#like i actually think pretty much all rich people are v selfish | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

joontier · 4 years ago

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“V” | part one

synopsis: You zinged. With the captain. Who was human.

pairings: kim taehyung x female reader

rating: R (18+) | genre: smut, fluff, angst, crack, minor angst (as of now) ,fantasy, (unknowing) enemies to lovers trope; captain! taehyung x vampire! reader, based off Hotel Transylvania and Girl’s Trip! | warnings: plenty of sexual innuendos, explicit sex) (groping, fingering, exhibitionism,

word count: 13.1k

g/n: im splitting this into a two/three shot because i really wanted to post this bc the coward in me is afraid that if i finish and post the whole thing this app might crash on me ajfoiawjefiajwfa n e ways, enjoy this first part and please let me know what you think!

one. | two. | three.?

navi | m.list

Albeit recorded as one of the smallest countries in terms of area and population, the country of Tersnoa proudly boasts its multiple attractions and rich culture. As the nation’s economy depends heavily on tourism, Tersnoa is considered a hidden treasure amongst the genuine travelers - human and monsters alike.

Santa Shelea - the monster capital of Tersnoa, is located beneath the lush woods of the small country, hidden to the human eye. Entrance to the city you grew up in is a privilege given only to monsters, though it wasn’t always like that.

The city used to nurture human and monster liaisons, with relations surpassing mere diplomacy. Humans and monsters shared friendships that run deeper than their contrasts in physical attributes and their innate characteristics. It was a time when both parties realized they were so much alike in plenty of ways and respect was observed by all despite the differences in appearances and culture. Admittedly, monsters had more to sacrifice with these accords due to your more primal urges, but your kind made it work, for the sake of peaceful coexistence.

The other party, however, did not seem to share the same sentiments for long.

Santa Shelea was one of the few places left on Earth where monsters sought refuge as your kind of people were constantly drawn out of the places they used to peacefully live at by the humans themselves. You thought Santa Shelea was different - that these people you once even considered family wouldn’t push you away just like what the others did, but it wasn’t before long that the human citizens of the once-glorious city were going to change their minds.

These selfish, pompous humans conducted an uprising to protest against the presence of monsters in ‘their’ land. It was an awful time to have grown up in, being called a ‘monster’ in all senses of the word, especially from those people you have even considered friends. The human citizens conducted an uprising in Santa Shelea, protesting the presence of monsters in ‘their’ land, ultimately disturbing the peace of the city.

Humans burned your houses down to the ground, including your helpless mother in their supposed quest for peace. After having kept the harmonious liaisons for quite some time, your kind had gone back to your primitive instincts, fighting for your rights along with an army of beasts, hybrids, witches, and members of the undead. It was catastrophe epitomized, a day that no one wishes to relive.

It isn't fair to say that the monsters emerged victorious when so many had perished, your mother included. Eventually, these mortal beings realized there were no match for formidable creatures and soon took their leave of the once prosperous city. Soon enough, humans became history to monsters and vice versa.

Rebuilding your beloved city from scratch was no easy task, proving to be even more difficult with the agony that came with burying the past. To prevent any more man-made disasters in the future, the witches had agreed to cast a spell over Santa Shelea: that your city will forever remain invisible to the human eye.

And it has remained such until the present, appearing as part of the picturesque mountain ranges Tersnoa has to offer. Far from the city and beneath the mountains of lush forestry, Hotel Tersnoa stands tall in the middle of Santa Shelea - the city where monsters thrive. If you could only speak for yourself, the city could easily pass as the eighth wonder of the world.

Hotel Tersnoa isn’t the only legacy handed down from your great-great-great-grandfather (“G4 for short”, he’d offered one day, explaining that he had to ‘blend in with the now’). During the past millennia, he had also established a conglomerate of enterprises across the world. He’s even founded BloodHub, an international focus group centered on blood diseases and blood donations but you wouldn’t want to delve on the beginning and end of that.

The responsibility of taking over the hotel had been passed on to your father since then and his ardency for the hotel was unparalleled, the bequest of the hotel has surpassed the original Hotel Tersnoa of which your grandfathers had initially envisioned it to be. Your father would spend hours on end surveying every detail, nook, and cranny of the beloved establishment, barking orders left and right.

On top of being a father, he had busied himself with the responsibilities of a hotelier. Yet you knew deep down it was all but a façade to mask the void that your mother left in his heart. There were many nights you’d caught him staring into the distance in a secluded place, away from the hustle and bustle at the hotel. You loved your father dearly, wanting nothing else for him but the happiness he truly deserves.

When you had turned of age, you insisted on taking over the hotel in your father’s stead. You knew that your mother’s passing had been a toll too great to bear for your father, especially in a place where he is constantly reminded of her. You wanted him to enjoy his life, to bring back the life in his eyes, however ironic it may sound as part of the undead.

Your father had disapproved of the idea at first, reasoning out that it was too big of a responsibility to hand over. He’d told you that you were still young and he wanted you to enjoy your life while you still could. With your adamancy and endless prodding, you had finally convinced him to cave in. Besides, you’re pretty sure you’ll stay young for a long time.

As you have taken on the commitment of being the lady of the house, or hotel rather, your father spent his time moving from one place to another, taking on different identities so as not to reveal his real one. When you were just starting out with your duties as the new hotelier a few years back, he couldn’t leave you behind for a day, checking up on you every two hours just in case an emergency occurs. As if something drastic could happen when more than half of your customers are already dead.

Years pass by and hourly check-ups became daily ones and then weekly afterwards, until he calls you from halfway across the world every once in a while, just to tease you if the hotel was just as great as he left it. You hadn’t actually seen him in a year, apparently ‘busy’ with his new business venture in Amsterdam.

That’s why when you pick up his scent nearby, you momentarily stop in your tracks. It isn't exactly unusual for your father to have impromptu visits, but you’ve learned that it’s highly unlikely for your father to drop by at such a time like this.

He avoids peak season at Tersnoa like the plague, let alone a Friday the 13th special like today, in addition to the most anticipated week-long celebration of the hotel’s six hundred and sixty-sixth anniversary. Your father steers clear of times like these at all costs, always making up excuses to avoid the crowd and the stress that comes with it. So much for being the past manager.

You can’t really hold it against him, as it surely has been an arduous feat having run the hotel for almost two centuries. Even though you both laugh it off whenever you tease him about it, you know deep down he genuinely enjoys attending to his customers and making sure they get the best customer service.

A scoff escapes your lips when you see the infamous Drac-cape nearing. You’re mildly tempted to ignore him altogether, not wanting to be involved with someone who wore something that has run out of style decades ago. Secondhand embarrassment is a thing, and it’s very real.

You have already lost count of the times you’ve told him to get rid of the ridiculous piece of clothing, yet he dismisses you every time, clinging onto the nostalgic feeling that comes with the cape. In consideration of your request, your father had gone so far as acquiring the services of a handful of stylists to make some alterations to the design, and you have to say you’re pretty impressed with the outcome. What else could you have said? The Drac-cape was old but gold.

You’re about to greet him when a staff approaches you, holding out a folder with papers that require your signatures. Your father stands a meter away with a proud smile, watching you with fondness in his eyes. Once you finish with the papers, he calls out, “Ah, my princess,” arms wide open to greet you with a hug. He’s the first to pull away, hands still resting on your shoulders as he takes a good look at you. “You grow up so fast!” he says jokingly with a wide smile plastered on his face as he pinches your cheeks.

There’s something off though, something suspicious behind that painstakingly dubious grin on his face. Smiling wasn’t something your father was fond of doing especially in public - too deep into portraying the character of the dark and brooding Dracula depicted in human children’s stories. Plus, your fangs sometimes get in the way, so smiling isn’t really a preferable option.

Before you get the chance to ask about his sudden visit, another staff member approaches you, another folder in hand. Your father shoos you away before you object, dragged away by your duties for the millionth time tonight.

“What is it now?” you ask the skeleton beside you, every sound of his movement resembling that of a marimba. “Your presence is being requested by Ms. Catherine at her party, Countess.”

You’d almost forgotten your cousin Catherine had rented out the hotel’s rooftop to celebrate her engagement to her long-time boyfriend Jericho. You’ve already congratulated and apologized to her plenty of times prior to this day, already knowing that you won't be able to celebrate it properly because of the events being held at the hotel. With the hectic schedule you were running on, you just realized that you hadn't visited her all day.

It had been a very long week, and you were tired to the bone, but the guilt of not being physically present at her party was gnawing at you endlessly. Almost reaching the point that you forgot your father was just in front of you mere seconds ago - and now he’s disappeared, again.

Heeding to your cousin’s call, you decide to leave the area, leaving a puff of smoke behind you. You reappear the same way at the rooftop, just beside Catherine herself, who looked like she was hiding from someone, crouched behind a table.

“Who are you guys hiding f-” Unable to finish your sentence with Cat shushing you, you crane your neck up a little, glancing at the others who were in similar dispositions. Weren’t they all too old to do this in an engagement party? Or was this a new trend Cat wanted to start?

Your heart clenches nevertheless at the hilarious attempt to hide from whoever or whatever it is they were hiding from. It was quite the scene: an orange tentacle slithering its way to steal a cupcake by the buffet table, Barry Blob thinks he can camouflage as jelly, and Bigfoot was… well, let’s just say he was never meant for a game of hide and seek. The only monster one would have expected to be good at this was your uncle Griffin who was born invisible but he was always the one first spotted because he thinks wearing disguises like a hot pink wig (his choice of the day) would make him unnoticeable.

And yet this is what they supposedly call ‘hiding’.

“Is this the new norm during engagement parties? Hiding from the responsibilities of married life I see,” you suppress a snicker with your palm, and when Cat looks back at you to shut you up, she screams with such fright, alarming everybody on the rooftop.

“Surprise!” Mandy Mummy, one of your closest friends, appears from the other side of the table.

“You guys were meant to surprise me?” Your brows furrow. “Are you all sure? What’s the occasion?”

Frankie Frankenstein emerges from behind the bar, throwing a suspicious look at you. “You’re kidding me, right?”

You look at the others in the hopes of finding a hint behind what was really going on, but Cat beats you to it, extending her arms out as she beckons you closer, “I don’t know how a monster could possibly forget the day she was born, but we’re here now so, happy birthday my dearest forgetful cousin!” Cat gives you an extra slap on your ass in greeting.

Realization finally hits you, reminiscing the short moments throughout the day that had hinted on your birthday. You did see a few of your staff nudge each other in your presence, but you only thought it was because they were hesitant to say something when they knew that it had been a hectic week so far, tight schedules and all.

The rest of the crowd clear out, revealing themselves from their hiding places. Your father appears from one side, carrying a dangerously huge three-tiered cake.

Mandy approaches first, narrowing her eyes at you, “Wait, you seriously forgot your own birthday?” Cat answers in your stead, “She did,” while she points a finger to her temple, reiterating her capability of subjective precognition to the rest of the group.

“Uncle Drac! Can you remind me again how are we related?”

“I wanted to ask the same thing!” Your father exclaims, grabbing a glass of champagne from a gargoyle waiter and trailing off to greet his friends.

“Cat, you know I’ve been busy for so long, I don’t exactly have a birthday countdown every year to remind me of something that is...not really that significant.”

“______, I know we’re practically dead, but that doesn’t mean you have to live like one.”

“Why don’t you try living in my shoes then, hm?”

“I would, if they were Valentinos.” Unable to rack your brain for a smarter response, you roll your eyes at her instead. The guests start singing happy birthday in chorus as they near you. The night continues on a light note, people wishing you another year of happiness and prosperity, likewise congratulating your cousin for her engagement and her soon wedding.

As the conversation eventually moves on to wedding preparations, Frankie spills on the details of Cat’s plans for her bachelorette party. You weren’t so keen with the idea - not when this was the first time it had been offered by the people closest to you.

Bachelorette parties were primarily a human thing - some sort of commemoration of debauchery as you had understood from Google when you had looked it up a few years ago. These kinds of celebrations weren’t exactly included in your traditions but judging by the photos you’ve seen online; you’re sort of glad this wasn’t classified as the norm in your world yet.

Cocktail parties with half-naked bartenders? Masseurs drenched in vaseline? Topless butlers serving dinner? What was with having male nudity as the baseline for such an occasion?

You didn’t think this was going to be a trend in the monster-verse anyways, as your kind comes in different shapes and sizes and these parties just might end up with one seeing a lot more than necessary.

When you try to confirm the plans with Catherine, she just shrugs at you three, telling you all that it was going to be a surprise. You, Mandy, and Frankie groan in unison at her reply.

“Impatient much? You still have the whole day tomorrow to pack your things.”

“We’re going on a trip?! And you’re telling me about this just now? A day before our leave?!”

“Yeap. How long does it take you to pack your clothes?”

“Do you not realize that I have a whole ass hotel to manage? I mean it’s not like I don’t want to go but surely, all my responsibilities cannot be handed over in a span of twenty-four hours? Plus, our week-long six hundred and sixty-sixth anniversary special isn’t over yet! You could have at least told me two weeks ahead?”

Someone places a hand on your shoulder, and you look up to see your own father smiling at you. “You’re just like your mother, darling. Stop worrying so much!”

“Exactly why I told him instead,” Cat raises her eyebrows at you as she points to your father. “Catherine’s right. So, I’ll be taking care of the hotel while you girls have some girly time by yourselves,” he says, taking a sip of his drink.

“Are you sure you can handle Hotel Tersnoa?” Your father almost spits out the champagne as he looks at you incredulously. “Excuse me? Need I remind you who handed the hotel over to you?”

“I know, it’s just… a lot has changed. We’ve expanded the hotel, there’s now a theme park, and a new island has just been opened… it can be a lot…”

Your father dismisses your worries with a wave and a kiss on your forehead. “Nothing I’ve never done before. You’ll be back before you know it. What could possibly go wrong?”

Right. Your father’s words echo in your head.

What could possibly go wrong?

“A cruise?!”

You’d gone through hours of travel, your ass was hurting from the prolonged sitting, and Catherine had not once told you where you were headed, mouth zipped shut. And yet here you were, mouth agape in shock – the betrayal, the treachery, the deception.

Docked in front of you is a humongous white ship, honking its siren with all its might. You’re struggling with attempting to even comprehend the entire situation. Your cousin did not just drag you out of your hotel to another… hotel...on water.

“Welcome to the Bermuda Triangle, where you’ll embark on a monster cruise of a lifetime,” announces a fish-man or man-fish creature clad in a sailorman’s outfit (well he was definitely a fish, but had the limbs of man). All your expectations for this trip had just been obliterated by a singular monotonous, unidentifiable being.

“Psst. Why is your face like that? I heard the fare was astronomical!” Frankie whispers when Mandy squishes between you two, trying to get a brochure from a stall nearby.

Everybody knew Cat was more than willing to spend her money on anything she has set her eyes on (just like that exclusive collection of Hermes bags she has back home) and actively looks for other ways to spend her money (such is a costly cruise) so this trip didn’t surprise you as much as it did Frankie. You’re wondering though, how she found out about this cruise and why she intends to celebrate her bachelorette’s party here.

If a disinterested man-fish was tasked to welcome its guests, well, you can tell there’s really nothing much to look forward to here. You just hope this cruise will give her money’s worth, or rather, at least half of it.

“Hey! This looks amazing!” Mandy exclaims, flipping the colorful brochure over a couple times. “There’s even a waterpark, multiple dining options, bowling alleys, a theater…”

“Sounds like everything you can do…at the hotel!” You can’t help the rising pitch of your voice by the end of your reply while your friends laugh at your indignance. Mandy and Frankie ignore your protests, while Cat whispers near you, “Wait ‘til you see the itinerary!”

“Not you too?! Seriously though, I don’t get why you’ve chosen to do it here, instead of our own hotel…” you pout, head hung low.

Cat pulls you aside, letting the other passengers move forward, “Listen to me darling, alright? All these months, years, all you did was work and work and work again, we barely had any time to hang out together just like the old times, so I figured a break from all your customer service shenanigans and let yourself be served for once. Take a vacation from running everyone else’s vacation. Is that alright with you?”

Giving her an apologetic smile, you pull her into your arms for a tight hug. She wasn’t lying though when she said you had barely spent time with each other. Back when your father was still running the hotel, you’ve spent your early years always practically attached at the hip: from crying over your first boyfriends, through that emo high school phase, to pursuing several degrees, and to spontaneous trips halfway across the world when you were bored.

“Plus, Jer and I intend to start a family as soon as we get married, so these girl trips won’t come by often all the more.”

“You know I love you to the moon and back right? And will you stop making me feel like an aunt when I’m not yet one?! But, to be honest with you, that would be really cute though! Little you and little Jerichos running around… but you know, if Jer will come close to laying a finger on you, just say the word…”

“We zinged, darling. You have nothing to worry about. Maybe you’ll find your zing on the cruise too.”

You roll your eyes at her fondly. As if.

It doesn’t change the fact that you still have second thoughts about this trip. Begrudgingly, you climb up the stairs, sulking as you watch your friends and the rest of the group of the monsters huddle in excitement as they ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ at the cruise’s features.

When you spot a few of Hotel Tersnoa’s beloved patrons in the group that arrived with you, your heart sinks a little, refusing to believe a fancy cruise could ever question their loyalty to the greatest monster hotel known to your kind. Guess nothing ever truly lasts, even with the undead.

You had initially expected the ship’s interiors with no sort of identity at all, resembling an array of badly mixed cocktails, individually appealing yet when put together looks like a lousy rainbow (you swear it’s not the spiteful hotelier inside you that’s speaking). Much to your chagrin though, the imaginary cruise you had inside your head was definitely not the case at all.

The rest of the monsters behind you continue to marvel at the cruise ship. And, quite frankly, you too are quite impressed yourself, as much as you hate to admit it. You’d never though such modern, minimalistic styling could fit a hotel on water but this cruise just seems to carry it pretty well.

The moment you set foot on the carpeted floors of the cruise, you’re awed at what seems like a celebration of the beauty of mother nature with nearly all furnishings made out of organic materials and colors exhibiting earthly hues. To add to the experience, preserved palm tress line the corridors and chandeliers made of LED lights litter the varnished high ceilings. It was like land on water – if that made any sense at all.

Man-fish continues to lead your group through the hallways, until you arrive at the main deck, just as picturesque as shown on the brochure Mandy held onto earlier. You were starting to realize why your cousin was into this whole cruise.

The creature half your height goes on to share a little history on the cruise ship – known as the Legacy. Similar to your hotel, cruising lines was also a family business for decades but it was only this year that the owners decided to extend the lines from taking human passengers to making a whole ship exclusively for monsters.

As this was the vessel’s maiden voyage and with your group being the first batch of guests to ever board the ship, a welcoming event was to happen tomorrow night, and the creature mentioned something about having the official invites placed in your rooms along with your luggage.

Right on cue, the moment you lean on the railing to overlook the deck below, a marching band appears from the side – a whole parade of man-fishes clad in band uniforms and red and gold. There’s even a few of them who start doing acrobatics, the sight of which has Frankie giggling to herself as she comes up with the term ‘fishcrobats’. She claims she’s the punniest monster in the universe.

The lights on the deck dim suddenly, and bright bursts of color start shooting up from a deck above you, fireworks lighting up the evening sky. It was a breathtaking display, with the others spiraling upwards while the rest exploded into a thousand more sparks. The display continues for a few more minutes, until the band makes a drumroll and a spotlight moves across the length of the ship and points at someone across the deck.

“Woah…” Mandy gapes, words drawling out to a low whistle. “Who. Is. That.”

A man in an all-white dress uniform emerges from the upper deck. “Ahoy there! Welcome aboard! Bienvenido, Zdravstvuyte, Guten Tag, Bonjour! I am V, captain of the Legacy…” Applause follows as the fireworks die down completely. “And yes, I’m human, but don’t hold that against me.” The captain’s eyes scan the crowd until they meet yours. He winks.

As soon as the blonde-haired captain looks away, Frankie squeals in your ear. “He totally just winked at you!”

“No, he didn’t,” you retort, never having been so grateful for not having a pulse, else Frankie would have your heart beating out of your chest.

“Yes, he did.”

The two of you were about to start bickering about the wink when the captain continues, “I’m very excited to have each and every one of you onboard for our very first monster cruise!” As unusually graceful as nobody else could probably do, he slides down the railing of the stairs as if he were just gliding through thin air.

“You’ll enjoy gourmet dining, thrilling adventures, and non-stop entertainment – all on our way to our final destination: the lost city that isn’t lost anymore – Atlantis!”

Your jaw drops – not because Atlantis had ‘apparently’ been found, in fact, it was never lost in the first place; they just cut ties with surface dwellers because of damage brought about by water pollution. In your defense, it was the humans were uncontrollable with their despicable habits but you can’t really put the blame on the Atlantians. It was their home after all, and they only wanted to protect it. Just as you would with Tersnoa.

What truly surprised you though, was how he managed to snag a partnership with them when you had vying for one since you took over the hotel. Well, your business proposition was never officially offered on the table, but still! Perhaps, if you made an entrance as grand as him, you would have succeeded though.

It was getting crowded where you stood, and Mandy tugs at your hand, pulling you down to the lower deck. Begrudgingly, you go down the stairs, sulking as you watch your friends and the other monsters huddle in excitement. You even recognize a few of the other passengers who are likewise patrons of Tersnoa. Or at least they were, now. Guess nothing truly ever lasts, even with the undead.

He reaches the lower deck in no time, greeting the other monsters with a wave and a smile. When he nears and you get a better look at him, you feel your entire body shudder – in a strangely delightful way, wave after wave of this electric feeling reaching until the very tip of your toes.

It feels as if every vein inside of you is pulsating, despite being practically dead. You felt…alive. A million thoughts rush through your head, with your gut feeling telling you something that is almost unmistakable. You have never, ever felt this way before but your intuition tells you this is the exact embodiment of the stories you’ve heard so many times in your lifetime. Could it be? Was it even possible?

The sensation was inexplicable, foreign too, yet it felt right. Like… like it was meant to be, perfectly destined in the most peculiar of ways. Digging through your purse, you retrieve the small mirror inside made specifically for vampires. Taking a quick glance of your reflection on the glass, you take notice of your irises that have turned purple, almost lavender in color. Gulping, you return the mirror into your purse at once, confirming your suspicion.

You zinged.

With the captain.

Who was human.

Frankie nudges your shoulder when she notices you stiffening beside her. “Is everything okay?” You feel your friend’s blue, stitched hand land on your shoulder. Giving Frankie a short reassuring nod in response, she shrugs it off, not before hearing her mumble about noticing something different with your eyes. Thankfully, the manifestation of the zing comes in different ways with every monster specie, so Frankie wouldn’t get the hint that you’re in deep, deep trouble.

Years of listening to stories of your culture and traditions rush to your head, all with the same words resonating throughout your brain. ‘It can make you cry; it can make you high; but, one thing a zing never does is lie – for it stays with you until you die.’

Shaking your head, you attempt to rid your thoughts of this man. He shouldn’t be your zing; he can’t be your zing. This was a huge mistake. The must’ve made a mistake. How could the very kind of people who murdered your own would also be the one designated for you – a soulmate, in human’s terms. You don’t even know how you're supposed to react to such a thing. Was it a curse? A blessing perhaps?

You continue to watch the man in silence. Sweet baby Jesus, the visuals this man was bestowed with. Maybe the man up there was real after all, and he had spent all seven days to craft this ethereal being. Even if he was meters away, his mere presence already makes you weak in the knees – considering the fact that you really haven’t officially met the person.

With his almost unrealistic face, you’re left wondering if your bodily reactions were caused by your zing or the captain really holds such prowess over creatures of all kinds. You wonder if it’ll be easy to forget your painful past and move forward? Trust the zing like all monsters do?

After promulgating the greatness of the monster population and how big of an honor it is for him to hold the first ever monster cruise, he also apologizes afterwards on behalf of his fellow humans for the mistreatment of your kind, drawing nearer and nearer to your group, eyes trained on you when he’s not busy welcoming the other monsters.

In an attempt to keep yourself from trembling, you clasp your hands together. Momentarily taking his eyes off you as he greets another guest, Mandy leans toward you and nudges your rib, “That, my friend, is what you call: a hottie. Go get him, tiger!” Blinking your eyes, you recollect yourself, giving her a dubious look, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Honey, anyone with a single working eye can confirm to themselves that the captain has been hand-sculpted by the gods themselves. And don’t tell me you don’t notice the bed eyes he’s giving you the whole time,” Mandy chortles bandaged shoulders bumping against your own as she does. “Deny it all you want now, darling, but I have this gut feeling that the love boat will be sailing very soon.”

Just then, as if on cue, the captain makes a beeline for your group, a small sultry smile playing on his lips. You feel like your insides wanted to crumble into sand and disperse into thin air. God, the things this man does to you…Rather, the things you want him to do to you. Now, your own brain betrays you with inappropriate thoughts and he’s currently in front of you looking like a whole course meal. He has such pretty eyes too and oh- this is bad. This is very bad.

“Ah, if it isn’t the one and only Countess Dracula,” he says, voice low as his eyes bore themselves into your soul (as if you still had one). “May I?” The captain takes your hand in his and gingerly places a kiss on the back of your palm. You’re rendered speechless by the small gesture, while the rest of your friends gape at the captain like he had suddenly grown three more heads.

“I’m known as V around here,” he keeps your hand in his, and you’re instantly all too conscious of everything – what if your hand was too cold for him? Or too clammy perhaps? All your worries are diminished when he doesn’t seem to take notice of any of your present worries, tugging you closer to him as he inches towards your face, warm breath fanning against your cheek, “but you can call me Taehyung.”

He pulls back just as slowly, sending you and your friends an innocent boxy smile. “Guess I’ll be seeing you lot around! Please enjoy the cruise. And remember, if there’s anything you need, feel free to approach me anytime.”

Walking away to attend to his captain-y duties, the three other girls gather around the moment he’s out of sight. “What. Was. That.” Catherine questions, punctuating each word with numerous blinks.

“I’ve already sent a prayer to Anubis to take care of our dear ______’s departed soul,” chimes Mandy, waving a hand in front of you in the hopes of taking you out of your shock.

“Whoosh! There goes _______’s undies!” Frankie adds as she throws her head back in laughter. Your cousin tsks at them to get them to stop teasing you, but with the smirk she’s sporting on her face, you’re certain she’s going to bring this up sooner or later.

With a deep sigh, you hang your head low. This was going to be a long vacation.

Right after Taehyung stages the entrance of the century and greets the cruise’s guests, he discreetly makes his way to a less crowded part of the ship and walks briskly along a dimly lit hallway. Pushing forward an inconspicuous panel on the wall leading to a secret passage, Taehyung silently makes his way done to the lower level of the ship.

The stateroom is almost pitch black as he enters; Taehyung feels his way through the room, solely relying on muscle memory to head to the bedroom. When he turns on the light to check on his great-grandfather, the old man squints, croaking out Taehyung’s name. Rushing to the elder’s side, the dutiful great-grandson pours water on the glass by the bedside table.

Taehyung perches himself on the edge of the bed, taking his great-grandfather’s frail hands in his own. “Dracula – is he on board?” the old man rasps, voice almost whispery. “No,” the younger man shakes his head in denial, “but his daughter is.”

The former winces a little when he tries to shift in his bed, “Even better. Tear him apart by slowly taking his loved ones away from him one by one. Let him feel the pain we had to go through.”

The blonde-haired captain sighs when his great-grandfather coughs again, wheezing as he does. “Promise me you’ll avenge our family, Taehyung. I’m not sure if I’m going to make it any longer, but if I won’t…” he coughs, the strain on his voice evident. “Grandpa, it’s okay, it’s going to be okay.” The old man waves his hand, dismissing Taehyung, “Promise me…for your mother, for your father, and the rest of our family. You and I are the only ones left, my dearest great-grandson. We have no one else to rely on but each other.” The old man’s hand clasp weakly against Taehyung’s.

He tucks his great-grandfather in his bed, and waits patiently for the old man to fall asleep before leaving the room.

You and the girls roam around the deck for a little longer, before deciding to call it a night and head to your rooms. It’s quite the walk all the way there, but as you get farther from the hustle and bustle of the crowd and onto a more secluded part of the vessel, not to mention the rooms are getting father apart from each other, you suppose Cat had picked the best suites available on the cruise. Typical.

Not putting much thought into it with exhaustion taking over your body, you tiredly take a half body bath and head to bed.

Rising a few hours later, you plan on checking out your cousin’s accommodation choices. Just as man-fish had mentioned the night before, there was in fact an invitation placed on top of your bedside table, the gold linings too attractive to miss out on. How could you have possibly missed it though, is all up to your fatigue last night, far too tired to even scan the room.

Heading to the kitchen first to make yourself a cup of coffee, you’re greeted by the beautiful glow of the sunrise as you exit your bedroom. You’re momentarily stunned by the beauty of it, as it was your first after a long time to see the sun, or at least a quarter of it. Contrary to popular belief, sunlight doesn’t incinerate vampires, nor does it make you vanish into thin air. In fact, the closest stories had gotten to your biological truths was that sunlight made you weaker – sort of, because the only explanation for it was that you get really bad sunburn under its rays. But that’s nothing a small bottle of Witch Republic’s Suncream Lotion SPF 5000 can’t fix.

Equipped with a 60-inch smart television mounted on a wall, an equally large painting was hung across the room, serving itself as the background for the sitting area.

The fittings are generously provided for, if the room truly claims it to be a suite for couples: a settee is placed in front of the television for viewing purposes, and another is placed vertically across for lounging and enjoying the view of the balcony.

The balcony – was magnificent in all senses of the word. From a picture on the tiny ‘Legacy’ booklet you grabbed from the table, there really wasn’t much to a panoramic view of the sea but as you pass through the wide windows, the beautiful orange glow from the dawn adds a lovely burst of color in the predominantly monochrome furnishings of the room.

You inhale deeply, breathing in the fresh sea air. You spend a few more moments there, leaning over the balcony until Frankie ruins your moment from a couple of meters away, calling you loud enough for the rest of the ship and the Atlantic Ocean to hear. She drawls your name out, screaming her excitement over your rooms. “I haven’t slept like this since I got my arm re-stitched!” You laugh at her before waving and returning to the sitting room.

A part of you was taking mental notes – possible additions and improvements to your hotel, yet the other half of you wants to allow yourself to enjoy small pleasures like these. Maybe Cat was right all along, that you needed a break from running the hotel and truly relax for a while. With the size of this suite though, you can’t help but wonder if Cat got you all the couple suites solely for your enjoyment or hers.

You decide to take your mug of coffee with you to the balcony and breathe more of the satisfying sea air until the sun rises in its entirety and you retreat back to your room, wanting to sleep in the warm duvet of your bed once more. Maybe this vacation won’t be that bad after all.

Shopping with Catherine was never an easy task. If you could say so yourself, shopping with your cousin was a whole workout on its own.

It’s been three hours since she’s dragged you, Mandy, and Frankie out of your rooms and offered you a shopping spree and free lunch. Who was one to deny such graces? Even when all three of you knew you all would end up following your cousin wherever she went until you’d all complain about how she has to take too long when she always ends up buying everything she sees anyways.

As you stare at your seated self by the full-length mirror, you start to have second thoughts about discontinuing that beginner’s program subscription in yoga before you let Catherine drag you out of the comfort of your room. Sighing in defeat, Frankie turns to you with a similar expression on her face.

Starving, the three of you leave Cat momentarily to look for something to eat, and at the sight of a frozen yogurt stall across the hallway from where you’re seated by the Chanel windows, you and the rest of the girls immediately saunter towards the quaint stall.

While you wait for the girl to finish up your orders, your eyes are busy wandering all over the place in an attempt to count how many shops and boutiques they managed to allocate inside the cruise ship. Guess your hotelier side is already one with your true self.

As you watch a loud group of male monsters exit the arcade nearby, you catch sight of someone awfully familiar: the last face you’d want to see when you’re stuck inside a cruise ship for a few weeks.

Your eyes follow the group, wanting to make sure your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Like a hawk, you watch the group closely – one man in particular, yet he won't seem to look in your direction. You wanted to forget all about it and pretend you didn’t see anything, but you figure this is going to cause you a number of sleepless nights if you don’t. Quickly, you resort to a plan that will have to cost you more energy than just observing, but you were determined to make sure that it was really him.

Focusing your vision on a nearby potted plant, you make the clay vessel move an inch as you try to catch his attention. The first try doesn’t work and neither does the second. Hell bent on your resolution, the third time works the charm (obviously with a more significant amount of distance the plant has moved).

Your suspicions are confirmed – it’s truly him.

Just like that, all sorts of emotions course through you and you feel the corners of your eyes starting to well with tears. He laughs at something one of his companions say, and you feel your heart clench as you look at the same smile you fell for years ago.

It’s takes you a while before you process somebody has been calling you name several times, then you see Mandy waving her hand in front of you. “You okay there? What happened?”

Etching an ingenuine smile on your face, you turn to face her as she hands you the dessert, “Nothing…just thought I saw someone familiar…”

“Mhmm,” Frankie hums, scooping a large portion of yogurt into her mouth, “as long as it’s not you-know-who, then it’s irrelevant,”

“Actually, I think it is him.”

Frankie chokes on the sliced strawberry topping she just ate. “What?!” Mandy places a hand on your shoulder, an apologetic look on her face. “Don’t tell me that fucker is also here?!” Shushing her quickly, you reach out to her to tug at her arm to keep her quiet.

“What fucker are you talking about?” Catherine questions, approaching the three of you with two extra paper bags in her hand. Frankie keeps her mouth shut, thankfully while Mandy comes in to the rescue. “Frankie was just talking about how fucking tasty this froyo is. In fact, I think so too – would you like to try some?” The girl offers her cup, eventually feeding Cat with a spoonful of fruity toppings.

The subject is quickly diverted and as your cousin rummages through her bag to look for the cruise’s official pamphlet, both Frankie and Mandy give you a knowing look.

“Lunch anyone?” You propose to the other three, already wishing you’d soon be forgetting about even seeing your ex-fiancée earlier.

You’d gotten back to your room around half past five, nearly collapsing to the floor after hours and hours of shopping with your cousin. The girls had agreed to use your room to prepare for the party later (one discussion you don’t remember agreeing to) and had gone around the sitting area, placing their bags done and going through their purchases.

You, on the other hand, had gone straight to the kitchen to look for something to drink. Besides, you just know they’re going to ask for something too later on, so you just grab a few bottles of water for the girls. As you rested against the cool fridge while opening a bottle of your own, you spot a punnet of strawberries sitting on top of a counter.

“Did any one of you bring strawberries here before we left?”

When they chorused their replies of denial, you check the strawberries warily, lifting them off the marble top. You hear something slide down when you open the container. A card came in with the strawberries.

Returning to the living room with strawberries in one hand and the card in the other, Frankie stands from the settee and snatches the card away from you. She waves the small piece of paper in the air, claiming it was a love letter. “Dear _______, I really think you’ve got a wonderful smile, but it’d be better if it was the only thing you’ll be wearing tonight!” she says, pretending to read the note.

“What?! You’ve already made a move without telling us about it? Lemme see!” Mandy exclaims, running after your stitched friend.

“Oh!” Frankie says, pointing to the sky, “Looks like we might be expecting a few inches tonight, hmm?” she adds, snickering as she pokes the inside of her cheek with her tongue repeatedly, and rather inappropriately.

“Y’all disgusting really. ‘M going to shower.”

“Make sure you don’t have too much fun with the showerhead!”

“Fuck you Mandy!”

“I would if you were my type!”

Catherine waits until she hears the water running before turning to her two friends left at the sitting area. “I’m worried.”

“About?”

“My cousin.” The eldest of the girls says, tapping her nails against the couch – a nervous habit. Frankie sets the card back down and nests herself on the carpet just across Cat. “What is there to worry about?”

“This thing between my cousin and the captain?” Carding her fingers through her hair, she closes her eyes before continuing, “Does the fact that he’s human not bother you…at all?”

“The dude’s harmless! And he better think it through when he tries to do something – he’s literally in a ship full of monsters. Do something dumb, he can get his head bitten off in no less than two seconds.”

Catherine is not convinced.

“Plus, I’m sure it’s just a one-time fling – surely, ______’s smart enough to know that. I just firmly believe that one must get laid regularly because penetrative sex is medicinal. And who knows? There might be cobwebs down there already!” Frankie adds.

Cat flings a brochure at Frankie before scrolling through her phone’s gallery then stopping at a portrait of you and her. “I’m just concerned about _____’s wellbeing. This is the most time we’ve spent together for the past two years, and I’m not even sure if she’s fully recovered from what she’d been through with you-know-who.”

“Even worse, what if she falls for the dude? Or she zinged? Or they both zinged?!”

“Hey, hey…” Mandy scoots over to Cat’s side and wraps an arm across her shoulder, “you’re overthinking now babe, and! This is your bachelorette party, stop worrying about stuff. _____ is a strong, independent woman. If she can handle the best hotel in monster history, then handling a man will be too easy.”

��Come out already!” Mandy whines impatiently from outside, knocking impatiently on your bathroom door. You smooth a few creases on your dress before you open the door to reveal your outfit. Shock was a heavy understatement. Cat’s usually beautiful features twist into one of distaste, Mandy pretends to gag at the sight, and Frankie avoids your gaze as she purses her lips.

You can’t help the nervous laugh that escapes your throat when they look at you up then down, scrutinizing your fashion choices.

“What. The hell. Is that?!”

“Why are you too covered up?”

Their hostilities continue as you give them a twirl, genuinely confused with their reactions when there’s absolutely nothing wrong with choosing a long-sleeved rayon blouse with ruffles in the front and a green pleated skirt.

“You didn’t tell me you’re meant to apply for the queen’s secretary?” Frankie questions, rummaging through your luggage.

“You mean Queen Elizabeth I?” Mandy adds, snickering along with the rest of the girls.

“Hey! G4 says she was pretty! And educated for her time too!” you cry in protest.

“Same with you darling. But it’s a party we’re attending and not a royal appointment, so will you do me a favor and wear this instead?”

Your mouth falls agape in shock.

“What?! This dress is… is barely covering anything!” You look closely at the satin blood-red piece of clothing as Catherine hands it to you. Needless to say, just looking at it was a cultural reset.

“Glad to know you’re unaware of that point.” Mandy butts in, “you’ll be happy to know that this dress will get you a man in no time either way.”

“Either way?” Frankie questions before leaving your room to looks for heels to go with your dress.

“Yeap,” the mummy replies, touching up her make-up, “Either you get a man who will cover you up or you’ll find one who will gladly take it off for you later tonight

Catherine coughs, “The captain,” winking at you while she pushes you towards the bathroom, “Chop chop now dear! We still have a party to attend to tonight!”

The party is already in full swing by the time the four of you arrive. The crisp, chilly air hits your face as you get to the main deck, and as you wrap your arms around yourself, you know you're already regretting having worn Catherine’s dress. Arms bare, half of your back out in the open, and a thigh-high slit? Really? A towel could’ve afforded you more modesty than this dress.

Mandy immediately heads to bar, leaving you all to ‘pick your poison for tonight’. Pursing your lips at your mummified friend, you trail after your cousin as she looks for a table to settle yourselves in. You scan the crowd, watching the other monsters move to beat of the music, and also, just in case someone you don’t want to see decides to show up again out of nowhere.

Mandy finds you shortly afterwards with a waiter trailing behind her, carrying a tray of ambiguous looking chalices. Oh boy.

This night was headed straight to hell.

Nearly an hour later, you practically waddle back to your table, breathless and throat parched as the desert. Catherine clings onto you like her Hermes Himalaya Birkin, just as exhausted as you were. Why do you always seem to forget that Mandy dragging your asses to the dance floor has never been the smartest choice?

The moment you get back to your table, you reach for the bronze goblet and down the rest of your drink. The distinctive burn has you keening, tightening your fingers around its stem. Beside you, Catherine coughs after she takes a sip of hers – “What the fuck is in this drink?? Methane?!”

“Throat…on fire…I feel like a fucking dragon,” you attest, voice raspy.

“That, my dear girlfriends, has been mixed by yours truly,” Mandy announces with a proud smile on her face. “I call it the Devil’s Piss.”

You shake your head at her, rubbing at your temples. Starting to feel the sweat break at your hairline, you want nothing more than to return to your suite and sleep the night away. Closing your eyes, you draw a calm scene inside your head: watching the sun set by your balcony as you sip on your hot chocolate –

Your dreams of orange skies and the soft breeze are cut short when you feel a tap on your shoulder. “Countess, the captain requests your presence on the bridge.” Your eyes follow the direction of where he was pointing and see a pair of eyes staring back at you.

Perhaps sleep could stay second on your list tonight.

Cat wiggles her eyebrows suggestively as you bow your head in embarrassment, your cheeks flushing when the rest of the girls whistle and howl as the man-fish stoically escorts you to the bridge. Once you arrive at the top of the stairs, the man adjusts your grip on his elbow as he gently takes your hand and stretches it forward for you to continue on by yourself. “The captain will be waiting inside, Countess” He bows curtly, and your left on your own to walk towards the bridge.

“Countess.” There’s the low timbre of his voice again, sending shivers down your spine effortlessly as you close the door behind you. He doesn’t speak after that, just taking in what you’re wearing tonight, subconsciously biting on his bottom lip as he takes in the outfit your friends have chosen for you.

Every step you take is wobbly, like your legs have turned into goo. The chilly breeze up here is likewise not helping your skin already prickled with goosebumps.

“_______,” Taehyung grabs your hand and gently places a kiss on the back of your palm. Another strike of electricity shoots up your spine at the small gesture. Goodness, what the hell was going on with you?

“Y-you don’t have to do this e-every time we meet.” Inwardly cringing at your shaky voice, you look away and exhale deeply in an attempt to calm your nerves.

It doesn’t help.

Especially not when the captain is less than an arm-length away, and being able to see him this close is doing dangerous things to you. “This is the first time I’ve been on a ship’s bridge,” you comment lamely, keeping the conversation on a sane note. The thirsty ass hoe inside you doesn’t seem to approve of the idea though, unfortunately.

“Really now? How is your first time on the bridge then?”

“It’s…different.”

“Different? How so?”

“Different from trying to run a hotel I guess, which was all I was doing for the past few years…It’s an unlikely comparison, I know, but being here…it’s like you get to oversee everything from the bridge, which I never get when I’m back home, like…you know you’re in control?” You were merely blabbering at this point, but then again, your brain loses control of your bodily functions when you're in close proximity with this man.

“You like being in control then?”

The tiny creaking sound coming from the floor tells you he’s taken a step closer to you, and the warmth coming from him is driving you insane. Damn this bloody dress of Catherine. You’re at a loss for words, neurons short-circuiting at both his question and how it’s equally chilly and hot at the same time in this small space.

It’s too much for you to handle, too much that you can't seem to find the appropriate words to voice out a reply, instead, you just turn around to face him. A gasp escapes your lips when you accidentally bump into his chest when you do so.

“Oh! Crap! I-I’m sorry…” You apologize meekly, fiddling with your hands and refusing to meet his eyes at all costs. The captain places your chin between his fingers and lifts your face for him to look at. He doesn’t say a word either, instead, just leans down and captures your lips in a feverish kiss.

Surprised – was an understatement. You hadn’t really expected him to call you over to the bridge and the next thing you knew he’s already kissing you. He immediately pulls away when you don’t reciprocate, apologizing profusely and mumbling about misplaced affections.

“No!” You exclaim, causing the captain to jump a little. You gather your courage and rub at your temples. “I mean…Captain V, your affections have not been misplaced, it’s just this…monster thing that has me acting like this the whole time, and I really have zero control over it and…”

You don’t get to finish your sentence as you feel his warm, moist lips on yours again. His strawberry-tasting lips glide over yours smoothly that you find yourself leaning towards him as you melt into the kiss. You’re first to pull away this time, breathless. “Forgive me, Countess…I’ve been wanting to do that since I first laid eyes on you on this ship,” he says, cupping your face as he rests his forehead against yours. “So beautiful,” Taehyung whispers against the shell of your ear and trails a finger from your cheek and eventually down to your collarbones as he ogles the cleavage Cat’s dress had generously given you tonight.

“Taehyung.” He places a lingering kiss on your shoulder. “Call me Taehyung, please.” He smooths his hand over your hips, tightening his grip as he pulls you closer and kisses you once more. You feel something hard against your stomach – oh. Your mouth parts when he starts to grind, slowly and devilishly against you and he takes this opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth, deepening the kiss.

His gaze darkens when he sees the expanse of skin the slit of your dress reveals as you shift your legs, thigh now out in the open. Attaching his lips to yours again, Taehyung distracts you from the way his slender fingers dance their way up dangerously near your core.

Your head bows in embarrassment when you remember Mandy checking if you’d worn the right underwear earlier, ‘If they’re not lace, they have to go.’ So when she busted inside the bathroom as you were changing into Cat’s clothes earlier and saw your favorite cotton panties (with an embroidered flower on the front), she quickly rips the material in distaste, strongly suggesting that commando is the way to go. It won't be long until Taehyung discovers –

“No panties huh?” Taehyung observes, voice low and deep. “Yes,” you reply breathily, closing your eyes as you ignore how you're throbbing all over in such a short period of time. You try to regain your wits back, your first zing too overwhelming that everything seems like a haze.

With a new, albeit questionable, surge of courage, you move your hand to palm him through his pants. When Taehyung bares his neck to you to elicit a groan, your head subconsciously dips towards the spot where you feel his pulse the strongest. In an instant, your primal instincts begin to take over you, baring your fangs and grazing them dangerously against his skin.

Holy fuck.

This man was going to be the cause of your death.

It’s been a while since you’ve been in close proximity with a human, and being this close to the captain has stirred up something inside of you that you never knew still existed.

Back in the days when humans had mingled freely with your kind, witches had placed suppressants in the Tersnoan atmosphere so that a monster’s primal instincts won't ever be able to take over your diplomatic selves.

Now that you were much older with fully developed senses, being this close to a human with no suppressants whatsoever had inevitably awakened your inborn vampiric tendencies.

Needless to say, your generation of vampires had gone ‘vegetarian’ in a sense. Your lifestyle no longer consisted of hunting down people for food, but you opted for a healthier alternative and a more convenient source of food: coconut juice. Besides, human blood never really came in highly recommended by the older generations, claiming it tasted like loneliness and despair.

What they failed to warn you of, however, was how intense the urge was once you were only a hair-breadth away from a human being who is very much alive. The temptation was getting stronger by the second, and the pulse coming from Taehyung’s jugular vein was ringing loudly in your ears.

Both the desires of hunt and lust were slowly taking over you, your judgment, and your irises, and your lips quake ever so gently at the excitement coursing through your veins. As you feel your irises change its color from their natural ones, to purple then to gold afterwards, the surprise in Taehyung’s eyes has gotten prominent, yet, with astounding self-control, he manages to keep the rest of his body calm and collected.

He gulps at the small smirk that plays on your lips, “To answer your question, I like being in control,” you say lowly, grazing the tip of your nail against his jawline, “but only when the need arises so.”

For a moment, you sense his fright with your golden eyes and fangs on display, but you feel it dissipate quickly when you bunch his shirt in your fists and pull him closer to you. Taehyung then takes this as a cue to continue his torment of his featherlight touches, causing you to lean against the wheel as your head falls backward at the sensation.

Brazenly, he hooks a hand under your thigh and wraps your leg around his hip, allowing himself to grind harder against you, the friction of his dress pants against your bare heat sending you to a state of near delirium. The moment is cut short however as you both hear footsteps approaching the bridge. The captain puts your leg down as abruptly as he hooked his arm underneath it earlier.

As you wait for the two man-fish creatures to pass by the wheelhouse, you and the captain keep a modest gap between each other, letting the staff move across the bridge and until they take their positions by the front portion of the deck. Just as if the captain wasn’t groping you merely seconds ago.

The moment they’re out of sight, Taehyung closes the distance between the both of you, resting his weight on you as he presses you further onto the wheel of the ship. Subconsciously, you bite your lip as you feel his boner practically begging for your attention.

His actions are hastier this time around, and quite frankly, you're glad he has managed to equal the same level of urgency you had. You don’t know how long you’ll be able to hold onto your sanity with the heat pooling in the pit of your stomach. Else, you’d be taking the matter in your own hands.

Every contact of Taehyung’s skin with yours has you skin ablaze, and you’re unsure if it’s due to the (partly) shameful fact that you haven’t been this intimate with someone for the past few years that you're this responsive. He’s fondling your breasts with one hand, unabashedly tweaking and playing with your nipples. The other hand is busy squeezing your thighs, fingers dancing lightly across the exposed skin of your leg.

Your breath hitches as he unexpectedly cups your bare mound, digits swiping against your folds. Body quaking at the feeling, your body leans forward, but Taehyung has other plans, tugging you back harshly to his chest. “You think you can stay still for me sweetheart? You wouldn’t want my staff to think we’re christening the bridge, do you?”

Maybe, just maybe, the thought didn’t sound so bad?

“Oh?” Taehyung hisses when he feels your quick intake of breath at the thought. He finds your clit seconds later, rubbing the nub languidly, “you seem to like the idea, hmm?”

“Taehyung, please,” you beseech, leaning towards his touch and grinding your hips against his palm in desperation. You’re uncertain if this was an effect still caused by the zing but at this point, you just wanted a release from his relentless teasing and you’re more than willing to work for it if you have to.

The captain revels in your responsiveness and as a reward, he complies with your request, quickening his pace and toying your clit with more vigor than ever. Your hands, previously just as busy groping Taehyung, now shoots out to grip at the helm, your high approaching rapidly. He inserts a long, dexterous digit to accompany his other hand, helping you reach your climax faster. A second finger has you reeling, gripping the helm even tighter than before, knuckles turning white at the sheer strength. One kiss on your neck is all it takes, orgasming so hard that Taehyung has to hold you still lest you lose your balance.

You're still panting a minute later, having turned around and resting your hands on Taehyung’s chest for support. You both stay like that for a moment in each other’s arms, until you’re brought back to reality by the captain’s boner brushing against your tummy. “Can I?” you ask as you look up to him, thumbing the waistband of his dress pants.

“_______, darling, as much as I’d want to you right here, there’s too many of my staff roaming around the bridge for the night. And if these creatures walking about isn’t bothersome enough, it’s the fact that fish don’t blink either…so there’s that…” Taehyung states before placing a kiss on your shoulder. “If you desire so, I’d gladly continue this in my room…” the captain offers, looking at you expectantly as another pair of the fish men round the deck.

“I think we should go with that.”

He nods briefly, placing a wet kiss on your temple before taking your hand in his. Giddy as a teenager at the sight of her crush, you let him lead the way to his stateroom, unable to hide the shy smile on your lips. Once he leaves the wheelhouse to one of his first mates for the night, he squeezes your hand and continues on, palm contrastingly warm against yours as you walk to his room together.

“Did you enjoy the strawberries I had sent you earlier this evening?”

“Definitely. They’re one of the sweetest bunches I’ve tried in my life! Thanks for them by the way.”

“You did? They’re handpicked from our very own greenhouse on the ship!” Taehyung looks back at you with the brightest smile, eyes crinkling with the purest delight. Your heart crumples at the sight. How could the zing have possibly chosen this man for you – or worse, how are you supposed to deal with this type of duality?

One moment he’s brazenly fingering you inside the wheelhouse with blinkless staff roaming about and the next he’s talking about growing strawberries and how farming has been therapeutic for him. How is one man so devilish and wholesome at the same time?

Just like that, conversation flowed natural between the two of you: the similarities of having to run a hotel (as well as a heated debate on whether or not a hotel on land or on water is easier to manage), hobbies you enjoy on a spiritual level, and a few bits and pieces of him as Kim Taehyung and not the captain of The Legacy.

You’d just learned he doesn’t drink coffee, nor does he drink alcohol; he plays the saxophone and claims he’s pretty learned with the instrument; and that he loves taking photographs. In addition, he’d also told you about how he was born and raised in Korea hence the faint accent, but he’d grown up moving from place to place with his great-grandfather due to their family business, and that’s how their voyages helped him practice his English and even pick up a few foreign languages.

Your getting-to-know each other session is brought to a pause when the blonde-haired captain stops in front of a door in a dimly lit corridor. Quietly, he fishes for something inside his pockets, takes out his keycard and taps it against the door lock. Taking a peek from outside, you wait for him as he turns the lights on before following him inside.

Mouth agape as you enter, your eyes wander around his stateroom, marveling at the sheer grandeur of the captain’s living space. Just when you thought Catherine had given you and your friends the luxury of staying in a suite large enough to house a family of five, the captain’s stateroom on the other hand could easily pass for at least ten people.

Taehyung’s suite exactly looks like it came from a magazine spread, akin to a million-dollar apartment…at a high-rise residential tower…located in the middle of the busiest city in the world.

The captain lets you roam around his stateroom, a small smile playing on his lips as you gape over every detail in the room. It was modern interior design taking to a whole new level.

Monochromatic in a way, yet for some reason, he had it strategically designed to make it look more dynamic, alive somehow. You were no expert in the field of interior design, but with your modest experience in running a hotel (from choosing what type of cotton will be best for the beddings to organizing parties with more than a hundred participants), you could easily tell every nook and cranny of this room was heavily planned out.

Pointing at the stairs, you wordlessly ask for his permission if you could go up and check out the upper level. Taehyung doesn’t follow right after, momentarily heading to his kitchen. Significantly smaller than the lower floor, the second level houses his bedroom, with a heap of curtains serving as a divider and cover from those staying below.

His bedroom speaks more of him than any other part of the stateroom. Just as he mentioned earlier, there’s an open saxophone case on one corner, next to another black violin case. You also take notice of the makeshift tie hanger he’d made using the coat stand.

What truly catches your eyes though, is the array of photographs hung on the walls. It’s a mosaic of some sort, with photos spread from a corner then occupying half of the adjacent walls. Some are framed, some are printed on canvas, and a number are on photo paper and pasted on the beige wall. They’re caught on film, you reckon, with the distinct grainy resolution common amongst the photos.

Swiping your finger against the wooden frames of the pictures he’d hung, you study each photo thoroughly, trying to figure out the story behind each picture. There’s three more situated on his bedside table, Picking up the one with Taehyung smiling widely beside a boat’s mast.

“Ah, my first sail,” Taehyung says, taking a step near you. The tiny hairs on your nape stand at the feeling of his warm breath against your skin. All of a sudden, you realize he’s standing too close – too close for you to remain sane.

You keep the framed photo in your hands, yet your thoughts have ultimately flown far away from whatever story was behind the picture; like how you hear his heart beat a little faster.

“Enough about me, countess,” the captain whispers as he places a hand over yours and guides yours back down to the bedside table. For a second there, you’d forgotten

For a second there, you’d almost forgotten he literally had the same fingers inside you just a few moments ago and that you’re now reminded of the main and sole purpose why you’re here in his bedroom.

“What about you?” Taehyung sets the strawberries down next to the photograph, then tucks a few strands of stray hair behind your ear. Each teasing touch is driving you closer to madness, like every move of his is calculated as if he knows he has this effect on you.

Lamely, you echo his words, “What about me?”

“Do you still want to look at more of my photographs or shall we continue what we started earlier?” It’s so awfully quiet inside the room that you basically hear yourself gulp at his proposal.

Weren’t your bodily reactions enough to serve as an answer?

You wanted to act less naïve (and appear a whole less desperate) that you’d imagined giving him a proper answer in your head, but here you were, stiff as a gargoyle statue, cowering beneath the warmth radiating off Taehyung.

Thoughts too haywire, you're unable to rack your brain for an appropriate reply, so you return the question to him: one with a double purpose – for him to ponder on and for you to recollect yourself. “What do you want?” Slowly, you turn to face him, bracing yourself for the hormonal uproar you are to experience.

The captain pouts cutely while in thought before darting his tongue out to lick at his lips. Taehyung gently brushes your hair over your shoulder, fingers subsequently tracing the outline of your collarbone. “I want,” he starts off, toying with the strap of your dress and wrapping it around his finger, “to take this off.”

Letting him slide the straps off your shoulders, you inhale deeply, anticipation doubling by the second. With your shoulders tense, the straps fall only until your elbows. Taehyung notices your hesitation and tenderly takes your chin between his thumb and his forefinger, tilting your head up so he could face you properly.

“Hey, we don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

Feeling sorry for him having to deal with your worries, you cup his beautiful face in your hands, “I want to. I really do – it’s just…it’s been a while.”

You're grateful when he leans toward your touch, sending a soft smile your way. “Of course, darling, we’ll take it slow.” Relaxing your shoulders, the thin straps of your dress fall down the length of your arm with the rest of the fabric following shortly after.

Core throbbing immensely with want, you take initiative this time, claiming his mouth with a newfound sense of courage and urgency. Your knees threaten to give in when he matches the intensity of your kiss. With haste, you thumb at the zipper of his pants, causing him to trip on his own feet and fall forward.

The blonde-haired man brings you down to bed with him, stretching his arm out just in time to break his fall, making sure he’s not resting too much of his weight on you. “What happened to taking it slow?”

Taehyung is just as breathless when he helps you with your predicament with his pants. “Fuck it, there’s plenty of time for that later but I need you,” you pant, unable and unwilling to keep your hands to yourself – brushing against his clothed erection, sliding them against his defined chest, wrapping your hands by his neck to pull him closer to you…

“I need you now, inside me, please Tae…”

He withdraws from your body and kneels by the edge of the bed. Legs already shamefully spread and ready, Taehyung rummages through the drawers of his bedside table, looking for something. At the mention of condoms under his breath, you wave at him, trying to catch his attention.

He turns to you, eyebrows raised. “No need. Human sperm can’t get us pregnant anyways. Are you clean?”

“Got checked three weeks ago, that good with you?”

You nod your head, beckoning him over. Taehyung wastes no time, taking his boxers off to free his dick from the confines of his underwear. He crawls over to you and places a kiss on each of your thighs before taking his cock and sliding it against your wet folds.

He uses yours and his essences as lubricant, jerking himself off first before pushing the red tip of his shaft slowly. In consideration of your own pleasure, he doesn’t rush his entrance, just pushing slowly then drawing it back to prep you properly.

Taehyung continues with that, until your hand shoots out to grab him by his wrist, giving him a tug to let him know you’re ready. Silently, he nods, this time pushing his cock inside until he’s fully seated inside your warm walls. “So t-tight.” Taehyung shivers when you experimentally clench around him.

“Babe,” the captain breathes out while heat rises to your face at the term of endearment. “Please don’t do that again, fuck, I might just cum early if… if…” Taehyung falls silent again, groaning as you clench one more time, “you're just one naughty girl aren’t you?”

When you shrug your shoulders in reply, it’s like something inside Taehyung snaps because he gives you a playful smirk before thrusting harshly. You mewl at the feeling, fingers tugging at his hair in encouragement.

“Y-you're so big,” you cry out as he ruts his hips, the tip of his cock deliciously brushing against your sweet spot with every thrust. “Fuck,” Taehyung hisses, continuing the fluid motion of his hips, “your pussy was made just to take me then.”

He goes almost animalistic, thrusting even deeper, stronger as he chases his high. “Think you can cum with me sweetheart?” Taehyung queries, pushing his hair back when he feels the edges of his fringe tickle your cheeks.

Taehyung deftly finds your clit while he’d continued his torment with his hips, a single moan coming from your mouth is all he needs before proceeding with abusing your nether nub. It doesn’t take you both much after that, both your orgasm crashing over you like a tidal wave, one after the other.

A few more hours into the evening and you find yourselves still tangled in each other’s bodies, worshipping each and every inch of skin as you get overcome by lust over and over again.

Taehyung collapses to your side after what seems like… in fact, you’ve actually lost count of how many times you’ve climaxed. Panting, he looks at you with a smile reaching his eyes, “That was…” He’s at a loss for words but when he hears laughter bubble out of you at his cuteness, he joins in.

The laughter dies down, yet you’re still staring at each other – no words needed to explain what had just transpired between the both of you tonight. You stay still and contented, basking in the euphoric bliss. He says he can't stay awake any longer, bidding you a good night’s sleep and sweet dreams.

You manage to stay awake though, on the contrary, swearing to yourself you’d just seen his eyes flash lavender before falling into a deep slumber.

Send me your thoughts? x

#bts smut #ficswithluv #bangtanhq #btsguild #btswritingcafe #ksmutclub #btsghostie #houseofddaeng #taehyung smut #taehyung x reader #kim taehyung #kim taehyung scenarios #bts x reader #bts imagines #bts scenarios #bts au fanfic #bts fluff

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dialovers-translations · 4 years ago

Text

Diabolik Lovers GRAND EDITION for Switch ;; More, Blood ー Yuma Ecstasy [10]

ー The scene starts in Yui’s bedroom

Yui: Hm...

( They get plenty of sunlight as well as fertilizer. I’ve been watering them frequently as well. )

They just won’t bloom, huh? ...These roses.

ー Yuma enters her room

Yuma: Yo, I’m comin’ in.

Yui: ...Yuma-kun. There’s no point in saying that after you’ve already entered the room.

( I said he learnt to knock, but it’s still a 50-50 whether he will or not. Seems like we’re still far away from the 100%... )

Yuma: The fuck? Is it bad if I suddenly enter yer room or somethin’?

Yui: Of course. I could be in the middle of changing, for example...

Yuma: Hah. Whatcha still sayin’? I’ve seen much worse!

Yui: I-I don’t remember ever showing you something like that though!?

Yuma: Really? You’re really up there when ya show me yer dreamy expression after I kiss ya tho?

That sorta stuff turns me on way more than seein’ ya half-naked;

Yui: ( I haven’t made that kind of face! ...I think. )

ー Yuma steps closer

Yuma: Should I trigger that expression again, huh?

Yui: N-No!

( Or rather, he’s too close...! )

Yuma: Fuckin’ dull.

ー He steps back

Yuma: Whatever. Right now, these badboys come first anyway.

Yui: You mean the roses? ...What are you gonna do?

Yuma: Don’t look at me like that. I won’t destroy them again.

Come on, hand them over. The whole pot. If you’re curious, ya can follow me;

Yui: ...?

ー The scene shifts to the garden

Yui: Ah...The vegetable garden is back to normal.

Yuma: Aah? Ya hadn’t noticed? It got fixed up yesterday.

Yui: I had no idea...

Selection

→ Why is it fixed? (S)

Yui: How did it go back to normal...?

Yuma: Ah?

Yui: I mean, it was such a mess, I figured it was beyond saving. Yet it’s as good as new...

Y-You didn’t do it, right?

Yuma: Oi, ya lil’ shit.

Yui: You did!?

Yuma: Well duh!?

→ Could it be, did you fix it? (M)

Yui: Could it be...You fixed it up?

Yuma: Well duh.

The vegetables did nothin’ wrong after all. ...Neither did ya. Yet I treated ya like shit.

Yui: ( Yuma-kun... )

I see...! Good job. I’m sure it was a lot of work?

Yuma: Well...Yeah.

Anyway, who cares ‘bout that. We gotta make sure these get better.

Yui: You’re gonna plant the roses here again?

Yuma: This is the best spot to watch the sky after all.

...There we go, this should do.

Yui: I hope they’ll bloom.

Yuma: ...Yeah.

...

... I felt like I’d still have some hope left, if these guys were to bloom.

Yui: Eh?

Yuma: Do ya know why I chose red roses to mourn their deaths?

Yui: Because your comrades like that color, maybe?

Yuma: Hehe. No way. They were the type of people who’d come across flowers and first of all decide whether they are edible or not, ya know?

There was this one idiot who stole some rose seeds, mistakin’ it for food.

Boss found that too funny, he decided to plant them partially as a joke.

But nobody had looked after flowers before, so they didn’t even sprout, let alone bloom.

Back then, that was the end of it...But shortly after, I saw this sugar shaped like roses.

Yui: ( Sugar shaped like roses...? )

Yuma: When I realized that was supposed to sprout from those seeds...I wanted to see the real thing, and show it to those guys as well.

That being said, I’m pretty sure they would have told me they’d rather see food than some stupid flowers. Ya could say I’m doin’ this just out of my own selfish desire.

But well...I thought that maybe they’d still feel happy to be able to view these from up there, even if just to kill some time.

Yui: ( I see... )

Yuma: If they bloomed...I felt like I could still succeed at doin’ something a second time ‘round, even after already failin’ once.

But they just won’t. Seems like life isn’t that easy, even as a Vampire.

Yui: What is your hope...?

Yuma: ...I guess it’s what ya would call a dream.

Yui: Dream?

Yuma: You’re aware that yer blood is special, right?

Yui: Yeah...It’s blood which flows from Cordelia’s heart after all, so it’s different from a regular human’s, isn’t it?

Yuma: Exactly. And that blood holds the power to awaken Adam.

Yui: Adam?

Yuma: The one and only man who can give birth to a new humankind. His female counterpart is Eve. ...In other words, you.

That bein’ said, I don’t get the details either. I’m just repeatin’ what I was told by that man.

In short, it means that the guy ya pick gains amazin’ powers.

Capable of changin’ the world, get it?

Yui: ...Is that why I was brought here?

Yuma: Yeah. If not, one of those Sakamaki bastards would have become Adam. We wanted to prevent that from happenin’.

Yui: Did you want to become Adam too?

Yuma: ...Guess so.

I don’t give a damn ‘bout power or rulin’ the world.

But if I became Adam, I thought that I could win ‘gainst those filthy rich guys and change Boss’ wish of changing the world in his place.

...But, unfortunately for Boss, seems like I’m not fit to become Adam.

Yui: Eh? How come...?

Yuma: I just know somehow. I’ve tried my very hardest so far but...I guess it’s ‘bout time I stop strugglin’ in vain.

I even became a Vampire and took on someone else’s bruden, but look at me now. I bet they’re laughin’ at me from up there.

Yui: ...That’s not true.

Yuma: Aah?

Yui: I don’t know your Boss or other comrades, so I can’t put it into words very well.

But I don’t think you have to become Adam to fulfill your Boss’ dream.

Yuma: ...I wonder.

Yui: Besides, Eve is the one who choses her Adam, right? In other words, me?

In that case...You might still have a chance?

Yuma: ...You...

Hah...Look at ya bein’ all cheeky for a Sow!

*Rustle*

Yui: Kyah...!

ー He holds her close

Yui: ( His face is right in front of me...! )

Yuma: Seems like Eve-sama thinks she can get away with everything now, huh?

If I’ve got a chance...Should I suck yer blood right away? Ahn?

Yui: Right here...!?

Yuma: Don’t worry. I’ll make sure our precious little Eve-sama doesn’t get any dirt on her. See, if I do thisーー

ー He lifts her into the air

*Rustle*

Yui: Hyaah!

–> If you are playing the Limited V edition or the Grand Edition, little black roses will appear on the screen. If you click on them, you get an extra line of dialogue.

“Come on. Hold on tighter. Do ya want me to drop ya?”

Yuma: If I carry ya like this, ya won’t get dirty, right?

In return, ya better hold on tight or you’ll fall, ‘kay?

Yui: Y-Yuma-kun, it’s embarrassing.

Yuma: Aahn? Whatcha gettin’ all flustered ‘bout still?

Yui: But, this looks as if you’re carrying a small child...

Yuma: What? Would ya have liked it better if I threw ya over my shoulder like usual? I don’t like how hard it is to suck yer blood like that tho.

Yui: T-Then, at least carry me sideways. It’s really embarrassing when we’re facing each other like this...

Yuma: It’s ‘cause you’re letting yer weird fantasies run wild, no? If ya don’t like it, close yer eyes then. ...I’m bitin’ now.

ー Yuma bites her

–> If you are playing the Limited V edition or the Grand Edition, little black roses will appear on the screen. If you click on them, you get an extra line of dialogue.

“Whatcha touchin’ my hair for...? Haahn? It’s softer than ya expected? Heh...Shut up, idiot.”

“Despite bein’ embarrassed, ya seem to be enjoying it tho...?”

Yui: Nn...

Yuma: ...Nn...

Yui: ( How strange...It doesn’t...hurt... )

Yuma: ...It really is easy to suck yer blood when there’s so much of yer neck exposed in front of me. You’re hella small, so I always have a hard time usually.

Nn...Nn...

*Rustle*

Yuma: Nn...Oi, you’re loosenin’ yer grip. Do ya wanna fall down? Aah?

Yui: But...

Yuma: Hah...Ya sure are a handful, Sow. Come on, I’ll keep ya firmly locked in my arms.

Because before bein’ Eve...You’re my toy.

So even if I can’t become Adam...I won’t let ya go, Sow.

Monologue

At his low voice which held just the slightest bit of warmth,

and the words he whispered in my ears,

my heart thumped loudly.

How could the word ‘Sow’,

actually sound like the sweetest confession of love (愛の言葉)?

It made me chuckle slightly,

but inside my chest ーー this heart which pumps Eve’s (イブ) blood,

most definitely skipped a beat at his words.

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

→ LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

<- [ Ecstasy 09 ] [ Ecstasy Epilogue ] ->

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #yuma mukami #more blood #diabolik lovers translation #mbyumaecstasy10

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dramaticviolincrescendo · 4 years ago

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The thing is, Ian was right. Mickey doesn't know any better, the writers on the show made sure of that, because for them the only important thing about Mickey is his devotion to Ian. But we're a bit more realistic about it and can analyze Ian's actions without being limited by someone's poor imagination.

There’s a lot to address here, so please forgive me for the lengthy response, anon! 🙂 I’ll preface all of it by saying this: my general opinion is that if Mickey has what makes him happy, we should support that regardless of how we feel about the other party (with obvious exceptions like physical abuse, etc.). If Byron was what made him happy, I would support him even if I couldn’t stand the guy. The same goes for any other character in any other franchise, at least for me. Now, onto your points:

I’m not sure which scene you mean when you mention Ian saying he doesn’t know any better, but I’m definitely with you on our ability to analyze Ian’s actions. The problem here is that analyzing will always be colored by perspective and implicit bias. If your fave is Mickey, anything that hurts him will look a whole lot worse than what he does that hurts Ian and perhaps lead to conducting a less than thorough analysis or rejecting sensible arguments about Ian’s character. Based on the number of posts I see about how Mickey is the only good thing on the show, I’d argue that that is a very real danger in many of the takes on Ian as well as everyone else. I’ve seen some pretty heavy demonizing of characters who hurt Mickey’s feelings or aren’t actively sweet to him, which is a bit unrealistic since that’s life and Mickey certainly never seems to mind or let it keep him down for long.

As far as him not knowing better, on the whole, I don’t think that gives Mickey much credit at all. Actually, it doesn’t really give him any credit, which is sort of surprising given how vehemently people defend his IQ, academically and emotionally, against what amounted to a joke. Mickey knows that Ian messes up and does things that are questionable at best and hurtful at worst. He’s not an innocent, pure character who endures heartache after heartache to throw himself at the brick wall of earning Ian’s attention. He gives as good as he gets and has hurt Ian too. They’re human and written very realistically in that regard. Their love for one another allows them to forgive transgressions and move on, not hold grudges or “not know any better” with regards to what they deserve. Love isn’t about what we deserve, and I think it’s important to remember that a relationship won’t last if it’s based on an arbitrary numerical score of who has done more harm than the other. Things happen. Poor decisions are made. They can allow that to break them or work through it. Mickey has actively chosen to work through it because at the end of the day, he loves Ian more than he is interested in finding something else. In earlier seasons, Ian similarly chose to work through it with someone who might never be in a position to come out and begin the full relationship that he so desperately wanted. That’s beautiful to me, not contemptible.

As far as the only important thing about Mickey being his devotion to Ian, we’ll also have to agree to disagree. 🙂 In the early seasons, while Ian was certainly the catalyst for it, Mickey’s story was about coming out more than his devotion to Ian. That’s why we have the scenes where he taunted Kash (focus: keeping his secret), purposely got sent back to juvie (focus: hiding from Terry if he found out), and got married (focus: self-preservation). We do absolutely see a rising devotion for Ian during this period, of course, and there’s no argument that his character was written expressly to be Ian’s love interest. The writers still made him a well-developed one with his own motives, fears, and desires outside of Ian in a way that later love interests didn’t get. (My own belief is that they didn’t intend for the later relationships to last like they did Mickey, but regardless of the validity there, Mickey was written as a character with more depth from the very beginning and existed before anything with Ian ever happened.)

The first half of s4 shows Mickey on his own merits. He’s handling his new position as a patriarch of the family, running the business while Terry is fairly hands-off and watches. He decides to help the Russian girls and ends up going into business with Kev. We learn a lot about Mickey’s character outside of Ian during that time. In fact, there are only a couple of scenes that really focus on him missing Ian until finding him becomes Mickey’s task: asking Kev if anyone has heard from him, the bathroom scene, and the later Alibi scene. Otherwise, the early s4 writers showed us a Mickey who was compassionate, ambitious, utilitarian, entrepreneurial, and collaborative—all without tying it back to Ian. Kev and V are renowned friends of the Gallaghers, but Mickey doesn’t grow closer to Kev in an attempt to learn more about what happened to Ian. He doesn’t help the girls because he thinks Ian would want him to. In fact, with the exception of those scenes I mentioned, we have no reason to believe that Ian is on Mickey’s mind at all while he’s doing these other things. He has a life outside of Ian just like the opposite is true, and s4 went to great lengths to show us that.

The second half of s4 is, once again, about keeping his secret until he decides to come out. (Read: decides to, is not forced to. More on that in a moment.) Yes, his devotion to Ian is once again the catalyst for some of his decisions, but there’s much more to it than that. Once again, we still see scenes with Mickey operating on his own for his own purposes. He doesn’t leave home entirely because he wants to be with Ian—he also wants to escape from his wife and pretend that things are the way they used to be. He doesn’t scam money from the rich guy or take more than his cut from the register at the Alibi to protect Ian—he does it for self-preservation so that Svetlana won’t get him killed. He doesn’t go to the baptism to keep up appearances and protect Ian—he does it to keep up appearances for himself and because...well, like it or not, that’s his son. The lattermost is something Ian specifically does not want him to do, and if he does, he wants to be there. Mickey goes against his wishes because it’s about protecting himself (and perhaps, by extension, their relationship), and rightfully so. Coming out at the Alibi does once again tie to Ian as a catalyst for change in Mickey’s life, but it didn’t have to happen. Mickey could have grabbed his coat, told everyone goodnight, and left with Ian. At no time did Ian tell him that he would leave if Mickey didn’t come out to everyone or admit they’re a couple, even if he did make reference to the fact that Mickey was hiding and not free. All Ian wanted was for Mickey not to treat him like a mistress or expect him to stick around if he did. Instead, it was a logical culmination of Mickey’s written development to come out. He’s stronger and more independent than he used to be. He’s capable of taking care of himself and surviving in the world without relying on Terry. He’s in a position where yes, he’s still justifiably terrified of coming out and what it’ll mean where Terry is concerned, but he’s able to do it. Ian is a catalyst for it, but being devoted to him isn’t Mickey’s only reason.

In s5, a lot of Mickey’s story does revolve around his devotion to Ian, but not any more than Ian’s revolves around devotion to him in the second half of s3. We still see Mickey doing business and running the family, but having Ian be his more central concern makes sense because Ian is sick and the writers have already told us that his health is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. In denial or not, Mickey knows this. And so we see his story center around Ian because, to an extent, it has to. Ian is mentally and physically sick. He’s adjusting not only to meds, but to a label that makes him feel ashamed and afraid. Mickey is devoted to him, and so Mickey does everything he can to take care of him. But here’s the thing: that scares Ian too. He’s seen what happens to the people who try to take care of Monica. He knows how it felt to try only to be ignored or betrayed or abandoned. The breakup isn’t about anger at being coddled or, by my interpretation and Ian’s own words, him being selfish. It’s about him seeing that Mickey’s devotion is going to keep him from living his life and ultimately (in his opinion) hurt him beyond repair, and so he sets Mickey free. It hurts him, yes, but it does work.

Because even though we don’t see it happen on-screen, s6 through s9 can’t possibly be Mickey sitting in a prison cell pining over Ian. If that was going to happen, we’d have seen it in s4. By this point, we know who Mickey is outside of Ian and can assume that he’s operating in much the same way on the inside until he figures out what he wants to do. We know he and Svetlana had a business arrangement where they took out contracts for work he could do in prison. We know that he makes a business acquaintanceship with Damon, which means he was probably involved in dealing or smuggling while there. Neither of these things can possibly revolve around devotion to Ian because they could conceivably keep him from Ian longer. His sentence is fifteen years, and if he’s counting on being out in eight to be with Ian, he needs to be on his best behavior. He’s not. He’s unapologetically not when he sees Ian again and talks about what Damon is. Ian looks less than comfortable with it, but that’s not why they ditch him—it’s because he might get Mickey caught with his behavior. Even breaking out happened once he was able to solidify an opportunity working for a cartel, so while Ian may have been another catalyst (besides the obvious desire to get out of prison), the decision wasn’t about devotion to him. The only decision that was about that was the one he made at the border to let Ian go without making him feel worse about it. He’s devoted to Ian, so he knows that dragging him along on the run into the unknown won’t be good for him. He needs stability and a support system and medication, none of which Mickey can provide if they cross that border together. So, out of his devotion, he lets Ian go. They have a heartfelt goodbye and separate for what they think is the last time.

Does Mickey’s devotion lead him to turning himself in? Absolutely. But not before spending another long stint living his own life. The writers make sure we know that he had a life without Ian playing a role in it, once again conducting business and operating successfully on his own merits. They’re limited in what they can show because Noel wasn’t available, which made logistics important, but they didn’t leave him high and dry or insinuate that he was waiting around in Mexico for an excuse to return to Ian. He was once again a successful businessman in the illicit economy. When he returns in s10, his storyline does then appear to revolve around devotion to Ian more—but it doesn’t. Mickey has people he hangs out with in prison separate from Ian and with no ties to him. With the Byron situation, it wasn’t about proving devotion for Ian when he thought Ian questioned it—it was about hurting Ian because of what happened at the courthouse, even after he found out what Ian was really afraid of. If the writers were only interested in showing his devotion to Ian, he would have ditched Byron the second Ian told him that he was scared of his disorder and ruining them. He doesn’t. He sticks it out because Mickey is so much more than his relationship with Ian: he’s independent, vengeful, hot-headed, impulsive, and stubborn. These are traits that have been set up by the writers throughout the series both with and without ties to their relationship, and he very adamantly adheres to his revenge-plot-turned-catalyst-for-Ian-pulling-his-head-out-of-his-ass because he isn’t all about devotion to Ian.

I completely respect your opinion on the matter and appreciate the opportunity to discuss it at length! Ultimately, it boils down to this for me: the writers get a lot off flack for some of the narrative decisions and, of course, they won’t always be to our liking. Opinions and preferences assure us of that. I don’t think it’s about us being more realistic or more capable of analyzing a character, though. Everything above was written. It wasn’t spelled out and handed to us, no, but the writers put it there so that we could then analyze it. There’s no analyzing a blank slate or someone whose only narrative is devotion to Ian. The writers have given us a wealth of things to consider when it comes to all the characters, Mickey included, and we wouldn’t be able to have this conversation if they didn’t. Mickey is intelligent, thoughtful, insightful, and more than capable of standing on his own two feet as both a fictional person and a character. If he chose Ian, then it’s because he has weighed all these things and found them to be nothing in the grand scheme of their love for one another. Again, though, we can agree to disagree. Thank you for this ask—I find myself writing more about Ian, so I had a lot of fun thinking back over the series to answer it! 😃🧡

#shameless #meta #Mickey milkovich #Ian gallagher #gallavich #I probably shouldn’t tag this because it’s inviting vitriol #but it’ll get shared anyway #so please be kind folks #this is just my opinion #and ultimately defends Mickey

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jilyesplz · 4 years ago

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Hi, sorry for what is most likely a very weird ask 😢 but I've never read TLAT since physically I don't have the circumstances to commit to such a long abandoned and unresolved fic, but i love all your stories and writing so I read your TLAT fics too! I loved them, especially the fluff dribbles because you give them such delicious dynamic 😍. I read the first chapter of Potter and Evans too and I think I understood most of it even without knowing the backstory, but I have one question if it's OK? I know this must be selfish of me but could you tell me what's the deal with James and Carlotta? Was she the prettiest girl in school? Did he really love her and then she dumped him?! 😱

Hi! First of all thank you so much for reading my stories, especially the continuation when you haven’t read the OG? :o I’m honored! This ask is not selfish at all, although I do really, really, really recommend reading TLAT! It genuinely is such a beautiful work of art. With that said...spoilers are definitely available, so I don’t ~think~ it’s evil of me to answer this?? i honestly feel kinda guilty abt this lmao but...below the cut!

Hoo mama. Strap in for this fuckin ride. (This got unbelievably long so TL/DR at bottom lmao, but a lot of it is actually relevant to P&E)

First off, yes, Carlotta Meloni is the prettiest girl in school. That is her main character trait. Her main personality trait is knowing it.

We....hate her with the fire of a thousand suns. Everything’s fine lmao.

So in July before 7th year, James and Lily almost kiss. It’s...wow. Just...WOW. But Lil is drunk and scared of her own feelings, so she calls it off at the last second, which James takes as 'nothing is ever going to happen between us.’ Then he pops off to his beach house as The Rich are wont to do. Carlotta is there, she flirts, he flirts back, she kisses him, he kisses her back, she asks him out, he says (Lily will never love me so) yes.

MEANWHILE, Carlotta’s best (only) friend Shelley Mumps has been in love with James since 462 BC, which Carlotta knows, but Shelley isn’t pretty and he barely knows she exists. It’s very high school. (TLAT starts with its main characters as very immature teenagers, and they grow a TON and become these lovely, insane, completely fantastic people, and then this plotline comes along to be like But Lest You Forget, Wow Are They In Fucking High School. It hurts. Jules is an evil genius.) Shelley hears that Carlotta is dating James, is furious at the betrayal, so she gets a tan (and a weight loss potion and much sluttier clothes) and starts trying to sabotage James’s relationship.

Important background here: Pre-7th year, Carlotta was pretty universally despised by Hogwarts’s female population for shagging all of their boyfriends. So as soon as Shelley starts talking shit, a slow-motion school-wide catfight breaks out...which Mundungus Fletcher decides to monetize. Dung starts taking bets from the student population on whether James will dump Carlotta for Shelley.

Ew.

But again: high school. 1970s. James wants to shut it down, Carlotta says don’t because she prides herself on not caring what other people think (which James does too, but he understands that this is gross and awful. Car doesn’t care). Betting turns into voting on whether James “should” dump Carlotta for Shelley. What the fuck this actually means is left intentionally vague, and it of course becomes a popularity/fuckability contest.

Up to now, Carlotta hasn’t really done anything wrong in this story except (debatably) date her BFF’s crush. That’s about to change.

James wants to end the voting. Carlotta again says don’t, now because (Jesus Fucking Christ, get ready for this one) she has made a secret bet with Shelley: if Car wins, Shelley will leave them alone. If Shelley wins, Carlotta will break it off with James.

Quick note: the whole time, James essentially lets Carlotta make the decisions, acting as if the women are the wronged parties, which, yes, the school is doing a super shitty and sexist thing. But if the roles were flipped and a girl were in James’s situation, we would feel AWFUL for her. I just think it’s important that the school is doing a really horrible thing to James too, and the fact that he’s the James Potter, Head Boy, Quidditch Captain, Universally Beloved Most Popular Bloke in School doesn’t change that. Just because he acts unaffected doesn’t mean he is. James Potter is human. And God, what a human. <3

SOMEONE GIVE THIS BOY A HUG.

Anyway. Vote’s coming up. James rigs it for Carlotta to get everyone to leave them alone. The Marauders, without telling James, rig it for Shelley (because they hate Carlotta for a long list of reasons, and they love Lily, and they know Lily fancies James) (oh, yeah! Lily realized she fancied James on the platform back to school, right before finding out he was with Carlotta. Quite a gut punch).

Carlotta...fucking rigs it...for Shelley.

Fucking.

I cannot.

Twat.

In her defense: James is in L* with Lily, and it would be really, really hard to be his girlfriend. Also, she misses her BFF.

Not in her defense: Literally every decision she makes in this process!!! Talk to him you idiot bitch.

So then Car confesses rigging the vote to Lily and they have a heart to heart (well, more of alternating rants. They’re not mates). L says Car should tell him, but doesn’t tell him herself because she’s Lily, and because she’s worried she would be telling him because she wants him rather than because he really should know...really, she doesn’t tell him because she’s Lily. Car initially doesn’t tell him, they almost kinda get back together. She commits her greatest crime here: once upon a time, Lily told Carlotta and Shelley all the “little things” about James that she’d noticed...it’s one of the story’s first ‘oh fuck, L REALLY likes J’ moments, but way before Lily has come to terms w that. Carlotta....then uses....Lily’s little things speech....to convince J to get back together with her. Dude, she’s worse than Umbridge. But then she changes her mind because Lily has made her feel guilty so she confesses, and they break up.

Wowza. Sorry for the fucking novel. I have...a lot...of feelings.

TL/DR: J started dating Carlotta after L rejected him, while still v much in L*ve with L but trying to deny it. Lots of high school bullshit happened, ending in a school-wide vote about whether J should dump Carlotta for her ex-BFF Shelley who also fancies him. Ew, David. Carlotta and Shelley make a secret deal that Carlotta will dump J if she loses, then Carlotta rigs the vote so she’ll lose. She loses, tells him about the bet and he’s like ‘OK I’m done with you.’ She then changes her mind, tries to get him back, but Lil’s goodness guilts her into telling him the truth about the bet and they break up. So to your questions...yes, no, yes and no. Lil thought maybe he loved Car, and in Potter and Evans, she now thinks he does because she dramatically misinterpreted what Libby was saying—teasing James about how unsuccessful his attempts at moving on were—as bro-y congratulations/teasing for how fast he found a rebound.

#tlat

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crimsonhcadache · 4 years ago

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- ̗̀ NOW INTRODUCING: IVES ❝ IVY ❞ SERRANO !

( DANNA PAOLA, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER, SCORPIO, 24 ) I just spotted IVES “IVY” SERRANO at the beach today. Don’t you know them? They live down by the TOWERS and usually hang out with the RICH KIDS & MUSICIANS cliques. From what I’ve heard, they can be DECEITFUL, but they’re also ADAPTIVE. I always think of them when i hear LAST LAUGH - FLETCHER and tend to associate them with STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE, A FRESH SET OF STILETTO NAILS, AND RED LINGERIE. ( tay, she/her, 22, est )

full name: natalie rose serrano ives serrano nicknames: ivy, poison ivy faceclaim: danna paola voiceclaim: lana del rey birthday: november 1st, 1996 zodiac: scorpio sun, aries moon, gemini rising sexuality: bisexual occupation: influencer, instagram model, musician, scammer / thief positive traits: effervescent, bold, creative, charismatic, coquettish, intuitive, ambitious, alluring, adventurous, perceptive negative traits: cantankerous, deceitful, envious, manipulative, dramatic, stubborn, narcissistic, materialistic, reckless, quick-tempered character inspos: maddy perez euphoria, jackie burkhart that 70’s show, blair waldorf gossip girl, margo hanson the magicians, every lana del rey song ever, lucrecia montesinos and cayetana pando elite, rosa diaz brooklyn nine nine, the entire rose family schitts creek, jen harding dead to me

- ̗̀♡ — › background !

the main thing u need to know about ivy is that she is lying ! always !! her real name isn’t even actually ivy smh

she was born NATALIE ROSE SERRANO, to two working class parents in new york city. she knew from a young age that she was just supposed to be rich and famous, and that something had gotten mixed up somewhere and she was put in the wrong life.

in high school she got a scholarship to a fancy private catholic school, and that’s where she started to hone her craft of manipulating rich people. she would befriend all of the richest bitches at school and take advantage of everything that came along with it: vacations to far away places, stays in the family’s cabins and lake houses, even designer clothes that her friends no longer wanted and would gift to her, thinking it was their idea all along

as she grew up and got better at getting what she wanted out of people, her entitled attitude only got worse, driving a wedge between her and her parents, who kept waiting for her to develop a work ethic and kept being disappointed. a few months after she graduated high school, on her 18th birthday, her parents kicked her out of the house and cut her off, hoping that it would force her to grow up and take on any responsibility

but that plan backfired for them, her parents underestimating how truly stubborn natalie was. the day after her 18th, she wandered into a local strip club and got a job, figuring it’d be the easiest and quickest way to get some cash, and she took to it naturally and actually really enjoyed stripping

she started to embody an entirely new persona that she had created for herself, dancing under the name POISON IVY and telling everyone she was a trust fund baby that had been cut off from her rich parents, needing to dance to supplement her income, and her lies just continued to spiral out of control until she almost started to believe it herself. she had never told anyone at the club her real name, not even the other strippers, just going by “ivy” for a while.

she had learned to weaponize the power she had over people by being pretty and charming, using her looks for absolute evil and doing whatever it took to get money—from straight up pickpocketing, to making men buy her expensive gifts, to blackmailing, to sugar babying, to getting patrons wasted and manipulating them into tipping her absurd amounts… she did it all, very quickly earning enough to live the life she had always dreamed of, that she felt she deserved for whatever twisted reason.

she started posting on instagram with the name poison ivy generally just flaunting her carefree, extravagant life, often exaggerating or down right lying just to really dazzle her quickly growing audience

as she started to go down the influencer route, she realized she needed to do something to hide the skeletons in her closet ( the fact that she didn’t actually come from money and was making far more than was normal for even the best of dancers, a couple of small possession / shoplifting charges, and just generally anything that could lead people to her real identity ) so she started to tell people her name was ives, fully taking on the new identity. she even went so far as to make some of the people that had been closest to her sign NDAs about her real identity, making sure that no one could sell info about her should her plan of being famous work out

she also moved out to california to run away from everyone in the city that was starting to catch on to what she was doing, basically doing all the same shit but now in a New Place.. this was about 3-4 years ago, so she’s been in sunhollow for a while now doing the whole influencer thing !!

and it did work out !! at first she was definitely buying followers/likes to boost her likelihood of brand sponsorships, but eventually she faked it until she made it and actually attained influencer status. she then used her newfound internet fame ( and some classic blackmailing ) to get herself a record deal

she also started sleeping around with pretty much any famous person she could, having very public relationships and breakups and scandals to keep her name in the press, which ultimately lead to more exposure/people following her, if only to see what she did next, which lead to even more sponsorships

eventually she stopped dancing and just focused on her influencing and more recently ( like... less than 6 months ago recently ) her music career. but she never stopped sugar babying and scamming rich stupid men, still very much using that as a means to keep up her lifestyle. she’s also done a few modeling things, but it’s mostly just like catalog work or being the face of a trendy campaign bc she’s way too short for the runway

she also recently made an only fans account bc she was bored one night and was mostly planning on posting once as a joke but then she made a bunch of money / got a bunch of subscribers and was like oh word ? i can do that ! so she will post on there from time to time but she’s not like… super serious about it ya know ? also her music label is big mad at her for it bc they’re like bUt yOuR rEpUtAtIoN and she’s like yeah.. but my bank account ? also it’s no secret she used to be a stripper so she rly just.. doesn’t give a fuck !

so basically she’s jus here making money being pretty and pulling a long ass scam on… everyone

- ̗̀♡ — › personality / headcannons !

she’s a real two faced bitch… she has perfected the art of becoming whoever she thinks other people want her to be, quickly adapting her personality to get whatever she wants

she’s usually pretty friendly actually, really charming and outgoing and just trying to have a good time

she has a pretty short temper tho and holds grudges like you wouldn’t believe, so once you’re on her bad side… good luck lol she is so ruthless

she’s like… deeply, deeply selfish and will always put herself first, but she’s so manipulative that she can make people do things that they think are their idea, but it’s really just something she planted in their head so it’s not always obvious

also very spoiled and will throw a mf fit if she doesn’t get her way or u say no to her

always going out !! always doing the most !! she’s the type to show up randomly at ur door at 8pm on a tuesday with a bottle of tequila and make u party with her whether u like it or not

she’s a lot smarter than she lets on sometimes, like she knows people expect her to be stupid and ditzy and shallow and she’ll let them underestimate her when it’s beneficial

always looks perfectly put together— her nails are always meticulously manicured, usually w stiletto shaped acrylics, and you’ll literally never see her outside her house without makeup and a perfectly composed outfit. it’s also a rare occasion that she’s not wearing at least six inch heels, trying to make up for bein so mf short ( she’s 5’3 )

she talks A Lot but is really good at saying a lot of words without actually saying anything, like you can be best friends with her for months and then just be like “i don’t actually know a single thing about her”

always up to no good and sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong !! she’s always got some sort of scheme going or getting in to some kind of drama

v much a hoe and v much proud of it, will sleep w just about anyone especially if she can get something out of it

also a serial dater !! she’s always hoping in and out of relationships and being rumored to be with a dozen people at once

most definitely calls paparazzi on herself, especially when she’s around other famous ppl but will never admit it

compulsive liar, she will literally lie about the dumbest things like she doesn’t even need a reason to lie she jus.. does

she has a luxury two bedroom apartment that she lives alone in ( one room is kinda a guest room but also mostly just a giant closet ) in the towers and the gag is she doesn’t even know how much her rent is bc one of her random sugar daddies pays her rent.. her power tbh

- ̗̀♡ — › wanted connections !

hookups / flings / one night stands / fwbs all that shit !!

exes on bad terms … gimme drama pls

enemies / ppl she’s stolen from maybe… she would definitely deny it and say they’re jus jealous of her or smth stupid but that could make the feud worse

party pals !! like i said she goes out a lot and always somehow manages to make new friends and drag them into her shenanigans

on again / off again exes… i want the Angst so bad..

shallow friendships / influencer friends like they play it up a lot for insta bc they both have a pretty big following but they dont really... like each other that much ?? like they definitely seem to be a lot closer than they really are

pr relationships this could be past or present !! in the same vein as the last one except they pretend to date ( or maybe just act like they’re gonna date but never actually do ?? like to fuel rumors )

unlikely friends !! like ppl who are nice and sweet and Pure, she could use a lil good energy in her life

situationship / flirtationship like they’re super flirty and maybe hook up a couple times but everyone assumes they’re dating or like gonna date but they’re jus vibing. bonus points if one or both of them actually has feelings but can’t tell if they’re just friends / casually hooking up or if it could turn into something more.. im a slut for some mutual pining !!

neighbors … mb they hate her for always being loud n throwing mini parties OR maybe they join in

mean girl rivalries !!

someone she’s taking advantage of / stealing from without them knowing .. oof

partner in crime !!!

one sided crushes or like someone she’s stringing along smh

sugar daddies mb 😇

someone to put her in her mf place JDKDKD like they call her out on her bs and are like “i see what ur doing bitch stay away from my friends” type thing

idk anything really !! gimme all the messy plots ok :~)

#hqclique.intro #this is so long i jus have so much to say abt my favorite evil demon <3 #now to do mickeys .. which requires sm more rewriting .... pray for me #♡ — 𝐢𝐯𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐨 › 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 .

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chickensarentcheap · 5 years ago

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Best Part of Me -Chapter 67

WARNING: Profanity

Tagging: @innerpaperexpertcloud, @c-a-v-a-l-r-y, @alievans007

“I think you’re reading too much into this.”

They sit in Anil’s home office; away from the distraction of chattering and giggling children and the curious ears and eyes of the team of staff that linger in the halls and busy themselves with numerous daily tasks. Rage and disgust overrule any existing emotion, and Tyler finds himself with a powerful, all consuming need to hunt every last one of Mahjan’s men down himself and then kill them as slowly and painfully as possible. His stomach still churns and bile still burns the back of his throat, and he’s unable to get the images of the previous night’s horror show out of his head; brought back by the confirmation of his worst possible fears. Even though he’d suspected what Mahajan’s men would do to both him and his family, it’s still a difficult pill to swallow, And he’s having a difficult time both controlling his temper and wrapping his head around just how sick and twisted some humans can actually be. That someone would ever harm a little girl and a baby in such fashion. And not just any little girl and baby, but HIS,

“I think I’m reading into it just fine,” he retorts, as he drops into the chair in front of Anil’s desk. Grunting and grimacing as he removes his arm from the sling; brief reprieve from the tight, secure confines.

He frowns at the pins and needles that hamper his hand; attempting to clear them away by repeatedly opening and closing his fist. It’s far more than just a simple separation or even a partially torn ligament or tendon. The overall weakness from his wrist to the tips of his fingers is a near permanent fixture and the pain and discomfort extends far beyond anything he’s ever felt before in that shoulder. And the constant agony he’d been living for years prior to being jumped four nights ago had been bad enough.

“If anything,” he continues “you’re not reading into it enough.”

“Nathan? You think it's Nathan?” There’s a smirk tugging at the corner of Nik’s mouth and an almost amused glitter in her eyes. It doesn’t help with his current mood; adding more fuel to the already raging fire that threatens to consume him.

“You said there was a mole. That there’s someone feeding Mahajan information. That…”

“What I said…” she interjects. “...is that I was worried there was a mile And if the information that came back was what I needed to prove it, I’d let you know.”

“Been over a week. Where is this information?”

“It’s forthcoming.”

“Pretty fucking slowly, don’t you think?”

“These things take time, Tyler. They don’t happen overnight.”

“Seven days,” he points out. “You’ve had seven goddamn days. I’m not asking for a miracle here. Do you have something for me or not? I don’t have time to fuck around.”

That smirk again. Playing on her mouth as she looks him up and down, eyes taking in the bad shoulder and fucked up knee and the multitude of bruises that cover his neck. “Seems like you have a lot of time on your hands right now.”

His jaw clenches. “Where we at, Nik? This isn’t a fucking game. I’ve got a lot on the line here. I have EVERYTHING on the line. So quit screwing around and wasting my time. You have information or not?”

“Nothing concrete. More hearsay than anything.”

“Is there anything you CAN tell me? Because this isn't a joke and I don’t have time to fuck around. Look at me…” he nods down at the arm that he rests across his chest and the brace on his knee. ‘...look what they managed to do to me. You think anyone else stands a chance against them? They fucked me up. And they’ll do worse to anyone else that gets in their way.”

“I can tell you that it’s NOT Nathan.”

“You got proof? That it’s not him?”

“You have proof it is?”

“Why are you so quick to defend him? You haven’t even bothered to listen to the proof I have.”

“What’s in your head is hardly proof, Tyler. What evidence do you have? And I’m talking about solid evidence, not just you trying to fit round pegs into square holes so it fits your agenda.”

“My agenda? I don’t have a fucking agenda. Mahajan’s people know where my family is, and now that I’ve dropped completely off their radar? It isn’t going to take them long to put two and two together. They’ll show up here.”

“So let them. They won’t get far. Not with the amount of firepower we have. Where does Nathan come into this? What does he have to do with any of it? He’s missing. Did you forget that? He’s dropped off the face of the earth. No one’s heard from him.”

“And you don’t find that weird? That he went missing the night everything went to hell? You don’t see anything strange about that? That he vanished into thin air? AFTER things went to shit?”

“You mean after he got the job done for you?”

“Oh I’m sorry,” Tyler scoffs. “I’m sorry I had a hard time getting shit done while someone was choking me and drugging me and planning on taking me somewhere to torture me and eventually kill me. I am so fucking sorry that all of that got in the way. Why are you so quick to defend this guy?”

“Why are YOU so quick to condemn him?”

“Maybe because the little bastard was supposed to have my back that night. He was supposed to be watching my ass. And look what happened. Look how close someone got to me. Way too goddamn close and now they’re really pissed because their plan didn’t work and they’re going to come for me and they’re going to come for my family. Do you know what was said? What one of the guys told Anil? About Esme and the kids?”

“Tyler...” Nik sighs heavily as she takes a seat behind Anil’s desk. “...those are nothing but empty threats meant to scare you. To get you off your game.”

“Empty threats my ass,” he snarls. “Look at me. Look at what one guy managed to do. You know what they would have done to me; it would have lasted for days, weeks, maybe even months. And now I hear...for sure...what they have planned for my family? You know what they’ll do to my wife? And my girls? Millie is six. Addie’s a baby. And they’re going to do some sick and twisted shit to them. So don’t sit there and try and convince me that the threats are empty when I damn well know they’re not.”

“And you think Nathan is somehow involved because…”

“Did you know he told Anil and his guys that I said to stand down?”

“Did YOU not tell them to...and I quote…’get off my ass’?”

“I told them to stay out of my way. I said that right to Anil. But I said shit to Nathan. Why would I? He means fuck all to me. I’m not telling him to tell Anil and his people shit. But that’s what said; that I said for them to stand down and that he had my back and that’s all I needed. You know me, Nik. You know how I work. How I am. If I’ve got something to say, I say it to someone’s face. I don’t need a messenger.”

“I’ll give you that much,” she concedes. “But maybe it was something you said to Nathan. Or around him. Something he took out context and ran with.”

“Holy fuck…” Tyler gives a dry, incredulous laugh. “...you’re blaming this on me? You’re his fuck up on me? You’re saying I somehow caused that asshole to get a hold of me? You’re putting that on me? You’ve got to be shitting me right now.”

“This is personal to you. VERY personal,” she reasons. “I’m just thinking that maybe it’s so personal that you acted out of character. That you’re not in your right frame of mind and that you could have said something to Nathan that he misunderstood or…”

“I didn’t say shit to Nathan. And you’re right; this is very personal. Which is exactly the reason why I WOULDN’T fuck up. Because of everything I have to lose. I’m not going to screw up when it’s my entire life...my entire world...that could be taken from me. You really think I’m going to fuck when it’s my wife and my kids being threatened? Get your head out of your ass, Nik. Or should I say get your head out of Nathan’s,”

She frowns. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re so quick to defend him. I can’t help but wonder why. Something you’re not telling me? I thought he quit working for you ‘cause he said things were going to shit and and that you were running the operation into the ground. Weird that you’re sticking up someone that said all of that. Unless….” a smirk slowly spreads across his face. “....holy shit...none of that was true, was it? That wasn’t the real reason he quit. You fucked him. Literally.”

“Tyler...I never…”

“You just can’t stop dipping into the company ink, can you. You got a merc kink or something? Me? Him? Gaspar, even? Who knows how many others. We’re good enough to fuck but that’s about it, huh? We can’t give you the fancy shit or all the toys your rich old men friends can give you. You like fucking the hired help.”

“You’re a real class act, you know that? Stay classy, Tyler. Once in the gutter, always in the gutter when it comes to you.”

“That’s rich. Considering you spent how many years trying to ruin my marriage so I’d come running to you? What? I guess I was the only you were willing to permanently slum for.”

“In the end I let Esme have my sloppy seconds, didn’t I?”

He smirks. “Nik, you don’t even come close to being anything like her. You can have all the money, all the class, all the rich, high profile friends and she’s still a hundred times better in every way. And she’s still my wife and that still burns you ass, doesn’t it.”

“That’s how low you’re willing to stoop? That’s how far into the gutter you want to go? You asked me to come here; to help keep an eye on YOUR family. A family you put in this goddamn mess in the first place. Had you not been so selfish seven years ago and kept your dick in your pants…”

“You may be banging Nathan, but he fucked me. Royally. I know it was him. It all adds up whether you want to admit it or not. He just disappears after what happened to me? Vanishes into thin air? If he was dead...if Mahajan had him killed...we’d hear about it. In the same way we’d know if they had him. Do you know where he is? Has your little friend kept in contact with you?”

“Of course not,” she snorts. “I’d never keep that a secret.”

“Naww, you’re just keeping the fact he’s dicking you down a secret. You don’t want people to know you’re banging a low life merc, yeah? Where is he Nik?”

“I have no idea.”

“I don’t believe you. I think you know exactly where he is. And I think you know he fucked up the other night and you’re wanting to keep that quiet. Because you know if I find out it’s true, I will rip his head off and shove it up his ass. I will fucking torture him in ways that will make Mahajan look like a rookie. Where is he?

“How the hell should I know? I’m just as concerned as everyone else. He’s gone; vanished into thin air just like you said. No one has heard from him, no one has seen, no one can get a hold of him, Yaz is having no luck tracing his cell or his SAT. And you know what? You know what you haven’t given me? You haven’t given me one ounce of proof that he’s the mole. So if you’re not going to give me anything…” she pushes her chair away from the desk and stands. ‘“...we’re done here.”

“Sit down,” he firmly orders.

“I’ve got better things to do than fight with someone who is making absolutely zero sense. When you calm down and you get your shit together, come find me.”

“Sit down , Nik.”

“You can’t boss me around, Tyler. Esme may get off on your being like that, but…”

“I said sit down!” he snarls, with enough ferocity in his voice and rage in his eyes that it takes her by surprise and deflates her ego. Lips set in a thin, stern line as she returns to her seat.

“Nathan told Anil and his people to stand down so I’d be vulnerable,” Tyler says. “He knew what was going to happen; he knew Mahajan had sent someone to try and grab me. He’s probably the one who told them where I’d be.”

“It could be anyone who knew you were there.”

“It all adds up,” he insists. “Him taking off after the job was done and then dropping off the grid, him telling Anil that I didn’t need anyone else watching my ass. You don’t think this all comes together and that I haven’t given you the answers you need? You don’t think it’s pretty fucking obvious?”

“The only thing that’s obvious is that your head isn’t on straight. I get it; this is extremely personal and you want someone to blame. You want someone to go after. You’re pissed and you’re hurting and you’re…”

“I am way beyond pissed. I am so far PAST pissed. He told them where I’d be. Told them the weak spots to go after. You can’t tell me that this is all a coincidence.”

“I can, actually.”

He gives a derisive snort and shakes his head. “Wow. Must be some dicking down he’s giving you if you can’t see it. You’ve had one week to come up with something when it comes to this mole bullshit. Yet you have nothing and you still won’t acknowledge what’s right in front of you. All because you’re fucking the guy? Are you kidding me right now?”

“Everything I’VE discovered, does NOT lead to Nathan.”

“So you have found something out. And you weren’t going to tell me because…”

“Because I told you that you’d be the first to know if I had solid proof. I don’t have that yet.”

“You know what, Nik? I don’t have time to wait. My family is in danger. They will take my wife and my kids and they will do fucked up things to them. They will torture them and they’ll make sure I know all about it. I don’t have a single fucking minute to waste. What do you know? Who is it? Who you THINK it is?”

“Tyler, I don’t want to put this on you until I have it. IF I have to. I want clear cut proof before I bring this to you. You have enough going on without adding this to it. You need to get back on your feet; spend time with Esme and the kids. Try and relax.”

“Try and relax?” He laughs. “How am I supposed to do that? How am I supposed to relax with my family when all I can think about is what Mahajan and his people will do to them. My wife, my kids. Especially my girls? How the hell am I supposed to kick back and relax knowing what they’re going to do to my family if they get the chance.”

“You don’t need this on your plate,” Nik insists. “You don’t…”

“How about let me decide what I can and can’t handle. Tell me. Tell me who it is. Because I’ll kill the bastard with my bare hands.”

“Ovi,” she says simply.

Tyler shrugs. “What about him?”

“Ovi,” she firmly repeats. “The mole. It’s Ovi.”

“Bullshit,” he growls.

“All signs point to me. I am so sorry. Tyler. I’m…”

“What signs? What the hell signs could possibly point towards him?”

“He’s been in contact with his father,” she begins. “That’s how this all started.”

“Yeah, Mahajan wanted him to take over the family business. Ovi refused to and the old man couldn’t take no for an answer and he’s been hounding him since and stepped up his game. I already know all of that. It’s why Ovi wanted into the game; he thought it would protect him. And us.”

“I don’t mean what you already know. I mean that he’s been in contact with him since coming to Mumbai.”

“No,” Tyler shakes his head. “I don’t believe that. There’s no way. No way in hell. He wants nothing to do with his old man; he’s wanted nothing to with him since he was fifteen and Mahajan let us take him. He doesn’t even want any ties to his old life or even India itself. I had to practically drag him onto the plane to get him here. There’s no way he’s going to go and see his old man.”

“I have the prison logs,” Nik says. “For the past week. Ovi’s signed in over a dozen times since he got here.”

“There is no way, Nik,” Tyler vehemently argues. “There’s no way he’s gone there. He has no reason to go there. I don’t give a fuck what those logs say; he wouldn’t do it. And he definitely isn’t a mole.”

“Tyler, I know what the logs say and they say he’s been there. A couple of hours at a time. And Yaz said he disappears for while after dinner and...”

“He’s been hittin’ the gym. I set up a workout schedule for him. To keep him sharp and to get him stronger and bulkier. He has not been to the prison. And I can’t believe you even think that about him.”

“What I think is that this hits close to home and that the kid means a lot to you. And I get it. I do. The two of you are very close. You’ve been taking care of him for six years now. But…”

“It goes beyond that. It hasn’t been just taking care of him. We’ve given him what he wanted. What he deserved. A family and people who actually gives a shit about him. I love that kid like he’s my own. But I’m not defending him just because of that. I KNOW him. I know what he’s like and how he thinks and how he acts. And I know how much he loves Esme and the kids and he would never do anything to hurt them. Yeah, he does some dumb shit and makes some stupid ass decisions and I could have fucking killed him over wanting to get into the job. But when that kid loves, he loves huge and deep. And he wouldn’t do anything to put Esme and the kids in danger. That’s not him. That’s now who he is.”

“The evidence speaks for itself, Tyler.”

He smirks. “Evidence? You call THAT evidence? That’s way less than what I have on Nathan and you were quick to dismiss me. You have anything to back those logs up? What about videos? Pictures of some kind? Prison has security cameras right? Did you check those?”

“Security cameras in the visitors area, the office, and the hall that connects the two haven’t worked for years.”

“How fucking convenient, huh?”

“It’s a very poor prison,” she attempts to reason. “It's rundown and it’s over crowded and it gets little to no funding from the government.”

“So you have nothing but his name written down in a visitor’s log a few times?”

“More than a dozen times,” she corrects.

“A few, a dozen, I don’t give a shit. That’s all you have on him?”

“I know how upset he got when Anil mentioned killing his father. That he was very emotional and overly defensive.”

“Do you really blame him? Yeah, his dad...his REAL dad…is a first class dick. But that doesn’t mean the kid wants to hear someone come right and talk about killing him. I mean, my old man is a complete prick and there’s many times I’ve wanted to beat the shit out of him myself. But it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be upset if someone else said it.”

Nik says. “Tyler, I know the two of you are close. Way too close to look at this objectively.”

“It’s not Ovi. I know right to my very soul that it’s not him. He would never do something like this to me. And he especially wouldn’t put Esme and the kids in harm’s way. You don’t know him like I do.”

“Which is why I can look at this objectively and you can’t.”

“And you fucking Nathan means you can’t look at him objectively,” Tyler counters. I am telling you, Nik. It is NOT Ovi.”

“And I’M telling you it’s not Nathan.”

“Because you know so much about the guy, yeah? Everything you need to know about him is based on how well he fucks. I’ve raised that kid for almost six full years now and I gave him a family and a decent life and he felt loved for the first time in probably...I don’t know...EVER. He babysits my kids; he kept them safe during the whole Michael McMann bullshit. I trust him with their lives. And I don’t trust many people and you know that.”

“You’re putting too much faith into him. He can’t help how his life was before or who he was born to. And if seven years ago you’d left him like I told you to…”

“We’re done,” Tyler says, wincing as he stands. The pain is especially bad since the rain; the dampness aggravating the arthritis and causing every inch of damage to his body -both new and old- to throb and tighten. “He’s a good kid, Nik. A damn good kid. And it’s not him. He’s the last person who would fuck me over like that.”

“But the logs..”

“Fuck the logs!” he snaps, a hand on the door knob. “Fuck the logs and fuck you for throwing that kid...MY kid...under the bus like this.;”

“I should say the same to you about Nathan,” she shoots back.

“Don’t even compare the two. One of them is a kid that I’ve been raising and loving for six years. The other one just has the dick you’ve been sucking for months.”

“I’ll find proof,” she says, as he throws the door open. “That it’s him. Ovi.”

“Yeah, and I’ll believe it when I see. You find Nathan, Nik. Or I’ll find him myself and the end result won’t be pretty. Because if I find out for sure that it IS him, I will kill him with my bare hands and I’ll throw his body at your feet. Don’t fuck with me, Nik. I find out that you know where he is and that you’ve been protecting him? You’ll regret the day you ever met me.”

****

She wakes to an empty bed; stirred by both Addie’s soft yet persistent whimpering from the nearby cradle and incessant nausea. It’s been on and off all day; smells and tastes she normally enjoys instigating it and the mere sight of food causing the queasiness to settle in and the burn of bile to find the back of her throat.

One hand blindly reaches for that thick, strong body alongside her, eyes snapping open when she finds nothing to cool, empty sheets; barely wrinkled or disturbed. After his meeting with Nik, he’d spent the remainder of the evening doting and loving on the kids; even more affectionate and attentive than usual. It had taken some getting used to on his behalf; growing comfortable with both giving and receiving affection; a lifetime spent with an abusive father that viewed things as even the smallest of hugs or a ruffle of the hair as weak and pathetic. The last time anyone had shown him love and allowed him to give it in return had been his mother; letting him be the sweet and sensitive but often overcompensating for her husband’s neglect and behaviour. Even his ex wife had viewed it as ‘less manly’; a husband that showed emotion or expressed his feelings or showed even the smallest and most innocent form of intimacy. It’s a hard thing to get past; always expected to be the strong, stoic one and often ridicule for showing even the smallest crack or chink in his armour.

It had been a powerful struggle of sorts between them. A husband not used to being tender and patient and affectionate finding himself with a wife that desperately needed -and craved- all three of those things. But he’d come around; each little one brought into the world softening him and breaking down the walls he’d long ago built around his heart. Afraid to love too much; knowing the immense sense of love and grief that comes when you lose someone that had been such an enormous part of your life.

Through one of the bedroom windows she sees him sitting in one of the lounge chairs; hair messy from sleep -or his attempt at it-, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and hands tightly clasped together. His eyes are downcast; both shoulders tense and his jaw tightly set. Despite the good front he’d put on with the kids following his chat with Nik, she had easily seen through it. Recognizing the way his eyes would darken and his face would harden when the littles weren’t paying attention. And it would quickly pass; all tension and fear and worry fading -yet tears shimmering in his eyes- when he’d hug them as tightly as their bodies would allow. The hurt is deep. All consuming. His already weary and bruised and battered mind plagued by so many worries and fears.

She obliges Addie with a diaper change and then scoops her out of the cradle; loving the warmth that radiates from that little body, the soft smell that clings to her hair and skin and her sleeper, and the she settles her little face in her chest and immediately begins rooting for the breast. Growing angry and agitated when comfort and sustenance isn’t provided right away.

“Okay Little Miss Impatient,” Esme coos, and then drops a kiss on the top of Addie’s head as she pads across the room. “You’re not going to starve. Mommy won’t let that happen, I promise. You just have to learn to wait. You were only fed two hours ago.”

She shoves her feet into a pair of sandals that sit at the end of the door, and then with hand holding Addie tightly to her chest, opens the balcony door with the other.

“What are you doing out there?” she asks, and he doesn’t look up and in her direction until she speaks. “You okay?”

“Couldn’t sleep. Didn’t want to keep you with my tossing and turning. How come you’re awake?”

“Someone decided she needed to eat again. She definitely has your appetite. And I’m nauseous as hell. Why do they call it morning sickness when it lasts all damn day? And what is up with your spawn that they’ve all made so sick? I haven't had one pregnancy where I haven’t felt like I was dying.”

Tyler pulls over one of the extra chairs; setting it beside him and then lightly curling his fingers -instinctively and protectively- around her upper arm and guiding her into the seat. “I’m sorry, babe. I would have taken care of her. I didn’t hear her with the door closed.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to always be the nighttime person. You’re allowed a shift off every now and then,” she teases, then presses a kiss to his scruffy cheek before unfastening the first four buttons on one of his old dress shirts; boasting many holes and frayed cuffs but serving as a decent nursing top. “She’s getting very demanding. A little diva already. And so dramatic. Like her big sister.”

“We knew that was going to happen.” he says, then shrugs out of his hoodie and drapes it over her shoulders. Pulling it around her slender body, effectively covering Addie in an effort to keep her secure and warm despite the cool breeze that the earlier rain showers had brought along with it. “Want me to get you something? Something to eat? A drink?”

“I’m okay. But I do appreciate you always wanting to spoil me.”

“Gotta take care of my girls, yeah? Well two out of three, anyway.” He lays a palm on the side of her head, gently pulling it towards him and then pressing a kiss to her temple; hand dropping to her shoulder.

“You couldn’t sleep?”

He shakes his head.

“Bad dream again?”

“Can’t even get to sleep,” he admits. “Spent two hours just lying there. Thinking about shit.”

“What kind of shit?”

“Shit you don’t need to know about, trust me.”

“But it’s about the dream, right? It’s not that you can’t sleep. You don’t want to. You don’t want to have that dream again.”

“You really DO know me well.”

“I know what your worst fears are. And how your brain likes to exploit them and torture you. This isn’t the first time something’s affected you like this. Probably won’t be the last, unfortunately.”

“It was way worse this time. That shit that went on it. About you. About the kids. Especially about Millie and Addie.” The breath he exhales is tormented and shaky. “I can’t get it out of my head. The shit they would do to the three of you.”

“I know it’s easy for me to say, but try not to think about it. Don’t let it take up space in your head. We’re safe here. With you. Nothing like that’s going to happen. You won’t let it.”

“What if I can’t stop them? What if they come here and there’s nothing I can do? Look how just one of them fucked me up. How the hell would I stop half a dozen? A dozen? More?”

“You don’t have to do it alone,” Esme reminds him. “There’s a lot of people here that have your back. And stop doubting yourself. What happened the other night has no bearing on the things you can do. I know what you’re capable of. And even all banged up and bruised, I’d still trust you to protect us over anyone else.”

He shakes his head. “You have way too much faith in me.”

“Faith. Confidence. Trust. I have all those. And they’re always there. Because I know you won’t back down when it comes to protecting us. There’s nothing you wouldn’t do and no limits or boundaries you won’t push. Do you think any of the people here actually care about us? We’re just money to them. A paycheck. We’re way more than that to you.”

“You guys are everything to me. My entire life. My entire world. There’s nothing I won’t do to keep from losing that.”

“I know. When you love, you love huge and deep. And you’re fierce and you’re strong in that love and that’s how I know everything is going to be okay. As long as you’re here. I’m not worried about a goddamn thing. Other than you of course.”

He grins. “I knew that was coming.”

“You need sleep, Tyler. You can’t keep pushing your body’s limits like this. Especially when you’re not healthy. You need sleep and you need to eat better and you need to stop beating yourself up mentally. Because I hate seeing you go through this. I hate not being able to help you.”

“You DO help me,” he assures her. “More than you realize. It’s the only place...you’re the only person...I feel safe with. You’re the only that I can trust. You’re the one constant in my life; I know you’re going to be there even if I’m a fucking mess and I’m falling apart. I just know you’ll be there. That I can count on you and that you won’t think I’m weak or pathetic even if I do feel that way.”

“Baby…” she places a hand on the back of his head, nails lightly scratching at his scalp. “...you’re far from being weak and pathetic. The FARTHEST from it. You’re so strong and you’re brave and you’re resilient and you’ll stop at nothing to keep us safe. What happened that night was just a setback. That could have happened to anyone.”

“I’m not just anyone.”

“You’re not invincible, Tyler. You’re a human being. Let yourself be one. You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t screw up. You’re not slowing down and you’re not slipping. These things just happen. And you’re here and that’s all that matters. That you’re okay. Anyone else would have given up. But you don’t know what it is to give up.”

“I couldn’t give up. I didn’t want to leave you. Or the kids. If it was seven years...before you...before US...I probably wouldn’t have fought it. I wouldn’t have given a shit. But all I could think about the other night was you and my kids and how I wasn’t ready to let that all go. I especially wasn’t ready to let US go.”

She gives a teary smile, then kisses his cheek and the corner of his mouth. It takes her breath away. How a man that is so big and so powerful...intimidating even…can be so gentle in both his words and actions. That someone who is capable of inflicting brutal punishment and immense pain, can love so deeply. She doesn’t know what to say in response; if he even wants or expects her to say anything. Instead she leans into him; his arm tightening around her as she rests the side of her head against his chest. And neither of them speak for several long minutes. Enjoying the breeze and listening to the rustle of the trees and the soft, happy noises that Addie makes as she feeds.

“She keeps eating like she is, she’s going to start packing on the weight,” Esme remarks, as she moves the baby to the other breast. “Not that that’s a bad thing. She needs to. She is way too small.”

“You’re just used to them being bigger,” Tyler reasons. “So she’s tiny; nothing wrong with that. You’re tiny. I could pick you up and put you in my pocket and carry you around. Like one of those yappy dogs rich women put in their purses.”

“Excuse you! Did you seriously just compare me to a yappy little dog?”

“Well you ARE very chatty.”

“I’m a social being. I like people. You knew that when we met; you knew I was chatty. And you...Mister Anti Social...put up with it. Not only did you put up with it for five days, you’ve put it with it for almost seven years. You married me. You’ve put five babies in me. Now six! So either you’re a glutton for punishment or you secretly enjoy the way I am.”

“Nothing secret about it. I love everything about you. Even when you’re talking my ear off first thing in the morning and I haven’t had coffee yet.”

“You can be such a grumpy bastard in the morning.” she declares. “But you’re MY grumpy bastard. And I have to confess; sometimes I’m extra chatty just to annoy because your snoring pissed me off so bad during the night.”

“That’s okay. I purposefully annoy you sometimes just because you’re so cute when you’re annoyed.”

“Baby, you’re such a sweet talker. And people say romance is dead.”

He grins, then moves his hand up to the side of her head and presses a kiss to her temple.

“And you’ve been very sappy the last couple of days,” she adds. “Not that I’m complaining. You’re just not usually so ‘out there’ with things.”

“The other night scared the shit out of,” he admits. “Made me think about how if I do die, I don’t want you wondering how I really felt about you. About us. I’d rather you know all of that. Just in case.” His eyes are downcast one again; jaw tightly clenched. And he places a palm flat against the bottom of one Addie’s bare feet and then lightly tickles her heel and each toe.

“I already know,” Esme assures him. "I see in your eyes all the time. I hear it in your voice. You say enough without words, believe me. And nothing is going to happen. We’re going to be fine. All this is going to get settled and we’re going to go home and go on with our lives. And I’m going to get fat and gross. Thanks very much for that, by the way.”

“You’re beautiful when you’re pregnant. I mean, you’re beautiful ALL the time. But when you’re having a baby? MY baby? You’re incredible.”

“Goddamn you are so biased.”

Tyler grins. “Maybe. Doesn’t mean it’s less true,”

She smiles, then turns her face into his and presses a kiss to his mouth; long and soft and sweet. Eyes remaining closed when his fingers gently knead the back of her head and his lips find her brow; lingering there for several seconds. It’s pure and so beautiful...so loving...that once against tears fill her eyes. The thought of how she’d close she’d come to never again experiencing these small moments of intimacy just too much to bear.

“What are you doing under there, little peanut?” He peels back the edge of the hoodie and peers underneath. “You tell mommy that’s okay to be tiny as long as you’re healthy. That’s all daddy cares about.”

“Look at the way she looks at you,” Esme says, as Addie immediately stops feeding and flashes a broad smile. “Daddy is definitely your favorite, isn’t he? Not that I blame you, he’s my favorite too. You and your sister are going to have so much power over him. Millie with her blue eyes and you with your big brown ones. He doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Daddy is sitting right there,” he speaks up. “Daddy can hear you.”

“Even she thinks rainbows shoot out of your ass,” Esme scoffs, then removes Addie from the breast and readjusts her shirt and the hoodie. “Look at her. It’s like she thinks you shit glitter and unicorns.”

“I remember when YOU used to look at me like that.”

“I still do. I still think you’re the sexiest man on the face of the earth. How can I not? Eyes like that and an ass like that? No one comes close to you, honey.”

“And here I was thinking you fell in love with me because of my boyish charm and sparkling personality.”

“Yeah...no...sorry. It was definitely the eyes and the muscles and the ass. And your face didn’t hurt either.”

“Mommy only wants me for my body.” he says to Addie, then takes her from Esme’s arms; a hand on the middle of her back as he settles her against his chest.

“You’re so good with her,” Esme praises, then lays a hand on his stomach and her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad it was you that knocked me up all those years ago, just so you know.”

“Yeah, I’m glad it was me too. Things have turned out pretty good for us.”

“They definitely have. She’s so beautiful. They all are. I certainly picked the perfect baby daddy. I think I’ll keep you for the long haul.”

“Good. ‘Cause I sort of want to stick around for...I don’t know...the next forty, fifty years.” He squeezes her hip as his hand rests upon it, then kisses the tip of her nose. “Thank you. For her. For all of them. For us. I know it hasn’t been easy.”

“No. It hasn’t. But it’s been worth it. Every single second and every single hard and shitty time. It’s been worth it. YOU’VE been worth it.”

“Now you’re going to make ME cry.”

“That’s okay. You’re beautiful when you cry. You’re beautiful all the time. But you’re extra pretty when you cry.”

Tyler frowns. “I’m going to let you have those only because I have my little peanut with me and she doesn’t need to hear the language that’s ready to come out of me.”

She laughs at that, then places a kiss on his shoulder and rubs his stomach. “What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?”

“You really want to know?”

Esme nods.

“Nik’s a cunt.”

“Jesus!” Her eyes widen as she looks up at him. “That escalated quickly.”

“Sorry. I know you hate that word. But that’s what she is. I told her about Nathan. About being pretty sure he’s the mole. She said it was all in my head. That I was reading too much into things. That my brain is just fucked and making me think that there’s shit going on.”

Esme snorts. “Nice to see it didn’t take her long to get back on her bullshit. Why do you even involve her in anything? It always ends up like this. Her trying to manipulate you and make you think you’re crazy. She’s never going to change, Tyler. And I regret ever thinking she could.”

“I think she knows more than she’s letting on. I think she might even know where he is. That she’s trying to protect him because she knows I’ll fucking kill him.”

“I knew it. I knew she was fucking him.”

He chuckles. “How’d you know that?”

“Women know these things about other women. She knew I was fucking you. In Dhaka.”

“In all fairness, the entire team knew we were fucking in Dhaka. We were staying in the same room for five days. It probably would have surprised them more if we DIDN’T fuck.”

“She really loves banging the hired help, doesn’t she. She’s got a thing for mercs?”

“Apparently. Her old rich friends can’t get it up so she relies on one of us to get the job done. She basically laughed it all off. Said I was imagining things. That I’m ‘reaching’ because I’m looking for someone to punish.”

“Well for what it’s worth, I thought your argument for Nathan as the mole was pretty sound. It makes sense. You’re not a stupid man, Tyler. Far from it. What’s your gut telling you?”

“That he’s either the mole or he’s playing some part in all of this.”

“Is there any way to prove it? Some way you can find out for sure?”

“Do you have any contacts with the Corps still?”

“Maybe...why?”

“Think you could pull some strings? Dig into his past?”

“I think I could try.”

“Would you? Try? For me? Please?”

She nods.

“Thank you.” He presses a kiss to her forehead. “You won’t believe who she does think is the mole.”

“Right about now, it wouldn’t be a surprise if she said it was me.”

“I honestly would have lost my shit if she even suggested it. Ovi. She thinks it’s Ovi.”

“Ovi?” Esme can’t help but laugh. “Ovi as in OUR Ovi?”

Tyler nods.

“What the hell? Why would she suspect him? Of all goddamn people.”

“She thinks he’s been in contact with his old man.”

“We already know he is. Mahajan’s been trying to get him to take over the family biz. But that doesn’t mean he’s a mole. That’s ridiculous.”

“She says there’s proof he’s been to the prison a dozen or so times.”

“Proof? What kind of proof?”

“Visitor logs, apparently.”

“Anyone can sign someone’s name. It probably happens all the time. Is there actual confirmation of this? Security cameras, witnesses that saw him?”

“I didn’t ask about witnesses. But she said most of the prison doesn’t have working cameras.”

Esme snorts. “How fucking convenient.”

“That’s exactly what I said.”

“I can’t believe she suspects him. Of all people. Ovi is not a mole. He’s a good kid. Well, young man now. But he’s a good person with a good heart. He’d never do anything like that to me or the kids. Look at what he did for us; during the whole McMann thing. He took our kids...all four...and kept them safe. He wouldn’t do that and then turn around and do something like this. She’s way off bases. You don’t believe her, do you?”

“What? No. I don’t. She doesn’t know him like we do.”

“Because you have that look on your face. The one that says you’re questioning something. Don’t do it, Tyler. Don’t let her in your head. We both know that Ovi wouldn’t do something like this. He loves you. He idolizes you. And he’d never...ever...betray you like that.”

“I wish I could get a hold of him. Talk to him. But I don’t want to draw any attention to him either. It’s better if I just lay low right now. Stay off their radar.”

“Do you want me to call him?” Esme suggests. “Because I don’t mind getting to the bottom of all this and proving Nik wrong. I know you have to fly under the radar, but it doesn’t mean I have to. I’ll do it. You know I will.”

“I think it’s better if we BOTH fly under the radar for now. At least until I’m back about eighty percent. Just in case.”

“Okay,” she reluctantly agrees, then shrugs out of the hoodie and drapes it over Addie. “But I don’t mind stirring the shit pot.”

Tyler grins. “Oh I know you don’t.”

“Like, fuck her for throwing him under the bus. Ovi would never do something like this. We’re his family. We’re his parents. He’s always said that. That we didn’t make him, but we’re still his mom and dad. He loves you way too much to ever hurt you. You know that, right?”

He nods.

“Don’t let her in, Tyler. She’s done it too many times before. Don’t let it happen. Okay?”

He nods and manages a small smile. “Okay.”

“Now come to bed.” she encourages as she stands. “It’s really late and I hate sleeping alone.”

“I can’t sleep. I just can’t.”

“At least close your eyes and try and rest. Even just a little? Please?” She pushes her hair off his forehead. “You can’t go on like this. Not sleeping. Your body will give up on you eventually. We need you better and back on your feet. And that won’t happen if you don’t get some rest.”

“I don’t want to close my eyes,” he admits. “ As soon as I close them, all I can see is the shit from that dream. What those fucking asshole do to you and Addie and Millie.”

“Okay...no...stop…” She stands behind his thighs and takes his face in her hands. “...stop that, Tyler. Stop torturing yourself like this. Because I’m right here and your baby girl is in your arms and Millie is asleep and safe in her room. Don’t do this yourself. Please don’t.”

“I’ll try.”

“Come to bed,” Esme insists, and pecks the bridge of his nose.

“I’ll be in a little while. “I’ll…”

“I said come...to...bed…” she speaks in between kisses to his lips, then captures the bottom one between her teeth. “...now.”

“Oh…” he grins. “...you mean come to bed in THAT way.”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” she confirms, then takes Addie from him. “I’m going to put her in the nursery and then I’m going to wait for you. I’ll give you ten minutes. You’re not inside by then, I’m staring without you.”

“I might want to see THAT.”

“I’ll indulge you if you don’t keep me waiting,” she promises, then disappears inside.

#tyler rake #tyler rake fan fiction #tyler rake fan fic #extraction #extraction 2020 #best part of me #chris hemsworth character

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amyltia · 5 years ago

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Emma and her mirrors (Jane Austen)

Emma and her mirrors or vanity and doubles in Emma of Jane Austen

I recently read Emma and I loved it ! I probablly is basics in Emma studies but I was amazed by the number of doubles in it, all enlighnting the character of Emma herself and showing from the beginning of the novel how afraid (?) or at least far from love Emma tries to keep herself.

Harriet : Emma’s inferior and uninentional victim

In Emma you can’t live romance indirectly, or it backfires to you, that whas Emma first lesson. Through Harriet, Emma can display her interest in romance (that’s what matchmaking is about : living romances without actually living them, so it’s safier because she doesn’t need to live her own romances). She repeats that she won’t mary but this matchmaking actually shows that she does have a big interest in romance but doesn’t want to get too near this side of herself (until the end of the novel when she has to face it).

That’s why she feels so much guilt toward Harriet : she used her. When it doesn’t hurt Harriet it is ok but this game of Emma ends up hurting Harriet and it is Emma fault on many levels : she put ideas in her head but more than that she used Harriet as a shield, living romances through a window, only the window got hurt and it showed Emma how unfairly and selfishly she treated Harriet, her tho unintentional, victim however. The catharsis backfired and it hurts with guilt.

More than in romance, Emma makes Harriet and sees her as a double of herself : she educates her and make her feel and think like her. But Emma sees her as a inferioir double of herself : Harriet must set for someone she Emma wouldn’t care for, Mr Elton or Mr Churchill once she Emma is certain that she doesn’t love him - that’s why Harriet saying she loves Mr Knightley is such a shock for Emma, because he is on Emma’s level, not Harriet’s.

Jane Fairfax : Emma’s superior and rival as a heroine

She is Emma’s rival from infancy : compared from their childhood at Emma’s disadvantage in accomplishments. We then learn that Emma always considered Jane as a rival of her unconfessed love for Mr Knightley.

But she is more than that : she is her rival as a heroine. It’s Jane who has all the characteristics of a fairy tale heroine : she is beautiful, kind, talented but poor, her birth circumstances are complicated and she is an orphan (lost her parents and raised by a kind benefactor), just like Cinderella. Indeed, she ends up engaged to the rich and handsome prince (or beast if we go for the Beauty and the Beast pattern) that elevates her status and save her from misery. She is also the one whose love story is told (even secretly) during the most part of the novel, it is to her that most of the things happens directly (note : Emma has a very interesting statut : she chooses to remain a side-character of the romances around her but also by being at the crossroads of all of them and influencing them she is the main protagonist of the novel) ; the final revelation of the long last engagment is very novel-like. This Jane would be deserving and could compete for a fairy tale heroine role, much like Fanny Price’s in Mansflied Park.

Mrs Elton : the worse in Emma

Towards Mrs Elton, Emma feels nothing but disgust. She is an anti-role model for her and a warning of Emma’s own faults. Emma and Mrs Elton have one big point in common : they love to be first. Emma can’t stand Mrs Elton because they want the same thing (this is the scene when Mrs Weston tells Emma that she has to let Mrs Elton lead the dance, instead of Emma - to Emma’s disappointment) and Emma condemns in Mrs Elton what she would condemn in herself too if she saw it, that’s why Emma’s disgust in Mrs Elton is so ironic and funny. Her own pride is speaking because it makes them “rivals” but it also shows that Emma has enough judgment to condmen this fault, at least in others, and knowing her application in imporving herself it shows Emma in a good light too, while also allowing Jane Austen to condemn it indirectly in Emma herself.

Another one is that they love to have protegees : what Emma does with Harriet is not so different than what Mrs Elton does with Jane. They help them and care for them, but with or withtout realizing it, they use their little friend in a very selfish way : to make themselves feel like always the superior and powerful one, in other words because they like to be first. It’s not manipulation because they really do what they think best for their friends and tho a mistake it doesn’t erase the kindness in the act (at least on Emma side). Both Emma and Mrs Elton by insisting on controling Harriet and Jane are not helping at all and it is then all more funny and ironic to see Emma pity Jane who has to endure the constant “help” of Mrs Elton, while this is exactly what Emma herself does with Harriet.

Addendum - When Emma of Jane Austen meets french author La Bruyere and his Characters :

Chapter XII. OF OPINIONS

(72.) The same faults which are dull and unbearable in others are in their right place when we have them; they do not weigh us down, and are hardly felt. One man, speaking of another, draws a terrible likeness of him, and does not in the least imagine that at the same time he is painting himself.

If we could see the faults in other people, and could be brought to acknowledge that we possess the same faults, we would more readily amend them; it is when we are at a right distance from them, and when they appear what they really are, that we dislike them as much as they deserve.

From La Bruyere, The Characters, 1688 - quoted from this translation

Dear Emma is he talking about you ? Though completely unrelated of course, when I read this from La Bruyere I thought of Emma and Mrs Elton. Emma despises Mrs Elton but she doesn’t see that they have a lot in common, and the faults she easily sees in Mrs Elton, she doesn’t see them in herself. NB. I think this quote from La Bruyere could apply to many Jane Austen characters : if I remember Lizzie and Darcy at some point admit that they have some faults in common.

Frank Churchill : the exact double of Emma

He is her true double. They have the same character (open, warm, playful) and the same faults (inconsideration and a little selfishness, but they are aware of it and want to improve themselves) and the same fate (marrying people, I think Emma says it at the end, “better than themselves” and able to guide them in the right path). The two couples, Emma/Mr Knightley and Jane/Frank are exact double with Emma = Frank and Jane = Mr Knightley. (Note : Making Jane a double of Emma and also of Mr Knightley...that’s why even tho mirrors play no part in the novel I called this little essay Emma and her mirrors, because the reflection mecanism gets pretty interwined). Emma herself tells Frank about the “likeness” between them, so Jane Austen emphatizes this mirror relation between the two couples at the end of the novel.

Conclusion v.1

Why so many mirrors ? It’s a real question. We don’t see so many doubles in all the others Austen novels, so why does Jane Austen use so many diffferent mirrors to portray Emma ? It’s the first Jane Austen novel that has me wonder so much about it structure and writing.

I realize it may allow to condemn Emma without actually be condamning her but why ? Also it may be because she isn’t a very active character, she is very peaceful actually, so it allows Jane Austen to keep her out of troubles and make her a homie girl, while showing the contours/edges of her character by using more novel-like characters. Because it seems to me that while she speaks and think in a very novel-like way (she “fancies” a loot, like with the gypsies/Harriet/Frank) she is not the most novel-like character of Jane Austen : not much happens directly to her (it is arguable because some things do, like Mr Elton proposal, and Mr Knightey’s but during the whole Frank Churhill arc she is really a side-character in his secret and untold story - it’s like there is a hidden novel in the novel, and this configuration makes me wonder about Emma’s statut as a heroine). [to complete]

Please if I said something absolutely wrong do not hesitate to tell me

#emma woodhouse #emma #emma meta #jane fairfax #jane austen #jane austen meta #knightley #la bruyere #french author #characters

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wiinterrose · 5 years ago

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( xavier serrano , male , he/him, 23 ) omg ! i was walking yonge street downtown , and you’ll never guess who i saw . 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐋 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐒 ! i just saw a post about them on sixsecrets ! i think it said something like “ 𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐘 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝟓 𝐀𝐌 : 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐄𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ?” . isn’t that wild ? i guess it makes sense through , since they’re apparently 𝐃𝐔𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐒 and 𝐂𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 . but i’ve heard they’re also 𝐎𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 and 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂 ! i’ll just stick to giving them the benefit of the doubt . i mean , it’s not like i know them personally — they’re a famous 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑 / 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐁𝐄𝐑 ! you know , i’ve actually heard rumors that ██████████████████, but they’re just rumors … i think . i dunno . if you happen to run into them , tell them i’m their biggest fan ! ( ollie , they / them , 21 , est )

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘

— mikey was born and raised in winnipeg because i think it’s funny when characters are from winnipeg. if you’re from winnipeg i’m so sorry. definitely was born on the coldest day of that year ( so like some point in january )

— but because of those long, cold harsh winters, mikey found himself in a dance studio a lot. his aunt was a dance teacher and with rather absent parents who meant well but both had long hours at the local hospital, he spent a lot of time with her. he fell in love with dance pretty early on, always having a certain fluidity and grace even when he was young.

— random but he also played hockey up until he was like 16 or whatever because he’s canadian and i’m not stupid. it happened. he can still skate tho. in a slightly different life he probably would have been a pretty good figure skater huh 🤔🤔🤔 but anyway...

— also feel like it makes sense that he did gymnastics. and trained in classical ballet.

— he went to university of toronto for college, studying kinesology and dance, and danced at one of the prestigious studios in the city.

— his big break moment was when in his sophomore year at ut, he made it onto the second season of world of dance in early 2017 ( lets pretend that show has been on longer than it has bc i don’t want it to be the first season of it sldk ). he made it all the way to the finals and quickly become a fan favorite along the way. though he ultimately placed second and missed out on the million dollars, that was the beginning of many doors opening for him. ( for those who, might have the vaguest clue what i’m talking about : i’m highkey feeling like, michael dameski style which is an idea i had after i named him michael so don’t @ me for him having the same first name ).

— millions watched that show, including some prominent agents and scouts who were able to help him launch a professional dance career : something he never thought he’d see himself actually doing. his first big gig was making the dance team for some singer’s north american tour, and he ended up not returning to ut to pursue a professional dance career full time. since then he’s danced in a few music videos for some uber famous musican ( same one he went on tour with or not idk ?? also a wc ?? maybe ?? ), a tv show, couple movies, and other various gigs around the city. he works part time at a studio when he has time, and has been honing his choreography skills as well.

— he makes enough dancing, but certainly not enough to make him RICH. no, that come from an impromptu vlog he did while on tour with aforementioned singer. having already garnered a following from world of dance, he soon rose to youtube fame as well, something he never could have predicted. i feel like his videos are very just, day in a life with various random challenges mixed in, and various workout and flexibility tips. he also still does pieces and duets with other prominent dancers just for fun too. his natural charisma and attitude really just carries him through easily lmao.

— mikey developed a bit of a habit of sleeping around when he left for college, all the newfound freedom was just intoxicating and well. he was hot so. it wasn’t like it was hard alsdkjf. that stuck around well into his blossoming dance career. nothing that was enough to be scandalous, but he made his way around. and then a year and a half into this unforeseen new life, he met matthew glass.

— he’d had a couple serious relationships before, one in high school, one his freshman year of college but neither of them could hold a flame to what he felt when he was with matt. perfection wasn’t something mikey believed in, but he almost did with what they had.

— it was like for over a year and a half he lived in this insane dream, and then mikey and matt broke up and he was devastated ( behind closed doors and with curtains pulled tightly shut ).

— he then proceeded to broadcast how perfectly fine he was doing by going back to his old ways and sleeping around obsessively, this time with very little regard as to how many headlines he was making. as far as coping mechanisms go, i guess sex is better than alcohol ?? not to say he wasn’t also drunk at times l o l.

𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂

— mikey is a... how do u say... im gunna write manwhore bc it’s accurate so pls don’t take offense. inch resting bc i’ve written smut like once in my eight year rping career but that’s what he decided he was gunna be and who am i to deny that.

— very bi. very much does not care. if the world didn’t know he was before, it definitely does now lmao. he hasn’t come out in the sense he’s like posted a video about it and said “i’m bisexual” but it’s pretty obvious from the media and maybe he has gotten asked in interviews and has just shrugged and been like does it matter ?? i’m sorry he’s not the vocal bi ally we need. perhaps we will work on that.

— hasn’t dated anyone since matt bc he’s highkey lowkey still hung up on him but no one needs to know that right. outwardly, he’s very much the same : seemingly happy, but he’s a lot more careful with his heart and letting people close to him. if anything he’s become a bit of a two-way mirror, always seeing out but never really letting people see in, just what they want to see.

— probably goes without saying but extremely flexible. idk if any of you know who juuse saros is but apparently he can twerk in a split and i’m not saying mikey can but like. he just might be able to...

— straight up does not get cold. never wears more than a hoodie, probably danced shirtless in the middle of winter just fine. at least being from winnipeg is good for one ( 1 ) thing.

— i feel like people call him flower. idk guys. maybe im just thinking too much abt hockey goalies.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

— he tends to be extremely underestimated as he comes across a bit dumb and generally has a pretty positive outlook on life which people confuse for him being naive when that isn’t the case. but he’s found he can use that it his advantage and that sometimes, people will tell him things they think he can’t understand but he hears and remembers everything. it’s helped him out of a few difficult situations before.

— i feel like he has a bit of ethan dolan’s personality & dumbass energy idk guys...

— live in the moment kind of dude. his motto is probably like : you just gotta know what you want to do next. i mean looking back on his life it’s been pretty crazy and that’s only solidified his outlook that like, you really can’t control too much. just let it go where it takes you.

— people do like him though and they like talking to him for whatever reason. generally has pretty trustworthy vibes but he’s more slippery than he comes across. he’s a selfish person at heart and always has his own best interests in mind, even if it doesn’t seem that way at first.

— extroverted. i think ??

𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

— 6′1″. chocolate brown eyes. curly brown hair. he has a lithe but extremely fit build due to his career. his core strength is especially impressive.

— he has a monochromatic lineart tattoo of a rose on his left forearm / wrist and a butterfly ( again monochromatic & just lineart ) on his right shoulder. small scar at the base of his neck by his ear from an unfortunate hockey accident.

— needs glasses but usually only wears contacts unless he’s in his apartment late at night.

— he’s not overly fashionable, going more for comfort than how he generally looks. on a regular day, he’s probably got the whole... college athlete look going if you know what i mean. a big fan of mirrored aviator sunglasses. wouldn’t know what dressing up meant even if it slapped him in the face.

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

first and foremost i want to say that i like to vibe and brainstorm with people to come up with unique connections between our characters but here are a few ideas:

— the singer whose tour he danced on — singer whose music videos he’s been in — mayhaps even actors for that tv show / movie he was in ( v small role but whatevs. maybe they just Vibed yknow ) — flirtationship 😔 — always ye ol good hookup l o l — we keep running into each other idk maybe we should talk ??

TAKEN CONNECTIONS PAGE HERE

𝐎𝐎𝐂

hey guys, i’m ollie. my intros are either written really eloquently or a big mess bc im trying to rub together a couple braincells at 1 am and whatever comes out, comes out. no need to guess which category this one falls into lmAO. anyway, i’m a slow plotter bc i’m easily overwhelmed trying to do too many things at once but i swear i will try to get to as many people as i can. and yeah this entire character is inspired by my love of world of dance don’t @ me... if u made it all the way down here u should watch this bc 😳 & mikey has the same athleticism and strength.

#sixhqintro #( so....#this be a hot mess !!!!#but..#he's here lmao #hmu )#( im going to sleep soon bc it's almost 2 am and i have work tomorrow lmao )

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ivyisms · 4 years ago

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- ̗̀ NOW INTRODUCING: IVES ❝ IVY ❞ SERRANO !

( DANNA PAOLA, 24, CISFEMALE ) I just bumped into IVES "IVY" SERRANO the other day while walking down NORTH Kingsboro, where SHE lives. I hear they can be SEDUCTIVE and MANIPULATIVE, but when I think of them I immediately think about ROSE PETAL BLUNTS, STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE, AND SIX INCH STILETTOS.

hi hello it’s tay back again w another one of my demon spawn muses !! apparently chaotic bisexuals w fcs from elite is just my brand™️ but anyway ivy is probably my favorite oc i’ve ever made so i have A Lot to say abt this messy bitch !! if u go H E R E i have a very long stats/bio page with pretty much everything i could think of BUT i will try to summarize the main points semi-concisely

- ̗̀♡ — › background !

the main thing u need to know about ivy is that she is lying ! always !! her real name isn’t even actually ivy smh

she was born natalie rose serrano, to two working class parents in new york city. she knew from a young age that she was just supposed to be rich and famous, and that something had gotten mixed up somewhere and she was put in the wrong life.

she started to embody an entirely new persona that she had created for herself, dancing under the name poison ivy and telling everyone she was a trust fund baby that had been cut off from her rich parents, needing to dance to supplement her income, and her lies just continued to spiral out of control until she almost started to believe it herself. she had never told anyone at the club her real name, not even the other strippers, just going by “ivy” for a while.

she had learned to weaponize the power she had over people by being pretty and charming, using her looks for absolute evil and doing whatever it took to get money—from straight up pickpocketing, to making men buy her expensive gifts, to blackmailing, to sugar babying, to getting patrons wasted and manipulating them into tipping her absurd amounts... she did it all, very quickly earning enough to live the life she had always dreamed of, that she felt she deserved for whatever twisted reason.

she’s probably been in kingsboro for a few years, living in a super fancy one bedroom apartment that she definitley doesn’t pay for ( she doesn’t even know how much her rent is tbh )

eventually she stopped dancing and just focused on her influencing or whatever, but she never stopped sugar babying and scamming rich stupid men, still very much using that as a means to keep up her lifestyle. she’s also done a few modeling things, but it’s mostly just like catalog work or being the face of a trendy campaign bc she’s way too short for the runway

so basically she’s jus here making money being pretty and pulling a long ass scam on... everyone

- ̗̀♡ — › personality !

she’s a real two faced bitch... she has perfected the art of becoming whoever she thinks other people want her to be, quickly adapting her personality to get whatever she wants

she’s usually pretty friendly actually, really charming and outgoing and just trying to have a good time

she has a pretty short temper tho and holds grudges like you wouldn’t believe, so once you’re on her bad side... good luck lol she is so ruthless

she’s like... deeply, deeply selfish and will always put herself first, but she’s so manipulative that she can make people do things that they think are their idea, but it’s really just something she planted in their head so it’s not always obvious