#it was a lot less horror than i thought it would be

[magentasnail]

I accidently avoided my work to check out digital circus

and then it was so good I also accidently avoided my work to make fanart !!

[thesmokinpossum]

I loved this movie so much and I'll definitely need to write more about it later. This said, I regret not getting some ginger ale earlier today because your girl is a bit nauseated right now, ngl.

[shadesofmauve]

I want to step away from the art-vs-artist side of the Gaiman issue for a bit, and talk about, well, the rest of it. Because those emotions you're feeling would be the same without the art; the art just adds another layer.

Source: I worked with a guy who turned out to be heavily involved in an international, multi-state sex-slavery/trafficking ring.

He was really nice.

Yeah.

It hits like a dumptruck of shit. You don't feel stable in your world anymore. How could someone you interacted with, liked, also be a truly horrible person? How could your judgement be that bad? How can real people, not stylized cartoon bogeymen, be actually doing this shit?

You have to sit with the fact that you couldn't, or probably couldn't, have known. You should have no guilt as part of this horror — but guilt is almost certainly part of that mess you're feeling, because our brains do this associative thing, and somehow "I liked [the version of] the guy [that I knew]", or his creations, becomes "I made a horrible mistake and should feel guilty."

You didn't, loves, you didn't.

We're human, and we can only go by the information we have. And the information we have is only the smallest glimpse into someone else's life.

I didn't work closely with the guy I knew at work, but we chatted. He wasn't just nice; he was one of the only people outside my tiny department who seemed genuinely nice in a workplace that was rapidly becoming incredibly toxic. He loaned me a bike trainer. Occasionally he'd see me at the bus stop and give me a lift home.

Yup. I was a young woman in my twenties and rode in this guy's car. More than once.

When I tell this story that part usually makes people gasp. "You must feel so scared about what could have happened to you!" "You're so lucky nothing happened!"

No, that's not how it worked. I was never in danger. This guy targeted Korean women with little-to-no English who were coerced and powerless. A white, fluent, US citizen coworker wasn't a potential victim. I got to be a person, not prey.

Y'know that little warning bell that goes off, when you're around someone who might be a danger to you? That animal sense that says "Something is off here, watch out"?

Yeah, that doesn't ping if the preferred prey isn't around.

That's what rattled me the most about this. I liked to think of myself as willing to stand up for people with less power than me. I worked with Japanese exchange students in college and put myself bodily between them and creeps, and I sure as hell got that little alarm when some asian-schoolgirl fetishist schmoozed on them. But we were all there.

I had to learn that the alarm won't go off when the hunter isn't hunting. That it's not the solid indicator I might've thought it was. That sometimes this is what the privilege of not being prey does; it completely masks your ability to detect the horrors that are going on.

A lot of people point out that 'people like that' have amazing charisma and ability to lie and manipulate, and that's true. Anyone who's gotten away with this shit for decades is going to be way smoother than the pathetic little hangers-on I dealt with in university. But it's not just that. I seriously, deeply believe that he saw me as a person, and he did not extend personhood to his victims. We didn't have a fake coworker relationship. We had a real one. And just like I don't know the ins-and-outs of most of my coworkers lives, I had no idea that what he did on his down time was perpetrate horrors.

I know this is getting off the topic, but it's so very important. Especially as a message to cis guys: please understand that you won't recognize a creep the way you might think you will. If you're not the preferred prey, the hind-brain alarm won't go off. You have to listen to victims, not your gut feeling that the person seems perfectly nice and normal. It doesn't mean there's never a false accusation, but face the fact that it's usually real, and you don't have enough information to say otherwise.

So, yeah. It fucking sucks. Writing about this twists my insides into tense knots, and it was almost a decade ago. I was never in danger. No one I knew was hurt!

Just countless, powerless women, horrifically abused by someone who was nice to me.

You don't trust your own judgement quite the same way, after. And as utterly shitty as it is, as twisted up and unstead-in-the-world as I felt the day I found out — I don't actually think that's a bad thing.

I think we all need to question our own judgement. It makes us better people.

I don't see villains around every corner just because I knew one, once. But I do own the fact that I can't know, really know, about anyone except those closest to me. They have their own full lives. They'll go from the pinnacles of kindness to the depths of depravity — and I won't know.

It's not a failing. It's just being human. Something to remember before you slap labels on people, before you condemn them or idolize them. Think about how much you can't know, and how flawed our judgement always is.

Grieve for victims, and the feeling of betrayal. But maybe let yourself off the hook, and be a bit slower to skewer others on it.

[sleepypanda27]

Static Signals

Bucky x reader

Summary: On a mission, the team's comms malfunctioned, cutting off communication between you and Natasha and the rest of the team. Nat uncovers your secret crush on Bucky. Later on, you found out that Bucky has a secret, too.

Words: 1,334

You were on a mission with the team when the comms malfunctioned, and you and Natasha were cut off from the others. The once reassuring buzz of voices had turned into an unnerving silence.

"How's it going with Bucky?" Nat asked, her tone casual yet curious, hoping to pass the time and pry a little.

"What do you mean?" you replied, feigning ignorance, though your cheeks warmed slightly.

"You two are spending a lot of time together. Is there something going on between you?" Natasha continued, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Yeah. I mean, no, we're just hanging out," you stammered, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Do you like him?" she asked, a knowing smile spreading across her face.

"Uhh… he's cute," you admitted with a giggle, silently praying the rest of the team would arrive sooner.

"Aww," Natasha chuckled, clearly enjoying your discomfort. "You do like him."

Just then, the static sound crackled through the comms, breaking the uncomfortable moment.

"Can you hear us now?" Steve's familiar voice asked, his tone filled with relief.

"Loud and clear, Cap," you responded, grateful for the interruption.

"We're five minutes away," Steve informed.

As you waited for the team, you couldn't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, there was something more between you and Bucky. You obviously liked him, but you weren't sure how he felt about you.

Back on the quinjet, Bucky was in a suspiciously good mood. He joked with Sam and wanted to kill him slightly less than usual, a clear sign that something was wrong.

"What's with you today, Barnes?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did someone slip something in your coffee?"

Bucky smirked. "What, can't a guy be in a good mood without you getting all suspicious?" He glanced your way.

Sam laughed. "You? In a good mood? That's definitely suspicious. Who are you, and what have you done with Bucky?"

"Maybe I just have a good mood," Bucky said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Sam's eyes widened in mock horror. "Oh no, it's worse than I thought. You're possessed!"

"Keep it up, Wilson, and I'll show you just how 'cheerful' I can be," Bucky retorted, though his grin.

The playful banter continued, much to the amusement of the rest of the team.

After getting home and taking a shower, you knocked on Bucky's door and entered the room without waiting for his response. "Hey, Buck?" you called out, only to be greeted by the sight of him drying his hair with a towel, completely naked, his backside to you.

"Hey, doll," he said, wrapping the towel low around his waist, his voice smooth and casual.

"Uhh…sorry." you stammered, your cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson. "I-I just wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?" he replied, walking closer to you in what felt like slow motion. "What?"

"I don't remember," you admitted, gulping in embarrassment as your eyes remained glued to his muscles.

Bucky laughed, leaning against the wall with his arms folded and his head tilted slightly to the side. "Maybe you can trace back your thoughts to what you were thinking about before you came here?" he suggested, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

"Do you want to watch a movie with me?" you blurted out, probably as red as a beet.

"Sure thing," he said with a grin. "I just need to get dressed."

As he turned to find some clothes, you couldn't help but think that this was going to be one interesting movie night.

After getting dressed, Bucky brought a bowl of popcorn and settled next to you on the couch. "Wanna watch that new horror movie that everyones talking about?" he asked, a playful grin on his face.

"I guess so," you replied, a mixture of excitement and apprehension in your voice. He selected the movie and pressed play.

As the eerie music started and the suspense built, you found yourself inching closer to Bucky. The jump scares had you clutching his arm, and each time you both laughed, sharing the tension.

Midway through the movie, a particularly terrifying scene had you yelping and hiding your face in Bucky's shoulder. "You okay?" he asked, his voice filled with concern, though he couldn't hide his amusement.

"Yeah, just a little freaked out," you admitted, your heart racing.

"Don't worry, I've got you," Bucky said, wrapping his arm around you protectively.

As the movie progressed, the tension only heightened. At one point, a loud jump scare on screen made you jump, spilling popcorn everywhere. Bucky burst into laughter, and you couldn't help but join in, despite your embarrassment.

"Sorry about the mess," you giggled, trying to pick up the scattered popcorn.

"No worries," Bucky said, helping pick up the popcorn still chuckling. "It's part of the fun."

As the movie reached its conclusion, you were practically glued to Bucky's side, your nerves on edge. The final scare had you both jumping, and you clung to him even tighter.

When the credits finally rolled, you let out a relieved sigh. "Wow, that was scary," you said, still trying to calm your racing heart. "Way too many jump scares."

"It sure was," Bucky agreed, his arm still around you. "But you handled it like a champ."

"Thanks for being my protector," you teased, looking up at him with a smile.

"Anytime, doll," he replied softly, his gaze locking with yours. In that moment, you felt a spark of something more, a connection that went beyond friendship.

As you both sat there, the adrenaline slowly fading, you realized that the evening had brought you closer together in a way you hadn't anticipated. The scary movie night had turned into an unexpectedly romantic experience.

The next morning, you wandered into the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep from your eyes. You spotted Bucky at the counter, deep in his thoughts, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Morning, Buck," you greeted, trying to sound casual.

"Morning, doll," he replied with a smile. "So, you know when the comms malfunctioned yesterday?"

You nodded, wondering where this was going.

"Turns out," Bucky continued, "they only malfunctioned on your end. We heard everything you and Nat talked about."

Your heart skipped a beat. "Everything?" you asked, your face heating up.

"Yep," he confirmed, taking a sip of his coffee. "Including the part where you said I'm cute."

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. "Oh no."

Bucky chuckled, setting his mug down. "Why didn't you just tell me you liked me?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I didn't want to make things awkward between us," you admitted, peeking at him from between your fingers.

He took a step closer, his expression softening. "Well, it's a little late for that," he said with a grin. "But I guess we can work through the awkwardness together."

You looked up at him, your heart pounding. "So, you're not mad?"

"Nah," he replied, shaking his head. "Actually, I'm kinda relieved. I've been wanting to tell you I like you too."

Before you could respond, Bucky closed the distance between you, his hand gently cupping your cheek. He leaned in, his lips brushing against yours in a tender, lingering kiss. The world seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of you in that perfect moment.

Lost in the moment, you didn't notice Sam walking into the kitchen. "Oh my god!" Sam exclaimed, rubbing his eyes. "Am I dreaming? Is this a nightmare?"

You and Bucky pulled away, both of you blushing furiously. "Morning, Sam," you said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Morning?" Sam repeated, still in shock. "I need coffee. Lots of coffee."

Bucky chuckled, wrapping his arm around you. As you stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, you knew that this was just the beginning of something special. And despite Sam's dramatic reaction, you couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness and excitement for what the future held.

[valeriapryanikova]

ominous

(itsy-bitsy fanfic concept/idea/? under the cut)

[A page ripped out of a journal; the owner’s handwriting is messy and barely legible.] 

february, 29th

i'm surprised i'm not dead now.

yesterday, in the late evening, as i was painting, it started storming. suddenly and hard. one second the dark sky is clear from any clouds, and the next moment the droplets are pelting me with a surprising force. i rapidly abandoned my easel and canvas (not like there would be anything lost—the piece was dull and not working out the way i desired) in favor of seeking cover.

i was still near the village, on its outskirts, but just a bit too far from my house to reach it quickly before my whole being was drenched through and through. so i ducked into one of the huts, all of which stand empty, desolate… or so i thought, at least.

only once inside did i spot the dim, ominous, red glow of the overhead lamp; the sound of a muted conversation; the overwhelming sense of “wrong”, like i was not meant to be here. abruptly silence fell and two sets of bright eyes stared me down.

terror froze my body. i felt like a prey caught in between two predators, i could practically feel their jaws snapping around my neck.

the dredger slowly smirked at me, barring her sharp, sharp teeth. (since when are they sharp? i may not have crossed path with her often, but i swear i would’ve noticed if she had shark teeth before.) i did not stay to see if the fisherman would further react to my presence too. the control of my body returned, allowing me to let out a panicked apology for interruption and bolt out of the hut, running home at full speed.

it’s been hours since then. i couldn’t fall asleep. i’ve been up the whole night, haunted by fear. the scene of those two beasts in the darkness, ready to snap me like a twig for overhearing something (i don’t remember what exactly, all the horror of the situation evaporated all my thoughts), got stuck in my mind’s eyes. so i’ve been doing what i know how to do best—painting.

[Attached to the diary entry is a typewritten note.] 

That painter fellow is an impressionable and imaginative type. Needless to say, the actual interaction with the two fish merchants was likely a lot less… Dramatic.

The painter was reluctant to show me the painting mentioned in the last paragraph, but after some convincing I did manage to take a quick look on their recollection of the witnessed scene: it seems mostly useless for my research, but I noted down some details that might be of use in the future (refer to “AudioLog#143” transcript for more information).

Collecting data on “The Fisherman” continues to prove itself annoying. The subject is allusive: there’s not many sources mentioning him, and folk around here rarely witness him out and about. Currently the only lead I have is finding that one old newspaper article about the docks that, if I recall correctly, mentions him in an interview with workers. Perhaps, when I have time, I’ll try asking the collector from the other side of the river if he has a copy of that newspaper issue.

However, for now, I’m significantly more interested in “The Dredger” subject. There’s more than plenty info about her—I would actually say there’s too much info about her, all inconveniently inconsistent. In an attempt to get more reliable data I’m getting in contact with Mined since they have done scientific observation of this area and the people of interest. My request for access to their data has gone unanswered so far and, if shoving my anthropology degree in the faces of those bumbling idiots won’t work, I’m sure that that city nearby has enough hackers willing to do some dirty work for a pretty diamond.

I will get the data I want, one way or another.

[thewinter-eden]

That Your Man?

images are mine (except middle LK pic that I got from pinterest). please do not use without permission. Apparently all the ATE pcs are my inspo this time.

part 2 of my skz crack!horror series.

pairing: Lee Minho x fem!reader rating: mature, dark themes summary: mugger!Minho holds you and your bf up in an empty parking lot one night, ready to give you the old ‘your money or your life’ routine, but when your bf pushes you into the line of fire so he can run away, Minho has second thoughts.

warnings: Fear, Minho has a gun, attempted mugging (obv), asshole bf, rude Minho, scared but defeated reader, Minho's kinda soft but he ain't gonna admit it, language, satire, unrealistic robbery, unrealistic Minho, food-related insecurity, nerve/muscle/twitch-related insecurity, hurt/comfort, Minho’s a softie but also a criminal coffee.

Comment and reblogs appreciated!

word count: 4k

series info PART 2 INFO

Part 2 >

“Shit, babe, don’t cry.” Your boyfriend pulls you off to the side, a playful laugh on his lips as he uses your scarf to wipe your face. It’s a brand new scarf—he just gave it to you for your birthday, and some of the fibers stick to your face. “It’s just a movie.” He crouches low to your face, diminishing his own height more than necessary in a way that makes you feel so small.

Embarrassment floods your cheeks with heat, and you do your best to pull yourself together. This is not at all how you thought this would go. Crying in front of him is one of the less enjoyable ways to spend an evening, particularly when he’s in a diminutive mood, as he is right now. You’re both standing outside the theater, huddled together in the glow of the neon sign, while people pass you by with the scent of popcorn and chocolate on their clothes.

“Sorry,” You laugh at yourself. It’s easier to deal with him laughing at you when you’re already laughing at yourself. The movie was a biopic on a musician you’ve always loved, and the final scenes had been comprised of the last footage taken of them before their death. You didn’t mean to cry through the credits, but here you are, sniffling into your new scarf.

“Aww, that’s okay, babe.” Your boyfriend coos, and gives your arm a squeeze. He’d thought the movie was ‘sensationalist crap.’ “You wanna grab food? We can get whatever takeout you want.”

That’s how you found yourself crossing the dark parking lot towards McDonalds, Jake’s debit card in hand for his half of the bill. You hadn’t really wanted crappy fast food for your birthday dinner, but while you had been considering your options, Jake had caught sight of the famous golden arches gleaming across the lot.

He couldn’t go with you to collect the food, of course. He had a work call to make and would rather sit in the heat of his car than walk through the cold as he did.

This behavior isn’t new.

You’re used to it.

You’re independent, you can handle being left to your own devices.

And his work calls are boring as hell to listen to, anyway, so why not make the most of the situation and take a walk?

It’s even starting to snow.

It’s a beautiful night for a walk.

As you turn your face to the sky to catch fresh snowflakes on the tip of your nose, you hear running footsteps behind you. “Babe!” Jake’s voice pants.

You turn to find him fighting the slick of the icy parking lot to catch up with you. He’s laughing, rolling his eyes at himself, waving his wallet at you. “I totally forgot.”

You open your arms to catch him as he comes skittering into reach, shiny black shoes nearly slipping out from under him. His long limbs flail briefly before settling against you, his weight thrown against your hip to keep himself upright.

He’s got his earpiece in, his phone clutched in one hand, the word ‘conference’ rolling across the info line. His side of the call is muted so he can speak to you.

You thread your fingers through his jacket, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips, but he’s too busy digging through his wallet to receive it. Your lips glance off his chin and are left cold and unsatisfied.

This is also normal. You’ve stopped letting it sting.

“Here.” He plucks his debit card from your hand and replaces it with another. “Use my work card for my half. I can technically write this off as an expense since I’m working.” He gestures to his phone significantly and then pinches your cheek fondly. “Thanks babe. Love you.”

Derision swirls in your gut, but you fight it down. “Love you too.”

But he’s already checked out of the conversation. His eyes float somewhere above your head, listening to whomever is speaking on his call. A twinge of annoyance twists his lips.

Deciding to leave him to his work, you turn on your heel and continue your jilted jaunt to McDonalds, only to run smack into someone in the otherwise empty parking lot.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” You pull yourself away from the man you’ve just plowed into, looking for his face past the blackness of his hood and face mask to gauge how much you might have just pissed him off.

Because that’s just what you need—getting chewed out by a stranger in the cold.

“Babe?” Jake’s voice wonders behind you. “You okay?”

You don’t answer.

You can’t.

Because you’ve just seen it.

Poking through the folds of the stranger’s dark jacket, the muzzle gleaming in the light of the street lamps, and pointing straight at you, is the barrel of a handgun.

You’re frozen.

The man steps closer and you see his eyes then, narrow and focused. They meet your gaze for an instant, flickering with some unreadable thought, and then settle just over your shoulder. He’s sizing up your boyfriend, still silent as the night.

“Babe, answer me, are you—holy shit.” Jake is standing next to you then, his searching gaze landing on the gun, and his hand grips your arm.

You’re mentally going through your options, working your way through potential scenarios.

Most likely, it’s your average mugging.

Probably nothing like the time you and your nephew gathered up all of his tiny plastic play kitchen mugs and pelted them at your brother, all while shouting “You’re being mugged!” Great fun for a six-year-old, probably not so much for this man.

He’ll take your phones and your wallets, maybe even your car keys, but he probably won’t shoot anybody. He just wants quick cash, maybe for drugs or rent, and he’s probably not interested in being a wanted murderer.

He looks too old to be a teenager, and he’s rock solid, calm and collected, which comforts you. He’s not a stupid kid, and he’s not totally strung out. You might just be lucky enough to rely on some rational decision making.

While you’re thinking your way through your chances of surviving, Jake is erupting into panic next to you.

“Oh my god. Oh my god. This isn’t happening. Oh my god.” His hold on your arm is like a vice, clenching around your muscle with more than enough strength to bruise. Half of you wants to pry his fingers off before they splinter the bone, the other half wants to hide behind him and pretend this isn’t happening.

“Calm down.” The stranger scolds your boyfriend coolly, but he’s cut off.

“Oh my god, please don’t hurt me. Please don’t hurt me. I have an electric car, just take it.” And then Jake’s scrambling through his pockets, while the stranger’s eyes further narrow into slits.

His gaze darts to you, where you’re still frozen.

“Take it easy, Romeo,” The stranger takes a step closer, an action that completely spooks Jake.

Your boyfriend lets out a wail of terror and promptly dives behind you, his hands hurling you forward. You scream, your body colliding with solid warmth. In the next second he’s gone, bolting back across the parking lot towards his car.

You hardly notice the flash of headlights or the screech of tires as he squeals out onto the street, because your boyfriend’s actions have just launched you directly into the arms of the man who’s trying to mug you.

The stranger had caught you by reflex, his gun now jammed forcefully into your ribs, and you definitely hadn’t accounted for this scenario.

There’s a rush of grunts and tangled limbs and skidding shoes as you shove yourself away from him, your eyes wide, lungs gasping, but the stranger is staring in the direction that Jake just drove off in.

“Shit,” He mutters in disbelief, and finally turns back to you.

You’re still petrified, terrified, abandoned.

Where are you gonna go now? Hoof it to McDonalds and hope the bigger, stronger man doesn’t catch you before you get there?

Well.

Then again.

Might be your best option.

But then the stranger reaches behind himself and tucks the gun into his waistband, bringing his now empty hands back into view. In a second, he’s knocked his hood back and tugged his mask down, revealing shocks of fluffy brown hair and the highest cheekbones you’ve ever seen. He hooks a thumb back towards the street. “That your man?”

It’s enough to open the floodgates.

You burst into tears, so relieved that you’re no longer at gunpoint, terrified because you’re alone with the man who tried to mug you (did he even get the chance?), pissed and hurt because your boyfriend shoved you into the arms of a gunman, confused because the gunman is now speaking casually to you.

It’s a lot.

At your sudden explosion of emotion, the man leans back on his heels, sighing at you. This isn’t how he expected the altercation to go, but now that he’s left in the whirlwind aftermath of your nightmare boyfriend saving his own ass, all he can do is stare as you dissolve into a puddle of tears.

Through sobs, which you barely manage to hide in your scarf, you squint up at him past the falling snow. “What do you want? Are you robbing me?” You might as well ask—what is he gonna do, shoot you?

After a few seconds of pensive silence, the man steps forward with a nod. You flinch backwards, but he just lifts his empty hand, palm up. “Yeah, I am. Give me the card he just gave you.”

You blink, tears momentarily paused. “The card?”

He nods towards where your hand is still clenched around the company credit card. “Yeah I heard all that ‘pay for my half with the work card’ bullshit. I saw that lame-o pathetic kiss, too. He’s a real winner. Gimme.”

His fingers crook at you expectantly, and you’re so tense that you jump and immediately pass the card over. He tucks it into his pocket, and then cocks his head oddly at your scarf. “What is that fucking monstrosity and why are you wearing it with the tag still on it?”

He doesn’t know what to do, either. None of his victims have ever sacrificed their girlfriends to him before; admittedly at a loss, he decides to play it by ear. You haven’t called the cops yet, so he still has some time to see where this goes.

More confused than ever, your eyes fall to the bright orange and blue felt scarf, and realize that there is in fact a tag sticking out of one of the folds. Before you can take a closer look at it, the stranger’s hand snaps out and plucks the scarf off your neck. A rush of cold air chills your skin where the fabric once was.

He’s…stealing your scarf?

“Hey, wait—” You argue, and then freeze when his challenging eyes snap back up to you. “That was a birthday present, please don’t take it.”

He holds up the tag, a neon green discount marker from a local thrift store. “Who gave it to you? Because—”

You snatch the scarf back, humiliated. “My boyfriend gave it to me.” You can’t believe you just yanked something out of the hands of the man with the gun.

He gazes at you for a long moment, hands jammed in his pockets. He doesn’t know much about you, except for the fact that you handle duress better than your boyfriend does, but he did overhear the company card conversation which suggested you were expected to pay for your own dinner while your boyfriend wasn’t even willing to pay for his own, and that you were sent to collect dinner by yourself, and, now, that your birthday gift had been a horrendous piece of second hand garbage that—by the looks of your clothes—isn’t your style at all.

“Your boyfriend got you a thrifted scarf for your birthday.” He repeats blandly.

You sniffle, putting a few more feet of distance between you. “He knows I like cozy things.” There’s not much you can say to defend Jake at this point, but you can’t take any more degradation right now.

“Tell me he got you something better last year.” The stranger scoffs.

You scowl at him. “Aren’t you robbing me?”

His teeth flash in the lamplight, and he waggles Jake’s company card at you. “I already did. Shall we go get him fired?”

Voracious, incredibly stressed laughter bursts out of you. “What?”

This guy holds you up in a dark parking lot at nearly midnight, witnesses the most embarrassing display of emotional betrayal you can imagine, and is now offering to get your boyfriend fired as payback for abandoning you?

He tucks the card back in his pocket with a shrug. “Just seems to me like it’s more worth my time to give that asshole what’s coming to him than to steal the money you probably don’t have, considering he makes you pay for shit.”

There’s nothing in the world that could have prepared you for that.

Your mouth falls open. “I have money!”

“Are you offering?” His hand goes back towards the gun in his waistband, his smirk teasing, and your heart leaps into your throat. His joke falls flat when your gaze drops to the ground, chin tucking against your chest, your entire personality seeming to instantly deflate.

His heart sinks at the sight, which is not something he wants to decipher right now.

“Alright, wait.” He drops the edge of his jacket back down over the gun. “I was kidding, please don’t cry again. I’m Minho, what’s your name?”

“Why the hell would I tell you my name?” You snap. Then you shoot him a look. “Why the hell would you tell me your name?”

He shrugs again—an action he seems very fond of—and nods to the scarf still in your hands. “Throw that piece of shit away and come with me. There’s a coffee shop right over there that’s still open. You can warm up while you order another ride.”

You balk, moving backwards once again. At this point, you could fit an entire shopping cart train between you, and Minho is smiling.

“I’m not going with you!” You exclaim, clutching the scarf like a shield.

He points to the other side of the parking lot, where a coffee shop pours warm light out onto the pavement. “We would be walking. Just come with me for a cup of coffee. Alright? You said you like cozy things.”

A few seconds of tense silence pass. He blows snowflakes out of his eyelashes and blinks at you expectantly. You can’t understand what the hell is happening right now.

“Why?”

Minho sighs, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “You just got mugged, alright, you’re in distress. You just got stranded here with a dangerous stranger, and you look like you’re turning blue. I can’t just leave you here.”

“You had no trouble robbing me at gunpoint, why can’t you just leave me alone?”

The teasing smile falls from his face and he frowns at you. “Because I just robbed you at gunpoint and that’s not even why you’re crying. That’s a whole new level of pathetic. I can’t in good conscience leave you here.”

You burst into tears all over again.

He lifts his hands in surrender, approaching you carefully. “Alright, listen. I’d rather run up a shit ton of debt on your ex’s company credit card than keep making you cry. So can we start with a cup of coffee? Please? Once you’re in the Uber I’ll be on my way, buying TVs and chipotle gift cards until he’s out of a job. I swear.” He crosses his heart.

“He’s not my ex.” You sniffle, because he’s not. Who wouldn’t be terrified in the face of an armed robbery? You can’t totally blame Jake for his reaction, as miserable as it makes you feel. Did he even think about coming back for you? What if you had been shot after he left?

Minho shakes his head at you and watches you crumble all over again. “Come on, jagi, why are you this upset over that deadbeat nobody? You’re making me feel funny.” Pity. The nurturing monsoon swirling in his gut is pity—something he’s never felt for somebody he’s mugged before. His eyes lift to take in the movie theater behind you, and then at the scarf still clenched in your fists as you weep.

“Don’t tell me today is your birthday.”

You sob harder, pressing the heels of your hands against your eyes. You’re not afraid of this strange criminal anymore, rather heartbroken and disappointed that your already lame evening has taken such a miserable turn.

“Well, shit.” Minho mumbles. “Wait, shit. He was going to make you pay for your own fucking McDonalds on your birthday?”

“Why do you care so much?” You screech, reeling away when his hand touches your arm.

He throws up his hands in equal amounts of frustration, eyes widening as much as yours. “Because you look like an abandoned fucking kitten and I’d be a horrible person to just leave you here.”

“You are a horrible person.” You shout back, and then your mouth clamps shut. Your hand slaps over your lips, staring at him in utter terror as you realize that you’re firing insults at someone who could just shoot you if he decides you’re offensive enough.

But he just laughs at you. “Yeah, fair enough. So, come on—coffee?”

Without a single sane reason to support this decision, you walk across the parking lot with him and step into the comforting heat of the busy coffee shop. It’s weird, it’s definitely weird, but in the past five minutes he’s showed you more interest than Jake has in three months, and you can’t help but want to spend a few more minutes in the company of someone so attentive.

And as the light washes over his decidedly attractive face, you realize that he’s not so bad to look at, either.

After all, he robbed Jake—not you.

Minho stands at the counter, ordering your drinks, and then nudges you and points at a display case full of cake. “Eh? For your birthday?”

Your stomach rumbles with hunger, but your face flushes with heat. “Oh, no, I’m good.”

He frowns. “I’m not going to make you pay for it, not after the way that ass treated you.”

“Because it was so much worse than the way you pulled a gun on me?” You hiss, eyes flashing to the barista who miraculously doesn’t hear you.

Minho rolls his eyes. “If you were my girlfriend, I never would have pulled a gun on you, much less pushed you in front of one. It’s completely different. Get a slice of cake.”

The barista’s eyes go wide.

You wave his suggestion away. “No, really. Thanks anyway.” The cake does look incredible, though.

“I can hear your stomach growling. Would you rather go get something different? Protein?” Minho pushes, glancing around your person as though he expects you to faint right in front of him. It’s almost sweet enough to cancel out your suspicion of him as he waits for you to order a slice of birthday cake.

You step away from the register instead. “I’ll eat at home.”

Minho squints at you. “You don’t eat in public?” It’s sarcasm.

“…No.” It’s not sarcasm.

“Because…”

You’re getting antsy, the barista’s getting antsy, and the three people in line behind you are getting antsy.

Minho doesn’t care.

Why would he? He’ll just rob them all later.

“Because I have a facial spasm when I eat.” You whisper, embarrassment flooding your cheeks.

The man before you looks like he’s not surprised at all by this information. “So? That’s not uncommon.”

“But it embarrassed my boyfriend—”

“Your ex.”

“It embarrassed him so we stopped doing meal dates in public.”

He stares at you. “You’re fucking with me.”

“No, my face twitches really badly and it’s embarrassing. Just the coffee please. Please. I can’t take this anymore.” You can’t stand the fact that you’re spending so long holding up the line, so you shake your head at him and move towards a table in the corner, refusing to delay the process any longer.

Your retreat forces Minho to turn around and complete his order, paying with Jake’s company card, but a few moments later he’s approaching your table with two plates of cake. He puts one in front of you with a hard set frown. “Just eat the damn cake. Your ex is shit. It’s not like your side of the booth faces the room anyway, so you won’t feel uncomfortable.”

He sits across from you, scooting his own plate closer to himself.

“He’s not my ex.” You argue quietly. “And my side of the booth still faces you.” It shouldn’t matter, to show one of your more mortifying qualities to the guy who held you up in the parking lot, but it does. You want to put your beautiful slice of cake into a to-go box and take it home to eat it curled up in your armchair where no one can see you.

Minho doesn’t look up from his cake. “He’ll be your ex boyfriend after tonight. There’s no reason for you to be holding on to the bitch ass who throws you at the barrel of a gun on his worst day and is too ashamed of you to take you to dinner—or let you fucking kiss him—on his best. Now eat your cake before he becomes your late boyfriend.”

Blood drains from your face as you reach for your fork. “Please don’t hurt us.” The words break past your lips in a whisper, but you scoop up a bite of cake. It nearly wobbles right off your fork as your hand trembles, but you manage to keep it onboard. “I really don’t know what you want from me.”

“I want you to chill out and have some birthday cake.” Minho glances up at you right as you take a bite and lift your hand to hide your face politely. He frowns as you chew. “Put your hand down. Did I tell you to cover your face?”

Your eyebrows lower, tears pooling in your eyes. “You’re being kinda mean to me.” It’s too weird, the juxtaposition of the man who mugged you at gunpoint outside and the man who is having cake and coffee with you in celebration of your birthday.

Though, to be fair, he didn’t really get the chance to rob you before Jake freaked out, so does it really count?

He just stares at you blankly. “Would you rather I take you out back and mug you again?” Before you can start crying again, he nudges your foot under the table with his own. “You’re safe, jagi. I’m sorry I scared you out there.”

It takes a second, but you convince yourself to relax. You’re safe.

You eat your cake, you drink your coffee, you smile every time Minho calls you jagi, exactly as he intends; you force yourself stop paying attention to the twitching in your cheeks while you chew, not even knowing that he’s watching you because it’s cute, not because it’s weird. He spends ten minutes trying to convince you to break up with Jake, and by the end of the meal—the first meal you’ve had in public since you started dating Jake a year and a half ago—you’ve decided you agree with him.

No more Jake.

Minho all but cheers. No more Jake.

At the end of the night, he watches you order an Uber, and then he borrows someone else’s phone. Actually borrows it, doesn’t steal it.

“Yes, hello, police? A woman has just been mugged. The guy had a gun, and he drove off in an electric car—” And, despite your insincere protest, he gives a description of your boyfriend as the assailant before hanging up. Minho returns the phone, waits with you for your Uber, and then sends you off with a cheeky wave of Jake’s company card.

He keeps the scarf.

Part 2 >

Let me know what you think!

PART 2 INFO

taglist:

@whatdoyouwanttocallmefor @estella-novella @babyphotos0325 @softfor-svtptg @furfoxsake22 @tubelightanyaa

[papiliotao]

HOME SWEET HOME — neuvillette x reader

content: 13.3k words, lovers to exes to hopefully lovers again, reader goes to jail, mixed feelings (i hope i wrote them decently), murder, poison, lots of investigation

summary: a singular trial is all it takes to tear your world apart. after being framed for an atrocious crime, you're sent to the fortress of meropide by the decree of your own lover. however, as new evidence emerges years down the line, you're offered freedom at last — the only catch being that you must confront the real culprit (and your complicated feelings for the man who broke your heart).

a/n: merry (late?) christmas @https-sourlimes!! i'm your secret santa. i am SO sorry about the wordcount; i got carried away while writing. i really hope you enjoy! <3

Happiness is a fragile ephemerality.

One word is all it takes to set your world ablaze in a frenzy of roaring flames, once-comforting hues of warmth roaring in a final performance of oceanic havoc. A numb horror manifests in subtle shivers that wrack your body, piercing your very soul with its glacial frostbite. Echoes reverberate within your mind.

Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

According to the judgment of the Oratrice Mechanique D’analyse Cardinale, [name] is guilty.

Neuvillette’s words seem to ring in the air, long overstaying their welcome as they persist in a buzz of illusory ostinatos over a backdrop of stunned silence. No one stirs as the tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers unfolds before them. Instead, they watch with bated breath, never once daring to intervene, allowing every act of fate’s cruel masterpiece to play out in flawless tandem.

Nothing feels real until the moment the guards slip a pair of handcuffs around your wrists. Gradually, a sense of panic envelops your senses, prompting you to desperately turn to where Neuvillette had been standing. Fear begins to well up in the pit of your stomach.

You need his help.

But when your eyes land on the spot where your lover had once been, you find that he is all but gone.

Emptiness is all that remains as you’re escorted down to the depths of Meropide.

“Wriothesley,” you greet the man in front of you politely as you step into his office.

It’s only six in the morning, but you were unceremoniously dragged out of your bed earlier when you were informed that Wriothesley had sent for you. A few years ago, you would have complained about how rude it is to rouse someone from slumber without warning. However, after spending thousands of days in prison, you’ve grown to understand that societal norms have no place within the lifeless metallic walls of Meropide.

Everything runs on incentive alone. Coupons are all that matter within the underground prison, and as such, most inmates spare less than a thought towards moral obligations and frivolous sentiments. It’s a home for some of Fontaine’s most infamous criminals, for crying out loud! Only a fool would expect pleasantries to have any place in this bleak world.

Your train of thought is interrupted as Wriothesley gestures towards a chair in front of his desk.

“Take a seat, [name],” he says, his voice gruff yet comforting.

He’s been your only companion throughout your time in prison, as the other inmates have been a little too uncouth for your taste. Although Wriothesley tries to pretend he simply wants to be your friend, you know he has ulterior motives. You know the reason why he’s always checking up on you so often — why he’s been suspiciously interested in your day-to-day life.

Someone you’d rather not think about put him up to this.

Someone you used to love.

(You still remember the crystal raindrops that kissed your skin mere moments before you were taken underground. You wouldn’t put it past him to watch you from afar.)

“Is something up, Wriothesley?” you inquire.

The more he talks the better, you decide. Right now, anything is better than silence because silence is a harbinger of spiraling thoughts and unpleasant recollections. At the moment, you want nothing more than to drown the mantras gnawing at the edge of your conscience in a sea of cascading words.

“Brace yourself,” Wriothesley warns, “This is gonna be a tough one to stomach.”

You nod hesitantly. Wriothesley usually keeps your conversations lighthearted and casual, so you’re absolutely certain that he’s serious this time. His foreboding preface sends a slight shiver down your spine, but you steel your nerves and meet his gaze. Irises beaming with fading moonlight scan your eyes for any traces of hesitation, scrutinizing every sentiment that graces the windows to your soul.

“I’m ready,” you reassure him.

Although Wriothesley raises an eyebrow when he hears the tremble that unsteadily articulates your growing anxiety, he continues on. One thing about Wriothesley you’ve grown to appreciate is the fact that he never pries into your affairs (at least not openly).

“Alright,” he sighs. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Tension becomes tangible as momentary silence fills the atmosphere; it’s almost deceptively peaceful. Every transient second feels more akin to an eon spent in stagnation as suspense gnaws at your conscience. As much as you hope for the hush to dissipate with every fibre of your being, you also dread the moment your false utopia will shatter.

“Is it really that bad?” you make the mistake of asking Wriothesley.

The grimace that adorns his weary features tells you all you need to know. Before your mind can run through all the possibilities in a frenzied delirium of panicked theories, Wriothesley finally speaks up.

“It’s about him,” he clarifies.

You immediately know who he’s talking about.

It’s funny. A few years ago, you used to speak his name in a hushed tone, filled with admiration and brimming with ardor. Every whisper used to feel adoring, almost reverent, and as such, you had mistakenly believed your love was akin to an all-enduring everblaze, a crimson flame of passion that would burn bright and persevere through all.

The irony is nearly laughable. Dying embers and hollow sentiments are all that remain now. His name has become a taboo, a word that feels all-too-foreign as you attempt to fill in the silence.

“Neuvillette,” you whisper shakily.

An unpleasant ringing seems to manifest in your ears as all the memories you’ve been trying to repress ebb and flow in a wave of aquamarine recollections. You’re aware he’s always been an overwhelming presence, yet it becomes all the more obvious as thoughts of him invade and overload your mind.

Wriothesley confirms your suspicions in the form of a solemn nod. To your surprise, his steely grey eyes soften for what feels like the first time since you’ve met him, a gentle warmth stirring beneath layers of permafrost.

Great, so your situation is so abysmal that even Wriothesley is starting to feel sympathetic.

“What does he want?” you manage to breathe out.

A part of you doesn’t want to face your ex-lover ever again in this lifetime. And yet despite it all, your heart screams for closure, resolving to remain unrelenting in its desires until every loose thread of your tragedy has been tied up neatly. You don’t know what to hope for at this point.

“You remember the poisoning case from a few years ago?” Wriothesley questions you.

It takes all your willpower to resist the urge to scoff.

“Who would forget the murder that changed their life forever?” Your voice comes out wry, bitterness intricately working its way into each inflection. Despite your attempts to exercise restraint, you find that your emotions are beginning to overtake rationality.

“Alright,” Wriothesley says hesitantly, “then I guess there’s no better time to break the news.” The suffering in his drawn-out sigh is palpable. “Suspicious new evidence related to the case has emerged recently. The Marechaussee Phantom is beginning to suspect that there’s more to it than what they initially found,” Wriothesley starts. Before he can continue, you interrupt him.

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Right.” With an exasperated click of his tongue, Wriothesley moves on. “That’s where you come in. Since you’re so closely-linked with the events that occurred that day, the Iudex has specifically requested your help in the investigation. I take it the possibility of freedom is incentive enough?”

You huff. “Seriously? He has the audacity to ask for my help after all this time without so much as a word? Not even freedom could convince me to work with that absolute — !”

The stern look that manifests within Wriothesley’s sterling irises is enough to prompt you to pause. Although he doesn’t vocalize his concerns, the diamond-esque glimmers of worry that manifest in his eyes speak volumes. Don’t say something you might regret.

So instead of continuing on, you allow yourself a single sigh — an attempt to alleviate all your frustration in a single exhale.

“What I meant was, I’m not sure I could work with the Iudex in any official capacity,” you say, gritting your teeth lest any unsavory words find a way to slip out of your mouth, “given our… complicated history.”

Wriothesley shakes his head, a subtle showing of his displeasure at being caught up in a lover’s quarrel. You can’t really blame him. Any bystander would feel beyond vexed if they were tasked with piecing together the fading ruby fragments of a once-blissful relationship.

“I thought you might say that,” he responds, raising a hand to massage his temples. At the moment, the bags under his eyes appear more prominent than ever, and you begin to wonder how much grief your personal issues with Neuvillette will cause poor Wriothesley. “That’s why you have a week to decide.”

You narrow your eyes to meet a gaze woven from the essence of dimming moonbeams. Wriothesley stares you back, unflinching in his poise.

“Good luck getting me to change my mind,” you scoff. “I’m not facing him ever again.”

A pause.

Silence threatens to consume all under its weight, and you’re left wondering how nothingness can feel so heavy. Wriothesley’s nonchalance seems to disperse, vanishing in the midst of the tense ambience. Now you’re absolutely sure you’re in for a heartfelt conversation — an anomaly amongst the casual paradigm the two of you have been defining over the past few years.

“I’m not great with all this sentimental stuff,” Wriothesley starts, “I mean, I’m hardly experienced with romantic relationships myself despite my age.” He chuckles, and suddenly you feel as though the mood has lightened ever-so-slightly. “But trust me when I say Monsieur Neuvillette still cares deeply about you.”

Does he? Why would anyone stand by helplessly while the person they supposedly love more than life itself is taken from them forever?

Despite the protests that practically fly to the tip of your tongue, you continue listening attentively. Although you keep telling yourself you no longer care about your former lover, perhaps there’s still a small spark of incandescent hope lying somewhere within your heart — an ember of love awaiting a day where it will burst into brilliant flame once more.

“Think about it,” Wriothesley hums, his casual tone slipping effortlessly back into place as if he never broke character. “It’s been years since your case has been closed, and all the loose ends were supposedly tied up when you were sentenced, which means…” He trails off, waiting for you to piece together fragmented bits of logic within the recesses of your mind.

The muddled pieces of knowledge confound you, yet as you consider the implications of Wriothesley’s statement more carefully, a flicker of ingenuity comes to life in a sporadic burst of aureate sparks.

“Which means he never stopped investigating,” you conclude. “He believed it wasn’t me all along.”

The realization dawns on you in shades of phantasmagoric navy. It’s chilling, akin to the unwelcome touch of icy waters. Likewise, it overwhelms you. Its implications are far too profound to be ignored or pushed aside, and you begin to understand that you won’t be able to run away from the man you once loved for eternity.

“And?” Wriothesley adds.

“And he’s been trying to prove my innocence,” you breathe out, feeling disconnected from the moment.

Everything feels surreal, and the last few seconds feel no less oneiric than the ludicrous dreams you’re pulled into every night. It’s as if your world is twisting and turning upside down. You’ve spent all this time trying to incinerate every ounce of affection held within your heart for Neuvillette, bitterly blocking every memory of him from your mind all while he’s been tirelessly working to reunite with you.

Guilt pierces your entire being, enveloping you in a venomous sort of discomfort. A shiver runs down your spine as you realize how unfairly you’ve been treating the man you were once hopelessly-devoted to. Even back then in your emotional state, you should have known he would never betray you, much less in such a profound manner. Yet a part of you is still bitter that it took him this long to do anything. You can’t find it in your heart to forgive him entirely.

Remorse is a complex sentiment. While it pushes individuals to grow and defy past ordainments, it also drives them to make decisions that become ironically more regrettable later on. You feel as though your situation will fit in the latter category as a desire to reconvene with your past lover blazes to life. You��re still beyond enraged when you think about him, but a small flourish of love still remains in your heart. There’s so much you want to know, so without a further thought, you relay your hasty choice to Wriothesley before you can stop yourself.

“Fine, take me up to the surface. I need to speak to Neuvillette.”

The moment you resurface for the first time in years, an epiphany overcomes your senses. You realize how much you missed all the sights and sounds of the outside world — how much you had taken everything for granted back when you were still free.

Every caress of an aquatic zephyr feels like a gentle luxury, and the sensation of golden sunbeams enveloping you in threads of luminous comfort is something entirely otherworldly. You savour the ephemeral peace and serenity that surrounds you, losing yourself in the salty spray of azure waves and the vast beauty of the divine skies above.

As someone who’s allowed above ground routinely for official business, Wriothesley either doesn’t notice your wonder as he escorts you to your destination, or he chooses not to comment on it. Perhaps the beauty of the overworld has become nothing more than a mundanity to him.

The Palais Mermonia is every bit as grand as you remember. It towers over Fontaine, as if watching over the city and all its affairs. The smooth stone walls and opulent detailings adorning the building serve as a welcome reminder of how magnificent Fontaine’s architecture can be — a nice change of pace after spending countless days locked away within the monochromatic metal walls of the Fortress of Meropide.

As Wriothesley leads you through the intricate doors of the Palais Mermonia, you feel a sense of anticipation swell within your heart. Polychromatic butterflies desperately flutter their wings in the pit of your stomach, manifesting in a swarm of discombobulating chaos. With every step you take towards Neuvillette’s office, you feel your feet grow heavier. By the time you’re standing before the entrance, you feel as if you’re practically glued to the ground. The only things that keep you going are Wriothesley’s watchful stare and careful guidance.

The dark-haired man beside you pushes the door open and motions for you to enter first. As much as you’d rather hide behind Wriothesley, you decide to swallow your nerves and step into the office before him.

Unfortunately for you, the first sight that greets you upon entering the office is the face of a man you’ve been trying to avoid for years now, whether in the waking world or slumber. Against your own will, you note that he appears just as breathtaking as the day you lost him. Every detail of his suit is as pristine as ever, not a single wrinkle in sight, no matter how hard you scrutinize. His hair looks as soft and voluminous as usual, each strand of cerulean a sharp contrast to silken starlight. Simply put it, nothing has changed, and as you look into his eyes, you realize just how accurate your inference is.

Molten tanzanite fills eyes akin to galaxies occupied by subtle glimmers of emotion. Even now, you find that you can read him perfectly. Although he appears serious on the surface, a single examination of Neuvillette’s gaze is all it takes for you to spot the luminous adoration that gleams beneath layers of carefully-crafted defenses.

Damn it. Don’t look at me like that.

It’s a look you’d recognize anywhere — a look you had once loved with all your heart, yet now it feels detestable more than anything. The ironic juxtaposition between your feelings in past and present nearly makes you laugh. It’s a bleak reminder of how greatly circumstances have shifted — how everything is wrong now.

Not a word is spoken as you sit down in a chair across from Neuvillette. Although you had assumed Wriothesley would join you, he stands off to the side before you can even protest. Any attempt to call him back over would definitely make it obvious that you didn’t want to have what was essentially a one-on-one conversation with your ex.

“[Name],” Neuvillette greets you formally, his tone steady and practiced. It feels unnatural after all you’ve been through; in the past, endearment would lace his tone each time he spoke to you, conveying the true depth of his feelings with a single whisper. This stiff rendition of the fantasia that used to be your name falling from his lips is nothing like the soft melody you’d become accustomed to so long ago.

“Neuvillette,” you shoot back, trying your best to keep your voice from reverting to its affectionate default. Although you’re unsure about acting cold towards the man, you’re certain neither of you would be fine with immediately going back to the way you were before the entire disaster unfolded in a matter of mere seconds.

(And besides that, you’re still somewhat angry it took him literal years to find a way to get you out of Meropide.)

“I hope you’ve been well,” Neuvillette says, his tone softening ever-so-subtly. Vulnerability works its way into a slight waver of his voice, a nearly-unnoticeable detail that any average person would miss. However, you are not an average person. You’ve acquainted yourself with every intricacy of Neuevillette’s personality over the years, and even now, every detail is preserved perfectly within the archives of your memory.

“I was as well as I could be in prison, I guess,” you mumble.

Even you’re not quite sure if your passing comment is an attempt at humour or a jab at your previous lover. Fortunately for you, Neuvillette doesn’t attempt to laugh. Instead, he simply nods.

“I see…” he trails off, staring at you intently. Eyes filled with hues of softened lilac and faint periwinkle blue bear into your soul, inspecting you with a gaze woven from twilight. Stardust suspicion seems to glint in Neuvillette’s irises, but he doesn’t pry. “What have you be—”

“Enough small talk. Can we get to the point?” you force out. You’re still not quite sure how you feel about the fact that Neuvillette still cares about you, so you push aside your emotions for the moment to focus on the main issue. As much as you want to ask what your relationship has become, everything feels far too overwhelming now that he’s in front of you again for the first time in years. “What exactly do you want me to do for you?”

Neuvillette pauses for a second, mulling over his next words. He doesn’t try to push the previous topic. Instead, he complies with your request.

“Work alongside me,” he says. “I’m aware that you may not find this to be the ideal arrangement, but ever since your sentencing, your reputation has become…” Neuvillette can’t bring himself to finish his sentence, so you interject.

“Awful? Dismal? Lower than low?” you chuckle bitterly. “I know. I didn’t expect any more when I agreed to come back up to the surface.”

For a second, pity sparkles in Neuvillette’s eyes, a look reminiscent of fragments of sunlight reflecting off sapphire ocean waves. You promptly decide that you hate it.

“Yes. Although I would not put it in such — brazen terms. If you would like an opportunity to clear your name, I would suggest putting serious consideration towards aiding in the second round of investigation. Please do let me know your verdict as soon as possible.”

“Why are you asking me as if I have a choice? It’s either help you or return to prison. Obviously one option is better than the other,” you sigh as a shiver runs down your spine. You know you’ll be in for an awkward few weeks. Spending every second by Neuvillette’s side is a harrowing nightmare come to life, but there’s no better way out of your dilemma. “I’ll join your stupid investigation.”

“Very well then,” Neuvillette responds. “I will show you to your accommodations in due time. Guards will be stationed outside your door around the clock in everyone’s best interest.”

You resist the urge to roll your eyes. Even with contradictory evidence, you’re still going to be treated like a criminal until you’re proven definitively innocent.

“Please note that you will begin assisting me tomorrow.”

With that, Neuvillette turns to Wriothesley, acknowledging him for the first time since the two of you entered the room. “Mr. Wriothesley, thank you for escorting [name] to my office. You may now take your leave.”

A part of you wants to beg Wriothelsey not to leave you alone with Neuvillette, but for once, you decide that you have to start being brave. So with bated breath and a heavy heart, you watch as your sole companion in recent times turns away, heading back to an unreachable world below the surface.

You’re on your own now in a place that has become entirely foreign to you.

The silken covers of the bed you’re provided are surprisingly comfortable. Wrapping each seafoam-coloured blanket around your body feels like being enveloped in a cloud, and sinking into a soft mattress is a luxury you have long forgotten after becoming accustomed to your dorm in the Fortress of Meropide. Needless to say, you find your slumber shockingly restful despite all the turbulent feelings arising within the pit of your stomach, threatening to overtake your rationality and fill you with a cold, chilling panic.

No, the panic only sets in when you’re escorted back to Neuvillette’s office the next morning by the two guards sent to oversee your activities. It’s akin to being plunged into the depths of freezing lapis waters, losing your grip beneath waves forged from midnight essence. A whole day alone together with Neuvillette is going to be a challenge, and unfortunately, your nerves get the better of you.

You hear his voice as cool perspiration forms on the back of your neck, slight shivers running down your spine.

“Good morning,” Neuvillette greets you, as composed and regal as ever.

You envy his ability to behave as though he’s tranquility personified, even in such an awkward situation. His composure is a virtue.

“You let me sleep in,” you note. The sunbeams that filter through Neuvillette’s window in a flurry of faded daffodil shades look nothing like the gilded threads of light that grace Fontaine at sunrise. Besides that, you can already hear a fair amount of chatter outside the office, and you even recall spotting a few passer-bys scurrying about as you were accompanied to the Palais Mermonia.

“Indeed I did,” Neuvillette confirms your suspicions.

You glare at him. “I thought you wanted me up bright and early to help you investigate.”

The man before you sighs. “Based on your behaviour yesterday, I inferred that the past few days have been rather taxing on you emotionally. I wanted to give you ample time to recuperate to ensure that you would be able to think optimally today.”

Neuvillette’s eyes soften, a rare sort of gentleness manifesting in dulled lavender, a hue pulled straight from an evening afterglow.

You recall a passing thought from a time you had watched nightfall overtake the heavens with Neuvillette a few years back. At the time, he had looked at you with the same soft gaze, examining you with an expression that conveyed unspoken understanding and affection. You remember noting the way his irises seemed to reflect the muted iridescent shades above. Back then, everything had been so tranquil, euphoric. A part of you can’t help but desperately wish to go back in time.

“Thank you,” you relent, finally acknowledging Neuvillette’s kindness.

Neuvillette shakes his head. “There is no need to thank me,” he states. “This is beneficial to both of us. After all, I don’t expect you to work effectively with a tired mind.”

Without another word, Neuvillette pulls out a pile of official documents, their worn ivory pages a stark contrast to a second untainted milky white stack he sets on his desk.

“As you may be able to tell, these are the case files from the initial investigation,” Neuvillette points to the first collection of papers, “and these are documents containing new developments.” He points at the pristine new records.

“Can you summarize what exactly made you revisit the case?” you ask Neuvillette. Personally, you don’t feel like spending a full day poring over documents instead of investigating. That’s just inefficiency at its finest. Why do that when you have someone who seems to revel in records to explain everything to you?

Neuvillette allows a light chuckle to slip past his lips, the sound a nostalgic fantasia as it reaches your ears. “I see that you haven’t stopped finding the easiest way to complete your tasks,” he jests, “but very well. This will save us a considerable amount of time.”

You sit with bated breath, suspense filling the atmosphere as you patiently wait to learn the exact evidence that may have altered your fate entirely.

“Firstly, to reiterate, the murder was a poisoning,” Neuvillette starts. “A member of the Marechaussee Phantom was found dead at a banquet with a drink in hand. Its contents were found to be normal for the most part, but when investigated more thoroughly, trace amounts of a toxic substance were found.”

You nod with fervour, every intricate puzzle piece of the case that had dictated your destiny all those years ago still fresh in your mind.

“You were the one who poured the drink.” Perhaps your mind is playing tricks on you because for the first time in your life, you hear Neuvillette’s voice tremble slightly, like a resplendent leaf as it drifts on an autumnal breeze. “There was no way to prove your innocence at the time, and no matter how hard we tried to trace the origins of the poison, all we could discern was that it was fast-acting, which thankfully meant that there were no other casualties. Unfortunately, we were unable to find any compelling leads…” Neuvillette pauses, “until now.”

“Recently, a worker from a drink factory has approached us with reports of suspicious activities within the facility. Although most employees are kept in the front of the building to manage the machines and ensure that the quality of each bottle sufficiently meets company standards, there are a select few allowed in the back to oversee the entire operation.”

“What does this have to do with the case?” you interject. You can feel your interest waning as Neuvillette’s words become tangent-adjacent.

“Not everything is as it seems,” he assures you. “Around a week ago, the worker ventured into the back, desperately searching for one of their superiors. The higher-up in question had assigned them a task, and afterwards, they proceeded to disappear for weeks on end. When looking for their manager, the worker discovered the truth of the facility.”

Your breath hitches in anticipation.

“Put simply, the entire drink production operation is a deception. The company’s real purpose is to produce a rare variety of poison. Fortunately, we managed to procure a sample of it, and when tested, it was found to be identical to the very substance used to assassinate the victim of your case.”

Although you want to correct Neuvillette, you hold your tongue. There’s no point in getting off-track.

“So you want me to help you find out who put the poison in the bottle?” you ask.

Neuvillette nods. “We could have simply paid a visit to the Fortress of Meropide and interrogated you from there, but I thought you would appreciate a little freedom and control over your own destiny. Besides that, I know you’re competent, and the rest of the investigation could greatly benefit from your assistance.”

“Is that really all there is to it? I’m sure lots of people out here were against the idea of letting me roam free for fear of their own safety, so it must have been quite a challenge to get me out in the first place,” you scoff. “If my comfort was the only factor in play, then you would have simply taken the easy way out and questioned me in prison to appease everyone.”

For a moment, Neuvillette hesitates. Transitory silence fills the air before being fragmented into crystalline shards of dissonant revelation that cause goosebumps to grace the surface of your skin.

“Your intuition is as sharp as ever,” he sighs. Suddenly, he looks all too exhausted, and you begin to realize how hard he fought to earn you your temporary freedom. “All the citizens of Fontaine believe that the judgment of the Oratrice Mechanique D’analyse Cardinale is perfect, flawless in its very nature. However, after your sentencing, doubt started to circulate, and I found myself among those who questioned the outcome of the case. It felt as though the full truth had not been revealed to us yet, and your punishment was ordained solely by a hasty collection of shaky facts gathered through a rushed investigation. It was entirely… unjust… the opposite of what Fontaine stands for.”

“There it is. You’re doing this all in the name of what’s right, as usual.”

You’re not sure what you were expecting Neuvillette to say. Perhaps you wanted him to tell you that he would never lose faith in you, his once dearly-beloved. Or maybe you were wishing with every fibre of your being that he would simply say he still cared and wanted you back.

But no, he’s Neuvillette.

Above all, he is fair.

He is justice.

The gazes of everyone in the interrogation room seem to burn with the light of a thousand stars, their pressuring radiance serving as an instrument of truth — a way to seek sincere answers to any questions that are posed. You shrink under their phosphorescence, feeling insignificant as the demands of all the officials in the room coalesce.

Before you stands Neuvillette, a few guards, and a couple members of the Marechaussee Phantom. You recognize the latter two as personal friends of the victim — people with personal stakes in the case.

“Do you remember who gave you the bottle?” a melusine inquires.

You force yourself to take a deep breath in, oxygen feeling like the sweetest ambrosia as you try to calm yourself. It’s funny. The small creature is at most half your size, potentially even less, yet you’re the one who feels intimidation well up in the pit of your stomach like the ebb and flow of an evening tide.

“A man named Gabriel, I think? He handed me the bottle while I was walking around and asked me to pass it around for him because he was busy running other supplies around the party.”

“That seems to line up with the records from the trial,” Neuvillette muses, flipping through his documents, “but when we investigated, we found no trace of such an individual, which leads us to believe that they utilized an alias and a disguise to conceal their true identity.”

You have enough restraint to hold back a groan. Here we go again with all the complexities.

“The bottle was screwed shut and completely full before you poured the victim a glass of juice, correct?” The melusine continues their questioning, meeting your eyes with a gaze composed of molten tourmaline.

“Yes,” you confirm. “Doesn’t that just make me look more guilty though? Clearly the poison couldn’t have been in the drink because the bottle hadn’t been unsealed yet, so the court deemed that the only logical conclusion was that I slipped something into the victim’s drink in the split second where nobody was looking.”

The melusine sighs. “With the emerging evidence, we’ve come up with a new theory. If the person responsible for the murder truly wasn’t you, then perhaps the actual perpetrator had a different means of mixing the toxic substance with the beverage. Keep in mind, the poison manufacturer is also a drink manufacturer.”

You pause for a moment, a frown etching itself into your features. You’re starting to see where this is going, but you don’t quite understand the big picture yet. “Elaborate, please.”

Neuvillette takes over. “If our new running theory is correct, then this is how the timeline of events occurred. The suspect was likely an authority figure at the aforementioned drink company, or at the very least, they were relatively close with someone who had power there. In order to throw off the investigation, they managed to spike the beverage before it was sealed in the factory. By doing this, they falsely led us to believe that the poison was poured into the cup instead of into the bottle, thereby alleviating the manufacturer of any suspicion.”

Oh. Suddenly everything is beginning to make a lot more sense. As each string of evidence begins to fall into place, a tapestry of truth is woven. At long last, an alternate story is starting to replace the false narrative that had been in circulation at the time of the case’s unraveling.

“It worked,” you breathe out. “Nobody even bothered to check the contents of the bottle because they were so focused on who was close enough to sneak something into the victim’s cup in the brief moment between the pouring of the drink and the first sip.”

“And for that I must apologize,” Neuvillette sighs, a thousand unspoken regrets lacing his tone. “Our investigation was not thorough enough, and this time, I do not intend to allow any more injustices to befall you.”

As you peer into Neuvillette’s eyes, you catch sight of sincerity manifesting in their depths, each glint of violaceous luminosity conveying a silent promise to protect you. At that moment, you’re sure that Neuvillette believes you were nothing more than an innocent bystander entangled in a web of schemes. Even if the rest of the world is still against you, at least you have him.

“Thank you. I’ll try my best to help you as much as I can.” You finally relent and decide that perhaps it’s time to adopt a policy of compliance; now that you’re sure your intentions all align, you feel ready to work with Neuvillette without reservations.

“Permission to share what we found out about the bottle?” the melusine from before interrupts your moment with Neuvillette, your transient flash of bliss disappearing within a blink. You can’t blame them, as your main priority right now is getting to the bottom of things.

Neuvillette nods, wordlessly indicating his approval.

“As you may know, we took in all items related to the investigation that day. The bottle of beverage was among them. We recently tested the liquid inside, and as expected, there were traces of poison mixed with the drink. It’s worth noting that the drink itself is the same one produced by the suspicious facility we received a report about recently.”

“So I’ve almost been proven entirely innocent?” You can’t resist the urge to ask, the idea of being pardoned after being assumed guilty for so long a saccharine respite.

“Yes, as long as we can apprehend the real criminals and get them to confess to their crimes, you’ll be free,” the melusine confirms. “Fortunately, the worker and the contents of the bottle have led us to the perfect place to start our second inspection — the factory.”

Not even a day later, you rise bright and early to look into the manufacturer with Neuvillette. As the suspect framed in a murder linked to the factory’s poison, your reappearance above ground is bound to set off some red flags in the minds of those who helped orchestrate the entire ordeal. Consequently, you don an uncomfortable disguise while Neuvillette simply plans on masquerading around the place as himself.

It’s ironic. Neuvillette, the renowned Iudex of Fontaine, can roam without fear of interference as his genuine self. Meanwhile, you, a mere nobody, are forced to adorn yourself with layers of obscurities, masking every aspect of your identity.

The contrast between your situations is almost amusing, but you can’t bring yourself to laugh. Even as silken strands of opulent golden sunlight grace your skin, sending a rush of warmth through your body, you can’t help but tremble. The stakes are high, and the possibility of being discovered is distressing to an extreme.

“Shall I go over the narrative one last time?” Neuvillette asks you as your destination seems to grow larger and larger. The grey stone that the building is forged of is reminiscent of the colour of storm clouds — ominous and foreboding.

“Wouldn’t hurt to,” you mumble, willing yourself to stop shivering immediately. You’ll draw even more attention to yourself if you continue to shake like ultramarine ripples on the surface of a turbulent lake.

“Fontaine’s food and drink products have been suffering a decline in quality lately,” Neuvillette states, “and we are here today to perform a health inspection. Although the Iudex is typically not involved with investigating such trivial matters, the issue has become profound. The lives of several Fontainians have already been jeopardized, so in an attempt to prevent any further tragedies, I have decided to personally step in alongside my assistant.”

You hum absentmindedly, still distracted by your nerves. It feels as though permafrost has infused itself with your soul, as you continue to quiver despite all your attempt to ground yourself. “Compelling,” you manage to force out.

You’re drawn back to reality by Neuvillette’s next actions. To your horror, his familiarity with your emotions due to your shared history is your detriment. Before you can process what’s happening, he takes your hand in his. His gentle grip is soothing, and it serves as a much-needed reminder that you’re in this together.

“No matter what happens, I will be by your side,” he reassures you.

For a second, it feels like you’re back in the past. Everything is fine between you and Neuvillette, and you can still trust him unconditionally. Although your relationship has deteriorated now, you find that his presence still brings you a sense of comfort.

Perhaps some sentiments are simply meant to endure forevermore.

There’s nothing remarkable about the inside of the factory at first glance. As expected, typical assembly lines are present within the vicinity to ensure that every bottle is assembled and packaged in an efficient manner. On the surface, nothing seems out-of-the-ordinary.

Your tour guide is friendly and welcoming, not intimidated in the slightest by Neuvillette’s regal presence. Although his appearance garners a few curious glances from the employees you pass by, no one is outright alarmed.

“So as you can see, our humble facility does indeed live up to all the health and safety regulations mandated by Fontainian law,” your guide concludes as your mundane tour draws to a close.

In all honesty, you’ve learned nothing even remotely useful. However, you refuse to leave empty-handed. As such, you decide to make an impulsive decision — a choice that will perhaps cast suspicion upon you, but if everything goes well, you could obtain crucial evidence pertaining to the case.

“We haven’t seen the back of the factory yet,” you muse. “Is there something you’re trying to hide from us? Mold, perhaps?” you pause for dramatic effect, trying your best to play it up. All you can do is desperately pray that your acting skills are enough to convince the tour guide you’re being genuine. “Or maybe an insect infestation.”

A laugh slips past the tour guide’s lips, piercing the awkward atmosphere with a timbre and articulation far too forced to indicate any sort of amusement. No, the guide is nervous, which means something is definitely off. You just need to gather concrete evidence of the misdemeanours being conducted behind the scenes of a grand diversion — something that means more than a simple vial of poison hailing from an unknown origin brought to you by a worker.

“Oh, my superiors typically prefer privacy,” the guide continues to chuckle, a slight hint of anxiety permeating his tone. “There are lots of important meetings held in the back, and they’re not the most fond of disturbances.”

One scrutinizing glance from Neuvillette is all it takes to send the guard reeling. Eyes swimming with delicate lilac narrow, any hint of gentleness fading like the brilliance of wilting petals.

“But I’m sure they can make an exception for our most honoured guests.” Swiftly, the guide makes his way over to the door leading to the back, pulling it open and gesturing for both you and Neuvillette to pass through.

Yet again, you find that you’re met with a sight that’s mediocre at finest. There’s nothing extremely telling about the meeting rooms you’re led through. However, as you wander through the winding corridors and desolate hallways of the surprisingly large area, you spot it — a sizable wardrobe sitting within what feels like the hundredth meeting room you’ve passed through.

Like everything else in this strange place, there’s nothing off about the furnishing upon initial inspection, but after a few moments of careful consideration, you note that it’s far too sumptuous to be in a place like this. It’s horribly out-of-place, a polished oak eyesore amongst the cool-toned decorations within the room.

As you share a look with Neuvillette, you can see that he’s having similar thoughts. At some point in time, someone moved the wardrobe into the room, likely to conceal something. Taking a closer look is essential, but first you need to find a way to distract the guide.

“Excuse me,” you interrupt the guide’s tangent. “Is there a bathroom anywhere nearby?”

Within a matter of minutes, both you and  Neuvillette are escorted over to the nearest bathroom. You enter the room and lock the door. Although you haven’t had an opportunity to discuss a plan with Neuvillette due to the prying ears stationed right next to the two of you, you know what he’ll do next. You’re sure he understands you well enough to know that what you need at the moment is a diversion.

Sure enough, your silent pleas are answered as Neuvillette walks a few steps away from the bathroom door, his footsteps thrumming against the frigid ground as a percussive background to the eerie soundtrack that seems to flood the entire factory.

“Is that an insect?” he inquires.

You hear a rush of frenzied steps, ones that you can distinctly differentiate from Neuvillette’s. That must be the guide.

“Where?” the guide’s voice rings out.

You hear the soft rustle of clothing as the guide supposedly leans over in order to take a closer look. Then, a loud bang shatters the quietude into jagged shards of chaos. You take it as your sign to open the bathroom door and sneak off quietly.

“Ah, forgive me. I was mistaken,” you hear Neuvillette’s voice fade into the distance.

The labyrinth of passages is difficult to navigate, but thankfully your memory is sufficient enough to guide you back along the route from whence you came. In a matter of minutes, you’re back at the wardrobe, scrambling to unveil every enigmatic secret hiding behind its prosaically plain exterior.

Common sense tells you to simply open it first, and sure enough, you find that the back of the furnishing has been hollowed out in order to form a passageway leading to an unknown location. Although you’re nervous, moving forwards is the only way you’re going to make any progress.

You force yourself to confront the mysterious tunnel, heading into its depths in order to collect the next piece of information you need to fully unravel the identity of the true killer.

This is for justice, you tell yourself. Begrudgingly, you also find thoughts of it’s what Neuvillette would do invading your mind.

When you finally step into a mundane office space, you feel as though you can breathe again. The daze slowly begins to subside, and in its wake, you find rationality once more.

Time is of the essence, so you decide to head over to the singular desk stationed in the room. On its surface is a collection of scattered papers, some frayed and others in mint condition. Immediately, you make a dash for the yellowed pages, scanning each one quickly before setting it down.

The documents seem to detail transactions between the company and those buying from their hidden business in the back. Each one is stamped with a date and a signature from the buyer stating that they will not (under any circumstance) reveal where the product they purchased came from. Perfect — all you have to do is find a file that seems to align with the relative time period where your crime took place.

Fortunately for you, the once-daunting plethora of papers is actually a far more meager pile than you had initially thought. Perhaps not many people know about the nefarious schemes that lie behind the factory’s fabricated façade, or maybe humans are simply sensible enough to avoid purchasing poison.

You search urgently, constantly looking over your shoulder and hoping, praying, to any archon listening to keep your deeds obscured and unwritten. However, through it all, you’re hindered by the fact that you have to actively try not to move things around too much. If someone returns to see that objects have shifted on their own, they’ll surely be on high alert.

After what feels like eons of blindly flipping through anything you could get your hands on, your eyes settle on a splotch of achromatic ink bleeding into canary. It’s a familiar date — around a week before your entire life fell apart. You grab the paper, and with one last scan of the other files, you’re nearly certain that it details the transaction of the very poison that broke down fate’s last defences, landing you in a prison you were never supposed to step foot in.

With haste, you stuff the document into your pocket and set off back to Neuvillette.

“We used to frequent that restaurant often,” Neuvillette muses as you wander the streets together.

Your tour had concluded around half an hour ago, and now you’re on your way back to the Palais Mermonia. Although you assured Neuvillette that you had obtained some useful evidence earlier through words whispered in the secrecy of a hushed voice, you know that you can’t discuss anything openly for fear of nosey bystanders — or worse, the criminals themselves — hearing.

You had taken a long time to find what you needed, so consequently it had been difficult to throw off any lingering doubt harboured by your guide. However, thanks to Neuvillette’s quick thinking, you were able to come up with an alibi.

The whole “bathroom” ruse had simply been a test — a plan to conduct your thorough inspection of the facility in an area typically skipped over, even on the most comprehensive tours. You had chimed in and said that the company passed with flying colours, and at that the guide simply beamed and continued leading you through meeting rooms.

Your reminiscence is interrupted as Neuvillette speaks again.

“Perhaps we should take a detour and visit,” he offers. “You must be famished after a day of hard work.”

You freeze, and your body tenses against your will. Isn’t it more important at the moment that you safely transport your evidence back to Neuvillette’s office? You tilt your head at Neuvillette curiously, as if to pose a question. Why are we wasting time?

“Trust me,” he leans in to whisper. You can feel his breath tickling your ear, yet you don’t flinch. It’s a feeling you had grown accustomed to years ago, and even now, having him close to you feels detestably right. “It will seem more like a casual outing if we make a leisurely stop along the way back. If we’re seen rushing back to the Palais Mermonia with a sense of urgency in our stride, then those around us will surely conclude that something is wrong.”

Neuvillette’s reasoning is sound, so despite your aching feet and your desire to simply get away from the cacophony of symphonic noise surrounding you, you allow him to pull you towards the restaurant. As you walk in, you find that all your senses are enveloped by the familiarity of deja vu. The pleasant lighting and floral arrangements begin to pop up in your memory, and the ornate furnishings that adorn the place are the same as ever.

A part of you finds that you missed this. You missed your simple traditions with Neuvillette.

The two of you are seated the moment you step foot in the restaurant. You can’t seem to recall if the staff had ever been this efficient before, but something tells you this is a special circumstance.

“Monsieur Neuvillette,” a waiter greets the Iudex as you both take your seats. You find that you recognize him. “It’s been a while since you’ve been here with company, much less someone other than [name].”

Right. No one recognizes you because you’re still clad in your stupid disguise.

“Ah, good evening, Pierre,” Neuvillette responds. “My companion here is a newly-hired assistant. They have been working tirelessly all day, so I decided to treat them to a meal. Although they are not [name], I hope you will be able to treat them with the same hospitality.”

A frenzy of nods follows Neuvillette’s words.

“What can I get for you today?” Pierre frantically asks you. As usual, people are eager to please Neuvillette, his position of power ever-pertinent within the recesses of their minds.

You scan the menu, and a rush of nostalgia overwhelms you for what feels like the millionth time in the past few days. There are a variety of dishes listed in neat loopy handwriting, each cursive word causing recollections to ebb and flow within your memory. However, your eyes settle on one menu item in particular — a former personal favourite of yours. Feeling satisfied, you decide to place your order. As you speak, you notice shock dance across the waiter’s visage.

“Is something wrong?” you question Pierre, scrutinizing his dumbfounded expression. If you could, you would dissect the meaning behind every line etched into his features — examine the anatomy of his curious stare.

Pierre shakes his head with fervour. “Nothing’s wrong, per se…” He trails off, the aquamarine lakes that comprise his irises fogging up with a shine unique to someone who’s reminiscing. “It’s just… that dish is one of our least popular, but [name] used to order it all the time. Nowadays, the only person who really consumes it regularly is Monsieur Neuvillette himself.”

Tension begins to materialize within the previously-lighthearted air of the restaurant. Suddenly, the atmosphere feels heavy as the implications of Pierre’s statement sink in. Once upon a time, you had offered Neuvillette a bite of your food when dining here, and although he didn’t mean to insult it, he did say that he understood why it was unpopular. In other words, he indirectly insinuated that he didn’t like the taste of the dish.

Perhaps you’re overly-optimistic, but a part of you begins to speculate that Neuvillette only willingly ordered the menu item regularly because of the memories associated with it. It’s a shockingly sweet revelation. Despite your distance over the years, he’s still tried his best to keep you in his heart.

Bittersweet affection gnaws at your heart, chipping off pieces of garnet in a cataclysmic heartbreak. As if you don’t already feel bad enough about your attempted erasure of his existence from your memory during your time in prison.

You zone out as Neuvillette places his order. All you manage to catch is the fact that he doesn’t ask for a serving of your favourite meal this time around.

So it really was all for you.

As Pierre walks away, you turn to study Neuvillette, your gaze sharp.

“What was that all about?”

For a second, Neuvillette stills, collecting his thoughts. Then, he makes eye contact, a stare composed of crepuscular shades of amethyst.

“I must admit, my heart longed for you throughout the years we spent apart,” Neuvillette confesses.

Darn it. Why can’t he be normal for once?

Your heartbeat, once a steady rhythm, begins to become erratic. It pounds in your ears with an unmatched urgency, as if its ultimate goal is simply to leap out of your chest and retreat back into your ex-lover’s gentle grasp.

“I see,” you mumble, beginning to feel awkward.

Silence envelopes your own personal world with Neuvillette as you wait for the waiter to come back with your food. Neither of you can bring yourselves to keep the conversation going. Any small talk would seem disingenuous at this point, and the mere idea of pressing on with the previous topic is enough to make you shudder.

Thankfully, Pierre is surprisingly quick (although that may have something to do with the fact that you’re dining with the Iudex himself), and you find that you’re able to dig into your meal to distract yourself in no time.

It tastes the same as you remember. In fact, nothing has really changed, even with the passage of time. Out of everything in the entire restaurant, you find that you and Neuvillette have undergone the most profound transformations, your once-loving relationship eroding into a confusing mess of broken trust, dubious betrayals, and yearning.

(At the end of the night, you find that a miniscule ember of love remains alive in your heart — a weak crimson glow beginning to ignite once more.)

The journey back to the Palais Mermonia is tranquil, the night air soothing the anxious thoughts plaguing your mind. Stars beam down at you from above, shedding brilliant silvery light over the entirety of the nation. Likewise, the moon guides your path back to the grand building where you wrap up your investigation for the day.

Upon entering Neuvillette’s office, you immediately beeline for his desk, pulling the document that took you a painstaking amount of effort to obtain out and setting it on the polished wooden surface. Curiously, eyes the shade of dulled anemone petals scan the contents of the page.

Neuvillette reads quickly, taking in all the information contained within the file in no time. After a lifetime of poring over records, he’s become accustomed to processing critical points of knowledge efficiently. However, he freezes as his gaze settles on the signature at the bottom of the page.

“What’s up?” you ask him.

You’ve never seen Neuvillette quite so shaken up, his composure torn away from him momentarily. In the moment, all that matters to you is ensuring that he’s okay. Before you realize it, you find yourself reaching out to him, an evanescent flash back to the past in a present that feels so far-removed. A few days ago, you never would have dreamed of comforting him, much less allowing him to make any sort of contact with you. Now, however, you’re beginning to unwind all the hasty misconceptions you had harboured for years on end.

You’ve come to understand that despite being worlds apart, you were still at the forefront of all Neuvillette’s sentiments throughout the past few years. He’s cared about you from afar beyond simply spying on your life through Wriothesley for all this time. It’s time you finally start treating him right.

To your relief, he doesn’t refuse your hand. Instead, he intertwines your fingers as he continues to gape at midnight upon ivory, reading the buyer’s name over and over. Finally, the calm returns to Neuvillette, his vulnerability dissipating after what feels like eons (in actuality, it’s no more than ten seconds).

“Apologies,” Neuvillette says, his voice as steady as ever. “Seeing the signature of the buyer… confirmed a suspicion of mine. However, this revelation is not necessarily a thrilling one. In fact, I would say that it is rather… disappointing and tragic.”

You tilt your head slightly, wonder swirling through your thoughts in spirals of erratic questions. “Why’s that?”

The sigh that Neuvillette heaves out is perhaps the most dramatically-depressing noise that’s ever left his lips. Creases line his forehead, marring porcelain skin with lines that convey concern and dismay.

“This is the name of one of our current Marechaussee Phantom members,” Neuvillette breathes out. “As a matter of fact, he was the one who assumed the position of the victim after their death. In addition to this, he was the only member who was intentionally not informed of the dealings of the deceptive factory. I withheld information from him because I had my own suspicions. I fear that my judgement was correct. If I had informed him that we were looking into the facility, these records would have been destroyed long before we stepped foot inside the building.”

“Wait a second! That sounds way too suspicious,” you say, your voice coming out slightly more aggressive than you want it to. You flinch as your tone reaches your ears. “Why didn’t anyone look into them or at least suspect them?”

“He was the deceased’s lover.” Your breath hitches as Neuvillette continues his explanation. “His grief after learning of the death was immense, so much so that no one could dare to consider the possibility that…”

“That he was the culprit,” you finish. “No one wanted to believe the lovers could betray each other.” You nearly scoff as you realize the irony of you saying this to your very own ex.

Neuvillette nods as you exhale tiredly. Everything is finally coming together after years. At long last, you’ve found another candidate for the possible murderer — the real deal this time.

“I had my doubts about him,” Neuvillette mumbles. “Although tears serve as an effective distractor, insincerity shines brighter than even the most dramatic of theatrics. I have never revealed this to anyone, but besides his qualifications and honouring the memory of our fallen comrade, one of the reasons I assigned him to his current position was to maintain a close watch over him at all times. Despite the precautions I took… I had hoped with all my heart that I would not be proven right.”

“And yet you were, so what now,” you inquire. “Do we just apprehend him and call it a day?”

“I would be pleased if it were that easy,” Neuvillette smiles wryly, “but there are many who would still be unwilling to trust our claims without further evidence. Think about it — would you really want to believe that a trusted member of the Marechaussee Phantom is a cold-blooded murderer? The very notion is inappropriately ironic.”

As Neuvillette’s reasoning sinks in, you nod along. What he’s saying makes sense, but you’re unsure of how you should proceed from here. To your relief, Neuvillette has a solution, as always.

“Considering the fact that the perpetrator has insider information, he’s already aware that we are currently revisiting the case,” Neuvillette reiterates. “As such, his main priority at the moment is to cement your status as the real culprit behind the crime. All he needs is an ample opportunity.”

This is getting far too complicated for your liking.

“In order to catch him in the act, we’ll organize another banquet. It will be the perfect opportunity for him to frame you for another poisoning.”

Neuvillette’s logic is hard to follow, and as you pause to think about it, every thread of reasoning becomes lost in a jumble of nonsensical speculation.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” you mutter. “He’s not stupid enough to assume that I’d poison someone right after obtaining freedom. That would look too hasty, so foul play would be suspected immediately.”

“And that’s why I think he’ll target you with his poison,” Neuvillette interjects.

Your frown deepens as his claims become more and more bizarre.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Let me explain everything,” Neuvillette starts. “In order to connect the two cases to each other, the perpetrator will likely use the same weapon again. However, this time his target will be you. As you pointed out, if he harms anyone else, it will instantaneously appear as though someone is eager to falsely accuse you of committing crimes. By non-fatally poisoning you, he can claim that you willingly drank your own weapon in an attempt to throw off suspicion. He can point to the similarities in the compositions of the substances used in both cases to frame you as the one true mastermind behind everything.”

The pieces finally begin to coalesce in your mind, forming a shaky plan that hinges on oceans of luck and protection from Celestia above. It’s risky, but it may be your only chance to set things straight.

“Your great plan is just based on endangering me in order to collect a sample of whatever that person is going to give me?”

“I understand that it may be difficult for you to trust me entirely after everything,” Neuvillette sighs, “but if you agree to my proposition, then I promise I will personally ensure that no harm will come to you.”

After the events of the past two days, you know where your heart wants to stand. In spite of this, your mind screams at you to reject Neuvillette’s idea. You’re scared — terrified. The thought of being let down by Neuvillette again induces a fear in you like no other. Despite it all, you understand that you’ll never truly heal if you don’t at least try to give him another chance, so ultimately, you decide to comply.

“Alright, let’s start party planning.”

Weeks of preparation lead up to the big evening, every passing day a countdown to a finale to end all finales. On top of gathering supplies, arranging catering, and decorating, you’re also drilled on how to act when the moment of danger eventually arrives. You train relentlessly to ensure that Neuvillette’s scheme will go off without a hitch.

All your tireless practices pay off. As you walk into the banquet venue, hand-in-hand with Neuvillette, you find that you’re far less nervous than you had been when the idea was initially proposed. The kaleidoscopic butterflies that once fluttered around in the pit of your stomach have stilled, and you’re utterly calm — exactly what you need to pull this off.

Despite assisting in the planning of the party, you still find yourself awed by the extravagance of it all. You’re not quite sure if Neuvillette has come up with an occasion for celebration yet, as he had initially stated that it was a surprise on the invitations he had sent out. However, you’re sure that no matter its grandeur, the sheer opulence of everything around you is more than sufficient.

Aureate accents adorn nearly every item in the room, and the crystal chandeliers above gleam as though they’re catching moonlight from the midnight sky. The music that envelopes you is warm, each melodious note ringing out in a sweet droning of strings. It’s a perfect backtrack for an elegant waltz.

Most noteworthy of all, however, are the guests that surround you. Not a single person is dressed less than exceptionally. Sparkles, gems, and sequins are commonplace here despite being everyday rarities. Shades of seafoam, cobalt, turquoise, and periwinkle surround you as if the fabric of every guest’s clothing is a component of a lavish ocean of luxury.

Everyone around you dons elaborate masks that obscure only a portion of their faces. It’s a masquerade — a way for you to conceal your true identity from innocent civilians without appearing odd.

You’re quickly dragged out of your thoughts as Neuvillette leads you into the crowd. Everyone is swirling around in a series of intricate steps, twirling to the song that’s resonating within the idyllic air of the room. If not for Neuvillette’s tight grasp on your wrist, you fear you would have been swept away by a tide of partygoers.

“Do you recall how to waltz?” he asks, leaning in closer to ensure that you’re able to hear him over the unpleasant discordance surrounding you from all sides.

“Why does it matter?” you shoot back. Although you’ve opened up more and more to Neuvillette with each passing day, you’re not quite sure you want to dance with him just yet. “It’s not like this is necessary.”

“If we simply sit on the sidelines and observe everything, our suspect is bound to notice,” Neuvillette explains, his voice hushed. “Their eyes will be on you all night.”

The words send a shiver down your spine.

“So do your best to enjoy the moment and act as though you’re simply here to rejuvenate yourself.” Neuvillette pulls you closer, yet he leaves enough room to ensure that you’re not outright uneasy. “Is this arrangement sufficiently comfortable?”

You nod shakily as words seem to stick to the sides of your throat. It’s as though saccharine honey is sugar coating everything, its viscous properties slowing both your lips and your mind.

With your consent, Neuvillette guides you through the steps of a graceful dance. Although he moves with tact, practiced sophistication, you’re the absolute antithesis. Throughout your years underground, you never saw the opportunity to waltz, and as such, you’ve forgotten every intricacy of the choreographies you used to run through with Neuvillette. Thankfully, he keeps you in line, correcting every misstep you make with gentle guidance.

You find that the tenderness with which he handles you is something you’ve missed. Even now with contrasting feelings warring in the depths of your conflicted mind, Neuvillette’s arms are comfort manifested in a physical form. At the end of the day, he’s still home to you, and maybe he always will be. No one else will ever be capable of calming you down right before a criminal attempts to poison you.

For once, you decide to take Neuvillette’s advice. You forget all the duress of the current moment, and instead, you allow yourself to savour the warmth of Neuvillette’s embrace. So much for not being sure about dancing with him.

Time becomes an anomaly. Although each moment seems to slow, drawing out in a montage of careful movements, the dance is over before you know it.

Neuvillette leads you over to your table, and you take a seat atop the rose-coloured cushions of a plush chair, allowing a cream tablecloth to drape over your legs. As you sit down, you feel him tap your shoulder. He’s pointing to a man clad in a striped grey suit, his mask adorned with midnight blue stitching and matching feathers.

It’s your culprit, Francis, as you’ve learned. You don’t intend on allowing him to get away this time.

Patiently, you wait for him to approach you and Neuvillette. You already know he’ll walk up to you with the intention of ensnaring you within his trap. However, you’re two steps ahead in this twisted game of chess.

Sure enough, a grating voice rings out behind you before long.

“Hello, Monsieur Neuvillette.” Predictably, you’re met with the face of your prime suspect as you whip your head around. “And [name].” Right. He knows exactly who you are. Perhaps your imagination is weaving deceptions from preconceived notions, but you swear that you can hear a hint of a sneer in Francis’ words.

He spends some time chatting with Neuvillette, his dialogue consisting of flattery and exaggerated compliments. You’re not sure what your suspect believes he’s accomplishing, but a frown dances across your features as you continue listening in on the conversation. Any average person would be able to detect the deceit in his sickly-sweet tone, so the fact that he’s trying to utilize such a tactic on Neuvillette of all people astounds you.

You can’t help but wince as he makes blunder after blunder, your frustration welling with every sentence that comes out of his mouth. Finally, when it all becomes too much for you, you decide to take matters into your own hands.

“Neuvillette, I’m parched,” you complain. “Wanna go get something to drink?” Your own voice makes you cringe. Note to self: learn how to act in a compelling manner if you manage to make it out of this absolute disaster.

“It would be my pleasure to accompany you, but unfortunately I must remain here. Although tonight is a night of leisure, I still have matters to discuss with certain individuals, and they are expecting me here.” You find it fortunate that Neuvillette’s performance is more convincing than your own, his mannerisms and timbre completely natural.

“Oh, don’t worry about them, Monsieur Neuvillette,” Francis says. “Tell you what. I can bring them over to the drinks table for you and give them a few recommendations. I can promise you that I am an expert when it comes to this kind of stuff. My brother owns a drink company.”

This time you’re sure your mind isn’t distorting reality. The smile that he flashes at you is downright devious, assuring you that Neuvillette had been right about his schemes all along.

You take a deep breath before eagerly accepting his offer.

“Sure. Thank you so much for joining me.”

The walk over is silent, Francis’ bright persona dimming the moment you step away from Neuvillette. Instead, fractals of glacial tension seem to settle over the atmosphere, frosting everything over with a hostile air.

When you reach the beverages, you immediately reach for a cup. However, Francis waves you down.

“Allow me. I insist.” He picks up a cup for you, placing it down in front of the selection of drinks. Before you even have the opportunity to voice your preferences, Francis picks up a bottle, inspecting it thoroughly before unscrewing the lid. “This delightful beverage was produced by my brother. You simply must have a taste.”

For a brief second, Francis obscures your vision of the cup with his back. His hand traces a path to the front pocket of his suit. You know what he’s doing, so you don’t bother attempting to sneak a glance. It’s futile.

As he hands you the drink, you thank him politely. You’re careful not to spill a single drop of the liquid as you make your way back to your seat. When you finally sit down next to Neuvillette again, you continue bantering, each second ticking down and burning away into oblivion. The more time you waste the closer you draw to your goal. People are on their way to test the contents of the spiked beverage at this very moment.

Despite your attempts to simply wait it out, a problem arises when Francis begins to pester you.

“Go ahead,” he urges you. “Try the drink and let me know your opinion. I’m eager to take notes for my brother!”

In response, you shake your head with fervour. Sampling poison is just about the last item on your bucket list. As you continuously refuse, Francis begins to become irritated, his words beginning to crescendo in volume.

Neuvillette’s crystalline lilac gaze begins to grow concerned. Subtle moonbeams glint within his irises, reflecting his worry for your wellbeing. However, his eyes continue to hold an unuttered promise — an oath to ensure that no harm befalls you whatsoever.

That’s what comforts you the most when Francis finally snaps, lunging at you as he jabs a finger into your face. As he begins to speak, his tone is accusatory more than anything.

“You set me up, didn’t you?” he snarls. “The two of you,” Francis glances back at Neuvillette, who’s silently watching the entire exchange. “You’re not drinking the beverage because you knew I’d poisoned it all along.”

“Mister Francis, I would advise you to remain silent,” Neuvillette speaks, his tone authoritative. “Anything you say can and will be used against you in court of law.”

Unfortunately for Francis, he doesn’t take Neuvillette’s advice seriously. Instead, he’s hellbent on exacting his revenge. You begin to realize his philosophy is one that entails dragging others down with him when he pulls out an enchantingly-gorgeous translucent vial from his pocket.

It’s deceptively beautiful, its design making it seem as though it should contain nothing less than the finest divine nectar. However, you know how deadly the contents of the glass tube really are, and as such, a sense of panic begins to overtake your senses, overwhelming your head with countless scenarios where everything goes horrendously wrong.

Every diverging path vanishes into nothingness the moment Neuvillette steps in. A swift burst of aquatic energy fills your vision, and a cascade of pristine dewy droplets of water splatters your face as you close your eyes. When it’s over at long last, you glance around to find that Francis is on the ground, drenched and shivering as Neuvillette bends down to collect the vial he had been carrying.

“This will make for good evidence,” he notes, setting it down on the table alongside the drink.

It doesn’t take long for your backup to arrive after Neuvillette knocks Francis out. In fact, the timing of the poison-testers is a little too serendipitous to be organic. You’re starting to think that Neuvillette had planned to provoke Francis all along, but you don’t find an opportunity to ask before the team confiscates the drink and the vial to run experiments.

A crowd of onlookers has already begun to congregate, amalgamating in a curious frenzy. Everyone thinks they’re slick, but you can clearly see the way their eyes wander over to Francis’ unmoving form on the ground every so often.

“Follow me,” Neuvillette tells you as he takes off after the forensic team. Someone carries the samples of liquid that have yet to be tested, and a few others grab Francis and haul him off with you. You lose yourself in the winding hallways of the venue, each twist and turn serving only to further discombobulate your frazzled mind.

It feels like forever before you finally reach your destination. It’s quite ordinary in comparison to the sumptuous party occurring outside its doors — each wall a stark and blinding snow white and the lighting sterile and plain.

Francis is set down, and the forensic team promptly begins their investigation. As they labour, you turn to Neuvillette.

“Was it really necessary for you to use so much force when stopping him?” you reprimand him. “I’m grateful, I really am, but I think we attracted a little more attention than we needed.”

Upon hearing your words, Neuvillette chuckles. The sound of his laughter is a sonorous tune that you’ve missed hearing, no matter how much you want to deny it. Your heart races involuntarily.

“I was not intent on leaving your fate up to chance,” he says, sincerity weaving itself into every syllable he speaks. “Although keeping our operation a secret would have been ideal, I wasn’t planning to compromise anyone’s safety in exchange — especially not yours.”

Sometimes you resent Neuvillette for saying the most romantic things without realizing it. Every single rose-tinted word is like a shot to the heart, ensnaring your feelings in crimson threads of love. It’s as if you fall deeper and deeper into oceanic clutches, drowning — suffocating — as the weight of emotions hailing from both the past and present overwhelm you.

“We’re finished,” a member of the team chirps.

You feel the tension in your shoulders alleviate as both you and Neuvillette rush over to take in the results of the investigation.

“The two poison samples match the exact substance that was used all those years ago,” the analyst confirms, presenting you with the conclusions drafted on a sheet of paper. “With all the eyewitness evidence and the fact that he personally confessed to having connections to the very factory that prompted this investigation in the first place, it’s safe to say he won’t be seeing the light of day for a while.”

You breathe out a sigh of relief that you’ve been holding in for weeks. Your name has finally been cleared, and the real threat has been eliminated.

Above all else, justice has prevailed once more.

To your surprise, Neuvillette leads you to the grand stage at the forefront of all the festivities the moment you re-enter the main hall. Despite the pandemonium that had become the most prominent spectacle of the banquet earlier, people have resumed their lighthearted conversations and elegant dancing, swaying to and fro as if the alarming exchange between the Chief Justice and Francis had never occurred in the first place.

As people begin to notice the diminuendo in music and Neuvillette’s presence at the anterior of the room, the chatter gradually begins to die down, diminishing in a steady waning of volume. Eventually, silence consumes all, and you’re reminded of the sheer gravity of the Iudex’s aura alone.

“Greetings, esteemed guests.” The hall amplifies Neuvillette’s voice, each booming word reverberating and echoing off the opulent walls. “I stand before you today to announce a joyous cause for commemoration as well as to clarify the cause behind the commotion that some of you may have witnessed earlier.”

Whispers permeate the crowd as gossip and speculation begin to circulate. However, Neuvillette shuts everything down as he continues.

“The person here by my side today is [name],” gasps ring out in the silence, fragmenting every semblance of false tranquility that exists in the moment. “Yes, the very same [name] that was sentenced to life in the Fortress of Meropide due to suspected misdemeanours that resulted in an egregious death.”

Protests spread like wildfire through the rambunctious group of people gathered in front of you. Flames of disapproval threaten to engulf your entire being, stinging you with a rutilant aggression as you try to tune out everything.

“Silence,” Neuvillette commands. Thankfully, it’s enough to get everyone to settle down. “I apologize. For the past few weeks, I have concealed the true nature of the situation from you all. A while ago, I personally received a report detailing the suspicious activities of a company producing drinks as a front. Their more sinister schemes laid behind the scenes, as they produced toxins and other deadly substances away from the watchful eyes of the authorities. The composition of the poison they created was identical to that of the weapon used in [name]’s case. With this new evidence, we decided to reopen the investigation.”

Yet again, a shocked reaction is elicited from the crowd, and you begin to wonder how many times they’ll collectively gasp before the end of Neuvillette’s speech.

“When we looked into things more thoroughly, we discovered that the true culprit was Francis, a member of our very own Marechaussee Phantom. At the moment, he has been detained and is currently awaiting trial.”

Relief propagates amongst the crowd, blossoming in a pure flourish of unadulterated solace. A few people look at you with pity, each starlit glint of their eyes conveying their woe on your behalf.

Neuvillette waits this time, allowing the partygoers to mutter amongst themselves. When they begin to settle, he moves on to more positive news.

“I would like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to listen to my rather mundane explanations,” Neuvillette says. “Now for something more lighthearted.”

He gestures for you to take centre stage, and you reluctantly comply, gazing out at the ocean of people surrounding you.

“[Name] has finally been proven innocent, and as such, they will no longer be required to return to the Fortress of Meropide. This feast has been organized in their honour as a celebration of their return as well as an apology for years spent in isolation.”

Chants of your name begin to flood your ears along with cheers and apologies alike. At long last, you’ve been absolved of the burden wrongfully weighing on your shoulders.

“Welcome back,” Neuvillette whispers to you as he intertwines your fingers to help you off stage. “You’re finally home.”

You hum.

“Thank you.”

No one has the ability to predict the future, and fate’s ordainments are always an enigma to even the most omniscient entities that traverse Teyvat. You have no way of knowing how your relationship with Neuvillette will develop with the passage of time — whether it will mend or fade away as the last spotlight upon the very murder case that brought you back together fizzles out. However, you think you’ll take a chance and revel in his proximity for the time being. He’s proven that he still cares immensely over and over again.

Perhaps with enough patience, your seed of hope will bloom and fill the abyss that had once overtaken your heart, transforming it into a garden of romance reborn.

The weight of Neuvillette’s words begins to settle as you realize that yes, you really are home.

Even after a desolate rain of bitterness and sorrow, the feeling of your hand in his is still home — home sweet home.

thank you so much for reading!! sorry for the long wait riko!

[couldeatthatgirlforlunch]

Paint Me Red

Synopsis: You and Damian like horror movies for the same reason.

Pairing: Dark!Damian Wayne X Dark!AFAB!Gn!Reader

Tw: 18+ pwp; Kinda gore?; Cannibalism kink? Definitely hinted; Biting link; Blood kink; Fingering; Watching straight porn; Torture porn? It's all fake and no one’s suffering; Pain kink maybe; They are freaks and they are in love; Worshipping?; A hint of love-bombing? I repeat, they're freaks and they're in love, your honor; Mention of hipersexuality; Damian enjoys pain, gore and death, despite not killing anymore, Reader likes it too; Reader has long hair and is implied to be wearing a shirt or dress with straps and bare thighs; English isn't my first language.

Word count: 1,2k

Requested? No.

Extra notes: Inspired by the movie May and everyone who yaps about yandere!Damian being cannibal coded. I also love when someone writes Damian a little psycho, a little sadomasochist. And a Damian who worships his S/O is the best Damian!!! I recommend reading this while listening to Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge. Not sure I like my writing here tho, especially the title, there were many good options that also seemed bad options

General masterlist

Damian was odd, you knew it from the start. Everyone who interacts with him knows it from the start.

That didn't stop you from being flustered when he confessed his — in his actual words — all consuming, undying love. You never thought anyone would actually use those words while declaring their feelings for someone, but as always with him, Damian was different.

And maybe you were different too.

You came back from your weekly date with him to the apartament you recently started sharing, despite being so young and having been dating for only a month when he asked. Your friends called it love-bombing. You had never heard of a more romantic term.

He took you to the bedroom as soon as you crossed the threshold, excited about a surprise he planned for you, but there was nothing different there, until he pulled his laptop out, fiddled with something, connected to the overhead projector you bought once on a whim, after watching a tiktok, only to realize it wasn't any better than just watching on your television or laptop. At least it wasn't as expensive as one would think.

Regardless, you still used it sometimes, even if for the sake of being spontaneous — and making your money worth it —, and your boyfriend was clearly looking for that.

You sat on the edge of the bed, and in less than a minute, Damian was sitting beside you, while a weird video started playing.

— I found it online, beloved. — Damian explained. — A short film, made by a group of independent artists, I think. — You nodded along, this level of cinephilia was not exactly your thing, but you did enjoy watching movies and leaving reviews on Letterboxd, if it caught Damian's interest, then it must be something.

— Yeah, very Texas Chainsaw Massacre. — You commented, not because it actually looked to be a horror movie, but more because of the quality of the camera, the eery atmosphere, and the scenario being filmed in the middle of nowhere. It seemed like an actually calm movie, but you knew something was up, there was only a young couple having a cute picnic.

Damian looked at you with wide, almost innocent eyes, boyish excitement coupled with some glint you couldn't identify.

— Exactly!

You felt some satisfaction and pride. You were the one who presented him with the classic slasher movies — one of your favorite genres — and were surprised by his eager acceptance of them, since a lot of them didn't have much quality. But he seemed interested in the death scenes and gore. Maybe it was the remnants of his childhood on him, but you didn't have that past and still related to him, much to his delight. He also commented about how unreal a lot of it was, from experience, no doubt.

It was almost cute. And hot.

Damian's hand laid on your thigh, while his thumb started rolling circles on your bare skin.

You let out a gasp when the girl in the movie, out of nowhere, bit hard on her boyfriend’s finger while he fed her a piece of pie with his hands. An exaggerated amount of blood started sliding down her lips and his hand, but he didn't scream, he just stared at her while she had mischief and desire in her eyes.

Damian's hand squeezed your flesh.

— How did you find this on YouTube? I'm pretty sure they wouldn't allow it there. — You wondered out loud, squeezing your thighs when the guy used his bloody hand to push the strap of her sundress down, revealing her supple breast. He leaned forward and peppered kisses down her chest, while pushing the other strap down, revealing her torso even more, until he bit her ribs’s flesh just as hard, face partially covered by her left tit.

Now, they were both smeared in lots of blood, from his hand travelling her body and the new wound.

— I did not mention YouTube. — He answered, and you hummed, paying extreme attention to the movie, intrigued, and half surprised to be turned on. But it was shallow, a thin layer of lust that went unnoticed by you, mistaken by intrigue and excitement.

You only noticed how hot you were, when Damian did the same thing to you. He slowly and deliberately got closer, pushed your hair back from your shoulder, and left wet, slow pecks down your neck, while pushing your straps down. You just stared at the images while he did his thing.

You were interrupted when he bit down on your shoulder, hard, leaving teeth marks, but not enough to bleed. You couldn't help the yelp of pain that escaped you by surprise, but didn't feel like reprimanding him when he soothed the feeling by still kissing you, and buried his hand between your legs, invading your underwear.

You opened your legs to give him more space, while your lips also parted to let out a deep breath, not out of nervousness, but anticipation. When you paid attention to the movie again, the guy was lying between the girl’s legs, leaving a nasty bite on her inner thigh. The blood dripped down and ruined her white underwear, but her boyfriend just started eating her out with the fabric still on the way.

Meanwhile, Damian played with your wet clit with his thumb while he inserted two fingers into your moist hole with ease, catching you both off guard with how wet you were with basically nothing. He had a hunch you would like his surprise, but not that much.

In need to let out some pent-up desire, he bit your flesh once more, this time above your breast. A low whimper of pain forced its way out of your throat. You looked down and noticed Damian's full-on boner.

You reached and pressed your hand against him, making him hiss and finally stop lapping at your skin, to look at you with desire. You kept eye-contact while rubbing him through his pants.

Damian pressed his lips to yours in haste, eager to taste your tongue while pumping his fingers faster and deeper against your walls, focused on abusing your sweet spot. The kiss was more sensual than ever, a dance which consisted in sharing heavy breaths, exchanged pecks, sucking lips and caressing tongues. While you both were like rabbits a third of the time, you being hipersexual and him being in love with you, the newfound shared taboo kink definitely turned things up a notch. And you expressed it by interrupting the kiss with a hard bite on his bottom lip.

Damian hissed like a cat until you let his lip go. When he glared at you, anyone would think he was livid like you just kicked his dog, but you knew him better than anyone. In fact, you were the only one to ever see him in the vulnerable side that came with intimacy, the only one he would ever want and trust to either lay beside his naked body, or willingly allow to leave a mark on his scarred flesh. Taste his muscles. Drink his blood.

He used his free hand to touch his lip, and found blood there. You licked your own, bright crimson and wet.

When he looked at you again, you wondered if you had finally ruined him for anyone else forever, and he made sure to paint both your faces red with a kiss, while he made you cum on his fingers.

Like, comment and reblog 🥰

[docdudo]

Familiar 141 - Young Witch!Reader (Part 5)

"Grandpapa!"

Nothing. Not even a sound.

"Grandpapa!! Grandpa!!!"

"Atch, what's all this noise??" The old man yelled from inside the house, clearly annoyed.

"Grandpapa! It's me, open the damn door!!" You yelled back, just as annoyed as him as you hit your small fist against the wood.

The door was opened quickly with a heavy tud against the opposite wall as both you and your grandfather glared slightly at eachother's face. That is, until your grandpa properly fixed his glasses on his face to see your face.

"Ahh!! You decided to finally come home! I was about to call the cops to look for a 7-year-old lost little girl!" He said ironically, though clearly worried as he crossed his arms with a grumpy look on his face.

"Not 7, grandpapa." You huff, a little offended as you walk past him to enter the house.

"Eh, could've fooled me!"

"Besides, if you actually checked your phone, you would see that I did send you a message saying that I was sleeping in a friend's house."

"Oh no, I did see that. I just thought it was suspicious, didn't know you had any friends."

Both you and your grandfather stared at each other with squinted eyes and displeased expressions until you conceded with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry, Grandpapa. I'll tell you sooner next time. Yesterday was just... a special occasion." You mumbled, frowning slightly as the memory of the day before surfaced.

"Back in my time, a 'special occasion' with a 'friend' at their house meant loosing our virginity." Grandfather deadpanned, slamming the front door shut with a bang.

"Goddammit, not what I meant." You retorted, not amused.

"No, no, that's fine. I remember I lost my virginity when I was thirteen years old! Back then, we weren't as slow as you young lot—"

"Oh my god—"

"She was a beauty too! Three years older than me at the time! I made all the boys at the Academy jealous when I told— God, what is that annoying tap-tap sound??" He suddenly stopped, frowning as he looked around the house, confused.

You were thankful for the distraction, quickly schooling your expression to hide the disgust brought on by hearing your grandfather talk about his love life as the old man walked up to the living room's large window.

"Oh, would you look at that! Nature has truly blessed us today!"

"Huh? What do you mea—?"

You freeze slightly as your eyes catch the sight of a giant eagle sitting on your windowsill, looking all majestic and proud, just as you knew his human form was.

You were slightly less grateful for the distraction now.

"Look at this majestic guy! Ohoho... truly amazing! He was tapping the window with his beak—smart, right? This is a Golden Eagle! Did you know, kid, that this species is much more aggressive than the Bald Eagle??" Grandfather commented excitedly, his explorer side coming out in full force while you just stared in horror at the bird sitting there.

"If they’re more aggressive, shouldn’t we just... make it go away?" You hissed in slightly annoyance, squinting your eyes at the animal.

Price almost seemed to send you a smug look back. How could a bird even look smug anyway...?

"And lose an opportunity like this? Never! You don't have to worry; they rarely attack humans anyway! And if he came here, he must be hungry! One second, I'll grab something from the fridge! Don’t scare him away, kid!"

You could only watch in shock as your grandfather ran to the kitchen, leaving you alone with the eagle sitting on your window, still looking as smug as ever.

"Is this—w-what—Price?" You mumbled, eyes wide with confusion and a hint of despair as you stepped closer, a little shaky.

"What is it, doll? I did tell you we'd meet this grandfather of yours, did I not?" he replied, amused. His voice almost seemed to come directly through your head, rather than from his mouth—or... beak, you guessed.

"W-Woah, what...?"

"Don't be scared, witchling. This is just how familiars communicate with their witches when they're in animal form." Gaz explained with an amused tone, his black cat form leaping onto the windowsill beside the eagle.

"H-Hey... I-I though that... that you would just watch from afar..." You mumbled, voice barely above a whisper, growing even more anxious as you heard the old man’s footsteps coming back.

"You see, baby witch, we familiars aren’t too comfortable leaving our newly bonded witchlings alone," Gaz drawled, his voice and behaviour very lazy and cat-like.

He sauntered into the house as if he owned the place, brushing his head against your leg as you just stood there, looking down at the animal in almost shock.

"Here we go, I knew it we still had some of that jerky...!" Grandfather came back, excitedly holding on some beef jerky on his aged hands. "And he's still here! That's— a cat?!"

You didn’t even know what to do, staring between your grandfather and the two familiars. Your shoulders tensed as you tried to make sense of the situation. How could you possibly explain this to him? He wasn’t stupid, but he didn’t know much about witches either….

"It just… j-jumped in through the window...." You look away, trying to hold in your anxiety.

"This is… certainly getting weirder." Your grandfather muttered, his brows furrowing as he stepped closer. "I guess he’s not that hungry if he didn’t attack the cat..."

"Heard that, Price? Gonna eat me up?" Gaz quipped smugly, his voice dripping with amusement as he leapt onto the old couch without a care in the world.

"If I could, would've already done it." Price laughs back, all of this in your head, as you watch your grandfather try to coo at the animals, offering the jerky he brought.

Truly, this must be what going insane feels like.

You were momentarily distracted from your thoughts as you felt cat Gaz rub against your torso, standing on his back paws to stretch as if he was trying to climb you. Instinctively, you reached out to his lean body and lifted him into your arms, noticing that he was much smaller than the last time you saw him transformed like this.

You watched, almost stunned, as Price devoured the piece of beef jerky like it was prey. Your grandfather turned back to you after successfully feeding the eagle, his gaze shifting to the cat lying contentedly in your arms, and then....

...to the gold bands encircling your arms.

"What's that, kid?" He asks, a frown coming to his aged face as he walked closer, a hand reaching out for the bands. "Since when do you wear jewelry—?"

You gasped in shock as, in a slip second, the cat in your arms was gone—replaced by a tall man standing between you and your grandfather. Gaz was gripping your grandfather's wrist with just a bit too much force for someone dealing with an old man.

"Don't touch that, yeah?" He smiles gently, his eyes half-lidded and voice soft, tone and actions contradicting each other in a way that only made your eyes widen further.

"W-Wha...?" The old man's voice barely came out as he looked up at the intimidating man in front of him, his hands shaking in Gaz's grip.

"G-Gaz—Kyle, n-no!" You protested quickly, clutching the familiar's shirt and tugging hard, desperately trying to make him release your grandfather's wrist.

When the familiar didn’t react to your tug, your expression immediately darkened with anger. How dare he touch your grandfather—practically hurting him—and ignore you??

Fine. So be it.

This time, your tug worked. Your magic surged through his entire body in an instant, yanking him back harshly and slamming him against the opposite wall with a loud thud.

You huffed and puffed from the exertion, your body feeling tired and heavy from the amount of magic you had used in such a short span of time.

"Playtime's over." Ghost announced neutrally, appearing out of nowhere as he gently lifted you into his arms like this was just a small chore, nothing serious for him to worry about.

You struggled against his hold, trying to summon your magic to free yourself, but it was useless—his own magic blocking yours easily. You could literally feel it deep in your core—one of the drops of ancient magic paralyzing everything, leaving you numb.

"Let go...!" You growled weakly, your breath still coming in ragged gasps.

"Shh. You're okay, breathe." Ghost conforted you, resting your body against his chest and shoulder, his heavy hands giving you light pats on your back to try and calm you down.

Your body felt so heavy—so, so heavy. You could barely see your grandfather over the familiar's shoulder, his wide eyes locked on you, you and them, full of horror. His body was frozen in place, but he still trembled, clearly in shock.

"Wow, Kyle, nice one. She send you flying." Soap snickered, helping Gaz on his feet with an amused smile on his face.

"Can't say I was expecting it, but I deserved it." Gaz sighed softly, shaking his head slightly as he adjusted his clothes with a calm demeanor, clearly not even a little bit hurt.

Bastard.

"Come on, boys. We're going back home. We've seen what we came here to see." Price drawled gruffly, now back in his human form, sending a small sidelong glance at the frozen old man in the middle of the modest house.

"W-Wait—!" You tried to protest, desperation creeping into your voice.

"And put her to nap. Witchling like that can't possibily not be tired after her tantrum."

You wished you still had the strength to argue, to say or do anything, but soon, Ghost’s hand was over your eyes—almost covering your entire face and blocking your vision from your grandfather's shocked face—and you lost consciousness.

[killerlookz]

When Every Vein is Red Out of the Blue | Joost Klein

description: VAMPIRE!Joost Klein x innocent!f!reader Your roommate, Joost, was weird, there was something strange... something just not right about him, which is why you'd kept him at a distance, refusing to make eye contact, or engage in conversation, choosing to ignore the way he drew you to him, how he'd take over your thoughts... but when a storm brings a power outage to your building, you find yourself closer to him than you ever could have imagined.

warnings: 18+ NSFW, MDNI reiterating once again this is VAMPIRE! joost, of blood/blood drinking, heavy religious themes (reader is implied catholic), blasphemy, innocence/corruption kink, fingering, unprotected PiV sex, reader is a crybaby so slight dacryphilia, lots of angst. minor plot note that doesn't really come up, but perhaps may be important for later but this fic takes place in the late 90s

and of course: RPF, while highly fictionalized since joost is a vampire, i must still warn that this is STILL RPF, do not continue if you are uncomfortable with this, this fic has only been put in fic tags, so if you are here, YOU SEARCHED FOR IT

word count: 15.3k

This city is filthy. Littered with sin.

It's rainy, as it mostly always is, you figured the poor weather was a perpetual punishment for the city's wickedness. The rain brings with it fog, its thickness obscuring the view outside your bedroom window- it's nothing but a red haze, a reflection of the lights that lined the street. The area had left your living situation in less than ideal conditions- the persistent scent of sex and marijuana in the air, the chants and yells of rowdy tourists and perverts alike, gawking at the women in the windows that line the canal. Less than ideal, indeed, but a room was a room, and broke and in university you needed to live somewhere, even if you loathed the area. At least you had had a roof over your head.

You sit, perched on your window sill, watching as the fog rolls in. The rain beats down on the glass, and you're almost still surprised to still hear the chatter of people on the street. No rest for the wicked, you supposed, willing to brave the rain to indulge in their sin.

As much shame as it filled you with you had found yourself lately becoming curious about what had really been going on in the city streets below you. It made you feel dirty, tainted, thoughts of going out just for one night, just to see what it was like. Those sorts of thoughts troubled you, deeply- leaving you worried you would actually follow through on your curiosity and corrupt yourself.

The lights in your apartment flicker, startling you, a gasp falling from your lips as they shut off entirely. The storm, your power was out. You clench your jaw, finding yourself thankful, for once for the red lights outside your window, illuminating your room in the darkness. Though, it had brought with it an ominous glow, the faint red tint to your darkened apartment almost more scary than if you had been in pitch black.

You creep forward, wooden floorboards creaking beneath your feet with every cautious move. The sound makes you shiver- your body tensing, eager to get out into your living room as you grab the white prayer candle that sits on your bedside table.

You bite the insides of your cheeks, the whole scene was unsettling- the rain, the fog, the darkness, you find yourself peering over your shoulder, like you're in some sort of horror movie, unaware of who or what could be lurking in the shadows.

"Power's out?" The sudden voice startles you- you jump back slightly, jerking your head to the source of the voice. It would seem the only thing lurking in your apartment tonight was your creepy roommate. Not creepy in the way of him being a creep, but, spooky, something odd about him. Much like the rest of your living situation, this too was less than ideal, he had actually been the boyfriend of the girl you had initially moved in with, someone you had known through university who had also been looking for somewhere cheap to live- but when the two of them had broken up it was he who had stuck around in the apartment- much to your disappointment.

His name was Joost, a few years your senior- you knew he did music, though you've never heard it, and that he works at an internet cafe not far from here. You didn't know much about him outside of that, despite sharing an apartment together, and that had been the way you had intended to keep it. He freaked you out. Up at all hours of the night, yet you'd never seen him in the daytime, always bringing random people through to the apartment that you'd never see again- you presumed for sex, as he didn't seem to care much about the commotion you would often over hear, the gasping and moaning. Visually, too, you'd never seen anyone like him, tall, covered in tattoos, a strange haircut, a perpetual thick, dark ring around his eyes. His eyes, a pale blue- the most striking thing about him, there was almost a lifeless quality about them, one that sent shivers down your spine whenever he had looked at you.

You had tried your best to avoid him when you could, and it worked, for the most part, he practically locked himself in his room during the day, and at night he usually worked, or was out doing god only knows what. It was best that way, making sure you weren't around him for extended periods of time- much as the nightlife here had peaked your curiosity, Joost had too. His peculiarities intrigued you, feeling almost mesmerized whenever you had been around him. And when you weren't around him…you had found yourself thinking about him. The longer he was around, the more frequent your thoughts would become.

At first it was merely innocent, wondering what he did with his life, why he was so, for lack of a better word strange, but they would get worse. Your mere curiosity about Joost spiraling into almost obsession. Slowly your thoughts becoming lustful, staying up late, ear pressed against your bedroom wall listening in on he and whoever he had brought home for the night. It wasn't right, no, not the way your hands would roam your body as you listened, finding their way between your thighs, gently brushing over the fabric of your pajamas- though, it would never go much further than that, not as the realization of what you had been doing began to hit. You'd wind up utterly disgusted with yourself, tears welling in your eyes as you curled up in your bed, guilt swallowing you whole.

"Did I scare you?" He laughs, there's something mocking in his tone as he relaxes back into the couch, obviously much more comfortable in the darkness than you, "Sorry." He lets out another cold chuckle.

"Didn't think you were home." Your voice is meek, eyes falling to the ground, heart still racing from the startle.

"Don't sound so disappointed."

"I'm not," You mumble, your eyes flick up slightly, allowing yourself to catch another glimpse of him, before quickly averting your gaze once again.

"Lady of such few words," He starts, "You know, I'm starting to think that you don't like me…"

"That's not true." You continue to ease your way into the living room, it's more well-lit than your bedroom, large, curtainless windows letting in more light from the street. You'd much prefer being out here, but Joost's presence fills you with unease.

"Why so short with me then?"

"Sorry." You apologize, eager to just light your candle and get back to your room now.

"You're even quieter than usual," He muses, "Scared of the dark?"

"A little," You admit, clutching the white candle between your two hands, fingernails digging into the soft wax.

"Oh no," You can't tell if his sympathy is feigned or not, "Why don't you let me keep you company then?"

"No, it's ok. I'm fine." Your words are fast, short, like you're rushing to get them off your tongue. Afraid of what being around Joost for any extended period of time will do to you- already feeling as if his mere presence has corrupted your mind.

"Please?" … Is he begging?… "Come sit with me."

"Okay," You whisper, nodding slowly as you walk over to the couch. Your steps are cautious, heart pounding in your chest, wishing you could just resist him, it was so easy, beckoning you towards him with just a simple please.

You sit just about as far as you possibly could from Joost, on the opposite side of the couch, pressing yourself to its arm. You stare straight in front of you, soaking in the way the room fills with thick unease.

"You want to light that?"

"Huh?" You nearly gasp, head snapping in Joost's direction.

"The candle." He points to your lap.

"Oh-uh, could you?" You look down at the white candle, it's misshapen from use, little crescent moon shapes litter its sides from where you had dug your fingernails into it.

"Of course," He smiles, a glimmer of something in his eyes, you can't quite put your finger on it- it's almost devious, yet you can't help but smile back, like he's drawing you towards him.

Joost lifts his hips off the couch slightly as he reaches for the back pocket of his jeans, the tight fitted tank top he wears rides up his stomach slightly, exposing a strip of skin between the hem of his shirt and the waistband of his pants. You bite the insides of your cheeks, noticing the trail of blonde hairs that trail from just under his belly button to below the buckle of his belt. You blink a few times, attempting to avert your gaze. How pathetic, weak, tempted by such a measly amount of flesh.

He settles back onto the couch, lighter in hand,

"Are you there?" He chuckles. You shut your eyes for a moment, embarrassed at how he always seemed to notice the small intricacies of your behavior.

"Y-eah." Your voice breaking for a moment, quickly shoving the candle away from you, eager to just have Joost light it now.

"What's the hurry," Joost extends a hand to grab it from you, his fingers brushing over yours as he reaches for the candle. They're like ice, the sudden sensation causing you to suck in a small gasp, "Is something wrong?*" He asks at your clear startle.

"You're so cold," You nearly whisper, shocked, horrified even. A sudden wave of concern overwhelms you, had something been wrong with him?

Your concern is merely met with a dry laugh, and a rhetorical, "You think so?" A small smirk appearing on his face as his hand climbs further up yours, fingers snaking around your wrist. You clutch the candle that still sits perched in your hand, your tight grip preventing your fingers from trembling in Joost's icy grip.

"A-are you okay? Are you sick?" Your face drops into a frown, your worry unwavering.

"Oh," He coos, his smirk still sticking to his lips, "You're too cute, I'm fine." He shakes his head, his grip suddenly loosening on your wrist, "Let me have this, hm?" As his other hand grabs the handle from your sturdy grasp. You remain in the same position even as the object is removed from your grip, your fingers remaining in the same position as your hand remains in front of you.

You can't help but continue to stare at Joost, eyes widening in bewilderment, he was a complete and utter mystery to you, an enigma. You didn't understand a thing about him, why he was the way he was, and why you found yourself so latched on to him. He seemed to intrigue you twice as much as he terrified you.

Your breath is shaky as you inhale

"Why are you so…"

"So…?" He trails off as his thumb flicks against the metallic wheel of his lighter, a small orange flame erupting, which he presses to the wick of the candle, "Cold?" He finishes.

"Yeah…" Exhale

"You really want to know?" He leans forward, placing the freshly lit candle onto the coffee table.

You nod, slowly, concerned about why he seemed so hesitant about telling you.

Joost's eyes dart around the room, cheeks hollowing as he bites the insides of them, giving the current conversation pause. Your breath feels stuck in your lungs, the tension suffocating. You figured this had probably been the longest you'd actually hung around Joost, usually doing your best to avoid him, god, you'd basically refuse to even make eye contact with him most of the time he was around.

"I don't know," He shakes his head, "I don't want to frighten you more than you already are."

"I'm not frightened!" You respond sharply, defensively, your voice raising what feels like a few octaves, as if you had something to prove.

"Oh no?" He raises an eyebrow, challenging your statement, "How come your heart is beating so fast?"

You place a hand to your chest, feeling the thumping of your heart beneath your palm, quick, unsteady, you are frightened, but it feels so pathetic hearing it out loud, Joost's near mockery setting you back into your most vulnerable state. Not just frightened, helpless.

"It is no-" You suddenly stop yourself, eyebrows furrowing, shaking your head, "How did you know how fast my heart is beating?" Your body grows stiff, what a peculiar thing for him to say.

"Lucky guess?" He shrugs, his words drawn out, like he isn't expecting you to believe him.

You feel yourself attempting to scoot away from Joost even further, as if you already aren't pushed into the arm of the couch. Silly girl, if you really wanted to get away, you'd get up and scurry back to your room now. Yet you stay put, that subconscious part of you that remains drawn to him weighing you down, keeping you right there on that couch.

Joost frowns, "I knew you were scared."

You cross your arms over your chest, shaking your head, adamant that you were indeed not scared.

"You're being weird." Your bottom lip jutting out, forming a pout, "What is wrong with you?" It comes out with less genuine concern for Joost, and more unease than you were anticipating.

"I don't think you would believe me even if I told you," He chuckles, seemingly unaffected by your anxious state, "But I could show you…" A smirk suddenly reappearing on his lips, eyes looking as if they've suddenly glazed over.

You feel your jaw slack, as if you're about to say something, anything, but all you can do is nod, eager to know what all of this show from Joost had been about, what this mysterious thing was.

It was Joost who was moving now, shifting over slightly, inching closer to you, but not enough to close the gap between the two of you. You can feel your muscles tense, body trembling, even with the remaining space on the couch Joost had almost been too close for comfort. Yet your worst thoughts wished he'd come closer, close enough to touch. You bite down, hard enough for a dull ache to creep into your jaw, wishing to purge yourself of those urges.

"Give me your hand," Joost asks, you can tell it's more of a command than a request, even behind the softness of his voice. You don't even think to ask why, why he could possibly need you to give him your hand, you just do, arms uncrossing, muscles relaxing as he takes your hand into his, the coldness of his flesh still sending shivers down your spine, small little goosebumps littering your skin.

You stare as Joost raises your knuckles to his lips, was it not only a few minutes ago that you had sat down here under the mere presumption you'd keep each other company until the power came back on? How quickly you had let things move, you should pull your hand back, swat him away, not let him get any closer. His lips brush against your fingers before he presses a kiss just above your knuckles. You'd never been kissed before, not by a guy anyways.

Never in your life had you felt yourself so close to succumbing to temptation. The pressure of years worth of repression weighing heavy on you, the cracks in your immaculacy long been formed, you know it's only a matter of time before you crumble to pieces.

Though, perhaps this did not really count, Joost's actions seemed chaste enough, in stark contrast with the noises you had usually heard coming from his room at night. A slight smile on your face, no, this seemed too gentle, too sweet, this could not be you giving into temptation.

Yet you can't help but wonder what this all has to do with what Joost had been meaning to show you, what all this has to do with why as your hand rests in his it feels almost as if you're touching a corpse.

Joost's lower lip drags upwards against your fingers, it's almost startling the lack of warmth that emanates from him, expecting his breath to be hot on your skin, yet still, he's ice cold. Still holding onto you, Joost twists your hand, forcing your palm open, his lips now against your wrist.

Joost inhales, breathing deeply, chest rising slowly, before he exhales at an equally steady pace,

"You…" He starts, before inhaling again, eyes closing as a smile tugs at his lips, exhale, "Smell delicious."

You furrow your eyebrows, your intrigue in Joost unable to override your unease with the comment, though, you supposed it had just been an odd way of saying he liked your perfume.

"Th…ank you?" Your voice wavers slightly, the tension of the situation mingling with the discomfort Joost had often brought you, the strange mix of emotions paralyzing you. All you can do is watch as Joost presses a soft kiss to your wrist. He can surely feel the way your fingers tremble as he holds them in his own hand, and how the veins in your wrist throb with trepidation.

Joost looks up for a moment, his eyes meeting yours with an intensity you had never quite seen.

"I'm sorry…" He starts, and at the two simple words you feel a pit forming in your stomach, as each second passes growing more anxious about what is to come next, "I'm sorry, I really don't want to scare you…. but you asked… and I just…don't think I can control myself."

It all feels so very strange, the way he speaks, is cryptic, like he's skirting around something, purposefully misleading you, leaving you out of the loop.

"Can't control yourself how-ahh!" A high pathetic yelp leaving your throat at the sharp, piercing sensation that enters your wrist, like nothing you had ever felt before. It's almost agonizing, eyes widening and filling with tears as you look down at Joost, teeth sinking into your skin.

If you pull your arm away he'll surely tear a chunk out of your flesh, his jaw clamped down tight, your eyes flick to your wrist, realizing he's broken more than just skin.

Your head tips back, chest rising as you suck in a sharp breath, eyes rolling backwards, your jaw tenses, you can't muster a sound, not even a scream as Joost's teeth dig into your wrist. Your body writhes, squirming uncontrollably, still careful not to make any sudden movements with your arm.

"Wh- what are you-" You manage to gasp out, breathy, guttural, sounds you've surely never made before- fitting, considering you've never experienced pain of this manner before, "Oh my god!" You're practically shrieking, you hope just this once the Lord will forgive you for using his name in vain, surely he'd understand the circumstances.

Suddenly- the pain ceases, or at the very least, eases. Your body trembles, tremors rocking you hard, yet if it wasn't for your nerves taking hold of you, you surely would have gone limp by now- your head fuzzy, you didn't even have to look down at your wrist to know you'd been losing blood. The wet, warmth that slid down to your hand was enough to alert you to the fact you were bleeding, how badly it was you were unsure of yet.

Slowly, you lift your head back up, your neck straining to maintain the weight.

You notice the way Joost looks up at you first, the sharp ache disappearing for a moment as your eyes meet his- wide, and icy blue. They're almost lifelike, but so mesmerizing in the ways that they are not, puzzled as you try to figure out what his gaze is missing, wondering how to make him whole.

Joost drops your wrist, limp, it falls to your lap, blood dripping onto the white fabric of your white, lacy nightgown. Your own injury seems so far from your mind however, not as you watch the crimson droplets slide down Joost's chin, his blood-stained lips curling into a smirk. He seems proud of himself, for goring you. His tongue swipes across his bottom lip, not wanting to waste a drop of the bloody mess he's made of you.

Your teeth chatter, out of anxiety, and the lingering cold of his touch, you can still feel his icy fingers gripping into you even after he's let go.

It made so much sense now, the way Joost drew you to him, his strange behavior, why he only left the house at night, the noises you'd hear from his room, his coldness…

"The dead are meant to sleep until judgement… yet you walk among us…" You're thinking out loud more than you are talking to Joost, voice merely a whisper.

"You figured out what I am?" He finally speaks, voice low, sly. He's amused.

"Vampire."

"Very good," He nods slowly, he seems pleased but your own words echo in your ears at the accusation. Saying it out loud made it so real.

You look down into your lap, the sting of your wounds returning once your sights are set back onto the torn flesh of your wrist, the bleeding ceaseless, pooling on the white fabric below, staining- claiming the garment.

You can feel Joost's quiet satisfaction.

"You breathe… but you do not live" You shake your head, "There's no soul left in you… is there?" Your eyes widen at the realization. He's just wrong. Him. A perversion of everything you'd ever been taught, a body that lives on instead of a soul. "No soul." You repeat once again, bewildered as you shake your head, like that was the worst thing about this.

No life, no light, no redemption on the other side. You wonder about the man Joost was, who he could have been, You feel your eyes well up with tears, a quiet mourning for the Joost you never knew.

Selfishly- you're mourning for yourself too, the nights you'd stayed up, plagued with thoughts of him, delicate fingers inching closer and closer to bringing yourself to sin- it had been all for not. Your temptation now seemed almost unforgivable. Lust for a man was one thing, but lust for something so unholy, whose mere existence spat in the face of the life God had breathed from his very own nostrils into his creation. How could you repent?

Surely, you're mourning is for the purity of your soul, certainly, not for what could have been.

"No soul?" He asks. You nod. Just body, just impulse. "Who's to say?" He shrugs, "I still feel things…" He trails off for a moment before pausing, gaze meeting yours once again, forcing your breath to catch in your lungs over the intensity of his stare. It's haunting now, knowing the truth, knowing what was missing from behind those beautiful blue eyes, "… You feel them too, don't you?"

Your lips part, but words fail you, your mind a mess, the loss of blood doesn't help.

Joost picks your hand back up from your lap, your wrist limp in his grasp. He's careful not to stick his fingers near the open wounds, his icy palm simply holding your wrist.

"I know that it hurt you…" His voice grows softer, as if he's about to apologize for the carnage he caused, "Why didn't you tell me to stop?"

The simple four letter word hadn't even occurred to you, and perhaps you could blame it on the pain, the sheer agony that overtook you as his teeth tore into your flesh. But you knew what Joost had been getting at- you didn't want him to.

That thought terrifies you more than his fangs ever could, knowing if he asked you'd let him drink from you again and again.

You don't answer Joost, refusing to give him the satisfaction of admitting to what he already knows is true. You had already given up so much to him tonight, you needed to at least save something for yourself.

"Does it scare you?" He asks

Your head perks up at the question, confused. Lots of things scare you now, perhaps everything at this moment was frightening.

"Does what scare me?"

"That you still want it." His voice is low, teasing, "Want me."

Joost's fingers tighten around your already aching wrist, a sharp sting shooting up your arm as his fingertips graze over the bites he's left in your flesh. A moan escapes you, one you attempt to bite back, to hide that it is not entirely out of pain.

You wince, wanting nothing more than to curl up inside yourself and disappear. You're crumbling under the heavy weight of his gaze.

"You've bewitched me…" Your muttered words are nothing more than a faint accusation, a desire to blame the lapses in your piety in something other than yourself, "You did this."

"No," Joost shakes his head in earnest, "I'm a man of many talents…but mind control isn't one of them. Your thoughts are your own."

Your lip begins to quiver, the tears that had begun to well in your eyes ready to spill,

"They can't…" You whisper, "No," You blink as the small, wet, droplets finally leak down your cheek, looking up, staring into the dark of the apartment, "God, forgive me." You choke, your pleading weak as Joost remains in front of you, his mere presence slowly draining you of your desire to remain faithful.

You pull back your hand, yet the cool of his palm lingers. The candle Joost had lit flickers in your periphery, you glance toward it, the wax you'd prayed over so many times, rosary gripped tight between your fingers.

You'd lost it now, mind racing, prayer after prayer scrambles in your mind, fragments of pleas for protection, yet you cannot fully find the words.

"Why fight it?" Joost seems, almost fascinated by your state, his question raw, inquisitive.

"Because." Your face twists up as you spit the short word back at Joost, "I'm not like you."

"Like me?" He seems taken aback, almost offended, like this whole ordeal hasn't all been about how different he is than you.

"Yes, like you, a monster." Your eyes widen in terror, as it settles on your tongue, that's truly what he is. The type of creature great works of horror are written about, has been living amongst you.

"You think being human is all that makes you good?"

"Yes, Joost," His name feels oddly pleasant in your mouth, sweeter than you had expected, "Jo…" You have to stop yourself from saying it again, "My soul matters!"

"If your soul matters so much, then why do you deny what it so obviously wants?"

"I want…" You take in a deep breath, exhaling with equal force, a tingle of anger quivering beneath you, who is Joost to tell you what you want? "I want to be good. I want to be more than desire."

"So you do desire me?" A grin spreads across his lips, his teeth still marked with your blood, a stark reminder of who Joost was, and what he had done to you, making simple desire not-so-simple.

"I prayed for this feeling to pass," You whisper, "I begged for it to go away." You grit your teeth,

"And did it?"

"No," You concede, "B-but, that doesn't make it right."

"But it's real, stop denying it, it's you."

"I wish it wasn't." You shake your head, "I should be scared of you." Your voice breaks once more, tears continuing to slip down your cheeks, your head beginning to ache from the strain, "But I'm just so much more scared of myself… how finding out what you are has only made me want you more."

Joost's icy palm grazes your cheek, his thumb stretching out to wipe away a singular tear. You don't mean to, but you find yourself leaning into his touch, for as cold and as lifeless as it was, it was a comforting contrast to the heat of the moment.

"I know how it feels…" Joost sighs, continuing to brush the pad of his thumb to your cheek, "…to be afraid of yourself."

"Do you really know how to feel?" You ask in desperation, as if Joost's capability for feeling would make your predicament any more salvageable, as if falling for an undead creature of the night was made any more worthy of forgiveness merely because he could feel?

"I was once just a man."

"I wish I could have known him…" That feeling of grief returning, not for someone you lost but from someone you'll never know.

You picture him then, warm blooded, full of life. You imagine what the sun must look like in the reflection of his pale blue eyes, how they had probably made him sensitive to the light, even then- squinting, nose scrunched up with a sweet smile on his light pink lips, full of real color, not merely just stained with blood.

You wonder if that part of him is still inside, and if Joost mourns who he used to be too.

"I'm not so different now," He chuckles wryly, "Please, just let me show you."

You nod, barely a small trembling movement of permission. Your heartbeat thunders in your ears, shaking your entire body. You feel it in your stomach, your throat, your fingertips as it pounds into you.

You know Joost can hear it too, its frantic rhythm calling to a more monstrous part of him. You can't help but think about how many hearts he must have had before yours, how many beat under his touch- in fear, in lust. Still, he listens as if your heartbeat is the only one he's ever known.

Joost leans forward, but before you even have a moment to catch what he's doing his lips are on yours, nearly stealing the breath from your lungs. It wasn't quite what you had imagined for your first kiss, certainly, a lot more blood than you had ever anticipated any kisses to be filled with. The bitter, metallic taste coats the inside of your mouth, you wished it had made you want to gag, to pull away, the stark reminder of what Joost is.

But you couldn't, the taste was enticing, for all of its tang, and unpleasantness, it was you, the very blood that kept you alive now being brought back to you.

You part your lips, both in surrender and in anxious curiosity- was this what Eve felt when she had tasted the forbidden fruit? The hunger, the unbearable need to know.

Joost's other hand finds its way to your waist, gripping at the soft, silky material of your slip, his tight grasp anchoring you to the couch, like you still may flee. But you won't, and you both know it.

Your lips struggle to find Joost's pace, the totality of the night working against you in keeping up with him. Yet you try, fearing if you pull away even for a moment, even just to catch your breath this will all disappear.

Joost's hand slips from your cheek down to your neck, cold fingers digging into the warm flesh just below your ear. You wonder if he feels the way your pulse throbs under his touch, if it brings out some sort of hunger within him. You can't but almost wish that it does, some sick desire within you that yearns to feel his teeth in you again, for you to be what sustains his life, at least for a little while. You need him to want you for more than just this.

You reach out a hand, placing your palm to his chest, feeling the thin fabric of his white tank top beneath you- you want to feel him really feel him, skin to skin.

"Are you still fighting me?" He asks, pulling away slightly, his bottom lip still dragging across yours, perhaps mistaking your gesture for a desire to create space between the two of you. You feel his breath on your face as he speaks from such close proximity, it's warm, it almost surprises you, half expecting his breath to be just as cold as his touch.

"I should be."

"But you aren't." Joost pulls back even farther, his lips no longer touching yours, "Look at me." His words aren't demanding, but out of a genuine desire to see the whole of your face, to take in the entirety of you.

You concede, eyes locking with his once more, a mutual desire heavy in the way the two of you gaze at each other- the longing is intense, as if Joost had been some long lost lover of yours that you had gone years without seeing, and not someone who had been practically a stranger to you.

He's more handsome than ever now, even with the dried, red stains that still hang around his lips, and disheveled hair, the moment only had made your attraction to him grow.

"Tell me you want this."

"Don't… don't make me say it." Your bottom lip pokes out, quivering as your muscles form a pout, no- once again, saying it made it real. It seemed much easier to beg for forgiveness when your sins were hypothetical, but now that the opportunity sat right in front of you…

"Yes," His voice is breathy, pathetic, almost begging, "I need to hear you say it. Need to know you want it. This could ruin you… I could ruin you."

You smile, tear streaked and trembling,

"You already have."

Joost smiles back, yet you can't quite tell if it's with pride or shame, perhaps a strange mixture of the two.

"Then why are you hesitating?" He asks, "I need to hear you say you want this."

Truthfully, you didn't know what this was- for him to feed on you again? To be turned?… Perhaps something more intimate? Did it really matter, you wanted all of the above, you wanted him.

"I want…" You inhale, holding the breath in your throat, letting it suffocate you for a moment before you finally speak, "You." Your final word shaky, filled with tension, like you've just confessed and you're waiting to receive your penance, "All of you."

Joost's expression softens into something painfully tender, "All of me?" He repeats, "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"Maybe not," You whisper, "But I want to find out."

Joost nods, wordlessly, rather reserving the moment to take you in, examine your state, how quickly he'd gotten you undone for him.

Not even the chill of Joost's touch can save you from the thick, humid tension that surrounds you, the only thing sharp enough to tear through it was Joost's teeth- knowing it was just a matter of time before he was sinking them into you again.

The thought sends a shock wave throughout your body, feeling a familiar tingling sensation down your legs, a warmth growing in your lower belly. It had been that same feeling that had plagued you so often late at night, the one that had you folding in on yourself, sobbing, begging for forgiveness.

But it seemed right now, now that your desire was something real, tangible, in front of you.

"Will it hurt?" Again, you're not quite sure what you're asking about, unsure of where Joost intends on leading the night- your utter inexperience with men, much less vampires, leaving you entirely in the dark on this.

"Will what hurt?" He raises an eyebrow, clearly needing clarification, "What do you want, hm?" He hums, and he's really asking, his voice low, mellow, ready to give you whatever it is you ask for.

But you don't want to say it, you don't want to ask- you wouldn't even know how to. All you knew was the deep pit that was settled in you, a hole that yearned to be filled, a craving that needed to be satisfied. You open your mouth, but the words elude you- it isn't a feeling you know how to articulate, and it feels so heavy, so wrong even if you could do so,

"I guess," You drop your gaze sinking down into your lap, it shouldn't be so hard, you'd already given everything else up tonight, why not this? A small laugh escapes you, finding humor in the awkward way your brain had found away to skirt around most of Joost's questions, "Well, I guess I was just hoping you wanted me for more than just a meal."

"Oh," He sighs, his thumb rubbing at the side of your neck, feeling the way your artery thumps below him, a sickly sweet smile on his face, like he's genuinely finding some sympathy for you, like there's something really beating in the dark cavity of his chest. "I should have known." He chuckles slightly- it's quick, dry, a small puff of air leaving his nostrils as he tilts his head, deepening his gaze towards you, "You're a virgin, aren't you?"

You grit your teeth, the small phrase feeling more like an accusation than a question. You aren't ashamed of that fact, no, before tonight you had intended to keep it that way. But the deep knowledge of your inexperience pains you in the face of Joost, who you're sure has done this time and time before. Jealousy, maybe.

Joost sees the tension in his face, his smile faltering, not entirely, but just enough to show something quieter, gentler- not that you notice.

"It's not such a bad thing, you know?" His hand slides up to your chin, fingers pushing up to get you to look at him, but even as your eyes meet his level, you avert your gaze, staring past him, out at the window that's opposite you, taking in the misty, red glow, "I'll try to be gentle," He pauses, "If that's what you want, I mean- Well, I'm hardly ever anyone's first."

You fixed your gaze, his words settling uncomfortably in your ears- a confirmation of how many times over he's done this before. You blink a few times, wondering if you should stay, for as much as you wanted him you couldn't stand the thought of this not meaning anything, of you just being another fix.

"I didn't mean it like that," He says, softer now, "It's kind of sweet, you know? If you'll let me…"

You don't speak, deep i thought about what's to happen next,

"I know what I must look like to you," His hands slipping back down to your neck, thumb brushing over your pulse again, his touch feather light. He ducks his head slightly allowing you the chance to look down at him the other way around, to be something other than a predator, "That I'm careless… I am… I've fed, and fucked, and ruined and been ruined… But I need you to know I feel too."

His words echo, he feels too, still it's hard to believe, even for how many times tonight he's repeated it. You search his face for the detachment you'd feared, trying to grasp what he really is. But you don't find it, even in the depths of those lifeless blue eyes, there's something there, something that almost makes him feel human.

"I want to know what you feel." Your voice full of longing, desperate to know what this means to him- if it's all really worth turning your back on your faith for, if he's worth forsaking everything you'd ever believed in, "If it's something more than hunger."

"I couldn't put a name to it," Joost shakes his head, "Not hunger, it's a need far deeper, less primal- I-" He stops for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows, you watch as he seems to attempt to decipher his feelings in real time, waiting with baited breath for what he says next, "This feeling… it reminds me of who I used to be."

Your eyes widen, intrigued, desperate to bring whatever life was still left in Joost to the surface, anxious that feeling within him will flee once the moment passes.

"I'm worried," You sigh, voice small, "That this is just a fleeting feeling," You bite the inside of your cheeks, unsure of how to proceed, "What if, whatever happens tonight- what if I like it, what if I want it again?"

Joost had done little more but kiss you tonight, yet still, you could feel what was beginning to burn inside you. If you had been so willing to give everything up for him, you needed him to do the same, to relinquish any desires he'd have for anyone that wasn't you. Never wanting him to spill the blood of another again, only you, you craved the feeling of being his.

"Isn't that the best part of being with a vampire?" Joost asks, his lips curling into a rigid smile, "That you can have me forever."

You swallow down Joost's words, the weight of forever sinking straight into your stomach. Forever, you know it's as much a curse as it is a gift.

"Will that be enough?" You ask, timid, "Me, forever?"

Joost's lips remain upright, still bent into a smile,

"There's only one way to find out…" He trails off, hand falling from your neck, his palm traces down your arm, you shiver, hoping one day you'll get used to the cool of his touch. Your skin pebbled with small goosebumps under where he's touched, hairs standing on end, his hand finds yours, fingers intertwining, "Can I bring you somewhere more comfortable? To your room?"

You nod, slowly, allowing him to get up and lead you out of the living room. The apartment is silent, save for the creak of the floorboards beneath your anxious steps, and the heavy patter of the rain outside.

You're so caught up in what's to come next you've hardly realized you've reached your room until Joost is stopping, just before the threshold. You know by stepping in you're sealing your fate, that you'll be damning yourself by welcoming him in.

Your jaw clenches as you take the first step into the darkness of your bedroom, the streetlights outside providing enough light to just barely make out the surface of things.

You turn back at Joost, who's still standing just outside the door frame,

"I thought vampires only needed to be welcomed inside someone's home," Your statement is said half in earnest, curious about what Joost's affliction actually entailed, what rules he was bound by and what was merely a product of Hollywood's imagination.

"I don't usually wait for an invitation… but now it feels wrong not to."

"Please," You sigh, your hand still in his, digging your fingers into the valleys between his knuckles, pulling at his arm, a beg for him to join you in your room.

Wordlessly- Joost complies, stepping through the threshold, closing the door behind him. The thunk of the door echoes in your ears, signaling to you there was really no turning back now, and that the night had really only just begun.

It's like the temperature of the room shifts with him- colder now. But it only makes you all the more eager, to feel more than just his presence.

"Lay down with me?" You ask, meek, unsure of how to go about these sorts of things, but you know you want to get to your bed and to share that space with Joost.

Joost tilts his head in the direction of your bed, beckoning you to walk over, your hand still clasped over his.

As you near the edge of your bed, Joost slips his hands from yours, to reach for your waist instead, guiding you down to sit with him, the mattress giving slightly under the weight- creaking softly.

Joost hums, the sound low in his throat, as he begins to lower himself beside you, the bed once again shifting under the length of his body. You follow his movements, his hand still pressed to your waist to guide you with him. You lay at your side, head propped up on your flimsy pillows, facing him.

What little light seeps from the windows is just enough for you to make out Joost's features, but you can hardly take a moment to marvel at him, distracted by the way your lips ache, puffy and throbbing, eager to feel him on them again.

"Please, can I kiss you again," Your voice is hoarse, ready to plead for the opportunity.

Joost's grip tightens on your waist, pulling your hip closer to him,

"Oh," He smirks, his voice low and even, a stark contrast to the nerves in yours, "You don't even have to ask, come here." He finally pulls you to him, your hip connecting with the thick leather of his belt.

It's quick- the way his lips stick to yours, finding a perfect rhythm. Each kiss is deliberate, savoring the way the space between your lips close, as if it will be your last. That vague metallic taste remains on Joost's tongue- and for a split moment you're struck worth worry, that you'll grow to enjoy its bitterness, even as a mere mortal, on account of the way it reminds you of Joost.

Joost's fingertips dig further into the slippery silk fabric of your nightgown, pressing further into your flesh, massaging gently as he rocks you back and forth in the kiss. You push yourself into his touch, hips steadily gyrating, almost instinctively.

Joost's teeth catch your lower lip, giving it a slight pinch before returning to the kiss. A small, high pitched whimper escapes your mouth between movements at the twinge, and you can feel Joost smile into the kiss at your reaction.

Your hand snakes up his side, finally getting to really feel Joost under your touch. You want your hands all over him, for no surface of his flesh to go unscathed by your fingertips. You grip onto his shoulder, fingernails digging deep into his bicep, surely leaving little indents as you crane your neck to deepen the kiss.

Your movements begin to become sloppy, each kiss less deliberate and more hungry, tongue escaping your lips, just as eager to consume as he is. You almost don't realize how cold he is under your touch, and for a moment he seems just as alive as you are.

Joost shifts slightly, rolling you with him so your back fully hits the mattress, his body hovering over yours. He holds himself above you, forcing you to stare up at him once again. He's much more intimidating like this, as if that was even possible. He stares down at you, eyes still striking even in the dark of the room, his hunger apparent in his glassy gaze, eyes trained on your body, like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.

But even as Joost is damn close to feeding on you again, you can't help but feel like you need this just as much as him, that you'd let him feed on you again and again- desperate for you and you alone to satiate his hunger.

"So impolite of me," Joost's voice soft as silk as that familiar smile creeps onto his face, "Sunk my teeth into you and I never even told you…" He shakes his head, pausing for a moment, "How beautiful I think you are."

Even as Joost is ice cold, you feel yourself growing hot, the mixture of the intensity of the moment, Joost's sharp gaze, and sweet words are enough to make you feel like you are burning up. You let your lips curl upwards, reveling in his compliments as he continues.

"Really," His voice earnest, eyes staring deep into yours, "Beautiful, like nothing I've ever seen."

You almost want to turn away, to avert your gaze and cower into the pillow as the blood rushes to your cheeks, a small giggle leaving your lips, a testament to your shyness in the situation. You'd never been called beautiful in such a way before, sure, platonic compliments from friends, or cheesy remarks from family- but not like this.

Not in the way where you wanted him to see more of you, ready to bare it all just so you can hear that word again.

Joost's weight shifts as he leans down to kiss you again. Once more, his movements beginning, tender and slow. You kiss him back with equal tenderness, legs parting so he can better fit between him, his weight shifting to his knees. Your thighs stretch to either side of him, knees bending, cradling his hips, the fabric of your nightgown lifts up, pooling at your upper thighs. At the side of your head Joost holds the rest of his weight on his forearm, using his freehand to trace down the freshly exposed skin of your leg.

At first his hand remains on the outer part of your thigh, brushing back and forth, a shiver coursing through you as goosebumps litter your skin. Joost allows you a moment to get used to the chill of his touch before his hand slowly rolls down to your knee, thumb tucking in at the back of your leg, gently guiding it down more, spreading your legs further.

It's a move so small, but you can't help but gasp, messing up the rhythm of the kiss as you try to catch your escaped breath.

Joost's hand begins to trace further up your leg, and you feel a twitch in between your thighs. The sensation almost makes you gasp again, your back arching into the feeling- you'd never come so close to experiencing something like this, your nerves now exposed to something entirely new, the pulsing between your legs is almost entirely foreign. It's almost like an ache, something that desperately needs tending to.

You squeeze your eyes shut tight, your body tensing with each slight move Joost's hand makes upwards,

"Tell me again that you want this," Joost suddenly breaks away from this kiss, his voice breathy- the coolness of his demeanor slipping for just a moment, revealing his utter desperation.

"Yes, please" You inhale, the pitch of your voice raising, you arch your back again, the control your body seems to have over you is startling. Your whole life you'd worked to not just deny, but overcome your flesh, but now you were held captive by it, your every move controlled by instinct and pure carnal desire, "Please," You mewl, "I want this, I want you. All of you."

Joost hums, gently nuzzling his nose against yours, lips just barely brushing against each other, his breath is cold as he exhales,

"Okay, needy girl," You can't quite tell if he's mocking you, but it's true, you are needy for him, "I'm gonna hold you to that." By now he's holding the innermost part of your thigh, right where it connects to your hip, fingers brushing against the edge of your underwear.

He's yet to resume kissing you, the only audible sound in the room are your trembling breaths, chest heaving as deep as it can, your breath surely hot on Joost's face. It's pathetic really, but you can't help yourself, far too caught up in the moment to attempt to collect yourself, or at the very least pretend to.

Joost's head suddenly dips, his lips now at your jaw, pecking lightly before beginning to place, slow, languid kisses to the bone. Your body curves into his touch, back raising off the mattress, chest raising to his. You throw your arms around Joost's back, desperate to keep him close to you, fingertips once again digging into the skin exposed by the back of his tank top.

The pace of your breathing only intensifies as Joost's lips trail down lower, leaving your jaw and beginning to suck at the throbbing artery in your neck. You tip your head to the side, allowing him greater access to you, welcoming whatever was to happen next.

It almost surprises you how well Joost can pace himself, so close to what he desires more than anything- the very thing that keeps him alive, and yet he denies himself again and again as his teeth don't even do as much as graze your neck, with kiss after kiss. That same restraint cannot be said for you, squirming beneath Joost, each kiss from his lips, or lick from his tongue only making you more, and more desperate, hips bucking in an attempt to get Joost to move his hand. Yet he doesn't budge.

At the same time you begin to feel Joost's hips pressing into you, yet from his position kneeled between your legs you can't feel much, the mere sensation of his fingertips brushing against the edge of the fabric of your underwear utterly overwhelming your senses.

Joost nuzzles his face into your neck, his cheek rubbing against you,

"You're just so warm," He sighs, "So full of life, I almost feel bad to take that from you, and fill you with anything else."

"No," You huff, "Take- take it I'm yours." You don't stutter out of anxiety but out of the way your desire begins to consume you, your brain becoming fuzzy as the only thing you can think about is him.

"Trust me," Joost purrs before pressing a quick peck to the inside of your neck, "I will."

Immediately, a breathy, high mewl escapes your throat as Joost's hand finally moves, a single finger brushing over the crotch of your underwear. The single touch, as Joost grazes your core sends a sharp, intense pang through you, your body twitching.

"Wooow," Joost muses, "You've really never been touched like this at all, have you?"

You cannot muster up a verbal reply, you only thrash your head back and forth against the pillow, bumping into his cheek a few times, signaling a no.

"Yeah," Joost breathes out, "Maybe you'll be too sensitive then… maybe I shouldn't-"

"No. Nono- I'm, please, I'm fine." The thought of this stopping now, of Joost slipping through your hands, it's all too much to bear, and all you can do is babble mindlessly, begging him to keep going.

Joost chuckles, his short laughter- dry.

"Kidding, of course," You can all but hear the smirk in his voice, "That would be evil of me. No, I wouldn't do that to you." Joost places a thumb to the soft, cotton fabric of your panties, tapping right above your clit, each short movement sending jolts down your legs, you can't even get out a sigh of relief, breath getting caught in your throat.

His tapping turns to long, gentle circles, at a pace, even for your inexperience feels agonizingly slow. Still, all you can do is grip into the back of his shoulders, savoring every drawn out touch, Joost's fingers every once and awhile tracing down the crotch of your underwear, before returning. With your head tipped back on the pillow, and your jaw slacked open, short breaths and little whimpers leave your mouth.

Perhaps Joost was right about your sensitivity, legs beginning to tremble around him despite him still only touching above fabric. Maybe you wouldn't be able to handle the real thing. But you have to try.

"More," You rasp out, anxious to take things further, "Please, more." You couldn't believe yourself, it was like someone had completely taken over your body, someone you didn't recognize. But it was you, you who was begging for sin, to indulge in this wickedness with someone who strayed so far from the divine.

"What do you want?" Joost asks, voice low, a certain liquidity to it, "This?" His finger slips into your underwear, pulling them to the side, the sudden rush of air in contact with wet skin sending a chill through you, making you feel all the more exposed. Your legs almost instinctively snap shut at the feeling of Joost's cold finger brushing between your slick, a slight yelp leaving your lips, a feeling unlike anything you ever felt before, forcing your eyes to screw shut. "Hey!" Joost chastises as your knees bump his side, a result of your legs attempting to close, "I know," He sighs, "But if you can't keep your legs open I can't go any further."

Slowly, your legs begin to part again as you nod, knees returning back to their original position. Joost continues to run a single finger up and down your folds, his motions still slow, on the brink of teasing. Nevertheless, it's enough for you to get some sensation out of, your eyes remaining shut tight as your face switches between screwing up tight, or your jaw almost becoming entirely unhinged.

Your small, soft, whines begin to build into something louder, more reactive as Joost's movements become less and less lazy and more deliberate. Nudging you with the side of his face, he knocks your head to the side, giving himself access- once again, to your neck. He returns his lips to you, laying his tongue flat against a throbbing artery before he presses a wet kiss to the same spot. The feeling of having Joost in two places at once is almost too much, but he seems to pay no mind to your squirming, almost mindlessly continuing on with what he's been doing.

You feel Joost's hand slip from where it had been, his palm suddenly pressing against your clit. He takes a moment to find where he wants to be, still preoccupied with his head in your neck. You feel a finger beginning to spread your folds, another sliding towards your entrance, circling for a moment before beginning to slip in.

The sensation is nothing like you've felt before, it's only a finger, yet the stretch is noticeable, foreign- not what you had been expecting it to be. You wince, at the sensation, Joost suddenly stopping.

"Shit-" He mutters against your neck, before pressing another kiss just below your ear, "Please, please sweetie, relax," He breathes, the simple pet name sweetie ringing in your ear, like you were something to him- you are something to him, "It will be uncomfortable if you keep being so tense."

"Oh- uh" You mumble, unsure of how to suddenly just loosen up, years of being taught to fear and prolong this very moment, were hitting you all at once. Every single echo of priests, or Sunday school teachers drilling it into you that this was meant to be saved for marriage, that it shouldn't be done out of pleasure but purely for the sake of having children rattles down the corridors of your mind. Your eyes begin to well up with tears, guilt beginning to creep back into your body.

With a sniffle, tears are beginning to spill out of your eyes, and no longer are your fingertips digging into Joost's shoulders, but you've fully wrapped your arms around him, pulling him even closer to you, his weight collapsing onto your chest.

Joost stops kissing you for a moment, clearly caught off guard for your sudden, seeming need for, a more wholesome form of affection. His hand falls from between your thighs, sliding up your leg to rest on your hip now.

"You're okay," He assures, "Let me sit up, mkay?*"

You nod, letting go of your grip on him, his free hand making your pillow dip as he uses it to prop himself back up. Resting on his shins, Joost still sits between your legs, looking down at you. You can hardly look up at him through your tear-stained eyes, for as guilty as you felt about betraying your faith, you had still felt all the more guilty for Joost having to deal with it- to make him bear the brunt of your anxieties.

"My poor crybaby," A smile pulling at his mouth, half mocking, half affectionate. He outstretches his hand, brushing your cheek with his thumb, far too affectionate for him to be genuinely mocking you, "What happened, huh?"

"Nothing," You sniffle, turning to lay your head on the side, so you don't have to look at him, "Just give me a second- it's just all so new-" You nuzzle your head against the pillow, attempting to dry your tears, "I don't want to stop… but it's just…" You move your head once again, looking back up at him, "I'm scared." You whisper, barely able to muster the confession out.

Joost nods, as if he could possibly understand. He tilts his head, lips slightly parted,

"You've been so good your whole life, haven't you?" his voice low, but above a whisper, "Scared of stepping out of line now, with me?"

You swallow hard, throat growing tight- his words cutting straight through the noise in your mind. You nod. Exactly

Joost brushes his palm against your upper thigh, rubbing affectionately, betraying the darker look in his eyes,

"You want this though, don't you?"

Once again, you nod.

"Good," He murmurs, "That's good." It isn't so much of a praise as it is approval, "Let's try again then, hm? Something different this time."

You smile slightly, blinking away the remaining tears in your eyes.

"Sit up, pretty."

You oblige, firmly planing your hands on either side of you, rising up from your spot on the bed. Joost's palm returns to your cheek after you sit up, thumb dragging down your bottom lip, an almost cruel smile on his face.

"How about you take the lead for a little bit…" He suggests, and this puzzles you- you, take the lead? As if you had any clue what you were doing.

Joost must notice your face, the way your eyebrows furrow, eyelids squinting as if you can't figure out what to do next.

"Just…" He starts, "I think you'll feel better if things start on your terms, tell me what you want, sweetie, anything."

You blink for a moment, eyes wide, like there isn't a single thought behind them. Oh but there was, your mind reeling, looking for the right thing to say,

"Anything," He repeats again, his smile softening to something more reassuring, "No shame."

"Um…" You start, "Okay," You sigh, "Well, I think I'll feel more comfortable, if we're both undressed."

"I think so too…" Joost nods, slowly, measured, "Do you want to undress me, or should I?"

You pause for a moment, but you don't really need to think about it,

"C-can I?" Your voice is meek, as if Joost hadn't emphasized there was no shame, as if he hadn't just asked if you wanted to do this.

"That's what I hoped you'd say."

Joost gets off the bed, the mattress shifting slightly as his weight lifts from it, moving to stand in front of you. He's so much taller now, his crotch just below eye-level as you move to swing your legs over the side of the bed.

"I'm all yours." Joost smirks.

You take a moment to look Joost up and down, before reaching your hands out with trepidation. Your arms in front of you, your eyes suddenly return to your wrist, almost forgetting the wound Joost had left on it, a not so subtle reminder of who he really was, what you were really dealing with. Yet it doesn't make you hesitate, not as your fingertips settle on the waistband of his jeans, feeling the rough denim beneath them for a moment before tracing down to the large metal buckle of his belt.

It's too dark to make out the design on it, but you let yourself feel its bumps and grooves, pausing for a moment, deciding how to make your move. You slide your thumb under the buckle, twisting your uninjured wrist to slowly pull the leather from the loops of his jeans. You then place the palm of your other hand against the metal buckle, steadying yourself, wincing as you apply pressure against your injured wrist. Still- you continue, tugging at the end of Joost's belt to fully free it from his jeans.

It startles you slightly, once the buckle hits the hard wood of your floor, body twitching at the high pitched sound. It calls you back to the moment, what you were doing, thumbing the button on his jeans. You don't bother to look up at Joost as you fumble with the small, circular metal, you can already feel his eyes searing into the top of your head, and you fear you'll crumble entirely under the weight of his gaze.

Finally, once the button is undone you can un-zipper his jeans, you anchor your opposite hand to his upper thigh as you tug at the zipper, sliding down its length with very little force. You hear Joost inhale deeply as your fingers brush over his crotch, feeling him beginning to stiffen under your light touch.

Once Joost's zipper is undone you finally manage to look up at Joost, eyes searching for permission to carry on, despite already knowing you had it. Still, even as Joost suggested that you take the lead you still felt like you needed him to guide you, desiring his approval at every step of this process.

Joost knocks his head back slightly, chin flicking upward to beckon you to go forward. You make a small nodding motion with your head as Joost affirms what you already knew what you should do. You push your thumbs into the waistband of Joost's jeans, fingers lightly brushing against the soft skin of his lower stomach as they hook into the thick fabric. Carefully, you begin to pull them down, careful to not catch his underwear as you do so, desiring to remove each piece of his clothing individually. You'd assumed his jeans must have been a size or two big, with the ease you were able to slide them down, even at his thighs. You finally let go once they reach his knees, dropping them so he can kick the pooled fabric to the side to be discarded along with his belt.

You trail your gaze up his legs, back to your eye line. You swallow, gaze remaining on his lower stomach, on the tuft of hair that sits just above the elastic of his underwear, avoiding your eyes making contact with the growing bulge that begins to strain against the tight fabric.

"Don't get shy on me again." Joost laughs, reaching forward to grab your arm, just below your shoulder, tugging slightly to lift it up. With the new leverage he slides his palm down the length of your arm before grabbing your wrist, moving it to stretch out your hand, "Right there," Joost sighs, placing your open palm to the fabric that clothes his cock, "Like that…" He holds his palm to the back of your hand, guiding you to rub his underwear-clad length.

Your thighs squeeze together, your guilt once again a passing thought as you feel the way Joost throbs under your touch.

"I thought I was taking the lead…" You bite your lip, eyes flicking up to Joost.

"Back-talking me already… " He shakes his head, clicking his tongue, "Well you looked like you needed some encouragement."

You nod, agreeing, it was exactly what you needed. Perhaps even more.

Your fingertips crawl to the elastic band of Joost's underwear, eager to hook into them.

Joost hums, calling your attention back up to him, watching him shake his head,

"Not yet,"

You bite the inside of your cheeks, attempting to hide your disappointment- but you didn't mind prolonging the night, still unsure if he means it when he says this will last beyond tonight.

"Think there's a little more to take off before we get there."

You nod, placing your hands back onto the bed, steadying yourself to help you stand up.

Despite your proximity, you must admit Joost has gotten less intimidating when you've realized the power you have over him too, the bulge poking into your lower stomach a testament to the fact that he needs you too.

Your fingertips find the hem of Joost's tank top, and you're eager to get it off of him, to have your hands splayed against his chest, to really feel him. You pull at the fabric, lifting it above his stomach, and he raises his arms for you, so you can pull it above his head, allowing Joost to do the extra work to pull it all the way up the length of his arms, too far up for you to reach.

He barely has time to toss his shirt with his other discarded clothes before your hands are on him, palm resting against his chest. He's hairier than you anticipated, the small amount of chest hair that poked from his tank top had not signaled to you the extent of it. Strangely enough- it humanized him, that and the small little moles that dotted his skin, taking you out of what you thought you knew about vampires- with their almost inhumanly pale, unblemished flesh, smooth as silk. Perhaps Joost physically had seemed perfect to you, but he still had the body of a man, not of something that wasn't of this mortal plane.

Your hand slides up from his chest, to his neck, fingers brushing over the tattoo that covers it. You think it's of a cartoon character, but you can't quite recognize it, your parents hadn't really allowed you to watch television growing up, firmly believing that they would rot your brain. You feel a twinge in your chest, remembering how it felt being younger, your alienation from other kids your age, unable to wear the clothes they wore, watch the movies they watched, or listen to the music they listened to. You couldn't quite put a name to the feeling back then, but you think you understand it now, as it still lives inside you, your otherness. Maybe that was part of the reason you had become so desperate for Joost tonight- he was an other too.

"Did this hurt?" You ask softly, continuing to trace the outline of Joost's tattoo, "The tattoo?"

"I guess so, yeah" You feel him shrug, "Nothing I couldn't take though."

"I like them," You smile, it's an innocent enough comment given the situation you had found yourself in, "They're one of the first things I noticed about you."

"One of?" Joost asks, almost challengingly, "What else have you noticed, hm?" He snakes an arm around your lower back, pulling you closer to him, bulge poking further into your lower tummy.

Your face grows hot, getting put on the spot like this,

"Your eyes, I guess," You rest your head on Joost's shoulder, "I've always struggled to maintain eye contact with you because of it."

"I get that a lot," He chuckles, "Even before I was turned, but that definitely made me creep people out more."

"Well," You sigh, "I don't think you creep me out anymore."

"No?" Joost raises an eyebrow, but you don't notice from where you lay against him, "Not even if I told you I can still smell the blood on your wrist… and how desperately I'm trying not to sink my teeth into you right now."

"No," You respond simply- but it isn't indifference, it's much sweeter, an affection for him, slowly unfurling inside of you- your long-buried desires now finally allowed to breathe.

Joost is silent for a moment, and you're sure all of your willingness has surprised him tonight, after all it has surely surprised you. His breath falters against your hair.

"You shouldn't say that so easily," He murmurs, but there's no real warning, it's something more weary, something tender, "You don't know what you're offering."

You nod against his collarbone, placing a small kiss to his exposed shoulder, "I would like to, though."

He exhales slowly, like he's trying to let something go, his hand pressing into the small of your back, keeping you to him as if you might change your mind.

"Well then," He starts, his hand trailing up your back, to the thin, flimsy strap of your nightgown, flicking it down your shoulder, and he continues with the other one, "May I?" He asks like he already knows the answers as two fingers slip into the neckline of the garment, ready slide it down.

You hesitate for a moment, before stepping back, nodding, allowing Joost to slip it off of you. Slowly, the silky fabric drips down your body, exposing your skin inch by inch. You gasp slightly as the nightgown falls from your chest, first exposing your breasts. You contemplate quickly grabbing the garment before Joost fully undresses you, pulling it back up, covering yourself and cowering away from Joost- but you stay, exhaling deeply, ready for Joost to see all of you.

Joost guides the nightgown down your hips, before letting it slip down your thighs, and finally pooling at your feet. Carefully, you step out the small pile its made, gently kicking it off to the side.

Joost's hands immediately return to you, palms at your waist before they slide up to your chest. He feels cold as ever, your teeth chattering as he explores parts of you nobody else has ever laid their eyes on. Joost palms your breasts with both hands, squeezing the supple flesh before letting go, his fingers one side slipping down to your nipple, gently pinching its pebbled surface.

It's a strange feeling, like nothing you've ever felt before, you tip your head back slightly, jaw slacking as a small moan escapes your lips at the jolt that runs through you.

You feel Joost's eyes as they stare deep into you, the heat of his gaze offsetting the pure ice of his touch.

Joost pulls back, just enough to look at you, his breath catching in his throat, eyes wide with awe, like he's never seen something so human.

"Oh my God," he murmurs, almost to himself, like the words slipped out before he could stop them.

You blink, a flutter of nerves curling in your chest, a brief pause, a ghost of old instinct still haunting you. You almost flinch at the casual invocation, the wrongness of hearing "God" like that, so bare, so breathless, but it passes quickly, swallowed by the way he's still looking at you.

Joost's hand comes up, thumb brushing over your cheek, eyes wide, like he can't quite believe you're real. His jaw tightens, like he wants to speak, you expect something smooth, something teasing, a gentle mockery of how you've so easily allowed him to get away with saying the Lord's name in vain. But when Joost finally speaks his voice is hoarse, uneven.

"You're… so beautiful" He says, and it sounds almost like it's something that cost him to admit. He sounds like he's unraveling, losing control over each passing second. "I was going to take my time," he shakes his head, "Make you nervous, make you squirm." His hand slips down to the waistband of your underwear, two fingers gently pulling at the elastic, "But I-I don't think I can control myself," He stutters, "I'm starving for you." He says low, ducking his head to rest against your neck.

"Then don't." You sigh, "I think I'm ready now." You nod.

"Please forgive my lack of restraint when this is through."

Joost mumbles, and you don't have a chance to respond before his hands rest against your shoulders, pushing you back onto the bed. His sudden fierceness knocking the breath from your lungs as you attempt to get into a more comfortable position, crawling backwards to fully lay against the mattress, arms splayed out above you, knees raised.

It isn't long before Joost is on top of you, hovering over you, arms steadying himself on either side of you, pure hunger in his eyes, reminding you that you are his next meal. He lowers himself slightly, lips colliding with yours. There's no build up to it, it's pure hot, wet desire. His teeth scrape against yours, making your body shiver, a sign of the recklessness with which he kisses you.

His kisses almost suffocate you, his breath heavy in your face, lips exploring you with a fervor you have yet to experience from him. You arch your back into him, your crotch grazing against him, granting you a feeling that was now growing familiar.

"Shit," He breathes out, pulling away from this kiss, "I can't do any more of this teasing shit, fuck" He pushes himself up from his position above you, and he's standing up again.

You blink a few times as you look up at him, swallowing thickly as you anticipate what's to come. Your body trembles, watching anxiously as he taps your knee,

"Come, on put your legs down," His hand trailing up your thigh, sticking his fingers into the waistband of your underwear, practically ripping at the fabric, "Let me take these off."

You oblige with a simple hum, biting down on your tongue until you nearly taste blood as the fabric slides down your thighs, leaving you entirely bare. You almost instinctively close your legs, your utter nudity leaving you vulnerable, feeling like you needed to shelter yourself. But you don't, you let him take you in as you bend your knees for him, betraying your initial reactions, and putting yourself on display.

Joost lets out a low groan at the sight, a smile of content settling on his face at how ready and willing you are for him. Joost soon pokes his thumbs into the elastic of his underwear, quickly, pulling them down.

You bite the inside of your cheeks as his length springs from the confines of the tight fabric, your body tenses, knowing what's to come next. You watch intently, propping yourself up on your forearms as Joost slides his palm up and down the shaft, his teeth gritting as he prepares himself for you.

Soon, he returns to his position above you, almost lunging at you, like you really are his prey. You fall back, body too shaken to continue to hold yourself up, head hitting the mattress.

"You're really going to have to relax for me this time," Joost's voice is suddenly a lot more serious, a lot more commanding, and you shut your eyes tight, taking a deep breath in, ready to obey. With your eyes shut you get no warning for the unexpected feeling of his tip brushing through your slick folds, the squelching sound of wet skin filling the room. You turn your head to the side, as if to look away, suddenly embarrassed by the realization that sound is you.

"Perfect," Joost mewls, lowering his head once more as he continues to slip between your folds, not yet entering you, "So wet," He muses, "So eager, it will make this easy." On reflex, you push up into him, wanting to feel more than just the tip, grinding against his length, sighing at the way the bumps of the veins of his cock provide the perfect amount of friction.

Joost's lips find your neck once more, kissing you with need, so close to everything he wants.

"Okay," He sighs, "Just focus on this, on me kissing you, okay? Relax." You know he doesn't want to wait anymore, and neither do you, and all you can do is just oblige, and try to forget about everything else in this moment besides the soft, comforting feeling of his lips on your neck. They're plush, more gentle than they should be, each kiss deliberate, calculated. You keep your neck craned to the side opposite him, allowing Joost as much access to your neck as he needs.

Yet you're suddenly ripped from that feeling, an unfamiliar stretch between your legs, one that forces your eyes to screw shut, your hands flying to Joost's shoulders' fingertips ripping into his flesh to ground yourself at the feeling. It stings for a moment, feeling like you're being torn in two, before it suddenly stops, becoming nothing more than a dull throb as you open your eyes, realizing Joost had bottomed out into you.

He doesn't pull back quite yet, instead raising his head to get a good look at the expression on your face. It's a lazy smile, head dizzy from the new sensation, you've never felt so full, it's a satisfaction unknown to you. He seems proud, or maybe he's just altogether too excited to finally have plunged into you. It doesn't matter, the satisfaction you both feel clearly fills the room, shifting the mood, your senses suddenly heightened.

Joost begins to pull out, your eyes rolling back into your head, back arching as a long, high pitched whine leaves your mouth. Your hands trail down his back, fingernails not leaving his skin, surely leaving deep scratch marks in Joost's back.

He thrusts forward again, and your breath is taken from you once more, and you struggle to regain it as he finds his pace, surprisingly slow at first, allowing you to get used to his length.

"You're so warm," He sighs, pushing himself back into you, at a pace that is almost agonizingly slow. You get the feeling that Joost misses the warmth of being human, that this is exactly what he needed. His desire for your vitality was far beyond just his lust for blood, it was a longing for life.

"You are too," You say back simply, not meaning it in the sense of temperature, but in how he makes you feel.

"You shouldn't say things like that," He groans, eyes closing tight for a moment as he speeds up his pace, his voice hiccuping, "Make me feel like there's something human left in me."

"Maybe there is." You gasp. Even as a mortal, even you have never felt so alive, you've never been so aware of the blood in your veins, the sensation that sparks each nerve with Joost's thrusts.

"I told you I could still feel," He chokes out a laugh, voice raw.

You believe him now more than ever, especially at the, drawn out groans and grunts he lets out, head hanging once more as he's finally given into your softness.

"What do you feel?" He asks, "Do I make you feel closer to death as you make me feel closer to life?"

"No, no!" You suddenly squeal as Joost slams into you, struggling to maintain a train of thought, much less a coherent response to his question, "No… s'full… so alive," It isn't the full breadth of your thoughts, but it's close enough, unable to squeak out a full sentence under the pure pleasure that overtakes your senses.

You should feel guilty, push Joost off of you and run to confession, beg for repentance- wondering how you could ever even serve any penance for this. This was pure selfish, indulgent sin- your first taste of hedonism.

"Good," Joost says, sensing your new found lust for life had been forged from relinquishing your old ways, "You needed this didn't you, to be broken open? God, I'm so glad it was me."

"Me too," You agree, holding Joost tighter, fingernails settling into his back once more at the intensity of every sensation. Joost isn't holding back now, not with the way he rocks into you, not at a back breaking pace, but fast, and deep enough for you to know this is exactly how he wants it.

You're restraining the noises that almost force themselves out of you, what would be cries nothing more than mere high pitched whines. It's all too intense, everything, all the emotions, and the way Joost buries himself so deep within you awakens something you can't even fully understand, you're not in control of yourself anymore. Your body is shaking, squirming beneath him, you can't help yourself, your pleasure possessing you, a demon you never want to be exorcised out.

"It's okay," Joost says, sensing your restraint, "Let it all out, be as loud as you want angel."

Angel, an ironic nickname, as you felt far from it. Yet compared to Joost, he must have seen you like a saint, his own slice of heaven. Like he wasn't why you had so suddenly fallen from your path of righteousness, taking your innocence, your restraint. But worse, you had given it to him so willingly, despite the guilt clawing at the back of your mind, you could never leave, not when every part of your body screamed that this was where you were supposed to be.

The realization only adds to the overwhelming sensation, and with his beckoning you finally let everything out, a loud sob ripping through your throat as Joost continues to fuck into you, tears spilling down your cheeks. Once the tears start they don't stop, and you can't wipe them away, hot and relentless. Your throat tightens painfully, strangling every breath into a ragged gasp.

Your stomach tightens with each wave, drawing your knees further inward, your whole frame curling as if to protect yourself from the rawness of it all, but you can only move your legs so far with Joost between them.

The sound is strange, foreign to your ears, the mix of your sobs with moans of pure pleasure. It's intense, nothing like the shallow gasping and whimpering you had usually heard coming from Joost's room at night. You wondered if you had just been far more sensitive than them, or if he had just been fucking you so much better than he had ever bothered for anyone else. You hope it's the latter, you don't want him to see you as weak, as just an innocent thing to ruin without another care in the world, before he returns back to old habits. No, you want to be the best thing Joost has ever had, you want him to come back for more, to be the only one, forever.

Joost begins to kiss your neck again, movements becoming slopping, losing any pace, this groans vibrating against your skin.

"I need this," He mumbles to your flesh, before returning to your neck, his kisses becoming furious, lips sucking at your veins, pulling the skin. Your breath fails to find you, short, relentless stutters falling from your lips as your body begins to tense, shaking harder than before.

You feel like you're about to burst, far too full and overwhelmed. You screw your eyes tight, expecting to pop at any moment, the tension building inside of you, your voice becoming louder and louder, despite Joost's coldness you're hot, the simmering pressure inside you about to roll over into a boil.

The feeling is cut for a moment, but by relief, but with a sharp pang, a prick. Your head falls to the side as the ache in your neck spreads, slow and warm. Joost had finally done it, he'd bitten you.

You can't keep your legs up much longer as they begin to thrash beneath you, your entire body trembling at the feeling of all the ways Joost has buried himself deep inside you.

It wasn't just a bite- you'd been claimed, the final declaration of your ruin as his hands, his mouth tethered to your skin. Your blood burns in contrast to the coldness of everything else, your neck just as warm and wet now as your cunt, which Joost still mercilessly pounds himself into.

Every nerve in your body had been woken up, the bite wasn't just in your neck, it pulsed. Your breath caught, fingernails breaking the skin of Joost's back, the very pulse Joost feeds from pounds in your ears.

You feel yourself growing weak, limbs tingling from the loss of blood, tension leaving your body along with your strength. You lay there, like a rag doll, vision becoming spotty, without a thought in your head. You were losing blood faster than your heart could pump it out, your eyes beginning to roll back in your head, body on the brink of unconsciousness.

Surely Joost was able to feel it, the way you suddenly fell limp beneath him, your sobs and moans ceasing as you lost the strength to even make as little as a squeak.

Joost pulls himself from your neck, steadying himself on one forearm above you. You can make out some of him, as you begin to nod off, eyes fluttering, vision half blacked out and blurry. You notice the crimson that stains his lips, only able to make it out in the stark contrast it has against his pale skin.

Joost's palm hits the side of your cheek, it's not a slap, nowhere near hard enough to sting, but enough to call you too him, he repeats the gesture a few more times,

"Come on," He urges, "Come back to me, baby, you're almost there."

His voice is enough to help you retain some consciousness, it's something to hold on to.

Until eventually another sensation hits you, almost out of nowhere, your adrenaline kicking in, a near scream suddenly leaving your lips as your legs begin to quiver uncontrollably.

"That's right," Joost smirks, "There you are, oh" He coos, "You're there."

It's almost as intense as Joost's bite, the feeling that rips through you, your pussy fluttering, clenching around Joost. You shut your eyes tight as the hot wave of pleasure washes over you, your consciousness brought back to you.

You thrash against Joost, grinding onto his cock, like you somehow want him even deeper as you ride out the final seconds of your orgasm, not wanting the pleasure to cease.

And it doesn't not quite… but it becomes something so much more intense as Joost returns to your neck, lapping at the blood that still spills from the wound he's created. Your thighs ache, your quivering pussy so much more sensitive as you come down from your high. It's far too much, as the tears continue to spill from your eyes, and you want to shove Joost off of you, unable to take it.

But you can't, you don't- you don't really want to.

"Just a little longer," He assures, his breathless voice almost inaudible against the backdrop of your ceaseless whines.

HIs tongue drags up against your neck, savoring every drop he takes from you, the feeling makes you shutter.

A string of expletives fall from Joost's mouth, he's louder now, the loudest he's been all night, and you whine once more as he pulls out of you, the sudden emptiness feeling strange.

"Fuck," He mumbles once more before you feel the warmth of his release on your inner thigh, having been mere seconds away from cumming inside of you. It some how feels filthier like this, feeling the warmth drip down your thigh, so close to your spent cunt.

Joost collapses next to you with a heavy breath, and you immediately cling to him, everything finally hitting you at once. You wrap your legs around Joost, arms held around him even tighter as you begin to sob into his chest.

Your breath comes out shallow, stuttering. The pain in your neck twinges with each heartbeat, the echo of his teeth still there, sharp, yet impossibly gentle, like the act was sacred.

But there was nothing holy about what you had done.

"It's okay, angel," He attempts to comfort, hand splayed on your back, rubbing soft circles into your skin.

And there it was, angel, so innocent, as if your blood didn't stain his lips.

Your chest heaves with another sob, something ugly that tears through you. You press your forehead to Joost's chest, afraid of what you'll see there.

"What have I done," You breathe out.

Your mind reels, knowing how far gone you were now. This wasn't supposed to happen, not like this. The fragile pieces of who you thought you were shattering in every direction.

"Nothing you didn't want." Joost responds, so casually, so assured.

And it's because he's right, you did want it, and even now, as you lie here sobbing, you'd still do it all again.

[weaselandfriends]

hi bavitz, I'd be interested to hear what other webfiction you keep an eye on / recommend

I'm probably not as prolific a reader of web fiction as I should be. My reading has much more frequently tilted toward the classics, where there's a lot less of a need to sift large amounts of mediocrity for hidden gems. The way web fiction is monetized also encourages works that are absurdly long compared to conventional fiction. A million words seems to be the baseline for any big-name webfic; this is the equivalent of three 1,000-page novels. This length, it seems, is often accomplished via bloat rather than variety and depth of things to say, and it also makes actually engaging with these works a full-time job.

That said, here is a list of web fiction I've read that I would recommend to others:

The works of Nostalgebraist: He has four novels, all of which are worth reading. One of the most unique and fully realized voices in the webfic scene, especially with his later output (Almost Nowhere and Apocalypse of Herschel Schoen). The Northern Caves is his most notable and page-turning work.

Worth the Candle by Alexander Wales: Though a million+-worder (and currently stubbed for publication on Amazon), this is a pretty remarkable pinnacle of the LitRPG isekai genre that absolutely infests the mass-market male-readership webfic scene, using the genre as a vehicle for complex and at times harrowing personal introspection. The climax is incredible.

The Flower That Bloomed Nowhere by Lurina: Another million+-worder, this time in the vein of Umineko. An intersection between philosophical debate on the goals of medical science and a dissection of the meaning of personal identity. Currently ongoing.

Chili and the Chocolate Factory by Gazemaize: Really funny. Leans into the slasher horror aspect of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is good because slasher horror is the ultimate form of fiction.

Antilia by Pigoseg: Highly obscure author compared to the others on this list; they're on my radar because they originally wrote fanfiction of Fargo and Chicago. Antilia is their first original work, a short but perfectly-constructed story with an incredible concept. I currently have the first draft of their next novel, a Doki Doki Lit Club fanfic where Monika makes a society of clones of the other characters who then get into a race war, and so far it's shaping up to be even better. Name to watch out for.

CORDYCEPS by Benedict: Another short, tightly-constructed work with a lot of punch. Very strong emotional climax despite the more formalistic puzzlebox construction of the narrative.

Detective Pony by sonnetstuck: Modern Cannibals but more deeply rooted in academic postmodern thought.

How the Questing Beast Chased, and Caught, Her Own Tail by Avunvain: Very interesting prose stylist, which sets this work apart from a lot of the rest. A heady and psychological work that can take some close reading (and rereading) to parse, which is always a rewarding experience. It's Madoka Magica fanfic. Ongoing.

I'm probably forgetting something else (edit: I did, and edited it in) but this is a pretty good list. (I'd love to fill it with some more Fargo/Chicago fanfic like London but that'd probably be too self-indulgent.)

[thatbadadvice]

Help! I'm A Private Person!

Neil Gaiman, Journal.NeilGaiman.com, 14 January 2025:

Over the past many months, I have watched the stories circulating the internet about me with horror and dismay. I’ve stayed quiet until now, both out of respect for the people who were sharing their stories and out of a desire not to draw even more attention to a lot of misinformation. I've always tried to be a private person, and felt increasingly that social media was the wrong place to talk about important personal matters. I've now reached the point where I feel that I should say something. As I read through this latest collection of accounts, there are moments I half-recognise and moments I don’t, descriptions of things that happened sitting beside things that emphatically did not happen. I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.  I went back to read the messages I exchanged with the women around and following the occasions that have subsequently been reported as being abusive. These messages read now as they did when I received them – of two people enjoying entirely consensual sexual relationships and wanting to see one another again. At the time I was in those relationships, they seemed positive and happy on both sides. And I also realise, looking through them, years later, that I could have and should have done so much better. I was emotionally unavailable while being sexually available, self-focused and not as thoughtful as I could or should have been. I was obviously careless with people's hearts and feelings, and that's something that I really, deeply regret. It was selfish of me. I was caught up in my own story and I ignored other people's. I’ve spent some months now taking a long, hard look at who I have been and how I have made people feel.  Like most of us, I’m learning, and I'm trying to do the work needed, and I know that that's not an overnight process. I hope that with the help of good people, I'll continue to grow. I understand that not everyone will believe me or even care what I say but I’ll be doing the work anyway, for myself, my family and the people I love. I will be doing my very best to deserve their trust, as well as the trust of my readers. At the same time, as I reflect on my past – and as I re-review everything that actually happened as opposed to what is being alleged – I don't accept there was any abuse. To repeat, I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Some of the horrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others have been so distorted from what actually took place that they bear no relationship to reality. I am prepared to take responsibility for any missteps I made. I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I can't accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot and will not admit to doing things I didn't do.

Dear Neil,

You, sir, are nothing other than fundamentally misunderstood — indicated in every sense by this, a smart and good post that you published on the whole-ass internet for literally the entire world to read.

The important thing is that you're learning! And you deserve infinite credit for that. Not nearly enough people appreciate how much you've learned about yourself in the course of ~ allegedly ~ committing sexual assault against multiple, probably crazy, women and the aftermath thereof. Less enlightened men would disregard the experiences of women who have highly specific and detailed accounts of being sexually abused, but you are open to the idea that the women who foolishly believe you assaulted them were simply mislead by your interminable charm! For which you cannot be held responsible! What a gift you are, friend; your generosity and open-mindedness are unparalleled.

Truly, whomst among us has not been where you find yourself now? Come, enjoy the company of friends who understand the brutal loneliness that results from being misunderstood by hysterical bitches who fail to appreciate the privilege of having your masterful fingers shoved up their asses without notice!

Again and again, women love men like you too much. They want you to be emotionally and sexually available! And that is just so, so much to ask. You have a lot going on! It's not a ding on them — of course they find you irresistible, being as you are an intellectual titan — and they may find themselves confused and intimidated by your sexual prowess, unaware that you exist in a world beyond pedestrian notions of consent. That is what makes your work so particularly meaningful and powerful.

You write about a man who does a bad thing, but you do the other good thing! You do a good thing, but in your work, a man does a bad thing! This is the stuff of sheer brilliance, capturing the sturm unt drang of the human condition — or, at least, of the humans whose conditions matter most, which is to say, men of your creative stature.

The sorry truth is that despite your best efforts, no one understands you, the author of 40-plus years of written work in which you had every fucking opportunity to emulate literally any character of your design who was not an unrepentant rapist. Whomst among us has not struggled with such quandaries? Whomst among us has not wondered: Should I rape women in the presence of my child, or should I just the fuck wait a minute and destroy my marriage by other means? Should I order a cinnamon bagel, or an egg sandwich? These are the questions men such as us must grapple with in a world where cancel culture has run rampant, and where people are liable to believe anything they hear from over half a dozen unbridled harpies (story idea! make sure Katee Robert doesn't see this, she seems like a bitch with designs) whose indeterminate fantasies have been aggressively fact-checked by risk-averse media legal departments.

You're right and everyone else is wrong, and that's exactly the take-away that everyone will have from reading this thing that you posted! Great work, great instincts, great writing. It's like Stardust, but hotter. You know what I mean.

A+ all around, no notes other than: you should share this with more people directly so they have the clearest possible idea of where you're coming from. Don't hold back, bud!

[thevillainswhore]

Familiar Ghosts

Pairing: Dark!Benjamin Poindexter x F!Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Summary: How you thought you could end your relationship with Dex was a mystery to him. Didn’t you know he would always come back for you? Didn’t you know that you belonged to him?

Warnings: Ex-boyfriend!dex, toxicity, dark content, stalking, smut, dubious consent, a little somnophillia?, oral (fem receiving)

Author’s Note: divider by @saradika-graphics. hi!! very very nervous to post this, but the hyper fixation of bullseye has been strong and I can’t get him out of my head. Hope you enjoy x

Benjamin Poindexter. A veteran soldier. A former FBI agent. And most recently, your ex-boyfriend.

It had been a volatile breakup. Dex was intense, while you were breezy and happy-go-lucky. Where you were outgoing, Dex was a fortress of solitude, who put you on a pillar of excellence. He made you a deity. Something so spiritually powerful it scared you. In Dex’s eyes, you could do no wrong. He would follow you to the ends of the earth if it was what you wished. 

His expectations weren’t attainable. Dex spoke of you as though you belonged with the higher powers religion based their ideals upon. He treated you like a fallen angel, simply too beautiful for this world. 

Dex was fervent in his adoration of you, in making you a pinnacle of his life. It was in the way he catalogued your facial expressions as they flashed across your face, knowing how you felt before you did. Like he could read your mind. It was proven in the obsession of keeping you safe, making sure he knew where you were at all times. He’d spend any spare moments he had with you, because as he had put it so many times, he felt like he couldn’t breathe without you. 

That’s why you had ended it, you had told him.

For you, it became too much.

You had tried so delicately to end the relationship. With sweet words and appreciation of the time spent together. But Dex had taken it like a bullet to the heart no matter how honeyed your apologies poured out. His eyes had darkened, his breaths had become unsteady, his fists had tightened against the upholstery of your sofa. 

Dex was a storm, ready to wreak total

destruction. And you weren’t ready for it. 

Your first mistake was leaving your window open. 

Naive as you were, it worked out in Dex’s favour. Of course, he could’ve entered your apartment whether you took better care to lock up or not. Though, you made it a hell of a lot easier for him to gain access and for that, he was grateful. 

See, Dex told himself internally. She does care about you. She’s still thinking of you. She’s practically letting you in. 

It was simple enough for Dex to explain away the doubts lingering in his mind. His moral compass wasn’t broken, you just made it work better. You guided him. Just like you paved the way for him to enter your home while you were sleeping. 

The invitation was there. 

And how you looked so beautiful, chest slowly rising and falling. The silk of your camisole melted into your skin, the white material clinging to the curves of your breasts as your nipples stood to attention. It was a sight for sore eyes. 

Luckily, Dex’s eyes had seen too many horrors and you were the balm to heal his wounds. 

The day you left him, Dex felt not only his heart shatter, but also his mind. You were his buoy in an open endless sea, a beacon in the night calling him home to safety. And a man so reliant on his North Star, who was suddenly deprived of that shining light, was a dangerous one. 

Frayed nerves. Destructive tendencies. A whole lot to lose. 

It was unfair. An injustice of Dex’s love you’d so easily tossed aside. 

But it was okay. Dex wasn’t angry. You were just confused. Taken aback by the sincerity of his affections and how deeply they ran. You weren’t used to it, always settling for less than you deserved. 

Men hadn’t always been kind to you. He’d know of course. Dex had always watched over you. He couldn’t remember what life was like before you graced him with your presence. 

So it was time for Dex to prove that he knew what you needed. What was best for you. 

Your second mistake was your choice in nightwear. 

It wasn’t anything different to what you’d usually wear on a night where the breeze danced through the voils of your window, goosebumps echoing along your soft skin. 

But how silly of you to leave yourself so uncovered when Dex had warned you an inconsequential amount of times about the monsters that lurked in the night. 

Luckily, you needn’t worry. Dex would always be around to protect you.  

Stood in your bedroom, Dex inhaled. Honey and caramel incense, the lotion you lathered into your body after a shower. How he’d missed it dearly. How he could drown in your scent and drag you with him to keep you for eternity. 

It had been too long. A lifetime without you it felt. The muscle in his jaw ticked while he watched you rest so peacefully. Why weren’t you itching with unease in the middle of the night like he was? How could you be so content without him by your side? 

It wouldn’t do. Dex needed you to crave him as he did you. He needed you to feel the same raw ache that had created a hole in his chest. 

Footsteps light, Dex crept towards the edge of your bed, sheets wrapped around you lightly. You were a deep sleeper, your situational awareness on mute in the early hours. 

It was why the phantom touch of his fingers, ghosting over the inside of your upper thigh went unnoticed by you. 

Plump. Buttery. So damn delicate. A shudder ran down Dex’s spine. His first touch of you in a while. Like an addict finally reuniting with its downfall. 

Trails of constellations etched into your skin by Dex’s fingertips, each manoeuvre carefully crafted in his head. He swallowed roughly, his mind was finally starting to quieten. 

Becoming more comfortable, Dex’s hands grew more desperate, more inclined to grasp instead of trace. To squeeze rather than brush.

It was no surprise that he was quick to lift the sheets covering your form, hiding your beauty away from him. Your legs were already spread apart slightly and so resting his palms in the divot behind each of your knees, Dex opened you up further, revealing the absence of any underwear as the camisole rode up your body. 

They’re so uncomfortable, Ben. I need to feel free while I’m sleeping, you know? Dex could hear the sweet melody of your voice replaying back to him in his own head. He had appreciated it back then, how you so effortlessly bent to his will when his hand smoothed over your bare hip. How pliable you became when his cock found itself growing hard against the rump of your ass and begged for your tight, warm hole to accommodate him. 

And so how he appreciated it now, no barrier to keep him away; no unnecessary layer to stop him from reclaiming what was rightfully his. 

It was almost like you knew Dex would come back. 

Swallowing the saliva that was rapidly gathering over his tongue, Dex swallowed. The pretty sight of your soft folds, framed with the trimmed hair over your pubic bone overwhelmed him. He had gone without you for so long. 

Dex gently secured his hands in the crease between your thigh and crotch on each side of your legs, his thumbs naturally resting next to your hole. He couldn’t help but smile when you shifted, your pussy twitching as though to say welcome home. 

Your slumber wouldn’t last long, Dex knew that — not with what he came to do. But he was tired of holding back, riddled with restlessness the longer he held out. 

And he had reached the end of his tether. The band had snapped. 

Wasting no more time, Dex rested himself on his stomach between your legs, opening your pussy up to him, and finally burying his nose into your sex to breathe you in. 

“Fuck,” Dex’s voice was a growl in the calm night. “You smell just as good as I remember.” 

From then, Dex’s focus was infiltrated. No longer did the honking cars outside your apartment cause him to grind his teeth. No more did the harsh lights of the city billboards make his eyes sting with harshness. In that moment, Dex’s mind liquefied in the recesses of the heaven between your thighs. His alter. 

His arms tightened around your legs, hands rested against your stomach as his tongue rolled over your sex. Reunited at last. 

Dex groaned into you, the harsh sound no doubt vibrated against you. It didn’t matter that your muscles jumped in awareness or if your chest began to heave, nothing would stop him now. 

Even as he started to grind himself against the mattress without shame, Dex still held the immaculate precision of his tongue lathering over your folds, the tip flicking against what he knew was your sensitive clit. 

While his body may well be greedy, he was at least loyal to a fault — destined to always belong to you. 

“B-Ben?” Your voice trembled and oh, how Dex loved you all the more for it. “Is that you?” 

Dex sighed contentedly. You still knew his touch. “Yeah. It’s me, sweetheart.”

He felt the muscles in your legs become more stiff all of a sudden. “What—What are you doing—?” Though you tried to sound accusatory, your exclamations couldn’t help but be airy — light with what could only be pleasure. “H-How did you even get in?”

“Shh. Don’t worry about that. Just relax, you’re safe with me.” 

Dex continued his motions, beginning to suction his lips around your engorged clit while he held you tight when you began to squirm. 

Your breaths came out more panicked, more rushed. You tried to get away. “Ben, I don’t—This isn’t right, please stop—“ 

“You don’t want that.” Dex pressed kisses over the meat of your thighs. “You want me. You can’t hide it, just look how much you’re showing me you need this.” 

Because while you may have tried to run away, your body remembered Dex perfectly. You couldn’t shy away from the wetness leaking out of your pulsing hole. Couldn’t ignore how your juices had coated the skin of Dex’s chin. 

And as much as you tossed and turned, attempting to shake off the physical hold Dex had on you, you hadn’t even realised how you began to follow his mouth. How your hips gyrated in rhythm with each stroke of his tongue, purring for more. 

“No—,” tears rolled down your cheeks in rivulets, your head shaking from side to side against the pillow. “Ben, stop—“

“You thought you could just leave me, huh? Thought you could call it quits and end us?” Your cries went ignored as Dex became more cruel with each suck, his fingers beginning to circle your entrance. “That’s not the way this works, sweetheart. You're mine.” 

Your thighs began to shake just as Dex pushed two fingers in at once, merciless and brutal, until his knuckles sat against you. 

“Always have been.” 

Beginning to grind them, Dex curved his fingers against your walls, making sure to hit the spot he hadn’t forgotten. 

“Always will be.” 

He was ruthless, brutal with each undulation of his fingers, barely removing them from your pussy. You couldn’t even keep your whimpers down, each whine and moan like ecstasy to Dex. 

Maybe it was unorthodox to gift you enough pleasure that you would forget any previous hesitancy. To make you remember how good you had it with Dex. But he didn’t care enough to let it hold space in his mind. 

Dex would do whatever it took to get you back. 

He looked up at you, hair tousled, eyes wide with fear and yet a spark of something else. 

It was your third mistake to unveil the shy excitement in your eyes.  

Your body still shook, your nervous system rewiring itself as your walls contracted around his fingers with the upcoming gratification of an orgasm. But beneath the terror, the horror of Dex’s actions, he could see behind the fog, to the exhilaration and eager anticipation digging its talons into you. 

You were made for him. 

Benjamin Pointdexter may have haunted you. 

Benjamin Pointdexter’s love may have suffocated you. 

But in the midst of clawing your way back for breath, you enjoyed the feel of his scratches marking you. Dex knew it.

Dex knew you.

And as fire burned its way through your veins with your release, Dex’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. Drinking you in like he was dehydrated and you were the water he needed to survive. 

Your stomach caved in, barely able to inhale any air with how powerful your orgasm was. It was seconds after your muscles finally had a chance to relax before Dex crawled his way up your body, his clothes somehow already shedded and neatly folded upon the chair, and kissed away the tracks still staining your cheeks from your tears while his bare cock bobbed against your pussy. 

Eerily calm, Dex whispered, “You’re not leaving me again. Do you understand?” 

He watched intently as your throat constricted around the lump in your throat. “Yes, Ben. I-I promise. I’m sorry.” 

Stroking your hair, Dex smiled, already edging the tip of his cock to rest upon your weeping entrance. “Good. Because you can’t escape me, sweetheart. I love you too much to let you go.” 

[wildgeese98]

@jonmartinweek Day 1: Pets & Cats // Feelings Realised

[CLICK]

[FOOTSTEPS CRUNCH OVER UNEVEN GROUND]

[THE FOOTSTEPS STOP]

MARTIN: Is that...?

ARCHIVIST: The next domain, yes.

MARTIN: What's this one? oh lord it looks like a hospital. It's not another horror hospital is it?

ARCHIVIST: No, well that is to say, this one's a lot less gory.

MARTIN: [suspiciously] what does that mean?

ARCHIVIST: There aren't actually any treatment rooms. It's all waiting rooms.

MARTIN: Waiting rooms?

ARCHIVIST: Filled with people waiting to hear about the condition of their seriously ill loved ones.

MARTIN: Ah.

ARCHIVIST: Yes, that horrible fear that twists their guts every time a nurse or doctor comes through the doors to the hall. Anticipation to finally hear some news waring with the sinking certainly that it will definitely be terrible. [Starting to get going] Most can't even remember who they're here for. A parent? A sibling? Spouse? All they know is-

MARTIN: [urgently cutting him off] Jon! Jon! Not now!

ARCHIVIST: Wha-? Oh... Sorry

MARTIN: At least wait until we actually get there

ARCHIVIST: Of course

MARTIN: Can we try to get through this one quickly, just that description is already bringing back some less than pleasant memories.

ARCHIVIST: Ah, o-of course, I'll do my best. I'm sorry I didn't even think about that, with your mum and all.

MARTIN: Well yes I suppose, but I was more talking about you.

ARCHIVIST: Oh, ah, y-yes, after the unknowing...

MARTIN: And after Prentiss, I thought you and... and Tim might both be dead,

ARCHIVIST: Oh, o-of course. You know that feels like a lifetime ago.

MARTIN: Tell me about it

[PAUSE, FOOTSTEPS]

ARCHIVIST: Were you really that concerned about me after Prentiss?

MARTIN: What!? Of course! Jon you were riddled with worm holes, you looked like minced meat when they pulled you out, not to mention the oxygen deprivation...

ARCHIVIST: Yes, yes, I-I just mean... I was just your boss at that point. Your boss who'd never been particularly, uh, pleasant to you.

MARTIN: Jon, I was completely gone for you the moment you offered to let me sleep on your cot in document storage.

ARCHIVIST: Oh.

MARTIN: I may not have admitted it to myself then but after that I was completely hopeless.

ARCHIVIST: I don't know that I realized you started having... feelings like that so early on.

MARTIN: What? Really? I know you had other things on your mind but I wasn't really that subtle.

ARCHIVIST: I'm not the most observant about that sort of thing.

MARTIN: You've got to see the irony in that.

ARCHIVIST: [dismissively] Yes, yes,

[PAUSE, FOOTSTEPS]

ARCHIVIST: I'm not sure there was a moment like that for me.

MARTIN: What, no sudden miraculous realization?

ARCHIVIST: Well I suppose there was.... [He trails off in obvious embarrassment]

MARTIN: Was what?

ARCHIVIST: [hurriedly] nevermind, it's silly,

MARTIN: No come on, now I have to know.

ARCHIVIST: Martin...

MARTIN: Jon.

ARCHIVIST: Fine! When you lent me your neck pillow.

MARTIN: What?

ARCHIVIST: When I flew to America.

MARTIN: Okaaayyy??

ARCHIVIST: A-a-and I... appreciated it...

MARTIN: [laughing] What so that's all it took? would have been nice to know earlier that the secret way to your heart was a 15 pound Tesco neck pillow.

ARCHIVIST: I-It wasn't just the pillow it was the t-t-though behind it and...

[PAUSE]

MARTIN: Aaannnd...?

[SILENCE]

MARTIN: And what Jon?

ARCHIVIST: [mumbled] nevermind

MARTIN: No, no you don't get to wriggle out of this one, you're blushing too much for me to let this go.

ARCHIVIST: It's n-nothing, it doesn't matter, really Martin...

[ONE SET OF FOOTSTEPS STOP]

MARTIN: Nope, no take backs, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me.

[THE OTHERS FOOTSTEPS STOP]

ARCHIVIST: [exasperated sigh] Come on Martin we don't have time-

MARTIN: [interrupting] aren't you the one who keeps saying time doesn't work anymore?

ARCHIVIST: [trying to put on his stern Head Archivist voice and not quite getting there] Martin you're making a whole production out of nothing, really, this is ridiculous.

MARTIN: [Stubborn silence]

ARCHIVIST: Martin

MARTIN: [Silence continues]

ARCHIVIST: [A sigh even more exasperated than the last]

[THE SOUND OF FEET SHUFFLING UNCOMFORTABLY]

ARCHIVIST: Fine! Fine...

[MORE SHUFFLING]

ARCHIVIST: [mumbled] it... it smelled like you

MARTIN: What? The pillow did?

ARCHIVIST: Yes, a-a-and it was...

[TORTURED PAUSE]

ARCHIVIST: Comforting

[A SOMEHOW EVEN MORE TORTURED PAUSE]

ARCHIVIST: And t-that's when I started to realized how, uh... comforting I found...you

MARTIN: Oh jon

ARCHIVIST: [trying to sound irritated] There are you happy now? You- oof!

[HE'S CUT OFF BY MARTIN PULLING HIM INTO A HUG, FABRIC RUSTLES]

[AFTER A PAUSE THEY PULL APART]

MARTIN: Alright, I'll stop torturing you with questions about feelings.

ARCHIVIST: Thank you

MARTIN: I'm not going to let you forget about this though.

ARCHIVIST: [agonized groan] Martin,

MARTIN: No that little tibbit was too hard won. I'm holding on to it forever.

ARCHIVIST: Alright, alright... you absolute fiend.

[THEY BOTH CHUCKLE]

MARTIN: [sighing] Alright let's get this over with.

[FOOTSTEPS START UP AGAIN]

[CLICK]

[dworkism]

𓆜⋆˚࿔  — sweet creature

humans were told to be dangerous and evil! Yet you couldn't bring yourself to believe that, not when this one was so kind to you.

pairings : pirate!eijiro k. x mermaid!reader

genre : fluff

warnings : reader uses simplified language (example: "Eijiro want gift?" or "I bring gift!" MIGHT SOUND CRINGE IDK IM SORYYYYYY, pirate slangs used (a lot), reader is EXPLICITLY said to be female.

➤ masterlist!

4,6k word count!

The sea is vast. 

An immense home to mysteries yet to be unfolded. Depths of stories to be told, and songs to be sung. Yet other than that, the sea is brutal. Jaws ready to clench down on whoever shall puff up their chests and voyage upon it. Even more so, beyond all its mysteries and horrors, the great blue held beauties inside it.

One of them, was you. Your kind. Mermaids.

Folk of the water roaming the vast seven seas, keeping the ocean lively and chattering. Most of it was probably you. You could never seem to satisfy the itch in your tail to swim, swim, and swim—exploring every crook and cranny of the coral reefs, poking your head at every cave just to be chased out by a shark or an electric eel. Yet one goal in your mind was to collect; collect those trinkets which sometimes seem to descend from heaven above.

Sometimes a ring, sometimes a bigger ring, large enough to fit through your wrist, other times, it was smaller, weird-shaped, yet not less beautiful. Maybe this was the way gods provide you, yet you’re unsure. Just to be safe–and to admire them, you keep these findings safely in your small den of treasure. A sanctuary you had made for these glimmering and shimmering things to be praised upon. 

Humans are what your kind calls them. 

Those peculiar creatures on the land above, somehow surviving without water filling up their air. You wonder how it feels up there, is it… not water-y? It’s strange! Do they not want to move faster? Why do they have to move that way? 

Clumsy little creatures, you find yourself giggling at their silly movements. So slow, so adorable. Maybe you could teach them to swim. Sometimes you wonder—why do your elders always call them so…

Dangerous.

Your thoughts could never go peacefully—sometimes a fish would run into you to interrupt it, or sometimes a fellow mer-folk needed your help in harvesting the ripe seaweeds. 

This time, a small pebble had hit your head.

Plink!

☄. *. ⋆

“That–blige sucking buccaneer! I can ne’er catch a break!! What’re ya s’posed to do?! Throw away the whole ship?!” The boy grumbled, his eyes narrowed in frustration as his arms flailed forward to throw a small rock he had found.

“Why am I always at the blame?! He’s always speakin’ like he’s an old salt! We’re the same age, damnit!” He threw another rock, letting out a huff as his chin dug to his knees. 

Plunk! Thunk!

At first the red haired didn’t notice it, kept his mouth rambling about the ship’s captain which he found oh-so frustrating, until–

Plunk! 

“Ow—hey!!” His head darted to the back, yet finding no one.

“...What the..?” He muttered, softly now as if embarrassed for being angry at the air.

Then he continued, deciding to ignore the rock thrown to his head just now. His gaze met the water again, pouting as he picked up another rock.

“Can’t believe m’ stuck with em,”

He throws another one,

“if only a half decent job was here, I’d drag my ass out of this—!”

Then another one,

Plunk!

“Hey!!” Shooting up to his feet, he pointed to the ocean in anger. “Stop doin’ that, will ya?!”

But then a tail flicked up again, throwing back a pebble, this time hitting his chest. And now he was frozen in horror.

Eijiro was nothing but experienced. Three years of voyaging the sea, he’s seen almost all—fishes, birds, bird-fishes, but not this. 

The tail was different, a large fish would be one thing but this? It was no fish. Not with those pair of curious eyes eyeing him from below the surface, grinning like he was the funniest thing in the world.

Without a second to hesitate, his first choice was to shout–yell, ducking down and scurrying his fingers as he found another larger rock, throwing it to the creature in fear, hoping that it’ll go away.

“Demon! Blasted—sea witch!!” He flailed his arm, his knees grew weak as he crawled back, a hand dragging him away from the dock while his other hand kept desperately throwing rocks, even grabbing handfuls of sand to the ocean.

“Get away!! Away, I say!!”

☄. *. ⋆

Is this why they say they’re dangerous?

You giggled softly, raising yourself up the dock while your hands propped up as you peeked your head up, smiling to the human. Your claws gripped tight to the wood as you waved a hand to him, at least that’s how you see them greet each other.

Goodness, he was so loud! It’s so amusing to see him shout around like that—was he trying to say hello? Perhaps you should shout back? 

You opened your mouth, grinning as you shouted back, mimicking his sound. 

Yet the color from his face just seemed to drain completely.

He spoke again, his hands came together as he knelt down to the ground. He’s funny, you like him. Why was he frowning? As much as you know—when your sister was frowning it meant she was sad, distressed. Did you do that to him? Goodness, that’s not right…

So you dug back down, splashing into the water while your eyes already trained to the direction you knew too well, to your den—the shrine of where you kept all your treasures. Maybe if he sees something so shiny and beautiful, he shall smile again! Yes, yes, you shall pick for him a gift!

Your fingers scattered on each tip of your glistening objects, then your eyes found the perfect one—a small, yet long, and shining, sharp ends, it reminded you of his teeth. Peculiar human, his teeth looked like a shark’s! 

With a wide smile, you pridefully swam back with the treasure in your hands, surely he would love this, and cherish it! Your tail swished rapidly, until you found the same dock again, towering over the surface as you peaked your head out the water again, finding him curiously calling upon the water.

You reached out a hand, softly tapping on his shoulder.

☄. *. ⋆

“Gah–!!”

Eijiro threw himself back as the small yet sharp tap landed on his shoulder, his eyes darting from the creature’s face to her hand, still outstretched to him. Then it—she..?—smiled, grinning ear to ear as she lifted up a small fork, pointing to it while her eyes flickered from him to the fork.

“D-don’t eat me!! Please!!” He yelped, covering his face with his hands.

Then he heard a huff, some of that frustrated, disappointed huff as the creature placed down the fork, pointing to it with a small pout on her face, mumbling wordless noises as she pushed it to him, as if urging him to take it. 

His hands slowly lowered, gaze turning to that of curiosity. “...For…me..?” He pointed to himself, face twisted into confusion.

Then she whined, throwing her arms up as she nodded, her finger pointing to him.

“...A fork…?” He chuckled, amusement filling up his voice. “You gave me…a fork?”

Then she nodded, still furrowing her brows in determination. “Fork, fork!!” Her finger still jabbing to the metallic object on the wood. “Fork!”

His lips finally curved up to a smile, chuckling again as he picked up the fork, “For me?” He asked, pointing to himself.

“Mm! Me!” She insisted, pointing to him as she nodded fervently, her eyes beamed with hope. “Me, me!!”

Eijiro chuckled, “No, not like that,” softly shaking his head as he slowly took her hand, though hesitating. He guided her finger to his chest, “Me,” then to herself, “You.”

“...Woo..?” 

“No, silly, you,” He grinned, pointing to his mouth. “I’m Eijiro, you are…?”

“...Ah..?” She tilted her head, brows stitched back together in confusion. “E..row…?”

“Ei-ji-rou,” 

Her fingers flew to her lips, touching them as if trying to mimic his movement. “Ee..jirou..?”

“Yes!! Yer gettin’ it!” He beamed up, nodding as he laughed in pride. “What’s your name?”

“...Yoo.. Eejirou,”

“Me…?” 

“No, dummy,” Eijiro snickered, guiding her hand back to his chest. “Me, Eijiro. And you are…”

“Oh!”

She placed a finger on his chest “Eijiro,” then to herself, “Y/n!” Her grin was wider now, throwing her arms up in celebration as she twirled in the water, tail swishing up and down as she cheered.

“Eijiro! Y/n!!”

He chuckled softly, shifting himself to prop his arm up on his knee—his previous complainings forgotten so suddenly. Eijiro’s face bloomed a smile as he admired the silverware given by the strange creature, the surface reflecting back the orange hue of sunset. “Aye, Eijiro and y/n.” He hummed softly, drifting his gaze to the rejoicing new friend he had made.

☄. *. ⋆

The next evening there it was again, a fork. Bigger this time, seemed newer too. As the dock creaked softly under his steps, Eijiro chuckled while he bent down to pick up the fork, only to be met with a small splash to his face and the sound of a sweet giggle.

“Eijiro!” You called out, smiling at his shocked face twisting into a playful grin. “Fork! You!” You chimed up, a pride look sitting in your eyes as you swam closer. 

“Aye,” He snickered, lowering himself down to sit on the edge of the dock, letting his feet hang down to the water. “It’s big this time,” Lifting up the fork to the setting sun, he turned it slightly, admiring it. “Big, lassie. Big” He repeated, grinning to you.

“Big?” Tilting your head, you furrowed your brows. “Big.. fork?” 

“Yes,” He chuckled as he nodded. “Big fork, indeed.”

☄. *. ⋆

Waves brought many gifts upon the world, sometimes it was a small clump of corals, or sometimes bringing back what may have been lost. And so did you—you brought many gifts to Eijiro, a strange human whom you’ve made to smile. Nights you’ve spent with him by that same dock as he rambled on and you would nod as if you understood his words, yet you slowly did. You knew he was a pirate, whatever that was. He says he sails the seas, and that he likes to eat fish. You learned the word friend. That’s what he called you and other humans he knew.

One night, you returned again to the dock. Your heart thrummed with excitement with this gift. It’s the most-amazing-great-good one yet! A pearl cradled softly between your fingers as you clutched your hand tightly to your chest, pushing your tail a strong current to push you forward to that dock, where you could already see his feet hanging down to the water.

“Eijiro!” You piped up, beaming up from the water. “Gift, again! For you!!” Lifting the pearl up in the air, you swung it to his face as you shook it in front of him, which he chuckled softly in response. “What is that?” He asked, opening his palm for you.

“Uh…Ball!” You nodded, placing the delicate pearl to his grasp. “Shining ball!” 

He froze as he eyed the small imperfect sphere, the moonlight danced upon the surface like rainbows. He breathed out a small huff of admiration, “...What..?” 

“Oh no… Eijiro… don’t like..?”

“What?” He shot up, waving his hand around. “No, no! I like it, I love this, y/n”

“It’s a true beauty, lass. Thanks,” He smiled.

“Welcome,” You replied, propping yourself up the dock as you looked up at him. 

“Where’d ya learn that one?”

With a proud smile, you pointed to him again. “Eijiro!”

☄. *. ⋆

“Hail up the sails, Eijiro!!” Katsuki’s voice commanded gruffly, his hand busy with sharpening a small dagger to a stone.

“Aye!” He answered, rope already tight to his hands, the familiar dull pain of the small shreds of the material digging into his skin as he pulled the rope with a grunt. For a brief second as he pulled the rope, his eyes caught a glimpse of the dock, empty and no one there unlike the previous night. His gaze fell to the small pocket in his pants, tucked away inside was the small pearl he had received. His grip loosens.

“Eijiro!! Don’t ya try to run a rig!!” Katsuki scolded. 

“Aye, captain, apologies.” He mumbled, tightening his grip again.

☄. *. ⋆

The winds of the sea had never felt so familiar. As much as he said he hated being a pirate, he loved the sea. The seagulls whined by the air as the ship swerved through, the air slicing through the cracks of his fingers, thrumming by his ear as it blew by. The crew sang songs while they jumped around the deck, and he could only chuckle as he leaned against the wooden railings.

“Splice the mainbrace!” Denki chimed through, lifting up a glass of rum, its contents spilling over slightly as he did. “Eijiro, come join us!!”

“Now,” He smiled, “Careful, Den—don’t wanna be three sheets to the wind,” 

Splish! Splash!

At first he didn’t notice it—the splashing noise beneath the ship’s smooth swerves. 

Splish! Splash!

With the same smile he looked at Denki with, he flew his gaze to the water.

What in the…

Is that—... her tail…?

“Eijiro!!” Your sweet voice chimed.

His eyes widened, gripping the railings as he leaned down, trying to whisper-scream to you as best as he could, a finger over his lips. “Lass, ya can’t be out ‘ere!” He hissed, eyes darting back and forth from the crew to you. “Go away! Yer shark bait here!!” His hand waved away, pleading you to go and swim back.

“No, no!! I give you, a gift!” You smiled proudly, lifting up a small clam’s shell in your hand.

“I—that’s nice, y/n, but ya can’t be out here! Go!! Please!”

Then suddenly, Denki’s voice chimed behind him. “Woo!!” He laughed, slinging a drunken arm around the panicking boy. 

“Eijiro found treasure!! Sea maiden, hoo!”

The crew scurried to the railings, whooping as they spotted your confused form still lifting up the clam shell. Eijiro’s eyes silently pleaded for you to go away while you had the chance, yet it was too late—not when Katsuki’s heavy steps came behind him.

Katsuki’s laugh rang through the air as he whooped, “Bring her up!! She’s worth gold, she is!!” He guffawed, shaking Eijiro with pride. “Bird’s eye, you’ve got, Eijiro!!”

“Wait—no, she’s not–!!”

“Hanta! Net!! The heavy one, that be!!” He commanded, pointing to the boy smiling widely near the ship’s stairs.

“Aye, captain!!” Hanta answered eagerly, saluting as he ran off to the ship’s hold.

“y/n, go!! Now, lass!! Please!!”

You froze, your smile stiffening as you saw the concern etched on his face. Your hand slowly lowered your gift, and before you could speak up again, the cheer of the crew and the shadow of a net descended upon you.

SNATCH! 

What abomination was this? Every angle you looked at, there was no escape! 

Your hands desperately clawed, chewed on the ropes, yet they were as good as steel. 

Your tail hurts. Oh they hurt so badly, the metal scraps on the ropes sliced through your scales like small knives, to your shoulder, your back, everywhere. 

A cry out of pain rang through the air, cheered on by the crew as they slowly lifted up your helpless form, heaving from your helpless attempts.

“Stop! Please!!” Eijiro’s voice shot through the cheer, yet unheard of. Hands slowly descended you onto the deck, sneering smiles lowering down upon you, and your eyes found him in betrayal.

“...Eijiro..?” You whimpered.

And yet he stayed still.

He… stayed… still! 

Oh the irony. You’ve brought him many gifts, told him many tales, and shall this be how a friend treats the other? Your frown deepens as the crew slowly untangles you off the net. 

“Get her into a barrel! I want her alive when we sell her off!! We’re feastin’ tomorrow, lads!!” Katsuki cheered, hugging Eijiro by his shoulder while the boy stayed silent. “You lucky bastard!!” He guffawed, slapping him by his side. “Capture us more of these fortunes, huh?” 

Eijiro’s shoulder grew rigid. His jaw clenched as he watched the crew descend you into the ship’s hold.

☄. *. ⋆

That night the stars heard of the crew’s cheer and songs. Harmonica echoed through the air as drunken rejoicing rang to the skies. And yet, between Denki’s drunken dance upon the deck, Mina’s loud and ringing laugh, and Jirou’s cheerful harmonica plowing with songs, Eijiro sat by, throwing a small laugh at every joke, yet his eyes seemed distant from them all.

“What’re we doin’ tonight, lads?!” Hanta roared a smile, lifting up a chug of rum to the air as his foot landed on a barrel’s top.

“Feast!! We’re rich tonight!!” Mina cheered.

He’s had enough.

With a slap of his knees, Eijiro shot up to his feet, slyly making his way to the ship’s hold, where the sound of water from the ocean felt near, and the sound of your cries reached his ears.

Down by a corner there you sat, bare backed turned to him, your shoulders jolting at every sob and breath you let by. You had the clam in your clasp, thumb running over it gently as if mourning what’s lost. 

You were mourning, a friendship lost.

Perhaps this is why your elders say they were dangerous after all.

“y/n,” He croaked, the wood boards beneath his feet creaking as he stepped closer. “I—I didn’t mean for this to happen, lass. Truth, I tell ya,” His voice was quiet, careful. 

You stayed silent, breathing silently as you ran your thumb across the small dent of the clam shell again.

“I’m sorry, y/n… I—I told them not to—”

“You don’t help, Eijiro.” 

“...You stay, you let them.”

Eijiro’s mouth parted to speak, yet no words came by or even flashed through his mind.

“You’re not a friend, Eijiro.” You, with all your imperfect words, spat venom. “You’re enemy, danger.”

Then you finally turned to him, your eyes dry from your tears, face bruised and messed up from the haste of the crew. They held nothing that he wanted, not that glistening excitement, not that wide cheer he’s witnessed every time you learned a new word, not that shine of hope he always found in your eyes—nothing. 

Betrayal shot through your eyes like wind through his hair this morning. 

“I—I’ll fix this, y/n, please I–”

“No,” You muttered.

“Go away,”

“Enemy.” Your voice was hoarse, a reward from crying day to night, while your hand gripped tighter on the clam, before you slid it across the wood to his way.

“Gift, now go.”

☄. *. ⋆

The night had fallen quiet, snores now caressed the cold air as the drunken crew lay asleep by the deck. Rum spilled all over the ship, yet no one cared to mop. Eijiro’s eyes lay awake as he stared to the sky, heart drumming against his chest while his eyes kept flickering to the stairs that descended to the ship’s lower level. 

He’s sick of it. Sick of the feeling clawing at his chest like a beast. So he sat up, stumbling over crew members as he slowly made his way down, where you still sat there, the clam still sitting right where you had slid it across. 

“...I’m sorry,” He whispered, kneeling down as he gently picked up the shell. 

“I was not a good friend, lass.” 

“Bad.” You muttered back.

“Yes, bad friend.” He smiled, a hand slowly reaching out to turn your chin to face him. “C’mere, lemme see what those scallywags did to ya,” 

His fingers were warm across your beaten up skin, your eyes lingered to the ground before you reluctantly looked at him, a pout still present on your face. 

He winced, “Those dogs,”

“They did ya rough, hm?” His thumb brushed gently across a bruise, earning a small whimper from you. “Sorry,” He muttered back.

A small pause fell upon the two of you while you stared at his dimly lit face, and he stared at yours.

Then his fist clenched, his brows furrowed as he pressed his lips to a thin line.

“I’m carryin’ you out, lass.” 

Arose, he did. “I’m carryin’ you out.” He nodded, convincing himself as he lowered himself to you, a hand slipping beneath your tail while the other hoisted behind your shoulders. His touch was careful, cautious and fearful as if you were as fragile as a flower. 

Slowly, the ship creaked as he stepped through, your tail dripping water as he tiptoed his way between his sleeping mates. Eijiro’s jaw was clenched at every small noise he had made. Afraid that he’d woken up his crew, or worse—his captain.

Just a little more, a little further to the edge, then he sat you down by the railing.

“Go, lass.” He whispered, hands gently keeping you in place by your shoulders.

“I’ll meet ya again by the docks, savvy?” His voice was soft, gentle, assuring.

“But—”

“I’ll meet ya again, y/n I—”

With a yank, a hand pulled Eijiro’s collar from behind. “Now, lass.” He smiled, pushing you off the railings before you could even reply.

“No!!! You— you dog!!!” Katsuki roared, letting go of his collar as he stared into the water, at the tail now swishing further away from the ship. “You traitor!! We needed that money, Eijiro!!” 

With a frustrated grunt, Katsuki pushed himself off the railing, his breath heavy as he pointed a finger to Eijiro, “You— damn it!!!” Harshly, he yanked Eijiro by the collar again, forehead to forehead.

“Why the hell did you do that, huh!?” Katsuki seethed through his teeth, hot breath fanning to Eijiro’s neck, grabbing the collar tighter. With a snarl, he shook the boy. “Why?!”

“Ya did all that for what, lad? Huh?!”

“Just to please her pretty face and sweet words?! I swear—I’ll sink you down to the sharks, Eijiro.” 

Finally, he let up. Letting Eijiro down on his feet again as he let go of his collar. A spit landed on Eijiro’s shoe, followed by Katsuki’s gruff muttering, “I’ll flog you off in the mornin’, just you wait.”

A small silence fell before Eijiro spoke up, his tone dark yet brave. 

“I’ll flog you off harder.”

Katsuki paused in his steps. Then turned on his heel, a finger sharply pointing to him. “Don’t test me, Eijiro.”

“Oh, shiver me timbers!! Ya’ve done worse, Katsuki!!” Eijiro shouted, throwing his hands up in anger. 

“Eijirou,” He threatened, stepping closer. 

Then the red one stepped closer too, a scowl as deep as the ocean. 

Chest to chest. It used to be a form of celebration between the two, yet now, with scowls carved into the curves and crooks of their faces, it was war. 

Eijiro pressed closer. “I’ll test ya, Kats.”

“I’d rather be fish food than be a coward.” Sneer Eijiro, his mouth twitched up to a small smirk as he pushed Katsuki hard.

The blond huffed, wiping his thumb beneath his nose as he turned away. 

"I’ll punch yer face off. Pray that yer spine’s as strong as yer mouth.”

☄. *. ⋆

The sea hugged your skin again, caressing the small scars on your tail, your shoulders, your face—it kissed you like it always did.

Down beneath all the gurgles of the ocean, his voice echoed in your head—something you kind of understood.

“I’ll meet ya again by the docks, savvy?”

Your hands clasped around the clam again, its shell now warm from how much you’ve gripped it. Brows furrowing from confusion as you rose your head to the surface again, one last look of him, another voice was there.

It sounded like when you first met him—shouting. 

So you swam back, back to where you used to always see him, back to where you learned those words, back to where it all began; the docks.

☄. *. ⋆

The sun kissed his face like a bastard. The cuts on his cheek and his lips felt raw under the heat. His fists felt raw, hot from all the punches he’s thrown. The pain on his stomach didn’t go dull as well, it still pinched him by the side sharply. 

Katsuki didn’t look any better, nose bleeding with thick blood down to his lip, an eye half shut, swollen like a plum. 

Eijiro scoffed with pride, his breath heavy as he shook his hands, not turning his face away from the gaze of the crew. 

“If yer still gonna be yappin’ off my ear, I’ll flog you off again, red.” Katsuki spat, wiping his nose as he straightened up his back. 

He stood tall, flexing his shoulders off as he cracked his knuckles. “Still didn’t regret nothin’.” A smirk played on Eijiro’s lips as he said that, his teeth seeped red from his gums. 

“Idiot, that’s what ye are! Throwin’ off gold like it didn’t cost nothin’!!” Katsuki growled, jabbing his finger to Eijiro’s chest. 

“Gold don’t talk and cry, Kats!!” He roared back, shoving Katsuki’s chest harshly to the ground. “Ya can’t just kill off a soul like that!! We’re pirates, we ain’t killers!!”

“We’re pirates,” Katsuki echoed his words, quieter now. “We ain’t saints either, Eijiro.”

“Damn right we’re not,” Eijiro growled, stepping forward, he towered over him. “But there’s a line, Kats. There’s always been a line.”

The blond huffed, throwing his face away from Eijiro’s glare while his own eyes filled with something other than anger, something remorseful. He stood up, pushing past Eijiro, his steps heavy as he trudged through the wooden planks. “Whatever, set course for home.” 

The crew stayed silent, everyone still held their breaths from their captain and crew fist to fist since morning. 

“Oi!! Hear me or not?!” He growled past his shoulder.

“A-..Aye, capt!!”

☄. *. ⋆

It had been two long days where you clutched the clam shell close to your heart, and not swam far from the docks. You waited for the same set of feet to dangle by in the water, or the same spiky-haired shadow to loom over you as you swam to the surface, yet he did not show. 

“Frieeendd,” You drawled, groaning softly to the night air as you leaned your head to the dock’s soft wooden edges.

With a huff, you pushed yourself back into the water, splashing your tail softly to turn away from the water.

“Lass,” His hoarse voice called, tugging between a smile and a cough. While the sounds of his shoes dragged across the sand by his feet. 

“E-..Eijiro? Eijiro!!” You beamed, smiling widely as you flapped your tail onto the water.

You waved your hand to him, drumming the dock as you giggled. 

“Aye, the one n’ only,” He chuckled, broken and bruised. His legs stumbled as he slowly lowered himself down, groaning as his hand clutched to his stomach.

“You stayed, y/n.” He softly smiled. 

Nodding, you smiled at him as your hand lifted the clam shell up. “Eijiro say.. come back,” 

“So I wait,” 

“I wait for.. friend.”

His grin grew, a breath of laugh passed through his lips as he gazed at you with tenderness. “We’re still friends?”

“Mhm!” You nodded. 

“You, keep this,” You insisted, taking his hand to place the clam shell in it. 

His smile passed to his eyes, “Thank you, lassie.”

“I love it,” He softly hummed, thumb brushing across the shell gently like it’s a treasure.

“Eijiro like? I have… uh… more! Yes, I have more!” You turned yourself to dip into the water, only for his hand to softly grip your wrist.

“No, no,”

“Stay, let’s uh… let’s just.. talk, hm?”

Your soft giggle rang through the air as you nodded, leaning your head down to the dock again as you looked up at him. A hand reached out to his bruised face. “You… uh…”

“What is… uh… oh, hurt! Yes, you… you’re hurt,”

He chuckled, ever the slightest, his face inched closer to your hand. “Aye, I did. Just a scrap.”

“Scrap?”

“Mhm, just… small hurt,” He smiled, simplifying his words.

“Careful,” You mumbled, your finger still slowly tracing his bruise.

With a nod, he responded. “I will, lass. I was fightin’ for ya, y’know?”

“For my friend.”

dworkism | do not repost!

RAAAHHH it was such a fun time writing this HAHAHAH mostly cause I like writing about pirates :P DO GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS ONE, I'LL APPRECIATE THEM!! <3

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[phrandallanton]

I've decided to work more on my Eltingville Club OCs. Changed a lot about Vinny, and just wrote a bit about Joesph more. So here's all that! Buckle in, I wrote a lot. More then what I thought I would. Like a WHOLE lot more. More then I ever wrote for a regular OC. (If there's any spelling or grammer mistakes, please let me know!!! Thank you 💕)

"Vinny" (still not her real name lol)

Vinny is a pretty average, rather dumb girl who grew up in a southern town from the middle of nowhere and recently moved to eltingville with her uncle and cousin Joesph due to complications with her family back at home. Though she's not as much as a nerd like the eltingville club is, she is as ignorant and aragont, just not in the geek way to a sertant extent. Vinny absolutely hates anyone that she deems to be "living a better life" than her. This mostly includes popular kids/celebrities and people who are in a relationship. She feels entitled to the kind of attention they get and she doesn't think "they" deserve any of it simply because she's doesn't have it.

Vinny doesn't show it upfront not because she's actively trying to hide the fact that's she's a jealous hating freak, but because she's a coward and knows her actions cause consequences if caught. So most of her harrasment and shenanigans comes from her sitting behind her computer. Yes, she has "70 ALTERNATIVE ACCOUNTS!!!!" She'll harras kids from her school, celebrities, and make tons of forum/blog posts about stuff like how it should of been her to kiss Han Solo and not Leia. (Yeah, maybe she still a hating geek like the Eltingville Club) Though due to her not being the brightest, her harrasment tends to backfire. However, suprisingly enough, her shenanigans will still remain anonymous for the most part.

Vinny only hangs out with the Eltingville Club because Joesph wants her to. She always ends up running her own friendships that she has due to her self destructive behavior, and the Eltingville Club is perfect for someone like that! She is rather possessive of Joesph since he's the only person who tries to include her and actually hangs out with her. He let's her paint his robots and treats her more like a sister rather then a cousin. Of course, this means she gets a bit jealous when Josh comes over to hang out with Joesph.

Which led her to befriending "Greedo318" on the internet.(I can't remember if Greedo had been around since before the epilogue or not. So if not then cancel this part out, or this can be an AU where Greedo did exist for this long) Vinny definitely has no clue that "Greedo318" is Bill and vice-versa. Worst of all she has a crush on "Greedo318", or at least the idea of him. Come on It's a dude that validates her feelings and bad actions, it was bound to happen.

Vinny enjoys hanging out with the Eltingville Club because of the drama. Oh boy does she eat it up. Until something is said about her in a negative way, then she's... throwing it up(?) She's convinced Jerry has a crush on her, or at least finds her to be attractive, all because he's the one out of the four that's the "nicest" to her. So take that as you will.

For Bill she goes back and forth with wether or not she likes him. He'll make comments that she'll takes personally which leads to her trying to ruin something for him. Luckily for Bill, it'll backfire on her just like how everything else does. But then there's been moments were they work together to make someone's life miserable, or even yap about comics.

She couldn't care less for Josh of course. Honestly she's a bit convinced Josh and Joesph might be gay for eachother. Not too sure on how she feels about that. Then there's

Pete, who she can't come up with a solid opinion on. She probably thinks his accent is attractive in a way, and likes that he enjoys horror movies too. (Vinny likes seeing people getting brutally murdered, go figure.) But he's still a bit too "weird" to her.

Other then her negative traits, Vinny is rather odd but your nice typical teenaged girl. She tells stories about her home town, like how the mayor there was an actual pig.

She also has a pretty low IQ, just as low as her self-esteem. So yeah...she's definitely saying some dumb crap and having things fly over her head. She loves animals, arts and crafts, and reading comics cause that's all she really had back at home.

She only recently got introduced to all the other geek stuff by the help of Joesph. Her main obsession is virtual pets since they remind her of the animals she took care of at her grandparents farm when she was younger. Her favorites are her Tamagochi and Furby. She probably also has Neopets and later on got a TON of Webkinz. She would also totally play the heck out of the sims games.

Joesph McGee

Joesph is still the robotics/technology freak he is. The Eltingville Club at this point is probably questioning if he's neodivergent. He's the friendliness guy to walk the planet for the most part. He hates it when the club fights and breaks up. Then gets happy when they make up, thinks it's going to stay that way, and the pattern continues. ("Bill, look at me, this isn't you 🥺" type ahh)

His best friend is Josh, cause of course the two sci-fi nerds are friends! He tends to take his side for most of their arguments and when the club breaks up he's hanging out with him afterwards. He's pretty close with Jerry too, considering they're the only two pretty sane ones from the group. Also Joesph admires how good of a dungeon master Jerry is. He thinks Jerry is cool.

Then there's Vinny of course, he adores her and is pretty protective when it comes to her. He doesn't like that she acts out the way she does, though he doesn't even know half of it. He just wants the best for her knowing her problems just like everyone else in his life.

He's chill with Pete, he likes that he can just pick him up with little to no effort. Pete doesn't like it. Though Pete's liking towrds gore does make him a bit scared.

Bill is a whole other can of worms, Joesph genuinely believes he's a good person that's going to change. Who's gonna tell him? Actually, don't tell him. Let him be delusional.

He's also pretty good friends with IronJaw too, he doesn't mind the spit. Actually, he thinks his braces are sick and wishes he could have them. Would make him look like he had some sort of cool technology thing in his mouth. They don't hang out much but he enjoys talking to him when they're at the comic book store or at school.

Joesph can have his nerd rage moments, though it's very VERY rare. It would take a lot for him to genuinely get mad, and even then afterwards he'll probably end up crying. Most girls actually find him attractive compared to the other guys, until he starts yapping, then they hate him. Poor Joe. He has more potential then the other guys yet still can't get any action. Not that he really cares though, as long has he has robots, he's good.