#me and my friends (the locals) said it's haunted
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marcsquez · 2 months ago
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at this point i believe my joke is real bc wdym marc for three years in a row did bad in mandalika, is santet pohon beringin 13 is real like-
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area51-escapee · 1 year ago
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I am also fascinated by the stories we tell as local urban legends that turn out to seemingly exist in every community. Warning for mention of hypothetical child death here but when I was a kid, my dad told me about these train tracks in San Antonio. He said that a school bus got stuck on the tracks and hit by a train, and that the tracks were no longer in use, but you could go and park your car on them and if you put flour all on the back of your car, you’d feel the car move and when you got out to check you’d see handprints left in the flour. Which that story FUCKED ME UP as a kid I was obsessed with it, I told it to everyone I knew, I wanted to move here so badly just to see these haunted train tracks. As an adult now I’ve seen this same story attributed to train tracks in Houston texas, as well as many towns and states all across the country, likely outside of it as well. It’s likely rooted in a single instance that did really take place but probably not as near constant as how wide spread it is makes it seem. Unless we’ve had really really shitty bus and train track protocols and kept making the same fuck up for several decades all over the country. Which isn’t too hard to believe but y know
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dreamsteddie · 15 days ago
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There is an AITA out there that I can't find but it's been haunting me for weeks with visions of semi-angsty Steddie that I need to release onto the world. (If anyone happens to know what I'm talking about hit me up and I'll link it)
Edit: @jazzathebunny found the original AITA from Reddit linked Here for anyone who wants to read it. I'm definitely not doing exactly the same premise but this was my jumping off point 😊
Part Two! ------
Modern AU, Eddie and the guys are a moderately successful local band in the Chicago area playing gigs on the weekends and doing small tours whenever they all have the time. Gareth and Jeff are both in college while Eddie and Freak are both working part-time at a game store. Eddie managed to lock down that assistant manager position that lets him work 30 hours a week with weekends off for gigs. All in all, it's a pretty sweet deal and they can't complain.
Eddie had sworn off dating after a small handful of disastrous relationship attempts in their first year in the city. He dismisses any advances from people who attend their shows and tries not to think about how much he wants to make a genuine connection with someone and have something real. He's been burned one too many times to try and make something with someone he met in a bar or at work.
He knows the guys talk about it behind his back sometimes, he catches Jeff and Gareth fervently whispering to each other and stopping when they catch him entering the room one time too many to not suspect they're talking about him and he can't think of anything else going on in his life that they would feel the need to whisper about.
The fervent conversations take a slight uptick one day and about a week and a half after they do, Gareth hits him up and tells him he wants to set Eddie up with a guy from one of his classes. At first, Eddie is skeptical and cites all the reasons why he doesn't want to try with anyone right now but eventually, Jeff jumps in to plea the case and Freak jumps in on top of that and under the combined weight of his best friends he agrees to meet up with this Steve guy.
The guys set up the whole thing and before Eddie knows it it's Saturday night and he's wearing his best black jeans and a gray button-down, untucked, to go on an honest to God blind date like his life is some low-budget romcom.
Steve is not at all what Eddie thought he would be. Not the kind of guy he thought his friends would pick out for him given they know he usually goes for other alternatives like himself. Steve, who is shyly waving him over and getting out of his seat to great him, is the very epitome of prep. Well-fitted polo, light blue chinos, and what Eddie assumes this guy thinks are casual loafers. He's handsome to be sure, a 12/10 at least with perfect hair and defined biceps but Eddie is fairly sure he's being punked.
But, Eddie doesn't want to be rude so he goes to meet Steve at the table, confirming just in case that he's actually here to meet with a guy named Eddie. Steve gives him a bit of a confused look, saying that Gareth showed him a couple pictures of Eddie before he agreed to meet and figured he'd done the same for Eddie off Steve's Instagram. Gareth had, in fact, not done anything of the sort but they both dismiss it and get on with their date.
In all honesty, Eddie is expecting it to be a complete wash, but it turns out that even if Steve is not at all what Eddie would have previously said what his type, Steve is damn near perfect. He's funny, kind, a little bitchy, and even though he proves himself to be every bit the sports nerd he looks like he doesn't turn his nose up at Eddie's own much more classically nerdy interests. By the end of the date, Eddie has a new type and that type is Steve Harrington. He's quick to lock down a second date for the next weekend which Steve happily agrees to. They exchange numbers and Steve gives Eddie a chaste kiss on the cheek that has him floating all the way home.
Steve texted him that next morning letting him now he had a great time and is really looking forward to their next date and Eddie thinks this might be the start of something big for him. When he gets to practice he's clearly still floating on cloud nine and in his own little world designing their marriage invitations and matching tombstones so he doesn't notice the sly grins on his bandmates' faces.
"So...how'd it go last night? Everything you dreamed it would be?" Gareth asks, a strange glint in his eyes that Eddie doesn't clock.
Eddie goes on and on about how nice Steve was and how he might be The One, thanking Gareth profusely. Freak looks pleased for him, giving him a hard pat on the shoulder in congratulations but when Eddie finally tunes back into the real world he's greeted by Gareth's livid expression and Jeff's overly concerned one.
He asks the guys what the fuck is up and it turns out that Gareth and Jeff set this whole thing up as a prank of sorts. Eddie was never supposed to hit it off with Steve who Gareth selected specifically because he's a "totally brain-dead prep" and as far away as someone could get from Eddie's previous relationships. He was supposed to be someone Eddie could go on a date with and not form a connection with without getting completely burned at the end like all his previous relationships in the hopes of getting him out of his slump.
Jeff was in on it as well. He wanted to get Eddie back out there, so when Gareth presented the plan he sat in on a couple of Gareth's general credit business class sessions to help pick the guy out.
After Jeff and Gareth finish explaining he does a complete 180 and just...leaves. In any other situation, he would be raging and verbally tearing his friends a new asshole but instead, he completely disengages and walks out the garage door, ignoring his friends' shouts to come back.
He goes back home, socked and hurt and so very confused about how the hell he found himself in this position when his phone lights up.
New Message: Steve H.
Fuck.
-------
Part two coming soon??? Maybe???? We'll see.
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mcuamerica · 5 months ago
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Stranded | Part Two
Featuring : (future) Azriel x Fem!Reader, Eris x Reader (platonic), Rhys x Sister!Reader
Summary: Amarantha is dead and you finally get to go home. Requested by @sidthedollface2 here.
Warnings: 18+ only, description of ruined wings and skin scarring, canon level violence, not proofread (i'll do it later), let me know if anything was forgotten...
Disclaimer: I do not own SJM’s characters, only the ones I create for the purpose of this story. This is a work of fiction. I do not give permission to repost my work on any other platform or medium. Please be respectful.
Dividers from @saradika
Part One
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You felt your magic return to you the day Amarantha died. It was such an ordinary day.
You were in your cabin, that Eris had found for you the moment your wings were burned. You couldn't return to the Night Court without putting yourself in danger of Amarantha finding you, so you stayed in Autumn.
You were cooking when it washed over you, feeling as if you could finally breath again. You tested your abilities, seeing how much you could do. You were able to engulf the entire room in darkness when you were satisfied it returned.
You lost hope 10 years prior, when one of the local villagers said that all of Amarantha's court was bound to Under the Mountain. That meant you wouldn't be getting anymore visits from Eris, and even in the 40 years before that, those were few and far between. You were lucky Autumn Court was on her "good" side, because she never looked too deep into the woods. From what Eris told you, Rhys had taken her to bed.
You knew Rhys, and you could guess that he did it to keep her eyes from turning towards the Night Court. Towards you. Or Velaris.
So, you lived your simple life. The cabin Eris gave you came with a horse, that you would take to and from the local village. You were able to maintain a garden. And the best thing about living in Autumn was you never had to brace a bad winter or a sweltering summer. You missed the seasons dearly, you missed Solstices and Starfalls. Most of all, you missed your family.
It still haunted you that Rhys was taking on the burden of the Night Court by himself. You wished you could be there with him.
And, the rest of your family was running Velaris. Without you. You had to wonder if Azriel and Mor ended up together, being trapped in the beautiful, romantic city all these years. You wouldn't if Azriel regretted leaving you that night. Or if he was happy you were gone.
One thing you couldn't get over, even after all these years, was that he left you. Sure, you could handle yourself, but he left you. His best friend. Even when you were young, you always wanted to be around Azriel. Once Cassian and Rhys stopped tormenting him, you were allowed to be around him. He was always the first one to show you techniques with his sword, or new flying maneuvers. But then Mor came alone, slept with Cassian, and that was it. Azriel had been pining after her since then. You weren't resentful of it until he left you the night everything went to shit. When you lost your magic and your ability to fly.
Even know, when the wind was raging in the forest, you teared up. You wish there was some way to be able to fly again. But you grew up in the Illyrian war camp with your mother and brother. You knew what destroyed tendons looked like. There was no hope. Even after Eris and his healers did everything they could to heal them as best as they could. The membrane was in tact, albeit thinner than normal, and you had full function of stretching them in and out. But, the proper strength to fly would never be resorted.
At least you had your magic back. And you waited for Eris to come find you, to placate his father enough that he had time to tell you what happened. You assumed, knowing the depletion of magic was tied to Amarantha, that she died. You really hoped that was the case. You could go home. You could see your brother. You could ignore Azriel for the rest of your life. It never even occurred to you that you could probably winnow back home. You hadn't been able to do it for a long time.
Instead of Eris bursting through the door that afternoon, it was shadows, followed by a heaving Azriel trying to catch his breath.
"(Y/N)!" Azriel exclaimed, bounding over to you. Before you had a chance to step away, he wrapped you in an embrace. One you couldn't help but melt into. You might be mad at him, but after 50 years of being apart, you were happy to see him.
You pulled away, seeing tears in Azriel's eyes as he looked you over. His eyes landed on your wings. "What did they do to you?" He asked, searching your eyes.
"After you left me that night, three of Beron's sentinels burned my wings." You said, taking a deep breath.
"I need to write a note, and then you can take me home. Is Rhys there yet?" You asked.
"I don't know, I've spent all day having my shadows look for you. I was hoping you made it to Winter... I didn't think you would still be here." He said, pausing as you started to write.
You wrote to Eris, letting him know that you would be going back to the Night Court. You also told him that you would support him if he ever needed anything. You tucked the note into an envelop and left it on the counter.
"Okay... can you winnow us?" You asked, holding out your hand.
He gazed over you again, unsaid words clear in his eyes. "I'm sorry, (Y/N). For everything. For leaving you. For not coming to get you-"
"Azriel.. please.. take me home. And then we can talk about it." You said.
He nodded, staring at you for a few moments before he took you hand and darkness enveloped you both.
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Rhys was pissed.
He may have been happy to see his family, and to tell Mor and you about how he found his mate (even if she was with Tamlin), but the instant he saw your wings, he knew something was wrong. Before even asking the rest of his family what happened, he pulled you into a room alone.
After recapping what happened Under the Mountain, and more tearful hellos, he asked you to sit down. "Tell me what happened." He said.
You looked down, taking a deep breath. "That night that Amarantha took your magic, and you closed the borders to Velaris, I got stuck in Autumn. Azriel had left to go help Mor with something. I couldn't even winnow to the Night Court borders." You told him what happened with the sentinels, how Eris found you, and then watched as Rhys settled into the quiet deathly rage.
"He did this to you?" He asked, barely above a whisper.
"No," you quickly corrected. "Eris helped me." There were tears in your eyes now. "He- Let me just tell you how it started..."
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Eris brought you to a cabin on the outskirts of the Autumn borders, close to a village but far enough that no one would look for you here. He had his best healers come to help heal you, but with their lack ox experience repairing wings, they couldn't completely heal them. You back even still had scarring on it from how hot the sentinels burned through them.
When Eris couldn't stay because Amarantha sent for all High Lords and their heirs, he had a healer stay with you. Until you were back to your normal health. And then, he offered to help you get to the Night Court. Said he would personally take you to the Moonstone Palace. But he warned you how cruel Amarantha already was, and how she was taking more and more people prisoner (to be part of her "court") Under the Mountain. You chose to stay in the cabin. If you couldn't go back to Velaris, you didn't want to go to the Night Court. Not when your brother was actively trying to get Amarantha to avoid it. The return of the Lady of the Night Court would surely set her eyes towards you. And Rhys would pay the price.
Eris would visit you as often as he could. Since Autumn was on Amarantha's good side, she let Eris and his brothers out more. When he was able to step away from the Forest House, he would visit you. Bring you more supplied, new clothes, sometimes even new furniture or paint to refresh the cabin. All the while, he kept you up to date on what was happened. One day, you asked why he was helping you.
"Because I can... and it was my family's sentinels that harmed you. You had no one else around. If you were to die out here, what would I tell you brother? It would have caused an even worse relationship between us. And I'm hoping to have his support when I overthrow my father. If we can tackle Amarantha first... and.. I'm hoping one day you can counsel your brother to help me as well." He explained.
"So you're helping me for your own gain?" You asked.
"I'm helping you because it's the right thing to do... and I've grown fond of this little escape." He answered.
That's how it was until three courts tried to rebel, and Amarantha barred anyone from leaving Under the Mountain. Even Eris. You wondered why he hadn't shown up when you went into the village to grab some more food, when you overheard the rumors.
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"He truly helped you? He never hurt you?" Rhys asked.
You shook your head. "No, he never hurt me. He never tried anything. He... was kind. And caring. And I owe him my life." You said, looking up at Rhys.
He nodded, thinking for a moment. He paused his pacing and looking at you dead in the eyes. "Azriel left you?" He asked, seeming to recall what you first told him.
"...Yes." You said after hesitating.
"I'm going to kill him." He growled.
Your heart skipped a beat, knowing Rhys might just well kill Azriel for putting you in harms way.
"Wait- no. Please.. go easy on him." You said.
He paused, taking a deep breath. Darkness was pooling around his ankles. You could tell he was trying to reel it in. "I'm going to beat him to a pulp."
Better than killing him, you thought. You relaxed for a moment before Rhys rushed out from the door. You chased after him to see the first blow to Azriel's face. Then to his gut. Then to his legs to knock him on the floor. All while Rhys growled out in between each punch,"You. Left. My. Sister. In. Autumn?!"
Azriel didn't even fight back.
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Part Three
A/N: Another tough one... I think this will have 1 or 2 more parts... which I probably won't get to writing until Sunday or Monday night (I know, i'm sorry!) Thank you all so much for your support!
Tagging: @feiwelinchen @circe143 @sidthedollface2 @crazylokonugget @i-am-infinite @thestartitaness @buttermilktea11 @tele86 @yearninglustfully @bunnyredgirl
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noyasmashing · 7 months ago
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Current fave idea is the karasuno gang meeting up after they graduate to catch up, and there's a person there none of them recognize(Sugas younger sister by like a year) and one of them (noya, tsukki, tanaka, kageyama... tsukki.. I'm bias lol) catches her eye, and suddenly, they're back at her apartment crying out for her
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OML I love when i get specific requests they r so fun to write 🙈
Sub!Tsukkishema x Fem!Reader
CW: Alcohol usage, cryin, overstimulation??, objectification, nasty (unprotected) pnv sex, chocking (mention of it at the end), kinda sadistic reader tbh, bondage, foodjob??
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The old Karasuno team was gathering at their previous haunt, the local ramen shop near their high school. It had been a while since they'd all been together, and they decided to meet up, along with some other mutual friends from back in the day. As they chatted excitedly about their lives post-graduation, reminiscing about their volleyball days, there was someone among them they couldn't quite place.
Nishinoya, ever observant, noticed a young woman sitting quietly at the edge of their group. She was sipping her ramen and listening intently to their stories, occasionally smiling or nodding along. "Hey guys," Nishinoya interrupted, "Who's our new friend here?"
They all turned to look at her. "Oh, I'm Koshi’s younger sister," she replied with a warm smile. "I heard so much about all of you from my brother. It's nice to finally meet you!"
Nishinoya's eyes widened in surprise. "Suga's sister? Wow, I didn't even know he had a sister!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah, I'm a year younger than him," she explained, her hand circling the tip of her glass, the alcohol bringing the rosiness out of her cheeks.
Tsuki gazed at the girl seated in-front of him. Truth be told he didn’t really notice her until Nishinoya had said something, but he couldn't help but be intrigued. This girl had a familiar spark about her—maybe it was her smile, or the way she listened so attentively. She seemed to share Suga's kindness and warmth.
Throughout the evening, Tsuki found himself stealing glances at her. he didn’t know what it was, maybe her easy going demeanor, or her smile when she giggled at one of Hinatas dumb jokes. He wasn’t used to looking at someone and not wanting to immediately insult them.
As the night progressed, Tsukki discovered himself engaging in more and more conversation with her. Normally not one to talk much, he was content listening to her stories from high school, her interests, and more.
They hadn’t noticed the time passing until others started saying their farewells and leaving the venue. Amidst the commotion of the crowd, Tsukki momentarily took his eyes off her, and just like that, she vanished. He anxiously scanned the dining room, navigating through the sea of people in search of her.
It was safe to say he was hooked. He wanted nothing more but to be in her presence, and he was starting to give up on that idea, as he spotted Sugawara leaving too. Then, as luck would have it, he turned his head one last time and caught her gaze, smirking up at him through her lashes.
She was tucked away towards the back of the shop near the bathrooms, chatting with Nishinoya, casually leaning against the wall.
"Bye, [name]!" Nishinoya exclaimed, before skipping away in his usual hyper manner. She smiled warmly in response, giving him a lazy wave goodbye.
As Tsukki timidly approached her, he noticed a mischievous smirk on her lips. "Were you looking for me, like a little lost puppy?" she teased, tilting her head to the side with confidence.
His cheeks burned embarrassingly red as he shook his head and muttered a quiet “fuck you." He knew she was right, but he couldn't summon the courage to defend himself properly, especially when she stood up and closed the gap between the two. He could feel the warmth of her breath, tinged with the scent of alcohol, and he could almost feel her breasts press against him.
Avoiding her gaze, he looked away, attempting to maintain his usual stoic expression.
"You're all bark and no bite," she grinned again, grabbing his face to make him meet her gaze. His glasses were perched low on his nose, and he peered at her over them, his breath catching in his throat. The only thing on his mind was how good she looked up close.
She grinned at his hesitation, “I have an uber outside, would you like to come home with me, pretty boy?”
And that’s how Tsukishima found himself in this predicament, kneeling with his very own tie binding his hands.
He grumbled in frustration as he attempted to free his hands from the tie once again. He wanted to appear irritated, not willing to admit the reason why his dick was pressing against his pants at that moment.
But, when she leaned down and planted her foot, encased in sheer stockings, against his groin, he could no longer hide it. His lower lip quivered as a whimper escaped him, his hips instinctively moving to press against her foot.
She sneered at him, increasing the pressure as she spoke, "You will take what I give you, understand?" Her previously kind and gentle demeanor was completely replaced by a more intense and commanding presence. Tears welled up in his eyes as he nodded weakly, trying to maintain his composure in the face of her dominance.
She started to glide her foot up and down the length of his pulsating erection. He could feel the sticky mess seeping into his boxers, the urge to remove them growing stronger by the second.
He couldn't help but utter a desperate "please," a plea that earned him a sadistic smile from her.
"Please what, pretty boy?" She teased, her movements becoming more deliberate against his crotch. He felt his entire body heating up as he craved more stimulation. This was unlike anything he had experienced before, and he was on the brink of making a mess in his dress pants.
He took a deep breath before nervously replying, "Can't you use a little more..." his voice trailed off, unable to meet her gaze. He could feel her seductive eyes fixed solely on him, but he couldn't summon the courage to look at her, knowing that if he did, he might climax right then and there.
"Hmm... We wouldn't want you spoiling those nice pants now, would we?" She questioned, tilting her head slightly with a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
He finally mustered the courage to look up at her and replied with a shaky, "Y-yeah," his eyes reflecting a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
“Why don’t you join me up here then?” She suggested, patting the bed where she sat, a warm invitation in her voice and smile.
He stood up shakily, his hands still bound behind his back, but before he could even take a seat, she pushed him onto his back with a forceful yet gentle motion.
“Be a good toy and let me use you a bit,” she instructed this time, her hands deftly moving towards his zipper with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
With swift movements, his aching member was now free, proudly displayed on his toned stomach. He couldn't help but let out a gasp at the sensation, feeling a rush of embarrassment as she gazed at him with interest.
"A-are you surprised?" he quipped, trying to sound confident even with a blush covering his ears. But she saw through his facade in an instant, especially when his tip was leaking pre-cum, giving away his nervous excitement like a virgin eager for his first fuck.
She sneered at his comment, biting back without hesitation, "Good toys stay quiet for their owner."
His head fell back in utter embarrassment at her sharp retort. Embarrassed at how his cock twitched she said that. Embarrassed that the second her pussy grazed his sensitive member, his hands instinctively pulled at the tie, his back arching in a desperate, pathetic display of need.
As his cock sank into her wet pussy, he let out the prettiest of moans, feeling a surge of pleasure as his eyes rolled back uncontrollably. Her hips rolled forward against him, causing his member to throb with intense arousal. He couldn't resist raising his hips, wanting to be buried as deeply inside her as possible, lost in the blissful sensation.
It didn't help that every time she raised her hips, just to aggressively slam them down, she whispered filthy things in his ears. Her words sent shivers down his spine and added a delicious layer pleasure to every sensation.
"Cummin'," he would slur, as she rode him through his body-shaking orgasm, but she never stopped. He wanted desperately to caress her soft skin, to cover his mouth to muffle the embarrassing whispers escaping him, but she would giggle at his struggles against the restraints. The sensation of her teasing laughter only added to his pleasure, driving him further into a frenzy of ecstasy as she continued to ride him with relentless abandon.
"Such a good... good toy for me," she panted between breaths, continuing to fuck herself on his raging cock. The natural curve in it, plus the sheer thickness of him, was just too perfect.
She brought two fingers to his lips and clumsily pushed them inside, his tongue swirling desperately around them, seeking distraction from the overwhelming sensations. But her fingers were gone too soon, leaving him wanting more as she pulled them away and pressed them against her sensitive clit. The sight of her pleasuring herself with the very fingers that had been inside him moments before was too much for him.
The sound of her gasps of pleasure as she pleasured herself was torture for him, even though he was still buried deep inside her. He yearned to be the one touching her, driving her wild with desire himself. The sight of her lost in her own pleasure, eliciting those intoxicating sounds from deep within her throat, fueled the fire of desire burning within him. He couldn't help but let out a string of whines, the need to touch her, to bring her to the edge overwhelming his senses.
He had likely cum at least twice, doing everything in his power to muffle his moans, even resorting to biting his lip until it bled. But she did not stop for a second, her relentless pace and intensity driving him wild with desire. The pleasure and the pain mingled together, making hot tears roll down his cheeks.
It seemed his tears only fulled her desire, as her hands made their way to his neck. “You would look so pretty with my hands around your throat.”
It became clear that this night was going to be longer than either of them had expected.
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blyth-me · 15 days ago
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drag me out: coriolanus snow
Summary: A night out with friends is good for your health but proves to be messier than expected as you find yourself entangled with a private at the bar.
Warnings: SMUT 18+ mdni, unprotected sex (cap before tap y'all), drinking, modern day military (peacekeeper!) coryo, cursing, choking, p in v, public sex, one night stand, oral sex, horny coryo, slight coercion if you squint, modern!au
THIS WORK IS 18+. IF I CANNOT SEE YOUR AGE, DO NOT INTERACT. ALL MINORS OR AGE ANON USERS WILL BE BLOCKED FROM THIS ACCOUNT.
Word Count: 2.3k
A/N: I shit you not I've had this in my drafts since last December and it's been reworked two or three times so thanks for voting and clearing my drafts :)
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The bar was rowdy when you walked in. The spot (a dingy dive bar called Plutarch's) was frequently haunted by your girl friends after grueling exams, breakups, or a bout of weekend boredom. Your college wasn't far from the local military base and served as the perfect place for finding something to do on a Friday night. This one was no different.
You'd wanted to blow off steam after a long week. Or maybe it was blowing off steam before a long week. The holidays and "homecoming" seasons were difficult for a myriad of reasons. The topic of grades was a touchy subject with your family although you'd grown stronger as a student in recent years. Your mother, another reason, was the epitome of neurotic during the colder months. Your father always said it was "cabin fever" with a dismissive wave of his hand, never seeming to care enough to cure her. Your friends always rolled their eyes at your hesitance to go back home, but never dared to follow you and find out if you were telling the truth or not.
The group of girls you came with settled at the bar, ordering drinks and scoping out the crowd for something or someone to direct your night. You talked amongst yourselves over the band playing and whispered about the attractive patrons. Suddenly there was a cheer towards the pool tables, causing your eyes to wander to the source. A group of young men entered to join their friends.
"Do you think they're college kids?" One of your friends asked.
"With those builds? No way. Besides, I spot dog tags." Says another, who playfully shoved your shoulder.
You smirked and shook your head, finishing your drink.
"I came here to avoid problems, not get involved with a new one, remember?" You joked, eyes scanning the group of men.
Your group was left to giggle and gossip more and the drinks began to cause a buzz in your head. There was a tall blonde in the group by the pool table who your friend pointed out. His buzz cut made him stand out and you couldn't decide if he was magnetic or if it was the cocktail you'd been nursing. A tattoo peaked out of his shirt sleeve as he crossed his arms, watching his friends, then yours, then you.
You shared a moment of eye contact, his eyes locked in on yours. Your friends started to whisper excitedly, urging you to talk to him.
"No," you shook your head. "he can come over if he wants me."
You turned back to your friends, finished your second drink of the night, and carried on conversation for a few minutes until-
"Excuse me ladies, can I cut in?"
There he was, standing patiently in front of you as your friends quietly left the two of you alone. Up close, he was so much bigger than you anticipated. His shoulders were broad and he towered over you. His smile was polite and practiced, but his eyes seemed calculated, honed in. He was now your problem.
"You scared off my friends," you joked, turning around. "buy me a drink and make it up to me."
He laughed behind you, leaning next to you on the bar.
"What do you like?" His eyes gave you a careful scan as you told him your order.
The two of you laughed awkwardly and waited for your drink.
"Do you come here a lot?" He asked, making you scoff.
"God, do you try that on everyone?"
"Only the pretty girls." He handed you your drink. "Or the ones that might make me look better."
"Funny." You said, feeling a little more buzzed than usual.
"Did it work?"
You shrugged playfully and smiled. Maybe a little, you thought.
"Who are you?"
"Private Coriolanus Snow."
"Flashing your rank? You're on a roll."
He smiled at you in a way that made your stomach churn and look for your friends who are now mingling with his. When you turned back to him, he was resting his back against the bar, big hand cradling a beer. He really was so much bigger close up.
"So," you started, "do you come here a lot?"
This earned a laugh from him. It was a good, hearty laugh. A laugh that sounded like he needed it.
"I practically live here off base. It's my outlet besides working out."
Now it was your turn to laugh.
"Holy shit." You mumbled. "You've got all the lines ready." You let out another giggle and shook your head, looking at him.
"Alright, I'm gonna be honest." Coriolanus lowered his voice and leaned closer to you. "I get real lonely on base. My friends over there-" He nodded in the direction where your friend groups were mixed. "they want me to find someone pretty to..." he cleared his throat. "blow off steam."
You nearly choked on your drink. Coriolanus laughed a little at your reaction and took your drink, placing it next to his beer on the bar.
"Are you propositioning me, Private?" He laughed again and shrugged.
"What if I am?" He looked at you a little more seriously, his voice more firm as you felt yourself blushing from the eye contact.
"I drove my friends, I wasn't even supposed to be drinking." You trailed off and looked back at the group.
"Relax," He spoke softly, touching your arm. "you've already been irresponsible once tonight, what say you to another bad decision?"
You blinked up at him, unsure of what to say as you shifted near your barstool. There were a million thoughts running around your head and as if he could sense it, he gave your forearm a soft squeeze.
"No pressure. I just think you're cute and we could help each other out." He smirked and raised an eyebrow. "We don't even have to go back to base if you don't want prying eyes peeking in the barracks. The alley is usually empty."
"How do you know that?" You cringed slightly, hiding your amusement.
"The less you know, the better."
You found yourself laughing at his quick remark. Frankly, Coriolanus was right. You wanted to remain as clueless as possible. You looked at him again and recalled the whole purpose of your night out in the first place. He was really attractive, you couldn't ignore the way your heart was threatening to grow wings and fly out of your chest, but you were hesitant. What about my friends? You wondered.
"Fine. But," You looked at him. "We keep this a one night thing. I don't want to be a bootycall on base for you."
He shook his head and smiled at the floor.
"Do I come off that desperate?"
"No." You answered a little too quickly. You were very tipsy and he was getting better looking by the minute. His soft smirk drew your eyes to his lips. They were slightly parted as he laughed at your quickness.
Before you processed it, he placed a kiss to your lips and took your hand. You stood and followed him as he snuck you out the back door of the bar. Coriolanus made sure to hide you away in a corner before kissing you again. That time, it was longer, more desperate, and more sloppy. The mixing of drinks on your tongue made you never want to stop kissing him. Your drink and his beer somehow tasted better than you would have thought. He's got you caged against the wall as he worked his lips down your neck, his teeth and tongue nipping and soothing your skin.
"Think you can get on your knees, baby?"
You nodded eagerly as he fumbled with his belt. You dropped to your knees, the concrete scraping you through your jeans as you looked up at him.
"Just need you to get him warmed up." He mumbled, freeing himself from his jeans. A thigh tattoo caught your attention, the combination of letters and numbers were legible for a moment before Coriolanus lifted your chin with his free hand and stroked his cock with the other.
"You're pretty." He observed plainly, his hand pausing to guide your lips to his leaky tip. "Shit-" He groaned as you wrapped your lips around him.
He didn't waste any time, tangling his hand in your hair as he bobbed your head. You gagged slightly, your hands braced on his thighs. You felt your heart skip a beat as the slightest hint of a whine fell past his lips. You hollowed your cheeks and hummed. Coriolanus cursed again, head tipped fully back, before he pulled you off. You opened your mouth to pout, desperate to keep pulling those sounds out of him, but he stopped you.
"Up." He demanded quietly, helping you stand. When you got to your feet he kissed you hard.
"Shit, baby." He breathed a laugh. "I might have to get your number so I can try that mouth again."
Before you can answer, his lips are latched on to yours. His hands hurriedly work at your skirt, flipping it up and sliding your damp panties to the side. When he felt you, he paused to look down and god if you could have frozen time, you would have. His eyes darkened significantly as he brought his fingers to his lips, sucking them clean.
"Mmm." Coriolanus hummed. "You're ready to go."
You nodded, looking down as his hand wrapped around his cock again.
"Please?" You whispered. The desperation in your voice betrayed your cool exterior.
"Good manners, good girl." He smirked, lining himself up. "You gonna take it for me? Hmm?"
His question was more of a taunt as he pressed into you. He lifted your leg as your head lolled back against the brick wall. Your hand clung to his back through his shirt, feeling the muscles rippling beneath your skin. He gave you no time to adjust as he started a quick pace inside you, dragging against all the right places. The stretch of him was just the right amount of sting and sweetness.
You were a little embarrassed at the sounds fleeing your mouth. He let you moan freely for a bet before pausing.
"You have to be a good girl and be quiet for me." He laughed, kissing your neck. "Take it like a quiet girl, baby."
Coriolanus resumed his movements after giving you the order. You tried to stifle the sounds, but his tip was kissing the parts inside of you that made your head spin and your knees weak. The next time you whimpered just a little too loud between labored breaths, he put his large hand over your mouth.
"Shhh, baby. I know." He cooed, pounding into you a little rougher as if to test your quickly dissipating self-control. "You're so perfect for me." He praised. "Hugging my cock so good, baby. So warm."
As Coriolanus rambled against your neck, you felt the knot in your stomach building. You clawed desperately at his shirt and tried to stifle accidental sounds against his shoulder. The scratch of the cold brick against your back seemed like a vague background sensation and you felt yourself drifting further away. The leg you were standing on began to tremble as you whispered desperately “Coryo!” and try to stay up.
“Getting wobbly, pretty?” He looked at you and wrapped his free hand around your throat. He didn’t let up his brutal pace as he shushed you again.
“Feels so good, shit-” Coriolanus groaned loudly. “You’ve never been treated like this before hm?” He kissed you softly, a contrast to his rough movements.
You couldn’t respond. Part of this was due to the intense feeling of him pounding into you like a teenager afraid to get caught, but it was mainly due to your rapidly approaching orgasm. You silky, wet walls gave him a warning squeeze, causing him to falter momentarily.
“You close, pretty?” Coriolanus panted. You nodded.
“Yeah, huh?” He cooed almost condescendingly before lowering his lips to your ear. “I’m gonna fill this perfect cunt up and you’re gonna let me.”
With that, you became consumed with a white hot disorientation. You felt everything and nothing at the same time as you mewled against his shoulder. Coriolanus squeezed your thigh, whimpering as he pressed himself to the deepest part of you, making good on his promise moments before.
You continued holding onto his broad shoulders for support as you caught your breath. Coriolanus dropped your leg and gave you a quick kiss before tucking himself away and zipping his pants.
“Can you walk?” He wondered, biting back a laugh.
“Honestly?” You huffed, smiling. “That’s anyone’s guess.”
He unceremoniously offered you his hand as you finished readjusting yourself.
“Still don’t wanna give me your number?” He joked quietly against your ear.
You laughed as the two of you made your way back to the bar. Your friends and his friends were engaged in a heated game of darts, laughing and drinking together.
“It’s probably best that I don’t.” You replied sarcastically, earning a chuckle from him. As you gripped his bicep for balance, you thanked whatever higher power that he was so much bigger than you.
“Damn.” He cursed, smiling toothily. “Well, if next time you’re here, say in two weeks, and you need a little relief…”
You blushed and looked back to your friends.
“Nice try. One night only, remember?” You smiled back.
But it wasn’t one night only, because after you got all your stumbling friends into your empty dorm room and settled down for the night, you opened up your Tinder only to see his face as the first one upon opening the app. You decided, maybe not in your right mind, that it was fate and swiped right on your new favorite serviceman.
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sunny44 · 8 months ago
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I can stay
Pairing: Lando Norris x Fem!reader
Warnings: none I guess
Summary: Y/n, feeling hurt and insecure after seeing photos of Lando with another girl, assumed that he moved on but he unexpectedly shows up at her door, leading to a heartfelt conversation about their feelings.
Previous Part
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Several months have passed since Lando decided to leave, leaving behind what we had. I had already grown accustomed to his absence, trying to move on with my life. Tonight, I planned to go out with my friends to a local bar, hoping to distract my mind from the thoughts that haunt me.
We were having fun, laughing and chatting animatedly, until I decided to take a look at Instagram. And there they were - photos of Lando with a girl, smiling and looking completely in love. My heart sank as I read the caption confirming my worst fears: she was his new girlfriend.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the bar felt heavy and suffocating. I could no longer concentrate on my friends' conversation, my mind spinning around the image of Lando with that girl. And then my insecurities started to creep into my mind, of how that girl was everything I was not, and that led me to a conclusion.
And apparently the problem was me.
Without a word, I abruptly stood up from the table and ran out of the bar.
Back in the comfort of my apartment, tears began to stream down my face, smudging my makeup. I sank into the couch, trying to process the flood of emotions flooding my heart. How could I be so naive as to think he would come back to me or that I would be enough for Lando Norris.
After I finished cleaning my makeup, I put on my pajamas and as I was finishing tying my hair into a bun, I heard knocks on the door.
My heart skipped a beat with the startle I got from the loud knocks, but I couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope and at the same time I was full of anger and hurt. Reluctantly, I went to the door and opened it.
And there he was, standing in the hallway, with a look of regret on his face.
"Y/n, please, let me explain," he began, his voice full of urgency.
I looked at him incredulously, my mind spinning with a mixture of emotions.
"What is there to explain, Lando? I saw the photos. You have a new girlfriend, so if you came here to rub that in my face you can leave, you wasted your time.”
I went to close the door but he held it.
"No, Y/n, you're misunderstanding. She's not my girlfriend.” He said with some despair. “And I would never do something like that.”
I rolled my eyes, unable to believe a word of what he was saying.
"Oh, sure. And the romantic photos are just a coincidence, is that it? Or the fact that you show up at my door after months right after the photos went viral on the internet?”
"I know it looks bad, but please, give me a chance to explain."
“And why do you care to explain to me? We are nothing to each other and you made that very clear when you walked out that door leaving me alone that night.”
“Please.” He begs.
I hesitated for a moment, fighting the urge to slam the door in his face. Finally, I took a step back and let him in.
"All right, Lando.” I muttered, my voice full of resignation. "But I can’t promise that I’ll believe you."
He nodded, silently thanking me for the opportunity. We sat on the couch and stayed silent for a few minutes, me waiting for him to speak and him thinking about what he would say.
“She's not my girlfriend.”
“You've already said that, but those photos show otherwise.”
“They were taken out of context, you know how it is.” I sighed because I knew how his world worked. “Max dragged me to that party and she was a friend of his who yes, hit on me and tried something but I pushed her away.”
“That doesn't change the fact that you broke my heart. That I begged you to stay that night and you simply turned your back on me and ended everything we had or didn't have.” He tried to wipe the tear that fell from my face but I dodged his hand. “And then I open Instagram and see a photo of you with a girl much prettier than me, and then with the writings “Lando Norris and his new girlfriend”, and then I felt like garbage because you wanted a girlfriend, just didn't want it to be me.”
“Don't say that, never say that again.” He holds my face. “You're perfect for me and it's all I want, but I'm an idiot who doesn't deserve your love let alone that you cry over me.”
“If you really think that, why did you leave me?”
“Because I'm a coward, I was afraid of my feelings for you.” He dries my tears. “I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you, and that scared me so I thought it was easier to leave than to say out loud that I love you.”
“What did you say?”
“That I love you and that I'm an idiot for leaving and even more idiotic for leaving it for months until I had the courage to come here.” He sighs. “I admit that the photos were what encouraged me to come, because I didn't want you to think I was with someone after saying I didn't want a relationship with you, even if it was a lie.”
“All right.”
“Do you forgive me?”
“I forgive you, but it still hurts to know that you preferred to run away than to talk to me.”
“I know and I'm sorry for that and I promise to make it up to you.”
“Can you stay? Please?” I asked and he smiled.
“I can stay.” He kisses me and for the first time he really stayed.
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Taglist: @sltwins @hiireadstuff @lunaetxc @ssararuffoni @lansmclaren @ushygushybaby @daemyratwst @alymariec @mahhi7 @kaa212 @halaxxxx @ryanandshanearemydads @kapsylia
Guys, the names that have a line on top is because I couldn’t tag
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rockwgooglyeyes · 1 month ago
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It's This Moment (or Nothing)
One of the biggest things that I have run into over the past day with Blink, Gone is the way that it feels incomplete and that is something I still stand by. This could be something completely purposeful, meant to illustrate that the round wasn't ever going to be a legitimate competition anyways, intended from the beginning as a lure for Hyuna and Mizi, to add extra emotional effect to the cliffhanger, or perhaps it really is one half of a wider whole (in a more localized sense than it being one part of the whole series, anyways). I don't really know which I think is more likely, at this point, because I'm not sure enough about any of my theories on that front to make real predictions. I still believe that Mizi will end up on her own when this all finished, all of the people she ever loved dead and gone, the bodies littered at her feet.
With the "special guests" I presume that Hyuna and Mizi will be forced to go up against each other. My friend Zen, (@verdantlights) said that hy thinks that it'll end up being a Hyunaluka round where Hyuna is set to win and then a Hyunamizi round where Hyuna is set to lose (edited because i got the order wrong and zen corrected me lmao). I agree with the idea that, at this point, it's damage control. They successfully lured Mizi (and by extension, Hyuna) in with Till, killed Till and now they're going to make their hostages perform for their lives, as is their brand.
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One of the most interesting parts of Blink Gone, for me, is how this was presumably all planned from the start. Zen mentioned something that made me realize this yesterday, that this is the 50th season of Alien Stage. There's no way they would let it get this rowdy with rebels and disrupted rounds unless they were letting it happen, because it was planned from the start, because they were trying to tie up loose ends (Hyuna). Not only that but this round in particular was undoubtedly planned from the beginning, with the amount of preparation that went into it (the giant billboards of Ivan, the chanting of the crowd, the song itself). Till was ranked 2, it was always going to end up this way, Luka's superiority reinforced and his opponent dead on the floor. (btw I'm coming back to Luka. There's gonna be another fucking post just you wait). The way that they used Till's triggers against him, they drugged both of the performers but only gave Till enough to last him halfway through, forced Till to perform against Luka right after Round 6, where he lost one of the people in his life that was most important to him, and then rubbing salt into his horrible fresh wounds.
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This is also one of the only rounds where Mizi is one of the POV characters that we have no mentions of Sua, at all. Perhaps that's merely because Mizi wasn't the focus and by extension, neither was Sua, but in another way, you could argue that it's because someone else was busy haunting the narrative: Ivan.
It kinda fucking hurts that the only way we really got to see Ivan was two ways- a direct flashback to the kiss from CURE, a explicit representation of the trauma that Ivan left Till with, and the billboards/Luka manipulations where he mimics Ivan in order to get Till on the back foot. And the thing is, it works. Ivan, despite his every intention otherwise, has become a trauma for Till, the way he thought he never could. To a degree, I was happy about this, because it proved Ivan wrong, that he would just be forgotten in a blink, but it hurts as well, because him only being used as a weapon against Till only reinforces his beliefs about himself that he is a monster and a negative impact on others. He would view himself being used against Till as a bad thing, that he hurt Till when he never intended to, rather than seeing it for what it is- an explicit sign that he was far more important to Till than he previously thought.
(Also something driving me up a wall right now is the way that one of my friend's described the lyrics of Blink, Gone as being in reference to the way that one moment Ivan was there, and the next he was gone, because Till took advantage of Ivan's presence and didn't know how much he needed it until it was gone and I'm sorry I'm going to go scream some more now.)
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One thing I've talked about with friends a lot the past day is the way that, if Till is truly dead, then what was Ivan's character even for? And while narratively, it wouldn't make sense to kill TIll here with all of the potential he has and where his arc is going, one thing that @pwippy pointed out to me is how it makes a lot of sense thematically. Alien Stage is a universe full of suffering and pain for humans, forced to perform until they literally die on stage, all for the entertainment of the audience. It's not even meant as a way of exerting control or oppressing them, though it serves that purpose, because why would the seygein bother to oppress something that can't even fight back? Why go to the trouble of controlling something that is just a pet, whose cries are the fuel for a new age?
For Till to die now, reaching out for this glimmer of light when he is an animal caged, surrounded by enemies and bombarded with triggers of his suffering and pain, it would only be fitting. Another confirmation that life isn't fair, especially not in a system that is actively working against you and your attempts at happiness. Yet another sign that none of them were supposed to live very long, that even if they won, they wouldn't be around for much longer anyways. Now, it wouldn't necessarily be in character for Till, as he wants to live and he wants to fight, but he got to see one of the people he loved most in his dying moments, just like Sua and Ivan did. (Thank you this post for grabbing me by the throat and squeezing). In this world of pain and suffering, perhaps death is a mercy. If Till is truly dead, then he no longer a tool for his oppressors, he is free of their control. For Ivan and Sua both of their deaths were mercies to them- Ivan was able to die for the one he loved, as was Sua, and neither of them were forced to live in a world without their beloved.
So, while it might not be in character for Till to die, it makes sense within the themes and the established mechanisms of the universe, and it hammers home just how much more Mizi has to lose, even at this point where she thinks she's lost it all.
Mizi, who at the beginning, was the only one of these characters filled with innocence and hope, Mizi, the apparent protagonist of this story- at the end, she will be alone and she will know the true lengths of cruelty, with all that which she has ever loved destroyed.
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yourmomsawh0r3 · 2 months ago
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haunted 🔮🕸️🕷️
pairing: tyler owen’s x f! girlfriend reader
summary: Tyler Owens and Y/N join their friends to explore a haunted sanatorium, but when eerie events escalate, Tyler refuses to let Y/N face the darkness alone, standing by her side as strange noises and shadowy figures turn their thrillseeking adventure into a chilling experience.
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It was a crisp October night, and the air was thick with anticipation as Y/N, Tyler Owens, and their friends Boone, Kate, and Javi arrived at the abandoned sanatorium on the outskirts of town. The place had a dark reputation long-abandoned, it was rumored to be haunted by the restless spirits of its past patients. Local stories of shadows moving in empty hallways, whispers echoing through the rooms, and doors slamming shut on their own had drawn their group to the site for a Halloween dare.
Y/N wasn’t thrilled about this adventure, but her friends had been eager, and she didn’t want to be the one to back down. Tyler, however, had picked up on her nervousness the moment they pulled up outside the looming, crumbling structure.
As the group gathered their equipment from the back of the van, Tyler glanced over at Y/N, noticing the way she pulled her jacket tighter around herself. “You sure you’re up for this, darlin’?” he asked, his Southern drawl cutting through the chill in the air. His eyes held a softness, a mix of concern and warmth. It was the look that always made her feel like she was more than just a part of the group like she mattered to him in a way that went beyond their shared adventures.
Y/N forced a smile, adjusting her camera strap and trying to steady her nerves. “Yeah, I’m good. It’s just a bunch of old ghost stories, right? Nothing we haven’t faced before,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.
Tyler chuckled, reaching out to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The touch was brief, but it sent warmth coursing through her, grounding her against the chill that seemed to seep from the abandoned building in front of them. “Hey, if it gets too much, you just stick by me, alright? Ain’t no way I’m letting anything scare you off.”
Y/N rolled her eyes playfully, but the corners of her mouth quirked up at his words. “You better not run off and leave me to the ghosts, cowboy.”
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’ll even let you hold my hand if it gets real spooky.”
She laughed, feeling a little lighter despite the nerves buzzing in her chest. For a moment, with Tyler’s steady presence next to her, the sanatorium didn’t seem quite so intimidating. But as they joined the rest of the crew Boone, Kate, and Javi who were already testing their EVP recorders and flashlights, the eerie atmosphere settled back over them like a heavy blanket.
The sanatorium’s front doors groaned as they pushed them open, revealing a long, dark corridor lined with dusty windows. Cold air rushed out to meet them, and their footsteps echoed in the empty lobby. Boone, always the thrill-seeker, led the way with a confident stride, while Kate followed closely behind, her camera already recording. Javi stuck to the rear, muttering about how this place gave him the creeps.
Tyler stayed close to Y/N, his flashlight sweeping across the broken tiles and faded wallpaper. He glanced at her whenever she jumped at a sudden noise or flinched at a gust of wind that rattled the windows, offering her reassuring smiles. And she was grateful for it, even though she tried to hide her nervousness behind a brave front.
They started their investigation in the main lobby, recording audio and taking photos, but it wasn’t long before things took a strange turn. Y/N swore she saw something moving just beyond the reach of her flashlight shadows slipping across the walls where there shouldn’t have been any. She spun around, her heart racing, but when she pointed it out to the group, no one else saw it.
“Relax, Y/N. It’s probably just your imagination,” Boone teased, flashing her a smirk. But Tyler caught the worry in her eyes, stepping a little closer to her as they continued exploring.
After a while, the group gathered in a hallway leading deeper into the building. The air seemed heavier there, colder, and the shadows seemed to stretch out longer. Boone, ever the daredevil, grinned at Y/N and then nudged her with his elbow. “Hey, Y/N, you wanna prove you’re not scared? How about a dare?” He gestured toward a dark corridor branching off to their right. “Go get some footage down there, alone. It’s the hotspot, they say.”
Y/N hesitated, glancing down the pitch-black hallway. Her nerves prickled, every instinct telling her that nothing good would come from venturing into that darkness alone. She tried to brush it off with a laugh. “Yeah, right. That’s how all the horror movies start, Boone. Nice try.”
But before she could respond further, Tyler stepped forward, his expression hardening. “Not happening,” he said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. He shot a look at Boone, making it clear he wasn’t joking. “She’s not going anywhere without me, got it?”
Boone raised an eyebrow, but Kate elbowed him, sensing the tension. “Fine, fine,” Boone muttered, holding up his hands in surrender. “Didn’t mean to push it.”
Tyler turned back to Y/N, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. “I told you, I’m not lettin’ you out of my sight,” he said softly. Y/N felt a flutter in her chest at the way he was looking at her protective, unwavering and she managed a small smile.
“You’re my hero, Tyler Owens,” she teased quietly, but there was genuine gratitude in her voice.
But almost as if the building itself took offense to Boone’s words, a loud crash echoed through the hallways, reverberating off the dilapidated walls. Everyone froze, their breath catching in their throats as the sound of footsteps heavy and deliberate followed, as if something unseen was pacing just around the corner.
Tyler instinctively moved closer to Y/N, his arm brushing against hers. “Stay close,” he whispered, his voice barely audible over the strange sounds. Y/N nodded, gripping the handle of her camera with trembling fingers, feeling the warmth of his body next to hers as a shield against the creeping cold.
They moved toward the noise, Tyler leading the way with his flashlight. As the heavy metal door slammed shut behind them with a deafening clang, the darkness seemed to thicken around the group, swallowing up what little light their flashlights provided. Y/N’s breath hitched, her hand instinctively clutching Tyler’s arm as the sudden sound echoed through the empty hallways. Tyler’s grip tightened around his flashlight, his knuckles turning white as he scanned the darkness. The air felt colder now, and there was a tension in the silence, as if the building itself was holding its breath, waiting for something.
Boone was the first to speak, his bravado faltering as he turned back toward the closed door. “Alright, very funny. Who’s messing with us?” he called out, trying to sound more confident than he felt. His voice echoed, but there was no answer, only the steady creak of the building settling around them.
Javi swung his flashlight back down the corridor, his face pale. “Man, that door wasn’t supposed to be able to close like that,” he muttered. “This place is supposed to be abandoned.”
Kate, who had been holding up her camera, stopped recording and looked around nervously. “Okay, maybe we should just leave. This place is seriously creeping me out.”
Tyler kept his arm around Y/N’s shoulders, his body tensed as if ready to protect her from whatever might come out of the shadows. He glanced down at her, concern etched in his features. “You alright, darlin’? We’ll get out of here, okay?”
Y/N nodded, but her eyes darted around the hallway, her mind playing tricks on her as shadows seemed to shift and dance just beyond the flashlight’s reach. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but a shiver ran down her spine when she thought she heard a faint whisper, her name barely carried on the stale air. “Did you hear that?” she whispered to Tyler, her voice barely audible.
Before he could respond, the whispers grew louder, weaving through the air around them. They were indistinct at first, like the murmur of a distant conversation, but then they began to form words taunting, eerie words that sent a chill through the group. “You shouldn’t be here…” the voices echoed, seemingly coming from all around them, as if the very walls were speaking.
Boone’s bravado evaporated entirely as he spun around, his flashlight flickering. “Okay, nope. I’m out. We’re leaving. Right now,” he declared, tugging at the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. He pulled harder, panic rising in his voice. “This isn’t funny anymore! It’s stuck!”
Kate backed away from the door, her face pale. “This has to be some kind of prank. Or maybe it’s the wind?”
Javi shook his head, swallowing hard as he glanced back down the dark hallway, where shadows seemed to writhe and stretch toward them. “That’s not the wind, Kate. There’s no way.”
Tyler turned to face the others, his jaw clenched. “Alright, let’s stay calm. We’ve got to find another way out of here,” he said, but his voice wavered as the whispers continued to creep through the air, growing louder with every passing second.
Y/N’s grip on Tyler’s arm tightened as she fought to keep her fear in check. The shadows seemed to pulse around them, growing darker with each flicker of their flashlights. Her pulse quickened when she thought she saw a figure standing at the end of the hallway, barely visible in the dim light a dark silhouette that didn’t move. “Tyler… there’s someone down there,” she breathed, barely able to form the words.
Tyler turned his flashlight in the direction she was pointing, but the beam only illuminated an empty hallway. He squinted, straining to see beyond the darkness, but the figure she saw seemed to melt into the shadows. “I don’t see anything,” he said, though he kept his voice low, as if afraid that raising it might make the darkness react.
Boone finally gave up on the door, turning back to the group with panic clear in his eyes. “Let’s head back the way we came. We’ll find a window or something to climb out of.”
But as they turned to retrace their steps, a chilling breeze swept through the hallway, carrying with it a deep, raspy voice that sent shivers down their spines. “You’ll never leave,” it hissed, the words wrapping around them like ice.
The lights flickered wildly, and Y/N felt Tyler’s arm slip around her waist, pulling her closer as if to shield her from whatever was lurking in the shadows. He met her gaze, his expression serious despite the fear that flickered in his eyes. “I’m not letting anything happen to you, Y/N. We’re getting out of here. Together.”
The words were barely out of his mouth when a loud bang echoed through the hallway, the sound of a door slamming shut deeper inside the building. Boone and Javi jumped, nearly dropping their equipment, while Kate let out a small yelp, stumbling backward.
Tyler’s eyes darted to the shadows, his jaw clenched. “Alright, that’s it. Everyone stick close. We’re finding another way out now.”
Just as they started to move down the hallway, there was a scuffling noise, like footsteps shuffling across the dusty floor behind them. Y/N turned, her flashlight cutting through the darkness, but all she saw was empty space until she caught a glimpse of movement, something slipping out of sight around the corner. Her breath caught in her throat, and she squeezed Tyler’s hand, forcing herself to keep moving forward even as dread twisted in her stomach.
The group pressed forward, but the whispers followed them, growing louder and more insistent, as if urging them deeper into the darkness. Tyler kept Y/N close by his side, his arm brushing against hers with every step, a steady presence amid the chaos. She clung to that comfort, even as the air seemed to grow colder, each breath visible in the dim light.
And then, just when it felt like the building was closing in around them, the whispers stopped, plunging the sanatorium into a heavy silence. For a moment, all they could hear was the sound of their own breathing, the rapid thumping of their hearts.
But before they could process the sudden quiet, another door creaked open somewhere down the hallway a slow, deliberate sound that sent a fresh wave of fear washing over them.
Tyler turned to Y/N, his expression grim but determined. “Whatever happens, stay close to me, you hear? We’re getting out of this place if I have to carry you out.”
She nodded, managing a small, shaky smile. “You’ve got yourself a deal, cowboy.”
But as they moved toward the sound, knowing it was their only hope of escape, they couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching them something that had no intention of letting them leave.
And as the next door creaked open, revealing a staircase descending into pitch blackness, Y/N couldn’t shake the feeling that their night had only just begun.
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mostlysignssomeportents · 2 years ago
Text
This is your brain on fraud apologetics
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In 1998, two Stanford students published a paper in Computer Networks entitled “The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine,” in which they wrote, “Advertising funded search engines will be inherently biased towards the advertisers and away from the needs of consumers.”
https://research.google/pubs/pub334/
If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security
The co-authors were Lawrence Page and Sergey Brin, and the “large-scale hypertextual web search-engine” they were describing was their new project, which they called “Google.” They were 100% correct — prescient, even!
On Wednesday night, a friend came over to watch some TV with us. We ordered out. We got scammed. We searched for a great local Thai place we like called Kiin and clicked a sponsored link for a Wix site called “Kiinthaila.com.” We should have clicked the third link down (kiinthaiburbank.com).
We got scammed. The Wix site was a lookalike for Kiin Thai, which marked up their prices by 15% and relayed the order to our local, mom-and-pop, one-branch restaurant. The restaurant knew it, too — they called us and told us they were canceling the order, and said we could still come get our food, but we’d have to call Amex to reverse the charge.
As it turned out, the scammers double-billed us for our order. I called Amex, who advised us to call back in a couple days when the charge posted to cancel it — in other words, they were treating it as a regular customer dispute, and not a systemic, widespread fraud (there’s no way this scammer is just doing this for one restaurant).
In the grand scheme of things, this is a minor hassle, but boy, it’s haunting to watch the quarter-century old prophecy of Brin and Page coming true. Search Google for carpenters, plumbers, gas-stations, locksmiths, concert tickets, entry visas, jobs at the US Post Office or (not making this up) tech support for Google products, and the top result will be a paid ad for a scam. Sometimes it’s several of the top ads.
This kind of “intermediation” business is actually revered in business-schools. As Douglas Rushkoff has written, the modern business wisdom reveres “going meta” — not doing anything useful, but rather, creating a chokepoint between people who do useful things and people who want to pay for those things, and squatting there, collecting rent:
https://rushkoff.medium.com/going-meta-d42c6a09225e
It’s the ultimate passive income/rise and grind side-hustle: It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to discover a whole festering nest of creeps on Tiktok talking about how they pay Mechanical Turks to produce these lookalike sites at scale.
This mindset is so pervasive that people running companies with billions in revenue and massive hoards of venture capital run exactly the same scam. During lockdown, companies like Doordash, Grubhub and Uber Eats stood up predatory lookalike websites for local restaurants, without their consent, and played monster-in-the-middle, tricking diners into ordering through them:
https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/19/we-are-beautiful/#man-in-the-middle
These delivery app companies were playing a classic enshittification game: first they directed surpluses to customers to lock them in (heavily discounting food), then they directed surplus to restaurants (preferential search results, free delivery, low commissions) — then, having locked in both consumers and producers, they harvested the surplus for themselves.
Today, delivery apps charge massive premiums to both eaters and restaurants, load up every order with junk fees, and clone the most successful restaurants out of ghost kitchens — shipping containers in parking lots crammed with low-waged workers cranking out orders for 15 different fake “virtual restaurants”:
https://pluralistic.net/2020/12/01/autophagic-buckeyes/#subsidized-autophagia
Delivery apps speedran the enshittification cycle, but Google took a slower path to get there. The company has locked in billions of users (e.g. by paying billions to be the default search on Safari and Firefox and using legal bullying to block third party Android device-makers from pre-installing browsers other than Chrome). For years, it’s been leveraging our lock-in to prey on small businesses, getting them to set up Google Business Profiles.
These profiles are supposed to help Google distinguish between real sellers and scammers. But Kiin Thai has a Google Business Profile, and searching for “kiin thai burbank” brings up a “Knowledge Panel” with the correct website address — on a page that is headed with a link to a scam website for the same business. Google, in other words, has everything it needs to flag lookalike sites and confirm them with their registered owners. It would cost Google money to do this — engineer-time to build and maintain the system, content moderator time to manually check flagged listings, and lost ad-revenue from scammers — but letting the scams flourish makes Google money, at the expense of Google users and Google business customers.
Now, Google has an answer for this: they tell merchants who are being impersonated by ad-buying scammers that all they need to do is outbid them for the top ad-spot. This is a common approach — Amazon has a $31b/year “ad business” that’s mostly its own platform sellers bidding against each other to show you fake results for your query. The first five screens of Amazon search results are 50% ads:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/#relentless-payola
This is “going meta,” so naturally, Meta is doing it too: Facebook and Instagram have announced a $12/month “verification” badge that will let you report impersonation and tweak the algorithm to make it more likely that the posts you make are shown to the people who explicitly asked to see them:
https://www.vox.com/recode/2023/2/21/23609375/meta-verified-twitter-blue-checkmark-badge-instagram-facebook
The corollary of this, of course, is that if you don’t pay, they won’t police your impersonators, and they won’t show your posts to the people who asked to see them. This is pure enshittification — the surplus from users and business customers is harvested for the benefit of the platform owners:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys
The idea that merchants should master the platforms as a means of keeping us safe from their impersonators is a hollow joke. For one thing, the rules change all the time, as the platforms endlessly twiddle the knobs that determine what gets shown to whom:
https://doctorow.medium.com/twiddler-1b5c9690cce6
And they refuse to tell anyone what the rules are, because if they told you what the rules were, you’d be able to bypass them. Content moderation is the only infosec domain where “security through obscurity” doesn’t get laughed out of the room:
https://doctorow.medium.com/como-is-infosec-307f87004563
Worse: the one thing the platforms do hunt down and exterminate with extreme prejudice is anything that users or business-customers use to twiddle back — add-ons and plugins and jailbreaks that override their poor choices with better ones:
https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/29/23378541/the-og-app-instagram-clone-pulled-from-app-store
As I was submitting complaints about the fake Kiin scam-site (and Amex’s handling of my fraud call) to the FTC, the California Attorney General, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau and Wix, I wrote a little Twitter thread about what a gross scam this is:
https://twitter.com/doctorow/status/1628948906657878016
The thread got more than two million reads and got picked up by Hacker News and other sites. While most of the responses evinced solidarity and frustration and recounted similar incidents in other domains, a significant plurality of the replies were scam apologetics — messages from people who wanted to explain why this wasn’t a problem after all.
The most common of these was victim-blaming: “you should have used an adblocker” or “never click the sponsored link.” Of course, I do use an ad-blocker — but this order was placed with a mobile browser, after an absentminded query into the Google search-box permanently placed on the home screen, which opens results in Chrome (where I don’t have an ad-blocker, so I can see material behind an ad-blocker-blocker), not Firefox (which does have an ad-blocker).
Now, I also have a PiHole on my home LAN, which blocks most ads even in a default browser — but earlier this day, I’d been on a public wifi network that was erroneously blocking a website (the always excellent superpunch.net) so I’d turned my wifi off, which meant the connection came over my phone���s 5G connection, bypassing the PiHole:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/28/shut-yer-pi-hole/
“Don’t click a sponsored link” — well, the irony here is that if you habitually use a browser with an ad-blocker, and you backstop it with a PiHole, you never see sponsored links, so it’s easy to miss the tiny “Sponsored” notification beside the search result. That goes double if you’re relaxing with a dinner guest on the sofa and ordering dinner while chatting.
There’s a name for this kind of security failure: the Swiss Cheese Model. We all have multiple defenses (in my case: foreknowledge of Google’s ad-scam problem, an ad-blocker in my browser, LAN-wide ad sinkholing). We also have multiple vulnerabilities (in my case: forgetting I was on 5G, being distracted by conversation, using a mobile device with a permanent insecure search bar on the homescreen, and being so accustomed to ad-blocked results that I got out of the habit of checking whether a result was an ad).
If you think you aren’t vulnerable to scams, you’re wrong — and your confidence in your invulnerability actually increases your risk. This isn’t the first time I’ve been scammed, and it won’t be the last — and every time, it’s been a Swiss Cheese failure, where all the holes in all my defenses lined up for a brief instant and left me vulnerable:
https://locusmag.com/2010/05/cory-doctorow-persistence-pays-parasites/
Other apologetics: “just call the restaurant rather than using its website.” Look, I know the people who say this don’t think I have a time-machine I can use to travel back to the 1980s and retrieve a Yellow Pages, but it’s hard not to snark at them, just the same. Scammers don’t just set up fake websites for your local businesses — they staff them with fake call-centers, too. The same search that takes you to a fake website will also take you to a fake phone number.
Finally, there’s “What do you expect Google to do? They can’t possibly detect this kind of scam.” But they can. Indeed, they are better situated to discover these scams than anyone else, because they have their business profiles, with verified contact information for the merchants being impersonated. When they get an ad that seems to be for the same business but to a different website, they could interrupt the ad process to confirm it with their verified contact info.
Instead, they choose to avoid the expense, and pocket the ad revenue. If a company promises to “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” I think we have the right to demand these kinds of basic countermeasures:
https://www.google.com/search/howsearchworks/our-approach/
The same goes for Amex: when a merchant is scamming customers, they shouldn’t treat complaints as “chargebacks” — they should treat them as reports of a crime in progress. Amex has the bird’s eye view of their transaction flow and when a customer reports a scam, they can backtrack it to see if the same scammer is doing this with other merchants — but the credit card companies make money by not chasing down fraud:
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rosalindadams/mastercard-visa-fraud
Wix also has platform-scale analytics that they could use to detect and interdict this kind of fraud — when a scammer creates a hundred lookalike websites for restaurants and uses Wix’s merchant services to process payments for them, that could trigger human review — but it didn’t.
Where do all of these apologetics come from? Why are people so eager to leap to the defense of scammers and their adtech and fintech enablers? Why is there such an impulse to victim-blame?
I think it’s fear: in their hearts, people — especially techies — know that they, too, are vulnerable to these ripoffs, but they don’t want to admit it. They want to convince themselves that the person who got scammed made an easily avoidable mistake, and that they themselves will never make a similar mistake.
This is doubly true for readerships on tech-heavy forums like Twitter or (especially) Hacker News. These readers know just how many vulnerabilities there are — how many holes are in their Swiss cheese — and they are also overexposed to rise-and-grind/passive income rhetoric.
This produces a powerful cognitive dissonance: “If all the ‘entrepreneurs’ I worship are just laying traps for the unwary, and if I am sometimes unwary, then I’m cheering on the authors of my future enduring misery.” The only way to resolve this dissonance — short of re-evaluating your view of platform capitalism or questioning your own immunity to scams — is to blame the victim.
The median Hacker News reader has to somehow resolve the tension between “just install an adblocker” and “Chrome’s extension sandbox is a dumpster fire and it’s basically impossible to know whether any add-on you install can steal every keystroke and all your other data”:
https://mattfrisbie.substack.com/p/spy-chrome-extension
In my Twitter thread, I called this “the worst of all possible timelines.” Everything we do is mediated by gigantic, surveillant monopolists that spy on us comprehensively from asshole to appetite — but none of them, not a 20th century payment giant nor a 21st century search giant — can bestir itself to use that data to keep us safe from scams.
Next Thu (Mar 2) I'll be in Brussels for Antitrust, Regulation and the Political Economy, along with a who's-who of European and US trustbusters. It's livestreamed, and both in-person and virtual attendance are free:
https://www.brusselsconference.com/registration
On Fri (Mar 3), I'll be in Graz for the Elevate Festival:
https://elevate.at/diskurs/programm/event/e23doctorow/
[Image ID: A modified version of Hieronymus Bosch's painting 'The Conjurer,' which depicts a scam artist playing a shell-game for a group of gawking rubes. The image has been modified so that the scam artist's table has a Google logo and the pea he is triumphantly holding aloft bears the 'Sponsored' wordmark that appears alongside Google search results.]
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marvelwitchergilmore · 8 months ago
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Punch At First Sight
Summary: Anthony Lockwood x Fe!Reader -> You and Lockwood have met a few times before, however after a punch to the face for the third time, Lockwood, which a push from Lucy, decides to make things different.
Disclaimer: Multiple uses of the f-word. Mentions of accidental violence, ghosts, Kipps being a dick, a slap across the face. Fluff, angst, hints of jealousy, and Lucy giving Lockwood a needed talking to. Not Proof Read.
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It was meant to be an easy case. 
A couple of type ones haunting an abandoned building just outside of London. The local ghost hunters had all created that big of a myth they had scared themselves away. And the cost of a Fittes agent was too high of a price for the type of ghosts they had. So, Lockwood and Co were the business chosen. 
Only, it would have been nice to know if one of the previous agents had reached out to an old friend to take care of the job as well. 
But, no. 
Instead, whilst listening out for the ghosts, Lockwood stepped around a corner and when getting ready to attack what he thought was a ghost, he was met with a punch to the face and then a voice calling out; “Oh my god, you’re human.”
“Do you make a habit of punching ghosts?”
Then, through watered eyes, he saw the outline of the person who had punched him and it seemed she had clear enough vision in the dark to recognise him. 
“Lockwood?”
“Wait.” he knew that voice. “Y/n?”
“Holy crap. I am so sorry. Are you okay? Wait. Why are you even here?”
“The same as you, I’m guessing. Unless you tend to sneak into abandoned buildings at two in the morning.”
“Sophie didn’t even tell me they hired someone else. Are you sure you’re alright?”
Lockwood managed to stand up straight this time just as Lucy and George came running round the corner. 
“We heard a scream.”
“What’s going on?”
George looked from Lockwood to you. “Y/n?”
“Hi, George.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you, too.”
“She was hired.” Lockwood explained just before Lucy spotted him. 
“Holy crap, are you okay?”
Lockwood nodded. “Just a little stunned.”
“I really am sorry.”
“We really have to stop meeting like this.” Lockwood said, with a slight smile as he looked at you. 
Then came a scream. 
“Considering we’re all here and considering no-one else was hired to do this job-” George began. 
“That wasn’t a human.” Lucy finished. 
“And since we’re here with minimal weapons.”
One of the ghosts, a woman, came floating through a wall and turned to look at them. 
“Run?” you offered. 
“Run.” Lucy replied. 
Making a break for it, you all tried to outrun the ghost before another one of her friends joined her, pushing all four of you down a different corridor. 
“I’m Lucy, by the way.”
“Y/n. Nice to meet you.”
“You, too.”
By the time the sun was beginning to rise over the city, you all made it back to Portland Row where a fresh bruise had made its way to decorate Lockwood’s face. 
“You have a hell of a punch.” Lockwood said before prodding his own bruise in his reflection of the pan on the stove. 
You chuckled, pulling a bag of peas from the freezer before closing it and walking over. “Quit moaning. It could have been worse. Here.”
Standing, Lockwood seemed to have grown even taller than you. Taller than when you’d both last met. 
Looking at you, you watched as his eyes closed at the cold contact of the bag as you pressed it to his face. 
“Hold it there for a while. It should help with the swelling.”
“You know, we really need to stop meeting like this.”
You narrowed your gaze a little and clicked your tongue. “You’ve already used that line.”
“Have I?” Lockwood seemed to think for a moment before, “Oh, yeah. Suppose I have. But it is true.”
“Hey, the first time was an accident. I thought you were trying to-”
“The first time is an accident, three times is a pattern.”
You smiled sheepishly. “An accidental pattern.”
“Sure about that?”
“Yes.” you said before, “Maybe? Can never be too careful when hunting alone.”
Lockwood’s demeanour changed for a moment. “Alone? You’re hunting alone again?”
“Relax. I’m safe enough.” 
You moved backwards and began to tidy the kitchen a little to give yourself something to do whilst Lockwood leaned back against the kitchen counter, lowering the frozen bag from his face so he could watch you more closely. 
“Are you?”
“Yes, Lockwood. I’m fine. Honestly, you don’t have to worry about me.”
“Doesn’t mean I won’t.”
You held his gaze for a moment, a million thoughts running through your head until it landed on He’s just a friend…
From there, you shifted yourself from the kitchen table and placed the empty glasses in your hand in the sink beside him. 
“Move here.”
“What?”
Lockwood stood tall once more and turned to face you properly. “Move in here. Lucy got a deal when she bought her bed, so she’s got a second one spare. We can set it up on the other side of the loft. I don’t like the thought of you hunting alone.”
“Lockwood, I said I’m fine.”
“What happens if something happens to you? Look, I can put you on the payroll so it won’t be a favour. You’ll be working with us. And you’ll have a team behind you. You’ll also be safe. Please.”
“Lockwood-”
“Please.”
Looking up at him, you saw the desperation in his eyes. 
It wasn’t often he opened himself up or let himself show any kind of vulnerability but when he did…
“Okay. Fine. But you can’t hover over me.”
“I don’t hover.”
“You hover.”
“No I don’t.” 
“Why did George kick you out of the Archive room in the last case we were in together?”
Lockwood thought back and when he didn’t answer, you answered for him. 
“Because you hover.”
“Okay, maybe I hover a little.”
“But before anything is written, the others have to agree. Lucy, too.”
“She will. I know so. It’ll be nice for her to not be outnumbered.”
You moved in three days later.
Lucy had prepared the spare bed for you and even decorated the walls behind your bed with a couple of pictures she found in some old boxes that had yourself, George and Lockwood in them. 
“I didn’t know what you’d want to do, but I thought I would do something to help at least.”
“I love it.” you smiled, dropping one of the boxes onto your bed. “Thank you.”
Over the following week, yourself and Lucy got to know one another, sharing stories late into the night when researching cases and in desperate need of a break. 
Lucy came to learn what Lockwood meant by the punch when you all met not being the first time. You came to find out what brought Lucy to London. And you both came to discover that, with the right planning, you could both scare Lockwood and George. 
Only, one night, George and Lucy decided to tag team which also gave them a chance to talk about you and Lockwood. 
“Do they know? They have to know.”
“Don’t bother.” George sighed. “Three years and nothing has changed.”
“They’ve been like that for three years?”
George just nodded. 
“Seriously?”
“You know I walked into the kitchen yesterday and they were slow dancing in the kitchen and…it was like nothing happened.”
“Yeah…” 
“What?”
“What?” Lucy asked. 
“Your face. You have that…look.”
“What look?”
“The “I’m making a plan” face.”
“Maybe because I am.”
“Well then?”
“What if we tried?”
“I already have.”
“Maybe,” Lucy nodded. “But that was then. Now you’ve got me. Tag-team. What do you say?”
“Well, considering it would take an earthquake to wake them both up from whatever coma they’ve convinced themselves that they’re in…sure. Why not? But how.”
“I haven’t got that far into the plan yet.”
But it didn’t take too long. 
After six months of living with each other, the plan practically made itself. The chemistry between yourself and Lockwood was palpable and even more so when you were outside together. 
Like when you and Lockwood were in the library with George and Lucy where Lockwood was standing behind you, reading the section of paper you were pointing to, his arms caging you in from where you sat, when a group of Fittes Agents waltzed over. 
“You might want to give your girlfriend a little breathing room, Tony. After all, PDA can be off putting especially in such a public place.”
Standing, and not denying it, Lockwood practically burned Kipps a hole in the ground for him to fall through. 
“Relax, Tony. Just having a little fun. So, are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?”
“I’m not his girlfriend.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
Kipps couldn’t help but widen his smile. “You’re not. Well then, Tony.”
However, you were up like a shot standing beside Lockwood. “But I would be very careful in your next choice of words. He might not be my boyfriend but he is my friend.”
Closer up, Kipps seemed to recognise you. Or at least, that’s what his face told you. 
“You know, for all the people in the world, I wouldn't have considered one of the best rogue agents being best buddies with our very own Anthony Lockwood.”
“And why not?”
“Although, rogue is very fitting for Tony. After all, it was breaking the rules that got him into trouble in the first place. Sweetheart, if I were you, I’d walk away whilst you still can.”
The only thing anyone could remember was hearing the contact of your palm across Kipps’ cheek and the red mark left in its place. 
“Fuck you.”
It took a moment to get over the shock before Kipps and his team walked away and you relaxed a little before grabbing your jacket and telling the others you’d be back. 
“Are you-”
“I’m fine, Lockwood. I’ll be back in five.”
It was in those five minutes that one of Kipps’ team found you by the vending machine. 
“I’m sorry about what he said.”
“Why? You didn’t say it. And I’m guessing you’re assigned to be with him.”
“Still, I could have said something to stop him and I didn’t.”
“Something tells me even if you did, he still would have said it anyway.”
“Maybe.”
“What’s your name?”
“Victor.”
“Nice to meet you,Victor.”
Meanwhile, across the room and up a level, Lucy spotted you talking to Victor. Even laughing every once in a while. And when Lockwood joined her, she saw the pain in his eyes before a brick wall came up. 
“We should be getting ready. George found something. I’ll be back in a minute.”
For the rest of the day, Lockwood seemed closed up. Especially towards you. 
“What is your problem?” you eventually asked him. 
“Nothing.”
“Lockwood, I heard you snap at Lucy earlier.”
“She made a mistake.”
“Exactly,” you cut him off. “A mistake. And she’s never made one before.”
“One that could have put one of us in serious danger-”
“We were outside the perimeter.” You could have laughed, until Lockwood asked you a question you weren't expecting. 
“Do you like him?”
“Who?”
“The guy you were talking to earlier.”
“Kipps? You did see me slap him, didn’t you-”
“Not Kipps. Vinny. Or Vincent or…whatever his name is.”
You thought back for a moment. “Victor.”
Lockwood nodded. 
“Do I like him? What are we? 12?”
“Just answer the question.”
“Why?”
“Because I need to know if you’re fraternising with the enemy.”
You laughed. “Fraternizing?”
But when Lockwood didn’t change, you did. 
“You know what, fuck you, Lockwood. What I do with my time outside of work is no concern to you. You know what, do this yourself. I’ll go and help George.”
A few minutes later, Lucy walked inside the room to a very grumpy Lockwood. 
“What the hell did you do? Fraternising? This isn’t Bridgerton, Lockwood.”
“Will you just help with the set-up?”
Sighing, Lucy did as she was told, but not before telling Lockwood a couple things he desperately needed to hear. 
“You’re gonna lose her.”
“What?”
Picking up some of the iron chains and laying them down, Lucy explained. “It might not be Victor, but one day it will be someone. And it probably won’t be long before they come along and whisk her away from your grumpy arse because you’re too stubborn to tell her the truth.”
“What truth?”
“That you like her. Love her, even. If my gut feeling is right. And it usually is.”
“Lucy-”
“Look, you can go on being an arsehole because you’re scared. Or you can talk to her. All I’m saying is do something about it before somebody else does. Both me and George have seen the way you look at her. It’s more than you want to admit, Lockwood. But one day you’re going to have to, or else you are going to lose her and all you’ll have is a bruised eye and a broken nose once every couple of years, if that.”
Lucy didn’t say anything else after that but Lockwood did apologise for snapping at her earlier which she forgave him for after calling him a frustrating bastard. From then, she watched as you all completed the job together and that look that she often saw in Lockwood’s eyes, returned when he looked at you. 
Yet, by the time you had all gotten home, he still hadn't apologised to you. So, with a hard nudge from Lucy, Lockwood finally made his way to find you. 
“Do something before somebody else does, and that includes apologising. And she’s in the Library. Goodnight.”
Lockwood stood outside of the Library door for a while, trying his best to find the right words so he wouldn’t end up with a broken nose, despite how much he probably deserved one. 
You had lit the fire to try and cancel out the cold that had seeped in through a forgotten open window, and if you didn’t know any better, you would have thought it was midnight, not 6 in the morning. 
“Hey.”
Looking behind you, you tried your best not to roll your eyes at Lockwood as he walked inside. 
“I’m just looking over some old cases. Just so you know that I’m not fraternising with the enemy by reading a book.”
“I shouldn’t have said it like that.” Lockwood began. “I shouldn’t have said it at all. I just…I guess I panicked.”
“That’s a bullshit excuse and you know it.”
“You’re right. And I’m sorry.”
You looked at him.
“Really, really sorry. For the fraternising comment and the bullshit excuse.”
You took a minute and it was the longest minute of his life. 
“Okay, guess I can forgive you.”
“I’m still sorry.”
“I know, that’s why I forgave you. But a cup of tea wouldn’t hurt.”
Lockwood smiled. “Okay. One tea coming up.”
Only, as he walked away, you answered his question. 
“And I’m not…fraternising with the enemy. Victor and I were just talking. I think you’d like him. I think he might hate Kipps just as much as you do. And, no.” you shook your head. “I don’t like him. Just so you know…”
Lockwood nodded and for a moment, turned to walk away until Lucy’s words echoed again in his head. 
“Do something about it, before somebody else does.”
So he did. 
Sighing under his breath, he took the jump, turned around and reached for you. 
Taking your head in his hands, he cupped your jaw before bringing your lips to his. At first, it shocked you and for a split second, he thought he was about to get his nose broken for good this time. 
Until you kissed back. 
You felt yourself stumble a little but Lockwood caught you, holding you close to him before his forehead came to touch yours, your eyes still closed. 
“Wow.”
“I’m sorry but I just had to-”
You shook your head, “Don’t apologise.”
“No?”
You couldn’t help but smile. “No.”
“So you’re not going to break my nose.”
“Not this time,” you laughed a little. 
“Okay…then I’m gonna jump. I like you. Well, I more than like you. Like way, way more. And I…I want to do something about it before someone else does.”
“Like Victor?”
“Yeah,” Lockwood laughed a little. “Like Victor.”
“Then…good. I’m glad you finally jumped.”
“You are.”
You nodded. “I mean, you have terrible timing but yeah, I’m glad you jumped.”
“Good.”
“Good. Now, are you gonna kiss me again or am I gonna have to-”
Lockwood didn’t need telling twice. 
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selkiesongss · 12 days ago
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listen. when it comes to which manifestation of magic would choose sam, i'll admit that seegenpelater is the obvious answer. i get it, i do! like lou mentioned in today's AP, it's literally persuasion magic, obviously that meshes well with sam's magical strengths
HOWEVER !!! i am a firm believer that at her core, sam is more aligned with miskoro (alteration) than seegenpelater
lengthy and incoherent rambling below the cut
as @/wanderingsoftly noted in an earlier post of theirs on this topic, sam's very first spell was transmuting lint into a sundae. i'd like to point out that when given the reality-warping powers of magic, she doesn't think to just poof a sundae into existence - her first thought is to use the lint from her pocket as some kind of equivalent(ish) exchange.
i see this mindset of 'work with what you've got' as a huge part of sam's character, since in her interactions with both the pilot program and the world, she always meets people where they're at. she consistently matches people's energies in a way that neither diminishes nor amplifies, but in a way that illuminates. i think the clearest manifestation of that is in her local charm effect- she doesn't try to be likeable, her presence is just so warm and kind that you can't help but be disarmed. you bare your soul to her, and she responds with a compassionate and tender understanding that opens up an entirely new world of possibilities.
sam sheds light on the ugly, harsh edges of a person and embraces them as they are- not to be romanticized but not to be neglected either. she's an amazing friend when life is good and a safe haven when life gets rough; she was there for jammer when he took on alexis the dragon's curse, for k after they accidentally killed evan, and for evan when he was still a shadow haunting a pair of shoes. there is no aspect of humanity that sam butler/black/britain is too afraid to hold, because no burden is too great to be shared.
with that being said, i'll try to get to my actual argument.
sam is undeniably magnetic, able to compel demons into releasing their grip on evan's soul, and i'm not going to dismiss that at all! sam's ability to influence the people around her is a fundamental part of her character, but i think it's important to draw a distinction between being magically persuasive and being naturally persuasive, as sam usually falls into the latter category.
as for why that distinction is important, it's a matter of intention.
the magic of seegenpelater is inherently subjective, taking perceived reality and molding it into illusory shapes at the whims of its user. on the other hand, the magic of miskoro is inherently objective; its alterations are exactly what they present themselves to be. as we've seen on weugan, sam is deeply opposed to projecting her desires onto others and seegenpelater is entirely antithetical to that. in contrast, miskoro represents the honest potential to change- which sam has always kindled in those around her- and i think that perfectly aligns with who she is at her core.
sam has been helping people out since day one. she provides the warmth and safety they need to grow past their fixed ideas about who they should be and into who they could be. she's been a sailor moon fangirl, a twitch streamer, a scuppers player, a television host, a celebrity, the world's greatest wizard, and only the qohlye knows who she'll be next!
sam butler/black/britain is a woman who treats surnames like haute couture, a wizard perpetually moving forward, unbridled by the threat of stagnation, and i am deeply obsessed with her. somebody please sedate me.
anyway save my girl from cannibal island PLEASE !!!! drop by purble place and get some dope ass alchemy powers instead :3
LET SAM COMMIT CRIMES AGAINST THE NATURAL SCIENCES '24
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ladykailitha · 22 days ago
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Around the World Part 6
Hello! And welcome to another chapter of this very underrated fic. Thank you to everyone who has given it love in the way of comments, reblogs/tags, and likes.
It's London calling! And we meet a Murray Bauman in the wild. Eddie and Steve get a little introspective and Steve does something rash.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
~
Their trip through the haunting and beautiful Ireland was amazing. So many tales and history. This is why Steve wanted to do more than just America like Eddie had originally wanted, because America just didn’t have the history Europe and other places did. Not unless you wanted to disturb actual First Nation people and that was something he wanted to avoid at all cost, thank you.
They were on the ferry from Northern Ireland to Scotland and Steve was looking out over his shoulder at the water as he leaned against the guardrail. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, allowing the wind to blow through his hair.
Eddie slid his arm around him and Steve laid his head on his shoulder.
Today Eddie had his beard and faux-dreadlocks in a light blue button up shirt and cream colored wide-legged pants. His chunky sunglasses covered the his face.
“You know,” Eddie murmured, “until we reached this leg of our journey and you started to disguise me, I didn’t realize how much I missed just being Eddie Munson, regular guy. I can really see the appeal of you and friends’ way of doing it.”
“Yeah,” Steve said softly. “Of course it means that we can’t go all out and buy everything we want, stay in fancy hotels, show up at restaurants without a reservation and get in. But I can go into my local grocery store and buy two tubs of mint ice cream because I felt like it.” He lifted his head to look Eddie in the eye. “Like some Karen would judge me, but it’s not going to go up on TMZ that I’m letting myself go.”
God, Eddie had had that happen more times than he cared to count. Like once Chrissy was on her period and he went to go get her chocolate, Ben and Jerry’s, and pads. Before he even got to his car it was all over the internet that he was letting himself go, just because it was 2am and his best friend needed something to help her feel better.
“You think you’ll ever come out?” he asked, pulling Steve in closer.
It was a familiar and well-worn topic of theirs; whether or not Steve would ever come out as bisexual at least.
He ducked his head and looked away. He didn’t know. He didn’t like hiding parts of himself for those he loved. He would like to tell people this is the love of my life.
“Would you leave me if I said no?” he mumbled, not daring to look up.
Eddie placed his finger under Steve’s chin and lifted his head gently. “Of course not, Stevie. There are literal actors who have been married for years and no one knows. It’s just between them. We could do that too. Just a quiet ceremony, Robin and Chrissy as the witnesses, and a justice of the peace.”
Steve let out a weak sort of watery laugh and shook his head. “I want all our friends there, famous and otherwise. I want a full tilt party with music playing into the early hours of the morning. I want fancy tuxes and flowers galore. I know I might not get that, the absolute coward that I am. But if I marry you, it be to scream from the rooftops that I love you.”
Eddie bumped their shoulders together. “Softy.” Steve blushed. “Besides there is nothing in the world that says we can’t have it both ways. Have a quiet little ‘just us’ and then go full tilt when you come out. You don’t even have to tell anyone. Just a little comfort that I’m not going anywhere.”
Steve pressed a gentle kiss to Eddie’s cheek. “I’ll think about it.”
Eddie kissed him deeply and then tucked his head under his chin and they stayed like that until the ferry docked in Scotland.
~
God, Scotland and England were beautiful countries Eddie decided as he watched the rolling green hills from his train window. That was another thing he really liked about Europe in general, just all the different ways to travel that weren’t a car.
He looked over at Steve who had his glasses on and reading a book. He smiled at the title. His boyfriend wasn’t a fantasy fan or science fiction either, really, but put a clever mystery in his hands and you would have to pry to the book from his cold, dead fingers.
He glanced over at Chrissy and Robin who were playing Go Fish! They had asked him if he wanted to join them, but he passed. He rarely got time to just relax and watch the scenery go by when he was on tour. He was always doing something related to the band. Writing music, practicing, talking about the next venue, interview, or TV spot.
Him and his friends had fun, because of course they did. But it was nice to just let his mind wander. Currently he was sad that they were going to have to miss Wales this time. He really wanted to buy some Welsh gold jewelry. It’s super rare and absolutely gorgeous.
Maybe he would have to come back later and get something special for Steve. Just something simple like matching bands even if it wasn’t on the left hand. Or necklaces. Just something simple to prove they were it for each other.
“I made an appointment with a well-known tattoo artist in London,” Steve said nonchalant, but like he was reading Eddie’s thoughts.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to Steve. Robin nearly giving herself whiplash in her speed.
“As your friend, manager, and platonic soulmate,” she said darkly, “I advise against that. You can cover it up but someone, somewhere will see it.”
Steve looked up from his book and leveled her with his best bitchy glare. “Not if it’s on my ass.”
Chrissy and Eddie’s eyebrows shot up and they shared a shocked glance. Eddie always loved tattoos, he had a couple of stick and poke style ones from when he was young and stupid and couldn’t afford to pay for an artist to do the job, but there was one place, well technically two if you included his dick, which he absolutely did, that he refused to get a tattoo on and that was his ass. Not being able to sit down properly for what would probably be weeks was not his idea of a good time.
“Not really, though, right?” Chrissy asked with a grimace.
Steve took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Of course not really. Sheesh, you guys. But I hid fucking hickies from the both of you for a year and you never noticed, so I’m pretty sure I can hide one fucking tattoo.”
Robin and Chrissy shared their little ‘manager’ glance and Chrissy folded first.
“You’re right, Steve,” she said calmly. “Not once did you forget or slip up and you should be applauded for that. But is there a reason you’re deciding to get a tattoo now instead of waiting until we’re back in the States and you can use Eddie’s personal artist?”
He looked over at Robin and their little telepathy thing went off again and this time Robin folded first.
“It’s for Eddie,” she murmured. “They can’t be out as a couple and with Steve being the romantic that he is, wouldn’t want to get married without all his friends there, so this is his way of telling Eddie he isn’t going anywhere either.”
Eddie blinked for a moment. “Do you think they take walk-ins?”
“I booked it for both of us.” Steve smiled at him and took his hand. Eddie beamed back at him.
“They are so disgustingly cute,” Robin huffed, crossing her arms. “I bet Steve has this really sweet idea for a tattoo that even if people do notice it they won’t be able to tell the meaning but he and Eddie will know and be so sickeningly precious about it.”
Eddie gave him a huge kiss on the cheek. “I love my super clever boyfriend and can’t wait to see what this brilliant plan is.”
~
Steve’s brilliant plan was half of a white mask on Eddie’s inner wrist and half of guitar on Steve’s and when they held hands it formed almost heart.
The tattoo artist was really impressed with the idea and was more than happy to implement it. Steve walked out of there, completely smug as Chrissy pointed out. Deservedly so.
They were to stay in London for three days because of all the haunted places in London alone, there were so many worth visiting. They were going to start at Jack the Ripper tour and move onto the tour of London.
The tour they learned with deep dismay had accidentally been scheduled at 2pm and not 2am like Eddie had thought it said. It was so boring and their tour guide so dull, Eddie accidentally tripped of one of those concrete pillars they had in the middle of the sidewalk to prevent cars from driving up on it.
“Oof!” Eddie wheezed as he straightened up. “Why do they even put those things here?”
“Chrissy Cunningham,” a nasally voice said from behind them. “What are you doing in my neck of the woods?”
They all turned slowly to see a weaselly little bald man with thick horn-rimmed glass.
“Holy shit,” Chrissy said slowly. “Murray Bauman, as I live and breath. What the hell are you doing in London?”
He shrugged. “Eking out a living doing tours for bored tourists. When the biggest metal band in the world drops you, so does everyone else.”
Chrissy and Eddie shared a grimace. Corroded Coffin had deliberately did that to Nancy after the shit she pulled with Steve and trying to be The Fallen’s agent. But this one was a complete accident.
“Oh fuck off,” Robin said with a grin. “You love it. I can tell. You have actual notes written down, you have a map marked with all the spots the murders take place. I bet you have all the great stories.”
Murray flushed and cocked his head to the side. “I mean I didn’t want to brag. But yeah, certainly better than Molly over there.” He jutted his thumb at their tour guide. “Most of the good ones are from tour companies and then you get people like Molly who make it look legit online and trick people into taking day tours.”
“God, I was so bored,” Eddie huffed, shoving his hands into his pockets, “I felt jet lagged.”
Murray’s eyes instantly narrowed and cocked his head to the side and instantly everyone else tensed up. He took in their reactions and mimed zipping his mouth shut.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said, “if you’re still in town tomorrow, meet me here at 9pm and I’ll give you a proper tour.”
Chrissy licked her lips slowly. “Or what?”
“Huh?” He was confused for a moment before he smacked his forehead. “Oh! No, no. I’m not going to blackmail you. Holy shit. If people want to enjoy a vacation without all the publicity, good on them.” He looked Eddie up and down. “Looks good on you kid.”
Eddie was suddenly glad for the large sunglasses and beard because it hid the blush on his cheeks.
“No, I’m just saying,” Murray continued, “that if you wanted to experience a proper Jack the Ripper tour, I’m willing to do it. I don’t have a tour currently booked and beside I like her.” He pointed at Robin, who grinned back him.
The four them all shared glances at each other.
“I’m down,” Steve said with a shrug. “If you’re as good as you say you are and aren’t trying to actively ‘get back’ at Chrissy for taking your job, I know I’d be interested in seeing what Whitechapel has to offer after dark.”
“I like him too,” Murray said brightly, rubbing his hands together. “So what do the rest of you say?”
“Aye, aye, Captain!” Steve’s three menaces said together.
He just smiled fondly and shook his head.
~
Part 7 Part 8 Part 9
Tag List: CLOSED
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10- @sadisticaltarts @urkadop @chameleonhair @clockworkballerina
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deconstructivesurgery · 7 months ago
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listen i haven't posted seriously in long-form about bg3 in a hot minute but i've been getting back into it bit by bit and i'm still on my gale and astarion shit.
not the "they hate each other but they love each other" stuff or the "toxic yaoi" (although it is funny to me sometimes) dynamic people seem to typically slap onto them, but rather just- whether you wish to see it in a romantic light or not- the pure potential for a true bitchy wine aunt relationship that lies there.
not only do i think they genuinely like each other in a surprisingly uncomplicated way at times despite how complicated both of them are personally, i will die on the hill of them just being... a bit snobbish together. bitching about wine or food that astarion can't even taste (won't stop him from insulting something based on look alone), reading and reviewing books together, perpetually remaining pretentious about architecture and style in distinctly different ways (grand and gothic versus the absolute hullabaloo of softer maximalism that i can see gale enjoying).
i can see in their good endings an outcome where once in a blue moon a vaguely irritable Newly Minted Adventurer/Locally Morally Dubious Hero Astarion Ancunin occasionally manifests his merry little self at one Prof. Gale Dekarios' door because what IS he there for if not to serve as a free-to-access resource of magical aid anytime he encounters some sort of odd curse or magical foe or what-have-you that he isn't well-versed in. who else is going to gleefully and without question provide him with enchanted weapons that most people would look at with concern. to boot, who else is going to provide said things while also being a good conversation partner.
if he happens to dredge up odd magical shit once in a while while he's romping around the country and drops it off at gale's doorstep (chance of spontaneous combustion, mad howling emanating from a haunted amulet, etc. be damned) every so often, it's only fair.
people love the drama that comes with a less stable outcome to their relationship, and that's entirely fair if that's the dynamic that you prefer out of these characters, but i think the potential for just genuine non-spiteful banter and connection is often overlooked. i think, at very least, that they could and should be good lasting friends. send tweet
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arcane-vagabond · 9 months ago
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Meet Me at the Sea: Chapter Thirteen
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Meet Me at the Sea: Chapter Thirteen
Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader
Summary: Your best friend, Bob Floyd, had insisted you join him for the summer at his family's home along the Carolina coasts. You had been hesitant at first, but ultimately agreed to his request. Now, here you were in a new town with strange locals who spoke in hushed whispers and cryptic retellings about glistening scales, glowing eyes, and haunting songs that echoed from the sea. You didn't believe them at first, but when you wake up on the beach one morning after having fallen overboard the night before, you can't help but think that maybe you hadn't imagine the strong arms and deep, green eyes of the man that had saved you.
Chapter Warnings: Jake and Skipper fight, Bradley flirts, Vivid descriptions of drowning, Supernatural elements, Siren Song, Biting, Smut (P in V, fingering, dirty talk), Confrontations, Love confessions, Fluff, Angst, Happy Ending. Think that's it, but let me know if I missed anything!
Word Count: 6k
Series Masterlist || Moodboards || Playlist
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Your group walked down the lamp-lit streets silently, an air of tension surrounding the four of you. Of course, you knew what you had done had been completely stupid, and they were right to be mad at you. But you knew you had done the right thing, and you knew they knew that too. That didn’t mean that you hadn’t scared them though, and you let out a quiet sigh as you waited for the inevitable blow up from one of them - most likely Jake, if you had to guess.
He was tense beside you as you all continued down towards the house, his jaw clenched so hard that you swore you could hear his teeth grinding. His eyes still glowed ominously, though not as vividly as they had only minutes before. He refused to look at you, eyes trained forward as he kept his hands shoved in his pockets, refusing to touch you.
You deserved his ire.
Bradley hit the steps of the house first, walking up them casually as if he didn’t have a care in the world. You saw the way his nostrils flared though and the way his eyes seemed pinched as he ripped the screen door open and stepped inside.
Bob was close behind him, lips pulled into a tight frown with eyes trained on the ground. He grabbed the door before it slammed shut, pausing for just a moment to look back at you, blue eyes reproachful. You met his gaze, silently communicating your apologies for having scared him, and he must have understood you because he let out a defeated sigh before stepping inside.
You moved to follow him, letting out a shocked gasp as you were dragged backwards and pinned against the pillar of the porch.
Jake’s gaze was thunderous as he finally looked at you, a deep frown on his face as his eyes glowed that ominous green in fury. He leaned into you, forearm pressed to the wood above your head as he crowded you.
“Do you have any idea,” he hissed, eyes narrowing at you, “of how badly you scared me just now?”
You said nothing as he took a deep breath in before letting it out, eyes falling closed for a moment. He opened them again, and this time you could see a mixture of fear and despair beyond the palpable anger.
“I need you safe, Skipper,” he continued, voice so low that it was almost a growl. His hand came up to cup your cheek, eyes begging you to understand him. “I needed to know that you were going to be okay, and what did you do? You ran off without telling anyone where you were going. Do you have any idea how out of my mind I was when I realized you were gone?”
“I’m sorry for scaring you,” you whispered, heart thumping in your chest as you watched him. “But I’m not sorry for what I did.”
Jake’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before narrowing at you, jaw clenching.
“What?” He all but spat at you. Despite his obvious anger, his hand remained gentle on your face.
“I’m not sorry for what I did,” you repeated, voice firmer this time as you jutted your chin out. “I did what I had to do. Running away wasn’t going to fix any of this, and you all know it. It was a temporary solution to a bigger problem. I did what needed to be done.”
“You could have gotten hurt,” he growled, the glow in his eyes brightening as his pupils once again narrowed to slits at the thought of what could have happened to you. “You could have been killed.”
“But I wasn’t,” you reminded him. You knew you were pressing your luck in that moment, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care. Jake let out a hiss mixed with several different clicks, the sound not unlike that of a dolphin.
“You’re mine,” he hissed.
“If I’m yours,” you started, “then you’re mine too. And just like you protect what’s yours, I’m going to protect what’s mine.”
Jake let out another growl, dropping his hand and pushing away from you, running a hand through his hair as he let out a frustrated grunt. You pushed off of the pillar, following him towards the edge of the porch as he paced back and forth, feeling your own emotions rise up in your chest.
“I did what I did because that could have so easily been you, Jake,” you choked out, tears welling up in your eyes. “I saw you in Cole. It could have been you losing control. It could have been you hurting people. Jake, I could have lost you.”
He paused at that, coming to a halt in his movement. He looked up at you, his pupils returning to normal as the anger and despair melted from his face, leaving behind a look of uncertain neutrality.
“But it wasn’t,” he told you.
You stared at him, slack jawed before pulling your shoulders back and pressing your lips into a thin line.
“It wasn’t,” you agreed. Jake’s own lips pursed as he shook his head, taking a step towards you and offering you his hand.
“It won’t be,” he promised, eyes shining in the low light of the porch, the glow having altogether vanished. Your bottom lip began to tremble, heat rising to your cheeks.
“I know,” you whispered, cursing at how your voice cracked. Jake’s gaze softened as he looked at you, crossing the distance to cradle your face in his hands. His thumbs stroked over the apples of your cheeks.
“It won’t be,” he repeated, offering you a gentle smile. “And do you know why?”
“Why?” You asked, lifting your hands to rest over his.
“Because Cole didn’t have what I have,” he murmured, resting his forehead against yours, nose brushing you. “He didn’t have you, darlin’. With you by my side, nothing bad is ever going to happen.”
You huffed out a laugh, lips tugging into a shy smile as he grinned along with you.
“There you go being all cheesy again,” you teased, earning a chuckle.
“Only for you,” he agreed, leaning down to place a chaste kiss to your lips. You hummed against him, eagerly returning the kiss, and he pulled back with a chuckle.
“We ought to get inside and let the others say their peace,” he winked, and you let out a tired sigh.
“Might as well get it over with,” you muttered, allowing him to lead you into the house.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Nat cried out as soon as you stepped foot into the living room, running up to you and pulling you into a hug. “You had us all scared to death.”
“Thought Jake was gonna break all the furniture,” Mickey agreed, pulling you from Nat to give you his own hug.
Javy shook his head with a look of pure exasperation. “Thought we were going to have to knock him out there for a second if he didn’t calm down.”
“Doesn’t matter now,” Reuben chimed in, patting you on the back with a sympathetic smile. “She’s safe and here now. That’s all that matters, right?”
“I don’t know,” Bradley drawled from his spot on the couch. You all turned to him, watching as he slowly stood to his feet and sauntered over to you, a serious look on his face.
“What you did was impulsive and reckless,” he continued, coming to a stop right in front of you. “You scared the hell out of all of us.”
“I’m sorry,” you murmured, looking down at the floor.
“Sorry isn’t good enough.”
Your head shot back up, eyes wide and lips parted in shock as you stared at him. The others also turned to look at him, confusion written all over their faces.
“You have a lot of making up to do,” Bradley sniffed, leaning down so that his face was right in front of yours. A slow, lascivious smirk pulled on his lips as he looked at you. “You can start by letting me take you out, and then we can come back here to-”
“Bradshaw, I will bite you again, so help me god,” Jake growled, pulling you back towards him so that your back bumped his chest. Bradley threw his hands up in surrender, shooting you a wink with a much more playful smirk.
“Alright, scrap that last part then. But you’re buying me some cheese fries from the diner,” he told you, pointing a finger in your direction.
“Deal,” you grinned.
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It had been a couple of days since you last saw Jake, your boyfriend having told you that he needed time to prepare for the height of his frenzy.
“I just want things to be perfect,” he had told you, holding your fingers to his lips with gentle kisses against them as he looked at you. “You deserve the best.”
“I suppose I do,” you hummed, a teasing grin on your face. “After all, I am pretty great.”
Jake’s lips quirked into a grin as he placed another kiss to your fingers.
“The greatest,” he agreed.
And now here you stood on the deck of Susan and Richard Floyd’s home, a small piece of paper in your hands. You had been sitting in your room, reading when a familiar feeling overtook you, your ears perking up as a song called out to you from down below.
Come outside, It sang. Obediently, you set your book down, making your way down the stairs and out the back door. You stepped out into the summer evening, breathing in the ocean air. You frowned when you realized that you were all alone, your boyfriend nowhere in sight. You walked the length of the deck, turning the corner to still find no trace of him. With a huff, you placed your hands on your hips, moving to go back inside when something caught your eye.
On the top of the stairs that led down to the dock sat a large whelk shell, the coloring dazzling as it sat on the wooden step. You walked over, crouching down to pick it up and revealing a small piece of white paper laying underneath. Furrowing your brow, you plucked it up, sitting down on the top step to read it.
Meet me at the sea. One hour.
You didn’t have to be told where to meet. You and Jake had discussed it before and he had made it clear to you that he wanted to be close to home, the comfort of knowing that safety was nearby soothed his anxiety about the situation.
You glanced towards the water, a small smile on your face as you tried to catch a glimpse of your boyfriend among the waves. You could feel him watching you, but you saw nothing. Shaking your head with a little laugh, you stood back up, making your way back into the house to get ready.
And hour later, you were walking down the road towards Jake and Bradley’s shared home. The house was uncharacteristically quiet as you walked past it towards the beach, the small dock coming into sight as the sun dipped towards the horizon. The sand shifted underneath your feet, soon giving way to the solid wood that led into the ocean in front of you. You slipped off your shoes, placing them next to you as you took a seat at the end of the dock, your feet swinging back and forth casually as you waited.
You didn’t have to wait long as the sound of the water sloshing to your right caught your attention. You turned, eyes meeting intense, glowing green as Jake rested his arms on top of the dock, cheek pressed against his forearms as he watched you. You could see the length of his tail as he watched you, the brilliant silver shining in the waning light. His face remained unreadable as he continued to watch you, but his eyes were so tender as you took him in.
“You’re so pretty,” you whispered, voice sounding a little breathless as your eyes continued to roam. A smile crept onto Jake’s lips at your words, and you watched in awe as he lifted himself the rest of the way up onto the deck, the scales of his tail fluttering and falling away to reveal his legs. He wore nothing as he shifted between the two forms, and though you had seen him change many times before now, it still left you a little breathless to see him.
He moved so that he sat next to you, his shoulder pressed against yours in a bid of silent comfort. You sighed, resting your head against his shoulder as the two of you looked out at the water. The two of you said nothing for a long stretch of time, simply watching the sun sink lower and lower towards the horizon and enjoying each other’s company.
“I kicked Bradley out for the night,” Jake said finally, voice quiet and pensive. “Wanted it to be just you and me. There’s a cave that people use sometimes for the claiming bite, but I wanted you to be comfortable.”
“Oh,” you breathed, soaking in his words. Wordlessly, your hand drifted from your lap to grasp his as you felt nerves rise up in your stomach. Jake sensed your hesitation and turned to look at you, worry pinching his brow as he pursed his lips.
“We don’t have to do anything that you don’t want, Skipper,” he told you, squeezing your hand in his. It wasn’t that you were inexperienced or didn’t want to. No, it was the thought of the process itself. You knew what to expect, and still it was different from actually doing it.
“I want to,” you assured him, giving him a tight smile that you could tell only served to amp his worry.
“Are you sure?” He asked. You chewed on your bottom lip for a moment before nodding.
“I’m sure about you,” you answered earnestly. “I’m sure that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
A smile broke out across his face as he let out a chuckle, leaning forward to kiss your forehead. He pulled away after a moment, resting his forehead against yours as his thumb stroked the back of your hand.
“I love you,” he said, eyes glowing bright as he looked at you. Your heart skipped a beat as your grin matched his.
“I love you too.”
“Are you ready?” He asked, worry creeping onto his face once more.
“I’m ready,” you nodded. Jake swallowed thickly, pulling away from you and pushing himself off the dock and into the water. He entered smoothly, the water barely making a sound as he did so. He resurfaced only a moment later, eyes looking at you expectantly as he reached out his hand. Without hesitating, you placed your hand in his and allowed him to pull you into the water.
The water rushed around you, bubbles skewing your sense of direction as you were engulfed on all sides. Your t-shirt billowed out around you, and you felt strong hands take it and left it up over your head, leaving you in your shorts and bra. You opened your eyes, the sting of the salt water almost making you close them again, but you pushed through it as you caught sight of Jake.
He really was beautiful, silver tail flashing in the low light that was left by the setting sun, golden hair looking soft as it floated in the water, and eyes the color of sea glass glowing, pulling you in and practically suffocating you as you got lost in them.
His hands came up to cradle your face, eyes searching yours as the two of you floated there. A song spilled past his lips, the sound both haunting and comforting. His hands lowered to wrap around you, pulling you farther out to sea, the water growing darker and darker the deeper he dragged you. Your lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen, your body starting to panic as Jake held fast onto you. You clung to him as water rushed by you, your vision beginning to grow blurry as you fought to for air, only to inhale the surrounding water. Slowly, your vision began to grow black, his song being the only thing you could focus on.
It was full of lament, the pain of seeing you near death’s door evident in the way he cried, but the promise of relief sinking in around the edges as your grip on him loosened, losing the fight within you as he let you go. Your eyes fluttered closed as your body accepted its fate, all the fight within you gone. The water was still around you, only the sound of the song and your slowing heartbeat to be heard.
You felt the water whip around you as glowing green came into your limited vision, the dream of strong hands cradling your face once more as you drifted further and further into oblivion. The hands moved to wrap around you once more, the song growing louder and more insistent as your limbs grew heavier despite the weightlessness of the water. You were vaguely aware of a body pressing closer to yours, lips skimming over your cheek, along your jaw, and down the column of your throat before settling at the junction of your shoulder and neck.
A prick of pain shot through you, followed quickly by a rush of warmth that spread from your neck and through your veins, the heavy weight of drowning lifting off of you as your mind came rushing back to the surface. The water around you sharpened in clarity, growing brighter as the warmth continued to seep through you, giving strength to your limbs and easing the ache within your lungs. You suddenly realized that you were able to breathe, eyes searching wildly about you as they finally landed on Jake. His pupils had narrowed into slits, the green glowing so brightly that for a brief moment, you wondered if it hurt.
You reached up to cup his cheek, watching as he immediately nuzzled into the palm of your hand, eyes never leaving you as he did so. A wave of heat washed over you as desire clutched at you. Jake must have sensed the change because he pulled you towards him, swimming towards the surface. You buried your face in his neck, suddenly overwhelmed by the new sensations within you as you hurtled for the surface.
The two of you broke the surface with a splash, the sun having slipped below the horizon during your time beneath the waves. The stars began to litter the night sky above you as the faint glow of orange grew dimmer and dimmer. Your eyes searched Jake’s for a moment, taking in his appearance. Eyes still narrowed into slits, his teeth were sharpened to points as he panted in front of you, chest heaving as if he were trying to hold himself back. The sight of him sent a twinge from the fresh mark on your neck down to the apex of your thighs, and without thinking, you surged forward, crashing your lips against his in a heated frenzy.
Jake crooned against you, hands gripping every part of you that he could as he pulled you along towards the shore, scales once again giving way to legs as the two of you sat in the surf on the beach. Your lips moved against each other in a kiss that became more tongue and teeth with each passing moment, your hands wandering across his chest and shoulders as if you could never get enough and already had too much all at the same time.
Jake pulled away after a moment, eyes roaming over you as you worked your mouth along his jaw and down the length of his throat. You nipped at the spot just below his ear, drawing out a pleasured moan from him as you laved your tongue over the spot, sucking a bruise into the skin.
“We should go inside,” he panted, hands tight on your hips as if to help ground himself in that moment. You shook your head, dragging your lips down his neck and to his shoulder where you placed several open-mouthed kisses along his golden skin.
“Need you now,” you whined, nails dragging down his torso and earning a hiss as he threw his head back. “Need you inside of me.”
Jake’s eyes snapped back to you, the beast within taking hold in that moment as he crashed his lips back against yours, swallowing your moans as his hands worked on shoving your shorts down your legs. His hand came back up to cup your mound, the heat of him drawing out a cry from you as you arched into his touch. A finger ran up your covered slit, an embarrassing keen spilling past your lips as Jake grinned.
“Already so needy for me,” he murmured, pressing another kiss to your lips before pulling away, repeating the motion with his hand as you whined. “So desperate. Wonder if you could come just like this.”
“Jake,” you pleaded, eyes wide and imploring. He chuckled, pushing your underwear to the side as finger circled your clit. You squirmed against him, but his hips shifted against you, pinning you down as he toyed with you.
“So wet for me,” he cooed, slipping a finger inside you, stretching you. Your back arched up against him, a wanton moan escaping your lips as he began to thrust into you with lazy strokes, content to watch your face contort with pleasure as he worked the one digit into you. He soon added a second finger, picking up his pace as his thumb swirled around your sensitive nub, free hand stroking your hair out of your face tenderly.
“So tight and warm around my fingers,” he whispered reverently, eyes drifting down to where his fingers were stills buried inside of you. “Can’t wait to feel you wrapped around my cock, squeezing and milking me dry.”
His words sent you sprinting towards the edge, the coil in your belly tightening as he found the spongy spot inside of you. Your hands flew up to his arms, nails digging into the skin as you met his thrusts.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” he cooed once more, kissing your lips in a chaste kiss that was a stark contrast to what he was currently doing to you. “Come on my fingers. Give it to me.”
The coil inside you snapped as you came, release flooding out of you as you rode out your high. Jake watched you, mesmerized as you came down. Once your breathing had evened out, he pulled his fingers out of you with a squelch that had your cheeks heating. He brought the fingers to his lips, sucking on them with a hum as he closed his eyes, savoring the taste of you as your breathing picked back up.
“We should really go inside n-”
He didn’t have a chance to finish before you had him on his back, straddling his hips as you undid your bra, throwing it off to the side and quickly ridding yourself of your underwear. You had never considered yourself to be bold like this, but the combination of adrenaline and lust running through you had you acting in ways you would never have dared to before.
Jake stared up at you with wide, shocked eyes before relaxing into the sand below as his hands rested on your hips.
“Need me that bad, huh?” He teased, squeezing you as you huffed.
“Shut up,” you grumbled, leaning down to press your lips against his once more. He licked into your mouth, and you hummed at the taste of yourself that still lingered on his tongue. The two of you stayed like that for a moment before another wave of desire rolled over you, and you pulled away, shifting to line him up at your entrance, teasing the tip through your folds with a moan.
“Skipper,” he gasped, eyes hooded and lips parted as he watched you, feeling your tight, wet warmth run over him.
“Now who’s needy?” You teased breathlessly. Jake glared at you, but there was no real heat behind it as you slowly sank down onto him, letting out a pleasured hiss at the stretch of him inside you.
“Fuck,” he ground out, eyes pinched closed and head thrown back in ecstasy. You leaned over him, head resting on his shoulder as you sank further and further onto him. When you were fully seated, you took a moment to bask in how full you felt.
Jake’s hands were like vices on you, fingers flexing as your walls fluttered around him. You raised yourself up to look down at him, the two of you simply content to feel each other in that moment. Slowly, you raised yourself up, dropping yourself back down onto him just as slowly. You worked yourself on top of him, alternating between bouncing and grinding as moans escaped his lips. His hands left your hips for a moment to push himself up into a sitting position as you continued to ride him, your own gasps and moans mingling with his. One of his hands rested on your back, pulling you flush against him as the other guided your hips over his, his mouth seeking yours out for a languid kiss.
“Feel so good wrapped around me like this,” he murmured as he pulled away, a strand of saliva connecting your lips as you whimpered when he nudged that spot deep inside you. “So fucking tight, sweetheart. You were made just for me, huh? Made to stretch around me. Such a good girl taking all of me like this, yeah?”
The hand on your back trailed down to reach between your thighs, rubbing small circles on your clit that sent you keening, the pressure in your belly quickly building to another peak.
“Gonna come around me?” He asked, voice sweet as you rested your forehead against his, movements growing erratic as you chased your high. “Wanna feel it, baby. Wanna feel your tight, little pussy come around me. Wanna feel you squeeze and milk me dry just like I said. You like the sound of that? Like the sound of me filling you up? Fuck, I can’t wait to see you leaking with me. Gonna fuck it back into you so you don’t waste a drop, how’s that sound?”
You whined, fingers running through his hair as you teetered at the edge, your eyes drifting down to look at him as you hurtled towards the edge. Your gaze flickered down to his lips, and He smiled up at you tenderly before crashing his lips against yours, nipping at your bottom lip as he pulled away.
“Come for me, sweet girl,” he cooed, nuzzling his nose against yours, breath fanning over you. “I’m right there too, but I need you to come first. Please, baby. Let me feel you.”
Your climax hit you with a cry, your head thrown back, exposing your neck to Jake. His lips pressed against the claiming mark on your neck, and you saw stars as the warmth of his own climax filled you. Jake moved you against him as the both of you came back down from your individual highs, breaths coming out in pants as you came back to yourselves.
The water crashed against the shore as the two of you basked in the afterglow. Your fingers carded through Jake’s hair, his face buried in your neck as his hands soothed up and down your back.
“I love you,” he whispered into your skin after a moment, and your heart swelled with so much love, that it startled you for a moment. Jake chuckled against you, pulling back to look at you.
“It’s not just you that you’re feeling,” he explained, nodding towards the mark on your neck. “That mark is not only a sign of our bond, but a link to each other. You can feel me, just like I can feel you.”
Tears welled up in your eyes as you took in his words.
“I love you too,” you sniffled, leaning in to kiss him once more. Jake smiled against your lips, thanking whatever forces were out there that he got to experience this.
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The bell above the door chimed as you entered the shop, the cool air conditioning a sharp contrast to the late July heat. It had been a couple of weeks since the night with Cole and the night when you finally let Jake claim you. You wore the mark proudly as a symbol of the love you shared with the man.
The shop was filled with familiar knick-knacks as you moved deeper and deeper into the space, a fan blowing behind the counter with a faint buzz. You perused the shelves, fingers trailing over the different shells and trinkets that lined them.
It wasn’t long before the sounds of footsteps sounded from the back, stopping as they stepped out into the room. You looked up to see Mrs. Cambroni eyeing you warily, a frown tugging on her lips as she regarded you. The two of you stood and stared at one another for a few moments before she broke the silence.
“I suppose you’re here to yell at me,” she sniffed, voice croaking, and it was then that you noticed how red her eyes looked. “You’ve every right, of course. I should have stopped him.”
“Why didn’t you?” You asked, curiosity instead of anger lacing your voice. Mrs. Cambroni’s eyes darted to the ground before looking back up at you.
“To be truthful,” she began, letting out a heavy sigh as her eyes looked past you. “I knew something was going on to an extent. I tried to talk to him about it because I knew he was getting older and I knew that he was struggling. Did you know that late bloomers tend to have more feral frenzies? His second had been so hard on him, and I suspected that his third was nearing. Late bloomers tend to have delayed frenzies, you see, so it was hard to pin down when exactly it would strike.”
She let out a breath, chewing on her bottom lip as tears filled her eyes.
“He told me that he had found someone,” she continued, voice filled with emotion. “Told me he was courting her, so like an old fool, I let my guard down. I trusted him and that he knew what he was doing.”
A tear ran down her cheek, her face contorting with grief, and your heart broke for her.
“I thought the murders were done by a vagrant, a sea person not from here. I admit, I should have known better, should have known that it was him, but I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to believe that he was capable of doing those things, even if he didn’t intend to do them.”
She looked at you then, grief so palpable in her gaze that it sent you back a step.
“I’m so sorry, my dear,” she whispered, breath coming out as a choked sob. “I should have done something to stop him. I should have done more. Words can never express how truly sorry I am for what he did. If I could go back and change things, I would, believe you me.”
A moment of silence stretched between the two of you as her words settled in the air.
“He was your nephew,” you said finally, an edge of uncertainty coating your words. “You loved him.”
“I did,” she nodded, hands clasped tightly in front of her. “And while his actions were inexcusable, at the end of the day, he was still my nephew, and I still loved him dearly.”
“I’m not asking you not to,” you sighed, glancing out the window as a group of friends passed, laughing loudly as they walked down the street. “I wish he didn’t have to go through all of that alone.”
“Me too,” Mrs. Cambroni nodded, a sad smile pulling on her lips as she regarded you. “But from the sounds of it, he wasn’t alone in the end, and for that I have to thank you.”
“You shouldn’t thank me,” you told her, shaking your head. “I did it for purely selfish reasons.”
“Love will make you do strange things,” she agreed, eyes drifting towards the front door. The bell chimed, signaling someone entering the store, and you turned to see Jake already heading towards you. A sense of worry pulled at your bond, and you gave him a reassuring smile as he glanced over at Mrs. Cambroni. He wrapped an arm around you, hand running up and down your side in greeting. You gave another smile to the older woman, moving to leave the shop.
“I’ll see you around, Mrs. Cambroni,” you told her, Jake following along after you, pausing to give a tight-lipped smile to the shop owner. The bell chimed one last time as the two of you exited, heading down the street towards the beach.
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“I won’t even be that far away,” you laughed, looking at your boyfriend with a look of pure incredulity. Jake grinned up at you, leaning against his arms as the two of you sat on the sand.
“Doesn’t matter,” he proclaimed, eyes shining in the waning sunlight. “I’m gonna miss you no matter where you go. I miss you when you’re off with Nat. I miss you when you leave our bed to go make breakfast. I miss you when you go to the bathroom-”
“The bathroom?” You exclaimed, giggles falling from your lips. Jake’s grin grew as he watched you.
“Especially when you’re in the bathroom,” he said, waggling his eyebrows, and you laughed, shoving at his shoulders. He chuckled, shifting so that his head rested on your lap. Your fingers immediately began carding through his hair, a contented hum coming from the man below you.
“See,” he chirped, “now why would you want to leave this and go back to school? This is perfect.”
“Because I want to expand upon my education so I don’t end up as some trophy wife?” You challenged. Jake pretended to think, hand rubbing at his jaw before another grin split across his face.
“You’d make such a pretty trophy wife, though,” he purred, hand reaching up to curl along your side, sending a shiver down your spine.
“You’re ridiculous,” you scowled playfully, glaring at him. Jake shrugged, letting his hand fall to grab one of your own, playing with your fingers as he continued.
“Seriously though, I’m going to support you no matter what you do, Skipper,” he murmured. “Even if what you want to do means we’ll be separated for a little while. I’ll live with it.”
He paused, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he tried not to smile, green eyes dancing with mischief.
“Even if it also means I waste away from loneliness.”
“You’re so dramatic,” you laughed, throwing your head back. Jake turned his head to press a kiss to your thigh.
“You love it, though,” he grinned. You smiled down at him, eyes soft as you took him in. You and Bob would go away to start your studies in grad school in just a week’s time, and though you were reluctant to admit it, you would miss Jake just as much as he claimed he would miss you. Of course the two of you would have video chats and texting, and you’d come visit every chance you got, but that didn’t mean you’d miss him any less. Jake must have seen the look on your face because he leaned up to press a kiss to your lips, one you happily reciprocated.
“I’ll always be here for you,” he murmured against your lips, thumb stroking your thigh. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah,” you hummed, nodding slightly. “I know that.”
“I love you,” he said, pressing another kiss to your lips. You sank into his touch for a moment before pulling away, eyes shining with pure, unadulterated happiness.
“I love you too.”
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A/N: Oh my god, it's finally here! The finale! This has been such a wild ride, you guys, and I want to thank each and every one of you for sticking around. I have so much love for every single one of you. Whether you've been here since the beginning or this is your first time reading through it, thank you from the bottom of my heart! If you are interested in receiving updates on when I post, please follow my sideblog ( @arcanevagabond-library ) and turn on post notifications! As always, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciate. You can also find me on AO3 under arcane_vagabond. Until next time!
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juyeonszn · 1 year ago
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SACRIFICE (EAT ME UP)
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PAIRING lee hyunjae x f!reader
WORD COUNT 9.17k
GENRES horror ﹒ smut ﹒ angst ﹒ fluff ig?
WARNINGS 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, mature language, mentions of murder, descriptions of crime scenes, mentions of blood, mentions of knifes, graphic description of stab wounds, mentions of potential mental illness, THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT CONSTITUTE WARNINGS BUT ?!1?1 I DONT WANT TO SPOIL !1!2!2, Lots of Kissing, mutual masturbation (f! receiving fingering & m! receiving hand job), pillow talk ig, big dick hyunjae 😈, um unprotected sex lol be safe u silly geese, car sex, cowgirl position yeehaw, creampie, this entire fic is just a whole fucking roller coaster i stg it’s gonna haunt me forever
SUMMARY with a serial killer running rampant on campus, everyone around you seems to be dropping like flies. but, hey, at least you have hyunjae to protect you.
MORE omg.. my first written work for tbz 🙀 extra super fun fact; this was originally an idea i had for hyunjin from skz on my other blog that i actually started writing the week before halloween last year (the reason it’s a horror fic), but i never finished and sort of felt like there was no point in continuing it after a while— that is until i stumbled upon the draft a few weeks ago and decided to revamp, edit, and complete it 😋 i kept going back and rereading and then blanking when i wanted to add to it until last night when i said fuck it and drank two cups of coffee to power through the end 🙌 anyways.. here u all go, my baby that i never thought would see the light of day and my first time writing a genuine horror piece <3 also special shoutout to rina my soulmate @tsukidou for beta reading 🫶
PLAYLIST sacrifice (eat me up) — enhypen, awake — the boyz, roar — the boyz, fever — enhypen, fate — enhypen, taste — stray kids, wake up — ateez, white noise — pvris, heaven — pvris
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“Alright, that’s all for today’s lecture. If this was your last of the day, make sure to find someone to go home with and remember the curfew rules!” Your English professor says, concluding the class.
The students around you rush to pack up their things and get off of campus as soon as possible. You don’t seem to be in a hurry, though, taking your time to put away your notebook and laptop. Your roommates were still in their music production class, so you didn’t want to go home alone, deciding to wait until they were done.
“Y/N, don’t you wanna get home?” Professor Park asks, her voice echoing in the now empty lecture hall. She throws the strap of her bag over her shoulder and pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose.
“I do, but I have to wait for my roommates. They’re in a class right now and I’d rather not go by myself.” You let out an awkward laugh. She nods at your reasoning, giving you a small smile for comfort.
“Okay, you be careful! I’ll see you on Thursday.”
You raise your hand in a silent salutation, watching as she exits the room, leaving you completely alone. Though a public space, in a public building, the fact that there’s no one else nearby leaves you utterly unsettled. Your stomach churns with a twinge of fear and you start to feel a bit claustrophobic despite being in such a spacious area, so you choose this point to hurriedly collect your belongings and get the hell out of there.
The past couple of months have been in this weird state of limbo. You don’t recall exactly when the killings started, but once the police noticed a pattern, everyone knew sooner or later that the presence of a serial murderer would be announced on the local news. Your town enforced a citywide curfew to protect its citizens, but mostly the students at your university.
Every single one of the killer’s victims were university students. You were friends with a bunch of guys and while it was nice having big strong men surrounding you, you knew that could hardly do anything to quell the lingering anxiety you’ve felt ever since the spree began.
The police seemed to be having trouble coming up with any possible suspects, or even gaining any leads, thanks to the killer’s unusual victimology and the cool down time between murders always varying. If the people in charge of protecting you couldn’t do that, how were you supposed to feel safe?
In an attempt to get to the building where Jacob, Kevin, and Eric were as fast as you could, you speed walk out of the lecture hall, accidentally bumping into someone. You bow at a nearly ninety-degree angle and hurl out apology after apology following the collision, not trying to make any enemies in this day and time.
“Watch where you’re going, idiot.” The stranger spits, waiting for you to glance up at him to give you a nasty glare. He looks like the kind of guy who thought he was all that, despite peaking in high school. You feel your bottom lip quiver and you avoid eye contact.
“I—”
“Woah, dude, chill the fuck out. It was an accident, I’m sure she didn’t— wait, N/N, is that you? Hey it’s okay, don’t worry about it.”
There’s a familiar voice in your ears and a hand under your chin, forcing you to stand upright. Whoever you bumped into walks away with a scoff. You meet eyes with Lee Hyunjae, one of your dearest friends. He recognizes that hint of panic in your features and he frowns.
“I’m so sorry, Jae, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going—” Your breath is caught in your throat and you fumble over your words.
“Hey, hey, slow down,” he keeps a hold on your biceps. “It’s alright, I promise. He’s gone. What’s wrong?”
You shut your eyes tightly, feeling pathetic for causing such a scene for no apparent reason. Hyunjae guides you through your breathing, his focus trained on you the whole time. He always made you feel so comfortable.
“With everything that’s been going on, I’m just so paranoid and afraid of being alone. I wanted to go to the music department building and wait for the boys.” You finally explain once you’ve calmed down and the rise of your chest is even.
“How about this? I’ll take you home so you don’t have to stay on campus any longer.” He suggests, bringing up a hand to tuck some hair behind your ear. You nod slowly, gathering your bearings.
Hyunjae leads you to his car that’s parked in the lot closest to the building you were just in and the two of you make your way to your apartment. You’d been friends with your roommates for years now, meeting in eighth grade. You had just moved schools and happened to be put into a class with Eric Sohn, the most rambunctious boy you’d ever met. He thought you seemed really sweet upon first impression and decided to befriend you, introducing you to all of his friends in turn.
Aside from Eric, there was Sangyeon, Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, Changmin, Chanhee, Haknyeon, and Sunwoo. While it was a little overwhelming, it was nice going from zero friends to eleven in the span of just a couple days. You were pretty close to all of them, but you and Hyunjae initially hit it off the best. You understood each other on a different level than everyone else and to this day, you still don't know the exact reason why.
Towards the end of high school, your friendship with Hyunjae transformed into something that wasn’t purely platonic. You weren’t entirely sure when it started to change, but your feelings for him grew exponentially. You tried to keep them to yourself, hidden from the world to preserve your fragile teenage heart. Though you’d already been friends with them a few years at that point, you still had that inkling of dread in the pit of your stomach that one day they’d choose to stop talking to you. You especially didn’t want a silly crush to be the cause of that.
After a while, however, the lines began to blur together anyway and everyone could tell you felt for him romantically. Once, Eric had made a comment about it being so painfully obvious that Hyunjae was just as into you and it nearly shook your whole world.
When college time rolled around, you all knew you’d be attending the same university, so picking roommates was a bit of a tricky situation. You chose yours solely based on the fact that you were majoring in similar things, so it’d be easy to fit schedules together. (You also couldn’t handle being roommates with Hyunjae; it’d be too much for your heart.) Hyunjae lived with Juyeon, Changmin, and Sunwoo, while Sangyeon, Younghoon, Chanhee, and Haknyeon lived together.
Hyunjae parks in a spot near the stairs that lead to your unit. The car is still running when you unbuckle your seatbelt and you stare at the steps blankly. Though the close proximity with him has your pulse racing, you want nothing more than some company until your roommates get home. You turn to him shyly, balling up a fistful of your sweater.
“Jae, do you— do you think you could stay with me for a bit before the boys come back? I don’t— I really don’t wanna be alone right now.”
The look he gives you is full of adoration, like you personally put the stars in the sky. He smiles softly and nods, reaching across the center console to place a comforting hand on top of yours. The two of you keep them intertwined as you go inside your apartment, locking all the locks carefully before sitting on your couch.
You don’t make a comment about him not letting go despite already being in the safety of your home. You don’t say anything about him pulling you into his side either, mostly because you want him to.
With all that’s been happening recently, you’ve felt so hollow. There was this indescribable emptiness expanding in you and even though you so desperately wanted to chalk it up to something else, you knew it was due to the fact that there was growing anxiety that you could be next, that any of your friends could be next. You were starting to move like you were in a simulation, doing everything in your daily routine without a single emotion. Sure, you’d laugh when Eric made a stupid joke but that’s about the most anyone could get from you aside from the occasional panic attack.
Hyunjae being here and holding you is exactly what you needed to feel some semblance of warmth again.
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There’s a soft knock on your bedroom door around eight that same night, waking you from your slumber. You don’t remember falling asleep or being moved to your bed, so you’re not too sure when Hyunjae left. You rub the sleep from your eyes as you get up to open your door.
“Hey, I didn’t mean to wake you, but we got some takeout if you’re hungry.” Jacob says with an apologetic smile, leaning on the door frame.
You give him a bleary look as you nod, following him into the dining room where your other two roommates were sitting at the table. Eric greets you through a full mouth. A small laugh escapes you when you sit across from him, Kevin adjacent to your seat. The sound of the TV in the living room plays as background noise as the four of you eat.
“So when’d you get home? I thought you were gonna wait for us.” Kevin asks.
“I was, but then I ran into Hyunjae when I was on my way to your building and he offered to bring me home,” you shrug, taking some tteokbokki with your chopsticks. “It was a whole thing, please don’t ask.”
Eric hums to himself, a mischievous grin on his face as he takes a sip of his cola. “Interesting. And you say he’s not into you…”
Heat blooms over your cheeks and you accidentally drop your chopsticks on your plate, their clacking against the ceramic garnering your roommates’ attention. Eric Sohn was now number one on your hit list. Kevin elbows him in the side and tells him to be quiet, despite the tiny upwards curve of his lips.
“If he cares about you as much as he seems like he does, he wouldn’t have left you here alone after you fell asleep,” Jacob mutters, looking at you from his peripherals. “What was the point of escorting you home if—”
“Jacob shut the fuck up,” Eric suddenly blurts, the three of you stare at him as he clambers over to the living room, turning up the volume on the TV. “Look!”
You turn in your chair, your stomach churning at the news report unfolding before you.
“We’re live just outside SNU, where another victim has been found. The body hasn’t been identified yet, but from what we do know, he was a student that attended the school,” the female reporter says into the microphone she’s holding, a glazed over expression in her eyes. “Crime Scene Investigators believe he was murdered at around six this evening, and was assumed to have been making his way home from campus. Updates are expected to come later tonight once we have more information.”
You know that far away, checked out gaze she had all too well. She’s reported on the killings for a while now, no doubt numb to the way things were at this point.
Your appetite spoils immediately and you excuse yourself from the table, making your way back to your room. You sit on your bed and bring your knees to your chest, taking a deep breath in, then covering your mouth when you breathe out to muffle the sob that follows. It was becoming too overwhelming for you and there was nothing you could do about it besides sit back and watch.
It was understandable for anyone in your situation to feel hopeless, how could they not? With someone terrorizing the city in an unpredictable manner, there was no sense of normalcy in anyone’s life. You shudder when you finally bring yourself to stop crying, digging your nails into the fat of your calves.
Through the walls, you can hear the boys talking, voices solemn.
“Why’d you have to put the TV louder, dumbass?”
“Sorry, I just like being up to date on the case, you know? I want to be prepared. What if I need to learn clone jutsu to take out the guy?”
“Eric, you’re such a clown, oh my god.”
“I get that you’re interested and all, but you have to be mindful of Y/N. You know how much this has affected her both emotionally and physically, she doesn’t need the constant reminder that it’s happening. And I’d appreciate if you apologized for telling me to ‘shut the fuck up’.”
There’s a snort in between.
“My bad, I didn’t mean to be rude about it. But while we’re on the topic, I think we both need to admit our mistakes. What you said about Hyunjae to her wasn’t cool either. I know we’re all friends, but it just came across too—”
“It was really snappy, Jacob. And a bit petty.”
“Yeah! What Kevin said.”
“I— you’re right. I just don’t want her getting hurt, in more ways than one.”
You don’t hear much else from the trio and sigh heavily, dragging your hands down your face and wiping your eyes with the heels of your palms. You grab your phone from your nightstand and hesitantly search for Hyunjae’s contact, the line ringing a couple times before he answers.
“Y/N? Is everything okay? Did something happen?”
“N-no, I’m fine. I was just— I wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay,” you mess with your bottom lip. “I heard there was another victim and I didn’t know when you left the apartment, so I just— uh— I just needed to know that you were safe. I called to see if you’d answer.”
You squeeze your eyes shut out of embarrassment, even if he can’t exactly see you. The stuttering was enough to make you go into hiding for the rest of your life if this serial killer didn’t.
“Oh,” you can hear the slight chuckle in his response from the way his breath hits the speaker. “It means a lot that you’d do that, N/N. Really, I appreciate you so much.”
Your lip finds itself between your teeth and your heart is pounding unbearably fast, you think you might be having a heart attack. You bring a hand up to clutch at your chest as a fuzzy feeling courses through your whole being.
Now you were scared for an entirely different reason.
(The main one occupies your mind again later that night when you scroll through your Twitter feed, only to find out the most recent victim was the guy you accidentally bumped into. You feel like some sick version of a guardian angel was looking after you. It makes it hard to fall asleep after that.)
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A couple days passed and you found yourself thinking about Lee Hyunjae more than usual.
Not to say that you didn’t already think about him at least once a day, but now it was worse. When you woke up, you wondered if he was still asleep. While you drank your morning coffee, you wondered if it’d taste sweeter had he made it for you. When you had lunch, you wondered if he’d like the spam musubi you made yourself. When you attended your other classes, you wondered which courses he was struggling with this semester.
As you were walking out of your English class, you recalled running into him. Had he not been there, you might’ve driven yourself insane trying to rush over to the music building while diffusing the issue with that stranger.
When you first began to harbor feelings for him, you assumed it would become nothing more than a silly schoolgirl crush. He was attractive and kind to you, but that was just the bare minimum— you thought you’d grow out of it. However, as time went on, what you thought was just puppy love had blossomed into something stronger. It was a force to be reckoned with.
Of course, all of that had been tossed on the back burner with everything that’s going on. Recently you’ve been too afraid for your own safety and well-being to over analyze your interactions with Hyunjae, but now you’re back to square one.
All because he’d done something nice for you.
God, the bar was so low. Was it really too much to ask for someone who was decent? Someone who wasn’t a serial killer?
You were on your way to the music building to wait for Jacob, Kevin, and Eric once again, when you see Hyunjae coming down the hall. He’s on his phone, not paying any mind to his surroundings. You’re about to call out to him when someone stops you, tugging on the sleeve of your sweater gently.
“Hey, Y/N right?” The tall boy asks, a charming smile on his face.
“Uh— yeah,” you nod, tucking some hair behind your ear. “Y-you are?”
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry! I must seem like a total weirdo,” he laughs, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I’m Mingyu! We have English together.”
“Oh, you’re Mingyu? Professor Park told me about you before class today,” you give him a small comforting smile. “I don’t mind helping you!”
“Ah, that’s great to hear. I was a bit worried you’d be more annoyed about having to tutor someone so late in the semester.” Though he’s much taller than you and approached you first, Mingyu comes across as a little shy in nature. It puts you at ease in a way.
“No, not at all! English isn’t always the easiest, I get that. I wanna help as much as I can before finals. Look,” you pause, pulling your backpack off one shoulder to rip out a sheet of paper. “I’ll give you my number so we can arrange meet up dates! I’d prefer if we met at the library if that’s okay with you?”
Mingyu grins and sports a thumbs up in agreement. “That sounds perfect. Thank you so much, Y/N!”
You scribble your phone number onto the paper and hand it to him before parting ways. With the off guard conversation, you nearly forgot about Hyunjae, who was nowhere to be seen now. You feel your lips droop into a frown, since you were hoping you could talk with him for a second.
As you’re walking across the quad to the music building, a wind chill blows past you, making you wrap your arms around yourself. It was mid November and for some stupid reason, you were only wearing a small cardigan.
When you squint up at the sky, you also realize it’s more overcast than anything. There’s an angry grey cloud right above you and you curse yourself for not having an umbrella or a raincoat. You should've been more prepared, especially because of the inconsistent weather this time of year.
Suddenly, the sky is blocked from your view and you furrow your brows, spinning around. Hyunjae stares back at you with a smile ten times warmer than the frigid air surrounding you and a thicker jacket in one hand. The other holds up an umbrella just as tiny droplets begin to fall from above.
His timing couldn’t have been better.
“Heading to the music building?” He asks, skillfully placing the coat on your shoulders.
“Mhm… was gonna wait for the boys.” You respond, a little awestruck by how gorgeous he was. Especially up close. Your eyes fixate on the freckle on his nose rather than his own. He hums, keeping an arm around your shoulders as he leads you in a different direction.
“I can take you home again,” he glances down at you. “I don’t mind one bit.”
“O-okay!”
During the car ride to your apartment, you send a quick text to your roommates about not waiting up. You were happy that your relationship with Hyunjae was evolving. The past couple semesters had been rough, and you hadn’t seen him or any of the other guys nearly as much as Jacob, Kevin, and Eric. (And that was only because you lived with them.)
You toss your keys on to the mini table beside the front door, taking off your shoes with a small groan. The boots were cute, but not very comfortable. Hyunjae follows suit, his sock clad feet shuffling against the floor to sit on the couch.
After switching on the TV, you find a random Hallmark Christmas movie to play in the background, knowing full well that his presence beside you was too distracting. The brunette turns to face you, placing a hand on your thigh gently to get your attention.
“So, who was the dude you were talking to earlier?”
You blink at his question. So he saw you after all. Was he perhaps jealous? The idea shouldn’t make you giddy, but it does. “My professor asked me to tutor him ‘cause he’s struggling with English. Why?”
“Just curious. He seemed a little touchy.” Hyunjae plays with the hem of your sweater.
“O-oh. It’s fine, he wasn’t a random perv, if that’s what you were wondering.”
He scoots a little closer to you, tucking some hair behind your ear. You feel your face flush impossibly hotter. Your heart is racing and your breath is caught in your throat. His body heat radiates off of him with the new proximity.
“Good. It drives me crazy seeing other guys put their hands on you.” He admits bluntly, his hand resting at the junction where your neck meets your shoulder.
You know you look insane, your chest heaving up and down and your eyes widened a little. Like a baby deer caught by a predator. Who knew sweet sweet Hyunjae had a rather risqué side to him? You swallow thickly, not daring to move an inch. His thumb caresses your skin gently, goosebumps littering in its wake.
“Hyunjae…” You breathe, lips parting as you finally make eye contact with him.
“You’re so pretty, Y/N.”
You want to scream into the cushion behind you, your hands clamming up. Hyunjae looks like he could swallow you whole if he wanted to, his bottom lip between his teeth as he leans in a bit more. This moment was something straight out of one of your darkest fantasies. You never thought this would ever happen, that either of you would ever actually make a move on the other.
The sound of the front door unlocking catches both of your attention. Hyunjae pulls away from you faster than your brain can comprehend what exactly just occurred. Jacob is the first to walk in, laughing at something Eric said. The three males pause when they see you’re not alone.
The greetings are quick, Hyunjae dapping up the boys as if nothing. He’s also quick to say goodbye, ensuring them that he’ll make sure you’re safe when they’re not around. He gives you that smile of his, the one where his eyes form crescents, and then he’s gone.
You don’t know how much more of this you could take.
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“So, Y/N…” Eric starts in the middle of dinner, side eyeing you as he shovels rice into his mouth. “You and Hyunjae have been together an awful lot lately.”
Kevin snorts, kicking the blonde under the table. You suppose it was going to come up eventually. This ‘Will They, Won’t They’ back and forth shit was starting to tire you out. You weren’t getting any younger. Time was passing you up the longer you waited to just say something. And with all that’s been going on, it was silly to be afraid of admitting your feelings.
“He’s being a good friend, Eric,” Jacob sighs, reaching across to flick him on the forehead. “It’s actually really nice that he watches over Y/N when we’re gone.”
Eric grimaces, rubbing the spot that Jacob assaulted. You frown a bit when you realize that he had a point. Hyunjae was treating you like a child that had to be tended to, babysitting you like you weren’t capable of holding your own. Granted, both times he’s come over, you asked him to. So you couldn’t really blame him for assuming you wanted him around to protect you.
“Do y’all think Hyunjae actually likes me? In a non-platonic way?”
Kevin’s spoon clatters onto the floor and they all pause their banter to look at you. Every time your feelings for Hyunjae were brought up, you chose to ignore them and switch the subject. You can’t keep running away.
“Uh— yeah. Duh. Of course he does. I don’t know anyone else who would go out of their way to stay with someone they saw as just a friend multiple times a week so she felt safe.” Kevin finally answers after a moment.
“Okay.” You settle on, taking a sip of your water.
“What do you mean ‘okay’?” He raises an eyebrow at you, but you just shrug.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
As you’re washing the dishes after dinner, you hear the news broadcast over the faucet. Another victim had just been found behind the campus library. The camera shows the scene behind the reporter, something that would’ve made you queasy a couple days ago, but now you feel nothing— just a dull ache in your chest. It’s messy, almost like the killer was in a hurry to get it over with.
The body is covered with a black tarp, paramedics wheeling it away in the corner of the screen. The reporter still wears that dissociated expression on her face as she goes over the details of this victim. She explains that because the murder was done so haphazardly, they were able to identify the body easily.
Twenty three year old Kim Mingyu, Sports Med Major.
The rest of the news report sounds like static in your ears as you scrub away at the dishes mindlessly. Your fingers have pruned and the water was burning the backs of your hands, but you don’t feel it, too checked out to care. It seemed like the killings were getting closer and closer to you. Part of you thought you’d be next every single time.
You had to tell Hyunjae how you felt. It was now or never.
Fifteen minutes later, he’s waiting outside of your apartment complex, leaning against his car. You take careful steps down the stairs, nearly fainting at the sight of him in a hoodie and grey sweatpants. He runs around the car to open the passenger door for you, only shutting it when you’re all buckled up. It’s not long after that he revs the engine and drives off to nowhere in particular, just like you requested. (Curfew ignored.)
It’s silent at first, save for the low hum of his music, R&B that resonates somewhere within your soul. You can’t help but steal a glance from your peripheral, fisting your sweatshirt when you see how concentrated he looks while driving. He has his right hand resting on the gear shift, the other gripping the wheel. You could’ve had this view all to yourself so long ago had you just spoken up.
“Hyunjae,” your voice is wobbly, but you steel yourself to continue. “I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?” He asks, keeping his eyes on the road.
“Do you think— uh— do you think you could pull over?” If you were going to confess, you wanted him to look at you. Besides, the drive was starting to make you jittery.
He nods and goes a bit further, before pulling into an empty lot. He shifts into park, unbuckling his seatbelt so he could turn his body towards you, giving you his undivided attention. You mirror him, tightening your hold on your sweater when he wets his lips, smiling at you. “Is this what you called me for?”
“Yeah, actually,” you force yourself to keep eye contact, pushing the lump back down your throat. “I’ve wanted to tell you this for years now, if I’m being honest with both of us.”
He chuckles, much like he did the other night over the phone. It drives you just a little crazy. “I’m listening.”
“I— I don’t know how to word this properly…” You wipe your palms on your legs. Come on, Y/N, spit it out already. “Fuck, okay, I like you Hyunjae. Like, really like you. In the way that I sometimes wish you would kiss me until I can’t breathe. I’ve been so afraid of admitting that to myself, but I’ve realized that life is way too short to dwell over the fear of rejection. But please, tell me you feel the same.”
He stares at you with an indecipherable look in his eyes. You feel like throwing up now, you stomach twisting and churning at the thought that you just ruined everything between you. There was no going back after this. He knew.
It’s as if months have passed by in utter silence with Hyunjae just sitting there, no words coming out of his mouth, until finally, he just leans across the center console, cupping your cheek with one of his hands. His vision is trained on your lips, his face close enough that his lashes flutter against your skin. God, he was even more gorgeous from this distance.
Instead of saying anything, he presses his lips to yours, a sweet but desperate kiss that melts away all the worries tucked into your head. They feel so soft on your own, molding together in near perfect timing. It’s like you’d been living for a year without rain and this kiss was the shower that saved you from a drought. It’s all you’ve ever wanted and needed and more.
“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that,” he breathes when he pulls away slightly. “The real thing is so much better than I imagined it would be.”
For once, time slows down in this moment, almost like the world stopped spinning on its axis. Everything slips from your mind and it’s just you and Hyunjae, here in his car in the middle of an empty parking lot. Nothing else matters. You smile at his confession, a genuine smile that was spurred on by contentment rather than force. You felt light and airy, no longer weighed down by such a trivial problem.
“I think I have an idea,” you giggle, reaching up to brush a stray hair from his face. “I’m not too sure, though, I could be wrong. Could you do that again to help jog my memory?”
Hyunjae laughs, (it’s the most melodic sound you’ve ever heard) but doesn’t hesitate to kiss you. You reciprocate his passion, tangling your fingers in his dark hair. He sighs into the kiss, pulling you on top of him. Your legs straddle his lap as best as they can and he reaches down to recline his seat, scooting it as far as it can go from the wheel. The thin material of your fleece shorts hardly hide the feeling of him under you, a low moan pushing into his mouth.
He nips at your bottom lip, tugging at it with his teeth gently before peppering kisses along your jaw and neck, sucking along the exposed skin from your sweatshirt. You whine, throwing your head back as his tongue soothes over the bruising area. His hands slide under your top, rubbing up and down your sides before moving them down to your thighs, repeating the action.
“You’re so gorgeous on top of me like this, Y/N.” Hyunjae says, just above a whisper like someone else might hear this intimate conversation. He grips your hips and bucks upwards to grind into your clothed core. Your eyes widen and you involuntarily moan at the sensation. This wasn’t what you were expecting when you planned to confess, but you didn’t hate the outcome. He grins at your response, reconnecting your mouths sloppily.
If you were given the choice, you were wholeheartedly satisfied with just this. You would’ve been plenty okay with just making out. Had you been asked years ago that you’d even get this far, you would’ve snorted in your own face, so why should you be greedy and want more than what you had? (That’s not to say that you didn’t.)
“H-Hyunjae,” you stutter, your brain foggy from all of the kissing you just did. “Do you…?”
You trail off, not sure how to word your question. You didn’t want to come off like a sex crazed maniac, but you didn’t want to come off like an amateur virgin either. Truth of the matter is, you were neither, but it had been a while since you indulged yourself in something of this sort. And this time it would be with Hyunjae, the one person you never thought you’d do this with. You were nervous.
All you wanted was to be entwined with him in more ways than one. You wanted all of him— the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, the sick, the healthy. He could do no wrong on your eyes and you wanted to show him that.
“Do I…?” Hyunjae trails off, waiting for you to continue.
“Do you want to make love… with me?” This had to be the single most mortifying moment of your life. You cover your face in humiliation, shying away from him when he sits up on his elbows.
“What kind of question is that?” He asks with a chuckle, prying your hands from your face so he could look you in the eyes. “If I could make love to you every hour of the day, for seven days a week, I would. I want you all the time, Y/N. Earlier today, before we got interrupted, I wanted to do unimaginable things to you.”
You hide yourself in the crook of his neck, your skin flushing hotter. Weren't you wearing too many layers? The car was starting to feel stuffy. Hyunjae’s chest rumbles with laughter beneath you, pressing his lips to the shell of your ear. This is probably the gentlest he’d be with you all night, because from what you could infer, he was a manhandler.
“Take care of me,” you breathe, mouth brushing against his pulse point. “Please.”
Hyunjae stops holding himself back. He’d do whatever you asked of him, only hoping you’d be tied to him in every lifetime, just like this one. He kisses you again with an unrivaled fervor, slipping his hands inside your sweatshirt and touching you everywhere physically possible. They’re warm on your skin, palming your breasts over the flimsy fabric of your bralette.
He helps you get rid of your top and shorts, leaving you in just undergarments. The sight of you barely clothed sends him into a frenzy, especially knowing it’s for his eyes only. You aid Hyunjae in pulling off his hoodie and yanking his sweatpants down his long legs. The minute most of your restrictions are gone, Hyunjae brings you closer to him. He hisses at the contact, the warmth of your cunt through your panties putting him under a spell.
You whimper when his touch travels down your front, sneaking into the waistband of your underwear. The pads of his middle and ring fingers apply the lightest amount of pressure onto your clit the second he finds it, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves. Your nails on one hand dig into his shoulder while the other trails down his abdomen, rubbing up and down his length through his boxer briefs.
Hyunjae groans into your kiss and you gasp for air as you tear from him, resting your forehead on his to watch as you get each other off through your clothes. If earlier was something taken from one of your wet dreams, what did this constitute as? You clench around nothing when he pushes up into you, your wrists clashing. Knowing he was just as down bad for you as you were for him just made this all that much more real.
“I need to feel you around me,” he mumbles in your ear, dipping his fingers in and out of you languidly as if to explain what he meant. “Let me stretch you out.”
You nod in response, fumbling with his briefs. Hyunjae lifts his hips enough for you to help him out of them. You groan when he reveals his impressive size, wondering how exactly he expected you to take him. He pushes your panties to the side, mimicking the sound you just made when he sees your bare pussy drooling for him. You eventually get frustrated and line him up with your hole, sinking down in one fluid motion. A voluminous moan escapes from the back of your throat, his dick throbbing achingly inside of you. At first you stay still like that, your pelvises touching as you adjust to his length and girth.
“H-holy shit— you’re s-so deep, Jae,” you cry, resting your forehead against his yet again. He pecks your lips, holding onto your hips to help you bounce on his cock, practically impaling you every single time.
“Fuck, you’re taking me so well. Such a good fucking girl,” Hyunjae grunts, the warmth of your walls drawing him in even further. “So tight, too.”
Your thighs begin to burn and your movements become slower, which he takes note of instantaneously. He bends his knees and forces your upper half impossibly closer to him, thrusting up into you. This new angle allows him to find that one spongy spot that has you seeing stars, fogging up your brain and even your vision.
You cast a downward glance at the minimal space between where the two of you are connected. Your moans and whines grow louder with the view of every thrust of his hips into yours. Hyunjae sneaks his hand in the middle of you, his fingers expertly toying with your clit. Any more stimulation and the band in your stomach is snapping.
You’ve had sex before. You’ve slept with a handful of other guys in the past, but nothing could ever compare to this moment. Your cunt had already memorized his size and every vein, effectively ruining the chances of any other man doing this with you. Lee Hyunjae had you in a chokehold whether he realized it or not. He had you wrapped around his finger without really trying, but you could never complain.
Your walls squeeze his cock and he knows he won’t last much longer, shutting his eyes tightly. “C’mon baby, you gonna cum for me?”
“Mhm,” you whimper, your skin flush on his own. “Wanna cum so bad for you, Hyunjae.”
“Yeah? Me too, sweetheart,” he pants, the thumb on your hip pressing against the bone. “Where do you want me?”
“Inside,” you babble. “Please, please. I want you to cum inside me, Hyunjae.”
He kisses you softly just then, swallowing your pretty moans with something completely opposite of what he’s already given you, and that’s what sends you spiraling, fluttering around him. He groans, spilling into you and letting you milk him dry of everything he has to offer, painting your insides just like you asked him to.
You lay like that for a while, Hyunjae’s dick still buried in you to the hilt. Both of you attempt to catch your breaths and bring yourselves down from the well-anticipated euphoric state you just visited. You giggle at the condensation coating the windows of his car, extending your arm to draw a heart and a smiley face with your finger. He slowly pulls himself out, hissing at the sensitivity, but doesn’t make a move to get you off of his chest.
Where do you go from here? A line had just been crossed and you weren’t entirely sure you knew what he wanted from you. It’s one thing to imagine kissing and fucking someone extensively. But it was another to actually want a tangible, romantic relationship from them, to actually capacitate feelings for them.
“I love you,”
You jolt up and stare at him with widened eyes. Did those words really just come out of his mouth? As if he can read your mind, he nods. There’s a dragged out sigh, followed by him sitting up slightly with you perched on his lap.
“I really do, Y/N. I’ve felt this way for years and I’m willing to do anything for you.” He admits, tucking some of your hair behind your ear. You kiss him gently, the pad of your thumb swiping across his cheekbone.
“I love you, too.”
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The Saturday after your night in Hyunjae’s car brought everything into perspective for you.
You hadn’t spoken to him since he dropped you off at your apartment and it was beginning to worry you. Even though you made sure he reciprocated your emotions, there still could’ve been a misunderstanding. Had you been too forward? Did you scare him away? Did something happen to him? Whatever the explanation was, you didn’t like the eerie feeling it started brewing in your stomach— it was foreboding.
In spite of not talking to them at all in what seemed to be a month or so, you tried calling each of your mutual friends to see if you could get some answers. Not even his roommates picked up their phones and this made you much more uneasy. You pace back and forth in your living room, nicking at your bottom lip with your nails. Why did he choose now of all times to ghost you? What went wrong?
Kevin comes out of his bedroom a couple minutes later, expecting to grab his morning coffee as usual. When he finds you nearly on the brink of insanity instead, he decides to intervene. He supposed his caffeine could wait until his best friend was calmed down. You jump in surprise, holding a fist to your chest. He raises his hands in mock surrender.
“Didn’t mean to startle you, my bad. What’s up? Why do you look like you’re going through a quarter life crisis?” Kevin asks you, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Is everything okay?”
“I—“ you pause and take a deep breath. “I don’t know…”
His eyebrows furrow and he guides you to the sofa so you could sit down. “What do you mean ‘you don’t know’?”
“Hyunjae hasn’t talked to me since Thursday night, after he brought me back here,” your voice is hoarser than you’d like it to be. “I-I texted and called him a bunch but he hasn’t replied. I even— I even tried Juyo, Sunwoo, and Changmin. No luck with them either. I’m concerned, Kev.”
Kevin combs through his hair, pursing his lips in thought. “Yeah, okay, I would be too. It's a little weird that none of them are responding. Have you thought of just showing up at his place to check in on him?”
You shake your head. “No, I didn’t want him to think I’m clingy and annoying in case he was there. What if he just wants to get me off of his back and he’s telling them to ignore me?”
“I don’t think that’s the case at all, Y/N,” your friend sighs, putting his glasses on top of his head and running a hand down his face. “Hyunjae has never been that kind of person in all the years we’ve known him. I highly doubt he’d switch up now. Plus, he’s literally crazy about you. I’m pretty sure the guy would move heaven and earth for you if he could. I think there’s a very real and genuine possibility that something is seriously wrong. It’s like— it’s just a gut feeling, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” If Kevin felt this way, too, that would only mean one thing, right? You had to get to the bottom of this. There was a chance that lives depended on it. A quick roll of your neck and you’re standing. “I’m gonna go over there. I can’t leave things unanswered. I can’t wait for a fucking news report.”
The ravenette pats the top of your head. “Be careful, N/N. Please.”
You give him a nod before you’re slipping into your shoes and grabbing his car keys. You’re not exactly dressed for a confrontation if there is one— clad in a pair of sweatpants, an oversized sweatshirt with your university’s crest on it, and socks with sandals— but you were too preoccupied to care.
The drive itself was mentally taxing, your brain dissociating most of the ride. You’re not sure how many of the lights you passed were actually green. The closer you got to Hyunjae’s apartment, the more that trepidation settling in your lower abdomen grew. Throughout your life, you’d never been the type of person who acted on instinct or had a nagging voice in the rear of your head warning you about situations you got into. You usually went with the flow and if you made a mistake, you allowed yourself to learn from it.
However, that was prior to being thrown into a period of uncertainty like this one. Now, all you could do was act on instinct. All you could do was listen to the stupid nagging voice in the rear of your head yelling at you. All you could do was follow the blaring alarms and caution signs in your field of vision. And this time they were almost deafening.
Kevin’s car rolls to a stop outside of Hyunjae’s building, occupying an empty spot three away from the front of the stairs. Your pulse races when you step out of the vehicle and immediately recognize the cars in the spaces beside yours. Hyunjae’s, Juyeon’s, and Changmin’s. You notice a thin layer of dirt caking Juyeon and Changmin’s, as if they’d remained unmoved for a long time. Perturbed wasn’t a big enough word to describe what was going through your mind.
Half of you was terrified to take a step towards the stairs, let alone ascend them to Hyunjae’s floor. What would go down when you reached his apartment? What would happen the moment that door opened?
You ball your hands into fists, the edges of your nails jabbing the skin of your palms. The pain steels you enough to move forward, walking up the stairs slowly. There’s a chill tiptoeing along your spine the whole trip up, like your body knew what you were getting yourself into before you did. Maybe you were stupid. Only an idiot would lead themselves blindly into a scenario without knowing the outcome.
It’s been minutes of you staring at the slightly rusted numbers on Hyunjae’s door before you register that you’re standing in front of it. If you're being honest, you have no idea what you’re doing. You were acting on autopilot— progressing without a thought of what’s coming next. A shuddered breath leaves your lips and you raise your knuckles to the door.
The first knock is too soft to hear if the inhabitants were in their bedrooms, so you apply more force the second time. The sound reverberates through the hall, a wince appearing on your features. If someone was inside, surely they had to have heard that one. You wait a little longer for the door to swing open and reveal one of your friends looking perfectly fine. For Juyeon to showcase that grin of his that reaches his eyes and ask what you were doing here. For Changmin to give you that sweet smile that puffed up his cheeks and ask what you needed. For Sunwoo to blow a raspberry before he laughed at how silly you were for stressing over them. For Hyunjae to reassure you that it was all going to be okay, that he loved you. You were praying for that.
But no one showed up on the other end of that doorway and you were stuck glaring at that same painted board of wood.
That’s what sends your instincts into overdrive. Your hand grabs the knob, twisting it just in case. It makes a full rotation, pushing open the door the tiniest bit. You peek inside carefully and find all the lights in the living room and kitchen off. Your teeth bite down on your lip as you enter the apartment. One of the things you hated about it, was the annoying buzz of the fluorescent lights in their bathroom. And for some reason, that was all that infiltrated your ears.
The door for said bathroom was cracked just a tad at the end of the hallway, but what caught your attention was the room closest to you— also cracked the most miniscule amount. You see light filtering through, an almost orange glow like that of a desk lamp. Your stupidity would be your downfall, you conclude, your feet gravitating to the room. It’s Hyunjae’s you recall when you’re outside of it. They always say curiosity killed the cat, and you couldn’t help but revert to a feline and nudge it open with your foot.
You really wished that saying was just that— a saying.
Eric sits ahead of you, tied to a chair in the middle of the room. There’s a piece of fabric gagging his mouth and his clothes are tattered, blood staining nearly every inch. A long gash runs along his left bicep and a myriad of smaller cuts litter his face and arms. What your focus lands on first are the several deep stab wounds on his thighs.
A hand comes up to cup your mouth to keep yourself from screaming at the sight of your best friend in this position. He struggles against his restraints, muffled cries for your assistance shattering your heart into a thousand pieces like broken shards of glass. Tear streaks mixed with dried blood cover the apples of his cheeks.
“Oh my god, Eric,” your voice wobbles as you scramble to free him. “Oh my god…”
You pull down the fabric in his mouth first and he gasps for air. His eyes widen at something behind you and he warns, “Y/N—!” before he’s interrupted by your yelp. The person pressed into your back has their arm around your neck with a hold tight enough that you can’t escape, but loose enough that you can breathe, the blunt edge of a knife grazing the column of your throat.
“Tsk tsk, Youngjae. You should know that making so much noise when your killer’s not in the room just alerts them of suspicious activity. That’s survival 101, my friend. Isn’t that right, sweet sweet Y/N?”
No.
No. No. No. No. No.
This wasn’t happening.
This couldn’t be happening.
“Please, let her go, Hyunjae.” Eric begs. Hyunjae hums, nuzzling his nose in your hair. He rolls his eyes and scoffs after inhaling your scent, resting his chin on your shoulder.
“God, you’re a mouthy one. Not even Juyeon and Sunwoo were this chatty when I slit their throats— then again, it's not like they could talk much anyway.” He snorts.
You felt sick. You were lightheaded now, just at the thought of your friends gone. “W-why are you doing this?”
Hyunjae grumbles, pouting his lips. “Time for me to unravel my evil villain monologue, huh?” He slips a hand under your sweatshirt and pinches the side of your waist. “Well here it is; what you’re dying to know. The first incident was by complete accident, we were simply having a discussion about why he shouldn’t have been staring at your ass while his girlfriend was next to him at Jeong Jaehyun’s end of summer bonfire. The dude got pissed off that I called him out and tried to start a fight, but I shoved him so hard, he fell and hit his head on a rock. I just couldn’t find it in myself to feel bad about it so I left him there like nothing. From then on, anyone who came between us or remotely hurt you in any way wound up on the receiving end of this knife. Funny isn’t it? How you’re the one beneath it this time?”
It all began to fall into place once he laid the cards out on the table for you to read. The guy you ran into Tuesday after class. Poor Kim Mingyu, who just wanted to pass his English final. Your friends not picking up their phones. And supposedly it was all in the name of love.
“Y-you did that for me?”
“Of course, baby,” Hyunjae mutters into the shell of your ear. “I said I’d protect you didn’t I? I just want you all to myself.”
“What the fuck does that possessive bullshit have to do with me? What did it have to do with Juyo or Changmin or Sunwoo?” Eric cries. “Oh god, what about—?”
“Sangyeon, Hoon, Chanhee, Hak? Yeah, those four were taken care of way before my own roommates. You, obviously, were the chosen one this go around. Then it would be Kevin and lastly, Jacob. I planned on stopping after you three unless absolutely necessary.”
“How is any of this fucking necessary? You’re psychotic,” the blonde exclaims, still wriggling in his restraints. “Why would Y/N want you after all of this? Did you really believe she’d never find out about what you’ve done?”
Hyunjae glides the smooth edge of the blade against your skin and releases you from his grip, but takes a hold of your wrist, placing the handle in your grasp. He urges you forward, closer to Eric. “If she was scared of me, don’t you think she would’ve tried harder to escape me? Didn’t even blink when I held the knife to her neck.”
The brunette kisses your temple and you watch the fear in Eric’s eyes morph into defeat. “After everything we’ve been through? I’ve known you since eighth grade, Y/N. Eighth fucking grade. And this is how it ends?”
“H-he loves me,” you stutter, glancing at Hyunjae. “Don’t you?”
“You don’t kill your best friends out of love, Y/N! He’s insane! Please, don’t let him get into your head. You’re not that kind of person.” Eric attempts to reason.
Maybe you weren’t. Maybe you were. Who knows? That didn’t matter. What mattered was the fact that Hyunjae loved you. He loved you so much that he’d kill for you. Over and over and over again.
It was kind of comical that you loved him all the same. You, too, would kill for him. Over and over and over again.
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