#maybe his family went into debt for it

[mendellyill]

Baldurs gate 3 spoilers about gale (and rolan kinda) under the cut

If you take gale and karlach with you to the counting house in the lower city, they have a conversation about how neither of them have ever had much money and I find that for gale, that provides some fascinating context for his life.

How much did his mother sacrifice to send him to university? Of course hes a mama's boy, getting him into magic college was probably her main priority for most of his childhood. How difficult was it for him to get learning materials? Gale loves libraries, which is a standard nerdy thing but as a kid whose family might not have been able to afford the books he needed to learn about magic? Libraries would have been his one connection to the world of magic. Every scrap of magical material would have been precious and hard won.

Mystras attention would probably have been absolutely life changing for him. If he doesn't have a fortune to fall back on, like lorroakan, having the attention of the literal embodiment of the weave is probably the only way he was ever going to get anywhere in his field. Speaking as someone who works in academia, it doesn't matter how smart you are if you can't get funding. Their relationship is already deeply one sided, but man if gale feels like his opportunities for success are because of her? Fuck.

We see a sort of similar (please for the love of God bear with me) situation with lorroakan and rolan. Rolans poor, reasonably talented, and loves magic more than almost anything besides his family. He was, up until the enslaving dame Aylin plan, willing to put up with lorroakans abuse and whims because he wanted to be a wizard so bad. Now gale has several in universe advantages compared with rolans situation, but it's clear that the Wizarding profession is not a profession you can easily get into if you don't have funds or a very rich patron.

Not really sure where I'm going with this. I saw a post about gale joking about how his tower was never cleaner than after he lost the orb and I just. For a kid who grew up in a low income situation, his tower is 100% a point of pride and something he identifies with very strongly. To have had to literally devour his tower to stay alive, to have had to literally destroy everything in the life he built for himself as a result of the orb. That must have been horrifying for him.

[zoboey]

genuinely the most fucked up painful part of getting broken up with has been losing the feeling of belonging to a family that made me feel safe.

[icterid-rubus]

Hhh so angry these past two days

[running-with-kn1ves]

Satin Pillows To Cry On

CW: coercion with money, age gap(7 yrs), transactional marriage, obsessive/yandere behavior

gn! reader

﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀

You’ve got nothing else, no one else to rely on. 

‘You’re something he bought to keep from growing old.” 

Your clothes are worth small countries. Your cars stacked in 3-level garages. Diamonds, emeralds, pearls hanging from your wrists and ears, satchels made of endangered animal skins, different shoes for each day of the year. 

Your boyfriend of three years spat at your feet when you told him what you were doing. 

“His money can’t love you, not like I can.”

The wedding was only two months away when you broke up with him, told him you couldn’t live in his broke-down apartment anymore, that you couldn’t live with debt trailing wherever you went. You went so far as to make him hate you, to tell him that you never wanted to see him again, that you never loved him, that he better not bother showing up to the wedding. You didn’t want him there, you never wanted to see him again. 

“You’re lying to me; he’s making you say these things, he’s using you against me! You’ve known him what-- two seconds, and you’re going to marry this man?! He’s nearly a decade older than you!” 

Seven years of an age gap or not, he was still a thousand times more independent, wealthy, and a safer choice than your boyfriend. You weren’t some fresh college student new to the world, you had graduated over two years ago, still finding no luck in getting a stable income-- forget about whether or not it was in the field of your degree. 

You left in a single day, fitting all of your scavanged belongings into one of your fiance’s awaiting cars. You left anything worth of value with your ex-boyfriend, knowing he’d find more use out of it than you would. You would even leave the rest of your things there if he could find use for them, but you knew they’d just be one more painful reminder of your betrayal. 

He did as you said, not showing up to your wedding, staying clear, never appearing in your line of sight since the day you left. It made it easier…. For both of you that way. 

And now you were happy-- well, maybe not happy, maybe not even content, but you were… safe. You had everything you needed: a working car, a stable job that you felt productive in, a clean and comforting house to come home to, a spouse. Sure, maybe you didn’t get your new job yourself, or your house or your car-- but did that really matter, in this economy? Who wouldn’t trade their life and their independence for this kind of wealth?

And your husband… he wasn’t all bad. He might have only wanted you for the sake of having you at first, like a new jewel or the latest technological invention. But he was doting and caring in his own way. Maybe just a tiny bit too invested in you, in your schedule and who you talked to. A little too hateful towards your ex-boyfriend, the one who had you before he could. But everyone had character flaws, and on good days you could distract him from his grumpy mood and stress and obsessive behaviors by being the loving and oh so perfect spouse you had trained yourself to be ever since he asked to marry you. 

“Colder than all that gold…” You repeated in your mind, the words your family whispered to each other at your wedding reception only a few feet away from you. 

That was over six months now, though… the honeymoon phase never existed, you rarely saw your husband except for his midnight appearances back from the office, and whenever he would whisk you away for a weekend vacation to savor the time he had with you. For someone more sophisticated, much wealthier, and dare you say handsomer than the average man-- you were surprised to find he didn’t have a line of divorces behind him. 

No; he said, he had been “waiting for you.” whether  you or he knew it, he understood right from the moment of meeting you that you were the one he’d have for the rest of his life, even if it killed him. That severity… scared you. But in a sick sense, it made you feel relieved. Forever? This could be yours, forever? Your family would never have to struggle again, you would never have to worry where your next meal came from?

“I cleared your schedule until tuesday; we’re going to the isles. A mini vacation, you might call it. Get your things.”

He was cold, that was for sure. But, was he any worse than your ex-boyfriend, especially when he was offering you an expensive experience on top of that?

“All right..” You acquiesced. 

And now, you lied sunken into the bed feeling his loving, hot breath on your navel. Going so sweetly slow, so oddly and uncharacteristingly lingering with his touches as he gazes into your eyes. You didn’t like this; didn’t like that when he was cherishing you, making love to you, holding you so intimately, he was appearing… like a husband should. Where did he get the nerve to ignore you everyday, to have hardly any time for you, only to come back and beg for your love when it was convenient for him? 

But you keep your mouth shut, like you should, if you want to keep eating breakfast in bed, keep wearing silk robes while watching the view of the ocean outside your window.

“So beautiful…you’re like a work of art, the kind no amount of money can buy.” 

That was funny, hilarious even. Enough so to make you cry. 

A familiar face passes by the slightly ajar door to distract you, likely one of the housekeepers leaving for the night. But you swear the man’s figure reminds you of someone from your past, someone you loved and left for good. 

Your husband brings back your attention by placing a gentle kiss to your temple, blindly undoing the clasp of the necklace he bought you.

“I’m so lucky… so lucky to have been the one to catch you, forever. No one could’ve done it, not without what I have.”

He wanted you to kiss and caress back, but sometimes lying still was just enough. It was enough for him to witness you, basking in the glow of everything you wore from him, lying in the Egyptian cotton sheets he paid extra for, your body molded to the diet his personal chefs cooked. 

Even as he pushed a knee between your legs, traveling from your navel to your stomach with open-mouthed sucks and kisses in the rawest form of affection, you couldn’t help but turn your face deep into the pillow. So soft, the soft purple shielding your eyes from his tender gaze.

You might’ve given up love, given up everything familiar and those who you’ve cared for-- but at least you had satin pillows to cry on, and the finest jewelry to wipe your tears with. 

[naeverse]

Lapdog

🐩staring: NerdMiguel x QueenBee Reader

💗 preview: “Damn, sounds like you want a lapdog.” Peter chuckled, returning to your conversation as MJ followed suit in his laughter, which only made your smile broaden.

“It does…doesn't it?

🌸Summary: You, Queen Bee, have been desiring a little assistant for a while—someone who can fetch you things, do your work, assist you in any way possible, and just make life much easier. However, after witnessing a surprising occurrence with one of the lamest students on campus, Miguel O'Hara, you believe you've found just that, and maybe something even better...

💗rating. 18+ explicit I SMUT I

🐩tw/cw. Blackmail, Caught in the act, College AU,  Demeaning, Desperation, Dirty talk, Dominance, Handjob, Masturbation, Orgasm Denial, Overstimulation, Ownership, Public Masturbation, Power Differences, Praising, Public, Sex toys, Vibrator, etc…

🌸Word count: 9k

(*All rights reserved. DO NOT repost/translate/copy any of my work.*)

Small, quiet whimpers escaped the lips of the burly man to your left. His head lowered in an attempt to hide as he diligently tackled your college work. His large, left hand trembled while he solved long math equations, expressions, logarithms, and whatever else the packet held. You shifted your gaze from the four-eyed male to two others seated at your booth.

Peter B. Parker, the captain of the football team and the golden boy of the school, sat across from you, alongside his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson, or MJ, who was the editor of the college newspaper. They cuddled up against each other, with MJ on his chest and his arm wrapped around her.

The two were considered your "friends" at the university, forming the famous clique that instilled fear and envy in the entire student body. However, between the adored football jock and the news girl, you, on the other hand, were a much bigger deal. 

Everyone knew your name, and if they didn't, you were seen as an utter disgrace due to your cluelessness.

You were known as the university's queen bee.

Everyone loved or hated you; you didn't care. Any attention was welcome. You were the leader of the notorious sorority house of baddies, with a rich family that could drop and sue anyone with the drop of a hat. You could control the student body in masses with just a word, and had everyone, even the staff, wrapped around your pretty, manicured finger. 

Whatever you said went, and don't you fucking dare think otherwise; you'd be an idiot to challenge the queen. Having the ability to turn any person into a complete nobody, withering away in debts and charges, kept everyone in their place.

But you wouldn't exactly say Peter and MJ were your friends, just students at college who possessed a certain kind of power that was highly useful to have in your corner.

Peter and his kind, sweet persona solidified bonds with other universities and the dean themselves. He was the face of your campus and was hella popular.

MJ headed the media, and whatever she said or wrote in the newspaper or the college blog was believed by everyone on campus, even if it was false.

Not that anyone would know...

Peter, MJ, and you were at the top of the food chain at your university; no one else mattered and was worth the time.

So why the hell was this lowlife sitting at your booth?

Miguel O'Hara, known as the nerdiest of the nerds on your college campus, sat beside you at your usual booth in Mama's diner, your clique's hangout spot.

To be fair, you didn't classify Miguel as such; more of a loner because he didn't look like a nerd. His body was covered in bulging muscles that contrasted greatly with his quiet persona. He had a towering height that rose above most of the football team, and he got attention from girls.

Or, well...

Girls gave him attention, not like the guy minded them.

He kept to himself, always having his nose stuck in a book. To make him even more of a dork, he worked at the school library. Due to his elusive nature and  how hard he was to categorize, the loner had gained a distasteful reputation; many students on campus hated him as a result. 

Was he a jock due to his bulging muscles, a bad boy due to his mysteriousness and constant desire for solitude, or was he a nerd for always being found reading, and whenever he spoke, only intellectual things came out?

He was a tricky case.

And not one you cared about until today…

You never would have paid the introverted male any attention if it weren't for you, this morning, stumbling into the library in search of someone to do your homework. Instead of finding a lowlife in waiting, you found something much better…

You found Miguel in his office, located at the far back of the library, moaning and jerking off under his desk. To make matters worse, AirPods adorned his ears, blocking out any awareness of your presence. You even leaned over his shoulder to discover that he was clearly watching porn.

He was definitely an amateur...

But a needy little thing he was...

The sight before you was an honest gold mine, something that would be perfect for MJ to post on the school blog as you captured a video of the surprising occurrence.

It was hard to fathom how much his reputation, if he had one, would plummet once the entire school got a look at this. But then, being the cunning queen you were, you had a better idea for that video…

You decided to use it as a means to have an around-the-clock assistant that would come running at your every beck and call, at any given time. It was a great idea, especially with the lowlife not being unpleasant to the eyes. 

So now here he was, being a good little puppy for you and doing your homework, except...

It didn't seem like your associates were too pleased with your puppy’s presence.

You met Peter's gaze, his amber eyes furrowed in confusion as he glanced from you to the muscular loner and back again. "Okay, why the hell is he here?" he finally asked after a while of just staring at the two of you. A smirk spread across your lips at his question. "I believe you have eyes, Peter. He's doing my homework," you simply said with a sly grin, continuing your subtle movements under the table, which only made the geek clench his pencil even more.

Peter and MJ recognized that look on you, that sneaky smile you wore whenever you were up to no good. But this time, they couldn't quite put a finger on what it was and how it involved the four-eyed freak.

MJ looked between you and Miguel as well, her cherry lips pursing. "Why here, though?" she asked, her head still resting against Peter's chest. "Most of the time when we meet at Mama's diner, we gossip, we talk about deep stuff. We can't do that with him here," she acknowledged, motioning to Miguel in the corner, who seemed very focused on solving a long ass math problem.

You couldn't help but look over at him as well, taking in the sight of his heavy breathing and faintly red cheeks, before looking back at your associates, who still wore expressions of confusion and discomfort. You huffed, giving them a fake pout. “Come on, Miguel won't utter a single word to anyone...

Now, would you?”

You asked, turning to look at the large Latino, his amber orbs covered with a pair of black eyeglasses as he remained silent, adamantly trying to avoid eye contact. You scowled, giving him a tight squeeze, followed by a deep stroke making him jolt. His eyes briefly rolled, his mouth stammering, trying to find his words. “No… I won't.” He said so low and deep you had to lean in to hear him.

You could visibly see him struggling, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead as he tried painstakingly to control his breathing. You grinned, watching him return to work on your math packet like a good little puppy. “See? He can be trusted.” You explained with a smile, continuing your tantalizing play on the nerd, which only made the Latino male suck in a breath and grip his pencil tighter.

You swore you thought the wooden tool would snap in two any second now…

“Fine, but what made you want to bring him of all people?” Peter asked next, turning your gaze onto him. “He holds no power at our Uni. He’s useless to us.” He said with a chuckle, running his fingers through his girlfriend's red hair. You chuckled at his belief that the four-eyed male was ‘useless’; 

Currently, he was everything but…

“You know how much I wanted my own little assistant for some time.” You replied with a smirk, tracing Miguel under the table, feeling your fingers begin to become further coated in his essence. “As in someone who can fetch me things, do my work,

Satisfy my every need…”

You abruptly squeezed Miguel once more, a sudden audible groan passing his lips, gaining everyone's attention. Peter and MJ glanced over at Miguel with raised eyebrows before just brushing it off as the geek having one of his weird moments. 

Subtly, you shot the dweeb a glare, making his ears redden and clear his throat. He flicked his pencil around in his thick fingers, beginning to erase a mistake he made due to your harsh grip before you turned back to your associates with a nonchalant smile.

“Damn, sounds like you want a lapdog.” Peter chuckled, returning to your conversation as MJ followed suit in his laughter, which only made your smile broaden.

“It does…doesn't it?”

You whispered, glancing over at Miguel, who was trying not to acknowledge your gaze, seeming to be very interested in the ways of Calculus II. 

“Aww… Peter, you know me so well.” You thought with a small grin, continuing to stroke the trembling male. You could feel the dweeb strain underneath his black jeans, enjoying how greatly he was trying to hide his pleasure. With your thumb, you brushed over his sensitive tip, making him whimper loudly, despite his effort to suppress it by biting his lip.

You shot him another stern look, slightly relieved to hear a groan of annoyance from MJ at the same time. At her outburst, it drew your attention over to her to see she was looking over at the workers in Mama's diner who were diligently working in the kitchen area of the diner. “Gosh, we've been sitting here for 20 minutes, and our order still isn't here.” She whined, crossing her arms over her chest like a pouty child in the grocery store. 

“Come on, baby, it should be out in a little bit,” Peter whispered, trying to comfort her. You couldn’t help rolling your eyes at her dramatics. MJ always did this to get attention, Peter’s attention in particular, who you’ve noticed was staring at you a lot more than usual upon entering Mama’s diner today.

You met MJ’s blue eyes, giving her a tight-lipped smile. “Actually, why don't you two go check it out? See what's the hold-up?” You proposed, glancing over at Miguel to see his defined Adam's apple bob at your words, his nervousness only exciting you further.

Oblivious to your proposal and the fact that you, the queen, said it, Peter and MJ nodded and slid out of the booth. You watched in the corner of your eye as they walked away from your table and towards the front of the diner. 

‘Now the fun can begin…’

You thought, a wicked grin spreading across your glossy lips. With them gone, you wanted nothing more than to have some fun with your new puppy. You turned in your seat to finally make eye contact with the panting male, and you couldn’t help but snicker at the sight.

The dweeb’s coffee-brown curls were plastered to his sweaty forehead, his amber orbs hooded behind his glasses while his grip on his pencil was slowly loosening. Breathy moans escaped his parted lips as his hips thrust softly into your hand, his eyes rolling with each of his movements.

Upon the two leaving the table, it seemed the nerd had completely dropped his facade, showing just how needy he was.

You laughed, glancing down to see the mess he was making in his black jeans. A small wet patch gradually soaked the zipper and crotch of the denim. “I knew you didn't finish in the library.” You teased, continuing to stroke him. He grunted, shifting in the booth to better angle himself into your clenched palm. “I couldn't…You interrupted me.” He replied hoarsely, making you raise an eyebrow. You abruptly gripped his cock at his response, making him whine.

“I interrupted you?”

You scoffed, not believing the balls on this nerd. “You have more mouth than I thought, Miguel O'Hara.” You hissed, releasing him and drawing down his pants, exposing his huge member fully. His hooded eyes instantly snapped open, deep pants passing his lips. “What are you—what are you doing? Someone could see.” He exclaimed through stammers, his amber eyes blown in a mixture of lust and worry as they looked all around in fear of someone being near.

You rolled your eyes at the nerd’s empty concerns. Your clique's favorite booth was positioned in the back of the diner, completely secluded. Of course, you’ll take precautions; you wouldn’t want someone to capture the sight of you having fun with a loser like him, so the idiot was fine.

Not that you cared at the moment...

“I honestly don't know what you're so worried about. You didn't seem concerned about someone seeing you when you were jerking off this morning.” You taunted, earning an angry growl from him, his cock twitching a little at that recollection. “Mierda, I didn't know anyone was there. The library is always empty in the mornings.” He said in a low voice, his tone rough and holding so much spite in it.

You couldn't help but chuckle at his anger, as if he could do anything about it. His massive body was stuck on the inside of your booth, his well-endowed cock and balls out on display.

He was completely vulnerable to you…

Your eyes trailed him, taking him in slowly, and to your surprise, you found yourself licking your lips at the sight.

Even though the dork was a lowly peasant at your school, carrying his stupid little textbooks and allowing the jocks to beat on him when he had the muscles and height to beat their asses ten-fold.

He had an impressive cock…

It was fully erect, sticking straight up into the air with a small patch of dark brown, coarse hair sitting atop his dark shaft, trailing an irresistible line up under his beige sweater. His cock was long, girthy, and definitely above average, with a brown, angry tip dripping with precum, begging to be tasted and played with.

During your moment of ogling, his large, veiny hand hastily covered the oddly magnificent sight, snapping you from your trance. You glared up at him, taking in his flushed cheeks, coffee-brown curls that hung over his framed eyes, and his attempt to cover his enormity between his legs with his hand.

“Move.” You sternly said, your tone showing just how annoyed and furious you were. You crossed your arms over your white-clad chest, awaiting the loser to obey, but surprisingly, he did no such thing. Miguel simply clenched his jaw, averted his gaze from you, not at all listening to the order you’ve just given him.

Your glossy lips pulled into a snarl, not remembering the last time someone would dare be defiant towards you, but it seemed this nerd, loner, whatever the hell he classified as, was something different…

He knew who you were, yet he was disobeying you, talking back, and worst of all…

Not submitting.

You’ve met many infuriating individuals, but he had to take the cake.

Your jaw clenched, trying to keep your composure and remind yourself that you needed him around because you were a hair's breadth from reaching into your bag and grabbing your phone to do the unthinkable. You cleared your throat, sliding so close to him that you could feel the heat of his bare, thick thighs against yours under the short, expensive pink skirt you adorned.

You brushed a strand of his coffee-brown hair behind his ear, noticing how he flinched slightly before leaning in close.

 “Move your hand, or I'll make sure to send that little video of you jerking off to MJ. I think she’ll enjoy posting that onto her little blog for the whole college to see.”

You whispered into his ear, the threat striking the nerd greatly. A wave of satisfaction rushed through your being when he turned to face you, his amber eyes narrowed in rage, but a hint of fear evident in them as well. “You wouldn't,” he said, calling your bluff in a rough, breathless voice which only made you laugh.

“You must really be living under a rock on campus if you think I’m bluffing,” you chuckled darkly as the nerd gulped. “Now…” you began, glancing down at his shielded hand over what you desired. “Unless you want the entire college to know how much of a needy little puppy you are, you will move your damn hand and allow me to do whatever I please.” You sternly said, looking down at his trembling hand and then up at him.

You found it utterly adorable how he tried to keep your hardened gaze, but he would learn that when you want something, you’ll get it no matter what.

He cursed softly, running a frustrated hand through his messy coffee-brown curls. He captured his bottom lip in his teeth and reluctantly moved his hands, placing them on either side of him on the booth’s cushions. You smirked at his obedience. “Good boy,” you praised in a teasing voice, patting his head like the doggy he was; however, he yanked away. You scoffed at his defiance.

‘It seems my puppy needs more training. No worries; he’ll submit if he likes it or not.’

You thought, casting your eyes down to meet his painfully hard and erect cock. Biting your lip, you wrapped a hand around his base, feeling how brick and sticky it was in your palm.

But before granting your puppy the sweet release he desired, he had a lesson to learn…

You harshly gripped his shaft, earning a loud groan to escape his throat. “I'm very pissed at you. Want to know why?” You asked, squeezing his cock even more, making him hiss. He clutched the cushion of the booth in his large hands, clenching his jaw once more. “Why?” He said through gritted teeth.

"Why? You nearly got us caught with those outbursts, idiot," you spat, finding a rhythm and stroking him roughly under the table. His abundant precum allowed you to smoothly run your fist along him. He groaned, his head falling back against the booth.

"Maybe... you should f-fucking stop then," he said through pants, which only made you giggle. "Oh, I'm just finishing what you started in the library, puppy," you said with a fake pout.

"And here I thought you liked getting off in public places."

Miguel moaned softly at your words, his cock twitching in your hand in response. You raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh? Don't tell me that's the truth," you teased with a soft chuckle, knowing you'll surely have some fun with that hidden kink of his in the future.

However, no response was heard from him, defending nor agreeing with your proposal; only the occasional low moans and groans escaped his lips. You snarled, pressing your thumb into the crown of his tip, eliciting a rewarding jolt and a Spanish curse to fall from his lips.

"If you won't respond to that, then answer this," you hissed, nose scrunched up in disgust as you continued your stroking. "You act all big and tough when you're alone with me, yet you curl up into a little ball when others are around," you stated with a smirk. "Why is that?"

"Because you don't fucking scare me," he said angrily with a steady voice. You scoffed in amusement, your eyes roaming over his bulging muscles through the sleeves of his beige sweater—the fabric appearing strained. "And others do?" you retorted with a snicker, causing him to growl in annoyance and look away. "It's not like that."

"Oh yeah, then what is it?" you inquired, purposely quickening your pace on his shaft, stroking him faster and pressing your palm into his length, the desire to see him lose control driving you. He whined and whimpered uncontrollably, his large hand landing on your thigh, gripping it tightly through your skirt, urging you to slow down.

You sighed heavily; Miguel was so frustrating. The dweeb's mouth constantly spoke of defiance and disrespect, while his body contradicted him each time—his hips steadily moved in sync with your palm, and his member twitched in your hand. It seemed even he was confused about what he wanted, but being the sweet master you were, you'd assist him in discovering his true desires.

But first, he had to be taught to fix his attitude because he was really pissing you off.

You brushed the pad of your thumb over his tip, intensifying his pleasure with every jerk of your hand. "I don't like your attitude with me," you said angrily, smacking his hand off your thigh and grabbing his chin.

You roughly turned him to look at you, his eyes dazed behind his black glasses, and his lips parted. "I hold the power of your entire reputation in my hands. I can get your big ass kicked out of this damn college just by showing the dean that video of you," you warned, looking at his face in complete rage.

"Do you fucking understand me!?" you exclaimed, your nails piercing into the underside of his chin. Your eyes glared daggers at him as you continued to slide your hand up and down his trembling shaft.

He clenched his jaw, nostrils flaring as his hand landed on your wrist, deep groans continuing to pass his lips at your movement. "Y-yes, fuck," he moaned, biting his lip. "Yes to what?" you demanded, seeking clarity. With your thumb, you caressed in small circles around the crown of his tip, a smirk spreading across your glossy lips when his grip on your wrist tightened. "Yes, I-I... understand," he said, his deep voice sounding rather airy and breathless.

"Good boy," you whispered, tilting your head at him and glancing down to see more pre-cum sprouting from his tip, dripping down his shaft and coating your hand. Miguel growled. "What do you even want from me?" he asked through trembles of pleasure, his cock twitching in your fist. Your smirk broadened, turning your attention from his cock to the four-eyed male, his chin still resting between your manicured fingers.

"You heard that conversation between Peter, MJ, and me, did you not?" you inquired with a raised eyebrow, making him heave a trembling sigh. "Lapdog, right? That's what you want?" 

"Indeed," you chuckled, releasing him. He whimpered, his thighs quivering, as heavy pants passed his lips. He rubbed his chin, pressing his backside into the leather cushions and breathing heavily. You reached over him, grabbing a few napkins from its container to clean your hands, feeling Miguel's eyes on you all the while.

When you met his gaze, you weren't surprised to see the sight of anger and irritation, but what did surprise you was the hint of curiosity found in his intense gaze.

'Was the dork interested in being your puppy?'

"Why?" he finally asked after catching his breath. You laughed, turning to him with a wicked grin. "The better question is... 

Why not?"

You replied with a snicker. Miguel rolled his eyes and sighed once more. "And you want me to be your damn lapdog?" he asked, full of spite and rage, his amber eyes appeared redder than usual, but it didn't faze you. "Yes, or that video goes out to everyone," you said with a grin, your eyes lingering along his body. "And I think everyone would be rather shocked to see what you've been hiding under all that ugly clothing," you chuckled, motioning down at his massive and still very hard cock.

He snarled, looking away from you and out the window beside him. A silence fell upon the two of you as you simply took him in—his defined cheekbones, broad nose, thick neck, and massive body covered in a hideous beige sweater, black jeans, and white Converse.

'Goodness, this is going to be fun. The most fun I've probably had in years.'

You thought, faking a pout and leaning towards him to press your plush lips against his ear. He jumped slightly at your closeness, making you giggle as you ran a hand over his chest, tracing his defined pecs and abs through his sweater.

"Come on, puppy. Don't be so mad; you might even enjoy it."

You teased, and to your anticipation, his cock throbbed in response. He groaned lowly, your chest covered in a white crop top pressing into his arm. "It’s not like I have a damn choice," he retorted, his voice still resonating with fury. 

"Well… get used to it."

You uttered, licking a stripe across his sharp jawline and enjoying how he shuddered at the feeling. You then pulled away, his amber eyes following you like the needy puppy he was.

"Now, every doggy needs a collar," you uttered with a smile, causing him to scowl. "I’m not wearing a damn collar."

"So quick to assume, puppy," you laughed, only seeming to enrage the geek even more. "Stop calling me that," he growled, causing you to sigh, finding it rather annoying how he still believed he held some type of control here. 

He'll learn sooner or later.

"You’ll grow to love it, puppy," you emphasized, turning from his faltering glare to rummage in your $500 Prada bag, fishing out a toy you purchased just for your little doggy. When you acquired it, you turned to him, twirling the dark blue and red crystallized ring in your fingers. Miguel's eyes followed it, his chest heaving in confusion and disdain, but his cock pulsated in desire and curiosity.

He could scowl and glare at you all he wanted, but his body gave him away, every single time.

“What the fuck is that?” He snapped, once he regained his composure, his amber eyes looking from the ring to you through his black eyeglasses. You chuckled, running your fingers along the ring. “After our little run-in at the library this morning, I bought my new puppy something special.” You explained, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. The geek looked perplexed for the first time.

 It was a cute look on him…

“Oh, don’t worry, it’ll be fun. I promise...” You giggled, glancing down at his dark cock, still twitching in desire. You then held your hand out to him, the large ring resting in your palm.

“Now…show me how much of a good doggy you can be and put this on…”

“Ugh, they are saying it's another 20 minutes.” MJ groaned, climbing into the booth right after Peter. You heaved a sigh in irritation; Mama's diner was never this backed up. It was rather annoying to think you all would have to wait just for three measly milkshakes.

“So, what’s the two of you been doing? He looks like he’s about to fucking faint.” Peter joked, glancing over at Miguel, whose bronze face was covered in beads of sweat. His amber eyes trained on the packet of math work once more. You chuckled, shrugging your shoulders. “I don’t know. The math problem must be stressing him out.” You said with a smile, subtly glancing over at your phone that rested beside you on the booth, the vibrator app pulled up on the screen that was already at level 2.

The ring that you had bought for your new puppy was nestled around the base of his cock, right over his balls, stimulating both of his sensitive areas. You gave him the benefit of the doubt to cover himself; you weren’t a total meanie.

You just needed him to know his place, as it seemed he kept forgetting.

So you decided to seat him in front of two of the most popular students at your college with a pulsating vibrator around his cock. 

What better way for him to learn...?

"Okay…" MJ trailed off, brushing off the situation as nothing. "Umm, what even is his name?" She asked, talking about Miguel as if he wasn't even there. At her inquiry, you turned to your puppy, giving him a soft pat on the head. "Tell her your name," you said sweetly, noticing the subtle glare from him. "Miguel," he responded in a gruff voice without looking up from the packet.

"Your full name," you added with a smirk, wishing to further annoy him. The dweeb’s jaw clenched at your persistence. "Miguel O’Hara," he growled, hastily returning to solving question 24 of your math packet. MJ looked between the two of you, taking in the interaction before leaning across the table, her blue eyes set on you.

“Seriously, what are you up to with him?” 

She asked in a hushed tone like no one at the table could hear her as her red eyebrows furrowed in concern. You scoffed, not believing that she would dare to ask you such a thing.

“Why the hell are you questioning anything that I do?” You spat angrily. “The fucking dweeb is just doing my damn homework,” you said, your eyes glaring into hers.

Perhaps, the load of hair upon MJ's head was the cause of her forgetfulness. Regardless of the culprit, the redhead better keep in mind how much you love fixing her mistakes and kicking her back into line if she oversteps.

You've done it to so many others, she'll be no different…

“Hey, hey, settle down,” Peter said, trying to calm the situation between the two of you. The tension in the air was so thick, it could be sliced with a spoon, let alone a knife.

“There's nothing wrong with what Y/N is doing,” Peter said, placing a hand on MJ’s shoulder and pulling her back towards his chest. MJ sighed, giving you an apologetic look. “Yeah, I’m sorry.” You rolled your eyes, dismissing her as you met Peter’s eyes that also looked between Miguel and you. “Although, I must say…” He began, and to your surprise, settled his amber eyes onto Miguel.

You smirked, loving to see how the aroused geek would handle this, your eyes trained on him. Miguel, noticing the lack of conversation, hesitantly looked up to be met with six eyes staring back at him.

“How the hell are you so…massive?” Peter asked with a chuckle. “You don’t do shit except read, play chess, or whatever else you nerds do.” Peter jested, causing everyone, except Miguel, to laugh. Your eyes were trained on Miguel as he glanced over at you and back at Peter before clearing his throat. “Genetics.” He mumbled, returning back to writing out the parametric formula to solve the equations he was on.

Peter’s eyebrows furrowed, the introverted male’s words not seeming to have reached his ears. “What did you say? Speak up, man.” He laughed, causing Miguel to clench his jaw once more. His pencil halted upon the paper as he casted his amber eyes up to the jock. “Genetics. That's all it is.” He repeated in a louder tone.

“So, you are telling me, you do not work out?” MJ asked in surprise and awe, her blue eyes roaming over his body. You were certain she was checking your new puppy out.

You growled, oddly, shooting a glare at her.

You didn’t know what was with her today, but MJ was working your last nerve.

MJ, thankfully, shut up after your look, but your puppy answered anyway. “A little,” he replied, twirling the pencil in his thick fingers nervously. You couldn’t help but gaze at him—his massive musculature snug under his beige sweater that seemed to hug him in all the right places.

His biceps bulging, his hardened pecs defined, and you could even sneak a peek at his abdominal muscles pressing against the warm fabric. You bit your lip, the desire to get him out of that ugly sweater filling your being until you shook off the thought.

The damn dweeb was making you forget your title and your reputation…

But you couldn’t lie. 

The geek was exceeding your expectations…

Not only was he impressive for being at the very bottom of the student hierarchy and having the ability to make you feel all hot and bothered, but despite his cock being heavily stimulated by the vibrating ring, his voice didn't waver or falter.

Your puppy was tougher than you thought…

‘We’ll see about that.’

With a click of your phone, you raised the vibrations from a mere 2 to a 5. Instantly at the change, Miguel jolted in his seat. You watched with a look of pure innocence on your face as Peter’s eyebrows furrowed.

He snickered, eyeing the glasses-wearing male across from him at the table. “Man, you are weird as heck, but I’ll let it slide,” he said with a smile, glancing over at you, his eyes full of admiration. “If the queen here can put up with your presence, which is rare,” Peter snickered, “I’ll be willing to open a spot on the team to see how you do,” he proposed, which shocked you.

It was hard to get on Peter’s football team, yet he was practically giving it to Miguel, the most disliked male at school, on a silver platter.

You couldn’t help but feel a little angry at that, slowly becoming a bit possessive over your new puppy.

But thankfully, Miguel said the words for you. “I-I’m not interested,” he uttered, clearing his throat and clenching the pencil tightly in his large hand. You smirked, watching Peter’s eyebrows rise in shock. He glanced over at MJ, who had become quiet after your glare.

“This dude is really turning down my offer, babe,” he said, nudging MJ, who snapped out of her trance to turn her blue eyes onto Miguel. “That’s unfortunate.”

“Actually…” you said, instantly drawing their eyes on you. “It’s better if he didn’t. I’ll lose my new lapdog, and we wouldn’t want that… Isn’t that right?” You asked, running your manicured fingers through Miguel’s coffee-brown hair. You watched his jaw clench and a subtle blush spread across his lips.

Seems as if he's starting to like the name or you claiming him…

Indeed, Miguel was a naughty one…

Peter’s stunned expression instantly changed at your words. He cleared his throat, giving you a nod. “Of course, but the offer still stands,” he offered once more, looking over at you as he said it.

You gave him a small smile before MJ sat up in her chair with a grin, the color restoring back into her being after you rightfully snuffed it out. “Since the workers are taking so long, let’s play a game. Never Have I Ever, anyone?!” she exclaimed, a smile adorning her cherry lips.

You grinned, liking the idea, before a thought came to your head, causing you to heave a sigh. “Normally drinks are involved. We don’t have any,” you commented, instantly MJ reached into the pocket of Peter’s red and blue varsity jacket, pulling out his metal flask. His eyes widened in shock before he laughed, shaking his head. “Damn, I thought you didn’t know about that.”

“I know everything, baby.” MJ giggled, placing the metal flask in the center of the table. You smirked, glancing over at Miguel, who had his arms crossed upon the table, his head lowered over the math packet. He was panting, and his thighs were trembling next to your own. He wasn’t writing anything as he seemed like he was just sitting there.

But you knew what your needy puppy was up to…

He was enjoying himself, relishing in the sensation from the vibrator ring you had bought him. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

While Peter and MJ discussed the rules of the game, you leaned in close to Miguel, pressing your glossy lips against his ear. “Are you enjoying your little toy, puppy?” you inquired, causing him to suck in a breath. “Ay cono, turn it off,” he panted, whispering to you in desperation. He turned his hooded eyes onto you, and you met his gaze with a sly grin. “Why? You like it,” you whispered back with a small giggle, watching his ears redden and a vein bulge from his forehead as he tried to suppress his anger.

“So no, it’s not coming off anytime soon,” you told him. “Now, you'll play this game with us and finish my work later.”

“I don’t want to fucking play,” he growled, making your forced smile falter. You subtly reached over to your phone, turning the vibrations up from level 5 to 7. Miguel's voice caught in his throat, his hand landing on your thigh once more. You could even faintly hear the buzzing in his jeans that was slowly making the geek lose his composure.

His large palm covered your smooth skin as he gripped it tightly while he quivered. He cursed under his breath, beginning to softly pat your thigh to call a truce. You watched him with a smirk, loving how he was writhing and squirming in his seat, knowing you were the sole cause of it. “I-I’ll play,” he whined, lowering his head to hide, his amber eyes on you over his arm. You smiled, lowering it back to a mere 5.

‘Don’t piss me off,’ you mouthed, turning back to Peter and MJ to find they were, thankfully, still talking. 

You didn’t want to hear what any of them had to say when it came to Miguel and you, especially from MJ.

“The dweeb is going to play too,” you said, hastily gaining everyone’s attention. “Awesome, do you want to go around as ages? Whoever is the youngest goes first?” MJ suggested. “I think the oldest should go first,” you said with a wicked grin, knowing everyone would choose the latter since you, the queen bee, said so.

If your intuition was correct, which it always was, you sensed Miguel was older than the rest of you. His demeanor and rough look showed his maturity, and you couldn’t help but become a little aroused at the assumption.

“Fine. I’m 23,” MJ said, glancing over at Peter next. “25,” he replied, soon looking at you. “24,” you smiled before finally setting your eyes on the trembling male. His amber eyes shifted from all of your eager gazes. He cleared his throat, tanned cheeks a soft red. “26.” His voice, like usual, was deep and rather low, but you heard his answer loud and clear.

You were right...

The muscular geek was not only a disobedient lowlife, but he was older than you. ‘How fun?’ you thought, looking him up and down beside you. It made everything even sweeter.

“Well, you go first,” Peter said, motioning to Miguel with his head, his dark brown hair swaying with his slight movement. The dweeb gulped, merely sitting there for a while. It was for so long that you pondered if he had even played the common game before until he finally spoke.

“Never have I ever fallen asleep during a movie,” he muttered, keeping his gaze on the table.

'Of course, a boring one, like I thought.’ You groaned, nudging his arm. “Come on, that shit blows,” you said with an eye roll. “We want something steamy, hot…” You whispered, reaching over to caress his thigh under the table. He gulped, clenching his jaw and landing his large, calloused hand on yours to cease your movement. “Fine…” he said, turning to look at you in particular.

“Never have I ever walked in on someone without knocking.”

Miguel asked with a sly grin that surprised you greatly, and left you angry as hell. You growled, hearing Peter and MJ begin to discuss their answers. “Gosh, I walked in on one of the guys with their girlfriends in the locker room,” Peter sighed as MJ didn’t have an unfortunate occurrence happen to her, but not like you cared about either of them at the moment.

You glared at Miguel, his taunting smirk and stupid glasses adorning his face, the desire to slap them both off overwhelming your being.

You turned to see Peter already taking a swig of the metal flask, a grimace on his face after the drink. “Shit, I knew I shouldn’t have chosen the strong stuff,” he commented, glancing up at you. “Now, what about the Queen bee? Walked in on one of those baddies at your sorority house?” He inquired with a chuckle. You looked over at Miguel, his eyes narrowing as he watched you take the flask, gulping down a large mouthful of the liquor.

As Peter said, the shit was strong, and it took everything in you not to cough, suppressing the urge by clearing your throat. “No…” You replied, placing the flask back on the table and subtly looking over at Miguel before meeting your two associates' curious gazes. “Then what happened then?” MJ asked, deeply intrigued.

“Well, I walked in on someone jerking off.”

You noticed beside you, Miguel’s entire body became rigid on the booth; his hand squeezed yours under the table in a rather desperate way. He was begging you with the slight touch to cease any further words.

How cute…

You smirked at the feeling, loving how you had the dweeb filled with anxiety and nervousness about whether you'll spill his deep secret or not.

But you're only a bitch when you want to be…

“That’s all you get, though.” You laughed, causing cries of frustration to erupt, although you didn’t miss the sigh of relief that passed Miguel’s lips even though he was the one who called your bluff and dug his own grave.

“First round, and it seems Queen Bee and I are tied on who’s paying for our order.” Peter laughed, causing you to roll your eyes. “If it ever gets here,” MJ added with a groan.

“Even more of a reason to continue playing,” Peter said with a smirk. “But it seems as if it’s my turn, being 25 and all.” He said, sitting back against the cushions of the booth, humming in thought. “Ah, got one.” He commented with a grin.

“Never had I ever used a mirror during romantic intercourse.” He asked, his amber eyes looking around the table.

Of course, being the fun queen bee you were, you took the flask. “I mean, if you haven’t, you are missing out.” You grinned, taking another swig of the strong liquor, feeling the satisfying sting in the back of your throat when you placed the container back on the table. You could feel the heat radiating from Miguel’s body at the mention of you doing something so naughty.

You wouldn’t mind doing something like that with him only when he was ready…

A small blush spread across MJ’s cheeks at the erotic question. “I’ve always wanted to do it.” She said, bringing a smile to Peter's lips. He snaked an arm around her, caressing her arm as he spoke in a sultry and seductive voice. “Oh really? We can always try it after-

“Oh my gosh. Get a fucking room already.” You interrupted with a snicker, eyeing the two lovebirds. “Okay, okay,” MJ said with a giggle, eyes turning to Miguel who hastily dismissed it with a head shake.

Of course, the fucking dweeb doesn’t know how to have fun.

With you, he’ll know nothing else; you’ll make sure of it.

“Well, it’s your turn now,” MJ smiled. Finally, it was your turn, instantly thinking of a proposition that could really reveal some deep secrets about Miguel.

Something he's been hiding…

You sat back in your seat, pondering your answer when your eyes met Miguel. Just the sight of the massive male was making your brain sprout with ideas. Who knew how helpful he could be with just his mere presence?

Why not reward him for the assistance?

Subtly, you sat up, turning the vibrations up to a 7 while starting your round.

“Never have I ever had a sexual encounter in a public place and secretly liked it.”

You proposed, glancing over at Miguel, who was losing it. He gritted his teeth, lowering his head to try to hide his fluttering eyes and heavy pants, but your associates’ words surprised you. “Gosh, both of us,” you heard them say, drawing your attention from your puppy.

“Yeah, we did a vibrator challenge on each other, and we went to a mall,” Peter said with a smile and a head shake. “It wasn’t enjoyable with the many people around at the sudden bursts of pleasure, but overall…it was fun,” MJ added, snuggling into Peter’s chest.

You slowly nodded, retaining the idea for further use and glancing back at Miguel, who was shaking. You felt his hand on your thigh once more and soon his soft pats, as if he was a wrestler trying to tap out of the ring.

But you weren’t a merciful referee; he could endure it a little longer…

You leaned in close to him, pretending to reach down to pick up the pencil that had accidentally rolled off the table due to his squirming. “Lift your head and play the damn game,” you spat harshly into his ear as he frantically shook his head. “Fuck, I-I can’t,” he whined breathlessly. “Mierda, I’m close. I-I can’t,” he repeated, only making you smirk.

“Be a good puppy, hold it, and play the game, or I’ll raise it to the highest level,” you told him sternly, your fingers finding the pencil in the leather cushions. You soon rose, a smile on your lips as you placed the wooden tool onto the table. “Miguel, how about you?” you inquired in a sweet voice, the lovebirds finishing their swigs of the flask. “Done anything fun in public and secretly enjoyed it?” you asked, curious about how he'd answer and respond.

Like a good doggy, he lifted his head as you commanded. His dark, hazy eyes looked between the three of you before simply reaching over and taking a swig of the flask.

“Fucking hell!? The nerd knows fun!” Peter commented with a laugh, while the rest of you looked on in astonishment. Miguel placed the flask down, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Explain,” you urged, nudging him with a kick under the table. He jolted, shooting you a subtle glare, causing you to raise an eyebrow, reaching over for your phone when Miguel gave you a gentle squeeze of desperation. “Okay…” he began, exhaling and trying to regain his composure while holding back his release and being heavily stimulated.

“I was getting a-a handjob under the table…i-in a diner similar to this,” he said, making you smile, knowing exactly what he was referring to. “T-The girl was fucking rude and mean, but h-had skilled hands. Very skilled hands.” He gulped, avoiding your eyes while he spoke. “But t-that’s pretty much it. I liked it...Who wouldn't," Miguel said, looking down at his lap and leaving the table speechless.

You didn’t know whether to be flattered, angry at his description of you, or apathetic. A burning desire in your gut to simply drag him to the bathroom of Mama’s diner and see just how good his cock would feel inside of you.

But overall, the geek had surprised you with his answer, this being the only time he had spoken his mind and said his true thoughts since he sat down at this fucking booth.

“Damn, sounds hot,” MJ said, making you turn your attention from your loyal puppy to her. “Wish I had the guts like that rude girl you described. I could never.” She said lowly, bringing a wave of pride over you. Her compliment only fueled your already replete ego.

After the steamy encounter that Miguel explained to the group, it was now MJ’s turn. However, just when she was about to speak, her phone pinged with a message. She glanced down at the glowing screen, her eyebrows instantly furrowing. “Oh my gosh, babe, we have to go. I’m needed at the university.” She quaked, turning her blue eyes upon you. “I’m so sorry to pause the game and leave so early.” She apologized, hastily standing up from the booth alongside her ride, and boyfriend, Peter.

“I can only assume it's for the newspaper, so I’ll let it slide,” you told her as she thanked you, swiftly scurrying past and exiting Mama’s diner. Peter watched with a chuckle, tucking his hands into his red varsity jacket, standing beside you at the table.

“Well, I guess we’ll be seeing you around, Queen Bee,” he smirked, suddenly taking your hand and placing a kiss on your knuckles. You raised an eyebrow, a smile forming upon your glossy lips. Prior to pulling away, he held his soft lips upon your skin for a moment longer and gave your knuckles an affectionate caress with his thumb, meeting your eyes. “Call me anytime.” He whispered, giving you his signature charming smile and wink that made every person on campus faint and die on the spot before leaving behind his girlfriend.

You couldn’t lie; you were a little shocked at Peter’s forwardness.

You’ve noticed his interest in the great Queen Bee—who isn’t—but he had a girlfriend, and unfortunately for him…

You don’t like to share…

Many whiny groans and the sound of loud buzzing brought you from your thoughts as you turned to look at Miguel in the corner to see something even more astonishing than Peter’s previous advances.

Miguel was panting, breathing heavily with his head pressed against the back of the leather booth. His black denims were drawn down, revealing his strained cock and the beautiful red and blue vibrator ring around his base. His eyes rolled uncontrollably behind his glasses, his mouth agape while he rambled in a blend of Spanish and English.

You could only make out the English phrases and words he uttered, which mostly were pleas and begs, all desiring one thing and one thing only.

“Please—ay cono. Let me cum. Please, let me cum."

He implored incessantly, his words so full of need and desperation. You could tell he was slowly losing it; the pleasure was blinding him, and he was only at level 7. You were hoping to try the highest level on him, but maybe another time…

You didn’t want to completely ruin your new puppy…

You leaned towards him, running a finger over his sticky tip, tracing patterns across it. He whined and squirmed in his seat at your touch. “Aww, you want to stop playing already? I wanted to try level 10.” You told him with a fake pout. He frantically shook his head, gasps of air passing his parted lips. “Goodness, no. Please, I-I can’t take any more.” He begged so perfectly that you almost allowed him to.

Well,

Almost…

“I’ll let you cum on one condition,” you proposed, taking his chin in your fingers and turning him to meet your eyes. His eyes fluttered, his hands found your wrist, grabbing on tightly to stabilize himself. His face was flushed, his defined cheeks a rosy red, and his forehead covered with beads of sweat. He looked adorable, practically begging you with his hooded doe eyes to allow him to cum. You smirked, caressing his chin.

“Tell me you are my little puppy and sweeten the deal with a cute little bark.”

You giggled, eliciting a growl that came out more like a groan. “A-Are you serious?” he panted, making your smile only broaden. “Very, and I’ll only raise the level of the vibrator if you don’t,” you said with a grin, loving the look of defeat that covered his face. “Shit,” he cursed, looking away.

“No, eyes on me.”

You sternly said, hastily yanking his chin back towards you. He clenched his jaw, making eye contact with you once more. His amber orbs were full of anger, but his desire to be relieved of the vibrator and finally be granted his satisfying release led him to speak what you wanted.

“I-I’m your… l-little… 

Puppy.”

He uttered reluctantly through shaky moans as you waited patiently for the best part of his whole confession. He growled, shaking his head. “I’m not barking.”

You huffed, giving him a stern look. “Do I have to threaten you again about that video? How about I take that little vibrator and give it to the dean instead?” you said with an evil grin. “It has your… essence all over it. Wouldn’t be hard to discover it’s yours.” You cackled. He scowled, gazing up at you through breathy moans. “You are s-such a bitch.”

“Are you sure? You are looking more like a bitch than me right now,” you spat with a laugh, piercing your nails into his chin. “Now be my good little puppy and bark.” You demanded once more, eyes trained on his furious and flushed face.

You watched Miguel resist you as hard as he could. He put up such a fight, remaining silent to disobey for a good while, but just like any wild dog, they break, they snap...

They submit.

So, it didn’t take long before the most satisfying sounds filled your ears.

“Woof…Woof.”

A wave of satisfaction overcame you, akin to taking a refreshing sip of a chocolate milkshake on a hot day. Your glossy lips pulled into a smile, feeling completely overjoyed as you stared at your official new lapdog. “Gosh, I’m going to have so much fun with you,” you promised, caressing his chin affectionately. Miguel’s eyebrows rose in surprise, and his entire face turned red; even his cock frantically throbbed around the pulsating ring.

Like a dog wagging his tail, he seemed to like that idea very much...

You wrapped a hand around his shaft, stroking him at a fast pace while the ring continued to buzz against him. “Be a good boy and cum for me,” you whispered. “Make me proud, puppy,” you told him, kissing along his jawline and earning a loud groan to erupt from his throat. His hips left the seat, meeting your fist with each thrust upwards. “Oh yes. Fuck,” he cried through closed eyes.

The leather booth began to creak loudly at his frenzied movement, his cock sliding in and out of your palm, completely slick with his precum. You could feel how powerful the vibrations were on his sensitive shaft whilst he continued to fuck your fist.

“Shit, shit, I’m cumming,” he groaned, before a loud guttural, deep moan erupted from deep within his chest, his thick, muscular thighs quivering. Veins bulge along the underside of his abdomen upon his climax, and with one final thrust into your hand, he shot his white, creamy load.

And the four-eyed male just kept impressing you over and over again.

His release seemed to be endless. More and more of his seed dripped from his slit, coating your hand and the buzzing toy. The vibrating ring and your fisting only seemed to milk him completely, causing him to whimper and whine uncontrollably, continuing to paint his shaft, your hand, his beige sweater, and the leather seats in his essence.

When he was finished, you took in the huge mess he’d made with a grin. “Look at what you’ve done,” you purred, grabbing a few napkins to clean your hands. Miguel didn’t respond, only babbling softly, his words unintelligible.

You laughed at his thoroughly satisfied expression, finding it utterly adorable how fucked-out he looked. You relieved him of the vibrator, turning it off and removing it from his swollen shaft, the toy completely coated with his sticky fluids. 

You smirked, eyeing the white-coated ring; it was so enticing that you couldn't help but bring the toy to your mouth to give it a taste. Like savoring the sweetness of honey on a wand, you ran your tongue along the vobrator, humming in ecstasy.

Your eyes fluttered at the taste. His seed was different—something you couldn't quite put into words, but an essence you'd definitely want more of in the future, something you had to taste straight from the source.

After sucking the ring clean, you placed it into your bag and slid closer to Miguel. His eyes were still closed, his chest heaving up and down while his body spasmed—small tremors spreading through his massive being.

You turned his face towards you, a finger resting under his chin. His eyes fluttered open to meet your satisfied gaze. “I’m happy you enjoyed yourself, puppy,” you whispered, an airy chuckle passing his lips at your words. “I had no choice… 

So I might as well enjoy it,” 

He muttered breathlessly, his response made you even prouder. Your little puppy was understanding the game—the fun. You couldn’t help but love the dork even more.

You leaned closer to him, your nose brushing against his. 

“Finally… you are starting to get it,” you uttered, pressing a rough and searing kiss to his mouth. Miguel, completely exhausted and shocked, instantly lost the fight, giving you control.

You devoured his mouth hungrily, his plush lips feeling just right and tasting even better as your tongue entered his parted lips. He groaned, kissing you back, but not enough to dominate nor challenge you, which you adored so much.

You kissed him until you were satisfied, sucking his lips until they were pink and swollen, and tasting his mouth with your tongue. You then pulled away from his enticing lips, both of you panting heavily. You looked him over with a smirk, patting his head and running your manicured fingers through his coffee-brown hair, and to your satisfaction, he didn’t pull away—either from weariness or pure enjoyment, it seemed your puppy had accepted his role. 

But you couldn’t be so sure…

You smiled, sliding out of the booth and picking up your $500 Prada bag from the seat. His amber eyes were full of confusion as he looked you over. You met your adorable lapdog’s gaze, standing before him in your lavish clothes—a white crop top, pink Gucci jacket, skirt, and heels.

You gave him a sly grin, slinging your purse over your shoulder. “Clean yourself up and have my homework done by 10. 

I want you at my sorority house tonight,” 

You smirked, watching his tanned cheeks turn a deep red. Your eyes took him in one last time, taking in his little mess, his flustered and stunned expression, softened cock, massive body, and those dorky glasses.

 All of that and so much more was yours now.

All yours…

“See you then,” you giggled, blowing him a kiss, and turning on your pink high heels, leaving the dork flabbergasted.

You swung open the door of Mama’s diner, stepping out onto the sidewalk and into the bustling streets of Nueva York. You put on your pink heart-shaped shades, the evening sun beaming upon your face, as an unshakeable smile adorned your glossy lips.

You were excited, no, delighted. 

You had discovered something better than a measly assistant that you had desired before. 

You had a permanent peasant, a puppy who was none other than the outcast of your college—the student at the bottom of the student hierarchy and hated by all was officially yours. 

And you couldn’t wait to have so much more fun with your little bitch boy, Miguel O’Hara.

Your new lapdog...

A/N: I enjoyed writing this soo much!! 😆

I hope u guys enjoyed it as well, I'm thinking of writing a Part 2 but...idk 🤔😏

But hope u guys liked!! 💗💗

P.S: Part 3 of 'A Fate Worse Than Death' would be up next week, my apologies, I just had to write this one. 😌

<3 Taglist:

~@oscarissac2099

~@powerful-niya

(Let me know in the comments if you'll like to become a part of the taglist! ❤️)

(*All rights reserved. DO NOT repost/translate/copy any of my work.*)

[radiance1]

Vlad has wanted Danny to be his son for a while now, and he did, indeed, get what he wanted.

Not in the way he expected, however.

What was given was attached to the arms of tragedy, that fated day, in which the subject of his love and obsession, the man that was the focused point of his hatred, anger, and jealousy.

Died.

That day, marked in tragedy.

It was a rough time for Daniel as well, his friends, family, and teacher all died, and by his own hand yet not at the same time.

If Vlad wasn't feeling like he did, he would probably think it to be poetic in some way.

Yet, not even a full week later, when he was still processing his grief and whatever other feelings he felt, the boy in his care, who full of bite, snark, and ever increasingly growing hatred and helplessness.

Turned into a child.

This, was a chance.

A chance for him to mold and shape Daniel into his perfect, idealized version of himself.

A perfect boy.

A perfect halfa.

A perfect son.

He knew this, and yet... he couldn't bring himself to do so. He didn't know why, but as he stared at the child, not looking even a day over 8, staring back at him full of curiosity, and an oh so painful lack of recognition, he couldn't go through with it.

It just... didn't feel right.

As wishy washy as that reasoning would be.

So he kept the boy in his care, and left Amity Park behind.

Being a father was... far harder than he expected, if he were to be honest. Yet he couldn't find himself hating it, perhaps it was the guilt, in not being there to prevent the accident, perhaps some kind of feeling to repay a debt to Maddie, or doing what she wanted, or perhaps, even to succeed where Jack Fenton failed.

Maybe even all four.

He tried his best to treat the boy as his own flesh and blood, giving him as much care as he was able to while also balancing work and trying to plan out a solid plan for Danny's education when he's older.

Though, that plan would perhaps be a backup plan, if Danny finds himself liking something... different.

One of these days, Vlad had to leave Daniel behind with a babysitter to attend a Gala held by one Bruice Wayne, and as much as he wanted to show Daniel off to the world he... wasn't ready yet.

He would need at least a few more years before making his official debut.

It was a fine party, in Vlad's opinion, though Brucie Wayne did arrive late to his own event, but he digresses.

It was while talking to said man, that he heard gasps behind him, and he was curious about it, going to turn around until he felt a few tugs at his leg, that he looked down.

Only to see Daniel, hovering off the ground with a leg that shouldn't be bent the way it was, blood leaking from it and onto the floor, with tears streaming down his face.

It was only after grabbing the boy into his chest, making sure he didn't do anything more against the wound, and a butler- Alfred he thinks the name was - appearing at his side and quickly leading him out of the room towards where they kept one of their medical equipment, that he questioned what happened, why was his leg broken, and where was his babysitter?

Distantly, in the back of his mind he went "Oh, his powers came in."

[kamiversee]

➶-͙˚ ༘✶ 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙁*𝘾𝙆 𝙇𝙄𝙎𝙏

✧.* CHAPTER 36 || The Holiday Surprises

[ { SYPNOSIS } ] ➤ A tale in which Gojo Satoru blackmails you into seducing a list of people to clear his debt. Sounds easy enough, right?

[ { CHAPTER CONTENT } ] ➤ language & hella fluff.

[ { WORD COUNT } ] ➤ 4.4k

[ { PAIRINGS } ] ➤ jjk men x f!reader. gojo x f!reader. geto x f!reader. toji x f!reader. choso x f!reader. sukuna x f!reader. nanami x f!reader.

[ [ chapters mlist } ]

——DURING THE BREAK, you spent every day with Shoko just as you promised to before Christmas week. You went to see movies with her, went on a lovely shopping spree, and even got to meet one of her other friends, Utahime.

It was a wonderful week. You actually got to know Utahime very well and Shoko told you that she disliked Gojo just as much as you did, which is exactly what you and Utahime bonded over. It was girl's night after girl's night, an unstressful time spent with people you were fond of.

The whole thing was perfect and you loved it, cherishing every giggle, smile, and hug dearly within your heart. What more could you have wanted? Both women made your life feel at peace and you nearly forgot what it was like to have a female to conversate with.

You’d spent the semester distracted by Gojo and all the other guys that you forgot this feeling-- that warm fuzziness you get when they understand your troubles and support your silly delusions. You even told them about Choso, to which they both encouraged you to try speaking to him during the break.

Even Shoko, who is definitely rooting moreso for you and Gojo, was adamant on getting you to contact Choso. Utahime was a bit more skeptical about it, telling you that maybe you shouldn’t contact him if you’re not sure what you want.

Either way, you loved the fact that you had them to help you sort through your thoughts. Of course, you didn’t actually contact Choso but, talking to them about him felt like taking a weight off your shoulders.

Part of you wanted to tell them about Gojo and how he’s confessed to you but, you knew Shoko would be hellbent on convincing you to pick him over Choso. Or at least, that’s how she would’ve been before Christmas. After that day, you’re pretty sure the woman was just as conflicted about who you should choose as you.

However, she still doesn’t know that Gojo’s blackmailing you, which is something you have to keep reminding yourself about every time you weigh the pros and cons of each man.

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆ .　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

Christmas week.

You went home to your family as scheduled and freed your mind of all (almost) all stress. Of course, your parents gave you their usual hell about not coming home often enough and not calling enough and etcetera. Even so, you still felt at peace at home.

Sometimes you Facetimed Shoko in your free time but most of your time at home was spent in tranquility.

You loved every second of it and it was full of joyful events that led up to Christmas day.

After a night of last-minute gift wrapping, you had woken up early in the morning and received a few expensive gifts from various family members. Most of it was gift cards, perfume, and from some people just straight cash. All of it was gratefully accepted and cherished though and you had a smile plastered all over your face the entire day.

In the afternoon, you decided to head home to Shoko, parting ways with your family with lots of don’t forget to call and make good choices being thrown at you before you left.

Before you knew it, you were right back in your apartment but Shoko wasn’t there. You stopped there to change your clothes as Shoko had earlier texted you and said that she was at Geto and Gojo’s place. So, once you were all dressed in comfortable sweats, you made your way there.

You don’t know why but, you were nervous about it. This would be your first time hanging out with the trio. You’d spent time with each of them individually of course but, never all three at the same time. This made you nervous for some reason.

Shoko doesn’t know about the list and you don’t want her to find out about it either. What happens if Gojo or Geto open their mouths about it? What happens if Geto brings up the fact that you had sex with him? Would Shoko view you as a slut for sleeping with both men at one point?

Would she not want to be your friend anymore? Would sh-

You huff out a heavy sigh and shake your thoughts away. It was Christmas day, there was no need to be overthinking like this. You were standing outside of the men’s apartment, holding a small, last-minute bag filled with a few gifts. After a gentle knock, the door swung open, and standing in front of you was Geto Suguru.

His dark locks of hair were loose, flowing down past his shoulders messily over the big sweater he wore. He looked really snug in his clothes. A sly smile spread across his handsome face as he took in your appearance, “Hey gorgeous, Merry Christmas.” He purred out in that soothing voice of his.

You couldn’t help but smile at the nickname never dropping, stepping into the apartment and moving to give him a hug, “Merry Christmas, Sugu.”

His arms wrap around your body in a tight hug and as the two of you part from each other, the smell of cookies fills your nose. When you turn around, Gojo’s standing not too far away, clearly not privy to you joining them for Christmas.

The two of you are frozen for a moment, simply staring at one another before a push is made to your lower back. You turn back to Geto for a split second, sending him a glare as you stumble toward Gojo. The raven-haired male chuckles and then turns to head toward his kitchen, leaving you and Gojo alone.

You look up at the tall man, his hair a fluffy mess almost as if he’d been lying down, and his eyes refusing to leave yours. After a slight sigh, you shuffle your feet closer to him before you’re barely an inch away from him.

Gojo’s breath hitches when your arms go up and around his neck as you hug him tenderly. His brain stutters to render the fact that you’re hugging him and it took him a second to wrap his arms around your waist. His face drops to the crook of your neck and he squeezes you in his arms.

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” Gojo whispers.

You’re smiling like crazy, his loving tone giving you butterflies, “Merry Christmas, Satoru.”

He pulls away, only slightly, turning his head to meet your eyes. The two of you were so close that to another person, it’d appear as though you were about to kiss. “I didn’t know you were coming.” He tells you.

You chuckle, “Maybe Shoko wanted to surprise you.”

“Best surprise ever.” Gojo comments, “You’re so beautiful…”

Heat rushes to your face and you ease your arms down from around his neck, “Thank you-”

The sound of your name being called by Shoko makes both of you flinch as if you were caught doing something you had no business doing. Both of you shuffle off of each other and try to act inconspicuous.

Shoko bursts out laughing dramatically, having seen the entire thing and finding it hilarious how the two of you try to act like you weren’t a few inches away from making out. “You guys are so cute, I can’t.” Shoko giggles.

She then approaches the two of you and in the blink of your eye, Gojo is shoved out of the way, stumbling into a nearby wall. Shoko’s arms go out and up a little and you smile at her before jumping into her arms dramatically.

She hugs you tighter and harder than either of the guys did, even going as far as lifting you and spinning you around-- all of which is done because she’s happy to see you again after a week of separation. The two of you are laughing and giggling in each other’s arms and Gojo has a frown on his face at the way he got shoved to the side.

When the two of you stop, Shoko moves to grab your hands as she speaks to you, “Merry Christmas roomie! I got you the best gift!”

You chuckle at her enthusiasm, she’s usually more relaxed than this so it’s nice to see her express so much emotion. “Merry Christmas,” Your smile widens, “What’d you get me?”

“You’ll see in a few minutes,” She says releasing your hands and nodding her head toward the living room, “We already opened a few but there’s still more.”

“Did you guys wait for me?” You ask as you begin following behind her.

Both of you continue your small talk, completely forgetting about Gojo who's shocked you’re even here. He grumbles to himself at the fact that Shoko came and stole you from him so swiftly.

The three of you end up in the living room, Geto is heard in the kitchen baking away as he hums to whatever Christmas songs were playing. You and Shoko are talking and giggling about the things she’s gotten so far and she complains about how Geto bought her a pack of cigarettes.

You laugh with her, knowing that she’s definitely grateful for the gift based on the unwavering smile plastered on her face the entire time she catches you up on what’s happened while you weren’t there.

“Oh, and I also know what the albino got you,” Shoko exclaims, a bigger smile growing on her face as she speaks about it.

Your eyebrows raise and you glance over to Gojo, who is sitting on one of the nearby couches scrolling through his phone, “What’d he get me?” You ask, turning your head back to Shoko.

She leans closer to you to whisper, “He got you a-”

“Shoko if you tell her, I’m cutting your hair off and flushing all your cigs’.” Gojo interrupts as a pillow goes flying across the room, landing right into the woman’s face.

She fumes, jokingly, and snatches the pillow up before launching it back to the man, “I dare you,” She shouts at the man, making him laugh as the pillow smacks him in the face.

The two start bickering back and forth and you’re laughing at the display of them partaking in a quick pillow war, instead of a pillow fight-- launching and smacking each other with any nearby pillows. As they do that, you take that as your chance to slip out and check on Geto.

Making your way out of the living room, you quickly head to the kitchen and catch the man pulling cookies out of the oven with a silly apron on. You’ve got a bag in your hands that holds his gift, seeing now as a perfect time to give it to him since Shoko told you there’s no set time on when gifts needed to be exchanged.

Geto notices you as he places the tray of cookies on the counter, flashing you a smile as you approach him, “Sounds like they’re destroying the living room again,” He comments.

You chuckle, “Again?”

“They had a play fight last night over gift wrap,” Geto hums, moving to rid his hands of the oven mitts he wore.

“Why am I not surprised?” You laugh, coming to a stop beside the male, your eyes scanning over the mouth-watering sugar cookies lying on a decorative tray, “Ouu these look good.”

“They should be,” Geto hums, turning his head to look at you instead of the cookies. His eyes drop to the bag in your hands, “S’that for me?”

You turn and look at him, smiling, “Yeah but, it’s more like a last-minute gift. It’s nothing amazing, just something silly.”

He appears to be intrigued, “Silly? My best friend is Gojo Satoru, I’m used to these kinda’ gifts.” Geto says with a casual shrug.

The bag in your hands is extended out to the man and he takes it from you gratefully, quickly moving to open it. Your smile grows and grows, mischief embedded into your eyes as you watch him take out what you got for him.

As the item comes out of the box, Geto stares in disbelief for a second and then laughs. “Oh hell no. If you think I’m putting this on, you’re going to be very disappointed.”

“Oh c’monnnnn Suguruuu, you have long hair.” You say, trying to convince him, “Just wear one? For me? Pleeease?”

“No.” Geto declines, dropping the item back into the bag.

You pout, “That’s not nice, Sugu. I went out of my way to pick that out just for you.”

He looks up from the bag and to your pleading eyes, “Did you?”

“Yes,” You sigh, moving to reach into the bag and drag the item out, “I can even put it on for you.”

Geto scoffs, “Yeah, no.”

The man then tries turning away from you but you extend a handout and grab ahold of his sweater, tugging him back toward you.

“Pretty please?” You beg, making him sigh loudly.

His back is to you now but he peers down at you over his shoulder, “I don’t like you.”

You beam, “Is that a yes?!”

“You’re just as annoying as Satoru, y’know that right?” Geto groans, turning his head to face forward, “Fine.”

Your eyes light up and the man hands a hair tie back to you. You giggle as you take it from him and then raise your hands up to do his hair. Slowly, you both walk a bit out of the kitchen and then you continue your actions.

Tying half of his hair up, like he usually does, instead of putting it into a bun, you leave it loose and then place your gift into his hair. The man grits his teeth as he feels you do so, already disliking his agreeance to this.

“Aaaand, done. It’s so pretty, Suguru!” You say happily.

“I’m taking it out in an hour.” He says grumpily.

“You didn’t even see how it looks yet!” You happily point out as you move to get a picture of the sight with your phone. His back is still to you and he doesn’t actually care if you take a picture.

He rolls his eyes, “You put a pink bow in my hair, I think I can picture what it looks like just fine.”

His words make you laugh excessively. You love how grumpy he sounds about it, “This is what you get for stealing my things.”

Geto pouts, “I was gonna give them back…”

“Yeah? When?” You ask, not believing him in the slightest.

“Today,” He tells you.

Your expression sinks, “Don’t tell me that was my Christmas gift…”

The man smirks, “It was.”

“You are such a pervert.”

“Howww?” He starts laughing, “I’m returning your things. Don’t worry, it’s all clean.”

“Y’know what, just for that,” Your hands go to his shoulders and you force him to turn around, pushing him toward the living room, “Everyone’s gonna see the pretty bow I just put in your hair.”

“Holy shit,” He chuckles and tries resisting your pushing, “W-Wait I-”

The man’s face goes bright red as he’s shoved into the living room. Shoko and Gojo were mid-pillow attacks when they both froze and looked over to the raven-haired male. For only a second, everyone’s still and quiet.

“G-God damnit,” Geto mutters, bringing a hand to his face and turning to the side.

Shoko bursts out in laughter, chuckling so hard that she falls over and has to hold her stomach to catch her breath.

Gojo’s snickering as he looks at his friend, “Suguru… Is…” He chuckles, “Is that a bow in your hair?”

“I hate all of you.” Geto groans, rolling his eyes at Shoko and Gojo’s obnoxious laughter filling the air.

Then there’s you giggling behind him, “It’s cute!”

“Shut up.” The male muttered before dragging his feet toward a nearby couch to plop down.

You join him and the other two, all of you beginning to tease Geto about the pretty pink bow in his hair. The man is so embarrassed about it but at some point he smiles, giving in to the humor in it all.

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆ .　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

As the laughter died down, all four of you chatted for a while-- giggling and smiling about some more silly gifts that were exchanged.

Shoko got Gojo this huge Christmas hat and then teased him about being Santa’s long-lost brother or something. Aside from that, the rest of the gifts were pretty normal but the four of you still had fun through it all.

You got Shoko a gift card, which she cherished as if it was the best thing she received all day. The woman hugged you and snuggled up into your body for a while, telling you how you were the best roommate she could’ve ever asked for. You gushed at her words and the two of you would laugh and laugh-- the men feeling left out as they watched you both.

They’d even dramatically roll their eyes at the display of affection but truthfully, Gojo adored seeing you so happy and Geto loved having his friends all in one place like this. Everything was so perfect.

And it only got better.

Because later on, after Geto privately found a moment to give you your gift, the four of you were still in the living room and all of you had eaten cookies and watched a Christmas movie together.

Gojo saved his gift for you until the movie was over and by that time, it was slowly fading into nighttime.

With a slight huff, Gojo stood up from the couch and headed to his room for a moment. Shoko was resting her head on your shoulder, her eyes blindly staring at whatever auto-played on the TV ahead. Meanwhile, Geto picked up his phone and began to scroll through it.

After a few minutes, Gojo returns to the three of you and you and him make eye contact. He’s got a bag in his hand and is careful to make his way toward you.

When he does, he doesn’t realize he’s standing in front of Shoko until she says something, “Dude, you’re not made of glass.” She hums, ignoring the fact that he was clearly only standing there for you.

You chuckle and angle your head up a bit, seeing that Gojo doesn’t budge and instead holds the bag out for you to take. You shake your head at how he ignores Shoko and then sit up, causing her to slip off your shoulder.

The woman groans and then shifts to sit herself up properly, “You’re both annoying,” She says harmlessly before moving to her feet and going to sit on another couch.

Gojo smiles victoriously and then plops down right where Shoko had been, “Got somethin’ for ya’, sweetheart.” He says to you.

You carefully take the bag from his hands, trying not to smile already even though you don’t know what it is. “What is it?” You ask.

“Open it and find out,” Gojo hums.

He shifts so that his body is facing yours, bringing one leg up onto the couch and then moving his arm to the back of the couch so that he can rest his head against his knuckles. With a sigh, you place the bag in your lap and then reach into it.

You weren’t sure what to expect. He said he didn’t even know you were coming so he couldn’t have gotten you anything too thoughtful, right? It’s probably some cash or something along that line…

Geto had placed his phone down and turned his head to the two of you, somewhat excited to see your reaction. And, you didn’t know it but, Shoko was also watching with just as much excitement.

Out of the box, you pulled a pretty red jewelry box out. A hand quickly came up to your mouth as you gasped. It was a rather large box and it was so obvious that there was a necklace inside.

“Satoru… You didn’t…” You whisper in shock.

He smirks, his eyes all over you, “I did. C’mon, open it already, love.”

Your heart skipped a beat due to the nickname and you took a deep breath before opening the jewelry box. Revealed to you was a simple yet dazzling necklace.

Your jaw dropped a little as you looked at the item. There was a pretty white silver chain that led to a small, clearly diamond-encrusted pendant that had a slight sparkle under the lighting. It wasn’t too extravagant or anything but the gift itself struck your heart just right.

You were tearing up for some unknown reason as you stared at it, “I… S-Satoru is this real?” You whispered in disbelief, slowly turning to the man.

Gojo looked at ease, nodding his head slightly, “Of course it’s real.”

“This is…” You turn and look back down at the item, almost too scared to touch it.

He leans closer to you, only a little, “Want’ me to put it on for you?” He offers thoughtfully.

Too stunned to speak, you just nod your head. Gojo moved carefully as he reached for the necklace and you moved around to turn your back to him once he had it. As you did so, you found yourself facing Geto who watched the two of you contently.

You felt Gojo’s fingers against your hair, slipping your hair out of the way, if any, and then shifting the jewelry around you. The slight coldness of the metal hitting your skin made you flinch slightly but as you felt Gojo’s fingertips graze your neck, your nerves steadily died down.

He then shamelessly leaned forward and placed a kiss on the nape of your neck as the piece of jewelry was clasped around you.

Geto winks at you, “It looks good on you,” He compliments.

You’re smiling nonstop, “Thank you.”

Gojo pulls away from your neck and hums out a simple, “Done.”

You turn your body around to face him and see Shoko smiling in the corner of your eye. She was going to say something but she stopped herself as she watched the way your arms flew around Gojo’s neck as you hugged him.

The embrace was so strong and forward that Gojo fell back onto the couch with you landing right on top of him. Your body lay against his muscular one, his legs spread as yours positioned in between them. Even though he fell, you didn’t care, squeezing onto the man tightly as a thanks.

Gojo chuckled and you could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he wrapped his arms around your waist.

“Thank you, Satoru,” You whisper, unconsciously nuzzling into the man, “It’s beautiful, I love it.”

He swallows hard at your words, his heart fluttering in his chest as he chuckles. “I’m glad you like it, sweets.” Gojo hums, shifting his head so that he can whisper in your ear, “I love you.”

The words make your eyes widen and you suddenly move to lift yourself up. You don’t get off of him, simply placing your hands at the side of his head and hovering over the male. His face is completely red at the sight of you over him and you see his breathing grow a bit heavier.

Both of you glance down at each other’s lips at the same time and you both are actually about to kiss, regardless of Shoko or Geto being right there in the room with the two of you. You never wanted to kiss Gojo so bad. There was this sudden desire to just plaster his face with kisses as a thank you for the beautiful piece of jewelry he’d gifted you with.

Getting lost in the moment, you even started to lean down to the man and he looked like he had no plans on stopping you.

Unfortunately, the sudden buzzing of your phone in your pocket stopped you and the two of you finched out of your little daze. You blinked out of your ridiculous thoughts and pushed yourself all the way up, moving off of Gojo and giving him space. You sat back on your heels and he sat up, raising a brow at what it was that ruined the moment.

You stuff your hand into your pocket to find out, pulling your cell out and glancing at the screen. Your eyes went completely wide and your jaw dropped for a second time that night.

You slap a hand over your mouth, “Oh my god.” You murmured, moving to shoot up to your feet.

Geto raised a brow, Gojo batted his eyelashes at you, and Shoko sent you a confused look.

You only made eye contact with Shoko, “It’s him.” You whispered in disbelief.

Her eyes light up and she sits up a little from her slouched position, “Him, as in…?” She raised a brow, sending you a you know who look.

You nodded frantically, your hand shaking a little. You then glanced down at Gojo, who surprisingly had a smile on his face.

The man nudged your leg, “Go on, go talk to him, sweetheart.” Gojo encouraged.

With another shocked bat of your eyelashes, you nod briefly and then rush out of the living room while raising your phone to your ear. Your heart was pounding, throbbing even as you shakily held up the phone.

“H-Hello?” You stammered as you walked into the kitchen.

You could hear everything. The parting of those plush lips of his, the sharp inhale he takes, and even the faint shake in his deep voice as he spoke.

“Merry Christmas, baby,” Choso uttered with that sweet voice of his.

Folded. In half. Literally. You had to bring another hand over your mouth to cover the way his voice, the nickname, and the entire interaction made you all giggly and flustered in a matter of seconds.

Crouching down slightly, you almost didn’t reply as you replayed his voice in your mind over and over. God you missed it more than you realized you did.

“F-Fuck,” You curse softly, chuckling afterward, “Merry Christmas, Cho.”

You couldn’t see it but, he smiled happily at the sound of your voice-- the two of you having an equal effect on each other. He too had to cover his mouth for a second, as if that would stop the gushing smile on his face.

“Shit,” Choso hums, “I uh…” His brain stammers to figure out what to say, “A-Are uhm… Are you free right now by any chance?”

You just barely glance over toward the direction of the living room, “Not exactly but, t-that can probably change. Why?”

The man bites his lower lip for a moment in thought. Choso releases his lip and then holds back his smile as he voices his next words calmly, “I wanna see you.”

GOJO SATORU ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

GETO SUGURU ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

TOJI FUSHIGURO ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙪𝙢

KAMO CHOSO ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙎𝙚𝙢𝙞-𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙪𝙢 / 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

ZEN'IN NAOYA ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙀𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮

ITADORI SUKUNA ✔︎ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙎𝙚𝙢𝙞-𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙮???

NANAMI KENTO ☐ 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘺: 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙙

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[yanderestarangel]

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐊𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐌𝐊1 | "𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐀 𝐓𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌 𝐁𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄?"

TW: dark themes, toxic relationship, physical aggression, afab anatomy, stockholm syndrome, kidnapping, yandere themes, smut, nsfw.

｡˚☽˚｡⋆ SHANG TSUNG : You two met when he went to collect a debt from one of your neighbors in the small village where you lived with your family, he would ask if your neighbor was there, since he didn't answer the door, you would talk distractedly taking care of some flowers that I didn't know for sure, oh my, the wizard was already madly in love with you, he would ask for some water and then ask your name and then kiss the back of your hand leaving with some men. From then on, his life would be a real hell. He would research everything about you and your family, he would be the type who would first try to win you over like a normal person, but soon he would see that you didn't seem very interested in her, soon leading him to a plan B. - He would start threatening the owner of renting your house immediately increasing the monthly payment, leaving you and your family in complete despair, however, he appeared as a "great savior" giving the house to your family again, with one caveat, you would have to go out to dinner with he. Shang Tsung was very seductive, he would pick you up at home, dressed in beautiful gold and red royal attire, loose hair and extremely expensive perfume, he would know how to convince you to stay with him, telling you how lucky you were that he had bought your house, in no time you would be in his hands and with sweet words and some wine, he would be between your legs at the end of the night, fucking you hard and slapping your face.

You two start dating immediately, and it becomes hell in your life, Shang wouldn't let you go home anymore, you would practically live with him in his castle, all his henchmen from exoterra weren't even allowed to breathe near you, much less let you go out without him around. He would be busy with business but he would leave you beautiful and locked up in another shared house between the two of you - don't take him the wrong way, but he wouldn't feel comfortable leaving you in a house full of likely exits to run away and never come back to him again. -

He is well controlled, Shang really knows that you won't leave him, because in addition to having developed emotional dependence on you on purpose, he could kill your beloved family at any moment - perhaps he even did this before, so you could only have him, but just maybe- But every jealous crisis he has you will be fucked by her until you can no longer walk, he will sink into you without any mercy for your poor pussy, talking while he puts his dick in you with all his strength that you are a dirty slut who wants to give that pussy to anyone, and that only he can have your body and heart, whether you want it or not.

You wouldn't, like never, if you even dared to mention that you wanted to end the relationship you would see a family member of yours killed, by your boyfriend while he smiled insanely and asked if he heard what you meant to say correctly. He would also never break up with you, for him you are the only one in his life and will always be and if you try to run away he will find you and make your life hell, first of all you wouldn't even leave the exoterra, he literally has contact with You wouldn't even be able to get a ride to go as far as possible from exo terra and if you did, it would be one of contacts to pick you back up. You would soon realize that it wasn't the right way and you would panic seeing Shang Tsung just ahead waving happily to the driver. You would try to scream and then cry but there was nothing else you could do in that situation, he would take you home and soon he would have him by your side and kissing your neck, of course, with your wrist held by a pair of handcuffs on your wrist. At the head of the bed, he would lay his head on you, hugging you while your tears flowed : "-My love, you will never leave here, you will die here, whether you want it or not."

｡˚☽˚｡⋆ BI HAN : Please never have a relationship with this man, seriously darling, Bi Han is the type of man that you can't even breathe someone else's air and he will have a jealous crisis taking you both home - this man's crises are always happen with the two of you out - he wouldn't be shy and say that you were wearing too short clothes to go out and that's why you were at home - not because he was jealous because you simply smiled at the waiter after he gave you a drink - and After arriving home, the two of you would have extremely violent sex on Bi Han's part, he would record fucking your pussy from behind while pulling your hair - regardless of whether your hair was short or not, he is 6'1 tall, meaning he would reach your head calm down - and right after cumming inside you, his cum warmed your entrance recording the cum dripping from your pussy. He would also be extremely controlling with things related to your work, forget leaving the house after dating him, you only go out with him or if you are accompanied by a man he trusts from the Lin Kuei - Mainly Sektor - if he knows you left alone he would have an outbreak when he got home - let's say maybe, but just, maybe, he put a tracker on you, with the help of Sektor, specifically on your cell phone or maybe on yourself, this man is sick - and this outbreak it would generate an outcry from him, and you would only hear it silently, crying quietly, since the last time you raised your voice to him you left the mark of his hand on your face for 3 days. He's the type to punish you physically, he thinks you'll learn better from pain. Things like hitting you if you dare to raise your voice to him have become normal in his life, he also faithfully believes that hitting you is not wrong and will never apologize for the opposite, he will pretend nothing happened and have breakfast with you like a happy couple. Unlike the others on the list, there is no way not to notice the red flags in the relationship, you went into this knowing how problematic Bi Han was and thought you could change him in some way, you were mortally mistaken. If you tried to escape from your house he would find you in hell, the entire Lin Kuei would come after you, and deaths would happen because your dear boyfriend knows that you couldn't bear to see civilians dying because of you. Soon the grand master would see you come out of a small house in the village that you were hiding with your hands up, there were people looking at you shocked by everything and others dead on the ground as you passed, obviously all the witnesses would be neutralized. Bi Han hugged you tightly, placing kisses on your head as he carried you in his arms. "-I told you my love, you will never run away from me, you are my soulmate, have you forgotten? If you try to do something like that again, I swear I will slowly kill every person you love in this life."

｡˚☽˚｡⋆ JOHNNY CAGE: This man is a Labrador type, he is a cute man but when he wants to he can turn your life into hell. You met Johnny in one of his films, and he soon became very passionate and in a record amount of time you began to have a relationship, in the beginning it was always normal and respectful, but he has already shown some strange signs, like always asking what you smiled so much writing on your cell phone - which was ironic since he was always glued to his cell phone - which would generate a mini fight between the two of you with Johnny saying that he was afraid of losing you, that he couldn't live without you and that he would do anything To have you by his side, he's the type who will apologize for raising his voice in a fight but will try to justify why he did it. The man will go slowly, showing several red flags, such as expelling his friends from the house that was shared, saying that he had had enough of the noise and that he needed to rest from unlike your friends leaving a horrible atmosphere in the room. You looked at your boyfriend in disbelief as he opened the door and each of your friends came out awkwardly smiling in your direction, the argument between you would be heated with him calling you a slut in the process which would make the older man apologize soon after while you If you locked yourself in the bathroom, you would only make up when you left the room and saw Cage silently crying while looking at your photos. He really has problems with trust, he loves you and trusts you, but he can't say the same about his friends and the world in general, even with you being in his life for many years, he doesn't trust himself, you two would end up fucking with Johnny Cage beneath you talking about how he couldn't see his life without you, while you rode him and kissed him, the man's hips went in desperate rhythm as he saw the goddess that was you moaning on his dick, and oh my he could never lose you.

+ BONUS CHARACTER

｡˚☽˚｡⋆ KUAI LIANG : Kuai Liang is literally on the same level as Bi Han, seriously, maybe even worse. This man would lay eyes on you for the first time and soon become obsessed, in this context you would be a support soldier in the mission against Perseus, everything was supposed to be normal but you soon find yourself cornered by Kuai and his sick thoughts. The man wouldn't give you a choice, either you stay with him or you die, simple as that. He would first try to win you over by normal methods, like bringing flowers or inviting you to dinner and if you accepted, you would fall into his web of control. This relationship would be a prison, you couldn't leave this man's side and if you did it without authorization you would be punished, he would love to punish you with humiliation, making you suck his dick under the table while there is a very important meeting with the Lin Kuei or just you depriving you of wearing clothes at home, he would always, literally always, fuck you, the bastard knew how to break your mind, he knew how to have sex that made you cry while you trembled on his thick cock. During sex he would praise you saying how good you are for taking his dick so well in your pussy, you were already not feeling very well with everything that was happening, so a Stockholm syndrome bond was formed with the man, rightfully so. to you crying every time Kuai deprived you of contact. Well, I think that with all this there's no need to say how jealous he is, you're just his, it could have happened that a man who tried to buy you a drink turned up dead in some alley, he's not the type to hit you , but, he will do much worse things. You will never escape, forget that dear, he will put you in a house far away from everything and everyone with the security system high and to avoid the risk of an escape, so you just let the man take control of your life. Kuai Liang would arrive home and see you on the porch, sitting in a beautiful white flowy dress that showed off your cleavage all dressed up, you looked sadly at the forest landscape around you, life had already left your eyes, you were a soulless doll, Kuai's broken doll, he sat next to you, slowly placing you on his lap while running his hand through your soft hair, you were broken, Kuai Liang knew, but there was no going back.

©YANDERESTARANGEL 2033

[lu-is-not-ok]

two in one theory... i am listening very intently if you ever feel up to share it!!

Alright, so this is gonna be... as close to an Abridged explanation of the theory as I can make, because if I went off on everything about it I would end up writing a whole dissertation or five hour video essay script on this shit.

There are gonna be three main sections to this post - Hong Lu's Daiyuisms, Hong Lu's Themes of Identity and how that connects to the concept of Two in One, and the Daiyu-Baoyu theory itself.

Strap in folks.

Hong Lu's Daiyuisms

If you know anything about my theories in the earlier days of Limbus, you might know that I'm one of the very few people who was convinced Hong Lu is actually Daiyu, due to some evidence I found personally compelling. This has not changed, as we've only gotten just as much extra evidence to this as we have to him being Baoyu. So let me just speedrun through some of these points.

The Fucking Jade Eye

Ok hear me out. This is maybe the least important piece of evidence but I can never stop thinking about it. Hong Lu's jade eye? Not actually fully blue! If you look closely on most of his sprites, you can see that he actually has sectoral heterochromia, meaning his jade eye is both blue and black.

Daiyu's name, quite literally, translates to blue-black jade.

Now, you could claim that this is merely meant to be an easter egg reference to her, but... is that really Project Moon's style? After all, when people speculated on Don Quixote being Sancho or a Bloodfiend partially based on her appearance all the way back since near launch, they turned out to be right.

Hong Lu's Father

As of now, there is only one instance of Hong Lu referencing his Father in Limbus, and it's a voiceline from his Base Identity:

Now, if you know anything about DOTRC, this should already be raising some flags, because if Hong Lu was just Baoyu, he would not fucking talk like that about his Father.

In the book, Baoyu is consistently shown to be afraid of his Father, for a good reason mind you, as he's his main abuser. Baoyu would not be looking forward to introducing his friends to that man.

Even if Hong Lu was trying to downplay the abuse he's recieved, this would still not fit his pattern of behavior. When topics that genuinely bother Hong Lu come up, such as what could make him distort or how rich people would enjoy gifts made of humans, he immediately pivots and tries to avoid the topic at all cost. He would not bring up his main abuser in such a lighthearted manner, he would avoid bringing him up at all cost.

However, there is a character in DOTRC which does in fact have a more positive relationship to her Father, and would likely be the one with an opinion such as that - Daiyu. Daiyu loves her Father, and when he dies she completely disappears from the story for a bit to attend his funeral. If there was anyone who would be excited to introduce their friends to their Father, it'd be Daiyu.

Lasso Hong Lu's Corrosion

I made a whole seperate post about this, but I might as well mention it here as well for the sake of completion. The design choices made for Hong Lu which are missing for Faust are very, very Daiyu-coded.

For one, not only does Hong Lu completely turn into a flower, unlike Faust, his horse also gains a flower in its mouth. For those whose knowledge of DOTRC is zero to none, Daiyu is a reincarnation of a Flower given sentience due to being watered by the Jade. I don't think I have to be the one to connect the dots between those two pieces of info for you.

The second is how the halters become a noose for Hong Lu. This, too, is a very Daiyu thing - Rose Hunter as an Abnormality represents the inability to escape one's fate, and Daiyu's fate is to die - the Jia Family arranging a marriage between Baoyu and Baochai leads to Daiyu falling deathly ill, which in itself could be considered a part of her repaying her Debt of Tears - the debt she swore to repay to the Jade/Baoyu when she was still a Flower.

The hilarity of the fact that this E.G.O came out in the same update as Hong Lu being called Baoyu in-story is not lost on me.

Rose Sign Abnormality Log

The third Log for Rose Sign ends in a very peculiar way.

There's multiple ways one can tie Hong Lu's odd reluctance to talk about flowers and the petals. One is the obvious "he's being reminded of Daiyu because she was a Flower" connection, but there's another one.

One of the most commonly potrayed images of Daiyu relates to a scene in DOTRC where she buries fallen flower petals, weeping for and lamenting the mortality of the flowers and herself. Hong Lu's reaction here to his fellow Sinners being reduced to nothing but petals upon Rose Sign's death feels like a notable parallel to Daiyu's flower burial scene.

Like literally everything about Kurokumo Hong Lu

The title for this is a bit of an exaggeration, but at the same time. I'm serious. Kurokumo Hong Lu is perhaps the most Daiyu Identity out of all the Hong Lu Identities we have, and the way he is designed to stand out among them further makes me go insane.

Kurokumo Hong Lu's most defining trait is his attitude - he often complains about his position and how authority treats him, though he doesn't really act out against them in any major way outside of making snarky or sarcastic remarks.

This is, frankly, an extremely Daiyu thing to do. Daiyu is one of the few characters who audibly complains about her treatment in the household. For example she complains about not being given as many opportunities to show off her poetry skills as her male peers are, and she recognises how, when all the girls in the family are given flowers, she's the last one to recieve them and thus is stripped of the ability to pick, being only given the leftovers.

Then there's the whole. Everything about Kurokumo Hong Lu's visual design. Because once you realize just how Daiyu-like the Identity is, you realize just how weird he is compared to other Hong Lu Identities. I mean just look how he compares to his other Identities.

He's the only Hong Lu Identity with a blue tint to his hair in the combat sprite rather than the usual purple.

He's the only Hong Lu Identity whose hairtie is a ribbon rather than a jade ring (Liu Hong Lu technically has the ribbon in his post-uptie art, but he doesn't have it in his combat sprite so I'm not counting him).

He's the only Hong Lu Identity to not be smiling in his combat sprites.

And he's the only Hong Lu Identity (and one of only four Identities in the game) whose Idle sprite has its body facing away from the opponent rather than facing towards them.

All of those combine to make him stand out like a sore thumb in a Hong Lu Identity lineup in a way that makes it feel intentional, especially since he's also the only Hong Lu Identity with that kind of notable attitude towards authority. Other Hong Lu Identities are either obedient, don't express any opinion, or just straight up are the authority.

The Baoyu reveal is framed in a very weird way

This is, admittedly, less of a Daiyuism and more of a not-Baoyuism, but I thought it'd be important to mention nonetheless.

There are a lot of things about Canto 7's reveal of Hong Lu's name being Baoyu that are very strange, especially compared to how the Canto frames Don Quixote's own reveal of actually being Sancho.

For one, the timing itself - why is such an important piece of info being revealed so early? Again, compare to Donqui - she was revealed to be a Bloodfiend in the Intervallo right before Canto 7, and the Sancho reveal only came in the second half of the Canto.

For two, the framing - Donqui's reveals are treated as what they are, Major Reveals. The Baoyu reveal on the other hand happens in a single off-handed line, with nobody reacting to it in any way. Neither Hong Lu nor the other Sinners seem to hear it after all.

And mind you, it's not like Limbus is opposed to giving us important information in off-handed lines - far from it in fact. Project Moon loves shoving little bits of foreshadowing and reveals you don't realize are reveals until way later in these kinds of off-handed lines. But the way those lines are treated is still very different to how the Baoyu reveal is treated.

Usually, when there's foreshadowing in off-handed lines, it's usually either vague enough to be something a character could say regardless of context (see Yi Sang getting hung up on the Sedatives bit in Canto 2 or Ishmael's comment about Syndicates pretending to be Families foreshadowing her own history with the Middle via Queequeg) or something that is in the middle of a scene that distracts from what is actually being said (like Hong Lu's distortion foreshadowing being in the middle of an important infodump or most of everything in Canto 2 being surrounded by a comedic tone).

None of this is present for the Baoyu reveal. There's nothing to distract you from this information, as the scene is already focused on discussing Hong Lu, meaning you're already likely to be paying attention to what is being said about him. There's also no vagueness about it, there's no way you can brush it off since not only are Wei and Xichun newly introduced characters, but it's a whole ass clearcut namedrop.

The only way I can justify that reveal being there in the form it takes is that it in itself is the distraction. Think about it. Didn't I point it out earlier that this reveal came in the same update as the E.G.O with an extremely Daiyu-coded corrosion design? Wouldn't it make sense for that reveal to be there to lower your guard, make you think you resolved that mystery, only to later on reveal it wasn't the whole story after all?

Hong Lu's Themes of Identity

So this section is a bit more vague than the Daiyuism section, because Hong Lu is the type of guy to just Say Shit all the time. It's basically just. Anything that I find relevant to the idea of Hong Lu's Identity being more complex than him just being a random guy using a pseudonym, with some (but maybe not all) of them directly tying to the idea of Two in One.

"Which one is the real you?"

There are currently two seperate scenes where Hong Lu muses on the idea of someone's identity being in some way vague or obscured.

Is Dante the person or the clock? Is the dreamer the one in the dream or the one who wakes from it? Which you is the real you? Does it even matter if that you will flutter away in the end?

This idea of there being one true self. That even if there are two, there is only one of them that is actually you. Curious, right?

Face-changing dance

During the Canto 2 scene where everyone gives their reasons for whether or not they'd be a good pick for being the one to dance, Hong Lu says this.

Bian lian is a kind of dance literally translated as "face-changing". It involves rapid changes between various masks and make-up to represent different emotions or characters.

Now, it's no secret that Hong Lu is a great actor, as we see in Canto 4, and Canto 7 shows how the comparison to theatre and actors can be used to symbolize one's performance of identity, as it does for Sancho and her Don Quixote persona.

Mind you, this reveal comes in the same scene as Sinclair's dance invoking the image of a bonfire burning all through the night according to the Mariachis, a clear foreshadowing to Canto 3 and the Literal burning down of Sinclair's home.

Hong Lu knowing bian lian could be further foreshadowing to his own skills in deception, and how he too is a sort of actor, not unlike Don Quixote. On the other hand however, it could also be a more literal foreshadowing, that he (Baoyu) Quite Literally changed his face. We won't know until Canto 8, but it is an option you know.

The HamHamPangPang dish(es)

For those who don't know, here is a list of the Sinner-themed dishes that were available at HamHamPangPang.

Now, chances are, not all of them have deep meanings. I don't think there's much of a deep meaning to Heathcliff and Ishmael's dishes, I think PJM just legit don't know much about British/American cuisine so they just picked something recogniseable.

However, not all of them are meaningless picks either. Ryoshu, likely a mother, has a meal literally called "parent-and-child donburi". Don Quixote, a Bloodfiend, has a garlic-based dish. These were clearly done on purpose.

So, what does it say that Hong Lu's dish is actually two different dishes? That he's the only one whose dish is two different dishes? And it's not like the two are in some way inherently connected, since they're of completely different cuisines. Japchae is a Korean dish, not Chinese like the Mandarin rolls.

And just in case you weren't convinced that Hong Lu's choice of dishes is purposeful - another name for Mandarin rolls is flower buns, and one of the special occasions japchae is commonly served for is weddings. If you had read through the Daiyuisms section and somehow have no idea what the significance of that is, I don't know what to tell you.

The Daiyu-Baoyu Theory (finally)

So. I gave some evidence for why I think Hong Lu could still be Daiyu despite being revealed as Baoyu. I gave some evidence for why I think Hong Lu could be a Two in One deal, or that at the very least there's something more complex going on with his identity. But let's discuss the theory itself, how it would recontextualize certain things, and why I think it's an extremely fitting an thematically resonant direction for Hong Lu's Canto to go in.

The Theory

Here's what I speculate is going on.

Daiyu, just like in DOTRC, is someone who was taken in into the Jia Household rather than born in it, and who strongly connected with Baoyu upon meeting him. The two would end up forming a bond strong enough that they would be willing to die for one another (or, if they're in particularly argumentative moods, to kill themselves just to force the other to have to live a long life grieving over them - this is an actual argument they have in DOTRC and I pray to god this is adapted into Limbus because it's too fucking funny).

At some point, Baoyu either dies or is brought to near death, likely through the same circumstances as in DOTRC - being beaten by his Father. To save him, his memories and consciousness would be transferred to his eye, a process not dissimilar to the one Xichun brings up in Canto 7, and implanted into Daiyu's body, causing them to become a vessel for Baoyu. This would be how Hong Lu as he is now is created.

All of the above is the main basis for this theory. Everything else that I might speculate about, such as the exact nature of the two's relationship, Daiyu's more exact background and personality, how their pre-reincarnation lives could be adapted - all of those are things that are purely speculative and ones that I don't really expect to be actually fulfilled. The only bits that I am sure are likely to be true is what I laid out above.

So... what does it all mean for the future? I'm glad you asked!

The Recontextualization

Here's a collection of just a couple of things that Hong Lu has said or is depicted as that would be heavily recontextualized if this theory ends up being true.

Hong Lu surviving despite claiming he didn't fight back when his siblings first tried to kill him: With the context that he used to be two seperate people, the answer to how he survived is made very simple. Baoyu is the one who wasn't fighting back. Daiyu, however, could have still protected him in turn.

The red ribbon on Hong Lu's weapon: There is only one other Sinner who has a similar decoration on their weapon - Ryoshu, who also has a red ribbon on her sword, which could be easily connected to Yuzuki and her death. With the context of Hong Lu being Baoyu occupying Daiyu's body and thus effectively rendering their self non-existent, the red ribbon could be a parallel symbol - a symbol of Daiyu and their 'death'.

How Hong Lu treats his weapon in his base E.G.O: The way Hong Lu holds his weapon in the illustration is more like he's cradling another person. This could be a representation of how he feels about Daiyu's situation. Likewise, in the attack animation, he's not really attacking with the weapon itself, is he? He's simply using it to direct a ribbon (which in itself is missing in the illustration), the part that is actually the attack. If the weapon in the base E.G.O represents Daiyu, this could be a parallel to how Baoyu feels like he's merely directing Daiyu's body to attack, rather than being the one actually attacking.

The duality of Hong Lu IDs: There is a notable pattern among Hong Lu IDs, and that is the focus on his attitude to violence. When he's in a situation where he's obedient towards his Family, he's either uninterested in violence, bored of it, or otherwise given no other choice but to use it as a reprieve from boredom. However, when he's in a situation where he's disconnected from his Family or otherwise questioning the status quo, he's shown to not only be much more aggressive and violent, but to outright enjoy it. With the context of Hong Lu being composed of two people, this duality could represent each of his components - the obedient and violence-averse being more Baoyu-like, while the questioning and violence-favoring being more Daiyu-like.

So, there's a bunch of stuff that would be given new meaning under the premise of this theory being true. But now, what about the future? What would this theory mean for the themes and ending of Canto 8?

The Resolution

I believe this is how the Daiyu-Baoyu theory will affect Canto 8.

At some point, whether before or during the Canto, it will be revealed that Hong Lu is both Daiyu and Baoyu. There will be an attempt to seperate the two, perhaps to implant Baoyu into a more fitting, more Jia Family-approved Vessel. Perhaps because the 'arranged marriage' from DOTRC could be adapted into something more... let's say Fear and Hunger kind of marriage rather than traditional marriage.

This will leave Hong Lu to be returned to their state as Daiyu, who will be revealed to be a very different person to what the Sinners knew Hong Lu as. There is a non-zero chance that Daiyu will be unable to hear Dante or be revived by them due to the one who signed the contract being Baoyu, and so they could end up acting as an uncontrollable ally unit not unlike Xichun in Canto 7.

The climax would then be Daiyu and Baoyu reuniting and being unwilling to part with each other again, even for the sake of returning to being the fake persona that is Hong Lu, leading to a potential duo boss fight/distortion boss fight/duo distortion boss fight.

The ending would be the two of them deciding to embrace their new identity as Hong Lu and truly becoming one, discarding their pasts and the selves that had been forced on them by the Jia Family. This ending would have a twofold meaning regarding how it connects to the DOTRC adaptation.

One - it would be a direct parallel to the ending of DOTRC where Baoyu leaves to become a monk. By becoming Hong Lu and discaring his previous identities, he'd be leaving behind the earthly attachments inherent to being Baoyu and Daiyu and become spiritually whole.

Two - it would be a reflection of the major theme of DOTRC, that being "Truth becomes fiction when the fiction's true. Real becomes not-real when the unreal's real." Hong Lu, as a person, is a 'fake' persona used by the 'real' Baoyu and Daiyu. However, by discarding those two identities and deciding to just be Hong Lu, the fiction of his existence becomes the truth, while his former real selves become not real.

Conclusion?

I could honestly just keep going with this post, but I think I'm going to stop myself here before I'm forced to find out what tumblr's character limit on posts is. Believe me, I was trying to be brief, and still this post is. This fucking long.

I hope this explains why this theory has been the subject of my brainrot for the past however long, and why I feel like it's surprisingly plausible despite being as deranged as it is.

Godspeed and godbless, I have classes tomorrow and I'm spending my time on this.

[strawberrymochin]

Unkempt desires

Megumi meets gojo again 20 years later after the big battle.

Genre/Warnings-: reincarnation au! Grownup! Megumi, he has a family, our gumi all grown up, crackhead yuuji, mentions of death, flashbacks.

Megumi looked over the sea. Its waves glimmering brightly as the sunrays dance shimmers along the tides.

Something about it was nostalgic, maybe it was the warm fuzzy smell or maybe it was the azure of the water under the bright sun, which resembled the eyes of someone, who megumi was once under the debt of— Satoru Gojo.

Maybe he is still in debt.

The scar from the battle on his face has now faded into a cream color slightly in contrast to his face.

He wondered how gojo’s scars would have looked if he were still alive now. Would those millions of cuts on his skin prick him with the memory of Megumi, unconscious, fighting with him under sukuna’s control? Will they prick him like splinters of iron, bringing tears to his eyes? Lol he would probably just laugh it off.

The fact that he even wrote him a silly letter apologizing for something as grave as murdering his biological father, with a pun and a silly doodle included.

Megumi chuckles at the memory of how he used to hate those eyes peeking on him, especially on nights when he had fever. Almost giving him a heart attack.

Ironic how he hated them back then, and how he misses them now!

‘Megumi, let's make a sand castle’ he would say, on his days off, when he forced the fushiguros to the beach, to have some family time. You would laugh with tsumiki on those castles which barely even looked like one.

“Hey, dad! Let's make a sand castle!!” A little girl ran up to Megumi, tugging his hand and dragging him.

“No need to hurry y/n, the sand ain't going anywhere.” Megumi said as the girl kept dragging him towards the failed attempts of sand castles she made.

He now had a family, a happy one. One lovely wife he fell in love with(which he never thought he would) and one daughter dear to his heart. He named her after you, the only mother figure he ever had in his life.

It's been 21 years since then.

You were no longer alive, nor was gojo. Still the memories were alive. The memories which he treasured with an uncertain fear in his heart, he didn't quite recognise, until his daughter started to look exactly like you.

Her eyes resembled yours, her lips resembled yours, your face resembled hers, so did her curse technique.

His wife said maybe it was a blessing, a reincarnation. She was happy, so was Megumi, but it would be wrong to admit he wasn't afraid.

Afraid of history repeating.

Afraid of his daughter's curse technique to evolve.

Afraid of an uncertain future even beyond his capacity to behold.

Itadori barged into his office, wearing nobara’s skirt.

“ I'm Kugisaki nobara!!!!”, he went to such an extent on detailing his look that he even stole one of her eye patches.

“You're gonna get your ass drilled by her hammer once she finds you.” Megumi drawled checking through the files of the freshers who are about to enroll into their school. He's a teacher now, continuing what gojo dreamt of, so did Itadori Yuji.

“You're not fun. And you shouldn't use such language, if you're raising a lovely daughter. Wouldn't want her to turn like nobara or maki senpai.” He said, pulling on the chair and settling on it with one leg crossed over the other.

“Well, why are you here?” inquires Megumi, already full of his drama.

“To inform you that we are going to get a kid off execution.”

“Execution?”

“Yes, a potential threat to higher ups and society.” Yuji tapped his fingers on the wooden desk polished with varnish, his face slowly adapting to the depth of his statement.

“To the higher ups?”

“Mhm, yeah the great stuff gojo sensei did…I can't believe I missed such a great show.”

Megumi was silent for a while. The last threat to the higher ups ever to be born was gojo and geto.

He could never imagine someone could be more of a threat to them. Until and unless they find out about his daughter's curse technique.

“Let's get going already, I don't think they will resist the urge of killing the kid for any longer.” Itadori got up from the chair, followed by Megumi. (And don't worry he was caught by nobara midway who kept the drilling ass move for later and let him go to meet the kid)

Itadori was reminded of a similar yellow hue and the fresh flood of memories following it, some pleasant, some bitter that made his throat itch. However, someone who was more pale in the execution room was Megumi. As something wasn't sitting right with him. Every single step he was taking was increasing the dread he felt for his daughter's reality to be discovered. And he didn't understand why he felt like that.

Finally they came to the familiar hall and in the center of it was a boy sitting in a chair, his back facing them. He wore a navy hoodie and his complexion was pale. Even paler than Megumi.

Itadori glanced at Megumi before calling out to the kid, who was unnaturally calm, as if he were about to watch a movie instead of getting himself killed for bearing a burden he never chose to bear.

“Kiddo! We're here to save your ass for getting killed…mind facing us a bit.” cold sweat broke out on Megumi, as Itadori let those words out his mouth. Even he wasn't feeling good. Something was so, so wrong.

The kid stood up. His hair, a familiar silver. He turned slowly, for what seemed a long agonizing time. And when he finally did.

Megumi was numb.

It was him. The same eyes. The same mouth. The same hair. But it was as if time got tangled in its own threads and somehow the gojo satoru, who was long dead, was in his child form in front of their eyes.

Itadori gulped, he glanced at Megumi, before getting his shit together and shutting his mouth, preventing himself from gaping at the kid.

“I'd prefer you save yourselves from me first. And I wouldn't feel any remorse for not having a better judgment." The kid spoke in a voice, a lot less mature than the boys remembered of gojo. Then they remembered, the kid’s just 12 years old.

And Megumi was right. Something was so wrong. Cuz’ even if the kid looked exactly like gojo, he wasn't any like him.

“You shouldn't mess with satoru gojo.” He said, his fingers forming a hand sign, with slight blue light sparkling.

“Sensei…” whispered Megumi, which was barely even audible, and yet nothing changed in the kid's demeanor.

He was gojo. Alive and reincarnated. And Megumi knew it. But gojo didn't.

a/n- I was nervous writing this, since i haven't wrote for so long, forgive me if this is shit!

[threepandas]

Bad End: Poisoned Cups

I hadn't adjusted well, at first. I don't think anyone could have. Being an elf sound cool, on paper. The better eye sight, the incredible hearing, the stamina. All sorts of perks right? But what they don't tell you, is that when your soul is human? When you get isekai'd by some divine oversight or fucker with a truck?

It doesn't adapt that well, to a new body. Your soul INSISTS you should still be human, with all the trappings, and throws a FIT, when you just.... aren't. So you end up with migraines. Eyes that swim in and out of focus. Wheezing, struggling, breathe. A body at war with itself.

The world was so loud. Too loud. I could hear EVERYTHING and it HURT. Couldn't breathe and THAT hurt. Was nauseated all the time, from my eyes refusing to focus properly. That too, hurt. All of it, pain. Just? Pain. Day after day, pain pain pain.

My poor parents were helpless. The doctors struggled.

But the King? HE could save me.

And he did.

He was younger then. Just barely into his rule. His Father having just stepped down. My parents, desperate, brought me before him. Waited in line for days. They didn't even know if he COULD do anything, were grimly prepared for him to say that sadly, nothing COULD be done. But? Instead? He looked me over, called for several old texts, looked again, then called upon the strength of the Throne.

My parents apparently started weeping the second I stopped.

All I remember is the pain going away. Being exhausted. A REALLY pretty elf man in a crown. Things getting... better, after that.

I was told that story often, as a child. It utterly transformed our household. From merely loyal citizens, to devote Loyalists. Speaking ill of the King in THIS house? Would now get you HURT. My parents had been convinced they were going to LOSE me. The King as far as they were concerned, saved my LIFE.

Which is why I didn't put anything together. Seeing as we were an "all King all the time" Sort of house. We had one(1) team and we were sticking to it. Permanently. His son? Eeeeh, maybe. We'd figure that out later. We didn't care to know. And I was too busy with school work to CHECK.

Which? Meant I didn't NOTICE? He looked? More and more... Otome Capture Target as time went on. Specifically, he looked kinda crown prince from "Dance of the Secret Forest! A True Love For Me?!" sort of Shaped. Which... gee, what ARE the odds? Especially given that so many OTHER things are named suspiciously similar or exactly the same to that game?

.........yeeeeeah. I decided not to take chances.

I looked that shit UP.

And wouldn't you know it? Protagonist-chan? Not there yet. But she SURE COULD BE! All the legends were EXACTLY what they should be. Forests and locations the same! PEOPLE the same! Oh HELL no. Good to know where NOT to be, I guess.

Not my circus, NOT my Otome Drama Monkeys.

I? Would be working for the KING. My family owed him a debt.

And when I graduated? I applied. Top of my class. I studied my ASS off. Could have gone anywhere. But I was aiming for the TOP. A debt to be repayed and frankly? Excellent job security on top of it! So filling busy work in dusty ass backrooms it was. Gotta start from the bottom, after all.

I exhausted them. Was honestly barely trying too at that point. They should see me TRYING to put my nose to the grindstone. Burn the midnight oil! Ha! HA, I say! Long elven lifespans slow you all down! I? Used to live in a capitalist hellscape! This is NOTHING.

I'm not even multi-tasking. It's not even LUNCH YET.

Did I get promoted? Yes. Do I worry my coworkers? Deeply! But shit needs doing and we don't have all day! There is a nation to run! Have some tea. Eat a turnover. Now~! Where are my fuckin documents~☆?

I get promoted again.

Then again.

Aaaaand again.

I'm pretty sure it's cause I scare people. Am FAST. Efficient. Willing to hunt my coworkers for SPORT, like a god damned bloodhound, if it means we get that one extra tax document that makes or breaks us. I have (and will again if necessary) climbed through people's fucking WALLS. Cause, honestly? If they wanted to stop me?

They should have warded the gods damned vents.

Fuckin casuals. Get on my level.

So, now? I am the baby. King's inner circle. And EVERYONE? Is damn near twice my age! And, granted, yes. It IS hilarious I still scare like half the people working under me... but come ON! You are elite government officials! Do BETTER! (Geez. At least my PARENTS couldn't be prouder.)

But... (and God damn it, why is there ALWAYS a "but"?) here's the thing. It? Took me a WHILE to get where I am now. Long enough, in fact, for our... Problem, to arrive. A Problem which is GOING to cast his Majesty's kingdom into chaos and turmoil, in fighting and divides. Religious upheaval. A PROBLEM, which? In the name of luuuuuv~?

Is going to get NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES involved.

And WHO do you think is going to have to deal with that? WHO will have to prevent all out WAR? Religious schisms? Ward off assassins in the night? Certainly not Mr. "But Daddy, I love her!". Oh no, HE gets to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his father's suffering! Make more trouble! (Fucker.)

But, hey! Maybe I should throw in with his SECOND son, right? The supporting character? He seems vastly more reasonable and emotionally more balanced doesn't he? Well educated, cautious, why, thoughtful even! Ha ha... yeah... he DOES seem that way, doesn't he?

SEEMS.

He Is Not. Little fucker is a SPECIAL flavor of batshit. Completely "wake to find him standing over you, in your LOCKED BEDROOM, asking if you want to see his new favorite knife" nutty puffs. Not sure which side of the family it comes from, to be honest. Disturbingly good at getting past my warding.

Or at least he WAS, until I got the King involved. Ha! Royal wards! You can't touch me! I sleep like a BABY now! The only people who can enter my rooms now? Are literally JUST me and the KING HIMSELF! How safe is that~‽

But for real... poor his Majesty, you know? It's not like he didn't TRY to be a good father. Take time he couldn't afford out of each day, to spend time with his sons. Insist on eating meals together so he could ask them about their interests, how each day had gone. Involved them where he safely could.

He's a somber man. A dignified one. But let NO ONE say, he is not a LOVING one.

And HOW do his children fucking reward him? Middle school love dramatics and MURDER ATTEMPTS IN THE NIGHT! Because, YES, I have found the disturbing murder board that the second prince has in his "secret" room. Right along his equally disturbing stalker board of ME.

I, obviously, told the King.

He did not look pleased.

Don't know if my new reality has, like, intensive therapy programs or something? But I hope for ALL our sakes, that the second Prince is at the winter palace getting HELP, instead of just? You know... plotting.

His Highness has a nasty tendency to plot, after all. But hey, his Majesty says not to worry about it? I choose to believe him. Concern myself with more immediate threats. Enjoy, no longer turning around to find some baby faced little creep with a hunter's stare, just... watching me. As I try to work. As I try to eat. Around corners, still as a statue, yet somehow a THREAT, in lonely and too empty corridors.

God fucking DAMN, his little "crush" was creepy!

If it weren't for his Majesty? I would have run and run FAR. But... but I? And you CAN NOT repeat this, okay? It's WILDLY inappropriate! A-And I SWEAR I'm never going to.. to ACT on it! I would NEVER. So...so PROMISE, okay?

....cause.... I may... MAY! Possibly! Just a LITTLE bit! Sorta, kinda, just a BIT? Have a TEENY? Little crush... on... his Majesty? Maybe???

YOU CAN'T TELL!

It's SO fucking inappropriate. Oh my GOD. I hate this so much!? Cause he's my BOSS! And old enough to be my DAD! I SHOULDN'T be so attracted to him, right?! Plus he's the KING! There's definitely a power imbalance there! How would that even WORK?! We would have no future! I don't know the first THING about how to BE royalty. And no one would accept me!

Not that I think I even have a CHANCE! Fuck no! I'm not THAT arrogant.

But, like? A girl can day dream. Fantasize, you know?

Which is why? Having his SON? Be a creepo stalker at me? Kinda the WORST. I've literally JUST discovered I'm into older men! Thanks! BEGONE, zygote! Also, your vibes are RANCID! No thanks! I hated that and am SO glad it's gone. Now? All I have to worry about? Is Protagonist-chan and the political SHIT SHOW she drags after her like trail of destruction.

Why is she involving foreign royalty? PLEASE stop involving foreign royalty! Dukes! Religious leaders! MILITARY LEADERS. Stop "Helen of Troy"-ing your ass through our nice, PEACEFUL, kingdom!!! What the ACTUAL FUCK!? This is NOT A THEME PARK.

I watch, vaguely horrified, as his Majesty finishes reading three (yes, count um! Fucking THREE!) different royal missives demanding three different women of legend, from three DIFFERENT legends, who coincidentally enough? Happen to ALL BE THE SAME PERSON. Fucking Protagonist-chan.

They were from long standing ALLIES.

We could not AFFORD to lose those.

And the FOURTH message? Oh, THAT? That, was from his SON! Mr. "But Daddy! I Love her!" HIMSELF! He wants permission to marry the random woman of unknown province he found in the woods! Could be a foreign spy! Could be a mad woman. Who CARES right? They're SO in love~

Enough to START A WAR OVER IT.

I skip the tasting cups and instead? Bring his Majesty a bottle of the strongest star wine I can find. The sort that could damn near eat through rocks and vaporizes in air if you pour it out. Pain killers too, for what HAS to be a killer headache. Then I hesitate. You know what? Fuck it. I grab a cart. Make a care package.

Paper, ink, the STRONG tea, that special occasions tea (in case he needs a reason to remember his will to live), some snacks, a few shawls in case he decides to work late...

It's worth it, to see the way his stressed face relaxs when I return. Eyes softening, corner of his mouth curling up in that tiny, secret, little smile. We can get through this. We WILL get through this. I may not be able to stand by his side, but? I can support him. Help.

So long as HE sits in this office, burning himself down to keep this nation warm, so too, will I.

Tea or booze, your Majesty?

"A blend, I think. Unfortunately, I fear it is going to be a long night for us both." He replies. His voice smooth and low, effortlessly filling the room. A lifetime of public speaking, ingrained so very deep. "You should pour yourself a cup as well, my dear. Sleep will be a long time coming, we will need both the calm and the clarity."

I rolled my borrowed tea cart to the side and got to work. Strong tea and stronger star wine. Certainly a... flavor. Fairly certain such a thing should be illegal. Pretty sure our healers are going to be appalled. But, oh well. Needs, must. One for me, one for him.

He held out a hand. It was a sweeping gesture of his arm, a gentle turn of his wrist. I could never get used to his casual... elegance. The beauty of him. Like a living art work. A dancer. As though he were an actor, striking a pose, about to consider the soul of the simple tea cup. I handed it over, gently and with as much elegance as I could.

It still felt clumsy in comparison.

Yet he still smiled, just slightly. In that way I had learned to spot. Tension dripping away from his shoulders like thawing ice. Running in little rivers like melt waters, as he sat back in his chair, half turning it to face me. A brief moment to relax. Before work begins again.

"Ah... completely vile. Thank you, dear. It's disgusting." He said dryly, catching me off gaurd, and making me damn near snort into my cup. "If it did not work so well? I would never consume this swill again. What a perfect waste of tea and wine. We should invite Yevault."

I laugh. A snirking, snorting, choked little thing into my cup. God, but I've been TRYING to laugh more elegantly. Hell, I've even practiced. But when he catches me off gaurd? I swear to God, I cackle and pop. Like some sort of deranged witch pig. Ow, my sinuses.

"Oh but that's right, Yevault is a healer, on the occasions he takes time from being an unbearable snob. He might actually make us rest, dear. Then where would we be?" His Majesty muses, taking another sip before grimacing at the taste.

I go to respond. Probably some quip about "preferably in bed" or "asleep". Only... only to find my tounge sluggish. My exhaustion mounting, not slipping away. The world has begun to sway. Just a little at first, then notable. My mouth... fuzzy? Prickly. W...what?

His Majesty has begun to frown. Delicately setting down his cup... cup? Something about... a cup... I have taken too long to respond. He rises. Strides in a few, urgent, steps over to where I lean. Against the edge of my assistants desk. Swaying~ swaying~ w-why is the ground... my tounge feels to big. Think? I've begone to drool?

Warm, big hands cup my face. Was slipping forward, to the side. Gonna fall? Not anymore. Up. Hi! Is the king. Hi King. I... I don't feel so good...

His eyes have gone focused and cold. Pretty. Crown begins to glow. Leaves. Gold and gold, a halo of light. From within and beyond him. Power of the throne. Oh... oh I was here before, wasn't I? My bones remember. Like the roots to his great tree, power seeping deeper and deeper into my body, finding imperfections to consume. So... so much LIGHT.

I can not look away.

"Poison, was it? How terribly banal. Do they think me so simple to kill?" There is scorn in his voice. Utter distain. But deep beneath, like the hidden embers of a forest fire, there is rage. "How dare they drag you into this. Bad enough they throw a FIT over some trouble making tart, now they get the innocent involved? What if I had not been paying attention? Or you had taken that tea where I could not see it? Unacceptable."

Like spreading branches, like antlers, the light spread. The hands on my face gentle even as his Majesty's face might as well have been carved from stone. I tried to protest, swallowing thinking past the still rolling nausea. It was my fault! The tasting cups exsist for a REASON. They're supposed to test for things like this. I got too comfortable.

"No." The word slammed down as about an absolute as any sentence CAN. A declaration from on high. The commandment of a king. "It takes far more then simple poisons or common blades to kill me. The power that flows through the Throne insures it. You do not have that luxury. You could have DIED."

"....might still yet."

The last bit, almost a confession, pressed to my brow as he leaned down to press his lips to my forhead. His grip tighter, as though to stop his hands from shaking. My joints were starting to hurt, like I had a nasty cold, and I was already starting to feel feverish. I was starting to drip sweat. Shit.

I tried to stay calm. But... but I was scared. What do I do? Your Majesty! What do I DO?!

"We are going back to my quarters. Work can be brought to me. You need to lay down." He decided after a long moment of deliberation. Something had shifted in his eyes. I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Clung to the only trustworthy source of comfort I knew, in the chaos of this moment. "I'm going to take care of you. I have you, dear. Just trust me, darling. I will fix this. I swear it. You don't have to worry about a thing. Just put all of your trust in me, all right?

"Just come with me, dear. Everything will be all right."

"You can trust me."

[fixielixie]

it’s kinda wild how deep jiang chengs debts to wen ning and wei wuxian go. even without the knowledge of the golden core transfer. wen ning saved jiang cheng, retrieved zidian and his parents bodies. he brought them to safety and wen qing gave them medicine to recover. then wei wuxian gave up his only chance for a favor from an immortal, given to him from his mother whom jiang chengs family has spent their entire lives disrespecting, for jiang cheng to get revenge and continue cultivating. as the world turned against wei wuxian, do u ever think jiang cheng thought about this sacrifice wei wuxian made for him? that maybe if wei wuxian hadnt given up his chance for jiang cheng, he could have went to baoshan sanren for help. did he ever go to the ancestral hall where his parents were able to receive their full rights of burial only because of wen ning and think of the fact that his parents bodies probably would have been thrown into the burial mounds or burnt if wen ning hadn’t saved them.

i wonder if he ever thought about that when he yelled at wwx about unpaid debts, betrayal and disrespect.

[hee0soo]

Children of the Sea

Pairing — KimHongjoongxafab!Reader

Summary — Living in a small town where everyone knew eachother, visitors were quickly recognized and sometimes freedom loving young women were especially drawn to said visitors... or maybe just their captain...

Genre — fluff, angst, smut, Pirate AU

Warnings — oral, fingering, penetrative sex , death, alcoholism, death by burning, death in childbirth

Word Count — 13.3k

Rating — nsfw

A/n: Thank you @caelesjjk for the wonderful header! <33

Disclaimer: this fic is written and copyrighted by ©hee0soo on tumblr. do not rewrite or repost on any other plattforms without my permission.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

"To be free means to be independent, not to be influenced by what others think or say!"

Those words were ringing in your ears as you stared over the edge of the cliff and down into the dark water that came crashing into the rocky surface of the stone in giant waves. Sat up there, you could almost make yourself believe that your life was good! That it was how you wanted it do be! But it wasn't. Far from it actually!

You were no fool. You knew that other girls your age were long married of to the richest suitor, waiting to bare their children and become the perfect little housewife! The thought alone send shivers down your spine. Remembering what it had done to your own mother, how she had withered away during those months she had carried your little brother in her womb only to tragically bleed out on while giving birth made your fingers dig into the soil and grass you sat on!

There were still moments where you thought you could hear her screams of said summer day echo through the night, making you miss her so much more. The nightmares her desperate screams had cause little 9 year old you had followed you for ages and the way it had suddenly been silent in your little cottage still haunted you to this day...

Years later is where you found yourself still mourning her soothing touch as she ran her gentle hand over your face when you had woken up from a bad dream as a child. You mourned the songs she had sang to you that you would never be able to hear again and how your little brother would never hear it at all...

Jungwon was the definition of soft, sunny and innocent, the carbon copy of who your mother had been as a person! Something your father had come to despise more and more the older the boy became. The man hated his sons soft nature, trying to make the perfect man out of the 11 year old but seemingly failing at it! Much to distracted to care for the disappointment of a daughter he had, the old man spend his days screaming, drinking and barely keeping the family Inn out of debts. The fact that it was you who kept things truly running, went ignored. Not that you cared anyways.

Enjoying the breeze of cold sea wind tugging at your face and the fabric of your skirts, you let out a long exhausted breath. The sun, drowning the scenery in a orange glowing hue was setting already and it was time to return home.

You got up, grass stains visible on your dress, looking back at the sea wondering what else could be out there for you. Probably nothing, but you liked to imagine that there was something else waiting for you out there then the sheltered and lonely life you had here. Your eyes focused on the ship sailing towards land and you couldn't help but stare for a moment longer. There was something about it that captured your interest!

Shaking yourself out of the trance you were in you quickly ran back to the village. It was almost time for dinner and you were not planning to let Jungwon go to bed on an empty stomach. That you were going to work all night without any food for yourself went ignored. You were used to it at this point and your brother needed it more, he was a growing boy after all.

Jungwons face visibly brightened at the sight of you appearing in your kitchen. His shaggy brown hair artfully braided back to prevent it from falling into his eyes and the big smile tugged at your heart. You couldn't help but brush your fingers over the side of his face as you past him and got ready to serve the admittedly sparse dinner of bread, cheese and a little meat to the 2 men of the family. The grim look on the old mans face didn't bothered you in the slightest. The smell of alcohol on him however did! It meant that he was already drunk and that you would probably have to work until the early morning hours again without him showing up to help out!

"An where wee you again?" the man hollowed, speech already slurred which told you all you needed to know.

"Helping Madame Delacroix with the new delivery of fruits. She promised to bring some over tomorrow." you said sounding utterly unimpressed by the tone of his voice. It wasn't a lie! Before you had wandered of and watched the sunset, you had helped the older woman you called your neighbor. And you didn't plan on telling where else you had been. Instead you winked at your little brother who had to hide a giggle as he took a bite from the slice of bread you had put in front of him.

 Your father huffed annoyed, looking at the food with disgust. Long used to the complaints of the bread being to dry or the meat being tasteless you busied yourself with listening to Jungwon telling you about his day instead. The happiness that radiated from him was almost contagious.

"Will you read me a bed time story later?" the boy wanted to know and promptly pouted when you shook your head.

"Why nooot?" he whined.

"I'm sorry Wonnie, but I'll be at the Inn already when you go to bed later."

It was evident that the child didn't like that but he accepted defeat quickly, knowing that arguing would get him nowhere.  "Ah don be such a wuss boy! Your sistr shouln be coddling ya so much, you weak nough already..."

Could looks kill, your father would have fallen out of his seat right then and there! Not that he wasn't close to falling of it anyway.

"Ignore him!" you mouthed at him and received a nod in return.

Soon the food was gone and without a word your father staggered out of the kitchen, almost falling over in the process. Where to you didn't know and you didn't want to.

"Will you be okay alone? You know that you have to lock the doors and to-"

"To come to the Inn and stay with you if there's something wrong? Yes I know sister, don't worry I'm a strong boy with a dagger!"

Of course he knew the rules, you had made sure of that early on. It wasn't safe, by far not but with the way things were you didn't have another choice and you had to trust that nothing would happen.

Taking a step towards Jungwon, brushed your hand over his head and placed a kiss on his temple. "Someday things will be different l promise!"

"I know and now go! I will be fine and father is here too."

That wasn't as reassuring to you as he thought but you nodded, a pained smile grazed your lips as you left. Your stomach was growling and you hoped that you could snag a bowl of stir-fry from the Inn kitchen later on.

The way wasn't far and you were the first one there to open the establishment. Soon 3 coworkers would arrive to cover their shifts for the night but as the daughter of the boss that never showed his face, you took on that role.

The candles were already lit up when the first one arrived. Yoongi, your head chef , could be compared with a grumpy cat! Ready to strike at any given moment but still lovable and in need of some head scratches.

And then there was Hyunjin, flirty and always ready for a chat. Oh and always ready to either punch or kiss Jisung, the man who came in only to bother the waiter you called your best friend. You were sure that the two were somehow involved with each other but both firmly denied that.

He waved shortly and helped you sweep the floor once more before you opened  and then vanished in the back. Hyunjin liked the dramatics of always being falling through the door just minutes before you turned the Closed-sign around to show Open instead and so, like always he flew in right when you wanted to turn the sign around. He apologized hurriedly and promised to never let that happen again. It caused Yoongi to laugh loudly from the back. As if. The dark mark sucked into the skin of his throat almost glowing!

The evening went and the night began and with it customers started pouring in. You knew most of them, it was a small down after all and nothing out of the ordinary happened.

It was the usual. Men came into get drunk or have their fun with the ladies searching for a good time and strip those idiots of their money, as long as there was no drama you didn't care or the occasional traveler searching for a room to sleep in and a warm meal. Nothing out of the Ordinary until the door opened and in came 4 men that were complete strangers to you. One glance to Hyunjin told you that he too was clueless to who they were. They looked like trouble as they sat down at the bar where you were making sure that drinks were being filled so Hyunjin could quickly deliver them to the tables.

Thankfully they kept to themselves for the most part. The shrieking laugh from one of them however could clearly be heard in the entire Inn! You would lie if you said that the first time didn't surprise you so much that you almost dropped the jug of beer you were filling causing Hyunjin to almost drop to the floor laughing. Quickly whacking him with a towel you made sure he knew how displeased you were and you hoped they hadn't noticed your little moment.

"What can I get you gentlemen?" Leaning against bar counter you looked at them expectantly.

Four pairs of dark brown eyes found your e/c ones with various degrees of surprise or interest.

The loud one was sitting there, wide-eyed and open mouth as if he had just wanted to say something. His black hair framed his face beautifully, not a piece out of line.

The tallest one—with honey-blonde hair sticking up wildly—had his head propped up on his ring-clad fingers. His white shirt was only halfway buttoned up, exposing the entirety of his very toned chest.

Next to him was another black haired one with mesmerizingly soft features that reminded you of your mother; and last, but not least, the one that glared at you, very unimpressed.

His silver hair was short at the sides and long on top, tied back with chains of black, white, and what seemed to be a gold chain. His ears were adorned with multiple earrings and a face reminding you of the fairies in old tales…

"Uhm, 3 beers and 1 whiskey please?" the tall one said, sounding unexpectedly shy even with his deep voice and you turned to look at him instead of staring at his fairy friend.

"Sure. Want anything else? Maybe some food?"

3 of them shook their heads while their friend was still not taking his eyes off of you.

"Here you go! Tell me if you need anything else!" You put the filled jugs and the glass down in front of them. "Thank you darlin."

Surprised by the higher pitched voice of the glaring stranger, your eyes found his again. It fit him well. You had to admit that he was handsome and definitely your type as he swirled the whiskey around in his glass with a calmness you envied him for.

You bit your lip, quickly turning away to get away from the situation.

A little further, old Jinyoung was hitting the bar like he tried to catch flies to get your attention. You rolled your eyes. The man was a regular and regularly he drank himself under the table, tumbling out of the Inn almost blackout drunk only to come back the next day and repeat it all over again. That’s how it had been ever since you were old enough to work for your father. He was nice, at least when he got what he wanted, but also very loud and had the tendency to flirt with everything that had legs.

"Aye girl, don ya look lovely today. How bout ya give an old man like me nother refill?" Jinyoung slurred, followed by a burp that had you grimacing at the smell.

"Don't you think you had enough already? I'm sure your wife is waiting for you." With furrowed brows he waved you off. "Don kid yaself girl!"

Hyunjin caught your eyes from across the room, balancing a tray of empty bowls and jugs as he made his way into the kitchen to rinse them clean. The waiter had never been a fan of the drunk man who continued rambling about the hardships of his life and marriage and tried to stay seated upright.

"Just throw him out. Man is wasted enough as it is and probably won't remember tonight at this point. Not like that's anything new..." he suggested in passing. Not bothering to answer him, instead you watched the old man eventually do tip over only to be caught be the loud shrieking stranger.

Huffing, you thought about it. Maybe your friend was right and you should send him on his way to sober up. A shudder ran down your spine at the thought of possibly provoking an argument.

"Ahh, Jinyoung-ssi, I think you had enough for tonight... Maybe come back tomorrow but I think you should go home and sleep a little."

A deep frown fell upon the mans face after the words had registered in his foggy brain.

"Thas not on ya to descide foolish girl!" he snapped, words barely audible at this point. "N' now gimme 'nother!"

Customers were turning their heads to see what the commotion was about, only to turn back to their own tables when they recognized who the cause of it was they were all used to the antics of the drunkard. The side eye he received from the four men beside him almost made you snort.

"I don't think so. Please leave my Inn and sober up."

Reaching for the jug, you planned to take it from him. Although horribly intoxicated, his reflex in grabbing onto your arm was still sharp and a dull pain made itself known.

"Let my arm go, now!" you hissed lowly, eyes focused on his hand tightly holding onto your wrist.

Not reacting to your demand, his grip only got tighter. The pain only getting stronger. You winced.

"Let go!"

Jinyoung growled,  sounding much like a wild animal at the moment.

"I think the Lady told ya to let go of her just now…”

Shocked by the sudden help, your head whirled around to where the silver haired man was taking a sip of his glass, effectively emptying it in the process and slamming onto the counter. The noise left the man still holding onto you startled, giving you the chance to try and twist yourself out of his hold!

Glaring at the much younger man Jinyoung snarled, "Non of ya business!" only to turn back to you.

"Now about tha beer girl-"

 The sound of a blade hitting the wooden surface of your bar cut him off. The silver haired stranger twisted a dagger between his fingers, reflecting the light of the candles brightly. The unspoken threat hanging in the air loud and clear.

"Captain!" his deep voiced companion warning quietly, receiving a blow to the side from the black haireds elbow.

“Ya gonna let her go now?"

The pressure on your arm went away but you could still feel his fingers lingering on it. Teeth bared, the man pulled out o few coins clumsily, dropped them on the counter. Stumbling out the door. while curses escaped him on the way out.

Turning back to them, you watched the stranger put his dagger aside. Eyes catching his, you nodded in acknowledgment to thank him. For a split second you thought you could see the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. Giving you the slightest hint of a smile!

Things calmed down again. Only your nerves were still a little unsettled, making you inhale to calm yourself.

It was already early in the morning and people slowly started to leave until everyone safe for you, Hyunjin and Yoongi were left to clean up. The first rays of the morning sun illuminated the Inn already when you were finally able to closeup and say goodbye to the two men.

Tired and ready to fall into bed until you had to get up again, you went straight past your snoring father who had passed out on the stairs it seemed, checked on Jungwon one last time before you your door behind you.

Sleep however didn't come easy, even with the blanket pulled up to your nose. The fabric felt unusual scratchy on your skin.

Your thoughts began to wander as you turned and twisted to find a position comfortable enough to let you fall asleep. They went back to the whiskey drinking captain. For the rest of the night you had felt him watching your every move up until they left again. It had left you more flustered then you would like to admit!

His piercing stare seemed to haunt you even now! You would be lying if you said you weren't intrigued as well. But now it was to late. The handsome stranger was gone and the chance of running into him again was close to none...

---------

 3 Days later you were on the way to buy some much needed food at the market down at the docks! The fisher boats were out at sea at this time of day so there weren’t that many ships there today, safe for one you had never seen before.

It looked familiar in a way and although you couldn’t pinpoint where you had seen it before, you felt an energy radiating off of it that mesmerized you!

Even early in the morning, the streets were already filled with people who -just like you- were running errands. Buzzing with life that forced you to navigate through the crowd,  empty  pressed closely to your front to prevent sneaky hands from stealing from right under your nose.

"How are you dear one? How is little Jungwon doing today?" Taeyeon, the bakers wife asked excided to see you. Stroking her swollen stomach ever so gently with her hand, she handed a still warm Loaf of bread to you.

"We are doing ok, thank you for asking! How's the baby doing in there? Still keeping you awake?" The older woman took the offered coins, nodding at your question.

"They sure do! I just hope they won't do the same once they're born..."

Knowing full well that she would probably get even less sleep then now soon, Taeyeon laughed.

You weren't one to indulge in the business of others, not if you could avoid it at least. But something about the bakers wife just warmed your heart. You couldn't help but admire her! She was one of the few women who did not let anyone decide for her! Someone who was smart, confident and very vocal about the unfair treatment women got from most men! Her marriage wasn't arranged, she had refused that early on and fought tooth and nails when her parents had suggested that as a young girl!

That was what you wanted too!

"And concerning your order for the Inn, it will be ready for you to pickup later today. Or do you need my husband to deliver it?"

You shook your head. No Yoongi already volunteered to pick it up the day prior on his way to work, meaning there was no need to cause any more work for them. "Okay, just tell us if you need anything else!"

The woman hurried to tend to the next customer leaving you to continue your own shopping. Still having to get some fresh milk, fish and herbs, you turned on your heel and ran straight into the firm chest of the man standing behind you.

Almost dropping the bread, your hand flew up to rest over your racing heart. His own holding onto your elbows to avoid you hitting the ground.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry, I wasn't watch -" You stopped in your tracks, recognizing the man who had threatened Jinyoung just a few days ago.

"Ya okay, nothing happened."  He rasped, looking just as handsome as a few nights ago, voice sending a pleasant shudder over your skin. His eyes lit up, clearly recognizing you.

Ignoring the annoyed complaints from around you because you just stood there without any implication of moving along. Your could feel your heart racing underneath where your palm rested still. Now that you stood right in front of him and there was no counter separating you from him for entirely different reasons then just surprise! He was close enough that you could feel the warmth of his skin through the fabric of his shirt and his breath his your face, making you heat up rapidly as his focus trailed from your eyes to your mouth, down to the low cut neckline where he caught a glimpse of your cleavage and backup. Your cheeks were burning! 

It took a moment for you to come back to reality. The reality that you were pressed right against a total stranger! You! An unmarried women! It was enough to take a step back and his hold loosened.

For the first time his face relaxed and a friendly yet dangerous smile crossed his face.

"Ya the owner of the Inn right?" he mused.

"The owners daughter actually! You really helped me out a few days ago, thank you again for that…”

Moving along you thanked him hoping that you weren't embarrassing yourself right now.

He waved it of nonchalantly, like it was no big deal. "Ah it was nothin. Some just don't know when to stop drinkin!

 Reaching the farmers stand you pointed at a small wheel of cheese which you paid for and continued on your way. Stranger still walking  along to the next stand.

"It seemed like ya were used to it already," he stated and you shrugged. He was right after all and there was no point denying it.

"Well kind off. Jinyoung comes in every night so yes, you could say I'm used to it."

Displeasure flew across his face. "And your father let's him back in? With the way he acts around his daughter?"

Shrugging you stepped around a goat that ran through the crowd. "He'd have to stop drinking himself to notice that."

Why you told him all that you had no idea! He was a stranger who's name you didn't even know, and here you were talking about things that had no business being talked about with him!

You could feel his piercing gaze on you but ignored it. There was nothing you could say either way.

With full arms you took the herbs you needed from the apothecary, trying to juggle every without dropping it when the bread was suddenly taken from you.

"Here let me help you!"

„Thank you…“

„Ya can call me captain.“ Snorting you gave him aside glance. „Yeah, I’m not gonna do that!“

„Well then how about Hongjoong?“

You gave him an amused smile. " Nice to meet you Hongjoong, I'm y/n! L/N y/n!"

Together you walked, talking and teasing like you have never done so before until you came to a halt. Hongjoong recognized the ally where the Inn was, but was surprised to see that you led him to the back entrance instead.

The backdoor led to a little room that was connected to the main room and functioned as an office. There were books and parchment everywhere. It looked like a tsunami had went threw it.

You pointed to a side table to signal where he could put the food he had carried down.

"I'll be going through the books for a bit and take everything home later. Will I be seeing you again sometime? I'd would be my pleasure..."

Hongjoong thought for a second before answering. "Maybe ya will, Wooyoung has been begging me to come here again either way!"

The name didn't sound familiar but you guessed that it was one of his friends. Huffing out a laugh, you teased lighthearted," So you would only come back here to keep your crew mate happy? I see how it is Captain Hongjoong!"

An amused laugh resonated through the small room.

"Well, l/n y/n, ya'll see me around!"

And he was gone again. The whole encounter left you feeling various things at once. Happy that you got to see the handsome man again and even got to know his name, sad that he was gone again already and equally excited and impatient to see him again!

Suddenly the thought of having to go through the Inns income books wasn't as bad as it had sounded this morning.

-------

"And you talked to him?!" Hyunjin screeched, excited to hear the newest drama whilst drying a freshly cleaned plate with a rag. You winced and nodded, pulling another sound out of him that had customers turning their heads to see what the fuss was about. The waiter ducked his head at the scolding glare of Yoongi who, for once, was not hidden in the kitchen! Rubbing his hand over his ear, the cook quickly escaped. Leaving the proximity of where Hyunjins yells weren't as loud.

"How was he? He seemed really intimidating when he was here with his friends. Frowning all night long even though his friends seemed like so much fun..." It was clear that your friend wouldn't let it go and would keep bothering you until he knew every single detail about your encounter with the silver haired sailor. So you told him everything.

Jisung, who had graciously joined you at the bar once more tonight, propped his head up on his hands. A mischievous spark gleaming in his eyes.

"Sounds like our little y/n-ie has a cruuush!" he singsonged and received a rag to the face. "Yah! Have you lost it?" you snapped pouting.

Your waiter shook his head. "Nonono, for once I have to agree with what he's saying! It sounds like you were flirting, A LOT! And he flirted right back!" he agreed and Jisung mockingly stuck his tongue out at the other who responded in the same manner.

“Okay, first of all you two are acting like children and second, we were NOT flirting! And I do NOT have a crush!"

Both men looked at each other. "Sure you don't!"

You rolled your eyes, taking four filled mugs to bring them to a table near the back, leaving the two giggling lovebirds to chatter among themselves. Both of them were wrong! You hadn't flirted with the stranger and he hadn't with you! 

 The door swung open and a new wave of customers came in. Under them you recognized Jungwon ducking around a man who almost ran into a table. Your brother looked around searching for your familiar face and when he found it he skipped over to you.

"Wonnie what are you doing here? You should be in bed already," you questioned while balancing the empty mugs. The boy reached for some to take from you and followed you back to the bar.

"Father was being loud again." The casualness with which the boy answered left a bitter taste in your mouth. You hated it with a burning passion! Knowing that this was Jungwons reality since he was just mere moments old was one thing you couldn't help but resent! You knew what being loud meant and you were glad that your brother had chosen to leave rather then staying and listen to the old man moaning and screaming about how his children had ruined his life.

"Oh, really?" you asked dumbly, hoping to not appear to angry. Jungwon didn't notice and hummed.

"Yeah, couldn't sleep because of it," he placed the mugs on the counter for Hyunjin to clean. The tall boy looked confused for a split second but schooled his face and ruffled Jungwons hair in a friendly manner.

"You can take the bed in the back until I get out of here and then we can go home." you offered but your brother shook his head. Instead, he rounded the bar and climbed up the chair to sit next to Jisung who delightfully started to play games with him.

Yoongi let out a low whistle to get your attention. The cook had placed a steaming bowl with stew and fresh bread into your hands before signaling to Jungwon and disappeared again. The boy dug in happily and turned back to face Jisung.

You watched carefully. It wasn't often that he joined you ad work but whenever he did you always made sure that he was always around you or someone you trusted. This was after all a place filled with drunk men and women!

"Servin children in an establishment like this? 'm shocked!" the voice of Hongjoong ripped you out of your thoughts and you turned to look him in the eyes. You hadn't noticed him coming in, nor had you noticed him sitting down at the bar with his black haired friend that must have been Wooyoung.

The silver haired man winked at you which made your cheeks heat up.

"That's my brother." you stated quickly.

"’nd that's ma nightmare Wooyoung." retorted with a side smirk at his friend. Wooyoung sucked in a deep breath and answered with mock insult. "I'm wounded Captain! I thought what we had was special!"

With his hand thrown over his heart he made a pouty face at Hongjoong who just scoffed. Laughing gently you leaned against the bar.

"You're back sooner then I thought you would be,"

"What can I say? I was thirsty." Hongjoong said casually while the boy next to him snorted. "Thirsty for- "

He cut himself off at the glare he received and you hid a laugh behind your hand. Wooyoung was definitely not the type to hold back!

"And I thought you came to see me..." you quipped with an innocent smile playing on your face. You couldn't help but notice the way Hongjoongs eyes dropped to your lips and back up again. The knowing side eye from your waiter went unnoticed.

"Same as last time?"

The men both nodded and Wooyoung eyed you with a smirk but said nothing. Hyunjin filled both glass and mug and handed them to you to give to them.

Jungwon was yawning loudly and your focus went back to him.

"Tired Wonnie?"

The boy gave another yawn. "Can we go home now?"

You knew that it was way to early to close up now and with the way things were going, you didn't want to leave Hyunjin and Yoongi to have to cater all the customers alone. "You can lay down in the back if you want but I can't leave yet, I'm sorry little brother."

Jungwon rubbed his eyes.

"He can stay at my place for tonight if you want y/n. I was planning to leave soon anyways..."

Hesitating you looked at your brother and met his pleading eyes. "Fine, tonight is free of charge for you!"

Behind him Jinyoung raised his hand slowly. "Not for you!" you scowled. His hand dropped again.

The 11 year old hopped down from his stool  with Jisungs help. "I'll bring him by your house later, promise!"

You waved, blew a kiss and watched Jungwon pull a face of disgust before they went out the door.

"He's cute!" Hongjoong commented after a sip whiskey.

"He is and much to young to have to suffer late nights between drunk fools…”

At the questioning looks you received from both the silver and black haired you sighed. "What I said this morning was not just a phrase,"

While Wooyoung was non the wiser, Hongjoong had a look of understanding on his face. You weren't planning on airing out to the entire town how your family life was going but judging by the expression on his face, he understood very well without needing anymore details.

A plate shattered at a nearby table which ripped you out of your stupor and you went back to work.

Throughout the night,  non of your customers thankfully made any trouble. Relieved you whipped down the last table. People had cleared out and even Hyunjin and Yoongi had already left after the kitchen had been cleaned. You met Hongjoongs eyes who sat alone at the bar. His friend already gone.

"Where-" you began to ask where his companion was. "Went back to our ship already. He can handle a lot but he gets bored easily so he went back, probably to cause trouble with his shadow,"

His glass had long been empty already but something, or rather someone, stopped him from leaving too.

"Well I'm all done and since Wonnie is at Jisung's, I have no reason to go home yet. How about another drink? This time with me?"

You didn't know where this idea came from but the grin spreading out on the mans face was worth it. ”Gladly! I'll take another of those!"

He held up his glass only to get it taken from him and refilled just a second later with you rounding the bar and a glass of your own to sit where Wooyoung had sat earlier.

Silence engulfed the two of you. You felt him watching your every move while emptying your drink almost in one go.

“Seems like you needed that tonight. Ya okay little dove?" His voice was soft, soothing for your frazzled mind.

"As okay as I can be I guess. Raising a child and managing the Inn can be quite stressful at times." You snarked and turned your head to look at him. Hongjoong nodded.

"What about your mother?"

"Dead.”

While he had already thought that much, the man had not expected you to outright say it. In the short time that he had known you there were so many things that reminded him of the things he himself had gone through as a child! It was way to familiar to not be exactly what he thought.

He wished he could tell you how sorry he was that this was how you had to spend your life. Sure, the boy he met briefly tonight was an angel but he couldn't imagine that raising a child that young had ever been in your plans for life!

"Don't look so serious! It's fine and we're used to it! Better tell me when you and your pirate friends are gonna sail off again!"

The astonished look that crossed his face made you laugh loudly.

"What? Did you think I didn't know? The first night you came here the tall blond one called you Captain! You, wanted me to call you captain! And if you don't want people to know you should really change your look! You’re no exactly subtle..."

The pirate was rendered speechless at the teasing. He really thought you didn't know! He too laughed not knowing if he should get up and leave or stay right where he was.

"Don't worry, l won't tell anyone so tell me, how long are you going to be here for?"

Hongjoong shrugged. "We don't know yet. Our ship has to be fixed and we need to restock our storage first.  So probably a few more days!"

You hummed softly and he elbowed you gently into the side.

"Why do ya want to know? Ya gonna miss me?" he grinned and leaned over to get closer.

Your heart fluttered and you got even closer. Hongjoong glanced at your lips again where his eyes stayed for longer then necessary.

"Maybe..." you breathed out quietly and simultaneously you closed the gap between your lips. Eyes fluttering shut.

His lips soft and chaste moved slowly against your own, sending sparks through your body making you miss him as soon as he pulled back. Instead of entirely pulling away, he stayed close. Close enough for you to be able to feel his hot breath against you while his mouth hovered a mere inch over yours.

You slowly opened your eyes and could see him swallow harshly as you looked up, eyes finding his before they dropped back to his mouth, the tip of his tongue peaking out a little in a way that was almost mocking. For a split moment you just stared at the silver haired man.

The kiss had been brief, not long enough for it to be considered deep, but it had lit a fire in you that you hadn't known was there! It was an unfamiliar feeling that you had never felt before safe for the rare times you found yourself alone in the safety of your own four walls hiding you away from the greedy looks the men of the town often gave you! Never before had you felt this way in the presence of a man because of a man!

And when you suddenly felt his mouth back on your own, you couldn't help the sound that slipped out. The kiss now far more demanding and much less hesitant had your hands searching for something to hold onto.

Fingers buried into the lose fabric of the shirt covering his chest, giving you a short glimpse of his skin as you tugged on it, you rose from the bar stool to get closer. Hongjoong followed without further ado and without breaking the kiss. His own hands found their place on your jaw,  holding you right where he wanted and preventing you effectively from pulling away! Not that you wanted to!

You could feel his tongue licking at your lower lip, begging to be let in. A battle for dominance broke out, one that you willing and gladly gave up.

Quickly you found yourself pressed against the bar, the hard edge of the surface digging into your back. One of his hands let got of your face, instead holding onto your waist before you found yourself hoisted up and sad on top of your bar counter. The glass you had been nursing on got pushed back in the process and with a clanging noise it dipped over the edge and shattered into million little pieces on the ground.

Surprised by the sound of breaking glass you whipped around, separating your mouth from his which caused him to growl quietly in dissatisfaction.

"I-" you gasped out, inhaling deeply and with wide eyes you looked back at Hongjoong.

The pirate almost stared you down with desire darkening his eyes, breath short and his head slightly tilted back to take in the view in front of him. You didn't want to know what you looked like in that moment but you could imagine that you didn't look better then you felt!

"Ignore it," he said, voice low and licking his lips. "We can take care of it when I'm done with ya!"

 Hongjoong let his hands trail to your dress covered waist, down to your thighs and gently pried them open to stand in between them. His gaze was burning and you felt a little lost on what to do now.

It must have shown on your face because Hongjoong's softened at the sight of it. He grabbed your hands in his, moving them away from where they were still lodged into his shirt, lowering them and linking his fingers with your own. You looked down, noticing the black painted nail of his pinky for the first time before you got distracted again by his mouth slotting itself back against yours. Your eyes fluttered shut and you let him claim it as his again.

For a while that's all you did. You, high up on the bar with his standing right in front of you, kissing you and enjoying the little whines he managed to pull from you while he pressed his hard on straining against his trousers against your skirt covered thigh.

His lips were oh so soft against yours, warm and demanding in a way that made you want to submit to his every move the longer he kept his ministrations up! It made your whole body shudder. Heated skin brushing against the sleeves of your dress, making you want to get rid of it along with his! You wanted to feel his skin on yours, wanted him to touch you! So you moved to shrug the jacket from his shoulders, letting it drop to the ground carelessly.

"Hongjoong," you breathed against his lips, words sounding weak and whiny in a way you have never heard yourself sound before. He immediately looked back at you, a cocky smile adorning his face.

"What is it little dove? Got something to say?" he questioned and sounded sinfully innocent while doing so. It was clear that he was mocking you which you didn't appreciate in the slightest. With a rush of bravery and determination you  didn't know you had you directed one of his hands to the hem of your skirt, urging him to free you of it.

"Touch me!" you demanded.

Hongjoong had half a mind to simply rip the dress of your body once he saw a glimpse of the smooth skin of your legs but decided against it. He didn't want you walking through the streets later half undressed after all!

Teasingly slow he pulled the skirt up causing it to bunch up around your waist, leaving you in your undergarment. The man lost his patience fairly quickly after that and you felt him rip the last piece of fabric down your legs, leaving your dripping wet pussy exposed to the air around.

"Oh, little dove, I barely touched ya and you're already such a mess? Just for me?" he grins like a cat that caught the bird and let the fingers of his right hand slip through the juices collecting between your legs and over that sensitive bundle of nerve hidden there. His left one cupped your breast through your top. The way your nipple was pressing into his palm made him nearly lose his mind as it found it's way inside to free them just enough to spill over the fabric, giving him easy access to lean in and take the bud into his mouth and suck.

With a little shriek you weren't proud of you covered your mouth with your hand. The sensations you felt from your breast in his mouth and Hongjoongs hand between you legs left you speechless!

You clenched around nothing, pussy twitching with want to finally get some attention.

"Ah-ahh pleeease…”you begged breathlessly. What you begged for you weren't sure. The pirate looked up, still suckling and licking and his thumb slowly rubbing circles over your clit. Trying to push your hips further into his hand you let your head fall back.

"Are ya enjoying yourself?"

He guided your head back up, fingers under your chin, forcing you to look straight into his dark orbs. The hand working between your legs stopping and moving away. Frustrated at the loss you glared at him, causing Hongjoong to huff out a small laugh.

"Stop playing with me already and get on with it!"

The impatience in your voice wasn't lost on the man but instead of indulging you, he simply ignored it. He found it amusing that he could reduce you to such a bossy mess without really having done anything for it.

Entertained by the glare you gave him, Hongjoong shook his head.

"Ya know, I'm enjoying this way to much to just stop like that."

Without further warning the pirate dropped to his knees with a cunning smirk that should have been a warning in and for itself and let his tongue run over your folds. You jumped in shock, not having expected him to do that and a little shriek left your lips. Your first instinct was to push his head away but Hongjoong didn't let you! Instead the simply pushed your thighs further open to get even better access!

Sometimes you heard the whores that frequented the Inn talk and never had you even once entertained the idea of having a man between your legs yourself. It was harshly frowned upon to have sex outside of a wed-lock and even then it was never supposed to be about the pleasure of a woman!

But having this man, a pirate no less, lick up your juices like he was starving, finding joy in the way you moaned and keened highly with your hands trying to grab onto the wooden surface under you and your head thrown back, you cursed the gods that have led everyone to believe that.

His name fell like prayers from your lips and it was like music to his ears. Hongjoong had never been a child of innocence and showing you the wonders of what could be made his dick strain painfully against his trousers.

It was clear that you were quickly approaching your orgasm judging by the erratic breathing you let slip and to aid you he slipped his finger inside your fluttering hole.

You moaned loudly at the added pleasure, toes curling while one of your hands reached out to thread your fingers into his hair. The sudden tugging had Hongjoong groan into your pussy, the vibrations of it being enough to send you over the edge.

Hongjoong let you ride out your high before letting up, standing tall and pulled you upright.

You were panting, drops of sweat glistening on your forehead and eyes only half opened as you lazily blinked at him. Not giving you time, the pirate placed his juice slick mouth on yours, making you taste yourself. The kiss was rough nothing gentle about it and still you felt like this was how it was supposed to be!

Growing the courage to reach for the buckle of his belt, you carefully tried to open it with clumsy fingers. Hongjoong stopped you.

"We don't have to-"

"I want to! Please fuck me?"

The way the words fell from your lips, sounding so shy but sure at once had his mind reeling. Shrugging his trousers down to rest around his ankles the man tugged out his dick. You glanced at it, never having seen a naked male in all his glory and felt nervousness take over.

"Don't worry little dove, I'll make ya feel so good…”he trailed of lined himself up with your folds, kissed you softly and pushed in.

You clung to him, hiding your face in the crook of his neck. Hearing the quiet whimper of pain Hongjoong halted. His eyebrows were furrowed in pleasure and it took all his will strength to not just thrust all the way into your heat. He let his hands trail down your side ever so gently. You almost couldn't feel it through the silk of your dress but it was enough to relax a bit.

"Go on..." you exhaled into his neck.

The pirate slowly pushed in, shushing every pained noise until he was sheathed all the way inside of you where he stilled. Allowing you to get used to the feeling before he pulled out to thrust right back in.

The pain slowly turned into pleasure soon after and loud moans slipped out of you, telling the pirate exactly how good he was doing.

"Ya sound so good for me little dove. Let it all out, let me hear how good I make ya feel." He rasped right against your ear. It made your walls flutter around his cock and Hongjoong almost came on the spot as you whined his name in pleasure.

His thrusts grew irratic and Hongjoong knew that he wasn't gonna last much longer at the sensations of your head tightening around him.

Mouth pressing hard against yours he slipped his tongue inside while his thumb found your did again. Only mere seconds later you let out a high keen, cumming all over the pirates cock with him right behind you. Spilling his seed deep inside...

-------

Time past quickly after that night but Hongjoong seemingly had disappeared. It was a little disheartening if you were being honest. Something had changed for you. You were no longer just looking forward to have the pirate visit you but actively waiting for the man to open the door to the Inn and give you that cunning smile you had come to love.

That didn't happen. Hadn't you seen a glimpse of his mates around the market at times you would have thought the crew had already left town! However the captain stayed lost.

Your mood had dropped significantly since then and with it had your tolerance for bullshit from customers. Hyunjin had to cut in more times then you could count in just 4 days and you swore if you had to listen to one more scolding from him you swore you would lose it!

You weren't particularly eager to follow suit when both the chef and waiter had told you to go out, take some time off and then come back later the night.

And so you found yourself back at your favorite spot, looking at the moon glistening at the horizon and on the water of the sea. The cold air made you shiver, goosebumps rising on your skin.

The silence of the night cooling your frazzled mind significantly.

You inhaled deeply and a lonely tear ran down your face only to be whipped away and be scowled at.

"Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" you chanted quietly to yourself. There was no reason to cry! So what if you gave your virginity to a stranger and gotten attached! He was a man and no man was worth even one tear!

"So this is where ya spend ya time little dove? I have to admit, its a beautiful sight!"

You didn't dare turn to look at him, fingers plucking at the grass under you.

"How did you know where I am?" you grumbled. Hongjoong stepped closer and sat down beside you.

"You weren't at the Inn, I was worried so l asked the chatterbox behind the bar."

His words made you scoff in disbelief which made him raise an eyebrow at your cold behavior.

"Is my little do- “ With a dark glare you cut him off hoping that he could see it in the darkness.

"Don't call me that! I'm not yours!"

Hongjoong immediately sensed that you were far from happy to see him.

"No you're not..."

The silence you gave him was loud and deafening. You bit your lip to stop the words you wanted to say. You wanted to know where he had been! Whether he really just didn't care enough about you and if you really weren't more then a quick fuck do satisfy his needs!

None of those questions came out. Much to scared to be right with your thoughts. You stayed focused on the gentle waves crashing against the rocks below you until you felt his rough calloused hands reaching for your own. You dropped the grass in shock which the pirate used to link them together.

"Ya mad at me," he stated calmly. "And ya have every reason to. Just know that I had my reasons... There were issues... lets say issues..."

You looked at his face, considering him for a moment.

"It's fine Hongjoong. You don't have to explain. Like I said. I'm not yours and you're not mine. So it's none of my business."

The words tasted bitter in your mouth but once they were out something seemed to settle over you. It made you feel the loneliness  you had felt much stronger then before.

"Maybe, but I don't like that frown on ya face little dove. I like ya much better when ya smiling."

"Hongjoong..." you sighed in defeat and looked back at the sea, hoping that he would finally say what he had to say so you could be alone again.

 The pirate searched for words that could best describe how he felt.

"Little dove, I- " he got cut off.

The sudden screams coming from the town had both of you looking back. One of the houses was brightly lit up, flames reaching into the nightsky! The stench of burning wood was causing your nose to itch and a bad feeling settled in your gut. Getting up, letting go of the fingers still linked with yours, you squinted your eyes when realization set in.

You lurched forward, leaving Hongjoong startled before he hurried after you.

The distance between your home and your favorite hiding spot had never seemed so far like in this moment and you finally reached the lit a flame house your lungs to felt like they were set on fire! Hurriedly you turned your head left and right to see if you could find your father and brother but all you could see was the intoxicated old man, sat with some of the older women while the worried about him and the burns on his arms.

Hongjoong too had reached the scenery staying close behind you.

"Jungwon!" you whispered when you couldn't find him. Darting forward, planning to run inside and get the boy out yourself, you charged towards the door when you felt 2 arms wrapping themself around your middle. Effectively preventing you from coming close to it!

"JUNGWOON!!!!"

Hongjoongs heart broke at the audible desperation in your screams. He had to use all of his strength to be able to hold you back while you pleaded with him to let you go. Tears were running down your face like a waterfall.

"Ya can't go in there little dove! Ya'll die trying!" he whispered into your ear from behind and sobs were bubbling out from your throat in response. Fighting against his hold was just draining your energy, his grip wasn't loosening and you gave up. Your knees gave away and you had to watch the house you had grown up in, the house you had raised your brother in, slowly collapse under the immense heat of the fire!

A series of unintelligible whimpers left you and all Hongjoong could do was shush you, his arms tightening around your trembling for, wanting to make sure you knew he was there. That you weren't alone.

The sound of thunder rumbled through the night and rain started falling as a slight drizzle soaking your hair and dress. You let it happen. Not caring if you got wet you let the rain mix with the tears until Hongjoong tried to move you to at least search for cover somewhere close.

The rain got stronger, fighting and winning against the flames until all that was left were a few still smoking, blackened beams of wood that had held the house up. Debris was everywhere.

A blanket was wrapped around your shoulders by your neighbor and Hongjoong who maneuvered you so he could properly hold you. Tired and numb you let him do as he pleased, still staring at the steaming remains.

You could hear the neighbors woman talking and for a moment you even thought you recognized Hyunjins voice but it was like your head was surrounded by a fog that made it impossible for you to really hear what they were saying.

Only when the sun started to rise, rain still falling and dark clouds covering the sky, did you finally see the entire damage the fire had left in it's wake.

Hongjoong watched some of the bystanders carefully search through remains, swallowing harshly when he saw the heavily burned body of a child being pulled out. He didn't think he would be this effected but just through the short moments he had seen of you and your brother, he knew that the confirmation of his death would be devastating.

The pirate glanced at your father. He had stepped out of the house he had been taken to and looked remarkably sober. Still, something about him irked the pirate to no end! With heavy steps the man walked through the rain right to where you and him where sitting. It didn't seem like you realized he was there and judging by the empty expression on the old mans face, it didn't look like he was very sad about the tragedy in the first place! Alarm bells went of in Hongjoongs brain.

"So you weren't in there," he said rubbing the back of his neck. The voice of your fathers hocked you out of your trance, making your red eyes focus on him.

"Father I-"

"What a shame…”

With those words the man walked off. You swallowed harshly at his words and Hongjoong carefully watched your eyes harden.

"Don't listen to him," he gently instructed as he looked after the man. This was the first time he ever met him and still, he could feel himself developing a kind of hate for the man he rarely ever felt. "He's just a bitter old man!"

Sniffing and whipping at your face, you turned your head to stare at your burned home.

"Yeah, maybe..."

Another single tear left your eyes.

"Oh dear! You're still outside? Heaven's you children will catch a cold the way you're sitting in the rain! Come inside please!" Madame Delacroix fussed as she came running. The seamstress pulled you up from the ground, out of the pirates hold and towards her home where she had prepared tea and some dry clothes for you. Hongjoong followed silently.  He was sure that with the way Madame Delacroix cared for you were going to be okay for now.

He stayed in the background, choosing to watch instead of involving himself in the way the older women made you lay down and covered you with a blanket. Not long after I you were out like a light.

The seamstress signaled for him to take a seat. Hesitant he followed the instruction. The scrutinizing gaze she gave him made him a little uncomfortable yet he did not back down, nor did he avoid her eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked, eyebrow raised as if to warn him about lying.

Hongjoong thought. "Just a friend Madame."

"A friend huh?"

It was clear that she didn't believe him.

"Yes ma'am, a friend."

"Well then, friend. I hope you'll stick around, cause y/n seems to really like you. And with everything that happened tonight, the girl really could use someone who will be there for her. Are you going to be staying?"

His mind went back to his ship and the crew that was waiting for him at the docks so they could restart their journey and guilt settled inside of him like a chain wrapped around the ankle of a prisoner.

"Not for long." There was no use in lying to the women. It seemed like she already knew when he was going to before he even did!

She nodded.

"Does she know?"

No.

-------

When he came back much later then originally planned, his first mate was already waiting for him at the railing.

"Where were you?!"

Seonghwa scowled at the captain. His long black hair was neatly tied back and a few astray strands were framing his face gently. With his arms crossed in front of his chest he glared at Hongjoongs tired form while he joined him.

"Things went differently then expected..."he sighed, leaning against the wood of the ships railing.

The black haired mans face softened a little. "What do you mean? We thought you wanted to say goodbye? Did she not want you to?"

Hongjoong ran his hand over his face in an attempt to rub the incoming headache away.

"Ya saw the flames I'm guessing?"

"It was hard not to see them."

"Hmm, it was her house..."

That left Seonghwa speechless. He gaped at the smaller man. "Ohhh."

"Yeah, ohhh. Her brother didn't survive and don't get me started on the father! He looked like he wished she was in there too!" he spat. "Ya should have heard him talk Hwa !"

"Judging by your face, I'd rather not." There was a moment where they just looked at each other before Seonghwa let out along sigh.

“I'll tell the others that we're staying until tomorrow, you make sure you're getting some rest and then take care of your girl!" with that the man was gone and Hongjoong left alone! A happy shriek could be heard not long after from somewhere on deck.

"She ain't ma girl!" Hongjoong grumbled to himself and looked down at the water slosh against his ship.

But the little voice in the back of his head immediately started taunting him.

Are ya sure? Or are ya just a coward huh? Ya know that if ya could, ya would just take her and sail away with her!

Would he? He would lie if he said that he didn't come to like your company and while having been running from a few pissed officials for the last few days after your shared moments against the Inn's bar, he had worried about you more then he would like to admit! You truly had bewitched him in a sense after just a few days spend together!

So yes, the annoying voice was right even if not entirely! He did want to spend more time with you, if only to get to know you better and the little flutter his heart did at the mere thought of your bright eyed smile was a sure sign that the voice was onto something.

Exhausted he stood upright and carried himself to his quarters. He threw his boots somewhere to the side, shrugged the damp jacket and shirt off, leaving his chest bare in sthis trousers and fell face first into his bed. He groaned, his mind plagued by the desperate screams of you while you fought to reach your brother.

Debating on what he should do now as he didn't want to leave you behind with a man that, to him at least, couldn't care less for you, yet he knew that the crew couldn't stay much longer without rising suspicions of who they truly were. He also couldn't just offer to take you with them, at least not without a lengthy discussion with the boys!

And there was no way of actually knowing if you even wanted to leave! This was after all where you had grown up.

Hongjoong closed his eyes and  there wasn't anything he could do to will away the mental picture of you, sleeping by his side in this very bed. Waking up together, cuddles and kisses and being able to fuc- NO!

He couldn't let his mind wander there or else he might do something drastic!

Frustration settled in his bones. Why was this happening to him?

-------

Shivering you opened your eyes to the smell of chamomile and stew. It was a weird combination but your stomach responded with a demanding growl.

A sneeze forced itself out; almost causing Madam Delacroix to drop the wooden spoon she was stirring the stew with. The woman cursed and whirled around, spoon raised as if to throw it any possible attacker only to come face to face with you propped upon her bed.

Your head hurt from all the crying and possibly having caught a cold. You also could feel your throat hurting due to the smoke you had inhaled.

"You're awake! Finally, I was already worried since you slept half the day away without even turning around once. I guess you truly were exhausted from last night…” The caring tone with which she spoke almost let the tears return.

"Jungwon, is he- “ you croaked out. Madam Delacroix stepped closer and sat down at your side.

"I'm sorry dear, they found his body this morning. He-“

You held up your hand to cut her off. You didn't want to know how they found him, if he was burned or not, that wasn't how you wanted to remember the bright little boy.

"And my father? I saw him earlier, so where is he now?"

“Maybe at the Inn, I’m not sure.”

“Oh.. okay, thank you.”

There were no tears left to cry just as there was nothing left for you to hold close. With Jungwon gone, you didn’t feel like you had any reason to return to your father. The man had already made it clear what he thought.

You were alone, alone in a world that had never been kind to you or wanted to see you strive in any way possible. The only one who you considered even remotely close, was Hongjoong.

Hongjoong had had not left your side until he was sure that you were taken care of. Why had he done it? He had no reason to do such thing.

A pirate captain who stopped in your town to make sure they stoked up on supplies, planning to leave sooner rather then later.

Who surely had not planned to stay stay for a woman he had met only a few years ago.

Why your even wanted him to consider that was beyond you but to think that the pirate sailing awy soon, broke what little of your shattered heart had remained in tact.

“Do you know what you’re going to do now? Going back to your father doesn’t seem like the smartest thing, dear.” Madame Delacroix hummed out as she took your hand, thumb grazing softly over the skin there.

All you could do was shake your head.

“I don’t want that, but I also don’t have much of a choice, do i?”

The old woman looked deeply into your eyes, wanting to make you understand what she was going to say next.

“You always have a choice! It’s going to be hard and people may judge you, but you can always choose to leave… You can leave this town, start somewhere else. Find a new home or sail away if you really want to. It is YOUR choice.”

“Where would I even go?” you cried prompting the other to take your face into her hands.

“Whereever you want to. Listen to your heart, listen to what it calls for. Who it calls for.”

Who it-

A knock on the door broke the moment and Madame Delacroix let up to go open it.

“Well hello there, friend! What brings you back so soon?”

Hongjoong awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped inside the tiny living space. His eyes found yours.

“Ya are awake, how ya feeling little dove?”

The knowing side glance of Madame Delacroix went skillfully ignored by the man stepping closer, only to fall onto his knees in front of you.

“I’m… alone… Jungwon, he… he…” you whimpered almost to silent for him to hear.

“Ya aren’t alone, my little dove. Ya got me. ‘nd I ain’t plannin on-“ he tried to calm you down as best as he could. His rough calloused hands taking yours.

“You’re going to leave! Hongjoong you’re going to leave with your crew and then I’ll be alone. For real this time. Without Jungwon my life will be nothing. I don’t know anything else beside the Inn and taking care of Wonnie and I’m not going back. I’m not- I can’t-“

“Don’t ya say that. Ya won’t have to go there and ya won’t be alone. I-“ Hongjoong rushed to say, the brown in his eyes looked almost black in the light of the room. “I will come back… someday.”

The words tasted bitter on his tongue. Sounding like a lie to his own ears. Soemthing he didn’t want them to be. However he knew that the chance of the coming back was slim, almost non existend. So yes, they were a lie.

A thought struck him as he watched your eyes water, yet no tears fell. He knew Seonghwa and the crew would call him crazy for it but it only seemed logic for him.

You didn’t want to stay with that shit face that was your father. A mother that had died long ago and the lose of the boy you had raised, nothing was left that you could say you wanted to stay with.

“Come with me! Join our crew and-“

“And what then? I’m not a sailor. I’m not a pir- you know what! As much as I love the sea, I couldn’t…”

You looked at Madame Delacroix over Hongjoongs head. Watching as the older woman tapped her chest right where her heart was beating.

Nausea made your stomach roll, almost letting the tea you had a while ago come back up.

“I’m sorry Hongjoong.”

 Disappointed his hopeful expression fell. Hurt that you didn't even seem to consider it an option to leave with him, that you didn't consider HIM an option in this tragic turn of your life, the man nodded shortly. "Don't apologize little dove."

He let go of your hands. Immediately you missed the warm feeling of his skin on your own and the smallest wave of panic hit when you realized that he was trying to get up. Trying to put some distance between you and him.

It made your heart clench. His crest fallen face breaking it all over again. Reaching out to him hoping he would come back only to lower it again when Hongjoong avoided your eyes to instead look at Madame Delacroix who had busied herself in her little kitchen to not appear like she was listening to your conversation. She absolutely was. She also had the urge to smack some very stubborn youngsters!

"The Aurora will set sails as soon as the sun rises in the morning!" Hongjoong announced, his jaw sat with his chest puffing out to appear taller. "I came to say farewell."

"Hongjoong- "

His brown orbs fell back on you.

"It was ma pleasure to have met ya, little dove. Wherever ya are gonna fly, I hope the winds treat ya well."

Madame Delacroix stepped closer with a towel to dry her wet hands. A soft yet smile grazed her lips.

"Good luck boy, and take care of yourself. I promise I will look after your girl..."

The woman winked at Hongjoong who gave you one last glance. "Goodbye…” before he was out the door.

No, no, no! This couldn't be! He couldn't leave you just like that! Not now and not yet! When you had said he was going to leave, you had meant in a few days. Not the next morning! The sky outside was already dark, indicating that it was nighttime again. You felt like someone had emptied a bucket of Ice cold water above your head as realization set in.

Hongjoong had given you an out, one that you were to scared to take. You were overwhelmed with all the changes in such short time and your breathing started to pick up. Fighting against the fabric still wrapped around your legs and body, you hurried to get up and follow the man that threatened to leave your life again after he had shaken up your world in the matters of days. It seemed silly to be so attached after such short time but it didn't matter to you.

Never in your life had you felt as cared for and appreciated as when you were around him and that scared you.

Almost face planting in the process, you cried out. A loud sob sending you into a coughing fit cut through the silence of the house and it was only when the gentle hands of the seamstress helped you up and out of your prison fabric that you managed to focus your blurry vision on something else then the door that Hongjoong had just walked out of.

"Shhh, girl. It's okay, you're going to be okay, but you gotta breath for me. Do you hear me? You have to breath with me!" She took a shaky hand to lay it on her steadily rising and falling chest, forcing you to follow along.

"No he- he can- can't leave! Please I-“ you stuttered through the heaves to get air back into your lungs.

"I understand, but first you have to calm down. Breath and then we will figure this out." Her words were spoken softly but you heard her clear enough. Breathing became easier again, yet the scratching of your throat remained even as you stopped hyperventilating.

"That's right, just like that." She soothed and helped you of the ground to lead you to the kitchen table where she had prepared a bowl filled with broth and some bread to get some strength back.

"You really got yourself into situation there, hmm?"

You chocked out an agreement, staring down at the food but not touching it. "Yeah"

"So what will you do? There is not a lot of time to choose anymore, and judging by what I have seen so far, your heart almost screams for this pirate."

Of course she knew, you weren't even surprised. Old as she might be, Madam Delacroix was attentive to everything going on in this town.

"Listen to what it tells you y/n. Don't let yourself regret not doing it."

"I told him no just now, why would he still want me by his side?" You whispered defeated. The fight having left you completely and Madam Delacroix tsked at the pathetic sight you were right now. Having known you since you were barely old enough to walk, having seen the confident woman you had grown to be, she couldn't understand how you had let yourself get this lost in your insecurities.

"That man was very much ready to fight his crew in offering you a place on his ship, girl. Women are nothing sailors usually want as they think that a woman only brings bad luck once they set foot on board. He will be glad that you changed your mind. It's up to you now to do so, so what will it be?"

Silence overcame the room and time seemed to stand still.

“I don’t want to stay, not now and never again…”

“Then I think you have your answer.”

The chair screeched as it’s legs scratched over the flooring; clattering to the ground in the process with how abrupt you jumped to stand.

“I-“

Madame Delacroix held out a shoulder cloth she hadn’t used in years. “Go!” she urged just as the first rays of the sun appeared in the distance behind the horizon. Watching as you rushed out and knowing that it was unlikely she would ever see you again…

----------

Running through the empty village, you almost tripped over your own feet multiple times. Just like always, there was mostly no one to be see as you raced through the streets. You passed by the Inn, Jinyoung snoring loudly in front of the closed door with 1 or 2 chickens clacking softly and even picking at his hair. Had the situation you had found yourself in not been so serious, you probably would have laughed out loud at the sight.

The docks weren’t that far, yet it felt like you were running for ages when you finally reached the first ships.

With the Sun rising slowly over the water , it made it easy to spot the ship Hongjoong and his crew had arrived in only mere days ago. It was the only ship that was bustling with life; many faces you didn’t recognize and only a hand full you did through their visits at the Inn. Gasping for air and with your lungs threatening to give out you hurried up the gangway.

“y/n? What are you doing here? You cant be here, we-“

“Wooyoung please… where is Hongjoong?” you cut the rambling pirate off, coughing.

“He— I-“ The dark haired man stammered out.

“Follow me.”

You looked to where the voice had come from, recognizing another face from the first night you had met part of the crew.

The man didn’t wait for you and so you had to hurry after him, still trying to catch your breath. You could feel your airways protesting at the harsh breathing but that didn’t matter as you  did as you were told.

His knuckles rapped against the hard surface of the wooden door you guessed was the Captains quarter. Your heart was racing, pleading for this to not have been a mistake.

“Fuck off, Hwa!” The captains voice sounded rough through the door, angry at having been disturbed.

Hwa, you guessed, looked at you and nodded towards the door.

“Go on. He might sound annoyed but don’t let that scare you away.”

He left right after. Leaving you standing there to figure out what to do. This time you knocked, softer then the pirate that had left you by yourself, yet it didn’t seem to change the outcome.

Hongjoong only roared in anger and only when you heard a crash from inside did you get brave enough to throw the door open.

With wide eyes and his hair sticking up, he looked almost murderous as he swiveled around and glared at the door. Gaze softening upon realizing that you were in fact not his crew mate.

Closing his mouth that had stood open and gaping at you like a fish on land you both stared at the other before Hongjoong barreled forward, his hands suddenly cupping your face his lips pressed to yours in a hard, desperate kiss. Your fingers found the back of his head, running through the hair that was pulled up into his usual braided hair; seeking the warmth of his body while your tongues danced a passionate dance that was equally devastated and reassuring until you had to come back up for air.

“Take me with you!” you chocked out, a lonely tear falling down your face as Hongjoongs nose softly nudged against yours in a feathery touch. With his thumb brushing the salty liquid away, you waited, fearing what his answer might be.

“I’ll take ya anywhere ya want to!” He promised with another press to your mouth.

----------

Neither you nor Hongjoong knew where the winds would take you, but you both knew what ever would come your way, you would handle it.

Together.

[loverslodge]

invisible string

summery: you have married someone you have never seen, let alone met. but then you meet someone you fall in love with.

pairing: Ari Levinson x Reader

warnings: arranged marriage au, forced marriage au, angst, fluff, smut, a minor panic attack scene

A/N: ari levinson is such a bear! i cant keep my thoughts straight around him

“Congratulations! You are now officially married.” the lawyer shakes your hand and starts gathering the paperwork. You scoff and get up from the chair.

The only reason why you did this was because of your mother. She had made her best friend, Aunty Diana, a promise that if she ever had a girl, she would marry her to her son. Which shouldn't have been that bad if that son had bothered to acknowledge you. You were born when he was 10 so naturally, he already had his sets of friends to socialize with. You grew up knowing Aunty Diana but nothing more. You never knew their surname, their job, nothing. All you knew was that they were a very very very rich family. Diana had died last year due to some complications in her operation and your mother died years ago due to childbirth.

You could have avoided the marriage entirely, but conditions popped up, on both ends. They found legal documents signed by their mothers for their children to get married to each other or else. You were never told the or else condition, just shown the legal document from afar. You knew better than to go against a very wealthy family with good lawyers under their belt. Your father had used up all the money you had and had disappeared into thin air, leaving you with debts of dangerous people. You have been successfully avoiding every debt collector by sending them installments but the money was running low.

Today, as you signed the marriage certificate, you also had signed your house up for sale because that was the last valuable asset you had to pay off the debts. Your new husband had left you with a black card with unlimited cash flow but you did not want to associate with them. You knew if you used the money, strings would come attached, they always did. So you took up a job at a local bakery till you applied for big girl jobs. You faced many rejections but you never relented.

The year went by faster. You would often think about the day you got married. Since you were marking on your calendar as the months flew by. You had never seen your husband. Never knew the surname either. Or maybe, you never bothered to look at the name on the paper. He had signed and left before you. Your punctuality got the best of you and you saw him leave from behind. He was huge, beefy. But that didn't matter. You never saw him, or even lived in his house that he so graciously offered. You lived with two roommates in a tiny apartment. It wasn't a lot but the splitting the bills helped pay the proper debt installments. Lucky for you that bakery owners were nice enough to offer you actual cooked food so you had no grocery bills. All you knew about your husband was he had left the country for a new business venture. You were so okay with this arrangement. His black card still snug amongst your tattered money, unused.

Just 6 months before your 1 year anniversary, you got a job as a receptionist at the Levinson Hotels & Co. and the pay was really good. Everything was covered and you also requested a small room to stay since your roommates were moving out and you'd rather not stay in that pest riddled apartment for long. So you moved and started working. You would also visit your old bakery often and indulge in your favorite pastries. Your life was turning better and you had almost paid your debts. Keyword being almost. But you were fairly positive that you'll reach there and then the job will provide more for you than just debt money.

…………………………….

You were running late today. Not because you became lazy by living right in the motel, but because one of the bakery owners had an accident and you were the emergency contact. You had missed the morning meeting but your colleague promised to catch you up with it. But where was the time? The checking in and out of guests had taken over so much of your time, you forgot to ask and forgot your lunch. You pulled out the chocolate cupcake you had grabbed from the bakery on the way back and began munching on it while completely immersed in the paperworks. It wasn't until you felt a nudge on your side and throat clearing that you looked up to see the beast of a man, staring deep in your soul with an amused smirk on his mouth.

You scramble to stand up and send a few papers flying down. His blue eyes try to pull you in but look down to clear your throat and avoid eye contact. “How may I help you, sir?” You turn on your polite receptionist persona and give a small smile back to him.

“I don't suppose you have a room booked in my name, do you?” the beast- man- man beast- ugh! He asked with the look of amusement on his face.

“And your name?” You look up, waiting for his response.

His eyes widened a little. He never thought he would meet someone who did not know who he was. He was a very famous person after all. “Levinson. Ari Levinson.”

He looks as you type his name and asks to check his ID. He signaled everyone around him to not react and pulled out his passport to you. He watches you work diligently and securely handling the situation. He thought you must've known by now that he is your big boss but seeing you treat him like just another customer, made his heart pull a little. Just a little though. He somehow felt proud that his hotel had hired someone who took their work seriously. And he intended to keep you close more than ever. He knew that now that he is here, back in the country, his rivals will come back to sniff around to poach good employees. He was not letting you go.

“Ah yes! Here you go Mr. Levinson. Here are the keys to your penthouse suite. If you need anything, please press 1 on the phone in your room and someone from the reception will answer your requests. We also have a lovely restaurant with world-class food if you get hungry and if you have any more questions please feel free to ask.” You smile and hand over his ID and keys.

“I will keep all that in mind, Sugar.” He replies in a sultry tone and takes the frosting from your nose on his licking it as he makes his way to the elevator. You're stunned to say the least. No guest had invaded your personal space before. You pick up the tissue and wipe the nose so clean, it turns red from all the rubbing. Nobody reacts to what happened and they give you sideyes. You were used to the jealousy that came with the work but this felt something new. It felt as if everyone were in on something and you were the only clueless. You ignored it. You always do.

Ari reached his suite with ease. Of course he did. That is where he had been staying all these years. It was a registered room in the hotel but it was always under his name. It was his house after all. He sighed and flopped on the sofa while the housekeepers started unpacking his things for him. He could still taste the frosting. Delicious. His mind went back to you. He had never seen you so he assumes you were few of the new ones who were hired in desperation. While he was away, one of his rivals had poached a good amount of his employees, leaving the hotel miserable and vacant. He wanted to know more about you. So he did what a very normal person would do, call his secretary and ask him to bring your details.

Your entire life history was in his hands. He flipped through pages of information. He found out about your debts, your living situations and your employment as well. But there was one thing that left a sour taste in his mouth was your relationship status. You were married. He needed to check on it but when asked his secretary to look into it further, they came up with nothing. No information on the husband and the paperworks were tightly sealed into confidentiality. Whom were you married to?

Ari had thought maybe this was one time thing since you did not know his name but he was intrigued by you. He saw you out and about in the hotel, greeting and smiling at people. He saw through your fake smiles. He knew that was a professional smile. You were on his mind 24/7 and he didn't mind. He made it a routine to call the reception and ask things from you. He loved listening to your voice. Even though it was a very professional tone, just hearing you made his day. Every time he heard your voice or even saw you, his heart fluttered. Same went for you. You felt a tug on your heart every time you heard his baritone on the phone. You knew, some of his requests were ridiculous and he did that only to talk to you and couldn't stop that. You knew that consorting with guests is wrong but you couldn't help it. You also knew that you were married and you were forbidden from having another man in your life but you couldn't help it. You still had 4 more months before you could talk to your husband’s lawyer about getting a divorce and it was killing you. You now realized how much of freedom you had given up just to fulfill a promise.

His friend Lloyd was going to stay in the hotel for a few days. He was visiting him and he was also here for a work trip. Lloyd was a good man per se, but he still had a thing for ruining sweet things. You were one of them. Ari had made an arrangement that you won't be there to greet Lloyd but things never work the way they're supposed to. The person who was supposed to greet Lloyd was out sick and you had taken up his shift. Ari did not know. The main management, whom Ari had threatened did not know. Now, here you are, smile on your face, waiting for the swaggered man with a mustache to reach you so you can help him.

Ari got a text from Lloyd saying he is in the lobby. Ari finishes his drink and gets in the elevator. He was relaxed knowing you were never going to see Lloyd because you would be tasked to different spaces than him. The elevator dings open and he makes his way to the reception when he halts. He sees a genuine smile on your face and Lloyd’s flirty eyes raking all over your body. He knew Lloyd would not do anything without your consent and that you were married so there would be nothing there but this spark of jealousy had started burning. He was jealous of your husband, yes. But he knew that you were living on the premises alone. He never saw you with any man other than your colleagues and he never heard you talk about him. He assumed things are not good in your marriage so he indulged in flirting with you. But Lloyd was a different story. Married or not, he did not care. Lloyd always got what he wanted and Ari did not want Lloyd to want you. But he heard you giggle. You were giggling at something Lloyd said and he was turning green. Your giggle was the sweetest thing he’s ever heard and it wasn't for him. He stalks to the desk and jerks the key and ID away from your hand. He grabs Lloyd’s shirt and drags him to the elevator, leaving you confused and maybe a bit hurt.

“She’s a sweet thing, Levinson. I didn't know your hotel had improved so much that you had started to hire dolls.” Lloyd laughs as he is pushed in the room.

“Stay away from her. She is married.” Ari walks to the bar and pours himself another drink.

“Is that why you're jealous? That she has someone else filling her cunt instead of you.” Lloyd grabs another glass and fills it up. “You know husbands are never an issue. I could make her beg for me in front of her husband.”

“Very crass of you Lloyd. Leave her alone. Do not talk to her. You know what, do not engage with her at all. Just stay away.” Ari slams the glass on the kitchen counter and walks out. “And welcome back to the city Lloyd, I hope you enjoy your stay in my hotel.”

“Oh, I'm going to enjoy it alright.” Lloyd smirks as he downs his drink.

……………………..

Lloyd often found you around the hotel. Actually, Lloyd knew you were assigned away from him. He wanted to rile Ari up. He couldn't help it. He knew Ari wasn't gonna act on his feelings over a married woman and that did not stop Lloyd. He wanted Ari to do something about it. He wanted Ari to get riled up so much that he would finally get laid. After his ex, Ari had given up on sex. Ari said he was over meaningless sex and Lloyd was going to make sure that Ari ate his own words.

Ari saw Lloyd approach you and stop you on your way. Your eyes narrow and lips thinned, he thought you were pissed but within a second, you laughed and Ari froze. He had heard you giggle but he had never seen you laugh and he might've lost what remaining heart he had to that. He got pissed. Well, he has been pissed for a while but he didn't show it. For two entire weeks, he had seen Lloyd find you and flirt with you. No matter how hard he tried, Lloyd always went over his head to talk to you.

Ari had had it enough. He stomped his way to where you and Lloyd were standing. Your back was to him so you never saw him coming. The only indication was Lloyd’s raised eyebrow and a smirk before you were whisked into the arms of the man you have had dreams about. Dirty and all. Before you could get any words out, you were on Ari’s shoulder like a sack, being dragged away from a laughing Lloyd. You were confused, of course, but you were not turned on in a very weird way. You could feel the possessiveness of his arms around your waist. You tried to wriggle but was met with an even firmer grip. You saw the route you were taking was not guest approved.

“Mr. Levinson, please. I will get fired if you do this. This is not a guest approved area. I cannot have you in here. Please. Put me down and we can walk wherever you want me to.”

“Call me Ari, sugar. I have told you that before. Also, you are not going to get fired. Everything’s fine. Just stop wriggling. You're not helping your case, sugar.”

You weren't complaining though. All this while you were getting a perfectly good view of Ari’s perfect ass that you always try to subtly stare at. You didn't realize you had reached his room when he planted you on his bed. You tried to sit up but he pushed your shoulder a little, sprawling you back on the bed. You were horny enough to understand the situation but you were also aware enough that Ari is not someone who would force you to do something you don't want to do.

Ari locks his room door and walks over to the bed. You had made no move of getting up from the position he threw you in. He smiled. You were obedient. He slowly straddles you and leans into you. Your eyes are glazed with lust but you try not to show it. But he saw the glaze. He leans in close to you. Your faces are inches apart. He has caged you between his arms, and, well, the entire body. Not that you wanted to leave. Your breath hitches as he comes closer.

“Never talk to someone else. Don't laugh with them, don't giggle with them, don't even give them your real smile.” he growls. He is so close to you. He can smell the faint rose cologne that you so love to use. He can even smell the faint hint of glycerin body wash you use. He leans in closer. He moves towards your neck and kisses you right below your ear, sending shivers down your spine, making you gasp.

Your hands instinctively reach up and grab his collar. He freezes, thinking you were going to push him off but your slight pull gave him the approval to continue. He keeps his face there and litters a few more kisses on your neck. You knew you should say something but what? What was going to come out of your mouth but moans and whimpers if you opened it. You risked it. You had to put a stop to this. You were married for fuck’s sake! And this man was not your husband. As much as you wanted this man, Ari, to ruin you, you were not free. You still have a few more months before you get contacted by your husband’s lawyers about the divorce papers.

“Ari,” your voice came out softer than anticipated. “We can't do this.” you haven't even kissed yet. He was busy peppering kisses all over your neck, trying not to leave marks. He wanted the world to know that you were on his mind. He wanted to taste those lips that were always tasting cupcakes and muffins. He wanted to know how sweet you were. Inside out.

“Ari,” you try to pursue again. Your hands twist in his hair in an attempt to pull his face off your neck but instead all you could do is push. “Please, we can't. I- I'm married, Ari and so are you. We can't.” you softly push his face off your neck and hold his face in your hand.

“How do you know I'm married, Sugar?” Ari never told anyone. How did she know?

“The ring is glinting in my eyes, Ari. the sun told me. I- i don't want- i can’t- this is all- Ari, please. Don't make me say things I don't want to mean. I can't ruin your marriage and I cannot ruin mine. You are a guest here. I am already breaking so many rules for you. Don't make me lose my job. I am so close to getting what I want.”

You caress his face and just like that, you peck his lips. You both freeze. Kissing was never on the table, let alone pecking. His eyes darken and he leans again. Just one look in his stormy blue eyes and you lean your head up to meet his lips again. He pushes down with his lips and the passion flutters. Your fingers grab onto his hair, tugging and pulling while his lips assaulted yours. He slipped his tongue in your mouth and was winning the dominance. You let him carry you. You were drowning in his passion and he held onto you. You pulled at his bottom lip and that gained you a breathy moan. His moan was so contagious that you whimpered against his lips and he deepened the kiss and gained a moan from you. His hands were all over your body. Caressing, tugging and holding but never pulling. In need of breath, you both pulled away and he rested his forehead against yours. He would peck your lips to contain the heavy breathing.

“I am not letting you go now, Sugar. I have tasted your sweet lips and I intend to taste more. I don't care about your husband anymore.” Ari pecks your lips one more time and pulls away.

You try to sit up and he helps you. Both of you are sitting at the edge of the bed. You get up and walk towards the bathroom to check your makeup and hair. You start fixing your hair as Ari walks in and wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you close to him. You never really thought much about your height difference but looking in the mirror, you can see that he is tall enough to rest his chin on your forehead without slouching.

“I will help you divorce your husband. I am already preparing to leave my wife. I want you all to myself.” he nuzzles your neck, his beard brushing against your shoulder.

You lean against his chest and take his affection in. “I can't divorce my husband. At least, not yet. I have to wait for this year to end. He is a very powerful man, Ari. a man who lives in an expensive suite will not be enough to take him down. He can ruin my life if he finds out I have even flirted with someone else.”

“What kind of asshole are you married to? Does he, did he- did he ever touch? You know, did he ever-”

“Never met him in my life. I don't think he knows what I look like and neither do I know what he looks like. All I know is that I had to marry him to keep my mother’s promise. It is a very litigious contract, Ari. If he finds out that I have an affair while married to him, I will have to pay him 10 million to rectify his reputation. I don't have that type of money. I also have my last debts to pay. I can't afford to love you.” You squeak and put your hand on your mouth as soon as you say the last sentence.

You can see Ari tilt his head in the mirror and a big smile on his face. “You love me, Sugar?”

You cover your face which has turned red and shake your head. He laughs and kisses your head. His laugh is the most magnificent sound you have ever heard. His voice might turn you on but his laughter made you feel a whole different feeling.

“That was not the point of the entire thing.” Your voice muffled behind your hand. His laughter vibrates through you and it has pulled all the heartstrings it can. His hold around your waist tightens.

“Fine. I will wait. But I will pay off your debts. Let me, please. You might not be able to afford to love me right now but I am very much capable of loving you enough for the two of us.” He turns you around and removes your hand from your face.

“I love you, Sugar. And I will do whatever it takes to keep you by my side.” he pecks your lips and caresses your cheeks. “My wife, well, her family are gold diggers. They manipulated my mother into thinking that their daughter was a good match for me. But I had to marry her. I can divorce her now, the timeline is over and I am sure she has enjoyed my wealth enough. I don't want her, never have, never will. All I want is you. Just you, Sugar.”

“How are you so sure that I'm not a gold digger? Maybe I am. I do belong to a poor family, and have debts. Maybe I seduced you seeing you live in a penthouse suite and all. Then what? Will you still love me?” You asked, letting out a singular piece of insecurity that gnawed at you.

“I am sure you're not after my money because you would have seduced me a long time ago. You had so many chances, baby. But you still never did anything about it. And about your debts, well, I'm sure there must be a reasonable explanation. I know you will tell me. So do not call yourself that. I will not have you talk nonsense about the love of my life.” he pinched your nose.

“Love of your life, huh? You're being overconfident.” You wrap your arms around his waist and draw him close. You take in his scent. He smelt so wonderful, musky and woodsy. You sigh in content and stay wrapped around him longer.

You unwrap yourself from him. “I have to go. My boss, the owner, somehow keeps on reassigning me to different places. I've got these pager thingies to keep track of that. I don't know when and where he will be needing me again.” When, where and how, sugar. Ari’s thoughts went overboard. Imagining you bent over his desk and him taking-

“Ari? Are you listening?” You tilt your head to the side. Ari’s grip had tightened around you making you stop. “Yes, Sugar, I am always listening to you. You don't have to worry about the boss. I'm sure he can deal with his own things.” Ari waddled his way to the bed with you in his arms.

“Oh no no. Ari. no. We are not doing anything. I am married, you are married and I am at work. I cannot ignore the big boss. I was told he had just arrived and lives in this very hotel. I haven't run into him yet which is a good thing but it's also scary that my employer lives in the same place I do. I cannot afford to make any mistakes now. He can fire me and I need this job. I promise I will find a way to make it up to you. Did you like the cupcakes I got you last week? I can get those again for you. I-” You try to get out of his clutches. It was hard. Not in that way. It was hard that way too but, ugh! No point in overthinking. Ari tightened his hold around you and sat you both down on the bed. Not sat per se. He shifted to the middle of the king size bed and made you straddle him, keeping a tight hold on you.

“Sugar, you need to stop talking about your boss or I will be jealous of myself.” He chuckled and kissed your cheek.

“What do you mean you are jealous of yourself?” you were confused. What did he mean?

“Well, Sugar. I have to confess something and before you blast, I need you to listen to me, alright?” his hands roamed over my waist and back as if trying to coax me. I nodded.

“Well, the first day, when you gave me my room keys, you didn't know whom you were talking to. And I liked that. So I told the staff to never reveal who I actually am to you. You just know me as a businessman but actually I am a hotelier. I own hotels. A lot of them. They Are spread world wide. But this hotel is special. This was my family's very first hotel and I came back because this is my home. This room is mine. Permanently. You never knew that. I liked that. You were unadulterated. You did not behave like I am a big bad boss so I never corrected you. You were- God!- you were refreshing, sugar! I loved our conversations because you never hesitated. I loved it! You treated me like one of the guests and I got to know how proud I am to have employees like you in my hotel! But then I started falling for you and I knew I had to tell you the truth. I was going to! But then Lloyd showed up and he tried to get to you and I lost it.” your eyes widened with the confession.

You never expected to fall in love, first of all. And second of all, you never expected to fall in love with the owner of the hotel! A billionaire! You looked down at yourself. You were in the uniform. Dirty, a reminder where you stood. You shuffled, trying to get off his lap but his hold tightened and he pulled you to his chest. You stumbled and your lips collided with his. Before you could pull away, he held your neck and deepened the kiss leading you to moan. Your brain starts working and you tap his chest twice before he lets go.

“That was very opportunistic of you, Ari, uh, sir. I shouldn't-”

“Don't Y/N. I told you the truth because I wanted to build our relationship on truth. I am still your Ari. do not see me as your boss. Please. I love what we have. Don't sully it by thinking that you don't deserve me. I can hear your thoughts, Sugar. They are loud. I will not let you think these things. Before all these designations, we are people and I love my Sugar and she loves her Ari, right?” he cups your face and traces your cheeks with his thumbs.

“Mhm.” You nod. You lean in to kiss both his cheeks. “I should still go. We spent hours together, Ari. As much as i love this, i cannot stay like this much longer. My husband might have sent his people to see if I am ruining his reputation or not and I don't want to drag you in the middle of my mess. So, I should go now.” you shuffle out of his grip and down the bed. The sun was about to set and you turned on the room lights. You do the same with the living room and kitchen lights before leaving the room.

“But- I love you, Sugar.” Ari whimpered. Seeing how she didn't bother to say it back. He was about to leave the bed when he heard his door open again. He saw you peep in with a wide smile “I love you, Ari.” and with that, you scurried away, leaving a widely smiling, blushing Ari.

…………………………

Meeting Ari in secret had become a habit. He would randomly pull you in secluded places and his lips would be immediately on yours. He tried very hard not to leave marks on you but some days were harder than others. You haven't had sex though. He respected your decision enough to not push it. Hell! You haven't even touched each other other than making out sessions in the corners! You wanted him badly but you were so close to freedom.

Three months were left for the year end and you got a phone call while Ari was nipping your neck. You shuffled and pulled out your phone, only to see it was your husband’s the lawyer. You sighed and signaled Ari to wait. He groaned and rested his forehead on your shoulder. You begin combing through his hair with your fingers because that calms you down.

“Hello! I have been waiting for your call for months!” you say as soon as you pick up.

“Well, I suppose for the same reason as your husband. The paperworks is just under process. As soon as I get my hands on them, they'll be ready to sign and the next day of your anniversary, you will be a divorced woman. Your husband wants the same thing. But we do need to meet with you to discuss finances. Since you were not allowed to sign a prenup and all.” Mr. Barber, your husband’s lawyer, gave details where to meet and you agreed. All this while, Ari was very slowly marking your neck. He couldn't help it. Your hands in his hair, combing them through, was making it very difficult for him to not mark. You let it happen. While he was easing your frustration, he too was frustrated with his divorce lining up.

“Sounds good! I will see you tomorrow.” you cut the call and put it back in your pocket. You smile brightly at Ari, who looks at you in confusion. “It finally happened! That was my husband’s lawyer and we are meeting tomorrow to see if i want to keep anything from him, which i do not, and then, within three months i will officially be a divorcee! I am so excited!” Seeing you happy, Ari chuckled and hugged you tight. You both let out a sigh of relief. He let you go and you went back to the front desk. He helped cover the lovely dark marks he left on you. You did, after all, have an entire day of work left.

When Ari reached his office, he got a call from his lawyer saying his wife was ready to meet. Ari really wanted to see the face of the woman he married but decided against it. He did not need to feel guilty for being in love with you. He just wanted to get this over with. He didn't even care about anything but you anymore. His wife could have all his fortune and he would be content with you by his side. He told Lloyd about everything that happened. Lloyd was happy for him, revealing that he provoked him on purpose. Ari just shook his head and they went back to laughing.

“Barber is back. He's handling all my divorce paperwork. He said he'll meet us tomorrow after he meets my wife. Finally! I will be free to live my life with my Sugar.” Ari stretched over his sofa. Lloyd was sitting across from him. With whiskey in their tumblers, he congratulated Ari for being one step closer to the freedom he's always wanted.

………………………..

Tomorrow could not have come sooner. You got ready to meet the lawyer for your lunch. Ari had subtly changed your lunch schedule so that you can get a longer break. Nobody in the hotel was suspicious of what was going on so you were at ease. Not that you cared what they thought but you just wanted things to be revealed after your divorce. So many things were piling up in your to-do list with Ari that your patience was running low. You wanted to drag him to bed so bad. You took a deep breath and grabbed your purse. Lucky for you, the restaurant was just one block down. You walked to the place and looked around to see the lawyer sitting patiently.

“Hello Mr. Barber! I am sorry I ran late. A sudden work emergency came up.” You shake his hand and sit down opposite him. He asks you to order for your meal and after ordering, you decide to jump right into business.

“So, Mr. Barber, what does my husband want me to do? Oh! Here,” you pull out his black card from your wallet. “Please give this back to him. I never used it. I never had a chance to give it back because it arrived a week after signing the certificate. Also, do tell him that I never used his house. It wasn't mine to begin with. I have a good job and a place to stay so I am not blaming him for anything. I know I have nothing to apologize for but do tell him I am sorry on behalf of my mother who signed that agreement. My mother signed it when i wasn't even born so i couldn't exactly stop her and from what i have heard is that she used to be a sentimental woman. She did this to protect her friendship with Diana and I do hope my husband understands that.”

Mr. Barber said nothing and the lunch ended quietly and quickly. You made a note to mention that you wish to take nothing from your husband and that his money and property are his. You get a text from one of your coworkers about an emergency with a guest so you leave in a hurry saying goodbyes and goodlucks.

……………………….

“Andy! How are you? How is Boston treating you?” Lloyd slapped his back as he settled down on Ari’s sofa. Andrew Barber was also a childhood friend of Ari and met Lloyd in university. All three of them have been best friends since then. There is a fourth but he is often busy.

“All good. Can't complain. Broke up with Laura, finally. I was too blind to see how manipulative she was. Finally got proof of her affairs and dumped her. What about you Lloyd? Found someone to ruin?” Andy took a sip from his tumbler.

“I did. But Ari stole her from me. She- OWW!” Lloyd looks up to see it was Ari who smacked him and smirked.

“Shut it, Hansen. Barber, how did it go with the wife? How much was she asking for?” Ari sat down beside Lloyd.

Andy sat up straight. “Funnily enough, she asked for nothing. In fact, she apologized on behalf of her mother for signing the contract because she was sentimental and something about protecting the friendship with your mother. Oh yes!” Andy digs through his work bag and brings out a wallet. “She left her wallet. Left in a hurry. Something about a work emergency. She also told me to let you know that she did not use the card you gave her or the house. Independent and all. I think you should still look into all her claims.”

Ari, even though he did not care, wanted to see what the woman looked like. His soon-to-be ex-wife’s wallet was right there in front of him. He sighed and gave in to his curiosity. He took the wallet and opened it. He saw the black card, brand new, laying in one of the compartments. There was some cash in there too, tattered at the end. His hand drifted to her IDs. His eyes saw a familiar card and he pulled out. It was the ID of his hotel staff. The moment he saw the photo and the name, his brain started scrambling. He started feeling numb and he closed the wallet and threw it back on the table.

“Levinson? Are you okay? What happened?” A concerned Lloyd asked. Lloyd wasn't the one to care but he saw his tough friend tremble. He took the ID from his hand and his eyes bulged. “Is this his wife?” He pointed at the photo in the ID at Andy who squinted and nodded. “Oh shit!”

“What? Am I missing something?” Andy’s interest piqued.

“That’s his little girlfriend. The one he is desperately in love with.” Lloyd clarified and Andy whistled in a low tone.

“Did you not see her downstairs?” Ari finally found his voice.

“Who? Your wife or your girlfriend?” Andy gauffed and Lloyd joined in.

“The receptionist. My girlfriend, or my wife. I don't know. Did you not see her when you came upstairs?” Ari asked impatiently.

“No. There was some guy who directed me upstairs. And I heard someone say that the other receptionist was handling an agitated guest. Why? Is she here? Does she work here, Ari?” Andy asked.

“Yes. this woman,” Ari pointed at the ID, “works here. I don't know who she is anymore. But she said she's never seen her husband! How? I'm sure my house has plenty of my photos. Was she lying? Did she try to manipulate me?” Ari was confused and ranted out his doubts.

Lloyd was not one to show sympathy but he did feel bad for his friend. He texted his secretary and clicked the photo of your ID, asking about all of your details. He had ways he could even get confidential secrets revealed. Lloyd liked you for Ari but if you were going to betray him, he wasn't just going to enjoy the show, he was going to destroy you. His secretary was quick. Within half an hour, he got every tiny bit of information about you.

“Says here that she's married to Ari Levinson. Which is supposed to be confidential. Did you know that your wife doesn't even know your name because of the confidentiality?” Lloyd points out on his ipad.

“What? Is this true, Andy?” Ari rubs his eyes and double checks the files in Lloyd’s ipad.

“Yeah. you told me you didn't want anything to do with her so your name, work, address, phone numbers, everything was concealed. She doesn't even know how rich you are or that this is your hotel.” Andy nods and points out to the paperwork he brought out from his bag.

“And, it says here that her mother was your mother’s childhood friend. Her father was a drunk and gambler and so she wanted a better life for her daughter, I guess. Looks like she's still paying her father’s debts. She didn't even know about the debts till her father left, which was right before she signed the certificate. Damn! Her father beat her up because she was a child and could not get the money. That's why your mother sent them money!” Lloyd continued.

“She hasn't used any of the money you gave her. Hell! She even lived in this tiny ass apartment. Look at it.” Lloyd showed Ari the photos of your apartment area. Ari winced. He didn't know this. He never bothered to care. But now he did. For different reasons.

He started wondering about times when he played with Andy and Ransom when they were young and saw his mother talking to a young girl. He remembered her sitting on the chair with her head down, crying. He remembered not bothering to talk to her because she had mud on her face and bruises on her arms. He remembered his mother telling him that this was the girl he would marry someday and him scrunching his face in disgust. He always kept that little girl at a distance. She never saw him but always did. He even asked all the servants to not show his photos or anything to the girl because he wanted nothing to do with her. Ari realized, all these years, it was you and it had always been you. He was too stubborn to see it. He could have saved years of hurt and pain if he had just met you, got to know you. If only he hadn't run away from you then, maybe divorcing you would never have come up. He felt guilty. But not anymore. You were in his reach and he would not let you go anymore. He will keep you for his entire life and he will apologize for all these years of ignorance.

“On what basis were you filing for divorce, Andy?” Ari asked with sudden ideas spurring in his mind on ways to cancel the divorce filing.

“Well, at first we were thinking of defamation but she never had an affair. Then, we were going to go for lack of consummation because, well, you were away. What are you thinking, Ari?” Andy sipped the drink. He knew Ari was onto something but his eyes widened at Ari’s idea.

“What if we consummate? What if I convince her to sleep with me? Then we can’t get divorced. I will apologize to her. Tell her everything. She has been mine all this time. I can't let her go! She will leave if she finds out I was the one she was divorcing. Cancel the paperwork, Andy. I'm staying married.” Ari stood up and put her wallet on his bedside. 

…………………………..

You were frantically looking for your wallet. All your life savings was in there and so was your hotel ID. You were lucky to be staying in the hotel but that still didn't mean that ID wasn’t required. Getting in and out of the VIP section was part of your job and now you were lost. You could ask Ari to get access but you didn't want to. You've been doing this all on your own for a while then why would you want his help over such a trivial thing? Your brain worked and you called Andy, the lawyer. He was the last person to see your wallet, maybe he took it with him.

After a few rings, Andy picked up his phone. “Hey Mr. Barber, sorry to bother you so late but have you seen my wallet? I left it when I ran out of the restaurant… oh really! Thank you so much. Yes, I will collect it from the front desk. Thank you so much and really sorry for the bother.”

You rushed out from your room to make your way to the front desk. Meanwhile, Lloyd and Andy held Ari down before he could begin his confrontation plan. Andy left your wallet at the frontdesk and both the friends dragged Ari back up to his suite to avoid a show. Andy coaxed Ari into inviting you to his suite tomorrow and spending the entire day clarifying the situation. Ari was an impatient one. He wanted you then, he wanted you now but even he understood that now was not the right time. Before he could call you to arrange for tomorrow's meeting, he got a call that there was an emergency at one of his hotels two states away. He had to leave and he might not be back for a week. He called you to meet. The least he could do is say goodbye before he goes.

When you arrived upstairs, the suite looked partied through. At least the kind of parties rich businessmen throw. Ari had allowed you to use the spare key whenever you wanted so having it handy had its perks. You heard shuffling in the bedroom so you made your way to it. You saw Ari packing and your heart thud with anxiety at the sight of it.

“Sugar, I am only going for a week. It's an emergency two states down. You won't even know i was gone.” he immediately sensed your anxiety.

“But how did you know that i-”

“I know you by now, Sugar. This is why I called you. I wasn't gonna see you for a week and I wanted to feel you, get you all over me before that.” he drops his bag on the floor and wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you close.

“Are you leaving right now?” you asked, playing with the buttons of his shirt.

“No. tomorrow afternoon. They can manage till then. Tonight I wanted it to be about us.”

Before you could process what he said, he crashed his lips on you. Your hands cupped his face and pulled his lips even closer. His hand cupped your breast and teased your nipples from over the clothing which made you gasp. He slipped his tongue in your mouth and your moans collided. All the pent up frustration from your body was making its appearance and Ari knew exactly what he was doing. He had seen your annoyed face when all you both could do was kiss or makeout. She would always put a stop to humping. He knew why but he never wanted to force you into doing something you didn't have the right mind for. But today you were all his and he was going to seduce you to bed.

He lifted you off the ground as you wrapped your legs around his waist as he pinned you to the wall. “Ari. please.” you moan as his lips move to kiss your cheeks. He slowly backs up to the bed taking you with him and straddles you to his waist as his head hits the pillows in the middle of the bed. None of you have any intention of breaking the kiss. He moves his lips from yours and trails kisses down to your neck. You crane your neck to give him better access. Your hands immediately move to unbutton his shirt clumsily. You groaned in frustration, gaining a very lighthearted chuckle from Ari that vibrated through your neck. You gently hit his chest and he laughs, making you laugh too.

He sits up and helps you remove his shirt. He then lifts your shirt up and you, very gladly, let him take it off, leaving you in your night pajama pants and bra. “Damn, Sugar. You're a sight for sore eyes.” He caresses your waist.

He flips you over and now he is in control. He makes sure to leave prominent marks on your neck this time, at least a week’s worth. You arch your body and hint to go further down. You lift his hand from your waist and put it on your breast. He smirks and trails his lips further down. You move your hand to remove your bra but he holds your wrist. “Allow me, Sugar. This is a privilege.” He unclasped the bra and threw it above your head. He stopped and looked at your breasts as if he was seeing the most wondrous thing ever.

“You have hidden them from me for so long, Sugar. Today I will finally taste the sweet skin of your body. And oh they were worth the wait. But not anymore.” He instantly takes your right nipple in his mouth and you moan louder. Your hand grips the bed sheets tightly as he sucks on your nipple. His other hand, fumbles with removing your pants. He removes his lips from the right nipple and moves the left giving it the same treatment, leaving you panting and gasping.

You realize he wants your pants off so you sit up and take his lips to yours again. You bundle your underwear and pants together, pushing them down your hips. He removes them with much ease, leaving you completely naked. He was about to jump back on you when you raised your hand and pointed at his pants. “Off.” He unbuckles his belt and removes his pants and boxer haphazardly.

You see his naked body and begin to salivate. You had seen your fair share of hot bodies but Ari was on a whole nother level. His body was sculpted by greek sculptures and his cock, glistening with pre-cum was thick and veiny. You had to gulp. Your core got wetter by nanoseconds that you stared at Ari.

“If you are done looking at Sugar, i'd love to look at you now.” He climbed and crawled slowly towards you like an animal. You instinctively spread your legs to let him settle between them. Your core was so wet, your cum was dripping out of the hole. Ari moaned at the sight of it. Without any warning, he dived right in and took your core in his mouth. You squealed and mewled as he kept suckign on you. Your hands tried to push Ari out but he held your hips tight and dove deeper. His tongue in you was not doing you any favors. Ari put your legs on his broad shoulders to get a better angle and you tried to squeeze your thighs together.

“Sugar, I swear, do it again. Squeeze me. I want to be inside you so bad but you taste so divine.”

The knot in your stomach tightened as you were close. “Ari, please. I'm so close.” Ari increased the speed of his tongue and intertwined his hand with yours as your other hand gripped his hair tighter. “Cum, Sugar. Cum for me.”

His words opened the dam and you released your juice all over his face as he continued to slurp you up. You screamed and arched with pleasure as Ari lapped up the last of you. He slowly moved away from your core, letting you breathe a little and kissed your inner thighs. You trailed to your calf and you looked at him. He was looking right at you. His blue eyes had turned dark with lust and his face was covered in your juice.

He leaned back to your face and caught your lips with his. You could taste yourself on his tongue and moaned louder. “I'm gonna be in you, Sugar. Just tell me if you need me to stop and I will pause. But sorry, Sugar, I won't be able to stop. I've waited long enough, not anymore. I'll be taking you raw, cumming in you.” He whispered against your lips and you nodded weakly.

He aligned himself against you and looked at you for permission. You nodded again and he slowly, very slowly, slid in. you arch against the mattress as he fills you in. “Please Ari.” He pushed himself further in and you let out a gasp. You could feel him in your belly. He waited for a second to let you adjust to his length. He looked down to see you sprawled on his bed with his marks all over your neck and breasts. He was pleased by his work. “Ari, baby, please move. I can't.” Your begging spurs him in and he thrusts further in leaving you gasping.

He pulls out slowly and leaves the tip in. before you could even make up your mind to speak, he thrusts in you hard, making you scream his name. He thrusts in you again and again, moaning and panting. He says your name like a prayer and you, his. He brings his mouth to your boobs and sucks on them while you hold his head against your chest. His lips move back to your neck and you can hear his moans in your ears, leaving a symphony.

“Fuck, Sugar! Should've done this way sooner. You are so made for me. All mine.” His thrusts leave you drunk and when he finds an angle and hits your spot, you scream his name again, leaving him smirking. “That’s the spot, Sugar? That's what makes you stars, doesn't it? I will show you stars all night long, Sugar.” He relentlessly thrusts on your spot leaving you panting and screaming.

“Ari, I'm cumming. Please. Cum in me.” You beg, bringing his lips to yours. “So pleased to hear that, Sugar. In you. I will always cum in you. Fill you up with me. You will let me, won't you, Sugar.” He brings his fingers to your clit and starts rubbing on it, making you mewl.

“Cum with me, Sugar. Come on. I know you're there. Let go.” His thrusts turn sloppy and irregular and his fingers on your clit make you gush all over his cock just as his cum fills you up. Few more thrusts and he lays on you, pressing you into the mattress. You whine and try to push him off which he obliged but doesn't make an effort to move out from you.

He pulls you closer and his cock twitches in you, making you whine. “You've got to take it out, Ari, please. I gotta clean up.” You put your hand on his cheek. “Who said anything about moving, Sugar. I am keeping you here all night. Even if it's just to warm my cock. I've got you now, I've tasted you and now I am not letting you go. At least until tomorrow afternoon.”

You squeal and giggle as he pulls you on top of him, still inside you and starts trailing kisses on your body. You let yourself be swept away with Ari till he leaves you exhausted and sleep deprived.

…………………………

It had been a week and a half. Ari had texted that the paperwork got longer so will be back by the weekend. You missed him. But you are also worried now. You had slept with a man who was not your husband. Just two more months till the divorce and you had ruined your chance to be free. You have been meaning to talk to Ari about this but there was no time. You didn't stand a chance when Ari kept on seducing the entire night, fuzzing up your brain to come with anything. You were constantly worried that you might get a call saying you're being charged with defamation of your husband.

When your phone rang, you jumped and reached to see it was Mr. Barber. “Hello. Is everything okay, Mr. Barber?” Your anxiety spiked.

“Yes, everything is fine. I just called to inform you that your husband does not want to divorce you. He went over your details and made a decision that you are good for the family and would likely come see you soon, hoping for a good marital life.” Mr. Barber went on to explain that your husband respected your decisions and was pleased with everything. Your mind went blank. No thoughts, just anxiety.

“But, Mr. Barber, how can he suddenly change his decision? This is not fair! I have a life and I have work and I have-” you stopped yourself from saying Ari’s name. This was a disaster. What were you going to tell Ari? Ari said he is also divorcing his wife and it is final, they are just waiting for papers. What would you do? You had slept with Ari. your husband was going to kill the both of you. Or worse, defame you in front of the world. You could not let that happen to Ari. you loved him. He didn't deserve to be ruined like this. The phone call had ended and you were still holding it. You were so lost in thoughts that you did not see the glass vase on the front desk and ran into it. The glass shattered on your feet and blood seeped out of them. You felt no pain but you watched as the water from the vase and your blood mixed, forming an inevitable doom that your mind had become.

Lloyd was in the lobby when this happened and he immediately scooped you up. He sat you down on the sofa and cursed about how Ari was going to have his head. He saw tears streaming down your face but you had no expression. He propped your feet on his lap and carefully removed the glasses. He had barked orders to bring in a doctor and the resident doctor had shown up. The doctor cleaned your wounds and cleaned tiny shards of glasses from your feet. He cleaned and dressed your feet in bandages.

You were about to stand after thanking the doctor, when Lloyd scooped you up. “I cannot let you walk like this. I'll carry you to your room and you stay there. I'll talk to Ari and will get you a few days of bedrest.” you absentmindedly nodded, not reacting to the situation.

……………………………

Ari stomped his way to his suite. Lloyd had moved you in his room so you were resting on his bed when he slammed open the door, making you jump. When Ari got a call from Lloyd saying what had happened to you, it shattered his heart. He couldn't leave the hotel on its own so he stayed till the weekends. By now, the entire hotel knew about Ari’s affections towards you because Lloyd would occasionally call room services for you. No one minded but of course, who was going to stop the rumors. Luckily, you weren't there to hear any of them.

Seeing you on the bed with your feet covered in bandages, Ari’s feet wobbled and he knelt next to you. You had taken up an entire side of his bed and he didn't mind. In fact he loved it. “You got hurt. I wasn't there to protect you. I'm sorry, Sugar. I should've been here. I'm so sorry for being so late.”

“Ari, it's fine. We talked about this, didn't we? You were there for the emergency. You couldn't just leave and come. I'm fine. See. I'm all better. Stings a little but almost healed. Your work is just as important. This is your life, after all.” You stroke his hair.

“You are important too. You are my life now, Sugar. It's all you, only you. No one else.”

His confession shattered the happy illusion you are living in. you had buried the canceled divorce deep in your mind but his confession brought it all back. It started leaving its traces on your face as tears. You had broken down even without knowing. Ari shook up. He had never seen a breakdown like this before. He moved to his side of the bed and hugged you close as you struggled to breath and cry.

After a few minutes, you calmed down and drank the water, Ari offered. “Please go change Ari. we need to talk.” You say in a small, trembling voice. Ari nodded and stood up to take a shower and dress comfortably. He wore a shirt because seeing you, he knew it was not the time to seduce you. He saw you wring your hands and breath in heavily.

“Ari, I got a call on the day of my accident. It was my husband's lawyer. He, well, he told me that my husband doesn't want a divorce anymore.” You were not looking at Ari. how could you when the love you built with him was going to shatter within seconds. You didn't want to see a broken Ari. “I- the decision is not in my hands. His mother loved my mother so she suggested we get married. He holds all the power. I'm just someone who goes along. Mostly because I fear he would do something if I stray.” You gulped. You were trying to find a way to tell Ari that you will always love him but won't be able to be with him. “My husband is a very powerful man, Ari. he can do anything and one of those things is destroying someone else's life. If he finds out about us, about you, he will not stop until nothing of yours remains. Ari, I love you, so so much. But I cannot let that man destroy you. I will do anything to protect you.”

You finally look up to meet Ari’s eyes. He was looking at you intensely. Maybe lovingly even. You didn't need to say that you will stay married to someone you didn't love to protect him. He understood. There was adoration in his eyes. He cups your face and kisses you. You close your eyes and cherish the soft kiss he is giving you right now. He leans his forehead against yours and smiles. “I love you so much, Sugar.”

He sits up and takes your hands in his. “I'm going to tell you something and I want you to keep an open mind. Can you do that for me, Sugar? Will you listen to me before saying anything?”

You nod and he continues. “Well, I got to look into your files. Your last name, your husband's last name is Levinson. You might've not known this. Because he never told you. I'm a Levinson, Sugar. I am the Levinson you're married to. I was an idiot. Since I was young, my mother would always point to you and tell me I'll be marrying you. To a child it seemed silly but the older I grew, the more annoyed and irritated I got. I wasn't given a choice in choosing my own partner. It felt manipulative. So when we found the contract, it pissed me off even more that I was tied to you for life. The only problem in all of this was, because of my stubbornness, I never bothered to look into you, look at you. You always looked like a thorn to me but I was an idiot. When I met you here, I didn't know you were my wife. I fell in love for who you are. I found out about you being my wife the day you went to see Andy, the lawyer. He is a good friend of mine. He had come over for drinks and tossed me your wallet saying that my wife had left it. I was so close to divorcing my wife and was thinking of a happy life with you. But my curiosity got the best of me and went through your wallet when I found out that it was you all along. I was pissed at myself for ignoring you all this time. I was angry at myself for letting the time slip by me during which I could've had you. I wanted to tell you that night but Andy told me it's better to wait for the next day. But as you know, the emergency arrived and I had to leave.”

He stared at you. Looking for a reaction. Instead he found a thoughtful look on your face. “When I found out that you were my wife all this time, I asked Andy to stop the paperwork and call you to tell you that we were not divorcing. The timing was off. You were supposed to know all this before Andy called you but work ran late. And I banned Andy or Lloyd from talking about this with you. I wanted to be the one to tell you that I am your husband. I am that idiot, powerful, scary husband that can destroy anyone who comes near you.”

Minutes passed. It was agonizing for Ari. he wanted you to say something. There were tears welled up in his eyes. Suddenly, you started laughing. Not a maniacal laugh but a genuine laughter. “So, you mean to say, I was worried about my affair with my own husband! I was worried my own husband would destroy himself because I slept with him!” You laugh even louder. You calmed down after a while and looked at Ari, who had tears slipping down his face.

“Why are you crying?” You cradle his face and wipe his tears. You pull him on you and bury his face in your neck. He gets comfortable and wraps his arms around you tightly. You stroke his hair with one hand while the other strokes his arms.

“I thought you would hate me after that. After I reveal to you that I am your husband.” Ari’s voice trembled. You pull him closer. “I can never hate you, Ari. And yes, it might be your fault but it is mostly our mothers’ fault. They never bothered to meet us up. They never pushed us to get to know each other. Of course we grew up hating each other. They took away a choice. It's okay. I'm just glad that it's you. My love, my husband, it's all you. Also, this makes a funny story about a wife and husband having an affair with each other.” You giggle at the last line, making Ari laugh too.

“Ari, I'd love to stay married to you. You know, in a way I am glad it's you. If it was someone else, I would've died. I don't think I can see my life without you in it anymore. Let the past be in the past and let's go together from here, yes?”

You bring Ari’s face up and kiss him deeply. He shifts and pulls you under him. “I'm glad you're my wife. My love and my soulmate. I'm going to cherish every moment we have together.”

........................

the ask box for this fic is open

[teeldaa]

I wanted to rant a little about Wyll , Mizora and Raphael,their prewrite versions and my issue with how Larian wrote devils and cambions in general and some theories :p This has been sitting in my drafts for a while, I got sick and completely forgot about it ...I think i got carried away with my Raphael theories, because of that i wasn't even sure if I wanted to post this or not(warning:a lot of yapping) And sorry in advance for my bad English :p

Wyll and Mizora first thing that bothers me is i see a lot of people saying Larian rewrote Wyll because EA players didn't like him, but that's not true?!I was looking through Larian's interviews, they either said they’ve redone Wyll because it wasn't working for them, they lost a little bit of narrative room for telling all these stories that he had(x) or they weren’t telling his story as well as they could have done(x)so it was Larian's decision and not players feedback. Pre rewrite Wyll: He wasn't related to Ulder Ravengard, he was a descendant of Grand Duke Eltan,the founder and leader of the Flaming Fist.these are the lines that were datamined during ea(source)

Although Duke Eltan founded the flaming fists, his family had to sell their interest to pay off debt... in the release version if Wyll doesn't sign the contract with Mizora and Florrick is still in jail Cordula Eltan confronts him about Ulder(might be an Easter egg)

after getting caught for thieving, Wyll was sent to flaming fists by his father.he pointed out that he wasn't a good fighter and didn't fit in well there and then one day Spike and his fellow goblins attacked the village

this is the part that a lot of people miss,you could only get these lines if you modded the ea to play as origin Wyll(x) when confronting Fezzerk the narrator said these

Your belly crash into memory, Spike was the one who slashed out your eye this one held your head while he did it

The bile rises in your throat, you hate this cockroach, you hate his chief ,You hate…yourself you'd been selfish,lazy,lustful. you'd all but invited goblins to a slaughter

and If you made Wyll torture the prisoner, Spike would say"The Blade always knew how to throw a party!" So I guess Goblins used throwing a party as an excuse to trick Wyll into letting them in!

I think what they were going for with Wyll was... A nobleman who had to meet high expectations put on him by his status and his dad, went through a very traumatic experience(humiliated, injured, witnessed the slaughter of an entire village)and had no way of fighting back! he was in need of rescue and had no one to help him, so he took Mizora's deal and became the blade of frontiers to prevent that from happening to other people?!

I often see it being said EA Wyll was a "fake hero" or a "glory hound" or … which are not true, He was the only companion who prioritized saving the tiefling refugees over finding a cure, was ready to die for them and would have left the party if you sided with Minthara. He wasn't "evil" he just had more flaws... Wyll decided to break his pact after Mizora asked him to pay "a price he wasn't willing to pay", they were arguing then got kidnapped by mind flayers. these lines are from modded Wyll origin(x) said by the narrator:

one moment you'd been bartering with Mizora for freedom. the next whisked away by tentacle monsters

what was it Mizora had said?oh yes- 'over your rotting corpse'

Spike found Mizora's pod and put a collar around her neck that neutralized all her powers, She communicated with Wyll through his eye and promised to free him if he saved her. Before the party got to the goblin camp, drow came and took Mizora to Moonrise tower and apparently they had"big plans"for her I think this version of Mizora was working for her father based on these dialogues(x)

Mizora: Get .Me .Out of here Wyll: and if i don't? Mizora: then my father will. and your eternal soul will be his.

maybe that "big plans"had to do something with her dad?! The lines that implied she and Wyll might had been romantically involved at some point were these:

Wyll: Don't tell me - someone came to you, an object of desire. made you better. More than better Wyll: Same happened to me. Tav: Someone, yes. who was it you saw? Wyll: An old lover. tempting as a trail of rose petals, and just as fragrant.

and for anyone wondering what does she smell like...

Tav: Tell me more about this old flame of yours. Wyll: A giver and taker. without her, id hardly be who i am, for both better and worse

I kinda get why they decided to change their dynamic, but they made it so much worse... what Wyll and Mizora had was a toxic codependent relationship with a power imbalance but the game was taking it more seriously...in his act1 romance scene You could hug him and make him feel safe. the only datamined Wyll/Mizora interaction we had was this! and this version Mizora is way better! She didn't treat Wyll like a "dog" or use weird degrading pet names. i wish they kept her straightforward and no-nonsense attitude, she had so much personality, probably more content and plot relevancy too She was already lawful evil and the game made that very clear, making Mizora treat Wyll in a super dehumanizing way was just unnecessary in my opinion and it didn't do neither of them any favors. the release version Mizora supposed to be a cambion but she's not really written like one. the most important part of cambions lore is that they are outcasts! They grow up very lonely because they are never accepted by either society, Even in the bg3 artbook it is mentioned that they have to be resourceful to survive "as the forsaken of two races"

They're not always evil, they can be neutral or even rarely good(depending on their mother's alignment). I feel like they were doing a way better job with datamined version of Mizora, You could actually see her half human side more. Tying Wyll to Karlach's story was a bad idea… Zariel's characterization feels kinda off(Karlach called her the biggest liar in all the realms??)and Mizora doesn't exactly seem like the type of person who works for her...Zariel is a warmonger obsessed with stopping the Blood War because if the demons win they will conquer the Material Plane and start destroying things, she's more of a“the ends justify the means” type of evil. Zariel is not into politics of hell, i feel like Wyll should have been forced to fight in the blood war just like Karlach because that's the only thing Zariel cares about. and...if Zariel doesn't own Karlach's soul then why does she want her dead?!Shouldn't Mizora order Wyll to capture her alive?so she can take her back to Avernus? i find it kinda odd there's not an option to ask Mizora to remove your tadpole. I think she should be able to that, In that datamined interaction she had this dialogue:

That's an illithid tadpole in your brain, let it fester for long and you'll be birthing a squid from your head hole. You want that thing out? Brush the dust out of your eye and get over here.

And bg3 has a prequel comic called "Mindbreaker"and a devil(an erinyes who served Bel) did remove an absolute tadpole...

Wyll's transformation into a devil confuses me! The dialogues makes it look much more significant than it actually is...it's just horns, i wonder if Larian was originally going for a more drastic change, bg3 concept art Devils have very distinct features... and btw Mizora turning Wyll into a devil should have cure him, ceremorphosis doesn't affect fiends...

I feel like if they didn't tie Wyll's story to Karlach and didn't change his father, they could have kept most of Wyll's previous content like his ea romance scene which was great And it could still work for the current Wyll. Was all that changes really necessary? And they didn't even give Wyll a unique starting outfit when his Keyart Armor was already in the game files and it looks perfect on him.

Mizora's father Just for fun, there was this Harbs Narbs theory(x) that Mizora's father was Levistus(Archdevil of Stygia) Levistus is the Infernal patron of vengeance and betrayal,His followers are called bladereavers.he is an honorable duelist and his favored weapon is a rapier in that video he said that blade of frontiers tag gave Wyll an automatic rapier proficiency and armor of agathys(Levistus tieflings have that spell) ...and the spell" Tomb of Levistus" was datamined Levistus is described as a tall humanoid male with dark hair, a neat goatee and an extremely pale complexion but would be able pass for a human if not for his pointed teeth and coal-black eyes that practically radiated darkness. Mizora concept art also happen to have "extremely pale complexion" "coal-black eyes"and looks more human compared to other devil and cambion designs...

(I really like this design, specially those small blades that are hanging from her dress. I think the outfit she's wearing now in the game was supposed to be for her human disguise and this was for her devil form) I couldn't find anything else about Wyll, But i think he suffered the most from the upper city getting cut. I am very curious about his EA version's father and his role in the main plot...He probably was the main focus of Wyll's quest in act 3(because Mizora was supposed to end Wyll's contract if he freed her from Moonrise) I imagine this version of Mizora could also become a camp follower, She was tortured badly by goblins so it makes sense that she would help us defeat The Absolute...

Probably not a hot take, but I don't think they should have completely rewritten his entire character that late in development(Just to be clear, I like release Wyll and i think Theo Solomon did an incredible job voicing him.I just wish the narrative treated him better) I completely understand why someone would prefer the current version he's a sweet, loyal and brave folk hero but in my opinion he would have been more popular and resonated with more people if they kept his old self. EA Wyll was more charismatic, chaotic and extroverted, He had A LOT of struggles and flaws but he was trying his best to overcome them and that made him more relatable. The difference between EA Wyll and release Wyll to me is like the difference between Batman and Superman, Batman has a way bigger fandom and more films, games, cartoons and...even though Superman is this uncorruptible and aspirational symbol of hope with so many cool super powers. Another thing I like more was how they were doing the warlock/patron dynamic. The relationship was much more personal and complicated and original version of Mizora was superior in every way (I could be wrong, but I always assumed from the way Wyll talked about the powers Mizora was giving him that the whole thing was some kind of allegory for addiction) that's all i had to say about Wyll and Mizora...

Raphael first the stuff they cut

the most important thing that got cut was his deal that he could solve your tadpole issue in exchange of your soul

in this interview Senior Writer Adam Smith said this:

In one situation, for instance, a devil will approach players with a bargain for their soul. That might seem like an offer to immediately reject, but that deal might also help players understand and control the change happening to their character as the result of a magical parasitic infection.

and in this one Swen Vincke said he is a potential solution for the tadpole problem:

even in the first encounter he says "Oh, A mere trifle. How dear is one's soul, Really?" when you ask him what he wants. ...so i guess that means you could have had Raphael as your patron?!

it was datamined that he wanted the artefact (x) not the crown

the person that supposed to be inside the artefact, helping you and not letting you turn was Orpheus, so Raphael wanted him...for some reason!

there is also this List of All Cut Content!apparently Raphael supposed to be a Merchant and soul coins were there for trading with him...

Raphael the Merchant - Originally Raphael was meant to be a fully viable option to remove your tadpole, in fact the "Soul Coin" items that you collect in game where originally meant to be a powerful alternative currency accepted only by Raphael in exchange for possibly retrieving your soul as well as a long list of incredibly powerful artifacts from the House of Hope that would be sold by Raphael himself.

originally Karlach didn't have her Infernal Engine(x)so that's probably true!

in early access If you didn't give Gale magical any artifact, he would make a deal with Raphael(x) Gale would inform you that he no longer needed anything from you, he didn't exactly tell you why but if you passed the wisdom check the narrator would said this :

You flutter through his mind like a bat through the night and you see… fire. You hear laughter. You smell brimstone. mocking words drift back to you.'This is the House of Hope.'

Origin Karlach could have made another deal with Raphael! she had unique datamined dialogues with him and Korilla

there's 4 unused Raphael models(with different hair style)in the game i see people calling them earlier iterations but they are not, they were datamined all together later in the early access along with companions dream lovers in one room(it was called AA room) They could be for some sort of cut content/quest lines?!

Concept art Raphael doesn't have hair so idk maybe these were supposed to be his different human disguises?! Even in this early live stream he had the same devil model with black hair while his human disguise looked like Lord Farquaad...

this was also on that list of cut content

Mol and Raphael - Isn't it odd how Mol will just escape from Raphael on her own and say it was "easy?" Well it turns out that's because they cut whatever the final leg of that quest was meant to be, instead they allow Mol to escape on her own which more or less skips to the end and around the cut content.

there's one Yurgir line!(you can hear his datamined voice lines here)

now, Leave me. I must prepare for my return to hell, Triumphant.

(thanks @doomsbutt for looking that up) apparently it was supposed to trigger as a fallback for when Raphael can't appear! The tag checked for that dialogue says "Sets if the Last Justiciar contract was completed, but Raphael didn't show up" Currently this is not an option in the game, but we could have just tell Yurgir he can be freed by killing the rats!so maybe there was supposed to be an option that got cut ?!

Astarion and Kith'rak Voss asking Raphael for help were added after rewrite

in early access the game locked you in a cutscene when Raphael visited the camp, you couldn't switch character, pickpocket him or see his health bar!also in ea Korilla wasn't spying on the party

in conclusion Astarion quest, Raphael's dialogues with Karlach and Dark Urge + everything in act3 should be new. Raphael probably originaly had A MUCH BIGGER role, He was mentioned in all the larian's earlier interviews and was on all of the promotional stuff... I think they changed him really late in development as well *take with a grain of salt*larian beta tested the game in july 2022 I heard about that version twice, What they both mentioned that had changed was the House of Hope. one of them said even Hope and Haarlep didn't exist in that version*again take with a huge grain of salt, I heard from someone who had heard it from a beta tester in both cases*

the release version (@tellmeallaboutit sorry it took so long...I changed my mind several times while writing this, then forgot about it for a while...) I know it's because of that late rewrite but in my opinion Raphael's writing in Act 3 is not great!(like everything else in act3) He has a really good set up but it just goes nowhere,his deal just sucks...after Yurgir quest i was excepting the contract to be a song or poem, option to negotiate the terms, and consequences...but nope!nothing! And then you can just go and steal your contract?!(pretty sure that's not a thing, since contracts are magic that bonds your soul to a devil not a actual piece of paper)and even if you break the contract, he won't kill/punish you for some reason. First i wanna rant a little about Hope…i think after they decided to cut all of Raphael's original content, they wanted to give the player a reason to kill him so they made her! she is a prisoner who is being tortured to accept Raphael's deal and...that's not how Infernal Contract works, terms become binding when both parties willingly sign the contract, the contract is void if the devil uses force or even threats. this is from Fiendish Codex II :

The same goes for buying slaves...there's a reason why devils go out of their way to corrupt mortals and offer services, why bother making contract if they could just buy people?! that aside my biggest gripe with Hope is she's not representing hope as a concept , she's very brave and strong-willed but kinda pessimistic. literally the first thing she say to you is"you came. such a shame. curiosity killed all the cats it won't be so kind to you"like??!Isn't that the opposite of inspiring hope? i was re watching her cutscenes and majority of her dialogues are quite cynical...i feel like whoever wrote her and HOH quest straight up confused hope with persistence, strong will and determination! IMO Isobel is a MUCH better character to represent the concept! for anyone who says "Why can't Wyll and Karlach stay in the House of Hope"they cant! Hell is very lawful hierarchical place. You can't just stay there, other more powerful devil will absolutely attack and take over HOH right away after Raphael's death. Another thing that really bothered me about Hope's situation is that it doesn't really line up with what Raphael was saying earlier... To make it easier to explain what I mean, i tried to analyze pre-rewrite stuff separately first: *Disclaimer:I'm not talking about current canon of the game This is mostly just my thoughts and speculations as to what his character and story might have been before the rewrite, i know I'm most likely totally wrong* Destroying people's hope was not exactly Raphael's goal, He even gets upset if you agree to take his deal in the first encounter"Oh. That's disappointing.I prefer it when my clients put up a fight…" and"i really am at my magnanimous best when people make an effort" That's why IMO it just doesn't make any sense for him to torture and imprison a person who didn't take his deal right away, Since he explicitly wanted his clients to have hope and go explore all the options they have, because for some reason he was sure they can't find anything and going to fail every single attempt"only to realize victory was never an option" then they themselves come to him and ask/beg him for help and he gets to be their"savior" The thing I find interesting about pre rewrite Raphael that is completely gone in act 3 is his savior complex and how he tried to portray himself as someone who helps people in need. "House of Hope" is a VERY common name for nonprofit organizations that provide treatment, shelter, financial assistance and...(if you google it and pass through bg3 stuff you can find many of them)I don't think the name's a coincidence because of this line"This is the House of Hope, Where the tired come to rest, and the famished come to feed lavishly"he was supposed to be an option to heal your party from the parasite. He also talking about having"boundless compassion" and "infinite mercy" and his the gathering card is called "Fiendish Savior"These are not things I associate with the devils or the hells. He is named after an archangel. Raphael is known in various religions as an angel who does acts of healing. The name Raphael means "It is God who heals", "God Heals", "God, Please Heal" in Christianity "he is the patron saint of travelers, young people, happy meetings, nurses, physicians, sick people and medical workers. He can cure blindness, eye afflictions, nightmares and..." in Islam "he is a beautiful angel who is a master of music, he sings praises to God in a thousand different languages, the breath of which is used to inject life into hosts of angels who add to the songs themselves."

In the final release the name Raphael seems very random for a cambion but if we look at his cut content it makes a lot of sense,He was supposed to be the party's patron who would cure their "eye afflictions" This could be remnants of Mol's original quest, but notice how even her blind eye healed after she took on Raphael's deal. He could also fix Gale's orb and Karlach's "condition", Maybe that's why he was named after the archangel of healing. another thing I've noticed is in his boss fight when you try to hit him with radiant damage he says this:

I don't think a cambion should be able to that, because "Radiant damage doesn't do anything special to demons/devils but they aren't particularly resistant to it either" No creature is immune but aasimar and celestial do have resistance to radiant damage. and there's also angel/devil aesthetic in the HOH decor...

Both of these are definitely Raphael, The devil one is sticking his tongue out, There's a lot of tongue imagery in Raphael's clothing concept art as well. The angel one(?)has some kind of plants around his head same as that one Ascended Fiend design on the HOH floor(The actual design has antlers instead of those)

Speaking of Ascended Fiend, I find it really hard to believe that they made a uniquely detailed model just for a phase of his boss fight that could be missed. There is no cutscene or explanation why he has a third form(i know about that cut"Mephistopheles, hear your son!..."line but I don't think it's canon anymore, and it's definitely not the original reason why this form exists, The design is already on the HOH floor and on his clothing concept art so it was supposed to be something that he already had) It doesn't look like a devil to me...It is designed in a way to draw all your attention to its head...it has 3 animal skulls smashed together(?)and Stag Antlers. Correct me if i'm wrong but i don't think that skull is for a real animal right?! And those stag/deer antlers are the most in you face part of this design, They are also seen in one of Raphael's concept art design and even in Korrilla's outfit on her chest.

This made me wonder what exactly that Ascended Fiend design was even supposed to be(I saw some say it's a pit fiend But it does not look like a pit fiend at all, pit fiend are heavy, have big muscles and gargoylish appearance)And what's with the antlers? Okay, here's my delulu theory: I think the Ascended Fiend's design and Raphael as a character were both inspired by a Wendigo.

"Wendigos are described as having long limbs, long, sharp claws, and teeth, and their eyes are said to be sunken in and glowing red. They are also said to have a long tongue that they use to lick their victim's flesh and can shapeshift into other animal and human forms." "The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tightly over its bones. With its bones pushing out against its skin, and its eyes pushed back deep into their sockets, the wendigo looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave.What lips it had were tattered and bloody … Unclean and suffering from suppuration of the flesh, the Wendigo gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption" "The wendigo craves human flesh and is constantly starving for it. The wendigo is known to have its preferences: the sweet fat of children, the soft skin of women, the course muscles of men (especially warriors and hunters) Wendigos are embodiment of gluttony, greed, and excess; never satisfied after killing and consuming one person, they are constantly searching for new victims."They also stalk their preys for a long time and prefer to terrify them before moving in for the kill. the description kinda fits the design right? Notice how Raphael's eyes are sunken into their sockets in his human form. this also explains why there is so many tongue symbolism in his house and concept art...and looking back at Raphael's dialogues again, there's a lot of Food-related proverbs/idioms/phrases (they definitely toned it down in Act 3), some even could possibly indicate that he might have been based on a wendigo"through a nice juicy brain""My last contract here fed me for decades" He also called greed his"favorite virtue" and Shadowheart said this about him"there were no right answer with that devil. He was toying with his food-us""A devil sought us out, Teased us with his help…But he also stared as if we were the banquet, Rather the one on the table."(this is a cut line from ea)

There's this line in act2"I have this picture in my head of you tossing and turning in the middle of the night, thinking strange things, dreaming strange dreams..." In Cree mythology, wendigo can possesses people through their dreams and cause its victims a feeling of insatiable hunger, the desire to eat other humans, and the propensity to commit murder. And these were "urges" from early access:

Nausea twists your stomach, But it's hunger not revulsion, Something inside you clammers for blood, For death and only the the tear of flesh will do.

Amid this flurry of questions you feel something else deep inside you, A hunger, A lust for blood.

Durge is the last addition to the origin characters so ea urges should have been for something else so...idk. i looked up to see if wendigos are a thing in 5e but I could not find a solid answer...(put pin on this, I'll have more to say about Raphael and dreams) Another big thing I feel was really missing and should have been explained in act 3 is Why was Raphael so sure that his clients wouldn’t find anything and always come back to him to matter what...first two act was setting up Raphael as someone who likes to play games that he is sure his clients cant win but there was no such game in act3. I believe the current narrative wants me to think it's all an act or it's just him being overconfident but that doesn't make much sense, He acts as if he has never failed before and has the upper hand and lots of advantages in these situations, He shows his true form right away and never hides the fact that he's evil and even denies you If you accept his offer in the first encounter. To me this is someone who is looking for a challenge. You can see this in the way he dealt with Mol and Yurgir(their act2 voice lines were dataminded in patch 8 of EA, So their deals with Raphael were written before that late rewrite...) In act2 Raphael trapped Yurgir in the Gauntlet of Shar by offering help to Lyrthindor...so Raphael did put Yurgir in a situation where he had no other choice but to accept his deal. I'm having a bit of a issue with this quest... i know they tied Astarion to this quest after the rewrite(this is why there is no deal when Astarion is not in your party) and It was supposed to be an option to free Yurgir(because of that unused line i mentioned earlier, I wonder if we were going to see free Yurgir again in Avernus cut content...)So they have changed this quest at least a little. I feel like Yurgir's soul was not Raphael's number 1 priority, He made a deal with Yurgir. There was always a loophole in that deal, He could have sent someone else to kill Yurgir all this time but he didn't. it seems to me that he's just messing with him? And there's this line "My last contract here fed me for decades"as if he keeps getting profit out of that contract?!i don't think he's getting those dark justiciars souls?So what or who was he feeding on all this time? This should have been the quest that basically established what type of person Raphael is and how he makes deal, But the difference between this deal and what he offered the player is so big that it doesn't seem like they were made by the same person. In Yurgir's case the contract was a song, there was a loophole in it, and Raphael didn't play fair, The "perfumed trickster" in act 3 suddenly is an honest and fair devil who doesn't backstab his clients?

Yurgir himself was soften up a little too much in act3, I liked that he was this evil, ruthless devil who could easily kill you and enjoy it, But had a sense of honor. he was reduced to "uwu little rabbit" in act 3 As if we did not see his bed and this is not the same person who said "I made him watch as i ate his concubines and young, Then i fashioned a codpiece from his skull.""Owe you? Every breath you take from this moment now on is my reward to you. Few walk away from me intact."idk it's just a bit inconsistent for me... And there's Mol! She was presented with a deal from Raphael and then suddenly She got kidnapped after right after that...I don't think it was ever confirmed that Raphael was involved in her kidnapping but "It's only a matter of time before the apple is plucked."and"she still has the unconditional freedom to choose the only option she has left"kinda makes me think he may have known this was going to happen?!He had no way of knowing this was going to happen and I don't think it's even possible for him to be responsible for her kidnapping, But he spoke as if he knew... And then in act 3 you can just find Mol and give her back her contract and that's it... which was pretty anticlimactic. It just feels unfinished and rushed, Probably because they cut off Raphael's content and Mol's original story was connected to that said content?! Maybe I'm just being nitpicky but i feel like Mol should have known Raphael's a devil?! He offered her a deal and smelled like sulfur?Like what kind of deal did he offer her that didn't require revealing his identity? (*take with a grain of salt* It wasn't just Mol, If what i heard from that version that they play tested is true, There were supposed to be more children npcs in HOH and i have a feeling the devil with the silver tongue in Wyll's story who took the farmer's daughter away is also Raphael. This could be a cut storyline?maybe?) There are also these lines that do not make much sense to me"You're the best thing for business since the Second Sundering. Countless sorry souls came running to my door after your work in the grove." "To repay you for the souls sent my way, I offer a taste of the truth."Which souls is he talking about here?Why would "Countless sorry souls"go to Raphael specifically after the grove incident?

after rewrite Those were all the pre-rewrite stuff... Kith'rak Voss scene with Raphael must be new, He was a very different character and was involved on that big "The Creche vs The Cult of the Absolute" fight in Rosymorn Monastery that got cut. Raphael originally wanted the artefact not the the The Crown of Karsus so him want to be ruler of nine hell is probably new?! which is ridiculous If you know anything about hell hierarchy and power scaling(the reason is to enforce law and order(?) as if hell isn't already like that and Asmodeus isn't a primal embodiment of lawful evil) Maybe that's just me but Raphael's writing in general feels very different in act 3, My guess is that they gave him to another writer after rewrite, he seems to have been written by a more skilled and talented writer before that...like if you compare the first meeting with him to his monologue before fighting him, the difference in quality is very much noticeable. Raphael himself went from being very smart, snarky and manipulative to straightforward, blunt and comically unselfaware. I guess the current narrative wants me to just ignore all the earlier stuff?! And i have other nitpicky issues, "Down comes the claw" is supposed to be a reference to Raphael's lullaby in Act 1 but that doesn't make sense,This was what happened between the cat and the mouse, and Raphael was supposed to be the fox watching them. if they player was the mouse, who is this cat that they were brightly smiling at? And why "claws coming down" was a form of "love"? My guess is that the original meaning of that rhyme is something that has been cut. In my opinion, the House Of Hope quest itself was pretty underwhelming with lot of questionable writing decisions and basically was a weaker and less interesting version of hag's lair in act 1. I feel like the writer was much more interested in shocking people or getting a reaction than writing a good story. The last thing that bothers me in act 3, Raphael suddenly out of nowhere became really obsessed with law and order...I mean that's what he says but he never really does anything to show that he cares about those things? His house is a chaotic mess and Neither Hope nor those "Eternal Debtors" should be there. Devils can take someone and torture them without owing their soul ONLY IF those people to come to hell themselves(which wasn't the case with Hope) and I couldn't find anything about those "Debtors" in dnd lore. What is even the purpose of their existence beside shock value? Those who sell their souls to a devil become divine energy for the hells, Lemures or soul coins after they die, All of which are relatively worse outcomes and i think he should have served an archdevil in Avernus(but he doesn't)...All that talk about hell's laws but he lowkey not following any of them... IDK maybe he wasn't originally meant to be lawful evil? In act2 he said this about Mol "She cheated, of course, but that's half her charm"i don't understand how can you find cheating charming if you love law and order so much? and he also said this"After all, if there is one rule I hold dear, it's that one must always give the devil his due." Doesn't this contradict what he's saying in act3? He basically said he doesn't care about any rule beside "giving the devil his due" here... And there's Raphael's magic the gathering card "Fiendish Savior"

MTG cards have 5 colors, each of them has their own meaning and mechanic(you can read about them x,x) Raphael's card is half black half red. Black is color of lack of ethical restraint, Power at any cost , self-interest and ... which still kinda fits his character. Red is "impulsive and emotional. The color of passion, frivolity, and chaos"."Red values freedom above all else. It wants to do what it wants when it wants, and to whom it wants, and nobody can tell it otherwise.""Red believes that life is an adventure and that it would be much more fun if everyone stopped caring about rules, laws, and personal appearances and just spent their time indulging their desires through experience." I think this was made before that late rewrite, because it doesn't really fit him any more.(Wyll card is also red and that's definitely for his EA version) Red doesn't always mean chaotic alignment but character with half red half black card are very often chaotic evil. Unlike devils, Cambions can be other alignments beside lawful evil so maybe they were doing something different?!or maybe he wasn't even a cambion?

(Just a warning, I'm about to over analyze a lot of details in bg3 artbook, early access and prequel comic to guess what they might have planned for Raphael before the rewrite, if that's something you don't really care about you should stop reading...A lot of this is just my theories and speculation about the og storyline) Raphael's design I think just like Wyll and Gale, they didn't give Raphael his actual design and he stuck with his ea placeholder model. His final design is really bland and it looks nothing like his concept art. (i can't post more photo because tumblr's limit but you can see them here) I prefer all of them to what's in the final game right now, all of these designs are very bold, detailed and fancy, which I think fits Raphael's over the top personality better. They all have a black and red color scheme with lots of gold jewelry. There's a lot of nature symbolism(vines,roses, thorns and...), Eyes, Tongues and dragons in there as well. I also really like how Raphael's devil form has unique features and isn't just basic tiefling with wings like the release version. I don't know what this is but apparently it was important enough that has its own section on his page...

Another thing I noticed, Gortash's final outfit is very similar to some of Raphael concept art. Specially that early sketchy design (even that dragon tattoo was originally meant for Raphael) similar symbolism: Eyes, Tongues, skulls and dragons, None of these can be found in other Gortash concepts So idk maybe this is just an unused earlier design for Raphael? (Is it just me or the dragon on Gortash's collar looks a lot like Tiamat? it's literally a dragon with several heads. I don't see how she could be related to either to Gortash or Raphael so i didn't look more into it)

Another thing all of these designs have in common is that they are clearly inspired by Jareth the Goblin King and different customs he wore in 1986 Labyrinth. It reminded me of this tweet from back in ea where one of the dev even compared Raphael to Jareth.

that kinda explains why there were children npcs in HOH in that beta version of the game... I was thinking about this comparison then something suddenly clicked for me, Jareth was a manifestation of Sarah's desires(at the beginning movie in her room you can see a picture of David Bowie with her mother). He was offering Sarah her dreams and was trying to get her to submit to a fantasy...And that's EXACTLY what the original dream visitor from early access was...Which is interesting because when i was reading about Wendigo, That also reminded me a lot of EA dreams and urges(They can shapeshift into different human forms and posses people through their dreams and...) I knew Raphael's original role was to be a solution to our tadpole problem in exchange of our soul and be a Merchant. So I thought he would be an ally against the Absolute, but probably had his own evil agenda and dealing with him had its own consequences(kinda like an evil equivalent of Malady from DOS2)...It never actually occurred to me that the reason he wanted Orpheus and our souls was because he was with the cult...This sent me down a rabbit hole. If you haven't played early access you can watch all the dream sequences here. just by these alone it's obvious that the dream person isn't the tadpole specially in the last dream Where their mask fell off... And I think the Absolute and the Dream Visitor were supposed to be the same person...There was this conversation with Lae'zel:

Tav: Those dreams linger in my memory. Do you think that strange figure will come back? Lae'zel: It is a certainty. I had assumed our parasites served a ghaik Elder. But i believe they serve a greater master still. Tav: The Absolute is this 'master'. I'm sure of it. Lae'zel: Perhaps. 'Absolute' may be a mere pseudonym behind which this master hides. Whatever this voice, Whoever this master, It dominates dreams and unites minds.

Minthara also had this line in EA"The Absolute has spoken to you already, in whispers and dreams, but at Moonrise you will be in her presence." and Absolute's pronounce changed depend on the person you're talking to. EA dream visitor was referred to by two names in the game files: Daisy and Desire. This was datamined about multiplayer(x)

Daisy: can have up to four "Daisy" character in game , one for each avatar, The "default" Daisy is the host. Desire : only one "Desire" in the game.based on the Daisy made by the host.

Some NPCs in game files also were referred to as desire, So they were probably Daisy in disguise. for example one of them was Counsellor Florrick.

I recently watch this(x)Remember i mentioned those 4 unused Raphael models that were in the same room with origin character's dream visitors. Now i know what they are, They aren't for cut content 4 naked models are customizable dream visitors for each 4 avatars and there are 4 Raphael for each of them because Now there are 4 extra Emperor with those customizable Dream guardians in there instead ...(They aren't in the separate room like EA and Origin don't have their own Daisy now so they aren't there)

Looking back at EA footage now, I think the original visit to HOH probably was a dream sequence...unlike the release version Raphael would only come to camp at night after a long rest and when the scene ended the whole party was knocked down (Basically you would wake up from it)

I think that's why he said a "lullaby" would suit the occasion? And if you talked to Shadowheart after the first dream, There was an actual option to tell her that our dream visitor could be "that devil, Raphael"

I didn't even remember this because i usually didn't use the tadpole powers(They were to have severe consequences) and i think you only get this if you met Raphael before you get the first dream...Does anyone know what Shadowheart would say if you pick this option?

There's also this Raphael's cut line:

I have a thousand mistresses, Karlach. Fear and pleasure blend quite well.

(I think it could be a reference to “Just fear me, love me, do as I say…”?! ) "thousand mistresses" is something that is not really physically possible BUT if was the dream visitor, this explains who these people could be. I think every person that was tadpoled had their own Daisy.

The Cult of the Absolute itself has changed quite a bit after rewrite, There was this theme of "Power at a Cost"that is gone. The Absolute was going to offer you "powers" but indulging in those corrupting powers would send you down a dark path and had long-term consequences. "Cultist of the Absolute"MTG card had this in the description "you embrace power at any cost, and if it consumes you, so be it." Now the Emperor is the one who insists that you should use this powers, but consuming tadpoles has no real impact, it just a for a powerup system.

I was re-reading bg3 prequel comic Mindbreaker, I noticed something really interesting. At the end of the first chapter a group of true souls teleported to a library to perform a ritual. Then suddenly they started speaking Infernal while they were standing on something that looks a lot like the marks on Astarion's back...

And then a tadpoled priest of Kelemvor "father Alby" killed the true soul lady that was standing in the middle, using a dagger that looked like Rhapsody(it wasn't a 1 to 1 copy but the design were pretty similar) and after that a portal opened and he was like"now it is revealed to us, my fellow true souls…the glory of the Absolute has no limits!" Okay so who's this ritual is for? (It's definitely not for neither The Dead Three, their chosen nor The Netherbrain), And why is this "ritual" look so similar to devil worshiping?! At the start of chapter 2 the comic described whatever happened there as this:

Divine magic is power imparted by a god upon one of their worshipers, a reward for prayer and good service in the deity's name. But there are other paths to power as well…Dark pacts with strange beings whose magic and influence rival the glory of the divine, even if they are not called gods by those who define such things. woe to any who fall under their sway or drink deep from their corruption.

It implies the Absolute is not a real God, and the description doesn't really fit the Netherbrain neither. The use of those "powers" that the Absolute offered were described as "Dark pacts"

After all that, I looked into whether or not devils even could have dream powers and turns out yeah a certain type of fiend do! There's 3 type of incubus/succubus, EA dream visitor was really similar to the fiendish type who are neither devil nor demon : "Fiendish succubi commonly used their ethereal form to slip through walls to reach a mortal's bedside, and linger there as they slept. Here, they filled their victim's dreams with debauched scenes and whispered of forbidden pleasures, tempting them to indulge in dark desires, appetites, and taboos. The more the succubus did this in their dreams, the more vulnerable their victim became to temptation in the waking world. Eventually, the succubus entered the mortal realm directly, in a pleasing form previously seen only in the dreams, and befriended or seduced their victim, so they could influence them directly and indulge all their desires so they would perform evil deeds of their own free will. When the victim was utterly corrupted, such as by committing three betrayals of thought, word, and deed, their soul was in the grip of the succubus, without need of contract or pledge. For a more virtuous victim, this corruption might take longer, but their downfall was all the more rewarding for the succubus. Finally, the succubus slew their victim with a kiss, and the corrupted soul went down to the Lower Planes as their prize." "Fiendish succubi could become ethereal by slipping into the Ethereal Plane. They could also magically charm a humanoid, in sight up to 30 feet (9.1 meters) away, and make them obey any command they gave them. The victim might resist, especially if made to perform a harmful or suicidal action." It's all very similar to EA dream visitor and that also explains why EA dreams were so seductive but the only thing that doesn't line up is succubus could only have one charmed victim at a time...so i'm not really sure.

Looking back on it now, I think the character who replaced Daisy wasn't the Emperor, It was The Dark Urge(or more precisely Bhaal) What we were resisting in EA dreams was the dream visitor themself, not the urge to kill them. This would happen if you failed that charisma check(I find it weird that some people still insist that original Tav was Durge/a Bhaalspawn even when the writer straight up confirmed that's not true.) My theory is those "urges" were the consequences of using the tadpole powers and not resisting the dream visitor. The character that the emperor replaced was actually Orpheus(Emperor existed even before the rewrite. I'm not sure what his original role was, But his name was datamined back in ea) Orpheus was the person in the artefact that help the party and prevented them from becoming mind flayers, Based on this datamined conversation with Halsin (x)

Halsin: You're aware of the monster inside you. You don't bow to the Absolute, like the true souls do. How is this possible…? Tav: A being called Orpheus is protecting me; Shielding me from the worst of parasite's magic. Halsin: That sounds…novel. But alright, Who is this Orpheus? I'd like to bend the ear of anyone who knows about these things. Tav: I don't know the truth bout him. I'm not sure he even has an ear to bend. Halsin: Hmm. There's so much stock you can place in mysterious friends with unknown agendas...

These were also datamined about Orpheus (x)

in the game files " the cube contains the long imprisoned spirit of a gith general, who wants to fall into our party's hand in effort to eventually break free."

He's forcing Shadowheart to either join the party or get killed by the party - either way the cube will be where it wants to be.

A mysterious character who is trying to survive and break free, who prevents the party from turning into illithid and Shielding them from the Absolute's influence...That's just the Emperor now. Raphael originally wanted the artifact, so there should have been some sort of connection between him and Orpheus. Orpheus from Greek mythology was a poet and musician who descended into the underworld/hells to bring her wife back, So maybe there was something going on that got cut? .............. Small rant about Mephistopheles I feel like they just slapped him in the game last minute... The fact that Mephistopheles had the Crown of Karsus but did not use it does not make any sense. Mephistopheles is a wizard, ruler of Cania and second most powerful devil next to Asmodeus. he was desperately looking for divinity so he could beat Asmodeus and take his place.(Especially considering what happened between him and his cambion son Magadon just for a portion of the god Mask's divinity. he managed to get only a fraction of that )He could have use the crown, Steal Asmodeus' divinity and easily defeat him. "frigid archivist who made a miracle into a museum piece" is not really who Mephistopheles is ,he's very power hungry and his "most damaging issues" are his "rampantly unchecked megalomania and recklessness in the pursuit of power" The chosen stealing the crown from him is weird on itself(IMO None of them were smart or strong enough to pull that off)And then Mephistopheles did not go after them and let them carry out their plan?why?! I even think Raphael being the son of Mephistopheles was something they added later for several reason: Everything that connects Raphael to him was added after the rewrite(Him wanting The Crown of Karsus, Astarion asking about his scars and Haarlep). This makes him way too similar to EA Mizora, She was supposed to have a powerful devil father. Raphael's concept art looks a lot like Yurgir and other devil concepts from Avernus cut content and shouldn't he be blue?!Because I read somewhere that Mephistopheles's red skin is the result of the experiments he did on himself and he was blue before all that?!

Mephistopheles's deal with Cazador and him wanting 7007 random souls is also kinda ooc for him. He is the one archdevil who prefers quality over quantity("He has the advantage of having the lowest quotas of the archdevils but with the limitation of the highest standards")that's why he's in debt to some of the other archdevils like Dispater and Levistus. He also only makes deal with skilled wizards and cunning sages(Cazador doesn't really fit the bill) My theory is Astarion's back scars originally might had something to do with Raphael himself. Cazador's lair in bg3 art book looks different, Notice how the set up for the ascension ritual isn't there(Instead there is a pool of blood?)

if you look at Astarion page on BG3 artbook, it is mentioned that whatever is carved on his back is part of a poem.

Mephistopheles doesn't make contract in poem form. When the set of the MTG cards that included bg3 characters was released, They published this video explaining each card, Brandy camel (community manager at d&d i think)said this about about Raphael:

Later in the same video she said this when discussing Astarion's card:

He's an individual who's kind of been operating in that place between being rising to nobility but hasn't quite made it there yet, So he's kind of under the thumb of Raphael and he's not super happy about it.

So originally i thought this could be a mistake but if Raphael was EA dream visitor, I can see how he could be involved with Astarion. Here's a little summary of Astarion's og storyline(source of datamined stuff here) So there was this chosen of the Absolute "the Butcher",He and Cazador had a rivalry over who get to control the Baldur's Gate graveyard.(You could have sided with either of them) Cazador sent some of his spawns to investigate the cult, We were supposed to meet them in act2. Astarion wanted to ally with a monster hunter named "Spencer" against them, But if we talked to spawns we would learn that "the Butcher" send his apprentice "Ohler" to the graveyard(he was putting tadpole inside the skeleton's head and that made them hostile toward the vampires ) then an ancient and powerful vampire called"the Alluring" killed him. They also mentioned how they were happy with their situation and that Cazador is an okay boss"It is good. You don't age and everyone is afraid of you. Cazador is a bit strict but he makes sure we are fed" So about how Raphael might have been involved, "the Alluring" was called "Desire/Alluring" in the game files so he(?) was EA dream visitor in disguise... That explains why Astarion was the only one who had nightmare about Cazador instead of tempting dreams like the rest of the party. also in ea if you speak on dead on gur and asked him who sent him he would say this :

Astarion : Who sent you… Was it Cazador? Gandrel: No… Maiden Fel… Astarion : Who is Maiden Fel? Gandrel: Reason… Even monsters… Have nightmares…

If hypothetically Raphael was Daisy, this "Maiden Fel"was also probably him too? ................ so here's another delulu theory: (I know it's not very likely, I wasn't even sure to include it) Raphael's name still bothered me, I couldn't help but think there must be a reason why they name a devil after an archangel. So I checked to see if I could find some sort of connection between Raphael and any of d&d deities(since angels associated with gods) i have two guesses. the first one is Beshaba. Beshaba is "chaotic evil deity of accidents, bad luck, misfortune, and random mischief" and her holy symbol is the horns of a stag. She is the twin sister and sworn enemy of Tymora, the goddess of good luck(they are kinda like Shar and Selune) Raphael has this line in act1"They do know how to write them in Cormyr, don't they?" "Tymora was the most famous deity around the country of Cormyr, after she protected their capital, Suzail, during the Time of Troubles. Her efforts prompted a resurgence of her faith throughout the nation." and there's this one fallen temple of Tymora in the city of Tantras literally called the unlucky"House Of Hope"(x) Raphael has these dialogues "One might say you're a paragon of luck. I'll be there when it runs out" "You're out of luck." which didn't happen This is less likely guess because dnd evil deities don't really have angels... my second guess is Lathander. He's the deity with most similarities to Archangel Raphael "Lathander was a deity of creativity, dawn, renewal, birth, athletics, spring, self-perfection, vitality, and youth. He favoured those who dispelled the undead and blessed those who planted new life. Lathander was also the god called upon to bless birth and fertility related ceremonies.""A common symbol associated with Raphael is the color green. This color is often used to represent healing and renewal, which are two of Raphael's primary areas of expertise. The use of green in depictions of Raphael can also be seen as a nod to the natural world, which is often associated with healing and growth.Finally, Raphael is sometimes depicted holding a fish, which is a symbol of abundance and fertility. This symbol is particularly relevant to Raphael's role as a healer, as it represents the idea of restoring balance and vitality to the body." And both Archangel Raphael and Lathander are commonly associated with the Sun. Lathander is also a god of "hope and beginnings", He and his followers"Strive to bring hope to others" that one statue in the House of Hope with a sun behind his head and plants around his neck looks pretty similar to Lathander's statues in the game...

There's more to this if Raphael was the Original dream visitor. Daisy also spoke of "change", "growth" and a "beautiful and glorious renewal" If you look at the art of "Cultist of the Absolute" MTG card, You can see a window on the background that looks a lot like Symbol of Lathander. In the prequel comic there was this panel where one of the protagonist asked the tadpoled true soul"father Alby"what happened to him and why is he doing all of this, he replied"A simple answer to both questions, I have been Awakened" Novices in the Lathanderian faith are also called the Awakened. In original storyline that supposed to happen in Rosymorn Monastery(x) Kith'rak Voss got some kinda information from there that he wanted to tell Vlaakith about! He had this cut dialogue "I will make for the plane-gate. Vlaakith must hear of this!".The Absolutists REALLY didn't want this information to reach Vlaakith. Even Daisy was going to make an appearance because of it, this was datamined:

We need a system for showing daisy and making them talk to the player in the world// Daisy insists that the player shouldn't let Kith'rak Voss escape.

Why is this information obtained from a temple of Lathander be so important to the cult of the Absolute? Avernus was supposed to be playable and Zariel was also an angel under the command of Lathander before her fall. so maybe there was something going on between Raphael and Lathander ?! like i said I know it's not very likely... ............. So that's all i had to say, I tried to look into it more specially stuff that was datamined from patch5 and 8 of Early access(there was A LOT)but i couldn't find much, Most of the stuff from those patches were deleted or unlisted on YouTube... Just remember I’m literally just sharing my opinion, it is not a personal attack on you or your taste :P ok bye.

[remember-that-one-blog]

As We Go Along (Part 1)

You were offered up as a payment to a mob boss by your father and step-mother. He agreed. Now you're the fiance of the most feared man in New York.

I do not own these characters!

Warnings: Abuse not openly mentioned but is talked about.

This first part is more of a background and getting to know each other chapter. More to come!

You were a burden. At least that’s the way they made you feel. You were from your father’s first marriage. Your mother had died when you were young and your step-mother never had anything for you. She never loved you, but she loved your sister. The daughter she had with your father. You knew this but you never thought she would talk your father into doing this to you. Marrying you off to some mob boss so he could get himself out of debt that he got himself in. She came up with it and he took it to the boss’ right hand man. Two days letter you’re engaged. You didn’t care either way. You hadn’t met the man yet, but you had heard rumors. He  was cold-hearted and cruel. Nothing you weren’t used to. 

Your father told you that you were to meet him tomorrow at his home. 

“You will meet him tomorrow at noon. Here is the address. It should be easy enough to find.” 

“Yes, sir.” Your father nodded without another word. That let you know that you were on your own now. Not that you haven’t been since your mom died. You packed up what little you had. Everything you owned fit into one duffle bag. As you laid in your bed for the last time you looked back on your time here with your family. You decided nowhere could be worse than here. With that thought in mind you slipped into a dreamless sleep.

~

You stood outside your childhood home giving it one last glance. It was bittersweet leaving this place. This is where you had all the memories of your mother, but this place had also been your living hell. You turned away with all the good memories of your mother in the forefront of your mind. A small part of you felt she was leaving with you as well. 

You made your way to the bus stop. You looked at the address and read the bus schedule so you knew which bus you would need to take. It was hard, you had been getting around like this for years. You found when the bus you needed would be here you had hoped you left early enough just in case of any delays the buses may have. 

~

You timed it just right. You made it to the address with ten minutes to spare. Although, all you saw was a giant gate but no house. A loud beep caught made you jump. That’s when you saw the intercom.

“State your business.”

“I’m Alexander Pierce’s daughter. I’m supposed to meet Mr. Barnes.” You heard the gate buzz open. A tall, blonde man in a black suit appeared before you in a black SUV. He stepped out to greet you.

“Ms. Pierce, Mr. Barnes has been expecting you. My name is Steve. I can help you with your bags.��� He looked around you confused. You felt your face go bright red.

“This is all I have.” You grabbed your duffle bag by the handle. You saw something flash in his eyes but you weren’t sure what. He nodded and held the front door open for you. 

“Here, I’ll put it in the back for you.” Steve took your duffle and sat it in the back seat. 

“Thank you.” He gave you his hand to help you as you climbed into the front seat. This was new for you. You had never been treated this well. Maybe they were expecting someone else. You couldn’t help as these thoughts ran through your mind. Steve could tell you didn’t want to talk so he left the two of you in a comfortable silence. 

It was a short drive to the house you were going to. It was more of a mansion. You felt your mouth drop at the sight. You heard Steve chuckle a bit. Your face went red again.

“It’s a lot to take in, I know. You’ll be fine. He’s not so bad once you get to know him.”

“You know him pretty well then?”

“I do. Been friends since we were kids. I know him better than he knows himself most of the time.” You nodded as you took in this information. That gave you a little bit of hope, not that you really ever clinged to it. Steve stopped the vehicle as you reached the front door. He got out, grabbed your bag, and proceeded to help you down onto the ground. “Take a deep breath and follow me. You’ll be fine.”

You nodded as you followed Steve up the stairs. The front door itself was huge. You don’t think you’ve ever seen a place this big. Not that someone lived in any way. As you stepped inside you tried to take it all in. It was beautiful. Everything seemed to be decorated in light gray, white, and gold accents. While it was beautiful it didn’t have that homey feel that most homes do. Given what he does, that's not too surprising. There were tall windows everywhere. It made everything look even bigger. It was very modern. You were still reeling as you followed Steve further into the house. As you reached your destination you heard yelling that made you jump. Steve steadied you with a hand to your shoulder. 

“It’s okay. Give me a minute while I go talk to him.” You just nodded. Steve sat your bag down beside you and knocked three times on the door.

“Come in!” Steve cracked the door and stuck his head in,

“Buck, it’s Pierce’s daughter.”

“Send her in.” Steve stepped back out to usher you inside the room. Once you entered your eyes went straight to the man behind the desk. He was handsome. Dark hair and bright blue eyes. He was almost as tall as Steve and just as built as he was. He was in a dark gray three piece suit.

“Ms. Pierce, I’ve been expecting you. How did your driver find the place?” You felt yourself deflate. So he had been expecting your sister. You wanted to ask but couldn’t bring yourself to, afraid of the answer. 

“Uh, I didn’t - I mean, I brought myself. I don’t have a driver.” Bucky stopped what he was doing. You were looking down at the floor. He said your name just loud enough. Surprised you glanced up at him.

“You mean to tell me, your father sent you here alone?”

“Yes, sir. He did.” Bucky felt his skin crawl. At first glance he thought you were beautiful. Nothing would change that. As he looked closer though he could tell you weren’t taken care of. He could tell you had been given the bare minimum to survive. That was something that would not bode well with him.

“Why would he send you here alone?” You knew the true answer, but you were sure Bucky didn’t want to hear that.

“He had other business to attend to and I was capable of making it here myself.” Bucky didn’t like that answer.

“That’s not an acceptable reason.” That surprised you. “And doll, you can call me Bucky, everyone else does. ‘Sir’ is what everyone called my father.” His nickname for you caught you by surprise. You weren’t sure how to feel about it, but you didn’t hate it

“Of course, sir- I mean, Bucky.” Bucky straightened his tie and made his way to you.

“I have a meeting in a couple of minutes, I don’t have time to show you around or I would. Steve can show you around. I just have two rules.” You nodded to show you were listening. “Never go anywhere alone and never knock on or open this door if it’s closed. The only exception is if it is an emergency. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Steve, if you’ll show her around. I’ll meet you for dinner around seven, doll. I’ll take you out and we’ll get to know each other.” Before you could answer his phone rang. You followed Steve back out of the office and watched him pull the door closed. Steve must have sensed your hesitation.

“Just put on the best clothes you have, sweetheart.” You just nodded. You really didn’t have anything to go out in. You would see what you had though. You followed Steve around as he showed you where everything was. What you couldn’t wait to use was the kitchen. You loved to cook and bake. You didn’t get the chance to do it much at home, but maybe you could here. Finally, Steve showed you to your room. It was three times bigger than your old room was. You had what seemed to be a king sized bed, a little balcony that overlooked the backyard, an en suite bathroom and a closet that you could fit your entire old room in.

“Bucky thought you would want some space. He knows this wasn’t up to you.”

“I’ll have to tell him thank you.” Steve sat your duffle bag beside the bed. 

“I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be just down the hall if you need me.”

“Thank you, Steve.” He closed your door as he left. You looked around and laid down on the bed. It was so soft and cozy! You couldn’t believe it. You pinched yourself to make sure you weren’t dreaming. Maybe, just maybe, this would be okay. 

~

Steve listened for you but you seemed to be unpacking. He could hear you moving around. Once he was sure you were okay, he went to talk to Bucky. Steve saw the door cracked and eased his way inside. Bucky was on the phone but he wasn’t as heated as earlier. He saw Steve made his way to him and ended the call. Steve made his way over to a seat in front of Bucky’s desk.

“So, anything?”

“She’s not anything like her father. She seems to be the exact opposite. She’s quiet, reserved. She doesn’t own a lot, Buck. She came here with one duffle bag. One.” That made Bucky’s skin prickle. He knew Pierce was a harsh man but didn’t think he would be harsh with his daughter.

“So you don’t think this is a set up?”

“If it is, she doesn’t know about it. From what I can tell she wouldn’t do something like that. She’s too soft spoken to do or go along with something like that.”

“I picked up on that, too. I don’t think she was treated well there.” Steve shook his head. 

“I don’t think she was either. She seems to be genuine. Which is a surprise considering who her father is.” Bucky nodded. This was unusual, even for him. He normally wouldn’t agree to something like this, but he was looking to settle down as well. The last few women he dated only wanted him for money. He was hoping this might change that.

“Where did you plan on taking her tonight?”

“I’m not sure yet. Why?”

“I don’t think she has anything to wear to a nice restaurant. She seemed a bit panicked when you brought it up.”

“We’ll eat in tonight then. Would you care to go get it?”

“Not at all. You could go talk to her if you want. She’s good, Buck. You could use some good.” Bucky nodded. That was true he could. Steve got up to go get dinner while Bucky debated on going to find you.

~

You decided to go look around yourself taking your time. You couldn’t find Steve so you decided to go downstairs and see if you could find him there. You looked down the small hallway to see Bucky’s office door was cracked. You thought about going to ask him if you could look around yourself, but your thoughts were distracted by the kitchen. It was state-of-the-art. The mixers, the pans, the refrigerator. Everything was something out of one of your dreams. Your thoughts were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. You jumped, turning around to see Bucky standing behind you.

“There you are. I thought you would still be unpacking.”

“No, it didn’t take me long. Sorry, I was just curious to see what you had in here. It’s amazing.” You looked around, still blown away by his kitchen. 

“No need to apologize. Make yourself at home.” You gave him a small smile. You weren’t sure you knew how to do that. Bucky made his way over to one of the bar stools. He sat down while he eyed you from across the counter. He studied you as you studied him. He seemed to be a little more relaxed. His jacket was off and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his elbows. Bucky noticed you changed into an oversized sweatshirt, some leggings and fuzzy socks. You seemed so cozy. “So, tell me about yourself, doll. What do you like to do?”

“There isn’t much to tell really. I help my family out when I can and bake if I get the chance.” Bucky nodded his head.

“What’s your favorite thing to bake?”

“Chocolate chip cookies, any kind of cookie really but definitely chocolate chip.”

“Would you wanna make some?” You felt your eyes get big. “No one uses the kitchen much. I usually either go out or order in and no one ever bakes.” You felt yourself getting excited.

“Yeah, I’d love to.” You gave Bucky a genuine smile. Those were very rare for you. Bucky gave you one back, his were probably as rare as yours were, maybe even moreso.

~

Many cookies later, you and Bucky asked small questions at first. You found out he loved sweets and would love to have a dog but is afraid he wouldn’t have the time for one. He found out you loved dogs, even more than you loved baking, and you had never left the state of New York.

“We’ll change that, doll. Don’t you worry.” You giggled at that.

“You know, you’re nothing like everyone makes you out to be.”

“I’m sure my reputation proceeds me. Let me guess, a cold hearted killer and womanizer? That’s what they say in the tabloids I see every now and then.”

“Pretty much, but I will say you are much kinder to me than what I’m used to.” You gave him a small smile. You saw something flash in his eyes that you couldn’t place. With that he decided to bring up the elephant in the room.

“There is something I do want to talk to you about, doll.” You took a pan of cookies out of the oven and sat the next pan in while the others cooled.

“Okay, what’s that?”

“The reason I agreed to your father’s proposal.” You turned around to face him. You had been curious about it but didn’t want to ask out right.

“Okay.”

“Did you want to ask me anything?”

“I did wonder why you agreed to it. I mean, I’m nothing special. Men usually come to my father about proposals for my sister, not me. Although I know this was his idea. I’m just surprised you agreed to it.” You had never been this open and honest with someone you just met. There was just something about Bucky. “I’m sorry, that was overstepping. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Not overstepping, doll. I surprised myself when I agreed to it. The thing is, I am ready to settle down, but not give up my title just yet. I am tired of women just wanting money or just wanting to say they were with me. Granted, I could have gone about it differently than this, but it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t want something.”

“My father was the one who wanted something though.”

“Yes, but not you. I’m just curious as to why you just went along with it.” You took a deep breath.

“You want an honest answer?”

“Of course, doll.” 

“I didn’t have a choice. My family also sees me as in the way. So, it got me out of their way.” Bucky’s heart broke for you. You could see it in his eyes. You felt your face turn bright red. You were going to be honest. Your family never hid their disdain for you around anyone, so you didn’t see the point in trying to hide it yourself. 

“That’s terrible, doll. I can assure you, you won’t be in the way here. If you ever feel like that you come to me, understand?”

“I understand.” The timer went off for the last batch of cookies just as Steve walked in the door with take out. Your stomach immediately rumbled at the smell of Chinese food. Steve walked in, sitting the food on the counter. 

“It smells like a bakery. Did you do all this?” Steve looked around at all the cookies you had baked. You felt your face turn red again. 

“She did, we’re gonna try them after we eat.”

“They smell amazing. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” 

“Wait, Steve! Here, take some with you. I made way too many as it is.” You hurriedly put a couple of batches in some containers you had found earlier. Steve looked to Bucky as you were packing up the cookies. Steve gave Bucky a small smile and a slight nod you didn’t pick up on. You handed Steve the bag before Bucky could silently reply to Steve. Steve gave you a big smile.

“Thanks, sweetheart. I can’t wait to try them.”

“Let me know what you think. I haven’t got my recipe just right yet.” 

“I’ll let you know. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Steve left you all to your dinner. Bucky started getting the containers out. You decided to go ahead and put the cookies that were already cooled in a container. Bucky was still getting food out when you were finished. You hadn’t seen this much food in front of you in a long time. Not that you didn’t eat, you just didn’t eat much. Bucky watched your eyes get wide. 

“You okay, doll?”

“Yeah, that’s just a lot of food.” 

“Maybe, but then we can have leftovers tomorrow.” He said it so easily. You were a little taken back. “Doll, would you care to get these last few containers out so I can go change. Then we’ll eat.” You just nodded. You didn’t have it in you to reply. Bucky walked up the stairs to his room as you got the last few containers out. You were still in shock at all the food. And the fact that he got some for you too caught you off guard. You didn’t realize it but you felt tears in your eyes. Usually when your family ordered out you got what was left and if you were still hungry you made yourself something in the kitchen. You didn’t hear Bucky come up behind you.

“Everything okay, doll?” He noticed the tears in your eyes. You quickly wiped them away. You noticed he had changed into a white t-shirt and some gray sweatpants. You thought he looked even better like this than in his suit.

“Yeah, everything is fine. I was just getting the rest out.” You put the paper bag in the trash can you found earlier. Bucky sat down on the same bar stool from earlier. He started opening the containers. 

“Get whatever you like, doll. I got some of everything. I didn’t know what you would like.” You didn’t know what you would like either. You hadn’t had Chinese takeout before. Your family would get it sometimes but there was never any left for you. “What’s going on in your head?”

“Um, it’s just, uh-”

“Doll, you can talk to me. The side of me you see right now, no one else sees. This is for you and you alone. I want you to be able to talk to me. I know this isn’t conventional but I would like to be able to be open and honest with one another.” You wanted that too, but you weren’t sure how to do it. You never had anyone to confide in. Ever. This was all so new to you, so you decided to be open and honest about everything.

“I’m not used to this, Bucky. I’m not used to being doted on. I never get take-out. I don’t get luxurious bedrooms. I get told what to do and when to do it. I don’t know how to confide in someone. I don’t know how to make myself at home because I’ve never had that luxury. I always get the bare minimum. I’m the burden of my family and they let everyone know.” You hadn’t realized tears started to spill over by the end of what was always on your heart. You had never told anyone this. Bucky reached for your hand nearest him. When you didn’t pull away he clasped it in both of his. You could see Bucky’s eyes dim and then watch something light in them you had never seen before.

“You will never be in the way here. You are going to be my wife and with that is going to come a lot of things you’re not used to. I can see that now. If you are ever overwhelmed please do not hesitate to tell me. I want you to be able to tell me what you’re feeling. This is new to me, too. I want to be honest with you. Granted there are some things that I do that I would rather keep you away from and I will try my best to. Doll, here you will be taken care of and doted on. You won’t even remember what it was like at that house you lived in. We’ll learn as we go along.” You didn’t realize you needed to hear that. You squeezed Bucky’s hand as well as you could as he had started holding your more firmly than before. 

“We’ll learn as we go along.” He squeezed your hand back releasing it. 

“Great, now that we’ve talked about that. What do you want to try first?” You smiled as you pointed to some chicken that looked good. Bucky handed it to you and waited until you tried it before he grabbed something as well. 

And that’s how your first night went with your fiance. Trying Chinese take-out you had never had and learning how to make yourself at home. Maybe you could get used to this.