#it's a lotta drafts unfortunately

[fixyourwritinghabits]

Hi!

I've recently finished my first draft and I'm ready to get to work on the second.

My autism makes it hard to use those "tips and tricks" people usually have, so I thought about working out a step by step for myself instead, but I have no clue where to start?

Hope you can help or point me in the right direction, as I'm at my wits end.

I don't have any grand secrets, unfortunately. I've attempted to read many, many books on editing, trying to discover the secret that I appear to be missing, but none of them really helps. Note the big changes first, they say. Fix the little things after.

But when everything seems like it's a mess, I don't know how to distinguish between big fixes and small ones. In the end, everything needs to be fixed, and I just have to slog through. However, there are some things that work for me, as frustratingly slow as they can be:

First make sure you're ready to edit.

Sometimes you have to trunk that book for a lot longer than you think. You have to give your brain a long enough break from it in order for new ideas to be formed. Put it away, as long as you can, and give your brain a break. Coming to your story fresh is the best way to start.

This doesn't sound like it works, and believe me, the temptation to dive right back into the book after a week or so is high, but give yourself decent break. Read some books, watch some movies. Shake up those weary creative drives in your brain for up to a month or more before you take another crack at it.

(If you're not tackling a large product, you can wait for a shorter period of time, probably. The longer the book or novel, the more of a rest you should have. If you're writing a fanfic chapter by chapter, the temptation to post immediately is high. Don't do it! Let it rest for a couple of days before reviewing it. You'll thank yourself later.)

Have an outline.

If you didn't start with an outline while drafting, laying out your plot where you can see it will really help you figure out what threads need strengthening. My favorite technique is flashcards and sticky notes that have a short summary of the chapter or scene. Both can be easily rearranged, removed, or shuffled about.

If you have a multiple POVs, color-coding your chapters can help you lay out how much progress each character has made and what areas of the story might need shoring up.

Another thing that can be of help is reworking character sheets or notes. I've been struggling with a particular character who I adore, but who's motivation I've been having trouble nailing. For this draft, I've been able to figure out what the thorn in their side was and write a much stronger story for them as a result.

Slog through from the beginning.

Yes, some people can dive right into those problem areas. Boo to those people, I say. Boo. For me, the only thing that works is to start from the beginning and work through each chapter at a time. Yes, this does involve getting stuck on how to fix things. There is a lot of dramatic lying on floors and pestering my completely bewildered cat when I hit a wall.

But starting at the beginning allows me to see where I need to slot in elements I only started to figure out later in the book. It allows me to weave in foreshadowing and pick up subplots at the right places, rather than throwing them in when I think of them. This method may mean you'll have redraft a few times, and yes, I have to start from the beginning each time. But it does work, even if it takes time.

Just don't ask how many drafts I've done of this damn book I'm working on.

[horanghoe]

until it hurts a little less - part 2.I

MAIN MASTERLIST /// TXT MASTERLIST /// IMAGE MASTERPOST UIHALL [FIRST IN SERIES] /// [UIHALL - PART 2.II CONTINUED]

group: TXT

pairing: Yeonbin (Yeonjun & Soobin) x Reader (Fem perspective)

genre: hybrid, angst, fluff, heavy smut, minors dni !!

word count: 39k / split into 2 posts

T/W’s : under the line

A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY FRIENDS & BETA READERS ~ Saffron & @pyeonghongrie & all of MTG and especially the furry babes: @slightlymore @raibebe @starlitmark @wooahaeproductions [extra credit for the above mb!! tysm beeeeeee] @atiny-piratequeen <3 & anyone else I have tortured with brain rot and updates

AUTHORS NOTES - Wow. Thank you everyone for your patience. This has been many many months of chipping away at a small idea to make it into a now infamous [among friend circles] 40k hybrid fic. This draft has gone through a breakup, different jobs, and different living scenarios, phew! Following from the kitty Beomgyu saga the series now dives into new and hot Yeonbin dynamics. I look forward to feedback & interest in a small cuddle pile epilogue and editing of old works to bring them up to date. Lots of love, Wren 🦝💗

Music to listen to while reading ♡ (in no particular order)

My Oh My - Camilla Cabello FT. DaBaby

Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheel

Beast Of Burden - The Rolling Stones

Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin

I Want You to Want Me - Cheap Trick

No Strings Attached (Enemies to Lovers) - Backseat Vagabond

Feel free to suggest others! :>

Trigger warnings ♡

voyeurism [aka sex in a public place], intimate scenes in an open late-night diner, a third watches with consent and an invite but is named perversive for comedic effect, submissive reader, female POV reader, AFAB reader, female pronouns & genitalia descriptives, occasional degrading words/actions with active consent, height kink, size kink, slight dacryphilia scene, crying [out of the context of sex], mention of unfulfilling ex-partners, sex in the rain(?), mention of blood, sub-mode or trusting others to make decisions after sex [safe, loving, no fear here but do need to warn], choking [mild, not to the point of harm].

hybrid content such as scenting marking and knotting; themes of possessiveness and alllll the animalistic features from that.

All of the above are willing and consenting for every party present (apart from Bangchan/diner staff). If you cannot stomach voyeurism, skip about halfway and you can still enjoy the last half of the fiction. :]

Yeonjun sat opposite you, at the most unfortunate angle.

He had just dived forward and sprawled himself across the round diner table; a half-chugged milkshake gripped in his hands and a barely-smoked cigarette sat burning between his forefingers. His eyes were pinched in curiosity, and the mischief hanging onto his aura was unmistakable.

He was in the process of poking at you until you squirmed. 

Like he always did, whenever the two of you were alone. It's what he did best. 

Only, the repercussions were different here. And you were very much, not alone.

"So, have the two of you fucked?" Yeonjun asked abruptly; mute in tone but with a foxish grin peeling his lips wide as if dinner had just been served steaming hot and inches away from his face.

The break in silence made Soobin, the large black-haired Doberman Pinscher, groan loudly. He rolled his head and eyes back against the high diner seats that encompassed the three of you. 

He was about to tell his friend to mind his own fucking business, but you beat him to it.

You scoffed, your skin hot, and your heart missed a beat as it pumped in your chest. 

"Fuck off, fox."

His reaction to your pushback was slow. 

The fox's eyes blinked, and his cheek twitched. Before finally, Yeonjun’s lip quirked; and the canines on his left side were on full display. 

With a wink, he pulled his body back from the sprawled-out position facing you on the table; sipping on the straw of his milkshake as he went.

"So you have. And you liked it, by the sound of things. Hmm. That's good to know. Explains why you’re sat here still stinking like a very sickly pussy cat."

Soobin kissed his teeth and thumped his thin solid black tail against the seat.

"Why don’t you ask Gyu, instead of the girl, June? And, if that is the case; I’m not even sure why you would be asking anyway. You would owe me a large fucking bet, foxy bingo." 

Yeonjun made an exasperated sound, turning to the taller more agitated friend on his right side.

“Yeah right! The guy would maul me. Those cat bites are gnarly. And I don’t owe you shit!”

An accusing finger - well, two, holding a cigarette - stuck out in the gap between the two men.

“So what makes you think it’s okay to interrogate Y/N?” Soobin growled in a steady low tone. His jaw had grit and his sharp ears had pulled back; sharp cheeks pulled taught.

Soobin's growl cut the air and your skin grew warm. 

You darted your eyes downward to pick at the peeling varnish on your nails while the boys glared at each other. You didn’t want to be the subject of tension, this is exactly what you had wanted to avoid.

After a tense pause; Yeonjun finally let up. He kissed his teeth and rolled his eyes to slouch back against the seat; ears tilted in submission. He looked much like a teenager with that pout and sass. A crack in his serious facade.

Another win for Soobin.

“Look,” Yeonjun started. He reached his arms across the table, tapping as he went to get your attention. You looked up. “We all know you guys have been very fucking exclusive lately, not to mention you never leave the damn house anymore outside of work -” 

“Dude - shut up!” Soobin punched his friend's leg. 

“Not cool!” The fox yelped, elbowing him back. But it didn’t seem to deter him at all. His sharp eyes quickly returned to you. 

Yeonjun sipped on his milkshake with a shit-eating grin, before looking between the two of you and judging whether he could keep poking at the subject.�� 

“What?! I’m sorry okay, it’s the talk of the town, and I have to know about it.” 

Soobin curled his lip, unamused. Yeonjun was digging himself a hole.

“What? Am I not going to try and get the goss straight from the business babe's mouth?” 

“How about you tell us - in fine detail - about your current love excursion, instead? Go on Jun, we’d love to hear all about her leaving your ass on read. And the cheating. Cheating, on you, of all people! Twice!! And you never even made it official!”

You knew of the girl Soobin hinted. 

It was meant to be nothing but a summer night fling, but poor Junnie’s feelings got caught up in the mix. The one fatal flaw in networking, and the cardinal sin when being a player kingpin; was the chance of falling in love. 

He had come to you for advice a while ago about it. But some things just eventually kill themselves, and you just have to revel in the open closure; never to see that person again, never to get the final word. 

You had no doubt the mention pained the fox, by the expression on his face.

“That is - She is entirely beside the point! And, unrelated to the topic!” Yeonjun yipped, pulling back his ears before they perked back up to shift between you desperately. “Plus, I’m not exactly wrong; Y/N never wants to hang out with anyone anymore -”

“We have fucked.” You offered with a shrug. You remained staring at your fingers; but felt their ears pin-point on a swivel towards you. “A few times, yeah.”

You offered up the information to distract from the potentially genuine heartbreak Yeonjun could be feeling mid-gathering. But your voice shrunk as quickly as your confidence did. If you did have hybrid ears; they would have peeled backwards against your head by now. 

“But we aren’t exclusive. We are… a thing, maybe more so emotionally, but we’re not, like -” You struggled to find the words that didn’t insinuate what it had become; friends with benefits. You hated the judgement, and so settled on; “- out, as a unit. Publicly. Like, at work. Or anywhere where family is concerned. We don’t vibe like that.”

The tall hound that sat opposite you carefully assessed you as you spoke. 

Both his nose and his ears twitched as they picked up on your pulse that had started to race very suddenly; air caught tight in your lungs. 

He could smell your anxiety, and endeavoured to counter it, quickly.

“Like I said in the text, I like being with you guys, and Gyu’s cool with that. He assures me I can make decisions for myself now, for the most part, I just -” 

You puffed a huge intake of breath, darting your eyes between them before reaching to pick at the table edge instead, spilling out an explanation so rapid and tight in tone that Yeonjun almost missed the first half of it.

“I find it hard to meet people nowadays - new or old. Socialising in groups has become really tricky for me. Humans are hard work, and I just don’t get Hybrids - like, they’re so unpredictable, and then, non-prey types make me even more anxious… I just - I don’t - even know how to even begin to talk to people anymore, let alone ask for help - but I thought you guys might… Get it, you know? Like, Gyu is mostly indifferent, he doesn’t understand what I’m saying - but you guys are higher, more educated and responsive, or at least on the same level as me, so I just thought - I just - I thought that maybe -”

You flushed hot in the attempt to tie up the loose-ended speech. But you didn’t need to; as Soobin’s ears folded with a sympathetic huff and he threw a sharp glare at Yeonjun, before reaching to squeeze your hands in his. He wasn’t going to let you suffer alone.

“It’s alright, Y/N. Yeonjun’s just being a nosey fucking fox. Don’t ever feel like you have to over-explain anything, ever again.” 

He turned his head to slowly growl at his companion. Lip curled over one large blunt-pointed tooth. 

“Especially to people who don’t properly read their text messages.”

There was a beat of silence. Yeonjun was pleased he got an answer to the rumours, but visibly softer and feeling a little put out after hearing your reactions. And getting - literally - hounded in the process. 

Eyes wide and ears high at a point, he didn’t poke the mood, instead, he chose to push forward. Wise of him.

“Ahh - I’m sorry Y/N,” He offered, a little confused. Shy; timid even. 

He peeked between the two of you, clearly not clued into what was going on like he thought he was. His ears were so expressive; you were convinced you could see his emotions with those alone. Like right now; you could tell he was unsure what to say.

“I’m - Can I read the text again, doll?” 

You nodded at him to go ahead, knowing full well that he never read it in the first place.

Soobin however; wasn’t in the least bit shocked or ‘put out’ by your words. Out of everyone, other than Beomgyu, Soobin was the one you had spent the most time with in the friendship group over the past two years. He knew all of what you were saying to be the truth. 

Hence him driving you here. 

Hence your honest and open conversation in the safety of the car. 

Covered in his scent. Quiet, safe, and otherwise alone. 

Hence why this meet-up had created an opening to a further bond that created an attraction so strong you had almost hooked up in Soobin’s driver seat just under an hour ago in the underground parking lot. 

Hence his plush leather seats being coated in the smell of slick, and why he had even invited Yeonjun to tag along - like you had suggested - in the first place. He had entertained the idea of his friend joining for the good aspects of his personality, and because you wanted him there; but he was apprehensive enough of the bad sides of his friend to be protective of you.

The fox was, often, surprisingly fast-witted. But in this instance, he had been very slow. 

Yeonjun clicked away his phone with a small “Ah…” and folded his ears backwards. Coy, but curious. “I’m sorry Y/N. I didn’t read it properly...”

You nodded, picking at the paint remaining on your nails. Tense, but happy that his reaction to your proposal wasn’t exactly bad. You weren’t sure what it was, yet.

“Umm, anyways, in other news -” 

Soobin rolled his eyes… again. Delighted to hear what the fox would come up with next.

“- newly Hybrid, hey sugar? Bet that’s been hard to get used to. Gyu said your test came back as a Deer. Your scent tells me that’s true, but I don’t see any ears. No tail? Antlers, even? It’s a little… odd to get used to - never met someone with your condition before.”

You blinked. 

Sometimes; you forget that the whole saga had ever happened. That you had even inherited those traits (by force), in the first place. Then it was mentioned, or you read of similar incidents in the news, and a whole slew of memories reappeared in your mind's eye. 

After the night you and Beomgyu had hooked up; things had begun to change. You had started to become attached. You learned more about his past. What dark alleys he disappeared down. His deepest darkest fears. You fell in love. 

Then you went to an office party, and everything got so violently fucked up. 

Someone at the party had spiked your drink. With an extremely dangerous and underground drug that caused a human's recessive hybrid genes to splice and come to life; or, where no recession was present, you would be forced to die a very fast and excruciating death, bursting from the inside out.

There were no treatments for it. Instead, a private donor who had a supposed ‘interest’ in the drug, paid for your experimental treatment. The whole thing was strange and dramatic like a big-shot movie, but you were just glad it was over.

Altogether; it was a dangerous dice throw of genetics, that you had very luckily survived.

It took weeks of recovery, and a handful more months of emotional care for you to re-enter the world. With a new slither of morality splitting apart your soul. There existed inside of you; the heart and mind of a Doe, where once a human had full control.

Naturally; the genetic switch caused you to gain a Deer’s characteristics. 

You became more reserved; quick to flight, instead of fight. You began to shake, and freeze in fear; where you once had the option to move, be uncaring and in control of your body. You had become sensitive to predators - in every sense, but more vitally hybrids. Your diet changed drastically and your hearing and sense of touch hiked up tenfold. 

And what Yeonjun said made sense; it was odd to have no extra limbs. You understood why it confused the hybrids around you. Deer’s being somewhat rare, and your condition more so; the medical professionals were unable to explain whether you would get any animal characteristics or not. You were grateful for not yet at least growing a replacement pair of ears. It would have been too much to adjust to. 

You also couldn’t get pregnant that easily anymore. Not that that proved any challenge; you were a human before, and a different animal type now, so sleeping with Beomgyu was a null threat - Humans and Hybrids can't create offspring, and Hybrids abide by the same genealogy rule that animals do - that’s to say a cat can’t reproduce with a deer, and so on.

And honestly, thank Goodness for that; as a child with Beomgyu sounded like hell.

Your relationship stayed much the same. The switch to becoming a Hybrid created natural barriers, and if not for your occasional retching at any fish placed on Beomgyu’s dining plate, you could co-exist peacefully. But the intimacy was no longer there. And your emotions proved far too complex for a moody cat-boy to understand. He wasn’t high enough on the food chain to guide you; nor low enough to be bullied. 

You were simply on two separate paths. He was nice to have around, and he held a special place in your heart, but… some people are not meant to be in long-term relationships. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.

These boys, however; were natural threats to you.

And they acted like it. Their sudden unrestricted movements scared you. Their ability to keep their emotions and body language in check kept you constantly on edge and vigilant. 

Not to mention the change in your relationship with Soobin. He had struggled to keep his teeth inside his gums whenever near you; instead of around your throat, where they instinctively should have been, the moment you strolled out of the cat-boy’s room, that first day he visited you at the apartment, after the initial hospital stay. 

He remembered seeing you so weak and pale; reaching for him with a new vulnerability. He remembered how badly you suffered and wanted nothing more than to take you home with him.

Yeonjun however, became distant after the accident. And although it was not unlike him to disappear for weeks at a time; it was obvious that he felt you shouldn’t interact until you had spent a ton of time inside of this new body of yours.

But you’d be outright lying if you said you didn’t love the thrill of fear in the space of people you trusted.

“Y/N?” You heard Soobin prompt. Ears low. Voice soft. He sounded pained. Yeonjun watched with empathy written all over his face.

“Yeah, sorry…” You must have zoned out, you realised and shook your brain back into place. “I don’t - have any of that. It’s been hard. Gyu’s really helped me re-integrate, and everything. Soob too. But - sometimes, it’s just -”

“Overwhelming?” Yeonjun offered. Voice calm, and light. He tilted his head sympathetically. “Scary? Noisy? Uncomfortable?”

“Yeah,” You scoffed, chin tucked. “All of that. And - so much more.”

Yeonjun wasn’t sure what to say. And you were in no position to start talking.

“Curiosity killed the cat, dickhead.” Soobin growled and broke the awkward pause by tugging Yeonjun's well-groomed black and orange tail from out beneath his larger leg in annoyance, a little harsher than needed, before looking out beyond the chair with a huff and folded ears. “So much for a low-key re-introduction.”

“Well then thank fuck I’m not a cat!” Yeonjun yowled at Soobin and yanked his tail back, small chirping noises sounding from his throat as he went along. That looked like it hurt. But he soon settled.

You jumped at the hand that landed over your own, following the arm to the fox, who had shuffled around the seats in a cute and juvenile fashion; smile kinder than before, and seemingly aware of what he had done wrong. Yeonjun’s ears went completely flat against his slicked-back hair - a sign of temperance and apology - and he was almost purring, jittering a high-pitched noise quietly.

Soobin watched with a warning growl only the other hybrid could hear; stiff to how you would respond to Yeonjun moving so quickly into your personal space. 

But surprisingly, you were okay. Given how things had gone with Soobin earlier, he reasoned, you must have started to feel a little more comfortable about how your proposition would be received.

“I’m sorry, pretty Doe. I seriously didn’t realise.” Yeonjun said in a hushed tone.

This was all a little too late in Soobin's' opinion, but it was better late than nothing. 

The fox watched your expressions carefully as he followed your face, hiding from him by tucking your chin. His hand squeezed over yours, pulling you to stop picking at the table. His thumb brushed over your knuckles before releasing your hand, letting you retreat. 

“I thought we were here for a smoke, a drink… Some small talk? Not real - or,” He tutted, correcting himself, “Not that - kind of intense stuff. I’m sorry angel. That’s on me for being a shit reader.” 

You snuck a glance. His expression was patient and genuine. His ears were still folded. And you wanted to forgive him, despite your gut telling you it may not be the smartest move. 

By nature, Yeonjun was sneaky and funny. But also cripplingly charming, and a perfect smooth talker ever since the first time you had met him. He was constantly smoking. Weed, vapes, cigarettes. Whatever he could get his hands on or was left nearby. One could call it an oral fixation of some kind.

Unlike the clean-but-very-much-into-rock-metal Soobin, Yeonjun was a typical bad-boy character, and his sway with people could be felt in any venue the guys would go. You didn’t hold it against him. You knew via second-hand stories and brief interactions that he really was a nice guy. But people had trouble believing it.

In the words of Soobin; “If you want him to come and agree to this, you’ll just have to trust that he’s in a good mood tonight, and see how it goes. If he’s a cock, we leave. Or if he’s feeling nice, I’m betting on you not wanting him to leave. One thing he won’t do is continue when you tell him to stop. So just tell him, if he’s too much. Last thing he wants to do is upset a pretty girl. I’ll be by your side the whole night.” 

And that summed him up, pretty damn well.

“It’s okay.” You smiled. His ears picked up gradually, eager to lean into the positive response. “I expected there to be some confusion about it anyway. You can - you can ask questions…” Your skin heated, legs pressing together and away from the handsome fox looking down at you. 

“Anything?” Yeonjun purred with a low, but inquisitive tone.

“Umm, yeah. Sure. Anything.” 

Yeonjun took note; as his nose suddenly twitched and he shot Soobin a discreet glance. 

This close, this shy, you did in fact smell like something he wanted to breed. He couldn’t even believe his mind went to those places, to ravish his own bandmates girl. But the text had used the words ‘shy breedable deer groupie’ pretty explicitly, so it wasn’t like he didn’t have full green-meaning-go. 

But still, he was in slight disbelief.

“Yeah-h, anything is cool, anything you guys want to know, you know? You can ask -”

“How long have you been thinking about asking us for help with this?” Yeonjun shot back immediately, cutting you off. “Who else is involved? Does Beomgyu know? Where did you think we’d go? Are you clean? How long-term is this?”

Now that he had gained social context, the fox was back on his feet and as swift as ever.

“Yeonjun -” Soobin groaned. Ready to throw him over the diner table and punch his pretty Vulpine face out the back door already. “Please, for the love of God, go gently with this one.” 

“You don’t even believe in God.” Yeonjun threw back at him.

Soobin made a noise of frustration but you quickly shook your head, tone soft as a breeze. 

“No no - Binnie, it’s okay. It’s alright. I can get why someone would be distrusting.”

You turned to face Yeonjun’s quizzical face, the one that clearly didn’t believe you yet. It was in his nature, you reminded yourself. You can ask to stop and everything will stop.

“I’ve been into you guys ever since I met you. I’ve just never really found the perfect moment to -” 

Yeonjun's nose twitched, distracted. His ears whooshed forward and upright; standing to attention as his irises pinched. It made you pause mid-sentence. You had a cat, and you knew that look. And by the look he held on his face, you knew that he knew. Knew that he knew that you knew. And so forth.

“I’m clean!” You squeaked.

Your shirt collar had moved. And a waft of Soobin's’ scent had released into the air and straight up into his nasal column. And then, travelled up into his brain, ears, eyes - until he was locked upon you. 

“Have you guys been making out?” The fox quipped, ears folding in offence before thwapping up together so high and so fast they made a thwop sound upon impact. 

“Don’t ask stupid questions, idiot.” Soobin huffed. “My scent is all over her. How have you not realised this sooner?”

Now that the big dog had mentioned it, Yeonjun could smell Soobin’s scent. And it was plastered all over the booth. Specifically, all over you. And the teeth-adjacent bruises indented into your shoulder. The Doberman's clothes even smelt like you; however faintly.

And as Yeonjun eased into your space, well; the three scents mixed, and created the most mouth-watering combo he had picked up in years.

“My nose isn’t as good as yours,” Yeonjun murmured, distracted. 

The fox watched - or more accurately, listened - as the last of the large dining groups exited out the front door with a bustle, whizzing by the table and kicking up a fuss. But as soon as the people had passed, he whipped his attention back to you with a harsh whisper under his breath and leaned in completely - like a school kid sharing some killer secrets. 

Only, he needed some assurance of your confidence first. Such as it goes.

“I feel like you’re pulling my leg here Y/N.” He hissed. “And as much as I’m down to fuck - and even down for the whole courting thing - how do I know you’re not both taking me for a fool? That this isn’t one big setup to split the group up? To set me against your fucking man?”

A tense silence passed between the two of you, and an anxious heart rate picked up inside your muscles so fast your fingers started to tingle; your blood rushed into your ears as adrenaline made you look to the other male across the table for help. Soobin growled lowly, in complete control of himself, answering your eyes. You were surprised to see his ears flat back against his equally jet-black hair with an irritated expression. His diamond-patterned chain danced in the light under his jacket as his neck flexed in anger.

“Call Beomgyu, you idiot,” Soobin growled deeply now. It was guttural, and he was clearly pissed off. “Or text him, I don’t care. Just quit fucking bothering the girl about it. This isn’t a setup - and you know that. I wouldn’t bring you into one. Don’t insult me.”

Curiously, he didn’t fight Soobin on this. Instead, his ears pulled into submission, and his lips formed a small pout. Yeonjun grumbled in thought before pulling his phone out to send what you imagined to be many multiple texts in full caps and at a rapid pace to the sickly Beomgyu on bed rest at home. 

“Hey,” Soobin mumbled, reaching to take your hand from across the table, the one picking anxiously at the edge of the metal rim. 

The softness in his voice distracted you from the beating in your chest; so you looked up and away from Yeonjun for a moment. 

You slipped your hands into his outreaching ones; timid, but desperate for reassurance. He squeezed your smaller wrists and fingers in his palms - dwarfed, soft, shaking - then released, to let you pull them away if you wanted. But you didn’t let go just yet. So he squeezed again. 

You were already calmer.

“If it gets too much, you can ask to leave. You know that right? That it’s okay? Say forget it, and we’ll never speak on it again. Alright?” 

You nodded, pulling away to sit on your hands instead for now. Watching between the two of them, but mostly Yeonjun who was texting with a furrowed brow and swivelling emotive ears. 

The fox beside you had his eyebrows drawn low and chin tucked. Eventually, he clicked his screen to black, and set it face down on the table. He turned to see you. He was scanning you. As his ears slowly dipped to the side.

“Well, shit, gorgeous.”

The message had got through.

But he didn’t look nearly as regretful as you thought he would. Instead, he held a smirk on his cheeks and tipped his head.

“Little Doe really needs our help, huh?”

Soobin released a weighty exhale as you pulled away.

Your body flushed hot. But you nodded. Concentrating on Soobin's knuckles padding on the table in a tap tap tap-tap tap.

There was silence for a moment. Yeonjun's ears went back and he tapped his lighter on the table in a rhythmic swivel, as he pouted and looked around aimlessly in thought. Then a lightbulb hit.

“Guess a good start is to ask what you’re into. Any hard boundaries you’d want to avoid? But I’m guessing….” His eyes darted all over you, to the dog on the other side of the table. 

That’s not where you had expected him to look for an answer. 

“Binnie might have already covered that.”

The dog chuckled and nodded.

“Little Deer is into praise, mostly. Guidance. She’s a voyeur. Loves soft-domming. But needs a little bite to keep her guessing.”

Your eyes shot wide open and you blinked rapidly. Your kinks were just being openly exposed like a laundry list, and you weren’t even sure when or how Soobin had figured this all out.

“Pretty boy is a good sniffer-dog.” Yeonjun chuckled, answering your expression.

“Oh,” Soobin added, “and she has a size kink. But I'm sure you’ve picked up on that one already.”

“I did,” Yeonjun smirked, tongue in his teeth and giggling at your shyness. “Oh, I most certainly did.”

Before you were able to fully shrink into your spine like a turtle into its shell, Yeonjun's voice fired back up, easy and chill in tone. It soothed you, and it made you feel like you were being laughed with, not at.

“Any hard no’s though, gorgeous? We’ll use the light system if needed, Gyu said you already know what that is.”

You shifted, body hot, gaze down towards your knees.

“Yeah, I do. And no - not really. Just… be nice. We’ll have to find out about specifics. I’m not really - adventurous enough to know...”

Yeonjun snickered, teeth between his tongue. 

“Sure; dodge ‘em as we find ‘em. Sounds good to me.”

“But - and be specific -” Soobin’s low voice mumbled. Your chin lifted instinctively to find him. “Do you want to try anything new? Anything that will help you feel more grounded?”

The boys waited for some time, but they were greeted with silence and a hanging head. You looked stressed and puzzled. You worried your hands as you tried to think up something to answer with.

Yeonjun hummed at you. And leaned into your space.

“Mmm ~ You look stuck, gorgeous ~ Cat got your tongue?” 

You wanted to punch the beautiful face in front of you that spun goading words like a golden thread. You knew the implications. That Beomgyu, said cat, had a hold on you, even from miles away. Quickly and firmly, you shook your head.

“Absolutely no way,” You puffed your cheeks. “I just - I don’t know about this stuff.”

Corruption, Soobin mentally noted. Yeonjun thought much the same.

“Well,” Yeonjun countered, working swiftly. Voice low, leaning on the table, still and unmoving. But he was taking his time. Dancing around your edges.

“What is it that the little kitty did with you, to get you so smitten, baby girl?”

“I am not - smitten -”

“Sure you’re not.” He grinned. 

“I am not, smitten, with Beomgyu -”

“Sure. I’m also not a fox.”

The two of you struck a line of fire before he shrugged.

“Well he clearly didn’t do a good enough job, otherwise you wouldn’t be here begging for our help, little Fawn.”

“You don’t know that…” You whimpered. But he was right and you both knew it. 

Yeonjun's smile quirked. You were moments away from breaking. A thrill he could never not chase.

“Oh, I think I do. I know the way he works. Kitty probably had you under his thumb from the moment you met.”

“What - No! No, he did not!”

“Bet he did, doll. Bet he had you hanging onto every sarcastic comment and insult he could come up with.”

“Okay!” You puffed up, desperate to defend your image and your friends. 

“Then tell me, tell me exactly what you think he did, to get me so… love-fucked, Yeonjun! Enlighten me! Please! Since you seem to know so much!” 

The fox’s smile pulled up until you could see his gums. A fear struck in your belly; he was about to do something, and you were ready for it.

"Oh, I don't know, I'm imagining he did a little something like this -"

Without warning, Yeonjun snapped into motion. It was obvious he had been holding back for quite some time; as his limbs became unstuck like a spring suddenly being let loose inside an animatronic. 

With a swift and deliberate movement, his grip lay around your throat and his fingers pressed onto your pulse; body upright and kneeling to follow you down down down until your shoulders were wedged between the seat and the table and you had nowhere else to go.

You gulped, audibly, body stiff as a board. 

The fox was looking down at you with such hunger and fervour that you shifted anxiously against the leather despite your initial instinct to freeze. Yeonjun smelt so damn good and the charm the boy had was insane. You were infatuated. And he was absolutely gorgeous, on top of whatever-the-fuck hybrid impression was being felt.

A single fuck-boy hair curled out from his gelled fringe and hovered over his brow. 

Even while trapping you in a sexual way, in a public place, he could make you smile and feel calm in his presence. Maybe even more so because of it; you sighed, elbows dropping to the chair behind you and heart at a steady pleasant beat to the hybrids ears.

Soobin quickly darted his eyes, nose and ears all around the low-lit floor of the now evening catering diner - already overtly aware of how mind-melting the fox could be. Soobin was not willing to let him undress you for the fox's own sick and twisted personal gain in the middle of the restaurant - to slip from his side of the booth and into both of yours. 

Soobin's body was warm on contact and his side pushed you back into Yeonjun's orbit - more importantly back onto the seat -  with a hand pressed to your exposed spine. The dog smelt like a deep woody cologne, as opposed to Yeonjun’s lighter and sweeter one, and it was a pleasant reminder of the heaviness that had enveloped you in the car ride here. You could still feel Soobin’s jean-clad leg pressing up against your core - 

Pay attention, you chided yourself.

You shuffled up, thankful for Soobin's large frame surrounding the space behind you. Soobin's large hand gripped your knee and unintentionally eased your legs apart, as the fox exhaled warm air down and over your face. 

Your whole body writhed beneath him. You didn’t know where to put your hands, your arms, your legs, your body.

"I want you to look at me while I fuck you, daddy’s pretty little fawn. Want to hear you moan. Want to see you cry, baby. Wanna see your eyes roll when I hit that spot."

Yeonjun had originally started this whole ‘bit’ as a slightly cruel joke. But your reaction was tangible. It made him grumble a noise from his belly, licking his lips. Licking his gums, his teeth.

“Any of this ringing a bell, doll?” He growled lowly, face hovering over yours. “Any of this making you feel love-fucked, yet?”

You had no real rebuttal; because he was right. Everything he was doing; from the way he was acting, to the way he was instructing you what to do, made you melt into the Doberman's side like Beomgyu had done on many private occasions.

And so you whimpered. 

Something small, and submissive. 

Both boys reacted visibly to your noise. Yeonjun's ears tipped further forward and his nose pinched. Soobin’s tail swiped over his jeans in timid and controlled pats and he leaned into you; nuzzling behind your ear with milkshake-tinted breath surrounding your face while the fox’s fingers pressed your throat. 

With the combined actions your core dripped wet and your body flushed hot. 

“O-okay -” You submitted, voice wobbly as all hell. “He might have said… some of that… And he might have had me feeling, some kind of way…” 

It was less of a retort and more of a pathetic distraction of a response. Something to buy time; and the fox smiled; happy that you had succumbed like he had expected. Like you needed to be, for them to help you. 

This was going to be fun.

“B-but what - what about it? Why does it matter? What’s it got to do with this situation?!”

The dog hybrid reached his hand to move under Yeonjun's grip on your throat from behind you; and tipped your head back against his chest and shoulder delicately. Soobin's hand was much bigger, much wider, and a little cooler than the fox’s - from the abandoned milkshake nearby - you melted into him, comfortable in his hold.

“Did you like it, sweetheart?” Soobin spoke with a rumbling growl. “Be honest with us. We want that answer to match the gorgeous scent of your cunt, or we’ll get up and spit roast you in the middle of this fucking diner.” 

You were being thrown totally for a spin. Soobin would never usually talk to you like this. 

He squeezed your airways in a long and steady hold. And looked down at you with a quirked eyebrow and amused expression, taunting you and daring you to lie, plump lips only just out of reach, with an uncharacteristically wicked smile that hypnotised you.

You puttered a pathetic noise, jumping as the fox’s hand soothed up the whole length of your inner leg until it trailed down and over your knee. 

With the unpredictable fox totally out of sight, you gripped Soobin’s strong legs under his jeans. Pleading with your eyes. But he was unmoving, and as patient and methodical as ever.

Yeonjun chittered, and you jumped as his long fingers slipped underneath your skirt to hook down under your thong string over your hip to massage your pubic bone. He applied pressure to the space around your core; pressing his two forefingers onto either side of your labia, just to see you squirm.

“Fuck-ing - wicked canines -”

You practically ate your choked moans, squirming against the seat for an ounce of friction, eyebrows drawn together as Soobin maintained heavy, groaning eye contact. 

“Speak.”

His aura had shifted with surprising ease and natural authenticity into one of authority, and his eyebrow pulled high, daring you to make a noise, daring you to lie, daring you to go against their words. Your whole body was on fire, and you had begun tensing from muscle down to the bone. 

Yeonjun's hand twisted in a quick and deliberate motion, middle and forefinger smoothing up and down your folds with ease. He pressed his slender middle finger into your sopping cunt; pressing into you like warm butter. Yeonjun hissed from between his teeth, and his nails dug into your thighs; pumping his finger to add another.

It was an easy fit. You were dripping with slick already. The scent filled their brains with nothing but fantasia and lust.

“Nngh - yeah - yes - yes -” You just about managed to keep to a whisper, hips pressing into the split second of contact with the fox with a burning need. Your grip was tight on their arms and your breathing scattered.

“I did, dammit -” You whimpered, struggling to look down at Yeonjun’s hands that pumped at the slowest pace. “I did, I loved it -”

But the dog tipped your chin back; causing you to fall back onto Soobin's shoulder with your smaller hands gripping over the tight squeeze on your pulse. He moved his thumb to stroke adoringly over your cheek. 

“Pay attention,” Soobin ordered gruffly, but gently. “Tell us how much you loved it -”

He didn’t even get to finish before you were falling apart on his words.

“Fuck. I loved it, Binnie. Wan’ it from you, please, please mark me, please - I’ll do anything, please, fuck -” 

Your heart was racing, and the pheromone of pure rushing lust and submission coursed through you and out into the open air like a drug. Yeonjun's eyes pinched harshly, and his ears pivoted to alert as he shot Soobin a look under his brow. Soobin grumbled, communicating with his friend; his ears also tipped and eyes blown wide.

The look Yeonjun had shot was an instruction to get it together, or more specifically to get you under control before you flooded the whole diner with a pheromone that told the whole place and a short area outside that you needed to be fucked into the next century. Soobin's reaction was one of complete agreement.

“Loosen up, pretty doe,” The dog rumbled, drowsy. He nuzzled against the dip in your neck and let go of the majority of his grip. "You’re shaking. Relax your body." 

The sudden change-up made you shake; quivering in an uncontrollable and entirely unfamiliar way. You whimpered; shifting in his hold; before releasing the tension in your legs upon instruction. It wasn’t that you were scared; no, you were exhilarated and struggled to contain it.

“That pretty cunt of yours is gonna get us found out someday...” Soobin nuzzled behind your ear; biting the outer corner. “... too bad I care enough to let you get upset. That’s enough, let her go Jun.”

“Please, Soob I need you… Junnie, don’t stop…” 

But the fox hybrid didn’t answer your whimpered plea. Instead, Yeonjun retracted his hand and body after gathering the prize he wanted, with a foxish grin spread wide across his cheeks. Submitting to Soobin's direct order with ease. Like he had done it before. Like he enjoyed it.

Soobin released his grip on your throat to hold his arm across your chest. And allowed you a moment's peace to pant like a puppy in heat.

With your head flopped forward and dizzy, Soobin placed his palm under your chin again from behind to tilt you back onto his shoulder, gently this time. He groaned freely at your knees curling up into yourself and Yeonjun's pink gums and healthy canines flashing at him in the low light.

Prey; tugged around until the beasts were ready to feast.

Yeonjun's eyes locked onto your own as he licked at the syrup-sin he had managed to pick up in his scooped fingers. It dripped onto his luscious lips; his irises pulled thin as slits as his pretty slender fingers spread the sweetness around and up his gums; fingertips revealing his sharp teeth and plump lips. The same thin and sharp canines you had dreamed about being sunken into your thighs.

An angel's nectar on a devil's tongue. 

"Sweet like heaven." The fox purred, moaning deeply as he leaned to fall back onto his seat. 

The fox’s jeans were tight and his expression was blissful. His fingers rested in his mouth, as he sucked at them with sinful moans. His ears fell to the side and his tail quirked; palming at your knee that you pressed onto his hard cock. 

You moaned in response, fingers clasped between Soobin's knuckles and gasped at the weight put on your throat. It wasn’t tight; instead, you found it rather grounding. But it was enough to willfully drag air back into your lungs.

Yeonjun's eyes were low and focused entirely on you and the hand decoration around your neck. He popped the fingers out of his mouth with a deep moan, filthy and loud into the diner, eyes fluttering. He was so brazen.

“Mmph - Fuck, big dog, you’ve got to taste this doll. Heaven-ly~” He sang.

“No doubt.” Soobin groaned, nose against your hair and voice rumbling behind. “If it’s anything like her mouth, I’d like nothing more than to spit in it.”

Upon such nasty praise, you were unsure what to do. A quiet moan left your lips and you squeezed your legs together against the Fox’s hands. Shaking with fervour.

Soobin dipped his head to meet your whimpering for an open kiss. He grumbled against your lips and pressed back down to lick up the saliva that pooled on your tongue after being toyed with so much. It was a short embrace, but one you were grateful for. You pulled away to close your eyes and rest against his shoulder.

“You play so well, gorgeous,” Soobin grumbled, pressing the corner of your mouth to wipe your lips with his thumb. “Didn’t think Junnie would make you drool so soon, though. Do you like being spoiled?” 

“I do.” You managed, in a tight tone, stiffening up against the dog at your back. “Thank you.”

Truthfully, the Doberman's nose was much more sensitive to the nerves he could smell hanging around the arousal in the air, and he was determined to make you feel as comfortable as possible whilst in their care. You eased against him - muscles melding against the curve of his chest - with a relieved sigh.

Oh, but if only he knew.

You wanted him. Wanted to be perfectly near him. Consumed by them.

He growled softly, and answered your pattering heartbeat by pressing against your back even more with his chest - the best he could do at this angle - moving the hair from your shoulder to the already bruised skin behind your neck to press his nose into your collarbone, over your scent gland.

His woody musk was plastered over you from before in the car already, though. So he pressed his cheek to your neck with a content grumble, and smiled against your shoulder, hand over your stomach in a loving pull. 

“Do you want us to take you home? Go back to the car? Or you gon’ tell us when you’ve had enough?”

You would have loved to answer, but your mind was elsewhere, and you had no space left to think. Your eyes fixated on Yeonjun, and the long drag of his cigarette. Of course, he knew he was being watched. But he didn’t spare you a glance. It was all part of the act.

Once again; in the dimly lit booth of the diner, the orange in his thinly slit eyes shone like a cat in headlights on a foggy road. His cheek tilted, and he smirked at you; sprawled over their legs and so fuzzy with scents that you were starting to miss breaths. He saw your eyes dip until you felt consumed.

“Hmm, babe?” Soobin mumbled, pressing a kiss to your cheek and pressing your stomach with his wide-open palm to gain your attention. 

He truly could pick you up and bend you over with little effort at any time. You could see now after all the time spent together platonically, why he was favoured as a hired bodyguard. Lean, but strong. And more than a little gutsy.

Your mind was starting to wander.

You shuffled to sit upright and face more towards the hound in the soft leather seat. It was a welcome body heat to your side, and you felt secure, messing around with your larger friend pressed to your back. Yeonjun watched you both with enamoured eyes, tail curled and ears dipped completely. Thumb pressing into your inner knee in smoothing swipes.

The chemistry was obvious. But Yeonjun wasn’t in the slightest sense jealous when he knew what was pre-agreed and on the cards. Besides, you had your own relationship together, already. 

It was only a matter of time before you fell into him like that.

Soobin's' energy was in such contrast to the fox. The dog's tail flopped up and down as soon as you turned to him, ears tentatively tilted downward in your direction and dimples softly dipped into his cheeks. You accepted the gentle nuzzling head butt against the top of your scalp as his ears curled. 

A soft putt of air sounded from his nose as you reached for his hands. He allowed you to move them onto your lap and off your stomach, admiring that you seemed to feel braver to move how you wanted, now that you had a large-bodied wall against the majority of the diner guests. 

“I’m good here, for now.” You managed, voice weak. “Thank you though, for moving Binnie.” The Pinscher nodded, and his dimples pressed into his smile. “I like you here. Both of you.”

A pretty girl who likes to feel protected, Yeonjun mentally noted with sharp eyes and a smile.

“You’re welcome, Y/N.” The dog smiled. Happy. Pleased to help you. “And sure, fine, if it’s what you prefer.”

“D’you want a drink or something doll?” Yeonjun offered, a lot closer to you now than you realised he had been. He was certainly sneaky.

“It’s on us,” Soobin added. His deep voice reverberated between your ears, making you squeeze your thighs tight. 

Soobin noticed and poked at the softness of your ribs as you curled both your hands into his one large palm. He squeezed your hands in his, ears pointed directly down at your face and tail happily swiping in a relaxed pattern. He was being patient with you.

You dipped your head, finally registering the dizzying effects of being so hot and bothered.

You shook your head, and a small “No, no thank you.” was mumbled into the canine's chest area. 

You felt faint. Like you were being circled. Like your head was pulsing at the images of being stuffed full. Like you were awaiting tense moments of silence before being pounced. You wondered if the thrill would ever subside.

Soobin’s scent was heavy with musk, and he had to put in a lot less legwork to make you pliant, unlike the fox. He didn’t want to push you. So he let the fox take over in the meantime.

Yeonjun sat up, shuffling into your side. Ears craning to hear your breathing, your quick pulse.

“You okay, gorgeous?” The fox asked quizically behind the diners' comically large laminated menu that had been passed over the table by Soobin. Of whom; had moved away to deliberately break some tension. 

Of course, the flimsy plastic didn’t actually block anything from the other hybrids in the building due to their senses. Not to mention Soobin was taller and practically glued to your side, within earshot and by proxy inside your bubble like a literal, actual large guard dog, so the guise of it just being ‘you and Yeonjun’ was a falsehood. But the laminated card at least blocked your human brain from noticing anything but them, for now, and that's really all that mattered. 

They were wining and dining and potentially long-term courting you now, after all. Your comfort and security was of the utmost importance.

“Hope we aren’t moving too fast? Don’t want to spook you, doll.”

You smiled, with a shake of your head and huffed a sigh.

“No, I’m - I’m good, thank you Junnie -” You stuttered on your words, unsure if you should say what you wanted to. “It’s just…” 

“Go on?” Yeonjun drawled. “What is it?” He puffed at the smoke of the practically forgotten and readily burning cigarette with a relaxed posture. Arms crossed, back curved. 

By God, beyond him being just so convincing; you trusted him with your entire body by now. He barely had to push and you were ready to spill until there was nothing left but clean bone. 

This is of course, what Yeonjun wants. Information. Secrets. The view behind the curtain. He is consumed by the need to know. 

Always and forever, he seeks what is between the lines; what is just beyond reach.

“Is it always going to be like this?” You questioned, weakly. “Is it always going to be this intense? This… suffocating to be around you guys?” 

Yeonjun's ears swivelled to point at you with a small, shocked expression. Like he was almost blushing. Like he hadn’t expected you to point it out.

“Suffocating, love? Do you need to go outside and get some air?” 

Soobin's voice boomed from behind, but you quickly shook your head. Binnie was almost always just off the mark and took the voicing a tad too literally.

“I - no - I didn’t mean it in a bad way.” You huffed, and scratched your head, finding the words. “I just -”

Yeonjun simply nodded and waited. You would find your footing.

You blurted out your thoughts; short and fast.

“This thing I feel when you’re around me - this feeling of pressure in my lungs. It’s like - I can feel you guys in the room without knowing where you are. But it’s only you guys. Or like, other predators. Surely you feel it too, right?”

The boys shared a look. These were the types of things a hybrid in heat would be experiencing.

“I don’t know if I’m just super sense-aware after not socialising for so long, or if it’s like, a super normal hybrid thing, or if - maybe - I’m just horny as all hell, but I just wonder. Is it always going to feel this intense? Do you… know that, even?”

And your innocent mouth had just uttered your current state to them into the air, without any idea of what you were saying. But according to Beomgyu; you hadn’t experienced a cycle yet, and the clinicians said it should be months until one started. 

Unless something, or someone, had triggered it.

The two of them proceeded, cautiously. Conscious not to react strongly.

“These things are normal.” Yeonjun purred, soothingly. “Most of it probably has to do with you getting used to life with this new body.” He tapped out his cigarette, and kissed his teeth, moving to look at you. “You could call it a heightened sixth sense. But really it’s just all of your senses working together to keep you alive.”

“Like a deer, in a forest? Hearing all the… things around it?” You offered, trying to relate it to something you had seen before. 

Yeonjun nodded, with a touched smile.

“Sure, sweetness. Like a deer, in a forest.”

You nodded. And thought on it for a moment. Yeonjun spoke up before your mind could wander down any unfactual wormholes.

“A marten knows when a deer is nearby. A deer knows when it’s in the presence of a bear. A bear is usually always aware that it’s in the presence of a hunter. And so on.” He flicked his eyes to the dog behind him. Soobin nodded, so Yeonjun continued. “ You’ll get used to it eventually. The severity of it - or, at least that intense feeling of paranoia you’re getting - usually goes away when we become ‘of age’. You’ve just got some catching up to do is all. Started a lot later than the rest of us.”

Yeonjun's smile was kind, as you looked up to him. 

“Obviously, coming up to when you reach your rut, you’re going to start being more aware of your surroundings. Same as a deer, right, gorgeous? You’re gonna start looking for partners - physically, maybe even subconsciously - any scents they may leave around, or indicators that they’re also down to fuck. Learning body language is extremely important.”

Yeonjun paused to heave smoke into his lungs and out of his lips in a slow, circular puff. He was assessing you. As expected, your response was bashful. A small nod and avoidant eyes indicated to him that you were listening, and your racing heart told him that you were affected by what he was saying. 

His ear ticked. He heaved a sigh that turned into a hum. And he pushed the remainder of the smoke out of his body with a smile. Swiping the smoke out of the way to see your face.

In the moving air, your nose followed the trail of an aroma. It was Yeonjun's musk. Orange, light, and citrusy, but sweeter than before; with a pinch of spice that reminded you of Christmas. 

“I’ve heard it does crop up again with future cycles, but not every month, and not nearly as intense as the first. We’re all just mammals on the Discovery Channel, after all.”

You smiled and laughed at his attempt to make you giggle. It had worked.

“Okay, thank you.” You exhaled a sigh. That had lifted some weight off your shoulders. It was a conversation Beomgyu would never entertain, so you were thankful for the explanation.

“I enjoy being here with the two of you, so I guess it’s not a bad thing and I’ll get used to it eventually. Not really that hungry though, if you guys are about to order?”

The fox’s eyebrow quirked. Happy to move on. “Really? Food’s on the house and you don’t want anything?”

You shrugged, looking between both the boys’ pointed expressions. You puffed your cheeks and pulled your shoulders up to shrug on an exhale.

Yeonjun pulled the menu over to rest on both of your legs. The laminate was cold, and his hands - well the contact made you itch with the need to be smothered by him.

“You should eat something, Y/N. Especially if we’re gonna drink later. We can do takeout if you don’t want to eat it here?”

You were looking at the menu. You were reading the words. But nothing was coming to you. Nothing stuck. Your brain felt like cotton candy, and you were unable to concentrate on anything but the desperate want to have his hands spread over your tacky thighs and to fuck you until you came all over the -

“I don’t want you guys to feel put out, is all.” You pressed, cheeks hot from trying to keep your mind in check. Missing the sharp eyes that grew amused at your reaction to some very deliberate teasing.

Soobin scoffed. “Not at all, you can have anything on here, it’s your pick.” All the while his thumb pressed over your knuckles and into your palm.

“How are you guys so damn persuasive?” You laughed gently. “You’d make great con men, you know? Maybe even better pick up artists?” 

The dog giggled. His arm moved to sink behind you, palm behind the gap between you and Yeonjun, encapsulating your personal bubble completely. 

“I think maybe you just like us, sweetheart,” He said calmly, “and I’m personally taking the whole thing as a compliment.”

The boys laughed, but Soobin could tell you wanted something. It had been hours, and he needed to feed you before they gave you a good fuck. 

Humour was a deflection that Yeonjun could easily counter; so Soobin shot his friend a look over your head as you puffed your cheeks at the menu, nodding at you with a ‘she needs to eat something’ look. He got the hint immediately.

Yeonjun made a long nasal noise with shrugged soldiers. “Welllllll - we just don’t want you to start feeling left out, is all. You could share something of ours? Of mine?” His head dipped beside your own, and you wriggled between their hips at the sudden intrusion. “And if you don’t finish it, they do have take-out boxes.”

“Yeah, okay then. If you insist.” You answered with a giggle.

“I do,” Yeonjun smiled, ears shifting towards you as his cheeks lifted to an eye-half-closed, gentle expression. “But not if you really don’t want something. Don’t want you to feel pressured. Just want to look after our gorgeous girl is all.”

“Ice cream is good?” You giggled, humoured by his expression and noticeably more malleable under his sway than Soobin’s. 

“Cherry Sundae it is then, princess,” Yeonjun purred lowly with a pleased smile. And this close, with his striking eyes, dipped low and ears folded forward, he held an air of gentle authority about him. Your attention drew to his face and his face alone. 

“Proud of you for being able to make a choice, pet.”

That nickname did something to you. Like an elastic band panged inside of your brain. And Yeonjun was patient with your reaction, unmoving while your guard dropped and your smile grew dopey.

His eyebrow quirked. 

“Did you like that, baby?” 

You flushed hot; nodding. 

Yeonjun chuckled. “You can be our pet, if you’d like that, gorgeous.”

You were enamoured by the beauty of him. How close he was. What exactly you wished to do with him. What you wanted him to do with you. 

Your focus drew particularly to his lips. You had never actually realised how plump and perfectly pink they were until now. He was tall, tan and kind, with a smile that pinged cupids arrows straight into any girl's heart that was fucked dumb enough to lean into them. You wanted to move so badly that your nails dug into Soobin's hand on your lap and you missed his small exhale of a cry.

Yeonjun's cheeks twitched into a smile. His canines slipped past his gums. You were just so adorable to him. In the way your nipples poked through your shirt at the mere hint of excitement, and the way your tongue darted to wet your lips; to your breath catching in your lungs on his every word. It wasn’t often that a prey type actually held his attention for this long, or this intensely. But he could see now why Beomgyu had taken such a quick fascination towards you.

The fox was devilishly curious to see just how far he could push you - into sub-space, or even your newly found instincts. 

He wanted to pull you apart just to put you back together again. 

You had asked them to help you. And he intended to do so. But in his own ways.

As your eyes dipped and your heartbeat pattered like a bunny about to be caught, Yeonjun found himself leaning into your space until there was nothing left. 

And it wasn’t like you didn’t want it. You had been aching to be touched ever since Soobin kissed you in the car; cunt wet and pressing against the leather - moving across it in such a way that it would likely smell of you for weeks. 

Sucking on the slick almost straight from the source was a memory that made Yeonjun groan with lust. He grew instantly pleased by the way your shoulders dropped as he pressed into your space and the way your legs shifted endlessly together for some friction.

He could also, like his companion, see that something was holding you back from taking the last leap. So he took a shot in the dark and guessed what it may be, allowing you to come to him, by mitigating any doubts either party had, to the best of his abilities. 

He had hit full score so far, what harm was there in another try?

“Payment is appreciated, little one, but not expected.” He practically purred at you now, a blink away from your face. “For everything, tonight. Or for as long as this lasts.”

Yeonjun lifted the back of his hand to brush his knuckles over your nipples that sat perk and taut against the cotton of your cropped blouse; his long fingers catching on the collar and tugging it down until the fabric flopped back into place and you blinked out of your daze. 

Your eyes and mind had begun to wander as his hand did, thinking of all the things he could do to you with his pretty hands and lips, mind full of muck. 

But a finger under your chin propped you back up. 

Your lips opened to a slight part and your eyes dipped low. “Like Binnie said, in the text from this morning,” Soobin rolled his eyes behind you. The charmer was now also lying as if he had ever read the text. “We only want to spoil you. Nothing more, and especially nothing less. You’re welcome to repay us in whatever way you please. But it’s not a must.”

You couldn’t stop yourself. Filled to the brink with a sudden lust and instinctual urge to just touch him, get near him, taste and lick the space behind his gums and to be enveloped by them to the point of mindless submission.

You had been warned of a predator's pull, but this was the first time you had fallen into the arms of one. Literally. Being purred at by a Fox hybrid as his blunt nail dragged the underside of your chin towards his face.

“Speak up, pretty Fawn. What's on your mind?”

You balanced a hand atop the denim on his thigh to press quivering fingers to his perfect neck, anticipating his lips in a trust fall and leaning over and onto his torso. Yeonjun groaned, delighted. He flopped the menu onto the table with one hand - pinching your nipples between his knuckles and his thumb to tug you closer - and moved up to hold your jaw with the other as you pushed the angle of the kiss down upon him. 

He was ever so gentle in the way he kissed. Licking small laps against your lips and never going any deeper. 

But it only made you moan for more. 

Your hand on his thigh reached to his farthest shoulder and you lifted higher and higher above him - unintentionally set to fling over a leg and sit on top of him, so consumed by desire and buzzing from head to toe - until Soobin had to intervene.

The dog used one large palm to pull you back down by one thigh. 

The chair leather squeaked underneath you as it tugged at your exposed skin; but he had pulled you down to sit on his thigh and knee, with your palm returning to Yeonjun's chest to steady yourself and pull away from the kiss. 

You had broken the kiss with Yeonjun with a broken moan, looking back up behind you with a thankful smile and puffy, bitten lips. 

“Careful - you almost flashed the whole diner, baby,” Soobin grunted, smoothing his thumb over the outside of your leg and loving the complete hold he had on you. You reached to intertwine your smaller hands with Soobin’s over his knuckles in apology. He squeezed your hand gently.

“As much as we all want to, we can’t jump any bones in here - at least, not yet. Not until Kai gets here. It’s too dangerous, love.” 

You nodded sheepishly, melting against the two of them as Yeonjun shuffled impossibly closer and Soobin leaned down to kiss behind your ear. The fuzzy sensation of lust washed over your head and you let out a small cry. 

The hound held you down against his leg as the majority of your body weight rested on Yeonjun's side. It meant you could lean your one ass cheek and thigh on Soobin some more, leaving the goods open to airflow and making the boys groan. 

Soobin sucked a harsh pressure to the pulse behind your jaw, making you bite your lip as he squeezed his palm around your knee, pulling your legs apart on purpose and manhandling you as he so pleased. He pulled away with a bite, skin between his teeth to make you almost cry.

Your cunt was getting increasingly wet, and soon it would be the only smell swimming in their brains and their mouth until it surrounded them and drifted out of the booth; with every door opening at the front and kitchen creating a sudden draft. Hence the need for Kai to be there. Amongst all the other reasons, only three hybrid men in their prime could ever cover that kind of smell. Let alone replace it.

An open kiss caught you by surprise, placed dead centre on the front of your throat. You hadn’t realised your eyes had been pressed closed, but you shut them again, dazzled by the overhanging lamp lights. The hickey laid there was gentle, but hot and filthy as hell. Yeonjun nibbled sharp canine points together against your thin skin with consistent sucking motions until he stole any clarity left in your mind. Palm stroking up and down your sides, until your ears flushed hot and a hickey was left, front dead and centre.

Your body was finally starting to smell of him - not to the extent of a claim, but a bruising lovebite with those sharp teeth over the scent gland on your collarbone was enough - it wasn’t something you were aware of, but a sure sign that no other hybrid could get near you while you remained in their care. Malleable to them and them alone.

You felt calm again. A shiver rippled up your spine.

“Breathe, gorgeous.”

Soobin's voice unfroze you, and a small gasp hissed between your teeth.

Yeonjun pulled back to flick open his lighter and re-light his cigarette. He chewed on his gums in self-restraint. He wanted to gnaw on you like a fucking fishbone, but he had to wait.

As he leaned back against the seat, he noticed your wandering eyes. Soobin's hands and mouth were exploring you fully; tongue spreading over your ear to make you shiver and moan, while his hand moved underneath your skirt. You held his wrist, aching and gyrating for the edge of his palm to touch your core. 

“Jeez, you’re eager for a fuck - the both of you.” 

Yeonjun made a tutting sound, reaching to pull Soobin's half-empty milkshake across the table and hold the straw between his fingers to slurp it up in front of you. 

“Take it easy tigers. People are starting to notice.” He was referring to the hybrid waitress who was giving him shifty eyes every time she walked the floor.

As soon as Soobin felt the fabric of your panties against his fingertips and heard his companion's warning, he immediately snapped too. He pulled away to groan at the visual that met him - but held on to his very last strands of self-preservation. His hand pulled back, smoothing over your knee with a gentle grip on your thigh to ground you, despite your puffs and whining.

“Just wanna feel you, Binnie, Junnie, please.” Your voice grew high and whiney.

“That’s enough, angel,” Soobin growled under his breath in a patient and calm demeanour. “We gotta wait for Kai. I know - we want it too.”

You batted your eyes, twisting in his gaze. Alas you nodded, skin hot, mind lost in his dimples and touch. Accepting an eyebrow kiss with a fluttering eye.

“Babe?” Yeonjun prompted softly. You turned, dazzled, to a straw being placed gently on your mouth. “Here. You haven’t drunk anything yet.” 

It was true; you hadn’t drunk in hours.

Your hands flew out to wrap over Yeonjun's wrist and fingers upon instruction, and he inhaled a large lung of smoke to your swollen lips wrapping around the straw to suck until he told you to stop. There was something so innocent about the way you followed him, that made the boys' cocks throb in their tight jeans. 

Soobin groaned. “Where the fuck is this guy?” 

The Doberman nasally whined and huffed, and ruffled his hair, placing an elbow on the table to hide his open side, pulling his phone out to text Kai and bother him to ‘turn up faster’.

“You reckon he got stuck? Traffic is pretty bad around here, especially after office hours.” Yeonjun thumbed over your finger caught under his thumb, eyes soft. Soobin didn’t verbally respond, instead shrugging with a deep gruff of annoyance, accompanied by puffed-out cheeks. 

“What’s the time?” Yeonjun asked, softer this time, pressing at the distraction. Eyes dipped and drunk in adoration.

“Near enough 8 PM.” Soobin inhaled sharply, pulling back to click his phone shut and slide it back into his inner jacket pocket. “The fucker should have been here twenty minutes ago, at least.”

“Mhmm,” Yeonjun hummed. “That’s enough.” 

Yeonjun held the cup to your mouth until you released it, and set it on the side to flick his phone out of his coat pocket and smudge out the butt of his hardly-smoked cigarette. 

You didn’t get a ‘good girl’ out of it, but you didn’t necessarily need one with the way he slipped his fingers over yours, palm down and in his lap, tapping at his phone with one thumb. The two of you were quickly falling into things, and it was a pleasant feeling.

You had released the straw with a gasp of air, careful not to cough, but flew to grip at the wrist of the hand that slipped high and snug to your cunt between your warm thighs. 

“Soobinnie! Quit torturing me!” You pouted with an outcry, only to be met with a cheeky grin and a sarcastic shake of the hound's head with wide eyes. 

You decided to try and push him.

“Are you sure we can’t do anything here? Right now?” 

You heard Yeonjun scoff. Frown and pout stuck to his handsome features as he flicked over the screen.

“Nope, not until Kai gets here, babe. And no, again. We’re not fucking in the diner. Quit trying your luck.”

“But I want to.” You pouted up at him.

“So do we ~” Soobin shook his head at you playfully. And tugged the hem of your skirt so it thwapped against your skin. 

His palm was still gliding in short circular motions between your thighs. Each rotation of his palm brushed up against your underwear and made you shiver.

“You’re cute but you ain’t that cute.” Soobin teased, dimples appearing as you stuck your tongue out at him. “Plus, I don’t particularly feel like getting in shit tonight.”

Yeonjun snickered at this from behind you both, still distracted by his phone.

You turned to the fox’s boyish grin with a huff. 

A hair lay on his forehead as he tapped his fingers on your knuckles. That piece of hair was irritating you. It was distracting. It tapped at his brow until you couldn't stand it anymore. 

Now that you were feeling a little braver; you could move before you started to overthink things.

As if he were your delicate porcelain-fragile prince, you moved the hair off his brow - caught between your forefingers and flicked back into the right place - moving to kiss Yeonjun’s high cheek in the process. 

His sharp eyes lay on you immediately. And he held a grateful closed-lip smile. His ears had even dipped to the side. But his brows were creased. And he looked at you almost quizzically. You imagined that if he had whiskers, they would be twitching restlessly.

He wasn’t used to being touched so gently. It made his chest press in against itself. And a bolt of nervousness panged inside his heart; an unusual feeling.

“Thank you - Y/N…” He mumbled. The facade of confidence wavering if only for a moment.

You nodded, with a bashful expression. And again, before you could think about it too much; you propped your knee over his, leaning into his touch. Snug to his shoulder. He hadn’t expected you to be so forward and flirtatious, at least not yet. He liked it. It suited him.

Yeonjun clicked his phone shut to look down at you, humoured, but ears still soft. You batted your eyelashes - purposefully, because you could see what the innocence did to him - and invaded his space.

“You should eat,” Yeonjun murmured, brows now relaxed, and his lips tilted at the edges into a playful smile. “Pick something. If you don’t eat it now, we’ll take it back with us.”

You shuffled closer, making a thinking noise and looking around. He heard your heart flutter, but your sweet face and voice remained steady. 

He bumped his forehead with your own. The heavy smell of smoke and cologne made it hard for you to breathe. He trailed his lips to the corner of your mouth; pressing gently. Then drifted back to your cheek. His thumb pressed into your palm, and his gaze bore into you with a burning ember. All the while his ears lay to the side; submissive. The one further from you twitched every so often; anxious of noises and sounds of the people near you, but you weren’t afraid.

Despite his flashy rockstar ego, the guy really was soft and protective.

“I will, since you want me to.” You returned under your breath, lips brushing his. 

You had already decided on a food item; the whole thing was now just a performance. 

Playing with a devil.

Soobin swished two different dessert menus across the table, nudging your leg with his as Yeonjun pulled away and he returned to high alert. He wiped his mouth with a coarse laugh, reaching for a cigarette and the menu. Neither stayed in his hand for very long; desperate to touch you and the bare skin resting atop his legs. His hands smoothed over your knees, and you leaned on his shoulder.

“Thanks, angel.” Yeonjun winked up at the waitress and moved to rest the laminated menu on his lap as he slouched. He shook the stray hair from his eyes to turn and look at you as you prodded him in the side with small needy hands. Your cheek lay on his arm and a playful smile was visible on your face. 

The fox raised a brow. “What is it sugar?”

“Again please.” You mumbled, blinking up with wide and innocent eyes. “I wan’ another kiss.”

It was a simple prompt, yet it made Yeonjun puff a breath from his nose. He was clever and knew what you wanted. Butterflies of excitement erupted in his stomach at the first confident ask you had been able to give. 

“Another kiss?” 

Yeonjun flicked the tip of his ear and his eyes to the dog behind you. He was providing a great distraction. And you didn’t even react when the waitress dropped her pen on the table, or cutlery on the cloths.

“Please, Junnie.” 

That tone - it went straight to his cock. You were getting dopey. Inebriated by their scents.

“Again?” Yeonjun repeated, voice deep as his ears dipped to the sides. His eyes had secured back onto you. And he relaxed, knowing Soobin could handle the waitress. You giggled, tongue between your teeth, and nodded, unwavering as he used his spare hand to tilt your jaw up with his thumb pressed into the underside of your jaw, fingers on your pulse. Your eyes had dipped and you were entranced. The fox, of course, knew what he was doing, and dragged his open lips over yours.

The waitress spoke to Soobin as the two of you flirted obnoxiously loudly. Soobin cringed, visibly, but it was to the group's benefit, so he sucked it up. It wasn’t that he was jealous; no not at all. He was just aware of how shameless the fox could be about his voyeuristic tendencies.

“Two sundaes on Soobin's tab, please and thanks.”

The waitress quirked. And Soobin sighed. Somewhere between the two of you eating each other's air behind him and the waitress visibly reacting to his name and the situation, he felt annoyed. Her small roundish ears pointed at the table, her tail swishing and her nose pinching at the scents.

“Oh - Soobin? Does Chan know you’re here? I can let him know - he’s in-house?” 

Soobin's jaw ticked. It was a silly, but innocent exchange. 

Of course, Bangchan knew they were there. Soobin's car was outside in the valet. The tab was on his name. Yeonjun was accompanying him. He had pre-warned of his arrival and deliberately picked a date when he knew nothing could happen, and the floor was safe. 

If the assassin didn’t know who was in his own building, then Soobin simply wasn’t a hybrid.

“Sure,” Soobin responded, shrugging with as much ease as he could fake. 

“Sure he knows you’re here, or - sure you want me to let him know?” In honesty, Soobin wasn’t listening. But he was in all senses a gentleman with morals. So he tried his best to ignore the hard-on in his jeans to exhale a polite but to-the-point; “He’s aware that we’re visiting. But sure, you can let him know. Wouldn’t hurt to say hi.”

The tooth that snaggled Yeonjun's lip was fiendish.

Yeonjun cut short your intake of air as he applied pressure to the sides of your throat; and pressed his lips to yours, licking up against the roof of your mouth. He swallowed your moans as quickly as he caused them; while his other hand gripped at the knee flung over his lap. He squeezed your throat until your moans grew puttered.

Abruptly; he broke the kiss. Yeonjun tugged on your lip with his canines before he released you; knee, throat and all. He had given you what you had asked. But you weren’t satiated. Weren’t fulfilled. Needy in a way you had never felt before. Head dipped to his shoulder, enveloped in his aura.

The waitress grew amused and shrugged off the possibility of being offended. 

There were rumours. 

Rumours that Soobin wasn’t quite the reserved, tall, Doberman Pinscher that he appeared to be. That he had a freakish and unbiased violent streak. That his fox friend was an edgy nymphomaniac and a silver-tongued narcissist. 

But that wasn’t for her to find out; so she took his menu with a nod and a smile, sure to swish her tail a little higher than usual underneath her apron.

But the boys’ eyes, ears, and heart, were on you, and you alone.

And little did she know; the two of them were about to become devoted to you entirely.

“Having trouble keeping that cute little thong on, love?” Yeonjun mumbled. 

He poked at your gyrating hips, and snickered at your eager nod, before pressing against your awaiting lips. He teased you; pressing then pulling away, biting his tongue with a shit-eating smile just to make you wait. He did it two more times, then moved back to lean on the chair and look at the menu again.

Beomgyu had warned you that this may happen. 

That they were older; in higher social positions; and may swallow you whole. Beomgyu was a baby in comparison. But their attention was infatuating and you couldn’t get enough of it. You had never taken ecstasy, but the experience made you remember every symptom list you had read for the drug.

“Wan’ m’re ~” You mumbled absently, the fox’s yipping laugh echoing in your brain. You pawed at his arm needily. “Again, pl’se ~”

But you couldn’t help yourself. Couldn’t wait. So hungry for those soft lips and the smoky scent of his cigarettes and cologne to touch you all over again. You pulled both hands to tug at the nape of his neck until his eyes squinted, swivelling to see that desperate expression on your face. Before he could remark, your lips were upon his and your tongue pressed up against his teeth in an uprooting force.

“Mmph - so soft,” Yeonjun grunted, getting lost in the motions before slipping a hand from under the menu to squeeze the inside of your knee. You yelped, almost biting his lip in the process of jolting away. “But you should pay attention when people are talking to you, Kit.”

“Junnie! That hurt!” Jumping with a drunk laugh, you swatted at his hand. “But - no one is talking to me?” You looked at the other canine beside you, then around, confused.

“I was.” Soobin chuckled, tone kind and voice low. “But it doesn’t matter, it wasn’t anything important.”

“Bad doe.” Yeonjun sucked his teeth, peering over the menu for real this time. If only far too late. But his disappointment was quickly mellowed. And he scoffed, shaking his head. Refusing to look at you but resting his palm on your soft warm skin nonetheless. Squeezing, but only enough to hurt for a moment. 

As much as he’d love to mark your skin with his hand, the diner wasn’t exactly the place to do it. That would hopefully come much later.

“You guys are so bad, you know that right?” Soobin chuckled, swirling his drink glass in his hand with a shrugged scoff, one arm tucked under his armpit.

Yeonjun seemed to be the only one that heard him; snickering in response with his tongue in his teeth.

“A little scent-drunk love?” Yeonjun teased when he noticed your glossed-over expression as you stared at his face for quite a long time. He lowered his face close to yours as his tongue caught his canines and he giggled in glee. “Baby wanna be claimed so badly? Baby wanna be touched so bad? Have our teeth all up and down her throat?”

“Wan’ it ~” You moaned wantonly, frowning and confused as to why he wouldn’t submit like Beomgyu usually would to your persistent touch and begging. 

“Yeah right, doll.” Yeonjun snickered. “That little dumb baby brain of yours wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

Out of morbid curiosity, he pinched your chin. Immediately; your jaw relaxed and he reached to press a thumb down into your mouth and onto your tongue. You drooled; mouth agape and eyes hooded. 

You numbly and happily held Yeonjun’s wrist as he pulled his thumb out from your mouth - saliva wiped on your lips and your gums and alongside your face - to grip your cheeks. 

“Cause that’s what you are, aren’t you? Our needy, brainless little pet?”

The fox was toying with you

Soobin's arm snaked around your waist with a growl, to pull you back into a solid, warm body. You made a noise of desperation as the dog pulled you backwards, away from the fox and his messings.

“Ngh - no, I - I wan - wan’ it -” 

You looked drunk. Sounded drunk. And you felt it. Unsure what you were begging for.

Still facing the fox; you were perfectly manoeuvrable and open for Soobin to do as he pleased.

“Play nice, Junnie. ” Soobin dipped his head to nuzzle into the crook of your neck; scenting you incessantly to soothe your heart-aching whines. “Doll doesn’t know what she wants when you smother her so much.”

Somehow; with Soobin attached to you; your heart eased its incessant thundering in your chest, and within seconds you were able to breathe deeply again. You moaned, with a dazed and confused expression. The tension in your body released via Soobin sucking at the thin skin behind your jaw. 

"Easy, Y/N." Soobin guided, voice low and filling your brain. "Your heart is racing, angel."

A shiver struck down your spine and you held Yeonjun's hand on your knee. Your gaze grew distant and you moved to lean your head back onto the dogs' broad shoulders and completely to the side. It granted Soobin further access and he wasted no time in pressing his nose to your collarbone; skin to warm skin. 

You threaded your fingers through his hair and up to your knuckles; until you met his scalp. And gripped harshly as he squeezed your inner thigh. 

Soobin sucked at your neck, and you gripped at the large calloused hand that squeezed over the entirety of your thigh, moaning into a bit lip. Soobin growled lowly against your skin. Moments away from claiming you. The girl he adored; that he had guided into the hybrid life. 

It had been long enough. You were practically laying yourself bare in front of him, waiting for him to take you.

His large palm found heavy purchase close to your core, and you twitched with weak repetitive sounds. 

Upon a new tone of low growling from his friend, the fox panicked; and realised just how much the hound had lost control.

Soobin's thumb pressed to your clit over your wet underwear as his large palm forced your legs apart. Soobin's other palm silenced your mouth; clit circled as you writhed in a tummy-burning lust.

“Cut it out!” Yeonjun yelled under his breath, and made a sharp yipping sound; one of warning. Permeated by a rolled-up laminated menu that he used to thwap the young dog on the head with. 

It was only a moment of contact, but it folded Soobin’s sharp ear and got the point across.

Soobin pulled away upon Yeonjun’s loud - and what you now knew to be uncontrollable - laughing chorus. Your skin heated and your ears burned from embarrassment, but you were still scent-drunk, by all means.

Never in your human life, would you have laid yourself bare in an evening diner to get fucked. 

“That was fucking close.” Soobin scoffed.

Yeonjun lit his new cigarette with his ridiculously attractive snapping lighter bottle before taking a large inhale and surrounding himself in smoke. 

“It was.” 

His amber eyes glinted under the low lights and the smoke and reminded you once more of the very real senses they both had over you. 

“Feeling needy, big boy? Haven’t seen you react like that in a long time.” Yeonjun mused once he knew his friend had calmed down. He was both assessing his friend and gauging your safety. If he would have to get you out of here before Soobin started on a dogged campaign of getting you to cum in public. But he seemed okay.

Soobin laughed. “Yeah…” He shook his hair back into place, tousling with it to then reach and unfold his tall slanted ear. “Pretty badly, actually. Little one has a decent hold on me already.”

“Good; then that makes for two of us.” Yeonjun simply smiled, squeezing your knee at your bashful eyes. 

But your mind was empty, as you were just admiring them. Watching his ears. Watching his face. His pretty puffy lips move. His gorgeous amber eyes.

“Gorgeous girl likes a thrill though, huh?” The fox mused; purring at you. He was bouncing back quicker and quicker. And it was a delight to see.

You nodded. 

 "Lucky. Kai should be here anytime soon. He’s a perv, just like you. Pretty Kit to play with. I have a feeling you’ll like him."

Yeonjun moved to sit back and slouch in the booth after setting down his rolled-up weapon; his entire leg still pressed up underneath your thigh and his palm heavy on your leg under the table. His presence may have been strong, but his devilish mouth and eyes were a decent length away now due to his abhorrent height.

Someone was approaching.

“Yeah, YN enjoys a thrill. Not without her new bodyguards nearby though, it seems.” A new voice sang, amused and high in pitch.

You quirked up; unable to see beyond Soobin or the high seats. But the dog flared his nose to calmly lean back and look behind him. Your heart beat in your chest in anticipation; but you remained as still as possible - given that the boys weren’t reacting, you felt safe; but the sensitivity was hard to adjust, even in calm settings.

As soon as you saw the huge grin of the large hybrid, you let go of the breath you were holding. 

"Speak of the devil!" Yeonjun yipped in a high and excitable tone, ears folding as he stood to bump shoulders in complete boyish fashion over the round table, pressing you into Soobin with his hips. 

A close friend.

“What’s up -” Kai laughed, bumping shoulders with the fox, grip strong and small ears folded to his hair in submission.“Been a while!” 

The guys did their usual boyish greeting; all the while Soobin watched you, dotingly. 

As Yeonjun moved to sit back down, you stayed incredibly close to the Doberman behind you. The canine didn't move an inch. Instead; he smiled, greeting Kai calmly with deep dimples and a lazy wave. 

Soobin was amused at your nervous twitching to get closer to him and lean against him to not get crushed, and how reserved you acted towards the stranger; with your dopey smile mostly gone and eyes wide and observant. 

Soobin was a guard dog by trade, but the instincts came naturally to him when you were around. Your ears struggled to keep up in such a dazed state; head spinning to hear between the two of them.

“You’re safe, Y/N,” Soobin mumbled, brushing some hair behind your ear, before placing a kiss on your shoulder that sent a shiver striking down your spine. "He's lower than us. Couldn’t hurt you if he tried." 

You nodded, absently. Something about him told you innately that he was a small predator. He likely couldn't harm you or affect you in the way the boys could; but he had a distinct new smell, one that you had never picked up on before. 

“Sorry, I was busy elsewhere -” Kai started, before seeing you. “Hi ~ You must be Y/N?” He smiled. You waved back with a nod and smile.

“Yeah, you don’t say!” Yeonjun smiled with his eyes. The annoyance completely dissipated, now the guy was in front of him. 

“We were wondering what was taking so long,” Soobin confirmed.

Kai sat down; towards the edge of the seat on the other side, roughly between you and Soobin.

“Oh, you know - work, and stuff.”

“It’s a Saturday evening, Kai.” Soobin shot back, tone blank and unimpressed.

“Well, yeah - but not that kind of work, you know? Like - yeah. Shit man, don’t make me say it!”

“Holy shit, you’ve been hustling all day?” Yeonjun yipped.

It was funny. Huening Kai was there for exactly one thing, and every single one of you knew it. But there was no bad blood. No awkward tension amongst the guys beyond your anxious buzz of energy. 

Yeonjun chittered away, ears folding in comical swings as he updated Kai with some gossip from the other missing friend, Taehyun. It had been a while since the guys had been together and had some fun like this.

You took a moment to observe the guy one degree of separation away from you.

You had only ever met briefly; between band events, taxiing for Beomgyu and after-hour office parties with sister companies. You knew of Heuning Kai. And you knew the guys were close. But beyond that, you remained indifferent and cautious.

Kai’s hair was a soft cool brown, with distinct small blond-edged triangle ears that told you that he was a Pine Marten Hybrid. Curiously; he had a few stray eyebrows. These were whiskers, hidden very well. His irises were dark brown and reached almost the full shape of his eye; only slightly lighter than his pupil. His tail was soft; brown and reached his ankles. And his face occasionally twitched; constantly moving, smiling, taking in his surroundings, and likely fast on his feet. 

He was a pretty guy. But - not someone you were instinctively threatened by, nor attracted to. But there was still something about him that made you feel cautious. Something that wouldn't let you rest.

You were cut off from your staring by a big dog’s head dropping firmly onto your shoulder. 

“Breathe, angel.” Soobin prompted. “You’ve frozen again.”

You inhaled sharply; the exhale played off as a long sigh with a smile at Kai’s sensitive ears and questioning face. The whisper from your shoulder missed amongst the chatter with the Fox. 

Though no matter the scenario, a black-tipped orange ear was pointed towards you, always.

By now, with this much heavy petting, Soobin’s scent stuck to your skin wherever he touched; like rubbing up against pure, thick incense oil. It was the same with Yeonjun; his thumb that stroked your inner knee made you tingle; toe to hip. And if you closed your eyes you could tell which spots hadn’t been touched yet.

You made a delicate noise; one that you had never made before, nor knew logically how to recreate. One of a quiet vulnerability; a soft vocalisation from the back of your throat; an air-light moan. It made the boys look to you instantly; all ears to a point. 

You froze. Eyes wide and majorly embarrassed. Crushed in the silence of their gaze.

Out of the corner of your eye; Yeonjun shifted. This was the most alert you had seen him yet. A smirk slowly made its way onto his face before his tongue touched the corner of his mouth and he dropped his head in a laugh. 

“Fuck.” 

“I -” You shook your head and cleared your throat. “- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t know how I did that… Oh…”

Your voice trailed, and you shrunk back into the seat. Eyes down in embarrassment. Skin hot.

It was quite clear you wanted to move on. And the boys were sympathetic to that. But that noise had done something to them. All three hybrids could smell how desperate you were becoming via the pheromones in the air. Your quivering thighs and tacky palms at each touch-point made it so clear what was affecting you to the point of moaning into the air so softly.

To the point of crying out like a foal.

“Want to do it again?” Soobin mumbled; close to your ear.

All he needed was your nod, and the two of them pressed into your skin.

Soobin lay hot and heavy kisses to your ear as his palm slid to your upper thigh; thumb in the crease of your hip and grip gentle. Yeonjun sucked at your collarbone; stroking up and down the inside of your other thigh in a lazy and solid pattern. You whimpered; another wanton moan, quiet and soft.

Soobin's tongue spread over your ear; just as Yeonjun pinched your chin; soft moan eaten by his kiss; lips pressed to your own in a whisper of touch until his smirk pressed to your cheek. 

The dog adjusted his torso so his back was to the floor; gratification evident on his face.

Soobin moved to sit back into a more relaxed pose; slouched, with his elbow to your stomach, so as not to be obvious of what was happening. This way; you could also hold his arm as you fell apart. Testing out the new position, he dragged his thumb over your labia; catching your thong with his fingers, and smoothed over your skin until the fabric slipped up on top of his hand.

Your cunt was soaking wet with slick, and Soobin growled with a gritted jaw.

“Again.” You sighed into Yeonjun’s lips. Hands on his shoulders. Fingers dancing up and into his hair.

“Again?” Yeonjun hummed. Orange hair filled your vision. His smile was wide and tone teasing. “Two’s enough, don’t you think?”

“Again, please…” 

That noise - it happened again; right as Soobin nudged your clit with the flat of his palm, circling his middle finger inside your folds. 

“Of course, love,” Yeonjun mumbled between pressed lips; pausing for a second before slipping his tongue between your open lips; setting a filthy pace to open-mouthed kissing as Soobin's middle finger pressed into you. You moaned into the embrace when Soobin's wrist flicked and he pumped into your tight wet cunt in a delicate pattern. Every time he pumped you felt the pressured swipe of his palm on your clit and your entire torso seized in anticipation.

“I - I want it, please Junnie - please, it feels so good, ngh -” 

Yeonjun groaned at your tiny whispers; your lips were pressed to his and the thick scent of your arousal was making him throb with precum into his boxers. His Adam apple bobbed as your small hand - the one not gripping Soobin's forearm that slipped under your skirt - pressed at his crotch weakly. But the action of it; so innocent and wanting to please, made his ears dip and his eyes contract.

“Feels good gorgeous.” He grumbled, pushing to kiss you hard enough to steal the breath from you. He pulled away with a sharp point to the soft of your lips; they were swollen from his biting. “You gonna come apart for us doll? Gonna let Soobin finger you till you see stars in the middle of this fucking diner, for the whole world to see?” His voice was low and hoarse and echoed around your head as the coil in your gut pulled tighter and tighter.

“Ngh - y-yeah -” You nodded, giving up the pressing at his thick, clothed cock to fold into Yeonjun’s shoulders, face in his neck. Soobin pressed at your back with his chest, nuzzling your shoulder. They were so close to you that there was no room to think, no space for anything but them. 

Soobin bit at your outer ear, nose nuzzling against your hair right as his middle finger curled up inside of you to hit that sweet spot. Rubbing it in the place that made you squirm. 

“Little Doe’s cunt is so tight - I can feel you’re close, baby,” Soobin grumbled lowly, voice projected into your brain. You gasped a moan, lifting to kiss Yeonjun until you pulled away with pressed-shut eyes; Soobin's finger pumping inside you on a deadly rotation.

Yeonjun sucked a hickey right against the pulse on the edge of your jaw. You shivered from head to toe, surrounded in warmth and smells and ears and tails brushing over and encompassing you; warm fuzz spreading throughout your veins and sweeping over your scalp. You must have moaned pretty loudly you realised, as Yeonjun gripped your cheeks in a hurry to kiss you sloppily. When he moved away, he pressed his thumb over your lips to wipe away the drool, laughing gently at you in disbelief. 

“Hush, pretty pet. You’ll have the whole diner rushing over soon otherwise,” He let you go, ears on a tight swivel as your head dropped to his neck and your hand curled up into Soobin's bicep. Mind like jelly, as only a hybrid-sensitive ear could pick up the squelching of Soobin retracting his fingers only to dive down to his two knuckles at a varying pace.

“Ngh - Feels good -”

The boys shared a look. You were close, and you smelt like a fucking cherry ice cream with your wetness dripping off Soobin's knuckles and onto the leather. Even Kai had started twitching in his seat, eyes darting all over you during the slow and sloppy consumption of his ice cream.

“Gyu’s gonna kill you when he finds out about this, you realise?” Kai humoured out loud, shaking his head.

The fox gave him a pointed look, ears folding and lip curled as he sheltered your face. Soobin growled gently, kicking his friend from beneath the table. The dog snarled.

“Shut up, weasel. You’re just jealous you can’t get a piece.”

“Yeah, you’re right actually. She smells so fucking good you’ve got me sat over here wondering when I can get a chance. Or why I even signed up for this in the first place.”

Soobin scoffed. “Cause you’re a sucker for watching and being watched. Shut up and watch the waitresses, nerd. It’s up to Y/N whenever you ‘get some’.”

“Yeah, right.” Kai huffed, defeated but still watching with intent.

“Try not to cry out for us while you cum, hmm angel?” Yeonjun mumbled, softer than his friend, and completely instructional. 

Focused entirely on you; Yeonjun pinched your cheeks to bring you up to his eye level and gain back some attention. Squeezing for a response.

You could only utter a small puff of a nod, brows pulled together and putty in their hands. 

Your cunt was starting to contract and tighten around Soobin’s fingers. 

Yeonjun purred at your face burrowing into his collar, small desperate sighs sounding against his shoulder, eyes squeezed shut in ecstasy and hands reaching for him. He moved his hand to massage your thigh on his side and flicked up the skirt to see past the fabric Soobin was fondling you under.

Yeonjun returned to his half-burned-out cigarette in the ashtray on the table, huffing a drag and coughing with wide eyes, blowing the smoke above the booth.

“Holy shit, sweetheart. That’s one pretty cunt you’ve got there.” 

Kai erupted into laughter as Yeonjun's shoulders jostled, laughing without mockery. He shushed you as Soobin added a third finger, squelching knuckle deep until you felt the cool metal of his ring on his forefinger press against your entrance. Knuckles between your teeth to not cry out.

“O-oh fuck, shit, fuck fuck -” 

Your knees bucked up and hit the table. 

Yeonjun quickly gripped your thigh that fell off the seat as Kai whistled; holding your thigh on him. The wolf whistle was a crude sign that a waitress was coming - distracted by his charm and ease of flirting to get her to look purely only into his eyes. 

“Easy, sweetheart. Quiet. We’ve got guests.” Yeonjun mumbled, lifting your face to lazy lick up against the roof of your mouth. He swallowed your noises and kissed you like some filthy fuck as you orgasmed in their hold. Soobin kept his fingers moving as the human waitress breached the table, his other hand going to swig the last drops of his drink.

To anyone watching, it simply looked like a bunch of adult kids and the usual two-person couple making out in the same booth. Little did they know, Soobin was brushing up against your g-spot as you whimpered, gripping his wrist and writhing, choking on Yeonjun's tongue.

He held your jaw steady and lazily kissed you, drool stringing between the two of you. 

“Mmph - June - Junnie -” You puttered, trying to speak, but stopped by his teeth pressing against yours, grip tightening on his shoulders. You released a pliant moan. Your guts twisted and the coil in your gut was tightening again, tense in your lower back and shaking. It was so soft the waitress wouldn’t have heard

The human waitress excused herself. You didn’t blame her. Yeonjun's hand had slipped up your thigh and he had pressed the pads of his fingers into your clit, underneath Soobin's large palm. You released from his lips with pants and pressed your face into his shoulder.

“‘m gonna - ‘m gon’ - ‘m - mmmmph -”

Your eyes pressed shut and you bit your lips to stop from crying out loud; grinding against their hands to cum once again. This one was a decently long ride. And Soobin angled up to make your feet tingle.

“Cumming again, gorgeous?” Yeonjun grumbled. Low and into your ear. He knew the answer. Just wanted to hear you say it. Wanted to hear you cry.

“Yeah ~” You nodded, squeezing and gripping his shoulder. “Mhmmm ~”

“You look so pretty in that skirt baby. You like Soobin's long fingers fucking you till you cum?” You nodded, desperate. “You take them so well angel. Think you can fit one more again?” 

You nodded and felt fucking insane at the proud smile on the fox’s face.

“Pretty baby’s gonna fall apart.” He groaned into your ear. 

Your nod was instantaneous; head fuzzy like an out-of-tune TV as Yeonjun moved from your clit to press his hand over Soobin's, guiding in a third finger. You were shaking, and rode along the last high to the next; reaching to pull him for a teeth-clashing kiss. 

The after-effects of cumming like that; surrounded by them, smothered in their scents and security, weighted by them; was a new high you could get used to. You almost couldn't breathe you were so hot. The ceiling spun and your brain was mellow like you had just been dunked underwater.

But they moved away from your hot body purposefully.

Yeonjun even blew cold air onto your face as you leaned on him. Soobin moved his chest from your body. And the boys patiently waited for you to return to the room. Slow movements to let you process; pulling away slowly, deliberately, and selflessly.

Slowly, you eased your legs, and Yeonjun retracted his hand - sucking on it directly over his tongue with a wink at your shy eyes looking up at him from his shoulder - holding your feet from hitting the floor.

Soobin followed suit by retracting his hand. But this time; the dog guided your face up and behind by the curve of your jaw. Without comment, he slipped his fingers into your mouth. They were thick and heavy on your tongue. You tasted admittedly good, but didn’t swallow; just held it there.

"Good pet." Soobin's growl echoed around your brain. 

It was sweet like liquor and thick like it too; cherry syrup strong enough to blow your rocks off if you weren’t expecting it.

Soobin pulled his fingers out - only to kiss you; tongue lapping up against yours and groaning. He sucked your tongue softly, but ultimately let you go after he gathered all the slick from your mouth. 

You turned to hide your face again in Yeonjun's jacket as Soobin pulled away. Shaking, quivering. 

“Fuck -” Soobin wiped his mouth, looking to the other boys, “- she tastes unreal.”

“Hate to say it, and it’s not a bad thing -” Kai murmured, low and cautious. “- but she also smells so fucking good I don’t think we’ll be able to stay here much longer.”

You weren’t listening; instead busy leaning into the fox and his warm body. Face in the crook of his neck, nuzzling his skin. He was so warm and soft, you couldn't help but bury your nose into him. Citrus tones filled your brain and lungs. 

"I'd have to agree - “ Yeonjun huffed, looking to the dog for his agreement, “I'm struggling to breathe clean air anymore." 

The dog nodded, confirming his friends' experience. If the one with smell issues was struggling; it was only a matter of time before it became unsafe.

“Time to go gorgeous.” Yeonjun kissed the crown of your head, smoothing it with a heavy palm. Mumbling to you. You shuddered. 

"Alright then - come on, guys. We don’t wanna get her too worked up in the diner, huh?" Soobin grumbled sarcastically in a rush, tail swiping against the leather diner seat in his excitement. 

Soobin reached to hum in your ear a low tease; “Let the scent-drunk babe clear her head before a good fuck, hmm? How’s that sound doll? I’ll pull the car up right outside.”

Your skin flushed hot. But you nodded, coyly. Accepting the nudge of his ears to your cheek as he kissed your shoulder blade. But you were stuck to the fox, like glue. 

Yeonjun snickered, rubbing at his neck with a sheepish smile. 

“Yeah, right. Forgot where we were for a second.” 

“See you guys later!” Kai squeaked, suddenly up and out of the diner before any of you could respond.

Soobin held a disgusted expression, scowling at his back as he darted out of the diner, paper bills slapped sloppily onto the bar’s top. His ears had peeled back until they almost disappeared in his jet-black hair; his nose scrunched in such sudden fury that you had to shake your head to adjust. 

“He’s going straight to his car to jack off,” Yeonjun explained when you looked at him, with a puzzled expression at Soobin's anger. 

The fox shrugged with an easy roll of his eyes. You, Yeonjun and Kai were morally on the same level of voyeurism, so he wasn’t exactly about to be a hypocrite. 

“I’m not against it.” 

You shrugged also. Unsure if it was necessarily okay, but unsurprised and pretty unbothered. If anything, your ego was boosted by it. 

Soobin held his own ideals, however.

“Well, I am,” Soobin growled, ears tucked back and so obviously ticked off. “Dirty fuck. Never met a guy more disrespectful."

Soobin was furious. You’d be lying if you said it wasn’t hot, but… now wasn’t exactly the time. The anger caused you to pull inwards. The sudden movement made your adrenaline spike before you could process it.

"Hey, come on now - you know that's a lie - hey!"

Yeonjun tried to call after his angry Doberman, but he was already up and gone.

Soobin grunted a blunt “See you outside.” and left a rush of air to come towards your newly exposed side. You shivered, rubbing your cool arm as you watched him leave, no bills placed on the side. When you spun around with a panicked expression, Yeonjun awaited you.

"Aaaand he's gone. Welp."

Yeonjun watched you; tentatively. You were so sensitive to mood changes, that he would have guessed you were a born hybrid, were it not for the missing appendages. The whoosh of air seemed to perk you up quite a bit. 

“Yeah - and - but - he didn’t pay Jun? What happened, he - shall we go to the car?” 

Yeonjun smiled at you. Irises slimmer than ever before. And reached to tuck hair behind your head. He hummed gently, eyes small and tracking your face as you rambled.

“I don’t - we should go - Junnie? We should - We should - I'm worried, that's not like him at all - umm - shall we call him, I - I'm not sure where he'd go -” 

So close after an orgasm your words were slurred as your tongue sat heavy in your mouth.

“He's okay.” Yeonjun smiled and simply waited. Your frown grew more desperate.

“He seems really mad Jun -”

“Breathe, gorgeous. He’s right outside.”

Eventually, you heaved a breath. Frowning in disbelief as the heat in your body flushed out. 

Your chin dipped as you gulped an intake of air. Embarrassed. 

You were scent drunk. The come-down was sharp and sudden. 

"Now that's the face I expect to see on a doll that's fully claimed already.” 

Yeonjun’s voice was kind. Low, gentle. 

“He’s got you good, hasn’t he?" 

“You both have, Junnie…” You admitted. “I don’t know what’s happening…”

Yeonjun laughed gently from his chest. Eyes crescented as you looked up; expecting a judging face, but you came face to face with love and affection. Your eyes quickly pooled with tears and an overwhelming sense of anxiety pumped through your gut.

Yeonjun leaned to wipe your tears. 

“Hey, you’re okay. Shh, shh.” He mumbled. “It’s a lot, isn’t it? New feeling?”

You nodded, and as much as you tried to repress it, your face had scrunched painfully and a glob of water slipped from your eye. Yeonjun wiped it away with his thumb, pouting.

Having a person a Hybrid you trusted nearby that was considered more dangerous than you or an unknown social threat; meant that you didn’t have to pay attention to your surroundings like you usually would when you were alone. Having them pull away suddenly meant that your acclimation time to becoming in charge of your extreme senses again was thrown from zero to a hundred in a matter of seconds. This is why gradual separations are taught from a young age.

You knew all this. Had spoken through it with Soobin many times. The nurses, the specialists, your friends. But it still didn’t make dealing with it any easier.

“Soob left pretty quick. And in a shit mood. Looks like it’s given you quite the shock, hmm?”

You nodded and tried your best to calm your erratic breathing. But before you could stop yourself; your arms reached around Yeonjun’s neck to pull him into an embrace. 

“Hey, hey - you’re alright.” The fox yowled quietly, and his ears folded. 

His heart ached for you. If natural prey-type hybrids struggled to deal with separation anxiety; he had quite literally no idea how you were trying to keep it together so hard.

“Did that new emotion scare you, angel?” He questioned. 

You nodded and Yeonjun accepted this, choosing not to question it with his face in your hair and one arm secure around you, the other holding your legs. He chittered; holding you tight the best he could at this angle. He understood that you just needed your whole face in his clothes and neck in order to feel his safety, right now, so didn’t mind you burying into his jacket.

"You're okay Y/N, he’s just outside, I promise," Yeonjun mumbled, so gently that you held him tighter. "Precious little fawn, hmm? You’ve always been so jumpy… even before the accident… now look at you…"

He didn’t speak for a while. Scared he would say something wrong. Instead, he just held you and rubbed your back as you processed the withdrawal. This is what was missing with Beomgyu, you realised, instantly. The cat was indifferent, and these boys were observant. They were able to care for you. They reacted differently to your fears. 

You released his neck, and he pulled away to see your face.

"What is it, sweet Doe?" Yeonjun hummed, a finger pad swiping over your cheek. "What is it exactly that's got you so upset?"

"I'm worried Junnie…" You said with glossy eyes. Words like lead in your mouth. Difficult to form and project. "I hope he wasn't upset with me - or you, or Kai. He left so quickly, I - and it hurt - I don’t know…" 

Yeonjun wiped your cheek with a sympathetic smile. He knew what you meant. Pulling such a strong presence away so quickly caused you to panic, and tilt off the scale. A matter of mind versus instincts.

“It’s not about you, gorgeous. And I don’t think Kai actually upset him. Just - a thing of pride, that’s all. Let’s just give him a few minutes. He’s probably as affected as the both of us; if not more than. We could all use a little pause, right now. Hmm? Get our heads back?" 

You nodded, looking down at the hand on your knee. Your smaller fingers reached to anxiously work between his knuckles. Yeonjun smiled, chittering with folded ears. He kissed your cheek; sweet, cherub, soft.

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to; you know?"

You looked up. Surprised. 

Was he paying attention to Soobin's’ cues? Did he know?

"Because that's what it is, isn't it?" 

You searched his face. But gave no response. 

"You find it hard to speak when you're upset, right?" 

You nodded.

"I take it it’s nerves?"

Nod.

"And it's not because I scare you?" Yeonjun pouted.

You shook your head.

"Okay." He whispered. "I'll stick to yes or no questions for now. Sound okay?" 

You nodded. Butterflies hammering in your heart.

He was happy that you felt safe enough to be non-verbal around him; so much progress in such a short amount of time. It only seemed to happen when incredibly anxious, so he made a mental note to pay attention to that.

“You’re safe, little fawn.” He mumbled, placing one last kiss on your cheek. “I know; you’ll probably feel super stressed for a few minutes. But you’re okay. I’m here. And Soobin's just outside. Try to relax; it’s just a new feeling, not necessarily a bad one.”

You couldn't help but whimper as you held him again. Reaching to desperately hold his neck.

You weren’t sure what to say. Despite it being such a short amount of time you did trust him. With your body and heart. And he truly was grounding you. By remaining calm; watching you, relaxing his shoulders and ears. 

You held him until your chest loosened and you were stable enough that he could stop nuzzling you.

Once confident you wouldn’t cry upon him moving away; he shuffled to slouch back against the booth; one arm stretched up and behind your shoulders - he waited for you to settle into the space between his chest and armpit, elbow folded down as he held you close - and fiddled open his cigarette tin while the other reached over your chest to pull one out.

"You're doing good, pretty Doe. ‘m ‘mpressed." He mumbled; lighting the cigarette over your head again.

You were shaking, and stiff. Like your namesake would usually do when terrified. But he was impressed, given you had just cummed, and then had your support ripped from your side so quickly.

For a moment; given the position; you had no vision of the diner. Until Yeonjun tucked the packet into his jacket and you noticed a man walking towards you. Yeonjun seemed distracted; and checked his phone overview with a flick before it was tucked away to raise an eyebrow at your prodding.

“Hmm? What is it doll?” Yeonjun followed you pointing underneath the table to the guy shuffling across the floor. He was greeting people. Like he owned the place.

“Huh. You know who that is?” The fox questioned with a tilt of his head. You shook your head.

“Well,” Yeonjun started, before re-lighting the cigarette between his lips. His gruff, tobacco voice pressed to your cheek as he whispered dark secrets into your pretty little head. You wheezed slightly at the smell of menthol, turning with wide doe eyes to see him.

“His name is Bangchan. Or Chan for short. He's 25. He runs the local crime show. Fatherly-Wolf type. Has his own…” Yeonjun pulled a drag with a quirked head in thought on how to word it; “specialities. He also owns the diner. And so on.”

Crime show? A funny joke. Or, maybe a slip up… Right?

Said man began to walk past the table; clearly on some sort of serious business, given the scowl on his face. A tall white-haired male followed close behind. Around Soobin's height. He was stunning and feminine. Whereas ‘Chan’ was stunning in a more masculine way.

“Ah - Chan!” Yeonjun called as he walked past - a little harshly were it not for the pressure to stay on his chest, as he anticipated your reaction - catching his ear. The two of them stopped in their tracks. But the blonde male wandered away after a nod of Wolf-mans head. 

His face quickly lit up with a smile.

“Hey - what’s up Wilde! Ah - a guest - you must be Y/N?” 

Chan was cute. Not your type; but sweet, obvious built-in muscles, and mid-height with seemingly natural dark brown hair. He had an Australian twang to his accent, and it was refreshing to hear amongst the rest. Made him stand out.

Yeonjun didn’t rise like you thought he would to greet his friend. Like he always had. It seemed remaining calm for you was the most important thing in the room for him right now. And that made you feel… some kind of way.

Lucky for the two of you; Bangchan was pretty understanding. And bowed his head with a charming smile before sliding into the booth to sit opposite; in place of an awkward handshake.

“Glad you caught me Wilde - Hyunjin had just pulled me to head out, but I was meaning to talk to you.” He peered over you quickly before smiling. “Hope you don’t mind me interrupting?”

Yeonjun smiled as he squeezed your shoulder, kissing your temple. 

“We don’t mind. Sorry; Y/N’s a little star-struck so you won’t be getting a lot out of her right now. The diner is loud and frightening at this time of night. Maybe another time.”

Yeonjun was smiling. But it was tight-lipped and accompanied by a cut-short tone that left no room for questioning. It was clearly; a statement. Bangchan simply shrugged. Smile still kind. 

“Fine with me. Sorry about the noise. Nice to finally meet you though; heard only good things.”

You bowed your head with wide eyes and quivering lips. A little confused; as you had never heard of him before, but you just shrugged it off. It's a small world; you were bound to have some weird high school connection somewhere. 

If Yeonjun considered him safe; then you did too. 

You needed a moment to recover, anyway.

You briefly peered between the two, before you settled with picking at the frays on the thigh of the fox's ripped jeans. Yeonjun smudged out his barely lit cigarette out of respect, and you noted his sharp eyes. The softness in his face had gone since Chan appeared. Not completely; but you were observant enough to notice.

“You said you wanted to talk?” Yeonjun smiled.

You could already see why he was considered a smooth talker. His demeanour right now was completely fake; and had changed so quickly you had almost missed it. But you would never know if you hadn’t spent so much genuine time with him. He seemed cooler. More cheeky, but reserved. As if he was holding back. And he was. He would curse out Soobin later for taking the heat for the three of you without backup.

Chan bobbed his chin and thinned his lip in a thinking expression before making an ‘Ah, yes’ face. Then he pointed to Soobin's' empty yet still indented seat.

“Ah - You’re missing a Pinscher, right?”

“Yup,” Yeonjun laughed, tongue in his cheek. “Soobin’s outside. Pulling valet for us. He won’t leave until we go.”

“Oh - neat! I’ll say hi before I leave, then. Need to give him something anyway. New listing."

“Cool.” 

Yeonjun's ear ticked. 

You were almost certain Chan didn’t catch it, but you did. Yeonjun was a nervous guy, even if he acted cool. You rested against his chest; and closed your eyes. Relaxing completely. It calmed him.

“Oh, yeah, also, Charlo called me on direct from the bar.”

Yeonjun threw his head back in a snorting laugh. “Charlo?! That is not a name! You made that up!” 

“Hey - Don’t be rude! It’s short for Charlotte. And it’s a perfectly nice nickname!”

The two of them were being rather loud.

“Alright.” Yeonjun snickered sarcastically. “So - this Charlo - she called you? I should care, why? Never heard that name before.”

Yeonjun was having one of his moments. 

You had noticed the Cheetah’s head whip around as soon as it was said from across the floor, but she was smart enough to keep her head down to buss the table. You prodded Yeonjun, pointing and nodding in her direction.

“Ah,” Yeonjun mumbled. “Charlo… the Cheetah… Fuck."

The waitress. Of course, it would be the waitress. The hybrid waitress. The hybrid waitress called Charlo the Cheetah, that would report on his ass.

“What have I told you about getting handsy in my diner, Yeonjun?”

Yeonjun snorted, laughing with his belly as his head rolled back on the seat. Chan was entirely serious and you flushed cold like an ice bucket had been dunked over you.

"Aish -" He pressed air from between his teeth in humerus. "Relax old man -"

"It's disgusting."

"So's another man's jealousy."

"Ah no-" Bangchan looked distressed, disgusted even, and shook his head. "Far from jealous. At least tell me you washed your hands first?"

A pause… and then… silence. 

You were positively embarrassed.

"You're disgusting."

"And you're a saint?" Yeonjun purred, shit-eating fox grin pearly white and cockily on display. Ears back in a playful display, tail happily curled.

The fox was enjoying this. 

"Seriously June. People eat here." The older guy started; voice low and fatigued. But he seemed somewhat amused, and you guessed it took a special kind of figure to correct Yeonjun and get through to that crafty head of his.

No one in the immediate area even batted an eye at your table being extremely loud. Which was curious. Odd, even. It made you pause, and strain your ears. But nothing was out of sorts.

"So you're telling me that I can kill a man on this table, but I can't make my girl cum after a good meal?"

KILL A MAN. 

Bangchan's eyebrow raised and you froze solid in your seat. He seemed fed up. You didn't blame him; Junnie was exhausting.

You flew to see Yeonjun's expression, your heart pounding. He was cool and calm. At the terror on your face, he softened. Cracking his mask for a split second to soothe you. But he couldn’t comfort you here, in front of Bangchan. His irises softening would have to be enough.

Your head was spinning.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying, funny enough. Don't let me catch you doing it again, Wilde."

"Or what, Daddy?" Yeonjun taunted, canines flashing as he bit the tip of his tongue with a grin.

Chan gave the younger man a sharp expression.  "You know what. I gotta go - stay out of trouble kids."

“One thing you should know about Soobin -” Yeonjun grunted, as he reached inside his jacket to pull out his wallet and start ass-shuffling out of the booth, gently patting your behind along and above the seat to make room for him to get up.

“Is that he tends to get a little protective when he likes something.” Yeonjun shrugged, standing upright. 

He flicked open his wallet to pop yet another cigarette into his mouth, but it remained unlit. 

“Sometimes you just gotta remind him you aren’t about to run away. Like his favourite treat being taken to some forbidden locked up cage somewhere. He’s… scared of that happening. But something tells me you’ll calm him down.”

You took the fox's outreached hand, sticking like gum to his side as you linked into his elbow. Yeonjun swiped backwards the hairs hanging in front of your eyes and placed a kiss on the crown of your head.

“He is a dog after all. Don’t take it to heart love. He just felt Kai was disrespectful."

He smoothed the back of your skirt like a gentleman as you exited the booth - before he squeezed your ass with a wink and a whistle. 

Yeonjun walked with you to the bar, placing some money and what looked like a hefty tip on the side, before proceeding to walk you both out to a slightly less irritated Soobin than the one who had run out of the diner. 

Chan was a few strides ahead, clearly walking away from an exchange. 

Soobin was smoking. Sat on the hood of his car. You could tell he wasn’t in the mood to talk, because he only smoked when he was bothered by something. 

“D’you think he’ll mind if I catch a ride?” Yeonjun mumbled, whispered into your hair with humour as he squeezed your side into him. “Gotta take this pretty girl back to the dig.” You giggled, appreciative that he was taking the time to calm your nerves. 

The sun was hanging low in the summer sky. Having checked the diner clock before leaving it was currently 9:05 in the evening. Soobin had driven up from the underground parking until he was right outside. It was cooler now than when you had chosen the mini skirt. You shuffled closer to him for warmth.

You shrugged. “I can ask?” 

You were too cute. Yeonjun shook his head, pinching his eyes at you with an accompanying smile. “Just playing doll. We live together, remember?”

Yeonjun's hands lay heavy on your waist as he walked you up to the car. He could feel the excitement in your nerves like a small electric shock.

As you both approached, Yeonjun lifted his chin to his friend. 

“You good?”

To which Soobin nodded back. 

He was a little moody. Slouching, arms crossed, sitting on the hood of his car, puffing with a scowl. But he was considerate enough to exhale the large heave of smoke, far above your head.

“Fine.” The dog grumbled, clearly irritated by the tone in his voice.

“You sure about that?” Yeonjun sang in an amused manner.

Soobin lifted his lip to reveal his gums with a belly-deep growl. The message was to ‘leave it alone’. 

“Fine man, if you say so.” Yeonjun chuckled to himself under his breath, the two of you now profile to profile with Soobin and the car.

When Yeonjun had stopped walking - retracting his palms to his pockets, appearing bored and unbothered to not provoke his friend - you kept going. 

Your heels shuffled forward until both knees drew up between the legs of the casually sat Doberman. 

He straightened upon your approach. Peering down at you. You reached for his shoulders and placed a kiss on his cheek. Which Soobin graciously dipped to accept. 

“Hey, gorgeous.” He mumbled, softer than before, when his attention was directed towards Yeonjun. 

“Hi.” You offered back, happily.

Soobin was looking at you with such enamoured eyes. Ones reserved for love. Gentleness. 

“I’m not going to run away from you, you know?” You offered again, quietly. Still a smile on the way you spoke. Soft. “I offered to try this out with you, and I’m still here, and I’ll be here for as long as I can be.”

Yeonjun's ears quirked as he leaned against the door of the car beside both of you. Touched that you had listened. It moved something in his chest. His stomach. It ached, in a good way. 

Maybe the advice he had given to someone else, was the one he needed to hear the most.

Soobin’s brows fluttered as he processed what you meant. He watched your face for signs of distrust. Before he released the tension in his body and acceptance flooded over his face. He uncurled the hand from under his armpit to rest on your lower back.

“I know. Thank you.” 

You exchanged a nod. And fell into him. Into a real, loving embrace. The air was chilly, and you were thankful for his body heat.

“Still anxious?” Soobin mumbled against your cheek. “I’m surprised. You seem to have attached pretty quickly to Jun.”

You blinked. “You - you can tell?” 

“That you’re still anxious?”

“Yeah.”

“Of course.” Soobin ran his nose over your cheek with a rumbling chuckle. “Your heart hasn’t stopped thundering since we got out of the car. And your scent is - well the only way I can describe it right now is sour. It’s not like that when you’re… not upset.” 

“I smell like something sour? When I’m anxious?”

“You smell like a sour cherry, to be exact.” Yeonjun pointed out. Newly puffed tobacco smoke hanging around his frame. “And not the candied kind.”

"It's a weaker smell," Soobin confirmed. "But it's sharper. More nose-catching than when you're happy."

You hummed in thought.

“Well, what is it when I’m happy?”

“Hmm, cream and cherry pie?” Soobin questioned his friend with a smile in his tone. Yeonjun nodded and heaved a smokey inhale.

“Angry?”

“That one’s tough.” Soobin looked around in thought. "Hot. Like a hot, bitter winter wine. Burns the nose, unlike sour."

You laughed.

"Okay. What about horny?"

"Cherry Sundae," Yeonjun answered quickly for that one. You raised your eyebrows and he shrugged. "It's so sweet and heavy that the entire diner smelt like you on the way out. Probably will do ‘til opening time tomorrow morning."

"But then - there were other hybrids in there - why didn't they say anything?"

Yeonjun looked at Soobin. And Soobin grumbled low, pointed words into your ear.

"Because you're with us. And they wouldn't dare."

"And - it doesn't give you a headache? If it's so sweet?"

Soobin threw his head back in a gentle laugh.

"No, Y/N. It's a natural aphrodisiac."

"It's… addicting." Yeonjun murmured. Almost… ashamed of his infatuation, with ears tilting down as he thought on it.

But you got the point. And made a small oh sound of acknowledgement before shaking it off.

“So -” You giggled, gesturing towards his unreasonably-flashy-for-a-young-guy American muscle car; “How the hell did you end up owning something like this? Knowing people like Bangchan? It's a little odd. I thought you worked at another office, but then… How'd you afford to live like this?”

Soobin smiled. And squinted at you with deep dimples. His hand moved to rest on the car behind him as he leaned forward, and over you ever so slightly, to breathe against your neck. Your lungs stayed empty as you got stuck on an exhale, unsure as to what he would say. Missing Yeonjun's shifty eyes, before looking around and nodding to his friend.

“I work in higher places than you’d ever expect, our clever little fawn.” 

His lips pressed to your neck and your heart fluttered, falling into him as his hand pushed on your lower back. 

"Suppose there's no harm in telling you now. Breathe."

Your hands rested on either of his shoulders, consumed completely by his deep musk and wood smell. You felt like prey being cared for before being swallowed. Gasping air upon instruction. It was becoming a habit to wait.

You reached to bury your face into his scent; shaking in delight from your scalp to your toes when your nose hit his collarbone.

“Yeonjun is my sales guy. Like you said before. Gyu deals with code. Fucking nerd.”

Another kiss was placed on your neck. Suckling lightly with those perfect lips; making you lean into him more. You would think a mention of your sick 'boyfriend' would strike guilt, but your head was swimming. Breathing him in like a drug.

He was fucking addicting. And you were starting to understand what Yeonjun meant. Soobin's musk became much heavier and sweeter like tree syrup. 

“Terry’s in charge of legal. Kai’s our friend, but he’s mostly there for looks.”

He pulled away to smoke some more and puff the smoke over your head. He squeezed your ass, harshly, in one large palm, and a soft moan fell from your lips. A gift to Soobin. 

“But don’t worry - as long as you’re around at least one of us, or the hybrids we trust, in the right spots, you’ll be safe. We don’t want to get you mixed into any shady business.”

Your mind flashed to every mafia or yakuza scene ever. 'Stay with us you'll be safe', only for their safety to be more hurt than when they weren't involved.

"So - you're saying I might be watched? That you're part of a gang, or what?! I don't know if I'm into men that hurt women! Or people! Children…!!" 

Soobin kissed his teeth.

"I don't take joy in hurting others. And we don't get our hands dirty in that kind of business." 

He was… amused. 

This interaction seemed amusing to him.

"I can't say you won't have eyes on you; but you're our pet now, so it's in our nature to be protective. NOT controlling."

Soobin's lip lifted over his gum in a houndish grin, and he pressed you into his crotch as he grumbled into your ear. 

"Not that we would let you out with us anywhere without our scent plastered inside and all over you, on any given day now, anyways.” 

His breath was ticklish and you loved his open laugh as his gums pressed against your cheek as he held you tight. 

You knew Soobin. Knew he was speaking out of love, despite his harsh and rugged tone. You felt safe. 

So ultimately you laughed also; drunk on attention, and shaking your head. Even the shy Yeonjun smiled fondly.

Between the big dogs' legs. In public again. Being babied between two capable men. Short skirt scrunched between Soobin's knuckles, and his ears pointed down at you; you were warmed with love.

“Shady business then, hmm?” You repeated in a tight whisper. Eyes wide and shining up at him. “But - you’re wearing jeans!” You argued; as if dirty clothing and judging his appearance outright meant you knew anything about him. "I've never seen a high-end criminal in blue wash denim!"

Soobin puffed an exhale of a crescent-eye smile, tongue caught in the corner of his lip. Before he dipped you to the side quickly - completely playful and in control, laughing loudly in your ear as you giggled - kissing at your pulse. You ran your nails up and against his strong, beautiful neck and into the nape of his hair on the way back up; which earned you a growl on your skin, and a squeeze against his torso. 

“You’re too cute.” Soobin appealed, laughing like chimed bells like he hadn’t just possibly revealed his connection to the business underworld.

So you turned your pout to Yeonjun for more answers.

You caught him staring in admiration; ears dipped to the side and eyes hooded with the corners of his mouth tilted upwards; back against the car, arms crossed easily on his chest. He perked up once he realised you were looking; fumbling out some more smokes and touching his pockets as if checking whether something hadn't been forgotten, or left behind.

"Come on ~" You frowned, pouted even, coming to know how much he barked for it. "You have to give me some info before you fuck me? I deserve that much!!"

Soobin had, at this point, enveloped you. Lips busy kissing, licking, nibbling at the expanse of your throat. Your hands curled into his shoulders. Ears hot and moans soft at an exhale. He was so warm, it was heavenly. 

Or maybe that was just the post-orgasm, baby-girlness talking. But - it felt like the heat was coming from under your skin.

Both were fine. Both were good.

Yeonjun met your pout and whine with a raised eyebrow shake of his head. Scolding your curiosity with a mere kissing of his teeth. 

But of course, he would spill. He was too easy.

“Nothing you want to be involved with, angel.” He mumbled in a low, almost solemn voice. “Tax evasion type shit. But we don't deal with dirty money. No repercussions for anyone apart from ourselves when we get caught." 

The fox squinted. You were small but unshaken. So he continued.

"I mean, to be honest, a lot of people you know are probably involved. A certain Jaemin comes to mind - hope he loves the new wheels by the way. Heard one of them sold?"

You laughed at Yeonjun's raised eyebrows. He had slipped into his faux persona.

"I have no idea Junnie." He softened; trusting your shrug, watching as you thread your hands through Soobin's hair as he palmed at your ass. 

"He was very specific when he asked for one of the cars. I don't know if he was feeling sketched out by the deal or what. You'd know better if he's your friend?"

"Oh?" You quipped, amused.

"Yeah - he wanted it a specific red. Like… a race car. One from a movie. With decals all over it. Was specific with the no white-rim wheels. Weird guy, but I liked him. You should invite him to hang out with us."

"It was a nice red Jun, you did a good job." 

Yeonjun scoffed. "So you really had no idea?" 

You shrugged. "I had my suspicions as a friend, but never would have guessed."

"I'm sure you've got - mph - questions?" Soobin moaned between biting up your shoulder.

"I guess… I didn't realise you had been keeping tabs on me. But then again, I guess it comes with the territory…"

Of which, you meant dating Beomgyu. Their inner circle friend and participant of said crime group. It made sense.

"Mhm," Yeonjun confirmed, smile tight-lipped and amused. He took another drag. "I’m surprised a clever doll like you hadn’t figured it out. The cats in love with you. We protect the things we love. And you had no idea you were being surveilled?”

“I didn’t know.” You confirmed once more, unsure what or how loud to say it to make him believe you. “Sounds like you guys have got it down to a T, though?”

"Got what down to a T, doll?" 

"I don't know - everything!"

Yeonjun simply nodded. Shying away as his friend and newly revealed business partner gave a sharp and piercing warning gaze from behind your neck.

That seemed to be all you would be getting from the fox. He retreated from the conversation abruptly with a pout and distant mind; busying himself with flicking open his lighter for the umpteenth cigarette today. 

He didn’t look sad, but talking about it seemed to bother him. Like a task he would worry about later. Though you weren’t sure when later was, or could be.

Soobin tugged at your earlobe with delicate precision; canines making you moan and grip his hair. He growled softly and nudged your cheek with his nose until your attention was caught. Your nose pressed to his. Lips brushed with bated breath.

“It’s important that you don’t share any of this, pet. Not even with Gyu.” 

At first, you just laughed. But it became obvious how quickly he meant it. Your naive smile edged into danger; until he swiped the back of your thigh with an open palm. You bit your lip with a frown and a cut moan, pouting. 

"I mean it.”

You gulped, eyes shaking a little. 

Soobin softened, immediately, at the first hint of fear. The grip on your chin released dramatically, so your hair billowed softly between his fingers at your cheek. His exhale fanned over your face, before moving your head. His cheek pressed to your own to whisper low, and soft, in your ear.

“I need to hear you give your word, beautiful. That you won’t tell a soul. No matter what. What we vent about between the sheets, is just that to anyone else. Nothing but pillow talk.”

Maybe this was a little more than what you had bargained for. 

"But between us…. well. We’ll always tell you the truth."

He didn’t move, instead he waited. Knowing that eye contact would make you panic. You looked to Yeonjun for aid, heart hammering. His ears dipped into total submission. Sympathetic to those eyes he was beginning to hate to see - sad, panicked, insecure.

“You’re safe, doll.” The fox tilted his head onto his shoulder, smile genuine. “Just need your word is all. Or we leave, and forget this ever happened. Either is fine.”

But fuck it - danger tasted good on your tongue.

So you gulped your nerves and pride; leaning cheek to cheek to Soobin and voice barely a strained whisper; “I give you my word. Body and all - I’m yours. Please don’t break me. I'm ready - these two years have been so long - but I'm a little scared.” 

Soobin growled; deep and low. Moving to see your face. His hand cupped the back of your head and tilted up as he met your eyes; affected. Touched beyond words. He watched you for deceit; hesitation that would break their hearts. None was found.

How could he ever harm you? How could Yeonjun? Beomgyu? Any of them? 

The fear in your voice hinted towards past mistrust, and he would fight to break the cycle.

Your eyes fell shut at his lips pressing against your own. Hands holding his own on your face; enveloped by the softness in his movements. You never wanted to part, but had to breathe. 

“You have our word, love.” Soobin kissed your eyebrow, “You’ll be glass in our eyes, for as long as you want.”

You were touched, shying from his eyes as your heart beat like a bird in a cage. He meant it as the highest compliment; fulfilling your wish of wanting to be treated with care, at least for the time being. Not another thing to just use and break.

Soobin reached behind you for the fox’s offered half-smoked cigarette; flicking the ash behind you on the ground before taking a drag. He released his thighs and shuffled to sit more; which allowed you with ease to shuffle forward, until your cheek met his chest. And your arms wrapped around him.

It was silent for a moment. Like a small part in the cloud.

Yeonjun basked in this new, slightly sudden love. Soobin exhaled and placed a hand on your head. The wind sang, birds flapped their wings, and the constantly humming cars shuttled past on the highway not too far behind the trees. You could feel Soobin’s heart beating heavily on your cheek and felt the pull of his lungs as he inhaled, then released. It felt like everyone had air to breathe again. Yeonjun looked at peace. 

It was serene, for a little while, with everybody's guards down. 

But these moments must always end. 

“Ready?” Yeonjun prompted. Carefully, and with a guttural clearing of his throat. He opened the back door, eager to move on and away from this place. And onto the new adventure, the night promised.

“Yeah, right.” Soobin laughed. 

The tension in his shoulders was gone, and you accepted a final tight one-armed squeeze as he brushed his lips against your forehead to place a kiss. He released you to snub his cigarette into the nearby ashtray; and stood precariously at the entrance of the diner. Hands constantly making contact while he spun you the other way; hip heavy under his palms. 

“Let’s go.”

MAIN MASTERLIST /// TXT MASTERLIST /// IMAGE MASTERPOST UIHALL [FIRST IN SERIES] /// [UIHALL - PART 2.II CONTINUED]

well would you look at that: updated 5/DECEMBER/2023

[theholyskadoo]

I have a theory.

Okay, so if you've played shipwrecked or done a deep dive on the lore you should know this video:

BUUUUUUT WAIT THERE'S MORE:

(Secret in Chief Wulf's minigame)

So, this is my theory. This kid's name is Gavin. As stated he went to Studiogrounds for his birthday. As seen in the first video he comes across husk which means its after Rex's death and the whole lotta shit in between. iykyk. I feel like he's going to play a pretty significant role in the upcoming games and I will be doing more digging to try to find any hint at what he might do in the story. So more to come.

Gavin? Who's Gavin? Where'd you get that name from?

Why thank you for asking kind reader, this is where.

Watch the whole video if you'd like but I'll attach a screenshot of the moment.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAVIN!!

I actually had a stroke when my mind put two and two together (I have witnesses).

Now think real hard. A kid goes to studiogrounds for his birthday (unfortunately he went at the wrong time) which is a secret -> normally has to do with lore on Studiogrounds and Broadside as a whole <- and in a teaser for BLUNDERCOVER 64 which is prequel to Shipwrecked A KID

WAS GONNA BE

THERE

FOR

HIS

BIRTHDAY

Timeline wise this makes sense too, considering that the events of Shipwrecked happened AFTER Blundercover. (If I'm not mistaken but that's what I picked up on.)

Anyways that's my goofy theory, I'll probably add to this, escpecially when I really look into Hotel 09 / when more comes out.

Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk.

edit: MY DRAFT SAVED >???????? OMG OMG OMG AYAYGR3UIERIEURIOEU

[mightbeorphanedidk]

halllooo (rant below)

so i know the epilogue for plastered smile and the next chapter for WORPMD is taking a while. I've been busy AF, my schedule is packed for the beginning of august. I have that entry exam I mentioned, which I need to revise for, I need to mess around with my school electives, I have a couple of birthdays and now I need to focus on getting a job. SDSFGDHFJG

Entry Test is soon, I'm sick to my stomach at the thought of it, I honestly am not that hopeful to make it in. Not even my parents believe in me 💀💀💀

Speaking of! My parents have been talking about getting me drafted into the army for scholarship purposes. I'm not entirely imposed, it'll make for funny notes in my chapters

"Hey guys sorry this chapter is late my drill sergeant had us run 10 more kilometres than normal haha and then i got sent to the UK for the military"

hyperbole that is but anyway. I needed to research a bit for that, then what I wanted to do when I got into uni (hoping either some sort of criminology or psychology?), then after that if I was even SMART enough to do so. I've always been an english kid, so I doubt I'll do anything as grand as those. One can only dream.

yeah. I have a lotta shit to focus on, BUT I AM STILL WRITING!

Unfortunately I've written no more than I've shown yesterday, BUT i have plans to in a couple of hours. Maybe I'll start now; The thing I'm doing at the moment isn't so urgent and I might as well.

I've been having a lot of fun making the oneshots, so maybe I'll make more of those if I get inspiration.

okay bye :3

[the-octopod]

Hii, everyone! I have a few questions for some of you if it's ok! (Idk if these have been asked yet or not, but oh well)

Shellington, what's your favorite of Kwazii's monster stories? Do they scare you any, or can you tell they're made up?

And Tweak! Does it ever both you how often Kwazii destroys the Gup-B? (And others) --- Also, do you like any of Kwazii's monster stories?

Hi, Shellington here! Because you asked Tweak a question as well, I had this saved as a draft, and let Tweak know there was a question for her. So when I sign off, she'll start talking! 🤗

I very much enjoy when Kwazii mentions the Loch Ness Monster. He knows a surprising amount of information about this creature. And although I do believe that it is unfortunately a hoax, I, admittedly, really do wish it was real, so seeing him talk about it with such enthusiasm makes me happy. I also know the Loch Ness monster contributes a lot to Scotland's economy, so I do appreciate it for that fact as well.

I also really like the myth of the Jumping Janglebones, a myth that I've never heard of before- actually, a majority of Kwazii's tales I have never heard of before in my life, which makes sense considering that the majority of them are oral pirate tales. I like the Jumping Janglebones because the concept of the creature is... a bit terrifying actually, and it almost felt real there when we rediscovered the coelacanth. He still believes in this monster, and I do like when he brings it up. The myths being true or not is something we can respectfully disagree on now, thankfully, as we were not as kind about it when we first met eachother. 😅😖

Sincerely,

Dr. Shellington Sea Otter

Alright, the GUPS crash all the time. And I get it. A lotta stuff happens in these Oceans here. But yea, it can get under my skin sometimes. Happens a lot where Kwazii drives irresponsibly. And he knows Im just gonna fix that GUP B right up again so that makes him even less cautious. But I've gotten used to fixing GUPS. In fact sometimes I like that it gives me something to do. And I've seen all sorts of different types of damage so they usually aren't that hard no more. (Thank goodness! Used to get headaches just by working on those things. And i get real frustrated when I work and work and there dont seem to be a solution.)

As for me though a monster I really did like was the Ghost Whale, because well, the albino whale really did look like a ghost kinda, so in a way ghost whales are real if you look at it that way. Except theyre nicer than what Kwazii says in his tales. I hope one day I get to see an albino humpack whale again. I wonder sometimes where he gets all these stories, they're always a treat to listen to. And apparently his Grandfather has seen so many of 'em.

-Tweak

[odukora-lore]

Hi Mykz! I wanted to ask something about your story titles, what would you say is the meaning behind all of them? As in, what does it relate to in-universe, what's the irl inspiration, all that?

LMAOOOO okay this is rlly fun tbh, ngl this was something I was sortaaaa gonna ramble in a recording but then didn't end up, but this is honestly something I somewhattt keep track of in my blorbo notes draft so I somewhat remember them at the tip of my tongue

Either wayyyyy

The Eternal: Fallout - ngl TEF went through a shit fucking load of title changes ffs, veterans would know Egg™ (that's a story for another day) but the main predecessors before it would be A Fault in Time and Brotherhood, AFIT is basically like, hinting at Atch fucking up the time travel lmao that's pretty much it, my memory is kinda blurry on that one cuz it's been a shitass while, it remains as a title that I still rlly like til this day thou that's just unfortunately thrown into the outdated pile, Brotherhood was like, a hint towards it Rin and Jingle's bond (Rin was the protagonist lmao, but again this is another rant for another day), and some sprinkles of the Tree Fam conflict (the earliest version of it anyway) so mainly between Oak and Birch

TEF itself is funny af thou cuz like, I kinda don't recall the exact moment I even settled on it unlike POE??? I think I was just playing around titles and shit, I'm soooo sooo sure The Eternal as like, the tragedy™ is a thing for a while thou, and iirc it mainly stemmed from the concept of, okay yeah ppl keep disappearing for an infinite amount of time, an eternity, it's the eternal™, but hell I can't say for sure lol, I do vaguely remember me settling on fallout cuz one of it's meanings were *the aftermath*, so basically TEF is like, the Aftermath of Mountain Expedition Gone Wrong (in non lore terms lol)

Paradigm of Empyrean - THIS ONE is fun cuz I didn't even come up w the og titles lmaooo, the oldest ver is Mysteries of Naru (for a shit while it was called MON), but like, kinda meant as a series I think, but idr either cuz I didn't wrote crap lol, I do know it's supposedly a trilogy though, the pipeline going Paradigm of Immortality -> Sealed Fate -> Fortress of Time (almost forgot the last one wtf I had to dig my old blorbo drafts), and then as I won the custody war™ I figured I wanted it to just be the one story™ cuz there's too much unknown lore for me to make it into an expansive series, at first I just figured I'd combine it so Paradigm of Fate was the placeholder title for a while before the actual revamp™ last year where I expanded further on the constellation and afterlife shit, the empyrean as a place wasn't rlly a thing not until recently iirc,

But the most fun part abt all this is the unintentional lore connections, cuz paradigm can mean *pattern* and empyrean can mean *sky* so essentially Patterns of the Skies, aka constellations lmao

Again a lotta shit for my main stories are extremely lore heavy so the titles kinda don't make shit sense unless you know what's going on

Anyways onto the supporting stories™

Swan Feather - this one is relatively simple lol, EVERYONE SAY THANK YOU BLACK SWAN ORCHESTRAL VER FOR BIRTHING THE VERY CONCEPT OF DULCET anyways I've rambled abt this quite a lot on my ramblez acc but swan feather was made when I was basically lost™ on wtf to do w TEF tbh lmaoooo, TEF was basically in like heavy revamp era and I was kinda getting pissed and mildly losing passion over it so I just figured fuck it I'm gonna make a whole new story™ to focus on while that remains in shambles for the time being, and then at the time this miraculous mv was released around the same time and the rest is history

I can dissect everything even further but it'll take up half of this damn page atp lmao, but a lot of the swan feather concepts surrounded passion I suppose, Heron and Dulcet were basically reflections of that, w Tang initially wanting to become a warrior out of passion but eventually got obsessed w wanting to be acknowledged and climbing the ranks he just straight up lost who he is (quite literally even), the Eclipsis Empire is sorta a shorthand for trading yourself away to achieve an empty dream that you sought to achieve but losing your very initial drive to pursue it in the first place, Heron initially only fighting cuz he was put on a pedestal to fight but now he has to for the sake of his bloodline, he fights w passion of wanting to defend all he has ever known, that is what intrigued Dulcet, mf basically saw a coward but then a coward w the kinda effort and dedication that he has not seen since forever and purposefully does not kill him from the get go just to see how far this mf can go lmao

A lot of Duclet's graceful dance esque fighting style was inspired by the orchestral ver itself tbh (alongside the quote at the beginning of the mv), I'd be stuck in car rides and imagining an epic fight scene™ and then going hell I need to make a story of out this shit and then it happened lol, forever extremely extremely pissed there's no official release on Spotify, the amount of mfs I'd maul to get that on there to make the perfect SF playlist ever™, but tldr I lost passion but a song abt losing passion made me reignite passion to make a story about losing passion and gaining it back

Sundowner - this is again kindaaa the kinda shit I don't remember lmaooo but tbh sundowner wasn't even supposed to be a story anyway cuz it remained a joke for the longest time, but I still figured it deserved a title so I know wtf I am talking abt when I am talking abt the story lol, I think I just went digging up aesthetic sounding words that are fairly dark sounding and related to illegal things™ and found sundowner: "an alcoholic drink that is drunk at around the time the sun goes down", but then also "a tramp arriving at a sheep station in the evening under the pretence of seeking work, so as to obtain food and shelter" which somehow fit the whole tone of the story lol, esp the latter one cuz majority of ppl affiliated w Budgie are honestly just looking for a means to *survive* through the mess, in some sense its the Budgie Enokie dichotomy within a single title lmao

The Sun is a Star - I'm pretty sure I came up w this on a whim aswell tbh, TSIAS isn't as old as the other stories ngl, like TEF has roots in 2018, same w POE iirc, SF and SD are kinda 2020 esque things, TSIAS is like very late 2022 and early 2023 I think??? TOI has roots in 2018 too lol I'll rant abt that in that section, anyways for a while I didn't even bother expanding it into a full fledged story cuz I was just mainly toying around w the Skyble dynamic lol, in fact Cirrus and Vinca were from entirely separate stories (I don't talk abt them enough lol but they're in the main lineup if u check the site, it'll be a ramble for another day thou), before I decided I'd merge them cuz I wrote a joke esque snippet between Marble complaining to Vinca abt crushing on Skye over the phone lmao

Again it's one of those stories that almost became a tertiary story before I scrapped the notion altogether lol but it was lore heavy enough to be on the same lvl as SF and SD, the title is pretty much a hint towards how the team is mainly researching stars to be used as solar energy equivalents lol, basically the origins of stars as raw magic life forces plays into this, and I just wanted a simple catchphrase esque title that included the concept

Tales of Iridescence - this one is also rlly rllyyyyyy fun cuz the shit is like TOI has roots in 2018 for being a story I came up w a friend on Animal Jam lmao, initially it was called Friendship Tales™ (cliche af but can u tell the mlp influence), but then yeah that's the shit, it was abandoned for a rllyyyyyy long time tbh lmao like Tropiciana lvls of it's extremely unlikely I'll ever revamp this again but then suddenly Magical Girl Obsession™ and then I realize how much the concept fitted a magical girl one lol, figured I wanted to keep the Tales part of it as some way to preserve it's og vibes (like the way I did w POE), and then thought abt like shiny rainbowy things lol, Prism/Prismatic was so close to being in the title tbh but Iridescence rolled off the tongue better

Anyways onto side stories 🔥

Faldeigh Street - this is again another one w funny origins lmaooo okay so the og og og og ogggg ver of this was Where Time Meets, again roots in 2018 (damn I just kept writing shit back then), basically a cliche romcom esque story tbh, I've had so many instances of wanting it to become lore heavy but I just can't bother giving up the cheesy fluffy vibes it always had so I just left it be, Where Time Meets was a part of some trilogy esque thing thou (but then not rlly either they're meant to be sorta separate, the lineup was basically Where Time Meets, Stand by You, Wings of Dawn) but the characters eventually meet to go on this big glowlin origin adventure™ (obviously scrapped lol), this was gonna be the supposed tertiary story I kept ranting abt before TOI was a thing tbh, cuz I just wanted my old main cast to go somewhere (how TEF replaced my old main cast is another load of shenanigans lmao)

But eventually I found it too nostalgic to even make any major changes, for now it's kinda in development limbo cuz there's alotta shit I'm trying to settle, initial title rlly is just me attempting to sound poetic as a preteen tbh, like ohhh where time meets, where these ppl meet at a specific time and cross paths (aka why it was extended into where time meets destiny eventually), cuz the gist was like Maca (the protagonist lol) helped her dad run a cafeteria and then every evening around closing hour there would be this mysterious guy™ that would show up and buy coffee and coffee only lol (another ramble for another day) but again I felt like the title kept sounding rlly lengthy and lore heavy for something supposedly light hearted so I just renamed it into something simplistic like Faldeigh Street (aka where the story takes place lol), actually on second thought it'll be fun to name it Faldeigh Street: Where Time Meets Destiny as some call back anyway, like oh it's this place where ppl cross paths at a specific hour, hm I'm suddenly liking this lmaoooo

Cupid's Serenade - THIS ONE again its sorta like SD having the Budgie Enoki dichotomy this is basically between Angie and Azalea lol, Angie mainly has a cupid aesthetic and Azalea mainly has a siren aesthetic, I was 🤏 this close to naming it Cupid's Sirenade as some sorta pun but idk it looked more like a mispelled word from afar without the context lmao, again this is another one of those stories that didn't have a title for a shit while until I came up w it onna whim

Cabbage Peak - another one I came up onna whim lmaoooo so many of these titles are just me going I need a title what could work and then slap it on there as placeholder before okay this works, but then yeah cabbage peak is just me trying to find a funny ass farm land esque name, the kinda shit you'd name your stardew farm, it's intentionally reeking of stardew tbh just mildly sillier and more absurd for the vibes™

Weather Headquarters - this shit probably has roots in 2016 or even older lmaoooo but like, idk if I named it weather hq back then, I knew Cloud Island was a thing thou, iirc it was named Cloud Island lmaoooo and the weather hq was more so the actual organization (like OWL and ORCA) that did the weather bs, pretty straightforward one tbh

Homecoming - I haveeee dumped abt this so I won't ramble too much but tldr it was a TEF sequel esque thing and the concept hinged on the victims going home™ and then Lio's whole thing of going home and then Atch's whole thing of finding home among the mortal realm and Aichi returning to Naru after presumedly millenia, suddenly I realize the actual actual first ever usage before TEF was conceptualized was actually the Truffs alien AU when Corondale was on the fcking moon and it was essentially the story of Asteria attempting to bring the rockrifts back to earth LMAO that's a whole other shit for another day

All the Days had been Sunny in Tropiciana - again another rlllllyyyyy fun one, Tropiciana has always been a thing tbh like Friendship Tales lol (I think they're even from the same era), basically wanted a tropical island sounding name and my preteen ass was extremely creative™, it's basically the name of the island where the og cast had a summer camp on lol (current ver actually has them live there), anyways this one is interesting cuz again I've always wanted like, a rlly rlly long title for the absurd joke affect, it's just a funny trope I've seen around and I wanted to pull it off, and then I got reminded of like this one attempt at rewriting an old Tropiciana ch, iirc I was on my Good Omens spree™ at the point in time, and the book is known to start w "it was a nice day, all the days had been nice", so I think I started w it was a sunny day, all the days had been sunny, or something, I don't remember tbh lmao, but that's sorta the shit I eventually went w, ig there's also the indirect influence of it's always sunny in philadelphia but I've never seen the thing and only heard of the funny sitcom esque title and it reeked more like sundowner from the looks of it lmao

Anyways that's that, can't believe I ranted for like an hour straight lol worth it, first ever blorbo inquiry answer is fifty pages long 🔥🔥🔥

[cannedcrow]

Arbitrary Darkness (HC Monster Hunter AU) Part VII

A/N ~ Hiya all! Been working on this chapter for a little while. I do about a thousand edits of each draft. Anyway, here's some vaguely spicy content and Scott being an asshole for you :D

~ reblog if ya enjoy! <3 ~

Part VI - AO3

Grian and Mumbo sat in a booth in the Hermiton Arms waiting for Pearl, whom Mumbo had been so good as to introduce only by name. Grian had initially been surprised when they passed by The Foxhole, the little pub he and Mumbo usually frequented, but Mumbo insisted that it was in bad taste to bring a work friend to such a scrappy place. Grian was of the mind that the Hermiton Arms was far too posh - more of a cocktail lounge than their usual pub-quiz-live-music-house-beer haunt, but acquiesced to the change of scenery without too much whining.

“Shall we wait for Pearl or get a drink?” Mumbo asked, evidently rather lost in the etiquette of it all.

“Suit yourself, but as third wheel I’m going to get a drink,” Grian replied rather petulantly.

Mumbo rolled his eyes and sat back as Grian made his way to the bar. It was quite full, though the patrons here had a more delicate, quiet manner to them than those of The Foxhole. Shame, really. Grian always rather enjoyed watching a good bar tussle. Dark mahogany paneled the walls and furniture, dimly lit by oil lamps and candles. Cigarette smoke curled lazily in the air with dim chatter. Very posh indeed - though perhaps a little too reminiscent of the Eighth Circle.

He became aware that the bartender had asked what he wanted - “Er, Negroni please,”

The bartender nodded and moved into swift, practiced action.

“Negroni, eh? You didn’t strike me as the type.”

The voice was lightly teasing, and Grian turned to see a woman leaning on the bar next to him, touselled chestnut hair curling around her smiling face. She wore a simple open shirt and skirt and watched him with inviting grey-blue eyes, ink stained fingertips tapping distractedly on the counter. Undoubtedly very pretty.

“That’s your opener at the bar? Insulting people’s drink choice?” Grian replied amusedly.

“Well, I don’t really see the point of empty flattery. You can make a lotta assumptions about people based on their drink choice.”

She spoke in a soft Australian accent. The type of voice and temperament that invites friendship openly, and Grian appreciated it.

Grian raised an eyebrow. “Right. And what does a Negroni say about me?”

“Usually signifies a manly type with a touch of class. Less brusque than an old fashioned, less girly than a whisky sour, only a tiny bit pretentious.”

The bartender presented his drink just then.

“So, you think I’m manly huh?” Grian replied teasingly, “I’ll take it, but unfortunately for you it just means I like marmalade,” Grian retorted smoothly, sipping his drink. It was a good Negroni.

“Marmalade?” She laughed, “You’re off your rocker! Anyway, I did say you didn’t look like the type didn’t I?”

“I’ll have you know I’ve manned with the manliest of men,” Grian replied with mock grandiosity.

Pearl laughed again, “Not gonna touch that one.”

“So, can I buy you a manly drink with a touch of class?”

“Never. If you’re buying though …” she tipped her head thoughtfully, “French 75.”

“Girly drink,” Grian muttered slyly as the bartender went off again.

Before Pearl had a chance to reply, Mumbo appeared.

“Thought you’d gotten lost mate! See you’ve found Pearl though,”

Grian coughed on his drink rather indelicately. “I - what?”

Pearl blushed faintly, giving Mumbo a little wave, “We hadn’t got to names yet actually,” she laughed, “You’re Grian then eh? I shoulda known!”

Grian sighed with a slightly embarrassed smile, offering his hand. “Yep, monster hunter extraordinaire. Told you, manliest of men.”

The bartender appeared again with Pearl’s drink.

“5 diamonds for them two then,” he grinned.

Grian paid with a quick, “Cheers mate.”

“What, I don’t get a free drink?” Mumbo mocked.

“Shut it,” Grian growled.

They stayed at the bar while Mumbo ordered and returned as a trio to their table, settling down in the plush seats.

“It is nice here Mumbo, I’ll give you that,” Grian conceded.

“Right? Papa K took me here once, early on. Thought I was about to get fired, turns out it was a promotion!”

“Naw, he’s a softie,” Pearl said, “I reckon he’d let anyone stay on if he liked chatting to em. Hard to be intimidated by a guy who calls you ‘sweet-face’.”

“I’ll have you know I can be intimidated by anyone,” Mumbo replied sternly.

“That’s a point on your resume, is it?”

“Right between ‘am nice’ and ‘write good’.”

Grian snorted. “So, what’s the story you two are working on? With creds like that, I mean.”

“All business eh? That’s a change,” Pearl winked at him and he felt his cheeks warm slightly as he grinned sheepishly.

“Article on the dead guy they found in Hogshyde Park,"

"What happened to him?" Grian asked warily.

"Not sure really," Pearl replied, "We've been looking into it - funny thing is, cops don't think it was a monster - not that they have much idea - but usually the body would be a bit more ripped up, half-eaten, you know?"

"We saw the body," Mumbo added, "looks like a drug overdose if anything. Maybe he had a weird reaction or something, because it doesn't really look like the usual. His veins were almost black, and the mortician who autopsied him said his blood had basically turned to ash.”

Grian made a face. “Ew.”

“Right?” Pearl looked rather delighted by the whole thing. “We’re planning on doing a little poking around, see if anyone has any useful details. Could make for a proper interesting story.”

“Ought to ask some of the more unsavory group that hangs around there,” Mumbo pondered.

“You reckon they’ll talk to us?”

Grian zoned out of the conversation as it started involving a litany of names he didn’t know, entertaining himself by examining the other bar patrons vaguely. His gaze was drawn suddenly to a man with unmistakable aquamarine hair, a pale, sharp face he’d hoped not to see again.

It had to be him though. Scott sat at the end of the bar, in smiling conversation with a girl whose back was to Grian. He was dressed differently tonight - an elegant, tailed waistcoat of navy blue, draped over a pale shirt that lay open, lazily revealing a v of pale chest.

What the hell is he doing here? Who is that? Perhaps she was a monster of some sort too, but Grian had a nasty suspicion she wasn’t. As he watched, Scott slid a suggestive hand along her thigh. He didn’t like the look of it one bit. Temptation to intervene crept under his skin, but … it was too much of a risk to make a scene. He’d keep an eye on him, hopefully not be noticed. If -

“Grian?”

Mumbo’s voice took his gaze back - it seemed he’d missed a cue.

“Sorry, what?”

“Trying to find someone to go home with tonight?” Mumbo teased.

“Hardly,” Grian retorted. Not that I'd be opposed ... if he weren't a bloodthirsty murderer. That drink was definitely hitting.

Mumbo laughed, “Pearl asked if you knew any monster with venom that'd do that."

Grian thought carefully, shaking his head slowly. "No, doesn't ring a bell. Wonder if it’s a hybrid or infection we don’t know about.”

He wondered silently to himself if he ought to ask Joel. He’d know more than anyone about the shady underbelly of the city, but somehow he didn’t think Joel would want to help him with anything.

“I reckon I could ask about, see if I can glean any useful info,” Grian ventured.

“That’d be great. Shame about Tango, really. He’d have had some insight I bet.”

“Tango?” Pearl asked.

Mumbo met Grian’s stern gaze. “Ex-business partner of Grian’s.”

“I wouldn’t worry," Grian sighed heavily, "He wouldn’t have told me anything. We weren’t exactly confidants.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Grian saw Scott stand, offering an inviting hand to his companion. The two began to make their way towards the door, and Grian made a split decision, downing the rest of his drink.

“Going for another drink,” he muttered, pushing up from the table to follow.

The night air was cool and fresh, in stark contrast to the warm, smoky air of the Hermiton Arms. He lit a cigarette as he leant on the doorway, taking a long drag and letting his quarry get a fair distance in front of him before following quietly.

They walked along the canal, brightly lit by lanterns and dotted with cafes and bars, patrons enjoying the evening air and chatting. Their quiet conversation was too muted for Grian to hear, skulking along a good 20 feet behind. He couldn't help but feel like the monster in this situation, stalking after them in the shadows like a cat. They walked for about five minutes, reaching a slightly darker, quieter part of the road, and the pair sat on the canal's edge. The moonlight glinted silver on the water, soft chatter wended its way down the breeze, and a nightingale was singing softly somewhere.

Quite the romantic, aren’t you?

He watched, fairly close behind them but enveloped in the shadow of the buildings, as they talked and laughed like any other young couple. Before long though, Scott cast a surreptitious glance around, evidently missing Grian in the shadowed doorway. He returned his attention to the girl, tenderly brushing her hair aside, and she looked up and him with a smile as he bent his head to meet his lips with hers, traveling a hand down her back to brace securely on her waist.

Grian predicted the next 30 seconds quickly and made his decision, taking another deep drag before stepping out.

“Ma’am?”

He made as though he’d just reached them, and she looked up, blushing furiously.

“Sorry to interrupt,” He started casually, tapping ash from his cigarette, “only I work at the Hermiton Arms - a bartender said you left your wallet at the bar.”

Please don’t tell me he bought all your drinks. And please don’t check.

Thankfully, it appeared she was too flustered (and tipsy, probably) to give it much thought, and she stood quickly.

“Did I? I’m sorry! Thanks for letting me know.”

Scott watched the encounter intently, standing, and Grian turned his back on him.

Stay away from him. Trust me, he mouthed to her inconspicuously.

It appeared she’d succumbed to his illusion of authority, and her face went from quizzical to a look of horror that glanced her face only briefly, and she nodded imperceptibly.

Thank you, Grian thought.

“I’d better be off then, I’m sorry,” she said hurriedly to Scott.

“No worries,” he replied in that melodious, easy tone, “I expect I rather distracted you.”

She blushed again, turning to walk down the street in the direction of the Hermiton Arms, glancing back nervously.

Now I’m the one alone with the psycho monster. Just what I wanted.

“The benevolent hero steps in again,” Scott commented idly, strolling towards Grian, who stepped back towards the building walls behind them, “Surely even monsters have a right to a quiet date. If you wanted a three-way, you only had to ask.”

“I think we both know that’s not what you had in mind,” Grian replied sharply, “and I prefer my threeways not to end with two of us being ripped apart at the bottom of a canal.”

Scott shrugged, seemingly unperturbed by Grian spoiling his plans, “don’t knock it til you try it.”

“I don’t think I will, thanks,” Grian replied cuttingly, “Don’t insult my intelligence by trying this game with me.”

A smile played on Scott’s pale face, and he moved directly in front of Grian, leaning one forearm against the bricks and caging Grian slightly. In these quarters, Grian could smell the floral gin on his breath, the slight scent of freshwater.

"Don't you like me?" He murmured, brushing a thumb along Grian's cheek and travelling his fingertips salaciously down his neck and chest. Grian's breath hitched unwittingly, and he was annoyed at the way his heart quickened. That damned drink.

He squirmed out of the contact, scowling. "I don't think you need me to tell you what I think of you."

The moonlight glittered on Scott's cyan hair in an ethereal way as he gazed down at Grian piercingly from beneath spiked lashes, smiling slightly. God, he was beautiful. No human could look like that. He was consoled only by the hand resting on the handle of his knife, concealed behind him in his waistband. With the other, he calmly continued with his cigarette.

“You know,” Scott breathed conspiratorially in his ear, “You could always join in on the ripping apart bit of my nights out.”

Grian scowled and shoved him away, hard, burning him with the cigarette end. Scott stumbled slightly and didn’t approach again, only cocking his head and surveying Grian sardonically.

“Thanks for the invite,“ Grian spat, “But keep your bloodthirsty exploits to yourself. I'll be there as much as I can to spoil your night."

"You really haven't got it yet," Scott mused gently, "We're on the same side. If you keep forcing yourself to be this ... farce, you'll only become an obscenity to all sides."

Grian bristled, striding towards Scott menacingly. "How many times do I have to say," he snarled, "I'm not like you. I've never -- I'd die before becoming anything like you."

He hated how the words stuck in his throat. Even here, even now, his tongue betrayed him.

“Why don’t you kill me then?” Scott asked sweetly, not waiting for a reply, “Oh, right, I remember.”

With that last jab, he turned, strolling away as though they’d just said a heartfelt goodbye, and called over his shoulder, “there’ll always be more bloodthirsty exploits if you want to have some fun!”

Grian watched Scott's graceful silhouette recede, hand curled into a fist around his knife handle. He threw his cigarette end to the ground, spinning around to return to the bar.

"Get lost?" Mumbo asked cheerfully when he returned, frowning when he saw Grian's face, "What happened?"

"Doesn't matter," Grian sighed, "I'm gonna get that drink I promised myself. Want anything?"

"Round of Montenegro?" Mumbo suggested, looking to Pearl.

"Go on then," She acquiesced cheerfully.

Grian grinned and navigated his way through the crowd to the bar, leaning his back to the wood after ordering.

The scene and his position reminded me of his night at The Eighth Circle. The last time he'd been in a place like this, he'd been offered a concoction of blood and liquor.

Can't they just drink a Manhattan like the rest of us?

...Us. The word was steadily becoming more uncomfortable for him. He hated letting them affect his mentality in this way. Blessedly, the bartender arrived then.

"A vodka, neat, too. Thanks."

The bartender acquiesced as he paid and threw back the shot, giving his head a slight shake. Enough of all that, let's have a normal night.

When he brought the tray of drinks back, Mumbo and Pearl gave a little cheer.

"Man, no one's ever that excited to see me unless I have a tray of alcohol," Grian grinned.

"Well, you're a bit broody. Puts people off I reckon," Mumbo contributed helpfully, taking his glass of Montenegro delicately.

"Thanks, I can always count on you to ease my sorrows."

"You're welcome. Cheers then, to friendship and drinks and business. And all three at once."

"You're a natural wordsmith," Pearl laughed, raising her glass to clink it to the others as they drank.

[honorary-fool]

My Wisp Dolls!!

bc I've mentioned wanting to show them once or twice and then never.. did that

SO

under the cut 'cus it'll be LONG between image size & mini rambles/text blurbs in between them

I'd also like to add these guys are roughly life-sized, based on comparison of wisp venti's size to the bard's head in screenshots from The Boy and the Whirlwind animation

The original, the one, the only, TB (originally meant to stand for Tiny Barbatos, but at this point it alternates between that and Tiny Bastard), the one that stared it all in June of 2021

he is also the only one w/ a name bc I didn't expect to make so many more

I know you're not supposed to play favorites w/ your children but THIS ONE'S MY FAVORITE I LOVE HIM

this li'l one's my second wisp. They've been to a lotta places with me, and even have been to comic con! (/srs - a prop for my Nameless Bard cosplay)

they're what started the actual trend of me making these lil fellows ; I wanted to take TB on vacation with me but got scared bc I didn't know how to clean felt, so I made a second one a few days before our trip with t-shirt fabric. I've smuggled them into school a few times too

i never gave the third a name, but they look like they'd be namedFrank

they were an experiment to see how non-stretchy fabric worked with the pattern (Which was primarily drafted for use with felt, as that's my go-to sewing medium)

They uh... no longer exist (which looking back on, I'm sad about, I wish I kept them instead of [redacted])

One of my partners affectionately calls this one the strawberry wisp

They're actually based on art by Ceri_obt on twitter, of their corruption AU venti and the wisp form to go with it

I planned to add chains from the craft store and then I didn't

their eyes also used to swivel bc of how I unintentionally sewed the buttons in ; after awhile they got too loose, so i just hot-glued them into the above position.

I guess you could say they have a case of... resting wisp face?

Eh? ... No? Okay, moving on-

I wanted to experiment with how I attached the flowy part, and I had more spare tshirt fabric, hence.. this li'l fellow

I don't have much to say, just that they too were an experiment

..that sounds really concerning out of context

This one was actually for a friend's birthday! I fucked up the stitching on their back a li'l but other than that they're relatively normal /lh

my friend also used them as a reaction image for the next few days after I gave them to him so counting that as a W

they're my latest one, made early December of 2022

BONUS IMAGES OF TB!!!

This is how they look after ~2 years of being cuddled and well-loved- I like the pilled texture truthfully, it feels nicer than you'd think

the fabric marker on their antenna & wing have signficantly faded, which sucks, but hey, it's alright!

they're so tiny that they get thrown around during sleep unfortunately and end up in silly situations

this is one of those, found literally this morning

it looks like they're having an existential crisis & is using my pillow as a weighted blanket alternative /j

and there we go! all 6 wisps (I feel like i'm missing one but i genuinely cannot remember / find any pictures I took of them upon creation, sooo,,,)

[nightmarearian]

oshgdbunfemiefgg here we go. Tumblr isn't working with me for the first draft so I'm doing this again :,) I think I'll have to split this into two reblogs if tumblr keeps being messy tho.

(o-|-o)

Wriolette:

Oh my gods. (Blind) Wriothesley who is just. Unable to conceive, accept, or process the idea that someone is able to love him.

This is a wonderful fuckin fever dream.

The author does a have a few more wriolette fics so you can check those out ig.

It is unfinished right now, unfortunately.

Modern/Internet AU! Wrio & Neuv are already married w/ kids. This feels way longer than just 10 chapters. I love it.

Retired Househusband Wrio + Law professor Neuv with a lot of cameos from other characters of course! There’s also semi-background Zhongchi.

Unfinished.

Whoo. This is a heavy one.

Wriothesley going thru it and having to process & heal his childhood trauma,

so with that tw/cw with the child trafficking, assault/non-con/rape, grooming, etc. The actual explicit scenes are skippable, with non-explicit summaries at the end of the chapter.

Unfinished.

On a side note I’ve read some purely Wriothesley centric fics, if you’re interested in that. cataline's are just as, if not, heavier on the topics and the story is w/ his experiences as an inmate, though, so heed the tags.

Simple(r) soulmate red-string AU where Wrio doesn’t have a string. Cute with some angst.

Unfinished.

completed oneshot. It’s good 😀👍

Uncompleted but I do believe is updating weekly or biweekly! I think it’s weekly, every Thursday?

Directly after the Flood and is during the cleanup efforts and all that. Neuv & Wrio get stuck in a Remurian Domain and are trying to find a way out, to simply it. Verrrry good :)

Dragons! Dragon loreeeee. Tbh lotta smut too; Starts off (and mainly keeps) focus with Wriolette but eventually has a.... "B-plot", per say, with Zhongchi and even more eventually with Venti/Dvalin.

Unfinished. very nice tho.

Roleswap Wriolette! Chief Justice & Iudex Wriothesley and Lord Incognito & Duke of Meropide Neuvilette :)

Unfinished.

uhhhhhhh that's most of my wriolette bookmarks. you could also probably check out any tags or authors from there ig but to be fair I have been scrolling on the Wriothelsey/Neuvilette tag with only a few exclusionary-filters (121 pages to go through teehee)

also I have read. So much more before getting an account. They're lost the depths of my shitty memory :sob:

(o | o)

anyway, onto Zhongchi!

Oh. Oh my fucking god.

cyanide narwhal.

This.

Fully completed, 62 chapters with most if not all chapters being several thousands words.

And the author is an artist too, so they have their own art-refs linked in the fic.

This is… part isekai? Is it isekai if it’s just time travel to a past timeline? Not treated like omg it’s the game though, if you get what i mean???

Admittedly this is quite Childe-focused, so if that’s not your jam ig you can just not read it BUT OH MY FUCKING GOD

This was written around 2.x Genshin, so the lore isn’t canon but AGAIN. OHHHH MY STARS.

This is wonderful. Amazing.

Similarly, the author also has two more, fully competed, wonderful Zhongchi fics; One's a modern + zombie apocalypse AU with Zhongli & Childe falling in love on their trip from Liyue to Snezhnaya's bunkers while taking care of toddler-babies Ganyu & Xiao. The other one is a soulmate mark AU that's really more focused on both of their self-worth issues. Not linking them cause Tumblr is being a bitch rn.

Oomph; ‘nother heavy one. Tartaglia is not okay. Alluded/mentions of rape/assault; Zhongli isn’t an asshole in this. Read at your own discretion, really + Heed the tags.

I think the author also has a lotta Genshin fics and consequently a lotta common Genshin ships, like Zhongchi & wriolette? I haven't checked them out cause there is a lot but yeah.

...and yeah there's going to be a part 2 for a few more cause Tumblrs being annoying. welp.

Please share fic recs for the ships i tagged, it’s for research purposes (i need something to read at 1 am)

[crowfeatherquill]

When Dogs Turn on their Masters

Wyatt leans in the entryway of the small chapel and waits. The Reverend is kneeling at the end of the aisle. He looks as though he’s in prayer. Wyatt can hear well enough to know he’s not. The Reverend whispers when he prays, and he’s not whispering now. Wyatt knows this means the Reverend is waiting too. Waiting to see who gives first.

Without knowing better, one could easily assume that the Reverend is just as poor as his flock. The chapel is just as cold at night as any other building in town. No one ever sees the Reverend eat before the rest of the town has had what can be afforded to them. He does what he can for those that are injured or fall ill.

But Wyatt is just a little too keen to fall for it. He knows the chapel isn’t cold because of a draft. It’s cold because they leave the back windows open just enough to let the heat out when folks are around to want it. As soon as everything’s shut up for the night, they stoke the fire and shut the windows, and there’s not a whisper of a chill that gets in without the Reverend’s say-so. He knows the Reverend takes meals at odd hours -- not because he’s seen it, but because he can smell it cooking under the stench of incense and holy oil. He knows the Reverend never seems to get sick.

So he stands in the entry and waits. Because unfortunately for the Reverend, he’s got a bone to pick. And everyone knows what they say about dogs and bones.

“Haven’t you got a perimeter to keep, Wyatt?” The Reverend’s tone is mild, but the fact that he’s speaking at all is a victory in Wyatt’s book.

“Finished early,” Wyatt responds, obtusely, “Everyone accounted for. Been meanin’ to talk to you actually, Reverend.”

The Reverend acts out the end of the prayer he was not reciting and stands, slowly. He brushes the dust away from his clothes.

“Have you,” he asks, “Well. I can always make time for my flock. What did you need to talk to me about?”

“Oh, nothin’ much,” Wyatt says, trying to make his motion toward the gun at his back as casual as possible, “Just, y’know, the crop ain’t been too kind this year. Awful lotta people sufferin’ out there.”

The Reverend sighs, and for a moment it almost seems like he cares. “I know, child,” he says, “It hurts my heart to see it, but...well, there’s little to be done.”

Wyatt almost smiles. “About that,” he says, and pulls the gun from the back of his belt. He watches the Reverend freeze. It brings him joy. “I think you haven’t been quite honest with us, Rev.”

The Reverend’s eyes go hard.

“And what makes you say that, Wyatt?”

“Well, y’see,” Wyatt says, taking a step forward, “It’s a lot of little things, really. But they all add up to a pret-ty nasty picture if you ask me. Dear old Reverend up on his high hill, gett’n fat while the rest of us roll dice between starvin’ and freezin’ to death. And it got me thinkin’....that just ain’t right. If you’re gonna go on and be a bastard anyway, you might as well be an honest bastard if you ask me.”

“I don’t believe I did,” the Reverend says stiffly, “Wyatt I’d recommend you consider exactly what you’re doing. What will you do without me? What will any of you do without someone to guide you?”

Wyatt shrugged. “Eat better, for one thing.” He can smell the Reverend’s late night meal from where he stands and it makes his stomach clench on nothing. He keeps advancing. He and the Reverend both know that the Reverend has nowhere to go.

“I will give you one last warning,” the Reverend says, and Wyatt would almost find it funny that he thinks he still has control of this situation if he weren’t so soberly aware of what it is he’s about to do, “Stand. Down.”

“Well, gee, Rev,” Wyatt says, and at this point he’s so close it would be nearly impossible to miss, “Don’t you know how hard it is to get a starvin’ dog to do tricks for ya? If you wanted me to be your loyal cattle-driver...maybe you shoulda fed me better.”

The tiny graveyard on the hill beside the chapel is almost always covered in crows. At the sound of the gunshot, every one of them takes flight in a cacophony of discordant sound.

It seems this town ain’t big enough for two murders.

[silentcrowsilentravens]

Forgot this was in my drafts. Some alternative versions of this post with somewhat happier endings.

Lucas Baker and Mia Winters' s/o having a near-death experience.

(Gender neutral).

Warnings: blood, gore, violence.

Masterlists here!

Lucas Baker

"Shit," you utter breathlessly, fumbling with the three-headed dog reliefs. "Come on!"

This is far from the first time your boyfriend’s parents have pursued you, but this is the first time in a while you’re finding yourself close to actually being caught. 

"Aw, you havin' a bit’a trouble down there?"

You spare a hurried glance over your shoulder.

He's coming for you. 

You can see his muddy boots descending the steps.

You can hear his positively giddy laughter.

"You best hurry up, or you gonna get it!"

"Fuck!" You drop the final head. Damn your sweaty hands!

He’s catching up.

He’s very close. 

Too close.

Way too close.

Finally, you manage to get the back door to unlock. You throw it open and waste no time crossing its threshold. 

Unfortunately, you don’t make it all that far before the blade of an ax sinks into the back of your knee.

You cry out, falling forward. Your nose slams directly into the concrete top of one of the steps, and you manage to skin your forehead and hands as you half-tumble, half-slide the rest of the way down. 

All you can taste is blood, grass, and mud. 

Jack seizes one of your wrists and starts dragging you further into the yard. 

You shout and struggle, but you’re far from strong enough to break his grip.

“You’ve been causin’ a whole lotta trouble ‘round here, y’know? An’ you’ve been gettin’ away with it for far too long!”

You’re flipped onto your front. 

“Wanna know what I’m gonna do?” Jack raises the ax. “I’m gonna chop yer head clean off yer shoulders, kid!” 

You roll onto your side in a frantic attempt to avoid the blade. The edge manages to make a sizable gash on the side of your neck that thins out as it reaches the back. 

You grab a rock and throw it as hard as you can, knocking Jack’s glasses off of his face.

With some effort, you drag yourself closer to the trailer in front of you, hurling a milk crate and ashtray as well. The gap between the trailer and the ground isn’t too big, but you manage to wedge yourself under it. 

Your clothes are almost completely soaked thanks to the swampy ground. 

It’s hard to breathe. 

Everything aches. 

You’re losing blood. It’s near impossible to put proper pressure on any of your wounds with how tight of a space you’re in. 

Jack lingers outside for while, trying to goad you into coming out. You won’t. You aren’t stupid. 

Eventually, he leaves, telling you he’ll be back for you later.

You take the opportunity to get yourself over into the barn. It's a challenge to get the key cards in since you can't stand up, but you manage.

“Lucas?” you call out. “Lu?” 

You’ve gotta find Lucas. 

Screw all of these stairs. How many have you had to pull yourself up at this point? How many have you headed down?

...You can't remember. 

Screw these long corridors. 

You feel like you can't even properly remember half of the journey you've made. 

You can’t even keep your eyes open. 

...

You can’t. 

“C’mon, darlin’. Shake a leg!” You can feel something being wrapped around your injured knee. “Maybe not this one, though. Might come off.” 

Your eyes struggle to focus on the lanky figure attempting to tend to you. Not that you need clear vision to know who it is. 

“...What happened...?”

“Found you takin’ a lil’ nap on the floor. You lost a shit ton of blood. My old man must’ve done a real number on you.”

“Oh... yeah... It was a close one,” you mumble. "I feel like ass."

"Y'know, if we wanna keep that lovely head of yours attached to your neck, I think it's about time I finally give you that gift.”

“It’s ready?”

The gift without the consequences. The benefits of the mold without the suffocating influence of Eveline.  

Lucas leans down beside your ear and whispers, “Sure is.” 

You huff out a slight laugh. 

He presses a kiss against your temple before pulling away. 

“Let's get you down to the mine.” 

Slowly, you attempt to get up. Lucas pulls one of your arms across his shoulders so you don’t keel over. 

The first time he brought up you potentially receiving the altered version of the gift, you felt like it truly hit you just how much you mean to him. How much he loves you. 

He wants you to always be by his side and vice versa. 

Now you will be.

You make sure to mark the date later. July 18, 2017. 

Mia Winters

You know this is a poorly thought out decision, but it doesn’t stop you. 

After three years of nothing, how are you meant to do anything but go to her upon receiving that email?

You saw Mia’s bag laying in the remains of a recently lit fire⁠—you saw true evidence of your missing partner being at this farm, and your sense of urgency clouded over the logical part of your brain.

The house creaks and moans and you are so, so paranoid that you’re going to run into somebody unsavory. 

The dust in the air is thick. 

The smell of rot is strong. 

Anxiety has rendered your breathing unsteady. 

You shine your light into the dark abyss before you, revealing an even more dank, disgusting-looking space than the one you’re currently standing in. A ladder leads downward. 

You make the descent. 

The rungs feel damp and spongy. Is this thing going to hold your weight?

Your next movement is accompanied by wood breaking.

“Fuck!”

Before you know it, you’re landing harshly on the rough, wet floor. You suppose that answers your question. 

“Ugh...” Briefly, the shock of pain renders you unable to move. You wouldn’t be surprised if you just broke something. It takes you a minute, but you manage to force yourself to get back on your feet. “...Ow...” You’re seeing stars. 

Now hobbling, you make your way further into the basement.

Eventually, you come across a dark-haired figure laying on a filthy mattress. 

Your breath catches in your throat. 

Although her back is facing you, you know who it is. She is really here. She is. 

“Mia?” you whisper, tugging on the cell door between you. It’s chained shut. “Mia!” 

You locate some bolt cutters and get the door open. Get to Mia. 

She still doesn’t stir as you approach. You place a tentative hand on her shoulder. She’s ice cold. “...Mia?” 

Slowly, she wakes and her brown eyes meet yours. She says your name and a sleepy smile forms on her lips. 

You pull her close and hug her, thankful that you’re finally able to do that again. “I’m so glad you’re alive. We have to get you out of here.” 

Mia’s arms ghost your waist, then quickly retract. “Oh my god.” Horror floods her voice and she completely pulls away from you. “Oh my god, you’re here. You shouldn’t be here.” 

“What do you mean? You told me to come here and get you.” 

“No, no. I wouldn’t.” Mia frowns. “...Did I?”

She isn’t sure?

“Did anyone see you? Did he see you?” 

“Who?”

“Daddy’s coming.” Who? “We need to go. Now.” Mia grabs your hand and starts pulling you along. 

As she leads you around, you keep trying to ask questions. 

She won’t give you answers. Or at least, she won’t give you any that aren’t infuriatingly cryptic. 

You decide to zip it for the time being. It’s probably best to wait until you’re someplace safe, anyway. 

“This is it.” Mia enters a room with a couch and not much else. “There’s another door here. I’m sure of it.”

Both of you poke around a bit. 

There is no door. 

She begins to panic. 

“It’s not here. It’s gone. It’s gone!” 

You grasp her shoulders. “Hey, try not to freak out. We’re going to get out of here. There has to be an exit around.” 

The fear instantly fades from her face, an at ease look sliding neatly into the vacancy. “We’re going to be a family—now that you’re here.”

“Um...” Where did that come from? How are you even meant to respond? “Maybe you ought to sit down for a second. I’ll keep looking around.”

There's a smaller room with a shelf off to the side.

Mere moments after you begin to investigate it, there’s a loud crash and a cry of “No, leave me alone!” from your girlfriend. 

You hurriedly backtrack. 

She’s gone. She was out of your sight for not even a minute and she’s gone. 

The dust is still settling around the new rectangular hole in the wall. 

You waste no time heading through it. A set of stairs greets you. 

You make it up about four steps before there’s a sharp tug on the back of your top.

You twist your neck to look behind yourself. 

“Mia?!”

Her skin is sallow, veins are prominent, eyes glossy and ten times darker than normal. 

She grabs ahold of your shirt and lifts you into the air. 

“What-what are you—?”

You’re thrown up the stairs with inhuman strength. If you didn’t break anything during that fall you took earlier, then you definitely did just now. There’s a sharp, stabbing pain in your chest and it hurts to breathe. You have to grab onto a nearby chest of drawers for support as you get yourself up.

Mia’s dirty white sneakers appear in front of you. You sail through the air for a second time, landing a bit further down the hall. 

She’s on top of you in a blink.

The glint of a large knife comes at you.

“Em, wait!”

You raise your arms up in front of yourself.

Mia is stabbing, and stabbing, and stabbing, and you are begging, pleading, and desperately hoping for her to snap out of whatever this is.

The skin of your forearms is being laid open to the bone.

Using what strength you have left, you manage to push Mia off of you.

You stagger, shaking like a leaf. “Em…?” you question. 

 The knife drops to the floor with a clatter.

She hunches over, squeezing her eyes shut and tugging at her hair. 

“I can hear her… I can feel her clawing her way back inside of me.” Abruptly, she begins slamming her head against the wall. “Get out! Leave me alone!” 

“Mia!” With a few uneven steps, you throw yourself at her and wrap your arms around her, trying to pull her away from the wall. 

“Let go! I deserve this!” Mia fights against you. Although she no longer seems to have the strength to toss you around like a rag doll, it doesn’t matter all that much. With your injuries, your grip is weak and you’re unsteady. Both of you crash to the floor.

Everything goes black. 

...

“Wake up. Please don’t be dead. Please.”

Something is dripping onto your face.

You groan. On top of everything else, you now have a throbbing headache. You force open your eyes. 

You’re laying on the floor of the dilapidated house. 

The knife sits not too far away, alongside some empty green bottles and scraps of cloth. 

Your partner is beside you on her knees. The wetness on your face is her tears. 

“Thank god.” Utter relief bleeds into her voice. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I just—I want you to know that wasn’t me!”

You stare up at her for a moment, then wet your dry lips and slowly place your hand atop the one she has resting near yours. "I... I believe you," you say. "But I need you to tell me what the hell is going on."

A nearby phone begins to ring. 

[stuckyhaul]

One-Shot: Shipyard | Rating: Mature

Warnings: Mentions of war, WW2, angst.

Style: Diary entry written from Bucky’s perspective.

Length: Short.

Notes: It’s my birthday, and I wanted to try writing something small, yet meaningful and bittersweet. 🥹 In this one shot, Bucky works at the shipyards, it’s written after the events of Pearl Harbour.

⬇️ Begin Here ⬇️

Most folks won’t tell ya’ bout’ how hard it was to be a worker at the shipyard after D-Day. The amount of volunteers let alone the employment increase was enough to make any man cry for a mourning country. The amount of strength we had as workmen, the courage to want to fight and go to war for our people lost at Pearl Harbour, the way the hammers banged louder against the ship metal, it was enough to understand the country was both devastated and angry.

Some men wouldn’t speak, they just worked long and hard hours till someone had to drag em’ off home to rest. Others wouldn’t shut up, their mouths filled with filthy words and cusses, on edge and ready to throw a punch at any fool who was willing to try and reason with em’. The boss even had to let some go, too sad and caught up in the tragedy to be let out on the workfloor, muttering names of lost ones around the heavy machinery.

Each week I’d see men handing in their work uniforms, trading it in for an enlistment form or draft notice. Me? I kept my head down and did the work, not bothering anyone I didn’t need to, I understood the importance of the ships we were building- now more than ever.

Everyday walkin’ home seemed to take a few more steps, getting closer to the mailbox and wondering the day it would say I got my own letter, I knew it would happen. Most the guys I knew had already been drafted, able bodied men, working with hunks of metal? Yeah, optimal choice for the front line of battle, according to the states.

Dinners with Steve became quiet, the radio constantly telling us about what was happening since the bombing, how many dead, the number rising each day. “We gotta get over there.” I’d hear Steve mutter under his breath, his fists clenched frustratedly, eyes watering as he listened on. The blonde spitfire had a heart of gold, always had, and in a way I was envious I didn’t have one like it. Maybe then I wouldn’t have been so afraid of leaving him behind when my serial number was called upon.

Who’d look after him? Help pay his bills, cook his food? Not to mention those punks in the alleyway that eyed him like a piece of meat ever since I’d been around to help ward em’ off. I remember my chest physically hurt to imagine leavin’ him behind by himself. My best pal…

I knew in my heart it was more than that, but given our lives, nothin’ could ever come of it. Not now, not ever, not if we didn’t want to be thrown away in some looney bin. Though, whenever Steve smiled at me, I couldn’t help but return one right back. Even in dark days like this, I knew we still had each other, even if the world was at war.

The days at the shipyard seemed to meld together, more men leaving to join the ranks, meaning harder work left for the rest of us in order to get USS Lowa out on the water. She was a big girl too, one of their best, we called her ‘the big stick’. Cause that’s what she was gonna be to a lotta folk’ over the big blue, the military made sure she was gonna hit like one too, we just made sure she’d still float after taken’ a beatin’. Lowa was gonna be the flagship of battleship division 7, headin’ out over the pacific with her fleet.

Unfortunately, I never got to see her set sail.

[niightbiite]

Screenshotted post by @cuppimagines

So ive had that imagine [link 2 said post] sitting in my drafts as a idea to do for awhile now.... n ive done it!!!

And in the process came up with!!! Character Lore. Kinda. Still poking at it but its pretty fun i think!!! [Lore n bonus pics under the cut]

Me trying to figure out designs + dark wizard trans. Why does he have a tenta dick? A dark spell he did had the (accidental) side effect of giving him one (and also changing a good like 50% of his anatomy into something a little more monsterous but shhhhh we're not talking about that), but honestly he'd been wanting one Anyways, AND the spell went off correctly, so he 100% won that gamble.

(HI soooo this backstory thing ended up a LOT longer than i initally expected. Have fun reading lmao)

Sooo the relationship between these two is that theyre recently reconnected childhood penpals!!! They live on two different, yet similar worlds, and those worlds have some hidden connections! One day, a hot summer day, young lil baby Cafe (the person who is Not a wizard) found one of those connections, in the woods behind their family's home. Being a weird little child (as all children are), they decided to send a letter through it.

On the other side of that connection, a few days later, DW (Dark Wizard) found that letter (and the connection) in the woods surrounding his grandfather's home, and also being a weird little child, sent a letter back through. Thus! A wonderful summer friendship was struck up between the two, and lasted for years.

Unfortunately, somewhere around the middle of highschool, DW one day simply stopped responding. Cafe held out hope for months, but soon years had passed, and they simply had to move on. Life waited for no one, and they had college to get to.

The reason behind DW's sudden disappearance is the simply fact that his kindly grandfather, the one who he had been apprenticed to for the last 10+ years, and raised by even before that, was a dark magic user. And the particular kingdom they lived in hunted dark magic users. Also in his heyday, DW's grandfather was a real powerhouse, and caused Many issues (Likely also contributing to the banning of dark magic in that particular kingdom lmao).

So uh, yeah. DW had to go on the run.

Eventually he became a powerful enough tyrant/menancing cryptid mix that folks collectively decided to stop attempting to hunt him down (barring the occasional greedy/overly confident idiot), so DW came back to where his grandfather's house once stood, and settled down there. He never truly forgot about the connection, but it took a few months before he finally worked up the nerve to pen a letter to his oldest friend. Thankfully, DW happened to finally put his letter through just when Cafe happened to be visiting home for a break between semesters.

Even though they had long given up hope on ever hearing from DW again, Cafe still enjoyed hanging out in the woods to chill out, and checking the connection was practically a ritual at this point. Only this time, there was a letter in that script, one they never could have forgotten, even if they tried.

And basically after that its them catching up on each other's life in the past few years, and sending each other lil trinkets and pictures of themselves and whatnot. Then yearning. Lotsa yearning. DW and Cafe have lowkey had childhood crushes on one another all these years, but how the hell would you tell that to a someone you've never met in person, and cant actually ever meet in person??? Plus, Cafe has tried the dating scene, and never really found anyone that interests them (they are demisexual). DW has literally spent years on the run. So they (individually) just kinda. Stew in the Yearning-Pining soup.

Eventually magic fucky ducky shit happens and connections around the world turn into fully fledged, creature permissible portals. Its a lotta chaos, but thats not the point, cause now! Now they can finally fucking hug each other!!! And be incredibly gay horny young adults together.

I dont have anything vaugely thought about beyond that point, but just know they grow old and grey (...eventually. dark magic does some Weird Shit) together.

[cryptidofthekeys]

Festus

Sooo... I uh forgot to post the himbo cowboy/farm lad I made the other day hjfkdjhfvdk oops but hes here now!

next up will be my MoD sona/oc

| Name: Festus

| Nicknames: Fes or Fest

| Gender: He/Him

| Age: 30s

| Height: 7ft

| Species/Race: Human

| Hair Color: Honey Blonde (he keeps his hair in a ponytail)

| Eye Color: Sapphire Blue

| Skin Color/Body Type: Tan and he’s very chubby- just mans built fuckin BOXY style- hes w ID E as hell

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| Appearance: His main outfit is a short sleeved white crop top with dark blue denim overalls, he then wears some old worn out black boots, in fact his outfit in general looks worn out, the overalls are distressed and have a good amount of holes in them, the shoes are scuffed but hey- the outfit is still wearable- as long as it's still wearable- he’ll wear until the outfit and boots are completely destroyed p much- he doesn’t mind going barefoot for a while- he’s VERY much used to being barefoot, the shoes just help keep those prickly things from sticking his feet.

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He also wears a huge straw hat, gotta keep that sun off of him somewhat at the very least ya know- also allow me to be very descriptive and overly detailed, first and foremost- he’s got a circle beard- get that outta the way but uh also, mans is hairy- like- im talkin tons of hair on his arms, legs, chest especially- and when I said he was wide I very much mean wide- he can barely fit through certain areas but somehow he manages (he’s broken several doors and other areas trying to get into them, you just see a buncha boards or duct tape over the things)

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| Personality: Well he’s definitely not the brightest nor the sharpest tool in the shed but he works hard not smart lmao, he’s very respectful though, sweet, kind, caring, and very loving- He hasn’t got a cruel, evil, or bad bone in his body- He’s not even intentionally mean but due to his size and overwhelming strength lots of folks are scared of him unfortunately, it can be a good thing and a bad thing- a lotta folks are too afraid to approach him but also thieves or poachers or any bad folks won’t DARE mess with him, he’s scared off t o n s of criminals before.

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

Despite having overwhelming strength that a human probably shouldn’t have (he IS still human tho) he’s extremely gentle and you’d see that firsthand with any of his animals especially-

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

He cares DEEPLY and greatly for all his animals and he holds them so gently (imagine bc of how big n wide I said he was, just imagine a very tiny baby chicken in his massive hands) he holds them so sweetly and gently, loves all his babies- I’ll get into their names in side facts but the basics of him is just he’s very kind, respectful, sweet, loving, and caring- very polite and just works on his ranch/farm to make an honest living that’s it, accidentally intimidating but it can be a good thing sometimes, INHUMANLY strong- like he can lift things humans should REALLY NOT be able to but he can.

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

| Side Facts: Okay let’s see, Festus has a HUGE draft horse named Billy Bob, a goat named Shirlene, she’s very feisty and usually don’t take too kindly to strangers meaning she’ll charge them, has some chickens named Debbie, Shelby, Earlene, and Tabitha- has more but I’d be here all day if I named ALL the animals, has some cows named Tammie, he has a few bulls but one in particular is a bull named Bucky who even charges Festus if he’s not careful, Annabelle who also doesn’t like strangers none too well, and then finally an absolute sweetheart of a cow named Patty Sue she loves everyone.

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

Bucky usually protects Patty Sue, that's mostly why he charges Festus lmao- He figures Bucky is sweet on her- some geese named Billy Ray and Bobby Joe their brothers and have protected Festus and the other animals many a times before, a donkey named Bo for more protection, and to wrap up the animal names (there’s so many I literally can’t sit here and name them all …UNLESS you genuinely want me to compile the list) he’s got a bluetick hound named Skeeter, a bloodhound named Copper, a border collie named Wyatt, and finally two tiny chihuahuas he rescued from the side of the road when they were literal babies.

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

Now, there’s not much that can actually upset or piss Festus off but anyone and he means ANYONE who hurts, dumps out, or is just hateful toward animals that’s when he gets much more serious, unintentionally aggressive but he can’t STAND animal abusers- those two tiny babies he rescued are named Chester and Fifi (ya can’t hardly separate the two, they need each other) …they also run the house compared to the other big dogs lmao

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

Festus is admittedly v e r y clumsy and breaks things VERY easily, he can’t help it- he’s a really big fella- That’s why it's so contrast to see him with animals because he’s SO much more calculated, careful, and cautious even in his movements- He’s… less so with people but that don’t mean he wants to hurt someone-

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

Just sometimes he can accidentally start crushing his friends in a hug- he of course immediately lets go and takes off his hat and apologizes but he can’t help it, he’s a big guy with too much strength and a LOT of love to give- Anytime he rough houses with any of his siblings that may come over you can tell he’s holding back his strength like TENFOLD but even then he still manages to beat them.

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

It’s rare his siblings or family come over at all though, they all live a LONG way from his farm so yeye, him and his family have a great relationship though- no problems here for once! Festus would say he lives alone but honestly he never feels alone with all the animals he’s got tbh.

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Festus doesn’t have many things, I won’t say he’s EXTREMELY poor or anything but he’s not the most wealthy either, he doesn’t have video games- he doesn’t have enough time for stuff like that anyways, he’s got crops to grow and harvest and then animals to feed and take care of, he does have a few books here and there, scattered around (his house is a bit messy, nothing too bad but still) and then he’s got a TV with an antenna still attached to it, so he gets a few channels.

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

Very old fashioned-centric of a house and just doesn’t care for too much technology really- the only other ‘electronic’ type thing he’s got is a radio where he listens to a LOT of old country music …Festus does not like new country music bc most of it just sings about beer, pickup trucks, and just- stupid shit- He ain’t about that, one of his favorites is Alan Jackson (he really loves Blue Ridge Mountain Song specifically, makes him cry tbh), loves the charlie daniels band, just- theres a lot- and surprisingly enough- he seems to really love heavy metal/rock too

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

Festus has a banjo that he loves to play occasionally, especially on cool starry nights, looking at the full moon he’ll just bust out the banjo and start playing some soft gentle tones, sometimes his hounds will decide to sing along, howling as he plays.

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

The only final bits I can think of to add is- Festus is bisexual, he’s a lover- doesn’t care about what your gender is, if he loves ya you’ll know it- …Festus isn’t like good at romance though fjkdlfjghdksd he’s completely out of his element but god DAMN does he t r y his best to make any date a good one …He’s also not a fancy person, doesn’t care about fancy restaurants or fancy places, nothing like that- just something simple n plain will suit him just fine.

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Blue Eyes Part 25

Summary: After the Garrison is shot up, the youngest Shelby daughter finds a new home in London. She strips herself of her last name and tries to live a peaceful life far away from her brothers’ chaos in Birmingham. But fate leads her right back into it after she runs into Alfie Solomons.

Part 25: Ella becomes acquainted with another MP and instantly regrets it.

       “Tommy, can we talk?” Ella knocked on the door jamb before stepping into his office. She often visited her brother at the House of Commons because it was closer than having to go to Birmingham or Warwickshire.

           He cleared his throat and held a hand out to the empty chair across from him. “Didn’t know you’d be coming ‘round. How’s the arm?”

           Ella glanced down at her broken arm, still wrapped tightly in a sling. “It’s alright. I’m managing.” She sat down and shrugged off her coat. “I was hoping to talk to you about something Alfie said to me earlier this week. I’ve been thinking a lot about it.”

           Tommy took off his glasses and set aside the speech he was penning for his next session. “What were you talking about?” After everything the siblings had been through, they were both trying to wave the white flag. Extending peace treaties and an open hand. Though, it was mostly formal, if anything. It had been quite some time since they were as comfortable around each other the way they used to be as kids. Ella could remember so many times telling Tommy things she wouldn’t even tell Ada or Polly. She trusted him so much back then. He was her hero, her protector. But trust was difficult to grow back and as far as Ella was concerned, her trust for Tommy hadn’t even begun to bud again.

           “I may be worried about the things you’re planning to do to help our family.” She tilted her head to the side. “But Alfie’s a bit more concerned with your dealings in Parliament.”

           “Why am I not surprised that your husband has a problem with politics?” Tommy opened his box of cigarettes and offered one to his sister.

           “Do you have any sweets?”

           He chuckled and opened one of his desk drawers. “I’ve got peace babies for when Charlie and Ruby stop in.” He handed her the bag. “But go easy, those are Ruby’s favorites.”

           “Oh yeah? Or are they your favorite?” Ella teased. “I’m sure you don’t just keep them in your desk for your kids.”

           Tommy rolled his eyes. “They get stuck in your teeth; it isn’t worth the trouble.”

           “So, you have tried them.” She pointed out coyly, picking out the strawberry flavored gummy candies. "I knew it, you always had a sweet tooth when we were younger. Pol had to hide chocolate from you."

           “You came on an important matter, not to discuss sweets.” He diverted the conversation away from his childhood habits.

           “Yes, well-”

           “Shelby.” Someone came interrupting their conversation, strolling into the office without so much as a knock.

           Ella twisted around in her seat and locked eyes with the man who would haunt her for some time after the fact. There was something about his eyes and smug expression that made her subtly shudder in uneasiness.

           “Pardon, I wasn’t aware you were in a meeting.”

           “Mr. Mosley, this is my sister, Ella. Ella, this is a colleague of mine, Oswald Mosley.” Tommy introduced the two even though Ella was more than happy being unacquainted with the man.

           “Please, Miss Shelby.” Mosley smiled and nodded politely.

           “It’s Mrs. Solomons actually.” She replied, eyeing him suspiciously.

           The fact didn’t appear to bother the man. He still had a predatory look about him. “But of course, a beautiful young lady like yourself would be married.”

           Appetite lost, Ella folded over the bag of candies and placed them on her brother’s desk. “If you two need the room, I should be on my way.” She stood up, almost afraid to let Mosley in her blind spot or to turn her back on him.

           “I’ll ring you soon, El?” Tommy called after her as she gathered her things.

           “Mhm, sure.” She replied and took her leave. There was something severely troubling about Oswald Mosley and Ella was afraid Alfie was right to worry about Tommy’s dealings in Parliament.

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

           After visiting her brother, Ella stopped by the bakery to talk to Alfie. Cyril and Anthea greeted her by the door. “Hi, lovelies.” She cooed and patted them. “Where’s papa? Huh?”

           Anthea barked and started loping down the hallway towards Alfie’s office. Ella followed with Cyril plodding along by her side.

           “Oi, what’s all the barking about, aye?” Alfie grumbled from his office as Anthea came careening into the room, nails skidding across the floor. "You mutts are gonna do me head in with all that noise."

           “She was just excited to see me is all.” Ella walked in. “Sometimes she gets more excited to see me than you do.”

           Alfie smiled when he saw his wife. “That right? Well, why don’t you come over here, yeah, and I’ll make it up to you?” Grinning playfully, she rounded the desk. He wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her close. “Oh, love, I swear you get more beautiful every fucking day.” He murmured softly, his eyes locked on hers.

           Ella’s cheeks flushed and she grazed her fingers over his cheek. “I think your eyesight is going.” She teased.

           He laughed. “You calling me old?” He squeezed her sides, where he knew she was the most ticklish, making her double over in giggles.

           “A-Alfie, stop!” She squealed and wriggled away from him.

           There was a knock on the doorframe and someone cleared their throat. Alfie grimaced and let go of his wife. “Ollie, lad, come on in.” He waved in his assistant.

           “Sorry to disturb you. Hello, Ella.” The younger man greeted.

           “Hello, Ollie.” She smiled and maintained a more professional distance between her and Alfie, much to her husband’s dismay.

           “You’ve got a meeting soon, sir. You asked me to let you know when they’ve arrived.”

           “Meeting with who?” She wondered.

           “Business as usual, love.” Alfie groaned and stood up using his cane. “Tommy, yeah, wants me to look for possible places of cash income. I’m particularly good at that, ain’t I?”

           Ella sighed and straightened Alfie’s collar. “Unfortunately.” She made a face of displeasure.

           “It’ll be alright.” He promised and kissed her forehead comfortingly. “Business as usual, right, nothing’s gonna happen.”

           Ella looked to the doorway and noticed that Ollie had left. “Alfie, wait.” She reached out and grabbed his arm. “I think you’re right.”

           “I’m right ‘bout a lotta things.” He chuckled. "What was I right about this time 'round?"

           “I mean about Tommy and Parliament.” She clarified. It knocked the smile right off his face. “I was visiting him and…a man came in. I don’t know what it was about him but he just gave me a bad feeling.”

           Alfie knew that his wife was more sensitive to her intuitions and signs. And as much as he wanted to discredit it. He knew he couldn’t. His gut had saved him plenty of times. “What’s his name?”

           “Mosley. Oswald Mosley. I don’t know his party or what he’s about but there’s just something in his eyes…I don’t know.”

           Alfie sighed. Leave it to his brother-in-law to attract trouble even in the House of Commons. “I’ll talk to Tommy about it.” He promised. “Make sure he innit getting himself into trouble. This family don’t need more trouble.”

           “This family.” Ella smiled knowingly. “You mean the Shelby-Solomons family?” She inquired.

           He blew out an air of discontent and shook his head. “That ain’t what I meant.”

           “Yes, it is.”

           “Nope.”

           “Alfie, admit it!”

           “I’ve got a meeting, love.” Alfie skirted around her before she could tease him anymore about the slip of tongue.

~~~~~~~~~~

           “Michael’s back home in Birmingham,” Tommy announced to his sisters.

           “I knew I had a bad feeling when I woke up this morning,” Ella mumbled and wrapped her arms around herself as if there were a draft in the room. “What’d he say, then?”

           “That he didn’t betray me. He’s also brought along a wife.” Tommy stood up and gathered his notes for the session that was to start in a few minutes.

           “A wife?” Ella asked in disbelief. “What is he trying to play at?”

           “Maybe you two are being too distrustful. He is our cousin.” Ada played devil’s advocate.

           “The black cat doesn’t lie, Ada,” Ella replied to her sister.

           The older Shelby threw her hands up in disbelief. “You two have gone on for years saying you aren’t gypsies. You wanted to be respectable members of society, not just seen as gypsies. Now you two have turned into drabarno.”

           “Some things you can’t ignore, Ada,” Tommy said and took his leave. “I’ll see you two after.”

           “I worry about you two sometimes.” Ada shook her head and started toward the door. “Are you coming?”

           “Yeah, just give me a second. I need a sweet.” Ella snuck behind Tommy’s desk and began rifling around to find the bag of peace babies he’d given her a few days before. Instead, she found three vials stashed away.

           Frowning, Ella popped the rubber cork of one of them and sniffed the liquid. It wasn’t alcohol so that left only one more possibility. Disappointed, she pocketed the vials before leaving.

~~~~~~~~~~~

           After listening to Tommy speak from the gallery of the House of Commons, Ada and Ella joined their brother for a drink as planned. But Ella made sure to stop him as they entered.

           “I need to speak with you privately,” Ella told him as they walked into the high-end bar. "Before we sit down."

           “Ada, go and find a table.” Tommy waved his sister on and remained behind with Ella. “What would you like to speak about that Ada can’t hear?”

           Ella reached into her purse and produced one of the vials she found in his desk. “What is this?”

           An angry look passed over his face. “Haven’t you learned not to go fucking snooping?” He demanded, knowing full well that he hadn’t left any of the doses out in the open.

           “What is it?” She repeated.

           “It’s none of your business. Now give it back.” He grabbed her wrist and yanked the small bottle away with a significant measure of force.

           She didn't react in pain. Instead, all she found was disappointment. Just as their relationship was starting to improve, he was going off to do something else to damage it. “I’m meant to turn a blind eye then, aye? What is it, Thomas?”

           His eyes were shifty and his jaw visibly tightened. “I’m not having this conversation with you.”

           “I’m worried, Tommy. I’m very worried about what this has done to you. It was a blow to us all but if you are struggling-”

           “I’m struggling with the fact that no one will fucking listen to me.” He hissed agitatedly.

           “When can I worry about you then? When you’re passed out on the floor? When you’re foaming at the mouth? When you’re dead?”

           “When I’m dead, everyone can rest. But until then, there’s fucking work to be done and I’ll fucking do it how I see fit.” And with that, Tommy went to join Ada at the table.

           So angry she could spit, Ella reluctantly followed. She wanted to scream at him for being a hypocrite. Scream at him how much his family cared about him and how she wouldn’t let him waste away. But she was complacent and sat quietly.

           “Mr. Shelby, I must say, you sing like a songbird in the House.”

           The sound of the man’s voice made the hairs on the back of Ella’s neck stand up. Mosley approached from behind her, and he rested a hand on the back of her chair causing her to tense up.

           “And you’ve got two pretty finches with you. Ella, lovely to see you again.” He greeted with a chilling smile.

           “Mr. Mosley, this is my other sister, Ada.”

           “Who’s pregnant,” Ada jabbed in response to keep the man a good distance away from her.

           “And dangerous,” Tommy added.

           “Mr. Shelby, you had a horse of that name,” Mosley remarked and took a seat at the table beside Ella.

           She bit her tongue and forced herself to stay seated even when instinct told her to get up and leave immediately. Leave and go back to the warm embrace of her dear husband.

           “How do you know about the horse?” Tommy asked coolly.

           “We have a mutual acquaintance.” The other man answered. “May Carleton.”

           “Huh.” Tommy nodded as if the news didn’t bother him. Just like everything else, it was hard to tell if it did or not.

           “Mrs. Solomons, I’ve done a bit of research on you.” Mosley turned his attention to Ella without warning.

           “Have you. I’m sure you found it unremarkable.” Ella replied.

           “Actually, quite the opposite.” He smiled and studied her face. “You married to Alfie Solomons…two years ago, was it? Right before your brother John passed away.”

           Ella’s eyes flicked to Tommy but he didn’t say anything. Ada looked ticked off but she was silent as well. “That’s right.”

           “A quiet ceremony, purely legal circumstances as far as I’ve heard. This man, your husband, a Jew isn’t he?”

           “I don’t know what my husband’s religion has anything to do with this conversation.” She replied venomously.

           “Well it does and it doesn’t, Mrs. Solomons.” He gave her a faux friendly grin. But she could see the malice in his eyes.

           “My husband has no dealings in politics. Therefore, he has nothing to do with this conversation.” She reiterated firmly.

           “Not in politics, no. He has dealings in many other things. Very…questionable things. Isn’t that right?”

           Ella realized if Tommy wasn’t going to listen to her then she wasn’t going to hang around and play the weak woman. She stood up suddenly. “I’ve lost interest in this.” She announced to the table. “You two can play your games but you keep Ada and the rest of the family out of it.” She asserted and turned on her heel to leave. Fuming, she stormed out of the bar. The nerve of some people.

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Masterpost

PB Masterlist

[artnerd1123]

A Familiar World

Evangel ——————————————

All nobles need an introduction, and Evangel Sanyi is no exception. However, her introduction to everyone else might not go as planned.  Especially considering a certain new arrival... 

The masterpost for AFW can be found here. The chapter post for AFW can be found here.

——————————————

After literally 2 years of sitting around as a draft, I’ve managed to finish Evangel’s intro chapter!!! Doubling as Seraph’s as well, it gives you a pretty good look at exactly the kind of gal we’ll be dealin with... hope y’all enjoy :D

                                                     ————

It turns out starting a tailor’s shop is harder than you think. You need money, a place in mind, enough space, customers, enough fabric, quick sewing abilities… The list goes on and on. It was almost too much to keep track of. Almost. Evangel Sanyi was lucky enough to have most of those things checked off, though it was more luck of birth than anything else. Coming from a family of nobles gives one a nice stash of gold to start off their dreams. In any case, the eighteen year old had found and bought a two story building in a small seaside town a couple weeks ago. That took care of a shop building. She had her old fabrics, too, which handled materials. Plus, she knew how to mend almost anything. Her skill in creating a new piece; be it a dress, fashionable skirt, accessory hat, or anything in between, was unrivaled by many. That took care of skill and competence. As for getting there, she had her choice of carriage drivers willing to help out. Seems she was all ready to set up somewhere new, with everything she needed to boot. … truthfully? Evangel was just glad the place was far away from her home city. She didn’t want her parents to see her here. She knew she would struggle and mess up. She just knew it. She didn’t need their horribly critical eye over her shoulder now. Not when she was finally doing what she wanted. The town itself seemed… alright. She hadn’t communicated with too many residents, but those she’d written to had been welcoming. She really hoped she could call this new place home. … So far, though… it wasn’t looking too promising.

Evangel stood silently at the doors to her building. A trembling hand clutched one of her bags tightly. The other held a set of keys. She’d been frozen there for a good couple minutes. Glancing from metal to wood, she tried again to muster up some courage. It’s just a building, she reassured herself. Empty and ready for me to move in. It is mine, after all. I’ve just… got to get over myself. And go inside. “Hey, Miss?” The sorceress yelped at the sudden voice, dropping her keys. “O-oh-!” she squeaked, “I’m- I’m terribly sorry, um, j-just a moment-” She harped on herself as she scrambled to pick them back up. Clumsy- jumpy- stupid- there-! She grabbed them and straightened up hastily. What a mess she’s making of things. A noise from the carriage behind her drew her gaze. The driver had hopped down from the top, and was helping his companion hold a couple boxes. “It’s quite alright, Miss!” he called again, looking quietly sympathetic. Or was he amused by her scrambling? He probably thought it was funny. Of course he thought it was funny. She was a mess. … wait, was he still talking? “- an’ I jes wanted ya to know we’re ready to unload yer stuff once ya get the door open,” he said, continuing on despite her little spiral. “So whenever yer ready, we can head in.” “O-oh, I’m sorry,” Evangel winced, fidgeting. “I’m taking too long, aren’t I?” “Nono, it’s quite alright,” the driver’s friend insisted. “Yer new to the place.” The driver nodded in agreement. “‘S nothin wrong with takin some time to-” “Yes, but I’m taking ages,” Evangel broke in, whining. “I bet this would’ve gone so much faster if I hadn’t been dithering at the door…” The two in front of her exchanged a look. “... well… we… wouldn’t have a job without you, miss,” one of them pointed out. But she wasn’t paying attention. She was sulking. Can’t even open the door for the movers, can I? She moped. What a great start I’m off to here... “... didja want some help figuring out which key it-” “No! I have to do it myself,” Evangel interrupted, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “I’ve got to, or else this building might as well be yours, or belong to anyone else in this town…” “O… kay…” The two exchanged another look, shrugging at each other. Mystified, probably. Of course they were. They already hated her, she could tell. Turning back to the doors, she looked to her keys. The silver one would open the main doors. Clutching it tightly, she moved in. She needed to get it over with so these two could leave. She knew they wanted to. The doors opened with a click, and swung out with a creak. It made her pull a face. Eugh. Such sounds wouldn’t fly at all with her shop. I’ve got to get this door replaced, she sighed. Stepping out of the way, she gestured to the two men. “There. Go ahead. Sorry I took so long…” she mumbled. “‘S alright Miss,” the driver’s friend said as they passed. “We’ll have yer stuff moved in in no time!” the driver replied, smiling at her. Was he jeering or reassuring? Ugh. What did it matter. She just watched as they carried her boxes of things inside. At least they were setting them down carefully. Her things would likely be fine if they kept that up. Might as well take a look at this building of hers… Slipping in after they set down the first load, she was determined to have a look around. If this was gonna be home, she had to know what she was dealing with. Never mind that her name was on the deed to the building. Anyone could own one, right? The first floor was almost completely open. Aside from some support beams, there were only a couple counters near one side of the room, and a long one near the back. The front of the room had a big window, and the back had a couple in the wall. The front window already made Evangel happy. It was one of the main reasons she’d bought the place, after all. Glancing around, she decided that the back counter would be the checkout counter. Plenty of space to lay out your purchases, cut fabric, and take a closer look at things in need of mending. Not to mention you could see the whole rest of the floor back there. The others, perhaps, could have hats… gloves… all manner of fashionable accessories. The only thing she didn’t like in the space were the few bits of sheet-covered furniture still lying around. And the dust. One poke at a covered armchair caused a mini avalanche. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. Revaew, did nobody have maids anymore? It was a tragedy. Turning to the door, Evangel caught sight of the driver and his friend carrying in a rather large box. Ah, perfect. She could have them take care of this… situation. “Could you move these upstairs?” She asked, gesturing vaguely to the furniture. “And try not to bring up dust, would you…?” The two paused in the doorway, both straining with their load. “Er- of course, miss- we’re just a- hah- a bit busy- at the moment-” the driver’s friend panted. “Yeah, it might be a hot minute!” the driver chimed in, “we’ve got a lotta things of yours to still bring in!” “O-oh! Of course! Sorry, don’t mind me, I-I don’t notice anything,” she fretted. Stupid. She should know better than to interrupt people! She shouldn’t have said anything! Eager to get away from the two men, she headed for the stairs. The second floor was supposed to be her living space. She hoped it was all the salesperson had talked it up to be. When the sorceress reached the door at the top of the stairs, she gently nudged it open. The following ‘creak’ made her pull a face. Again with the creaky doors… Another fix to add to the list. Stepping out of the stairwell, it appeared she’d walked into the living room. She let her gaze travel around the large space. Panelled wood floors and walls, a few closed doors, and an open wall leading into another room. The main space was certainly communal. But it was empty apart from a moth eaten rug, rolled up and leaning on the far wall. Yes… okay. Her mind was already putting together a spatial makeover. There was definitely enough space to play around with the furniture downstairs. With the right accents, the dreary space might turn homely. She could work with this. … Though... she was replacing that rug. She couldn’t stand things touched by bugs. “Colors don’t even match with the place,” she murmured, huffing. A quick survey of the other remaining rooms revealed two bedrooms, a bathroom, and the kitchen. While neither of the bedrooms were connected to the bathroom- quite disappointing, really- one of them was connected to the kitchen. That had to count for something. Even if it was nowhere near as grand as her old one, at least she’d have easy access to midnight snacks. Sacrifices have been made, she sighed, running a hand down the open cabinet door. Guess I’ll just have to deal with it… Before she could get any farther into her head, a peal of uproarious laughter floated up from downstairs. She startled so badly, she nearly slammed the cabinet door off its hinges. A second later, another round of loud cackling sounded off. What in Revaew’s golden web was going on down there?! Had the driver started a party? Oh, she hoped not. She didn’t know what she’d do if they ended up making a mess instead of moving things in. I better go down there to sort it out, the sorceress thought fretfully. She headed down the stairs, footsteps heavy on the wood. What a day this was shaping up to be. The whole trip over, she was anxious as could be. Then she couldn’t even open the door. Held up the movers and everything. Then she discovered all the furniture was dusty. And of course, to top it all off, the upstairs was so dull and drab. Her bedroom wasn’t even connected to the bathroom! Yes, what a day it was. A mess of a day for a mess of a sorceress. Oh, how she wished it was over. Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case. When Evangel opened the door at the bottom of the stairwell, there were at least six other people standing by the building’s double doors. Not counting the driver and his friend, of course. They all stood around, chatting amiably, a few holding containers of… something. They laughed again as she watched them. She flinched- they were even louder down here. Revaew’s web. Maybe she shouldn’t have come down. But if she went back up, would they leave? What to do, what to do… “Ah! There she is!” a voice piped up. “The gal of the hour!” Evangel squeaked, drawing back a bit. Oh no, they’d spotted her. She fidgeted nervously as the strangers all turned to look. Don’t be rude, say something! “U-um… hello…” she murmured, waving nervously. The strangers all gave her smiles, waving in return. It was, quite frankly, terrifying. “Hope ya don’t mind us comin over,” one of them said. “We wanted to see if you needed any help moving in!” “And to bring some bits of welcome! Hope you like lasagna” another chirped, holding up their container. Upon a quick glance, Evangel realized it held food. What? Who in the world gave out food for no reason? They didn’t even know her! “Th-that’s very nice,” she mumbled, fidgeting, “but you don’t need to trouble yourselves, really…” “Ohh, it’s no trouble,” hummed yet another stranger. “We love new people in this town! We want to make sure you feel comfortable here!” “Yep,” the driver chuckled, shaking his head. “This here town’ll do that for ya. Small towns’re real friendlylike.” “Has moving in been ok?” the first stranger spoke again. “I… i guess…” Evangel shrugged, heaving a sigh. “I don’t care much for all the dust in here… and upstairs- oh, it’s so drab! The bedroom and bathroom aren’t even connected, either! It’s a bit of a travesty…” The neighbors traded some looks- uncertain and befuddled- but kept smiling nonetheless. “Well, I’m sure you’ll make it better as you get comfortable here,” the first reassured her. “I should hope so,” Evangel lamented. “I just don’t know what I’ll do with myself if I don’t like it here… Where else am I supposed to go?” “I’m… not sure, miss…” “But we’ll be here to help, should you need us!” the second neighbor chimed in. “Yeah!” the third said. “No need to worry!” “Oh, but I do worry… and I don’t know what help I need… it’s horrid to think about… just absolutely dreadful...” The driver and his friend swapped a look. What was that about? What were they thinking? Before the unhappy sorceress or the mildly confused neighbors could say anything more, the pair jumped in. “I think we’ve got things for now, y’all,” the friend said. “But thanks fer stoppin by!” “We’ll take the food and leave it in the cool cabinet upstairs,” the driver added, taking the containers with small words of thanks. Evangel watched with visible bewilderment. She’d wanted them out of here, but hadn’t they wanted to talk? “Go along now! We’ll handle the rest!” the driver’s friend continued. He jokingly waved the neighbors off. Whatever confusion they had faded, and a chorus of laughing “goodbyes” and “it’s no troubles” sounded off as they walked away. The driver glanced back at Evangel. She looked at him nervously. Was that apprehension on his face? Some worry or fear that she couldn’t identify? Why was he looking at her, anyway? What was he doing? Why had she even come downstairs if it would lead to this sort of horrible situatio- “Er, miss?” Once again, Evangel jumped at his voice. “I-I- yes-?” she squeaked. He’d come across the room to her in the time her thoughts had started spinning. He was holding out the containers of food to her. She looked them up and down uncertainly. “W… wh…?” “Would you mind taking these upstairs?” he asked gently. “We’ll be done down here soon, but they may spoil without the cold cabinet…” “Oh- of- of course,” she stuttered, nervously transferring the boxes to her own hands. “S-sorry about that-” “Nono, it’s alright! Thanks! We’ll have all your things in here in a jiff!” And with that, he walked off to help his partner. Evangel was left standing there in silence. Just her and a few boxes of food. She blinked. Turned. And slowly started back up the stairs. She blew it, didn’t she? That’s exactly what all this was about. That’s why they were all exchanging looks and making her carry food upstairs, like some peasant. Revaew’s web, why did it always have to go this way? Like she’d said before, this town didn’t look too promising… Especially not after all that… 

                                                     ————

Today had been yet another of unpacking boxes and setting out clothes. It was dreadful work. Everything got all mixed around, or didn’t have a proper place. Evangel felt absolutely drained by noon. Apparently, setting up a whole shop by yourself was tiring. She was resting at her desk, working on some more designs. That always seemed to calm her. It had been working before. Unfortunately, she was having a lot of trouble with the skirt of this particular dress. “I should’ve seen that coming…” she sulked, erasing part of the skirt for the fifth time in a row, “there’s no way the lace would go with that top…” Setting her pencil down, she glanced around the room. Inspiration had to be somewhere in here. A window covered in curtains… A bare mattress and pillow… A vanity with a sheet draped over it… No, none of that would do. Evangel sighed deeply, on the verge of giving up, when her eyes landed on her box of scraps. She’d made it a habit long ago to save a bit of every material she used. Perhaps something in there could be of use… A quick shuffle through the box yielded only a handful of purple feathers and some soft white wool.  “What am I supposed to do with this?” she groaned. She put her head in her hands, exasperation mixing with tired gloom. Can’t even manage a design now, much less putting together a shop, She thought sadly. She needed help, and not just with her creative process. That’s when something occurred to her. Evangel’s head snapped up from her hands. Looking to the scrap box, the little seed of an idea started to grow. The shop couldn’t get put together with just one person working. And it would be nice to have someone around the shop with her. She’d been working with her magic for long enough. And her parents had been about her age when they made theirs... … Familiars only needed a couple pieces, right? “Looks like you’ll be of some use after all,” she whispered, gently dropping the scraps to the floor.

One careful spell later, Evangel was kneeling attentively next to the enchanted scraps. Well… one careful-ish spell. She only noticed a gold ring among the remnants once she’d begun casting. The thought of a familiar with a touch of gold tickled her fancy in just the right way, so she’d opted to keep it. From the way the materials were meshing together, she’d say she made a good choice. Feathers shifted and swirled with the wool, gold saturating the whole blob. What started shapeless slowly began morphing into something recognizable. It almost looked like a doll after a minute or two. Two short dark ears, a small snout, a featheryl, dark clawed feet on little legs… It wasn’t quite an anthropomorphic sheep, but it was reminiscent of one. Wool along its neck, shoulders and arms formed lovely pearly swatches. A little mask of it across its eyes darkened to match its ears. Little glovelike cuffs of orchid feathers formed next, small three-fingered hooves capping off its arms. The feathers along its legs smoothed and darkened into webbed, striped limbs. Its main body seemed determined to hang onto the wool’s original shade of pearly white, as did the little fluffy mop of hair on its head. Its tail was a cute little bouquet of feathers. A second later, some tiny wings fluttered their way out of its back. With purple flight feathers and white tops, they matched the forming familiar’s palette perfectly.  There was a beat where Evangel couldn’t see any gold. Her brows furrowed, confusion and concern flitting across her face. Had it just been absorbed into the little familiar? Where had it gone? A second later, she got her answer. A tiny ball of gold floated up from the top of its head, spinning itself into a little halo. A layer of it dripped down over its middle feathers, giving its wings a bit of shine. Oh, how cute! She thought fondly. She figured the rest of it must be inside. Her familiar already had a heart of gold. How poetic! All the little thing would need now was to grow a bit. Then it would be perfect! … But, to her surprise, it did no such thing. Her familiar was still small enough to fit in her arms. Comfortably, at that. With the emergence of a heart shaped nose, wide bright eyes, and a double-u shaped mouth, it really did look like a doll. After the magic faded, the sorceress found herself face to face with a tiny little hybrid. It looked up at her curiously. Wondrously. Exactly like a child. … Oh dear. When Evangel made a familiar, she wasn’t expecting it to be… well. A baby. Yet, here she was. Kneeling next to a freshly formed familiar. Her freshly formed familiar. And she was at a total loss for what to do. The familiar didn’t seem to have the same tentativeness, though. It smiled up at her, little wings flapping and tiny hooves patting at the floorboards. “Hi!!! It’s nice to meet you!!!” it chirped.  It sounds just like a bird, Evangel thought dully. A little baby bird… “What’s your name?” it chirped again, head tilted to the side. Oh- shoot, right, can’t even remember my own manners- Evangel berated herself, scrambling to form a sentence. “I-I’m- um- I’m Evangel,” she managed to squeak out. “S-sorry, I, um, I’ve never done this b-before-” The familiar giggled, patting the floor again. Such a bubbly little sound. “It’s okay!!! I’m new at this too!!!” it beamed. “... right… of… of course you are…” Evangel replied hesitantly. Honestly, she was still reeling from it being so tiny and forward and new rather than anything else. What in the world was she supposed to do with a baby? Granted, it was a very bubbly baby familiar, but still… Unbeknownst to her originator, the hybrid had busied herself with looking around the space. Her eyes practically sparkled as they took the shop in. There were so many pretty things lying among the boxes! How delightful would it be if she could explore this wondrous place! One thing in particular caught her gaze. There were some sort of papers scattered over a desk. When she squinted at them, she could just make out some pictures of… A quiet gasp drifted from the hybrid, pulling Evangel back to reality. Before the bewildered sorceress could ask what was up, her familiar’s bouncy voice sounded off again. “What’s that???” it asked eagerly, pointing at her desk. Or, rather, at the things spread over it. Evangel followed its gesture with mild confusion. “You… you mean my dress designs…?” the sorceress inquired haltingly. From the delighted squeal that followed, she guessed she was right. “You make dresses?!” the familiar squeaked. “That’s so cool!!! I bet you’re so talented!!!” “I- o-oh, why thank you!” Evangel sputtered in surprised pleasure. Her familiar liked her work? Really? “Can I see em up close???” the little one begged. “Please? I promise I’ll be gentle!!!” It was looking up at her with such excitement, she thought it might burst. And, to be honest? Evangel found herself feeling about the same. Her familiar hadn’t even been around for more than a minute, and it already wanted to see her work. It- it liked her work. And it was being so, so sweet. What a precious little thing. “You know what,” Evangel started, mentally tossing aside plans of unpacking, “of course! I’ll show you my whole line of debut outfits, if you’d like!” “Oh!!! Yes please!!!” her familiar sang, bouncing in place. Evangel smiled at the sight. Carefully, she scooped the tiny hybrid off the floor. It held onto her happily, already starting to chatter about how pretty the things in the room looked while she walked over. Maybe having a bubbly little friend around wouldn’t be so bad.

Maybe it would even make living here bearable.