#ive never been good at explaining things but hope this helped!

[galaxysugarr]

can I have a quick explanation on the plex au? It seems very interesting to me :D

Daycares in multiple locations hosted by fazbear have recently had a decline in visitors and subscriptions! Leading to the final decision to shut down all Daycare locations permanently.

Leading to the animatronics working in the areas to be sent out to other major locations to be re-used for parts/scraps or reprogrammed for new jobs!

The Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex, doing new renovations; takes in a few of the daycare animatronics. Giving each a new paint job, personality and design for their new attraction and home! While the Glamrocks sing and dance, the new attendants play and work while they are away.

With the addition of 5 quirky celestials, each getting to know eachother, get through past trauma, perhaps even fall in love. As they bond and try to figure out one another along with the secrets and mysteries of their new home.

[iydiamartinx]

THIS MEANS WAR IV

Dick Grayson x Reader x Jason Todd

divider by: @cafekitsune & @thecutestgrotto word count: 4.5k synopsis: Gotham’s youngest neuroscience lecturer never planned to get tangled up with two of its most eligible bachelors. Both are determined to win her over—without revealing they know each other… or that they’re vigilantes. But when the Joker takes an interest in her, things get a whole lot more complicated. a/n: Y'all do you know how hard it was to flirt using science and the topic of joker toxin?! I think I rewrote this chapter over ten times. I hope the subtext makes sense because I think my brain melted during this process. Also I'm still fairly new to posting on tumblr so I hope I'm doing the taglist correctly :) warnings: sexual innuendos, Jason being a low key stalker

BAT CAVE

Jason stepped deeper into the cave, the heavy echo of his boots bouncing off the stone walls. The cavern smelled faintly of earth, cleaning supplies, and the ever-present sting of coffee left too long to cool—unsurprising, given the miniature landfill of empty cups piled near Tim’s workstation.

“Jesus, Tim,” he muttered, eyeing the carnage. “Have you gotten any sleep?”

Tim didn’t look up. His voice was flat, gravel-edged with exhaustion. “I’ll sleep when I find our ghost.”

Jason arched a brow. “I’m pretty sure you said that yesterday.”

“And the day before that,” Tim murmured, squinting at lines of code bleeding across the massive screen. “I’m aware.”

Jason crossed his arms, stepping closer, gaze flicking over the data. “Any updates?”

Tim let out a hard sigh, slumping back in his chair. He dragged both hands down his face as if trying to wipe away the frustration before answering. “Just dead ends. No facial matches. No fingerprints. No aliases that last longer than a day. Whoever this guy is, he’s good. Really good.”

“Something doesn’t add up,” Jason said quietly. “No usual runner is this off the grid.”

“Exactly. And get this—Gordon pulled a small vial off Mancini and handed it off to B.” Tim’s brows furrowed. “Mancini was right. It’s a hybrid. Joker’s original strain—but there’s chemical coding in it that matches Scarecrow’s second-gen fear compound. It’s clean work. Scarily precise. Way beyond Joker’s usual brand of chaos. Even Crane’s compounds weren’t this sophisticated.”

Jason frowned, unease tightening in his gut. “So, what are you saying? That the bastard we’re chasing didn’t just steal the formula…”

Tim looked up, expression grim. “He probably helped make it.”

The words landed with a sickening weight.

Jason exhaled, low and sharp. “Shit.”

Tim turned back to the monitor, fingers already flying across the keyboard. “And Joker’s tearing through the underworld trying to find him. That’s why it’s gone quiet—people are either hiding… or dying. Fast.”

Jason exhaled slowly. “Then we need to move. Fast. If Joker gets his hands on the formula—”

“We’ll have a city-wide crisis on our hands,” Tim finished for him.

Jason’s jaw clenched. “Then we need an antidote. Even if it’s just a prototype.”

Tim shook his head. “We don’t have enough of the compound. No base, no ratios, no synthesis pattern. Without the exact formula, we’d be guessing in the dark.”

Jason slammed a fist lightly against the desk. “Then how the hell did a rat like Mancini get his hands on it?”

Tim shrugged. “Best guess? He stole it from Sionis. Would explain why he was looking over his shoulder every five seconds.”

“Idiot,” Jason muttered. His anger began to cool as he glanced over, noticing the dark circles etched beneath Tim’s eyes. The kid looked wired and worn thin. His voice softened. “You need sleep.”

“I can’t,” Tim’s fingers resumed their frantic pace across the keyboard. “What if I miss something? What if that formula shows up and we’re not ready?”

Jason stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Tim. You’ll miss something anyway if your brain crashes mid-keystroke. You’ve been staring at code for three days straight. You’re running on caffeine and spite.”

Tim didn’t stop typing. “It’s worked so far.”

Jason reached out pulled Tim away from the bat computer and forcing Tim to turn around and meet his eyes. “You’re not gonna outsmart this thing if you’re fried. You’ll be sharper after a break. Babs is still digging on her end. We’ve got the patrols. Get four hours. Hell, even two.”

Tim slumped in defeat, rubbing at his eyes as the tension finally bled from his shoulders. “Fine. A nap. But if I wake up and Gotham’s on fire—”

“Then it’s a normal day in this shit hole city,” Jason deadpanned.

A faint smile tugged at Tim’s lips, and he stood with a stretch that earned several cracks from his spine.

“I’ll keep digging until you’re up.” Jason promised, clapping a hand to Tim’s shoulder. “Go.”

Tim didn’t argue. He staggered toward the elevator, muttering about caffeine withdrawal and setting six alarms.

Jason waited until the lift closed behind him before turning back to the monitor. He should’ve jumped straight into the search—he’d been the loudest about stopping Joker’s next move— instead, his mind drifted. Not to Gotham. Not to toxins or their ghost. But to you.

It had been days since the bookstore, and he still couldn’t stop thinking about you.

“God, I can’t believe I’m actually becoming a stalker,” he muttered, dragging a hand down his face.

Seeing you at the bookstore had been pure coincidence. But now? he could feel his curiosity getting the better of him, he wanted to see you again and with that the thought there, it was too tempting to ignore the resources at his disposal. 

A quick cross-reference of the store’s invoice system, and he’d found the record of your purchase. From there, it wasn’t hard to trace it to a name. A professional profile. A series of academic papers and lecture videos.

Doctor Y/N L/N. Neuroscientist. Lecturer and researcher at Gotham U.

He skimmed your credentials, the corner of his mouth twitching. You were sharp. Accomplished. Brilliant, even. Probably the kind of person who would’ve been Tim’s rival if he ever left the cave long enough to interact with actual humans.

“Damn,” Jason whistled low, scrolling through your faculty page. “You’re not just a pretty face.”

“Who is this?”

Jason nearly leapt out of the chair. “Jesus, Damian!”

Damian raised a brow, unimpressed, before glancing at the glowing monitor, gaze narrowing at the screen. “Who is she?”

Jason shifted awkwardly. “She’s, uh… potential lead. On the toxin thing.” Total lie. No way in hell he was confessing to stalking his own crush to demon spawn.

Damian frowned, clearly unconvinced. He glanced back at the screen. “She doesn’t look like an evil mastermind.”

Jason snorted. “Trust me. She’s smart enough to become one if she wanted.”

He clicked out of the window, not willing to risk further questions, and turned to face the youngest Wayne fully. “Shouldn’t you be at school?”

“I finished this week’s syllabus yesterday,” Damian said with a dismissive wave. “To make me attend that pit of idiocy is a waste of my time.”

Jason raised a brow. “Pretty sure Bruce expects you to show up regardless.”

“Father expects results, not attendance,” Damian replied coolly.

Jason leaned back in the chair, folding his arms. “If I call him right now and tell him his little prodigy’s playing hooky and creeping around the Batcave instead of sitting through trig, how fast do you think he’d be down here?”

Damian’s eyes narrowed into slits. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, I would love to,” Jason said, smirking as he slowly pulled his comm from his belt. “And I’ll tell Alfred to lock up your katanas until your attendance record’s squeaky clean.”

Damian looked murderous. “You are insufferable.”

“And you’re going to be late.”

With a muttered curse in Arabic, Damian spun on his heel and stormed toward the elevator like a tiny, furious emperor exiled from his marble court.

“This is why no one respects you,” he tossed over his shoulder.

Jason just smirked. “You’ll thank me one day.”

“I sincerely doubt it.”

Jason chuckled as the elevator doors closed. The cave was quiet again but this time, he left the file closed. He wasn’t risking another one of his siblings catching him mid-obsession.

But even as the lines of data loaded, he couldn’t stop the image of your smirk from flashing in his mind.

Damn it.

He was so screwed.

GOTHAM UNIVERSITY 

The weekend had vanished in a blink—gone before you had the chance to properly catch some rest. And now it was Tuesday morning, and you were once again standing in front of your lecture hall with a marker in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other—woefully undersized for the hour.

You weren’t even sure how you’d survived Monday. And Tuesday? Tuesday was dragging its feet like a teenager being forced out of bed.

Maybe it was the sleep deprivation. Maybe the mounting stack of papers needed to be graded. Or maybe—just maybe—it had something to do with the fact that Dick hadn’t texted since the weekend.

Aside from one polite message—Had a great time, can’t wait to see you again—there had been radio silence.

Maybe he was busy.

Maybe he was being polite.

Maybe he decided that he wasn’t actually interested.

You bit back a sigh and turned back to the board, scrawling across the surface with just a touch more pressure than necessary. Whatever.  Who needed a man when you had a lecture hall full of sleep deprived students a terminal caffeine addiction, and a job that kept your brain so busy it barely had time to spiral?

Still… you checked your phone. Just once. Just in case.

Nothing.

Figures.

You exhaled through your nose, smoothed down your blouse, and turned back toward your students with the kind of smile worn only by women who had absolutely chosen the strong, independent path at seven in the godforsaken morning.

Because, despite everything—despite the early hours, the endless grading, and the fact that your bloodstream was 80% espresso—you loved this.

You loved teaching.

You loved the subject. The research and chaos. The spark that came when something clicked in a student’s eyes.

Teaching neuroscience was more than a paycheck; it was a passion. You just wished passion came with later start times. And a universally accepted pyjama policy.

You took a long sip of coffee, rolled your shoulders back, and turned toward your students, who were only just starting to blink the sleep from their eyes.

“Alright,” you said, clicking the projector to life. “Let’s talk about chemical warfare. And clowns.”

That earned a few raised brows of interest and handful of tired chuckles.

“True to my word,” you went on, as the screen behind you flickered to life, “we’re diving into Joker venom today. Specifically, the various known strains, their molecular architecture, and the neurological impacts they cause upon exposure.”

The first image flickered onscreen: a chart showing the original base compound. Beside it was a grainy field photo of a bright green liquid. The photo looked like it had been pulled from the bottom of a GCPD evidence locker.

“This,” you said, pointing with your marker, “was the earliest recorded version—crude, volatile, and grotesquely effective. Victims experienced intense euphoria, followed by uncontrollable laughter, vivid hallucinations, progressive paralysis, and ultimately… cardiac arrest.”

You paused, letting the weight of that settle in.

“But here’s where it gets interesting,” you said, clicking to the next slide. “The formula has evolved. It’s gotten cleaner. More efficient. Some of the newer strains show a disturbing level of sophistication. Less residue. More targeted dopamine flooding. In a few cases—nearly undetectable until it’s too late.”

A hand went up from the front row.

“Is there any known antidote?” the student asked.

You hesitated—just for a beat. “There are a few neutralizing agents that can be effective if administered immediately,” you said. “But a true, universal antidote? Not yet. Especially not for the more recent iterations. Most of our current strategies are reactive, not preventative.”

You paused.

“In short?” Your lips quirked in something that wasn’t quite a smile. “Don’t get exposed.”

A ripple of nervous laughter followed.

And then—

A new voice spoke up.

“Is it the toxin that kills them… or the effects it triggers first?”

You froze for half a second—not enough for anyone else to notice.

Your eyes scanned the lecture hall—and there he was. In the back row, half-slouched like the seat belonged to him. Leather jacket. Boots kicked up against the chair in front. Arms folded, expression far too smug for someone who had no damn business being here.

The last thing you’d expected was to see him here.

“Interesting point,” you replied, crisp and professional, like he was another one of your students. You refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing you flustered. “The toxin is the cause, yes—but it’s the chain reaction that actually kills. The laughter, the convulsions, the paralysis… the body shuts down before most people even realize what’s happening.”

Jason tilted his head slightly. “So the damage isn’t in the delivery. It’s in what it sets off.”

You clicked to the next slide. “Exactly. The moment it hits, your body stops being yours. It rewires everything—how you feel, how you think. You can’t reason your way out of it.”

He nodded slowly, like he already knew that and just wanted to hear you say it. “Some people get hit harder than others, though, right?”

You arched a brow. “Depends on the target.”

“Some look fine. At first,” he said. “They act normal. But the toxin’s already working underneath.”

The look he gave you made the implication clear.

You smiled tightly. “Some strains are less effective than they look. Easy to handle if caught early.”

“Wait—” a girl near the middle row piped up, frowning. “I thought there was no cure for Joker venom?”

You cleared your throat, ignoring the flush creeping along your neck. “For the newer variants, yes. They’re more chemically advanced and difficult to reverse. But with some of the older versions—If the symptoms are identified early enough—intervention is possible.”

Jason leaned forward in his seat, resting his chin on his hand, grin playing at the corners of his mouth. “But what if someone lets it run its course anyway?”

You didn’t look at him.

You just smiled for the class. “Then some people are clearly very stupid.”

A few students laughed in confusion, but no one actually picked up on the double meaning of the conversation. You turned back toward the board.

“Now then,” you said briskly, “back to the chemistry before anyone else gets the idea this is interactive.”

You didn’t even make it halfway through the next slide before his voice cut in again—calm, amused, and very much on purpose.

“So how much exposure does it take before the effects become permanent?”

You inhaled through your nose and closed your eyes for half a beat.

Some of the students nodded—taking the bait. A girl in the second row had already scribbled the question into her notes.

But you knew exactly what he was doing.

You turned, voice level, gaze sharper. “Depends on the dosage. And the subject. Repeated exposure can cause cumulative neurological damage, but again—some people are more susceptible than others.”

Jason stood. Hands in his jacket pockets, he walked down the aisle like he had all the time in the world. Like none of this was strange or inappropriate.

“Say someone’s exposed to a small dose,” he went on, “but it happens a few times. Do they build immunity? Or will the damage be done?”

He stopped just short of the first row—just shy of your space. Close enough that your skin prickled with heat. You were painfully aware of the eyes of your students on you now.

Your jaw clenched.

“Well,” you said, eyes narrowed, “whoever’s insane enough to try that should probably check themselves into Arkham.”

He stepped closer, just slightly. Just enough that only you could hear him when he murmured, low and maddening:

“Why do that… when there’s a cure standing right here?”

“Funny,” you said, lips curling into something that might’ve passed for a smile if not for the fire in your eyes. “Because the only thing I see right now is a recurring symptom.”

Behind him, someone cleared their throat—a student, probably wondering whether they were still attending a lecture or some avant-garde performance piece. 

You exhaled sharply and stepped toward him, your expression still pleasant for the room, but your voice dropped to a hiss meant for his ears alone.

“What the hell are you doing? This is a lecture. You’re not cute.”

He smirked, unbothered. “Didn’t say I was. Just here to learn about toxins… and their reactions.” 

You gritted your teeth. “You’re disrupting my job.”

“I’ll stop if you go out with me.”

“Not a damn chance.” You scoff.

Then, as if this was his stage now, he turned slightly toward the class, raising his voice with faux curiosity. “Actually, that reminds me. Has anyone considered how different outcomes might vary depending on emotional state during exposure? Say, for example, if someone was already—”

“I swear to God—”

“Look,” he said, still in that maddeningly calm tone as he turned back to her, “one hour. That’s all I’m asking. If it sucks, you can forget I exist.”

You narrowed your eyes. “If I still say no?”

Jason shrugged, entirely too relaxed. “I’ll keep showing up. Keep asking questions. Might even bring snacks next time. We’ll see how interactive this gets.”

You stared at him. He stared right back.

God, he was smug.

God, he was gorgeous.

God, you hated this.

“…Fine,” you muttered. “One hour,” you said through gritted teeth. “And if you speak once during the rest of this lecture, I will report you for harassment and ban you from this campus.”

His grin was shameless. “Understood, Professor.”

He backed up, hands raised, retreating like the smug menace he was—but this time with a victory in his step.

He turned and walked back up the aisle, dropping back into his seat like this was the plan all along.

You turned back to the board, face burning, students utterly unaware that their professor had just been emotionallystrong-armed into a date by a six-foot leather-wrapped problem with a smirk. 

Jason, to his credit, didn’t speak again. Not once.

But he didn’t need to.

Because for the next forty-five minutes, you couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Surprisingly, Jason actually found himself listening as you spoke. He learned what actually happened inside someone exposed to Joker venom—what went wrong in their brain. He’d never thought to ask before. That was always Bruce’s domain, or Tim’s. The analysis. The endless case files with chemical structures and psych profiles and margin notes scribbled in too-small handwriting. Jason had always preferred the fighting portion of vigilantism. 

But hearing it from you…

Maybe it was the way your voice shifted—calm but impassioned—or how you didn’t shy away from the brutality of it. You didn’t sensationalize it, either. You explained it like a surgeon would describe an autopsy—clinical, controlled, but with a quiet thread of empathy running through every word.

Jason had seen what Joker venom did to people.

He’d dealt the aftermath.

He’d watched the light go out in someone’s eyes while they laughed themselves into oblivion.

But he’d never truly understood it. Not like this.

The way you spoke about neurotransmitter chaos—how dopamine floods rewired fear into joy, how serotonin short-circuited pain into pleasure, how laughter wasn’t just a reaction, but a seizure disguised as euphoria. The complete collapse of inhibition, followed by motor control, then respiratory function—it was horrifying. And fascinating.

You made him want to know more.

And then, in a moment that startled him, he wondered what you’d make of him.

Of the Lazarus Pit. Of what it did to the brain when it brought someone back from the dead. Of the rage. The episodes. The memory gaps. Of the madness that still affected him.

Would you call it neurological trauma? A chemical imbalance? Would you look at him like a subject—or something broken to fix?

He leaned back in his chair, arms loose, fingers tapping idly against his knee. You were pacing now, marker in hand, drawing a new diagram with quick, practiced ease. Sharp lines, fluid motion. You were alive up there—animated and fierce in your element. And he couldn’t help but watch. Not just your words. But you.

The way your voice sharpened when a student asked a half-formed question. The gleam in your eye when someone got it. The small, unconscious smile when the pieces clicked.

You cared. Genuinely.

About the material. About the kids in this room. About what this information could mean outside of it.

“Alright,” you said finally, capping the marker with a soft snap and stepping back. “That’s it for today. You’re free to go—unless you’re dying to ask more questions about the joys of chemically induced insanity.”

Laughter stirred through the room. Chairs scraped back. A few students filtered out with lingering glances and whispered praise. Others loitered to gather notes or quietly debate the finer points of dopamine regulation.

Jason didn’t move.He waited—calm, steady—watching you sort your materials, stack your folders, and close your laptop shut.

When you finally turned toward him, arms crossing over your chest and one brow raised in challenge, he rose from his seat like a man who had all the time in the world and nothing to prove.

“Ready, Professor?” he asked, voice low, smug as ever.

You rolled your eyes, gathering your bag. “You’re lucky I’m a woman of my word.”

Jason smirked. “Some might say that’s an admirable quality.”

You shot him a look over your shoulder. “Some might say it’s a flaw.”

THE GOLDEN CUP

Jason—as you’d recently learned his name was—took you to The Golden Cup, one of Gotham’s most aggressively popular coffee chains.

On the walk over, you’d checked your phone—more out of habit than hope—and found, unsurprisingly, that there was still no message from Dick.

And that was when you decided.

You weren’t going to wait up for him. You’d had one date. No promises. No exclusivity. Just a good night that clearly hadn’t meant the same thing to both of you.

So fine.

You were going to give Jason a chance.

No matter how infuriating, arrogant, or absolutely insufferable he was—he was persistent. And maybe, just maybe, that counted for something.

Even if he made you want to strangle him half the time.

Especially then.

You forced a polite smile as he held the door open for you. The place had a sleek, modern interior, all brushed steel and pale wood, the kind of aesthetic that screamed corporate chic. Chalkboards lined the walls, scrawled with endless customizable drink options in cheery handwriting, as if sugar and soy milk could compensate for the fact that the coffee tasted like watered-down burnt beans. 

You bit back a grimace. The air buzzed with the frantic energy of sleep-deprived students and frazzled office workers. 

“The Golden Cup?” you asked, more out of disbelief than curiosity.

Jason shrugged, as if the choice had been perfectly logical. “Figured this was your kind of place.”

You mirrored the gesture, masking your annoyance. After how hard he’d worked to get this hour with you, the last thing you wanted was to admit you actually despised it here. “The girls on my gymnastics team used to love this place,” you offered instead.

That made him pause. “Wait—you did gymnastics?”

You nodded. “Bars. Tumbling. The works.”

“Huh.” He tilted his head slightly, eyes skimming over you like he was trying to reconcile that image with the one in front of him.

Your eyes narrowed. “What?”

“Nothing,” he said quickly, a little too quickly. “You just don’t seem like the type.”

You stiffened. “And what type is that?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he chuckled, the sound light but strained.

But the damage was done. The words echoed louder than they should have—because you wanted this to go well. You’d told yourself you were being open, trying not to let old scars taint something new. Like Milo kept encouraging. But there it was again—another man slotting you into a tidy box. 

Jake used to do the same thing.

“So how did you mean it?” you asked, voice calm but tight.

Jason looked like he wished he’d said nothing at all. “I just meant… never mind, okay?”

The line moved forward. He stepped up to the counter, clearly flustered, and ordered without turning to you. Two hot coffees. Black.

You stared at the back of his head in disbelief. He didn’t even ask.

When he reached for his wallet, you turned on your heel and walked out.

The bell above the door jingled as you stepped into the Gotham air, crisp and biting against your cheeks. You exhaled hard, realizing only then how tense your jaw had become.

You didn’t make it far before the door slammed open again. Footsteps pounded after you.

“Hey! Wait up!” Jason called.

You kept walking until his hand lightly caught your arm.

“Where are you going?”

You turned, met his eyes. “I just don’t think this is going to work.”

Confusion flashed across his face. “What? It’s barely been ten minutes.”

“And that’s all I needed.”

He stared at you, disbelief written in every line of his face. “Come on, that’s not fair.”

“Ever since we met,” you said, keeping your tone level, “you’ve done nothing but make assumptions. You act as if you know me based on a glance and a guess.”

“That’s not true,” he snapped. “I—what assumptions?”

“The book recommendation, the coffee shop itself. You didn’t even ask what I wanted to drink,” you pointed out. “You just ordered hot coffee.”

“Everyone loves hot coffee!”

“I don’t.”

His mouth opened, then closed.

“And then there was the gymnastics thing.”

He winced. “Okay, maybe that came out wrong—”

“It’s not just that. It’s how you said it. Like I didn’t look the part. What—because I’m a doctor?”

“What? No!” he said quickly, like the idea shocked him. “That’s not what I meant at all!”

“You don’t know me, and you clearly don’t care to.” you said, stepping back. “You saw me in the bookstore and figured I looked easy. The kind of girl you could charm in five minutes with a smirk and some half-assed lines.”

He opened his mouth, but you cut him off before he could try to spin it.

“I said no,” you reminded him. “So now I’m a challenge. That’s all this is to you—a game you don’t want to lose.”

His expression shifted. Defensive. 

“But let’s get one thing straight,” you continued, voice like ice. “Whatever bad boy charm you think you’ve got going for you? It doesn’t work on me. I’ve seen it before. You’re not new.”

Jason scoffed, tension bleeding into sarcasm. “Guess I should’ve worn a suit and talked about Nietzsche.”

You shook your head, a hollow laugh escaping. “God, this is exactly why I’m walking away.”

“Oh, right,” he said, stepping forward. “Because you’re uptight and judgmental? Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but you’re not exactly a ray of sunshine either.”

You stiffened, heat rising in your chest. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” His voice was sharp now, stripped of its earlier charm. “You walked in here with your mind already made up. You want to lecture me on assumptions? Take a good look in the mirror. You’re no better, Princess.”

The words hit like a slap— For a second, neither of you said anything. You just stared at him, breathing hard, your pride wounded, your heart thudding against your ribs with something that felt too much like anger… and something else you didn’t want to name.

You were done. Whatever thread of tolerance you’d held onto had snapped clean through. “You know what? I’m not doing this. Let’s just call it a night.”

“Oh, can we?” he muttered, hands flung out to the side. “Please.”

“Good night,” you snapped, already turning.

“Sayonara.”

“Have fun with yourself.”

“Ciao, sweetheart. Tell the HOA at Pretentious Pointe I said hi.”

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[gatorbites-imagines]

Um... uh... um... would you willing to do a threesome with logan, steve rogers and X-men? reader. I think they will have an interesting dynamic or you could just add this to your kinktober list. (Btw i love your fics they made me happy and also i hope you have a nice day)

Steve Rogers x mutant male reader x Logan Howlett

Headcanons

Im guessing you mean the mutant reader from the two different things ive written with steve? Hes who Im going with at least. As a reminder to anybody who hasn’t read the other two things, the readers hero name is Titan. Not crazy detailed, but I hope its still good anyways.

You can read the other parts here and here

As mentioned in the other parts. You are, were? An X-man. X-men? You were part of their team, on and off for the years between your loss of Steve and you getting him back.

You still helped them out on the regular, going on missions where they needed a guy who couldn’t be knocked down. And yes, you did tell them everything you figure out about SHIELD and the government. You aren’t loyal to the government at all, especially since they wan to use or get rid of mutants like yourself.

You used to have a thing with Logan, but honestly, who in the x-men hasn’t had a thing with Logan at this point? You’ve joked once or twice that he’s like a bowl of mashed potatoes at thanksgiving, or a blunt at a party. Somehow his gruffness charms a lot of people.

If you weren’t so sure in your relationship, you might have been jealous when his gruffness charmed Steve too. But you knew Steve was yours and no one else, but it didn’t stop you from letting him prove it to you every now and then.

You still flirted with Logan when you went on missions together. As the only guys older than everyone else and with insane healing factors like you did, you two bonded.

It also quickly caught your eye how your boy would glance at you two. It really shouldn’t have surprised you to see Steve floundering a bit when it came to Logan. You two were so damn alike sometimes you could see Steve accidentally saying “yes sir” when Logan told him to do something.

Logan noticed it too pretty damn quickly. But for him it was more the fact that he could smell Steves interest and arousal with his heightened senses.

Logan might be an asshole most days, and he had his whole thing with Scott and Jean, but he did ask you how you felt about it, what you wanted to do and whatnot.

Like mentioned earlier, you were sure and secure in your relationship. You knew you wouldn’t lose Steve no matter what you did, and yeah, it did entertain you to watch your pretty boy stumble every now and then.

In the end you and Logan agreed to just keep it up to see where it all went. And it wasn’t like Steve saw Logan a whole lot, at least before. But now you found yourself inviting the x-men to the tower for drinks or whatever else you two got up too.

Steve tried to stay polite and leave you two to hang out together as the old friends you were, but you quickly pulled him into it. mainly because you and Logan liked to watch him blush as you both borderline purred at him.

The flirting kept up over time, and you and Logan had thought it was going in the right direction as Steve became somewhat receptive. That was until Steve one night burst into tears, burying his face into your chest as he apologized.

He was so ashamed of finding another man attractive and flirting with somebody else, he was so so sorry, he would never do it again, please forgive him. He loves you so much, it doesn’t mean anything.

It leads to you having to comfort and kiss him, rocking your lover as you explain what you and Logan had been up too, because you thought Steve would enjoy it. turns out Steve hadn’t picked up all the pieces like you thought, and had felt so bad, imagining that you’d leave him for being disloyal.

Of course, you quickly fix up that misconception, and explain everything to him. And you also had to tease him a little when his face reddened, and his pupils blew when you mentioned your past with Logan.

Youd save those stories for another day, when you needed to get him hot and bothered.

In the end you have to explain Steves reaction to Logan, since none of you wanna make anybody uncomfortable or step on anybodies toes. You both feel pretty bad about it, which is why you also agree to pamper Steve from then on.

Steve is obviously your partner and lover and has been since the 40s, meaning he’s most affectionate with you. He also wont kiss Logan on the lips, wanting it to only be with you.

Logan isn’t offended by this, he knows he’s just a third wheel in your bed, and he’s sure of himself enough to not mind. Logan is happy to get down between Steves thighs instead and lick him out as you kiss him, putting his best into it so you both can listen to Steve keen and whimper.

You two had had a few threesomes before, and yeah, it had been with Bucky every time, so this was new. But there’s a reason Logan is the x-mens shared bicycle. Dude knows what he’s doing, and boy is he skilled.

Any other time, you might have been a little jealous of somebody making your lover moan like that, but knowing it’s just Logan helps. Plus, getting Steves mouth all to yourself is pretty damn good too.

It takes a lot of work to open Steve up, his healing factor making him tighten up over time. His healing factor is nothing compared to the powers you and Logan share, but its close enough that you both know what to do.

Which means the first hour is spent on just pampering, touching and kissing on Steve as Logan works him open and pushes his way inside.

At this point Steve is a teary-eyed shivering mess as he whimpers and moans, his body quivering as Logan pulls him into his lap so you can slot up behind Steve. You and Logan aren’t small in the compartment that matters, so it takes a while to fit yourself inside Steve too, your lover throwing his head back and arching his back beautifully at the new experience.

You and Logan pretty much just sit back as Steve slowly rides you, his hands gripping Logans shoulders hard enough to bruise, even if the bruises fade almost immediately.

Steves hair a mess sticking to his forehead with sweat, his lips bitten red as his strong thighs shudder as he slowly lifts and lowers himself. When he gets too embarrassed, the blonde turns his head around to kiss you again, not wanting the two of you to hear his noises.

It being his first time doing something like this, means neither you nor Logan feel annoyed or sad that Steve spills so easily. The hour or more of prep also left him already teetering on the edge, his voice cracking as he sobs through the orgasm, thank yous spilling from his lips as he couldn’t help but thank you both for doing this with him.

Neither of you x-men got to cum, but in a situation like this it didn’t really matter, you got enough satisfaction out of getting Steve like that.

You end up on cuddle duty, lifting Steve into your arms as Logan expertly changes the sheets and blankets, letting you lay down with Steve before going off to find whatever else your lover might need.

Steve gasps a few times as Logan wipes him clean and makes him drink some water, praise falling from both your and Logans lips, telling Steve how good he did, how beautiful he is, and so on and so forth.

In the end you kinda have to bully Logan into bed with you two. He isn’t just a bootycall expected to leave the moment you guys have had your fun. Plus, Steve wants to lay squeezed between you two more than anything.

Steve ends up dozing off pretty damn quickly, exhausted but oh so satisfied. Logan and you just end up talking about whatever, before you put on some movie from the 70s you both like, the comforting rumble of your voices only putting Steve deeper to sleep.

[artsninspo]

Penname: Delta Wise -IV- [Sinners]

⇠ previous part

「 ✦ mbj's charcter archive✦ 」

「 ✦ full library & archive ✦ 」

summary: This chapter picks up where the last left off, there are a few easter-eggs for the next few chapters, some tea is spilled and our main characters try to find their footing as they try figure out how to proceed.

word-count: 4.4K

FOUR

Knotty

Sleeping among strange energies is something I’ve never been able to do and yet it’s something I’ve managed in the most tense of circumstances. Facing your fears can do that to you I guess, draining your batteries down to the bone and leaving no room for anything else. I wake up to Eli nudging me. His brown eyes are serious as is the set of his jaw. It takes a moment for the tension within me to subside as I register that I'm in my car and I’m safe. There’s a blanket fashioned into a pillow holding my head that I don't remember putting there as I sit up.

“It’s me,” he says slowly, like I could mistake him for his brother. But what is unmistakable is that unlike me the night's revelations have rejuvenated him. I hear waves crashing on the sand and sit upright. He drove all the way to the beach house by himself. I reach in the glovebox and press the garage door opener; it opens and Eli reverses the car. Once the garage door closes the sensor lights turn on and we’re safe from the darkness of night. I can't believe I fell asleep. I can see Eli has a million and one questions but there’s one that takes precedence. He needs to know I'm okay.

“I’m okay” I tell him and he nods, taking his eyes off me and unbuckling his seatbelt. I turn to find Carmen snoring softly in the backseat. 

“Carmen” I reach tapping her and she wakes up slowly looking like a showgirl still in her performance outfit.. 

“Where are we?” she yawns.

“My summer house - on the water” I tell her and she nods while sitting up. I exit first and Eli helps Carmen out the car. I put the code in the door and enter the home through the garage.

“It looks just like granny’s place,” Carmen says looking around.

“Ma said a shrine was unproductive so when I got my advance I hired a decorator and had them stage the place with Granny’s things - just more modern and beachy” I explain plopping on the couch.

“I need to get out of this, are there clothes here?” Carmen asks and I nod.

“I have some things, Eli, what size are you?” I ask turning to him.

“XL” Carmen says.

“XL” He affirms.

“You know your stuff” I tell her.

“Stack wears an XL. I just want to say it now so it’s on the table. Stack and I have fooled around before. He never bit me ever and I think I may be why he’s after you Knotty. Two months ago I invited him in - I know I fucked up and I was sleuthing Delta Wise and the book was on my coffee table, he asked about it. I told him it was good, he said he never heard of it and I let him take my copy.” Carmen says and I swallow hard, glaring at her.

“You invited him in?”

“Yes” she says, looking terrified.

“I hope you have nothing with your parents address and your devices are locked. If not, no shower, you have to make sure everything is okay.” I tell her.

“Knotty, he never bit me. Aside from being a hoe he was decent when I would go to the club to dance for some extra money. Stack is … was cool, with the exception of ole’ girl he doesn't play around with them folks coming around and causing trouble. I’ve never seen him in a bad mood until yesterday. Never seen him touch a woman that didn't want to be touched by him until yesterday.” Carmen says. I want to judge her but until recently I too had my fair share of secrets.

“Carmen we’re no longer dealing with the same Stack, if there’s a chance he can turn Smoke then he’ll do whatever to succeed at that goal” I explain and find Eli looking at the legend I sent him on the caride here. My naming chart - the one I used that has the real names of the real people from Granny’s stories and the names that made it into the book.

“I'll call my parents and hope they listen” she says and I head upstairs and find all three of us something to wear. I’m thankful for my oversized era when I find a graphic tee and cotton pj pants that should fit Eli. He looks up at my return as I hand him the clothes, towels, soap and a toothbrush.

“She’s something” he says motioning upstairs to Carmen and I smile.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“Fine” he nods without missing a beat. “I don't remember any of this shit though. If I didn't see him and feel it I wouldn't believe it” Eli says matter of factly. “It also explains why you haven't been yourself”

“You don’t know the adult me” I tell Eli.

“People don’t change.” He says pointing to his phone with the book names. 

“Apothecary check, author check, Atlantis?” He says to lighten the mood and it makes me smile.

“I’m done - I have plenty more than I can handle” I confess.

“So what am I and what do we do?” he says. Unlike my mother he trusts me.

“I can't be sure, I have everything from oral traditions as you know ‘witches’ have been persecuted historically. Granny said twins were a force of nature - womb to the tomb. You’ve been reincarnated because Stack hasn’t found rest, your soul got restless. I can't be sure but I suspect Annies Mojo bag for you has something to do with it.” I explain and he's back looking at his phone finding Annie's book character name. 

“Smokes wife” he says, still dissociating from reality.

“Your wife” I correct and he swallows. “Hold your shirt up” I tell him and he does. I point to his birthmark on his lower abdomen. “They say birthmarks, moles and beauty marks are totems of our past lives and spiritual gifts. Same place Sammie said Smoke's fatal shot was. Same place you have a birthmark” I explain and he looks at the area before letting the shirt fall. His brows bunch as he tries to make sense and process what I’m telling him. “How did it feel seeing Stack?” I ask and he shakes his head.

“It felt..” Eli pauses in reflection. “Like … Like I was locked in - like I could take anything. Like I was grounded, like nothing was missing” he says. “Then I saw a man's skin bubbling under the sunlight and I remembered he was about to hurt y’all” Eli says.

“You don't have to worry about me and Stack. If he bites me I go peacefully and don’t wake up and at the very least he’ll be very sick. My soul will in tact” I tell Eli, making a mental note to start brewing a tea.

“I don't think that’s the relief you think it is Knotty” Eli says in a tone that's scolding. 

“I’m already sensitive to the seasons before daylight savings. I wouldn’t last an eternity of nights” I speak frankly. “OG Smoke didn’t want that for himself either” I explain only to startle at the sound of running. Carmen emerges holding out her phone in PJ’s. Stacks name is across the caller ID. I freeze and she does too until Eli takes the phone answering the call and placing the phone on speaker on the coffee table.

“Carmen, I need to talk to Delta” Stacks voice says.

“Speaking” I say as my heart races.

“Who did you have with you?” he asks and I frown looking at Carmen and Eli as I sit forward.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play with me - I swear fo’ God I got all the time in the world to make you wish you were dead” he snaps. “I know there was a man but he isn’t showing up on surveillance” Stack says and I look at Eli. I take my phone and snap a photo of him. He’s there clear as day.

“I’m not sure what you're asking me” I swallow. 

“It was Smoke, Stack, I saw him.” I hear Mary say in the background.

“Was it my brother?” Stack asks, his voice cracking ever so slightly. 

“No” I lie.

“Then who was it? Sammie have a son I don’t know about? It was a Moore man” Stack says.

“It was Smoke” Mary repeats. “I don’t know why you couldn't see him, you were starin’ right at him” she continues in the background.

“What do you want with me?” I ask.

“Your stories to remember, I was gonna help you with another bestseller but since I think you’re lying to me. I’m on your ass” he says and the line goes dead.

_____

Pearl (Knotty’s Mom)

When I get the call from Knotty I’m at wits end. It was endearing in childhood but now it’s worrying. She's beautiful and smart and rather live in the past with superstitions than the present. I had patience for Ma because after years of therapy myself and the therapist decided it was easier for Mom to believe that her mother was taken supernaturally than the equally horrifying reality. It was the deep south in the 1930’s. It was more likely the klan wiped out the entire juke joint that night and that man that came telling tales of vampires was just a boy who’d also been traumatized. The mind is a fascinating place that will do all it can to survive. I don’t blame Mama. She was only five when she heard the story for the first time and her little mind held onto it. Then she spent much of her life searching for answers. So much so that it ruined her marriage to my father and now it has Knotty spinning out of control. It happens every year around this time when Ma’s death anniversary comes around and then the dreaded October 15th. 

“How is Knotty affording this boat?” Jason asks.

“I don’t know - maybe Ma left her a trust we don’t know about”

“She was fifteen and your mom didn’t have much - she was always giving everything away” Jason says looking around the nice bedroom. “I just hope I don’t have to pay for it,” he comments.

“Knotty hasn't asked for money in years” I remind him.

“Doesn’t mean I dont send her a bi-weekly allowance. She’s never been good with money” He says and I nod.

“I’m worried about her”

“I warned you and your mother not to indulge her. Eventually she’d have to grow up and now she’s grown and single, reclusive and taking up with the least respectable of her family members” He sighs.

“So I’m to blame?”

“That’s not what I’m saying babe. We’re not gonna be alive forever and what’s Knotty gonna do when we’re gone huh? She’s not equipped to deal with real life” he says.

“I don’t want to argue about Knotty, we can once she’s doing well”

“And if this episode lasts longer then we try things my way”

“Jason, I don’t know if you realized but we’re not a part of her world anymore. She does things for us. She never invites or includes us to whatever she has going on. Unless your way means reaching in - we’re not trying it. God gave us one and I won’t be excommunicated by her” I snap defending our girl. Jason’s jaw clenches out of frustration.

“I’m gonna go talk to the guys,” he says leaving the room. I call Knotty and it goes to voicemail, so I text her that everyones on the boat is safe and ten minutes later the message is hearted. I know why we’re on a boat even if everyone else doesn’t. Lore says vampires can't cross bodies of water. This boat has been checked for coffins and dirt before we boarded I’m sure of it. It lets me know in spite of our differences Knotty still loves us and so I won't quit on her.

Signing deeply my hand hovers over the contact of someone I’ve only called twice in the over three decades I've known her. Letting out a frustrated sigh I look out onto the water from the small window and call Merin.

_______

Eli ‘Smoke’ Moore

Only thing that’s clear to me is Hoodoo has left me with more questions than answers. I make breakfast for the girls needing to do something with my hands to stop the snaking. Knotty’s out on the beach porch watching the waves and taking calls when Carmen emerges from outside.

“How is she?” I ask Carmen.

“Knotty’s tougher than she looks and granny was tougher. No disrespect to your wife but a mother’s love is different to anything you could feel for a partner. Trust nothing unfortunate is happening to her. Granny probably has every angel suited up for her.” Carmen says and there’s no jealousy in her.

“Not you?” 

“Me too clearly if Stack didn't take a chunk out of my throat. But she loved me because I was her granddaughter, not because I was her favorite. Anyone with eyes could see what she and Knotty had was special.” Carmen explains. “You’re lucky Knotty’s picky ass likes you. She’s very precious about her space and energy. She doesn’t let half of our family touch her for greetings. No handshakes or hugs without wearing special jewelry. You might be reincarnated but just know you’re lucky to be this close to Knotty” she warns. I don’t let onto it, but I like her how down she is for Knotty.

“You and Stack?” I ask.

“Are done, it takes freaky to a new level” she says. “I wonder though? Are identical twins identical in every way” she asks, pointing at my pants. I hear a chuckle.

“Don’t mind her Eli, all she thinks about is sex” Knotty smiles coming in and closing the door behind her. “Get it out of your system Merin will be here in 45 minutes and I convinced the family to charter a boat. Everyone we love will be safe and on the water sailing before sunset” Knotty smiles.

“Shit all that this morning?” Carmen asks.

“Oh no,  there was more. Surprise, surprise my store was vandalised last night. Glass, herbs, water and oil everywhere. Everything on the shop floor is no longer salvageable.” Knotty says, putting her phone down in exasperation. 

“Fuck Knotty, I’m sorry whats the damage?” 

“I don't know yet but I know if I were to head home to the precinct or to the store Stack would be on me so I found a lawyer.” she smiles, shaking her head.

“What’s funny?” Carmen asks.

“I mean it’s so Stack Moore I should have seen it coming. Makes me trust Sammie’s words all the more” Knotty shrugs. “That’s good for us, but we need to be careful. He’ll go for our loved one’s like he went for Annie” she says, pointing between us. Carmen nods and the silence is heavy. Instead of fanning the flames of their worry I try to diffuse the situation.

“I’m finished with breakfast” I tell them and Carmen comes into the kitchen first.

“You must like thick women or is that all for you?” She asks, making Knotty laugh. 

I’m complimented for my culinary skills and the girls clean up, letting me make a few calls to situate my own affairs before I return to the living room to study what seems to be my history some more. Merin or Mama Meringue comes through around lunchtime with groceries and guidance. She’s one of those Erykah Badu types you can see and feel she’s different when she enters the room, her voice is something too. She handed Knotty a laptop and she’s been outside ever since with headphones on. “She’ll be fine” Merin says and when I look over Merin’s watching me as she chops up greens.

“Carmen said the same thing” I sigh standing and putting the hardcopy of club juke down.

“Carmen’s right,” Merin smiles.

“Any theories as to why she’s in the middle of all this then?” I ask and Merin smiles, putting her attention back on the feast she’s making.

“A few” she nods and I swallow waiting for her to open up. “You don’t need to worry about Knotty you need to decide on you”

“Kill my brother, become a vampire, die and be reborn” I list my options.

“You killed your father, killing your brother would taint your soul beyond reproach. It couldn’t be done at your hands.” she says.

“Y’all keep talking to me about shit I don't remember” I snap and she walks over to the cabinets and plucks an incense stick from a tin. She lights it and the smell gives me a deja-vu just for a split second of a woman holding a child.

“There’s a way to save Stack and Smoke” Knotty says coming in. I look at Merin who seems like she knew that already. “We need to research the planetary alignment of the night of October 15th 1931 and wait for a day with similar conditions. Mary has to be willing to die. Blood of a lover must be spilled because Mary’s who turned Stack should end their connection and eliminate the love spell.”

“How do we convince her to do that?” Merin asks.

“She already has a lifetime of him,” Knotty shrugs. “If Stack misses Smoke like he says it's an option - a chance at mortality and then Smoke only has to finish this life” Knotty says, placing her laptop on the counter to show pictures of writing in an old book.

“That wouldn't be enough. I’m sure Stack has accumulated enemies. He would be a liability” Merin says and Knotty sighs. “I’ll keep searching,” she says, heading back outside.

“Why don’t you tell her you already have the answers?” I ask Merin and she pauses. “Only time someone is as calm as you are in a crisis they’re a double agent or sure about what's gonna go down. I know you love Knotty so why not tell her you know what to do?” I ask Merin.

“I guess Sammie never noticed how perceptive you are,” she says, avoiding an answer. “Her mind never stops and if she was free Knotty would inhibit progress” Merin says. “Like searching for pearls in gator filled waters as a means to help,” Merin says, washing her hands. I look outside and nod in understanding.

“We had no idea who you were Eli, none but we should have known Knotty only liked old souls at that age” she smiles and I nod heading outside. Knotty’s texting and I light a cigarette giving her some space.

“You lasted a long time in there. Merin usually makes people uncomfortable in under ten minutes. You were there with her for two hours” she says.

“Were you timing me?” I ask

“Maybe” Knotty smiles. “She likes you,” she says, turning to Merin inside the house.

“How do you know that?”

“She’s cooking for us. Merin has her tells before anything important a lot of priestesses practice their preparation art. Attention to detail, intention focus” Knotty lists.

“So you practice?”

“No, Granny and Merin said it’s not for me. I know things but I leave it to them” she shrugs. “Wanna walk the beach? I’m gonna go cross eyed if I keep reading old journals” she says and I nod. She takes her shoes off knotting her skirt to shorten it and skips down the steps. It’s the Knotty I knew. “Can’t imagine loving a man enough to condemn my soul for a love spell and still get cheated on” she says talking about Mary and Stack. “Can you?” she asks.

“I don't believe in love spells and Merin says my soul is corrupted already” I tell Knotty who stops smiling. She takes a deep breath looking up at me.

“If that was totally true Stack would have seen you” she says wistfully.

“So why can he see you?” I ask her knowing her soul is nowhere near mine.

“Why are men so hard to convince of the truth?” she asks.

“Here we go” I mutter but she doesnt start, she stops looking out at the water.

“If I never went searching for clams we wouldn't be here. Only reason I was searching for clams in Mississippi in the first place is because Granny wanted to find information about who? Her mama Pearline. Who died outside of your juke joint in the morning of October 16th 1931. I don’t know how you can not believe in that” she says and I find myself smiling at her faith. 

“Knotty one, Eli nil” I mutter and she chuckles. Still looking out at the water.

“What are you thinking about now?” I ask.

“Atlantis” she winks. “And pearls” She says before taking off into the crashing waves while fully clothed. She turns to face me smiling just as a wave hits her. She goes under holding a hand up and then flailing. Fucking hell Knotty. I think kicking off my shoes and going in for her. When I get to her she laughs splashing me. A wave hits us and it’s so light I know she was acting. I hit the water splashing her back and she laughs some more floating on her back in the cold water.

“You're crazy” I inform her getting out.

“Don't be mad Eli, I was just keeping your soul light.” she laughs coming in after me. It’s like she hasn't aged a day. It’s the Knotty I expected. She adjusts her clothes, ringing out her hair and I shake my head at her.

“Soul light by giving me a heart attack?” I ask and she mocks me.

“I really should have known you’re a grandpa” she says.

“Should've known you were up to no good when you didnt keep your shoes on” I say, picking up mine. She winks at me accepting her charges. 

“Just like you ran in for me, I’m gonna do all I can for you and Merin’s on board and she has contacts so we’ll be okay. Be positive - negativity feeds on fear. That’s why Stack nearly got me. If I’d just have faced him-”

“Vampires are liars, I read as much” I interrupt her from taking blame. “If the book is true it’s my fault for not killing him” I ad.

“You couldn’t do it without both of you going together” Knotty says and when we get back to the house Merin’s at the back door with Carmen.

“I won't even ask, I just hope you have a dryer for your locs” Carmen says as Knotty wrings out her clothes on the back deck.

“Go shower before you catch a cold,” Merin scolds.

“Okay, I gave the water an offering we’re gonna be alright” Knotty smiles before sloping a trail of water upstairs. Merin gets a mop shaking her head.

“I’ll bring you a towel, go take a shower in the bathroom on this floor” she tells me and it's my turn to make a mess. I don't remember the last time someone just mopped up a mess without scolding or a tirade or making me clean up after myself. Being carefree is a strange feeling, maybe that’s what made me like Knotty in the first place as kids. The adults around her never had harsh tones, punishment for wrongdoings were measured and not hot blooded and overly passionate. Her people fed all the kids in the area just because instead of going on and on about the extra mouths to feed. I was treated like one of them just like I am now. Once I wash off Merin has a plate waiting for me.

______

Knotty

It’s nearly midnight when I find Eli smoking in the garage. He’s been at it for at least an hour and I know it’s Merin’s doing. Granny always called her a kitchen witch. He kills the smoke when he sees me, always the protector.

“Are you still upset about the beach?” I ask and he raises a brow.

“What do you think?” He asks and I hold up a perfectly wrapped blunt.

“Peace offering?” I ask and he looks at the door suspiciously like Merin will come out and scold me in my own house.

“You smoke?” he asks.

“Everyone thinks I’m such an angel and … I am” I tell him, lighting mine. He holds out a hand as I inhale and I light his before inhaling. He takes a drag, impressed by the cannabis’ quality and I smile. “I hope you don't change too much when Merin’s done her work to save you and Stack.”

“You think I will?” Eli asks.

“Well Sammie said you were a hardass that no one played with. I can require a lot of patience - if you have none. I guess it's goodbye in a few weeks” I shrug considering the reality for the first time. I take another drag and so does Eli. “What if you only remember everything that happened before that night in the thirties and I’m a stranger and you have to adjust to technology and the new world?” I propose thinking out loud.

“Even weed can't slow you down” he mutters and I chuckle sitting on the steps that lead back inside the house. “Fine, I’ll shut up” I concede smoking in silence.  Eli does the same, getting his down to a roach in no time. I let him finish mine and he thanks me with a nod, taking a drag as he goes back to his spot standing away from me. I wonder what he’s thinking but I give him the reprieve of not asking.

“I don't think I’ll forget Knotty James,” he says, breaking the silence. “I mean we met in Mississippi because her Granny was trying to find out information on her ma Pearline who died outside my juke at sunrise, and Knotty was searching for pearls in the river” he says back to me using my same logic. I know he hates it but I can't help myself and I give him a hug. He hugs back, chuckling at me.

“Don’t change,” he says, holding me tight.

____

Author's Note: Thank you all for getting to the credits of this chapter! Hope you enjoyed this new update and the personalities of the characters as they prepare for whats to come.

What did we think of this chapter?

Raise your hand in the comments if you kind've foresaw the Carmen and Stack connection? if it shocked you let me know?

Don't we love Knotty's Mom and dad ? 😜

Are we surprised Stack trashed the apocethary?

Do we think Eli will forget Knotty if all goes as planned?

Do we think Mary will be down for the plan? Or is she gonna go against the grain? Does she need more time with her man?

Sound off in the comments. Don't forget to reblog, comment, tag and leave a like.

Side note: I am not a practitioner and respect closed practices, so I do not dabble or google. Most of the ideas in the chapter come from things i've seen, heard etc. With the exception of some herbal medicine which I may google. So if something is wrong or offensive to anyone who does practice please know that was not my intent. My intent is to respect that that I am an outsider.

______

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[arcaneloverxx]

OMG I HAVE A REQUEST!!! This is so small, but what about when vi and reader start dating and reader has never been in a relationship and never done anything and she tries to tell vi that she’s a virgin and never kissed anyone but it goes something more like ‘vi.. I’ve… ive never…’ ‘been with a women? Don’t worry, it’s better than being with a men’ and reader blushes and she’s like ‘I’ve never been with a men either’ and vi realizes and goes oh. Oh.

-> ALSO!! Could you do something about vi discovering that reader has a very sensitive spot on the back of her neck? I feel like she would ABUSE that spot! 😅

thank you I love your writing so much!!! Also I’m so obsessed with Vi, I am begging you to write more for her!!

yesss, completely obsessed with this idea! And it truly warms my heart to know that you enjoy reading what I write! I might have to write the second part and have it posted in about a day or two, but I will work on it asap, trust. I hope this came out good and that you enjoy! Let me know what you guys think <3!!

When you and Vi first started dating, she took things very slow and was very careful when it came to things like kissing and sex, not wanting to rush anything, especially after her previous relationship.

Vi thought that you were the most adorable person she has ever met. Whenever she tried to kiss you or go beyond cuddling, you would always shy away.

She took it as you being shy and flustered but, truth is you were completely clueless when it came to sexual things, being as Vi was your first ever relationship.

Every time you tried to tell her or hint that you’ve never been in a relationship, hell never even had your first kiss, things always took a turn and ended with her misreading what you're trying to say or you two always being interrupted.

The time you did manage to tell her, well, it wasn’t as straight forward as you would have liked:

You and Vi were cuddled up together in your shared bed, watching tv. Well, you were watching tv. You both became a bit preoccupied with doing something else.

Vi was slightly hovering over you, hand exploring along your body. From your collarbone, to your hip, slightly running her fingers under your top. Trying to touch you anywhere she could.

You felt as if things were starting to escalate, very quickly. And it’s not as if you didn’t want things to go further, because god you did. You just didn’t know how to explain to your hot as hell girlfriend that you’re a 20 year old virgin who hasn’t even had her first kiss without feeling total embarrassment and humiliation.

When you felt Vi start to kiss her way up your neck, you decided now would be the best time as any to try and tell her. So, with your hands in her hair, you gently pulled her away from your body, eyes instantly locking with hers.

At first, she looked at you with concern in her eyes, afraid that she overstepped and made you uncomfortable. But before she could ask, you started to speak.

"Vi, I really want to keep going, but I- um… I’ve n- never-" before you could continue, Vi interrupted you with a slight smirk on her face.

“You’ve never been with a woman? Oh baby, don’t worry, it’s better than being with a man. Trust me.”

Feeling a bit flustered, you looked up at her. “Um, well, I’ve never been with a man either…” you tell her with a shy smile on your face, watching as her eyes comically widened. If the situation wasn't so nerve racking for you, you would have laughed.

And all Vi could think was: oh. Oh. She definitely had the wrong idea.

While you were silently panicking, due to Vi going completely still and quiet, Vi had her thoughts on other things.

While Vi was shocked that someone as beautiful and amazing as you hasn't ever been with someone before her, she couldn't help the feeling of joy and slight arousal knowing that she was the person that could guide you through all of your firsts. Knowing that she would be your first kiss. She would be the first person to taste you, in more ways than one. She would be the one to take your virginity. Her.

After getting over her initial shock, she gently took your face in her strong hands and gave you a warm smile, explaining to you that everything is perfectly fine, and that there was so need to feel embarrassed around her.

After talking about the whole situation, Vi promised you that she would take things as slow as you would like, wanting nothing more than for you to be comfortable.

And with Vi, you were the most comfortable you've ever been.

And you got that first kiss not long after that confession. (And maybe it led to a little more.)

note: I hope you enjoyed reading. I've been a little busy as of late, so anyone who has sent me a request, I will write them and get them out in the next couple of days. And the second part of this request with be posted either tomorrow or the next day. And ideas for modern Vi? Would really love writing about that concept <3

[twipsai]

ive been wanting to do something like this for a while, so here we go

Silver's straightforward attitude and anxieties: a poorly formatted analysis

Silver's anxiety is something i havent seen talked about a lot, and im really just barely going beneath the surface here -- i hope i did it justice in anyway sfdkSKHJFDSKFH i think about his obvious anxiety disorder a lot

transcript of all the text i added under the cut incase its hard to read for some ppl ^_^

image 1 (source: IDW #8): "isnt really used to banter, got worried he actually offended Sonic"

"he worries a lot about not being useful, because thats pretty much his entire purpose in life. if hes not doing something, he will find something to do (badly) or panic. he gets nervous at the slightest insinuation that he mightve messed up because the last thing he ever wants to do is get in anyones way."

"for how powerful he is and how much shit he talks, Silver doesnt really think very good about himself or his own worth."

image 2 (source: Sonic Universe #82): "its hard to say anything here that i havent already said, its just another example os Silver having issues with his self wroth, and also a lot of his motivation coming from protecting the people he loves (and, more generally, protecting the world), considering a page after this he gets up and completely wrecks the Second Devourer"

image 3 (source: IDW #8): "Silver will take pretty much anything literally. he lacks the social skills to identify when someones being serious bc he grew up completely alone"

image 4 (source: IDW #14): "he cant lie (is both bad at it, and it really just doesnt cross his mind to do so), but he can change the subject"

"he also really doesnt like it when people are worried about him -- almost every time people show concern for him, he tries (and fails) to lie or change the subject"

image 5 (source: IDW #14): "he didnt see anything suspicious about [Starline giving the "vault code"] because he doesnt usually assume people lie directly to him, its just not something that usually crosses his mind"

image 6 (source: IDW #60, TSR interview): "Silver's rudeness, his naivete, misunderstanding of jokes/quips/banter, inability to lie, it all stems from his straightforwardness. its simple, but but oftentimes effective (yes i chose a bad page to showcase when it works, ignore that)"

"Silver doesnt like to beat around the bush or show off too often. go in, defeat the bad guys, get out. it ties in with his anxiety of the future -- time is always of the essence"

"Q: What are some of your favorite items to use during the race?

Silver: [...]but the Jade Wisps' "Ghost" is the only one I like. I can disappear and focus on the race."

"it does make him forget to stratagize and cooperate with his friends sometimes, though, when his first instinct is "hit it until it stops moving""

image 7 (source: Sonic Rivals 2): "im not really going over his bluntness in this, but literally the entirety of Rivals 2 covers that. he doesnt think to hide what hes doing because he knows hes in the right, so he just expects everyone else to know that. he expects people to believe him just because hes telling the truth. he doesnt see why he would have a reason to lie, so he never thinks to justify his actions."

"a lot of this bluntness is also shown in IDW #64 -- Silver cant be stealthy and observe someone from afar to save his life when he knows hes right about them. he really takes no time to explain that Duo is Mimic before Whisper steps in and attacks Mimic, even though if he took the time to talk through what happened, he probably couldve convinced Lanolin of Duo's true nature"

image 8 (source: IDW annual 2022): "Silver has pretty much zero idea how to navigate the world outside of helping other people and saving the world. he is almost constantly in "survival mode" and doesnt know how to handle low-stakes"

"(he sometimes takes casual conversation too seriously because of this)"

"he is constantly worried about the future. to an almost unhealthy degree sometimes, its often all he thinks about. when he knows exactly what to do, he comes off as confident and powerful, but when he doesnt know what to do..."

"...he completely spirals. to him, an uncertain future is worse than a doomed one. not knowing how to fix things is one of the most terrifying thoughts to him."

"if Espio hadn't been here to calm him down, i think its super likely he'd have had an anxiety attack."

image 9 (source: Sonic Generations, IDW #64, Team Sonic Racing, Sonic Universe #79): "like, i truly cannot emphasize enough how he cannot relax. anything can be a threat, and if he doesnt see an immediate one, he will find something that is one. "

"he can rarely calm down, because every second hes in the past is another second he should be saving the future"

"i cant properly showcase it here, but if you run past him in Gens, he'll immediately be on-guard."

"he has to always be looking for the next world-destroying foe, it's pretty much his default setting."

"there are tons more examples of his overt anxiety, but these are some of the more prominant examples."

image 9 (source: Archie Sonic #235): "we even see in the traitor arc in archie how Silver is constantly paranoid. the idea never crosses his mind that there is no traitor, because something is always wrong. hes like a machine built to find a problem with no off switch"

"almost anything can set him off and make him untrusting of anyone, because thats the only way he knows how to live. anything can be a threat in his eyes, and when there is no threat, he will either find one or panic that he cant find one."

"because when you spend your entire life fighting,"

"how else are you supposed to live?"

[islandofsages]

HEYY!! I love your writing from what i've read and i was wondering if i could ask for a gn reader (yuu) teaching the housewardens about like classic fandom lore- like imagine them turning into matpat to explain fnaf and undertale!! 😭😭 feel free to not do this and have a good day!! Thanks :D

characters: housewardens x gn!yuu

tags: platonic, fluff, crack kinda, imagines format

warnings: swearing

author's notes: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG also all the fandoms mentioned here are all fandoms ive been in at some point :D fun times mhm

Riddle Rosehearts

He knows you’re very passionate about fandom culture but you never really had the chance to infodump about it to him

Until one day, you drop by Heartslabyul for a leisurely visit, when you see a not-so-clearly distressed Riddle sitting in the lounge

Not-so-clearly meaning he’s holding a teacup in his hand yet not drinking it, eyes closed as if he’s holding in all his emotions

You grow worried at this sight and slide next to him on the couch where he is seated, hoping you can help alleviate some of that stress

He sees you and he allows himself a sigh, then musters up a smile for you. He greets you and you cut straight to the point - can you help him with anything?

He releases a second sigh and shakes his head, telling you he only needs some sort of distraction. He just had a long day and needs to take his mind off things

You take a second to think of things that you can distract him with – that’s when a lightbulb goes off in your head. This is a prime opportunity for you

“Okay, I’m guessing you haven’t heard of Five Nights at Freddy’s since it’s a franchise from my world and all but the lore is crazy. So it starts like this…”

He wasn’t expecting to be paying much attention to the contents of what you’re saying but sooner or later, he ends up leaning towards you with his hand cupping his chin, mouth slightly agape at the story you’re telling

This inspires you to dump even more information about the media somehow at the rate that you’re going

By the end of it, he’s completely forgotten what he was so worried about. His head is full of creepy pizzerias for kids and haunted animatronics

He ends up having some trouble sleeping that night though. He’ll get you for that later.

Leona Kingscholar

He won’t lie, your interest in fandoms is too reminiscent of Idia for him – he doesn’t admit this to you obviously, since he hasn’t had the chance to

But on one particularly boring day, you decide to skip class with him and he lets you tag along for the hell of it

In the span of three seconds, he’s already off in dreamland. Sometimes you wish you had such a skill

Since you have nothing better to do and he’s way too deep in his sleep to even care anyway, you start rambling to yourself and a slumbering Leona

“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about Undertale lately so I need to dump it all somewhere. So basically you play as this kid…”

Little do you know halfway through his nap, he wakes up from how much you’re talking. At first, he’s annoyed by your yapping but then he grows interest in what you’re saying

He’s almost tempted to try that game for himself and almost disappointed that it’s not available in Twisted Wonderland. Emphasis on almost.

When you’re done rambling, that’s when he stretches his arms over his head and yawn, commenting how noisy you were

You shrug it off. You're used to him complaining about you yapping instead of napping alongside him

…But then he asks you to tell him more about Undertale, if there's any more information you’re keeping from him out of the kindness of your heart

You smile smugly at this and his expression seems to say “don't make me regret asking” but oh, you definitely will make him regret even being friends with you in the first place

Needless to say, regrets were not the only thing he held at the end of that day.

Azul Ashengrotto

Similar to Leona, your fixation on fandom culture reminds him too much of Idia. not that that’s necessarily a bad thing - it’s more of an observation

And he gets more than an observation when you get the chance to show him what you’re made of: useless fandom culture and gaming knowledge

Speaking of Idia, he goes to you as a last resort to ask you to help him understand whatever the hell Idia’s talking about

You don’t know too much about Twisted Wonderland’s fandom culture just yet but when Azul explains the premise of a certain game and its fandom, it gives you an idea

“Sounds pretty similar to Yandere Simulator. Ooh, that one has a lot of history. Let me tell you about it…”

Unfortunately for him, he ended up unlocking your geekiness instead of having you address the things he was confused with

But at least your story makes it a bit easier to understand? He’s yet to decide that really but at least it sounds like you’re taking his lack of slang knowledge into consideration

Your infodump really gripped his attention though - it’s interesting to know another side of human culture, even if it’s not the humans of Twisted Wonderland

He would nod understandingly (or at least, politely) and thank you and your geekiness

He relays your story to Idia and finds it intriguing how similar fandom culture is in both Twisted Wonderland and your world

He would invite you to Board Game Club meetings so that you can rave and find out more about Twisted Wonderland’s fandom culture with Idia

He’d realize that was a big mistake and he may or may not have created the nerdiest pair in the world - but you guys are his nerdiest pair in the world.

Kalim Al-Asim

He’s very curious about fandom culture - he doesn’t know too much about it nor anyone who knows a lot about it so almost all the fandom information in his head are from you

He really wants to know more!!! So of course that warrants a hangout session fabricated as a study session to get Jamil’s stamp of approval

So there you are in his room, books laid out in front of the two of you but most importantly, a laptop

You two watch about a dozen videos on Twisted Wonderland’s fandom culture and as you absorb all the very-much-useful information, you sneak in tidbits from the culture of your world

“This one in particular is reminiscent of Danganronpa. Man, that one was a wild ride…”

It’s exciting to be able to talk about it with someone you trust wholeheartedly, especially Kalim, whom you know wouldn’t be so judging

He only nods in understanding at every point you made, his eyes sparkling with all the curiosity in his body

You were on your thirteenth video when you two are interrupted by a rap on the door and an unfortunately-familiar voice

So obviously you and your bestie hurriedly rush to close all the tabs on your laptop and open up something more academically-inclined

Which is obviously a…dictionary site

Jamil blinks twice at this, says nothing (but probably noting how it makes sense for you guys since you two are bumbling idiots) and walks away

If there’s any dictionary being read that day, it’d be a dictionary of fandom terminology, that’s for sure.

Vil Schoenheit

He doesn’t know too much about it - and doesn’t bother to learn much about it since he has better things to do - but since it’s you, he tries his best to be a good listener

The two of you sit down in the courtyard one day, the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves music to your ears; beauty truly is everywhere around you when you’re next to him

He’s talking about something. You’re not sure what because you’re entranced by the way his hair hangs above his eyes so elegantly. He notices this and calls you out for it

You shrug and excuse how you can’t help it - he’s like a dating simulator love interest in the real. He asks you what you mean by this. Now’s your chance to shine!

“Hmm, you know, something like Mystic Messenger? Hehe, let me tell you a bit about it…”

Unluckily for him, your “a bit” turns out to be a four-hour long ramble about the aforementioned dating simulator a little too reminiscent of Rook for his liking too

Despite his reservations, he really did enjoy hearing you talk so passionately about your interest; it’s a bonus that the topic itself is interesting

He tells you he wouldn’t mind trying out the game or at least finding out more about it though unfortunately it’s not available in Twisted Wonderland

You share his shame - until he says he’ll pitch the concept of the game to some authorities he know and perhaps make it a reality

Sorry, he’s going to what now?

You’re a little shaken. Sometimes you forget he’s a world-class model, despite his looks and mannerisms. You save your nerves for if a Twisted Wonderland version of Mystic Messenger actually ends up happening

He thanks you for enlightening him about fandom and video gaming culture. You use this as a cue to add another four hours of ranting about V’s route in the game.

Idia Shroud

You’re another victim for him to taint… or so he thought. You’re more of an ally than a victim at this point, considering how nerdy you are

He’d dump fandom lore on you and you’d reciprocate it right back. He’s genuinely so impressed with your knowledge, even if they differ by some degree due to being from different worlds

He gets more impressed when you pull up with knowledge about Twisted Wonderland’s fandom culture like damn, you really brushed up on your talking points already

Friendly rivalry aside, he really does enjoy talking about fandom culture with you and hearing about the things from your world - every story you tell adds a little color into his world

One day, the two of you are leaning on each other, on your phones because of course you are, even if you two are friends, talking still isn’t Idia’s strong suit

That’s when you blurt it out–

“Hey, wanna hear about this game called Persona? It’s a turn-based RPG and…”

Regardless of his response to your question, you ended up babbling away either way. It’s how conversations start between the two of you

You’re speaking so fast, he would have mistaken you for a rapper - or a doppelganger of himself even

Consider him entertained - he finds himself smiling by the end of your yapping and intrigued by your story

He then obviously starts to relate it to something from Twisted Wonderland, passing the listener baton to you

You don’t mind – you can stay there for hours and hours, just going back and forth with your fellow nerdy-ass friend.

Malleus Draconia

This man barely knows how to use a smartphone so you had to be a little patient with him when guiding him through the fandom culture trenches

He’s happy that you trust and cherish him enough to talk about your interests with no reservations or shame – and the feeling is mutual

On a certain weekend, the two of you are hanging out as usual. Chatting as friends would do

You don’t know why but the conversation reminded you of a certain fandom

“It’s kinda like Genshin’s community, I guess. They’re a riot, let me tell you that.”

Oh? What’s a Genshin and why is its community a riot?

You’re glad he asked – because you’ve prepared a 100-slide presentation on the history of the game and its fans

He asks you why and how did you find the time to make that. You tell him to shut up and that it doesn’t matter, he just needs to listen to you

You start and it feels like you’ll never stop – there’s just so much to say and Malleus has so much time in the world

Seeing his reactions to certain events makes you crack up and at times, you’d laugh at his shocked expressions (or sigh exhaustively, depending on the event you’re explaining)

When you finally stop, he gives you a one-man standing ovation. You blush a little at the attention and unexpected reaction but you appreciate his sentiment nonetheless. He tells you that your presentation has been very informative for him

You’re relieved to have been able to get that off your chest… and Malleus is more than ecstatic to relay the information to everyone he’s ever known. You obviously pretend that you had no involvement in his sudden investment of a game from another world.

[returnofeternity]

pls anything more on manipulative Charlotte Matthews you spit absolute bars

need her manipulating me into undressing in front of her somehow,, maybe telling me that it's a new therapy treatment she's offering and that it helps emotionally. makes you feel more connected and open to the world around you is what she'd probably say. it involves you undressing outdoors, or if you're not comfortable doing so, she's more than fine doing it in her own private quarters :) want her getting so horny over seeing me naked that she's just spitting bullshit from her mouth as she explains why this helps so much and as she gives me yoga poses to do or some shit. NEED her to convince me to let her touch my body because it'll help the process of opening me up emotionally? whatever that means. but she's your boss, and she knows what's best, right? i mean, she's older and more experienced, and surely she wouldnt take advantage of how young and naive you are? :)

^that's a wholeeeeee other thing i think about 😵‍💫 a woman who's 20+ years older than me taking advantage of that?? YES PLEASE! ☝️ need her to figure out ive never been with a woman and offer to let me practice on her in hopes that i'll get addicted to older woman pussy and never go back to girls my age 😁😁😁😁😁 or lottie who doesnt like ur girlfriend and tries to manipulate you into breaking up with her because of course you dont see the red flags, you're so in love with her! she tells you that your girlfriend is just using you and it pains her to see it :/ ur basically at ur lowest after breaking up with her and lottie uses it to her advantage to get even closer :b

lotie who uses you to connect to the wilderness again because she knows how bad it gets for her when she starts to slip back...... she convinces you to take her special tea, telling you that she'll be right by your side and wont let anything happen to you as she guides you to connect with It. honestly just need it to turn into her feeding me shots until im blackout and her taking good care of me 😊

[meadowfics]

soy allergy

hwang jun-ho x f!soyallergy!reader

one wrong move sends you into the emergency room, and jun-ho is there to take care of you

warnings: soy allergy

you’ve been with jun-ho for a few years now, and he’s got your soy allergy locked in his mind.

no really, its stuck in his mind as if he is the one with the allergy.

as if it’s part of his police training.

he’s memorized every label-checking trick, every safe restaurant, and even carries an epipen in his jacket pocket just in case.

“i’m not losing you to a bean,”

he always says with that half-smile, but you know he’s dead serious.

it’s a sunny afternoon, and you’re both at your favorite café.

jun-ho’s sipping his iced soy latte, the one he swears is the only thing keeping him sane during long shifts.

at first, junho insisted on never drinking soy again since he was with you.

however, you say its fine.

he'd just need to brush his teeth before kissing you again, after consuming a soy beverage.

in the cafe you’re laughing at some dumb joke he made, reaching for your drink, but your hand grabs his by mistake.

one sip.

one tiny sip.

you freeze, the nutty and unfamiliar aftertaste hitting you like a siren.

“oh no, jun-ho, um.... I think i drank yours,”

you whisper, eyes wide.

jun-ho’s face goes from relaxed to full-on panic mode in a heartbeat, but it’s the cutest kind of freakout.

the man's eyes bug out, and he’s already grabbing your bag, his keys, and your hand all at once.

“okay, okay, baby, don't freak out we’re going to the hospital. you’re gonna be fine, i promise,”

he says, voice shaky but firm, like he’s trying to convince himself as much as you.

junho is practically carrying you to the car.

one arm around your waist.

the other fumbling with his phone to call ahead.

in the police car, he’s driving faster than he should.

however he’s still jun-ho, so he’s got one hand on the wheel and the other holding yours, squeezing it like it’s his lifeline.

“just breathe for me, yeah? in and out. you’re doing so good, love,”

he says, glancing over every two seconds to check your face.

you’re starting to feel that telltale itch in your throat, and he notices the way you swallow hard.

“i’m right here. i’m not going anywhere,”

he promises while looking over at you in the police car, his voice soft but firm.

at the emergency room, jun-ho’s a mess but trying so hard to keep it together.

he’s calling at the triage nurse.

not mean, just urgent making sure they know about your allergy.

“she’s got a soy allergy, it’s severe, she needs help now,”

he says, his police badge held up hoping that it will make them move faster.

it does work.

junho is holding your hand the whole time, his thumb rubbing circles on your skin like it’s the only thing keeping him calm.

when they whisk you away for immediate treatment, jun-ho’s pacing the waiting room like a caged animal.

he’s muttering to himself, running his hands through his hair, probably blaming himself for even having soy around you.

“i should’ve put a straw in mine or something,”

he groans to no one, sitting down only to stand up again.

every time a doctor passes, he’s asking,

“is she okay? can i see her yet?”

with those big, worried eyes that make the nurses melt.

after a few hours, the doctors finally let him in.

he’s at your side in a second, kneeling by your hospital bed.

you’re hooked up to an iv, looking pale but stable, and he’s just staring at you like you’re the only thing in the world.

“you scared the hell out of me,”

he says, voice cracking as he takes your hand again.

“i thought i was gonna lose you over a stupid latte.”

you try to laugh, but it’s weak.

he just shakes his head, pressing a kiss to your knuckles.

“don’t you ever do that again, okay? i need you here.”

the doctors explain you’ll be fine, just need monitoring for a bit, and jun-ho’s nodding along, asking a million questions.

“so she’s okay? no long-term effects? what do we do if it happens again?”

he’s taking mental notes, his officer instincts kicking in.

the way he keeps glancing at you shows it’s all coming from love.

when you’re discharged, jun-ho’s in full caretaker mode.

he’s got you bundled up in his jacket, even though it’s not cold.

the younger hwang brother is carrying your bag like you’re too fragile to lift a finger.

“i’ve got you, love,”

he says, helping you into the car.

back home, he’s fluffing pillows, tucking you into bed, and refusing to let you move.

“you’re on bed rest. no arguments,”

"jun-ho, I--"

"no arguments, please rest."

he says, giving you that stern cop look that’s way too adorable to take seriously.

he’s in the kitchen, triple-checking labels on everything even though there was nothing with soy to begin with.

after a few minutes your man is making you a soy-free snack.

junho brings it to you and sits on the edge of the bed, watching you eat like he’s guarding a national treasure.

“is it good? you need water? more blankets?”

he asks, rapid-fire, and you can’t help but smile at how extra he’s being.

“babe, i’m fine,”

you say, but he just leans in, kissing your forehead.

“you’re not just fine, love. i’m not taking chances.”

that night, he’s curled up next to you, arms wrapped around you like he’s afraid you’ll disappear.

“i love you so much,”

he whispers into your hair, voice soft and a little raw.

“i don’t know what i’d do without you, and I'm sorry for earlier.”

you feel his heartbeat against your back, steady and strong.

you know he means every word.

he’s not just your partner since he’s your protector and your safe place as well.

from then on, jun-ho’s even more vigilant.

he starts color-coding your drinks.

yours always gets the reusable blue straw, his a red one.

jun ho is not just taking care of you,

he’s making sure you know you’re his whole world

soy in it and all.

masterlist

this was a request, I don't have a soy allergy (or any that Ik of) so I hope this was good enough for anybody with one <3

[navillee]

Zayne's subtle sub behavior pt. IV

The voices in my head keep tempting me to address this specific headcanon.

Zayne has some degree of foot fetish.

It's not his fault though, it all started innocently, back to the summer when you and him were just kids having fun outside. The whole thing started when one of the airplane toys that could glide (very popular among the kids back then) over the park that you, Zayne and Caleb were hanging out together, got tangled in a young tree's branches.

Since none of you were tall enough to reach out for the toy, Caleb gave the idea of you standing on top of Zayne's shoulder to catch back the toy. He didn't get it why he should get involved in the situation since the stuck airplane wasn't his, but Caleb's, however you convinced him to help with the "you're taller than Caleb" point, letting a frowned Caleb behind.

He remembers when you took your snickers of, explaining that keeping them on would ruin his shirt. You stepped on his shoulders as he did grab your legs to keep your equilibrium, when you stretched out on your tips to finally, after being afraid of you falling off, get to catch the toy again.

In the meantime, Caleb decided to be the usual provocative brat as he's always had been. He stole your pair of snickers, running away and teasing you for walking barefoot outise. A couple of minutes running after him, Zayne helped you out.

Before he could give your snickers back, he guided you to sit on the board of the park's fountain. You were confused until the moment he knelt and started brushing off the grass of your toes, grabbing your skin sofly as he putted back your shoes. And it was such a core moment in his life!

The droplets of water from the park's fountain behind you reflecting the light of a summer day and the soft, delicate skin of your feet brushing against his hands. How can it be that pretty and small and cute? Could feet actually catch his attention so much? It never happened before, so why now? He was flabbergasted and confused.

He just felt so right at that position, helping you to put back your shoes, tying up your snickers. He felt happiness seeing you happy with his help, but he brush it off at the time.

Weeks later, Zayne caught himself sketching what remembered from the day at the park. The models of your shoes, the arch beautifully curved of your toe, the airplane toys, and everything else.

He started to pay attention to see what models of shoes you would use. Crossing paths at school hallways or seeing you at weekends, he was always with his eyes lingering on you. Many people praise him at med school for being good with drawing anatomical representations, but the credits should be directed to you since he learned how to do it by his almost weekly sketches of your cute toes.

That memory slowly faded away as the nightmares with dawnbraker started. The distance between you and him grew larger, following different paths in life. However, if you paid enough attention to zayne's med school notes, you would notice some random out of context sketches of you or things related to you that he could remember.

When your paths crossed again, he was on cloud nine. Now he could see with other lenses the meaning behind his demeanor, the same way he felt good tying your snickers when both of you were kids he felt now by pulling you aside on the side walk, kneeling on front of you and fixing your combat boots shoelaces, putting your toes on his laps to tie it properly, brushing of the dust from the fabric of his pants after it, feeling utterly joy by being able to do it now, hoping you would see him as a man, not just only a friend this time.

However, it went on several months and casual dates after to see you in a high heel. Oh, he was going insane with how outwardly gorgeous you are as a woman now. You could step on him, and he would be thanking the gods for that.

You already noticed his eyes towards you. That's why you're went to a date with Zayne using blood red high heels, you wanted to get the truth out of him. You wanted him to say it, to ask for it. To do it.

He looked so pleased by just looking from afar, but you wanted to know what was going through his mind if you gave him the space and safety to do what he wanted to.

That's why you started to tease him. Brushing your heels on the lower part of his fibula. You watched him instantly tense up on the chair, ears going a shade of red just some tones lighter than the heels on your toes.

That day, he invited you to his house, and of course you would accept. You're a greedy woman. You wanted more than just him blushing on the other side of the table.

So you kinda of "oh no, those heels are killing me..." up all the way to his living room, waiting for him to do his part. And of course he did, you didn't even need to wait any second to hear a "does your feet hurt? Can I check it? I may be able to help."

He kneeled in front of you again, grabbed with one hand the back of your ankle, and removed one of the deep red heels off your feet. He wandered two fingers under your sole, from the heel to the toe, drawing the curve of your arch with a slight pressure, landing the base of his other hand on your instep. You hummed, placing the other toe, with the high heels on still on his opposite shoulder. It was natural and got him out of his trance, at least partially.

"May I ask you something, miss?" He asked, watching a smirk appear on your face. "What it is, Zayne?" You asked back, locking eye contact with his darkened hazel eyes. "May I give you a massage? To help you relax your discomfort. Please?" He plead, you could feel his body heat up, his temperature rise on his hands and face. "Is that what you want, Zayne?" You requested, seeking his confirmation. "Always wanted to." He replied almost in a whisper. "Let me be good for you. Please."

As you gave him permission, it was a matter of time until that man and you turned into a total mess. He brought of essential oil, the massage turned into kisses that in which turn, brought up praises and adoration.

At some point, you grabbed Zayne by the hair on his nape, making look at you. "Oh, I didn't know you were such a sucker for feet, Zayne." You teased, pressing your toe on his still covered bulge. "F-for you. Just for you. Please...let me keep adoring you, please miss? I promise I'll always be so so good to you." Zayne's breath was heavy, and his face was red. How could you deny such a request? Even more when his eyes were almost tearing up from pent-up desire.

That day on, Zayne lost his apprehension of sharing about this side of his. Of course, he always asked about your boundaries as you did the same.

Watch how this man went to buy a new dress shirt for him and came back home sending you pictures of a new shoe he bought for you. According to him, "it would look beautiful in you."

The best thing for Zayne on stressful days is just to get on his knees, really. Every time he lay his head on your thighs, receiving your scratches on his scalps and your praise, his brain will totally shut down. Nothing else matters, just his mistress's praise.

Don't need to mention that zayne loves footjob. He got so much pent-up energy and desire that he can get off just by humping you toes. Of course, he's a good boy. He would never get his pleasure before he gave you yours.

He's also likes to grab one of your feet to slightly massage while he's working on his laptop. If you don't wanna him reaching out to grab you, don't sit on the sofa.

Extra tip: Go to a romantic date with Zayne. Tease him under the table with your feet. Watch him guiding your toe to his half-hard cock. Rub it there, watching him trying not to break.

[seriesxwriting]

HII! hello, how are you?

May I request a Spike x Reader (could be established relationship), where reader isnt quite a witch and is human but does have abilities? Bonus if those abilities have side effects bc we love a worried and protective Spike <33

(I'll leave the actual powers up to you)

TY!!

Thank you for this request, it’ll start off my Spike fics I’ve wanted to begin for a while!! I hope you enjoy :). (Sorry it took me so long to post I’ve been really ill and busy).

I quite like protecting you

Series: Buffy the vampire slayer

Pairing: Spike X Female reader

Summary: Request!

Warnings: Kissing.

Requests are open always!

“They’re getting worse spike” i mumble in the darkness into his chest. His muscular arms were wrapped around my body tightly. “I know babe- we will figure it out I promise” he told me brushing a hand through my hair. “I’m just so scared of outing myself at school- or in public” “I’m scared too- I don’t want to lose you” spike whispered back to me. I felt a lot safer in his arms than I had done all day.

With these unknown powers within me growing stronger everyday, I never knew when I was safe. Only when I was entangled with him. If anything good came from this situation, it brought me and spike closer. His words became extra soppy now, and I loved it. “Well I’m not going anywhere willingly” I told him, I heard him chuckle and his hand came down my back rubbing my spine.

“We just need to take one day at a time, we will figure it out- tomorrow’s a new day” he told me before brushing his lips against my forehead. "Okay" I breathed out closing my eyes and tried to go to sleep. It was a lot easier with Spike, if I had been on my own it would have proved more difficult.

I woke up a little late for school so the morning was kind of a rush. Spike just laid in bed watching me run about my room for a while before getting ready himself. He offered to take me to school, after seeing that the day was very cloudy, so I didn't have to drive seems I was stressed out. Spike was also a lot more confident at driving than me so it saved me time too. "I'll pick you up too okay" he smiled as I collected my things up.

"Are you sure?" "yes- ive got nothing on for the day anyway and you're my priority" he moved his hand over to my leg and rubbed my knee with his thumb comforting me. "Thank you- I'll see you at the end of the day then" I leant over and gave him a quick kiss before getting out of my car and running off to Tutor.

Spike waited for me to go out of sight before parking his car and getting out. He snuck his way into the school and tried to locate the library to complete his plan of action. That was what he had going on today. Once finding it he pushed the doors open and sure enough, Buffy was sat with her friends and Giles around one of the tables. They all looked at who had just walked in in utter shock.

"What the hell are you doing here" Buffy darted her head backwards in pure confusion. Spike swallowed hoping that things now were going to go his way. He walked slowly towards the table and sat up on the one behind Buffy. "I really need your help- I didn't know who else to turn to" he muttered almost a little embarrassed he had to come here to Buffy of all people.

"Why would I help a vampire- especially you" Buffy questioned making her eyebrow raise as she turned her full attention to Spike. "And after you broke into the school" Giles added, his face was obviously very weary of Spike. "I wouldn't be here if I had any other option would I?" he admitted gaining a little bit of confidence realising he needed a result today. "My girlfriend she goes here- you might even know her Y/N Y/L/N" he began explaining.

The students looked around at each other to see if anyone recognised the name, but no one did. Xander shrugged along with willow. "Well she must be a nerd" Cordelia voiced, looking at her nails and not caring about the conversation at all. "S-she's not a n-erd- look it doest matter if you don't know her- she goes here and she's been struggling recently".

"With what?" Buffy asked curiously, slowly becoming more interested. "I don't know how to explain it- she's developed these weird powers and she can't control them, ive never seen anything like it in all my years" he expressed with high concern, everyone could see how worried he was. "So she's a witch?" Willow piped up getting a little excited but the fact she wasn't understanding just pissed Spike off more.

"No- she's human, I wouldn't be here if she was a witch she's different- I don't understand her abilities so I don't know how she will either" he stated getting frustrated with the conversation. "If you're going to bring that attitude you can use the door- you know where it is" Giles tutted at the vampire. "Please Buffy we need your help- she's going to end up putting herself if something isn't done" Spike looked towards her with slight tears in her eyes. He didn't even care how desperate he looked, he was desperate. That was fact.

"Okay we will take a look- try and work out what is wrong with her- but because she's a human who needs our help not because she's your girlfriend" Buffy told him sticking her finger out at him. Spike sighed with relief that he'd done what he'd come here to do. "Thank you Buffy- I owe you one" he cracked a wide smile across his face making her smile too. He didn't smile very often.

"I didn't even know you had a girlfriend" Cordelia looked up at the man who shrugged his shoulders. "The more people who know about her the more danger she's in- I have a lot of enemies" he admitted standing up now. "and she- knows what you are?" Xander wondered tilting his head at Spike. "Of course- she knows everything" he nodded withholding the excitement he felt even talking about his girlfriend.

"You can bring her here later tonight, we will need the books if we are to figure out what is going on with her" Giles told Spike, not even moving his head from his current book to talk to the vampire. "I will- thank you- I'll get out of your hair" he clapped his hands together and exited the room so he could go and find a snack before school ended. "I have never seen spike so worried before- he must really like this girl" Buffy told the group.

"Well- we can only hope she's nothing like Spike" Giles took a deep sigh before closing his book and looking at his watch as his wrist turned. "Tutor is almost over, you guys should head to your lessons" "Ugh I hate sports first thing in the morning" Willow moaned through her head backwards. "Come on- the quicker we get it over with the quicker lunch comes" Buffy wiggled her eyebrows getting up from her chair.

Xander split off from them as he had to head to math, but the three girls walked to their gym class together. Turning into the locker rooms, no one else was present as it was too early and everyone else was finishing up in tutor.

I had gym class too but as I was sitting in tutor I could feel my table beginning to rock from side to side without me touching it. I washed in horror as it began speeding up. I there my hands onto it to stop it from rocking but I had no luck. Panic spread throughout my body as heads were starting to turn now. "Y/N! will you stop rocking that damn table" the teacher snapped at me. I grabbed my bag in a panic and got up from my table running out of the classroom.

I could feel a bigger reaction coming from all the stress from that situation. my eyes darted around, in a Minet everyone would be coming out of their form classes. My eyes landed on the locker rooms which I assumed were going to be empty. I ran towards them and just as the door closed behind me a large wave of energy forced itself out of me.

All the locker doors swung open and slammed shut again. I looked around the room painting, feeling relived it was over. until three faces appeared round the other side of the lockers. My heart pounded against my chest, id done it now- exposed myself. I grabbed the door handle planning to leave school and go home.

"Wait!" one of the girls yelled out, throwing herself towards me "You must be y/n" she called out with a sympathetic smile on her face. "Please- don't tell anyone" I swallowed, tears began swimming in my eyes. It was too late now. This answer was going to dictate the rest of my life. "We aren't going to" the ginger girl shook her head vigorously. "You must be spikes girlfriend huh?" the blonde one smiled, nodding at a seat trying to make me feel more comfortable.

"D- do you know Spike?" I asked her stuttering for the fear of the power they held over me in this moment. I began to walk closer to them and they all sat down on the bench. "We all know Spike" the other girl nodded her head. "Im Buffy" the blonde girl stuck her hand out towards me. "I'm willow" the ginger one waved making me feel a lot better about the situation. I turned to the other one who just blinked at me.

"Surely you know who I am" she laughed shaking her head, I stayed quite not having a clue what her name was. "That's Cordelia" Buffy rolled her eyes making me smile a little. "Seriously? you don't know my name?" she questioned, genuinely baffled that I didn't know her. "Oh well- I know it now" I nodded once but she still looked highly offended. "Spike came to us this morning and asked for our help- we're going to help you control whatever powers you have developed".

"How?" I wondered, twiddling my fingers together awkwardly. In that second my hair started floating all around my face unnaturally. I at first thought I was doing it but I then saw Willows hand twitching my her hip. "I'm a witch" she smiled enthusiastically at me. "Oh- i'm not a witch Spike said so" "No you're not- but i'm a slayer and together as a group we have quite a lot of knowledge on the supernatural- im sure we can figure it out" Buffy smiled at me sweetly.

I nodded and matched her smile feeling a whole lot better about the situation. "Why don't you stick with us today- then after school we can call Spike and get everything sorted out" Buffy offered with a hug of her shoulders. "Why are you being so nice? why are you helping?" I questioned, overthinking their kindness. "Well it is my job" Buffy chuckled.

"And Spike asked us as a friend to help you so... not that I would ever admit that to him" "your relationship sounds- complicated" I laughed behind my hand. "You can say that again" Buffy joined in nodding her head. And so that's what I did, I hung out with Buffy, Willow and Cordelia the whole day. At lunch time I met Xander and Giles, and I realised that they had a pretty solid group. They shared stories about all the things they had done and I left the conversation having high admiration for them and especially Buffy.

I didn't have another episode the whole day because I spent most of it not even thinking about my powers but about my new friends. They made me laugh all day, smile all day. And completely take my mind off the fact my world was crashing down around me. After school I went out to Spikes car, where he was waiting for me in the same spot he dropped me off. "Wheres your stuff?" he questioned looking slightly confused.

"In the library" I told him waiting for him to catch on. Spike took a second but then looked to me worriedly. "It's okay" I laughed at his facial expression. "You're not in trouble". Spike got out of the car and came round my side. "I'm sorry" "don't be sorry" I giggled as he pulled me into a hug. "I shouldn't have been so sneaky about it- I should have just told you my plan from the beginning instead of hoping you wouldn't find to and telling you later".

I laughed again shaking my head and pulling away from the hug, his hands still rested on my waist and mine on his face. "You don't have to apologise I can't thank you enough for trying to help me- these are some great people you done well Spike- I really think they can help me" I told him excitedly. "I've not seen that look on your face for a long time" he brushed a thumb across my cheekbone. "Because I have hope Spike and i'm excited about it".

"Well- then i'm only sorry I didn't think of going to Buffy sooner" "stop saying sorry" I laughed, playfully nudging him "you've done great- you've been great all the way through this- thank you for being by my side" "I quite like protecting you Y/N" he cupped my face with his right hand and pulled me in for a gentle kiss. "I like it too- it's attractive" I winked at him taking him by the hand.

"Come on- to the library".

Spike masterlist

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[comesatimecomesashadow]

frayed synapses *ೃ༄

ׂ╰┈➤ . . . you're reading part iv.

cw *ೃ༄ mentions of injuries/scars + insecurity about them, descriptions of poor mental health/social anxiety

summary *ೃ༄ with the burden of job-related stress weighing on your back, you decide to unwind at a local pub. yet instead of relaxation, you find out that your neighbor is none other than Simon RIley, a member of the military. after making the decision to clumsily ask him to have tea with you after an embarrassing first impression, you find that underneath Simon Riley's hardened, stone-cold façade, is a man who desperately seeks an end to the turmoil that plagues him.

note *ೃ༄ sorry for the late update, i was fighting demons (crippling depression), enjoy !

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“I didn’t think i’d being seein’ you after..” 

“I know.” your eyes were trained on the client’s face in front of you, a calm look washed over your visage as you faced the same person that gave you the scar on your forearm. “Did you hope you wouldn’t see me again? I understand our last conversation was distressing for you.” You spoke with a welcoming tone. It made you anxious to even be in the room with them, but they were someone in need. A person with anger issues was still a person underneath. 

“I.. yeah. I guess you could say that I just.. What you said made me feel like..” She mulled it over in her mind as if she was trying to find the right words to say to you. It was clear she felt remorse for her actions which was a good thing. “-like.. I don’t know, it just hurt, it made me angry that you pointed shit like that out, like it's supposed to be obvious.” 

You heard her words and gazed into her guilt-ridden blue eyes. What came next made them wide, as if she’d just witnessed something completely other-worldly. “I’m sorry.” you said. With the most sincere voice you possessed, you apologized to her. 

“Why are you apologizing? ..I’m the one who did that to you..!” She gestured to your forearm and a glossy layer of water covered her eyes. All you did was hand her a tissue as if her crying didn’t bother you at all — because it didn’t. It was normal, in fact, it was healthy. “I should be apologizing to you…” she muttered as she wiped her tears. 

“I’m apologizing to you because I hurt you,” you said simply, “You deserve to be treated like a person, with respect and without judgement.” 

“It was wrong, what I did.” She was sure of her statement but used it as more of a weapon to refute your statement than an acknowledgement. 

“It was and I'm proud of you for admitting that. It's a hard thing to apologize when you’ve done something wrong- It requires a type of vulnerability that you’ve mentioned you’re not used to.” you explained her feelings to her with a soothing tone, encouraging her to keep going on in her journey. “My only job is to help you get better and I understand that confronting these types of feelings is never easy, but I want you to keep trying, alright?” 

She only nodded, a few more tears slipping out. 

“You’ve come a long way from where you were at a year ago. Healing is never linear and you may go back to old patterns every now and then, but it will never erase the amount of progress you’ve achieved as long as you keep trying.” She nodded again at your reassuring words but with a smile on her face this time. 

“Yeah, I.. Thank you.” She clutched the used tissue and tucked it into her pocket. 

You looked at the time on your watch and offered a small smile. “Our time’s up unfortunately, but I'll see you again this time next week. Alright?” 

“Yeah, that’s fine.” She got up and smiled at you before leaving the room. Once the door closed you were left standing in the cold room. With a heavy sigh, you collected your things and headed out of the old building. The prison you worked at wasn’t new, it had been around for decades but the atmosphere was anything but dreary, in fact it was quite lively. Most of the inmates knew who you were and didn’t really bother to pay much mind to you, which was perfect given how much of a recluse you were outside of your job. They never said much more than a greeting or a farewell and it was rare that they started conversations with you. You interacted more with the staff since you worked alongside them in a sense but the interactions weren’t anything special. 

Needless to say, your work life was pretty mundane. 

Much like your personal life — but it wasn't as if you were actively searching for something to change. You’d spent your life looking for stability and now that you had it, you were satisfied, at least that’s what you wanted to convince yourself of. Sure it got a little lonely every now and then but that was normal. You didn’t need anything else — or anyone else for that matter. 

Yet when you climbed up those familiar crimson carpet stairs and were greeted by the sight of a very familiar man standing in front of the door to the flat next to yours, it made an unknown warm feeling settle in your chest. You debated on whether or not to say something to your neighbor — To Simon — but you decided against it. What if he didn’t want to speak to you? He was probably tired from work anyway. You walked up to your door and juggled the keys in your hands looking for the right one. Just as you found your house key, a gruff voice — belonging to Simon —  grabbed your attention. 

“Afternoon.” he greeted awkwardly. 

You turned your head towards him slowly, not expecting a man — who was evidently closed off —  to start a conversation with you. Sure you got to know more about him and vice versa during the time the two of you spent at the coffee shop, but nothing had changed — he was still only your neighbor, just as you were to him. Even if your heart yearned for human connection, your brain kept denying you of it. A defense mechanism at its finest, as if it was infused within you like the blood in your veins. “Afternoon.” you hastily took off your earphones to give him your full attention. Gazing upon him for a moment, you noticed the way his dark-blonde hair relentlessly shined in the dim light of the hallway. Simon’s visage carried remnants of the eyeblack he presumably used for his job, it made him look dirty and tired — but you still smiled. “Did you just get back?” 

“Yeah, work n’ that.” he vaguely explained, “Sorry for leavin’ so abruptly.” 

You gingerly shook your head, “S’fine, wasn’t anything too important to be apologizing about anyway.” Your eyes remained locked on his as the two of you stood in the hallway. The both of you taking in the fact that you were in front of one another once again as if it was an other-worldly experience. 

“Guess so,” Simon said simply as he turned to you fully. “How’s the arm?” His eyes broke away from yours momentarily to glance at your still bandaged arm. Was he concerned about it? About you?

“Better than the last time we met,” you chuckled, “Finally got the stitches out, hurt a bit though.” Your comment made him chuckle. As a soldier, he was used to the feeling of removing stitches all too well. It took you a while to register that this was the first time you’ve seen him without his black surgical mask on. Simon’s face wasn’t littered with scars, but many of them were present — not uncommon for someone in his line of work. 

“When are you gettin’ the bandages off?” he asked you, an interested lilt to his voice as he did. 

“Friday this week at three. Why do you ask?” Your fingers ghosted over the bandages absentmindedly. The injury didn’t hurt much anymore but you did wonder if it would leave a scar. Simon’s eyes drifted from yours as if he was considering something but words failed to leave him. 

“No reason, just askin’.” 

“Alright then,” there was something off about his answer but you didn’t push. Clutching your folder closer to your chest as you inserted your key into the door and pushed it open you bid him a quiet, “Have a good afternoon, Simon.” The tall blond only nodded without a word as he watched you disappear into the comfort of your flat once more. He could burn holes into your door with the way he was intently staring at your close door with regret. Regret that despite his years, he still couldn’t form normal human connection outside of work. 

The key felt cold in his hand as he pushed it into the lock, his flat felt foreign — empty. There was barely any furnishings in it except for what was absolutely necessary: a couch in the living room, a widescreen television on the wall in front of it, his bed which sat lonely in his bedroom next to a nightstand that rarely held anything in it, stools that sat bare in front of the kitchen island. . .  He didn’t feel the need to decorate since he was always gone, but the bare walls and the popcorn ceiling of his apartment made him wonder about yours. 

What did yours look like? 

Did you have pictures on the walls? Were you the type to take care of plants? You did smell of lavender sometimes.. Was your living room lively? Was your room a silent reflection of you and your interests? There were so many questions that swirled in his mind as he left his keys hanging on the backside of the door and got settled. Questions that he hoped he’d get the answers to. 

If only he had the guts to try and get to know you. 

.

.

.

Work once again began to consume your life and you couldn’t be happier. 

It wasn’t too hard to fall back into the rhythm of things after the incident. Offering tissues to clients, helping them work through their deep-seated issues, talking about their daily lives, what their lives were like before imprisonment; It was all good work. The week passed by like a flash thankfully and soon enough came the time when the bandages would come off. When your doctor had first tended to your wound she notified you that it was likely to leave a scar — Shanks made from scratch in a jail cell weren’t exactly the best thing to be cut with. At the time, you could care less as long as you were alive. Now that the familiar white strips of bandage were gone, the lighter patch of skin shone through. 

You didn’t know what to think of it, to say the least. 

Your eyes spent a great deal of time just gazing upon the scar on your arm after your appointment. Though the TV was on in front of you playing a random sitcom, your mind was elsewhere. The lifted patch of skin on your arm bothered you. It was like a living reminder of your stupidity — it almost taunted you with the way it stood out. A frustrated sigh made its way from your throat as you got up from the couch and threw on a comfortable hoodie. 

Maybe a walk would clear your head. 

You grabbed your box of toothpicks and slipped the black stick in between your lips, stuffing the box in the back pocket of your jeans as you made your way out of your flat. When you pulled the warm key from the lock and turned to walk out, you almost jumped out of your skin upon seeing your neighbor next to you. He was lucky you didn’t shriek from the surprise of it. 

“Simon!” you whisper-yelled. Your hand flew over your chest as you leaned against your door to regain your composure. “What the hell are you doing?” 

“Goin’ for a run.” he said simply as if he didn’t almost cause you a heart attack. “Didn’t mean t’scare ya. Sorry.” A sliver of a smile made its way onto his face. Simon was used to being intimidating because of his height and the fact that he was a high-ranking soldier. Usually, he wasn’t fazed by shocked reactions but seeing you genuinely startled by him was a little funny — considering you’d proved yourself to be extremely observant. 

A deep breath settled into your lungs while you straightened up. “Is that a habit of yours?? You almost gave me a heart attack..!” Granted, you were still a little shaken but at least it took your mind off things, specifically the scar that seemed to itch endlessly. 

Simon only peered down at you, a calmer look upon his face. “You ok?” his voice was as gruff as always. 

“Yeah, I’m fine- you said you were going out for a run? At this hour?” Somehow, you knew how to make a conversation feel as natural as breathing which made it easier for Simon to ease into your presence. It was something he could do mindlessly with you, he noticed. 

“Yeah. What are you doin’ out this late? S’pretty dangerous to be out.” The dingy light in the hallway flickered and the air was stale but you wouldn’t have it any other way. Being here, with him — talking to him — felt like a much needed release. It was astonishing how a simple exchange of words with him was akin to a taste of the finest water. You wondered how long you could preserve the stream this time. 

“Guess so,” you shrugged, biting on the toothpick mindlessly with your molars, “I just needed a distraction I guess.” You adjusted yourself to lean against the wall, your vision torn away from Simon’s visage. He guessed it was something you didn’t feel like talking about. 

So he didn’t ask; He only leaned up against the wall beside you. “. . .D’you wanna go on a walk?” His dusty auburn irises could see the ghost of a smile on your lips, a genuine one. 

“Are you asking me to join you?” 

“D’you see anyone else ‘ere?” 

You chuckled, “You’ve got jokes.” 

“I’ll tell ya some more if it’ll get that frown off you.” Simon snickered when he said it but you felt his words to be genuine, just masked under a joking tone. Maybe Simon had the capacity to worry for you after all, no matter how much sense it didn’t make to you. After all, you were just his neighbor. 

Nothing more. 

You pushed yourself off the wall and Simon followed after you. “Wasn’t frowning.” 

“Was too.” 

You wondered then, as you walked down the carpeted stairs beside him, if you could preserve this endless flow of natural, unfiltered, dialogue. In the comfortable silence that settled between the pair of you, the thought of keeping this night close to your heart seemed more enticing by the minute. 

taglist *ೃ༄ . . . @dwkfan . . @savannahsomething . . @thatghostlykid . .

© 2025 comesatimecomesashadow

[padfootagain]

Only an Almost (IV)

Chapter 4: First Time

Hello!! Here is a new chapter! This is one includes sexual themes, even if no explicit descriptions, so no minors here, please!

I hope you’ll like this chapter! Please, tell me what you think!

*************************************

Pairing: Hozier x fem!reader, friends with benefits AU

Warning: No explicit smut or nsfw content, but there are sexual themes and heavy make-out sessions (it’s a friends with benefits AU, I can’t really escape it), so 18+ only!

Summary: Andrew has been in love with you for years, and yet he has never confessed his feelings. But a night out celebrating the engagement of his best friend changes everything. However, you don't seem ready to be with him just yet. You make him an offer that he can't refuse... but will certainly regret.

Word Count : 2435

Masterlist for the series – Hozier’s Masterlist – Main Masterlist

Andrew and you didn’t see each other for a few days. You were both busy with work, and an impending fear seemed to hang above the two of you. You were both happy to pretend that you didn’t have time to see each other, it was easier to tiptoe around the line of friendship rather than to cross it for good.

But then Saturday arrived, and with it Andrew’s promise to help you move furniture around your house. You were buying a new bookshelf, and needed to move a couple of things to accommodate the larger shelves.

It was raining, for a change. When Andrew knocked on your door, his hair was curlier than ever, and on its way to get properly drenched. Luckily, you hurried to let him inside the warmth of your house.

“Alright, muscles! Let’s get you dry and warm, and then you can show all that manly strength of yours!” you joked, making Andrew laugh before you had even closed the door behind him.

“Yes, ma’am. I am but your humble servant today.”

It was your turn to laugh. You walked to your kitchen to start a kettle, while Andrew was ridding himself of his wet shoes and coat.

“So, how many muscles will be pulled today?” he asked, walking into your living room to assess the work to be done for the afternoon.

You appeared soon after, carrying two cups of tea; you handed him the one containing two teabags.

“We need to move the sofa, the coffee table, and all the furniture set against this wall,” you explained. “Once that is done, we need to pick up my bookshelf at the shop, and bring it home. We can set up everything now, it shouldn’t take too long.”

“Last time we’ve tried to build a piece of furniture together was at Jon’s, and it took us three hours… I expect to be free at nightfall,” Andrew pointed out, but you shook your head.

“No, don’t worry about that. I can assemble the bookshelf on my own.”

Andrew raised a surprised eyebrow.

“You don’t want any help?”

“I can do it.”

“I know you can… I’m asking if you want help.”

“I don’t want to bother you…”

But he merely let out a laugh.

“When did you decide to stop being insufferable?” he joked, making you roll your eyes. “Y/N… I’m here to help, so let me help.”

You grew a little shy, and Andrew tried to ignore the way it made his heart inflate, warmth spreading in his chest at the sight.

“You’re sure?”

“Of course!”

He drank a little bit of tea, before rolling up his sleeves.

“Alright, tell me where we’re putting all these.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait!”

“Pivot! Pivot!”

“I can’t believe you’ve made that joke… Andy!”

“Put it down. Y/N, just put it down, we’ll pick it up again.”

You heaved a relieved sigh as you put down the large cardboard box in your hallway. You took a couple of deep breaths, trying to slow down your heart.

You caught Andrew rubbing his back as you turned to him.

“Okay, next time I need help with something like this, I’ll ask someone my height. Are you okay, Andy?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?”

“Of course. You should close your door, and then we’ll lift this up again and get it safely to your living room.”

You managed to get the box in the right room on your second attempt, even if your arms and hands were sore by now.

Building the bookshelf was quicker than expected, thanks to Andrew’s help. He heaved a content sigh once you were finally done.

“Not too bad!” you nodded, an excited smile on your lips.

He leaned back on his hands, admiring your work. You were both sitting on the ground, in the mess of cardboard and spared screws that came with building furniture.

“So… that means…”

“I can buy so many more books…”

He let out a bright laugh, shaking his head at you with a fondness that made you look away.

“Why am I not surprised?”

“Hey! How many books did you buy last time we went to the bookstore together?” you asked back, making him roll his eyes.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ll have you know my purchases were perfectly legitimate.”

“The first two, maybe. Not the six that came next…”

Andrew laughed again, he couldn’t help it. And it made you break your act, the most beautiful sound in the world…

“Alright, alright. I might have a bit of an addiction.”

“Want some tea before you go?”

“You don’t want help organizing your brand-new shelves?”

“I reckon I’ve bothered you enough for one day.”

“God, stop saying that,” he mumbled, a tinge of annoyance in his voice. “You’re never bothering me, Y/N.”

You gave him a smile, the kind that made his heart melt, that illuminated his entire world…

… Christ, he was such a desperate case.

“Even when I steal all your chips?”

It made him laugh again, of course, even if it was silly. Perhaps because it was silly. You were adorable like this, sitting on the ground with pieces of cardboard all around, your hair a mess and wearing your most comfortable clothes. Domestic. That’s how the scene looked. It could have been a moment held in a shared home…

He wanted to make a snarky remark, but his heart was too soft, too warm, a little too painful as well.

“Even when you steal my chips.”

Your smile grew more mischievous, and Andrew’s gaze lingered on your lips.

“Now that you’ve admitted that, you’ll never get the chance to eat chips ever again.”

You both chuckled at that, and Andrew leaned closer to you without noticing, sitting straighter again. He didn’t pay attention to the way you leaned closer as well.

“Alright, that is too much. I like you enough to concede… 1% of my chips. Not one more.”

“One?! And you say you like me?” you huffed. “I deserve at least 25% of your chips.”

“You’re never getting one-fourth of my chips. Have I never mentioned that chips are my passion in life? You’ll get 5%.”

“20%.”

“I won’t go above 7%.”

“Come on, 10%...”

You leaned even closer, so close your shoulder was brushing his arm. So close, he could feel the warmth of your breath on his chin as he bent down a little.

He struggled to swallow. The thought crossed his mind that you were barely a breath away, that all he had to do to kiss you was to slightly tilt his head and lean down some more…

When did the temperature of the room rise so much?

When did the playful atmosphere turn into this longing?

“Alright, 10%.”

“Deal.”

You offered him your hand, and he looked down at your open palm. He shook your hand, his so much larger than yours. When he looked up, you were blinking, lips slightly parted. He didn’t have the strength to pull away, decided to let you break your hold on him. But you didn’t. Instead, your gaze dropped to his lips, and you tightened you tightened your hold on his hand. Andrew’s heart skipped several beats, he glanced at your mouth as well. When your gazes met once more, you let go of him, and Andrew blushed furiously, ready to pull away, to pretend that nothing had happened.

But then your fingers were lifted to his cheek, your thumb softly stroking his beard. He blinked at you, holding his breath.

When you leaned up, he could barely believe it.

“Andy?” you whispered, your lips almost touching his.

“Yes?” he struggled to swallow, voice low and deepened by want.

“Are you still okay with… what we discussed the other day? About… our arrangement?”

Andrew tried to speak, but he merely nodded instead.

“Can I kiss you, then?”

But instead of answering, Andrew merely closed the gap between your mouths.

It was as wonderful as he remembered, just as overwhelming, as perfect… a feeling he never wanted to end. A sensation he knew he would never stop seeking if he lost you…

The kiss, this time, quickly got heated though. Andrew’s lips had soon found the sweet spot over your pulse, and he busied himself gently biting on the skin of your neck, before kissing it to sooth the tickling flesh. You were breathless in his arms, hands lost in his hair, gently pulling now and then.

When you started to unbutton his shirt, shivers ran through his entire frame.

“Can we take this to the bedroom?” he asked, voice raw and deeper than you had ever heard, deep enough to make your soul tremble, lust audible in his tone.

His pupils were as dilated as yours when you looked at each other.

You quickly nodded, staggering to your feet.

You offered him a hand, one he knew he couldn’t refuse.

“Just sex, though. We still agree on this?” you asked.

Andrew’s chest tightened, and yet as he looked up at you, your lips reddened with kisses, a mark left by his mouth over the curve of your neck, a lustful look in your eyes… he could never have said no. He would have accepted anything to have you, no matter the consequences for him.

“Yes. Yes, we agree.”

You helped him up, keeping your hand in his as you guided him to your bed.

You were still holding his hand.

There was no sound in the room but your two breaths, heaving across silence, scattering over empty space and furniture and the perspiration across your brow.

Andrew couldn’t look at you yet. His mind was just coming down from its height, from reaching for the heavens and gently landing back into your bed, across the soft cotton sheets that smelled of lilac and you. His thoughts were still a little foggy, a little distant even, hanging above him just out of reach. The dizziness that came with utter pleasure and release was dissipating, leaving some room for the return of realisation and consciousness.

He had sex with you. Andrew had just had sex with you. You had slept with him. And God, what love-making that was…

Your hand tightened slightly around his, and he finally gathered his courage to turn his head on the pillow, blinking and then looking at you.

You were dishevelled, struggling for breath still, your eyes closed. Your bare chest was heaving; he couldn’t help but let his gaze trace your shape, the lines of your skin, the perfect curves of your body, for now still uncovered by the sheets. You looked messy and perfectly content. Glowing in some way only pleasure could bring.

He wished for this to be the only sight he would ever see from now on.

“Wow… that was amazing, Andy…”

His lips curved into a cocky grin.

“So… not as disappointing as expected?”

You chuckled at that, finally turning your head to look at him.

“Barely.”

You exchanged a tender smile, while he raised his hand to brush a strand of hair behind your ear. His hand lingered to cup your cheek, touch gentle, loving even.

“It was amazing for me too, by the way,” he whispered, moving closer, his tone as quiet as a confession.

You leaned closer to kiss him, and you tasted like heaven, something sweet and impossibly you, a taste he would never forget and always crave for…

“Hold me… please,” you asked in a whisper, and he didn’t hesitate as he wrapped his arms around you, holding you against him. You rested your ear right against his heart, listening to the steady beat of the organ.

You nuzzled into his chest, one of your hands still holding his, the other resting across his stomach where you drew mindless patterns that lulled him into a peaceful state, one he had not reached in years. He bent his head to kiss your hair.

This could work, he thought. None of what had just happened felt like a mere fling, like some meaningless sex. There had been a connection the second your lips met. It wasn’t fucking, it was making love. And now, you were craving for his embrace as much as he was longing for yours. This could work. For now, your life was complicated and stressful. It was okay, Andrew would wait for you to be available again, for you to be ready to give him a proper chance. It would be alright, all he had to do was to be patient. You couldn’t properly date him at the moment, but nothing that had occurred in this bedroom was mere physical attraction. It was more than just sex. You pretending that it was nothing more than a friends with benefits situation… it was temporary. Andrew was not fooled. You were still holding his hand. It would be fine, it was more than just sex… so much more…

He pressed his lips to your hairline.

“God, you’re so beautiful, Y/N,” he whispered, and he felt your smile against his skin.

His hold on your waist tightened slightly, before he would move his hand across your back, long fingers splayed across the base of your spine. Feeling your bare skin against his was driving him absolutely insane…

“Let’s take ten minutes like this, and then I’ll clean the mess we’ve made in the living room.”

“An hour.”

You chuckled, pinching playfully his side.

“Quit having such a terrible influence on me, would you? I’ll give us fifteen…”

“Why the rush?” he argued, his eyes closing while his lips were still resting against your skin and he breathed in the blooming scent of your shampoo. “This is nice… let’s enjoy the moment, okay?”

You didn’t say anything, remained quiet, went back to tracing patterns against his skin.

It lasted a few blissful minutes, before you were sitting up.

You let go of his hand.

“I’m gonna go clean up everything in the living room, and reorder my bookshelves. Do you want some tea?”

You weren’t looking at him, as if you were avoiding his stare. Andrew wondered why.

“No, thanks. I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks, though.”

You hurried back into your clothes, and Andrew grew self-conscious, now that he was the only one still naked. He reached for his underwear as well, then his undershirt.

“You’re alright, baby?”

You finally turned to him.

“Let’s make a new rule. No pet names. Okay?”

He blinked up at you from the bed, taken aback, too much so to stop you from leaving the room.

[sunny-knight]

FORGETTABLE AU PAGES - LIVE REACTION

@forgettable-au Go. Read. It. 🫵

….oh my god.

ok y’know what, i’m not even gonna do my usual summarizing thoughts before going through the pages beat for beat- we’re diving STRAIGHT in.

strictly formatting these is overrated anyway

THE FIRST PAGE!!!

First of all awwwwww I hope we get to see Riverperson again… Flowey resting his head on top of Papyrus’ in the raft melts my heart as well.

For the first bit of dialogue here with Floweys internal monologue- OUGH I LOVE IT! I will NEVER get sick of getting into his head, he’s like us! a theorist! his thought process here is so me.… “ive never thought of the possibility that Papyrus might have been involved as well…” Welllllllll… You’re half right.

Im also looking forward to seeing the part of Wingdings’ story that explains Papyrus’ conveyor belt related trauma- cause cmon man whats wrong with conveyer belts 😭

Papyrus basically having a conversation with himself while Flowey just goes and does his own thing is SO REAL ALSO I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

ALSO LMAO THE BACKPACK IS ACTUALLY THERE- THAT WAS A THING I POINTED OUT AS A JOKE IN THIS POST- funny to know that was just a mistake, BUT IM ONTO YOUR LITTLE TRICKS!!! I KNOW ITS LORE RELATED SOMEWHERE!!!!

PAGE 2

PAPYRUS’ REACTION HERE HAS ME SCREAMING IN AGONY, I DIDN’T THINK IT WOULD GET WORSE- BUT spoilers. it gets so much worse. I mean I- kind of- spoiled it with the drawing at the very beginning….BUT- YOU SHOULD HAVE READ THE COMICS BEFORE READING THIS!!!

GOOGLY EYES PAPYRUS SPOTTED!!!! OHHH I COULDN’T BE HAPPIER and speaking of facial expressions I hate (love) Floweys smug ass in these panels 😭

THE 2ND TO LAST PANEL- OH THIS SHOT BEHIND AND BELOW PAPYRUS IS JUST GORGEOUS HIS SKULL AND JAW AND NECK- ITS ALL SO WELL DRAWN

PAGE 3

Talking about the actual dialogue for a second- trying not to get too carried away only focusing on the visuals.

Im very concerned we’re going to have a moment with the power going out, Papyrus and Flowey being stuck without the elevator just like Alphys and Wingdings were. Some chicanery is gonna happen comparing and contrasting how they handle that compared to the 2 scientists. Ofc thats a lot of speculation- But I cant help but feel like the talk about “the energy hopfully lasting long enough” is leading up to something….not fun.

Maybe what they do down here is a weird time mumbo jumbo that is important to make what happens in the past- happen. Maybe thats why Gaster is watching them…

“You should talk to my brother more!!!” …..I want to disagree- but also I want them to be friends and think they COULD get along

PAGE 4

“That would be weird!!” reference to when you call Papyrus in Alphys’ room….i see what you did there….

Also Floweys logic here about having hisss permission just made me giggle so much LMAO I absolutely love the repeated “Papyrus is hesitant” followed up by “Flowey presenting a sorta??? convincing argument” and Papyrus just being like “…ALRIGHT!”. Very fun and in character for him

PAGE. 5.

When I tell you- this K I L L E D. M E. GOD THIS IS SO WELL DRAWN???!?!?!?! I CAN FEEL THE SINKING DREAD- OOOUUUUGGHHHH THE DETAIL IN HIS EYE SOCKETS!!!!!!!!

This incredibly depicts feeling of sound filling your head- just AAAA IT HITS SO HARD AND IT HURTS SO GOOD.

PAGE 6

“Are you- uh..feeling anything?” Subtle Flowey. Very subtle. Though I love Papyrus’ complete misread of what he’s asking HEHDHE. Yknow, Its a belief among ghost hunters that “cold spots” mean theres a ghost lurking around. HM.

Also wtf are you talking about- Papyrus?? you “sometimes” have nerve endings 😭?? That line is incredibly in character answer for him, but also what?? maybe im missing something obvious. Ough the detail on the hand bone…

PAGE 7

WINGDINGS!!!!!!!! MY GOAT!!!! AND ALSO SANS!!!!! MY SLIGHTLY LESSER GOAT WHOM I STILL LOVE!!!!!!!!!!

God I wonder where this conversation is going to go- wheres Wingdings going with this? is he gonna tell him about the tape?? why did he LIE ABOUT THE CREVICE IN THE FIRST PLACE???? IM STILL HUNG UP ON THAT!

Its clear Wingdings plans on researching timelines because of the tape things, ofc, im just surprised he’s informing Sans about it since he’s proven to want to keep at least some of it a secret. At the very least he seems to really enjoy- controlling information.

Im calling it now, Wingdings is a pathological liar. (bold ass claim especially because he only lied once so far BUT IM CALLING IT!!!)

Also the talking and writing in wingdings here is gonna make me immediately rule out Alphys being involved in this conversation.

IN CONCLUSION!

I am. LOSING. MY MIND. OUUUGHH THE ART JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER, THE PLOT AND THE TENSION!!! IT JUST GETS THICKER AND THICKER. I can promise you, the pages are ALWAYS worth the wait…as a wise man once said…

(the real quote, if you dont know is by Shigeru Miyamoto and replate ‘comic’ with ‘game’)

[walnutcookie]

Since the craft siblings are enrichment for you do you have any tips for distracting them..

I DO!!!! heres my best attempt at explaining it

First of all, you HAVE to distract them using some sort of object. With distracting most other twisteds, its better to be in an open space, but with the crafts its impossible. objects that are too large or too small are risky; i reccomend something medium sized, of course this varies with each map and machine locations n stuff so just try to pick something decent. and keep a bit of a distance from the object so you dont get caught on edges

Important thing to note, if your team is inexperienced, tell them to be careful around you. tell them to avoid you like the plague actually because distracting these fellers requires you to hide for short periods of time and if anyone happens to stumble in during the short time youre hidden then they can get aggro and it can cause catastrophe </3

Another thing while on the topic of locations, id like to give some brief tips on actually BRINGING them to said location. i cannot tell you how many times ive died because i panicked while trying to move...

first of all, make sure you dont panic lol. Be cautious, if you can ask people to be careful while youre moving. Do NOT wander anywhere thats open or any rooms without objects to hide behind because the second you see their ability activate you need to make sure you duck behind something to avoid getting hit,, I suggest that ive youve been out in the open for over 7 seconds find some object to circle around so you can put them on cooldown again and they cant catch you off guard. Once you have a secure place try your best not to move any more than that because thats the riskiest part. dont go anywhere with machines either because no matter how low your stealth is or how high your teammates stealth is, if anyone is around they WILL steal aggro. CAREFULLY move spots after other machines are done if its absolutely necessary

Distracting only one craft sibling without other twisteds is pretty simple - just keep circling around your object, keep a good chunk of distance between you and the twisted. Try to sprint to the edges when you know their cooldown is about to run out, since the wider parts of the object are more vulnerable. of course you SHOULD be counting down their cooldown in your head but i dont like doing that (adhd brain) so its not like 100% necessary. u start to get into a rhythm of it, just watch for the animation. i also try to keep the same direction because if i switch constantly it throws me off, but sometimes you need to out of necessity. whatever works best for you

You can lose their aggro, either walk the way you came or walk fully around the object, whatevers faster or feels more comfortable for that cycle. a lot of this is just whatever works as youre distracting ngl, dont get comfortable because you may need to switch it up to avoid getting hit!

or

Distracting with multiple twisteds is a little more complicated. Mostly the same thing, but make sure you never stop moving (obviously lol). this one requires a little more patience and you DEFINITELY gotta be careful if your teammates are nearby. Circle around an object, for the non-craft twisteds youll just be distracting as normal.

I would suggest running fully around the object when the ranged cooldown goes off instead of turning back around because its less risky,

but you can do it if you have an area to make a wide turn like this: (bigger than this but my canvas was too small. More circular)

Make sure you have room wherever youre distracting, because regardless youre going to have to make big circles around your object

this would probably work with gigi?? ableit more difficult because of her speed. i couldnt tell you though not gonna lie i just let her take my items so i can treat her like a faster twisted

hope this helps!! Im not sure how well i explained it or if the diagrams are readable ^^"

[mieanme]

Merman x Siren au

Hualian - (part IV)

Previous part: PART III

First part: PART I

We finally reached the part I've been thinking about for ages 😭 I hope you like the siren, guys ^•^

ALSO, if you wanna know how Hua Cheng looks like, I drew him: here

***

"Well, well, well..." the deep, unfamiliar clicks echo down the trench, causing unpleasant chills to run up Xie Lian's spine. "What do we have here?"

With a racing heart, Xie Lian slowly turns his head upwards, finally facing the creature blocking the daylight.

The first thing that pulls Xie Lian's gaze is the longest tail he has ever seen in his life. If not for the sharp, bloody red scales, he would say it resembles an eel more than any other creature he's ever come across. Other merpeople said that sirens take after reptiles such as crocodiles the most, but those don't usually live in salt waters, so Xie Lian never had a chance to check if their words were true. Not like it matters now anyway - following up the tail, Xie Lian sees the huge back fin, a few smaller ones on the sides, pale yet tough looking body and, the most terrifying for him, arms geared with shining claws.

"I,I... I—," Xie Lian clicks a few times, trying to maybe bargain with the siren, but all that comes out is rather incoherent.

"Hmm?" the creature respondes, arcing its left eyebrow.

When Xie Lian steals a short glance at its face, not daring to stare, he only catches eye contact with the creature's left eye, the right one being covered with long, black hair. From that one look, Xie Lian figures out the siren is probably a male, with a sharp jawline and more or less masculine features.

"Are you inaudible, little merman?" the siren mocks, swimming closer to Xie Lian, as if he wanted to catch his prey this instant.

In seconds Xie Lian in his mind sees the image of the siren getting closer and holding him by his throat to cover his gills. The vision of himself dying slowly and painfully in the creature's hold finally untangles his own tongue.

"N-no, that's not the case!" he exclaims, trying to back out of this situation, but soon enough his shoulders bump into the wall of the trench behind him. Ruoye managed to move onto the merman's stomach, so luckily it didn't suffer the collision. "I-I can explain! I just need one thing, I promise!"

"Interesting," the siren speaks up again, still approaching Xie Lian in a painfully slow and very mocking manner.

The siren knows the merman cannot escape and so does Xie Lian. He's just toying with his meal at this point and Xie Lian doesn't like that thought one bit.

"So you not only ventured into my territory uninvited, but you were also planning to take something without my permission nor knowledge. It's called stealing, little merman. But please, explain away."

Xie Lian grins to himself, noticing that the siren does have every single right to execute the merman here and now. However, he doesn't want to give up just yet. He hopes that the siren will understand him and cooperate.

"I know how it sounds, but I have a good reason, I promise I had no malicious intent coming here," Xie Lian starts, not daring to look up at the siren. "Some of the members of our pod have suddenly fallen ill to a highly dangerous and infectious disease. They are innocent merpeople, gatherers and nursery guardians. They were unable to swim since then and whatever they eat, they vomit out a few minutes later. If they're not granted the medicine for this illness, they are going to die suffering. But there's only one cure to this illness, at least that's what our oldest medic said - it's an algae that grows in almost full darkness, practically only in the ocean trenches. And the only trench we know of is this one! I-it's also not that we all agreed to come here, our leader even forbade us from coming into your territory, so, please, don't hold it against our pod, I came on my own! But I really want to help them, so please, let me take the algae!"

Xie Lian rapidly spits out the last sentence, begging the siren to have some mercy. However, after he finishes his speech, only silence follows. If not for the shadow still remaining casted at him, Xie Lian would think the siren left, since he no longer could sense his presence nor water movement around. Just then, siren finally reacts to his words, but it's not a reaction Xie Lian was waiting for.

The siren bursts laughing, making Xie Lian lift his gaze at him. The creature is way closer to him than Xie Lian thought - now he's able to see every single scale on his body and even some strange marks resembling veins on his torso and neck, travelling down his left arm and even up his face. Only then Xie Lian realises the siren doesn't have the second eye; where it should be, there's an ugly scar covered in the same strange marks that the merman noticed on his body.

Xie Lian doesn't have any more time to think about it though, because when the laughter dies down, the siren keeps staring at him with a mocking smile, as if he never saw anything as stupid and amusing as this very merman in front of him.

"Why... why are you laughing?" Xie Lian finally says, almost clinging to the wall when the siren comes even closer to him. The siren's black hair brush over Xie Lian's shoulders and tangle with his own, painting a beautiful yet terrifying picture.

"Foolish, little merman," the siren sums up, reaching out one of his hands to Xie Lian's face. Ruoye jumps up to attack him, but Xie Lian manages to catch the octopus with both hands and hug it to his chest, not wanting to anger the siren even more. "You won't pick that algae, no matter how much you want to."

"Please, let me go there! I really need it, we will repay you for your kindness if you let me go look for it! I promise! Please!"

However Xie Lian shuts up the second the siren's cold, clawed fingers touch his face. The siren catches his chin in two fingers, the rest slowly brushing over the merman's skin. It's terrifying, but also... it feels quite pleasant. Xie Lian doesn't understand it, but his heart starts beating even faster, but not only out of fear. What's the other emotion - he cannot tell.

"I am not stopping you from diving down the trench. I'm simply stating the fact, little merman. You are unable to pick that algae."

Xie Lian is dumbfounded. He blinks a few times, this time looking straight into the siren's eye.

"What... What do you mean? You're not stopping me? So... Why wouldn't I be able to pick the algae?"

"It's very simple," the siren states. "It grows too deep for any mer to pick it. That's why that disease that has fallen over your pod is called the 'black desolation'. It brings only two things over merpeople - annihilation from the illness and darkness from the places they try to find the medicine and fail. Your elder didn't mention it, did they?"

Xie Lian is speechless once again. What the siren says is even more terrifying than his presence itself.

'It... It can't be,' he thinks to himself. 'So there's no cure at all?'

"I see, you actually didn't know," the siren continues. "That's a pity—"

"But!" Xie Lian cuts him short, suddenly feeling a rush of courage wash over him. "I won't give up until I try! I want to see for myself if I can pick it or not! Please, let me go, I can endure whatever the depth has there for me!"

The siren's eyebrow flies up yet again, visibly not believing in Xie Lian's success.

"So you still really want to start bleeding from all your flesh, lose all your senses and die a painful death, crushed by the conditions down there?"

Xie Lian hesitates, but then he nods. He knows he probably looks like the most pitiful creature in the siren's eye right now, but it doesn't matter.

"I will pick the algae, or I will die tryin—"

"No need," the siren chimes in, letting go of Xie Lian's face. "I will pick the algae for you."

The siren backs away, leaving Xie Lian so surprised that he even lets go of Ruoye. The octopus, still angry with the siren's attitude, charges right at him, but even when it wraps itself around it's arm and bites down, the siren doesn't look amused at all.

"Ruoye, no!" Xie Lian exclaims, but he knows it's already too late.

"Don't worry, it's venom can do nothing to me. It's not the first blue-ring octopus I pissed off," is the only thing the siren says before Xie Lian manages to reach him and gently takes Ruoye in his hands, trying his best in convincing the animal to let go. When the octopus finally admits defeat, it wraps itself around Xie Lian's back again, obviously glaring at the siren.

Only now Xie Lian realises that as soon as Ruoye disappeared from his hold, his hands chose to rest on something else - that happened to be the siren's forearm, right in the place a small bite mark is now visible. Xie Lian blinks, unsure of what to do. Then he feels his cheek being touched by the siren's cold fingers yet again, making him look up at his handsome face.

"I will be back shortly. Stay here," the siren assures, but is taken aback when Xie Lian grips his arm even tighter instead of letting go.

"But... aren't you going to get hurt? I don't want you to risk your own life just because I probably cannot reach the algae. I... I want to do it on my own without putting any more lives on the line."

Xie Lian doesn't expect the siren to chuckle, but it actually happens. The siren only shakes its head, smiling leniently at the merman.

"My body is very different from the one of a mer. I can dive way deeper and endure extreme conditions. I am what your kin calls a 'monster', after all. Only a pitiful monster wouldn't be able to do such things. I'd rather live up to my titles."

With those words, siren suddenly dives down, not letting Xie Lian even think of a response. Within seconds he's totally gone in the pitch darkness, leaving the merman and the octopus alone.

***

Hello~! I feel like this part is a little longer than the previous ones, I hope you enjoyed it!! Lemme know what do you think in the comments ^•^ See you soon!!

PART V