#of course i still feel. the same sort of way. i only really started properly counting this year

[outlying-hyppocrate]

i'm not even sure how to say this.

last night, after finishing another shitty kids' show and considering whether to watch blue period, i looked at my reflection in the glass of the window and came to a realization. i had found myself again. i had finally figured out that i don't need to starve myself and pay attention to every calorie there is to be happy with myself. the same sort of cycle has repeated itself since 2022. around april-may-june, i become this happy person who seems to have rediscovered himself, all unearned self-confidence and no common sense. near september-october-november, i am not. i am pathetic and sad and deeply insecure. i am subhuman. i consider harming myself. i consider starving myself. every single time i set the same numbered goal in weight and try to get closer to it. but the switch has finally flipped. i don't need that anymore. all i am is purely a person. i need to keep these months close to me while i have them. i am going to laugh and create and spend time with all of you and enjoy every second. it's going to be okay. it will be okay.

(following writing this, i watched the first four episodes of blue period and then went upstairs at a quarter past midnight, shirtlessly whispering "i am an artist" twelve times in the mirror. i then fell asleep to mad fantasies of lying on a canvas twice my size and emptying the contents of my stomach onto it as an alternative to paint. this should be a thing that scares me and yet it is not.)

[xinganhao]

🔍 older brother!seungcheol vs. boyfriend!mingyu.

anon → "i was wondering if you could do something like older brother scoups finding out you're secretly dating mingyu?"

⌗ ┆the way i IMMEDIATELY sat up when i saw this request omg ᕕ( ཀ ʖ̯ ཀ)ᕗ thank you, anon! this was wayyy too fun to do!

‧₊˚✩彡 includes: f!reader, older brother!seungcheol, established relationship, pet names, cussing, [sibling] threats of violence/harm, to be read in order + headcanons under the cut.

🔍 headcanons .ᐟ

— prologue.

mingyu really tried his very, very, very hardest not to fall in love with you. there are some things that are just indisputably off-limits— friends' siblings being one of them. you're seungcheol's younger sister, and the older boy is known to be immensely overprotective of his own.

it's the reason why no one has dared to approach you for years. seungcheol has scared away dozens of potential suitors with his picture perfect bitch face and his sharp tongue. you can complain all you want, but he'll always say the same thing. "i'm just protecting you," he'll snipe. "i know how these boys' minds work and i'll be damned to let them near you."

mingyu thinks he can get away with just being your friend, with being a good friend to seungcheol, but it becomes increasingly difficult the more time he spends in your orbit. his frequent visits to the choi household; the brief moments you interact when you're around seungcheol? yeah, mingyu never stood a chance.

it's you who confesses first, and mingyu is admittedly scared shitless. all of that is thrown out the window when you kiss him, though. because the moment your lips meet his, mingyu suddenly can't give two shits about whether or not he'd ruin his friendship with seungcheol.

you're the one who proposes to keep it a secret for now, citing seungcheol's man-eating tendencies. mingyu is actually a little relieved. he's not sure if he's prepared to deal with the infamously dramatic and sulky choi man, so he readily agrees to the open-ended request of sneaking around.

as the months drag on, though, mingyu feels like he should have clarified how long for now would last. because the two of you are nearing the half-year mark and you're still racing to meet your brother's curfews, still unable to be with mingyu properly in public. the two of you are constantly afraid that seungcheol will catch wind of your relationship and it's admittedly driving mingyu a little crazy.

mingyu is still endearingly sweet and understanding about it, of course. even as he starts to suggest telling seungcheol and freeing the both of you from the burden of hiding, he understand why you hesitate at each turn. seungcheol is intense, after all.

a part of you knows that mingyu won't wait around forever. there's only so much compromise, so much rendezvouses that you can get away with before he begins to demand more. and, truthfully, he deserves to demand more— with how perfect and patient he's being.

(if he'll be completely honest, mingyu doesn't mind waiting around for you. would he like to hold your hand in public? of course. does he want everybody in his life to know that you're his? hell yeah. but— as pathetic as it sounds— mingyu is happy to have you in any way that he can. even if it's just the scraps and pieces of you, he'll take it.)

— the texts.

there's a saying that 'strict parents breed rebellious children'. well, it looks like the same stands for strict siblings. seungcheol is always ragging you for the time that you'll come home, for the people that you hang out with. it's equal parts him being nosy and him fulfilling what he thinks is his birthright as an older brother.

to make up for all the time that seungcheol has seemingly stolen from your relationship, you promise mingyu a weekend. something so innocent and innocuous in your six-month long relationship. a lazy saturday in his apartment, where you won't have to leave by midnight like some sort of modern cinderella.

and mingyu's so damn happy about it, this snapshot of domestic bliss that he's been granted. you, padding around his apartment in his oversized shirt. you, attempting to bake something you saw off tiktok. you, giving him a dozen kisses as he drifts in and out of sleep. it's absolutely perfect. he could get used to this, he thinks.

but then mingyu makes the mistake. your phone is charging on his bedside table as he dozes off. when your phone rings, it's purely instinctive— how mingyu groggily reaches over to answer the call. it takes him a full minute, an agonizing sixty seconds, to realize what he'd done.

the call connects. seungcheol is in the middle of saying something like "yah, i told you to text me when—," only to have the words die out. he stares down at his screen, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, because it's not you on the other end of the line. hell, it's not even abigail, who you're supposed to be sleeping over with. it's a man. and it's not just any man—

when seungcheol says "kim mingyu?", that's when mingyu realizes he fucked up. his eyes blow wide with surprise and he has half the mind to say something, do something. that something turns out being ending the call without saying a word. if mingyu wasn't already awake earlier, he sure is now.

you're exasperated when a panicked mingyu tells you of what happened. the two of you sit at his dining table, strategizing a 'game plan', as your phone rings off the hook in between the two of you. seungcheol is not happy. it doesn't surprise you when your brother even goes as far as to start pinging mingyu, then— when that doesn't work— making a group chat.

seungcheol know he's overbearing and protective. on that front, he can kind of see why you decided to keep your relationship with mingyu. (a small part of him is impressed, even.) but, really, he just has this thing about being the last to know. he hates it. he hates being out of the loop, hates feeling like he's an afterthought. and so he's fully prepared to hold grudges to both of you, which would probably be a disaster. seungcheol was the master at being resentful, after all.

that is, until mingyu drops the 'l' word. from his end, seungcheol's fingers freeze over his phone screen. in all his years of knowing mingyu, he had never heard the man say he loved someone. it was always the vaguest of terms. i like her. i fuck with her. i'm down for her. but love?

and you, with those words that you often deliver in jest. 'don't ruin this for me, cheol.' how many times has seungcheol heard you beg him to bug off, to let you live your life? how many times have you two gotten in to fights over his meddling and your stubbornness? you always think he's out to get you, when in reality, he likes to think he's just looking out for you.

'i really like mingyu, genuinely.' 'i love your sister, seungcheol.' seungcheol stares at those two open confessions for what feels like forever before he lets out an annoyed huff to himself. it feels like a 2v1 that he's not about to win. he is still pissed, is still about to pout about it for weeks and then proceed to hold it as leverage in the months to come.

but seungcheol is also willing to [begrudgingly] admit: there are worse people for you to end up with than kim mingyu.

[minus-plus-zer0]

He Hears You Talking About Him

♡ Genre: Fluff ♡ Pairing: Bakugou x Reader ♡ Tags: Established relationships

Bakugou sat at his desk, his mood soured by the rain this morning. His classmates filed into the classroom early around him, but he paid them no mind. He rested his head on his hand, with his nose in his textbook.

But of course, his ears perked up when he heard your voice announcing your presence. You chatted animatedly with Ashido as you walked over to your desk, which happened to be right behind his. As you conversed with your friend, you passed by him and gave him a quick pat on the head, to which he briefly shared a tender glance with you.

But what he was even more interested in was what you were saying. Because he was starting to realize you were talking about him.

You set your backpack down at your desk. "And I gave him the nicest, sweetest, softest hugs! And he looked so pleased!"

"No way!" Ashido said, like the subject of their conversation wasn't within earshot. "Him? Pleased? Did you cast some sort of brainwashing spell on him?"

"No no no!" you whined. "I really mean it, he's the sweetest guy ever. He bought me flowers the other day because he knew I loved them. I've still got them in my dorm room next to my bed so I see them when I wake up every morning. And he looked so satisfied knowing I was taking good care of what he gave me. He's really not as bad as everyone says he is. He's kind, and loyal, and affectionate, and funny, and--"

"That better be me you're talking about," he said, without raising his head from his desk.

"Uh oh!" Ashido said, leaning on your desk. "Bakugou knows when he's being called out!"

"Shut. Up."

"Of course I'm talking about only you, Katsuki!" you said, poking him in the back with a pencil. "You are one of the best boyfriends I've ever had! Thank you so much for being so cute!"

Bakugou really tried to keep a sour expression fixed onto his face but it wasn't working. He wasn't really sure how to react, but he really enjoyed hearing everything you said. He honestly wasn't sure if he was bad boyfriend material or if his standards for himself were too high as you once suggested, but he always wanted to show you he loved you as much as you loved him and he needed you to know this regardless of how grouchy he seemed. Bakugou never wanted you to feel unloved just because he couldn't express himself properly. You, on the other hand, were much more open with your feelings. That was another thing he needed to surpass you on.

"Look! Look at your boyfriend!" Ashido lightly tugged on your arm. "You made him happy! I've never seen him that weird type of frustrated and happy!"

"Really?" You peered over at him, trying to see his face. "I hope you are happy, Katsuki!"

Bakugou felt terrible about not being able to respond to your affections in kind. He didn't like how you gave it away freely, yet nobody returned your affection at the same level.

Bakugou stood from his seat and then pulled you over by the arm.

"What are you--"

"Come here."

He kissed you for the first time in front of all your classmates. You had already both kissed in private, but his lips felt new and exciting when everybody watched. You could hear some gossiping in the far distance, but your mind tuned it out when his hands met your hair.

He let you go. He gazed upon you like you were the sweetest thing in his life.

"Dummy," he said. "Thank you."

He gave you a final kiss on the cheek and then returned to his seat, as if nothing had happened.

Ashido squealed and dragged you back over to her. "Oh my gosh! Why did he just kiss you? I've never seen him kiss anyone!"

"See?" you said. "What I'd tell you? He's very sweet! And he's my best friend! He also once told me I'm his first girlfriend and he's gonna treat me right. Isn't that so romantic?"

And so you and Ashido continued to jabber on about your boyfriend, who was still unfortunately within earshot. But Bakugou was determined to fully pay you back later for your sweetness, one way or another. He just needed to figure out how to outdo you once and for all.

Little did you know, you made his rainy day a whole lot better!

(Just needed to get some quick thoughts out of my head and onto a page for once)

[aquaquadrant]

Philophobia

Word Count: 5,271 Warnings: Shipping, inappropriate/crude humor, paranormal activity, suspense/mild horror, descriptive kissing, mild language Summary: For architecture major and paranormal skeptic Grian, his friends’ after-hours ghost hunting group was just an excuse to spend time with his crush, Scar, without having to actually ask him out. But one fateful night, he finds there just might be things in this world that are scarier than emotional vulnerability… even if only by a very slim margin.

A/N: Did someone ask for a Phasmophobia-inspired Scarian au? Oh yeah, my friend @lunarcrown did! Inspired by the art she made here.

So this is kind of a modern-day college au (not set within the fictional universe of Minecraft), howEVER there are some fantasy aspects in that non-human species (like mob hybrids/monsters) still exist cuz they’re fun and I’m not giving anyone a normal modern name cuz that’s too weird. This is only Phasmophobia-inspired in that GIGS have a ghost-hunting group that functions the same way, but rarely find any conclusive evidence, and don’t have unlimited lives cuz they aren’t playing a game. With that out of the way, hope y’all enjoy, please reblog/comment if u do! - Aqua

~*~

Philophobia

~*~

“I think this is gonna be the one, guys,” Impulse says, turning their van into the driveway.

The suspension creaks as they roll over gravel, rattling the frame in a way that hums through Grian’s hollow bones. His arm is cold where it presses against the window; it’s almost sunset and Impulse has yet to get the van’s heater fixed despite his promises. Stupid demon blood keeping him warm while Grian shivers in the stupid custom pleather jumpsuit that Scar insisted they had made, for their stupid ‘brand’ as a stupid ghost-hunting group. Great, his stupid zipper’s come down again- he stubbornly zips it back up because unlike Scar, he doesn’t like constantly having his bare chest out on display.

Of course, he hasn’t got as much to show off as Scar, who must be getting up at 3 am every morning to work out in order to maintain all that muscle. No wonder Scar prefers to keep his zipper down to his belly button, and doesn’t seem to have ever met a shirt that fits him properly.

… Not that Grian’s ever paid much attention to that sort of thing. 

Grian gives an exasperated sigh. “You’ve been saying that about every case we’ve had for three years!”

“No, no, I really mean it!” Impulse insists. “I feel it in my bones.”

“Yeah,” Scar agrees, leaning forward so his shoulder brushes against Grian’s, “you know Impulse bones good!”

The earnest nature of his statement- and the unexpected physical contact- makes Grian flush. “Scar!” he shrieks, swatting Scar’s shoulder.

“What?” Scar defends. “What, he- he’s got big and strong bones, wonderful bones…”

He acts as if he’s got no idea he said something that could be taken the wrong way. And if it weren’t for the upturned corners of his mouth and the barely-restrained laugh in his voice, Grian might actually believe him.

“Dude,” Skizz chuckles from the front seat, “shut up, that’s awesome.”

Impulse sighs. “Anyway,” he says pointedly, “the place recently had a change in ownership. Previous owner passed away-”

“From murder?” Scar gasps.

Another sigh. “No, from liver failure.”

Grian snorts. “From all the drinking he did to forget about the ghostly hauntings?” he presses, exchanging a cheeky grin with Scar.

“No,” Impulse says, with the patience of a saint, “just normal old-age organ failure. The guy was ancient, and some kinda recluse. House had been in his family since it was built, but uh, he had no living relatives, no will when he died. So the bank took ownership and it’s been sitting off-market for like, fifteen years, til some hot-shot investor thought he could flip it-”

“Ughh,” Grian groans, tipping his head back against the seat. “Investors are the worst-”

“I know, I know,” Impulse soothes, “but um, he’d barely begun when things started happening. Contractors reported it day one, then the owner experienced an event himself and called us. So it’s basically still untouched.”

They haven’t even reached the end of the driveway yet, passing by seemingly endless rows of tall, gnarled pines. Admittedly, Grian’s curiosity is piqued. When he agreed to join this stupid ghost hunting group three years ago, he didn’t do so in the hopes of actually discovering any real paranormal activity. The whole idea is laughable. Ghost hunting is a pseudoscience, at best. Just a bunch of idiots scaring themselves silly in an empty house- and now they’re the idiots! Even their name is stupid: Ghost Investigation Group Services, or GIGS, embroidered on their ill-fitting pleather jumpsuits.

But despite his outright skepticism and dislike for pulling late nights in his already extremely limited free time, Grian’s got one very good reason for agreeing to join.

And his name is Scar.

Grian spent half a semester pining away at the fellow architecture major from across the lecture halls of their many shared classes. Charismatic and easy on the eyes, it was inevitable that Grian would develop a bit of a crush. But as they spent more time together during class projects and conversations in the hallway, he found out just how kind-hearted and passionate Scar was, and how easy he was to talk to, and how strong his arms looked in long-sleeved shirts…

… Yeah, ‘crush’ perhaps isn’t the right word.

So when Impulse- the engineering major who Grian was partnered with for physics lab- got the brilliant idea to start a ghost-hunting group with his best friend and roommate Skizz, and Scar expressed interest in joining, Grian made a split-second decision in a moment of weakness. He maintained his skepticism, claiming that he wanted to tag along just to prove how silly the whole idea was. Impulse was fine with it, while Scar said Grian had to wear the same uniform as them, and the rest was history.

(To be fair, that was before Grian knew it’d be a pleather jumpsuit.)

So here they are now nearly three years later, rumbling down a long gravel road in the dark and cold, up late on a Saturday night even though he still isn’t finished with his condominium model that’s due at 8 am on Monday and he’s fresh out of popsicle sticks. Moments like these almost make Grian wish he could just ask a guy out like a normal person, so they could spend time together without chasing pretend ghosts around dusty houses all night.

But that’d require him to talk about his feelings. Ugh, he’d rather let the ghosts get him.

“Alright.” Impulse slows the van to a halt. The doors unlock with a heavy clunk. “What do you guys think?”

Grian isn’t expecting much when he glances out the window. But the sight that greets him immediately prompts a hasty exit from the vehicle, scarcely noticing the sudden chill, his jaw dropping open in awe.

It’s a Victorian. Not a house that someone has mistakenly called ‘Victorian’ just because it looks old. A genuine, honest-to-goodness, Queen Anne’s style two-story Victorian manor with an asymmetrical facade and a rounded corner tower and a generous wrap-around porch, silhouetted against the fading light of the evening sky.

Grian reaches for his flashlight. Sweeping over the exterior, his breath catches. Knots of ivy creep up the walls, and there are a few places where the intricate wood trim has been lost to previous repairs and weather damage. A couple of the windows are bricked up. Most of the paint is faded and peeling. But overall? It’s beautiful.

“Oh man,” Grian murmurs, pushing his glasses back up, “look at the shape of it... look at the dormers!”

A second beam of light joins in; Scar’s emerged from the van. “Lots of character,” he says, sounding similarly entranced. “And still in great condition! Oh, it’s beautiful. It’s enough to make a man cry.”

Impulse hops out of the driver’s seat, chuckling. “I knew you two would like it. It’s an ‘85.”

Grian gives an appreciative whistle. “Look, I still don’t think we’re gonna find anythin’,” he says with a sideways look at Scar, “but I gotta tell ya… if- if I were a ghost… I think I’d haunt a proper house like this. Not those builder-grade boxes in the suburbs.”

“Right?” Impulse says, his forked tail flicking through the air. “That’s what I’m sayin’... I uh, I think this place has real potential.”

Skizz, who’s come around the van to stand with them, nods thoughtfully. “Definitely somethin’ special ‘bout it, that’s for true,” he says, exchanging a look with Impulse. Then he claps his hands together. “Alright gentlemen, let’s get movin’!”

Impulse and Skizz turn towards the van, heading to open the back.

Grian stares after them, squinting suspiciously. That wasn’t just any look. That was a Look. A Look that he knows all too well. They had that same Look on their faces at last year’s frat mixer, when they rigged the speakers at the Heta Kappa house to play ‘Margaritaville’ every time someone flushed a toilet.

It means that they’re Up To Something.

… Grian’s sure he’ll find out sooner or later.

“Well, Grian,” Scar says, hands on his hips as he surveys the property, “if it’s any connotation, at least we’ll get to study some real architecture tonight.”

Grian gives him a bemused look. “Consolation?”

Scar blinks. “Cono- what, what’d I say? Con- coronation?”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, ey,” Grian chuckles, patting him on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”

~*~

“Check it out, dude,” Skizz calls excitedly, “temp’s dropping in here! Five degrees colder than the rest of the house!”

Grian makes a noncommittal noise. “It’s an east-facing room and the sun’s only just set, of course it’s colder than the rest of the house,” he says, idly passing his UV glow stick over an armchair. No prints, of course. “I doubt they’ve updated the insulation anytime within the last two decades.”

“And hey, look,” Impulse chimes in from the corner, “I’ve got EMF 1.3!”

Grian doesn’t even look up. “There’s an exposed outlet in here and I’ll bet the wiring’s older than I am. And in any case, it’s still below the recommended threshold.” Ew, okay, now that’s a suspicious UV stain on the floor, but not of the supernatural kind…

“Oh, it’s definitely not up to code,” Impulse agrees. He waves his EMF reader around a bit, making the pitch warble. “But I dunno, I think this must be the ghost’s favorite room. Might not be here right now, but I’m getting some real vibes…”

Grian rolls his eyes. “Sure…” 

Twenty minutes in, and despite the house’s hauntingly elegant construction, it’s been the same old story. The house is empty and quiet, as abandoned houses tend to be. Quite sparse, as most of the furnishings probably went to auction. The furniture that’s left is covered with tarps and every surface is coated with a fine layer of dust. He can smell mold somewhere in the floorboards and there’s apparent water damage in the ceiling.

The only renovation attempted thus far was the removal of some cheap linoleum tiles that were laid in the kitchen at some point- a renovation Grian can heartily agree with, there’s some absolutely gorgeous hardwood underneath- but they didn’t get far. The removed tiles are still sitting about in a haphazard pile, hammer and chisel abandoned on the floor beside them. Frantic footsteps smeared in the dust and powder paint the scene of a terrified contractor fleeing for their life from the reported ‘ghostly hauntings’. 

In any case, they haven’t heard any activity from the spirit box, nothing unusual has stood out on UV, and the salt Impulse laid out is still undisturbed. Surprise, surprise. Grian’s spent most of his time admiring the elaborate wooden trims lining every wall, scuffed as they are. What he wouldn’t give to properly restore this place…

“Hey, Dipple Dop?” Skizz calls suddenly. “Your radio working okay?”

Impulse gives him a curious look. “Huh? What, is there-” He pauses, glancing down at his radio. “Oh. Oh, yeah. Yeah, actually, mine’s on the fritz, must be overdue a battery change.”

“Oh?” Grian tilts his head innocently. “You don’t think it’s a ghoooost?”

Impulse purses his lips. “I don’t think everything is a ghost,” he says mildly. He clips the radio onto his belt, turning to the door. “I’ve got extras in the van, hang on…”

“I’ll go, too,” Skizz says quickly, slinging an arm and his wing around Impulse’s shoulders. “Buddy system! You know what, I- I’m tellin’ you, you never split up when hunting ghosts. That’s how they get you, dude.”

Oh. Oh, no.

Grian gives them a warning Look.

They give him a cheeky Look back.

“Yup, yeah, that’s true,” Impulse says with obvious feigned sincerity, steering Skizz out of the room. “So uh, you two keep at it, okay, and we’ll be right back…”

“Oh, okay!” Scar says cheerfully, busy setting up the tripod over in the corner and completely oblivious to their scheme. “Have a great time not getting murdered!”

Grian opens his mouth to protest, but Impulse and Skizz are already gone out the front door. Leaving him and Scar completely alone. Totally by coincidence, surely. Oh, he knew his drunken confession to Impulse at the school’s annual bar crawl fundraiser night would come back to bite him eventually.

It’s almost insulting, in a way. Like they think the only reason Grian hasn’t made a move is because he hasn’t had ample alone time with Scar. Like he needed them to give him an opportunity. But if he’d wanted to confess to Scar, he already would have. He’d have had it well done by now. They could give him a little credit.

See, the thing is, he’s thought about it. Plenty of times, in fact. But the issue he keeps coming back to is that if he tells Scar about his crush on him, then Scar will know about it. There’ll be no going back at that point. And if Scar doesn’t feel the same way- well, Grian can kiss their friendship goodbye. So yeah, no, he doesn’t think he’ll be making any dramatic love confessions tonight, strangely enough.

The risk of an awkward silence developing is astronomical, so Grian clears his throat. “Man… isn’t this place somethin’,” he says, then immediately fights the urge to cringe.

Scar, luckily, gives an emphatic nod. “It is, it truly is amazing.” He straightens up, dusting his hands off as he turns to Grian. “You know who’d really love this place, is Gem?”

“Oh, yeah, for sure,” Grian agrees. He busies himself with the UV, so he’s not just standing around. “We should take some pictures for her.”

“Oh, good idea!” Giving the tripod a final once-over, Scar wanders over to Grian. “So, any fingering goin’ on, yet?”

Grian nearly drops his glow stick. “Sorry- any what?!” he screeches, whirling around on Scar.

“You know, ghost fingers!” Scar says, perfectly innocent. He holds his hands up, wiggling his fingers in demonstration. “On the- on the glowy light?”

Grian takes a deep breath, face burning. “Oh Scar, buddy, you gotta think through your words better before you say them, alright?”

“Whaaat?” Scar pretends like he doesn’t know. “What, I’m just- you’ve got the stick, you know, little glow stick for when the ghost touches, uh-”

“Nevermind,” Grian groans. “Anyways, no, I haven’t found any ghostly handprints and I never will, because ghosts aren’t real.”

Scar folds his arms. “Well, hey, maybe the ghost is just polite! You know, he- maybe he’s just minding his business, not touching anything or- or anyone. Just because we don’t get anything on UV doesn’t mean ghosts aren’t real, I’ll have you know.”

Grian sees the challenge for what it is. “Alright…” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his spirit box. Holding the transponder to his lips, he belts out, “Where ahhre yewww?” in his best imitation of an over-exaggerated pop-punk accent. If Impulse and Skizz are eavesdropping through their radios, he hopes he gave them a start.

Scar laughs. “Oh man, been a while since I heard that one! You-”

I’m close.

Grian jumps so badly he nearly drops the box, his wings puffing out involuntarily. “What?! Wha- who said that?” he demands, spinning around.

Scar blinks at him. “What? Did you hear something through the box?”

“I- I dunno?” Grian says uncertainly. The box seems to be working as normal; when he holds the receiver down, there’s a faint hiss of static, and the bulb remains white. No further noises come from the speaker.

After a couple seconds of tense listening, Grian feels silly. Way to play it cool. He switches the box off with an exasperated sigh. “No, of course I didn’t hear anything through the box. Like I said, ghosts aren’t real.”

Scar hums noncommittally. “Oh, Grian... you know, there are some things in the world that can’t be explained.” 

Grian snorts. “Oh, yeah? Well, I- I got a few explanations for ya.” He counts on his fingers. “It could’ve been this old house creaking in the wind, or an electrical surge causing feedback through the transponder, or- or, not to mention, Impulse and Skizz pranking us through the radio?”

Scar snickers. “That does sound like something they’d do, I’ll give you that.”

“Yeah.” Grian slips the box back into his pocket. “And y’know, being in a creepy abandoned house, after dark, out in the middle’a nowhere... it’s easy to think you’re hearin’ things.”

Scar rolls his eyes, but his expression is fond. “I know, I know, so you’ve told me. But one of these days, mister, you’re gonna eat your words.”

“Right,” Grian drawls. “I’m so scared…”

The front door slams shut.

That makes Grian pause. They always leave the front door open while out on a job. It saves time when they have to go back and forth from the van, and saves battery life on their radios when they can just shout to each other through the open doorway. Obviously this job is a little different, because Impulse and Skizz have clearly got it in their heads to try and get him and Scar together, but he wouldn’t think they’d go so far as to-

The lights suddenly flicker and go out. But in the split-second before they do, Grian sees a shadowy figure silhouetted against the door.

Pure instinct takes over. Grian spins on his heel, grabs Scar by the arm, and absolutely flies down the stairs to the basement. He knows they’ve disturbed one or two piles of salt but right now, he can’t bring himself to care. His wings are bumping against the walls and he’s certainly never tried carrying someone as big as Scar before but he doesn’t stop, doesn’t even process the ache of it rattling through his body. He bursts into the basement, feathers flying, and careens towards the back of the room, around a tall shelving unit, and into the corner.

There’s a heap of boxes stacked up in this corner; Grian unceremoniously shoves Scar over top of them, dropping him in the narrow space between the boxes and the wall. He’s wedged in as far as he can himself, laying across the boxes, his double pair of wings preventing him from squeezing in beside Scar. He’s still got the UV light clenched in his fist, he realizes belatedly- he braces his forearms against the wall to try and cover it, fanning his wings out behind him to block it out from the rest of the room. Glancing back over his shoulder, he tries to gauge how much light is getting through when a noise makes him freeze.

Footsteps.

They’re soft and light- certainly not the heavy boots of Impulse or Skizz. No, they sound almost barefoot. And as they gently tap down the stairs, the sound of giggling fills the air. It’s a feminine voice. Young, like a child. Like a little ghostie girl is prancing down the stairs to murder them.

Grian thinks he might pass out. Can ghosts actually kill people? How would they do it if they’re incorporeal? He’s never considered the question before, he never thought he’d have to because it’s ridiculous, ghosts aren’t real, of course they can’t kill people-

The footsteps stop. 

Grian isn’t sure if he’s still breathing. He doesn’t dare move. A chill runs up his spine, making every single feather stand on end. He can almost hear the high-pitched violins that would be playing right now if this were a horror movie; the cheesy, overdrawn kind of horror movies that are always playing at the drive-in that the four of them watch while piled into the back of the van in a tangle of limbs and spilled popcorn and oh god he’s spiraling now because he’s about to be killed by a ghost-

Bye-bye!

The chill recedes. Somewhere in his peripheral vision, he sees the faint glow of light from upstairs return.

It’s over.

Grian’s mind is spinning. What was that? What was that? It seems impossible, it doesn’t even feel real to be in this situation right now but he is, there was a ghost, there was a ghost. It feels insane to even think it. But the residual adrenaline coursing through his body reminds him it was very real, he just encountered a ghost.

A ghost! Oh, after three years of very loudly decrying the entire concept as rubbish. He can’t believe it. He really can’t believe it, this is the absolute last thing he expected to happen tonight. Ghosts are real. Ghosts are really, really, real. He doesn’t know what to do, who would ever believe him? Is this how the others have been feeling this whole time? God, he can’t believe this-

“G...?” Scar’s voice pipes up hesitantly. “What... what are we doing?”

Oh, right. Grian glances down at Scar- and his heart jolts. He’d been so focused on getting away from the ghost, he’d acted without thinking, so only now does he realize the... predicament he’s put them in.

Scar’s slumped against the floor beneath him, head tucked just below Grian’s arms. His long legs are still draped over the box that Grian’s laying across, resting on either side of his waist. And due to the odd posture Grian’s in, his chest has been thrust rather close to Scar’s face, lit by the soft purple glow of the UV.

This is probably the closest Grian has ever been to sitting in Scar’s lap.

Grian’s not proud of the yelp that escapes him. “Sorry, sorry!” His wings flail as he struggles to push himself off of the wall, stumbling back onto his feet. It’s clumsy and uncoordinated and he nearly falls backwards, his heart pounding.

Scar manages a laugh, easing himself up off the floor. “No, no, it’s okay, I- I just... what- why’d you bring us down here?” he asks, dusting off his jumpsuit.

Grian catches his breath. “Wait, you... didn’t hear the creepy ghost on its way to kill us?” he asks, frowning.

Scar‘s eyes widen. “What? There was a ghost?”

No way.

“Are you-!” Grian throws his arms up. “Honestly, I- I know avians have better hearing than most but that’s insane. She was laughing! Laughing and skipping down the blumin’ steps! And you didn’t hear any of it?”

“No…?” Scar shrugs helplessly. “I’m sorry, okay! I- I don’t know, I was- a lot was happening, you- you’re grabbin’ me, pulling me down the stairs and into this little corner, I didn’t know what was going on! I didn’t know, I- I was all disconbodulated- disco- bobo, bobumated? I was a little distracted, okay. Jeeze, give a man a break…”

“Distracted?” Grian repeats incredulously. “You’re the one who actually believes in ghosts, here, how could you get distracted? What do you…”

He trails off. Scar is very clearly fighting to avoid looking at Grian, but for the briefest moment, his eyes dart down to Grian’s chest. Suddenly confused, Grian follows his gaze, and-

Oh, for goodness sakes. At some point during his frantic flight, the stupid zipper on his stupid jumpsuit came down again, exposing a frankly scandalous amount of skin. Not Scar-level of scandalous, but pretty close.

Grian immediately feels himself turn red. “Oh. Uh- right,” he hastily pulls the zipper back up, “sorry ‘bout that…”

Wait. Wait just a second. 

Scar was distracted from a literal ghost hunt going on... because Grian’s bare chest was showing? Does that... does that mean he liked it? 

Scar’s avoiding his gaze again. His cheeks are tinted pink.

“Scar...?” Grian ventures carefully. “Were you... lookin’ at my chest?”

Scar’s cheeks darken. “Ah, I- I- don’t- I mean, why would you- I didn’t mean to, it’s just...” He fumbles for the words. “What- what am I- hey, your pecs were basically in my face! I wasn’t trying to look, I- I just-”

“Scar,” Grian says, keeping his voice light and teasing, “did ya… did you like what you saw?”

Scar splutters for a moment. “Well, sure, Grian,” he tries to laugh it off, “I mean, anyone- anyone with eyes can see you’re uh, you know, you’re- you’re pretty attractive. I- I’m secure enough to say it, I don’t care, it’s- sure, of course, you’re very muscular! You’re a- you’re a muscular man, it’s just not always obvious with the sweaters you wear. Or- sorry, you call them jumpers in Britain land, right, they’re jumpers-”

“You been checkin’ me out, Scar?” Grian asks, caught somewhere between playfulness and utter disbelief.

“Uh...” Scar rubs the back of his neck. He exhales slowly, clearly debating with himself. “I... maybe? What... what would you say... if that were the case?”

Grian swallows. His heart is absolutely racing now, and he’s broken into a cold sweat that’s definitely not supernatural in origin. The air between them feels fragile; he’s acutely aware that a single word from him could swiftly plunge them back into the realm of safe familiarity, of casual light-hearted teasing between friends. Scar’s always said things that bordered on the flirtatious, and Grian can hide behind the plausible deniability of teasing. This entire interaction doesn’t have to mean anything. It can be easily moved past and forgotten.

And yet, strangely enough… Grian doesn’t want it to. Maybe it’s the post-haunting adrenaline or the fact that he could’ve died tonight, but all of a sudden, he feels like taking a chance. Like he could finally say what he’s wanted to say for the last three years. He managed to hold his own against a blumin’ ghost, for goodness sakes- he should be able to face his own feelings head on.

He takes a breath. “I’d say that’s a relief… ‘cause I’ve been checkin’ you out since day one of first year.”

Scar stares at him for a long moment. His expression is utterly unreadable. The silence draws on long enough that Grian feels a spike of panic, worried that maybe he’s mishandled the situation-

 “... oh my god,” Scar says finally. “Really?”

It sounds like the good kind of surprise. Grian offers a shy smile. “Yeah, yeah,” he admits. “I- Scar, I know I’m real good at playin’ these things close to the vest, but uh, I- I’ve had a massive crush on you since... basically since the day we met.”

“Huh.” Scar blinks. “You’re serious. You- you’re not pranking me right now?”

That startles a laugh out of Grian. “No! Scar, I don’t- we just survived being hunted by a ghost, I’m not pranking you!”

“Well, that’s- that’s amazing!” A grin spreads across Scar’s face- and man, oh man, does he have just the most wonderful smile. “Oh my gosh, G, I don’t- you don’t even know how long I’ve been waiting for this.”

The relief is almost overwhelming. “Yeah, me too!” Grian laughs, half-dazed and half-giddy, running a hand through his hair. “I- I even- look, the whole reason I even joined this group was as an excuse to hang out with you!”

Scar’s mouth falls open. “No way! That’s- that’s the whole reason I joined in the first place, too!”

Now it’s Grian’s turn to gawk. “Are you joking?”

“I’m not!” Scar insists, “I swear, I’m not- Impulse said he wanted to start the group and maybe we’d all join and get to hang out and I thought ‘hey, ghosts are cool and Grian is cool’ so I just-”

“Oh, I can’t believe this…” Grian groans, hiding his burning face in his hands. “We really are idiots, we’ve wasted nearly three years…”

Scar’s hands close around Grian’s wrists, lightly pulling them down from his face. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to make up for lost time,” he says smoothly, leaning in.

Corny, but Grian will allow it. He closes the gap, tilting his head up to meet Scar’s lips.

In that moment, everything else fades away. All the nervousness, all the second-guessing, even the bombshell discovery of the existence of ghosts- there could be one standing in front of them right now and Grian wouldn’t care. The way Scar gathers Grian in his arms, hands gently roving through his feathers- it’s bliss. It’s perfect.

Scar kisses him strong and purposefully, with no trace of carelessness or haste. He doesn’t rush. There’s intent written into every single movement, jaw working to deepen the kiss. Grian curls against him, hands splayed across Scar’s chest. He can feel Scar’s heart pounding through his flushed skin, and it’s wildly exciting- to think Scar is just as breathless as he is. 

Growing bold, Grian dares to slip his tongue into Scar’s mouth, and the noise he makes- part surprise, part delight- sends pure electricity fizzling up his spine. His mind is starting to drift away from him, lost in the sensation of weightlessness, of floating, that almost makes him feel like he’s gone completely incorporeal- like his own spirit has become untethered from the mortal coil.

Then Skizz’s voice comes down the stairs.

“G-Sharp! Scarface! You down here? We just saw a freaking ghost on the cams, and- oh my god!”

Grian breaks away from Scar, but not quick enough. He turns to see Skizz and Impulse standing at the bottom of the stairs, expressions shocked. And then, as if they’d rehearsed it, they both break into massive shit-eating grins and spin around to high-five each other.

“Woo!” Impulse cheers. “We got ‘em! Ladies and gentlemen, we finally got them.”

“Yeah, baby!” Skizz pumps his fist in the air. “Oh, I love it!”

“Oh, would you two stop it?” Grian huffs, but he’s not really cross. Hard to be cross when he’s on cloud nine. “The ghost did most of the work, alright?”

“That’s right,” Scar sniffs, winding an arm around Grian’s waist. “You know, I- I’m startin’ to think you all were in cahoots! Cahoots, I say!”

“Dude, if only,” Skizz laughs, walking over to clap them on the shoulders. “Could not have planned it better, that’s amazing. Well done, gentlemen!”

“Yeah, it’s about time!” Impulse adds, crossing his arms. “I was starting to think we’d graduate before either of you fessed up, I- I had to take drastic measures…”

“Impulse,” Grian says warningly, “if you’re about to tell me you started this whole paranormal investigation group just as a way to push me and Scar into confronting our feelings, I swear-”

“No, no,” Impulse assures him, chuckling. “I really do like the ghost-hunting deal, don’t worry. But uh, we did deliberately ditch you guys in the hopes that something would happen.”

Scar waggles his eyebrows. “Oh, things happened, alright.”

“Scar!” Grian swats at him, but he’s laughing and it feels good. It feels right. After all this time spent worrying about worst-case scenarios, about denying his feelings for the sake of maintaining the comfortable mundanity of his comfortable life, it turns out the scariest part was the fear itself.

The irony doesn’t escape his notice. A bit on the nose, if he’s honest.

“But in even bigger news,” Impulse graciously continues, “you saw the ghost? And you believed it? You, Mr. Non-Believer in all things ghostly?”

Grian sighs. “Yeah, yeah, I know…”

“This is incredible!” Skizz claps his hands together. “Okay, okay, we gotta go cleanse the area and I wanna hear everything, got it? Don’t leave a single detail out!”

Grian slips his hand into Scar’s as they follow Impulse and Skizz back up the stairs. “Yeah, alright,” he relents. He supposes he’s due for a lot of ‘I told you so’s’. But really, it’s a small price to pay for the life-altering knowledge that ghosts are real… and for finally finding the courage to believe in something extraordinary.

Scar hums. “Wait, details about the ghost or about the kissing?”

“Scar!”

~*~

[ktownshizzle]

Terms & Conditions | Chapter 5 Teaser

Pairing: Min Yoongi x female reader

Summary: Managing Min Yoongi as one of your encoders during his alternative military service should’ve been simple. He is quiet, punctual—and can apparently type as fast as he can rap! Not to mention the fact that he is easy on the eyes and keeps wanting to help you. You’ve signed an iron-clad NDA, detailing the full terms and conditions of his temporary employment, so you’re supposed to keep things professional, but what happens if neither of you wants to?

Genre: Fluff, eventual smut, co-workers to lovers, office romance, idol!au

Warnings: Purely speculative regarding Yoongi’s alternative military service and how this is really done in SK, I might include scootergate in a future chapter but please know it will be written sensibly imo and with so much love for our Yoongi (I just wanna protecc him at all costs even thru this silly story!), some cursing, boss/employee relationship sorta but there's no power play involved, reader and Yoongi are within the same age range

Chapter Warnings: office foreplay, lil bit of fingering, lil bit of spanking, lil bit of nipple play, may cause delusion and I’m not liable for it don't @ me, literally a teaser so don’t expect to finish lmao

Word count: 1k ish haha

Posting date: October 25, 2024

Notes: Now listen. I know I said no updates for three weeks, but here we are. This may not be the final version so I may still make some changes when the full chapter drops.

This teaser has been unlocked through this ask game. Congrats to @kam9404 and @jadestonedaeho7 for guessing correctly. Manbun Yoongi is my husband (real) and I will have his babies. Thanks also to @bangtannkook for guessing Ginger Yoongi, the only man I will leave Manbun Yoongi for. 

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Masterlist

The office has that late afternoon hush, when most people are too buried in their work to notice anything else. It’s just you and Yoongi, tucked away in the back office closet, a space that smells like old paper and dust. You’ve been here before of course—sorting files, you know, actual work—but today, when you enter, you only have one mission: you and Yoongi are about to defile the file closet.

Yoongi stands so close you can feel his breath on your neck, his hands resting just above your hips, pressing you lightly against the Ikea file cabinet you both put together weeks ago. 

“Alone at fuckin’ last,” he murmurs.

“C’mere baby,” you whisper, arms slipping around his neck. His gaze darkens, and for a moment, everything else fades.

He leans in, kissing you slow—so slow you think you might combust. You push your tongue against the seam of his lips, a little insistent, because you really can’t take your sweet time in this ancient closet. Honestly, it could be a health hazard.

Yoongi’s fingers start working the buttons of your blouse, one by one. The way his eyes trace your skin makes every hair on your body stand to attention.

But just as his hand slips inside your blouse, the door rattles.

You both freeze. Heart in your goddamn throat.

“Yoongi, you in here?” Hyun-woo’s voice pierces through the thick air. The panic kicks in fast, adrenaline flooding your veins.

Yoongi pulls back, completely calm while adjusting his eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose. How the fuck is he always so calm? He reaches out, smoothing your hair, checking that you've properly buttoned up your blouse, as if he’s done this a hundred times before. The tenderness in the gesture only makes your heart pound harder.

“Yeah, I’m here,” he calls out, voice steady, like he isn’t seconds away from getting caught with his hand halfway inside your fuckin’ blouse. “Just organizing files.”

Hyun-woo opens the door, peering in, eyes narrowing slightly.

You flash a too-bright smile. “Hi, Hyun-woo! Just teaching Yoongi with the filing. Total disaster in here.”

Hyun-woo doesn’t buy it, not completely, but the suspicion in his eyes fades as quickly as it appeared. “Right. Well, don’t take too long. That room always triggers my claustrophobia.” He pulls the neck of his shirt forward.

Yoongi replies, giving him that practiced, unbothered nod. “Just finishing up.”

As the main door to your office clicks shut, you let out a breath you’ve been holding for far too long.

“That was way too close,” you whisper, your pulse still racing.

Yoongi grins, closing the closet door again with a nudge of his foot. “Too close,” he agrees, voice low and teasing, as he leans in to steal a quick kiss. “But I’m not done yet.”

“Wha—” The question barely leaves your mouth before Yoongi’s hands are on your shoulders, turning you smoothly so that you’re facing the file cabinet.

“Remember when we were building this very cabinet?” His voice has dropped even lower now, sending a shiver down your spine.

You blink, thrown by the sudden shift. “Yeah?” Your hands are guided to grip the top corners of the cabinet, and your breath catches. What is he doing?

Yoongi doesn’t give you time to process. His voice slides closer, warm against the back of your neck. “What were you doing then?”

You frown slightly, the question catching you off guard. “Nothing?” you say, but it comes out uncertain, more like a question than an answer.

Without warning, his palm connects with your ass—firm, but playful. You gasp, more out of surprise than pain, and turn your head to find him wearing that lopsided grin that drives you crazy.

“Ddaeng,” he chimes, the word rolling off his tongue with a playful edge. “Try again.”

“I was—I was helping you,” you say, though your voice is wavering.

“Ddaeng,” he says again, the second slap sharper this time. “You did jack shit. C’mon, jagi, use your pretty little brain…”

“Fuck,” you mutter, feeling your face flush. “I was… I was looking at your hands.”

Yoongi nods approvingly, his grin deepening. “And why were you doing that, hmm?”

You hesitate, your heart thumping harder, not from nerves, but from the way he’s pushing you. You know the answer. 

“Because…” You swallow the admission heavy on your tongue, deciding to go the other way instead. “You were taking too long to build it.”

SLAP! “Ddaeng,” the third is much more deliciously painful now, your bum soothed by his large palms. “Huh, I think my jagi enjoys being spanked.” He licks the shell of your ear, making your knees buckle, and his voice comes through in a suspiciously calm tone, “lie to me again and I’m going to step out this door and leave you here dripping. I bet you’re already wet.”

“Dry as the sahara.” You jest, even as your lips tremble.

You squirm as he pins you against the cabinet, his hand making quick work of the top button of your linen pants. Things are happening so fast. His hand disappears inside, hooks your panties to the side and dips one finger shallowly at your entrance. God you wanna scream.

You squirm some more, but he’s got you pressed up, not enough to hurt you, but enough to limit your movements.

“Liar,” he chuckles darkly. In one quick motion his hand flies out of your pants and goes into his mouth, tasting you. You can literally smell the heady scent of your arousal filling the tiny space, making you needy for some relief.

“Yoongi,” you whine, trying to push your ass back against his crotch. “Baby, please…”

“Why were you looking at my hands…” he jerks back, not giving you the satisfaction, and asks again. “What do you want me to do with them?”

“I want you to put them inside me.”

“Hmm, what else…” he starts to unbutton your blouse again, not all the way, but so he can yank one of the cups of your bra to tease a nipple.

A flick from his moist finger and you’re already writhing in desperation.

“I want them stuffed in my mouth, and—shit—my pussy. I want them… choking me.”

“Naughty girl,” he tsks, pinching your nipple between his deft fingers, eliciting a moan from you. You feel his warm breath against your ear, teasing you. “Be quiet, baby. I thought we were gonna keep things professional.”

A/N: i better see y’all in the comments hahahaha ~k

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[scarfacemarston]

Cullen Rutherford Fluff Alphabet

Note: I sometimes say “you” because it’s shorter than typing inquisitor constantly. This is also Gender Neutral. Please think about reblogging or at least leaving a like! This sort of thing takes time to create. Feel free to request more Cullen!

A - Affection (how do they show affection to their s/o)

Cullen is new to love. Outside of his crush on Amell/Surana, he did not have any romantic feelings towards anyone. Love was terrifying but exhilarating at the same time. It was something entirely new and engaging and something that he would put his all into. He is very physically affectionate and primarily shows his love through embraces, kisses, and cuddling. However, he also allows the Inquisitor to vent or cry as much as they need to. He will also insist on shouldering whatever burdens they are struggling with, whether that's completing extra paperwork, scaring off those who want to bother them, or leaving behind little treats to cheer them up; he can do it all.

B - Best Friend (what are they like as a best friend?)

Cullen doesn't really consider himself to have many friends until Inquisition. In fact, the last time he had friends was Kinloch Hold before it went to hell. (However, this was only with his fellow templars.) Inquisition is when he meets Cassandra, Leliana, Josephine, and the rest of the crew. It took time for him to see them more than colleagues, but they found a devoted, loyal, encouraging friend in the former templar who continued on even when he was at his worst. As time passed, he began displaying a more relaxed side to him and joined in game nights and his time with people like Dorian. 

C - Cuddling (do they like to cuddle? And how would they do it?)

Oh, he loves to cuddle.  His family was very physically affectionate, but that quit once he joined the Templars. He didn't know how touch starved he was until he brushed hands with the Inquisitor and even more so when he held them for the first time. He hadn't allowed anyone near him since the fall of Kinloch Hold. Now, he can't sleep properly without holding the Inquisitor. Even if he can't sleep, his mind and body feel at peace in a way they never could before. 

D - Domestic (do they want to settle down? How good are they at cooking and cleaning)

His childhood dream was to be a templar. He never thought of any sort of domesticity. Templars rarely settled down. He never viewed himself as settling down during Inquisition, either, until he fell in love with the Inquisitor and only then did he dare to dream. After seeing what Mia has, he couldn't help but want the same. He wants a spouse, kids (or to be a busy uncle), and, of course, as many malbari as he can manage.

Cullen is not an amazing cook, but he's functional. Can he make basics like stew? Sure. Could he grill something? Sure. It's straightforward. Porridge isn't difficult either, but he's more likely to live off of rations. During Inquisition Inquisition, Cassandra made sure he ate at least twice a day. He is very tidy, but he has been known to be a disorganized type of organized, too.

E - Ending (if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

We've actually seen this in the game! He tries to maintain an air of professionalism and keep it with a bit of distance. He will still try to maintain his professionalism if you break his heart, but the hurt might bleed out. He tries to use logic and put some distance between the two of you.  However, it also depends on the circumstances. He can be very gentle about it and very apologetic. 

F - Fiancé (how do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Again, Cullen didn't have any ideas of romantic commitment until they met the Inquisitor. We know he's incredibly devoted to the templars and the Inquisition, so he has no issue with commitment. However, once he fell in love, he fell in love hard. I don't think it took that long for him to start fantasizing about marriage, even if he was so sure it would never happen. Cullen would wait for the right moment, but it doesn't necessarily need to be planned, just that it feels right like we see in the game. 

G - Gentle (how gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

We've seen that Cullen can be incredibly tender and gentle. He especially appreciates having the ability and the safety to do so, emotionally and physically. He isn't ashamed of showing his gentle side - he cares for you more than anyone or anything else - but that doesn't mean he won't glare someone like Jim down if he tries to interrupt. The more comfortable he gets with you, the more likely you will see him become even more gentle. He is far more soft-spoken and sometimes even delicate in the way he touches you. 

H: Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

His hugs are bone-crushing but one of the safest feelings in the world. Some of his hugs can be quite gentle and tender like he's afraid he'll hurt you, but usually, they are more solid, as if he wants to cement you there.

I: I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Cullen feels it quickly, but that doesn't mean he'll say it. When he falls, he falls hard. He doesn't mean to, it's only happened once before and went horribly wrong. He'll try to deny it to himself, also going through self-doubt, thinking he isn't good or deserving enough to have that happiness, but he will sometimes pine for the Inquisitor. Once the Inquisitor is in a relationship with him, he is anxious about when to reveal his feelings, but he will do so in a quiet moment, like cuddling together in bed. However, he'd much prefer his partner be the one to say it first. 

J: Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they're jealous?)

As alluded to before, he has a lot of self-doubt and self-loathing as he questions whether he deserves love after everything he has done. Early in the relationship, it would hurt, but he would tell himself that you are making the right decision…but that doesn't mean he'll give up entirely. As he becomes more secure in the relationship, he is more likely to get jealous despite that security because he knows what the two of you have built. He is more likely to step in verbally or give some light PDA.

K: Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you?)

He kisses many ways, but they tend to be either tender or passionate. There's not quite an in-between. Expect a lot of stolen kisses, especially if the two of you have or are busy. He loves kissing on the hand, wrist, neck, and behind the ear, anywhere he can.

L: Little Ones (How are they with kids?)

Cullen feels very awkward around children. He's never disliked them, and he was a good brother to his siblings. Some of the younger templars looked up to him during training. However, after becoming a templar, he sort of "lost" his ability to relate to children. He's kind but stiff around them. Sometimes, he could briefly imagine having a child or two of his own, but that was always a fleeting thought. It wasn't until meeting the Inquisitor and reconnecting with Mia that he truly wondered about having a child. He wants it, whether through birth or adoption, but he would never force the Inquisitor into anything. 

M: Mornings (How are mornings spent with them?)

Cullen gets up early. He usually has his armour polished and on, training completed, and reports from the night before reviewed by 7:00 am. He often forgets to eat breakfast or munches on rations or jerky. Cassandra, Leliana, Josephine, and now the Inquisitor all make sure he eats breakfast.

You're a "bad" influence in that he wants to sleep in or stay in bed and cuddle longer. His new time to complete his routine is a whopping…..8:00 am. Since leaving the Inquisition together, he sleeps a bit later but still prefers to wake up early. 

N: Night (How are nights spent with them?)

That man does not sleep. He just doesn't. It's like it's a foreign concept to him. However, it is not all workaholic tendencies. Sometimes, it's to avoid the nightmares he's had for well over a decade. Other times, the lyrium keeps him awake. Even when you pursue a romance with him, he struggles to stay in bed only because he can't shut his mind off, but a nice massage, cuddles, and or sex tends to quiet those thoughts. Otherwise, he's content watching over the Inquisitor.

O: Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Cullen is extremely private about himself. He reveals things incredibly slowly, but sometimes, his most personal moments come out at the most inopportune times when he doesn't have a choice but to reveal them, as seen with his lyrium addiction or his nightmares. These moments are incredibly frustrating to him, and he detests them when they happen. That's why, despite his discomfort, he is telling himself that he must be far more open and communicative so he has power over what to share, what not to share, and when to do so.

P: Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Believe it or not, Cullen can be irritable and angry. Most of it is the lrium, but he holds everything inside of him until eventually, it comes out whether he wants it to not. Usually, it's a whole series of events that cause him to eventually snap, but it is possible for something triggering to cause him to explode or shut down.

However, he is incredibly patient in most situations, but he is not perfect. He will not tolerate many things, as seen with some of the more annoying chantry members in DAI. 

Q: Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every detail in passing, or do they kind of forget? )

Cullen sometimes struggles with his memory due in part to the lyrium but more so because he has so much on his mind. However, he will make you a priority above all else. Unfortunately, he punishes himself if he forgets or gets something wrong. Overall, he commits everything he can to memory, and as his lyrium cravings subside, he is more clearly able to remember things. He wants to know everything you're willing to share, whether it's your birthday, favorite color, favorite food, best battle tactics, or favorite ways to turn you on.

R: Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

It's a difficult memory for him, but the relief he felt when the Inquisitor revealed they still cared for him despite his lyrium addiction and his trauma. It's not the most romantic memory, but it is a meaningful one. More positively, he loves how he surprised you with that first kiss on the battlements… until Jim interrupted. The morning after he and the Inquisitor slept together was also dear to him. 

S: Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

We know and have seen how protective Cullen is. He is ready to give up his life at a moment's notice if needed, especially if it's for the Inquisitor. He was willing to leave the Inquisition because he felt he was a liability to it and the inquisitor. He is incredibly selfless and self-sacrificing. He's also not afraid to voice his opinion in defense of his partner. As for him, he doesn't really expect anything in return. However, he already thinks you protect him by looking out for his well-being, whether it's the lyrium, his anxiety, eating, sleeping, etc. He also greatly appreciates it if you speak up in defense of him for whatever reason, but he never expects it.

T: Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, and gifts?)

After much worrying, he would fret about it and might turn to someone like Josephine for help or even Varric, Dorian, or Leliana. However, he is capable of giving gifts on his own, planning outings, as seen with the lake and giving his lucky coin to the Inquisitor. He definitely tries, but he's always worried he'll fuck it up somehow.

U: Ugly (What would be a bad habit of theirs?)

He does have a temper and when hurt, he can lash out. We've seen this when he threw his lyrium kit against the wall, nearly hitting the Inquisitor. However, he works very hard to keep control of it. His anxiety and self-doubt can also be a problem, but again, he tries to hide these feelings as best as he can.

As for an actual habit, his pacing and constant movement can be anxiety-inducing to some. His office has a pacing track on it. 

V: Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He knows he's handsome. He sees the way people look at him and treat him. He's not stupid. We know he styles his hair, but I think PART of that is due to some insecurity about his curls. Other than that, he focuses on the upkeep of his armor, but that is habit and perfectionism. Besides his hair, he doesn't spend much time on his appearance.

W: Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

He would convince himself that he would. He never expected you to return his feelings, but he knows he would be crushed if you ever left him. He would respect your decision but doubt that he'd ever feel whole again as he'd be unlikely to trust himself with another partner.

X: Xtra (A random headcanon for them)

Cullen secretly has a sweet tooth, but he doesn't want anyone to know that. Still, he wouldn't mind being given sticky buns or a pastry. (He's lying. He will devour them.)

Z: Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

We know he mumbles, tosses and turns, and has nightmares and insomnia. The poor guy has it all. However, he also sweats and overheats easily. This all improves as the lyrium addiction subsides. However, one thing that does not change is that he overheats easily…………………………….but still wants to cuddle. Once he has his arms around the Inquisitor, good luck getting up.

[datesinredink]

Ranking the yandere rottmnt boys by how likely they are to kidnap their darling

Just a little crumb to keep myself from losing my mind while staring at google docs this late at night. Sorry if this is super bad, it's way later at night than I'm used to staying up and election night stressed me the hell out.

Donnie.

I have absolutely no doubts that he's going to at least try very very hard to kidnap you. And honestly, I doubt it would be too hard. He's a highly trained, mystic wielding, tech inventing, mutant ninja turtle. And on top of that, he's very fond of planning absolutely everything. And to finish it all off, I think it would be once in a blue moon that he actually treats his darling as an equal. He already thinks he's better than almost everyone, and when he gets obsessed, he has to make himself feel better about it somehow, so he decides to cope by thinking you need him instead of it being the other way around. As a result, he treats you a bit like a very glorified songbird, and songbirds.. well, aren't they usually put in cages anyway? You won't even care after a week or two of adjustment! (He will get upset if you aren't content with being kidnapped by then, by the way.)

2. Raph

The only reason Raph is behind Donnie on this list is because I think he would take longer to justify it to himself. He thinks you're fragile, that you need to be protected from the harsh world! I mean, he barely trusts his youngest brother, who is also a highly trained ninja, to do a simple mission on his own. How do you think he'll treat you after the obsession sets in properly? Not really as an equal, I'll tell you that. He's much nicer to you than Donnie would be, but he still doesn't respect you enough to let you handle yourself, even if that's not how he sees his behavior. At the same time though... isn't he supposed to be a hero? Do heroes kidnap their darlings? Or would this make him the dragon... In the end though, he'll decide that he's fine with being the dragon so long as he knows that the rest of the world won't be able to run their metaphorical (or maybe literal, depending on how unpopular you are in the area) pitchforks right through your heart.

3. Mikey

Mikey wouldn't just.. outright kidnap his darling, I think. I think it would start with a fun sleepover at the lair! Then he insists you stay just one more day! You're having so much fun, after all! Don't you wanna hang out with your best friend for a while longer? You agree, of course- him and his brothers have been nothing but nice to you ever since you met them, and their company is always a delight, so it's worth a shot, isn't it? Then suddenly, the weekend is over, and school's ready to chew you up again, so you do leave. Then it's finally the weekend again! You've heard of a fun game from your school friends, so you plan on trying it when you get home this afternoon- it's friday, after all- when you get a text from Mikey in the group chat with his brothers. He wants you to come over again- and, of course, you say "sure". Not like you can't just play the game on sunday, or when you go home saturday. The sleepover flies by, but you're a bit weary by the time you're pretty sure you're supposed to go home- but here's Mikey, and he's so sure that you promised you'd stay at the lair until sunday again! So, you give in. There's always next weekend, right...? I think you get the pattern, but eventually, he'll be keeping you at the lair 24/7, and you'll be rubbing at your weary eyes wondering how you got into this mess. Sometimes you can even see his brothers shoot you worried looks.

4. Leo

Leo would only kidnap his darling as a last resort, and I think it's because of two reasons. One, he's the brother who sees you closest to being an equal (Donnie and Raph constantly go against your personal autonomy and Mikey puts you on an extremely restricting pedestal), though to be fair, that's not a high bar to pass- and two he much prefers to have some sort of interesting conflict to be present because he finds it entertaining. His life is a weird, morally incorrect soap opera at this point, and he's the number one viewer. Kidnapping would only really happen with him if he thought you were either seriously leaving him (moving or getting into a serious relationship with someone else) or if the circumstances around him got too stressful and he needed something to cling to for any semblance of support outside his brothers (who, at that point, would probably also be super stressed). Think post movie, when the city is still recovering. Man, he was probably freaking out thinking that you might've died to the kraang.

[fairykingjing]

Zoro x Reader-- Nap Time part 2

Hiii. I felt like my first work needed a part 2, so here you go. I didn't expect over 40 notes already! Clearly, I'm easily excitable lol. Thanks for reading.

Summary: a part 2 from the last one.

WC: 847

Warnings: fluff, kissing/making out described, female reader

You woke up from your nap feeling surprisingly refreshed. As you came to your senses, you realized you were still laying on Zoro, and he still had an arm wrapped around you. You peered up at him, expecting him to be asleep, but he was awake, carefully watching you. “Hi,” you whispered. You suddenly felt self-conscious in this position, and you had no idea how long he had been watching you, so you moved to sit up.

“Good to see you’re finally awake,” he murmured. He unwrapped his arm from you and allowed you to sit up properly and stretch out. “So, you wanna tell me what you meant earlier? About wanting to be with me?”

Zoro wasn’t one to talk much, and he certainly didn’t open up easily. But he also didn’t beat around the bush about things, even with friends. You knew there was no point in trying to deflect or change the subject. Still, you felt your cheeks flush with nervousness as you tried to come up with the right words to tell him.

“I, uh… really like you, Zoro. And um, I didn’t really know how to tell you so I wasn’t going to, but um, I didn’t want you to think what Sanji said was true or anything...” you rambled, looking down. You pulled at the hem of your shirt and ran it through your fingers nervously.

Zoro sat motionless for a while, clearly thinking and processing what you said. You wished you were anywhere but here, waiting for any sort of response. “Do you mean it?” he finally asked.

“Do I…? Yes, of course I mean it!” you replied. “But I understand if you don’t feel the same way.” You felt tears pricking the corners of your eyes as you waited for a rejection. There was no way the famed pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro would ever like you, or anyone for that matter, as more than a friend. You quickly wiped your face of any tears. The last thing you wanted was for Zoro to think you were weak.

Zoro pulled your hand away and cupped your cheek, tilting your head up to look at him. “Why are you crying?” he questioned. “Is it because you don’t think I feel the same way about you?”

You could only nod in response as you felt the tears begin to fall. Zoro let out a sigh as he pulled you into him and hugged his arms around you, rubbing circles on your back.

“You women and your stupid emotions. Of course I like you,” he said. “Why else would I let you fall asleep on me?”

You couldn’t believe what he said. “Do you actually—” you started to question him, but he cut you off. He pulled you into him and pressed a kiss to your lips. It felt as though time itself stood still and the rest of the Sunny and all its crew disappeared into nothingness as you sat there taking it all in. He pulled away slowly and you both stared at each other in amazement.

“I know I’m not good with words, but will that convince you?” he asked. You answered by pulling him back in for another kiss. His tongue ran along your bottom lip, asking for entry. You happily granted him access as he pulled you closer against him. You lost track of how much time was passing by it could have been seconds or it could have been hours, it was all the same to you. The only thing to pull the two of you out of your trance was a whistle from Franky, who was walking up to where the two of you sat.

“Took you two long enough! Finally!” Franky cheered.

“What do you mean, finally?” Zoro asked.

“Everybody on the ship has been taking bets on how long the two of you would take to get together! Well, everyone but Sanji,” Franky answered.

“You’re kidding, right?” You asked. Franky just laughed in response and walked back to where some of the others were and proceeded to tell them. More cheers and laughter followed.

“Guess the cats outta the bag now…” you whispered to Zoro. He put an arm around you affectionately and placed a soft kiss on your head.

“Yeah, I guess so. At least we don’t have to be the ones to tell them,” he laughed.

You heard a loud commotion, and someone crying out in protest. Sanji. “Moss head I’ll kill you!” he shouted. Zoro looked over at you and you both couldn’t help but to laugh.

“Well, I guess we should go join everyone now,” you mused. Zoro agreed and as the two of you started walking over to the rest of the crew, you put your hand in his. He gave your hand a light squeeze, and you excitedly joined the rest of your friends. It might have taken a while, but you were excited to see where this new relationship with the green-haired swordsman would go. And to think all it took was a little nap.

Thank you for reading I hope you liked it.

[demon-prosecutor-milesedgeworth]

Playing through Ace Attorney for the first time and I'm on the second game and I'm just deeply in love with how things that are essentially just gameplay features impact and interact with the world of the game. I'm not sure if this makes sense but like:

Mia Fey is, in terms of game play, basically just the tutorial. She's there to show the player how the game works and what buttons to press and give hints when the case gets complicated, but the decision to have her

A. become the next murder victim that Phoenix must investigate

B. continuing to show up as a sort of "hint" system in court, but also being a major part of the story (namely in Farewell, My Turnabout where she's the way to interact with Maya while she's kidnapped, and also her being tied to the concept of spirit mediums in general which are so important in a lot of the cases)

is like, SO GOOD because it just the world of the game feel so much more alive than just the gameplay functions that specific things are tied to.

The same thing is true for the magatama, in that, like, not only can the player see the chains and locks that appear, but it's made very clear that Phoenix himself is seeing the exact same thing and comments on it often. It's not just a gameplay feature for the benefit of the player, it's something that exists and is talked about in the world.

I feel like the way the tutorial works in the second game also fits into this category, because rather than just suck it up and go through the gameplay again for anyone that hadn't played the first game, they decided Phoenix had to be *hit on the head with a fire extinguisher* and lose all of his memories, and rather than tell anyone, realize he's a lawyer and then without even being fully aware of what his name is, still wins a trial.

This is such a long post already, but the writing of the games also seem so aware of what makes the game function well and then how to twist that to its advantage to make the game more interesting. Like, of course, starting out, Phoenix has to win all of his cases. All of his clients have to be found 'Not Guilty', or else the game wouldn't be satisfying, but then you reach the Matt Engarde, and Phoenix's belief in his client's innocence becomes a defining character trait instead of just something that is necessary for the game to function properly. All of his other clients have been innocent, so when the setup with Matt looks the same, of course he believes it.

Can you tell I like these games? I really like these games.

[total-drama-brainrot]

TD World Tour AU, where Noah is Chris’s Assistant from the start of World Tour, instead of a contestant ... Alejandro tries to charm Noah, like Alejandro had charmed Chef, but Noah is immune to his charms... What if Assistant Noah still told Owen that Alejandro is like 'an eel dipped in grease' and Alejandro CAN'T get rid of Assistant Noah for saying that?... Would they have a weird frenemy relationship for the rest of the show?... With Alejandro sometimes teasingly flirting with Noah, like he does with Heather? 😘

In my take on an Assistant Noah AU, Noah would be entirely immune to Alejandro's charm, not because he's switched on to The Archvillain's true colours (which, he is, but I digress) but because Assistant Noah is The Saltiest Bitch.

-

Imagine with me, for a moment, that you've landed yourself a pretty sweet gig; you're the personal assistant of an A-list celebrity who's only real job at the moment is hosting and directing one (1) reality TV show. The pay is really good and the job itself comes with a tonne of benefits, plus it's the perfect position for you to develop networks within the business (Noah canonically mentions "working his way up this 'biz", implying he has a desire to continue in the field of showbusiness).

Now imagine with me that said celebrity is Chris McLean, renown sadist and all-around disaster of a man. This guy absolutely pawns off the majority of his work onto you, meaning it falls onto your shoulders to; corral the on-set interns into some semblance of competency, make sure that each challenge is properly set up and ready to go, make sure Chris himself is set up and ready to go, and put up with regular coffee run requests. That's a lot of work for one 16~17 year old, even if you are a certified genius.

You're overworked, sleep-deprived and two seconds away from snapping at the nearest intern at any given moment.

And then, during the filming of the latest season, the guy you hand picked to star in the non-existent "Total Drama Dirtbags" (mostly because he was better looking than his brother, who also applied) tries to charm and flirt his way into you giving him advantages in the competition- or at the very least, trick you into divulging information on their next challenge. It's as if he thinks you're somehow not aware of the fact that he's a total scumbag, despite knowing you work on the show and therefore have seen both his acts of sabotage and the confessions in which he plots them.

Suffice to say, you're kind of insulted. I mean, really? Flirting? You don't even have time for something as trivial as a relationship, or even a fling! There's challenges to set up, international negotiations to suffer through, and unpaid interns to boss around- your schedule's booked!

And yet he keeps flirting with you, even after you've snubbed him multiple times. At this point you're pretty sure it's become a point of wounded pride for him, instead of the game tactic it started as; after all, his charms have worked on pretty much everyone on the cast, what makes you so different?

Eventually, as the herd thins, you decide to warn your best friend (who's somehow miraculously remained in the competition, despite his 'team leader's' obvious dislike of him) about Alejandro's less-than-noble intentions. Owen misconstrues your selfless act of solidarity as a sign of jealousy, or god forbid 'denial of your feelings', towards Alejandro. Which, what? No, that's not it at all! The one time you try to be a good friend and this is how you're repaid?

Alejandro overhears this, unfortunately, and seems to take the fact that you're not fooled by his obviously fake mask as some sort of personal affront. Of course, as the person who's essentially running the show, there's not much he can do to you besides carry on being the nuisance he is- which is exactly what he does, but more.

Suddenly, his flirting from before seems like nothing, because now he's really trying to get under your skin with that same plastic charm; it's like he took the dial to his natural flirtatiousness and turned it to eleven. It's annoying. And worse, it's getting in the way of your work flow.

You'd love to stage his elimination, but you know the public outcry from his untimely departure from the show would outweigh the relief of being rid of him, so you resolve to do as you have been; ignoring Alejandro until he gets bored. (That's easier said than done- he's really good at getting under your skin, like the thorns on a rose bush.)

To make matters Even Worse, your elusive appearances on the show- as Chris' personal assistant it would be impossible to avoid the cameras entirely, but you'd bribed the editing team to cut as much of your unwitting footage from the final edit as they could- paired with your 'entertaining dynamic' with Alejandro has the viewers clambering for more, so now you're obligated to act as a de facto co-host alongside your boss.

So now you're stuck having to at least acknowledge Alejandro, if only to give the editors something to work with. Great.

-

At least, that's what my take on an Assistant Noah AU would entail.🤷‍♀️

[worseforwords]

Manchester Meet-cute (Ona Batlle x Reader)

This is my first ever fic! I hope you like it :)

One January morning, in an unexpected turn of events, you found yourself wandering the streets of Manchester all by yourself. This was not how you had planned to spend your England-visit: just yesterday you met up with your friend Amy, who lived in Liverpool, to go on a small road trip to visit another friend in London, and to do some sightseeing in both Manchester and Birmingham on the way there. However, Amy had the infuriating ability to fall in love with a stranger in under a second, and that is exactly what she did a mere 3 hours before your arrival. At least she had the decency to take you on a small tour trough Liverpool and to drop you off in Manchester the next day, before hopping on a plane to Paris herself with some guy named Louis, or Luke or whatever.

So here you were, all by yourself in a new city in a foreign country. You weren’t used to traveling alone, but you actually didn’t mind some peace and quiet for once. You bought a map somewhere and spend majority of the morning sightseeing the city centre. For English standards, the weather had actually been quite nice, which of course was too good to be true. Around noon, it suddenly started pouring and you quickly made your way into a lovely little coffee shop. You went up to the coffee bar and ordered a large cappuccino. After some smalltalk with the barista you picked up your coffee to head to a free table by the window. Your small journey to the table was rudely interrupted however, when a rather hasty individual collided with your elbow connected to your coffee holding hand. You watched as if in slow motion as your cup flew up in the air and the entirety of its hot contents came raining down on you and soaked your favourite sweater. 

“AY DIOS MIO! I am so, so sorry. Why am I such an idiot?” A panicked voice cried out whilst you rapidly wiped as much of your large cappuccino of your face and sweater as you could. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it” you spoke, still wiping. “No, it’s not! Let me at least buy you a new coffee, please?” “You really don’t have to-” “I insist.” You finally looked up at the clumsy sweater ruining girl in front of you, only to be met with a pair of beautiful hazel eyes and a slightly worried smile. “Yeah, okay”

“Sorry about your sweater” She said, handing you a fresh cappuccino. “How much did it cost? I’ll give you some money for a new one.” “No, you don’t have to do that. It’s all good.” You answered, not willing to accept such a generous offer from a stranger. “Please, it’s a nice sweater, I have to make it up to you somehow.” She begged, still looking rather concerned. “You know what, you can tell me what I should do or see in Manchester on a Sunday. It’s my first time here.”

You sat down at a table together and she talked about her favourite places around Manchester for a while and you listened attentively whilst sipping your coffee. “I am Y/N by the way” you said after a while, realising you never properly introduced yourselves. “Hi Y/N” she smiled, having the same realisation “I am Ona”. “So, Ona, not to be blunt, but you are not from here either, are you?” “No I am not” she giggled, “I am from Spain, but I’ve lived here for a while now.”. “Ah, la bella españa” you tried your very best at the pronunciation. “¿Hablas español?” she asked, her eyes widening slightly. “No, no, un poco, pero no es bien” you stuttered shyly. Ona giggled again at your face growing redder by the second. “That wasn’t bad you know.” “Thanks” you said, certain that she was just being polite. 

“So erm,” you started, slowly getting red again “do you maybe feel like visiting any of those places you were talking about earlier, like now, with me?” Ona checked the time on her phone. “Oh shit, erm, I sort of have to go now, I have a football match later.” You suddenly realised how bold your question was and started to regret ever asking it when she quickly added: “But maybe we can meet up afterwards? I’ll show you around Manchester by night” She send you a small wink which made your cheeks flush yet again. “Yeah, sure that sounds amazing. So where is this football match?” You asked, taking the last sip of your coffee. “Old Trafford” Ona mumbled. You surely would’ve spat it out your coffee you hadn’t just swallowed it. “I’m sorry, did you just say Old Trafford? As in, the Manchester United stadium?” “Well look who did their homework” Ona smiled. You just stared at her, too stunned to speak. “What? Okay yes, I play for United, I am a professional footballer.” You continued your staring, this time with your mouth wide open. She rolled her eyes “It’s not a big deal, it’s just my job.” She smiled again “That is so cool” You finally spoke. “Are you any good?” “Well I do play for United, soo, I guess I’m all right.” She chuckled. “Right yeah, of course, sorry.” You said, mentally smacking yourself on the head for asking such a stupid question. “You know, Y/N, if you don’t have anything to do today you could come watch the game later, if you want to judge for yourself wether I am any good.” She offered. “Unless you don’t want to of course, I don’t even know if you like football, so no pressure, I won’t mind if you say no so-” “I would love that” You interrupted. “And I’m sure you’re great.” Now it was her turn to blush. “Okay, I do really have to go now, but I will send you all the info once I get you a seat.” Ona said whilst getting up and hastily putting on her coat. “Ona,” you spoke, and she stopped to look at you “exactly how will you send me the info?” “Text” she answered quickly whilst continuing to gather her things. “Oh, of course, idiota” she mumbled to herself “so, erm, can I get your number, Y/N?” “I thought you’d never ask” you chuckled.

After a shower and a change of clothes at the hotel you were staying at, you hopped on a bus towards Old Trafford. It was crowded with people in United jerseys and hoodies, talking about the upcoming game. You overheard people mentioning Ona’s name a few times, and started to realise she was a very important player. You lightly chuckled to yourself, amazed at how you got yourself into this situation.

Ona arranged for you to sit in the family and friends area, which felt a little strange, given you just met the girl a couple of hours ago, but you felt honoured nonetheless. United played against Liverpool. It was a though game, but they fought through. Ona was amazing. You didn’t know much about football, apart from what your dad used to scream at the TV, but it was very clear that she had a key role in the game and you pitied anyone who had to go head to head with her. 

After the final whistle blew you watched as the players walked around the field, waving at and thanking the fans. They ended up at the friends and family section, but you politely remained in your seat, not wanting to bother Ona and giving her some time with her friends. Ona, however, upon arriving at the section, looked rather disappointed, scanning the stands with her eyes. When she finally spotted you, a large smile appeared on her face as she waved at you to come over. 

“Thank you for coming, I hope you enjoyed it” she said. “Thank you for inviting me” you answered. “Soo, was I any good?” she asked, smirk on her face. “I guess you were all right” you joked. The two of you briefly chatted about the game before she got pulled away by some teammates. “Go have fun” you said, sending her a wink. “I’ll be quick, just a shower and then I’ll meet you out back?” She gave you a quick hug before heading towards the dressing rooms.

You sat in the lounge area for a bit and Ona texted you some details about where you could meet later. You felt a little guilty about taking her away from the team celebrations, so you texted back:

You: Hey, it’s okay if you want to go celebrate with your teammates, you don’t have to hang out with me you know…

Ona: No, I want to. I promised you Manchester by night!

Ona: Besides, you’re way more fun than these morons anyways ;)

You: Okay, see you there :)

You were leaning against the gate post whilst looking at the January sun already starting to set, when you were startled by a the sudden feeling of a hand on your shoulder. “I love watching the sun set and rise, always reminds me of the Lion King. I love the Lion King.” You turned around to see a familiar pair of hazel eyes looking at you expectantly. “Sorry for making you wait. I got you something though”. Ona handed you a paper bag with something bright red in it. “I still owed you a sweater, remember?” She smiled. You opened the bag further to find a hoodie with a big Manchester United logo on it. You turned it around to see the number 2 printed on the back. “That’s my number!” She said excitedly. “I know, I just saw you play in it, remember? Thank you, Ona. You really didn’t have to, but it’s really nice to have something to remember you by.” Both your cheeks flushed slightly at that comment. 

Ona quickly ordered a cab to get you two back to the city centre. She clearly had a plan in mind for the evening as she guided you through Manchester. She briefly stopped at certain sights to tell you some fun fact or story. “Are you hungry?” She asked after walking around for about two hours. “I could eat.” You answered. “Good, I know the perfect place.” She replied confidently. She took you to a small restaurant by the river. “You like Spanish food?” Ona asked. “¡Sí, me gusta la comida española!” You answered in your best Spanish accent, making Ona giggle.

You sat down at a table for two by the window. “Hola Ona, nice to see you again” the waiter spoke, handing you both your menus. “Are the other girls not coming today?” “Hola Mateo. No, just us.” “Claro” Mateo the waiter noticed you trying desperately to figure out the Spanish menu, looking rather confused and chuckled lightly. He turned back to Ona: “¿Es una cena romántica, o solo amigas?” Ona quickly glanced at you to check if you understood any of that, but you kept your eyes glued to the menu, wanting to hear her answer. “No lo sé todavía. Espero que sí.” You quickly looked at Ona to see a blush appear on her cheeks, but you moved your eyes back to your menu before she could catch you. “Claro,” he smiled. “buena suerte con esa, Ona” He now turned back to you “Would you like an English menu?” “Yes, please” He quickly handed you one from the bar before sending Ona a final wink and moving to another table.

“What was that about?” You asked Ona with a small grin on your face. “Nothing, just joking around.” It was now her turn to practically stick her head into the menu even though she knew it by heart, just to avoid eye contact. “Any recommendations?” You quickly changed the subject to slightly ease the tension. “Sí, do you like lobster?” 

You both ordered a dish called Arròs caldós amb llamàntol and some white wine to pair with it. It was a Catalan dish with creamy rice and lobster. Ona explained how it was one of her favourite things to eat back home, and how she often came to this restaurant to enjoy the familiarity and how it made her feel at peace. You couldn’t help but stare at the twinkle that appeared in her eyes as she spoke about her home. Even though you were quite full from the lobster, Ona insisted you’d try her favourite dessert, so you ended up sharing one Crema Catalana which, as the name suggested, was also a Catalan dish. After a bit of debate you convinced Ona to split the bill, as the lobster was quite expensive and she had already given you enough today.

You left the restaurant two hours later, very full and a little tipsy. Ona suggested to walk along the river for a bit, which you happily accepted. The conversation fell quiet as you looked up at the semi-clear night sky. There were some clouds here and there, and the many city lights caused some light pollution, but you could still see the stars fairly clearly. You almost walked into a fence as you were looking up, lost in thought. “Woah, careful there” Ona giggled. “I guess stargazing works better laying down on the ground” you replied. You proceeded the walk, now looking at your feet rather than at the sky, when Ona suddenly pulled you to the side. She guided you towards a patch of grass. “We can lay down here, if you want?” You just smiled as you lay yourself down on the cold grass, Ona following your lead as she plopped down next to you. 

“I don’t really know anything about stars, do you?” She admitted. “See that W right there?” You pointed upwards. When you got no reaction you scooted a little closer so you could point from her point of view. “Ah yes, I see it now.” She exclaimed. “That’s Cassiopeia, the vain queen. The greek mythology says she was placed in the sky by Poseidon as punishment for her vanity. Essentially he said she was to full of herself.” You chuckled. “I’m sorry, I must be boring you with this random information” You apologised. “No, no, please tell me more!” You felt her hand lightly brushing yours as you carried on telling her random facts about the stars and constellations. After a while you ran out of information and you fell silent. “Ona,” you spoke, taking a deep breath “mi español no es bueno. Pero entiendo un poco lo que dices.” You tried in your best Spanish, not knowing how to use the past tense yet. Ona suddenly shot up. “I KNEW IT” she yelled “you did understand! Why didn’t you say something” You sat up as well. “I was curious to hear your answer.” You smiled slyly. Ona playfully shoved your shoulder.  “Well I’m curious to hear your answer as well.” She boldly stated. You felt your stomach drop at the question but tried to remain cool on the outside. You swallowed and leaned in slightly. Your faces were now only a few inches apart. You looked at her lips but waited for her to respond first. Ona leaned in further, almost completely closing the space between the two of you when you suddenly heard a voice from behind you. “Go on then, kiss, ladies! I don’t mind seeing that at all. Hot!” You turned around to see a group of adult men making kissy faces at you from a distance. “Come on let’s go” you both got up quickly and you let out a relieved sigh when the men didn’t follow you.

“I’m sorry that just happened.” Ona spoke when you had returned to a busier, safer street. “Me too, I feel gross” “Yeah, I get it. It’s okay if you want to go back to your hotel or something if you feel safer there.” She asked carefully. “Maybe, but erm,” you started, not knowing how to not come on too strong in finishing your sentence “I might feel even safer if you join me?” You paused for a second. “I mean, we don’t have to do anything, we can just chill and watch a movie or something or - never mind forget it I’m sorry for even sug-” “Hey, hey,” she took a hold of your face to stop you from rambling “don’t worry, I would love that.”

It wasn’t common for you to stay in a hotel, given that you mostly preferred hostels or, if you were feeling fancy, the occasional airbnb. However, Amy, who lived a more decadent lifestyle, had insisted on booking a hotel for the two of you, stating she’d “rather sleep on the street than enter one of those bed bug infested hell holes you call a hostel”. So here you were, unlocking the door to your two person suite, paid for by Amy, with a girl on your arm who definitely was not Amy. Ona audibly gasped when you opened the door. “Woah, I didn’t take you for the luxurious type, Y/N. And here I was worrying about your sweater.” You chuckled at her reaction, before explaining the whole Amy situation.

“Terrible friend, if you ask me. Good thing you met me.” She winked. “Yeah, well, we got each other through so much. I will always forgive her.” You replied. “Still though, she shouldn’t have ditched you like that” “Yeah well, at least she’s still paying for the room” Ona’s expression suddenly changed. “Soo they have her credit card information, no?” She looked at the minibar, then back at you, then at the minibar again as a mischievous grin appeared on her face. You hesitated. “Oh come on, she deserves a little payback” You finally gave in and the two of you grabbed a few way overpriced beers and snacks. “Wanna watch a movie?”

You settled on the couch with your snacks and beers and without asking you turned on the Lion King. Ona’s eyes lit up at opening shot of the sunrise. She turned to face you. “You remembered” she whispered, a smile appearing on her face. “Of course I did, you told me just a few hours ago” you jokingly replied. Ona didn’t laugh, and when you looked at her you saw her eyes were still fixated on you. You stared into each others eyes for a bit when you noticed her eyes glancing down at your lips for just a second. You gathered as much courage as you could as you decided it was your turn to be bold. “I also remember something else that erm, you know, almost happened.” You leaned in slightly, very proud of your smoothness but also nervous as you weren’t sure she understood what you were hinting at. Ona moved closer to you and leaned in as well, gaze alternating between your eyes and lips, anxiously waiting for you to make the first move. Noticing this, you knew you could finally take away the mere inch that was left in between both your lips, which you did, very slowly. Your lips landed on hers as gently as humanly possible, and the world around you disappeared for a second. You slowly came back when you felt a hand on your cheek. Ona pulled herself closer to you, which encouraged you to deepen the kiss. Her hand had now moved to the back of your neck, rubbing your jaw with her thumb. The kiss soon turned into a rather heated make-out, which continued for a while. By the time you pulled away, circle of life had just ended in the background. “Sorry we missed the best song” you chuckled. Ona opened up her arms. You accepted the invite and cuddled up against her. 

You watched the movie in silence for a while, although you didn’t process much of what was happening on the screen, too distracted by what had just happened and by the hand lightly stroking your forearm the whole time. You held it together until halfway through Hakuna Matata, when Onas hand slowly moved to your inner thigh and the tension became too much. You turned your head towards her rather abruptly, accidentally startling her and she quickly pulled her hand away entirely. “I’m sorry, too much?” Her eyes widened, concern apparent in her face. “No, no, don’t worry, I like it. I just erm,” you paused, contemplating what to say next “I’m not really watching the movie anymore, you know?” You finally admitted. “Oh, we can watch something else if you want?” Ona replied quickly. You looked at her with a slightly raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to realise what you meant. “What? Oh. Ooooh” she really dragged out the o’s in that last one. “Well erm, is it a good distraction at least?” “Yes, definitely” you answered a little too quickly. “Want to get distracted some more? You could, you know, distract me back, if you want?” She said, with a slight smirk. She didn’t need to ask you that twice as you got up and pulled her towards your queen-sized hotel bed.

About 8 hours later, a soft thud woke you up from the coma you had been in, followed by what you could only assume was a series of Spanish swearwords. You slowly opened your eyes to find Ona wrapped up in a blanked, grabbing her toe with one hand whilst rummaging between the clothes scattered around the hotel floor with the other one. You realised she must be trying to sneak out without waking you, so you decided to turn around and pretend to still be asleep. This movement, however, did not go unnoticed as Ona suddenly stopped in her tracks. “Shit, did I wake you?” She whispered. You turned back around to face her. “Good morning, Ona. It’s okay if you want to sneak out you know, no hard feel-” “No, no, it’s not like that.” She interrupted “I just have training in a bit. And you were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you.” She smiled. “Well in that case, don’t you need breakfast first?” You asked. “I was just going to get something on the way there actually, got any better ideas?” She replied “How about some roomservice, it’s on me! Well, actually it’s on Amy.” You winked. “Great plan!”

After filling up on the luxurious hotel breakfast, Ona put on her sneakers and coat and you walked her to the door as you started to feel a little sad about her leaving. Before she opened the door she turned around to look at you. “I had a really nice time, Y/N.” She said, smiling softly. “Me too, I’m glad I met you.” You replied. You stood there for a while, staring into each others eyes. “See you again, I hope.” She eventually said. “Yeah, me too” You said, and she turned around to open the door. You watched as she walked away down the hallway, finally closing the door when she turned a corner. 

You plopped down on the bed and let out a deep sigh. Many thoughts and feelings were coursing through you stomach and brain as you gazed at the ceiling. On the one hand there was excitement, about what had happened the day before. Meeting this amazing girl and having an amazing time with her. Then there was confidence, because for some reason this amazing girl seemed to take a liking to you. But then on the other hand there was this nervousness creeping up inside you, about the “What now?”, the uncertainty of it all. And to top it all off there was sadness, knowing you were only there for a couple more days before having to return home, to your stupid job. 

But for now you tried to focus on the positive parts. Thinking about the day (and especially the evening) before brought a smile to your face and, even though you didn’t want to admit it, butterflies to your stomach. “Damn Y/N, what have you gotten yourself into this time” You said to yourself as you smacked a pillow into your own head. You shot straight up as you realised it: you just pulled an Amy.

Part 2

[elvenbeard]

I'm a big fan of "discovering yourself through your blorbos" and man, if Vince didn't play a huge part in my own self-discovery and understanding and accepting myself more journey over the last 1.5 years I don't even know anymore xD So, in the same vein, here's a lil rambly headcanons post for Vince and his sexuality and gender!

I've continuously developed him over this time span too. Or I'd prefer to say, gotten to know him better, because at his core he is still the same guy with the same nice and shitty traits xD I just know more about him as a person now than I did when I first made him.

And like, it's funny. In the beginning I sort of had him in my head as a nonbinary person, but very quickly, while still walking through Arasaka Tower for the first time on the way to Jenkins, I realized like "nah, he is a guy and would make sure everyone has no doubts about it" xD It's the same with his attraction being exclusively towards men (and the first pic of him above has gotta be one of my faves I ever took of him ;__;)

But now lately (as in, over the course of a couple of months at least) I have been wondering and asking myself if maybe he's also somewhere on the aromantic spectrum. Because yeh, if you know him, he has had many flings and is not shy about telling someone that he likes him - but usually not in a romantic sense. Serious romantic relationships he's had two before meeting Kerry, and even those were off to a rocky start. Even with Kerry there was first only physical attraction and only has he properly got to know him, heard about his fears and there was a basis of trust and vulnerability established between them, he started to have romantic feelings. And so yeh! I'm not sure if he'd really put a concrete label on this specifically, because a lot of his chaotic relationships and inability to trust others easily also comes from his messy childhood, so he probably wouldn't be sure himself how to distinguish between both (I'm a bit unsure myself XD). But still, grey- or demiromantic could be something I would see for him, even if it's not as major of a part of his identity as being proudly trans and gay.

So yeh! Thank you for coming to my blorbo talk, and happy pride y'all, may your blorbos also help you understanding yourself better by understanding them better :3

[romance-rambles]

[modern] cael | red dress, white dress

After Cael picks up a new hobby relating to your latest work, the two of you discuss weddings and wedding dresses. It ends with a proposal, from you to him.

1.8k, set after qixi [+ some spoilers for his whisper], romantic fluff + super self-indulgent, reader is mc, sequel to this cael fic [but you don't have to read it in order], series: none

IN THE TIME SINCE THE night of the QIxi festival, Cael has discovered an amusing new hobby with which to occupy himself with, when he's with you.

The words that the painter and the spirit speak—particularly towards end of your oneshot—are, evidently, not unrelated to your relationship with him. That much is obvious. And it'd be rather difficult to claim otherwise, given the faces they wear.

You haven't tried to, either.

Between the two of you, there is an acknowledgment, implicit, that they are a reflection of your innermost thoughts and desires. That they are the kind of daydreams that even someone eloquent as him would find difficult to describe, domestic and loving—just tumultuous enough to describe their standing, with the sort of fairytale ending most would wish for. That they are memories, transformed only in setting and time—only this time, they are not newly acquainted or on a time limit.

He thinks of the quaint little moment where the painter promises to make sure that no one will bother his lover. Had he not done the same for you, once, long ago?

He remembers the casual affection the spirit showers upon her love too, the way she finds herself with her head on his lap underneath the wisterias, and if that ever stops feeling familiar, it must be because he's lost his mind.

After all, you've always been an affectionate person. How can he miss it when the evidence remains in the lingering heat left by your touch? Through the way you so easily take his hand, or throw your arms around him—

When your lovesick gaze isn't boring holes into his body, that is.

He's no better in that regard. In some ways, he thinks he might be worse, with the way his loving gaze seems incapable of following anyone but you. But you might turn it into a competition if he brings it up, so Cael—well aware it won't end well for him—keeps his mouth shut.

Still, it's clear that you never expected him to start quoting your dialogue back at you.

It reminds him of one of the first times he'd properly let his mask down. The way the gears turned in your head, your deer-in-headlights expression betraying your panic before he'd clarified his joke. You'd stared at him—half-relieved, half-surprised, sitting in the silence a bit longer before you laughed.

Today, when you stare at him, there is a hint of defiance peeking through from underneath your flustered mien.

You're dressed casually, in a yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt with one of your favorite cartoon characters. Jagged lines run across the drawing, signaling its age. Some parts of the design have entirely vanished, but it remains one of your most faithful companions still.

With your head on his lap and legs thrown over the armrest, you're sprawled across the couch. In your hand is your phone, and before he dropped his line of the day on you, you'd been showing him a red dress that you really liked—one you intended to buy with your next paycheck.

"Thank you." The effect of your haughty tone is greatly lessened by the scarlet hue painting your cheeks. You clear your throat. "Does that mean you'd like to see me in a red dress?"

Cael chuckles, brushing your hair gently. "To me, it seems like you're the one who wants to be seen in a red dress."

"Of course, I do," you reply, your hand reaching out to play with his hair. "But red or white, it's not the dress that matters. As long as there's a certain someone waiting for me at the end."

For a moment, his quick-thinking mind betrays him, offering him nothing but static. He puts down the book in his hand down and carefully adjust the bookmark until it looks neat. His attention had left its crisp pages when you'd sat down beside him, but it remained in his hand still.

Occasionally, he would flip to the next page, then remember that he had absorbed none of the words on the previous page. So, he would go back, a fact that had not escaped your keen gaze—you'd teased him plenty for it, and who was he to stop you?

"I wonder who that certain someone is," he murmurs.

"I think he knows who he is," you answer, holding onto the end of his now braided strands. After a moment of digging around in your pockets, and the sofa as well, you managed to find a hair tie. "Or, he should, by this point."

"Indeed," Cael says, earning himself a wry smile from you. "It would be difficult to miss."

Enamored by your smile, he sifts through his memories, searching for the line that had left every single reader in desperate search of their own painter.

You'd been rather pleased when you went scrolling through the comments, with a smile so big it bordered on evil. So pleased, in fact, that you made sure to show him every such comment. The underlying meaning to your words was clear—you'd already found your painter, after all.

You'd have a big ego if you were dating someone so pretty too, you'd said, when he'd commented offhandedly on it.

He remembers responding with:

Then I'm certain I have the biggest ego out of anyone.

Though, his words ended up only disarming you for a brief second. It wasn't long before you were throwing your arms around him and calling him a liar ". But for the time being, the comment section was forgotten, and it was just you and him—and Beanie, watching you both from his favorite spot underneath the round table in the corner, seemingly miffed at being excluded.

He had snuck in a few extra treats for him.

Then, all was well in their relationship once more.

"'If that day ever comes, no matter what you want—'" Cael smiles helplessly, remembering the way you'd so easily captured his expression on the painter's face. "'I'll do everything in my power to bring you the most elegant wedding in the entire world.' Though you said the dress itself doesn't matter..."

You inhale sharply, seemingly forgetting—for a moment—that you're in the middle of braiding another section of his hair. When you look back at him, having looked away, your eyes are shining with poorly-disguised affection and your voice is painfully soft.

"When," you correct. "When that day comes. That's what I should've written down."

Letting go of his hair, you pull yourself off his lap and draw your knees closer to your chest. You rest your head on his shoulder. And as loose dark hair begins to tickle his cheek, his hand seeks out yours, pinky finger brushing against the back of your hand.

"When that day comes, we'll get married."

His gaze softens when he looks at you, in the midst of murmuring his agreement. Your wedding is something he's thought about often—his own is not. But now, the groom at the altar is no longer a blurry figure, devoid of any recognizable qualities and having only an aura of happiness that befits a day so celebrated.

It is something he'll ponder over until the day comes, all so that you're the happiest bride to ever live, whether on Earth or any other world.

"Good." You squeeze his hand gently. "Consider it a proposal then."

"It's the first time I've ever been proposed to," he comments offhandedly.

"Really?" For some reason, you sound surprised. And though your words sound like they could pass for a joke, the thoughtful note to them makes it clear that they are not. "Alright, I'm taking it back. I'll make sure to come back with a ring next time."

Cael smiles helplessly at you. "I'm not sure if you can take something like that back so easily."

His breath catches in his throat when you lift your head slightly to meet his gaze. Because in that moment, you're smiling at him brightly, It is blinding. While he's distracted, you lean in close and steal a quick kiss from his lips.

"Temporary measure," you respond, squinting at him in faux annoyance. "You're not getting rid of me so easily."

In a voice so soft that he's half certain you'll miss it, he says, sincerely, "I would never dream of it."

Judging by the way your smile widens into a grin, you don't miss it at all.

+extra

"YOU KNOW, YOU MISSED IT BEFORE," you point out unexpectedly, long after they've moved on from the topic of weddings and wedding dresses.

Cael catches onto the context immediately.

It's past dinner time now. The dirty dishes in the sink wait for you and your yellow rubber gloves patiently for their turn. He'd been the one to make dinner, something quick and easy, per your request. Your wish for the day had been "a lazy day together", so your initial intention was to order to takeout.

But halfway through the day, you began to crave his cooking.

Once he'd made sure the ingredients were there, getting them both out of a trip to the supermarket, you had no reason to refuse his offer. So you'd scrapped your plans and followed him into the kitchen to help.

"I'm not sure it would've been very appropriate to point out," he says, from where he sits at the dining table.

He'd expected nothing to come out of it, so he simply never brought it up. There were more important things to worry about at the time—your presence in Godheim, and all that came after that. His heart aches at the memory of your tears, particularly because he'd been the one to cause them.

They'd never properly spoken of it—of the day Peter Pan understood, but could not bring himself to make peace with, the fact that Wendy would have to leave him one day.

"After all, you were a teenager," Cael adds, remembering what he'd told your friend Natalie. "It would be no different than taking advantage of you."

His words, however, go in one ear and go out the other. You're rather specific about what you choose to pick out from his words, your next words discarding all but the subtext.

"So, you did know about my crush on you."

Though your words are undeniably a conclusion, a statement and not a question, they carry with them an expectation of a response. You crane your neck to fix him with an equally expectant stare, as if the weight behind your words isn't enough.

"Yes, I knew about your crush on me," Cael admits wryly. A helpless sigh accompanies his words. "What brought this on?"

You hum strainedly, returning to your dishes. "Nothing."

For the time being, he leaves it at that.

It is only when the two of you happen to encounter Lars while on a date that he discovers the truth, after some coaxing on his part. That you'd been under the impression that your crush on him was a secret kept carefully under wraps. That it'd been Lars who'd guessed otherwise—after some advice on how to handle Cael's new hobby—and subsequently been proven correct, leaving you to sulk on your own.

Unsurprisingly, Cael does not manage to stifle his laughter before you notice.

[goodluckclove]

Okay Clove. I've seen a lot of little snippets from Blind Trust and I rock with your writing style a ton. But what's the book actually about?? Something with magic in a contemporary setting ? Hot dogs are somehow involved ??

Geets, it's me, the person who never learned how to properly pitch their own writing! I'll give it a shot anyway. I have a pinned post on my blog that has the fancy synopsis I'll probably put on the back of the book, but I'm fresh from a nap and on my phone and Feeling Frisky so I'll try and take it a different way.

What is Blind Trust about?

Blind Trust is book one of the Songbird Elegies, and it takes place in a contemporary world where magic exists but isn't great. It's not bad in a cool, The Witcher sort of way. Most people only know about magic through The Academy, where anyone can enlist and learn how to tap into the source of magic itself. Which sounds cool until you consider the physical strain of even a minor spell, the fact that major spells can take massive amounts for studying and practice and still aren't that powerful, and how carrying a wand on your person at all times is not easy to do without looking and feeling like a dipshit. Essentially, the average Academic Witch is like an arrogant MFA student or so someone really into craft beer.

But then there is a certain, little-studied medical anomaly that creates birthrights, which are individuals born already tapped into the source of magic by design. They each have a single ability that they can do without a wand (or wand-shaped proxy), but it's nothing innately combative and is mainly used to help interact with society at large. This is because the Birthright Gene is seen exclusively in individuals who are either born with a severe hereditary, genetic, or developmental disability, or will develop one over the course of their life but I'm not supposed to talk about that yet.

Birthrights are often found in a few scattered witch towns, where they use their abilities to focus on social work and community outreach. People also call them genetic witches, but you'd be hard-pressed to get a birthright to call themselves a witch at all. They don't value magic at all in the same way Academics do, and primarily see their "gift" as a chronic illness to manage and accommodate for.

Birthrights and Academics have varying relationships depending on where you are and who you ask but I can't really get into that because in Blind Trust no one knows anything so you don't get to either.

Well, that's not true. There's a mutual understanding of the concept of soul bonds, which are lifelong connections formed between individuals born in the source of magic - though how much people actually retained about this varies. A soul bond is not unlike a karass in Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, in that the people involved are cosmically entangled with each other in a very profound way.

They might be born to be companions, family, enemies, or lovers. The last possibility, called a Lover's Knot, is the rarest and is reserved as a way to contain birthrights who would otherwise be capable of reality-shattering degrees of power. Which nobody wants. Especially not a birthright.

Meet Edgar Gallows and Scott Skylark Kaufner. Scott is a birthright from a witch town and Edgar was born into an Academy in Louisiana, despite also being birthright.

At the start of Blind Trust Edgar has escaped his Academy for the time being and has established a ramshackle and pretty lonely life for himself in New Orleans. He never wants to touch a wand for the rest of his life, and his only hope is to be boring and safe and left alone forever.

Meanwhile, Scott has been having a real rough time. He's been wandering the country nonstop for years with an unfathomable cosmic horror feeding on his sanity and gradually eroding reality around him. Birthrights don't use their abilities often, but for some reason Scott can't turn his off, and they've been warped to the degree where he's been forced to manipulate everyone around him. He can't stop, though. The only thing that can make this stop is if he finds the other half of his Lover's Knot, who he now only remembers as a ghostly vision named Eddie.

Scott and Edgar meet in a dirty walk-in of a mid-tier, overpriced bar and restaurant. Stuff changes and continues to change. Magic is involved but it's not really about the magic.

It's asexual and romantic and soft and confused and frightening and frightened and tender and in book two Edgar eats a hot dog for four pages. It's a great book about love and devotion that's sensual but not at all sexual, because the Clove Gardener Pledge is that there is no sex depicted at any point in the series. It's a great series if you're coping with parental neglect and trauma and want to read a depiction of self-love through an unconventional romantic pairing.

Blind Trust. Buy it in June in paperback or ebook, or just ask me for it and I'll probably give it to you.

[justagamerandaweeb]

Curiosity - Modern AU! Aizetsu x Male! Reader

Starting off my LGBT journey, we're gonna start with my favorite clone out of the four. I don't know why, but I feel like Aizetsu would be bi-curious, especially if it's a male friend he likes.

But, that's just me.

Art by Arkdraws13 (Twitter and Insta), Blue divider by @peachesboard, and blue MDNI banner by @roseschoices.

The following smut includes: anal fingering, anal penetration, fellatio, Aizetsu receiving (but also giving), just same-sex things. Doggystyle and Cowboy position. (And nipple pinching, but only on one paragraph.)

The sound of music playing in Aizetsu's ears as his eyes were closed, sitting on a bench, next to a lake. Him wearing headphones while feeling the cool breeze hit him made him feel in a state of serenity. It was rare for him to have this sort of quiet, considering he lived with his brothers.

He leaned his head back and let out a brief exhale through his mouth and opened his eyes to look at the beautiful red, orange, and pink sky. "It looks beautiful, doesn't it?" He heard the sound of another man talking. He turns his head to the left to see (Y/N), sitting with his leg crossed, and his arm perched to keep his head up.

"(Y/N)? What are you doing here?"

"I was just taking a stroll, trying to get some air after being in my apartment for so long, and then I see you sitting here. So, how you doing?" (Y/N) asked him. Aizetsu took his headphones off as he straightened his neck, and sat up properly as he responded, "Just... Dawdling."

(Y/N) hums as he lets out a heavy sigh and looks at the lake. "Anything in particular you want to talk about?" His legs started to bounce as he asked that question to him, and he responded, "No, not really. I mean, other than getting some space from my brothers, of course."

(Y/N) hums in a way of acknowledgment as he stops bouncing his leg and says, "Do you want to do anything in the meantime?" Aizetsu looked at him, as he asked him, "What do you mean?" "I mean, you want to go out and eat? Have a drink? Anything."

Aizetsu lets out a small hum as if he were thinking about what he should do. "I mean, I can leave you alone, if you want. I would do anything you aren't comfortable with." (Y/N) commented, assuring Aizetsu that he still has a choice to come with him or not.

"No, I do. But, where would we go out? Are there any spots you might recommend?" Aizetsu questioned him as he responded, "Well, I know this place where we can play video games, and eat and drink. I went there for one of my friend's birthday,  and honestly, it was fun. You wanna go there? See if you enjoy it too?"

"Hm... I guess." He said as he stood up and stretched. He made a sharp exhale out through his nose as he said, "Where is this place?" "Follow me, and I'll show you." (Y/N) said as he walked up the mini hill. Aizetsu followed him as they both started to along the trail that led them out of the park. They both were walking on the sidewalk, cars passing by them and the displays of merchandise on the electronic walls.

Few minutes go by, and (Y/N) makes a sudden stop at a specific building, that has graphics of video games and anime characters on its vertical windows. "Here we are, this is the place." They both walked up to the door that had the name of the building, "Battle & Brew?"

"Yeah, cool name for an arcade restaurant, in my opinion. C'mon let's have some fun." (Y/N) said as he opened the door, and walked in. Aizetsu was met with the overwhelming amount of tech that was packed into this building. Multiple PCs, multiple monitors, TVs, consoles, controllers propped for display, and people.

"Hi, can we get 3 hours to the VIP section? We're just gonna play a few games, eat and drink." (Y/N) asked the server as they responded, "Absolutely. Follow me." They started to walk to the area that had a curtain covering up the room, and they slid it away to reveal a room that had two big screen TVs, two rectangular small tables, a small TV that had a VR headset propped on the stool, and three consoles on each set of the two TV tables.

"This is where you two will be playing. And this," they grab some sort of circular device, "is what you use to call us if you need anything. Maybe a new game, a refill, anything. Got that?" And they both nodded. "Good. And speaking of food, should I give you two your menus?"

"Uh, sure. We can wait." (Y/N) said as he sat down on the right couch. "Okay, be right back." The server said as they walked out of the room. Aizetsu sits next to (Y/N), as Aizetsu looks down under the table to see three consoles set up. "This place looks really expensive in terms of tech."

"I said the same thing when I got here for the first time with my friend. But, as we wait for our menus, what do you want to play first? You see the games they have on the walls, so we have a lot of options." (Y/N) said as he looked at the display of multiple game cases on the wall.

Aizetsu hums as he looks at the rows of games on the wall, trying to see what game he would have fun with the most. Moments later, the server came back with two menus in one of their hands. They gave it to the two and they looked at it. It shows different foods and drinks with some clear comic, video game, and anime references.

"So, do any of you have any choices?"

(Y/N) looks at Aizetsu as he says, do you want to go first, or..." he points the menu at (Y/N), indicating that he should go first. "Okay, I'll go first. For a drink, can I get the Princess Peach? And for my appetizer, I'll take..." (Y/N)'s eyes scrolled down to the appetizers section when one of the descriptions caught his eye.

Stuffed Boule with garlic herb cheese and garlic butter topping. Served with marinara. "...Garlic Bread DA-BOMB." The server wrote the drink and the appetizer of choice as they said, "Okay, and for your entree?"

"Hm..." (Y/N)'s eyes pan down to the entrees section, and another description caught his eye. Mac and cheese, fried chicken tossed in hot/BBQ sauce topped with ranch dressing. Just from the description alone was enough to make (Y/N)'s stomach growl. "I'll take The Dark Phoenix Mac with hot sauce, please." He said, as he put the menu down on the rectangular table.

"Okay, thank you. And what will you have, sir?" The server asked Aizetsu, pointing their pen at him. "I'll take a Rainbow Road for my drink. For my appetizer, I'll just take Peter Parker's Pickles. And my entree is Dragon's Nest." And he puts down the menu.

"Okay, thank you. As you guys wait for your drinks and meals to be done, what do you guys wanna play? I'll get someone else to pick up the controllers for you." (Y/N) and Aizetsu look at each other as (Y/N) asked him, "Do you have a poison of choice?" Aizetsu looked down under the TV table, and locked his eyes with Switch that was connected to the TV. "Can we play Nintendo?"

"Oh, absolutely. I'll ask someone to bring the controllers, and I'll tell them to cook your food. I'll be back with your drinks, so enjoy yourselves for the time being." And they left again. Aizetsu huffs as he slouches on the leather black couch, and taps his foot on the slightly sticky floor. "So, how is this experience treating you so far?" (Y/N) questioned Aizetsu, with a smirk on his face.

"It's... An interesting place, so to speak. Never seen menus where they would have media culture references. But, it's fun to see, to say the least." Aizetsu answered, sounding like a restaurant nerd. (Y/N) chuckled a little as he mouthed out, "As much as it is nice of you to say that, that isn't what I asked. Are you having fun, or not?"

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"Good." They both sat there for a few seconds before Aizetsu spoke up and uttered, "So, how have you been doing for this past month?"

"In what regard?" (Y/N) retorted. "I mean... in general. Wanna see how you're doing since you're always so busy. Is there anything you want to talk about in particular?" Aizetsu whispered out that last part, almost as if he wanted to talk about that thing.

"Are you trying to make me open up about myself? 'Cause I'm pretty sure you already know." (Y/N) speculated at Aizetsu. Because it wasn't a secret to him. Well, at least the people he knew and trusted around him.

"I know, but... what's it like?" He said, sounding like a curious child who knows something that they aren't supposed to. (Y/N)'s eyebrow raised in concern as he turned his head to him and made eye contact with him as he said, "What do you mean?"

A blush started to form on his face as he put his hand on the back of his head and avoided eye contact with him as he pleaded, "I-I mean... how does it work? Does it feel the same, or..." Aizetsu's leg started to bounce as he was trying to think of something to say.

"Or?"

"...is there something else to it...?" He mutters out as his eyes traces back to (Y/N)'s. A smirk crept up to (Y/N)'s lips as he lets out a nose laugh and says, "There's nothing to it, really. It feels how it feels, I'm pretty sure you can't go more deeper than that. I just like men mainly because they look more attractive than women, simple as that." He confided that last part, as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Huh." Aizetsu crooned, taking into consideration from (Y/N)'s answer. "But, to answer your question about how I've been doing for this past month, I'm doing good."

Moments later, a server that had two Nintendo Pro controllers, one was blue and black, and the other was (P/C) and (S/C). "Here you two go. Lemme turn on the TV." The server grabbed the remote that was propped on the wall as they turned on the TV, and turned on the Switch. "Do you guys need anything else, or have I done my part?"

"We don't need anything else, thank you." (Y/N) commented as the server responded, "Well alright then. You two have a fun time now!" And walks out the room. Aizetsu grabbed the blue and black controller, while (Y/N) grabbed the (P/C) and (S/C) one. "So, what game do you want to play first?" (Y/N) said scrolling through the catalog of games the Switch had to offer.

"Um... Mario Kart?"

"I was just about to suggest that." He said as he booted up the game. He lifted his arm up a bit, and slightly extended his fist towards him as he said, "Let's have some fun, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Minutes go by as they played track after track on Mario Kart, they chose to do 16 races, and they were on their 11th. Their drinks and appetizers were already on the table, both of their plates empty, and their cups half-drunk as they were having a fun time together playing and eating.

"Hello, Dark Pheniox Mac and Dragons Nest?" The server announced with a big black platter in their hands that had one plate of chicken and waffles, and a big bowl of chicken with macaroni and cheese.

The server puts both of the dishes down and says, "Enjoy your meals." (Y/N) and Aizetsu nods as (Y/N) says, "We will, thank you!" And paused the game. "Man, I'm starving. As good as that appetizer was, I don't think it was enough to fill my stomach..." he grabbed the fork and continued, "But this? Oh, I already know I'm gonna be full throughout the day." He said as he licked his lips.

He picked up the bowl and was about to chow down, until he looked at the right of his peripherals to see Aizetsu's hands together and his eyes closed. Oh right. I almost forgot. He puts the bowl and the fork down as he closes his eyes and puts his hands together.

They both stay like that together for a couple of seconds, giving out mental prayers to their gods, thanking them for letting them have these delicacies that were placed right in front of them. "Thank you for the meal," Aizetsu utters out as he grabs the chicken, dipping it into the chili maple syrup, and takes a bite.

"Thank you for the meal." (Y/N) repeated as he grabbed the fork and the bowl, stabbed bits of the chicken and the macaroni, and shoved it into his mouth. Both of them chewed the food, and had different results. Aizetsu's eyes widened from the whiplash of how good the chicken mixed with the syrup was. While (Y/N) elicits a groan of satisfaction when he tastes the food. He's had it before when he was here during his friend's birthday, but the taste of it still felt fresh and new. Damn, I love this.

They both continued to eat their food of choice, and they even shared a bite with each other's food, both of them having positive reactions to eating the other's food. They both finish their dishes, feeling completely full and satisfied as they slouch on the couch. "That hit the spot. Phew..." (Y/N) said before unleashing a huge belch from his mouth. "Damn, 'cuse me."

Shortly after (Y/N) excused himself, Aizetsu put his fist in front of his mouth, and softly burped, telling his critique about how good the food was. "Excuse me." (Y/N) chuckles as he grabs a napkin, and wipes his mouth and hands. Aizetsu followed suit as he did the same, and when he finished, picked up the controller. "You ready?" He asks as (Y/N) cracks his knuckles, fingers, and neck as he picks up the controller and says, "Let's go."

Four races later, they were on their last race. The track they were on was ExciteBike Arena. This was gonna be the definitive answer of who is the better racer. Both of them were leaning forward, locked in as they were drifting and using their items through every turn of the big oval. Aizetsu was in 2nd, (Y/N) was in 3rd on the second lap.

Both of them had shells behind their karts for protection, both of them neck and neck against each other on the track. Both of their eyes were glued onto the screen as they made it to the final lap. Other than the TV, no sound has ever come out of their mouths, as if they weren't even breathing.

Then, all of a sudden, lightning struck and shrunk both of them, making them both lose their items and leaving them vulnerable. They both turned back into their normal state as it was now the final lap. They both broke their item boxes as (Y/N) got a green shell, amd Aizetsu received the shorter end of the straw and got coins.

(Y/N) thought it would be a great idea to throw it so he could hit Aizetsu, but he weaved at the last second and so it ricocheted around the track and somehow, by the laws of physics, it hit him. (Y/N) leaned more forward, looking like he was folding like a lawn chair, potentially ruining his spine.

(Y/N) was now stuck in 5th, and it would only take a miracle for him to get back to where he was. Fortunately, the Mario Kart gods must've heard his pleas as he was given three red shells, and a mushroom. He used two of the shells, hitting Yoshi, and Donkey Kong, leaving the last shell for Aizetsu.

Aizetsu had a shell behind his kart, so (Y/N) threw the shell, and wasted no time using the mushroom to get a boost. Aizetsu tried to throw the boomerang, but since those things can be sometimes unreliable, it was to no avail. (Y/N) mimicked the sound to where you finish the race as he leaned back on the couch and pumped his hand. "Yes... YES!" He then laughs as he covers his face and lets out a big sigh of satisfaction.

He looks to his right to see Aizetsu slouching on the couch in defeat. Sure, he got second place, but if only he had a better item then a boomerang. (Y/N) softly backhanded his arm as he says, "Hey, good game man." He said as he puts down the controller and checks his phone to see the time. "We got about an hour and 30 minutes. You wanna switch consoles, or do you want a rematch?"

Aizetsu grabbed the other controller, went to the home page, and booted up Smash Bros. "Oh, so that's what were doin'? Alright," he cracked his fingers and neck again as he grabbed his controller and stood up properly. "Let's play."

The last match was between Donkey Kong, and Ganondorf. The map they were on was Nintendogs as Both of them had one stock left. Aizetsu was at 25% as Donkey Kong while (Y/N) was at 50% as Ganondorf. The sounds of the controller sticks being pushed around as well as the loud clicking of the buttons and triggers filled the sound of the room.

Both of them started to do the same they did when they played Mario Kart, and didn't make a single sound. They would both get their few licks, but all there was was backing up and blocking. Both of them were at 75% now. Any one of them would lose off of one combo. (Y/N) could hear the sound of his heartbeat in his ears while Aizetsu's body started to feel like it had a mind of its own. His fingers would move on instinct and without a second thought as well.

Aizetsu started to charge his neutral b attack as he then started to pressure (Y/N) as he was blocking. As he finished pressuring him, he thought it would be a good idea to do a side tilt a on him, but then Aizetsu moved back and hit him with a side b. (Y/N) was spamming the buttons to escape being stuck to the ground, but it was to no avail as Aizetsu hits him with his neutral b, resulting him getting flown across the map, and him losing a stock.

"Aw, fuck!" (Y/N) exclaimed out, as if he was angry, but the smile on his face would rather say otherwise. He heard the sound of Aizetsu softly chuckling, and he turns his head as he says, "Oh, you think that's funny? You baiting me and getting a stock off me is funny to you?"

Aizetsu softly nods and (Y/N)'s smile started to get bigger as he says, "Oh yeah? Well, let's see who's laughing now when I do this!" He then pounced on him as he then wraps his arm around his neck, balled his left hand up, and started to give him a noogie. Aizetsu started to laugh louder as (Y/N) commented, "Yeah, it's funny now, huh? You still think it's funny?" Aizetsu bends his head down, and slipped out of (Y/N)'s grasp, he couldn't get enough breathing room as (Y/N) mounted on top of him.

Their laughing slowly fade away, and their smiles started to softly drop as their faces started to become red. Their hearts began to sound more audible in their ears, and it felt like their blood was coursing through their veins at a rapid rate, making their body feel warmer as this interaction unfolds.

"W-What— What are you doing?" Aizetsu stuttered out as (Y/N)'s arms were pinned next to both sides of his head. "I-I... Don't know." (Y/N) softly responded, feeling completely frozen as it felt like he couldn't move. (Y/N) shook his head as he says, "I-I'm sorry... I'll get of you now."(Y/N) was about to sit up and sit back down on the couch, when suddenly, as if Aizetsu's body had a mind of its own, he wrapped his arms around (Y/N)'s neck, pulled him down, and locked lips with him.

(Y/N)’s eyes widened in shock, genuinely surprised that Aizetsu would kiss him after this stunt he pulled. His eyes slowly began to close, as he felt his muscles relax as Aizetsu was kissing him. He cupped Aizetsu's cheek, as they stayed there, locking each others lips for a couple of seconds.

After a moment, (Y/N) pulled back to breathe, and glanced at Aizetsu. His entire face was red, as steam was puffing out of his mouth, looking slightly embarrassed, but proud of what he did. "Holy shit..." (Y/N) softly spoke out as he leaned back up and scooted away from him. "Yeah..." Aizetsu agreed, sitting up. They both stayed silent for a few seconds as (Y/N) cleared his throat and stated, "I... Think our time is up."

Aizetsu takes his phone out and sees that it was 9 PM. He softly nods as he replies, "Y-Yeah... I think it is." (Y/N) stood up off the couch and extended his hand towards him so he could get picked up. Aizetsu politely declines his help, and he puts his hands in his pockets. The both walk out of the VIP room and met with the server in the front.

"I take it you two had a fun time?" The server asks them, not having a clue about what really went down in there. "Mhm." (Y/N) hummed in agreement as he took out his wallet and payed the amount that was required. The server takes the yen and says, "Thank you, have a nice night you two!" They both looked back and waved goodbye before leaving and walking down the sidewalk.

Both of them walking next to each other, not saying a word to each other, but their constant glancing at each other was enough for them to speak. Why did I/he do that?

I know he didn't mean to pin me down, but my body wanted him. Wait, no! That isn't what I thought! I just wanted to know how it felt to kiss a man! Agh, That sounds even worse!

Just when I was about to get off of him, he pulled me... like it was on impulse. Was it in the moment, or did he mean to do that? They glanced at each other and quickly avoided eye contact again as they thought, The strangest part about what happened in there, is that... I liked it. His lips... felt soft.

And... I want more.

"(Y/N)/Aizetsu, can—" they both stopped walking and looked at each other, surpised at the fact that they almost spoke in unison. "You go ahead." (Y/N) proposed him. Aizetsu mumbles out something indistinct, which (Y/N) did not hear clearly. "What?" Aizetsu clears his throat as he repeats what he said, "Can we... go to your place...?" He said, holding his right arm, showing off signs of slight embarrassment and shyness.

(Y/N) makes a few steps towards him, getting into his personal space, and kisses him on the cheek as he puts his arm around his shoulder. With no other words to exchange, they continued to walk on the sidewalk, now with faint blushes on their faces.

(Y/N) opens the door to the main entrance of the apartment complex. They both walked in, and walking around the main hall of the complex. (Y/N) pressed the button to call the elevator, and waited. (Y/N) softly whispers in Aizetsu's ear, giving him chills as he felt his warm breath as he says, "We don't have to do this, you know that right? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable and make you hate me."

Aizetsu softly shook his head as he retorted, "No. I want this. Just so I know what it's like." side-eyeing him. (Y/N) did nothing but him at that response as the sound of the elevator dinging made them slightly flinch. The elevator opens and they both went inside as (Y/N) pressed the number 4 and the elevator closes.

They both stood there, occasionally clearing their throats as they watch the floor number go up. They looked at each other as (Y/N) softly smirked at him, and Aizetsu groans as he looks down at the floor. (Y/N) kisses his cheek again, which made him more flustered than he already was.

The elevator stops, and the door opens, and so they walked out of the elevator and started to walk the hall. The sound of their shoes softly echoing in the hall as they got closer and closer and closer to (Y/N)'s room. (Y/N) makes a sudden stop as he he grabbed his keys out of his pocket, and unlocked the door.

He grabs the doorknob, twists it, and pushes it open. He walks in and began to untie his shoes. Aizetsu follows suit as shortly after he did it, he puts his shoes next to the door. (Y/N) does the same as he then threw his jacket on the couch and started to walk to the room of his door. Aizetsu folded his jacket as he softly placed it on the arm rest of the couch and walked behind (Y/N).

(Y/N) looks back at Aizetsu, and back in front of the white wood of the door as he inhaled, and exhaled out of his nose before opening the door. There wasn't much to be seen, all there was was a TV, a console, wallpapers of different cultural media, and a king-sized bed to top it all off.

(Y/N) wasted no time whatsoever as he took his shirt off and then pulled his pants down. Aizetsu immediately blushed at this as he couldn't believe he could do something so casual from something like this. (Y/N) sat down on the corner of the bed as he looked at Aizetsu and said, "Come on."

Aizetsu slightly puckered his lips, before letting out a brief exhale and started to undress himself. He slowly took off his shirt, which revealed his slightly visible abs, and pecs. His arms also had definition, but not a lot to the point where his muscles would be bulging out of his skin. He then started to pull his pants down, revealing his surprisingly well-defined legs, and thighs, and now he was in nothing but his boxers.

He slowly started to walk to the bed, holding his arm and avoiding eye contact with him as he turned his body to the side, and sat down on the bed next to him. Aizetsu continued to avoid eye contact with him, looking at his feet as his leg began to bounce. (Y/N) notices and announces, "Hey." making Aizetsu flinch.

"We can stop here, you know that, right? I'm not gonna make you feel uncomfortable if you—" Aizetsu shuts him up by putting his lips on his. Aizetsu wrapped his arms around (Y/N) as they both collapsed on the bed, continuously kissing.

Their chapped lips moisturizing each other as their teeth were scraping against each other, their bodies inches away from connecting, their body on fire, their hearts beating at a rapid pace. (Y/N) tilts his head to the side to get a better position for them to kiss to lessen their chances of their teeth rubbing against each other, involving the case of their tongues going inside their mouths.

Aizetsu initially flinched at the feeling of (Y/N)'s tongue touching his, but his nerves were calmed as he felt (Y/N)'s hand touch his cheek. His face became less scrunched up, and it felt like his body was melting. This level of intimacy, is something he has never felt before in his life. Maybe because he was an outcast and never talked to people. Maybe it's because he never knew what love felt like. Maybe it was because he was too scared to talk to girls.

Or maybe, he wanted to see if there was more than a brotherly bond between him and (Y/N).

They both stopped kissing, breathing to regain oxygen after their long kissing session. Their eyes were half-lidded, their lips moist, their face red. Aizetsu glanced at (Y/N) for a second before he lowered his face down and laid his head on his chest. The first thing he sees is (Y/N)'s bulge that is coming out of his boxers, which makes his eyes slightly widen and elicit, "W-Whoa..."

He was erect as well, but he looked a little bigger. "Whoa what?" He heard (Y/N) say. He then sat back up and opened his mouth, but struggled to find the words. He then looked down at his boxers, which made (Y/N) look down as well. His cloth-covered shaft was twitching from the inside, making the pair of boxers stretch with every pulse that it did. His eyes panned over to Aizetsu's pair to see the same result, pointing it out. "Looks like you're not the only one."

Aizetsu groans as he feels his hands grab the rim of his boxers, making his breath hitch. "Relax, I won't do it unless you tell me to. Do you want me to make you feel good as we do this?" (Y/N) asks him with a sense of concern in his voice that sounded genuine. Aizetsu's expression of fear turned into an expression of shyness as he softly whispered, "...Go ahead."

(Y/N) smirks as he pulls them down, and watches his shaft slowly rise up off of his abdomen. (Y/N)'s rod began to twitch even harder, seeing Aizetsu's in full display. While he wasn't that thick, he made up for it in terms of length. He fully took off the boxers and threw them on the floor as he quickly took his pair off and revealed his thick pipe.

Fuck he's big... Aizetsu thought before a blush formed on his face as he thought, Did I really just say that? He was quickly brought back as he felt his hand wrap around him and started to slowly stroke him, making him elicit a hitch. A groan then escapes his lips as he lays his head down on the bed and lets (Y/N) touch him down there.

His entire body felt sensitive, specifically his shaft. It felt so tingly that it was enough to make his body have chills just from him moving his hand. He let out a shaky exhale as he felt his precum leaking out of his urethra, soaking his tip, and (Y/N)'s palm. Rather than his hand moving hand up and down sounding dry, it was replaced with this sticky, wet sensation, like the sound of pasta was being mixed with cheese of some sort.

"You're leaking a lot... when was the last time you... y'know...?" (Y/N) questions him, surprised that he had this much stored in him. "T-Two times..." he responded, trying to concentrate to not finish so fast. "Two times? A week?"

"A month..."

(Y/N)'s eyes widened at his answer as he reiterated to him, "You only touch yourself two times a month?" And he nods. "I don't do it u-unless I need to." He said, moaning out that last part. (Y/N) looks down at his shaft, and lets go of it as he watches it twitch, begging for it to be touched more. He had a better idea than touching it. He got down on his knees on the floor, and pulled Aizetsu to the edge of the bed as he put his hands on his thighs, opened his mouth, and wrapped his lips around him.

Aizetsu's body jolted so aggressively, that it caused him to sit up, and put his hands on (Y/N)'s head. "W-What are you—" he whimpers as he feels him slowly moving his head back and forth. The muscles on his arms tensed up, as he did not know what to do to properly respond to this new sensation. He didn't want to hurt his throat, but he didn't want to tease him any longer, so he decided to take deep breaths.

"O-Oh... F-Fu..."  His toes softly curled and his back arched as he felt him slurping his spit, and to extension, his skin as he continued to bob his head. (Y/N) moaned as he was sucking him, sending vibrations around him, which made his hips coil. (Y/N) breathed through his nose as he closed his eyes, and took Aizetsu's rod deeper into his mouth. He slightly gagged, but took a breath before starting to move his head again.

Aizetsu was struggling to keep his body up, so he had no choice but to lay down on his back, and moan as he felt (Y/N)'s warm, wet mouth. More pre was leaking out of his tip, which made (Y/N) groan out of slight satisfaction. He softly slurped him again, and started to move his head at a more moderate pace. It was enough to make Aizetsu produce louder whimpers, and for him to tightly grip the cover of the bed.

This feels... so good... Aizetsu thought as he felt occasional twitches. His breathing started to become heavy, and he would struggle to conceal a few moans as he stated, "(Y/N)... I-I'm gonna..." he couldn't finish as he heard the sound of a pop coming out of (Y/N)'s lips as he takes Aizetsu's shaft out of his mouth. (Y/N) looks at it to see that it was uncontrollably twitching, coming to terms with how close he actually was to cumming. But (Y/N) had a better idea, one that was more...

Intimate.

He wiped the spit off of his lips and chin and stood up as he asked Aizetsu, "How was that?" Aizetsu was struggling to sit up, his body shaking as he mustered up all that he could as he sat up high enough to make eye-to-eye contact with him as he said, "It felt... really good. I never thought it would..." he sighs as he couldn't think of another way of saying that it felt good. (Y/N) does a nose laugh as he opens the cabinet from his TV table, and takes out some sort of bottle.

"What is that?" Aizetsu questions, curious about why would he have a bottle for something like...

The realization hit him like a shotgun with Dragon's Breath shells. He was gonna use that to... Aizetsu gulped in a sense of skepticism as he saw what (Y/N) was down there. He was thick, thicker than he was. He wasn't sure if he would fit inside him. "Something that might make you feel more... comfortable, to say the least."

He pops the cap open and says to him, "Turn around." Aizetsu swallows his spit as he turns around to show his behind to him. Due to him having well-defined thighs, he had a really nice pair of glutes with that too. (Y/N)'s pipe twitched as he got on the bed and poured an acceptable amount of lube on his index and middle fingers.

He then takes his other hand, and spreads his cheeks open, revealing his pink rosy hole. (Y/N) then licked his lips as he could imagine how overstimulated he would be if he were to tease and lick his hole, and listen to him struggle to keep his composure. But the lube was already on his fingers, so it was a missed opportunity. He softly shook his head as he warned Aizetsu, "Get ready." And slowly inserted his fingers inside him.

Aizetsu made a huge gasp as he faceplanted and tightly balled his fists. He makes an audible shudder as he feels (Y/N)'s cold, wet, lubricated fingers go inside him. His hole immediately tightened, and (Y/N) quickly tried to reassure him by kissing his shoulder and saying, "Breathe. Trust me, it was weird for me the first time too. So, relax."

He turned his head to the side as he was frantically breathing from his fingers inside him, but he closed his eyes and started to concentrate on steadying his breath. His breath was shaky, but was going at a slower rate as (Y/N) felt him become loose. Aizetsu looks up at him as he says "K-Keep going, please." (Y/N) smirks as he nuzzles and kisses his cheek and resumes moving his fingers.

Aizetsu's back would occasionally arch as he felt him spinning his fingers, and hit his prostate. If he was this sensitive from his fingers alone, he could only imagine what it would feel like when he went inside him. His cock would occasionally twitch as well, seeing his prostate would receive stimulation from his fingers, it would only make it even harder to keep it together.

(Y/N) takes his fingers out of him, and starts to move his fingers in a circle around his entrance, making sure that wouldn't hurt as much. (Y/N) wraps his arms around Aizetsu's waist as he lifts him up and puts him on his knees. He then put his shaft in between his cheeks as he said, "You ready?" Aizetsu looks back at him, and nods as he says, "T-Try to be gentle..."

(Y/N) smirks as he says, "I will." He then grabs his shaft, lines up to his hole, and slowly pushes himself in. Aizetsu makes a faint whimper, making (Y/N) stop. But he persisted as he said, "N-No, no, no, keep going." (Y/N) took it as a sign as he then did what he asked. Slowly filling him inch by inch as his ass started to feel more full. "N-Ngh..."

"Don't worry... I-I'm almost..." he then felt his hips come into contact with Aizetsu's, he softly moaned as he realized that he was all the way in. "...there. You okay?" (Y/N) pondered at him, making sure that he wasn't uncomfortable. Aizetsu softly nods as he responds, "I'm okay... I'm okay. Y-You're really big... but what you put in me is making me feel loose." He softly laughed, but quickly moaned as he felt his rod throb inside him.

"Do you... wanna kiss? So it could distract you from the pain?" He asked him as Aizetsu looked back at him, and wrapped his arm around his neck as he pulled him towards him and they locked lips. They both moaned, as Aizetsu felt his shaft throb again, and (Y/N) felt his ass squeeze him. The kiss was short, but passionate, a line of saliva stretching between his tongue as they both got a chance to breathe. "Should I go now?"

Aizetsu's breathing started to get quieter as he then shook his head and said, "Yes. Please do it." And got on his hands and knees. Fuck, that's hot. (Y/N) thought as he put his hands on his hips, and started to thrust. Aizetsu gritted his eyes and teeth as he was now met with the feeling of another man having sexual intercourse with him.

And it felt good.

"O-Oh, fuck!" He shouted out as his thrusting was at a moderate pace by default. The way he goes in and out so smoothly made his toes curl, and his fists ball. "T-Tell me about it." (Y/N) responds at his sudden outburst. His hips were on autopilot as the sound of his skin coming into contact with Aizetsu's made it feel so good when he re-inserts his entire shaft inside him.

Aizetsu couldn't stop making noises, as his prostate was constantly getting pressed with every thrust he made. And the way (Y/N)'s thigh muscles would tense up every few thrusts, made him shudder in bliss as he wrapped his arms around his abdomen. "F-Fuck, this feels good... your ass feels so warm and tight... it's like you want me to cum." (Y/N) grunted as he finishes his sentence and continued to thrust his hips.

Aizetsu was struggling to maintain his composure, feeling his hole getting stretched as he felt (Y/N)'s shaft going in and out. His breath frantically trembling, his body feeling incredibly loose, as his leg muscles would randomly flex whenever his prostate was pressed. His mind slowly started to become static as his shaft was twitching in the process.

My head feels numb... and my body feels like it's shutting down because of his fat cock inside me... I don't think I'll last long if he keeps this up... He whimpered again as he felt twitching again, and not only that, but his stomach started to become tighter. Oh no... please don't tell me... I'm about to cum from this... I'll cum all over his sheets and it'll get sticky. But... the more sensitive I feel... the more relieving the release will be... Oh, I want to feel it now. How much I can let out until he does the same? F-Fuck, this feels like heaven...

His face relaxes into an expression of ecstasy. One eye was closed while the other was half-lidded and was rolling back into his head as he was sticking his tongue out, frantically moaning and whimpering as his body fell limp. He then felt (Y/N) pump himself faster inside him, but felt him slip out, making him yelp and groan as he now felt empty inside. He turns his head to the side, and looks back at (Y/N), his face covered in sweat, and his eyes screaming for more, as he asks, "W-Why did you stop? I was so close, that I was willing to finish on your sheets."

"As hot as that is..." he lowered his head down, and and pecked his cheeks as he continued, "I want some stimulation as well." "H-Huh?" (Y/N) puts his hand on Aizetsu's shoulder, and turns him on his back to reveal his tone, tan body, and his erratically twitching shaft. His breath was still shaking, but not by a huge amount as he said, "Wh- What are you doing?"

(Y/N) didn't respond to him as he grabbed the bottle of lube that he used to prepare Aizetsu, poured a small amount on his palm, grabbed Aizetsu's shaft, and moved his hands up and down on it. Aizetsu gasped as he softly gritted his teeth and eyes as he felt the smooth, watery, oily texture covering his shaft. (Y/N) stopped when his shaft was glistening and then climbed on top of him, his shaft in between both of his cheeks.

Aizetsu opens his eyes when he felt the bed shift a bit, and sees (Y/N) mounted on top of him. His face turned crimson as he then felt (Y/N) grab both of his hands, and place them on his waist. "Will you let me take your long cock in my ass? I wanna feel your cock fill me with your hot sticky cum until I can't even make words and become a babbling idiot. I want us both to be a shaking mess when we both finish, can you say the same?"

It felt like all the blood of his body went straight to his shaft as his hands that were on (Y/N)'s waist, transitioned down to (Y/N)'s ass as he spreads them and (Y/N) saw this as an opportunity as he bounces up, and when felt like little effort, his entire shaft quickly slid inside him, resulting both of them releasing a scream of euphoria.

(Y/N) collapses on top of Aizetsu, laying his head on his shoulder as they both wrap their arms around each other. "I-Its... s-so warm..." Aizetsu trembled out as his body, specifically his hips, felt so hot. His legs felt so tingly as they were spread out wide open, and his hips were coiled, maintaining enough willpower for him not to move his hips until he gets the word to do so. "Y-You okay?"

"Y-You're so long... I can feel you in my stomach..." he then started to grind his hips, which made Aizetsu grunt, and hitch his breath. "O-Ooh..." Aizetsu's hands went up to (Y/N)'s back and softly caressed it. Making (Y/N)'s body, minus his hole, become loose from the soft affection. "D-Don't do that..." he said, making a groan after he said that.

"I'm moving my hips because I want you to move. My body just wants you to fuck me until I tremble, so go ahead..." he turned his head and softly whispered in his ear in a husk, sensual tone, "...and ruin me."

It sounded like a clock was ticking in his head as it took him a moment for him to process what he said to him until something in his head snapped. Without a second thought, he slides his hands back to his waist, and started to move his hips, making (Y/N) elicit an excited whimper from his lips. "T-Thank you..."

The sound of the bed softly creaking as Aizetsu was moving his hips up and down as he was going in and out of (Y/N)'s tight, warm hole. Both of them releasing sounds of pleasure from their mouths as (Y/N) held onto Aizetsu tighter as his legs began to shake from each time he felt his prostate get hit by his long shaft. He felt light-headed as his face and ears were burning up.

It got to the point where (Y/N) started to move his hips as well, both of them moving in unison as it felt like Aizetsu's shaft was going deeper inside him. "F-Fuck... M-My body, it..." "It what?" Aizetsu grunted out as his moans reverberated from every slam that he felt from (Y/N). "...it feels like it's melting... n-not that I'm complaining..." (Y/N) softly laughed out as he then felt his prostate get pressed again and he folded.

Both of their drenched in sweat, as the sounds of wet skin colliding with each other filled the room as well as their moans of pleasure. (Y/N) began to whimper as he felt his shaft twitching and his stomach becoming tighter. "Aizetsu... L-Let me go..." Aizetsu's hips stop moving as he whispers in his ear, "Wha... What for?" He asks, tirelessly panting out in brief, shaky exhales. "I-I'm close... and I want to take control now."

"Okay..." He said as he lets him go, "But, what are you gonna—" he choked on his own words as the moment (Y/N) sat up, he immediately started to bounce and slam on his cock, making his mind turn into static as from the first few slams. "I-It's too much! My head f-feels like it's gonna explode!"

"W-Well, at least save it when you're about to cum..." (Y/N) moaned out as he placed his hands onto Aizetsu's chest to balance himself, and then started to pinch his nipples, making his back arch elicit a loud exclaim from him. "D-Don't... P-Pinch my... ugh..." his head fell back as he began to drool, and his moans sounded like he was being electrocuted. "I-I'm close..." (Y/N) announced as he wrapped his hand around his twitching rod, and stroked it as he was bouncing on Aizetsu's shaft.

His breath started to become heavier and his voice started to whimper. He kept pumping himself until he clenched his teeth and eyes closed as he felt himself ejaculating his spunk all over Aizetsu's abdomen. Despite finishing on Aizetsu, he continued to ride his shaft, not giving him any time to breathe and overloading his brain in the process. (Y/N) wasn't the only one with an overstimulated brain however, as Aizetsu was feening to finish. His body ached to feel the sweet relief of ejaculation as his muscles would relax from the aftermath of it.

Eventually, he would get what he prayed for the tight feeling in his stomach would come back. "G-Gonna... c-cum..." (Y/N) heard that from him, and spared him no mercy as he was moving his hips at a breakneck rate, leaving no breathing room for Aizetsu. Aizetsu's toes began to curl as he felt his shaft twitching inside (Y/N) and he announced for the second time, "G-Gonna cum!" He yelped out as (Y/N) leaned down and kissed his lips, as he bounced on him a few more times before Aizetsu gasped in his mouth as he felt his shaft spurting his emission inside him.

Both of them were frantically shaking as Aizetsu would convulse at random and felt (Y/N) squeezing him for more. A line of saliva stretched between their tongues as they disconnected the kiss and looked into each other's sex-drunken eyes. "I love you..." (Y/N) blurted out so suddenly, giving Aizetsu whiplash despite everything that just unfolded. Aizetsu softly laughs as he pats (Y/N)'s back and responds, "I... love you... t-too..."

(Y/N) tirelessly chuckles as he then yawns and says, "I'm tired." He then lays his head on Aizetsu's pec as he says, "We'll clean up when we wake up. Don't be afraid to wake me if you do first." Aizetsu hums as he touches (Y/N)'s hair and kisses it. "Okay..." He lays his head down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling before closing his eyes and saying, "Good night."

"Night..."

Although, it might take them some time for them to both get up after waking up, seeing that both of their legs felt incredibly numb after the intercourse, but, they'll figure it out.

05-23-24 -

Who would've thought? Anyway, although I still feel mentally exhausted, I have to do this out of the representation of the LGBT community. If you don't like the future I stuff I write in June, whether it goes by your religion (which is understandable) or you just don't like it, then please don't get upset. Cool? Cool.

Once I'm done with this at the end of June, then I'll take a break for myself.

Well, until next time,

✌️👋❤️.

[arvensimp]

Why do I see Arven as being a vocal lover? 😍 He has the most beautiful moans, deep and sexy, but getting a needy, high-pitched whine from him is also something to die for. If that man ever tried to keep quiet because he thought the sounds he made were embarrassing? Oh my God, I would not be responsible for the crimes I'd go and commit. But once he realises that you like love hearing the all the sinful noises you're drawing from him, he wouldn't hold himself back anymore.

It's always been a weird thing for me that pokemon games don't have voice acting because on one end I think they'd benefit from it, but on the other, we get to imagine what we'd like these characters to sound like for ourselves. I've been having a long, hard think about our guy here for a while and what sort of voice he has. I hope you like this?

-

Vocal Lover

Nsfw, Arven x reader

No gendered pronouns used. Oral (male receiving) and penetrative sex (reader receiving)

--

Even after all these years, Arven still speaks like someone who spent the vast majority his childhood quietly. Who did he have to talk to but his dog?

Sure, once he enrolled in the academy he had classes, classmates, and teachers, so he was forced to make further use of it, but... It's fairly easy to coast by in classes without talking much.

As a result, Arven speaks with a near constant bit of huskiness in his voice, almost as if he wants to speak in a more hushed tone, or as if it isn't quite used to being used.

He doesn't often raise his voice unless he's particularly worked up about something.

This same demeanor follows him into the bedroom with you. Truth be told, it's a little frustrating not to have that auditory feedback from him.

The first few times you blow him, you only manage to pull a few whimpers from him, which is, of course, very hot, but you know you can do better.

The next time you go down on him, as you sit between his knees, looking up at him through your lashes, his hard cock in your fist, you tell him. "I want you to talk me through this, this time, okay?"

Arven nods, his eyes closed and brow furrowed in pleasurable anticipation as you drag your hand up and down his length.

"Nuh-uh... I want you to tell me. Use your words, baby."

"O-oh....Ok-kay..." He nods again.

"Good boy," You reply before taking his tip into your mouth.

Arven gasps and bites his lip to muffle a soft groan, and you release him.

"Don't bite back your sounds. Let me hear them. Can you do that? Use your words."

Arven groans at the loss of your warm, wet mouth. "Y-yeah. I'll try."

This time when you take his tip into your mouth, you drag him in just a bit deeper, pressing your tongue along the underseam of his cock. You feel the muscles in Arven's abdomen twitch as he groans, throaty and low.

"O-oh God... That's good..."

You hum around him, pleased. As you slowly start to take him deeper into your mouth as best you can, his hand finds its way to the top of your head, fingers threading into your hair but not applying any pressure.

"That f-eels r-really nice..." He moans this time, drawing out the vowel of the last word with a husky grovel. The pitch of it quivers a bit in time with spasms that you feel in his cock and inner thighs. You take one hand and rub soothing circles along the muscles there.

You bob your head a few times along what you can easily reach of his cock, trying to lube it up as best you can with saliva for the time being, so your other hand is free to stroke the remainder of it from the base. When you pop your mouth off of him, Arven gasps, pitchy and whiny.

"Ready for a ride?"

"Y-yes please..."

Without leaving his side, you grab a proper lubricant from the bedside drawer and be sure to get him properly coated in it before sliding up to hover above him. You'd already well prepped yourself for this next bit.

"Tell me what you want."

Arven looks down, blushing. "I...I-I..."

You gently take hold of his cheeks and chin in one of your hands and tilt his face to you. He's such a delicious red, you want to eat him up.

"Your words?"

"Ride me, please?" He asks softly. Beneath you, his hips grind against nothing, futilely trying to bump against yours.

"Good boy." You reply, leaning in to press a kiss just below his jaw. At the same time you use your other hand to position yourself to sink down fully on him in one slow, smooth motion.

Arven chokes on air, his sounds only coming halfway before getting trapped in his throat. Only when you're fully seated around him does he drop his head into your shoulder and murmur a reverent "Tight...S-s-so good..."

You slowly drag your hips forward, drawing out another breathy moan from him. This one starts low in his belly but as you reach the apex of the motion and snap back, he cuts off in a delighted whimper.

"Want me to fuck you like this?"

"M-mhmmmm!" He nods against your shoulder, and you stop moving entirely.

"I'm sorry, but that wasn't a word. Care to try again?"

Arven gives a frustrated cry beneath you. "Y-yes! Please!" He draws it out with a moan. "Please ride me, I need it, please!"

"That's what I wanna hear," You reply, resuming the motions at a bit of a harsher pace.

Arven's head lolls back, and he gives an unabashed open mouthed moan of delight. It's breathy and husky and needy and wonderful. You can feel yourself tighten around him at the sound of it, then you feel his reaction to that as his cock twitches within you.

"C-close...."

"Yeah? Wanna cum for me?"

"Y-yeah..." And he sounds so adorably needy and enamoured and fuck drunk.

"Just tell me what you need. 'Kay?"

"C-can...can..." He whines, "Can I cum inside?"

"You can cum wherever you like, my love." You reply with another kiss to his jaw.

Arven then grabs your hips as you continue fucking him and steadies himself a bit, applying just a bit of pressure as he stills beneath you with a wanton moan. You continue rolling your hips just slightly against him through his orgasm and its aftershocks, enjoying his quivering as you purposefully squeeze around his softening cock before you pull him out of you.

You sigh as you roll over onto your back to lay next to him.

"Haaa.... Okay... Now that I've heard you make those noises... I'm gonna need way more..."

Arven hides his blush behind a pillow.