#next person to talk about how cool it is to me is getting evaporated

[reeebz]

words cannot describe how much i loathe ai art

[wren-dy-flowergarden]

Can I request? You don’t have to if you don’t want:)

Where the reader is to someone he was brought from the real world, and yuu is like still there, so like yuu and the reader, both get teleported from different parts of the real world and they get teleported into twisted wonderland together. However the reader doesn’t get acknowledged as much as yuu, because yuu is more out there and the reader kinda keeps to herself but the reader has a crush on mallus and she’s make it known to him. However, he has disregarded her feelings and practically made it obvious that he prefers yuu over the reader which breaks the reader’s heart, and let’s say the only person who knows about the reader or pay attention to the reader is Rook, and Rook talks to the reader as a best friend in a way. Let’s say during mallus’s overbot she takes a hit that was meant for yuu and she gets really really hurt. As she’s in pain yuu take the chance to defeat mallus, the reader starts to feel a bit woozy and this gains the attention of yuu and mallus and everyone around, but the reader disappear like the evaporate, a bit like how in Demon slayer when you defeat the demons in a more of flowery way. The plot twist is that the reader is not dead but, they return back to the point in the real world as if time had not changed, and at this point mallus is upset and tries to move on like yuu has but realises after a while how much he actually likes the reader’s attention and has feeling for the reader not yuu. He then becomes very distraught after the realisation and find ways to bring back the reader. you can ask me for part two if you want any more ideas I guess.

You can ignore this if you already busy. ☺️😊(sorry for the mistakes🥹)

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴A/N: BRUH why is this so good. I felt like I was reading a story more than a request when I read your ideas. I’m lowkey just adding my own head cannons onto this with a little bit of pazzah, pls tag me if you ever write this as a full story, part 2 and everything! ( ๑‾̀◡‾́)σ" I will probably not write a pt2 just because I am terrible at writing parts 2. Not completely happy with this one-I don’t think this is that fluffy with all the info/thoughts in my head, but I tried to flesh it out in my own way!

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴Malleus x f!Reader (NOT YUU)

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴WC: 1.2k!

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴Tags: bittersweet love, pinning, one sided love, miscommunication of feelings, fake!death, some dragon tendencies like possessiveness, got a good amount of mistakes in here so pls forgive me *cries*

It really wasn’t fair. You peered over the railing, looking out into the night. The fairy lights and moon shine against Yuu- short, chopped hair accenting their feminine features, an innocent like beauty, outgoing and extroverted unlike yourself. She was the main character here as she stood next to Malleus, quiet, ebony hair that drapes down his shoulders. He tucks a slimmer of her hair behind her ears. 

Yuun affirmed that there was nothing between them. That she had no feelings- she didn’t even know his real name! And that was ridiculous, because how could she not see the regal air around him?

He doesn’t notice you; that because Yuu is perfect. She is the sun shining and you are the shadow that it casts. 

Your confession came out of the blue. Yuu was feeling under the weather after diving deep into the ocean to search for some painting. You never really understood the details. What you understood is that Yuu acted rather delirious and needed sleep. Green pulses outside the balcony window, your heart races. 

A light blush overtakes your cheeks as you see the firelights flicker outside the front door’s side window. You step outside, the cool porch tingling against your bare feet. He’s there, graceful and poised as ever compared to your bags and tangled hair. A squeak of the boards catch his, his eyes widen with the downturn of his lips, “Oh, Ramshackle other inhabitant,” he looks up towards the room Yuu is resting in, something stirs in your heart at his expression, “It seems as if your Prefect is fast in the realms of dreams.” You nod your head, clutching the blanket closer to you. Head tingling, this is the closest you’ve been to him. Your first conversation and yet monotone comes out, “She is sick and needs sleep. Come another night to talk to her.” He hums, a delicate finger holding his chin in thought. “Ahh…I pray that our nightly chats haven’t disturbed you.” He is about to turn around, to leave, you can see his foot already ready to pivot, “Tell her I will return when she recover- “ “I like you.” Malleus pauses and you can’t believe you were stupid enough to confess to him. You want to deny it, to explain how you fell in love with the way he walks, the charm of his voice through windowpane seals, the way you wish he looked at you like the way he looks at Yuu-  “I have read about this before, this type of confession,” he starts, and your stomach drops as he crosses his hands against his chest, “I cannot accept your feelings.” He looks up towards the balcony and it mortifies you.

So, you try to do your best, well the best you can with the insomnia caused by yourself and your big fat mouth. 

Rook eats breakfast with you each day- him curating a balanced meal towards a heart-broken soul. He could read you so well. 

“Why my petite ombre! All you need to do it become the beautiful sparrow everyone can’t help but want.” Rook says before heading off to class. He tussles the hair on your head, or fixing it? You couldn’t tell. 

So, again, you try. A little more active, a little more talkative, a little more confident. If the sun cast shadows, then you were the flower peaking over the edge.

What you didn’t expect was Malleus to Overblot. 

It’s scary. Yuu looks like the commander as she barks out orders with the rest of the NRC students fighting. Silver sending off another attack, pain etched on his face. Another attack blasts students away and you see Yuu fly among the rubble. You see another flash of light coming from the dragon’s breath-

You didn’t expect to take a hit for Yuu as well. But she is the sun, and you need the sun to live no matter how far in the shadows you are. She will save him. 

You can’t see straight after the battle is over, that half the world is dark…blurry…like it doesn’t exist, like it's disappearing. 

“(Y/N)! Oh god.” You hear Yuu from your right as she grips your hand. Everything feels so cold. You hear him shout towards Rook, oh he’s here also? “Why- why is she like this?” You want to talk, and you open your mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Yuu is crying, she has tears in her eyes, and you wonder why. Rook speaks this time, you’ve never seen him this discomposed, “I- I’ve never seen this before.” “What do you mean!? She- she’s evaporating!” Yuu cries taking off her jacket trying to cover your arm. You don’t understand, as you twist out of Yuu’s jacket, she tries to stop you, “No, don’t move! Not until we figure this out.” But she’s too slow at explaining and with your blurry vision, you see your hand? Or half your hand as it dissipates into the air.  “(Y/N)…?” You don’t even have to see to know whose voice that is.  Malleus. 

He kneels next to you, alongside Yuu and Rook, his bare hands touching against the wisps of what your hand was. He looks frightened. Can you even read expressions right when you can only see half a face? 

You want to tell him not to worry, even though you are scared. That you're glad he is alive, that he was your first love, and you wish you could redo that night all over again. Something warm tingles against and suddenly stops. He must have done something wrong because you see pink and black hair- Lillia- tugging on his shoulder, shaking his head. 

Love is bittersweet. There are no last goodbyes as you fade away. 

You wake up on your bed. Your bed. The AC flowing, the faint hum of your earbuds against plush comforter, the city noise in the background. 

You’re back…?

A weight on your palm as you turn against your side. It was there- your phone turned on and open to the home screen of Twisted Wonderland. You click on the screen…Nothing. Again, again, again! And nothing happens. It still just reads the logo. 

Your mind is spiraling as you twist on your bed, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror by your nightstand, and everything stops at once. Your hair is shorter- by your chin. It was so long… you haven’t cut it since the day you woke up in Twisted Wonderland…

It wasn’t a dream…. was it? . . . . “This won’t bring her back.” The caldron bellows into an array of green and yellow swirling into one. Books litter the floor as chaos organized the room. He is one of the most powerful magicians in Twisted Wonderland.  Something was strange about that last night, the way you seemed so scared, different that how steady you presented yourself. The way your eyes stared at him seconds before you phased out of the existence of this realm. He adds a pinch of hazel dust and the green turns into a dark blue like your eyes. He shakes his head- unnecessary thoughts would be of no use to him.  Not until you returned.

[sweetiecutie]

Pairing: Theodore Nott x fem! Reader

Warnings: second part of this writing is smut so beware, fluff, a bit of insecurities

A/n: I don’t write much about Theo but I’ve had a suffocating obsession with him for so fucking long!! I can’t bottle up those thoughts in my head anymore so I just have to share those with you guys

Theodore Nott dating headcanons

Okay, hear me out, Theo had the fattest crush on you for at least four months before he ever actually approached you! It’s most probable for you to share some of your classes and he happened to sit next to you or behind you, getting to hear your little chats with your friends or even having full conversations with you personally

He would def ogle you from across the great hall during all meals, and not gonna lie - it freaked the fuck out of you at first. Because Theodore doesn’t have this ‘I’m so painfully in love with you’ stare, but rather a ‘I wanna slit your throat with a salad knife’ kind of stare, yk? But once you’ve had a nice chat with him all your worries evaporated bc this boy is a total sweetheart, just a bit shy and introverted

Theo would be very clear with his intentions from the very beginning, so when he asked you out for the first time he added a timid “But I mean it as a date, if you don’t mind” at the end, his cheeks growing rosy and you couldn’t help but feel your heart swell at how adorable Theo looked

Mean to everyone but you trope!! It’s no secret that Theo is all grumpy and gloomy, no one gets surprised by his rather rash mood swings (which are usually bad mood changing to disastrously bad mood), but when he’s with you? Boy, that is a whole another person - he’s all smiley and flirty, joking around, trying to see that precious smile of yours he adores so much

He remembers everything, and I mean everything, about you. What your hobbies are, things that you are interested in, your favorite actors and singers, which flavors and fragrances you like and which you don’t etc. I swear, this man pays more attention to your little whims than to his classes

He loves snuggles so much🥺 His mother passed away shortly after giving birth to Theodore, and his father, being a strict and reserved person he is, wasn’t able to give that parenting love and tenderness to his son, so Theo is touch-starved for sure. He loves every kind of physical touch - handholding, hugging, cuddling, kissing, snuggling - bring it all in

So so devoted. He had been dying for being close to you for so long, and now that he finally has you - there’s no way he’s going to fuck everything up with some stupid flings. In fact, Theodore is all about long-term relationships, and I feel like even an idea of having a one-night stand deeply disgusts him

But Theodore is also very possessive. And it’s not like he doesn’t trust you enough, it’s all the people around you that cannot be trusted. But it’s also his insecurities talking in him - what if you find someone better? Someone smarter and more attractive and you’ll leave him, heartbroken and lonely. Theo is deeply attached to you, and even the thought of you breaking up with him hurts poor boy deeply

Theo has some anger management issues, so there are times when he asks you to leave him alone to cool down, so that he won’t say anything to you in a fit of fury that he’ll heavily regret afterwards

Random dances are really a thing in your relationship! Very often you find yourself waltzing with Theo to a non-existent tune in your head, spinning each other around and giggling like small kids. And if you don’t know how do waltz - don’t worry! Being a pure-blood automatically means being good at ball dances, Theo will teach you everything! And don’t worry about accidentally stomping on his shoes- he will never get mad or tell you off for that

Omg omg imagine being too careless and leaving blotches of your shiny microglitter lipgloss on his cheeks, chin and around his lips, not noticing them in a dim light. And Theo being absolutely clueless, walking around the castle all sparkly, not understanding why his slytherin pals are snickering and smiling slyly at him

I kinda have a feeling, that when you start dating Theo - you get Blaise Draco and Pansy as an additional gift. No matter what you two are doing or where you are - there will always be one or all of those around, teasing the shit out of both of you (mostly Theo)

Smokes like a fucking locomotive! But Theo will try his best to tame it if you chide him for that, leading to him being moodier due to lack of nicotine and untamed oral fixation. Or you’ll just start smoking as well, chain-smoking together and stealing each other’s lighters

NSFW

So as I already mentioned, Theodore is a long-term relationship kind of person, meaning that he needs a strong emotional connection with certain person to have sex with them. I strongly believe that he had every kind of first sexual experience with you - making out, grinding, mutual masturbation, oral and sex itself. To put it simply - Theo was a complete virgin

I think Theo would postpone any kind of sexual experience with you for as long as possible, too afraid to make you feel pressured or thinking that he’s with you only for sex. Actually, it’s more likely for you to initiate anything of that sort, and he still asks you “Are you sure that you want it?” every five minutes. Isn’t he adorable?🥺

But once you’ve actually had sex, Theodore can’t help but be desperate for more. He tries to suppress those distracting thoughts of doing oh so unholy things to your precious body as much as he can, but he crawls to you so needy and whiny just two days after, begging to be close to you again. And how can you say no when he stares down at you with those puppy eyes, whispering about how pretty you are and how horny he gets just from thinking about you

Omg he defo had wet dreams about you before you started dating. Imagine Theo trying his hardest to not think about you, annoyed by how hard he had fallen, and his subconscious playing evil jokes on poor boy, giving him some pretty livid pictures of you two together. Not so innocent pictures, I must note. Okay, not innocent at all. Dreams in which you were sat on top of him, looking down at Theo with those alluring beautiful eyes of yours, your breasts on full display right before his eyes. Or where he was laying in-between your legs, pleasuring you with all he had. The first time it ever happened Theo was shaken awake by Blaise who was mumbling something about oversleeping. Thanks Merlin Theo was laying on his side, so that his painful boner wasn’t poking so obviously through layers of his blankets. He was so embarrassed by himself he couldn’t even look at you for the next few days

He doesn’t make too much noise during sex. Theodore is a quiet person in general - he talks only when it’s necessary and prefers to listen to others instead. That be said - he loooves hearing you moan and whimper and plea and babble in pleasure, so don’t even try to hold all those sweet little noises in. He really feels awkward about making any noises himself, but he lets you know just how good you make him feel with his facial expressions, long sighs and countless praises muttered into your ears with his ‘sexy Theo voice’

Loves loves loves eating pussy. Oh, this man goes absolutely feral, working his mouth on you, tongue flicking over your clit in quick tight circles, giving an occasional suck. And this man has completely mastered (with your help, of course) the perfect combination of tongue and fingers, being able to give you a mind-blowing orgasm in just five minutes

Marking marking marking marking. Leaves marks everywhere he can - your neck, chest, shoulders, tummy, thighs- everywhere. And please, please leave marks on his as well - leave hickeys and bite-marks in the most obvious places - he’d never cover them in his life, wearing them as the most treasured jewelry - just let everyone know that he’s yours

One of Theodore’s biggest turn-ons is spitting in your mouth and making you swallow it. No I’m not sorry for that

His favorite position is definitely missionary, where Theo is half-lying on top of you, intense skin against skin contact, your legs draped around his hips, pounding deep and slow into your dripping pussy, all while gazing into your eyes lovingly

Omgomg imagine having passionate sex with Theo with lots of heavy touching and open-mouthed kisses all while songs from “Awaken, My Love!” album by Childish Gambino are blaring on the background *chokes on spit and tears*

And here’s a lil addition💖

Likes, reblogs and comments are highly appreciated. Give writers some love - feedback is the thing that inspires us on creating more new content💖

[marabarl-and-marlbara]

I hope you're having a good day! And if not I hope you find comfort

hey there anonymous; good morning, you sent this to me last night when i was well in bed (sun had barely even set, even; time change makes sleeping at 8 feel even earlier than usual);

mostly ignoring this to blog a bit about the usual thing i always whine-about (maybe it:ll help someone 'relate' or feel 'less alone' but lord knows its just me spinning wheels cause i like writing): the flattening of my mood: like every-thing had just become this one singular wide featureless plain with all site in sight being just the same stretch without pit and without hill: the sort-of landscape that'd provoke NO PASSION and NO THOUGHT equally and just-so also smooth away any great pain and any great joy: which is exactly just the comfort i am tired of, as it:s like some crawling thing that keeps taking more and more, example: food now all tastes the same, too, taken under by that same wasteland plain barren; although i:d describe my mood as being fairly 'up' (there are still things i:d been getting keen about: writing isekai story, the new ABA in strive looks really cool, i have religious programming to write, there is new media to read and watch) it never seems to amount more than a small 'pop' that ends-up nearly always more disappointing than fulfilling or centering; it is like the spirit has begun evaporating out of me through these little fissures in the Make of my material that had let that esprit DRY, KILN, BAKE, ASH out and leave the innerworks of me (MARA!) as little more closer and closer to being some fine spotless beetle of mechanics, and operations, clicking with spring and circuit forward and forward to next task: cook, eat, clean, exercise; count in fours always; pray in mornings, too; it is the experience of life not as a person but as the mechanical, where life ceases to be felt as life and yet as mere experience of time (both four letter words, as it were; vision poor enough they:d be the same grey smudge on the screen; vision poor enough they:d be the same dead bug on windshield before the bugs themselves became rare); my mood has been up and i still have these black thoughts flowing out from Dieth and Daniela and centered around how inescapable and infinite Wasteland seems: the self is extricated out and becomes a paperdoll where (impersonal) you imagine it undergoing a hanging or a suffocating of all air, and imagine the 'ecstasy' of whether the viewer can undergo the felt feelings of the paperdoll as it goes to 100% material; the act of moving limbs to go through with the task, to resolve, to collect the instruments, to imagine the Afters (the people who knew), to imagine all the things unsaid and things yet wanted to do and done undone and the willingness to let self be robbed of 'fate' (?) where death claims its 'natural' (?) due;

very-much i:d just like to write and focus and be left fulfilled, but it:s all fairly boring; i:d like to play the new ABA and grind her in practice mode (i SHAN'T be spending money on games though) and just instead imagine how anxious sitting in a practice mode hitting buttons feels and can:t imagine undergoing that more than eight minutes at most (this is much how writing is; much how drawing is); there:s this alien quality being poured in-to me, may-be byproduct of adhering to Etiquette like the years of slowly embodying an ill philosophy has led me further ill and alien: it becomes harder and harder to find any reason to talk to another, to nurture friendships, to say Hey, to want to do anything with others as it all just becomes more stretch on the barrenland and buttons to hit and mechanical beetle limbs to undulate, undulate, driven just by fluid sacs or what-ever dumb organ drives beetles (for me it:s my yap organ).

all of this is to say: i wish i could be playing new ABA cause i like her design a lot but can:t imagine playing a fighting game ever being fun without having a friend to do it with, and nothing sounds more boring to me at the same time, but i:m tired of being bored, too. i want to be at a joyous tone 4! a joyous tone 4! so engender a joyous tone 4 in your own life, anonymous, cause if you will it surely it:ll happen.

[lucaaazd]

Reibert bus shenanigans part 2. Read part 1 here. Anyways START SCENE

“Stay cool, stay cool,” The blond boy clutched the back of a seat, “All we gotta do is take the bus the other way, right?”

Bertolt was inconsolable. Take the bus the other way? What’s he talking about? He had no money. Why couldn’t Dad have given him a metro card with more than one ride on it? He cussed himself for losing his student pass in a school toilet on Taco Tuesday. He’d had too much beans and rice and was eager to leave the crime scene in case the next person who used the bathroom linked his presence to the radioactive stench. Being caught stinking up the already disgusting boys’ bathroom would be his social death, although to be honest he was getting there without the help of a poopy reputation. There’s no way he’s getting back home. Fluorescent street lights flew past the windows in a bright, ghostly arch, illuminating the run-down, industrial cityscape. Bertolt had only been to Queens twice to visit his family friends, the Galliards’. They lived in a three-story house with an overgrown backyard and chain link fences, and Bertolt had marveled at how much bigger everything was there. The streets were wider, the gas stations enormous, miles of parking garages the size of malls overlooked the highway. The highway. “We’re literally on the highway!” Bertolt sobbed.

“Eh, yeah,” the other boy agreed, “Hm,” he looked down at his feet, any residual pompousness evaporated.

“What’s wrong, darlings?” Squeaked an old woman with a walker. They had caused quite a scene. Bertolt went bright red, “Eh, nothing.”

“Dear me, you lads seem quite young to be taking the bus all by yourselves,” the lady said, “How old are you kids?”

“13,” said the blond kid, puffing up his chest.

“12,” Lied Bertolt. He was turning eleven in a week and a half.

“Oh my,” the woman stood up with difficulty, her shriveled arms shaking like mad above her walker, “Not lost, are you?”

Bertolt looked around quickly and registered the fact that they were the only people on the bus. “No,” both boys said at the same time and looked at each other, flabbergasted. “Hold on,” Bertolt remembered something, “Where’s your phone?”

“Right here,” the boy waved his ginormous iPhone twelve with its Spider-Man case and four cameras.

“Oh,” a hint of resentment flashed through Bertolt, “Can you look up where we are?”

“Eh, no.”

“Why?” Resentment quickly festered into annoyance.

“It’s dead,” said the kid, “Where’s your phone?”

Oh. Duh. “Dead,” said Bertolt bashfully.

“Why didn’t you charge it before you left?” The boy prodded.

“I did,” Bertolt felt defensive, “it’s old.”

“I saw you watching Ice Spice.”

“Hey!” Said Bertolt, “it’s none of your business. Why were you spying?” He bit back.

“You were playing it from your phone really loud. It’s kind of hard to miss.”

“No I wasn’t. I had my headphones in,” gasped Bertolt.

“Guess you didn’t charge your headphones either,” the annoying new boy shrugged.

Bertolt turned scarlet. So the whole bus could hear him. Great. Everyone probably thought he was a little weirdo.

“I don’t blame you. She’s hot,” said the other boy with a longing look. Bertolt’s ears started burning. “Barbie World is a really good song, okay?” he stuttered.

“Sure,” the kid towered over him, waggling his eyebrows, “You totally don’t wanna ‘undress her everywhere’.”

“Ew!” Bertolt protested.

“I wish she had more melons,” his eyes began to cross, “The things I would do to them…”

Bertolt felt extremely uncomfortable, “Please stop. Seriously.”

“I’m Reiner, by the way,” the boy snapped out of his daze with a sheepish smile, “What’s your name?”

“Bertolt,” Bertolt answered reluctantly, bracing for taunts.

“Burger?” Reiner repeated.

“Bertolt,” Bertolt said a little louder.

“Okay Birdsack,” said Reiner, “Let’s get off this fucking bus.”

Bertolt gasped at his audacity. He was disliking the boy more by the minute. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

“So,” Reiner whistled, jumping up and hanging onto the bar with one hand, “let’s - wait.”

“I think,” said Bertolt apprehensively, “We might be waiting for a really long time.”

Before Reiner could respond, bus driver barked, “No swinging!” It caught Reiner off guard and he fell right into a pole. “Ow!”

Bertolt watched with little sympathy as the older boy clutched his right knee, hopping on one foot with a pained expression.

“Easy love,” the nice lady with the walker cooed over Reiner, “Want to get off the bus, you said?”

Bertolt nodded furiously. The lady smiled and pointed at a red button next to her head that spelled “STOP” in all cap. She pushed it and a “ding!” issued from the speaker. “Stop requested,” it announced.

“That’s it?” Bertolt said in disbelief.

“Never took the bus before?” The woman grinned toothlessly.

Bertolt stared around him like he’d never taken a proper look at the inside of a bus before. Now that he’s paying attention, there were indeed red buttons everywhere that said “STOP”. The answer was right in front of him this whole time. Bertolt wanted to slap himself. It’s true that he didn’t take the bus very often. Mom didn’t like them. She said it was a vertigo thing, plus they came rather sporadically. Bertolt’s mother was a career woman with very short patience and had sworn off the bus due to the one time they had to wait an hour for the M4 after her meeting at a partner hotel on the East Side. Bertolt had to listen to her rant about how disorganized and inefficient the MTA was as a company and in a lower voice, how rude the bus driver was when her card kept declining. Bertolt tuned out the rest as usual by thinking about that cute girl in his social studies class. He must have had a faraway look in his eyes because his mom had grabbed him by the ear seconds later, hissing at him to pay attention. “Well, there, that’s your stop, young man,” the old lady pointed at the back door.

The bus had come to a stop, sending Reiner crashing into the seat in front of him. “Come on,” Bertolt thought about lending him a hand but instead tucked both into his pockets.

“Okay,” Reiner grimaced as he followed Bertolt to the door. For a moment, they both stared at the glass screen, unsure of what to do.

“Touch the yellow tape to open door,” the same robotic voice from earlier said. Bertolt pushed the yellow strip and the double doors folded aside. “Thanks, ma’am!” Bertolt muttered before hurrying off the bus.

“Good luck, kids!” Said the woman, waving at them from the window, “The other bus is across the street!”

Indeed, the desolate, dimly lit little bus stop stood twenty feet before them. Bertolt looked both ways to make sure no car was coming before crossing the road in a jog. “Wait up, Borgat,” Reiner called after him, panting. Remembering that he had fucked up his leg earlier, Bertolt felt like an asshole. He turned around and reluctantly lent Reiner a shoulder, which the other boy clung onto for dear life. Together they wobbled to the sad little bench in front of a Viagra ad. Bertolt studied the twin cups with a curious expression. “Those don’t work,” said Reiner expertly, wincing as he eased himself down onto the bench.

“I don’t get why you can’t just get more toothpaste,” said Bertolt.

Reiner looked at him like he’d lost his mind.

“What?” Bertolt shot back.

“Nothing,” said the other boy.

They watched the scarce traffic go by the poorly lit street. “How do we know when the bus is coming?” Bertolt wondered out loud.

“Dunno,” Reiner shrugged, “Oh, I think you can text a number.”

“Great!” Bertolt clapped his hands together, “Let’s text the number.”

Awkward silence hung in the air. “Or,” Reiner coughed into his hand, “We just wait.”

They waited for what felt like fifteen minutes, during which Bertolt adamantly avoided eye contact with the other boy. He distracted himself by thinking about Annie, whose number he acquired last week during recess after half the boys in his class egged him on. They had looked shocked when he came back with ten digits scribbled on the palm of his hand and no bruises anywhere. “No way,” one of them held Bertolt’s hand like it was a piece of important evidence at a crime scene, “it’s probably fake. She’s messing with him. Let’s call it after school.” The same boy’s jaws were slack when she actually picked up later that day, sounding bored as ever. She’s the coolest. She wore her hair down yesterday and Bertolt found himself not so casually staring at her the whole period, earning himself a few extra head smacks from Mrs. Mcleod. For some reason Mrs. Mcleod had decided to dress code Annie as soon as class was over, and she returned from the principle’s office wearing an ugly wrinkly school T-shirt that said “MSC” instead of the blue tank top. She was still cute when she was fuming.

“What’s with that smile?” Reiner’s voice snapped him back into an Annie-less reality, “Thinking about Ice Spice again?”

How dare he make such a vile allegation? “No!” Bertolt bellowed.

“Chill. I have a proposal,” said Reiner.

Bertolt waited for him to continue.

“You see that deli over there?” Reiner gestured behind them at the sketchiest looking deli Bertolt had ever seen, its narrow doorway lit up beneath the man-sized Viagra bottle. “Let’s see if we could charge our phones there.”

“I don’t have a charger. Or money,” Bertolt worried.

“Me neither,” said Reiner in a mock sing-songy voice, “I could use some Taki’s though.” He made to get up and Bertolt had to try and stop him, “But your leg! Plus, I have a feeling we shouldn’t go in there.” Bertolt eyed the men hanging out outside the shop, smoking cigarettes with their backs against the graffitied walls.

“Fine, you wait here then,” Reiner pushed Bertolt’s hand away and strode towards the deli.

“Wait up! Don’t leave me here alone,” Bertolt whined. When Reiner didn’t answer, he gritted his teeth and followed the older boy.

END SCENE

[hughjidiot]

Total Drama Level Up Finale Sneak Peek

Life is still more than a little crazy for me right now, but I am getting work done on the finale of Total Drama Level Up. Here's a brief preview for you all.

After nearly a week, the storm over southern Toronto had finally broken. The gray clouds that once choked the sky had broken into small clusters, allowing the morning sun to shine through for the first time in days. The rain itself had ended sometime in the night, its only remaining evidence being swollen run gutters and puddles that dotted the landscape, soon to be evaporated by the heat of the summer.

Zee took all of this in as he sat at one of the tables in the cafeteria, glancing out the window as he picked at some waffles and took the occasional sip of soda. The silence was broken by the squeaking hinges of the entrance door swinging open; Zee looked over and offered a small smile.

“Morning, dude,” Zee said to Damien, who paused on his way past the table.

“Morning Zee,” Damien said after a moment. “You uh, doing okay? After last night and all.”

Zee sipped his soda and shrugged. “Eh. Still kinda sucks not having Lauren around, but at least I’ll get to see her later today, so I can’t complain too much.”

Damien nodded, hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I gotcha. Listen, I know we haven’t talked much this season, but I wanted to say sorry about Scary. I meant what I said yesterday; I have my issues with her, but I have nothing against you.”

“You’re good, brah. This is just how the game goes. And I know Lauren gets… pretty intense sometimes, and she got a little competitive this year. But deep down, she’s a cool girl.”

Damien shrugged. “Well, she can’t be all bad if she wound up with someone like you. Speaking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask for three days: how did that happen?”

“Well, it started with her wanting to hear about how I lost my leg. Then we just started hanging out, watching movies, getting to know each other…” Zee paused for another sip of soda, blushing faintly. “Then when I saved her from Zombie Robot Caleb, she just up and kissed me. Caught me off guard, not gonna lie. I did a lot of thinking that night about the time we’d spent together, and realized how like, nice it felt to be with her. So the next morning I went looking for her to ask how she felt, turns out she liked me back and… Here we are.”

Damien nodded along with Zee’s speech, noting the sincerity in his tone. As odd as it still felt to hear someone speaking so fondly of Lauren, Damien couldn’t deny the two seemed happy together. And who knew? Maybe Zee’s chill nature would help curb some of Lauren’s intensity. (Or at least, Damien hoped, direct it towards anyone but him.)

“Well I’m happy for you,” he finally said. “Like you said, at least you’ll get to see her today.”

“That’s right.” Zee cracked an amused smile. “And hey, at least you won’t have to face her for the million, right?”

Damien chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect. On that note: nothing personal, but I’m fighting like hell for that prize.”

“I’d expect nothing less, brah. Do what you gotta do, so will I, and may the best player win.”

“Thanks, I’d planned on it.”

Zee and Damien looked up at the familiar scratchy voice. They’d been so engrossed in their conversation they hadn’t noticed MK enter the cafeteria and saunter up to them.

“Last chance to back out now and spare yourselves the humiliation of losing to me,” MK said with a smug smile

Damien barked out a laugh, crossing his arms. “You wish. I got this far; I’m seeing this through to the end.”

“Me too, and I’ve got a lady to win for,” Zee said, holding his soda can over his heart.

“Ooh, the power of love,” MK snickered. “What’s next? You gonna take me down with a Care-Bear Stare? Team up with the others to blast me with a friendship rainbow?”

“Big talk from someone that needed Julia and Scary Girl’s help to even make the finale,” Damien said with a smirk.

MK smirked right back. “Maybe I did. But in the end I’m here and they aren’t.”

[coolsosha]

Sosha VS Devildom/level 1

ⓘThis text was made only for fun and not intended to offend anyone other than fictional characters. Main character of this post, «Sosha» , is also a fictional character, the only thing he share with soshaaaa is name. Everything everyone says is made up by soshaaaa's mind.ⓘ

Symbols count: 7500±

Warnings: curse words, fictional characters insult other fictional characters, Sosha's humour.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Do you believe in Hell? No, you answer doesn't matter. Hell exist, and it's a lot different from how humans think it is. But let's keep it slow..

Its currently 21XX year. Humanity is enjoying it's life with various technologies like holograms or levitating cars. All those things already became like a norm, but the thing that doesn't...

With each year the more people say that they saw something.. magical? A lot of them are talking about some «demons». Someone thinks that they are «evil and awful» but some even say «beautiful and kind», yet no one seems to know the truth.. until...

Somewhere deep into the ground, maybe even deeper than the universe itself, in big, dark and court-like room.. strange glowing sigil appeared on the wooden floor. And at the same second, someone appeared and sigil stopped it's glow and slowly disappeared.

-AW AW AW AW AW FUUUUUUUUUCK WHY- WHA- WHOOWOWOWOOOoooooo

Visitor seemed like they are also shocked by their sudden..teleportation. They slowly got on their feet and began to intensively examine their surroundings until they were interrupted by loud and powerful voice.

-Ah, here is Sosha! Welcome to the Devildom! I am Diavolo and as a-

-VDJQIDKKA I didn't notice you man, ya scared me.

«Sosha» quickly turned towards the voice and pointedly put their hand to their chin, as if they were trying to show that they were actively listening to monologue of «Diavolo».

Diavolo were sitting at the giant and high table in front of a window. Because of table or room size, or maybe even something else, it seemed like Sosha was in a court, where next to Diavolo, there were also 8 another people sitting at giant table.

-Khm, As a king of Devildom(wa, king?), i can say that i am very pleased that you decided to agree on exchange program as a Human world exchange student, Sosha-

-What is ekschange program? Yall will exchange my soul for something cool?

-Haha, no, that's not like that(aw sad) actually..

Based on King's words, this person is Sosha, and he is new Human World student, who sighed the letter and agreed to complete one school year in Royal Academy of Diavolo(aka.RAD). For some reason, demon king wants to build connections with other words. But seems that Sosha doesn't like this idea as much as Dia is.

-Sooo, u are trying to commit friendship with everyone? That's kinda weird. Fella hoomans don't even know about ur existence.

-Well, ha-

-And won't Hooman Police start seeking me after i so suddenly evapu- evapera- evaaporated evaporation evaa- U get it i forgot the word.

-Haha! You are straightforward, and pretty clever(Sosha big brain)! Having you as exchange student wasn-

-Blah-Blah-Blah, Come on, redhead, give me normal explanation! I can't even get what ya saying if ya talking so long and pointless!

People on the table seems to like Sosha, however Black-haired person next to King weren't so happy with his behaviour..

-Ah, i think my dear friend Lucifer will explain it better. Sosha, this is Lucifer, Avatar of Pride.

-Which one?

-Its very nic- Me, i am Lucifer

-Aah, old one, got it!

Lucifer definitely wasn't very happy with being called «old one». However, other people at the table seems to like it. They all giggled, but as Avatar of Pride's face turned more annoyed, they immediately shut up their laugh. Even King himself tried to contain his emotions, seems like old guy is the daddy of this room.

-This time I'll let it slide, but don't think that you are allowed to call me like that, Human.

-Okey-dokie Old man

-Thank Diavolo that I can't punish you right now..

-Thanks, RedheadBigGuyAkaReverseJesus!

He looked at Diavolo. Seems not only Luci has nickname now.

-Haha, you welcome

-...*sigh* Lord Diavolo, why couldn't you choose someone.... less problematic?

Something tells me that Pride demon and Sosha wouldn't become friends in next... 70000 years.. Old man looked tired earlier, like if he was a single mother of 6, but now, it seems like poor guy have 7th kid now.

-Hmm, Lucifer, can i take it from now?

Person from the table seems to notice how annoyed Black-Haired demon is. Old Man looked at them and nodded. Person left the table and approached Sosha.

-Hello, i am Yuki, but everyone call me MC. You can also too!

Yuki, or «MC» looked different from another people on the table. They seemed so pure and innocent, like some sheep. They had almost white skin, a lot of fluffy pink-purple hair and were a little bit chubby. They tried to be friendly and extended their hand to Sosha, yet he decided to reject it.

-Why you look like a foot mat

-...What?

-What?

-Anyway, i will be keeping an eye on you now. If you will have any questions, you can ask me! And i will escort you to Purgatory Hall when we will end our.. introduction part.

-So u are my nanny now? Am i now being watched by a giant plush toy?

-You can say it like that..

-HEY BIG GUY, can i get another one? This one looks annoying and her... his.. theirs...

Sosha turned to Lord Diavolo, but looked at MC and asked them one very important question...

-Ar u Male? Female? Both? Neither? In between? Lobster? I will offend you soon, but i wanna do it right

-Umm.. In between i gues- Just use They/Them.

Sosha is talking to Diavolo again.

-Okaaaaay. REVERSE JESUS, can i get another one? This one looks annoying and their hair looks like cotton candy and i wanna eat it tho it would taste like shit probably!!!

Big guy decided to ignore that. MC grabbed some papers from big table and started reading something out loud. Something about exchange program details, but Sosha wasn't interested in all that.

-Blah blah blah, Cmoon do something, I don't care about details! I just got into hell and i will have to stand over here 300 years instead of swimming in lava and being eaten? Nu-huh, so stop with all those stuffy stuff and do something interesting!

-But you were the one wondering about details few minutes later..

-Yeah, but i just wanted to annoy ya, so that doesn't count, big guy!

MC were visibly annoyed, but they folded papers 2 times and put into their bag, hoping that Sosha will read that later. Other people on the table seemed pretty bored and were staring at new human as if he were the most interesting object in the room, they were surrounded with books and paperwork, like if they were doing homework that they doesn't want to.

Most of them was sitting at the phone, one was looking at mirror, another tried to quietly eat some snack, and other was sleeping. Since Diavolo, Luci and MC were busy with Sosha, these poor fellas could do whatever they wanted while the big shots weren't looking. But seemed that their time has come..

-So these are 7 rulers of hell and- (Blah blah blah!). Long story short, they are 7 sins and you need to remember their names.

-Yes thats better talk like that forever please

MC took deep breath and started introducing Seven rulers of hell.

-This one is Mammon, second born Avatar of Greed. He is the mo-

-Why ya dressed like some Jojo character bro, you look like you are, like, 15 or smth.

-What did ya said just now, human?!

-na, na, nothing, milk chocolate.

-Khm... This is Leviathan, third born Avatar of Envy...

-I bet my ass that you haven't touched a woman in last 340 years EXCLUDING THIS PINK FOOT MAT OVER HERE.

-H-hey actually i- (shut up, only i can place bets in here)...

-Satan, fourth born, Avatar of Wrath..

-Haha NEEEERD-(Shut it or i will break your skull) ok no problems don't punch me pleeeeeeease

-Asmodeus, fifth born, Avatar of Lus-

-Ooooh, cute uwu femboy, can i have ur number? *wink* ;³

-Hmm? Who is talking? Sorry hun, im way too stunning for paying attention to some bold and rude motherfucker who have so shame to say such awful things about other ones~*wink*♡

-i were overplayed by the only cool guy in this room, nooo...

-Beelzebub and Belphegor, sixth and seventh borns, Avatar of Gluttony and Avatar of Sloth.

-insult yourself without me, I'm sad

-rude.. (ignore him, Beel)

But After few moments Sosha were in his average not-sad state and MC proceed to tell some more details, while Sosha definitely wasn't paying attention.

ⓘSosha will be exchange student for next 1 year and will live in Purgatory Hall with Celestial realm students. MC will be his Soshasitter and will have to look after him. Sosha will be getting some Grimm for good grades and can buy stuff for it. Explanation parts like this one will be appearing to give you proper explanation for various things. ⓘ

-AwAwAwAwAwAw!

-I think.. its time to get Sosha to Purgatory Hall, So we can continue our meeting.

-Ok, Diavolo, i will get him.

-where where where are we goinnnnng?

MC grabbed Sosha's hand and went with him somewhere. People on table were annoyed by human, but they seemed kinda sad that he's gone. After all, now they will have to continue their work, and that's very upsetting.

Sheep-like person and Purple-haired human walked in big and pretty corridor, that was leading them somewhere.

Corridor was pretty long, but beautiful, stained glass windows had images of demons on it. Diavolo, some fight scene.. and MC?? What they could even do to get their own image?

-Are u some sorta popularity, sheep thing?

-Maybe.

Seems like thay are not a fan of empty talks. Silently they continued escorting Sosha somewhere, while he was looking at building's design.

As Sosha heard, he were in RAD's consul room, so, now he is walking in academy? Seems pretty fashionable.

-Sooooooo, i must learn here for year? For free?

-Thats what i tried to tell you.. You will be getting some pocket money for your grades an-

-Ah cool!

-Why you want me to talk if you are always interrupting me?

Even when they are annoyed, their voice feels friendly and kind. While Sosha seems so annoying even while he is quiet.

Slowly, these two are getting to an exit.

What will they find outside, or, most importantly, will Sosha become hated by whole Devildom and will demons hold themselves and won't destroy Sosha until the end of year?

You will never find out! Or you will...

If this post will get likes, maybe Sosha will continue writing!♡

[malverav]

beasts of the briar: 2 books in 9 hours and absolutely all of mega rambly stream of consciousness thoughts about beasts and i shill for garth nix, not for the last time

So i started reading book 1 at 2am as an insomnia read, because once my insomnia hits, it stays, and i'm awake until bedtime tomorrow (thanks vyvanse!). Wanted easier than my recent bedtime reading, a small town in germany by john le carre. It's dense and i read the looking glass war right before it, which was clever but a slow burning, subtle novel. i was in the mood for something lighter, and was thinking about trying to read more sarah j maas (i read acotar in 2022 and hated it. I'm giving the next one a fair crack once my reservation comes in, but it was just so... not fun? Not boring but really dry). I have a fairytale themed market coming in march, know fey are big, but haven't been keeping up with popular fey lit At All so if i want to make fanart to get people to look at my stall, it should probably be a throne of x an y?

ANYWAY

(also don't follow me please if you want like, uncritical take or breathless praise of a series/author (unless it's garth nix, we stan nix on this blog). i'm not attacking you personally if you love it, but i'm over 25 and this is my tumblr blog where i have my opinions. peace)

also im spoiling stuff if you care about that

My friend recced beasts of the briar as totally unconsciousness madness with a plot as subtle as a sledgehammer, so obviously i'm in for it. I'd rather have rubbish someone cooked with pure joy/horny than something boring and technically "good".

Anyway i finished book 2 at about 11am. I'm a fast reader and couldn't sleep, but i like it a lot! I read 2 books in 9 hours! Like let's be real, it is not Classically Good and it definitely reads like fanfic of something else, but it's like, fanfic on a03 in 2010 that's got an air of respectability, it's had a couple of betas and a regular update schedule for a while. You can tell that someone's having a blast writing it. I'm interested to see if they keep the core heat of the dynamic as they start to you know, spoilers, pair people off and solve curses. For me, I feel like the dynamic is starting to cool/stale with Kel/Rose and Farron/Rose. Kel/Ez? *sucking in a breath thru my teeth, leaning back in my chair, white knuckled* anyway Book 2 has barely touched this ship and I'm reading for it. Thank you, EH, for writing this for Me, your horniest nb reader. I appreciate the slow burn while Day/Fare make me roll my eyes so much they roll onto the floor after a while. Don't ever talk about your feelings directly in a romance unless you're forced to. My cardinal sin. Tension evaporates when people therapy talk. Therapy fuck instead, that's how kink works and you get an insight into a character with how they process what scares them into what turns them on this is a post for another time moving on

It's a common issue in romance imo where once the initial tension wears off or breaks, if there's no other "plot" to carry the book it's really hard to keep me hooked. It's best short and sweet, in maybe 20-80k word bursts imo. More than that wordcount I think you need to dream up a plot first and a good romantic dynamic second - most writers (including EH) aren't good enough to carry full novels on characters alone. I can write smoking hot 10k word smut scenes. That's the hard limit for me before I have to start spinning a plot around it, which is so much fucking harder so I absolutely sympathise with the dilemma - if she'd solved the personal issues of the 4 MCs (and +1 secret love interest with Cas, honey, EH, that flower on the ground representing her mate bond with him was so blunt I flinched but you know what I like it anyway because I think you liked too). The plot/worldbuilding is on the thin side, not meaty enough to carry the book all by itself without the romance. There's a huge disparity in stakes with the fate of the Enchanted Vale HANGING in the BALANCE of this ROMANCE and not on the actions of any other character's plots or actions

I think this book reading like fanfic (and let's be real, the trope marketing of these types of books) makes the romantic conclusion generally a sure thing, which takes the air out of any non-romance plot conflict because the characters will solve it with romance. Eg, the bond/mate thing here being the plot answer means that characters who aren't in the main romantic sphere mean very little. So you can kill them as the author because we know they're "safe". . Niamh (queen shit rip miss u already) did nothing meaningful. The side characters (Fare's cool adorable brothers, Rose's dad, Astrid, Marigold (love her tho)) and even the VILLAINS all feel really cardboard because we as the readers know they won't impact the final stakes unless it's to drive our MCs further in love. We know the resoution is that they're all gonna live in a happy polycule and Cas will be fixed with the power of love. But, that means that when you kill Niamh or imprison/defeat uh... Jafar - sorry, evil vizier Perth (reading this book as an Aussie is so fucking funny but that's a separate post ok) it's a bit meaningless. Perversely (hah!) it has a negative impact on the sex, too, because it's too much sweet and not enough vegetables (other plot stuff/character connections). It's like watching a movie that's nonstop action scenes - you feel tired watching it because there's no variety. How many times are Day/Fare/Rose/some combination going to fuck with basically the same beats in the sex scene? Too many. I was getting bored. Sorry.

side note GIIIIIRL PERTH IS VILLAIN QUEER CODED LIKE JAFAR IN A BOOK WITH 4x QUEER MALE MCs I praise EH for the courage to fall back on the classic lazy tropes in book 1 so they can handwave politics and get back to the porn. Shine on.

And the author's game of keep away with the specifics of Kel's vow with Cas, what exactly happened there at the start is wearing preeeeetttttyyy fucking tired. Fucking talk to each other. This stuff only works in a romance with a small cast because there's very few other characters Rose isn't romantically involved with that she can talk to, and fewer still that she's on equal terms with - remember, Astrid and Marigold are servants and serving in Castletree is a big honour, and while they act like the prince's friends/fans let's not forget how some of the pretty boys (Day) kill their own citizens pretty thoughtlessly, so if Astrid was to betray her liege lord's trust and tell Rose (and the reader) the truth, she's risking death by Kel's hand, being banished back to Winter, or having to flee to the Below. And there'd be no concequences for Kel apart from Rose probably having a huff a bout it but getting over it eventually. Not great!

The "oh I can't tell Rose this it's my GREATEST SHAME" is dull after the first two reveals, and I feel like we have more of these to go where she accepts them and heals them because Castletree is a fucking construction site with how Rose is fixing these boys (lame! hate how she's always the damsel/healer/fixer - ez is literally a healer but doesn't fill the healer/heart/gendered female caretaker role in this polycule and i reckon i'd like it a lot better if he did - based on sexual tension with kel and the early line about mummy and daddy fighting, this shit writes itself (ok personal ick to daddy/mummy dynamics but im too genderqueer to not like to fuck with power + gender/roles another post another post omfg)). There's other ways to create tension in a romance, but you need to lean harder into the Other Plot to make it richer. Or have Rose be a Bad Person and be disgusted at what they've done, but imo backstory reveals are boring, tell your story onscreen, coward.

In my opinion. In minecraft. This is longer than I thought. Also for the record! I like this series! I think it's still fun and the narrative voice is cheesy but I really like it, and I'm looking forward to reading more books. Oh, and looking at the community on here, it's been so long since I engaged in a fandom.

Ok last side note I also like how everyone's super normal about everyone being bi/pan, at least in the male MCs. I haven't caught much queer/poly romance elsewhere in other characters - lots of 2 parent households and het monogomous relationships, apart from the random hot fae people of various genders except Rose fuck. No nbs so far but I'm used to not seeing anyone resembling me in a book.

(Notable exceptions to the romance notes above? Garth Nix's recent books (Frogkisser, Terciel and Elanor, Booksellers books) all are a great romance and have a fabulous plot, so the romance in a book like that feels fleshed out and meaningful. But that's another blog post. But, rest assured, you like Regency fantasy? Read Frogkisser. You like to read/like books (or like American Gods, Good Omens, Skulduggery Pleasant)? Read Left Handed Booksellers of London. Butchy FMC and NB love interest in the 80s, come OnNNNnnnNNnNNNnn Garth Nix writing books for healing my inner queer teen. If I read Angel Mage or Booksellers I'd probably be out with they/them pronouns being a blazing queer in all spheres of my irl life, not just the close ones. I cried a bit reading Booksellers when Merlin is just, very genderqueer as a matter of fact because that's a character like me and my favourite childhood author knows people like me exist and lets them be awesome in his books. I tear up thinking about it and I'm nearly 30. Fucking read it even if there's no smut. Angel Mage is on the three musketeers. There's a great female villain. If you're from the US you may not have heard of Nix. You're missing out so fucking bad and I'm sorry.)

I ramble. My vyvanse wore off a couple hours ago so this is my diary now. Never expect short posts.

[ceilingfan5]

@taznovembercelebration gold more band directors au.

“That’s it,” Barry says, pacing and watching the drum majors conduct from the sidelines. “We’re doing this. Excellent, excellent. This could be another year for gold.”

There’s a snort behind him, and Barry starts sweating. Or rather, sweats even harder. The mid-September sun is frying him up like a catfish in suntan lotion. He feels distinctly inedible. He tries not to turn his head, but it’s automatic. There she is, the most gorgeous woman he has ever seen, and his absolute blood-feuding rival.

“Hey, Lup,” he says congenially. “Break a bunch of legs out there. You’re next, right?” Yes, of course she is. It’s obvious. Her high schoolers are all lined up behind them, scratching their sweaty noses and looking incredibly sun-addled. Lup legitimately looks like she might bite Barry, but she smiles instead.

“Thanks, Bluejeans,” she says. “You too. Form looks good from here.” She’s looking at the sousaphones. Barry wants to evaporate and never have to speak words to a person ever again. His sousaphones are the weakest point of the band, god love ‘em, and even his intense pep-talk on the bus doesn’t seem to have helped their plodding. March, damn it. Roll step! Roll step!

“Definitely,” he replies, smiling. Sweating. God, she’s so beautiful, and she dressed up. Why does he never dress up? She looks good in slacks and a tie, fiery like her color guard’s flags and her scary-attractive personality. The trumpets hit the key-change without wimping out, and he pumps his fist in the air. “There we go! There we go! You’ve got ‘em now!”

“I gotta say, the soundtrack route looks good on you. Better than Journey last year.”

“It was a crowd pleaser,” Barry protests. “Besides, I got told I couldn’t do Green Day.”

Lup laughs, and fuck, it makes Barry weak in the knees. Or maybe that’s the sweltering weather, not a cloud in sight. He wishes he could be in the shade of the stands, even if those stadium seats hurt his ass.

“I have to admit, I would have liked to hear your band play American Idiot.” She shakes her head, her red and orange curls incredible to behold. Barry’s school doesn’t allow hair dye in the teacher dress code. Not that he’d be cool enough to pull it off. He’s had enough complaints about his mullet. “You know, after the National Anthem.”

They both snicker. It’s a charming moment of unity. At what cost? He watches the woodwinds and hopes they don’t forget how to march backwards.

“Lup,” he says, surprising himself. “I’m all for a little bit of friendly competition, but, uh, um.” Oh shit. His cowardice is showing. Abort, abort! How to backpedal now, through the fire and the trumpets? There are teenagers watching. He feels like he’s going to be hoisted up the flagpole by his underwear.

“Yeah?” She folds her arms. “What, are you gonna tell me to lay off, because you’re going to win? Because this competition is about the students, not us.”

“Of course,” Barry says, perishing right here in the grass, on a Saturday. They’ll have to scrape his melted flesh off of their marching shoes, because the show must go on. “Of course, I didn’t mean- I just- I-”

She raises an eyebrow.

“Of course you were?”

“No, of course I know it’s about the students!” A few flutists turn their heads and start gossiping behind lifted hands, giggling as he writhes here in the spotlight. “I was just going to offer to buy you a soda after your band goes!”

“Oh,” Lup says, looking quite dumbstruck. Like she marched right into a bass drum, and the bass drum won. “Why?”

“Because it’s very hot out today,” Barry says, expiring, passing away, an ex-band director. “And I don’t hate you.”

“Oh,” Lup says. “U-um. Yeah. Yeah! Yeah. Yeah. Yeah? Yeah! Yeah, you, you, you can buy me a soda. If you want. It’s your money. You can- you can make your own choices, you’re an adult! Go away!”

“What?” Barry blinks, absolutely baffled.

“Your- band is finished! Get out of here!” Lup looks like she’s going to pass out, now. “I mean- see you later!”

Barry nods, not entirely sure if that was a positive reaction or not, and jogs off to meet his band off the field. Did he win? He feels like he might have won.

[onerabong]

Chapter 38

I’m gonna keep this super short cuz i have no TIME im so mad but i have to get it out

I totally forgot about the vision Boros saw too, it’s so chilling getting reminded like this wtf

That Iryo/Boros conversation was gold, it’s just so good i don’t even know what to say. Boros still very uncomfortable as fuck around Iryo, wanting him to get out of his room(he’s so cute oh god), but Iryo just staying there. Listening. Staring Boros down with that red, red eye of his. And i loved how for Iryo, that vision he kept seeing basically led him to his doom. Like, i didn’t think of it that way, Boros hasn’t either, but for Iryo, what he said was true. Exodia was the catalyst of his failure. And it was the vision that led him to it.

‘,,But it helped you, too,” Boros points out, all discomfort of talking to Iryo gone – and replaced by the unnerving unknown of what appears to be their mutual stalker.

,,It did. It led me to you.”

A pause.

,,And what happened then?”

Iryo’s voice is cold. Freezing, even.’

I got chills reading this. It seems like such a clever twist of pov for the reader like myself, who only thought of Boros’ perspective. I just love this so much. And then right after Iryo mentions Zael himself.

Look, whenever Iryo even says ‘him’ I die. So this scene was just a continuity of emotional blows for me. It was perfect. I wanna scream. I really can’t put into words how good this conversation was. Just read the fic and you will understand.

-

Elazar is the cutest character in DM. No I will not take any arguments.

He’s cute, he’s tiny, he’s adorable, and I haven’t even gotten to his personality yet. Why is he so passionate about everything. And so normal. He’s just a regular guy that can get hurt pretty easily and that is so endearing. Why must you be such a babygirl professor. And you put that next to Einaros. Einaros. Probably the horniest motherfucker in the fic(barring Caleb), a total badass, tall, intimidating, and just exudes dominance- i don’t know what you expect me to do Lara they were made to be shipped.

‘,,Take a final look at the pretty pictures if you want – we’ll fly back to Atlas, and you’ll work on your theories or whatever while I’ll try to find out where the pirates are.”

As Einaros expects, Elazar takes his suggestion literally. He turns to the murals, looking at them one by one, spending the most time staring at the picture of the strange creature.’

I might die.

And the fight. THE FIGHT.

Are you KIDDING me why was that so good.

‘He flies out on the other side covered in bits of blood and flesh, and releases a burst of heat that evaporates all of it away in the span of mere seconds.’

This is the coolest fucking thing ever. I was bouncing on my seat reading this whole scene it was so COOL. I was blown away with how much this scene slapped.

‘Einaros changes the flow of his stellar force again – directing it as if he were conducting an orchestra-‘

I have to sit here for a few moments just to appreciate how every line in this scene is a line to marvel at.

And I dunno if I’ve mentioned this before, but the action sequences involving the Xar in this fic is phenomenal. There’s no other way to put it than to say it’s perfect. Because in the anime, everything’s all flashy and quick and you can only appreciate the magnitude of what’s going on when you really think about it. But with this fic, you truly understand the destructive force of every hit these monsters deliver. Like the way the sand crystalizes into glass with the heat. The body parts evaporating. The wind whistling. And to top it off, a recount of what happened from a regular person’s perspective. And he didn’t even see it. I’ve seen a few action sequences in fics, and none of them come even close to what DM delivers. It’s perfection.

-

I already had this chapter on my top three favorite chapters in DM, even before the fight, but then the ending comes out of nowhere to make sure i’m really dead.

There’s so much to say about the ending but really, and I keep saying this, but the best thing is to just read it. Just read that scene and you’ll see, how difficult it is to articulate what it made me feel.

If I say all the stuff I wanna say this is going to take forever so again, I’ll keep it super short and just make a list of things that killed me.

Einaros and Zael’s interaction.

-���Crazy little dude but really entertaining. You’d hate him.’ (That ‘you’d hate him’. It shows Einaros knows Zael so well and I can’t get over this)

-‘Surprisingly, Zael feels himself gradually relaxing.’ (I must scream)

-‘it’s been a quality of his brother’s that’s been familiar to Zael since their earliest childhood days.’ (I must scream)

-‘Contemplating thoughts that he  kept locked behind some very expertly reinforced doors of his mindscape.’(this fucking man)

I just realized that I want to copy paste literally ALL of the lines from after this and that would not be a good idea.

Zael asking who Einaros met. I’m really not kidding when I say I was shocked, and so very emotional when I read this. It really was like getting hit in the head.

And everything that comes after. I am also realizing that no, I’m still not calm about this to write a coherent review about it. Not sure if I ever will be. I can only say that it was the most emotionally painful thing to read only second to that flashback for the brothers.

I really, really love Zael. He’s one of my all time favorite characters in all the fandoms I’ve been in. I don’t draw him much so it might not show most of the time but it’s true. So seeing him like this, this character that’s supposed to be strong and scary and antagonistic, it’s absolutely heartbreaking. In the best fucking way of course.

So along with this new development for Zael this chapter ends, having thoroughly beaten me though this rollercoaster of a ride.

I will remember this chapter for months and months.

[estcsy]

OKAY SOOO for anyone that doesn’t know on the weekends in my encanto dr it is full blown party mode I’m talking nobody is going home till 3am

so it’s like 7pm and people are starting to gather on casitas front lawn and I’m out there minding my own business devouring some strawberries and then leo and noah came up to me out of nowhere, and they didn’t do anything like crazy they acted like they normally did

until like a few minutes I noticed that they would like follow me around?? they don’t do that normally unless we’re like having a conversation but I would get up to do something and they would automatically stop talking and get up with me

NOT TO MENTION WHEN I WOULD WALK AROUND THEY WOULD GRAB ONTO ONE OF MY ARMS

so then I’m like “why are y’all being weird 🤨” and they were just like “what do you mean?” and then in sync they said “we’re always like this 😁😁”

that kinda freaked me out I’m not gonna lie I walked away because I thought they were gonna pull a knife out and kill me

but anyways

so yeah I’m walking away and they ran to catch up to me and grabbed onto one of my arms to I turned around and asked them what’s wrong with them again because they don’t normally like do that?? much less both of them at the same time

so they sigh and let go of me and then they look around and then noah whispers “we’re scared and we need protection…” so now I’m obviously confused from who do you need protection from and wtf do you expect me to do about it dawg

so then he keeps going and he says “xavier wants to fight us…”

I nearly fainted from how hard I was laughing

like I was in tears

no way them at their 5’8 height are scared of the 5’0 ankle biting xavier

but going on

so once I got myself together I asked why because like… WHY??? WHAT DID THEY DO??? 💀

they didn’t end up telling me because they said I was bullying them so they ended up walking off and then angel was their body guard for the rest of the night

so I like went to go sit down and I’m still minding my own business yk just watching the people dance and then miss valentina spawned next to me and asked if she could sit in the chair next to mine

nobody was sitting there so I’m like “yeah go ahead” and she puts her bag on the floor and sits down and it’s the most awkward tension I had ever felt I wanted to evaporate

so then out of the blue she goes “can I get to know you better?”

AND IT CAUGHT ME OFF GAURD IM NGL LIKE I LOOKED BEHIND ME TO SEE IF SHE WAS TALKING TO ME OR NOT

it’s so weird having her go from being a big meanie to her being shy and complimenting me when I do things like it doesn’t feel real

so I look like this “😳 actually? 😳” and she goes “yeah :D” and all of a sudden I know nothing about myself like WHAT DO I TELL HERRRR

so I’m being the amazing conversationalist I am and I go “do you like cake?” and she says “yes I do :D” and then I said “I don’t really like cake” and then she said “eh I don’t really like it that much either”

so I’m 🤨 so then I asked her if she just said that because I said I didn’t like cake that much and she didn’t say anything she just like looked down

so then I’m ngl I felt bad for the girl because she felt like she had to do that so I told her to answer how she feels and not like this person that she’s being for other people and she starts CRYING

SOBBING EVEN

I didn’t know what I did wrong I didn’t know what to do so I just sat there like this 😧

she calms down and then she says “I really like cake 😢, it’s fluffy and sweet 😢, like you 😢”

I was at a loss for words

I couldn’t come up with anything else to say but ��I’m a cake?… woah” and she seemed to like it bc she laughed and wiped her tears

once she calmed down I asked her what else she likes and she like grabbed her bag and pulled a book out and she said “I like to draw” so I’m thinking ‘oh that’s cool’ and she hands me the book and I’m looking through it and she’s not bad AT ALL

GIRL CAN DRAW BRUH

so I’m like “wow that looks cool” :D and it’s like animals and landscapes

but then I reach this one page and I’m like looking at it and its a girl sitting by a river like just staring looking at everything

and then it clicks

that’s literally me

so I gasp and she like closes the book really fast and hides it under her bag and I’m in SHOCK LIKE MOUTH OPEN EYE WIDE

and she goes “SORRY IF THATS WEIRD” she was gonna say more but I cut her off because I wanted to see 💀 and then we asked me “is it not weird?” like nono it’s a little bit weird but it also looks pretty and it’s me I wanna see

so she gives it back to me and I look at it again and the outfit I had on tells me that she drew this on the day her mom yelled at me for being momless HASHAAH

so then I asked her like how did she do this because like I didn’t see her it anything?? but I was out there for a long time in my own world

she said she didn’t really get close she only saw me from a far but it took her like two hours to do and for around two hours I was sitting there doing nothing so it adds up

I also asked her how she saw me and he said “my eyesight is pretty good ☺️” idk I thought it was funny

it was two pages one was of my back looking at the river and the other was of my side profile like looking down

and she did me justice I didn’t look bad at all

then I told her that she’s really good and if I could keep them and she was like “yeah sure :D” so she ripped them out and gave them to me

but yeah that’s it

[reverend-dog]

Tesser

Laurel studied the images on the screen, while the ghost hovered over her shoulder.

“I can’t believe I’m considering this,” she grumbled. She twisted her head until she could just make out the translucent form in the corner of her vision. “This is your anchor?”

“What?” The ghost shrugged, and one shoulder rose to evaporate next to its head. “It was my life’s work, after all. I sacrificed my savings, my marriage, and my health to complete that engine.”

Laurel spun in her chair to glare at the specter. “I get that,” she conceded, her tone acrid. “But we’re not talking about an estate sale or museum. You want me to break into a government facility so secret it makes Area Fifty-One look like a convenience store, and destroy a prototype warp-drive engine!”

“Tesser drive,” the ghost corrected. “And it’s not as bad as all that.” He raised his hands raised in a gesture of placation. The nameplate that hung from its phantasmal smock bore the legend “Oleg Gore.” “It’s just the prototype. The data is backed up, both on and off-site. Nothing irreplaceable will be lost.”

“Do I look like Emma fucking Peel?” Laurel spat. “I buy or steal trinkets and junk, and burn, shred, or otherwise mutilate them, so people in your position can move on to your Eternal Reward. That,” she pointed behind her at the monitor, “is way above my pay-grade!”

Oleg frowned. “You’re very unpleasant,” he critiqued. “If there were any other way, believe me, I wouldn’t be here.” He sighed, and blew out a cloud of ectoplasm. “That said, I understand the difficulty of your position. After all, I helped design The Keep’s security systems.” A smile crept across his face, and continued until Laurel thought its ends would meet at the back of his head. “Which means I can help you get past them.”

Laurel shook her head. “It’s not just knowledge,” she countered. “Bypassing that kind of security needs tools, technology, skills. All I have are binoculars and lockpicks. Hell, my phone is three generations old.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Oleg, really. But I’m not your girl.”

Oleg pressed a finger against his nose and winked. “Not to worry,” he confided. “I said I helped design the security systems? I included a back door for myself. Just a hidden door, underground passage, and a keypad.”

Laurel cocked her head. “Seriously? You got away with that?”

Oleg shrugged again. “The passage was already there, left over from the original construction. I just repurposed it, and fudged the records to say it had been filled in with concrete. Nobody ever checked.”

Laurel considered the proposition. “Okay,” she surrendered, and stood up. “Let’s get this done before I come to my senses.”

“I should really reconsider my life choices,” Laurel panted, several hours later. She turned to look behind her, then ahead. Both directions presented the same view: a passage barely wider than one person, lit at intervals far enough apart that each light made an island in the darkness. “How much further?”

“Almost there,” Oleg assured her.

Laurel scowled. “You keep saying that. Do you really have any idea?”

The ghost shifted awkwardly, as if switching from one foot to the other, though he hovered three feet off the ground and ended just below the hem of his lab coat. “Well,” he hedged, “it’s difficult, judging distance when you don’t have to worry about things like gravity or solid matter. But I can feel the engine, very strongly. So we must be close!”

Laurel rolled her eyes and resumed her trek.

Just as she felt ready to stop and complain some more, the furthest oasis of light revealed a flat surface instead of more darkness. The sight buoyed her, and she jogged the remaining distance, where she leaned her forehead against the cool metal surface.

“The keypad is behind that panel to your right,” Oleg volunteered. “The code is zero-four-two-six-one-three-nine-seven.”

Laurel punched in the numbers. Metal ground against metal as bolts drew into the frame, and the metal door pushed inward with little effort. Overhead lights bathed the room beyond in low-wattage twilight, but after the passage Laurel welcomed the illumination as if it were noon. Bolted to a table in the middle of the room, under slightly brighter light, sat the device she had come to destroy.

“That’s it?” she queried. “It’s not a scale model or mockup?”

“An actual working prototype,” Oleg confirmed. “It’s not an engine as you normally define it, so it doesn’t require things like reaction chambers, driveshafts, or gears. Now, to disable it….”

Laurel clamped the ground cable to the engine as directed, then stood back to survey her handiwork. “So I just hit that switch,” she pointed to a remote control box on the table, “and the engine melts down?”

“That’s one possible result,” Oleg allowed. “Whatever results, it will certainly be rendered unusable.” He sighed. “And I’ll be free. Now, take the remote and get to the far side of the lab. We don’t --”

Just as Laurel gathered the remote, brilliance flared throughout the room. She threw a hand over her eyes, and heard a harsh voice shout in authoritarian tones, “Freeze!” “Throw the switch!” Oleg commanded.

“This close?” Laurel challenged.

“Throw it, I say! Throw it!”

A shot cracked, and Laurel’s thumb stabbed down on the button in reflex. A hum rose to a scream, electricity crackled as if above an erupting volcano, and wind or something like it yanked Laurel off her feet and into the air. Somewhere amid the chaos, she heard a sigh of relief from Oleg, a murmured, “Yes….” And then nothing.

Grass. Trees. People walking. A park, urban towers in the distance.

All of it wrong.

“Fuckity-doo-dah,” Laurel griped. “I’ve been isekai’d!”

[the-pessimists-paradigm]

Into the Abyss

Chapter Five

(TW: Substance abuse, description of drug dealing, arrest and legal consequences)

I did what I had to do. At the crack of dawn, I ran from my mom’s basement with some baking soda back to school. Aurora was just trying to have fun and make some money, perfectly reasonable.

Just because she may have broken some rule that everyone else follows: don’t make/sell drugs, doesn’t mean she was a bad person. Here I was, letting her legacy live on beyond the TV coverage and missing posters. Classic “12th grader has a breakdown. ”She needed closure, but also someone to remind her that even though she wasn’t on earth, she was in my heart.

Glimmers of sunlight reflected from the window onto the beakers, blurred figures of the light. Head spinning, fingers trembling, sweat beading from running a mile at one in the morning. The wind’s chill embraced me. Emotion flooded my mind like a dam breaking open. Inhale, exhale, repeat.

My pockets contained her remnants; a handmade bracelet, diamonds of black and pink, woven to perfection, and her diamond heart necklace that matched my pastel blue flower one. A rose quartz bracelet that I would’ve given to her. Tearful laughs filled the air as I picked up a paper from when we wrote an exceptionally dreadful romance story about two classmates, layered with tropes and cliches, only eight chapters in before we got caught—annoying Theresa May.

I miss her hugs in the morning, her laughter in the halls, the light in her eyes as she talked about her life, brushing her fingers against mine, tiny fiery sparks slithering their way into my soul. Shared secrets, stolen glances, and small smiles were all hidden in her bedroom. I wish I had told her I had feelings for her sooner.

But alas, no more crying over old times, I should get this over with. Remember her in the only way I know how. Finally, a piece of her stash lay in my jeans' crevices and dark corners. Bubbles from steam evaporated as I combined baking soda and the crack, a white crystalline powder, you could’ve mistaken it for salt. Finally, the mixture was done. I had freebased cocaine, and a burnt serving spoon lay astray on the table.

Now all I had to do was wait for the money to roll in. It was child’s play. An experiment for the daring, innovative risk-takers of tomorrow. How could I ever get caught? A question that crossed my mind several times, eventually running through the traffic of medicated, forced thoughts.

Weeks passed as I used a counterfeit volunteer sheet to sell “bricks” for signatures. I was getting some recognition, rising from the underground. Not infamous, but getting there. Like different species, my buyers were of a unique kind. Older men who blurred together, my mom’s flings who wanted to take some edge off, gangs, sometimes even Rita, as I loitered downtown in hidden alleys, conveniently tucked away from the cops. One guy in particular, however, was my downfall, and just as I was starting to pay my bills.

His job was on the line, he needed a fix, or that’s what he said, walking up in a black hoodie, the mask and frayed drawstrings easily hiding his badge. He took his hand to give me money as more cars pulled up. I was frozen in place, numb with shock as he handcuffed me. Cool metal against my flushed skin, not resisting. Rough edges indented my flesh, as I sucked in a breath. I know I didn’t deserve this. I was simply trying to accomplish her goal, or at least attempt to. God, what a roadblock. But what would I do about it?

What could I do if I was stuck in a place without escape?

-> Previous Chapter

-> Next Chapter

[song-of-yohan]

‘Now, talk.’

“What am I supposed to talk about?”

Stacks of paper suddenly being thrown on the table, captured bloody scenes are on the surface, along with a familiar face bathed in crimson red.

‘Those.’

Trigger Warnings: Murder , Blood , Violence , Death , Gore , etc.

2022.12.12 | 11:57 AM

Jeju, South Korea.

“Please come back again later!”

“Thank you for coming!”

“Apples? Oh, those are on the back! Let me help you finding those!”

“Do you need any assist?”

Today has been a busy day for Song Yohan, since there is an undeniably significant increase on the number of customers. Even though the exhaustion is getting a little bit unbearable, seeing how the owners of the shop smiling, joyous face helped him on building his almost evaporated energies.

At least, he managed to communicate with people.

At least, he got people smiling contently.

“Yohan, it’s lunch time already, have some break first, Harabeoji will take care of the rest.”

“Oh, yes—thank you so much!”

Twinkling eyes, turning his head before bowing to the last customer he was serving and averting his attention to the senior couple. Dashed to the staff room and took of his apron immediately, anticipating the nice meal indulging his tastebuds. Smiling, he closed his eyes and intertwine his fingers, ready to enjoy the meal until,

BANG!

“SOMEONE PLEASE CALL AMBULANCE!”

2023.12.07 | 07:31 PM

New York, USA.

That event happened almost a year ago yet the memory plagued in his back of mind persistenly. It was so vivid until Yohan can describe every single thing on the scene with precise details, truly exceptional—and the fact he needed to testify for great amount of time because of that, being suspected as one of the strategists instead of a mere witness even though the security cameras and other people who were at the scene already told otherwise.

The world is rigged, and he surely knew it better than anyone else. If an easy catch is provided in front of them, why should ones get through the difficult way?

It wasn’t surprising that he remained calm—if not being simply uninterested, clearly unbothered with the atmosphere even though those investigators kept pushing on him with those tricky questions, some of them even lost their cool in front of the twenty three years old lad after throwing some questions. From challenging gaze to provoking choice of words and tone, he naturally drew the suspicion from those people. However, his peak remark was,

“You only believe what you want, don’t you?”

which got him sent back home not too long after.

Lucky to anyone targeted on Yohan—none of them chased him that night since he more likely will turn them into minced meat if there was any. Instead, he handed himself handful tasks on continue, not giving his body any proper rest for the next week since got nothing else to do—the shop was temporarily being closed since Harabeoji needs to be hospitalized.

Scattered papers and massive amount of opened tabs on his devices were his inevitable view, until his work worth of hours finally showing the result. A smile grew on his lips and he clapped his hands in such a content, proud heart. In no time, he already pocketed some extracted deadly nightshade he taught himself to made.

He’s ready to deliver the package that person asked.

Yohan acknowledged this mission would be far from easy even though he knew plenty informations about his target already. Nurturing his short-lived patience well, he tried to merge himself into his target’s neighborhood by blending there, as if he’s a new tenant leaving nearby who needs to get guided by the people around.

Years of teaching himself on doing this kind of thing surely able to display its result. It only took days for him to be able to pinpoint the person’s daily activities—he even managed to strike some conversations with him until the exchanged words on one of those tea at the evenings caught him off guard.

His heart raced and he no longer able to contain his feeling, to the point where he needed to excuse himself and ran outside only to stare at a particular building at end corner of the street. His ears rang loud as the rythm of his heart began to double than it should be yet he tried to remain calm outside even though his fingers already turning white inside his coat pockets, containing his excessive anger.

Memories of some imagery flashed inside his mind, led himself to a solid conclusion he was trying to figure out since days ago—by the end of the day it was all because of him, the unfortunate events tailing him ever since he escaped his own death.

“I’ll send you to Hell with my own hands.”

2023.12.08 | 00:35 AM

New York, USA.

“Surprise!”

The young male voice might sound energetic yet there’s more than just a joy bubbling inside his blood—it’s the deadly nightshade in his palm, waiting to be transferred into the new body, no longer being trapped in the small, jammed tube. His small giggle escaped noticing the horror glinting on those eyes of his target and how prominent it turned noticing the body was immobile.

“Why? Are you afraid?”

His question rolled as if it was nothing, accompanying his light steps toward the person, approaching him with nothing but flat, emotionless face.

“I’m Yohan, that Song Yohan. Shouldn’t you missed me? How long is it already? Ten years? I’ve lived that long even though you guys kept telling me to die. Shouldn’t you be proud of me?”

Yohan chuckled a bit, the syringe in his hand is being checked. “I taught myself until I’m able to track you guys, trying to pluck every single infected grass so there won’t be another Song Yohan in the future.”

Silent scream being aired loud yet he couldn’t care any less and just wearing his most beautiful smile on his lips once their gaze met. “I won’t miss you. Thank you for playing with Song Yohan!”

A jab, right to the nerve surely sent his target to eternity. Injecting the poison as he pressed it deeper, leaving nothing but a winning smile on his facade along with the low giggling escaping his lips. Watching how those eyes slowly lost its spark, leaving a soulless, empty gaze.

“I think I’m being too kind to you,” muttered him after analyzing the whole body—he’s no longer breathing. Gaze was quick to be averted and he found himself diving on those stack of files, being more and more anxious reading every single information written on there. His tears melt on the cheek without him knowing—raging inside, he glanced at the lifeless body, chest rised up and down rapidly and the next thing he knew, the fabrics wore by him got additional color in it.

He screamed, he cried, he groaned on each stab he made, on every tear he created—turning the body into nothing but minced meat, impossible to be recognized unless it goes under further examinations.

“Stop! Drop that and raise your hands!”

“NEVER! HE DESERVES IT!”

Laughter aired in the room and his movements gradually became more ruthless, he even went as far as breaking the bones using the notebook he managed to grab earlier, clearly enjoying the masterpiece he just carve. He was deeply immersed into the moment until his senses become numb and,

THUD

“Take him.”

2023.12.08 | CURRENT TIME

Investigation Room, Unknown.

“Do you need more stimulation? Then there, we found these too, maybe it can help you.”

His eyes widen seeing his belongings scattered on the table, legs are quick to react until the clinking noises stopped him to. At that moment, he realized he was chained to the chair with arms behind his back. Sighed in defeat, he decided to respond the previous quote-unquote questions instead.

“I just tried to make sure I won’t hurt the wrong person,” answered him with both eyes closed and head being tilted backward only to find out he got nothing to lean on and he feels heavily bummed knowing that. “He deserves that. I only defended myself and prevent further chase on me. That’s it.”

Silence was the only thing existing in the room until the male sitting across him finally began his possibly long, nonsense speech. “Good. So you admit you were planning these. That way, it’s impossible to call this as a defending act—it’s a planned murder. You’ll be more likely being sent to jail and rot in there instead of just staying for several years. Not to mention since you’ve done this several times, so maybe death penalty?”

The continuation resulting in Yohan fingers turned into fists, anger started to fill him. “But here’s the thing, I’m intrigued by the fact that you’re not working alone yet you managed to gather these much information. And on top of it, your analysis were on point. You also used nightshade instead of artificial chemical. I believe you know more than these. You have a strong potential.”

Still, no interest invested on him—Yohan’s eyes were both closed, trying to send him to the dreamland instead of giving any attention toward him. “Also, the person you just murdered—butchered to be exact, was actually our next target since he was charged with malpractice, child abduction, drug smuggling, what else?”

“Unethical experiment.”

He snapped his fingers. “Correct, unethical experiment. There are at least sixteen people being his victim and I believe you’re included in the list. Right, Song Yohan?”

Hearing his name being mentioned by person, he finally lifted his head although the disinterest on those eyes were hard to ignore. “Sadly, unlike you, there’s no report of any survivor, whether they’re being killed or simply didn’t manage to survive so we simply have no further clues of the case.”

“…stop this boring conversation and just get to the point. I’m bored already.”

Something in Yohan’s reaction tickled his interest, shook his head and soon approaching the male, forcing their eyes to meet as he delivered the main intention.

“I can help you slip out from this case and provide aid and information regarding those scientists. That, if you want to work for us.”

He furrowed his brows. “What work?”

“The detail will be given later. You simply need to spy on someone. Are you in?”

“…clear my criminal records too.”

“Pardon?”

“Clear my criminal records.” Yohan stared at the man, stoic face with piercing gaze.

“You began to amuse me more, young man. You sure you don’t want to take more time to think it thoroughly?”

“I have nothing more to lose—the only thing I might lose is my life, if not my dignity. If I’m getting help on things I’ve been itching to accomplish soon, why would I need more time to think?”

“Impressive, really impressive!” He applaud, a big smile arched on the lips. “Let’s see if you really meant it, young man. Because apparently, I would never appreciate a hypocrite bluffer being around.”

“Neither do I.” Yohan sneered. “Also, please return my things too or just say goodbye to me. I can say I was just defending myself too for those cases of mine.”

For a moment, silence was all that can be found in the room along with some crinkling noises coming from Yohan’s movements until a swung door ignited his rolling eyes. “Oh, I’m so bored…” muttered him, now slouching on his chair. Gaze at the ceiling, lips jutted.

“You are? I thought you’ll still be a cheerful, enthusiastic one, just like what those people around you said.”

The newcomer’s presence made him realized the person he was talking to surely has a high position and suddenly, it piqued his interest. The gesture, the style, the gaze, he can’t help but paying more attention toward the guy. “But that doesn’t matter to me. Your participation in our team does.”

Yohan snorted as his boredom along with the anger began to float more on the surface. Trying to free himself by shaking the cuffed wrists, loud groans rolled out as he kept his gaze on both men. “Work this, team that—you keep offering me things but WHY YOU KEEP ME ON THIS STATE, DON’T YOU THINK IF YOU REALLY NEED ME TO FILL THAT I’LL NEED TO BE PROVIDED WITH MORE COMFORTABLE POSITION INSTEAD OF—AAAAAHHHHH FUCK YOU!”

The sudden change on Yohan’s temper surely caught the other male off guard. “Should I—“

An arm raised, stopping him from doing anything meanwhile his eyes were latched on the fuming male.

“Hey, calm down. You can get charged because of that—unwilling to cooperate with us. Should I remind your current position as well?”

Clenching his jaw hard, teeth gritted. He finally managed to restrain some of his madness, ready to listen everything might be told to him. However, the flushed cheeks and ragged breathing were still there.

“Leave.” A simple order from the person resulting them being the last two in the room. Unmoving from the last position, his gaze never once lifted from the other. “It’s called Desolated Hollow, the team.”

“Sounds depressing much.”

He somehow, doesn’t look bothered by the sudden remark coming from the younger. Not even a single flinch was able to be noticed by Yohan—who’s now being more tensed on his own seat. “You’ll fill this one position and all you need to do is keeping your eyes on him.”

The image of someone is shown to him. Eyes squinting, trying to recall the moments where he might ever met him only to end up shaking his head since he’s failed to recognize the person. “I don’t know him. Who’s that?”

“Gabriel Black. Basically, a valuable informant with a special condition,” explained him. “Aside of keeping us informed about his activities, you’ll be assigned on him each time he pays a visit and that’s all.”

Hearing those, his brow raised high as he struggled in connecting the dots—why it needs to be him? It’s not a dangerous task, if he may say. An ordinary staff will be sufficient to execute the work, but why…

“You’re allowed to do anything preventing him on doing things affecting the team negatively but remember, make sure he’s alive and willing to provide more for us. Take note of this, he’s a sociopath.”

…click. Oh, that’s why.

“I’ll add these to help you decide—remembering you also have some information regarding the scientists, not to mention you’re the only survivor we knew and well, how many people have you murdered?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t count.”

A smile drawn on his facade as the response came out faster than expected. “Together with the last victim, it’s seven. At least that what recorded in these,” said him while waving the papers from before. “It’s easy for us to put a death sentence on you. But wouldn’t it be a waste for both of us? You can never accomplish your goal too if you refuse my offer.” Erasing the distance between them with his unfaltered smile, once again forcing their gaze to meet. “So, what’s your answer, Song Yohan?”

“I’ll join if you’re able to grant my requests. Clear my criminal records, give me all the information you know about those damned scientists and return my things.” Nudging his things using his chin, not even blinked when he stared at him. “Can you?”

“Sure.”

“And let me do things the way I want to. I believe you won’t need to know the process, you just need the results, no?”

A nod with contented smile on facade delivered the answer better than any word can do. “Very well. When can we sign the terms and conditions?”

“It will never happen,” Yohan was quick to respond. “At least until you release me.”

—xxx—

[3raaaachachacha]

4:03 pm

Choi Seungcheol x female reader / 630 words / angst / fluff

Warnings: anxiety attack, numbness in body

⊱ ──────────────────────── ⊰

It was as if all sound around you had silenced itself as your heart rate steadily increased with every beat. You could see your best friend staring down at you as he held onto your forearm, not wanting you to hurt yourself. Without even realizing it, you were falling. Your body must have given in, but Seungcheol’s arms were wrapped around you as you gasped for air to sink into your lungs. Your eyes wide as your body gently shook.

You could see Seungcheol’s lips moving, mouthing something along the lines of ‘Babe, you need to calm down’ or ‘It’s okay, I’m here’, but you weren’t necessarily sure as all sound was vacant from your head. You felt your body touch the cool flooring as your best friend, brushed the strans of loose hair away from your sweaty forehead. Your hand moved around weakly as you tried to find his. You needed something to ground you. Once you finally felt his cool palm touch yours, you felt a breath of fresh air emerge within your lungs as your hearing slowly came back.

“Y/N! Y/N, what’s going on?” Seungcheol asked in a panic, “Babe, please. Talk to me. I need you to response, give me some sort of response. I need to know you are okay!”

Tears began to flow down his cheeks at the sight of your lifeless body in his arms. He wasn’t sure what caused this or what triggered you, but one moment you were completely fine, chatting away about life, then suddenly, you stumbled over and became unresponsive.

“Babe, babe, please,” He cried, “You need to be okay.”

You slowly moved your hand to his cheek to cup it weakly, taking another short breath, “I’m okay,” Was all you could mumble out, feeling as if all the moisture from your body had evaporated into thin air.

Seungcheol pulled you into his chest, crying his heart out as if you had died, but in his eyes, he was scared you might have, “What happened? Are you okay?” He examined your face, making sure you were alright finally after that scary attack that took over your body.

“I don’t know why, but my body shut down,” You sighed, “I’ve been anxious for weeks about going to court to testify, and my body couldn’t handle it all.”

“Y/N, talk to me next time. I know this is scary and I know this is very personal. Hell, I know it’s even kinda embarrassing or intimidating to even have to go to court, but you have people who are here for you and who understand you. Don’t think you have to take on life all on your own,” He stated with understanding and care in his eyes, pulling you closer to him to hug you from the side as he rested his chin on your head.

Weakly, you smiled into his chest, knowing just how amazing your best friend was, even though you neglected to be honest and open with him. You felt bad, but in all honestly, everyone deals with traumatic experiences differently. You felt it was a burden to others to worry them with your issues or troubles, so why even bring it up? That was your logic, until today. After about collapsing onto the floor from an anxiety attack made you realize that talking about situations and figuring out a plan is much better than holding it in.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I won’t keep things like this from you again. I promise,” You mumbled out, feeling your eyes become heavy from how much energy you exerted.

Seungcheol smiled to himself before pulling you into his arms and standing up, “Don’t be sorry. You’ve been through enough already. Let’s just get through this day by day, together.”

⊱ ──────────────────────── ⊰

- Admin 🦋

[strawberrymilkgeorge]

Part Eleven. The Dream

warnings: swearing, jokes about sex dreams (not actually true though) word count: 4.8k (not including images)

behind the screen (irl dream x f!reader) series masterlist ultimate masterlist

A/N: NEW POV??? DREAM POV???? MORE LIKELY THAN YOU THINK. (note: sapnap actually lives with dream now, no longer just visiting) also i really didnt wanna read through it all for a millionth time so i hope it makes sense and i didnt make too many very bad mistakes.... also praying its as cute as i think it is lol and hope you can understand and feel dreams frustration with all his emotions ENJOY!!

***********

Dream huffed out a deep breath as he wiggled around between his cool sheets, searching for warmth that the soft sun shining through his curtains wasn't giving him. He groaned as the sun escaped through a crack and shone in his eyes, making him quickly roll to the side out of the beam, immediately finding warmth in the form of another body. He sat up slightly and rubbed his eye as he looked to his left, his eyes adjusting to the light to see a girl laying with her back to him. He smiled warmly and laid back down, scooting closer to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

She hummed as he kissed her shoulder lightly and turned around in his arms, burying her face in his chest instead. He giggled and squirmed lightly as she peppered slow kisses to his collarbone and neck, eyes still closed and sleepy.

"Good morning," Dream whispered into her hair with a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"Morning," she replied sleepily, her voice familiar. He didn't have time to process it all before she said, "you're very warm," in the cutest mumble he had ever heard.

"You're very cold," he countered with a chuckle as she wiggled in his embrace, seeking further comfort. He was confused about how he felt warmer next to her even though her skin was cold as ice. Maybe he just felt warmer in his heart because of her presence, which spread throughout his whole body from head to toes.

"But you hate cuddling when I'm cold," she informed, snapping him out of his confusion.

"That's not true," he said as he closed his eyes, deciding he would much rather stay here in this girl's comfort than get up to make them breakfast. "I like that you use me as a heater."

He felt her giggle under his arms and place another kiss on his collarbone. "Did you sleep well? Any more nightmares?"

"Never when you're 'round."

Dream felt lips press against his and he sighed contently as he kissed back, loving how such a tender kiss could give him so many butterflies.

"I love you," she hummed against his lips before placing another quick kiss.

He still had his eyes sealed shut. "I love you too, lovebug," he promised. "So much."

"I'd love to stay here all day but you need to wake up."

He frowned playfully, pulling his eyebrows together. "Only if you get up too."

"Wake up, Dream," she repeated, her voice starting to morph into something masculine.

"What—" he opened his eyes and was faced with the girl staring at him as she pushed herself away from his embrace. He could only assume she was staring at him because he was looking at a blank slate of a person as if her features had fallen off cleanly or maybe were never given to her in the first place.

"Dream, wake up." Her voice was no longer sweet like honey, but he recognized it as someone else he knew. Despite him recognizing it as his best friend's voice, it was distorted and felt weird coming from this pretty, faceless girl in front of him.

"DREAM!" Sapnap's voice rang suddenly from a different plane and Dream shot up in bed, widening his eyes to get a grasp on the real world. His room was much brighter than it had been seconds ago and it gave him an immediate headache. "Dude, wake up," Sapnap repeated, his voice no longer distorted and scary, but coming from the doorway of Dream's room.

As Dream's eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he looked to his left and reached his hand out as if the girl from his dream was there, just invisible. When his arm fell on his sheets empty-handed, he looked back at Sapnap's confused but amused face.

Dream groaned and leaned forward, cradling his head in his hands in defeat. Why did he have a soft, romantic dream about some random girl? Sure, he's had some spicy dream's about girls he's dated and liked before but they always had faces, or at least there was no question about their identities.

Dream, his inner voice said as if reprimanding a child gently, don't pretend like that girl wasn't-

He snapped his head up quickly to shake his thoughts and was surprised to see Sapnap still standing in his doorway. "You good, man?"

"Yeah?" Dream replied, not sure whether he was trying to convince himself or his best friend. "Why are you still here?"

"You look guilty like you just committed murder or something. Do you... need help hiding a body or some shit like that?"

"I just woke up, dude," Dream argued, lamely reaching to throw a pillow at Sapnap.

He caught it easily. "No, for real, are you okay? Did you have another bad dream or something?"

"It was definitely a dream for sure..."

Sapnap paused before his face twisted in disgust. "Oh, gross! Like, a sex dream? I don't wanna know about that, dude!" Sapnap screeched, throwing the pillow back at Dream's face.

"No," he groaned. "Not like that! You're the one that said that, not me!"

"Whatever, just get up."

"Why?" Dream groaned, falling back into his pillows, hoping that if he wished hard enough, he could resume his dream and maybe find out who the girl was.

Again, dude, come on. You know who it was. You just wanna cuddle with her more. His inner voice was really annoying this morning.

"George is starting a stream soon and wants us on."

"Just the three of us?" he asked, eyes closed.

"And Bugsy."

Dream sighed and swung his legs off the side of the bed.

"Ah, that got him up," Sapnap teased, earning one last lazy pillow toss in his direction, before leaving the room.

"I already regret you moving in!" he yelled jokingly and smiled at Sapnap's loud laugh from the hallway.

Dream shook his head with a hand through his hair as he grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the floor, not bothering to find a shirt. His dream wasn't sexual but for some reason, it lingered in his mind. His skin burned where the girl had kissed him and he wished it was real or at least that he knew who--

A nagging thought in the back of his head interrupted his thoughts. No, he wasn't going to admit it was her unless there was solid proof. And there wasn't any so... forever in denial, he will remain.

Dream wasn't stupid. He knew what his feelings for Y/n were and he had for a while. It was hard to deny it when he messed up a perfect speedrun just because she said hi to him. His texts to his friends were all very incriminating, packed with evidence that he had a little crush on her. Okay, a huge crush. He liked her a lot. But that didn't mean he wanted to have a domestic dream about her and invade her privacy. So, no, he wasn't going to give in to the knowledge that nagged at the back of his head.

He grabbed his phone and sure enough, he was being summoned to a stream.

"Dream?" George asked, not giving him any time to settle after joining the voice channel.

"Yeah."

George laughed. "Finally! Where have you been?"

"Asleep," he mumbled.

"Awww poor Dreamie," Sapnap teased.

"Shut up. Is it just us?" he asked as he looked at the names under the voice channel, knowing full well that it wasn't in fact everyone. He just wanted to know when Bugsy would be joining them.

"Bugsy went to grab her comforter from her bed," George explained briefly.

"...What?" Dream asked, soon answered by Bugsy unmuting.

"I'm back. Oh, hi Dream!"

The air in his lungs evaporated at her words as it always did and he was left grinning at his desktop background like a fool. "Hi."

Sapnap scoffed at Dream's soft reply, but he ignored it.

"What are we even doing today?" Dream asked.

"Skribblio!" George huffed. "Do you even read your texts, Dream?"

"No. Wait, how are we going to play with four people? It's gonna be so lame!"

"Karl's coming later," Bugsy explained. "He's with Jimmy and Chris."

"And Quackity, Sam, and Ranboo and Tubbo are coming in a few. They're just being so slow."

"Then why did you start your stream already?" Dream laughed. "Why didn't you wait?"

"Because Quackity said he was going to raid me and made me start! It's fine, we can just mess around on the SMP or something until the others are ready."

Dream groaned. "Can I just go back to sleep then?"

"No!" George yelled. "If you leave I'll never talk to you again."

"Oh boohoo. I have Bug, I don't need you."

Bugsy giggled as George scoffed. "Whatever, I'm gonna go start the stream."

Dream tapped his fingers against his desk and stared at his Minecraft launcher. "So, Bug, what's this I hear about you getting your comforter off your bed?"

"What about it?" Bugsy asked. "It's comfy."

"But you just... take it off your bed? Do you own other blankets?"

"Yeah," she laughed. "But my comforter is way fluffier and it's nicer to just... wrap myself in. I dunno."

"That's cute," he hummed, not meaning to verbalize his thoughts. His lips seemed to be getting looser every day he spent with her, more and more thoughts spilling from his locked brain to the world each day. One of these days he was going to let it slip that he liked her or something.

"Whatever. It's comfy," she said. "How are you doing Sapnap?"

Dream couldn't hear his best friend's response but he didn't need to. If he wanted to know how Sapnap was doing, he could just go to the other room and ask. Besides, his mind was too busy swarming with how sweet Bugsy's voice was and how much it compared to the girl in his dream's.

Nope, he thought quickly, shaking his head. We are not going there, especially when George is about to start his stream. Stop thinking of her that way.

"SAPNAP!" Bugsy yelled, snapped Dream back to the conversation. He had finished loading into the SMP and was just standing, but he could see Sapnap chasing after Bugsy's avatar. He smiled and threw his phone down, placing his hands on the keyboard and mouse to join them.

"I'll save you!" Dream offered heroically, hitting Sapnap.

"How are you going to save me?" Bugsy asked. "Go cry to DreamXD, pissbaby."

"Bug!" he yelled fondly, not being able to hide his smile. "What the hell?!"

Sapnap cackled loudly while Bugsy giggled, which made his heart soar.

"You've been spending waaay too much time with Karl and Quackity!"

"What, jealous?" she challenged, running around him in-game.

Yes. Absolutely, yes.

"Nah, they don't have what we have. They should be jealous."

"Oh, whatever."

"Hello!!!!" George said loudly as he unmuted and undeafened. "Hello."

"George, save me!" Sapnap cried, making the other ask what had happened in the ten minutes he was gone. "Bugsy and Dream are flirting. Help, I'm scared."

"No we aren't," Bugsy laughed. "George!! How are you?"

"Great," George laughed. "How are you? Did you get your, uh, comforter or whatever it's called?"

"Yes," she said with childish joy in her voice.

"You doing okay, Bug?" Dream asked. "You're in a weird mood today."

"I dunno. I am in a weird mood today. I'm just very happy for some reason."

Dream wanted to pretend like it was because he had recently shown her his face, but the other part of his brain ridiculed him for being a narcissist. It wasn't narcissistic, the other part argued, he just liked to think that she meant it when she said he was attractive.

"Are you guys on the SMP?" George asked, receiving a variation of confirmations in reply.

"Oh, George!" Bugsy started. "Did you ever fix your house? Are you homeless?"

"I-I'm not homeless," he argued. "My house is just.... under construction.

"I was just gonna say we could fix it while we wait for the others," she offered, warming Dream's heart. It didn't even have to be directed at him, he just loved the happiness in her voice every time she offered to help anyone with anything. She was the sweetest person he thought he ever met and if he wasn't careful, he was going to be in too deep too fast.

"Oh!" George pondered for a moment. "Yeah, sure! Since we have nothing else to do."

"Wooooow," Bugsy said softly. "You wouldn't want my company otherwise? You're literally soooo bored so I gueeesssss we can build your house," she mocked his words.

"No!" George laughed. "Not like that! I just don't like building that much."

"Bug's really good," Dream complimented quickly. "She's a good teacher."

"Where's Sapnap?" George asked after a moment.

"Uh... I don't know. I'll go check if he's okay," Dream mumbled before taking off his headphones and leaving his room. He checked Sapnap's room before looking in the kitchen. "Sapnap?"

"In here," Sapnap replied, standing up from being hunched over in the fridge, a jug of orange juice in his hands. "We really need to go to the store."

"Yeah, true," he said distractedly as Patches rubbed against his leg. He bent down and scratched under her chin, making her purr lightly.

"You okay?"

Dream stood up and looked at his friend. "Yeah, we were just making sure you're okay. You just left."

"Oh, yeah, I'm good. Just thirsty."

Dream turned on his heel with the new knowledge that everything was, in fact, okay, but Sapnap stopped him.

"Hey, um..." Sapnap paused when Dream turned back to face him. "Just, not to be a parent, but, like, remember not to flirt with Bugsy as much."

Dream raised his eyebrows so Sapnap sighed and continued.

"You know, cause of the hate she's been getting? She asked all of us to dial it back?"

"Oh, yeah. I know." Dream nodded once. "Wait, she told you too?"

Sapnap nodded. "Yeah, except she told us in a groupchat. Not privately over the phone."

Dream felt his cheeks redden a little. "Wha—what? Does she think I'm a bigger problem... or something?" he asked shyly with a hand on the back of his neck. Was he really that obvious that she felt the need to tell him separately.

"I mean, you are, for sure, a bigger flirt towards her than any of us. But I have a feeling she just used it as an excuse to call you."

"What do you mean?" Dream asked. "Stop shrugging!"

Sapnap laughed. "I'm just saying! Girl definitely likes talking to you as much as you like talking to her, so..." He grinned and turned to go back to his room.

"Sapnap! You can't just talk like you have information and then leave."

"Sure I can. Watch me."

Dream groaned as Sapnap's door closed, turning to go back to his own room. Did Sapnap know something?

Sliding his headphones back on, he noticed a few new members in the voice channel and was thankful since it gave him time to process Sapnap's words. Did she talk about him to the other boys?

"DREAM!" Quackity yelled accusatorily.

"Quackity?"

"HELLO."

"Wh—? Why did you yell that?"

"I don't know," he laughed. "I just have a lot of energy."

"Yeah, join Bug. She does too."

"BUGSY!" Quackity yelled the same way, making Bugsy laugh loudly.

"Hello, mom," Ranboo greeted, making Bugsy squeal a little.

"Ranboo, my beloved. Where is your brother?"

"He's coming. He's on the phone with Tommy last I heard."

"Hey, Bug, how come Tommy isn't one of your kids?" Dream asked, just wanting an excuse to hear her talk.

"You think that boy would let himself be controlled by a woman? The first time I talked to him he yelled at me. He is no child of mine. Only my childrens' rebellious friend who I sometimes let hang out at our house and destroy my favorite vase."

Dream's laughter was interrupted by George's big mouth. "Hey, you know what I just realized? How come Dream is the only one that calls her Bug?" George asked before pouting. "Bugsy, I want a cute nickname for you, too."

"We know her real name, George, so we already beat him in the Bugsy name category of life," Quackity laughed.

Dream hummed hesitantly. He wasn't sure if she was okay with the fans knowing that they had that precious information but Quackity had already let the cat out of the bag. "That's not true. I know it, too."

"You what?" Quackity yelled. "HOW? You weren't in the groupchat??"

"Yeah, as if that's the only way to talk to Bug? She and I talk without you guys, you know?"

"Wait, she willingly told you?" Sapnap gasped. "Bugsy! I was your friend first and you didn't even tell me your name, I found out from Karl!! I'M SO HURT!"

"Ah..." she said softly, clearly uncomfortable with how much the chat was learning. If they knew Karl accidentally told them all her name, they might come after him to try to pry it out of him, even though that obviously wouldn't work.

"Okay, okay, Sapnap," Dream said in a voice he hoped Sapnap would recognize as 'drop it, dude'. He listened.

"Sorry, Sap. I still love you more."

"Wait, now I'M hurt!" Dream yelled. He was about to tell everyone how she knew his face but he realized how possessive it would sound bragging like that, so he held his tongue.

"It's because of their weird flower thing, Sapnap," George said. "Do you guys still have those, by the way?"

"Yeah, duh," Bugsy replied instantly. "It's in my enderchest for life."

Dream's heart swelled at her words. He hoped she wasn't just playing around and meant it, because God knows he wasn't playing around when he said he loved the flower she gave him. He walked over to and enderchest and hovered over the flower. love, bug.

Wait. Why did that sound familiar?

Love, Bug.

Lovebug.

His smile dropped. Gears turned in his head as flashes of his dream showed in his head.

"Dream?"

I love you too, lovebug.

His inner voice was back, teasing him senseless. What more proof do you need before you accept it was her in the dream, cuddling you, kissing you—

"Wha—?" he asked dazed, half-listening as he tried to shut his brain up. Not now. Not when he was supposed to be not flirting with her.

"I asked if you're gonna play Skribblio or just stay on the SMP?" Geroge teased. Dream hit tab and noticed he was the only one left, everyone else had logged out and was navigating to the new game. "Tubbo and Sam are on their way."

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry, I'm pretty tired," he admitted, knowing full well that his voice still sounded somewhere else.

"Probably still stuck in his dream from this morning," Sapnap teased, not knowing he was a thousand percent correct.

"Shut up, Sapnap," he warned, voice laced with venom.

"What do you mean?" Bugsy laughed.

"Man was deadass smiling in his sleep and then he woke up, like, so confused that he was in the real world again. I'm pretty sure I interrupted a sex dream or something..."

"What, Sapnap?" Dream asked loudly as everyone laughed. "What the hell is wrong with you? I told you it wasn't that kind of dream!"

"He was smiling? Dream..." George called teasingly.

"This is a weird place for me to join, I'm gonna be honest..." Tubbo's voice announced for the first time.

"TUBBO!!" Bugsy yelled.

"BUGSY!" he matched with a laugh.

"What was that about Dream having a sex dream?" Sam's voice asked, making Dream groan.

"Oh, come on! Sapnap's exaggerating! It was a nice dream, that's all. Would you rather I have more nightmares?" Chills ran down his spine at the thought. He had been having horrible nightmares lately, all involving the same concept and he always woke up in a panic. He'd much rather have stupid domestic dreams than those nightmares.

"Well, what were you dreaming about then, huh?" Sapnap asked. "If it wasn't a girl?"

Dream smirked. "It was about a girl, but I just didn't wanna say because it was Quackity's mom but... whatever, I guess it's okay if he knows."

"WHAT THE HELL?" Quackity yelled.

**********

After about an hour of playing Skribblio, everyone needed a break to use the bathroom and get snacks, so Dream leaned back in his chair and stretched, relaxing after hearing the satisfying click of his back and shoulders. His phone buzzed aggressively on his desk and he sighed, picking it up to check the messages flooding his home screen.

Dream set his phone back down with a large sigh.

"You okay, Dream?" Bugsy's voice asked softly. His head snapped to the discord screen, not realizing she was back from getting her snack.

"Oh, yeah," he said as he cleared his throat. "I'm just tired today." That and my friends are super unhelpful when it comes to having feelings for someone apparently.

"Well George said he only wants to play one more game, I think, so you can go take a nap soon."

He smiled at the warm care in her voice even though she was laughing lightly. He wanted so badly to say something stupid like, it would be better if you joined me, or something but that would be breaking her new "no flirting online" request. That was probably for the best because that line was awful. Imagine if he actually had said that out loud. Cringe.

His phone buzzed on the desk again and he looked down to see Bugsy’s name instead of his idiot friends.

"Hey, I think Patches wanted to say hi," he chuckled as his cat jumped onto his lap, making herself a useful distraction from the loud pounding in Dream's chest from his recent text interaction. The others needed to come back quickly so he didn't have to talk directly to Bugsy any longer.

Was he seriously so panicked about his dream that he didn't want to talk to Bugsy? His literal favorite person on earth? Maybe he would rather have more nightmares.

"Patches! My love!" Bugsy cooed happily, making Dream chuckle lightly as he scratched the cat's head.

"I'm back," George announced. "Sorry I took so long."

"It's still just us and Dream," Bugsy explained and George groaned. Soon, everyone else was back and they could keep playing.

"Hi, pretty girl," Dream whispered to Patches, really hoping no one heard as he continued petting her fur. The lack of mocks and laughs assured him that he got away with it.

"Any time you're ready, Dream," Sam teased as they all stared at a blank slate.

"Oh, shit, sorry," Dream apologized as he leaned forward and looked at what word the game auto-gave him for not choosing.

Lovebug

You're joking. You have to be kidding. He smiled at the irony and quickly snapped a picture to show George and Sapnap later... and maybe Bugsy.

"How do I draw this?" he asked loudly, stalling as he tried to think of what the animal looked like, the only image in his mind being the Minecraft skin of one BugsyGames.

"Just draw something!" Quackity laughed.

"What color is that? Wait, is that brown?"

"It's red, George," Karl explained as Dream used red to add the head of the animal.

"No, it's yellow," Dream joked, earning scoffs from a few people.

"I can see yellow, idiot."

Bugsy guessed the word!

"What? How?" Sam asked. Dream glanced at the chat and smiled that she had understood his interpretation of a lovebug. Ironic.

"Wait, got it?" Karl said before he guessed it right too. "Okay, bye guys. Bye."

"Shut up, Karl. What is that??" George asked.

George: mosquito Sam: firefly Sam: lightbug Sapnap guessed the word!

"HAHAHA!" Sapnap laughed loudly, making Dream turn red. He was never going to hear the end of this from him.

When the time ran out, only Bugsy, Karl, Sapnap, Ranboo, and Sam had guessed correctly.

"What the hell?" Quackity scoffed.

"Lovebug?" George laughed loudly, too loudly. "What is that? Is that a real thing?" he asked between gasps for air. Dream knew he was thinking of Dream's dream too, wondering how he managed to get such a serendipitous word.

"George and Tubbo said, 'wE DoN't HaVe ThoSe iN eNglAnd!!'," Karl mocked with a loud cackle.

"Yeah, it's like... uh... you know... what I drew. I drew it perfectly," Dream boasted.

"Honestly, it sounds like a cute name for Bugsy or something," Tubbo laughed.

"Aw, wait, that's so cute," Bugsy giggled and Dream's heart thumped loudly. Because of her comment, Dream desperately wanted to tell her he came up with it first, calling her lovebug, in his dream. No, bad idea. Bad idea. Not something to brag about.

"Oh, this is a good one. It's good, it's good," Ranboo said as he started drawing.

"What on Earth, Ranboo?" Karl asked after many moments of pure silent confusion from everyone.

"I— hold on..." He scribbled some more things above what looked like someone laying down. "It's—it's harder than I thought it would be!"

"Oh, wait? I'm cracked?" George said before his name popped up, revealing he had guessed the word right. "I'm actually cracked at the game."

Dream's brain was nowhere in the right zone to be playing this game. He was so distracted and out of it that he was pretty sure he was seeing things.

"Stop using your hacks, George," Sam joked.

Sapnap: dreams sex dream with quackitys mom

"Sapnap! That's messed up!" Quackity yelled.

Quackity: sapnap sux Dream: sex with quackitys mom

"Stop!"

"Oh, got it," Karl announced. "Bye guys."

Karl guessed the word! Toob: thunderstorm

"What is this? I'm so confused?" Tubbo whined.

"Me too, dude," Dream agreed.

The word was 'nightmare'

"OOOHHH!" Tubbo shouted. "Yeah, I see it now. The weird cloud thing confused me, I thought it was a storm."

Dream could not catch a break today.

"One more game?" George asked. A few people agreed but Dream couldn't take it.

"No, I think I'm gonna get off."

"Nooo..." Bugsy whined, unintentionally causing him more heart pain.

"One more, Dream," Quackity tried persuading. "One more."

"No, dude," Dream said firmly. "I'm really not feeling good right now. And the computer's just giving me a bigger headache."

"Oh, sorry. Go get some rest," George told him, the others agreeing.

"Feel better, Dream!" Tubbo chirped, making Dream smile. He was starting to understand why Bugsy loved the young boy so much.

"Do not die in your sleep. No one but Sapnap will be able to rescue you," Ranboo pointed out.

"Thanks, Toob. Thanks, Ranboo... I think. I'll talk to you all later," Dream promised. "Have fun." His mouse hovered over the 'leave call' button, waiting for a good time to leave, not wanting to miss any goodbyes.

"Bye, Dream," Sam and Bugsy said in unison.

"Bye, everyone." He clicked the leave call button and slid down in his chair pathetically as he ripped of his headphones, feeling the cool air rush to his on-fire ears. "What am I going to do, Patches?"

The cat meowed softly in reply and he smiled. He wandered to his bed and flopped down, his brain full of thoughts since he no longer had a distraction.

What was he going to do about his massively overwhelming crush? Or should he just leave it be? Bugsy already was overwhelmed by hate she got for the boys flirting with her, imagine how much worse it work get if she was dating one of them? Not to mention, he had no idea if she liked him back and there was no chance he wanted to ruin their friendship.

His phone buzzed from his pillow and he lifted his head, expecting George to tell him some dumb philosophical quote about how life will get better, but was both pleased and panicked to see Bugsy's name instead.

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