#magenta discharge

[brucenorris007]

Expiration

Summary: When your goals revolve around one person, the day they're gone is always going to catch you unawares. And few, if any, are as singular in their motivations as Omega.

2147 words

Br-r-r-at-at-at.

Boom.

Omega charged ahead, leaving the combusting remains of the twenty-third badnik in his wake as he retracted his guns. He approached a turn in the corridor at speed. Another mass-produced E-series bore down the hall toward him, laser cannon already primed. Rather than stop, Omega let his momentum carry him forward, his frame skidding past the corner just as the inferior model fired; magenta energy singed the handle on Omega’s left shoulder.

He slammed his feet down to seize traction and redirected his charge before the E-2000 could deploy its shield or fire again; drove his right fist through its arm cannon, metal erupting and splintering like wood under his attack. The E-2000 switched offensive protocols to its remaining arm, ramming the chief of its shield into Omega’s shoulder.

A notification chimed across his CPU.

He preemptively dismissed it.

He opened his fist to grasp what remained of the mass model’s left arm. He swung his torso around with his full weight, bashing his captive’s head into the wall as he engaged his afterburners; he careened forward, metal scraping and sparks flying from the E-2000’s spasming body until all resistance ceased. The hall opened into a chamber with three floors.

Upon entry, he detected another nineteen badniks visible on the floor below; no fewer than six E-1000s turned and aimed their laser rifles at him, two from a higher elevation. Prioritizing destruction of the rejects in an advantageous position, Omega hoisted his defunct cargo and hurled it at the mass-products nearest him to occupy their attention.

Before he could open fire, a discharge of concentrated energy struck his back; he stumbled forward, swiveling his head to identify the source.

A Newtron; a fucking Newtron sat on the wall over the door behind him, its mouth closing to conceal the plasma pistol within.

Another internal notification pinged. Omega ignored it again.

In the split-second he took to reorient his balance, a Grabber dropped down from the ceiling and hooked its legs onto Omega’s chassis, two gripping him by the handles on his shoulders. The badnik lacked the structural strength to lift him, but it did inhibit his movements while the E-1000s adjusted their aim. Omega fired from the gun barrels on both arms while simultaneously re-engaging his engines to wrest himself free.

Three shields came up; only one rifle fell to gunfire.

The tensile strength of the thread connecting the Grabber to the ceiling held.

Thin red laser sights trained on him.

The ticking that preceded detonation sounded from the spider badnik.

Kvhroon.

Chaos energy, sharp and wild, sliced through the leg gripping Omega’s right shoulder handle. A grenade struck one of the E-1000s descending from above, detonating on impact.

Omega’s teammates thus announced their arrival.

Omega veered left, this time managing to generate enough force and momentum to snap the leg holding his other handle; with the Grabber lacking purchase, he broke free entirely. With another chaos spear, Shadow cut through the thread connecting the badnik to the ceiling and grabbed the line. Like a ball and chain, he swung the reject over his shoulder and slammed it down on top of the other badniks filing up from the floor below.

Overhead, Rouge smashed her foot through another E-1000’s head with a spiraling kick. The mass-product’s body crashed to the floor and scattered into pieces.

Omega’s two fleshy teammates regrouped on either side of him.

He disabled all damage notifications and switched his weapons to blasters.

—————

Ninety-six minutes later, Pacific Rim quietly played in Team Dark’s living room on their TV; Omega sat on the floor while his teammates lounged on the sofa beside him. On screen, the cables suspending Gipsy Danger over the harbor released, dropping the unit into the water. Omega found the concept of a mech requiring two meatbag pilots to function absurd, but he did enjoy watching the destruction depicted in del Toro’s action scenes.

Although they’d been successful in clearing out the base, Rouge had been less than impressed.

(“You know. When I said we should pace ourselves, that wasn’t really a suggestion.”)

While she’d spoken in collective terms, she’d been looking squarely at Omega when she used them; referring to the caution she’d advised after he’d charged ahead of his teammates through several other bases. He’d pretended he didn’t notice–same as he'd feigned ignorance of the fact that Shadow had consistently positioned himself four centimeters closer to him than was typical on missions.

He’d endured several similar expressions of concern over the past eighty-one hours; a greater frequency of the same within the last forty-three.

Nine days and two hours had elapsed since G.U.N. removed Eggman from its terrorist watchlist.

Nine days, one hour and fifty-eight minutes since Eggman had been declared deceased.

Three days and eight hours had elapsed since Omega independently verified the fact.

One day and nineteen hours had elapsed since Omega last spoke.

(“Is this a malfunction or a quiet day?”

“His quiet days don’t usually last all day; either way, something’s wrong.”)

Omega had expressed–via nonverbal means–that yes, his voice box was malfunctioning, and no, it did not require repair.

He did not tell them that his processors and circuits had sparked with so many things to say simultaneously that it overburdened his voice box. They didn’t need to know the specifics. Nor was their concern necessary; his effectiveness in carrying out missions hadn’t been impeded whatsoever. Particularly the variety they’d been taking on.

Though Eggman was gone, his machines nonetheless continued the maintenance and patrols of his hideouts in his absence; while they wouldn’t break away from their routines or attack anyone beyond their stations without explicit orders from their creator, it was still a sizable force to leave unchecked.

Rouge had secured a considerable commission from G.U.N. for each base that Team Dark cleared out. Omega had taken to the job enthusiastically, perhaps more than usual–he’d been in an especially destructive mood.

It’d been with great reluctance that he conceded to Shadow teleporting them home after their eighth hideout in the span of thirty-four hours.

On screen, Pentecost told Raleigh about his illness. From the couch beside Omega, steady and rhythmic breathing told him that his teammates had fallen asleep. He delved into his CPU and connected to the Egg Network.

For practical reasons–and his hatred for all things Eggman–he hadn’t interfaced with the network in more than a decade. Now, though, while there would be several warnings and alerts triggered by his digital footprint, without anyone to react to his presence, they posed no threat. Firewalls erected throughout the network barred him access from information such as the locations of bases established within the past eight years, but the same security did not extend to data from older hideouts.

Omega breached the outdated protections around the neglected servers like walls made of cardboard. The feasibility of finding any practically useful information in such old archives was questionable; nonetheless, he picked his way through them.

Anything from Eggman’s earliest years of terrorist activity–he’d held a disproportionate interest in islands–that wasn’t destroyed was obsolete. What badnik designs he still used from that time had since been updated several times over. A footnote’s worth of interest in the kingdom of Soleanna coincided with the creation of the Egg line; Gunner, Keeper, Lancer, etc., which would be expanded upon later. The base in Egypt had been discarded wholesale; more of a launching point for Eggman’s attempt to conquer the ARK. Prior to that…

Omega remotely delved into the archives from the bunker in the Mystic Ruins.

The birthplace of the E-100 series.

Omega navigated through rudimentary airship schematics, interpretive translations of texts on the subject of an ancient deity, half-finished plans for a third iteration of Mecha Sonic… typical of Eggman to discard anything that didn’t maintain his fickle interest.

He came upon a folder marked E-100s; found within another folder of video files.

Eggman had, initially, installed in his prototypes a function that recorded the visual data captured by his robots and filed them into the archives via the Egg Network upon the prototype’s destruction. Usually at Sonic’s hand. He’d done away with the practice sometime prior to Omega’s creation.

Omega idly opened the file for E-100 Alpha; skimmed over a lot of footage tracking a Flicky through Station Square, one that attached itself to Amy Rose. The files attached to most of his other predecessors save Beta were considerably smaller and their videos shorter in length; though Delta, Epsilon and Zeta shared one point of commonality with E-101.

E-102 Gamma.

Several people, Amy Rose chief among them, had mistaken Omega for his predecessor upon their first meeting. A ridiculous comparison, obviously; they didn’t share any commonalities save defection from Eggman and the color red.

. . .

Omega played Gamma’s video file.

He skipped through the first half of footage; more to the point, Eggman’s frequent appearances and orders. He paused at the moment of Gamma’s defection.

“Erasing Dr. Eggman from ‘Master’ status.

Established: E-series robots. Friends.

I must save them.”

Omega scrubbed through the video. His predecessors fell systematically, one by one to Gamma’s plasma rifle.

Delta.

Epsilon.

Zeta.

Beta; who managed to inflict a critical wound on Gamma moments before his demise.

Gamma’s visuals shook and blurred. Came to a stop aboard the beached Egg Carrier.

A cut to static coincided with the beginning of an explosion.

The file, played to its conclusion, closed.

Omega sat in silence for a minute.

He closed the folder; turned his attention in toward his own CPU. Extracted the code for his core directives.

Defeat of Eggman.

Destruction of all Eggman robots.

Directives independent of any orders from his creator; ones that he’d taken great pains to establish while he was sequestered in the basement. He determined now, however, that they required examination.

Omega questioned what objective the pursuit of each directive served.

His processors sparked.

He immediately dismissed the question as irrelevant with regard to his first directive. Eggman’s demise rendered a defeat impossible.

He applied the question to his second directive and found a simple answer. Destruction of all Eggman robots would establish the fact that Omega was the strongest robot.

Knowing the objective illustrated that further pursuit of the directive as a directive was obsolete; Omega had already destroyed more Eggman robots than anyone else. Shadow and Sonic were the only ones, meatbag or otherwise, to approach his record. His CPU automatically produced the follow-up query of why he pursued said objective.

“. . .”

He banished the question altogether from his motherboard.

Having thus clarified his objectives, and the fact that both had been fulfilled, Omega promptly deleted both from his internal software.

Which left him without a core directive.

Briefly, he receded from his CPU–the credits scrolled by on the TV. He turned his head.

Rouge lay with her head propped on one arm of the sofa; her body sprawled out to take up as much space as possible. Her mouth hung slightly open, as it often did when she didn’t sleep hanging from a perch. Shadow, his lap occupied by Rouge’s legs, had sunk into one of the couch’s backrest cushions, almost engulfed in down with his chin touching the tuft on his chest.

Omega listened to the sounds of his sleeping teammates. He didn’t even need to guess what their reaction would be to his current thought process.

Resoundingly, loudly negative.

He retreated into his CPU.

Drew up the code for commands of his primary functions.

A cautionary prompt popped up.

Terminate?

Omega watched the words blink at him for approximately two minutes. Failing to produce any reasons to avoid executing the command, he made to confirm–

Blip.

Foreign access to the Egg Network diverted his attention; he’d neglected to disconnect.

That the network recognized the other party as foreign narrowed their identity down to two possibilities, both of which Eggman had given up on years ago. And since Gemerl didn’t connect to the Egg Network on principle to avoid incurring any undue risk to Cream…

Metal clocked Omega within moments of its connection.

It made Omega aware of the fact, annoyingly, by communicating with him. The equivalent of a text message came through his Wi-Fi signal.

Oh. You’re still operational?

Metal’s presence vanished from the network half a beat later; before Omega could even reflexively fire off a Fuck You.

His internal fans whirred; his chassis chafed.

His temper flared nearly enough to forget what he’d been doing. The popup remained:

Terminate?

Omega disconnected from the Egg Network.

Cancelled out of and dismissed the command prompt.

The TV had returned to the DVD menu. Omega remotely switched it off; reclined until his shoulders and chassis were propped against the living room wall.

Before entering sleep mode, he made a single update to his drivers.

Core directive: Pending.

[liminevator]

#0201 - Janitor Ick

325 - Sexless (He/Him) - Irken (species) - Irken (planet)

File Rating - B

Home Floor - 146 (Hydroponic Hell)

Ick is a gruff and grumpy shortstack who's most often seen wandering from floor to floor with his janitor cart trying his best to clean up and keep things tidy as possible, if asked why, his response is always simply "If I ain't gonna do it who the hell will?" He usually prefers not to interact with anybody that comes by unless they speak to him first- or just to warn them of a spot he just mopped up.

According to himself, he used to be a very skilled member of the Irken military before sustaining a nearly-fatal injury that got him a medical discharge, and has left him still half blind and with a limp to this day. While he does enjoy telling stories about everything he's seen the rare times he's in the elevator, he's also said he feels deeply regretful for it all now that he's had the time to unlearn a lot of the xenophobic rhetoric the Irken Empire taught him. He's even recently been given a new uniform on behalf of The Archive at his request to further distance himself from that era of his life, and in exchange he lets us call him in anytime we need to clean up any of the messes that happen in our facilities.

Overall, Ick is just a pretty alright guy, he's been here for so long that he prefers to travel floors the old fashioned way, so as stated above he doesn't come on the elevator too often. If you ever see a magenta glow in the dark somewheres on your travels, theres no need to be alarmed, it's just Ick.

-- -- --

Excess Info:

D.O.B. - 08/23/1███

Height - 3'2 ft / 96.52 cm

Weight - 203lbs / 92kg

Skin - Pale green

Eye Color - Neon magenta

Distinct Traits - Large scar with sutures over his right eye around to the back of his head, Right leg is visibly crooked at certain angles and has another scar from his foot up across the knee and up to the thigh

Notable Abilities - No magic abilities, only the physical abilities typical for his species, such as incredible physical strength and the various gadgets inside his PAK

Soul - Turquoise (Empathy)

Death Count - 3,436

[pyrocatproductions]

Icon of my Sonic OC, Kalina! She is Sage's best friend! She's a pine marten with Electrokenesis. I'm quickly becoming fond of painting electricity/lightning, it's super fun! Her energy discharge color can anywhere between pink, magenta and purple. 

Posted using PostyBirb

[ben10shera2020]

ScorpAttack

Credits go @herocentral

Ladies and Gentlemen, Humans, First Ones, Magicats, Revonnahganders, Anodites, Osmosisians , Etherians and all aliens, this is the Etherian ScorpiSapien form of Ben from the planet Etheria, ScorpaAttack. Along with his Omni Kix armor and Ultimate form.

ScorpaAttack is the Infinimatrix DNA sample of an Etherian ScorpiSapien form the planet Etheria.

Powers & abilities:

Strength: Able to carry heavy objects & people quite easily, and can make a small crater on surfaces by punching it with little effort.

Durability: Shell is very durable as it can withstand small laser blasts & projectiles, impacts from weapons, and falls from great heights with no visible injury.

Pinchers: Has pinchers for hand that can crush stone and cut through a wide variety of materials.

Venomous Tail Stinger: His scorpion tail can inject a paralytic venom that can immobilize & knockout victims for a short amount of time.

Omnikix: Electro pincers and stinger, static discharge

Ultimate Form

Added Dexterity: Pinchers have become bulky 3-fingered hands that allow for more dexterous tasks, but they are still sharp and pointy.

Magic Disruption: Able to charge up a magenta static-like energy that can temporarily disrupt the stability of magic and mana-based energies. Most commonly used as punches, ground pounds, tail swipes, and a personal explosive discharge.

Weaknesses:

His lack of hands makes it hard for him to do dexterous tasks.

His large size makes it hard for him to fit into small spaces.

Venom can't affect those who are immune/resistant to toxins, and on a related note also well armored beings, robots, and inorganic lifeforms (e.g. silicon-, energy-, and mechanical lifeforms: are unaffected.

Strength limit.

His shell can only withstand so much damage before suscepting to it.

Electricity, Lava/Acid.

vulnerable head and neck. -Vulnerable to Petrosapien shards & weapons and kinetic energy attacks. -Osmosisians can drain his durability power and strength and use enough strength and force to rip off his limbs (demonstrated when Infinite Kevin tore off Scorpia’s right arm while Kevin was out of control). -strong kinetic energy physical(When Kundo punched through gut protecting Catra and Scorpia).

[naviculariis]

ㅤ⠀“Shoo, looks like de kitty cat do have claws!” Gambit snickered to himself, lips curving into a grin. “You’s jus’ as feisty as de rumors say, cher.” His gaze flickered down to study the baton she now held. Ah, was that her lil’ weapon? He held back the urge to call it a magic wand; having heard enough of the rumor mill about what she could actually do with it. He didn’t feel like becoming fried gator today. To be able to summon the fury of a storm with the flick of her wrist… What a woman. 

ㅤ⠀Slowly, and far too casually, Gambit rose from his seat behind her desk. “Aw, sug’, I was jus’ keepin’ it nice an’ warm for you!” The joking tone continued as he drawled, rounding the edge of the desk. His hip settled against the corner, his fingers slowly shuffling the deck of cards over and over. A nervous habit of his, as he split the deck and let the cards fall into place one after another. His gaze roved over the library; so many books, so many maps, so much knowledge.

He clicked his tongue. 

ㅤ⠀“Only like boardin’ de ships dat got sleepin’ guard puppies.” His words were nearly purred, tone dripping with warning as he spread his hands wide apart. The cards seemed to almost float mid air, slowly twisting, each individual card glowing magenta. He made no move to discharge the cards- nor did he make a move to lower his hands. “‘S a nice ship, real fancy like. Y’all get dis in Water Seven or somethin’?” Beating around the bush; he was trying to see just how long he could push this before he pushed past her boundary line of patience. He had time to waste.

ㅤ⠀A sigh. “Alrigh’, alrigh’, Remy’ll get to de point, mon ami.” The cards settled into his palm with a loud shuffling sound, the deck falling into one of the pockets of his duster coat. “De Thieve’s Guild would like t’ formally extend an invitation to de Cat Burglar Nami. You can stay wit’ yer lil’ band of Pirates, but a lil’ extra money on de side never hurt no one, righ’? An’ from what I hear,” a slow shake of the head as Remy begins to slowly walk, circling Nami, “you’s down on ya’ll’s luck wit’ de cash flow, no?”

She was all too excited to bring her new haul of books to the library. After she dropped those off, she had a few new pieces of clothing to try on --- including a super cute mini skirt, and she was dying to see how it looked. So caught up in the shopping she'd done, she hadn't paid attention to the atmosphere. The sounds on the ship. The atmosphere, even the scent of someone unfamiliar in her space. She expected Zoro to take care of everything, and to actually keep watch while on watch duty. Silly Nami, having expectations.

She stepped into the library, her focus on the balance of books and the few bags looped around her wrist. That is, until her gaze finally found its way to the strange man sitting at her desk. Like he owned the place. Who in the world? A soft gasp emitted, at first, her eyes darting between the stranger, and the exit. All she had to do was scream, and she was sure Zoro would be on his way. The rest of the crew was exploring the island, but Zoro would be enough.

Still, he was on the other side of the ship.

She was only slightly deterred by that spectral, pretty glow between the stranger's fingers. A devil fruit user? It wasn't enough to make her think twice before acting. She didn't know his intentions yet, but she wasn't going to wait and see if they were good ones.

The hardbacks landed on the desk with a loud thud, before she reached for the baton strapped at her thigh. Teeth grit, she wasted no time, twirling it, and sticking the end to his chest, over the barrier of her desk. Who did he think he was? Waltzing onto their ship like he belonged here? If he expected her to take a seat like an obedient little puppy, he had another thing coming.

"Alright then, Gambit," snarled the cat thief. "I'll give you about five seconds to get out of my seat, before I fry you to a crisp."

Taking a moment to breathe, to think, she realized she knew that name. It wasn't enough to make Nami pull her baton away, or to make her drop her stance, although she eyed him over the end of her staff, eyes narrowed.

His accent was unique. She wondered where he was from.

"Do you invite yourself onto pirate ships often? Not very smart, you know." From one thief to another, the act of sneaking was certainly necessary. She couldn't even count the number of ships she'd made her way onto, uninvited. Thankfully, she wasn't in that position, anymore --- it was Gambit, at the end of her clima-tact, today.

"What do you want?"

[justmaiathings]

[tomboyjessie13-artblog]

I created Medea King's Stand to go with her as promised because you can't be a Stand user without a Stand(unless you're Anubis), it's name is [Flogging Molly], named after an Irish-American Celtic Punk band under the same name.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As mentioned on Medea's profile: It originally had no name, and it was just simply referred to as "her gift" before getting pierced by DIO's Arrow, where it gained new abilities as well as it's name: "Flogging Molly".

Much like Star Platinum, Flogging Molly is a Close-Range Stand that can deliver deadly blows within 2-3 meters, the only difference being that it's weaker than Jotaro's stand. Despite this, it makes up for it's lack of strength with limb blades and poisonous properties. Flogging Molly's Stand cry is "Kiru kiru kiru kiru!...", "kiru" meaning "scar" in Japanese.

Stand: Nameless/Flogging Molly

Type: Close-Range, Range Irrelevant, Artificial Humanoid

Abilities: Toxikinesis

Although it is seen as a humanoid, it mostly resembles a female-looking doll covered in belts with robot-like limbs, it loses it's right arm after DIO chopped Medea's off during their last fight. 

Her Stand can mimic Medea's fighting style and can block attacks from other Close-Range Stands, its most notable traits however are the blades on it's limbs and the poison it discharges after getting pierced by the Arrow.

With the former, Medea can command Flogging Molly to summon it's limb blades in order to overpower and maim her enemies or defend herself. 

With the latter, Medea can also have Flogging Molly discharge a corrosive poison nicknamed: "Drunken Lullaby"(named after "Drunken Lullabies" by the same band), which could scar her enemies at best or kill them at worst, Medea can even use "Drunken Lullaby" for the purpose of dosing people's food, drinks, and/or medication. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I actually originally wanted the poison to be Magenta colored, but then I talked to my little sister about this and she suggested Lime Green instead because Magenta isn't a poisonous color, there's already too many purples, and Lime Green pops out more as well as matches the Stand's and Medea's eye color. 

She also jokingly said that Magenta would look more like sweat than poison due to the Stand's color scheme. And y'know what? She's right, it does look better with Lime Green than Magenta.

OC Stand belongs to me

[plush-rabbit]

Peaches and Cream

Warnings: Mommy Kink, Lactation Kink

Word Count: 5.1K

A/N: I,,, was not going to post this here so who knows maybe when im rested I’ll probs delete this,,, i wanted to make him cry a bit and be needier than the first one i posted

Tomura Shigaraki stands under the showerhead, warm water running down his body and making his hair stick to his skin. His body is sore, joints that ache and scream the longer that he stands with his bottom lip between his teeth, eyes closed and nostrils flaring as he tries to keep a control over his breathing. His hand pumps at his shaft, quick movements that drag as the water acts as lubricant, thin, watery strands spill from his slit and fall onto the tile where it disappears. He shudders, a shiver coursing through his body as he reaches his high, a low whimper muffled by his lips as he can feel the orgasm inch closer with every movement. He whines and bucks his hips, his grip tightening around him as he humps himself against his palm, hissing with every thrust, releasing his bottom lip to let his tongue loll out, pupils dilated as he can feel the heat course through him, burning and making him grunt your name in passionate whispers, slurring together and water slides down the bridge of his nose, dripping off the tip and onto the back of his hand and he whines, chest heaving as he moan your name, muscles clenching together and pulling taut as his right leg jerks with spasms. Thick, white discharge spills from him, spurting out as he gives himself a few more pumps, shaky and weak, watching with hazy vision as it dribbles out and splats onto the tile, mixing in with the soap suds that are fluffy white and iridescent bubbles. 

He rolls his tongue over where his teeth have indented into his skin, watching as his length bobs, jerking with every touch as he wipes himself clean. The deep red has faded into a soft pink, glistening with water and with a hesitant hand he wraps his hand over himself, whining and bucking his hips at the sensitivity. He lets out a shaky breath, toes curling as he can feel another orgasm close in on him.

A sharp knock on the door makes him hiss, wrapping his hand tighter around him. “Tomura?” You call, voice muffled by the door. “Are you okay in there, sweetheart?” His hips buck at the affectionate name. “I heard my name.”

“I need-” his voice cracks- “my towel.” He gives himself another pump, the warm water slowly turning cold and chilling down his back. “Please.”

“Of course,” you reply and he can hear your steps fade as you rummage around the room for a towel. 

He lets out a shaky breath of relief and wipes his hands away, taking a step away from the drain where the suds had pooled around and slowly disappeared. The cool water lowers his heat, makes him flaccid. The fear that he had done something makes him jittery, shaky as he turns off the water and stands in the cold for a few seconds, water dripping from the showerhead and his body in untimely rhythms that make him all too focused on one thing, missing the warning that you give and when the door opens, his name on your tongue, he yelps.

“Shit-” he shakes his head and pulls the shower curtain aside- “no, no, sorry,” he waves off your apologies and holds his hand out. “I wasn’t paying attention.” The towel is dry and fluffy, a pure white that dries his skin. He sneaks a glance at you and turns his head. “Thank you.”

You take a step closer to him and take the towel from his hands, holding it in yours as you take his face, cradling it in towel covered hands and patting him dry. You give him a soft smile as you curve your hand and dry behind his ears. 

“What made you so distracted?” You ask, wiping gently under an eye, a smile titling your lips as you see his face flush. “Lower yourself,” you mumble and he does as he’s told, letting out a breath through his nose as you dry his hair. “So?” You press further tapping him on the shoulder when you're done, moving down to his arms.

“Just,” he trails and licks at his lips, “thoughts.” He raises an arm and blinks as you take a hand and gently pat it dry, rolling the towel between each digits, bringing his hand up to your lips and pressing soft kisses against his fingertips. “You don’t have to dry me,” he mumbles, lightly tapping at the tile, water splashing softly. 

“You’re always too rough with yourself Tomura.” You drop his arm and grab at the other, the towel brushing lightly against the scarred skin, repeating the process and gently brushing your lips over the skin. “Let me take care of you, him?” Your eyes are closed, lips fluttering over his hand and he takes a deep breath, warmth pooling in his cheeks and he gives you a silent nod. “You smell so sweet,” you comment, the towel brushing over his chest, whining as you brush over his nipples. You quietly shush him, pecking above his pectorals in a calming touch, pressing the towel close to his chest, watching as his nipples bud under the soft touch. “So sensitive, too,” you croon into his neck. “Is that why you called my name?” The towel slips and you catch it around his hips, the fluffy, soft fabric tickling at the base of cock. “Did you want Mommy to take care of you?” Your breath is warm and against him, and he takes an inch of a step towards you, the towel lowering until it reaches at his thighs, softly patting at the skin. He lets out a soft whine and mumbles his words, resting his forehead against your shoulder. “I can’t hear you, baby,” you whisper, the towel around his prick, the soft cotton warming around his cock.

“Take care of me,” he mewls, bucking his hips into the towel, letting out a harsh breath as he drags himself against the towel. “Please,” he nuzzles further into you, “Mommy.”

You hum in content, running your hands down his hair, watching as the water slides down the curve of his back. “There’s my good boy,” you praise, turning your head to press a kiss against the side of his head. “Go to bed-” you pull away and grab at his hands to hold the towel in front of him- “let get something first, okay?” He nods and you watch as he wraps the towel around his waist, a small tent growing underneath. He slips out of the bathroom, a trail of water droplets marking his trail. 

He lays on the bed, head under the towel, hands shaky as they brush away the wet strand from his face, red eyes that are blown out as they stare at the ceiling, his body covered in goosebumps as he waits for your arrival. He covers his eyes with the heels of his hands, breathing heavily as his vision is taken away, toes curling as the remnants of pleasure still make his body tongle, only enhanced by your soft touch and words. His semi pulses with want, blood warming it to an uncomfortable degree, and his fingers flex, an urge to grab at himself and play with himself as he waits. His apple bobs, pink muscle slipping past his lips, heels digging into the mattress while his heart pounds away in his chest, waiting for the urge to pass, wishing that you would come here quick to take care of his itch.

“Mommy,” he whines, hands flat against him as his fingers knit into his hair. “Mommy, please,” he croaks.

“You’re so impatient, sweetheart.” Your voice fills the room and his body twitches in response. He can hear the sweet melody that is your laugh fill the room. “This is why you wait for me to help take care of you.” He sucks in a harsh breath when he feels your hand on his knee, nails poised above before spreading out, hand laying flat before twisting slightly above in a tender touch. “You always get too needy.” He hears a click and jerks. “Just cream dear,” you reply, letting your hand trail up his thigh and he lets out a raspy grasp as the tips of your finger barely graze him, a teasing touch that makes him cry and jerk a leg. “You're allowed to look, baby,” you comment, wrapping your fingers around his wrists and pulling his hands away from his eyes.

He looks up at you, your body adorned with a soft pink nightgown, dark magenta lace around the top of the cups that hold your breasts that threaten to spill over with the slightest touch, accented with dark magenta lace at the bottom of the gown that barely covers your clothed core. You crawl above him, straddling his hips, watching him through half-lidded eyes as you place lotion on your palms. He hisses when the cool cream touches his skin, your hands warm as they glide over him, and slowly the delicate aroma of peach wafts through the air, sweet and soft, mixed with jasmine and apples. The cream is light on his skin, seeping into his pores with every soft brush, and you lean back, his bare cock against the silk fabric of your gown. He sighs and lets his eyes flutter close, breathing growing more ragged as your hands curve around his body, cupping at his bare breasts and letting the pads of your fingers roll his pebbled nipples underneath.

A soft blush creeps up his chest, light pink that darkens the farther it travels upwards, resting along his cheeks in a candy shade of red. He opens his eyes, pupils dilated with a rim of red and he watches you with tears in his eyes, tentatively rolling his hips against you, pre-ejaculate leaking and staining the back of your gown with a small dark spot. He stops at the disapproving look, whimpering as an apology and mouths a plea. His tongue peeks out, licking at his lips and before it has a chance to return to the wet cavern, it’s caught between an index and thumb. He whines and opens his mouth, tilting his head backward and letting his eyes roll. 

“I told you to stop licking at your lips.” You kiss the tip of his tongue and smile when it flicks against you, the muscle straining to break free. “Keep your tongue out,” you command as you reach over, breasts softly bouncing in the process and he has no issue following the command, tongue raised as it tries to lick at the soft, teasing breasts that move in front of his face. When you catch his eye, he sees a tube of chapstick in hand- passion fruit.

Eyes watch as you roll the tube onto your lips, rolling your lips until satisfied and you cup his face, lowering yourself against him. You peck at his tongue and slowly, with yours, you pull it inside of your mouth, capturing him in a kiss where you taste sweet. His hands shake as they rise, coming to hold your waist where you give an appreciatve moan, his cock jerking at the sound.

His tongue moves against yours, the muscles swirling around each other as you push yourself closer against him, lifting your hips, the fabric tickling at his erection, staining you in a darkening pink. The ends of it a soft brush against his cock, the lace dancing above his slit that leaks. 

Your lips leave his, dancing downward, covering him with frantic kisses until you reach at his neck, tongue flat as you lick around the curve of his neck, pressing against his rapid pulse. Teeth bared in a sharp grin, canines pressed against the beat as you feel him quicken in pace, his body in short bursts of shivers, when you suckle on his neck, marking his skin in bright splotches of red. You move your head to the other side, lips brushing and pausing above his apple, feeling how it bobs underneath you, an audible gulp taken when you press your lips against it, a simpering grin on your lips as he calls your name. You mark the other side of his neck all the same, pride swelling in your chest as he’s covered in red spot, shining in spittle underneath you, red in the face and jerking his hips. 

“So cute,” you mumble, peeking his temple. “Remember the person who’s making you feel this good, eh?” You whisper against his ear, lips pulled over your teeth in a predatory grin.

He nods his head, the first syllable of your title passing through his lips until cut off by a gasp when you rub your clothed cunt against him. You push against him, with careful and precise movements, feeling the hard feel of his cock against the thin fabric of your panties, whining under you, back curving into a soft arch, teeth gritted as he tries to hold his composure, slowly loosening into a smile until he covers his face with his hands. Slick puddles out of you, movements wet and slippery as you begin to ache with a want for him. 

Underneath you, he’s hidden behind his hands, whimpering at the touch, crying when you pull his hands away, taking away the false privacy he had. He turns flustered under your smile, eyes darting away when you give him a cute smile. His length bobs, aches and strains against nothing and he wants to be buried deep inside of you, to push himself against you and fuck at Mommy’s tight hole. 

“Oh Mommy,” he gasps, hips jutting into the air. His eyes water and pinch shut, mouth opening into a soft ‘o’ as a breathy moan sings out. “Right there. Oh, it feels so good.” Your clothed cunt rubs over him, slick slipping past your entrance and slipping past your underwear and sticking to the inside of your thighs. His hands cover yours, fingers twitching above yours as you fingers pinch at his nipples. His groan is light, rippling past his lips as he throws his head back, his spine curving into a soft arch.

“Oh, Tomura,” you murmur, lips brushing against the shell of his ear, suckling on the ear lobe, “you’re so cute- Mommy’s good, little boy,” you coo, pressing hot kisses against the shell of his ear, dragging them along until the reach the corner of his lips, stopping against him for a second, and your move up, brushing your nose along his where he looks at you with a betrayed expression, eyes pinched and a soft whine on his throat. “You’re so needy today.” You glance down at his prick that blushes with a deep shade of red, glistening with arousal. “What did you do in the shower?” You peck at the scar above his eye. “Hm? Did you touch yourself?” He nods and you bite lightly at his cheek. He yelps, legs bending and he presses further against you, his cockhead threatening to peek past your underwear and enter you. “Use your words,” you sing softly, kissing where the bite has softened into a dull pain. 

“Yes,” he rasps out, “I- I touched myself.” He groans when your hand trails down and pinches at a nipple. “I- I was so needy and-” his voice cracks and slowly lowers into a whisper, breathy and high- “I didn’t want to bother you.” You roll over him, hips swirling and dragging on the underside of his cock until they reach his tip, the slick dripping onto his stock and he groans, lifting himself up, breathing ragged and deep. “Mommy,” he calls in a whiny tone, “please. I promise to be good. ‘S a mistake,” he gasps out, hands lowering to grip at the bedsheets. He lets out a moan when you raise yourself above him, his tongue lolling out and eyes wide.

“Tomura,” you lightly reprimand, pinching at his nipple until it blooms into a bright red, rubbing your thumb over when he lets out a keen whine. “You know you aren’t allowed to touch yourself-” you roll back to sit on his thighs, gown flowing against you, too short to fully cover your thighs- “you get too needy, baby.” Your hand leaves his chest, grazing down his stomach that contracts under your touch, the muscles tight as you travel past his belly, and reach the base of his cock, the tip of your fingers running above him, slowly encasing the tip of his cock into your palm. “You can never just stop at one.”

“I won’t do it again,” he says, eyes glazed over as your thumb runs over his slit. “Promise. Just- touch me, please,” he begs, breaths stuttering as you slowly begin to pump him.

“We both know that’s a lie,” you mumble, tugging on his cock, watching with interest as it leaks. “You know you need a punishment.”

“No, no,” he repeats, a frown on his lips, tears already sprung onto his eyes and catching on his eyelashes. “I’m a good boy,” he whines. “I promise! Please Mommy- I’ll come to you next time- Mommy,” he gasps, hands coming up to cup at his chest. “I’ll be good. I’m a good boy,” he snivels, mouth stretching into a frown as he whines underneath you. 

“Baby,” you sigh, a hand coming up to comb at his damp hair, “don’t cry.” You peek at his cheek and a tear meets your lips in a salty kiss. “I know you’re a good boy,” you comfort, brushing your nose against his cheek. “Such a good boy.” You pull away and he watches you with wide eyes. “But-” his eyes knit and he shakes his head, mumbling “no’s” under his breath and you groan, dipping your head. “You’re a good boy, right?” He nods his head. “You’re Mommy’s perfect, baby boy.” He nods again, a shudder of a breath escaping his lips. “How about we play a game?” He opens his eyes, confusion written over his face. “I suck on your pretty, pink dick-” he gulps and you hold a coy grin on your face- “and if you can hold on, until I’m satisfied, then you don’t get a punishment.” 

His eyes dart and dip into your chest. “Wha- What’s the prize?” He stutters, eyes focused on how your chest rises and dips with every breath. 

You raise a brow. “The lack of punishment should be incentive enough but I’ll let you have something else.” You tilt your head and grab at his hand, holding it close to your chest, smiling when his hand curves around the breast, your hardened nipples poking between the thin fabric and into his palm. “What do you have in mind?”

He squeezes your breast, thin, calloused fingers welcoming the soft fabric of your gown, fingers pressing into the supple fat of your chest. “Can I have milk?” He asks, eyes already half-lidded, tongue licking at his lips, fingers pulling down to roll the bud over, watching it darken the fabric and moisten his fingertips. 

Your grin widens and you pull away, his hand in a soft curve around the ghost of your breast. “The prince is hungry, huh?” You tease, chuckling when he nods, meeting your eyes for a brief second, a heavy blush in his face, dark around his cheeks and spreading into a soft pink against the tip of his nose. “If you can last until I pull away, then you’re free to suck on Mommy's titties.” His breath is shaky, hot as it leaves his lips and he gives you a nod, agreeing to the game.

Your hands leave phantom traces against his naked skin as they trail down, your head dipping down, lips that ghost past his collarbone, your pink muscle licking at an old scar that pales against his skin. You leave kisses against the top of his breast and trail it between his valley, nose brushing lightly above his abdomen, smiling against his tummy, giving him feverish kisses along his soft trail, dark in color that fades into a silvery white. Hands that rail down hisbside, leaving his tensing his muscle under the feathery touchy, fingers that soften as they grab at his hips. You blow cool air against his base, tongue peeking past between your lips, to give him a soft kitten-like lick.

He murmurs your name, soft between his lips and jerks his leg to get your attention. You hum in response, your tongue flat against his base, nose against the underside of his thickness. "Am I allowed to touch you?"

You smile and pull away from him, hands sliding to grab at his base, slipping and turning to pump him steadily, passing the foreplay, and gripping onto his shaft, his pre-ejaculate acting as lube as it slicks up and down, your palm dragging for a few pumps until it smooths over and glides across his skin, soft clicks with long pauses in between.

“No baby,” you murmur, “not right now.” he groans at the answer and his hands twist into the bedsheets. “You win the game, you can touch me all you like, sweetheart.” You lean over, pressing your lips against him, slow and feather light, a ghost of your touch on him, where he whines, arching his back into your chest, the whines growing louder as his bare chest rubs against the lace. “So pretty,” you whisper against his lips. “Such cute, little noises leaving your lips.” You pull away and your hand stops, thumb sliding over his slit, his arousal sticking and stretching onto your skin. “Remember to hold it until I say so,” you remind him, tone sweet and you inch backwards and dip your head. 

He twitches as your breath hits him, soft and warm, and he has a second of stillness where he waits for you to envelop him, waits patiently, leaking as he closes his eyes. It’s a shaky intake of air where he chokes on his spit as you swirl your tongue over his head, lips covering teeth as you lower, the gummy part of your cheeks soft around him as you lower yourself further, cheeks hollowing to wrap tight around him. He twitches in your mouth, jerking and pressing himself against the roof of your mouth, the sudden motion causing your lips to slip, teeth grazing on the underside of his cock, trailing at a vein. A croak leaves past his lips, soft and broken, with hands that twitch the fabric, nails pressing deep into the sheets, a faint scratching sound is lost to his moans as you push yourself further down him, your own moan vibrating against him. He cries your name, hips lightly pushing upwards, his cockhead hitting at the curve of your throat, his discharge bittersweet as it oozes down your throat in thin strands. 

“Mommy,” he calls out to you, his member pulsing in your mouth. “Mommy, please,” he whispers in a hoarse voice.”

You pull your mouth close to him and slide away, lips pressed against his opening. “Hasn’t even been that long-” you kiss at his tip- “don’t tell me you’re already close.” Your eyes glance towards him, his face flushed and you trail down his neck, following his shoulders, to his elbows, to his hand that strain, veins bold against his skin, cartilage sticking out against his skin, hands poised and dug deep into the thin fabric. You sigh softly at his hands, tilting your head with a loving smile on your lips. “You’re so cute,” you compliment. “An absolute delight to be around with,” you sigh, eyes meeting his for a second before you dip your head back onto his cock.

He’s thick. All the space in your mouth is erased by him, consuming and pulsing inside of you, pulsing with heat as you lower your head, nose against the base. He whines as you do so, panting as you choke around him, thick dribbles of spit that slide past the corner of your lips and curve around your shin, dripping onto him and latching onto his thighs. You struggle to breath, tears coming to your eyes as you take him whole, fisting your hand in order to distract you, whinging and feeling slick pool out as you keep yourself for one, two and on the third, you slide off of him, honey-thick strands connecting you to his cock, your lips swollen and tongue rolled out past your lips, as you look up at him with glossy eyes. His cock spurts, thick, white discharge pooling out past his lips and he calls your name in a pitiful moan, thrusting his hip against the air, hands that reach out to grab at you and with a roll of your eyes, a lazy smile on your face, you slide your underwear past your ankles and situate yourself on him, letting out a breathy groan as your walls accustom to his girth. 

All it takes is a simple swivel of your hips for him to spill his seed inside of you. Thick and filling as it paints you white and slips past him, squelching as you lean forward, hands on either side of his head and he’s quick to accept his gift. His hands reach squeeze at your breasts, pawing off the silk, a right hand pinching around the bud, watching as sweet milk spills past and he latches on, cheeks holling, tongue flicking the bud, rolling it with the tip of his tongue, urging the sweet milk to spill, moaning as it watches on his tongue and spills down his throat, filling his belly with warmth, cock twitching with joy inside fo you.

Your hand goes to play with his hair, parting the strands, sighing above him in breathy pants as his hand comes to rub at the neglected breast, palming the nipple under, and pulling away with a scooped hand when it catches your essence, brining it to his mouth, the leaking bud dripping onto his lips and side of his palm as he drinks from his hand, returning to your bud.

“Tomura,” you croon, moving your hips in a soft swirl, “that- oh, you’re so good. So pretty and good,” you slur together, tightening around him, walls flexin and urging him to spill again inside of you. “What a good boy.” You moan against him, his cockhead hitting at a songy part, rubbing alongside of it, bare and hard, your tongue lolling out, the hand on his hair in a tight grip as you ride him. “What a good boy. So sweet for letting Mommy ride his prick,” you pant. Your hand loosens and slides down the ruffled hair. “Do you like your prize?” He moans against you, nodding, eyes half-lidded and glazed over, focused on the breast brimming with milk as he palms the other, thin, white strands, spilling past and splashing onto his skin, burning as it trails down, his other hands coming to press down your back, inching you closer to him. “Drink baby,” you encourage, smiling down at him. He looks up at you with doe eyes, blinking innocently as he bats his eyelashes, tears shining in the corner of his eyes. “Just let Mommy ride your cock, hm?” You flash him a sweet smile and he mumbles around your nipple, kissing at it and pulling away, tongue out as it leaves a trail on your chest, until he reaches your other breast. 

Your walls are soft against him, pulsing around his own throbbing member and your hand finds its way to your clit, moving between the two bodies that stick with a thin layer of sweat, fingers pointed and softly circling over the twitching, sensitive bud. You sigh and let your eyes close, lips pouted as you press your chest against Tomura’s needy mouth, cooing and slurring words of praise together until they’re lost in soft murmurs, your hips lightly patting against him as you swirl above him in soft circles, close to reaching your high as your stomach pulls taut against, heat wet with slick as you call his name.

“”M a good boy,” he mutters against your chest, a drying trail of white on the corner of his lips, suckling on your ample breast, drinking at the honey-sweet milk. “Good boy for Mommy,” he mutters, pushing your breasts together watching as they leak, his tongue serpentining over your leaking nipples. 

“Such a good boy,” you reiterate, licking your lips. “Letting Mommy milk your cock while you milk Mommy? Fuck baby,” you moan, closing your eyes in a tight pinch, “good boy. So sweet and pretty. My pretty boy,” you whimper, scratching softly at his scalp. 

“Close,” he mewls, slapping his hips against yours, “‘M close,” he says, nuzzling his face further against you, mouth opening to catch at the soft bud in his mouth. “I love you,” he says, repeating it in a softer tone, your name muttered under his breath, stilling his hips as you pap against him, breathing harshly, cheeks hollow as he sucks your milk-filled breast in his mouth. 

It’s his declaration that makes your walls pulse and tighten, spongy walls that twitch and spasm around his cock, sweet, honey-like strands of arousal that seep and mix with his thick, white arousal, clicking in the room as you come to rest on him. His name sweet on your tongue as your fingers still circle over your pearl, whining and pulling on him tight, his moans vibrating against your chest, eyes closed as his mouth stops the harsh treatment, tongue poking at the pert bud, light strands of milk slipping past his tongue and down his throat. 

He pulls his mouth away, kissing at the swollen bud, watching as milk leaks and catches on his lips, his hips experimentally moving only to stop with a hiss at the sensitivity, heavy cream, slipping down and coating him in warmth and stickiness. 

“How do you feel?” You ask, raising yourself off of him and laying on your back next to him with a light groan. “Personally, i’m tired-” your hands cupping at your sore chest, wincing at the feeling- “and sore.”

“Good,” he nods, replacing your hand with his, pinching at a still sore bud, licking his lips when a pearl of white beads out. “Can I?” He gestures to your breasts, already rising above, fingers poised at your entrance, slipping inside the gooey entrance, digit massaging your inner walls. “I’ll make you feel good,” he promises, wrapping his mouth on your breast, wide and holling his cheeks as he lazily pumps his fingers.

[natasha-in-space]

Faye I want you to know that I've been VIBRATING with happiness ever since I read your wonderful feedback!! Grinning like a fool, and not ashamed to admit it <33 You really made my day with this one, hehe

I'm so glad you enjoyed chapter 2 of From the Ashes into the Light. V's after ending is one of those 'not so perfect' endings that are a ton of fun to explore and imagine what could have happened in an alternate version of events. I'm so giddy my portrayal of Saeyoung's anger and pain did him justice! It definitely means a lot from you, and I plan to explore it further in the future chapters. This situation is definitely better than the one we have in the canon after ending, but only because Ray is alive, and Saeyoung knows it. Other than that? It's the same confusing and painful mess.

And, yes, I came to the conclusion that Jumin would forbid Saeyoung from seeing Jihyun - at least not until he gets discharged from the hospital. This will get brought up in the future for sure. I could easily see Saeyoung doing something very irresponsible and reckless, sadly... And, in this timeline, Jumin's trust in his best friend is still strong, even if he understands Saeyoung's anger. He just wants to prevent anyone else from getting needlessly hurt. Much like he does in the game, he's taking on the role of the rock that stands strong in the middle of a crisis: someone has to take this burden, or else everything will fall apart. But, again, much like in the game, by doing so, he's not addressing his own frustrations and emotional pain over this situation.

While Jumin's trust in Jihyun remains, it would be a lie to say that it is not wavering. He just wants to hear Jihyun's side of events before deciding anything for himself.

As for Ray and Natasha... boy, is it a mess. Natasha does tend to slip into the role of a 'caretaker' in stressful situations, much like Jumin tries to be the voice of reason. It's her coping mechanism. She's someone who's, in essence, is scared of losing control, so, if she can make sure she keeps everyone as stable as she can, she can retain this feeling of control, even if it's merely an illusion. It stems from her childhood, where she was left to fend for herself from the young age, and her mother's tireless efforts to keep a roof over their heads made her feel guilty for not being able to do anything to help. She didn't feel like she had any control, and she felt like a burden. So, she learned how to be independent and how to take care of others. She didn't feel so useless when she knew she cheered someone up or helped them with their chores. This persists into her time at Mint Eye, where, once again, she didn't have any control over her situation. But, when she could help out Ray, it gave her the illusion of control that made it easier to not lose her marbles.

While helping others is a noble thing to do, it becomes a problem once it's not so much about helping for the sake of helping, but attempts at keeping yourself together. I should note that none of this is something she's aware of, though. Her intentions are genuine. That's why she breaks down the way she does. She has been unknowingly stuffing away her own trauma, trying to distract herself by helping others through theirs. But, all this stress just can't stay bottled up forever. Just like Saeyoung will inevitably reach his boiling point, so does she.

And Ray... God, there's a lot. His circumstances with Natasha will get explored in the next chapter specifically, but he has every reason to think that Natasha didn't want him to be there. They have a close bond - surviving in a hostile environment by each other's side will ensure that - but, Ray is definitely not an innocent party in all of this. Let's just say, there's a reason why Natasha chose to escape with Saeyoung when he sneaked into the Magenta's basement.

That's not to say that Natasha is completely perfect either. She made her own mistakes in this time as well. Some of them are not something she's proud of. This will be the focus of their conversation, as they really do need to finally resolve these things with one another. They both made some mistakes, and they need to address it. So, I won't spoil much.

Boy, that's a whole lot of rambling, isn't it :D

Left To Wonder

VAE!Ray/cmc Natasha Stakh;

A glimpse into the aftermath of Ray's first unfortunate awakening, where Natasha and Seven are left to pick up the pieces. A bitter truth about his relationship with his twin is a burden too heavy to carry, and the redheaded hacker is left torn and angry by the end of it. At the same time, Natasha is battling her own demons, finding herself overwhelmed by all the implications of their situation, once her friend wakes up again.

Ch.1, Ch. 2 (you are here!)

-A day earlier.-

As Natasha sat in the hospital lobby, thousands of thoughts racing through her mind, she couldn't help but let out the heaviest sigh she possibly could.

15 minutes. She was absent from Ray's side only for 15 minutes. 15 measly minutes, and it was during those specific 15 minutes of her being away, did he decide to wake up for the first time. Well, it's not like he decided that himself, but... It was still frustrating. She huffed, rubbing at her eyes in an irritated manner.

Annoyance pierced her mind like small needles digging into her skin. She sat faithfully next to him, talked to him and held his hand all this time, but when it came to the most important moment of all, she was not there when he needed her most. What was the point of that round-the-clock watch of hers, then? Now, all these grueling days of continuous sitting at his bedside seemed utterly meaningless to her. Honestly, it was pretty stupid of her to feel this annoyed at something so insignificant, but... Perhaps, she was just tired. Which wouldn't be a surprising explanation at all. She was exhausted.

Natasha groaned into her hands. Ray's reaction was her fault. She should have told Seven about all the nuances... She swore to herself, that she would be there for Ray when he woke up for the first time, since she didn’t want him to feel alone again, but...

In the end, he had to be injected with a sedative, forcefully plunging him into the peaceful world of unconsciousness for his own good. She heard about all the fuss only when she witnessed an entire team of doctors and nurses already rushing into his ward, with Seven being pushed out the door. She exhaled, rolling her head back onto the back of the chair, staring at the painfully bright lights of the hospital.

...God, she couldn't imagine how scared he was. How terrified and alone he felt. In the end, all her efforts to be with him were completely futile. Hell, she even spent her nights in his room, how is any of this fair!?

She observed Seven, who appeared to be praying, holding a silver cross in his hands. Her jaw clenched.

If God existed, he had a cruel sense of humor.

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭ ࣭𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂

Seven eventually let go of the cross, now left staring absent-mindedly at the floor. This is not what... he expected. No, not at all. He slumped in his chair, clasping his head in his hands, inadvertently parodying the same pose Natasha was in moments earlier. Something he seemed to do often these days. Or, maybe they were both just very stressed. Probably the latter. The more he thought about what just happened, the more his heart sank, a sickening sense of dread enveloping his insides.

He had a bad feeling about this.

"I don't get it. He was so scared of... me? What was that all about? I mean... Yes, of course he would be scared but- Why was he looking at me with like... that?"

Remembering Saeran's terrified look... As if he was being threatened by some horrifying creature, a look he knew so well and vowed to rid him of. But... He didn't even do anything! All he did was sit next to him and call him by his name. Then, why was he so afraid of him...?

He looked at Natasha, as if she was the one who was supposed to know everything there was to know about his brother. And he... He kind of hated it. He had absolutely no other information. From anyone. Even from those who should have been responsible for him... He just... Didn't know who else to turn to at this point. Feeling so helpless was one of the things he hated most of all.

But, for now, he had no other hope except for her.

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭ ࣭𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂

Natasha gulped, dropping her gaze to the floor with guilt, unable to bear the disheartened expression on Seven's face. She should have told him everything from the very beginning, instead of delaying it, waiting for some miracle, or until somebody else would do it for her. Although, then again, it's not like she knew that much. No, she knew practically nothing.

She hummed quietly, kicking off her shoes from her feet, pulling her knees up to her chest, and wrapping her arms around them. Her head turned towards the bustling hallway of the hospital, her mind focusing on the med personnel in white coats going in and out of the wards, paying no mind to their hushed dialogue. Her heart sank as she watched them, today's unfortunate events replaying in her head for the countless time. She wanted to be there when Ray woke up... Sure, her presence hardly would have magically removed all his fear and stress upon his first awakening, but-

Ugh...

The strangest thing is, some tiniest part of her felt... somewhat jealous that Seven was the one who saw him awake first. It seemed so stupid and absurd to her, however, she couldn't do anything about these unwanted feelings of hers. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't pictured their 'reunion' in her own head many times. Maybe, as a small source of comfort in this stressful time. But, then again, these daydreams of hers were hardly believable, and she knew that. Even if Ray had some... 'feelings' for her, her being next to him wouldn't make his awakening that joyful or happy. But, she just wanted... to lighten his burden, at least a little. Let him know that he was not alone, and that someone was nearby. That... she would protect him.

She got distracted.

Natasha turned away from the ward doors and gazed at the redhaired hacker sitting next to her. She had to take a breath before beginning her explanation. This wasn't going to be pleasant. "Seven... I may not know much, but... He spent almost his entire life there, as far as I understand. I was his assistant for about a year, and... the 'outside world' in their ideology is a terrible, cruel place where everyone wants to destroy you."

She shivered, turning her eyes back to the floor, sorting through so many unpleasant memories of her time in that cursed place that disguised itself as a castle of hopes and dreams. In hindsight, she should have known that any castle, however bright and welcoming, had a dungeon hidden beneath its grand beauty.

"I... tried to ask him to come with me once we escaped... maybe even ask the RFA for help, since I realized that none of you were bad people... and he almost listened to me, but... the Savi- I mean, Rika intervened and reminded him that, if he ever left, he would get locked up somewhere like an animal, never to see the sky or flowers, or... something like that." Natasha swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing. "He's... afraid of this world. And-"

"What are you..." Seven's voice was quiet, but that didn't deter her from catching onto every tremble in his tone as he stared at her in a mix of disbelief and horror.

A small noise of discomfort, similar to a whine, slipped from her lips as she then hid her head in her knees, speaking the rest of her words in a muffled voice. Maybe, she didn't want to know his reaction to what she was about to say. Because she knew this would hurt him, greatly, and she did not want to be a witness to that. Not again. 

"...He sees you as an enemy. He hates you and V in particular, and I'm not sure why. He-" Natasha shuddered, remembering the terrible sight of what Ray has done to Jihyun in the basement. She saw him be threatening, or even scary before, but... not like this. Not outright malicious and violent. In that cell, she saw a side of him she didn’t want to accept. And it was that exact event that pushed her to help Jihyun escape, leaving behind her former boss in the process. "...I said he was a good man, and i didn't lie about that, but- He... He tortured Jihyun, right in front of my eyes... I know it was an order from Rika, but he- he was so... ruthless with him. And I think... he would have done the same to you, if you were in Jihyun's place. I don't know why, I know almost nothing about his past, except that it was terrible, and... I can’t explain anything else to you, I’m sorry.”

She raised her head, biting on her lower lip.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is... Maybe- Next time he wakes up... you should leave the room. He... knows me, and we were close, so... maybe, that will make him a little more comfortable." Natasha fidgeted, knowing full well how that probably sounded to him. "...And if he's relatively calm, I'll call you in."

This would result in a bad outcome. She already knew that. The way Ray talked about Seven... If they would ever get along well with each other, then... She could only imagine it after a long period of time. But, maybe, if he saw how Seven was truly worried about him... And how painful it was for Seven to see him in pain... Maybe? Ray was a kind soul at heart, no matter how absurd this may sound after all the horrible events of these past few months of her stay in Magenta. She believed... Or, she wanted to believe that he was capable of forgiving Seven, no matter what could have happened between them.

...Jihyun knew. Natasha was certain of it. But he was still in intensive care, and Jumin strictly forbade Seven to approach his best friend after he saw his... 'unstable' state of mind, once the truth of who was Ray came out. And that was probably for the best. Rika probably knew, too... She was the one that 'saved' Ray, after all. But Rika is far from a reliable source of information. Especially now. Either way... She won't talk to anyone until Ray wakes up again, and this time she will be there.

And if she had to avoid leaving even to use the restroom to achieve this, so be it. It sounded absurd. She almost smiled at herself. At how irrational that sounded.

Almost.

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭ ࣭𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂

"As an... enemy?" Seven narrowed his eyes at Natasha with a look of hurt crossing over his features. "What kind of nonsense did she even say to him?!"

He clenched his hands in fists. "Why did she do this to him? Did she lie to me that she loved him!? How long? Was it from the beginning? Did V knew? Is that why he wouldn't let me catch the hacker? I-"

"I don't know, Seven. It's true that I worked with him, but I... there's... a very limiting amount of information I could have access to." The young woman murmured, her lips pursed into a thin line. It was obvious that she had a hard time speaking about this. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier, I just- I don't know... I guess I thought everything would work out on its own somehow."

He couldn't believe what was happening even after a few days have passed. He was so angry, and confused, and scared, and every day his hatred for everyone responsible became stronger. His own hatred would have frightened him, if he wouldn't get more and more sickening information of how his brother was mistreated every single day. He hated Rika, he hated V, and he wanted revenge for what happened to Saeran, and he did not hide it from anyone. The crushing sense of utter betrayal was almost too much to bear. Those two hurt his family enough to deserve punishment. No, not even punishment... He truly despised them with all his guts for what they did. Or, in V's case, for what he didn't do. Justice was nothing but a meaningless word to him now; it was simply about his own desires, his raging emotions, which he no longer controlled at all. He didn't care about justice. He just wanted to make them pay.

And yet... he hated himself most of all.

So... Saeran hated him, is that right? It felt like physical pain inside his soul. Debilitating and exhausting. Like a knife twisting itself slowly and mercilessly into his heart, draining the life out of him. Every new day that he learned more and more, it would only become an ever greater burden to bear, weighting on him heavier than anything he had to stomach in his miserable life so far. And God, did he have to stomach a lot. It pained him to imagine the absolute hell his brother went through, and he was unlikely to come to terms with it so soon, if ever. Saeran hated him... He was afraid of him... What did that insane woman even tell him? He doesn't know anything. And that frustrated to no end. Some part of him wanted to scream, to blow up at Natasha, to grab her by the shoulders, shake her and demand answers, but... He knew she wasn't to blame for any of this. She was a victim who just happened to get caught up in this mess. 

And, despite having every right to get angry and leave them all behind, she stayed in this hospital: refusing to leave Saeran's side, visiting Jihyun on the daily, even bringing him food, ignoring his insistent refusals to eat. Most importantly of all, if it wasn't for her... God, he didn't even want to imagine what would have happened to Saeran if she didn't decide to go against him and leave back then. He shouldn't be angry with her.

So, he decided to leave before doing or saying something he would regret.

"...Yeah, you're probably right."

His own voice sounded a lot less emotional than he actually was on the inside... His chest hurt. The pain was getting stronger by the minute. It was unbearably painful to realize that he could evoke such negative emotions in Saeran just by his presence alone. He huffed. Perhaps this was too much for him again. Part of him still believed that Saeran or... Ray? That he would be able to recognize him and forgive him, by some stupid miracle. He understood that he still saw him as that quiet, kind, but frightened child he knew him as before, and that Saeran had already matured. Raised by Rika's lies and even more pain. Although now, taking everything into account, he began to feel more and more empty and hopeless about the whole situation. Why try to find out anything when he would receive test results after test results with a huge list of drugs in Saeran's system, when he would get told about how badly his brother's health has been neglected for years on end, and when his own family would look up at him with such a terrified expression.

With a colder look to his eyes, he stood up and headed out, still hanging his head low. After all these days, this was the first time he went out without there being an urgent need for it, even if it was only for a short time. Leaving Saeran now... He couldn't. He didn’t know what to do now and how to live on at all. What was the point of him continuing his work for the agency. But he had to finish it if he didn't want to put others in danger. He should never have forgotten this. That's not to mention the danger of Saeran being him, having his blood examined. What other choice did he have, though? It's not like he could take him out of the hospital when he was in such a critical condition. Damn it, his head was boiling again, no matter how hard he would try to concentrate and distract himself-

He felt the urge to break something.

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭ ࣭𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂

Natasha sighed, watching Seven leave with a gloomy expression on her face. Ugh... What happened between these two? She had the idea of ​​going over to have a proper talk with Jihyun once he recovers enough for such a heavy conversation, but... Something told her that this would be a very long talk, for which she did not have the strength right now. Moreover, she felt guilty about hiding the truth from Seven. He looked very distressed... Even with her not knowing absolutely anything about the situation, she could understand that Ray was someone very important to him. Family is complicated, but... it shouldn't be this complicated, right?

However, at this moment, she should use what she has at her disposal. So, after a few more moments, she got up from her seat and wandered aimlessly towards the local cafeteria, typing out a short message to the redhaired hacker along the way that read: 'I'll bring you something to eat. I hope you feel better... If it means anything, I'm ready to listen.'

She had the impression that, if she didn't bring him any food, he would refuse to eat at all. Or, rather, just forget about it.

This situation was filled with nothing but sadness and secrets.

-Present time.-

Natasha was prepared for the next time Ray woke up. She put down her book, which she had been reading for the last hour or so, smiling a little towards the young man on the hospital bed. "Good morning!"

She tried her best to carry a positive and bright attitude with her, since Ray was so gloomy and unhappy... almost always, in fact. A sheepish laugh filled the room as she rubbed the back of her neck in an embarrassed manner.

"Yesterday you looked so upset and nervous, so I decided to give you a small gift to cheer you up a little." She pointed to a small vase placed onto his bedside table, a bouquet of various flowers placed in it in a somewhat clumsy manner. "Apparently, the clinic has a small botanical garden for patients to visit, and the personnel allowed me to bring you some flowers from it if I helped them out a little. I tried to choose the brightest ones with good meanings, so that they would brighten up your day a little."

The moment Ray woke up again, he rushed to find her with his blurry gaze. Although, before he could get all emotional over her apparently not disappearing or leaving like he expected her to, she successfully managed to distract his attention. That's good.

"For me...?"

A more genuine laugh slipped from her lips. "Well... Except for forget-me-nots. I just love forget-me-nots, and I haven't looked up their meaning. So, uh, don't pay any mind if they actually mean something bad. Other than that, I brought you some daisies, pink carnations, and white camellias! I can hand them over to you, if you want."

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭ ࣭𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂

He already could barely hold back his tears, realizing just how kind Natasha was being to him... Again and again... His heart began to flutter in a painfully familiar way, both scaring and overjoying him. He gave her flowers countless of times, but never got the chance to receive any himself. Not like he ever thought he would. Now he simply didn't know how to react to such a heartfelt gesture. This was just too much... Way more than he deserved, especially from her.

"You even chose the meanings... For me... I- Thank you... They are so beautiful."

God, they were great. They went together so gracefully and their meanings... Oh, even her smile was so... sweet and lovely to look at. Like a mirage that would fade from his line of vision with a single blink. Ray never deserved to even stand next to her, much less receive something so meaningful from her! The former hacker started fidgeting with the sheets nervously, but he still hoped that his words would reflect the gratitude he felt.

"Thank you very much. They are truly wonderful. I... I don't know what to say, I'm sorry. It's so much... for me..." He lowered his head, feeling guilty for reacting this way to her gesture. He couldn't even thank her properly... Not like his body could move in a way he wanted it to, anyways.

"Hey, no need to apologize. I wanted to do this." Natasha smiled, making his heart squeeze in his chest.

As usual, he was useless.

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭ ࣭𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂

The former assistant sat down on a chair near his bed and smiled. "Besides, it's the least I can do, don't worry. I don't expect anything in return. I'm sure it's not very nice to be locked up in a room like this all the time. Even I don't like visiting doctors, let alone staying in a hospital, I can't imagine how this feels like for you. How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"

With a hint of worry in her eyes, she tilted her head to the side and assessed his condition. She had little experience with visiting hospitals... But even if she did have the universal experience of getting stuck in the hospital due to a broken leg or a stupid injury, it still hardly would have prepared her for something like this.

She never thought she would see Ray like this, that she would see any person she knew like this. But, in the end... Jihyun is still recovering from his surgery and, thankfully, seemed to be recovering well, and Ray... It hurt to even look at Ray.

She understood that she should rejoice in the simple fact of him even being alive and not suffering anything worse than this, but... Even the doctors could not say anything for sure yet, since they were never able to examine him after he woke up. She had no idea how to bring this entire topic up to him. Like a dozen of other topics, each more unpleasant than the last. So much had happened in such a short period of time that even she felt overwhelmed, and she had no idea what it was like to be in his shoes. This is only his third awakening so far, and if the first one turned out to be a disaster, then in the second one, he hardly had enough strength for a normal conversation, and she didn’t have time to tell him... anything, really.

How was she supposed to bring up such heavy topics when it's clearly not the time for it? He almost died! How can she explain what happened to Mint Eye? What his new reality entailed for him? About everything that awaited him in the hospital? About his injuries? About Rika? About everything that happened between her and Jihyun during this time? And... about Seven...? It's simply... too much! She didn't want to talk about any of this! It's... just not fair, not fair at all. But, then again, none of this was fair from the very beginning. Everything always happened too fast, too cruelly and too unfairly, and Natasha couldn't do anything about it. Only adjust to it.

The majority of his body was covered by bandages and compressions, with some areas being more dense than others. She did not know the details of his burns and injuries... But even a fool would see that everything was quite serious. The dressings on his head, covering one half of his face, involuntarily would bring to mind the worst of thoughts, but... it seemed like, by some miracle, he did not lose his eye. Ugh, she really should find out more about his condition.

She sighed, biting her lip and squeezing her hands in her lap, as if she wanted to say something. She had no idea what words were stuck on the tip of her tongue. There was simply too much she wanted to say and not enough time to say it all.

"Ray I-"

She stopped mid-sentence. Her gaze became fixed on the modest bouquet she had brought him, and then on his left hand, where the white bandages that were now painfully familiar covered his skin. Suddenly, she found a huge lump forming in the middle of her throat, restricting her ability to breathe. Everything seemed to fall back onto her shoulders again in a second.

"Natasha...?" Ray's voice sounded muffled through the rising white noise filling her senses.

The horrifying news of what Rika had done to Jihyun, the general panic that set in right after, the alarming messages she got from Ray, the disgusting twisting in her stomach as she raced along the rough mountain roads, praying to all the Gods there were for her not crash the car on the way. The deafening roar of the explosion and the cursed stench of smoke, which now always would make her hands tremble whenever she smelled something burning. The way this very same acrid smoke penetrated her lungs, burned her nose and throat, as it seemed to her that she would simply suffocate and die right then and there, unable to save or help anyone. The sight of Ray, bloodied, burned, and barely breathing in her lap - something that now remained forever ingrained into her memory, haunting her nightmares ever since. Nightmares where he... where everything ends very differently and way more tragically. The way his blood was all over her clothes and her hands as she desperately tried to keep the pressure on one of his worst wounds on their way to the hospital.

And how... how that long wait felt. Not knowing what answer awaited her. Not knowing anything.

This time, Natasha couldn't put on a strong facade like she did for him last time. It was not possible for her to smile and calm him.

Instead, large, ugly tears rolled down her cheeks without any signs of stopping, and, with one hoarse pitiful sob, Natasha bent over in her chair, lowering her head in front of him and letting the salty drops fall onto the white sheets, leaving behind tiny spots of gray.

"I'm really- Really sorry."

Her voice sounded quiet and weak. Vulnerable. She understood that her stupid tears would not solve anything, that she needed to be his pillar of support right now, that she needed to explain to him as much as possible and help with all his burdens, but... She just... couldn't. She was weak. She was not at all as strong as Jihyun, Jumin and the rest of RFA saw her as.

She took a shuddering, shaky breath, one that burned her lungs in a painfully similar way they burned on that cursed day. She was like a little child trying to hold back her tears, but only failing in the process. Incoherent words rolled out of her mouth like a waterfall.

"I never- I didn't think- Ray..." It seems that only now had she fully realized what could have happened, and what it truly meant for her to be able to call him by his name like that. Ugh... She was a complete disaster. She clung to his name, refusing to let go, like it was a mantra.

Ray seemed to open his mouth to try and say something, but nothing came out. Or, maybe she simply didn't hear it. Neither option would surprise her.

"Ray, Ray, Ray..."

He was still alive. He was here. He was okay. It was just a name. And yet, it felt like something much bigger now. Proof that he was real, and not just a dream or a hallucination.

Another trembling sob wrecked her body, and Natasha clutched a small piece of the blanket in her hands, as if trying to ground herself with it. "I'm just- I-I'm so glad you're alive. I'm so glad I get to see you again."

In a state of emotional turmoil, harsh words almost came out.

What motivated you to do such a thing? What were you thinking?

Fortunately, she had enough self-control to resist those impulsive thoughts. Instead, she sniffled, continuing to let fresh tears fall from her eyes.

Ah... This was the first time she cried since the whole thing happened. She just realized it now. Maybe that's why she was feeling so overwhelmed?

"I... I... I missed you too, you know."

You're so stupid.

"Don't go anywhere. Not... not like that, do you hear me? Stay. Stay with me and don't do anything- to yourself. Please..."

The last words she spoke caused scary images to appear before her eyes, which is why she immediately closed them, not wanting to see any of them. Not wanting to even think about them. What did he think about back then, in the last seconds before the bomb went off...? Was he scared? Or had he already become so resigned to this outcome that he was waiting for it? She didn't want to know.

As she thought about it, a lump of bile rose violently in her throat.

Why did everything... have to end up like this...?

𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂 ˚ ☆ ꙳ * ࣭ ࣭𓈒 ﹒ ☆ 𓂂

Ray's expression slowly shifted from concern to something akin to panic as he saw tears appear in her eyes. He never saw her cry before... Not in front of him. It made his whole body grow cold with dread. He didn't understand what happened. What did he do to cause such a reaction in her? Usually he tried not to move a single muscle to avoid the pain, but, now, he automatically put his hand on the top of her head. The pain from this movement did return, but in a dulled out form, as he was focusing on something else right now. And yet her last words gave him a hint, making him feel sick to his stomach from the memory. He didn't expect... that someone would care about him like that. But, now he noticed how pale her face was, her eyes, which had completely lost their former dazzling shine of emerald green he loved so much, her usually neatly brushed out hair now tied in a messy bun that did not look comfortable at all. All this was the result of stress, shock and many hours spent here, next to him. It's... his fault. Her pain was his fault.

“What happened, Natasha? Don’t... Don’t cry, I beg you. Is it because of me? Don't. Don't cry for me, please."

At that time, he believed that no one needed him. She left with V, Mint Eye was destroyed, he was left all alone. He didn't think... that she would return to him. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have woken up again. This thought gave rise to an unpleasant feeling in his chest. Although... He still wasn't sure of anything. He had little understanding of all the consequences his final decision would bring him. What would happen to him now, what was to come. He didn't have time to think about it, and he deliberately avoided the topic as if nothing had happened. But he wouldn't be able to deny it for long: he changed when he made up his mind back in Magenta, and he changed when he woke up again.

Don't go?

What would have happened to her if she didn’t make it? Natasha was with him all this time, every day, she sat here and waited for him to wake up. He put her through hell, and he didn't even know how much damage he caused her on that fateful day. What if he died in her arms. What would have happened to her then? How would he hurt her? Would she blame herself for his death? Crushing guilt filled his entire being. He was so selfish... These questions were too difficult for him to answer.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to... hurt you." He looked down blankly. "Do you consider me that important to you? I made you go through so much. You should hate me by now... Why do you suffer so much for me?"

Both of them had a lot to discuss.

[imhereformr]

"Tell me why you did it" "Because I'm in love with you"

I had a prompt request for this an eternity ago (sorry...) but I think I deleted the ask 😬 Here's the prompt anyways.

It made no sense to her. One minute she’d been staring down Lord Darkar with the most courage she could muster – thankfully her stubbornness helped her there – and having death threatened. Next thing she knew, there was a body between her and the skeleton-man (could he be considered a man?). A loud no had echoed through the cavernous space accompanied by a flash of magenta-topped blue. She’d been so stunned by the action that it took her a moment to register why the voice was so familiar.

Riven.

He’d jumped in front of her.  

He’d saved her life.  

He’d risked his.

For her. 

After that, everything was a blur. Somewhere in the back of her mind she’d been aware that the Trix had shown up and helped them. She knew that that distraction had broken Darkar’s spell; the one that had kept her, and her friends frozen in place; the one Riven had somehow broken through to save her. She knew that thanks to that distraction Brandon and Helia had managed to get to Riven and bandage him up, bringing an end to the blood that she swore – though her memory may be faulty – was spilling endlessly out of Riven’s abdomen and temple. All those details had barely managed to make a scratch in her mind – as if they were happening somewhere else to someone else - as she stared at his closed eyes begging the gods – any gods - to let her see that violet she loved so much; that violet that had tinted her dreams since she’d met him.  

Nothing. At least not between the brief moment when he’d flickered into consciousness after she reached him and called out to him and when he’d woken for an even briefer moment on the flight back to Red Fountain.  

Musa knew that, in some twisted series of events, it was thanks to the Trix that Riven was still alive. She refused to acknowledge it, though; refused to acknowledge that it was thanks to them that she’d been able to spend every free moment by his side as he recovered. Not that there were many of those, or, at least, as many as she’d like. Apparently helping to save the entire universe didn’t count as a valid reason to miss finals in Griselda’s mind so Musa made her to way to Red Fountain’s infirmary every day after classes. She’d spent so much time there that she was on a first name basis with the nurses; they even let her use their coffee machine now so she wouldn’t have to go down to the cafeteria to get some. She’d set herself up on the empty bed across the room with her books sprawled out in front of her, trying - and mostly failing - to study. She knew she wouldn’t fail any of her classes – she had nearly perfect grades in all of them – but she wasn’t too keen on failing her finals considering they were worth a quarter of her final grade. It didn’t matter how much she forced herself though because her eyes always seemed to wander away from the books over to Riven.  

Musa arrived at Red Fountain today with a bag full of books that she intended to get through. Three classes to study for and just under five hours to study. She needed to get through the books or else she’d be kicking herself tomorrow when she was trying to take those exams. Whose bright idea had it been to schedule three exams in one day anyways?  

He slept through the first few days; she’d expected that. What she hadn’t expected was for him to sleep through the entire first week and a half after the mission. According to the nurses, he had woken up a few times but mostly when no one was there. Timmy had spoken to him once, albeit very briefly. Musa hated the thought of Riven waking up to an empty hospital room. He deserved to know that his friends were checking on him; that they cared. That she cared. That his friends were checking on him. When she’d arrived yesterday, Brandon was set up in the room with a set of weights (the nurses had complained but Brandon shrugged them off). Sky and Timmy had been there the day before that and Tecna and Flora had accompanied her the day before that.  

She strode into the infirmary, greeting Doris, the nurse at the front desk, with a nod. Musa was vaguely aware that the nurse tried to tell her something, but she had headphones on and too much on her mind, so the movement of the nurse's lips only registered after she’d passed the desk. Upon turning to question what she’d wanted to say, Musa found that Doris had had her attention diverted by a phone call, so she shrugged it off and continued to Riven’s room. Her bag slid off her shoulder, dropping to the floor a mere inch from her toes when she entered his room.  

It was empty.  

Nobody hanging around in case Riven woke; nobody on the bed; no book or flowers (courtesy of Flora) on the bedside table; nothing. The bathroom door was wide open, revealing a pristine shower, sink and toilet. No Riven. Musa poked her head out of the room, checking the number beside the door. Twenty-one: she had the right room. Where was he?

“He was discharged about two hours ago” Doris, a sweet older woman with greying brown hair and bright green eyes, informed her, coming up behind the fairy.  

“B-but he’s barely woken up in the last week?” Musa managed to stammer as she turned to face the woman. Doris shrugged. Apparently Riven had woken up late last night – just before midnight, two hours after she’d left to make Alfea’s ten PM weekday curfew – and stayed awake all night. When the doctor had checked him that morning, his vitals were good and Riven was in functional condition. “We knew him already; he spent enough time in here last year after all the fights he got in-” Fucking Riven “-so the doctor agreed to let him go as long as he promised to come in everyday for a checkup and to take it easy for a bit.”

No. She would go back to Alfea. She needed to study. If she went to see him now she’d be too tempted to demand answers and that would lead to her getting absolutely zero studying done. But then again... if she went back to Alfea to study she’d never be able to focus knowing that he was awake and she could be talking to him.

Take it easy? The man had jumped in front of a death blow without a second thought, and they expected him to take it easy? He clearly had no sense of self-preservation! “Oh... okay, thanks” Musa mumbled, picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder as she walked away. She stood outside the main infirmary door watching blankly as students in unnecessarily tight blue uniforms walked past her. What now? She hadn’t ever considered the possibility of showing up with him gone. Did she just go back to Alfea? Find Riven? And say what? What the fuck were you thinking? Why would you do something so reckless? So stupid? So... so... so... romantic???  

“Musa?! Hi” Helia gasped, opening the door before she could knock. Musa lowered her arm, grasping at her bag’s strap tightly. “Looking for Riven?”

Musa was surprised to find that she’d started moving, and that her absentminded walking had led her right to dorm 307 – the guys’ dorm. Her subconscious had decided for her: she would go see him. Musa raised her arm to knock, but she hesitated. What if he thought it was weird that she’d shown up right after his discharge from the infirmary? Or that he was freaked out by the thought of her being by his side every day? No, he’d risked his life for her. He’d be happy that she was there with him. …That you’ll come back, you’ll come back... to me. That’s what he’d said before their groups had split at the cave entrance; he would be happy to see her. She’d knock. Just one deep breath and...

Musa nodded dumbly. She didn’t know why she’d suddenly lost the ability to speak; it wasn’t as if the entirety of Magix wasn’t aware of her feelings for the angry specialist at this point. They’d already gone on a date for crying out loud.  Her eyes had drifted down to the dark brown sketch pad in Helia’s hand as she nodded, but she forced them back up to meet his. “Yeah... Is he here?”

“No. I think he’s in the back courtyard.” Musa thanked Helia and began to make her way back down the corridor. She turned to ask Helia if Riven had said anything about, well, anything, but her in particular, but the artist was already halfway down the hall in the opposite direction. Not that it mattered; Riven wasn’t the kind to talk about stuff and the odds of him feeling particularly chatty when he was in pain were not good. Logically Musa knew that the odds of him explaining why he’d jumped to her were minimal too, but she needed to ask anyways.  

Her pace sped up to just short of running as she made her way down to the back courtyard. Red Fountain’s new building had three courtyards. The most magnificent one, the front courtyard, was at the top of the school overlooking the forest with the city of Magix visible in the distance of the Southern side. The central one was halfway down the building inside the four gushing waterfalls and contained nothing but training fields. The back courtyard was at the base of the building at ground level. It was made up of the ruins of the old Red Fountain and where the students mostly hung out when they stayed on campus. What could be salvaged of the old brick building had been turned into courtyard décor – picnic tables, benches, stools – and, most notably, the large wall that ran along the edge of the forest. Tecna had questioned if the wall was structurally sound when they’d first seen it, but Sky assured them it was.  

When she made it to the crowded yard, her pace slowed a bit. She wasn’t worried about missing him – there was no doubt in her mind she’d be able to pick him out in a crowd – but she didn’t want to appear like she’d been searching for him frantically when she did find him. She took a quick look through the crowded parts, opting instead to search the more secluded areas thoroughly. She knew Riven; he wouldn’t want to be in the packed areas.  

She found him in the front corner closest to the forest, next to one of the gates that led to one of the many footpaths that meandered through Gloomy Wood. He was seated atop the wall, leaning back on the arch of the gate. Musa’s eyes flitted to the open iron gate, wondering what the purpose of the gate was if they were just going to leave it open. Then, just as quickly as her eyes had traveled to the gate, they were back on him. It seemed natural at this point to be watching him if he was in the vicinity. No matter how hard she tried not to spend all her time admiring and observing him, she seemed to be eternally doomed to have her eyes find him. It wasn’t her fault he was so fucking beautiful. Especially right now, sitting there with the back of his head leaning against the wall and his eyes closed. His arms rested on his stomach where he’d been hit – she could see the bandage poking out under his shirt – and one leg propped up while the other dangled off the wall. He looked so comfortable and peaceful. It was unfathomable how easily he made her stomach do flips, it –

Wait a minute.  

What the fuck was he doing on top of the wall? There was no way to get up there except to boost yourself up. That wasn’t ‘taking it easy’.  

“Hi” she said loudly, butterflies having turned to annoyance. It was bad enough that he’d risked his life jumping in front of her, did he also have to risk worsening his injuries?!

Riven’s eyes snapped open and when he looked at her, it was obvious he hadn’t been expecting to see her. Their eyes met briefly as he stuttered out a M-Musa… Hi. He lowered his leg, trying to hide the way he flinched in pain at the movement. Musa dropped her bag and stepped forward to help him as he slid himself down, but he brushed her off. Stubborn ass.

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine, you know, considering…” he shrugged, motioning towards his abdomen.

“Right…” Musa fiddled with her ring – a cheap mood ring she and Bloom had gotten at the fair a few months back – as she tried to formulate a coherent thought or sentence. How was it that she still found herself stupidly tongue-tied around him? He knew how she felt; she knew he felt the same. They’d already kissed and gone on a date. They would’ve gone on another already if fucking fake Avalon hadn’t kidnapped Bloom. Logically, there was no reason for her brain to turn to mush anymore.  

Her eyes snapped up to Riven’s face. The bandage that had been around his head wasn’t there anymore, leaving the scar and bruising on his temple visible. His mouth was drawn as his eyes raked over her. He was assessing her; she could see his mind working as his eyes roamed over every visible inch of skin. “How are you?”  

“Good. Completely unharmed... thanks to you.” You fucking moron. He should know by now that her fairy form offers her an extra layer of protection that non-magical beings don’t have. He should know that the skimpy outfit is deceptive.  

He brushed it off. Riven. The cocky asshole. He brushed it off. Like risking your life – quite literally almost sacrificing it – was nothing more than passing the salt at the dinner table. “Really. Thank you. You didn’t-“

And he laughed at Timmy for being nervous around Tecna. What a goof. “I’ve been here everyday…”

“It’s nothing. Not for…” Riven trailed off. She wished he would finish the sentence, but she knew where it was going. You. Not for you. Would it kill him to give her any sort of sign of liking her? She knew he did, but was it really so hard for him to say: It’s no big deal, Musa. I’d do anything for you. “I, uh, wasn’t expecting to, um, see you h-here…”

If she could burn the memory in her mind and pull it out whenever she felt down, that would be the most incredible thing. The way his eyes widened in surprise only to soften drastically a few seconds later. The small smile that played on his lips that he tried – and failed – to suppress. The redness in his cheeks. He was perfect. “Oh?”

“I wanted to know you were… okay.” Gods, the way he was looking at her made Musa want to close the space between them and never let him go. But she needed to know. It would eat at her until she had an answer, so she dove. “Why’d you do it?”

“Huh?” He cocked his brow curiously. He couldn’t possibly be that daft? What could she possibly be asking about besides him using his body as a shield?  

“Why’d you jump in front of me?” she demanded, her patience already starting to thin.  

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does! Riven, you could have died! You…” almost did. Musa stopped herself from saying it aloud. She didn’t know if Riven knew he’d been on the brink of death and, frankly, she didn’t want to think about that. One of the advantages – and occasional disadvantages – of having sound-based powers was that her hearing was so much stronger than the average person’s; she could hear the faintest of sounds with enough concentration. Like a heartbeat. Like his. Loud and erratic at this moment, but faint and barely existent after he’d fallen. Musa had no idea how he’d survived, only that somewhere in the background the spell that had been put on Bloom went away, there’d been a bright glowing light in Musa’s peripheral vision and then Riven’s heart had started to gain strength.  

“So could you. Just let it go, Musa” he bit back. The fucking goddamn stubborn asshole.  

“No! I need to know.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Riven started to walk away from her, but she was determined not to let him. She would have her answer. She needed her answer. Maybe that made her as stubborn as him – no, it definitely did – but she was known for being stubborn and she was fine with that. Musa stepped in front of him, blocking him from the path that would lead back to the courtyard.

“It does matter!”

“No.”

“Yes, Riven. We... I...” Her voice started to break and it took a few seconds before she managed to finish the sentence. Musa would usually do everything she could to avoid someone knowing how sensitive and emotional she really was, but frankly, she was past caring now. Riven had already seen her break before anyways. And she wanted him to know how much she cared and how worried she’d been. “I could’ve lost you.”

“Well, you didn’t” he dismissed with a shrug. There was no way he could be so careless with his life. It infuriated her to think that being moments away from death was something he took so nonchalantly.

“But I could have!”

“But you didn’t so it doesn’t matter.”

“Why are you being so fucking stubborn? I just want to know why you thought that jumping in front of me was-”

“Musa! For fuck’s sake. Just drop it” Riven snapped. She’d never had him snap at her before – Stella, Brandon, Sky (multiple times), even Timmy once. Never her. His snapping didn’t scare her, but rather fueled her and made her more determined to get an answer.

“No! Just fucking tell me instead of shutting me out. You risked your life for me. Why? I need to know; I deserve to know. You have no idea how much knowing that you could’ve died for me has been eating at me. How much-”  

“It’s because I’m in love with you!” Riven’s eyes went wide as soon as the words slipped out. He opened his mouth to speak - to backtrack or explain – but no words came out. Musa was so surprised by the outburst – and more specifically, it’s content – that she had to take a step back to steady herself. Her jaw dropped and she tried to form a coherent thought, but she couldn’t.

He loves her.  

He’s in love with her.  

Riven is in love with her.  

“I... I have to go.” Riven took off through the gate at much faster speed than she’d anticipated from someone who’d been seriously injured not even two weeks ago. Musa allowed herself a few seconds to blink away the residual shock, something that she regretted once she realised that he was out of her line of sight by the time her head was clear.  

“Fuck” she muttered before taking off after him. She followed the path for a few hundred meters before deciding that she wasn’t going to find him on foot; that, knowing Riven, he’d probably strayed off the path specifically to make it harder for her to find him.  

Ignoring her frustrations with Riven and his inability to face any potentially emotional or uncomfortable moments, Musa took to the skies. She forced herself to focus on what he had said – even if it had been blurted out. I’m in love with you. The butterflies in her stomach still fluttered to life every time she thought about it – and she’d been replaying the moment in her mind the entire time she’d been walking.  

It shouldn’t have surprised her that she found him sitting at their spot. A small clearing in the middle of the forest – about a half hour walk from both Alfea and Red Fountain – with a ledge that overlooked the lake. Musa had found it last year after a fight with Stella that had resulted in her storming away. Riven had known about it for years before, using it as sanctuary anytime he needed peace for most of his teen years, if not all, she wasn’t entirely sure. They’d met here multiple times over the last year. Most of the time it hadn’t been on purpose, they’d just both happened to need space from the people around them. And what better way to be away from others than together.  

Musa landed behind him as quietly as she could. She wanted a few seconds to admire him. She wanted to admire the broadness of his shoulders and the sculpt of his body. The way his maroon hair slicked back and the baby hairs tickled the nape of his neck. She admired his high cheekbones and angular chin. Finally, his soft, full lips. Gods, she wanted to kiss those lips so badly.  

The lips of the man that loves her.  

“Riven…” Musa stepped forward tentatively, changing out of her fairy form and back into the loose black pants and baggy cropped red t-shirt she’d thrown on haphazardly that morning. She saw the way his shoulders tensed, but he didn’t answer so she sped up. When she reached him, she sat in front of him, folding her legs under her. “Riven?”

His hands were balled into fists that he tapped on the ground nervously as he refused to meet her eyes. Musa reached her hands out and grabbed his, forcing them open so that they would hold hers back. She requested that he look at her. When he didn’t, she pulled her hand out of his grip – he’d been surprisingly quick to take her hand given how adamant he was about avoiding her gaze – and gently turned his head to look at her. “Look at me, Riven” she said in a forceful voice that denied the gentility of her touch.

“I-“ he started.

“I love you, too.”  

“Really?” The surprise in his voice nearly broke her heart. She knew Riven came with a whole slew of issues, but she was still surprised that cocky, arrogant Riven didn’t deem himself worthy of being loved. But regardless of what he thought, he was loved.

By her.  

She loved him.  

She was in love with him.

“Gods help me, yes, really. I love you.” Saying it felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders. She’d been in love with him for so long now and, until recently, she never thought she’d get to tell him. Part of her wanted to the moment they first kissed in the Wildlands, but she knew how comfortable he was with emotion – that was, not at all – and she didn’t want to scare him away so she said nothing.  

Riven’s hand pulled away from hers and he brought it up to touch her cheek. He’d given her no sign of relationship – they had to be in one now, right? – in public, so she was always surprised when he was soft in private. Especially the first kiss – after she’d confessed her feelings for him in what, she was willing to admit, was probably the worst timed confession ever – when they were packing up their stuff on the beach. She’d pulled him aside, driven to talk to him about the confession by Brandon’s silent nagging, but realised when she had him in front of her that no words would explain her feelings properly, and it certainly wasn’t the right moment for a song. So, she kissed him. He responded positively, so she took that as her sign to pull him in more. The kiss was wonderful, but more so was the way everything about him softened – his eyes, his touch, his posture, everything. Like he had so much love to give, he just needed someone willing to receive it.  

This time was different. Riven was the one to initiate; he was the one to use his hand to bring her head forward. There were no words to describe the way she lit up when they kissed – her lips, her mind, her heart, body and soul; all of her felt like it was coming to life after an eternity of nothingness.  

The hand on her cheek slid into her hair, deepening the kiss. Riven’s other hand slid out of hers and landed on the small of her back. With very little effort on his part, he pulled her more and more into him until she was straddling his lap and pressed up against him. Musa brought her hands up to rest on his chest, sliding one of them up to wrap her arm around his neck and pull him closer, if it was even possible.  

When they pulled apart for air, Musa rested her forehead against Riven’s. Violet met blue in the sweetest gaze. Musa offered Riven a gentle, sincere smile that he returned, making her heart turn to love-struck mush. They stayed like that for a few minutes until he spoke.  

“Did you mean it?” he whispered so low that she almost missed it.  

“I do. I love you, Riven.” Musa planted a kiss on his forehead that made him smile even wider. His arm moved down her body to wrap around her waist so that she was fully locked into his embrace. Riven had never looked so genuinely happy and at-ease in the two years she’d known him and it warmed her to know she was the one that made him feel like that. His forehead and eyes found hers once more as he whispered: “I love you, Musa.”

[lsmu]

Book 3 Part 2 – Intermission: Stardust

*“Here’s your umeshu, Sandara-ssi.”

I nodded to thank the young female bartender, who smiled and walked away. I took a swig out of my umeshu glass. The sweet and sour taste was just nice, and this bar’s environment felt invigorating after my long and tiring day of shooting my TV show.

I took a long drag out of my cigarette and puffed out a cloud of smoke into the air as I rested my back on the barstool, lifting my eyes to stare at the ceilings. My eyes caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall. It was 8.35 pm.

This week… Was weird. Everything seemed back to normal, everyone seemed busy with their own businesses.

Blackpink continued enjoying their leisure time in their 18-months long hiatus. Lisa and Rosé were announced as the new muses for a luxury fashion brand, Jennie shot another sexy photoshoot for Calvin Klein… And Yeoni was back managing his studio in Gangnam.

Sana told me that Mina was recovering well in the hospital, and Prof. Yoojin said she could be discharged soon, probably next week or the week after. Other than that, the Twice girls were back in training, preparing for their next comeback, with Minsoo faithfully doing his job magnificently as their manager. I heard Yori had just secured a new security contracting deal with a private company, while Chuyoung found a new job in an insurance company. I wished that guy well… He deserved it.

The older idols were busy with their own ventures. Sunny with her boutique, Seohyun and Sooyoung with their dramas and movies, and Taeyeon was busy taking care of her family and writing new songs. Seungyeon started to get busier nowadays, with the new Care Centre’s construction beginning in early February. I heard Suzy went off to Busan to shoot her next drama, while IU was busy writing her next album.

I took another swig out of my umeshu glass. I sighed. Like I said, everything seemed normal… But I knew nothing was.

Ansel’s dead. Manse sent his body in a bodybag to the IPG HQ the night after the murder, and Seungyeon’s team did a great job to quickly bury him properly in a nearby cemetery. Sana told me that Mina was surprisingly calm when she learned that her boyfriend had passed away, accepting it as fate, only asking Sana and Momo to accompany her to visit his grave after she was discharged. Mina was such a tough woman. I wasn’t sure I would be able to cope with it if the same thing happened to me.

Other than that, the IPG was pretty much disbanded. No one had visited the HQ for the past six days, ever since that fiasco at Red Velvet’s dorm. I heard from Wendy that Yeri returned to the dorm the day after the incident, but when they asked her about Hyejin, she simply avoided the topic.

I sighed. Hyejin… She looked so heartbroken that afternoon. It was understandable. I would have been as sad, angry, and heartbroken as she was if I was her. She thought her father was dead sixteen years ago, and suddenly, she found not only that he was alive, but he turned out to be the biggest villain in K-pop history.

Then last week, she found out that her father’s initial motivation was simply to protect her, before driven to madness by Suzy’s insistence on him doing the exact same thing that killed his wife thirteen years prior, and then by her lies that blamed him for everything that happened. Suzy… Created the monster, and now…

“Shibal…” I muttered.

Now… All of us had to face the consequences. Us leaving the IPG and not talking about it these past six days didn’t erase the fact that Manse threatened all of us. He gave us a week to think and consider our position… And that week was almost gone. Tomorrow was the seventh day since his threat. Fuck. What was he planning to do?

I took another drag out of my cigarette and dusted the ashes on the ashtray in front of me. I looked up, staring at the magenta neon sign hanging by the door. It read ‘Stardust’, written in alphabet, hangul, and katakana. That’s the name of the bar.

I had been a regular in Stardust for a few years now, and I preferred this bar among other bars in Seoul for a few reasons. One, it was located in Jung-gu, so it was away from the buzzling Gangnam, Itaewon, or Myeongdong, where people would gawk and give me unwanted attention. Two, Stardust was a small bar, and it felt more intimate. Three, it had a huge selection of drinks from all around the world.

And lastly… I preferred Stardust simply because of the owner of this bar: That bartender who served me my umeshu earlier.

I turned to look at her. She was currently talking to another patron. The bartender’s name was Rachel–although I didn’t think that it was her real name. She told me she came from Japan, where her older brother was also running an izakaya in Kabuki-chō in Tokyo, and she did look Japanese, but I always suspected that she was of a mixed descent.

Rachel evidently was a polyglot, for I have heard her speaking Mandarin, Japanese, English (with an American accent), Indonesian, French, and Spanish to other patrons over the years, along with her fluent Korean whenever she spoke to me. I guessed these facts about her contributed to how I always found her incredibly charming.

Other than that… She was much younger than I was, probably still in her late 20s or early 30s, but I felt like we connected well. These last couple of years, ever since that Yeoni-Jisoo scandal back in 2026, my visits to Stardust have become more frequent. I’d spend hours in this bar, drinking my umeshu, smoking, and talking with her. She had been a great company to me.

Rachel was really cute, yet I could tell that she had a fierce side in her. You needed to have it to run such a business anyway. As for me… I was always a sucker for fierce yet cute looking girls. Her sharp eyes, her short hair… She reminded me a little bit of Lee Saerom from Fromis_9, but… Other than that… Her attitude reminded me of someone closer to my heart. A lot closer.

I flipped open my phone, staring at the one contact number I had been mulling over whether or not to contact for the entirety of this week. I still had no courage to do it… And time was running out.

“Chaerin-ah…” I whispered.

I understood why CL joined Manse instead of the IPG. She wouldn’t stand for a lie, not when she knew the truth. She was always so practical, and she was nothing short of a rebel, even when we were still in 2NE1 together. Her zeal, her passion… I always admired her…. I always loved her.

Should I call her? I heard her begging for Ansel’s life before Manse killed him, and the way she spoke to Ansel before Manse came… That was the CL I knew. She was fierce and ruthless, yes, but… I knew she was always compassionate. She was not an evil person. She was not a heartless person.

I hovered my thumb above the call button on my phone. Could I turn her back? She didn’t witness Manse killing Ansel, but she knew it. She saw Ansel’s lifeless body afterwards. Would the horror she experienced be enough to turn her back to our side? Would she help me?

“Another round of umeshu, Sandara-ssi?”

I looked up, finding the short-haired female bartender smiling at me. I realised that my umeshu glass was almost empty, but I shook my head and smiled.

“Probably later. I’m still waiting for my friends,” I said. Rachel smirked.

“You know… That’s a first,” she uttered.

“Huh?”

“You... Bringing friends here,” she said, smirking more. “You’re usually kinda lonely.”

She was right. I was usually alone here, and I had never brought anyone else here with me. But… That didn’t mean I was lonely! One of the reasons I came here alone was so that I could enjoy Rachel’s intoxicating smirk. That smirk… She was hot. I chuckled.

“Well… We needed a place to meet that’s discreet and away from the crowds… So… I suggested your bar,” I said. Rachel chuckled.

“I know, I know… I’ve prepared the VIP room as per your request,” she said.

“Thanks, Rachel,” I said. She smiled and nodded, picking up a napkin to wipe a glass clean.

I let my eyes lingered at her shapely body for a while before taking another sip out of my umeshu. I placed the glass back on the table, and at that moment I noticed a familiar singing voice through the bar’s sound system.

“Hm? Isn’t this…” I mused. Rachel chuckled.

“Twice Jihyo’s voice. You’re right,” she said. I raised an eyebrow.

“Eh? That’s strange… You usually put on nice lo-fi music in here,” I said. Rachel smirked again.

“But this particular song… It’s fitting, isn’t it?” she said, not looking up from her glass.

I blinked my eyes a few times in confusion, but then… I understood her. The song was called ‘Stardust Love Song’, a drama soundtrack Jihyo sang back in 2022. It was indeed fitting, considering the name of the bar.

“Yeah… You’re right,” I chuckled. Rachel smirked again before walking towards me.

“Dara-ssi, what do you think of the music here?” she suddenly asked.

“Hm? It’s always nice. I love lo-fi music,” I said honestly. Rachel nodded.

“I’ve been… Updating the bar’s playlist on Spotify with some new songs, including this song you’re currently listening to. Check this out,” she said happily.

She whipped out her phone, showing me her Spotify playlist. I smiled.

“I’ll follow your playlist,” I said, doing exactly that on my phone. Rachel chuckled.

“Thanks, Dara-ssi… Now you can bring Stardust’s vibe wherever you go,” she said. I chuckled.

“It won’t be the same without you…” I blurted under my breath.

Rachel acted like she didn’t hear my words, going back to wiping a glass, but I could see that her ears and cheeks were turning red a little. I bit my lips. These constant flirtations between us… It had been going on for a few months. Should I… Maybe ask her out sometime?

“Dara-ssi…” Rachel suddenly called me.

“E–Eh? Yes?” I stuttered.

Rachel chuckled and gestured to someone behind me.

“I think one of your friends is here,” she informed me.

I turned around, finding a cute, squirrel-like girl grinning and waving at me.

“Seungyeon!” I exclaimed, standing up and giving the Care Team Head a hug.

Seungyeon giggled and hugged back, before joining me by the bar. Rachel brought a bowl of peanuts, placing it in front of her new patron.

“Fancy any drink, Han Seungyeon-ssi?” she asked. Seungyeon gasped.

“Oh? You know me?” she asked, sounding surprised. Rachel chuckled.

“Of course! You know, my brother was and still is a huge KARA fan, and although I was still a little girl back then, I could never forget you and KARA doing that… Dance,” she said.

Rachel turned around and started wiggling her cute, plump butt left and right in a rhythm while singing the intro to ‘Mister’, KARA’s hit song from back in 2009.

“Lalala lalala… Lalala lalala… Lalala lalala… One, two, three, four, five, six… Coming!” she sang.

Seungyeon laughed out loud and clapped her hands, earning a bow from Rachel. I laughed and joined her in clapping too. Seriously! This bartender girl was something else!

“Ya! Stop flirting at my friend!” I scolded her jokingly. Rachel laughed.

“Jealous, Dara-ssi?” she asked, rather seductively.

I felt my face blushing. Rachel saw this, and she giggled. Seungyeon giggled too.

“From the way you blush… I think you are kinda jealous, Unnie,” she said.

“Y–Ya!” I scolded her.

Seungyeon giggled cutely again before turning to see the collection of bottles behind Rachel. She took a few moments studying the bottles, and then her eyes lit up as she saw the one that she wanted.

“I’ll take that Ballantine 30 years that you have. Double shots, on the rocks,” ordered Seungyeon. Rachel’s eyes widened.

“Oh wow… You do know your drinks, Seungyeon-ssi!” she praised her. Seungyeon giggled.

“Kamsahamnida, Bartender-nim!” she chirped cutely. Rachel smirked her hot smirk again.

“Oh please, call me Rachel,” she said. I scowled at her.

“Flirting again,” I said.

“Jealous again,” Rachel replied without missing a beat.

I sighed exasperatedly. Seungyeon laughed out loud, clapping my shoulder. Rachel giggled, before bowing and walking away. I smiled as I watched her from behind. Did I mention that she’s got a cute butt too? And that skin-hugging black leather pants she was wearing further enhanced her round, plump butt.

“You like her, don’t you?” Seungyeon remarked. I chuckled and sighed.

“Ah… She’s too young… And I don’t even know if she’s into girls,” I said in a lower voice.

“Well… You’ll never know unless you try,” she said casually.

I stared at the ex-KARA member. She was right. I’ll never know unless I try. Probably the same thing would apply to CL too… I should really try to call her, shouldn’t I?

“How’s your week?” I decided to ask Seungyeon. She sighed and stretched her back.

“Ah… It’s been tiring. Luckily Naeun and Uee agreed to help me with the Care Centre. So… I think the preparations are going well,” she said, mentioning two other former idols from Apink and After School respectively. “What about you?”

“Same old… TV shows… Radio shows… The lot,” I said, shrugging.

Seungyeon chuckled.

“Funny, isn’t it?” she mused.

“What is?” I asked.

“... We… Us, older idols… The IPG used to take up a lot of our time, since our schedule is not as busy as it used to, or as busy compared to the younger idols. And this week… Suddenly…” she uttered.

“... Empty,” I completed her sentence.

Seungyeon nodded and smiled. Rachel came back with Seungyeon’s whiskey, and she left us again. Seungyeon raised her glass and looked at me. I raised mine and clinked it with hers, and we both drank.

“You know…” Seungyeon mused, grimacing a little to negate the alcohol’s burn in her throat.. “... When the construction of the Care Centre begins… I don’t think I’ll have much time to look after the Care Team anymore. Not as much as I used to, at least...”

I chuckled.

“If there is still a Care Team after all this… Or an IPG, for that matter,” I uttered. Seungyeon nodded.

“Yeah…” she uttered. “Suzy fucked up, didn’t she?”

“Big time…” I agreed.

Seungyeon chuckled ironically.

“But… Let’s say there still is. Let’s say we prevailed, and Sana became the head, replacing Suzy,” said Seungyeon positively. I laughed. She was always positive.

“She’s already the head, for all I’m concerned,” I said. Seungyeon nodded.

“Yeah. Suppose we continue to operate… Who do you think would be the leaders?” Seungyeon asked.

I thought for a moment before answering.

“Hmm… Irene should continue as the Strike Force Head, at least until Taengoo delivers her baby,” I said. Seungyeon nodded.

“What about my team?” she asked.

“Jisoo?” I blurted the first name that came into my head without thinking.

Seungyeon smiled.

“I have the same thought,” she said calmly.

“But she’s pregnant too… And oh gosh her belly is huge! How far along is she? Four months? Five months? Is it supposed to be that big?” I asked.

“Five. But she’s carrying twins, and they’re twin boys, right? Boys tend to be bigger,” Seungyeon giggled.

“Jinja?” I asked. Seungyeon nodded.

“Mm! Remember how big my belly was when I was pregnant with Haneul?” she said, mentioning her son’s name.

She was right. Her belly was indeed kinda big back then. I sighed.

“Belly size aside… If not Jisoo… Then who? Nabong? Sunny?” I asked.

Seungyeon shook her head.

“No. I’ll still pick Jisoo. She’s perfect. She’s the most caring, and her heart is like an angel. I don’t think her pregnancy would be a problem. We’re not kicking and punching like Taengoo’s team, right?” she said. I nodded.

“Yeah… You’re right…” I agreed.

We took another sip of our glasses.

“IU needs replacing too…” Seungyeon said. I nodded.

“That’s a huge loss. She’s the best… Not one of us is even near her skills as a hacker,” I said.

Seungyeon stared into her glass, turning the ice cubes inside it absentmindedly.

“... Except for Hyejin,” she mused.

I nodded silently. She was right. Other than IU and Sabito, Hyejin was the one who was the most skillful out of us. But… She was missing, and even if we could contact her… I didn’t think she would want to have anything to do with the IPG any longer.

“Still no word from Hyejin?” Seungyeon asked, reading my mind. I shook my head.

“No… And Yeri… Hasn’t been much of a help either,” I uttered. Seungyeon sighed.

“She’s protecting her girlfriend… I can understand that,” she said. I nodded.

“Me too, Seungyeon. Me too… I’ll do the same if I were her,” I said.

“Yeah…”

We drank again. The buzz was starting to get into my head now. Fuck. We were stuck in a rut.

“Dara-unnie! Seungyeon-unnie!”

I turned around, finding Sana, Yeoni, Irene, Taeyeon and Jennie walking towards me. Minsoo was here too, something I didn’t expect, but I guessed Sana might have asked her manager to tag along. Seungyeon and I smiled and stood up, before turning to look at Rachel the bartender.

“Rachel, my friends are here. We’re moving to the room,” I informed her. Rachel nodded.

“Noted! You know the way, Sandara-ssi!” she chirped.

I did know my way. I waved at Rachel and gestured for the guys to follow me. I led them to the private room that Rachel mentioned earlier, and we took our seats on the sofa. Rachel came shortly after.

“Drinks for you?” she asked, then she looked at Sana and smiled, before saying, “Minatozaki-sama, nanika o nomimono wa ikaga desu ka?”

Sana gasped loudly.

“Nihonjin desu ka?” Sana asked, guessing correctly. Rachel chuckled and nodded.

“Hai!” she exclaimed, before switching back to Korean, “I’m Japanese. Just like you!”

“Woah… Nice to meet a fellow Japanese person here!” Sana said cheerfully.

Rachel smirked and bowed respectfully, before straightening herself up and lifting her notepad back up again. Sana chuckled.

“You know what… You make me crave a Japanese drink,” said Sana, smiling cutely. “Highball, then!”

“Certainly,” said Rachel, jotting down on her notepad before turning toward the others.

“Umm… Just… Beer for me,” said Minsoo. “Cass.”

Yeoni laughed.

“Come on, Minsoo-ya. We’re practically in a Japanese bar here! We should order some Japanese beer!” he said happily, turning to the bartender, “Sapporo for me!”

Minsoo chuckled sheepishly.

“A–Ah yes… Then… I’ll have the same,” he said.

Rachel nodded and smiled. Yeoni turned to his two girlfriends.

“Jen, Irene?” he asked.

“What are you having, Unnie?” Jennie asked me.

“Umeshu. Choya. It’s good!” I said, raising my glass. Jennie chuckled.

“Then I’ll have the same,” she said.

“Tea for Irene and I, please,” said Taeyeon, looking at the Red Velvet leader.

Yeoni chuckled and flung his arm around Irene’s shoulders. Somehow, Irene blushed.

“Still on your alcohol detox?” he asked.

“Y–Yes…” she uttered shyly.

Hm? That’s weird.

“Alright. I’ll be back in a minute,” said Rachel, jotting down their orders in her notepad before leaving the room.

As soon as she disappeared from view, we all turned to look at Sana. She sighed and rested her back on the sofa.

“Let’s wait for the bartender to bring in our drinks… So we don’t get distracted,” she said calmly.

“Ya, the bartender’s kinda cute, don’t you think?” Jennie remarked naughtily.

“Oh don’t bother, Jen. She belongs to Dara-unnie,” said Seungyeon.

“Ya!” I scolded her.

Everyone gasped and laughed, and I joined them in laughter. We would usually talk like this in the HQ, but being here in Stardust was a nice change of scenery, I guessed. A few minutes later, Rachel came back with our drinks, and after we thanked her, she left.

“Right… Where were we…” Sana started.

“We haven’t even started, Sha,” said Taeyeon. Sana laughed her iconic laugh.

“You’re right… Ah well…I’ve got a few things I wanted to say,” Sana said.

Everyone started straightening our backs, listening more intently to the new IPG head. She took a sip out of her highball and smacked her lips, before speaking.

“First… I’m sorry for storming out like that the last time. I was simply too hurt and too disappointed… At Suzy-unnie and IU-unnie, but mostly at myself, for trusting them blindly over the years,” Sana started.

“We all did, Sha. You shouldn’t blame yourself,” said Irene. Sana smiled and nodded.

“I know… But I was her consigliere. I supported her, I was willing to do anything for her because I thought she was the one who saved me from the corrupt bosses,” Sana said calmly.

I nodded. That was the same thought we all had.

“Still… At least we managed to find out the truth. And… After talking with Mina and Jeongie… I realised that there is still so much good we can do with the IPG. Suzy-unnie might have used the IPG to protect her past, but now it is up to us to use all the resources that BoA-unnie had invested in us to do good. To protect each other, to protect the younger idols. Don’t you all agree?” Sana asked.

We all nodded and smiled.

“So… I went to talk with BoA-unnie yesterday in her coffee shop. She agreed that we need to freshen things up a bit. Hence, starting in February I’m going to talk to the Itzy girls, see if they’re interested in joining us,” Sana said.

“Yay! That’s nice! They’ll be a nice addition to the team!” Jennie exclaimed. We chuckled. Her excitement was contagious. Sana nodded.

“Yeah… And… Since we’re heading more and more towards the metaverse, with the Kwangya platform launching and all that… We’d definitely need members who are more accustomed to this… New world. We might need Taengoo-unnie and Irene-unnie’s help to talk to the aespa girls,” Sana said, turning to look at the two SM ladies.

Taeyeon and Irene smiled and nodded.

“I’ll talk to Karina and Winter. We’re having a GOT comeback soon, so we’ll meet more regularly,” Taeyeon said.

“Giselle and Ningning go to the same pilates studio with me, so I can speak to them there,” said Irene.

“Thank you, Unnie-deul,” Sana said.

Minsoo raised his hand.

“Yes, Minsoo?” asked Sana.

“Umm… Sha, you… Met with the Daepyonim yesterday. Did you tell her about what we learned from Ansel the other day?” Minsoo asked. Sana smiled.

“I’m just getting there… Right. I told her everything,” she said.

“What did she say?” asked Yeoni. Sana pursed her lips.

“Well… She… She kinda expected it, so she wasn’t that surprised. She was sad for her friend…” Sana mused.

We all sat silently. It was clear that Manse and BoA shared a mutual respect for one another. He even still considered her a friend. But still…

“Sha… What about his threat? I know we’ve all distanced ourselves from Suzy and IU, and we are not ‘standing by her side’ per se, as what Manse said… But… He doesn’t know that, right?” I said. Irene nodded.

“Us not doing anything… Not joining him… He would consider us still on Suzy’s side,” she said.

“You don’t think… Y–You don’t think any of us would actually join him, right, Sha?” asked Jennie.

Sana shook her head quickly, but she looked glum.

“No… I don’t think so. Suzy did create the monster, but Manse still did everything he did ever since. He still hurted us, abused us. He was still a villain. I don’t think any of us idols would want to join him,” Sana said.

“S–Sha…”

We all turned to look at Minsoo. His face was full of dread.

“Sha, do you think… M–Maybe… Hyejin?” he asked cautiously.

Sana stared at her manager for a while. Honestly, I had the same fear. What if Hyejin decided to join her father’s side? He would have Hyejin’s skills as a hacker, and he could become unstoppable. Shit. This was bad.

“I… Don’t think so,” uttered Irene.

We turned to look at her. She was frowning, staring at her teacup.

“I… I know Hyejin. Out of all of us here, I’m the one closest to her, although I can’t compare myself to Yeri or Joy. They’re the ones closest to her. But… At least from what I know… She won’t join him,” Irene said.

“Why not?” asked Yeoni. Irene looked at her boyfriend.

“It’s… She has this huge sense of justice and righteousness within her. After all, she’s a police officer… And what her father did… It was wrong. He was a victim, yes, but… Still, it was wrong,” Irene said confidently.

I hoped she was right. I really did. But… Hyejin’s look, the way she pulled a gun on Suzy after she heard the truth… That was a look of pain, of bitterness. She felt betrayed.

“I… Hope you’re right, Irene,” I muttered. Everyone nodded solemnly.

“Still… We must do something. What did BoA-unnie say?” asked Taeyeon after a while.

Sana took another sip of her highball. She then looked at all of us.

“She… Well she told me two things. One, we need to know where each of us are at all times, at least for these two days while we wait for Manse’s action. That’s why I’m gathering all of you here tonight. You’re all either the leaders of your division, or the representative of each idol group, and I know you all know where your members are naturally,” she said.

“The manager must know,” Yeoni said, pointing at Minsoo, who smiled.

“Yep. Minsoo knows exactly where every Twice member is right now, right Minsoo?” Sana asked proudly. Minsoo nodded.

“Absolutely. Tomorrow’s our free day, so everyone’s enjoying themselves tonight. Jihyo is in our apartment, Dahyun is with Jeongyeon in Sana’s apartment, Momo, Chaeng and Yori are in the hospital with Mina, Nayeon is meeting someone in that porridge shop in Myeongdong, Chuyoung and Tzuyu are having a date at Itaewon,” Minsoo listed down quickly.

We all stared at him with gaping mouths. Minsoo looked at us confusedly for a moment, before starting to blush.

“W–What?” he stuttered.

“Woahh… Minsoo! That was epic!” said Seungyeon. Minsoo blushed even redder.

“A–Ah… It was… Nothing, S–Sunbae…” he said sheepishly, making us laugh.

“Fuck… Do we even know where our members are right now?” asked Jennie, starting to think.

“Noona’s at home, as usual. Rosie’s doing her commercial shoot in Gangnam, Lisa’s at her place… Probably watching porn while drinking some smuggled Thai beer,” said Yeoni calmly.

We all gasped.

“How did you know that?” exclaimed Taeyeon. Yeoni shrugged.

“I’m the Blackpink Boyfriend, remember?” he said smugly. Jennie laughed while Irene tsked, both slapping Yeoni’s head.

“Ya!” Yeoni protested, clutching his head. Irene glared at him.

“Stop being so smug!” she scolded him.

“S–Sorry…” Yeoni uttered, making us laugh.

We all turned to Irene and Taeyeon, expecting them to continue. Taeyeon sighed.

“My girls are all with their families… Except for Sunny, who’s having a late-night fitting appointment with Eunbi and Cheng Xiao…” Taeyeon started, but a naughty giggle escaped Jennie’s mouth.

“Woah… That’s a huge fitting appointment she’s having right now!” she sniggered meaningfully.

Her comment made us burst out in laughter, except for Minsoo, who was looking left and right confusedly. Taeyeon slapped Jennie’s shoulder loudly.

“Fuck you, Jen! I almost spit out my drink!” she cursed, grinning wide.

“I was right, wasn’t I?” Jennie defended herself, giggling profusely, before turning to look at her boyfriend, “Don’t you agree, Daddy?”

Yeoni was blushing red.

“I–I… Y–Yeah? I g–guess?” he stuttered, clearly feeling embarrassed talking about Eunbi, Cheng Xiao, and Sunny’s absolutely huge assets. Irene pouted.

“Namja…” she muttered, although I could see her cute smile.

“Alright, alright… So Sunny’s doing her huge fitting appointment, and Yoona’s in America shooting her next film,” Taeyeon completed her words.

Our attention turned to Irene, who sipped her tea elegantly before speaking.

“Seulgi’s helping Wendy to start preparing for her wedding with Pastor Nathan this summer, Joy is with Crush, and Yeri… Well… Yeri’s with Hyejin now, wherever she is,” Irene said slowly.

“She never told you guys where she is?” Jennie asked. Irene shook her head.

“No… I’ve tried asking Yeri, but she only said Hyejin needs more time and space… So… I guess there’s nothing I can do,” said Irene.

We all nodded. Taeyeon looked up at Sana.

“Sha… Any idea on how to find out what exactly Manse is planning to do as a retribution against Suzy?” she asked. Sana nodded.

“That’s… Number two,” she said.

“What’s number two?” asked Seungyeon.

Sana cleared her throat.

“Number two…” she uttered, then she looked at me. “... For number two, I need Dara-unnie’s help.”

“Eh?” I asked. Sana nodded.

“Yeah… I… I need you to… Find a way to contact CL-sunbaenim tonight,” Sana said.

My eyes widened. That was exactly the thing I was mulling over for the past couple of days, and now she asked me to actually do it. Seungyeon noticed my reluctance.

“Can we… Can you… Do it, Unnie?” she asked.

I stared at her, and then at the rest, before looking directly at Sana. She smiled and reached across to hold my hands.

“Unnie… We all heard how CL-sunbaenim sounded when she talked to Ansel. Like I told you in the hospital that night… I don’t think she’s beyond redemption. I think she can help us. If you can contact her, and ask her to tell us what Manse is planning to do… Then… Then maybe we’ll have a chance,” she said.

Sana stared directly into my eyes. I met her gaze, but I bit my lips worriedly.

“I’m… I’ve been thinking of doing it too. But… I don’t know if she’ll pick up, Sha,” I said honestly.

Sana nodded. I knew she understood me. But… Still, her gaze was firm.

“We… Have to try, Unnie. We don’t know what he’s planning to do… My bet is on him releasing another scandalous article about one of us, but… We can’t be sure. We need to find out, so that we can plan our defensive strategies accordingly,” Sana said. I nodded.

“I understand completely, Sha… B–But… I…”

I felt a tiny hand reaching my shoulder. I turned, finding Seungyeon smiling at me.

“Unnie… Like what I said earlier…” she uttered. “You’ll never know unless you try.”

Her words sounded true. It was the confidence I needed. Slowly, I nodded my head.

“I’ll never know unless I try,” I echoed.

Seungyeon smiled cutely and nodded. I turned to look at the IPG head, and I smiled.

“Okay. I’ll try contacting her tonight. I’ll let you know as soon as possible,” I said.

Sana smiled and nodded. She released my hands, and went back to her drink, raising the tall glass to the air.

“Well… A toast, I guess? For our safety, and for the future of the IPG,” she said.

“For the new head of IPG?” Taeyeon proposed. Sana giggled.

“Still not official, Unnie,” she dodged the question. We chuckled.

“You’ll do well, Sha…” said Seungyeon, raising her glass.

Everyone followed her example, raising our glasses together.

“To our safety, to the future of the IPG, and to Sana!” exclaimed Jennie.

“Ganbeh!” we all exclaimed.

We clinked our glasses, and we drink. We stayed in Stardust for a long time after that, drinking, talking and joking with each other, enjoying our little reunion after a week of not seeing each other. Rachel came to the room once in a while to bring us more drinks and some light bites, before eventually joining us to drink.

At around 10, everyone started leaving, wishing everyone safety. Seungyeon left the last with me, but not before tipping Rachel generously and whispering something inside her ear that made her blush a little while stealing a glance at me. I slapped Seungyeon’s butt as I walked her to the door, making her cackle.

“What did you say to her?” I asked her. Seungyeon sniggered.

“Oh, you’ll see… Take your chance on her, Unnie!” she exclaimed.

“Ya…” I sighed exasperatedly. Seungyeon cackled again and turned to the bar.

“Bye, Rachel! See you around!” Seungyeon exclaimed.

“Bye, Seungyeon-ssi!” Rachel said, before winking at me. “Bye, Dara-ssi!”

I chuckled and walked out with Seungyeon. She waved me goodbye before walking to her Tesla, and I watched the cute girl drive away while smiling. I sighed and walked to my car, entered it, and started driving away.

I reached home at around 10.30, and I took a quick, hot shower. I then opened my fridge to take a bottle of beer, before walking to the balcony to sit there.

I sat there quietly for a really long time, simply staring at the night sky, letting my mind wander off. The night was beautiful, the pale moon was shining bright. I took a cigarette and lit it up. I blew smoke out of my mouth… And finally, I took my cellphone into my hands.

I whipped open my cellphone, hovering my thumb on CL’s number for the umpteenth time this week. Seungyeon was right. I would never know unless I tried. I took a deep breath, collecting my confidence.

“Fuck… Please pick up, Chaerin…” I whispered, secretly begging her.

As I was just about to press the call button…

My phone rang.

It was CL.

“What… The fuck?” I uttered.

The phone kept ringing.

With trembling hands, I swiped the green button to the right, accepting the call.

“Y–Y–Yeoboseyo?” I stuttered.

“Unnie. Unnie, listen. I don’t have much time, and I’m sorry I can only call you now, but… Listen carefully, okay?”

CL was whispering. It was like she was talking secretly. Wait…

“C–Chaerin? W–What is it? Where are you?” I stammered.

“Listen… Tonight, at mid–g–t…” she started, but her voice was breaking up.

“What? I can’t hear you, Chaerin! You’re breaking up!” I said a little louder.

“T–ight. M–ight! Unnie! M–d–t!”

What the fuck was she trying to say?

“Say it again, Chaerin! What is it?” I exclaimed.

“M–dnight! Dara-unnie! Midnight!”

Midnight?

“W–What? Midnight? What about it?” I asked. “Chaerin… Where are you? Are you alright?”

Static. CL’s voice kept breaking up. Shit. This wasn’t good!

“Chaerin! Can you hear me?” I asked, practically yelling now.

CL took a deep breath before continuing her whisper.

“Unnie. Tonight, at midnight, Manse’s going to––”

Silence followed. Huh?

I looked at my phone. An empty battery icon flashed on the black screen. My phone had just run out of battery!

“FUCK!” I cursed.

I panicked. I rushed inside, and looked at the clock on the wall. It was past 11 pm. Midnight was less than an hour away. What should I do now? What would happen at midnight?

[shotenfamily]

Kanto Crew Family

Chole/Serena’s daughter Rose’ Rosie Cerise-Yvonne Pokemon Coordinator Team/Performer/Researcher Biological-Mother: Chole Cerise Biological Father (Doner) -: Goh Ketchum Step-Mother: Serena Yvonne Ash Ketchum: Godfather. Lei Kukui-Burnet: Boyfriend. Sasha Ketchum: Half-sibling. (Through Chole and Ash.) Darrel Cerise-Yvonne: Younge Half-sibling (through Serena and Goh) Looks: Maroon/Magenta hair like Chole dark skin like Goh blue eyes, gold hoop earrings. Purple blouse with with shrug sweater, red hairclips in her hair – hair cut short. Often mistaken as a gay boy, though she doesn’t care really; she’s fuckin proud of the way she looks, damn it. Mole birth mark on her right cheek. Eyelashes like whoa. Slightly androgynous appearance aside from the way she dresses. Cinderace: Super Fang, Pyro Ball, Revenge, Acrobatics.   Galarian Rapidash: Mythical Fire, Fairy Wind, Psychic, Smart Strike Swanna: Air Slash, Aqua Ring, Water Pulse, Ice Beam Vaporeon: Ice Beam, Water Pulse, Swift, Steel Wing Alcreamie: Mythical Fire, Aromatherapy, Dazzling Gleam, Safeguard. Bolthund: Thunderbolt, Flame Charge, Fire Fang, Discharge. Information: Her moms got married after getting engaged under the Pledging Tree in Couramaine City. Then when they had decided they wanted a baby, they went through a surrogacy option and asked their friends to be doners. Goh became a doner to Chole thus having Goh who was married to Ash be Rosie’s father. Sometimes it slips out and Rosie calls Goh ‘dad’ but she mainly calls him ‘Uncle Goh’. Along with Ash who’s Rosie’s godfather. Cinderace was gifted to Rosie as a Scorbunny when she was seven after attending Professor Oak’s Summer camp for the first time.

Serena had then gotten surrogacy through Goh and Rosie’s little sibling Darrel was born. He’s three years younger than Rosie and is a Pokemon trainer and research fellow through his dad/uncle Goh. Wanting to take up Goh’s position as a researcher through Ketchum Labs or through Gary’s Labs in Sinnoh. Though he’s finding it hard to choose. Sasha is Rosie’s half sister through Chole and Ash, Ash was Chole’s doner.

Also ultimately Sasha is Goh and Ash’s daughter. Sasha Ketchum. She lives in Pallet Town with her fathers, and her grandmother Delia, and Uncle Gary. Serena and Chole live in Vermillion City and often travel because Grace stays in Vanville town in Kalos. Though they still make routinely visits for the whole family to get joint-holiday-birthday celebrations. When the kids are old enough they go on Pokemon journeys themselves. Rosie is having a hard time settling on a sixth Pokemon currently.

[vannahfanfics]

Welcome to Naruhata!

Category: Action, Drama

Fandom: My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia Illegals: Vigilantes

Characters: Izuku Midoriya, Koichi Haimawari, Kazuho Haneyama

Hey guys! Today I’m presenting the second piece I wrote for the @ambiguityzine​about Izuku and our favorite duo from the Vigilantes universe!

Izuku’s body jostled left and right with the bumping of the overcrowded city bus. Most people would focus on the uncomfortable position he was in, crammed between a sweaty jock and an elderly woman who smelled potently of mothballs, but Izuku’s mind was far away from the humdrum of city commuting. As one hand grasped the silver handlebar above his head, the other held his cell phone sideways, full-screening the grainy video dramatically titled ‘Naruhata Vigilante Thwarts a Kidnapping Attempt!’

Izuku’s emerald eyes sparkled. A giddy smile brightened his freckled face as he rapturously watched the hoodie-donned vigilante zoom across the concrete and puncture the tires of a getaway vehicle with high-velocity discharges of his Quirk. 

“Wow! His Quirk is so simple, but he refined his skills to create a unique ultimate move! Simply extraordinary!” he whispered admiringly. 

High-pitched squeaks of elation bubbled out of Izuku’s mouth, despite his best efforts to suppress them by worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. Aided by another local vigilante, a pink-haired girl in a pop-star styled costume, the masked man managed to subdue the villain and safely deliver the frightened teenage girl to helpful bystanders. They disappeared into the alleyways right as the police and the professional heroes rolled on the scene. 

“Ah!” Izuku exclaimed aloud as the video ended. “So cool! I hope I can find him— The Crawler!” 

Most people idolized heroes like All Might or Endeavor, but for the last five years, Izuku’s devotion belonged to a local vigilante known as the Crawler. Vigilantism was criminalized in the current hero society, but Izuku just couldn’t help but admire him. The man pursued hero work without a license or agreement with the government, simply because he wanted to do good. 

It gave Izuku hope that he could do that too, even without a Quirk. 

The bus slowly trundled to a stop. As the driver loudly called that they’d arrived at Naruhata, Izuku squeaked and nearly dropped his phone in alarm. As the spastic boy bundled up his bookbag and scurried down the packed aisle with high-pitched excuse mes and sorrys, he grinned breathlessly. 

This is it!

Izuku’s breaths came in little pants as he hopped down the bus steps and onto the sidewalk. He clutched the straps of his book bag tightly as he surveyed the surrounding area. He’d studied a city map and the many videos of The Crawler’s stomping grounds to nauseating detail, but the guy had evaded law enforcement for years now. Izuku wasn’t gonna find him just meandering around. Still, Izuku wasn’t one to be deterred. He sucked in a breath and stomped off, the tongues of his bright red sneakers flapping with every determined step. 

Finding a man who didn’t want to be found proved easier said than done. Izuku slunk through the backstreets of Naruhata, eyes peeled for any sign of his hero. Izuku found plenty of silver trash bins, skinny gray strays, and unconscious drunkards, but there was no sign of the Crawler. As the hunt dragged on, Izuku’s hopes began to dwindle bit by bit. 

“Come on, Izuku!” he encouraged himself quietly and squeezed the straps of his backpack. “I just have to keep looking!” He tried his best to keep the pep in his step as he rounded the corner to another alleyway. He brightened when he spotted humanoid shadows dancing in its depths. 

Could it be? 

“H-hello?” he called as he pushed himself up on his tip-toes to peer above the grimy surface of an olive green dumpster. Izuku’s smile dissolved as a hulking form rose over the rim of the trash receptacle. The muscle-bound man glowering angrily at him definitely was not the vigilante he’d been searching for. Based on the plastic bag of bright white powder swinging from the stranger’s calloused hands, Izuku had interrupted a meeting of quite the unsavory type. 

“S-s-s-sorry, fellas!” Izuku stammered as he took a tentative step backward. His knuckles wrapped around the backpack straps glared ghostly white in the gloom to match the paling shade of his face. “I, um, sorry to interrupt— I’ll just be going now!” 

As he whirled on his heels, Izuku felt the cold shadow of the gigantic man descend over him. He squeaked as all of his hair stood on end. Before he could run, a large hand latched onto his backpack. Izuku whimpered as he was dragged backward, the soles of his shoes scraping against the pavement. 

Izuku shrunk into himself as he was lifted off the ground, dangling from his backpack as the large drug dealer inspected him critically. 

“Takin’ a field trip, shrimp?” the man guffawed, punctuating the question by shaking Izuku’s bookbag back and forth. Izuku released a stream of sniffles and whimpers as his body jostled roughly.

Stay calm! I gotta stay calm! I can’t ever be a hero if I panic like this! Yet, it was nearly impossible to think clearly when he was being suspended six feet in the air by a hulking monstrosity of a villain. Izuku gulped loudly as the man sneered to reveal several silver and gold teeth. 

Izuku’s emerald eyes rolled in their sockets as he frantically searched for something, anything, that he could use to save himself. When nothing useful appeared in the vicinity, Izuku resorted to the first instinct that came to mind— flailing his feet and fists against the man’s chest. 

The villain’s eyes darkened. Wrong move! Very wrong move!

With a frightened gasp, Izuku ceased thrashing about and gawked at the man helplessly. A sickeningly gleeful smile spread across the man’s face, distorting his visage with bloodlust. As the villain curled his fist in preparation to crush Izuku’s skull in, the young boy flinched and wrapped his arms around his head.

The expected blow never came. Instead, Izuku heard the man exclaim breathily and felt his grip loosen from his book bag. Izuku squealed and flapped his limbs as he suddenly dropped into the open air. He cracked his eyes open to see the grimy cobblestone rushing up to meet him. 

Before he could prepare himself for a rough landing, he plopped down into two arms covered with a soft cotton blue, red, and gold-patterned hoodie. Izuku reflexively gripped onto the shoulders of his savior as they zipped him speedily to the back end of the alley to safely deposit him among some mildewy newspapers. 

“Phew! Now that’s what I call a close one,” grinned the jacket-clad man. Izuku just gaped senselessly as the man flicked his dark bangs out of his sapphire-blue eyes to pout at the disgruntled villain. “Haven’t ya ever heard the saying ‘pick on someone your own size’?” Izuku said nothing, vibrating with the aftershocks of fear blending into excitement. 

It’s him! It’s really him— The Crawler! 

As Izuku struggled to form a coherent thought, the villain began lumbering towards them. The alley floor quaked with each of his thundering steps, and his shadow stretched long to envelop Izuku and the crouching vigilante. 

“Whoops. You look angry,” the Crawler chortled nervously. Izuku squeaked as he was unceremoniously bundled into his arms again. “Gotta fly!” Izuku latched onto his hoodie’s fabric as the man abruptly zipped up the nearby wall using his Quirk. Over the rushing of the wind in his ears, Izuku heard the man violently swear that it wasn’t over. 

They zig-zagged across the roofs of a few buildings, with the vigilante occasionally using boosts of his Quirk to vault them across the wide gaps. When they landed on the flat top of a doctor’s office, the underground hero finally slowed and gently set Izuku down. Izuku’s knees, still knocking together, failed to hold his weight, so he just bonelessly slid down onto the tarred roofing. As the Crawler pulled down the mask eclipsing the bottom half of his face, he flashed Izuku a piteous smile.

“I’m sure that wasn’t the warm welcome you were expecting, huh, kid?” 

Izuku blinked stupidly. His frazzled brain was still struggling to piece together the rapid series of events that had landed him here, right in front of his hero. The vigilante ignored him to turn to the edge of the building, where a pink-haired girl in a sparkly outfit hopped into view. 

“Koichi! Why’d you run away? We totally coulda taken that guy!” She gave a disdainful sniff and dug her fists into her hips. Koichi… Izuku echoed, starstruck. 

Koichi gave the girl a bashful smile. 

“C’mon, Pop. I didn’t want the kid to get hurt, okay?” 

Pop☆Step narrowed her magenta eyebrows suspiciously at Izuku.

“Sure,” she huffed with a shake of her head. “You okay, kid? You look pretty spooked.” 

No! Izuku refuted. He bit down on his lip hard enough for blood to bead beneath his canine, and the stimulation of pain finally managed to snap his brain out of overdrive. I can’t look weak now! If I do, then he’ll never…!

“I’m just fine!” Izuku insisted. To emphasize, he pushed himself to his feet. Though his knees still trembled, they managed to bear his weight this time. Slightly elated with himself, he whirled around to face Koichi, whose eyes widened in surprise. “Never mind that! You’re him! You’re The Crawler!” 

An ecstatic grin split Koichi’s face. 

“Pop! Pop, didja hear that? He knows who I am! And he’s not callin’ me somethin’ dumb like the Cruller!” 

“Of course not!” Izuku said. His emerald eyes sparkled with delight as he stepped closer to Koichi, rapidly finding his confidence. “I’m a huge fan of yours! I’ve been following your exploits ever since you debuted!” 

“Really? Oh wow, I’ve never had an avid fan like you before!” Koichi gushed while rubbing the back of his neck. Pop☆Step, who had come to stand beside the taller man, rolled her eyes with a sniff and propped her elbow on Koichi’s shoulder. 

“Please! Mr. Crawler, sir! Please make me your sidekick!” 

“What?” Koichi and Pop☆Step exclaimed simultaneously, mouths gaping. 

“Please! I respect you so much, Mr. Crawler, sir! You’re everything I could ever want to be as a hero! You do what you think is right, and I think that’s so honorable, sir! Please! I want to be just like you! I’m Quirkless, I’ll admit, but I’ll work really hard to make up for that! Please, sir, I know I can-” 

Izuku was interrupted by Koichi slapping his palm over his mouth. It took him a moment to register that it had even happened, his continued babbling muffled by the vigilante’s glove. Koichi watched him calm down with a stony expression. 

“You done?” he asked when Izuku had finally stopped talking. Izuku nodded slowly with wide eyes. He kept his lips pressed shut as Koichi slowly dropped his hand from his mouth, though the temptation to resume prattling was oh so very strong. Koichi released a deep sigh, a complicated look appearing on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck again. 

“A sidekick, huh?” he whispered thoughtfully. Pop☆Step gasped and rounded on him indignantly. 

“Koichi! You can’t possibly be considering this! He’s just a kid, and on top of that, he’s Quirkless.” 

Though they were all oppositions he knew he’d hear, her adamant tone still made Izuku shrink in on himself. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, and his bottom lip quivered as he struggled to keep them from rolling down his freckled cheeks. Koichi’s blue eyes slid to him, widening with concern. 

“Oh, come on, Pop,” Koichi frowned with a nod towards Izuku. She looked in his direction and then hung her head with a groan. Izuku brightened slightly, hoping her reaction meant she would cease opposition. 

“I don’t know, Koichi,” she said uncertainly. “He’s just a kid.” 

“Pop, we were just kids when we started out,” Koichi argued with raised eyebrows. Her cheeks flushed as she was dealt a stunning rebuttal. She crossed her arms with a huff. 

“Okay! But we have Quirks. This kid doesn’t.” 

“So? Who says you need a Quirk to do the right thing, Pop? Train him to fight and maybe find him some good Support items, and he could be something! You don’t have the right to deny his potential just because he’s Quirkless,” Koichi argued vehemently. Pop☆Step and Izuku both flinched at the scowl disfiguring his otherwise amicable person. 

The tears spilled over the brim of Izuku’s eyes because, for the first time in his life, someone still took him seriously even though he was Quirkless. 

Izuku sunk down into a crouch with a small groan. He sniffed, rubbing furiously at his eyes, trying to stop the steady flow of tears. Though he was mortified to cry in front of Koichi, Izuku just couldn’t help it. It felt so damn good to be told he had potential. 

“I-I-I’m sorry,” he stammered between sobs. “I-I just… No one’s… Ever since I was told I was Quirkless, everyone g-g-gave up on me… To hear you say… I c-c-c-can be a h-h-h-hero… it means so much to me!” 

Through his tears, Izuku could see Koichi smile kindly. Pop☆Step still looked a little unsure, but she elected to stay silent as Koichi kneeled to lay a hand on Izuku’s shoulder. 

“Hey, kid. What’s your name?” 

“I-I-Izuku,” he sniffed while sucking in breaths to try and quiet his sobs. “Izuku Midoriya.” Koichi’s smile widened, and he patted Izuku’s shoulders a couple times. 

“Well, Izuku-” 

“There you are!” 

They sprang apart as a voice thundered from the rooftop door. A white table came flying across the roof. Izuku gasped as it plowed right into Koichi and Pop☆Step, sending them hurtling backward. Koichi took the brunt of the blow; the table splintered as it slammed into him, and Izuku could only watch in horror as he was launched right over the edge of the building. 

Pop☆Step landed roughly against the bricks rimming the roof, teetering precariously close to the edge with a gaping gash in her forehead. She remained motionless; she’d been knocked unconscious by the assault. 

“Hehehe,” the villain cackled as he approached, cracking his knuckles. Each snap of his joints sent shivers down Izuku’s spine. “No wonder you ran away. That’s all it takes? And they call you the heroes of Naruhata.” The man stopped a few paces in front of the stunned Izuku. “Oh, look. It’s the little punk.” 

What do I do? What do I do? Izuku panicked, wild-eyed and sweating bullets in the face of such malice. His eyes slid behind him to Pop☆Step. I gotta protect her! His eyes snapped around for something of use, eventually landing on a thin piece of metal. It was a leg of the table that had bent and snapped off at the end. Hurriedly, Izuku scrambled over and snatched it up. 

“Stay back! I’m warning you! I won’t let you hurt her!” Izuku growled as he jumped up and brandished the sharp piece of metal. The villain looked at him amusedly. 

“Oh-ho-ho, the punk’s getting brave now, huh?” he sneered. Izuku balked as the man cracked his neck before stalking towards him. “Let’s see how brave you are when I show you this.” 

Izuku paled as dark, coarse hair sprouted from the man’s skin, which stretched over bulging muscles. Bone tusks sprang from his mouth as his face morphed into a rendition of a boar’s head. When the man opened his mouth, a high-pitched, squeal-like roar bellowed forth, spraying thick globs of spittle across the tar. Izuku gulped loudly but stood his ground. 

Now’s my chance. I can do this. I can be strong! 

As the man lunged at him with lightning speed, Izuku just barely managed to stumble to the side. Relying on adrenaline and his reflexes, Izuku twirled the iron spear in his hand and jabbed it into the meat of the man’s thigh. Another piggish squeal erupted from the villain’s mouth, this time laced with agony. Blood spurted from the wound as Izuku yanked the sharp metal out. As the villain pressed his hands into the puncture, trying to suppress the blood gushing from his leg, Izuku scurried over to Pop☆Step and picked her up. 

“Koichi…” she murmured groggily. Izuku supported her weight with his body as he dragged her towards the exit, still brandishing the stick at the boar villain. 

“I’m gonna kill you, you little runt!” Though he was slipping in his own blood, rage had blinded the villain, making him charge Izuku again. The loss of blood had slowed him significantly, however. Izuku allowed Pop☆Step to slither to the ground so he could grip the iron in both hands. As the villain bore down upon him, Izuku did not shy away; with a yowl, he swung the iron with all his might to clock the villain in the side of the head. 

The force of the blow sent him lurching sideways. A low groan bubbled from his lips as he wobbled, then slumped to the ground. “You… little…” His words trailed off as he landed face-down against the roof. Chest heaving, Izuku held the iron aloft for a few seconds just in case the villain roused. 

He didn’t move. Izuku slowly lowered the bar. He then loosened his fingers, letting the metal drop. It clattered at his feet, splattering blood over his already crimson shoes. 

“I did it… I actually did it…” 

“Izuku! Pop!” 

Izuku looked up to see the Koichi limping over with bits of trash sticking to his clothes and a big ugly purple-black bruise decorating a swollen eye. When he noticed the unconscious villain slumped at Izuku’s feet, he stopped and pointed with wide eyes. 

“Did you do that?” 

“I did…” Izuku whispered, looking down at his hands. Rust from the pipe dusted his palms with orange flakes. He flexed his fingers, closing his hands into fists as a giddy smile spread over his face. “I did!” 

The vigilante smiled amusedly and resumed limping over so he could affectionately tousle Izuku’s pine-green hair. 

“Not bad. Though, he’s bleeding a lot…” 

“Oh my gosh! Did I kill him? I’m not supposed to do that! Oh my gosh! I’m too young to go to jail!” Izuku panicked, slapping his hands to his cheeks as his irises shrunk into the white sea of his eyes. Koichi laughed heartily.

“I’m kidding; I’m kidding. He’ll be alright. Pop, are you okay?” Koichi asked as Pop☆Step used Izuku’s shoulder to drag herself into a standing position. 

“Urgh… I have a headache…” Pop☆Step groaned, pressing her hand to her bleeding forehead. Koichi shuffled over to give her a thorough once-over before turning back to Izuku, who was still staring fearfully at the subdued villain. 

“That took guts, Izuku.” 

When Izuku turned, Koichi was smiling warmly at him. “You protected Pop and took down that guy all by yourself. I’m impressed.” As Koichi’s smile widened, hope fluttered in Izuku’s chest. 

“Do… Do you mean...?” 

“Yep!” Koichi grinned. “Welcome to the gang, kid! Wow, my first ever sidekick. I’m so excited.” 

Izuku was excited, too, and he showed it by jumping forward to envelop Koichi in a crushing hug. 

“Thank you so much, Mr. Crawler, sir! I’ll do my best! I promise!” 

“Ack! First, just call me Koichi. Second, not so tight, I think I broke a rib or two,” Koichi coughed. With a gasp, Izuku jerked away, watching as Koichi sagged and clutched his side with a weak smile. 

“Hey!” 

“Oh, what now?” Pop☆Step whined and whirled on her heel just in time to see a black-clad, disheveled-looking man using some strange tape to swing onto the roof. Koichi’s face split into a cheesy grin again. 

“Oh, hey, Eraser!” 

“You’re friends with Eraserhead?” Izuku whispered, gawking shamelessly at the professional hero as he strode over with a disinterested look. He planted his boot on the villain’s back with a displeased grunt. 

“Causing trouble again, I see. Hold on. This one’s new.” Eraserhead frowned with a point at Izuku. While the green-haired boy cringed, Koichi snickered satisfactorily and jerked Izuku into his side. 

“Yup! This is my new sidekick.” 

“Oh, no. I already turn a blind eye to all your nonsense. Now you’re corrupting kids? I’m taking you in for real this time.” 

“What’s that? Someone calling for help? Sorry, Eraser, gotta run! I trust you’ll take care of this for us, yeah?” Koichi sniggered. Before Eraserhead could react, he grabbed onto Izuku’s school uniform and dropped down to zoom off, with Pop springing along behind him with airy giggles. 

“Hey! Get back here — oh, forget it.” Izuku heard Eraserhead grumble as he was whisked away. A breathless feeling overtook him, but not because the wind had stolen it away. 

This is it! I’m gonna be training under my idol as a hero! 

No… as a vigilante! 

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

[wantaichi]

vibrance | kunimi a.

synopsis: you’re careless and drunk and in love at one am, and so is akira. genre: fluff, self-indulgence (hahaha) word count: 546

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃   

cobalt bled into magenta on the ceiling, washing over your skin as you twirled around draped in his oversized shirt, not so teal anymore under tinted pixie lights. a sliver of lace peeked from beneath the shirt. teasing.

melancholic synths began to seep between the cadence of percussion, to which you spun around and swayed and interlaced your fingers above your head as if performing a ritual - like you were offering yourself to him and only him and, briefly, kunimi thought it should be the other way around. 

the sight of you was nothing short of ethereal; a sensation like he was spiraling into a place where time and space ceased to exist. a barren dimension where it was just the two of you—and it was.

here, in the dregs of this miyagi neighborhood, in this run down apartment of yours with walls decorated in gaudy, vintage floral wallpaper. kunimi had looked at them with distaste the first time you brought him home. they conjured a depressing image in his mind, of lonely old ladies who fell asleep on the couch with the television still on, dully illuminating their frail bodies - he considered asking you to move out of this shithole.

but as nights of staying over trickled into weeks, as tender mornings greeted him less with the white walls of his apartment and more with the faded patterns of yours, the more they grew on him—like small weeds making him a part of your home.

they reminded him of things you both had in common. the blotted stains left by past owners. the slightly ruined and peeling corners, revealing patches of sullen, gray concrete behind its pretty exterior. the misaligned vines and stems struggling to connect so that whoever was looking made sense of the image.

only you made sense out of each other.

kunimi put out the lit end of his stick and discarded it on the ashtray on the floor. he lay sideways on the couch, propping himself on one elbow and watching you dance your silly moves at the center of your living room. careless and drunk and in love at one in the morning while the city was asleep.

your eyes met in the middle of your twirl and you smiled, sauntering towards him, holding an arm out.

“dance with me.”

“make me,” he laughed.

“akira..”

and just like that, with his name on your lips, he felt an ache of futile tenderness in him and impulsively reached out, the dull-colored wires inside him flickering with heat and discharging bright colors as vibrant as once upon a time.

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ 

[koko-bopp]

Long Wait

park jimin x male!reader

word count – 5.9K

genre – SMUT | soft-angst-fluff

warning(s) – TOP!reader, BOTTOM!jimin, Daddy kink, dressing room sex, passionate sex, fingering, Tinnie tiny ittie bittie little bit of angst.

synopsis – first of all, highly appreciate the requester for using 'mate' ilysm. Also, I'm so fucking sorry for taking so long.

Park Jimin's boyfriend has been in the army for quite some time now, so hearing that he was getting discharged, Jimin was willing to jump at every opportunity to see the love of his life. Though, [Y/N] wanted to surprise Jimin, maybe in more ways than one.

"He should've been discharged today," Jimin said, "He should've called me."

BTS had just finished their concert, and not for Jimin to brag on their behalf, but it was safe to say that this one was their best performance yet. Thought part of him felt that little bit of sad ting at the fact that they were performing in your home city. He expected himself to be happy, that he got to live a small piece of the things you liked about your city, but it wasn't the same, well, since you weren't even there to enjoy it with him.

If anything, it had been two years since Jimin last physically saw you.

You were completing your military training. Jimin, he wasn't gonna lie, was at first against the idea. Two fucking years? Jimin was barely able to survive two days without you, let alone two years. But eventually, he allowed his boyfriend to do so.

He was already feeling like shit since, fucking hell, what does a man have to do to get a few loving cuddles while the love of his life is absent, but also because you were supposed to get discharged earlier today.

You promised to call him and get him to pick you up the day you were leaving. It was the deal you were forced to agree to by your loving boyfriend before you left. Though he was yet to receive the said phone call.

"Maybe they kept him back, Jimin," Jin said, his breath kind of uneven, considering their concerts aren't just them standing for a few hours. But Jin was hoping smiling at his friend would give the other some sort of comfort, "C'mon, if a man that good looking were to enter an establishment, I'd keep him back for a little longer just to stare at him too."

Jimin smiled a little. It was nice how Jin was able to raise people's spirits.

But a small sigh left his lips a minute after, he just wasn't in the mood to be all comedic and cute. He watched his friends enter the shared make-up rooms but he looked up at Jin before he could enter, "I need a second alone. Is that fine?"

"Of course," Jin said, smiling, "I'll tell the managers you're going to the bathroom, but there's an empty dressing room in room 1-13B. I'll cover for you."

Man, if it wasn't great to have people who care.

It took him a while, considering there were employees entering and exiting the room, but they were just doing their jobs, so Jimin didn't really mind.

1-13B, he found the white painted door, though, wierdly, the door was open in the slightest. It confused the blonde, though maybe the person who was in there last forgot to close the door.

Though, his nose picked up on a familiar smell as soon as his hand reached for the door's knob, it was protective, yet ocean-like; almost calming in a way. Jimin knew what the smell was. "No... No fucking way."

He didn't hesitate to throw the door open. Worst case scenario, it was someone who had the same fragrance as you.

"Jagi!" Jimin jumped at you as soon as he saw your eyes, you sat on one of the uncomfortable make-up chairs waiting for him like a gentleman, only to be tackled by the man you call your boyfriend.

"Baby," you sighed in relief, all the saddeness of not having Jimin in your arms were gone. "Fuck. Jimin, I missed you so much."

Jimin wanted to weep out of joy. This was the first hug in two years that the two of you shared. The first time in two years you were so close to Jimin. The first time in two years that you were in each other's embrace? He wanted to feel this moment; he moved himself onto your lap, his arms around your neck, your arms wrapped securely around his waist, but both your faced buried in each other's shoulders just to stop yourself from crying.

Two years was too long.

There had to be tears.

Jimin pulled back, not enough for him to be released from your grip, but just enough for him to take a hold of both your cheeks in his hands, "Baby?" Jimin said softly, the break in his voice almost noticeable, "Baby, please look at me."

Crying was out of the option now, but you did it all the while complying to Jimin's request. The blonde man's heart swelled seeing the love of his life in tears, no matter if they were out of contentment or gloom.

"Jimin. Fucking kiss me already," You almost demanded. It wasn't aggressive, considering the tears staining your face and small droplets falling onto your white shirt to make it transparent, it almost made it thankful to hear.

Your boyfriend complied with a grin, his lips locking with yours roughly.

You could taste the flavour of his raspberry lipgloss on your tongue, the both of you moving around to remember every inch of each other's bodies. Jimin trailed his fingers across and up your chest and arms, feeling the bare and clothed skin before heading up to grip on your perfect strands of hair. Hearing the low grunt that left your mouth when he bit on your bottom lip was everything he'd wanted, a egoistic smile on his lips when he noticed that your hands too had a mind of their own, following whatever pattern they wanged across Jimin's back, thighs and ass, not only to keep him on your lap for as long as you please, but it was the only way that could keep his as humanly close as possible.

Jimin pulled away to breathe. Both your breaths rigid and uneven from the clashing of tongue and teeth.

He looked at you with glossy yet loving eyes, softly giggling at the shiny and magenta-tinted lipgloss stain pained on the corner of your mouth.

You chuckled gently too, the rippling action from your lover doing causing the affect, "What's funny?" You asked, still out of breath.

Jimin smiled, bringing his thumb to the space in which the gloss had spread, caressing the perfect skin, "I'm waiting to wake up from this dream," Jimin admitted, his voice low and delicate, "I missed you so much more than I thought..."

Your gazed into Jimin's eyes, the small confession making you smile, "Thank you."

Jimin chuckled, "For what?"

"For waiting. You didn't... You didn't deserve to wait so long, and it probably hurt you more than me..."

Jimin swallow hard, bringing his hand that was buried in your hair to your cheek, caressing it softly, "No, no, baby. Shut up."

And he made you, colliding his lips back onto yours.

You didn't stop yourself from squeezing Jimin's ass, feeling him accidentally buck into you but also the sound of a gasp leaving his lips was a pure symphony to your ears.

One of your hands reached up to his soft hair, running your fingers through the blonde strands to first learn the pattern before taking a handful to pull on.

Your lover gasped again at the action, his neck both forcefully and willingly on display for you. It made a smirk appear in your lips, before bringing them down to sink bites and kisses along the skin.

Sure, Jimin had touched himself while you were gone, you can't expect a man with a stressful career and a want for sex to not masturbate while his lover is away. Yet, he hadn't been touched, being that you were the only person who he'd allow.

Jimin let you leave wet kisses along his neck, his breath hitching softly with every other touch you left.

You let go of Jimin's hair, instead placing a hand on his back as you lifted him up from off your lap and placed him roughly on the table, make up products falling off the surface and onto the floor. Not that it bothered you, you had better things to take care of.

Jimin gripped your shirt, grabbing a fistful of the fabric to clash your lips onto his for the third time, doing his very best to rob that feeling of love and lust he craved for too long.

He was panting harsh when he pulled away, looking at you through lidded eyes, "Please touch me," Jimin said, practically moaning at the feeling of your fingers tracing his thighs.

"Hm," you hummed, a smirk on your lips as you watch your boyfriend's breath become rigid, but you couldn't stop yourself from chuckling when you pressed your palm against his hardening bulge, "What was that, love?"

"Fuck, daddy–" Jimin breathed out, his hips bucking forward at the harsh contact, his nails digging into your biceps. "Please, please, Daddy. I want your cock. Please."

"When was the last time this ass was fucked, baby?" You asked, popping off the button of his skinny jeans.

"T-his morning," Jimin replied almost immediately, "I– ahh– I was so horny and I got the dildo and–"

"Such a dirty boy." You pulled off Jimin's pants, chuckling lightly at his confession, "Come a bit forward for me, love. I need to prep you for my cock, right?"

Jimin nodded obediently, doing as he was told but also wrapping his arms around your neck to bring you close to him.

It caused a smile to play onto your face, though you bought two fingers up to your mouth to coat them with your saliva, seen as you didn't want you hurt your boyfriend.

"Ready?" You asked.

Jimin nodded, and a loud gasp left his lips, followed by a moan and his hands comimg up to grip your stands of hair, "Aah! H-hmm!"

"Huh, you really did miss me, baby boy. You're is sucking in my finger so well," You laughed softly.

The fake compliment in your tone made Jimin even hornier, but his hips bucked so hard when you placed in another finger. His breathing becoming that bit heavier. Two fingers pumping in and out of his ass at a pace that made him so fustrated and so satisfied at the same time. It was like you knew that if you'd go any faster, he might actually cum. But you knew for sure, it had been so long since Jimin came from your cock or fingers.

"You know what?" You asked, very much being rhetoric, but Jimin's heavy eyes met your playful ones, "I think you can take three fingers, baby."

You didn't wait for him to respond properly, he got his words cut off by his own moan and his holes being stretched.

"Daddy! Oh god, please go faster, please! I need to cum." Jimin begged, bringing you close as you stood so close to him, your three fingers doing their job as you watched Jimin drool and moan.

He looked so sexy all submissive and fucked-out for you. You didn't know how you went on two years without the love of your life, but not having Jimin for that long was torture on his own.

"You want to cum, baby boy?" You knew he did, the precum spewing from his tip was enough for you to figure that out without his response.

"Yes, daddy!" He gasped, "Please, I want to cum so b-bad!"

He was almost crying, so desperate and dirty for a release.

You extracted your fingers. Slow, but quick enough so Jimin wouldn't accidently cum.

You watched your boyfriend moan out a sob, his eyes glossed with tears at your actions and his cheeks flushed from how hot and needy he was. "B-But–"

You gripped Jimin's chin, smiling softly, "Were you close, baby?"

He nodded without a second thought.

"Turn around," You said, "You're going to take my cock like a good boy."

[yugirl-with-dragons]

Side Stories: Promises and Nightmares

….

He wasn’t sure what hour it was, but all he could hear was faint crying and screaming. Falling face first into the floor, it was the jolt he needed to wake up. 

Wha?..

Busting out from his room he booked it down the stairs in the dark, tripping and stumbling over the wooden stairs. Screaming getting louder, his eyes widened in fear full well knowing who’s voice is producing that sound. 

Aki!!

Giving a gentle tap before opening her door with a bit too much force, stumbling in. The poor girl flailing about, trying to fight whatever specter was trying to choke her to death. He was a bit relieved that no one was stabbing his meister, but refocused back. He needed to wake her up before she hurt herself. Running to her side trying to figure out what to do, her screams contain chokes of cries. Tears of sadness, pain, running down her face while thrashing about; attempting to call her back into the real world as her partner. 

I need to wake her up before she hurts herself.

…

Strapped down in an unfamiliar room, against what seemed to be a table. It had a familiar sensation of terror, but where it was coming from  is a mystery. Pristine minimalism of science haunted her eyes, with ranges of medical instruments scattered about next to her. All she knew  in that moment was that she was in danger, and Yusei… Where was Yusei? 

Panic setting in, searching with her limited range with her restraints would let her. Shouting to be let go and evenly take on whoever put her in this position in between for her weapon.  Her partner had been separated from her, feeling utterly helpless to the mercy of whoever is around. 

Other humans towering over her, all dressed in white jackets, with their faces indistinguishable almost blurring together in the shadows. 

“My, my little mouse. You’ve changed, I’m glad you’re back.”

I was here before? When was I here? I was never here before! 

 Looking around, she couldn’t pinpoint the location of the voice, causing her to struggle against her restraints even more in order to break free and find her partner. 

“Quit squirming so much!.. He can’t save you. Really, he left you to me.  ” 

Choking on her own words, she couldn’t hide the tears of betrayal running down her cheeks, venom piercing out from her mouth. 

“He wouldn’t! You’re lying!” 

His eyes, the color of dying grass pierced in through her. Clearly holding something resembling a syringe, filled with.. not even she knew what it was. Though the details of his face still remained fairly fuzzy. 

“Little mouse.. How would you know?” 

Freezing, she considered his words, before shaking them out. He wouldn’t leave her to die here! That’s not who Yusei is! 

“ He’s my partner! He wouldn’t betray his partner!” 

The voice boomed out a laugh, queuing the others in the room to laugh as well. Washing out any of her concentration on trying to escape. 

“Tell me then.. Where do you think he is?” 

She didn’t have an answer to the voice, she didn’t know, fueling her panic even further. 

Where is he? Yusei where are you?!

For a moment she didn’t know where he was, until a familiar voice of laughter rang into her ears. She couldn’t see him immediately, but she knew that it was her partner. 

“God I can’t believe that you fell for it. You’re such a sucker, Aki.  ” 

Yusei’s own hands were holding her shoulders down, staring up to meet his bright blue irises. Breaking into her soul, with a smile of malice; shaking his head with pity. 

“ You are such a stupid, stupid little girl.” 

As the needle pierced her skin, she couldn’t help but scream and convulse against her restraints. 

Her brain stopped working, burning that image of him into her mind; her tears of betrayal were vocally known. Starting to feel lightheaded and her body began to shake, maybe as a side effect of whatever it was perhaps? She wasn’t sure, her resistance was put to waste as the last few words were her name being called out to her as everything blurred to shades of dark red. 

Her eyes fluttered open, her magenta hair drenched with sweat heaving to a rapid heartbeat. Vaguely looking around that she was in her room.. with Yusei next to her side, paled with concern actively holding her down, pinning her to the bed with his hands. 

“Aki! Aki, are you okay?” 

Regaining focus she gazed into his eyes. Distracted by how the night reflected against his ocean colored irises, as her grogginess slapped back into her body from whatever realm she came back from. 

“Ngh?” 

She could feel the wetness on her cheeks fade as his slender hands started to wipe away her tears. Looking worried, she absolutely did not know how to react with someone right by her side. She wanted to fling herself to him, thanking the gods that he was right there. He wasn’t aiding whomever it was turning her into an experiment. It just felt too real. 

“You were screaming.. and I.. I wanted to make sure that you were okay.” 

Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to open up. Doing what she did best, she put on a mask and faked her way through another night of terrors. 

Saying nothing, all she could do was stare into his tired eyes. The bags under his eyes, reflected guilt into her. Just how long was he awake trying to wake her? A few minutes? Hours? She should’ve just stayed at home with her father where her screams just pass through the wind. Not burdening anyone else with her own issues.  

She’d been having these nightmares ever since well, she couldn’t quite remember. It was certainly after she was discharged from the hospital from a head injury. Psychologists would just brush off these dreams as just that, dreams. Though with the night terrors being this intense, she felt otherwise. 

Glancing at the digital clock illuminating the room, 3:35am.

She couldn’t speak, her throat hoarse. As she sat up her skull throbbed, probably from the lack of sleep. Already feeling guilty for waking him up at the very least.. who knew if the twins heard her, even if she was on a different floor of the house. 

All she could muster in a tiny voice, so feeble a mouse wouldn’t be deterred by her sound. 

“Go back to sleep Yusei, it.. it was just a bad dream. Nothing more.” 

He couldn’t just leave her like this and go back to sleep. It left a pit of concern in his stomach, if he followed her order, he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Not with that look of fear hidden in her eyes. 

What did she see? 

Something wasn’t right. Even if he hit the floor of his own room in the morning to her screaming there had to be something more to this. They may not be bound to each other but he had the right to know what the hell happened to get her to scream bloody murder in the middle of the night. His irritation was made known despite trying to hold himself back, made even harder from his own lack of sleep. 

“It must’ve been one hell of a dream if you’re screaming bloody murder, to tell me that it’s ‘nothing’, Aki!” 

Her lip quivering, quietly flinching from a memory that doesn’t feel familiar to her, yet it still felt up in her soul.  Any irritation he inflicted in the air vanished in his realization that she wasn’t being stubborn this time around. Normally her stubbornness would get in the way of organizing a plan. Insisting that her plan was the best plan, usually her plans did work; but there’s a few times he’s called her out on her stubbornness while in battle. She acknowledged would help calculate a plan on the fly with the resources they had available. 

This wasn’t a battle however. 

Fully realizing that this wasn’t her normal behavior either. 

He gave out an apology, from being riled up, before sitting down on the covers of her bed right beside her. 

Holding her hand in comfort, squeezing them gently. He let right right hand brush her messily falling out bangs behind her ear, intending to remove any barriers to her hesitancy. 

“Aki, I’m your weapon. I.. It’s my .. I want to make sure that my meister is healthy. Just how you check in on me when I’m not feeling great, it goes both ways.. just please tell me what happened..“ 

Steadily she turned away from him, bordering on the verge of tears at his touch. She understood that it was late and the two of them were tired, alas giving a weak attempt at assurance for her partner. 

“… please, go back to bed.” 

She couldn’t look at him, how could she? He on the other hand, felt restless, a guilty restlessness within him. Wanting to help, but a clear barrier was still between them.  Whether he had noticed it before or not, he couldn’t absolutely say. Worried,  he was about to add more justification before he could hear footsteps. 

“Aki..” 

The twins’ footsteps could echoed through the halls minutes later before barging into Aki’s room. 

“Big sis!! Are you alright??” 

The two were clearly more tired than Yusei. Yet their spirits didn’t falter. Yusei gave a nod and an assurance to Rua, as they probably aren’t accustomed to screaming on a daily or nightly basis. 

“Oh thank goodness that it was just a dream! I thought that someone was getting stab—OW RUKA!”

Ruka, knowing that Rua doesn’t remotely understand the gravity of the immediate situation, gave her brother a hard shoulder check as a means of discipline in front of the two of them. Gently raising her voice to get her point across.  

“That’s not appropriate Rua!”

Ruka immediately turned back to Aki, giving a tiny smile. Holding back the means to discipline her brother via her fist to the top of his head. 

“Forgive him.. he.. doesn’t always know when to make jokes.. properly… are you alright Aki?” 

She still holding Yusei’s hand, nodded slowly. Ruka, assured that they aren’t needed, started to walk out; yanking her twin along out the door. 

“Alright, rua, come with me. We’re getting some water for Aki.”

“Hey! Ruka–”

Ruka, giving her confused twin a glare and a nudge, got enough of a gist to understand somewhat,  got the picture. 

“–Right, water!.. For Aki.” 

The twins left Aki’s room to leave them some privacy, and at least one of them proceeded to run up the stairs. Aki sighed, holding back her tears of being tormented. 

“Yusei.. please.. I don’t want to talk about it right now. Not now. One day but not now.” 

Helplessness tied his hands behind him, frustrated that he couldn’t give her aid that she deserved. So he did what he knew could as he immediately hugged her, Squeezing her tight for an assurance her soul needed. 

“I’ll always be here for you Aki. When you feel ready to talk about it with me.. I’m ready to listen.”  

She lightly returned his embrace, letting her barrier down from her easy going personality into a more intimate level. A mask she let chip away piece by piece.

…

In the kitchen, Ruka started to make tea for herself. As a means to get herself to relax to go back to sleep. Yusei closed the door to Aki’s room, still not understanding what happened. He knew that she had a nightmare, but not understanding why she’s hiding this from him. It propelled him into a loop of concern, worrying about the health of his meister. Wondering how frequently these terrors were to her and how long she had been dealing with them.

He let his forehead touch the cold maple door as he closed it behind him, with his hand briefly squeezing the handle. Not understanding her rejection, but respecting her boundaries. Saddened by the barrier she had put between them. 

“ Would you like any chamomile tea, Yusei?”

He gave out a sigh, still trying to figure out what she’d seen that would change a stubborn girl to an injured animal cornered by a hunter in a span of hours.  

Ruka, very tired, could even see that there was something a bit off with Yusei. Yes, him and aki are partners, from her understanding they haven’t known each other for very long. Really, his body reacted with more concern and sadness than the average person. Acting more of a concerned “very good friend”, bordering on boyfriend. 

“.. No thanks.” 

For some unknown reason to him, he couldn’t look Ruka in the eyes. Not from guilt, likely bordering on his lack of energy starting to catch up with him. However, he needed an answer, he’s known Ruka since their family had moved to Tops despite the two of them having a range in age difference. 

“Yusei..” 

Giving out a sigh he started to pace a bit. Sifting his fingers through his messy hair, he couldn’t understand her behavior. It didn’t make sense for his meister to shut him out. 

Why is she shutting me out? Aren’t we supposed to understand each other to make this partnership work?  

Ruka leaned against the kitchen island, looking through the open layout created in the house. Remembering that the common factor between him and his meister were the twins.  Rua traversed back upstairs a bit ago, though Ruka was still awake. 

She might have an idea about why Aki’s shutting me out. 

“Ruka.. You’ve known her longer than me..Why won’t she talk to me?” 

Inter slotting her fingers between her hands, she knew the answer. Still trying to adapt to receiving help, as she’s been pulling herself up by her own straps at her own expense. Only a matter of time before it’s going to take a massive toll on her. And when it does, it’s going to be massively impairing on her. Though, she needed to water it down, to the point where she would give a bit of push to him to ask Aki. She may have known her for a while, but this was something he needed to approach Aki on. 

I have a strong bond with her. What more do I need to do so she’ll open up? 

Ruka gave a sigh, shaking her head. 

“Yusei.. give her time. She has a large gap in her memory and is used to taking care of herself on her own. I’m not sure what happened to her during that time– .” 

Yusei, perked at this piece of information, as many questions now popping up in his mind, forcing him to stop his pacing; concerned that something else is going on.  

“What do you mean a gap in her memory? She didn’t tell me anything about that when we met!” 

Ruka sighed, mainly at Aki. As that is one major detail she needed to lay out in order to make a partnership work. Though she couldn’t quite blame her on that, as memories can be falsely manipulated within the human psyche and be taken advantage of. Still nonetheless she was going to have to fulfill an exposition for him so their bond won’t slip. 

“She left Neo Domino at one point. When she came back to Neo Domino, I don’t know when or why she left in the first place. All I know is that  when she did come back, paramedics found her body in an alleyway, unconscious from an anonymous tip. Towards the eastern Entrance of the city.  Her father made attempts to visit her while she was in a coma for roughly a month or so.”

Narrowing his eyes he kept his gaze on Ruka, slowly nodding to acknowledge what she was saying not liking anything that he was hearing.  

Her body in an alleyway?… What happened to her?

One thing he knew for certain, the words he could remember his father stating to him, solidified their meanings in gold. Reaffirming his acceptance that he was going to uphold those meanings at any cost. Ruka’s kettle whistled a loud tune as the steam leaked from the spout as she turned off the stove. 

“She’s been telling me about these dreams she’s been having ever since she woke up. I knew her dreams were bad.. Even, she wasn’t even telling me the severity of them. That’s just.. how she deals with things, I suppose. Downplaying and doing it all herself. ” 

He just wants her to confide in him. He’s supposed to protect her from harm! What about that is that so hard to understand? Supporting his head as he leaned against the partial table connecting to the open kitchen, the gears in his head started to turn thinking about why she’d shut him out over a dream of all things.

Something in his head clicked, eyes widening making a connection he should’ve made earlier; realizing his mistake. 

That’s right.. she’s always having to take care of herself, on her own. It’s no wonder that she insists on rejecting.. help. 

Making an executive decision he landed back on the couch with the furniture suddenly shudder from his sudden weight. It wasn’t the most comfortable place in the world, but he was damned if he was going to let her scream again in the middle of the night, focused on the sound for any level of disturbance before sleep took over his body. 

As the morning sun rose, neither of them brought up the night’s events. He was keeping his word to her, letting her come to him on her own terms. Though that still didn’t mean that he needed caffeine in his system to function. With classes starting soon he needed to get up earlier, though that wasn’t as hard as getting Aki up. As most of the time, she slept in until noon or later assuming from whatever night terrors she’d suffer from the previous night. 

…

As the nights strode out, she’d still wake up to him. Just as concerned and with just as much tired relief every single time. 

Though she hasn’t confided in him about her dreams. With similar ones reappearing and new ones materializing every so often, fearing if he would leave her one day for a better partner from an emotional scale. She couldn’t help but still keep to herself, expecting him to immediately leave when she wakes up. Expecting him to vanish into another world. 

Yet he’s still there. 

He always goes into a trained sentence from something about being ready to listen to her or something. Half of the time she’s really groggy, but always remember seeing him as she wakes up. Usually tired, but a relieved expression that she’s back from hell; with water and sometimes a small snack ready for her if she needed it. She had little faith in herself, that she can rely on someone in her life. Just wanting comfort, but expecting it to be a justification of poor behavior.

Still couldn’t figure out why he was doing this for her, after all she can take care of herself. 

Why was he doing this for her?

…

“ I’m always here for you.”

Papa and momma have said that to me before.. He’s.. Promising me too much. 

Fake promises were easy to make, put up a mask until the purpose has been fulfilled. Something kept bugging her, his legitimacy. How long would it be until he gave up on her and marked as a lost cause? How long would it take for him to walk out “for groceries” to not return? 

Those thoughts were softly interrupted by the gentle weight of blanket landing on her soft shoulders as the weight on her left had shifted a bit on the couch. As lo and behold, it was her weapon with a couple snacks in hand with that smile.  

That damned smile, the same one he gave back when she accepted his invitation to live with him as a discombobulated family. Emanating the same warmth from the evening sun escaping the moon.

Though his clothing today was fairly more relaxed with a black tank top matching his jacket and grey sweatpants. He took lazy saturdays and sundays just more than face value, rather fully invested in it at times though, she was just as guilty. 

“ You looked cold, and the twins wanted to marathon some cartoons tonight. Wanna join?” 

She couldn’t feel it, though her heart started to speak for her. Returning the same energy that he’s given to her, giving a smile that could speak from the reflection. Though eyeing the box of pocky he was holding captive in his hands, gently pointing out the box to her desires. 

“ Why not?.. Though, you better save me some chocolate pocky this time!” 

He gave her a soft nudge back in playful banter, before eyeing the blanket as his eyes made its way back to meet her own. 

“ Only if you share the blanket.” 

Glancing  into his cheerful eyes, she gave  an exaggerated pout of thought as if she were trying to make a deal on at a pawn shop.

“… Deal.” 

 Giving him an affirming smile, she flung the soft material over yusei’s lap. Sounds of munching and laughter echoed through the house, as life for today, was good. There’ll be more bright days ahead of her darkest nights. Maybe, just maybe, one day she’ll have the faith in herself to tear down the wall built up blocking out her heart. After all, there seemed to be sounds of chipping away the hardened shale on the other side. 

At least for today, that promise’s legitimacy is real as her tired head made its way onto his shoulder; trying her best to stay awake under a warm schenel blanket, watching cartoons far into the night. 

…

—submitted by  @taytay4674788—

Sorry if it took me so long to reply!!! And- ASDFGHJK thank you for this magical piece. Honestly, I love them both so much ;-; Poor Aki, the fact that she saw Yusei in her nightmare telling her those ugly things shattered my heart

He’s so loyal and lovely but he has to break through her defenses (canon easter egg?) and she’s got so much trauma she will have to digest, eventually… sdfghj my poor girl, you’ve got the right people around you this time

I also love that there are the twins too!! Ruka is such a nice younger sister, I really love their whole dynamic ;; 

Tbh the soul eater AU is absolutely fantastic and the fact that you added in so much background makes everything even better sdfghj 

He doesn’t insist. He gives her so much space. It’s hard for her but he’s doing everything in his power to help her, know her more, let her feel safe…. sdfghj there goes my heart

Thank you again for this submission <3 <3 <3