#now that you mention i should go listen to it again

[del-thetiredwriter]

Twisted Wonderland/ Otome AU

Warning: not really dark themes? Mentioned. Gn reader. English is not my first language.

Notes: it’s been a really long time since. I was going to post this as soon as finishing translating this but my mid-term exams were came up so I couldn’t post anything. Anyway I hope you like this post. I will post Octavinelle part as soon as I finish the translation.

Summary: : One day, you opened your eyes and found yourself in Twisted Wonderland. And the task the System gave you is to get one of the lead characters love meter to 100% by the end of the main story and reach their happy ending.

Part 1

Leona Kingscholar

Lonely , grumpy savanaclaw's dorm leader, second prince Leona Kingscholar. I can't say that your first official meeting with Leona will be very good, and the same goes for the percentage of your love meter. First of all, good luck, your job is very difficult. However, after the overblot incident, your job will be a little easier.

Leona does not trust anyone due to his nature and experiences. He is sure that you are approaching him for a reason he has difficulty guessing. He will do his best not to get attached to you. After all you will also prefer someone else compared to Leoana , who has always been the other option throughout his life. So please stay by his side when he tells you to get lost, because deep down he loves being with you. I would also like to point out that being by his side will increase your love meter a lot as he runs away from you.

With Leona, it usually happens when he uses you as a pillow and sleeps (sometimes you swear he doesn't sleep). But you try not to talk too much in this activity, because the last time he bit you because you nagged about being late for class and your friends waiting for you while he was taking a nap . Afterwards he threatened to bite you again (not too harshly) and eat you. Although this unexpected event increased Leona's love meter considerably, you understood the warning that day very clearly. Sometimes you two would play chess. And usually, let's say, you are the loser. Leona loves the facial expressions you make when you are trying to figure out his next move or when you are cornered and lose. He also shows the privilege of being a prince in the later stages of your relationship, both materially and emotionally.

Now let's come to Leona in dark mode. Leona is a possessive lover by nature. Although it bothers him when you spend time with others, he respects you, but she can enter dark mode, especially depending on how he learns about your friendship with Malleus Draconia. In fact, Leona is also aware of the existence of the system. Not talking to him about this system stuff or following someone else's route along with his route can again put him in dark mode. Leona in dark mode is quite possessive. He wants everyone to know that you belong to him. He even leaves clues that others can understand without you noticing. Leona is very cunning and intelligent. He knows that brute force is not enough to possess you completely. He acts like a perfect lover in your relationship. He monopolizes you financially and emotionally . He introduces you to his family on holidays. Even if you don't realize it, these meetings are called engagement meetings in the press. Farena is ready to do anything for his only brother.

Ruggie Bucchi

Laid-back yet cunning, Savanaclaw second year student Ruggie Bucchi. Dear player who chose the Ruggie route, first of all, if you want to increase your love meter, I should mention that a portion of your income will go to buying donuts for this hyena boy. Please adjust your income with him in mind. Everything else aside, it won't be that hard to be friends with Ruggie, but it will take a long time for him to fully trust you and increase his love meter. However, once you exceed that limit, your love meter will increase continuously.

Your time with Ruggie is usually spent eating meals together or listening to him complain about Leona. Listening to him, giggling while he complains... oh, you are really too much for Ruggie... Also, watching him in club activities will increase your love meter quite a bit. Now, I may have said at the beginning that a portion of your income will go to this hyena boy, but that doesn't mean he does nothing. Although he doesn't get gifts very often, this hyena boy saves money to buy you gifts on special occasions. Even though he can't spoil you right now, he promises himself that he will spoil you as he wants in the future.

Now let's talk about Ruggie in dark mode...Ruggie knows he's not the best. After all, your environment is full of people who are smarter, more talented, richer, and more handsome than him. What kind of relationship you have with these people doesn't matter to Ruggie in dark mode, what matters is that Ruggie is inadequate to them in many ways and that you might leave him because of his inadequacy. What if you find someone who can spoil you as you want? Someone who can give you the life you deserve...

At first, you don't notice anything, but the "suspicious accidents" that people around you experience make you realize what's going on quickly. Ruggie doesn't use his unique spell on you, meaning he doesn't use it to a certain extent, but this doesn't apply to others. I think you can get help from Leona when you start to suspect him.

If you don't put him in normal mode before it's too late, he won't hesitate to use his unique spell on you. Ruggie's only wish is to live a happy life with you, even if that means he has to make you his puppet...

Jack Howl

Looks tough on the outside but is actually quite caring, first-year Savaclaw student Jack Howl. Your love meter increases little by little after you meet Jack. This wolf boy really respects you a lot. After all, it is really respectable that you, who is non-magical and from another universe, can deal with so many things. Your friendship will progress in a short time with the right steps.

In your free time, you usually do sports together, forced by Jack. If you are not used to sports, I wish you luck. It will be quite difficult to keep up with Jack, but don't worry, there will be short breaks and motivational speeches and cheers from Jack that he thinks are motivating in his own way. This wolf boy does most of what you want, even if he doesn't want to show it. Even if he doesn't like it. Do you want to play with his wolf form? Okay, but only for 5 minutes. Do you want to stroke his tail? Okay, but don't take too long. Do you want to go shopping with him? Okay, but don't expect too much comment from him. Because when he asked you what you thought about the last outfit you tried on, he praised you in his own way and the store employees looked at you strangely. Even though Jack supports and praises you in everything, his praise can be a bit strange. Also, when you cheer for him or compliment him, don't be fooled even if he tells you that it’s unnecessary or that you're wrong. His tail shows how much he likes it. Jack may lie to you but his tail never does.

Jack has always respected your boundaries and still does. Even though his inner wolf side has completely different thoughts, he manages to control himself. However, if that dark wolf side of his loses control… oh boy. He changes from a gentlemanly man to a possessive, jealous, restrictive person. He questions everything you do. Why were you talking to that boy? Who is he? This can also lead to fights. If you can't get him to normal mode without his love meter going too high, it will debatable whether you'll get a very happy ending.

[fluentmoviequoter]

The Memories Get to Kickin' In

Requested Here!

Pairing: Tim Bradford x fem!singer!reader (former cop)

Summary: Tim gets roped into going to a concert. He doesn't expect to have his heart broken during the first song, or to apologize to his ex-fiancée.

Warnings: r's stage name is OFCR, angst, breakups, lots of feelings, vulnerable Tim, fluff, Nyla and Angela, I changed the lyrics to 'Nobody Gets Me' by SZA and made up an album title/additional songs

Word Count: 3.2k+ words

Masterlist Directory | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Rules/Info

“Where’s your boot?” Angela asks Nolan.

He looks around quickly, frowning as he answers, “Uh, I know exactly where she is. Do you need her?”

“Yes, we do,” Nyla replies. “So maybe we should find her.”

“Who?” Lucy inquires.

“Celina,” Nolan says.

“Oh, she’s in the bullpen. She got a call or something right after roll call.”

Nolan, Angela, and Nyla follow Lucy to the bullpen. Celina paces back and forth with her phone outside the roll call room. She rubs her thumb against her lip before she slows to type.

“What are you doing?” Lucy asks as they approach her.

Celina startles but doesn’t look up from the screen as she answers, “I’m trying to get concert tickets.”

“This is not the time or place, Juarez,” Nolan chides.

“Wait, Nolan,” Nyla commands, raising her hand toward him. “We have lives outside of police work. What concert?”

“Uh, OFCR,” Celina answers carefully, flitting her eyes quickly between Nyla and her phone.

“Wait, tickets are on sale again?!” Angela exclaims, pulling her phone from her pocket.

“Second presale,” Celina explains. “If you’re on her email list, there’s a code to get in but there’s a waitlist and the site keeps reloading.”

“What’s the limit?” Lucy asks. “I’ll send you money right now to get me a ticket.”

“Five, I think,” Celina answers. “If I ever get through, I’ll get tickets for all of us.”

“Officer?” Nolan repeats.

“Yeah, but it’s o-f-c-r,” Lucy explains. “Bailey listens to her music; you’ve probably heard it.”

“This is the second sale for the LA show, but we couldn’t get tickets the first time,” Angela adds. “They sold out in like 90 seconds.”

“You guys talking about OFCR?” Aaron interjects.

“Yeah, we’re trying to get tickets,” Celina responds.

Aaron unlocks his phone and says, “I got it.”

“Don’t tell me you have a guy for concert tickets, five minutes,” Nyla deadpans.

“No. Well, I do, but I also know OFCR, we’ve been friends for years. How many tickets am I asking for?”

“Can I bring Bailey?” Nolan requests.

“Of course.”

“Then, six- seven if you want to go, Aaron,” Angela says.

“What is going on over here?” Tim demands.

“Eight it is,” Lucy announces with a smile. “Tim, you’re going to a concert with us.”

“Wasn’t a question, Bradford,” Nyla says before he can oppose.

“Alright,” Aaron says. “VIP tickets will be emailed within the hour. I’ll forward them to everybody.”

“VIP?” Celina repeats. “Aaron, you are the best!”

“Me, pssh,” he responds playfully.

“Can we get to work now?” Tim asks.

“Yes, yes,” Lucy answers.

“Bailey is going to be so excited,” Celina tells Nolan as they walk toward the shop.

“Thorsen, wait up,” Tim calls. He approaches Aaron and drops his voice to ask, “Wanna use my ticket for a date or something?”

“No, you’re going. I’m not getting on Nyla’s bad side again.”

“I don’t even know her music, Aaron. Or when the concert is, what if I have plans?”

“Start with Streets of LA, it’s the album she’s touring right now, and if you do, change them.”

“Nyla can’t protect you forever, Thorsen.”

“Yes, I can!” Nyla yells from her desk.

Tim hesitates but presses play on the album Thorsen mentioned. He flexes his fingers under the wrap protecting his knuckles, preparing to hit the heavy bag to clear his mind. When OFCR starts singing, however, Tim freezes. At first, Tim thinks maybe it's because the voice is impressive, but as he listens to the words and finds himself relating to them a bit too much, he turns the music off.

“I’m not going to that concert, Thorsen,” he grumbles as he shuffles his usual playlist and strikes the bag.

Tim asks Wade to be given desk duty the day of the concert so he doesn’t have to hear the others gushing about OFCR all day.

“No,” Wade answers immediately. “You have a job to do. Besides, the girl can sing.”

“It’s not about whether she has talent, it’s that I’d prefer to do my job without hearing speculation about what color her shoes will be.”

“Luna thinks blue,” Wade says with a smile.

“Oh, come on.”

“Have a good day, Bradford.”

When Tim finally gets home, he sighs and sags against the front door. However, someone knocks on the door before he can think about what he wants for dinner. He opens it and sees Angela and Nyla standing in matching shirts bearing the letters OFCR in a font that looks like painted roads.

“Let’s go,” Nyla demands.

“Maybe you should change first, actually,” Angela interjects. “Do you want help picking an outfit?”

“I am not your child, Lopez,” Tim snaps.

“Then stop acting like one, Timothy. You have two minutes to change, spray cologne, whatever it is you do.”

Tim considers arguing briefly, then nods and disappears down the hall. He dresses quickly, feeds Kojo and ensures he has water, then follows Nyla and Angela to the car.

“It’s a limo,” he realizes aloud.

“Oh, yeah, when Hollywood said they were great friends, he meant it,” Nyla muses.

“Apparently Lincoln helped her get in with a label and a producer buddy of his, and since she and Aaron are pretty close in age, he introduced them. They hit it off and have been friends ever since,” Angela adds.

“Is that why you listen to her music? Because of Thorsen?” Tim inquires.

“No,” Nyla says. “We listen to her music because it’s good.”

“And she sings about things we can relate to. She seems pretty amazing.”

“So did Charles Manson,” Tim grumbles as the driver pulls away from the curb.

From their VIP seats, they have a clear view of the stage without any screaming fans blocking the stage. Lucy records one of the songs performed by the opening act while Bailey, Nyla, Angela, and Celina talk about which songs they are most excited to hear OFCR perform.

“Nobody Gets Me is probably my favorite,” Bailey says.

“Oh, yes!” Celina agrees.

“So good,” Angela adds.

Aaron returns with a bag of OFCR merchandise and smiles. “Showtime.”

The lights dim, and the crowd silences. Tim watches, growing restless as he sits between Angela and Nyla like they think he’ll run. At the sound of OFCR’s voice, however, he’s frozen just as he had been in the gym, yet he still doesn’t understand why.

“Los Angeles!” you call into the microphone, looking out into the dark arena. “I need you to sing this first song with me.” The crowd roars, and you smile as you continue, “It’s about my ex-fiancé. He will not talk to me, so we’re gonna sing this for him. You ready, LA?”

The lights come up, and you stand in the oversized flower display the set designer built specially for this performance. It’s an inverted version of the last bouquet your ex got you, and it means nearly as much as the song.

“Took a long vacation, no uniform, just sandy. You kissed me, now we silent, Los Angeles was ours to rule then. So tired, screamin’, ‘What now?’ Love me, but I’m anythin’. Hurry now, baby, kiss me ‘fore the memories get to kickin’ in. It’s too late, I don’t wanna lose what’s left of you,” you sing, standing from the flower petals as the sold-out arena screams the lyrics with you.

Tim watches you from the VIP section to your right with no discernable expression. His breaths are uneven, but he can’t look away as his chest tightens, feeling as if his heart will rupture from the pressure. He suddenly understands why he related so much to the song he heard. Like this one, it was about him.

Angela and Nyla stand with Lucy to sing together. Tim only watches you, listening to every word you’re saying and wondering if knowing you felt this way would have changed what he did. What he’s still doing.

“How am I supposed to tell ya? I don’t wanna see you with anyone but me, Nobody gets me like you. How am I supposed to let you go? Only like myself when I’m with you. Nobody gets me, you do,” you sing with the crowd.

When you step away from the inverted bouquet, which Tim recognized the moment you became visible, Tim watches you. His lips pick up at the corner at the sight of you, but he knows.

“Took me out to ballpark, you proposed, I went on patrol, you was feelin’ guilty, so you left me, now I’m stuck dealin’ with a deadbeat,” you sing.

If Tim had any doubt left, that would have eliminated it. You’re not OFCR, the singer his friends love, you’re you, Tim Bradford’s ex-fiancée. The woman he would do anything for; the woman he left because he thought it was what was best for you. The woman he thinks about every night and the woman he now realizes isn’t a better police officer without him.

“If I’m real, I deserve less. If I was you, I wouldn’t take me back.”

At that line, Tim stands and pushes his way past Angela. He exits the arena, and though he can still hear you singing inside, it’s muffled, and Tim can breathe.

Aaron rushes out behind him and raises his arms as he asks, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s stuffy in there,” Tim lies.

“Sure,” Aaron agrees slowly. “Is that all?”

Tim narrows his eyes and says, “Yes.”

“Okay. Because I know her. But I’m guessing I don’t know her like you do.”

“You don’t know anything, Thorsen. Leave it alone.”

Aaron remains silent for a moment, then asks, “If you did something similar to the guy in the song, maybe listening to it can help you find a way to fix it.”

“Not everything can be fixed, Aaron. There won’t always be a rich friend ready to get you things you couldn’t get otherwise, there isn’t always a second chance, and people fall out of love. It’s the real world.”

“Despite what you think about me, I know the real world too well. And it has taught me that when it comes to doing the right thing, there are second chances, even if they aren’t exactly what you want them to be. Sometimes an apology doesn’t take things back to how they used to be, but it’s something. Come back whenever you’re ready.”

Tim doesn’t acknowledge Aaron, but deep down, he knows that he is right. If he can get through the concert, listen to your songs, maybe he can unblock your number and send you a text to apologize. And then you can both move on with your lives.

“I see your sign,” you call with a smile as Tim returns to his seat. “I’m going to sing it later, I promise. What I want to do right now, though, is tell you guys that half of the proceeds from our merchandise sales tonight are going back to Los Angeles. I’m sure some of you know that I was a police officer here for a while, and I still love LA, despite all the scars it gave me. So, what you buy tonight is helping this city. There are also some LA-specific items, which I already see some of you wearing, and 100% of those sales are going directly to the LA Police and Fire departments. So, thank you for all of your support, and let’s sing another song.”

At the end of the concert, Aaron tells the others that there’s a back exit they can use to bypass the crowds. As they follow him down a hallway, Angela, Nyla, Lucy, Bailey, and Celina talk about how amazing the show was and how great your second outfit looked on you.

“Did you decide to do something?” Aaron asks Tim under his breath.

Tim nods, and then Nolan asks everyone if their favorite song has changed after hearing so many live.

“Aaron!” you exclaim as you walk into the hallway from your dressing room. You hug him and say, “Thank you so much for coming.”

“Thanks for hooking us up,” Aaron replies. “You were amazing, as always.”

“You dad tell you to say that?” you joke. You realize that his friends are staring at you and wave as you say, “Hi. Thank you so much for coming, I hope you enjoyed it.”

“Enjoyed?” Angela repeats. “This was the best day of my life, and I have kids.”

“Agreed,” Nyla adds quickly.

“You are incredibly talented,” Celina compliments. “All of your music is so heartfelt and meaningful but also sounds great.”

“You’re all being way too nice to me,” you interrupt with a laugh. “And I am terrible at accepting compliments, so please stop. Are you all cops?”

“We are,” Nolan replies. “Mid-Wilshire.”

“I know it well.”

“I bet,” Aaron murmurs.

When you glance at him with your brows pinched, he cuts his eyes toward Tim, who is standing against the wall on the other side of the hall. Your eyes meet Tim’s, and you immediately look away.

“Hi,” you whisper, keeping your eyes down.

“Hey,” he replies softly.

“Well, guys,” Aaron says, clapping his hands together. “Let’s go. Tim, I’ll send a car for you.”

“Thorsen,” Tim warns.

“Can’t hear you,” Nyla interrupts. “We’re going. He’ll send a car.”

Angela nods at Tim, then pats his arm as she passes. Though Aaron is the only one who has an idea of what is happening between you and Tim, his friends can tell that he isn’t himself.

“I didn’t know you knew Aaron,” you say once you’re alone.

“Yeah, they, uh- they made me come,” Tim explains.

You scoff and say, “No one can make you do anything, Tim.”

“I didn’t know it was you. Didn’t know you were OFCR.”

“That I believe. Look, I’m sorry this is awkward, but you don’t have to stay, you can catch up to your friends and-“

“I’m sorry,” Tim interrupts. You look up at him, your expression shocked and confused but soft. It takes every bit of willpower Tim has not to reach out to you.

“Don’t,” you plead.

“I thought I was doing what was best for you,” he continues. “I thought breaking off the engagement would make you be a better cop, give you less to lose.”

“I lost you anyway,” you remind him, your voice breaking. You shake your head and look away from Tim as you add, “Tim, that hurt worse than anything else I’ve ever dealt with.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. There- it’s over, and now you know who I am and that I wrote a bunch of songs about you because… because nobody gets me anymore and I couldn’t even talk to you about it.”

Tim remains silent momentarily, but then he pushes off the wall to be a few inches closer to you. “Why’d you leave the force?”

“Are you serious? How was I supposed to go to work every day knowing I would see you? The week after you left made me question everything. I couldn’t stand not knowing what would happen each day, and the idea of seeing you with someone else was more than I could handle. There wasn’t any reason to keep serving when I couldn’t even take care of myself.”

“I never intended for it to be like that.”

“But it was.”

You look at Tim with tears in your eyes, and he takes a step closer.

“I didn’t want to,” he admits. “You were… I thought I was a distraction, that if you weren’t worried about me and us that you’d be able to protect yourself and do your job.”

You nod, trying to understand.

“In the song, you said you deserve less. You don’t really believe that do you?” Tim inquires.

“I don’t know what I believe anymore. You hurt me Tim, and there are days where I don’t think I’ll ever get past it.”

“Can I say anything to make this better?”

“Are you happy?”

“I haven’t been happy since we left the Dodgers game and you had a ring on your finger,” Tim confesses.

“Why didn’t you just talk to me then? Why did you walk out of my life and then make sure I couldn’t get back in? I know you blocked me on everything because after I left I tried to talk to you.”

“I don’t know. At the time, it seemed like a clean break would be better for you.”

“All this talk about what’s best for me, but you never once stopped to ask yourself what I might want? I have never been happier than I was with you, and there is only one you.”

“I-“

“You should go. Aaron’s driver is probably waiting for you.”

You turn and walk to your dressing room, and Tim watches you go. He doesn’t reach out to you, doesn’t say your name or ask you to wait, he just lets you go again.

In your dressing room, you drop your head into your hands and let your tears fall. You expected the show to bring back some unpleasant feelings but seeing Tim Bradford brings back everything you’ve buried over the years, and the hurt feels fresh.

Someone knocks on your door, and you call, “Just a minute.”

“No,” Tim replies from the other side. “This can’t wait.”

You open the door slowly, and Tim doesn’t let you speak before he says, “You deserved more. I thought it was best for you, but I realize that I was wrong. Listening to you sing about what I put you through… broke my heart. I can’t leave you again with you thinking that I deserve more than you or that I don’t care about what I did. I’ve loved you since before I first told you.”

“Tim, please don’t do this,” you plead.

“Do you really believe that nobody gets you like I do?”

You tell yourself not to answer, but you nod regardless.

“Then let me show you I still do. One more chance, and if you want to walk away, I’ll let you.”

“We can’t just pick up where we left off, Tim, it doesn’t work like that.”

Tim raises his hand toward you, palm up, and you step toward him. When his hand meets your jaw, you sigh and pinch your eyes closed, pushing fresh tears down your cheeks.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

You smile and admit, “I never stopped loving you, either.”

“May I?”

“Kiss me.”

“Let the memories in,” Tim tells you. “We can do this, but not if we forget where we – I – messed up, we don’t stand a chance.”

“Tim, if you don’t kiss me, I’m going to start singing about how much I cried when I recorded these songs.”

Tim drops his hand from your face, but before you ask what’s wrong, he pulls a chain from under his shirt. It has your engagement ring band on it, and you lay your hand on his chest.

“And I thought I was sentimental,” you murmur.

“I have a lot to make up for,” Tim says before he brushes his lips against yours.

“Maybe we should just start over,” you suggest, wrapping your arms over his shoulders. “I could use a new muse to sing about.”

“As long as you don’t tell Aaron he was right.”

“I’m not done with my tour yet,” you remind him, pulling back.

Tim catches your arms before they fall to your sides and holds you close. “I’ll wait,” he promises. “As long as it takes.”

“I love you, Tim Bradford,” you murmur.

“You move fast,” he jokes before you shut him up with another kiss.

[00valentina-writes00]

✞⛧ Shattered Pieces ✞⛧

warnings: mentions of past abuse, panic attack, emotional trauma, crying, hurt/comfort themes

Word count: 1.2k

The vase falls before you can stop it, shattering into jagged pieces against the wooden floor. The sound echoes louder than it should, sharp and intrusive, making your chest tighten instantly. You freeze, your breath caught in your throat, panic clawing its way up your spine.

Your hands tremble as you crouch down, trying to gather the shards with shaking fingers. The apology spills from your lips in a rush, words tumbling over each other, frantic and desperate. “Ellie, I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’ll clean it up, I promise. I’ll fix it, I swear—please don’t—”

Ellie’s footsteps approach from the other room, her sneakers scuffing softly against the floor. You flinch instinctively, your body curling inward like a cornered animal. Tears blur your vision as you brace for the worst, old memories flooding your mind, threatening to drown you. The sting of past punishments lingers in your bones, an echo of a life you thought you’d left behind.

“Hey, what the hell happened?” Ellie’s voice cuts through the chaos in your head, her tone more surprised than angry. She halts when she sees you on the floor, her brow furrowing. “Why are you—” Her words trail off when she notices the tears streaming down your face, your hands clutching the broken pieces of ceramic like you’re trying to hold onto something solid.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” you choke out again, your voice trembling. “It was an accident, Ellie. I didn’t mean to. Please don’t be mad at me.”

Ellie crouches down in front of you, her freckled face etched with concern. Her green eyes search yours, wide and unguarded, trying to make sense of what she’s seeing. She reaches out tentatively, her rough, calloused hands hovering in the air before gently gripping your wrists.

“Hey, stop,” she says softly, her voice steady but filled with worry. “It’s just a vase. It doesn’t matter. Are you okay?”

The weight of her words hits you like a freight train. Just a vase. No yelling, no anger, no raised hand poised to strike. Just Ellie, her touch warm and grounding, her gaze steady and kind.

Your sobs come harder now, uncontrollable and raw, years of fear and shame spilling out all at once. You try to pull away from her, but she doesn’t let go, her hands firm but not forceful. She doesn’t press you to stop crying or demand answers; she just stays there, crouched on the floor with you, her presence solid and unwavering.

“Hey, hey,” she murmurs, her thumbs brushing against your skin as she holds your wrists. “Look at me, okay? I’m not mad. I’m not gonna hurt you. I’d never hurt you.”

Her words crack something open inside you, a dam breaking under the weight of her kindness. You look up at her through tear-streaked eyes, your breath hitching in your chest. “I’m sorry,” you whisper again, your voice barely audible.

Ellie shakes her head, a faint, sad smile tugging at her lips. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. It’s just a stupid vase.” Her eyes flicker to the broken shards on the floor, then back to you. “Are you hurt? Did you cut yourself?”

You shake your head, sniffling as you try to catch your breath. “No, I’m fine. I just—I thought—” Your words falter, the memories threatening to choke you again.

Ellie’s expression softens further, her fingers loosening their grip on your wrists but not letting go entirely. “You thought I’d be mad? That I’d do something to you?”

You nod, ashamed and unable to meet her gaze. The silence stretches between you, heavy and suffocating, until Ellie breaks it with a sigh.

“Jesus,” she mutters, her voice low and full of something you can’t quite place—anger, sadness, guilt? She lets go of your wrists and sits down cross-legged on the floor, the tension in her shoulders easing as she rests her hands on her knees. “Listen to me. I don’t know what kind of shit you’ve been through, but I’m not that person. I’m not gonna yell at you or hit you or whatever you’re scared of. I swear.”

Her words are a lifeline, pulling you back from the edge of your panic. You study her face, the freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks, the way her hair falls messily around her face. Her green eyes are steady, filled with something that feels a lot like patience and understanding.

“You don’t have to be scared of me,” she continues, her voice softening. “I mean, yeah, I can be an asshole sometimes, but I’d never—” She stops herself, her jaw tightening as she takes a deep breath. “I’d never hurt you. Ever. You get that, right?”

You nod slowly, the weight in your chest starting to lift, replaced by something lighter, something warmer. Ellie reaches out again, her hand resting on your knee this time. The touch is tentative, like she’s afraid you might pull away, but you don’t.

“Come on,” she says gently, her lips quirking into a small, reassuring smile. “Let’s clean this up before you end up stepping on a shard and blaming yourself for that too.”

You manage a shaky laugh, the sound foreign but welcome in the aftermath of your breakdown. Ellie stands and offers you a hand, her grip strong and steady as she pulls you to your feet.

Together, you clean up the mess, Ellie insisting on taking the larger pieces while you handle the dustpan. She hums softly under her breath as she works, a tune you recognize from one of her favorite songs. The sound fills the space between you, comforting and familiar, a reminder that this is Ellie—your Ellie.

When the floor is spotless and the broken vase safely disposed of, Ellie turns to you with a sheepish grin. “Guess I’ll have to find another crappy thrift store vase to replace it. Not a big deal, though. Those things are like ten bucks, tops.”

You smile despite yourself, the tension in your chest loosening completely for the first time in what feels like forever. “I’ll help you pick one out,” you offer, your voice still a little shaky but steadier than before.

Ellie’s grin widens, and she nudges your shoulder with hers. “Deal. But only if you promise not to break the next one, clumsy.”

The teasing lilt in her voice is enough to make you laugh again, this time more freely. You bump her back, the warmth in her touch and her words sinking into your bones.

Later that night, as you lie in bed with Ellie’s arm draped protectively over your waist, you think about the moment in the kitchen—the fear, the tears, and the way Ellie had held you through it all. You turn to face her, her features softened in sleep, her brow unfurrowed and her lips parted slightly.

You reach out and trace a finger along the curve of her jaw, marveling at the way she’d managed to pull you back from the darkness with nothing but her presence and her words. You don’t know how you got so lucky, but you know one thing for sure: Ellie is your safe place, your anchor in the storm.

And for the first time in a long time, you feel like you can finally breathe.

[garez19]

isekai’d! yandere x reader

I think we’ve talked about isekai’d reader already… but what do you think about a yandere who just got isekaid into a silly little world?

notes: mention of an injury (not descibed), no pronouns used for the reader, no use of y/n

when he finds himself in a completely different place, he mutters a curse word as he tries to get up.

huh?

huh?

and when he finally realizes this is the bedroom he has seen in that one webtoon, he runs to the bathroom. he takes a look in the mirror and he curses under his breath again as he sees the image of the main character. he touches his blond hair, and he looks himself with pure confusion.

“I can’t believe I just turned blonde,” he sighs. “man, fuck my life.”

but good thing he is the main character, right? well, there was no other character who were as charismatic as him apart from the protagonist, right? moreover, he quite likes the main character too, and relates to him on a deeper as the story processes. they have similar personalities and a similar way of approaching the situations. he rarely enjoys webtoons but well, good thing he found a cool one, no? however, when he figures out there are more to be upset over being blonde, he curses again. because hell, this was not a romance story.

this was a fantasy. a very descriptive and terrifying one too.

yet, he is at an advantage, he repeats, because he has read it multiple times, and very much knows about the ending.

he knows what to do, he knows who he should team up with, he knows who to stay away from, and he most certainly knows how he needs to handle anything that’ll ever happen.

he does handle it well. and he knows the ending will be priceless. he is sure it’s going to be alright. and he knows you too, the side-character with little to no role, but quite loved by the readers, he recalls. you help him out once or twice, and have your iconic moments too.

well, a shame you were going to die, huh? because you truly feel real, you make him feel like he’s not completely alone in this world. he finds you creepy in the sense that he is reminded the real world by you. he finds you relatable. and he finds your creepiness comforting in its own way, coming from the familiarity.

so he keeps you close. he doesn’t want to be all alone in a completely different world. he doesn’t want to face all this all by himself with all these puppets around them.

he asks you to join his adventures. and you accept it. you two become as close as you can, and he knows the chapter that you die in is soon to come.

and he most certainly isn’t ready.

so when you come along with him to do your duty respectfully, knowing you were going to pass away right there, he calls out your name.

“you’re not coming.” he says. you look up at him with an obvious confusion.

“why not?” you ask.

“because you aren’t needed. you just stay here.” he adds. and you frown, still confused. you definitely are needed there. everyone is needed there. and you are going to go. another thing that made you liked by the audience, brave and willing to take action.

“well, you aren’t coming, end of discussion. I can just lock you up if you want to keep talking.” he says. and although you think he just wanted to half-joke and assert some kind of dominance, he is definitely serious about it.

and you don’t need to know.

or you do. because fuck, you leave him little to no thing to do when you don’t listen and follow him around. there’s a different expression on his face, one that you hadn’t seen until now. it’s almost like he’s panicked, and you can’t understand why he panics when he sees you—considering there are way more scary things around the area.

he calls out to his best friend, and the horrifying creature they fight with seems wrathful. he needs to get you out of here. he needs to do it quickly.

“cairos will escort you, and we will talk about it once i come back, okay?” you’ve never seen him so upset, and you’re not sure why he acts so crazy about the whole situation. you look at cairos, and he seem shocked too, yet he accepts quickly and takes the lead. you’re sure if you’re supposed to do anything but obey now. and you follow him to the place.

“you’re fucked up, I must say,” cairos jokes.

“what did I even do anyway?” you huff. and to be fair, he doesn’t understand either, but there’s no way he’d get so mad if there wasn’t a reason, right?

“well, uh, beats me, but you shouldn’t do that again, you know.” he adds. and the rest of the path is quiet, with this uneasiness around you.

this was your last duty. one last one and you were going to be done and go back to your own life. at least according to what the wizard has told you anyway. and he has just messed it all up.

fuck

so what are you supposed to do know? wait for the beasts to hunt you down so you can go back? cairos tells you he needs to go back when you arrive, and that both he and you will be in big trouble if you decide to do that again.

so you wait quietly, and think of a new solution as you do so.

***

“luka’s injured, fuck,” cairos curses. and as you take him to his bed and bandage him up, you can’t help but think that none of these would happen if you were there. if things had gone as planned, maybe you’d have even waken up and drink a cup of tea in your room as you re-read the whole story once again.

“I mean, it takes two to tango,” you mock. cairos frowns.

“shut up.”

cairos has no serious injuries, but you tell him that he also needs to go and take a rest instead of waiting for him to wake up. although he tries to protest, the tiredness takes over his body, and he leaves as he keeps repeating to keep him updated.

and then you hear him shouting your name. you panic as you think he needs something, or is in pain.

“you okay?” you ask. he seems relaxed for a second.

“I really should have locked you up, right?” he smiles. after seeing him in such anger, you don’t know if you should be laughing at his “jokes”.

“it’s not my fault you can’t decide whether someone is needed or not.” you sneer.

“you are very much needed, just not there.” he says. you can see how tired he is, and you can’t help but cringe whenever you see his bandaged wound.

“I think you should rest now,” you say, “we can talk it out when you’re better.”

he nods. “but you’ll stay here, right?” he asks. “I mean, in case something happens. I have lost so much blood, you see.” he adds quickly. like he’s a silly kid ashamed of thunders and wants to sleep with his parents.

“of course.” you smiled.

***

luka truly has been enjoying the past week. the story is not supposed to go this way because well, you should be dead by now, but the author should’ve written that part better, no?

but he likes the fact that you’re always around to take care of him, as he makes it obvious you are the reason he’s got hurt when cairos had to leave him for more than half an hour.

and you truly feel guilty, not because of going there, but because of coming back. now the main character is badly injured, and you are still alive. you are still not in your own world. so you do whatever he needs, and you even treat him so nicely that he honestly considers getting injured more often.

yet, when he is finally all recovered, and the next chapters are even more dangerous for you, for him, for everyone; he decides he doesn’t give a damn about completing the story correctly, nor does he care about going back.

you can’t leave. you physically can’t.

and he’ll make sure of it.

[loveanddeepsecrets]

They say three’s a crowd…

Synopsis- How Zayne and Caleb would one up each other when all three of you reconnect

tags: headcanon, jealousy; angst, no comfort :’( mostly gn, but some hcs imply an afab+ fem! reader

I don’t know if the LI’s will ever officially interact with each other in-game, but if they did, this is how I’d imagine Caleb and Zayne’s relationship dynamic

I’d imagine they’d make jabs at each other based on time spent vs time lost and sometimes using their own expertise as leverage. They’re both quite decorated in carriers especially being so young. Both try very hard to keep things amicable. They’re alike in many ways, and the feeling of responsibility to care for you is no exception…

- When you’re sad, Zayne would try lending a listening ear but before he can respond, Caleb chimes in with just the right words and inside jokes to make you smile again.

- When you’re getting ready for dinner, Caleb would be in the kitchen preparing your old favourites, then Zayne hovers over advising the best food substitutes as he reminds Caleb of your heart condition.

- When you’re suddenly feeling under the weather, Zayne would have you lay down and go to fetch a blanket, but Caleb steps, pillows and a blanket in hand explaining that you always need 3 pillows and a fuzzy blanket to help you fall asleep on sick days. He follows up with turning on the TV and choosing your two’s favourite comfort movie.

- On an afternoon stroll in the park, you’d stop and admire the blue hydrangeas, leading you and Caleb to reminisce about the many summers spent together. Zayne would then passively recall that one summer day all three of you spent at the florist shop and mentions the bushes he has of the same blue hydrangeas in his backyard (did anyone else clock that?!) and invites you to pick your own bouquet on your way back.

- At the start of your picnic, you pull out an apple and excitedly ask Zayne to show you how he peels it in one go. While he does this, Caleb examines the species of apple and goes on about how sweet and thoughtful you were to bring his favourite. He then remembers the exact orchard your class field trip went to when he first tried that specific Asiatic apple, and says he’ll take you there to go apple picking come autumn.

- On snow days, you’d sometimes visit the ski lodge. Caleb being a natural athlete, picks up on it pretty quickly. He hates to see you struggle, so he has the both of you back onto the small slopes. Zayne later passes by holding his and your snowboard, saying something along the lines of “That should be enough training for today. We did come here to have fun, and it would be hard to do that if you’re already sore from just one activity.” He’d then invite you to ride the ski lift to test if you still remember everything “Coach Zayne” taught you.

- During your cycle, Zayne would recommend and demonstrate the best stretches and positions to alleviate cramps, only for Caleb to walk in and insist the stretches he learned were the better alternative. Further explaining that he learned them from his fem colleagues during training for the Farspace Fleet.

- On one night with a vivid sky illuminated by the full moon and bright stars, the three of you lay on the grass searching for constellations. Caleb would share memories of the first time you two saw Orion’s Belt under the glass ceiling in grandma’s attic. Zayne stretches his arm out to you and suddenly feels the cool jade pendant he carved and begins to recall how beautiful the moon was the night he gave it to you. He then says a full moon is another one of the many things that remind him of you.

A/N: I often thought abt Zayne while completing Caleb’s story. I wondered if Caleb felt jealous at all when Zayne and MC reunited, and it led me to think about how all three of their relationships might have changed now that they’re adults. It actually hurt writing this bc they both deserve the kind of love they have with MC :(

***If anyone who actually writes, decides to make a real fic from this pls tag me so I can read it! I’m not a writer, so I’m limited to little blurbs like these

Dividers

Artwork

[bitethedevil]

A House of Hope (Modern!AU Raphael x Tav): Chapter 2

Read this fic on AO3

Last Chapter

Fic summary: Tav lives at her mom's place after a tough break-up with her former boyfriend. Rent isn't cheap anywhere, but one day her mom finds her someone online who presents a tempting new living situation that won't break her bank account.

Tav moves into the Haven estate and becomes a part of Raphael's House of Hope project: a project that helps unfortunate souls to get back on their feet. Although, something is not quite right about the house and her fellow tenants. That's not to mention her odd landlord who seems to be hiding something...

AN: Raphael, our dear problematic landlord, is playing it safe in these first couple of chapters, but he will get so fucked up later on. For now we are setting the scene a bit more. NSFT stuff in the next chapter as Haarlep is properly introduced.

Tav yanked on the window to her bedroom. She pulled it closed but the handle would just not go down and let her keep it closed.

She had finally found something wrong with the apartment. She had been expecting toxic mold to hide somewhere behind the furniture, so she supposed that a broken window was really a minor fault.

She gave up on the stubborn window and instead felt the need to explore her new surroundings a little bit. She folded the map of the estate that Raphael had given her and put it in her back pocket.

When she opened the door to the shared entrance, she stepped out into a cloud of smoke. She blew it away and then looked for the source of it. A blonde, middle-aged woman who looked a bit worn out by life stood to the side of the doorway puffing on a cigarette.

“Sorry honey. Didn’t see you there,” the woman said in the hoarse, croaky voice of someone who had smoked their entire life. “You the new one?”

Tav nodded.

“I’m Tav,” she greeted. “Nice to meet you.”

“Linda,” the woman said curtly. “I live next door. Now…”

A beat of silence came as Linda took another long drag from the cigarette between her boney fingers. Tav looked at her for a moment and a smile tugged on her lips from the slight awkwardness of the pause that was just a moment too long.

“I won’t stop you from listening to loud music,” Linda continued after letting out a trail of smoke. “but I’ve got a heart condition, so be considerate of that. No blasting loud music out of nowhere. Turn the volume up gradually, you hear?”

Tav nodded again with a polite smile.

“I’ll remember that.”

She watched Linda’s bright turquoise nails tickled at her nose as she took another deep drag from the cigarette, all while she was watching her skeptically through her matching turquoise eyelids.

Tav’s eyes lingered on the cigarette for a moment. She cleared her throat.

“I know it’s not nice to test the hospitality of my neighbors from the get-go, but could I maybe borrow a cigarette?” Tav asked.

Linda blew out a cloud of smoke and slowly retrieved her pack from the maroon fanny pack around her waist. She opened the lid so she could take one. Tav placed it in her mouth and then looked from Linda’s face to her fanny pack.

“Could I borrow a lighter too?” Tav asked when she made no move to hand her one.

Linda fiddled with her bag at the same slow pace before pulling out a lighter and lighting the cigarette for her.

“Are you capable of smoking it yourself or do you need assistance with that too?” Linda quipped.

Tav grinned and took a drag of the cigarette. The nicotine made her body relax immediately.

She could already tell that she would like Linda. She knew her type because her old neighborhood had been filled with Lindas. She always had a weakness for those no-bullshit, chain-smoking ladies who you could see from the first glance had seen some shit in their life.

They should not be underestimated. They were always brutally honest, and they always had all the gossip.  

Linda looked her up and down and narrowed her eyes in thought.

“Yeah, you’re a pretty one,” Linda mused. “It won’t take long, no…Not long indeed.”

“For what?”

“For the master of the house to try and get in your pants,” Linda answered casually. “If he can get his cock out of Raha for even a second, that is. She’s a nympho. Watch out for that one. She’s one of those bisexuals or what you call them.”

Tav’s eyes widened, and she grinned at the candidness of her words.

“Yeah?” Tav said, a bit lost for words. “Interesting. Raphael a bit too old for me, I’m afraid.”

“He’s too old for Raha too but that doesn’t stop him,” Linda said with a huff and put out her cigarette. “Have you met with the others yet?”

Tav shook her head and took another drag of her cigarette.

“I’ve seen you and someone named John,” she said. “That’s it.”

“John has dementia,” Linda said bluntly. “He doesn’t talk much anymore. You haven’t met Raha and Oscar then. Raha is the nympho, Oscar is…”

She put her finger to her head and made the universal sign for craziness.

“I see,” Tav said. “Are you all close?”

“You’ve got to stay close in this madhouse,” Linda sighed. “We meet in the chapel usually. I’ll take you there.”

They went to the chapel. It was a piece of beautiful architecture, but it was very clear that it had not been used as a chapel for quite some time. Some of the benches had been arranged around tables that had been pulled inside from elsewhere.

Except for the fresco on the ceiling, the stained glass on the windows, and the cross on the wall, the chapel just looked like a well-used room for socializing and shared activities.

The three other residents were already in there.

John that she had met earlier was there, eating a pastry of some sort with shaking hands. Next to him sat a younger man in his thirties, who she guessed was Oscar.

Oscar was nervously biting at his nailbeds. He was brown-haired and looked up at her with the most beautiful and vivid green eyes she had ever seen. His eyes flicked over her.

Next to Oscar sat who could only be Raha: a gorgeous young woman with olive skin, dark hair and even darker eyes. She was playing with Oscar’s hair, which he seemed quite uncomfortable with.

“Everyone, Tav,” Linda said and gestured to her. “Tav, everyone. Come sit with us. Sit next to John. He doesn’t bite.”

Tav sat down and John turned to look at her with slight confusion.

“Maria?” John spoke quietly in a hoarse voice, his eyes lighting up a bit.

Linda gave a sympathetic sigh.

“Maria died, John,” Linda said in a loud voice so that the elderly man could hear her better. “This is a new one. Tav.”

“Tav…” John mumbled before returning his eyes to the pastry in his hands.

“Maria had your apartment before,” Linda explained and lit another cigarette. “Nice girl. She was about your age, which is why John’s confused. Tragic what happened to her… Aneurysm. It can even happen to the young ones.”

Tav noticed how Oscar’s eyes narrowed at that statement for some reason. He looked at Tav. His eyes flicked just above her head for some reason. He stared for a moment. Instinctively, Tav fixed her hair, expecting to find a leaf that had landed on her or something, but there was nothing. Oscar looked her in the eyes again.

“Did you already sign?” Oscar asked quietly.

“Yeah, yeah,” Tav answered. “Signed just about an hour ago. I’ll live next to Linda.”

“A pity,” Oscar mumbled in a dark tone.

Linda rolled her eyes and then looked at Tav, as if to tell her not to take him seriously.  

“What do you do, Tav?” Raha asked in an almost sultry tone. “Are you going to work here with us?”

“Uh, no,” she answered. “I already have a job, so… I have lectures to go to, so I can’t really avoid going into town anyway. My workplace isn’t far from where I study.”

Raha smiled and nodded. Her canines looked unnaturally sharp as she smiled. Her eyes trailed down to look at Tav’s cleavage. Tav pulled up the neckline of her shirt a bit and cleared her throat.

“Do you all work here?”

“Yes,” Raha said and reluctantly pulled her eyes away from Tav’s tits. “We all have our duties around here. Oscar fixes things and takes care of the garden, John is an assistant of sorts, Linda cleans…”

“And you?” Tav asked.

Raha’s gave her another toothy smile.

“A bit of this and a bit of that…” she said in a suggestive tone. “Mostly I just keep the master of the house happy.”

“Mhm,” Tav said with a nod and quickly changed the subject. “So…why is it that you all meet out here? I thought I saw a meeting room for the tenants on the map…”

“He doesn’t come here,” Oscar quickly said. “Raphael never comes out here.”

“That’s not to say that we hate the boss,” Linda quickly added and looked at Tav. “But he can be a bit controlling and nitpicky at times. Sometimes it’s nice to have a separation between church and state, so to say. A space where you can get away for a bit.”

“Makes sense, I suppose,” Tav mumbled.

“Speaking of churches,” Linda said and pointed to the corner of the room. “If you are religious there’s a little altar and some candles over there. No one but John really uses it, but he can share.”

Tav looked to where she was pointing and then nodded. There was a table with some candles and a small cross on it. She had never been particularly religious, so it didn’t matter a whole lot to her.

Linda checked the turquoise watch around her wrist.

“I’ve got work duty,” Linda said and took a final drag of her cigarette before putting it out. “Oscar, can’t you take care of the new one? Walk her back to her apartment and keep Raha away from her.”

Raha moved her hand to her heart in mock-offense at her words.

“Don’t be jealous, Lin,” Raha purred. “There’s plenty of me to go around.”

Linda huffed at her before walking out. Tav looked at Oscar and gave him a polite smile. He sighed before getting up from his seat.

“Come on then.”

“Hey about what you said earlier,” Tav said. “What did you mean by that? That it was a pity?”

Oscar was taking her through a huge garden. It was a different route than the one Linda had taken her on. The gardens were just as perfectly kept and beautiful as the rest of the house.

Oscar gave a small shrug.

“I’m not supposed to say.”

“Come on, now,” Tav urged. “Did I make a mistake by signing?”

Oscar looked at her with those green eyes of his. There was a tinge of sadness in his eyes and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. He shook his head.

“Doesn’t matter,” he sighed. “There’s no way out now anyway.”

“Please. Give me something. Moving brings enough anxiety in itself. I just want to know what I’m walking into. Is this all a scam? I had a feeling that it was.”

Oscar gave a long, tired sigh and shook his head.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me. Please.”

He considered her for a moment. Their surroundings were beginning to look familiar now, meaning that they couldn’t be far from her apartment.

“Would you believe me if I said that you will never escape from here again?” Oscar said in a hushed tone. “That I’m not as crazy as the others make me out to be…that there is something seriously wrong with this place and…him.”

“Raphael?”

“Yes,” he said in an even quieter tone. “He’s not human, and I mean that in the most literal sense. Something is wrong with this place.”

Tav gave a sympathetic nod. She had dealt with people similar to him before. She had seen people with drug-induced psychoses. Drugs sometimes made her feel a little crazy too. Hallucinations, auditory and visual, and the delusions…

She was trying to determine what kind of crazy Oscar was.

“I see,” she said softly. “What is he then?”

“He’s not from here,” Oscar muttered and then looked at her with growing defeat in his eyes as he watched her expression. “You don’t believe me,” he said with a sad smile. “That’s alright…Just…take care. Your apartment is over there.”

Oscar pointed at her front door and then left before she could say anything. Now she felt terrible. She had not meant to be patronizing, just understanding. She sighed and walked in.

There was a letter stuck to the door of her apartment. She took it off before walking inside. It looked very official with a red wax seal and everything.

She opened it. It was an invitation to have dinner with Raphael.

Tav was led into the grand dining room of the estate by John who had greeted her at the door. The dining room was as lavish as the rest of the house. There were candles lit everywhere, shining their orange light over the gold and red furniture of the room.

The table was already set. It seemed that it was just going to be Raphael and her. Raphael lit up when he saw her. She self-consciously adjusted her clothes.

“I feel severely underdressed,” she said with an embarrassed chuckle. “My things haven’t gotten here yet, so…”

“Nonsense,” Raphael said. “You look fine just how you are. Please, sit.”

She sat down. Raphael took his seat at the head of the table.

“This is simply a little tradition we have here,” Raphael explained. “I find it useful to get to know who lives underneath my roof. Don’t feel nervous, dear. It is not an interrogation. Just dinner.”

“Just dinner,” she repeated with a nod. “Well. I’m an open book.”

Raphael poured a glass of wine for her and then himself.

“Let us get the unpleasantries out of the way, hm?” he said. “I was curious about this former boyfriend of yours. Your mother told me of his unsavory occupation. I trust he won’t be an issue for us?”

“No, no. It’s done and over with. He won’t come here or anything.”

“Good,” Raphael said with a smile. “His presence may prove difficult for one of our tenants. I won’t gossip, but you are not the only one who has had trouble with narcotics.”

“Okay,” Tav said with a tight smile and held up a hand to stop him. “I want to explain myself, because I feel like my mom might have filled your ears with her usual overexaggerated stories. I’m not really a drug addict.”

“No?” Raphael asked and took a bite of his food.

“No, not really,” she continued. “I did drugs, yes, but I wasn’t…’addicted’ to cocaine or to weed or to LSD or whatever. I just needed a little escape from reality every now and again, that’s all. I distanced myself from it when I felt like I was losing control over it. I’m clean now.”

Raphael gave a thoughtful hum and swirled the wine in his glass. He looked her over and a smile tugged on his lips.

“You would not say that a continuous craving for an escape or distractions is an addiction in itself?” Raphael challenged.

She bit the inside of her cheek in slight annoyance with how he pressed the subject. Also, in annoyance with how truthful that statement had described her former problems, but she would never admit that. She forced a small smile.

“I suppose,” she said with a shrug. “What can I say? I get bored easily and I have a hard time dealing with it. That’s all it is.”

She had always felt that way. She needed to be fully engaged in something interesting for her to feel like she was even alive. She needed something to obsess over. When she did drugs, everything was interesting. It was a nice replacement for a while, but at some point, even that became boring.

“Well, I can assure you that you won’t be bored here,” he said with a smile. “What were you trying to escape from, I wonder? Your boyfriend, perhaps?”

She shook her head.

“Just life, I suppose,” she said with a sigh. “No, Luke was fine. Nicest and most understanding boyfriend I have ever had, actually. I told him I couldn’t be with him because he did drugs. The truth is that I couldn’t be with him because I did drugs. He was a bit of a pushover, so telling him not to sell to me when I asked him didn’t really work, unfortunately.”

“Sounds like a painful separation,” he said.

“It was…” she said. “But it’s all over now. The relationship and the drugs. Things will be very different…”

She didn’t understand why she was telling him all of this, but still, she did. She felt as if she constantly needed to explain herself these days. It was as if she had a big brand on her forehead that said ‘addict’ and it was her new life’s purpose to explain that to everyone.

She cleared her throat.

“What about you?” she asked.

Raphael raised an eyebrow.

“What about me?”

“Who are you?” Tav asked and took a bite of her food. “Other than a very charitable landlord, I mean.”

Raphael leaned back in his seat and swirled the wine in his glass with a smirk.

“Your new neighbors haven’t spoken to you about me? I find that difficult to believe.”

“Only very little,” Tav said. “I’m sure your answer is different from theirs, anyway.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” he purred. “Though I am still very curious about what they have said so far.”

Tav took a long sip of her wine, which gave her a moment to think about what she could say without getting her fellow tenants into trouble. They all worked for him, after all. She didn’t want to jeopardize anyone’s livelihood or living accommodations by accident.

“Well,” Tav finally said and cleared her throat. “I got the idea that you are pretty close with your tenants. Other than that, it was mostly sort of confusing statements. Oscar believes you’re an alien or something, which wasn’t super helpful information.”

He let out a hearty laugh at that. Tav smiled and laughed along with him.

“He’s a very imaginative boy that one,” he said in an amused tone. “I believe he thinks I’m the devil. That is the usual warning he gives to newcomers.”

“The devil? Wow,” Tav said with a chuckle. “What did you do to earn that title?”

Raphael gave an almost coy shrug and sipped his wine.

“I pride myself on my ability to help people, but it is hard to do so when someone does not want to be helped. I suppose I might have lost my temper once but believe me when I say that it was only because I cared about what happened to our dear Oscar.”

Tav nodded in understanding as he explained.

“He is a very sweet and smart young man…whenever he remembers to take his medicine, that is, which is less and less these days. Though you will have no trouble with him. Even when he is off his medication, he has never been known to be violent or troublesome.”

“I see,” Tav said. “You still haven’t answered my original question though.”

Raphael gave her another shrug.

“It is a difficult question to answer,” he said. “I am many things, and I have my fingers in many pies, as they say. There is no set job description, but I can assure you that the most important work I do, I do here. Nothing is as rewarding as seeing my residents just…blossom.”

He smiled at her. There was something about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. A glint in his eye or something. She wasn’t sure. There was definitely something up with this man, she felt. She brushed it off for now.

Raphael poured her more wine and continued their chat for a while before Tav headed home to sleep her first night in her new home.

It was getting dark outside. Tav was making her bed when she heard an odd noise. She paused her movements for a moment, but it seemed as if the noise disappeared the moment she did so. She shook her head and wrote it down as her being jittery over sleeping someplace new.

She tried closing the troublesome window again. She grabbed the handle and pulled it shut, but it would still not go all the way down. She tried yanking harder on it, but nothing happened. She pulled harder on the handle, but then it would not go down at all.

She sighed and once again gave up.

She pulled her pants off and got under the covers. She gave a small sigh of relief as she lay down on the bed. It felt as if her spine aligned for the first time in months. The mattress was the perfect balance of firm and soft against her back.

She turned off the light. The moment she did, the noise returned.

It seemed to come from outside. It was a low, windy, moaning sound. She didn’t feel like getting up, so she squinted and looked out of the dysfunctional window. She could see on the trees and bushes of the barely lit garden, that there was no wind that was making the noise.

She was too tired and too comfortable to care at that moment. The house was ancient, after all. It was bound to make weird noises every now and again. She brushed it off and closed her eyes.

She quickly drifted into that state between being awake and being asleep. The noise became louder and clearer. She could have sworn that it suddenly sounded like a thousand people wailing and wheezing in despair.

Sleep quickly seemed to swallow her whole regardless.

[changbins-chillichilli-crabcrab]

How skz members would react to your SH scars/fresh cuts, Them as ur bf ♥︎

⚠TW: These fictional stories talk about self harm, suic!dal thoughts and relapse of self harm. Mentions of blood and possible mentions of burn scars.

Hyung line! (Next post is Maknae line)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Bangchan-

Chan: Baby...what's that on your wrist?

Y/n: Oh uhm...nothing, its nothing!

Chan: Don't lie to me...I'm not mad, I just want to know why you would do that to yourself?

Y/n: It helps me relieve my stress...I didn't think you'd find out...

Chan: Do you have anymore? I need you to answer honestly...Please...

Y/n: Yeah...on my inner thighs...

Chan: When was the last time you...

Y/n: A few hours ago...

Chan: Are they still bleeding?

Y/n: Yes...

Chan: Okay...lets go get you cleaned up and in bed, next time, please tell me...I'm always here for you, I promise...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Leeknow-

Leeknow: Hey babi!

Y/n: Hey...

Leeknow: What's wrong? Did something happen? You seem upset...

Y/n: I relapsed...

Leeknow: Oh baby...when? Just now?

Y/n: 30 minutes ago...it won't stop bleeding... Y/n says with tears in their eyes

Leeknow: Okay, I need you to take deep breaths, in...and out...You're doing great darling, just like that...

Y/n: I'm sorry...I know I shouldn't have done it...

Leeknow: it's okay, I'm not mad, next time just talk to me, okay? I'm always here for you...

Leeknow: How about we get you cleaned up and then we watch a movie and have some snacks with extra cuddles? Does that sound good?

Y/n: Yeah...that sounds good...I need cuddles right now...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Changbin-

Changbin: Babe!

Y/n: Yeah?

Changbin: Holds up a bloody blade

Changbin: again...? Baby...you promised you'd stop...

Y/n: I swear I didn't mean to! I just got overwhelmed and it was instinct and-

Changbin: Y/n sweetie...calm down, take a deep breath...

Y/n: I'm sorry...

Changbin: Baby, I'm not mad, you did nothing wrong, I understand you were overwhelmed and panicked, but you should have come and found me, I would've helped you...

Changbin: Promise me you'll come to me next time you think about doing that...please?

Y/n: I promise...

Changbin: Now, cuddles? Or how about...snacks and we can watch a k-drama? Or both?

Y/n: Both...

Changbin: You stay here and get comfy in bed, and I'll go get the snacks!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Hyunjin-

Hyunjin: Y/n, we need to talk

Y/n: About what?

Hyunjin: I found your blade...

Y/n: Oh I uhm...that's just-

Hyunjin: Y/n...

Y/n: I'm sorry...I know I should have told you...

Hyunjin: Baby, you know you can talk to me about anything and everything, right? I won't judge you, I promise...

Y/n: I know I can...

Hyunjin: Then why didn't you come to me first? I would have listened and at least try to understand...

Y/n: I wanted to fix it myself...

Hyunjin: You should have come to me when you thought about it... I wouldn't have been mad, I promise, I just want you to tell me these kinds of things...

Y/n: Promise you won't ever be mad...?

Hyunjin: I promise, I will never be mad at you for this...

Y/n: Thank you Jinnie...

Hyunjin: Your welcome baby...I love you...

Y/n: I love you too...

[theambitiouswoman]

Hello! 🌞

May I ask you, how do you deal with gossiping?

I need to be true with myself, a lot of times I find myself gossiping, sometimes about people, sometimes about myself to people. And this had me ruined professionally, people found out something that I told. I was very sad, and learned. I hate this feeling, and really just wanna change. Yesterday a coworker of mine came to me and said stuff like: hey do you know what it’s happening between x,y,z person?

I just found out disgusting, because this was the same person the spread the rumors that I have told her, thinking she was listening and keeping to herself, and I thought she was a friend. It’s really hard because I don’t feel I can trust people.

I get how gossip can be entertaining, but the more you focus on yourself, the less you care about what others do. You should be so focused on your own world that you have no idea what’s going on outside of it.

What’s rarely talked about is the energy behind gossip—it spreads negativity. It lowers your vibration, creates an energetic loop, and keeps you tied to things that don’t serve you. When you stop engaging, your energy feels lighter, your mind clearer, and you attract better conversations, people, and opportunities.

Instead of gossip, speak life into people—say good things when they’re not around. Change the subject when negativity starts. What you give energy to grows. Negative conversations = more negativity in your life.

Decide that from now on, you are someone who does not gossip. People will stop bringing it to you when they realize you don’t engage. This builds trust and respect—the kind of person you want to be.

At work, coworkers are not your friends. Share just enough to build rapport, but don’t overshare personal details. Your coworker already showed you who she is—she spread what you told her and now wants to gossip again. You don’t owe her engagement. Try:

“Oh, I actually don’t keep up with that stuff.” (Shrugs off the conversation)

“I hope everything works out for them.” (Neutral but dismissive)

“I’d rather not get involved.” (Direct boundary)

You also mentioned gossiping about yourself. Oversharing often comes from craving connection or validation, but in the wrong hands, it can be used against you. If you don’t have a trusted friend, vent to your journal or work on resolving the root issue.

Right now, you don’t feel like you can trust people—and that’s fair. But the real lesson is to trust yourself first. Trust yourself to hold your tongue. Trust yourself to choose better company. Trust yourself to be the kind of person you respect.

[magnusunpopularopinions]

Hopefully Protocol opinions are ok - also this might be very unpopular, but imo the Archives samcelia storyline in Magnus Protocol is less a lot interesting than the alchemy/OIAR/response department poltline, and a decent half of the TMA connections (Basira & trevor appearance, jonmartin mention at the end of an episode) feel like nostalgia bait to me, at least so far, because they feel like they serve no purpose & don't entirely make sense aside from just "Look! TMA character!" IMO, Gerry and Helen's cameos worked for me, because both progressed the plot, and both made sense where they were. It makes sense that an alt-universe Gerry is still tied to the institute, or that an alt-universe Helen is a real estate agent, but from memory I don't think its super set up for Trevor to be a government guy, or Basira working in child care, so both just feel like "Look!!!". And the jonmartin mention, while it does kinda work to close that thread for TMA fans, feels like its used as a cliffhanger, only to immediately be resolved as a dead end. Overall I just find the new stuff a lot more interesting than "lets go back to TMA stuff again because look!"

Thanks for sharing! Let’s chat!

Protocol opinions are just fine anon! And this one is super interesting!

Personally, I had a hard time getting into Protocol the same way I got into Archives. (I’m here now, but that’s not the point.) The “nostalgia baiting” was honestly part of what got me. I listened for my favorite characters, waited for familiar voices and something like a friendly face. It’s like when you read the Percy Jackson series and you get past the first couple and get to Jason’s book and go “Where’s Percy??” and you spend a minute going “Why should I care about this character?” and reading out of spite or for if Percy ever shows back up. I kept listening to Protocol to find a familiar character and then ended up loving Gwen, Celia, and Sam just the same as I ever loved Jon, Tim, or Sasha. So, I guess you could say I took the bait.

Past that, I’ve also been very interested in the OIAR response/astronomy/inter-world travel take they’ve got going on and with what that means for characters like Celia or Sam in the upcoming season. They’ve got me hooked now- past “nostalgia baiting”- and I’m locked in for this ride.

I like this take anon! It’s interesting and I can’t wait for the discussion around it with the rest of Tumblr.

Thanks again for sharing, and remember to keep your words kind!

-E

[wsknbfanaccnt]

How would Akashi react to seeing his girlfriend using his basketball jersey as pajamas ? 🤭💞 (You can add other knb characters you love too ! <3)

ok imma actually try working on requests omfg

OKAY BUT THIS IS SO CUTE and the fact that i literally have Sei's jersey and shorts askjdhfakjhdf

I HOPE U ENJOYYYY

Wearing their Jersey

Characters: Akashi, Midorima, Aomine

warning: mentions of groping because Aomine

Living in an apartment together has its ups and downs. You discover each other's quirks, and maybe you get into a compromise. But one of the pros is when your boyfriend just hopped into the shower and threw his jersey in the laundry hamper.

You glanced at the bathroom door and listened, making sure that the water was turned on before you try anything mischevious. As you hear the squeak of the handle and the gushing of the shower, you caved in and picked up their basketball jersey that they were wearing earlier.

Pressing the cloth to your nose you hummed in delight, a wave of serotonin going through your mind as you smelled their natural scent. It made you feel giddy, giggling quietly as you tried it on.

You looked in the mirror and did a little 360, seeing how the jersey was huge on you. The length was almost to your knees, like a dress. You twirled around in it, grabbing both sides of the jersey and pulling it back, highlighting your waist.

But perhaps you were enjoying too much. You didn't even hear the bathroom door open, your boyfriend right behind you.

For a few minutes, he didn't say anything. He just leaned against the wall with his hair wet, arms crossed, and relished the sight of you enjoying his jersey.

You twirled once again and finally got a glimpse of his bright red hair, your face slowly turning the same color.

"Sei-! I-I didn't know you were done with your shower..." you muttered in embarrassment, your arms trying to cover up the jersey that you were wearing.

"Hm... you should wear my jersey in public."

"What?!"

"You look stunning. Even more so that it has my number on it," he said with a slight smirk, wrapping his arms around you from behind as you turned to look at the mirror.

"Or perhaps I should have a custom one made," he suggested, placing little kisses in your hair. "Ah well, perhaps you would like this one better since you seem to enjoy my scent so much,"

"Sei, stoooppp...!"

"W-What are you doing with my jersey, nanodayo?!" your boyfriend bellowed from behind you. You quickly turned around to face him, seeing his cheeks with a tint of pink.

"Don't I look cute though??"

"That's dirty-! I haven't washed it, nanodayo!" he exclaimed, going up to you and pushing his glasses up.

"So... you don't think I'm cute?"

"That's not what I meant-!" you laughed softly, enjoying the sight of the tomato in front of you. He took a deep sigh, looking away in embarrassment.

"You... you do look really cute, nanodayo.." he muttered under his breath, glancing at you from the side. Satisfied you wrapped your arms around him, the greenhead giving in and hugging you back.

"You really do have to wash that jersey first, nanodayo.."

"Ugh fine, mom." you rolled your eyes as he fumed.

"Don't call me that!"

With one glance at you he smirked, checking you out from behind. But suddenly you felt hands grope your breasts, your blue haired boyfriend holding you tight.

"Hey hey, what's this now (y/n)??"

"Nothing, leave me alone," you joked, rolling your eyes and prying his hands off of you.

"You just can't get enough of me huh? You look hot in my jersey," he cooed, pulling away. He snaked his hands under it and around your waist, pulling you close to him.

"You think so?"

"Duh. It's my jersey,"

"You know, you should wear that while we-"

"I'm not gonna do that..!!"

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Tags (join my taglist!):

@chosenimagines @padmsanakin @japeneselunchtimerush @alor-thes @sweijuro

[trevengersprincess]

ℛ𝓊𝓁ℯ𝓇 ℴ𝒻 ℳ𝓎 ℋℯ𝒶𝓇𝓉

c.w: f!reader, obsession, dc, mention of kidnapping, Stockholm syndrome

a/n: heyyy I hope you enjoy this. I just...the song 'Ruler of My Heart' made me think of this. y'all should watch Alien Stage if you haven't. it's so good. the fic 'My Clematis' is based off one of the songs from Alien Stage. it will make sense when you read it after listening to the song. anyway, like I said, I hope you enjoy :))

w.c: ~ 1.2K

You should’ve never stayed. You should’ve left when you had the chance. But you did, and in the end? He managed to find you, knock you unconscious and take you to a place where no one could find you. How did you end up here? Tied up to a chair, a piece of duct tape covering your mouth, feet chained to the ground. How did this all happen? You went on one date and rejected him, thinking you two wouldn’t work out together because of your differences. And his reaction to the rejection? Take you and make you his. Make you understand that you belong to him and only him. Make you understand that you need him more than you know. The tears ran down your face, scared and confused out of your mind. He sat in front of you, stoic and not saying a thing as you thrashed around. Finally, you calm down, the tears stop streaming down your face as you look at him.

"Done with your little tantrum princess?" He asked, a cruel smirk on his lips. You don't say anything, not that you could anyway. The piece of tape was still on your lips. He stalked his way over to you gently caressing your cheek as he looked down at you.

"I'm gonna take the tape off, okay? Be a good girl for me and don't fight." He cooed and again, you didn't say anything. Even for a man who looked as cruel as he did, he gently took off the tape, afraid to hurt your precious skin. Once it was off, you didn't move still and he stepped back. "Much better."

"Let me go, please. We already talked about this. We just aren't good together." You say trying to reason with him to let you go. But all he did was stare at you. He turns away, walking out of the room leaving you as you screamed at him. No matter what, your screams were never heard and your face was everywhere on the news. Your family looked everywhere for you. Wanting you safe and at home but they couldn't find a lead on you. But why was he so hung up on you? What made you so special that he just had to kidnap you and make you his?

He went up to a secret room of his home, unlocking the door and flicking the lights on. On the walls, pictures of every angle of you, not a single photo missed your beauty. The room was full of photos of you, even ones from inside your apartment. He used to be the one that sent you mysterious gifts to your workplace and you never thought much of it. Taking the plushies and other items into your home where he had his hidden cameras. He had been watching you since you were teens, the day after you helped him. It was a day he would never forgot. You were the only girl to not be afraid of him and that moment, you had captured his heart. He was determined to make you his.

His cameras were now on you, in his basement as you screamed and cried. Still tied to the chair thrashing around until the chair fell onto its side. You had fallen asleep from exhaustion and he just watched you sleep. Taking a photo from the wall, one of his favorites, and smiling at it. He kissed the photo before tracing over your face.

"You'll be mine, don't worry. I'll make sure of it." He placed the picture back onto his wall as he sighed and leaned back into his chair. He looked up, photos covering the ceiling. Of course they were much bigger so he could see them, and they were of your most intimate moments. Your lewd faces scattered across his ceiling had his pants feeling tight. But he needed to focus on how to make you his. 

The next day he checked on you, seeing you on your side from the chair falling over and asleep. He crouched next to you, caressing your cheek as you slowly stirred awake. He smiled genuinely at you as you glared at him.

"Let me go." You spat and he chuckled.

"Oh princess. We've got a long life ahead of us. Just give into me. Make me your god. I can give you everything that no one else can! No one will love you as much as I do. Make me, the ruler of your heart and you'll be the ruler of mine." He said, words sounding so convincing but you couldn't let yourself. He was dangerous and cruel. He doesn't know what love is. Right?

Slowly, he got you to trust him, and he could trust you. It had been years since your disappearance and your case with the police grew cold, resulting in closing it. They claimed you as still missing but dead. Your death was never finalized as your parents didn't want to believe it. And it was true, you weren't dead. You were simply with him, living in his home like it was your own. As you truly understood him, you fell for him. How could you not when he treated you like a queen? He cherished you, loved you, praised you. He knew everything about you. It was hard not to fall for him. He just...He was the one for you.

How did this all happen? How could you have fallen in love with your kidnapper? Any sane person would've taken the chance to escape once they earned that trust. But you?

"Go ahead. You want to leave, right? Go back home, reunite your family again? I won't stop you. The door is open for you. These past years were amazing with you, Y/N. I truly mean it when I say that I am madly in love with you. But if you really want to leave just how you begged me all those years ago, you can walk out that door. We can pretend none of this happened. You can even report me to the police if you want to." He said, voice slightly cracking in his words. 

What provoked this? The TV. You two watched a family reuniting on the screen and your small sigh seemed to have triggered him. Slowly, you walked towards the door. He didn't move from his spot, standing right where he was. His back was now facing you as you stood right at the door. Shutting it, tears fell down his cheeks. He thought you left and he was breaking down. He really did love you, but he loved you enough to stop this torture of keeping you locked away. He loved you enough to give your freedom back. A pair of gentle, soft hands cradled his face and he slowly opened his eyes, seeing you still there. Tears in your eyes from the words he said.

"I want to stay here with you. I don't want to be with that family. I want to be with you, with this family." You said as you hugged him tightly. Your words struck him, a deep blush crossing his cheeks, hearts practically in his eyes as he hugged you back tightly. When he pulled away from the hug, your cheeks were just as flushed and your eyes were the same. You both loved each other deeply, even if other people would see it as sick and twisted on how you two came together. But neither of you cared.

"I love you, Y/N L/N." He said.

"I love you, Haruchiyo Sanzu."

taglist: @reiners-milkbiddies @eroticdarling @nyxe9206 @yourefavsakura

wanna join the taglist? click here to go to the post and join! link

[puppppppppy]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[hana-bobo-finch]

erm…..posting about an OC via a rushed shitpost was not on my 2025 bingo card!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂get it??? 😂😂😂because his name is bingo??(GETS SHOT)

these are all things he has done or has attempted to do so consider this the full intro post for that freak for now. he’s still too undercooked to fully introduce but damn I love him

[kingslionheart]

parents' incapability of apologising to their children should be studied

[underwhelmingalchemist]

Starting pride month with the pharmacy denying me my testosterone prescription until mid-June and my doctor saying she can't do anything about it because it's a controlled substance 🙃✌️

[angeltism]

rot.ary di.al the aqua bpder song ever