#she isn’t weak and boring you guys just don’t get it

[lyssasdrafts]

elain archeron is for the girls who are unapologetically feminine, who are called weak over and over and have to keep proving themselves, who are lovers and romantics at heart, who have a voice but just want to choose when they use it, who are quiet because they want to be and not because they don’t have any thoughts or feelings

[devotedfem]

Hello, lovely !

If you're taking requests, i would like to ask if you could do something with a plot similar to Mulan ?

Maybe Yandere Colonel Jungkook is upset with reader being a male and is really mean to her, that is until he discovers that she took her brother's place to join the army.

I love your writting, you're amazing 🥰

Also feel free to ignore this if you don't like it.

Mulan - J. JK x Reader

A/N: I'm so sorry for dissapearing for like three weeks😭, i've been through a lot of bad things lately in my life but now i'm back. Tomorrow I'll post something on my Patreon! I haven't forget abt u guys.

Tags: yander-ish, period typical sexism, mulan au, enemies to lovers, mean Jungkook, smut.

3k words.

Permanent taglist | patreon.

You were the only child of the Liu Family, raised and trained to be the perfect bride to wed an honorable man who could bring grace and honor to your family. Your mother took very seriously her duty of turning you into the perfect wife that any man would desire. After all, in your village the sole purpose and worth of a woman is based on how desirable she is for men.

How boring. That’s why you wanted to be a boy so bad, they have way more fun than girls, and they could do and be anything they want without worrying how desirable they are for the opposite sex. When you realize how differently the world treats girls compared to boys, it’s when you knew you were doomed since your birth. Your fate consists in being owned by a high-ranking man if you’re lucky, trapped in a house to serve him, just like your mother. And you loved your dad with all your heart, but he was so controlling and possessive over your mother, treating her as if she isn’t capable of looking for herself.

He was a retired general because of his disability and age. People say that the men from the imperial army are ruthless and cold-blooded, but your father is none of that, he’s just protective of his family.

You looked at your reflection in the mirror chewing your bottom lip with anxiety sinking heavy in your stomach. Today you have to make a good impression on the matchmaker of the village so she could marry you off with a wealthy and honorable man.

This is why you trained all of your life, for this exact day to be perfect, to be chosen. You were so worried of fucking up this day, you just wanted to make your parents proud of you. They made a lot of sacrifices to raise you with comfort and love, the least you can do for them is being wed to a good man.

Easy peasy, isn’t it?

Well, it isn’t.

Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. And it was all your fault, no one else. You were so nervous and clumsy that you throwed by accident the potful of tea on the matchmaker, burning her skin. Her next words sank deep within you; You may be beautiful and look like the perfect bride, but you’re not! You are a disgrace to your family, you’re worthless!

And with those words being yell at you, she turned around leaving you with tears streaming from your eyes, humiliating you in front of the village people. Everyone leaved, except your mother. Her crestfallen and disappointed face was enough to break your heart.

You felt like a disgrace. But even though you weren’t the perfect bride and daughter, your father was there to comfort you, hugging you with love and telling you that everything will be okay.

But that didn’t happen, because the next day the imperial soldiers came to your village with dreadful news; the country was being attacked by the enemy, and the emperor ordered his soldiers to recruit one man from every family to serve in the army.

But you were the only child of your parents, and your father was too weak to fight in the army, he already did in the past, so there was no need to recruit him again when it will get him killed.

So, when the soldier read from the list your family’s last name, you stopped your father from stepping forward, looking at the soldier with pleading eyes; “Please don’t take my father, he already fought in the army honorably in the past. He’s too weak to fight now,” you begged with a trembling voice, but the soldier look down at you with contempt. “Silence woman! These matters are none of your concern, you better hold your tongue in a man’s presence,” he barked with anger at your audacity, but you didn’t care, you were too worried for your father’s wellbeing to care about your place.

But when you turned around and noticed your father’s embarrassed face, you shut your mouth up, not wanting to dishonor him any further. Watching with a clenching heart how he was listed to serve the emperor.

That night you bickered with him, begging him to not go to the army, but he lashed out at you, telling you to know your place as a woman. That broke your heart, and his face fell with regret immediately after. He never said such things to you before, but you supposed that’s what he really thought of you as a person.

But at midnight, you planned something; you will dress up as a man to take your father’s place in the army. You will not let him die pointlessly when there are plenty of young men that can fight for your country, and if that mean risking your own life to protect your father’s, so it be.

You sewed your father’s old military uniform to adjust it to your size, and then you wore it, looking at your reflection in the mirror with curled lips, tying your long hair in a manly bun, like the men of the army. You might be too skinny and short for a man, but with your father’s clothes you could pass as a young boy.

You hope they don’t bully you too much, men are very mean, even more with the weak ones, you will try to go unnoticed until you finish your duty.

You practice your “manly” voice a few times in front of your mirror, mimicking some of the mannerism that the boys from your village use. When you were satisfied enough with your cheap performance, you grabbed your things to get out of your home, glancing back at it for the last time with a clenching heart; you’re doing this for your father, because deep down you knew he always wanted a son to bring honor to the family, not a clumsy daughter that embarrassed him with the matchmaker, that’s why you will make it up for him.

You walked into the army camp drawing the attention of few of the men, but they looked away uninterested. Your back was straight and your steps long, you tried so hard to walk manly and nonchalant, you just hope you’re not making a fool of yourself and draw unnecessarily attention. When they listed you to join them in the training quarters, they barely glance at you, looking at your body with contempt and saying things like; “you need heavy training for that scrawny weak ass body.”

But you took no offense, feeling relieved that at least they didn’t notice you were a woman, otherwise you couldn’t imagine your punishment if they did, feeling a shiver running down your spine.

Your happiness was short-lived when you bump into a man so hard that you fell on your ass, you blushed by how handsome the man was; tall, buff, manly with a stern gaze and an intimidating aura, but his doe eyes made a contrast of his looks. It was a shame that the moment he opened his pretty lips the spell was broken.

“Watch where you’re walking or I’ll break your legs the next time you get an inch close to me,” he snarled at you with anger flashing his eyes. He took a silent look at you from head to toe, curling his lips with contempt and watching you now with a sneer. “What do we have here, did you already grow hair down there? Such a sissy boy shouldn’t be fighting along with men, but I guess the emperor must be desperate.” His mocking words made everyone else laugh at you, making you feel exposed and humiliated. Your worst fear came true, now you’re the target of dumb men thanks to this asshole.

“Why so curious about if I have hair in my balls, do you want to see? Is that it?” You couldn’t help but smirk at his widened eyes and the group of men erupting into laughs, they didn’t expect you to have a comeback. But you never were the type to back down in an argument.

“Silence!” Everyone shut their mouth up immediately after his violent and strident order, almost as if they were scared of him. You flinched a little at his murderous gaze, clenched jaw and flared nostrils. You felt like a prey about to getting killed by its predator. “Everyone is punished with 5 more hours of heavy training. You can thank your little new friend here. This clown better join a circus after the battle, if he survived of course, but we all know that won’t happen.” You felt dread sinking in your stomach at his mocking and cruel words, nauseous at the implication of dying.

He grinned like the devil when he noticed your fearful expression, walking away with a sneer, leaving you with a spiral of catastrophic thoughts.

But a question crossed your mind; who was him to order the other soldiers around?

“You’re so fucked up mate, you just got under the skin of our general. That man will eat you alive, I can’t even be mad at you when you’re the target of Jungkook. Good luck.” Some guy said to you with genuine pity written on his eyes.

Fucking amazing, that was what you needed; being the target of your superior. Good fucking job y/n.

But at least they believe you’re a man, not everything is bad, isn’t it?

Everything is in fact, very bad. It was a living hell for you everyday thanks to Jungkook, your general. He verbally abused you; mocking your weak appearance, calling you names like pussy and little princess, giving you more labor than the others, humiliating you each time he could in front of the other soldiers, making you the target of their laughers. He also gave you the worst duties like cleaning the bathrooms, dooming you to gag with disgust at how dirty men are. You were deprived of important information the others were given, making you feel lost and fail in your tasks and training, all thanks to that son of a bitch that’s obsessed with ruining your life. At this point you prefer to die in the battle rather than to endure another day with him.

You always cried every night, missing your mom and dad, feeling useless and hurt. You couldn’t bond with the group because they were too scared to talk to you and being the target of Jungkook’s wrath. You felt isolated and hurt.

It was a lot, you weren’t used to heavy training under the sun, physical labor and getting bullied from men. You were a spoiled girl that was always treated with care by your family and friends. But you were doing this for a greater cause. For your father.

You never showered with the other men, too scared of them finding out your secret. And of course, Jungkook noticed, mocking you about you being afraid that everyone will notice your lack of pubic hair and small dick.

But you didn’t let him get under your skin, that’s why one night you sneak away from the quarters to go to the nearest pond of water, taking with you a change of clothes and your chamomile shampoo. Your hair was matted and disgusting.

You took off your clothes, sinking your legs in the water, hugging yourself when the cold water embraced you, you sink down to wet your hair, closing your eyes in pleasure at the sweet aroma of your shampoo cleaning your greasy hair. You hummed watching the stars above you, feeling for the first time in a week completely relax and unbothered.

But you felt watched, that’s why you look at your surroundings with a frown, finding no one.

Until you heard steps, and your heart stops.

Jungkook was standing at the edge of the large pond, looking shocked, tense and furious all at once. You shriek covering your chest with your arms, and his heavy and dark gaze fell to it, clenching his jaw and fists.

“Why are you in the army?” he chastised, with genuine curiosity and anger flashing his dark eyes. His gaze was fixed on you, not looking away even once, and not blinking at all. That frightened you, making you sink until the water reached your neck.

“I’m doing this for my dad, he-he’s sick and too old to join the army, he already did in the past! I just don’t want him to die,” you blurted out with a trembling voice and pounding heart, averting your gaze towards your hands under the water, too scared to look into Jungkook’s eyes.

He said nothing for a couple of seconds, until you heard something heavy drop to the floor, widening your eyes when you noticed it was Jungkook’s clothes.

“What-“

“Do you mind if I get into the water? I haven’t showered either.” You saw the mischievousness flashing his predatory eyes. But you shook your head anyway, after all he was your superior and you can’t tell him to not wash in the pond. No one else besides him knows that you’re a woman, so you’re in a position of disadvantage right now.

 You turned around to give him privacy even though you knew deep down that that’s the last thing he want. You’re not an idiot, you can tell when a man’s gaze fills with lust, like a predator finding a good prey to devour. Sometimes, men can be very scary.

“This explains a lot, why you look so fragile, why you didn’t fit in at all, and why you’re so pretty for a man,” you heard him approaching you from behind. “You should be wed to a man, carrying his kids, making him good meals and warming his bed every night instead of wasting your beauty away. This is no place for a woman, but still, you’re here, aren’t you?” His voice dropped an octave, and you can feel him being inches away from your back, but you didn’t dare to turn back.

“Won’t you look at me pretty thing, are you scared?” his voice softens faking a concern tone. You felt him on your back, not touching but ghosting above your skin. His hot breath was closer to your ear, whispering something near to it; “I can help your daddy to not get punished for letting his daughter fight for him, believe me, that won’t look very good to the emperor.” His lips brushed your earlobe, and dread sink to your stomach at his sugar-coated threat. You were so fucked up, of all men it has to be Jungkook the one who finds out your secret.

You turned around with your eyes blurred by tears, he was mocking you and using your dad to take advantage of you.

“What do you want!? Leave my dad out of this, I came here willingly, he has nothing to do with my choice. If you and your emperor want to hurt and punish someone, that should be me and no one else,” you fumed with a single silent tear dropping from your eye, Jungkook wiped it away with his thumb.

“I won’t hurt a woman, I’m not that pathetic. It’s your father’s job to control his daughter and to make you learn your place, so he’ll bear his punishment.” Your stomach churned at his words, scared and worried of getting your dad hurt because of you. You knew Jungkook has power over you right know, but you can use the burning desire on his eyes to your advantage.

“Please, don’t hurt him, I’ll do anything,” you pleaded with a soft voice and watery eyes. You two were inches apart, and you noticed Jungkook inhaling sharp, affected by your words and doe eyes. His gaze darkened and flashed with desire.

He gripped tightly your waist, pulling your body against his, feeling your breasts brushing his skin. You felt aroused by his desperation, by his need and thirst for your body. You squirm into his grasp when he started to kiss and licked your neck slowly, like a starve dog devouring its food. His hands wander to your bottom, holding and lifting your body making you wrap your legs around his hips, feeling his hard cock brush your folds, making you whine. He growled at your sounds, tightening even more his grip on your body. His mouth devoured yours, kissing you with force and need, eating your lips like a starve man and drinking all of your sweet sounds, chasing your lips even when you broke the kiss. But then you cried in pain when he shoved slowly his cock into your folds, making you whimper and wrap your arms around his neck to ground yourself, feeling small under his dark and intense gaze.

His jaw was clenched and his face slightly scrunched up in pleasure, almost as if he was restraining himself from ramming into you sharply, and then when you tell him to move, it was like unleashing a beast, splitting you open and thrusting into you with force, making you sob into his neck, crying and holding onto him.

You came first, bearing the erratic and strong rolls of his hips against yours, ignoring your overstimulation until he came too, filling you up to the brim.

That night he took you to his private quarter, fucking you again in your sleep. You thought you were just being used for one night, but then when you wake up, you found yourself with the news that you were kicked off the army thanks to Jungkook revealing your identity. You were about to break down and feel used and betrayed, until he told you that you're going to be wed to him whether you like it or not. At least if you marry Jungkook your dad won’t be punished, but you’ll be his wife without your consent.

And as he said, you ended under his care, cooking meals for him, warming his bed every night, and carrying his children.

But at least your dad was safe? Not everything is bad, isn’t it?

Taglist:

@demonshauntingthedoves @pynkgothicka @deluluisdasolulu @uniquecutie-puffs @Marrylouise @livingformintyoongi @captainhoook @asillysimp @devilzliaison @zephyrdawn @kvstjwonnie @yoongilovescats @bammbi-jeon127 @jerdafuck @Holy_Hobi_water8

[vxnuslogy]

— will they, won’t they.

pairing: hoshina soshiro x gn!reader

premise: hoshina soshiro has been hopelessly in love with you for years now. and for the first time, you finally hear him say the words "i love you."

— warnings: down bad + jealous hoshina, modern setting, reader is a kyudo player.

— author's note: little miss says she's going on a break then proceeds to write about hoshina soshiro for all the dying fans (its me, i'm the dying fans.) art credits to @.BByo_chick on twitter.| ~700 words.

“how long are ya gonna keep me here?”

“no one is forcing you to.”

hoshina only clicks his tongue and stares at the dojo walls. his finger impatiently tapping at his chin as he hits crossed leg on the floors. it’s half past 5 in the afternoon now and you have no intentions of going home anytime soon.

“i’m gettin’ bored here,” he drawls, hands stretching over his head as he watches you shoot another arrow with pin-point accuracy that makes his smirk twitch uncomfortably. you’ve gotten too good at kyudo, and it shows.

“then go home,” you reply as you pull the bow back and aim for your next shot. “you don’t have to keep waiting for me to finish.”

but that was the thing: hoshina wanted to wait for you and he always will.

he wants everyone to know that you had him and he’s all you’ll ever need. there was no need for that guy who caught your fall a few days ago—not when he’s been catching you for the past 3 years. he was your guide in the train station every morning, so why do you keep trying to go to the station earlier and ask your junior for directions? hoshina soshiro was always by your side, so why couldn’t you see that?

“i’ll wait,” he murmurs into his hand, eyes looking at anything but at you. “got nothin’ to do at home anyways.”

it was a weak excuse, but it always does the trick. you always relent and let him stay but not without throwing a look over your shoulder that screams “you’re acting strange.” because he was. hoshina, against his will, feels his lips being tugged into a frown whenever you interact with anyone that isn’t him.

that sounds very bad–it is bad in a sense–but hoshina would never dream of taking away your freedom. so he just watches, painfully by the sidelines, with a scoff on his face as another student from a rival school stammers to ask for your number. it was irritating, having to watch everyone throw themselves at you when you’re clearly uninterested. 

“what the hell will happen if i’m not by yer side, captain.” hoshina jests as you pack up your stuff and lock the dojo.

“is this about earlier?” you ask with an amused lilt to your voice. “when the new student asked for my number?”

hoshina hated how you always aimed for the heart.

“i have no idea what yer talkin’ about,” he weakly tries to change the topic. hoshina racks his brain to think of something—anything—to help change the conversation, but his mind keeps circling back to you. how you almost looked serious when some guy–who was leagues below you by the way–had the gall to ask you out for a date.

“never took you for the jealous type.” you tease.

“it’s because ‘m not.” he said through gritted teeth, hands balling into small fists against his school bag. “‘m lookin’ out for ya, alright? that guy was a creep. i’m keepin’ yer ass safe from weirdos.”

you looked unconvinced but didn’t comment on his unusual aggressiveness. hoshina let out a frustrated sigh, a hand coming to ruffle your hair and pull just a tiny bit closer that would make everyone question your relationship. this was driving him crazy but he couldn’t do anything about it.

“‘m not jealous. get that over yer pretty little head.”

and until you both got on the train and went your separate ways to go home, hoshina soshiro never once let your hand drop to your side. he kept you impossibly close to his side and whispered sweet good lucks into your ear. body so comfortably lax in your presence he was slouching on the train seat so he could bury his nose in your hair. 

hoshina soshiro was so unfathomably in love with you. 

how could he not love you when you use your own heartbeat to calm his erratic one during every competition? when every hug has his mind spinning with gold and you. every victory is dedicated to your name, and no trophy or medal could ever compare to the feeling of running into your arms and drowning in your praise.

“i love you.” he mutters as you sleep peacefully on his shoulder on your way home. how many years has he been saying it before he lost count? it’s truly just a matter of when you’ll wake up and finally realize it yourself.

he feels the blood rush to his brain as he throws himself on his bed, unable to wipe the image of you smiling as if you had heard him.

© vxnuslogy 2024. do not plagiarize, repost, or translate any of my works without my knowledge or consent in other platforms or websites.

[sacr1ficialang3l]

Can you read my mind? (I've been watching you.) 𓆩♡𓆪

DEAN WINCHESTER X CUPID!READER

SUMMARY: Dean and Sam get a little unexpected help with a weird case. 2.3k

WARNINGS: none. first meeting. fem!reader. dean being wary of the supernatural but weak to a pretty face.

NOTES: VERY late valentine's post. I was struck with inspiration at 2 in the morning. Idk if Valentines are a thing or if i made them up but whatever. This is my first time writing for supernatural and my first time writing a fanfic in years pls be nice. Enjoy<3

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” You sigh as you materialize behind the brothers, making them almost jump out of their skin. “Love all over the place.”

You ignore their flabbergasted expressions as you look around the crowded plaza. It was Valentine’s day, and the whole place was decorated with pink and red hearts, the white streamers hanging from the trees moving with the breeze as couples and groups of friends walked around.

“Who are you?” You ignore the shorter one’s question as your gaze focuses on two kids sitting on a bench.

You could feel how much they liked each other, but they sat facing opposite ways, hands on laps and eyes stuck to the ground. You sigh and swiftly move your manicured hand towards them, pink nails shining under the sunlight. You can feel the brothers’ wary eyes on you, but you simply watch as the boy on the bench suddenly gets a notification on his phone.

“I just won two tickets for the My Chem show tonight.” He announces to the girl, voice incredulous. As they both start celebrating, the boy shyly looks up and invites her to go with him. She says yes, and after a few giggles and babbled words, they get up from the bench and leave.

You can’t help the little squeak that comes out of your mouth, your pastel pink wavy hair bouncing as you give a little jump. You immediately turn to the Winchester brothers, covering your mouth with your hand

“Sorry. You would think that after so many years on the job I would get used to it.” You sigh, twirling a lock of your hair with your fingers. “But sometimes it still manages to make me all giddy.”

You turn around just to find a gun being pointed towards you, barrel pressed to your stomach as green eyes bore holes into your head. Who you assumed was Dean Winchester was glaring at you, scowling, while his brother tried to block civilians from noticing the firearm in his hand.

Who would’ve thought green could be so beautiful.

You chuckle, not intimidated at all, which only made the brothers look even more confused.

“What the fuck are you?” Dean asks, the gun digging a little deeper into your skin.

“Are you Cupid?” This time it is Sam, his eyes studying your tiny pink dress, pink hair, and pink boots. But more importantly, the little bow and arrow that hung from your back.

You give the tall guy a cheeky smile.

“You must be Sam, hm? I’ve heard you’re the smart one.” You look back at Dean, delicate hand wrapping around the gun that was still being pressed against you. “Why don’t we put this away before you hurt someone.” You keep your eyes on him as you lower the gun. He lets you, a lost look on his face as to why he is letting you.

You take a step back and smile again, all rosy cheeks and fluttering eyelashes. “To answer your question, I guess you can call me a cupid, but I’m not the Cupid.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Dean’s eyes roam up and down your body.

“We’ve met Cupid before.” Comes Sam’s explanation. “So, you work for him? Are you an angel?”

You hum softly, pouty lips pursing. “I don’t work for the Cupid you met, the angel. But you humans also call my boss that.” The brothers’ expressions stay equally clueless. “I work for Eros, the-”

“Greek god of love.” You send Sam a sweet smile for his right answer.

“And desire, yes!”

“So you’re a Goddess.” Dean affirms more than asks, and when you turn back to face him you are struck with his beauty once again. Both brothers were drop-dead gorgeous, but something about the sharpness in the older one’s features made you want to ask if he was in any way related to Lady Aphrodite.

“Oh, no. Gods no.” You shake your head, making the multiple silver jewelry in your ears clink. “We work for Eros. Think about us like a version of Artemis’ hunters.”

“Yeah, because that gives me so much clarity.” Dean’s voice was breathtakingly deep, it reminded you of being in Lord Ares’ presence. (Happened once, never again.)

“Gods are incredibly powerful, but they often need help from mortals to do certain deeds. Artemis’ hunters, Hecate’s priests and priestess, so on and so forth.” You explain quickly. Sam seemed to understand you perfectly, Dean still looked a bit like he wanted to shoot you. “We don’t have an official name like that, but you can call us Valentines.”

“So you, what? Go around making people fall in love?” He asks with skepticism. You sigh. Everyone always had the same wrong idea.

“We don’t make people fall in love, we simply… present them with opportunities.” You chuckle and turn to look around the plaza, teeth biting down on your lower lip as you try to look for an example. You find a blond guy who was messing around with his friends near an ice cream shop. Right behind him, a girl in roller skates was moving his way.

“See those two?” I ask the brothers, pointing towards the pair. “If I didn’t intervene, they would never cross paths. But their auras, they are compatible, and they’re both lonely.” You squint, concentrating. Aura reading wasn’t as easy as fake witches made it seem. “But if I just…” Once again, you move your hand delicately towards them.

Suddenly, Blond Boy's friend's milkshake falls to the ground. It causes Blond Boy to take several steps back, getting right in Roller Skates Girl’s way. She immediately tries to stop, but it makes her lose her balance. Blond Boy’s hands are instantly on her waist, preventing her from falling on her back. They look at each other, eyes lingering, and your job is done.

You turn to the Winchesters with a satisfied smile, your flowy skirt dancing around you as you twirl, and they just stare back at you with wide eyes.

“I can’t tell how I feel about it.” Declares Sam, making you snicker.

“If it makes you feel better, I can assure you I can only influence circumstances.” You sigh, looking back at the two lovebirds. They’re already exchanging numbers. “Whatever happens from here on out is in their hands.”

That seems to do the trick, at least for the younger brother. Dean still looked like he was going to reach for his gun anytime soon. You sigh again.

“Look, I am not here to cause trouble.” You raise your hands in surrender, bracelets sliding down your wrists. “I came to talk.”

“Why would you want to talk to us?” You start to walk down the plaza, a little skip to your step. You stop right on the edge of the plaza where you could look down at the sea, waves hitting against the asphalt in a calming manner. Both brothers share a confused look before following you.

“You two are here for a hunt, right?” You ask walking down the edge of the shoreline, go-go boots click-clacking against the cobblestone. “The deaths that have been happening? People killing people they love?”

“What do you know about it?” You turn around at Dean’s accusatory tone. His gun was back in his hand, and it makes you roll your eyes. His eyebrows raise in surprise.

Looks like there was an edge in between all that sugar-covered whimsy after all.

“You know, everyone says you are distrustful, but damn.” You tsk. Why was it always the cute ones that had the biggest attitude problems? “I wasn’t going to intervene, but when I found out that the Winchesters were in my zone, I had to do something. You two are kind of famous for wiping out any supernatural beings you come in contact with.” You continue to walk down the shoreline. When you get to a light pole, you twirl around it until you’re facing the brothers again. “Any other day, I would’ve just hidden until you finished your job, but it is Valentine’s. The boss likes us to be extra active today.”

It looked like Dean wants to retort, but Sam interrupts him. “What do you know about the case?”

Your smile fades a little, and you let go of the light pole, your shiny eyes dropping to the floor.

“You’re looking for an Anti-Valentine, or that’s what we call them.” Your cheeks blush with shame. “They’re like us, Eros’ followers, but they…”

“Turn evil?” Dean guesses sarcastically, and you nod.

“Why would they want people to kill who they love?” Asks Sam, crossing his arms. “I mean, you look like you love love.”

That makes you giggle. “It is… hard. To do this job.” You lean back into the light pole, looking out at the sea. “There’s only so many times you can make two people who are perfect for each other meet, only for them to cheat or hurt each other before you start to have doubts.” You bite your lip, doe eyes glossing with sadness.

“And that makes them turn evil?”

“Well, most Valentines have had doubts at some point in our lives. But Anti-Valentines, they start to think humans don’t deserve love. They start getting angry and hateful, and it starts to poison them.” You swallow harshly, looking down at the floor before your eyes meet Dean’s green one, and the heavy weight on your chest turns a little lighter. Huh. “Valentines can’t manipulate mortal’s emotions, but Anti-Valentines… They've learned how to blind humans with anger. I think you humans may call it a rage blackout or something.”

The brothers seem to be processing your words. Dean studies you slowly while Sam looks like he’s racking his brain for any information on Valentines. If you hadn’t been so sad, you would totally be flirting with Dean right now. Yes, Eros was the God of love, but everyone seemed to forget he was also the God of desire. You could be a hell of a vixen when you were in the mood.

“So, how do we kill it?” Asks Dean, always ready to fight. It was hot.

“That’s the problem.” You sigh for what felt like the millionth time in the last hour, twirling around the light pole once again, cheeky smile returning to your face. “If I tell you how to kill them, I tell you how to kill me.”

Dean’s eyebrow raises, but his mouth twitches into a half-smirk. He looks you up and down one more time before his tongue runs over his lower lip, earning an incredulous huff from Sam.

“So, what’s the deal?”

“I’ll tell you how to find the Anti-Valentine and how to kill it, and you promise not to come for me after.”

“You got yourself a deal, sweetheart.”

𓆩♡𓆪

Dean was soaked in black blood when you appeared in front of him again.

Sam and he had just finally killed the Anti-Valentine, after being thrown against walls and dodging heart-pointed arrows for what felt like hours. Looks like those little bows aren't only for the aesthetic.

So while Sam and Dean looked a little worse for wear as they tried to catch their breath, there you were, in the middle of a filthy warehouse looking like a literal goddess. Pastel pink hair perfectly styled, shiny lips and shiny eyeshadow, your pink boots not getting dirty at all even as you walked through the dirt on the ground. The worst part was how you were pink everywhere. He wasn’t talking about only your clothes and hair. Your cheeks, your knees, your elbows. The palm of your hands and your pouty lips. Made him wonder, just how many other places were pink too.

“Nice to see you two are as good as they say.” You walk close to where the brothers are leaning against a wall. They were covered in blood and grim, slight cuts all over from when they weren’t quick enough while avoiding the Anti-Valentine’s arrows.

You stand right in front of Dean, and there is a halo of light around you. You were literally glowing. You were just so glad the Anti-Valentine had been taken care of. You would’ve done something about it before the Winchesters got into town, but Valentines couldn’t attack other Valentines, even if they were evil.

“Happy to meet your expectations, sweetheart.” Dean grunts, hand pressing to his side where there was a long gash.

You extend your hand towards him with a grin, palm up and ring-clad fingers waving. “My blade, please and thank you.”

You had given the brothers your celestial bronze dagger to use against the Anti-Valentine with the promise that they would give it back.

“What if we ever need to kill another one of these, hm?” It is impressive how Dean managed to look so hot when he was slowly bleeding out from his side. “Or another Greek creature.”

You smirk, and with a little jump you land in front of him. You lean in, biting your full lower lip and blinking up at Dean, long eyelashes fluttering. “Then I guess you’ll have to give me a call, sweetheart.”

You softly press a hand to Dean’s chest, making his breath hitch. You subtly wrap your hand around your dagger in his jacket’s pocket. When his eyes drop down to your lips, you press your hand harder against his torso. Gods, he was firm.

In less than a second, all injuries in Dean’s body were cured. Even the gash on his side. He looks up at you in surprise, and you swiftly take a step back, dagger in hand. You let out a dreamy giggle, taking a step towards Sam and pressing a finger to the tip of his nose, making a little “boop” sound and curing him instantly too.

You take another little jump back, facing both brothers as you brush your hair behind your shoulder and dangle the dagger between your slender fingers. With one last giggle, you wink at Dean.

“See you later, boys.”

You disappear in a cloud of pastel pink smoke, leaving behind a smell of caramel and red velvet cake.

And you knew you were gonna see them again. After all, you had a soft spot for pretty things.

[theformulaimagines]

Look at that woman (breaking my heart) | part one

Pairing: Lewis Hamilton x Vettel!Reader

Summary: For one and a half years Lewis and y/n managed to keep their relationship a secret, until it blew up in their faces. Now, they're trying their hardest to pick up the pieces...

Warnings: age gap (reader is 27), heat!!!!, other drivers are mentioned, tiny bit of angst, english isn’t my first language

Prologue

That night…

“As much as I absolutely adore you guys.”, Y/N says as she joins the group, her lips connecting with her champagne glass:” This party is super boring.” The men all look at her, while some eyes make their way up and down her body. One pair more often than the others.

“Well, I don’t think it’s that-.”, poor Lando gets cut off almost immediately. “I know that this is your first party, considering how they didn’t host them during Covid, however, believe me- back in the good old days these summer parties were the main event of the year for us.”

“Don’t say it like that.”, Lewis scoffs softly, furrowing his eyebrows in distress:” ‘Good old days’, please. Don’t make it sound like we’re in our sixties now.” George giggles.

“Anyway, Lando. When my brother was an active driver, we used to steal a bunch of champagne bottles and hide out in the Ferrari garage.” Her eyes shift back to Lewis, and she stares at him for a moment:” Don’t make that face.”

“What face? I’m not making a face.”, he blinks in confusion. Y/N shakes her head while holding her index finger up at him: “Don’t act like you weren’t the main burglar back then. Sneaking behind the bar and just handing those bottles over to me like your life depended on it.” At that, all the other drivers in the group laugh out loud. “That was the old, alcoholic me.”, Lewis explains, his eyes scanning her features- almost as if he’s searching for something he can’t quite put the finger on.

“Well, what’s stopping us from doing that again?”

“Wait what?”, Charles asks and exchanges looks with the men around him:” Are you implying we-.” “Bingo.”, she takes another sip of her drink. There’s just something about the way Lewis looks at her side profile that makes her knees weak…he has been staring a lot lately. After a few seconds, Lando is the first one to react, he nods almost violently:” Okay, well- I mean, why not? Could be fun! Lewis and Y/N, you go get the bottles, and the rest of us-? I don’t know. We just distract the others?”

Lewis nods:” Well, yeah. Sure.” He chuckles as he notices the smile emerging on his best friend’s face and the woman quickly sets her glass down on the closest table :” We’ll meet you guys at the exit in five.”

Y/N can sense his presence close behind her. She doesn’t have to turn around to check. His brown eyes are moving down her backless dress and he subconsciously wets his lips at the scenery in front of him. “What’s so funny?“, he asks, as if he knew she was silently giggling to herself.

“Oh, nothing.”, Y/N replies as they reach the bar. The y/h/ced woman quickly leans over and grabs two bottles before shoving them into his hands. Then she takes two more. “You’re still good at this, aren’t you?”, he asks, voice low. “Only when it comes to expensive things. Now, let’s hurry.”

landonorris has made a post

liked by y/nvettel, mclaren, f1 and 378,500 others

landonorris: first f1 summer party- many more to come 🥂🥂

view all comments…

user 1: 😍😍

user 2: hes so fine GOD

y/nvettel: cheers 🙂‍↕️🥂

user 3: my favorite 🤩

user 4: is it true that y/n and lewis left together

user 5: please you guys are starting to sound ridiculous they’ve been friends since forever

user 6: @/user 5 thank you!!! plus friends don’t date their friends younger siblings

user 7: @/user 6 yeah they do

mercedesamgf1: that garage sign looks familiar 👀

“I think we should head out.”, Lando lets out and yawns, pointing at the clock on the wall. 03:56 am. A soft sigh leaves Y/N's lips while she eyes how the men all get up from their spots on the floor.

“Wait, you’re all leaving?”, she asks, a hint of disappointment in her voice. “I don’t think Lewis is.”, Charles says and cracks his neck. Y/N turns her head to look at her best friend who merely shakes his head.

“Well, okay. Yeah, sleep tight you guys.”

A silence falls on the garage, as the sounds of the voices and footsteps gradually fade away. “I like your outfit, by the way.”, she suddenly declares, cringing as soon as those words leave her lips. She doesn’t understand why she’s becoming so nervous around Lewis- it’s only Lewis, right?

He chuckles:” Thanks. It’s the new collection.” Y/N's gaze falls to the glass in her hands.

“You look stunning.”, he whispers, and when their eyes meet again Y/N suddenly understands why she has been feeling so strange around him recently. “This is going to sound creepy.”, she clears her dry throat:” But I’ve read your latest Vogue interview, where you said-.”

“I like black dresses.”, he cuts her off, eyes once again roaming her body:” You’re trying to impress me?” He knows the answer already. “Well, what kind of impression are you trying to make?”

The younger woman chuckles softly:” A good one.”

“And you were successful. You look unbelievable.”

There’s a line. And they both know it.

Y/N takes another sip of her drink while peeking out of the garage door and into the night sky. She shouldn’t be doing this, she really shouldn’t. Instead, she should be getting up and leaving. Walk away before she does something extremely stupid.

“Can I ask you something?”, Lewis tilts his head. “Of course, yeah. Always.”, Y/N tears her gaze off the stars and looks back at one of her brother’s oldest friends. She should leave.

“What’s your end goal here?”

”I think we both know what my end goal is.”

[magpie-trove]

The arcs! The arcs!!!! The character work was so well done!

•Wim wanting adventure and no one else wanting it, and then they learn the goodness of the outside world and he discovers the goodness of home as well. Home IS the treasure world all the pirates want to get to! Because it’s something they didn’t get! And he helps KB and she says bet you thought it’d be more exciting, saving someone’s life? And in the end his dad’s boring job is exciting and saves everyone!

•Wim trusting people because they seem friendly and him being the one able to figure out who the good and bad guys are and warn his dad who believes Jod just like he did, and figuring out who he wants to join in the end (the people that help other people!) BUT being someone who saves other people also means recognizing WHO needs saving, and he’s the one that gets to humanize Jod a little bit in the end

•Wim’s dad starts with aren’t you too old for bedtime stories (growing up=getting boring) and he has a whole arc of acting childish and then childlike, and having to realize there’s more of the story in the world than he thought, and he GETS to realize that! Because all the was keeping him from believing it was the idea that it wasn’t that way.

•Fern and the tower! She lives at the top of the hill and her mom is anxious to keep her safe up there because there’s not room for everyone at the top. But she goes out and learns that being on top is a responsibility, that being a leader and a captain means looking at the people around you and seeing what they are good at and helping them do that! And she also sees the outside world her mom’s afraid of also has good people who will help you in it. The very first thing when she steps into the pirate world a lady they don’t know pulls them aside to help them! And so with her and her mom in the actual tower she’s able to convince her mom to bring the barrier down that separates them from the outside world. It was keeping them safe but it was also shutting out the good!

•Neel teaches the warrior girl the value of a peaceful life. Kindness isn’t weak! Saying sorry isn’t weak! It’s the way you actually resolve things and *live*. He changes that planet. But he also learns from her! Neel who’s kind partially because he’s scared of everything ends by saying we almost died like every day but it was fun! That’s how you know it was a real adventure! And he saves his friend with the actual knowledge Hana the warrior girl gave him—the big gun on top of the school. (Think it’s insanely fitting that Neel who aced his school exams at the beginning gets to defend everyone with the weapon of the school. Again! The boring ordinary takes on new life and power! The goodness of the ordinary! It’s actually exciting! But it does have to transform to be. It has to be part of something bigger!)

•KB is the brains! Jod says trust your gut but Khym the owl lady says think! Use your head! And she learns on the hotel planet with Wim that what she needs is to communicate! And she’s the one that sends the message!

•Jod!!! He gets to be an antagonist and he’s scary not because he’s a grown up but because he can’t grow up!! His nemeses aren’t the adults it’s the KIDS because that’s the level he’s on. He’s Emma Swan!! He’s stuck in the idea that the world is awful and no one’s coming to save anyone so you just have to fend for yourself and take what you can get (pirate worldview), until!!! That literally crashes and burns in front of him! Because someone DID show up to save them! His whole world crumbles!! Who knows!! He can start again!

[k1mbe3rly]

Hi ;-)

may i please request a Ha-ri x cuddle female reader who loves her gf very much and is in the athletic team of the school but bad as hell and the most weak on the team?

Too lazy for archery

warnings: none, lazy!reader

You and Ha-ri were dating for awhile, yall were both in athletics and you did the same thing as her, Archery, she was the caption of the team

The only problem was that you were a bit lazy, you never wanted to practice nor train and sometimes even got yelled at by the coach

You groaned after another lecture, you get a bit insecure about all the other archery teammates, watching them practice as you fumbled with your recurve bow, you begin spinning it around as you accidentally dropped it with a loud crash as you gasped

Your coach looked over groaning a bit as he walked towards “God damnit y/n! don’t you know how expensive these are?” he asked you “Sorry coach it was an accident-.” you spoke

“Do you even wanna be on this team? you never practice” he said, you stared at the coach for a moment “of course i do..” you said picking up the bow

“Than act like it. Matter a fact shoot into the target” he said pointing at bullseye, you slowly nodded as you grabbed an arrow, you begin getting into position as you pushed back the arrow and shot it

you watched as you completely missed the target and it head straight the wall, you huffed softly shutting your eyes a bit, “Wow..such a great shot.” your coach said and walked away, your groaned again as you rubbed your forehead

Ha-ri was watching from afar smirking at you and chuckled, she found it a bit funny on how you kept going with archery for her, she went up to you grabbing your bow “It’s alright.. he’s always tuff on us” she said patting your back

You just stared at her for a moment “Maybe archery isn’t for me” you told her as she tilt her head

“Yeaaa i don’t think so either” she said smiling as you punched her shoulder softly and frowned “Your not supposed to agree!” you told her as she laughed

When yall got home you kept complaining about how you were tired of archery

“The only reason why you’re bad is because you don’t practice..start practicing” she told you

“But i don’t want too! that’s so boring ha-ri..” you told her as you flopped onto the bed

She followed you sitting next to you “Well..you can’t get good than” she simply said looking at you

You looked back at her and rolled your eyes a bit, you felt her hands go to your waist pulling you closer

“Don’t worry about it too much..” she said softly as she pushed your head to her chest a bit, you hummed as you hugged her back basically

You guys laid there as you looked up, she looked down at you “Do you think i’ll get good?” you asked

“..if you practice?” she said back as you groaned

She chuckled and kissed you and placed her chin on your head, you nuzzled your head into her neck a bit as you closed your eyes falling asleep

she stroked your hair a bit and eventually yall both fell asleep

Maybe in the future you do practice

[icyg4l]

PAC: How Does Your Higher Self Define Womanhood?

Hello, beautiful people. Today marks the last post of the Women’s History Month series & one of two posts made today! I am excited to continue to create content for you guys. And I am even more grateful for the support I have received as of lately. Because of this, I will continue to post creative tarot readings. So, without further ado, please pick your pile.

Left-to-Right: (1-4)

Pile 1: Pile One, your story reminds me of the Miss Congeniality plot. Basically, Sandra Bullock plays a detective that goes undercover as a beauty pageant contestant. At first, she rejects the ideas of what it means to be a “girly girl” but eventually conforms to the standards. She viewed femininity as a sign of weakness and did not like being around other women because she felt that she had to prove herself to be tough. But she gained respect for the girls who worked in these pageants as she worked undercover because she began to acknowledge the hard work it takes to be in the pageants. By the end, she is closer to her womanhood. You have a similar story. I doubt that you’re a detective reading this but I feel as though you may have the tendency to thoroughly investigate any piece of information. To your higher self, womanhood means constantly being on the search for answers to placate the inner child wounds that lie within you. I feel like when you were younger, you may have been an outcast or a tomboy, maybe both. Because of this, you have set a lifelong quest to figure out what being a woman means to you whether it is intentional or not. Your higher self wants you to know that being a woman comes with all types of trauma, but remembering that you do not have to face it alone. You do not have to carry the burdens alone. You see, women are conditioned to be demure for the sake of keeping the peace but that’s not what works for you. Embrace the messy parts of yourself because if you don’t, life will get boring. Part of your mission is being aware of your multifaceted nature; reject conformity, embrace the abnormal, babe.

Cards Used: The Sun, 4 of Cups, 4 of Swords, 5 of Wands, Ace of Cups, The Magician, 5 of Cups, 3 of Cups, 3 of Swords.

Signs: Aquarius, Libra, Leo, Sagittarius.

extras: money getter. cash grabs. “low hanging fruit.” airhead. wallpaper. phineas and ferb. “sharon.” beetles. s.o.s. by rihanna. “tinge of an accent.” sweet. mirrors. coconut trees. hawaii. stubborn. radioactive.

Pile 2: Pile Two, there is a similar vibe that you have to Pile One, except I don’t think that you have problems with accepting your femininity. I think that you have problems with how masculines function in society. I am sensing a Lori Harvey type of energy here. This is likely related to the way that you operate when it comes to love. People tend to want to possess you so that they can show you off like a trophy. But your higher self wants you to know the difference between users and the genuine thing. I feel like you’ve developed this flighty persona to protect yourself from harm. While experiencing the many tribulations of womanhood, you have adopted the “flights over feelings” type of mindset. How has that been working out for you? No, really. Is it actually working or have you convinced yourself that it has. As a woman, your higher self thinks that womanhood is finding love in a loveless world. This isn’t necessarily about romance, but it’s just a mindset that you should adopt. It will save you from falling victim to the cycles of toxicity that plague society. It’s a cold world out here, babe but it doesn’t mean that you have to be as cold as the world. Part of your mission is forgiving yourself and those who hurt you so that you can see the beauty in the world. With this newfound sight of beauty, there comes true inner power.

Cards Used: The Devil, 7 of Discs (RX), 8 of Wands, The Hierophant, 3 of Swords, 3 of Cups, 10 of Discs, The Star, 10 of Cups (RX).

Signs: Capricorn, Cancer, Scorpio, Virgo.

extras: two can play that game. all about love by bell hooks. renegade. open arms. country music lover. tony montana. archer (2009). “logan.” phoenix rising. “marcus.” ashy. corny. cerebellum. stupendous.

Pile 3: Pile Three, your higher self defines womanhood as something that is both sweet and sour. It is something that she takes for granted but it is also something that she takes pride in. It’s a strength but also a weakness. I feel like I am talking to someone who has an ingenue/youthful spirit. I channeled the character Darla from The Little Rascals but I also channeled Charlotte from Princess and the Frog. You seem to be very in tune with your inner child and there is nothing wrong with that. Your inner child is heavily protected by the teenaged version of yourself, which seems very angry. These different versions of yourself often clash with one another, which can lead to bouts of depression and confusion. Your higher self is a woman who pours into herself through movement and self-expression. You need to channel these negative energies into creativity or else you will be stifled by your own thoughts. You honestly need to get out of your head. Your higher self feels as though there is a flip side to every coin that you get. For example, if you are having period pains, it may hurt but at least you’re not pregnant! Looking on the brighter side of life is how you can be closer to your higher self.

Cards Used: 5 of Swords, 6 of Swords, Page of Swords, Justice, 4 of Cups, Ace of Cups, Ace of Discs, 5 of Wands, The Hanged Man.

Signs: Leo, Pisces, Aries, Gemini.

extras: janet jackson. “i’m da man.” we will rock you. parties. diva. elle magazine. shapely. “how’d you figure?” honest answers only. maya angelou. glorilla. lola bunny. fatigue. body aches. deodorant. small bowls. annual. prayers. mark on the cheek. boot camp. “your highness.” shredded cheese. livelihood.

Pile 4: And last but not least, Pile Four. I feel like you are well sought after in the most lusty way possible. This has its perks, but lately, you feel like it has more cons than anything. I feel like you’re someone who always seems to feel isolated because of this. As a result, your higher self views womanhood as foreign. The amount of power that you hold as a woman is beyond explanation. There are so many ways that you can present yourself, Pile Four. I don’t think you have realized your true potential. Yes, you have gone through trauma because people assumed that you could handle the weight of the world but this means nothing to your spirit. Wake up! Don’t you realize how unique you are? Pile Four, womanhood can really only be defined by you, not by anyone else. The prioritization of yourself will help you make a name for yourself. You could be in your 20s, tired and just wanting a change. Well, your higher self wants you to know that change will come once you begin to change the narrative yourself. If you believe something about yourself that was told to you by someone else, then it means that you’re easily moldable. Being a woman means rising to the top even through the facings of opposition. You are a fighter. So the question is: when are you going to jump in the ring and fight for your sense of self, Pile Four.

Cards Used: Ace of Cups, Queen of Wands, 3 of Discs, Knight of Discs, Ten of Swords, 4 of Discs, The Hermit, Queen of Swords, 9 of Discs.

Signs: Gemini, Pisces, Cancer, Virgo.

extras: “tart.” “fresh out the shower.” burgundy. melons. net worth. SWer. dollar bills. illegal documents. molly. friendless. stoned. be your own boss. cake baker. sister, sister. wiseman. silly goose. fall. saturn.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello, I hope that I'm not too late for a small request for the NRC family interaction. But still do want to ask for a req for Azul Ashengrotto and Jamil Vipver to interact with Najma Viper. I could already imagine how chaotic it would be already.

Oml, Jamil’s worst nightmare would be if Najma developed a crush on Azul 😭 He would so go protective big brother mode… I didn’t decide to do that for this interaction though, it’s just a funny thought I had.

Family means Nobody is Left Behind or Forgotten.

“Oya, is that my dear friend Jamil-san over there?”

That voice. That ever-so grating voice, trilling out his name so sweetly. Immediately, Jamil wished to retreat into his hoodie like a turtle to a shell and die there.

Alas, he could do no such thing—not when he was trapped among several milling bodies, his younger sister in tow. Najma had heard and glanced over her shoulder. She locked eyes with the approaching octopus and arched an eyebrow as she tugged on her brother’s sleeve.

“Hmm? Hey, Jamil. There’s a guy in glasses headed this way and waving. It sounds like he wants your attention,” she pointed out.

“I know,” he hissed back, already starting to powerwalk away from Azul. And that’s just what I’m afraid of.

“Aren’t you going to at least say hi? It’d be rude to straight up ignore him.”

Jamil internally cursed. All that nagging from their parents about etiquette and how to show hospitality had been well and truly drilled into him as well as into her. Now it came back to bite him like a loose snake where it smarted the most.

“Please. He isn’t worth my breath—or the trouble.”

“Jamil-san! Please wait.”

To his dismay, Najma stopped dead in her tracks. “I really think you should greet him before you go.”

He gaped at her. “You’re joking.”

“Sevens, why are you being so weird about this?” She rolled her eyes. Then, cupping her hands around her mouth, she called out to Azul. Jamil’s stomach sank. “H~eeeeey! Jamil onii-chan’s friend! It’s nice to meet you. I’m his adorable little sister, Najma.”

He frowned. “Since when am I Jamil onii-chan? And since when are you my adorable little sister?”

“Since now,” she muttered back.

“Ahhh, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Azul crooned. He took Najma’s hand and shook it. “Azul Ashengrotto, at your service. I’m a classmate of your brother’s, as well as dorm leader of Octavinelle and manager of the student-run on-campus eatery, Mostro Lounge.”

“Oh, wow!! That sounds so cool.”

“He’s humble bragging,” Jamil said flatly, folding his arms. “… What do you want, Azul?”

“Is that any way to greet your beloved bosom buddy?” He sighed, shrugging his hands up. “I only wanted to check in with you and make sure that you were enjoying Family Day.”

“Don’t say that. It’s disgusting—and patently false.”

Jamil’s eyes sharpened into pointed daggers. He’s surely sniffing around for weak points. If he cannot glean them from me, then he intends to pry those secrets from Najma. I won’t allow that to come to pass.

He gripped his little sister’s hand tightly and tugged on it. “I believe this concludes the obligatory pleasantries. Come along, Najma. We must get going to our next meeting.”

“Boo, you’re no fun,” she pouted, yanking back. “You’d seriously rather go to a boring old meeting than chat with a friend?”

“Don’t be difficult. You’re not visiting to make social calls, you’re here on business.”

“But you’re not attempting to socialize at all. Geez, you’re not putting anything you learned at home to practice, are you?”

“I am plenty!! I’m just selective about where and when to apply those teachings—as should you.”

“What a deep bond you have with your sister, Jamil-san. You fuss over her like a mother hen,” Azul chuckled, pushing his glasses up. “Why, as an only child, it warms my heart to see this kind of camaraderie. I shall have to commit this to memory.”

A heart? he scoffed. A cold, slimy one, perhaps.

Jamil shot Azul a frigid glare. “Do NOT.”

“Oh? But what is so wrong with appreciating a tender moment of bickering between siblings? It’s something I could never hope to experience myself.”

“Yeah, yeah, Jamil! You’re so totally being mean to your classmate for no good reason. Don’t you feel any shame?”

“Are you taking his side in this?!” he demanded of his sister.

“So what if I am?”

“My, my, Najma-san!” Azul suddenly wedged himself between the Vipers like an octopus slipping into the crack of a rock. His smile was annoyingly broad and simpering. “It seems that you and I are kindred spirits.”

“Yup! Looks like we are,” Najma agreed, an equally unsettling smile creeping onto her face.

Jamil paled. I don’t like where this is going…

“Then it is clear what we must do.”

“Yeah, it’s so obvious.”

They both turned to Jamil. The dread in his stomach spiked, hitting his peak, then sailed past it. He could feel his blood pressure shooting up too.

“We should bully him!”

[callsign-rogueone]

conscription day - a.g.

Aaric Graycastle x reader words: 1.2k 🏷: at incredibly long last, here begins the story of Aaric and Sunny! no pronouns used in this chapter but future ones will use she/her. very minimal Iron Flame spoilers. their story will follow the whole book so more major stuff in future chapters. in this one: canon-typical peril, dragon fire, implied death of unnamed characters. proofread, but with a migraine. five points of extra credit if you can identify another girlfriend or two in here 👀

Crossing the parapet was easy enough, and that should be the hardest part of your day today, yet you still can’t kick the nervous feeling in your chest, even after you have both boots on solid ground and your name has been recorded as having made it across, after you've been organized into a squad...

It persists through the handful of boring patriotic speeches about the commitment you’ve made to your country, which go in one ear and out the other. You know why you’re here. You don’t need to be given any other reasons.

You look over at the boy next to you. He doesn’t look scared of anything; not the quartet of dragons perched on the stone wall fifty yards away, nor the rest of the cadets around him who are all armed to the teeth, but he’s not loud and proud about it like some of the other cadets you’d heard talking on the Parapet. He’s keeping quiet, and watching. 

It’s almost like he doesn’t want anyone to see him, trying to blend into the crowd as an average guy so as to not make any enemies or expose any weakness he might have — but he certainly doesn’t look like he has any weaknesses, tall and strong and well trained, wearing his weapons like he knows how to use them, silently watching the rest of the crowd in the courtyard.

Maybe you’re a little bit alike in that regard; not in your level of preparation — you’re definitely the least-armed person in the squad, and likely in the entire quadrant, with one knife at each hip and absolutely nothing else, as that was all you’d been able to afford before you left for Basgiath — but in the way you present yourselves to the rest of the world, focusing on figuring everyone else out and keeping quiet, not sharing much.

Your nerves are finally starting to settle. The four dragons continue to eye you, some scarier than others; a battle-hardened red, a bored green and an equally disinterested brown that actually yawns -- and looks to be missing a few teeth when it does, and a mean-looking blue at the end of the row. Just missing black and orange.

As if the thought had manifested into reality, a massive, one-eyed orange dragon swoops down to perch on the wall too, stone crumbling under its feet. The other dragons clearly weren’t expecting this — the red bares his teeth at the intruder, the others backing up to give him a healthy amount of space.

One of the wingleaders, the only girl of the four, shouts something you can’t distinguish, and then there’s a chorus of screams as the orange unhinges its massive jaw, spewing red flame upon the formation.

A girl across the courtyard springs into action, leaping in front of her wing with her palms outstretched, making some kind of invisible shield over herself and the group of students behind her that deflects the fire. Clearly there isn’t anyone in your area that has this ability — everyone hits the ground, or yanks each other aside and prays they’ll be far enough away to avoid being burnt.

The boy you’d been watching locks eyes with you, and then you’re on the ground underneath him in a matter of seconds, wrapped up in each other; chest to chest, his hands braced against the gravel on either side of your head, one leg between yours, your faces less than three inches apart.

The intimacy, the implications of this position you’re in with a total stranger, a man you’ve never met, and an armed one, at that, should make your skin crawl, should make you want to kick and scratch to get him off of you, but you stay in place, under the safety of his armored shoulders, because it’s clear that he doesn’t want to hurt you, or to assert his power over you — but to protect you.

You have a deep-down feeling that you can trust him, despite not knowing anything about him. He doesn’t know anything about you, either. You don’t think he even knows your name — you’re certainly too shaken to remember his, if you’d heard it -- but he hadn’t hesitated to put himself between you and danger, turned his back on a fire-breathing dragon to make sure you were safe.

You’re still transfixed by the color of his eyes, a gorgeous jade green with a ring of gold around his pupils, which are dilated with the same mix of shock and fear that yours must be -- maybe he’s not as fearless as you thought. No, brave is a better descriptor. Isn’t that what bravery is, being scared but doing it anyway? 

If every day at this school is like this, you could certainly learn a thing or two from him.

The screaming stops and the heat lessens, replaced with the sound of an earth-shaking roar and the smell of smoke and charred leather.

“Are you okay?” he asks, the first time you’ve heard him speak. His voice is soft and cool, soothing.

“Yeah,” you manage, blinking up at him. “I’m okay.”

He rises to his knees, then his feet, extending a hand to help you up. You take it appreciatively, regaining your footing, surprised by the steadiness of your steps.

He reaches forward to brush the dirt from your hair, tucking a loosened strand behind your ear.

Your heart has never beat this fast in your life. You’ve never been touched this gently, never seen such a deep look of concern in a man’s eyes, that gorgeous shade of green looking down at you…  You realize that he’s still holding your hand -- rather, you’re still holding his. You let go quickly, your cheeks warming with embarrassment. 

“I’m okay,” you repeat, as much of a reassurance for yourself as it is for him. “Thank you,” you add after a second, still a little stunned by the events of the last two minutes — especially by the way he’d acted, to come to your rescue without hesitation.

He would smile at you if he hadn’t just watched a dozen people be incinerated. “We’re supposed to look out for each other, aren’t we?”

You manage a nod, your eyes finally moving from his to assess the damage and regretting it immediately. All of Second Wing seems intact, having been protected by the girl who had put up the air shield. She looks a little unsteady on her feet, but otherwise unharmed — it must have taken a lot of energy to do something like that. First Wing was far enough away to be unscathed, but Third Wing, and the squad beside yours… if you had been placed anywhere else, there would have been a reasonable chance that you’d have been burnt alive.

You don’t have much time to dwell on it as the girl you remember to be the squad leader, Rhiannon, barks out an order to fall back into formation. 

You step back into place at the back of the block, between your hero and a blonde girl who looks like she regrets eating breakfast this morning. “Deep breaths,” you whisper to her. “In through your nose, out through your mouth, like you’re blowing bubbles.”

She blinks at you, but tries it anyway, and it seems to work, her posture loosening slowly. “Thanks,” she replies quietly, keeping her eyes forward. 

The boy is right — the three of you should look out for each other, if you want to make it out of here alive.

[sykesandskittles]

CHAPTER 3

Harlow

UH, shit.

Noah’s face is unreadable, but he does look like he’s going to launch himself at me any moment. I half-wonder if he plans on extricating me from this ceremony, by force, if necessary.

I take a step back and scan the room for the nearest exit. It’s about thirty feet to my left, on the other side of about fifty people—all women, all looking at me right now. Everyone is watching as Noah steps off the platform and walks toward me.

My heartbeat kicks up about twenty notches, and my knees suddenly feel weak. I hate being the center of attention. My entire life is designed to keep me in the shadows, which is the way I like it. Everyone staring at me right now—yeah, I’m going to have nightmares about it. For sure.

Noah steps up to me, stopping about an arm's length away. His lazy gaze travels over my hips, to my very ample cleavage, before crawling up and landing on my face. I feel the blood rush to my cheeks, the heat scorching my skin.

He lifts his chin. “You.”

A murmur ripples through the crowd, but I’m too horrified to take much notice. Is this guy serious? Did he just order me like a hamburger off a fast food menu?

Oh. Hell. No.

I open my mouth to respond, but before I can even squeak out a syllable, Noah pulls the necklace he’s wearing over his head and places it over mine. When he does that, a waft of spicy-scented air washes over me, and goddamn, this guy smells good. I inhale against my will, taking the scent into my lungs. He releases the necklace, and I feel the weight of it around my neck, the cold round pendant falling just above my cleavage.

I glance at Talia , and she just stares back at me, wide-eyed, like she can’t comprehend what’s happening right now.

Yeah, girl, same.

Turning back to Noah, I blink up at him, lifting the necklace to take it off. “Um, no, thanks. I’m good.”

Literal gasps trickle throughout the room, and I drop the necklace, leaving it in place around my neck. The gasps are my first clue that I’ve fucked up somehow, but the look that instantly flashes across Noah’s face also clues me in. Shock. Annoyance. Anger. I get the feeling this guy isn’t told no very often. I wonder if he even knows the meaning of the word.

His reaction is only visible on his face for a split second. An instant later, the anger on his face melts into amusement, his full lips turning up into a faint smile. Is he really amused, or is he just trying to save face in front of all these people ?

Lifting a hand, he takes my chin between his thumb and the crook of his finger. He towers over me. My curvy five-foot-six frame is nothing to his muscular six-foot-two or three, and I can’t help it, I’m intimidated.

I’m frozen in place, unable to move. My heart is beating so hard, I’m afraid it might fly right out of my chest and start flopping around on the inlaid floor.

With my chin still in his grip, he looks directly into my eyes— imprisoning me with his hard stare. Then he leans in and whispers in my ear, his rough voice grating against my eardrum. “You’re in my snare, Little Rabbit. I’ve caught you, and now you’re mine.”

The way he says you’re mine, with that deep, gravely baritone, sends a hot ember of desire skipping down my spine. Ugh, fuck. I hate myself for that reaction. I’m no better than the rest of the hopefuls in this room,

fighting for a sliver of his attention. Excited just to get a second look from him.

What’s wrong with me?

Swallowing, I twist my head, ripping my chin out of his grip. “I don’t belong to anyone.” Thankfully, my voice doesn’t shake. I actually sound defiant, which is exactly the vibe I’m going for.

He laughs a little, just a puff of air that signifies his amusement. “We’ll see about that.”

I open my mouth to say something snarky back, but I feel Talia 's hand on my arm, and it stops me. With a slight shake of her head, I get the message that I’m out of my depth. But instead of placating this guy, I just push out a breath, and do my best to look bored. I know guys like this, and they thrive on power and control.

Finally, he moves away, his attention snagged by someone else, and I release the breath I’d been holding. Dear God, even in this giant room, Noah Sabastian manages to take up every square inch of space. Even as I watch him walk away, wending through the crowd of people, laughing at something someone is saying—everyone’s eyes are still on him.

The guy with the stick calls everyone to attention again. “Nick folio will now make his selection.”

I’m still shaking a little when Talia and Wyn pull me out of the room, and into the foyer where it's empty and we can talk in relative privacy. Thankfully, everyone’s focus is on Nick now as he recites his chant.

Wyn’s eyes are wild with disbelief. “I can’t believe you just tried to turn down Noah Sabastian .”

“Girl, he ordered me like a milkshake. Who even does that? I mean, seriously.” I’m not even trying to keep my voice down—not that it matters, because everyone is completely focused on the ceremony that’s happening in the next room.

“That was insane,” Talia says. “Can he even do that? Pick someone who isn’t a member?”

Wyn makes a face. “I mean, yeah, technically.” “What’s that mean, technically?” I ask.

“It doesn’t happen very often. Almost never, in fact. But there’s nothing in the bylaws that says he can’t do it.”

I start pacing, hands on my hips. “Okay, well, that would have been a really helpful memo. When they invited us to this thing, they conveniently left out the concubine part. Which, by the way, is the most important part.”

“Consort,” Wyn corrects.

“Same difference.” I grab the gold pendant that’s hanging from the chain around my neck. I don’t even know what it is. I didn’t see it before Noah put it on me. “Maybe I can just give it back.”

“Uh, not a good idea.” Wyn shakes her head. “Turning down one of the Sacred Sons is like social suicide.”

I throw her a look. “For me or for him?”

“For you, obviously. Noah Sabastian is from one of the original families. The influence he has on campus is limitless. And if you’re on his shit list, then you might as well not exist.”

I blink at her. “That sounds perfect, actually.”

Blending into the background, and staying off everyone’s radar—what’s wrong with that? Sounds pretty ideal.

Talia grabs me by the shoulders. “Harlow , I love you, but listen to me. You can’t waste your entire college experience in your dorm room.” She shakes me. “This could be a good thing. Live a little.”

I purse my lips. I guess this would be a bad time to tell her I want to leave and go back to my dorm room. Unfortunately, it looks like she’s nowhere near ready to bail on this thing—which means I’m stuck here for at least another hour.

I glance down at the necklace. It’s a round pendant with a crown and Latin words stamped in the middle. “So do I just wear this for now, or what?”

“Definitely,” Wyn says with a smile. “Seriously, that necklace will open up a whole new world for you. It’ll give you access to places on campus you can’t even imagine.”

“And, obviously, you’re going to bring your best friend with you to all of those incredible places,” Talia says, flashing a cheesy smile.

I sigh, defeated. They’ve managed to talk me down from the ledge.

Temporarily. “I’m not fucking this guy. ”

I have standards. And douchey college guys aren’t on my fuck-list, no matter how attractive he is.

Talia tilts her head back in frustration. “Fine, whatever. But you can string him along for a few weeks. It’s the least you can do.”

“Don't worry,” Wyn says to Talia . “Once she sees the benefits of being a consort, she won’t want to give that necklace back.”

There’s a ruckus coming from the ceremony room. I guess Nick made his selection because people are cheering. Like, actual cheers of joy. I’m a little annoyed I didn’t get that. I mean, sure, I’m not even one of them, so why would they be happy about me being chosen? But still.

The guy with the stick calls everyone to attention again. Thump. Thump.

Thump. “Nicholas Karlsson will now make his selection.”

“Oh, Nicholas is hot. I’m already dating someone, but I can still enjoy the view, right?” Wyn says, blowing us both a kiss, then sprinting off to join the ceremony.

Talia tugs at her bodice up and runs her fingers through her long waves. “I should throw my hat in, too. Do you think I have a chance?”

I just blink at her.

She pushes out a breath. “Whatever. Wish me luck.” I shake my head. “Absolutely not.”

But she doesn’t even hear me, because she’s already gone, zigzagging her way through the crush of people.

It doesn’t surprise me that she wants this. She’s always been more focused on the popular kids, even when we were in middle school. Back then, we were on the fringes, not popular, but not unpopular, either. We were in the middle and blissfully invisible. I guess she didn’t find it as blissful as I did, though, and I wonder if she’s hoping college is her chance to infiltrate the popular crowd.

I push out a sigh and lean against the wall, tilting my head back. I have to get out of this somehow. But Noah doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that just accepts rejection. Maybe there’s a way I can let him off the hook gently. It shouldn’t be hard. This guy doesn’t even know me, so giving him the ick shouldn’t be too difficult. Tonight I’m all dressed up, but, honestly, I’m a sloth in real life. And there’s no way a guy like Noah Sabastian would go for a girl like me. Not when he’s sober.

There’s no fucking way.

I DON’T KNOW what happens with Nicholas’s selection—whether or not he chose Talia . There are at least forty girls in there, all begging to be picked, so who knows? Talia is gorgeous, but this guy could be into red hair and thick thighs. On both counts, she’d lose.

After a few minutes of trying to get my shit together, I give up and decide to explore the house. It’s better than sitting in the foyer, silently freaking out.

On the main floor, aside from the room where the ceremony is being held, there’s a bathroom, a huge kitchen, a formal dining room, a study, and an informal living room—and in the foyer, there’s a coat closet where I find the basket of cellphones, unguarded. I sift through the phones, and find mine, pulling it out. Ha!

With my phone in hand, I wander back to the living room. It’s the size of my grandmother’s entire apartment, and it’s obviously where they hang out because everything in this room is more relaxed, and modern. There’s a couch, a huge television mounted on the wall, several armchairs, and a pool table.

I wander into the empty room and help myself to a beer that’s inside the fancy mini fridge. Cracking the can open, I take a sip and walk around the perimeter of the room, looking at the art that’s hanging on the walls. The pieces in here are dark, interesting–strange shapes bisecting each other, faces and images emerging from the riot of muted colors. Whoever chose these has a really good eye for art.

I’m taking a photo of the signature on one of the paintings to see how much it would fetch at auction, when the door opens, and someone walks into the room. Bringing my phone down, I blink, and see someone walking toward me. A tall, muscular figure gradually comes into focus, and I recognize him instantly. Of course, I do. I’m now his pet, apparently.

As Noah approaches, I pull the necklace off and hold it out. “Here.

You can find someone else to be your fuck toy. I’m not interested.”

I don’t know why I’m being so outspoken—I’m not usually like this. Maybe it’s the alcohol. Or maybe it’s the fact that Noah and his boys are running their secret society like a meat market.

With a smirk on his face, he steps forward, ignoring the necklace in my hand. We're close now, just a couple feet apart, and we’re in relative privacy. There are people just a couple of rooms away, but they’re all tipsy on champagne and focused on the ceremony. Thank God, because if Noah had an audience, then I know he’d fuck with me, just to make a point. But because we’re alone, I’m hoping he’ll listen to reason.

“Don’t fuck with me,” he says, taking yet another step forward. I’m regretting my decision to wander into this room because now I have nowhere to run. There are a set of French doors on the other side of the room, leading outside, but they’re miles away.

He has me trapped. “Give me your phone.”

Um. Shit. He must have seen me steal it from the closet. I swallow, but I don’t hand my phone over.

He leans in, and I swear to God, my body is a treacherous whore. I can smell him, that musky, soapy, beachy scent that makes something in my stomach flip. Goddamn. His lips are hovering three inches from mine, and the look in his eyes is deadly serious.

The tip of his finger traces a path down my throat, to my shoulder, and the flimsy strap holding my dress up. I have a bra underneath, but it’s strapless, and barely holds my large breasts up. He moves in a fraction closer, and my breath catches. Is he going to kiss me? Do I want that? I

blink. No. Of course, I don’t. But I can’t find my voice to tell him to fuck off, for some reason.

“Hand it over. I won’t say it again.” There’s a threat in his tone, and honestly, I don’t even want to have this interaction, let alone argue with him. If it’ll get him to fuck off sooner, then I’ll tell him. Whatever.

I unlock my phone and then hand it to him with a sigh. Again, I don’t usually just hand my phone over to anyone, but I’ll do anything to get this conversation over with. He opens up my contacts, and enters his information, then texts himself, so he has my information, too.

Great. Perfect.

I remind myself to block him as soon as I get back to my room. He hands my phone back. “When I call, Little Rabbit, answer. ”

The audacity of this guy. Seriously. I’ve never wanted to punch a person in their perfectly sculpted face so badly.

Instead of speaking, I just nod. I have no intention of answering when he calls, but I’m not telling him that. He can figure it out, and by then, I’ll be long gone. And out of sight, out of mind, right? Well, anyway, that’s my plan. Get out of here, then stay invisible. It worked all through high school– mostly–so I’m cautiously optimistic it’ll work at ExU, too.

But instead of backing off, he steps in even closer. The heat of his body wraps around me, and I swallow. Damn, he even smells like a rich kid. Clean and masculine, somehow. I don’t know how someone can smell masculine, but it’s happening. He’s doing it. And those eyes. They’re a clear, crystal brown, and they hold a determination and purpose that makes my pulse race. It’s unnerving because right now, that determination is directed squarely at me.

“Don’t pretend you’re disinterested.” His mouth hovers above mine. If I move, even just a little, our lips will touch. “I know there’s a whore behind that good girl facade.”

I know he said it for shock value, but his words manage to land too close to the truth. My body is a fucking traitor when it comes to Noah Sabastian , and it makes me feel like an idiot.

I lift my chin defiantly. “That’s where you’re wrong. What you see is what you get with me.”

His lips curve into a cruel half-smile. “Is that right?”

In seconds, I’m pressed against the wall roughly, with Noah’s hand under my dress, his fingers skimming my center through the thin fabric of

my panties. His other hand is pressed against the wall above my head, his large body surrounding me, trapping me.

With one finger, he strokes my pussy lips through my panties. “Your panties are soaking wet,” he says appreciatively, his lips skimming the rim of my ear. “Is this where you want my cock?” he asks, dragging the word cock over that deep baritone.

Goodamn. With him like this—surrounding me, touching me, saying dirty things in my ear—I feel a frenzy of excitement building inside me, and I’m powerless to stop it. I’m already trembling, my clit pulsing with need.

I swallow. “I just want to be left alone.”

He laughs, but it’s that humorless laugh from before when we were in the other room. When he singled me out in front of everyone. “That’s not how this works. You’ve been chosen. Now, whether you like it or not, you’re mine.”

I swallow again and say nothing. That phrase makes me want to crawl out of my skin, but I’m not arguing with this guy. Not on his turf. Not with his hand up my dress, stroking me.

This guy has me in a chokehold, and he knows it.

His thumb brushes over my swollen clit through my panties, and my God, I stand up on my tippy-toes inside my heels. A jolt of electricity zips through me, and it takes every ounce of control in my body not to moan. I clench my teeth to prevent the sound from escaping past my lips.

I’m not giving him the satisfaction of knowing how much he affects me, but something tells me it’s too late for that. He can feel how wet and ready I am for him.

Abruptly, his hand drops away from my hot center, and he takes a step back. I sag against the wall, both relieved and frustrated by the reprieve. My body is all revved up now, and I resist the urge to reach out and pull him back. A quick fuck wouldn’t hurt, right?

I don’t know if it’s pride, or what, but I manage to keep myself from begging. Just barely though. It’s been a while since I’ve even been touched by a guy—and this one might be an asshole, but he’s hot as fuck, and knows his way around my clit already.

With one final glance, his gaze rakes down my body, then back up again, landing on my face. It’s a possessive look, and damn, but I pray he decides to finish what he just started.

He doesn’t, and that frenzied desperation I feel is slowly replaced by anger. This is all just a game to him. Getting me all hot and bothered, just to prove he can. And the worst part is—I played right into his hands. Literally. I lift my chin as he walks away, and I can’t help but drop my gaze to his ass.

It’s hidden within the folds of the robe, but I wonder how firm it is, and how the globes would feel in the palms of my hands.

“Harlow , you are so pathetic,” I whisper to myself. “No different than all the other girls who are after him.”

But now I know his game, and I resolve not to fall for it again. If I have to grab some random guy off campus, just to get off, then I will. As long as it’s not Noah Sabastian .

As soon as he’s gone, I unlock my phone and text Talia .

Hey. Let’s go. This is too much. I’m noping out.

I wait for a few minutes, and when I don’t get a response, I decide to hunt her down. Finishing my beer, I shove the necklace into my purse and head back into the ceremony room.

It’s wild, though, because in the half hour I was gone, about fifty more people have arrived, all guys. They’re still flooding into the front door when I walk by, looking for Talia —and there’s a DJ setting up on the platform the Sacred Sons had just used.

Wyn is talking to someone across the room, and I make a beeline for

her.

“Hey,” I say, slightly out of breath. “Where’d all these people come

from?”

“Oh, at midnight, after the selections are made, the rest of the guys are allowed to join in and it just basically turns into a party.”

“Ah, cool.” Perfect time to leave. “Have you seen Talia ?”

“Oh, yeah, I just saw her….” Wyn looks around. “Well, she was over by the door a couple of minutes ago. She was talking to someone, a guy.”

I glance in the direction Wyn is looking, but I don’t see Talia . “Did she say where she was going?”

Wyn just shakes her head. “Try texting her.”

“Thanks,” I say flatly. “If you see her, tell her I’m looking for her.” “Yup.”

I search every room on the bottom floor, systematically making my way through the dining room, kitchen, study…I even knock on the bathroom door with no luck. Knowing Talia , she’s probably in a dark corner somewhere, hooking up with that guy Wyn saw her with. There are way too many people here, and it’d be easy for her to disappear into the crowd.

I try calling, but her phone goes straight to voicemail. I send another text, annoyed now.

Where the fuck are you ?

Again, nothing. Thirty minutes later, I give up.

Fine. Whatever. I’m waiting outside on the porch. Call me when you get this.

Seconds after sending that text, though, I remember Talia doesn’t have her phone. Ugh. I’d totally forgotten. If she’s anywhere on the Burning Crown premises, then her phone is still in that stupid basket.

Pushing out a sigh, I consider my options. I could wait for Talia , or I could leave, and go back to my dorm room. I don’t love the idea of walking alone at night, but according to the frosh information packet, campus security starts making more frequent rounds as soon as the sun goes down. I don’t know if I trust that, though. I didn’t see one security guard on the walk over here. Not one.

Welp, I guess I’m waiting, then, because I don’t want Talia walking back alone, either.

I’m leaning against the railing out front, staring down at my phone, when I hear heavy footsteps on the wood planks behind me. I look up to see a guy approaching, but it’s no one I’ve seen before. He has dark hair, a strong chin, and a shit-eating grin spread across his face.

“You’re new,” he says, leaning against the railing beside me. His words are slightly slurred, and his breath smells like alcohol—so either he’s managed to get drunk in the thirty minutes he’s been here, or he was pre- gaming. I bet the latter. “I’m Tyler. What’s your name?”

“Nonya,” I answer, barely even looking up at him.

“That’s a nice name. I like it. ”

I look up and laugh a little. “It means none of your business. I’m sorry, I thought everyone knew that.”

His whole demeanor changes, from casual and flirty to hard and angry.

Just like that, in the span of a millisecond. “Oh, you think that’s funny?”

His tone is unforgiving like he’s pissed, and it sets my pulse racing. I don’t answer him. Instead, I push off the railing and move to leave. But he catches me by the arm and pulls me back.

“What the fuck, dude?” I look down at his fingers digging into my skin. “Let me go.”

Tyler crowds me, shielding me from view of anyone who could be passing by—but there’s no one out here, anyway. Everyone is inside, drinking, and now the music is playing, the deep bass drowning out this entire conversation from anyone within hearing distance.

“You don’t even fucking belong here.” He tugs me closer to him, and I yelp, because his fingers are biting into my arm painfully. Panic rises in my chest, and my entire body starts to tremble. “Maybe I should show you what happens to girls who wander onto society property alone.”

“I was invited,” I choke out, reaching for the zipper on my purse–inside is my little handheld stun gun, if I could manage to get to it.

Tyler laughs and still gripping my arm, he shoves me up against the railing, pressing his lower half against mine. I’m pinned against the wood, my breath coming in shallow pants. My purse is unzipped, and the stun gun is in my hand. I don’t hesitate. Switching it on, I jab it into his side.

A jolt of electricity snaps and his entire body jerks violently in response, like a reflex. “Holy shit,” he hisses, holding his side. “What the fuck was that?” His gaze settles on the stun gun in my hand, and he sneers, his face contorted with rage. “Fucking bitch.”

He twists the stun gun out of my hand easily, like snatching a toy from a baby’s hand. Looking down at it, he studies it, clicking the switch on and off, on and off. “This thing packs a punch,” he says, testing the weight of it in his hand. When his eyes flick down to look at me, a cold shower trickles down my spine. “Now it’s my turn.”

Holy shit.

I suck in a breath and start pushing at his chest, struggling to get away. The front door to the house is ten feet away—if I can pry him off me just enough, then I can slip out from under him, and run to the door.

“Don’t. Please,” I beg.

But he just laughs, holding the stun gun up, like he’s going to jab it into my arm. So, while there’s still breath in my lungs, I start screaming as loud as I possibly can. I scream so hard, that my throat starts to burn. His hand immediately clamps over my mouth, cutting off my scream. His large body is pushing my lower half against the railing painfully, his knee pinching the skin on my thigh between him and the wood.

Fucking-A.

I’m not getting out of this. He’s too big and too strong. But my mind refuses to believe this is really happening.

“Fucking cunt,” he says, the hand on my mouth pushing painfully against my lips and teeth. I can taste my own blood. “I think you need to be taught a damn lesson.”

What the actual fuck? What kind of sick motherfuckers go to school here?

I struggle against him again, but he’s built like a brick wall. He doesn’t even budge, so I do the only thing I can, I bite down on the hand that’s pressed against my mouth. I don’t get a really good bite, but it’s enough to make him reel back with a yowl, ripping his hand away from my mouth.

The second my mouth is free, I scream again—as loud, and as frantic as I possibly can. “Help! Please!”

The guy looks down at me, infuriated. His large, salty hand clamps tightly over my mouth again. “Stupid fucking bitch.” With his free hand, he grabs my arm and tries pulling me deeper into the shadows. I twist against him until my whole body feels bruised, but it’s not enough. I’m not even close to being strong enough to throw this guy off me.

Just as I begin to tire, and feel my body weaken, the guy is ripped off me. It happens so suddenly, I wonder what the fuck just happened? But a second later, survival mode kicks in and my brain goes into autopilot. I run past him, toward the front door, but the sound of bones cracking compels me to turn around.

As I turn, I catch a glimpse of Noah wailing on the guy, whose face is now coated in blood, his arms held up, trying to protect himself.

My heart is in my throat as I watch the guy get beaten. Noah’s fists come down again and again, the sickening sound of flesh being mutilated draws people from inside, including Nick, Jolly, and Nicholas. Pretty soon, there’s a crowd gathered.

“Yo!” Jolly holds his hands up. “What the fuck is going on?”

Nicholas and Nick pull Noah off the guy, who sinks to the floor, moaning. His head lolls to the side.

“Touch her again, and you’re dead.” Noah’s voice is calm, despite just going ape-shit-crazy. “Do you fucking understand me?”

The guy mumbles something, but it’s inaudible over the chatter surrounding us. Someone mentions calling an ambulance.

Then Noah’s attention turns to me—those cold eyes finding me amid the growing crowd. He always seems to have that power–finding me when all I want to do is disappear.

He takes a step toward me, then another, moving through the people crowding the porch. We’re twenty feet apart, at this point, which gives me the advantage. So I do the first thing that occurs to me.

I turn on my heel and fucking run.

[nanawritesit]

Yuqi Girlfriend Headcanons!

Regardless of your gender identity, she’ll most likely play the “boyfriend” role in the relationship

She isn’t super romantic or affectionate all the time, but she definitely makes you feel loved by taking care of you

She’s a big acts of service lover, she likes to help with chores, help you go shopping, cook you dinner, etc.

She’ll also occasionally surprise you with a small gifts whether it by flowers, a stuffed animal, or chocolate!

This girl is super strong, so you never have to worry about opening a tight jar 😤

She also kills bugs for you 💀

Yuqi insists on paying for everything while you’re out, claiming that she makes more than enough money to pay for the two of you

Pretty much the only time you get to really spoil her back is her birthday

You cook all her favorite foods for her, including jokbal, hotpot, pickled radish and sweet zongzi 🥰

You also make sweet zongzi whenever she’s feeling homesick

Her favorite gift you’ve ever given her was a huge stuffed corgi that took up the entire corner of her bedroom 💞

Although, she almost cried when you surprised her with a trip to Beijing to see her family 🥹

They were so grateful that they offered you Yuqi’s hand in marriage 💀 (It was a joke but you were ready to put a ring on it 👀)

She was a bit intimidated to talk to you at first because she found you so beautiful (like she did with Miyeon LOL) but due to her outgoing nature, she was able to get over it and approach you

Thank god she did, because now she couldn’t imagine living without you <3

She likes to be called “cutie” :)

She struggled to find a nickname that fit you for a while, but eventually she decided on “cookie” 🥰

You’ll help her reach things on high shelves because her arms are so short 😭

She’s not very good and realizing when she’s working too hard, so you’ll have to be the one to reign her in

She randomly dances around the house ALL the time

You also catch her rapping various lyrics to herself

She really needs something to fill the silence okay 😤

Yuqi really doesn’t like being alone so even if you guys aren’t around each other, she’ll call you to at least hear your voice and check in on you

She’s told you several times that you can literally call her 24/7 and she’ll always pick up for you ❤️

She’s super goofy, so you’ll never be bored with her around. It also makes her really good at cheering you up when you’re sad :)

Her making you listen to Super Junior all the time (I hate them bc they’re so problematic but who am I to disagree with Queen Yuqi)

Her joking that Ryeowook is her “REAL boyfriend” 💀 You’ll literally have to square up with his poster 👊🏻

You guys love teasing each other and getting on each others’ nerves

You go back and forth annoying each other, but it’s all in good fun (she’s really hot when she’s angry too)

She can get you to anything by asking you in her deep, husky voice (She knows it’s your weakness)

Although, you know her weakness as well… if you call her “noona” or “unni,” she’ll be putty in your hand 👀 She usually hates formalities like that but when it’s from you, it gets her going so fast

She’s super outgoing, so she’ll constantly push you to try new things and move out of your comfort zone

There’s no secret you could ever tell her that she wouldn’t keep. She’s super trustworthy and will take it to the grave

While she’s super patient, she can be a little possessive. Especially if she feels threatened by the person who seems to be interested in you

She never gets mad at you, just at the other person

Her expression alone is enough to scare them off though 😳 She can be super scary when she wants to be!

But you don’t notice anything, and just smile at her innocently 😊

Her stealing your clothes on a regular basis

She’s not super into PDA but she does enjoy holding your hand while you walk places together

Speaking of which, one of her favorite activities to do with you is taking walks together. It eventually becomes a daily habit whenever you guys have time!

Behind closed doors however, she’s the biggest cuddle bug :) She’ll cage you in her arms and not let go of you for HOURS while you watch dramas together

Yuqi is 100% a big spoon!

If you rub her neck, shoulders, and back for her after a long day, she might get down on one knee right then and there 💀

In the end, you’re super lucky to have Yuqi as a girlfriend. She always takes such good care of you, never leaves you feeling lonely, and constantly keeps you entertained. She’s so in love with you and wouldn’t have it any other way 🥰

[revivemyreverie]

HELLO !!! Can I ask for ∅ Jules' opinion of Pleiplei please ? Or maybe Rue's opinion of Orion if I am not too late ?

Thank you in advance !

AH sorry for taking so long!!! A bunch of IRL stuff happened SIHDSJ

💍.

“That girl that follows Draconia everywhere? Hmph, she’s just another goody-two-shoes who hides around Diasomnia like a creep. It’s hard enough trying to make sure Lilia isn’t around, but Pleiade is a whole different problem! She’s like a chicken that won’t stop pecking at your feet. Any plan I have to make the student body see me in a better light is sabotaged almost immediately! Who cares if it meant embarrassing some of my classmates?! I bet some of them deserve it anyways!”

“Why not do anything..? Hah! Have you seen her?! She knows a blade better than my little brother, and he’s able to take any good soldier down any day. That and competitiveness would render someone like me 6 feet into the ground. I-I’m not implying that I’m weak, by the way! It’s just that… there are a lot of people better than me…”

🥀. 

“That blondie’s sooooo boring! No bite, no bark, all ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I’ll make it up to you’. Not even Idia’s that much of a doormat, and he can barely talk in public. Orion’s poems are boring too, I’d rather go bang my head against a wall than be forced to listen to garbage like that. If there’s any positive thing I can say about him is that if you ask enough times, he’ll buy you snacks during lunch. 

“Oh, I have heard his Unique Magic is really scary, something about turning people into a bunch of hot gas. I don’t get how a guy like that gets a power so deadly, but then again, I got a pretty wicked spell myself, and I’m the cutest girl here!” 

[ghostysn0w]

Idk what’s with me and loving the most hated things in fandoms but like I love JJBA part 1 and 2 and I see so many people skip those parts just because it’s ’boring’ or they don’t have stands . Like I’m sorry it’s boring to YOU !

I’m a part 1 and 2 defender , even if die I will never stop defending those parts . They’re the reasons why I love JJBA

Also what’s with the Jolyne hate? Like I get not liking her but plain ass hating on her and making hate posts about her just because she isn’t a guy or y’all think she’s ‘weak’?

I’m so glad that Araki didn’t listen to his editor and made Jolyne a girl so I watch y’all fuckers cry about a jojo main character that doesn’t fit into y’all standers

[beevean]

Rewriting Castlevania

To be more specific, Castlevania post-Season 2. The first few seasons shall serve as the launchpads from which to build upon and iron out the kinks for later stories.

I don’t have an exact vision of how rewritten versions of Season 3 and 4 (or Nocturne, but that isn’t the focus here), but I know, for starters, they could’ve used a more compact cast.

First: remove Trevor and Sypha. They may have been major protagonists in Seasons 1 and 2, but their story was over. Alucard, as well. His story was also done… for now (because he’s too iconic in the franchise as a whole not to bring back in a sequel series).

Next: they could’ve easily cut out Morana and Striga (whose names escaped my memory until I just looked them up) without substantially affecting anything in Carmilla’s whole story. Lenore can stay (maybe as the show’s equivalent to Laura), but she should not get a “redemption”. Instead, develop the idea of how weak others see her and how her devious intellect helps her overcome her perceived weakness. Write the woman a Starscream arc, even (“I am Lenore of Styria, and fuq you, Carmilla! I win!”), with mistress Carmilla as her Megatron! Give her lots of ambition!

For Isaac, I would love for his chat with that Captain to be preserved (I rewatched it recently and loved the vibe of it), but a couple other events in his journey need adjustments so that he doesn’t go through the “I had an nice talk with a human, so my mind about humanity is changing, but these guys are blocking me and I can’t reason with them, therefore I’m stupid for trying to be civil and hate humans again, now they die!” bit twice. With a little streamlining, his screentime in Season 3 could be devoted to building him up as a threat, and then set up Season 4 with his role as a co-antagonist (with Carmilla) to Hector fully set up when they reunite. No sanitizing “I’m going to live!” revelations here.

Then there’s Hector. I still think we didn’t need to see the immediate aftermath of his imprisonment. In this hypothetical rewritten story, I would suggest having a 1 or 2 year timeskip, so he’s been slaving away in Carmilla’s dungeon for quite a while, forced to build her an army with his Devil Forgemaster powers, and Lenore’s been keeping watch and giving him plenty of incentives not to betray the sisters. Maybe for his first appearance in this version of Season 3, he could have this intimidating reveal where it dramatically shows the scrawny boy from Season 2 has become a buff, scarred son of a gun, clearly having worked out a lot during his year(s)-long stay.

The story following the Castlevania 3 adaptation would not have to be a Curse of Darkness adaptation, but the pieces were in place to pass the main protagonist torch over to Hector anyway. By making Season 3 all about his eventual escape, and having Season 4 follow him on the run, eventually overcoming his oppressor (Carmilla) and former partner (Isaac), we have ourselves a cohesive story that blends everything it establishes into one, airtight package, rather than feeling like a convoluted animation anthology.

Also, maybe Saint Germain’s Infinite Corridor quest can be worked into Hector’s adventure to freedom in some kind of creative way, without Saint Germain having to sacrifice his morals or gain info from a shady 3rd (or 4th) party.

Reply: I like your ideas!

Hard agree on removing Trevor and Sypha because they are effectively done, and Morana and Striga because they add absolutely nothing of importance. Ellis said that he created the council to explain who ran the kingdom while Carmilla was in Wallachia, but Lenore could do the job herself.  I’m not sure about Alucard because his story is also over, but I do see the potential of him grappling with his grief, and fearing he might become like Dracula. It’s just, the way it was done was skull-crushingly boring, and for now I have no better ideas.

(btw yes, Carmilla and Lenore could be wives at this point lmao, their personalities are strong enough that it wouldn’t come off as The Lesbians For Brownie Points. Maybe Carmilla turned Lenore so she’s her dame and superior, and this would cause frustration in Lenore who feels like Carmilla sees her more as her pet than a lover... frustration that she channels on Hector, in some sort of cycle of abuse way :) I still like the idea of her falling in love with Hector, but it’s an unhealthy, possessive love typical of a vampire, that Hector doesn’t reciprocate or grows out of.)

For Isaac, I mentioned the other day that he could use as a springboard the realization that Dracula cast him away like a broken tool, and from there, his affirmation that he’s worth more than what Dracula told him. ... yes, this is still Hector’s arc, but whatever at this point. Absolutely, S3 should avoid that stupid pattern of “oh maybe humans aren’t so bad-- nvm y’all rude, die”. Maybe he avoids people instead of barging through cities, and makes his army from the corpses he finds in abandoned towns? But he still can’t avoid everyone, hence, the scene with the captain.

Mhh. Hector’s story spanning so long would also influence Isaac’s, and it feels like too much? If Isaac had one year of time to build an army, dude would lead a small country basically. He’s already OP af, even if we nerf him by making him weak in physical combat. Same with Carmilla, she would definitely do some damage in one year.

I’m torn. Hector’s story in S3 could be tweaked a bit by making it less fetishistic and still treating Hector like a person: as in, someone with goals and principles and was not hired as General only because he’s pretty, that Lenore has to whittle down to convince him to work for him (the idea that Hector cannot be physically forced to work and his master needs to earn his trust is actually really good for a conflict). The two should butt heads and have more intriguing conversations, make the job harder for Lenore, let’s see if she keeps with the diplomacy or gets frustrated and needs to resort to the ring (which only makes sense in the scenario where Hector is deemed too dangerous to be allowed to work freely, since its only shown function is to bequeath control of the Creatures). I actually jotted some ideas down, if you’re interested :P

(oh, and no rape. obviously. she really didn’t need to do that.)

And S4 can kind of stay the same, but with the difference that Hector trapping Lenore is a form of cruel mercy, he does not crawl back to her because he too realized he does not need to cling to people to earn love, and he actually leaves the castle, ready to explore the world (with the implication that he might meet the equivalent of Rosaly, but it’s not necessary)

To clarify, what is your idea of Hector’s story in S4? Does he flee from Isaac on the chase? Will he eventually fight him and Carmilla? Will he meet Rosaly in the finale, and in this timeline they stay together without Isaac interfering? (please say yes 🥺)

But yeah. I still think the prequels could have been adapted, but if we need Carmilla as a spanner in the works tweaking the timeline, this feels much better. Trevor and Sypha alone not bogging down screentime would solve so many issues with the rushed pace.

[enjoythesilentworld]

Simon's Month - Pride

day 18 @youngroyals-events

Simon invites his best friend and ~ultimate ally~ Wille to join him at Pride.

Or, S1 “I’m not like that” Wilhelm meets S2 petty Simon.

read below or on ao3 (T, 2.3k)

“And then,” Simon practically shouts, exasperated, “he just left, saying he had to be home for dinner!” He throws his hands up to emphasize just how ridiculous the whole situation is. Ayub tries to cut in, but Simon isn’t quite finished. “Like, I know his family is weird, but it was only 3pm. There’s no way they eat dinner at 3pm.”

They’re all gathered in Simon’s room, waiting for their pizza to show up, Rosh lounging in his desk chair and Ayub sat on his bed. Simon had called them in for an immediate debrief.

Rosh stares at him tiredly. “Isn’t this the third time he’s said he’s ‘not like that’ after you two have kissed?”

Simon gives her a look that says, duh, we’ve been over this.

“Okay,” she continues, voice flat and bored, “maybe stop kissing him, then.”

“Please,” Simon scoffs. “Have you seen him? If he kisses me, I’m going to kiss him back.”

“Yes, we’ve both seen Wille,” Ayub says from beside him. “But, seriously, bro, how long are we going to keep having this same conversation? What if next time you just… don’t kiss him back?”

“Or, I don’t know, fucking talk to him about it,” Rosh adds.

“No way.” Simon crosses his arms and leans back against the wall, a wicked smile growing on his face. “I have a plan to prove he is definitely like that.”

A few weeks later, sans more kissing or “I’m not like that” incidents, Simon invites Wille to join him, Rosh, and Ayub at Stockholm Pride.

When Simon raises an eyebrow at Wille’s quick acceptance, Wille punches him gently in the shoulder and says, “You know, allies are allowed at pride, too, Simon.”

That nearly makes Simon burst into laughter, but, instead, he nods sweetly, “Of course they are, Wille.”

Soon after, he tells Rosh and Ayub about his plan.

“Simon,” Rosh says in her lecture voice, “I get what you’re doing, but don’t force him out of the closet.”

“I’m not!” Simon exclaims, then calms himself to show how sincere he’s being. “I would never do that. I swear. I’m not going to take it that far. It’s just a bit of fun.”

Just a week after Wille’s 17th birthday, they meet at Simon’s, then they’ll catch the train into the city together. Rosh laughs at Simon when he exits his room, already peering out the window to check whether Wille has arrived yet.

“Woah,” Ayub chuckles. “New wardrobe, Simme?”

Simon glances down at his tight, cropped white tank top and ripped, baggy purple jeans. He’s even added a chain to the belt loop, re-pierced his ears with a couple black studs, and smudged some dark eyeliner on his waterline. He grins up at his friends. “Great, isn’t it? Wille’s gonna die.”

Rosh rolls her eyes. “I don’t know if dressing like—”

“Shut up!” Simon snaps, running towards the door. “He’s here!”

Simon only falters slightly when he sees Wille coming up the steps in his light-wash jeans and relaxed white tee. The summer sun has already begun to bleach Wille’s hair and bring out his freckles, which makes Simon feel a bit weak. Even if his plan doesn’t work, he’d take another rejection just to kiss Wille one more time.

Recovering quickly, pasting on a sly smile and dropping his eyelids slightly, Simon says casually, “Hey. Ready?”

His plan seems to be working already, because Wille nearly trips over his feet, catching himself on the wooden column of the front porch, eyes flitting over Simon rapidly.

“Wille?” he prompts again, holding back a smirk.

Wille’s eyes snap up to his, and he opens his mouth to speak. Simon catches the moment Wille notices the eyeliner, and no sound comes out. Simon grins.

“Come on guys!” He shouts over his shoulder into the house, then hooks his arm with Wille’s and leads him out toward Rosh and Ayub’s mopeds.

The train ride is rather normal, though Wille sits a bit closer to Simon than usual, and he keeps stumbling over his words whenever they make eye contact.

It makes Simon feel very pleased as they finally arrive at their destination, following the crowds of people holding rainbow flags and decked out in glitter toward the main festivities. Plan aside, Simon smiles wide at the sight of everyone coming together to celebrate, knowing how much work it has taken to get here, how many people have given so much to make this possible, how many people around the world still suffer for such an “issue”. That he gets to be here, with his best friends, proudly celebrating who they are, is a blessing.

The parade starts not long after they arrive, and somehow they manage to squeeze right up to the front of the street with a great view. All four of them watch on, amazed, as the incredible floats go by, a million colors, a million flags. It’s hot as balls, and Simon is starting to regret his choice of jeans, but he’s happy to be here, nonetheless.

He thought he’d have to work harder for his plan, but he doesn’t. Not far into the parade, he spots another boy smiling at him through the crowd of people. As the boy approaches, dodging through the sea of people, Simon notices how pretty he is, with his black hair buzzed short and a rainbow painted across his chest in lieu of a shirt. Not as pretty as Wille, but still quite pretty, and he’s smiling at Simon, so Simon smiles back.

Buzzcut slides up next to Simon and introduces himself. It’s a little hard to hear over the crowd and the music from the floats, but Simon grins and greets him back. With one part of himself, he attempts to listen to Buzzcut’s flirting. With another part, he watches Wille out of the corner of his eye. Wille’s smile has shrank slightly, no longer as intensely focused on the parade. No, now he’s only watching Simon, looking mildly jealous.

Simon giggles at something Buzzcut says, and Wille turns away, putting his back to Simon. That almost makes Simon scoff, because how can Wille have the audacity to be pissed at Simon when Simon isn’t the one who keeps stringing him along, playing this dumb push and pull game. Simon doesn’t want to force Wille out of the closet — of course he doesn’t, he’d never do that to anyone — but Simon could do without the confusing situation they’ve found themselves in where Wille keeps kissing Simon, kissing him in a way that makes Simon’s toes curl, then running away as if something is wrong with Simon. Simon doesn’t want to be an experiment, he does not want to be a secret boyfriend for the little rich boy to keep in his back pocket for whenever he feels like kissing a boy. Maybe Simon is just tired of wondering if there’s something wrong with him, something that makes him not enough for Wille, when Wille is all he’s ever wanted.

Maybe the heat is getting to Simon and making him a little emotional.

Eventually, Simon and Buzzcut get pulled in two different directions by their friends. The moment the other boy is out of their eyeline, Wille lightens up again, talking happily with Ayub about the different displays and which performers they’re excited about for that evening.

They head towards the park to grab a drink to cool off and to walk through the booths of vendors selling various merch or fundraising for certain organizations. Rosh and Ayub break off, looking for food, leaving Wille and Simon to browse, just the two of them.

He and Wille walk between tables and groups of people gathered on the grass. It seems everyone around them is wearing a big smile, so relaxed and carefree. Someone approaches them, saying they’re handing out free pride stickers. They offer up a whole plethora, every single pride flag you could imagine, and Simon happily takes a gay flag sticker, smiling at the pretty shades of green and purple.

Glancing over, he sees Wille staring at the stickers with wide eyes. He looks almost panicked, frozen in his spot, so Simon gently prompts, “Do you want one, Wille?”

Wille snaps out of his daze, eyes shooting up to meet Simon’s, then over to the stranger’s.

“No,” he smiles tightly. “Thank you, though.” Then, he turns and moves on to the next booth.

Simon smiles awkwardly at the person and heads after Wille.

“Hey—” he starts.

“You wanna go find Rosh and Ayub?” Wille interrupts, like he hadn’t even heard Simon, panicked look gone from his face. “I’m getting hungry.”

“Oh. Okay. Yeah, sure.”

Simon follows after Wille, moving through the crowds with purpose, and soon enough they find their other friends. The four of them find a spot on the grass to sit and eat, relaxing in the shade and enjoying the lively atmosphere. There’s still an hour or two before the music starts up, so they hang out there, joking and chatting with people around them.

As soon as the music starts up, they jump from their seats and rush towards the stage with the rest of the crowd.

It’s loud and packed and sweaty, and it’s everything. They jump and dance in the warm lights of the setting sun and the neon spotlights from the stage, singing along to the songs they know and laughing to those they don’t. Even Wille has fully loosened up again, taking Simon’s hands to swing him around in the small amount of space around them. Simon cackles, trying not to trip over anyone’s feet, or his own, his chest bursting with happiness.

At some point, their hands part, but they continue to dance, until Simon’s hand gets taken up by someone else’s. It’s not Buzzcut from earlier that day, but a different pretty boy with blonde curls and a bright smile. Over his shoulder, he sees Wille laughing and dancing ridiculously with Ayub, so he lets the boy pull him in to dance.

The plan is stupid, he decides. He can’t make Wille like him, he can’t make Wille come out before he’s ready. It isn’t fair of him. It all came out of him being selfish and a little heartbroken.

He dances with the new boy, but not too close, because it just doesn’t really feel right. It stays friendly and carefree, and the other boy is a rather good dancer, so Simon doesn’t mind. He focuses more on the music anyway, wondering what it would be like to be up on that stage, performing for hundreds of people. Maybe he could do that sometime, perform at Pride.

Simon glances over to check on his friends and sees Wille watching him. He’s just standing there, gaze switching between Simon and the boy beside him. Then, he’s turning around and leaving, pushing his way through the crowd.

Simon immediately follows after, waving off Rosh when she tries to stop him.

He barely manages to keep up, keeping an eye on the top of Wille’s head weaving between people.

They end up in a sparse part of the park, tucked in the back behind a tree. The sound of the performance still going on is muffled at this distance, just bass-filled background noise.

“Wille—”

“I get it, okay?!” Wille spins around, voice sharp. “It’s great to be out and proud and to have a community you connect with. I fucking get it.”

He looks really angry, and Simon feels guilt crawl up his throat. It was never meant to go this far, it was just supposed to be a fun thing to pull Wille out of his shell. Maybe Simon was pulling a little too hard.

“I’m sorry,” Simon says gently, taking another step forward. “I didn’t mean to—”

“You don’t think I wish I could do that?” Wille flicks a hand back toward where they came from, chest still heaving with frustration. “Flirt and dance with random boys? Pick sticker of a flag that,” he puts his fingers up to mimic quotes, “‘fits’ me?”

Simon remains silent, unsure of how to handle this situation. This seems like more than being jealous of the other boys talking to Simon.

“Fuck, Simon,” Wille sighs. The anger goes from his voice, and he deflates, suddenly just looking very sad, staring at the ground and running his hands anxiously through his hair. “It’s not even my parents or whatever. I didn’t— I didn’t even know I could like boys like that until I met you.”

Simon’s heart flutters excitedly in his chest at Wille’s words, despite the defeated tone. He takes another step forward, wanting to touch Wille so badly, to comfort him.

“I don’t even know if I do like any other boys. Or who I like at all. How the hell am I supposed to know?” He finally meets Simon’s eye again, brows knitted in confusion and sadness.

“You don’t have to know,” Simon says quietly, holding Wille’s gaze. “You don’t have to label it at all. You can like whoever you want, however you realize. There’s even an unlabeled flag. You can say queer or gay or nothing at all. You don’t owe it to anyone.”

Wille nods, looking slightly relieved, but he’s still got a wrinkle between his eyes, and Simon’s chest hurts at the sight.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been rubbing this,” Simon gestures around them, “in your face all day. I was just— I really like you, Wille. I mean, no, I love you. You’re my best friend, but I also love you, and it hurts to be kissed by the boy you love and then to watch him run away. I just got all mixed up and angry. I was being stupid. I’m really sorry, Wille.”  

During his rambling, Simon’s eyes had dropped to the dark grass, too scared to see Wille’s reaction.

“You’re not stupid.”

He looks up again and finds Wille standing right before him, only a foot or so separating their faces.

“I’m sorry, too.” Wille’s voice is quiet, and Simon is sure he wouldn’t have been able to hear it if the rest of the world around them hadn’t faded into darkness. “I shouldn’t have ever run away from you. You didn’t deserve that. I was just scared.”

“It’s okay.”

“No.” Wille grabs his hands, and Simon’s breath catches. “It’s not okay. But, I promise to make it up to you.”

He nods and gives Wille a small smile.

“I don’t know what ‘like that’ means,” Wille says, inching forward, “but if ‘like that’ means loving you, then I am definitely ‘like that’.”

“Wille,” Simon giggles.

“What?”

Simon grins up at Wille. “Kiss me.”

This time, Wille doesn’t run away. Instead, they run together, hand in hand, back into the crowd.