#one thing I've gotten very good at over the years is using the block button

[invinciblerodent]

I love how it's usually those with the most reductive takes who say "I guess nuance is not ALLOWED anymore" as if they didn't say something deeply one-dimensional themselves

babes, do we need to have a conversation about the meaning of the word "nuance" like we did about the word "protagonist" recently

[piper-2244]

goodnight moon

how spencer turns college!reader's bad sleeping habits into very good sleeping habits.

MDNI | smut! word count: 1931 warnings & tags & stuff: fem reader, fingering, oral sex (f receiving), slightest teensiest bit of overstim, fluff to the moon, spence and reader just being sweet, spence just being obsessed and concerned with every little thing about reader authors note: hiiii. soooo this is TERRIFYING. why is smut soooooo scary and vulgar. but i've been working on this one for a long while and i think i'm happyish with it??? idk. its not really adding anything new or revolutionary to the world but i think its cute!! lemme know your thoughts. i think smut is something i'll get better at writing with time but yk. okay whatever have a lovely day and i hope you enjoy!!

There’s a noticeable tension in your shoulders as you lay down on top of the covers of your bed. Your face crushes into the soft down of many pillows, nose buried into the crevices. You trace out the clean smell of Spencer's shampoo that manages to linger on your sheets even after a week of him being away on a case, the fragrance making your head become even heavier with each deep inhale you take.

You can physically feel the exhaustion clawing at your soul. Eyes shut, blocking out the harsh shine of the overhead light you definitely forgot to turn off, you reach your arm up to work on the knot in your shoulder. You roll it back, feeling an unsettling click that probably shouldn’t be there. 

Spencer would be able to work the knot out like it was nothing, if he were here.

You shift your leg up, thinking. When did he say he’d be home earlier today? You had called him before your final exam this afternoon, for some encouragement and reminders on the principles of astronomy.

The all-consuming fog in your brain prevents you from remembering any of the important details of the conversation, such as when he’d be home, so you choose instead to just replay the soft I love yous he had said into your ear. 

By this point you’re sprawled across a good portion of your bed, back to the ceiling with one leg bent, head turned to the side. Your spine sinks down into the mattress, relieving the aches just a bit, and the sweet, sweet release of sleep ensues minutes later.

Until it gets quite rudely interrupted.

You don’t hear him enter the room. You haven’t even opened your eyes to see him. The only thing you notice when you wake is the feeling that you’re being picked up from your hips and rotated, a complete 180.

“Hello?” you ask loudly even before your eyes open.

When they do open, they see your lovely boyfriend standing above you, grimacing like he’s been caught. Spencer’s hands are holding you mid air, and you look at him, wildly confused, as you blink away the sleep in your eyes.

He’s still wearing his work clothes, the thick sweater vest that you got him last year for his birthday layered over his button-up. He must have just gotten inside, his bag was still crossed over his body. 

“Hi honey. What are you, um, doing?” you ask quietly. His nose scrunches in a cute attempt to push his glasses up his nose without using his already occupied hands.

“Hi. Sorry for waking you up.” He ducks down to kiss your forehead. “You just really shouldn’t be sleeping on your stomach. Bad sleeping posture can actually worsen chronic pain more than any other factor in your daily life,” he explains, setting you down but keeping a firm grasp on your waist. Your mouth forms an awkward little smile, matching his. “I had to intervene.”

“I know. It’s just so uncomfy. But why’d you pick me up? You could’ve just nudged me, or, you know, asked…” you grumble. You make room for him, however, as you speak. He sets his bag down and clambers into bed next to you, body seemingly rivaling yours in exhaustion. He leans against the headboard, turning his head to look at you.

“I wouldn’t normally do that, but I knew you were exhausted, so I figured you’d be less likely to wake up if your body was physically touching fewer things,” he justifies, logic drawing a soft giggle from you. You settle into a comfortable silence, the room still bathed in artificial light and Spencer still in his work clothes.

He eventually breaks the stillness after a minute, turning towards you. “How did your astronomy final go today?”

“I think I did alright. Our study sessions paid off, I think. But it was never my strong suit,” you reply, tracing your fingers over his leg. “I’m so achy now though. It’s strange what four hours of math can do to your body.” 

His hand slides up your arm in response, lightly pressing on the tense spots. 

“It’s strange what four hours of math and sleeping like a contortionist does to your body,” he corrects with his little know-it-all look, fingers circling a bit more firmly into your shoulder.

“I also really, really missed you,” you add, smiling back at him. “So be nice to me.”

“I missed you,” Spencer responds, even sweeter. “And I am being nice.”

You roll your eyes and he reaches over to kiss you gently. “Would you like me to be nicer?” he whispers softly. Your brain is all but short circuiting as you look at him, his eyes flitting between yours like he was searching the stars.

Your head is nodding even before you can actually realize what he means.

Then, his body is gone from yours. You stay silent, trying to regulate your breath, eyes following him as he stands and walks over to turn off the big light. Your eyes flicker to adjust, but with the moon’s gentle shine pouring into your window, it’s absolutely perfect. 

A blush, that you're hoping the new darkness will conceal, creeps up your cheeks when you see the soft outline of Spencer’s back as he takes off his sweater vest and pulls at his tie. He turns back and looks at you, eyes all soft and full of adoration. “Yeah? Not too tired?”

“Nope,” you murmur, convincing yourself as much as him. He finishes getting into his PJ’s and walks back to you. You straighten your back, trying to appear as awake as possible. “I’m not.”

“Yes, you are,” he says back at you, voice gentle. “You can barely keep your eyes open.” A kiss, this one to your cheek, softens the blow of his words. You shake your head, but he continues. “You were sound asleep not even ten minutes ago, and you’ve yawned six times in the last five minutes.” His hand strokes the side of your waist.

“Spencer. I'm fine,” you huff. He smiles a little and sits next to you on the bed. His mouth is on yours, kissing you firmly, sweetly. 

A hand, always in motion, always calculated, slides up to your nape and presses you closer. The other slides down and thumbs under the hem of your top, grazing lightly over your skin, making it erupt in goosebumps.

His brow scrunches softly. “You’re so worked up.”

You stay silent, begging him with your eyes. He dips down and kisses right where he touched, and your hips lift a bit in response. 

“Honey. Lie back,” he says, and you do so. He readjusts his body so he’s on top of you, one leg slotted between yours. He kisses your forehead, cheeks, nose, and then moves down to your neck. He kisses that one spot beneath your ear that makes you gasp quietly. He then does it again, and again, and again, in that focused way of his. 

Wordlessly, he slides down further. His nose bumps underneath your belly button, in the thin stripe of skin showing where your top meets your panties. “Okay?” he asks.

“Yes. Please. Please, Spence,” you whimper softly, head feeling like a cloud of gas from the endorphins. He peppers even more kisses there and ghosts his fingers over your hip bone. He slides your panties down an inch and immediately kisses the skin that’s revealed.

“I thought about doing this to you all the time while I was away,” he murmurs. He presses another kiss more firmly on your hips, even closer to your soaked core, sucking gently and leaving a mark. “These should be off by now,” he muses, gently pulling your underwear down. 

His hand is immediately where you want it, two fingers pushing up against your folds, and to your clit. He touches in little circles, sending jolts of pleasure up your stomach, eyes looking up to yours to gauge your feelings. 

You almost hate Spencer for how fucking good it feels. You let out a soft moan, heart pounding. And when his middle finger sinks into your entrance with no word of warning, you toss your head back and close your legs around his hand. Spencer’s mouth twists into that little smile of his, pushing ever so deep into you, and says, “It feels better when you keep your legs open, sweet girl. If you need more, tell me.” You nod immediately, desperately. 

“Yeah. I need more,” you whisper, and he bends down and gives your clit a kitten lick. Your hand goes to his hair, softly pushing him closer. He gets the message and presses his tongue flat against it, eliciting a moan from you.

“You’re so pretty like this, under me. I missed you.”

You really do almost forget just how nice it was to have him on top of you after a week, telling you nice things and making you feel so good. He pushes his ring finger in to match his middle, stretching you slightly and adding pressure to where he knows it feels good. Your eyes screw shut and you furrow your brow in overwhelming pleasure, a soft exhale coming from deep within you.

“This good?” he asks, other hand coming to take care of your clit in his mouth’s absence. You nod frantically, looking down at Spencer. He watches where his hand comes in contact with you, pushing in and out at a steady pace. “You’re not normally this quiet. Is it a lot?”

“Yeah,” you whimper. “Feel so sensitive.” He presses a soft kiss onto your clit, and you jolt.

“Sweet girl. It’s been a little while, huh? Even right before I left, I didn’t use my mouth." You shake your head in agreement. “You’re doing so well for me though.” 

He resumes with his tongue, working you into oblivion. His free hand holds your hips steady, hindering you from writhing away from the mind-numbing pleasure.

His mouth is occupied and your brain is utterly ruined, so the only noises coming from the two of you are your soft exhales and whimpers, and the obscene sound of his hand pushing incessantly into you.

And eventually it does, in fact, become too much. He sends you into orbit. You lift your hips, practically pushing yourself into his face, pleasure coursing through you.

“Spence, I’m. I-” your voice gets caught in your throat. 

“I know,” he says, calm and collected. A stark contrast to whatever the fuck you’re feeling right now. 

He keeps going in the same way, steadily driving you through your orgasm. You let out one last moan and your body relaxes and limps around him, chest moving up and down rapidly. 

You come back to earth and grab his arm to tug him away. But he stays, pressing kisses all over you, watching you with his imploring eyes.

“You can take it. Missed you so much. Just one more,” he says in broken little sentences, parting with your core for just a second before resuming, hand picking up speed again. But this time, you don’t feel as awake. As alert. Your chest feels heavy, and your eyelids even heavier.

The post-orgasmic haze has settled even more into your bones, pressing you down deeper and deeper into the dark chasm of sleep once again.

The last thing you see before you succumb is the moon casting a perfect glow onto Spencer, still diligently pressing soft kisses onto you, holding your hips still so you won’t roll over in your sleep like before.

[bellaxgiornata]

Hi...do you have any suggestions for a beginner fanfic writer?? Maybe some tips?? Love your work btw....i absolutely love your falling for the devil series

Ahhh, thank you so much!! 💖I'm glad you enjoy FFTD!! That series also tends to be my favorite of everything I've written, too. There's just something about FFTD Matty...

I could certainly give you some tips/suggestions that I've learned along the way! I've been writing and reading fanfic since 2005 so I've been around for a bit 😅 Though if there is something more specific that I didn't address--like something more specific with writing or editing or something--you (or anyone else who's curious) can certainly always send me an ask and I will always answer when I have a few minutes! But I'm not going to claim I'm remotely an expert on all of this, either. This is just from my experience and talking with other fic writers.

As always, the answer is below the cut!

First, I think it's always important to keep in mind that the more you write, the better your skill will grow with writing. Which goes for everyone, no matter how long you've been writing for or whatever your age is. I always see an improvement in my writing when I read something from even just a few months ago. And I even cringe at things like the very first Matt fic I wrote or even some early FFTD installments. So don't be too hard on yourself!

I think it's also important to remember to not compare yourself to others. We all have different styles and voices and that's a wonderful thing in writing. If everyone wrote the same or had the same ideas, there'd be nothing interesting to read. Everything would sound the same which would be boring. Personally, I didn't find my writing style/voice and grow comfortable with it until almost a year and a half ago when I started writing for the Daredevil fandom, so it's completely okay if you are still searching for yours.

Don't let any negative comments you might ever receive writing fanfic drag you down. Everyone gets them, and some fandoms have different dynamics than others where it may happen more often than in another one (though come on y'all, can we please practice the don't like don't read rule??). I think anyone who writes fanfic long enough will receive at least some hate. I've certainly gotten plenty over the years, and yes, it sucks and it can hurt or piss you off, but you have to remember to brush it off. There are likely many others enjoying your story to make up for that one person who's being rude. Block buttons can be your friend if you need them.

If you're having trouble writing a character that already exists in the fandom, studying them in the source material is always a good route. The amount of times I've gone and re-watched Daredevil, Punisher, or Kin in order to feel like I capture any of the characters in there just right is absurd, but it really does help to see their mannerisms, speech patterns, and to begin to get a feel of how they'd react in different situations based on how they've reacted in the show.

Lastly, when you write chapters for your fics and it begins to feel daunting, know that you can always break things down into more manageable chunks. I used to struggle to write much at a time until I learned to focus on the story in this way as opposed to focusing on everything that I still needed to make happen. Just focus scene by scene or even line by line. How to get Character A to do this or get to that point, for example, and it should hopefully seem significantly less terrifying. If you try to think of everything that needs to happen in a chapter all at once, it might begin to feel overwhelming and you may have the urge to give up. Try breaking things down and focusing on one thing at a time.

I could absolutely go on but I don't want to ramble! If there's something more specific you're curious about that I didn't touch on, or maybe you'd like more detail about, absolutely feel free to send me another ask! And this goes for anyone who made it through all of this! I always love chatting, sometimes it just takes me a moment to have time to sit down and answer. Hopefully any of this was useful/helpful though! I am always happy to help encourage others to write!!💕

[loregoddess]

14, 15, 25 for the Love your fandom ask

14) the ship that always makes you smile Hmm, for long-running media, probably Midna x Link from LoZ:TP, bc that's basically the oldest ship in my fleet and it still brings me lots of joy. For mid-running media, probably Kay x Franziska for AA (my first rarepair), Rinea x Faye for FE:SoV (rarepair I wasn't expecting to see others ship), and Ashe x Dedue (literally got me to go out of my comfort zone to figure out how to draw cute ship art, when I was really bad and afraid of drawing people interacting). For stuff that I've gotten into over the past year, probably Alear x Pandreo from FE:Engage, and Mineru x Purah from LoZ:TotK (also I'm kinda silly goofy happy about Jin x Xiaoyu finally getting some development in Tekken 8, but that's bc I had to suffer watching it come to fruition over like, 20 years of my life, slowest goddamned slowburn I've ever had to endure).

15) the character that always makes you smile Oh, lots and lots. Long-running media would be Shad LoZ:TP, love that guy, I get excited anytime I see him. For mid-running, Satoru Hosonaga, my beloved from DGS/tGAA, a decent number of FE characters (Kurthnaga, Rhys, Libra, Flora, Lukas, Faye, Dedue, Ashe, and Ferdinand come to mind off the top of my head), most of the FF7 cast but esp. Red XIII/Nanaki. For more recent things, Alear and literally any of the Engage characters actually, the Octo2 crew (and also the Octo1 crew, and a fair amount of NPCs from both games); I also read Dungeon Meshi recently and I gotta say one of the most casts of all time, I haven't settled on favorites yet but damn were there some good characters.

25) a piece of advice for taking care of yourself in fandom spaces Block button is your bestie, don't feel bad for blocking people for any reason whatsoever so that you can peruse the fandom tag in peace. But also, if you find other fans who are making stuff you enjoy, support them by reblogging their art or headcanons or writing or whatever, or even just liking their stuff.

Do what you want to see in your fandom if you have the energy. I like to see people excited about things they love, whether that's a character or a ship or something about the story or their OCs or their own headcanons, like, doesn't even matter if it's not my Thing, I genuinely enjoy seeing people happy and brave enough to share that happiness in the main tag, so I try to also share stuff that brings me joy when I engage with fandom stuff too. Share joy when you can.

This is not to say you should never be negative ever like, you should also give yourself space somewhere to be a petty snob about things that tick you off. You don't have to make it public, but at the very least give yourself an outlet to let the negative move through and out of you. Believe me there are so many things that tick me off so much about either fandom spaces or various media that I could rant about for hours, but I just choose Not To Share It after I've written it out bc writing it often makes me feel better--or I go and find a trusted friend who I can be like, "Hey I gotta vent about something stupid real fast, will you hear me out?"

Lots of things in life are never all positive or negative feelings, but no emotion is inherently good or bad, so it's important to let yourself feel those emotions and let them pass without bottling them up. Otherwise they stagnate or explode, and neither is fun to deal with the aftermath for. But like, it's okay to be pissy about things from time to time.

Have fun, but never feel like you have to engage with a fandom just because you used to be a part of it, or you got into a new thing. I treat fandom like a public park, I can go there when I want to enjoy myself but I can also leave anytime I want. If a bunch of mean people are hanging around the park I know there are other parks, and I can just go to those instead and cultivate my own little garden to make up for the park I won't go to anymore. I might even get to invite some friends to that garden. Honestly, most of the time I'm some weird forest hermit who only comes out sometimes to haunt the park, and I think that's just fine as well. Engage with fandom in a way that makes you comfortable.

[wormgremlin]

I wanna say something else on the topic of rude comments on AO3. I know a lot of people just choose not to respond to trolls. I also know it's probably a waste of my time to respond. But I have a sliver of hope in me that people genuinely don't know why what they're doing is fucked up. And I lean on that sliver and I reply, yes perhaps a bit snarkily or rude. But all the while telling them why what they did is wrong. That being said, I will not stop deleting comments. That noise doesn't belong on anyone's fic, not even mine.

I'm not a fast writer. I'm not a prolific writer or a popular writer or even a particularly GOOD writer. I'm aware that sometimes my verb tenses are bad or my characterization off. I have a lot of words I overuse or awkward wording patterns I can't leave behind. But I get a beta to fix what can be fixed, then publish it.

I'm not a good writer. I write because I have ideas that I would rather have written out than have live forever in my head. I write for fun. I write to see the representation I want to see, even if I write it badly.

I repeat. I am not a good writer. However I am a stubborn writer. I am a resilient writer. And I reply to the people who think it's okay to criticize fic writers because I can deal with it. Because I don't care. And because I know it hurts others. And I hope, desperately that they do so unaware of the effect they have. Because that means they might be willing to change.

There seems to be a bizarrely short logical jump from "unasked for criticism is okay" and "telling people to kill themselves is okay." I don't write particularly problematic ships. No judgement or shame, I just don't.

But every fic is problematic under a bad faith reading. If you don't like something, it's a very short leap to "problematic." It's like that one post said: coffee shop AU? Workplace harassment. Genderswap? Transphobic. Queer relationships? Fetishizing. And if all someone needs is not liking something in a fic to begin criticizing an author or accusing an afab queer person of misogyny and homophobia... Well. It's a short leap from that to telling someone to kill themselves, isn't it?

And I may seem strangely fixated on the "kill yourself" angle. But I remember just a few years ago. People were doxxed. Lists went around of blacklisted individuals, and blocking them was a way of virtue signaling. So was using that blacklist as a mailing list for telling people to kill themselves. People were in my friends' ask boxes telling them to commit suicide. My friends who were not always in the best mental space. Over fanfiction. Over problematic things in fanfic. When I insisted that perhaps it is inappropriate to leave such comments, several other people stopped talking to or blocked me simply for saying "telling someone to commit suicide is inappropriate" and being associated with blacklisted individuals.

Of course, escalation isn't necessary to make it harmful and inappropriate, on a lesser scale. What was it that one particularly dense person said? Something about my characterization. So what if my characterization was bad? Back button exists for a reason! Don't waste either of our time reading it! "Don't like, don't read," dldr -- there are whole acronyms about it! You would think the point has gotten across by now. I am a self proclaimed bad writer. You're right! I don't always get Bucky's characterization right. A cis white ex-military man has immensely different lived experience from me. Hell, I've never even handled a gun before. Sometimes that means what I think makes sense for his character... doesn't. But also consider: I didn't ask; therefore, it's inappropriate and not "concrit" as some people like to call it (which I also have opinions about).

Someone commented after I posted about people leaving rude comments that I was how was it phrased? "Crying on tumblr," I believe. I'm not asking you to specifically stop commenting on my fic, I'm asking you to stop entirely. I'm asking you to take a step back and consider the real life effects of sending anon-hate or leaving unnecessarily critical comments on people's works they are making available to you for free. And if you're still under the impression that you are in the right to leave these kinds of comments... This is not me crying on tumblr. Let's be perfectly clear: this is me calling you a bitch on tumblr.

[kyunisixx]

chiaroscuro

artist!Robert Plant AU one shot.

a/n: this really started out as a song I wanted to write. But I knew I had to turn it into a longer writing!!

themes: fluff, mild implications of nsfw and tw: childhood trauma.

summary: in which Y/N becomes a muse for Robert, a landscape artist in more ways than one. (Man, that summary is so shit but let's roll with it)

pairing: artist!Robert Plant x fem!reader

chi·a·ro·scu·ro

the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting.

an effect of contrasted light and shadow created by light falling unevenly or from a particular direction on something.

"Lean back for me a bit more, darling. That's right, relax."

As she moves, the old sofa creaks beneath her. Chilled air gusts through a partially opened window, making her shiver and sending miniscule bumps all over her bare skin. Her eyes drift over the fixtures inside the cozy cabin, illuminated by an outmoded oil lamp situated on the man's table. Several tiny moths were floating around it as the flame wavered ever so slightly from the breeze.

Scattered were all paintbrushes and smudges of paint were messily smeared all over the table. A round board was placed so close at the edge (one she heard him call before —a palette). In the middle is a rustic cup with half-empty, now cold tea. But a paint-smudged hand grasped on its handle and swiftly brought it over to a mouth. 

Then her eyes met his.

His frizzled, curly blond locks are pulled into a disheveled bun. One he pinned up so carelessly with a thin, unused paintbrush as to prevent it from obstructing his view but a few ringlets managed to escape and are now framing his face.

Ivory-colored shirt, a few buttons undone to reveal smooth skin of his collarbones which were also marked with a few shades of paint. Some scattered across his jawline to his cheek. 

Lips are pursed and eyes are pulled into deep concentration, they are set into a particular part of her. As if to capture the exact curvature of the crease on her waist.

Salient was the cleft on his chin and the sharp edge of his cheekbones by the incandescent light lent by the lamp, making him look like a contrast between sinister and elegance.

He dipped a brush and carefully made short strokes on the canvas, pausing every now and then to look at her.

The sun was setting and the sky was shaded a dull gray, providing so little of brightness which seemed to have darkened even more being situated in a lush forest.

Many months ago at this time of the day, she would have just been getting up from her sleep. Wake up and get ready for a long shift. It was a routine she had gotten so used to every day.

Take a bath. Eat. Pick out an outfit. Put on makeup. Be into the persona.

She would become a completely different person as soon as she stepped into the establishment she knew for as long as she moved into the town a few months ago.

From having to move into different cities and using different names to hide her identity. All of it to escape the filthy and haunted ghost of her past. 

Screaming. Glass breaking. Bruises. Slamming doors.  All of the things a child shouldn't have to go through. She took a risk and ran away from it.

And here is where she ended up thirteen years later.

Lacklustre eyes unmoving as they steadily stared back at her in a blurry mirror inside the changing room. All the girls' chattering seemed to have been muted and faded in the background as she gazed at her reflection. She picked up the small item in her hand, before taking the cap off and swiped the crimson lipstick across her chapped lips, creating a thick shade.

"Y/N, you ready to go?"

She turned her head back to Don, the club manager. She smiled and moved her head in a single nod.

“Sure, Don. Just give me a short moment”. She adjusted the strap of her black velvet dress and walked on the familiar, dimly lit hallway. Her stilettos clapped quietly on the floor as she padded and stopped in front of a red curtain covering the doorway from the side to the stage. 

"How's it going, folks? Alright, alright. I'd get right into it. This is the moment you've all been waiting for. The crowd favourite, slithers like a python, mistress of the night; Marilyn"

Then, she waited as the main lights switched off and took her cue to enter as smoke filled the platform. Coloured lights gleamed right through. She situated herself right in the middle then circled her hand on the pole as the first note of the song started to hum quietly. Like a distant patter of rain—calm before the storm. Her hips moved into the rhythm and fluidly sneaked around the pole as the cloud of smoke started to clear out. Gazing into the crowd of men, her blood-red lips quirk into a smirk.

It was the only time she knew she had complete power and control. And she relished it, savoring the potency. 

Her hands smoothed all over her now slightly perspired skin as men clamored and hooted for her. Bills were haphazardly thrown into the dancefloor. Something that she wasn't used to when she first started, it made her feel cheap. Dirty. But her routine carried on almost every night, she eventually got used to it and had even grown to like it.

Then she spotted him. 

Big ball of golden hair illuminated by stage lights. He was situated amongst the sea of predators, his eyes followed the fluidity of her movements. But what struck her the most was the way he was watching her. It wasn't shadowed by lust, but more of an intense wonder and curiosity. It was as if he was memorizing each part of her curves, but for another purpose.

Her gaze somewhat mirrored his. He definitely wasn't strange-looking. Hell, he might have been the most beautiful man she has ever seen. He didn't belong to a place where no good men wander around. Both his beguiling beauty and aura was completely out of place for such a place like this.

The song then came to a stop. Her number was over but her eyes remained locked with his. It was only then she came back to consciousness as Don's voice boomed into the large speakers, signalling the end of her performance. She collected the bills scattered on the floor and walked off the stage, throwing a last glance into the crowd as she took her exit.

He was gone.

He wouldn't show up for a couple of days. She was sure, of course. The moment she steps out, her eyes would already be skimming through the lounge, and would sigh in disappointment if she didn't spot any sign of him.

"Have you seen your mysterious man yet?"

One of the girls she was closest to, Hershey, asked as she counted the thick block of bills on her hand.

"He wasn't out there tonight"

"You could have been hallucinating. Anyway, you told me he was 'like an angel'"

Hershey laughed, mimicking the way she had said the last part with a breathy tone and added, "Or could have been disappointed in your dance number, ran away and swore to not step a foot into this place again"

She stopped momentarily, chuckled lightly and sighed, "You may not be far from the truth but we'll see."

Then he would be there the next night, positioned right at a table at the back. His curly locks gave his identity right away, with his elbows propped up and fingers poised against his chin, bearing the same gaze. 

Later that night, he'd be waiting right outside of the club.

"The show was spectacular."

She tilted her head to him, nodded and smiled.

"Thank you."

She wasn't sure how it ended up with her sitting on a stool inside a cozy 24-hour operating diner so late at night, chatting with her "mysterious man" late at night, who introduced himself as Robert. He was apparently a landscape artist and has traveled the world where he finds inspirations for his works.

"The best place I have ever been to? Hm. I'd say Machu Picchu, set in the high mountains of Andes in Peru, above a river called Urubamba. I had to hike all the way up, and you could see the breathtaking view when you reach the top."

"That does sound very lovely." She sighed wistfully.

"Have you ever traveled anywhere outside the country?"

"Oh no, I have not. I move to different places a lot but I've never gone out, never had the chance to."

"Ah, you should! It's wonderful."

She nodded, "Do you only do landscaping?"

"Well, no. I do a little bit of abstract art but I focus mainly on landscaping. I was thinking of expanding more, though. Maybe portrait, or nude art."

"That's a good idea. An artist has to come out of his comfort zone and be able to become great."

"Yeah…", he trailed off, as if lost in thought. "I hope this doesn't come off as strange or I as a creep. But may I ask you to be my muse? Don't worry! We'll only do portrait." He added the last sentence quickly.

She tilted her head to the side and looked at him, her brows furrowed deep in thought.

"You don't have to s—"

"I'll do it."

A few days later, she was again popped up on a stool inside his flat just a few blocks away from the club. His place was spacious, but had a very rustic feel to the interior design. A few souvenirs from different countries were neatly placed on a shelf and most of his paintings were hung stylistically on the walls (in which she stared at in complete awe for what she could tell an hour each painting until he had to drag her away to his studio)

Her fingers fiddled as she tried to stay still under his calculating gaze. She never had much problem with how she looked and never had insecurities. Perhaps she just didn't care enough to be insecure. But at that moment, she thought of how she must've appeared to him and if she was good-looking enough to be an inspiration for his art.

"Are you alright there?"

"Yes! Yes, I… Yeah I'm alright."

His hand stopped and placed the paintbrush on the table. "Are you sure? If you're not comfortable or if you need a break, we could stop for a bit."

She shook her head vigorously, "No, it's okay. Don't worry."

"If you say so."

She let her eyes travel from his bare foot, to his khaki trousers, to his satin shirt with top three buttons undone, to his face. Oh, his gorgeous face. It was pulled into a deep concentration as he stared at his work, giving her some time to study his majestic features.

His eyes flickered to hers as if sensing her stare and playfully frowned, a small smile curled on the side of his lips.

"What?"

"What?"

He laughed, "You were staring."

"I was. Is it a crime?"

"No, I wouldn't say it is." He said with a teasing edge to his voice. 

It was their arrangement which they stick to a few times a week. On her day off, after work if she wasn't feeling too exhausted. There was an obvious attraction lingering inside the room of his small studio but none of them acted upon it other than just casual flirtations thrown around. He was a perfect gentleman and had always been accommodating. A couple of times he would insist on paying her in which she would always refuse to accept. 

"The tea you make for me is enough for a payment." She had jokingly said. "Do not worry about it, Robert. Really, it's okay. I'm making enough from my job."

One night, after their sessions, they had too many drinks and bottles were littered over the table along with his paint brushes which had long dried of paint. 

"Tell me about you, Marilyn. Mistress of the night, who apparently, slithers like a python." He mused, mentioning her alias. His glossy eyes filled with mirth.

She snorted, took a long swig of beer and swiped the back of her hand across her mouth. 

"Marilyn is… Nobody. I'm nobody. I came from somewhere that in my mind, ceased to exist." She stared ahead. "I ran away from home. Who calls it a home anyway?" She laughed humorlessly.

"My parents fought a lot. They spent so much time fighting, they didn't even have time for me. Looking back at it now, I could have just preferred that. But then, they turned their anger towards me." She sniffed and quickly wiped the salty tears before they even slid down to her flushed cheeks.

"I went to my grandparents. They loved me so much and I loved them so dearly. But they were not my parents. Eventually, both of them passed away and I was left on my own. But I was eighteen. I didn't have to go back to my parents. So I went to different cities, finding places where I could feel like I could fit in. Looked for jobs, and then I ended up here. I made friends and I have my own place, but it still never felt like home."

He was quietly staring at her, and the silence was deafening. Then he lifted his free hand to her face and ran the back of his index finger to dry her cheeks. Her hand caught his and brought it to her lips and placed a soft kiss. 

"But with you, it feels… different. I like hanging out with you. I like being with you. You feel like home to me, Robert."

Her voice echoed softly as he took his time to reply. But he didn't, instead, he leaned down and sealed his lips against hers. 

He layed limply on top of her body as he shuddered from his release. Both tried to desperately catch for their breath as her hand smoothed down his back and the other combed through his damp locks. He slid out of her and dropped beside her, not too long before he enclosed his arms over her and pulled closer. He catches her lips on his in a lazy kiss and smiled.

"You feel like home to me too, Y/N."

Her heart soared and nuzzled her nose against his.

"I want to paint you like this. May I? You are so beautiful. In light and in shadow."

She blushed, "Yes, but right now? I'm tired."

"No, no. We'll do it tomorrow. I'll take you somewhere." His warm breath hit her skin as he whispered.

"Where?" She whispered back.

"Well, I'm not telling you that. But it was what I helped my Father build when I was younger. It's somewhat like a special place for me, and I want you to see it."

He gazed at her as he waited for her to respond.

"Okay."

Under the light of the lamp, she peers at him under her lashes.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Mm? I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You know what it is. Cut it out or I'll never get to finish this."

She huffs. "You're no fun"

"I can prove you otherwise in a few minutes."

He continued to do his finishing touches and leaned back to admire his work.

"That isn't too bad. But nothing compares to the real art."

"And what might that be?"

"You, my love." He stood up, walked over to where she was, placed his hand at the back of her neck and pulled her to him.

"I've been waiting for this for hours."

"I've been giving you hints and you insist on finishing your art."

He chuckled. "Of course I had to."

His fingers danced their way from her sides to her hips, rubbing along the marks littered across her skin.

"Are you ready to see it?" He murmured against her neck. She shudders as she nodded, giving their playful banter a break. 

He bit her earlobe softly, "Okay."

He walked over to his canvas and carefully turned it around to face her.

She gasps.

.

⭐ writings list ⭐

.

taglist: @jonesyjonesyjonesy , @princesspagey , @ritacaroline , @jimmys-zeppelin , @rebel-without-a-zeppelin , @reincarnated70sbaby (if you wanted to be added in, let me know 🤘🏻🤗)

[julday4]

Aight! Hey ya'll! Long time no see, whoowee-

Aight how do I start this-

So some of you might know goodnightverse by now! (If not, here) the post is a bit old so uh @awelldressedtornado fucking edit it.

And well, since I'm now co-owner of it (wowie) I DECIDED TO MAKE A GNV2 MUAAHAH-

Aka, Goodnightverse: Bed Bugs.

And yes, these are all of the refs I've been talking about. (Warning: some of the refs gotten lazier over time cause I got feddup with drawing the clothes and stuff.) and plus, most of the templates here are copied from discord ahaha aight let's go!

(Also i didn't do everyone refs yet but I did most of them! I'll do the others soon if ya'll are interested-)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Name: Boots (Aka, Goodnightverse!Rust)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Creators: Knife and Rose

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Age/Years lived: 13/16 y/o

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Rank: Gaurdian

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Gender: Male

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Weapon or Magic (Specify): A pirate sword that can easily cut through Shadow Demons and are really good for battle. (Especially sword fights). The pirate sword has an Iron blade thats bending a bit and golden plating on the handle.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Human they protect: Jesse

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Allies: Shine, Flare, PI.FI, Floral and Bush

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Boots acts exactly like a pirate and loves anything pirate related. He says "YARR" unironically, when something intensive is happening or when something awesome (in his opinion) happens. He can get angry sometimes and is very attached to Jesse, Shine and his twin siblings Floral and Bush. He also LOVES fighting shadow demons with his pirate sword :).

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Name: Shine (Aka, Goodnightverse!Lukas)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Creators: Heart and Lighter

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Age/Years lived: 13/16 y/o

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Rank: Gaurdain

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Gender: Male

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Weapon or Magic (Specify): A microphone that blasts out colorful musical notes, once you press the star button, which explode once they touch a surface. (He can also control how many musical notes that can come out, if he holds in the button, he can swing his microphone and a bunch of musical notes will come out. If he just touches the button once, only one musical note will come out. Its like those mechanics in games). The microphone is like those microphones you see on the news with a singular button. The microphone can also be used for singing and making special effects like: Gasping, laughing, screaming, oof, yay, ect.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Human they protect: Emerald

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Allies: Boots, Flare, PI.FI, anyone

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Shine is a lil colorful boy who loves singing and making new friends. He loves learning new things and is very energetic! He talks alot like his dad, Lighter. Aka: Yo, bro, dude, BROSKI, broseph, pog, swag, ect. His aswell very attached to his bro, Boots. He loves going on pirate adventures with him, singing with him and everything else. Their the bestest of friends :). He aswell loves fighting Shadow Demons by his Bro's side. Thou sometimes his a bit soft with Shadow Demons and will comfort them if their hurt.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Name: PI.FI/Pinkie Finger (Aka, Goodnightverse!Hypernova)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Creators: M.W/Milky Way and Blade

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Age/Years lived: 13/16 y/o

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Rank: Gaurdian

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Gender: Female

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Weapon or Magic (Specify): A wand made out of magic that can be used to summon and levitate things and blast out sparkly magic. Thou she needs to train the wand so she can summon more and levitate heavier things over the years. (Once she becomes a guardian, her wand can levitate a closet or two and summon a brush, rope and shit. Thou she only uses it when necessary). The wand has a baby blue handle with a lil yellow glittery star on top that has a bunch of spikes around, looking like a pretty rock. (Hehhe Sprinkle).

Also uhh, her goop is made out of strawberry sauce. D. Does that count-

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Human they protect: Abigal

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Allies: Flare, Shine, Boots, anything.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

PI.FI is a sweet, lovely, calm but also bossy lil girl. (She's mainly bossy towards Boots and Shine due to their immaturity and stupidity). Shes loves EVERYTHING girly and especially loves sparkly things, like fairies. She's very protective over her friends and especially Flare because how how shy and easily frightened she is. She's very calm towards Flare aswell and tries to make her feel comfortable. She also loves singing with her wand with Shine, their a pretty good duo! (Not as good as Shine and Boots thou). And she loves trying out new things.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Name: Gold (Aka, Goodnightverse!Drake)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Creators: Indigo and Monarch

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Age/Years lived: 16/19 y/o

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Rank: Gaurdian......? (Yeah no his a fucking butler now)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Gender: Male

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Weapon or Magic (Specify): Holographic purple or golden shields that are good for blocking off attacks or Shadow Demon essence. Gold has really good reflexes so his shields are pretty powerful at battles. He can also summon holograms that he uses to code so he can break through the barrier that's stopping him to travel through the multiverse.

He also has the ability to move his rat tail.

(also the reason he doesn't have any eyelights is well uh.. It happened when he started to slowly despise Jesse and despise gaurdians, like the eyelights started to slowly dissappear and they completely disappeared once he argued with Jesse and left her the next day.)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Human they protect: Used to protect Jesse.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Allies: Chloe, Floral.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Gold is a very formal but ALSO EVIL ASS boy. He used to protect Jesse when they were 8-12 y/o until he started to get tired of them. He started to get tired of their same everyday problems, angryness, annoyance, everything. He was tired of humans. One day, he met Chloe and she started telling him her plans and thoughts about gaurdians and humans and about destroying and taking over the gaurdians, Gold, agreed. Gold started to despise gaurdians, despise humans, despise protection. He believe Shadow demons were victorious and were a better future for this world then gaurdians and humans. So one day, after an argument with Jesse, he abandoned them and left them for Chloe and started being Chloe's minion/butler.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Name: Chloe

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Creators: Neptune and a bunch of glitches

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Age/Years lived: Forever 13 y/o

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Rank: Fucking Shadow Demon Outcode thing

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Gender: None but she calls herself female.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Weapon or Magic (Specify): Dark pink Gasterblasters and Bones. The same dark pink as her eyelights. That glitch out depending on how long their used. For example: One hour, they'll be glitched out af, and if she hits the victim with them it'll be a PAINFUL CRITICAL DAMAGE SINCE THE VICTIMS BODY WILL START GLITCHING A BIT. Thou she uses Gold, aka her butler/minion, to attack for her since she's also a bit lazy lmao.

She has the ability to enter humans' dreams like everyone else but SHE'S VERY DANGEROUS CAUSE SHE CAN MAKE THE DREAM BECOME MELTY AND GLITCHY, DAMAGING THE HUMAN BRAIN A BIT WHICH ISN'T GOOD.

She has the ability to travel through multiverses and enter shadow pipes like other shadow demons.

Her voice and body will glitch out sometimes and when she teleports inside a dream, she might glitch out a bit aswell like if a gaurdian is failing to enter a human dream.

And her Shadow Demon form is behind her, which she rarely forms into, but it's always behind her, mimicking every action she does. Thou, only Shadow Demons can see her form.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Human they protect: None. Fuck protection.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Allies: Gold, Flare, Grain, Alexa, Charlotte(?).

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Chloe is an outcode who's quite lazy and doesn't really care about anyone. She plans on destroying this world and let Shadow Demons rise. But for now she's starting small. She has Gold by her side to help her in battles and give her souls to eat. Other then that, she's just a glitch, a very dangerous glitch. Her main enemy is Boots. (She's also the main villian, lmao)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

(Female)

(Male)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Name & Last Name: Jesse Cherry Smith

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Parents: Chara Cherry Smith and Alec Margo

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Age: 15 y/o

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Sexuality: Transgender

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Gender: Male (But currently female)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Hobby: being dead Drawing sometimes and playing the guitar a bit. They mainly just like laying on their bed and doing nothing.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Personality: Anger issued closeted teen who dislikes being social and will beat up someone if necessary.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Allies: Emerald, Kyle, Boots, her cat plushie Bow

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

(Yes this is a Alec x Chara shipkid stfu it's apparently canon now -)

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Name & Last Name: Kyle Cherry Smith

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Parents: Chara Cherry Smith and Alec Margo

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Age: 8 y/o

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Sexuality: Straight

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Gender: Male

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Hobby: Writing and GOING ON IMAGINARY ADVENTURES ANYWHERE and playing outside.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Personality: A sweet energetic adventurous imaginative boy who will always find a way to annoy someone and somehow sees good in anything people say. Like seriously how the fuck do I bully you you piece of-

Also he can't read.

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

Allies: Abigal, Jesse/Jess/Best sissy in the entire world-, Flare/Flarey/Best partner in the entire world-

—x—x—x—x—x—x—

(woah another alec x chara shipkid woa-)

ANNND THAT WAS EVERYONE!! WOOOWIEEEEEEEEEE THAT TOOK FORVER.

Anywho, I hope you guys like them and if you have any questions just ask away! (So sorry that it's so long like jesus-)

Anywho, Alec signing off 😎

(also goodnightverse belongs to @awelldressedtornado)

[estrxlar]

The Ghost Of You

03 - Music Room 3007

Chapters songs:

*Dagger; Slowdive

On The Level; Mac Demarco

F song; Strawberry Guy

^^^ when including * in chapters next to a song, that means it is a song that will be performed in the chapter.

———

— Y.L. Perspective

      "Sunshine girl is sleeping. She falls in dreams alone," sings Toruku in a calming tone into a microphone, along with the strumming of a guitar. "And me, I am her dagger. Too numb to feel her pain."

     "The world is full of noise, yes. I hear it all the time. And me, I am your dagger. You know I am your wound." I join in, adding onto his

      The words we sang were truly upsetting. About a boy, a lover, who is aware he's hurting the girl he loves. I couldn't compare any relationship I'd ever been through to those lyrics.

      Although one had always caught my eye: "I didn't really lose you, I just lost it for a while." It was easy to automatically think of the boy I was duetting with when we covered this; for some time now, Toruku has had small feelings for me.

       One of the things that repelled me from a relationship with him was the idea that it would end horribly, and that it would potentially ruin our relationship.

      Not to mention how much drama that would cause for two other unproblematic teenagers who were only trying to make a living off of their talent: Hikishi and Giki.

      But today wasn't about what would happen between the two of us— today was her day.

     "I thought I heard your whisper, it happens all the time." And with that, the song is brought to an ending, followed by my gaze met with the blonde boy.

       "That was, once again, better than before. But I feel as if it's missing something." He explains, as he removed the wooden instrument from his arm and leaned it against the bean bag he sat in.

       Music room 3007 contained the following: I couple of bean bag seats, a coffee table, a vending machine, almost every instrument in existence in an extra storage room, tools used to record and analyze music, and posters + records we kept throughout the years.

       Truth is, music room 3007 wasn't even really a part of the school anymore. Sure, it was still on maps and the district still paid the electricity, cable, and water bill. But barely any students or teachers paid much attention to it, for it was stuffed behind the gyms, which were two large buildings that would block out any view of the smaller one that stood behind it.

      'I hope Sugawara won't have any problem with finding this place.' I think to myself, as I stand from the chair to turn the camera and microphone off.

      We would set up different amps, microphones, and cameras when recording a cover of a song. This time, it was a basic acoustic from 1993, named 'Dagger' by Slowdive.

     After turning it all off, I plop back onto the cushion. "I think we've don't this quite enough times already, 'Ruku. We should upload it already and get on to the second song. I mean, we've been here a whole hour trying to perfect 'Dagger'." I say, removing my uniform's blazer, and throwing it across the coffee table. Next came my tie, and I unhooked the first two small buttons of my white collared shirt. The music room got hot when so many electronics were in use.

     "Maybe you're right. We should probably get onto another song." He replied, running his hands in the bridge of his nose and down his neck.

      I quickly stand up from my chair and stand behind him, leaning onto his shoulders. "I think you're just tired. Are you sure you wouldn't wanna go home?"

      Toruku runs a hand up my arm, patting my shoulder, then sighs heavily. I couldn't imagine how tired he must be after today. His thoughts must've been wearing him down. "Yes, I'm sure. Besides, I don't wanna leave you all alone."

      "No need, Sugawara will help me get home, remember?" I ask him, followed by a moan of protest. It worried me that Sugawara and Toruku most likely wouldn't get along, especially since both seemed so compatible at first.

      Both his hands leave mine and lay in his lap. "And what's with this Suga guy, Y/n? Is he your buddy?" His voice echoed through the band room, stabbing the back of my brain while I think for an answer that wouldn't sound suspicious. I would say no, but who knew what the future could hold.

"I dunno. But he means no harm! At least I think so.." Tired from squatting, I lift to stand on both feet properly. Toruku slides his hand away from my figure and brings it towards his face. It covers his mouth as he once again sighs. "You seem tired after today, Ruku. Is it because of Moku?"

Hopefully, I hadn't overstepped any boundaries with what I had said. Hopefully, I was remotely correct about why he looked so down. "Yeah, it is. I won't act as if it doesn't bother me because I know it bothers you too. Although it's been three years, I still feel very guilty for going on without her."

'At least he knows I'm here with him.' I thought, moving to the bean bag I had been in just a few moments ago. By her, I meant Torukus passed girlfriend, and my best friend: the reason I practically stopped living at the age of fifteen. Honestly, Toruku and I weren't even really that close. I knew her as her boyfriend and he knew me as her best friend. And as close as we were to her, we were never friends. Moku's death only brought us closer to each other, stirring up the beginning of a rock band.

      "I know what you mean. I do. Thankfully, this birthday of hers went better than the last two, wouldn't you say?" I ask, leaning on my elbows that sat on my knees.

      "Definitely. The previous ones all ended up in fights and long makeups. I guess we're just more laid back about it now," He explains, getting up from his seat, and browsing the instruments that were hung on the wall. His fingers wrap around his belt loops as he stands. "I feel bad for getting over her so quickly."

       "I know exactly what you mean. Never forget that I'm right here next to you, Toruku. That we've gotten through this together instead of alone. Although I wish you had talked to me more when it had first happened, I was all alone!" I chuckle at the last part, even if it wasn't funny at all. "I think the life we made out of our relationship has turned out for the better. Look where we are now: moving to American in about a year to sign to a label. Wouldn't she be proud we've gotten so far?"

      "Maybe you're right," Toruku says, leaning against the back wall. His hair danced over his eyes barely, as they stared right at me. "Maybe you should hit up Toru and Hajime, ask how they're doing. They went through this too, you know."

      "Yeah, I know. I haven't because I'm afraid of what they'll say, or if they even say anything at all. They're both a part of a very different social class after all. If anything, I'll probably get a simple thumbs up on my message." My voice grows low, expressing my tiredness from this conversation already.

      Toru and Hajime were two other people that used to be in my friend group with Moku throughout our childhood. Both were loud and expressive and played volleyball, but they were also very kind and friendly towards Moku, Toruku, and me. Once middle school had started, the five of us grew closer and closer by the second. We joined volleyball clubs, hung out at our houses practically every day, and grew popular throughout the years. But once Moku had passed, we all fell apart. She was what held us together after all.

       Both Hajime and Toru decided to go to another high school, and Toruku and I went to another. After that, we hadn't heard a single word from them.

      "It's worth a try, Y/n. We wouldn't want to seem inconsiderate." Toruku says as he pulls out a pack of cigarettes from his pockets, as well as a lighter. After lighting one, the smoke leaves his mouth slowly, as he continues. "I wish you would at least try to make amends between them. You were closer to them than I ever was."

     "I'll try. Just not now."

———

       After another hour of practice with Toruku, the two of us stood silent on our phones while we waited for Sugawara. Something told me that he had gotten lost. Either that, or he just forgot about me, which I wouldn't blame him for.

       But right when I was about to tell Toruku that we should go home, a message from an unknown number had shown up on the top of my phone screen that alarmed me.

      [Text Message: ###-###-####]

Hey, I can't find the music room. It's not on the school campus. Either that, or it's the most invisible classroom ever brought to this school.

     [Reply to ###-###-####]

I'm assuming this is Sugawara? Sorry, I don't have your number saved. If otherwise, the wrong number.

       After the second the message gave me a preview, I fully entered the screen. It had a profile picture, but not a contact name. Although, that was my very first-year-like of me to be irresponsible. [Sugawara] read the title after I'd edited it, and nothing more. Only a few brief messages that we had just sent to each other.

Sugawara

  

Hey, I can't find the music room. It's not on school campus. Either that, or it's the most invisible classroom ever brought to this school.

I'm assuming this is Sugawara? Sorry, I don't have your number saved. If otherwise, the wrong number.

Actually, right number! But seriously... I have no idea where the hell you are. Is it off-campus? I might just cry if I don't figure this out. I've been at it for a solid ten minutes.

Ten minutes?? Damn boy, you could've just asked to meet me in the cafeteria or something. Toruku and I have been waiting here for a while as well.

Sorry!!

No need to apologize.

- you have started sharing your location with {Sugawara}-

Thanks. See you in a bit.

      After discussing where I was hanging, I decided to look more into this saved contact. 'Had I really been so close to him as to have discussions with him?' I think as I decide to read a few more messages above our most recent convo. They only consisted of homework answers, tutoring questions, and a few more comments about school festivals and such. A good ten invites to a volleyball game were stored in there as well. I hadn't realized how much he had meant to me just two years ago. Time flies, taking most of your memories with you.

      A few more moments went by before a knock came upon the room's entrance door, as well as the voice of someone behind it. "Uhm— hello..? Is this the right room?"

     "No, go away," Toruku replies in a deeper, scarier voice as he shuffled towards the door to reveal Sugawara standing there alone with a frightened expression.

      Suga sighed, putting a hand over his chest while he smiled. "That gave me a heart attack." He says, fixing his eyes towards my sitting figure. "Ready to go?"

     I nod, lifting from my seat and stretching out my arms while yawning loudly. "God, I'm tired," I mumble to myself, gathering my bag and the tie and jacket I had taken off, before slowly walking over towards Sugawara. "Isn't it after practice? Shouldn't you be all tired and worked out?"

    "Oh, no. Today was only focused on the new players, which honestly didn't go so well." He explained, finishing with a soft chuckle. Though I could tell it was filled with disappointment, for the way he looked down on the floor was purely depressing.

      But quickly steered the conversation another way to distract him from it; that was the least I could do. "Oh, well, today it was just Toruku and me. But thankfully we just recorded some extra vocals so we didn't have to record the rest of the teams' jobs."

     Sugawara distracts himself, taking small glances around the room as I explain to him what we did. He observes the different colors and pictures on the walls, the furniture we helped ourselves to, and the instruments gathered onto the wall. "It looks quite comfortable in here. To be honest, I'm surprised that the school even lets you decorate this place all by yourselves."

       "They didn't, they just don't know about it. It's quite convenient if you ask me.." I mumble, shuffling from one foot to the other. What I said was no lie, we were truly blessed to have had a room to ourselves here on campus. If it wasn't for the band teacher who had shown it to us, we probably would've spent our practice time in a garage where there's no AC or comfortable floors.

      Meanwhile, Toruku explained to Sugawara the reasoning behind each decoration, I check the timing. It was 6:00 PM, just in time for my mother to get home from work.

      "Should we get going?" I ask the grey-haired boy, as he's brought back to reality. He and Toruku sharply turn, pausing their supposedly intriguing conversation, as he nodded to my question.

       "I guess so. Well, thank you for showing me this place, I never would've discovered it if it wasn't for you two." Sugawara states, bowing towards the blonde boy with a cigar.

      "Alright, I'll catch you later, Y/n. And it was nice meeting you today, Sugawara." After I have a small hug to Toruku and said my goodbyes, Suga and I were out the door.

      Our walk began with the two of us climbing down a few stairs, and jogging towards where the sidewalk actually began. From there on, it was easy getting towards the main part of campus, and walking home would be a piece of cake. For Sugawara, I mean.

       "So, do you walk home every day?" I ask, tightening my hands around my bento box. The silence between us rested heavily on my chest; not a single word left his mouth.

       But it may have been because he was stuck in his own little world, for soon after my question, he blinked his eyes a couple of times and cleared his throat. "Oh, no— not really. I only walk after practice when I stay late. But on free days, like in the morning, I ride the bus."

       Nodding, I explain my way of getting to and from school as well. "Me too. Well, usually my mother would drive me before school even started. Either that or I would ride my skateboard and hide it in some gutter. You know how angry the school gets about skateboards." I laugh, hoping he'd approve of joking with school rules. But knowing Sugawara, he probably already knew I bend some.

       "Ah, yes. That's convenient. But how far did you live before moving into [Neighborhood]? Surely not too far, right?" He questions, looking down at me for an honest answer.

        I widen my eyes at this, making my answer to his questions obvious already. "Uhm.. no! Just a mile and a half away, not a big deal.." My head turns the other way while I giggle at Sugawara's shock. It wasn't a big deal for me at all, I didn't mind getting the few extra steps in the morning. As for him, he must have not had to walk that far every day to understand. I didn't blame him for being so surprised. It wasn't every day you find someone who voluntarily walks that far.

      "Oh— that's.. that's a lot! I'm sorry that you had to do that. It must have been hell! But thankfully you have someone to join you on transportation, right?" Sugawara gives me side-eyes, as a smile appeared on his pale face.

      "Yeah.. you're right." My sentence runs low in the cold, shaking as I shift from the sidewalk to the road. The pavement felt hard and slippery due to the transition from winter to spring, yet it was still freezing outside.

      "You know... it was strange bumping into you today. To be honest, I feel like I'm fifteen again. I think that's just how you make others feel, you know?" My words come out abruptly, but I didn't mind. After today's long day all I wanted was one honest conversation.

     Thankfully, Sugawara felt the same I did. "Spending time with each other must have brought back lots of memories, even if they were small." He says to me, observing the way my feet jumped from the curb to the street.

      The feeling he brought was like a scent from years ago when you're a little kid. Whether you're reading by a window, or running through a meadow, you'd forgotten it ever even tickled your senses.

     "It's kind of strange. Even if we weren't best friends, you still meant a lot to me. I'm wondering whether or not you're still the same, and if that could be brought back." I explain, drawing out my arms to make a tree-like pose while I played hopscotch with the roads. The keychains that hung on my badge made a 'clunk!' noise against the ID, meanwhile, I discussed. "We've both changed so much, Sugawara."

       "You're right, we have. But for the better, you know? I think at the moment I'm mentally healthier than in the past year. And as for you, I think anyone can see that. I don't mean that your time of grief was a mistake, but I'm happy that you've been nicer to yourself."

       "Yeah, me too." My words stutter, interrupted by the loud engine behind me. Sugawara and I quickly turn towards the noise, widening our eyes at how close the vehicle was. Suddenly, an ear-piercing honk is signaled from the driver, and I'm quickly pulled from in front of the car to under a streetlight in one's arms.

       The action is hasty and happened in just a split second, but enough to save me from being run over. Barely comprehending what had just occurred, I freeze in place just like the slippery road. And as the car honks off, I'm left, once again, alone with Suga. Only this time, uncomfortably in his arms.

     Lightning travels down my back once I realize I was being held by a stronger, warmer body. Both my arms were being tightly held by his, and my body barely being separated from his by an inch. I stared right into his eyes, as he did so as well.

     "Y/n, you. you've got to be careful. Be careful."

      Sugawara's words ring in my ears, as I rapidly blink to regain consciousness. Immediately after, a scatter to search for my school bag, which was thrown only a few feet away from me. After retrieving it, I quickly stand onto my feet and turn to Suga, who's already prepared to continue our walk.

      "I'll be careful."

      With that, the two of us continue our journey towards home in silence once more.

      I've gotta be careful with Sugawara.

——

Thanks for coming back to read :) I know my story is crappy but I've only been writing for a little so you could understand why. Please please vote for my chapters, thank you.

- star

[veliseraptor]

hi Lise. I really like your writing & blog- I don't have a tumblr, but I like to check in with a few blogs related to my interests. lately though, I've found tumblr’s moral purity/callout culture & discourse exhausting. I feel like it's affecting how I think about everything, making me paranoid to trust/like/learn from people & media and scared of becoming misinformed if I step away. do you have thoughts on how to handle this? asking bc you’ve survived tumblr for years & seem like a kind person.

I don’t know that I’d call myself a “kind person” but I at the very least try to act like it.

Oh man, I don’t know that I have a great answer for this. What I’ve done is a combination of aggressive curation - I basically never go in tags, I’m very careful about who I follow and who I talk to, I overall try to steer clear of discourse posts or discourse in general and try to keep my bitching to a minimum and well tagged so that people can avoid it. I make liberal use of the block button. 

Then the other prong is that I just shut it out. Which is, I think, an acquired skill! I feel like I’ve gotten better at it, over time - better at filtering, better at recognizing bullshit, and better at knowing to pay attention to the people I trust and my own research over noise from strangers. It’s been about...I think a lot of it has to do sometimes with...you know how you learn to recognize conservative dogwhistles? I feel like I’ve learned to recognize fandom dogwhistles too, and therefore know when to tune things out. 

Re: the information thing - people yelling at you on the internet is not actually a good learning environment. It’s much more productive to, if you’re worried about being misinformed, do your own reading and your own research, and, again, parsing signal from noise. 

And some of it is just...giving yourself a little bit of trust/benefit of the doubt. Recognizing that we are all fuckups who fuck up sometimes, and that most of the time it isn’t malicious, and more important than not fucking up is how you react to fucking up. Life is a process of learning and growing eternally, etc. etc. and so on. You can’t anticipate everything. You can’t know everything. No one is born woke and no one is woke all the time.

The last thing, and I’m afraid this really just may be something that comes with time because it’s something that continues to come with time, for me, is learning to give fewer fucks about loud and angry strangers on the internet. Sometimes you just have to look at someone telling you that you’re a genocide apologist because of your fictional character preferences and go “yeah, okay, but I know that’s not true and I think you do too, deep down, and I’m done with this conversation.” Let it go.

But yeah, I think a lot of my strategy really does just boil down to finding ways to filter it out altogether. Curating my follow list and becoming more aggressive with the block button were two of the best choices I ever made about my Tumblr experience.

[r-romanoff]

Photon Blasts & Spider Webs

Chapter: 1 Part 1

Peter Parker x Male Reader

Master list

September, 23, 2019

"I don't want to, take me home." I pout siting in the back seat of the black car. "Well you definitely are your mother's son." Fury starts looking over at Maria to say something, "It'll be good for you, you'll get to make friends your age bud." She smiles unlocking the doors from the passenger seat.

"Mom was supposed to be here, can't I just stay with Wanda, or Roadie? What about Sam?" I question not wanting to move from my seat. The leather seat that felt warm as the car had been sitting in the sun for an hour before the two coaxed me into leaving the house. "Look you know that if she could be here she would, now that the Avengers base has been arguably repaired you'll get to see everyone afterschool. Now get out, first period is in 5." Fury explains the already memorised memo in my head.

"I just-" "HONK!!!!!!" I'm interrupted by the blazing sound of someone honking in the silver car behind us. "Out!" Fury and Maria almost yell in unison, turning to look at me with hints of annoyance. Seeing as I've been difficult to handle as of late. Taking a breath of air allowing the smell of the car to enter and exit my lungs I let out a small noise; "Fine." The faint sound that is barely audible escapes. Opening the door I step outside of the car taking in all of my surroundings, taking my first step onto the sidewalk. "HONK!!!!!!" I jump at the same car that was honking at me before, running into the crowded hallway trying to avoid attention. "First period" I whisper to myself to keep my brain focused in this sea of endless students. The noise of their voices crashing against my ears, like waves to the cliffs. All of them clearing down the hallway to look for their class. After a while of navigating the ocean of teenagers, the halls have almost dried up in people and noise allowing me to finally find my physics room.

As I walk in to the full room the students all turn to look at me as well as the teacher, an array of confused looks head my way. Until of course I'm able to utter out a small sentence; "I-I'm new!" I look around waiting for a response. At that I see a boys head from all the way in the back shoot up and give me a strange glance, almost as if he'd been waiting or looking for me. I stand and think about it for a split second until my attention is drawn away, by the teachers voice. "Oh right! Class I would like to introduce you to Y/N Danvers. He will be joining us for the remainder of the year." He explains as the same boy's expression changes, as if he has some sort of objective or motive. "So, who will volunteer to be his partner for the rest of the semester? Extra credit will be granted." At the teachers announcement two people out of the entire class raise their hand. The first was a blonde girl with blue/green eyes, sitting two rows from the front on the right side of the class. The second being the burnett boy in the back left corner of the class.

"Ah... Ms Brant, thank you so much for volunteering, as for you Mr Parker thanks for the effort. Y/N please take a seat over there thank you very much." The teacher said pointing next to the blonde girl as he continued the lesson. While taking my seat the girl next to me smiled, "Hi I'm Betty!" She introduced herself, whispering very enthusiastically. "I'm Y/N but you already know that by now." I smiled back "So what brings you to midtown high? If you don't mind me asking." She asks politely. "Well I have always lived kinda near, it wasn't until recently though after the blip that my family wanted to stop homeschooling me. Then my mom was like 'You are going to normal school to socialise and whatnot' so sorry if I come off a bit strange." I nervously began to ramble. "No way that I so cool, so you've never been to a real school before?" Betty sports a grin on her face. "Well no... is that a bad thing?" I nervously question. "Huh? Oh no. It's not a big deal at all don't worry stick with me and everything will be just fine." She gives a sturdy response, yes go me making new friends... I think. "Thanks, so how long have you been going here?" I ask directing the attention towards her. "Well this is my third year, so I'm finally a junior." She begins to laugh.

After a while of talking back and forth the entire first period is officially over, and I officially have a new friend. The the rest of the day however begins to move slowly as not many seemed as interested in me as Betty. That or I'm actually doing something wrong and everyone thinks I'm weird. Besides that, lunch has officially begun and I am officially lost, again. Walking down what looks like the same hallway over and over again, trying to navigate the maze of lockers and trophy cases while also passing the occasional water fountain and bathroom. Eventually giving up I collapse onto the floor crisscrossing in the middle of the hallway allowing a loud groan to escape my lips; "AAAAAhhh!!!" I cried out not expecting anyone to have heard. "Is anyone there?" An unexpected response is shot back at me. Not wanting anyone to see me in my miserable state I immediately stand up. As I begin to turn away from the cold spot on the floor under an air vent, the same voice speaks again only this time closer.

"Were you just sitting on the floor?" Turning around greet who ever was there my face had officially turned pink with embarrassment. "Y/N, right?" I see the same strange boy from my physics class. What is his deal why does something seem so off to me about him. He always has this look on his face I can never exactly, recognize. He seems to be either expecting something, planning, or carrying something out. I just don't know what. "Yes, Parker???" I reply quickly as possible hoping I wasn't thinking for to long. "Peter, Peter Parker. Nice to meet you" he holds out his hand, unsurely I take it and we shake hands. Feeling a small tingle as I pull away, "So are you lost, or... what are you doing i-if you don't mind me asking." He says almost nervously, quickly admitting defeat I decide to explain my situation. "Yes I- There's a lot of hallways." I smiled earning a small chuckle from my strange acquaintance. "I can help you get to where you're going if-" "Y/N!!!" Peter is cut of by a familiar booming voice coming from the other end of the hall. "I was looking for you everywhere, and then I was like 'wait he's new so he must have gotten lost' and I couldn't have my new friend lost after I said I would stick with him." Turning to see Betty is the one who was speaking, I smile at the thought that my new friend came looking. "Sorry, Peter was just about to help me out with that. Uh see you around?" You ask Peter as you being to walk towards Betty. "Uh, yeah see you around." Peter waves as he begins to walk away to the opposite side of the hall.

"So where we headed?" I ask Betty. "I want to introduce you to a couple of my friends, and show you around of course." As the day went on I had the rest of my periods with Betty, and a couple of them with Peter although we didn't really speak to each other. We just sort of acknowledged each one another. When the day was finally over I was making my way to the front of the school to get picked up, still thinking about how I survived the day. "Got any plans this Wednesday?" Betty greets walking beside me. "Not that I'm aware of." I shoot a look wondering what's to fallow. "Good I'm going to the mall with a couple people from school, so I wanted to know if you wanna come. You know because you're new just wanna make sure you find everything well here. Aka get the full teenage experience." She elaborates. "That actually sounds pretty fun, but I'm gonna have to check in with my family first." "That's alright, just text me. Also we're wearing pink, just a heads up." The enthusiastic blonde informs. As we had finally made it to the parking lot Betty waved goodbye as she got in the passengers seat of a red sports car and zoomed. Leaving me to wait for my ride, all alone.

*Buzz*

My cell vibrates Indicating that I've received a message. Looking to see who it was that texted me the name on the text says Wanda. However before I get a chance to open, it she begins to call. "Hello." I greet as I slide the green button. "Hey Y/N/N, how was the first day?" "Better than anticipated." "Told you!" I could hear her giggle through the phone. "I'm gonna picking you up a block away, ok." My sister figure spoke. "Coolness see you in a bit then." "In a bit."

An: I'm going to admit I was not expecting chapter 1 to be anything but short, but there will be a part two up by next week to this chapter. Before finishing the deadline was reached sorry. Ps the next part will probably also be filler

Also sorry for the prologue I wasn't happy with it, I'm not sure on whether or not I'll end up posting it though

Feel free to comment, also what's up with Peter he's acting weird.

Tag List (ask to be put on)

@klanceiscannon14 @wiitchy-wooo @multifandom-slytherin @jonnyjay2413 @lazerman217

[quokkalatte]

Shot for Shot [K.NJ]

Category: One Shot

Pairing: Mafia!Namjoon x Female!Reader

Summary: After seeing something you shouldn't have seen you were taken by a group of the most hostile Mafia tycoons, but what happens after is quite unexpected

Warnings: Gang Violence, mentions of blood, light smut, mentions of torture, torture, slight secular harassment

Warnings for this chapter: Gang violence, mentions of blood

Requested by: @yer-cute-when-you-scream

Authors note: sorry this took me so long to post!

[Based off my Number Scenarios 11, 13, 15, & 27]

× × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × ×

I was always told the nights of Seoul were the most dangerous and brutal time to be out. I never believed that. I found them to be serene and quiet, lacking the crazy, packed people coming and going and the loud honking of cars. I didn't realize that the quiet was simply a disguise used by those who knew how to maneuver through the city without notice and commit crimes that show up in the headlines of papers the next morning. And I didn't realize that I'd become part of those headlines.

It was the first actual warm night of the year. The dwindling winter being replaced by spring was apparent, there was even a slight buzz that singled spring rain. I'd just wanted to get some Happy Hour pancakes as a nearby diner. They were always half off on account of the time being so late and no one was really out and about as of the crime rate being high. Of course I was nieve. Sure I'd read about the tragic deaths and disappearances on the news. But I always thought 'that could never happen to me'. I was wrong.

The diner was mainly emptied save for a couple of college kids pushing some more hours of studying before finals. I'd eaten my pancakes and chatted with Hoseok, the only employee crazy enough to enjoy night shifts. He went on endlessly about his day and the different people coming in and I just smiled and nodded and put in my two cents. I just enjoyed hearing him talk, he always seemed to get excited for the smallest things people pass up on.

It was nearing one in the morning when I finally left the Diner, promising Hoseok I'd be there for breakfast the following morning. The air was warm and slightly humid and felt good against the bare skin of my arms. I put my hands in my pockets and turned the street corner towards my apartment. I walked passed an alleyway, and heard a commotion behind me, muffled grunts and a loud bang of a trashcan. I frown, turning around and glanced warily towards the opening of the alley. Every instinct told me to run, but I was always naturally curious, and it sounded like someone was being hurt. I approached the left side of the building, gripping the brick walls to peer around the corner, just a peek. To see what was going on.

There were three men, all dressed in black. One with a shock of bleach blonde hair, two others with black hair. They were kicking kicking a fourth man on the ground, stomping into his body and cries were muffled by a bandana shoved into his mouth. My eyes widened, and I covered my mouth to hide a gasp at the sight. The blonde grabbed the beaten man by his shirt and slammed him into the wall with such force I thought the building gave a small shake, but it was only me. I was so frozen stiff with fear for this poor man. The blonde pulled a gun from his hip and pressed it to the man's throat, a cold smirk on his face.

"Give a message to Anjo for me. This is what happens when I'm shorted. I want what I paid for, and then some to repay for this insult. I won't be this lenient again" He growls in a deep voice. The man nodded mutely, and the blonde stepped back, and with no one holding him uptight, the assaulted man fell to ground in a lump.

One of the black haired men took a drag of a cigarette, and flicked the ashes onto the fallen man and let out a chuckle. The blonde patted the two on the shoulder

"Come on let's go. Namjoon will want to hear our progress report" He says, and they turn for the entrance. I backed away from the wall, just as they came under the light of the street lamps. Of course they immediately saw me, and by the look of fear and shock on my face they all realized what I'd just seen. The blonde let out a angry cry and I turned heel and took off down the street.

My feet slammed on the pavement and I could hear the stomping of the men behind me. I turned down the block then cut through a small park. Trees rushed passed me as I tried to dodge their persuit, and I looked behind me to see that they were hot on my heels. Of course this meant I didn't see what was in front of me until I ran into the fence that enclosed the park. I let out a gasp of pain and I fell backwards and onto the ground, the breath knocked out me. They were on in an instant, grabbing me and dragged me to my feet. The blonde stood in front of me, surveying me. The one to my right spoke up

"What do we do Yoongi? She saw us" He said. The blonde, I guess the one called Yoongi, watched me carefully.

"We'll take her to Namjoon. It's his call" He says slowly, his face I passive.

"Please don't tell him" I begged, trying to tug out of my captor's grips. "I won't tell anyone"

"They always say that, and then they turn around and rat to the cops. No, we'll take to to our boss. It's his call" Yoongi says, and gestures for the other two to bring me to their van.

From then I was blindfolded and cuffed. I sat between two of them. Fear ate away at me and I shivered to imagine what their boss Namjoon would do to me. From the stories in the papers I've read, the mafia were never soft and forgiving. Witnesses were left in gutters and in dumpsters. This thought didn't settle my nerves and I was on the verge of tears.

They put me in a room, tied me to a chair and took the blindfold off. The room was dimly lit and there were mysterious stains on the floor, dark red and looked suspiciously like blood.

"Is that blood?" I whispered, horror in my tone.

"Among other things" Yoongi says, sounding bored. My eyes widened and I didn't dare speak again. A knock on the door signaled a fourth person had joined the three. When he walked in, my breath was taken away. His tan skin contrasted with his bleached hair. His suit was sharp his brown eyes were curious. His gaze was immediately on me, and he straighten up.

"Leave us" He says firmly and the three leave without a word. My eyes went to the floor, to the probable blood stains, which didn't help my heart rate. I could feel it in my throat, and I became very aware that this was the leader and then of all the things he could do to me. Tears welled in my eyes, that this may be the last night I'll ever live.

Gentle fingers pushed my chin up and I met soft eyes.

"Pretty girls shouldn't cry" He says, wiping away a tear that had escaped down my cheek. I whimpered at his touch, and he gripped my by my chin. "Yoongi tells me you saw the little show earlier tonight"

"I didn't mean to, really. I was walking home and heard noises in the alley" I mumble

"You should have kept walking princess. Save you some few trouble you've gotten yourself into" He says

"Now you tell me" I say, a slight whimper in my you voice. Namjoon nods, leaving away from me. He folded his arms over his chest, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Now I just have to decide what to do with you" he says, and my eyes widened.

"Please don't kill me" I whisper desperately. "I'll do anything, I swear" Namjoon raised his eyebrows.

"Anything?" He hummed, and I nodded "Well, how about a date then?" He asks. I stared at him in shock.

"W-What?" I gaped.

"You said anything. Let me take you out" he says.

"You don't want me to have sex with you? Or blow you or anything?" I say. He snorts

"We just met sweetheart. I'm not that type of guy. Let me take you to dinner and I'll let you live."

"O-Okay" I say, and Namjoon's face split into a wide smile, flashing his dimples happily.

"Excellent"

× × × × × ×

That was over a year ago. Namjoon drove me home that night, and picked me up later that day for a date. He was dressed casual, a button up blue shirt and black slacks.

"Where are you taking me?" I'd asked as he led me to a nice looking car.

"Dinner and a movie if that's alright with you kitten" He said, opening the door for me like a proper gentleman

The restaurant hadn't been overly fancy, Namjoon admitting that he had wanted to take me somewhere fancy, but his funds were short this month due to a few problems he didn't disclose. I told him that it was quite alright, flashy things made me uncomfortable, especially in the beginning of a date.

He had asked me questions, about myself and your hobbies, what classes I'd taken in college, small things. He listened intently, and even looked like he was interested in what I'd had to say.

"I wanted to do music," Namjoon told me when I'd'd ask what he did while in college . "But everyone seemed to tell me it was a dead end, so I dropped it" he shrugged, taking a bite of his food. I frowned, eyebrows nitting together.

"You shouldn't have given up if you wanted to do it" I say and he shrugs again

"It's okay. If I hadn't had dropped out, then I wouldn't have ended up taking the path I did. And I wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet" he smiled softly, and my cheeks flushing bright pink

"Namjoon we've only just met" I tried to argue "In the most weirdest of circumstances" His dimples came out as he grinned

"And I like you already. I consider myself lucky I got to take you out" he says, a tad but smugly

"You blackmailed me, remember?"I point out

"I don't see you complaining though" he retorts, and he had me there.

The movie wasn't some cheesy Rom Com or horror movie tatic to comfort the scared girl. It was an action comedy, right up my alley. It was like he knew me already. I enjoyed the movie and raved about it afterwards when Namjoon was driving me home. The entire time Namjoon remained quiet, a smile on his face as he listened to me. I had smack his arm lightly,

"Are you even listening?" I laughed and he smiled lightly

"I'm hanging on every word" He says truthfully

Hands wrapped around my waist, startling me and I dropped the dishes I'd been washing. There was deep chuckle from behind me, and a warm kiss was placed on my neck.

"Did mean to startle you kitten" he hummed. I smile, turning around in his arms and pressed a kiss to his awaiting lips. He pulled me closer and nuzzled into my neck when we pulled away. "What were you so deep in thought about?" He asked

"How we met" I say and he laughed, pressing another kiss into my neck

"I remember that. You were downright terrified and you looked so innocent and cute" I huff against his chest and felt the vibrations of a chuckle. He pressed a lingering kiss into my hair, and I knew that meant he was going out again.

"I'll be home late" he says, his words muffled by my hair. I frown, looking up at him.

"I thought you had the night off?" I ask, a bit disappointed. He'd been so busy lately and while I appreciated and respected what he did for a living, but I missed his warmth at night.

"I did but something came up. Anjo wants to have a.... calm discussion" His voice turned cold and I raise my eyebrows.

"Namjoon that worries me. There have been several disappearances as of late. Remember Taehyung was almost taken by his thugs just the other night." I say in protest. He sighs, fingers playing with the hem of my shirt and he nods.

"That's why we're meeting up. Come to some kind of agreement and get his goonies off our back. They did a number on Jimin, he's so jumpy now" My mind went to after Jimin had been taken and questioned a month ago. He was dumped behind my favorite Diner, bruised and bloody and shaking. He'd had a long cut down his face, a scar he'd probably have forever.

"I remember" I mumble. "You better be safe Kim Namjoon or I'll go in there myself and give Anjo a piece of my mind" I threaten, and Namjoon laughs, placing a kiss on my lips

"That's something I'd love to see. We'll be okay kitten don't you worry" We kissed, his head tilting to get a better angle. I let out a soft moan and he grunted, his hands gripping my hips. A knock on the door caused us to pull away, and a second later Yoongi and Jin walked in. Yoongi smirked when he saw us and Jin blushed darkly. "Bye kitten. I'll be home soon" Namjoon murmurs, before leaving with the other two.

I stepped out of the shower, wringing my hair dry and searched for my pajamas. I was worried for Namjoon, he'd been gone a couple of hours and while I knew that it may take longer, until he came home.

I slipped on one of his t-shirts and a pair of shorts before climbing into bed. I scrolled through my phone, trying to pass the time before I was tired enough to fall asleep. A creaking noise caused me to freeze. I stared at my closed door, and heard another creak. I turned off my phone, hand slipping under the mattress for the gun Namjoon had put down there in case I needed help. I gripped it, flipping off the safety and tried to calm my pounding heart.

The creaks grew louder, mixed with the sounds of heavy footsteps. The door slammed open and I screamed, aiming the gun and squeezing the trigger. The bang was loud, and jolted me off the bed. The man gave a cry, and clutched at his shoulder. Two more men came in, and I aimed at them. One was quicker, and grabbed my wrist and twisted it until I cried out and dropped the gun. The other came and grabbed me around during the middle and I kicked and screamed, scratching at his back. He hissed in pain and I kneed him in the gut and it sent us both crashing to the ground.

I shoved past as one tried to grab me and I took off down the hall and out the broken down front door. I heard thuds and curses as I knew they were following me. I ran down the steps two at a time, and I ran out the apartment lobby. A dark van was parked there and I skidded to a halt, the bottoms of my feet scratching against the asphalt. Two more men got out of the car, and lunged at me. They grabbed me and I fought against them, biting and scratching and raising bloody murder. In the distance I saw a familiar figure walking down the road and I screamed as they shoved me into the van. The other three men clambered in after me and the van took off with a screech down the road.