#my favorite genre of spook of all time

[muzsmocsing]

Fantastic botanical body horror? In MY crackhead danmei? More likely than you think!

[hee0soo]

Don't be a Stranger - A S[e]oul Story -3-

Pairing — Kim Hongjoong x Foreigner!Reader

Summary — Hongjoong just had to use the little time he had while you were still around...

Genre — fluff

AU/Trope Info — Idol!Au, SliceofLifeAu

Wordcount — 1.2k

Warnings — none

Rating — sfw

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

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

The next time you found yourself standing in front of the new KQ Building was just as unplanned as the first time had been. This time however it was an official invitation by Hongjoong himself, which did not make you any less nervous then the first time.

No, it seemed that this time you actually felt even more nervous then before!

So dressed in a bucket hat, mask and sunglasses on your nose you walked up the stairs and through the door straight to the elevator.

It couldn’t be that bad seeing as you already had hundreds of messages on your phone to prove that you had yet to scare him away, yet your nerves stayed frazzled. You had gotten to know him a bit beyond the idol persona through them and he had managed to have you feel comfortable enough to share some things about yourself too. Not once had Hongjoong seemed like he was making fun of you for it, rather he had showed genuine interest in what you liked and what you didn’t. So no, him asking you to see you roughly 1,5 weeks later and with the end of your vacation looming over your head, it shouldn’t be that bad.

It was the last chance where he was able to with schedules slowly filling up again after having slowed for the time being and upon finding out when your flight back home was booked, Hongjoong had demanded to meet up at least once to hang out for a bit as he had said when he had asked if you were interested in seeing him again.

You were apprehensive at first, hanging out with one of your idols should be a dream come true in theory, yet in reality you weren’t so delulu to think that it would be as magical as tiktok edits of them made it out to be. But the selfie of a pouty Hongjoong you got after initially refusing had you melting on the spot.

So yes, americano and your favorite beverage and some snacks in hand you stepped out of the elevator and marched up to the entrance to ring the bell.

Just a moment later the face of Hongjoong appeared behind the milky glass door. You didn’t know why you had expected the woman from last time to be the one to let you in, but something about it being Hongjoong left you giddy inside.

“Annyeonghaseyo!” you chanted out joined by a shy bow and cringed at the way it sounded way to rehearsed. Hongjoong almost cooed at the spooked look on your face, immediately reaching for your arm to pull you back up as soon as you had lowered yourself.

“Ah, you don’t need to! I’m friend.” He spoke softly, his accent audible while speaking English. Pointing at the drink you held in your hands, he asked, “For me?” with bright eyes.

You nodded before handing it to him.

“Yes, I thought since you invited me, I could at least bring some snacks and coffee.”

“Thank you but you no need-“ he began and got promptly cut off.

“I wanted to, so take it or I’ll drink it!”

Pleased to see that you were comfortable enough to tease him, he took the coffee from your hands only answer in pout. “No, that’s mine!”

He skipped a few feet away down the hall, gesturing with his head for you to follow him.

The confused looks you both received from the secretary behind the desk went unnoticed, instead you followed his lead to where you guessed his studio was located.

Opening the door for you to step in first you walked in, taking a seat on the couch. Hongjoong himself sat down in his producing chair, taking a sip of his drink.

You spend the time talking about everything that came to your mind, both you and him bantering with each other like you have know the other for ages. There was no dull moment, no second of silence and not minute of thinking this was a mistake.

You could barely breath from laughing to much at his jokes and the snacks emptied gradually and suddenly it was 9 pm instead of 1 pm and Hongjoong had ordered food for both of you with some soju on the side.

The flavored alcohol had your face scrunching up because of the sweetness and Hongjoong straight up giggled in your face.

“You don’t like?” he hiccupped between laughter’s and you shook your head furiously coughing.

“Not this flavor at least!”

Handing you a bottle of water the rapper snickered at your expression.

“Thank you! And stop laughing!”

To be fair, he tried! It still took him several deep breaths to actually school his face into a calmer one. Not calm, but calmer. You could still see the amusement settling on his face as the corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

“Okay, okay! I calm now!” Another inhale. Another failed attempt.

“Yahh, don’t be mean!” you whined followed by a pouty smile.

“I’m not! I’m sorry!”

“No, you aren’t!”

“I am!”

A knock cut the banter off. Someone who you recognized as Eden walked in, a frown placed on his face when he understood that Hongjoong wasn’t alone in there. You tried to appear neutral to his presence yet polite when you greeted him quietly.

The man seemed to ignore your presence entirely as he addressed the leader of Ateez with a scowl.

“Are you planning on joining us today or…” he trailed off and Hongjoongs eyes widened at the implication of his words. “Ah, I forgot the session! I’m sorry hyung!”

“Just hurry this up and come when you are ready.”

Eden left.

Hongjoong looked at you, seemingly sorry for something you knew wasn’t his fault.

“I-“

“You have to get back to work again, it’s okay.” You smiled, reassuring him that it really was okay.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be, please! I understand, I just glad that we had so much time together.”

Reaching forward to clean up the mess of snack bags and coffee cups, you got up; getting ready to leave with a heavy heart.

Hongjoong batted your hands away. Not wanting you to feel like he was throwing you out, he took the trash from your hands. “Let me-“

Your eyes met briefly and you wanted to scream at the soft look he gave you.

“Can I walk you the door?”

You nodded. “Of course.”

You took your stuff and followed him out. It seemed like he walked slower on purpose to draw out the moment of saying goodbye, trying the delay it as much as possible before wrapping his arms around you ever so carefully. It wasn’t different to when he had to pose for pictures with female idols, never quite touching you. Yet, it meant a lot.

“Don’t be stranger. I want keep talking with you…”

“I won’t.”

Taglist: @lelaleleb @roronoas-wife @vixensss @bakusatxuki

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

reading update: september 2024

I'm turning in the reading roundup a little later than usual, but booooy not for lack of enthusiasm! September was such an interesting month for books, not least of all because you'll notice that things take a spooky turn towards the end of the month. in the name of whimsy I decided that October would be the perfect time to go on a themed reading kick and read through everything vaguely spooky, scary, or horror-related on my TBR, and then I thought, hey, why wait? Halloween is a state of mind, and I want to get spooked.

(have I been spooked yet? well... eh. but there's still time!)

my point being, if you want some creepy recs, hang tight because the October reading roundup is going to be great for you. in the meantime, here's what I read in September:

My Nemesis (Charmaine Craig, 2023) - cannot recommend this brief novel enough if you like very stylized prose about very insufferable people. Craig's protagonist is a memoirist who narrates her tale of woe exactly like she's writing a personal essay that's going to do numbers on twitter, intimate from a detached and analytical distance and giving the strong impression of a person who's made a living being intensely self-obsessed and can't quite manage to turn it off. it's a fascinating approach to a story about an emotionally overwhelming friendship destroying two marriages and ending in a woman's death, all without any actual adultery ever occurring. the narrator is consciously self-conscious, unreliable in the subtle and shifty way of someone trying to take exactly enough culpability to avoid being assigned more. it's a heavily interior novel, but Craig managed to keep me gasping with surprise here and there - the stomach-twisting reveal of why the narrator is actually telling her story, for one, as well as the revelation of the work within the novel that shares its name. if you like a tightly crafted character exercise, you're going to eat this up.

Raiders of the Lost Heart (Jo Segura, 2023) - this was the romance novel picked out via poll over on my patreon for September, and if I may be honest I was NOT excited! to my mind it was the dud of the group, the one amongst the four possibilities that I was most dreading. the garish cover, improbable plot summary, and blatant Indiana Jones of it all (the male love interest is literally named Ford) was a tremendous turn off, and you know what? I was wrong for that. Raiders ended up being one of the better romance novels I've read this year, and not JUST because I've been reading an endless parade of stinkers. the characters are largely free of manufactured drama and are instead believably and sympathetically rendered, with the female lead Corrie being a particular knockout; I would love to be her friend. the plot isn't nearly as cartoonish as the synopsis on the back of the book would have you believe, or at least most of it isn't; the silliness doesn't arrive until almost the very end, when Segura decides she needs some action movie stakes in here ASAP. and while the prose wasn't totally free of the genre's worst bullshit (stop reminding me that Ford's eyes are emerald, I beg), it was for the most part refreshingly no-nonsense. I wasn't even a chapter into this book when I found myself realizing I might really like it, and as of right now it's looking to claim the title of my favorite romance of 2024 in a landslide victory. having said that someone should be in thought crime prison for titling the sequel "Temple of Swoon."

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 11 (Ryoko Kui, trans. Taylor Engel, 2022) - man you guys Dungeon Meshi is so fucking good. what the fuck. what the hell. it's so genuinely insane that Kui is still able to weave in elements of humor that feel so organic and natural to the characters at this absolutely dire point of the game, when all of my faves are actively in so much danger - largely FROM EACH OTHER - that I'm eating my fingers. christ. some of my students who are in an LGBT book club did Legends and Lattes last month and I just kept wanting to ask if anyone had read Dungeon Meshi for, you know, a very D&D-flavored story that's actually intensely interested in dissecting the tropes of the genre alongside race and class and xenophobia and the social rules of an adventurer heavy world but god. I couldn't. because it's not gay. like Senshi I just want to nourish the youngsters but I can't because it's not gay. please everyone for the love of god just read Dungeon Meshi.

The Most (Jessica Anthony, 2024) - I'm a simple man, and I added this tiny novel to my TBR based on a blurb that really gave me nothing but "a 60s housewife gets in the apartment complex's pool and refuses to get out and it freaks her husband right out." god forbid women do anything, right? anyway, at risk of showing my whole ass I think this is exactly the kind of "disaffected adultery and divorce" book that a lot of tumblr users claim to hate, and I fucking loved it. Anthony is a brilliantly sharp writer who paces her microcosmic drama perfectly, revealing everything at just the right moment like a practiced tour guide showing us around the shadowy corners of an aggressively ordinary marriage. I love adultery and I think this book in particular should be taught in writing courses. sue me.

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir (Akwaeke Emezi, 2021) - I think this year I've reread more books than I have any other year of my adult life, and I'm so glad that I took time to revisit Emezi's memoir. it's genuinely like nothing else I've ever read, one of the boldest and bravest things I've ever read. Emezi's account of godhood, of coming to understand themself as a deity trapped in flesh, is absolutely unwavering, completely grounded in their certainty of their truth and proceeding from there without ever worrying about persuading others to believe them. Emezi is a storyteller's storyteller, and their story doesn't need anyone's approval. but while it can be challenging, I wouldn't call the book confrontational. quite the opposite; in many places it's achingly vulnerable, as Emezi guides you through an unabashed tour of the very worst of their heartbreak, trauma, and alienation, and the times they've nearly succeeded in taking their own life. but god, please don't think this memoir is unrelenting misery. Emezi also speaks so, SO powerfully of opulence, of love, of the dedication to their artistry ad unabashed acknowledgement that they are a peerless talent. Emezi talks about magic of writing in a way that makes me feel like I'm being engulfed in golden-white flames; they make me want to transform myself into the artist I want to be. once again: I am an Emezi stan first and a person second forever.

The Beginning and End of Rape: Confronting Sexual Violence in Native America (Sarah Deer, 2015) - listen, I'll be straight up with you: unless you're exorbitantly interested in rape law, alternatives to carceral "justice," and legalese, this is going to be a very dry read, and there are not enough narrative segments to make up for that. for my money, Deer provides a thorough overview of the difficulties faced by American tribal nations in exercising legal power to prosecute and punish cases of sexual violence, despite the staggering levels of violence experienced by women in many Native communities. I really admired the intensely tempered view that Deer (a member of the Mvskokoe nation) brings to her work, discussing the history of Native approaches to sexual violence without pretending precolonial North America was a feminist utopia and offering thoughtful criticism of proposed substitutions to imprisonment. while the rape laws of any one of the 574 federally recognized tribes in the occupied lands of the United States could be a book on its own and Deer is constrained by the need to cover as much territory as she can in the broadest strokes possible, this is a solid primer to an ongoing social, spiritual, and legal issue that too rarely receives attention outside of Native communities.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes (Erica LaRocca, 2022) - straight up I was only trying to read Things Have Gotten worse, LaRocca's somewhat infamous story of a lesbian relationship that goes extremely wrong extremely fast, but the only copy available through my library system came with two more of his short stories (the aforementioned Other Misfortunes). I'm going to save time on the two extra stories: one is an incomprehensible exercise in religious trauma and I did not like it, and the other one was silly because I, personally, simply would not get so trapped in a sense of social obligation that I let my neighbor do stupid riddles to be until I was in a guillotine. rip to that guy but I'm different. anyway, back to the star of the show. I made the mistake of browsing some other people's thoughts on Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and encountered a truly dizzying number of people whose takeaway seems to be that it's bad not for any stylistic reason but because it depicts two lesbians being in a relationship that's deranged and unhealthy, to which I say you should probably go watch Stephen Universe or something instead of looking for #goodrep in the horror short stories. christ. for my money, Things Have Gotten Worse is messy in the most delicious way, absolutely bonkers from start to finish. escalates pretty much instantly and refuses to let up for truly even a second. cannot believe the predatory mommy dom turns out to be the reasonable one in this dynamic, that one threw me for a loop. it's not incredible but god was I entertained.

Fledgling (Octavia E. Butler, 2005) - another reread, revisiting some of my favorite little freak vampires for the spooky season! although, honestly, the most spooky scary thing about Butler's vampires is probably that vampires look like an Aryan cult and some of them are turbo racist while the other ones insist that it's totally 100% impossible for vampires to be racist and the fact that this gets quite a lot of people killed, something that I'm sure is just a weird coincidence and not any kind of commentary that Butler was making on anything at all. what else is there to say? this is one of Butler's most elaborate explorations of inverted power dynamics, dropping codependent symbiotic sexy vampire polycule cults smack in the middle of the 21st century United States instead of on an alien planet or an apocalyptic wasteland just to really drive home how crazy this shit it. and it's delicious! I love it! what a deliciously different interpretation of vampirism. imagine the utopia we'd be living in if this was the vampire novel that had gotten big in 2005 instead of Twilight.

The Low, Low Woods (Carmen Maria Machado, Dani, and Tamra Bonvillain, 2020) - first I remembered that there are horror comics that I can include in my Octoberish reading, and then I remembered that creepy queen Carmen Maria Machado has published one with DC Comics' Black Label. The Low, Low Woods follows dirtbag teen lesbians Octavia and El in the burnt out coal mining town of Shudder to Think, a town where everyone knows that something's not quite right but no one can seem to leave. the story begins with El and Octavia waking up in a movie theater with no memory of a movie, realizing that they've lost time. the ensuing investigation takes them deep into the town's troubled history, and forces them to realize it's not just the supernatural preying on the town. I love creepy Appalachia and would definitely recommend this for any Old Gods of Appalachia fans, and I will say that so far this is the only one of the spooky reads to really get under my skin and give me a full-body shiver due to the sheer overwhelming awfulness of the implications Machado raises with the revelations in her story. I'm not usually one for trigger warnings in my little roundups, but I cannot emphasize enough that if you have a hard time reading about sexual violence, you'll probably want to skip this one.

The Icarus Girl (Helen Oyeyemi, 2005) - I've been meaning to get into Oyeyemi's large body of work (in part because Akwaeke Emezi speaks quite highly of her) and where better to start than with her debut novel? and why not now, since it was tagged as horror? ultimately I'd concede that the book is creepy but don't know if I'd quite consider myself horrified, and that's completely fine since it's an astonishing piece of prose regardless. writing a believable eight year old narrator of an adult novel is a tricky thing, but Oyeyemi pulls it off beautifully with protagonist Jessamy, effortlessly selling her as an insightful, anxious, and intelligent girl who's still utterly believable as a child. the Icarus Girl revels in the same kind of "powerless child" horror as Gaiman's Ocean at the End of the Lane, following the lonely Jessamy as she initially is befriended and then tormented by a mysterious and powerful little girl that she meets while visiting her mother's family in Nigeria. as her new friends gets increasingly malevolent and out of control, Jess struggles to account for the damage and to be taken seriously by her parents when she tries to explain what's wrong. Oyeyemi apparently wrote this book when she was only a teenager, and if she's been leveling up her craft with each subsequent novel then I have a lot of look forward to.

[last-words-ofashootingstar]

Hope you’re doing well especially with the personal matters that are going on in your life! Hope you feel better and I hope things calm down for you sooner rather than later! 🖤 happy to see you back though!

I’ve been thinking more and more about how Siren!San would be as a mate (if you don’t feel like writing this that’s totally fine! 🖤🖤🖤)

Being Siren!San's Mate

❥Siren Choi San x gn reader

➯a/n: thank you 🫶🫶 i hope my little ramblings of being siren sans mate are enjoyable !

▼・ᴥ・▼ (✯◡✯)genre: headcanons, fantasy

ಠ_ಠwarning/content: mentions of kidnapping, fantasy body transformations, fated soulmates, not proof read

⁂perm taglist: @stvrfir3 @tunaasan @marievllr-abg

Sannie canonically has blonde hair in Shells, and I don't know if I've mentioned his tail color but I think it would be a pale pink. That in mind, he's a shallow water siren as apposed to a deeper water siren, because he blends in better. (Unlike Hongjoong with red hair and fluctuating tail color, who blends in with the darker waters)

That most likely is the way he meets his mate, and not a wreck or attack. Just his mate swimming a few miles off shore and he catches a whiff and then they're gone *poof*

San, in any universe, shape, or form, is a family man so he's like an excited puppy: swims around in circles at the pool entrance of his den until his mate wakes up.

When his mate wakes up and is inevitably like YO WTF DAWG, he's calm and collected even though his heart is about to jump out of his chest. He won't crowd his mate *cough cough hongjoong* because he's deathly afraid of sending them into shock from his mark.

That being said, he's still incredibly clingy-

Angel in Shells is a lucky woman 🙏(besides the kidnapped and turned into a siren part) because let me tell you Siren!San is not letting a single hair on his mates body be hurt or even uncomfortable.

Too cold? Boom- fire. Too hot? Boom- cooling lotion. Sad? He'll sing a song! Angry? Well that's okay, you can hit his chest and cry until you tire yourself out.

That's par for the course for most sirens with their human mate I think, but San takes it seriously. He'd slap a fish if it looked at you the wrong way and yell at seaweed that spooked you on your first trip into the water. (ex. not wanting Angel to touch Joongs mate because he doesn't want her to get sick, and comforting her)

He's a lot more in tune with his emotions than you'd think, he knows it's 'okay' to be exited but he also knows that you're going through a huge shock and so he lets out his excitement by talking to you. Whether you listen or not, it really doesn't matter.

And it also doesn't matter what he's talking about- though he makes it a point to avoid talking about things that make your heart beat irregular. He sticks to tame things at first, like the tribe and how they work and his own family and his favorite spots to sunbathe just under the surface of the water (promising to take you to all of them).

He tells his mate what's to come, unlike Hongjoong who dropped his moms lore and then shut that shit down 😭

Once you start transforming, he's nearly suffocating with watching your process in pure awe.

The first time he sees his mates tail?? He's thanking the Huntress for every little moment that lead him here.

If it matches his like some mates do, whew boy prepare to be smooched to death. (Prepare to be smooched to death either way actually)

The first time you go hunting together, his cheeks are sore from all the smiling he's doing, he wants to teach you anything and everything there is- and he will in due time.

One little detail I think really fits Siren!San is that every night before bed, even when he slept on the floor in those first few weeks to give you the comfort of his nest, he'd blow on your wrist to see his signature appear- ecstatic every time knowing that you were fated for him.

The first night you do it back, both of your scales turning pink when your name mimics his, he nearly dies of pure bliss.

[lumosatnight]

24 Fic Recs 2024!

Another year of fics, another year of recs! I was so excited to make another rec list this year after hearing that @hprecfest was back, and I'm so glad I could squeeze one in before the end of 2024 (just barely oop). Here are 24 fics that I read and loved in 2024 (although some were written quite a few years ago) ordered by ship!!

🌼 - fluff | 💔 - angst | 🔥 - smut

—

💫 DRARRY 💫

1. A fic over 50k

Earthbound Spook by bmouse (cest_what) [Drarry, T, 57.6k] 🌼💔 Dimension travel! Gryffindor Draco! What more can you ask for?? A wonderful fic in the time/dimension travel genre. An oldie, but a goodie.

2. A smokin' hot fic

Now I Wake Up In The Night and Watch You Breathe by @hoko-onchi-writes [Drarry, E, 24.6k] 🔥📷 Listen up! This fic has stalker Harry absolutely obsessed with Draco and Draco being an absolute slut for it (even when he's non-consensually asleep) and it is is absolutely unhinged and I love Hoko for writing this masterpiece!! (but yes, check the tags first)

3. A series

I Was Early (You Were Early) by @dodgerkedavra [Drarry, E, 12.1k] 💔🎨 Beautiful, gorgeous. First Harry and then Draco's POV. A lot of angst and grief, but it is so worth it for the beautiful love story between Harry and Draco.

4. A romantic fic

Nectar by @jtimu [Drarry, T, 2.0k] 🌼🍯 Nothing says romance like Draco's animagus form immediately seeking out Harry. This @unleashed-fest fic is sugarey sweet. Draco as a hummingbird is a stellar idea!

5. The best of your OTP

Fine-Fractured Halo by @rainjulyx [Drarry, NottPott, E, 29.0k] 💔✨ A One Day AU where we get to check-in with Draco and Harry one day out of every year. Beautiful, wonderful angst. Each scene is a work of art. The emotions practically jump off the page, they're so visceral. An instant fave.

—

💫 COMMON SHIPS 💫

6. First fic you remember reading

Amateur Cartography by worksofstone [Dramione, T, 21.0k] 🌼🛏️ Dramione was my gateway into fandom, so I still have a soft spot for some of the classics. I particularly like the virgin!Draco trope, so this fic is a fave. I recently reread it, and it's just as cute and funny as I remembered.

7. A comfort fic

Rest Your Head Close to My Heart by pauraque [Harmony, M, 3.6k] 🌼🍼 Truly, Pauraque can get me to read anything, and this fic does not disappoint. There's breastfeeding and age play, but also so much love and understanding. The emotions are so beautifully written.

8. A fic that makes you laugh

Mating for Life - Breeding Season in the Highlands of Scotland by @sillylittlebeans [Snarry, E, 3.3k] 🔥👃 This fic is filthy crack and it is absolutely glorious. Alpha Severus and Omega Harry get a little mating action, and Dudley gets to watch them on TV. Perfect. Superb.

9. A fic rated E

Nothing Compares by @coconutice22 [Tomarry, Drarry, E, 11.4k] 🔥💐 Muggle AU with fiery Harry and obsessed Tom. I love their dynamic in this. Drarry make a brief appearance but it's Tomarry endgame. And, oh boy, is the ending worth it. The perfect (emotional) climax.

10. Rec a fic that was recced to you

In His Skin by Guessingguessing, translated by @direwolf-summer [Wolfstar, E, 3.2k] 💔🚬 I wish my Chinese was better because I would love to read all of Guessing's works in the original language, but Direwolf does a spectacular job translating all the angst, heartbreak, and pining into English.

—

💫 RARE PAIRS 💫

11. A fic from a favorite author

Teacups & Tankards by @schmem14 [Rosifoot, M, 9.6k] ☕🍺 I adore Em's writing. She always writes the most divine rare pairs! Here we have Puddifoot and Rosmerta navigating their businesses and feelings during the 2nd war. A beautiful look into some background canon characters.

12. A fic rated M

Bespoke by kelly_chambliss [Millinny, Minmina, M, 5.8k] 🌼👔 Kelly is one of my favorite rare pair writers. The way she captures the unique voices of her characters is simply brilliant. Here we have butch Millicent being guided by Wilhelmina into buying her first suit!

13. A fic under 5k

Confidence by @skeptiquewrites [Pansmione, E, 2.9k] 🔥👗Pansy is FIRE and Hermione is a BAMF. Of course, they're perfect for each other. I love the confidence they give to each other. And yes, they are HOT together.

14. An underrated fic

Rusty Crowns by @if-fortunate [Panstoria, Blansy, M, 28.5k] 💔💎 One of the best Pansy character studies I have ever read. Hands down. Pansy is fully fleshed-out. Sympathetic and spoiled. Suffering, stifled, and still the snotty pureblood we all know and love. Engame Pansy/Astoria but I love the inclusion of other relationships as she grows.

15. A fic for a ship you don't normally read

Second Chances by @emotionalsupporthufflepuff [Theocissa, E, 7.4k] 🔥🍦 I don't actually read a lot of F/M fic, but I couldn't resist MILF Narcissa. Theo is enamored and Narcissa loves the attention. A delightful EWE fic (and hot!).

16. Most recent fic you loved

Be a Good Lad by @maraudersaffair [Padtail, E, 3.6k] 💔🔥 I NEED MORE SIRIUS/PETER FICS ASAP!! Their relationship is so painfully complicated with dubious morality, questionable intentions, and forced secrecy. I absolutely adore it! It adds such a rich layer to canon.

17. A fic rated T

The Once and Future Headmaster by allthegoodnamesaretakendammit [Harbus, T, 17.9k] 🌼⏳ Time travel, pining, and neighbors to lovers. I don't usually read this ship because of the giant age gap (try 100+ years) but the time travel neatly subverts this by remixing the ages of Harry and Dumbledore. I loved reading their new dynamic in this!

18. A fic with fanart

Not Far From the Tree by @mallstars, @itsphantasmagoria [Scarry, Drarry, E, 1.5k] 💔🔥 This might be cheating because it starts Drarry but the endgame is Harry/Scorpius, and OHMYGOD this fic!! The complicated relationships, the pining, the smut, the ART!! This fic has it all, I am entranced!

19. A rare pair

Treasure by @the-miss-lv [Gramander, Thesewt, E, 19.5] 🔥🐈‍⬛ I love most of Miss Liv's Newt/Theseus works honestly, but this is so deliciously hot and sweet and depraved that I keep coming back to this one. Cross-dressing Newt, powerful Auror Percival, and a dash of incest. The perfect combo!

—

💫 POLY SHIPS 💫

20. An AU fic

A Developmental Approach by brightened [Snarrius, E, 69.8k] 🌼💔 A Harry raising Harry fic with time travel, polyamory, and healing (also there's a baby Voldemort too). Severus is wonderfully prickly while Sirius is boisterous and charming. Harry is the glue that holds them together.

21. A fest/event fic

Snowdrift by @wolfpants [Dronarry, E, 8.6k] 🔥❄️ Wolfpants is a smut master. We must all bow down. Established Dron 'comforting' Harry after his breakup in this @dronarryfest fic is so steamy. I am sweating, hyperventilating, screaming from the rooftops how good this fic is.

22. A holiday fic

Wrestle with Daddy by dirtywrongandwholesome [Barlouie, E, 491] 🔥💪 Have some Weasleycest, as a treat. Dirty, bad, wrong, and HOT HOT HOT. Charlie/Bill and then Charlie/Bill/Louis... mmmmmm. Much of the fic happens over the summer/winter holidays so I'm counting it as a holiday fic.

—

💫 GEN 💫

23. A fic that makes you cry

Family Ties by Nope [Andromeda, T, 1.7k] 💔🖤 Snippets of Andromeda's life as she navigates the war, marriage, kids. The focus on her family and their tumultuous relationships is heartbreaking and incredible.

24. A podfic (and a fic)

Eternal Return by silverpard, read by @wilfriede [Harry, Tom | Voldemort, T, 27min] 💔💀 One of my long-time favorite fics in the time loop genre. Wilfriede brings it to life with Harry's inner voice as he grapples with doing things for the greater good.

—

💫 BONUS RECS! 💫

A fanart

What in Merlin's Name is That by @stazvlt [Luther, G, Digital] 🌼🦆 One of my rare pair OTPs and I cannot believe Shiaya drew them. Lucius is besotted with Arthur, of course, even if he doesn't want to admit it. This art is so silly and cute and I adore it with my whole heart.

A self-rec (because why not?)

In 5 Years by @lumosatnight (me) [Anthony/Astoria, T, 2.0k] 🌼💔 A reverse timeline love story with MCD, falling in love, and a meet-cute (in that order). I really enjoyed the alternate format of the fic and weaving their story together through snippets of their life.

—

⚡️ Want more fics to read? ⚡️

Try my rec tag: #lumosinthelibrary

Year in Reading, b-day oneshots, WLW Library

[ghostytoad]

🎃 ROTTMNT Halloween Headcanons 🎃

Horror Movies

Summary: The Hamato siblings & horror movies

Headcanons for: Raph, Donnie, Leo, Mikey, & April

Halloween Headcanons - Haunted House Edition

Halloween Headcanons - Haunted House (x Reader ver.)

i added a few horror movie references here and there (betcha can't name 'em all!)

Raph:

Favorite genre: Zombie horror

Least favorite genre: Gore/Torture

isn't too fond of horror movies; would rather watch action movies

he's convinced that 'based on a true story' movies are 100% real

easily jumpscared but tries to laugh it off every time

leo will tease him about his fear stink tho

believes twilight technically counts as horror

"it's a movie about vampires and high school! how'zat not scary?"

might watch horror movies alone if he's surrounded by plushies and his blanket

won't sleep all night tho

leaves the light on after a horror marathon "just in case"

Donnie:

Favorite genre: Psychological when done right; Time-loop horror

Least favorite genre: Found footage

isn't too bothered by horror movies

but plot holes will frustrate him to no end

and he WILL make his brothers listen to him rant about it afterwards

"SCOFF! he was OBVIOUSLY a ghost, literally no one else noticed him or talked to him!"

prefers j-horror (subbed even tho he understands japanese)

he doesn't have a favorite movie but he does like the japanese film 'horrors of malformed men' (江戸川乱歩全集恐怖奇形人間)

considers found footage horror movies inferior and 'lazy'

spends most of the movie criticizing the characters and making fun of the villain

was terrified of pennywise as a kid (dvd rental mix-up that went unnoticed by papa splinter)

for the longest time, he thought pennywise lived in their sewers

Leo:

Favorite genre: Slasher movies; Parody horror

Least favorite genre: Classic

he loves horror movies and binges them for halloween

joins in on donnie's commentary, which mildly annoys mikey and raph

most of leo's commentary is just making fun of his brothers

"oh hey, don bon! i had no idea you were on tv... congrats on the blob monster role~!"

finds silent horror movies to be incredibly booooring

enjoys campy 80s horror (evil dead 2, gremlins, creepshow, ect)

unironically considers killer klowns from outer space a masterpiece

is banned from picking movies bc of this

might get spooked from time to time

not that he'll admit it

nothing can shake this ninja warrior, nuh uh no way

Mikey:

Favorite genre: Paranormal/Ghost movies

Least favorite genre: Psychological

considers himself a "horror expert" and owns all the classics

likes to play "who would survive this plot" with his brothers during the movie

according to him, leo's usually the most likely to die first

has a plan for every possible zombie apocalypse scenario (that he totally didn't get from a bunch of zombie movies)

"i'm not saying that he *should*, but donnie could totally build a giant prison maze for ghosts. it'll be just like the movie!"

will occasionally watch scary movies alone in the dark

overestimates his fearlessness every time-

loves a good ghost movie but he's a bit of a scaredy cat

might need a few cutesy romance movies afterwards to feel better

April:

Favorite genre: Found footage

Least favorite genre: Slasher/Killer horror

loves a good horror movie binge and will jump on any chance to watch them with her brothers

always ready with halloween themed snacks and candies

is also a self-proclaimed "horror expert"

she knows a lot more than mikey tho

can tell you about the directors, the history of horror movies, and the stories the movies are based on with complete detail

"movie night at my place? i've got just the thing to scare y'all out of your shells~"

rec is probably one of her top 5 favorite movies

likes the idea of creating her own found footage horror movie

mikey, leo, and splinter are all on board to be in her movie

donnie and raph? not so much

[hypnogogyc]

hi i was wondering if you had any terminal velocity hcs (also I **love** your art, the way you colour is just [unintelligible noise] /vpos)

Blam triple threat TY FOR THE KIND COMPLIMENT!!! I really love the coloring part the best so im so glad you took to that alot!!

I have a couple scattered around my terminal velocity tag. Here’s some more!

- Oliver doesn’t sleep sometimes (his sleeping schedule is less a schedule and more some online wheel spinner) and likes to lay his hand on Mike’’s chest as he falls asleep so Oliver can watch and feel his pulse get ever slower and slower and he revels in both the undeniable pulse and the thin line he equates sleep to.

- Mike likes to travel. In fact he will actually go ballistic if in one place too long. Sometimes he says he just doesn’t know how to sit still. Oliver is content to follow 5am travel whims. Mike senses coming storms and chases them. His nighttime melts to his patron too, and when a storm approaches, the rumbles enter the background of his dreams. His eyes snap open in the middle of the night and shakes Oliver awake, who nods as they both dress quickly and pack for a drive.

- Mike fucking loves his car. Its kind of embarrassing how much money has gone into the old vintage machine but it’s a nice clean design minus the rainbow led lights under the rims. He didnt name the car but he commonly calls it “her” and “my baby”

- Oliver is veeerrrry very patient which leads to Mike naturally losing alot of their bits that dont end and become about endurance. Mike has switchups between instant gratification and the ability to pursue one thing uninterrupted.

- Mike has poor circulation which is a shame since Oliver is very much not making body heat. They sleep with several blankets and sometimes a heating pad.

- Oliver is on friendly terms with Simon, who knows Oliver as “my basically-kid’s VERY polite and vast aligned boyfriend” and Oliver picks up some painting from him, much to Mike’s chagrin.

- Mikes favorite music genres are rock, house, and sappy songs. Oliver likes psychedelic, edm, and anything that sounds like a halloween song.

- Mike likes any competitive or open-world game and dislikes games that time cap you daily in progression or get too grind-y. Oliver likes all things horror (he can still spook easy) and dislikes games that have over complicated lore and bad lighting

- Mike got a place with a balcony for easy smoke access, which ends up also being where he leaves and comes back often. He only ever caught Oliver there a handful of times smoking, was scandalized to know Oliver had smoked when he was younger. Then realized his lungs don’t work anymore so free immunity. His Balcony was different in all the places he stayed. Sometimes a backyard. Sometimes a front yard. Often a car. Having someone else there was one of the large invisible steps into intimacy he’d have to wrestle with.

- Oliver is an avid spender of Fairchild money. He was incredibly reluctant to at first but eventually the silks and threadcounts got to him

[clancysjumpsuit]

If You Need Anyone

chapter six

chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four, chapter five

clancy x reader

-

You don’t see Clancy for the next five days. Not in the dining hall. Not in the library. Not in the prayer room. Not even walking in the halls. You see no sign of him, no sign of Keons either. You can’t help but worry. Only Clancy and the lack of his presence consumes your mind. Everything seems pointless without him. You have no one to talk to. No one to confide in. No one to laugh with. Where is he? 

Nico leads you back to your room after dinner, you flop onto your bed and bury your face in your pillow. You sigh as you feel tears threaten your eyes. Where is Clancy? When will he be back? Will he ever be back at all? Is he safe? Is he alive? So many questions run through your head. You sit up and wipe the tears that have streamed down your cheeks. You stand to your feet and open your bedroom door. 

“Can I go to the library?” you ask as you look up at Nico who’s standing outside your door. 

“Why?” Nico’s icy voice asks. 

“Can I not read before I go to bed?” your tone is snappy. Any and everything makes you irritable anymore, and at this point, you’re not afraid if you take it out on Nico. 

“We have thirty minutes before everything is locked down for the night.” 

You smile at Nico’s words, the first time you’ve smiled in days. You follow Nico as he leads the way. `Not only have you not smiled in days, you also haven’t left the main building. Everything just seems to have lost meaning without Clancy. You feel the cool air brush against your cheeks as you exit the main doors. You close your eyes, soaking it all in. It feels comforting to feel something again.

You enter the library, Nico reminding you that you only have thirty minutes. He stands outside as you make your way down each aisle. You’re unsure of what genre you want, when you are spooked by the sight of someone. It takes a moment, but then you realize it’s not just anyone. It's the normal boy in black clothes. 

“Clancy?” you ask softly. The boy turns around, grinning from ear to ear. 

“Hi!” Clancy chirps, running up to you and pulling you in a tight embrace. You instantly feel at ease when you feel Clancy's arms around you. You sigh contently and bury your face in his chest. Everything suddenly feels okay again. All the worry, the anxiety, the anger… it’s all washed away in an instant. 

“Where have you been?” you ask as you pull back from the hug. 

“I… I can’t tell you.” Clancy says as his facial features drop. 

“What? Why?” you furrow your brows. 

“Because,” Clancy grabs your hands. “If they hear that we’re talking about it, things could get bad.”

“Oh.” you say as you look down at your feet. 

“I’ll tell you once we’re in Trench.” Clancy squeezes your hands.

“In Trench.” you smile. Squeezing his hands back. “I missed you.” you throw your arms around Clancy again. 

“I missed you too.” Clancy says, feeling his face in the crook of your neck. This causes your heart to race. You hope to any and everything you believe in that Clancy doesn’t pick up on it. 

“I need to find a book before Nico starts getting suspicious.” you roll your eyes. All you want to do is be with Clancy and never let him go. 

“Do you want to read my favorite book?” Clancy asks, a cheesy grin still painted on his lips. 

“I didn’t know that you read,” you tilt your head.

“Yeah,” Clancy giggles. “I’ve read over half the books in this library.” Clancy explains as you follow him through the sea of books. He stops in the fantasy section and slips out a book with an emerald green cover. “Here’s my favorite book. I’m not sure why, but I always come back to it.” 

“What’s it about?” you flip the book around in your hands. 

“You’ll just have to read it and find out.” Clancy flashes a smirk. 

“Okay.” you say softly, looking down at your feet to conceal your blushing cheeks. Everything feels back into place now that Clancy is here. 

“I should probably go…” you sigh. “Will I see you tomorrow?” you lift your head up to meet Clancy’s dark yet warm eyes. 

“You will,” Clancy nods and sways back and forth on his feet. 

You smile and turn on your heels, walking away. You have to quickly make yourself stop smiling so Nico doesn’t suspect anything. You exit the library and turn to Nico as he leads you back to your room. 

You sit on your bed as you hear your door lock from the outside and start to read Clancy’s favorite book. You easily become immersed in the world of words. Everything else around you seems to slip away as your imagination runs free. You’re completely lost when a tapping on your window snaps you back to reality. You sit there frozen for a moment, wondering if you made it up. Then you hear it again. You creep up to your window and pull back the curtain, revealing a waving Clancy. 

“Jesus Christ,” you sigh as you open your window. “You scared me.” 

“Sorry.” Clancy whispers as he crawls inside. 

“Did you-” you pause, looking out the window. “Did you just climb up here?” 

“Yeah.” Clancy says nonchalantly, dusting his shirt off. 

“Clancy! You raise your voice softly. “You could have died!” 

“Oh, I’m fine.” Clancy chuckles softly. “How’s the book?”

“Well, I’m only twenty one pages in so far, but I really like it.” you can’t help but grin. “So what on earth possessed you to climb up to my window?” you giggle. 

“I need to show you something.” Clancy takes a few steps closer to you. 

“What is it?” 

“You can really see the constellations tonight. And it’s a full moon.” Clancy says, eagerness soaking his tone. “Can I show you?”

“You want to show me the moon?” you feel your cheeks burn, hoping it’s dim enough that Clancy can’t see. 

“I-if that’s okay…” Clancy says sheepishly. You pause. 

“Of course I’ll look at the moon with you. I might even howl.” you joke. “But we’re not climbing out the window.”

“Oh, I know. That’s why Keons is outside of your room” the normal boy in black clothes points out. 

“What about Nico?” you ask worriedly. 

“Keons convinced him to leave. Don’t know how,” Clancy shrugs. “But he did.” he grabs your hand. “Let’s go.” 

You and Clancy walk silently down the hall, trying to disappear behind Keons. Your eyes scan each door as you pass them, crossing your fingers that no one exits them. ‘They shouldn’t’, you think to yourself. It’s way past midnight. You squeeze Clancy’s hand anxiously, though the contact is quite comforting. You leave the main doors, Keons stopping while he lets you and Clancy go out and about. 

“Look,” Clancy points to the sky. “The Big Dipper. Do you see it?” you tilt your head up to view the stars, furrowing your brows. 

“What am I supposed to be looking for exactly?” your voice raises an octave. 

“Look,” Clancy says again, tracing the constellation with his finger. 

“Wait,” you gasp excitedly. “I see it!” you stare at the sky in awe. 

“You think it’s pretty now, let me show you another spot.” Clancy starts walking again. You look down at your hands that are still laced together, feet walking in sync. Your heart starts to pick up pace. Should you be feeling the things you feel for Clancy? He probably doesn’t feel the same. He can’t, can he? You’re friends for sure, but maybe that’s all you’ll ever be. Friends who escape together. 

Clancy leads you to a building that resembles the rest of the others, but it’s pretty much abandoned. You enter inside, the cool air still brushing against your skin. You walk up what seems like a never ending set of winding stairs until you reach the roof. You peer at the stars again, more of them shining through. 

“Oh, wow.” you whisper. 

“Pretty, huh?” Clancy looks at you, meeting your gaze. You smile and nod. “And out there,” Clancy points into the distance. “Out there is Trench.” you squint your eyes, unable to make out much due to the night at play. “Want to see something?” you nod again. 

“Sahlo Folina,” Clancy sings. His angelic voice echoing into the dark. “Sahlo Folina.” he repeats. You look back out into the horizon and see twelve tiny flickering lights pop up one by one. 

“What is that?” you ask, a little afraid. 

“It’s the banditos.” Clancy’s tone is soothing. “Letting us know that they’re always there and waiting.” Clancy pulls you closer to him, your arms pressed together. Your body feels on fire. Your feelings for him are growing by the second. 

“How are you so hopeful?” you ask suddenly. 

“It’s all I have,” Clancy says honestly. “I’ve escaped before. I know what’s out there. I’ll do it over and over until I make it. Until we make it.” you lean your head on Clancy’s shoulder at his words. 

“Did you ever think you were going to come back?” you ask him, hinting when he was gone for five days. 

“I knew I was going to come back, I just didn’t know when.” Clancy’s whole body shifts, drooping. You can tell that whatever it was that happened, it’s affected him deeply. You scoot even closer, resting your full weight against him as you watch the flames in the distance fade away. 

“I’m glad you’re back. Everything felt so different without you.” you admit bashfully. “I had no one to talk to. No one to confide in. I didn’t even smile or laugh when you were gone. It just felt so…” you trail off. 

“All I thought about was you when I was gone.” Clancy rests his head on top of yours. 

“All I thought about was you.” you say back gingerly. 

Clancy lifts his head up and two two lock eyes, you glancing to his lips. You freeze, hearing your heart pound in your ears. The slight gap between you two begins to slowly close. You can’t move, unable to fathom that this is happening. Your lips are about to connect when you hear a voice. 

“Clancy,” you two jump apart and look down below. It’s Keons. “We should go.” 

Clancy grabs your hand again and the two of you make your way back down to the ground. Clancy hasn’t dropped your hand once. Keons leads you both back to your room, taking the long way. No one in sight as you made your way. Clancy pulls you into the final hug for the night. 

“Will I see you tomorrow?” you look up at him, asking again just to make sure. 

“Mmhm.” Clancy smiles, leaning his forehead against yours. “Goodnight.” he says and you watch him walk away with his bishop. 

“See you tomorrow.” you whisper and close your door, sighing dreamily. 

You almost kissed. That’s all that consumes your thoughts until you drift off to sleep.

[goodluckclove]

WRITERS - Read More Nonfiction! (With Recs)

Okay so before I start I'm making it very clear that I don't say this as some generalized statement about how All Online People Aren't Reading Right. I doubt that's true! But based on some of the threads and discourse I see on my corner on Writeblr, it definitely seems like a lot of you would greatly benefit from expanding the scope of what you read.

I think there's probably a big stigma against nonfiction for a lot of people - there was for me for the longest time. Maybe six years ago, though, I stumbled into the genre and found that it can actually be rad as shit. It's been an invaluable form of research from people who definitely know what they're talking about, as well as a way to open myself up to new ideas.

You have chronic writers block? It could potentially be because you're consuming exclusively one genre of media. If that's the case, this will definitely get the gears turning!

Below are a collection of my favorite nonfiction books from my own shelf. The funny thing I immediately learned about suggesting more than like three nonfiction books at a time is that it does paint a kind of intimate picture of who I am. Feel free to tell me if these recommendations surprise you based on who you view me to be.

Clove's Favorite Nonfiction Books!

The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth by Thomas Morris - a collection of historical medical cases back when someone would see a doctor for a gunshot wound and the doctor would treat it with a laxative. WILD stuff.

American Monsters by Linda S. Godfrey - US cryptids! Lots of first person accounts.

Cursed Objects by J. W. Ocker - Famous cursed shit. Quick read but very fun.

The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Prector-Pinney - this was written by the founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society, a real organization. It tells you everything you need to know about clouds. Fascinating.

Gory Details by Erika Englehaupt - stories and studies of more morbid and "gross" aspects of science, like the guys who stung themselves with instincts to measure the pain or that beach that feet kept washing up on for a while. Cool interviews with science people.

Fuzz by Mary Roach - wild animals break the law a lot actually and we still as a species don't really know what to do about that.

Spook by Mary Roach - an account of Ghost Believing from all sides of the argument. There was a guy who measured dying bodies to see if he could see them get lighter as their soul escaped.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimberly - an indigenous-influenced look at our relationship as a species to nature around us. Really beautiful prose from someone who I believe is primarily a botanist and activist?

All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell - stories and analysis from different aspects of the death industry! Embalmers to crime scene cleaners! Super interesting!

American Afterlives by Shannon Lee Dawdy - I have. A lot of death culture books. A lot. This one talks about all the neat things people in America do with their bodies after they die in the modern age. It's fun!

Dark Archives by Megan Rosenbloom - so this IS a book on the history of Anthropodermic bibliopegy, or books bound in human skin. I'm actually midway through this now and it's super fascinating and cool. Also my wife refuses to talk to me about this so I'd love someone else to talk to.

The Secret Lives of Color by Cassia St. Clair - I read like four books on color theory and pigment for a novel I wrote a few years ago and this was my favorite. It's a look into a ton of major hues and pigments throughout history as well as a peek into the timeline of color making. Did you know making green fabrics used to be illegal?

Atlas Obscura - a fucking cool look into weird and unique spots across the globe. Every artist who works with places should have access to this. It's awesome.

Every Caitlin Doughty book they're all great. She's a modern mortician and founder of the Order of the Good Death. Just an incredible human being and a super engaging and informative writer.

If someone wants to reblog with their favorite nonfiction books and what they got from them, be my guest! Maybe someone could use a new read to get their next idea or refine what they're currently working on!

[all-about-kyu]

Summary: After a long day at the hospital, all Jaemin needs is cuddles from his babies. Pairing: cashmere lop!Jaemin x fem human!reader Tropes: hybrid au Genre: fluff, slice of life Rating: PG Warnings: storms, pregnancy, mentions of hospitals/surgeries Word Count: 822

Neo Hybridverse Masterlist || Cashmere Lop!Jaemin Masterlist

It’s late. It’s really late at night. You’re doing your best to soothe all three of your children back to sleep. A typical summer storm is rolling through your part of the city, and none of them are quite keen on the idea of sleeping right now. You’re beyond exhausted, though. Being eight months pregnant while wrangling a seven-year-old and two five-year-olds is not how you wish to be spending your night.

“Momma, I don’t like the storm. It’s hurting my ears.” Miyoung comments, pressing her hands over her fluffy ears.

“I know, love.” you try to soothe, “Hopefully, Daddy’ll be home soon, and he can help scare the storm away.”

Seojun is the least bothered by the weather. If anything, he’s doing his best to help you. He brought Chaewon her favorite stuffed animal (which he had hidden from her) in hopes that it would help calm his twin down. He bounced around the bedroom, trying to distract his sisters from the storm. All of his attempts to help failed, of course, and he ended up getting spooked by the storm as well.

A loud clap of thunder sounded through the air, and all three of them clung to your sides in bed, trying to hide from the raging storm. Miyoung lets out a squeal and hides her face against your chest. Despite her fear, she giggles when the baby kicks in her direction. You don’t even realize your husband has returned home until the bedroom door pops open, and all three of your kids barrel toward him.

“Hello, my kits.” he giggles, “Why aren’t you sleeping?” he asks while squatting down to their level.

“I was sleeping, but Chae woke me up.” Seojun grunts.

“LIAR! HE WAS SCARED OF THE STORM FIR-” Chaewon starts her tangent but then jumps into her dad’s arms as thunder claps again.

Jaemin picks up all three of them. Miyoung on his back with one twin in each arm. He playfully tosses them on the bed, listening to the chorus of giggles that they let out. You smile at their playful nature despite how late at night it is. With a hand resting on your belly, you watch the interaction contently. Seojun’s grey ears flop back and forth each time Jaemin tickles him. Miyoung and Chaewon, with their soft brown ears try to escape the tickle monster that is their dad. Everything feels so warm and happy.

“I gotta go get changed real quick. These clothes smell like the yucky hospital.” Jaemin explains, “I’ll be right back to cuddle with you five.”

“Five?” you question with a giggle.

Jaemin leans over and kisses you softly, earning disgusted noises from your kids, “Five.” he confirms, placing a hand on your belly.

“Technically, she’s not here yet, so it’s more like a two-for-one situation.”

“Only a few more weeks.”

With that comment, Jaemin disappears into your closet to change into something much cleaner and more comfortable. After a twelve-hour shift as a pediatric surgeon, he absolutely needs to decompress. Cuddling with his babies and wife is exactly what he needs to do. When he comes back into the room, he sees Miyoung already curled up beside you, half asleep. The twins are still pretty hyper, but you’ll always blame that on how high-energy he is too. Before he can process what the two five-year-olds are planning, they’re each clung to one of his legs. Seojun is wrapped around his left leg while Chaewon is on his right. Jaemin drags his feet along the hardwood flooring trying to get to the bed. Both twins giggle excitedly as he does so. The moment he reaches the bed, they both detach and jump up onto the plush mattress. Jaemin climbs into the bed beside you. All three of the kids relax finally. Miyoung is already snoring lightly against your shoulder while the twins wind down finally.

“Pheromones?” you question. Jaemin nods, “How was work today?”

“Actually, not horrible. Two successful surgeries for those little ones I told you about the other day. Then a lot of planning for tomorrow and those surgeries. I’m actually really worried about-”

“Let’s talk about that when we don’t have three kids in our bed.” you interrupt. “Let’s just cuddle for now. We all need it.”

Your husband nods and starts gently stroking Chaewon and Seojun’s ears, lulling them to sleep. The storm starts to calm down outside, and you find yourself leaning your head onto your husband’s shoulder. Miyoung is fast asleep on your left, Chaewon on your right, between you and Jaemin. Seojun is contently curled up on Jaemin’s chest. Moments like these will always be treasured to you. No matter how long they are or how far in the past they may become.

“I love you.” Jaemin mumbles sleepily, “Thank you for giving me these four miracles.”

“I love you too, bunny. Get some rest. It’s been a long day for you.”

COPYRIGHT STARLITMARK 2023© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED — reposting/modifying any fic or piece of original writing posted on this blog is not allowed. Translations are not permitted. 

Networks: @kwritersworld​ @k-vanity​

Tag List: @raibebe​ @jaehunnyy​ @umbralhelwolf​ @wooyoungmybelovedhusband​

[baileypie-writes]

Could you please make a platonic one shot of a gender neutral reader joining Battamonda on his Halloween hijinxs also dressed up as a Halloween cure (I'll let you decide which one)? Just pulling tricks, stealing treats, spooking kids and having a sweet time.

That episode is one of the best things I've watched in a while, I absolutely love it, everything about it so cute especially the stuff with Cure Pumpkin :3

A/N ~ Sure! Hope you enjoy!

~Trick and Treat~

Battamonda + GN!Villain!Reader

~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~

Fandom: Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure

Fanfic Type: Oneshot

Reader: Gender neutral, a villain

Relationship: Platonic

Genre: Fluff, comedy

Word Count: 936

Synopsis: After finding out that Battamonda has a mischievous plan for Halloween, you decide to join him.

Warnings: Stealing(Battamonda and Reader), scaring children(Battamonda and Reader)

~Masterlists~

~Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure Masterlist~

This fanfiction takes place during episode 39, “The Great Witch Yoyo and the Halloween Party”.

~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~

Sitting atop of a large building, with your legs dangling over the edge, you watched the event happening on the ground with pure excitement.

Today was Halloween, so everyone was running around in silly costumes, while giving and receiving treats. You desperately wanted to join in on the fun, but felt Skearhead might get upset at you for messing around. So instead, to your despair, you stalked the partygoers from above.

Suddenly, you spotted a familiar head of green hair a fair distance away from the crowd.

“What’s Battamonda doing here?” You pondered. Deciding to find out for yourself, you snapped your fingers, teleporting directly behind him. The man didn’t notice. He was too busy chuckling mischievously. “Battamonda!” You called out to him.

He let out a high-pitched shriek in surprise. He spun around, quickly hiding something behind his back. “(name)! What are you doing here?”

“I was gonna ask you the same thing.” You glanced at the object he was attempting to hide. It was quite obvious that it was a pumpkin. You could clearly see it poking out, it being too big compared to the size of his body. “What’s with the pumpkin?”

“It’s nothing! Leave me alone!” He whined like a teenager.

You scoffed. “Battamonda, I know you’re planning something.” Your tone was scolding. He gulped nervously, and a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek. After a long, dramatic pause, you completely switched up. “And I want in!”

“Huh?” Battamonda exclaimed, too surprised to form actual words.

“Whatever mischief you’re planning, I wanna come with you!” You said.

“What? Really?” He asked, thinking you’re jesting.

“Yeah! Halloween is fun, and so is causing trouble!”

“Oh, okay!” Battamonda smiled brightly, and revealed the pumpkin from behind his back. It was actually a jack-o-lantern; a face having been carved into it.

“So, what’re we gonna do?” You asked, leaning in.

“We’re gonna dress up, and steal all the treats! And, we’re gonna say we’re Pretty Cures so that the actual Pretty Cure’s reputations will be ruined!” His smile grew into an evil one as he clutched the pumpkin tighter.

“So we get to ruin the Pretty Cure’s lives and get treats? Heck yeah!” You cheered.

“I know, right? Now, watch this. Battamon-mon!” He snapped his fingers, and began to transform. His outfit changed, reminiscent of how the Pretty Cure’s did. It changed into a cool green leather vest, with black pants, gloves and a yellow ruffle. “A tricky pumpkin who loves treats. Cure Pumpkin!” And with that declaration, the jack-o-lantern fell onto his head, completing his look.

“Wow! You look so cool!” You admired while clapping. Cure Pumpkin bowed, clearly liking the attention. “My turn!”

With a snap of your own fingers, you transformed yourself as well. Long, white ribbons covered your face, arms and legs. You wore a stylish (favorite color) shirt and black pants/skirt with a ruffle. Your hair turned lighter and more styled. And finally, a large bow appeared on your neck.

“A sneaky mummy who loves treats! Cure Mummy!” You announced.

“Ooh!” Cure Pumpkin admired.

“Why, thank you!” You bowed. “Now, let’s go get some treats!”

~~~~

Your first targets were some pumpkin cookies from the Pretty Holic store. There was a line of children already waiting, but of course you guys didn’t care about that. You both walked up to the lady who held the basket.

“Give us some too!” Cure Pumpkin demanded, and you both snatched a cookie.

“Hold on! You have to wait for your turn!” The lady scolded. She gasped when she got a good look at the two of you. “What?”

“Trick and treat!” You both yelled. While the lady was frozen in shock, Cure Pumpkin snatched the whole basket.

“W-what are you guys?” She stuttered.”

“I’m Cure Pumpkin!” He introduced himself.

“And I’m Cure Mummy!” You did as well.

The two of you struck poses. “And we’re Pretty Cures!” And with that, the two of you dashed off laughing. “Happy Halloween!”

Once you were a far enough distance away, you stopped to catch your breath. “I didn’t know sabotaging could be this fun!” You said.

“Right?” Cure Pumpkin laughed. Suddenly, a group of four small children began walking nearby. They held large bags full of candy. The two of you looked at each other, and didn’t even need to say anything to know what you were going to do.

You snuck up behind the kids, completely silent. Slowly and carefully, you raised your arms up. “RAAAAAHR!” You both roared loudly.

“AAAAHHH!” All the kids screamed, dropping their candy bags. They didn’t even notice as they ran away, continuing to shriek.

“Let’s go!” You cheered, grabbing the bags. You held out two of them to Cure Pumpkin, to which he happily took. “Wanna sit on the roof and eat?”

“Sure, why not?” He shrugged. Snapping your fingers, the both of you were transported to a rooftop. You wasted no time sitting down, and stuffing your faces with candy. As you did so, you pointed out more potential targets for your hijinks.

“You think the actual Pretty Cure will come soon?” You wondered.

“Eh, probably. But whatever. We’re still having fun and eating treats right now!” He said.

“Yeah, you’re right.” You pulled a two lollipops out of your candy bags, and gave one to him. “Cheers?”

Cure Pumpkin chuckled, and hit his lollipop against yours. “Cheers.”

~~~~

In the end, the two of you were stopped by the Pretty Cure. But you weren’t too upset. After all, you still had plenty of candy left! And the fun you had will forever be your favorite memories of Halloween!

~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~🪲~~~

~~baileypie-writes

[hee0soo]

...and it started with Airpods! - A S[e]oul Story -1-

Pairing — Kim Hongjoong x Foreigner!Reader

Summary — Visiting Seoul had always been your dream, and now that you were there you planned on using every second on exploring. The subway however might have made a lasting impression...

Genre — fluff

Wordcount — 2.1k

AU/Trope Info — Idol!Au, SliceofLifeAu

Warnings — none

Rating — sfw

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

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!

You weren't sure what you had thought when you booked that flight to Seoul. Nothing probably, at least if your mother had anything to say about it.

"What would you even do once you got there, huh? You don't know anyone, nobody is coming with you and you barely speak the language, so what do you want there?" Is what she had asked when you were over at your parents place for dinner. The slightly raised eyebrow of hers at practically every decision in your life, something you had long learned to ignore, glaring right back at you as you had simply shrugged and continued eating your food.

But now, now that you were here, walking through the streets with Myeongdong with several bags of skincare, souvenirs and a roll of kimbap in your hand, you couldn't care less about what your mother had said. You were simply happy to be where you were now, not one regret clouding your mind as it had done several times in moments where you had been alone in your apartment.

The masses of people that you would have despised on a normal day, suddenly didn't seem so bad besides the occasional man or woman randomly standing in the way.

It was fascination how the change of scenery left you so much more relaxed and happier then at home where your life in comparison seemed dull, boring and lonely. Your work being the same every day, the studies you had started not even in the slightest catching your interest anymore.

Of course you knew that this wasn't going to last longer then just a few days, but for now you simply basked in the feeling of being where your heart had pulled you for so long.

Humming along to the music playing through the speaker that was fastened on the outside of the store you were walking past, you looked up into the night sky as you took a bite from the roll still in your hands. It was already late and you could feel the tiredness settling in your bones, the jet leg weighing you down more then you had ever thought possible as you made your way to the subway station.

Compared to the busy street, the station was surprisingly empty. It was a relief to be honest, giving you the chance to take a short breath without being scared to accidently walk into someone and making a fool out of yourself just as the familiar tune of an incoming train arriving at the station. With hurting feet you dropped on to the nearest empty seat with no intention of getting up before you had to.

You popped your earphones in, the first tunes of your favorite songs filling your ears and making you relax into your seat. Eyes fluttering close as you took a breather alongside the calm rapping of Mingi's Fix off Project. The emotions of the song flooding your tired mind and you didn't even take notice of another passenger sitting himself down next to you.

He busied himself on his own phone, eyes flickering to the side in a hesitant manner. Carefull to stay in his own seat. A mask was covering his face, only showing his dark brown eyes and messy black and white hair.

The subway stopped abruptly at the next station, causing you to lose your balance for just a moment and knocking you into the man next to you. Startled he looked up, spooked eyes staring into yours and you had to stop yourself from reacting.

Dark eyes met y/e/c ones.

“I’m so sorry!” you apologized profusely with a well meant bow to the man who’s face you recogniced even with half of it covered by the mask he was wearing as said mans voice was ringing through your earphones now.

The idol waved you of with gentle bow of his head, eyes sparkling in the light of the subway.

“It’s okay, don’t worry.”

The moment was over as fast as it had come but it was enough to leave your heart racing in excitement. It felt like it was going just as fast as the subway speedibg of to it’s next destination just to come to another stop when the Announcement said that you arrived at Hongik University.

Hongjoong quickly got up with another last glance and bow before exiting the train with fast steps. Knowing that you were close to the KQ building you guessed that he was going to the studio to get some work done.

Only after the doors had closed again did you notice the little airpod case being left behind on the seat Hongjoong had been sitting on. They had to be his, as you were sure that they weren’t there when you had sat down before him. So they had to be his!

Hesitant you reached for the case. What were you supposed to do now?

You couldn’t leave them there. Your consciousness not allowing that, but you also couldn’t keep them.

You rolled it in your palm, noticing the little 8 drawn on it with sharpie surrounded by music notes and it made you smile in amusement. Yeah, they definitly belonged to him.

Releasing a tired sigh, you put the airpods in your pocket just as the announcement of your exit station rang through the speakers of the train.

Walking through the night gave you a sense of calm that you needed to sooth your frazzled mind, the encounter with one of your favorite Idols having left you reeling. And it was only when your head hit the pillow, freshly showered and ready to sleep that you felt your mind calm again.

You looked over to the side where the Airpod case was sitting on a small desk the hotel room provided, right next to your bag you always took with you while exploring Seoul.

They were almost mocking you in a sense, asking you what you were going to do with them now that they were in your posession. It was funny how you let yourself be made fun of by an inanimate object like this while sleep fought to win you over. Your eyes finally closing for the night.

Rushing through the busy subway station of Hongik University you passed through many people. Trying ang sometimes failing to not run into anyone else on your way through Hongdae.

The airpod case seemingly burning a hole into the pocket of your jeans and causeing sweat to collect on the inside of your hands. Sweat that you tried to wipe of every minute or two.

You didn’t know if this was a smart move. You didn’t even know if you would get far enough to execute your plan that you had thought about over breakfast this morning while drinking a cup of orange juice.

After all, you didn’t think KQs staff would willingly let a random person inside their building just because she knocked at their door.

You didn’t think it was a particularly good plan but you couldn’t think of any other way of getting the airpods back to their rightful owner so it was either this, keeping them or gwtting rid of them. Neither of the last two options were something you could agree on so this was it.

Arriving was the easy part, but actually walking up the stair and ringing the door bell, that was a whole different struggle. The people walking past must see you as an idiot as you stood there for some time, looking left and right, hesitating to actually walk up to the building while looking like you would keel over any second until you finally maaged to hype yourself up enough to actually do it.

You felt hot all over. Face burning as you walked through the hallways of the new building KQ used now.

“You’re fine. You can do this.” You exhaled with your finger hovering over the door bell infront of the milky glass door with the giant grey KQ logo on it and with a wave of bravery you pressed down.

For a moment nothing happened until the slender figure of someone appeared behind the milky surface and the door slid to the side.

The woman seemed confused and you couldn’t fault her for it.

“Hello, can I help you with anything? Do you have an appointment?” she spoke with an accent but otherwise clear english.

“Uhm – yeah, hi. No, no ughh appointment I just wanted to give you this?” you said, making it almost sound like a question when you pulled out the Airpods from your pocket and held it out for her to take. Her face furrowed more in confusion, but her eyes brightened in recognition.

“I, met one of your idols yesterday in the subway and uhm- he- he dropped them in the subway while leaving… I didn’t steal them or anything, I promise!” you rushed out to give more context on why you had them in the first place.

“Can you step in for a moment? Follow me to our desk and I will try to get someone who can variefy what you are saying.”

You closed your hand around the case when she didn’t take it, only offering you to come in and follow her. Your heart dropped at the mention of stepping foot inside the company. Nodding you hesitantly came in.

The glass dor slid shut behind you.

“Please wait here by the desk, it will be just a moment.” She said politely, yet didn’t wait for an answer before rushing the other way, leaving you standing there while the woman behind the desk was staring at you with a perfectly plucked eyebrow raised.

“Hi…” you said quietly with a head bow.

She didn’t answer, just looking down again at the papers in front of her.

*Great* you thought at her blatantly ignoring you. Gripping tightly onto the airpods to ground yourself.

Unintelligable whispers reached your ear as the first woman came back with someone.

The two-toned hair was messy on his head just like the night before but he seemed for more rested now than then.

His eyes widened just like yours did at the confrontation you didn’t expect.

“I’m sorry for letting you wait, I just need Hongjoong-ah to confirm if these really are his. Could you ahow them again, please?”

You did. You almost threw the airpods at him, the little 8 and music note visible on the front.

Hongjoong studied them for the moment. His eyes widened at seeing his airpods in your hand and you gave you an almost blinding smile.

“Yes, they mine! You found them?”

You chocked at a nervous, “Yeah! You dropped them in the subway yesterday!”

“Thank you, so much! You were next to me? That was you?”

“That was me, yes.”

Hongjoong reached over the desk, the woman on the other side not sparring either of you a glance as the rapper reached for a pen and paper to scribble something on it.

He handed you the paper when he was finished.

“As a thank you for, Atiny?” he winked with a teasing smile.

Surprised that he knew you froze. “Thank you - ?”

“y/n!”

“y/n…”

Just as you wanted to answer, the woman who had let you inside, cut you off.

“Thank you for bringing those back, now, can I escort you out.” Even phrased as a question you knew that it wasn’t mesnt to be one. She wanted you out, not wanting to risk getting herself or Hongjoong in trouble for letting a stranger inside.

Bowing to the idol as a goodbye, you followed her out. The piece of paper he had given you still in your hands.

You only dared looking at it once you stood back outside, thinking that it might have been his autograph as a thank you, however your heart stopped when you saw the series of numbers written on it.

~Text me? :D~

[thecathulhu]

CoaDE posting again

My favorite plot twist in a game I've played is in Children of a Dead Earth. See like most of the games I play its not supposed to HAVE a plot twist, or even a plot for that matter. I more or less expect some weirdness from linear, story-driven games, but CoaDE is a sandbox spaceship fightin' game. You build a soda can with death lasers and fight it against other soda cans with death lasers. The "story" mode is basically just a combination tutorial and scenario challenge. Its a series of tests of your orbital death machine engineering and piloting prowess, the descriptions and dialogue before and after missions is expected to exist but its not expected to be substantial, important, or good. Its a pleasant surprise when it doesn't suck ass and is even kinda interesting, but most importantly provides the justification for whatever arbitrary restrictions you're under in the mission. So its a complete surprise when the end of the last mission and the credits hit you with the twist.

SPOILER: The player is not just involved in but pivotal in committing a genocide. On first playthrough its out of nowhere but then you look back at several of the earlier missions and then it clicks. The motive, means, and opportunity all slam into place. It turns out that all the dialogue has not been directed to the player but a player character. Its a spaceship game so you never see any people, just the ships, and all the dialogue is directed to the, "Captain", with no name given until the end. But at the same time you find that you're a named character you find that you're the president's daughter and all of a sudden it makes sense why a new captain who needs a tutorial while doing a live mission was sent to do so many difficult and dangerous things all over the solar system. Even the order and type of missions make sense. Your first mission is as a glorified HEO uber driver, and only after you succeed are you given combat missions, and even then its like two before you're put into real combat. You're a faildaughter! One who is given a cushy job close to home so mommy can keep an eye on you, and its only AFTER you've proven yourself AND when your nation is desperate that you are ALLOWED to be a Real Captain. Even then you're instantly put to task on spook shit. Executing traitors, or extracting informants with blown cover. Rescuing a dedicated nuclear missile cruiser that the enemy was REALLY keen on destroying for some reason. At the end it all comes together. The final mission is suspiciously easy, turns out it was basically just a mop-up operation against an already broken enemy fleet. In context its you, the nepo-baby, being given the glory on a silver platter while the real work happens elsewhere. Turns out that missile cruiser you rescue is kept out of real combat afterwards and is only used to NUKE YOUR ENEMY'S HOMEWORLD. This is AFTER their fleet is destroyed, rendering them defenseless. None of this could have happened without the player. Its YOUR engineering chops that made this entire thing possible. Most games in this genre never question why you're building and flying warmachines, but for some reason CoaDE sees fit to slap every aspiring engineer with the lesson that you're amazing work does NOT exist in a vacuum (metaphorically), and that if you make weapons they WILL be used, and WILL be used for evil.

[amadmadmadworld]

31 Days of Horror

Day 1: The Blair Witch Project

Starting off with one of my all time favorites. I love it for two reasons:

1) it’s such a fantastic film of course. I mean, it’s a cult classic for a reason. It established the found footage genre for crying out loud.

2) a more personal reason is this one story associated with it: it came out back when my parents were still dating, so my parents went to see it at a drive-in a couple months after it came out (September). They liked it, but two things went awry. First, they were staying at Mom’s parents’ farm, which was in the mountains of rural Virginia. So they were nearly in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest, very much like in the Blair Witch Project. Poor Dad had been spooked by the movie and was not keen on going home to that at night, so he and Mom got a hotel room. Which probably benefited Mom too because of the second thing that went wrong that night: she got sick halfway through the movie. I mean, really sick. Throwing up and all that. And she was still sick afterwards. After that night, she went to the doctor. As it turned out, Mom wasn’t actually sick. She was pregnant. 9 months later, on a quiet night in May, in an empty maternity ward, Mom gave birth to a redheaded baby girl. Who just so happened to be Yours Truly. Yep. So, basically, I exist because of The Blair Witch. Is it really any wonder I turned out the way I did? And why I went and saw the sequel Blair Witch in theaters for my 16th birthday?

[hannahwatcheshorror]

PEARL (2022)

A character study about a young woman finding her way through some complicated feeling no one else seems to have. Throughout the film you can see Pearl struggle with her humanity and it is rather fascinating. You get to see how things got set up for the previous movie in the series, “X,” or you can just enjoy this as a stand alone film. The pacing is very good, it wastes no time getting things going or keeping them there. Not a perfect film but a weird one that I think fits nicely into the Horror genre.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Hello Herman” vibes right out the gate, “you’re a superstar, yes you are, yes you are,” but also killing small animals is surely a sign of what's to come in Pearl’s future, I mean, honey… (At least Maxine was just a coke fiend before she met you.) I like that she feeds Theda the alligator but it debunks my “she's a witch” theory from “X” and also I wish she didn’t feed the gator with a pitch fork, what if she stabbed the poor thing and it couldn’t death roll a certain hot blonde in the future?

Pearl exhibits some strange behavior from the beginning of the film, it’s hard to tell if it’s mental illness, a reaction to the stressors of life, or if she might just be a little evil. She doesn’t have the easiest life with her husband at war, her strict mother, her disabled father, and her dashed dreams of dancing for an audience, but she isn’t entirely without. When the man working at the cinema encourages her to live her youth, you feel that she is entitled to spreading her wings a bit, but then we get a harsh reality check at dinner when Mama informs us how tight money is.

The only thing tighter than the money was how tight the women in that house were wound up because it came to physical blows very quickly. The worst part is they both had reasonable points but things heated up so quickly. Speaking of heating up quickly, Mama. Pearl accidentally (on purpose) pushed Mama into the fire and her dress caught up and burned her badly. Papa watched the whole thing (remember, disabled). Mama was sent to the punishment basement to die while father got his favorite pillow. Pearl goes to the cinema worker to run away but he takes her home first and gets spooked and tries to leave so she freaks out and kills him, classic Pearl! Here we get to see her iconic pitchfork before it was iconic.

When the church dance audition rolls around, Pearl really hams it up… Which the Church folk don’t want, they want someone cute and blonde like Pearl's sis-in-law. Pearl gets all her anger and sadness off her chest to her Sissy-in-law before taking a lot of Sissy’s chest and back and everywhere off with an ax. Finally, her husband returns to the gruesome stage Pearl has set with her parents at the table, complete with a roast pig in the middle, rotten, maggoty, and molding. He is horrified at his wife, his Pearl, and all she can do is smile and cry. The unease you feel as Mia Goth grits her teeth at the camera while tears roll down her cheeks, the tendons in her neck splaying out, as the screen slowly closes around her in a black circle, evokes just the final feeling we needed. I felt such sympathy for both characters in that moment though after I remembered what they both got up to in “X” I felt much less bad for them. This movie posed the idea that misery breeds misery. The old “If I can’t be happy, no one can be.” Which is a sickening mindset to have but could explain a lot about the events in “X.”

[shslpunkdrabbles]

Symbol Chapter 0.1: Spades

(A look into the life of the Spade Cards and lifestyle)

~~~~~

“Well, since we have a grand 3 challengers here with all different ideas on what to play, I get to decide what the game is. So the game will be… Tycoon! It’s my favorite game, after all, but it doesn’t mean I’m guaranteed the win. You just have to make sure to get rid of all your cards before everyone else, and if you rack up enough points, you win!”

“But.. this means we’re all against one another..”

“That makes it way harder! Why couldn’t we just challenge you one by one??”

“I was so ready for my own game, but you.. You’ll take advantage of this! It’s not fair, right??”

“Mm.. That’s true. It’s normally a 1 v 1. So, I’ll propose this: you three can be a team, and focus me down. You can tell each other what cards you have, ensure I don’t have a chance to play, do whatever you want to do to make sure I lose.

“If you win, you guys can figure out who shall be the new Leader of Spades together~”

- - - - -

The Spades Section of the Symbol City. A place full of neon bright lights, soothing music, and bustling entertainment buildings. Out of all the four sections, this one was the place to be for fun. Restaurants big and small, clubs of different genres for different folks, arcades from classic to 4D, and so much more. Various Servants with heads of Spades wandered together with the residents, ready to assist anyone who had questions and concerns with anything. The city lights look like stars in the pale blue landscape, the moon never seeming to set to give the sun a turn, but it still felt so warm and bright. If you were bored in this part of town.. Well, you were just a boring person, weren’t you?

One of the biggest clubs in town was the FNF, run by one of the Leader’s very own Trump Cards. This club was full of the best music, and hosted countless singing competitions and karaoke nights. The drinks were fruity, as well as the workers there. There were also private rooms for private games, and you can even stack up winnings to get yourself some prizes, which can be saved for another visit. Wins aren’t rigged against the customer, since this was all fun sport, but..

“Ahhh~! Gotta hurry! I’m gonna miss their challenge!”

A blue hair playboy bunny rushed around the club, quickly checking if everything was running smoothly. Customers could barely catch a glimpse of him from how fast he was running; his super speed was a power given to him by the Leader themselves. His blue-highlighted black bunny ears whipped in different directions, trying to see if there was any sort of issue that needed his help. There weren't normally any issues when he was in and out the club, but you can never be too sure.

[You don’t have to worry so much, Keith.] A female robotic voice spoke up, spooking the bunny to a halt. Keith looked over to see his older sister, Roxanne, who was standing behind him with her trusty clipboard in hand and male Servant by her side. She, too, was dressed in a playboy bunny outfit, yet she somehow looked more modestly dressed than him. [I can handle the club while you’re gone. You should worry more about being on time.] A choker around her neck glowed whenever it spoke, despite her lips not moving. 

Keith pouted at the slight jab at his tardiness. “It’s not my fault! Someone kept using all their points to challenge me, so it went way longer than expected! They lost it all, and I had fun, but now I’m running behind!” Yes, customers can use their earnings to challenge Keith directly, in hopes of winning even bigger, more enticing prizes. However, they’re no easy wins, and he always dominates the challenge with a perfect score. People know this, yet they continue to challenge; either the grand prizes are just so tempting to win, or his cocky and teasing behavior makes them want to wipe that smirk off his face. 

His ears stopped darting about and drooped, meaning his “scan” of the club was complete. “Ok Roxie! I’m passing control over to you! Keep me posted in case anyone tries anything funny. And don’t let that chick stare at your butt anymore! I’ll fight her if she dares try to go third base with my sister.” Keith glared at Roxanne, who was blushing beet red and bonked him with the clipboard. Rushing over to the exit, he raised his hand to his earring, ready to transform out of his uniform.. Until someone blocked his way. He groaned in annoyance and said, “I’m off the clock, buddy. Talk to Roxanne if you need something.”

“Ah c’mon, just real quick.” The sneaky guy grinned as he towered over Keith, but the Trump Card was far from fazed. “You said last time that you would accept my lil game, yet you’re tryna pull a fast one on me yet again. It’s a quick game, nothing we gotta set up with anything fancy.”

“Me, pull a fast one? You’re the one that has a tab that hasn’t been paid off yet!” Keith retorted. “You were already warned that if you didn’t pay your tab at the end of the week, you’d be forced to clean this place until it’s paid in full.”

“I know, I know, but that’s what my lil bet is for.” The man flicked a coin in the air, catching it without breaking eye contact with Keith. “Just one game of Heads or Tails. If you win, I pay for everything tonight. I win, and the debts’ gone.” His grin grew as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Keith’s. “And don’t worry if you lose. We can always double or nothin’, heh heh~..”

This bastard and his coin.., Keith thought, sucking his teeth in. There was always annoying customers like him, and he always challenged people to coin flips just to get out of trouble. Keith was all too familiar with it, especially with how this guy knew how high to flip the coin in order to get the side he wanted. He could just ban the guy from the club, but at this point..

“Fine. Flip it.”

The man’s eyes widened in excitement. This was going to be such an easy win, and knowing how stubborn Keith was about losing.. Hoho, the things he’s going to make this bunny bitch do~! “Alrighty then! After I flip it, just say what side you want while it’s in the air. Good luck~” Doing two casual flips, he snaps the coin high into the air with his thumb, still not breaking eye contact with Keith. “So? Heads or Tails~?”

“Heads.” Keith answered instantly.

The man caught the coin and slapped it onto the back of his other hand. He didn’t even have to look at it to know what it was, and boy was he excited. “Y’sounded pretty confident there, lil bunny boy. Unfortunately for you, it was–”

…. Wait.

“.. huh? But.. it was supposed to be..”

This time, it was Keith’s turn to grin almost sinister-like. “Get your suit on. You work in 10 minutes.”

- - - - -

While the FNF was the most popular club within Spades, the Sweet Delights was the most popular cafe there. It’s mainly known for its wide variety of desserts and all things sweet, but their sandwiches, various comfort drinks, and small meals can rival most restaurants there. Not to mention the five beautiful maids that serve the customers with a bright smile on their faces.. Well, if you don’t do something that’ll have them death glare you to the ground. This bubbly yet cozy atmosphere attracts people from even the other Symbols, keeping it consistently busy until closing.

“Puuuddiiiing! Is the Smores Cheesecake ready yeeeet?” One maid with the poofiest pigtails popped her head into the kitchen, calling out for the bluenette maid baking with various Servants. All were hard at work in catching up with the different dessert orders, but none were stressing from the busy business (not like the Servants could visibly show stress, but if “Pudding” was fine, so was everything else). “I’m sorry for rushing, by the by! They’re my last table, and there’s something I HAVE to record for Miss Cremie! It’s about these magical mecha girls, and–”

A bonk on the head cut her off from blabbing, causing her to cower and whine. A maid with short pink hair growled, her face flushed in embarrassment. “Shortcake, if you don’t shut your trap, I swear to god..” “Miss Cremie” (or Creme, her ACTUAL alias) looked over to all the desserts going through the last bit of decoration, her irritation turning into concern. Stepping into the kitchen, she leaned closer to the bluenette and whispered “Leroy, are you okay? If you need a break, I can take over..”

“Hm?” Leroy, who was hyper focused at the before mentioned cheesecake, snapped back to reality and looked over to “Creme” with wide eyes. Some chocolate syrup was on his cheek and fingers, and his apron was slightly more messy with various creams, but he didn’t seem to be stressed out. If anything, he looked as if he was perfectly in his element. 

Once he realized who was next to him, he smiled and grabbed a nearby rag to clean off his hands and cheek. “I’m fine, Sophia. We should be done with everything in just a bit. The kitchen will focus on sandwiches and crepes afterwards, once the desserts are kept warm..” he lightly booped Sophia’s nose, “.. or cool for the night~” Giggling at Sophia’s flushed face again, Leroy put on the final touches to the cheesecake, before carefully placing it into a to-go box. “Here you go, Poppy. You’re free to leave once you get your table cleaned up. Oh, and your red velvet cupcakes are waiting for you in the cooler~”

“Yaaaay! Thank yooooou~♡!” Poppy instantly recovered into her bubbly self from the mention of her work reward, and she grabbed the box with excitement, trying not to bounce too much in her step as she rushed to her customer’s table. The maids used fake aliases at work, since it felt a little weird to be addressed by their actual names by random customers. However, they used their real names when in the kitchen or break room, as well as outside of work. Poppy and Sophia, as well as two others named Vivian and Nova (also known as Matcha and Mocha) were hired by Leroy and he found each of them at their lowest. They all feel indebted to him, but he sees them all as good friends that helped him adjust more to the Symbol City.

Since he came from the outside..

“How are Vivian and Nova holding up?” Leroy asked Sophia as they both began cleaning up the kitchen counters. “Have they decided who is going to stay and help you out for the night?”

“Vivian’s gonna stay and work.” Sophia answered. “She’s taking a nap right now during her break, so once she’s up, Nova will head out.” She grabbed a box of opened strawberries and glanced over to the bluenette. When he nodded, she took a berry and bit into it, smiling at the freshness. “Most of our usuals have already finished their meals and left, and we haven’t had any creeps come today, so I wanna say it’s gonna be a smooth night.”

“That’s good. Don’t be afraid to call me if someone tries to start any problems, okay?” Leroy placed the remaining dirty dishes to the dishwasher, where a Servant nodded and got to work in washing. He looked over to the clock and subconsciously played with the hem of his maid dress. “He should be here soon.. I should wash up and change.”

Sophia looked puzzled at Leroy’s statement.. Then furrowed her brow at a thought. “Wait.. is that guy coming here? The friggin’ giant that looks like he hasn’t grown out of his edge phase?”

“.. Pfft!” Leroy couldn’t help but snort at Sophia’s comment, then waved his hand in denial. “No no, not Tsuri. I meant Keith! Ore-.. Our Leader is going to be challenged today. It’s going to be broadcast in a bit, so we want to watch it.” He waltzed over to the pink maid, who had sighed in relief at the confirmation, and held onto her hands, a sneaky glint in his eyes. “Y’know, you don’t have to be mean to him just because you’re jealous, Sophi. You know you and the other maids are my utmost favorites, right~?”

“Wh-?! J-Jealous?? Of him?! Hell no!” Sophia flabbergasted, her face turning red for the third time that night. “I-I just think he needs to get that stick out his ass! He’s always so serious and annoying! I feel it’d kill him to literally smile. .. then again, trying to imagine him smiling puts a shiver down my spine..” 

Seeing Sophia actually shiver at the thought had Leroy giggling again. He couldn’t help himself and kissed her cheek; a habit he had when he was with the other maids, as well as the few others very important to him. Keith.. Tsuri.. Leroy shook his head and let go of the pink maid in order to fix his dress, ignoring the literal smoke steaming out of Sophia’s ears. “Well, I should get going. Vivian, Nova, and your treats are in the cooler as well, so you can grab them once you’re done with your shift. Please let the other two as well.” 

With a tap on his collar, a light beam swirled around Leroy’s body, and the blue maid dress was replaced with a pale brown sweater dress, black tights, and boots to match. After a quick check up on his face and hair, Leroy grabbed two boxes from the cooler and waved goodbye to the maids, deciding to meet up with the other bluenette instead of waiting.

At least, that was the plan, until someone randomly hugged him from behind.

“.. Keith, I literally almost slammed these boxes into your face.”

“I can’t help iiiit!” The perpetrator, Keith, couldn’t help but snicker at Leroy’s slight annoyance. Even with the almost attempted threat, he didn’t let go until he gave Leroy a bigger squeeze. He then swerved in front of Leroy, taking the boxes and grinning the biggest child-like smile. “You’re the most huggable person ever to exist! Plus, you came out right as I was turning the corner, so it was too perfect of a time to getcha from behind!”

Leroy huffed at Keith’s immaturity and flicked his forehead, getting a “Beep!” in response. “I know, but I still prefer if you make some sort of noise before hugging from behind, just to let me know it’s you. That’s what a gentleman does.” Although he wanted to stay stern, Leroy felt himself falter a bit once he heard Keith’s depressed “bee…” It was hard to stay mad at him, so he smiled and kissed the spot he flicked. “I guess, to make up for that spook, you can carry those treats, and lead me to the broadcast. It’s going to start soon, isn’t it? Just be careful while carrying those. They might mess up if you move too wildly.”

Keith’s bunny ears popped up (he was no longer in his bunny outfit, and was instead in an oversized hoodie, loose shirt, and baggy pants, but his ears can still magically appear out of habit), and he smiled bright again, nodding eagerly. “It’s gonna be so cool! I heard Oreo’s letting three different people challenge him at once! I wonder if they’re gonna be able to beat him– Oh!” 

A bright light beamed up to the sky, and multiple holographic tv screens opened up, facing various angles for everyone around to see. A Spade Symbol flew around the air before transforming into a young looking robotic teen in bright blue. “Heya! Howdy! Hello! Can everyone hear me nice and clear???” They shouted, floating speakers projecting their voice, hover boots keeping them afloat. “It’s Chiyo, back at it again with the intense, blood-pumping, super ultra epic commentary for the game of the day! We have a SPECIAL challenge today, as we have not ONE, not TWO, but THREE CHALLENGERS! Let’s see if any of them can take the throne from our beloved 3 of Spades: OREO!!” 

“It’s starting! Lemme get a thingy!” Keith balanced the boxes with one hand while the other multi tapped his earrings, and not a minute later did a Servant appear in front of them, inside a hovering convertible- like car. It opened the door and helped the two inside, before driving to the sky, heading to a roof with the best view. 

Being able to fly in such a fancy car was a luxury few had access to, and the two Trump Cards always took advantage of it to get the best views of the city. The Servant parked and awaited its next orders, but the two weren’t focused on that. Their eyes stayed glued to the screen, seeing their Leader and the three competitors sit apart from one another, their cards showing only on screen, next to their profiles. The first competitor’s profile had him look confident yet cocky. The second looked very serious, glaring at the screen. The third couldn’t hide their nervousness she must’ve felt when entering. And the Leader..

“Oreo has the best poker face ever, I swear.” Keith whistled. It probably helped the neutral appearance since Oreo’s hat and hair covered his eyes, but the constant smile he had threw people off everytime. Was he actually happy? Was he plotting something? Was he hiding anger or frustration? Nobody could ever know.. Except for his Trump Cards, and that was honestly the best power yet. “Do you think those three are actually gonna work together to take Oreo down?” Keith asked Leroy. “I feel like that’s the only way they’d win.”

“It would..” Leroy shook his head, “But I don’t think they will. Even if they followed through and managed to beat him, they’d still have to decide who the Leader would be. Look at their faces too.” Leroy pointed up to the screen. While Oreo was difficult to read, the competitors wore their thoughts right on their sleeves, eyes shifting between one another. “It’s not just about beating Oreo; they want to be the Tycoon in the end because it may guarantee their spot as Leader. I doubt any of them would want to be Cards, if the Tycoon were to actually offer that. Their clouded goals are going to keep them from winning..”

Leroy looked over to Keith, and was startled by the stars sparkling in the bunny’s eyes. He felt his face heat up from the stare, which he quickly shook his head and stared back at the screen. He missed Oreo win the first round, and the second round was about to start. Dammit, he was usually good at hiding his surprise.. “Th-that’s just what I noticed. I could be wrong, though!” he stuttered, twirling a curl in his hair in embarrassment. “You.. aren’t looking at the screen, Keith–”

“Leroy, you’re so friggin cool!” Keith interrupted, unintentionally making the car shake from his bouncing. “You’ve gotten so good at reading people’s expressions! That’s really important when playing games like this! I need to work harder to catch up to you two!” He smiled genuinely, which made Leroy’s cheeks heat up more. 

Not like the compliments upset Leroy.. In fact, it made him really, REALLY happy. Caving into the good feeling, he leaned his head against Keith’s shoulder, who instantly adjusted to make sure they were both comfortable. They’ve been working together for over a year now, yet the positive attention he would get from Keith.. It always made Leroy’s chest flutter. 

“Keith..” Leroy whispered, “.. Oreo’s gonna win this, right?”

“Heh heh, of course he is.” Keith nodded. “I bet my everything on it.”

They both looked up to the screen. Oreo won the second round. Just one more round left, and the only way he could lose is if second place beat him. He had a hand full of pairs, a 4 stack to start a revolution, and a 3 of Spades; his signature card.

“Yeah.. I don’t doubt he’ll win, too.” Leroy smiled. “Good.. I get to stay as a Card with you.”    

- - - - -

“Th-This is bullshit! How’d you have that good of a hand every time?! You fuckin’ cheated somehow!”

“I knew trying to work with you two was a mistake.. Why did you guys lie about your hands?! You guys never played the cards that I needed you to play in order to win! We just had to beat him, remember?!”

“N-No.. I-I don’t want to die.. Please don’t kill me, please!!”

“Are you three done?”

“!!!”

“I don’t cheat in my games. I’ve never had to, I never will. I told you guys that you could work together to beat me, but you couldn’t even manage that. All you had to do was try to beat me, that’s all. But you each wanted to be the Tycoon. To be honest.. That was a bit boring. I’ll figure out what to do with you three later~”

With a loud snap, each competitor was escorted by a Servant, all yelling, cursing, and crying the way out.

“Sigh.. Keith and Leroy should be home soon. Mmm, they made donuts today, I believe. I need a treat sooo bad.”

W h o o o o o o . . . .

The “hat” tugs on his arm. 

“Hmm.. you sensed it too, didn’t you, Namu? Something’s coming.. I can’t wait to see what we have in store today~♤”