#its interesting but its kind of dry lol

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

i really am gonna finish this architecture book by the power of Too Sleepy To Start New Fiction, huh

[andypantsx3]

BY THE BOOK : MIDORIYA IZUKU X READER

SUMMARY: When your pro hero boyfriend comes home to find you studying, he suddenly takes a great interest in helping out. You find his methods... questionable. TAGS/WARNINGS: nsft, hysterical literature (reading out loud while sexually stimulated), pro hero deku, deku still has ofa, support tech grad student reader, slight intelligence kink, gn + afab reader, cunnilingus, established relationship, aged up characters, fluff (3k) NOTES: Hi guys! I have been in survival mode as of late and the writing has been slow going; my sincerest apologies for how long it’s taking me to burn down my @ficsforgaza backlog. But I finally had the time & energy on my hands this weekend to work on this one and I had such a blast!! I hope I’m not too rusty—and if I am, I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved writing it regardless lol. Love you and thank you always for your patience. Happy Holidays!!

Sometimes, you thought you could tell your boyfriend was near, even before you heard his key in the lock.

It was something to do with his power, you’d always suspected—as a support engineer unduly interested in other people’s capabilities, you’d spent hundreds of hours turning it over in your head. It was the unnatural immensity of other people’s powers, you thought, pulling and coiling just beneath the surface of Izuku’s skin. In close proximity, after prolonged use, its presence felt like a shiver up the back of your neck.

You felt the barest hint of it now, an unsettled feeling creeping into the marrow of your bones, and you sat up on the couch just as you heard the scratch of Izuku’s keys at the door.

One For All fit cleanly into Izuku’s own unwavering intensity somehow, like the last piece of his puzzle. Though one would certainly never think so looking at him as he spilled through the door, pink-cheeked from the cold, all bright eyes, sweetly angelic features, and a riot of wild green curls. He looked windswept from the biting winter breeze. He also looked too kind to be carrying the sort of power he did—too sweet and eager and lovely.

“Look what the wind blew in,” you grinned at him over the back of the couch, after assessing he was well. Your eyes tracked the sinuous movement of those broad shoulders as he yanked his mouthguard over his head, the flex and pull of his bicep as he hung it beside the door. He was moving without pause, no sign of injury or muscle strain , and his suit was intact. Ordinarily you didn’t mind if there was a bit of shredding about the abs as long as he came back to you whole and hale, but in the winter you didn’t like him wandering about risking the chance of frostbite.

Your heart fluttered when Izuku returned your smile with one of his own, so beautiful and bright, chasing away the cold he’d tracked in like a warm sliver of sun.

“Lots of small, easy fights today?” You guessed, judging from his intact suit but clear whiff of power about him.

Izuku scrubbed a hand through that riot of curls, exposing the reddened shell of a cold ear. “I only had to use blackwhip a couple of times,” he said as he shouldered the door closed behind him, the muscle of his thighs flexing enticingly as he stepped out of his boots.

You gestured at the pot of soup you’d left warming on the stove, and the veritable pile of crusty bread beside it. Warmth and carbs, exactly what you would have wanted if you were a pro hero fresh off a long day of patrolling in the snow.

Izuku’s eyes fixed on it with an obliging amount of interest, and he almost tripped over himself in the genkan in his haste to get to the kitchen. “I love you,” you heard him say, muffled through a mouthful of bread, heard the clatter of the silverware drawer and a bowl being placed on the counter.

You smiled and turned back to the book in your lap, a particularly dry, knotty text on robotic imitation learning that had had your eyes drifting closed for the better part of an hour. It was the last you’d need to get through for your Wearable Technologies graduate course, and something you were deeply interested in incorporating into your design practice. You could train a piece of equipment on how an individual pro hero moved and deployed their quirk, and use predictive modeling to deploy assistance functionalities within milliseconds if you got it right—such as immediate cooling in pro hero Shouto’s temperature vest the moment he ignited an arm.

The implementation was going to be so cool—but the theory was so mind numbing.

You felt the couch sink in beside your feet, and Izuku peered interestedly at the title in your lap.

“Introduction to Robotic Imitation Learning,” he echoed, and you could hear the note of excitement in his voice. You suppressed a fond smile, knowing he was already thinking through the same applications you had—he was just as much of a nerd as you were.

“Introduction to Snoozing and Napping,” you grumbled, turning back to your page. “There are only so many words on the Kalman filter framework a brain can handle before the human mind shuts itself down.”

Izuku hummed in interest around a spoonful of soup, propping himself up against your leg. The exterior of his suit was still cool from the outside, and he groaned with relief from the warmth of your skin, even as you hissed at the chill.

You knew he wanted you to go on, so you generalized for him. “It’s an algorithm used for robotic motion planning—you not only take measurements of the thing you want to model but you account for uncertainties to predict the probability that something is going to happen.”

Izuku nodded, taking another spoonful of soup, gesturing for you to go on.

You summoned up the willpower to explain joint probability distribution, pleased when Izuku easily managed to follow—he’d always been a quick study, especially of anything that could be employed in the service of heroics. You’d long thought if he hadn’t been gifted his quirk, he would be an insane support engineer.

He managed to finish his entire bowl of soup in the time it took you to explain, and housed another two slices of buttered bread with the sort of alacrity you’d only ever seen in pro heroes and professional athletes, making you smile while you spoke.

His spoon clinked softly against the edge of the bowl as he set them aside on the coffee table, and he hooked his chin over your knees as you finished explaining. In the setting sun from your windows he looked especially lovely, the kind, angular planes of his face brushed in gold, softening the spots of his freckles.

His eyes were especially bright, the way they always were when something in particular had caught his interest, and he smiled at you again over the tops of your knee caps.

“I admire how smart you are,” he told you, in the simple, straightforward way he always gave out compliments. It was like a shot to the heart every time, and you could feel your face warm with the praise even after years of receiving similar compliments.

You reflexively flapped a dismissive hand. “Not smart enough to have internalized it all! I have mostly been falling asleep to it,” you promised him.

He tilted his head, a green curl falling into his eyes. “I know you won’t have a problem when you’re awake.”

You shifted your legs with embarrassment, and a long fingered hand came up to cup the front of your thigh, as Izuku turned more fully towards you. You could feel the warm, hard planes of his chest against your shins, the line of his jumpsuit’s zipper pressing insistently just below your knee.

“Gotta try to impress you somehow,” you joked, your skin prickling as Izuku’s fingers absent-mindedly drew a pattern across your thigh. You could feel the heat of his hand through the thin material of the leggings you’d lounged around in all day, the chill finally chased away from his skin now that he’d come inside and warmed up.

“You do impress me,” he said in his soft, gentle tone. Which made your cheeks and nose burn hotter.

You knew you did, and the steady faith Izuku had in the people around him was one of your favorite things about him. It still made you feel like a middle schooler with a crush to think about, though, the intensity of your feelings too much for one body to handle.

“I will study hard to live up to your faith in me,” you promised, unable to help the goofy smile you knew you were giving him.

Izuku’s chin shifted against the tops of your knees, and he pressed his mouth to the knob of your left one, leaving a smiling kiss. “Tell me more?” he asked, fingers still sliding softly over your thigh.

“I’ll read it to you as I go, then,” you said, turning back to the brick of a tome, propping it up more firmly on your stomach as you adjusted yourself against the couch arm. Izuku’s eyes watched you over the top of the pages, that emerald gaze tracking your face closely.

“‘The algorithm works via a two-phase process: a prediction phase and an update phase’,” you began, trying to turn your attention away from Izuku and back to the text. “‘In the prediction phase, the Kalman filter produces estimates of the current state variables, including their uncertainties. Once the outcome of the next measurement (necessarily corrupted with some error, including random noise) is observed, these estimates are updated using a weighted average, with more weight given to estimates with greater certainty.’”

Izuku’s long fingers traced firmer lines across your thighs, almost like he was taking notes. He layered another kiss along the line of your knee, eyes glittering at you as you read.

“‘The algorithm is recursive,’” you continued, “‘It can operate in real time, using only the present input measurements and the state calculated previously and its uncertainty matrix; no additional past information is required.’”

You almost jumped as Izuku’s mouth trailed lower, into the space between your knees, leaving kisses along your inner thigh. His fingers gently pulled one thigh away to make space for him in between, and you cleared your throat, trying to return to the text at hand.

“‘Optimality of Kalman filtering assumes that errors have a normal–that is, Gaussian–distribution,’” you read on. “‘The following assumptions are made about random processes: Physical random phenomena may be thought of as due to primary random sources exciting dynamic systems. The primary sources are assumed to be independent gaussian random processes with zero mean; the dynamic systems will be linear.’”

Izuku let out a soft breath, insinuating himself further between your thighs. Your own breath came out a little uneven as he bent over you, mouth tracking dangerously towards the inseam of your leggings.

You paused, but Izuku fixed you with a look of his slightly-darkened eyes. “Please—keep reading,” he said, his tone a little lower than it had been a minute ago.

You swallowed in shocked understanding, skin tingling. You felt yourself nod, as Izuku’s fingers strayed to the waist of your pants, dipping below the band.

You let him slowly peel your leggings down, your underwear with them, adjusting as needed to make it easy for him, even as you tried to return your attention to your textbook.

“‘Regardless of Gaussianity, however, if the process and measurement covariances are known, then the Kalman filter is the best possible linear estimator in the minimum mean-square-error sense,’” you quoted, nearly squeaking when Izuku pressed his mouth to your hip, his curls tickling the skin of your belly. His hands gripped either side of your thighs, palms square and rough against your skin, and you tried not to shiver with the feeling.

“Um—‘Although there may be better nonlinear estimators’,” you said, then nearly jumped out of your skin when Izuku pressed his mouth to the core of you, only the strength of his grip stopping you from accidentally kicking him in surprise.

“Oh my g—uh! It—um—‘It is a common misconception perpetuated in the literature that the Kalman filter cannot be rigorously applied unless all noise processes are assumed to be Gaussian,’” you managed, before your cut off into a groan as Izuku layered a hot, sweet kiss over you, tongue dipping carefully between your folds. “Ah-–Izuku—”

Izuku petted a thumb gently over the top of your thigh to show he was listening, even as he swiped his tongue over you again, a long, firm stroke that had your thighs flexing in his hold. He laved over your clit, sucking ever so slightly, and your grip almost tore the edge of your textbooks as it tightened.

“Keep going,” he urged briefly, then did it again, punching a groan out of you.

“Extensions—oh—‘Extensions and generalizations of the method have also been developed, such as the extended Kalman filter and the unscented Kalman filter which work on nonlinear systems,’” you read on, voice shooting up nearly into a squeal when two of Izuku’s long, firm fingers pressed into you, as his mouth moved over you again.

“Ah! Oh my god—the—um, the basis—-” you said, breath growing short. Izuku’s fingers unerringly found the spot inside you that made you twist in his grip with the ease of long practice, and his jaw worked as he kissed you so shockingly filthily. You could feel something already starting to build up behind your navel, a fluttery lightness, an insatiable insistence on more.

“‘The basis a hidden Markov model—oh, fuck—such that the state space of the latent variables is continuous and all latent and observed variables have–ah!--Gaussian distributions,’’’ you recited, your voice tripping up further into a register that sounded more like begging than reading.

Izuku’s fingers worked you, long and thick and perfect inside you, as his tongue drew unrelenting circles around your clit. Stars seemed to spark in your vision, and your eyes squeezed shut, losing your place on the page as your hips flexed into his face. You felt suddenly very floaty and lightheaded, and not at all in a position to keep going.

Still, you tried to refocus your attention.

“‘K–Kalman filtering has been used successfully in—oh—multi-sensor fusion—ah, ah!--and distributed sensor networks–fuck, please, Izuku—to develop distributed or consensus Kalman f-filtering,’” you said, your tone nearly a cry.

Izuku groaned softly, sucking gently as his fingers curled inside you. It made your veins spark under your skin, your legs shaking in Izuku’s hands. You abandoned your grip on your book to seize the arm of the couch, clawing desperately at the fabric.

“Please, Izuku,” you cried, hips bucking towards his mouth.

The book tumbled off your stomach but you hardly noticed, gaze refocusing on the way his eyelashes fluttered as he licked you. His fingers played gently within you, a maddening press that was simultaneously too much and not enough, and his other hand came up to slide under your sweater, plucking gently at your nipple.

You lost yourself to the feeling—caught between the mind-melting curl of his fingers, the delicate suction of his mouth, and the careful pinch of your nipple. A delicious heat curled through you, waves of unbearable pleasure, and you could hear yourself babbling nonsense—garbled syllables of Izuku’s name, and every entreaty you could think of, a hundred thousands mores and oh pleases.

Izuku abandoned your nipple to pull you more firmly against him with a strong arm curled under your thigh, pressing you even harder into his mouth.

You muffled a scream in the sleeve of your sweater as he sucked you harder, tongue laving over you in loving strokes. Only his terrible strength held you down as you writhed beneath him, and then his fingers twisted in a way that had your vision whiting out—and you were suddenly thrown out over the edge of your pleasure.

Izuku licked you through it as you squirmed and begged and cried out his name, your climax seeming to last for eons.

You were panting hard when you finally slumped into the cushions of your couch, the ceiling seeming to swim in and out of focus before your eyes. When you gained enough control of your body again you looked down at Izuku, finding him watching you with a satisfied, almost shy curl to his mouth.

“You’re beautiful,” he told you, emerald gaze glittering with sincerity. “You’re so smart.”

Impossibly you felt your heart swell with even more love for him, and you seized his shoulder, dragging him up over you so you could kiss his mouth. The taste of yourself on him was embarrassing yet thrilling, and you petted a pleased hand through Izuku’s wild mess of curls as you kissed him.

“Well you are amazing,” you told him, swiping a thumb over his cheek fondly, smoothing over his freckles. A gorgeous watercolor of pink washed over his cheeks and nose at the proclamation, and you could hear his fingers flex in the cushion beside your head.

The sight of him flushed and waiting over you like another small something inside of you, like a pilot light, and you let your mouth pull into a wry grin.

“I hope you know I learned nothing though,” you said casually, your plan for your next steps already forming in your head. You let a hand trail carefully down Izuku’s flank, tracking towards his waist. “I think maybe I might need a few rounds for it to really sink in.”

Izuku’s ears went red against the green of his hair, and you felt your smile widen. “Maybe you could read it to me this time?” you asked, guiding him to roll under you, retrieving your book from the floor as you did so.

You settled yourself on the tops of Izuku’s thighs, feeling the hard press of him against your core, as you placed your textbook into his waiting hands.

Izuku’s answering smile was all the permission you needed. You directed him to start from the beginning of the chapter, and he did so in that soft, lilting tone of his you so loved. And then your fingers trailed up to the zipper at his collar.

It was time to return the favor—wholeheartedly.

REFERENCES: Kalman Filtering (Wikipedia) I took the passages our Reader recited from here because I do not actually understand Kalman filtering at all and could not organically come up with feasible text for her to read through. Sorry in advance to the author of this page lol.

[n30nwrites]

hiya neon <3

How you been ? ໒꒰ྀི ˶• ༝ •˶ ꒱ྀི১₊˚⊹♡

hope you're having a good day ~ ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

Anyways, can you write something fluffy about poly!141 and male reader

Just...cuddle piles bro...hhfjsjsk

-- 🪸anon

Like Real People Do (Poly!141 x Male Reader)

Sorry this wasn't long, a lot has happened in my life lol.

I've been okay, everything is turning up.

I debated on doing more but if It did it would've turned to angst so.

You were always tired, work didn't have to be stressful and you would still be tired. You think it had to do with interacting people, just talking could make you tired.

The only thing that could make it better, were the people that greeted you at your home.

Gaz is cooking. The smell swallows you and your stomach turns, growling for the food. You can tell its Gaz simply because of the smell of seasoning, something you were still helping the other three boys on. Soap and Ghost either did Microwavable dinners or take out, and Price thought that the only seasoning he should use is salt and pepper.

He's such an old man.

Your knees ached, as did your ankles and back. It was usually hurting, but you never got it checked out, didn't consider it important too.

The solo mission lasted 3 months, you know they had each other for company and some part of you questioned if they really needed you. If they could last without you for 3 months, what's the rest of their life?

Then Soap opens the door and grabs you like his life depends on it, and all that doubt disappears. He holds you, his arms wrapped around tight and your bag of items drops to reciprocate the hug. He feels like home.

They are home.

You attempt to let go and take a step forward but he still holds on, and you kind of just awkwardly shuffle into the door.

Ghost calls out your name and announces you're home. Price comes through the door wearing your favorite pair of sweatpants (that looked so good on him) and a tanktop, Ghost is in similar wear, and you could take a guest that they just stayed home all day.

"Soap you gotta let him go at one point." Soap is buried in your chest, pushing himself further so his words come out mumbled. "What is Gaz cooking?"

"How do you know it's Gaz cooking?" Price asks.

"Cause I can smell how good it is, you left the window open." You tell him which causes Ghost to go over and shut it, locking it as well.

"He's making some rogan josh-"

"Oh god..." You moaned, most of the food you ate was dry crackers (that tasted like cardboard) and some bad lasagna. You had always loved food, that was one downfall to being the governments rat. "God I'm starving."

"Thankfully you're home just in time." Gaz comes in wearing the stupid apron you got him, it's pink and frilly, a stupid gift because that was just the tradition on Christmas. Soap had gotten you a shirt that said 'Don't Bully Me I'll Cum :(' on it, which unironically became your favorite. You got Simon a shirt that said 'I Identify as an American Patriot and this is my Pride Flag' which the Brit hated but everyone else had a great time.

"Tell me you have naan."

He did

----

You ate like you hadn't before, the dinner was delicious and it brought you all to the bedroom to rest like never before.

You laid against the pillows set up on the wall, Gaz was laying in between your legs and on your chest, Price was laying on your right side, his head resting on your shoulder as Ghost laid on the opposite with Soap on top of him, though with the way Soap was laying, he was on top of everyone. Soap was holding your hand as you rested your head on Ghost, the tv is playing a show called The Maid, it was interesting so far, you were going in and out of focus on it, more focus on your boyfriends next to you.

Eventually husbands, hopefully.

You took a glance to the side where the bedtable sat. You each got a drawer for your stuff, and in yours were five rings that took 5 paychecks to get. You were just waiting.

There would be a right time.

Soap's loud snores fill the air, and you laugh a little at how sudden it is, as does Ghost. The bed was crowded but none of you cared, it was perfect.

They were perfect.

"I love you guys." You mumble, and Price leans over to you, causing you to turn your head and kisses you. It's soft, not leading to anything and it's not holding expectations, it's warm and soft and everything to you. And when he stops, you just smile, because this was it.

[kirksbignaturals]

uhura and Spock had very few but very interesting interactions to me. without much dialogue, in just the lute playing scene per ex. it feels like theres an unique dynamic to them: theyre similar in the sense of being highly efficient bc theyre highly relied upon at almost all times, a dry almost undetectable sense of humor, and mostly very mild-tempered. theres a touch of kindness to both of them that is a bit subtle. seeing a vulcans calculated playing of a beautiful instrument, a human woman singing a song almost whimsically to it spontaneously and it being in harmony for a solid minute, with Spock just playing along - just feels like uhura draws out bits of his human side by just doing stuff like that, without conversation or judgement of "aha so you DO feel emotion?" that Kirk and mccoy often toss at him which i feel is counterproductive cause thats just gonna make him sink deeper to prove them wrong. i feel theres a sense of understanding between them. that makes for an unlikely relationship, and they respect eachother and are more at ease with one another- or at least thats how i feel they would've worked if we got more screentime with them. frankly i wouldve loved more episodes with random pairs like mccoy and uhura or sulu and scotty or something

it wouldve been so fun if Star Trek explored its characters/relationships more than just the like the three men at all times lol, but hey it was the 60s im just happy uhura even got to be there

[bridgetotheskyyy]

Akatsuki; Gangbang/moresome

a/n: reader x akatsuki members! (pain, kakuzu, kisame, deidara, hidan, tobi - with zetsu present lmaooo. horrifically 18+ lol. Okay, two problems I know. NO ITACHI, also NO KONAN but I included the characters I think would be down with this and those two just don’t fit the bill.). oral, vaginal sex, ass play, degradation & praise. wc 3.8k

Kinktober Masterlist

“I’ve initiated a meeting with some of our wealthiest female donors,” Pain said as Akatsuki members arrived at the entrance. 

Itachi and Konan were not among them, the former having refused on the spot while it had simply not been the latter’s scene. Pain suspected a speckle of jealousy on Konan’s part, but had not argued with her decline.

Kisame studied the club and its lights, winking flirtatiously, and when realization dawned, shook his head with mock judgment. "You know some interesting people, Leader.”

Pain raised his brows. “As you all know, I do all I can to find donors who are willing to give to our organization.”

“It’s a fucking sex club,” Kakuzu snapped. “Doesn't that mean we're paying them?” 

Pain was quiet for a few seconds. “No. Tonight, we are offering our services.”

They were quiet in turn. 

“What …” Deidara started cautiously, “kind of services?”

“My thoughts exactly,” Hidan added. “From the sounds of it, we won’t be killing anyone.”

Pain shot him a dangerous look. “Certainly not. There's been an agreement. We've been offered to come here at no expense of our own.”

“So we're not paying?” Kakuzu said, ever the single minded one.

“That's correct.”

“What will we be doing?” Deidara said, determined to stop beating around the bush.

Pain delayed his answer, but nothing could soften the blow. “We will be offering pleasure to the woman.”

Silence, then ― 

“What?”

“Come again?”

"We're fucking for free?"

“Who would ―?”

"Ohhhh." Tobi, who was the only one unfazed by the announcement, fixed a hand on his hip. "Tobi has read about this!"

"You read?” Deidara quipped. 

"Yes! Its called hybris… hyber… " Tobi strained to recall. 

“Sound it out,” Deidara deadpanned. 

“It's a big word! But anyway, some girls like criminals and wanna be with them!”

“Tobi is right,” Pain said with an inscrutable look the aforementioned man’s way. “And the word is hybristophilia. In other words, our activities are not always repulsive to the fairer sex.” 

Kisame laughter sounded out amongst other nightlife jingles ― slot machines and bustling crowds. 

“Sometimes our activities attract,” Kisame smirked. “Leader’s not the only one keeping things interesting around here, I see.”

Pain straightened as it seemed as though the door would open, but it was only a false alarm. “If any of you wish to leave, you are free to do so,” he said. “Though, I suspect you won't.”

Deidara crossed his arms. “What makes you so sure?”

“I’m not sure,” Pain deadpanned as members of his group trailed eyes over a gaggle of pretty women walking by. “Just a feeling.”

Hidan recovered from his ogling to scoff. “Well, count me out. This is unclean ― not to mention totally beneath Lord Jashin.”

Pain looked Hidan over his shoulder. “I have let the club owners know that a percentage of whatever is made tonight be donated to any temple of our choosing.”

Hidan blinked. Shrugged. “It’s okay, then.” 

Deidara licked lips that’d become dry. “For how long? And ―” He struggled. “How much?”

Pain’s ringed eyes met his, a beat following before he replied, “As long as you can take. As much as you can take.”

The shock began to subside to be replaced with a sense of utter unreality. 

“Seriously?” Kakuzu said. “We’re really going to do this?” Kakuzu considered. “Then again, if we’re the ones being paid …”

“Don’t tell me you’re not the least bit curious outside of the dough,” Kisame teased. “Bet you haven’t had any in quite a while.”

“What’d you say?”

Just in time, the doors opened to reveal a madam. 

“Oh!” Said the big-wigged woman. “Lord Pain! Please, come in!” 

The woman led them into a dimly-lit hallway, doors lining either side into apparently oblivion. The big-wigged woman opened one of many and you, a much younger woman, appeared.

The woman leaned against the doorframe, dressed in nothing but silk, black lingerie with matching stockings. She giggled as she studied her clientele.

“If they told me there’d be so many of you, I would’ve worn less,” she purred. 

The big-wigged madam giggled. “Have fun, boys,” she said and closed the door.

You sauntered toward the bed in the room, sat and spread your legs. “So, who’s first?” 

Pain crossed the room immediately. 

“Le ― Leader!” Deidara’s face ran corrupted with red.

With one finger, Pain beckoned you to her feet. He got behind you, forcing you forward the group of criminals you would soon serve.

“Don’t any of you realize what I am offering you?” Pain crept into the crook of your neck, his lips dangerously close to leaving a kiss there. His hand crept over the planes of your stomach, eliciting a soft hum from you in return. “I am telling you …” 

Pain hooked fingers against the band of your panties, pulled them down to reveal your naked cunt. 

“We can do as we want with her …”

Immediately, the energy of the room changed. It grew hotter as Pain took the plunge, peppering your neck with kisses, one hand fingering your cunt while the other kneaded at your breasts. You moaned, the slick sounds of Pain’s fingers exploring your sopping folds mingling in the air. 

Kisame shrugged. “I’m game.” 

Pain removed both his fingers and form as Kisame approached. You whined in disapproval before Kisame’s hand took you by the throat. He pinned you to the wall across the bed. You released another moan as he tightened his grip over your neck.

“You like that, little girl?” Kisame teased. “Like to be choked?” 

“Mhmm, mmm …!”

“Oi.” Hidan crossed the room. “Save some for me. If these whores’ll be sending Jashin’s temple money, might as well …”

You squealed as Kisame threw you to the bed with a devilish chuckle. 

“There.” Kisame slapped the side of your cheek. “Take her mouth.”

Your mouth fell open and Hidan went to remove his coat, as Kisame did, before working on his zipper. 

The others ― Tobi, Deidara, Pain, and Kakuzu ― resigned to the sidelines. 

Deidara faced his leader to the sound of zippers and buckles loosening. “Aren’t you going to ―”

“Consider it a courtesy to the collective,” Pain said. “I will go last.”

Kakuzu huffed, but clearly something had changed in the man’s demeanor as Hidan and Kisame worked you out of the pretty lingerie Pain had left slack. “There’ll be enough holes to go around, I imagine.”

“Not with me in the room,” Kisame said, working your panties past your delicious thighs. 

He tugged his trousers down to reveal two cocks, blue-tinted along with the rest of his skin and springing hard and ready.

“She’s so pretty …” Tobi mused, surely drooling behind his mask of tangerine. 

You were fully nude now, save the stockings around your legs ― said legs now wrapped around Kisame’s waist at his breathy command. Hidan slapped the side of your mouth with his cock, watching you wince with sadistic pleasure before filling your mouth with him. He groaned, the sound harsh and heavy in his throat, when you moaned around his cock, elicited by Kisame entering both of your holes from behind. 

“Mmm ― mmfph!” 

“Aah, fuck!” Hidan buried a hand in your hair, forcing you forward to fuck your mouth properly. “Fuck her hard, Kisame. Her mouth, oh ―”

Kakuzu huffed ― but not before clearing his throat. “The night’s barely started and you’re already at your wit’s end, Hidan.” 

“All for Jashin ― aargh!” Hidan threw his head back as your hand massaged his balls. 

You squealed as Kisame quickened his pace, your eyes bulging wide as he split you open on not one, but two cocks at a time. The bed underneath you creaked as Kisame jutted his hips into your tight holes. His sharp nails tightened into bedsheets beside your head. 

Pain tilted his head in fascination. “How does she feel, Kisame?”

“Fan―fucking-tastic …!” He growled as he slapped his hips into you, rattling your body with the power of his thrusts. 

Tobi came forward and Deidara realized why ― after all, you had two free hands that could be put to use. 

In a flash, Tobi was out of his robe and tugging his trousers, hand fishing for his cock to place into your waiting, willing hand. 

Tobi shivered, gasped ― in a voice not quite his ― as your hand grasped his cock and stroked him obediently. 

“She’s a trooper,” Kisame said, thoroughly fucking you into the creaking mattress. He leaned forward to lick the side of your face. “Enjoying yourself, slut?”

“Yes ― oh, gods, yes ― mm!” Your words jumbled from your mouth when Hidan allowed it, before shoving himself back in.

“‘Course she does,” Hidan hissed. “All you whores are all the same, just holes waiting to be filled ― urgh!” 

You popped Hidan from your mouth to shoot a look at Pain, Kakuzu, and Deidara. “Mm! I have one more hand, c’mon, one more cock, I can take it, please!” 

Adrenaline shot through Deidara; he stepped forward ― only to be thwarted by Kakuzu shoving him to the side and taking his place. He dug for his cock with narrowed eyes, flashed green over your rolling tits. You reached for Kakuzu, stroking off both him and Tobi simultaneously. 

Kisame did not make it easy for you, fucking you mercilessly now. You couldn’t hold Hidan in your mouth anymore, but perhaps didn’t need to; Hidan began to stroke himself over your face, nearly at his limit. 

“Oh, gods, yes, pleasepleaseplease, feels so good, so good, all of you, mmhmm, please ―” 

Tobi moved his mask up his face a few inches and kneeled down to kiss you, his tongue shoving into your willing mouth. 

Hidan growled, shoved him away as he came, spurts of cum roping over your face and collarbone. You opened your mouth to scream as both your weeping cunt and tight ass clenched around Kisame’s cocks.

Kisame lurched over momentarily, before pulling out of you with a drawn-out grunt, the white of his cum shooting against your plush-pink folds and stomach. 

Being in the throes of climax seemed to adrenalize you, because your hands quickened their pace on the dual cocks in your hold, your motions becoming almost blurry as you jerked off the two men on above you. 

Kisame bowed out to collect his breath at the edge of the bed, meanwhile Tobi slotted into his space, turning you over on your hands and knees. 

“Wait,” Kakuzu growled out. “What do you think you’re ―?”

“Don’t worry, Kuzu.” You sat on your elbows, Kakuzu’s cock still fastened in your hold. “I can take care of you from here …” 

You swiped at Kakuzu’s cockhead, which seemed to satisfiy; his eyes shuddered closed and let you continue taking him in your mouth. 

You released a drawn-out moan as Tobi entered you from behind, forcing you forward. You caught yourself on your elbow, humming as Tobi bottomed out inside of you, hands secured tightly over your curvy hips. 

Hidan gripped the back of your head and forced you into the bush of Kakuzu’s pubic hair. 

“Mmmf!”

“Don’t think it’s over between you and me; I would never give such a paltry performance in the name of Jashin.” Hidan said, then removed himself from the bed. 

For once, Kakuzu made no angry retort; he rocked his hips forward, fucking your skilled mouth. He watched with still zombie eyes, fascinated with your head bobbing back and forth on his cock.

“She’s quite talented.” Pain’s voice carried with it an extra layer of silk, bordering on teasing. He turned to Deidara. “I see a hand free for you.” 

Deidara swallowed. Finally. He was already out of his cloak, adorning only the fishnet he donned underneath, his cock long and veiny and glued to his hand growing tacky with sweat. He approached you as Hidan pressed himself against the wall and slipped against it to sit on the floor. 

Kakuzu shot Deidara a glare as the younger man offered his cock to you. 

“Don’t think I’m sharing with you, circus freak.”

Deidara’s brow twitched. “Who’re callin ―”

“Don’t fight,” You purred before taking Kakuzu in your mouth again, cheeks hollowed against his cock while stroking Deidara lovingly.

Kakuzu lurched forward, hand over the small of your back before it found itself over the fat of your ass. Tobi planted a hand over your other cheek, fucking you from behind. A particularly harsh thrust nearly sent your head thudding against the wall, but he held you firmly to him, rolling his hips expertly into you. 

Deidara frowned as he watched the scene. Where’d he learn to fuck like that? 

You hummed with appreciation, sending Kakuzu shivering over you. 

“Urgh …” He gave your ass a slap before curling a hand under your stomach to fish for your clit. “She is good.”

“Was I lying?” Kisame joked with a sharp laugh. 

Kakuzu had only just found your sensitive nub to give it a series of grateful, circular strokes before Tobi knocked his hand away to do it himself. 

“Ahh!” You bucked back into Tobi as he fiddled with your clit. 

Kakuzu growled as you deep-throated him for the last time. “I’m ���!” 

You held him at the back of your throat as he finished inside you, swallowing his spent as he panted above you. 

You gripped Deidara with force, retiring from his shaft only to caress his balls. Deidara clenched a hand at the wall. You popped Kakuzu from your mouth and immediately you were on Deidara’s cock, licking the long expanse of it before to familiarize yourself with him.

“Such a pretty cock.” You shot him a stare in your breathy state, Tobi still fucking you from behind with mysterious skill, cum from previous escapades settled and dry against your cheek. “Almost as pretty as the rest of you …” 

“Hm ― hm … !” Deidara shuddered as you fit him in your mouth. 

Tobi slapped your ass before moving to thumb at the star of your ass, teasing the pucker you rocked on and off of him. 

“Mmm!”  

“Such a pretty miss,” Tobi breathed out, clearly at his limit. “Let me see pretty lady cum …”

You screamed around Deidara’s cock. He grunted viciously as you reached your limit, clenching down on Tobi. You were rocked with a few harsh, quick thrusts before Tobi forced himself to pull out, white leaking from his slit and into the crack of your ass. 

Deidara grabbed your ankle and forced you toward him. Without needing to be asked, you spread your legs, giving him the sight of your pussy clenching around nothing, still hungry. 

Deidara’s cock twitched with want. He settled at your entrance, pushing himself into your slick cunt. 

“Too bad she’s getting pretty boy after the likes of us,” Kisame said, slapping Tobi’s wrist as he, apparently, tapped out, still mysteriously reticent. 

Deidara frowned, trying to enjoy the possessive clench of your cunt. “Sh ―Shut up.”

Your heel knocked into Deidara’s back, causing him to fall forward and into your arms. 

You kissed his nose. “I wanna see you.”

Deidara blinked, then smirked, then fucked into you ― a sharp, quick thrust ― and drank in your gasp.

“Aw, c’mon,” he said. “Can’t still be tight after all that.”

“Yeah,” You breathed against Deidara’s cheek as he started a rhythm, “c’mon, cutie ―”

“Cutie?” 

Deidara forced his fingers into your mouth, followed by two more digits, as his hips rolled into you, skin slapping as you slurped on the digits. 

“Don’t think you can get smart with me, whore.” 

Deidara hissed as you sucked on him from both holes. He hit against your walls, silky and velvety against his overdue cock.

“Got to admit, you’ve got a nice little pussy ― argh,” Deidara bit into his lips as you moaned underneath him. “It really is ― hah ― a piece of art ― hah ― but don’t think you’re getting the best of me ―”

Despite his words, you were getting the best of him. Shit. He had waited too long, and you felt too good. Already, he felt the strain of an oncoming climax. Your breasts bounced and knocked into his chest as he fixed himself hard to you. At a particularly hard thrust, you threw your head back, exposing your pretty neck to him. 

Deidara dove into it, biting at the skin there. Maybe, amongst all the members here, he’d be the one to leave his mark on you …

You raked hard, red lines down his back and Deidara cried out, gritting his teeth. The pleasure married with the pain. So good. So good. 

It would be no good if he came before you did; he would never live it down. Deidara forced a hand down the bridge of your bodies to twirl at your clit.  

“Oh, fuck, mm!” Your legs quivered around him. 

He watched you from the side of his eye. You had the prettiest lips, sweet and plump. 

He felt your clenching, now more involuntary than ever as you cried out. He muffled the sound with a kiss to your abused lips. The squeeze of you was enough to topple him over the edge. Stars and colors swam over his lids as he squeezed his eyes shut, sucking your soul from your lips as orgasms ravaged your body and his ―

A hand dragged him off of you. His cock sprung from your cunt to spray the inside of your thighs with his spent. 

“What the fuck ―?”

“Didn’t think I had to say it,” Kakuzu said, dragging him to the side of the bed. “But: not inside, you idiot.” 

“He really is the youngest of us all,” Hidan teased.

Deidara growled as Kakuzu stared at your cunt, clearly tempted. Deidara stood, ready to fight ―

“Enough.” 

Pain came forward, fully nude. The others parted for him. You sat on the bed, patiently waiting for him, your eyes following him with a reverent dreaminess.

Pain idly wiped away Deidara’s spent with the tail of a sheet, unfazed by it all. “It seems it’s finally my turn.” Again, like no time had passed, he beckoned you on your feet. “Up.”

You did so; standing as he sat. You seemed to read his mind and backed into his legs. Pain scooped you up in his lap, balancing you atop him, inches from his cockhead.

“You’re lovely.” Pain licked the shell of your ear, his chin nestled in your shoulder. He held you above him, hands tucked into the back of your knees. “And your services have been much appreciated tonight. Now, Let me take it from here.”

He sat you on his cock, a hand at your throat to choke you with. 

“Oh!” You jostled as Pain fucked into you from below, your voice muffled with Pain’s hand closing your airways. “O ―Oh!” 

A muffled giggle. “Be careful not to break her, Leader.” Zetsu appeared from the wall. “I’m afraid sometimes you don’t know your own strength.”

“I doubt she would complain,” Pain replied idly, intensely studying your face, firmly fixed in his grip and contorted with pleasure. He slapped his hips into you again and again, the meat of his cock appearing and disappearing, enveloped by your snatch.

The other members congregated to watch the show before them. Deidara ached; his orgasm had been ruined by the fucking ragdoll, and now Pain enjoyed the pussy that had been his only a few moments before. And yet he couldn’t imagine participating unless openly invited by Pain. Deidara gripped his cock, still slick from his time inside of you, and stroked himself to the sight.

Juices mixed around the base of Pain’s cock. You whimpered and moaned, hands clutching his shoulders to keep balance. 

“Oh, gods, Pain, I ― please!”

His other hand toyed with the prominent nipple of your tit, delighted in how it grew under his attention. His balls slapped the fat of your ass with each thrust. You were no lightweight; giving what he gave, syncronizing with his thrusts in no time. Pain huffed. He would not, could not admit to how much he was enjoying this. Some pleasure for his base body, the sweet entrapment of your pussy.

“Your pussy is truly marvelous,” he said, voice like silk. “Is all of this truly for me?”

“Yes!” You cried, not a beat skipped. 

“I think it’s for all of us, Leader,” Zetsu said.

“Hush.”

You fell over Pain, your chest almost crushed to his, dainty hands at his sides. Finally Pain began to display signs of pleasure; closing his many-ringed eyes, his lips parting as you threw yourself down on him and he pulled up to you. The hand previously busy with your tit wove past the dip of your hips. A finger brushed past the cleft of your ass cheek to before it found its target, and prodded ―

“Aah!” You threw your head back, clenching and fluttering around him. “Ah ― Pain!”

You had gotten the best of him; a low grunt escaped Pain as he struck his finger deeper into your asshole.

No one cared for Deidara, for if they did they would see his hand working madly on his cock; his lip sucked under his teeth, ready to bleed. 

“I’m ―” You fell into Pain’s chest, releasing a huff. “I’m gonna ―”

“Go ahead.” Pain’s voice sounded under strain, but still demanding in its gritty hush. “You’ve put on a stunning performance for us tonight. Delight us with one more.”

Pain’s knuckle disappeared into the ring of your ass, the skin of your rear rippling from tight thrusts. With a cry-like whimper, you shuddered and convulsed. Pain’s other hand pressed hard into the small of your back, inadvertently steadying you as you succumbed to his merciless thrusts upward into your spasming cunt.

An near imperceptible “oh” from Pain and a pronounced frown was the only indication he had found his release. All before he lifted you from his cock, coated with your juices, where ropes of his spent escaped and landed to make a mess of your inner thigh.

The sight was so wondrous to distract all other attendants in the room from Dedara finishing with a stifled grunt, ribbons of cum splattering to the floor.

Your forehead rested against Pain’s pectoral. You were lathered in sweat, while Pain, save for some pronounced breathing, had ended the night relatively unscathed.

Hidan clapped slowly as Pain guided you carefully off of him. “Brilliant.” 

“You’re such a prick,” Kakuzu grumbled.

“This was more fun than even I anticipated,” Kisame said, sounding genuinely pleased. “We have to do this again sometime.”

“And we shall.” Pain pet some hair away from your drooping face. Sleep would come soon for you. “We will speak to the madam about our next vis ―” Pain blinked at the floor. “Deidara, clean up after yourself.”

[canmom]

for many years the novels i read used to fall under the loosely-defined 2010s scifi/fantasy subgenre i tend to call 'lesbians and imperialism'. broadly speaking, these books involve a setting where some big old empire is fashing the place up, and typically follow some girl who gets caught up in the machinations of power. there is usually some kind of identity-related shit, like having someone's ghost riding in your head, or being an AI inhabiting multiple bodies. they take a certain degree of cues from the past generation of 'anthropological' scifi, le guin and cherryh and so on. they almost always have 'empire' or 'imperial' somewhere in the title.

there are many specific things i do (still) like about these books - i like how imperial raj radch plays with fake-translation of songs and calls everyone 'she'; i like machineries of empire's poetic mathematical technobabble; i like the mirror empire's lush body horror; i like a whole damn lot about the locked tomb, which puts most of them to shame with its command of narrative voice and vividness of character. but in all honesty, as far as their ostensible unifying subject of imperialism, very few of these books have more insight than fucking star wars. most of them are instead sort of obsessed with the trappings of power: fancy gloves and sexy generals and tea-sipping with emperors, or being the bestest prodigy at the fancy school, the most ruthless general in the army. if we see colonialism happening onscreen - a big if - it's usually direct conquest by overwhelming military force and nothing more.

so far, the only one i've found that actually seems to have a go at the subject with sincerity is baru cormorant. that's kinda why i wrote so many fucking words about it. it is, crucially, willing to get into it - which is to say that it is an uncompromisingly nasty story populated by all the atrocities of the last few centuries, genocide and eugenics and lobotomies and all; and all of this does a lot to ensure its attack on the 'i will rise within the system and subvert it' aspiration has any bite. but it also has enough humour and energy to make that go down in a way that's viciously entertaining rather than a dry lecture.

seth is a pretty unique writer within the genre - the product of a lot of quite horrible pressures i wouldn't wish on anyone but i can unfortunately to some degree say 'same hat' to. arguably the idea of addressing the entire phenomenon of colonialism in a mass market scifi/fantasy novel is all a bit grandiose, but i think if you're going to try it on, i think you gotta commit. if you fail, at least it will be interesting. scifi is at its best as a genre of deranged ambition.

but i'm also reading james baldwin presently and good god can that man write. i missed out on so much by reading mostly this one specific type of scifi. my past self was insane and brainwashed in various ways (i still am, just maybe more self-aware about it lol), so i forgive her, but honesly, never limit yourself to one genre! it's silly. especially don't stick to one very niche subgenre for convoluted moralistic reasons. i promise, whatever it is, you can find your specific form of satisfying pervert shit all over the shop.

[atopvisenyashill]

alright here is my rec list for everything george rr martin:

(link will be in reblog). in it you will find:

the list of all the asoiaf books and related supplemental books and graphic novels (just to like, cover all my bases here)

books and authors across all genres that george has name dropped as having an influence on the series, from historical books written in the late 1800s about random scottish castles to the beginnings of the sword-and-sorcery genre written in serials in magazines.

books about the history he's taken inspiration from besides the ones he's name dropped - basically i found non fiction books that seemed well reviewed on an academic level but also sounded like narrative non fiction bc i can’t do anything too dry or technical. however,,,, i included notes in this section on what part of the story is inspired by each book. i kept it to the stuff that he’s name dropped - like dorne being a mash up of wales, moorish spain, and palestine, or hadrian’s wall or the anarchy - so if you think something sounds interesting but the book i picked was ass, basically every subject had a bunch of books on it!

(caveat i mean, i picked stuff that was readily available to me through my library system as someone in the greater chicagoland area lol so ymmv as to whether there's a lot of info available to you. if you want to know about how to use libby, hoopla, or kanopy tho, hit me up!!)

books i think it's very likely he took inspiration - this is the smallest section, i’m not about to project onto this man, its at the very bottom of the sheet & it’s just like, lolita, some fairy tale stuff, and other books george has written, so it’s also about further understanding his ~style~ + i am simply interested in these titles.

if anything is kind of unclear or if you noticed i missed something george has said, feel free to let me know!

[evilbookworm]

Okay guys, I’m making an episode post!!! Already posted a short one on Escape From Camazotz, but here’s a brief interpretation and meaning of each episode title!  And please, this is an interpretation, not concrete proof!

Episode 1: The Crawl

Ok, I've seen a lot of people translating this and interpreting it to be an episode about a mission, and while this could be right, I think there’s more to it. We all know very well about the show’s constant references to DND, the roleplaying game the party loves. In DND terms, a crawl, or a dungeon crawl, is a scenario in which players must navigate through a sort of maze, “dungeon” if you will, while battling monsters, avoiding traps, and solving puzzles.

                                      So, this episode might be a mission, as has been said many times, but it could also be in a maze of types. A possible terrain in the UD? I just find it very interesting.

Episode 2: The Vanishing of —----------------

Ok, this has pretty much been confirmed for being Holly Wheeler, considering how much she’s appeared in recent bts pictures, but Nancy and Karen fit the 5 letter pieces don’t they? Just a thought, though it probably is Holly.

As for what it could mean in dnd terms, not much really, just some vanishing spells, but this episode will definitely be interesting!

Episode 3: The Turnbow Trap

I was hoping to find this as a dnd term as well, but sadly, it was not. I did find something else rather interesting though. Turnbow is the Americanized version of the Alsatian name Dürrenbach, which means dry stream. So “The dry stream trap,” what could that mean? I was honestly puzzled at this for a while and I couldn’t figure it out. What do you guys think?

                                                             

Episode 4: Sorcerer

Okay, we're all clearly thinking of Will Byers here. Maybe not a cleric, but a Sorcerer is quite similar. Clerics are more medicinal, healers by class. On the other hand, Sorcerers are masters of arcane magic, which is using magic energy in the world to manipulate reality through spells. This definitely ties in to the theory that the UD is Wills mindscape.

                                       

Episode 5: Shock Jock

Shock jocks are essentially radio broadcasters or talk show hosts who entertain listeners by using humor that is mildly offensive to some people. This could totally be a reference to Dustin, considering his constant tinkering with radios. Maybe he’ll be in charge of radios or somehow be part of a secret news source. There are many theories, really.

                                     

Episode 6: Escape from Camazotz

Oh, I love this one. In dnd, Camazotz is the Olman god of bats and horrible things that fly in the night. ANd who got killed by bats in the previous season of Stranger Things? Eddie Munson! No, I don’t think this means he’ll come back, but I do think he’ll be a villain of sorts. 

               

There’s something else, though. Camazotz is also a planet in A Wrinkle In Time, which has been theorized a lot in Stranger Things. Camazotz is essentially a dark planet controlled by evil. People who live there don’t have their own thoughts and are controlled by a central brain called IT. Remind you of anyone? Yeah, Vecna (No not It from It lol). Camazotz more specifically defines what happens when someone just hands over their free will. Sort of like what Vecna does with his victims. He tries to make them accept their death before he kills them.

                               

Episode 7: The Bridge

This one was pretty hard for me to really analyze. I’ve looked through dnd searches and tried to look for meanings of bridges in ST, but I haven’t really found much. Generally, its communication and union, which is kind of conflicting, considering the goal for the final season is to destroy the UD. Maybe I’m looking too much into things, and it’s a literal bridge into the UD. All I could really find is in the movie Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, a bridge is crumbled by a sorcerer, but that’s really it.

                                                   

Maybe it has something to do with the UD being Wil’’s mindscape, and it’s a sort of bridge he creates between the two worlds. Or maybe he is the bridge between the UD and the normal world.

Episode 8: The Rightside Up

I think this one’s pretty self explanatory. The UD will be destroyed and everything will be Rightside Up again. Just like the last episode of Stranger Things Season 1 was called the Upside Down, this is the plain opposite. It will be the episode where Hawkins is saved, and Vecna, whatever he is, is defeated for good. (and byler becomes endgame :) )

                                 

Hope you liked this analysis! It was really fun to make! And please leave your interpretations in the comments if you saw something differently! Thanks :)

[oddaesthetin]

HOW THE JJK BOYS WOULD REACT TO YOUR LOVE FOR EAVESDROPPING (nanami ver.)

nanami kento

• 100% responsible adult

• not the type to give a damn about other people’s business because “i already have a drama of my own, why would i want to know theirs”

• i feel like nanami is the type of partner who would scold you for always sticking your ear to your neighbors’ drama

• but he catches up later on and unconsciously adapt your habit of listening to them as well lol

• you’ll be surprised one day he’s the one updating you about the recent continuation of your neighbor’s cheating issues

• becomes incredibly in denial when you tell him you noticed he’s getting interested (he was also questioning himself whether or not he was infact invested)

— 🖋 —

“sweetheart.”

you continued sipping your tea. maybe if they could yell just a little bit louder you’ll catch some of the details even quickly. all that you’ve learned so far is that mrs. makino was yet again caught by one of his sons face-timing someone that isn’t their father, talking sweetly and obviously flirtatiously, then the son told his father about it, whom, then confronted his wife just minutes after he came back from wor—

“y/n. please stop that.”

your concentration vanished as you heard the man sitting in front of you sigh.

you sat straight, “what, i’m sorry, were you saying something?”

he looked at you very seriously. enough to make you feel guilty about not giving him, or the food in front of you any attention for the past couple of minutes.

“is this really how you wanna spend our dinner? i don’t think gossiping could make your stomach full.”

you looked at the food again, his plate already half empty, and yours barely touched; and just started noticing how the evening wind’s starting to get chiller. you were the one who suggested you two eat at your apartment’s balcony, but in your defense, you didn’t know the drama was gonna continue tonight.

you pouted and whispered, “but it was just getting to the good part! mrs. makino was about to explain her siiiidee.”

the stern look (hOT) remained, and with a defeated sigh, you finally went back to eating.

————

you just came back from a 3-day trip, and for the sake of your pet fishes lives, you ask your kind boyfriend kento to take care of your apartment while you’re gone.

a week has already passed since the last drama from your neighbor’s apartment and you will definitely be lying if you say you weren’t curious about the latest updates. you were dying to ask your boyfriend about it until you realized he’s the mature adult in the relationship and that he probably didn’t even choose to pay them some of his attention.

you rolled your eyes at the thought.

“something bothering you, darling?”

caught. you shook your head dismissively and went back to washing the dishes. “i just thought of something…err, about work.”

nanami, who’s beside you drying up the dishes you’re finished washing, took the plate and the sponge out of your hands. “perhaps its the jet lag taking a toll on your mood. you should rest.”

you took a deep breath and kissed his cheeks before lying on the sofa in your small living room.

just as you were starting to get engrossed to the reels you were watching on your phone, you heard him speak.

“by the way, i think mr and mrs. makino split up. temporarily, i guess. i heard them talking the other night. the husband took their sons. said something about until mrs. makino realizes something—why are you laughing?” he asked confusedly, and you also couldn’t help but be in awe at the sight you saw. your charming, mature and responsible boyfriend, just looking at you seriously while wearing an apron, holding a sponge covered in bubble in one hand and a plate on the other.

you wiped the tears that escaped your eye, “OH MY GOD, DUDE, I GOT YOU INVESTED IN THIS. YOU FINALLY LOVE THE DRAMA.”

“no, i’m not, dude.” nanami gave you a snub and continued with what he’s doing. “i was just thinking you wanted an update. that’s all.”

“WHATEVER YOU SAY, HONEY.”

without looking back at you, he rolled his eyes. he wanted to give an answer but was left speechless and instead just thought about how he preferred being called ‘honey’ by you than being called ‘dude’.

—

© oddaesthetin 2024

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

Skeleton's toddler runs excitedly to him with a flower to give him. By the time they get there, the flower lost all its petals. The child is shocked and looks at his dad in complete confusion. Main 10 reaction?

Undertale Sans - It's so hard to resist chuckling seeing their baffled expression. Sans still thanks the child and he will even dry the poor dandelion stem so it stays a memory. He can't stop chuckling every time he sees it.

Undertale Papyrus - Oh... He comforts his child saying it's fine, but the kid is determined. They throw the flower and run to pick out another... Which lost its petals as well on the way back. The kid throws it away. Papyrus just sits on the floor. It seems it's going to take a while...

Underswap Sans - He jokingly tells the child that it's a good illustration of how much he loves their father. Except the kid takes it the wrong way and starts to cry. Blue panickily tries to calm them down before his S/O notices lol.

Underswap Papyrus - Uh.... He thanks the kid for being so thoughtful about his allergy by only bringing the stem of the flower! Truly a hero. The kid is a bit skeptical at first, but Honey insists the child just saved his life and eventually the child believes it and starts to celebrate. Honey isn't sure what to do with the stem though. He's pretty sure his kid will ask to see it again lol, he can't just throw it away.

Underfell Sans - "the hell you want me to do with this?" The kids burst into tears. Red rolls his eyes. Listen bud, it's not his fault you can't even pick a flower correctly. What do you want him to say? You're a big loser just like him, it's hereditary apparently. Stop crying and accept it. The earlier the better.

Underfell Papyrus - ..... Uh... This is... Nice... He guesses.... ?????? He's in reality as confused as the child but not for the same reasons. He actually didn't see the kid pick up the flower. Just the moment they gave him some kind of ugly grass. He read in a book that you have to encourage children and accept any gift to not hurt their feelings, but still... What the hell is he supposed to do with this? Oh well, it's fine. He's going to let him at home on something Doomfanger can easily reach so the cat destroys it and so he can next blame the cat lol.

Horrortale Sans - Aw. He tells the kid it's ok and that the flower is still beautiful even though it stays not so much of it. Oak doesn't mind, only the gesture is counting. He's happy his child wanted to gift him a flower.

Horrortale Papyrus - He comforts the kid and says that's fine, before going with them to pick up nicer flowers in the nearest flower shop. Willow is happy he can share one of his interests with his child. He loves flowers.

Swapfell Sans - He rolls his eyes and encourages his child to go pick another one. It took 15 flowers before one managed to keep at least one petal, which Nox decided was good enough so that they could finally leave this place. At least the kid has his sense of perfection which is kinda of good?

Swapfell Papyrus - He can't help but laugh at their misery. And dies of laughter after the kid's third attempt. The kid takes that personally, and suddenly kicks him in the pelvis as revenge before running to his S/O crying like HE hurt them. Rus can't believe it. He will remember that. Just wait.

Fellswap Gold Sans - "WELL NEXT TIME YOU'LL THINK TWICE BEFORE PICKING SOMETHING OFF THE FLOOR. A DOG PROBABLY PEED ON THAT." Yeah, he's totally neutral in this and not at all a cleaning freak. The kid is getting their hands washed three times when they get home.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - Oh... That's fine! Look! He picks one dandelion and makes all the petals fall to make his child feel better. They're both clumsy, that's life. Tomorrow will be a better day! What about an ice cream now?

[eleni-cherie]

agents at first sight ✨ || bts • ksj [ONE-SHOT]

"you're Squirtle?"

"you're Charmander?"

about two interpol agents falling at first sight, literally, thanks to a master thief on the run.

© 2024 | eleni_cherie

[one-shot in 'the thieves collection' series - can be read independently!!]

»»»

— word count: 5.1k

— genre: interpol agent au, gangster comedy, adventure, romcom, humour, angst, fluff, sexual tensiON, slowburning, mutual pining, strangers to lover s2l

— song recommendations/inspirations:

the last shadow puppets - the element of surprise

solar - honey

frank sinatra - strangers in the night

keri hilson - i like

»»»

COPYRIGHT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

IDEA/STORY/CHARACTERS BASED ON MY PREVIOUS STORIES: "A THIEF'S ORIGIN" , "AMONG THIEVES" AND "A THIEF'S END".

this one-shot aims to give the backstory of how seokjin and yongsun met, as mentioned in the other parts of the series.

if you want the full context and also know what happens with with them afterwards, check out the other stories as well!

PROTAGONISTS:

KIM SEOKJIN AS HIMSELF; LEADER OF THE ROBBERY DEPARTMENT / "CHARMANDER"

KIM YONGSUN AS HERSELF; AGENT IN THE ORGANISED CRIME DEPARTMENT / "SQUIRTLE"

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE. CHARACTERS NOT NECESSARILY LIKE THE REAL PERSONS. ALSO VERY UNREALISTIC PLOT LOL - JUST PRETEND READING A MANGA/COMIC OR WATCHING A FILM, REALLY.

SUGGESTIVE THEMES. MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE & BLOOD (BUT NOTHING TOO GRAPHIC, IT'S STILL A COMEDY!)

NOT FREE FROM LINGUISTIC ERRORS - ENGLISH IS NOT MY NATIVE LANGUAGE.

DON’T BE A GHOST READER. LIKE, COMMENT & SHARE THIS STORY IF YOU LIKE IT :))

DEDICATED TO EVERYONE WHO’S READING THIS FANFIC!

CHECK OUT MY OTHER BTS STORIES AS WELL: HERE

-Elenixx

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[set after the final chapter of the main story but before its epilogue]

Straits of Singapore, 30km off Singapore

"Sir, are you sure he'll show up tonight? It's been hours and still no sign from Park, Kim or Min."

Seokjin studied the piece of paper between his fingers. It was crinkled from having been stored in his jacket all evening.

A dry laugh left his lips then. "Don't worry, Blake," he said into the radio, "When Park Jimin says he's showing up, he will."

"Roger."

A muffled chuckle was heard beside him as he put the device down and he glanced at Hoseok resting his folded arms on the desk. "But only if you cracked his riddle correctly," his former team mate and friend pointed out with a raised brow, "I mean, you sure about time and place?"

"Pretty sure, yes. He sent that with a postmark from Singapore," the leader of the robbery department nodded and held the paper out for him. Hoseok grabbed it with curiosity, reading over the scribbled note with a hum.

'Meet me at the deck with no cards,

when the sun comes home.

Don't forget to wear a bow tie!

I'll bring the bow, not the arrows though.

See ya!'

"'Deck', 'bow' and the 'see', which is a homophone of 'sea' - it all hints to a ship. And this cruise ship with a bunch of loaded people is the only kind our thieves would be interested in."

"Yeah, I see - no pun intended," the leader of the organised crime department said and slid the note back, "And 'when the sun comes home' means when it's the closest to earth, which was today. Summer solstice."

"Exactly."

"Okay, fine," Hoseok sat back and let his eyes wander around the security room. Eventually adding with a sigh, "But I'm still bummed he had to pick the same time and place my team's got to perform an undercover operation at. Too many cooks spoil the broth, you know. There're so many other places or dates."

"You forget the CEO's wife owns this highly valuable black pearl. I bet everything I have that this is what they're after."

"Probably."

"The better question is, why does that mob boss you're after have to attend the same party."

"What do you think.." Hoseok propped his jaw on the palm of his hand, a sarcastic smirk playing on his lips. "He's acquaintance with Lee, that CEO."

A short laugh left Seokjin's lips and he averted his gaze from the security screens. "Of course, criminals and CEOs are not that different from each other after all."

His younger colleague showed his agreement with an amused chuckle when his radio transmitter beeped.

"Sunflora here, what do you have for me Squirtle?" he answered, causing Seokjin's brows to furrow.

'Squirtle' and 'Sunflora' were the names of Pokémons after all. So he gave Hoseok a wondering look which the latter only dismissed by waving his hand.

"Purugly is heading to the restrooms. S-should I follow?"

'Purugly'. Another Pokémon.

"No, but keep an eye on him nonetheless and wait in a good distance. If he doesn't come out in five, report."

"Understood."

He put the device back down, meeting Seokjin's questioning face. "So?"

"What?"

"You got Pokémon codenames? Never knew you were so into it."

Hoseok shook his head though. "Wasn't my idea," he explained with a laugh under his breath, "Squirtle is her favourite one and she claims she looks like it, that's why she always uses it. So I thought why not using these names for all of us? Makes the whole undercover thing a bit more fun."

"Huh, that's clever. I should do that, too, from now on." The older agent paused but only for dramatic effects as he added with a sigh, "Disappointed I didn't come up with that myself."

"Be my guest. Have you any in mind already?"

"Charmander, of course!" he exclaimed full of enthusiasm and picked his own radio device. "Blake, Jeon? From now on only call me 'Charmander' over the radio. Got it?"

Jungkook's chuckle was heard on the other line. He was rather amused than irritated, but even Skylar wasn't questioning her supervisor's quirks anymore. Both replying with: "Roger that, Charmander." 

"You really do with them whatever you want, huh?" Hoseok wondered with a laugh while scanning over the security screens from the ballroom where the birthday party happened. 

Considering they were on a cruise ship, it was impressive how grand it was. Opulent decorations like crystal chandeliers hanging above the heads of guests, adding to the ambiance of the ballroom. People dressed in their most expensive and fashionable gowns and suits while enjoying conversations and litres of flowing champagne and wine. 

Seokjin only shrugged with a smile. "The kids are alright and they're able to see a joke. But I do sometimes miss you and Namjoonie. Remember when we first started out together?"

Hoseok huffed out a laugh, reminiscing the past when the three of them started out in the robbery department together. "Don't remind me, I'm glad I don't have to deal with the shenanigans of these thieves anymore." He patted Seokjin's shoulder than. "But it was surely fun with you guys, I miss that, too."

He was about to add more when his transmitter beeped once again, interrupting his train of thoughts.

"Squirtle here, he hasn't come out yet."

With a groan, Hoseok's face hardened and he got closer to the screens. His eyes narrowing as he switched through the cameras. It always astonished and in some way also scared Seokjin how he could go from cheery to professional within a second.

"Squirtle, you hear me?"

"Yes, Sunflora."

"There hasn't been any records of him leaving through the other side of the corridor. Are you sure he hasn't returned to the party?"

"Positive. Is there a different way out?"

Seokjin's eyes widened at this and he grabbed the blueprint they'd got from security, eyes searching for any possible vents or openings. He gestured to Hoseok to pass him the radio over.

"Here's Charmander. According to -"

"Sorry, who's there?"

Remembering he'd literally only just come up with his new codename and had never directly spoken with this 'Squirtle' before, he laughed a little embarrassed to himself. "Sorry, agent Kim from the robbery department here," he spoke firmly, "The blueprint doesn't show any other means of escape, unless he decided to swim back to shore. So he must be still in there. Wait another five."

"Okay, got it."

"Is that Squirtle good?" he questioned his friend while sinking back into his seat, observing the monitors.

"She's my best agent actually," Hoseok answered truthfully, "You should've seen her shooting her way through and bending a whole gang boss to his knees. It was beautiful."

The older agent whistled lowly, quite impressed by the thought of that. Or at least how he imagined it. "Sounds like a feisty one."

"Depends. She's surely a lively person, but once you get to know her, she's an easy-going homebody. Similar to you."

A scoff passed Seokjin's lips, pretending being offended by his words. "So you wanna say I'm not unique?"

"Well, I wouldn't subscribe to that," Hoseok said with a teasing grin, "Both of you also get upset in the same hilarious way actually."

"Ouch, that hurts my pride you know."

The two shared a laugh when a sudden commotion on the monitors caught their attention. The guests seemed to be agitated and scattering around the area.

"Jeon, Blake, what's going on there?"

"The black pearl, it fell from Mrs Lee's brooch."

"There's multiple pearls on the floor now! It created a turmoil."

"I can imagine," Seokjin muttered before speaking louder into the radio, "Keep your eyes closely to the guests. Surely that's a distraction by Jimin and the like."

"Of course."

He stood up then, sliding on his black suit jacket. "I'm heading out for support. See, told you he'd show up."

"You need my help? I could tell my agents -"

"Nah, don't worry. I'm sure you guys have your hands full with this commotion, too."

"Sunflora?" Indeed, Hoseok's own agent tried getting in touch with him. And he gave Seokjin a thumbs up, wishing him good luck as he headed out, before grabbing his radio device then.

"Sunflora here."

"I spotted Purugly. He's rushing out with a group of people due to some uproar, I'm following him."

"Roger, Squirtle. Be careful in the chaos, it's a distraction from the thieves. The robbery team will handle it though. You focus on our guy."

"Got it."

»»»

Seokjin squeezed through the noisy and fidgety mass, people hunching and picking up any black pearls they could find - or at least the fake ones Jimin had spread around to cause this uproar.

It was impossible to draw his gun with so many civilians around, so he just continued with careful steps and sharp eyes. Soon spotting something that rose enough suspicion in him to follow it. A rather calm man was galantly making his way among the rambling crowd.

The main reason this man rose his suspicion was rather intuitive though. He recognised him being one of the bodyguards close to the Lee's, he'd stood beside them all evening. Of course his agents had already checked all stuff members for possible disguised criminals before boarding the ship, but they hadn't been observing them nonstop ever since. And this bodyguard now was clearl heading to the exit instead of being on the other side of the ballroom with his boss who was panicked and shouting at his men to find his wife's pearl.

With a confident smirk, he neared the man until he was close enough to grab him by the shoulder. "And I thought you'd never make your appearance, Park Jimin. You had me waiting for quite some time," he sighed in fake-annoyance.

The man visibly flinched at Seokjin's words, glancing over his shoulder then with a lopsided grin.

"Sorry, pops! Got a date with a pearl!"

He abruptly crouched, disappearing from his sight and Seokjin spotted him a few seconds later further away. He'd got rid of his disguise by now and promptly continued his way among the people. But Seokjin wouldn't let Jimin throw him off so easily.

He was close on his heels and Jimin could feel it. His eyes quickly scanning the area for any possible distraction when seeing the interpol agent almost having reached him again. But then he realised that he was literally in the middle of possible distractions and smirked as soon as he spotted a suitable one.

As he continued pushing threw the mass of people, he grabbed someone's wrist and abruptly tucked the person backwards. Right in front of Seokjin, blocking his way. It was a young woman with dyed dirty-blond hair and in the pushing and shoving, stumbled and fell against the agent's chest who caught her out of reflex.

"My apologies, miss, but -" Seokjin was about to politely shove her away when their eyes met. And any further words got stuck in his throat instead. 

He swallowed hard. She was the most mesmerizing woman he'd ever seen in his life. 

Full cheeks, cute nose, pillowy lips and soft brown eyes which were staring back at him intensely, placed so perfectly that it completely disarmed him and took his breath away.

For a moment he wasn't in the middle of the ballroom anymore, he was in the abyss of her wondering orbs.

The woman seemed just as stunned, her expression mirroring his.

However, soon he was washed back to the shore of reality and his memory returned, recalling his initial task of chasing after Jimin.

"S-sorry."

The woman's eyes turned into a dazed scowl, as if she herself had just snapped back into reality and wouldn't recognise the place she found herself in. She stepped back, at least as much as she could in the crowded space, his hands sliding off from the warm skin of her arms. And without a single word, she simply turned and disappeared back into the sea of people. Like a siren who had lured him into her world only to release him again after growing bored.

Someone in his work field and position shouldn't get that easily distracted and usually he didn't. But something in this mysterious woman completely enchanted him and it was more than unfortunate they had to meet under such circumstances.

Perhaps, in a different profession, in a different life, he could've met her differently. Could've spoken to her more.

By the look in her almond eyes, she might've felt the same sugar-rush shooting through her chest. But it didn't matter anyway, he wouldn't see her again. And he had to focus on more important things right now.

He began running through the now less dense becoming crowd, out of the ballroom. The double doors closed behind him with a dull sound, drowning out the jarring voices from inside. The corridor was long and he'd seen Jimin running towards it so it was his best shot right now. 

Eventually reaching outside the deck, he was met with the strong night wind of the open sea tousling his dark waves. It was sparsely lit, only a simple lamp every few metres illuminating the broad area. And there at its end, on the very edge, he found the masterthief standing and laughing as soon as he noticed Seokjin nearing him. As if he'd been waiting for him all along.

"Oh damn, didn't expect you back so soon. Really thought I made a good choice there, could swear she'd be your type."

The agent laughed under his breath, biting down his lip. It wasn't surprising to him anymore, knowing his opponent well enough in all those years to know his little mind games. So he chose to ignore his comment, not giving him the satisfaction of a retort. Although Jimin already knew the truth by the brief look that passed Seokjin's eyes.

"Hands up," the agent said instead with a confident smirk, now able to draw his gun, "Unless you wanna fall into the cold sea."

The thief, however, only met him with an unfazed glance. His arms slowly going up before one of his hands turned, revealing something between his fingers. And under the light of the full moon he could see it sparkling dark. The black pearl.

Seokjin could tell it was the real one.

"Hm, maybe I'll do just that. You know, return the pearl to its natural habitat on the way, too. Thanks for the great idea, pops!" His lips curled further into a beaming grin and before Seokjin could react, Jimin let himself fall backwards.

Perplexed, the agent rushed to the railing. The harsh wind hitting his face as he looked over it, making out the outlines of a motorboat in the darkness. Diverging from the ship and driving towards the coast. 

"Dammit." He sighed and hit the cold metal of the railing, letting it echo get swallowed by the waves. With a dragged sigh, he couldn't help but laugh shortly before pulling out his radio device.

"Jungkook, Skylar?"

Jungkook was faster to answer this time."Yes, sir?"

"Find a radio unit and alert coastguards and agents on the mainland to keep an eye on a motorboat coming from our direction."

"I assume it's about our thieves?"

"Correct, Jeon."

"Roger, I'm on my way."

Returning inside, he caught sight of security guards and staff members who had managed taking back control over the situation and calmed people down.

He came across one of the other agents of Hoseok's team and asked him where his supervisor was. The agent told him in the manager's office with their suspect and Seokjin thanked him before making his way there. As he passed by with hasty steps, walking to the other end where another door led to the offices and security room, he spotted the CEO and his distraught wife being questioned by Skylar in a corner.

Soon he reached a cherrywood door, giving it a few knocks and watching it open at the third knock, revealing his friend behind it. And Hoseok stepped out.

"Heard you got your man, that must be him I assume?" he motioned to the handcuffed guy at the armchair behind Hoseok's shoulders.

Hoseok grinned. "Yup, our 'Purugly' aka Mr San Shinjuk. Isn't that right?"

The criminal kept an desinterested and bored expression, unimpressed by his enthusiasm. "You got nothing on me anyway."

"I wouldn't call a wad of 100,000 won notes and exposing documents, nothing," Hoseok countered with a raised brow, making the man scoff and grow back quiet. Making Hoseok grin widen before joining Seokjin outside in the corridor, closing the door behind him.

"What happened with Park?"

Seokjin only let out a dry laugh. "Well, let's say at least you got your guy.."

Hoseok's eyes widened. "You mean he -"

"Yeah, yeah," Seokjin ran his fingers through his hair, "They got away again."

"Well, next time then."

"Of course next time!"

"I gotta say though. Thanks to the little panic he created, San couldn't complete his restroom deal," Hoseok chuckled.

The irony that his friend was thankful to his nemesis wasn't missed on him. "So that's what took him so long in there.."

"Exactly."

"But I surely won't thank Jimin," Seokjin huffed then, "Would only get into his already big head."

"Sir!"

The yell coming from the end of the corridor, cut their laughing off. The person audibly churned up as they came closer.

"Sir, I'm sorry I lost San. Someone pushed me and there was an idiot blocking my way. Otherwi-"

"Don't worry, Kim," Hoseok interrupted her with a reassuring smile, "You did a good job. We got him."

The woman sighed in relief and her tense shoulders relaxed. A weight seemingly being lifted from her shoulders. "I'm glad, I was worried we wasted our chance."

She was about to leave again when her eyes landed on the person beside her supervisor

Seokjin had turned around to see who Hoseok was talking to behind his back.

And both grew stiff.

There she was, the woman with the full cheeks and dazzling eyes. Her waves pushed to one side, cascading down her shoulder softly as silk. Their bright shade contrasting the black fabric of her tight dress. Now without endless people surrounding them, he had a clearer view on her, seeing it reached only half her thighs, leaving a handwidth of skin between its hem and her overknee boots who added height to her rather petite physique. And he noticed the grip of a 9mm peaking out from one of them.

He watched her burgundy lips part then in shock, unable to avert her eyes from him either.

"The idiot," she eventually breathed, causing the sudden tension to dissolve abrubtly. And Seokjin scoffed amused. "Excuse me?"

She dismissed his question and instead glanced at Hoseok behind him. Only earning a confused glance back. "You two know each other?"

"This is the idiot who blocked my way!"

"Hey, wait a sec, I didn't do it on purpose!" Seokjin quickly defended himself, "Jimin pushed you onto me, so if someone blocked anyone's way it was you blocking mine."

Flustered at the unknown to her details on the incident, she folded her arms and looked away. "That- that wasn't my intention," she mumbled then with a small embarrassed huff.

The taller man sighed and mimicked her in a less serious manner. "Neither mine."

"Well," Hoseok began then in an attempt to change topics, "Agent Kim, how about you let me introduce you to the other agent Kim then?"

She frowned, looking Seokjin up and down. "You're an agent?"

He ignored her judging glare and flashed her a charming smile instead. In a way, he found her even more intriguing now than before. "Nice to meet you. And you are?"

Hoseok nudged his arm as he stepped beside him. "She's the one you talked to earlier. Agent Kim Yongsun."

"You-" His eyes grew, facing her again with a stunned expression. "You're 'Squirtle'?"

Yongsun unintentionally backed off, equally astonished. "You are 'Charmander'?"

This was the guy who also used Pokémon codenames like her? No way.

»»»

"Hey."

Yongsun averted her gaze from the waves beneath her, the wind brushing rather harshly against her bare skin. The ship was heading back to the harbour, all guests having been gathered back inside until arrival and she used the short length of time to enjoy the city lights in the distance sparkling like watercolour on its dark surface.

"H-hey."

She straightened herself when seeing Seokjin approaching her on the deck. He emerged from under the sparsely lit canopy with a timid smile on his lips. His dark brown hair pushed back by now, his forehead peaking behind a few loose strands. His tall figure came to an halt beside her then and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his suit jacket that was casually left unbuttoned. 

"I didn't think I'd find anyone here. You alright?"

"Yeah."

Oh, he did look like a deity – exuding the perfect balance of authority and charm.

Her breath hitched and she managed to give him a nod along with a hum through her folded lips. Focusing back at the crashing waves underneath. 

Truth was, she was uncertain of how to face him again after the previous hour and perhaps also tried avoiding him by staying out there. After all, she'd called a department leader an idiot. It didn't matter that she'd found out - after asking around her team mates - that he was actually a year, almost two, younger than her. In the agency, he remained a senior agent to her.

Sure, she hadn't been aware of who he was in that moment and he'd also seemed taking the whole story with humour. Yet, she couldn't help feeling awkward and mortified in his vicinity. She couldn't even look him straight in the eyes anymore. Even if it didn't cause her trouble at work, it still remained an embarrassing memory and she felt her face heat up.

"Sorry again for earlier," she mumbled while grabbing onto the metal pole of the railing, in search for the right approach, "For.. for blocking your way and.. and also calling you an idiot."

He hummed and contemplated for a moment by tapping his finger against his chin. "Hm, thinking about it now.. I should probably get compensation for personal suffering. That 'idiot' really hurt, you know," he deadpanned, earning a quiet gasp from Yongsun.

She faced him with wide eyes, ready to argue when instead she met his amused grin. He was only joking. She relaxed and tucked away some streaks of hair the wind had swept in front of her eyes.

"You totally should," she laughed softly then.

"You wouldn't mind paying me compensation?"

"Who says that I'd be the one paying?"

"You were the one making me suffer after all," he countered.

She could only laugh out at his teasing smirk. "But wasn't it all the thief's fault in the end?"

"Hey, he wasn't the one calling me an idiot," he countered with raised brows. The fake upsetness on his face made her laugh even more. It was a loud, squeaky laugh and her eyes disappeared.

He smiled. She was cute and not intimidating at all. Hoseok had been right.

The friendly banter had calmed her previous nervousness. It was easy to get along with him which shouldn't be surprising considering he was friends with Hoseok, one of the nicest persons she knew.

But she remained firm in her stance. Arms folding in front of her chest then. "He was the one pushing me to you, though, so it's his fault really," she said. An almost cartoonish grin on her painted lips.

Much to her surprise, however, Seokjin's demeanor visibly softened at this. Eyes flickering over her round face before settling back to the illuminated skyline of Singapore. "Ah, but I don't mind that part so I can't hold it against him."

Her brows furrowed, feeling like she'd lost the thread. "Why not? I thought it prevented you from catching him."

He simply shrugged his broad shoulders. "I got to meet you this way, didn't I? So it wasn't all too bad."

The night was rather brisk out there on the open sea and yet Yongsun felt like standing at 32°C in the midday sun.

He was most definitely flirting with her, even if it was in a smooth subtle way. And the worst part was that she didn't mind.

Still, she decided not to make a big deal over a hot flush because literally anyone, even furniture, would get butterflies with this guy.

His eyes left the lights in the distance then, a timid smile dancing on his lips. "Sorry, was that inappropriate?" he asked bashfully considering her silence, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

She hadn't noticed how flustered she'd been and swallowed, clearing her throat when finding her composure again. "I'll let it slide," she said with as much nonchalance as she could fake in that moment, glancing briefly at him and noticing his blushing ears, "But only because we're in different departments and I won't have to fear favouritism."

"That's true. Although your teamlead is one of my best friends, so who knows.."

"Well, I'll trust that he won't do any."

He laughed lightly. "True, he wouldn't."

"You should be extra nice to the thief next time," she continued then, "You know, to thank him."

"Not that bad of an idea actually. I could crack less jokes when arresting him."

Propping her jaw on the palm of her hand, she glanced at him amused, the distant lights dancing in her eyes. And when she smiled in a way her teeth peeked a little through her lips, he could swear that he died, just a little bit, when she looked at him like that. Like he was the only man in the world. "You're a funny guy, aren't you?"

He breathed. "I try to at least."

Her gentle eyes wandered down to the sea again. The harbour shining clearer now as they drew closer. "You know," she spoke up, mischieviousness returning to her features, "I'm only apologising for the 'idiot', nothing more."

His brows knitted together. "Didn't you also apologise for blocking my way through?"

"Hm, I take it back since you said you didn't mind that."

Humming, he folded his hands and propped his elbows onto the railing. Neither one was a big deal for him and he'd found it rather funny how flustered she'd been once Hoseok had told her who he was. But he couldn't help it, he enjoyed teasing her over it.

"Mh, fair enough. I still forgive you for both though."

"Maybe I should've called you something worse then. Like douchebag or jerk," she mused with an arched brow only for her laugh to die down as soon as Seokjin leaned in. Narrowing the gap between them.

All of her pretend-confidence fell apart at the sudden proximity of their faces. Heaving a shaky breath, her eyes flickered to his plump lips which he noticed. And it took everything in him not to close the gap completely.

"You can call me whatever you like." His voice was deep and feathery, brushing over her flushed cheeks like a whisper only for her to hear. "But obviously not during work," he added with a laugh as he retreated, "That'd appear highly unprofessional. For both of us."

Taken aback, Yongsun watched him walking away, heading back inside without even giving her time to properly ponder over his words and their meaning.

"Wait!" She turned around abruptly. There was a lovely innocence in her round eyes. "What do you mean?"

Seokjin, however, only shrugged with an ambiguous smile. "Who knows." He opened the door then but before entering, he paused and faced her again. "You should also come inside. As beautiful as this dress is on you, it won't prevent you from catching a cold."

She frowned and looked down on her short dress. Only then she sensed the cool breeze surrounding them again. In all the time he'd been around she'd completely forgotten about the chillness out there.

"Uh, yeah. In a minute," she said, feeling her cheeks blushing over his, once again, subtle way of complimenting her.

He gave her a nod and disappeared through the door. Leaving Yongsun back on the dim-lit deck.

She couldn't quite figure out if the beauty of his lips was more their softness or their association with the words he spoke.

Scrunching her nose, she folded her arms on the railing, letting the wind gently tousle her blond waves. It was a pity that she began shivering now considering the beautiful view. Perhaps she should indeed get back inside before catching a cold, despite the urge to clear her mind even more after that anew intense accounter with him.

And she wondered, was it alright flirting with him like that? He might not even be in her department, but he was still another agent. And a higher-ranked one, too. Then again, he had done most of the work, really. She'd simply played along.

Shaking her head, a dry laugh left her tinted lips. 

Either way, it wasn't like this would lead anywhere. They worked at different departments, on differents floors. Their paths most likely wouldn't cross again unless another joint operation happened.

And for some reason that realisation filled her with disappointment.

She wasn't usually the type of woman to feel easily attracted to men or even cared enough to give a second thought to them. But his kind eyes and enticing face did sparkle something in her. And the fact his male ego didn't seem hurt but rather took her earlier blunder with humour, was definitely a bonus point. Besides, he generally didn't seem to take himself too serious either. Both fatally opposite traits in most other men.

Yongsun was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't pay attention to the sound of the door opening again and someone stepping out. Only when fabric met her skin, wrapping around her shoulders and back, she realised she wasn't alone anymore and was ready to draw her gun when a soft laugh was heard.

"What a scaredy-cat," Seokjin teased and her eyes widened when seeing him standing there in nothing but his black button-up shirt. Her glance fell and she realised his suit jacket was drapped over her, instinctively grabbing its collar. She about to reject his offer, when meeting his warm smile.

"Thought it's better than nothing."

"T-thanks."

He gave her nod and turned around, returning to the door when he glanced at her over the shoulder. "You can return it next time we meet. I'll make sure it's soon, this is my favourite suit after all." And Yongsun's eyes widened when seeing a wink follow his words before he returned inside.

Stunned, her thoughts raced and tripped over each other.

They'd eventually meet again. Soon.

Her fingers unconsciously curled more, tightening their grip on the suit jacket.

She only hoped he was sincere. After all, she could tell he wasn't the kind of man a woman got a simple crush on. He was the kind of man you fell hard for, and the thought of that terrified her. She didn't want to fall hard for anyone at all, especially not a superior agent or someone who might not mean any of his words. 

But she had always been a curious cat. And Seokjin definitely triggered her curiosity.

With a small huff, she slid her arms into the jacket. It was still warm from his body and it made her shudder. Burying her hands deep into its pockets.

Great, she thought. 

Now she had a crush on her supervisor's best friend.

THE END

»»»

if you wanna know what happens to jin x yong, check out the other stories for more context and info!

💜check out the whole "thieves collection" series or my main bts masterlist for other members' stories in this universe or in general💜

Don't forget to like, reblog & leave feedback!♡ It motivates me to keep writing :)

[goldensunset]

@the--plant in response to your tags on my khux post. 'is this game free?' i guess you could say that. it's something even more fun! it's

✨ defunct ✨

yeah uh. the app ended its service back in 2021 shortly after the ending to its story was released. what's left of it is basically a dress-up game and a theater mode (aka you can still create your own character and then watch all the story cutscenes with them in it). but even that recently was taken away from us! a few months ago it was quietly and unceremoniously removed from the app store! a lot of people still have the app (holding on for nostalgia's sake, i guess. nothing is playable and it's not like the cutscene movies aren't on youtube) so as long as we don't delete it we can keep it but like no new downloads... 😔

that said. IF you have an interest in khux. if you would like to jump down into this weird delightful rabbit hole with all us other insane people. we can make that happen! there are two particular options i’d recommend:

firstly! the cutscene ‘movie’ from everglow. yes it is like 5 and a half hours long it’s a whole game story of course. you don’t have to watch it in one sitting or anything lol. this is a pretty cut-and-dry compilation of every story relevant cutscene in the game, in the official order they were released in. (this being kingdom hearts, there’s some in-between stuff where the player goes and visits disney worlds. unfortunately almost none of it has any bearing on the actual plot or characterization in this particular game… so this uploader has opted to cut it out. but it is important to know at least that it all exists.) this vid below is what i would consider the most authentic experience!

option two is the fandub movie! see these mobile games don’t have voice acting, which turns some people off of taking an interest in them. but this here is an incredible fan-made project that took auditions for each character, cast voice actors, collected their dubbed dialogue, and neatly edited and mixed the video all together. it took a ton of time and effort to put together and it came out incredibly well!

that said, i personally wouldn’t recommend it for a first time experience (unless you really, really can’t bear to do a lot of reading without voice acting). see, damo279 did things a little differently. a lot of cutscenes in this story weren’t released in chronological order- which is sometimes narratively appropriate, of course, but in other places it gets confusing. he rearranged some of these scenes to try to make the story a little more coherent. which imo mostly was fine, but it very much does change the audience’s experience (such as with the whole entire strelitzia thing. originally that entire section was a flashback and we didn’t know she existed until she was already long dead). he also kind of like ‘added’ a few scenes of his own with narration by one of the characters to summarize the disney world stuff. mostly at the beginning of the game bc the plot starts slow and then picks up the pace exponentially. but like if you don’t care about authenticity though that’s fine lol

the other thing is that like there is also a fully animated fully voiced movie featuring the foretellers (the masked cult leader furries lol) that exists as supplemental background material. chronologically that stuff all goes first, but it would be a reeeeeally really terrible boring weird introduction to the story imho. it’s better to just come back to that afterwards if you’re curious. and see the fandub project mixes the movie and the game together in chronological order to tell a full story. again- it’s great if you’re an existing rabid fan! i love it! but probably weird if you’re a new fan tbh. unless you’re very open minded and patient. in any case here’s part 1 of it! part 2 should be easy enough to find off of this video

and with that said. if you decide to check khux out PLEASE keep talking to me and asking questions! i know it’s a lot. there are even questions that we existing fans don’t yet have the answers to so like don’t feel bad if you don’t understand something! that’s part of the fun… this series is ongoing… hehe

[blaisenova]

ermmmm like i dunno if you're still doing requests buttt could you do like kustard but it turns to dustard

that dynamic always interested me but i never see much about it :3

anon, has anyone ever told you that you're a genius?

the kustard to dustard pipeline is WOEFULLY UNEXPLORED. WHICH SUCKS BECAUSE IT'S SO FUCKING GOOD. so, naturally, i was REALLY excited when i got this ask. yippie!!! an excuse to write fun fucked up dynamics!!!!!

this one is pretty tame. i can't think of any warnings you might need other than it being like..... long and, obviously, kinda angsty. it's fluffy in the end tho. but that's what you get when you ask me to write i guess LOL

thank you all for the requests btw!! i was NOT expecting so many after the kist fic, but i am pleasantly surprised and am trying to chip away at them as quickly as i can. spat this one out in a few hours, so it might not be my best work, but i'm happy with how it turned out either way :)

as always, the link to this fic on ao3 will be in the reblogs once it's posted, if that's your cup of tea (as it is mine LMAO)

i hope this feeds you well anon. thank you for the ask <3

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

It was undeniable that the multiverse was an entirely cruel and ruthless place.

Or, at least, that was what Red had wholeheartedly believed up until he’d met his other self, in a universe that was so very unlike his own. A universe where the typical LOVE of any given passerby was nothing higher than 1; where Sans and his brother were kind to one another in public; where there was so little need for the royal guard that the worst Sans got for sneaking off to Grillby’s during his shift was a slap on the wrist. It was difficult to believe that a place like that could exist – that it could be self-sustainable, since, logically, their weakness should have led to their downfall – and even harder to look at it as anything more than a childish fantasy that had yet to find its catch.

Initially, Red hated Sans. 

It felt ridiculous, looking back upon it – in the moments when his head lay in Sans’ lap and gentle fingers traced over his scars like they were poetry written in a language Red had never bothered to learn, and he wondered what Sans saw in him that he hadn’t seen; wondered if this was what it felt like to love himself – but it was the truth. It had taken him a while to understand that the circumstances in which they’d grown were enough to turn them into two different people; that hating Sans wasn’t so much like hating himself, or what he could have been, as he wanted it to be.

Really, Sans was so unsuspecting that Red had been foolish enough to let his guard down, forgetting that then was when feeling was the most liable to appear. 

He hadn’t expected to fall in love with the laugh – genuine, unabashed, and lacking all of the gruffness of his own – of someone whose humour was just as terrible as his own.

He’d been far too blind to realise how incredibly endearing it was for someone to wake up and allow themselves to be bleary and half-asleep, cuddling into his arm without even meaning to, even if it meant opening themselves up to being easily picked off.

In allowing someone into his blindspot that he’d believed to be too weak or foolish to use it against him, he’d failed to remember that it was the softest words that cut the deepest, when they would bleed him dry so tenderly and lovingly that he couldn’t even think to fight against the bloodloss; when, instead, he’d lean into the knife and ask them to twist it. The wound was soul deep, and the soul’s wounds could not be so easily ignored.

Though, it was a small price to pay to hear that raucous laughter over jokes that weren’t even funny. Trivial, really, in comparison to soft smiles and gentle touches that moved slowly just to prove to him how tender the world could really be.

“Earth to Red.”

A soul for a soul; a life for a life. They gave one another all of themselves, promised each other that it was enough, and it was. For once, it was, just to be soft.

“Come in, Red.”

There was gentleness in the multiverse, hidden until it was allowed in.

Tiredly, he bat away the hand that waved in front of his sockets, only to grab it by the wrist and pull it back down, firmly, on the crown of his skull. With a laugh, the fingers scratched gentle circles into the bone, and Red hummed happily at the feeling, allowing his sockets to slip shut as he lay against Sans’ legs.

“Where’d you go, space cadet?”

“Nowhere,” he grumbled, sighing softly as he fully relaxed into the touch. “Must’ve dozed off.”

Again, there was that laugh, and Red’s soul fluttered. “With your eyes open?”

“It’s a little known talent of mine,” he hummed.

“Gee, must be handy,” came the response, and amusement never sounded so beautiful. “You’ll have to teach me sometime.”

“Nuh uh,” and he couldn’t stop himself from snorting. “It’s genetic.”

“Ah, damn. Guess we gotta add that to the list of differences.”

“Guess so.” His breath hitched as the hand on his head trailed downward to cup his cheek. His browbones furrowed, ever so slightly, and he felt himself go tense.

“Hey. Look at me.”

After a moment, Red opened his sockets, and there was no sight more welcome than the face of his lover. Each time he saw him was like the first, and Red drank in each of his features as if they’d disappear at any moment: smooth bone, unmarred by chips and cracks; eyelights that glowed softly in dark sockets, like how he imagined fireflies might; ever present, gentle smile that smoothed away his worries. Oh, to be so untouched by cruelty. He’d do anything to keep it that way.

“‘Sup,” he breathed, and Sans’ smile widened as he snorted.

“‘Sup,” he returned. His thumb ran circles over his cheek, and Red leaned into the touch. “You okay?”

With a snicker, he rolled his eyelights at the question. “Super duper.”

Despite himself, Sans laughed too, but, still, pressed on. “You sure? You were spacing out pretty bad before. Like, way out in deep space,” he emphasised, unnecessarily. “No planets around, just stars. Way beyond our galaxy. Uncharted territory. Where no man has gone before.”

“Alright, alright, I get the picture” Red interrupted, though not without chuckling. “‘M okay. Was just thinking.”

When Sans’ head cocked to the side, Red couldn’t help but grin. “About?”

“Uranus.”

At first, his sockets simply narrowed, confused, then all at once, “Ura– Oh. Alright, perv. Har har.”

But, he was laughing, and Red was, too, like it was the funniest joke in the world despite it not even being funny. Maybe it didn’t matter, if Red was the one to say it; if Sans was the one to laugh. Maybe, then, it could be good, even if it wasn’t, really. The sound of their laughter, something shared and sacred, was what Red imagined it might feel like to hear the birds chirp when the sun rose and turned the sky whatever colours it was supposed to when it drove the night away. He hoped that it was blue, like Sans’ favourite colour, but the pictures in his textbooks were too faded to be sure.

When he tuned back in, the laughter had tapered off.

“You do that a lot, y’know,” Sans noted, almost absentmindedly, and his hands turned back to trailing shapes on Red’s skull.

He grunted at the feeling. “Do what?”

“Go to space,” Sans said, simply. “Or… somewhere else. That I can’t reach.”

Red frowned, closing his sockets to cut off the dull thrum of agony he felt in his soul whenever Sans’ smile didn’t reach his eyes like that. “I do it less than I used to. It used to be better, somewhere else – anywhere else – but ‘m not so sure anymore.”

“Where would you wanna go?” he asked, in a whisper. “If you could go anywhere. Anywhere at all.”

For a moment, Red considered. The answer would have been easy before – the surface, of course. Where Paps and every other monster longed to be – but access to the multiverse had opened up options that he’d never known existed. If he could conceive of a place, it surely existed, somewhere. Any place. Anywhere. Anywhere at all. But, if kindness was so thoroughly hidden, why should he want to look for it anywhere else?

“Think I’d rather just stay here,” he hummed. “With you.”

Maybe he should have questioned the way that Sans’ hands stilled at his answer. Maybe he should have opened his eyes; looked at his face; seen his expression; known what it meant.

But, he didn’t.

“Geez,” Sans breathed, with a laugh that sounded breathless. “My answer feels stupid in comparison.”

“Yeah? What’s yours?”

“Anywhere else. Anywhere at all.”

In hindsight, Red should have known it was too good to last; too good to stay good.

A universe where the typical LOVE of any given passerby was nothing higher than 1; where Sans and his brother were kind to one another in public; where there was so little need for the royal guard that the worst Sans got for sneaking off to Grillby’s during his shift was a slap on the wrist. It was difficult to believe that a place like that could exist – that it could be self-sustainable, since, logically, their weakness should have led to their downfall – and even harder to look at it as anything more than a childish fantasy that had yet to find its catch.

Of course, there was a catch. 

There was always a catch. Every childish fantasy grew tainted with time, like the innocence of children was stripped with age. Every fairy tale book grew weary and old, pages yellowed and frayed. Every picture faded, until you couldn’t be sure whether the sky was blue or grey.

But, you hoped it was blue anyway, and maybe that was your mistake.

It was undeniable that the multiverse was an entirely cruel and ruthless place. That was what Red wholeheartedly believed. Maybe, after all, there was a reason that love and LOVE were spelled the same.

Try as he might, though, Red could not hate him.

It felt ridiculous – in the moments when hands clamped around his neck like a vice, choked by the grip and the grief that came with it, as if the two were one in the same, and they would both cry, both tremble in fear, or fury, or something worse, and Red would think that this was what it was like to hate himself – but it was the truth. It had taken him a while to understand that the circumstances in which they’d changed were enough to turn them into two different people; that hating Dust wasn’t so much like loving himself, or what he could have been, as he wanted it to be.

Really, Red had underestimated Dust as he had been before; had assumed that kindness meant the incapacity for cruelty.

And, in allowing someone into his blindspot that he’d believed to be too weak or foolish to use it against him, he’d failed to remember that it was the softest words that cut the deepest, when they would leave scars so deep that all he could think of was how much he missed the feeling; when he’d search for the knife and throw himself against it. The wound was soul deep, and the soul’s wounds could not be so easily ignored.

Before, he’d thought it was a small price to pay. Trivial, really, in comparison to what he had to gain from it. As if it were a simple transaction as opposed to something living, and breathing, and ever changing; as if he would never have to be the one who was tender; as if that made it anything less valuable.

“Red.”

A soul for a soul; a life for a life. They gave one another all of themselves, promised each other that it was enough, and it was. Just as before, it was. Harsher now, but Dust had taught Red to be soft, and Red would teach him what he’d forgotten.

“Red.”

There was gentleness in the multiverse, hidden until it was allowed in.

With a jolt, he came back to reality to a slap on the face, not hard enough to hurt, but more than enough to be startling. He frowned, but, nonetheless, took his hand by the wrist and guided it to the crown of his skull. Hesitantly, as if spurred on by some muscle memory, the fingers ran in gentle circles across his bone, and Red hummed in approval at the feeling as he lay against Dust’s legs.

“Where’d you go?”

“Nowhere,” he mumbled, unconsciously leaning into the touch. “Must’ve dozed off.”

“With your eyes open,” Dust said, and it wasn’t a question. “Freak.”

Immediately, Red snorted. “Guess we gotta add that to the list of similarities.”

Despite himself, Dust laughed; the sound short, subdued, and nothing like the laugh he’d fallen in love with, but something about it made his soul flutter, nonetheless. “Guess so.”

After a moment, Red opened his sockets. Each time he saw him was like the first, and Red drank in each of his features as if they’d disappear at any moment – as they had before – smooth bone that crackled and buzzed with magic, refusing to be underestimated; eyelights that glowed brightly in dark sockets, like how he imagined neon signs would on a city street in the middle of the night; a face shrouded by shadow, as if it was saved for him alone to see. In the end, he’d been marred by cruelty despite Red’s best efforts, but he was beautiful nonetheless.

“‘Sup,” Dust mumbled, and the edges of his mouth quirked up in an attempt at a smile.

Slowly, Red lifted his hand and, ever so gently, cupped Dust’s cheek, pausing when his breath hitched, but, with the same caution, Dust leaned into the touch; barely enough to be noticed, but Red noticed. This time, he saw. “‘Sup,” he finally returned. “You okay?”

“You’re going to disappear,” Dust whispered, and his voice broke on the words in a way that made Red feel hollowed out. “You’re going to go somewhere else. Somewhere that I can’t reach. Like you do when you go to space. It scares me.”

Browbones furrowed, Red ran gentle circles across his love’s cheek, staying silent as Dust took in a shuddering breath to continue; a quirk Red had grown accustomed to.

“I remember what you told me before,” he said, and his hand came up to desperately hold Red’s to his face, like he might forget it was there if he didn’t make sure. “That you did it because it was better to be somewhere else – anywhere else. Do you want that now? To be somewhere else? Away from me?”

“No,” Red said, and the lack of hesitation in his answer surprised even himself. “I don’t want that.”

Again, Dust’s breath hitched, and he frowned, like the answer wasn’t enough, and, maybe, it wasn’t. His fingers threaded between Red’s, and, when he clutched onto his hand, Red squeezed back, holding him with desperation to match. Dust laughed, a breathless sound. “I’m not the person that you loved.”

Scoffing, Red rolled his eyelights at the notion. “Of course you are.”

“I’m not,” Dust insisted, and something about it was a plea.

“Then,” he breathed, “I love you. This you.”

And, with a breath that was cut off with something that sounded suspiciously like a sob, Dust leaned forward – over Red’s body, as if to trap him – and pressed his chest against Red’s. His ribs fluttered with each breath, and Red guided his stuttering breaths with deep inhales that interlocked their ribs with each one. His hand remained stuck to Dust’s cheek, and he squeezed gently, relieved when Dust squeezed back to let him know he was still here; in this reality, not another.

“Breathe,” Red commanded, soft; soft, like he’d been taught. “I’m here.”

Dust took a heaving breath – deep, frantic, like he’d been drowning – and, in a voice that sounded so much like before – reminding Red once more that this was the person he loved, despite the change – he whispered, “Where would you wanna go? If you could go anywhere. Anywhere at all.”

The question made him sputter, for a moment. Then, with a breathless laugh, “Seriously?”

“Please,” he pleaded, so what could Red do but answer?

The answer would have been easy before – here; here, just like before – but, despite how they fought against it, things had changed. Did that mean his answer had to change? That his longing had to shift, too? The multiverse was infinite. If he could conceive of a place, it surely existed, somewhere. Maybe even somewhere that Sans stayed Sans, but would it be the same? Any place. Anywhere. Anywhere at all. But, if kindness was so thoroughly hidden – had been ripped from Dust’s grasp with the signature ruthlessness of the multiverse – then why shouldn’t Red be it? Like Dust had been for him, before.

“Think I’d like to stay here,” he hummed. “With you. Still.”

And, this time, Red noticed the way that Dust’s breathing slowed to a stop; felt the way that his magic crackled between his joints; how something wet slipped between their fingers on Dust’s cheek; knew what it meant.

“Okay,” Dust whispered.

“What about you? Where would you go?”

There was a pause – a moment as Dust inhaled once more; held Red’s hand tight, but oh, so gentle – before he managed to answer. “Here,” he said. “With you.”

[lsleofthelost]

once again, im here with set pictures, info from the set designer, Mark Hofeling, and my own commentary on it. this time, i wanna share stuff on Isle of the Lost from Descendants 2.

post about Isle of the Lost in part one

post about Maleficent's castle

Ursula's Fish and Chips Shoppe:

About Ursula's place: "Like all the imprisoned villains on the Isle of the Lost, Ursula has had to find a way to make ends meet. Thus her Fish and Chips Shoppe is right at the tide line of the prison island. I wanted the feel of a faded old carnival attraction, still alluring despite its decay."

"Uma (China Anne McClain) and her pirate gang, including her trusted lieutenants Harry Hook (Thomas Doherty) and Gil (Dylan Playfair) rally to take back what is theirs in Uma's mother's dingy tidal pool of a Fish and Chips Shoppe."

"A detail of the menu board and specials in Ursula's Fish and Chips Shoppe."

i think this gives us info on the money on the Isle. there are two units, m and n, and there are a 100n in 1m. i think the prices are comprable to us dollars back like 30-40 years ago? which further supports my theory that the Isle is stuck in the past, in the time of their imprisonment. the menu itself has some genuine regular items, like fish cakes, dumplings, but most of them are isle specials, like pond scum, shell smell, and gulf goo. which i think is hilarious considering Ursula and Uma still just serve them whatever.

"A detail of Uma's coral throne."

Isle of the Lost:

"A view of Low Tide Lane on the Isle of the Lost. Having been an isolated prison island for decades now, the idea was that every slat and board is on its 9th or 10th life, and every object not screwed down had changed grubby hands hundreds of times."

they kept the dirty candy colour palette! and i love how they truly kept to the 'everything is used and stolen 10 times over' philosophy.

this is the Bazaar, which is another market on the Isle. there is one in the main square and then this is the one closer to the docks, we can see Mal riding through it in D2. here, we once again see the money measurement. and i think it's intereting to see that crab and potatoes are priced higher than other things. i also like the 'satisfaction no guaranteed' sign.

Curl Up and Dye:

"Drizella's Curl Up and Dye on the Isle of the Lost is where Mal and Evie load up on chemicals for their showdown with Uma's pirate gang. So more than a hair salon as absurd as the rest of the Isle, it also had to be a repository for all kinds of chemistry and alchemy. The idea here was that out of every 100 of young Dizzy's experimental, chemical beauty concoctions, 99 blow up."

"The ever-unpredictable dye distillery."

"A detail of the dry chemistry set up."

i like that the base for this is a rough finish, like a construction before any renovation. and then its just neon splashes and broken mirrors from Dizzy's experiments. also i like the note that it's more chem lab than a salon.

Rotten four's hideout:

"The VK's hideout was always a place of respite from their raging and overbearing parents. It's where the VK's purloined all the best stuff on the Isle, and where Mal perfected her street art. "

this is Mal's room! which confirms for me that she doesn't live with her mother, at least not full time.

im kinda sad that we didn't get a view of the side with all those board games (kitchen, i think?) but even just these pictures are full of interesting details! as far as i saw only Mal's and Jay's 'Long Live Evil' tags are on the walls, i think it's because it was theirs first. i like the thorns that are circling the walls, like Maleficent's thorns around Sleeping Beauty's castle. they have some kind of an old school sound system, too! which i can i assume they use when throwing parties. and there are bikes, probably repaired 10 times over, but prised nonetheless. also, i thought that the green lamp in Mal's room is a hookah lol

Uma's ship:

"Uma and her pirate gang rule the rotting docks and rocky edge of the Isle of the Lost."

"Uma's HQ is this ruined pirate ship. After all the Disney Villains were relocated to the Isle of the Lost, all the ships that brought them were scuttled and they were all locked behind an enchanted barrier. So this is one of many wrecks in these waters, including the sails of the ship, rammed into her side. We found real tall-ship riggers for this work, and they used 10,000 feet of rope in the process."

i love that they really rigged that ship! i think it's a detail that shows that Uma's pirates are real professionals.

"This photo shows the "rickety" and treacherous landscape of the rotten docksides. This became the setting of a 20 person melee to rescue King Ben and escape the Isle and Uma's vengeful clutches."

we can see Uma's 'We ride with the tide' tag in the bg, signifying that this is her territory.

there are a lot of cool details but what i'm focusing on here are the old school washing machines, again showing us how the Isle is frozen in time. im assuming theyre on the docks because this is where the water is.

i am looking to make another post with details from D3, here's hoping i'll get to it sooner than i did this follow up

[tenaciousjalapeno]

Testing The Cat Lady

1/?

Pairing: LA Buggy the Clown x Reader

Summary: Captain Buggy invades your small town because that's kind of his thing. Your methods of escape pique his interest, so he drops everything and drags you back to his tent for a little chat. However, you're enraged when you realize that your beloved cat is nowhere to be seen.

Warnings: language

Word Count: 2300

A/N: This is my first time writing really anything, so please don’t be mean or I’ll cry. Kind of experimenting and finding my own style, so I can't promise consistency lol. Definitely open to any tips/pointers

A bright light rouses you from your sleep. Ugh. Everything is sore. Your heavy eyelids protest as you force them open, being met with a blue-haired man in clown makeup standing mere feet from you. A gasp escapes your dry, bound mouth as you’re jolted back into reality, tensing every muscle in your body. Much to your chagrin, you can’t move an inch. Checking yourself over, you see that your hands and feet are bound to a circular board.

The man turns toward you. “Wellll, good morning, sleepyhead! Hope you enjoyed your nap,” the man says with a large smile plastered across his face. However, the smile is anything but friendly. His tone is hostile, and his eyes are cold. You glance around the room, but it’s difficult to discern where you are. A large spotlight shines upon you and the clown, dousing anything outside of its beam with darkness.

Anxiety builds in the pit of your stomach. You mumble against the cloth stuffed into your mouth, trying to ask what the hell is going on. “Ah, ah, ah,” he scolds, waving a finger in front of you. “I saw your little show back in town. That’s why I dragged your sorry ass back here.” He paces in front of you, never dropping eye contact. All humor has left his face, a mixture of irritation and curiosity left in its place.

Of course, you know what he’s referencing. It was your devil fruit ability.

Earlier in the day, the unexpected and unwelcomed bell rang across town to warn that pirates were nearing. From your hilltop bungalow on the outskirts of town, the brightly colored ship bearing a Jolly Roger sail was visible. It appeared to be far enough out for you to have time to gather some belongings before evacuating, so you did exactly that. However, you underestimated how prepared the crew was. Several bands of pirates had already surrounded your town, one of which infiltrated your small neighborhood. Panic set in, and adrenaline rushed through you. So, as if on instinct, you started to sing.

Back in your teenage years, you were a traveler. Never staying in one place for too long, you visited dozens of islands and adventured through both large cities and undeveloped areas alike. One of your escapades led you to a devil fruit – the Hum-Hum fruit, to be exact. Being the adventurer you were, how could you resist?

It gave you the ability to influence peoples’ emotions by singing to them. It had its pros and cons, but ultimately made a good defensive ability. It helped you out of a lot of sticky situations throughout your journeys right up until you decided to settle on this island and call it home. You acclimated to the friendly town easily and even befriended a scruffy orange kitten, who you decided to call Mango.

Overwhelming the pirates with a false, but intense fear, they cowered before you as you slowly backed away with a small rucksack and Mango held against your che- Wait. Mango!

You start thrashing against your restraints, hurling muffled expletives at this blue-haired jackass. What the fuck did they do with him?

He smiled again, genuinely this time, finally getting the reaction that he wanted from you. “You seem like you’ve got something to say, doll,” he states, pleased with himself. “I’ll be gracious enough to let you explain what you were doing to my freaks.” Is this an opening? “Oh, and my cauliflower-eared friend, Klaus, here is going to make sure you don’t try anything.” A large man with scarred ears steps into the light, startling you. No. It was not, in fact, an opening. The big, dumb-looking guy steps forward and removes your gag. He then takes a step back, mumbling something to the blue-haired man. You’re not positive, but you’re pretty sure he called the blue-haired man “captain.” So this guy is the captain of the invading pirates? Doesn’t look like much, you thought.

The captain stares at you eagerly, waiting for an explanation. You meet his gaze with a glare, seething and ready for a fight. “What did you do with my cat?” His face falls in disbelief.

“What?” he asks incredulously.

“Where. Is. My. Cat!”

He stares back, taking a moment to fully process your words before he starts flailing and yells, “A cat? Buggy the Clown – captain of the most dreaded pirate crew the East Blue has ever known – has you tied up and helpless, ready to kill you if I have to, and you’re worried about a fucking cat?” Of course you are. Mango’s your best friend. Also, “most dreaded?” You’ve never even heard of him. This Buggy guy seems to think highly of himself. He pinches the bridge of his nose with a defeated sigh. “I don’t know where your cat is. That is not the point. Now tell me what you were doing to my men!”

This guy clearly doesn’t comprehend how much you love your cat and how bull-headed you can be.

“I’m not answering anything until I have my cat back.”

“Fuck!” Buggy steps out of the light. You can’t see him, but you can hear him still yelling, utterly frustrated. “You, you, and you! Go find this dumbshit cat!”

You finally relax against the board, pleased. “He’s orange with a blue ribbon around his neck,” you call in a sing-song voice toward the darkness.

Buggy returns to the light and comes close, only stopping once your noses – wait is that clown nose real? – are nearly touching. “Once they bring that stupid cat back, you’re answering any question I’ve got.”

“Whatever you say, captain,” you reply, smirking. With a final huff, he steps once more into the darkness. Initially, you were filled to the brim with fear, but seeing how much of an idiot this guy is puts you at ease. It takes roughly 30 minutes before you finally hear hissing and yowling in the distance. Atta boy, Mango. Give ‘em hell.

Another man, this one wearing a bear hood, steps into the light holding Mango out as far away from his body as possible. Bear-boy is clearly scratched to shit and relieved to finally be able to get this thing away from him. He drops your cat and dips back into the darkness as quickly as possible. Mango lets out another loud hiss before calming at the sight of you and trotting over to rest at your feet.

Buggy walks back up to you, clearly no less aggravated than he was earlier. “Now answer my questions, shithead! What were you doing to my men?” The nicknames are getting a little more aggressive now, huh?

You shoot him a dirty look and slowly choose your words while looking down to make sure your cat hasn’t been harmed. His tail is puffed out in anger, but he seems fine otherwise. “I was singing to them,” you reply matter-of-factly.

The clown’s face falls again, in stark contrast of the large, red smile painted onto his face. “Singing,” he repeats flatly. “You were singing.” It’s not even a question so much as a statement. The gears in his head start turning, and he mumbles to himself. “I figured it was a witch’s incantation or something. How does singing have any effect on my men?”

“It’s my devil fruit ability.” His face whips toward you. This clearly has his interest piqued. As fun as it would be to torment this clown, you just want to get out of these restraints, so you decide to give him the information he so clearly wants outright. “I ate the Hum-Hum fruit. I can control peoples’ emotions by singing to them.”

Licking his lips and smiling, Buggy stares at you even more intently now. “Show me.”

“Let me down first.” Bargaining might not be in your cards right now, but you decide it’s worth a shot. Surprisingly, the bold request pays off though, as the captain comes forward to undo your restraints. With him this close, you notice that he has a surprisingly nice floral scent.

“I’ll need an audience,” you say, rubbing your sore wrists once freed. With a nod, he looks into the darkness and jerks his head, motioning for several unseen crewmates to come closer. Scooping Mango up off the ground, you finally step out of the oppressive spotlight. It takes a minute for your eyes to fully adjust, but you take in the room. It’s more of a tent, really, with striped tarps set up and seating placed around the edge. Fitting, you suppose, for a circus clown to reside in a circus tent. Your eyes land on your small audience seated on the benches. It’s only four people, one of which is Bear-boy, now with gauze wrapped around his hands and forearms. Smiling back down at Mango, you give him some scritches under his chin, making him purr softly. What a good boy.

“Alright, doll. Go ahead.” Back to the nice nicknames now that he’s getting his way, it seems. Holding up your end of the bargain, you fulfill his request. This captain is a fool though, letting you freely use your ability. Once you’ve got them cowering again, you’re going to book it out of the tent. The big, cauliflower-eared guy can’t hear you, but you should still be able to outrun him.

As you start singing, the captain watches on with a large smile, looking back and forth between you and your audience. They laugh, then cry, then start yelling and throwing punches at each other. But… Why isn’t Buggy reacting? A gloved hand – a dismembered hand – flies forward and clasps your mouth shut. Holy shit! You jump back with wide eyes, but the hand follows. Looking back to the captain, you see that his smile has grown impossibly wide. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the audience scurry away. What the hell is he trying to pull? Eyeing him up and down you notice that his left arm ends in a stump. Wasn’t there a hand there before? The moment your eyes dart back up to his face a set of what appear to be ears comes flying toward him and pop back onto the sides of his head.

As much as you want to, your body is too frozen in fear to back away. The clown releases your mouth and the hand returns to him and pops onto the end of his arm. He laughs at your expression and circles you. “What, you think you’re the only person who’s ever eaten a devil fruit? I myself ate the Chop-Chop fruit.” Right before your eyes, his body breaks apart into a dozen pieces before reassembling. So that’s why he wasn’t affected by your ability. He can’t hear you if his ears are off somewhere else. “You can slice me, and you can dice me, but I will always put myself back together again.”

Klaus comes forward and grabs you by the arms, making Mango fall to the ground. He once again stands before your feet hissing at the captain in a feeble attempt to protect you. Buggy’s detached hand flies toward your cat grabbing him by the scruff and pulls him up toward his face. Mango writhes, trying to free himself to no avail.

“No!” you scream. “You leave him alone!”

That annoyingly perpetual smile remains plastered on Buggy’s face. Four daggers slide from his coat, one between each of his fingers, in a clear attempt to intimidate you. “Or what?” You have no answer for him. In ideal circumstances, you could influence him to lose interest in both you and your cat, but being bound by a big deaf guy seriously limits your chances of escape. The feelings of panic and despair from earlier are flooding back to you. Tears fall down your face.

 “I- I don’t know,” you admit with a small sob. “Please don’t hurt him. He’s all I have.”

Buggy’s smile falters for a moment at your begging. If you blinked, you would have missed it. Recovering his smile again, he taps the daggers against his chest, pretending to mull over your pleas. “Alright, I won’t.” He steps closer again, now inches away from you. “If you join my crew, that is. You could prove useful.”

You look up at him. His blue-green eyes – which are admittedly, the most beautiful you’ve ever seen – stare back at you intently. Inexplicably, there’s a flutter in your chest, but it’s quickly replaced with a hard drop as Mango lets out another yowl. “Okay,” you whisper, nodding. “I’ll join your crew. Just please give me back my cat.” He takes a step back and his hand comes forward to place Mango back into your arms. You hold your scared pet to your chest, stroking him in an attempt to soothe both him and yourself.

“Cabaji,” Buggy shouts, summoning a man with strange striped hair forward. “We just added another showstopping member to our crew. This is cause for celebration, don’t you think?” The man, Cabaji, nods and disappears into another room off the main tent. The clown turns to face you once more, his smile more subtle now. He grabs your arm and dismisses Klaus. For a split second, you consider taking this chance to run, but something tells you that your freedom would be short-lived. “I’m so happy you decided to join me, doll,” he says much more softly now. “You and your little friend there will make a nice addition to the show.”

Wrapping his arm around you, he steers toward the door that Cabaji left through moments ago. He leans down close to your ear, his breath tickling as he quietly states, “By the way, songbird. I’ve got a strict agreement with Mohji to not hurt cats.”

[mysafehaneul]

I.AQUAMARINE

JEON WONWOO X READER

WORDS: 4.5K

GENRE: ARRANGE CONTRACT MARRIAGE AU! ENEMIES TO LOVERS!

ANGST, (obviously lol), Fluff, Smut (in future chapters not this one).

I wrote a timestamp sometime around three years ago and said if this gets good responses then I'll turn it into a series, Now a few of you showed your interest in it and I feel like writing again, it will not be perfect but I will try to do justice to all the characters, the story, and the time and effort you guys put in reading and liking, please do leave comments, and Do not refrain from giving your suggestion as it will only help me improve without any further ado lets start with the first chapter! <3

PSA: You don't have to read the Timestamp to read this as it has a different plot route from it but still, the essence is the same.

This is my original work for free comsumption because fuck capitalism but please do not steal it. All characters are orginal except The members of Seventeen, I do not own them. This is purely a work of fiction with no similarity with real life whatsoever, If any incident feel familiar, That is purely a coincedence. Happy Reading!

Chapter 1: The Unforeseen Circumstance

2 years ago

Y/N paced the ornate living room of your aunt's bohemian-style house in Switzerland, her thoughts as tumultuous as the storm that raged outside.

'This is not good' Like a loop going in your head.

Your hands were sweating and your heart was pounding like how fire blazes right before it was about to be extinguished. You never liked hospitals and in all truth, you'd rather be anywhere but there. Noella's face her lovely blue eyes and blonde locks, her whimsical laughter that could enchant anyone, your memories with her flash in and out before your eyes making your heart sink further in anguish what would become of...

The pounding at the door stopped your chain of thought, rushing towards the door you almost ran into the mahogany footrest by the couch. You took a deep breath an unfruitful effort to calm the nerves, wrapping your fingers around the cold metal knob as the red and blue light filtered through the window and the words of your father echoing in your heart.

'Remember darling always hope for the best, prepare for the worst

you swing the door open and your eyes already burning, when one of the two officers starts to speak,

''Are you Y/N L/N....''

.

Y/N

Y/N...

Present Day

"Y/n wake up, darling you have been sleeping since yesterday afternoon your father and I are waiting for you to join us for breakfast, it is not like your first flight back from Switzerland''

Your eyes flashed open, and the air filled your lungs you didn't even realize for how long you'd been holding it in your sleep. The cold sweat on your forehead drying making a shiver run down your spine, one by one your senses activated taking in your surrounding, Serenity Villa, your childhood home every wall bearing witness to the life and memories you have lived and made the laughter, cries, and affection. Affection, that gentle breeze that stirs the depths of our being, is the golden thread that weaves our connections, tender and unspoken. It's the warmth that paints the world in hues of understanding, where each glance, each touch, becomes a symphony of whispered emotions—an intangible treasure that enriches the tapestry of our lives, reminding us that in its embrace, we find a sanctuary of belonging and love.

The same kind of love that you felt blooming in your heart when you first looked into his eyes when he sat across from you and Noella on the first day of your second semester in the business psychology course. Pushing down the wave of nostalgia that rose from the depths of your memory, you took a deep breath and pushed off the blankets off your body the scrunched-up satin pajamas riding down as you got off the bed. Your mother was busy peering down at the garden view from your window as her peach-manicured fingers tied the curtains with their strings turning to look at you she began,

''About time you made an appointment with Antonio, Darling I am sure he can tame that unruly mane of yours''

'home sweet home' you signed to yourself and shut the bathroom door behind you with a slam.

...

...

As you moved towards the dining area, you can't help but linger a little on the stairs, the quiet descent through the heart of grandeur, your hands gliding through the railings. The railings, polished and timeless offering a steady guide. The soft rustling noise of feet and clicks and clatter of pots and dishes. Most probably Mathew and Martha going about their daily routine in the kitchen and the house respectively. you made a mental note to greet them after breakfast.

Your footsteps painted a rhythm on the marble, a soft cadence that harmonized with the surroundings, At the final step the chandelier overhead although unlit, swayed due to the rustling of the wind due to the open windows when you spotted your parents sitting in the patio dining. In their natural habitat, your father going through his work pad and your mother talking about anything and everything and your father listens or at least pretending to which his occasional nods and hums. You turned your direction and walked towards them. Swishing past your picture wall which contained the portal to a world once lived, each photograph, a fragment of eternity, stands as a testament to the beauty of life's moments captured, Every place bearing witness to your mother's artistry and intention and hard work in making this mansion home with her touch and love for those cherished moments, a sanctuary where the past dances with the present. Your eyes caught in your graduation picture, how long was it, 7 years or 8? A nostalgic smile played on your lips while looking at the picture of you, Noella, and Joshua, standing side by side, and Joshua's hands around Noella's waist and on your shoulders. In the embrace of friendship and love. Heart filling with reminiscence, the taste of victory, the scent of accomplishment lingering in the air like a sweet fragrance. Eyes, alight with hope and anticipation. The smiles are as radiant as the sun was on that day. A Nice day, you thought to yourself. And you made your way towards your parents.

...

...

Halfway through the breakfast and giving your father a little summarization of the Swiz branch, he gave you some tips and you asked him about the current scene with the resort project your father is about to start when your mother excitedly interjected,

‘Enough of you both and your business,’ she chided  ‘You daughter and father always about data and strategies.’ turning her body towards you ‘ Y/N darling you won't believe who we met at the country club last week’

‘Another aspiring painter’

Making your father chuckle behind his coffee mug

your mother rolled her eyes and said,

‘No, Jeon Wooshik.’

‘And whom that would be?’

‘Your mother's childhood admirer’, your father quipped. 

‘Enough of that James, I told you we were just friends.’

Now it was your father's turn to roll his eye and shake his head.

So anyway as I was saying, Wooshi was there

‘Wooshi’ your father huffed and followed by a small pout.

‘Hush James!’

‘We were golfing and as you know your father and his partner as always hooting like pigeons in the corner about any slight inconvenience in the office in call or person. I see this man constantly staring at me even though there was a woman next to him,’ shifting in her seat she reached for the coffee. Her eyes gleamed with excitement making your heart squeeze a little at her cuteness. ‘I thought why does he look so familiar? So I dismiss it and go back to my swinging practice and from the corner of my eye, I see him making his way towards me.’

‘Just get to the point kitty.’ 

‘And miss the best part where you almost grabbed his collar in the fit of your jealousy.’ She teased. 

‘He was standing too close’, Your father defended. 

‘we've been married for 35 years Jamie, It is very unbecoming if you act like a newlywed.’

It still baffles you no matter how your father tries to suppress the nickname still making his lips twitch in a smile.

‘As I was saying before I was very rudely interrupted, she shot a small glare towards your father, Wooshi and I were childhood friends he used to live next to my grandmother's house and we used to play together every summer. Fun times, So, Wooshi and His wife have a son around your age…’

‘oh No,’ The real motive of this conversation finally settling in. 

‘oh yes, maybe around 3-4 years your senior’, she waved her hand in dismissal. ‘But that doesn't matter. We started talking about you, then Wooshi suggested why don’t we introduce both the kids. So your father and I invited them for dinner here at our residence this weekend, Y/n stop shaking your head. And I am warning you Before you find yourself in any unavoidable engagement for that particular time and date. I am just asking for a little acquaintance building on your side and a reunion on mine. it's not like we want you both to get married on that day itself, just get to know each other’

‘Ma this is not the Victorian era…’

‘Y/N you're about to be thirty,’ she interrupted ‘and I am not saying you need a man to establish your worth. You're a fine established and successful businesswoman. And your father and I are very proud of you, But Darling the world we live in.  There are always people trying to overpower the other and we don't want the legacy that our family has built over the years with their blood, sweat, and tears to be forgotten. Times are changing but not the foundational rules of society. Marriage and its institution are and always will be a prospering proposition and there is no denying that.’

You turned to look at your father for some assistance but before your dad sadly Jamie is Kitty's husband and Before her husband, he was James L/N a businessman of the third generation. Today that point was further proven.

‘Your Mother is right, Jeon Wooshik is the owner of the JJ Group’ He informed. 

‘The Same JJ's Line of Hotel and Society Housing?’

‘Yes, and right now they are eyeing the same property that I had brought under your name for their next project.’ 

‘But haven't you already started gathering investors for the resort project in the same land?’ 

‘Yes, but they are making offers that seem tempting, Their interest in the land is making the investors reluctant as JJ's have a reputation of getting the things they have set their eyes on. I hope you understand what I am trying to say, princess.’

Your parents looking at you expectantly when your mother began,

''Y/N, darling if you don't want it or are interested in someone else then we can forget this conversation and have the dinner like any other dinner we host for our friends..''

The words your mother spoke trailed off as you gathered your thoughts, the pros and cons. When the patio's door opened and Martha entered the area with a warm smile which you reciprocated, setting down your coffee in front of you, her presence offering a temporary interruption you were about to ask about her health when she handed you your phone.

‘It was continuously ringing in your room’

you looked down at the name flashing on your phone screen, sparking a quickened heartbeat, taking the phone from her hands you excused yourself from the table and went inside the house to take the call

your mother looked at your retrieving figure with curiosity and then sighed.

Isn't it a bit late there? I hope nothing happens to him,

you stood in the living area opposite the picture wall, standing beneath the chandelier, your phone cradled in your hand as you answered the call --

‘Hello’

‘Tante’ a soft small voice whimpered. 

...

...

Savoring the delicate warmth of the teacup cradled in his hands, Wonwoo's gaze danced over the report once more, each line etching itself into his mind. The glasses perched upon his nose were adjusted with a slight push, bridging the gap between his thoughts and the words on the screen. Amidst this solitary communion with data, a gentle knock rapped upon his office door, drawing his attention from the illuminated screen.

With practiced grace, the teacup found its place, and he beckoned the visitor in. "Come in," his voice, a tone of measured authority wrapped in politeness, echoed through the room. A figure stepped inside, the interplay of light and shadow casting a cloak of maturity over his features.

"Sir, they are waiting for you in the conference room," the young man intoned, respectful deference present in his demeanor.

"Thank you, Chan. I'll be right with you," Wonwoo responded, his voice a blend of warmth and efficiency. As the door closed behind the assistant, his thoughts momentarily wandered to the past. Chan, his assistant for three years, had entered his world amidst a tempestuous encounter that had left a lasting imprint. The timidness in Chan's manner was a poignant reminder of that initial encounter—a dance between authority and trepidation.

Adjusting his attire, sleeves drawn down from his elbows and jacket secured, Wonwoo strode across the expanse of his office, a fusion of confidence and determination in every step. The coat stand yielded his navy suit jacket, and the act of buttoning it up felt like donning a shield—armor for the challenges that awaited. With purposeful strides, he approached the door, swinging it open to reveal Chan, ever the attentive shadow, iPad in hand and gaze pinned to the doorplate bearing his title.

"President, Jeon Wonwoo," it read, a reminder of the mantle he carried.

Chan, swift in his response to the door's movement, snapped to attention. His unwavering commitment to his role was evident in every gesture. The pair began their descent, elevator doors closing behind them, transporting them from the lofty heights of Wonwoo's office to the eleventh-floor realm of conferences.

Through muted corridors, they journeyed, the murmurs of voices growing clearer as they approached the conference room. "Why do we have a meeting at 8:30 in the morning?" a voice drifted from within, a question marked by a hint of exasperation.

The room's threshold was reached, and Chan orchestrated the opening, granting passage to the company's head. As Wonwoo entered, a silence fell like a tapestry settling, every gaze gravitating toward him. The resolute tap of his footsteps rang in the chamber, his presence commanding attention as he settled into his designated seat at the head of the table.

A contemplative hush was punctuated by his voice—a baritone note that resonated through the room's hush. "Because I said so," he declared, the words woven with authority and finality, the brushstrokes of a leader. "Anyone having a problem with that?" he inquired, his brows arching as if to challenge dissent.

A quick, collective response from the head manager—no defiance, only allegiance. "No sir!"

He shook his head, the subtlest of gestures to mark his acknowledgment. A silent cue and the room shifted, a choreography of souls finding seats, the conference table now their stage.

"Very well," he began, his tone a melody of tempered purpose, "Now shall we begin?" In that question, he set in motion a symphony of discussions, The air held the weight of responsibility. At the head of the table, a screen illuminated with graphs and numbers. As his eyes absorbed the lines and curves, Amidst the tide of successes a shadow emerged- A loss marked by the stark line of red that intersected the charts. The room's collective breath seemed to still as the spotlight of attention fell upon the disheartening point of descent.

A voice, poised yet tinged with a note of irate, broke the stillness,'' Can someone care to explain what exactly happened in the Westeria Society Complex" The answer to the question already known to Wonwoo, but making sure that every single person in this room is also aware of the gravity of the situation and what is this costing them and their reputation.

Wonwoo leaned forward and tilted his head, trying to catch the eye of the managing director of the Wisteria department project. ''Chan please read out the article again'' voice controlled but commanding. 

Rising from his seat, in practiced efficiency he started reading out the report from his work pad, ‘1 Dead after level-4 fire broke at the 60-storey residential building  Westeria Towers, at Cranberry Rd, Around noon. The fire and rescue department reached the spot soon as they received the news about the incident..’

Wonwoo raised his hand as a gesture to stop. 

‘So,  Mr. Kim care to explain, just after 4 months of its handing over and inauguration why was there a lack of proper fire prevention measures and equipment?’  Pushing his glasses up his nose with the forefinger and thumb ‘The JJ groups stocks have taken a hit because of this’ 

‘Sir’ Mr. Kim started hesitantly, ‘the police and insurance department is still investigating the situation we dont know for certain if the death was due to fire or something else’ 

Wonwoo was silent, the boardroom like a chamber of disappointment. Everyone looking at each other in contemplation and trying to seek a resolution. 

…

…

By the time the meeting ended, Wonwoo felt a headache emerging when Chan walked two steps behind and quipped, ‘Your father called’ 

‘And?’

‘To conform with you for the dinner at the L/N’s’ 

‘The Diamond merchants ones?’ 

‘And Iron’ Chan added. 

‘Aren't these the same ones under whom the Burbone Road property is’

‘Actually, it's their daughter who is the owner of that land’ 

‘The one my father can’t stop talking about’

‘Actually, it’s Mrs. L/N that he can’t stop talking about’ Chan mused 

Wonwoon chuckled and unbutton the suit jacket, ‘much to Mama’s dismay’

‘Interesting’  leaning back in his chair, mind entertaining the idea and what can he gain from this possible union. He nodded in Chan’s direction and said ‘You know the drill’ 

‘I’ll have the file ready by tomorrow morning’ Chan affirmed and made his way out of the office, to make the calls and go on with the day and the additional task in hand. 

…

…

The echo of approaching steps, the cadence of heels against the marble floor of the second floor of the silent mansion where your study is situated can be heard across the shut door. In a swift accord, there were two subtle knocks on your door. 

Closing the laptop, you leaned back on your chair.

‘Enter’ 

The door opened and with fluid grace Rema in her 5’6ft glory entered the room, brown big doe eyes filled with anticipation. The olive suit pant complimenting her honey skin, Shoulder length golden bob adorning her heart-shaped face. With a camaraderie smile and purposeful step, she crossed the threshold and sat on the chair across from you. 

‘It's been a while Ms. L/N.’

‘So as it has been Ms. Sinha’ 

Both of you breaking into a laugh, shaking her head she began, 

‘Welcome back doll, I missed you so much! I hope you’re back for good’ 

‘Well that depends on how things far in Swiss you know’ 

‘I came as quickly as I could after your call, what's going on?’ Her eyebrows scrunch when she activates her serious mode. 

You brief her about the call and the notice that arrived at your apartment in Switzerland and your mail, which you showed to your most trusted lawyer and greatest friend.  She listened to every word attentively all while formulating a plan on how to kick-start the case in put the ball in your court. Considering your history Rema has been by your side at your lowest and helped you navigate your new situation after Noella and Joshua. Although you were certain that the secret that bore between you, her, and Jeonghan is still safe, one can only be assured till the time their fears become their realities and make them face the truth, the answers of which are hiding deep within them. 

You were about to mention the claims Noella’s family are making when a rapt on the door interrupted, 

‘Come in’ 

The door made a small creek noise and your assistant entered with a brown Color file and informed, 

‘This is everything available about Jeon Wonwoo’ 

Rema who was busy eyeing  Reachal snapped her gaze in your direction and mused softly. 

‘Jeon Wonwoo… hmm if  I am not very wrong then it’s the JJ groups Prince we’re talking about’ 

‘Prince’ you huffed and rolled your eyes. 

Opening the file you took out the papers and pictures and skimmed through the information...You were halfway through when Rachael quipped ‘You should look at page no. 14’ her eyes gleaming with impish, a smirk playing on her pink lips. 

Skipping to the page, you couldn’t help but raise your brow and a knowing smile graced your lips, 

‘Well well well, what do we have here’ 

Rachel settled Down on the seat next to Rema, shoulders squared. 

‘Good job Rachael’ Giving her a nod of acknowledgment, she gave a little bow and the smirk transformed into a proud smile. Making Rema chuckle as well, she extended her hand to learn the object of amusement. You passed her the papers, interlacing your fingers you drew a quick deep breath. When your eyes locked with Rema, you could feel the wheels turning in her head. You tilted your head slightly a dialogue going between you and her telepathically

 don’t even think about it and

 at cue, she raised her left brow as if saying

 worth a shot. 

You turned to look at Rachel and said 

‘well Rach, confirm the dinner with my mother, let’s see what this Wooshi’s Woowoo is about’ 

The three of you share a laugh.

Yet little did you know, What Jeon Wonwoo is really about.  

…

…

As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, the day of the long-awaited dinner arrived, casting a golden hue that painted the world in warm tones. The minimalist opulence of the dining room, adorned with intricate golden ornate designs, exuded an air of elegance. A chandelier, a cascade of crystalline stars, hung suspended, its golden glow shimmering in symphony with the gleaming decor. The room held a sense of anticipation, a canvas where stories were poised to unfold.

Earlier, Jeon Wooshik and his wife, Jeon Sunmi, graced the room with their presence, punctual in their arrival. The polished ambiance seemed to harmonize with their presence, a fitting backdrop for figures of influence. Yet, there was a noticeable absence—the JJ Group's prince, Jeon Wonwoo. Lately, he had been a touch delayed, a hint of disruption in his otherwise punctual routine.

The backdrop of the day painted a different canvas for you. Typically ensconced within the walls of the mansion's home office, today's demands necessitated your presence elsewhere. The on-site inspection of Bourbon Road loomed, accompanied by a meeting with Rema's firm's partner—a case that carried its weight of concern. A cloak of worry draped your heart, its weight a testament to the responsibilities you bore. The facade of calm you presented was a necessity, for many facets of your life remained veiled from your parents—a symphony of secrets echoing in the chambers of your heart.

Descending the stairs, your thoughts wove intricate patterns, a tapestry of worries and hidden anxieties. The doorbell's chime pierced the air, drawing your attention. Mathew, the ever-attentive presence, greeted the guest who had arrived—a man of confident stature, around 6 or 6'1 feet tall. His strides bore practiced grace, each footfall a note of purpose. Jeon Wonwoo, the embodiment of a regal presence, entered with an air of authority that whispered of his heritage. His hair, neatly combed back, revealed a single strand that resisted the arrangement, lending him an air of both maturity and defiance. The glasses perched on his nose amplified his features, a detail that underscored his experience and poise.

Mathew, the courteous guide, led him towards the sitting area where your parents were seated. But as he traversed the room, his gaze caught upon you—the woman standing at the stairs' threshold. A pause, a moment frozen in time, marked his recognition of your presence. The gleam of the chandelier cast a luminous reflection upon the room, illuminating your presence like a hidden gem unveiled.

As he veered towards you, each step seemed to be orchestrated by destiny itself. His confident demeanor bore a charming smile, an invitation extended through his expression. The practiced politeness your mother had advised for the evening found its form as you extended your hand, meeting his for a handshake. A mere whisper of pressure conveyed acknowledgment, a ritual of introduction performed with grace.

His voice, a symphony of introductions, resonated. "Jeon Wonwoo, Jeon Wooshik's son, or as your mother calls him, Wooshi." A playful lilt danced upon his lips as he spoke, and you couldn't help but allow a subtle smile to grace your own. Your introduction, delivered with a touch of humor, mirrored the familiar banter. "Y/N, L/N Kiaori's daughter, or as your father calls her, Kiki." His chuckle echoed the shared jest, a dance of camaraderie that bridged the gap between unfamiliarity and rapport.

The brief exchange of hands lingered in memory as he offered you an assessing gaze—an appraisal that extended beyond the surface. As his eyes traced your form, it felt as if layers were being unwound, your essence laid bare to his scrutiny. With a discerning tone, he remarked, "The shade blue never looked so good Ms.L/n. But as a businesswoman yourself, I am certain you must have done your research on me." The edge of cockiness in his words was met with a tone brimming with amusement. "Thank you for the compliment Mr.Jeon, Yes I like to test the waters before jumping in. And if I am not very wrong, then I can expect that you have done the same."

Your exchange brimmed with unspoken nuances, the tension of the upcoming engagement palpable. "You're aware why we're gathered here, right?" he inquired. The understanding between you two was an undercurrent, one that held layers beyond the surface. "Yes," you affirmed, a touch of solemnity in your voice, "and I have no intention of entertaining it beyond this evening. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"Ouch, that's a bit harsh, Ms. L/N," his words held a hint of challenge, a subtle invitation to spar in the arena of words. Yet, you moved away, your steps graceful, your resolve unswayed. Walking towards the seating area, you glanced back, your head tilting in mock acknowledgment, "I don't want to be a hurdle between you and your darling Mrs. Eleanor Calder. I'm pretty sure she's doing a shoddy job hiding your NDA, or rather, PDA." The contours of his smile shifted, a change in demeanor that was imperceptible to most.

And then, he moved—a calculated approach that brought him within intimate proximity. The air around him carried an intoxicating allure, the magnetism of his presence weaving an enchanting spell. His voice, a low rumble, reached your ears as his lips grazed the air near your ear, his words meant only for you. "We all have our vices, Ms. L/N. Just like your bastard you hide in Switzerland… away from everyone. What's his name, ah, Noel Hong?" The world seemed to slow, your heart's rhythm matching the staccato of your thoughts. How could he know? The revelation stirred a tempest of emotions within you, each wave crashing against the fortress you had built.

His words continued each syllable a calculated echo that resonated within you. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me… at least, for the time being." As he resumed his path towards the seating area, his steps seemingly unaffected, your mind whirred with realization. A single word, a symphony of emotions—fuck. The weight of his knowledge lay heavy upon your shoulders, a shadow that loomed even amidst the golden opulence of the room.

tbc...