#or i made it intricate when i woke up and was still playing it out in my head

[gay-dorito-dust]

I see him in the back of my mind, all the time.

This fic came to me in a dream, woke up crying.

You couldn’t help but feel abandoned, left behind to deal with the onslaught of emotions all by yourself as your eyes remained firmly on where Viktor once was before the arcane consumed him whole.

The war was over but the hollow feeling within your chest only grew stronger when seeing loved ones reunite in fits of hysterical tears and bone crushing embraces, the lump in your throat got worse as the ache in your heart had something missing, someone missing that made it beat faster than normal. There was nothing Viktor left behind of his existence besides from his cane that you kept tightly clutched within your hand, mimicking the way he’d love tap the ground with it, as though you were trying to prove to no one in particular who cared that he still exists.

Silent tears seemed to flow endlessly down your cheeks as you wandered through the hallways of the Academy, and yet you felt numb, cold like you were already long dead and didn’t know it just yet as even your fingers felt cold to the touch, but you didn’t know whether that was from the biting cold wind or something else entirely. You didn’t care either as your reason for caring and for loving every aspect of life was taken away from you, taking your beating heart with him as he did and you didn’t know whether to hate him or love him even harder for giving you the best moments of your life, memories that seemed to all play out before you as you entered the now empty laboratory.

You could still hear the laughter and the scolding echo as though the walls with complex equations scrawled upon them had harboured the essence of the people who once worked diligently to the point of physical exhaustion. Your throat clenched again you delved deeper into the lab with one place in mind like you were being pulled towards it by an unseen force; Viktor’s workbench that had now upon closer inspection had a fine layer of dust settling over it, something he would’ve never let happen despite the tendency to leave his things scattered everywhere he pleased but still become cutely annoyed when he couldn’t find them.

However there seemed to be one thing that the dust refused to touch, a broach. Your brows furrowed as you looked at it confused, what was a broach doing in a place like this? It looked like it was made a while back but yet had a polish to it that made it seemed like it was made only recently. You knew Viktor didn’t wear broaches so seeing such an item on his workbench specifically was leaving you more questions then answers, questions that were soon answered when you noticed a small note underneath it, scrawled with Viktor’s usual chicken scratch writing;

‘For my dearest muse, for I will always be with you, always - Viktor.’

You clutched the cane tighter now as the pain within your chest almost made you collapse on the floor. This broach was for you. Viktor made it for you and never had the chance to give it to you, or perhaps he was waiting for the right moment to do so, but fate decided to be cruel and change the trajectory of your life for the worst; the common con when you happened to fall in love with a scientist determined to make a change. You sighed unevenly as you reach for the broach, your fingers closing over the cold metal of it while gingerly lifting it off the workbench, holding it up to your face so that you could take in the details of Viktor’s most beautiful creation.

The broach had a decent weight to it, not too light where you could easily crush it within your hand, but not too hard where it was proven difficult in your hand for prolonged periods of time. It was beautifully done as on the front of the broach was a an intricate design of a mechanical Blue Jay bird. You ran your thumb across the bird to feel the engravings that made it beneath your finger tips. The bird began to glow a vibrant blue, making you jolt a little, and the broach opened up to show it’s insides to you as a soft melody began to play from some hidden component within the broach.

The moment the first notes of the soft melody hits your ears the tears that had stilled in you moment of curiosity began to fall once more, this was the song that you had told Viktor once upon a time ago was your favourite, and so for him to make you this broach with your favourite bird on the front and your beloved song on the inside, you’ve never felt more loved by a man such as him. Yet you couldn’t run to him and kiss him senseless, not anymore, which made the broach itself a reminder that even if he was long gone you were the last thing on his mind.

‘Oh Viktor.’ Your voice came out weak as a sob broke from your lips as memories resurfaced as the melody continued its tune just for you.

…

‘Viktor!’ You burst in the lab, making him jolt as he looked over at you with what he wanted to be conveyed as annoyance but came across as a cute pout in your eyes.

‘My dear how often must I tell you not to burst in here so abruptly and without warning, what if something went wrong and you had gotten hurt.’ Viktor scolds as you merely shrug and moved over to his side to look over his shoulder, trying to see what he was working on, only for him to move it slightly away from your line of sight.

‘We’re both alive aren’t we?’ You said sarcastically and Viktor sighs as a small smile graced his lips as his amber eyes looked back at you with the warmth you always use to being greeted with. ‘You truly fear nothing my love but the next time you pull sometime like that you’re banned from entering the lab for the rest of the week.’ He says warningly as he points his wielding tool at you to emphasise his point.

You leaned over to kiss his forehead. ‘Duly noted my love but can I see what you’re working on? Or is it a secret for me to find later?’ You then ask as you once again tried to see what he was making, and once again Viktor move it away from your curious eyes, making you pout once more as you looked at him pleadingly.

Viktor sighs, your curiosity was never ending and while he would indulge you on his creations, he couldn’t do so for this one. This broach was his most ambitious project thus far and it was a project he has dedicated to you a long time ago the moment you both sat at the docks, hearing a harmonious melody within the wind as you admitted that it was your favourite.

It was that moment where Viktor decided to make something that you could keep on your being forever and thus project blue jay broach was underway. He was halfway done with it, all he had to do was finished wielding some components on the inside that would play the melody the moment the broach was opened, then he would move onto engraving the blue jay on the front as a final touch to a months long work in progress. ‘Practice your patience and you shall find out what it is soon enough my muse.’ He says softly as he kisses the back of your hand.

‘Alright keeps your secrets, I’ll find out sooner or later.’ You said as you crossed your arms over your chest.

Viktor raised a playful brow. ‘Is that a threat or a promise my muse?’ He asks.

You shrugged your shoulders. ‘Why not both.’ You said and Viktor laughs which makes you smile in response, feeling your chest warm as you looked at him, vowing to treasure this beautiful man for the rest of your life.

…

‘I know it’s not much but I wanted to make you something…I know it’s not the best but-‘

‘I love it my muse.’ Viktor starts as he takes the gift off of your hand, cradling it within his own as he looked over the amateur wielding and more so at the love and effort you’ve put into making this just for him.

You looked between him and the bird that you’ve made for him on a whim one day, wanting to repay him for loving you as he did in a way he’d recognise, even if you weren’t familiar with it you’d give it a try just to see him smile that gorgeous smile of his that made his amber eyes seem to brighten.

‘Really? You mean that?’ You asked and Viktor brushed his hand against your arm softly, stopping to hold your hand and squeeze it reassuringly.

‘Unequivocally my love. It possess a uniqueness that is undoubtedly yours and yours alone.’ He replies while pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

‘That’s a poetic way of saying that it’s made by an amateur who can barely wield shit without almost hurting themselves.’ You muttered under your breath as you rested your head against his shoulder. Viktor chuckles as he puts aside the mechanical bird on his workbench in order to hold you against him as he rests his head atop of yours.

‘If it’s any consolation it’s a well made creation for an amateur wielder.’ He says, smiling to himself when he hears you muffled groan. He wishes to stay like this forever if he could, just have you in his arms for all of eternity until that eternity fades to nothing, and it was just you two locked in the moment in the blanket of never ending darkness.

‘I hate you.’ You say.

‘I love you too my muse.’ Viktor replies as he presses a kiss to the side of your head.

…

‘Viktor?’ You asked.

‘Yes my love?’ He replies, looking at you.

‘Do you think we’re together in every universe?’ You then looked at him, finding him more beautiful than any star that hung in the sky before you.

Viktor makes a face full of thought before letting his hand find yours, squeezing it as he presses a kiss to the back of it. ‘Of course my love, for what would I be without you to be my muse, my confidant and my anchor.’ His face then becomes one of seriousness as he leans so that his forehead touches yours. ‘Do you believe that we’re together in every universe?’

‘Without a doubt.’ You answered back, kissing his lips. ‘I don’t think I could live in a reality where you don’t exist my beautiful Viktor.’ You add as you started deeply into his amber eyes, watching them soften in relief as Viktor reciprocated your kiss with one of his own.

‘What a coincidence I was thinking the exact same thing my muse.’ Viktor whispers softly to you as he kisses you once more. You held the back of his head to keep him close as the stars watched you both display your love for one another in the most innocent way possible.

…

Mel wondered down the hallway but as she was about to pass the lab, she heard the soft melody coming from it and stopped to peek through the open doorway. Sat fast asleep on Viktor’s chair, body splayed uncomfortably across his dust covered workbench, was you and she couldn’t help but smile sympathetically for you, after all you had just lost the love of your life before your very eyes and with no plausible way of getting him back.

What was making the melody Mel did find as her eyes landed on the open broach within your hand, Viktor’s final gift to you as it hummed the melody for the fifth time. It was a beautiful song Mel thought to herself as she moved next to you, resting her hand over your shoulder as she heard you softly mutter in your sleep. ‘I’m sorry Viktor. I love you.’

‘I know he loves you too.’ Mel replied as she reached over and closed the broach in your hand, seeing the mechanical engraving on the cover as she did so before pressing a kiss to the top of your head, wanting nothing more then let you sleep and be with Viktor in the land of dreams as she moved to walk back out the door. Mel looks back at you once more and in a moment of nostalgia overcame her she saw Viktor sleeping in that very chair instead of you. He was clutching his cane the same way you did and in that moment it looked as though your hands were touching; together intertwined in the smallest of things.

Viktor would always be with you, always.

[yourknightinshiningplastic]

had treebark dream btw

[natsgrave]

MEAN IT | scarlett johansson

on your lips just leave it, if you don't mean it. i do not give permission for my work to be copied or translated on other sites. plagiarism is a crime!! main m.list whispers of heartache m.list

Y/N and Scarlett had always been the couple that everyone admired. Their relationship was often described by friends and acquaintances as "perfect." Living in a cozy apartment in NYC, they had spent two wonderful years together. Their relationship was marked by sweet gestures, tender moments, and an unwavering bond. Scarlett, who was known for her strong and assertive personality, was always soft and gentle when it comes to Y/N. Every day, without fail, Scarlett would make Y/N feel special, telling her how much she loves her.

Every morning, Scarlett would wake up before Y/N, slipping out of bed quietly to prepare breakfast. She knew Y/N loved pancakes, so she made them from scratch, humming softly to herself as she worked. By the time Y/N woke up, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and warm pancakes filled the apartment.

"Morning, sleepyhead." Scarlett would say, a smile lighting up her face as Y/N shuffled into the kitchen.

Y/N would smile back, eyes still heavy with sleep. "Morning, love."

Scarlett would set a plate of pancakes in front of her, sitting down across the table. "Eat up. You've got a big day ahead."

Y/N would take a bite and sigh contentedly. "You always know how to make my mornings better."

One day, while Y/N was at work, Scarlett decided to surprise her with lunch. She knew Y/N had a hectic schedule, so she packed a homemade meal and headed to her office.

When she arrived, Y/N's eyes lit up with surprise and delight. "Scarlett! What are you doing here?"

"I brought you lunch," Scarlett said, holding up the bag. "Thought you could use a break."

They sat together in the small break room, sharing stories and laughter. Y/N couldn't stop smiling. "You always know how to brighten my day."

On Sundays, they had a tradition of spending the day in their pajamas, doing nothing but lounging around the apartment. Scarlett loved these moments, where they could just be themselves without any distractions.

They would cuddle on the couch, watching movies or reading books. Scarlett would often glance over at Y/N, who would be engrossed in her book, and feel a surge of love and gratitude.

"I love you, you know that?" Scarlett would say, brushing a strand of hair from Y/N's face.

Y/N would look up, her eyes sparkling. "I love you too, Scarlett. More than anything."

In the evenings, they enjoyed taking walks around their neighborhood. The city was always bustling, but in those moments, it felt like it was just the two of them.

Hand in hand, they would walk and talk about their dreams and future plans. Scarlett loved these conversations, where they could dream together.

"Do you think we'll always be this happy?" Y/N would ask, looking up at the stars.

Scarlett would squeeze her hand. "I know we will. I'll make sure of it."

On their anniversaries, Scarlett always went all out. One year, she surprised Y/N with a rooftop dinner. She had decorated the space with fairy lights and candles, creating a magical ambiance.

Y/N's eyes widened as they stepped onto the rooftop. "Scarlett, this is amazing!"

Scarlett pulled her into a gentle embrace. "Only the best for you, my love."

They danced under the stars, holding each other close. Scarlett whispered sweet nothings into Y/N's ear, making her giggle and blush.

"I can't believe how lucky I am to have you." Y/N said softly.

Scarlett smiled, kissing her forehead. "I'm the lucky one."

Some of their best moments were the quiet nights in, where they would simply sit together and enjoy each other's company. Scarlett loved to play with Y/N's hair, weaving it into intricate braids.

"You're so good at this." Y/N would murmur, her eyes half-closed in contentment.

Scarlett would chuckle softly. "I just like playing with your hair. It's so beautiful, just like you."

Y/N would blush and lean into her touch. "You're too sweet, Scarlett."

Scarlett had a habit of leaving little notes for Y/N around the apartment. Whether it was a simple "I love you" or a longer message expressing her feelings, these notes never failed to make Y/N smile.

One day, Y/N found a note tucked into her bag that read, "Thank you for being the light of my life. I can't wait to see you tonight."

Y/N felt a warmth spread through her chest. Scarlett always knew how to make her feel cherished and loved.

Sometimes, they would stay up late into the night, talking about everything and nothing. Scarlett loved these moments of vulnerability and openness.

"Do you ever think about the future?" Y/N would ask, her voice soft in the darkness.

"All the time," Scarlett would reply, taking Y/N's hand in hers. "And every time, I see you in it."

Y/N would smile, her heart swelling with love. "I can't imagine my future without you."

Whenever Y/N felt insecure or anxious, Scarlett was always there to reassure her. She would hold her close, whispering words of comfort and love.

"You're amazing, Y/N," Scarlett would say, her voice firm and sincere. "Don't ever doubt that. I love you more than anything in this world."

Y/N would nod, feeling a sense of calm wash over her. "Thank you, Scarlett. I don't know what I would do without you."

Every day, Scarlett made it a point to remind Y/N of her love. Whether it was a kiss on the cheek before heading out or a sweet text message during the day, she never let Y/N forget how much she meant to her.

One morning, as Y/N was getting ready for work, Scarlett wrapped her arms around her from behind.

"I love you," Scarlett whispered, kissing the back of her neck. "Don't ever forget that."

Y/N smiled, turning around to face her. "I love you too, Scarlett. More than words can say."

Despite all these sweet moments, Y/N noticed a change. Scarlett became distant, preoccupied, and often seemed lost in thought. Her usual warmth replaced by an unfamiliar coldness. It started with missed calls and shorter texts, and Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The final straw came when Y/N stumbled upon a message on Scarlett's phone from Addison, Scarlett's ex of ten years.

Y/N's heart sank as she read the messages. They were friendly, but there was an undeniable familiarity and intimacy that made Y/N's blood run cold. She decided she couldn't stay silent any longer. That evening, as Scarlett walked through the door, Y/N confronted her.

"Scarlett, we need to talk." Y/N said, her voice trembling.

Scarlett looked up, her expression guarded. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I found messages from Addison on your phone," Y/N began, trying to keep her voice steady. "Why didn't you tell me she was back in your life?"

Scarlett's face paled, and she took a deep breath. "I didn't think it was a big deal. We're just friends now."

"Just friends?" Y/N's voice rose. "Why have you been so distant then? Why didn't you tell me about her?"

Scarlett sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I didn't want to worry you. Addison came back into my life suddenly, and it's been... complicated."

"Complicated how?" Y/N pressed, tears welling up in her eyes.

Scarlett hesitated before finally speaking. "Addison reached out to me. She wanted to meet up, and... I didn't hesitate to go. We've been seeing each other as friends, trying to be civil." Scarlett admitted, avoiding Y/N's gaze.

Y/N felt a sinking feeling in her chest. "Civil?" Y/N repeated, her voice breaking. "It doesn't seem like just civility, Scarlett. You've been distant, you've changed! What's going on?"

Scarlett looked at Y/N, pain etched on her face. "Seeing Addison again brought back a lot of memories, Y/N. Feelings I thought I had buried. We talked, and it was like we never lost communication. All the old feelings came rushing back."

Y/N's heart pounded in her chest. "What are you saying, Scarlett?"

"I... I still love Addison," Scarlett said quietly, the words hanging heavily in the air. "Seeing her again brought everything back."

Y/N felt like the ground had been pulled from under her. Tears welled up in Y/N's eyes. "So, in the two years we've been together, she was always in your heart? Then where was I, Scarlett? Did I ever mean anything to you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Scarlett closed her eyes, a single tear escaping. "You were never there, Y/N. I thought I could move on, that I could love you the way you deserve. But it was never fully you. It never became you."

The room fell silent as Y/N absorbed the painful truth. Her heart shattered into pieces. She had given everything to Scarlett, only to find out she was living in someone else's shadow.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Y/N whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Why did you let me believe we had a future together?"

"I thought I could make it work," Scarlett replied, her own voice breaking. "I didn't want to hurt you. I thought if I just tried hard enough, I could let go of Addison."

"But you couldn't," Y/N said, her voice hollow. "And now I'm the one who's left broken."

"I'm so sorry, Y/N." Scarlett apologize.

"It's like, last night we were more than fine." Y/N said, letting out a teary laugh, "You only let me hold you because she can't." 

"Forgive me, Y/N." Scarlett said, reaching out to touch Y/N's hand, but Y/N pulled away, her eyes filled with hurt and confusion.

"Don't mess with my head," Y/N shook her head, anger and hurt mingling in her voice. "You shouldn't have told me you're falling if your feet is still on the ledge."

Scarlett stepped closer, her eyes pleading. "I need you, Y/N. I need you in my life."

"Don't tell me that you need me," Y/N shook her head, stepping back further. "You can't keep doing this to me. You can't keep saying you need me when you still have one foot in the past."

Scarlett tried to approach Y/N again, leaning in to kiss her forehead, but Y/N stepped back, holding up her hand to stop her. "Don't kiss me, no, don't kiss me right now."

Scarlett's eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I tried to move on, I tried to be the person you deserve, but I couldn't. Addison's presence brought back so many memories, so many feelings."

Scarlett's tears fell freely now. "I never meant to hurt you, Y/N. I thought I could love you and let go of Addison. But I failed. It was like old times, like no time had passed. We talked, and the spark was still there. I fell in love with her all over again. I'm so sorry. "

Y/N's heart shattered even more at Scarlett's words. She turned away, unable to bear the sight of the woman she loved admitting she loved someone else. "How could you do this to me? To us?"

Scarlett's voice was barely a whisper. "I'm sorry. I wish I could change how I feel, but I can't."

Y/N wiped her tears, her voice cracking. "I thought we had something special. I thought you loved me."

Scarlett stepped closer, desperate to make Y/N understand. "I do love you. But my love for Addison never went away. I thought it had, but I was wrong. I never meant to hurt you."

Y/N's voice was filled with resignation. "But you did. You hurt me more than I ever thought possible." Y/N took a deep breath, wiping away her own tears. "Scarlett, I loved you with everything I had. I gave you my heart, my soul, and you couldn't even see me. You were always looking back, never fully here with me."

"I know. And that's my biggest regret."

Y/N nodded, her resolve firming up. "I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending that everything's okay when it's not. You need to figure out what you really want, Scarlett. Because I can't be in a relationship where I'm second best."

Scarlett's heart broke as she realized the finality in Y/N's words. "I love you, Y/N. I do."

Y/N looked at her, pain etched across her face. "On your lips just leave it, if you don't mean it." she said softly, her voice breaking.

With that, Y/N walked out of the apartment, she felt a mix of anger, sadness, and confusion. The place that had once been a sanctuary now felt like a prison. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she needed to get away from the pain, from the memories, from Scarlett. 

Scarlett was left standing alone, the weight of her choices heavy on her shoulders. Scarlett watched Y/N leave, her own heart heavy with regret. She knew she had made a mistake, one that had cost her the most beautiful thing she had ever had. But it was too late. The damage was done, and she was left to face the consequences of her actions alone. As Y/N disappeared into the night, Scarlett knew that she had lost something irreplaceable, and she had no one to blame but herself.

As Y/N walked through the bustling streets of New York, the city lights blurred by her tears, she knew that she would have to find a way to heal from this heartbreak. She had loved Scarlett deeply, but in the end, it wasn't enough. Now, she had to learn to love herself again, to find her own way in a world that had suddenly become so much darker. She needed to figure out her own feelings and decide what to do next. All she knew right now was that her heart had been shattered, and it would take time to heal.

[tothosewholisten]

Forever Healed | TUA insert

Chapter: 01

<<previous chapter | next chapter>>

Masterlist

…

The next morning I woke up in disbelief of what I saw the previous night. I always thought Reginald’s grip on me was too tight for him to let go. I believed that he would live forever, that he would lecture me in his overpriced mansion when I failed at becoming my own person.

I didn’t know if I should feel sad or not, after all, it’s not like he would feel the same if it was me who died that man had the emotional intelligence of a zoo animal. At least that's what I tried to tell myself. But I did want to go back to my old home, just to see if this was a huge prank played on me and he would be there to finally give me what I wanted for years now.

No, this was reality and I knew that because at my front door was a letter, it was addressed from Pogo. The “man” who practically raised me instead of the parent I was supposed to have. How he knows where I live, I had no idea, but it felt good to hear from him after all this time. He told me to come back to the house for the service and I couldn’t just ignore him.

Since this was a funeral I should wear black or maybe some bright neon-colored outfit for the last F you to the big man. But after looking in my closet I realize I only own sad mundane clothes.

“Black it is..” I whisper to myself.

..

The taxi ride was silent, after telling the driver where I wanted to go I think she knew exactly who I was. I fixed my hair several times and thought about the other adopted children who also experienced hell living there. From time to time I do like to check up on how they're doing, never face to face though.

Like Allison and her latest celeb drama, or Diego still acting like a superhero only now he’s almost 30 and lives in someone else’s storage closet. I'm not sure that adult life has been kind to any of my siblings but I wish the ones who weren't here could’ve still experienced it.

We had come to a stop and I could see the house in all its glory, it gave me shivers that crawled down my spine. I stepped out of the taxi and just stared up at the tall building, If I was about to go in I needed to majorly hype myself up.

After standing there shaking, my shaky hand had finally started to open the intricate umbrella engraved glass doors. This reminded me of the first time I showed up to this place just as terrified of the unknown, but this time instead of crying on the doorstep the unknown opened the door for me. If the unknown was a small monkey man with glasses and a wooden walking stick named Pogo.

“Miss Y/n, please do come in.” Pogo expressed with a warm smile on his monkey face. “I believe you are one of the first to arrive, just right after Master Luther and Klaus. Luther is in your father's room and Klaus is in his study if you’d like to visit them.”

I wasn't paying attention to Pogo’s words, instead I was taking a look around. It took me a while to come up with the right words, it’s like I forgot how to speak. The inside of this place looked like it hadn't changed since I moved out, not one piece out of place.

“Maybe later.” I croaked out, “I'd like to take a look around for a bit.” We walked into the main lounge of the home. I forgot how much there was to see, the space was decorated very well in my opinion.

“As you wish Miss Y/n, let me know if you need anything else.” He called out as he started to walk in the opposite direction. I called back out to him in a small panic.

“Pogo wait,” I said and he turned back around to look at me.

“Yes-“ It only took me a few steps to reach him as I opened up my arms for a hug and he caught on. I embraced the smaller “man”, it felt so familiar, so comforting it almost made me feel good to be back. We stood like that for what could’ve been all my life and I wouldn't care before I pulled back thinking it was too much. “It’s so good to see you, my girl. Welcome home.” I immediately felt back at ease when he spoke those words.

Pogo was a prominent figure in my adolescence to the point where I didn't even question how a monkey could talk. I'd like to think of him as one of my saving graces for getting past the years that I could never forget.

“It feels strange to be back,” I said walking back over to the lounge area. On the wall, I could see a bunch of familiar items like our Umbrella Academy comics, some of our news articles and-

“How long has it been since Five disappeared?” A voice cut in, my eyes searched the room looking for that voice. I set my sights on a small scrawny woman with brown hair pulled into a bun.

It was Vanya, she’s changed since I last saw her but that comes with age I guess, she still shares the same mannerisms as her younger self.

“Miss Vanya! I'm glad to see you as well.” Pogo exclaimed, turning to her but then went back to the portrait of Five on the wall. Made just before he ran away but hung up after as a sign to remember him by our father. I don't think it was out of love for his son but more of a warning for us to not end up like him. “But to answer your question, it's been sixteen years, four months, and fourteen days. Your father insisted I keep track.”

I gave Vanya a little smile and she spoke again. “You wanna know something stupid? I always used to leave the lights on for him.” Pogo and I looked at her sympathetically. “I was scared that he would come back, it would be late, and the house would be dark and he wouldn't be able to find us, so he’d leave again.”

I don’t know if it was childish or hopeful for her to think he would just one day return to us and all would be forgiven but it was true that she never lost hope.

“So, every night I'd make a little snack and make sure all the lights were on.” She finished.

Pogo sighed at her words. “Oh, I remember your snacks. I'm pretty sure I stepped in half those peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches.” Yes, it was a sad memory but I think all three of us took comfort in the fact that they had these little things they did. To cope with the fact that a part of us was lost the day he left.”Your father always believed that Number Fiver was still out there somewhere. He never lost hope.” He continued.

Vanya frowned, “And look where that got him.”

..

Alison and Luther made their way to us in the lounge room along with Diego and Klaus following soon behind them, but I had already sat on a couch next to Vanya.

This was an odd event since everyone was so quiet and sticking to themselves or their drinks. And Pogo had left a few minutes ago so any conversations that he sparked no longer existed and it was back to complete silence.

I twiddled with a loose string on my cardigan, trying to shake at least some of the anxiety that brewed from the room. You’d think because we were together almost for half of our lives we would know how to ask each other how life’s been but I guess not. I'd have to talk to Alison sometime soon and also Klaus, out of everyone I've been the most excited to talk to him.

Luther stood up from one of the large couches and cleared his throat. “Uhm, I guess we should get this started. So, I figured we could have some sort of memorial service. In the courtyard at sundown.” He paused. “Say a few words, just at Dad’s favorite spot.”

“Dad had a favorite spot?” Alison questioned.

Luther replied, “You know, under the oak tree.” And I honestly doubt anyone knew or cared but him. He was always more attached to Dad anyway.

“We used to sit out there all the time. None of you ever did that?” Of course not...

Klaus chimed in walking over to the group, a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. “Will there be refreshments? Tea? Scones? Cucumber sandwiches are always a winner.”

“What? No. And put that out. You know Dad didn't allow smoking in here.” Luther argued.

“Well he is dead so does it matter” I said while rubbing my forehead. I'm already getting a headache from Luther and it's been five seconds. He throws me a look and I just shut up. Arguing with him also reminds me of a zoo animal and it's not just his new physique..

Alison points to Klaus’s interesting new outfit and says. “Is that my skirt?” And I'm reminded of our teenage years all over again.

“What? Oh! Yeah, this. I found it in your room.” Klaus says. “It’s a little dated, I know, but it's very breathy on the bits-“

Luther cuts in with a stern voice. “Listen up. Still, some important things that we need to discuss, all right?”

“Like what?” Diego asks and finally looks up at us.

“Like the way he died.”

“And here we go..” Diego remarks.

Vanya stares at Luther confused. “I don’t understand. I thought they said it was a heart attack?”

“Yeah, according to the coroner..”

“Well, wouldn't they know” I say?

“Theoretically”

“Theoretically?” Alison raises a brow at Luther's strange words.

“I'm just saying, at the very least, something happened. The last time I talked to Dad, he sounded strange.” He adds on.

Klaus starts gurgling his alcohol and with a strange noise, he says. “Oh, quelle surprise!” Whatever that means..

“Strange how?” I try to continue.

“He sounded on edge. Told me I should be careful who to trust.”

“I don’t think that’s anything out of the ordinary, like at all.” I shrug.

Diego stands from his chair. “Luther, he was a paranoid, bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles.”

“No. He must have known something was gonna happen.” I roll my eyes at Luther's statement. “Look, I know you don’t like to do it, but I need you to talk to Dad.” He finishes by looking at Klaus. The only one of us with those capabilities, Klaus looked panicked by his words.

“I can’t just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, Dad could you just.. stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take this quick call” Klaus states exaggerating the words with hand movements.

“Since when? That’s your thing.”

“I'm not in the right.. frame of mind.”

“You’re high?” Alison turns to look at Klaus.

“Yeah!” he chuckles, still holding his drink and cigarette while sitting “Yeah! I mean how are you not listening to this nonsense?”

“Well sober up, this is important,” says Luther and Klaus groans.”Then there’s the issue of the missing monocle.”

“Who gives a shit about a stupid monocle?” Diego cuts in, which I would have to agree with.

“Exactly, it's worthless. So whoever took it, I think it was personal.” Everyone stares at Luther like he is delusional and at this point, me included. “Someone close to him. Someone with a grudge.”

“Where are you going with this? You lost me at Dad's favorite spot” I ask Luther directly.

Diego stares up at Luther and gets out of his chair to get closer to him. “Oh, isn’t it obvious, Y/n? He thinks one of us killed Dad.” I know everyone knew that was what he was saying but hearing it come from Diego’s mouth hit everyone.

“You do?” Says Klaus. “How could you think that?” Vanya added.

“Great job, Luther. Way to lead.” Diego walks out of the lounge room.

“That’s not what I'm saying,” Luther grunts.

Klaus gets up too not before saying this on his way out. “You’re crazy, man. You’re crazy. Crazy”

“I've not finished” Luther tries to tell us to sit back down.

“Sorry, I'm just gonna go murder, Mom. Be right back” I say with a smile.

“That’s not what I was saying. I didn't-“ Luther sighs as Vanya walks out too. Leaving Allison the last one in the room with a pleading Luther. “Alison. Jeez..” He says trying to call out to her. But unfortunately for him, she also walks away leaving him to mutter to himself alone. “That went well.”

..

“Hey,” I whispered to Vanya as she was sitting on the stairs deep in thought. “That was.. intense right?” Out of everyone she was the easiest to talk to, she always was there for me.

But I do have to admit I could’ve been there for her more and I'm not sure what she thinks about me after all these years. By her silence she confirmed what I thought, she hates me. After sitting for a second in the silence I wanted to run away and retreat to my room. But she raised her head and looked me in the eyes.

“Yeah it was, Luther was way off.” She says.

I could hug her right now, I'm so happy hearing her voice. I hummed in response but I couldn’t think of anything to say, we just ended up looking at each other waiting for the other to bring up our next topic. “Uhm you're still playing the violin, right? How’s that going.” I ask.

Vanya gives me an awkward smile “It's going pretty okay, I play for an orchestra near my apartment. I also give lessons to kids when I have the time.”

“That’s amazing Vanya.” I smile back. “What chair are you?” That is the extent of my orchestra knowledge, I always liked hearing her play but didn't have any knacks for instruments myself. And it's not like Dad would’ve given me any time to learn, always on to the next mission or session with him.

“Third” she frowns, “for the last couple of years now I guess.”

I wasn’t sure what to say to that. I didn't want her to think that was bad because I'm sure she is trying her best so we were back to silence again. As I stare off into the distance.

But then I look up to hear a loud muffled noise, like a song? It was coming from upstairs. I wasn't going crazy because Vanya heard it too. I remember listening to this song as a teenager and my only conclusion is that this was playing from Luther's record player. The song still played as I told her who I thought was playing this, and we both started laughing before Vanya stood up and held her hand out to me and pulled me up too.

I kept laughing as she started to sway back and forth to the music, she looked so carefree so I joined her. I'm no star dancer myself but being with her made me feel like I could do anything and that's what I did. We bounced around as the chorus started, grabbing each other's hands and mouthing the lyrics.

“I think we’re alone now,” I started.

“Doesn’t seem to be anyone around” Vanya continues.

“I think we're alone now”

“The beating of our hearts is the only sound” This was an out-of-character moment for both of us but we didn't care, we were simply enjoying ourselves and I wondered if anyone else was dancing too.

The music skips as thunder cuts the song off and we stop. The whole house starts to rumble and Vanya grabs on to me as we look around at all the flying items that are coming off shelves and tables.

I was confused, nowhere did the forecast mention thunder and lighting at all and looking outside I didn't see anything, only a blue glowing ball forming in the sky near the back of the house.

Luther and Alison run from upstairs towards us and they tell us we need to go outside, where we run into Diego. He must have seen the glowing too.

..

“Oh shit“ I plug my ears, the lighting whips and thunder got louder as we reached the door. Diego was the first of us out there, and then we all followed. We were horrified at the sight ahead of us. No longer was this a blue ball but more like a large translucent blue ripple in the sky.

“What is it?” Vanya yells out.

Alison pushes Luther slightly back with her hand “Don’t get too close” she says.

“Yeah, no shit” Diego interjects.

Luther points it out. “Looks like some sort of temporal anomaly. Either that or a miniature black hole. One of the two.” For a moment I forgot that he spent all that time and space, he was more knowledgeable than us.

“Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan!” Diego exclaims. Hearing all of their voices I slowly realized who was missing..

“Out of the way!” Klaus yells from inside.

He starts to run up to us with something in his hand “What are you doing?!” I called out. He then runs up to the “black hole” and throws a fire extinguisher into it? I'm worried for Klaus if his response to strange situations is to throw something at it.

Alison gave him a puzzled look “What is that going to do?” She said,

“I don’t know, do you have a better idea?” He replies with exasperation. His frustration seemed to somewhat affect the glowing thing because it suddenly got bigger, and flashed strong blue light at him. Klaus lets out a shriek and runs behind me.

“Woah woah get behind me,” Luther says addressing us. Diego decides to chime in, of course, to upstage him and says that we should get behind him instead.

“I vote for running c’mon!” Klaus tries to grab my arm but I stay still, if I was scared of anything anymore I would've run but I was dying to see how this played out.

All of us just kind of stood there, some probably accepted their fate that this blob of color was gonna swallow them whole. I look down to see Alison and Luther hand and hand.

But that's not the only thing I see, because something was coming out of the light. A man? A boy? I was so confused. He lets out a terrible screech, like coming through that “portal” was ripping him apart.

All of us take a closer look at the now clearer image because whatever was in the portal dropped down onto the mud-covered floor. And the blue light disappears above him.

“Oh my god,” I said, I finally recognized what was standing right in front of me. All of us took a couple of steps closer to him.

“Does anyone else see little Number Five, or is that just me?” Klaus asked.

Five looks down at himself and for the first time in close to 17 years I hear him speak.

“Shit.”

…

Aug 14 update:

If you'd like to be added to the tag list for rest of the series (starts at chapter 10) say taglist in the comments!

[honeykaes]

—𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭

✦ valentines day hc’s feat. scaramouche, kaeya, heizou, diluc

✦ warning: smut, 18+ content, minors do not interact

✦ disclaimer: afab!reader with no set pronouns, modern!au, fingering (scara), exhibitionism (scara), cunniligus (kaeya), mention of boobs and bra (heizou), boobjob (heizou), lingiere kink (heizou), bondage (heizou), cockwarming (diluc), riding (diluc), bath sex (diluc), creampie (diluc), unedited

Scaramouche isn’t the keenest on Valentine’s Day. He finds it rather annoying to deal with and see couples flaunt around trying to prove something to other people; despite his relationship with you. Still, when you woke up greeting him with dark chocolate-covered strawberries, he couldn’t help but see the appeal now.

The two of you decided to go to the movies to see an old rom-com, with Scaramouche begrudgingly shutting his mouth and not complaining. With the two of you sitting in the back of the movie as the film progressed, you could see the bored expression gazing into your partner’s eyes. Still, he could find some entertainment with a bad movie in the background

You were shocked to feel Scaramouche’s hand squeeze over your plush thighs, slowly shredding up and playing with your waistband. You silently looked over at him, whispering what he was doing but his face remained turned, still dully staring at the movie. A slight gasp escaped you as you felt his hand finally dip between your pants and underwear, as you tried to cover a moan from his cool fingers beginning to cup your entrance. 

Your eyes wandered to the rest of the movie theater, noticing how most of the people were upfront and couldn’t notice what he was doing to you. A smirk fell on Scaramouche’s face as his fingers slowly trailed up and down your slit, feeling your juices beginning to dampen and coat his nimble fingers. As his thumb settled on your clit, pressing small, firm circles on your clit, two fingers sunk into your core. 

Your body squirmed as your back arched against the seat, covering your mouth and shutting your eyes as you felt Scaramouche’s digits continuously thrust inside your sobbing cunt. You could feel him curling them—trying to reach deep inside of you— as his abuse on your clit never let up. He leaned over to your ear, cock uncomfortably twitching, and pushed against his pants.

“Look how easily wet you are from my fingers around so many people. Instead of this silly movie, we can leave now and I can grace you with my tongue when we get home,” he whispered, nipping at the shell of your ear. You eagerly nodded, as a low chuckle escaped his lips—fingers sliding out of your velvety cunt and underwear. The light from the movie made the slick, sticking to his fingers glisten as his intense eyes—hazed in lust—never left your gaze as he lapped the remaining slick up with his tongue.

He rose to his seat, cock throbbing excitedly for the festivities at him, as he reached his hand out to you.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Kaeya’s hand covered your vision as he slowly guided you from the bedroom out into the kitchen. You could only imagine how wide he was smiling, leaving small butterfly kisses on the nape of your neck as he guided you. One of Kaeya’s favorite holidays was Valentine's for some reason and he had limited you to just the bedroom the entire day as he “worked on his gift”. 

“Alright. Open you can look now,” he called out, lifting his hands up. As you slowly fluttered your eyes open, a smile crept up on your lips seeing the intricate meal Kaeya had made along with a fresh and expensive bottle of wine from his brother’s company. Kaeya admittedly wasn’t the greatest chef in the world, but it seems he secretly took classes this month to prepare for this moment. As you turned around and stole a kiss from him, his hands settled on your waist, pinching the skin before leaning away and guiding you to your seat. 

As he pushed your seat back in, you expected him to sit down across from you on the dining table but were shocked to see that he merely grinned and leaned down, disappearing under the table. Your eyebrows furrowed as you called out his name, only to gasp as you felt his cold hands settling on your thighs and pushing your legs open. You stuttered out his name, feeling him beginning to drag your pants down, leaving you just in your underwear.

His name left your lips as your head lulled back, feeling him press his face against your clothed entrance. He slowly spread his fingers along your slit, watching the fabric begin to darken and dampen. With a finger, he easily swiped the material as he tore it to your shock. As you snapped out of your lust; about to reprimand him for ruining your favorite pair, your hands shot to his soft hair feeling his tongue beginning to lap up your clit.

Two fingers firmly placed themselves on your folds, widening you up, as his tongue rapidly flicked along the sensitive numb. He moved his plush lips to suck on it, pulling it a few times from the suction before his tongue went back to play with it. He slowly swirled his pink muscle along the sides of your clit as your legs shivered in pleasure, slowly caving in towards his head.

“That’s right darling. Lose yourself on my tongue,” Kaeya groaned out. With one last flick of his tongue, your back arched, and eyes rolled to the back of your head finally reaching your high. Your heart thumped rapidly as you looked down between your thighs to see a smug expression on your boyfriend, lower face coated with your slick.

“Y’know your food you worked hard on is probably too cold now,” you hummed, brushing his hair as he leaned his cheek against your thigh. He pressed a chaste kiss on it before shrugging.

“It was a worthy sacrifice. Besides, I had my meal already and I’m getting a bit hungry for seconds.”

As Heizou walked inside his home and took his shoes off, exhaustion seemed to be heavily hitting him. It had been a long day at work that he didn’t want to go to, leaving you pouting in bed early that morning as you gave him his chocolate. Still, he needs to brew a coffee or something since he wanted to celebrate Valentine’s with you.

He walked into the bedroom, expecting to quickly take his clothes off, only for his shock to replace his body. There you lay in the bed, adorned with lingerie he had gotten you a year prior as candles burned around the room. Your smile, seeing the lace perfectly decorating your body was the caffeine and addiction Heizou needed.

“Well Happy Valentine’s Day to me,” he murmured out, lips pulled into a tug. As you laughed, watching him quickly shimming out of his clothing, you were shocked to see he kept his tie in his hand. With a gasp from you, Heizou eagerly tied your hands to the bed frame, now utterly helpless to his touch as he pull the lacy bra down, revealing your chest. 

As you stuttered out his name, curious as to what he was doing, you were shocked to see him press his half-hardened cock in between the valley of your breasts. You could feel his length twitch against your skin as it got harder and harder. Precum budded at his flushed tip as he grabbed the soft mounds of your chest, squeezing them together and against his cock. 

He slowly moved his hips up, sliding his cock back and forth as a groan escaped his lips. His eyes were completely enamored with your chest, watching the mounds move to the pace of his thrusts as he squeezed them even more. 

“God, look at my beautiful partner treating me so well. Stick your tongue out honey,” he groaned out, gnawing on his bottom lip. As you obeyed, timidly sticking your tongue out, a grunt erupted from Heizou as his hips began to waver. Ropes of his thick cum soon shot out, landing on your chin, neck, and chest. A lazy grin fell to his face, rubbing his cum with his softening cock, watching it shine on your skin. 

“You surely know how to treat me, darling. Now lift your legs up, it’s time for me to spoil you.”

Throughout the entire day of Valentine’s Day, Diluc treated you as if you were royalty itself. His gifts, the dates, his soft smile—everything about him was perfect. Too perfect in fact that you were getting a little insecure that you didn’t do enough for him. 

As the two of you returned from a fancy dinner, you insisted on taking a bath with Diluc but told him you needed to prepare for it first. You ran into the bathroom, going under the cabinets to grab the rose petals you had bought yesterday to prepare as you began the hot bathwater and poured his favorite bubble bath in. As the bath began to form frothy bubbles, you threw the rose petals in quickly, lighting the candles around you with a lighter. 

You popped back out, urging him to get inside the bath first using some excuse you needed to grab something first and he, albeit confusedly, agreed to take his clothes off and dipped inside the bath. As you walked back in, the long, translucent bathrobe hiding your form, you flashed him a smile as you let the robe slowly fall down revealing your form—he always seemed to be bewitched whenever you revealed your form in this manner.

As you dip yourself into the bath and settle against his chest, you could feel his cock beginning to throb and harden. You flashed him a smile, leaning over his arm to give it a kiss only to slightly widen your legs and guide his cock inside of you. A small moan escaped your lips as his cock sank inside of you, his tip firmly against your cervix. Diluc groaned out loudly, hands going to your waist as he pressed his lips against your ear.

“Are you trying to tease me again, darling…Don’t you know better than that,” he murmured. Just as you were going to offer an excuse you were shocked to see Diluc lifting you up by your waist only to pull you back down on his cock. You threw your head back, as Diluc continued to have you ride him, soon thrusting to meet that pace of him. 

One of his hands snaked around your front and began to toy with your clit as his lips continued to nibble and suck on your neck. The water rose and fell with every thrust, loud smacking echoing out in the bathroom. Your body shivered in pleasure, calling out his name as he felt your walls begin to tighten and close in against his cock. With a grunt, he had you stay in his lap as he stroked his cock inside of you and rubbed rapidly on your clit.

It didn’t take long before you called out his name, letting your full weight fall on his chest. Diluc shut his eyes tightly, moving his hand away from your now throbbing clit, and wrapped his arms around you. With a low moan, Diluc emptied himself inside of you—thick globs of his cum now coating your walls as he nursed the climax, lazily moving his cock inside of you.

With a sigh, Diluc pressed a kiss against your cheek, not wanting to pull out and leave your warmth for now.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, my beloved…”

[xylianasblog]

A Piece of You.

Pairings: Tsu’tey x fem human reader.

Summary: He saw a part of him in you, a part that he lost long ago.

Warnings: kidnapping, death, angst, fluff, Stockholm syndrome, slight comfort, let me know if I missed any warnings.

A/n: It’s a bit late but day 6 of @quicktosimp incredible event for survive the night.

He was dying, bleeding to death as the battle was still going. Everything hurt every ounce of his body was in mind numbing pain, every single nerve was screaming from within. The worst pain of all was having his kuru cut off before he was dropped to the ground.

No more connecting to Eywa, no more seeing, no more speaking with his first love, everything was lost in one swift moment. Death was more welcoming than he could have ever imagined, despite all the pain he was slowly beginning to welcome the quietness that began to cloud his senses. No more touching, no more tasting, no more seeing. Everything began to fade in and out slowly he felt the life leaving his body, disappearing into the world of Pandora.

Once, twice, three times he took the last breathes that he could manage, the biggest ones he could bring himself to release. The air leaving his lungs and the distant sounds of his heartbeat fading.

It was all to real, all too fresh but as he closed his eyes one last time he swear he saw Eywa in all her beauty, whispering sweet nothings as you pressed a gentle hand to his head.

Tsu’tey opened his eyes, having had the last dream for the last three weeks. It was a constant reminder of his last days. You haunted him, plagued his mind at every turn, you saved him yet he didn’t have anything to show.

The dream played over and over like a broken record, he needed to find you. To have you, figure out who you were and why’d you save him. You became his new favorite obsession, his reason for living. His life was no longer the same, not without the connection; because he may not have died physically but he died spiritually and emotionally. He needed to find you, to have you. He needed the part of him that died, he needed to feel whole and you were his answer.

He searched for you, never giving up on trying to find you, but never with any luck. It was as if you were a figment of his imagination, the only proof he had was the proof of your hands that touched his body.

Tsu’tey was out, longer than usual his frustrations getting it him. It was absolutely ridiculous how often he looked for you, he needed to find you. He needed to have you, the need was for you grew deeper and deeper each day he was alive, his life with the clan a constant reminder that he was different now, no longer himself especially now that he couldn’t make tsaheylu. His doubts grew and the insecurities piled up, but before he could get sucked into his mind Tsu’tey heard the sound of leaves rustling and the sound of angry tawtute words being thrown around carelessly.

Following the noises he found you, the savior. His savior, you were real every bit of you was real and he had finally found you. Tsu’tey followed you, making sure that you were safe as you continued on with whatever you were doing. He watched you intently. Taking his time to memorize himself with your features, each little intricate detail that made you.. you. He had to have you and he knew just how he’d do it. Once darkness blanketed the world of Pandora Tsu’tey made his way to way your home resides deep inside the forest of Pandora. His took his time gathering things he was sure you’d need even though he hated sky people things he’d make an exception for you. Once Tsu’tey was sure he gathered the important things he carefully picked up your body and made the trek back to his kelku on the outskirts of the village.

Tsu’tey wasted no time getting you settled into his home, making sure you’d be as comfortable as possible when you woke up. He went the extra mile to ensure everything was to your liking. Only getting a few hours of sleep he awoke to the sound of screams, without a moment of hesitation his large calloused hand cover your mouth, letting out a hiss. “Hush vrrtep. I have brought you home, this is our home now. You are not to leave it is not safe. I will protect you and care for you now. As a mate should.”

His declaration for you was unprompted in your eyes but to Tsu’tey having you right by his side was everything he needed. He dotted and cared on you as a mate should yet he still never understood why you cried and pleaded for him to let you go. Weren’t you happy? Why didn’t you accept his gifts and his love? Why couldn’t you just accept that you were his mate now.?

Tsu’tey didn’t understand how as the days passed, the sun and moon changing you still weren’t happy with his affections of love. His gifts, each time you cried he was there to wipe your eyes. Tsu’tey didn’t understand why you were so utterly distressed with him, why the sight of him made you cry harder when for him he felt whole again.

The days grew longer and the nights grew shorter, you were sadder yet it only made Tsu’tey care for you harder. He grew to love you, see you, even though he couldn’t mate with you by completing the bond he still showed his love for you. You didn’t cry anymore, you just stopped trying and Tsu’tey hated that, even though he didn’t realize he was the reason why. His love was not pushy, his gifts, his affections, his care was just right so why couldn’t you see him for the navi male he was.

Soon the nights grew longer as the days grew shorter, it seemed your smile had returned. Tsu’Tey noticed, he was proud of himself you were talkative, aware, even returning his affections. You let him care for you as a mate should in every sense of the word. Tsu’tey was just proud that you were showing him so much love.

The day that he died he lost of piece of himself, Eywa had turned her back to him. He was denied his right to live Navi, be navi, make tsaheylu like navi. But you saved him, brought him back to life. You gave him pieces of himself back, fixing the broken male. You were his gift from Eywa, he saw her in you.

Tags: @etherial-moon-blog @tallulah477 @eywaite @quicktosimp

[thegleamingmoon]

Beloved.

Chapter 2 - Connection.

Check chapter 1 here

❛You remain an elusive illusion while being my grounding reality. Not seen, not touched, but felt in the deepest corners of my heart.❜

The next morning, Bhadra woke up to the chirping of birds outside her window. The rays of the sun played upon her face, gently waking her from a restless sleep filled with fragments of memories and dreams, the remnants of her encounter with Aravind still lingered in her mind. She went through her daily routines mechanically, unable to shake off the way she felt. She made her way to the temple, her thoughts spiralling back to him, his voice and eyes having her mind completely consumed.

When she arrived, the temple was already bustling with devotees. The familiar scent of jasmine and sandalwood greeted her, and she felt a sense of calm wash over her. She moved through the temple grounds, her eyes searching for any sign of Aravind. She hoped to see him. But he was nowhere to be seen.

"Did I imagine him?" she wondered aloud, her voice barely a whisper.

"Hey, is everything alright?"

It was Shailaja, a warm lady, her friend and fellow temple volunteer, who broke through her thoughts.

"Yes, I'm just a little distracted," Bhadra replied, forcing a smile.

"You seemed deep in thought. Something on your mind?" Shailaja asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Bhadra hesitated for a moment, then decided to confide in her friend. "I met someone here yesterday. A man named Aravind. It was strange, but felt so... right."

She could practically see the eyes of her friend widening in surprise. "Aravind? I've never heard of anyone by that name visiting the temple. Are you sure you didn't dream it?"

"I'm not sure of anything anymore," Bhadra admitted.

As the day progressed, Bhadra tried to push the questions that swirled in her mind. She focused on her duties at the temple, helping devotees and ensuring everything ran smoothly. But every now and then, she would catch herself looking around, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

Later that evening, after the temple had closed for the day, Bhadra decided to take a walk through the nearby garden. The cool breeze and chirping birds helped to clear her mind. She found a quiet spot by a small pond and sat down on the bench, letting the peaceful surroundings soothe her restless heart.

"Maybe I did imagine him," she thought. "Maybe it was just my imagination. But why?"

"Contemplating life, are we?”

Just as she was about to get up and head back home, she heard that deep, familiar voice. She turned around quickly and there he was, standing by a tree, his eyes twinkling with that same mirth and mischief. It's him again. Aravind.

"You're real," she whispered, more to herself than to him.

"Of course I am," he replied with a fond smile. "I told you I would return, didn't I?"

Bhadra's heart raced. "Why? Why do I feel like I know you?"

Aravind walked closer, his expression serious. "I can't tell you everything, my sweet one. Not yet. But I can assure you that our meeting was no accident. We are connected.

"Connected how?" she asked restlessly, her curiosity piqued.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, intricately carved pendant. "This belongs to you," he said, placing it in her hand.

Bhadra examined the pendant. It was shaped like a peacock feather, with delicate details that made it look almost lifelike. "It's beautiful," she said, her fingers tracing the design.

"It holds the key to our connection, sweet one," Aravind explained. "Keep it close to you. In time, you will understand everything."

Before she could ask more questions, he stepped back. "I have to go now, but we will meet again soon."

"Already? You cannot just appear out of nowhere, make me question almost everything, reassure me and then disappear again.” Bhadra finished with an exasperated sigh.

Aravind moved closer as he fondly cupped her cheeks, "Hey look at me. Don't worry, precious one. I’ll come back to you. I surely will."

With that, he walked away. More like fading away into thin air, leaving Bhadra standing by the pond, the pendant clutched tightly in her hand.

As she made her way back home, she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. The pendant seemed to pulse with a faint, warm energy. That night, as she lay in bed, Bhadra dreamed of the peacock feather, of moonlit nights, dense forests, and her blue flute player who seemed to hold the answers to all her questions.

And she knew, deep in her heart, that her journey was filled with mystery and madness and it was just beginning.

Tags - @harinishivaa @houseofbreadpakoda @kaal-naagin @krsnaradhika @ramayantika @achyutapriya @sambhavami @sambaridli @ahamasmiyodhah @deepstarlighttraveler @rantingabtmyman

[satancopilotsmytardis]

*crossing my fingers and muttering. Please don't already be asked, please don't already be asked*

Steampunk?

I'm gonna be honest, I don't know much about steampunk as a genre, I just know it as an aesthetic with a lot of gears and a vaguely Victorian vibe, so I'm doing what I can. Who wants a sort of clockwork Frankenstein story? No one? Too bad, you're getting one anyway.

So Shigaraki was adopted by a man who was particularly skilled at making very life-like clockwork creatures and people, ones that could do nearly any task needed. They may be made out of dead people but shhh, no one has to know about that, it's fine, I promise.

He's started making a name for himself as well, trying to make these creations, but when he gets the latest corpse in to do his work, he cuts a couple of corners. I mean, the body was so badly damaged from the fire that killed it that he assumed he wouldn't need to take out the entire throat to get started. But when the clockwork doll asks him what happened, he knows he fucked up because his father taught him to never let them talk. Take out their voices, get their bodies working, and then when they are all functional, they turn on the last clockwork cog in their mind and it would essentially lobotomize them, making them perfect. But talking to the creatures is a bad idea. They could convince him they're still human.

He tells the clockwork that he died and that he won't remember that, won't remember anything as soon as his work is finished, and being pretty sharp, Dabi connects the dots about the other clockworks. But he... doesn't rage or try to fight back. He just asks if he'll actually make sure that he's useful this time around, make sure that he's worth something since he wasn't while he was alive. Tomura is kind of taken aback at that request but promises him that he will make him perfect, and Dabi sighs and waits to be switched off. Shigaraki does power him down for the night, but he doesn't take out his voice box. He has weeks left of work to do and he... is curious what could make a person think that this is their salvation.

Tomura continues to work on Dabi, given that name because he was burned badly and that's what Tomura had been calling this clockwork before he woke. Dabi thinks that name is just fine and does ask for little things as he's made, not concessions, not a reprieve, he just asks if the porcelain that will be used for his face can be half metal because he saw a clockwork like that once and thought it was pretty. He asks if the wig he eventually gets can be black, if the lights in his eyes, when they are replaced with the final ones, can be blue like they used to be. He understands that when he's finished, he won't really know why he wanted to look like this, he won't want anything but orders ever again. But he's never had much in his life, and if he's marching towards death for a second time, maybe the gentle hands easing his way there will give him these small gifts.

Shigaraki knows he never should have left him able to speak because he finds himself making Dabi's body more and more complicated, more intricate. More panels, finer gears, more, and more, and more life-like, and the process goes from something he can complete in a two-three months, to a project he works on nearly constantly in his free time for over a year. He adores Dabi, he loves him. And the day that he finishes him, he's perfect, the greatest creation he's ever made, and he tells Dabi he's finished. Dabi's confused because he's still present, his mind is intact. Shigaraki tells him he knows, he removed the gears that would have destroyed his mind. He will be able to function for, well at least two centuries before his parts start to wear out. He gives him a small case with some clothes and some money so that he can leave and he goes to ready himself for bed. He fully expects Dabi to have been playing a long con with him and that he will wake to the clockwork's hands around his neck, or to an empty workshop. Instead, he wakes to Dabi climbing into his bed with him asking to see just how life-like all of the parts he made really are.

(bonus) they may spend another year or two developing some additional silicone parts that can be swapped in and out of Dabi's body when he's in the mood for other things

(bonus bonus) Shigaraki teaches Dabi everything he knows about the clockwork necromancy and Dabi practices for nine years before Shigaraki poisons himself and Dabi puts him back together so that they can live together forever.

[thedensworld]

Lover | Kim Mingyu

Officially Dated!

Lover Series🖤🌼

Pairing: Idol!Mingyu x Fashion Editor!Reader (ft. Joshua)

Genre: Romance, Angst, Humour, Series

________________________________________

A memory from last week continued to linger in Kim Mingyu's mind. Well, he might have forgotten some details after consuming three and a half bottles of soju, which was his limit. But the fact that he woke up in a hotel room that wasn't his own, shirtless, with you soundly asleep on his arm, was etched into his memory. There was a glimmer of hope when he woke up that morning, finding you beside him, though your baby blue shirt you still wore in your sleep had him slightly disappointed. He had wished for something significant to have happened, a step towards reconciling with you. However, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret that he had hoped for anything other than a genuine, sober reconnection – the kind he truly wanted.

But that was best forgotten for now.

Let's shift our focus to the pivotal moment when you finally mustered the courage to confess your feelings for him. That night stood out as a beacon of light in Mingyu's otherwise busy week. Amidst his hectic work schedule and mounting stress, your presence added a layer of complexity to his thoughts. He wouldn't necessarily say that you were the cause of his stress, but you certainly had him contemplating more than ever before. Since the day you two reconnected after all those years apart, he had found it nearly impossible to stop thinking about you and the emotions that had never truly ceased since their inception. The truth was, he hadn't dated anyone since he met you. And he struggled to pinpoint the reason behind it. Why had he become so irrevocably attached to you?

Your confession from that night continued to play on a loop in his mind. He could vividly recall the excitement that had surged through his veins upon hearing your words, "I also have that feeling, Mingyu. The one you feel.." In that moment, he felt as if he were soaring, carried away to the stars. He had been waiting for that very moment for what felt like an eternity – and it had taken merely three bottles of soju and a dose of honesty for you to reveal your feelings. Mingyu wondered why he had waited so long to hear those words.

In moments of introspection, he pondered this question. Lost in thought, he hardly noticed when his hairstylist posed a question to him. Tonight, he was set to meet you once again. An excitement brewed within him, fueled by the anticipation of encountering you. He knew you would be occupied with the fashion show, but your affirmative response to his text asking, "Are you attending the after party?" provided enough hope to keep his optimism alive throughout the event.

Y/n: Yeah, gotta gain all those blood, sweat, and tears that have already been spent...

He had chosen to wear one of Mrs. Gia's summer/spring collection from the previous year to the fashion show. His attire exuded a natural charm, and his confidence radiated effortlessly. As he entered the venue, the flashing of cameras and the attention from the media greeted him. Among the throng of unfamiliar faces, he was relieved to spot his friend Yugyeom from GOT7. At least, he had a companion to help him navigate his desire to see you.

Wandering his gaze around the venue wasn't a novel practice for Mingyu; he had been doing so since the moment he reconnected with you. Learning about the meticulous preparation that went into orchestrating a fashion show had made him appreciate the efforts of those working behind the scenes even more. While most people focused on the guests and models — besides the clothes, Mingyu had learned to notice the intricate web of creativity that interconnected various elements – concept, visuals, and production – to create a mesmerizing show.

Amidst this thought process, Kim Mingyu's attention was captivated by your presence at the front of the house. Clad in all black, a headset covering your ears, you seemed to effortlessly command the chaos. Your lips moved in sync with your directions, conveyed through the microphone of your headphones. A smile formed on Mingyu's lips as he watched you assume your position, poised and ready to guide the show he was about to witness.

Ironically, the show itself was a blur for Mingyu that night. He found himself captivated not by the runway, but by your charismatic presence as you orchestrated the entire event. Instead of the nervousness he had anticipated, he observed you relishing in your role, moving to the rhythm of the music while directing your team through the microphone. In the midst of all this, you radiated an ethereal glow that drew his gaze.

*

The after party was a lively affair, and it became even more enjoyable the moment you stepped into the venue, accompanied by your colleagues. Yugyeom playfully nudged Mingyu, having noticed his intent stare.

"Why the fixed gaze on Director Y/n?" Yugyeom's question caught Mingyu off guard, revealing that his friend was acquainted with you.

Yugyeom went on to explain that he had worked with you on several occasions during his time in Paris. By chance, his manager had been your college classmate. Mingyu inquired about your personality, and Yugyeom's response left him satisfied. You were described as intriguing and captivating, possessing a youthful maturity that had enabled you to ascend to such a significant position at a young age.

"Why the sudden interest, Kim Mingyu? Do you have a crush on her? Need a wingman?" Yugyeom's playful tone evoked laughter from Mingyu. Little did he know that Yugyeom's jest was closer to the truth than he realized.

If only Kim Mingyu could reveal to Yugyeom that you felt the same way about him.

*

"Congratulations!" Mingyu's simple words were met with a warm smile from you, acknowledging his sentiment. In a playful jest, you graciously nodded as if you had just single-handedly averted a war – the type of nod that subtly exuded your awesomeness. The clink of your liquor-filled glasses echoed the sentiment, a cheerful toast to the moment.

Seated on barstools next to each other, you and Mingyu turned your attention to the bustling crowd. With a mirrored movement, you both faced the scene. "Do you recognize anyone aside from Kim Yugyeom?" you inquired, gesturing towards the throng.

Mingyu nodded confidently. "Almost everyone," he replied, his gaze shifting to meet yours.

"Quite the network you've built," you remarked, acknowledging his impressive ability to connect with a wide array of people within the industry. Mingyu returned your compliment with an appreciative smile. Curious to hear your side, he posed the same question to you.

Your head shook slowly in response. "I recall having worked with a few of them, but I doubt they remember me. I'm not exactly memorable," you said with a light laugh.

Mingyu's lips curled playfully, and he nudged your side. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, his tone suggesting otherwise.

With a mockingly skeptical glance, you eyed him up and down before rolling your eyes, followed by a soft chuckle. "What I mean is, I tend to stay in the background. No one really pays us much attention – not that we're seeking it. I just believe that those working behind the scenes deserve more recognition than they get, although we do get paid," you added with a laugh.

As you spoke, the cadence of your words, the passion in your eyes as you shared your thoughts and opinions, succeeded in captivating Mingyu's attention. Your intelligence and charisma never failed to divert his gaze. Your conversation was engaging, your brilliance shining through, and he found himself distracted by your presence. Mingyu was aware that it wasn't the most opportune time for such thoughts, but he couldn't help but wish to hold you close, to kiss you in that very moment. Swiftly snapping out of his reverie, he redirected his focus to your words.

"Wanna leave this place?" Mingyu suddenly interjected, interrupting your conversation. The gentle touch of his hand landing on yours halted your words, your eyes locking onto his gaze. You took a moment to contemplate his proposal, your gaze momentarily flickering to your colleagues on the opposite side of the venue. Signaling him to wait, you quickly sent a text to your personal assistant before nodding and rising from the barstool.

Guiding your steps, Mingyu led you towards the exit. A signal to his manager, a halted taxi, and he gestured for you to get in first. An unusual sense of comfort and trust settled within you – a sense you rarely experienced with strangers, and certainly not this quickly. While your relationship had been progressing positively since last week, it wasn't typical for you to be so at ease and trusting with someone. Mingyu mentioned a location unfamiliar to you, leveraging your trust to lead you wherever he had in mind.

"Is it far?" you inquired as you settled into the cab, observing him. He nodded in response.

"I have my car with me," you noted nonchalantly, prompting a facepalm from Mingyu, who was stifling his laughter. Chuckling along with him, you wondered why you had opted for a cab when you had your own vehicle.

"It's fine. We were drinking anyway," Mingyu replied, attempting to rationalize your decision.

Silence settled between you two momentarily before he softly uttered, "You must be tired," while patting his shoulder, implying that you could lean on him for support. Shaking your head, you offered a smile, but he insisted, tapping his shoulder more firmly until you relented, leaning into the spot he indicated.

"Rest. I'll wake you when we arrive."

Unexpectedly, it was the depth of rest you experienced, and you were roused by a gentle tap on your arm. The motionless cab indicated that you had reached your destination. Blinking in confusion, you surveyed your surroundings, greeted by the sight of a beach, its entrance adorned with the words 'Blue's Sanpo.'

You and Mingyu had arrived in Sanpo, a location three hours away from where you had started. A mixture of confusion and amusement colored your expression, which elicited a shrug from Mingyu. Taking your hand in his, he guided you forward. It seemed that neither of you had anticipated the spontaneity of this moment. The attire you both wore was sufficient to shield you from the evening sea breeze. Mingyu kicked off his expensive shoes, and you followed suit, sprinting towards the water with the exuberance of a child. Mingyu's eyes gleamed with adoration as he watched you, his smile widening when your gaze met his, your expression is a testament to your approval of his choice.

Side by side on the sandy shore, you and Mingyu turned your attention to the local fishermen, immersed in their labor on the sea. The ethereal beauty of their boat's lights created a captivating spectacle, adorning the waters like jewels. The ambiance was picturesque, a canvas painted by the lights dancing on the waves, announcing the arrival of fall.

"Y/n," Mingyu's voice broke the gentle rhythm of the night.

You shifted your focus to him, responding to his beckon. This night was reminiscent of a movie scene, an intimate tableau of the two of you sitting in companionable silence on the beach. Words were unnecessary as you reveled in the tranquility of the moment, relishing each other's mere presence. Anticipation hung in the air, and you could feel the warmth of his breath in the small gap between you. Gradually, he inched closer, a silent question on his lips. "May I?" he whispered.

His inquiry caught your breath, leaving you in contemplation. After a beat, you nodded, giving him permission. Without delay, he bridged the gap between you two, closing the distance. The kiss that followed was deliberate and tender, an embrace of intimacy. The backdrop of crashing waves and the chirping of crickets contributed to the symphony of the night. Every touch of his hand against your skin, every sweep of his lips against yours, resonated deeply. The sea air, laden with a hint of chill, only heightened the sensory experience.

The kiss came to an end, both of you withdrawing as you took a deep, shared breath. Opening your eyes, you found Mingyu gazing at you, his eyes filled with depth and unspoken emotions. A chuckle bubbled forth from both of you, as though you were momentarily transported back to a different reality, where such intimate exchanges were a thing of whimsy. His arm extended towards your shoulder, urging you to draw closer, an unspoken need that your body instinctively answered. Leaning into him, you rested naturally against his side, your attention still focused on the captivating tableau before you.

And then, his voice, soft and tremulous, broke the silence. "Please, be my girlfriend," his words hung in the air, a question and a plea, simultaneously vulnerable and filled with earnest desire.

*

Pledis Entertainment's Announcement: Seventeen's Mingyu Reveals Non-Celebrity Girlfriend

On December 29th, Pledis Entertainment released an official statement disclosing that Kim Mingyu, a member of the global boy group Seventeen, is currently in a relationship with a non-celebrity. The news was met with a mix of surprise and support from fans. At the same time, Mingyu took to Weverse to share his sentiments with Carats, Seventeen's dedicated fanbase. Here is the message:

"Hello, Carats! This is Seventeen's Mingyu.

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your unwavering support and love throughout all our ups and downs.

Though I haven't had the chance to greet each and every one of you properly, please know that I always hold good thoughts for all of us.

I'm so thankful to Carat for loving and supporting both Seventeen and me.

Moving forward, I promise to work even harder on creating music and delivering great performances.

Thanks to your positive energy, I've been fortunate to encounter only good people.

I hope that Carat can experience the same positivity.

My wish is for us to continue sharing positivity and love only.

Always with love, Carat 💎"

[dwaekkistar]

Chapter II: Boundaries

       Sujin woke up with a soft groan, as he was long out of his omega and little headspace. He slightly groaned and cringed at himself as he lifted his head from his pillow remembering everything that happened last night. The memories of him slipping into little space while vulnerably forcing himself into his omega headspace out of anger, to him becoming overwhelmingly needy while in Hyunjin's presence, to Chan staying in his room for the night. That's when he looked to his side to confirm if the alpha was still there, but the spot beside him was empty, and based on the omega's use of his sense of smell, he could tell the older had to have been gone for a while, as the seawater was very faint. That kind of annoyed Sujin, as the alpha had made it known he was going to spend the night with him, so why break that word by leaving in the middle of the night? He pushed it to the back of his mind not wanting to make a bigger deal out of it than it needed to be. He groggily got up from his bed, gently ruffling his bed hair. He quickly headed to the bathroom and brushed his teeth before checking his face in the mirror. He decided he'd give it a quick wash with the little skincare product he had left. He went back to his room and noticed his bag was completely emptied, and all of his stuff was put up in its intended place. He quickly picked up the skincare bottles seeing they were on their last few 'squirts' and headed back to the bathroom, quickly lathering them up and applying them to his face.

    When he was finally done after rinsing his face off for the last time, he quickly dried it and prepped himself to head downstairs as his stomach was heavily growling. Upon picking it up from his nightstand, he checked the time on his phone and was surprised to see he had slept until 11 a.m. A time he wasn't used to waking up because his former job always gave him early shifts. He quietly headed downstairs and met with the smell of what he could only assume was bacon and a sweet-smelling pastry. He reached the living room and kitchen being hit with various new scents as well, as well as whatever was being made in the kitchen. In the living room watching TV and playing around were Felix, Hyunjin, Seungmin, Han, and Jeongin. while Chan, Minho, and Changbin seemed busy in the kitchen. The two older alphas were busy cooking something while Changbin seemed to be deeply focused on something on his laptop in front of him.

      Sujin walked into the kitchen towards the two at the stove, noticing that they were making a fairly western breakfast, bacon and pancakes and eggs, which Sujin thought to himself explained the smell from upstairs.

"Boo." the omega said abruptly as loud as his deep voice would allow him, causing the three alphas in the kitchen to jump from shock as they all looked to see who spooked them. They calmed down when they realized it was Sujin.

"Sujin what was that for?" Chan softly whined as he finished the last of the food with Minho. Sujin immediately being hit with a wave of their scents, Chan and Minho's seawater and dark chocolate as well as a new scent intricately mixing with his strawberry and honey scent. He stood there quietly as he tried to decipher what the new scent was when Changbin snapped him back out of his thoughts.

"Earth to sujin ?" the muscular alpha said softly as he chuckled, "What are you thinking about?"

"Oh, I'm just trying to figure out what your scent is," Sujin replied softly as he rubbed his forearm gently. " I can't place it..."

Upon saying so Changbin gestured for the omega to come over with a smirk. Sujin immediately listened, and shuffled over to the alpha, innocently stopping before him. Changbin moved his head to the side allowing Sujin to move closer and take a sniff of his scent gland. The omega gladly accepted the gesture leaning in, being hit with a strong whiff of coffee. He inhaled the smell a few times before pulling away. He had to admit the alpha's scent was pretty intoxicating and addictive with how potent it was.

"That's why I couldn't figure it out," Sujin said with a pout, " your scent practically blends in with the aroma of the food in the kitchen."

The three alphas in front of Sujin chuckled at his words as they finished up, Chan gesturing for Sujin to sit in the empty seat next to him so he could serve the omega. He listened carefully sitting on the bar stool, before silently fidgeting with his fingers. Changbin called the rest of the pack to the kitchen to eat breakfast before heading back to his laptop and closing it. Minho quickly walked over to Sujin placing a plate a plate with pancakes, bacon, breakfast sausages, and some eggs. For sensory reasons, the omega slightly grimaced at the eggs as he never ate them. Just attempting to eat the item would always make Sujin puke. He looked around noticing that only 2 of the pack, Minho and Chan, didn't have their plates yet, While the rest were already staring to chow down on the food. He only started eating when the last 2 alphas took their seat on either side of him. He savored the pancakes as he ate them, doing a little dance in his seat at how good they tasted.

"Someone seems to be enjoying my pancakes," Chan said with a soft chuckle as he admired the omega's response to the food. Sujin softly smiled and continued to eat his food, while the rest of the pack snuck quick enthusiastic glances his way.

He continued to eat until the only thing left on his plate was the eggs, and by now most of the pack had left the table minus Hyunjin and Minho. Sujin quietly played with the eggs trying to avoid them as much as possible.

"Do you not like the eggs Sujin?" Hyunjin quietly asked, taking notice of me avoiding the eggs.

"Uh, it's not that... I just have a bad sensory response to it that makes me sick?" the omega said nervously not wanting to offend the alpha's eggs.

"Oh that's perfectly fine," Minho responded as he got up and grabbed my plate, " We don't want to force you to eat something you can't cutie... Here Hyunjin you can have his eggs."

The other alpha took Sujin's eggs and happily ate them, while the omega began to feel slightly guilty. He wasn't used to treatment like that. Usually, if his parents made him food he didn't like they'd force him to eat it. He softly pouted as he stared at the counter, unsure how to recover from it, so he looked up at the alpha heading over to the kitchen sink, as everyone had already left either for their room or daily errands.

"Thank you," Sujin said softly still looking at the counter, " for doing that..."

" No need to thank me," Hyunjin replied as he began to wash the dishes in the sink. Sujin wasn't sure what to do now that breakfast was over and he didn't know if the alpha was okay with him offering to help so he decided he was going to go back to his room.

"Uhm.. I'm going to head back to my room.." the omega said softly waiting at the edge of the counter near the stairs for an answer.

"Oh I'm almost done Sujin," Hyyunjin replied softly, "I can head upstairs with you if you want."

"Oh, okay I'll sit and wait," Sujin said as he sat back down at the counter waiting for Hyunjin to finish up. He took his phone out of his pocket and started searching for some nearby jobs seeing as he needed money to hold him over. He wasn't 100% sure if he was going to pick this pack and he needed to have a backup plan when it came to his financials. Hyunjin finished up and walked over to the omega seeing that he seemed to be fully immersed in his phone when he realized the latter was looking up job openings.

"Hey, uhm if you're looking for a job, I think some of the pack members might have some openings with their stuff that they'd want you to help with." the alpha spoke softly not wanting to spook the omega.

"Oh no, I couldn't burden them with my presence like, wouldn't it be a bit much having me in the house and at work?" Sujin said as he shook his nervously, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He hated to admit it but he was hoping the alpha didn't see the condition of his measly little phone.

"We don't mind," Hyunjin said as he softly rested his hands on Sujin's shoulder, "I'm sure you need the money just in case you think things here aren't working out for you. Plus from the looks of it.. You need a new phone and soon... this one is obviously hanging on its last life."

"You don't have to immediately accept the offers," he said in a soft reassuring tone as he pulled me up out of my seat, "but think about it a bit once they bring up the details with you before answering. I promise you won't regret it."

The tall alpha then led Sujin back upstairs stopping between Sujin's door and another door. " If you need me I'll be in my room over here," he said as he pointed at the bedroom door across from Sujin's. Sujin nodded and Hyunjin quickly headed into his bedroom, the omega following after and walking into his bedroom.

The omega softly plopped onto his bed, looking over at his nesting bed. He quietly thought to himself looking at each of the items in it, curious about which pack members contributed to it. The omega wondered why the others so willingly gave up items of theirs to him just so he could make a comfortable nest, it's not like they were obligated to. Why were they treating him with such care he thought to himself? He pulled his phone back out of his pocket scrolling through video after video on his social media so that he could feel occupied with something. The omega wouldn't be one to lie about him feeling uncomfortable whenever he was left alone to his thoughts. He sometimes contemplated how he hadn't ended things whenever he reminisced about the way he was treated back home. He had no one and despite all that he endured he stayed alive in hopes that things would change for him.

Sujin had become so immersed in his thoughts that he hadn't realized how much time had gone by until he heard a knock on his door. He jolted up a bit in his bed waiting for whoever it was to announce their presence.

They knocked again before speaking, "It's Felix, can I come in?" he said softly as he waited for Sujin to respond.

"Yeah you can," the omega responded softly, still staring at his phone scrolling through random feeds hoping they would be enough of a mental distraction. The alpha on the opposite side of the door carefully opened it and took a few steps into the room. Sujin looked up at Felix not wanting to be rude.

"How are you liking it here so far?" the alpha said with a soft smile. Sujin couldn't explain it, but something about the alpha made him want to smile back. Felix emitted this vibe that made Sujin feel comfortable even if he was standing a few feet away...

"I guess I could say I enjoy it here," the omega said with a faint smile as he rubbed the nape of his neck. Felix took a few steps forward, taking the omega's words as an invite further into the room. He kept walking until he stood just a few inches next to Sujin at the foot of the bed, giving the omega a questioning look as he gestured at the bed. The younger nodded his head, giving the alpha the green light to sit next to him.

Felix carefully sat next to Sujin and shot him a warm smile, "That's great, I hope we can make it even better," he said enthusiastically as he looked around the room and caught a glimpse of Sujin's phone, " Oh we should probably work on getting you a new phone."

" Oh no you guys don't have to worry, I'll get a new one when I save up enough money," Sujin said shaking his head. He genuinely didn't want to become a financial burden to anyone in the pack.

"You don't have to worry about becoming a financial burden if that's what you're thinking about..." Felix said as he smiled and tilted his head towards the omega calmly reassuring him, "We're courting you so we want you to be as comfortable as possible around us, and pampering you with gifts would be part of that."

Sujin smiled back in response, although slightly anxious as he now had to accept that they were going to spend money on him whether or not he liked it. "Can we do it soon then?" the omega replied a bit anxiously. "I'm not sure how long this phone will hold up honestly."

"Yeah, and how did it even get like that to begin with?" the alpha said with a soft chuckle as he tried to grasp how a phone could end up in such a condition.

"Oh I had a family pack back in New Zealand, and they were pretty... rough... towards me.." Sujin replied sheepishly as he rubbed the nape of his neck having put more emphasis on the word rough. Felix had titled his head again furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to figure out why Sujin had said the word like that but decided to not say anything about it, he figured it was most likely something the younger didn't want to talk about.

"Is there anything you want to do or plan on doing while you're here ?" Felix abruptly said as if to change the topic. Sujin thought to himself for a few seconds but realized he hadn't been prepared to answer a question like that. It wasn't his choice to go to South Korea, so he had never bothered to research any activities he wanted to partake in. The younger just softly shrugged before honestly answering.

"I'm not sure, I never really bothered to look up any activities to do here because I didn't think I'd actually end up here."

"Oh that makes it much better for us then," Felix replied happily, " we can just show you the places we love here."

Sujin smiled at that, it warmed his heart to know that they genuinely wanted to do such things with him.

"We can go out in a few to get you a new phone," he said, "and some clothes, as it is starting to get cold and I think the pack is planning some dates these next few months with you."

Sujin couldn't help but blush softly in response. "Okay, then I'll just change into something more suited for outside and wait by the garage." With that statement Felix had gotten up and left the room, giving the omega the privacy to change comfortably.

He put on a pair of simple black pants, and his Doc Martin boots, and put a hoodie over his shirt before heading to the garage and waiting for a bit. He wasn't sure if it was just Felix taking him or if the alpha was going to round up everyone else. He waited messing with the soon-to-be trash phone until he heard more than one footstep making its way toward the garage. He softly smiled getting up as he was met by Felix, Bang Chan, Hyunjin, and Seungmin. Upon seeing the beta, Sujin's smile faltered as he no longer felt comfortable. Bang Chan led everyone over to a car in the garage that seemed to be smaller than the SUV he had transported the day before. Seungmin was one of the first to get in the back seat as Felix and Chan took over the front seats, Chan in the driver and Felix in the passenger. Hyunjin was going to gesture to the omega to go in the backseat next when he read the younger body language, remembering that the omega would be less fond of Seungmin after the incident that recently transpired. The alpha decided he would sit between the beta and omega, to avoid any newer incident taking place. When they got back home he would have to find a way to get the omega to initiate boundaries. Hyunjin carefully sat in the car pulling Sujin into the car behind him, closing the doors as they all got in.

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

Manhwa Rec: Concubine Walkthrough

Remember when I made a whole post recommending a manhwa because no one else I knew read it so I could find someone to talk to about it? Well, we're back at it again a whole year later for me to tell y'all to go read Concubine Walkthrough. It's 128 chapters (with some bonus content) of pure excellence.

While on the surface looking like a typical otome isekai read of 'MC transmigrates into the body of a story's villainess', Concubine Walkthrough turns the genre on its head with its implementation of sci-fi, philosophy and political battles in addition to beautiful artwork and heart-wrenching storytelling. If you're a fan of The Apothecary Diaries and The Matrix, you will enjoy this ride thoroughly.

Concubine Walkthrough follows the journey of protagonist Yona Lee who in 2030, three years before the start of the story, played a game called Concubine Walkthrough. A popular and innovative otome game falling the protagonist Lili who has been forced to go to the imperial palace to become a concubine.

Max out the various stats Lili has to embark on one of many paths from marrying the emperor to royal imperial consort. Of course the one who stands as the pinnacle of obstructing your progress is villainess, Ranhee Seo, the royal imperial consort the terror of the imperial court.

Yona was only able to play this game to completion once in her life although the desire to complete other endings always remained. Three years later, that chance comes again when, for its upcoming anniversary, Concubine Walkthrough is having a special VR rerelease. That's all fine and dandy, what isn't fine and dandy though is the fact that Yona has woken up in the game without any memory of ever logging on. Furthermore, she's playing as the game's villainess, Ranhee.

Nothing she does will summon the game's menu and nothing she does let's her log out. The game master only gives her one requirement to exit the game, Marry the emperor and make Ranhee Seo the empress.

It's only then that Yona remembers that for the special VR release of the game, one of the promoted features of the rerelease was a co-op mode and she might not be the only player stuck in the game as she is forced to strategize and partake in deadly games within the world of concubines.

Through its storytelling, Concubine Walkthrough encourages both the readers and characters alike to contemplate:

If you woke up one day and realized your entire life was a simulation, does that make your life any less meaningful? Simulated it may have been, the pains and joys your heart experienced was still real to you. It's still your life.

What is reality and what does that mean to you? Is reality something you choose for yourself or is that choice made for you?

All wrapped in unique artwork, comedy gold and riveting political plots as you watch Yona survive plots on her life and has to strategize her get backs.

1) Beautiful Artwork

Concubine Walkthrough is one of the most splendid manhwas in terms of artwork. It's drawn intentionally to look reminiscent of traditional Korean artwork and is incredibly intricate from the hanbooks to the headpieces the various characters wear.

These are just a few of my favorite shots from the series but they are far from the only ones. From the very first chapter, you're getting hit with bangers in terms of the quality. Bongbong never misses.

2) The comedy is immaculate

From Yona getting stuck with shitty items like a hairclip that gives her the sense of smell of a dog but compels her to bark uncontrollably to getting a jar that's literally only full of candy.

Yona's luck with items is absolute dog water and because of that, she can find herself in some hilarious situations. She can't get anything good to save her own life and seeing how she has to make these items work is a treasure in its own right.

Even without that, Yona's dynamic with characters like Lili is quite hilarious as the story progresses.

3) The mystery & philosophy

Even Yona's eyes are representative of red and blue pills given to Neo in The Matrix.

If you're a fan of sci-fi, romance and want to read an otome isekai romp that subverts your expectations? Please read this manhwa. It's The Matrix mixed with historical Korean fiction (and of course, otome isekai at its finest).

I loved loved LOVED the philosophy behind the story, the themes. The discussion of what reality is and choosing what reality means/is to you.

Just because your entire life is a simulation, does that make your entire life up until that point irrelevant? Simulated it may be, your joy, your pain, your love, all of that still felt real, right? There were so many things I never considered about that very topic until I read this series.

4) The Characters

There is not enough time in the day to delve into the characters of Concubine Walkthrough. They're all layered, complex and you won't be able to get enough of them as the story progresses. Even now after finishing the story months later, I still want more content concerning the cast. From protagonists to side characters.

Yona is a very compelling protagonist from start to finish. She's active, rather than letting things just happen she gets the jump on what she can. Her intelligence and her empathy as well as her comedic genius is so fun to watch along the beautifully illustrated pages. Not to mention her chemistry with characters Lili and Youngjung is a sight to behold.

Sadly, despite how key Lili and Youngjung are to the plot, I cannot delve too deeply about them due to spoilers. What I can say, however, is that Lili is a breath of fresh air on the trope of having the original protagonist of the source material interact with the story's female lead.

And Youngjung? In a lot of ways he represents the themes I was discussing in my previous point.

And of course, I cannot mention Concubine Walkthrough without bringing up Sunshine in any capacity. The mysterious eunuch who has become Yona's ally in this game. Like Lili and Youngjung, I cannot delve too deeply into this character without major spoilers but just know that even when you think you finally have the grasp on this character, Bongbong will still manage to flip the script on its head and surprise you. Multiple times even.

ー

And I think that's enough singing praises for this manhwa (not really). Like I said, this manhwa is The Apothecary Diaries meets The Matrix wrapped up in the bow of the otome isekai genre. Not only do you get beautiful artwork but a vibrant cast and deep story along with it.

A violent yet captivating world of concubines with a strong splash of sci-fi sounds like such a strange mixture, but Bongbong blends them beautifully into one of the best stories I've ever read.

Please, and I cannot stress this enough, give Concubine Walkthrough a read.

[mayullla]

Title: Under the tree

Character(s): Kaeya (Genshin Impact) Warnings/tags: Haunted doll au: Fem!reader (child!reader) platonic yandere, dark themes / obsession themes, horror

Haunted doll au masterlist

The sounds of the birds were gentle and soft as with the wind. The hand on your head was also warm, combing your hair with their hand.

"Oh, our little sleeping beauty finally woke." The voice was teasing as you slightly opened your eyes still sleepy. "I thought she would sleep a little bit more."

A little more awake you noticed your head was on someone's lap. Slowly you looked up wondering on who’s lap were you sleeping on squinting your eyes to look at them to see a familiar blue hair and a smug smile.

One of your dolls also had pretty hair and a pretty face.

You wondered if you saw two eyes yet when you tried to look again all you saw was one the other covered with a black eye patch on the middle a diamond intricately designed in gold.

You blink once and suddenly the eyepatch was gone and you saw a hole instear of an eye. You can't see how far it goes too dark too hollow to see as if no light can go in. As if the eyepatch was the entrance to nothing. You wondered what would happen if you fell. 

Where would you go?

You blink again and the hole was gone covered again by the gold embroidery decorated the leather eyepatch. "Still sleepy little sleeping beauty? How cute." The soft voice said with a bit of amusement in his tone as he continued to comb your hair with his fingernails. 

"...Kaeya?" You asked rubbing your eyes wondering if you actually saw a hole under his eyepatch when was that there. You dont remember seeing a hole instead of an eye on your Kaeya doll. When did it get there? "I am glad that you still remember." It was a cheerful tone, teasing. 

A little more awake you looked at him taking in his appearance that was once a doll now human like his outline looked hazy as if the background was blurry as if telling you to only focus on him "Did Kaeya grew up? Zhongli and Venti also grew up. Are you like them?" You asked curiously, "Dear no, I always always like this. The same with Zhongli and Venti." Kaeya raised his hand to boop your nose.

You pouted at him, "No you used to be this small now you are big!" You made a motion of the doll size Kaeya you knew then motioned to him widening your arms to show that he was big.

Kaeya chuckled patting your head. "Our little sleeping beauty is smart."

"Why did you become big?" You asked him, staying still as he patted your head. "Why am I not allowed to dear? That is rather mean of you."

You shook your head, there was an excited spark in your eyes now finally wide awake. "No, I am happy!" You grinned.

"Hehe, it is because I want to meet my little creator." Kaeya finally told you, “You have always adored us so much. I made a wish to the star to finally be able to talk with you~”

"But grandpa was the one who made you?" You stated tilting your head. It was your grandfather who made them piece by piece, molding and carving were all done by your grandfather.

Kaeya just smiled at you, his smile hidden with secrets cruel and mean yet you only pouted at him.

You understood that his thoughts didn't change that he would not tell you why you were his creator, a teasing smile told you so.

Under a tree, you and Kaeya played. Questions about how he became… human was smoothly ignored as Kaeya would elegantly change the topic. That by playing with your hair and pinching your cheeks. You tried to stop him from playing with your cheeks but it seems that Kaeya had an odd fascination with them.

"Aww, did I overdid it? Dont be mad." He chuckled when you looked away from him annoyed as you sheild your cheeks away from him. "I am sorry dear it is just that your cheeks are so soft like bread. I wonder what would happen if I take a small bite out of them." 

Your terrified face as you stepped away from him as if ready to make a run for it made him laugh. He told you it was a joke but his tone was suspicious.

The two of you played a little more, yet you wonder if you were just seeing things. When you blink instead of a meadow around you it was covered with snow but when you blink again the snow was gone with only the green grass and the lone tree.

When you and Kaeya were surrounded by white thorns that changed back to flowers the moment you blinked again. When you braided Kaeya's hair wondering how his smooth hair was suddenly covered by thorns curling around your hands and Kaeya's hair.

It hurt a little as the thorns light poked your hands, the thorns didn't draw blood from your skin but when you blinked and it was gone all that remained was an itchy feeling as you wondered if you saw right.

"Is something the matter dear?" Kaeya didn't look back at you as you already nagged him not to mess with the braid you were doing on his hair. 

You didnt answer. 

When the world around was spring on your legs white thorns curled around them.

[leggerefiore]

Like Lovers Do

cw: yandere, CEO au, dark content, creepy behaviour, poly (ingo/reader, emmet/reader), broken s/o(?)

words: 2179

Part 1

It was warm.

A lovely heat surrounded you as the softness of the sheets pressed against your skin.

You would almost let yourself fall back into the embrace of slumber. Brain much of a slurry from whatever had happened the night before.

But…

But, you felt a warm breath drift across your neck. It led to the awareness of arms wrapped across your waist and your hands bound together, unable to move. You opened your eyes immediately.

This was not your room.

Not at all.

Expensive, luxury items laid about the large room. Black-out curtains worked perfectly to keep the bright sunlight out of the room. A sound of constant humming echoed as you spotted an extremely intricate model train set looping around a track that resembled the subway perfectly. It was little mystery where you were being held as your memories rushed back into your brain.

Emmet laid behind you, peacefully, still asleep. They had no day off scheduled, but you supposed it did not matter. The twins were in charge, they could almost do whatever they pleased. You thought about screaming, yelling for help and to be saved from whatever madness had consumed your bosses and corrupted them into whatever you saw the previous evening. That would be pointless, you knew.

The bedroom door squeaked open as you laid, deep in thought and contemplating your next move. A smell of greasy breakfast staples wafted through the air as a strange visage of Ingo in an apron appeared before you. His eyes held a tender emotion as he placed the plate of food on the bedside table. You felt rage boil inside you at how he was acting. Did they think it was normal to kidnap someone?

“Fuck you,” you snapped at him, having an unexpected fire lit deep inside you. Ingo gave you a stern look, not unlike one of an upset father. The arms around your waist tightened to an almost painful degree.

“That is verrrry mean, darling,” Emmet's voice was saccharine, “He made you breakfast! Thank him.” The feeling of his hands pulling up your shirt, one you now realised was not your button-down from yesterday. His fingers danced across the skin in a threatening manner. You swallowed. For now, it seemed to be your best interests to play along.

“Thank you… Ingo,” it was odd calling him by his name when you spent such a long while trying to distance yourself from that. The older twin gave you a soft look.

“… You must have been upset I woke you up, dearest,” he shook his head, “I know you did not mean those words.” Emmet's hands retracted from the new area they had taken to exploring. Ingo turned to the plate and hummed as he cut into the eggs with a butter knife. Carefully, he brought a fork up to your mouth. Mortification surged through your system. “Here, for you to eat,” his tone was gentle, like he was terrified to upset you. It felt absurd. You had sat in on some of his disciplinary meetings and negotiations and knew how sharp his tongue could be.

You felt your pride shatter as you let him feed you the breakfast. If you were going to get out of here, however, you knew that skipping meals was going to be a bad idea. There was no telling how they would snap if you refused to play along, like they nearly had yesterday. The crazed and desperate looks that had taken over their expressions haunted you.

Emmet had shifted you around and placed a leather cuff around your wrist after he had decided to get out of bed. The silken rope was undone, and you were left there as both twins stepped out of the room. There was little opposition from you, happy to have more time to debate your next moves without their gazes piercing your flesh. You shuddered as the thought that Ingo's cooking was not half-bad crossed your mind.

~

Emmet eventually returned from wherever he had gone after he left with a giddy smile on his lips. His attire was only a pair of boxers and water dripped from his hair. You glared at him as he softly leaned over you to press a sweet kiss to your forehead. Your free hand attempted to push him away, but he quickly grabbed it by the wrist and ticked his tongue.

“Brother says we need to be patient,” his voice was icy and empty, a terrifying thing only heard when a business partner thought he would be easier to fool than Ingo, “There will be a looooong period of adjustment.” His forehead came to rest against yours. Those toxic seas of mercury in his eyes remained fixated to bore into your soul. He wanted to lay your very being bare before him and shift it into the happy partner you were supposed to be.

Ingo was supposed to charm you at a party and flaunt their wealth with ease. He was supposed to find out everything about you and help them change their plan as needed to get you into their grasp properly. Instead, foolish people distracted him from you and made you feel so alone and small. They had to hire others to figure out the information they were supposed to willingly get from you. Emmet cried when you became so callous towards them after they tried to become closer to you.

You eased their loneliness so well. Elesa picked you out so well for them. You were perfect. When you came in for an interview, they had already planned to hire you.

Fire you… Neither twin could ever imagine doing such a thing. Even if you decided to act out and fail to do any of your job duties, they would have kept you around. Emmet's heart swelled when he thought about the happy ending you were supposed to share with them. From their cute assistant to their beloved romantic partner…

… Emmet wanted to blame Grimsley. It had to be his fault that you became so skittish and terrified of them. He had hated him since their fathers had been friendly in their youths. Something smug and taunting lurked around the dark-haired man and his expensive, well-bred Purrloin.

“I love you,” he said almost robotically, “Ingo loves you.”

“… I don't love either of you,” your patience had run out again. Emmet's brain surged with complicated feelings. He hated this situation. Why could everything not have gone to plan? This situation never needed to happen. His grip on your wrist tightened. Your earlier words to Ingo remained in his mind, too.

You wished you had not said a word as a malicious grin grew across his face.

“Heehee, darling, you need a punishment,” his other hand to cup your cheek. One last kiss was burned against your lips as he got off from the bed and walked out the door, not daring to give you a second glance. It was shut behind him.

Leaving you alone in a quiet space once more.

It was then you realised this was not a bedroom of either twin.

The door did not open for many, many hours.

~

When it did, Ingo stepped inside once more. He held another plate of food. This time, something more befitting of dinner. His earlier movements with breakfast. You once again found yourself with a fork held to your lips. A thought entered your head. Ingo was truthfully the more naive and trusting of the brothers. You had seen that in action quite often. Once more, you allowed him to feed you with a plan on your mind.

You grabbed on to his shirt as he stood up and turned away from the bed. Looking up at him with pleading eyes, you watched his stoicism broke for a moment. “Yes, dear?” his voice was the gentle one from earlier as he knelt back down. Something in his look made you want to hit him. He had no reason to act like this when he and his brother had kidnapped you. Swallowing back those rough emotions, you chose your next words carefully.

“Emmet said…” you watched his head tilt slightly, “He said that he would “punish me.” What does that mean, Ingo?” He froze for a moment. His eyes closed as a hand came to rub at his temple.

“... Ah, you had said some cruel things to him, hadn't you?” Ingo's words were more for himself rather than you, “He… We will be leaving you alone for most of the time to let you reflect on your actions. It will help your adjustment, too, I think.” He continued to mumble to himself as you toned out his words. Alone? That was a punishment to them? You felt lucky. More time to plot, then. Before you could fall too deeply into a train of thought related to your escape plans, Ingo cupped your face with his hand.

“Oh, dear,” it was a whine that left him this time, “Please, we will treat you with nothing but love and affection; anything you want, we will provide. Just love us, too.” You flinched when his lips lightly pressed to your temple. The plate was taken, and he left just as his brother had.

Both of them seemed completely delusional.

You wanted to scream again.

~

Everything became a blur after that. Ingo fed you the next morning but refused to speak with you. You were given a short time in an en suite bathroom to shower and use the bathroom, but soon found yourself cuffed to the bed once again by Emmet, alternating to your other wrist. Both barely acknowledged you as a person before heading out. It was obvious they were going into work by their outfits. You realised this was your punishment quite quickly. This treatment continued for days.

During that time, all your attempts at escape soon grew too grandiose and impossible. Attacking one twin would only anger and upset the other, leading to you being restrained again. Running out was impossible as you did not know the layout of their apartment and seemed not too fond of letting you out of “your” bedroom. Not to mention, there was no way to know what stories they had spun about your sudden disappearance to everyone. Elesa could help you if you could get in contact with her, but that seemed impossible.

Loneliness began to play at you, too. The lack of proper human contact and conversation began to weigh on you as more and more time passed. The moments where Ingo was forced to look at you as he fed you became oddly precious, much to your horror. You hated how this disgusting situation was beginning to twist you.

You hated how you grabbed Ingo desperately as he tried to leave one evening after your dinner. Tears stung your eyes as you begged him to stay for a moment. The sweet smile that fell across his lips both disgusted and warmed you. Ingo sat beside you on the bed and gently stroked your arm, an affection you fell into. His voice was so perfect in your ears as he spoke about his day in the office. It felt like a conversation you could have outside of this situation. You found yourself calmed down after having the older twin sit with you for a moment.

Emmet was next. His cuddling next to you in bed would have made you want to shift as far away from him as you could, but the lack of contact for days had you accept his back pressing against your own. His chin laid atop your head as his grinned. Arms wrapped around your waist pulled you closer to him.

Soon, he felt confident.

Soon, you would be theirs properly.

~

Soon, the previous dream of you being their sweet, beloved partner became a reality. You stopped caring about whatever past you had and dreams of being away from the twins. Ingo and Emmet were much too loveable for any of that. They had been right, you did love them. The rich men easily showered you in gifts and affection. Your favourite meals were at your beck and call, and anything you so much as mentioned would appear in the apartment before long.

Ingo made sure your needs were met and gone beyond, while Emmet doted on you with endless affections and sex. You could not think of a time that you had felt so peaceful and complete in your life.

The only price for all this was not leaving the apartment.

An easy task when you considered the sheer size of it and connected balcony. Not to mention the discussions the twins held about finding an actual house for you to move away to. Something about Nimbasa had grown too smothering, in their words. You chose to agree.

Everything was perfect.

…

Until a familiar man reeking of wine and smoke appeared in your living room while the twins were away with a red-eyed stranger.

[goddess-in-heaven-and-hell]

Gwynriel weeks 2023 - Day 8: Favourite Headcanons

As my final entry to the wonderful Gwynriel weeks, I just did a little brainstorm of my favourite Gwynriel headcanons. Some random, some connected. Tell me if you agree with them :) 

@gwynrielweeksofficial

- Hand touches whenever possible. The first time their hands touch will be like an electric spark for Azriel. He’ll just wonder the whole day if it was accidental or not, or if Gwyn also still feels the area of skin being warm and prickly.

- Touching Azriel’s hand becomes a love language in and of itself. He needs reassurance: Gwyn grabs his hand and squeezes firmly. He is nervous: Gwyn takes on of his hands inbetween hers. He woke up from a nightmare: she will trace the scar tissue gently until he falls back asleep.

- One time, Gwyn gets hit on in the club by another male. Azriel is trying to find a way to intervene, but he is not sure if Gwyn wants to be associated with him, if she wants everyone knowing they are an item. So he just waltzes over to them and casually inserts himself in the conversation. Gwyn notices his dilemma, that he might be too unsure of himself to claim her outright by kissing her in front of the guy or whatever. So she just reaches out for him. And Azriel immediately stands two feet taller.

- Quiet nights in the library of the House of Wind. Gwyn’s feet in Azriel’s lap, both reading the same book to discuss later. They take turns picking, and Azriel makes it his mission to always suggest a book more smutty and more daring than Gwyn.

- Gwyn will lead the flirting in the early stages of their relationship. She would be the one initiating some alone-time, she’ll get him little hand-made gifts just because she thought of him, she’ll even dare to be a little suggestive once she got more comfortable with anything sexual.

- After half a year Gwyn will be a blushing mess.

- Azriel finally came to the conclusion that the woman is the perfect match for him. And enter Azriel in courting mood:

- Complimenting her every day, softly kissing her hand after escorting her somewhere, buying her little treats and sneaking them past Cassian after their morning training, romantic picknicks under the moonlight - the male had a few years to sort his shit out.

- Azriel attending the dusk service of the priestesses just to stand in the dark in a near-trance after he heard Gwyn sing. Then, naturally, he asked her every chance he got for a little song.

- Gwyn complied. But only after making him promise that he’d return the favor.

-  And he did. Mostly on the nights that were interwoven with nightmares and Gwyn would wake up covered in sweat and tears. Then he’d pull her into his arms, stroke her hair and sing the songs his mother taught him when he was young.

- He’d teach her how to play the piano and soon they would play intricate melodies with four hands. Nyx especially is a fan and demands a song or two whenever Auntie Gwyn and Uncle Az babysit him.

- Azriel’s heart squeezing together painfully when he sees Gwyn interact with children. She’s a natural, her own bright spirit so in tune with the kids.

- Azriel will be delighted to find out that Gwyn wants multiple children, but they decide to wait a little before starting to try, since Gwyn is very young and Azriel needs to sort his issues out first lol.

- I feel like they have a secret codeword (if they don’t end up being mates) for when Azriel’s social battery has run out and all he wants to do is lay down in the dark and quiet. Gwyn would find an excuse to leave immediately after hearing it.

[fizzyizzysworld]

hey birth shots plus story below the cut

cheddar had given birth once before, though it was an overall traumatic experience. when she had gouda, she had gone into preterm labor. while her pregnancy with her second child was going good for the most part, she still had that deep-seated fear of something going wrong again.

Cheddar's eyes scanned the pages of the book. she looked at the intricate diagrams of the human body and read about the parts they played in pregnancy and birth. while she wasnt human, she couldnt easily get diagrams of her own species due to her being a hybridized-clone, and an imperfect one at that. she figured this would have to do for now. Cheddar wanted to make sure she knew everything she could this time around, since she had such a bad experience with her first birth. the cat-like creature placed a hand over her baby bump and let out a soft sigh. she'd be doing it alone this time, and that hurt.

in the middle of the night, cheddar woke up to her water breaking. she called for a cab and waited outside her door clutching her baby bump. she felt a deep sense of fear and worry, afraid something was going horribly wrong like last time, though once she made it to the hospital the doctors assured her everything would be fine.

Cheddar was in labor for 36 hours. when she was eventually fully dilated, her obstetrician came in to check on her

"cheddar, we think we're gonna have to induce you."

cheddar looked at the obstetrician, exhaused and completely done with this.

"just check my fucking dilation again, i feel like im gonna explode"

the obstetrician did as she was asked was shocked, realizing cheddar was now fully dialated. she quickly got everything set up to deliver the baby, and the author of this isnt writing a graphic birth scene so heres your photos.

[creepsandpeeps]

Home

Summary: Toby has been sent out on a particularly bad mission and returns bloodied and bruised, after being patched up every one eats dinner together. CW for injury and mentions of tics, they probably aren't very accurate, but I hope to improve over time.

Word count: 1038!

A/N: This is set about 2 weeks into Toby’s “occupation” as a proxy. Found Family proxies my beloved <3.

When Toby woke up he was freezing. He pulled at the thin blanket draped around him before a heavy sigh left his chest and he sat up, his eyebrows knit together. He held up his left hand, catching sight of 3 new bruises on his arm. His head jerked to one side.

He threw his legs over the side of the bed, standing with his heels slightly off the ground. His eyes scanned the room idly before they settled on a pile of folded clothes with a post-it on them on his dresser. 

“They’ll be a bit big on you, sorry -B”

Toby held up the garments. A well-loved sweater with an intricate pattern, a pair of heavy blue jeans, some underwear still in the package, and a pair of socks with cheaply printed cats on them. A warm smile grew on his face.

Once he left his room he realized how quiet it really was despite the time. His worn converse hit the ground lightly as he wandered into the shared living space, and he noticed a pot on the stove in the kitchen. Everything just felt too calm. Too quiet.

Suddenly, piercing static was all he could hear. His hands flew to his ears. In the mind-numbing noise he was told where to go and what to do. Before another thought could form he was mindlessly pulling on a thick coat to combat the cold and grabbing the hatchet he hid behind the cozy red couch. His mask and goggles were sloppily thrown onto his face as he walked out into the morning mist, the door slammed loudly. He didn’t notice. 

When he returned it was nearly twelve hours since he had left. The first indication of his arrival was a weak knock hitting the door in the pattern Kate made as a joke. 

Tim looked wearily to his fellow proxies as he carefully put down the broom he held. When he opened the door Toby practically fell into his arms. 

Blood covered Tim’s flannel. 

“Shit. Kate, get the med kit!” He rushed out as he hoisted the teen up and carried him to the kitchen table. He looked at Brian, who widely nodded back to him. He went through the kitchen drawers, the clinking of utensils accentuating his frantic movement. He pulled his hand away from the lowest drawer with a pair of yellow cloth sheers in hand, running over to Tim. 

“The sweater again? I need to stop giving him my good clothes,” Brian sighed before cutting off the sweater and jeans he had lent him. Together they scanned over the wounds.

“Here, this is the restocked one,” Kate said, throwing down and opening the medical kit and unpacking what they would need. She walked to the side before hesitating and going to prepare his room for the recovery. Tim gently removed the glass from the side of his right shoulder. Brian played nurse, handing the different tools and bandages. 

“He’s too young,” Tim muttered, concern was placed harshly under his tone. The procedure took little more than 20 minutes, but the tension in the air wouldn’t subside until they knew he would wake up again. 

Once everything was said and done they carried Toby to his room, Kate had gotten the heavier blankets and propped up his pillows as well as finding their light-weight hospital scrubs to put him in. He was placed in his bed and dressed wordlessly, leaving Kate to watch over him until he would wake up again. The door shut lightly behind Tim and Brian. Kate waited a moment before turning to him.

“I don’t know if you can hear me,” she mumbled out, her voice wavering slightly as she looked away. “We should have warned you, but this has never happened so soon.” 

She looked at him again, he moved slightly in his uneasy sleep. After the first 20 minutes Kate went to his bookshelf. It was filled with things that they collected over time, she scanned the covers and eventually settled on a comic book titled “Spider Man's Adventures, Vol 1”. She was never a fan of superhero stories before, but becoming what she has she couldn’t help but wish for a different life. She scanned through the pages for what felt like forever when suddenly she heard movement next to her.

She put the book down and saw Toby looking around before going to sit up, she hovered her hand over his chest. 

“No,” She said, “You’ll hurt yourself more.”

Toby looked at her sharply. He then turned away and lifted his right hand, looking at the deep lashes on his arms. ‘Those have to be new’ he thought.

“W-what… what happened?” he stuttered out. Kate’s eyes scanned over him before she took a small breath. 

“You were… tested.” She replied, trying to wave away the shaking in her voice. 

“Tested?” he mumbled, his hand now flicking slightly from side to side. 

“He gave you a job you shouldn't have done alone while Tim and I were out,” she said with a rough sigh. Toby hummed in response. 

“How long should I lay here and rot for, doc?” he said with a small smile. Kate looked at him, her gaze softening.

“Well, we’re hoping you won’t be out of the game too long this time,” she replied, “so maybe 2 weeks?” 

Toby made a little clicking noise when a solid knock came to his door. Before he could say anything, Brian walked in with two fresh plates of mashed potatoes with stuffing, Tim carried two other plates. 

“Can we eat with you here? Kate always says it’s easier to heal with everyone close by,” Brian said with a soft smile on his face. 

Toby looked around and nodded lightly. And everyone took their seats. 

“This is your favorite, right?” Kate asks, taking a small bite of the warm potatoes. Brian didn’t learn to cook until his second year there, but since then, every new thing that he made was worth every cook book they stole.  

A hum came in response, Kate smiled to Brian, he gave a thumbs up back. 

Days off weren’t very common, but one thing was for sure. Nobody would ever recover alone.

Hope you enjoyed! This can also be found on Ao3, my account name is With_Love_Punkin on there if you'd like to check it out.