#please christy bring them back

[arithedingas]

the idea of the twins having at least a cameo in ballmastrz is epic but the fact that that would imply that superjail and ballmastrz share a universe means i probably would have to reconsider my fanfic/headcanons to make sure they fit within ballmastrz as well lmao

[inlovewithgreta]

I would die for you to make more Gwendoline Christie's character fics like my fav ultra 'green' flags Lady Jane, Jane Murdstone, Jan Stevens and Captain Phasma!! Although I do also love a green flag like yummers Larissa Weems, Miranda Hilmarson and Brienne of Tarth!! WORDS CANT DESCRIBE HOW I LOVE YOUR FICS SO FKIN MUCH!!

Lipstick Stains & Ice Cubes - Larissa Weems x Fem!Reader

Summary: Both you and Larissa were eager to please each other, but in your own special ways.

Warnings: praise, pet names, oral sex, ice cubes, body worship, g!p, fingering, p in v, breeding kink, I believe that’s it?

Word Count: 2.3k

Taglist: @celasteria @shslbunnylover @enchantressb @dopenightmaretyphoon @weemswife @bellatrixsbrat @finnja555 @pllduniverse @aemilia19 @winterfireblond

© Do not copy, repost, or modify any of my works.

You were waiting for Larissa in her hotel room, gazing outside the floor length mirror at the city below you. She told you to wait for her while she finished up some business, and of course you listened.

Whenever Larissa had a business meeting out of town, she would bring you along. The two of you were inseparable, not wanting to be away from each other as it drove you both crazy.

You were inevitably and ultimately in love with the woman. But the words were never said aloud, leaving you to wonder if she felt the same. For now you were content, but you still longed for the words to come out of her sweet mouth.

Larissa had finally arrived as you were lost in thought. You had only noticed her presence when the heavy clicking of her heels grew louder. You turn to face her from the window, and a smile instantly spreads across your face.

"Don't move, darling. You look absolutely divine with the moonlight reflecting off of you." Her voice was dripping with honey, her elegant accent giving you butterflies.

You nodded your head, smile growing impossibly bigger as you listened to her light command.

Larissa swiftly moved to the nightstand, grabbing her phone, and making her way back towards you. "Pose for me, darling," she commanded once more, lifting her phone to take a picture of you.

You eagerly did as she said, posing sweetly and elegantly towards your lover. With a few clicks, Larissa licked her crimson coated lips, before quickly tapping away.

"Well?" You tilted your head.

"Look how beautiful you are," she cooed, showing you her new wallpaper that was now of course you, standing in front of the window with the most ethereal look on your face.

Your cheeks grew a bright red. "Thank you," you said, wrapping your arms around the taller woman's waist to pull her closer to you.

Your eyes were twinkling gorgeously. Larissa couldn't help but fall harder for you. You were the most perfect woman she had ever met. So kind, sweet, caring, and gentle. And her heart skipped a beat when her lips dipped to meet yours in a tender kiss.

Larissa cups the back of your neck, and you couldn't resist returning the kiss. You had been waiting for her all night. She had spent the entire day teasing you, and you were overcome with need.

You pulled her in tighter, but the blonde refused to let you have control. This was all about you. You being taken care of. Being cherished. And Larissa intended on making the most of it. Your moans were muffled as her tongue engulfed your own.

You go to pull back for air, your chest heaving. But Larissa wasn't having it. She places a soft palm flat to your chest, pushing you gently against the window.

"Larissa..." You whined against her parted lips.

"Yes, my love?" She tilted her head, with a big smirk plastered across her face.

"I can't wait anymore.."

"So demanding..." She teases, grabbing your wrists and guiding them over your head, before holding them in place. You let out another quiet moan as you grow more excited.

Larissa keeps one hand on your wrists while the other runs down your body. Thankful that you were wearing the easiest garment to undress, Larissa skillfully dragged the clothing off your body before letting it look at your feet.

You can't help but let out a groan when your gaze follows her hand as she palms herself through her own clothing. She was hard beneath her clothing, her cock straining against her tight underwear.

"Baby if you keep making those noises..."

"What? Like this?" You let out another quiet moan, this time adding her name to the mix.

"God, yes..."

"Then I think we'd better get you out of these clothes and do something about it.."

Larissa bit her lip, before letting your wrists go. She had to bite back a laugh when your hands quickly and eagerly discarded her clothing to the floor to pool with your own.

You both nearly rip your undergarments off, unable to hold back anymore, and you nearly salivate at the sight of Larissa's long, hard cock dripping with precum.

"Like you said, how about you do something about this, hmm?" She raised a high brow, using one hand to stroke herself. "Get on your knees, sweet girl."

In one swift movement, you're settled onto your knees, hands clasped behind your back as your gaze darts from Larissa's bright blue eyes and down to the cock in her hand.

"Like this?" You ask, gazing back up at her once again with a mischievous glint in your eye.

Larissa nods, reaching down to stroke your face with her free hand. The blonde loved having you like this, on your knees and eager to please her.

You glance around the room, taking in your surroundings, examining your options. When your eyes meet the ice tray, you don't hesitate to grab a singular cube.

You trail the ice cube over Larissa's milky skin, leaving a small trail of liquid up her leg. "Ooh..." she breathes, attempting to pull away from the cold.

You tsk and pull her back, forcing her to stay still as you trace lazy patterns across her large upper thigh. The trail goes up her hip, before reaching her navel. You circle her button slowly, letting a few icy droplets fall down to her length.

You bring the ice cube to your mouth, pushing it past your lips and suck on the cube. Larissa's chest rose and fell rapidly and her eyes grew darker as she watched you, doing everything in her power to hold herself back.

It only took a second for the ice to melt completely before you leaned in and lick a strip up the bottom of her length with your tongue. "Fuck..." Larissa breathes, burrowing her fingers in your hair and making a makeshift ponytail.

You look at her through your lashes as you slide the tip of her cock past your mouth. Cheeks hollow instantly as you take more and more of her, slowly letting her fill your mouth.

"I want to fuck that pretty little mouth of yours," she groaned, feeling your tongue swirl around her. "May I move now?"

You mumble, and Larissa doesn't hesitate to thrust her hips forward. She was quick with her pace, watching you intently as her cock disappeared after every second down your throat.

"Yesss..." The blonde was pulling your hair tightly, keeping you right where she wanted you so she could fuck your mouth. "Suck me off, baby.. fuck, you look so pretty like this.."

Tears brimmed at the corner of your eyes as the air in your lungs grew thin, your body doing its best to breathe in through your nose that was now pressed right up against her skin as Larissa shoved her entire length into your mouth and held you still.

The blonde didn't let up until you gagged, the salty tears burning your eyes as they fell. "You're doing so good for me.." She groaned as your tongue swirled around the tip of her dick. "So..so good."

You looked up at her through your wet lashes. Larissa immediately felt her cock twitch at the sight of you. Flushed cheeks, tear stained cheeks, messy hair, and on your knees with her dick in your mouth. It was a sight of pure filth.

And she couldn't help but release her warm, thick load into your mouth as you sucked her. "Yes! Swallow for me, baby." You could feel the wetness between your legs drip down your thigh as you did what you were told.

Your hands sat at her hips, fingers digging into her sweaty, milky skin as you swallowed every last drop of her release.

"Christ..." she moaned, gazing at the saliva dripping down your chin and down to your breasts as she eased your head back.

Your chest heaved as you tried to catch your breath. But Larissa wasted no time, as she pulled you to your feet. The woman nearly tossed you onto the bed, your body instantly falling limp as you fell into the mattress.

"Such a pretty little body.." She said, standing tall at the end of the bed, "And it's all mine." Your legs involuntarily spread, inviting Larissa in.

"Kiss me.." you whispered.

"Where?" She teased, crawling onto the bed.

You slide one knee up onto her shoulder, your heel pushing her back down so her head was just mere inches away from your center. "Here..." Your fingers trail down the valley between your breasts and go straight to your core.

Her lips fall open as you show her exactly what you want her to do to you. Larissa immediately moves your hand to the side to give herself the opportunity to take all of you in.

"If that's what you want..." She husked, placing tender kisses to your inner thigh. Crimson lipstick smudges were left behind, as Larissa placed one kiss after another across your skin.

Just as she marked one thigh, she ghosted her lips over your cunt before placing featherlight kisses to your other thigh. When your hips bucked, Larissa used her large hands to pin your hips down to the mattress.

Red lipstick stains covered your thighs as she mapped out the lower half of your body. "You're so beautiful..." She mewled. Her plush lips ghost over your entrance but she replaces it with her tongue.

"'Rissa..." Your hand finds the top of her head, twisting with her luscious blonde curls. You coax her to apply more pressure as you lowly moan out her name.

"Add your fingers...please.." You quietly begged her. Blue eyes snap up to meet yours, tongue not wavering at your cunt. "I need you.."

"I'm all yours.." She reassured, focusing on your button with her tongue while she slides two fingers inside of you. You almost let out a scream at the onslaught of pleasure.

"Yes...'Rissa just like that..." The blonde moves her fingers faster, picking up her pace as her tongue works wonders against your clit.

You look down between your legs, watching as the blonde fucks you, the tension that has been slowly building in your core threatened to explode just from the sight alone.

"Mm, I-I need..." You were truly at a loss for words, but you needed more. More than just her mouth and her fingers. "I need—"

Larissa's cock was twitching, and it was taking everything in her not to bust. And at your words, it's as if she knew exactly what you were trying to mutter out.

"Me too..." She groaned, between gingerly fucking you.

"Let me ride you, please..."

The request was barely out of your mouth before Larissa was lying flat against the bed and pulling you on top of her to help you get into position.

Hands were immediately grabbing at your hips as you straddled your lover. Her long, platinum locks were sprawled against the pillow and her usually perfect lips were now a smudged mess.

You could feel her entire length pushing up against your center, and you couldn't help but rock your hips.

Larissa reaches between you to pump her cock in her hand before lowering yourself on her as she pushes up into you, completely filling you and stretching you out.

You let your head fall back as you let out a soft moan from the sensation. The thrill of her filling you up and making you so warm was exhilarating, but it was still not enough.

"More..." You whimper. Larissa cups your cheek, urging you to look down at her as she scans your tear-stained face. Your eyes prickled with tears once again, but this time out of frustration.

You were so worked up. So hot, horny, and in dire need of Larissa to fuck you senseless. Words couldn't explain how desperate you were to come.

"Are you sure?" She tenderly asked, stroking your cheek lovingly with her thumb.

"Please... please, I need you. Fuck me already.."

That's all the answer Larissa needed. She moves, and not at a slow, sensual pace. At a pace that had you seeing stars and letting out moan after moan, her hips pistoning in and out. The pleasure within you grew stronger and stronger with each thrust that elicited a quiet grunt from the blonde.

Skin slapped against skin and Larissa pulled you into a deep, passionate kiss. "I love you..." you mumbled against her messy lips.

"I love you too, darling.. so, so much..." she moaned, cock twitching inside you as she grew close.

Your forehead rested against hers and your hands grabbed at her freckled shoulders. "Come inside me. I want you to fill me... please.." Larissa had never heard you beg so much in one night, and she loved every second of it.

With a thrust, a grab of your ass, and a grunt, Larissa stilled herself inside you as she filled you up with her warm come in antagonizing slow spurts.

The gesture alone had your orgasm rip through your entire body, nearly paralyzing you as you nearly screamed out her name. Your senses were on overdrive, and your legs shook violently.

You felt your body quickly overcome with exhaustion as Larissa coaxed you through your orgasm. Your breathing was heavy as you struggled to regain your senses.

Larissa helped you to lay down, sliding herself from your grip. She left a chaste kiss to your forehead before heading to the bathroom. She wanted to be quick to clean you up, before you passed out.

Luckily for her, you were able to keep yourself awake just long enough for her to run a warm, damp washcloth between your legs, cleaning both your orgasm and her lipstick stains on you. She would have you run to the bathroom once you regained consciousness, but for now, you were too exhausted and fucked out to move a muscle.

So Larissa got back into bed, pulled you into her loving embrace, slid the covers over the two of you, and let you fall asleep with your head in the crook of her neck. Letting your body go limp in her arms while whispering sweet nothings into your ear.

general masterlist | gwen masterlist | taglist

[fictionandfixation]

Older Bachelor headcanons!

Older Bachelor stardew headcanons because I’ve been playing lots recently! All sfw, some mentions of smoking/alcohol 💕 also please bear in mind I am no SDV expert, so sorry if these go against canon occasionally!

Harvey ☕️🔬📚

• Secret smoking habit that he would rather die than tell anyone about. Not often, but during flu season when he’s stressed, you can find him cooped up in his room with an imported cigar or a Marlboro Gold, an espresso and an Agatha Christie.

• Plays classic soul, funk, golden oldies and jazz in the foyer of the clinic on an old-timey record player, and chooses every day from his large record collection. Frequently irritates Maru with the extent of his Doris Day enjoyment.

• Kind of wide-set - very broad shoulders, and quite tall.

• Packets of salted peanuts and cookies on the clinic foyer desk which he restocks every week.

• Goes to fetch you personally from the mines or Skull Cavern sometimes when you get knocked out. And he also keeps a vintage forest green car behind the clinic to pick you up in. He hopes one day you’ll wake up on the way back and compliment his tasteful vehicle choice or notice he’s bringing you home. You don’t.

• Best friends with Evelyn. Worst enemies with George.

• Tennis player. Plays with whoever will say yes in the mountains and always manages to punt the ball into the lake somehow. Also used to be in a rock climbing club at university, and has sort of sinewy forearms as a result.

• Outrageous flirt after a few glasses of Pinot Noir, mostly because I think he’s on the spectrum but also because I think it would help him stop being quite so nervous.

• Brown suspenders. Every. Single. Day.

• Gives Jas and Vincent candy after their checkup.

• “Sweetheart/honey” as a nickname for you.

Elliott 📜🖋️🐚

• Striped. Matching. Pajamas.

• Finds, forages and cooks mussels when he needs to impress someone. And on that note, very much a French cuisine enjoyer.

• If blue cheese has no fans Elliott is dead.

• Rizz master. Silver tongue. Read so much romance when he was a teenager that it has actively become a part of his personality to be a book boyfriend.

• Very willowy and slender. Metabolism of the gods. Puts away food like it’s nobody’s business.

• Can read several languages, but just can’t master an accent so never uses them in a spoken context. Definitely a student of Latin.

• English accent headcanon! Probably spent the first couple of decades of his life in somewhere high-income like Warwickshire, or (more likely) Cornwall or Exeter, on or near the coast. I am also envisioning him as having been to an old collegiate university like Durham, or maybe a college at Oxford (Merton I reckon).

• Writes and then burns poems about everyone he’s ever been in love with. Starts keeping them when he meets you.

• Chats fashion history with Emily and Haley.

• Religious about his collection of cravat-style ties because he’s seen the Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice a few too many times.

• Frequent book club gatherings with Caroline, Marnie, Robin and Jodi (mostly because mothers love him, the main selling point here being that he has definitely read at least one Jodi Picoult book. He does not remember anything about it, he’s just glad to be invited).

“Dearest/my love” as a pet name.

Shane 🍺🍕🐓

• Snores. Very quiet about it though.

• I know a lot of people HC Harvey as oldest but I reckon it’s Shane. He also acts the most like a bitter old man whereas I feel Harvey is just ‘mature’.

• Could be convinced to grow a beard. Maybe.

• Goes for a jog three times a week. Hates it. Refuses to stop and really isn’t even sure why he does it himself any more.

• Secret Lana Del Rey enjoyer. Mainly a fan of Midwest emo, classic rock, nu metal and sometimes country but the kind of country where they sing about killing people and getting away with it.

• Raised by heavily Christian parents in the Deep South. Yes this is a Southern accent headcanon. Yeehaw.

• Lets Jas put eyeshadow on him sometimes. Shaves properly only when she wants to put makeup on him.

• Craft beer’s number one opp. Wants an ice cold tap Budweiser only, and if there isn’t enough head on it he will be asking for a refund. Not that Gus would ever do that to him.

• Has muscle with padding. Very strong, very wide in stature, but not lean at all. Biceps wider than your neck that you could (and would) use as pillows.

• Makes the most insane hangover breakfast known to man. Bacon. Pancakes. Sausage. Home fries. Butter. Syrup. You’re putting on a bit of healthy relationship weight for sure with Shane as your partner.

• “Darlin’/baby” user. “Sweet cheeks” as a joke. Kind of a joke.

Hope you guys enjoyed these!! I am down irretrievable for Older Bachelor content because I love ✨older men✨

Please let me know if you’d like some more for these characters or the other bachelors and bachelorettes!

[nixie-deangel]

me to me, in a stern voice: we don't need another idea to add to the list. do you fucking hear me???? WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER!!!!

me to me, in a sad voice: okay.....I do hear you....but....🥺🥺🥺🥺 maybe think about hangster breaking up because of Jake's family though? just. just think about this with me. okay?🥺🥺 please?

me to me just giving up: *sigh*..............what's the idea?

me to me about to add yet another WIP to my new list: awesome! okay, so we see a lot about hangster being ex's and breaking up (and who's fault it is varying on the shifting tides of fandom and how we're feeling about characters from moment to moment)

BUT have we thought about Jake's family being the reason for it??? like. okay. Jake's family has so many expectations on who Jake should married, that every time Jake brings Bradley (and for this, we're saying both are stationed in Corpus Christi during this period) and they can't help making snide comments to Bradley about how he's not enough and how Jake won't actually settle for him and how Jake will eventually find someone better and more worthy of the Seresin name.

and well, seriously there is only so much Bradley can take, what with him already feeling not enough and out of place and like he's not deserving of Jake's love and attention and time anyway.

so it's the nail in the road that explodes the tire and sends Bradley careening into breaking them up and getting as far away as he possible can because yeah, he DOES want Jake to find his happily ever after and get everything he wants and deserves but Bradley cannot be around to witness his future, his heart, finding what he so badly wants for them with someone else.

and then of course the mission happens and it's just an all around mind fuck for Bradley, though it all works out with him and Mav clearing the air and him and Jake somehow finding a tentative friendship once again.

and then weeks later, Javy makes mention Jake is bringing his new boyfriend around to meet them and he wants to make sure Bradley isn't going to cause a scene or be a problem and Bradley can't help haltingly answering that it's okay, that he knew this day would come, that Jake would find someone truly worth him, that his family would love, someone that was truly deserving of Jake's time and love and that he'd get his happily ever after.

only, Bradley starts saying this just as Jake walks in and is floored because how dare Bradley think Jake could ever find his happily ever after when that was Bradley and Bradley walked away from him, from them! but then he latches onto Bradley saying someone deserving of Jake, someone worthy of him, someone his family would accept and love and things start clicking in his head.

and obviously, Jake and Bradley get back together and Jake becomes an unholy terror to his parents and sisters who were part of the problem, who were the match that lit the fire that imploded their relationship.

idk. just. the thought of Jake's family sparking the match and setting the explosion off is tempting. and I can't stop thinking about it when I should really be sleeping right now.

[timetraveltasting]

TEMPLAR BOAR WITH CAMELINE SAUCE (14th c.)

This past Thursday, the Corpus Christi public holiday in my part of Germany, known here as Fronleichnam, gave me a little extra time to make another Tasting History dish: Templar Boar with Cameline Sauce. The diet, eating habits, and table manners of the Templars were governed by strict rules, including only eating meat three times a week (two meat meals on Sundays). This dish was one of those they would have eaten for one of their meat meals during the 14th century. The spices present in the sauce would have been accessible to them during the crusades, but Cameline Sauce did become a popular dish in much of medieval Europe eventually. This dish is based on two 14th century primary sources: Le Viandier de Taillevent by Guillaume Tirel and Le Ménagier de Paris, a treatise written by an older man (as yet unnamed) to teach his 15-year-old bride how to run his household and please him, in every way (...yikes). The sauce, Cameline, is named as such due to the rich brown colour, which looks like the wool of a camel, also known as cameline. I chose to make this recipe next because I haven't made boar before, and the rich, silky, brown colour of the sauce made it look really tasty. See Max’s video on how to make it here or see the ingredients and process at the end of this post, sourced from his website.

My experience making it:

I made a couple changes to the modern recipe below. I used boar goulash pieces instead of tenderloin, because it was the only form of boar I could find at my grocery store. The white wine I used (and drank with dinner) was a dry Riesling from the Mosel Valley in Germany. The red wine was a Bordeaux Merlot. I used saffron powder instead of threads, and I did opt to add the optional tablespoon of red wine vinegar. the white bread I used was a classic French baguette.

I also made a couple changes to the method. Because I used French baguette, which has quite small slices, I hollowed out about half the baguette (since baguettes are mostly crust). I also simmered the sauce for much longer than Max says to, because it wasn't quite the thickness I was looking for. Otherwise, I followed Max's recipe exactly, probably to the detriment of my boar. Because I had used goulash pieces instead of tenderloin, I probably should have adjusted how I cooked the boar to accommodate these smaller pieces. Unfortunately, I didn't, and as a result, I was left with very chewy, dry boar. Basically, the sauce was the saving grace of the boar! I served the boar and Cameline sauce with some green peas, garlic bread, and a glass of the dry Riesling wine.

My experience tasting it:

I already knew I had ruined the texture of the boar, but I hoped that the sauce would help. I warned my husband. Luckily, the Cameline sauce did a lot of heavy-lifting to bring some moisture back to the board. The sauce turned out wonderfully - a beautiful, silky brown. Flavour-wise, it reminded me of a jus, but more heavily-spiced. I was worried the Cameline sauce would end up tasting sweet due to the brown sugar and several spices that are more often used in baking, but in fact, the spices were well balanced by the taste of the wine and vinegar. The sauce also went really nicely with the peas, and I imagine would also have tasted good with potatoes or other red meats. My husband and I dipped the garlic bread in it as well, which was really tasty. It went alright with the dry boar, but I would like to use the sauce with another, more tenderly-cooked meat. We had leftover Cameline sauce, so we will probably try that again tonight. If you end up making it, if you liked it, or if you changed anything from the original recipe, do let me know!

Links to harder-to-find ingredients:

Saffron

Templar Boar with Cameline Sauce original recipes (14th c.)

Sourced from Le Viandier de Taillevent by Guillaume Tirel and Le Ménagier de Paris respectively.

“Sanglier: Fresh Wild Boar Venison. Cooked in wine and water and boiled again; eaten with Cameline Sauce.”

— Le Viandier de Taillevent, 14th century

“Cameline. Note that in Tournai, to make cameline they grind ginger, cinnamon, saffron, and half a nutmeg, moistened with wine then taken out of the mortar. Then grind in a mortar untoasted white breadcrumbs that have been soaked in cold water, moisten with wine and strain. Then boil everything and finish with brown sugar, and that makes winter cameline. In the summer, they do the same but it is not boiled at all. ”

— Le Ménagier de Paris, 14th century

Modern Recipe

Based on Le Viandier de Taillevent by Guillaume Tirel, Le Ménagier de Paris, and Max Miller’s version in his Tasting History video.

Ingredients:

Boar tenderloin

Olive oil for searing

Equal parts wine and water for boiling

1 thick slice of white artisanal bread without crust

1 ¼ cups white wine

¼ cup red wine

1 tsp ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

Pinch of saffron threads

2 tbsp brown sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp red wine vinegar (optional)

Method:

De-crust the bread and break it into small pieces. Soak the bread in water for a few hours, then pour in the red wine for the sauce.

Heat olive oil in a pot then sear the boar on all sides.

Remove it from the pot and boil equal parts wine and water, then add the boar back in and boil, covered, for 10-15 minutes or until fully cooked. Then let it rest.

To make the sauce, mix the spices and white wine. Strain the bread/wine mixture from earlier into a saucepan, then press the bread through the strainer.

Add the spiced wine mixture and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes, or until half reduced, then add the sugar and salt, and if you want, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Simmer until thickened.

Slice the boar and pour the sauce over it. Optionally, serve with roasted chestnuts and wine.

[pearlypairings]

happy birthday my photocheer queen!!! 🥰 could i get a "you remembered?" for them, please?

jonathan x chrissy || adorable fluff || 833 words

A/N: ahhh thank you for this prompt! I made it extra sickeningly sweet just for you<3 happy, super cute surprises!!

yesterday's prompt

She gripped the package in her hands, reminiscent of Ash from Evil Dead discovering the Naturom Demonto (Jonathan would appreciate her reference). It wasn’t going anywhere until he got home.

Chrissy stashed the wrapped box in her makeup drawer, confident that he would never discover it if he snooped around her vanity. This birthday gift had to remain a surprise, even though she had struggled to keep her own secret. With each passing day, the nagging sensation at the back of her mind grew, making it increasingly difficult for her to resist the urge to grab the package from the drawer and hand it over to Jonathan to open immediately.

But today was finally the day! She’d held out long enough!

She hunkered down at the kitchen table, waiting for him to return from his birthday tradition of going out on a dawn photography walk. The touch of Jonathan’s lips still warmed her forehead when he kissed her goodbye this morning in bed, and she let herself get lost in her own thoughts.

When their door swung open, she leapt up in the air, startled, bringing back memories of her time on the Tigers’ cheer team. There was a rush of the morning chill into the room that made her shiver just a little, reminding her winter would soon be here. 

Without missing a beat, Chrissy kept her tone peppy when they locked eyes. “Happy birthday, love.” 

Jonathan shook the autumn cold out of his jacket, smiling that little grin he reserved just for her. His camera bag swung at his side, kept safe under his right arm. His cheeks were stained pink from the whipping morning wind, but he looked as pleased as ever regardless.

“Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” He glanced around the tiny kitchen before his gaze landed on her and the box in her hands. His head shook. “I thought we said no presents this year?” 

“I agreed to no presents for me,” she said smugly, thumbing her chest. “Now come on, no semantics, get over here birthday boy. I’ve been dying for you to open this up all week.” 

Jonathan hung his things at the entryway hooks and when he reached her, he  kissed her nice and slow. She could feel the lingering smile on his lips, cold soaked all the way through. He was practically a walking ice cube. Nudging the gift into his hands, he relented at last to look down at the small gift. 

“Alright, alright,” he laughed. “I’ll be a good sport. Mom would kill me if she heard you complain that I tortured you all morning.”

Chrissy buzzed. The second she’d seen the window display, she knew she had found the perfect gift to give him. Jonathan was the worst to shop for—never asking for anything and rarely giving any hints when it came time for the holidays. But this year, she had pieced together, like one of her favorite Agatha Christie’s sleuths, that he had missed this particular thing for a long while.

The ribbon fell undone with quick work, and the delicate plaid paper crinkled as he ripped the pattern in half. He paused to make sure she was watching as he lifted the lid of the plain cardboard gift box to reveal his surprise. 

His dark eyes flickered when he peered inside. “Is that—I mean, wait, did you…”

Excitement caught his voice and kept it wound tight. Jonathan pulled out the contents to examine the metal circle hanging off the blue collar. 

Chrissy bit her lip. “It’s still blank. I thought you’d waited long enough to have the honor of naming him.”

He clasped the dog collar tight within his grasp. “How did you know? I mean, I never said…”

“No, you never told me.” She smiled warmly as he trailed off again. “But you mentioned one night how you loved your family dog, that he was your best friend while your parents were—” This was supposed to be light, she didn’t need to bring up memories of his father today. “—well, you know. I just thought, maybe, you were too scared to ask me, and I saw the cutest, fluffiest mutt at Marty’s pet store and remembered you said Chester had this crazy amount of wild fur and—”

Jonathan embraced her, unable to contain his happiness any longer. “You remembered? You remembered all that and realized that I wanted a dog for us? I told you that story months ago! After the big rain storm reminded me of the time Will, Chester, and I were stranded in Castle Byers practically all night.”

“How could I not remember Jonathan Byers telling an endearing childhood story? And the fluffy guy found me! He’s on hold right now. We just have to go pick him up from Marty’s.” 

Jonathan kissed her and clasped the collar between their palms. “Have I ever told you how outrageously brilliant and beautiful you are?”

“Maybe,” she said in between kisses. “Once or twice.”

[jainaism]

credits??

"There is news— news from the Alliance. One of our information gatherers has learned something he insists you must know." Thrall disliked the term "spy," but he had spies nonetheless, as he was certain Jaina Proudmoore had her spies in his lands. It was to be expected, and was often worthwhile. Seldom had one of his gatherers insisted on seeing him like this. Something important must be happening indeed.

"Show him in, and leave us," he said. Eitrigg nodded and a moment later, a small, scrawny, nondescript human male was brought in. He looked exhausted, undernourished, and terrified.

Thrall rose to his full imposing height without thinking, then realized he might intimidate the human. "Will you take food or drink?" he asked, keeping his voice gentle.

The spy shook his head, then amended. "W-Water, if you please." in a voice that cracked. The Warchief himself poured a goblet and handed it to the man, who gulped thirstily, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"My thanks. Warchief." the spy said, sounding a bit calmer.

"Your news." Thrall said.

The man paled. Thrall sighed inwardly. He would never be so brutal—or so foolish—as to kill a messenger for bringing bad news. Such behavior merely resulted in no one's wanting to serve as messenger. He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring fashion.

"Do not fear. Your news, good or ill, is welcome if it aids me in protecting my people." he said.

The man looked slightly less distressed. He took a deep breath. "My lord," he said. He hesitated, then continued grimly, "The draenei have come to Azeroth."

Thrall was puzzled. He exchanged glances with Eitrigg, who shrugged. "Some draenei have been in Azcroth for years." he said. "They are nicknamed the lost ones. We know about them. This is not news, friend.

The man looked stricken. "You don't understand," he said, urgently. "Not those pathetic creatures— draenei! There—there was ship. From the skies. It crashed like an infernal stone two nights ago."

Thrall inhaled swiftly. No one had missed seeing that strange object in the night sky. looking like a star crashing to earth. So … it had not been a star, nor even an infernal. It had been a vessel….

The man was still talking. "Proudmoore has agreed to aid them. There is one among them—pale, noble, his presence commanding, though he is not physically strong. They call him Velen."

Thrall stared. The draenei? The Prophet Velen? Here? He sank slowly in his chair as the full significance struck him. The worst enemy the ores had ever known had come to Azcroth. Had been welcomed into the Alliance. How could there possibly be peace between Horde and Alliance now?

"Ancestors save us," Thrall whispered.

⸻ The Rise of the Horde, Christie Golden.

[asherlockstudy]

One of the loudest episodes to me is the chilli bowl jordan more, and I don't even read either of their responses to the culture comment as having taken it to mean straight culture as opposed to evangelical, but who knows.

When Link mentions Christy turning the lights off to shut him up, and jordan wants to ask, he says "i don- rhett doesn't have to answer it :)" which is either masterful ship bait or whatever you would call what he does in your theory of making comments that are a bit too real to poke at rhett. ("the other person who knows first hand doesn't have to answer :)")

rhett only seems to notice and fake laugh when jordan points out the question about link's intercourse habits would not be for rhett.

he of course still is happy to express his opinions and knowledge (not for the first time either lol) on link's talkativity in the bedroom (poor by just wants to connect smh stop shaming him) which of course could be just that they are open and have talked/argued a lot about their habits, or equally work with other theories that they always drop hints about like poly stuff etc. he also feels the need to clarify "the first time he had sex *with her*" you know, so no one will assume that he knows this from first hand experience, despite being something they have talked and joked about for years.

but after a long while of talking about sex and using cheese as a euphamism for orgasm, and link's preference for looong sex and his struggles to cheese more than once and getting engrossed in the subtextual convo and jokes to the point of mostly forgetting to care about the game and the non-subtextual meaning of what they were saying, rhett, looking pleased with himself and desk patting, says "so I double cheese myself and I double cream link :)"

and link responds with seemingly too much sincerity: "I'm alright with that!"

rhett, as typical, gets spooked and brings it straight back to purely game talk lol

it's a great watch tbh, like if this is all bait, it would be very impressive and also very manipulative.

but it seems like sometimes you put that wonderful lesbian between them and they lose a little control on their perfectly straight besties personas. who knows what the real them is like though, i think they cultivate what they put out based on the audience, maybe even census data, because sometimes the bro culture vibe shows up on EB and can be a bit jarring (i remember seeing comments about rhett saying "when i was f*cking my wife's brains out" which did feel uncharacteristically crude and exaggerated)

meanwhile to my understanding the gmm audience has a heavily female demographic. but they have successfully driven a huge chunk of the community which would be interested in their baiting away, so why would they insist on getting gayer and maintaining or trying to build on such a tiny audience demographic (shippers and such)

sorry ! major tangent lmao I'm just rambling

Yeah that was one WILD episode.

[princesspastel8]

Chapter 11

Third POV

"Eboni...."

The way her name rolls off his tongue. It brings a pleasuring chill through his body. Jeff groans, walking through the dark forest on his way to the mansion. He was told to kill her. To fix his mistake, but...

He couldn't. Not with the way her body felt pressed against his own. The way she whined for him to stay, to do more. It was so, so tempting. Yet odd. When has Jeff ever felt any attraction towards a girl?

Christy was just a victim. One of his first. He didnt want to fuck her, let alone be with her. He was just a growing boy who had the urges of wanting to wear her guts all over him. Plus, she had a nice ass. So, what makes Eboni so damn different?

How was she able to hold the killer's attention for this long? Why didn't he want to kill her? She humiliated him by being his only survivor! But he almost kissed her -

"Fuck!" He shouts, kicking a random tree.

Jeff's frustrated. He is always in tune with himself. The killer hates how his emotions are scattered, how his mind is full of thoughts about Eboni. He sighs, leaning against the tree he kicked.

"Eboni...you fucking bitch." He grumbles, closing his eyes.

"Jeff...please."

His eyes shoot open, frowning deeply. Now, his mind wants to play jokes. That did sound nice to the killer, the sound of Eboni begging. He grins, his length growing hard.

That's it. He just wants to play around with her like a toy. His toy. Fuck what Slenderman says. He wants Eboni. He's never felt like this before. Such need to fuck someone, to fool around with. He wants to see more. What other faces she could make, watch that fire behind her eyes dwindle once giving the attention she craves.

The smiling killer is so excited that he's close to turning around and going back to the teen's house - if not for the ringing in his ears. All proxies under slenderman have a set curfew to avoid them from breaking certain rules.

"Damnit. I'm not some fucking child you Octopus bitch." Jeff swears. He has a feeling the radioactive monster would want to ask if he cleaned up his mistake.

Jeff wanted to make it seem like he did. He needs slenderman to believe that he did his task. It would be ashamed if the being kills Eboni before Jeff gets the chance to toy with her. So when the killer notices a wild rabbit staring at him, he takes it upon himself to kill the rabbit and smear its blood all over his hoodie, ripped jeans, and even a bit on his face.

When at the mansion, he opens the door and is greeted by slenderman. The monster stares at Jeff before speaking through the boy's mind. "Is it done?"

"Yeah, yeah. The bitch is fucking dead." The killer said, rolling his eyes.

One of Jeff's skills is being able to lie through his teeth with the straightest face. He even mastered the rate of his heartbeat when preparing himself to lie. After spending the first few months in the mansion, Jeff noticed that slenderman doesn't favor invading his proxies' mind so often.

The smiling killer found it stupid. How else are you going to keep your slaves under control if you can't do the simple shit? Nevertheless, Jeff always uses this piece of information to his advantage - just like now.

Slenderman stares at his unruly proxy for a moment, debating on using his powers on the boy or not. Out of all of his proxies, Jeff is the most untrustworthy and difficult to manage. He took him in after nearly killing him in a fight. He felt pity for the killer and found his skills to be exceptional. Jeff, the killer could be of use to him, so he kept him alive. But if he knew how troubling this boy would be, he would've killed him that day.

With a heavy sigh, the radioactive monster turns to walk up the stairs to his office. He's had a tiring day after dealing with Masky, Hoodie, and even Toby. "Very well. I will take your word for it. However, if I find out that you've lied to me- consider yourself dead." he warns harshly before disappearing from Jeff's sight.

Jeff takes it that as an empty threat. The being is always threatening to end his life, so that was nothing new. He walks into the kitchen, noticing BEN and Eyeless Jack- who watched the whole interaction.

"So....you really did kill her?" BEN asked, finding it hard to believe.

"Mhm...I don't think he did. That's animal blood all over you, not human blood." Jack interjects.

Jeff sighs heavily, reaching into the refrigerator to grab a bottle of Jack Daniel's. The Chelsea smiling killer is debating on telling them the truth. Since moving into the mansion, he found BEN and Jack to be the least annoying proxies here. They respected Jeff as Jeff did them. They kept secrets from even slenderman when asked of one another, so with a drawn-out sigh-

"Nah.. I didn't." He grumbles, chugging down his drink.

BEN smirks, letting out a snicker. "Wow - really? I wonder why."

"I'm just surprised Slenderman didn't even bother to go into your mind like he always does." Jack said, a bit confused.

"The thing seemed drained. The fuck happened while I was gone?" Jeff ask, leaning against the counter.

"Remember that job slenderman told Toby to do a year ago?" BEN asked.

Jeff didn't care much for anyone else in this mansion, especially Toby. "Why would I give any shits on what that ticker does?"

"Right.....anyways he was told to kill this witch that was collecting way to many souls for Zalgo. Turns out that witch was way too powerful, and Toby nearly died." BEN said, waving his hands as he spoke.

"Oh yeah... I remember that slenderman was pissed." Jack hums, opening the freezer to pull something out to thaw - most likely a kidney.

"Yeah, so fast forward a few months, Slenderman hatched a plan for Toby, Hoodie, and Masky to go and kill her. But it turns out her younger sister was hosting a sleepover with a friend. A lot of shit went down that night. The three of them almost died. And on top of that, those girls really gave them a run for their money." BEN laughs.

Jeff was a bit lost. Maybe he was out on his own job that lasted a while for him to miss the commotion around the mansion they must've caused. "Damn....really?"

"Yeah, man! Those girls were, if not more, crazed than we are! Anyways, instead of making another plan to kill them all- those three were secretly messing around with them. Slenderman just found out after catching Toby with the witch near our forest. Turns out after that mission a year ago, they've had a little thing going on for each other!"

Jeff cackles loudly, he beans over, his hand over his stomach. "Are you serious!? Slenderman's favorite went behind his back and fucked a bitch working for his top enemy!? That's hilarious!"

Jack only rolled his eyes while BEN laughs along with Jeff. "I know, right, but it gets funnier! Turns out Masky and Hoodie got tangled with those other two girls that nearly killed them! Slenderman found that out today, too!" BEN laughs, shaking his head.

Jack pauses for a moment, thinking aloud. "If you think about it...its becoming a pattern..."

"What you mean?" BEN ask, calming down from his fit of laughter.

"Slenderman's top favorites fell for girls that nearly took their lives. It's ironic if you think about it. And since we aren't allowed to play around with the girls here.. it was only a matter of time before one of us fucked up."

"Huh...well damn Jeff looks like you joined the bandwagon, huh?" BEN snickers.

Jeff responds by throwing his empty glass bottle of Jack Daniel's at BEN's head. "Damn elf! I don't like that bitch! I just wanna..." he trails off, feeling himself get hard again.

"Do what?" Jack questions, honestly amused by the situation.

"Play with her for a while...then kill her." Jeff said flatly, glaring at Jack.

"Mhm...well if slenderman finds out -"

"So what if he does? By that time, I'd already had my fill. It's not like he can stop me I-"

"Yes, yes, we know we knew. 'I'm Jeff, and I can do what I want when I want. No one can control me!' Blah blah blah." BEN mocks, his hands making mocking gestures as well.

At this point, Jeff lost his temper and charges after BEN, chasing him all around the kitchen. Jack only watches for a while before breaking them up once it got too bloody.

BEN may have mocked the smiling killer, but what was said is true. He does what he wants when he wants - no matter the consequences of his actions. Jeff stops at nothing when it comes to getting what he wants, no matter who it affects. He's extremely selfish and only looks out for himself, as do most of the killers in the mansion.

Right now, Jeff has his eyes set on Eboni. Just the thought of the events of earlier brings his length to life again. With one last kick to BEN's ribs, he heads up the stairs to his room. He shuts the door, locking it behind himself. Jeff lowers his hand to his clothed cock, groaning but then laughs.

"Heh...that bitch doesn't know what's coming to her..."

[bsdtakanenohana]

My Opinion on Every Single Bungou Stray Dogs Ship

Part Three- Het Ships III

Let’s see if I rank any ship above a five or below a negative two and a half. Let’s see if y’all are serving any good food or truly stank ish.

Part One & Two

Fukuharu/ Yukichi Fukuzawa x Kirako Haruno: This is how I’m finding out Haruno is not her given name and it’s Kirako. Lol. Is she also underage like Naomi? I mean even if she’s above age she’s still young enough to be his daughter so ick. Also Fukuzawa always struck me as the “married to his job” type. -2/10

Fukuchi Protection Duo: Yukichi Fukuzawa x Teruko Okura: Whoever was shipping this has definitely stopped after the age reveal LMAO. -2/10 EDIT: I saw that there was a translation error that made it seem like she was 12 years old but actually she was 12 when Fukuchi found her, which we don’t know the exact date because it said after the War, and the timeline is a little messy. But I do assume she’s an adult now, even if we don’t know how many years ago she was 12. (Asagiri please bring back the character info sheets 🙏🏽)

Shippers be like “she was looking at Fukuzawa here”

Fyoagatha/ Fyodor Dostoyevsky x Agatha Christie: I had always heard that people shipped this, but I never saw any of it myself. But one day a few months ago I stumbled upon a post on here with a ton of fanart by different artists saved like a collage. So there’s definitely more shippers than what it seems. Unlike the Shibusawa x Agatha ship, this one makes a little more sense since The Order of the Clocktower was against what Shibusawa was doing and saw him as a threat, whereas Fyodor has things going on in different countries and has different sorts of “allies” and works with people to use them, it makes sense if he would try to get involved with the people in the Order, if only to use them. 2/10

Hawmitch/ Nathaniel Hawthorne x Margaret Mitchell: I don’t care about Hawthorne but I do want to see more of Margaret now that she’s healed and we still have more potential for a Guild subplot. Even though I don’t care much for the characters, this is the only ship so far where both (?) members have feelings for each other. (Even if there was a bit of a tsundere trope going on.) Who am I to stand in their way? I’ll give them a six just for that. 6/10

Of course it’s going to end tragically for them though, the romances in both the novels their abilities are named after don’t end happily.

Higuzai/ Ichiyo Higuchi x Osamu Dazai: Eh. But props to Higuchi for freaking Dazai out with that phrase “your blood is blacker than anyone in Yokohama’s. Port Mafia black” (paraphrasing), that definitely hit a soft spot that not many people can get at. And he didn’t do/say anything in retaliation! Interesting. 2/10

Slay (just a girlfailure trying to have a girlboss arc)

Kajisano/ Kaji Motojirou x Akiko Yosano: Ew. The lemon guy annoys the hell outta me. Yosano doesn’t like him either✋🏽 0/10

Katagin/ Katai Tayama x Gin Akutagawa: She already rejected him. Not that rejection or dislike stops this fandom 🙄 0/10

Real

Kenlise/ Kenji Miyazawa x Elise: What in tarnation? That’s exactly my first thought when reading that this is a ship. I’m live reacting. Just, how? Shouldn’t this be on the character x object section since Elise is an ability not a person? 0/10

Kunicott/ Doppo Kunikida x Louisa May Alcott: This list is making me wonder if some of these more random ships I haven’t heard of before are from the Japanese fandom. I’ve heard they have more pairings than the English speaking fandom. I don’t think these two would be bad as a couple. I’m interested in this dynamic. Maybe one day they’ll interact, I’d like to see more of Louisa. 3/10

Kunisaki/ Doppo Kunikida x Nobuko Sasaki: In all honesty, I don’t know how I feel about them as a ship. I know there’s theories he’s actually the Azure Messenger, which means they were a couple at one point. But I doubt it. However, I’ve only seen the butchered adaptation of this, I haven’t read the light novel. So my rating is subject to change. 3/10

Kunisano/ Doppo Kunikida x Akiko Yosano: I made my mom watch the anime with me last year and afterwards when I asked her about ships she said she wants them to be together. When I told her “no one ships this” she was shocked. Gave a whole mini rant about why they’d be good together. And tbh I can see it. But not too much. I do want them to interact more. Everything on AO3 about them was poly ships or a/b/o, so I can’t even turn to fanon for more details 😞 3.5/10

He’s sweatin’ 💀

[bearsinpotatosacks]

Had some kind of idea where Goose and Carole don't meet when he's in the Academy. She doesn't move to Annapolis and meet him, instead she studies English at the University of Texas. Goose's life goes as normal, he becomes a RIO, meets Mav and starts his flight training, ending up in Corpus Christi. This is where Carole's family lives, and after she graduates, is celebrating. She gets very drunk and ends up in a bar where a blond guy with a pornstache and aviators is playing her favourite song on the piano, this is obviously Goose. They have a drunken hook up and she wakes up to see him gone and only knowing his callsign.

A few weeks later, she doesn't get her period and finds herself having weird cravings and feeling sick a lot. Her sister tells her to take a pregnancy test, she rolls her eyes but does one anyway and find out that she's pregnant. She doesn't know how to find Goose, she only knows his callsign after all, so becomes a single mother.

Goose's life goes mostly the same. He still ends up at Top Gun, even gets together with Slider, and still goes through the accident on Hop 31. He does survive, but the story ends up on the news. Carole, reading the newspaper, sees a story about a RIO called Goose getting into an accident and connects the dots.

She writes to him, invites him to Corpus Christi if he wants to figure out if he has a son. The Top Gun guys are sceptical but go. Carole doesn't bring Bradley straight away, she says to Goose she wants him to do a paternity test because she knows her baby boy is sensitive and doesn't want to mess up his happy life if she can help it.

Yet again, the Top Gun guys are sceptical again but Goose goes ahead. It can't hurt even if he isn't Bradley dad, right?

Carole gets the results and invites them over for dinner to get the results. But when they arrive, he's playing outside and Goose know that he's his son. He can't quite say why, but he just knows. The paternity test proves he's his son.

This is wear I run out of ideas. I do like this, I'm imagining some angst later on with Goose enjoying life as a dad but then gets called back to active duty, Carole getting pissed because he can just go as he pleases but she's always been there, maybe her regreting bringing him into Bradley's life and Slider eventually talking to her. I don't know

[gimmie-a-sammich]

To Rule Them All | Chapter 9 | Treasure

Pairings: Idol!Ateez/???!Ateez x Fem!Original Characters

Summary: Alexis is about to have the summer of a lifetime traveling the country with some of her best friends following one of her favorite groups, Ateez. Little do they know, there is more to this group than meets the eye. Take a trip into the dark as they navigate a world unseen.

Genre: (18+ Minors DNI) smut, angst, fluff, supernatural vibes 

Chapter Warnings: sneaky ateez, this is really a pretty fluffy chapter, lil makeout sesh

Word Count: 14.2k

read here on AO3

To Rule Them All masterlist

previous chapter | next chapter

note: for this chapter, anything italicized is Korean, at least if it's in conversation. POV switches do occur, hopefully those are clear enough. If not, please let me know (:

**

“Alexis…” I heard a soft whisper, as well as a faint poking into my cheek. I barely opened my eyes, squinting through them to see Thea’s big brown eyes in front of me. I groaned, pulling the blankets up to cover my face. Of course she would be coming to wake me up from one of the best sleeps I had gotten since god knows when. She snatched the blankets down, laughing softly as she poked my nose. “I know you’re awake,” she jested. 

“Theadora James, I’m awake because you woke me up,” I murmured groggily, my sleepy voice in full effect. I rolled over to avoid her stare, only to feel her small body crawling over me to lay down back in front of me. I completely opened my eyes, glaring at her down. She was even more cheerful than me in the mornings, and it was hard to be annoyed at that absolutely adorable face pouting up at me. I sighed, knowing that she was not going to leave me in peace until I got up with her. 

“Well, you’re the only one I can safely wake up without absolute fear of my life,” she sighed, readjusting on the bed to sit cross legged beside me. “And, normally you’re up with me… how was I supposed to know you were having a sleeping beauty moment?” 

She was completely right, on both accounts. Nikki and Christie would have crucified her if she had woken either of them up, especially without a large cup of coffee in hand as a peace offering. Any other time, I would have been up with her, having our own caffeinated beverages and getting ready for the day. I sat up and stretched my arms above my head, willing the sleepiness out of my body before turning to face her. “Yeah yeah yeah… I’m up now.”

“See you can never be mad at me for too long. I did a pick up order for some groceries for the next few days…” she began, looking at me expectantly. 

“Aaannnnddd you want me to go with you to get them,” I stated, finishing the sentence for her. 

“Pretty please? There’s a Starbs right next door… I’ll buy you coffee…”

Thea didn’t have to finish her bribe, even though I would have gone with her without the extra caffeine incentive. I was already up out of bed, rummaging through my suitcase to throw an oversized crew neck over my pajamas. I had zero intentions of getting out of the car, and there was no need to get ready at this moment anyway. Today was going to be entirely dedicated to soundcheck, meet and greet, and concert preparation, and that was easily going to be an all day event. “You know the coffee goblins will bury us alive if we don’t bring them back something, too.” 

Thea lept out of the bed, coming over and wrapping her arms around my waist, steering me to the door like she was afraid I was somehow going to change my mind about going with her. I giggled, looping my arm around her shoulder as we walked out of my room in tandem.  

After the bags of groceries had been loaded into the back of the SUV, Thea made good on her promise, going through the Starbucks drive thru and getting the four of us our favorite drinks. They would definitely be needed since Thea planned on waking up Christie and Nikki before 9:30am. She handed me the drink carrier, and I immediately began sipping on my sweet cream vanilla cold brew, stifling a yawn. 

“Did you actually sleep well though? No more messages from a certain terrible someone?” Thea inquired as we headed back towards the BnB. 

I took another sip before leaning back into the headrest of the seat. “No more messages, it’ll probably take a bit before he gets another number. But I actually did sleep well for once… not to mention had one of the best dreams of my entire life.” 

Thea nearly spit out her white chocolate mocha. “YOU TOO? Christie’s instagram attack left my brain in an absolute puddle. The Hos wrecked my life.” 

I raised my eyebrows at her, not wanting to get into too much of the insane sex dreams I was sure we both had. I quickly changed the subject, instead informing her more about the Austin situation now that she and Nikki were both aware of the extent of it now. Thea had an endless amount of questions it seemed, each one full of love and care. It was heartwarming that she was so concerned, but that was part of the reason why I was hesitant to tell them in the first place. The drive ended with her ranting about how much of a douche canoe Austin was and how she never really liked him that much anyway. 

Thea was still mid rant as we pulled into the driveway. I grabbed the most important thing, the drink carrier while Thea made her way to the hatch to grab as much as she could. Once I had safely deposited the drinks in the kitchen, I went back out to help the struggling Thea. It was comical, seeing her loaded down with bags on each arm. She could barely lift what was in her arms already, but here she was trying to add even more.

I was dying laughing when I walked up to her, offering my hands out to help her. “I’m a make it in one trip kind of gal… I got this,” she huffed, struggling to lift the bags. 

“Quit being stubborn and take the help,” I giggled, crouching down to grab the bags that were strewn across the driveway.. She glared at me in disapproval, but there was surprisingly no back talk as we made our way back into the house. “See, still one trip,” I remarked, nudging her playfully as we set down the groceries on the kitchen floor. 

She waved me away. “Yeah yeah, go give the gremlins their coffees, I’m going to start on breakfast,” she sassed, shoving the sweetened iced americano and a salted caramel cream cold brew in my hands before shooing me completely out of the room, opening cupboards muttering to herself. I knew better to argue with Thea when she was in cooking mode, and against my better judgment went off to disturb the sleeping demons.

I crept into Christie’s room first, knowing that she would be the safer of the two options. Surprisingly, she was up and scrolling through her phone. She slammed it down when I tiptoed in, glaring at me when the hallway light started pouring in the doorway. I could tell that she was going to smart off about me disturbing her, but her look immediately softened when she saw the iced coffee in my hands. “Your presence is now welcomed,” she remarked softly, patting the space on the bed beside her. 

“How gracious of you,” I sang, curtseying for added effect before sitting down beside her. 

Christie took the coffee from my hands, taking a huge sip before snuggling into my shoulder, a huge smile on her face from the taste of the cold drink. “Ahhhh… my favorite,” she murmured, closing her eyes as she took another deep drink.

I laid my head on top of hers. “Always.” I looked down at her phone, which was buzzing like crazy. “Everything okay?” I questioned. 

Christie glanced down at the offending device, before quickly setting to silent. “Yeah nothing major, just calls about duct cleaning offers, and my car’s extended warranty...”

I could tell something was up, but there was no point in pressing her this early in the morning. “The lovely spam calls… Why can’t they ever be anything good? Anyway, the coffee is a peace offering from Thea, because she is wanting us up for breakfast… I still have to awaken the sleeping dragon in the basement.” 

Christie’s head snapped up from my shoulder, eyes instantly blazing. “SHE HAS THE AUDACITY TO SEND YOU ON A SUICIDE MISSION?” she gasped. “Absolutely not. I’ll go deal with Nikki, you go tell Thea I have a bone to pick with her, coffee or not.” She promptly rose from the bed, snatching the remaining coffee out of my hands and storming off into the basement, yelling profanities directed at Thea as she went. 

I left Christie’s bedroom and made my way into the kitchen. Thea had made a complete mess of things, typical of her when she was cooking. She was huddled over the stove, appearing to scramble some eggs. “I hope you know, the offering did little to appease the beasts,” I stated solemnly, sitting down on one of the stools surrounding the island. “Christie took over the mission to wake Nikki… and she wanted me to warn you that there would be a price for attempting to send me into the depths of hell before my time.” 

As if on cue, we heard hollers coming from the basement, indicating that Nikki had been disturbed from her slumber. Thea rolled her eyes, giving the eggs one final stir before sliding them onto a plate. “Well, Christie can make her own damn eggs tomorrow morning if she would like to make threats…. And why does she have to be the most difficult to feed? Who doesn't like egg yolks, they are the best part damnit!” 

As if on cue, Christie strolled into the kitchen, dragging a disheveled Nikki behind her. “Christie can do what now?” she smirked, both sitting down at the kitchen table as Nikki continued to grumble about being awoken with the sun. 

I couldn’t help but let loose a laugh, moving from the counter to join them at the table. Thea completely ignored the comment, instead focusing on plating the rest of breakfast. She had spoiled us once again, making each of us an omelet filled with our favorites, hash browns, toast, fruit, and a side of bacon for Christie. She laid each of our plates in front of us before grabbing her own. 

“I said, Christie can make her own special eggs if she would like to keep complaining,” Thea snapped, sticking her tongue out at Christie across the table. Thea was always attempting to go toe to toe with both Christie and Nikki, even though she was the one who always gave in first. 

Christie took a bite of said eggs, eyeing Thea in the process. “Now, why would I have to do that when you love making them, not to mention that you make them perfectly ?” she hummed as she continued eating, a faint smile sneaking onto her lips as she chewed. 

Nikki glared at Thea from across the table, devoting her whole attention to drinking the iced americano and ignoring the plate in front of her. You could see life slowly begin to enter her eyes as the caffeine flooded her system. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, her shoulders rising and falling with the breath. She opened them slowly, but the fire within her eyes was only brighter. “You are extremely lucky that this coffee is good,” Nikki coldly stated before draining the rest of the coffee in one final slurp, sighing with the taste and finally smiling for the first time all morning.

“Not to mention that the food is absolutely phenomenal,” I added, softly poking Nikki in the side. She grumbled at me, something along the lines of it’s too early to be friendly, before beginning to dig into her breakfast. “I can practically taste the love.”

“At least someone can appreciate my hard work,” Thea quipped with a smile. 

We chatted the rest of breakfast, with Christie volunteering to do dishes as her way of saying thank you to Thea for the wonderful breakfast. Once plates were cleared and stomachs were full, we left Christie to do her work while the rest of us went to shower. Soundcheck was only a few hours away, and getting ready was going to be a process in itself. I knew we were all extremely excited, but I knew that the nerves would sink in the second we were face to face with guys. 

I took my sweet time in the shower, relishing in the hot stream as steam filled the bathroom. The water felt absolutely heavenly on my skin as my thoughts drifted toward my dream last night. I still couldn’t get over how real the entire thing felt, even though there was absolutely no way in hell that it could have been. Something the last few weeks had just felt off in general, exceeding far beyond last night’s dream and even Bartholomew’s hauntings.

I was deep into my own head when Nikki’s voice cut through my thoughts, banging on my door, whining. “Alexiiiiiiiss, I need your help with my make up and Christie promised to help with my hair but she just got in the shower.” 

I sighed, not wanting my time in the shower to end. “I’ll be out in five minutes, promise.” 

“Thank you, love you!” she yelled, although her voice became more muffled thanks to her exit from my room and the shower. It was very typical for Christie and I to help Nikki get ready, and ended up being one of the most eventful parts whenever we all got ready together. There was nothing more entertaining than showering her with compliments and completely frazzling her. 

I ran my fingers through my hair once more, letting the water cascade down my body for a few more seconds before turning the handles off. I reached for the fluffy white towel and haphazardly dried off my body before winding it around my hair. I grabbed the shorts and tshirt I had laid out to get ready in, not wanting to do it in my concert outfit and risk something happening to it. I grabbed it out of the closet, along with everything else I needed to before heading into Christie’s room. We had designated hers as the vanity and dressing room thanks to the mirrors lining one of the walls. It also had the best natural light coming through the large window, making it even more of a no brainer. 

“Excited are we?” I laughed, taking in the scene in front of me. Nikki was sitting cross legged on the floor in front of a mirror, looking through it at me with wide eyes and a huge smile on her face. Thea was next to her, already working on a statement anti-mascara look, fully focused and concentrating on the mascara wand in her hand to get the lines and dots absolutely perfect. There was make up scattered everywhere about the room with outfits carefully laid out on Christie’s bed. Christie’s shower was still running, and who knew where in that process she was. 

I set down my makeup bag beside Nikki, placing my outfit on the bed along with the others before settling on the floor to begin my task. It would be much easier to get Nikki’s makeup done first before moving to my own. Plus, I don’t think Nikki could wait any longer… she was not known for her patience. “Is your face primed and ready?” I asked her, fumbling through my bag to grab the brushes and pallets I would need. 

“Is my face what what now?” she sputtered, confusion spreading through her face. 

“Have you learned nothing?” I sighed before reaching into my bag once more, pulling out more and more products as her eyes grew wide. I found my good moisturizer, face primer, and eye primer and thrust them upon her. “Moisturizer first, wait five minutes, then the two primers.” I instructed. “Then we shall begin, and I shall make you even more beautiful.”

“I told you you needed to prep for the coming beautification. But nooooooo… why would we listen to little ole me,” Thea sang, giving Nikki a knowing look before returning back to work, tongue out in concentration.  

Christie chose this moment to walk out of her bathroom, not missing a beat. “Did we just say Nikki was beautiful? Starting without me are you? Guess I will just have to play catch up and make sure my thing one knows that she is a stunning little vision before and after we play with her.” 

“Fuck you,”  Nikki seethed, glaring at Christie while she rubbed the products into her skin. 

I cackled and the smirk on Christie’s face was widening with Nikki’s comment.  “Only in your dreams love,” she shot back. I dropped my head for a split second to compose myself, reprimanding Nikki to keep still as I began my magic.   

“I had some of that in my dreams last night, thank you very much,” Thea hummed off-handedly. “I don’t know if it was those damn reels, Christie, or the concert today… but the Hos are ruining my life.”

“Not you trying to share your sex dream again,” I joked, remembering the almost identical conversation she tried to have in the car this morning. 

Thea pouted for a moment, staring at me through the mirror before laughing. “I can’t help it. The Hos were wild. The whole thing was weird though, it all happened in my studio, but it didn’t feel like I was dreaming at all.” 

“Mingi and Seonghwa literally chased me through a forest in mine… I would have much rather had my damn sex dream take place indoors thank you,” Nikki lamented, eyes closed while I continued to blend the deep blue eyeshadow onto her lids. “When I woke up, it felt like I had spent all night sprinting through those damn trees, and that is not a feeling I would recommend.

“Quit talking,” I muttered, using my hands to still her face,  angling her chin upwards. My brain was going a million directions, trying to focus on Nikki’s makeup but also questioning how it seemed we all had very vivid dreams. Thea looked back over to me, giving me a knowing look since I had let slip this morning that I had a damn good dream. “It sounds like some of us need to touch the damn grass… including me. I had a particularly spicy night with Woosan, but it all happened in the BnB, and for the life of me I couldn’t decide if I was awake or sleeping.” 

Eyes were on Christie, who had begun to work on straightening Nikki’s long hair. ”Look, I will admit that some of those reels managed to melt my brain into mush before bed last night. Captain and the dark fairy prince made an appearance in my dreams last night and that’s all I'm going to say on the matter. Trust me, it was a little surprising.”  

Everyone knew better than to press Christie for further details, and all attention returned to getting ready. We still had plenty of time, but there was a sense of urgency amongst us as the excitement continued to grow. Once I was finished with Nikki, I completed my own look relatively quickly, leaving me to switch spots with Christie so I could begin to toy with my hair. Thankfully, it cooperated, and within the next hour and a half the four of us were dressed and ready to go.

Our looks had been chosen with complete and utter care, highlighting some of our favorite Ateez eras. 

Mine was inspired by none other than Cyberpunk, my absolute favorite San era and one that lived rent free in my head. The leather crop top hugged my body like a second skin and the body harness only helped accentuate my figure. According to Christie, the high waisted leather shorts made my booty pop, and those paired with the lace up biker boots made my legs look like they went on forever. The boots only added a little bit of height to my 5’8 frame, so hopefully I wouldn’t tower over any of the guys when we finally met them. My hair was half up in two space buns, my bangs curled and framing my face while the rest of my strawberry blonde hair fell in loose waves down my back. The plum graphic liner pulled the green from my hazel eyes and was the statement piece of my makeup while the rest was much more natural and subtle. 

Christie’s look was very reminiscent of the Halateez: a lace corset bustier top that highlighted each of her curves, high waisted satin shorts, and thigh high heeled boots. The entire outfit was wrapped together with a floor dusting leather trench coat and black wide brimmed hat. Her blonde hair was curled, billowing out from underneath the hat. She had layers upon layers of silver chains for jewelry, including long chains hanging from ears and many, many rings. Her makeup was entirely subtle but the bold red lip, a trademark Christie look. The lipstick was a stark contrast to the otherwise black outfit, a burst of color that pulled all attention.

Thea pulled inspiration from none other than our second favorite mother: Seonghwa and his photoshoot for Elle Singapore. She wore a sheer black skin tight, high necked, long sleeved bodysuit with a solid black bralette underneath. The black high waisted trouser pants looked like they were tailored for her body, making her already thin waist appear even smaller. The black platform dress shoes were adorable, the little bows poking out slightly from the bottom of her pants. Her purple hair was striking against the all black, and her anti mascara was pulled off expertly and added the perfect amount of edginess. 

And finally, our dear Nikki’s outfit was loosely inspired by Bouncy video Mingi. The tight black cropped leather vest was the most subtle part of her outfit. It was paired with tiny black hot shorts, covered by a pair of chaps adorned with chains, a must have for many of Nikki’s outfits, and  were tucked into a pair of chunky black platform boots. Her long black hair was grazing her hips thanks to Christie’s meticulous straightening, the midnight blue highlights peeking out ever so slightly. Her makeup was perfect, if I do say so myself, the deep shades of blue tied in perfectly with her highlights while also making her icy blue eyes appear even more chilly. 

Pictures of course were taken, because how could we not document the perfection of the outfits. Thankfully, we had gotten ready quickly enough that we weren’t too pressed for time, although we ended up rushing around to make sure we weren’t forgetting anything. Our VIP passes were secured in our clear bags, Ticketmaster was refreshed to quadruple check that everything was in order, lightsticks had fresh batteries, and any other necessities were rounded up. The excitement level was at an all time high and I was just waiting for some of the nerves to kick in. The realization that we were going to have our own private meet and greet was slowly going to sink in the closer we got to the venue, but hopefully the adrenaline would overtake the butterflies and jitters when we were finally face to face with them. 

Nikki had the driving duties once again, weaving through traffic expertly and getting us to Dickies Arena with time to spare. With our fancy tickets, we were also provided with VIP parking, making for an even smoother experience. In my personal opinion, event parking was the absolute worst and stressed me out to no end… another reason why I was thankful to be the designated passenger princess 97% of the time. 

“Holy shit…” Thea murmured from the front seat after Nikki parked the car. She was looking up at the venue, eyes wide as it suddenly hit her. “It’s time. Like… we’re meeting them.” 

“Don’t make it weird,” Christie remarked cooly, getting out of the car in one swift motion. 

“I don’t think I’m the one you need to worry about making it weird…” Thea retorted, shooting her head towards Nikki as we all got out of the car. “Do we not remember what happened at Stray Kids?” 

“HEY, WE PROMISED TO NEVER SPEAK OF THAT AGAIN!” Nikki exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air as she started to walk away. Nikki may or may not have gotten a little rowdy while we were at their concert last summer, so rowdy in fact, that best leader called her out in good fun during a ment. It embarrassed her to no end, and even though we swore we wouldn’t bring it up often, it lived forever on the internet and in our own phones. 

I quickly caught up to her, throwing my hands around her as we walked and forcing affection onto her. “Now, now, no need to get worked up again… we would hate for a repeat to happen with dear Mingi,” I jested, squeezing her slightly before letting go. She glared at me for a split second before smiling. We paused to let Christie and Thea catch up to us, and as soon as Christie linked her arm through mine we walked in tandem towards the entrance.

The lines to get in were not long at all, thanks to only about a hundred people being able to get into soundcheck. We timed our entry perfectly since the gates opened just as we joined the queue. The excitement began to really set in as the line steadily moved, and the chatter from the girls around us was progressively getting louder. Multiple comments were made about the VIP lanyards we had hanging around our necks, some thick with jealousy, others genuinely excited for us.

“Ah! The VIPs!” one of the security guards exclaimed as we came up to the metal detector. He spoke into his radio, stating that the four of us had arrived before addressing us again. “A staff member will be up here in just a couple of minutes to show you to your seats for the evening… you guys are sure to have a great time!” He gave us a huge grin, and after we had been cleared to enter and the mandatory wristbands were hooked onto our arms, he pointed out where we should wait for our guide. 

We didn’t have to wait too long, and within a couple of minutes a kind looking woman was walking towards us. “Hi there! I’m assuming you are Nichole, Theadora, Christina-Leigh, and Alexis?” she beamed, casting us a huge, warm smile. “My name is Angela, and I’m your go to for anything you guys need tonight. First thing, I know you all just went through security, but can I please have your IDs just to verify everything?”

“Please call me Christie, hearing my full name like that makes me feel like I’m in terrible trouble with my mother” Christie sighed, handing Angela her ID.

Angela laughed. “Oh my, we wouldn’t want that! I’m sorry… I just go by what my paperwork says. Any other preferred names?” She wrote something on her clipboard before giving Christie back her ID and turning to Nikki. 

“I go by Nikki,” she said, surprisingly smiling even though out of the three of them she hates her given name the most. Again, Angela made another note on her clipboard with a smile.

“And, Thea… Theadora makes me feel like my grandmother,” Thea giggled. 

“I hope you keep the purple hair even when you’re a grandma!” Angela joked before turning to me. She was making a great impression on us, and I was glad we would have someone like her to help us if we needed it. 

“Just Alexis for me,” I said with a small chuckle as she took the ID from my hand. 

“FINALLY, an easy one!” Angela bantered back, setting her clipboard to her side. “Alright, now that I’ve determined you are in fact who won the contest, I’m going to show you to your seats… you guys have designated ones for both soundcheck and the actual concert, great ones if I do say so myself. Drinks are comped for the entire evening, you just need to show the bartenders your VIP badges. I will come for you following soundcheck to take you backstage for your private meet and greet… any questions so far?” 

Nikki meekly raised her hand. “Uh may we stop by one of said bartenders and get a drink before we go to our seats?”

I almost lost it thanks to Nikki’s bluntness. I think we all would definitely need a little bit of liquid courage before going backstage, but I did not think it would be Nikki to ask for a pit stop before we even got to our seats. Angela took it all in stride, laughing along with the rest of us. There was no opposition from her, and she led us through the few people still left near security towards the VIP lounge. It was nearly empty, save for a few other sound check guests who had the same idea we did. 

Nikki looked at me with wide eyes and gestured for me to order first. Typically, she ordered whatever I was drinking that night, letting me make the decisions for her. I strutted up to the counter, ordering my typical double vodka soda with a splash of cranberry, before immediately turning it to two after reading Nikki’s face, saving her from having to order for herself. I handed her the second cup, resulting in an immediate thank you. Christie ordered her normal whiskey sour, and to no surprise from any of us Thea got a Long Island iced tea. 

“Are we ready?” Angela asked with kind eyes once all drinks were in hand. We all nodded and said varying forms of yes. “EXCELLENT! You are sure to have a great night… I’ve been a part of a lot of tours, but I do have to say that these boys give one of the best.”

“Have you worked with them before?” I asked as she continued leading us through the stadium. 

“It’s my third tour with them, actually!” she said excitedly. “Each one gets better, in my opinion, so I’m anxious to see what they do with this one. But beyond the show itself, they are a very kind and overall great group to work with. Ah! Here we are!” 

Angela was not lying… our seats were phenomenal: center section of their extended stage, smackdab in the middle and right on top of the barricade. We were as close as anyone could possibly be, and I couldn’t imagine how much these tickets actually cost. I’m sure everyone’s eyes were just as wide as mine as we envisioned the guys in front of us, secretly hoping we would somehow get to live out our wildest y/n fantasy. 

Angela smiled once more, clasping her hands together. “I told you! Soundcheck should start any minute, and I will be back here once it’s done to collect you and deposit you guys backstage. I hope you have the BEST time. If you need anything, let one of the guards nearby know and they will get a hold of me.” On that note, she turned on her heel and walked towards the side stage access, giving us a little wave before disappearing. 

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT!” I squealed, latching my arms around Christie’s shoulders and resting my head on top of hers. “This is absolutely positively amazing… and I’m so so so SOOOOO glad we get to do this together.” 

“And here come the soft fluffies,” Nikki laughed. “Thea, what do you have to add to that?”

“JUST THAT I LOVE YOU ALL SO FUCKING MUCH!” Thea basically yelled, pulling all of us towards her into a mini group hug. 

“And there it is,” Nikki muttered as she tried to claw her way out of Thea’s grasp. 

It appeared that Thea had a response in mind, but she was cut off by cheers as Ateez walked onto the stage, smiling and waving at the roughly hundred people present. We of course started cheering along with the crowd, clapping and hollering as loud as we could. The guys were more handsome in person than I had imagined them to be, even with all of them bare faced and dressed casually for sound check.

“Hello everyone!” Hongjoong said into his microphone, resulting in even more screams. The other seven lined up beside him as he counted them down into their greeting, complete with bows and smiles. “Welcome, my name is Hongjoong,” he continued on, “we really hope you enjoy soundcheck and have a great time tonight!” 

His introduction was short and sweet and ended with a genuine smile before he turned and looked at the other members. They introduced themselves individually, beaming at the crowd and looking like they loved being on stage, even with this few people. They were absolutely adorable, and my cheeks started hurting from how much I was cheesing back at them. They dispersed about the stage, lining up along the extended stage and walkway as Wave began playing over the sound system. I thought Thea was going to pass out when Jongho crouched right in front of her, giving her the biggest smile and a little wave before continuing to roam the stage. Her eyes were huge when she turned to look at us, mouthing oh my god before turning back to focus on the stage. 

They ran through Halazia, I’m the One, and Pirate King before ending soundcheck with Say My Name. Through the entire thing, I could have sworn that we were getting a little bit of extra attention from all of the guys, but when I looked around everyone else also seemed to be getting the exact same treatment. No y/n moment for me, apparently 

“I can’t believe that just happened,” Thea half moaned, clutching her hair between her fingers. “THEY BOTH LOOKED AT ME SO MUCH! THE HOS WERE LOOKING I KNOW THEY WERE!”

“And I think your delulu pills are a little too strong today,” Christie wheezed, trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard. Thea playfully punched Christie’s arms, muttering about how she was buzz kill. 

“I don't know, Captain seemed to glance your way a few times… as did the fairy prince…'' Nikki snorted, watching Christie's face turn red.  

“Again, as Mama Gale would say… DELUSIONAL,” Christie snapped back, but the smile never left her face at that thought. 

We giggled over our delusional tendencies while we waited for Angela to reappear and take us backstage. Nerves were beginning to set in, and I could feel my heart rate increase just a little bit. Nikki started rambling on and on, Thea became unusually silent, and Christie was aimlessly twirling her hair around her fingers. Hopefully the alcohol would kick in and help calm the jitters we were all starting to have. 

“Alright ladies, are we ready?” Angela’s voice said behind us, making Christie startle slightly at her sudden reappearance. “Follow me!” 

I instinctively reached my hand towards Christie and she immediately laced her fingers through mine, giving me a reassuring squeeze and a soft smile as we followed Angela through the same side door we saw her disappear through earlier. We were close on her heels the entire time as she walked us through the hallways, making comments as she went.

“Now we are heading to a green room, and the boys will be in shortly. There are some delicious snacks and some drinks available, so feel free to help yourself to whatever you’d like. Now, I forgot to ask earlier about any potentially dangerous food allergies, anything we should be aware of?” she queried. 

“Nope! All of us are free to eat whatever we like, Christie has a medical alert bracelet, but that isn’t for anything food related,” I answered, my words coming out more quickly thanks to nerves. 

“Perfect!” she said, finally stopping at a door. There was a commotion sounding from the other side, and she made a quizzical face at the noises. “Oh! They must already be in there. I’ll be back to get you once time is up, but until then… enjoy their company. They really are good people, and there’s no need to be nervous around them, I promise,” she assured us before opening the door to utter chaos. 

Christie and I walked into the scene first, still hand in hand, Thea and Nikki following closely behind us. We were unnoticed initially thanks to Mingi, Seonghwa, and Wooyoung running rampant through the room, appearing to be playing tag. Mingi leapt over one of the couches, disturbing San enough that he looked up from his phone and noticed the four of us huddled together just inside the doorway. 

“Ah, they’re here!” he chirped, grinning widely in our direction as he got off the couch. Mingi, Seonghwa, and Wooyoung paused their game to turn and look at us for a brief second before resuming with a yell as Mingi lunged to tag Seonghwa. Yunho stopped his conversation with Yeosang, excusing himself so that he and San were both coming to greet us. San stood directly in front of me, and it took everything in my power to stay calm and collected once his big, brown eyes locked onto mine. “I’m San, it’s really nice to meet you.” He flashed a smile, not once breaking his gaze. 

“And I’m Yunho, sorry about the rest of our rude band members… there’s a very intense game of tag going on apparently,” he laughed, casting a look over his shoulder at his bandmates behind him.

Christie squeezed my hand sharply, reminding me to breathe and bringing me back to reality. I took a deep breath, calming my nerves. “We’re really excited to be here actually,” I began, thankful that my voice did not give away my nervousness. “It’s nice to meet you both. I’m Alexis, and this is Christe, Nikki, and Thea.” I gestured as I introduced them, each one of them giving a small wave or smile as I did. 

“Trust me, we’re just as excited to meet you all,” Yunho remarked before motioning out towards the room. “Come in, make yourselves comfortable… I would like to say things will calm down a bit, but that would be a complete lie.” He laughed as he walked back into the center of the room. 

“Hey! They are more than welcome to join in our little game!” Mingi yelled as he jumped back to avoid Seonghwa. The entire room exploded with laughter when the two men connected, resulting in Mingi nearly being tackled to the ground. This seemed to lift some of the nervousness hanging in the room, and I could see Nikki, Thea, and Christie all beginning to relax.

“HA! I WIN!” Seonghwa yelled, indicating that the game was indeed over. I caught Nikki’s eyes widening at the two of them, a strange look casting over her face for just a second 

I let go of Christie’s hand, letting her, Thea, and Nikki follow Yunho, leaving me to trail along behind them. I couldn’t help but jump with surprise when I felt San’s hand on my lower back, applying a small amount of pressure as he walked me towards the couches along the back wall of the room. My face immediately became warm, and I was praying that my cheeks were not as flushed as they felt. I glanced over at San, who shot a huge smile at me, his dimples on full display as his eyes crinkled. I sat down on the end of an overstuffed black leather couch, San plopping himself down close beside me. 

“Ah, Sannie boy, who is this vision gracing our presence this fine evening? Might I be so lucky to know this beauty’s name?” Wooyoung mused, his voice thick with sarcasm as he perched himself on the armrest next to me, leaning in close and reaching behind me to play with San’s hair. He kept his composure only for a moment before he burst into laughter, loud and sharp giggles escaping him. I was taken completely off guard, but before I had a chance to answer, Yunho’s voice took over the room.

“Now that you hooligans have settled down, I’ll introduce you to our special guests,” he began, all eyes looking at him attentively. “We have Nikki, Thea, Alexis, and Christie.” He pointed each of us out as he said our names, murmurs of hellos coming from those who hadn’t introduced themselves to us yet. 

We had all settled amongst the many couches and armchairs, the boys filling in the empty spaces next to us. Christie had made herself comfortable on the other end of the same couch as me, nestled in between Yeosang and our Captain. Thea had settled onto a leather loveseat, Jongho sitting beside her, while Yunho had moved to sit in front of her on the floor after introducing us, his long legs outstretched in front of him. Nikki had the other couch to herself, Mingi and Seonghwa on either side of her. An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment, only to be broken by Yeosang’s deep voice inquiring if we enjoyed soundcheck. 

“Absolutely we did!” Christie said from beside him, turning to face him as she spoke “Honestly, we’ve been to a few other concerts together but this was our first time attending soundcheck and I have to say it makes the anticipation for the concert that much more.” 

“Any certain songs you hope we do?” Hongjoong asked with a smile, directing the question at all of us, but only having eyes for Christie. 

“Based on this one’s outfit, I’m going to say Cyberpunk,” Wooyoung answered for me with a giggle, leaning in to me once again and playfully nudging me. He leaned further, resting his hands around my shoulders to address San. Damn, were these boys handsy. “San, move over, the armrest is hurting my ass.” San obliged with his own laugh, scooching towards Yeosang, pulling me along with him, leaving Woo just enough room to shimmy next to me. Maybe I was getting a version of a y/n moment, sandwiched between the two as closely as I was. 

“Actually,” I teased, smirking over at Wooyoung and returning the nudge he gave me just seconds ago. “While I do love Cyberpunk, The Leaders is probably one of my favorites.” The look on his face was priceless once he was proven wrong, his lips reminding me of a pouty fish with the O they were making.

The pouty face was gone in flash as he tilted his head towards me, his lips moving dangerously close to my ear. “Momen black suit and tie, oreunparen wanjang tight,” he whispered, identical to how he sounded in that damn song. My eyes were wide as he pulled back to stare me down, smirking with his tongue hooked on a canine. God damn, he knew what he was doing. 

“Oooo, I think I’m most excited for Answer,” Thea said warmly, crossing her legs underneath her as she smiled. “It’s one of my favorites, and I love the choreography.” 

“Hmm, I’d have to go with Wonderland,” Christie answered, turning to look at Hongjoong. “The opening is so catchy, but I do have to say I love the symphony version just as much.”

“Yeah, we really wanted to do something that would hook you in right away,” he responded. A strange look flashed across Christie’s face from his answer, something I don’t think anyone else but me would have noticed. It only lasted for a split second before she shook it off and a smile returned. I tried not to pay too much attention to it, blaming it on residual nerves. 

“For me it’s Dancing like Butterfly Wings,” Nikki chimed in, playing with the chains resting on her thigh, clinking lightly as they bounced off one another. “It was one of the first songs I heard by you guys, so it’s always going to have a soft spot in my heart. 

Conversation moved from the whole group to more localized based on where we were sitting.  Nikki was looking surprisingly comfortable, deep in conversation with Seonghwa, who was looking at her intently while she spoke. Mingi was chiming in with comments here and there, his voice low and deep. Thea, on the other hand, was loudly engaging in what seemed to be an argument, her hands waving wildly as Jongho shook his head, a smile permanently on his face, while Yunho was holding his side from laughing at the two’s antics. Taking a glance over to where Christie had been seated, I found nothing but Hongjoong seated on the couch. His eyes seemed concentrated on a spot across the room, and following his line of sight I saw Yeosang helping Christie load snacks onto a paper plate she was holding. He seemed to be chuckling at something she had said, but they were too far to hear what was likely a smart ass remark. 

“Jagi, can we get you anything?” San asked me softly, locking those brown eyes onto mine and placing a hand on my thigh before quickly removing it when he realized he called me baby. “I am sorry,” he sputtered quickly, eyes wide in embarrassment. His tone and look were very reminiscent of the one from my dream, but I quickly wrote it off as a coincidence and delulu of the moment slowly melting my brain into mush. 

“Moving a little quick aren’t we, Sannie?” Wooyoung said without missing a beat. San flicked him in response, glaring at him, but Woo paid him no mind, turning back to me. “But really, do you need anything? A snack… some ice water maybe?” He over-emphasized ice water, and I felt like I was losing my damn mind with the knowing look he gave me. There is absolutely no way in hell he was making a reference to my damn dream last night, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he somehow knew about it. 

I was too stunned to speak for a moment, blinking heavily and composing myself. “Uh, yeah. Snacks sound great,” I murmured, avoiding Wooyoung’s mischievous eyes. San stood up, offering an outstretched hand and a dazzling smile. I happily accepted, returning the grin. San pulled me off the couch and I nearly bounced off of his chest from the sudden movement. I laughed as I steadied myself, meeting those brown eyes once again. It was strange how comfortable I was with him, given the fact that he was an absolute stranger to me, and a famous one nonetheless.   

“Ah, there’s those dimples,” he mumbled, his smile so large that it exposed his own. 

Did I just hear that right? There’s those dimples? I know I had been smiling a lot today, but they only came out when I was REALLY cheesing hard. My brain had to be playing tricks on me, because there was no way that he would have already known about them.  Not only that, I could have sworn his eyes flicked down to my lips for a hot second. I didn’t have much time to dwell on it, since San’s hand found the small of my back once more, but this time his thumb stroked my skin in small circular motions. I inhaled sharply, not expecting any of this treatment from him, and trying desperately to write it off as fan service. He led me towards the table, where Christie and Yeosang were still huddled around, deep in conversation. I chuckled quietly to myself when we were finally close enough to hear.  

"I'm telling you, Canadian winters beat any other country's winter. It's absolutely gorgeous, and we have so many great winter activities! There's no better time than sitting and watching the snowfall and blanket the world while sipping on hot chocolate,” I heard Christie say blissfully, and I could tell by the look on her face that she was missing home just a little bit extra. 

“Sounds like something I would like to see someday,” Yeosang stated smoothly, and by the tone of his voice and the smile on his face it seemed as if he meant each word. "It sounds like you really miss it. How did you end up here in the United States?" 

I immediately jumped in, knowing full well that was a question Christie would not be answering. I moved between them, wrapping my arm around her and leaning down to press my cheek into the top of her head. “She has me to thank for that,” I laughed, giving her a slight squeeze before I let go to face Yeosang, putting on my best smile. “Poor thing couldn’t stand the thought of me moving and living alone, so here we are!” 

“Oh yes, you two live together,” Yeo replied softly, glancing back at Christie with a light smile. I may have been imagining a lot of things, but there was no way I imagined the face San made at Yeosang. He shot him a dark look, almost as if Yeosang had said something he shouldn’t have. Yeo narrowed his eyes at San, before shaking his head with a soft laugh, his black hair looking extra fluffy as it moved. “I mean, if my assumption is correct?” 

I raised my eyebrow, casting a look at both him and San before meeting Christie’s eyes. She had the same questioning and confused look on her face I did. There seemed to be something going on behind the scenes, but obviously we would never know what was going on in those beautiful minds. 

“Yes, your assumption is correct,” Christie remarked, smiling at me. “A recent change, but it’s been a fun adventure nonetheless.” 

“I can only imagine the fun you two have together,” San chortled. He reached behind me, grabbed my waist with both hands and took a few steps back, effectively dragging me away from Christie and Yeosang, just as Hongjoong sauntered up to them. His head dipped towards mine as his grip tightened. “Let’s get those snacks… we don’t want to keep Wooyoung waiting too long,” he whispered against my neck. 

Across the room, I could see Nikki looking at the two of us, a sly smile creeping up on her face as my face once again turned beat red. Thankfully, she didn’t judge me too long, instead turning back to speak Mingi. He looked absolutely enthralled by her, taking in her every word with total fascination. Nikki was very clearly eating it up, but Seonghwa was not one to be ignored, leaning around her to partake in the conversation. While I grabbed a bag of Cheetos and a bottle of water, my eyes wandered over to Thea. Yunho was still settled in front of her, but of course she had her hands draped over his shoulders and she spoke to him and Jongho. She was clearly in her element, her crazy high confidence on full display now that she had settled in. Typical Thea. I walked towards the couch, locking eyes with Wooyoung. He grinned at me, patting the spot next to him like I had no other choice but to return to my seat next to him. San followed closely behind, and I could feel the brush of his hand as he continued to find a way to make contact with my skin.

“Trying to keep our girl to yourself, San-ah?” Wooyoung said with an obscene amount of sass, casting a look at San as we returned to our seats beside him. Woo put his arm around me possessively, his fingers carassessing my shoulder lightly, sending chills down my body. I turned to him, taken aback by the random affection, but before I had a chance to respond Angela’s voice rang through the room. Surprisingly enough, Wooyoung drew me closer to his side instead of removing his arm like I assumed he would. 

“Hi everyone! Guys, you need to start heading off to hair and makeup, meaning it’s time for me to show these lovely ladies back to their seats!” she exclaimed, clasping her hands together. “If you would kindly…” 

There was a slurry of groans throughout the room, all coming from the guys. I sighed myself, not wanting this to end, but alas all good things had to. I tried to stand up, only to have Wooyoung tighten his grip around me and San’s hand to make its way to my thigh, cementing me to the couch. 

“I don’t think it could hurt if they got to see the behind the scenes magic, and I don't think any of us would mind if they stayed a bit longer, right Capt?” Yeosang called, peeking his head out from the fridge as he grabbed a few bottles of water. My head turned towards the table where Christie and Hongjoong were standing, Christie’s face only slightly crestfallen. 

All eyes turned to Hongjoong, his children giving him their best puppy eyes and pouty lips, whining and pleading that we should be allowed to stay until closer to showtime. I was proud of myself and my three best friends as we somehow managed to keep a neutral face, even though I knew all of us had the same thought running through our shared braincell. 

Hongjoong tilted his head down to the ground before bringing it back up to meet Christie’s eyes, smiling and laughing to himself. “And how could I say no to that?” he hummed. He went to address Angela, never looking away from Christie. “Come back thirty minutes before scheduled showtime, just so they have enough time to get comfortable back in their seats and we aren’t rushing pre show... sound good to you, Angela?”

She thought for a moment, clearly debating on whether or not this was a request she could grant, before nodding her head in agreement. “Sounds good to me!” she exclaimed cheerfully, turning on her heels and exiting the room, pulling out her phone and speaking in Korean to someone on the other end. 

The guys all cheered, clapping and making fools of themselves before calming down enough to thank Hongjoong for allowing us to remain in their presence just a little longer. I heard Woo mutter under his breath in Korean, and I swore he said something along the lines of captain must have it bad for this one. My Korean may not be perfect, but I definitely knew enough to be  certain of what I heard. Wooyoung must have seen the look on my face, which I’m sure was one of confusion and wonder, because he shot me the biggest, most maniacal smile.

He brushed back my bangs, tucking a piece of them behind my ears before leaning back towards me, coming dangerously close to my face once again. “You must understand me, otherwise you wouldn’t have made that adorable little face,” he whispered in Korean. His breath was hot against my cheek as I nodded in response. I could hear the smile on his lips as he laughed. “Do you all understand Korean?” He pulled back to watch the expression on my face, waiting patiently for my response. 

It was my turn to tease him a little, a small repayment for his treatment of me thus far. Afterall, How could I not play into this? I placed my hand on his thigh, leaning forward to whisper into his ear as he had done to me so often today. “That’s not my secret to tell, now is it?” I said smoothly in Korean. I leaned back, but not before tucking his own hair behind his ear, smirking all the while. “Just returning the favor.”

“Oh sweetheart, what a fun game this will be. Don’t tell the others… it’s our little secret,” he said quietly, running his thumb along his bottom lip and looking at me through heavy lids. My breath hitched, and Wooyoung’s face shifted to something more mischievous in nature as a toothy grin spread across his face. In typical Woo fashion, he flung his head back, cackling loudly, bringing all attention to him. 

“What secret?” San questioned suddenly, turning his head back to the two of us. He had been talking to Yeosang next to him, but following Woo’s outburst his eyes returned to me. His eyes narrowed while glaring at his best friend who sat still smirking behind me. “What did you do now?” he queried, causing Wooyoung’s smirk to only grow larger. 

Wooyoung stood up. “Nothing you need to worry about, dear Sannie. Just having a bit of fun with our girl here,” he jested. “I’m going to make myself more beautiful, so you better keep your damn hands to yourself while I’m gone.” He gave San one last look before moving towards the door, grabbing Mingi by his shirt collar and pulling him at the door with him. We could hear the annoyance in Mingi’s loud voice echoing from the hallway, yelling at Woo for pulling him away suddenly. 

Nikki, Thea, Christie, and I had all congregated on one of the couches while the members filtered in and out of the green room, returning in various stages of readiness, but all of them making sure we were never left alone. Mingi was the first to return with his makeup done, but not quite dressed. He pulled up a chair beside us, and he and I had a brief conversation about our favorite anime before he was spirited away by San to change. Now that we weren’t tied up by certain members, all of us were given more opportunities to speak to the others. 

The atmosphere in the room had heightened with the anticipation of the concert. Ateez was definitely becoming more energetic, and it was clear to all of us that they truly did love putting on performances for their Atiny. They were joking and laughing, but going out of their way to include us in every step. They had just finished up their vocal warm ups and stretches when Angela reappeared in the doorway, clearing her throat to gain the attention of all of us.

“I actually have to escort the ladies to their seats, we have just over 30 minutes until showtime and you boys are needed for final sound system checks. Plus, I’d like to give the ladies the chance to grab a drink or a snack before they head back to their seats for the evening,” she said, firm with her words. 

“Thank you so much for letting us stay longer,” Thea expressed warmly, turning to face all the guys with a huge smile on her face as she winked in Yunho and Jongho’s direction. “This was absolutely amazing, and it was so nice to meet you all.” 

“This has been an incredible experience, so like Thea said… thank you so much,” Nikki added, smirking at Mingi and Seonghwa before turning to grab her things and walk towards Angela waiting in the doorway.

“Like the girls said, thank you so much for this evening, it’s a night I’m sure we will never forget” Christie chimed as she grabbed her bag, tossing it over her shoulder and sending one last glance over to where Hongjoong and Yeosang were standing. 

“I don’t think there’s really enough thank yous that we could give you,” I remarked, following everyone to the door. “Good luck with the show, not that you need it anyway.” I felt Wooyoung and San’s eyes boring into me as I walked away, and when I turned around their eyes were indeed locked onto my body.

Waves of thank yous came from the guys as they bowed at us slightly, all smiling widely. They filled in behind as another staff member came to collect them. We left in opposite directions, with Ateez being ushered deeper into the arena while we moved towards the stage. I turned my head back one last time as we walked down the now endless hallway, only to meet San’s eyes as he smiled at me.

“Alexis, sweetheart, where is your bag? Did you leave it behind again?” Christie mothered. 

“Fuck…” I muttered. Of course, my bag was nowhere to be found and we didn’t notice until we were about to walk back onto the arena. 

Angela stopped before she opened the door. “That’s something you definitely need, we can all head…”

“Honestly, it’ll be quicker if I just run back there, I remember the way… if it’s okay that I just go? I just hate to keep everyone waiting,” I said hurriedly, embarrassed over the fact that my forgetfulness comes into play at the worst moments.  

Angela chewed the inside of her cheek, debating once more on the proper decision. I’m sure there was something that said we weren’t supposed to be backstage alone, but I also knew that she also was responsible for getting us back onto the arena floor, and quickly too. “That’s fine, I’ll show your friends back to the seats and meet you back here. Just make it quick please… you guys are lucky that I like you,” she added with a small chuckle.  

“Uh, would this be a bad time to say that I need to use the bathroom?” Nikki said meekly, causing the three of us to laugh. Her bladder always had the worst timing. 

Angela sighed. “There’s one just up the hallway and to the left. Christie, Thea, let’s go, and I’ll return for you two in a moment,” she said, ushering Christie and Thea out the side stage door while Nikki and I pivoted to move down the hallway. 

I sped walked, not that that was anything new more, leaving Nikki in the dust behind me. “I’ll see you in a second!” I called back as she went into the bathroom, waving her hand at me to brush me off. I kept my pace as I moved further into the stadium before I finally hit the door I needed. 

There was nobody in the room, but also no sign of my bag. Of fucking course it wouldn’t just be in plain sight. I knew it had to be in here, but I had no clue where to even begin to look for it. I scanned the room frantically, before the realization hit. “You’re a freaking idiot, Lex,” I mumbled to myself as I swiped up on my watch, playing the tone I heard on a near daily basis. 

The familiar dinging seemed to be coming from the couch. “AH HA!” I yelled, moving towards it, getting on my knees to dig in between the couch cushions. It was buried deep within, but with minimal finagling I removed it. I immediately looped it over my shoulder, not wanting to misplace it again. I stood up swiftly, spinning around so I could rush back to meet Angela and Nikki, not wanting to keep them waiting a moment longer, only to run head on into someone’s chest. 

I grunted from the impact, bouncing back and teetering slightly. I felt strong hands fasten onto my waist, steading me instantly, my own finding their way onto the chest in front of me in an effort to help with my balance. I finally looked up to see who I had unintentionally plowed into, only to be met by San’s kind eyes smiling at me. “I am so sorry,” I fumbled, embarrassed once again, but fully loving the position I had found myself in. 

“Nothing to apologize for,” he laughed, brushing my hair off my shoulders onto my back, his hand lingering on my cheek while the one still clutching my waist pulled me in closer,  “I’d catch you any day.” I felt my face heat up, and judging from the smirk on San’s face he noticed it becoming redder by the second. His eyes never left mine, staring so intensely into them that I was grateful that he was supporting me while my legs immediately turned to jelly. A look of pure hunger crossed his face and before I could question it, his lips were crashing onto mine. 

I was absolutely, positively, mindfuckingly shocked, the suddenness leaving me frozen momentarily while my mind fought to catch up. Once my brain finally kicked back in, I was kissing him back, losing myself in the moment.  His lips were everything I imagined them to be: soft and full.  He parted them, grazing his tongue along my lower lip, testing to see how much further he could go. I happily parted mine to let him in, gripping his black jacket tightly while his hand on my cheek looped its way around to the back of my head, wrapping in my hair and deepening the kiss.

He explored my mouth, tentatively at first. He moved slowly, his tongue snaking along with mine at an agonizing pace, as if teasing me. I longed for more, moaning against his mouth as he wound his arm around my waist tightly, drawing our bodies closer together. His hand in my hair tightened, and the kiss moved from being slow and purposeful to being full of hunger and longing. I was lost in San’s embrace, our tongues swirling together perfectly, until a crash just outside the room broke us apart. I was completely breathless. I released San’s jacket, dipping my head down towards the floor, only for San to tilt my chin back up to look at him. His eyes were thick with lust, his lips swollen from the intensity of our kiss. I tried to push myself away from him, not wanting to get caught by whomever was outside the door. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” San purred, pulling me further into his chest instead of doing the logical thing of letting me go. 

I was still in a state of shock. Did I, Alexis, really just make out with Choi San? I forced myself out of my head and back into reality quickly, shaking my head. “I think you have a show to get to, and I need to go before Angela sends out a search party.” I sighed, smiling softly. I could only imagine her walking in on the two of us and what kind of backlash that would cause. Against my better judgment, I removed my palms from his chest to wrap my arms around his neck. Might as well live up this moment while I had it. 

San smiled at the change of my arm placement, wrapping his own arms around my waist snuggly as he leaned in to kiss me softly. “I think they can wait on me… I’m enjoying this far too much,” he began, pressing his lips onto mine again, before suddenly pulling back. There were voices outside the door now, and one of them was very clearly Nikki. She seemed to be conversing with someone, and thankfully the second voice seemed to be growing fainter. San laughed, bowing his forehead into mine. “Maybe they can’t wait on me… guess it is time to go, jagi.”

We broke ourselves apart, but not before San snuck in more kisses along my face, giggling the entire time. He reached for my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine as he led me towards the door, opening it with a dazzling smile only for me. Nikki stood just on the other side, slightly out of breath. Her face was tinged red, wearing an awkward smile that only widened when she saw San and I hand in hand, both of our lips red and swollen.

“Uhh, Hey, Hi. You’re both here. Wow.. Sorry, I tripped over air, nearly face planted into a staff member. I think he was looking for you, San. Maybe?” Nikki began rambling, her telltale sign of nervousness. “ Uh, he walked off that direction… I told him I thought you went that way… but I don't think it will be long before he realizes you aren’t there and comes back here looking… so…yeah,” sShe was mumbling by the end and running her hands through her hair uncomfortably. 

“I guess that’s my cue to go… thanks for covering for me. I really hope you ladies enjoy the show, it's going to be a great one,” he grinned, shooting a wink at Nikki. He tugged me by hand, pulling me nearer so he could place a soft kiss on my cheek. “I’ll see you later, my treasure.” he murmured, casting us one final smile before turning to jog down the hallway. 

“Did he just call you his fucking treasure?” Nikki stammered, face full of confusion as she picked up on the Korean phrase immediately. 

“We had better get moving before Angela sends out a search party, or worse comes to hunt us down herself,” I said with a rush, grabbing Nikki’s hand and pulling her down the hallway. I was hoping to avoid the game of a million and one questions I knew would soon be coming.  

As if on cue, Angela came around the corner looking slightly frazzled. “Ladies!” she exclaimed, walking towards us with a purpose. “I was beginning to think you had disappeared on me and had faded from existence.”

“I am so sorry about that Angela. Honestly, I couldn't find my bag anywhere in the room. Nikki had to come help and we found it buried between the couch cushions. I’m not even sure how it could have ended up there…” I said, laying on the sweetness extra thick as I gave her my most sincere smile, widening my eyes in an attempt to look innocent.  Nikki held back a snort, trying to keep her laughter in.

“Well I’m glad that you found it, now let’s get you both out to your friends so you can enjoy the show,” she responded, sounding a little skeptical, her eyes looking at us with the same tone. She set a decent pace as she guided us back towards the doors she had shown Thea and Christie through, weaving through staff who were hurrying around with last minute tasks. 

Soon enough we found ourselves on the floor, heading in the same direction of the seats from soundcheck. The stadium was packed, and from what I could gather there wasn’t a single empty spot in the house. The sound was already deafening, the energy in the venue soaring and Ateez hadn’t even gotten on stage yet. Lightsticks were flashing all around us, swaying in time to Bouncy as the video played on the big screens lining the stage. 

“Took you long enough, where was your bag…. Alaska?” Thea asked sarcastically, handing me another vodka beverage. “We grabbed you guys another drink.”

“More like her bag was in…” Nikki began to say. I silenced her with a swift punch to the arm, not holding back in the slightest. She looked at me with amusement, giving me an extra bratty look. She opened her mouth to continue, but the screams coming from around us drowned out her words.

The lights dimmed as the opening VCR began to play, and all focus shifted back to the stage and off of me. The first few notes began to play and instantly the crowd was screaming, Halazia wasn’t their typical opener, and the crowd was already showing their appreciation for the song choice. Chaos erupted as fog filled the stage and the spotlights illuminated the boys, the already booming screams becoming louder. 

Their stage presence was insane, and I thought Nikki was drooling when the demon possessed Seonghwa during the famous choreography. All of them danced so gracefully, but danced with such power at the same time. We were screaming along with them. I had to take a video of Christie singing along with them, since she was dressed so perfectly for the song and the Halateez in her was out in full force. They moved on to Answer, and Thea squealed with excitement, raising her lightstick as Jongho hit each highnote.

Next came The Rings, another of my personal favorites. The members finally moved off the main stage and down the runway, lining themselves along the edge of there and the extended stage as the music blasted. Unsurprisingly, San placed himself directly in front of our section, making the girls around us go wild, screaming and barking up at him. Following our spontaneous makeout session, I had enough respect for him to not partake in the shenanigans surrounding me. I craned my head, smiling up at him. His eyes locked onto mine for a moment as the corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile before he bit his lip, his head tilting side to side as he placed his hands behind his back. His eyes never once left mine, looking at me as lustfully as he did in the green room. Screams burst around me, and I heard girls yelling that they swore San looked at them… little did they know. 

The rest of the show was a fever dream, with San constantly making his way towards me. Not only him, but all of the guys seemed to be pulled towards us. Little winks and smiles were sent in our direction frequently. Mingi’s body rolls seemed even more exaggerated during Say My Name, Nikki nearly passing out from the excitement. Thea dropped to her knees during Deja Vu once she witnessed Yunho’s thrusts up close and personal. Hongjoong kneeled and rapped one of his verses from I’m the One directly in front of Christie, his eyes never once leaving hers before he flung his bottle of water on all of us when the chorus dropped. Wooyoung and Seonghwa were front and center during The Leaders, and Wooyoung grinned at me deliberately, whispering his lines, eyes locked on mine like he was only saying them to me. By the time Guerilla had begun all of our voices were beginning to give out, but that did nothing to stop us from screaming BREAK THE WALLS at the top of our lungs. 

The lights turned on for Ateez to bid farewell with their ending ment, all out of breath from the intense choreography. Hongjoong thanked Atiny for being here and spending their night with them, each of the other boys saying something similar as they went down the line. Yeosang seemed to be staring directly in our direction, saying he couldn’t wait to see us all again, before he tore his eyes away from us thanks to Wooyoung kissing his cheek unexpectedly. He spurted in surprise, pulling away from him as the venue laughed along with Seonghwai beside them. Soon enough they were exciting the stage, waving and blowing kisses. Of course, we were all anticipating an encore and hopeful that it would be coming soon. 

“Holy mother of fucking shit,” Thea sputtered, her voice cracking from screaming. “That was amazing.”

I glanced to my left to find Christie standing solemnly, staring blankly at the stage. I stepped over to her, reaching out and hugging her from behind, swaying together softly as I rested my head on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it was just more intense than I thought it would be… I’m just letting my brain catch up,” she responded, smiling faintly as she rested her hands on my arms around her. “Nothing to be concerned with.”

Once Christie’s brain settled, we all began chatting with the other Atiny around us, lamenting over the show and discussing all of our favorite parts. I could feel Nikki’s eyes every time someone mentioned San, not to mention her laughing at outloud when one girl said San had been staring at her all night, swearing up and down that she was going to find a way to get into those tight pants of his tonight following meet and greet. I glared at her, giving her my best bitch face, knowing that Thea and Christie had both picked up on the fact that something was going on between her and I. 

“Ladies!” a familiar voice called. Angela was beckoning us over to her, excitedly waving at us with both hands. 

“What in the hell could she possibly need from us now?” Christie whispered to me as the four of us zigzagged through the people around us to get to her. 

She was beaming at us as we approached, motioning for us to follow her back through the side door we had been in and out of multiple times today, removing us from the chatter of the arena so we could hear her easily. “You must have made quite the impression on these men… they just asked if you would join them for their post concert meal.”

“They did what now?” Nikki’s surprised voice broke out, using my back to support her as she leaned in closer to Angela, looking at her with utter disbelief.

“Dinner! I just need your lodging information… they’ve requested that a car pick you up and take you to the restaurant once they are done with post-concert meet and greet,” Angela chuckled, her clipboard up and ready, pen in hand to take down our information. “I’ll also need at least one of your phone numbers, that way I can text you an ETA.” 

Thea, Nikki, and Christie’s eyes all turned to me. Damn being the responsible one, although in this case I had no complaints over my status. “How could we say no to an offer like that!” I exclaimed, taking out my phone to give her the address to our AirBnB and my number.

She scribbled it down quickly, smiling the entire time. “Perfect! Meet and greet usually lasts about an hour after the show, but you guys should have plenty of time to change and settle before the car gets there.” She pulled her phone out of her blazer pocket, typing something. My watch vibrated, receiving a text from an unknown number. “If you need anything before that, text or call… now, get back out there! Encore should be starting at any moment.” 

She didn’t need to tell us twice. Thea practically sprinted at the door, dragging poor Christie behind her. Nikki grabbed my wrist, pulling me away as I yelled a quick thank you to Angela, who waved softly before pulling out her phone and calling someone once again before she disappeared down the hallway.

“What was that about? More special VIP privileges?” the annoying twit from earlier spat as we made our way back to our seats. 

Nikki opened her mouth, beginning to raise her finger, but Christie stepped in front of her, silencing her and turning to face the girl who had the audacity to get snarky. “Yes, actually. If you must know, we were invited to join them for a post concert meal. Just a perk of being real VIP’s and you know… being adorable and all that shit. So please, enjoy your measly little meet and greet,” Christie shot back at her, not bothering to hide the venom in her words. The girl opened her mouth to respond but the lights dimmed, pulling all attention back to the stage where Ateez quickly made their presence known. Microphones had been placed along the mainstage while the VCR played, allowing for them to transition smoothly into Turbulence as they took their places. 

The encore was performed with just as much energy, and just as much interaction towards us, the anticipation for dinner growing with each passing wink and smile. When The Real’s dance break finally ended, Ateez disappeared off stage for the final time, their voices still saying ‘I love yous’ and ‘thank yous’ even from backstage. Now, it was time for us to fight the throngs of people leaving the venue. I led the way, my long strides setting a fast pace as I drug everyone along, forcing them to keep up. The four of us were linked together, taking extra care to not lose Thea along the way. She had a habit of getting lost in seas of people, and we had no time to waste trying to find her. 

“I’ve never been more happy to have VIP parking,” Nikki said when we finally reached the car. Thanks to my near sprinting speed, we arrived in record time, beating a vast majority of people out of the stadium. Not only that, we would have a much easier time exiting from this section of the parking garage, meaning we wouldn’t hit as much traffic on our way out. 

Nikki pulled out of the parking spot like a bat out of hell, cutting off cars left and right. Thea was clutching onto the handle and center console for dear life, screaming oh shit at the top of her lungs with each swerve. Christie and I were so used to Nikki’s driving at this point that it barely phased us, both of us laughing at the frightened look on Thea’s face. Once we were on the interstate and out of traffic, Thea calmed down enough that chatter amongst us resumed, discussions of what in the hell we were going to wear to this damn dinner.

“Alexis, be the responsible one you are and text Angela to ask where we are eating,” Nikki requested , her eyes locked on the speedometer as it revved to nearly 90mph. 

“Well, that would be a responsible thing to do, wouldn’t it?” I murmured, shooting Angela a text and asking so we knew what to wear. She responded quickly. “All she said was nowhere fancy, casual dress would suffice. But, that doesn’t mean sweats or leggings, Nikki, no matter how good they make your ass look.”

“Back with the gah damn compliments?” she scoffed, not hiding the annoyed tone. 

We all laughed, and discussions switched back to the concert. This talk was short lived due to Nikki’s Nascar worthy driving, and within 25 minutes we were back at our cozy BnB. We all rushed towards the door, Thea fumbling with the lock pad five times before Christie shoved her aside to get it on the first try. 

My watch went off again as soon as we barrelled into the house. “Hey guys…car will be here in about 40 minutes,” I yelled, looking down as the message came in. Everyone had already sped off into their rooms, excitement and adrenaline coursing through us from the concert and now this coveted dinner invitation. 

I rushed into mine as well, beelining for my suitcase. “What to wear… what to wear…” I mumbled as I crouched down, tearing through the clothes within it. I did not have dinner with idols on my k-pop bingo card, and I felt woefully underprepared with the clothes that were in my suitcase. Not only that, I was going to be face to face with dear Santini again, who just 3 hours ago had his tongue down my throat. I immediately began running through potential scenarios in my head, running through fake scripts so that I hopefully wouldn’t be an awkward mess in front of everyone. I was still impressed that I handled myself so well following said secret makeout, but I couldn’t help but feel oddly comfortable with San. 

I finally settled on a pair of dark wash, loose fit ripped jeans, and a backless white tank bodysuit. The straps were knotted at the top, giving it a little more character. I ran into the bathroom, triple checking my makeup and makeup. Not a thing was out of place, thankfully, thanks to the phenomenal setting spray Christie recommended to me. The new outfit paired well with the concert makeup thankfully, not I would have had a chance to redo it even if I wanted to. I fluffed up the waves in my hair before I reapplied some deodorant, before I grabbed a pair of white strappy sandals, hopping into the living room as I hurried to put them on.

Christie was sitting on the couch, wearing a pair of dark wash skinny jeans paired with a billowy forest green silk tank top tucked in the front. She kept her thigh high black boots on for a little extra height.  She had redone her hair slightly, pulling it half up, half down with wisps of hair hanging loose to frame her face. The pieces pulled attention to her freshly reapplied red lip.

Thea came rushing into the room shortly after me. She had chosen a pair of high waisted black denim shorts, buttons lining the front, paired with a soft gray, cropped halter top and black slip on Vans. She had piled half of her hair on top of her head in an adorable messy bun, accentuating her neck even more.   

“Anybody need a shot before we head over there?” Nikki yelled from the kitching before appearing in the living room with a bottle of soju in each hand. She was in black skinny jeans, tucked into her chunky black boots, and a semi-sheer plum v-neck t-shirt. Her hair was still down and grazing her hips. She took a swig from one of the bottles before setting her eyes onto me, a wicked grin spreading across her face. I shook my head at her, but it was too late. “So Miss, Alexis, Anything in particular you would like to share with the class now that we’re all gathered here?”

Thea and Christie’s head snapped towards me as my face flushed for the millionth time today. “What does that mean?” Christie questioned, concerned eyes flicking between Nikki and me. 

I sighed. Fuck. I glared at Nikki, who continued to smile like a madwoman at the chaos she had caused. “Well… uh… my bag…”

[eponastory]

Murder! You Wrote.

An interactive second person being of view Devil May Cry fanfiction!

Poll is at the end of the chapter!

Firstly, you will need to read each part as it's posted. In order for the story to go on, you will have to vote on what happens next! Now, this can go in several different directions, so please pay attention for the little clues. You can guess who the murderer is before the story ends, but the reveal will be at the end. Have fun!

Also, this will be a Gender Neutral Reader and there will be no use of pronouns or detailed descriptions. YOU are the Reader. This is pretty much your story, I'm just throwing out possibilities! 😁

It's dark. So dark that the street lights do not provide much luminance to see the words on the sign above the entrance to the hotel. The rain from earlier in the day made the air muggy on this autumn night. You are trying hard to see ahead of you, but the fog has made it difficult. Groaning, you reach into your Jean pocket for the small piece of paper with the address written on it.

As you bring it up to your eyes, you see that you are indeed in the tight place. However, it is not as you expected it to be.

You were expecting this grand hotel. Not this rundown, building in the middle of spookyville. If someone were to go missing, this was the place. The atmosphere alone was speaking to you. Yes, this was the perfect place for inspiration for your next book.

After all, you were a world-renowned murder/mystery author.

Most, if not all, of your books were inspired by places you have visited around the world. It was no surprise that your books were on par with Agatha Christie, but you were stuck on this next one. Your publisher was urging you to write your next book, but you were burnt out from publishing book after book.

You were here for the local Oddities and Curiosities convention as a guest speaker. Except your hotel was not as lavish as the convention organizers said it was. Oh well, at least you did not have to pay for it.

You swallowed as you felt like you were the victims of one of your own stories. This had to be a stupid decision. Maybe you should have politely declined their offer of free lodgings. Next time you will be more mindful of that.

The buzz of the lights in the outdated lobby was the setting of a movie you had seen once. Not a particularly good movie, but it was still enough to set you on edge. There were two chairs up against the mint colored walls with a table in between them. The dim lighting almost made everything look like some insane asylum. Even the white linoleum floor gave you this uncomfortable dread. The long hallway before you stretched on for an eternity. It invited you into some horror you could not explain as it rolled in your belly.

DING!

The feeling vanished as you felt yourself nearly jump out of your skin. You turn around to see a man standing at the reception desk. He was leaning against it with his back turned to you.

"Yo! Anyone there?" He said. You noticed he was dressed rather odd. A red coat, leather pants, and boots. The other strange thing was the color of his hair. "Service really stinks around here." He scoffed as he stood up straight. "They tell you it's a five-star hotel, then this shit happens." You knew he was talking to you when he turned his head to the side.

"It could be worse." The words popped out of your mouth. "For all I know, this could be some H.H. Holmes bullshit hotel." You knew the story about the famous Chicago murder hotel in the 1890's. You wrote a fantastic historical fiction novel about it. "Next thing you know, you fall into a vat of acid or something." There was a short laugh from the man with the white hair.

"Heh, I've seen worse." He turned around to look at you. "You look like the type to be into that sort of thing anyway." You shrugged.

"I know a thing or two." After all, you spent countless hours of research on all sorts of egregious crimes. He nodded, probably not really interested in what you were there for in the first place. "Actually, I need to check in."

"Well, I'd go find a better place if I were you." Obviously, but you were a bit on the poor side at the moment. No new book, and you spent most of your money fixing up your Victorian home. "Service is lacking, and there is no bar." A bar was essential for your work to begin.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat. Both you and the stranger in red turned to the direction of the sound to see another man. This man was peculiar. He was just as tall as the odd man you were speaking to, but he was as pale as a dead body. Black hair swept back with as much hair gel that could be mustered to keep those locks in check. He was certainly gaunt withp his cheekbones poking out like sharp alabaster. The dark circles under his eyes also did not help his appearance either.

Just looking at the man gave you a distrustful feeling.

"May I be of assistance?" You gulp at the sight of the man behind the reception desk. He gives you a blank stare. You swear up and down that you are in some kind of dream, but you know you are not. You shake off the tingling feeling going down your back as you look to the red clad stranger you were speaking with earlier. He shrugs with a small smirk on his lips.

"Uh... yes, sorry." You pull out your phone with your reservation details already up on the screen. The receptionist only looks down with his eyes as you put your phone on the desk. "I'm here for the convention. My room should already be paid for the weekend."

"Ah yes... the Author." The gaunt man said with a drill voice that dragged out each syllable. He reminded you of Professor Snape from Harry Potter. The slow retort was enough to make you really wonder if you had stepped into some alternate reality.

The grunt from the man next to you said otherwise.

"Uh, yeah, I'm here for the Oddities and Curiosities Convention." You took your phone from the desk and put it in your back pocket. "The convention people were supposed to pay for all of my expenses."

"Yes, everything is paid in full." The half lidded dark eyes of the man across from you seemed to be staring out into nothing as he turned over a page in the log book. Was this place not up to date? Everything was... old fashioned. "Please wait." It was as if the man were a robot as he promptly turned away.

"Seems like everything here is all analog." You made the observation as you saw the old television sitting on a table in the corner behind the desk. "Even that TV looks like it's straight out of the 60's." You told the stranger you met earlier.

"That's nothing, you should see the rooms." He pointed over his shoulder towards the hall. "Rotary phones and vibrating beds with coin slots." That was really bad. And gross, but he looked pretty jovial about it. "It's like I'm back in the late 80's." You were not sure if you should run far away or not.

"I'm really glad I brought disinfectant spray." You thought about the can of Lysol you normally carried around for reasons like this. It was safely stored in your backpack. You traveled light, only bringing what you really needed with you. "Can't do anything about the bed bugs though."

"If it makes you feel any better, at least the sheets are clean." Thank the heavens for that. There was one saving grace about meeting the man you were standing there with.

"Are you here for the convention too?" You asked him. You were curious about why someone dressed like him was actually there.

"Nah, just in town for a job." He seemed to be dismissive of the whole thing. "My client is paying for the weekend, but said client hasn't shown up yet."

"That sucks." You wondered what kind of work the man did. He was definitely dressed for something a bit more lucrative. Red coat, faded Henley, and not to mention the guns. Two guns. .45 caliber. Custom made.

You knew guns only by the research you did for your books. He had to be some kind of undercover agent or assassin... something like that. This was giving you some ideas for your next book at least.

"Here is your key." The receptionist came back slamming the key on the counter to grab your attention. "Your room is on the second floor. Breakfast is provided until 9 AM." You hesitantly took the key while trying not to show you were slightly perturbed by the zombie across from you. "Enjoy your stay." He said slowly and ominously.

"Thanks... I guess." You looked at the man you had been talking to before with a bit of nervousness. "See you around."

"Yeah. I'm sure we'll run into each other again." He gave a mock salute with a smirk before turning his attention to the zombie receptionist.

You slowly made your way up to your room. The elevator was apparently out of order, so you took the stairs. Thankfully the second floor was not too bad. It had a different theme going on. Instead of mint green walls, they were more of a salmon color with brown and orange accents. It could be much worse.

Once you found your room, you unlocked the door and opened it. The guy downstairs was right. It was pretty bad, but at least it did not smell like an old musty hotel. It was actually not that bad. The bed definitely had a coin mechanism, but at least it looked comfy with the beige linens and brown comforter.

At least the shower was in working order.

You threw your back pack on the red chair in the corner before getting ready for bed. Tomorrow you were going to have breakfast, then you had to be at the convention center for ten.

You were sleeping pretty well until you heard something strange coming from the vent above your bed. A strange ticking sound had made its way into your dreams before pulling you to the land of the living. The ticking was not like a clock. It was more like little finger nails tapping on the vent. The rhythm of it had you sleepless for the rest of the night.

Until it stopped at 5AM on the dot.

You were tired when you rolled out of bed at 7. Your feet dragged as you made your way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Brushing your teeth had been a slow process as you stared into the mirror. Your eyes had dark circles under them indicating your three or so hours of sleep were not enough. Your eyes were slightly bloodshot from being awake as well.

Hopefully you would get a better rest when you returned from the convention.

Going down the stairs was an endeavor. You held on to the railing for dear life as you made your way to the first floor. You were in desperate need of caffeine and you really hoped the coffee at the breakfast bar was adequate enough for your refined tastes. If not, you could always find a Starbucks on the way to the convention.

Once you finally made your way to the first floor, you found the breakfast room. It came as a surprise to see there were five other people there.

The one you recognized first was the man with the red coat you had spoken to last night. He was sitting quietly at a table practically inhaling his waffles while another man sat in front of him. The two men were similar in features which clearly made them related. While the man in red was more relaxed, the one sitting across looked as though he was losing his patience.

Oh well, eggs and bacon were calling you.

You did notice a man and woman giving each other the cold shoulder as they ate their breakfast. The couple was in their early thirties at most and sat two chairs down from each other. It was obvious they were having a silent fight with each other. She would glance at him with hurtful eyes every now and then.

Then there was the older woman quietly sitting at the table by the window with a book in her hand. Her glasses were on the tip of her nose as she sat there. Her dark skin hinted at her Sub-Saharan ancestors. You admired her poise as she sat there eating and enjoying her book. A book which you had written almost ten years ago.

She must be there for the convention as well.

Just as you were dropping spoonful of scrambled eggs on your plate, a scream rang out through the entire first floor.

All at once, everyone in the room stopped moving and turned their attention to the hallways outside. Your immediate instinct was to find out where that scream originated from, so you took your plate and headed out of the room.

Being the true crime fanatic that you were, you followed the wailing sound of a woman who was in obvious distress. Turning left down another corridor, you saw her kneeling on the linoleum floor with her hands over her mouth as she cried. You did not even bother to put your plate down as you stepped closer to the red headed woman sitting on the floor.

"Are you okay, Miss?" She did not turn to look at you as she began to shake uncontrollably. You noticed there was a puddle of blood in the doorway as you moved closer. "Miss?"

"He's... dead." The woman muttered out while still staring into the room she was about to enter. You crept ever so slowly to look inside, but what you saw made you drop your plate.

It was a blood bath.

The whole room was coated in blood. The body of a man had been contorted in an unnatural way. It was something you had never seen or heard about before in any case. Murder like this was not murder, but something else entirely.

"What the hell?" Was all you heard before you suddenly found yourself being pulled from the scene by a hand on your arm.

[mellowquint]

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog Liveblog!

Part 1; the Dining Car

OKAY WE'RE FINALLY DOING THIS READY, SET, LEGO (wait wrong fandom–)

So insert character is first time working for the train huh, okay cool cool

Oh god now i have to name them uhh (yes i will be referring to they/them, non-binary characters ftw)

… I went with Trainee (get it cuz uh train and yeah I'll see myself out)

Darling your scribbles are fine, better than mine actually

Trainee is a nervous train wreck *ba dum tss* yeah ok I'll stop making train jokes

Oh dang here comes the conductor. Apparently todays the conductor's last day after thirty two years.

OOHH THE TRAIN IS CALLED MIRAGE EXPRESS

I like how the sonic crew didn't forget about spagonia Jejdkddlfkkdkfk thought that was a one time thing

The menu only has 3 things, Why? lmao

Wait they're ALL MICROWAVE MEALS?? Can't they afford a chef? This is someone's speaking who has not gone onto these fancy train cars yet so forgive me

Oh fun tidbit the trains actually used for event's only.

"So I'll need you to do everything in your power to make sure our paying guests are well taken care of, understood?" Sir yes sir

AAAHHHHH AMYYYY SHE LOOKS SO ADORABLE WITH THE BIRTHDAY CAKE HEADBAND AND THE DRESS

HELP TAILS IN HIS DETECTIVE OUTFIT HE'S SO CUTEE

oh so it's Amy's birthday party!! Murder mystery theme eh? Someone's an Agatha Christie fan~~

ROUGE AND KNUCKLES YES also Rouge girl you just got on the train don't go stealing gift shop pens just yet lmao

"What cast of characters am i stuck with" OH SHOOT HE KNOWS 🤣

"Why can't i be normal for one second" you and me both Trainee

Also Sonic immediately bolting to get chilli dogs lmao, never change blue gumball dork

WHOOOO LOOKIT ALL OF THEM, ALSO HOLY MOLY BLAZE IS HERE TOO???? COOL COOL COOL 

EHH okay so now i collect the tickets, like a normal person, this wont be an embarrassing trip

"well the birthday discount certainly helped!" You and me both Amy

OH NEW LORE DROPPED, AMY'S A FAN OF TRUE CRIME PODCASTS!!! (I wonder if she would like the Magnus Archives…)

"Here's the key that unlocks any door in the train" hmm seems kinda sus, but oh well birthday girl gets the birthday key

and Blaze is here to grace us with her presence and elegance, reminding why I love her. Love how she just casually tells us that she's visiting from a separate dimension like it's nothing lmao

Sooo Blaze has sweet tooth cannon? Yes.

LMAO TRAINEE NO "Why can't i win in this group"

Rouge darling please give the conductor his money back it's to early to steal anyones lunch money 

Y'know it's a bit awkward knowing that Trainee just realised he's talking t The Sonic The Hedgehog, like my dude did you not know what he looks like? Either way Sonic's pretty chill

"I brought my own sparkle gelatin. It's a jelly that can melt away even the most jaded hearts" Tails imma need you stop being so cute and wholesome for ONE SECOND OKAY I CAN'T TAKE IT ✨🥺

Awww Trainee and Tails are jelly buddies!!!

"Thank goodness someone on this train is normal" buddy wait till you see the kid fly an airplane and can fly with his two tails lmao

Espio why you holding that rose who is it for 👀

DID ESPIO SERIOUSLY READ TRAINEES MIND?? (Edit he did in fact, something about his Ninjutsu or something)

"Can you cling into walls" "i most certainly can" okay just tell the conductor that, I'll now know where to find you then. In the air vents.

"Do you sell gift bags here" ….. shadow you didn't forget to bring Amy a present her birthday party right?

"Robot arm reminding me that one AI from Wall–E, hopefully we're not going to that route 

"Actually, uh Train, the conductor wants me to have the whole plate" lmao you ain't slick Trainee

Okayyy last but not least we have Vector, who does not in fact have his ticket, aanddd now we're supposed to find it

"I wonder what cake topper Sonic picked out for me" "...shoot, i was supposed to give Amy a cake… what am i supposed to do?" Ya done goofed you blue gumball dork

"You don't need to bow everytime you see me" sure Blaze it's not like i was stress responding. definitely.(seriously tho i love her dialogues)

Okay imma take a gamble and ask shadow if he sees any tickets 

"Only three items on the menu..? You don't even have drinks listed" THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING!!! Also we only have like three drinks too, water, coffee, and chaos cola

"I'll have to take you up on the coffee soon. Just the beans and A spoon, though" …… shadow um what??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BEANS AND A SPOON ONLY YOU HOT TOPIC WANNABE??? NOT EVEN WATER OR MILK???

I spent 5 minute hitting every random object where's the ticket – OH WAIT LEFT ARROW

NAPKIN IT'S IN THE NAPKIN

"Lost ticket added to you inventory" YES BUD LET'S GOO

Poor trainee has to double shift on being the microwave expert AND security guard smh, Trainee better has a good paycheck

I'm hoping up on here saying to PLEASE TELL ME WHO DID ALL THE SPRITES IN THE GAME THEY'RE ALL SO WONDERFUL AND EXPRESSIVE MY GOD 

…. Oh. OH!!  SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE ALL WEARING SPECIFIC CLOTHES. Amy's you nerd she even got them all lore cards i love this girl

So Sonic's role is to be the ship captain. I do wonder why a ship captain of all roles since their in a train setting but ill take

AJDHKJHFKJSLKJFLKJFFKJLA I LOVE THIS SCENE

Oh shadows supposed to be a locksmith?.... I wasn't the only one who thought he was gonna be a barista stationed at the cafe right? My guy might have to dress a little bit more specific for a locksmith

and of course we;ve got our birthday girl as the journalist!

Sweet got a map of the train baby!! Alsooo the lounge looks suspiciously close to the conductor's car…

Well with that out of the way let's get started!!!

Oooohhhh ok cool cool cool got i

"This way there's always a neutral party" yes tails you go you smart cookie

Y'know it's very sweet of all of them to play along with the murder mystery roleplay. Everyone wish they have friends like that

Tails you adorable smart nugget how come you keep getting cuter and adorable by the minute 🥺✨

"My lore is that I'm a nosey person turned journalist" aww c'mon birthday girl don't bring yourself down lol

SUDDEN MYSTERIOUS SHAKE 

Oh wait it's just the train moving

Why is it even shaking THAT much???

Anndd screen goes dark, welp i guess that's it for the dining car scene for now

Aanndd that's all for part 1 hope you guys enjoy and see you guys around part 2!!

[darsynia]

To bring you back to us:

Christy and Neil - pick one (i couldn't choose)?

10 ...desperately

12 ...in grief.

26 ...as an apology

Please and thank you!

Sneaky sneaky, I like it! I touched on all three, but the grief is wrapped up before the kiss. I'd been struggling feeling like my icky holidays had nuked my ability to write on my longfic of these two, and this did help me feel better about that!

TERMS OF SURRENDER

Pairing: Christy Huddleston/Neil MacNeil Length: 2,358 Rating: General audiences Summary: (set during 'Green Apples,' in a universe that mixes the book and the series)

Neil thinks about the loss of his wife and child as he listens to the harmonica's gently hopeful tune of healing. He decides it's finally time to let go of the past and fight for the kind of future his feelings for Christy promise.

Terms of Surrender

The sound of a harmonica was one of the things Neil had missed in Scotland. It hadn’t occurred to him to bring one, but even if he’d had the funds, there wasn’t anywhere to play it that didn’t feel awkward and out of place. Truthfully, he had felt awkward and out of place, but his time spent quietly observing and learning at home had been quite useful abroad. Neil had integrated well, so well that he’d come home more Scots than Cove.

That thought made him think of Christy. As an outsider, her approach had been wildly different from his; where he’d stepped back and sought a niche, she’d charged ahead to forge her own. He couldn’t help but admire her spirit. Neil had come home changed, but Christy had changed his home. Without permission and without vitriol she’d gently but firmly established herself in Cutter Gap as someone with a heart twice as big as her stature, cheerfully taking the good with the bad. If he’d known then what he knew now, he’d have held himself back, been more… guarded around her.

As with so many of the important things in his life, Neil had realized this too late.

That realization was made all the more complicated on a day such as this, as they fought back a disease that threatened to take the lives of children he’d helped bring into the world. There was only so far a man could push away thoughts of the lives he couldn’t save, to say nothing of the apologies he’d held back until he was out of time.

That old familiar guilt struck a discordant chord with the mournful harmonica, enough to force a rueful chuckle from his lips. After all, he owed an apology to Christy, and this time he didn’t have the luxury of locking himself away until his reflection looked different enough to forget the needful.

Neil stood slowly, loath to disturb the delicate tableau of hopeful survival going on in the quarantine room. He remembered seeing Christy step out of the building looking distressed, but given his contribution to that expression, he’d focused intently on his notes in hopes that she’d avoid disturbing him.

Margaret would have called him a coward. “Apologize or don’t, Mac, but don’t pretend you’re taking the high road!”

His late wife’s admonition spurred Neil to walk around the schoolhouse, his steps curving him away from some hard truths and toward others. She’d hated the darkness of the mountains and loathed the quiet that seeped into a person’s bones to linger there. In a sense, loving him had dimmed Margaret’s fiercely fragile light until she’d run out of energy to fight off the disease that killed her. There was no making peace with that. 

He shut his eyes and tipped his head into the light breeze to clear his mind. When he opened them again, Neil saw the dim outline of a figure ahead of him, along the treeline where they’d been collecting firewood. It was Christy. The lanterns leading to the outhouse were just bright enough to see that her fists were clenched at her sides, and her head was tipped back, just as he’d just done.

“There’s solitary, and then there’s lonely. You can be lonely without being alone.”

Those words had haunted him since his wife had said them less than a month before her death. They’d sliced like a scalpel those first months, festered like a wound that refused to heal by a year’s time, before finally burrowing down to ache like a mended bone before a storm. Tonight was the first time he’d seen them as anything but hurtful; his wife had been many things (selfish, sensual, miserable, mesmerizing), but she had always been insightful. How had it taken him this long to realize what she’d really meant? That they could have been solitary together. That Margaret hadn’t needed to be lonely, if he’d been able to teach her how to share his solitude.

Neil stood in the silent shadow of the schoolhouse, his thoughts whipping around like a willow in a windstorm. There was a very clear reason why he was thinking of Margaret right now, and the truth of that scared him. It was the last clammy fear before the fever broke, the surge of adrenaline before closing a wound. He was letting her go, making space.

The thought was as presumptuous as it was intimidating.

“The apology, Mac. Don’t be an ass.”

Neil walked toward Christy slowly, shoring up his mental fortifications for the coming conflict.

“Battling it out with your god, are you?”

Christy shot him a look that he couldn’t discern in the half-light. “No need to poke fun, but yes. I don’t need to part the Red Sea, just pray hard enough for God to pass over this building without taking anyone.”

“Now who’s poking fun?” Neil said. He moved to stand beside her, both facing the fathomless expanse of forest. “I’ve always thought that story was particularly unfair; punishing the children for the sins of the fathers.”

“That’s not too different from feuding, don’t you think?” There was a tightness in her voice that was entirely his fault, top to bottom.

“Maybe I should walk away and start over,” he said, shoving at a small branch with his foot. “I’d come over here to apologize.”

Her silence lasted long enough for him to look over. Christy’s body language was armed for war, but her words were more shield than sword.

“You couldn’t have known about my sister. I’m a stranger, and it looked like I put your patients in danger.”

“You’re hardly a stranger, Christy. Despite my temper, I know you’ve only ever done your best to keep them safe, educated, and happy,” he countered. “I was wrong to shout at you.”

“You--” she broke off, arms dropping to her sides. 

“What? Did I just deprive you of a fight? I’m sure we can find something else,” Neil teased lightly. He opened his mouth to elaborate, but Christy jumped in to interrupt.

“Don’t! Let me savor the moment.”

The amusement in her voice cut straight through to the depths of his heart, as though his years of defenses and baggage were insubstantial in the face of her warmth. 

Christy turned to walk back toward the schoolhouse, and it was in the shock of those feelings that Neil caught her as she pitched sideways toward him, hissing in surprised pain. Immediately he set her hand on his shoulder and knelt down, finding her boot tangled in the ends of the branch he’d nudged earlier. That realization had him swearing under his breath.

“Is it bad? My ankle doesn’t feel--” Christy cut herself off, her voice pinched with fear.

“I was reacting to the culprit, not your injury. I’d tried to kick that branch out of the way. You’ll be fine after a few minutes, it’s just a wrong step.”

“So you swept me off my feet?” she whispered, finishing the sentence just as he straightened back up. The action slid her hand from his shoulder down to his chest-- and they stood with her words hovering between them like a heated breath in the deepest winter.

The lamplight lit her stress-mussed hair in soft gold, edging her features as if she were in an illuminated manuscript. Christy’s eyes were wide as she stared at her hand on his chest, perhaps as shocked as he was that she hadn’t pulled back. Just at that moment, a curl slipped free, and before he realized what he was doing, Neil tucked the soft lock behind her ear in an unmistakable caress.

The sound of her sucked-in breath shot adrenaline straight to his heart.

“I should--” she started, eyes still fixed on their point of contact. With the barest stroke of her thumb, she finally lifted her hand. “I should go. Will you promise to get some rest? I’ll take the first watch.”

The blood rushing in his ears spoke of the many things unresolved between them, and Neil reached out to stop her with a clumsy hand. “Wait--”

Christy pressed her eyes shut, her lip caught in her teeth. He longed to see the nuances of her expression-- was she annoyed but hiding it well? Blushing? Fearful?

“Hold still for a spell, let your ankle rest?” he offered. He didn’t move his hand, and she didn’t move away to dislodge it. For once, he didn’t hear the derisive tones of his conscience mocking those choices. Christy was hesitating, so he added, “I haven’t properly apologized.”

This prompted her to open her eyes and look at him. Whatever she saw there made her sway just slightly in his direction.

Maybe it was the stillness of the night, the hope of healing, the exhaustion from fighting so many things with so much of his strength, or perhaps it was the lightness of his finally untethered heart, but whatever the true reason was, Neil succumbed.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to see you for who you truly are, Christy. Your heart is bright enough to light the whole Cove, and I’m grateful to be touched by it.” He released her arm and turned his hand to brush the backs of his fingers against her cheek, then moved to walk away before he ruined both of their reputations.

Christy stopped him, not with words, but with an action that meant so much more: with surprising strength, she caught his hand, pressing his palm to her cheek. Then she did speak, and he was lost.

“You’re the coal that keeps us burning, Neil.”

The distant sound of the harmonica faded in the space between her action and his stuttering heart. Would John Spencer tuck the instrument into his pocket and make his way to the outhouse? Had he been interrupted by one of the children crying out for their help?

Stepping close, Neil set his other hand on her cheek and said, “I owe you more than an apology, Christy, even more so for this.” Dipping his head, he kissed her, meaning for it to be brief, a promise, not an end unto itself. He was foolish, forgetting her determination to never yield when she could persuade instead. Her hand moved up into his hair, burning a surer path than any bullet meant to stop his brain from functioning.

Despite every passing second marking the time between now and disaster if he didn’t pull back, Neil deepened the kiss, his arm banding around her waist to lift her up, ever so slightly. Then, with the reluctance of a victor forced to leave the spoils of war behind, he stepped away. His whole body buzzed with anxiety and pleasure, but he knew he’d overstepped badly.

“Forgive me, I-- I’ve held that back for quite some time,” he admitted. “When you brought me dinner, I must confess--”

“Oh! Please believe me, I had no idea, or I would never have presumed to take advantage like that.” Christy interrupted, her voice thick with regret. “Fairlight suggested the way to persuade you was through good cooked food. I suppose I failed there, as well!”

Neil took her hand and clasped it with both of his. “Your campaign for Dan Scott had me at your feet. When I realized that was all you’d come for, I was ready to send him to the devil, and the Mission too. The truth is, I’ve fallen for you, Christy. Hopelessly so.”

She lifted their joined hands to her lips. “I’d barely let myself think of such things, but when I dream… you’re always there, smiling at me, quarreling with me, teaching me--”

“Reality is hardly ever that idyllic,” he cautioned. Neil dislodged his hand from hers out of propriety, but inwardly his defenses were being dismantled, one uncertainty at a time.

“Only you would consider arguing with me idyllic!”

“Any time spent with you is a dream, I’ll freely admit that.” He grinned, adding, “If ye wish to prove it’s real, we can go on until I win an argument. Shouldn’t take too long.”

“You are insufferable,” Christy grumbled.

“Would it make it worse if I told you how lovely you look when you’re cross with me? It was all I could do not to--

“If you say something about sweeping me off my feet, Neil MacNeil, I’ll--” She stopped short, clearly realizing that he’d prompted exactly the kind of cross reaction he enjoyed.

“Do I need to?” Neil started, but a bobbing lantern light near the schoolhouse caught his attention. Thinking quickly, he moved to pick up some of the cut wood and branches near where they’d been standing, nodding to Christy to do the same. By the time Fairlight made it around the corner, the two of them were almost to the outhouse.

“Doc find you screamin’ at the sky, then?”

“Bargaining, more like,” Neil said. “I think it ended on a truce?” He turned toward her, selfishly needing to see her indignation.

Once again, she bested him.

“Victory,” Christy asserted. “I had a talk with God, and he sent me a sign of healing.”

Neil angled his arms so that a small log fell off, allowing him to hide his expression as he picked it back up. Thankfully, the two women had resumed their walk back to the front of the schoolhouse by the time he stood up. Healing! Her innocent audacity took his breath away, as always. There was a lot of rebuilding to be done, all of it in the harsh light of day, but he was intensely grateful for that temporary bubble of solitude they’d been able to find in each other.

The thought had occurred before the significance dawned on him, and Neil stopped short, stunned.

Healing. It was something he’d fought to achieve for others his entire life yet somehow was gifted without warning or design, in the middle of the night during quarantine, no less! This new beginning was fitting, he supposed, and like all beginnings, there would be a lot of adjusting to be done for both of them. 

They’d be able to do it together.

[magickalsapphic]

Possessed doll - witch community call for advice

Hello, I currently own a possessed doll and want to know what I can/should do about it.

Main call to action: please recommend books so I can properly learn about this, give me honest advice IF you have experience/knowledge.

Here's the full story:

I got this doll at a thrift store as a prop to a horror short film I was making. My ex picked her up because she was the one with "most life". Quickly after, my friends and I would joke that she was alive/possessed, I won't say the name we gave her but will call her Elise for the sake of this post.

After buying her, I attempted a very poor cleansing on my college dorm floor. I undressed her and cleaned her porcelain skin with Clorox wipes, with my tuning fork chanted a few phrases, circled her with crystals. Put the dress back on, try to feel for something, and not feeling it.

I assumed then that Elise was not possessed. We continued to joke about it, while in the meantime, just in case, I would also treat her gently, speak to her as if she were alive, and tell people she's (jokingly) possessed. Aaand she would occasionally (2-3 times) weirdly play music on her own (she has a music box and a winding key). It would happen if I picked her up or shifted her. But not *every time* I picked her up or shifted her.. First red flag.

Time passes, we record the short film. This shortfilm I wrote about the doll playing music on it's own (she has a winding key).. ha. In this shortfilm I made Elise lay next to a sewer, be forcibly dropped to knock her head as part of the plot, and got her all dirty. Not to mention her hair and hands had to be covered in blood. Fake blood. It was also very cold.

Afterward, I uploaded the video to YouTube (I don't think I should share the link). And it got about a hundred views (I know, fame).

I keep the doll in my dorm room this whole time. In the summer, I brought her to my mom's place where she sat on the windowsill outside my room for months.

I don't bring her back to my dorm room. I don't remember why.

Only 3 weeks in, my mom comes by to drop off some clothes and other stuff I missed. She brings Elise without me asking her to at all.

So she's back. I tell my friends about it, it's kind of funny considering possessed dolls do do that: return to a person if they try to move away from them. I keep her in my dorm room again, this time on the desk next to Agatha Christie and my completely empty black notebook I've been meaning to make into a Book of Shadows for years.

I've had vivid horrifying nightmares since I was a child. So I'm not worried when I get nightmares about Elise. One more thing to joke about.

September moves to October and I have this class that extensively talks about the progression of horror as one of the themes. Especially around Halloween. So yes, these things were on my mind. I'm a witch. I did recently watch the Exorcist and learn about Possession in my class. Take that as you will.

Actually, studying for the midterm for that class, a friend stayed over one night. Earlier, they did make fun of Elise, we were messing around, but they did use the winding key a bit, take her out of my room for a few minutes, I don't think it was.. that bad.

We went to bed at 3 am. It was so warm under the covers and I was restless. That is to say, there were reasons I was so tired and sleep deprived to have sleep paralysis.

I wake up, my friend is next to me. I look up and Elise is over the bed right on the window. But in reality, the window in my room is beside the bed, not above. Something is wrong. Elise is looking at me. No really, looking at me, and blinks, and moves her eyes and I'm scared. I wake up, my friend is next to me. I look up, the wall is normal, empty. To my right, Elise is lying next to me, on her side, facing me. I wake up. This time Elise isn't there, but my friend is talking to me. I wake up again, and again.

I wake up. I sit up. My friend is sleeping next to me. Elise is on my desk, facing me. I keep looking around and know I am finally awake. I could barely sleep that night.

The next morning, I once again tell friends about it, a little genuinely freaked out. We agree I should probably apologize, so I do. And I also give her a little gift -- a whistle thing someone gave me. I don't get a nightmare that night.

Nearing Halloween, 2 new friends come into my room on separate occasions. With the first, I have to move Elise out of the way to use my full desk for a project. When I pick Elise up from a chair, her music starts playing. It hasn't happened in a while. I don't want to actually scare this new friend, so I tell her I moved the winding key a bit. We laugh it off.

Not a week later, I believe October 29, another friend comes over and this one I want to scare off a bit, for fun. So I pick Elise up and introduce her to him. He is actually scared and I feel bad and reassure him that I am joking and that I'm 99% sure she's not possessed. I keep holding her. We keep talking and... this is what started to my mind. The music starts without me even moving her at all. No accidental shake, not really. My heart skipped a beat, really. And I reassured my friend that nothing was wrong. I'm just messing with him.

Right as my friend left, I message a witch friend I'm not very close with. I ask them for their experience and communicate some concerns. They give my contact to their more experienced in this subject friend, and they message me. They are an actual psychic medium, they tell me there is a possibility of possession but she can't know for sure. They advise me to cleanse her again, put her in a salt circle. Halloween was 2 days away, and the veil was thin. That I should watch out for the nightmares, since that's how they communicate with them, and that she doesn't sound malevolent. I should keep an eye on her.

That same night, because another friend said I should cleanse her soon, I panic and do it without much preparation.

I clean my desk a bit

I take my table salt

Lay Elise on the desk

Circle her with table salt

Circle her with some crystals

Use my tuning fork to once again cleanse her in the best way I could at that moment

Finally, I didn't know what the right words were, and in my chant I say that I'll be protected and nothing shall come out of the salt circle for 3 days.

That might've been a mistake, I don't know. Online resources were not the best either.

Because of what I'd said, I keep her in the salt circle from about October 29 night, to November 2nd day?

Then I clean the desk and her dress a bit, since it was slightly covered in salt, and I put her back on her spot on the desk.

A week passes (this is now 3 days ago, Thursday), I run into the psychic friend at an event. I tell her she can meet Elise if they want to.

So we go into my room. Immediately my friend (let's call them Ron) says there is a presence. By this point, I was still hoping Ron would say it was all in my head. But he sits in front of Elise and tells that there is a little girl inside. She's scared, lonely, and sad. She's embarrassed about the blood on her head and so I should give her a hat. She wants to be held sometimes. And she wants to be by the window, but at nights I should close the window because it'll get too cold. She isn't malevolent but might like to mess with me for fun -- watch out for missing or displaced things, and always be respectful. For example, if people come over I should introduce her to them -- you wouldn't want people you don't know coming into your room (it's her room just as mine).

Ron also tells me that she could be lying. Demons and ghosts can be tricksters. I simply hope she's not.

After Ron leaves, I take my pendulum and ask brief questions to Elise -- is she angry? no. does she mind if I have people over? no. does she care when I talk about her when she's in the room? yes. I don't remember what else I asked, and I couldn't tell -- still can't tel -- if she likes when I talk to her or not.

But well... the biggest thing that has me convinced. Happened that same night Ron came by.

At night, after having more friends over and having a good time. I won't lie, I had 2 hits of my 🍃 pen. But I was fine. I close the window. I'm closing the blind (Elise is on the window sill) and I don't know if I should go all the way down or not. So I say out loud "let's try to have it closed tonight, yeah? Then we can see what you prefer tomorrow."

I close the blinds completely. My hands on the strings, the bed side light turns off. Turns on. Turns off. Turns on. Turns off. The room is completely dark.

I'm shaking, I mess up getting the blinds back up but I do it. I furiously apologize to Elise and try to turn the light on again and it doesn't work. I check the plug, it's well connected. I don't know what to do. I keep apologizing, but I feel I have to be a little stern. I tell Elise I don't find that funny and that it made me sad, and that I don't want her to scare me like that anymore. Then I check the extension chord next to my bed, it is loose and I have to almost fully plug it back in. The light turns back on. Though, in bad timing, my automatic bathroom lights turn off in that same second, I pay no mind to that.

I stay frozen for minutes more. Then I remember that she's a scared little girl, and so I pick her up and apologize but also comfort her. She's very cold. I put her back on my desk. I close the blinds properly this time, and I somehow go to sleep.

After telling Ron about this, he says that they expected her to be more active after meeting him. It makes sense.

That was just 2 nights ago. I don't really know what to do about this. I can't tell if my headaches and misfortunes have anything to do with this because that's been my whole life. Ron says I can't get rid of her now, she's my doll now.

This is a lot and detailed because well, I am a writer. I hope this was entertaining at least, and I really do appreciate advice. Be kind, and be genuine. I don't know what I'm risking making this post.

PSA: I am a writer, I have a record of this post and this story and do not want anyone to use it without my consent. Everything in this post is real, don't get me wrong. But I want to be the one to write about it.

That is all, thank you for reading and have a good day:)