#like i must notice every noise and pay attention every time something moves in my peripheral vision. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dndfuckhouse · 2 years ago

Text

Whistling away the time, floating through the sky...

FEATURING

DAY TWO > Cimmorro and Vinny in the morning - 10/6

DAY FOUR > Cimmorro cuts Han’s hair - 27/4 > Cimmorro and Finn on the Deck Ft. Vinny - 5/4

DAY FIVE > Keva’s Writing Lesson with Cimmorro -10/4

DAY SIX > Keva’s Follow Up Lesson - 25/4 > Finn and Psalm in the Hallway - 25/4 > Finn’s Speaks to Cimmorro and Vinny - 10/4

—————————————————————————

The Helpful Timeline Diagram

—————————————————————————

Cimmorro and Vinny in the morning 27/6

Cimmorro stirs awake only to find himself still being held by Vinny on his bed. aside from the fact that vinny relatively still has a firm hold on him, the image of them is especially funny with Jasper sleeping next to his head on the pillow, not really leaving any room for him to move freely as he wishes to while being sandwiched between the two.

Cimmorro: he's given up trying to get out of it halfway into the night after hearing vinny make an upset noise every time he tried to pry out of it... dealing with a drunk tantrum was not something he was in the mood for (apart from the warmth also being pleasant), so eventually he settled after he got over how ridiculous and embarrassing they must look. not that it matters... no one's there to see.. and yet...! choosing to shake his mind off of that once more, he realizes he's getting hungry and he hasn't even been able to change out of his clothes from the night before. eventually he'll have to wake the man up and decides now is the time. "oi, vinny..." he brings a hand up to poke and nudge vinny by his shoulders as he calls out for his name. "you're gonna make me act up," his voice is laced with jesting even through the pouting. "i charge per hour you know! your tab's not looking good!" Vinny: vinny's restful sleep is surprising to himself more than anything, perhaps the alcohol was more effective as a sleep aid than he'd anticipated or it was whatever cimmorro had said he'd cast on him last night but he feels almost refreshed as he comes to consciousness. feeling a prodding on his shoulder followed by some chatter he grunts with his eyes still closed, his sleep being so peaceful almost makes him want to tunnel further into the bed and reclaim it again. not to mention how warm and comfortable the bed feels at the moment, whoever it is could wait a moment right..? he grips his pillow a little tighter and makes a noise of recognition at whoever it is talking to him in his sleep addled haze as he rolls a little to the side. Cimmorro: cimm makes a noise when vinny makes his hold on him known again and towing him wherever the sleepiness decides to take him... his voice wasn't particularly quiet when he called out, which leads to him wondering if vinny really that sleepy or he's messing with him, knowing at this point that he is a bit cheeky if he wanted to be. the thought of vinny fucking with him now makes him a little annoyed, flustered even, especially after he tried to be considerate... how dare he! he frowns to himself for a moment as he concocts how to get his revenge. it only takes a second for a flash of mischief to glint in his eyes until he mewls out, loudly and dramatically. "oh! to think you're the type to take advantage of me like this! your hands that were all over me last night, now rest on my waist, possessively--" surely that will wake him, he thinks Vinny: half paying attention to what's being spoken to him, he only just notices its cimmorro's voice. not that he expected otherwise with him being his roommate and it probably being the start of the morning. he makes another grunting sound and tilts his head in its direction confused for a moment before cracking his eyes open a fraction, he blearily stares at cimmorro's face, not quite registering his words still "......hands?" as if that were the only word he actually processed he glances down at his own for a longer amount of time than necessary before actually understanding the situation he's currently in.he blinks a few more times rapidly as his face grows red before turning his head quickly left and right "er, h-huh..!?" he removes his arms with an unknown before to him speed and wriggles them away from the grip he had the man in, quickly becoming embarrassed. hes about to move to sit up and say something else before noticing jasper perched by their heads. he blinks over at her instead almost transfixed "...huh...." Cimmorro: a smirk finds its way on cimm's face as he watches vinny come to (and jasper bapping vinny's forehead a good morning). as slow as it was, it was still a victory that counted for him. in the next moment, he perches himself up with an arm, looks away with false tears and even faker moping. "not even an apology? how cruel..." he looks like this

Vinny: after receiving his greeting from jasper he blinks and looks back over at cimmorro, he quickly sits up and backs up to the wall against the bed squinting over at him, he starts stammering his words "i-i uh..." he looks around confused as if trying to ascertain whose bed they're even in "h-how..? i mean, sorry?" he starts messing with his hair anxiously as he's unable to spot his glasses in the messy sheets "w-where... what...why are you..?" he gestures at the two of them with his other hand as he rubs his forehead, not out of any ache but to try and keep it occupied.he tries to buffer his embarrassment but finds he is failing miserably, especially as he's sure he's being messed with but also he feels he is actually responsible for something here, and he also cant quite tell if the expression on cimmorro's face is actually serious or not in the blur. this plays out in the expressions on face almost too clearly, the morning surprise stopping him from being able to temper his reactions. Cimmorro: cimmorro side eyes the delayed reaction all amused. when vinny asks, he puts an arm over his own face and wails towards the ceiling going, "and he doesn't even remember the passionate night we shared...!" turning fully away from him, but only to get vinny's glasses from the bedside table and turning back again put it on him the next second giving vinny a clear vision of cimm's poor attempt to stifle a laugh behind a wobbly smile. his jesting is cut short, however, when vinny touches his own forehead and cimm finds himself concerned about him sporting a hangover. was his spell not enough? "oh, are you okay?" Vinny: he stares with a lopsided expression still embarrassed as cimmorro places the glasses onto his face. taking in his amused expression though he lets out a small huff, assured now nothing untoward occurred but still confused on how they ended up in bed together. he blinks as he drops the joking though, glancing at his own hand again "h-huh? oh no, its f-fine. never felt better honestly" he recalls the pleasant sleep he had again and grows redder suddenly coming to a conclusion in his own head. he bends over forwards to hide his face in his hands groaning to himself. Cimmorro: after recounting how tense the night before ended, cimmorro's only genuinely relieved to hear his roommate rested with ease. vinny misses the warm smile that was on cimm's face the same moment he buried his face in his hands. "you're welcome," is all he teases with a hand ruffling vinny's already tussled hair. his next words sounded more sincere and soft, however, vinny hearing him say "you needed it." a moment passes and cimm shuffles back to lounge on the bed and rest his head next to jasper on the pillow. he stretches a bit with a groan and yawns out, "my back is sore now, though." jasper yawning in sync with his before stretching her wings herself, partially covering his face and getting a laugh out of him. Vinny: he tries to push his self consciousness out of the way as cimmorro ruffles his hair, starting to feel a little childish. sensing the kindness of his words however he looks up again once cimmorro's settled down to lounge, his face less red. he looks as if he were going to say something in response until the second sentence stops him. he stares at cimmorro a little wide eyed in surprise. "what on earth gave you a sore back..." he racks his memory, most of the night is in tact. maybe he missed a dare where one of them tried to backflip a table however. he almost stubbornly refuses to entertain any other implication the words could have, trying to quell the blush from rising once more.

Cimmorro: cimm perks up from giving jasper her morning kisses and smooches when vinny raises the question, staring at him with a brow raised and an amused smile then simply answering him with a "you." Vinny: he pauses a moment then squints a little staring at cimmorro's face, he raises a hand to scratch his chin confused "....h-how?" Cimmorro: "first," he starts recounting as jasper curls herself on his chest. "i helped you get all the way back to our room from the dining all by myself. second, you decided to pull me into the bed with you and lock me there. and third... well... if you want me to go into detail..." he brings both of his hands to his face, faking a shy maiden look. like but smiling 🫣 Vinny: as cimmorro re-illuminates him on the nights events he starts rubbing half of his face with his hand out of embarrassment, closing his eyes he rubs the bridge of his nose after "...i-i'm uh.... very sorry. t-this is why i try not to drink to excess..." he senses cimmorro is simply goofing around and decides not touching the third one is the best course of action for keeping the morning relatively peaceful. he glances over at jasper again as a way to try to not make eye contact "...and i-i suppose she wanted to join..." Cimmorro: "don't be," he waves a carefree hand. he takes a pause before he says, "i feel that i'm the one who owes you an apology... i may have taken it a bit too far. sorryyyyyyyy~" his apology is slightly childish, accompanied with a tongue sticking out a little bit but, somehow, still genuine. "if you're only worrying about me, i'm fine. it was fun, you told me some pretty interesting things!" he laughs. when vinny turns his focus on jasper, he responds, "may have gotten jealous after you stole me from her last night," to which jasper responds with a one-sided flick of her ear and a peaceful face, evidently used to cimm's teasing. Vinny: he tilts his head a little, finally dropping his hand from his face as he tries to shake the shame away still a little embarrassed "i mean you said you'd get me d-drunk so no need to apologise, i don't remember some of the questions near the end though but i do recall crying... hopefully that was interesting?" he snorts a little and thinks to himself how that must have been a fun sight before turning his head to jasper "my apologies...." he bows his head as if speaking to royalty, finally laughing a little to himself. he pauses for a few more seconds smiling at her before looking back at cimmorro and getting embarrassed again "...so...plan to spend the whole morning here, do you..?"

Cimmorro: cimm makes a scrunched face when vinny brushes off the apology. he still feels bad that it went as far as him crying over legitimate worries, which then causes him blinks up at him, a little surprised that he recalls crying at all. "mmm... interesting is one way i'd put it..." he says, pausing to let the thought linger while he idly untangles some of jaspers fur between his fingers. "it was also less about me asking things and more of you just talking on your own volition really... i was impressed, you looked like you were about to pass out any moment, yet you kept going like a champ. i learned about shorewater's taxes in one night!" a vague smile finds its way to his face as he says that like 😊 and continues. "as for why you were crying... let's just say you were taken aback by my wondrous charms," he freely snickers then.at the inquiry of his plans, he sits up and looks at vinny with puppy dog eyes, another one of his theatrics starting once more. "are we not welcome? a-after i serviced you all night...! gasp jasper," and he picks her up to bring to his own face, "he's kicking us out...!" the fake sobs ensues. Vinny: he coughs suddenly a little shy "i... well there's alot to say about the cities taxes... if you owned a stall im sure you'd have been grousing alongside me" he knows he has the habit to ramble even when hes not drunk so he's not surprised the drink exacerbated that. he glances at his direction again "i dont know if being drunk would effect how i see you much..." he seems a little curious about why cimmorros being avoidant about it but soon makes a face and shakes his head at the theatrics "i-i know that is not what happened..!" he coughs into his hand again "y-you can stay, i was just wondering if you were trying to continue teasing me about dragging you here..." he leans over to the side to try and find a journal near the end of the bed, hoping to get something done for the morning at least Cimmorro: cimm gives him a slightly confused look at the drunken comment like what's that supposed to mean... maybe he can try pushing it just a little bit. why not. "i already know how you see me, you told me last night! but tell me again anyway so i can see which vinny is lying to me..." [insert the rock raised eyebrow pic here] he watches vinny continue to bumble about, amused and curious, eyeing how his hands reaches and scans for something.

Vinny: he blinks a little surprised that's what cimmorro latched onto, finding it relatively benign as a statement. as he searches around he shakes away the dregs of teasing "...i don't recall any question like that?" he snorts almost amused at his curiosity "a new friend and travelling companion who needs me to save an older friend" he glances back down towards the floor rummaging in his suitcase "fashionable, brainy, overzealous, has a terrible nosey streak and good at finding himself in terrible situations" he leans back up sitting against the wall again, book in hand after having found it "great at keeping me alive however, i dont think drinking would effect this opinion much" he shoots cimmorro a smile as his eyes wander to jasper again Cimmorro: cimm blows raspberries as vinny finishes his tiny speech. at this point, vinny would've probably noticed how cimm has some sort of an unreadable expression whenever he brings up how he sees the two of them as friends. not one of disgust, not one of delight, and more on the contemplative side. 'i guess' is what goes through his mind each time. it's not like he doesn't want to be friends with him, but making friends is not really something he does often so it simply just feels... odd. each time. in this moment, however, he finds himself warming up to it. "that just makes it sound like you have weird taste for friends," he playfully deflects a little with a snort, the attention starting to make him shy ironically after he asked for it. "what's that for?" he juts his chin towards the book. Vinny: he glances at cimmorro's reaction briefly as he retorts with a smile "well you're the one who asked, and here i thought you were eager to know." he settles in a little, moving one of the pillows behind his back "y'know it doesn't work out for me half the time but i like to make them whenever i can" he laughs a little as attention is diverted to the journal "and i could have kept going too with the traits too..." he taps the cover of it with a finger "i like to write out my thoughts and things i need to do in the morning, that's what its for" he shuffles through the pages a little, out of cimm's eyeline "especially today when i need to think and plan out your lessons" he continues on, speaking about the days plans for cimmorro's study, bouncing a few ideas off of him of things he might like to try out now or later. he tries a tries to sneak a few scratches in under jaspers neck as he does, smiling a little to himself as they whittle away the early morning before breakfast.....

Cimmorro cuts Han’s hair - 27/4

After Vinny deemed his practice and studies complete yesterday, Cimmorro finds himself, once again, bored on the ship. it feels a little empty now that his studies are over. He's gone over his spellbook numerous times the entire morning, having a chat with Vinny about them. Eventually, the conversation came to a lull and Vinny decided he wanted to have a snack. having already had his, Cimmorro figures it's time to get some fresh air for him and Jasper in the meantime. He gives a notice to Vinny that he'll walk around the ship by ruffling his hair as he prepares to leave to grab a snack for himself, the act of it reminding him that, right, he still has to take care of Han's hair too. Now there's something to do for today.

Cimmorro: he makes his way out and walks to the direction of han and rokka's room, jasper following suit. the two give their door a friendly knock, only to find a motion sick rokka to answer it, the poor thing. he blubbers something about han being at the deck, and cimm gives his thanks by easing the nausea with a spell. hopefully he'll be able to sleep better now. they make their way to where rokka's wisdom guides them, and cimm looks around for any sign of Han Han: rokka's wisdom says han is on the deck usually, and lo and behold, she is, sitting on one of the rope protected edges, shockingly undisturbed by the crewmen despite it, but u can see all of them giving her dirty looks. shes just looking down at the sea, contemplating whatever she contemplates, one leg swinging off the edge Cimmorro: cimm sighs through a smile, at this point he's used to her attracting attention like this on the ship. he approaches her enough but is careful to not surprise her lest she falls off now. he greets her a cheerful but soft "yoohoooooo, hanny! whatcha doing?" Han: han jumps a bit anyway 😔 and comes out of her mindless staring, turning to face cimm slightly "nothing really. trying to see something in the sea. i didnt think it would get so boring here" =_= "and you?" Cimmorro: he groans in agreement. "goddess, i knooooooooooow. ugh. i already counted all the strands of fur on jasper at this point." an exaggeration, but he's certain he could do it if he actually tried. "ah, oh, i went out here to look for you actually! do you still wanna hairdress? :3" Han: she laughs and smirks "so bored despite your lessons? vinny must not be teaching you hard enough" she makes an :o face at that "yeah, sure! how- where...?" she starts asking before actually thinking about where to go and how its gonna happen Cimmorro: "vinny said i'm done for now! even though i asked him to give me more, he said my head might give up on itself and i should take it easy for a bit. blech. i feel like my brain's going to die faster out of the lack of shit i can do up here," is what he says, but truthfully it did start to get almost overwhelming on the last topic of formulas they had. so maybe taking a break is best... but that doesn't mean he'll stop pouting about it! he scrunches his face and tilts his head. "actually... good question. i visited rokka and he looked like shit. i had to help him out a bit but he could also be sleeping now, so not your room... and it's too windy out here, too... ah but, vinny's out for a snack right now and i'm sure he wouldn't mind your visit if he decides to come back before we're done."

The two walk on back to Cimmorro and Vinny’s room for the moment, Cimmorro readies himself to go through his second haircut of the trip as Han stares around the room.

Cimmorro: "i think we oughta have you sit on the floor otherwise i won't be able to reach you..." he says, looking a little 😅 he procures an extra blanket and clips to wrap around her, same way he did for vinny. Han: han has a vague idea of what goes into a haircut, and these all seems kind of excessive.... "all this rly needed?" she snorts a bit and plays with the blanket but lets cimm do his thang Cimmorro: she hears him respond behind her while he prepares his tools. "absolutely! or else all the cut strands will itch you all over cause they stick! you're gonna have to soak in the bath after this too." when he moves in front of her he gives her a good look now that they're more or less eye-level, trying to decide what direction to go for her. "hmmm... let's see... i got a couple ideas, but i'm curious if you've ever seen anything you fancied in shorewater yourself. lots of people come and go the inn after all" Han: han is like okay.... whatever u say baws... but she looks like she mostly finds it silly. she watches cimm look over her hair, before thinking over the dreaded hairstyle question "i .. i dont really know....." >_< she gets a bit shyer "i thought, maybe- i saw people have shaving on one side, and it looked cool, but ah..." she seems to still be struggling with the fact that she cut it at all Cimmorro: "oh, i think it's a new style recently too! you'd look so hip and fresh" he goes a little starry eyed at the image in his head. "if we keep it a longer on the other side, you'd be able to braid it whenever you want, since you seem to like that too" he begins brushing her hair gently, untangling anything he comes across. Han: 👉 👈 she twiddles her thumbs n looks down "..you think?" at the starry eyed-ness, at the braid comment she looks up, smiling "i could? that would be good" ^_^ Cimmorro: "i know so!" he huffs with pride. "and yup, even as short as it is, there's still a good handful of choices to style it with." he suddenly gasps at the idea of something. "we could braid it with some ribbons intertwined, too! oh, that would look so pretty on you!" the look on his face seems like he's getting excited and putting a mental note for it to try later Han: han struggles to imagine cimms vision but seems happy to go along with, nodding excitedly

Cimmorro: jasper has found herself a comfortable loafing spot on his bed watching it all unfold as cimm works on han's hair. he continues to ramble about all the possible styles for her hair and how to take care of it in this length. "you know, i find myself pretty amused at how your, and vinny's, and even keva's hairs are so easy to work with... i mentioned my sisters before, no? and how i do their hair? their's are suuuuuper curly and thick. it takes the entire day to get done!" he shares with a little laugh. Han: han listens attentively, trying to comprehend the vast hair knowledge cimm is putting on her. "hmm, are they? because they are flatter?" looks up to study cimms "your hair seems pretty not curly too" she listen to him talk about his sisters and looks worried "woah, really? that sounds like pain in the butt.... although, lot of people come into inn with curly hair, its always very pretty.." 🤔 Cimmorro: "yup, straight and silky. though vinny's a little similar to mine but that also means it makes it easier for me to work with too," he hums before continuing. "yeah, at first i was practically in combat with those things! but now it's not that hard anymore. i mean, i'm no expert but at least they look less like a lion's mane after it got hit by lightning, yknow?" he snorts while separating locks of her hair into parts. "they eventually learned how to do it themselves too... it is very pretty though i agree. i think it's more fun to stick jewelry in them too." Han: imagining said lion being struck by lightening, han goes "that sounds cool though..?" han slyly looks at cimm, not to interrupt his work, thinking about him struggling with getting his own jewelry out after a long day "hmm.. at least its pretty..." han sits in silence for a bit (IF CIMM PERMITS) before asking "are your sisters in krenic now, you think?" Cimmorro: cimm barks a laugh at han's opinion on his absurd example, not one that's meant to insult her but one that's more fond. along the lines of 'yep that's why han's the best.' at her question, he nods. "yup, they're at my temple. i spoke to one of em a little bit and they're actually anticipating me to arrive soon!" he says happily, his tail mirroring his mood. Han: han smiles, good mood being contagious "thats good to hear." she adds on, more teasingly, "would be nice to see them myself, if you permit" Cimmorro: she can hear him snicker as he moves towards the back of her hair, collecting another group of locks and fingers lightly brushing against her neck as he does so. "hmmm, i'll think about it~" he says, playing along. "i am curious of what they'd think of you... i have a feeling they'd be somewhat awestruck." Han: han shivers from the combo of having her hair being treated so gently, and the new length, and straightens out a bit as a way to get away from the touch. she snickers "huuuh? why? never seen someone way cooler than you before?" 😎 Cimmorro: he cackles good naturedly. "you know, normally i would refute you... but there's actually a good chance of you stealing my thunder when we get there!" Han: han actually sounds surprised "really?" she fist pumps a little bit, always happy to come out on top for any stupid reason, but then gets a little solemner "you said you were gone two years... im sure i couldnt steal any of their attention from you. you sound happy when you talk about them, so im sure they would be just excited as you to see each other." she sighs dramatically "i guess ill live" Cimmorro: she can't get a good look at him right now but he's smiling with a soft chuckle, appreciative of her trying to reassure him. "they just get excited seeing travelers. we live in a, well, not completely secluded, but it is a mostly quiet place. especially when you compare it to our capital" he sighs "so anything new to the eyes is quite exciting." Han: han sounds surprised "really? i didnt realize.. i thought its religious, so it is popular, or big town... is it like, kind of town where biggest, most important building is church? almost like everyone else flocked to it" Cimmorro: "oh, don't get me wrong, it is religious. everywhere you go, clergy abound! some people like to call krenic the surplus of clerics." he laughs. "but, i don't live in the capital, but in a town at the outskirts of it. it's more peaceful there. i can't really get into all the rambunctious behavior in bakaldor. it's a bit much, especially with the common brawling." Han: han listens to him talk bakaldor and goes "honestly, just sounds like shorewater..." she sounds a little disappointed, like she was hoping it would be vastly different, but shes heartened by the idea of krenic, hmming curiously. suddenly reminded of something, she goes to look at cimm to address him before remembering she should stay still "hey, cimm, i have question" Cimmorro: he snickers a bit at the sound of her disappointment. "sorry to say that i live by the coastline too, though more rocks than sandy beach, but there's still a beach at least." he's just begun trimming her hair when she pipes up about a question. "hm? go ahead, shoot."

Han: hans heart breaking in front of u....... she kinda misses figstups fucked up forest now...... "so..." she thinks harder about how to phrase this "when finn said he is vampire, everyone seemed kind of shocked, and like they knew what he was talking about, and he gets upset easily about it when you ask him, so i dont want to ask him, and a lot of it i got by talking anyway and guessing, but, like... whats the big deal? and like, is there stuff im missing other than cant go in sun, eats living things, sleeps in little box?" she wants to scratch her head in confusion but goes to scratch her forehead instead Cimmorro: his movement halts for a brief moment when he realizes what she's asking, simply just because he wasn't expecting it. she hears a quiet snip as he speaks up "hm... well for starters, commonly, vampires food preference are people. they can feed off animals like the rest of us, albeit in a slightly different manner, but they get the most nutrition from people, so that easily gives them a bad rep." snip, snip. "there's also the fact that they can turn people into one of them too, and i'm not a hundred percent sure of how the process goes, but it can definitely be done to an unwilling target. and historically, this power has been abused by some of their kind. bad rep 2." another snip, before a brief silence. "... but, i think, in finn's case, it's not something i worry about him doing anymore. well, at the very least it's the last worry i have compared to my other issues with him, like how he picks a fight with me every time i'm in his peripheral vision." he snorts humorlessly. Han: han stays quiet for a while, weighing her thoughts. sounding a little tight, she murmurs "so what? people eat other people too, when desperate. sometimes not even desperate." she gives a small shrug. "i guess the turning into vampire bit is scary.. but that doesnt turn you into bad person." she starts playing with some string on her boots, feeling awkward "people turn bad for less." this time, she does pull away from cimm to face him, ignoring his attempt to lighten the mood. she looks... forlorn "do you think finn was forced to be vampire? is that why hes so sad about it?" Cimmorro: he seems shocked at her first response, why is she talking about that so lightly? almost like it comes from experience? witnessed or conditioned? his thoughts leaves him a little speechless so he lets her talk the rest of the way through. when she faces him, he pulls his tools away and stares at her. "i do," he responds, without needing to think about it, and looks away to the side as if in thought. "i don't know how or why it happened, but i think there's no denying that he seems to hate living under his own skin." he faces her again with a concerned look. "i don't believe that every vampire operates how their reputation perceives them, but people have a reason to be scared... and i'm not surprised if it turns out that finn is scared of himself under the guise of loathing." Han: han watches cimm intently as he talks, before looking down and away herself, her expression a turmoil of sadness, understanding, frustration. she turns away silently, sitting back down facing away from cimm, more stiff then she was before. she grips and loosens and then grips again her booted leg, almost absent mindedly, seemingly lost in thought.

Cimmorro: he finds himself a bit unsure on how to proceed but he tries to get back to his earlier pace with her hair anyways, if she lets him, and keeps working quietly. after a couple of minutes, he decides he kind of hates the silence. "...did something happen between you two?" he asks, a little hesitantly. "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, though" Han: she lets him, and she seems to ease up after those couple of minutes. she shrugs in response "not really. i went to say thanks for getting me out of fire during that fight, he was weird about it, but it was fine. then i asked him about vampire stuff and he got all quiet and WEIRDER. so i stopped asking pretty fast." she plays with the string on her shoes again "i dont think im capable of like, helping him- you know, like doctor or something- but i wanted to know more... understand better." she sounds pouty towards the end of that spiral Cimmorro: cimm rolls his eyes at her retelling of finn's behavior. as expected of him. he's proud of han though, for actually taking the steps to learn more, sympathizing him too. maybe he could start following her footsteps more... but not today! also, he did kinda try before, and finn only met him with hostility. ugh. he feels the bitterness bubbling again. "unfortunately, i have no knowledge of how to turn a vampire back to how they once were..." he hates feeling clueless so he tries to give her more information about vampires instead, to compensate. "another thing about vampires though, they are immortal, but there are very specific ways that they can die or be killed." Han: han makes a small hmm sound at cimms apparent lack of knowledge. then, he doesnt see it but can probably intue from her anyway, she rolls her eyes, remembering that stupid convo with finn "yea, i know. as if stabbing me enough times wont kill me.... is there something else beside being in sun?" Cimmorro: "running water, is one. stake to the heart is another. i believe they're vulnerable to silver as well? but at this point i'm not sure if that last one is just a myth. i do know holy symbols can burn and repel them, if used with intention," he hmms again. "ah, holy water also burns" Han: han mentally categorizes all the info, humming in response to each listing. she thinks for a moment before going "like your holy symbol?" Cimmorro: he nods "yes, even mine" Han: hans like damn thats awkward for yall huh... Celebrity Guest Aqua:

Cimmorro: ADFHJKAJKSFAJKF

Han: han makes a face of like YIKES.. kinda hoping cimm doesnt see it. she waits for more info to come, and when it doesnt, she asks "is there someone i can ask more about it? or about undead? preferably not finn" 😒 Cimmorro: cimm kinda just laughs at the face she made. "it's not gonna do anything to him as long as i don't use it for that purpose. and i don't plan to, so don't worry," he makes a blank expression "unless he really tries to cross the line." he goes back to working on her hair again. "honestly, willow was your best and easy access candidate for that. though, since we're going to krenic, plenty of temples to seek wisdom from" Han: han stiffens for a moment at cimms hidden aggression towards finn, face twitching into a frown for a second. its not like she doesnt realize hes a dick, but... han withers a bit at the willow comment "ahhhh.. i shouldve known... of course, they are so smart and wise..." ue ue ue.. "i guess i will have to..." she sighs, sounding jokingly dejected Cimmorro: he makes half a smile at her. "is it just vampires you want to ask about or undead in general? you could also do some reading in our tower's archives. you'll at least find something worthwhile." Han: "both.... we seem to be running into them often..." at the archive comment, you can feel her sulk "i guess" Cimmorro: little did han know we're about to go into war with some wraiths Han: TRULY

Cimmorro:"unless you have radiant magic then undead will always be a problem, i'm sorry to say. though, hmmm" he puts a chin on his hand in thought. "you could dip your arrows in holy water" he seems to laugh at her sulking. "not a fan of tomes and scrolls?" Han: :O she did not think of that, making a mental note to get some holy water sometime..... actually-- "can you make holy water..?" it comes out more like a random thought she let out than an intended question. at his laughter she sulks more "i am. huge fan. of tomes. and scrolls." Cimmorro: he nods. "i can. but it's a process that also requires a bit of time and money" he simply pats her head the more she sulks, still amused. "you gotta get into some reading if you wanna be at your best hunting prowess! learn your enemy!" Han: [insert making note gif here] she gets embarrassed at his patting "i do learn about my enemy! im very good at that! reading ... is just.. slow" >:( Cimmorro: he laughs, she really does not look like one who enjoys spending time with scriptures. "well, i don't see what else you lot could be doing while we make a pit stop at my tower. might as well get to some reading, hm?" he seems to get a mischievous glint in his eye, remembering something he could tease her with. "have you ever heard of succubi? i think you'd be really interested in learning about those... try to find a tome about fiends." evil way of motivating her to read Han: she doesnt want to agree, but he does make a point..... and reading IS interesting, she likes the poetry psalm got, its just so frustrating... she perks up at the mention of succubi "i havent heard. whats that?" Cimmorro: "they're fiends whose entire deal is to seduce people and they're oftentimes very voluptuous, but they can also shapeshift according to one's desires. they're a bit dangerous though!" Han: han sits up straighter and turns to cimm with a blank face "what" he must be joking Cimmorro: "get to reading~" Han: narrows her eyes and scrunchies her face in suspicion, turns back grumbling about annoying clerics, but on god she gonna find some book on fiends Cimmorro: cimm continues to laugh and focuses on finishing her hair Han: 😤 HMPH PERHAPS I WILL aura radiating from han rn

Following that somewhat tense conversation, and easing into dick jokes, Han and Cimmorro continue their hairdressing event for a while longer. Cimmorro working diligently, until the time comes to decide to shave one side, wherein Han spends approximately half an hour on/off squealing, crying, begging, accepting, dry heaving, and screaming at Cimmorro to JUST DOOO ITT, before she finally works up the courage to get that side shave she wanted. Cimmorro patiently fulfills her wish.

Cimmorro and Finn on the Deck Ft. Vinny - 5/4

Later on that day in the oh so fateful evening, an invitation from Finn finds its way under the crack of Cimmorro and Vinny’s door, reading the following:

cimmorro, surely you expect to be summoned for another sending as you read these words... know that thou art wrong! i desire your company for matters entirely unrelated to my lord uncle. you may find me in my chambers until 8 o'clock (and i may mention that you have explicit permission to enter them tonight) or on the deck anytime after signed finnian o. a. barvotte

you will note that it is currently 19:55, so there is a very low probability you can actually go to finns room (no doubt by his own design)

Unbeknownst to him, working away on the floor is Vinny. He finds himself cleaning up after one of him and Cimmorro's final study sessions, the latter having excused himself to the washroom for a moment. He picks up a few tomes and notes before clumsily spilling a half empty inkwell over the floor. He flounders for a moment before going to clean it up with a cloth, as he does he spies a note laying on the floor by the door, now partially stained.

Opening it up curiously he finds himself utterly confused by its contents.... which of them is this even addressed to...? he cant quite tell... if it were the man himself why didn't he just knock actually, the light was on inside. As soon as Cimmorro returns he presents the letter to him with a confused tilt of his head and partially ink stained hands

Vinny: ”er... do you have any inkling as to what this could be about?" Cimmorro: cimm comes back with evidence of him detouring for a little snack break at the bar. a cup of ice cream and a spoon still hanging from his mouth as he tilts his head up at vinny curiously before taking the note to read it himself. (conveniently for our sakes the sending part is also stained so that cimm cant have any context of it being for him) "DESIRE, he said?" he snorts "and 8 oclock? how long has this been here...? why didn't he just knock-- 🙄" he shakes his head and holds his cup of ice cream like its a wine glass. "it's finn, it could be about anything really. only way to find out is to meet him" Vinny: he scratches the back of his head staring down at the note again "thats what i was thinking, though er maybe he didn't want to bother us?" he looks around the room as he says that "do we ...both go?" he eyes the ice cream for a brief second to ascertain the flavour in the cup Cimmorro: "fair, I'll remember to put a sock on the knob next time then" he notices him eyeing the ice cream and takes a scoop to put inn vinny's mouth without warning. "even if he just wanted you to go I'm not leaving you alone with him when I'm not even sure what his motives are. come on" he turns around and starts walking to the deck 🚶 Vinny: he makes a face at the first comment though before he can reply he lets out a surprised sound at the ice cream thrust towards him, he moves to catch the spoon as cimmorro waltz off, quickly running and grabbing his jacket "a-ah! wait it might be cold!" and scuttles after him

As they make their way up to the deck Finn stands, leaning across the railing. One might think he is observing the sky or trying to block out everything else around him, but he was actually focusing intently.

Finn: as soon as he hears cimmorro approaching he turns around dramatically, wine glass in hand that has very little liquid in it. he was pouring it out little by little out of boredom while he waited. not like he can drink it anyway. "so, youve come!" his enthusiasm wanes immediately as he realizes vinny is accompanying his target and he openly grimaces. "...what did you bring him for?" it should be noted that finn is wearing some sort of nightgown, it is a little see-through at the top and the sleeves. also it would seem hes brought a cup of tea for cimmorro thats seated on the railing, but hes holding onto it so it shant fall. Cimmorro: cimm was like. walking with purpose but as soon he actually processes finn and this whole set up he just IMMEDIATELY freezes in his spot and is just fucking dumbfounded like ????????? Vinny: he makes a strained smile behind cimmorro, glancing between the two of them "er... should i not have been brought..?" Cimmorro: "sorry vinny, i guess im the one getting sloppy styles not you" a deadpan joke comes out of him after another moment. "finn. what the fuck? i left jasper in the room for this" Finn: finn glares at you and replies with a curt "no" Vinny: "🙂" Finn: its finns turn to make a strained face and he shakes his head "this is a social call cimmorro... i believe i made that quite clear in my invitation..." Vinny: vinny stares at the ground Cimmorro: "well, your invitation wasn't chemical proof. why didn't you just knock?" cimm just goes over to show finn the note to show fucked it is Finn: finn pauses, gaze calculating, before he states as if it was very obvious "i do not have that kind of time" but as hes being shown the note he cringes "just how... did that happen" internally hes fuming, he didnt spend 10 minutes rendering his adversary's name in cursive only for it to be ruined "how did that happen?" he repeats, this time with a hint of bitterness thats not a hint at all, but he'd like to think hes being merciful Vinny: he continues looking towards the floor as he responds "we have alot of study equipment laying around the room at the moment..." Cimmorro: "knocking would've taken less time than writing in typeface Aphrodite Slim Pro" he shakes his head. "really if it wasn't the mixtures it would've been the sole of my shoe messing it up." Finn: finn is a little surprised that the wizard is still here and he raises an eyebrow "i believe ive told you your presence is unwanted. i suggest you make yourself scarce now." he squints at the pathetic figure before him, wishing itd physically hurt the man to be in his presence right now at cimmorro hes back to raising an eyebrow but hes clearly acting more favorably towards cimm, not as mad as he is at vinny, almost playful.... god forbid, forgiving, even. "tragic as it is, im not interested in arguing semantics with you tonight... youve found me" he nods, as if to affirm it to himself that hes this close to having a successful outing with another vengaboy "that should not stop us from enjoying the night i dare say!" he puts on a smile now. it is the tiniest bit fake. he does this to forecfully lighten the mood, at least thats the idea. although he is a little miffed cimmorro didnt appreciate the effort he put into the font. Cimmorro: "what are you so fucking rude for? i told you it was a misunderstanding" he folds his arms, displeased. "you think I'm gonna enjoy my time up here with you when you're being an asshole to my guest?" Vinny: he looks as if he was going to say something but as cimmorro speaks up for him he just glances between the two of them anxiously again Finn: finn huffs and pouts. internally, hes fearful this will turn out like the latest interaction hes had with psalm. it will cost him everything to sacrifice his pride, but if he doesnt, he and cimmorro can never be like naruto and sasuke he thinks to himself. hes visibly going through an inner monologue, some inner battle... before he sighs and glares slightly less at vinny. "as youve said cimmorro, it was a misunderstanding and i was simply very upset about my planned time with you being interrupted..."

Finn: he then goes "will you still accept the tea ive brought you?" and holds it out to cimmorro

Cimmorro: CIMM IS VISIBLY UNNERVED AND CONFUSED HAKWKWKWKKSLEKDJKWMDMEMF Vinny: i like that hes still ignoring vinny Han: TARGET LOCK ON ) Special Guest Aqua: IM GONNA KILL YOU I THINK)

Cimmorro: "?????????" he turns to vinny with a 'are you seeing this' look then turns back to finn again like "????????? are you fucking alright?????" the sight of finn doing.... that. makes him feel genuine concern and disgust at the same time if both werent possible to simultaneously express before, well, they are now. does he actually want to spend time with him so badly? this would've easily inflated his ego if he also just wasn't utterly confused. he shifts his attention vinny again and grimacing as he suggests "i think you should go while you still have the chance... if something happens to me just make sure jasper gets home safely" he hands him he remnants of his ice cream to go. Vinny: he looks back at cimmorro equally confused, leaning towards him to speak "i didn't know you were that close...?" as he's handed the icecream his eyes widen, he tries to not seem too excited by it as he focuses back on cimmorro, being serious "well, if you're sure you want me to go..." he looks back at finn "have a good... evening?" he glances at finn's outfit then thinks for a moment "er, not much in the way of apology but..." he shucks off his overcoat and places it over the man's shoulders without a thought "try not to get too cold, it's pretty windy..!" at peace with having seemingly smoothed this social blemish over, vinny turns without waiting for a reaction. waving to cimmorro he immediately walks off, eyeing the icecream in his hand as he heads below deck again Cimmorro: cimm gags at the suggestion of him and finn having something going on "don't even joke!" but laughs a bit at vinny's flash of desire towards the dessert. he quietly watches vinny bumble about and waves back when he does Finn: finn is a bit stunned at the action, so much so that he cant get a single word out... he merely watches the wizard leave, a tinge of regret washing over him as he absentmindedly tugs at the overcoat now placed on his shoulders. one could see finn was on the cusp of self awareness at this moment. he looks at cimmorro with an absent look in his eyes before turning around, leaning over the railing again "... its not like our date. i wont force you this time." Cimmorro: cimm seems to study finn's every word and body language, trying to understand what this fuss is all about, before making any sudden and/or misleading movements. eventually, he puts his hands up and walks up beside him. "right. i give up. what's all this? is this team bonding time?" he takes the cup of tea off of finn's hands, bringing it up to his face, catching its scent. if there's anything he sees eye to eye with finn, it's his taste for fine things in life. and surely the choice of beverage was a testament of that. "impressive," he says after a sip. Finn: finn doesnt really react to that, he thinks about what to say now that cimmorro has decided to stay for whatever reason. but as that compliment unexpectedly leaves his adversary's lips he looks up at the man "truly? you think so?" its been so long for him that the taste of things like tea has begun leaving his memory. he cant recall anymore. only that he deemed some kinds good at a point in his life. "im most pleased to have made the right choice in that regard" his mood is a little boosted by this, he nods to himself but quickly finds himself stuck "...i was so sure about what i wanted to talk to you about, but the wizard threw me off.. what should i do about this now?" he gestures at the overcoat, he seems to be genuinely conflicted about the way that interaction went......almost regretful. but only almost. Cimmorro: cimm nods. "not gonna lie, i thought it'd be laced with something though," he says as merely a jest, snorting as if to reassure finn he meant no insult in the comment, however surprising it may be. as finn shares his current woes, his lip twists to the one side. "perhaps take it as a lesson of humility? i really don't understand why you reacted the way you did. the man didn't do anything." another sip of tea. he sort of just trails his gaze into the distance and just thinking of how tf he got into this situation and why he's giving finn therapy now Finn: finn playfully rolls his eyes at the laced comment. oh this? its laced with shounen rivalry. he thinks cimms words over, quite literally turns them upside down and all sorts of directions in his head. he didnt like it. he didnt like where itd lead either if this continued "he showed up uninv-" he hears uncle vordes voice faintly in his mind...he cant make out the words, he just knows its wrong. he DOES know himself he cant say 'vinny has the soul of an old man and i think hes stupid' though. "i didnt feel like dealing with change" it comes out more honest than he intends and he quickly makes sure to keep on talking lest cimmorro might catch on "ill think carefully about... making my amends" finn cards a hand through his own hair and goes back to observing cimmorro "unfortunate start aside, the reason i wanted to be with you is.." he gestures vaguely with a limp wrist "we both hated what ended up happening in figstup, and i felt some sort of solidarity between us... i thought we could" a pause "build on that" Cimmorro: cimm lets out a small laugh at finn's honest admittance to the refusal of change. "well, I can't say I'm surprised to hear that from you. and by all means, if you need me to not be in the room when you decide to return his coat and apologize then I'd be glad to step aside." taking another drink, he eyes finn as he finally lays out his intentions. so, he does want to just bond after all? was he just lonely? cimm assumes that perhaps plum, finn's current roommate, wasn't really the person to share the disdain with when they seemed rather into it themselves. makes sense enough. "ah, i see. well, I don't see why not... though i have a feeling we had different reasons. so, sorry to crush your expectations, if ever" he says with a laidback shrug Finn: finn makes some kind of undignified noise in his throat and pretends to clear it "i will be sure to alarm you in advance should i require privacy of that extent" he finishes clearing his throat and swirls the little bit of wine thats left in his glass around "it doesnt necessarily have to be about that incident" he cringes "id be more than happy to forget. i was just thinking... its rare for us to have a common ground or... speak to each other without difficulty- by the way, do you drink?" he tilts his head and then looks between cimm and his wine "i know barely anything about you. only what i want to know." he looks at cimm with some kind of intensity. only what i think will justify my hatred, he doesnt say. "i will say that ive meant what ive told you.. during our date. i thought that the enjoyment of our rivalry was mutual but with the way youve been treating me i may have misjudged the situation." Cimmorro: he tries to hold a laugh at the reaction but says nothing more. "i do drink, and I'm fascinated you even have that." he gestures at the wine glass "i thought you can't consume anything but blood?" he asks, but finn's fierce gaze strikes him amused for some reason... kind of reminds him of a child. it's hard to take it seriously. "date... date... ah, that date. yeah i remember now," he nods as he brings his cup to his mouth again. whatever promises they've made that night, he thought was just a one time thing. though, in hindsight, he shouldn't be surprised that finn derives in that kind of... bond. and he won't lie, he found it rather funny messing around like that. he decides to press finn a little more on the matter, curious. "and how exactly have i been treating you? i wasn't aware there was a certain criteria i needed to be operating under" Finn: finn thinks to answer cimmorros inquiry about the wine, but decides he'll find a way to get it down cimmorros throat later. theres more pressing matters at hand. he huffs and gestures vaguely "w-well! its not that you need to operate under certain criteria its rather that- that you dont at all" he mumbles the last part. unsure himself if he should be revealing so much of himself... but he did call cimm here for a reason and he could only fuck their relationship up so many times before it was the silent treatment for good "youre... tired of my antics... you dont react or fight with me" hes pouting now, almost like a jealous girlfriend. "so clearly we arent on the same page about it... thats what this is all about" he quickly adds and swirls his glass out of nervousness Cimmorro: cimm blinks owlishly at him and thinks 'i literally just told him he's an asshole a few minutes ago what does he want from me....' "hmm," he stares at the faded horizon, leaning his elbow on the railing. "so, let me get this straight. all this... is because you miss my attention?" Finn: finn looks at cimm with a somewhat horrified expression. he feels haggard. he must look it too. he doesnt know what to say. he takes a long moment to process whats happening, stares at whats below them and opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes tumbling out, to his surprise. what a humiliating thing to make him admit. there has to be a way to phrase this differently. there has to be. "maybe" (<- in a very quiet voice) Cimmorro: cimm tries not to laugh, he really does, but it eventually does spill out. he makes a poor a attempt to hide it behind a hand. "sorry i just came to understand why you lashed out the way you did when i brought vinny." Finn: finn feels mortified. how did this happen? why did he ever listen to uncle vorde? why did he ever try to be more sociable? his reputation with cimm was in shambles. permanently. he feels his eye twitch and he stares at the man in disbelief. hes not sure if he wants to hear it. hes not sure if itll look bad if he tries to deny whatever uncouth lies cimm is making up in his mind right now. "foolish as always" he settles for this, accompanied by a glare "i dont know what youre thinking but the truth is that youre still an eyesore to me, youre arrogant and lax in situations you shouldnt be in, you respect barely anyone. you stole my look for the ball, one of your most unforgivable offences, but worst of all is this dull ache your absence introduced... its boring without all that. how dare you indulge me and then take yourself away?" finn hopes this doesnt immediately ruin the good will hes seemingly built up now. just maybe, just once this could play out like in one of his mangas. he feels the urge to call cimmorro an..."...idiot" (the idiot is very soft. very very soft. almost.... affectionate)

Cimmorro: cimm watches and listens to finn go about his little tirade with a smile. unaffected by most of finn's accusations (except the ball outfit one, he took insult from that), he nods pensively as if encouraging finn to let it all out. he seems to be so sure of himself now, feeling the high from being on the upper ground. there's a small part of his conscience that tells him to just put finn out of his misery right here and now, but he's been looking down on them for so long cimm can't help but toy with him a little more. when finn is all spent, cimm gifts him a wicked little smile. "are you sure that's all you want to get off your chest?" Finn: finn is briefly staggered by that smile. how wicked. how cruel. perhaps cimmorro had never stopped playing their game after all. who would torture him like this if not cimmorro? he wants to reach out and strangle the man right here, as if they were alone. confess thoughts he himself avoids dwelling on, whisper everything into his ear. would cimmorro enjoy that? finn snaps out of his trance and blinks. not here. "what? cant get enough of my critique, can you? youll have to go back to how things were with me if youre dying to hear more" <- unearned confidence + smug smile Cimmorro: cimm seems entertained. he gets the idea to give a little treat for finn along with the intent to keep their conversation to themselves. so, he delivers his response in elvish. "yes, well, i was simply hoping you'd be more honest with yourself and your interest to fuck me is all" he says bluntly, smile never fading. he switches back to common in utmost ease. "i might've actually considered it this time around since you were being soooooo cute about it!" fingers find their way to tilt finn's chin up briefly before pulling away just as quick. "but, i suppose there's also no fun in it if i just gave it to you. you're right. so let's continue this little chase for however loooooooooong it may be. starting now in fact," he pulls away from the railing and dusts his clothes off. "have a good rest of your evening, finnian. i actually enjoyed this time." he turns around, stops and addresses finn again "oh and, thank you for the tea. I've always known you had fine taste, but for it to include me too? well, I'm flattered" one more flash of that same shit eating grin. ego has definitely been bloated. "good night." Finn: once again nothing has gone according to finns plans. he wanted to ask what cimmorro does in his time off aside from reading. if hes ever heard of manga. he had a request, even and yet hes failed to mention any of it. the scene plays out in his head over and over again. the sudden touch. where did this bastard learn how to speak elven? how? why? why now? maybe he shouldnt've reignited these flames. before finn knows it he feels his nails digging into the wood of the railing through his glove. cimmorros use of his full name leaves a particularly disgusting aftershock, one that he cant mask. finn stares at the mans back. theres no good rebuttal he can think of in the moment. he hates that he cant one up him. hates that he'll be up all night agonizing over this. finn absentmindedly touches over his mouth where his fangs are. he thinks of drinking and vomiting.

Keva’s Writing Lesson with Cimmorro - 10/4

The next day Keva finds herself standing outsider the door to Cimmorro and Vinny’s room, holding her new journal in her hands.

Keva: keva hates feeling stupid, so what the fuck is she doing? she looks down at the plain leather-bound journal in her hands, thumbs running across the cover. looks back up at the door in front of her, and then around her to see if anyone’s seeing her stand outside someone’s doorway like an idiot. she's repeated this cycle at least two times at this point. she hasn’t told cimmorro about the journal yet, even though she got it as his suggestion for her studies, if that’s still even happening. keva had every intention to tell him sooner, and almost did a few times in the past several days, but… but he was studying with vinny and she didn’t want to interrupt them. and well, he’s probably too busy practicing his new magic now anyway. he looked like he was having fun showing off in the dining hall the other day. in fact he’s probably forgotten all about teaching her so she should just go back to her room and forget she asked for anything. but the fucker had given keva hope, and she did still want to learn… one of her thumbs flicks against a paper frog she hooked on the cover while the other is getting chewed on as she thinks. ‘ah, fuck it’ she wipes her thumb against her clothes before reaching out to knock, but just then Cimmorro's door opens.

Cimmorro: as the door opens, keva hears a familiar voice in the middle of a conversation. "...and that, my sweet little jasper, is why cadavers are valuable-- oh?" cimm finds himself surprised to see someone on the other side of the door, and it's keva of all people. jasper soon makes herself seen, tilting her head at their surprise guest and greets her a happy meow. "kevster! what do i owe this pleasure...?" he trails off as his eyes wander to the item in her hands. once he clocks what it is, he gasps with a hand over his mouth accompanied with an excited glint in his eyes. Keva: his reaction makes her feel as embarrassed as she thought she'd be. her wide eyes quickly cast themselves to the side and she instinctively moves to hide the book, but she only gets halfway there before she stops herself because clearly he's seen it. "i-- um." gods. she makes a soft sound of frustration before she steels herself again and shoves it into cimmorro's hands. "i got the stupid book. what now?" Cimmorro: he makes a light 'oof' sound as she pushes the book to him, but his smile never wanes. "w-why are you giving it to me? it's yours!" as he tries to put it back in her hands, he finally notices the paper frog which earns another gasp from him, pulling the journal back to look at it closer clearly distracted by it. "oh, you kept it 🥺" Keva: "you left without them." she pulls the other one they had been playing with from a pocket, smoothing out crinkles from past rough treatment before holding it out for him. cimmorro can tell that she's tried to save the frog hanging off the journal cover, too. she actually still isn't sure why he left upset with her that day, but he hasn't seemed angry at her since...? she decides not to bring it up right now. Cimmorro: "they're made out of flyers. i could just make more," despite what he says, he seems amused and touched she even cared for them. he politely waves a hand when keva tries to give them back. "you can have them. i think they've found themselves a nice home... but, i have to ask... why are they so beat?" he asks as he laughs, handing her journal back to her. "taking out your frustrations on innocent frogs?" Keva: she takes her journal and paper frogs back a bit sheepishly. she doesn't know why she handed the journal to him either, but she puts that thought away for the moment. "if that was it, there wouldn't be anything left of them." she carefully tucks the other frog next to the one already on the cover. "someone almost stepped on them, so i had to grab them quickly is all." keva doesn't make eye contact with cimm for a bit, keeping them on her journal again. she could probably pick it out of a pile by touch alone, with how much she's fidgeted with it since she's purchased it. "...what should i do with this now?" Cimmorro: "right, right... i'm the one who left them on the floor." he puts a hand to the side of his face as he calls out to the frogs. "sorry for being a neglectful and absent father, boys!" he cackles and faces keva again properly when he says, "you'll let me know when they decide to forgive me, yeah?" cimm watches her silence for a bit but smiles again at her question. "well, for starters, we could officially stamp it as yours! have you written your name on it yet? we should also put a date on it" Keva: a smile touches her eyes the tiniest bit at his joke, though it falls away quickly in her uncharacteristic awkwardness. "i... don't know how to write my name." she looks up at cimm to watch him carefully for any judgement, before looking away again. as if to save face a little, she adds, "i can recognize it though... if i saw it." Cimmorro: "oh?" cimm hums for a second in thought, not minding keva's strange behavior much as he's focused on the task at hand. he quickly comes up with an idea. "no worries, we can start with that then. i'm thinking i could show you all the letters then you point out what you know is part of your name. although i have a few guesses you can look at too," he nods to himself, seemingly satisfied by his own genius. it doesn't take him too long to realize something else however. "ah but, do you know your name in common? or something else?" Keva: keva's silently relieved that he simply takes things in stride without so much as a blink. she nods. "and in halfling." Cimmorro: keva sees him snap a finger and click his tongue "tsk, shoot. i hardly touched on my halfling...! yet another humble reminder that i can't be the perfect dreamboy..." he clutches his chest dramatically with a mournful shake of his head. "that was the next thing on my list though... at least we could work off common," he adds. "i don't have plans right now, if you'd like to have a go at it" he smiles again and steps to the side of the door as if to invite her in. "i was merely going to go out for a smoke but that's unimportant" Keva: his dramatics make her snort and roll her eyes. she steps into his room at his invitation, sets her journal down, and crouches down to hold her hand out to jasper in greeting. "you could crack open your window, though hopefully you have some to share," she half-jokes. Cimmorro: "ah, i avoid smoking indoors. it clings onto things, yknow? and it's not healthy for jasper. i'm afraid if i open the window it would make everything fly about, too. not to mention my hair!" he steps farther inside and settles to sit on his bed. "we could always have a smoke break later. do you have a quill?" he asks while rummaging through his own bag Keva: "ah, hold on." keva heads back to her room to grab her quill and magic inkwell. she hadn't thought they'd start so soon so she didn't bring them, but she had left them conveniently by her bed. when she returns, she places them carefully by her journal, and if cimm looks carefully, he can see the nib's already been dipped in ink before.

[ glancing carefully he does]

Cimmorro: when she comes back, cimm seems to have prepared some parchments of his own and jasper curiously sniffing her journal. he eyes her belongings, pleased that she prepared well, and notices the used quill. "oho, what's this? you started writing without me?" Keva: she was hoping he wouldn't notice, so of course he did. "not really," and she doesn't seem like she's going to talk about it more than that at the moment, busying her hands with petting jasper. "what are your guesses for my name?" Cimmorro: "pfft, no need to be so shy about it. i'm just glad you came around." he sits on the floor, using his bed as a surface and invites her to come sit beside. "you'll see," he begins writing down some, ranging from whatever is the common equivalents of 'cheva, keyvu, kaevu' and so on (he will land on 'keva' eventually at some point. hopefully.) while writing, he speaks up "why don't ya tell me how you know your name? i'm quite curious of that. were you named after a brand of something, that's why you know what it looks like?" Keva: she shuffles over with her things and watches him write curiously, noting that none of them look right yet. she does turn to him in surprise though at his question, not expecting him to ask that. "no, it's..." keva debates if she really even wants to answer... but she figures he's doing her a favor. the least she could do is answer some of his questions. she'll just... leave some details out, if she can. "it's a best guess from someone i knew." Cimmorro: he snickers when he senses keva watching and noticing how she hasn't made a comment on any of them. "nothing so far, huh?" he continues listing down more as he listens to her but his writing stops as her response leaves him a little confused. he tilts his head at her curiously "... 'best guess?'" Keva: keva lets her head fall against the mattress while she thinks through how to explain this. "i don't actually know how it's supposed to be spelled. it's just..." a half-shrug "what i was called, and my friend guessed how to write it." Cimmorro: "i see," he turns to look at the wall in front of them, eyes not focusing on anything in particular and darts across the wood, lost in thought. a friend guessed it? not a parent? "...was it orin?" he finally asks "maybe i could ask him if so... although i am having fun guessing" Keva: she mostly keeps her eyes somewhere in the distance as a silence falls between them, though she does look to see what she can glean off his face just once. when he speaks, she smiles weakly and shakes her head lightly. "he might know how to write it though, now that you mention it." Cimmorro: cimm makes a surprised smile with his eyebrows raising. "goodness, what's this revelation you're opening up to me...?! our miss keva with more friends?" he jests with a light nudge of an elbow, continuing with a playful and sarcastic tone. "suddenly, i feel like i don't know you enough...!" he goes back to writing more of his guesses as he responds. "well if i give up or if you end up feeling fed up of waiting, we can call orin for help then 😌 " Keva: he gets a huff of a laugh as keva turns her face into the mattress as if to hide a bit. she notes the faint scent of lavender. keva lifts her head back up at the mention of calling orin, “no i don’t want to bother him. he’s probably busy.” she peeks over at the papers again and points at ‘kiva’ “this one’s pretty close” Cimmorro: cimm was about to say something but lets out a gasp when keva points out one of the names. "WHOAH, FOR REAL? oh that narrows down by so much... what do you think is off from it?" Keva: “the second letter should be different, i think?” Cimmorro: "oh easy, watch this," he gives her a wink and writes another name, finally landing on 'keva' then he looks at her with pride, along with his eyebrows going up and down. Keva: “that’s it!” she takes the paper to get a good look at her name. that’s right. she remembers the first letter the best, but it’s been a while since she’s seen the whole thing. she had tried writing it earlier in her journal but the first letter turned out so horribly and she couldn’t remember the rest, and in her own embarrassment she tore out the page. she starts to trace over the letters with her finger and pulls away when she finds the ink still wet, smudging the writing in the process. she can’t help but look disappointed as she mutters “shit” to herself Cimmorro: cimm blinks at her, surprised. he didn't expect to get such a strong reaction... but when he thinks about it, well, it makes sense. someone who doesn't know how to write their own name must mean they see it so rarely. it's... a lonely thought. he peeks at her from the side with a smile "yeah that's the problem with ink, takes a while to dry. ugh, all the stains i had to deal with all my years." he rolls his eyes. "don't worry though, now i know, it's time to teach you!" Keva: keva’s definitely going to worry. she hasn’t figured out how to hold a quill yet, which is part of the disaster of her first attempt. she didn’t think it’d give her so much trouble at first, being pretty deft with her hands, but holding something to write felt so foreign. nevertheless, she picks up her quill, running her fingers thru the feather. “…can i practice on those papers first before trying to write it in the book?” Cimmorro: cimm tilts his head at her, not judging but only curious. "well... I don't see a problem with it. but i was hoping we put all your practice in the book so you can look back and see your progress" he stares at the book and back at her and adds, "you're not gonna ruin it, i promise" Keva: she looks at cimm and then looks at her journal, still hesitating. in the end, it’s her pride that gets her to crack open her journal, not wanting look too scared to write in a fucking book (even though it is making her nervous). “you owe me a new one then if i do ruin it” holding her quill with her left hand, she covers some of the evidence of a first page that’s no longer there, intentionally or not. she stares for a second at the blank page before glancing back at cimmorro expectantly.

As he glances at Keva’s hands Cimmorro notes she’s got no idea what she’s doing, adjusting her grip on it constantly as she finds it too uncomfortable.

Cimmorro: cimm seems pleased at her relenting, even if it's accompanied with what he thinks is a glare. "sure. no problems with me," he flashes a smile that falters a little once he notices her grip, so he demonstrates how he holds it himself. "this can be a little tricky cause you're lefthanded and I'm right-- but not impossible!" after watching her struggle with it, he eventually takes her hand into his, adjusting her grip by aligning with his, making the gap between them practically nonexistent. "if you hold it this way, it would put less strain on your muscle here" he trails a tendon with his finger on a free hand. "it'll also be easier to write curves!" Keva: as he draws closer he'd be able to feel her tense up and even lean away from him a bit in surprise. she catches on quickly what he's doing, which is the only thing that stopped her elbow from pressing any further into his rib cage, but it still puts her on edge and he can definitely still feel her bone digging into his a bit. this makes it a bit difficult for cimm to adjust her grip at first, what with her fingers locked into place. as he talks her through it though, he notices her fingers relax enough for him to move them into place. she wonders for a moment why he's so warm despite his light layers--is it a tiefling thing?--but steers her focus back to her hand (and only her hand if she can help it) to try and remember how the quill should feel in her hands. she simply nods, hoping her untied hair hides her slightly pink ears. Cimmorro: cimm can't deny that he noticed her tense up, and he figured she would, but he has to do this otherwise she won't learn. when she finally gets the grip right, he still doesn't let go. "okay, nice. now, keep it steady and don't press too hard, you might tear the paper." he begins to guide her on the first stroke of the 'K' then the second, and so on until she completes it. when she does, he pulls away and brings his hands up and goes "tadaaa! easy! a little shaky but you got there!" Keva: her shoulders, raised a bit near her ears, remain on guard for a few seconds even after cimmorro pulls away. when she finally relaxes, she eyes her own grip on the quill for a moment, before she attempts another K on her own, just as slow as the first. "like that?" Cimmorro: he chimes as she watches her do it on her own. "yes! you pick up fast," he claps. "how about you try filling that page up with those so you can get a better hand at it? let it sink into your muscle memory and all" Keva: keva sets straight to work. she doesn't talk much as she writes, pressing her lips together in concentration and letting the sound of the scratching against paper take her place instead. she continues to draw each stroke slowly at first, each line a bit shaky in the lack of smooth handling and each K much larger than it needs to be. she occasionally glances at cimm's earlier guesswork, noting that his writing isn't so exaggeratedly big or squiggly. as she gets more comfortable, she strives to straighten lines and write a bit smaller. Cimmorro: "oh, i-- okay!" he finds himself stunned at her diligence, but not any less satisfied. he meant to suggest that she could leave her to do that when she gets back to her room, like a homework of sorts, and focus on her finishing her name first right now, but he's not complaining. it's nice to see her get into it, so he merely smiles. he keeps the initial writing of her name he wrote near her for her to reference and starts to work on writing the entire alphabet on a separate parchment for her perusal later. he writes exceptionally slower than usual, making sure it's legible for her. at this point jasper has made herself comfortable on the same mattress where the two silently get to work. Keva: as keva looks again to the paper, her gaze skates over to it and lands on jasper lounging just a little ways away. she gently taps the feathered end of her quill on jasper's nose, smiling at how relaxed she looks before she goes back to fill in the last few letters she can on the page. keva looks over to cimmorro working and watches him curiously for a moment before tapping on his arm to show him she's done. Cimmorro: jasper blinks a couple of times at the feather and paws at it, with her tongue still sticking out from being distracted from her bath time. when keva's had her fill, she simply goes back to cleaning herself again. cimm perks up at the tap and looks over at her penmanship. "oh you got the hang of that one quick," he looks at her with a little glint in his eyes. "it's already less wobbly on these ones here at the bottom... how's your hand? still feel weird holding a pen?" Keva: the tiniest smile pulls at the edge of her mouth for a moment at the praise before keva reels it back in. at his question, she puts the quill down and flexes her hand a bit, not used to holding something so small in such a particular way and a bit tired from holding the quill tightly to maintain the proper grip. "sort of. i'm fine though" she juts her chin at the parchment he's working on "what's that?" Cimmorro: cimm finds her reluctance to fully smile kind of funny but he tries to hold in a laugh. he'll have her break at some point, he thinks. "just make sure you're not holding it too tight, you don't need to fight it," he snorts. "and these," he holds up the parchment for her "are all the letters you need to write common. we'll go through them one by one!" Keva: she takes the parchment and scans it over. there's a look of nostalgia that comes over her for a moment, looking at all the letters together. she remembers the letters scrawled into the dry dirt with a stick, lessons she wishes she had paid attention to back then, if only to cause a little less grief. before she can sink too deep in her thoughts, she snaps herself out of it and looks back towards her fully written name. letter by letter, she identifies the other letters she still needs to learn, tapping on each and tracing them with a finger. "what do you call the letters in my name?" Cimmorro: cimm watches her quietly, a little curious at the expression she was holding, it looked... forlorn? but before he could ask if she's alright, she began to study the letters in her own way. he decides to observe her and give her space to take it all in, at the same time trying to understand how she prefers to work. when she poses a question to him, he readily responds, "k, e, v, a - in that order" he taps each letter on the parchment as he vocalizes them. "it's a nice name! quick to learn too. does it mean something, do you think?" he tilts his head slightly in wonder Keva: keva looks at cimmorro like he just said smth strange. "i don't know. it's just what i've been called." she never considered that maybe her name was chosen on purpose. a shame she'll probably never get to find out. "...does your name mean something?" Cimmorro: "hmm," he clears up a bit of the parchment on the bed as he talks. "well, to me, keva is this very mean and stubborn girl who likes to physically hurt me," he snorts and continues. "she's also quite funny, and recently I've learned that she's apparently a diligent, fast learner. i look forward to teaching her" he gives keva a good natured smile. he continues to smile even as keva asks the question. "i'm named after the infernal word for cemetery" Keva: the best keva knows how to process cimmorro's words in the moment is with a sound of disdain and an eyeroll, trying not to let her face warm up visibly. thankfully she doesn't have to try too hard as the shock from his reply does the job. she always heard jasidians were strange but... she doesn't hide her confusion or surprise "why? i mean i know you're jasidian, but, bit dark even for you lot to name your child like that, isn't it?" Cimmorro: cimm's smile pulls on one side, fully expecting her reaction. "I don't see it that way, neither did my parents. for us, a cemetery is a safe haven for the departed..." his gaze drifts off to the wooden bed frame. "people who have passed on still deserve to be taken care of, and the ones they've left behind need a place to visit and mourn in peace... I don't think there's anything dark about that," he shares with a softspoken tone Keva: keva simply stares at cimm for a moment, considering what he has to say. after a bit of silence she turns to rest her chin on the mattress, saying a quiet “sorry” on her way to look at the wall. she starts to chew on her thumb again in thought, though she quickly pulls it away when she tastes ink. she asks just as quietly, “what happens if… if the people left behind can’t take care of the departed anymore?” Cimmorro: cimm appreciates her seeming like she understood his perspective. her question catches him a little surprised though, wasn't expecting her to make a conversation about it. but he answers her in his best interest. "well, everyone has their own reasons, don't we? unfortunate circumstances might lead to less than pleasant results, things like that happen all the time," he says a little woefully. his brows furrows a bit as he thinks. "...sometimes there are things that are simply not in our control. in the end, i trust the goddess to make fair judgement of it and care for these souls as they pass on to their next life. she knows her work best." Keva: keva doesn't reply for a while. she's not sure if she feels better hearing that, but she supposes it could be worse. things can always be worse. after some silence she asks another question, "back home, they say that the godless go to wee jas. do you think that's true?" Cimmorro: "yes," he replies almost too quickly, a testament to his belief. "it only makes sense, no? she is the goddess of death. where else would the lost dead go?" he turns to reach for jasper on the bed, straightening out the ribbon thats askew around her neck. "can i ask where these questions are coming from?" Keva: keva finally turns to look at him, almost in a way like he should know the answer, and replies with a casual "no." she lifts her chin off the bed and goes back to studying the alphabet chart he made her. "thanks for answering tho," she adds softly. Cimmorro: he lets out a defeated sigh, but not one that's annoyed. more like he expected as much. worth the shot though. "if you ever change your miiiiiind... I'm interested." Keva: "don't hold your breath" she says with a small smile, a little amused that he keeps trying, before picking up her quill to try writing 'e', though it takes her a bit to get her fingers situated once again. Cimmorro: "i can keep a secret you know! just ask and it'll be shut tight like a lock!" he protests with a pout. he keeps pouting as keva attempts to write again. soon enough he tries to guide her through it the same way with the first one.

Keva: she lets him without (much) resistance. the e's take a while to work through, and by the end they still don't look quite right, but she gets through v and a quickly enough. when she gets around to putting the letters to make her name, the letters are all different sizes and are all spaced apart differently, but... keva looks at her work with some satisfaction all the same. it really is short, and thankfully so... and as she has that thought, she turns to cimmorro out of curiosity "how do you write your name?" Cimmorro: cimm gives her praise wherever it's due ('you got it!' 'well done' 'epic win 'poggers'' etc) and claps enthusiastically seeing her name completed for the first time by her hands. "now you can properly sign your journal as yours!" when she turns to him with the question though he stares at her for a bit and goes, "oh, it's a lot longer than that... but i don't think it'd be too hard. it has a lot of repeating letters." he demonstrates how to write it in his own paper. at first he writes it as a illegible signature by habit and then he facepalms, and mutters a small 'fuck, that's right' remembering he needs to write it in a clearer way, and so he does again. Keva: at some point the encouragement feels embarrassing, and keva pushes down his clapping hands and says, "stop" with a laugh in her voice. she curiously watches cimmorro write out his name, and she laughs a bit again. "you had to learn to write all that as a kid?" Cimmorro: "yeah... i got away with just writing 'cimm' when i was starting out but eventually i had to! but it's not all that hard, see" he points at the o's, m's and r's. "these are all the same. so honestly? it was also twice as much practice in one name" Keva: "you ever put them in the wrong place?" Cimmorro: he leans on the side of the bed. "hmm, yknow, i think i did. the m's and the r's being together made me confused that i often put the o's together too" he points at them and explains. "so sometimes i would've written my name in a way that when you read it, it sounds like 'cimmrroo'" Keva: keva smiles in amusement imagining a young cimmorro having proudly written his long ass name without realizing he had done it wrong. though, after hearing him explain his name, she think he'd be proud of it no matter how he wrote it. looking back at his name, she points out, "you have almost the same letters as orin's name. just twice as many of them." Cimmorro: he looks up at her. "oh? you know how to spell his name then?" Keva: she nods. "yeah. just in case." Cimmorro: he stares at her trying to understand what she means, he has a wild guess but it seemed a bit much so he tries to think of more, eyes darting to the back of the room and back to her a couple of times before finally giving up. "of... what?" Keva: keva's quiet for a couple breaths, debating whether she should answer him. "...life's tough out on the streets. we didn't really grow up having much. there's only one thing we would need our names written for." she offers a humorless smile. "wouldn't be right to leave a grave unmarked, after all. you know that." Cimmorro: "oh," is all he could really say and simply just stares at her in silence for a moment. he probably looks sadder than he means to. he could try to guess what she might've experienced before that would result to her figuring out she needs to prepare for such a thing, but it's not something he'd like to pry in at this time. so he shuts his eyes nods at her, and quietly goes, "yeah, of course. i understand." a small sigh escapes through his nose before he looks up at her again with a small smile. "well, maybe after you get the hang of all of this, you two can find more to enjoy about your names, like being able to write letters to each other... sounds nice, no?" Keva: keva shifts herself around, partially to rest her back against the bedside and lean her head back, and partially so she doesn't see the pitying look cimmorro's bound to give her. she braces herself for the questions, but to her relief, they don't come. she peeks over at him briefly before looking back up at the ceiling with a soft smile. "yeah... it does sound nice. if orin has the time to write me anyway." Cimmorro: he smiles back at her. "it doesn't take a long time to write something! it could even just be a silly drawing." he laughs at the thought of something. "i can just imagine you writing something like, 'hi' and that's it. but I'm sure he'd be happy with that too" Keva: keva snorts and adds, "do you think the mail people would send a letter folded into a frog?" Cimmorro: "they could. I'd still put it in an envelope though. otherwise that frog will end up looking indistinguishable by the time it gets to orin" he cackles. "give it some extra protection" Keva: keva hmms as she stretches her arms and back out, letting her hands fall back onto cimmorro's mattress for a moment. she... honestly wasn't planning for any of this to happen, the lesson or the conversation. she just was going to show him the book and... well, she hadn't thought much past that. feeling a bit exposed, she decides it's time to leave. her hands blindly find her journal above her head somewhere before she pushes herself forward to sit up. "i think, i'm going to go now." she gets up from her spot and starts to collect her things. Cimmorro: after he'd just started to get comfortable in the company, he blinks as she attempts to leave. "wait- huh? did i say something wrong?" he looks up at her in concern Keva: "no, i just, should probably leave before vinny pisses his pants seeing me in here," she says only half-jokingly as she secures her inkwell's cap. piling the ink and her quill onto her journal to hold onto and she makes her way to the door and pauses just shy of leaving. she turns to look at him and says gently, "thank you for today... really. i, don't know how i'll pay you back for helping me, but i will." she turns to go but then doubles back and adds, not raising her voice at all but definitely doesn't mean it gently, "and if you tell anyone anything i said, i'll know it was you and throw you off this boat" and then she's gone

Cimmorro: cimm tries to say something but fails to find an opening to, ultimately leaving him a little dumbfounded and awkwardly standing in the middle of the room as keva jets off. when he finally comes to, he turns to jasper and blinks at her. "I didn't know it was possible to have 3 mood swings in under a minute..." to which she merely slowly closes her eyes to and yawns. he makes his way back on to the bed, setting aside the parchments but pauses to stare at the one with all his guesses of her names. he finds it all amusing, perhaps even endearing? he figures the flash of sincerity followed by a threat is something keva just does because she's shy. the intimidation didn't even feel like one to him... it was entertaining though. he hopes she'll come to study and hang out again... the sooner the better 🐱

Keva: when keva returns to her room, she's relieved to find herself alone. she closes the door behind her and leans back against it for a second, taking in the room before she sets her writing tools down on the floor. she quickly unfolds the alphabet chart i'm going to right now retcon that she took on her way out. she opens up her journal next to it, flipping to the back before she starts to write, checking her letters as she goes. the process would look laborious to someone who is literate, but soon enough she has a list of four names. just in case she ever doesn't remember when she needs to. as she rips out the page and looks over her list, thumb gently brushing over the dried ink, she decides to scrawl her own at the bottom before folding it away into a small, uneven wad and placing it deep within one of her bags.

Keva’s Follow Up Lesson - 25/4

The next day, lunch has passed and Cimmorro still hasn't caught a glimpse of Keva since yesterday after she left so abruptly. He decides he might as well try to find her himself. she needs to build a routine of her studies after all, so he grabs for his bag and makes his way across the hall to her and Psalm's room, taking a pause before knocking to hope that Psalm isn't there to answer. When he finally does, he patiently waits with his hands behind his back, fidgeting slightly.

Keva: keva's been looking over her shoulder since she heard heeled shoes clacking against the wood toward her room. there's only a couple of people that could possibly be... "are you expecting a visitor?" at psalm Psalm: Psalm is, as usual, sitting on his bed with a book in hand. He doesn't look up from it at Keva's question. "No," he answers simply. He prays somewhat that whoever it is isn't here for him. Keva: she makes a face in response because she's not expecting anyone either. from the floor, she scoops up amos and the piece of bread she's brought for his lunch and places them on her bed. she dusts of her hands before turning the doorknob, and, well... of the two people it could have been it's better it's cimm instead of the other. "hi," is all she says, still feeling a bit sheepish from the day before. Cimmorro: "yoohoo," he beams. he brings up a hand from behind his back, with a paper finger puppet of what looks like a frog with drawn glasses. "you haven't shown up since and we still have a lot to work on, you know!" he snickers as he speaks through it. "are you alone? is now's a good time?" Psalm: Psalm, curious, is surprised to hear Cimmorro's voice from the door. He was unaware the two were close(?) Keva: keva jerks her head back a bit in surprise and can't help but laugh a bit at the silly puppet show. the little frog is cute in its oversized glasses. "i, um," she hesitates and glances over her shoulder at her roommate behind her, "psalm's here" she hopes cimmorro doesn't mention what he's here for. Cimmorro: "ah..." he cranes his head to have a look at psalm lounging inside their room, making an exasperated expression and half-hearted nod as a poor greeting to him Psalm: Psalm looks at Cimmorro and nods in return, before his gaze returns to his book. He knows he shouldn't, but how disappointed Cimmorro sounds at this news is amusing in a way, and he can't resist. "You sound happy to see me." Keva: keva steps away from the door a bit so as to not block the two from each other, though from the sounds of it maybe they would prefer it that way. what happened over drinks the other day?

Cimmorro: "yes, delighted" he forces a smile. "decided to no more drinking policies now? i hardly see you in the dining anymore" he decides to strike a small conversation as he tries to figure out how to make this work if psalm is here. Psalm: "Hm? No, not at all 🤨" Psalm says, genuinely a bit confused at that statement. Last time had been fun, albeit he had gone a bit overboard. Not his fault there were so many questions he didn't want to answer, but in any case, fun. "Maybe we just missed each other? If you're ever up for it I'd join you and the others again." Cimmorro: "maaaybe... it was fun though, i have to admit" which he mostly means finding it hilarious that psalm can't hold his liquor. "perhaps keva would like to join us, if ever?" he suggests as he turns to her Keva: “not really a drinker” she says as she shakes her head and adds “come in if you want” as she steps back towards her bed Psalm: Psalm shrugs, "Fun's fun whether you're sober or not. But no pressure." That aside, he can't help but be curious about the situation right now. Cimmorro is obviously not here for him, but why is he here? Cimmorro: "ehh? how come?" he pouts at keva but seems a little taken aback by the invitation. not really sure what's the point of this now that they can't do their studies. but he's also bored, so why not. he enters their room with jasper peeking out of his robe's hood to which she gives psalm a few blinking greetings. Psalm: Psalm blinks back.. Keva: she looks back at him before sitting down “you’re a doctor, aren’t you? can’t you think of reasons someone could lose a taste for that sort of thing?” Cimmorro: "well, y'know. you also smoke so I didn't really think you're avoiding it for health reasons," he shrugs "a bad experience is a fair reason anyhow, i'm just curious what yours is" Keva: keva snorts a bit humorlessly "it's not really a light topic of conversation, so let's just leave it at 'bad experience'" she says vaguely as she gives amos an affectionate scratch on his head as he munches away. "besides, this room has enough drunkards" added with a small smirk Cimmorro: cimm's mental list of keva's mysteries grows. at her follow up comment, he plays offended. "hey, it's not my fault there's nothing to do in this ship." Psalm: "But you entered a drinking competition for Mint's sake?" Psalm asks. "No need to explain yourself, but I'm surprised you'd go out of your way." Keva: "that was different. did you see her? you wouldn't be able to say no to helping either." Psalm: "True. I'd have done the same in your position." Cimmorro: cimm seems amused at the exchange. "spending the night doing heroic deeds during the ball thrown for your previous heroic deeds... quite gallant." Keva: keva sighs "i drank a bunch of champagne i didn't want and spilled a bunch more on a noble--not much heroic about it" actually, now that she thinks about it, didn't the musician she helped promise her something? what was his name again...? ganon? ganipede? gary? hm... Cimmorro: "as unbecoming as you think it might've looked like, you did it for someone else's sake all the same." Psalm: "Not much more unbecoming than walking around in the fountain barefoot." Psalm jokes. Keva: she waves off cimmorro's comment, starting to feel embarrassed, and turns to psalm, "i guess you can't relate because you don't have feet, but it's actually rather nice walking around barefoot."

Psalm: "I can still wear shoes..." he mumbles, not bothering to escalate this “But that's besides the point. Is my being here interrupting something?" Cimmorro: cimm doesn't really flinch at the sudden question and says "yeah, i was hoping to gossip with her about you" Psalm: "That would be rather difficult to accomplish with me in the room, yes." Keva: keva's gone silent but is watching them both carefully from her spot on the bed. Cimmorro: "only if i cared to keep it secret! but the gossiping would lose its charm that way too... ahh, what to do..." he makes a fake pensive face Psalm: "Can't have that can we?" Psalm agrees, mirroring his expression. "I can go read somewhere else if you'd like..?" Keva: keva starts to pick at something not actually on her blanket as she stares down at it "...if you don't mind" she says almost meekly "sorry" Cimmorro: "we can set up a gossiping session together afterwards if you want me all to yourself too psalmy 😗" Psalm: to keva "Not at all." He gets off his bed and stretches, while addressing Cimmorro. Amused, he says, "Just give me a shout then whenever you're free." Cimmorro: cimm gives him a somewhat empty smile "look forward to it" Psalm: With that he heads out the door, waving kind of nonchalantly behind him without looking back. It shuts quietly.

Keva: once psalm has left, keva looks up at cimmorro from her designated spot on her bed before looking back down "...thanks. for not saying anything." Cimmorro: he watches psalm leave, then turning to keva a bit surprised. "i think it's pretty clear it's not something one goes parading about, no? it's not my information to throw around" <- hypocrite bc he told jasper about psalm's secrets Keva: she shrugs. "you tend to run your mouth about most things" she says with some humor "m'just glad you didn't about this" Cimmorro: "only if i think it's funny or if i want someone off my back. which is the opposite of what i want here, you know." he puts a hand on his hip "i don't want to start losing your trust after i spent all this time trying to get you to even take up my offer. although..." he puts another hand to his chin in thought. "this puts us in a bit of a bind. how can i keep teaching you when we have no privacy..." Keva: keva twists behind her to reach under her pillow and pulls out her journal from underneath. at his question, she bites at her thumbnail for a bit before suggesting, "maybe... we could share a room again next time?" Cimmorro: he looks at her, not expecting her to suggest the idea at all but that also means it saves him from trying to appeal it to her. "that would be the easiest, isn't it? i certainly don't mind. I didn't have any problems rooming with you or han, saves me the trouble of adjusting to another person too..." he sighs a small laugh. "that'd ward finn off trying to share with me as well" Keva: keva fights the embarrassment of the suggestion off her face by thinking about the embarrassment she'd feel every time they have to make an excuse for why they have to be alone. she can hear the whispers now. even so, she finds it hard to look at cimm until he brings up finn. she makes a face in confusion, "i thought he hated you." Cimmorro: "that's what i think too. but... I don't know if you heard him try to share rooms with me as soon as we got on the ship. luckily i was able to use vinny as my excuse," his face clearly unamused as he goes on. "not that he can do anything if i simply said no. but i'm tired of arguing so often, as funny as it can be sometimes" Keva: keva snorts a bit before lowering her top half towards the floor and grabbing her inkwell. as she comes back up she says "trust me, the rest of us are tired of it, too. i'd suggest ignoring him, but i guess that only works if he's ignoring you, too" Cimmorro: he rolls his eyes. "he's been way too quiet recently. i have a feeling he's going to pull something on me soon..." he shakes his head from the thought. "anyways, since we can't have lessons as often as we'd like, and to avoid psalm getting some weird ideas why you want me here alone with you, i could just leave you some things to do on your own if you can sneak it while he's not around or something. i'm sure you can manage" Keva: keva blinks as she considers the idea, and then nods in agreement “i can do that” Cimmorro: "nice. I'll get to working on some after this, but for now... did you sign your journal yet?" Keva: “sign… oh” she looks down at her journal in her lap as she remembers that she fled their last lesson before she could write her name in her book properly “no, not yet” Cimmorro: "show me what you remember from yesterday, then!" he says encouragingly. "pick any place you want, though i suggest somewhere on the front or back pages. the covers are also good." he points at each spot in her journal. "just write your name, and the date. we started yesterday so that would be [insert date here beep noise]" Keva: keva pushes her notebook further in front of her before leaning forward to write, and opens her notebook to the back. she picks at a few remnants of a page in the binding before settling her hand in place, turning the quill over in her fingers a few times before she figures out her grip. she hesitates for a moment, just as she sets the nib down on the page and leaving a splotch of ink. "does it... does a name go in a particular place on a page?" Cimmorro: "for this purpose, you can place it anywhere you like really. it's just to brand your journal as yours" he sits down at the side of the bed again to get a closer look of how she works, noting there's a page that's been ripped too... maybe she had been practicing. "personally, i like putting mine at the center for stuff like this"

Keva: she moves her hand to the center of the page and starts on her name. K is easy enough, but e is still giving her trouble--she hasn't quite figured out how to get it the way she wants it. she has to write another e over it, but it only makes it more illegible. clicking her tongue, she opts to move onto the rest. v is alright, and the a is wobbly part way through but she figures it out. when she arrives at the end, she checks back in the front of her journal to look at her earlier practice. "i think that right...? how do i write the date?" Cimmorro: he smiles the entire time as he watches her, happy to see her work it out her own ways. this way, he sees what needs to be focused on for her worksheet as well. "yeah you got it!" he grins. "for the date, we can just use the numerical form so it isn't too hard. hmm, do you know your numbers?" Keva: she shakes her head. "not really" she remembers finding numbers even less interesting during her first lessons so many years ago. the only numbers she'd ever really need were prices, and even then, she stole almost everything. Cimmorro: at first cimm looks unbothered by it, and even expected it, but as the thought lingers more in his head, he realizes how extra tricky that must've been for her. "wait— so... you can't read calendars? what about money, how do you pay for things...? do you know how the exchange rate works?" he blinks up at her. a little horrified she might have been getting scammed this entire time. Keva: keva turns away from him as the shock takes over his expression. she just shrugs. “what day it was never really mattered. if it was important then everyone would already be talking about it.” she starts to mindlessly scratch at the page with her quill, repeating the same lines over and over. “and as for money, well… you don’t really need to know how much it costs when you already know you can’t afford it.” she looks up it him for a moment “i’m good at stealing for a reason” after a pause she adds “i can count just fine though, if that’s what you’re wondering” Cimmorro: he stares at her in silence for a moment, not really knowing what to say at first. but it checks out, he supposes, with the little things he knows about her so far. "well... what about birthdays? do you know yours? and orin's?" Keva: now there's a complicated question she doesn't feel like explaining the answer to. best to keep it simple. "yeah, but they're close to big holidays so--why are we talking about this?" Cimmorro: he gives her a vague shrug. "why not...? it's just birthdays.... I'll even tell you mine!" he really doesn't understand why it's an issue, if it is... this party is secretive of the strangest things, he thinks. Keva: for a moment the only sound that comes from keva is the scritch of her quill nib against paper. at some point, she says, "orin's birthday is in aestas. and..." she seems to consider something for a moment before saying finally, "i don't want to tell you mine." Cimmorro: "what the.... WHY NOOOOOOOOT" he whines almost like a child, draping his arms over her bed like a flopping vegetable and everything. he retaliates with a pout the next second. "I won't tell you mine then!" Keva: she looks at him like =_= "then don't" she knew he'd react like this, just like she knows he'll make a big ruckus if she does tell him her birthday. "i'll probably find out even if i wanted to know because you're definitely the type to be noisy about it" Cimmorro: "tch..." he keeps pouting and turns away from her. it's not like she's wrong but... tch... how dare she read him like that. he keeps brooding for another second before he recovers and sits back up again, suddenly looking smug. "...don't worry, i get it. you're playing hard to get... you're trying not to get attached to me! but know that it's futile! I'm irresistible!"

The next thing Cimmorro sees is Keva's pillow coming very quickly towards his face. The man finds he was too absorbed in his theatrics when he saw the pillow coming at him a split second too late, she hears him yelp on the impact, staggering him for a second or two.

Cimmorro: he shakes his head as if to recover from it and glares at her after "I'm gonna remember that you didn't deny it!" Keva: after the fact, keva knows she probably shouldn't have thrown something at someone volunteering their time to help her. she was simply overcome with violence. an eyebrow twitches on her face as she glares back. "are you going to help me or what?" Cimmorro: he hmphs, but honestly he's not really all that mad. "you ruined my hair...!" he says while trying to adjust it. "if psalm came back in here and i look like this he'd probably think you jumped my bones," he says rather bluntly while grabbing his bag for his own papers, she can assume it's to demonstrate how to write the date she needs Keva: "do you want this inkwell to ruin your clothes too? it'll never run out" she threatens, but as she turns back to looking at her journal she really does hope psalm doesn't come back yet. they probably already look suspicious as it is. Cimmorro: he procures his own quill and responds "ha, you don't scare me! i know how to clean that now...!" he huffs with pride. "okay enough, watch how i write the date" tapping his quill on his parchment and looking at her expectantly. his hair is definitely still messy on a side, making him look a little dopey. Keva: fucking wizards and mages thinking they're hot shit with their fucking tricks. she simply rolls her eyes, but begrudgingly turns her attention to the parchment. or well, she tries. her eyes get caught on how his hair still doesn't sit right on his head. what, can't he prestigifigijfuck (yes she thinks this) his hair, too? she shakes her a head a bit and trains her eyes on what he's about to write. Cimmorro: he carefully writes each number and says how to read it, slow and clear for her to understand. after finishing a set, he says "now I'll write it again, but after each number I'll wait for you to try to write it yourself on the journal, below your name" he points at her designated starting point. "and we'll keep going from there, kay?" completely focused it's as if they weren't rough housing a minute ago Keva: keva looks up from the parchment at him, looking at him carefully. to be honest, she's surprised he hasn't flinched yet. she nods and positions her quill in place, waiting for him. Cimmorro: he starts again, then watches her turn to write and patiently guides her if she needs it, then moves on to the next number and so on until they finally have a written date. once they get there, he clasps his hands together all pleased. "voila!!! happy birthday, keva journal #1!!!" he cheers and jokingly adds, "at least there was one birthday that was learned today"

Cimmorro makes a small shower of sparks appear with prestigitation too add to his sudden celebrations.

Keva: keva jerks back a bit in surprise at the flourish. there he goes, being noisy about something stupid. snorting, she comments "you're so weird" before turning to stare back at this back page of her journal. it's a mess of false starts and retries and mindless scratches of ink, but... something about it makes her feel... a little excited? hopeful? a small smile twitches on the corners of her mouth, but she quickly puts it away to turn to cimm, "so, what do you want? for doing this?" Cimmorro: "you just never met anyone like me before," he says with confidence. her little smile, even with all the restraint that she's apparently exercising, doesn't fly past him and makes him glad she's coming around to their studies. her question leaves him a bit stunned, however. "huh?" after blinking at her, he wears a slightly tired expression... this again. "didn't i already make this clear to you?" Keva: "don't people normally get paid to do this sort of thing? why would you do it free?" she grabs her bag and starts rummaging around for something "i hardly know you. i don't want to owe you anything" Cimmorro: "and you don't," he pinches the bridge of his nose while sighing "i've already told you, again and again. this isn't something new or anything i do on a whim. if it makes you feel any better we often let people in our temple for free readings and such. it's not all that different. this also beats me drinking to entertain myself on this damned ship." Keva: keva doesn't seem to acknowledge anything he's saying as she finds what she's looking for and dumps out her haul from the elfonsent ball a couple of weeks ago. "you like..." she gestures at his entire self "shiny things, don't you? take your pick" Cimmorro: he narrows his eyes at the loot, recognizing it as the stuff she swiped at the ball that night. he would be lying if he said he didn't feel partially offended by the gesture, but he also understands why she's doing this so he tries to not let it show. when looks back up at her, he flatly says, "no." he lets a moment pass, realizing how cold that might've come across when she only means to return the favor... he sighs again. "if i wanted to get paid i would have said so from the start, as I've said before. all i want is for you to keep your studies going while I'm still here" Keva: she slumps when he refuses again and says a bit sharply, "i won't be your charity project." a pause, but one she holds his gaze for. "i don't need pity, do you understand?" Cimmorro: he scoffs the tiniest bit in disbelief. "if you just listen to what I'm saying then you'd know this isn't what you think it is at all." he chews on the inside of his lip before continuing. "you really think I'm the kind of person who throws pity everywhere? i may as well be best friends with finnian by now if that were the case! think for once." Keva: at his last sentence, keva stares wide-eyed at him, clearly getting angry. her jaw twists a bit as she makes an effort to control her breathing, and eventually she simply turns away and starts to gather back her stolen goods a bit aggressively. she'd say something--i think you should leave, i think i barely know you and you certainly don't know me, fuck off--but she fully aware what might come out could sabotage her chances of learning any more. Cimmorro: he watches her do that for a bit before turning his head away in frustration. he gets it, he might not know every single detail but the gist of it is enough! she's lived a hard life up to this point so she puts up barbs around herself. he gets it! it's still hard to not be annoyed by it when she seems to push his buttons so well. he closes his eyes and starts channelling the inner willow in him… (mikey should i get the fries etc) (mikey says youre a piece of shit for making an unnecessary comment. not everything is about you son) (okay sorry mikey ill try to fix it)

Cimmorro: after a while of strained silence, she hears him blow his hair off his face exaggeratedly and see him turn to her slowly, glancing at her once before looking away again. "my bad," he says quickly and quietly. "it's just, I'm really not trying to get anything from you nor is it out of pity, so when you keep pushing it like that..." he cringes a shrug Keva: keva finishes collecting her things and shoves her bag underneath her bed with unnecessary force, needing some outlet. she still refuses to look at him, but after a moment replies with still a bit of a hardened tone, "whatever, suit yourself. but you don't get to come back saying that i owe you. i offered, these two as my witnesses" jutting her chin out a bit at amos and jasper Cimmorro: his lip twists at the tension looming between them. while it's great she's not ignoring him, it's also not the most ideal situation to be in right now... it's awkward, which is tricky to deal with when he's supposed to be teaching her. still, he steels himself and replies. "yeah, that's fine by me. we can have it even written on paper if that fancies you," his suggestion sincere. "also here," he takes out another folded frog from his bag. "i seem to be giving you these when we're kinda ehh..." he snorts humorlessly. "but it was supposed to be a congratulatory thing. also because you already had 2, i figured having another would remind you of those grungs you had the other day" Keva: the mention of the grungs breaks her very focused stare at a scratch she found on the wall just minutes ago. she looks at the paper frog, and at him (briefly), and back at the frog. he's lucky she needs his help, she thinks, or she'd have throttled him by now. after a moment, she takes the peace offering, gingerly holding it and turning it over wtih the fingers of both her hands, and then finally pushing her journal over to cimmorro. "write it." Cimmorro: he stares at the journal before him, glancing at keva a couple of times before he starts writing in it, announcing what he wrote out loud for her. "i, cimmorro, wholeheartedly promise that I don't harbor any lingering debt that keva needs to repay for my one-of-a-kind teaching and lessons. i expect nothing from her but her excellency in her studies" then he signs it at the bottom, writing a spot for the witnesses and tells jasper to print her paw on it too which she does Keva: it occurs to keva that she has no way of confirming that he actually wrote what he says he wrote but... for right now, she'll take him at his word. she gently lifts amos up from his spot on the bed, carefully dips a paw into the inkwell, and stamps it on the page as well before wiping off the ink with her own hand. she still isn't making much eye contact with cimm, but she's come down from wanting to explode. with the awkward tension still hanging in the air, she eventually pipes up, "anything else?" Cimmorro: cimm tries not to smile watching amos be handled like that. he straightens up when keva asks though and goes, "ah, hmm, not really... i was going to tell you that you could keep working on your name more, especially your e's, while i get your worksheets ready... and I should probably go before psalm starts to be more suspicious..." he looks down for a bit before adding "are we good...?" Keva: at his question, she looks over to him. she doesn’t feel bad for trying to cover her ass, but she didn’t mean for things to get tense over it either. she of course remembers how he reacted how the idea of payment last time, but she thought the jewelry might be enticing enough. she sighs and she supposes she’ll have to be satisfied with whatever he wrote for now… “i guess” is all she says Cimmorro: "okay..." he says a little uneasy. hands clenching and feeling unsatisfied leaving it like that, he sheepishly adds, "i... didn't mean what i said earlier... ah, not about the stuff you owe me! but i mean the uh- you know..." he cringes again, realizing the weight of his words earlier once more. "keva... i was rude and I'm sorry. I'll leave it at that..." he puts his things away and perches jasper back on his shoulder as he gets up "I'll let you know when i have the sheets ready for you" Keva: keva just nods as she plays with the paper frog in her hands. her anger hasn’t completely gone yet, so she opts not to speak. or, that was her intention anyway. as cimmorro turns and makes his way to the door, keva lets her head drop down to the mattress with a soft rustle of cloth. several thoughts cross her mind at once—why would he say that, at least he apologized, maybe i shouldn’t have pushed him, i was only trying to be fair, i almost messed up—and then she shoots up straight again and calls after him, “wait!” Cimmorro: cimm was pretty much halfway to getting the door open when she calls for him. not expecting it, he freezes there for a second until he looks over his shoulder with jasper also turning along with him to look at her. Keva: by the time he turns around, she’s already closed in on him with an arm stretched out. her fingers run through the tousled part of his hair, jostling his head just a bit as she quickly tries to get it back to its normal form. can’t have anyone getting any stupid ideas. she leans back a bit to check her work, and then gently brushes one wisp out of his eyes. in the same moment, just as her swipe reaches the end of its path, keva seems to realize herself and pulls and turns away, grumbling “fix your fucking hair” and settling back in front of her journal Cimmorro: the suddenness of it all causes him to flinch, eyes going wide staring right at her as she does her thing. at first he makes half a move to swerve his head away, thinking she was gonna hit him as she seems to taken a liking of doing so. but he doesn't really get far at all and freezes in place after realizing what she's doing. a faint blush makes it way to his face as she goes, confused and not really knowing what to do in this situation or why she's bothering to do it herself. she could've just told him to...? she seemed to like ignoring him anyway! it's her words that make him come back to himself and put his guard down. he quickly brings a hand to his hair, idly fumbling with it and brows furrowing the slightest at her before looking away. "you're the one who messed it up. why are you so pissed about it," he mumbles and hurriedly turns for the door again, adding, "agh— whatever! see you around," before finally leaving Keva: when the sound of his footsteps finally fade away, keva lets her head fall back where it was before, going face first into her blankets. she stays there long enough for her body to think, hm, maybe it's time for more air again, and she obliges by turning her face to the side and glancing at the door. with a big sigh, she picks up her quill again to replace to phantom feeling of soft, well-conditioned hair and starts on her practice. she might as well before psalm gets back.

Finn and Psalm in the Hallway - 25/4

As soon as Psalm leaves his room to give Cimmorro and Keva some pricacy, he finds himself quickly caught up in an interaction with his dear friend Finnian.

Finn: finn had no good reason to be out at this hour... it was a little too early in the day for him and he didnt have a destination in mind. he'd have to prepare his invitation for cimmorro soon, but he still had a lot of time until it became urgent. honestly... he was feeling a little parched and although its the last thing he wanted to be actively doing, if he happened upon a stray rat right now... perhaps he could also utilize this pacing to calculate how long exactly it took to get to the deck from cimms quarters... with these trivial thoughts in mind he doesnt feel himself slip and stumble over nothing, instinctively reaching out for the first person around the corner with a very anime esque "KYA!!!" Psalm: Having more or less been kicked out of his room (not that he minded in the least) Psalm had been on his way up to the deck to just laze about and read up there. He'd been cooped up in his room the past few days anyways, falling back into bad habit somewhat whenever he found something interesting to read. He hadn't been expecting to see Finn around the corner, but before he can greet him Finn trips forward. Without thinking, Psalm reaches out to try catching him.

dex save total: 0

There is a clear reason Psalm leaves feats of strength to just about everyone else in the Vengaboys. Not that he's embarrassed or anything by his lack of strength, usually. He's embarrassed right now though, as the pair go crashing to the ground. It doesn't hurt much, thankfully, but as a final fuck you, he supposes, from whatever god up there likes to fuck with him specifically, the book he'd been holding goes flying into the air briefly before clocking him in the head and landing face down over his face. Well, at least his patron might find this funny.

Finn: finn isnt sure how to feel. on one hand, hes sitting on psalms lap. on the other hand, hes sitting on psalms lap. if he wasnt so mad at the guy, this would be great. well, actually, hes meant to apologize a while ago but never got the chance so... law dictates he should be mad. not that he minds, hes still pretty pissed about psalm rejecting him. in any case, he wouldnt usually blame anyone for getting startled by someone crushing into them spontaneously but psalm was...........really unexpectedly super weak. he has to laugh a bit as the book clocks psalms face. it is a pure, heartfelt giggle. again anime esque. it brings him so much joy...so so much joy that psalm is in pain. maybe his weakness wasnt a bad quality at all. he wishes he could see it all over again. with less anger in his heart, finn reaches out to gently remove the book from psalms face and inspect what the guy was about to read. he briefly imagines himself dropping it on psalms face again. "that looks like it hurt you more than me..." he muses absent mindedly and smiles down on him with a lack of concern for psalms health Psalm: Psalm refuses to look at Finn as the book is lifted, instead staring upwards at the ceiling of the hallway instead "Probably, so if you could maybe get off of me and let me just die here slowly in peace that'd be great." Finn: finn rolls his eyes at the dramatics and instead of getting off of psalm, he crawls over him to block his view of the ceiling "youll cushion my fall but wont spare me a single glance? i think ill have to seriously think the rather favorable impression i got of you recently over" hes still in a playful mood though "besides, if you die, id like to see it" (<- channeling the mirai nikki smile again for that one) Psalm: Psalm looks to the side, stubborn now that he knows Finn is making fun of him. "Not intentionally, I was hoping more for catching you in a way that involved less bodily harm." He wishes the earth would just swallow him up right now actually rather than have to deal with this. "I'm surprised you haven't already rethought it... but if that's what you want fine. Whatever. I'll make sure you're around when it happens. Now can you please... we're in a public hallway." And itll be a pain in the ass to explain if cimm or keva catch them right now he thinks. Finn: finn giggles at this, hes highly amused and enjoying psalms company immensely right now. a light blush dusts his cheeks (what a fanfiction sentence) "how romantic! in exchange ill catch you next time and show you how its done" his smile could be described as fond, even. "but ill only get off of you if you look at me! i am magnanimous though.. ill protect your reputation and pretend im checking up on you until you oblige me~" he puts his free hand to psalms forehead as if checking for a fever, not caring that that makes no sense Psalm: "Sure I can trip over nothing next time youre around" he says. Embarrassment at having fallen on his ass now fading though, he decides to just relent so he can get a move on with his day. He's not sure why Finn is in such a good mood but he'd rather not ruin it. He bats Finn's hand away and just frowns at him. "Should I be concerned about what it is you find romantic?" he sighs. He just wanted to read his book. Maybe he should've just told Cimm and Keva to go somewhere else instead... Finn: finn smiles and takes the sight of psalms frown in for a moment. he thinks about dropping the book on his face again, but it would seem that hes already testing psalms limits with something as simple as asking for him to look... not that he doesnt deserve it. finn opts to gently put it back on psalms face and sits up on his heels "i think you should be concerned about your apparent lack of romantic ideals..." seriously... here they were, with an excuse to be physically close and psalm could only show utter disinterest... maybe he just let finn down gently back then. maybe he wasnt even attracted to finn. his stomach turns at the thought and makes him stand up. he looks down on the tiefling and sighs, holding a hand out to help him up, good mood seemingly evaporated. Psalm: "I have plenty of romantic ideals," Psalm says, muffled. "None of which involve someone dying infront of me, but to each their own I suppose." He sits up, book falling into his lap with a soft thud. Thankfully, nowhere hurts! He takes Finn's offered hand and continues,"Where are you headed anyways? Your room?" Finn: finn isnt really interested in debating romance with psalm right now, not after their encounter turned out the way it did so he just gives a dismissive exhale and rolls his eyes as he pulls psalm up from the floor "nowhere in particular. this entire trip ive mostly been holed up in my room and got a little sick of it. thats all." he immediately lets go of psalms hand when hes back on his hooves "youre off to read i assume?" Psalm: "Thank you," Psalm says. He stretches a bit. "I was on my way to the deck. I'm feeling the same, tired of being in my room. But that explains somewhat why I feel I've barely seen you around since Figstup." Psalm is aware Finn's playful attitude from earlier is now gone, but oh well. He refuses to go back on what he said the last time they were in a similar position..which begs the question how this even happened again...

Finn: finn gives psalm a brief look over as he stretches but quickly slaps himself mentally. thats the enemy! psalm doesnt even like him! the days of his disrespect are numbered! right here! finn crosses his arms, perpetual frown in place "is that so? it was only today but i daresay ive seen quite enough of you to last me another week. unfortunately, i do have something ive been meaning to talk to you about, if youve got one more moment to spare" Psalm: "I suppose that makes sense, considering what just happened," Psalm says, unfazed. He crosses his arms. "I'm not in any rush either so...sure! Is something the matter?" Finn: finn really wished psalm had some kind of real attitude that was easier to direct his anger towards. why did he have to take beatings like this so nonchalantly and stay so neutral? he almost wants to tell psalm to not mirror his pose at the very least, but doesnt, and uncrosses his arms out of spite and gestures needlessly with his hand "its about figstup. the battle. you..." he grits his teeth "even if it was unnecessary, i would not go so far as to be mad about being looked out for... it would seem expressing my gratitude for that is long overdue. consider this as such." finns still frowning and clearly unhappy about saying what hes saying, but he does seem to mean it. Psalm: Psalm just blinks. He honestly had just been tired that day given everything theyd been through, leading to his patience running somewhat thin. He wasn't mad anymore though. Still. "You're welcome. Uh, if anything I'm sorry for getting on your case about it. I was... just tired I guess." He fingers through the pages of his book, feeling awkward. "Maybe you have a point even, considering I just fell on my ass moments ago trying to help you out." He jokes. Finn: what a confusing man psalm was... one minute he pisses him off effortlessly, the next he tugs at his... not heartstrings, but he somehow makes himself look so... forgivable. finns eyebrows rise up as he processes the unexpected apology "youre not the only one who's been getting on my case about it, actually.." he starts and huffs, pondering how to continue now that his anger has evaporated "not that that makes me agree with you now, but, ... i took notice of the groups wishes" another pause. yes psalm was awful at this. yes he fell on his ass. yes his first instinct was to catch finn despite everything. "youve amused me so with your display of incompetence..." a light smirk comes over his features, but his tone isnt as obnoxious as earlier "...i appreciate you trying, if nothing else. and i appreciated ... being close to you" he quickly looks away "i-i know our 'discussion' is on hold, so dont get the wrong idea please! .. i just cant deny it feeling nice" finn covers his mouth with a hand after, still making an effort to avoid looking at psalm at all Psalm: "That's all I ask really. I've no desire to change your mind." For now he doesn't add. He figures that the conversation is over with and he can be on his merry way, maybe get something to eat while he's at it, but then Finn continues speaking. He feels his face heat up slightly, but thankfully now that Finn is no longer looking at him it'll go unnoticed. "I swear-" he starts exasperated, " It's hard not to get the wrong idea with you." Finn: "really?" the pout in his voice is evident "i fail to see how! i couldnt make myself any more clear, i believe... r-regardless... you have to take advantage of the chances you can get, right?" he dares himself to look psalms way, carefully scanning for signs of rejection or disgust "since we dont have thelibertytodoanythingtogether..." his voice keeps getting smaller and quieter

Ghester: you hear ghester's voice in your heads pipe up "my apologies for that sir" Psalm: "What do you mean how??" Psalm starts. Hes about to explain, trying to think of any response really when Ghester interrupts. Psalm pauses, and goes "I'm going to lie back on the floor now... and let the earth reclaim me." He looks like he actually might do it Finn: "well i suppose it is less your fault and more psalms..." he mutters to ghester, finn feels his own shame ebb away at psalm seemingly being embarassed and he removes the hand from his own face, staring psalm down confidently once more "are you really so flustered by his interjecting? youve got to learn to take it... the sight of you right now is rather pitiful..." it almost looks like it pains him to say so Psalm: "What's wrong if I am?" He drags a hand down his face. "And how is it my fault? Actually, fine, call me pitiful or whatever if you wish, I'm escaping this conversation." He turns in the direction of the deck. Finn: finn is rather shocked to see psalm straight up leave... he really must have misjudged his character. hes not sure if he should be mad, upset or anything else...if one could feel anything else about this... "not only are you pitiful, you are a COWARD!" is all finn says before he turns his back on psalm, finding it too painful to lay his eyes upon him.... Psalm: Psalm doesn't turn around but in his head he's thinking, "I just wanted to read my book...and now things are WORSE SOMEHOW."

Finn’s Speaks to Cimmorro and Vinny - 10/4

Later that same evening, a day or so after his conversation with Cimmorro and Vinny, Finn finds himself reflecting over and over on the events of that night dramatically in his own head.

Finn: he kept wondering why he didnt deny that, why he didnt make the extent of his desire clear to cimmorro at least... its not like he desired cimmorro because he was charming, the way he wanted him was dark, twisted and born of hatred. could he understand such a thing? he didnt want the other to think that he had actually fallen for him as a person or anything ridiculous like that. it was concerning nevertheless how the cleric had figured that out. finn felt like he didnt do anything particularly telling, aside from the time he said he'd derive sick, twisted pleasure from their date in shorewater. and then theres the.... coat of the wizard. ugh. a day in the baths later made him feel like there was no much more avoiding this though. itd be better to deal with this quickly and put it past him already. finn stared at the item in his arms, then at the door. then at the item, then at the door, then at the hallway and thought about leaving. if he couldnt outplay cimmorro tonight he'd spend another day miserable in the waters. he sighs, as he tends to, and knocks politely. he does his best to collect himself, hopes he appears cold and detached, put together, ideally.

Cimmorro: cimm was in the middle of putting jasper in her jammies when he hears the knock. he gives vinny a look with a raised brow as if to ask if he's expecting anybody this late Vinny: he looks up as well at the sound, in the midst of changing into more comfortable sleeping clothes. in the middle of buttoning up a shirt he gives cimmorro a curious glance, shaking his head and shrugging Cimmorro: seeing as they both have a mystery visitor cimm supposes it's time to answer it. when he does open the door to a familiar face, he smirks and goes "oh. learned to knock now, have we?" Finn: finn raises an eyebrow at that, actually taking offense to the comment although he cannot recall if hes actually bothered to knock in the past. cimmorro is so beneath him and so insignificant he can see himself not doing it. that doesnt mean he wont take offense to the assumption that his manners are lacking though "hmph" he rolls his eyes "and it would appear youre quite pleased with my appearing here, what a rarity." he carefully reaches out to tug at cimms collar. the movement is slow, gently, asking "how fortunate, youre just the man i wanted to see, if you wouldnt mind coming out here for just a moment" he gestures with his eyes at the hallway Cimmorro: "i'm simply just proud of you! you actually listened to my advice last time! not something i knew you were capable of," he smiles then looks up in thought. "they do say love moves mountains." he watches finn's hand breach his personal space, though surprisingly he lets him. but cimm still does not move from where he stands. "whatever you have to say, can't you just say it here? i'm already in my nightwear and i don't want to freeze outside." he seems unwilling to argue about it Finn: finns gaze remains cold, he huffs through his nose and tilts his head, studying the man, taking note of these subtle jabs at his dignity "hmm... i didnt think youd let me down so soon cimmorro. i believe you were quite understanding of my want for privacy, especially regarding such delicate matters" he removes his hand from cimmorros personal space, not wanting to cross a line there and holds the coat up "do you suppose this would do for the moment?" he then thinks to... no, he ceases thought "ah, perhaps not... it is your friends after all" he then undoes his own cape and holds it up like hes waiting to wrap cimm up in it, he looks at him expectantly "come now, wont you?" Cimmorro: he looks down at the coat, back up at finn, then to the cape making its way around his shoulders, then back up at finn. he stares at him in a way that he's calculating the risks in his head. he would be vulnerable if finn decides to throw him out of the ship... but he also just wants to get this over with so he can put jasper to sleep. he at least thinks to bring his holy symbol with him. "you're not gonna let this go are you?" he sighs. "give me a second 😒... you might as well return that to him now too" gesturing to vinny's coat before he moves further back into the room to grab his things. Vinny: vinny looks over at cimm curiously walking back into the room but continues about his business Finn: finn spares vinny a glance and leans against the door frame while cimmorro gathers his bearings "wizard, ive come to return your coat...but i must steal cimmorro away for just a moment. wait for me, will you?" Vinny: he glances back over surprised to see finn and raises a brow and glances at cimm, he pauses on his shirt and walks over to finn "oh? that's alright you can hand it over now" he gives finn a friendly smile as he raises his arm Finn: "hm... if you insist, i shant keep you waiting. it is yours after all... however i still much desire to speak to you after" he steps closer and puts the coat on his arm, making sure it doesnt fall. he looks at vinny almost.....softly. softer than he looks at cimmorro at least Vinny: he tilts his head and glances back at the window where the darkness of the night is making itself most evident then back at finn "er...sure i suppose? don't take too long or i might have already gone to bed" he's unsure why finn is looking at him so nicely considering they haven't talked since he gave him murder eyes but maybe he's come around or something. he takes the coat and turns walking away past cimmorro "don't catch a night chill" he says cautiously, leaning in slightly like a parent Finn: finn nods affirmatively "we wont be long" he says and watches the man turn away, thinking if itll all go over well when he gets to speak to vinny........ he then stares at cimm “ready?" Cimmorro: cimm was settling jasper into bed, telling her finn's full name in her ear. "if papa doesn't come back, tell rokka so he can tell the others who did it" he quietly says with a kiss on the top of her head. he proceeds to peel off finn's cape off of his shoulder and puts on his own cloak, bag neatly underneath it. when vinny shares his concern, cimm looks up at him with a smile and a light pat on vinny's cheek, leaning in closer as well and ominously whispers, "be a dear for me and call the guards if i'm not back in an hour okay? thank you~" he heads toward the door to meet finn again. "here," he says flatly, returning his cape to him or rather he just leaves it over one of his shoulders not bothering to wait for a response as he walks out the door, expecting finn to eventually lead finn

Finn: finn is surprised at the sudden cold treatment, openls rolls his eyes with cimmorros back turned to him and quickly catches up, halting him in his step with a touch to the shoulder. theyre only a couple meters away from cimms room, really "here will do. i didnt intend to take you far from your room at such an hour..." he raises an eyebrow at the shorter man "or did you think me that demanding?" Cimmorro: "yes, i do actually" blunt as a rock Finn: finn blinks, thinking that this is kind of fair to think so he'll let it slide. he clears his throat and returns to his original plan, more of his anger seeping out now with a sharper gaze "who taught you that?" he grits out in elven Cimmorro: cimm raises a brow at him but remains deadpan for most part. "am i not allowed to learn a language?" Finn: finn is still displeased but he eases off a little "tch. i suppose you are. mh.." he makes a little sound at the back of his throat and sighs, shaking his head "i.. sought you out with a proposal in mind. i will admit you caught me off guard that night, ill have to hand it to you" he smirks now. as much as it irritated him he does enjoy their game after all "what say you to another date? i would like for you to show me your home, your temple... despite all these twisted feelings" he grabs at his chest where his heart be "i am very much interested in you" his smile is more down to earth now, eyes clear of anger. theres something earnest and eager about him "i, of course, anticipate that you may be wary after last time, especially with our promise in mind and i am not the type to break promises but... i cannot help myself" he confides in content defeat, there is something hopeful in his tone Cimmorro: cimm tries his best to hide how much that caught him off guard but he still can't help but stare at finn incredulously. perhaps he made the right choice after all to humor his request of, what was it? fighting? as ridiculous and as finn may be, cimm can't deny that his antics leave him... amused? always a new thing with him. here he thought finn would be dying to skin him alive after what he did to him the other night. don't get him wrong though, he's still wary of his intentions. it's jarring to be on his good side, if that's what this is. but a date around the temple doesn't seem to be too bad, he thinks. this way he can keep an eye on him too. after all, this is what willow wanted too, right? they are "getting along." eventually he realizes he's been silent for too long, lost in the puzzle before him. he sighs through his nose. "just a tour around the temple? and you promise to behave instead?" he's doing the dwayne raised eyebrow meme at him rn Finn: finn is beginning to frown when cimmorro is taking a while to respond, wondering if he'll ever be able to get along with anyone aside from orin and vorde... his good mood is outwardly renewed when cimmorro does finally speak. he chuckles at the way hes raising his eyebrow at him, not being able to fault the man for doing so "just the temple?" he says and twirls a strand of his hair "i do want a tour of that the most but" he pauses for a moment and puts a finger to his chin like an anime girl "i was hoping you might show me a little of the city too... but its fine if you want to think on that. just for you i promise ill behave!" he has gone full anime mode, hands behind his back now and hes smiling very sweetly at cimmorro "ill be allowed to hang off your arm though, right? its not a proper date if not..." he trails off, pouting a little, avoiding looking at cimm directly Cimmorro: he finds himself in the threshold between feeling relieved that finn is being amiable and wanting to break out into hives because it's becoming too much to find comfortable. why is he acting this way? he seemed too cold and condescending when they met at the door a few minutes ago. now he doesn't know what to think. he wishes that finn would just come out with it and say what it is he really wants. "if... we have time for the city, sure... i suppose..." he refuses to let his guard down completely and tries to convey it by folding his arms, it is not completely unwilling though. "as for arm holding, if we tour the city, sure... in the temple, however, no. you must understand, no matter how much of a fool you perceive me to be, i don't display that sort of thing in our tower," his voice stern, perhaps even slightly commanding, with a rectitude that's slightly similar to his mentor's. Finn: finn is a little disappointed but doesnt show it. he merely nods and studies cimmorro "and no matter how much of a fool you perceive me to be, i understand needing to keep up appearances. i wasnt aware thats not the kind of thing you can do in a temple... but i suppose you being a big shot there adds to it. i shouldve assumed so." he dusts his clothes off idly "understood. no affection in the temple" he then smiles at cimm sincerely, hoping it expresses that he'll do as he promised. "well, thats about everything i wanted to discuss with you. i did say i wont keep you long. may i?" he reaches out to cimmorros hand but doesnt actually take it, waiting for his permission Cimmorro: he seems a little disappointed by finn's assumption, but not at all surprised. "it's much less appearance to me than it is as simple as i do an important job, as do everyone else in my temple, and i want it respected and honored." he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, debating to himself if it's even worth explaining to finn in detail. he decides that it's late and this would be a topic that can be shared another day. they have a date after all, he could simply talk finn's ears off then. when finn shows compliance, cimm looks up at him with regard. "thanks," he quietly says. "i'll hold onto you on that." he eyes finn's hand as it reaches out then looks back up at him before rolling his eyes amused. "you'll have to earn it," he sticks out a tongue and swerves past finn, walking back to his room. Finn: finn stares at cimms back with wide eyes, for a moment completely staggered. how dare cimmorro be such a tease? holding the one sided right of touching is one thing, but being playful like this is... ugh. he shudders, his mind briefly conjuring an image of what itd be like if he and cimmorro shared a room tonight. what would ideally happen by the end of their date. he forcibly brings himself back. he couldnt allow cimmorro to have so much power over him in his own mind.

Finn: he quickly jogs to catch up with cimm, staying right behind him as he reaches for the door. while invading his space somewhat, he makes sure to not actually make physical contact with cimm "look forward to it" he purrs near the clerics ear, breath just shy of ghosting the shell, before he lets himself into the room, this time swerving past cimmorro. Special Guest Aqua: Thats Scary Cimmorro: cimm rn

Vinny: QERTGL;KQERTHKLW4TJKL;H Cimmorro: UIJGHAIKLDGHNAUJIKLOHEG CIMM IS PRACTICALLY RUSHING INTO THE SAFETY OF THEIR ROOM NOW AND JUST FOCUSES ON SETTING HIS THINGS BACK KJHDHFSKJDHF Vinny: HJKLSDFHJKLSDGLHJKERGH

Finn: “as promised ive returned with haste, wizard" finn immediately looks to vinny, cimmorro as good as forgotten now Cimmorro: vinny might see him going like 😖 but more disdained Vinny: vinny sits on his bed idly reading something so he doesn't nod off, he watches cimm barrel back into the room and makes a concerned face (are we in battle agai-) until finn steps in swerving around him. he looks between the two briefly, confusion evident on his face but all he says is "uh...hello?" Finn: "i shant take up too much of your time either" he seems relaxed, smile somewhat sincere but guarded. he wonders if he should kneel to vinny like he had planned or if thatd be too much "i apologize for not returning your coat sooner... and for having naught to offer in return for your kind gesture. i do wish to express my gratitude, and no matter how dramatic it may seem to you, i greatly appreciated it" he seems to become more soft as he goes on "should you require aid, be it financial or otherwise, do not hesitate to call upon me. i will come to you" he seems rather serious about this Cimmorro: cimm behind finn slowly shaking his head like he's warning vinny Vinny: as finn starts vinny has a confused smile and his as he goes on his face becomes more rigid and strained trying to hold the expression, he doesn't obviously glance at cimmorro but sees him shaking his head in the background. he stands up from where he's seated and takes a few steps forward waving an arm in the air as he speaks "i-uh i appreciate the sentiment but it wasn't anything so serious w-was it?" he tilts his head perplexed but trying to come off friendly "even when i healed you it was a bit less dramatic than all this?" Finn: finn frowns a little, but not due to vinnys strain "you do not understand... youve shown me something very important that only couldve been done at that time. i wont forget it" his tone turns somber and he briefly looks away, quiet "it matters not if you understand, as long as you know that i will draw my blade for your sake henceforth" he bows and turns to leave Vinny: vinny doesn't understand what relevance his coat could have possibly had to this man's life, nor that it deserved such fevered dedication henceforth, he racks his brain as finn talks and as he bows, vinny shakes both his hands through the air this time to stop him before he leaves "ah-! hey, maybe i don't er, really understand but...!" he pauses for a second as he thinks "look- i don't quite like people feeling as if they owe me great debts, it's a bit uh... monumental. we can look out for one another's backs equally as comrades instead, that's a much more preferable situation for me." he takes a breath to think and calm himself down from the strange declaration before he goes on, becoming less flustered as he remembers something "we haven't even ever properly introduced ourselves to one another have we?" Finn: finn stops and looks as vinny flails and thinks to himself that the wizard isnt unlike the characters in his shoujo manga. its kind of endearing. he listens to vinnys explanation and tilts his head throughout, taking the time to consider everything truly. at the mention of their lack of introductions he gives a faint exhale in place of a laugh, still somewhat in his knight mindset "our lack of formalities has not shaken my conviction. but i do admit itd be awfully rude of me to continue traveling with you under these conditions" finn clears his throat unnecessarily and poses lamely (imagine any lelouch pose) "count finnian oswald atticus barvotte, champion swordsman of antessa amongst your closest allies from this day forth!" he appears less stiff now, very into his own performance. radiating with confidence he reaches his hand out to vinny "and now declare yourself to me, wizard!" Keva: keva happens to open her door just in time to see finn strike his pose and announce himself and all his titles, and decides that actually she doesn't need water and closes her door again Finn: finn remains unshaken by this event and expectantly focuses on vinny, hand still outstretched

Vinny: vinny blinks, his eyes widening at the display before him. he thought maybe he would have calmed down the dramatics with his words or blown the wind out of his sails but it seems the opposite has occurred. he tries very hard to reconcile this image of finn with the one he's seen over the past week and wonders which one of these is the act, though maybe he was just in a terrible mood until now...? he thinks it'd be rude if he didn't return the enthusiasm however, as finn sticks out his hand vinny reaches forward to grab it and give it a hearty shake laughing a little as if it were startled out of him, he gives him a smile as he speaks "Vildristin of Shorewater, you can call me vinny, and not just er wizard preferably, pleased to have gained your friendship...?" he laughs again awkwardly as he considers again how on earth this happened Finn: finn feels one of those anime arrows hitting him when vinny says he does not want to be called wizard... he thought it sounded very cool... he would certainly appreciate being addressed as swordsman... whatever...shyly kicks a pebble around in his mind "im most pleased to have forged this bond with you vinny! and please do call me finn!" he says with the same amount of enthusiasm though, he understands the want for a nickname at the very least. his strong grip on vinnys hand eventually ceases and he retracts his hand "i respect that you do not wish for me to settle this debt in a traditional sense so i shant treat it as such.. but my words ring true regardless! i will come to your aid always. do not forget" he smiles triumphantly but then staggers "i-i do believe ive ended up taking up quite a bit of your time after all... i shalt leave you to retire now" he pauses, inwardly pained "vinny!" he turns to leave again, again you have the choice to stop this if you wish Vinny: still confused he finds himself getting swept up in.. all the strange presentation finn is giving the exchange, though he feels a bit out of his depth. as finn releases his hand and starts making awkward pauses here and there he continues thinking, suddenly feeling a pang of nostalgia. it's almost like he's playing with a kid now, pretend with knights and dragons, he almost lets out a genuine laugh as the seriousness fades away, he puts a hand to his face to cover his mouth as he smirks and nods along "yeah of course, and as long as were walking about together i'll keep an eye on yours...?" he removes his hand still smiling, putting his hands on his hips instead "have a good night finn" Finn: finns not sure why vinnys fighting to keep it together but hes happy about him finally not being so awkward anymore. when he turns at the doorway one last time and sees vinny putting his hands on his hips a genuine smile overcomes his face, like that of a child on their birthday and his eyes squeeze shut for a second from how happy he is "rest well!!!! the days wont stay as peaceful as they are now!! and cimmorro i do wish you a most pleasant night as well of course!!!" he almost shouts from excitement but closes the door in a normal way. outside though, he sprints down the hallway. destination: deck. hes gonna stare at the stars and just maybe give his thanks to the world itself. then, he'll return to his room and write a letter to his uncle....

Vinny: as finn leaves and shuts the door vinny turns to cimmorro with a wide eyed expression still amused, he points with his thumb gesturing at the door "what the hell did you say to him?" Cimmorro: the entire time cimm has just been holding his head while sitting on his bed. giving finn a defeated wave as he goes. when vinny speaks up after finn leaves, he sputters with his arms flailing as he struggles to even comprehend what just happened. "wha- i- ME?? i didn't do nothing! HE asked me out on a date whereas he's been VERY vocal about his contempt for me up until now!" he says defensively. after a moment he just groans and falls onto the mattress, one hand pinching the bridge of his nose. "i'm just as confused as you are...! i've never seen him make that kind of display towards anyone else in this party" Vinny: he blinks as his face grows a little red "d-date?" he rubs his face with his hand embarrassed and looks away "...that was the farthest thing from m-my mind to have guessed... did your chat just put him in such a good mood..?" he waddles back to his bed to sit down with a confused face as he crosses his arms still looking away "i just assumed he started acting dramatics to you as well or something... i didn't know someone so vitriolic could act so cheery?" Cimmorro: "yes, date. take a moment to picture being in my shoes, kay?" he sits up and faces vinny as he explains "i opened that door and he looked at me like i was a piece of shit. then he drags me out there to ask me out on a date, saying things like he's interested in me? what the fuck is that!" he growls as he shuffles under a blanket. "he's always pulling something theatric, but the one just now with you was probably the most unnervingly friendly one yet. it's almost like he has a catalogue of personalities he'll play for the day. the scary part is, i don't know which one is genuine anymore!" Vinny: he pauses a moment as if to actually picture himself in the situation "...i really don't understand your relationship i'll be honest..." he shakes his head as he runs a hand through his hair "he...really seems to like getting carried away, as if he picks a mood and runs away with it" he starts leaning backwards, putting a pillow between him and the wall as he's silent for an elongated period of time "...a....aaare you going on a date with him...?" he tilts his head curiously, still glancing at the ceiling Cimmorro: "i also don't know, so don't ask. one thing is for sure is that we're ways off to being friends..." he rubs at his face again and tiredly sighs. "at this point i'm just trying to coexist with him until this is over." cimm turns his head to look at vinny when he asks that. "yeah, well, sorta?" he makes vague hand gestures as he speaks "he asked if i could show him around the city and the temple as a date, but i told him i don't do that sorta shit at my tower, yknow? so we met halfway and just agreed to showing him around if i have the time." another long sigh comes out of him. "i'm starting to wonder if it was a bad idea, but i thought i could keep an eye on him in case he decides to do anything funny... i don't want him pulling some shit where my sisters could see" Vinny: he lets out a puff of air he seemed to have been holding in "i see..." he scratches his chin as he rolls his head about "so you're trying to placate him pretty much?" he gives a small awkward chuckle as he slackens his arms as well "he's almost like a kid is what i thought, kind of immature. you have a... t-tendency to tease people too much, i'm sure it'll end up fine if you don't give him the wrong idea..." he glances over at cimmorro briefly then looks away as if embarrassed. he makes to grab the pillow again to put back at the head of the bed and starts shuffling around to lay down proper. he takes off his glasses before he speaks again "if i'm not too occupied trying to cure your friend in an act of great herosim, feel free to let out a cry for help" he says it while smiling, like he's teasing now Cimmorro: this type of conversation seems to roll casually with cimm. "you know, it's funny cause i have been actively trying to get under his skin with full intention to deter him from me but.... i think it actually turns him on?" he looks up at the ceiling and shakes his head. "it's the only way i can make sense of.... all that...buh" there's a bit of silence before cimm turns to vinny with an amused smile. "you might be on to something... if it turns out horribly then, i could just tell him i have plans with you instead. maybe he won't put up too much of a fight about it, he knows i put you on priority right now... maybe if i take you on a date he'd leave me alone even..." the small jest turns out to be something actually plausible. he continues to ponder on the idea as he shuffles more comfortably in his bed Vinny: though he cant really see cimm he turns his head to look away as if to save face anyway, with a cough and a mutter under his breath he flicks his wrist to snuff out the lantern hanging on the ceiling, cloaking the room in a warm darkness "...c-certainly a unique individual isn't he" after a brief pause wherein he makes himself comfortable within the blanket he replies, quieter"..do as you like" he shuts his eyes and begins to attempt to will himself to sleep and not think on that sentiment for the new few hours. Cimmorro: "night, vinny," he yawns. despite being able to see through it, the dark does invite a comforting lull, making him realize how sleepy he actually is. placing a sleeping jasper on top of his chest, her soft purrs gift him a comfort that only she can provide.

Cimmorro quietly hopes he doesn't have any nightmares that involve Finn as he puts his eye mask on...

#recaps #YAAAAY #this one to be updated also lol

0 notes

thehardboiledham · 2 years ago

Text

#gods it is. really annoying how being autistic interacts with trauma #i'm in a house with relatives and every time someone enters the room i'm in i lose all capacity for focusing on work #because i'm hyperfocusing on the person who entered the room. are they going to walk over? are they going to figure out that i'm queer? etc.#(i mean at least some of them already know that i'm queer they just pretend not to but y'know)#like literally anything changing about my immediate surroundings literally anyone present is so LOUD to my brain #the thing is i'm normally not all that sensitive to noise and movement at all! like i get work done in public places all the time #but my brain is convinced that if i let myself get absorbed in what i'm working on and tune out the distractions i will be in grave danger #like i must notice every noise and pay attention every time something moves in my peripheral vision.#and i must go into high alert every time a family member enters the room. even if they're just here to go about their business #and like. my brain's kinda right about all that. because every time my family notices a trace of queerness on me it eventually leads into #them forcing me to come out to them #and every time they force me to come out to them they immediately respond #by trying to squish and bargain and rationalize the queer out of me #but it's so annoying because the stuff i'm working on is only tangential to queerness anyways #and also this constant distraction thing is REALLY bad when mixed with adhd bc. like.#the whole thing with adhd and executive dysfunction is that it's easy to keep going once you've started but it's hard to start #and having to restart every time someone enters the room is extremely not good for my work speed #anyways #i'm very very behind on work rn #i want to scream #venting

0 notes

fatuismooches · 2 years ago

Note

suddenly thinking how angsty it would be if fragile! reader always tries to put on a brave front but one day dottore walks in on them crying and berating themselves for being cursed with this useless body

♡ 𝐃𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 ♡

synopsis: Illness and sickness had plagued you for far longer than you liked. Even though you were determined to keep up the smiles and hope, there were times when you simply couldn't do it anymore, which Dottore soon came to realize.

includes: dottore w/ gn! reader

notes: Related to the posts under my fragile reader tag. I have a problem with keeping things short. I just keep writing and then this was born. Hope you like this nonnie! I made it angsty and fluffy. (Reader is also a bit self deprecating here, just as a warning.)

Imagine Dottore finding you crying and insulting yourself due to your illness.

You had long accepted that being inflicted with such a mysterious illness had a lengthy list of drawbacks and no pros. There was no other option anyway, as you just had to deal with it every day until Dottore figured something out. You always reassured him (or were you reassuring yourself?) that you would be fine until then. You had full confidence in your lover and his abilities. This was your Zandik after all, the one whose wisdom rivaled even the Gods.

But, you could not lie. Despite all of your smiles and composed nature, there were times when your faith and hope wavered. There were times when you despised yourself for your weakness. It had been countless years since you were sick, yet it felt that the only progress made was downwards.

You pretended as though you did not notice the stares and whispers directed toward you, but you had no doubt in your mind about what the soldiers and even the Harbingers must be wondering - Why is a man of such power, such knowledge, such intelligence, keeping you, the one who no longer possesses any of those traits, around him? The fact was, that you were struggling to answer that question yourself with every passing day.

–

Recently, some of the younger clones had begun to join you for meals. You reached the conclusion that the younger, more inexperienced ones were more likely to join you for such human tasks, and you were quite grateful for the company. They always managed to lift your spirits - though it made you slightly melancholic for how much time had passed since the old days.

Though one day, he had to excuse himself for reasons. You had learned that Dottore was planning on doing something in Sumeru - something with the Balladeer and the Akademiya - you weren’t too sure, but all the clones have been busy preparing for whatever the plan is. You were more reminiscent of the time you spend with Dottore in your home country to pay attention anymore.

Moving back to the point, you were left to your own devices, which was usually fine. The only problem was that he had yet to pour you a drink. But that was a simple task, right? No.

Since the progression of your illness, your hands became increasingly unsteady, especially when you were trying to do basic tasks. You had stopped pouring things a long time ago for every time you did, you managed to make it spill everywhere. Zandik had told you to call for a segment when doing even such basic tasks, for he knew your body inside and out, but you couldn’t help but feel like an inconvenience for bothering a busy clone to pour you juice. But maybe, just maybe, you could do it, you hoped.

You were wrong. Bad things happened.

The noise and crash sent some of the other segments literally sprinting to you, and soon enough almost everyone in the lab had known what happened. To put it short, it was one of the most embarrassing days of your life. Since then, a clone was always required to be with you for meals.

–

That was just one of the many incidents where your frail body couldn’t keep up with your commands. It felt as though you didn’t even own your body, it was being held hostage by your sickness. You hated when the clones asked you for your opinion on an experiment, but you could only respond with a chuckle, as the headaches made your mind spin far too much to make sense of the numbers and words jumbled together. You hated seeing the Fatui assign new assistants to Dottore, jealous of how that was once your position.

You hated when you cried into your pillows, doing your best to muffle out the sounds of sobs in the middle of the night. Why did it have to be you? Why couldn’t someone else be cursed with this miserable life? You just wanted to go back to the old days. The days when you didn’t have to try new medicines, draw blood, take shots, or endure examinations for an excruciating amount of time. You knew that Zandik cared for you, despite his odd methods of showing it, yet the voice in the back of your head grew louder and louder. What if he stopped trying to find a cure? What if he deemed you a failure or a fruitless endeavor, and discarded you? But most of all -

What if he didn’t love you anymore?

You swatted these thoughts and emotions to the back of your heads. At least, luckily for you, no one had noticed your unsettled state yet. Red eyes were blamed on lack of sleep and tiredness, and runny noses were due to the cold.

Yet one day you slipped up.

–

It had been a regular day. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened - you endured having to be helped with a numerous amount of tasks, closed your ears to the whispers of others as you took your daily walk around the lab, shut your eyes as your heart pounded after the simple activities, and lamented at how you did not see Zandik.

It was normal. Yet you felt particularly exhausted and the pricks of tears at the corners of your eyes had refused to leave you despite blinking them back. So as soon as you got back to the main part of the lab, you quickly excused yourself to your room so you could finally let the waterworks free. It was a familiar sensation, launching yourself into your soft plush bed, which you considered your safe place. It would be your haven if only Zandik spent more time with you in it.

Your lover’s familiar scent still lingered on the blankets, and fresh tears began to roll down your cheeks as you curled up into a ball. You bit your lip to prevent sobs from spilling out, but it eventually became too much bear, and you let out wails that you tried your best to keep hushed. You thought about nothing and everything at the same time, blocking out the sounds of the outside world. Perhaps that was why you did not hear the footsteps of a clone passing by, or feel his stare as he peered into your room, and then the shuffling of footsteps as he quickly walked away. You were far too swept up in your patheticness, and planned to stay this way for a while until-

Creak.

You immediately stiffened and held your breath, biting your lip to temporarily stop your cries. You strained your ear for any more sounds but heard nothing. It was just your imagination, you thought.

You released your breath to let out some more whines and then - creak, one that was much louder and drawn out. You nearly jumped out of your skin and rushed to sit up, and that’s when you saw the familiar masked face of your lover, standing at the entrance of your room, hand on the doorknob.

Your heart stopped. Why, why oh why was Zandik here? He never came around you at this time, it was always just you and the segments. He was always in another part of the lab, researching and experimenting on things you could barely process anymore despite your scholarship from the Akademiya.

You didn’t know and you wished it was just a bad dream. But you knew it wasn’t, as you realized you may have accidentally left the door open a crack. Your eyes were blurry, but you could still make out a number of segments slightly peeking into your room, the only things visible were their red eyes and teal hair, some pairs of hands gripping the doorway. You felt miserable but that cute little scene made your heart squeeze a bit. You felt like running away from it all, but you knew that was impossible. The only thing you could do was hide your teary and blotched face from Dottore with your hands.

Zandik motioned to his segments to leave the two of you be and shut the door, leaving you alone with him. He sensed when the minds of his clones went haywire a couple of minutes ago, and now he could see why. He calmly took a seat at the edge of your bed and looked at you, silently beckoning you to come near.

You felt stupid and embarrassed to be seen in this state, but you couldn’t help but comply and inch toward him, crawling into his lap. Your only escape in this life. Zandik held you firm and steady as you wrapped your arms around him, burying your ashamed face into his chest. You tried to spew out an apology but it only came out as broken, incoherent hiccups and phrases. He rubbed your back in such a way, you knew that he was targeting specific points to release pressure.

“Who was it?”

You shook your head, your breathing becoming slightly steadier. You knew what he was getting at - you had seen him make examples out of people before - but you had no idea how’d he react when you thought you were the problem.

“No?” You nodded, silently bracing yourself for the next question. “Then what is the matter?” Zandik could feel your eyes flutter shut as you merely tightened your grip on him, shrugging your shoulders. It seemed like you weren’t going to make this easy for him.

“Has the medication been too much for you? Are there any side effects hurting you?”

A small grunt from you denied this.

“Perhaps the meals are getting too boring and redundant, not to your liking? Or is it the scenery?”

You shook your head once again and finally decided to croak something out, that left the wise doctor baffled.

“It’s me…” you said softly.

Zandik paused before echoing what you said. “You? How so?”

You opened your mouth to speak but closed it, unsure of how to express your feelings. You shifted yourself into a different position, where you sat sideways and your legs were draped over his, nuzzling into Zandik’s shoulder.

“I just feel so pathetic,” you began. “It just hurts to live like this sometimes. I can barely do anything by myself. My body is so useless. I’m such a burden, I-I don’t know how you deal with me, or why you keep me around. It’s all t-too much.” Everything that you had kept bottled up flowed out like a dam, as you continued to sputter out more about your pent-up emotions. As if you didn’t cry enough, more tears sprung up and you desperately tried to rub them away again. Dottore did not interrupt you, allowing you to wet his shirt with how many tears you needed to.

“How long have you felt this way?” You couldn’t bring yourself to answer it, for the pressing fear of how he felt about you now weighed on you.

“Look at me, [Name],” Dottore took hold of your chin and turned it to face him. Even though he had his mask on, you could feel him looking straight at you, compelling you to respond for he would not settle for anything else.

“A while now,” you admitted weakly.

He brushed his gloved thumb against your lips and his fingers over your tears. “And you did not think to confide in me?”

“I didn’t know how to just bring something like this up. And I didn’t know how you would react, if you thought I was being overdramatic or ungrateful for everything or- I just didn’t know,” you stuttered over your words as you fiddled which his chest harness.

“I am many things. Horrible and unfathomable things. But I am your lover, too. You have been mine for countless years, since the days in the Akademiya. To believe that I would merely pass your worries and concerns aside is simple foolishness.” To other people, the way Zandik spoke may seem harsh. But to you, it soothed you like no other. You both carried many sins, yet there was an unspoken air of comfort whenever the two of you were near each other, the need to have your guards up no longer existed.

“You are wrong in your contemplation. I do not know if anyone put these ideas into your head, but they are wrong as well. It confuses me as to why you would assume that I would no longer care for you. You are the only one who has been by my side from the beginning, so you are the one who will be by my side until the very end. I want no one else with me beside you.”

“As for your illness, regretfully, there is still no cure that I have found. But, it seems that the medication has not been very effective lately, has it? I will get to making a new type later.”

By now, his words had made you feel a whole lot better and your brain was starting to process everything much more. “It’s okay, the meds are fine. I’m just so glad I got to talk to you like this, Zandik. Feeling a lot better now,” you said gently, reaching up to press a kiss to his soft cheeks. (It had always amused you how his cheeks had such a plush softness to them.)

Dottore did not hesitate to return the favor, as he left a trail of kisses down your face, carefully scrutinizing your expression as he continued to nip your neck with his pointy teeth. The feeling left you in absolute bliss and comfort, exactly what you need after all of that.

“[Name], do you remember what I else I said when I declared I would cure you?”

“...When you say you’ll do something, you’ll do it, despite anything and everything.”

“Precisely. So do not worry. Even if you do, come to me immediately.” You fluttered your eyes shut and nodded in agreement, snaking your hand up to rest between his fluffy locks of hair.

“Can you hold me some more? Just until I fall asleep?” This whole ordeal had left you physically and mentally exhausted, as your body and mind screamed at you to slumber.

“Of course. However long as you like,” Zandik agreed, as he cradled you and gently placed you on your back in your bed. He slipped in after you and nestled you against his body, a strong arm thrown over your chest.

“Thank you,” your tiredness had begun to cause your words to slur. “...I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”

“Do not apologize. You have not done anything wrong.”

“I interrupted your research though…” you trailed off as you turned to rest your cheek against his chest.

“There is no need to fret. Close your eyes and sleep,” Zandik stroked your hair, his deep, commanding voice lulling you to the land of dreams. You made a sound of agreement and within seconds you were knocked out. Dottore could feel your body breathe in and out, an aura of peacefulness now surrounding you.

Your tears caused Dottore to realize he had neglected to consider the emotional toll your illness had on you, as he was more focused on the physical aspects. He had to admit, it was an oversight on his part. Even though he did not care for the feelings of others, he had learned to read your emotions and pick up on what you were thinking.

Zandik had always remembered you as the bright and bubbly peer from the Akademiya, who smiled and made fun of him even as your sickness crept in. So in the rare occurrences he saw your tears, a part of him was unsure of what to do. And to think that these rare occurrences had become frequent ones without him knowing?

He must not have been paying attention to you very well. That simply would not do, Dottore concluded.

He would invite you to his lab to keep him company for a while, he decided. He had also heard from the Ninth Harbinger that a company was conducting a tour of Snezhnaya from a luxury boat for a few hours. You had always liked the swaying of the waves. Perhaps you would enjoy that.

But for now, you deserved your rest. Despite his desire to stay, he pried himself away from you and stood up, tucking the covers up higher on you. There was much work to be done, especially after this conversation.

He knew that there would be days when you cried again and again. But Zandik had long made it his duty to cure you. He would not rest until that was accomplished.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #dottore x reader #il dottore x reader #dottore fluff #dottore angst #il dottore #fatui harbingers x reader #fatui x reader #genshin impact il dottore #fragile reader <3

2K notes · View notes

moemoemammon · 3 years ago

Note

Following that "least favorite" request could we get their reactions to being to told that they're their favorite, but to not tell the other brothers so their feelings don't get hurt? Maybe because they relate to them the most or just get along really well. Thanks!

You're My Favorite! But Don't Tell the Others-

(Feat. GN!MC and the Demon Bros)

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Lucifer

There are no words to explain the overwhelming satisfaction ion Lucifer’s face after you tell him that. Of course, it’s only natural that he would be your favorite, all things considered.

The Avatar of Pride won’t ever forget this moment. He carefully considers your words and agrees not to tell anyone, as much as he’d love to bring it up, because he knows more than anyone what kind of chaos would ensue should the others (especially Mammon) find out.

But they can tell something’s up when the eldest has been heard humming all day. He moves about the house with even more grace than usual, and hasn’t scowled even once.

But the REAL shocker was when Mammon tried hiding a bill right as Lucifer walked in... and the eldest let him off with a warning. A WARNING! The brothers thought the Devildom must’ve frozen over, but you and he knew different.

“MC, I would like you to accompany me to Le Pluvier this afternoon, once you've finished your studies. I've already made reservations, so be sure to get ready on time. I've made sure to consider the things you might like to eat, so I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself. Don't be late." "...I'm grinning? I don't know what you're talking about."

Mammon

The gigantic grin on Mammon’s face is so bright, it could rival the sun. You’ve seriously made his day. No, his year. Actually, he’s pretty sure he could ride this high for the next millennia! There’s nothing in this world that could dampen his spirits right now!

He feels like he just won big at the casino! Of course he’s your favorite! He WAS your first demon, and now he’s gone and claimed his rightful spot as your number one! Good luck trying to keep him from saying anything. Mammon’s gonna throw it around in everyone’s faces for as long as he can milk it.

And you thought he was clingy before, just wait till you see how he treats you after hearing that. Despite always calling you his ‘servant’ or his ‘human’, you’d think your roles were reversed. Mammon spoils you every chance he gets, buying you clothes and trinkets, filling the spaces in your room with the things he knows you like, monopolizing you completely until nearly everything you own is a gift from him.

Your words also help soothe that jealousy of his a little. Only a little, though. It’s easier to watch you talk to other demons when he knows he’ll always be your first man.

“Didja really have to stay after class that long? I know you were talkin' to that demon that lent you a book, but you outta ask ME for stuff! Tch... you're lucky I'm in a good mood today! But I guess I don't have to worry about some low level demon like that, seein' as I'm your favorite!"

Levi

Wait wait wait....Come again? Did you seriously just say what he think you said..? That had to be a mistake! Some kind of...uh..verbal typo! Because there’s absolutely, positively, NO WAY in all of the nine layers that he could be your favorite demon. And yet you still insist that you’re telling the truth, and Levi feels like he’s died and gone to heaven.

Red faced and stammering up a storm, Levi looks like he might die. Is it really okay for a shut-in otaku to feel this giddy? Seriously, he hasn’t felt like this since he got his hands on a signed copy of a Ruri Hana audio drama! No no, this definitely beats that!

You’ve managed to inflate his nearly nonexistent ego, and now he feels like there’s nothing he can’t do! Maybe he could even go to Majolish right now?? THAT’S how good he’s feeling!

Almost as bad as Mammon in keeping it a secret. He doesn’t tell anyone right away, but they’re suspicious when they notice how much time he’s spending out of his room. And then when he and Mammon get in another petty argument, he drops the bomb that he’s your favorite demon in the entire Devildom, and you can guess how things go from there.

“Uuuoooo...!!!!! I've decided..! Since I've got a serious stat buff, I'm going to open a booth at the next convention coming up..! I'll sell my Ruri-chan fan art and spread her influence all over the Devildom! I'd never have the guts to do it normally, but I feel like I could do anything right now! Y-you'll go too, won't you MC?"

Satan

You nearly made this man spit tea all over his book, and now he’s coughing and spluttering and trying to figure out what could’ve prompted what he’s taking as a confession. You.. do realize what you’re saying, don’t you? And you know the kind of effect your words have on him?

Satan isn’t the type that wears his heart on his sleeve, so you have to look for his subtle expressions to tell how he’s feeling. But there’s nothing subtle about the redness of his ears and how he’s begging you not to look at him right now. For the sake of his sanity, give him a minute to recoup.

When he does recover, he agrees to keep it a secret for obvious reasons. And it’s hard to tell that he’s in a good mood, other than the fact that he hasn’t tried to pull any pranks on Lucifer lately. But Asmo sees all, and literally hounds him into spilling the tea.

He tells him a lie of course, but now the other brothers are noticing just how happy he is. Satan's smiling way too much today, isn't he? And he didn't even get mad when Beel got whipped cream on his jacket! Well, not THAT mad, anyway.

"Haaah... everyone's been harassing me all day, claiming I'm smiling a lot. I'm sure I look the same as I always do, but I'll admit that I've been happy ever since you told me that this morning. Wait.. you did think I've been grinning too, do you? I have??"

Asmo

Asmo always jokes about being your favorite and announces it as if the two of you are married, but when you actually confirm that his longing for you isn’t one sided, he ends up smearing lip balm across his cheek in shock. Did you... really say that just now? He knew it all along, but hearing it like that is just...!

Ooooh, he’s so happy he can hardly contain himself! Asmo throws his arms around you, peppering your face in kisses until you feel sticky from lip balm, wipes your face clean, then marks it up all over again. Good luck getting rid of him, because he might never let go.

Immediately posts it to Devilgram. Did you really think he’d let such a momentous occasion go unannounced? You must not have been paying attention to the kind of person he is! Asmo would put you on a pedestal in front of the world like a precious jewel if he were able, but this’ll have to do. He won’t hide his love at all!

Of course, the others don’t take too kindly to it, not that he cares. He never leaves your side, pampers you like crazy, and has even attempted to get you to move into his room. Lucifer put an immediate stop to that, though. Boo...

“I just can't get enough of you, MC! Just being near you gets me so excited that I can hardly stand it! You'll take responsibility for what you're doing to me, won't you? And in exchange, I'll take my time showing you just how much I love you. After all, you're my favorite, too!"

Beel

Beel never has a problem with choking while he eats, and it comes as naturally as breathing. Unfortunately neither of that applies right now, since you just made him choke on a meatball sub.

He usually takes your words with quiet acceptance, but this might be the most emotion you've ever witness from the stoic demon. His eyes are wider than that time that laid on an entire gingerbread mansion, sparkling up with such deep emotion you wouldn't be surprised if he cried. Instead he softens up and immediately embraces you.

...And doesn't let go. Sandwich long forgotten, he's been carrying you around all day, and ignoring any questions or protests from his brothers. Also insists on feeding you throughout the day. The food tastes better when he can enjoy it with you, so why not just bring you everywhere?

When he isn't carrying you, he's following you around subconsciously, either close up against you like a protective wall, or just far enough that you're within his line of sight. As far as not telling anyone, he... tells Belphie immediately. It was an accident though, since there's not much he keeps from his twin.

"MC, I won a meal ticket for Godevil Chocolatier. Let's get something for dessert today. Ah, you can get as much as you want, too. I really want to see what things you choose. They might become my favorites."

Belphie

There's nothing in this world that can wake Belphegor from his sleep, unless he allows it. No loud noises, no amount of shaking or smacking, and not even dragging him around the house. But the moment you whisper that he's your favorite demon, the Avatar of Sloth is wide awake.

Hey, you're not just saying weird things to get a reaction, are you? Because if so, this is a new level of cruel. Yet you confirm that you mean it and swear him into secrecy, and Belphie tries his best not to show how happy he is. A smile keeps creeping up on his face that he struggles to force down. It's annoying...

As funny as it’d be to tell everyone the news, he's good at keeping secrets. Instead, you've noticed that he's been sleeping a little less that before. When he does take one of his hundreds of naps, he finds some way to be closer to you. He's even been seen sleepwalking to your exact location somehow-

It's hard for him to believe that you're not teasing, though. How could HE be your favorite demon here? Belphie doesn't do anything special to win you over, yet after everything he put you through, you like him enough to deep him your favorite?

"You're weird, MC. I mean... me? I won't deny that I'm really happy though, but I guess I'm in disbelief. You should spoil me even more until I believe you. Lend me your lap for a few hours, okay?" "...I wonder what Lucifer would think if I told him, heheh."

3K notes · View notes

thatblackravenclaw · 3 years ago

Text

My Best Friend's Sister

Masterlist

author note: this was so much longer than I meant for it to be 😂 like I thought this was gonna be maybe a couple hundred words. Anyway, I hope y'all like it. I've been working on it for probably the past three days.

Cassie Howard x fem!reader

word count: 2.5k

warning(s): a bit of fluff, mutual pining, closeted Cassie, tiny bit of angst, smut, oral, titty sucking (obviously), thigh riding/grinding, reader is a tiny bit of a dom but not descriptive. cursing (obviously), drug use (obviously), fighting

I hate this school, but if I get to see her every day, it might just be worth it. I know it doesn’t do well to pine over straight girls, but I can’t help it.

Her hair is different today. It’s still has some wave going on, but she also has bangs that frame her face so nicely. I hope she keeps this style for a while.

She looks over at me and I think I stop breathing. She gives me a smile and then goes back to talking to Maddy.

I start walking to class, which, lucky me, is a class I have with Cassie.

I sit in the very back and play on my phone for a bit before class starts. The professor is always late, so I just relax before getting my laptop out. At exactly 12:03, Cassie walks in. I swear everything turns to slow-mo. It’s like those cheesy romance movies. You know that fan that comes out of nowhere that has the person’s hair is blowing through the wind? That’s what’s happening right now. I see her head start to turn in my direction and I quickly avert my eyes back to my phone.

I was so deep into trying to distract myself from making eye contact with her that I didn’t notice her sit in the seat right next to me. A whiff of her perfume hits my nose. Miss Dior, I think.

My eyes meet hers. The sound of blood began to rush through my ears. She gives me a smile again and I think I smile back this time. I look at her lips and see them moving. She says something, but I can’t decipher over the noise in my ear.

“Hello?” I see her mouth.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” I respond.

“I asked if you were okay.” She says with a chuckle.

“Oh. Oh! Yeah, I’m fine!”

She doesn’t get a chance to respond before our professor walks in. I decide to focus on my work this time around instead of Cassie since I’ve already made a fool of myself today.

We’re about midway through the lesson when she slips a note over to me.

“Party tonight. Wanna come over and help me get ready?”

I look up from the note at her and nod my head yes.

I don’t even pay attention to the rest of the lesson. My anxiousness clouding my vision.

As the teacher has the lesson end, I start putting my stuff back in my bag, heart thumping with each item.

I pick up my bag as I stand up and look back over at Cassie. She grabs my hand and then we walk out the room.

“Do you drive to school today?” She asks me.

I nod my head again, but a tiny bit more eager.

“Okay cool. Is it cool if Maddy comes too?”

“Sure, where is she?”

“She’s right here.” I hear from behind us.

We turn around, hands still entwined.

“Hey,” Cass starts, “y/n is coming over to mine too.”

“Well bitch let’s go.” She says to me with a smile.

We all walk out to my car and get in. Cassie gets in on the passage side whereas Maddy sits in the back. They begin talking as soon as I start the car up. It was just them deciding what to wear tonight, so I gave my full attention to the road; Preparing myself for what I’m probably about to endure for the next few hours.

There was a moment where it got silent. I look in the rearview and see Maddy with her eyes closed and her hand out the window, flowing through the wind. I look over at Cassie to see her already looking at me. I smile at her and face back forward.

-.-.-.-

“Okay, I think this one makes my boobs look good.” I hear Cassie say from the bathroom.

She walks out and I must admit, they do make her boobs look good. I mean her boobs always look good, but this dress accentuates her shape. Probably the only person I know that can make newsprint look good.

She walks out of the bathroom and looks around. Her eyes land on me.

“Oh yeah. You’re gonna fucking kill in that.” Maddy says from the other side of the room, and I completely agree.

“Hold on. I gotta pee.” Maddy says before walking over to the bathroom and closing the door.

Once the door closes, I have no choice but to give my full attention to Cass. She walks over to her bed, where I am, and stands over me.

“You seem uncomfortable. Do I make you nervous?” She says while looking down at me and moving her hand from my shoulders down to my hands.

“Should I be?” Is what I should’ve said. Instead, I looked up at her with my mouth slightly a gaped. This isn’t me. No girl has ever made me this weak before.

I slowly stand up, towering over her by an inch. My right hand inching up from her hip to her face. Once my palm is rested on her cheek I begin to speak.

“Maybe. Are you?”

My eyes move down to her lips and then back up to her eyes. Hers mirroring my actions. I hesitate before finally connecting our lips. I pull back after a second, but her lips chase mine and we reconnect.

She tastes so sweet. Her lips being the epitome of soft.

We sit down on her bed without separating. I take her hand and move it down to cover my tit. I feel her move her hand inside of bra, massaging the soft flesh. I take my free hand and put it on her neck, slightly lightly squeezing.

The sound of the bathroom door is heard opening and we jump apart from each other.

“So, y/n, anyone in school that you like?” Maddy asks.

“Yeah, something like that.” I respond while getting up and grabbing my purse from off of the couch. “I’m actually gonna go home and get ready. What time you guys wanna go to the party?” I say as I look over at Cassie. Our eyes briefly met before you got up and started dawdling with miscellaneous stuff.

“7:30ish?” Maddy asks.

“Bet. See you bitches then.” I say as Maddy and I walk out of the house.

-.-.-.-.-

I wonder if she’ll like my outfit. I didn’t put much thought into it. That’s a lie. I put a lot into it. I’ve known Cass for a few years now, but I’ve never seen her take interest in girls let alone dating them. She has always dressed and catered to the male gaze. What she didn’t realize was that she was also catering to my gaze, but how could I tell her that I fell in love with my best friend’s sister?

Letting out a deep sigh, I take another hit of my pen before grabbing my purse, car keys, and heading out the door. I connect the aux cord to my phone as I start up my car. Of course the first song to play in Sofia by Clairo like living out the lyrics isn’t enough. I switch to an upbeat playlist before backing out of the driveway.

I pick up Cassie first since she’s closest. She walks out in the blue dress and my breath gets knocked from me once more. I feel like a fucking school girl with her first crush and it’s annoying.

I text her that I’m outside and wait. I turn the music down a bit and just vibe until I hear her front door slam. I don’t bother looking over since I know it won’t do anything but raise my heart rate, so I continue facing forward. My back door shuts, and I look at her through the rear view.

“Hey there pretty lady.” I say.

“Hey bitch” she says while quickly kissing me on the cheek.

I continue driving to Maddy’s house and Cassie and I just talk for a bit. Not about the kiss, but unfortunately about guys. Like which ones she’s excited to see and blah blah blah. I entertain her for a few but can’t help the clenching that I feel in my heart.

In all honesty, I’m not even excited for the party anymore. I push down those feelings as soon as Maddy walks outside. I roll down my window and honk my horn.

“GET IN BITCH, WE’RE GOING TO A PARTY” I yell with a smile.

As soon as she gets in I start talking again.

“How’s my favorite whore?” I ask her.

“Ready to fucking party!”

We all yell out a celebratory cheer before I drive towards the house that the party is at.

-.-.-.-

The drinks taste watered down, the music is lame, and I can’t find Cassie or Maddy. I look around a bit more and eventually find Lexi next to Fez.

“Hey, where’s your sister?”

She looks at me with a mixture of worry and confusion.

“I thought she was with you?”

I shake my head no and turn to go find her.

The kitchen is packed with people, but none of them are her. The other parts of the house are just the same. I decide to take a break and go to the bathroom.

I knock on the door and wait for a response. It’s loud as hell, so I wasn’t sure if anyone said anything, but the door was unlocked so I walked in.

I turn around and see Cassie staring in the mirror, soft sniffles escaping from her.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as I walk up behind her.

“I like my sister’s best friend and I don’t know what to do.”

A small gasp escapes my mouth and I feel my heart stop. Words I never thought I’d hear her say.

She turns around and looks into my eyes. I move closer to her and put my hands on her cheeks, wiping her tears with my thumbs.

“Well, lucky you, she feels the same way so you’re not alone.” I say as we both laugh through the tears.

“Can I kiss you?” I ask.

She nods her heard and I proceed to lean in. Her lips are just as soft as the first time. The kiss started off so sweet, but the longer I felt her lips on mine, the hungrier I got to feel more.

My lips move down from her lips to her neck, trying to find her sweet spot. Once I hear her gasp in pleasure I suck on the spot until a bruise is visible. I lick over it to soothe the soreness before lightly grazing my fingers over her breasts.

“May I?” I ask her.

She nods her head, but that’s not enough for me. I lightly wrap my hand around her throat, my gaze darkening.

“Come on, baby. Use that pretty little voice of yours.”

A gasp leaves her lips, “Please?” She begs. The tone going straight to my pussy.

I move my leg in between her thighs while pulling the straps of her dress down, her bare cunt making contact with my thigh. Slightly wet, but I know I can make her wetter.

My lips wrap around her rosy bud, sucking while she grinds against my thighs. The feeling becoming, so euphoria that I can’t wait to taste her and feel her pussy on mine. When her nipple gets hard I move on and wrap my lips around the next one, the speed of her grinding picking up. I feel her juices spread all over my thighs. My pussy can’t help but throb at the erotic sight and feeling.

The second bud hardens, and I let go with a pop. I look up at her and see her eyes full of lust and looking back in mine which I don’t doubt looks the same.

“You gonna cum for me?” I ask seductively while rubbing over her nipples with my thumb.

Her head nods yes while letting out a whine.

“Then cum.” I say as I move my hands to her hips and help guide her.

She orgasms with a shudder, arms wrapping around my shoulders.

“Good girl.” I coo in her ear.

There’s banging on the door and we both snap our heads in it’s direction. I look back at her and I see the anxiety creeping in. I shush her, kiss her on the forehead, and tell her to go in the bath. When I’m sure that she’s well hidden, I go to open the door.

I should’ve known the sound of police busting in a door would belong to Nate.

“May I help you?” I ask with a pointed tone.

He walks in past me.

“Sure. Come in.”

“You don’t own the bathroom.” He says to me.

“Never said I did.” I respond while rolling my eyes.

“Hey, watch it l/n. You should know what happens to people that cross me.”

“And you should know what happens to adults that are caught fucking minors.” I say without looking anywhere but his eyes.

His eyes harden while we moves closer to me. He stands directly in front of me, trying to use his height as an intimidation factor.

“You wouldn’t.”

“You know I would.” I say, getting closer.

“What the fuck?” I hear from behind me. I turn around and see Maddy.

“I leave you alone for a few minutes and you’re trying to fuck my ex?”

She fucking kidding, right? I just laugh and walk out of the bathroom.

“No come back here you fucking cunt!” She yells as she also leaves the bathroom.

I look ahead of me and see everyone kind of pause what they’re doing and look in our direction.

“I’m not doing this with you Maddy.” I say as I stop walking and turn around.

“Yeah? Well, I am.” She says to me as I feel a punch to my jaw.

Once my head snaps back to her directions I see red. I black out and just jump on top of her, slamming my fists against her face. I only stop when blood starts flowing from her nose.

“I’m not fucking Nate Jacobs you dumb fuck.”

“Then why were you alone in the bathroom with him.” She says weakly.

“Because she was fucking me.” Cassie says from the entry way.

“Cass,” I whisper, trying to prevent her from saying something she might regret.

“No, it’s okay,” she starts, “We were in the bathroom before Nate came in. She helped me hide because I was afraid and that’s how you caught only them.”

I get off of Maddy and walk over to Cassie. My arms wrap around her like it’s something they’ve done before. I look into her eyes, making sure she’s okay. Once she nods her head, I grab her hand and walk her out to my car so when can go to my house and finish what was interrupted.

#cassie howard #euphoria imagine #euphoria fic #cassie x reader #cassie howard fanfic #cassie howard angst #cassie howard smut #euphoria smut

298 notes · View notes

clairecrive · 3 years ago

Note

hi! I just recently found your account and I've been spending all my time reading everything you've written, and I wanted to tell you that I absolutely adore your writing! it's so beautiful.

I also wanted to request a friends to lovers nikolai x reader fic (you don't have to make it friends to lovers if you don't want to!) something along the lines of this: they get seperated after the battle with the darkling at the end of siege and storm and reader has to go with alina but they finally reunite? and everyone is super smug because they knew it would happen.

sorry for such a long ask and no worries if you decide not to do it! I hope you're doing well!!

Fools, pistols blazing and shock

A/n: a promise is a promise and the second most requested fic was Nikolai and angst and so here it is! friends to lovers is not my favorite trope but I enjoyed writing this. I hope you will too x

Thank you so much for your beautiful words btw, they mean the world <3<3

tags: @jupiterandbutterflies , @agentsofsheilds , @for-bebbanburg , @randomoutsiders , @hannaxmaria , @vintagebitc , @story-scribbler , @crowssixof , @odetostep , @lizzie-he4rts , @korol-lantsov , @subjecta13-thefangirl ,@gallysonegoodlung , @a-c-lee , @mriddlemethis , @carnationworld , @thanossexual , @luvxginger , @sanna2020 , @partiesandblurrypolaroids , @edithsvoice , @wafflesandschemingfaces , @snugleo , @sugarmelonwater , @dobwhore, @sassybadqueen , @anything-forourmoony, @snokoi, @imaginingimagines, @vintagebitc_,

SHADOW AND BONE MASTERLIST

"So," he twirled around, "how do I look?" With a theatrical gesture, he stopped in front of you.

You looked at him, head to toe, before saying, "Like a fool I know."

He was imperturbable, by the smirk on his face one would think that you had paid him a compliment. "The answer was far simpler: handsome."

"You look like a prince," you conceded, " but so does your brother so take that as you will." And with that, you walked to your assigned post leaving a scandalized Nikolai behind.

The dinner went by smoothly even if you had to bear Vasily being his annoying self. So far so good. The important thing was that the people around the table were under no threat. The rest was bearable.

And no, it had nothing to do with Nikolai winking at you from time to time. Flirting was second nature to him and Alina's presence by his side was a cold reminder of how things were.

It took one look at her for your face to go as blank as Mal's on the other side of the room.

You had disconnected from the conversation at the table for a second, your attention going to the exit where a Grisha soldier had just walked in to talk to Zoya. If you had been paying attention to Nikolai, you would have known what to expect.

But you hadn't and so the next few seconds were pure chaos.

The unthinkable happened.

Black shadows filled the room, leaving no chance to the people they had appeared before. The Queen's scream brought your attention back to the table and consequently to the Vasily. Or rather, to what was left of him.

Beside him, the kind had crouched down to hide and was cowering behind the throne. The Queen clutched her son's body to her chest wailing and screaming. Then your eyes fell on him, standing tall in front of his parents shooting away.

You didn't know what you were going to do. You didn't think. You just acted and the next thing you knew, you were running towards him shooting fire at whatever tendrils of shadows you could see.

"Nikolai!"

In a moment, you reached his side, covering his back for every possible attack.

"You need to go," you urged him over the sounds of crying and shooting. A shot of light filled the room blinking you for a moment and panic shot through you at the possibility of Alina being hurt.

"Take your parents and Alina and go Nikolai. You can't stay here!" You insisted again, still back to back, unwilling to let anything happen to him. If he meant to argue you didn't know. You heard him speak but his words went unheard over the chaos in the room.

You turned around just in time to see one of those things trying to make their way to him. The tendrils of fire that shot through you slowed it down but it was only a shot of wind coming from a squaller that did the trick and sent it away.

Nodding in the squaller's direction you took Nikolai's shoulders and turned him towards the secret exit behind the throne.

"Stop playing hero and just go for Saint's sake!" Under normal circumstances, he was stronger than you. And well, he still was but too busy worrying about getting his family to safety and covering your back, he ended up succumbing to your shoves.

"I can't leave you here!"

"You can and you surely will! I'll make sure that Alina is safe," ushering him and his parents towards the exit, you didn't give him time to argue. Once they were through the door, you closed it behind them and melted the lock.

You allowed yourself only a moment to worry about him, to mourn him if things were to go downhill for you. Only a second for you to mourn the future that you knew you were never going to get with him.

Then it was over. Your heart locked away and your mind focused solely on the battle ahead. You needed to make sure that Alina was alive and get her to safety whilst also trying to save as many as you could along the way.

A piece of cake.

*+*+*+*+*+*

You knew that he had made it out of Os Alta alive. You had gotten word that he had arrived safe and sound to one of his hiding spots scattered around the country.

Alina and a group of other Grisha, including yourself, had managed to make it out alive out of the capital as well.

All was as well as it could be under these gloomy circumstances. And yet, you couldn't help but feel like you had lost.

Too many had fallen under the Darkling's wrath. Too many had given up their lives in honor of Ravka's freedom. Too many sacrifices for you all to be hiding in the tunnels like scared cats.

But you had a plan. You just needed to be in the same room as Alina, all of you at once, and you were going to make your way up.

It was only a matter of time before you were going to see him again.

*+*+*+*+*+*

It turned out that you were right. It was a matter of time indeed before you saw Nikolai again.

As always, he couldn't help but make a grand entrance while praising his good looks. For once, your eyes didn't roll in mock annoyance. The joy of seeing him again, safe and sound while also saving your asses, prevailed.

And the moment his eyes met yours? Priceless.

Despite being in the middle of running away and fighting the first army's soldiers, you felt like there was only the two of you. Nothing mattered besides Nikolai, his stupid smirk that shone brighter than all the stars combined.

It turned out that that moment came with a price indeed. Your distraction paved the way for an almost fatal mistake.

Too lost in Nikolai's eyes and restraining yourself from throwing yourself at him, you didn't notice the soldier sneaking up behind him. Or well, you didn't until it was too late.

The movement caught your eyes, but the bastard had his pistol already drawn. You had the presence of the spirit of pushing Nikolai out of the way before a shot was fired.

Focusing on the bullet you tried all your might to melt it, but you knew it was a desperate attempt since you had noticed it too late. Trying and losing was better than not trying at all so trying you did.

However, what turned out to be life-saving was Nikolai's counterattack. While you exercised the small science, Nikolai quickly drew his own pistol and shoot at the soldier.

Time seemed to slow down as you stared in front of him, hands in the air while Nikolai moved behind you. Right before your brain registered that while you had indeed managed to burn the bullet, it was still coming your way at high speed, another object entered your field vision.

At that moment you didn't exactly decipher what had happened, you blinked and the bullet was not there anymore. However, your stupor was short-lived as other soldiers were coming your way after hearing the noise.

At that point, Nikolai tugged you away and towards his awaiting ship knowing that the soldiers would surely outnumber you.

It all happened in a blink. One moment you were on the ground hellbent on not dying, and the other you were up in the air.

That, combined with the stress of the last couple of weeks. exhaustion and dehydration put you in a state of shock. Resulting in you staring numbly ahead of you.

Then, when you felt a hand on your face, your brain started working again and your eyes slowly began to focus.

"Are you injured?"

Nikolai was moving your head left and right to check for wounds and after that, he moved down on your neck and vital points. But you weren't hurt.

"It's so typically you to swoop in and save the day in the most dramatic way possible that I shouldn't even be surprised."

Your sarcasm reassured him that you were fine more than the absence of physical wounds. Leaning back on his haunches, he gave you a lazy smirk. "You know me, always read to save damsels in distress."

You almost hated how handsome he looked in that moment but the fact that he basically had saved your life made it really hard for you to get mad at him.

"Not a damsel and not in distress but I appreciated your gesture," you fired back falling naturally into your usual easy banter. "Thank you, Kolya."

"You shouldn't be thanking me. I did it for a whole selfish reason." His features morphed into seriousness which was usually something he left for meetings or that kind of stuff. Seeing it now directed at you, seriously worried you.

"Since when does Nikolai Lanstov shy away from gratefulness and compliments?" You tried to jest but to no avail.

"I'm serious."

"Alright, so why did you do it? You have tons of other Grisha available."

"Because a world without you is not a world I want to live in."

Well, damn. Trust Nikolai to make you completely speechless.

"That must be the shock talking," you murmured still taken back by his words.

"I've almost lost you, y/n, I'm not going to waste any more time avoiding my feelings." Crossing his arms on his chest, Nikolai lightly shook his head. Damn, there was no smirk on his face, no twinkle in his eyes. He must be serious.

"I should be having an epiphany moment since I was the one who almost died," you protested.

"Feel free to declare your undying love for me then."

"Ass. Now I'm tempted not to do it just to prove you wrong," you glared at him but sighed knowing what you needed to do. "But, as much as it pains me, you're right."

Your eyes flickered between yours and the sheer intensity of them gave you enough confidence to bear your heart to him, "I do love you, you know."

"Well, let's be honest, who wouldn't. I'm amazing," with a careless shrug, Nikolai gestured to himself. Which, of course, made you glare at him.

"Joking, I take it back. You're insufferable." Your mock-annoyance did nothing but amuse him to no end. However untruthful they might be, Nikolai played along with your words. While also progressively leaning closer to you.

"Nope, can't do that love. You signed your destiny, you're mine." You would have retired, of course you would have, but the truth is, his lips were more interesting than any witty comeback ever could.

#nikolai lanstov #nikolai lantsov x reader #grishaverse #nikolai lantsov imagine #shadow and bone #nikolai lantsov imagines #nikolai lantsov fic #nikolai lantsov fluff #nikolai my love #nikolai lanstov angst

369 notes · View notes

kiyosamu · 4 years ago

Text

how the hq boys sleep:

———✨———

rintarou suna

———✨———

more often than not, you and suna find yourselves dozing off together on the couch.

it’s not that you don’t want to go to bed, but you just have so much fun together. even as you get older, the two of you cherish the time you have with each other. like you were teenagers all over again. the movie you wanted to watch is over? he’ll put on another one. uncomfortable on the couch? good thing he’s huge and you can use him as your personal pillow.

he tends to fall asleep first. you’ll ask him if he wants to go to bed. you can tell from his heavy lidded eyes and soft spoken tone that he’s exhausted. he always insists he wants to stay up. “just one more episode” of the show neither of you were really paying attention to.

you always agree, because really, who are you to say no to him? it’s not like you don’t want to be there. laying in his arms is your favourite place in the world.

you’ll ask him a question about the show you’d mindlessly started to pay a shred of attention to, noticing his grip on you had loosened just a little bit. you look up at him when he doesn’t respond, realizing he’d fallen into a deep sleep only a few minutes after he swore he “wasn’t even tired.”

you lean up, cupping the soft skin of his cheek in your palm. he leans into your hand and sighs as he rests peacefully.

you slowly get off of him, the sudden lack of warmth of your bodies causing you both a bit of discomfort. suna wakes up and his eyes search for you immediately, but his expression turns into the sweet smile you love so much once he sees you folding the blanket that was draped over the two of you.

“come on, rin” you said as you turned off the tv. “let’s go to bed.”

“i’m not even tired” he half-heartedly protested as he sat up, running his fingers through his hair. you couldn’t help but let out a small laugh as you took his hand and led him to your shared bedroom.

“sorry, i must have imagined you being fast asleep on the couch out there.” you teased.

“definitely. we both know your imagination is something else. should pay better attention, babe. i was ready for another movie.” he joked, pulling the blankets up and holding his arms out for you so you could both get comfortable.

suna hadn’t ever told you this, but the real reason he didn’t like sleeping in the bedroom much was because he just... couldn’t.

he loved the feeling of your body against his. he loved seeing your beautiful, peaceful face that showed him how much you trusted him. how safe you felt with him.

it was easy for him to fall asleep in the living room. the noise from the tv made it effortless for him to mindlessly drift away into a decent restful state.

the bedroom was different. it’s not that he didn’t like it - he did, he loved being in bed with you. it’s just that the quiet, dark room left him feeling... alone. the deafening silence and only his thoughts to keep himself occupied was way too much for him to be able to sleep.

sometimes he’d let you fall asleep, lay there for hours, even, until he knew you were in your deepest sleep. he’d get up, turn the tv on in the living room, and fall back asleep out there.

that was only when it got really bad, though.

most of the time he would put in his airpods and listen to a podcast or some music and scroll on his phone until he felt himself get tired again. he would always fall asleep eventually, but it was a struggle that he had to deal with almost every single night. the one thing you were blissfully unaware of, and he was okay with that.

you woke up to the feeling of suna’s nails softly scratching your scalp. you let out a soft sigh, nuzzling your face closer into his chest.

to your surprise, his fingers continued moving back and forth in your hair. something you loved, but it was also something he’d do when he was anxious and trying to ground himself. his hands were a dead giveaway when he wasn’t feeling quite right, he’d be rubbing his palms against his thighs, playing with his own hair, or, if you were close enough, touching you or rubbing you without even noticing it.

you looked up at him, noticing his face was dimly illuminated by the screen of his phone.

“rin? are you okay?”

“mm?” he looked down, locking his phone and running his hand down your back to rub soft, slow circles into your skin. “go back to sleep, baby. i’m sorry if i woke you up.” he said with a light kiss to your forehead.

you shook your head, putting your hand over his and bringing it to your lips. you kissed his palm and pressed it against your face.

“no, no, i woke up on my own. what’s wrong?”

he softly ran his thumb over your cheek. his eyes met yours, full of complete adoration for you. he’d noticed how attentive you were to him. how easily you could read him. he couldn’t ever hide anything from you, and he’d never want to.

“just feelin’ a bit anxious, can’t sleep...” he mumbled. suna tucked a piece of hair behind your ear, leaning down to kiss you on the lips.

you kissed him back happily, running your hand up his chest and through his hair.

suna pulled you closer to him, continuing his thoughts from before.

“not even anxious about anything in particular... just can’t shut my mind off, you know? and it’s so quiet in here i can’t distract myself.” he stopped himself there, feeling like he’d said too much already. you knew he struggled with anxiety, but he didn’t elaborate much because he never wanted you to worry about him.

you nodded, taking your time giving him a soothing back rub.

“want to put a movie on in here?” you suggested, still quite sleepy. he smiled at how sweet you sounded when you were so tired.

“i don’t wanna disturb you, baby. i’ll be okay. go back to sleep.”

you sat up, leaning over him to get the remote and turned on the tv. you handed it to him and settled back into your spot in his arms, but facing away from him this time.

“it’s fine, rin, i told you.” you mumbled, “i can sleep through anything.” you yawned, scooting back into him. “just want you to be comfy and have a good sleep...”

suna smiled, scooping you up in his arms and pulling you against him. he got comfortable behind you, completely wrapping you up in himself.

“love you so much” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “so sweet to me, so perfect for me...” he continued, smiling to himself when he noticed his voice had already put you back to sleep.

the tv stayed on the lowest volume, just enough to occupy his mind enough for him to finally drift into the sleep that he’d been longing for.

sleeping in the bedroom was never an issue after that night. leaving the television on was just another part of your nightly routine. suna had no problem falling asleep after that.

he became the one to start suggesting to go to bed together. knowing his sleeping problems were resolving, he realized how much more comfortable it really was in bed with you. he craved it. the closeness of your bodies, the way he could whisper sweet things to you and feel you relax in his arms just from his voice and his touch. there was nothing he loved more.

he hoped that someday he’d be able to sleep in silence, but the two of you were happy with this alternative. after all, all the two of you you really wanted was just to spend as much time as you could together.

#tw brief mentions of anxiety #hq drabble #suna drabble #suna fluff #suna x reader #haikyuu fluff #suna rintaro x you #suna rintaro headcanons #rintaro fluff #rintaro suna fluff #haikyu fluff #haikyu angst #haikyuu angst #rintarou suna fluff #suna #rintarou suna #rintaro suna #suna headcanons #suna hcs

920 notes · View notes

seijorhi · 4 years ago

Text

To the Wolves

my (first) entry for the Deal With the Devil collab, because i couldn’t resist writing for Yakuza Getou <33

Getou Suguru x Female Reader

TW Extremely dubious consent, coercion, manipulation, threats, implied murder, smut, nsfw

“No. I- I won’t.”

Sitting comfortably on the old, worn couch in your cramped little apartment, Getou raises a single eyebrow, “Oh? Is that so?”

His voice is perfectly pleasant, the smile on his face a touch amused, but you’re not so naive as to believe that the question is anything but a generous offer for you to rethink your reply. A smart person would take it – since the day you’d first arrived home to find him waiting for you, Getou hadn’t so much as laid a finger on you. He had no need for guns or knives, never shouted or bullied you, his reputation more than enough to cow you into submission before he’d even opened his mouth.

Of course, once he had, the simple threats to your friends and family’s lives had made certain that you were more than amenable to his request.

A mutually beneficial arrangement, he’d called it, as if there hadn’t been tears silently streaming down your face, your whole body stiff with fear.

But that was the world he came from. Violence and ruthlessness, cruelty masquerading as kindness.

By all accounts, someone like you – a lowly admin assistant living a very boring, mundane life – should never have crossed paths with a man like Getou. The irony, of course, being that it was precisely because of your job that he’d been drawn to you in the first place.

“I-I said no,” you stammer. “I’m not doing it.”

Getou sighs, long, pale fingers idly fixing the cuff of his left sleeve. “I had no idea the lives of your loved ones meant so little to you.”

“Please, I-” you break off, biting your lip as your hands curl into useless fists at your side, “I can’t. Anything else, I’ll do anything, I swear it, just… please.”

Men like Getou aren’t the type to be swayed by pretty words or tearful pleas, but there’s an unmistakable glimmer of interest that flickers in his eyes at the offer. Casually, he leans forward, resting his chin on the palm of his hand and regarding you with a smirk. “So you’ll bring me the list of witnesses then?”

The barely audible hitch in your breath is enough to make him chuckle.

“No? How about those surveillance tapes, hm?” Smoothly, he rises to his feet and makes his way towards you. “Careful, little one, first rule of negotiation is knowing when you have something to bargain with. Don’t promise me what you can’t give.”

“Getou–”

He raises a hand and you quickly fall silent. There’s only inches between you two now, Getou’s taller, broader frame looming over yours. He could kill you like this, you realise with panic – reach out and wrap his hands around your throat and snap your pretty little neck before you could so much as scream. The tailored line of his jacket hides the gun he has holstered at his side, but Getou knows you're aware of its presence, have been since the very first time he’d broken into your home and threatened you.

It’d take him only moments to draw the sidearm, even less for him to pull the trigger.

The walls of your apartment are thin, would your neighbours come if they heard gunfire? Would you, for that matter, if your roles were reversed?

Yet Getou makes no move for his gun, instead reaching for your chin, tilting it up with two curled fingers until you meet his gaze, “You understand, don’t you, that I make one phone call and that charming sister of yours and her fiance meet a very tragic, very untimely end?”

He pauses, waiting until you jerk a quick nod of assent before continuing. “You love them. There’s nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with prioritising the ones you love over everybody else.” His voice is gentle, but the words make you shake, dread rising from the pit of your stomach as the pad of his thumb grazes over your bottom lip.

You don’t know if you’re supposed to say something to that, but even as you try, you can’t summon the words. The by now familiar scent of his cologne tickles your nose and invades your throat, the warmth of his touch burning through your veins. Your own heart hammers like a drumbeat in your chest, every cell in your body screaming danger, but you don’t run, you don’t even flinch.

Getou smiles kindly, and perhaps if you hadn’t seen first hand the aftermath of his handiwork you might be tempted to believe it. His spare hand reaches into his jacket, but instead of the gun you’re expecting, he pulls out his phone, the screen flickering to life with a swipe of his finger. “So tell me, before I make a call you and I both know you don’t want me to make, why you’ve suddenly decided that their lives aren’t worth your compliance?”

Nanami. Your boss’s face flashes to your mind, the odd, fleeting glances he’d sent your way over the past few weeks when he’d thought you weren’t paying attention. Your stomach erupts with butterflies, your cheeks unwittingly warming, but you just shake your head, “If I give you those files, you’ll kill them. You’ll hurt them.”

“Maybe,” he hums, “maybe not. It’s no less than those monkeys deserve, don’t you think?” He spits the word like it’s venom, the twitch in his jaw the only chink in his otherwise effortless composure. “You’re protecting them, even now.”

You make no attempt to defend yourself, terrified of saying the wrong thing and setting him off, but Getou seems entirely unfazed, laughing coldly at your stricken expression.

“Your boss, the one with the perpetual stick up his ass; Nanami,” potent disdain drips from his tone at the name, “Always so morally righteous, sitting up on his high horse. You think he cares for you, that he’ll protect you when all of this comes out? And it will come out eventually,” he says, his smirk widening at the sudden pallor in your face. “At some point there’ll be one too many unfortunate coincidences, and the higher ups will realise that they have a mole in their ranks. Fingers will be pointed of course, but eventually even those idiots will figure it out.”

A knot tightens inside of your chest at his words, constricting until it feels like you can’t breathe. You’re shaking your head, eyes filling with tears, “N-no–”

“Oh, little one,” Getou murmurs, dark eyes drinking in every ounce of your distress. “Surely you realised that they have security cameras covering every inch of your floor? There was no reason to look before, but once they do…” he trails off, letting go of your chin in favour of brushing the back of his knuckles along your cheek. “They’ll throw you to the wolves.”

His voice is soft and cruel, belied by the gentleness of his touch, but it does nothing to quell the rising sense of dread inside of you. You want to believe it’s a lie, another threat meant to scare you into submission, but some deeper part of you recognises the truth in his words.

Nanami, who’d told you once that there was innocence and there was guilt and very little in between. Nanami, whose office you’d bugged, whose trial only weeks ago you’d all but derailed with a few misplaced documents. You think back to the late nights shared in his office, bowls of ramen and case files scattered across the desk between you. You think of the rare smiles, his oddly dry sense of humour, the pleasant fluttering in your heart–

“You’ll rot in prison long before I do, and there is not a soul among that insipid bunch that would lift a finger to stop that from happening to you.”

A soft, strangled noise leaves your lips as you fight not to sob, and Getou sighs, the corners of his lips twitching downwards in contrived sympathy. “Say the word and I’ll walk away tonight. I’ll still have to kill your sister – I am a man of my word, you understand – but I promise it’ll be the last you see of me.”

He slides his phone back into the breast pocket of his jacket, taking your face in both of his hands as tears spill down long lashes. “And when they come for you, you can tell them I threatened you, show them what little proof you have – if you have any at all. Maybe it’ll even make a difference,” he says. “But I doubt it.”

Every word is like a knife, slicing away at the raw, bleeding, vulnerable parts of you.

“Please…” It’s weak and desperate, your voice cracked and broken. You don’t even know what you’re begging for anymore; your sister’s life, for Getou’s mercy, or maybe just for him to stop saying such awful things. He must take pity on you though, because he sighs once more, his right thumb sweeping across your wet cheek to brush away silvery tear tracks.

“I’m not a complete monster, you know. I protect what’s mine.”

And in one breath, everything screeches to a standstill and a trickle of very real fear creeps down your spine. There’s no mistaking his implication, not when he’s holding your face like that, his eyes dark and simmering with an intensity that makes your stomach flip.

“W-what?”

Getou closes the gap between you two, a startled noise leaving your lips as his hips press flush up against you. “Don’t play stupid, sweet thing,” he murmurs, and it sounds like a warning, “It doesn’t suit you.”

One hand slips to your neck, the other curling almost possessively around your waist. There’s no room for you to move, to back away or free yourself. For a moment, neither of you speak, the heavy silence deafening between you.

Does he notice the way your pulse races under his fingertips as they circle your throat, how you’re shaking like a leaf beneath him? Does he want you afraid? A scared little bunny rabbit cowering from the gaping maw of the big, bad wolf?

Judging from the bulge of his semi-hard cock pressing into the soft flesh of your belly, he’s not entirely unaffected, and for the first time it’s not Getou’s gun or his threats that you’re most afraid of.

It’s the selfish, twisted want that glitters and glints in those pitiless depths. You’ve never felt so entirely at somebody else’s mercy as you do with Getou now, staring you down like he wants to lay you bare, claim you again and again for all the world to see. And you don’t understand. There’s a thousand and one questions running through your mind, your insides twisted up into knots.

You know what it is he’s asking of you – though asking feels like a generous word when he can so easily just take – but none of this makes sense, not when he was threatening your family’s lives only minutes ago.

As if he can sense the turmoil and confusion raging through you, he leans down, his lips ghosting over the outer shell of your ear. “Tell me to stop, and I’ll walk away right now.”

I am a man of my word.

His earlier statement rings through your head as you search his face for any sign of deception – you find none. But walking away means your sister dies. It means you’re left on your own to fend off the wolves when they find out what you’ve done.

Nanami might believe you. He might even defend you, but you’ve worked in the Prosecutor’s office long enough to know that duress isn’t the bulletproof defence people think it is, and for tangling with the likes of him…

You were screwed the moment he showed up in your living room, this- this is just the coup de grâce. The final damnation.

“Why me?”

Getou doesn’t answer, but when he draws you into a kiss, his lips moving torturously slow against yours, there’s an edge of… something there, lying hidden just beneath the surface. And it terrifies you, more than his words and his promises ever could.

But when your back’s to the wall, what choice do you really have?

It feels like defeat when he takes you by the hand and leads you into your bedroom, ignoring the uncertain glance you cast over your shoulder towards the living room. You don’t want any of this, but you can pretend that it’s just… business if he fucks you out there.

Not in the bed you sleep in.

It’d be easier, you think, if it was cold and impersonal. If you cried and it stung and the only sounds in the room were flesh hitting flesh, ragged breathing and an occasional rough grunt.

There’s nothing impersonal about the way he watches you strip out of your clothes at his command. His own join yours on the floor without much ceremony – his gun pointedly set just within reach atop your nightstand.

The first time you’d laid eyes on Getou Suguru, it was two months into your new job; a photograph pinned to a thick, heavy file Nanami had dropped on your desk. A surveillance picture, you’d gathered, snapped as the man was exiting some neon lit club downtown. And you remembered the smug smirk he’d had, staring directly down the lens of the camera like it was a challenge, but that wasn’t what had struck you most.

It was the flutter of interest that’d shot through your veins the moment before common sense kicked in. Tall and fit, with long, dark hair swept up in the wind, a sharp jaw and a handsome face, you remember thinking he was probably the most attractive man you’d ever seen.

Now, standing naked before you, bright, colourful tattoos inked across his torso, accentuating the muscles that rise and fall with every measured breath, you can’t bear to look. It’s easier just to stare at the wooden floorboards, the corner of the shagged rug you’d bought at a thrift store when you first moved in. Easier to pretend Getou isn’t pulling you closer once more, pressing searing, open mouthed kisses along your neck, murmuring words that are lost to you entirely as his hands wander. You can feel it now, the heat of his body as he cages you in, his cock, thick and heavy and flushed nudging insistently up against your stomach.

You expect him to shove you to your knees, to force his cock down your throat in some archaic show of dominance before he claims your cunt, but he doesn’t.

“I want you to touch yourself for me,” he whispers into your ear, teeth catching lightly on the sensitive lobe as you shiver. “Like you do when I’m not here, those pretty legs spread, fucking yourself on your fingers…”

The comment feels too familiar to be entirely offhanded, striking a chord of panic somewhere deep inside of you–

But it doesn’t make a difference. It doesn’t matter now.

You allow him to kiss you again before climbing onto the mattress. Like a good girl, you fall back onto the pillows, let your legs ease apart, wrapping your lips around two fingers and sucking for a brief moment before gliding your hand down between your thighs.

His breath hitches, a soft curse sounding when saliva slicked digits spread your folds, the tip of your middle finger brushing lightly against your clit as you stroke your pussy. Your nipples harden and peak under the cool night air and you use your free hand to palm at your breast, pinching and teasing at the sensitive bud while one finger slips into the warmth of your cunt.

The mattress dips, Getou climbing onto the bed, settling himself back on his knees, your spread legs either side of him.

“Beautiful,” he breathes.

Your heart stutters, movements jerking as you brace for him to interfere, to touch you, but aside from nudging your thighs further apart to get a better view of your glistening cunt, he seems content simply to sit back and watch, his own hand lazily stroking at his cock.

Trying in vain to block him out, you squeeze your eyes shut and focus on the way your fingers feel between your legs, the pleasure–

(Not the shame, don’t think about that, don’t think about Getou watching you debase yourself for his enjoyment)

–that pools in your core as you rub the shining pearl of your clit. It’s a familiar dance, a routine you’d normally help along with a glass of wine and a few faithful toys, but you don’t exactly have that luxury here.

And even with the rigid tension in your shoulders, the unwanted presence of a man you’re terrified of impossible to ignore, you can’t help the quiet moan that slips past your lips, the way your hips stutter, grinding against the heel of your palm as your fingers hit that sweet, delightful spot inside of you.

Getou tenses at the sound, the last, fragile thread of his composure snapping–

He strikes fast. One moment you’re biting down on your bottom lip, your index and middle fingers knuckle deep in your dripping pussy, the next he’s braced atop you, one hand locked around your wrist, the other propping himself up. And as your eyes fly open with a startled cry, his lips crash against your once more – desperate and ravenous, his tongue forcing its way into your mouth to taste you.

And you don’t fight it when he pulls your hand from your pussy and drags it to his crotch, his fingers entwining with yours as he wraps them around his heavy, throbbing cock and moans. It’s humiliating, the way he thrusts into your hand, tightening his grip so you’re forced to feel every shivery twitch of his dick while he sucks eagerly on your tongue.

This is the choice you’d made, the deal you struck. It’s too late to back out now, and even if you tried to…

“I want you,” he pants, his lips glistening with saliva, an almost manic look in those dark, pretty eyes, “to ride me.”

… you’re not so sure Getou would let you.

So you allow yourself to be manhandled, lifted and situated across his lap like a doll. Hands braced on his tattooed chest, you lift your hips just enough for him to guide his cock to your slick entrance before slowly sinking down onto his length.

Every inch hurts.

It doesn’t make it any less painful, the way Getou soothes you, his thumbs stroking gently at your waist as you whine and mewl, feeling every ridge and vein of his cock as he stuffs you full.

“Fuck– good girl, taking me so well,” he purrs.

You’re not sure if it’s shame, pleasure, or some sense of twisted pride at the praise that has your pussy clenching, fire racing through your veins when Getou experimentally rocks his hips upwards. And if your cheeks weren’t already burning, the lewd moan that escapes you when the head of his cock hits your g-spot would certainly do the trick.

Ever observant, he wastes no time capitalising on your slip, lifting you up just to drive you back down onto his length at the perfect angle. You shudder around him, keening out a cry that has him groaning in pleasure.

There’s no illusion of control here between you two.

You might be the one on top, but Getou’s grip’s too tight, guiding every roll of your hips against his, his own rising in time to fuck his cock deeper into your warm, velvety cunt. And somewhere distantly you recognise that this could be a thousand times worse. How easily he could change the narrative in a heartbeat, flip you over, force your face into the pillows and fuck you like a dog until you’re gasping for air. He could use you, hurt you, probably kill you without ever needing to touch the gun he’d left on your nightstand – and you wouldn’t have a hope in hell of stopping him.

But he doesn’t. Lying back against your pillows, dark hair falling from his half up-do, cheeks flushed from exertion, Getou’s attention is wholly fixed on you - on your face, eyes screwed shut, bottom lip caught between your teeth as he hits somewhere deep inside of you that has you seeing stars, on your tits, the way they bounce every time you sink back down onto his cock.

His eyes are hooded, dark and intense, searching for every hint of pleasure he’s drawn from you. You gasp his name, fingers digging into his chest, your cunt fluttering so deliciously around him – and he loses that last little bit of his self control.

He jerks upright, one arm wrapping around your waist to anchor you to him as he braces himself with the other, and before you can so much as gasp his mouth is at your tits, hot tongue laving at soft, supple skin there.

“Suguru,” he growls, hips snapping feverishly against yours.

“Suguru,” you parrot, head lolling back as heat coils tighter in your core.

You’ll worry about the consequences later, when he pulls you boneless and sated into his arms and you feel his heart thumping at your back as he kisses you and tells you to sleep. When tomorrow you arrive at work and Nanami stares a beat too long as the love bites scattered across your throat, no doubt wondering why you won’t so much as look at him.

For now, you settle for pulling him closer, gasping as you chase that quaking, blissful end.

#yandere jujutsu kaisen #yandere getou suguru #yandere getou #yandere getou suguru x reader #yandere getou x reader #yandere jjk #tw: dubcon #tw: coercion #tw: threats #tw: implied murder #yandere #deal with the devil collab

1K notes · View notes

bontenten · 4 years ago

Text

Bewitch

Pairings: Osamu x F!Reader x Atsumu; Miyacest WC: 7.4k Genre/Warnings: smut, fairytale retelling (Hansel and Gretel), magic au, dubcon/noncon, incest (miyacest), fear, knife, monster, bondage, snuff, vore, gore/blood, object insertion, body horror, a bit of size, tummy bulge, oral (m.receiving), anal (m. receiving), masturbation (f. & m.), voyeurism, arson...

Summary: The unexpected guests at your cottage have a mysterious past and hidden agenda. Will they allow you to accompany them on their journey?

Travelers are advised not to spend the night in the Dark Woods. It's said that beyond the last hiking trail, past a brook, lives an Evil Witch. That witch is vile and merciless; often, fools lost in the woods are never seen again. It's said that she must be over 800 years old, feeding off of the essences of children and young men unfortunate enough to cross her paths. It’s said that she even eats fellow witches. No one really knows. After all, no one who has seen her has lived to tell the tale.

It's been a few months since your teacher has left you to fend for yourself here in the woods—your first time alone during this apprenticeship. She said she had to attend a big conference with a whole bunch of other grand witches. You asked if you could tag along, but she insisted that you stay and watch the cottage. The lack of company is about to drive you insane so you often resort to conversing with yourself or the forest itself.

The soft moss muffles the sound of your footsteps as you begin the trek back home, a faint off-trail path away from the main road that no one else would usually notice. On any other day, you would just go home without a fuss, but loneliness makes people do some bizarre and odd things. For instance, the desperate longing for companionship leads to you dropping a not-so-hidden trail of fancy pebbles to inadvertently lead someone to your abode.

For most travelers, going off-trail is akin to a death sentence as any wrong turn might lure them into the forest's deadly maze. Not for you though, you know this place very well: every fallen tree, overturned log, the wanted signs nailed to the trunk...

Wait. A wanted sign?

You can make out from your distance that there are two heads on it, but the details are fuzzy, and the bounty looks smudged. Before you can get a closer look, you hear the birds caw in the trees, signaling the beginning of sunset. You pull your attention away from the poster and continue on to your way home.

The cottage is extremely cozy and warm. The windows are bejeweled and the door is solid wood. You live here comfortably with your teacher, after all, learning about the principles of magic and what it means to be a witch. It's much more than curses and spells, as your teacher would tell you, witches have character and a moral compass. Although there are certainly those who decide to experiment with the darker arts.

While you get a fire going in the huge furnace and boil some water on the stovetop, you hear two voices squabbling outside followed by three raps on the door. You're stunned by the noise, turning to face the shut door wondering if you were just dreaming about the noise. Is it? Visitors? No, you must have heard wrong.

"'Samu, I bet it's a farce, let's not." The voice sounds both tired and weary, almost out of breath.

"Let me just try again, I can smell a working kitchen in there, someone is definitely there," another voice insists. Three more knocking sounds. "Excuse me! Is the owner of the house available? My brother and I followed a path of colored stone and came upon your establishment...could you spare us some water? A bite of food?"

Two men, though they sound friendly. You're frozen in the kitchen, staring at the door that remains between you and the strangers.

"Is there someone home?" The second voice tries again. "Please, my brother is not feeling very well."

Your initial wariness for the stranger melts when you hear about the brother, which does not sound like a lie based on the raspy voice you first hear. A witch's character is fundamentally kind to all sentient beings, especially those in need. But you're still nervous, so you end up grabbing a metal ladle before carefully going to open the door. When you crack the door open, you see a pair of twins. Beautiful men, one blonde and one grey-haired. The former, with a quirky grin, although his eyes certainly look lackluster. But the other seems like he's at the right place, eyes peering past you into your home, fixated on your kitchen.

"I'm Osamu. And this," he gestures to his twin, "is my brother Atsumu. We're a bit lost, you see."

You nod your head in a casual greeting and introduce yourself as the resident apprentice at this cottage. As a good host should, you open the door to the weary guests preparing to welcome them in.

"Are we welcomed in?" Osamu asks, not moving from his spot. Atsumu isn’t budging either, arms crossed and only looking at you from the corner of his eye, waiting for your answer.

Without giving much thought you nod and open the door wider. "Both of you are most welcomed in."

"Then we thank you for your hospitality," Osamu says, taking a step inside, dragging his twin with him.

Words, especially spoken words carry power and hold intent. And a witch's words, no matter how careless they slip out, contain magic. Welcome, as you say. So welcome, they are.

You shut the door behind them and prepare to go give your first-ever guests some water. When you turn around, you notice Osamu already in the kitchen, the sleeves of his tunic rolled up past his elbows.

"Your food is about to burn. Heat's too high," he tells you, expertly taking control of the sizzling pots and pans. "I got it, don't worry."

Feeling flustered at the faint smell of scorching food, you hurry over to see if you can be of any assistance. "Let me help out."

"No, it's quite alright."

How can a host let her guests do all the work like that? And the first company in a while too! What an utter failure.

"How—" you try to argue back, but you're cut off by Atsumu tugging on your wrist, dragging you over to the sofa in the corner.

"Don't worry about him, he loves to cook." Atsumu brushes out the wisps of his bangs with a huff. "And actually quite good at it. Anything that goes through his hands...well, in short, all become part of his design."

Like his twin, Atsumu's frame is broad and huge, but there is a quality of emptiness of sorts. Osamu's shoulders are wide but there's more substance to it, whereas Atsumu's form seems contained. You can't help but use your learnings to see if you can figure out just what's off about Atsumu. He's slowly walking around the living room and studying the portraits hanging on the wall. He picks up a frame that is set above the fireplace and comments, "None of these are you. How come?"

"Oh, they're my teacher. I'm just a witch-in-training at the moment, so—"

"A witch?" Atsumu questions, clenching the frame tightly. His hands begin to shake, the glass under his thumb beginning to crack.

You did not expect Atsumu to display such a visceral reaction upon the mention of witches. After all, witches normally stayed far away from ordinary human society and when they do mix, it's often a role of healing. But the look that sparks in Atsumu's eyes, it's almost—feral.

"'Tsumu!" Osamu yells while stalking over quickly from the kitchen. He throws his arm around Atsumu's neck and drags him off into the shadows. You can't make out the muffled voices and deep growling noises that are coming from down the hall.

It's their private matter, so you go back to the kitchen. True enough, Osamu's hands are almost like magic. The bubbling pot of broth doesn't seem to be on the verge of overflowing, the onions caramelizing beautifully, filling the air with deliciousness.

Moments later, the twins come back. You notice that Osamu clothes are wrinkled from tugging Atsumu around, but at the very least, Atsumu is looking much better than before.

The three of you set the table for dinner. Osamu brings out the plates as though he knows the kitchen inside and out already. Atsumu comes emerging from the cellar with two bottles of fine wine that you didn't even know your teacher had stowed away. Surely, she wouldn't mind? With Osamu and Atsumu sitting to the left and right of you at the round table, it almost feels like a more familiar, cozier gathering between friends than a situation of a host and her guests.

They tell you that they have been traveling across the lands for a long time now, looking for a cure for Atsumu's illness. It reminds you of the hollow, repressed form you saw earlier and your curiosity gets the better of you. They don't tell you the nature of the malady, but what they do share is that they are looking for a witch to undo the curse on Atsumu, a result of dark witchcraft.

"I am a witch!" you exclaim, feeling your call to action at the moment. "Please, is there truly nothing for me to help to undo the spell?"

Osamu leans in close to you, and wipes a bit of sauce staining the corner of your lips with the pad of his thumb. He smiles. "We're looking for a very high-level witch. One day, maybe you'll get to the level of magic needed."

"You're too weak," Atsumu bluntly points out. You're sure Osamu means to say the same thing, but Atsumu's words are really sharp.

"I know," you sigh. "My teacher tells me that all the time. So, I'm really trying. I'm sure there's at least something I can do."

"I definitely think that. Don't be so hard on yourself," Osamu comforts. "Have you been living alone here for a long time?"

You feel two pairs of eyes glued onto you waiting for your answer. You smile reflexively before your eyes trail to the empty plate and carefully choose your words. "Yea. Just me and my teacher. She's a grand witch...maybe if you wait here for a few days, you can meet her when she comes back from her conference."

"We—"

"We'll be gone tomorrow!" Atsumu snaps, staring into Osamu's eyes.

Osamu doesn't pay any mind to Atsumu, and puts an extra piece of dessert onto your plate.

"We have a long way to go. Atsumu's condition isn't getting better, so we can't stop in one place for long."

It makes you a little sad, because you were hoping to spend some more time with the twins, both of whom you have grown fond of. Osamu and his gentleness. And even Atsumu, despite his quick remarks and outbursts, adds a particular spice to your mundane life.

"Maybe we'll bring you with us," Osamu comments lightly, "'Tsumu, wouldn't that be nice?"

"She'll just be dead weight," Atsumu retorts. You wonder if he absolutely hates you. Is that why he is always so against you being next to Osamu?

Osamu puts an arm around you and blows on the shell of your ear. It tickles and you can feel his body enveloping you. "But she's so sweet," he tells Atsumu and whispers into your ear, "Aren't you?"

You find your wandering gaze looking into his half-lidded grey eyes. His face is right next to you, lips just hovering barely five centimeters away. The overwhelming presence of him is undeniably alluring. Your breaths become shallow as your heart rate speeds up with desire.

"I'm exhausted! 'Samu you too. We're going to bed!" Atsumu drops the silverware onto his plate and stands up. He comes around the table, muttering curses under his breath. Atsumu grabs Osamu by the wrist and drags him off towards the guest bedroom you have shown them before.

You didn't quite catch Atsumu's angry mutters, but you hear "slut" and "harlot" thrown around a few times. Were they directed at you? No, you're not like that, you tell yourself. Atsumu must have been thinking that you are trying to seduce his twin. After you clear out the table, you decide to clear up any misunderstanding.

You tip-toe down the hall to the guest bedroom prepared to knock when you hear muffled sounds coming from inside. You carefully press your ears to the crevice of the door and clamp a hand around your mouth upon hearing the stream of moans.

"'Samu, 'Samu please, ah—"

That's Atsumu? Your eyes are wide and still trying to process the shock of what you're hearing. You tell yourself you shouldn't be here. You should not be listening to whatever is happening behind the closed door, but you can't help it. Hearing Atsumu's moans makes you want to squirm.

You slightly jump when you hear a slap, followed with a pleasured groan. The sound is so clean it feels as though the phantom hands are touching your own heated skin.

Osamu's chuckle nearly makes your knees weak.

"Don't get cocky, if it were any other day ngh—, any other day, I would be the one pushing you into the mattress."

Slap. "Shut up, cute 'Tsumu. I like you being so needy for me like this. What do you want from me? Tell me."

"Fuck me, 'Samu."

"With pleasure."

The wood creaks loudly and you tell yourself, you really need to get out as you back away and try to quickly walk down the hall back to your bedroom.

You throw the door open and lock the door behind you with a click. With your eyes closed, you try to steady your breath and the building heat in your core. It's quiet. There's no noise coming from their room. But they are twins!

You remind yourself that a witch is all-accepting and kind. There are so many circumstances beyond your understanding, judgement is not a part of your nature. And if what they are performing is wrong, what should you say about yourself? You peel off your clothes and step out of the soaked panty that is proof of your lust.

Pillows are fluffed and covers are pulled over your body. You try to sleep, but each time you are about to drift, Atsumu's cries of pleasure come back into your head. Your hand trails down your navel until the fingertips trace over your clit. Gathering some slick from your cunt, you drag it across the sensitive bud.

You shudder from the touch as images, constructed in your fantasy, cloud your mind. You imagine Atsumu's hands spreading your legs apart and Osamu's teasing words next to your ear. He would tell you to open wide and shove his cock down your throat. You suck on three of your fingers until lips wrap over the knuckles, your saliva pooling from hunger. And slip your fingers into your cunt easily, curling them against the plush walls.

"F-fuck me," you moan into your pillow.

With pleasure.

You quiver, clit pulsating, and your pussy juice dripping into your palm. The wash from the high soon takes you into sleep. All throughout the night, you squirm and feel the phantom sensation of being watched. Not just observed, but studied, by two pairs of glinting hungry eyes. You can almost imagine them on either side of the bed, trapping you into the mattress no matter which way you turn.

A few times the weird feelings almost pull you awake, but you don't dare crack an eye open to confirm your suspicions until the morning light begins to filter through the windows, rousing you from sleep. The air is filled with fragrant herbs and the sizzle of delicious brunch from someone awake before you.

No doubt, it's Osamu, because who else can it be? Atsumu? Please. The twins....

You climb out of bed and stretch your neck on the way to the washroom. Your bedroom door is open, but it's too early to notice that detail.

"Morning!" Osamu greets you from the kitchen. You find a fresh mug of coffee shoved into your hands from him.

You mumble thanks and sip at the brew while watching Osamu fry the eggs. Osamu looks to be deep in thought, probably thinking about something pleasant from the faint smile ghosting on his face. You feel a pang of guilt from both listening to their private lives, and also the strange feelings that maybe they heard your private life too—it's all your paranoia talking.

"You're so talented," you blurt out, fisting the fabric of your long skirt.

"Thanks, but better not let 'Tsumu hear ya, he gets jealous super easily."

Even if Atsumu hears, it's fine. You really mean both of them. Both of the twins both seem super talented as a duo; like they've been out there and seen the world. Meanwhile, you're still stuck here, without company. Would it be possible...if they simply stayed?

Osamu senses the words that are stuck in your mouth and answers them for you. "We're gonna be leaving right after breakfast. There's still lots of ground to cover today," he explains, plating the pancake before preparing to ladle a spoonful of batter for the next one.

"Do you have to leave?" you ask, almost pleading.

"It's cozy here and comfortable. We enjoy your company too, but we have to go. Your teacher would hate us, immensely, and on top of that...let's just say, we're always on the run."

"You say it like you two are fugitives or something."

Osamu chuckles and leans closer to you, hot breath flaming your cheeks, or maybe it's just the heat from the stove. A teasing grin pulls his cheeks up slightly as your eyes flicker over to see his lips spell out, "Maybe. Scared?"

Embarrassed, you take a defensive step back, squeaking and bumping into another body.

"MORNING!" Atsumu announces behind you. He's in good spirits and he has his hands on your waist to steady you; he sniffs your hair and smiles before letting you go. "I smell something delicious."

"Breakfast is ready," Osamu says, plating the pancakes. "Hungry 'Tsumu?"

"Tch." Atsumu shoves past you and knees Osamu, mood doing a complete 180. You're almost left like a fly on the wall as you watch the scene unfold.

Osamu is quick to catch his balance while keeping watch on the stove. "Not awake yet?" Osamu grins and passes him a plate of pancakes, essentially telling him to shut up and eat. "Who shoved a stick up your ass? Go eat."

"Fuck you."

"Hm."

Atsumu grumbles but digs into his food anyway. Osamu catches your amused expression in the corner and explains, "It's always like that between us. It's our...way of showing how much we care."

"I know." It's sort of endearing, the banter between the two brothers. Even if the world turns against them, no matter what the odds are, at least Miya Osamu will have Miya Atsumu, and Atsumu will have Osamu. Perhaps it's exactly that sort of bond the two share that you're envious of. Body and soul. Because if only you could have just an ounce of that sort of familiarity with another. But you're just an outsider without an invitation to join in.

While you're mulling over your thoughts, you don't catch the darkening gazes being exchanged between the twins. At some point, Atsmu's plate is already emptied and the wooden table is cleared while you're still lost in your mind. Osamu is fiddling with the metal tea strainer, bobbing it up and down to brew a mug of tea. He threads a cotton string in and out like it's a plaything.

"Do you really want to be with us?" Osamu asks nonchalantly. "'Tsumu and I were talking about it. If you do, maybe we can work something out."

"I just..." You feel like this is your final chance to tell them that you don't want them to go. None of the going around circle hinting that you have been doing. This is the moment to just tell it to them. If you miss this chance, you feel like you won't have another. And even though a pit pulls at your inwards telling you to reconsider, you're brave. "I just want to be together with you all, and help you cure Atsumu. My teacher is so talented, I'm sure she'll have a remedy."

They grin.

Osamu is a great cook, he can do that. Atsumu sometimes seems lazy, but he's super strong and quick to help too. And you can pick up all sorts of other tasks in the area! Maybe because they're so helpful, your teacher will even let them stay once Atsumu is cured. Maybe they can learn magic too! You have heard of warlocks who are powerful with spells too. And you can already imagine, the three of you, like a team, eventually going out into the world to fight demons and monsters and—

"Open wide," a sultry voice sounds next to you. Backing away automatically, you find Atsumu standing right behind you.

"W-wait," your voice shakes, stuck in your throat. "What are—"

His fingers reach for your mouth, prying it open. Before you can voice your distaste, a warm, metal ball gets shoved into your mouth, the thin chain quickly tangles into your hair. The faint traces of tea seep out of its small holes down your tongue and throat, while some spill out the corner of your mouth like trails of drool down your jawline.

Osamu smiles and wipes the liquid away with his thumb, relishing in how your widening eyes gape at him in confusion.

"Being together," he answers the question you wanted to ask, "is what you want isn't it?" He takes a spool of kitchen twine and begins to secure the tea strainer in your mouth. The thin cotton threads wrap around your head over and over again, tightening the steel against your tongue.

You shake your head and try to take another step away from the man you're beginning to become wary of, but the strong grip of Atsumu's hands on your shoulder prevents you from squirming at all. His fingers dig into your flesh, and when you turn to look at him you catch a glint in his eyes, glowering down at you.

"No, no, no, behave," he taunts you, "listen to 'Samu. He'll make you feel real good, trust me."

With the gag in your mouth, all you can let out are weak, warbling gargles from the back of your throat. Why are you doing this? You weren't like this before? Loud snorts flare out your nostrils from the fear screaming through your body.

Osamu comes back with a paring knife, examining the edge under the sunlight filtering in through the stained glass. He presses the cool blade along your cheek, dragging with the dull edge just enough so the sharp end doesn't cut your skin. You feel your knees growing weak and if not for Atsumu's hold on you, you would sink into a shuddering heap on the floor.

"You know, I think you might be the best meal yet," Osamu compliments, blade trailing down to your collarbone. The tip of the knife toys with the first button, pressing tension on the x-cross stitching. Snap. The first button pops off, dropping onto the wooden floor and rolling away to an inconspicuous corner. "I'll prep you well."

Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap. The knife flicks again and all the buttons clatter on the floor before running away for refuge.

Atsumu has cleared the table already and you find yourself hoisted up and laid onto the surface like a slab of meat on a cutting board. The cold surface presses against the back of your shoulder and ass. Osamu ties your wrist together with a hemp rope and secures the other end around the table leg. He also secures your ankles to two other anchor points.

You're utterly exposed and ashamed at your body's display, mortified at how your body is reacting when you catch sight of Atsumu, his eyes dilated, looking at your slit that you know is drenched already. The rough texture of the rope presses painfully into your skin from how tight the bindings are. You can only let out gagged whines in complaint, chest rising up and down from the loud breaths.

"Can't do, love," Osamu chides, kissing the knot at your wrist, satisfied with the results. His fingertips trail down to cup your jaw and his thumb runs across the tea strainer. You close your eyes and groan at his touch. Osamu murmurs, "I won't let anything go to waste."

Atsumu is growing impatient at the sight of his twin treating you like the finest specimen ever. You're not the first one. You won't be the last one, but he still can't stand the sight of someone looking just like himself having first tastes while he's missing out himself. He wants to shove Osamu aside, but he knows that Osamu absolutely hates it when he ravages the meal when it's not ready.

Atsumu unzips his pants and lets his hardened, leaking cock spring free. You stare at Atsumu who is fixated on his own pleasure. His hand wraps around his cock and pumps the length up and down.

Osamu turns your head to look at himself instead. "Someone there is impatient, but let's not learn from him, okay? I want to take you slow, make sure you'll be ready. I don't want you stressed, you release too much cortisol and that toughens the meat."

Anything that goes through his hands...well, in short, all become part of his design.

His hand kneads your breast and toys with your nipple, circling and tugging on the tiny, erect bud.

"Relax," he whispers into your ear. "Just like you did last night."

You try to clamp your thighs shut from reflex. Immediately the resistance from the rope ties stop your movements. Osamu squeezes your thighs and pushes them apart once more.

"Right here isn't it, after hearing me fuck 'Tsumu..." Osamu's finger runs down the sides of your labia. "You just couldn't help touching yourself too huh?"

He knows. They know. You feel your cheeks burn at the realization.

"There's nothing embarrassing about it. If anyone should be, it should be us twins, " Osamu's fingers easily slip in, your pussy already dripping with arousal. "Oh woops, I shouldn't need to comfort you. You're clearly not shy."

Osamu's fingers are thick and long, able to reach far deeper than you ever can. Your tongue is still struggling against the gag while your saliva steeps the tea leaves trapped in the ball.

"Oi," Atsumu cuts in with annoyance. "I thought you said to not play with food. What the fuck are you doing, chef?"

Osamu stops his finger in you for a moment before dragging them out. You're trembling at the sudden emptiness and desire to fill the space immediately. The lack of stimulation is irritating and you are desperate.

Osamu walks up to Atsumu, bringing his drenched fingers covered in your slick to his lips for a taste. Before he can do so, Atsumu grabs Osamu's wrist and takes in those digits, sucking on them gingerly.

Osamu smiles and runs the other hand through Atsumu's hair.

"Patience is a virtue, 'Tsumu, I was just getting her fully prepared for you. I'm giving her all to you already, you couldn't even let me have a taste of her?"

Atsumu releases Osamu's fingers with a pop. "I never said I wasn't going to share," he mutters before pulling Osamu in for a kiss, passing the taste of you along their tongues.

Your body jostles as you finally get a visual matching what you heard last night. You feel your pussy leaking with more excitement, the arousal drips all the way down to your asshole. And the more you squirm, it's as though the rope ties become tighter and tighter, rubbing your skin raw. But even that pain is incomparable to the need to quell your fire.

Atsumu pulls away and presses one last kiss on Osamu's nose. "I always love what you serve, thank you 'Samu." Your heart rate rapidly speeds up as Atsumu comes towards you. He's positioned between your legs, both hands on your thighs, marveling at the display of your body. His hands feel hot.

Atsumu grins. "You probably didn't expect me to be the one taking you, huh?" He guides his cock to your entrance, the bulging tip prodding along your puffy lips. "Did you want Osamu to be the one fucking you?"

No? You want to argue, straining your head up slightly, but only tea-laced saliva drips out from the corners of your mouth.

"'Fuck me, 'Samu. Fuck me, please.' Is that what you heard? Is that what you wanted to say too?"

Your screams are muffled whimpers.

Osamu snorts off to the side, watching Atsumu do exactly what he accused Osamu earlier of: playing with his food. Hypocrite.

Atsumu glares at Osamu before turning his attention back to you. "You'll be begging for me, Atsumu, after I'm done with you."

He lines himself at your entrance and inches himself in, groaning at how your cunt is somehow just sucking him in. You're so warm and tight inside, wrapping perfectly around every part of him. He sits in you for a moment, just enjoying being blanketed by your muscles and chuckling how you tighten around him every now and then.

You whine, urging Atsumu to move a little.

"Okay, okay. Geez, and 'Samu says I'm impatient." Atsumu slowly draws his cock out and snaps his hips forward, the base of his balls slapping against your ass. He delights at how you squeeze your eyes shut and continues rocking into you at a comfortable pace.

Osamu enjoys standing off to the side for a while. He always liked watching Atsumu savor and delight the food he prepares. Atsumu always eats with such gusto. It should have always been that way, until the witch ruined everything. The curse, an experiment with the dark arts, should have never happened. Above all else, it should never have been on Atsumu. Osamu can only wonder if the reason they are subjected to this fate is because they are twins. Until a cure is found, Atsumu, his most beloved other, will have to replenish himself in this way.

A sharp pain rips through you and tears well up in your eyes. You feel Atsumu's cock suddenly begin to pulsate and grow in size. At first, you thought it was because you're clamping down on him too hard and will yourself to relax. But the cock, the thing, is certainly unnatural now. And between your tear-stained vision, you can just barely make out... Monster.

You begin to thrash wildly, head tossing side to side, back arched as much as you can in a futile escape attempt. Atsumu's claws rest on your hips while he pounds into you furiously. His groans, now deep growls, send vibrations that you can feel within your throbbing clit. You fear that you'll actually be ripped in half by the way Atsumu is thrusting into you. The engorged cockhead hits your cervix each time and his ball sack, even heavier, bowls and knocks against you.

Osamu unfolds his arms and comes over.

"It'll only hurt if you don't relax," he tells you, reaching out to press on your clit. "Just let him have his way."

"Go fuck her somewhere else," Atsumu snarls. His voice is warped and bellowing. Your mind is getting foggy as Osamu's fingers on your clit don't stop teasing the bud while having a petty talk with Atsumu. And Atsumu, ticked off by Osamu, picks up his speed.

"There we go, now that's beautiful," Osamu comments, taking his hand away and watching you unfurl in your pleasure. Your abused cunt is puffy when Atsumu pulls out, and you feel the thick liquid start to flow out when you take breaths.

"No, don't do that," Osamu chides, taking three fingers to gather the cum spilling out and stuffing it back in. "Better keep it all in. 'Tsumu isn't done with you yet."

Not yet? You can't even voice your thoughts except weakly shaking your head and moaning into the steel gag. In the moment, your stomach rumbles loudly.

"'Samu, she's hungry," Atsumu points out, rubbing your tummy. "You feed her and I'll stuff her."

Osamu ruffles Atsumu's long hair and gives his new, erected horns a teasing squeeze. Atsumu yelps at the touch. "'Samu!"

"Okay, okay," Osamu relents and stands next to your head. You see him take the paring knife again and slide the icy blade between the cotton ties and your hot cheek. A quick slice and you feel the pressure of the gag release. Osamu removes the tea strainer from your mouth and tosses it into the sink.

"Must have been so over-brewed, I apologize for that," he says. You know he doesn't mean it at all.

"Why?" you croak out. Your jaw and cheeks are sore from being held in position for so long. There's so many things you believe you can ask why about. Why they are prepping you like a meal, fucking you like a toy...Why Atsumu is the way he is. Why Osamu is not who you think he is either. Why you.

Despite Atsumu's grotesque figure, you're sure that you fear this twin more. Osamu's thoughts are so well-hidden behind his eyes; he never gives away what he's thinking or planning. You can only accept his decisions from the receiving end.

"Because of Atsumu," Osamu answers. Everything is for 'Tsumu. "I'll feed you."

Osamu cradles your head with both hands, his fingers tangled in your hair. He prods his cock against your lips. Feeling your resistance, he grips your hair tightly, painfully pulling on your scalp, and presses the tip of his cock to force your lips open. You nearly gag at the length entering your throat and your hands ball into tight fists. Your nose is buried in the base of his cock, pressing into his balls. Each breath you take is heavy with his musky, hot scent.

It's easy to focus on Osamu's cock fucking into your throat, leaving an unamused, monstrous twin off to the side preparing to turn your attention back to him by force.

Atsumu rubs himself against you, preparing to enter you again. You're sure that he has become even bigger. When the tip pushes through, your body attempts to fight the intrusion in self-preservation. The claws at your hips dig in and Atsumu all but pulls you onto his length like a sock. You scream around Osamu's cock, throat clenching around his thick length, and nearly black out from the stretch.

You never had anything this big in you before. Atsumu lifts you up slightly, his grasp becoming large enough to encircle around your whole waist. Your ankles are still tethered and tug on you, much to Atsumu's annoyance. He easily slices through the bondages with a sharp claw. Now free of restraints, Atsumu can cradle you more easily, finally pushing the last section into you.

Crack!

You can’t cry while you're stuffed with Osamu’s cock, but tears stream endlessly from your eyes. You’re sure your pelvic floor is broken, completely forced apart in a futile attempt to accommodate Atsumu stuffing you beyond your physical capacity. Your hips give out as your two legs, bone out from their sockets, dangle grotesquely.

“Just focus on me,” Osamu wipes your tears away and continues to pump into you. But you cannot focus on the human object in your mouth when your whole lower half and inwards are broken, stretched or squashed.

"Hey look ‘Samu! It's bulging," Atsumu marvels at the imprint of his tip pushing your flesh out from the inside. “Look, my cock is saying ‘hello’.”

Atsumu excitement translates into messy thrusts, treating your body like a game. “Maybe I can even touch your dick through her!”

Your whole body is numb, the brain shuts its pain signals off completely, and hormones pour through your bloodstream in overdrive. The broken climax spasms through your body like the last bits of a faltering system.

“Better hurry...she’s...she’s fading soon,” Osamu warns between his grunts. He clasps your head and spurts his seed into you. You mindlessly swallow every drop of him, letting the contents slowly flow down your throat. You can’t process anything nor recognize any of the murky images. Who are you? Where are you?

Your memory fades in and out as your eyesight drifts between black and white. You can’t do anything about how the monster is now on all fours over your body, unrecognizable as Atsumu. You don’t feel any fear towards this grotesque figure. You don’t register how his tongue licks your neck.

Your mouth is now empty but you can’t formulate syllables.

“I’m sorry,” you hear Osamu whisper before sharp fangs pierce into your jugular, digging in deeper and tearing a chunk out. Red sprays across your body in fast spurts, drenching Atsumu and covering Osamu. The teeth at your throat gnaw at the flesh, starved, tearing through the skin, fat, and tissues like a child crunching fruit.

You can feel the droplets falling onto your face like fresh rain after a storm. You vaguely remember your teacher and her warning of strangers. She always reprimanded you and you wanted to make her proud. There will no longer be any chance of that now. You weren’t a good student, and only an utter failure.

Osamu waits for Atsumu to finish you off. Atsumu always gets messy at this point. Osamu tried to help Atsumu section his prey off by cutting and organizing the limbs and even attempted to debone the meal beforehand, but Atsumu has his preferences, and Osamu respects them. So, Osamu delegates cleaning duties to himself instead.

You’re already beyond recognition when Osamu comes back with barrels of oil. All that is left is a kitchen stained with blood and a pile of bone with chewed connective tissue left. Atsumu sometimes eats the bones too, but not always.

“‘Tsumu, are you full now?” Osamu asks, reaching out to cradle his twin. Atsumu has now transformed back to the way he is supposed to be. Osamu threads his hand through Atsumu’s blonde hair and inhales his twin’s scent.

Atsumu doesn’t respond and tugs at Osamu’s collar, trailing down his arm to bring Osamu’s hand to his own cock.

Osamu grins and kisses the top of Atsumu’s head. “Do you want to fuck me ‘Tsumu? I know you like to, after your meals.”

Atsumu whines and nips at Osamu’s jaw, pushing the twin down on the blood-stained floor.

“Okay, okay.” Osamu unzips and pulls down his pants before crawling onto all fours.

Atsumu’s hand cups Osamu’s ass and pries the cheeks open before curiously fingering at the specimen plugging Osamu’s hole. Atsumu holds onto the base and turns the object, before laughing.

“‘Samu, what is this you have in your ass,” Atsumu teases. “I like this presentation.”

This time, Osamu is the one embarrassed. “Last meal, it hurt like hell. So...I wanted to prepare a little.”

“With an egg holder?” Atsumu cackles again, fiddling with the ceramic object. “Should’ve just told me ‘Samu, I could never bear to hurt you.”

Atsumu holds onto the base and slowly pulls the object out before tossing it aside. He smiles and teases Osamu’s enlarged hole that’s opening and closing around nothing. Gathering up some saliva, he spits onto Osamu’s asshole before lining his cock at the rim and slowly pushing in.

Along with the curse comes a near insatiable lust. Atsumu knows that if he doesn’t fulfill his need to fuck or be fucked, he will snap. He doesn’t really care who he kills during a frenzy of that sort, but it’s too risky to get Osamu caught up in the collateral.

The witch that wanted to create the perfect weapon, failed. She failed because she underestimated the twins’ bonds for each other. She failed because the twins discovered that witches excrete a very special hormone in their body after climax, and it is exactly that substance that is slowly curing Atsumu. With every witch eaten and absorbed, Atsumu is healing and gaining magical powers. He is even capable of passing those essences to Osamu. One day, everything will be the way it's supposed to be.

Osamu plays with a few strands of Atsumu’s hair. Atsumu’s softened cock still buried inside of him. Atsumu has his jaw resting on Osamu’s shoulder.

“You make me feel so good,” Atsumu sighs, enjoying the quiet moments after his high.

“And what about her?” Osamu asks, gesturing to the table where your remains are still at.

“She made me feel good too. The best one yet, but don’t be jealous.”

“Come on, let’s clean up and get out of here.”

After washing their bodies and changing into clean clothes, Atsumu and Osamu are ready to say goodbye to the cottage they have overstayed their welcomes at.

"Let's go 'Samu, we're already behind." Atsumu finishes dumping the last bucket of oil along the edges of the room.

The clamor of boots stride across the creaking wood. As though with the passing of its owner, the cottage itself has lost the will to live.

"Coming," Osamu calls back, walking past the makeshift funeral pyre for you. He notices a flash on the ground and bends down to pick up a button.

"'Samu! Get the fuck out or I'll burn ya down too!"

"Yea, yea."

Osamu drops the button into his shirt pocket and joins his twin outside. Atsumu strikes a matchstick and tosses the small flame into the cottage. Fire meets oil and spreads in an instance, engulfing the cottage in an angry blend of orange and red, devouring all contents and remains within. The smell of scorched wood reaches the twins who are looking at the sight from a distance.

"She was good," Atsumu comments, looking at his twin unsure about what Osamu's grey eyes are thinking about. Atsumu realizes that he didn't specify what good exactly means. But it doesn't seem like Osamu is paying much attention. Is Osamu thinking about you? Is he unhappy? Does he regret what happened to you? Although what's done is done already, if time can go back, would Osamu choose? You or Atsumu?

Osamu slips his hand into Atsumu's, erasing the unspoken worries away. He gently leads Atsumu onto the trail, leaving the burning cottage behind.

"Stop thinking such nonsense," Osamu mutters, squeezing Atsumu's hand. No matter what happens, Atsumu will always come first. His needs, his desires. That's what it means for Osamu to love Atsumu. Even though the rest of the world may not understand the relationship the twins share, calling it depraved and disgusting, it's still selfless on their part. What sin is there to honestly love? What sin is there to try and save his loved ones?

While Osamu admits to himself that he does feel a deep attraction to you and knows that Atsumu feels the same pull as well, there's nothing that can be done about Atsumu's condition. But it's not as though you are completely gone. Your essences and core are within both twins, being absorbed as one with their bodies and soul. You'll forever be with them in that way, even if you no longer have any sentient memory of it.

Osamu fiddles the button in his pocket; there's still a physical reminder of you in that tiny form.

It must be about a twenty-minute trek from the burning site. Although the flames are already far from eyesight, the scorching smell and embers still drift over. The twins pick up their pace, eager to exit the forest before nightfall and make it to the next destination. On the way, they pass by the tree trunk with a wanted poster.

"They never get my best angles!" Atsumu complains, ripping a wanted poster that is nailed to the tree trunk.

"It's not like you have a good angle, ‘Tsumu."

"Shut it, we look the same ‘Samu. You're just calling yourself ugly too!"

Osamu shrugs and continues his trek down the main trail. Atsumu huffs, tearing the parchment into indistinguishable pieces before throwing the shreds up into the air like confetti.

"Wait up!"

Osamu stops in his tracks. "Hurry up, loser. We still have a long way to go."

Atsumu takes a few wide strides and swings his arm around his twin's shoulder. Behind them, a very light drizzle falls from the sky.

541 notes · View notes

chocominnie · 4 years ago

Text

One Last Time 01 — Pjm. (M)

⇢ pairing: Jimin X Reader

⇢ Genre: Idol!Jimin, Exbf!Jimin, model!reader, sad au, fluff, tons of smut, angst

⇢ Synopsis: Your idol ex boyfriend Jimin cheated on you. You two have been broken up for a while now and the media has been keeping track of you and him. You’re trying to get over him, but the things that happen inbetween makes you re-think the entire breakup, and so does Jimin…

⇢ Song : xxxxx

⇢ Word Count : 4.3k

⇢ Warnings: dominant jimin, makeout sessions, this is honestly a sad angsty au, cheating, pregnancy, unprotected and protected sex, a bunch of sex, no really a LOT of sexual themes too, I know I’m forgetting some but sorry in advance!

⇢ Copyright: please do NOT repost, translate, or modify my works in any way, shape or form, on any platform. If found doing so , it is considered as plagiarism and appropriate LEGAL action will be taken

⇢ Authors note: This is my mini series for the summer! Get your tissues, things to take your anger out on, and sit back and watch the drama unfold. Shall we begin?

The winter’s coldness is hardly enough for you to bear. Even though it’s just the beginning, Seoul is known to just go from season to season without a fucking warning. Not only that, but the first snowfall is going to come soon. The weatherman has been talking about it non-stop for the past few days. It’s going to be a brutal one he says but he says that every year so why believe?

Turning off your alarm, you take a few minutes to collect yourself and stretch. Barely any sleep once again but that’s an everyday thing now.. without Jimin. It’s been some rough months not having his body wrapped snugly onto yours. These days you long for his touch, but completely dread at the same time for very good reasons.

Your kitten greets you with small licks on your thigh in which in return you pet her head softly with a smile.

‘‘ At least I still have you babygirl. You keep me company. “ You coo softly while grabbing your phone off the charger. Texts from your best-friend just spamming you with love and apparently she’s coming over. Great. That’s normal. But one text catches your eye. Jeon Jungkook.

You furrow your eyebrows as your finger slides to open it after typing in your password. In relief, he’s just checking up on you as always. Rolling your eyes, you muster enough strength to actually pull yourself out of bed. The cold tiles hit your feet like icicles. You jump from from foot to foot cursing yourself for not turning on the floor heaters as you walk out the room. Clara, your kitten, follows you out purring nonchalantly with a few meows here and there.

‘’ Alright Clara I hear you. Im getting your food now.’’ You chuckle, grabbing her food from the bottom kitchen cabinet right under the sink and pour her half a cup of cat food and a whole bowl of water.

After snacking on your morning granola bar you prepare yourself for your morning routine. Shower, brush teeth, skin care, get dressed, clean. Your phone dings once more just before stripping yourself of your clothes. You don’t bother to look it’s probably just a social media notification.

Drying your hair with a towel as you get out the steaming hot shower, you head straight for the mirror. Dark circles remain under your eyes from months of barely any sleep. You sigh, and gently rub under them. Jimin is the cause of this. Why would he do this to you. Surely enough he would not like to see you like this at all. The worriedness he would have over you is huge. But he has moved on and you just have to accept it no matter how in-love you still are with him.

As you clean up around the living room, another ding from your phone occurs. A groan escapes your lips as you place the pillows back as they should be. In hopes of it just being your manager giving you some good news, you let out a sigh and plop yourself down on the grey suede couch. Three new messages. Jeon Jungkook, who has text you twice, and Ryan your bestfriend.

‘‘ Damn it Ryan why must you consistently text me twenty four sev- “

“ Beause I need to know if you’re okay.”

You jump and drop your phone onto the hardwood floor from the voice that comes from around you.

“ Holy fucking shit you scared me! “ You whine, turning around to face your best-friend. She smiles and holds out her arms for a hug. You roll your eyes and open yours waiting for her embrace.

“ Oh i’ve missed you so so so so so so so-”

“ You just seen me yesterday..” Your voice sarcastic and bland as you let go of her. You sit on the couch first followed by Ryan sitting right next to you.

She looks good today, the navy blue coat she has on suits her very well. Although, you cannot figure out why she decided to wear leggings today. It’s going to rain a bit later but you disregard that seeing as though she’s the fashion deisgner and not you.

You. The model and seemingly ex girlfriend of one of the biggest solo idol in the world right now. Thats what they call you in the news, headlines in magazines, and real life as if you don’t have a real name and just was his acessory. Your modeling career had taken off way before dating him. The world, or Seoul to say the most, didn’t acklowledge you to that point yet.

“ Okay but still. You know we should be roomates. It’ll be easier for me to watch over you. “

Your head turns towards her quickly shaking no, “ I don’t need to be looked over im 20 years old.”

Silence takes place for the next few seconds. You know what she’s going to say next but pray she doesn’t. Those words will just make you even more upset. It’s already enough you have that constant reminder in your head.

You watch her fiddle with the rings on her index and pinky fingers. “ But you know… you haven’t been the same since you and Jimi-”

“ Don’t fucking say it. I don’t want to hear it.”

She sighs harshly and stands up, “ Im just worried about you Yn”

“ Don’t be. Im fine. “ That lie escaped your tongue way too easily.

Truthfully you haven’t and won’t be fine. Everyday there is something new about that girl and Jimin on twitter. Gossip pages, twitter fanpages, and online entertainment pages just always talking about them. They did this, they did that today. Oh we caught them going to this and that restaurant. That used to be you and him.. but now everyone has forgotten about you and focused on them.

Ever since you’ve told reporters and paparazzi repeatedly that you will not be holding or going to any interview they just stopped. A few calls here and there to your manager about scheduling one but she knew you didn’t want to do them so every request is denied. Although its been a year and some change, they still seem to want your side and your opinion to weigh in on. I guess that’s what happens when you date an Idol.

“ The door.. Y/N the door somebody is at the door.” Ryan says, tapping you over and over. You shake your head interrupting your thoughts for the time being. A few more knocks come through.

Finally up onto your feet you harshly walk to the door with each step making noise. It’s to early in the morning for someone to actually be knocking at the door right now. Whoever it is better be dropping off some sort of package, or they’ll surely get a piece of your mind.

Your frail hands grab onto the doorknob and swing it open. Your eyes almost pop through your sockets. How? How did he know you were here? You certainly did not tell him your knew address.

There he stands, his tall frame looking down on you. Lips formed into a tiny pout along with his eyebrows scrunched slightly. His brown eyes forming an ungodly stare into yours with his specs on.

“ Yn! Do you know how worried I was about you? Why did you not answer my messa-”

“Jungkook how do you know where I live?” You pace your hands on your hips, raising an eyebrow at him. To your knowledge, you never gave Jungkook your new apartment address.

Jungkook swallows slowly and puts on his best innocent face on. Oh please like that would work in this moment right now. The only person who has this address is Ryan because she’s the one who helped you move. Even if you had the choice of not giving it out to Ryan you would of but you couldn’t do that to her. She would of been so upset.

Ryan’s voice blares in the background full of excitement. Here we fucking go. “Jungkook! Come in Come in.”

“ Ryan says I could come in.” He says quickly, brushing past you and removing his shoes.

You heavily sigh and slam the door shut. What is this a family reunion? On your way back to the couch you notice them laughing and giggling like two five year old children. They don’t even notice you when you sit right across from them.

You study their expressions. Their chemistry is something so strong. The way their eyes light up when they meet, the way that Jungkook smiles and scrunches his nose more often when she’s around. You miss that. You miss doing that.

“ So are you both coming along this afternoon?”

Your attention focuses back on them. Of course you weren’t paying attention once again.

Your eyes slowly meet with theirs, “ Huh? Where are we going?”

“ Kookie finally bought a house! He wants us to come tonight for chicken and beer. You’re coming right?”

A sharp pain goes through your heart. If the both you you guys go then theirs a possibility that Jimin was invited too. After all, that is his brother. If Jimin comes then he’s most likely going to bring Isabel. A recipe for disaster. Your poor heart, that most likely could not bare the sight of them infront of you, would shatter into a million pieces.

Jungkook’s expression is ready to burst into happiness or to turn into a pout awaiting for your answer. If you let him down he’ll surely be mad at you. But putting yourself before him this time would be the right thing to do right?

“ Listen Jungkook I.. don’t think I can go.” You start off, playing with your hair with your head down.

“ I’ll space you two apart.”

Your face automatically lifts itself up in shock. Somehow, that little confirmation of Jimin being there, gave you some hope. Hope for what though?

“ Wha-what do you mean?”

Jungkook sighs heavily with his hand going up to his brown hair running it through lightly. “ I’ll make sure you two are distanced apart. You don’t want to come because of Jimin but I’ll make sure I’ll invite more people to keep you company and away from him. Okay?”

“ Please Yn. I’ll be there too.” Ryan begs, laying her head on Jungkook’s shoulder. Jungkook smiles a little, caressing her cheek with his other hand upon waiting your response.

Weird. When did they get so close?

The first thing you want to say is that you really could not go. But they already know the excuse now. You might as well just give in.

‘‘ Fine. What time tonight? “

Skincare and makeup products are scattered everywhere on your vanity. You needed the perfect look for tonight that says ‘Yes im doing fine without you’, but in reality you’re doing worse. This is the night where you’ll actually see him. Damn it’s been a while.

After you apply your highlight you step back and take a look at yourself. Not bad at all. You smile to yourself and start cleaning up the mess of products you had distributed across the vanity. A new text appears on you phone as soon as you gather everything up and put it back in it’s place. Grabbing your phone, it’s Ryan giving you the address to Jungkook’s new house.

You sigh and mentally prepare yourself, ‘‘ Okay Yn. You can do this. It’s just one night of conversing among people. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone new.”

Before heading out you grab your coat and scarf. Clara follows you all the way to the door letting out her little meows once again. You bend down to pet her head lightly with a smile. “ Clara im coming back. I’ve put food in your bowl babygirl.”

She purrs under your touch then walks away to settle herself in her bed. You take one last final look at your decent sized apartment before heading out.

The subway ride was agonizing pain for you due to it being 30 minutes long. Well, at-least you can ride the subway now. Your mind wouldn’t even of thought of that when you were with him. Everybody would have noticed you and bombard you with questions.

The outskirts of Seoul is peaceful and quite. Not many people live over here. Mostly famous actors and idols. The taxi takes a few minutes to get to the fairly clean subway station. Once you’re inside you take a good look at the driver who seems to be eyeing you in suspicion. You pull out your phone and read the words to the address exactly to him. The taxi man pulls of into the empty streets of god knows where.

All it took was a ten minute ride and then you’re there. The taxi man pulls up to a security guard booth. Just beyond the gates is more street but by squinting your eyes you can make out just a few newly built houses.

‘‘ Who are you here to see?” The taxi driver says.

“ Jeon Jungkook.?

The driver talks to the man for a few seconds before you see the security guard pick up a phone and start dialing. The security is extremely uptight, thats good. After a few moments of speaking the security guard finally opens the gates to be let through.

As you pull up to the house you’re automatically mesmerized on how big and beautiful it is. There’s fresh bushes and some white roses growing in the front of it complementing the white modern style home. The roundabout is full of luxurious cars, in which might be all the other guests.

‘‘ 10 dollars’‘ He says. You give him the ten, thank him, and grab your purse, closing the door behind you.

Your eyes meet face to face with the expensive house. Behind you is the tire wheels backing up and running off back down the roundabout. The time on your watch reads 8:15. Only fifteen minutes late, not bad right?

With each step you take fear quivers inside of you. What if he opens the door? What if that girl opens it instead? The wind blows harsh-fully hitting your cheeks making them turn slightly colored. You raise a small, shaky fist to knock on the door. Your blood turning cold, and face turning pale already. Your anxiety already taking its place inside of your body.

The door swings open revealing Ryan smiling from ear to ear. She pulls you inside without even a greeting. You kick your shoes off in a hurry as she pulls you more and more inside. Scanning the area around you, its a nice huge place. First the both of you pass the entrance, then the chef sized kitchen, which then leads you to the spacious living room where everybody seems to be sitting.

All eyes are on you now with some familiar faces and some not. They smile and greet you one by one and you slightly bow your head with a fake smile.

‘‘ Ah Yn, nice to see you again huh.’‘ Hoseok, the smiley one says, getting up from his seat to greet you once more.

‘‘ Nice to see you to Hoseok. Is Chae-Yeon here? I’ve baked the cookies she likes.’’ You say, holding up the big tuba-wear of freshly baked cookies. Nobody can resist those.

‘‘ No she had to work sadly, but I will enjoy them for her.’‘ He chuckles, bringing the tuba-wear out of your dainty, cold hands.

A very familiar voice booms from behind you causing you to turn around. “ Yn! You actually did come!’’ Jungkook, the owner of the voice exclaims. He wipes his hands with a napkin just before pulling you into a hug.You pat his back just before letting go.

Ryan smiles and shakes her head, “ I told you she would come.’’

Only one hour and 30 minutes into the festivities and half of the people here are drunk or nearly there. You on the other hand do not drink at all. Staying sober throughout this whole party is a must. Who knows what would happen if you start drinking and saying things.Ryan seems to be doing good with Jungkook who’s laying on the floor laughing and cracking jokes with her head laying on his stomach giggling along with him. The others have casually invited themselves into the guest game-room to play some pool.

You just sit there on the couch, munching on a cookie and smiling and laughing here and there at one of Seokjin and Jungkook’s back-to-back jokes that seem to never leave the air.

Only for a knock on the door to interrupt their flow of jokes.

‘‘ I got it I got it.” Seokjin stammers, placing a beer bottle down and stumbling towards the door. You freeze, face turning pale once more. It’s them. It could be them. Your teeth find their way to your lips and you begin to chew on it excessively.

Ryan notices it and automatically gets up from Jungkook, ‘‘ Come Yn, lets go see if the game of pool is interesting.’‘

You nod your head slightly as you get up from the couch. What are you worrying for? You look extravagant tonight. No need to worry yourself.

Just before taking your first few steps you stop, that voice. That oh so familiar voice begins to inch closer and closer. The famous laugh that he always tries to stifle by putting his hand over his mouth, that you’ve always thought was so fucking cute, fills the air.

You don’t know what got over you, but you sit back down dragging Ryan down with you. “ Yn? What are you doing I thought you wanted to avoid him.’’

‘’ No it’s okay. Im going to be fine.’‘ You say, awaiting upon his arrival into the room.

The footsteps are haunting you with each step they take.

one..two..three..four..five..si-

‘‘ Everyone, Isabel and Jimin are here.’‘ Seokjin stammers, smiling wide clearly drunk from all the beer consumed.

Your eyes go directly towards his. The pit of your stomach flutters with nervousness as you hold the long stare with him. His facial expression shocked but not showing it at all. His partner, who’s arm is linked with his, smiles brightly at everyone bowing her head slightly to them including you.

‘‘ Sorry we are late. Jimin didn’t want to come out of his home studio but I’ve made him come along with me.’‘ Her voice gentle and soft.

‘‘ Yn I forgot let me show you my new painting i have received.” Jungkook says quickly, trying to escape you from the awkwardness.You can bare it though its not as bad as you thought.

‘‘ Maybe later Kookie. I’m going to grab some juice.” You say, getting up from your spot. You brush past Jimin lightly with Ryan tailing along with you.

The spacious kitchen was perfect for you to escape for just a moment. Silence is golden. Ryan sighs, pouring you and her a glass of juice. Nothing is to be said yet. But you know she really wants to have her input.

Raising the glass to your lips, you take a sip letting the tanginess run across your tongue and down your throat. ‘’ Say it Ryan.’’

She puts her cup down and looks at you with your eyebrows furrowed, ‘’ You aren’t fine. Please just avoid them for the night.’’

You knew it was coming but you have to face the fact that they area couple anyways so why avoid it? Maybe your mind will finally accept it to see it in person.

‘‘ I have to face it one way or another so why not now?’‘

She shakes her head in disapproval, finishing the rest of her juice. “ No you don’t. You’re making yourself suffer and I don’t like it.’’

‘‘ Yn.. did you make these cookies?’‘ A voice says behind you. Ryan’s eyes go wide and then looks at you signaling for you to not turn around. But you do it anyways.

Isabel. How dare she call you by a pet name? You don’t even know her like that and she’s doing this. Anger wants to get the best of you but you remain humble and calm.

‘‘ Yes. Is there a problem though? Are they not good?’‘ You say, putting on your best innocent act.

She smiles as she moves a piece of hair of her perfectly framed face, ‘’ No they are great! I was wondering if i can have the recipe.. for Jimin’s purpose of course.’’

You breathe through your nostrils with your eyes closed. She knows what she’s doing. She likes seeing you suffer huh? ‘’ You can follow any recipe online. I just add almond extract and substitute white sugar for brown.’’

Ryan shakes her head slightly while sticking her cup into the sink. ‘’ I’m going to be back I have to use the restroom.’’

Once she leaves Isabel’s smile drops.’’ Almond? Im- Im allergic!” She says, semi yelling at you. You’re shocked more or so at the sudden outburst that you can’t speak. You had zero knowledge of her being allergic, it’s an accident for sure.

“You did this on purpose!’’ She says, tears filling her eyes as she goes into a coughing fit.

Shit. You didn’t know if anyone was allergic to nuts here but you had put it in anyways because that was the secret ingredient

‘’ I- I didn’t know im sorry is there anything I can do?’’ You say, guilt taking over you while you rush to her side patting her back.

‘‘ Get off of me! You did this on purpose! You never liked me anyways. Jimin! Jimin!‘ She scream’s, coughing and wheezing making her face red.

Multiple footsteps rush into the kitchen. You don’t know what to do at this point so you just back away and let whoever take over. All the commotion going on and yelling is starting to give you a slight headache. All of the boys surround her, bombarding with questions and asking each other what to do.

‘‘ What’s all the yelling about? What happened! “ Jungkook exclaims rushing towards her hunched over body.

‘‘ What’s going on? “ That voice that haunts you everynight finally comes inside the kitchen. When he see’s Isabel he automatically rushes towards her side. It pains you to see him rush to another woman’s body. But that figure is no longer yours so he has every right to do that.

‘‘ She-She put almond in the cookies on purpose! She’s trying to–to-’‘ She manages to wheeze out before another coughing fit.

Jimin’s eyes meet yours full of rage but then taken over by concern. He knows your hurt. Still hurt from the past and from this very situation now. You don’t manage to keep eye contact, so the floor is your eyes’ bestfriend right now.

‘‘ Yn. is this true? Why would you do that?” He says, eyes never leaving yours and voice soft.

You shake your head quickly, “ I didn’t know she was allergic. I always put almond extract an-’’

“ You knew better than to put any type or form of nut in a dish when bringing it to ones house. You never know if someone has an allergy to it.’‘ Jungkook scolds you, eyes furrowed in shame.

‘‘ Don’t blame her. She didn’t fucking know.” Ryan’s voice enters the room in madness. She comes to your side with her arms crossed. Your own personal savior. Without her, you’d still be feeling guilty and taking the blame.

‘‘ Besides, you knew better than to invite him if you knew he was going to bring the girl he cheated on her with.. right?’‘ She says, cocking her head to the side as her attitude takes over.

The room is silent again. Good girl Ryan.

Isabel lifts her head in disbelief along with Jimin. “ Listen that’s beside the point. Just don’t do it again.” Jimin says, focusing his attention back on Isabel. He reaches into her purse to grab her Epi-pen.

His scolding is enough to send your eyes into tears. You shouldn’t of agreed to come. This is a disaster. You take the tuba-wear of cookies from the counter on your way out of the kitchen and dispose of them. Your vision is blurry and you don’t know where your going but you just need some air. You make lefts and rights down long and short hallways till you reach a room that has a balcony.

You slip on who-ever’s house slippers and open the sliding door revealing the winter’s cold harsh air. You lean on the railing and close your eyes breathe in and out heavily.

Wiping the tears away, You open our eyes and look straight ahead. The whole city is lit up such a beautiful view for a sad moment. The sad moment is cut short by the sliding door opening and closing. You don’t bother to turn around it’s probably just Ryan checking on you again. When are people going to stop doing that?

“ Yn.”

Thats the last voice you wanted to hear.

‘‘ Are you happy? Happy for scolding me infront of everybody.” You sniffle, wiping away your leaking nose.

You hear some rustling before something is placed on your shoulders. You look down at the material and shrug it off of you.

‘‘ Give it to your girlfriend.”

‘‘ I can’t let you be cold. Put it back on.’‘ He sighs, picking it back up and coming closer to you. You both stand side by side. Jimin puts his jacket around you once more and before you could re-do your action just before, he speaks.

‘‘ Shrug it off again and I’ll scold you. Do you understand?’‘ He says firmly.

You don’t bother to speak. Silence is golden.

‘‘ Listen.. i know you still aren’t over the fact that we are through but-”

‘‘ Shut up. I don’t want to hear it. Please go tend to your dying girlfriend.’‘ You say, sarcastically.

He huffs, “ She’s resting right now. She wouldn’t have to be if you wouldn’t of put-’’

You turn towards him slowly and meet his eyes daring for him to finish the rest of his sentence. ‘’ Don’t you fucking dare Park Jimin.’’

‘‘ Honorifics.’‘ He says, slightly looking down at you due to the height difference.

‘‘ You’re right Jimin-ssi.’‘

Jimin’s expression is taken a-back. You knew that one honorific word would hurt him.

‘‘ If we are done speaking I will take my leave now.” You say, eyes never leaving his as you take off his jacket and toss it to him, leaving him outside in the cold

This night was one of your worst mistakes. You thought you could handle it, but couldn’t. So maybe Ryan and Jungkook were right. Maybe you can’t handle it at all..

588 notes · View notes

neonacity · 3 years ago

Text

LUCID | NCT DREAM ‘00 LINE X READER | CH.6

LUCID DREAMS - A TYPE OF DREAM WHEREIN THE PERSON IS AWARE THAT THEY ARE CAUGHT IN A DREAM WORLD.

Summary: It was supposed to be a harmless, professional transaction. You were to tutor a group of boys, get your pay at the end of the day, and go home to your loving fiance. Kids aren’t supposed to be dangerous, right? So why, then, are you caught up in a web of madness that slowly makes you feel like you’re in a living nightmare?

NOTE:This is a yandere plot featuring NCT Dream ‘00 line which means there will be mature themes in the story as well as obsessive, toxic behavior. If you’re a minor, please refrain from interacting. If this isn’t your thing, then just scroll and skip. In no way am I condoning anything written here— this is not love, this is obsession—nor do I think that any of the people mentioned here will act any way like in this story. This is purely a work of fiction.

Genre: yandere, horror, suspense

TW: abuse, obsessive behavior, toxic relationships, suggestive scenes, stalking, possible kidnapping, mental health. Age gap–though nothing dramatic. Everyone is of legal age, drugs, slight smut for this chapter but nothing graphic, questionable consent (?) I guess? Creepy, creepy, creepy! This will be updated as the story goes along.

CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 2 | CHAPTER 3 | CHAPTER 4 | CHAPTER 5

“EVERYONE HAS A DARKER NATURE. EVERYONE. GOOD MEN FEAR IT, AND EVIL MEN EMBRACE IT.” - JAMES ISLINGTON

The silent hum of the air conditioning filled the space like a foreboding chant. Nothing else but the sound of the hospital machinery and random noises outside pierced the stillness of the room as you stared, unseeing, at the green and orange numbers that blinked on the monitor above the bed.

You barely have any recollection of how you managed to find yourself in the hospital, but you do remember brief memories of Taeyong picking you up from the floor you found yourself crumpled on after you got the call. You remember seeing Jaehyun's parents at a brightly lit corridor and his mother pulling you into a hug as she broke down and his father telling you how his son hasn't woken up since he was brought to the emergency room.

You remember your heart breaking in shock, mind too numb from the godforsaken pills you have been taking and your own injury. So many times you wondered to yourself if you were still caught in one of your nightmares, but every time you tried to break free from it, you're slapped back with the reality of how all of this is real.

Your fingers gently tightened on Jaehyun's hands now as your gaze landed on his face. He looked so peaceful, like he's just sleeping, that you almost wanted to bend over and try to kiss him awake. You don't even have any idea what time and day it is already, but you have barely left his side since you were brought to him. The nightmares and sleeplessness? They're barely a problem for you anymore because right now, you're entirely not resting at all unless your body forces you to crash from physical exhaustion. Even then, you usually only sleep for about two to three hours at best to make sure that you never miss a moment with your fiance.

"Severe traumatic head injury. He was lucky enough that the airbag shielded him from the worst of the impact."

The words of his attending doctor echoed in your head again like a faraway voice. You could only remember bits and pieces of what he said to his parents back then as he reported his findings, but you caught enough context for you to draw a picture of the situation. You remember Jaehyun's mother asking the chances of her son waking up again, her voice barely holding up from her emotions.

"I cannot promise anything, Ma'm. I'd say he has a 60 percent chance. He's fighting."

And he is. You know Jaehyun inside out. He might be unconscious now, but there is no way he is giving up. Not from something like this.

"Keep fighting baby…" you whispered in the stillness of the room as you lifted his hand gently to your lips to kiss. "I'll wait for you. We still have a wedding to do."

The slight creaking of the door barely made you look away from his sleeping face. You only did at the gentle sound of a throat clearing, your eyes slightly widening as you recognized the man who just walked inside the room. Taeil had the same mildly shocked look on him as he stopped on the other side of the bed across from you.

"You…"

"Are you a relative of the patient?" He asked now as he tucked his clipboard under his arm. You simply nodded, watching him quickly glance at the numbers on the monitor before his eyes settled on you again.

"I'm his fiancee."

That made him raise his brows slightly. He pulled a pen now from the pocket of his coat to quickly write something on his file. "What a coincidence. Not a good one obviously. I'm sorry to hear about him. Mr. Jung, right?"

You swallowed. You didn't want to acknowledge anything that he just said so you tried to divert the conversation instead.

"You're not his doctor. Why are you…"

"Oh. He was turned over to me today. I am one of the resident neurologists here but he had to be moved to me because his first doctor has too much in his plate already. Don't worry, I was briefed properly about his case."

Your gaze followed Taeil as he bent over to check Jaehyun's oxygen level as well as the other wires attached to him. You don't know what to feel about him taking over, but at least you already know him previously.

"Are there any changes? Positive ones?" You asked in a frail voice that Taeil definitely didn't miss. You told yourself to not act silly and ask questions that probably do not have answers yet, but you couldn't help yourself now. The man seemed to think over his words first, noticing your state, before calmly giving his reply.

"No particular ones, but the fact that there are no negative developments is… something. I will have to request for some tests to be done on him again tomorrow so we can see if there are positive changes in his brain."

Neutral. Not good, but at least it's not bad either.

"How are you? I was about to check on you again. Is your head okay?"

You were still thinking over his words that you barely caught his question. Looking up, you tried to scramble for an answer to give. To be honest, you haven't given proper attention to your own injury since this happened. You would even only remember to take your medications on your clearest, less anxious moments, which, honestly, isn’t a lot.

"I'm uh… the wound has closed. But the headaches. They're still there."

He simply nodded. "Any other side effects?"

You didn't immediately answer. You didn't want to sound whiny, but it's not like you're going to lose anything by telling him the uglier parts of your recovery. You swallowed to try and dislodge the slight blockage in your throat.

"Nightmares…" you said now, voice soft. You briefly remembered the last one you had back in the manor before you woke up to the bad news and you felt your stomach turn again. "Lots of them. Hallucinations sometimes…"

The doctor watched you carefully and you know he is trying to compute things in his mind despite his face remaining calm.

"Have you been keeping to your schedule with your medications? Are you taking too much?"

You firmly shook your head no to his last question.

"No, I haven't been overdosing. But… I've been skipping my pills the last few days because of...because of this."

"How have you been feeling since you started missing your dosages then? Do you remember?"

That made you actually stop and think about it for a moment. Now that you are paying attention, you did notice how the nightmares have calmed down slightly. Even the hallucinations are almost gone. You frowned slightly to yourself.

"A bit… better actually."

Taeil took his time to observe you a bit more before writing something on a new page of his clipboard.

"You must have had severe reactions to the mixture of pills I gave you. I'm going to prescribe you new ones and ask the nurses to pick them up and bring them to you here. Can you promise that you'll try and take them though? You really need them to fully heal."

You nodded and gave him a slightly sheepish look.

"I will, thank you very much."

Taeil dug his hands into the pockets of his coat and gave you a gentle smile.

"Well, that's it for today. I'll come back tomorrow to give you updates about Mr. Jung." He had already turned and started walking away when he suddenly stopped to look at you again.

"Oh, and another thing. Please try and get some sleep. Recover… and then focus on helping your fiance."

******* You didn't really know what woke you up. Stirring from your sleep, the first thing that registered to you was the sound of distant traffic mixed with the gentle chirping of the morning birds from outside the window. A warm feeling radiated on your cheek and made the back of your eyelids glow red.

You flickered your eyes open and immediately rolled away to escape the ray of sunshine that slipped from the open curtains and shone directly at your face. You easily evaded it as you moved over to the other side of the bed which was empty and cold from the night before.

That was when you finally remembered that you were back in your home, in the same bedroom you share with Jaehyun. The day before, his mother offered to take the responsibility of watching over him so there was a sudden change of plans that finally gave you the reason to check back into your apartment after so long. If it were you, you would have preferred not leaving your boyfriend’s side until he wakes up, but you also knew that your future mother-in-law wanted to spend time with him so you relented.

Of course you weren't thrilled to be home alone, especially with Jaehyun not being there, but the comfort that a real mattress provided—over the small couch you used to sleep in back at the hospital—is definitely a welcome change for your body. You even tried to take your medicine properly, the new ones that Taeil had provided, in the hopes of getting knocked down fast. Your adrenaline and anxiety had been fueling you in the past days, but you know from the way your heart thumped and your hands shook that you need a solid rest.

And you got it. You still feel a little groggy now but your body is definitely lighter and your head clearer. The nightmares didn't even come, and while they were replaced by total darkness or dreams in white that still made you anxious, you are willing to take those anytime over the graphic ones that you used to have.

You gently sat back against the headrest of the bed now and reached out for your phone to check the time. It's barely 7AM but as expected, Jaehyun's mom has already provided you with updates from the hospital. He’ll have some tests taken today as Taeil advised and then they’ll hear more about his progress. From the looks of it, she seems still set on watching over her son, which means you still have at least today free to yourself.

You quickly typed a reply to her and sighed. You’re thankful that even though you weren’t related by blood, his parents have always treated you as if you were their own. Having a family is not something you’ve really experienced in your childhood, so that’s something you’ve always appreciated about them. That is also the reason why you wish for the best out of this situation, because you also couldn’t bear seeing your fiance’s mother and father heartbroken. He’s their only son, after all.

A quick look around your room left you feeling empty. The last week has been so hard that it felt longer and now you’re struggling to find your normal pace again. In an effort to bring yourself to focus, you decided to pick up your phone once more and started flipping through your calendar to check your schedule. It didn’t take long for you to frown when you realized the upcoming dates there. You’ve plotted important academic schedules in advance and one quick look at it told you how much you’ve obviously missed in the past week. You’ve been so lost in the mess of everything that has happened that you’ve entirely forgotten about your job at the manor. You realized that they didn’t even call you once to ask about your absence, probably because they also know about the situation, but even that is not enough excuse for you to entirely fall off the radar.

Biting your lip, you quickly scrolled through your contacts now to look for the number you need. Your thumb hovered over the call button momentarily, but you eventually pressed it anyway. Your eyes wandered towards the clock on the wall, hoping silently to yourself that it wasn’t too early for you to call.

“Rosewood Manor, how can I help you?”

You straightened on your seat.

“Hey, Taeyong. It’s me. Sorry if I called so early.”

The other boy seemed to have been taken slightly by surprise by the way he fell silent at the other end of the line. You tapped your finger against your knee, waiting for him to speak again.

“Hi. No, it’s fine. Work started for me about an hour ago. Are you okay? How’s things on your end?”

You nibbled guiltily on your lower lip and finally got off your bed to walk over to the window. You pushed the curtains open and stared at the slight snowfall that had started falling on the ground. You’ve missed so many days of reporting to them but the first thing he does is to check if you’re fine.

“I um—things are still the same. My boyfriend’s still at the hospital.”

“Oh… I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Look, I want to apologize. I haven’t really reported to work and I didn’t even call about it. It’s just that—things have been so crazy lately, but still that isn’t an excuse for me to just not show up.”

Taeyong, however, was understanding as always. You were about to go off for another round of apologies when he gently cut you off.

“Hey, it’s fine. We know you’ve been dealing with a lot lately so we also weren't expecting anything. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“But, the boys’ examinations and portfolio review is happening in three days and I haven’t really checked in with them. How are they doing now?”

“Oh...that. Well, we actually tried looking for a temporary tutor to help out but I...uh… I think he isn't really cutting it. Maybe because he isn’t the one who started the program with them. But he’s a big help still.”

“Oh god, I’m so sorry about that. I should have at least—look, I can drop by today and just try to fix things.”

“Are you sure? You really don’t have to. Don’t you need to be at the hospital?”

You started going around your room now, trying to gather the scattered papers and files that you’ll need. It’s a good thing you woke up early so you still have time to prepare for work. “My boyfriend’s mother is the one watching over him today so I have the day off.”

“And your injury? How is it?”

Your eyes landed on the new bottles of medicine sitting on your bedside table.

“Better. I’m feeling so much better.”

You heard Taeyong sigh in relief over the phone. “Thank god. We were so worried about that. Well, you really don’t need to go, but if you have time, I guess doing it today won’t hurt. It will help us a lot.”

A small smile tugged at your lips now and you switched the phone over to your other ear as you started arranging your bag. “Thank you so much for being understanding. I need a distraction anyway. I’d rather work than stay home alone… Thanks for not firing me.”

That made him laugh a little. “I’ll tell the boys that you’re coming over. Oh, and be careful on your drive here. The roads are a little bit slippery today because of the snow.”

“I will, thank you. I’ll be there by 9.”

******* “Noona!”

You have barely finished arranging your materials on your desk when the door to the room burst open and ushered an anxious-looking Jisung inside. You looked up quickly at him, only barely catching Chenle wobbling with his crutch before your vision of the entrance was blocked by Jisung’s tall frame. His hair looked swept up as if he ran and there was a slight flush staining his cheeks. He stopped right in front of you, stopping just in time for him not to topple you over.

“Hey, Jisung how are—” You tried to give him a smile but he was quick enough to grab your hands between his.

“Are you back? Are you really back for real?” He pressed now, eyes wide as he tried to bend over to look closely at you. He looked like a puppy, the only missing thing being a wagging tail to complete the look. You couldn’t help the brief laugh that passed over you as you tried to calm him down.

“I am. For the day, yes. Sorry I missed so many of your sessions.”

“We thought you left us,” Jisung continued, his lower lip protruding just a bit. Just then, Chenle had finally reached the two of you, a slightly embarrassed look on his face. This is actually the first time you saw him again since the day the two of you had your accident and you’re glad to see him healthy despite his broken leg.

“Hi, Chenle. How are you?”

The boy scratched the back of his head and looked away slightly. “Fine… I’m sorry, noona. I wasn’t able to visit you when you stayed with us. I’m really really sorry about what happened in the forest.”

You tried to give him a reassuring smile and freed one of your hands from Jisung’s hold to ruffle his hair. The action seemed to have calmed him down a little because he finally looked at you again, a small apologetic smile on his own lips.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. But be careful next time, okay?”

“Are you going to be our tutor again, noona?” Jisung pressed once more and you turned your attention back to him. To be honest, you’re still not sure how your schedule will turn out after this, but you couldn’t really bear to break the poor boy’s heart at the moment.

“Yes… I’m here to teach your big brothers today for their tests though. We’ll have to schedule you and Chenle’s lessons again. Is that alright?”

A brief look of disappointment flashed on his face but he was quick enough to pick it up. Jisung smiled and gave your hand a squeeze.

“Okay. We can wait. It’s good you are back, Jaemin-hyung was so—”

“Yah, don’t hog her by yourself. You’ll scare her away.”

A new voice made the three of you look back to the doorway. Haechan smiled at your little group as he strolled casually into the room followed by Jeno and Jaemin. The three of them joined your crowd and you felt Jisung finally let go of your hand as he stepped away to go over to his brothers’ side.

“Hi. Sorry, I only returned now. Taeyong told me that you—”

You weren’t able to finish what you wanted to say as Haechan gently stopped you mid-sentence. He leaned his head to the side, eyes briefly scanning you from head to toe. Unlike Jisung, he looked calm and only barely excited.

“It’s fine. We knew you’ll come back. How are you?”

“Oh… I’m good. My head is better. I haven’t had the chance to thank all of you for taking care of me when I was here.”

“How about your boyfriend?” It was Jeno who asked this time and you quickly turned to him to address his question. Your eyes briefly slipped to Jaemin who was standing behind him before you could even speak though, and for a moment you had the impression that Jeno was shielding him—or blocking him from you. You blinked a little bit in confusion, wondering if it was just your imagination that was making you think that way.

“He’s still… still unconscious,” your smile dropped a little but you tried your best to keep your voice casual. “We’re getting more tests for him. His doctor said that he isn’t showing bad signs at least.”

“I’m so sorry to hear about him,” Haechan said with compassion and you gave him a grateful look. Your gaze settled on Jaemin again, however, who for some reason had barely looked at you since he came into the room. You know that he can be quiet and reserved at times, but there is something in the air around him that makes you slightly worried. He’s so still, but the way he carries himself makes it seem like he’s so strung up at the same time. It also doesn’t help that Jeno seems to be almost pushing him back from view.

“Hi Jaemin… How are you?” You tried to gently ask him to make sure that he is okay. He didn’t look at you at first, but when he finally did, you felt yourself freeze a little. His eyes looked dark and almost emotionless when he met yours and there were shadows under them as if he hadn't slept properly for days. He didn’t even answer and just simply stared, his gaze blank and accusing at the same time.

Haechan casually glanced over his brother and chuckled. “Our Jaeminie here has been sick for the past couple of days so he’s a little out of it. But he’s going to be fine now,” he put a hand over the other’s shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze as if to calm him down. “Right, Jaemin? We’ll try our best to go to class today since noona is finally back, hmm?”

Jaemin, however, didn’t even seem to hear him. He continued staring at you the same way that kept you pinned on your spot.

“Are you leaving again?” he finally asked and you almost felt goosebumps rise on your skin. It didn’t sound like a question… but more of a threat. You swallowed.

“I’m going to have to arrange my schedule till things get better…” you answered carefully, as if you’re navigating dark waters. That didn’t seem to cut it for him, unfortunately.

“So you’re not leaving. Forever?”

You blinked. To be honest, you’ve been thinking of quitting and just finishing the rest of the month if things didn’t improve, but you don’t think that’s the right answer to give at the moment.

“No… not for now,” you finally managed to say. You watched as Jaemin seemed to visibly relax, his stiff shoulders loosening under Haechan’s grip. He didn’t say anything after that, but he at least looked away, seemingly more satisfied with your words.

“Great. I think we should get to work,” Haechan broke the silence and looked around the room as if the tension you were feeling was just something only you could feel. He nodded towards Chenle and Jisung then. “You guys go back to your own classes. You’ll have your share of noona once it’s your turn.” He then glanced at you, smile still in place. “Should we start then?”

You nodded. “Is Renjun still not back?”

“Not yet. He’s going to be here tomorrow though,” Jeno answered as he took his seat on one of the desks.

“I see…”

Haechan also found his spot, but not before you’ve noticed him urging Jaemin to do the same. Playfully, he took the pencil you’ve arranged on the desk and started tapping it against the wood of the table.

“Don’t worry. We’ll tell him you’re back. I’m sure he can’t wait to have his lessons again~”

******* You looked over the window for the third time in the last fifteen minutes and sighed. The day had been busy with you trying to catch up on the boys’ lessons that you barely even noticed the state of the weather outside. When you finally did, it took you by surprise when you saw how much of the ground was covered by snow—one look at it told you that it is at least a feet deep by now. Your first instinct was to try and maneuver your car out of the lot before your tires get entirely buried in it, but then you remembered that you promised to wait for Taeyong to come back before leaving the manor. The butler requested for you to temporarily watch over the manor while he tries to do some last minute errands back in the city, but it’s been two hours since he originally promised to come back. You eyes glanced at your watch now, then back at the quickly darkening view outside.

“...severe snowstorm has blocked some of the main roads in the city at the moment. Expect heavy traffic and don’t forget to drive safely.”

You turned to the television now to catch the last of the rambling dialogue of the reporter about the weather. You’ve been debating on whether to call Taeyong or not to check on him, but you didn’t want to seem impatient to go home when you only really wanted to make sure if he’s safe. From the looks of it, he’s stuck somewhere because of the hale, too.

You were on your way to get your phone from your bag to at least try to shoot him a message when you suddenly heard it ring. Getting it just in time, you almost sighed in relief when you saw his number there. You quickly took it and went over to the window to answer it to make sure you get some proper signal.

“Hello? Taeyong?”

“Hey. Finally. I’ve been trying to call you for the last hour, thank god it finally connected.”

“Oh, sorry, my phone’s in my bag. I think the signal’s getting bad because of the snowstorm. Where are you? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, about that, I’m still stuck in town. The traffic’s so bad here because a section of the main road is blocked. Road maintenance is supposed to come thirty minutes ago but I think there’s a delay because there are other roads they are working on.”

Your gaze drifted back to the television where scenes of the same blocked avenues were being flashed. “Yeah… the news says the same. Are you safe though?”

“I am. I’m really sorry for making you wait. I’d tell you to drive back and not wait for me anymore but I don’t think you’ll also make it home in time with all this traffic going on. I don’t think it’s going to be safe. Do you mind waiting for a little bit more? I’ll tell you once the roads are better.”

You thought it over quickly, a frown settling on your face. You really want to go home, but he’s right. There’s no point in trying to drive back if you’ll only find yourself stuck in the roads for hours. Not being a big fan of night driving yourself, you can already imagine the stress waiting for you if you add a snowstorm to the mix. As much as you wanted to leave, you’re left with no choice, at least for the moment.

“I can… I’ll just wait for you, I guess. Do you want me to do anything here while you’re gone? Dinner for the boys?”

“Oh no, no, you don’t need to do that, that’s not part of your job,” Taeyong sounded abashed when he said that. You stepped away from the window then and took a seat by the fireplace that Jeno started earlier. Half of your concentration was on the news which has now shifted to a different set of reports also caused by the snowstorm. “They’ll know when to go down and eat. Don’t worry about them. Where are they right now?”

“Ah, I think they went back to their rooms? I did tell them earlier that I’ll try to wait for you.”

“I see. Yes, I think that’s better. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you updated. If things don’t get better, I think I’ll have no other choice but find a hostel here and wait for the weather to calm down. You can stay there and just ask for help from any of them. You can stay in the same room just in case.”

You didn’t quickly react to the offer. Instead, your eyes flickered to the doorway of the room before refocusing your attention back to the conversation. It’s not like you have anything against spending the night again at the manor—you’ve done it before, after all—but it’s honestly not really something you’re comfortable to do again. Maybe it’s because you’ve never really been okay with overstaying at strangers’ houses but your gut feel is also telling you right now that it shouldn’t be your top option regardless of the situation you are in.

Still, you didn’t want to come off rude to Taeyong, not when he is only being kind to offer you temporary shelter while being stuck in the middle of nowhere himself. So instead, you went against your initial doubts and offered him your thanks in return. It’s just Plan B that he’s proposing after all.

“I will. Keep me updated though if you need anything you think I can help with.”

“Thank you and I will. I have to go now though. Please make yourself at home. I’ll try to call again after an hour.”

“Okay. Take care.”

You put your phone down now with a worried frown as you heard the line drop. You couldn’t believe this is happening the first day you got back to work but it’s not like you can really blame anyone for it. The only good thing is that you’re sure Jaehyun is being taken care of right now so that is at least one thing off your shoulders. You didn’t really need to rush anywhere, not especially to a vacant home. Leaning back against your seat, you tried your best to relax as your gaze travelled around the room once again. You deliberated on sending a text to your mother-in-law to tell her about your situation but decided against it, not wanting to worry her more. You sighed. For now, you guess you didn’t have any other choice but to wait.

You did try to distract yourself by watching the news for a few more minutes before finally giving up on it. With resignation, you picked yourself up from your seat again and turned the television off. For a moment you simply stood in the middle of the room, trying to figure out what to do with your time when your gaze settled on the door again. Everyone retreated to their own rooms after they finished with their lessons so it means the house is pretty much yours for exploring if you wanted to. You toyed with the idea for a little bit, before finally resigning yourself to it. It’s not like there really is anything else left for you to do, and Taeyong did say you can make yourself feel at home if you wanted to. With a sigh, you finally turned on your heels to leave the room and peered silently into the hallway. It was deserted as expected, but still your eyes travelled left and right to check if there’s anyone out and about at this hour. It was only after you made sure that you were alone when you finally allowed yourself to step into the corridor.

Of course, you have a plan. You’re pretty much sure that checking out the rooms on the first floor is acceptable since it’s where you’ve been rotating your classes so you’re going to stick to those areas. You remember finding a library there once and you focused on finding your way to it to maybe check out some of the books in the collection.

It did take you about five minutes to finally find the place you were looking for. For some reason, the sections in the manor always confuse you no matter how many times you try to memorize each one, probably because of how big and similar-looking they are on the outside. You’ve already tried four doors when you were finally welcomed by the familiar-looking bookshelves at the fifth one. You sighed and gave one quick look around the room before slipping yourself inside after making sure that you’re alone.

There will probably never be a time when you won’t find yourself fascinated by anything in this grand home. If the architecture of the mansion is not enough to convince anyone how rich the family is, their book collection is enough to assure that at the very least. You’ve only ever taken a quick glimpse of it once during one of your lessons with the boys, but one look of the titles in their shelves is enough to make any literature major excited. You looked at the floor to ceiling collection now, your fingers gently running over the spines of the books you could reach with a small smile on your face.

You were about to check out the rest of the collection on the other side of the wall when something in the middle of the room caught your attention. You didn’t really catch it at first because of the shadows that concealed it when you first came in, but you could pretty much discern the outline of a blanket covered standee now from where you stood. You frowned. Taking careful steps, you closed the distance towards it to try and figure out what exactly it is that you’re seeing.

A closer look revealed it to be an easel covered with white cloth. You could see the outline of the canvas where the blanket falls over it while shadows of colors peeked out into the thin fabric from the surface it was covering. How odd… you knew that Renjun had a different art room for his paintings so to see this now here in the middle of the library seems uncanny.

You didn’t know how long you remained standing in front of it, too. You know you should have walked away—after all, the white cloth hiding it away from plain view means whatever is on that canvas is not meant for everyone’s eyes to see, but you simply couldn’t tear yourself away from it. It’s as if there was a silent force asking you to pull that cloth to reveal what’s underneath, the inclination so strong that you could almost hear its voice breathing down next to your ear, unrelenting until you do what it says.

The next thing you know, you had your hand attached to one end of the fabric. You stared at it now, wondering last minute if you should go ahead or not. You swallowed and glanced around one last time around the room. If you’re alone… it wouldn’t hurt if you could take a peek, right? Nobody will know. You just have to see, then cover it back again. Before you could even think about it too much, your arm was finally moving on its own as it gently tugged at the covering. You watched as it fell gently on the floor, like a bodiless ghost melting into the shadows on the ground.

Your eyes couldn’t make out what you were seeing at first. The dim lighting of the room wasn’t helping at all, but you were sure that it was a woman’s silhouette that was staring back at you from the canvas. Colors swirled around her, like some unknown mass trying to drag her back into unknown depths. Shapes and tones jumped from the picture, but her form stood out from the rest, gracefully twisted as if she was in the middle of trying to fight and succumb to it at the same time. You frowned. Taking a step closer towards it, you tried to study its details under what little illumination the lamps above afforded you.

That’s when it all happened simultaneously. Your heart stopped beating the same time your eyes widened as they finally focused on what’s in front of them. It’s as if the ground suddenly vanished from underneath your feet and you were falling, falling, deep into the abyss despite your body being frozen in fear and shock.

You know this painting. You’ve seen it before. It was the same one by Renjun, the one that you saw on your first day working in the manor.

But it was different now. Instead of the unfinished state that caught your attention before, everything about the picture now is in sharp focus. The lines on the woman’s nude body, the hands—which you thought were simply dark swirls dragging her back—and her face twisted beautifully in pleasure and madness stared back at you like a nightmare.

But it was not those which truly shook you to your core. It’s the realization that it was your own face in the portrait that was staring back at you, silently screaming for you to run away.

You stumbled back in shock. Your chest felt tight as you tried to grasp for air while your hands fumbled to find something to hold on to keep you from crashing on the ground. Before you could even take another step, however, something hard hit your back and you felt strong arms wrap around your waist like a vice. You have barely realized what was happening when you felt someone lean over your shoulder, lips pressing against the shell of your ear.

“Isn’t it beautiful? You’re the perfect muse, don’t you think?” Renjun asked softly as he pressed a gentle kiss to your temple.

******* You didn’t know how long you stayed frozen in his embrace. For a brief moment you thought you were dreaming again until you felt his arms slowly tighten around your waist. As if a jolt of electricity shocked you, you immediately turned to push him away as you scrambled to put some distance between the two of you.

Renjun didn’t seem the least bothered when your eyes finally focused on him. He remained on his spot, his gaze on you unwavering. You, meanwhile, were shaking from head to toe, the vision of the painting still branded vividly in your head.

“Renjun—what’s this?” you managed to stutter as you pointed at the artwork in the middle of the room. You couldn’t even spare to look at it again while he merely gave it a casual glance.

“It’s you. I’ve been working on it for a long time. I was about to show it to you but it seems like you couldn’t wait for it yourself.”

You felt nauseous. A part of your rational mind was slowly losing it as you tried to process his answer. Something's not right. Something is so terribly wrong.

“Why—why did you do this?”

Renjun simply stared at you and leaned his head a little bit to the side as if he was only mildly curious of your reaction. Your stomach turned even before hearing his answer.

“You said it’s beautiful.”

“This is not right—!”

“I came home because they said you were leaving for good,” he continued speaking softly, effectively cutting you from what you were about to say. The hairs on the back of your neck stood on end and you took another step back as you watched him get close to his artwork. You watched in horror as his thin fingers lovingly ran over the corners of the canvas. “Jaemin almost lost it… It’s a good thing I got here on time.”

And just like that, everything seemed to have clicked into place. The glances, the touches, the words that seemed to have a different undercurrent under them… they weren’t just fragments of your imagination. Every little thing that has gnawed at you from the inside came into crystal clear focus and you felt your knees go weak from the weight of it all. It took every fiber of your being to try and keep yourself steady now, your legs moving on their own as they took small backward steps away from the boy staring at you now with dead eyes. You couldn’t breathe, but it was the last words he told you that finally snapped you to run.

“I don’t think you’ve realized it yet. But no, you cannot leave. Ever.”

You didn’t know where you got the energy for it but in seconds you were flying out of that room and running blindly down the darkened corridors. Your blood pumped noisily in your ears and your chest felt like it was going to split from the sudden exertion you put on it, but you didn’t stop, not even looking back as you tried to put as much distance between you and the library. You didn’t even know where you were going. All you’re focused on is to find the exit and leave the house as soon as possible.

A loud bang that sounded off to your right startled you and you screamed, the force of your shock making you whip around and almost lose your balance. Before you could even hit the floor, however, a pair of hands caught you and you immediately turned, grasping at the chest of your rescuer.

You froze. Haechan smiled down at you as he tried to steady you on your feet.

“Haechan,” you gasped as you took fistfuls of his shirt and tried to shake him in your panic. “Renjun—he’s—please, help me. He’s after me—” you gasped out, almost out of your wits. You’re on the verge of a total breakdown that it almost escaped you, the way he simply smiled down on your shaking form. It was only when you felt one of his hands gently caress the top of your head that reality slapped you in the face again. You suddenly stopped struggling in his hold, pupils shaking as you watched him study your features lovingly.

“Shh… it’s fine. I got you,” he whispered and you could swear ice pricked you from the inside. A slight movement to the right made you turn your head and you saw Jaemin lean casually against the banister of the stairs, his face serene. He gave you one quick look before a gentle smile finally lit up his features.

“Has it started?” he asked and you felt Haechan’s hold on you tighten.

“It has.”

You didn’t struggle. It was as if any trace of fight you had left you in that moment and you let your hands fall limply on your sides. Haechan also loosened his grip on you and you stared at the two boys blankly, your chest heaving as if fighting for air. They didn’t move from their spots and simply followed you with their eyes as if relishing the fear and realization flashing in your face.

Trapped.

You’re trapped.

You’ve always been.

You didn’t even realize that your legs had started moving again on their own as the pieces of the puzzle started to fall together in your mind. You were only shaken from it when your back finally hit the front door, the cold metal of the knob pressing against your spine. Jaemin and Haechan remained on their spots still, even as you blindly reached out for it from behind.

You were expecting it to be locked, so you were a little bit surprised when you felt it give way under your hand when you tried to turn it open. Just before you could even entertain the idea of escaping, however, any trace of hope you had quickly died as you turned and came face to face with Jeno standing right in front of the entrance. He didn’t look the least surprised seeing you there, as if he was waiting for you in the first place.

You eyes took in his calm countenance before slowly moving to stare downwards at what he was holding by his side. Your gaze locked on it in fear, and that’s when the flight response in you flared up again.

Jeno’s hunting rifle shone dully in the light of the entryway, his pale fingers wrapped on its handle.

“There’s really only one place you can run, noona, but I won’t advise it,” he said evenly and you felt your blood freeze in your veins.

“After all, no matter where you hide, I’ll still find you in that forest.”

It happened all at once. You broke into a run, your body screaming at you to go faster as you heard gunshots pierce the air.

---

CHAPTER 7

A/N: Good lord, I wasn’t expecting I’d finish this today but I got one large iced coffee and well... things happened. Anyway, enjoy! Let’s hope the format won’t mess up this time. T.T Finally, all hell broke loose~ <3

Tag list!

@negincho, @jhornytrash, @jaeminhyuckiii, @jungwoosswhore, @jsturkey, @aj-7, @pukupukupawpau, @tomiesgirlfren, @vsszn, @those-winternights, @xsnelly, @lihyuck, @laheyspizza, @miyeux27, @haoshitt, @mindofthescattered, @huangberryyy, @d1nne, @choppedupcactus, @neokat, @yutasnabi

#nct dream yandere au #nct dream yandere #nct dream yandere fic #jaemin x reader #jeno x reader #renjun x reader #haechan x reader #nct dream 00 line fic #nct dream 00 line x reader #nct horror au #nct dream yandere imagines #jaehyun x reader #yandere!nct dream #yandere!jaemin #yandere!jeno #yandere!renjun #yandere!haechan #nct-writers #yandere!nct dream 00 line

307 notes · View notes