#me showing up at the theatre: be normal be normal be normal be normal be no

[aroacewxs]

hey everyone do you ever think about how much of rui's love for nene is stored inside nenerobo

[endlessly-light]

SOMEONE WANTS TO PAY MEEEEEEE

[imabiscuitinthousandworlds]

sometimes..so.etimes they change something even after the premiere. sp you appear and watch an entirely new and prolonged monologue. and it's like. FUCK YEAH.

[emotinalsupportturtle]

the main reason I will always be obsessed with David Tennant is that fundamentally, we share the same mental illness

[melto]

i hate dating apps so much. but what else is a guy supposed to do when he just goes to class and work basically.

[thatgirlwhokeepsreading]

Fine. Taking my autistic-with-shitty-parents ass and watching Bluey. Maybe I will cuddle Dotty while I do so for the full experience. I feel like you sick bastards just want to see me cry

[lightblueminecraftorchid]

(Context: I am Level 1 autistic and sometimes experience verbal shutdowns)

Things I appreciate someone doing if I’m upset and cannot talk:

- only asking one question at a time

- asking yes/no or binary questions instead of vague ones (Ex: “do you need space?” instead of “what do you need?”)

- being okay with not receiving an answer at all, and moving on (or rephrasing questions if necessary)

- accepting gesture, sign language, and/or AAC without pointing it out as unusual or joking about it

- offering comfort items or distractions, and allowing me to choose whether or not to use them myself

- treating me with respect and not talking down to me; there is a difference between being gentle and treating me like a child

- not assuming that I will regain speech as soon as I feel better

- letting me joke around and participate in conversations without speaking, even when I look happy and calm

- choosing communal activities that are low-key and don’t rely on verbal speech, such as watching a show, painting, or looking at memes together

- understanding if I need space, and leaving me be if I walk away from a conversation or leave suddenly

- letting me use comfort items and stim, even if it looks weird to you

- understanding that saying words =/= having full speech again; I usually regain echolalia before being able to generate my own sentences

[aberooski]

I need a new job

[mars-ipan]

gonna go just a little crazy

[angelsrcute]

⌗ THEM FUCKING THEIR DARLING AT A MOVIE THEATER. 𐙚˙⋆.˚

(´∀｀*)ε｀　) ౨ৎ N–sfw content !! ; Dom!Alhaitham, Ayato, Tartaglia + Sub!F!Reader ➜ cws: Exhibitionism (Movie theatre), fingering(Tartaglia + Alhaitham), riding(Ayato), clit stimulation, raw + unprotected sex, almost getting caught, praising, dirty talk(Tartaglia). ᡴꪫ‎

꒰ † ੭ — For the event! + I'm sorry this took so long!! but I hope you'll like it.（×_×；） req by @vieannee

⌗ ALHAITHAM would shove his fingers in your cunt, your face all red with embarrassment as you try to bite back moans. Well, he really isn't a fan of romance movies, it's just not his cup of tea but he'd do anything for his darling. While watching the movie, he didn't expect a sex scene but he suddenly got turned on by the noises. So now he's here, a hand on your mouth so that the others can't hear his sweet little lover. He's definitely enjoying this too! Two of his fingers stretching your cunt out while his other hand rubs slow circles on your puffy clit, I mean, if someone really paid any attention, they'd hear the sinful noises coming from the back. Guess they're really enjoying the movie, huh?

“C’mon now, you wouldn't want others to know what we're doing here, do you? I'll fuck you properly when we get back home, so be a good girl for now.”

⌗ AYATO would book a whole ass theatre for you, having you sit on his lap while he plays with your hair, the sex scene in the movie caught him off guard, he got a boner too! Well, no one is here anyway, you riding him wouldn't hurt anyone, the sound of skin slapping filling up the room along with your mewls. His hands guiding your body up and down, groaning at how good your cunt feels, praising you. The guard coming inside the theatre and asking if everything's alright made him stop his movements, hands covering your mouth as he acts normal. His voice so calm, like he wasn't just fucking you.

“Ah yes, do not mind us, everything's fine, my lover feels a bit under the weather, I'm taking care of her, you see.”

⌗ TARTAGLIA would just tease you throughout the movie, commenting on how cute you look while blushing during some romantic scenes. He didn't know this movie had a sex scene! Well now he's blushing as his eyes flicker to you. Gloved hands covering your mouth to cover your noises as he scissors your cunt open with his fingers, hitting your sweet spot that made your eyes roll back. Whispering dirty words to your ear.

“Hey is it me or the sounds are too loud, like it's happening in this room” “Dunno man, I don't hear anything, you're thinking too much.”

Poor dudes, they didn't know there was a live show going on behind them, only if they turned their heads!

Taglist: @blueberrisdove

[signedkoko]

Alastor | Stolas | Vox [Comfort]

In which the two of you bump into your abusive ex who just arrived in hell.

You and Alastor always went on walks through hell together, since you enjoyed exploring the outdoors and he enjoyed people watching

Normally things were relatively peaceful, most, if not everyone, knew the radio demon down to every detail, and avoided him at a mere glimpse

He enjoyed telling you about things that reminded him of his past, or encounters he'd had just down the street, while you listened and observed with awe

Unfortunately, your usually peaceful walk was rudely interrupted by an obnoxious shout in your direction

There was someone who looked severely out of place, likely having just fallen, stumbling towards you with a seething grin

Alastor was already annoyed the moment anyone interrupted him, but even more so at the fact that this individual was shouting obscenities at his darling

Nevertheless, he stood stoic by your side, only glancing down at the shorter individual with an animalistic twitch in his eyes

" Can't you hear me, fucking bitch! You're the slut who put me down her- "

Once your hand gripped onto Alastor's wrist, tugging him, the man's head was sliced clean off, smashing into a building across the street and leaving a visceral splatter

Alastor was already removing his wrist from your hand to wipe the blood from his cane with a handkerchief

Once the body hit the ground with a thud, he had his arm around your waist and lifted you over it, continuing his walk as if nothing had occurred

" And that impeccable diner over there! I just have to take you, it reminds me of my many evenings after the late shows! "

Stolas had heard enough about the life you lived on earth, each momentous day and each sad tale that made up your story

He knew he was never able to protect you up there, and vows to do so now that you are by his side in the afterlife, offering an eternity of protection

Inevitably, he understood some people who had hurt you would eventually find themselves down here, and that some may try to hurt you, so he refused to let you wander alone for too long

It didn't even have to be him, so long as someone he knew could protect you was nearby

Unfortunately, the first to find you was the worst possible individual

The one who had raised their hand so many times to you, and left you with scars Stolas wished he could erase along with every worry

It was one of your date nights, visiting some upper class restaurant after having washed a romance in theatres

You were both dressed to the nines, laughing in one another's company and waiting for the cab you'd called since you'd finished sooner than expected

The both of you climbed in, only for the doors to instantly lock, tearing off without any word or signal from either of you

Stolas laughed it off for a moment, asking the driver if he already knew your destination, though he stopped when he noticed your eyes locked onto the rearview mirror

" Already moving on to someone else? Think I'm not good enough for you? "

The voice was calm but eerie, aimed directly as you

You looked horrified, and Stolas' heart raced as he connected the pieces together

One moment, the car was racing down the road, and the next, you were in the royalty's arms being carried away from a totalled car burning up in flames

You'd only blinked your eyes

Stolas held you tighter that evening, and refused to let go for weeks after

Vox was an extremely busy person

So unfortunately your intimate time together was rare

Despite that, Vox always invited you into his studio with him while he worked, so at least you'd be near one another and he could know you were safe

I mean, you were always safe so long as he could reach you, and modern tech was everywhere in hell nowadays

But he was extra protective since he'd learnt your ex had entered hell

Had he told you? No. Did he feel guilty about it? Yes.

But he just didn't want you to have to worry, and seeing you happily working away at a new project or hobby without a care in the world was just so, so...precious

Eventually he knew he would have to crack the news, but he hadn't anticipated your ex would find you so soon

It was a late night in the studio, with Vox overlooking several large screens as countless information transferred to and from his own database, analysing every media and algorithm

You were behind him, sat in a leather armchair, reading one of the many books that lined the book shelf he kept around as decoration

People came in and out of the floor through an elevator, though as the time got later, the frequency dwindled down severely

When it dinged for the first time that hour, neither of you were too bothered, Vox continuing without a flinch and you looking up for just a moment

Your gaze never went back to your book, though, stuck on the face that had a hateful sneer aimed straight at you

The phone in your pocket dinged with an alert, something about your heart rate increasing drastically in too short a time, and the information registered into Vox in milliseconds

" Finally, I fucking found you! "

One step out of the elevator, and the door clamped shut around their second leg with a loud crack, forcing your ex down onto one knee

Vox only turned to you, ignoring the wailing figure

" Oh man I really should have told you they were here! You can yell at me after. "

The suited man then walked towards your ex as the doors slowly released, kneeling down in front of him with a cackle

" Pathetic. Freak. "

Vox kicked them back into the elevator, and you heard the thing drop at high speeds back down the skyscraper

Security would handle the mess

Author's Note - I wanted to write for some of my favs to get us started off, and went for a prompt I see pretty often. If you like what I do, please consider sending in a request 🖤

[monamipencil]

loser! wonwoo

genre; nsfw, some fluff, mdni <3 | tw; oral, (f. receiving), outdoor sex (but not public), unprotected sex (don't do this), he's such a loser, masturbating (m.) | a/n; no wonwoo fic is complete without some nasty pussy-eating. 😌

loser! wonwoo who, as you guessed, doesn't get laid as much as other guys his age. which is completely fine, and he likes to focus on academics anyway.

loser! wonwoo whose sleep schedule, if not ruined by his disruptive habits, is ruined by all the boners he conjures in a single night. which, again, is completely fine because he doesn't jerk off as much which induces more nightly erections.

loser! wonwoo who's a good acquaintance of yours and used to act normal around you. or, at least that's what you think.

loser! wonwoo who always had a small crush on you but kept it hidden. and yes, the first time you smiled at him, it got him all sweaty and hard.

loser! wonwoo whose bubble breaks after a wet dream about you. he fucks his hand in the middle of the night, quietly groaning your name. he curses you and your fucking tight tops that always shows off your tits.

loser! wonwoo who doesn't take the hint that he's being hit on. or, he does but denies it. why would a girl like you hit on a guy like him? it doesn't make sense to him.

loser! wonwoo who's tired of finding explanations on the internet to validate his being. whether it's not getting laid as much or having constant boners, or turning down your attempts to flirt with him, it all points to one thing. he's the biggest fucking loser to grace the earth.

loser! wonwoo who cannot stand the sight of you flirting with soonyoung at all. and he knows you're doing this to mess with him. he smirks after catching you check whether he's looking or not for the hundredth time.

loser! wonwoo whose last straw is you kissing soonyoung's cheek. but what the fuck is he supposed to do? should he barge in and whisk you away? but that's out of touch with reality and he can only watch in a trance.

loser! wonwoo who gets snapped out of his trance when you appear in front of him like witchcraft. you don't say much but offer him a glare and pass him a movie ticket. “at 7pm today, pick me up.”

loser! wonwoo who does as you said. he nervously waits for you, fiddling with the leather jacket that he borrowed and fixing his hair a thousand times.

loser! wonwoo looking into a mirror and fixing a stray hair when you finally meet him outside your apartment. you try stifle your giggles when he awkwardly greets you but a part of you feels like you maybe forced this date on him.

loser! wonwoo who's freaking out because you look fucking gorgeous and his dick decides it wants to greet you as well.

loser! wonwoo who has a hard time, hiding his boner and being a gentleman at the same time.

loser! wonwoo who visibly tenses, noticing that the theatre is ... empty? his heart beat quickens and he notes your expression too. but you seem unfazed, like you expected this.

loser! wonwoo who nearly dies from palpitations as the screening starts. still no one in sight. he tries out every method known to humanity to calm down.

loser! wonwoo who freezes when you shift closer to him, thighs pressing against his. he removes his jacket when he notices that you feel cold and drapes it over you. you thank him and kiss his cheek.

loser! wonwoo who absolutely did not have a internal breakdown at that. the cold air bites his skin and his growing boner does not help at all.

loser! wonwoo who loses it when you press your chest into his biceps and look at him with your needy eyes.

loser! wonwoo who gropes and squeezes your tits. he pinches your nipples, rolling the bud between his fingers. you moan, letting him do as he pleases.

loser! wonwoo who makes out sloppily with you. he kisses you so deeply, tongue gliding over yours. his hands wander all over your body, eager to learn the crooks and nooks of it.

loser! wonwoo who bruises your skin, sucking and biting it. he gropes you, in every way he's imagined.

loser! wonwoo who fucks you with so much need. he pants, removing his pants and boxers in a hurry. the need to be inside you was greater than being caught.

loser! wonwoo who moans so prettily as he thrust his hips up, meeting yours in a hurry. “god, you're so wet. fuckk-” his eyebrows knit and his lips bruise from the sheer pressure of his teeth.

loser! wonwoo who comes in no time as you clench and milk him. you groan in unison when he pulls out, releasing his seed all over your thighs.

loser! wonwoo who apologizes and immediately gets on his knees to eat you out. he sloppily kisses your cunt and sucks on the little bundle of nerves.

loser! wonwoo who uses all the tips and tricks he read on the internet to make you cum. he presses his tongue flat against your heat, licking up a broad stripe. he noses your clit, while his tongue prods at the insides of your cunt.

loser! wonwoo who fucks you with his tongue. you moan, hips bucking into his face as he pushes his tongue in and out of you. his calloused fingers rub your clit, throwing you over the edge.

loser! wonwoo who makes you cum all over his face. his glasses fog up and your juices coat his chin and lips that shines under the light from the big screen.

loser! wonwoo who brings you home to fuck you again. he just can't seem to get enough of you. and god, was it good to live out all his fantasies with you.

loser! wonwoo who pounds you into his bed every chance he gets. and he just gets better and better at it.

loser! wonwoo who also fantasized about sharing his interests with you and taking you out on cute dates.

loser! wonwoo who's over the moon when you share his interest in books and video games.

boyfriend! wonwoo who loves when you cuddle up next to him as he plays games on his phone.

boyfriend! wonwoo who's still such a loser for you.

tags; @seungkwanschicken @aaa-sia @dokyeomkyeom @bangantokchy

@asyre @armycarat2612 @bewoyewo @gyuguys @embrace-themagic

@aaniag @nurihihi (send an ask to be on the taglist!)

[irishmammonagenda]

MC's magic going wrong 😱😰

or right depending on ur outlook on life ig

warnings: swearing, mentions of death (extremely brief and only notioned towards), physical affection

You hadn´t thought much of it at first when you got back to the human realm. Everything went back to normal. Or as normal as it could be.

Your mother and father sobbed when they saw you, stating how they though´t you were lying in a ditch somewhere in the stretching countryside. You´d lied, told them you were away on a residency based apprenticeship, that you were sorry for worrying them. Your siblings showed signs of worry you never thought they were able to feel for you. Thus you were being babied for a month or so.

That´s when it started.

At first, it was more corvids at the bird feeder in your garden than usual. Then it was stray cats. Then inexplicable black and white feathers dusting your clothing and hair.

Your mother smiled picking out the ivory feather from the confines of your unbrushed hair, "Oh! Your guardian angel´s been watching over you!" she says playfully, an old wives´ tale, nothing too serious.

You tense for a moment, before laughing with her. "Well I´ll take it as a good sign." Stupid old wives being the smartest people.

At first it was easy to brush off.

Then your father started getting lucky, he hadn't been one to gamble persay, putting a few coins in on a bet for the horse racing or the football was a regular occurrence, sometimes he won,sometimes he didn't. The difference of a few silvers, a share bag of sweets basically, made no real strain on your belts. But now, he was winning left right and center. Winning amounts that shouldnt be possible based on the amount he input.

Though, after you woke up to cats and corvids staring at you unblinkingly, in your room, with a few flies and insects on the walls, and your bedsheets covered in feathers and scales of all colours and sizes, enough was enough.

You were going to give those nerds a piece of your mind.

After shooing the animals out, (making sure to pet the cats), you picked up a lipstick, and channeled your pact magic before drawing a circle with various symbols on the floor,

You stilled, "Ah, shit. I dunno how to do this, i mean half of those symbols are angry faces and squiggles...." but ever the theatre nerd, you improved.

"I, MC, call upon the power of my pacts with the Avatars of Hell! and, using their power; a portal to the Devildom shall open for me!"

And a portal did open for you. Unfortunately, not to the best place. As you travelled through the time pocket you ended up stumbling once you made it to the other side, the stumble turnt into a tumble turnt into a fall. Unluckily for you, the thing you fell on was toned flesh and chuckling heartily, you were in Diavolo's lap.

"It's great of you to drop by MC!" He says, his massive hands pulling you further into his frame.

You cover your face with your hands, now noticing the various other nobles in the council room who are staring at their Prince, attempting to mask the fact their jaws are going to hit the floor.

Atleast the Brothers weren't there, but Barbatos' half polite smile half smirk and Diavolo whispering various playful musings of, "Did you miss me that much little human, we missed you too.", and "Summoning a portal illegally into the Demon Lord's castle and onto the Demon Princes lap...tututut." almost made the brothers seem like a mercy....

...almost.

You couldn't tell if this was a win or a lose.

[pixiefelixie]

menace!boyfriend k.sm. (a much needed headcanon)

: ̗̀➛ pairing — seungmin x gn!reader : ̗̀➛ word count — 530 : ̗̀➛ content — fluff, seungmin acting like everyone's annoying little brother

a/n — these pictures of kim seungmin killed me. who told him to look this good with a bowl cut???? i hope you guys enjoyed this!!

menace!seungmin who was definitely your friend before becoming your boyfriend.

menace!seungmin who suddenly yells "boo!" and grabs your shoulders to scare you during the quietest scene of a horror movie. if you screamed, he would laugh his heart out and you promise yourself to never watch a horror movie with him ever again.

menace!seungmin who would definitely act the silliest while you're drinking water to purposefully make you laugh while your mouth is FULL and dodge when you spray it out of your mouth and nose

menace!seungmin who brings food to your mouth like a gentlemen but then shoves it into his own mouth

menace!seungmin who throws a snowball at you in the winter and has it go down your back. but then on that same evening, he would hug you in bed with the heat of his body warming you up as if he didn't just freeze your butt off earlier.

menace!seungmin who refuses to ask you directly when he wants to see you so he "forgets" stuff at your house so he can go over to get it

menace!seungmin who walks in on you in the bathroom and starts a casual conversation like you aren't sitting on the toilet.

menace!seungmin who will never make a normal entrance whenever you've got a date planned. he told you to meet him in front of the movie theatre? he'll jump out of the corner to surprise attack you when you're there. he told you he'd pick you up? he's hiding beside the door when you open it, waiting to jump at you. if you dated him in high school, he'd definitely be the type of guy to cover your eyes and say "guess who?"

when you two are at dinner alone or with a group of people like your family, menace!seungmin will always put his foot on yours under the table and not let you go

menace!seungmin who will flick his wet hands at you while walking out of the bathroom to annoy you and he got you to do it to him every time as well

menace!seungmin who has you becoming a mini-version of him. you'd adopt his vocabulary and attitude so you joke about how he's being a bad influence on you.

menace!seungmin who is obsessed with kissing your hands. if you have your hand in his, he'll bring it up to his lips with any chance he gets. before crossing the road, waiting for the street food to be ready, going up in the elevator, you name it. sometimes if he's feeling silly he'll bite your hand while he's at it.

menace!seungmin who can't look into your eyes for too long or else he'll fold so he always ruffles your hair or gently pushes your head away if he ever feels like the eye contact is becoming too much. you don't know this so you just assume he likes to make your hair messy.

menace!seungmin who's love language is being annoying but if he ever catches anyone else doing it to you, he'll fight their ass

menace!seungmin who loves you to the ends of the earth and will never fail to show you in his own ways

[lynnlovesthestars]

Mending.

Pairing: Lucanis Dellamorte x Rook x Spite (gender-neutral) Genre: hurt/ comfort, protective Lucanis, protective Spite, Smitten Lucanis, Lucanis personal quest spoilers, Bisexual disaster Lucanis, first kisses, spite being spite, wingman spite, angst with a dash of fluff. Synopsis: in the aftermath of the fight with Illario, something doesn't go as expected. WC: 2k~ Ao3 link AN: is this me finally getting out of my writer's block again?

Lucanis’ eyes darted around the opera house, something was missing. So much had happened so quickly: the fight, deciding what to do with Illario, being announced as the new First Talon, that once he was handed the glass of celebratory wine and had a moment to think, he realized that he had lost sight of Rook.

He was so absorbed by this family drama that he didn’t ever realize when the room had been cleaned up from the bodies and guests started crowding the lower level of the theatre.

“Can’t believe. You lost Rook” Spite shook his head as he glanced around the room, pacing between the Crows and the guests, looking for the missing one.

He wanted to follow Spite so bad, abandon the glass of champagne and focus on Rook.

He was not quick enough though. One at a time the guests started approaching him. Some with compliments, and some already trying to get in his graces.

He hated every second of it. He wished Caterina had not pushed all this on him, had not forced him to take the mantle of First Talon, had not shoved on him all these expectations. He didn’t want to play the part.

He just wanted to look for Rook and leave.

Yet he had little choice, he just hoped Rook would find him, that the feeling that was harbored in his guts was just a fiction of his mind, one of the many attempts of his brain to let him cave in.

Minutes passed quickly, and of Rook there was no trace. He had prayed Rook would show up between the guests stopping him over and over again, looking for them in every interaction, in every greeting, in every congratulations. Of all the people crowding the room, the only one he wanted to see, it was Rook,

There was nothing to worry about, right? He thought as he followed the demon around the opera house with his eyes.

“Smells like blood” Spite walked past another small gathering of people, approaching one of the corners of the room and disappearing behind the throng.

Rationally he knew that it was normal for the opera theater to smell like blood. At the end of the day there had just been a bloody fight right there where a small horde of Venatori was taken down, but nothing stopped Lucanis from overthinking and wondering if the smell of blood belonged to Rook.

Dread filled his lungs as he excused himself, leaving one person after the other behind himself, following Spite’s taunting voice as he sniffed around. “Found Rook” The demon hummed as he stopped on his tracks and kneeled down. “Rook hurt” He hissed as he leaned forward, inching closer to their face.

They were sitting on the floor, their head lolling to the side as one arm was holding their abdomen tightly.

“Mierda” He swore under his breath as the view solidified in Lucanis’ eyes, the glass he was holding was quickly abandoned, shattered on the floor as he rushed by Rook’s side.

He could feel everyone’s disapproving gaze falling on him as he kneeled down, his composure down the drain as Caterina’s eyes burned holes in his back. “House Dellamorte never kneels” Her voice echoed in his brain, yet for once all he cared was beyond her opinion. All that mattered to him was Rook.

“Rook, you alright?” He murmured the futile question as he cupped their cheek, his palm gently turning their head towards them to take a better look. Blood was dripping down their nose, their eyes were half closed while their mouth hung slack, trying to catch their breath. 

“Yeah” They mumbled under their breath, leaning in the touch carelessly. “Feeling dizzy” Their beautiful complexion was slowly drained of color, and yet even on the brink of exsanguination they were stunning. 

“Gonna kill Illario” Spite hissed; he could feel the demon’s anger rising in his stomach and mixing with his own worry, a deadly concoction that was not going to bring anything good if Spite was not kept in check.

“Let’s get you out of here” He whispered as he sneaked his arms around Rook’s waist and brought them to his chest. He had to be quick, looking for a safe spot to mend whatever nasty wound Rook had and make sure they were okay.

The halls of Villa Dellamorte were home to him, so much that sneaking past the hidden corridors to his room was kid’s play, and there he was going to be unbothered, focusing on Rook only.

“You still with me, Rook?” He asked as he gently laid them on the softness of his bed, their head falling back against the pillows as he realized no answer was going to come from them any time soon. Shit. Shit. Shit.

“I’m sorry” Lucanis mumbled to himself as he quickly undid the buttons of Rook’s vest, discarding the ruined clothes to the floor and exposing the wound.

“Why are you apologizing.” Spite asked, his head tilting to the side as he stared at the scene unfolding in front of his eyes.

“I suppose you don’t understand” He held his breath as he carefully threaded the needle, battling with himself to keep his hands steady, something that should have been normal to him. 

“Explain”

“I undressed them, without their knowledge. That’s..” He weighted the words on his tongue, hoping they’d make sense for the demon, ‘cause of all things, he was not going to sit there and overexplain himself when his.. lover could have been on the brink of death. “...Disrespectful”

“Disrespectful” Spite repeated, letting the word linger on his tongue as he stared at Lucanis carefully.

“Now if you’ll stay silent, I’ll patch them up” Lucanis turned resolute towards the demon, pointing the sharp needle his way and earning a groan and a nod.

“Be quick” He sat at the edge of the bed, next to Rook’s feet. “Miss Rook already” Spite mumbled as he crossed his arms, and for once, they were on the same page.

Lucanis was quick to focus again on Rook, his eyes tracing the countless scars on their exposed chest; he wanted to know their story, how Rook got them, how many they had to patch alone at the edge of consciousness, how many carried regret. He wanted to trace them with his lips as they got to learn about each other. He would have torn down walls for them, even if just for a moment.

Lucanis reached over for the folded towel, the gushing wound oozed so heavily that he wondered for a moment if Illario had pierced something vital.

He tried his best to steady his hands, pressing the cloth against the open skin to take away as much blood as possible before starting to stitch it up.

How long had Rook sat there bleeding out before being found? He wondered. 

Why had they not asked for help? Question over question flooded his mind as he stopped just a moment to take a better look at Rook.

He expected to see some sort of reaction, to see their face contorted in a painful scowl, anything to remind himself that he was not going to lose them anytime soon, yet even while they were unconscious they tried their best to look calm.

It was something he admired about Rook. They always seemed in control even when things were slipping between their fingers. Even when the worst outcome was at their door, they always knew what to say. And yet, when they needed help, no one was there to see them, to notice the bloodstain growing on the fabric of their shirt.

What a fool Lucanis Dellamorte was for such oversight. Especially when he wanted to be around Rook all the time, when he wanted to pluck the stars from the sky for them, and  when he wanted to protect them with every fiber of his being, despite the fear of uncovering the monsters hidden in his closet.

“Lucanis’ a sap” Spite rolled his eyes as he climbed completely on the bed, laying next to Rook. Lucanis hated sometimes how loudly Spite could read him. Even when he didn’t understand humanity, and when Lucanis couldn’t properly process his feelings, he was always asking those uncomfortable questions, leaving him questioning.

“I told you to-” 

“Tell them” Spite stopped him before he could finish his sentence. “You want to. I don’t understand why you don’t”

“It’s..” He let out a groan as he looked down again, the wound already covered in blood once more. “Let me do this” Lucanis quickly dismissed Spite.

“I don’t get you” Spite shook his head, returning to his own thinking. He ghosted his hand over Rook’s itching to feel what Lucanis felt whenever his hand met with theirs, wondering if it would feel the same way. It was all futile wondering in the end.

The downsides of having a personal demon included hearing all their thoughts all the time, and he hated that his demon was just a mirror of his own feelings, so loud in his head it was impossible to drown him out.

The moon was shining high in the sky when Lucanis finally dropped the needle, a sigh of relief followed the clunk of hitting wood as he closed the little box and pushed it back under his nightstand and looked up at Rook.

He itched to touch them, to glide their fingers through their hair, to caress their cheek, to lean in and steal a kiss.

“Do it” Spite taunted.

“I’m not listening to you” Lucanis rebutted without a second thought.

Rook was still dazed, the sunlight shining through the blinds waking every nerve in their body as they adjusted to the unfamiliar environment.

The coffee aroma lingered in the air as they slowly opened their eyes. The last they remembered was gripping Lucanis' shirt and rushing through corridors. 

Lucanis was near, sitting on a chair right next to the bed, one hand wrapped around Rook’s and the other holding a cup of coffee.

“What happened? Where are we?” Rook murmured, their voice still laced with the weight of sleep.

“I had to stitch you up” He smiled as he rested the cup on the nightstand and leaned forward. His free hand gently reached forward, cupping Rook’s cheek and caressing the soft skin. “I brought you to my room” 

“Ah”

“How do you feel? Does the wound hurt?” He asked, leaving no time for Rook to think, his voice barely a whisper. He itched to lift the blanket, to ghost his fingers over their chest- and check the wound himself, obviously.

“I’ve seen better days” Rook slowly tried sitting up before being hit by a wave of pain, betraying his words right away. 

Lucanis was quick, his arm was quickly wrapped around their waist. “Careful..” He cooed as he guided the other to sit up, trying his best to ease the pain of movement. He couldn't miss how Rook's cheeks ignited, their beautiful complexion shining with warmth at the small care.

“But thank you, if it wasn’t for you…” Rook resumed despite the itching pain, a soft smile spreading upon their lips. 

They were so close as Lucanis still held his arm around their waist. Their warm breath mixing in the middle, as if to torture him, reminding him that they were just inches away from each other, so close yet so far.

“You should have told me Illario wounded you, you know?” His voice lowered as he sat at the edge of the bed, his arm not yielding from the new spot it occupied. He liked the way they felt in his arms.

“You found me, didn’t you?” Rook matched his tone, as if they were whispering secrets and the walls of Villa Dellamorte had ears to steal them away.

“Yeah”

Silence filled the room as Rook’s eyes fell on their intertwined fingers. Their heart leaping in their chest as they committed to memory the way his hand felt in theirs, the way his arm held them up protectively.

They felt safe, right there. Despite the wound on their abdomen, despite the world as they knew it about to fall apart. 

“Kiss them. Kiss them” Spite chanted as they still laid near Rook, propping up only to meet his host’s eyes with a smirk plastered on his lips. Lucanis wanted to kiss them, to steal just one moment, but was it fair? Was it fair to selfishly graze their skin one more time and press their lips together just like that? Many times he had thought of it, daydreaming of the moment before his eyes, yet he had wanted their first kiss to be different.

He savored the idea on his lips, wondering if they'd taste as sweet as the words that came from their mouth. He wondered if they'd feel the same way he did.

One moment he was deep in his thoughts, and the following he couldn’t hold himself back. His lips gently crushed with Rook’s, and the stars he wanted to give them were around him; the universe he wanted to fight was in his palm.

He swore everything around him disappeared. Worries, thoughts, responsibilities. Vanquished.

There was just Lucanis and Rook and nothing else mattered.

[withbroombefore]

I saw a poll earlier about participation in regular in-person activities, with numbers that make me wonder if a lot of people don't know what the options are or how to find them. Here are some that I have always found welcoming to new people; for me, these are ways to leave my apartment and get some human interaction without having to make much conversation (there is a reasonable amount of that if you want it, but since it's understood that you are there to do an activity, the thing you are doing is the point rather than pure socializing). A search for "[activity] [location]" should tell you what's available in your area.

Contra dancing: This goes at the top and gets explanation because it's my favorite. I grew up doing this and love it very very much; I always look for local dances when I move somewhere new. Most dances are very beginner-friendly (though there are some exceptions), and zero dance experience is required to participate. Many will include a lesson for beginners in the half-hour before the main event starts, and there are always instructions throughout the evening. You truly do not need to know anything going in. The convention is to switch partners throughout the night, and it's completely okay to attend alone and ask people you don't know to dance. Try Contra Dancing has a search tool by zip code. Typically $8-15.

Community theatre tech: Acting is an option if that's your thing, but in my experience, tech is easier if you're looking for an activity because there's not usually competition--you often can just volunteer without needing to worry about auditions or casting. Roles like run crew (where you move set between scenes and such) don't require any prior knowledge, and plenty of the other tasks can be learned with a little training. If you turn up reliably, the word will spread--good techies are invaluable. Free to participate.

Community band or chorus: Prior experience in playing an instrument is necessary for the band; for singing, it depends on the type of chorus. Some are auditioned, others are just thrilled by any participation. May require dues.

Shapenote singing: A more niche one and another of my personal favorites (I ignore the religious lyrics and treat them as poetry). This can take some time to pick up, but many places have a small monthly sing that is very welcoming to new people. fasola.org has lots of information about the tradition and where to sing. Free, optional donations accepted.

Library events: Find your local public library's website and look for a calendar or events page to see if anything appeals. Typically free.

Crafting groups: Yarn stores and other craft supply places often have regular open gatherings (typically free) and/or classes (may cost money for teaching and supplies).

Games: If you have a local game store, check their website for events. Or search "[location] [chess club]" or whatever is your thing. Usually free.

Dance: Depends on what is available in your area. A studio where I am has a monthly swing dance, with beginner lessons before, for $10.

Sports: I don't really do these but they presumably exist and can be found like the other things.

The important thing is to just go do the thing. It will probably feel awkward the first time--that's normal! These are all spaces where the point is for people to show up and participate. They want you to be there, and they want you to come back! Otherwise they can't keep existing. Several of these (contra dancing, shapenote, a lot of crafting groups) are especially excited about new people and younger participants and will be thrilled to teach you how to do the thing. And the only way to make it feel comfortable is to plow through the first awkwardness and go back until you decide if you actually enjoy it or not. When you find a thing you like, keep going, and after a little while you end up with a community of people to see regularly who share your interests. This is what humans are supposed to do.