing your bare breasts standing proudly. The sight instantly got him hard. This was beyond even his wildest fantasies, and he was silently kicking himself for not remembering the night you two first had sex.

As you stepped out of your dress, you were left in just a white, lacy thong. You didn’t hesitate to drop to your knees and Sunghoon wondered what he had done in the past life to be able to deserve this as you looked like an angel on your knees.

Your fingers worked nimbly to undo the button on his pants and you slightly teased him as you dragged the zipper down slowly instigating a groan out of him. You could tell he was already hard as his bulge was visible through his boxers and you spared him a look before reaching to fully undress him. 

As his cock released, your jaw dropped. No wonder you were so sore after the first time as he was obviously the biggest you’ve ever been with. The tip was furiously red and you could see his pre-cum glistening. He was absolutely beautiful and your mouth watered. 

Quickly you spit on your hands before wrapping them around his length and groans instantly filled the room. 

“You’re so big babe, the biggest I’ve ever been with,” you marveled further at him while slowly starting to move your hands.

“You feel so good, can you use your mouth,” you eagerly obliged at his request leaning forward to wrap your mouth around him. You start sucking at just the tip while still moving your hands slowly around the rest of his length. As you started to slowly descend your mouth you could feel his fingers softly weaving into your hair.

“Just like that. Fuck, you’re so warm,” his groans were heavenly and you could feel yourself getting wet just at the noises he was making. 

You decided to take him further as you tried your best to g as far down as you could before you felt him hit the back of your throat. Determined to fit him all, you pushed yourself to go further and you could feel the tears pricking at your eyes as you gagged. This didn’t deter you though as you start to bob around his length at a slow pace, getting yourself adjusted before attempting to go faster. At this, his hand became tighter around the back of your head guiding you up and down his cock. Spit slowly drips down your mouth and to your neck as you furiously worked on making Sunghoon feel good. By now, he was basically fucking your face as you heard his pants get louder. 

“I’m almost there, just a little more.” At this, you felt even more motivated to see him reach his climax and you continued to maintain your pace. Then all of a sudden you felt him twitch inside your mouth. Quickly you released him from your mouth as your hands took over. 

“I want you to cum on my face,” and at your request, he does just that as you felt the ropes of his cum painting your tear-streaked face. It was a sight that made Sunghoon wonder if he was in heaven. You were absolutely breathtaking as his cum slowly dripped down your face and you caught some of it with your fingers before putting it in your mouth. God, at that sight, he almost came again. 

“You’re such a little minx aren’t you,” he quickly pulled you up and threw you onto the bed inciting a giggle from you. Now it was his turn to return the favor. 

Your panties were quickly ripped off and he didn’t hesitate to go straight for your core. You were absolutely drenched and he couldn’t help but feel proud that you were in this state because of him. He quickly inserted a finger and had you instantly moaning. 

“You’re so wet pretty girl, all this for me?” You nodded while biting your lips. His finger was thick and long and felt so amazing as he slowly started to move them in and out. 

“You get wet like this all the time or is it just for me?” He grinned at your reaction to him fingering you and decides to slowly insert another one.

“Fuck, Sunghoon just you. Just you,” You answered him eagerly pawing at his wrists to feel him deeper. 

Then without warning, he lowered his tongue to your clit and you almost screamed from the pleasure. He was already hard again just from seeing you writhe under him. He continued to use both his tongue and fingers and your hands desperately latched onto his hair, pulling him closer to your core. The tightness coiling within your lower stomach intensified before you felt yourself overcome with blinding pleasure. He continued his assaults on your pussy as you rode out your orgasm. No one has ever eaten you out like Sunghoon had just done and you were lost for words panting as he looked up at you, mouth sheen, covered in your release. 

He then climbed up over you and leaned down for a kiss and you could feel his dick hot against your thighs. As you dove deeper into the kiss you could feel him adjusting himself to enter you. His tip rested at your entrance making you beg to feel more of him. Your core was throbbing for him.

“Please Sunghoon,” and that was all he needed to hear before he fully sheathed himself inside of you. There was an obvious discomfort from the unfamiliar stretch, but it quickly it faded as it turned into pleasure. 

“Shit babe, you’re so fucking tight. You’re like sucking me in.” Sunghoon felt almost unworthy of your pussy as it molded perfectly around his length as if you were made for him. He slowly started to move and your hands moved to grasp onto his back pulling him closer. The pace the started to pick up as he moved in and out of you with more force and moans and pants were all that filled your room. Then all of a sudden you felt him grab you by your waist and turn you around. Without warning, he entered you from behind and the position allowed you to feel him deeper hitting the spot. 

“It feels so good Hoon, fuck you’re so deep in me,” you moan out as he pushes your head deep into the mattress. Your hands clawed around you, desperate to hold onto anything. His hands then find your shoulders as he uses them to get leverage to thrust into you harder and within seconds you could feel the warmness reappearing in your lower belly.

“I’m almost there please don’t stop, keep going!” You screamed out holding your sheets tightly as you could also hear him grunting over you. And then it came as all you could see was a blinding white light and your eyes roll to the back of your head. It was so good that you couldn’t even seem to form any sounds and you felt him continuing to thrust in you until you felt warm spurts of his cum painting your insides. 

“Fuck, Y/N,” he says while he collapses on top of you, not pulling out. Sounds of heavy breathing are all that you could hear for a while as the two of you attempted to catch your breaths.

As he finally moves off of you and pulls out, you could feel his cum slowly dripping out of you. He reached for the box of tissues beside your bed and gently cleans you up before tugging you in his arms.

"I honestly think that was the best sex I’ve ever had," you confessed, a mixture of satisfaction and amusement in your voice. He bursted into laughter, clearly pleased with your response.

"Well, I'm glad I could meet your expectations, Mrs. Park," he replied, his remark reminding you of the fake marriage you both had just gone through. You couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity of the situation.

"So, are you available tomorrow?" you asked, curiosity tinged in your voice. He erupted into laughter, playing up the moment dramatically.

"Wait, is Y/N asking me out on a date right now?" he exclaimed, pretending to be taken aback. Rolling your eyes, you knew he was teasing, but he quickly shifted to a more genuine tone. "Yes, I am free. Down to grab breakfast and finish Love Island together?" And you eagerly nodded.

The two of you continued conversing throughout the night while deciding to go for another round  before you finally decide to sleep. 

Like a déjà vu, you wake up in a familiar state as you did a couple of months ago, bathed in sunlight as you heard the soft snores emanating from the boy beside you. Smiling, you admired him for a moment, reaching out to touch his hair, before abruptly stopping as a realization hit you. 

Fuck, you once again forgot to use a condom.

Bonus:

You found yourself seated quietly in one of the meeting rooms of your sorority house, a sense of unease washing over you. Your gaze was fixated on the two individuals standing before you. Lia, the standards chair, had called you earlier, and whenever that happened, it usually meant trouble. To make matters worse, Yeji was also present, indicating that your offense must have been quite severe to warrant both of their attention.

"I'll get straight to the point. Unfortunately, I have to inform you that you will be fined," Lia spoke briskly, leaving no room for anticipation. Your mind raced, trying to recall all the things you might have done in the past week that could have led to this reprimand.

"Um, okay, but I'm not exactly sure what I'm being fined for," you revealed hesitantly.

Yeji cleared her throat and offered you a small, sympathetic smile before speaking, "Well, the house mom was reviewing the security footage and noticed you bringing Sunghoon into the house. And, well, we also saw you sneaking him out in the morning, so we know he was in your room."

Oh fuck, you had completely forgotten about cameras being all over the house. You really thought you had successfully managed to have Sunghoon over without anyone knowing. The realization that you were caught red-handed, captured in literally in 4k, flooded you with embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry. I completely forgot about the cameras," you sheepishly confessed, unable to meet their eyes.

"I understand that it was your 'wedding night' and you two are in love," Lia said, empathetically. "But please remember not to do this again. I don't want you getting into trouble repeatedly." She then proceeded to inform you of the amount of the fine.

As you walked out, still filled with embarrassment over being caught sneaking your boyfriend (yes, boyfriend!) out of the house, your friends wasted no time in questioning you about the situation the moment you reached your room.

"What did you do to get in trouble?" they eagerly asked.

"I forgot about the cameras and snuck Sunghoon in," you confessed, causing everyone to burst into laughter

"Don't worry about it. I got in trouble last year for trying to let Yeonjun in, but I found a way to avoid getting caught," Karina shared, piquing your interest.

“Wait how?” Giselle asks deeply interested too.

"The backdoor cameras haven't been functioning since the summer. Take that information as you will," Karina revealed mischievously, and with that, you didn’t hesitate to send your boyfriend a text with a smile on your face.

“Wanna come over tonight?”

taglist: @cha0thicpisces @abdiitcryy​  @moonlighthoon @franknsteinn​ @sjakewrld 

[bridgertonblue]

I love the fact that before the trailer even dropped I said we were getting a Jane Austen’s Emma inspired season of Bridgerton and they straight up NAME DROPPED EMMA IN EPISODE 1!

I literally SCREAMED when Eloise said that that was what she was reading, and now that I’ve had more time to really think about it it makes her story arc/mannerisms in this season make a ton more sense. She’s always peaking around corners, asking Colin probing questions, and openly engaging in idle gossip about the situation between Penelope and Colin. And yes, the Whistledown of it all, I get that, but when you add in the fact that she’s reading Emma, a story about two life long friends/neighbors who fall in love, it makes her nosiness make ALL THE SENSE.

She NEVER noticed anything between Colin and Penelope before this season, she was always way more occupied in finding Whistledown or talking to Theo about women’s suffrage, etc etc. But she picks up a romance novel, and she almost immediately clocks into what’s going on between Colin and Penelope.

I can understand why she’s enjoyed Emma, especially after what happened between her and Pen because Emma is largely about platonic friendship. Yes, two friends(Knightley and Emma) fall in love at the end, but the majority of the novel is Emma trying to maintain her friendship with Harriet, who she absolutely cherishes. Emma, out of concern/a little selfishness, tries to set up Harriet with a well to do guy who lives in town so she can keep Harriet close to her, societally speaking. It fails miserably and Harriet gets hurt, which destroys Emma. She tries to set her up with Frank Churchill(oddly enough the guy everyone thought she’d end up dating) but Harriet falls for Knightley instead.

Knightley, Emma’s oldest friend/friend of the family(technically brother in law?), someone who she’s known since childhood, her closest neighbor, the guy she see’s nearly everyday, someone she never thought would ever marry because he’s always at her house and never talks or shows interest in any other women(but her which she’s oblivious too). Someone who always finds her and talks to her at every ball and every gathering, someone who’s opinion she values more then everyone else’s. And Harriet, her girl bestie, is in love with him, and oh god, what is this feeling? Why is watching Knightley and Harriet walk around and chat so painful?? Then Emma realizes, “oh shit, I’m in love with my best friend, I’m in love with Knightley”.

And when Knightley finally gets around to telling Emma how he feels, she’s not ecstatic or thrilled or happy, she’s UPSET because it means her bestie, Harriet, is about to be hurt by her actions AGAIN. The man she’s in love with tells her he loves her in a beautiful passionate speech, and all she can think about is “oh god what about Harriet??” Emma apolgizes and tries to fix things and Harriet finds a way to forgive her, and the weight of that forgiveness and having her friend back almost means more to her then getting to be with Knightley.

So, yeah, I can see how Eloise would connect with that novel. I can see how she’d open her eyes and notice the similarities between Knightley/Emma and Colin/Penelope, I can see how she’d enjoy the story of two girl besties fighting and figuring out a way to move forward and be friends again.

Anyway, that’s my rant. If you made it to the bottom of this long ass post then bless you!

[ask-felix-aberg]

*You found a letter in the middle of your class required Arithmancy book*

*The sealed envelope has sketches of bluebells on the sides that comes with a note on the front that says 'To: Felix' while on its back—'You didn't see that coming, don't you? ;)'*

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Dear Felix,

Hejsan! 'Tis I again :D

I truly hope that I used that in a proper context. Fascinating thing languages, isn't it? Seemingly breaking one barrier at a time and such a fulfilling way to connect to people.

By the way, Amit told me how he got frightened when you caught him. Poor Amit, but I'll be forever grateful for his help.

On a different note, I'm glad that you sounded excited about the cinnamon rolls; I actually made them, and I followed my mother's recipe. I hope that it turned out as delightful as she makes them. Also, I wasn't initially aware that you can bake? If you ask me, I think it is impressive that you can. As a baker's daughter, I approve of your gingersnaps! I absolutely enjoy munching on it.

Felix, I have a confession to make...

I, in fact, am the reason behind the stare you intuitively feel during Arithmancy class. So fret not, you are not going around the twist. It's really just me.

Was it intentional? Well, how do I put it...

There's always something magnetic and almost difficult to wrap around in a logical way about you; an energy I can't even begin to fathom fully or understand— and that's why I would go from a glance to a stare without me even noticing it.

You're interesting, Åberg.

To point the obvious, everyone already knows that you have a rather aesthetically pleasing exterior. Well, they're not wrong. But more importantly, I like the way you think. The way you express your thoughts on a subject that you are interested in. Merlin, should I even mention the way your eyes light up when you're excited to answer a question in Arithmancy class? It's priceless.. and somewhat inspiring, I must admit.

Oh, Felix... I know you always tell me that you're just a simple guy. But that reason itself makes you extraordinary to me: that you don't need to feel powerful or famous just to be proud of who you are. And that's beautiful in ways words can never be described.

You're my muse. I hope you let me paint you through words in every letter I will send you by how I see you.

Until then..

With much adoration,

Your Secret Admirer

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

*You then noticed that a book was also left for you. It's titled 'The Universe In A Mirror' alongside another note—"I just finished reading this and thought you might find it interesting, too!"*

Felix turned around in his seat, casually scanning the classroom. A few of his classmates were hunched over their notes, some whispering in hushed tones and others staring blankly at the board, clearly lost in thought. But there was no sign of who might have slipped the letter into his book.

With a bemused smile, Felix leaned back in his seat as he carefully opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─☆: .☽ . :☆─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

To my Secret Admirer,

Hejsan back to you! You used it perfectly. Thank you for another beautiful letter - and for the surprise delivery. You were right, I definitely didn't see that coming!

I really have to thank Amit as well, and I hope I didn't scare him off too much when I caught him on my doorstep. Poor guy. I'll have to make it up to him somehow. Maybe some sweets will do the trick?

Now, about those cinnamon rolls - they were beyond delicious! Far better than any I've ever made. My own attempts always end up a little lopsided, but yours were perfect. I'd love to exchange recipes sometime, if you're up for it. I've always enjoyed baking, though I mostly started to keep my younger brothers entertained. They're a picky bunch, but they always come running back for more, so I must be doing something right. :)

I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the gingersnaps. It's always nice to know that something I bake can bring a little bit of joy. You mentioned that you're a baker's daughter. Did you grow up helping out in the bakery? I'd love to hear about your favorite memories or lessons you learned.

Your observations about me are touching, though I still stand by what I said before: I'm just Felix. I don't feel like I deserve all this praise, but it means a lot to me that you see something special. I guess I never really thought much about the way I am.

I'm excited to dive into the book you left for me. The title alone has already caught my interest. Thank you for thinking of me!

Until then, take care of yourself and keep being you. I'll be here, waiting to hear from you again.

Until our next letter,

Felix

[blairhqs]

[cisfemale and she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [BLAIR HARRIS]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [GRACE VAN PATTEN]. You must be the [TWENTY-THREE] year old [ATTENDANT AT PINBALL WIZARD ARCADE]. Word is you’re [CANDID] but can also be a bit [SELF-DESTRUCTIVE] and your favorite song is [ALL-AMERICAN BITCH BY OLIVIA RODRIGO]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [SEABROOK QUARTER]. // @aurorabayaesthetic

CHARACTER BASICS

NAME: blair sofia harris NICKNAME: blair AGE: twenty-three DATE OF BIRTH: may 26 ZODIAC SIGN: gemini GENDER & PRONOUNS: cisfemale, she/her ORIENTATION: bisexual STATUS: single HEIGHT: 5′8″ OCCUPATION: attendant at pinball wizard arcade NEIGHBORHOOD: seabrook quarter

QUICK FACTS

born and raised in aurora bay and lived a pretty comfortable life growing up since their father always provided for them while their mother took care of them.

in school, she never really excelled in academics and because of this, their dad always compared her to her high-achieving brothers. ger lack of study habits, coupled with a preference for extracurricular activities, set her apart as the family's outlier. however, her hardwork in volleyball was rewarded when she became the team captain during junior year. she also dabbled in the drama club, but more of the person behind the scenes rather than the one acting in it.

since she didn't really have much prospects for college, blair just ended up going to aurora bay college. however, she wasn't really sure what she wanted to take so she found herself drifting from one major to another. she was one of those kids who had no idea what they wanted to do with their life, unlike her brothers who seemed to have their life mapped out ahead of them. her older brother, rhett harris, was starting to make a name for himself and their band; blair was obviously their biggest fan and she attended almost all of their gigs. but tragedy struck just after his band was scouted for a tour and that was one of the things that turned her life around. it forced her to confront the unpredictable nature of life and inspired her to pursue her passion—film.

aurora bay's film school in their college wasn't exactly top-tier, but she didn't want to go far away from home especially when her brother was still recovering. nonetheless, she enjoyed this course much better than her previous ones. the course of her life was just beginning to get better when another unfortunate event struck them. their mother has fallen sick. considering that blair has always been a momma's girl, she was shattered by the news and started acting out more.

she's never been a straight-laced girl, but the news only made her more volatile and destructive. she always ends up putting a facade that she doesn't give a fuck about anything when in reality, she's just trying to numb all her feelings. also the type of girl who has no filter and says what she means without really thinking about what the other person might feel. she currently revels in chaos because her life is just a mess of chaos lately.

currently, she's on awol at school without her parents actually knowing about it. as far as they're concern, she's still diligently attending her classes and not spending her days working at the pinball wizard arcade.

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

friends/enemies/girl squad/childhood friends

a ride or die where they're probably just bad influences to each other or enables the other person's destructive behavior

ex-fling/hookups/one night stands/fwbs/enemies with benefits/tinder matches

someone she hates for no particular reason other than because they annoy the shit out of her or vice versa

neighbors/family friends/drinking buddies/party buddies

something based on lacy especially over this verse: and i despise my jealous eyes and how hard they fell for you, yeah, i despise my rotten mind and how much it worships you.

pretty much open to anything tho so just hmu xx

[nuesetine]

Fugi-Dove Headcanons

My little pigeon feeding blorbo has been selected for my nightly brain rot. More information about my thoughts below the cut!

Bear with me, it has been a few years since I last revisited S11. Fugi-dove is a forming and human hybrid, ending up with him being a little bit silly in the mind. For most physical qualities they go back to human roots and mental/(ig) spiritual are more formling aligned. There are few execptions like the small fluffy tuffs/markings along his cheeks. His formling qualities are garnered from his mother, a formling who had been brought to Ninjago via the Master of Ice before Zane. She was tasked with watching over the new master in hopes that the powers would be in good hands, that no harm would be brought upon them due to the new abilities. Her form was the falcon who had inspired Dr. Julien to create the robotic one later with Zane's life as something that would hold great symbolism within his life, and something that he could use to all ways remember him. The reason behind bringing a formling into Ninjago, and how even did that happen!? In this head canon the Master of Ice knew that since he bore no offspring that his element would find a new master though they chose to manually transmit the power as it would be randomized anyways once he departs from this realm. Since he is completely randomizing who he gives the gifts too he brings the formling in order to make sure that once the power is obtained the right stands remain in good morals. The reason behind the formling is partially because of the way of watching over them in plain sight, and knowing that the FSM distanced himself from the Never-Realm, the Master of Ice being the first to not blood related transmit the element, made this in a way that his acts could not be rather noticed and frowned upon within the departed realm. The ability of bring Fugi-dove's mother is unknown though most likely had some connection with the elemental power of ice and the Never-realm being a flat land of ice and snow.

The reason behind the acceptance of the offer relates to how in the animated scenes/episodes of S11, we see the leader of the formlings have some sort of eagle as their creature. Fugi-dove's mother is the sibling of them and was rather regarded rather poorly compared to her brother who seemed to a wish upon a falling star, leaving the formling village although in the slightest bit painful to cut ties was nothing much and a new start in Ninjago sounded like a ticket to a new life. Falcon formling fell in love, had a child, had a another, and bam modern S11. Since the Falcon held symbolism with Zane, so does/was Fugi-dove. Seeing as he appears to be within the Ice-Chapter, his sole appearance is to symbolize Zane's change of becoming the Ice Emperor and going to the Never-Realm. Where his mother was to represent the past he is too showcase the future, sort of. His pure curiosity and friendship towards Jay is mostly reasoned (in my opinion) with that he has a stronger connection and lead towards Echo (Zane) as he was not directly tasked watch over the ice elemental descendants. Jay had gone through Skybound and uncovered Echo's existence instilling the oathly connection that run's through the formling blood within Fugi-dove's veins. With Skybound and the final wish washing that timeline away, it screws up the connection and leaves the only him with the one-sided connection towards Jay but for an unknown reason. His formling gene's are showcased with his connections to doves, the creature that he would be able to shift into if he had been pure blood. Though he also has a bit more meek connection with other birds, pigeons and seagulls he enjoys to hang out and feed regarding their place in the social class of animal kingdom and how he feels about himself and his rank in the social classes. In addition to the fact that seagulls guard Echo's lighthouse out at a sea. What was your main though process behind all of this? The formling hats and Fugi-dove's mask look oddly similar in a way I will base my connection with them.

[teddy-bear-queen]

Since everyone’s jumping on the “Chris is trash” bandwagon…

I greatly dislike that lil fucker

LMAO.

Now, let me explain myself, because tbh I haven’t seen anyone really delve into why they hate him, at least not in detail.

In this post I’m going to go over the positive and negative points of Chris’s character. It’s a little messy because it’s 12am and I’m not going to edit it. I’ll be looking at him through the POV of actual character writing and not just his yucky icky grossness /lh

I’m not gonna close my eyes & ears and say “he’s bad!”, I acknowledge he has good traits. That make him an interesting character. I’ll start with the traits I find enduring about Chris.

Go to the bottom for the TLDR

Let’s begin!

Chris and Sonic (+ Positives)

The fact they made Chris rich stood out to me. The point of human characters in these series (SonicX, Transformers, etc.) is so the kid watching can relate to that character (ironically most of these shows don’t pull this off - I’ll explain why in a little bit). So they can put themselves in that persons shoes and say “That’s like me! I could do that!”, an audience stand-in. Let’s be honest, most kids aren’t rich, so this isn’t a very relatable trait.

The point of Chris (besides being a stand-in) is to mirror and contrast Sonic to a certain degree. Sonic is confident being alone - he enjoys it! We see him at several points throughout the series avoiding being around others. Instead we see Sonic napping, exploring, running, or just relaxing. Sonic is comfortable with himself, he doesn’t need the approval of others and doesn’t care what they think. Sonic does things his way, and that’s that.

Chris, on the other hand, craves social interaction. They made him a rich, spoilt, self-centred kid. But they also made him incredibly lonely. Chris doesn’t really have people in his life who he can connect with, he’s an only child who lives in a massive mansion (seriously, that thing is HUGE!) but he is incredibly neglected emotionally. Yes, he has maids and butlers, but a maid and butler simply do not have the same connection to Chris as a parental figure would. This goes for his friends and grandfather, too. Despite the people around him, he aches for his parents attention. Chris is a sheltered and lonely kid, who has a pretty different view on the world than you or I would. Chris has people going to him at all times, trying their bests to please him, so it’s no surprise that he is pretty selfish.

•

Both Sonic and Chris have a love for nature and want to do good for it. For Chris this is shown in two episodes especially: Episode 1, where he rushes down from his room to save what he thinks is a cat from drowning. Again in the Episode The Dam Scam. Tails asks what Chris wants to be, to which he replies a zoologist.

Tails: Thanks. So what do you think you wanna do when you're older?

Chris: Well, I... I really want to study zoology... I think. Grandpa and my dad want me to really like building machines, just like they do. But since I met you guys, I figured I'm more interested in animals than machines.

Chris goes out of his way to help the cast in whatever way he can - even if he ends up getting captured etc. I’ll go into the negatives later, though. The point is that he is determined and wants to help others. He has his own motivations seperate to Sonic.

•

Before Sonic can leave with the rest of his friends, Chris is suddenly overcome with the fear of being alone again. He feels as though Sonic was a consistent person in his life - sure, he has friends, but he never really connected with them in the same way he connected with Sonic. Sonic is a person Chris feels like he can truly rely on. A big brother, a best friend, just someone cool and inspiring. He doesn’t want to lose that, so he closes the portal before sonic can enter.

After this, Chris begins to feel really guilty about his decision, and asks Sonic why he chose to stay with him.

Link to the scene here

I feel like this is one of the most important moments for Chris in Sonic X. This scene resonated with me, and a lot of other people. I’m a little too tired to analyse this scene in it’s entirety, but I feel like everything that needs to be said is in the video.

Why I hate Chris Thorndyke (negatives)

Now that I’ve acknowledged he has good traits and the writing in his character is at least decent, I can go into why I hate him.

I’ve seen the argument that Chris is insightful for a child because of his speech to Shadow, where he convinces him not to destroy the earth and instead to help it. Such a heartwarming moment…

Except that moment wasn’t his.

That speech you hear isn’t Chris Thorndyke. It’s Amy Rose. Amy Rose is a character who consistently gets shoved to the side in a lot of series, especially in the English version of sonic X (I’ll write a whole other post for that). But the fact that they just completely took Amy away from that scene and replaced her with Chris will forever ruin him as a character for me. Which brings me into my main point:

Chris overshadows the main cast, and not in a good way.

When people call Chris useless etc. it’s not because he’s godawful in battle and constantly causes more problems than fixing them - that’s by design. It’s to make the 12 year old watching relate, right? That’s not my issue (it is but I’ll come back to that). My issue is that Chris takes roles that other characters could have easily fulfilled. The compassion and empathy that Amy Rose has is overshadowed and in some cases outright ignored in favour of Chris. The intelligence and tech-savvy, inventive abilities Tails has, coupled with his insecurities? Chris takes those, too.

My main issue with Chris Thorndyke is that he takes the roles of many other characters, and he is literally replacing them because of this. Chris needs to be his own person before I can justify him being a good character - and he simply isn’t. Chris isn’t his own character. Chris takes the roles of Amy and Tails quite often - I can’t remember the episode, but he makes some fancy shoes for sonic in season 3, Tails should have done that.

Chris needed to be his own person, he had the backstory etc. but it just wasn’t very emotionally enrapturing. I don’t think it’s because he’s rich, or he’s spoilt. I actually think it’s a very important thing for people to understand that being wealthy and having a lot of materialistic items does not make you happy. People need people, and people need structure and stability. People will do awful things out of fear, and loneliness can make you do very selfish things. These are all topics Chris Thorndyke’s character tries to convey, but his lack of personality outside of being a plot point is what ultimately makes him a bad character.

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His dependence on Sonic is intentional, and while it has meaning, that meaning isn’t explored due to the nature of the show. This creates a sort of divide between the viewer and Chris. Instead of feeling like one of the main characters, he feels like a side character shoved into a main characters position. He has a backstory, he has a reason for being so dependent and insecure about his relationship with Sonic, and yet those reasons are sort of shoved to the side. I think Chris had potential to be an alright character. But due to the series inability to explore the character without Sonic around, it made him very annoying. He wasn’t important, and was often used as a plot device. Causing trouble just to move the plot along.

A character doing that isn’t entirely a bad thing, but it becomes bad when it is always one character doing it. Time and time again, Chris causes trouble for the whole cast. It’s annoying because he makes the same mistakes he always does and never really learns his lesson. Transformers has the same issue with a lot of their human characters (an exception being Transformers: Animated). In a lot of these series, the characters aren’t really… A character. They’re more like a plot decide and a microphone for the writers to use to directly convey a message they want delivered. Luckily Chris isn’t quite at that level - I digress.

All of these things are why Chris’s moment with Sonic (video linked earlier in the post) didn’t feel as impactful as it could have. I directly related to Chris once throughout the series, and it was in that campfire scene. I feel like Chris could have been completely removed from the series and a similar thing could have been done with Tails. It would have left a greater impact on the audience because Tails is an important member to the team. He brings value to it, and doesn’t actively drag it down. Chris does not work because the majority of his actions directly correlate to a setback for the main cast, the audience begins to resent him because he adds nothing substantial and meaningful to the plot, and the things he does add was at the cost of another character (referring to Chris taking the roles of Amy and Tails).

Conclusion/TLDR

I do not like Chris. His character is bland, and most of his roles could have been taken by Amy or Tails. While the idea and message that Chris carried was appealing to me, it was executed poorly because he wasn’t developed individually and had very little character growth. The campfire scene was heartwarming, but ultimately came off sort of flat and preachy due to the audience having a very small connection to him. He changes very little throughout the series, constantly puts the cast through more trouble than necessary due to idiotic actions he should have learnt from by now.

[hopefulstarfire]

Here it be, the complete outline for the ocs adventures in what would be my yugioh fic series if I ever have time and or a life outside of my job and podcast again enjoy. General trigger warnings but I will also be tagging any and every one I can think of and if I miss anything lemme know.

Pre Series

All of the OC backstories go here, as seen in their profiles.

Something worth noting here is that Chelsea, Mason, Wes, Jonathan and Rosalie Gayle (Alisters parents) and Robert Knighton (Raphaels father) had been friends for years and years and basically considered each other family (especially bc Mason and Wes's parents Bo and Josie considered them all their kids) and so their kids became the "cousins".

It just kinda worked out that Robert and Mason married girls that were in fact first cousins so their kids are actually cousins 😂

Another is that Solomon, Arthur and Iris's grandfather Cillian are old, old friends, who went on several archaeological expeditions together. Cillian also officiated for Solomon and his wife Hinas wedding, and did the same for Arthur and his wife Faye. All three of them have attempted solving the Puzzle as well, all three have failed. Cillian even spectacularly so; he made a giraffe with the pieces. Atem was Very Confused.

Maximillion meets Cecelia at a gala his father hosted, and he met her through her Uncle Robert.

Cecelia starts battling health problems when she's 12 and at some point during her extended hospital stays, Max comes up with the very first rough draft of what would become Duel Monsters, inspired by dreams (that are 100% connected to his future destiny as a Millennium Item wielder) and the cards he make have their own lore and the game is more of a loose dnd with cards and the rules followed solely the rule of cool.

The Harmonia sinks and kills off most of the Knightons and Max's own parents, leaving him to basically move in with the Mercers. Raphael is found alive just in a matter of a couple months before Cecelia passes and he does not get to say goodbye to her.

Wes and the Griffins fight to try and gain custody of Raphael, knowing that he's miserable and that he was actually supposed to go home with them. However, they found that the Allards had put up a fight, the courts were very suddenly not on their side and a restraining order got placed against them, while Raphaels relatives made him believe everyone forgot about him and hated him for living instead of his parents and siblings. When Duel Monsters hits shelves, Max releases the Guardian Cards to try and let Raphael know they never forgot about him and love him but it's not taken that way. At all.

Seto and Mokuba get adopted when Seto is 10/11 and he sees the first Duel Monsters tournament on TV in the orphanage and he thinks Kat, the winner of the tournament, is the coolest. They actually meet at a gala after their adoption and they bond for that one night and he can't ever forget her. Max even sticks up for them, as he's the one that brought Kat, and it makes Seto even more open to trust him...something that is going to hurt all the more later on.

They meet River and Iris when Nesbitt and Gozaburo try to arrange a marriage contract to be fulfilled once Seto is 18. The four find themselves becoming an unlikely family and have to survive everything together. Including what Gozaburo pulls when Seto takes over the company.

Roland and Meredith are there early on for the boys and basically become like their parents, with Roland especially taking on a role of father for both the Kaiba brothers and the McGinnis kids. Having at least a semblance of stability prevents Death-T from happening. But Kaibas still gonna be Kaiba, just more in line with the anime route.

Alister goes undercover and begins working for KaibaCorp about a year and a half to two years before Duelist Kingdom and eventually finds himself befriending Iris as a means to an end of getting to Kaiba and the Big 5.

"Season 0"

A lot of it will follow the Mangas storyline and villain of the week format with some additional Filler.

One of the biggest changes is that Hanasaki and Miho are actually gonna be present for the stories and become part of the main gang themselves. Because they're the best and they were underutilized and I am FIXING THAT!!!

Nana is basically just growing more and more concerned about what the fuck is happening to her brother. She's happy he's making friends, but the Puzzle seems...off to her, now that it's complete and Yugis gaps in memory and all the insane shit happening to them makes her start to believe something is wrong with the Item, but the ony person she really has to confide in that is her best friend Harue, so it's a case of trying to figure out "what the fuck is going on here".

Duelist Kingdom

Kaiba kidnaps Grandpa and beats him in a Duel and tears up Blue Eyes. Nana, typically the voice of reason, has to he held back from hurting this idiot for what he did.

After he loses, Mokuba immediately reaches out to the rest of the family, pulling Iris away from a date hangout with Alister to come help her younger brother through being genuinely shaken that he lost.

Max is hanging out with Kat and the Griffins for movie night when Croquet delivers the news of Kaibas defeat. Kat is Pissed and goes to dig into who this kid is, only for the both of them to be shocked and confused when he's got the Millennium Puzzle, which looks eerily similar to the golden eyeball shoved into Max's head.

Three weeks later, Max announces the Duelist Kingdom tournament at regionals. Kaiba runs off early that morning, before the tournament, going to try and clear his head. The board calls Max that night, after he's already sent the tape to Yugi, so that they can have their little chat the day after next when and where he kidnaps Mokuba for them.

Nana is like. 5 seconds away from a panic attack because the guy who's art she has like idolized for years now just kidnapped her Grandpa's soul and everything is connected back to the Millennium Items and she very quickly realizes they're in over her head so ofc she's sneaking on board with Téa and the others. Somebody has to keep these idiots safe.

Max had basically barred Kat from entering the tournament because aha she doesn't need to know what's going on clearly, and he also enlists the Big Fives security detail as supplied by Leichter, versus using Griffin Security, with the claim it was to make investors happy only. Maddox, who has been his best friend since they were eight and knows Max usually does not care about that shit at all, is Suspicious.

When Mokuba gets kidnapped, Roland and Iris mobilize to figure out what happened and just how the Big Five are involved and drag their names through the mud. Alister is either going to be helping them from the get go to ger information and be the one to stop them first or is brought in right after they finally get a hold of Seto because he's conveniently turned his phone off to go and be emo for a while and only reaches back out after he had an assassination attempt on his life by and realized the man he saw as a mentor, as someone who might have actually cared about him and his brother, was the one who sent them after him so Max could get control of KaibaCorp from the Big Five.

Kat sneaks onto Duelist Kingdom island on the day the tournament starts and Max is greeted by her right after the opening ceremony and he is sweating bullets bc oh God she can't know what I'm doing she will stop me. He does allow her to stay to watch the Duels commence, but tells his security to keep a close eye on her and make sure she doesn't snoop.

He doesn't seem to realize that the security that the Big Five really aren't shit and weren't trained to deal with her, aka someone who was raised by the owners of one of the biggest security companies in the world. So she's walking around with her dog Lola and hears something coming from one of the rooms and discovers Mokuba.

After hearing what happened and being in complete shock Max would ever do anything like that, she still decides Mokuba is probably telling the truth but she needs to know the full story as to what the fuck is going on. She helps smuggle him out and hides when one of the guards comes to check on him and then promptly goes to sneak out herself and yes she brings Lola with her. She has no idea what is going on in her brothers head and she doesn't trust any of these guys to take care of her baby or even remember to feed her. She loads up her backpack with dog food and treats; it's her and Lola til the end damnit.

While still trying to hide the best she can from the goons, she does run into Yugi and the gang after Kemo nabs Mokuba again and obviously Yugi recognizes her since she's kind of. Yknow. Famous. The others don't trust her because of her name but Yugi and Ryou both point out Mokuba said he had help escaping so she challenges Yugi to a pick up Duel with no star chips on the line and no Duel Arena (she can't let Max know where she is) to talk it out.

Ryou is also wondering why, for the first time, the spirit in the Ring is completely silent. No smart comments, no pushing to take control, nothing. Like he actually feels just how stunned and weirdly nervous he is during them meeting Kat.

Kat explains how she has no idea what's going on, but the Max she grew up with would never have done anything like this; how it's been him, Maddox and her against the world since she was eight. But, she also believes Mokuba and now Yugi hearing his story, even as she's trying to wrap her head around the fact her brother even had the powers to do what he did, and she wants to help get to the bottom of it. The gang decide they can trust her and she and Lola join up with them.

Maddox gets a hold of Max to check up on how the tournaments going and Max is acting the best he can like everything's not on fire, and promptly makes up a quick excuse when Maddox says he can't get a hold of Kat (her having left her phone in her room to keep from being tracked) and hangs up. Maddox realizes somethings fishy so he goes to talk to his parents.

The Duel between Joey and Rex goes the same way, and then when Mai decides to camp out with them that night, Kat borrows a phone to go and call Maddox and tell him what's going on. As the VP of I2, she's also able to give the go ahead for him to do a deep dive, proper investigation into what exactly has been going on at I2, not just security wise, but business wise and figure out what Max is planning and why.

Rather than Bakura challenging the others to the Duel he does in the anime, as the TTRPG has happened in this timeline, Bakura puts on a show as Ryou and takes Kat away for a bit to meet with her and figure out if she remembers anything from her past life as Kema. He does explain to her more about the powers and origins of the Items to give her a tip on what her brother could ultimately be planning by trying to take the Puzzle and more about himself and Yami as spirits trapped in the Items, but tells her not to trust the Pharaoh. Kat asks why he's telling her all this and he tells her that he knows her eyes better than anything else and in a past life, she was the person that mattered to him. He's vague and cryptic about it, but, the part of him that is still Bakura (as he did fuse his soul with Zorc) wanted to tell her, to reach out, to hope because he's spent 5000 years trapped alone and he had lost Kema and it devastated him and pushed him further towards his goals.

The Duels against Panik, Bonz and the Paradox Brothers go pretty much like normal, with the gang cheering on their friends.

However, after Joey Duels Kaiba, Kat actually offers to help him and he rejects the offer. Max's betrayal cut deep and he doesn't fully believe the Yugi gang when they tell him she helped Mokuba escape, because he knows Kat would do anything to protect her brother-in-law.

Maddox does more thorough investigation and gets confirmation on the investor deal between Max and the Big Five; he knew Max had met with them, but not what it was about. He does know about Roland being Kaibas right hand man, through Max and Kats interactions with the Kaiba brothers and reaches out to offer assistance in getting this cleared up. Iris and Roland are distrustful at first because of his connection to Pegasus and Alister even more so because he's worked with Raphael for years and knows about the whole Raphael believes his family forgot about him bit so he tries to steer them away. Maddox however shares all of the information he has and tells them that he wants to figure out what the fuck his best friend is up to because it could directly put his little sister in danger because he's acting crazy and if a kid got kidnapped and another had an assassination attempt on him, why the hell would he cover that up? So, they agree to work together to get to the bottom of this.

We also get to see some of Alister and Iris trying to snoop around in some specific places and almost get caught snooping and Alister is like "we need an excuse" and knowing that everyone at KaibaCorp is about 98% sure those two have been hooking up for months now bc everyone sees the chemistry he kisses her and makes it look like they snuck off for a quickie rather than to get dirt on the Big Five.

"Get a room, you two." "That's exactly what we did. Now, if you'll excuse us." And then just slams the door on the goons face and Iris is still processing what the fuck just happened.

On top of the confirmation of them meeting with Pegasus and being able to hack into email and phone records, they find some other little projects they were hiding from Seto in their attempts to regain proper power. And while doing so, Alister finds some interesting information about a certain Cyber World that a certain somebody is being kept alive in and a plan to use this for profit as well as a way for the elite to cheat death and live forever. There are many peoples names he deletes off of that first chance list including Raphaels aunt and uncle because fuck them. He covers this up from Iris and Roland and decides to keep an eye on it in case things go south.

Maddox also gets a warning from Shadi about what could happen if he keeps investigating this and trying to uncover the truth about the Millennium Items and what will happen to Max.

When the Seto and Yugi rematch happens, the others are still confused why Seto is acting like this and Kats literally like "gee it could have to do with my brother. Yknow. Being my brother, I guess." And Nana even reminds them he's probably stressed out and still offers up the chance for them to help him.

When he gets up on the ledge, Kat literally has a panic attack yelling at him to come down. Even with as much bad blood as there was between her and her mother, losing her mom to suicide ripped a part of her heart out and she cannot stand to see Seto go the same way or let Mokuba have to experience that same level of grief she did.

Téa yells at Kaiba and Kat tells him that she knows he'd do anything to save his brother, but that his life isn't worthless if he lost; that if he threw away his life, Mokuba would lose everything and they aren't gonna let that happen. Him, finally also knowing from Mokuba that she did in fact help him, decides to let Kat join him in confronting Pegasus and rescuing his little brother and she leaves the gang to go with him.

She also begins to see why Bakura told her not to trust Yami and she's now a little more open to at least somewhat trusting the vague and cryptic spirit with any new information he could offer her.

Nana, meanwhile, is at that same level of distrust Yugi is at. She's seen the dangers of the Puzzle and she sees how practically catatonic her little brother is and she gets the Puzzle off of him and is at a point now where she wonders if maybe they should just trade it off to get their Grandpa back because she is terrified of what the spirit inside of it will make her brother do.

Like, on the other hand, she doesn't know what Pegasus would do with this type of power and doesn't trust him but also like. She just doesn't want it around her brother. She doesn't even trust the Spirit of the Ring and now Yami has proven to her She can't trust him. She thought he was doing better and he's not SO. And if they haven't started connecting the pieces of like Yamis definitely murdered people before, it all kind of clicks now and she just is Over It.

When they finally get into the castle, they watch the Duel between Kaiba and Max and the entire time Kats standing behind Seto just demanding answers from her brother and when Seto loses his soul, she tries to run to grab him and Kemo and a couple other goons grab her and drag her away to Max's office.

They also muzzle Lola to take her with Kat and Max is like "that is not a good idea" and Kat straight up bites Kemo to try and get to her dog because fuck that.

She and Lola still get taken to Max's tower and she's demanding answers and they get into a huge blowout and then he finally confesses that he is doing all of this to revive Cecelia and goes through a state of both shock and horror. This also causes an even bigger fight because Cecelia would not have wanted him stealing people's souls, a CHILDs soul, just for him to play God trying to bring her back.

She gets locked in her room because Max refuses to listen to that. At this point, he's worked far too hard and it's far too late to stop. He has to do this. Not just for his own sake, but because Kat and Maddox need Cecelia back and even if they're mad at him for now, it'll be worth it in the end.

That night after the dinner, Mai actually manages to sneak Kat out of her room and Kat tells her she's gonna go and try to find the boys and then figure out where Max is holding people's souls and how. Mai makes her promise not to tell anyone how she got out and Kats just happy she got somebody; though, she does ask Mai to borrow her phone so she can call Maddox and tell him to get out there right the fuck now.

Hanasaki and Miho go with Tristan, Téa and Ryou to figure out how Max is cheating in all his Duels and are with them at the tower.

Bakura finds Kat trying to avoid the guards and get her way towards the dungeons and yanks her back to his room to since he knows the guards are really gonna be on high alert after his and the gangs stunt. They get more of a chance to talk though he's still. Odd to her. Though she does get bits and pieces of more answers out of him.

Nana basically holds on to the Puzzle until the matches the next day and Yugi asks for it because he doesn't want to risk anyone else's safety if they have it, and especially not his big sister. He thinks he has to try and control the Spirit, no one else. The night before however she stays up trying to figure out what exactly is going on with it and why it's acting like this. To the point she starts talking to Yami, knowing she's not gonna get an answer because she's not wearing it and she doesn't trust him enough to do so but it does leave an impact on him.

Hanasaki goes off with Tristan the next day when he goes to look for Mokuba because it's what a hero would do. Nana and Miho stay with Téa and Joey, mainly because Nanas still worried about her little brother.

They run into Kat while trying to do their rescue and then Bakura shows up and then it's just that whole mess.

Meanwhile, Maddox reached the island that morning after having to get some sleep and get some other things squared away and was fighting past the goons to get to the castle and gets there after Max and Yugis Duel.

Him and Kat both hurry after Croquet when they find out Max is hurt and is missing his Eye. Kat realizes it couldn't have been Yugis other self since they were with them this whole time. Maddox thinks it could be Shadi, given the cryptic warning he received. But Kat starts to believe it could be something else.

The gang also read Max's diary and find out more about Kats older sister and some more hints about the tragedies in her life and they understand more of why Max did what he did; it doesn't excuse it by any means, but they have their answers at least.

Iris, Alister, River and Roland, once they get confirmation that Seto and Mokuba are safe, confront the Big Five with their findings and tell them that they're currently suspended pending further investigation and will be fired once Seto is back and fully rested for the next quarterly meeting. Roland also gets to just fucking deck Nesbitt when he goes to attack Iris for daring to stand up to him.

Seto (begrudgingly) flies the gang all back to Domino with him and Mokuba and after they land Nana tells him he should come by the card shop sometime...and...yknow...maybe apologize for ripping her Grandpa's prized possession. Just uh just a thought there Kaiba.

Cue the Rebecca meeting and Nana invites her and Arthur to have dinner with the family and she'll cook. They get to hear some fun stories too about all of their old archaeology days, especially with their other best friend.

Iris hangs out at Alisters house (which is just one of the safe houses Paradius has) after everything happens and they find themselves taking the next stages in their dynamic together and become romantically intertwined; he argues it's to help further his goal and his justice, but he also finds himself genuinely falling for her where as Iris has been on that boat for a while just in absolute denial about it.

Kat is put in place as acting president of I2 while Max is very much recovering and decides she needs to further investigate what happened. So, she asks Maddox to go with her to Domino to at least figure out what's going on, because she knows her godparents aren't gonna let her do this alone. Originally, it's just supposed to be staying there for a few days, but, they soon realize they're gonna need to relocate to Domino City altogether with this situation.

Kat confronts Bakura and finally gets more of a full picture of their past life connection on top of more explanation to the Items. He points out that there's a strong chance the Eye had been corrupting him and he should be learning to see the error of his way by the time he's recovered fully. And, after all, the Pharaoh did almost kill Kaiba and he's done other shady things; who's to say the Puzzle didn't have some corruptive influences of its own?

"You keep saying this like you're the good guy in all this." "Darling, I'm far from it. I'm just the lesser of the evils in all this. I'm fighting for the right reasons."

Maddox doesn't trust him as far as he can throw this guy. He still wants a proper explanation to the Items and he's certainly hiding quite a bit of knowledge.

Kat slowly begins to trust him, however and decides to give him a shot.

Legendary Heroes / Dungeon Dice Monsters

After an entire debate, Kat wants to settle in Domino for a while and get everything straightened out and get to hang out with her new friends. Chelsea and Vance decide to keep the main office in San Fransisco, but open up a new one in Domino, and can do it if Maddox is able to square a deal with KaibaCorp and some other businesses in the area if he can manage it.

He's set to meet with Kaiba after the start of the new quarter and so he gets an apartment for him, Kat and the twins while they reconfigure everything. Kat gets enrolled into Domino High, which is her first time back in public school.

The start of the new quarter brings the meeting and Kaiba does fire the Big 5 still, however, they still manipulate him into going to test out his new game before he does; something Iris thinks is a big mistake and tells him not to do, because she doesn't know what they're up to. But this game is important to him; while he hasn't told anyone but her, this game was a way to honor his deceased mother and for Mokuba to see the kind and loving person she was in the only way he can.

Iris and River are with him and Mokuba when Seto gets trapped and Iris has to basically fight their way out of there. Mokuba convinces them they need to go find Yugi and his friends and Iris debates on making a call to Maddox after all his help, and also to Alister but he's out doing work for one of the other KaibaCorp offices (aka he's out on a mission for Paradius and used it as an excuse). Thankfully, Maddox is there with the rest of the gang at the card shop so they all get caught up to speed.

They get to the pods and Iris goes with Yugi, Mokuba and Joey; they instruct River to be on standby in case anything happens, as River actually helped Seto with coding some levels for practice. Maddox is to help him break back into KaibaCorp security measures and try and get that part of everything sorted out.

Maddox also is Packing Heat for this and does fire a warning shot at Kemo and his lackies when they try to break in.

Iris is basically scrambling having to use her ace monster and River's deck because she does not carry the one that she used just to Duel them on her, just the one card, so she's struggling a bit in this but doing her damndest.

She's still the second to last one to get gunned down by the Big Five, trying to keep Mokuba safe from an attack.

Once they're out of the Virtual World, Iris gets a call from the Big Fives doctoral staff, asking her to hell and saying that they need to try and save them, and she asks them point blank if they have any brain activity. When they say no, that the voltage was too much, but their heart rate is still there, she reminds them that without brain activity they would be dead and keeping them alive wouldn't bring that activity back. It's more merciful to let them die and even still there's a large amount of guilt she has in the relief that Nesbitt specifically cannot touch her family again. Their death is simply labeled as suicide and its not anything anyone would question at their company after what Gozaburo did.

Iris decides the Yugi gang may not be all that bad and Nana actually helps set her up with a job at the card shop; Solomon figures out who she is because she and her grandmother share a lot of similarities and when he hears the name McGinnis, he realizes she's most certainly his old friends granddaughter and is more than happy to have her there.

Maddox gets a meeting with Kaiba and manages to convince him to use Griffin Security for his newer security measures in this newer era of the corporation. He also is willing to still keep a business relationship with I2 after meeting with Kat and they both begin discussing what they want to pursue to create a better way to play Duel Monsters aka actual rules.

Maddox almost weeps in relief because God Max made it so looney tunes just to spite him.

The Dungeon Dice Monsters Arc there is two things worth noting.

One; Miho gets the fattest crush on Duke, because of course she would.

Two: Kat is standing there this entire time like knowing that name sounds familiar and he kinda looks it why does she know-- OH SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO CALL HIM AND TELL HIM MAX WAS RECOVERING FROM THE EYE BEING STOLEN AND HE STILL WANTS TO MAKE A DEAL WITH DUKE OH NO.

Kat chooses not to move forward to try and fight to stay president once Max recovers, but does decide to keep being the VP, just working from home.

Battle City/Cyber World

Battle City gets announced with the new rules implemented by Kat and Seto in their joint venture.

Both her and Maddox receive invitations to compete in the tournament, both of them with high ranking stars. Kat's all for it, ready to test out her new cards Max had done up for her and her Deck since it's been restructured. Maddox ultimately decides to sit this one out and he's glad he does, because he finds out he wants to focus more on trying to figure out what the deal with the Rare Hunters are and investigate more into the Millennium Items.

Iris does not get an option. Seto enters her in knowing she's got a Deck that actually holds potential and she needs to take her mind off of what happened with the Big Five.

Also it's better to have two of the siblings in this. So they have an even higher chance of getting all the God cards. It's science.

River gets to be co-commissioner with Mokuba and their baby sister Flora gets to be the unofficial tournament mascot and her big brother and sisters cheerleader.

Maddox and Nana both swing by the museum right before the tournament starts up to do some investigating, and Nana meets Ishizu and she's instantly smitten. Maddox is gonna Regret laughing and teasing her Later.

The tournament gets under way and Kat heads off with Maddox to go do matches and Iris heads out on her own, though they do all meet up with the gang here and there.

Miho actually goes with Tristan to help Serenity post surgery and they become quick friends. Tristan is very confused tho when Miho also just is not phased when Duke starts hitting on Serenity and she's like "Tristan were both poly; as long as were both alright with it, Dukey-kins can flirt with whoever, just like I can. Besides he's so cute when he tries to put on the charm!" and then he's just later on like "can you please control your boyfriend and tell him to back off" "Oooorrrr Renny could figure out for herself if she wants either of your guys attention. Kinda seems like you got friendzoned. And I don't think you're her type, honey."

I don't have many ideas on the Duel match ups, but Iris and Mai actually have a draw when they meet up and promise to see each other in the finals for a proper rematch.

Hanasaki pulls his Zombyre cosplay out of retirement so that he can fight against the Rare Hunters to help Yugi, like in the video games. Because it's awesome.

Nana will just fucking tackle them. She's Strong and somebody's gotta help Maddox handle these clowns.

She's also with Joey when he goes and Duels Mako, and runs into her childhood best friend Nami (@icychill), and they have a really time together and promise they're gonna get Harue (@kohakuhime) next time, once Battle City is over and go out for a girls trip.

This is also why Marik isn't able to nab her like he does Téa and Joey, she's with her other girlfriend and soulmate bestie.

Kat runs into them when Marik carries over a stabbed Ryou and she's instantly concerned over her new best friend so she goes with him and Grandpa to the hospital.

She is Not Happy when she finds out it was her boyfriend that did the stabbing. He gets an earful and he gets the Angry Southern Accent.

"Alright, I have all the locator cards I need-- why are you looking at me like that?" "Technically, it doesn't matter because you didnt enter the tournament properly to begin with." "Rouhi, it doesn't matter. I've got the Duel Disk, I've got the locator cards. If Kaiba throws a bitch fit, I have you and you're the one person that can make him shut up and deal with it."

Iris is like. This close to strangling her brother the entire time from the semifinals all the way to the finals and it all starts with him being like "yeah we're Dueling on a blimp" and he knows she has a fear of heights.

He made her enter to torment her she's pretty sure.

Kat and Iris also make it to the semifinals and they have to Duel each other. Kat comes out the winner, but Iris has a good shot in with it. She also gives Iris her card back on the downlow like "Nah, Gramps helped help you build this Deck, I don't wanna make you lose any of your cards."

Maddox sees Rishid for the first time by the way and immediately he's just the "Oh no he's hot!" Bit from SpongeBob. But he figures out Rishid isn't Marik, but nobody believes that until Joey tells them this isn't Marik and he's like "really? REALLY?" "Maddox you've been staring at him, you're biased cause you think he's hot." "SHUT UP."

But his big give away is Rishid is polite and keeps calling Joey Mr. Wheeler instead of Little Joey.

Also when Shadi shows up and Maddox sees him he's immediately on sight like "No, every time you show up, our lives get worse, GO AWAY, NO, OUT--"

There is a thing that they are gonna have to make two of the semifinalists compete for that 4th finalist slot. The unlucky selected contestants are Yami Marik and Kat.

So.

Yknow how he made Mai forget everyone important to her?

Yeah

Uh.

He makes Kat have to remember and relive the worst and most traumatic memories she has.

Including the one that happened a week before her mother took her own life, that basically shattered any chance at those two having any sort of relationship and got Evie kicked out of the house by Wes.

Because she hit Kat and told her that "the wrong daughter died".

Everyone is freaking out bc she's clearly having a traumatic episode and even Kaiba tries to tell Roland to end the match but Marik delivers the final blow before anything happens and Kat is banished to the Shadow Realm.

Lola refuses to leave Kats side after that and almost doesn't let any of the doctors near her and has to be calmed down enough to let them check her over.

Kaiba actually tells the others the only way to take down Marik is to beat him at his own game and strip him of his power, rather than just stopping the tournament altogether. He also tells him his want to beat Marik is "entirely selfish". The others think it has to do with just the God cards, but his siblings know better than that.

Bakura also wants to doubly murder Yami Marik because of this when he wakes up.

Iris has been having a Time and a Half with her brother and then finding out they're having the finals on Alcatraz only makes her want to throw herself out into the ocean and swim back home.

Then Noa shows up. And surprise the Big Five are still around.

Flora is left on board with Roland, though Roland is more desperate to try and get everyone out of there. Especially because he knows Noa is supposed to be dead and it stirred up some old grief.

This specific Arc causes a lot of emotions stirring with the siblings and they have some struggles with each other and in their shared pasts with Gozaburo and Nesbitt and what they each individually had to experience in their trauma.

Iris has to face things she has kept hidden from her brothers on her own, still managing to keep the secret from them, but maybe not some of the others. I.e., how the marriage contract got changed when she was sixteen, just two months before Seto took over KaibaCorp.

Iris and River are just floored to find out Noa even existed and River later asks Roland in private if he knew Noa and he says yes; he never brought him up because it was one of the worst things most of the staff experienced, seeing him pass, and he always worried it would just cause further pain for Seto and Mokuba if he even brought him up, especially when Gozaburo was alive.

Maddox is just ready to get out of all of this and go home. He's tired of Kaiba Family Drama.

The rest of the tournament goes as expected, and Iris and River leave with the rest of the gang and when Seto and Mokuba appear to be dead Iris just crosses her arms, frowns and goes "Give it a minute."

She's just glad to see that fucking island reduced to rubble.

Maddox exchanges contact info with the Ishtars, specifically Rishid, and promises they're all gonna stay in contact as friends this time around.

Camelot / King Arthur (Original Filler Arc)

A few weeks after Battle City, Iris's granddad Cillian comes into town for a museum exhibit involving Celtic and Welsh lore and there's an entire area for King Arthur era items. She brings Yugi and the gang with her so Grandpa can reunite with one of his old friends. He tells them he's about to go on a trip to Wales to investigate some ruins they found and invites them to come along with him.

Right before they leave, Maddox basically makes Iris take a pregnancy test because she's exhibiting a lot of symptoms and this arc also has her facing if she wants to go through with this or not and she doesn't wanna tell Alister over the phone bc she's going on a trip and he's "on vacation" (on a mission for Dartz).

Said ruins were found to be the remains of a castle and with a battlefield. There's tomes in there and a very conveniently placed item that would essentially free Mordred from his slumber.

Merlin also awakens and basically recruits the others into an adventure to be their own knights of the round table and compete to try and take down Mordred and stop an enchantment that washes over the area to hurl it back into Arthurian times.

So we know with some of the games it shows the gang having certain other past lives and its kinda hinted that Hermos, Critias and Timaeus were probably the big 3s past lives. Something similar happens here with Yami/Yugi with Arthur, Mordred with Bakura, Kat with Guinevere, Kaiba with Lancelot, Iris with Morgan le Fay, Joey with either Percival or Galahad, Tristan with Tristan (bc it's Funny gdi), etc.

It's also hinted Maddox is a descendent of Merlin and this becomes relevant towards the end of this arc when he basically has to perform a spell with Merlin and he gets to fulfill his childhood dream of being a Magician and he's just kinda blown away by it.

Kat does the jousting tournament that's set up to be her own knight against the black knight and just owns it like a badass.

Yami and Yugi have to pull the sword from the stone and harness the power of Excalibur and use it in the games.

The last trial is probably gonna be used to find the Holy Grail bc that was another big thing in Arthurian myth and it would be giving Joey time to shine because HE DESERVES IT DAMNIT.

Ultimately it's a break from having to play Duel Monsters but also there are Duel Monsters spirits there to tie everything back together.

Towards the tail end of the arc, Alister gets a suggestion from Dartz as to what happened with Noas virtual world and why it was destroyed and finds out the VR incident and what happened to the Big Five, realizing Iris was there for their deaths and told the doctors to pull the plug to begin with since they would have no quality of life. Not knowing the full story of what happened, he gets obviously upset and pissed off and even more motivated back onto his mission and he just ignores any call she sends his way.

This hurts Iris all the more, because she has no idea what's going on and why he's blocked her out, and she specifically tries to reach out to him after the events of this arc, originally, to tell him about the pregnancy. But, about a week before Waking the Dragons kicks off, she has a miscarriage and she's just both trying to get a hold of him so she can ask to see him in person to tell him and maybe not feel so alone and get comfort from her boyfriend.

Mai also was talking to the gang at the beginning of this arc / in bw this and Battle City, but didn't know how to bring up any of the shit she was going through. She actually does try to reach out at one point bc she can't handle the nightmares anymore and they literally have no service bc of their situation so they have no clue and it's pretty quickly after that that Valon finds her.

Waking the Dragons

Welcome to the Angst Zone motherfuckers.

This is my favorite one. Because the ocs get to go through so much fucking Pain bc this is my favorite Arc besides Death-T and since Death-T doesn't happen in this? I get to put alllllllll my energy into this.

Maddox and Kat are with Nana, Yugi and the others when the God cards get stolen and Kats frazzled trying to figure out why the monsters appeared and dealing with frantic emails because the public thinks if it's not KaibaCorp, then it's I2.

Maddox gets footage from where the Duel was and gets a close up of the three bikers and his and Kats heart sink when they see the faces of their cousins, now so much older than the last they saw them, but there's no mistaking it; Alister and Raphael both look so much like their fathers, it's hard not to tell it immediately for them.

Until they get to the bottom of this, they agree to keep it on the downlow from Chelsea and Vance and go to investigate.

Kat and Bakura go to San Fransisco separately from the others; Maddox and the gang are to go to I2 and Kat and Bakura are going to Max's penthouse to divide and conquer.

Meanwhile, Seto has to deal with Alister and it takes him a minute to even realize who it is but Mokuba knows right off the bat.

They get a hold of Iris and she's shaken to the core because why would Alister go out and try to hurt them? It's her first time hearing about his past and now she realizes she has to step in and do something.

Her confrontation with Alister basically is their big break up and him telling her she's lied to him, that he's worked hard to take down everything connected to KaibaCorp and he stupidly thought she was different. He tells her that she's just like Nesbitt and it digs a knife deep into her chest.

He takes her soul when he wins the Duel, but he hesitates to complete the finishing blow, even if only for just a moment and still drops her body off at her house for her mom to take care of her.

Flora doesn't understand why her sister won't wake up and River decides to go off with Mokuba and Seto and help them when they stop back, hearing Iris is in the hospital. He feels betrayed and angry and he wants to do whatever it takes to get Iris back, and Seto is in that exact same boat.

When Kat and Bakura reach Max's place, they're met with a shock of their own;

There's a fourth swordsmen (not including Mai and uhh another character but that's for my friends to share 😉); Mason Mercer himself.

Turns out, he survived the car accident, but suffered from amnesia. Dartz saved him and told him that his wife had his car sabotaged so he would die and she could be rid of him. He's gotten select memories back over the years, and now his goal is to get his surviving daughter back; he believes Cecelia died the same day he did or shortly after, and he has been led to believe the Griffins and Maddox took her and used her for fame, just like Evies mother did to her and he wants to save her.

Bakura and Kat tag team to Duel Mason, while Kat tries to talk some sense into her father. Bakura awakens his own dragon, Socrates and, he tries to get an edge in with this card.

This, however, fails and Mason goes to finish him off but Kat uses a card that allows all the damage to go to her instead and before Mason can break the seal, Bakura lashes out and Kat loses her soul. Mason takes his daughters body and flees, going to see if he can plead with Dartz to get her soul back.

Bakura is especially lashing out because Kats last words to him before the Orichalcos took her was "If one of us has to survive, I'd rather it be you." Which were Kemas very last words to him before she died and he can't go through this again.

Dartz does tell him that the Leviathan needs souls, but, he may be able to make a wager and trade, should Mason acquire Bakuras soul.

Maddox is just. Fucking Stressed as Hell. His best friend and sister are now without souls, his cousins are in a cult, Alister doesn't seem to remember shit from what he understands, Raphael hates him and thinks they abandoned him, and now also his Uncle Mason is alive.

He's thankful his parents are watching the girls because Ahaaaaaa. Ahaaaaa.

He also has to explain to them what happened and Chelsea, Vance and now also Wes, who gets looped in, are out for blood with Dartz.

Nana is also going through it. One of her friends has joined up with the Doma bikers and then the next thing she knows YUGI'S GONE AND ITS YAMI'S FAULT.

She has a much harder time forgiving this one. Like she eventually gets to that point but hoooooo boy.

She and Miho are with Joey and Tristan when the train issues happen, as is Maddox. Bakura, Yami, Téa and Hanasaki are all together.

Tomoya and Téa are just trying to stop Yami from killing Weevil and Bakura is just like "who the hell cares, let the little twerp die, we've got more important matters, wrap this up".

Seto tells Alister that he's angry that Iris got the revenge against Nesbitt when he didn't and she's not the one to be mad at; Alisters mad at himself, sure, but if he wants to be angry at someone for the Big Five stuff, he can be mad at Seto for ending those fuckers twice over himself.

And Gozaburo for that matter.

Rivers still angry but Mokuba is the one that's probably the first and only one to forgive Alister at that point or at least meet him with visible sympathy.

They get to Florida and then the other Duels commence.

Bakura Duels Mason and wins and gets Kats body back, but sees she doesn't come back, unlike how the Shadow Games tended to to operate and its the first time Yami actually sees the human, vulnerable, breaking side to Bakura, because he just wants her back.

This gets replaced with the Murderous Rage Bakura that comes with the Zorc side and he decides he's gotta go all the way to the top. So he runs off and ends up confronting Raphael and loses.

Maddox is with the others when Yami Duels Raphael and desperately tries to reach out to his cousin and tell him what actually happened and that they never stopped trying to bring him home.

Maddox also just about Murders Dartz where he stands when he finds out that all of the bad things in his Uncle and cousins lives were his fault. That his aunts and uncles and three of his cousins are dead because of Dartz. That Mason was supposed to actually die in that accident and Dartz was gunning to make Kat the fourth swordsman, but, when Mason pulled himself out, decided hey waste not want not.

Bakura gets to help Kaiba, Yugi and Joey in their struggle with Dartz at the end and then the gang all reunite together.

Kat and Maddox are both just. Drained emotionally and trying to pick up the pieces and Bakura doesn't leave Kats side. As much as he hates Mason, he wants to be there for her and when she says she wants to find them and bring them home, he tells her that when the time is right, he'll help her do just that.

Nana becomes determined to find her best friend friend again and do better this time around.

Iris wakes up in the hospital and when her brothers and sister come to visit her and Mokuba tells her he thinks Alisters finding peace now, that Seto broke through, she weeps.

For the first time in her life, she cries in front of her siblings and let's herself break.

KC Grand Prix

In the weeks in between Waking the Dragons and the KC Grand Prix, Iris basically takes all of her depression and focuses it into the only thing that family knows how to do to chase any emotions away; Dueling. She actually wins some different tournaments and it's enough for Seto to invite her to participate in the Grand Prix. Because he also knows she needs something to help her rn because she's drowning and this is the only way he actually knows how to help his sister right now because haha she's never cried and he's at a loss.

Mokuba invites Yugi, Joey, Rebecca and Kat to all participate in the tournament, with Yugi being the big finale match up.

The lineup will look Different. Namely because I hate how many no name unimportant characters there were and we know nothing about them.

So, the participants go as follow; Joey Wheeler, Rebecca Hawkins, Kat Pegasus, Iris McGinnis, Apdnarg Outum (bc Kaiba figured it out like that and thought why not this'll be funny), Mako Tsunami, Leon "Wilson", Vivian Wong, Shepherd (who becomes chancellor of the later established Duel Academy), Kagemaru, Koyo Hibiki, Ziegfried "Lloyd", Midori Hibiki, Ryuichi Fuha, Aileen Rao and Ridley Sheldon.

I'm still figuring out how the match ups will go. I just know for a fact Iris mops the floor with Shepherd and Kat gets to Duel Mako for that first round. But they will both ultimately lose, though Kat gets a bit farther in this one than she did Battle City so win for her.

No Weevil and Rex don't show up in this they try to sneak in and get kicked to the curb. I don't have time for their bullshit this arc. We should have let Yami kill Weevil back on the boat to Duelist Kingdom.

Maddox helps Kaiba figure out what's going on as to who tf is hacking into their secure systems and he just wants to fight Ziegfried.

Everyone wants to fight him actually.

Iris comes this close to beating this man on national television.

(On the other side of the world, Alister is still watching it while trying to remind himself Iris isn't his girl anymore, he fucked that up, but also very much yelling "Let her at him! Forget this guy!")

All in all, it's build up goes to the same place as a nice final tournament for the gang and it ends just about the same.

Capsule Monsters

The same batshit crazy adventure but now featuring Kat, Miho, Hanasaki and Ryou!

All Roads Lead to Tiamat (Original Filler Arc)

This is the one I'm still fleshing out the most ahaaa.

Basically the gang are gonna be whirlwinded into an adventure based around the Mesopotamian pantheon, and specifically Tiamat.

Why? Because referencing Tiamat is a staple with me and my friend group. We love our favorite mother of Monsters.

It would be tied into fleshing out some more lore in the worldbuilding of YuGiOh and the Duel Monsters as while they were the Ka for for Atems time, we also know they connect back to Atlantis and in my head it would make sense that they span back to Mesopotamia and with Tiamat being a mother of Monsters I thought it'd be interesting if there was a connection back to that as well and maybe even to Zorc. Because it makes sense in my brain.

Listen all I'm saying is import gods are a thing and also they keep saying Zorc is the/an underworld God but he's not Osiris (who is chilling with Atem over there) or Anubis so. Putting him in the category of we don't know where the fuck he came from or why he looks like that.

Also Gilgamesh would probably show up bc he's an og hero.

Ride of the Sacred Beasts

This is an optional Arc that will either follow the Tiamat Arc or replace it. Haven't fully decided yet on that.

Would explain the whole thing with the Sacred Beast cards and how/why they were locked underneath what becomes Duel Academy Island and they have to fight a version of what would later become the Shadow Riders.

Should we do this arc, Mai would actually reunite with the gang a bit and start to make amends and help them take on the rough draft of Shadow Riders.

I may explore and expand upon them being counterparts to the Egyptian gods and specifically what Armityle would be in contrast to Horakhty.

Also can we talk about the fact that it would have made for a better Zorc design imo.

Also if I do go with this arc we'll see more of Kagemaru and Shepherd in this arc as well.

Either in this arc or the Tiamat Arc (depending on if I still go with it), Maddox and Rishid will get together as well because fuck yeah.

I'm leaning more towards this arc vs the Tiamat Arc but we shall see.

Also if I do go with this arc since they did fight Alexander the Great I do wanna add in Julius Caesar or a guy who thinks he's Caesar reincarnated for them to fight and Bakura wanting to go for blood and Kat's holding him back and just;

"But, darling, it's like that one movie you love says; we should totally, like, stab Caesar!" "Don't you dare bring Mean Girls into this--"

Millennium World

The night before they're set to go to Egypt, Yugi and Nana hear Grandpa's story on how he found the Puzzle.

Also on that night, Bakura forces control back and bargains with the Zorc half of his fused soul to get one last night with Kat and try and push her from going to Egypt as he doesn't want her hurt in this. He also presents her an engagement ring and has her take the Millennium Ring for a night so she can meet him in his soul room and truly see him for the first time. He also fulfills his bargain with Zorc in this by sealing a piece of his soul away into her as a "backup" (this does not goes as planned, we will discuss why later).

She wakes up the next morning, alone, with both Ryou and the Ring gone and she gets a bad feeling about everything; it pushes her to still go on the trip.

Her and Maddox go with Nana and the rest of the gang, but they're worried about why Ryou hasn't joined them. They get a text saying he's not feeling well but Kat doesn't know what to make of it.

Yami gets thrown into his memories, where he meets a cast of old and new faces, and gets properly introduced to Kat and Maddoxs past lives of Kema and Masoud.

During Bakuras confrontation with Mahad, we also ultimately find out what led to Kemas fate and final momenets; she got him shoved out of the tomb fast enough to keep him alive to escape and fight another day, and sacrificed herself to save him. Bakura reels when he has to relive it, especially because in the present day he almost lost Kat the exact same way, and it's enough for the Zorc half of him to regain more control

Masoud meanwhile grieves the death of Mahad and works hard to try and help Mana through it, taking on a mentor role for her.

Iris arrives in Egypt with Seto when he finally decides to investigate and ends up in the Memory World as well. She's shocked to see Kisara and starts putting two and two together about who she is in relation to Seto and his past life when she sees a similar shock on his face.

When Bakura reveals himself to be possessing Tristan, by that point Zorc has fully taken over their fused spirit and is merciless in trying to kill them; even Kat, which devastates her and Maddox has to try and be her rock for the rest of the adventure.

Also worth noting; Yami gets actually visibly angry when he finds out about the people of Kul Elna and tries to take accountability for his family's actions and apologize to Bakura. Because that would have helped fully resolve his arc and also Bakura deserved that much and it shocks him. He doesn't expect it to be different this time and before he can even react, he is pulled away immediately and his side of the personality loses any ounce of control that was left and Zorc becomes all that's left at the moment.

Iris, the one who tried to help reason out magic with Seto, tells him straight up she doesn't want to believe in it anymore after seeing Zorc. Because she does not want that to be real.

When they get on the boat, Atem has found out what happened to the others with Bakura and he tells Kat what he saw and that he believes it was not her Bakura that tried to kill them, that he was gone and out of control by the time it happened and he's sorry for both of them that their story ended in tragedy. Kat kind of locks herself in her room on the boat, hiding from the others so she can break down and mourn. The only person that manages to get his way in to try and help her is Seto, and that's because he threatened to stay out there the entire night until she did let him and she knew he'd follow through on it.

Nana meets with Atem that night and tells him that while they had their own difficulties at times (something Atem does apologize for as well), she tells him that he's become family and she sees him as her brother just as much as Yugi is and she is going to miss him terribly. She also gives him an art piece she made that shows all of their friend group together with him and she wanted him to have it as a memento, a reminder of their beautiful bond that came with him. She'd been working on it for a while and she had finished it that night, with some tweaks to make Atem look like Atem. And he's grateful to have it and makes sure it goes in his pocket when he's given his own body to Duel Yugi.

When they get home, Nana gets into a video chat with one of her best friends and promises that all three of them are going to ger back together soon, and she's just thankful for the bonds she has and can keep up.

Maddox and Rishid both take the twins to go out for a day, to help them as they process the loss of Atem and take some bonding time together and the twins just absolutely latch onto Rishid and Maddox knows that he's made the right choice in love this time.

Iris brings River home and Meredith tells her that she had something left on the door for her. It was flowers with a card that simply read I'm sorry and the first edition of a book she'd been trying to find for herself but was a rare find. And she knows exactly who sent it and finds herself in her own mental debate of where to go from there.

Kat comes home to find Max and he goes to comfort her with Vance, Chelsea, Wes and her Memaw. She's thankful for them, and curls up and cries with them but they also know how much she needs her Dad home and Vance promises her they're gonna bring his stupid ass home soon.

There is some post series and next gen ideas I have locked and loaded too but this post is long enough and if anyone wants to hear about those I will gladly share but uh yeah that's the whole outline I hope yall like it.

[haikyuuuuuhypeeeee]

hey! im in the mood for some heavy angst. i love marriage angst. this may seem weird,, but tw: maybe like the reader has enough with how he’s treating her so she ~disappears~ if yk what i mean…

YOU LET HER GO

Miya Atsumu x Reader, Akaashi Keiji x Reader

WARNING: Angst, NO HAPPY ENDING, arguments, derogatory language, violence, fighting, neglect, a whole lotta hurt

A/N: Thanks for the request! I love writing angst but this made me so sad! But thank you so much for sending in your request! Take care, drink water! (The title was semi-inspired by Let Her Go by Passenger because as soon as I thought of it I thought of the song so enjoy that lol.) There is no happy ending in this, so read at your own caution!

MIYA ATSUMU

You love Miya Atsumu for his fire, for his passion.

His dedication to any and everything is apparent in everything he does.

He plays volleyball with a passion unlike any other, and well before he became a superstar on the court, you were captivated by his motivation.

And now, being married for over three years, you’ve watched first hand how his journey to stardom has changed him.

He’s even more passionate, and while that yields amazing results for his team and for his career, it’s detrimental to your marriage.

“God, can I even trust ya here alone?”

You roll your eyes so hard you’re worried that they’ll fall out of your head. “Atsumu, this isn’t the first time you’ve gone away for a stretch for a game. Why are you freaking out now?”

“Oh I don’t know!” Atsumu mock-asks. He’s angrily shoving clothes into his overnight bag, having to depart for an away game that will take him out of town for three days. “Maybe because you’ve been sneaking around me for weeks now, clearin’ yer history on yer laptop.”

“You’ve been going through my stuff?” You ask, incredulous. You had a perfectly good explanation for hiding your search history, but you couldn’t bring it up to your husband. It kind of ruins the whole surprise outing you’d been planning for weeks for your anniversary.

“Yer damn right I have!” Atsumu zips his bag shut, so hard you’re certain that the slider will fly right off the bag. “And makin’ secret calls to my own fuckin’ brother!”

“Jesus Christ.” You have been making secret calls to Osamu, but he was instrumental in pulling off your plan. After begging and pleading, your brother-in-law said he would help orchestrate the more elaborate parts of your plan, which included securing a reservation at Osaka’s fanciest restaurant through a connection and gathering their old high school team for a pick-up game of volleyball. You were indebted to Osamu, and he was sure to remind you every time you saw him.

“Atsumu,” You say now. “Please, I’m not cheating on you, or anything. I know you have to leave, but trust me.”

“How can I trust ya, when yer out whorin’ around behind my back!”

Atsumu’s response slaps you across the face as hard as a physical blow would. Even so, you stagger back, physically winded from the harsh words. You can’t even think of a response to your husband, who frankly has become so unrecognizable to you.

Gone is the man who sought no greater pleasure than being the best on the volleyball court, and treating you with the same love and devotion he treats his sport. You know that coming to the big league has changed Atsumu, since he wasn’t the only star player on the court anymore. He had to find alternative routes to get to the opposing team and, in his eyes, if that mean exploiting a nasty truth about a player’s personal life he had no problem utilizing that fact to dishearten them.

You hated it, and you told him it was malicious. He said it was part of the game. And despite your reservations, he never ever tried that with you.

But now, he did. Now, your husband of three years, boyfriend for three years before that, and your best friend for who knows how long, seeks to break you down like he does his opponent. Crush you and come out on top, for whatever asinine reason his brain is supplying him with.

You’re nothing more to him than a pawn in his game.

That’s the truth that keeps you from responding, that makes you sit down on your shared bed, feeling faint and nauseous at the charged and angry energy in the room.

Atsumu, still with a hard glint in his eye, smirks at you before shouldering his bag. He thinks he’s got you, and you can’t even begin to try and explain how wrong he is. “I have to go. Don’t think that we’re done talkin’ about this.”

With that he leaves, and from your spot on the bed you hear the front door open and slam shut. You can’t move, too stunned by the actions of the complete stranger you’re married to.

Maybe you’re too emotional, maybe you can’t think straight at the moment, but there’s really only one thing you can think to do.

~~~~~

Miya Atsumu unlocks the door to his apartment, tiredly shouldering it open before letting his bag fall at his feet. He sighs loudly, the events of the past 48 hours catching up to him - riding a cramped bus up north for six hours, playing a five-set match against the Adlers, after-party with fans and sponsors before a few hours of sleep, then a promotional camp held jointly with the Adlers for even more sponsors, before getting back on the bus for the ride home. He’s barely had any time to rest, nor any time alone from his loud and smelly teammates.

The only plus from the entire trip was pulling off a spectacular win against the Adlers, and Atsumu taking personal gratification from the murderous looks Kageyama sent through the net.

But now Atsumu is ready to take a long, hot shower and eat a delicious meal before collapsing in bed for hours. He’d prefer if you could join him for all three, but he’ll at least settle for dinner together before snuggles in bed. There are some things you both need to talk about.

Atsumu’s grown as a person to know that he owes you an apology. He flew off the handle last time you both spoke, and while his argument has solid proof he shouldn’t have gotten so angry. It’s almost instinct to him to seek weaknesses in his enemy and exploit them. But it took him the bus ride to Tokyo to realize how fucking dumb he was.

You weren’t his enemy, you were his wife. His partner, for better or worse. And yes, your secrecy is not shining a great light on the promises you made to each other in marriage, but he knows you would never cheat on him. Part of him thinks he’s just scared that he’ll be wrong, another part of him has no clue as to why he shuts down and becomes so angry he can barely think.

Although the idea of you sneaking off to be with Osamu is a pretty good trigger to cause a total Atsumu Meltdown, he reckons.

Now Atsumu just wants to be with you, share in your company and get to the bottom of this whole mess. And that starts with finding you and setting time to talk.

But you are nowhere to be found.

Atsumu has now circled the apartment several times, and it’s cold and lifeless. You’re not here, and it honestly feels like no one has been here for days now.

Atsumu sprints to the bathroom, and seeing an empty toothbrush cup confirms that you’re not here. Empty drawers in the bedroom confirm that you’re gone. A gold band sitting on the kitchen counter confirms that you’re not coming back.

Atsumu stands in the kitchen, starring down at the ring while his brain tries to process what’s going on. But instead of despair flooding his mind, anger fills in the vacant space. Red hot anger, the flames licking along his arms and legs, nearly consumes Atsumu. That fucking bitch is the mantra that echoes in his brain, compelling him to grab the ring and fling it across the room. It’s the feeling that fuels him to storm out of his apartment, run down the street and barrel into Onigiri Miya, ignoring the CLOSED sign hanging in the window.

Miya Osamu stands at the counter, wiping the surface with a rag, and becomes the perfect target for Atsumu to unleash his fury onto.

After all, he’s the one sleeping with his wife. His twin brother is the one who betrayed him. So why shouldn’t he get a nice punch to the face?

“Atsumu!” Osamu’s cry doesn’t stop Atsumu from propelling over the counter and tackling his brother, sending them both crashing to the ground. They struggle together, but Atsumu has Osamu’s confusion on his side and is able to land several good hits before Osamu shoves him to the ground.

“What the hell has gotten into ya?!” Osamu screams, working to grab Atsumu’s arms and slow his barrage.

“I should be askin’ ya the same think you piece of shit!” Atsumu snarls, working to release his arms from Osamu so he can continue his barrage. “What the fuck are ya doin’, sleepin’ with YN?”

“WHAT?!” Osamu’s caught off guard yet again and Atsumu is able to push him back to the ground and kneel on his chest. Atsumu punches his brother’s face several times, not satisfied with the blood pouring from his nose or the pained grunts coming from his face. Atsumu isn’t sure what will satisfy him at the moment, but pummeling his brother will help him find the answer.

“Yer fuckin’ YN behind my back! I know about the calls! I know about YN sneakin’ around! I know about her clearin’ her search history!” Every bulleted point is paired with a punch to Osamu, and Atsumu feels a small amount of satisfaction at the swelling already on Osamu’s face.

“I’m not sleepin’ with YN!” Osamu coughs out. Atsumu can tell Osamu is trying to yell back but can’t get out more than a hoarse shout. “I’m helpin’ her!”

“With what?”

Osamu struggles with Atsumu some more, but his movements are so weak that it doesn’t take much for Atsumu to shove his arms away. Osamu coughs out again. “M’ helpin’ her surprise ya! For yer anniversary!”

That brings Atsumu up short and he finally halts in his motions. His brother tries to push him off, but his arms barely move Atsumu off his chest.

But Atsumu is far away, not paying attention to Osamu’s feeble attempts to move him. No, he’s far far away, completely lost in the fact that you were trying to do something for him. An elaborate surprise to celebrate your shared anniversary. You weren’t cheating on him, you were going around with Atsumu.

He was wrong.

It’s happened before, but not like this. He’s made errors when calculating where to send a serve, or who to send a spike to. Those mistakes seem so insignificant, in comparison to this.

“How can I trust ya, when yer out whorin’ around behind my back!”

The disgusting retort, made in the height of his anger, was so wrong. Not just factually wrong, but so inappropriate for a husband to say to his wife. He was so sure he’d caught you, but he was so wrong.

What is wrong with you? Atsumu wants to scream at himself, the nasty part of him that spews such awful accusations to you, or beats his own brother bloody and bruised. He has to find someone to blame, someone has to be accountable for such heinous actions.

But it’s him. It’s Miya Atsumu who was in the wrong. He’s made a drastic error, one that he doesn’t think he can come back from.

AKAASHI KEIJI

Texts left on read, phone calls unanswered.

Your husband Akaashi Keiji is a workaholic.

Not necessarily by choice, definitely not by desire.

But he’s honored bound to work hard and finish a job.

It’s admirable, and he brings home a steady paycheck to contribute to your shared funds.

This is nice, but what would be nicer is some time and attention from your husband.

And on the one day it counted most, he disappoints you, and you’re at the end of your rope.

Akaashi pushes open the door, and it’s not until he closes it shut that he notices how quiet it is.

It’s weirdly quiet.

It’s strange, because when he comes home you’re either watching TV or finishing dinner. He’s caught you dancing around the house to your shared wedding song. He remembers wanting to join you but he was so tired that night that he went to sleep instead.

But maybe you were just finishing up dinner, so he wanders into the kitchen. A faint smell, still delicious, guides Akaashi through the house. He sighs in relief - it’s been awhile since you’ve put together a nice meal for the both of you. Akashi’s excited to sit and share dinner with you.

But to his growing confusion he comes across an empty kitchen. There’s a lot on the stove, upon further inspection shows a now-cold homemade curry. The rice cooker on the counter is still on, left in ‘keep warm’ mode. The table is set, the nicest dinnerware you both own set out - from the polished silverware to the stacked plates. Two candles sit on the table also, both slightly burned down but now extinguished.

Not only is Akaashi horribly confused, he’s growing concerned. There’s the smallest thought in his head, picking and poking at his brain. It’s quite annoying but for the life of him he can’t imagine what this little thought is trying to tell him. He decides to look for you and try to get some answers.

It’s not until he walks by the bathroom door, freezes in his tracks, turns around quickly and stops in the doorway that the confusion ebbs away into fear.

All of your toiletries from your side of the counter are gone. All of the products from your facial care regimen, your toothpaste, your toothbrush. Akaashi never had even half of what you had on the bathroom counter, but his few items scattered around look comical compared to the vast emptiness on the other side.

She’s g-

Akaashi doesn’t let himself finish that thought before he’s running to the bedroom. Even before flipping on the light he can see the gaping holes in the closet where your clothes once hanged. But he still sprints over to the small room to confirm that yes, all of your clothes are completely gone. His heavy breathing fills the space as his thoughts race past each other faster than before.

She’s gone, he thinks wildly. Why is she gone?

Were you finally sick of his long days at the office? Did he not pay enough attention to you? Akaashi just assumed that you were fine with his workaholic tendencies - it’s been like this for so long he can’t imagine you would have put up with it.

What was the breaking point?

Akaashi steps out of the closet, and a small object catches his eye. There’s an envelope on the bed, addressed to him. He picks it up, terrified by the weight it holds. Like it’s more than just a simple letter left behind. He pries it open and pulls out the paper. On it is two simple words that absolutely shatter his world.

Happy Anniversary.

He blinks. There’s no way it’s your anniversary. He wouldn’t have forgotten a day so important to you, to him. But sure enough, pulling out his phone to confirm the date, he did.

Ah, the breaking point. Akaashi thinks to himself madly.

He’s still holding the envelope in his hand when he realizes that the envelope isn’t empty. With a shaking hand he reaches in and pulls out the cool metal of your wedding band.

Dropping to his knees, Akaashi begins to cry as he realizes that he’s lost the greatest love of his life. The vows he swore to you on the day he put this ring on your finger were just empty promises. Unintentional empty promises, but preventable. And now you’re gone.

Taglist (Crossed out cannot be tagged): @psycho-nightrose @camcam1617 @kamalymaly @toobsessedsstuff @shookykookie30 @ara-mitsue @meianshugoswife @amarinthe @savantsoulfinder @iamapotat @myasaaaam @jellien @rntrsuna

[incendiobrock]

The Witches Forest

Request: heyy idk if u do requests but if u aree then can you do one where the reader is a witch and is dating colby so she goes on one of the haunted trips w them and does some reading idkk you can end it however you like <33 tyy! 

A/N: Thank you to the lovely anon who requested this! I loosely based this imagine off the witches forest video on the Sam and Colby channel but instead of the witch from the video giving the reading it was y/n, and instead of Colby getting lost in the forest it was y/n. Hope you enjoy! Also this was loosely inspired by an imagine I read by @annab-nana you can read it here!

Warnings: sexual joke (I think that’s it)

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

It was a typical day with the trap boys. Your boyfriend Colby had finally convinced you to go on a haunted trip with them. The only reason you had agreed was because he had promised you, and Corey, that there wouldn’t be any seances. You would all be going to just spend the night there, not summon anything.

In fact, Sam was planning on doing a cleansing ritual that he had done some research on. So, you agreed. You were always super worried about the boys and the trouble that they would find themselves in, especially with demonic entities and spirits. 

One of the other reasons you had agreed to do the video with them was because you knew that the fans have been begging for you to make an appearance. Colby got tweets and comments daily about his “witchy girlfriend” joining in on a haunted overnight video. All the fans knew that you were super into crystals, and tarot cards, and different herbs, and just about anything that you believed would help protect you and connect you to the world of spirituality.

So here you were, sitting in front of the camera, Colby right by your side, his ring clad hand holding onto your thigh, as the rest of the guys surrounded the table. “Okay, who’s ready for the reading?” You questioned, looking around the table. Everyone nodded and agreed to begin. You passed the tarot deck to each of the boys, instructing them to shuffle the deck while thinking of their intention for the trip to The Witches Forest. Everyone did as told and passed the deck back to you, you were the last to shuffle.

“Alright, so I’m going to pick the top three cards and then we can go over what they each mean for us, and for the trip we are about to go on.” You stated, gently flipping over the top three cards, The Tower, The Nine of Swords, and the card of Death.

You felt the room tense as they all read the cards chosen. “It’s not bad.” You said, trying to calm everyone’s nerves. “Uh- I don’t know about you but a card that says death seems pretty bad to me.” Corey said, laughing out of fear.

“Yeah babe, what does that mean besides ‘we are going to die?’” Colby air quoted the last part. “Will you guys just give me a minute to explain it?” You laughed at your boyfriends face as his eyebrows remained scrunched on his forehead, looking desperately at you for answers. You went on to explain that death could signify the “death” of an era and the beginning of something new. The Nine of Swords means that their own thoughts can weigh them down, or cause a feeling of darkness, and The Tower means danger, chaos, but also liberation. 

“See, so nothing is necessarily bad. It actually seems like this might be good for you guys, especially since we are planning on doing the fire ritual too. That way you can begin a new journey and have a nice cleansed path before the next moon cycle begins.” You stated, leaning your head on Colby’s shoulder and cuddling into his side. He placed a short kiss onto your forehead taking hold of your hand, “Alright so let’s get on the road we don’t want it to get too dark before we set up the tent, plus it’s about an hour drive.” Colby said to the group, still holding your hand as you both stood up to go get into the car.

About an hour later you had all arrived at the forest. Colby had parked the car a little off the dirt path in a small clearing between the trees. You were happy to get out of the car to stretch after having to sit between Jake and Corey in the backseat. You brought along a small backpack of stuff like a water, first aid kit, a flashlight, and most importantly some crystals that offer protection. You took out the small ziploc with the crystal and began to give one to each of the boys, telling them to keep their crystal in their pockets for protection. 

Sam had asked you to explain to the camera what all you had brought so you showed him the black tourmaline, amethyst, and the obsidian, saying that they each offered protection and grounding properties. “Alright, now that we got our protection rocks let’s go pitch the tent we will be staying in all night.” Sam said, shutting off the camera. You all stood around trying to help as Colby did most of the work putting the tent together. You were impressed with his skills, never knowing that he could set up a tent with little to no instruction.

“Dang brother, those Cub Scout skills are really showing right now.” Jake joked, sticking the last spoke into the dirt. “Thanks brother, you know I’m skilled with these hands.” Colby responded, sending a wink in your direction. Your cheeks heated up as a small laugh escaped from your mouth. Leave it to Colby to make a sexual joke that makes the guys cringe. 

After a little exploring all together, and almost losing the location of the tent, you had all decided it was time to start the fire ritual. You were glued closely to Colby’s side, hearing a lot of motion within the trees. “Once we get the fire going maybe we will feel better, the light and heat should scare off any animals that are near.” Sam said grabbing the fire bucket that he had brought for this ritual.

Colby lit the fire and you all sat around in camping chairs. “We should’ve brought s’mores bro.” Corey said, trying to alleviate some of his fear. You agreed with him because you knew you felt the same fear as him at the moment. Sam explained what was going to happen with the fire ritual and passed out the objects that everyone was going to be throwing into the fire, in hopes to release any possible spirits that were attached to them. As soon as you guys started to watch the stuff burn Colby flew back, falling with his camping chair.

“Did you guys see that! Right there! Right behind Jake! Sam? Did you see it, it was like a shadow and it moved super fast right behind Jake’s head.” Colby yelled, standing quickly off the ground and shining a flashlight in that direction. “I saw that too!” You said, abandoning your camping chair as well. Colby took hold of the camera and began walking away from the fire and towards the trail. “Colby! Wait for us bro you can’t go alone!” Sam yelled out, chasing after him. “I have to go, I know I saw something I need to see where it’s going before it gets away, I wanna capture it on camera!” Colby said.

“Someone has to stay by the fire we can’t all leave! Jake you stay here with Corey and we will go investigate.” Sam instructed, but Jake hesitated wanting to go too. Corey ended up agreeing on staying by the fire so you three could keep up with Colby who was still walking quickly away from the group. You thanked Corey, worried that your boyfriend would get too far ahead of everyone. You began to jog to the path, already extremely behind the others because of the sudden panic. 

You turned onto the dirt path and didn’t see any of the three boys, but could barely make out their voices in the distance. You began to jog down the path, heading to the left. You had felt like you were getting closer to them but their voices still remained faint and incoherent. You knew that Sam had yelled for everyone to stay on the path in order to avoid getting lost so you kept jogging further and further into the forest, away from the fire where Corey sat.

You slowed to a walk, shining your flashlight all around, hearing tons of branches snapping and rustling. You suddenly felt very alert, almost as if something was watching you. You felt the panic really set in as it became harder and harder for you to catch your breath. “Colby!” You yelled. “Colby! Sam! Jake! Corey!”  You knew you had made a mistake going this far down the path. “Hello?! Can anyone hear me!” You heard a scream off in the distance making your eyes basically bulge out of your head. You turned sharply towards the direction of the noise, shining your flashlight out in front of your face. Your hands were trembling, shaking the light violently. Not only was it freezing out, but you were terrified of what was out there.

You began running back the opposite direction of the trail, your breath almost nonexistent at this point, but you were determined to make it back to the tent. You heaved, feet stomping away at the dirt path beneath. After what felt like a century, you saw the distant glow of the fire. You ran, the victory of reuniting with the boys fueling your return. The fire was now in clear sight as well as the figures of the four boys you were so anxious to see. The noise of you approaching causing them all to turn and look at you. 

You practically leapt into Colby’s arms, tears pouring down your face as you wrapped tightly around his torso. His hand found its way straight to your hair, pulling you as close as he could to his body, swaying you side to side. “Oh my god, baby. Where were you? I was so worried! I thought I had lost you.” He said quietly, running his fingers through your hair trying to soothe your crying. “I-I was running after you a-and then I got lost. I heard a s-scream, I’m so scared.” You sobbed, never wanting Colby to let go of you.

“We looked all over, we were calling your name like crazy but Jake said we should come and wait by the fire incase you came back. We didn’t want to keep moving further away from you on accident.” Sam said, standing closely near you and Colby. 

“Can we please go? I don’t think I want to be here anymore.” You pleaded, looking into Colby’s eyes as his delicate fingers helped to wipe away your tears. “Yes, of course. I love you, I’m so glad you’re safe. Let’s head to the back up plan, the cabin.” Colby said, directing the last sentence to the boys. You nodded gratefully, making your way into Colby’s car while Jake, Corey, and Sam packed up the mess. 

The night was getting foggier as you pulled into the driveway of Jenna’s cabin. You felt relief rush over you, knowing that you wouldn’t have to spend another second in the Witches Forest. You all got out of the car and huddled by the front door, rain beginning to pour down. Sam took off his backpack digging through it to find the spare key Jenna had lent him. “Uh, Colby did I give you the key earlier?” Sam asked. Colby let go of your hand and patted his pockets down, “No I don’t think I have it. Is it in your pockets?” He responded, recapturing your hand in his, knowing that you were still shaken up about getting lost. Sam flipped his jean pockets inside out, no key to be found. He began pulling everything out of his backpack, searching deep into the bag for the key.

“Let’s go back into the car maybe I left it in there.” Sam said, heading straight back to Colby’s car. You all got back in as the rain continued to pour, Sam searching every inch of the vehicle. “I can’t believe you lost the key Sam, first Y/n goes missing and now this?” Jake says from the backseat, obviously frustrated. “It’s not all my fault okay? You think I meant to lose the key?” Sam snapped back, the tension in the car rising. 

After a lot of searching, the key was no where to be found. Much to your dismay, you had to go back to the tent in the depths of the forest. You all huddle into the blue tent, slipping into your sleeping bags. It was only a few more hours until daylight, a few more hours before the suffering would end.

“I’m not going to let anything hurt you. I lost you once tonight and it was the scariest moment of my life. It’s not going to happen again, I promise.” Colby vowed, pulling you into his chest. You smiled at his kind words, despite how scared you were he always knew how to make you feel safe. “Thank you Colby, I love you so much.” You responded, nuzzling further into his chest. “I love you, to new beginnings.” He chuckled, referencing the tarot reading from earlier. “To new beginnings.” You agreed, sealing the deal with a kiss on the lips.

[lightsovermonaco]

Body Shots (Pierre Gasly)

Inspired by (and beta read) by the amazing @limp-wrist-max​ thank you Mea! 

Masterlist

Word count: 3.5k

Recommended song: “Lucky You” by Sim Dane

Vacationing in Milan had its perks. Fine dining, luxury stores that were prime for window shopping, and the proximity to your best friend, to name a few.

When you'd touched down in Milan you had had no intentions of visiting Pierre. You had just finished your exams for your summer class and had a week before the next semester started up, so you had simply booked the cheapest ticket and boarded a plane. 

The intent had been to have some good wine, good food and unwind. Pierre saw your Instagram story minutes after you posted it and recognized the bakery you stopped at for lunch. And once he found out you were only a few minutes away from that weekend's grand prix, he had ideas that didn't involve you reading a novel all day.

Pierre had insisted that a last minute cancelation by a family friend had left a paddock pass unclaimed and had suggested you take it.

"You're my best friend, it'll be fun to have you experience a weekend through my eyes for once instead of sitting in the stands. Come visit me."

Something in the inflection of his voice made the simple request rub you raw. He missed you. It had been months since your last get together and you couldn't blame him. The last year had been rough for him and he  rarely had anyone physically at his side to help him through it.

Inviting you instead of one of his parents was about more than your current proximity to the track. He hadn't missed a beat in asking you, not hesitating to consider anyone else being with him this weekend.

Your stomach had turned as you climbed in a cab Sunday morning, not out of fear of something going wrong but because of the nagging feeling that something was about to change.

You'd known Pierre since you were kids. Your brother had raced in karting before pursuing another dream, but in the few short years you'd hung around European tracks you had managed to forge a bond with one of your brother's rivals. That friendship carried on regardless of the distance that separated you, kept alive by visits in the off season and once a year trips to the racetrack at Silverstone.

Pierre met you at the gates and you had barely seen him since.

A decent qualifying session saw the Frenchman start P10 on Sunday's race. He didn't hide the fact that he was disappointed, but come time for his final meeting with the team you'd never guess he was anything but ecstatic.

You had to be conscious about your mouth hanging open when Pierre stepped into the garage in his fireproofs with his suit half undone. The tuft of blond hair peeking through his backwards cap floats on an invisible breeze and he bounces on his toes. His brow furrows when he is handed a data sheet, listening intently to what the engineer points out.

Butterflies riot in your stomach when Pierre catches you staring and winks. You pray he writes the blush on your cheeks off as the heat and he must, because he raises his eyebrows and flexes a bit.

You laugh to cover the way you want to do nothing but strip him out of that tight fitted white shirt. Your crush was getting out of hand. Pierre's shameless, friendly flirting only escalated matters.

You told yourself it was nothing. He was like this with every girl he met, making a fool of himself to earn a laugh. You were no different, except maybe that you were a constant where most other women only got to enjoy his playful personality for a short time.

You're treated to a few long minutes of watching Pierre prep to climb into the car before he's heading out on track to line up at the grid. 

The race starts off fine, Pierre's pace is better than expected. One of the Haas's breaks down at the pit entry and Pierre's strategist decides to bring him in for a fresh set of tires. A kiss seems like the proper reward for their stroke of brilliance, which affords Pierre the advantage when the pits close soon after. 

Restarting on lap 28 is nail biting. Hamilton, Stroll, and Pierre make up the podium places. The entire garage gasps when Stroll goes wide at turn four. Hamilton serves his penalty and Pierre inherits the lead. Sainz jumps on the opportunity to attack.

Pierre defends brilliantly until the final lap. The team erupts when he crosses the line first, bringing home the win.

Red, white and green confetti sticks to his skin as he sprays the champagne over all of you. In the heat of it all, Pierre sits on that top step and shakes his head. You already know that the photos of him being snapped from all angles will be gorgeous, the sun shining down on the first French grand prix winner in decades.

A legend in the minds of his people and in yours.

You could scarcely believe it yourself. Your best friend had finally, after years of being pushed down, won a grand prix at the temple of speed. Red Bull had been wrong, just as you'd insisted when Pierre cried over losing his seat and his friend in one weekend. But god, did Pierre rise above it all.

Pierre catches your gaze just before he leaves the podium. A lifetime of emotion swirls around him like an enigma, begging you to find out what it was hiding. Your wave is barely more than a lift of your hand but Pierre notes it nonetheless, tipping his trophy in your direction.

You wait patiently on the sidelines as Pierre poses for pictures with his team on and off the track. His attention constantly falls on you, his grin widening each time he sees you tucked under the arm of an enthusiastic mechanic or crew member. Alpha Tauri was a family and you were an honorary member thanks to your connection to their driver.

An action packed hour of cameras passes before Pierre is able to break away. As soon as he's given the go ahead he passes his trophy off and marching to you. You're both practically running by the time you meet in the middle. You crash into him and he lifts you off your feet in a crushing hug.

"You did it," you whisper, overwhelmed by his success now that you've gotten the chance to celebrate with him. "I'm so proud of you."

Pierre laughs as he sets you on your feet. His smile is wider than you've ever seen it and you're sure his cheeks must be sore.

"Wish they allowed us to bring a friend up there," Pierre says softly, a smile melting into a sly smirk. "Seeing you doused in champagne is an image I wouldn't forget."

You shake your head, caught up in his ceaseless flirting. He had no idea that his honeyed words and gentle touches lit something inside of you, rattling your brain and making it impossible to form a coherent sentence. Instead you snatch the black and gold Pirelli cap off his head and place it on your own, earning you a peal of laughter.

"Looks better on you anyway." Pierre runs a hand through his sweaty, champagne doused hair, leaving bits sticking up at odd angles.

Someone calls Pierre's name, far enough away that there's no rush. Pierre's hands remain planted on your waist and yours stay wrapped around his neck. By the way his bright blue eyes bore into yours, you swear he's thinking the same thing you are.

"Thank you for believing in me," he murmurs, gaze falling to your lips.

"I knew it was just a matter of time," you tell him, inching up on your tiptoes. Tempted by his win, you want to ruin the best friendship you've ever had. You want to discover if the lips you spend far too much time dreaming about felt as soft as they looked. You want to know how it feels to be lost in Pierre, newly minted race winner, and find out just how he dealt with the adrenaline and euphoria of his incredible drive.

"Well done mate!"

Max Verstappen startles the two of you apart. You take a healthy step back and drop your gaze to the ground to hide your burning cheeks.

"Thanks." Pierre accepts the Dutchman's embrace and claps him on the back. "Sucks I didn't get to fight you for it."

"There will be more chances in the future. And I didn't expect to see you here, that's a nice surprise." Max knocks you with his shoulder, tipping you off balance. On instinct you latch onto Pierre's arm to steady yourself. You wait a heartbeat too long to remove your hand and both of you find anywhere to look but each other.

"So where's the party?" You ask, searching for a distraction from the way your palm still burns.

"Definitely not at Red Bull." Max shudders and you laugh because that's what you do when someone is being over dramatic. It rings hollow in your ears.

"I hear there's a few guys with adjoining rooms at the hotel who bought plenty of booze," Pierre says. "You and Dan wanna come by?"

"Is that really a question?" Max grins, already typing out a text as Pierre feeds him the details.

**********

"You should do body shots," Max suggests, which earns a roaring laugh from Daniel and a half hearted one from Pierre.

"I don't think so," Pierre says, "there's no one here I trust enough to let that happen."

"Not even your best friend?" Max gestures to you and shoots you a wink when Pierre glances over. "I think she's trustworthy."

"No thanks." Pierre holds up his plastic cup and salutes Max before draining it to the dregs.

Pierre's immediate refusal hurt more than it probably should have. You hadn't expected him to jump at the offer but having him shut the idea down so thoroughly hadn't been what you wanted either.

Max notes your pouty lower lip and speaks on your behalf. "Come on mate," Max insists. "You just won your first prix, live a little! It's not like you've got anything to lose, she's your best friend."

"That's exactly why-"

"Shut up, it would be fun! Wouldn't it?" Max says this last bit to you, a wild grin on his face.

Max expects you to turn red and object. That was his end goal. But what the Dutchman hadn't counted on was how drunk you already were on Pierre. On his smile. On his bright blue eyes, swirling in the aftermath of his unlikely triumph. And mostly on the not-so-sneaky way he glances at you every few minutes.

"Let's do it."

Pierre blinks, searching your face for any sign of distress. "Wait, are you serious?"

"Yeah, why not?" You shrug, suddenly fearing that you'd read him wrong and he really was against this whole thing. "Unless you don't want to-"

"Get the vodka," Pierre interrupts, nodding to Max though his stare remains pinned on you. Pierre latches onto your wrist and drags you around the room until he finds a table long and sturdy enough for his liking. 

"This a good height for you?"

The coffee table is low enough that you'd have to kneel. Luckily getting on your knees isn't something you'd mind doing for Pierre. You lick your lips without thinking. Pierre's pupils blow wide, black swallowing the swirling oceans of blue.

"Sure," is all you manage.

"Good." Apparently neither of you were able to focus on speech. You work together to clear the empty plastic cups and used napkins from the surface. Your hands brush when you both reach for the last cup and you just catch the way Pierre's breath hitches.

You and Pierre have danced this dance since you were teenagers. Each of you knows the steps by heart. The only difference is tonight neither of you were poised to bow out before the final lift.

"Beep beep, bitches!" You yank your hand away when Max's shout reaches you. Pierre's hand lingers in front of him,  outstretched as if your palm remained grazing his thumb. 

Max holds the bottle of vodka over his head as he wades through the crowd. "You're all about to be very, very entertained."

"Where's your chaperone?" You ask Max, searching for Daniel in the low lighting. You press your palm to your thigh, dissipating Pierre's lingering heat.

The Dutchman waves you off. "Went to get us more drinks. Pierre, isn't it kinda hard to do body shots if you're still fully clothed?"

"Who says I'm the one getting undressed?"

Max's grin dimples his flushed cheeks. "I mean you can ask her to take her shirt off in front of all these people if you want to."

"No," Pierre responds quickly. "Fine. I'll do it."

When Pierre strips off his shirt he gets more than a few whistles from men and women alike. That tended to happen when someone was built like a Greek fucking god, you supposed. Whoever voted for People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" and decided on Michael B. Jordan had clearly never laid eyes on Pierre, with his bronzed skin, endless expanses of muscle, and brilliant cheshire grin.

Michael B. Jordan who?

Pierre hands the team branded shirt off and lays out on the table. He pillows an arm under his head, bare bicep flexed as he gets comfortable. Leaning in to kiss along the hard muscle was out of the question, however tempting it was.

Pierre looks up expectantly. "You coming?" 

Holy shit, this was actually happening.

"Yeah, I'm coming." You sink to your knees and Pierre laughs.

"Up here." He pats his thigh with his free hand and beacons you forward. "Please."

Screw it, you've already thrown your friendship out the window. This night ended either in heartbreak or awkwardness, might as well get your money's worth.

A few whoops break out above the music. The bassline isn't the only thing thundering in your chest as you straddle Pierre's thighs, hands braced on his chest.

"Okay?" Pierre whispers for your ears only. You nod with what you hope is a charming smile.

"Alright move," Max says, shooing you back until you're resting on your haunches. Max flicks the cap off the bottle and you grab it to take a long sip.

Max gapes at you and you wipe a hand over your mouth. "Close your mouth, you'll catch flies."

Pierre's thighs tense beneath you in response to your bold declaration. Dozens of Pierre's friends and team members gather around. For all you care, Pierre is the only person in the room.

"Last chance to back out," Max warns. You're too busy tracking the drop of liquid that falls from the neck of the bottle to splash onto the crease of Pierre's abs to bother responding. 

"Pour it out." Pierre's chest sinks with his demand, doing nothing but sparking your imagination, creating images of him heaving beneath you. You'd sell your soul to recreate the way you're currently poised above Pierre's hips with a little less clothing and no audience.

Max gives up hope on you replying and dribbles the alcohol up Pierre's abdomen, stopping just below his pecks.

"Have at 'er-"

Your tongue is on Pierre's skin before Max has finished his sentence. You feel the muscle tense beneath your tongue, going rigid at the first contact. The burn of the vodka doesn't even register as you lap it up, catching the drips that fall over his sides. 

You aren't sure either of you is breathing. Salty sweat mingles with the sharpness of the alcohol, an afterthought barely worth mentioning.

Blame the liquid courage or blame the high from Pierre's win, but you were confident Pierre was enjoying this just as much as you. 

Planting a hand on Pierre's hip, you steal a glance up at him to find him locked on you. You take that as permission to continue, dragging your tongue flat up his stomach and continuing well past where the vodka had been poured. Up between his pecks, over the curve of his throat that bobs beneath your tongue, over his chin until you meet his lips, already parted and waiting. 

Neither of you pay the shouts cresting around you any heed. You've both waited too long for this, endured too many almosts and what ifs to let the opportunity slip through your fingers. Your sticky hands cradle Pierre's face, angling it in a way that's to your liking so you can explore more of his mouth. He tastes like whiskey and mint, the juxtaposition of hot and cold scattering your thoughts. One of Pierre's hands finds the nape of your neck when you gasp for air, refusing to let you end the moment.

And it's pure, unending bliss that floods your veins when he nips at your lower lip, swollen and surely reddened from his kiss. His thumb sweeps across the back of your neck while you both fight to catch the breath currently evading you.

Daydreams didn't hold a candle to the real thing. One taste and you were addicted, craving as much as Pierre was willing to give.  

"Hey," he murmurs, the corners of his mouth tugging up in a stupidly gorgeous smile.

"That was nice," you tease, tangling your fingers in the silky blond strands of his hair. "I wouldn't be opposed to doing it again."

"Me too. Maybe somewhere where it's just us though. I wouldn't want to scandalize my team any further." You manage to steal another sweet peck before Max hauls you off Pierre.

"Fucking finally," Daniel says, clapping when you're upright again. "Do you know how long I've been trying to orchestrate this? The two of you really are dumber than a box of rocks. I can't believe all it took was Max suggesting body shots to get you two to kiss."

The arm that wraps around your waist feels right. Pierre hasn't hugged you like this before, with his chin resting on your shoulder and his nose nuzzling your neck, but it already feels like home.

Pierre ignores Max completely in favor of pressing a kiss to the shell of your ear. "Why don't we go back to my room? I'll pour more alcohol on myself if that's what it takes to convince you."

You're just about to take him up on the offer when one of his team members taps his shoulder. He glances at them impatiently, which the man thankfully doesn't take personally.

"They want some photos with you holding your trophy," he explains, handing a shirt and the star shaped interpretation of the Italian flag to Pierre. "It will only take a few minutes,  they promised not to keep you long."

Of course everyone knew exactly where your minds were. Sanity had long since left the premises, tangled up in crisp white sheets. Pierre's entire team and half the Red Bull garage had seen what had gone down while the prix winner was sprawled on that coffee table. There would be no chance of denying it in the morning. 

And while you'd never imagined that the first time you'd kiss your best friend would be directly preceded by licking copious amounts of shitty liquor off his super-heated skin, now that you'd experienced it any other way seems forgettable.

Pierre sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "I mean, I already have my trophy, but…" your stomach lurches when you realize he means you. Pierre catches the way your mouth hangs open and he shoots you a grin before accepting the real trophy.

"You carry it," he says, not giving you much of a choice as he thrusts it into your hands. "I'm occupied."

You're about to point out that his hands are, in fact, free and that the more likely reason for insisting you carry the trophy was his usual post-race laziness when he slings an arm around your shoulders and tucks you tight to his side.

"Is this okay?" Pierre asks when you involuntarily stiffen. God, it was more than okay, it was perfect, it had just caught you by surprise. You'd only kissed him a handful of minutes ago and Pierre was already wrapped around your finger, smitten as if you'd been a couple for years.

"Yeah no, it's perfect. Simply lovely," you say quickly, stumbling over your words.

"Can I kiss you again?"

Your answer comes in the form of a hand on his chest, stopping him in his tracks. You prop the trophy on your hip and smile up at your race winner.

"You don't have to ask that ever again. My answer is always yes."

[swanimagines]

I love ur work, could I pls request a fic with Kaz Brekker and Hugging for the first time (G13)

EDIT: PLANNING TO REWRITE THIS AT SOME POINT BECAUSE THIS IS OOC AND I'M ASHAMED XD

Fandom: Shadow and Bone

A/N: Thank you for the compliment, you're so sweet!!

Ok so I have to put this one out because I needed to write a Kaz fic for my birthday and because I'm HYPERRRRR right now because of tomorrow and inspiration just flows???

The idea for this was surprisingly easy to make up, but the execution was… difficult. Kaz is a very difficult character for any fluff, you know? I love him so much and would like to give him the biggest hug if he'd accept it but that man is hard to write for and still I feel like I want to write all the fics for him right now XD Is it masochistic??? Don't know but I really enjoy writing for Kaz despite it being hard. Missed that feeling after a year of not having a proper character crush. But I hope you still like it!!

Warnings: death of family members, gore, angst, hurt/comfort?? Had to have a good reason for Kaz to feel the need to hug someone so have a bunch of reasons.

Word count: 605

“They’re dead.” you heard your voice say. It didn’t have any emotion. Your eyes were teary and you were holding a tissue in your hand, but you didn’t feel any emotion. Just endless numbness. Seeing your family slaughtered into their house flashed through your mind over and over again with no end in sight. All you could see was them scattered around the house. Your father had been shot right after opening the door, his brains splattered to the wall. Your big brother still having a kitchen knife in his hand in an attempt to fight back, to protect your mother and little sister. They had fled to kitchen, and Inej had pulled you away before you saw them, indicating it would be too hard to see for you.

You swallowed, sitting on an armchair in Kaz’s office where he had invited you to calm down.

He wasn’t a therapist, he didn’t know how to comfort with words. He had already ordered Inej to track down those people who murdered your family, but that’s the most he could do, at least he felt like that. He should be able to do more, caring about you more than others. It pained him to see you miserable like that.

You stood up from the armchair, wanting to scream that you wanted to kill those people personally, that you wanted to make them suffer, but you weren’t like that. You were more like a planner, your mind exploring every nook and fault plans had. You were extraordinary in it, and now someone had tried to break you down.

For the first time in many, many years he wanted to reach out to you, hold on to you until you’d feel better, but he didn’t know if he was ready. What if he would push you away after you’d accept the sentiment, making you feel even worse?

But with a deep inhale, he stepped in front of you and looked at you slowly breaking to sobs. He had to do something, he couldn’t bear to see you like that. So he closed his eyes and slowly reached out.

And then you felt an arm slowly wrapping around your shoulders and a chin pressed against the top of your head.

He was hugging you.

The hug was stiff and awkward, but the thought mattered. You didn’t dare to hug back, but let yourself lean against Kaz for a bit before slowly backing up, wiping your eyes and offering him a small smile.

“Thank you.” you muttered, your voice still raspy but your mood a bit lighter. It wasn’t an everyday thing for Kaz to hug people, in fact you were fairly sure he would never be ready. But seeing your pain and knowing it was partly because you were one of the Dregs… it made him feel guilty. He was the one who recruited you in the first place after all. And even though Jesper or Inej could have comforted you better without being awkward, you felt a connection with Kaz. You had always felt that connection. You didn’t know how to explain it, it just... was there.

Kaz nodded, sighing. “You should rest.”

You nodded too, making your way to the door and glancing at Kaz just before opening it, again smiling slightly at him.

He just watched you exit the door, before he closed his eyes for a bit. Having you pressed against him had his head screaming to let go, sure, but… it wasn’t something he wouldn’t be ready to do again if you needed it.

If it made you feel better, it would be worth it.

Tags: @musicallisto

[pan-ick]

Golden Child Pt. 1

I literally can't remember where I found it but I read a headcannon for an angsty SBI +Reader and I loved it so much that I had to write something similar to it but I think I might have forgotten to like it, so if you know what the original is please tell me so I can credit them I was partially inspired by@helliontherapscallion's "Adrenaline Junkie" series, simply for the fact that because of them i haven't stopped thinking of inventor reader. Also let's just pretend that uh my human biology degree isn't going to waste by me writing blindness incorrectly ha ha. This is a purely fictional way that blindness works.

(REMINDER YOU IDIOT, FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS STORY: Wilbur is 26, Techno is 20, Tommy is 16, Phil is 32, SO READER IS 22, GET IT RIGHT AND STOP MESSING UP)

As soon as Y/N's wings started developing, they were instantly the favorite child. Philza still showed his love to Wilbur, but nowhere near as much as he did to his winged child. If he had to choose between spending time with them or Wilbur, he'd pick them in a heartbeat. Wilbur was usually upset when this happened, but he had gotten used to it and had learned ways to cope with it.

This was until Techno showed up. On their doorstep. Next to a freezing Philza who had sacrificed most his warmth to the young piglin. Wilbur had his thoughts on this, yhough he kept them to himself. But Y/N couldn't be happier! This meant a new friend, AND they were right when they said that Phil was just a nice person, there wasn't a favorite child! Right?

They quickly realized that Techno wasn't their friend, as the first interaction they had together was them getting a claw to the face by the piglin. Philza just simply sighed and made sure the wound would stop bleeding before tending back to the scared pig.

Y/N was only eight at the time, they didn't know what they were feeling. But whatever it was didn't feel good.

Since that day, Y/N was the new Wilbur and 'Technoblade' was the golden child. Y/N wanted the spotlight back, so they tried hard at everything. Nothing ever worked. Nothing was better than what Techno could do. Nothing was more amazing than Techno's knowledge, or his skills in fighting, or his odd way of speaking, or those stupid things that he did, or the fact that he'd always blame it on some 'voices' in his head. That he had a God complex. That he was better than Wilbur. He was better than Tommy. He was better than you...

He was always better than you. Of course. Thats what you felt when you first met. Not amazement, not the happiness of having another friend. Of course not. It was overwhelming jealousy. But he was your brother, so you had to suck it up just like Wilbur did.

But soon enough, they came to peace with this. They moved on and worked on what they actually enjoyed, not what Philza enjoyed. Mechanics. Phil would have killed you if he learned of all the dangers that you put yourself through to consider yourself an inventor. Or.... Would he?

One day your older brother approached you with his idea to create "L'manburg". At first you couldn't help but laugh. But when it was realized that Wilbur wasn't joking and that he had already recruited Tommy, they agreed to join the fight for freedom. It was a way to pay Wilbur back for being there for them, afterall.

Y/N never imagined the true horrors that they would have to go through so they could say a 'thank you' to Wilbur. They never even truly said it to him, L'manburg was already exploded and he was killed before they could say it to him. Not even saying it to Ghostbur was good enough.

Y/N was forced to suffer through watching her loved ones go mad. Sometimes, they would try coming up with inventions that could help her friends out, and some that could help some regular problems in the world for other people. Most of them didn't work, they were only able to produce goggles that could just barely help fully blind people see. But it was a step in the right direction.

Then doomsday came. Y/N didn't want to be part of it, they didn't want to even try hurting their father and younger brother. They aren't even sure how they came to that point.

Before they knew it, they were begging the man who once gave them anything in the world for him to stop. The whole server was one big family especially everyone in the homes he was about to destroy. But what they wanted didn't matter anymore. It's what Technoblade wanted, and he wanted blood.

At the last moment, Y/N remembered Friend. Ghostbur would be devastated if Friend died.

Falling down to the ground from the small warning of TNT, Friend flooded their mind.

If they couldn't save L'Manburg, they needed to save Friend. Ghostbur wasn't the same, but Ghostbur is Wilbur. They still never said thank you. They have to show their gratitude through the miracle of Friend surviving.

And so that's what they set off to do. With no mind to their own self-preservation, Y/N got up and flew as fast as they could to save Friend. But before they could reach the sheep, a large pile of rubble fell on one of their wings, almost snapping it right off. Y/N tried to get it off but to no avail, and their whole body wasn't safe. As they saw more rubble they crouched down while covering their head with their hands and covering the undamaged wing with their body, they prepared for impact.

The last thing they could speak out was almost incomprehensible.

"Wil..... Will...... Ghosbu.............. Tommy.......... Dad............."

And then everything went black. Y/N couldn't see or feel anything. Not even after her youngest brother, the ghost of her older brother, and the three fiances of the SMP untrapped them. There was nothing.

After what felt like years for the brothers, there was finally a glimpse of Y/N waking up. But they continued to drift in and out of consciousness and whenever someone tried communicating they were completely unresponsive.

During this amount of time, it was agreed that it was in their best interest for their wings to be removed. They were both utterly useless now after being crushed and would just be extra weight with unnecessary pain that can be avoided the sooner their wings get removed. Just in case Y/N was still aware of everything going on, they were put under amnesia to lower the chance of them feeling the agony of a wing removal surgery.

Slowly Y/N began more responsive to people, but never to the same amount. Everyone that took care of them were absolutely heartbroken when they figured out part of the rock that fell on them damaged a vital organ that allowed a person to see. Luck was in fact on their side for damaging their eyesight instead of the brain, however most people didn't see it that way.

Ghostbur took it upon himself to become Y/N's seeing-eye dog. He missed having Friend nearby and Y/N was the thing he connected to the most after Friend's death.

After a few months of trying to get used to no longer having sight or wings Y/N was finally allowed back in their lab with a large amount of supervision from Ghostbur. While carefully running their hands across some unfinished inventions, Y/N comes across the goggles that they made at least a year ago. It immediately smarked a memory deep within their brain, the closest thing they had felt to seeing something ever since doomsday.

"Ghostbur, what color are these?" "Oh, they're blue. Blue's a really nice color, it reminds me of Friend. Do you remember Frien- Why are you looking down at those like that? Would you like some blue, it takes your sadness away! Wait dont put them on, the glass has cracks!" Y/N snickers as the ghost tries to take them away from them without being super forceful, "I'm already blind, what's the worst it can do?"

"Dont say that!" Ghostbur gasps, "We will find a way to get your vision back, those goggles might make it impossible!"

"I made these around the time you first showed up. I ran multiple tests with them and I was able to help a blind person see the world again. Sure, it was very blurry, hard to distinguish a lot of colors from each other, we have a different kind of blindness, and its been more that a year since I last tested them, but they might still work." Y/N explains, then they turn their back to Ghostbur and put the goggles on. This time, Ghostbut only makes a sound in protest.

Blinking, Y/N could feel the stimulation in their brain that they lost along with their eyesight come back. They moved their hands from the position they were in to put the invention on to Y/N's line of sight, and they could see their hands again. Fuzzy, shapeless, hands with a few bandaids and many scars on them.

"So, are they working?"

The voice of your brother brings Y/N back to reality and they turn to look at him. They had completely forgotten what Ghostbur looked like, only remembering vaguely what child Wilbur looked liked and a brief description of how Ghostbur's appearance differed for Wilbur's.

Y/N wraps their arms around the Ghost, not actually hugging but just doing the motion to where they would hug a person they could actually touch, as they tried to not cry in front of him.

(WOOOOOO THIS ENDED UP A LOT LONGER THAN I EXPECTED AND I'M NOT EVEN DONE YET, SO I SEPARATED IT INTO TWO PARTS)

[ynscrazylife]

hi there! so i saw that you write about the mcu and dceu which is super cool bc i have this amazing idea of a story between me, the avengers, the guardians and the justice league (platonic ofc!) i was thinking about the three teams were preparing my birthday in a yard and while they are preparing everything, bruce banner is picking me up and him and i could get closer in a romantic way (mostly because he's my fav), and when i arrive everyone is suprising me and then we have a lot of fun 1/2

The Surprise Party | avengers, guardians, justice league fluff fic

Summary: Ignoring how they’re from different universes, the superheroes throw their friend an amazing surprise birthday party.

Authors Note: Thanks for requesting & happy birthday!

Request to be on a taglist (or multiple) here! (Taglists are at the end of the fic)

MCU Masterlist #1 | MCU Masterlist #2 | DCEU Masterlist |  Main Masterlist

PSA: Do NOT copy, steal, translate, plagiarize, republish, etc any of my works on Tumblr or any other platform. Also, do NOT claim any of my works as your own. All of these works are either requests I’ve gotten that people have wanted me to write or original ideas I’ve had for works. If you happen to take inspiration from anything I’ve written and want to write something inspired by that, please a) ask me first and b) IF I say yes, credit me as inspo in your post by tagging me and link whatever work of mine that inspired you. Thanks.

header c @/gagalacrax on twitter

There was a reason why the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Justice League didn’t all get together: with that many superheroes, in one space, chaos was bound to break out. That chaos could be, quite literally, anything. From Iron Man challenging the Flash to an arm wrestling contest to Aquaman attacking Groot when he thought he was an enemy. Long story short, it just wasn’t a good idea . . . Until they found out that besides saving the world, all three teams had one thing in common: Y/N Y/LN.

Y/N had, to everyone’s astonishment, been on all three teams. Born as a Metahuman, she had started out on the Justice League team. Then, on a solo mission, she accidentally entered a black hole and bam! she found herself in another universe, and quickly bonded with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Eventually, it was determined that the Guardians couldn’t help her return to her home world - or universe - so she bid them goodbye and sought out the Avengers.

Y/N was the reason they had met. The reason that they knew of each other's universes. Now, seeing as her birthday was rapidly approaching, she was the reason they were coming together once more. Each superhero had their own connection with Y/N and adored her. Batman and Captain America were like father figures while Black Widow, Mera, and Wonder Woman were her mother figures, Furthermore, Aquaman and Thor were her mentors, Starlord, Iron Man, and Superman were like her big brothers, Gamora and Scarlet Witch were like her sisters, and Falcon, Rocket, Groot, Hawkeye, and Drax were her best friends.

There was someone else who fit into Y/N’s life in an entirely different way, though. That was the Hulk, aka Bruce Banner, who Y/N had a growing crush on. Coincidentally, his role in their birthday surprise was to be the distractor. He’d take Y/N out and about, staying as far away as possible from the Avengers Tower, while the other superheroes set up.

As expected, the planning hardly went smoothly.

Tony and Barry got into another confrontation, this time over Y/N’s choice of music (which went on until Mera and Wanda butted in with the music Y/N actually enjoyed), Arthur began to get on Natasha’s last nerves, and Rocket almost started eating her cake . . . and that was only a bit of what happened in the first half of the day.

Meanwhile, Bruce kept Y/N occupied. He took her out to her favorite breakfast place and breakfast was on him and then they filled the day at a carnival park. Bruce happily accompanied her on all the rides she wanted to go on (despite almost Hulking out multiple times) and even won Y/N some stuffed animals by throwing rings. He even got her lots and lots of cotton candy and then let her ride on his back when she got a stomach ache. All in all, though, it was a fun time. So fun that Bruce almost forgot that they had a party to get to!

Which is exactly why he frantically texted the groupchat that they were on their way and had to practically drag Y/N away from wanting to go on the ferris wheel for the third time. When confronted with questions, the lie that there was an emergency mission slipped off the brunette’s tongue -- probably not the smartest lie because Y/N had declared weeks before that if there were any missions on the week of her birthday, she wasn’t going -- but it worked long enough to keep her distracted, even if she was too busy with pouting and grumbling.

As they got closer and closer, Bruce could barely contain his excitement. Not only had he had a fantastic game, he was about to spend the night partying with the woman he had a crush on and celebrating her birthday. Who knows - maybe he’d even ask her out?!

When they got there, Y/N was ready to march inside and suit up, but Bruce tugging on her arm made her stop. Ignoring her endless questions and cries of frustration, he took his time leading her through the tower and into the backyard so the superheroes would have time to hide. Bruce let Y/N go before him and the moment she opened the doors, everyone jumped out wearing party hats and yelled: “SURPRISE!”

To say she was surprised would be a total understatement. In fact, she was so surprised that she stumbled back, directly into the scientist, and with his quick reflexes he steadied her and lightly nudged her forward and out of her shocked state. She had let out the biggest gasp that any of them had ever heard, her eyes went wide, and her hands flew over her mouth.

Slowly, she walked forward, overwhelmed by the sight before her. Not only were all her teammates - her friends, even family - together, but the place looked amazing. There were streamers, a big sign saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY, balloons, even a fake throne that Tony and Bruce had constructed earlier that week!

“Oh-oh my god, you guys . . . Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She cried out, jumping up and down.

Everyone smiled. “Of course, sweetheart,” Arthur said.

“Go sit on your throne - presents are up first!” Tony added.

Y/N immediately ran and jumped onto the big throne.

“Aren’t presents supposed to be last or something?” Clint muttered to Steve as they walked over.

“Yeah, but Tony keeps boasting on how good his present is,” Steve replied.

Everyone mingled on over there and Tony presented his birthday present, which was definitely over-wrapped, first. After the squeals she emitted, the others were next. Everyone had gotten her their own birthday present, but Arthur and Mera went over the top when they joined together with their powers to make Y/N something super special.

Afterwards, they spent the rest of the time absolutely PARTYING! They had a dance contest which JARVIS was the judge of and Y/N won, but the next round Y/N co-judged with JARVIS and they determined that Rocket and Barry were tied for first place, Peter and Clint tied for second place, and Bruce got third place. Then, they moved onto playing games (Y/N and Bruce teamed up and they CRUSHED everyone else, because they already had experience working together at the carnival that day) and finally, it was time for cake. Y/N got the biggest piece and, of course, Rocket and Arthur fought over the cake (Groot smacked them).

They partied until the sun came up, where everyone either fell asleep or had someone fall asleep on them. In the morning, everyone awoke, only to see Y/N still asleep, her head resting on Bruce’s shoulder and a blanket wrapped around them both. It was the most adorable sight they had ever witnessed and Bruce carried her to bed while Natasha took her shoes off. The superheroes left her to sleep in and she came downstairs a couple hours later, a breakfast full of waffles, pancakes, anything you could imagine waiting for her.

Permanent Taglist: @natasharomanoffismywife @hehehehannahthings @paulawand @blackbat2020 @cerberus-spectre @marrymemcgrath @celestialbarnes @kathryndimitrescu @snipyloulou @big-galaxy-chaos @cc13723things

MCU Taglist: @stephanieromanoff @summerlovingbaby @ineffablebean @okkulta @procrastinatingsapphictrash @prettysbliss @caseyfish @sarahp-stan @thewidowsghost @basiclesbianbitch @mycosmicparadise @kidswhofightmonsters @xtraordinaryfangrl @peggycarter-steverogers @username23345 @ima-gi--na-tion @yori-nakajima @hi-i-1 @mmmmokdok @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @mads-weasley @tenaciousperfectionunknown @afraid-to-be-me @lilclownx @acertainredhead @natromanoffxox @lilymurphy03 @thanossexual @avengersz-biotch @kozumekoi  @mjaudrey

[serena-hart-09]

Skill that the Demon Brothers (Would Likely) Possess: Asmodeus

A/N: So Asmo’s done! To be honest it was hard to write his skills but I hope that I did a good job..... It was hard to imagine what weakness he would have..... an then I thought of well- these..... but oh well-

Extra Note: 

All Characters belong to the game, “Shall We Date: Obey Me!”, NTT Solmare.

All the names of buff and debuffs belong to the Megami Tensei Game Franchise, Atlus. This is a series of Headcanons inspired by the same.

Satan is up next! 

I hope you enjoy these!

Do I need to say more?

👏CHARM ATTACKS.👏 ALL TYPES OF CHARM ATTACKS.👏

This dude is STACKED with them.

Anyways, Asmodeus’s skillset includes, 80% offence and 20% defence, like Beel.

But there is twist to it. As established, some attacks can do both offence and de-buffing or buffing. Asmo’s case (in one way) is the same.

Most, if not, all of his offence attacks include a charm debuff. Like Belphie’s sleep debuff, it will connect.

It means not only would the skill do damage, but it would also put his opponent under charm.

With my experience in gaming, (at least in Megami Tensei-) if you get a party member with the skill of charm, go insane with it, and spam it on your enemies and voila! You have already made much damage than your normal skills could ever do. (In most cases.) (But you can win, if you raise the skill level.)

The reason why is simple, an opponent under charm is prone to either get confused, go in a trance and do nothing or the opponent would attack their own party member.

This is beneficial because the opponent is already doing your job for you.

With Asmo, it is the same case. He will charm his opponents and make them do his biding and then would order them to kill themselves or the opponent becomes his personal toy.

Much like Satan, Leviathan and Lucifer, he is good in both, defense and offence and just like them is good in Infernal and Dark Magic.

He is good at buffing and de-buffing. He may look like he doesn’t care about it or the fact that he has only 20% of defense, do not be fooled.

Out of all the younger brothers, he is probably stacked himself with powerful buffs, so much that he even beats Satan in the buffs and debuffs side. Basically, he is spamming buffs and de-buffs on every chance he can get. (While also trying to do manage to do good damage)

Much like Beel he may not see like the part, but he is in truth, merciless.

He can use Dark Magic on his opponents and still talk bubbly about the new line of clothes in Majolish while they all scream in utter terror behind him.  

Talking more about his Dark Magic skills, he is very strong, of course his skills are still based around charm, but, due to the fact that he was taught by Lucifer and Satan about Dark Magic (while the latter was just ranting about how cool the type of Magic is, Satan never taught him mind you he was just talking about it to him) he got know about how to forge a deadly skill that can (in the rarest cases) not only withstand but can counter an Almighty Skill.

Yes. This is one of the reasons why Asmo is before in the hierarchy Beel even when Beel has an Almighty skill.

In Asmo’s case he forged two skills, Deadly Lust and Frolic [If you know the skill, well…. ;)))) ]

Deadly Lust, in the name itself gives off what the skill does, it’s a Poison skill + Charm skill + High level Physical Attack.

The reason why he is low in the hierarchy is because while all the brothers null, block or even resist Light/Divine attack Asmodeus is the only one who can’t. He is weak to Light. He may also have some minor elemental weaknesses. (most likely fire) But the biggest reason why is because he is weak to Poison. (Oh the irony.)

Other than that, he is a good party member to work with and a “oh shit, run away now!” opponent.  

Do not repost without permission! (Reblogging is Ok!)

[shepard-ram]

Antidote for the Lovesick [Antarctic Empire!Wilbur x Reader]

(Fluff, Not a request: Another one inspired by light anons asks- anyways I'm planning on working on my requests again after this. School will be out for the year soon so I will be writing more in a few weeks!)

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While the Royal family was well known by default, (and fairly well liked as far as monarchies go) none were as popular as the prince second in line for the throne. It seemed he made for the public eye, able to talk himself out of any situation. With the handful of poems and songs that made it to the people rumors and half-jokes that he must be part siren stired around him. There's no doubt that even without his crown he would have made himself an adored public figure.

It doesn't take much thought to see why prince Wilbur was a star in the empire's negotiations. The Emperor himself was a close second but he was often more fussed about internal affairs. The crown prince was intimidating and a genius when it came to battle, but all that confidence melted when it came to social interactions. Meanwhile the youngest prince... let's just say he hadn't developed the filter needed for the job.

So the poet prince sat at the table and charmed his way into countless treaties and alliances. Needless to say he got very friendly with many rulers and ambassadors alike. The more connections the better after all, but it was only a matter of time before the wrong person got a little too attached.

It was a simple meeting with some local nobles, and one enchantress. It could be It's own story. One starting with the prince's usual banter and a crush forming in its wake, but ending in a turned down confession and alot of shouting. By the time he retired to his bed a soon to be revealed curse was taking its hold.

That morning was filled with emotions and panic. At first he wanted to believe it was nothing more than a sore throat. However the more he tried to make any sound the more he was forced to accept what had happened. His voice was turned to a screech akin to a horse being stabbed. He desperately attempted to sing, only producing a sound that sounded as painful was it was to make. He wasn't just silenced, his voice was replaced with the one of dying demons.

His younger brother was the first he ran into. At first the youngest laughed, after all it was one hell of a noise, but he soon realized just how shaken the poet was. From there it was very quick, how the news spread to the rest of the family. The youngest still didn't stop trying to make fun of his brothers situation. But soon the royal doctors where at his bed chambers with whatever potions and medicines that they thought could ease the affliction.

As soon as they came they left without the barest hint of success. As much as the winged Emperor would've preferred to keep this a private matter it was clear they needed as much talent as possible. They needed more ideas and the skills to make a cure to the curse. So an invention spread to every city and almost every town. It was a simple one, explaining the princes condition and offering a hefty reward to anyone who could put an end to it.

This little piece of paper changed your life.

You were a rather young alchemist, specializing in all remedies natural and magical. The money stood out to you more than most. You weren't starving by any means, but no one in your little rural home town was exactly rolling in cash. Before you knew it you were packing up your things and getting the final "good bye"s and "good luck"s from your family and friends as you set off to the capital.

You weren't the first one to try, not at all. In fact you were one of last with the confidence to try. The thing is, you didn't have the herbs you planned to use.

"Why wouldn't you have them ready?!" You understood why the crown prince was on edge, things were looking more and more hopeless with each attempt. You stayed calm and explained it The best you could.

"The plants I need can be very precise with the conditions they need to grow in, and are often conned on the market. I trust my own abilities more than a salesman looking to make a quick buck." You knew your words reached the trio listening to the pitch, so you made your request. "All I need is the space to grow them and time, they'll take about two months at most. Maybe the royal garden?"

They shared a glance, but it seemed they already had the answer decided.

"How much space do you need?"

You quickly got to work, preparing the soil for the medicine and writing down some notes about the exact qualities of the future remedy. By sunset you were tidying up the servants quarters they had provided so you can stay close the growing ingredients.

On one of your first evenings you were tending to the young plants. That was until you heard a heavenly sound drifting from the other side of the garden. At first you just enjoyed the background music while finishing up your current occupation. As soon as you could you put your watering can down you stood up, very eager to track down the source of the wordless lullaby.

It was a painting, the clouds of bushes more than tall enough to hide the silent signer sitting in the middle of them. The grass while not gone completely was worn out, a clear sign the prince sat in the almost enclosed ring often. You stood in the opening of a leafy doorway. Watching in awe as he played a guitar, eye's closed with so much ease you'd believe it was creating the music by itself.

Eventually the music faded, and in a kick of humor you clapped. Startled he jumped to his feet, calming down a little when he saw that you didn't look at all hostile.

"Sorry for the surprise, my prince." You marked with a small bow. You didn't miss the little uncomfortable look that flashed across his face. "But I couldn't help but notice your song, it's absolutely amazing." You offered with a light voice. "I- I get the rumors now." You could tell you caught his interest with that. "Can you play some more for me, these plants grow faster and better with the company of music."

Rather or not that's just a myth you weren't entirely sure, but with a small smile he honored the request. He followed you out of his little hedge room and closer the area you were tending to. Sitting on a nearby bench watching you work on the newest attempt to reclaim his unnatural voice.

"How about I get to know my patient a little?" The music hiccuped in its players curiosity, silently prompting you to continue. "I ask you some questions, yes or no ones. It might be helpful when it comes to fine-tuning this" you gestured to the dirt that would soon be covered with fully grown medicinal plants. In return he gave his first answer, a nod.

Over the days you grew fond of the routine you fell into. Sometimes you would be asking questions, looking up from the garden to catch his answer. Sometimes you would be telling him stories from your home, about the many people who have come to you for remedies. Sometimes there would be no words, just the gorgeous calming sounds of his music. You could both feel how comfortable this was.

"Would you prefer if I called you only Wilbur?"

A happy nod.

Only Wilbur was very different from prince Wilbur. You've always thought of the prince as this fox, prideful and cunning and charming in untrustworthy ways. But only Wilbur wasn't on this higher devine level, he was a person. A person with passions and vulnerabilities. Only Wilbur melted ideas about himself you didn't even realize you harbored. You liked only Wilbur, that was certain.

You made a promise to both yourself and to him that day. You would lift the curse, you had to.

It had been 43 days, the herbs were ready. "Maybe music did make them grow faster" you entertained. It was the only day you were with the plants without Wilbur. He was in his bed chambers so you could focus on brewing.

You looked over your notes thousands of time over. When you took this job you knew it was going to be one of your most important ever, but now you weren't just curing a prince- you were curing a friend. You paused in setting up your equipment. The term friend felt, incorrect with how exactly you felt about Wilbur. You shoved down the thoughts and continued, now was not the time.

Was it hours, or was it a few minutes? You couldn't tell and you didn't care. In a glass bottle you held the product of your labor. Corked and wrapped in many clothes before being nestled in your bag just to be safe. You took a deep breath and set off for Wilburs room.

He hesitated taking the bottle from you, like he had grown attached to his own silence. When he did take the potion it was all still slow and methodical. As if taking the cork off wrong could ruin everything. It felt like your entire body was on stand-by, paused as he downed the entire container. With a small drink of water he waited for a minute.

Then with a little nod from you, he hummed. The simple notes never sounded so rich and deep, filled with over a month of built up thoughts and emotions. Two faces lit up hearing it.

"You- you really did it." Wilbur was so quiet. As if speaking too loudly could break the newly repaired sound.

Then laughter, and the rambling of words that didn't need to make sense. Because you could hear them.

Then a hug, one of so much more than gratitude. One accompanied with an over abundance of "Thank you"s.

"How could I ever make this up to you" He only now slowed down, only enough to take your input.

Looking over at a familiar instrument you gave that input to him, "Can you play some more for me, my prince." He chuckled, a sound that you already loved as he sat back down on the bed with his guitar.

You recognized the song. It backdroped your first siting of him. Only now did you finally hear it in its entirety. It was a love song. Lyrics sweet and sincere and raw all rolled up by the accompanying strumming. When the last cord drifted off he looked at you, eagerly awaiting your response.

"If I understood the rumors then, now I just might be a believer." How much of that was exaggeration, you honestly couldn't say.

"I'm assuming that's good."

"Trust me, it's more than good." Watching as put the instrument back. "You should probably go tell the others the good news. Especially so I can get my money" you added jokingly. With that you got one last hug and thank you before you both left the room.

As you were walking back to your room something hit you. The realization that this was over. You were going to your temporary room and packing up so you could leave. You never expected to bond with the prince this much, and in the moment you regretted it. If only a little. You swallowed the sudden mood shift and started packing.

"Hey where are you going!?" An already familiar excited voice rang out, running towards you.

"I'm getting ready to leave." You said, bluntly.

"Wait, really?" As if he didn't know you weren't moving in permanently. Without thinking he grabbed your arm like you trying to run away. "We're having a big feast tonight, to celebrate your achievement. You should probably be there."

"That sounds great." You could feel the wave of sadness fade off.

"I thought I always sound great." You chuckled.

"I really wish I could deny that."

"No you don't."

"Only because I wouldn't get my money if I could."

"Come on, that's not the only reason."

"Like it's any secret I care about you."

That put an end to his humor, "Here, let's get ready."