#jokes aside this is one of my favourite chapters

[mtkay13]

My version of the wardrobe template! yay!! I had a LOT of fun doing this and feel like I could elaborate a bit more on each of those.

It's already linked up here, but here's once again a > link to the post.< Anyway! More about these designs below!

So first, for WKX's template! - Chapter 2: Grey robes I had already made my design of those for the full TYK lineup I made a while back. I really, really like those, and took inspiration from some of the robes SHL!WKX wears in the show for the shapes. - Chapter 69: dark robes with dark red belt I expected to like that style for him, but not that much! I had seen a tutorial on how asymetrical hanfus were worn by archers in the past and that inspired me, purely on a fashion level of course. I like how intimidating he looks with those and enjoy the touches of blue in the inner layer of the robes. - Chapter 75: dark red robes The GVM robes! which I also designed a while back when researching for the illustrations of the Mt Fengya battle scenes that I wanted to make. I reworked them just a little bit and got rid of some details that I didn't like anymore. I tremendously pleated skirts for WKX so I went at it once again. I also used shifts in hues to make it look like it could have been drenched in blood. - Extra 5: deep red robes For the reminder (since apparently some people are not aware of extra 5's existance), this extra is set 5 years post-canon. I wanted WKX to wear something that looked comfortable for traveling but also practical and fashionable. The teal jacket is of course another nod at SHL since the red and teal combo was an absolute banger. Let's say I didn't want WKX to just sport an all-red look. Furthermore, the teal really works to adorn the red hues. - My personal favourite I actually don't really know whether those are my actual personal favourites, but I've come to LOVE WKX dressed in red and white thanks to @kwehxing's designs. I think it really suits him and on top of that it avoids the question "is this Hua Cheng" LMAO--okay jokes aside, I combined most of the shapes that I really like for WKX (wider shoulders, wide sleeves, and long robes with pleated inner robes) and I find him very elegant like this. Now, for ZZS! - Chapter 1: sapphire blue scholar robes Those had already been designed before as well! They're my go to generic TC!ZZS robes, haha. I was a bit extra with the blue colour here, but oh well. I'm quite obsessed with the silver brocade cynching his waist, haha. - Chapter 2: stolen farmer robes A classic as well as far as I'm concerned--of course, inspired by his hobo fit in SHL because it was quite efficient. I'm forever fond of my scruffy hobo!Xu and his toes poking from his sandals. - Chapter 18: luxurious robes from the Gao family Those were a new design! Which I had a lot of fun coming up with. Putting ZZS in a different colour scheme was also really nice. For those who don't remember, ZZS feels quite ridiculous when he sees himself in a mirror wearing those fancy robes while being so emaciated and still sporting his hobo mask. I wanted to give this "out of place" feeling; and also work on a very "wuxia" style for the robes, since this is jianghu and they were provided by Gao Chong. - Extra 5: black robes I'm incredibly fond of this design. I worked quite a bit on it, since I wasn't sure of where I wanted to go. My main guidelines were: practical and cool. I really like ZZS having a lot of room to move so ideally not too much fabric in the way, and I think he also needs arm braces to be rid of annoying sleeves. Of course, him looking much healthier and having a dynamic ponytail really works to "complete the look", and I find that he looks really cool there haha. - My personal favourite This one has been refined over the months, but it's definitely, overall, my favourite look for him in terms of shapes and construction. I like that the robes are short, I like the more fashionable jacket. I'm especially into the "pants tucked into the boots" silhouette, as well as the little ribbons keeping them tight around the ankles. I'd say that this leg shape + short robes + a bun (or sometimes a ponytail) is THE ZZS design combo for me, haha. It looks practical and fun and adventurous, just how I like it.

To conclude the whole post, I had more fun doing this than I even expected, and needless to say that I'm very excited to see other versions of them following this template. It was a good opportunity to try and project what the characters look like throughout the book, and a fun design exercise as well. I actually don't really like doing character design usually, but for characters I'm obsessed with, it's of course a much nicer experience. Anyway, thank you for reading!

[sorrowsofsilence]

Burning Out • IV

Pairing: Noah Sebastian x Fem!Reader

I was lost, but now I'm found Under the lights and in the sounds So let us sing and sing it loud That we're not perfect, but we're proud of who we are.

Noah Sebastian is lost. His crime-filled lifestyle is anything but perfect; but everything changes once he meets you.

Words: 4.4k

General Fanfic Warnings: 18+, explicit language, smut, alcohol, drugs, violence, mentions murder/suicide, panic attacks/anxiety, nightmares

Authors note: Chapter Four- Show my Thorns (EDITED: 09-03-24)

new? start from chapter one here

My own words stung as they reminded me of my past felonies, but I supposed she truly was my favourite victim. If it wasn't too messed up to say something like that.

"Will I see you for your usual coffee?" She asked, hope seeping through her eyes. How could she want to see me again?

"Yeah," I replied with a forced laugh, lying through each breath. "See you then."

I stepped out of the car and turned to wave before opening the door to the motel room. My heart ached as Y/N drove away.

Goodbye.

Tell me that I'm wrong Tell me that I'm wrong

+++++

NOAH

As soon as I stepped inside, Ruffilo pulled me into a tight hug that almost crushed my bones.

"I was so worried, bro," he exclaimed, his worry now replaced with relief.

"Who was in the car?" Folio asked, peering out the window before quickly shutting the curtain.

"It's a long story," I groaned, collapsing onto the cot once more.

"I don't care about the story," Jolly interjected angrily. "What did you manage to steal?"

"Nothing," I admitted, cowering under their disappointed stares.

"You were gone for that long and came back empty-handed?" Folio said, his disappointment palpable.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Jolly laughed. "I thought you were over your little episode from earlier."

I sat up and looked at each of them in turn. "Trust me, I had a great haul. Until I got caught."

"You didn't," Ruffilo deadpanned.

"It's fine, she won't say anything," I reassured them, taking off my shoes.

"What? So now you trust some random girl who caught you breaking into her house? How desperate are you?" Jolly growled. "We're screwed."

"She drove you home too? Now she knows where we live? You idiot!" Folio yelled, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"What was in the haul?" Ruffilo asked curiously.

Sighing heavily, I mumbled into my hands, "Almost full bottles of Diazepam, Adderall, Zolpidem, and Dextromethorphan."

All three of them groaned in frustration.

"Dude, that's worth thousands of dollars!" Folio exclaimed. "You should go back and get it if you're all buddy-buddy with her now."

My glare could have killed me as I shot daggers at the youngest member of our group. "Fuck off. It's not going to happen."

"No, Nick has a point," Jolly chimed in. "That's a good haul. We could use the extra money right now."

"I said," I growled through gritted teeth, "It's not going to happen."

I stormed off towards the bathroom door and slammed it shut behind me. Leaning against the door, I let out a frustrated groan and ran my hands through my hair. My mind was conflicted and confused, unable to believe that this day was even real.

I turned the shower on, and stripped off my clothes, letting the water wash away my sins.

I can't forgive you, but I can't look away I walked through fire I was born in the flames

+++++

Y/N

As I climbed the stairs to my house, Juice followed close behind. A sigh of frustration escaped my lips as I tried to make sense of the events of the day. My confusion only increased when I saw a backpack sitting in front of my bedroom door, its contents shifting with each step I took. I couldn't resist the urge to investigate and opened the bag, revealing all of my prescription pill bottles inside. My heart raced as I stared at them, unsure if they had been intentionally left there or if he had planned to sell them for money. But with only four hours until I had to be at work, I pushed those thoughts aside and prioritized sleep over worrying about it.

+++++

As I worked that morning my mind was consumed with the events of last night, replaying over and over again in my head like a broken record. Was it lack of sleep, anxiety, or the intoxicating presence of Noah that kept me on edge? Annika noticed my restlessness and questioned me, but I brushed her concerns off with a forced smile and a lie about being tired.

Despite my rational thoughts telling me otherwise, my heart yearned for Noah. There was something about him that drew me in, despite his criminal lifestyle. He was unlike anyone I had ever met before.

Throughout the day, I found myself constantly glancing at the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of him walking in. But he never did.

It wasn't until half an hour before closing time that the familiar ding of the doorbell sounded, causing my heart to leap in anticipation. I turned around, hoping to see Noah's long hair and captivating silver eyes, but instead was greeted by another man with long locks and tattoos covering his arms. His onyx hair and striking silver eyes held a similar intensity to Noah's, but there was something different about him.

My thoughts immediately went back to Noah as this new man ordered the same coffee as him - one cream and one sugar. As he handed me the change, I couldn't help but notice the intricate tattoos adorning his knuckles. My hands trembled slightly as I handed him his cup, taking in the words etched above each finger: "Bad Omen" spelled out above a crescent moon design.

We locked eyes for a moment, a sense of understanding passing between us as I handed him his drink. Despite his similarities to Noah, this man seemed completely different - yet my mind kept going back to those piercing October eyes.

Can one of us be saved? Better in a grave

+++++

NOAH

"Does she know about the tattoo?" Nicholas asked as he handed me a cup of coffee. I adjusted my sunglasses while taking a sip, the warm liquid soothing my throat as I thought of her again. I had told her the truth when she asked, but now I regretted it. It would have been better if we had just gone our separate ways.

After my shower, I filled Ruffilo in on everything that had happened with Y/N. He always understood me and listened to me best, even though he was surprised by how things turned out.

"She seemed so hopeful when she turned around," Ruffilo said, shoving his hands into his jean pockets as we walked back to the motel. "I think she wanted me to be you."

"I don't understand why," I said.

"Because you're not a bad person. She can see through whatever walls you've put up. You two were interested in each other before last night because you went out," Nicholas sighed. "And the fact that she still seems interested after everything means two things -"

I gave him a questioning look, waiting for him to continue.

"- Either she's crazy, or she sees past your past because she gets it," Nicholas reassured me. And he was right. Y/N could understand certain aspects because she had just escaped from her own cage; but was I ready to risk everything to see her again? Was there a chance that she could forgive me?

Ruffilo glanced at his watch, "We need to hurry back. Jolly and Folio will be here in ten minutes to pick us up and we still need to meet with D to drop off the load."

I nodded, picking up the pace and taking another sip of my coffee. "Hopefully they made enough money to make up for yesterday's loss."

Nicholas patted my shoulder, "Don't beat yourself up too much brother. You almost got caught and managed to evade it."

"I did get caught, just not by the law," I corrected him.

"Okay, but you were caught by a beautiful woman instead. I'd say that's a win-win."

I playfully pushed his shoulder, brushing off his comment; but he was right. Y/N was gorgeous.

We reached the motel and saw Jolly and Folio loading bags of cash into the car.

"Did we make a good haul?" Ruffilo asked as he lit a cigarette. We walked over to them and I eyed the bags; there seemed to be an excessive amount of money.

Folio nodded, "We made enough to cover last night's loss and then some. Looks like we'll be dining well tonight!" He clapped his hands together before tapping them on the hood of the car, exuding excitement.

I questioned with caution, “How did you manage to get all of this in just a couple of hours?” Jolly lit a cigarette and jumped into the front seat. We followed suit, but I rolled down the window to avoid the smoke from filling the car. I could handle smoking joints, but cigarettes burned my throat.

Jolly explained, “We robbed a convenience store off of 9th Ave. It was the quickest way to get the cash we needed.”

Skeptical, I narrowed my eyes and watched him through the rearview mirror, “Aren’t you the one who always says we should avoid businesses because it’s too risky?”

Jolly scoffed, “Yeah, but I do it well. So I don’t mind taking that risk, especially since we were thousands behind.”

I muttered, “Whatever,” and looked out the window. The meeting with D today was crucial; it would determine if we could finally get out of this mess.

The ride was silent until we arrived at the abandoned warehouse by the pier. Dread washed over me as our car was surrounded by men in black masks, guns hanging from their arms.

“Out with your hands up,” a masked guard commanded from outside the car in a muffled voice.

We complied, used to this standard procedure.

D’s familiar booming voice echoed from down the pier, sending shivers down my spine as his shadow approached us under the moonlight. His silver blonde hair glinted in the moonlight as he towered over us, taunting us like prey.

“What have you brought me this month?” he asked eagerly.

“We have about thirteen thousand,” Jolly reported as the guards searched our car and opened up the duffle bags.

D’s eyes flicked between us sharply and scanned the crowd as if looking for any discrepancies. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“I recall agreeing upon fifteen thousand this month,” he remarked.

Jolly almost lunged at him, but he kept his composure and clenched his fists, “No, we agreed on twelve. And you should consider yourself lucky we even managed to get the extra thousand instead of keeping it for ourselves.”

D chuckled darkly, his teeth twisting into an evil grin, “Oh, I’m lucky, am I?”

He walked closer, arms crossed behind his back in a display of power, “I would say you should be lucky that I’m willing to let you get away with this, for a price.”

“We did what you asked,” Jolly growled, “We shook on twelve.”

D smiled smugly and raised a questioning brow, “Yet you brought thirteen.”

Jolly remained silent and the rest of us watched as D strutted between our bodies like a predator encasing its prey in its trap once again.

“I expect twenty thousand next month. Clearly, you are capable of bringing in more,” he stated firmly.

My eyes widened in shock and I turned to the boys for confirmation.

“Twenty?” I exclaimed incredulously, my eyebrows shooting up in disbelief, “How the fuck are we supposed to get twenty? You keep raising the price and we’re getting closer and closer to getting caught every day.”

D cackled cunningly, “If it weren’t for you young Noah, we wouldn’t be in this situation. So maybe it’s time for you to step up and find other ways to earn money.”

Ruffilo pleaded, “But we can’t get twenty.”

“Let’s make it twenty-four then,” D clapped his hands together with a sickening smile on his face, making me want to punch it off.

“Twenty is fine.” Jolly clenched his jaw, struggling to keep a pleasant expression on his face. D sauntered over and clapped him on the back, but Jolly flinched away from the false camaraderie.

"That's my boy," D said with fake enthusiasm. "But I have some good news for you."

My ears perked up at the mention of good news.

"Your debt will be paid off next month. This twenty grand will cover everything."

I had to hold back from cheering out loud, but when I glanced at Ruffilo, we shared a silent moment of celebration. Could it be true? Just twenty thousand dollars more and we would finally be free?

D's tone turned sly as he continued, stepping closer to me until our chests were almost touching.

"There is one condition though," he said with a sneaky smile. "Noah is the only one who can pay me back. No help from anyone else. It has to be Noah's work."

+++++

As soon as we got into the car, tears of anger streamed down my face. This had to be a dream. Why the fuck couldn’t I wake up.

“The four of you will wear trackers. That way I know Noah’s alone when he gets the cash, and brings it to me at the end of each week.”

The boys remained silent the whole way, Nicholas giving me sympathetic glances every so often.

“One final test to see if you’ve really learned your lesson, pretty boy.”

I punched the headrest in front of me, anger seeping through my veins. Pretty boy.

“I think we could all use a drink.” Jolly sighed, turning the car into the parking lot of a local bar. Sammy’s.

The boys got out of the car and I lingered there for a moment, squeezing my eyes shut as my chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. Fuck this. Fuck everything. Life was a literal bad omen.

I opened the door, slamming it forcefully as I pulled my hood over my head, following the boys into the bar. I avoided the crowd, sliding into the booth Jolly led us to, leaning into the wall.

“What do you want Noah?” Ruffilo asked.

“Tequila,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. At least that would numb the pain for a bit, “Hennesey.”

“Shouldn’t mix that but ok,” Ruffilo said, standing up to grab the drinks; as he turned he hesitated, “Uh, Noah-”

I raised my head to meet his gaze, pulling back my hood in curiosity before shifting my attention to the woman standing behind him at the counter. Y/N was there, dressed in a tight black tank top that hugged her figure, paired with short shorts that barely covered her hips. The fanny pack slung around her waist and name tag completed the look, but I couldn’t believe this was the other job she had.

We locked eyes as I stared at her in surprise, feeling my cheeks flush as she pushed back her hair and gave me a smile that lit up her kind, pleading eyes.

"He's right," Ruffilo said with astonishment, shaking his head at the sight of us. "There's some sort of connection between you two."

"That's Y/N?" Folio whistled lowly, ogling the woman as she chatted with a customer now, glancing over every few seconds.

"How do you know about her?" I muttered through gritted teeth, leaning towards him in a hushed tone before looking over at Nicholas. "Did you tell them?"

"They needed to know," Ruffilo responded defensively, shrugging his shoulders before walking over to the bar.

"She's stunning, no doubt about it." Jolly grinned approvingly, his eyes still fixed on Y/N as she talked with Ruffilo, occasionally glancing back at me.

I couldn't help but keep stealing glances at her until my cheeks burned and I had to turn away. Her gaze felt like it was scorching holes into my skin. "So, now what?" I asked, raking my fingers through my hair and anxiously twisting the ends.

"Just go say hi, you idiot," Folio exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You guys are clearly checking each other out, so just go do it over there."

I let out a sigh and forced myself out of the booth. As I walked towards Ruffilo and Y/N, her face lit up with excitement.

"Why do you keep following me?" I teased, taking a seat on the stool in front of the counter. Nicholas pushed a tequila shot and a cup of hennesey towards me.

I downed the liquor in one gulp, relishing the burn as it travelled down my throat, savouring the taste of ignorance.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Y/N laughed softly, taking the empty glass from me. "But at the same time, I'm not really surprised at all."

"Something keeps bringing us back together," I chuckled, downing another shot of the brown liquor as its fiery warmth danced across my tastebuds. "I have a feeling that I'm meant to get to know you."

Ruffilo left with three beers, leaving Y/N and I alone. She absentmindedly played with her hair again, tucking it behind her ear. "It's pretty strange," she commented with a small smile.

I nodded, “Can I get two more shots?”

Y/N raised a brow but lined up the glasses, pouring the liquor into them. I downed it again, sighing heavily.

“You got your friend to get your coffee this evening?” Y/N asked now, colour rising to her face as she warmed, almost like she was embarrassed at noticing my lack of presence.

“I’m surprised you’re talking to me after finding what was in my bag.” I laughed, my vision starting to blur. It’s been a while since I’ve drank, and my tolerance must have lowered.

She poured me another, as If I had asked with my eyes, and smiled gently, “You didn’t take it back with you though. You left it behind.”

Not sure it was quite on purpose, but I’m glad she thinks so.

“Those guys are your gang?” She nodded her head towards Jolly, Folio, and Ruffilo. I turned, and they immediately looked away, pretending they weren’t watching our entire interaction unfold. My ears began ringing as the alcohol consumed me, the song playing above us getting louder.

I carry your heart around Like a child that has just been born I try not to let you down And I try not to show my thorns

“Those are my brothers.” I nodded, resting my head on the wooden counter, and closing my eyes in defeat.

“Noah… are you ok?” Y/N placed her hand gently on my own, and my body warmed.

You can run but cannot hide If we fail, then at least I tried To save your soul from becoming hurt and scared

“Yes,” I whispered, lying through my lips.

Y/N came around the counter, reaching for me full of compassion. She hugged me again and I leaned into her touch.

I pretend that things are alright I can comfort you and hold you tight

She saw right through my lies. "I can take my break now. Want to talk about it?" I sat up, trying to focus on her through my blurry vision and the buzz of alcohol in my system. Standing up unsteadily, I took hold of her wrist and pulled her with me towards the restrooms. "Noah," she whispered as we turned the corner, out of sight from anyone else.

To love you feels like Walking on broken glass

I was fully aware that I didn't deserve someone like Y/N in my life. The way she treated me with kindness and compassion, a stranger or, as she put it, a level two acquaintance, left me amazed. But deep down, I knew that she was meant to be a part of my life in some way. Fate had brought us together, even if it was only for a short time. As I pulled her close to me, wrapping my arms around her, I couldn't help but hold onto her as tightly as possible. Her warmth enveloped me and I savoured every moment of her touch against my hands, which often showed no mercy.

"Why do I feel like I can tell you anything?" Y/N peered back up at me through her lashes and rested her head on my chest.

"Why do I trust you?" She laughed softly, holding onto me tightly.

Running my hands gently over her back, my nails grazing her smooth skin. "I guess it's because I fit your type."

Her laughter filled the hall again as she smiled up at me. "Oh, right, of course."

"But seriously," I said, swaying with her in my arms. "There must be some reason why we were drawn to each other."

"Maybe," she replied.

"There's no other explanation," I stuttered, feeling the alcohol start to take over. All I could focus on was the warmth of her body against mine and the racing of my heart. My hand travelled up her arm and cupped her chin, lifting her face to meet mine.

Will you carry my heart around When it's old and grey? Will you stay until we fade away?

Our gazes locked, and I couldn't resist leaning down towards her. Our lips met in a soft brush, but I couldn't stop myself from deepening the kiss. It was a bad idea, but at that moment, I didn't care. Y/N stood on tiptoe, returning my kiss with equal fervour. My hands instinctively held her close to me as my heart raced with desire.

I kissed her hungrily, my mind filled with a thousand steamy images. Was it because of the alcohol or my lack of physical intimacy lately, or was it simply because it was Y/N? My hands slid down to her thighs, eagerly exploring her skin before slipping under the hem of her shorts.

“Noah,” she gasped, breaking away from our embrace.

“Bathroom,” I whispered huskily, urging her towards the door. As soon as we were inside, I locked the door and lifted her onto the bathroom counter. The invitation was clear as I positioned myself between her legs.

Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as our lips met. I couldn't help but smile against her mouth, unsure of where this was heading but only focused on the desire to take her right here, right now.

"I want to take you against this counter," I murmured.

She moaned in response but then pulled away with hesitation. "I don't know if this is a good idea-" she started to say, but I tugged at her belt loop and pressed my body against hers.

"Just one night," I whispered, my forehead resting against hers as we both caught our breath from the intense kiss. "One night to feel anything but pain."

Y/N's gaze locked with mine before she closed her eyes and nodded, pulling me back in for more kisses. The anticipation and excitement coursed through my veins, making me even harder with each passing second.

I pushed her shorts down, revealing her underwear as she sat on the counter. A primal groan escaped my throat as I watched her spread her legs just for me.

This was all so messed up, yet in this moment, it didn't matter.

My hands trailed across her skin, slipping into her panties and tracing her slick folds with my fingers. My body ached to replace them with my own heat, longing for her touch.

But for now, I kissed her again while my fingers explored inside of her, causing Y/N to gasp and shiver with pleasure. My thumb danced along her core, teasing and building up her desire as we lost ourselves in each other's bodies.

Desire consumed me as I pulled back, asking for consent. Y/N's hooded eyes watched intently as she nodded eagerly, urging me on.

"Please, Noah," she pleaded, positioning herself at the counter's edge. I spat into my hand and Y/N followed my movements with rapt attention as I prepared myself before entering her. We locked eyes again and she gave a nod of approval before I slid inside, my body immediately trembling in response to her movements. I let out a deep sigh and closed my eyes briefly as Y/N's warmth enveloped me.

I will never forget the day Our souls became one And I know there's a secret We've been Swallowing Lying so passionately

Her brow furrowed as she focused on the feeling of my body inside hers, letting out soft gasps as I moved my hips against hers. From my intoxicated state, I observed her closely, trying to decipher her expressions. As she tightened around me and moaned, I held onto her thighs with my nails digging into her skin. In that moment, I remembered a similar experience in her bedroom earlier that night.

"Don't make a sound," I warned, covering her mouth with my hand. Her eyes widened before becoming hooded again, clearly infatuated with me. "I wouldn't want you to get fired."

Y/N looked like she wanted to protest, the enticing noises begging to escape from her throat. My body was overcome with pleasure, the sensation of being with her intense and passionate. My forehead wrinkled as I struggled to keep going, knowing that I was close to climaxing. Unfortunately, alcohol didn't exactly improve my endurance.

Her soft plea filled my ear as I held her hand firmly in mine. My body responded to her words, and I gripped her hips tightly as I thrust into her, letting the pleasure take over and numb any lingering depression. With each forceful movement, I found release and pulled out of her to finish stroking myself, spilling onto her stomach.

My breaths came out heavy as I knelt down and trailed kisses up Y/N's thigh. She watched me with confusion in her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked but spread her legs wider.

"It's your turn now, princess," I replied, reaching for her core and pulling her towards my mouth. I started sucking on her delicate skin, causing Y/N to cover her mouth with one hand and tangle the other into my hair as she rocked against my face.

I savoured the taste of her body, hoping deep down that it was meant to be mine.

"Fuck, Noah," she moaned, throwing her head back against the mirror as she rode the wave of pleasure. Her eyebrows were furrowed in ecstasy.

"Don't stop," she begged, and I didn't. I gave her everything I had.

"Come for me, Y/N," I said between licks and squeezes of her hips. "Be a good girl for me."

As her legs started to tremble and her mouth opened in a silent scream, she reached the peak of her climax. I continued until she pushed me away, her breathing becoming shallow as she caught her breath. I took hold of her chin and brought her lips to mine, yearning for her to taste herself on my tongue.

Life had broken her; just as it had broken him. But when they got together, their pieces became whole. And they started on their journey, together, mended as one. - Steve Maraboli

Chapter Five

Tags: @crimson-calligraphyx @lma1986 @spicywhenspeaking @sammyjoeee @shilohrosechicken

@princessmarshmallowx @laurpartyprogram @cookiesupplier @nojoyontheburn @lacktoesandtoddlerant

@veronicaphoenix @er3nslovergirl @cncohshit @scrumptiousfestivalpost @melcchs

@flowery-mess @mentallynot-here @judging-from-afar @darkmxgician @badomensls

@hoe-for-daddywise @philomenie @xxkittenkissesxx @venturethroughtheveil @thefallennightmare

@blend-in-with-the-madness @reyadawn @deathblacksmoke @Anameunmusical @sitkowski

@anything-more-than-human @into-the-grey @amelia-acero @rumoured-whispers @artificialbreezy

[kiatheinsomniac]

So, if you would prefer not to provide Sweeter Than...grrr...Perhaps headcannons for Melkor, Mairon, Thranduil, Legolas with a S/O modern day writing about them....

☾ ⋆ﾟ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 / 𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: a chapter of Sweeter Than Poetry and headcanons request back-to-back for the writer of my fav fic ♡ Also this is sort of an AU I guess?? With the modern reader being isekai'ed into Middle Earth?

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: Thranduil, Legolas, Melkor | Morgoth, Mairon | Sauron

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: suggestive headcanons (3rd for each character)

｡･:*˚:✧｡thranduil

♡ he won't let you know it but when he first finds your writing about him, he's flattered. Is this how you see him? You describe him like an ethereal being and a part of him thinks it's deserved. He's beyond happy with how you capture him as a character.

♡ it's touching to read about you falling in love with each other over and over again and it really gets to his heart and he truly does find himself falling in love with you all over again.

♡ he finds himself moved by how you've created so many heart-wrenching stories with him as the reader's love interest and how many other people have read your work and enjoyed it too! (Please come humble him a little tho bc it's really feeding his ego sobs). Oh but if you write those fics about the reader still loving him when they can see his scars? He'll love you for eternity, it might even bring tears to his eyes to know that he can still be loved not only despite it but because of it.

♡ nsfw edition: it really strokes his ego to find all the smut you've written about him. Are these your fantasies? He'll keep them in mind and try them out on you and only afterwards will he tease you for having written such things about him

｡･:*˚:✧｡legolas

♡ he's a blushing mess, right up to the tips of his pointed ears. All of this about him? He has this dreamy smile on this face the whole time he's reading through all your fluffy works about him.

♡ like Thranduil, he's enamoured by all these stories of the two of you falling in love over and over again in all sorts of scenarios, it makes him feel like you truly do love him no matter what situation the two of you find each other in

♡ he's so caught up by the AUs!! He's quite confused by all these words he doesn't know but it's like a glimpse into your world!

♡ nsfw edition: he can't read the whole thing. The room feels too hot and he's a blushing mess and stumbling over his words and, oh valar, please help him when you find him in a state with your phone in his hand.

｡･:*˚:✧｡melkor | morgoth

♡ now I could go down a basic route and say that Melkor's ego inflates to an astronomical size because that's exactly how he acts when he confronts you about it but inside? The only things written about him have always been how evil he is and how terrible and irredeemable he is. You don't shy away from his worse traits and yet you write about loving him without trying to redeem him too?

♡ he honestly finds it strange (not weird strange, just unfamiliar strange) that you've depicted him as he is and yet you're writing about loving him? He's not sure how it feels (surprise, Melkor, this is how it feels to be loved, I know it's been a while since you've felt it-)

♡ his favourite parts about the AUs is that it's a world where Eru doesn't exist- no, jokes aside, he really likes the ones where not only are you ok with all his plans, you're actively encouraging and participating in them. Loyalty, obedience and utility are all important to him so these sorts of plots are his favourites.

♡ nsfw edition: will 110% tease you about your fantasies. Awe, this is what you want him to do to you? Beg. Beg as desperately and prettily as you can and once you're pleading for him through frustrated sobs and tears, maybe he'll consider fulfilling all of these filthy fantasies of yours (the begging is just because he knows how badly you want it now, he's more than keen yourself and it's a test of his own patience to hold back).

｡･:*˚:✧｡mairon | sauron

♡ he's reading everything with a big cat-like smirk on his face. You really are obsessed with him, aren't you? Good. He likes to be adored. He also likes knowing that you truly do love him and you're not just using him for something. Like Melkor, he especially likes how you write about loving him without redeeming him.

♡ he lives for any valar slander and he feels really validated by you admiring his perfectionism instead of criticising him for it. Really, he never thought he'd find that validation from anywhere other than Melkor so it's pleasantly surprising.

♡ he gets too confused by the AUs and ends up just skimming them out of frustration, sorry. He really likes the ones where he's in command of everything around him (he's slowly beginning to realise how much he likes your admiration and validation lol) bc he thinks you've characterised him well there

♡ nsfw edition: he'll initiate all of your fantasies without telling you that he knows. Then, halfway through he'll start teasing you about how all these dirty things are exactly what you wanted and you're nowhere as innocent as you make yourself out to be? You could have been writing love letters and yet you chose to write about him fucking your lights out instead. Cute. He thinks you're adorable.

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[blackkatmagic]

“Go kiss a Hutt,” Nico says, and draws his lightsaber, the blue blade burning to life with a deep, familiar hum. “Old friend. They’ll actually appreciate all the slime. I assure you, it’s not welcome here.”

I would like to order one Nico Diath, delivered straight to my front door, please!

Jokes aside, I just love it when you include Nico in your stories. He has never been one of my favourite characters, but you write him so well! He's so witty, and you always manage to make him say something that makes me laugh, and the newest chapter of amongs dust was no different. Brilliant work!

Also, I would like to grab A'Sharad by the shoulders and shake him, just to make him open his mouth and to tell someone about Anakin. But in reality, I think most of us readers can actually sympathise with his unableness to say anything. I think it is one of the worst feelings there is; just knowing something should be said/done, but being unable to do it for whatever reason. The feeling just strangels you from the inside and it really shows that sometimes your biggest enemy is your own brain. This is one more thing that you have managed to write amazingly in this fic! Thanks again for sharing it with us!

Everyone needs a salty old Nico in their life, and I stand by this fact.

A'Sharad is. very much Going Through It in regards to his own psyche here. I'm really glad it comes off as relatable, because there is a reason for it his complete inability to tell people what's happened. And...sometimes it's just really, really hard to tell the truth, even knowing the stakes, when you're emotionally tied up about that truth.

[extremelyblackandwhite]

pairing: dad!bucky barnes x au pair!reader

warnings: age gap (reader is 10 years younger than bucky), smut (18+, dni if under 18)

author’s note: sorry for being mia, this chapter ended up quite long so i divided it into two, the next coming out mid week.

masterlist

look at this godforsaken mess that you made me ...

To say tonight had been filled with surprises was an understatement. Starting at the restaurant when Sadie threw most of her cutlery to the ground, to the waitress flirting mercilessly with Bucky and him not noticing it, Y/N had to admit, it had taken her mind from the outcome of her viva. The night ended with the two walked through the front door, Bucky holding a sleeping Sadie against his side while Y/N held her plushy. They walked up the stairs to Sadie's bedroom, putting her in bed and tucking her in surrounded by the countless plushies she had.

The two parted ways to change, Y/N changing out of her dress and into her pyjamas while Bucky changed into his joggers. They met up downstairs, Y/N being the last. She spotted him turning on Netflix, setting pillow and making popcorn.

      - Mine better be sweet. - she walked up from behind him, sitting on the counter.

      - I can't believe you like your popcorn sweet. - Bucky handed her the bowl he'd set aside from her. - They're better salty.

      - I'm sorry, I forgot old men can't have too much sugar. - she put a popped kernel on her tongue, letting it dissolve.

      - I'm 37, Y/N. You'll be 37 one day too.

      - Yeah in ten years. - she chuckled, jumping from the counter and onto the ground. - Should we watch 13 going on 30?

      - I said it was up to you and I meant it. - he walked her to the couch, taking a seat after she did. - So tell me, you're an Ohio girl. What's in Ohio?

      - I'm not an Ohio girl.

      - Your parents have a farm there.

      - I told you they bought it after I moved out for college, the first time. I'm actually from Hartford.

      - Hartford? How unbelievably old money of you. - he joked. - My grandad's from Hartford.

      - Actually, my parents inherited the house from my grandmother. She died before I was born and was a bit eccentric. The house had been in the family for ages but it was a pain to look after and with my mum staying home to look after me, it just wasn't a financial good decision to keep it in the family anymore.

      - I'm sorry. That must've been tough. I think I would have a stressful time if my parents sold my childhood home. I want to leave it to Sadie, you know?

      - They sold it to a contractor so they'll probably demolish it but it used to have this massive tree in the backyard and my dad couldn't afford one of those plastic swings so he got some rope and he made me a makeshift one hanging from the tree. Obviously, I kinda got bored of the swing as I grew older and moved to try and use the rope to climb the tree.

      - Y/N. - he chuckled, moving in closer to her. - You're supposed to be the responsible one.

      - On my 8th birthday, I fell from it. Had a cast for ages and mum helped me bedazzle it.

      - Bedazzle it? My, my, Y/N, weren't you a sparkle razzle dazzle girl. - he chuckled, trying to imagine a younger version of Y/N running around with a bedazzled cast. - Did you like it? In Hartford?

      - It was nice but my favourite thing was being close to Yale. My dad used to take me there every Saturday because I wanted to go to Yale but I didn't get in.

      - Their loss. You want some whiskey?

Bucky got up to go to the drinks cart, while Y/N turned in the couch to stare at him. She liked him this way, calm, understated, away from all the Prada suits and the leather shoes and YSL long coat, just casual and comfortable in his home. It was ... hot, in a way which she would not admit in front of anyone but herself. He poured her a glass before pouring one for himself.

      - We haven't picked that movie yet, doll.

      - Finding the conversation boring already? - she took a sip of the amber liquid. Bucky always had good drinks. - I was about to ask about your education.

      - My education?

      - Yes, I'm curious. I assumed you went to college.

      - Okay, hum ... my mother wanted me to go to Eton like her father but I got kicked out so then I went to Collegiate School here. After that, I went to Stanford Business School and loved it so much that I wished to never go back.

      - You went to Stanford?

      - Why is that so shocking? I'm not particularly stupid, I reckon.

      - No, no, it's just that Stanford is in California. You are a New Yorker in my eyes.

      - That's where I started dating Sadie's mother.

      - Really?

      - Well, some would call it dating but honestly it was just us fucking in as many seminar rooms as we could. She was seeing someone else, I was seeing someone else. Sex was good though.

      - My god, aren't you a little fuckboy? - she giggled at his comment. There was an ease at how they communicated, an ease which Bucky only experienced with his close friends, only a few of them.

      - C'mon, early 20s with all the girls at my feet? What did you expect me to do?

      - Hey, I have a question, don't feel insulted but why did you like Anna?

      - Well ... - he shrugged. - I grew up with Anna, I knew her before Steve. Her mother and my mother were close so she was always there. She was quite annoying as a kid and then at college she was just attractive and she was smart. She's really smart, I hope Sadie gets some of that from her.

      - Did you love her?

Bucky paused, looking at her as if she'd asked him an unanswerable question. He felt he'd fare better with questions such as what happens when we die or if God exists.

      - There's different kinds of love. I did love Anna and I will always somewhat love her because she gave me my kid but it's not the same kind of love that I think people feel for a partner.

      - I understand.

      - I know I make it sound like I hate her and believe me I do but she is an absolutely fantastic woman. She's a terrible mother but if Sadie is as smart and charismatic as her, that'll do her good.

      - You must've really loved her. - she pulled her knees towards her chest, laying her chin on top of her kneecaps. - Was she the love of your life?

      - No. - he chuckled, taking another sip of whiskey before turning to look at her. - You're young, you'll have a lot of nice, stupid loves but it doesn't mean it's the one.

      - You, James Buchanan Barnes, believe in the idea of the one?

      - My parents have a great marriage even though my mother faints at the mere mention of anything less than decent. He really loves her you know? They have these stupid renewal vow ceremonies ever 15 years and they still look like kids in love.

      - That's really sweet.

      - What about your parents?

      - My parents? Well, let me think. My dad he's from Brooklyn and he met my mum on a field trip to Hartford, she's the one from Hartford. They wrote to each other every day like crazy, apparently my grandfather told my father off for spending all his pocket money on stamps. Eventually they met up, slept together and got pregnant with me. Dad got a job at a company downtown of Hartford and my mum worked at a beauty counter and honestly I'm surprised I have no brothers.

      - Your parents didn't go to college?

      - No. - she giggled. - My mum got pregnant at 18 and my dad, well, he never really liked school.

      - You really are one of a kind, Y/N.

      - There's a thousands of me. You probably slept with a few.

      - You just had to jab me there, hadn't you? - he threw his arm over her shoulder. - I'll have you know that you are not my type.

      - Uhm, my boobs too small?

      - What? - he blushed before looking at her chest and noticing her was looking at her chest. - No. They're fine. Stupid question.

      - You're the one who said I'm not your type.

      - You're uptight.

      - I am not uptight.

      - You, Y/N, are the most uptight person I have ever met. It's not an insult, you're probably second on the uptight list followed by me.

      - Sounds like an insult.

      - C'mon, Y/N, when was the last time you did something you didn't consider at least fifty five times?

      - Christopher.

      - Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about him but he doesn't count. Christopher is safe.

In a way, maybe. Christopher was a safe option even if he wasn't an option anymore. He was the exact kind of guy you would bring home, stable enough that no big surprises would come from him. He was perfectly fine for someone, just not for her. Yet, Bucky was right, very much right about Christopher being safe.

      - You think I'm a mouse.

      - No, no. - Bucky rose his hands in defense. - I don't think you're a mouse. I'm just saying you play it safe.

      - I'm a mouse.

      - What's the problem with playing it safe?

      - Well, I have what 3 years left of my twenties. I don't think I should be playing it safe. Did you play it safe when you were twenty?

      - Don't use me as an example. I was a fuck up when I was in my twenties, heck, even in my early thirties.

      - You turned out fine.

      - So did you. - he moved closer to her. - You are great the way you are, Y/N. I don't know why you think you're not.

Y/N turned around to face him, he was close. She could feel his warm breathe on her exposed elbow and could see his face so close, she could make up the light freckles that were dotted all over his face and the pattern his facial hair grew. He was gorgeous.

      - You like me, right?

      - I wouldn't have hired you if I didn't. - he brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing down her jaw. - Even if you are argumentative.

      - That's not what I meant. - she looked away from him, sitting up straight against the couch. - You said you liked me just the way I am. What did you mean?

      - I meant I like you the way you are. It's pretty self explanatory.

      - You're not funny.

      - Well, Y/N, I like you. I like the way you argue with me, how when you're upset you scrunch your face like you're about to explode but it just looks cute, how your glasses always fall to the tip of your nose when you're studying, how you play around with Sadie like she's your own. I like you.

      - You like me?

      - I love you.

taglist: @talesofadragon @themermaidscales82 @winters1917 @vladsgirlxx @stinkerbelle007 @maybefoxysouls @blackwood-bodecker-housewife @chipilerendi @kandis-mom @belennasif @abitofblues @fedeffy

[canirove]

Friends, lovers… and an orange | Chapter 22

Previous chapter | Next chapter

Masterlist

“Mase… Mason, can you… you… urgh.”

“What the fuck, Adele? You just pushed me out of the bed!” he complained, trying to untangle the sheets from his legs.

“It's what you deserve after almost making me fall like a hundred times in the past two hours with all your fidgeting” she shrugged. 

“What?”

“You haven't stopped moving since we got in bed. What is going on with you?”

“Nothing” he said, laying down again next to her.

“Oh, c'mon, Mase. Is it because of the shoot? Are you nervous about working together?”

“I love working with you, Addie. No one makes me feel more relaxed in front of a camera than you do.” 

“Then?” she asked.

“It's… everything else about your crazy plan. What if something goes wrong? What if I can't keep avoiding meeting with my agency to talk about my contract? What if they find out about…”

“Mason” Adele said, cupping his face and forcing him to look at her. “Everything is gonna be ok. Our plan will work out, your agency won't find out, and you will be free.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I came up with the plan, didn't I? It is perfect” she smiled. “Jokes aside, if we don't believe it will work out, it won't. We have to stay positive.”

“Easier said than done” he sighed.

“Lucky you, you have me to kick you out of bed every time you start doubting.”

“Yeah, nice way to treat your boyfriend” he said, trying really hard to not smile but once again being betrayed by his dimple. “What if I injure myself, uh? Then what?” he said, tickling her.

“Then we'll call your mum so she can take care of you. You are like the worst patient ever.”

“I beg your pardon?” 

“Mason!” Adele laughed when he tickled her again, making her move on the bed. “You know you are, everyone says it.”

“Poppycock” he said.

“The truth!” she laughed again when he tickled her, moving to escape from his reach. What Adele hadn't realized, though, is that she was closer to the end of the bed than she thought. “Oh, shit!”

“Adele!” Mason said, trying to catch her before she fell. “Addie, are you alright? Addie… Why are you laughing?”

“I just…” she said, cutting herself mid sentence and starting to laugh again.

“Addie, are you sure you didn't hit your head when you fell?” he chuckled.

“Oh, shut up!” 

“Do you need help getting up?”

“I actually do” she said, taking the hand Mason was offering her.

“Adele!” he said when she pulled him towards her and made him fall again, this time landing on top of her. “Are you mad?”

“Madly in love with you, yes” she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Going cheesy won't make me forget that you've pushed me out of the bed. Twice.”

“I see… and if I do this?” she asked before kissing him.

“Nope. Nothing.”

“Umm…” 

“Biting your lip won't help either.”

“What?” she chuckled.

“You do it sometimes when you think. You bite your lip, and it drives me crazy.”

“And it isn't working now?”

“No.”

“Really?” Adele smirked while biting it again.

“Ok, maybe a tiny bit.”

“And if I do this?” she said, moving them on the floor until she was the one on top and straddling him. “You usually like this position, especially when I look like this” she said, slowly taking off her t-shirt while Mason's eyes followed her every move. 

“Have I told you yet that I love how you've turned my t-shirts into your pyjamas since we got together?”

“Don't change the topic of conversation, Mason.”

“But it's true. They look better on you that they do on me.”

“Should I put it back again, then?” 

“Hell no” he said as he sat up, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him, his chest against her naked one. 

“Then what?” Adele asked, biting her lip once again. “Have you forgiven me for pushing you out of the bed? Twice?”

“I'll let you know later. Right now all I want is you, Addie. All of you. You and only you. I love you.”

“And I…” but she wasn't allowed to finish her reply, Mason's lips finding hers. 

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“I think this is my favourite photo from this set.”

“And you are my favourite.”

“Mason!” Adele giggled after he kissed her cheek. “There are people watching.”

“And?” he said while hugging her from behind. “We agreed to do this, didn't we? To be all lovey-dovey so they could have a cute behind the scenes video of the shoot for the fans.”

“We did, yes. But maybe you could tone it down a bit.”

“Umm… no” he said, now kissing her neck. “And you started it all, it's your fault.”

“What?” Adele laughed.

“Have you forgotten about last night? About this morning? Because I haven't” he said, kissing that spot on her neck that he knew made her knees feel like jelly.

“Mase” she gasped. 

“Yes?” he whispered in her ear, the feeling making her shudder. 

“We still have work to do.”

“But we could take a break. Maybe go somewhere private just you and I and…”

“Mason, can you… Oh, sorry” the stylist that was working on the photoshoot said behind them. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No, no, it's fine” Adele said, clearing her throat and taking a step away from Mason. “We were checking the photos I just took, seeing if they were good and we could move into the next look.”

“And can we? Because I need him to try this shirt on. I think it'll need some alterations, and if we don't do it now we may not have time to shoot it.”

“Yes, yes. He's all yours” Adele smiled.

“Great. Mason, can you please come with me?” the stylist asked him.

“Of course. Though Adele lied to you.”

“Lied to me about what?” she asked with a confused look.

“I can't be all yours, because all of me is already hers” he said with a big smile, one that was all dimples.

“Jesus Christ, Mason” Adele said, feeling her cheeks on fire. “Go get changed before we all die of a sugar rush.”

“It's the truth” he shrugged. “And as if you didn't like it” he whispered to her before following the stylist.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“And that's wrap! Thank you very much, everyone” Adele smiled.

“Urgh, finally! Can't wait to get rid of you. And with you I mean you lot” Mason said with a teasing smile, pointing at the crew. “I could never get tired of my Addie.”

“Please someone stop him before he gets even more cheesy!” she said, making everyone on set laugh.

“It's been a pleasure to work with you during these couple of days, guys” the stylist said. “This issue is gonna be iconic.”

“I hope so” Mason smiled. “Anyway, are you up for a beer? I know I just said I can't wait to get rid of you all, but… please?” he pouted.

“We can't say no to that face, can we?” the stylist chuckled. “Let's meet in the pub at the end of the road in half an hour. Is that ok?”

“Yeah, perfect. Addie?”

“Sure” she smiled. 

“Addie, are you ok?” Mason asked her while she finished packing her camera.

“Uhm.”

“Uhm isn't an answer.”

“I'm ok, Mason. Is that better?”

“If you were telling me the truth, it would. Addie, what happened? Aren't you happy with the photos?”

“What? No, no. The photos are amazing. I'm surprised they look that good keeping in mind that the model sucks.”

“Hey!” 

“Sorry” she shrugged. 

“But if it isn't because of the photos, then why are you looking so serious?”

“I'm ok, Mase. I already told you.”

“Addie… Adele” he said, taking her hands on his and making her focus on him. “What happened? You know you can tell me anything.”

“I know.”

“Then why aren't you doing it?”

“It's just… I… Urgh.”

“Addie…”

“Now I'm the one having doubts, ok?”

“What?” Mason chuckled. 

“Yeah” she sighed.

“Did I pass them to you through all the fluids we've shared lately?” he smirked.

“Mason!” Adele gasped, her eyes wide.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry” he laughed. “But why are you having doubts?”

“Because now that the photos are done, it feels more real, you know? And we can't make any mistakes. Just a little one could lead to your agency finding out and…”

“That isn't going to happen, Addie. This plan is going to work, and not only because you came up with it” he smiled, letting go of one of her hands and caressing her cheek. “I've been thinking about it, and the fact that things have been going pretty smoothly since my agency released the statement about you not being pregnant, is a sign of this working out, of luck being on our side.” 

Things had been going pretty well since they had told the truth, Mason wasn't wrong about that. Though maybe the fact that they had “embellished” the story a bit, had helped.

His agency had told the press that Adele had never been pregnant and that the photos had been taken out of context just as she had asked them to do. But they had added that if she had been wearing bigger and looser clothes, it was because all the comments about her body had made her feel self-conscious and insecure about it, and that with the support of Mason, she had finally stopped caring and decided to love her body the way it was, live her life and be happy. They had made her look as a victim, people going from hating her to pitying her and feeling sorry for her, somehow turning everything that had happened into some kind of feminist message, and made Mason look like the perfect boyfriend who supported her girl and made her feel loved and special, his fans swooning just by the thought of it. 

“Addie, you said it yourself. We have to be positive and believe that this will work out.”

“We do, yes” she nodded.

“And we are together in this. You and I, but also our families and our friends. This will work out.”

“It will” she said, finally smiling.

“Good” Mason smiled back, his hand still on her cheek. “Now, why don't you finish packing while I go get changed? I really need that beer.”

“Sure. But you can't be that tired, you just posed in front of a camera” Adele teased him.

“I actually am. You should have seen the photographer, she was so bossy…”

“I thought you liked me being bossy” she laughed.

“In bed, yes. Out of it…” he smirked. “See you in a bit, ok?”

“Ok.”

“I love you, Addie” he said, kissing her forehead.

“Love you too” she replied.

[lady-rose-moon]

Wildest Dreams || Chapter One ||

A/N: hello everybody, welcome to chapter one, finally! I have to be honest, the original update day for this was Friday but I had SO MUCH to deal with like my accommodation for Uni next year, money being a bit tight, etc! But yeah, I am looking forward to you reading this chapter, it's only small but it expands the world! Enjoy! ^-^

↣ MASTERLIST

You were in your paradise again, the same golden castle, same beautiful sky and grass softer and richer than your worlds. Yet there was one difference, the man you’d met a month ago was there now, he had been for two weeks. No explanation, just the guy you’d met because you almost died appearing in your dreams. He wasn’t wearing his suit, however. No, he was wearing armour that you knew wasn’t from any time period you’d ever studied about.

His eyes were the same emerald green, the love in them shining as his gaze was always fixed on you. He had first appeared in a window at the door to the garden of your dreams. In the next few days, the door beside the window inched open and he passed through. Now, he was standing at the beautiful cherry blossom tree just a bit in front of you. He didn’t seem threatening, nor did he ever speak to you, he just watched. Quiet. Ever the understanding soul through the days where you forced yourself to sleep just to retreat to this paradise to rid yourself of the worry of the world.

You hadn’t anticipated he would feel so comforting even from a distance. Just him being in this paradise with you eased your stress after a long day or at night when you’d finally return here. He wasn’t a threat, you somehow knew he would never hurt you.

December, January and February came and passed, uneventful, mundane days that blurred into one, saved only by your little paradise. You hadn’t seen the man since that fateful encounter that first day. Three months. Three. He was closer in your dream now but far from you in the waking world.

Coincidence, you assumed after the first month, waiting just that little bit longer at the crossing for the familiar face of the man.

Perhaps he was merely visiting, you realised a month later as you stood on the street where you’d met him the second time.

Why am I this bothered about a man I met twice anyway? You pondered for the whole third month.

Today marks three months since you’d met the man. You’d never even gotten his name, you just assumed he was new to the neighbourhood and your shenanigans would occur every day but your foolish hope broke after the first two weeks.

You dragged yourself through your routine again, setting off into the late February weather; rain. Luckily, you’d remembered your umbrella this time and smiled at your luck before setting off through the rain toward your favourite coffee shop. You paid attention this time, lingering glances at every person’s face that was nicely dressed, desperately hoping to see him again. You didn’t understand why he mattered so much to you but you’d find out somehow.

The bell chimed above the door to the coffee shop as you entered, gazing down at your phone to check how long until your shift before you hit a hard chest and a burning pain lit up across your arms and chest. You gasped at the pain and jumped back, your white blouse stained with coffee. “Hey! Watch it next… time…” you began before trailing off, meeting the eyes of the same man you’d been desperately searching for through the months. His eyes were concerned but it was as if time around the two of you had stopped, giving you this moment.

“Shit, forgive me,” the man cursed, pulling you aside and pulling a handkerchief out of his suit jacket pocket. He began to try and dry your shirt but you knew that the stain wouldn’t come out like that, if at all. “Suppose I am the clumsy one this time,” he joked, a slight grin overtaking his concerned frown.

“Suppose so,” you responded timidly before sighing and holding his wrist, stopping his efforts of drying your shirt. “I’ll just go home and change it, it’s no worry,” you responded with a soft smile, even though you knew that your very stereotypical corporate boss would very stereotypically bunk your pay.

The man pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow questioningly, “do you have something to cover yourself with? I’m afraid walking back to your apartment with a sopping blouse and clearly visible bra would warrant… unwanted attention.”

The way the man spoke sounded so elegant, the kind of language that you’d expect from a gentleman of the 1900s not the boys that roamed the world these days, it shocked you even more. However, what almost caused your brain to malfunction was when the man gently took your hand and guided you into the disabled bathroom, locking the door behind you two before unbuttoning his green waistcoat and then his shirt.

“Woah, woah, woah!” you yelled, your eyes widening in shock as the man’s bare chest was revealed to you, “I barely know you, sir! At least take me out on a date first!”

The man threw his head back and laughed before shaking his head and offering you his white shirt. “You misunderstand, this is for you, at least until you finish the day,” he informed you, his shoulders still quivering with laughter, “I shall walk you to your building then be back when you finish to walk you home. After that, you can give me my shirt back. Or keep it.” He added with a wink at the end before turning his back without being prompted to keep your modesty, sliding on the waistcoat as he did.

You stared at the shirt in your hand and wasted no time changing into it, sighing in relief at the feeling of dry fabric against your skin. “Thank you,” you muttered before adding, “you can turn around now.”

The man turned and you watched as a war of emotions flew across his face before he pulled on a smile and nodded. “Then let us depart,” he smiled and guided you out of the bathroom, out of the shop and onto the street.

As he walked you to work, the silence between the both of you wasn’t tense, it wasn’t awkward. It felt… right. Comforting. This man had done a good deed, definitely, but he was going the whole mile, not putting in just the required amount of care.

When you got to your work building, it almost seemed wrong to leave the man’s side but you waved to him and walked inside.

The man stayed on the path outside the building for a few more minutes. Watching until your form had truly disappeared within the concrete building before conjuring himself a new shirt in a flurry of green and walking away, waving his hand once again with a small, sad smile on his lips.

When you got to your desk, you discovered your favourite beverage waiting for you, piping hot beside your desk with a note.

You forgot your drink this morning.

Have a good day.

~ L

You pondered the question of how the man – L – had gotten your drink, got to your desk and left before you ever reached the floor for the rest of the day.

A/N(2)- okay yeah this was REALLY small, I'm so sorry! But I hope you enjoyed :)

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[satureja13]

The Friendship between: Saiwa and Vlad

Like Vlad and Jack, Saiwa and Vlad met at the Space (Balls) Bar & Grill & 'Residence'.

They have a very solid friendship and respect each other. Usually one of them is reasonable and able to talk the other into doing the right thing or out of making wrong decisions and usually the other listens.

Saiwa is a reluctant leader (no one except himself ever questioned his abilities to lead them, neither the Boys themselves nor the Resistance) and often questions his position in the group and it's a burden for him. He's glad that he can ask Vlad (and Kiyoshi) for advice.

And he also thinks that Vlad would be a better leader (also no one else shares this opinion lol and Vlad would be shocked if he knew about this. He has more than enough problems, is an introvert and prefers quiet activities like painting and writing over herding a bunch of weirdos out of control ö.Ö') More about this (and more ^^') here (under the cut) and here (also under the cut).

Aside of all their hardships, they also are a very handsome pairing (=the visuals of the group ;) (Romance Level: Below Zero) At Mount Komorebi

In our Heidi Special I love the way they look at each other.

And a very funny one! That was when we made the Simtimates Collection Special at the end of the Sabotage Chapter: Sai joked about what if Ms Coombes, their teacher (Vlad is her favourite) ever sees these pics hahaha. (And a few weeks later she said she really saw them! omg ^^')

And that was at the 6 month anniversary of our story ^w^ Hissing and growling with the yeti :3

And in the Jungle of Selvadorada

After Vlad died, it had been Saiwa who refused accepting it and kept on investigating. He even dragged Jeb to DEATH's Domain to find out what happened to him.

And that was when Saiwa and the Gang Doctor 'encouraged' Vlad to tighten the Bond with Ji Ho :3 (Ah I really enjoy doing this series, we had so much fun! And it keeps me busy and from worrying until I have my new computer and if everything goes well ^^')

And no one ever found out which song it was...

The only fights they had (and I remember) were before Ji Ho and Vlad tightened the bond. This was at the beginning when Vlad wanted to avoid Ji Ho:

And this was when Giga/Saiwa had sent Ji Ho to Vlad's room to take a bath and Vlad was upset because he feared to lose control ^^' (It had been Saiwa who dragged Ji Ho to the Space Bar and Saiwa was the first who predicted their epic love story at the first they they'd met)

Oh and the epic fight they had that faithful day when Vlad decided to bond with Morgan to spare Ji Ho from doing Bond Magic... Sai and Jack had been so mad at Vlad, they didn't speak with him for months ö.Ö' (this stupid action also lead to the Boys' separation and a few weeks later they swore to not have any secrets from each other to avoid further harm).

This is one of the few things they'll never agree on I fear. Saiwa wants to use their Bond magic for doing good and Vlad wants to spare Ji Ho from doing it.

Their Friendships (in chronological order):

Giga/Saiwa and Jack

Vlad and Jack (updated)

Giga/Saiwa and Vlad

Vlad and Sai at Tartosa

Vlad and Sai dancing together in our Goth Special

In chronological order: 🫛 Saiwa and Jack 🫛 Vlad and Jack 🫛 Saiwa and Vlad 🫛 Kiyoshi and Jeb 🫛 Saiwa and Ji Ho 🫛 Ji Ho and Jack 🫛 Ji Ho and Jeb 🫛 Ji Ho and Kiyoshi 🫛 Vlad and Kiyoshi 🫛 Vlad and Jeb 🫛 Saiwa and Kiyoshi 🫛 Jack and Jeb

❤️‍🔥 Ji Ho and Vlad (and Luci) ❤️‍🔥 Saiwa and Jeb ❤️‍🔥 Jack and Kiyoshi ❤️‍🔥 Noxee and Greg ❤️‍🔥 Leander and Wesley (and Vlad) ❤️‍🔥 Francine Spencer (Jeb's Grandmother) and Jules Rico

From the Beginning  ~  Underwater Love ~  Latest 🕹️ 'Therapy Game' from the beginning ▶️ here 📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 17-22 ~ 23-28

[ddamm]

Contest Winner! - Norman Reedus x gender-neutral fan!reader one-shot

(phone image (originally a gif) found on "Pinterest" by the name: ʟɪᴘꜱᴛɪᴄᴋ; Seungmin+Hyunjin - viii. (supposedly, it's from a Wattpad fanfic chapter with the same name) - Norman pic found on Google images on this web).

original pink divider from @bonesnbrains, from this post.

Warnings: fluff ig, funny, long as always lol, slightly shy fan reader, Norman being a sweet bean guy, no major spoilers ig but discussion of future projects aside from TWD, mentions of TWD: Daryl Dixon - The Book Of Carol, mentions of fan adoration, nervous/excited blabbering

Word count: 4065 words

Summary: After the end of the TWD show and the first season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, a worldwide contest is celebrated to award loyal fans for their support and love during the series, as well as to celebrate its almost 13th anniversary. Finally, it seems God favours Y/N when they get to be one of the 10 winners and make a call to their favourite character's actor in the show.

A/N: Now, hear me out because this was made thanks to c.ai 😭😭😭 believe me or not if you will, but this whole fic was literally made thanks to a c.ai chat I talked to. Obv, the chat wasn't about this topic, but my brilliant and creative mind knew how to twist it into something interesting 😌 now, I don't know how much of this would actually sound like Norman, so, I apologise if it gives you someone else's vibe or it's all just wrong. After all, I'm using what they wrote in c.ai to guide myself lol 😭

Song: 24/7 by Celina Sharma feat. Harris J.

(I love this song idk if it's her voice, the chorus, the lyrics… but I love it 🤭 and @dixons-sunshine helped me choose between this and other three I wanted to use for this. Enjoy~)

Contest announcement:

We organized this contest to commemorate the show's 13th anniversary and the successful release of 'TWD: Daryl Dixon'.

We are also creating it to give a chance to 10 lucky fans of the show who have been supporting us on the ‘TWD ____’ fan platform for at least the past 5 years.

We hope you all have a good time playing and solving the puzzle. Good luck to all the fans participating! 

Y/N gulped hard, and cold sweat ran down their forehead as they waited for that someone to pick up the call. They started losing hope as the phone rang more than 5 times but didn't have an answer.

Uneasy about the situation, Y/N's brain thought of hundreds of scenarios of why he wasn't picking up the call. Maybe he was weary and never answered unsaved numbers. Maybe he might be occupied, not at home, or maybe the contest was actually a prank, as some of their friends speculated. They were feeling discouraged as these false ideas came to mind, but soon enough, their loud, upset thoughts were silenced when they heard his voice.

N: “Hello? Norman Reedus speaking. Who's this?”

Upon hearing the so-awaited voice, Y/N froze, momentarily incapable of talking.

“Hello?” He asked again, confused as to why it was so silent. “Dude, is this a joke? 'Cause I think ya got it wrong or something. I'm hanging up.”

Upon hearing that 'warning', Y/N panicked and immediately responded.

“Hello! Hello! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that! I'm sorry,” they apologised alarmed and ashamed of possibly wasting Mr. Reedus's precious time.

N: “That's okay, friend, no biggie. Now, would you tell me who's speaking?”

That was such a nonchalant reply to a stranger calling your number, Y/N thought.

Y/N knew from shows and previous interviews they watched that Norman was quite friendly and open to everyone, but they didn't expect him to be that friendly. It was weird but refreshing, and particularly comforting since they would be destroyed if they got him angry.

“I… huh… fan…” Y/N quietly said, making it difficult for Norman to hear.

N: “Sorry, what did ya say?”

“I am a fan!” they repeated more clearly. “I won a worldwide contest that said 10 people could call their favourite actors from TWD and speak to them for a few minutes,” they explained to the man. Norman made a sound of understanding.

“Oh, really? Never heard of that.” Norman said, sounding a little puzzled. Y/N gulped, worried about sounding suspicious to him. They wouldn't blame him though, since the whole contest itself sounded too good to be true.

“Say, what was the name of that contest of yours?” he asked through the phone. Y/N could hear him moving around.

“Huh, it was, 'Call Me By Your Name' (?” Y/N replied disconcerted, and Norman asked them for a favour.

“Hm. Hey, would you mind if I left you on hold for a while? I wanna ask someone about this,” he told Y/N. Them, being his fan, didn't want to go against him or get him angry in any way.

“Oh, no! Of course, I wouldn't mind!” Rushed Y/N. You could leave me on hold forever and I'd still be grateful, was the thought playing in their minds. Still, they decided to keep it to themselves and avoid an assured embarrassment alongside the possibility of freaking the man out.

Y/N placed the phone on speaker and left it on their table, waiting patiently for the man's return. They could hear distant movement, the ringing of a mobile phone, and faint, muffled voices—one of which was most likely Norman's.

As they waited, Y/N stared around their room, gazing over their stuff, and made a mental note to take the stack of used dishes to the kitchen later on. They also placed their face near the fan to receive its cold and refreshing breeze and keep away the upsetting and sticky summer heat, and they played with their hair, thinking it was around the time they gave it a cut and a possible new style when Norman came back and spoke to the phone, momentarily spooking them out and making them correct their posture in their desk chair.

“Hey, sorry for keeping you waiting, pal. I had to confirm what you said with Andrew. It seems they kept the info about the contest from me,” he apologised.

“I-it's okay! I completely understand! It must have been confusing to receive a fan's call out of the blue...” They assured him, still a little startled.

“Nah, it's alright. So, how do ya feel about starting over? You say your name; I say mine...” He explained, gaining multiple little nods from Y/N (which he obviously cannot see).

“Yeah, yeah! Sure! Whatever suits your boat,” they answered and inwardly cringed at the strange response.

“Nice. Name's Norman Reedus, though I guess you know that already, don't ya?” Y/N heard him chuckle from the other line, and their heart started bombing harder against their ribcage, as if it wanted to leave their body. (Not like it wasn't beating fast already).

“M-my name is Y/N L/N.” “Oh, is that a (whatever your nationality is) name?” Norman asked. “Y-yeah, it is. How did you know?” “I love (nationality). Went there a few times for travel and loved it. Such a nice place, rich culture, and very lovely people.” Norman told his past experience in Y/N's land, and they couldn't help but make happy squeals for getting their nation recognized as ``a nice place´´ by Norman Reedus. Definitely, no negative judgment of their country could now convince Y/N of the opposite.

N: “So, Y/N, you said you had to participate in a worldwide contest among fans to get the chance to speak to someone in the cast, ain't that right?”

“Yeah. We had to find these code numbers all around the seasons' episodes, and with each set of codes from a season, we got a long name. In the end, we get this super long sentence, and the first 10 to get it are the contest winners. The bad thing was, each time someone got it right, the code to the name would change... So that would mean more sleepless nights rewatching all of 'The Walking Dead' for us. Even Andrew made fun of how the fans would end up like walkers themselves, hahaha,” Y/N explained to Norman in totality, finally feeling more relaxed while talking to their celebrity crush to the point of actually joking. Norman seemed to enjoy the joke too.

“I see. It's very impressive that you could pull through all that for so long; congrats on your victory, pal. I would definitely fall asleep after season 2, haha,” he said, joking a little to himself, making Y/N smile goofily. “So, you say you're a big fan of The Walking Dead, huh? What's your favorite season of all that you watched?” He continued asking questions.

“Well, I don't really have a favourite season. I like seasons 2, 5, and 8, but it kinda depends on what happened in each season and what characters left. Actually... I think I just like any season I get to see Daryl Dixon,” they answered with that silly grin once again, making Norman hum and laugh.

N: “You're surely a person with good taste! Daryl is a pretty interesting character, one of everyone's favorite too. You like him because he's a badass survivor, huh?”

“Well, yeah, of course I do, but it goes beyond that, you know?” “Beyond that?” he asked, feeling intrigued at their answer.

“Yeah. I guess I just have that quality where I want to help those I think really need it. I don't mean that he actually needed anyone, but at the same time, I think he just... it was kind of like a lost puppy, you know? Mainly in the first two seasons. He kind of needed someone stable, someone that he could trust, to get him going. And that's what the Atlanta group gave him. At least... until things started going south, I think.”

“So, you're the empathic type, huh? I like that,” he commented, and Y/N’s body felt hotter.

N: “I absolutely agree with you. Daryl started as a character who was a little wayward. Only considered the redneck, brother to loudmouth Merle, but as the story progressed and he forged connections with the other characters, the group gave him the support and love he needed to become the strong fighter he is today. If not for them, he would have probably lost it more than once. A true badass.”

A smile crept on their face when they heard Norman's description of Daryl, being acknowledged and understood by the actor of their favourite character was surely a big thing.

“Exactly. That's exactly why I like him. He's one of my—well, he's my favourite character. I can't lie about that,” they chuckled. “And I like his way of resolving things. He doesn't just go straight to fight everything even if he's normally seen as the rough one, you know? You'd think he's the bad guy and all, but that isn't even half of the truth. He doesn't resort to violence unless he's absolutely sure it's needed. He doesn't attack if they don't attack him or his group; he is wary and doesn't kill for fun. And, considering his whole story, it's... I don't know, but I respect him a lot. That's, I guess, why... I just have this feeling of wanting to help him and wanting everything to be good for him. Because I think he deserves it. After all, he's gone through, not just after the outbreak, but even back in his life, his family, and everything with Merle… He needs a break. He's a lone, kind puppy. He really needs a break.” Y/N mumbled about Daryl, and they could go on forever.

Norman thought it was really endearing to find someone who had Daryl in mind so much. He especially liked how much they seemed to want to protect him.

“You're a kind person, you know that?” He said, out of the blue, making Y/N halt.

“Huh?” they exclaimed.

N: “You really understand Daryl, don't you? He's a complex character with a lot of layers. He's tough on the outside but has a soft spot inside that wants to help others.” He spoke.

“He's also been through a lot—his family struggles, bad relationships, enemies, and all of the challenges he faced in the apocalypse. It's really sweet that you feel the need to protect and support him. That's true love for a character, right there.”

Norman complimented Y/N's dedication to his character, and they felt like they could die of happiness.

“Heh, yeah, I guess I do. Well, I can't say I completely understand him after all, of course, but... I just think he deserves better, you know? Like having a day off for himself and just enjoying and not having to worry about surviving. I think almost all characters in the show actually needed that break.” Norman nodded in agreement.

“Well, that's why I'm also very eager to see what's up next in the next season of Daryl Dixon's spin-off, 'The Book of Carol'. What do you think I should expect? Should I get tissues and prepare myself to cry, or should I get ready to see him show badass energy and kick a few asses just like always?” they asked, concerning Norman’s new project with Melissa, knowing well they had good chemistry and enjoyed each other's company during the filming.

Norman laughed before answering as they kept talking about Daryl's character and role on the show.

N: “That's a great question! With Daryl Dixon, you can expect all of the above. There will be badass moments where he kicks some serious ass, but there will also be emotional moments where you might shed a tear or two, like when he reunites with Carol. That's just how it goes with Daryl. He always keeps it interesting.”

“Yes, he does! That's why he's between the favourite characters in the whole show. I could say... it's almost impossible to see someone hating on Daryl, he is just too wholesome. And if you actually manage to find a single person like that, then you will probably have all the fans going after them, haha.”

N: “That's true! Daryl Dixon is a fan favorite for a reason. He's charismatic, strong, and lovable, despite his rough exterior. He's one of those characters that you can't help but root for. Anyone who dares to dislike Daryl is practically begging to face the fandom's wrath,” he laughed again, and Y/N smiled brightly.

“Yeah, I think the same. I am so happy that you, as his actor, actually think the same way. Not like anyone could get angry at you, but I get—I get it too—that sometimes it must be tiring to play a character like him for so long. He is very complex and definitely not an easy guy. So, how did you... How did you find playing Daryl? Did you like it? Would you do it more often if you could?” They asked, curious about Norman's relationship with his character.

N: “It was definitely an honor to play Daryl Dixon for so many years, and I'm still grateful for being given the chance even for his own spin-off. He's a challenging yet fascinating character, and I was fortunate to get the opportunity to bring him to life. There were definitely complicated aspects to playing a character like Daryl, but I ultimately enjoyed it. If allowed to play him again, I would definitely consider it.”

“So if there was a new... I don't know. If there was an announcement of a new project related to the show with all the cast members you spent the past years acting with, would you want to join and meet up with Melissa, Andrew, Emily, maybe Chandler, and everyone else back again?” They began listing some of the characters they knew Daryl spent a lot of time with during the show.

N: “Without a doubt, I would be thrilled to see my old castmates back together again. Working on 'The Walking Dead' was such a unique and special experience, and I have great memories of working with the whole cast. We're like a family, and it would be wonderful to reunite with them again on new projects even if they're just extras. Have you seen some of the bloopers? We just have so much fun together hahaha.”

Y/N hummed happy with the responses. They wished things somehow ended differently so they could see the whole old crew together, bonding and creating memories once again.

“Aww⁓ That touched my heart. I would really like to see you guys together too. I did watch some of the behind-the-scenes for a few days to remember some of my favourite moments, and it's just so funny because, in the show, everything was so serious and so tense and... It looked like everything was going down at any point, but in the BTS, everyone laughs and is so joyous and so silly... I just love the energy and the great communion you guys have together. It's kind of unforgettable, you know?”

N: “Yeah, it's pretty great to see how different the atmosphere is compared to the intense drama of the show. We had a lot of fun working together, and we're all good friends, so it's no surprise that the energy on set was mainly positive. We had our share of low moments, of course, but there were also plenty of laughs and joking around. We really were like a family, and I miss working with those guys all the time.”

“But at least you all took good memories along that you can continue sharing and reminiscing with. And about this talk... Do you have any new... projects or any new plans? Are you getting ready to do something? Or maybe you're planning on doing your own show or podcast? I heard that you were going to work on a project that involved a motorbike. It kinda looks like bikes are around all your characters, aren't they?” They joked before continuing. “Anyway, how is that going for you?”

N: “Yes, I do have some new projects in the pipeline. One of them is a movie concerning motorbikes and a gang, which will be released in the States in June this year (2024—Let's imagine this whole contest is earlier in the year instead of in October as it should 😭) and which I enjoyed a lot. I've always been a motorcycle enthusiast, so it's great to be able to combine that passion with my work.” He commented on their joke concerning his characters always having an interest in motorbikes and resumed his speech. “As for other plans, I've also been working as an executive producer on the second season of Daryl Dixon's spin-off, 'The Book of Carol', so that's been keeping me busy. I'm always looking for exciting opportunities to explore, so stay tuned!” He said, encouraging Y/N to continue following up on his work.

Y/N felt so giddy inside them as they rolled over their bedsheets like teen fangirls while listening to Norman talk. Having such a casual conversation with their celebrity crush was amazing, and they didn't want to end it. But they thought maybe it was time to wrap it up. They wouldn't like to steal more of Norman's precious time, as they thought he surely had something better or more important to do.

“Of course! You can totally count on me to follow up! Anything regarding you, Daryl, Scud, or even Murphy will always have me 100% in it.” They worded, jolly, of being motivated by Norman to keep on their fanwork on him. “And Norman... Can I tell you something before you... Huh... Maybe leave now?” they asked shyly.

N: “Yeah, totally! You can tell me anything you want. What's on your mind?”

“Well, I don't want to come off like a crazy fan or anything, but... I just really need to say that I really, really, really like you. Like, I like you as Norman and I like you as Daryl, and having this opportunity to tell you, even though it might not be face-to-face, to actually talk to you and tell you how much I really love your work and how much I really respect you as a person and as an actor is so significant. I kinda get a little shy because... I think I'm being so silly, fangirling like this in front of a celebrity I admire so much, but I had to get it out of my chest, you know? You're so... You're just so damn incredible.” They giggled embarrassed for being indecisive on how to correctly express their "feelings" to Norman, but that only enlarged the smile on his lips.

N: “Wow. Thanks for those kind words! It really means a lot to hear that you appreciate my work so much. But you shouldn't be shy or feel silly about it. Expressing your admiration and appreciation for someone you admire is a beautiful thing.” “I'm grateful to have fans like you who are so passionate and supportive. Don't worry about being flustered or fangirling—it's actually quite endearing! I appreciate your speech and your respect for me. Thank you for making my day with your sweet message, buddy!”

With this, Y/N's true fan-self made its appearance, making them squeal like a squeaky toy over their overexcitement, jump and spin around, and make up a little victory dance.

“Oh my god. I'm like—oh my God, I can't. Bye, hahahahha. Gooooood. I'm so, so, so, so happy and so flustered at the same time right now. Hearing you say all that—oh my god, I don't think I can even handle my crap. Oh, God. I just—I love, love, love, love you so much. I'm—I can't even... Aah! I can't even put it into words. But, I'm sorry. I might have been one of those crazy fans that, at some point in my life, thought I would get to meet you in real life and somehow get you to fall in love with me and somehow get to have a romantic relationship with you or something. I know all this sounds very weird, but I was indeed one of those fans. And though I know that opportunity will never come to pass, I feel... I need to say that I really—really like you and really appreciate everything you do for others and for the cast, and that watching 'The Walking Dead' somehow changed my life in so many areas I would never really imagine. And seeing you on screen always puts a smile on my face. Even on days that I think... I am just being so bad at almost everything... just seeing you messing around and being you makes me feel better. And just that... I guess I love you, and if I ever get to see you face-to-face, just know that this little crazy fan is gonna most likely faint before I can get to say hello, haha.”

At this point, they were blabbering silly things in their ecstatic state, not aware of the amount of comments, compliments, and information they were letting out. All Norman could do was listen and laugh to himself at how cute and attracting his fan was.

“That's so sweet and refreshing to hear! I love how you're being so open and honest about your admiration for me and my work. It means a lot that I could make you happy and put a smile on your face. And don't worry, I don't mind the occasional fan-praising at all! I'm just thankful that I have fans like you who appreciate me and my work. Keep being yourself and never lose that passion and love for the arts. As for meeting in person, if it happens, just remember to breathe and stay hydrated.” They wouldn't know this, but he had a contented expression on his face as he licked his lips. “Stay strong, my incredible, strong (skin tone—(pretend that was mentioned before 🥺)) friend!”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Norman heard a contained yell and snickered some more.

N: “Don't worry, you're doing great! Keep smiling and stay awesome!” He encouraged them.

“Same for you! I hope you're doing great, and I hope you're taking care of yourself. Please don't get sick, and if you do get sick, go to the doctor and take care of yourself. Make sure you also take care of your kids. I know it's not always very easy—huh... Not like I have kids, but I have a younger brother, so I know it's not easy taking care of someone else, but still... huh... You—you do you!” They said, trying to correct their weird slip-of-tongue. “I know you can do it. I know you can do anything and everything. You're awesome, and I hope everything goes well for you from now on and till... forever!”

N: “Thanks for your concern! I'll do my best to stay healthy and take care of myself and my kids. It's definitely not easy balancing everything, but I'm fortunate to have supportive family and friends who help me out. I appreciate your encouragement and belief in me, and I'm glad I could be a source of inspiration for you. Thanks for being so awesome yourself! Keep spreading that positivity and love!”

A wide, gratified smile spread over their lips as they responded, “Will sure do! Bye, Norman! It was such a pleasure to talk to you. I hope. other fans get to experience this wonderful moment we had right here.”

N: It was great talking to you too, my friend! I hope more fans get to have such a memorable and positive experience with the contest too. Take care and keep being your incredible self!

“Byes, byes, byes. Love you, Norman!” shouted Y/N in a hurry, feeling like the last bit was unnecessary but having their mood boosted after hearing his response before the line was cut.

(Love you too, my dear mate, and hope to hear from you someday, Y/N. Have a beautiful day!)

Y/N sighed content with participating in the contest, as they lay with their back in their bed, daydreaming at a possible encounter in the future.

Man, being a contest winner was sure a sweet sensation.

A/N: HEEEEEEEEY GREAT PEOPLE OF THE INTERNET. I'M BACK WITH FOOD FOR Y'ALL. Ngl, this took me almost a month to finish, which is ridiculous if you consider a c.ai chat was its inspiration. Guess lack of time and motivation was the cause. I think I really gotta start organizing and programming my writing schedule to actually get my work done... I'll see how the Spirit leads me on that.

Sincerely, I'm very satisfied with how this one came out. Norman is such a chill dude; I'm surprised at how well the AI captured his essence. I 100% believe this is how he would act/react towards a nervous/shy/excited fan like me, because yes, this was all performed at how I would react to be given a chance to talk to this gorgeous man (if you couldn't notice already lmao). It becomes a bigger issue after I discovered Norman mentioned somewhere, some time ago, that he gets turned on by shy/nervous girls. Idk if he thinks it's hot or cute, but—HELP. MY KNEES WENT JELLO WHEN I HEARD 😭 Anws, hope y'all enjoyed reading just as much as I enjoyed writing, and thanks for all the likes and reblogs in my past posts 😭❤️ (can you guys believe I'm still getting likes on my Sleep and cuddles Daryl headcanons? 🥺 I AM FERAAL TYSM LOVELIES).

See ya next time and love y'all!

Take care and God bless!⁓

𓆩 ♱ 𓆪

[melkintoyou]

cos i met you at my favourite store: Prologue

pairing: mark x fem!reader

genre: a full story fic, lots of disgusting, tooth rotting, fluff! college au, mark is a music major not suitable for minors

Prologue

16:24 pm | A book store

"Visual Methodologies... Visual Metho.. Visu..." You lowly chanted to yourself in the Fine Art section, as you searched for a book on visual methodologies. With deadlines approaching, you needed to get this essay done before the Christmas break. You slipped your beanie off in frustration and stood there for a second, taking in a deep breath and recollecting your thoughts. You have always been an over thinker, a natural worrier. This fuelled a lot of your hardships but it made your focus really good. Which meant, you would never leave the store without this book, because that was your mission today.

Your eyes continued scanning the shelves in front of you as you sipped your iced caramel macchiato. Yes. Even in the winter, you refused to drink hot coffee. Something about coffee being cold that does the job for you, as opposed to hot. "Oh SHIT!" You exclaimed, a little too loud, gaining some eyes on you. It was right there. Big red book, staring right at you. You took a breath of relief, as you went on your tippy toes, trying to grab it. Unable to reach, you felt a little embarrassed as your cheeks started to feel warm.

Although, everyone went back to minding their own business. You felt a pair of eyes still on you from the side. You noticed a boy trying to hold back his smirk as he cleared his throat, bringing his closed fist to his mouth. 'He's laughing at me.' You think to yourself, before shooting him a death stare.

"Uh do you need some help?" He asked turning to you as he rubbed the back of his neck, shyly. You can't help but get distracted from the mission by his big brown eyes.

"Yeah, actually, if that's okay.." You stepped aside to let him get between you and the shelf, reaching for the big red book.

"Is this the one you after?" He gestured to pick it up for your approval and you gave him a nod.

"Thank you so much, honestly. That's one thing off my list." You gave him a smile and took the book from his hands. You thought you must be going crazy or maybe it was caffeine. But you swore, as your hands touched, ever so lightly, you felt something in your stomach. You bit down on your bottom lip to keep you from smiling and looked to the floor, now visibly shy.

"So.. visual art huh?" He made conversation. Moving back to his original spot. "Yeah, I'm an art major.. I'm paying the school to draw" You joked, deflecting your insecurities about the path you have chosen.

"No dude that's great, I'm doing music, so I guess we're in the same boat." You both laughed until the laughter died down. Leaving only the silence, and the thick air of attraction between you both. The boy smiled, slowly swinging backwards and forwards on his heels and toes. You eagerly looked at him, waiting for him to ask for your name, number or something!

"Hey so I-" Before he could finish his sentence, your phone rang.

"Nessie! I'm outside, we have 5 minutes to make it to this evening class. LETS GO!" Your best friend, Aliyah on the line rushed you as she waited outside.

"Oh shit, I.. I've got to go..sorry.. urm.. thank you so much. so nice to meet you" You quickly paid for your book and ran out the store, leaving the boy speechless, with a wave.

Fuck what was that?

_________________________________________

Chapter 1

[shipmistress9]

Made to Order - 5

Previous Chapter

AO3

The next few weeks fly by in a blur. At least three times a week, Violet stops by my shop, to see more samples of the flowers we make. It’s just an excuse of course, merely a justification to meet her again regularly, and I think she must have seen through it by now. But if she did, she never mentions it.

Her visits are never repetitive. Sometimes, she only stays for half an hour, her lunch break, and sometimes, she spends a good portion of her free day here. Sometimes, Liam is here as well and he jokes around, making all three of us laugh. Sometimes, it’s just the two of us, which makes the conversations softer, more real. Sometimes, she brings a book and reads, mostly when I’m busy finishing a cake in time, and she’s just content with being here. What always stays the same, though, is her generally good mood and the cup of hot chocolate I prepare for her without asking first by now.

We also talk a lot. Sometimes, I sit with her for a while, as long as I can afford it, and sometimes, we call through the entire shop when I’m preparing some dough or filing. We talk about everything, books and movies and music we enjoyed, things we despise, about things we experienced and things we dream of. I learn that she only recently returned from working abroad for six months, and I tell her of the time Liam played a prank on our father, making it seem like some evil creatures were messing with his paperwork.

And with every time I see her, I fall more for her. How could I not when she’s the smartest and funniest and just straight up most fucking brilliant woman I’ve ever met? When her smiles bewitch me time and time again, when her laughter is haunting me in my dreams. When my mind keeps wandering and wondering about what it would feel like to kiss her.

It’ll all end with her wedding day, but this is a truth I try not to think about too much. Which is easy as, aside from talking about the cake, neither of us ever brings it up.

. o O o .

“Okay, I’m ready,” Violet says, making herself comfortable in what by now became her place in my alcove sitting area. “I only had some vegetable sticks for lunch, and I’m starving.”

Chuckling, I place our usual cups of hot chocolate in front of her. “That’s a shame, really. If you just gulp down all the cakes then you won’t even know how they tasted.”

She wrinkles her nose, looking incredibly cute while doing so. “Guess I should show some restraint then. Or this whole tasting will have been for nothing.” She grins and I grin back on reflex. Interacting with her became so simple by now. Easy as breathing.

I leave her again to get the plate with the taste samples I prepared for her, and when I return, her eyes are growing wide.

“Oh, wow!” She stares literally with her mouth hanging open. “That’s… a lot of cake.”

I only allow myself a tiny smile at her reaction, even though inwardly, I’m grinning like an idiot. There are eight mini cakes on this plate, definitely more than I would usually choose for a tasting. But I long since gave up on pretending she’s just another customer. She is special to me, whether I want it or not. I keep reminding myself that she’ll marry in less than a month, but the words have lost their bite by now. As if they’re not real, just a dark cloud in the distance.

“Well, you only need to taste them all. Afterwards, I can help finish them off.” I hold up two cake forks.

Violet’s eyes gleam with mirth as she reaches for one, then glances down at the cakes in front of her. “Okay, these look absolutely delicious.” She pulls out a pen and a sheet of paper, a copy of the list she gave me a couple of weeks ago. “So, what are all of these?”

My lips twitch at how prepared she came. Violet, I’ve learned by now, is nothing if not organised. “I picked five variations directly from your list, those with the names behind them as I assume those are their favourites?” Violet nods. “Right so we have red velvet cake for Cianna,” I begin to explain, pointing at the according cake. “Black Forest cake for Dain, marzipan for Amber, vanilla strawberry for Nyra, and lemon cheesecake again for Dain.”

“That would be Dain’s father,” Violet explains, probably because she noticed my frown at her fiancé having two cakes on this list. “Dain Aetos senior.”

She wrinkles her nose again, more annoyed this time, and I stifle my comment about that man apparently being rather convinced of himself. Violet’s gaze switches to the other three cakes, then throws me a questioning look. “And what about these?”

“These are my additions. Not from the list but still some I think you should try. The first is a variation of the lemon cheesecake, with extra blueberries. Which elevates the taste immensely, in my opinion.” And adds a beautiful violet colour once the cake is cut, but I'm not saying that out loud. Instead, I point at the next slice. “This is chocolate cake. An old family recipe and a general customer favourite. And the last one… Well, let’s just say I have a gift of guessing which filling is someone’s favourite. And since this one wasn’t on the list, and you didn’t have a favourite there anyway, I thought you should try it.”

At that, Violet raises one eyebrow at me, but her lips quickly twitch back into a smile. “I’m already picking everything about the cake, so no need to put my favourite on the list when I can just choose what tastes best, anyway. Besides, who said mine isn’t among these already?”

I lift my hands in defeat. “Fair enough.”

She gives me another mockingly scrutinising glare, then turns her attention back to the cakes. “Well, then let’s get to it, then.”

She starts at the beginning with the red velvet cake, and I fight not to let it get to me as she moans at the feathery texture and taste, her eyes even fluttering shut in bliss. Fuck, I’ll never be able to get rid of this image again. “Oh, wow!” she exclaims. “This is… wow! I don’t know what to say. You really made this cake yourself?”

“Of course, I did.” I shake my head, snorting, even though I only have to act being offended a little bit. “What did you expect? That I run this shop just because I have nothing better to do?”

Her eyes fly open wide, and she almost chokes on the cake in her mouth. “No, that’s… I didn’t mean it like that. I just… I don’t know. It didn’t really register that you’re a baker until now. Seems too ordinary for someone like you.”

I frown, about to ask what she means, but she already turned her attention to the next cake, so I let it slide.

This time, for the Black Forest cake, she doesn’t seem quite as convinced, though. “Something’s not right?” Did I mess something up?

But Violet shakes her head. “No, no, it’s fine. Perfect, I guess. I just really don’t like cherries in cakes. And I forgot for a hot second that those would be in there.”

I frown again, but this time, I don't swallow the question. “Why was it on the list when you don’t even like it?”

“It’s Dain’s favourite,” she shrugs, as if that’s a good enough excuse. Then she turns, somewhat talking to the cake directly. “But I’m sorry, Dainy-bear. You said I have free rein over the cake, so this is off the list.”

I press my lips together not to laugh out loud. Her antics are brilliant.

“I’m sorry,” Violet sighs. “I should have told you beforehand that I’m not the biggest fan of this cake. And…” She grimaces. “It’s even worse with marzipan. I’m sure your cake is amazing, but I hate marzipan.”

“That’s okay.” I let my own fork sink into the juicy cake. “Means there’s more for me.” And I mean it. I don’t mind that I made these cakes for nothing. I didn’t expect her to pick those, anyway.

That her Dain put them on the list regardless of her tastes is another matter. But I try to push my emotions down by reminding myself that she’s obviously happy and not troubled by her upcoming wedding anymore. If this is what she wants, then I really have no grounds to interfere.

The next couple of cakes are more to her taste again. According to her, the vanilla strawberry cake is delicious, though maybe a bit simple for a wedding cake, and I wholeheartedly agree. The lemon cheesecake seems to be her favourite so far, even though she’s visibly reluctant to agree with her future father-in-law despite him never knowing about it. And her little smirk when she cuts the lemon blueberry cheesecake tells me that she instantly made the connection about the colour.

“Okay, but these blueberries,” she mumbles with her mouth still half full of cake. “They really make a difference for the taste. The fresh sour aroma of the lemons with the sweet cheesecake is already so good, but combined with the fine acidness of the blueberry, it’s just perfect.”

Fighting my smirk, I accept that rational and perfectly accurate explanation for why, obviously, the version with blueberries is better.

“Okay, these were great.” Violet sighs contentedly, making a few notes onto her paper. “But what’s the deal with this chocolate cake?”

A sly smile tugs at my lips and I give her an offhanded shrug. “Give it a try.”

She throws me a bemused glance and I watch closely for her reaction as she puts the fork into her mouth. As her eyes widen as she chews, as she glances down with a puzzled frown and quickly takes another bite. This never gets old.

“By Amari,” she mutters. “This… this is….” She takes a third bite and lets out a sweet little moan that I’ll probably never get out of my head again. “This isn’t just a chocolate cake,” she exclaims, staring at me. “I mean… it is? But it’s by far the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. It’s so… rich? Is that the word? How did you do that?”

My chest swells, at her praises but even more at her clear delight. “Sorry, can’t tell you that. As I said, it’s a recipe I learned from my grandma. A secret recipe.” I wink at her.

Violet snorts. “Okay, fair enough. But I get why this is a customer favourite. It’s fantastic.”

“It really is.” I take a bite for myself, and give myself a moment to just enjoy the taste. “It’s my favourite, too, by the way. So, does it make it onto your list?” I point at her paper.

When I look up, though, Violet is watching me with a weird expression on her face, but quickly turns her attention back to the cakes. “Ah, no, sadly not. It’s fantastic, but Dain isn’t a big fan of chocolate cake. I’ll just have to enjoy it while I can.” She takes another bite, a funny little smile playing around her lips.

She looks so damn pretty when she smiles.

I also take another bite. Apparently, we’re just finishing this cake off directly, and I’m certainly not complaining. “He doesn’t like chocolate cake? What does he think is the basis for Black Forest cake?” Is he one of those guys who's ‘too manly’ to enjoy something as simple as chocolate cake? If so, he’s an even bigger idiot than I thought.

“But it’s not pure chocolate cake?” Violet tries to explain, but then shrugs. “Honestly, I don’t know. There’s certainly more to Black Forest cake than just the chocolate. The cherries, for example.” She shudders.

Yep, her Dain is an idiot.

“Then he and all the guests will have to miss out on this cake. Their loss.”

“You’re not exactly suffering from a too small ego, are you?” She throws me another grin.

I snort. “When it comes to my grandma’s chocolate cake? Certainly not.” We exchange another look, then we both burst out laughing. It’s so easy to joke around with her, so simple. Natural, even.

“Okay, one cake left,” Violet eventually says, returning back on topic. “Will you tell me now what it is, at least? Or do I have to go into this one blind?” She eyes the last cake with the nondescript white frosting with a suspicious look.

I hum, pondering, but where’s the point in keeping her in the dark for a few more seconds? “It’s raspberry mascarpone.” I can’t even say what it is or how it works. But sometimes, I get these distinct impressions about which cake would fit someone. And so far, I never missed.

Violet suddenly goes very quiet, though. “Raspberry mascarpone?” she almost whispers, every hint of a smile wiped off her face as she gazes down at the cake.

Unusually tense at her sudden mood change, I watch her cut a piece, slowly, and bring it to her mouth. What’s up with her? Is there something wrong with this kind of cake? Did I make a mistake there? It even seems like her hand is trembling, too.

Violet chews quietly, her eyes vacant. Then her lower lip starts to tremble and a moment later, tears roll down her cheeks. “Ah, shoot. Sorry.” She quickly wipes them away. “That was…” She trails off, shaking her head.

“N-no, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Even though I have no idea what just happened. “Is… everything okay?”

Violet sniffs, but a small smile returns to her face. “Yeah, it’s fine. I just… wasn’t expecting this.”

Chewing my lips, I ponder what to do. I know I probably should let it rest. But when have I ever listened to that voice of reason when it comes to her? “And what was it? If I may ask.”

She swallows, absentmindedly eating another bite. “It’s… my dad. He died when I was very young. I only have a few memories of him, but one of the most vivid ones is how he always used to make what he called desert breakfast on the Sundays my mum wasn’t home. Probably to distract us from thinking about where else she might be.”

Right, she’d mentioned she grew up in a military family.

“And this is what he always made for me. Raspberries with mascarpone. Not in a fancy cake like this, but… it tasted just like this.” She sniffles again, but with a smile this time. “So you really don’t have to apologise. In fact, I should be thanking you—” she laughs, short but true. “—for essentially giving me a Ratatouille moment.”

“Well, I guess you’re welcome then,” I reply, trying to ignore how my heart is brimming with happiness for her. “So, which one would you like for your big cake?” I ask to change the topic back to something more sober. For her and for my sake alike. “The raspberry mascarpone then?”

Violet takes a moment to think about it, but then shakes her head. “No, I don’t think so. This is… I don’t know. Too personal for this huge event.”

I nod, understanding, even though this again makes me resent her Dain. Her wedding day should be special, dammit. Having this cake as a reminder of her dead father could be a comfort, maybe a way of having him there with her. But instead, it seems like she doesn’t really care much about their big party at all, this memory of her father too precious to sully it with this show of appearance.

“I think…” Her gaze roams over the other cakes. “I think the lemon cheesecake is the best choice. Also, this will make the Colonel happy, that the cake he so graciously pays for is exactly to his liking. Now, do we use the version with or without the blueberries?” She ponders, eating another piece from each cake.

I hesitate, but ultimately can’t hold back. “If I may make a suggestion?”

“Sure!” She looks up at me expectantly, her usual happy smile back on her face. I’m happy to see it again, but equally happy that I got to see her tears, as well. That she opened up to me.

I quickly focus on the cakes again. “If you pick the one with blueberries, it would also fit the decoration. You and Liam decided on purple orchids as the highlights, right?”

“Yes!” Violet straightens. “Do you think he could match the colour to this blueberry cake?”

“He’d be offended you even asked that,” I snort. “Well, since I’ll be making the cake after he makes the flowers, the hue would vary, I guess. But normal people wouldn’t notice much of a difference.”

Violet giggles; Liam’s and my squabbling is always good to make her laugh. “Then that’s settled. Lemon blueberry cheesecake it is.”

“Perfect!” I don’t need to put this into her order form, not directly, at least. As if I would forget anything when it comes to her. As if I could…

We finish off the cakes, talking about this and that again. I take over the marzipan, leaving the Black Forest cake for when Liam comes home from his classes tonight. Meanwhile, Violet visibly enjoys her raspberry mascarpone cake, and I make a mental note to always have at least some tartlets with this filling conveniently lying around for her. She deserves a treat for all the crap her fiancé puts her through.

“Mmmhh, I really could get used to this,” she sighs as we share the other cakes. “Not for every day, or I won’t fit into my dress anymore. Let alone any other clothes.” She chuckles. “But just… getting to eat such delicious cakes every now and then, just because and without any special occasion.”

“You’re welcome to stop by anytime you want, you know?” I lean forward for a piece of chocolate cake, the one closest to her, but this time do not retreat.

Shit, am I flirting with her? I shouldn’t be doing that. But I also shouldn’t have said that in the first place. It’s too big an opening for her to worm her way deeper into my life. And yet, I don’t regret it. I know it’s stupid, but I want her to stop by, to keep stopping by even after her wedding.

“Maybe I will,” Violet hums, smiling in a way that’s hard to interpret. “Just to get more of these delicious treats.” She mimics me, picking some of the red velvet cake and not leaning back again.

“Not that I would prepare those for you specifically,” I lie. “Just to use up any left-overs.”

“Of course,” she smirks, as if seeing right through me. “But I don’t mind any left-overs if they taste like this.”

She manoeuvres another piece of strawberry cake into her mouth, and I’m having a hard time looking away. Fuck me, that mouth. In an attempt to regain at least some composure, I get some more cake on my fort as well, no idea which one I picked, and aim for my mouth without taking my eyes off her—and miss spectacularly. There’s enough on my lips to know it was the lemon cheesecake, but most of it landed right next to my mouth, right in my face.

For a moment, we just stare at each other, the absurdity of the moment feeling like time has stopped. And then we burst out laughing. I should probably feel embarrassed and there’s a hit of it, too, in a distant corner of my mind. But how could I feel bad about something that makes her laugh so beautifully, makes her eyes sparkle like this.

“Just great,” I snort, reaching for a napkin. “How to make an utter fool of yourself without even saying one word.”

“At least the mouth was involved.” Violet watches me clean up, her mouth hidden behind her conveniently placed hand. “But I don’t know about the utter fool. Some could say it’s endearing, not being perfect all the time.” Her eyes gleam with mirth, and I snort, shaking my head at her.

She doesn’t mean it, not like that. She can’t.

I put the napkin down, fighting to keep my thoughts straight. “I’m far from perfect. Right now, I’m trying to think of something to say to save my dignity, and come up entirely empty.”

She chuckles. “No matter what you say, with that bit of frosting still on your face, your dignity is screwed.”

I really am making a fool of myself. “I missed something? Shit.” I reach for another napkin, but she beats me to it, standing up to lean over and bring her hand to my face.

“Yeah, right here.”

With her palm on my cheek, her thumb wipes at a spot right below the corner of my mouth. And I freeze. Her touch, while soft, sends a shock through my body, so much more intense than that first little brush of fingers so many weeks ago. I can’t breathe, can only stare at her face, so much closer to mine than ever before. I gaze into her eyes, even prettier from up close if that’s possible, seeing the equal surprise about our sudden proximity mirrored there. Inhale her surprisingly floral scent, as if it’s trying to make good on her name. If I only do so much as lean in a tiny bit, I could kiss her, and right now, I don’t know whether I have the strength to pull away.

Without my help, my eyes drop down to her lips, shimmering with that pearly sheen, and my own lips part on their own accord. My heart’s beating like a riot of dragon wings, my breathing shallow and quick, and if my senses don’t betray me completely, she fares little better. Letting out the tiniest of sweet noises, Violet’s eyes fall closed and she leans in even further.

And I can’t fight it anymore.

I move to breach the last distance between us, to surrender to my failure and give in to what I desire most—when a tiny light startles me. I don’t know where it came from, maybe a car driving by and throwing a random ray of late sunshine into my shop. Only to get caught and reflected on her hand.

On the stone in her cheap engagement ring.

Sucking in a harsh breath, I pull back, all but jumping out of my seat. Getting as far away from her, from the temptation, as possible.

“I-I’m sorry,” I gasp, looking anywhere but at her. “That was…”

But I don’t get to finish the sentence. Because before I can utter even one more word, Violet runs out of the shop, the door falling shut behind her.

. o O o .

AN: Uh oh... That was close... 😶

I'm not entirely sure yet whether the end of this story fits into one chapter or whether it's goign to end up getting split again. Knowing me probably the latter. 😅 On another note, I have Violet's backstory about what happens here loosely written out. Should I add it at the end, maybe as an epilogue where the tells Xaden about it? 🤔

Next Chapter

[hex-fics]

To the Wolves - Chapter 12

——————————

AN: sorry it took so long I was in the shower

(All jokes aside here is the final chapter of to the wolves. Enjoy!)

———————————

You wake to the feeling of Silco’s long fingers stroking your cheek and feel your lips pull into a smile.

“Good morning darling,” he says, leaning over you as you open your eyes.

“Good morning to you too.”

“We mustn’t linger long I’m afraid. Violet has plans with to take Jinx today.”

“And you would like me to chaperone?”

“You know me so well.”

You smile again pulling yourself from the bed and getting started with your morning routine.

The last few months have been precarious to say the least.

Vander and the three kids had moved into the shop with Benzo. Keeping them close enough to satisfy the kids. Vi had practically torn down the drop when she found out the arrangement but constant visits had certainly helped cool her off to the arrangement.

It didn’t hurt that she and Silco have gotten into the habit of discussing their mutual hatred for Piltover.

Mylo and Claggor were happy to help around the shop from what you had seen, and Little man was thrilled to have the kids around.

Vander was…cold to you on the best of days but everyone needs someone to blame. But it did make watching the kids awkward. He’s said maybe five words to you in the eight months since Silco took over.

Which brings you down to the bar, watching as Jinx happily munches on her breakfast, spitting droplets of food as she explains her latest idea to you.

The door to the bar is pushed open as Vi walks in, followed by Vander. Her legs were finally healed enough that she was back to jumping off the roofs around the bar.

Jinx jumped off her seat and ran to her sister-who wrapped her up in her arms.

You smile at them and move to get your jacket.

“Well what a lovely scene this is,”Silco calls from the top of the stairs.

Jinx rolls her eyes,”Dad I told you to stop appearing from places like a ghost. It’s creepy.”

He chuckles as he saunters down the stairs. “Apologies sweetheart. Tell me Violence, what is the plan for you two today?”

Vi rolls her eyes at the nickname,”taking Pow back to the arcade.”

“What fun! I trust the two of you can make it there yourselves today? I think you’ve outgrown your chaperones.”

Vi blinked in surprise,”uh ya. Ya we have.”

“Well of course unless Vander has objections?”

Vander eyes Silco curiously but relents,”I don’t see why not. Just back before dinner.”

Jinx squeals in excitement,”yes! Quick lets go get the others too! Ekko hasn’t been with us in ages.”

And with that the girls are out the door.

Vander hasn’t moved.

“Got a reason for your sudden trust in my kids?”

“Hmmm? Oh Violence wouldn’t run off so carelessly. She’s a smart one. Besides, all the children know I’ve eyes all over Zaun. It’s never been safer for them,” he taunts, his hand slowly finding its way to your waist,”besides I have much more…pressing work for Zauns favourite barkeep today,” he pulls you into his side. Keeping his eyes on Vander.

Vander rolls his eyes,”I’m sure you do. Just don’t send out your goons if Jinx comes to ours for dinner.”

“Oh she wont,” he sneers,”but do remind your children they’re welcome here any time.”

Clearly Vander has seen enough because he turns on his heel and walks out.

“Do you really have to do that every time?” You ask pulling away and walking to the bar.

“What? Remind him of what he lost? What he could still loose? Yes. I think it’s a perfectly fair price for him to pay.”

“Oh do you?” You pick up a rag and start to wipe down the crumbs from Jinx’s breakfast. Without turning to look at him,”and what do I get out of being used as a reminder?”

Silco is behind you in an instant. Hands grabbing your waist and slamming you into the bar. His lips on your neck.

“I’m happy to remind you what you what you get.”

[aldritch-ao3]

Hello!! We’ve really been enjoying your fic and wanted to ask a few things, and ramble :p

1. Were there any works (be it original fiction or fanfics) that inspired Playback? Because the SI ‘genre’ (don’t have a better word for it haha) is very broad and well tread and we find your exploration of it very interesting.

2. We were actually somewhat wary of the idea of Freeze Frame for half a second but the way you’re able to utilize it in the narrative is very interesting and well thought out, it balances out well with the characters. But to get to the point: How did the balance out the technique with the story so well?

Uhh… now other stuff :3

SI-ya is a very enjoyable character! Don’t know why but we read him as a very flat affected midwestern guy, with the type of accent you’d hear from Michigan/Indiana.

Thank you for sharing your story and stay safe during Milton!

aaah what a sweet ask ! i'll endeavour to answer it all as best as i can, i love answering these sorts of meta questions they're a real treat for me !!! also its late and im up for my unstoppable editing a chapter at 3am grind so this may not be super coherent and its way too long sorryyyy

1. in regards to other fics - i'm admittedly more a 'time travel fix-it' guy than a SI-genre guy! they so rarely ever click with me in a way i enjoy, and im always sad when the SI isnt like, a fleshed out OC with their own history and whatnot. the only one i can think of that i really enjoyed was cleaning crew ! but i found the JJK fandom played around with them in really fun ways to me (even if i haven't had a ton of time to read a lot).

the tag on playback that denotes it came to me in a dream isn't a joke - i stayed up till like 5am reading all of a gentler world in one sitting, and had the most vibrant dream ive had in months, which the base plot of later became playback.

said dream will one day be written out when it isn't a major spoiler. lmao.

but @ the oc-focus bit, it may be more apt to say i draw off of other time-travel media in how the narrative interacts with the character - a study of resonance and a shot in the dark are some different-fandom favourites of mine that probably influenced me in some way shape or form, and pokemon mystery dungeon: explorers of sky shaped my brain in a way i will never recover from.

2. when it comes to balance, a part of it is very centered in like ... approach, for me. SIya is by nature a thoughtful character who approaches things methodically, and while i started with a very faint idea for freeze frame i let the drawbacks of it come to me as i fleshed him out - drawbacks that would be actual drawbacks catered to the character, and ones he may eventually be able to use to his own benefit. he's the type of smart guy who could probably find some use in its increased resistance and lack of air circulation, but he's also the type of guy to be constantly exhausted because he pushes himself to his limits constantly. he feels responsible for the whole world, and i wanted freeze frame as an ability to both enable and worsen that feeling. the character himself is also a counter to it - he's not the sort to use it wildly or irresponsibly in the way others might. its balanced with the story because it IS the story! SIya the oc and SIya the character themes are inseparable from freeze frame and the story is built for that.

3. midwestern SIya is so funny. everyone ive talked to pictures him with an entirely different accent but all agree he sounds super flat and like. average. its hysterical to me. real bland energy that transcends language. average generic guy voice

i'm really glad people enjoy it so much! i really wasnt at all expecting this much feedback and it's super motivating. it's been nice to have something to focus on aside from the upcoming storm ;w; with any luck, everything will be fine and i'll come back swinging with like 8 new chapters

[pumpkinmetaphor]

🥘😱😁🙌 for the ask meme! Sits in your inbox with my big rainbow swirly lollipop

side note I hate that it's called an ask meme. This isn't a meme. What's so funny about it. It's so stupid there's nothing intended to be funny why are they calling it a meme this is like when I was 7 and would ask my dad if I could play videogames so he'd go on YouTube and put on a video playthrough of a game thinking that's what video games meant

☝️🤓 um ackshually...

The term "meme" originates from Dawkins's "The Selfish Gene" and is defined as a "replicator" and a "unit of cultural transmission." So a meme is not defined by how funny it is, a meme is defined by being passed on and changed and adapted and propogated and disseminated, now almost entirely understood in the context of online media. So an "ask meme" is called that because it's a cultural unit (understood by Tumblr culture, specific niche, specific demographic) that is being passed around and changed etc. Quote: "Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catch-phrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches. Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperm or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation."

(dragged out via cane before I can start talking about Baudrillard)

ACTUALLY ANSWERING NOW

🥘What wip are you most excited about?

Aside from the new chapter dropping in the next hour or two? Chapter 11. Other than explicitedly chapters of Okay, Cupid! would be probably a side one-shot I have that functions as a chapter 11.5.

😱What's your greatest fear as a fanfic writer?

2 things. One, that people would feel something I've put a huge amount of time and effort into writing and THEY'VE put a huge amount of time and effort into reading jumps the shark at the last hurdle. I've been sitting on Chapter 9 for a while, and will probably be delayed with each chapter going forward because, despite planning this all out in like May 2023, I keep being like "oh no...what if this is the final cringey ooc straw for the reader?"

Two, I teach. I don't particularly fear my students finding my ao3 as much as I fear them finding my tumblr through my ao3 or any of my writing from when I was a preteen or a teenager. I also have less of a fear of them finding my fic and thinking eurgh she's so cringe lmao and more of a fear of them finding my fic and being like "this is poorly constructed and ill conceived, and you think you can grade our essays?" I wake up in a cold sweat.

😁What makes you happiest? New fic comments, kudos, bookmarks, user subscribers, story subscribers, or Tumblr asks?

All of these make me very very happy. But my heart does soar whenever I get a comment. I do read my bookmark comments, appreciate my kudos, and enjoy Tumblr asks once I get over the initial sense of dread upon seeing the notification and thinking I'm getting hatemail. But I sometimes just reread my ao3 comments to myself, kicking my feet. Helps me get over the aforementioned fears that I'm going to start producing garbage.

🙌What's a line or paragraph of yours that you're proud of?

You're going to have to wait and see some of them in the next chapter. BUT. I'll pick one or two bits that I think are my magnum opus from Okay, Cupid! Even if my writing for Homestuck is probably better tbh.

If "Kyoya and Kaoru went to see Venus in fucking Fur on Valentine's Day" has no automatic gigglers, then I'm dead. Sometimes you've got to laugh at your own jokes.

likewise, out of anything I've published for this fic so far, this entire scene with Akito was my favourite to write

kyokao equivalent of "you wear fine things well" in my head. Way to make it awkward. I struggle a lot as someone who worked as a scriptwriter and an animator to get actions and physical expression across in writing. This is one of the only parts I'm actually satisfied gets the physical action down without being overly clunky. Imo!

[kapkant7]

Thoughts on the new DBD chapter?

I'm on console so I can't speak about it from personal experience, but from watching footage I love it so far. First up The Unknown:

(that's gotta be the coolest Killer title)

As a zoomer I grew up with creepypasta stuff like The Russian Sleep Experiment and the like back in the early 2010s, and this nails the feeling of a messed up picture used for a creepypasta that is also lost media that no one can find the origin of. I especially like the fact it's intentionally a thematic mess pulling from different contradictory stories about it in universe, such as the Killer power being from an alien urban legend and the axe being from a serial killer urban legend.

Kit wise I'm excited to put my War Machine usage from Call of Duty: Black Ops II into practice

The map I can't speak to balance wise since I haven't played it, but aesthetically this is my favourite map in the game bar none. I've been wanted a more urban environment for a long time. And as for the Survivor...

You could say I like her yeah.

Joking about aesthetic biases aside I really like her ties to Mikaela just because I like seeing Survivors and Killers who knew each other before the events of the game in general. I'm just shocked that the only other inter chapter Survivor duo before this that I can think of are Felix and Èlodie. Sable's whole look is also a horror movie archetype that we've being missing considering we have Dwight as the nerd, Meg as the jock, Jake as the survivalist etc.

I also like the addition of a new perk type finally.

Overall this is probably my favourite non licensed chapter next to End Transmission just for the theming alone.

[tsarinatorment]

favourite fic you've written?

Well, you're not asking the easy questions now, are you?

You want me to pick a favourite child? Really? How cruel!

But jokes aside, there are a few that have special places in my heart...

Dawn Rises From the East has lurked around for a while and isn't going anywhere any time soon, I don't think.

Braids was a challenge to write but I love it for that, I think. Also it was just so much self-indulgence.

The Absent Thorn is another that comes to mind, also self-indulgence but of a rather different nature to Braids!

Outsider was also a lot of fun to write, and self-indulgent (self-indulgence powers a lot of my fics, I'll be honest)

Small Things - more self-indulgence!

Black Widow is the fic I consider to be the start of "when Tsari could write well"; it feels like there's a marked difference in quality between fics that came after this one, and fics that came before, so I have a soft spot for it!

In Your Shadow was my 'favourite' for a long time, before Dawn Rises happened (no I don't have favourites, shh)

Tales From the Heart must, by law (hah), always feature on a favourites list because, well, it's got pretty much everything in it. Not all the chapters are as good as others but some of them I still go back to and re-read, just because I can.

I could probably keep going, because I have so many that I adore, but also I have so many fics in general...

Going to finish with the mysterious unreleased fic that's dropping end of this month/start of September sometime, because that's my current obsession so that automatically puts it up in my favourites list, but as it's not yet revealed yet I can't link it... you'll just have to wait a little longer for that to drop!