#shouldn't he know their names from that or is that too optimistic

[stsgooo]

moonlit goddess.... maybe jinshi is wondering why his dear maid continues to pull away from him... and maybe gao shun lets it slip that "they shouldn't have been close that day anyway".... and jinshi pesters him until he folds n explains.... IDK I JUST WANT A HAPPY ENDING FOR THOSE TWO :((((( (not forced ofc!! i jus love ur writing!)

Bridge the Gap.

✩࿐ summary: life and death really makes a girl wonder.

warning(s): idiots in love, chapters 61-65 manga spoilers, master/servant like relationship, description of near drowning, suggestive content, ambiguous ending. wc; 9.3k

pairing(s): jinshi/fem!reader.

a/n: tysm for reading my fics means the world to hear ppl actually enjoy them, anon!!! ;') i wasn't really going to make a 2nd part of moonlight goddess as i thought it was okay to leave off there, but i love jinshi sooo i'll take any excuse to write him. this was initially going to be a part 2 of clumsiness, but i figured my plans worked better with what you were envisioning! im not entirely sure how to feel about this, but i hope this lives up to the standards! i apologize for any mistakes, this was written mostly in the early mornings when i had time!

part i. m.list

"Are you sure I'm not hurting you?"

"Y/N, please, stop asking me that."

"Oh, yes. My apologies, Jinshi-sama. Sorry."

This were, admittedly, not going well. Both of you soaked, hair dripping, and standing in the cave behind a rapid waterfall, and a dull ache in your chest as you recovered. Partly your fault, partly the fault of some crazed marksman that was hiding in the forest, trying to slaughter Jinshi and, by proxy, you.

To understand how you two ended up in this situation, we would have to back up a bit.

"Oh? Y/N, I didn't know you'd be attending this as well?"

"It was a last minute switch with Suiren and I."

"You... enjoy these hunts?"

"I've done everything I could to avoid them in the years past."

Your lack of excitement was apparent and clear. It appeared to bring no ease of mind to Maomao who dragged her rather disgusted eyes from you towards Gaoshun. The older man just kept his attention on the moving scenery outside, a distant glaze over his eyes.

Maomao obviously wasn't optimistic. Just like you. You were almost proud that she had caught on so easily.

The sweltering heat outside seemed to seep into the carriage, cooking you alive in your rather formal wear. Something that you were spotted in far and few, having been years that you truly cleaned yourself prim and proper. You had been on the edge of declining even going when Jinshi, with a grin and a certain glitter in his eyes, had too happily informed you that it was a direct invitation from Shishou.

Your fate had been sealed.

Maomao peeked at you from the corner of her eye, head tilted, "Do you mind me asking why you avoided these events?"

You don't even spare her a glance, "I fear if I spoke my honest opinion, I'd stain Jinshi-sama's reputable name with my foul mouth." You reply flatly in return.

"Please don't." Gaoshun said softly from his seat, looking particularly tired.

You decided to ignore the slump of Maomao's shoulders as if disappointed by the swift interruption and decline on Gaoshun's part. Turning your eyes towards the shifting world outside.

It'd been exactly five months since Jinshi had danced under the moon and you came to the conclusion that any impure thoughts you held for your master would be safely tucked away in the back of your mind (and heart). Forever your secret. Only to be heard in your dreams and upon your death, when you repent for any ill thoughts to the Great Man above.

Everything had returned to its normal routine. You would get up in the morning, prepare breakfast alongside Suiren, eat, then proceed with any chores the woman gave you for the rest of the day, then repeat. Equally, your relationship (or lack thereof) with Jinshi had remained the same. Conversations filled with pleasantries. Simple things that had always lingered between the two of you since you were children. Pleasant and simple. As the world shall ever be.

It got a bit ruffled with Jinshi had cornered you and practically ordered that you come to the hunt instead of Suiren.

In the middle of scrubbing away at the floors, he had found you. Stood above you with that grin, “Y/N, you’re one of my most loyal servants, hm?” He’d begun with an inflection in his tone that made you horribly hesitant.

You had faltered in your scrubbing to stare up at him with confusion, “Uh…well, I suppose, Jinshi-sam’s.”

“Why don’t you join me for the Hunt this up coming week?”

Your had heart dropped. And, by the look Gaoshun had dawned, his had too. The Hunt, in your humble opinion, was a glorified weekend for the men in high positions to rub one off while killing animals. It wasn’t something you found interesting in or much grace. That’s why you had declined Suiren’s question on whether or not you’d like to take her place only three days prior. You had no interest in watching anyone, even Jinshi, size each other up while a defenseless animal bled.

“Jinshi-sama, I believe Suiren—“

Ever the gentleman, he had cut you off, “No worries, Suiren agreed to take over matters while you’re gone! She’s the sweetest, right?” He had appeared all to eager and all too himself for you to ignore.

So, with a heavy heart, you’d sighed, accepting defeat and his invitation.

Now, you would find your torture for a multiple day retreat with a bunch of men with their c—

The carriage came to an abrupt halt, bringing an unruly end to your thoughts as you all carefully exited and were greeted by the sunshine. The humid air heavy with the condensation of the area and already making a sweat appear on your brow. But, ever the lady, you pleasantly tuck your hands into your sleeves and follow behind Gaoshun and Basen.

You were a little surprised as Maomao stuck closely to your side; but not all too surprised to find her attention on your surroundings, vague surprise in her eyes. The area was as equally as beautiful as it was a burden to you.

The buildings weren't anything for you to revel at. Spending an entire lifetime within palaces and in buildings as equally or above standard to those, it just wasn't anything special. The nature surrounding the area, however, was something to stare in awe at. Lucious trees, beautiful grass, and beautiful array of plants and flowers. It almost made you regret all the time you had spent away from this place.

But it wasn't like you had the chance to truly return since the last time you were here. Nothing could bring back that little girl.

You deterred your thoughts away as Gaoshun slid the door open. Immediately, you were hit with a wave of heat that you made you tense up. It was apparent that you wouldn't find your much needed cool down you were desperate to find since you were confined in the carriage days prior.

You were the last to enter and when you did, you faltered at the sight before you.

Jinshi was sprawled across the couch, wisps of his dark hair framed his sweat glistened face, eyes closed in contempt. A small dent appeared between his eyebrows and a frown adorned his face. However, your attention was caught on a drop of sweat that made its way from his hairline, down his cheek, his jaw, his long slender neck, and past his— his collar.

His modesty was of no worry, apparently, as he laid with his robes parted open to reveal his chest. Itself was glistening with sweat. Delicate skin on showcase for all to see. It brought a soft blush to your cheeks, as you blatantly ogled him. Pressing your lips together to contain whatever thoughts you had about him from burst from your seams.

"Y/N," Jinshi's voice hit your ears, tender and smooth. You're suddenly hyperaware that he's staring at you with raised brows, lids peeked open to stare at you.

You straighten your back and offer a bow, "Jinshi-sama. Do you require anything?" You had to get it together. It was inappropriate to behave in such a scandalous way. "Request for ice? Tea?"

Jinshi shook his head, sitting up, "No, rather I'd like for you to rest after such a long journey."

You falter, your arms wavering from their position in front of your face, "Uh.... Wouldn't the room be more tolerable with some ice?" You spare a glance around the room and grimace. The windows are shut tight, only bits of sun peeking through the cracks. Basen looks rather miserable, but trying to appear his usual stern self. While Gaoshun and Maomao seem rather okay with showcasing their small discontent with the heat. A nice cube would help at least cool down a bit.

You also couldn't stand another second seeing Jinshi like that. As if he were some type of nymph testing your faith.

"Really, it's fine—" Jinshi attempted, but you were already turning on your heel.

"I will return with ice." You didn't miss the way Jinshi's face fell and his eyes cut to Gaoshun who shook his head in return.

Your fast paced adventure led you to the main hall, where people were moving in and out. Various officers and servants filled the area, finding their rooms or helping their masters and fellow officers to their own rooms. Everyone appeared to be feeling the heat as they wiped their brows. Much like you, they appeared to be attempting to defeat the heat.

You found your way towards an attendant who helped you get something situated for Kousen. Something that brought you both distaste and irritation. Something to be addressed at a later time.

Joy filled you as you turned around, ice would soon be in the room and you could crowd around it like it was a new lover.

As you were about to make your way back to the room, you ran into someone.

You were about to apologize when they whirled around and you let out an audibly sigh that conveyed your unwavering exhaustion for them.

"Hey, watch where— Oh, hey, " Lihaku blinked, kind face twisted up in vague recognition. “You’re that lady-in-waiting. What are you doing out here?”

“I’m on loan from Jinshi-sama,” you answered rather flatly, not missing the small frown accompanying the man’s face.

You were vaguely familiar with Lihaku. What with Maomao getting involved in the problems within the inner and rear palace, you were bound to make new acquaintances when she was dragging you around. Lihaku was the first one you had ran into. On orders to accompany the girl from Suiren, you had gotten to see her investigative skills firsthand. You were impressed, surely, when she had made the discovery about the potatoes. But the impression was overshadowed by Lihaku, who had spent the entire time chatting your ear off.

He was kind, handsome, and smart when it called for it. But you could tell that, like most officers, he had an airheaded vibe to him. One that deterred you from making things too complicated with him.

Friendly enough, and one of the few people that didn't seem to disinterest Maomao, you accepted his very vague and shadowed feature in your life.

"Well, that's nice of him." He said, clearly disinterested in where this conversation was going. "I'm glad to see a friendly face, though."

You offered a small smile, "As am I. Not many kind faces around here often."

"You can say that again." You hear a loud inhuman snort and a tug on your gown, taking a large step back, you look down. A large dog with drool leaking out from the sides of its mouth stared back at you. "Oh, hey, boy, no!"

"O-Oh my." You uttered, slightly breathless as you looked at the large beast.

Lihaku glanced at you, offering a withering smile, "Eh, sorry, he gets excited around new people— not a great trait in a dog like this, you would think, but he's a real gem. Just has his moments. Hey, now—"

Lihaku pulled out something metal and brought it to his lips, then blew. It emitted little to no sound, at least, any you could truly hear, making your perk up when the dog tilted his head and sat respectfully before the officer. He blew again and the dog laid. Again, and the dog stood on all fours.

You smiled softly, watching in wonder as it obeyed whatever silent orders it was getting from Lihaku.

"He's very smart." You observed as the dog sat down again.

"Right?" Lihaku beamed, "I can get him to come running from kilometers away if need be."

"Useful when you're in a bind."

"For sure!" Lihaku's demeanor reminded you of a proud father as he puffed his chest and looked distastefully towards the cages lined up outside. "He's real smart, yet they still want to use those birds in the end."

You didn't want to point out the various problems that could come with using a dog; as there were probably another list of various pros to actually use the dog. The hawks had been used for years and you doubt that some dogs would be taking their place any time soon. It'd probably be a long time before these arrogant men came to their senses and found better means. Despite dogs being loyal and determined to their cause, the hawk would always be chosen.

Or, the better alternative, they didn't do this hunt anymore.

But you knew that was a longshot.

It wasn't long after that you bid Lihaku a farewell and good luck on his duties, making your way back to the room. You exchanged pleasant smiles and greetings with familiar faces, but nothing that kept you from relaxing much longer.

When you returned to the room, everyone had found their own areas and activities to occupy themselves. Gaoshun and Basen were playing Go near the windows, Maomao was reclining on the floor where a sliver or air was flowing through (from where, you weren't completely sure). Jinshi was back to sitting on the couch, a book in his hands. Something that was quickly disregarded as you gently closed the door behind you.

"The ice should be up soon." You informed the room with a respectful bow.

Jinshi didn't look at all interested, "What took you so long?" It sounded like contempt. Irritation if you had to really dig. Something that made you falter.

You look up and see the pout on his lips— childish, as always. "Oh, I'm sorry, Jinshi-sama. I happened to run into a friend and got caught up in conversation." You apologized softly. The last thing you wanted to do was bring him more annoyance and disturbance.

He straightened considerably, "A friend?"

You didn't like the way it was spoken. A touch of disbelief was enough for you to eye him with your own distaste. Even if you and Lihaku were nothing more than strangers with vague familiarity with one another.

"Yes, a friend." You confirmed with thin lips. Despite your inner voice telling you to reign in your attitude, you upturn your nose and decide to join Maomao— whose eyes were shooting between the both of you with trepidation and vague sympathy. "He was being kind."

Jinshi huffed, "I didn't know you had any secret friends."

"Not a secret. Just don't find any time to speak about it with you, Jinshi-sama."

That made the man falter, a darkened shadow over his face. "I suppose." He frowned heavily now, squinting at you with something unreadable. "Who is this friend of yours?"

You, finding no reason to lie, continued on, "Officer Lihaku."

In an instant, three heads snapped to you with varying degrees of emotions. Maomao looked shocked, but welcomed the information with a shrug. Gaoshun looked pale and overwrought, for whatever reason you weren't entirely sure, but you had an itching feeling it had to do with Jinshi.

The same Jinshi that was now face down on the couch, letting out a miserable sound. Speaking into the fabric of it all, unintelligiable. But you swore you heard something along the lines of— "that second rate, again?!" As he continued to rant and cry.

With that, you decided it best to not involve yourself with whatever Jinshi was battling. You wouldn't win anyway.

You'd always hated Kousen-sama.

He almost always seemed to loom in the shadows. An masked man who held no personality or words of his own. Pleasantries offered out of necessity and not because that was simply the right thing to do. He was mysterious. He hardly appeared, but he was always there. A reminder for what things would return to one odd day. A symbol for exactly where your loyalties and master lied.

Kousen-sama was to always appear before others with his mask on. To avoid them seeing the ghastly sight of scars and blemishes that adorned his skin because of his sickness (whatever that may be) and spare him the indecency of stares. He was unmoving. Stone amongst he lively environment that ate away at their lunches and softly conversed with one another.

Prince. The respectable Kousen-sama. The great son of the empire. The brave prince against all odds.

Oh, how much you hate Kousen-sama.

But you still had woken up early to help him pin his hair back. To slip his robes on. To delicately place the mask on, fingering the bangs out through the slits to allow some type of familiarity. You were his confidant. His reliable and kind servant.

As always, you and Basen stood behind Kousen-sama with your backs straight and eyes ahead. A pleasant servant on loan and stern guard, you both were familiar faces against the unrecognizable figure in front of you. It reminded the people exactly who was before them. Exactly who had decided to grace their presence.

Still, it brought you discomfort.

You still eyed Gaoshun in the corner of you eye. The older man sat at the other end of the table. Maomao standing behind him with a distant look in her eyes, obviously not paying attention to the things happening around her. Not entirely surprising, but you felt the overwhelming urge to scold her for her lack in etiquette.

Oh, you're starting to think like Suiren, aren't you?

Suddenly, Basen is tensing up beside you and Kousen-sama is turning his head away from a scowling Shishou. Your eyes snap between the two with a scowl of your own. Whatever that man had said—

Kousen-sama's hand clenches. So tightly that his knuckles turn white and he shakes. You know something isn't right. You had missed something. Something so obvious and you were too concerned about Gaoshun.

The man stands from his chair, the legs loudly clattering against the tiled and stone floor. You watch uneasily as Kousen-sama raises, takes a moment to collect himself, then practically speeds away from the room. You don't waste a moment to bring your sleeve covered hands to your mouth and make your own exit.

As you pass a concerned Maomao and Gaoshun, you hear a barely uttered whisper from the girl— heat. Food.

You try to hide your confusion and worry as you follow behind your master.

It doesn't take you long to find him.

Down the path, up against a tree, the masked figure was hunched and obviously breathing heavily. You draw closer, outstretching a hand to gently press it against the large expanse of his back.

"Kousen-sama, are you quite alright?" You ask softly, hunching slightly to capture a glimpse of his eyes from that slit in the fabric.

When you do, you're almost breathless. His violet eyes are alight with something distant and scornful. Eyebrows furrowed as he meets your own gaze.

"Y/N...?" He sounded vaguely surprised under it all, breathless himself. As if he couldn't quite believe that you were here in front of him.

You nod once, reaching out and grabbing ahold of one of the ties keeping the mask all together. "I'm going to remove this. No one is around."

His hand is suddenly wrapped around your wrist. Not tight or unrelenting, but enough to make you freeze. Warm and clammy skin against your own to make you feel scorched. You don't need to see his entire face to know that his jaw was clenched now.

"I can't," he said in all his self-assuredness, "Someone might still come."

What a pain. You thought to yourself as you draw in a heavy breath.

You don't waste a second to slip under his arm, wrapping it around your shoulders and allowing him to lean most of his weight against you. "No worries, sir, I'll just find us some place where no one else is around."

You gently guide Kousen-sama from the line of trees and deep within it. Finding an oddly familiar path created within your mind to follow that takes you towards an overflowing waterfall. A loud crash of water hitting the rocks and body of water below that brought you a distant sense of comfort. The refreshing smell of the water hits your nostrils and you take a deep breath.

With Kousen-sama against you, you felt the sweltering heat hit you tenfold. But the mist from the waterfall brushed against your skin like a gently caress from an old lover.

This is it.

You stumble over to one of the few trees next to the waterfall and gently guide Kousen-sama to sit up against it. The man took a heavy breath and you finally felt a little at ease. Reaching forward, you moved to take the cloth off once again and then—

A loud thud and chunks of dirt hit your cheek.

You frowned, looking to the ground only a could feet away and saw a small crater. A sharp smell filled your senses and you stiffened. It was an unkind and almost putrid scent. The smoke from the small crater was the main cause.

"Eh—?"

You were suddenly cut off as Kousen-sama wrapped his arms around you, jerking you upwards and away from the tree. You would've basked in the way his body was pressed against your back or the way his fingers seemed to mold into your abdomen— you would've if it weren't for the loud crack in the air then the pieces of bark that flew through the air around you.

The tree that he had been pressed up against only moments ago was now split open with a piece of metal imbedded into the wood. It looked eerily similar to the same that had been in the ground moments ago.

"Is that a feifa?!" His voice pierced through your thoughts, oddly frantic and uneasy as he moved quickly from the tree and towards the river.

You glanced up at him and found him already staring down at you. Eyes narrowed and, if it weren't for the mask, his entire face would be scrunched up in that familiar distaste and panic. Yet he seemed eerily calm as he dragged you through the trees and into the water.

"Sorry, but this is gonna get a bit dramatic." His voice was soft against your head, warm breath caressing your hair as he wraps a protective arm around your head.

Your eyebrows raise, "Dramatic— WHAT?" You should've known his tone and choice of his words were a warning for what was to come, but you were still caught off guard.

He gave no indication that he was going to jump off the cliff.

"Jinshi, you goddamn idiot!"

You mustn't get ideas above your station.

The water was oddly clear. Even with the mix of the overflowing waterfall, under it all was peaceful and calm. Fishes and water like insects lived in harmony.

Cool and calm. Always.

You are there to serve your master.

The little boy's head burst from the water with a big grin, short hair flat against his head and dripping. The sun reflecting off his violet eyes and almost blinded the little girl curled up on the side shore. Her face set into a scowl, clothes drenched, and a looming unimpressed older man behind her.

"It's so nice out, why don't you come in!" Beckoned the boy from the water.

The little girl shot him a nasty look, "You know why, you jerk!"

The boy's grin faltered, tilting his head at his friend, "Eh? Why are you being mean?" His voice wavered on the ends, still just floating in the middle of the basin.

"I'm not mean! You're mean! You're the biggest meanie!" The little girl stood up to throw an accusatory finger at the boy, her sleeve heavy and uncomfortable as she moved.

The boy's face reddened, eyebrows scrunched together, "I'm not mean! You're mean!" He repeated.

"No, you are! You're the biggest meanie in the whole wide world!"

"No, you are!"

"You are! You pushed me into the water!"

"You are! You should swim!"

"I hope you drown, meanie!"

The boy's expression fell completely. A heartbroken glint in his eyes flooding them. His lips trembled. But, before he could do something like cry, he was already swimming deeper

Nothing less, nothing more.

"Now, now," a large hand rested on the little girl's shoulder and gently tugged her back, turning her around to face the man. He seemed to be trying to appear as tender as he could to try calm down the girl's high nerves. "No need to get angry."

"But, Gaoshun—" The little girl whined.

Gaoshun shook his head, patting her shoulder, "No, we don't argue. Try to forgive and forget, yeah?" He reminded the lessons that he'd attempted multiple times to teach the two children. "No reason to walk around with resentment for others, right?"

The little girl scoffed her shoe against the ground, a pout on her lips, "Do I have to, Gaoshun?" She knew what this would call for. Exactly how this would end for her.

The man heaved a sigh, nodding, "Yes, you do. Now, go reconcile. I'll wait here."

The girl faltered as the man raised to his full height, cupping his hands behind his back. She dragged her feet through the soft soil and found her way towards the boy once more. He was grasping onto the edge of the bank, sniffling and snorting. His shoulders shook and his face was stuffed into his arms.

The little girl frowned. "Um... Are you okay?"

The boy stiffened, not turning around as he answered, "No."

"I'm sorry, I said something real mean." The little girl uttered, stepping closer as she clutched her wet clothes. "I just... You pushed me into the water, I can't..."

"I thought you were my friend!" The little boy whirled around on her, face red and eyes filled with big tears. He looked enraged but incredibly disheartened. The girl blinks in return as the boy glares. "You say such mean things to me. Friends aren't supposed to be mean!"

The girl clenched her jaw, "You were mean to me first!" She accused.

The boy sniffled, wiping under his nose with his forearm. "You're my friend." He repeated as if that cleared up any anger.

Nothing more, nothing less.

The little girl slowly sat beside him, her feet dipping under the water. "It is nice." She whispered.

The little boy dragged his eyes upwards, looking hurt but hopeful. "Right?" he asked, equally as quiet.

"You're my friend too, Jinshi." The little girl nudge him with her leg.

Jinshi's eyes twinkled, wide and all too bright, "Really?"

"Really." The little girl confirmed with a toothless grin. "My friend forever and ever!"

Jinshi positively beamed, the water sloshing as he jumped happily. "Forever and ever, and ever!"

"And ever!"

"It's no longer... appropriate for you and Jinshi-sama to be friends."

"I don't... I don't understand. He's my friend."

"His mother no longer finds it appropriate for you to concern yourself with Jinshi."

"But, Gaoshun—"

"No, Y/N. It's over. Come along. Suiren has a present for you."

"He's.... He's my friend...."

"I'm so sorry."

You are to give your life to your master.

The woman paused, back pin straight, as she entered her master's office, finding him curled up in the corner, muttering nonsensically to himself. The guard of said master was watching on with a pitiful expression of his own, only breaking his eyes away when the woman entered the room. His expression only seemed to deepen.

She didn't need to ask. There was an unspoken understanding as to what their master's breakdown was regarding. The Apothecary. The one that had gotten the attention of everyone in the palace as of late. The one that had been causing her great grief as of late— and was about to create more.

"Jinshi-sama?" The woman called softly, stepping closer.

Jinshi's lifeless eyes continued to stare at the floor below him. A gentle rocking seeming to soothe himself from the rages of his mind. "I don't need anything, Y/N. Thank you, kindly." He uttered just as lifelessly.

The devoted servant's chest clenched. Her face flushed as she reached out a wavering hand. To place it delicately against his hunched back. To offer her best comforting words that she could. To distract him away from her.

Any inappropriate behavior will be punished, severely.

She faltered. This wasn't her place. This wasn't a part of her duties unless Jinshi said so. Inappropriate behavior wasn't called for. It will be punished severly.

Retracting her hand, she stands, and offers a respectful bow. "Please call me if you need anything, Jinshi-sama." And left him in his dark corner.

"Gaoshun, may I ask you something?"

"Of course, Jinshi-sama."

"You have been in my life for as long as I can remember. You remember more than I possibly could about my younger years. Whatever happened to cause me and Y/N to fall apart?"

"...."

"It had to be around the time I was eight that I noticed we were growing apart. Even now, I see it so clearly."

"It's been a long time, Jinshi-sama. You're no longer children."

"All the more reason to know, isn't it?"

"I don't know...."

"Gaoshun, nothing will come of it. I'm simply curious."

"..."

"I'm sorry to put you in this position. Please return to what you were doing."

"Jinshi-sama.... you might not like the truth..."

"I usually don't."

"Where to begin.... Before her eighth birthday—"

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"H....E—"

Everything felt so muffled. Faraway. Featherlight.

Was that a pressure against your chest? A thump that came into quick successions, then stopped. For something soft and ever so delicate to press against your lips?

Everything was distant. So far away from your grasp. From your state of being. As if you were already long gone from whatever reality you were in moments ago.

"H—"

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It was almost like floating. A gentle sway and a crack.

A joyful gliding against the sky that soothed you away from worries and woes.

Thump. Thump. Lips.

Repeating endlessly. Happily. Wetly?

Thump. Thump. Lips.

You welcomed it. Whatever it was. Whatever kept the rhythm. The wonderful rhythm.

Thump. Thump. Lips.

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Thump. Thump. Lips.

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Thump. Thump. Lips.

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Thump. Thump. Lips.

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Thump. Thump. Lips.

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Thump. Thump. Lips.

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THUMP. THUM—

You shot up with a cough.

Your throat burned and head ached terribly. Your eyes almost felt like they were about to pop out of your head and roll away. You felt horrible.

It didn't help that you were drenched from head to toe either.

Beside you, there was a heavy and loud sigh of relief as he fell to his backside. He let a silence fall over you both as you recovered, hand pressed against your throat and heaving.

Jesus. Had you almost...

The thought alone almost made you sick.

"I'm sorry. I thought.... I didn't think you still couldn't swim." His voice was soft, barely heard over the waterfall. Kind and cautious, worried and terrified. Things that seeped from his tone as if it were bleeding out and bearing all its insides to you.

Exposing him to you.

You peeked over your loose strands of hair to glare viciously at him. "When would I have the time to learn to swim?" You shot back ruthlessly, not entirely caring from etiquette in this moment. "You've lost your mind."

"Right." Jinshi immediately agreed, almost looking fearful as he watched you.

You push yourself up and take in a deep breath, coughing slightly at the burn of your throat. Taking in your surroundings, you swore that this was that—

"Are you really alright?"

You glanced back at the man and found him still sat on the damp ground. His eyebrows are furrowed and a small frown on his lips as he stared up at you. It made you uncomfortable. To see such a glittering violet staring back at you earnestly. Honestly.

You instead clutch onto your dress, "Suiren is gonna kill me." You scoff, tugging the garments apart.

You could hear Jinshi sputter behind you. The gravel and dirt below him crunching as he probably scrambled up from his spot.

You spared a feeble look over your shoulder to find him with his eyes clenched slowed, hand covering your body from his gaze. You snap your gaze back around and tug the fabric a little too hard as you scoff.

You wouldn't deny the pang of hurt that clenched your chest.

"Don't worry, Jinshi-sama, you won't have to see my unruly body of mine for long. I just want to make sure Suiren doesn't slaughter me when we return."

"I— No, I'm just— okay." He finally muttered.

You are stripped down to your underthings, placing the dress and various pieces on the ground as delicately as you can to avoid too much dirt being stained into the fabric.

As you place the last bit of clothing down, you hear the flutter of fabric behind you.

Jinshi is a bright red, gently tossing his robe down behind him. His back is facing you and you know its for whatever mock sense of modesty he wants to give the both of you. You instinctively reach out and take his robe in your grasp, twisting it and squeezing it to watch out a fair amount of water drip out.

"You worry about mine later. Take care of your things first."

Yeah, right, You think as you twist it with an unrelenting grip. You are there to serve your master. It's one of the first things you learn. His needs came before your own. His needs were your needs.

Jinshi snatched the robe away and squeezed the fabric tight, an overflowing amount of water released from the cloth and into the ground.

Okay, so maybe he was better at it than you.

You nod, turning your attention towards your own garments and try to ignore the overwhelming feeling that you had eyes on your rear.

"So, um—" Jinshi cleared his throat when his eyes dragged away from you, cheeks a bright red. "What now?"

"Well, we could attempt at trying to swim back—"

"You can't swim."

"I was going to say that."

"Oh, sorry."

There's a soft silence between the both of you as you finish up. Gently redressing, you make your way towards the entrance of the cave, where the waterfall is blocking it from any negative eyes. You press your lips into a thin line and regard it bitterly. You remember this waterfall.... you could recall the times you whimsical pondered what it'd be like to ride down it like in those stories.

Jinshi had promised such when you both were too young and too dumb to realize how naïve dreams like that were.

You couldn't really judge that mini-you, for you had your own dreams of—

"Remember when Gaoshun first brought us here?"

You hadn't realized that Jinshi made his way over until he was standing beside you. Robes lose over his shoulders and tugging on his top layer. Violet eyes were watching the water as if it were a canvas of memories in the long distant past. Something to be admired and viewed with daisies and smiles. Not to be addressed as anything but good or amazing. Not to see the truth of it all.

You press your lips together, drawing in a heavy breath, "I remember you pushing me in the water and Gaoshun having to pull me out."

Jinshi's face screws up slightly, a faint blush on his features as he almost looks around with shame. "Right...." He straightens, "I'm sorry."

You blink, "Huh?"

Jinshi glances at you with a small smile, "I, uh, never really apologized back then. Made you apologize like you did something wrong." He explains weakly.

You raise an amused brow, "I told you I wished you would drown."

"I kinda deserved it!" Jinshi counters, his lips cracking into a grin. That charming grin he gets that makes your heart flutter. Make you hopeful for terrible and wistful. "I'm real sorry."

You smile softly, eyes kind and soft as you regard him, "I forgave you a long time, Jinshi-sama."

Jinshi's expression faltered, "Don't call me...." He trailed off awkwardly, turning his attention back to the unrelenting waterfall. You watched him for that moment. That split second where it looked like he was actually going to say something that would make you lightheaded. His jaw working and the muscle jumping as he seems to contemplate his next words.

Say anything and I'll cling to it, You think, watching his lips part, I always have. I always will.

"I'm surprised you were the one that followed me out. I thought the Apothecary might've done it."

You tense. That was certainly not what you expected him to say. Of all the things he could say? The Apothecary.

The waterfall in front of you is suddenly much too loud and violent. The cave seems to darken and your eyes drag from Jinshi to stare at your bare feet. Of course. Of course. Why wouldn't he want Maomao? Why had you even came here? Who were you to get between whatever silent signal he was trying to send to the other girl.

Him and Maomao. It was nicer than him and you. Jinshi and Y/n.

You straighten, pushing down any ill thoughts and heavy feelings into the dark pits of your chest and mind. "I apologize for the intrusion. I thought it'd make more sense for me to accompany you, Jinshi-sama."

"Why are you apologizing....?" He trailed off and then made a noise that sounded eerily similar to that of a caught man. "No, wait, I'm really glad that you're the one who came! Like really glad!"

"You don't have to spare me, Jinshi-sama. I'm a woman now, not a little girl."

"I'm not—" He visibly slumps, closing his eyes and trying to collect whatever thoughts he has and place them appropriately. He draws in a breath and faces you, looking oddly serious compared to his usual self. "I'm not trying to spare your feelings. I was just trying to say that— Well, it's not— I want you here, Y/n."

He's sparing your feelings. He's being kind. He doesn't actually want you there. You can't be friends.

You don't spare him a response. Instead, walking further into the cave. You raise your eyebrows, looking at the gaping hole above you where light and the sounds of nature filtered in. What could possibly get you both out of there...?

Whistle. Sit.

Of course. Him.

Jinshi sighs, "I spoke to Gaoshun before we—"

You place your fingers in the corner of your mouth and blow. A loud whistle bounces off the cave walls and out of the hole. You wait and hope to hear a bark or see the familiar tall man, but there's nothing.

"What are you doing?" Jinshi asks slowly, glancing between you and the hole above.

"Hello?" You cup your hands over your mouth and shout as loudly as you can. "Is anyone out there?"

Jinshi frowns, staring at you uneasily, "Y/n, please, we don't want to attract them this direction."

In the mess of almost drowning and seeing peeps of Jinshi's bare skin, you'd almost forgotten that you both had been chased down here by some violent assassin. Rather foolish, if you were honest.

You place the tips of your fingers against your lips and try to force the blush spreading across your cheeks off. "Sorry." You offer a bow of your head, despite the position you both find yourselves in.

You receive no response which causes you to peek at him. The stare that he's leveling you with doesn't bring you any type of comfort. It usually meant he was about to say something that—

"Hop on my back and see if you can reach up there."

—you wouldn't like.

Your eyebrows shot upwards and you stared at him with wide eyes. If Suiren was here and knew what he just proposed, she'd positively lose her mind. No matter how long she had known you— she'd think it improper. He was your boss and you were his lowly servant. To be in an position above him or treating him like a mat, it was...

It was simply ridiculous.

"But—"

"If you're the one below, you'll get crushed." He jabs a thumb over his shoulder. "Do it."

And that's how you ended up here. Legs wrapped around Jinshi's shoulders and heads, hand reaching out for the dirt above. You dig your fingers in and glance down at the man below you.

"Are you sure I'm not hurting you?"

Jinshi sighed for what seemed the hundredth time that day, his hand on your thigh squeezing gently. "Y/N, please stop asking me that."

You grimace, "My apologies, Jinshi-sama. Sorry." You shakily raise from your place, ignoring the soft and deep grunt Jinshi gives as you stand on his shoulders.

You dig your nails into the damp dirt and begin to tug yourself up.

This is it. Finally, you could get into the open forest once again. You're not going to be suffocated by his presence. Everything will return back to its rightful places—

You froze when it smacked you in the forehead.

You tried to keep calm as you felt the slimy breathing thing rest on your skin. Body tensed up and eyes staring widely at the bright sky above.

"Y/N?" Jinshi softly called, noticing the way you tensed.

"F—Frog." You utter, jaw clenched tight and you felt it shift as you take a deep breath. "A frog."

Jinshi blinked, looking up at you with his own wide eyes, "Hey, don't-don't freak out! Just shake your head and it'll hop off."

You shake a little, but follow his instructions. However, you may have overestimated the shake as you lose your grip on the dirt and begin to fall back.

"Hey!"

The tumble down is short and not all that hurtful, like you had been expecting. You had closed your eyes in anticipation, fear of having to watch the ground quickly approach too much for your tiny heart. You expected to feel the damp mud to be seeping into your clothes and little bits of stone and bark digging into your skin. However—

Nothing.

There was nothing except the soft silk under your fingers. The scent that resembled a sweet fruit, one that you had smelt quite often in the mornings. In the noons, the evenings, the nights, repeat. You knew that smell and that familiar beat against your own chest.

Peeking your eyes open, you find that Jinshi is already staring back at you. The first thing you notice is that you both are extremely close to one another. His breath fans against your dewy face, making goosebumps raise off your skin and a shiver sent down your spin. Next is his tender expression, Eyes gentle and twinkling. His expression isn't filled with pain or anything that would indicate that he was uncomfortable with the very short distance between you both. The last thing you notice is the fact that your body is pressed against his.

Your complexion flushes and you blink down at him.

He's warm. Incredibly warm. A sharp contrast to his damp clothes, which are open and pooling under his shoulder blades, revealing his bare chest to you. Your breath is ripped from you as you stare at the plump skin. You've seen it a million times. Every day as you help him get ready for the day. It should be normal. Should be something that doesn't make you lightheaded.

But it does.

He's right there. Right against you. You can feel his heartbeat ramming against his chest and into yours. You can feel every small breath he takes—as if hanging onto this moment with, what? Trepidation? Unease? You weren't entirely sure but you knew that you felt light.

Was it so bad that you felt nice in this moment? That this warmth was wrong? Was it so out of your reach that you simply couldn't imagine a man wanting to embrace you in a way?

You are to give your life to your master. Any inappropriate behavior will be punished, severely.

Yes. It was.

You clenched your jaw, ignoring the tender look in Jinshi's eyes as you try to bring your mind into the present.

The frog.

It wasn't anything that you wanted to touch, but Jinshi was your master. Your discomforts and fears must be pushed away for his sake and needs.

Reaching down, you feel for any signs of the frog. It wasn't large, but it wasn't entirely small either. It wouldn't be hard to find in all it's slimy and— There it is.

Your hand brushed it and you feel almost elated to find it. Your hand cupped around the bulge from Jinshi's robes. It feels much bigger than the average frog that'd been on your forehead. It was unmoving to, except for the small twitch it gives as you rest your palm down. You gripped it.

"Hng," Jinshi grunts, his eyes close. You're a little shocked as his hips shift, his hands at your hips dig into your flesh, almost too eager. You snap your eyes upward to his suddenly sweating and flushed face. "I-I'm sorry, but... but could you move your hand? It's making things, um, rather difficult."

Difficult?

You grip onto the twitching frog below you—

"U-Uh—" Jinshi moans in a deep and guttural way that would make anyone, especially you, malfunction. It doesn't help that his hands latch onto you harder, pressing you closer and releasing a stuttering breath against your ear.

Why was he squirming so much? Why was his face so red and dripping with sweat? Why was his chest heaving and his hands flexing around your skin? And why was this thing twitching and getting bigger in your hold....

Oh.

Oh.

You are to give your life to your master. Any inappropriate behavior will be punished, severely.

You felt a little sick at your intrusion. At the gall. You couldn't believe yourself. You had violated one of the single rules you were ever given. You violated Jinshi's space. His entire being. You were to be punished and hated— ousted from your position.

Disgusted with yourself, you slowly stand up. Jinshi's softly panting from his position on the ground, running a hand through his mused hair.

"S-Sorry, I haven't— I'm a bit—" Jinshi's obviously embarassed and uncomfortable. Look what you've done. You've ruined it all. "Hey, where are you going?"

Before you could think much more as his hands grip your hips once again and pull you down.

You're sat on his his lap and you could feel it.

"J-Jinshi-sama, I'm so-I'm so sorry!" You tucked your head down, shaking with trembling lips.

Jinshi's hands fall to your thighs, limp, "Eh...?"

"What I did was truly inappropriate and-and I will take any and all punishment!"

"Punishment...?" He sounded terribly confused, still a bit breathless. You keep your head ducked and he remains unmoved. "Why would I... you're not getting punished."

"I give my life to you. Any inappropriate behavior will be punished." You repeated softly under your breath, tucking your hands against your face to hide away from his gaze. From the judgement and hatred. "It's only just."

There's a longstanding silence between the both of you and you're hopeful that he's coming to his senses. That you'd be released and freed. That you would finally accept the gap and space between them. To fall away, finally, to the shadows.

It was tarnished the moment Jinshi wraps your hands around your own, gently prying your hands away from your face.

He doesn't look vengeful or angered. No. No, he looks kind. As he always has been. Kind and considerate. Honest and open. He'd always been so...

He'd never really been angry with you. Not without sadness being overbearing. Always so quick to forgive you. To push everything away with a smile and crinkle of his eyes.

"Y/N..." His words are as soft as his expression.

Your hands shake, "Please... Please hate me." You pleaded quietly, pressing your forehead against his hands as if he were a monk to be begged to.

"I'm not going to punish you or... or anything of the sort. Why would you want that?"

You draw in a watery breath, shoulders shaking, "It's easier to let go that way." You admitted.

"Let go of what?"

"Of my love for you."

"What?!"

His shout echoed off the cave walls. Your humiliation and embarrassment was quick to follow once it bounced back at you. Made you flinch back and try to push yourself back from his lap. Why did you say anything? Fool. Disgusting fool.

"Hey, hey, hey," Jinshi's hands wrap around your wrists and tug you forward a bit. You refuse to meet his eye. You refuse to be humiliated and demeaned— "Don't do that. Don't close off."

You clench your jaw and try to push the humilation deep within you, taking a deep calming breath as you stared at his bare collar. "You're so kind and so... you. I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable or disgusted, but I need to tell you. And then I would hope that you would let me go."

Jinshi's eyebrows shot up. "Let you go?"

You've been thinking about this for some time. That it all would be better if, in the end, you were to serve someone else. That you were pawned off for some soldier instead of this slow torture. This uncomfortable, unbearable tiptoeing.

"I would like for you to offer me to a soldier or anywhere else."

The reaction is instant. The way Jinshi's complexion darkens and he stares at you with wide eyes. He slumps into the damp ground and almost turns into putty. His hold on you slackens and gives you ample opportunity to move away. But you're frozen in your spot.

"Why would I do that?" Jinshi's voice is quiet, slow, "You're... You're mine."

A blush takes over your cheeks, "Jinshi-sama, It's not appropriate! I shouldn't be like this with you."

"What if I like it?"

You blink at him. "Huh?"

Jinshi leans forward, his thumb gently skirting against your skin. "What if I have some love for you too? What if I don't care about what's appropriate or follows the rules."

I would ask who you are. You were tempted to say but your mouth was clamped shut in shock. Following the rules had been completely him. He was put in his current position now to ensure the rules in the rear palace were being followed diligently. The thought that he would love someone like you when there were people like Maomao or princesses out there. People much more deserving of his devotion. It wasn't right.

As if sensing you're not believing him, he pulls away and presses his lips thin. "Okay, I'll convince you." He straightens up and takes a breath. "I spoke to Gaoshun not too long ago. Before we came here and I know everything now."

A pause. Everything. He knew everything now? Everything is so much. Everything is... well, everything. What exactly had Gaoshun told him?

"What's everything?"

"That my mother didn't want you around anymore. That Gaoshun told you that you weren't allowed around me anymore. That you stopped being my friend and became my employee."

Your stare up at Jinshi with wide eyes. "That's not...Us being friends wasn't right anymore."

Jinshi frowned, shaking his head and his hands slide up to your arms. "If I had my way, I would've had you by my side all that time. Not as some lady-in-waiting, but as my equal."

You shake your head, ignoring the erratic beating of your heart against your chest. "Don't say that. Don't say things you don't mean, Jinshi." You beg softly.

Jinshi reaches out, wrapping his hands around your own, pressing it against his chest. "I mean it with everything in me. If it were up to me, I wouldn't have ever been separated from you. Forget what my mother said." His words were sweet, tempting. They made you lightheaded. So did the sudden brightness and tender smile on his face. "That's the first time you've called me Jinshi since we were kids."

"What? I've always called you Jinshi."

"No, you've always called me Jinshi-sama."

"Oh."

You suppose you had.

"Jinshi," You utter, unsure of what else you both could say.

Jinshi's expression, if possible, softens further, leaning forward an inch. "Yes?" He whispers back just as softly.

Your eyes trail between his eyes before moving to his lips, parted and glistening, "Jinshi..."

Jinshi's hand slides up your thigh and his lips are ghosting against yours, "I'm here. I promise." He whispers before pressing your lips together delicately.

Your heart soars. Your hands shakily press against his cheeks, drawing closer as his own press your hips together. He's soft. He's tender. He's cautious and all encompassing. Filling your senses and making you lightheaded.

As you both part for a breath, he flips you onto your back. His hand grips the underside of your thigh and presses you close enough that he lets out a soft and broken sound.

His eyes are heavily lidded as he gazes down at you, lips pink. "I just want you. No one else. I promise." He utters.

You twist your hands into his hair, eyes fluttering. "You're it." You pass back.

His lips are back on yours. Wet and eager. This is sudden. Fast. But you've been waiting for so long. Had been clinging onto the smallest of things. Desperate to have this closeness that you had now. To feel his skin against yours. His breath mixing with your own. Everything him and everything you intertwined.

You just wanted to cherish this—

WOOF!

You and Jinshi both tense up, jumping. Looking over his shoulder, your eyes widen upon finding a familiar dog staring down at you both, wagging tail eager and happy to see you.

Jinshi's eyebrows furrow, "Huh...?"

There's not much warning before the dog is jumping down. Landing straight on Jinshi's back, causing the poor man to let out a pained sound. He's squishing you against the ground as the dog stands on his back, happily lapping his tongue against your cheek.

Vague disgust and disappointment wash over you, but you smile all the same. "Oh, boy!"

He barks again. A greeting you're sure.

Above, Lihaku and, surprisingly, Maomao appear. Both of them stare down at you with varying degrees of emotions. Lihaku looked excited and kinda like his dog, while Maomao.

Well, Maomao looked all too knowing.

"Well, you look rough!" Lihaku called down with a grin, "Glad to see you're not dead."

"As am I!" You huff out a laugh, then look to Maomao. "Hello, Xiaomao!"

"Hello." Maomao said flatly, she looked lower and her face screwed up distastefully. "Is Jinshi-sama okay?"

Lihaku then he spots his dog and slightly pales, letting out a sharp whistle. "C'mon, boy!"

The dog eagerly jumps off Jinshi, going to sit by your head and wag his tail. The man above you sighs in relief, pushing up off you. He sits up and you try not to focus on the bright blush on his face.

"Why did he do that?" The royal asks.

"Must've thought something was wrong." Lihaku rubs the back of his neck, frowning down at you both. "What... exactly where you two doing?"

You and Jinshi glance at one another, furious blushes flushing over you both. Despite anything that Jinshi said, there were things that you weren't allowed to do. Rules and laws that forbid something like this form happening the public eye. For a man like himself from being with a woman like you. A servant with a beautiful prince.

Protecting him was the priority.

"Nothing!" You shout back, ignoring the eyebrow raise that garnered from both Jinshi and Maomao.

Everything was better left alone. A secret between the both of you. To cherish and hold for however long it may need. You could deal with the anger and longing later.

[thezombieprostitute]

Royal Arrangements

Summary: Prince Rogers, heir to the throne, knows any marriage he enters into will be political. But maybe, just maybe, it could also be a happy marriage?

Warnings: Sexism (Patriarchal society). Please let me know if I missed any!

A/N: Reader is female. No other physical descriptors used.

"Are you ready for the gala?" Bucky asks Steve as he fixes his bow tie.

"Never have been, never will be," Steve sighs as he shakes his head.

"Yeah, you've never been one for all the attention."

"It's not just that. I'm tired of disappointing so many people."

"All the ladies?" Sam asks, eyebrow raised. "The ones that are trying every angle to get you into bed?"

"They seem to think I have a say in who I get married to." Steve's shoulders droop. "They're all so...optimistic."

"More like opportunistic," Bucky snorts.

"Given how many of them come after us after Steve turns 'em down, I gotta agree with Bucky on this one," Sam nods. "They can't get the crown prince so they go for his buddies."

"Well excuse me for wanting to think positively about people," Steve smirks. "It's hard not to with friends like you."

"Aww," Sam coos. "Isn't he just so sweet, Bucky?"

"Too sweet for his own good, Sam."

"Good thing he's got friends like us to protect him from the worst manipulators."

"Absolutely agree," Bucky nods.

"Okay, okay, can you stop talking like I'm not here?" Steve chuckles.

"No," the other men say in unison.

Another gala in another kingdom. Several hours of fake smiles and pretending to be dumb so as not scare away potential suitors. At least when you were an only child you didn't have travel so much to listen to inane conversation, you could remain home in Carga. Only after your half brother was born did you go from being sole heir who would have to marry a local noble to a pawn for the linking of kingdoms.

Different goals but same requirements, really. Wear the super heavy dress laden with gems and metals to show off Carga's wealth. Smile. Look pretty. Move perfectly and never say what you really want to. It made you jealous of the woman who got to tell off one of King Rogers' cousins for his bad behavior. Though you did appreciate that the King's son almost immediately told off said cousin for being the rude one. You doubt you'll see the cousin any more tonight. Probably for the best, though his fan-girls would say otherwise.

You've yet to actually be introduced to Prince Rogers of Bellin. You're certain your father would have words about that but hopefully telling him you'd been talking with other princes would help. Certainly Prince Fowler of Hoviriand seemed nice enough. As did Princes Wilson and Barnes. Hopefully your father wouldn't be too upset. You were still "doing your duty."

You hear your name called and turn to see Prince Wilson of Númetir smiling at you. "Please allow me to make the formal introductions?"

"I would greatly appreciate that, your majesty."

He gestures to Prince Rogers who is quick to heed his friend. Prince Wilson formally introduces you to Prince Rogers and you give your best curtsy. He bows slightly, just enough to be polite. You're certain he's as tired of the pageantry as you but you don't dare indicate it so openly as he has. You smile politely and nod along as the princes talk, only commenting when asked for.

Admittedly, either man would be a wonderful match for you. They both have handsome faces and charming smiles. They're both princes from powerful kingdoms. From your peripheral you can see the glares of the other women, clearly upset that you're taking the attention of two prospects.

They shouldn't worry, though. It's clear from Prince Rogers' body language that he has no interest in you. And the fact that Prince Wilson introduced you indicates he's not interested either. Perhaps they'll consider putting in a good word with Prince Barnes of Cidaur. He's a second son, sure, but still of royal pedigree that your father would tolerate.

After the gala, Steve and his father talk about the prospective matches. He knows the likelihood of a happy marriage is slim. So far only King Harald Finehair, of the northern kingdom Rhordorn, has seemed to have been fortunate enough to find real love with his Queen. But he still holds onto hope that his future wife won't make his life worse.

"I know you don't care for these kinds of events," King Rogers starts. "There was certainly a time I'd agree with you. But there's a very important reason for them." Steve slightly tilts his head in interest. "I want to make sure you don't end up married to someone who makes you miserable."

Steve's mouth goes slightly slack in surprise while his eyes widen. It's not that his father has ever been unkind to his sons, no. It's that his father was considering his son's happiness on a level almost equal to the well-being of the kingdom.

"It isn't often I have the opportunity to grant my sons a happiness that doesn't hurt the kingdom. Truly, Ari's abdication was the only time the two priorities were ever aligned," King Rogers chuckles. "Each kingdom presented offers, of course. But your reactions helped me decide to whom I should actually pay attention. Well, yours and your friends. Sam and James don't know I watch them, too. Do you recall the Princess of Carga? Sam introduced you?"

"Yes," Steve nods. "She seems nice enough."

King Rogers smiles softly. "Nice enough. Her father's kingdom will be a good ally, many nations would, and have, killed for their mines full of precious metals."

"Access means cheaper metals which means improved quality of life for the people."

"Exactly. And as the young lady didn't seem to scare you off, kept your company longer than any other, and was approved by Sam, I think it'll be a good match."

"Yes, Father," Steve nods.

"What is your honest opinion, Steven?"

Steve takes a breath. "She seems dull. Not unpleasant, not stupid just...I couldn't tell you anything about what she believes, what she's studied, nothing. But, as you said, she wasn't miserable to be around. And that counts for something."

King Rogers smirks, "just remember, Steven, a woman's education about courtly behaviors are very different from those of a man's. But I trust you to be open, receptive, and most importantly, patient with her."

"Yes, Father."

"I'll send the notice to her father tonight to begin negotiating the finer details. By this time next week you should be officially engaged."

"Yes, Father."

Series Masterlist

Tagging: @alicedopey; @citronbun; @darsynia; @delicatebarness; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @irishhappiness; @kmc1989; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly; @thiquefunlover63; @unclearblur; @zanydruid1985;

[hwaslayer]

wildfire (cs) | 8.5

—spotify playlist | series masterlist

—summary: assistant professor in bioengineering, incredibly attractive, lonely and divorced; that’s how most people describe san. but despite the events that have happened in his life, san has a lot going for himself. he’s a successful, sought out professor due to his brilliant contributions to science at just an early age of 32. he worked hard to get where he was now; head deep into his research, his publications, building his lab and creating a name for himself. everything was good and smooth sailing— until it wasn’t. because when he meets you, a bioengineering grad student interested in rotating in his lab, he finds himself ready to risk all the blood, sweat and tears he put in throughout the years just to keep you close— his need for you spiraling out of control like a wildfire.

—pairing: asst. professor!choi san x grad student!f. reader

—genre: (18+ - minors dni) strangers to lovers, grad school au | fluff, angst, smut

—word count: 1.5k

—chapter content/warnings: this is a few days post-symposium so san x oc are pretty much a thing by now lol, one-sided feelings 😭, nothing else rly!!

"What, why?" San laughs. "No, let's go get lunch. On me."

"San." Zara furrows her brows at him, crossing her arms in dispute.

"Seriously."

"I'm the one who asked you to meet, shouldn't I be paying?"

"Not really." He laughs. "Besides, I don't have anything going on until after lunch. Unless.. you're busy?"

"No. I'm not." San smiles and nods towards one of the cafés nearby.

"Okay, so let's go." 

"You don't need to meet anyone for once?" She jokes.

"Nah. Well, you, now." Zara playfully rolls her eyes and follows alongside of him. It had been a couple of days post-symposium, and Zara had received some emails regarding potential tours of her lab space, especially from donors. She had sought advice from the rest of the group, but she wanted to meet with San to get a little bit more info on his experience. 

And he had provided her with more help than she could've asked for.

The rest, although insightful, gave her advice— going along the lines of 'just be yourself!' or 'elaborate on your work, you should be gold!' But, San managed to take his time with her and gave her specific scenarios. Specific what-not-to-do's and what-to-do's, adding in a sprinkle of personalities and focus points from the foundations that reached out based on his own experience. He even gave her more tips on how to present her lab while it's still a work in progress with the one postdoc and grad student she has.

She really appreciated it, and she couldn't help but feel a little more attracted to the man San had shown to be. He was always helpful and incredibly sweet from the beginning, but with someone who has a packed schedule day in and day out— she couldn't help but be grateful for the extra time he carved out for her. It hadn't been their first meeting, obviously. This had been one of a few since she started; mainly meetings to check in and see how things were going. But, Zara appreciated every single one because she knew San had a busy schedule.

Yet, he still carved out time for her.

And maybe she was being a little too optimistic—after all, most meetings had been about her. She knows a few things about San, like his parents and what they've been up to. She knows that he enjoys watching all sports with the guys, likes dabbling in golf and random hobbies with them and hanging out at each other's homes. She knows that Iseul was his ex-wife, but it was such a known fact around campus she couldn't say it was a San fact only she knew. She knows him mainly from a colleague perspective; she knows about his work and awards. Other than that, she doesn't know much. San might know a little more about her than she does with him and that's because she put it out there hoping he'd feel more comfortable to on his end.

Oh well.

When they reach the café, San scans the menu next to Zara, while Zara can't seem to help but glaze over his figure. He's wearing a brown button up with the sleeves rolled up halfway. Jeans. Chucks. Zara can faintly smell his cologne from where she stands. She's a bit past his shoulder in height, right by his jaw perhaps. They've got a good height difference, bearing that she's in these boots with a 1.5-inch heel.

"Zara?" He cocks his head to the side when he finds her spaced out, eyes now roaming around the café.

"Hm?" She hums.

"I was asking if you knew what you wanted." He smiles and she can't help but softly smile, too.

"I'm just gonna get the tuna melt."

"That's all?"

"And the peach iced tea, please." He chuckles.

"I got you."

"I'm gonna go save us that table." She points over to a free booth that just popped open, and San nods. She breaks free from him after he asks one last time if she wanted anything else, giving him that smile of hers before walking away and settling down at the table. She pulls out her phone and scrolls through new emails, answering a select few until San plops down in front of her. He slides the beeper and their drinks onto the middle of the table, pulling out his phone to scroll through his own notifications.

you: [sends selfie]

you: me today lol

San subtly smiles and quickly texts back, trying his best not to be too pre-occupied while with his colleague.

san: prettiest i know. 😍

"So." Zara sips on her peach iced tea. "How are things going in the lab?"

"Uh, it's been good! Everyone's busy per usual. I've got a postdoc actively working on his paper, and he's been getting a lot of good results with my rotation student."

"Sunwoo?" San nods. "Who's your rotation student?"

"Y/N. She's been great."

"Oh! That's good to hear."

"Yeah, everyone seems to be moving in a good direction. Guess I'm doing something right after all." She giggles. 

"Quit talking all that nonsense, you know you're good at what you do."

"Am I?" San smirks before sipping on his drink, and it makes her blush. 

"Stop." The food comes at this moment, and San is gently sliding over her plate before grabbing his. She thanks him one last time for treating her to lunch before they dig in and talk about upcoming school events, conferences and talks— particularly NAS coming up. At some point, his phone on the table dings and Zara watches how San's eyes light up before he locks his phone and returns his attention back to her. To pivot from work for a little [and to try and pry], Zara takes a sip of her tea again before changing the subject. "So. Anyway. Any plans for the weekend?" She rests her chin on her palm, looking at him while she waits for him to respond. 

San can see the way she looks at him, and it reminds him of the way you look at him. But, of course, it means a lot to San when you do it; it only makes him feel bad when Zara does it. Zara hasn't outright said she had feelings for him, but it's been pretty clear since the get. And he knows having Mingi and his friends in her ear, pushing the idea of them getting together doesn't help. Maybe one day he'll get the opportunity to talk to her and tell her the truth— that he truthfully believed they were good this way, as good friends, colleagues. He does respect her, and he does appreciate her company as a friend. 

He's not gonna lie and say his heart doesn't belong somewhere else because it does. All he wants is you.

"I've got some plans, yeah." Is all San says, which kinda makes Zara nervous as to why he's being so vague about it.

"With what? Are you seeing a special someone?" She teases.

"Uh." He laughs it off. "Just hanging out is all. What about you?" He doesn't say much because he doesn't wanna give things away and let people connect the dots. Zara nods slowly, almost like she's trying to read his body language carefully.

"Hm, I see." Her heart drops because the way San answered is enough to tell her yes, he is seeing someone special. "I'm just gonna visit my parents."

"Oh, that'll be nice! Speaking of, I should visit mine soon."

"You should." She tosses her napkin onto the plate before setting it aside. "All done?"

"Mhm." She looks at his plate, which is also cleared off. "Packed afternoon?"

"A bit, nothing too bad. What about you?"

"I'm done after 3pm. I'll be heading out early for once."

"That's good, take advantage of it." His phone dings again and he takes a minute to read it, a small smile building at the corner of his lips before locking his phone again. He gathers their trash and stands, preparing to return the dirty dishes with his cup in hand. "Ready? I can walk you back to your building."

"You sure?" San nods.

"All good."

"Thank you, San. For lunch and for meeting with me today. Your advice was super helpful."

"Of course, any time." Zara's heart warms at the way he waits for her and walks alongside of her on the way out of the café. He holds the door open and lets her walk out first, slowly trailing by her side as they make their way back to her building.

She's unsure of what to do with her feelings for him, especially after today. It's obvious he's seeing someone, at least starting to. Building up to it. He saw the stars in his eyes whenever his phone dinged and he read those messages. Those stars weren't there when he returned his attention to her. All she saw were his big, brown eyes, but they weren't full of the stars, the galaxies, the sun, the moon. They were empty. No feeling, no excitement. Not the same as the way she would look at him. 

She wondered how it would feel to be on the receiving end of San's starry eyes.

She wondered who was on the receiving end of San's starry eyes.

—taglist: @asjkdk @interweab @woojirang @svintsandghosts @cheolliehugs @persphonesorchid @mxnsxngie @jycas @cowboydk @vcutparis @chngbnwf @struggling101 @sanhwalvr @angelqueendom @barbielibra @brown88 @choisansplushie @yunhoswrldddd @hyukssunflower @vickykazuya @lucid-galaxys-world @jaytheatiny @pommelex @thechaotictheoryy @vixensss @santineez @nopension @domfikeluva @in-somnias-world @my-atiny-kookie-rkive @mountiiny

[weird-is-life]

Don't deny it

Pairing: Rockstar!Sirius Black x fem!reader

Summary: Rockstar!Sirius keeps denying your relationship and you finally have enough

Warnings: angst, fluff, use of pet names, use of y/n, swear words, mentions of head injury, happy ending ofc

Words: 2.4k

You thought, that you've been just imagining it, but as you hear Sirius getting interviewed now, you know, you haven't.

Sirius has been keeping your relationship secret. Like everytime he got interviewed in the last few months, he played it like he was single. No mentions of a girlfriend, meaning no mentions of you.

Like you get it, that the band is really famous and that mentioning your name would kind of make your life a bit more difficult. With less privacy and everything.

But he doesn't have to say your name, he could just admit having a girlfriend. No need to go into details.

And you think, you've finally had enough when you hear him reply to the reporter's question.

"So my last question is for all of the fangirls, is Sirius Black taken?" the reporter chuckles as she asks it.

You hear Sirius laugh too," taken? No, I'm definitely not taken. Still very single, sadly."

You hear him laugh some more, before you turn the interview off. You feel like the dumbest fool.

Obviously, Sirius is too embarrassed of you to even admit he's dating anybody, there can't be any other reason.

And you've definitely had enough of it. Everytime he denies your relationship, you feel like your heart is being ripped out of your chest and stumped on.

You can't go on like this. You don't want to hurt like this anymore. You can't keep hoping that one day, he's going to admit having a girlfriend. You just can't, it pains you too much.

So with that, you decide to ignore Sirius, hoping he'll understand, that you don't want to see him ever again. You know, he shouldn't be home for at least 2 weeks, so hopefully by the time he comes home, you'll move on (too optimistic).

You stop responding to his texts, answering his phone and eventually, you even turn off your phone. You don't give him any explanation, you don't think he deserves one.

Sirius on the other hand is going crazy with worries just after a few hours of radio silence from you. He even calls your best friend to find out if you're okay. Apparently, you are, but you friend refuses to tell him anything more and just hangs up on him.

That doesn't ease his worries at all. He rakes his mind for an answer to what's he done? But nothing comes to his mind.

He tries to contact you again and again, but still, no response. You don't respond even when James or Remus try. So Sirius starts to loose his mind over you.

But he can't leave to go to you, no matter how much he wants to. The band is in the middle of finishing the new album, so he can't just bail on them. He tried it and got yelled by the management pretty badly. Threatening of getting let go by their label if he just leaves.

Sirius becomes completely useless at the studio and the band rehearsals, messing up everything, because his mind is stuck on you.

"Please sweetheart, pick up, please" Sirius whispers brokenly as he once again tries to call you.

You don't pick up and the phone call ends. Sirius throws his phone across the room from the frustration. He slumps onto a sofa and puts his head into his hands in defeat.

He sits there with tears freely running down his cheeks. It's a heartbreaking sight, seeing him so hopeless.

James and Remus find him like that and immediately know, that they have to push him to go see you.

"Go, " James tells him.

"What?" Sirius looks up confused, eyes red.

"Go after her," Remus adds encouragingly.

"But the label....I can't....they'll cut us off-"

"Doesn't matter, we'll just find some other label, there's plenty of them, that want us," James says, maybe a little smugly at the fact, that are are many labels that would kill to have The Marauders.

Sirius looks at them unsurely, "are you guys sure?"

James and Remus groan in frustration, "fucking hell, will you just get out of here, please?" James tells him.

Both Sirius and Remus chuckle, and Sirius quickly gets up. He comes up to the boys and hugs them tightly, squeezing them almost death, until they are pushing him away.

Sirius basically sprints out of the studio. He just grabs all the essentials and runs to the airport. One of the benefits of being famous is the private plane, which he happily uses on his way to you. He gets home in a record time.

The walk through the halls towards your apartment is very nerve-wracking. Sirius doesn't know what to expect, but he certainly doesn't expect all of his stuff, that he's left at your apartment to be sitting outside waiting for him.

"Shit," he curses under his breath and runs a trembling hand through his hair. He can't believe this is happening. He hopes it isn't. He hopes, it's just a nightmare, that he'll soon wake up from. He can't just loose you, he won't survive it, he's sure of that.

Sirius checks under the rug for the spare key and as expected, it isn't there. So Sirius just knocks.

No answer.

He tries again, because he knows you're inside, he can hear the shuffling of things.

"Y/N, please it's me, please open. I-I....can we please talk?" Sirius begs and begs, but you're too stubborn for your own good, you've always been like that, so you don't open.

He knocks and begs, until the neighbours are threatening to call the police on him. Sirius, defeated, sits down with his back to your door.

"Please, love, c-can we just talk?" his tired voice still doesn't break you, but Sirius doesn't give up, " okay, it's okay. I'll wait 'till, you're ready."

And he means it. He makes himself as comfortable as he can on the floor, intending to stay there however long it takes.

You, on the other hand, put on your headphones to ignore Sirius pleads and knocking. You just can't see him right now or anytime soon, your heart is too broken for that.

Even if one part of you wishes to see him and hug him, your body craves the comfort of him. But the rational part of you knows, that'd be too bad for you.

Sirius keeps hiding you and you keep hurting, you can't go on like this, not anymore.

You go to sleep, full of raw emotions, and even if sleep doesn't come easily, eventually you drift off.

In the morning, you wake up just as tired as you were, when you went to bed. And when you open your fridge, you realise, you don't even have anything to eat for breakfast.

You groan internally, you don't feel like going out of your apartment, like at all, but you have to, you can't go on without food.

You put on your most incognito clothes, hoping that you won't meet anyone you know, especially Sirius.

And as you open your door, they suddenly slam wide open, because of some weight pushing against it front the outside.

Said weight, you realise, is Sirius. You yelp in shock, when you see him and look at him bewildered.

Sirius wakes up with a groan. He wasn't thinking of you opening the door, when he first leaned against it. Now he kind of regrets it, as his entire head hurts from hitting it on the floor.

"What the fuck, Sirius?" you whisper yell, you would yell loudly, if it wasn't so early in the morning.

Sirius, upon realising that he can finally see you, stands up quickly. That isn't the best idea though, because his head starts to spin.

"Sweetheart, i-"

"Don't sweetheart me, Sirius. What the hell are you doing here? Have you been here since yesterday?" you question, angrily. You notice, that Sirius looks just as bad as you. Huge eye bags under his eyes, hair dishevelled like crazy.

"Yeah, I told, I'd wait until you were ready to talk," he just replies, giving you a small, hesitant smile.

You don't know, what to say. Your head is full of emotions and you can't decide, which ones are right and which ones aren't.

While you are thinking of what to say to him and glaring at him at the same time, Sirius head starts to spin badly.

"I think, I'm going to pass out," Sirius quickly tells you as he almost tumbles on the ground.

You, without thinking, catch him by the arms.

"W-what's wrong?" you ask a little scared. You find Sirius at your door and suddenly, he's passing out?

"I hit my head..." he mumbles out and hisses as he touches the back of his head.

You sigh, "fuck, okay, c'mon." You help him to your couch and swiftly go to retrieve some ice pack for his head and some water.

You put the ice pack at the back of his head and Sirius winces some more. "Sorry," you whisper.

"It's okay-....I- thank you, sweetheart." Sirius calls you 'sweetheart' again and you want to slap yourself for feeling the butterflies.

You quickly go to the kitchen, so he doesn't see the redness at your cheeks. "Shit," you whisper to yourself, "what am I going to do?"

You've wanted to stay away from Sirius as far away as possible and now he is in your apartment? You don't know if you want to run away, punch him in the face or kiss him stupid.

You stay as long as you can in the kitchen, basically just hiding away from Sirius and you complete forgot about your intention of going to the shop.

Sirius is unusually quiet, so after a longer while you gather all the courage you can to face him, only to find him fast asleep.

You sigh at the sight of his peaceful, asleep face, you quickly throw a blanket over him (before you can think it through) and head out to actually get something to eat, 'cause you're starving.

When you come back, Sirius wakes up at your arrival.

"H-hi, "he says with a groggy, sleepy voice. He smiles at you like nothing has happened, like everything is normal and it makes you suddenly so so angry.

You drop your grocery bags on the ground and quietly, but sternly ask, "you are embarrassed of me, that's why, right?"

Sirius is quickly woken up from his half asleep state by your mad voice and baffles," e-embarrassed? What? Of course, I'm not."

"Yes, you are," you say exasperatedly, you can feel, that your eyes are filling with tears, " you are!"

Sirius stands up slowly, but steadily and comes closer to you, not entirely close, he still wants to give you some space. "I could never be embarrassed of you, y/n, never."

"Then why?" you ask desperately as one tear rolls down your cheek, Sirius's hand itches to wipe it away.

"Why what? I don't understand," Sirius begs for explanation, while he rakes his mind for an answer to his question as well.

"Y-you keep pretending like I don't even exist, like you don't want me!" you try to suppress the little sob, that escapes your mouth. Sirius wants to fucking beat himself up for making you cry, even if he doesn't really know the reason why yet.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asks stupidly and you sob again.

"What? What? What? The fucking interviews Sirius, I mean them," you pretty much yell it to him, the frustration being too much for you.

Sirius finally understands and the realisation hits him like a crushing wave. He didn't know you were feeling this way about them," why didn't you say anything? I thought, you were okay with keeping our relationship private."

"Private yes, but not to the point you are literally chuckling and saying how incredibly single you are," you argue," that's just wrong. But if you want to be single so badly, i won't fight against it."

"No," Sirius blurts out instantly, " I don't want to be single."

"Then what do you want?" you sniffle.

"You. Just only you, nobody else," Sirius is trying to catch your gaze, but you refuse to look at him, "sweetheart, please look at me."

You hesitate, but eventually you look at him. You notice, that tears aren't only on your face.

"Have you been feeling like this for a long time?" Sirius questions and you nod, he curses under his breath.

"I'm so sorry, i didn't notice. Shit, I'm such an idiot, " he starts and without thinking he takes a few steps closer to you," I'm sorry, angel. If I knew, you were feeling this way, I would have never ever continued denying our relationship. Fuck, It was killing me to stay quiet about us, I wanted to tell them everything about you. Please believe me."

You stay quiet and your sobs slowly start to go away. Sirius waits for you to say something, anything really.

"N-not everything please," you whisper. You can't stay mad at your Sirius long, even if you'd really want to sometimes. It's just not possible to be angry with him, especially when he loves you so much.

"What was that?" Sirius doesn't catch it.

"Don't tell them everything about me please," you tell him as you, after a few days, smile. Truly smile.

Sirius takes it as a permission to finally touch you. He has you in his arms in a matter of seconds, squeezing you oh so tightly, while he laughs happily.

"Does this mean, t-that I am forgiven?" he asks you unsurely, as he reluctantly eases you out of his tight embrace.

"Maybe," you grin at him

"Maybe? What do I have to do to get a yes, huh lovely?" Sirius softly asks, he takes your cheeks into his hands and gently wipes the tears away.

"You could kiss me, you know," you say with a sheepish smile. You look too cute, cheeks red and puffy, for Sirius to say no to you. As if he would every deny you a kiss or anything else for that matter.

He instantly leans it and kisses you, it's soft and maybe a little desperate kiss, but it doesn't matter to you or him.

You let him kiss you as long as you manage without breathing, even if you know there're still things to talk about. You'll talk about it, just later, after you get enough kisses.

[kimingyuslover]

shattered promises

synopsis: in a relationship marked by constant arguments and unfulfilled promises, you seek clarity from Jeonghan about your future together.

word count: 1,543 & some edits

genre: angst

warning: tears, jeonghan is an asshole, 6 and a half year relationship!!! lowercase intended

a.n: kinda rushed ending(?), i had a writer block while making this t__t. I hope y'all enjoy this. Also, i finally updated something on my account, lol

☆ check out my other works > main masterlist

argument after argument keeps happening inside of your relationship with him, whether it's because of something small or big.

in the past, these fights would simmer down after a few hours, ending with whispered apologies and lingering touches. but now, things feel different. after years of cycling through the same frustrations, you find yourself standing at a crossroads. you need clarity, certainty, something more.

"do you plan on taking our relationship to a serious level?" you ask, breath shaking, and your voice seems to waver.

he's silent, not wanting to answer your question, because he knew he'd say the same thing– he's not ready.

you sigh, the weight of his unspoken words crashing down on you. quietly, you retreat to your shared bedroom and pull out a large suitcase. slowly, methodically, you begin packing your belongings.

while Jeonghan stays seated on the living room couch, his mind running hundreds of miles per hour, he just needs to wait for your reaction. either you'll lock yourself in your shared bedroom like you always do or the worst thing that he could ever imagine, you broke the relationship you have with him.

Jeonghan, initially optimistic that the argument will blow over like before, realises with dread that this time it's different.

His stomach churns at the thought of the worst-case scenario: you leaving him for good.

minutes later, he hears the unmistakable sound of luggage being dragged. alarmed, Jeonghan rushes to the staircase, his heart pounding. at the top of the stairs, he sees you—three suitcases packed and ready.

"no, no, no," he mutters under his breath. He wasn’t expecting this. the arguments were familiar territory, something you always overcame. he thought this would be no different.

"I've made up my mind" you said to him, still a little struggling carrying all of your suitcases.

Jeonghan's eyes widen in panic. the woman he thought he’d love forever is walking out of his life, and he doesn’t know how to stop it.

“you're everything i want, Jeonghan–

you pause, the usual softness in your voice replaced with quiet resignation. no more "baby." no more "my love." none of the pet names he adored so much.

"You’ve always told me I’m ‘the one,’ but I’ve never felt like it. I’ve tried to hold on, but I can’t just survive anymore—I need to live. I love you, Jeonghan. I really do. I always will."

your words hang in the air, heavy with finality.

Jeonghan opens his mouth to speak but quickly closes it again, realizing he has no answer—nothing that can undo the years of uncertainty he’s put you through.

"You’ve been inconsistent," you continue, tears threatening to spill. "We’ve been together almost seven years, and you still tell me you’re not ready for something serious. I told you, from the start, that I wanted more by the time we hit four years. But I’ve been waiting... and hoping... and I just can’t do it anymore."

“but i guess i'm hoping too much, i shouldn't be putting hope to you when i first asked you at our 5 year anniversary, it may be selfish of me for thinking this way, thinking that maybe you want to be wed to me as much as i want to be wed to you, i'm always wrong. thank you for the memory though, i've learned a lot from this” with that you drag your suitcases and walk past Jeonghan whose legs are pinned to the floor, even when he heard the closing of that one door.

You still hope, deep down, that he’ll chase after you, beg you to stay, promise to change. But as the seconds turn into minutes, and the minutes stretch into ten, the apartment door remains closed behind you.

By the time the elevator reaches the ground floor, you know—he’s not coming.

You step into the night, flagging down a taxi to take you away from the place that once felt like home.

.........................

meanwhile, Jeonghan is still seated at his couch, replaying every word you say to him earlier. His brain is still processing everything that happens, the argument, confusion, and regret fully filling his head.

all he knows is, the next second, his brain finishes, swallowing every piece of information he got, tears already staining both of his cheek, and it's too late to chase you.

he hurriedly searches for his phone, wanting to call you, but he halts his movement, thinking that you would want some space after the big argument.

so he didn't call you.

.........................

Three and a half years pass.

Jeonghan steps off the plane at Incheon Airport, his sleek black hair neatly styled, his black trousers and white button-up making him look polished yet distant. he’s returned from Italy, where work projects with Woozi kept him occupied, but no matter how far he went, he could never escape the thoughts of you.

he's hoping that this time, you will gave him another chance, because he's ready now, to be in a serious commitment with you.

in fact, he already has the ring on him, he just has to find you again, making you his again and you will live happily ever after.

arriving at the old apartment, he feels a strange mix of hope and dread. he’s never let go of the memories you shared there, good or bad.

he picked up his mail from the receptionist, giving him a smile before walking to the lift carrying his things.

A few minutes pass and he finally arrives at his apartment.

after he takes a shower and gets dressed, he wants to start opening his mail one by one, but something catches his eyes, an envelope with your name on it.

for a fleeting moment, his heart leaps. but then he notices another name below yours: Choi Seungcheol.

he opens it, and he doesn't even think he can handle his heart breaks again, but it does happen.

it was your wedding invitation, with that man.

all of his hope was getting crushed by the simple “we're getting married!” text inside of the invitation and the pre-wedding photos of you and seungcheol.

the photos show you and Seungcheol, radiant and in love. the invitation is beautiful, but it feels like a dagger to his heart.

all of it was beautiful, but it's not him who you married, it was not your wedding invitation, it was not his intention when he came back overseas.

the things he had in his mind long gone, only filled with the regret that starts to fill up his body painfully slowly.

he curses under his breath, tears streaming down his face, nothing can't stop it anymore, his sobs are getting louder.

.........................

days later, Jeonghan finds himself seated in a church pew, his hands clasped tightly together. the music begins, and all eyes turn toward the doors. You appear, arm-in-arm with your father, wearing the wedding dress you once described to him as your dream. you look breathtaking.

the music starts to play, all the guests turn around to see the big door opens then there's you and your father. The gown fits your form gracefully with the veil covering your face and there's crown on your head.

you really look like a princess, and Jeonghan remember that you had told him that this is your wedding dream look.

lots of guests start tearing up, including him.

tears well in Jeonghan’s eyes, though not from joy like the other guests. he watches as you walk down the aisle, each step taking you further away from the life you once shared with him.

everything feels like it's going slow, the way you walk down the aisle delicately with your father by your side while holding a bouquet of your favourite flowers and seeing your fiancé ahead with the officiant, the slow music fills the air and makes this scene even more beautiful.

and god, you're so gorgeous in that dress, a smile etching both at yours and seungcheol's face, happy moments really shared through the air.

after the officiant announces you as wife and husband, seungcheol launches at you, kissing you deeply while Jeonghan and the other guests clapping and smiling, except his was fake.

your "I love you"s and shared smiles are beautiful, but they aren’t meant for him.

morning turns into evening, the sun finally gets tired and decides that it was the right time to get some sleep while the moon is rising to replace the sun's work.

all the people you invite watching you slow-dance with the one you love.

Jeonghan swallows the lumps in his throat with a shot of vodka while seeing you with seungcheol, his heart burns and so does his body.

this time, his heart is shattered, he knows he loves you but he has to let you go, because you're someone else’s now.

you're not his girlfriend anymore and you will never be again, he regrets not being able to fix his mistakes, and he regrets not being able to be your husband so he can be by your side as long as you live.

he will mourn every single day of his life until he dies, the pain of missed chances, and unfulfilled promises will always haunt him

[stenshale]

“they had been the one to blush first?” for our boy tarquin

from this prompt list! thank you ^_^

Tarquin reclined in his chair, stretching his legs out under the table with a quiet grunt. Any remaining work for the Shadow Dragons had been finished nearly an hour ago, and nearly all had gone home, but he could still hear the constant thrum of rain against the side of the shop over the crackling fireplace. In his hurry to make it to the shop, he had forgotten his warm leather coat at the archives, which meant he wasn't going anywhere soon. It was warm here, and if he started the long walk home now, he'd be soaked to the bone and freezing by the time he fell into bed.

And The Viper was still here, too, his pretty blue eyes scanning over some document or another, and that really shouldn't have been as much of a deciding factor as it was.

He crossed his arms and let out a small huff, staring at the ceiling so he had something to look at besides the other man. More time was devoted to pretending not to stare at him than was appropriate, especially because, strictly speaking, there wasn't much to look at, save an inch or so of skin between his mask and the brim of his big, stupid hat.

It'd been some years since Tarquin had a real, heart-fluttering, butterflies-in-your-stomach crush. He had thought, optimistically, that he was too old for it.

No such luck, evidently.

On more than one occasion, he had woken from a dream where he heard the man's low, sleepy voice, close where he rested against his head against his shoulder, rumbling and unfairly comforting, woke up with an empty feeling nestled in his ribs, and spent the rest of the day feeling fuzzy at the edges.

It was wholly unwarranted, he thought, sneaking another look at The Viper despite himself. He didn’t even know the guy’s name— or maybe that was part of it? There was an appeal to a hidden identity, of course, if their prominence in pulpy serials was anything to go by. The peeling away of layers, one by one, in both a metaphorical and physical sense, was a concept too easy and too enticing for a writer to pass up.

He wondered where the clasp of The Viper’s stupid mask was at, anyway. Or maybe he could just rip the damn thing off his face on the off chance he had reason to.

“Warm in here?”

Tarquin nearly jumped out of his skin at The Viper’s voice, only then registering the prickling warmth in his cheeks. The man’s eyebrows were raised, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement.

How he managed to look so smug with so little face to work with was a mystery to Tarquin.

“Fuck off,” he responded, crossing his arms. It came out entirely too sharp and defensive, not helping his embarrassed flush. The Viper’s delight seemed to increase tenfold.

“We could douse the fire,” he teased, document evidently forgotten, “or take a quick walk outside. That might cool you down.”

“Fuck off,” Tarquin reiterated, more forcefully this time. He just knew his ears were bright red.

“Maybe—“

“I’m going home,” he said, nearly knocking his chair over in his haste to stand. “Goodnight, Viper.”

He had nearly made it out the door before The Viper’s voice stopped him.

“Quin?”

And damn him right to the Black City itself if that didn’t make his stomach do a little flip. He stopped in his tracks, tried in vain to collect himself, and turned.

“Yeah?”

“It’s Ashur.”

Tarquin blinked, his brow furrowing, his mind working double time to try and catch up.

“My name,” he said, still smug from halfway across the room, but also… something else. Something Tarquin could debate with himself about later tonight. Or for the rest of his life.

“Right.” He nodded. “Goodnight, Ashur.”

Ashur grinned like a cat who’d caught a particularly stubborn mouse. “Goodnight, Tarquin. Get home safe.”

The cold didn’t end up bothering him much in the end, and he was idly surprised that the raindrops didn’t sizzle when they hit his skin.

[once-and-future-loser]

OK. Last crazy post of the day, I promise. Just a short something that came to mind thirty minutes ago. Enjoy!

*I have no idea if they stayed at the same hotel, if there was a hotel, or if there was an after party, but the "F" in RFP is the most important letter so...*

----------

“Playing chess with Lewis, No?”

Charles startles at the hotel bar where he’d been slowly nursing an overpriced “Livery Libation,” some terrible signature cocktail for the F1 75 afterparty, mostly gin and blue curacao.

It was just a few drivers and team staff hanging around at the hotel and Charles was about ready to turn in for the night when Carlos had sidled up next to him at the bar.

Charles just hums, trying not to look directly at Carlos.  Always a perilous act.

“Is he any good?”  Carlos follows up when Charles doesn’t have any more details to offer.

Lewis had started it actually, didn’t know that chess was their thing, and Charles had just gone along, maybe too eagerly.

“Yes, better than you, Carlos.”

He was also much better than Charles.

 “Ah, so you do still know my name!  You have lost my contact though it seems.”

It wasn’t like that, he just hadn’t reached out, he was… busy.  Nothing complicated.

“Shut up, Carlos.  You are full of shit.”

Charles notices he’s drained his drink and flags down the bartender for another he didn’t realize he needed.  Carlos just smiles.

“Ok.  So, how is Alex?” Charles bites out, not really wanting to know.  Like at all.

“He is good!  He is a good teammate already.”  Charles winces, but Carlos goes on.  “He is very nice and we are on equal footing I think.  We are prioritizing the team this year.  I think he will follow team orders and everything!”  Carlos turns around and leans his back against the wall.  Charles explodes.

“It is you who was not following team orders!  I was doing everything for the team, and trying so hard for the constructors and you…”  Charles trails off seeing Carlos chuckling, a smirk and gleam in his eye.  Cat and mouse again.  Charles walked right into it.

“There’s no hard feelings Charles, you look happy, optimistic.  I hope you win it all this year.” 

Charles mirrors Carlos looking out at the half empty bar, brushing their shoulders together, not even thinking about it, the familiar warm feeling in his chest coming back after months of absence.

“So, why did you not call?”  Carlos asks, sipping his drink, a clear bubbling something, probably just soda water.  He hadn’t been sexualized and ridiculed in front of thousands of people so he probably didn’t need to drink.

“I am the reason you are in the back now, why you are not a ferrari driver, I did not think you would want to hear from me anymore.”  Charles quietly admits, giving voice to something he had been refusing to think about for some time.

Carlos is suddenly facing him, eyes steeled, deadly serious.

“No.  It is not like this.  It has never been like this.  Not with you, especially you.”

Charles watches dumbstruck as Carlos carefully fishes something out of his pocket.  He opens Charles’ suit coat and slides his hand in the inside pocket.

“I think we have a lot to talk about, Charles.”  Carlos says, leveling Charles with a somber but hopeful glare, and walks out of the bar.

Charles reaches into the pocket where Carlos had slid his hand and feels the unmistakable smooth plastic under a small envelope that must be a hotel room key card.

Charles is thinking about how stupid this is, they have nothing to discuss, as he walks to the elevator.  They are not even teammates now, it shouldn't matter. He looks at the room number on the card, brushing his fingers over the room number, 16106.

“I will not go up there” he thinks as he presses the button for the 16th floor.

[matchalovertrait]

Dulce learned how to navigate life with dyslexia. It makes her life more difficult, but not impossible. However, all the stuff going on recently has been flooding her mind and things have gotten too overwhelming despite her rather optimistic attitude. Now the question is, has she pushed things too far with Antonio?

NOTE: Guys please do me the biggest favor and pretend his shirt, shorts, and shoes didn't completely change with he took his hat off 😭 I clicked the wrong outfit and I didn't want to reshoot everything. I spent a lot of time trying to play with the angles and getting the facial expressions that I wanted. Please and thank you!

NOTE: Oh yeah he has tattoos 😝 Technically his suit shouldn't cover up the hand tattoos but editing those out is a real pain.

Start from the beginning (Gen 2)

Previous | Next

Transcript

DULCE: Just so you know, you guys will be fine. Antonio won’t eat you.

ANTONIO: Excuse my tardiness.

DULCE: You’re like 10 minutes early?-

DULCE: Oh.

ANTONIO: That is late to me. Anyway, what’s the emergency?

DULCE: Well, it’s not that drastic. It’s more of a personal emergency... you see, I have to leave the country for a couple of days.

ANTONIO: [Sighs] Of course.

ANTONIO: Let me go hang up my hat. Take a seat so you can explain yourself.

DULCE: I have a legitimate reason, I promise!

ANTONIO: Mhm.

DULCE: Okay, I have an older brother named Ángel. A few months ago, he told me an art museum bought a painting of his. However, the art museum was still under construction so he asked me if I would come see it in October for the grand opening.

DULCE: The time is here and I completely forgot about it! Not because I don’t care, I love my brother.

DULCE: I have dyslexia, which can make me forgetful at times. I learned how to work with it, such as using my calendar religiously. But guess what!? With clients cancelling on me left and right, I found it pointless to check the calendar anymore. And my flight is tomorrow.

DULCE: I’ll be back before the court date, but I have to go support my brother for now.

ANTONIO: Need I remind you that we have a lot to prepare for, Ms. Alegría.

DULCE: Please listen to me. Ángel has sacrificed so much for me and he was just a kid himself.

DULCE: He has never asked me for anything. This is the one time he relies on me and I blow it.

DULCE: He’s finally getting his moment after letting me be in the spotlight for 21 years.

...

[mutant-okuri-inu]

Call Of Duty Modern Warframe II - Howling and Hollow

Chapter 2: El Sin Nombre

Sigma is still seething.

Capturing Hassan, grilling him for information about the missiles, then just... letting him go? It was insanity. And meeting Shepherd for the first time? Something about him had set her instincts on edge. His stare — cold, unwavering — made her skin crawl. She didn't like it. Didn't trust it.

Now, she’s sitting on a crate inside the safehouse, her gear stripped off, methodically sharpening her combat knife. The rhythmic scrape of metal against stone was the only sound in the quiet. She was exhausted, but rest wouldn’t come. Her mind wouldn't shut up — replaying Shepherd’s words again and again in her brain.

Frustrated, she sheathed the knife and stood up, her boots make the creaking sounds on the floorboards as she went outside. The air outside was cooler, clean, the wind whispered through the trees. Stillness. Peaceful, but not comforting.

Leaning on the porch rail, forearms rests on top of it, she looked out across the dense bush.

Oh Las Almas… The City of Souls. Only been in Mexico a few times when on Spring break while she still went to high school.

She heard footsteps behind her, the wood creaking under heavy boots. She didn’t turn. It could’ve been Graves, or Ghost, maybe Alejandro. But instead, someone stepped up beside her.

"I figured I'd find you here," said the familiar Scottish voice.

Sigma glanced over her shoulder. "You should be resting."

Soap gave a half-shrug, approached beside her, his gears are off. "Could say the same about you."

"I'm not tired." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Too much going on upstairs."

He nodded slowly. "Shepherd really screwed the pooch, letting that bastard go."

Sigma scoffed. "Graves wasted his breath interrogating Hassan. Did nothing. This whole op feels like a bad joke."

"Aye. We stopped one disaster, sure. But it shouldn't have come to this. I’m dissapointed too."

They stood in silence, side by side, watching the wind stir the trees Halia’s arms are crossed as her arms rests on porch trail, same as Soap’s exact posotion. No pressure to talk. Just quiet. Comfortable.

Then Soap broke it. "Sigma, right? I only know your callsign. Mind if I ask your real name?"

She hesitated a moment. "Halia Connors."

"Halia..." he repeated softly, then, without thinking — "Pretty."

She blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

Soap straightened up, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I mean — your name. It’s, uh, pretty."

Her cheeks warmed. She looked away, smiling faintly. "Thanks. Ghost called you Johnny, right? Johnny MacTavish, I presume?"

"Right in one," he said with a nod.

She chuckled. "That startled me. Didn't expect Ghost to use first names. That thing almost scared me to death by his mask.” That comment made almost Soap chuckle under his breath.

But then her smile faded. Her eyes lost focus. A distant look crept in. The wind was still there, but something else rushed in — gunshots, screaming, her mother’s voice panicking, her father's yelling, nightmare—

No. Not now.

She sucked in a breath and shook her head sharply. Soap turned his head, concern flickering in his eyes. "You alright?"

She didn’t meet his gaze. "Just a little... messed up. Old ghosts, memories, you know​?"

"Yeah," he said softly. "Know that feeling. But you’re real quiet, althought you had a lot of nerve back there."

“I’m not broody.” She shakes her head a bit. “We let Hassan go, now we’re crawling back in the shadows.”

Soap’s body lowers a bit, tilting his head while looking at Sigma. “But shadows are where we do our work.”

Her eyes met his. “Are you always that optimistic?”

“Only when I’ve got backup I trust.”

The silence returned, this time heavier — not awkward, but honest. Over the next few minutes, they talked. Not about missions or orders. About where they came from. Who they were before all this. She didn’t mention her parents. Not yet.

Maybe not ever.

Keeping this as a secret, killed in such a disaster in front of little girl’s eyes. Then the door creaked open behind them. They turned their heads over their shoulders, Alejandro stepped out with serious look on his face.

"Gear up," he said. "We’re moving out."

---

"La case de El Sin Nombre?" Soap asks, looking through the binoculars right at El Sin Nombre expensive mansion. The five of them are positioned on a rooftop, eyes fixed on their target.

"No. One of his Lagartenientes." Alejandro replies, standing beside Soap.

Sigma knew they're going after El Sin Nombre. Alejandro was right, not everyone can't find him, but he's everywhere. This night, cloaked in dark blue, might be their only chance to get close.

"A Cartel Lieutenant." Soap says, handing the binoculars to Graves.

"Nice, brother. You're learning." Alejandro speaks in Spanish. "My sources tell me all the VIPs in Las Almas will be there tonight. Some are invited, others are, umm..." 

"Voluntereed? Or other way saying volun-told?" Sigma speaks, resting her hands on her vest, standing beside Graves.

"Yes." Alejandro nods. 

"What's the meet about?" Graves asks, after looking at expensive mansion, looking at Alejandro.

"Us." He answers. "Las Almas is burning, and they want to know who lit the fire."  

“Guess they’re gonna crash a real fucking party…” Sigma mutters under her breath.

"Sin Nombre will be there, yeah?" Ghost tilts his head a bit.

"No guarantees but this is out best shot." Alejandro said, turning to Ghost. Soap, Graves and Sigma inch closer, preparing to formulate a plan.

"Then we take it. I got enough Shadows here to take over the damn country." Graves protests. Sigma blinks, taken aback by his comment.

Sigma blinks, caught off guard. "Graves-"

"I'd prefer I'd you didn't." Alejandro cuts in, clearly not bond by the Grave's words.

"I'm just sayin'..." Graves grins a bit. "One house, shouldn't be a problem."

"We need Sin Nombre alive." Ghost says harshly as Sigma nods by the agreement.

"Well..." Graves gazes to the horizon of the mansion, slightly nodding, tightening his jaw. "Then we need to meet him."

"How?" Soap looking at him with questioning look.

"Give em' what they want... Intel. They wanna know who's here. Let's tell 'em."

"In person-?" Alejandro furrows his eyebrows, looking at him with skeptical look.

"What about sneaking in? Stealth. Fewer eyes." Sigma thinks of an idea by sneaking in by stealth.

"No, hermosa, the guards are everywhere. And in that outfit? You’ll get made in second." Alejandro looks at her. He is right, she almost dressed light camo shirt.

"Alejandro is right, in person. All we need to get one of us inside, find the boss..." Graves presses his fist against his palm. "Roll him up."

Soap's head hangs low, listening to Graves words. Then raises his head a bit to take the chance. "I'll do it."

Sigma's head jolts and her expression turns in shock as he says that. If he does this, they'll kill him and it'll be over for him. “Wait, you want to there and give intel to El Sin Nombre? Soap, that’s suicide.”

"She’s right, you go in there, and they'll kill you, hermano." Alejandro speaks softly with almost worried tone.

"I'll take my chances." Soap’s eyes meet Alejandro’s ones. "We came here to stop the missile, let's stop it. I'll offer the Intel for a meet with Sin Nombre. And if he's there, we pounce."

"Hell yeah- you've got balls, you son of a bitch. You make it in you'll need eyes and ears. I'll go too." Alejandro pressures while his head tilts to Soap, he nods slightly.

"I'll take overwatch. Shadows and Sigma circles the target in a helo." Ghost unfolds the plan. Sigma has no choice, no room to argue, so she agrees.

"Yes, sirrr..." Sigma sighs, almost frustrated by the plan.

Graves nods, hands on his hips. "Roger that." Graves looks at Soap, he takes off something from his carrier place. "They are going to want proof..." He hands Soap the patch, Shadow Company's insignia. "Show 'em this." 

Soap takes it and studies the insignia. He fistbumps Graves and he pats Soap's shoulder. "Call us when you need us. Alright, let's gear up and get after it." Graves spoke outloud as they walk away, beggining their objective. Each step taking them closer to the lion’s den.

---

Capturing El Sin Nombre was nearly an impossible task for Soap, especially after the brutal interrogation he endured, telling the full truth. Luckily, Alejandro encountered with no problem. To his surprise, the elusive Cartel leader turned out to be a woman—Valeria, someone Alejandro knew too well. As Sigma piloted the helicopter, she caught the sharp intensity in his gaze. He was furious—angry, seething even…

The container is lit only by the only one lightbulb overhead center. Both Colonel and Commander drags Valeria to the metal chair to sit down.

"Have a seat." Graves urges Valeria to sit down as she does so. 

"Alright, how do you two know each other?" He asks, fingers are gesturing between Valeria and Alejandro. 

"Know is a strong word." Alejandro states, clearly annoyed. His back is facing away from the woman.

“Strong words are important, our word is a worth, right?” Valeria speaks in Spanish to Alejandro with a question look on her face. He turns with a pissed look.

“Go to hell you fucking sunavabitch-- I’m going to kill you!” His angry voice pounce inside the metalatic walls of a container as he stomps to Valeria. Sigma wanted to stop him, but quickly, Soap and Rudy grabs him to stop him, Valeria made no reaction, didn’t inch a muscle by his outburst.

“Alejandro!” Soap holds him by his shoulder as Rudy tries to calm him down. “Calmate, Commander!”

“Yeah?! Yeah?!” Alejandro releases from their grips, exhaling a breath out of his nose as he takes a few steps back. Forcing himself to settle, he turned to face the woman once more, hooking his fingers on his vest straps.

“Go on.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Tell them.”

“I don’t take orders anymore.” Valeria looks at Alejandro, then her tone sneers. “Even the dogs in Las Almas know not to bark at me.” Her head peers over towards Soap as he stood by her far right corner.

“Look at this-” Alejandro chuckles a bit under his breath. “She’s ex-military. We served together.”

Valeria leans against the chair, right arm rests back and casually crosses her legs. “Different squads. Same unit. You were the wild ones, huh... Los Vaquaros.”

Alejandro couldn’t help but grin by her words, the anger is still burning inside his chest, He remained ensnared by the deep-rooted resentment he had accumulated over the years—resentment directed at the woman who had endured solitude for so long.

“My squad was clean cut señores y señoras.” Valeria looks at Graves, he’s standing beside her, arms crossed.

“Until the raid on the son of La Araña.” Alejandro added.“Do you remember?”

“I remember perfectly.” Valeria smoothly responded in Spanish.

“Her team was told to cordon off the city to keep out La Araña’s enforcers to prevent bloodshed.” Alejandro explains the situation, offering sparse details about an adversary—possibly another cartel leader—from long ago.

“That’s exactly what we did.” Valeria concluded, almost smirking by her words.

“Well, you kept out his enforcers because you were his enforcers, huh?” Alejandro said, stepping closer, his voice laced with scorn as he exposed the betrayal that had fractured their past.

“He was escorted to the mountains without incident.” She said coolly, casting a sharp glance at everyone “Also to prevent bloodshed.” Her lips curled in faint amusement, as if subtly ridiculing the events with her own truth.

“He was supposed to go to prison.” Rodolfo joins, choosing to remain silent up until now.

“So you killed him,” Graves placed his hand on Valeria’s shoulder, urging her to sit firmly back against her seat while pacing around behind her. “And you took over.”

“I created a power vacuum, and I filled it.” Her voice rang with satisfaction., eyes locking with Graves as leaned against the wall with folded arms. “Las Almas needs me.” she declared, full of defiant pride.

“Las Almas needs soldiers, not sicarios,” Alejandro said, stepping forward slowly, his presence looming. .“And you...” He leaned down to her face level.

“You disgrace the army.” He announces with true, utter disappointment, glancing over towards his partner over his shoulder. “And your brothers, no?”

Sigma notices that Valeria’s smile has vanished. Her expression now speaks of disappointment—like everything has been spoiled. Her lips press into a thin line. Whatever Alejandro just said, Valeria will surely remember it.

“Why’re you’re doing this?” Graves asks, breaking the silence.

“You tell me...” Valeria turns her head to Graves, again, leaning against the chair, arm rests back, gesturing him. “You’re the contractor, no? What you don’t do your competitors will.”

“You’re a narco, harboring a terrorist.” Ghost spoke up, standing in the corner of the room, Sigma’s hands grips her vest, remaining distant and cold by Ghost’s side.

"Maybe you killed someone — that's still a crime. Sure, you might have taken his place, but you're tearing your country apart."

Valeria smiles a bit by Sigma’s words. “Talk like that could steal the spotlight in a speech, chica.”

Sigma’s arms went to her sides and clenches her fists. “Come again?”

Valeria shrugs, giving a side smirk. "Judging by your appearance, you strike me as intelligent. I do enjoy a bit of deduction."

"And you’ve got ties to the cartel. Don’t act like you’re clueless." Sigma’s tone slightly changes while spoke in Spanish and lowers her head. Her blue piercing eyes are looking at Valeria’s brown orbs from afar.

As though she weren’t the one confined, but the one in command — the judge, poised in her seat, wielding an unseen gavel, as if authority naturally belonged to her.

“A narco, a terrorist, it doesn’t matter. But you’re carrying a burned in your shoulders and blood in your hands.” Sigma continues to speak.

“Terrorism is good for business, it’s insurance.” Valeria added simply.

Alejandro slightly adjusts his position and gruff out. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“Can you get your fucking head out of your ass for a second?! For fuck’s sake, Alejandro!” Valeria immediately bursts out at him across the short distance. Graves holds her shoulder to remain seated, she shrugs off the hand.

“As long as there is war on terror, there will be no real war on drugs.” Valeria leans forward, eyes narrowed. The tension around the room grew thicker by the minute. Her glare is flaring towards Alejandro as he stares at her, keeping his mouth shut.

Sigma knew Las Almas was a place drowned in dread… The people didn’t just fear it—they lived in paralyzing terror. Life in the City of Souls was a waking nightmare. Death came without warning, in suffocating silence. Even the children, wide-eyed and voiceless, were kept in the dark—cut off from the horrors unfolding beyond their crumbling walls.

“To find your so-called terrorist, and your missiles, you need me.” Valeria turned her head to Graves before looking back at Alejandro. “To prevent bloodshed.” Her lips pursed, concluded the mockery of her tone.

“No, I’m not doing this…” Alejandro walks to wards his rifle and grabs it, turning his back towards everyone.

“Doesn’t change anything.” Soap spoke up with his arms crossed.

“It changes everything! FUCK!” Alejandro shouts at the Sergeant, then uttering profanities as he turns back to the door. Sigma watches him enregating, standing firmly in silence.

“Don’t make a deal with her.” He annouces, glancing at everyone in the room. “It won’t end well.”

Alejandro opens the door and leaves, slamming the door. Soap steps up with a glare at Valeria. “Looks like it’s your turn to tell the truth.”

Graves inches closer to Valeria, leaning forwards her ear, breaking though personal space.

“I want the missiles, I want the target and I want Hassan.” Graves firmly states, counting with his finger one to another. “And you’ve got ten seconds or I’m going to show a difference between military and me.” He points to himself as he said the last word.

“I don’t know the targets, I’m a courier. I move things.” She calmly proceeds the answer. Her head tilts slightly to Grave’s direction. “I can tell you where to find the missiles. When you return, I’ll tell you where Hassan is. In exchange you will let me go. And you will leave Las Almas. Now leave.” She spat the last part aggressively in Spanish.

Soap turns to Sigma at the sound of her demand, his eyes locking onto hers. Her expression is a mix of confusion and alarm. She knows things are spiraling out of control. If Valeria is lying, the consequences will be brutal—and they'll come from Alejandro.

“Deal.” Graves rises his stance and walks ahead of her. “Until then, you’re staying right here.”

As everyone leaves, Sigma can’t help but to look at Valeria. She didn’t smile or frown, her expression remains stoic. She scoffs.

“Good chat...” Sigma mutters when she is about to leave, Valeria intertwines.

“Have a good hunting. I just know when the devil’s the only one worth trusting.”

Sigma’s back is facing her, she slightly looks over her shoulder. “I don’t trust everyone that quickly. besides I don’t need a global heat.”

Sigma steps out of the container and gently closes the door behind her. She trails after the others outside, the sunlight warming her skin as she raises a hand to shield her eyes. Slowly, she lowers it, adjusting to the brightness after the darkness she came out. Her second mission begins. Her legs feel heavy, but she moves toward the group, who are waiting for her.

---

I abandoned this fic for a year in the dust 💀GOD I MISSED DRAWING SOAP AND SIGMA-- I had to redraw her expression over and over cuz I didn't like it but woow look at that I'm proud of the rendering-

If you see a bold written like this - That means they're talking in Spanish. Hope you had a good reading! <3

Taglist: @welldonekhushi @deeptrashwitch @starcrossedspirit @raresvtm (I remember from my last post you guys want to be tagged when I release new chapters so here it is)

Reblogs are appreciated!

[cosmic-glow]

Anonymous asked: May I request some hidan x reader sfw? Someone's trying to hit on s/o who'd not into it?

My Agony - Hidan

Warnings: reader's gender or body not specified; no use of "y/n"; mention of death and aggression (not from the characters); Hidan and his sick and possessive romance; SFW with slight indecency.

Minors do not interact!

Genre: Oneshot (1.8k).

Hidan was an idiot, the problem was that you loved him. You really did. And you knew that he loved you too, even when you were fighting.

What started out as a little teasing, something even innocent just to play around a bit, ended up escalating into a real argument about him being too possessive. You said things you shouldn't have, he said some even worse, which resulted in the current situation: Hidan and you have been avoiding each other for a few days, both too proud to simply give in and apologize, even though the distance is slowly killing you both.

The only person who really seems to be taking advantage of the whole situation is Hayato, the Akatsuki newcomer. He arrived recently and hasn't had time to be properly introduced to everyone, so he doesn't know that the way he's close to your body now could cost him his life.

Ever since you and Hidan stopped talking, Hayato has been clinging to you, following you everywhere, flirting shamelessly with you. Because in his mind what you and Hidan have isn't that serious, he doesn't know how many times Hidan has torn your name into his skin out of pure pleasure and devotion. Hayato doesn't know how many times Hidan used his own body as a shield to protect you. Hayato doesn't know how Hidan wraps your body so close to his as if he needed to drown in you to be able to sleep peacefully every night. Hayato doesn't know how Hidan speaks your name as if it were music, a divine blessing, awake or asleep. Hayato doesn't know how every morning, when he sees you by his side, Hidan thanks Jashin on his knees for having you. Hayato knows nothing.

- I'm just saying that if I were your partner, I'd already be on my knees asking for your forgiveness. Maybe he doesn't like you so much since he hasn't given in yet... In fact, I don't think we'd even have fought about it if I were your partner.

Eyes as blue as the foggy sky analyze your reaction to his words, an almost mischievous smile tugging at the corner of his lips while his black hair falls a little under his eyes when he tilts his head. Hayato is persistent and optimistic, too optimistic for your taste... He's working among mercenaries and assassins but still believes in empathy and mercy. He's pathetic.

- It's just not his way, it's not how Hidan shows his feelings... - you explain tiredly as you're still stuck in this conversation, having to hold back a lot not to roll your eyes.

- I would never do that to my partner. I would have bought flowers, chocolates, even a giant plush if I had to, all to please the one I love. Then... - you notice him slowly getting closer, more than any rational man who knows who you are would do, but Hayato is proving to be anything but "rational" - ... I'd shower with kisses, take to the bedroom... you know what I mean, right?

Your fists clench involuntarily. You have to repeat over and over in your mind that it's not worth it in order to maintain your posture, lest you break Hayato's beautiful, ridiculous nose. You feel your jaw clench to hold the answer you wanted to say while you search for another. However, another voice speaks for you as turn down the corridor.

- Yeah, I think we understand perfectly what you mean, brat.

Apparently, Hidan overheard the conversation and stayed for a few seconds at the bend in the corridor, where he couldn't be seen, to know how far it would go. From the look on his face, he's not at all happy with what he's heard. Without looking away from Hayato, Hidan walks over to you, a familiar look on his face... it's the same look he gets when he's about to kill someone who has aroused his hatred. As soon as he saw the man, the smug smile on Hayato's face died, his shoulders slumping as the confidence drained from his body to give way to fear.

You feel Hidan's hand wrap around your waist and pull you closer to him, it's the first time he's touched your body in days so without realizing it you don't even stop him, but lean into him. Hidan's eyes pierce Hayato's soul, he doesn't even blink, as if trying to choose which way to kill the boy out of all the worst he knows.

- Hi my love... - that's all he says when he turns to you and without waiting for your answer, grabs your face and kisses you. You've experienced that kind of kiss before and you know exactly what it means... he's bursting with jealousy and anger.

Hidan purposely delays the kiss, it's almost indecent because it's so deep and intimate, as if he wants to make Hayato uncomfortable. And you know he does. He wants the boy to see who you belong to. To see who is the only man you allow to touch you like this. The hand on your waist still holds your body firmly against his as Hidan separates his lips from yours with a smile and looks at Hayato again.

- Who's your little friend, darling?

- He's not really my friend... - You realize you're a little intoxicated by the kiss, your body reminding you how much you missed it.

- No? - Hidan feigns surprise and curiosity before his eyes take on a really dangerous gleam - What are you to My Agony then?

"My Agony" was the way Hidan chose to call you even before you became a couple. He said was because it was the way he had always felt about you, a great agony of wanting you, an agony of needing you. An agony of wanting to make you his and of being completely devoted to you. Only you caused him that agony and Hidan loved it.

- I... we were just getting to know each other and talking, nothing much... - Hayato tries to explain, doing his best to hide the nervousness in his voice.

- Do you want to meet this guy, my love? - Hidan asks, looking at you, who pretend to think for a few seconds.

- No, I don't think so. He's really bothering me.

Hayato seems to turn even paler at your words, but Hidan smiles as if he had just won a prize.

- You heard, didn't you? I'm unusually patient today, so if you've got any sense left in you, you're going to get out of my way now and never cross our path again.

Hayato takes a step back and opens his mouth, but for the first time you see him make a wise decision by giving up and just running, disappearing down the corridor opposite where Hidan came from. Without even realizing it, a smile appears on your face as you watch him run away, amused.

- Where did that confident man who was flirting with me go...?

You ask sarcastically and take a step away, knowing that Hidan will go back to ignoring you as he was doing before now that he's rid of what was bothering him. Or at least that's what you thought before you felt him grab your wrist and in one swift, firm movement bring it to his chest, forcing your body to turn towards him.

-Who. was. that. man. darling?

Jealousy still shines in his pink eyes, which are now close to red with intensity. Now you realize that it wasn't just an overreaction to get Hayato away from you, Hida really is jealous. He doesn't care if you're still angry with him, if you want to keep ignoring him because of the fight, Hidan won't let you go until you talk to him. Until you explain it to him.

- It's just the new guy, Pein mentioned him, he arrived three days ago. Don't you remember?

- What a coincidence... He arrived three days ago... Well, I've been thinking about nothing but you for three days, you big idiot! Maybe that's why I didn't notice the arrival of some guy!

When his words hit you, your eyes open a little wider and your lower lip drops a little. It's been exactly three days since you and Hidan had a fight, three days that he hasn't focused on anything else. He was also counting the days, he was also missing you, even if he was too proud to admit it.

- Why didn't you tell me before?

- Because everything I thought of saying only sounded even more possessive and I didn't want to fight with you again because I love you, hell !

He... He was really considering what you said during the fight, he was really rethinking the way he acted towards you, he was thinking of a way to apologize. To show that he really cares and wants to change if it bothers you, but the words were tricking him. They showed that deep down it was something stronger than him to control at times, something that flows with his blood, something that takes control of his senses.

- I... I don't want to keep fighting either, my love. I didn't even want to start a fight... - you wrap your hands around his face and Hidan leans into your touch, his face softening - ... I understand your side, I just don't like it when you don't seem to trust me.

- I do - he replies quickly, as if he doesn't want you to think that for another second - I swear I do, I just... I need to spill the blood of every other man who thinks he can touch you the way I do, that's all.

Hidan wraps his arms around your body as he speaks and moves closer to your face, and you end up laughing at his justification. As if in a dance, you both slowly close your eyes and move closer together before joining lips. There's no need for a warning or a request, your souls are talking in silence and you fully understand each other's needs. The kiss is slow, intimate, sincere. The apology they both don't know how to put into words. Hidan breaks the kiss after a few seconds but remains close to you in the same way, his lips caressing yours as he speaks.

- You know I only didn't kill that guy in front of you because I didn't want to get blood on you, don't you, My Agony?

- Yes, I know - you give him a brief kiss - Very kind of you, love.

Hidan smiles and in a swift movement that doesn't even give you time to react, throws you over his shoulder as if you weighed nothing.

- Well, now you're coming with me, we have a lot to make up for these three days apart, My Agony. - Hidan says before going into the room you two share and closing the door behind him.

Sorry for any typos;

Buy me a coffee?

Masterlist.

[icycoldninja]

Dmc incorrect quotes

Nero, tearing up the room: Where are they? Nero, looking under a pillow: Who moved them? Who moved my children? Nero: Somebody moved my M&M's, and now I am going to start killing.

Dante: Then either Sonic is a god or could kill god, and I do not care if there is a difference.

V: Why shouldn't you put a toaster in a bathtub full of water? Nero: Because your toast would get soggy!

V: Let’s not Dante this into a worse situation than it already is. Dante: Did you just use my name as a verb?

Dante: Can you pass the salt? V: Can you pass away? Dante: Too much salt.

V: I drink to forget but I always remember. Nero: You're drinking orange juice.

Dante: I got an idea! V: Does it involve breaking the law? Dante: By now don’t you think that’s a given? V: I was just trying to be optimistic. Dante: Don’t bother.

Dante: I'm gonna nickname my child "Lil Bitch". Nero: I see you're passing on your name.

Nero: In my defense, I was left unsupervised. V: Wasn’t Dante with you? Dante: In my defense, I was also left unsupervised.

Nero, Vergil, and Dante are playing poker. Dante is winning by a long shot. Nero: Aw, come on. Vergil: It’s not fair! He doesn't even know what we’re playing! Dante: Go Fish?

Nero, holding an antique bottle: Is this whiskey or perfume? Dante: grabs and chugs the entire bottle Dante: Dante: It's perfume.

Dante: What is wrong with you? Vergil: Many, many things… Vergil: And most of them are your fucking fault.

Dante: I can’t do this, it’s against my moral compass. Nero: YOUR MORAL COMPASS IS A ROULETTE WHEEL! Dante: …Your point?

Nero: I can be your partner for the next race. Vergil: Sorry, Nero. It's a sibling race. Dante: Maybe there's a contest for lonely children after this. Vergil: It's only children, Dante. A lonely child is what you're gonna be when I sell you!

Dante: They called me the B-word. Vergil: Motherfucker doesn’t start with ‘b’.

Nero: If you’re going to suggest I try dropping twenty feet down a pitch dark tower in the hope of hitting a couple of greasy little steps which might not even still be there, you can forget it. Vergil: There is an alternative, then. Nero: Out with it. Vergil: You could drop five hundred feet down a pitch black tower and hit stones which certainly are there.

Vergil: If there’s one thing I learned from Dante, it’s to set people’s expectations real low, so you end up surprising them by practically doing nothing at all.

Nero, cowering in fear: What do you want from me?! Vergil, standing in front of Nero: bites into the whole KitKat bar like a heathen Nero, crying: Please…stop…

[sirgogington]

My Word Vomit Response on the Shelby Situation

Main Situation: Last week Wilbur Soot from Lovejoy was accused of having been abusive towards his ex girlfriend Shelby. Shelby is a live streamer and last week she did a livestream about the signs of knowing if you are in an abusive relationship. She never stated his name, but from details given people started assuming it was about Wilbur Soot. A few days later Wilbur confirmed that it was him in an apology tweet on his Twitter account. The abuse had to do with painful biting, and manipulation. 

    I want to start off by saying I do believe Shelby's story. I don't think Wilbur is innocent, but I do believe this situation isn't as black and white as people are claiming it to be. 

    Former fans after hearing the story started unfollowing Wilbur and Lovejoy and saying what a terrible man that Wilbur is, and vowing to never listen to or view any of his content ever again. He's not just a terrible man, he has to be evil too. I may be optimistic but I do think most people can change for the better if they truly want to. There are exceptions, but I truly believe that Wilbur can. The internet wants to just label him as evil and not give him any room to do that. The new thing is "guilty until proven innocent" and that's super harmful as I will go into in a different post. The way people are spreading hate in a us/them mentality is not a mature way of viewing/handling this situation and does more harm than good. Especially when it comes to death threats and doxing which have been received by both sides.

   Wilbur is someone who had a hard upbringing, and has brought up at different times his struggles with mental health. On screen or on stage you would never know this about him, because he has this mask of being confident, well spoken, and joyful. Through these details Wilbur has shared we know that touring took a lot out of him mentally and put him in a bad place, but that he was seeking therapy and is probably currently still seeing a therapist to try and get better. He's shared in the past that when he first blew up on the internet he used alcohol to cope because of how overwhelming it was that so many people were consuming his content. From Shelby's stream we also learned that his living space was dirty and unhygienic and that he would make excuses for it. The details for me paint the picture of a guy struggling badly with mental illness and having a hard time caring for himself and his home. Someone who can hardly take care of themselves should not have been in a relationship. This puts a lot on the other person.  It's different if he were stable and then then his mental health crashed in the middle of a longer relationship, but not if your too mentally ill to begin with. I do deeply feel sorry that Shelby had to experience that, as it truly shouldn't have happened. 

   I went to school for psychology and know quite a bit about different types of mental illnesses. I am by no means diagnosing Wilbur, but I do think he shows signs of someone with Boderline Personality Disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder is an emotional disregulation disorder characterized by unstable mood, behavior, and relationships. People with BPD self sabotage and will frequently end up pushing people away because they don't think they're good enough for them. (In this case maybe he wanted to act so bad so she would leave him, which is very unhealthy). People with BPD also go through depressive episodes and can act impulsively. Without therapy it is extremely hard to cope with this condition but with therapy you can make great strides in changing. I think like most mental illnesses you are aware of the fact you don't like the way you're acting you just have a hard time controlling it. For instance for me growing up with anxiety I knew most of my fears were completely irrational but that didn't stop them from overtaking my life and still feeling anxious. Wilbur has written some really deep lyrics on his new solo album Mammalian Sighing Reflex and I feel like it reflects that he doesn't like the way he is and feels guilty about those he's harmed through it. Maybe I'm giving this man too much credit, but like I said I do believe most people are capable of changing for the better. 

   Shelby stated she did the livestream as a way to help protect other victims of domestic violence and Wilbur Soot himself. He might still be dangerous to the public, it's really hard to know. I know after my own situation with being manipulated I was worried about the guy going after other younger women like he had with me. I didn't want anyone else have to be in that situation so I understand where Shelby is coming from. I also know that if the guy in my life had ever posted an apology, no matter how good it was, that I still wouldn't believe him and have a hard time forgiving him. Bold take but I think his apology was at least decent. Could it have been better, yeah, but could it have been a lot worse, also yes. In his apology he admits to being the person Shelby was talking about. He states that her feelings are valid, and that he wants people to hold him to higher accountability, and that he was sorry for any hurt he caused. Maybe he isnt, but it's hard to know. Wilbur stated in a livestream from last October 2023 that he was going to therapy the next day, because of this we can assume that Wilbur has been going to therapy at minimum since October. In that same livestream he states that he showers once a day when he's in his "big sad", and that he has rented places all over Brighton. He is at least hygienic in this regard, maybe moreso than he was before. It could be a red flag that Wilbur has lived all over Brighton due to possible evictions whether that be negligence or noise complaints from doing livestreams.

   We'll never know how other content creators truly feel about him except for the ones that made it obvious. Of course most content creators are going to jump on the bandwagon and agree that he's an evil man. If they don't then they'll lose their platform because of all the hate they'd get. I do believe some content creators will still hang out with Wilbur secretly or still even remain his friend. But we'll never know. 

   For the people who are posting different video evidences of Wilbur supposedly showing signs of being abusive in the past this is what is called confirmation bias. If you believe someone is abusive suddenly you can find details in the littlest things to confirm your thought process. A lot of the clips I've been seeing have been of normal everyday behavior or confirmed bits. I've seen people say that Wilbur must have bit down really hard to leave bruises. In some cases people bruise more easily than others. I know I have random bruises on my body from nothing. We can tell that what Wilbur did however was pretty painful due to have to use a safe word. Getting bitten usually hurts. I've been bitten by a 5 year old at work and can't imagine how it would feel to be bitten by a grown man who intentionally bit down hard.

This could be confirmation bias as well, but when looking at the lyrics in Mammalian Sighing Reflex and at the album art it seems to tell the story of a man (Wilbur) who really messed up in a relationship and is feeling the pain from that, and has a lot of regret due to knowing he was the cause of her pain. He poured so much of himself into the album it's like he's bleeding out in front of the audience with the amount of vulnerability.

Analyzing lyrics because why not, using lyrics from "Mammalian Sighing Reflex"

"I get so drunk I can barely see." If this album is related to his relationship with Shelby, which I think it probably is, then maybe he tried to cope with the relationship failing by using alcohol, or sabotaged the relationship through drinking.

"A lot of friends have left my life, escaping my tractor beam of woe" Having a mental illness can make it hard to maintain friendships. This could be because it makes you so self-focused on your problems, or that people get tired of hearing about your problems. If you constantly talk about how sad you are, some people are going to have a hard time dealing with that, or get burnt out from having to keep on cheering you up.

"Fuck my life, you cared when I was sick, no one ever gave a shit.....you fought this war one-sided and asked me what am I doing this for." These lyrics seem to speak about how in a past relationship (probably meaning with Shelby), that she cared that he was mentally ill/in a low point and wanted to help him get better. The fight to help him get better was one-sided due to Wilbur not helping to get himself better. If he would have helped her then they "could of stitched my mind together."

"Never been the one for romance, never thought that I'd get married. Never been the kind to give a shared life a second glance, selfish prose." In Shelby's livestream she talked about how her and Wilbur talked about the possibility of getting married and having kids until he backtracked and said that he wasn't that way and changed his mind.

The song "I Don't Think It Will Ever End" is how his mind seems to work in cycles. He'll be sad, because he feels sad he hides away for a bit, but then he feels silly for hiding himself so he forces himself to interact with people. But then when forcing himself to interact again he feels sad, which he says is not a good feeling when you're supposedly in a good phase. He says as self-sabotage he gets silly. Wilbur is known for telling a lot of jokes, and maybe this is a way he masks his true feelings. Also for Mammalian Sighing Reflex it says the songs were written by William Gold (his legal name) and performed by Wilbur Soot (his stage name). Wilbur is who the internet/fans see him as and William Gold is who he really is. Meaning the way we see him online is the extroverted, charismatic, likeable guy we know him as whereas William Gold is introverted, self-sabotaging, nerdy, and a deep thinker.

     The internet gives us way too much information. We're constantly bombarded with more and more information. Before the internet and even in the earlier internet days you did not have this. People were not being as closely viewed and known as they are now. You have to be careful about every little thing you say, because God forbid you say the wrong thing and get canceled. It didn't used to be this way. The only reason you'd ever know anything bad about a celebrity is if they were in the news. I think most of the media we consume whether TV shows, movies, etc. have the potential to have us supporting "bad people". It would be overwhelming to look up every single person we had ever consumed media from and sift through what are lies and what are not about each actor, singer, etc. I get that people don't want to give a platform to people doing bad things, but it's almost impossible to know and to remove every single bad person from the content you consume.  Being a celebrity in general is hard. It's easy to become addicted to drugs, and experience toxicity especially celebrities that live in Los Angeles. Most become people they regret, but some change for the better too. I'm not saying people who do serious crimes should get out of jail because they can become better people. People in jail should remain in jail for serious crimes. Time will tell what becomes of him. If more about him is released or if he's able to actually make strides in his health like he said he would. We will wait and see. I really hope he can heal and get better. Even the most unlikely ones can change their lives. You can both support Shubble and hope that Wilbur gets better.

[agentlizardofowca]

Cant remember if ive asked yet. If i havent, id love ur take on: 'Well, someone's cranky today.'

-MoA

'Well, someone's cranky today.' + 42 A kiss out of pride @mammalsofaction

(OWCA files AU, post canon)

"This is high school all over again," Heinz pointed out awkwardly. He was right.

Agent P and Agent O sat in the first two- in a row of plastic chairs in the hallway. The door beside them did not lead to the principal's office but to HR's meeting room.

Perry shouldn't be surprised they ended up here. He'd known he would regret it the moment he started throwing trainees (And Heinz Doofenshmirtz) across the office. Nobody got hurt, the trainees learned a valuable lesson about using staplers and laminators for self-defence, and nobody seemed mad initially.

Then Rebecca from HR entered the room. She'd held a grudge against the two of them since that night they'd all played darts together. And she was a very sore loser.

So here they were, sitting side by side like two naughty teenagers.

"Dr Doofenshmirtz?" The door to the meeting room had opened, and a woman that Perry hadn't met before looked at them with a wide smile.

Heinz rose from his chair awkwardly and gave her a limp handshake before she herded him into the meeting room. He glanced at Perry one last time, but there was nothing he could do to help.

Perry spent the next ten minutes glaring at anyone who dared to glance his way.

When the door eventually opened again, Heinz was allowed to leave with another handshake. He was smiling, and for a moment Perry was optimistic.

"Thank you for your time, Heinz. Autism can create difficult situations in a work environment, but if we all take the time to sit down and discuss, I am sure we can craft a set of guidelines that can make things easier for everyone." The smiley woman turned to Perry. "Mr Fletcher, it's your turn."

Perry sighed and stepped up.

"I'll see you in the cafeteria," Heinz said to Perry, he placed one hand on his shoulder and then left. It would be useless for Heinz to wait by the door, but Perry was still a bit disappointed.

"My name is Kenzi," The smiling HR representative said politely as they sat down together. "Let's talk about you."

Kenzi did not know sign language, so Perry had to quickly resort to using his phone for assistance. As he was figuring that out, Kenzi explained that she and Heinz had a lovely conversation.

Perry frowned a little, they were on a first-name basis already?

"Your partner is a bit of a comedian, isn't he?" She asked. "He's very good at telling stories. What a charming guy."

Perry swallowed down the bitter taste of jealousy. So, Heinz charmed his way through the conversation with HR. That was smart. That was good.

His eyes must've betrayed his simmering anger as he announced that he was ready to begin.

That conversation fucking sucked. Perry thought to himself as he finally emerged from the meeting room. Not only was Kenzi impatient with him and barely gave him the time to answer. She also seemed to blame him for other people's behaviour. (If it had just been Heinz, he would've had to agree. But Perry barely even knew some of the agents that woman had mentioned.)

She had ordered him to be more gentle with the trainees. As if the enemy would be gentle with them when they come face to face with a real crisis situation. "Learning environment" is nice and all, but a loaded pistol is dangerous, and if someone messes around with one, Perry is not going to allow such behaviour. Stern and strict is good sometimes.

Kenzi apparently disagreed. She'd tried to manipulate Perry into changing his tune. Luckily for her, she managed to bite her tongue before she finished saying "Use your words" but she had come too close to elegantly catch her mistake.

By the time she allowed Perry to leave -almost thirty minutes later- he was so cross with her that he had to breathe carefully when they shook hands because his instinct was to crush her fingers.

"And Perry?" Kenzi said in lieu of a goodbye as she held the door open for him. "Try to smile once in a while, okay?" Her unnaturally wide grin was back as if to demonstrate.

Perry's fist was so tight his knuckles cracked.

Her eyes flashed to Perry's hands for a second, and he recognized the emotion in her eyes as fear.

In a desperate attempt to save face, Agent P smiled tightly, nodded and left as quickly as he could.

***

Perry stormed into the cafeteria, sat next to Heinz, and slumped into the table.

"That took a lot longer than I expected," Heinz noted and he awkwardly pushed the cup of coffee he had grabbed for Perry towards him. At this point it was lukewarm at best.

Perry groaned vaguely.

"So it didn't go well?" Doof asked, and he slouched lower in an attempt to catch Perry's gaze.

There wasn't much of a reply.

"Well I thought she was kinda nice. I explained that sometimes the kids get a bit rowdy, and then I talked about Vanessa. And Kenzi was such a good listener. She just kinda concluded that it wasn't my fault."

Perry struggled himself into a more proper sitting position and rubbed his face. Extra caffeine would only make his mood worse.

"She gave me her number in case I ever needed help handling a delicate situation."

Heinz hadn't even finished speaking when Perry's fist came down on the table with so much force that his coffee spilt over the rim of its paper cup. He turned to Heinz and glared.

"What? You don't think I need HR's help to behave, do you? I'm pretty sure I can figure it out on my own. I've gotten pretty good at reading other people's emotions. For example, you are annoyed right now."

As if to make a point, Heinz booped Perry's nose.

「I never want to see her again.」

"Pffft," Heinz snorted. "She's not that bad. Someone's just a bit cranky today. Have some coffee. You should try smiling some more, that'll lighten your mo-"

Perry rose from his chair and took Heinz up with him.

Mechanical long fingers scrambled at the cuff of Perry's sleeve. "You're choking me, Perry." Heinz managed to gasp despite the tight grip Perry had around his neck.

Perry dropped his partner back into his chair like a sack of bricks and stormed off.

It took Heinz approximately 25 minutes to find Perry on the bench behind the parking lot.

He cleared his throat and Perry glared at him, sighed deeply, and patted the seat next to him.

"Next time you get mad at me in there, try something else." Heinz huffed as he sat. "HR tried to get me to confess to you being a bastard."

Perry shrugged one shoulder.

"If they ever ask, grabbing each other by the neck is a thing we do."

Perry turned his head and looked at Heinz with a look of disbelief.

"What? You think I'm going to send you back in there after they managed to piss you off that badly? You may be a bastard, but I'm not that mean."

「You lied?」

"Of course I did! I learned from the best, you know." And Heinz elbowed Perry in a faux playful, but actually kinda painful way.

Finally, Perry cracked a smile, and he elbowed back just slightly harder.

"Ah, oof! Now apologise and tell me how well I did." Heinz said as he rubbed where he'd been elbowed in the ribs.

Perry wasn't in the mood for conversation, I hadn't gone well for him today. Instead, he wrapped his arm around his companion and after a moment he kissed him.

Heinz hummed as they kissed, and when they finally parted he smiled smugly. "Don't worry Perry, it won't take long before HR hates us both."

[thecoffeelorian]

Event Horizon--002

Title: The Celebration

Genre: Drama/Mystery

Word Count: 1,142

Characters Involved: Tech; Corporal Echo; Cid; Omega; Sergeant Hunter; Wrecker (off-screen).

Special Notes: I started making this in the spring of 2023, and since then, I am considering continuing it from where I left off. Please be sure to give this some likes and reblogs if you appreciated it in any way...thank you! 💖

Previous Chapter: 001

Other Links:

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No Pressure Tags: @vikushat @gun-roswell @skellymom and anybody who believes that fanfiction is just as important as fanart.

"State your name and serial number, please!"

Let us now move on ever so slightly to more optimistic surroundings, for this street is starting to become rather overwhelming for a certain Sergeant and he has better business to deal with. Namely, in a more private location on Ord Mantell, there's an unexpected but welcome cause for celebration, as well as a bit more activity surrounding the source of all the commotion in Cid's bar today. This is where Echo finds himself feeling a little thrown for a loop at the sight of his newest present; somewhat shocked at the amount of locals coming closer for a better look; and finally, just the slightest bit annoyed that there's at least one person pointing their datapad cameras upon him to 'capture the moment'.

Nevertheless, as he's never been one to refuse even the tiniest amount of help, he never thinks twice about playing along.

"Uh...yeah, sorry. Arc Trooper Echo speaking, serial number CT-1409! Can you hear me...?"

He waits for a quick thumbs-up signal from Tech before continuing with his reaction, his remaining hand perched atop the wrapped gift box.

"Can I ask what's in this, or am I not supposed to know yet?"

"Actually, you're welcome to open it just as soon as I'm seated!"

This voice is so familiar, he knows he shouldn't be surprised by it any more. It's been quite a while since he began serving under this particular Sergeant, too, so nothing that this superior officer does should startle him in the slightest. Nevertheless, Echo almost jolts with the force of turning around to see Hunter arriving on the scene, still in one piece and somewhat calm in spite of their most recent activities.

Kriff, kriff, kriff, it's starting again...

Echo can't really explain why, but maybe something about that last supply run to Ryloth frayed his nerves a bit more than he cares to admit. There certainly were a lot more Stormtroopers to worry about this time; Wrecker very nearly dropped his load once and almost gave them all away; and...well, he wasn't exactly counting, but they might have almost been discovered and attacked two times over. Maybe they would have been in the worst trouble imaginable, if their newest droid co-worker hadn't calculated the next possible escape route in something under five minutes. Maybe--

"—Hey, buddy! Hello! H.Q. to the tough guy! You awake over there?"

Oh.

"Careful there, soldier, ya almost fell into your own box!"

He almost didn't hear Cid trying to get his attention, but the moment she gets close enough to him to make eye contact, he manages to snap out of whatever fog he almost fell into and comes back to his current location. Hunter's made it about halfway across the room to check on him, his hood thrown back for better seeing range now that he's within a safer set of walls. Tech must be debating whether or not to step in, because he's actually lowered his datapad for more than a few seconds. Cid herself looks a bit more concerned about him more than annoyed—a rare thing, maybe, though not exactly out of the question thanks to their most recent history—and he almost wonders if she means to bring him to a different room, just in case he happens to black out or forget where he is. She's apparently not alone in this, because Wrecker's careful to stand a few steps behind her and they're both as good with a blaster as they are easily startled. And as for Omega—

"What's the matter?! Are you okay?"

As for Omega, it's not long before he sees her darting to his side, most likely ready to step in if any more flashbacks start. Gods, he didn't meant to scare her like this, he'd never do anything like that on purpose...yet she's there just the same, almost willing to pitch in no matter what. She's grown a little since the last time he measured her height, as she now reaches to just above his elbow and probably isn't finished catching up to him yet.

She's also following in her squad's footsteps in appearance as well as occupation, for she's doodled the Aurebesh symbol for the number 9 underneath each eye so that she, too, can honor their original name.

And if that's not enough to prove to him that she's a few years away from adulthood, even to the point of owning and captaining her own ship, well...Tech just happened to whisper to him that she might be collecting holo-pictures of a local musical group, especially when she thinks nobody else is looking.

In any case, she's no longer that scared kid that just stepped out of Kamino's medical wing.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine, ad'ika, I just..."

He swallows hard against the weight of his own nerves, almost forgetting to meet her smaller set of dark eyes which, thanks to a few misplaced seconds, are now almost overloaded with worry. He's going to have to think fast here, or else that worry will easily spiral downward into a painful moment or two on this little home video of theirs.

"...I thought I saw a loose blurrg running through the hall, but it was just a trick of the light. That's all."

Focus, Trooper. You don't want her mixed up in all of your osik, right?

"So! How about we speed this along a little, and you come over here and help me open this present?"

This gets him a few raised eyebrows and several more looks of concern from his small gathered audience, one of which is Omega's, because he's already had a slight feeling she wouldn't put her worry aside so quickly and there she goes proving him right...yet after a beat of about a few seconds, she's moving slowly up to the table alongside him, half trying to hide her concerns and put on a brave face; the other half, doing her best to at least look excited for Tech's camera, if she can't actually feel that same excitement just yet.

He knows that she has all the time in the world for such a reaction today, though, so naturally he won't pressure her into it so early.

No, all she really has to do is join him in giving a good reaction to whatever is in this box, at least until the datapads stop filming and they're free to go be themselves again. At least, as long as this doesn't turn out to be some prank of Wrecker's and he ends up becoming more embarrassed than he's ever been in his naturally shortened life.

Still...there's only one way to find out, so they'd better go through with it and hope for the best.

"On the count of three...?"

"Sure thing. I'll start counting. One..."

"...Two..."

"...Three!"

[mr-rimoman]

bakon_surviver's character sheet

username: bakon_surviver

name: bakon surviver

age: around 14-16 i really should keep track but i dont even know when im even older at this point

birthday:

may 12th (although i dont plan for any birthday parties nor bakon to grow up yet)

gender: male

sexuality: aroace since he is too childish to acknowledge the concept of love (this will probably change to straight later on when he stops being like that)

height: 5'0 (technically 4'12)

species: robloxian

race: bacon hair YES THAT MEANS IM NOT ACTUALLY RELATED TO EVERY BACON HAIR,IM ONLY RELATED TO THE PEOPLE IN THE SURVIVER CLAN

text color: orange

mbti: enfp or esfp

perfered weapon of choice/weapons:

bakon uses the knife he used to kill the immortal killing monster he also has a time dagger lodged in his house somewhere and prob will get it when i finally decide to finish bakon's childhood home, bakon also likes to use guns but he shouldn't be trusted with them (its gonna become nerf or nothing kind of situation)

likes:

sodas, milkshakes, hotsauce i quitted that, escapism, games, non-problamatic parties and being around the people he considers his friends and best friends, other childish things/activities

dislikes: being tortured by mr rimoman, being reminded of the multiversal death loop thing (too be fair i think anyone would if they just got sent memories of every possible universe that just ends with them dying by the hands of rimo), house HE IS A WEIRDO, being reminded of the incidents, watching people especially the ones he cares about die, getting his hair eaten without his permission i dont care if its made out of food its still my hair :(

personality: is akin to that of a child but thats because he suffers from voluntary age reggresion due to him wanting to "unwind" his stress that has built up. he tends to pretend everything will be ok and that he believe it will be fine and due to that he has the personal flaw of seeing good in others and being barely able to tell the bad which makes him give all his trust and respect, there are some exceptions to that but thats the more obvious bad guys. bakon also tends to believe everyone is either his friend or best friend (depends on how close he thinks he is with them)

disorders:

PTSD, BPD, survivors guilt, schizophrenia, drug addiction thats not a disorder and im not addicted to hotsauce anymore stop mentioning it whoever is making this thing >:(

abilities/powers:

surviver clan's immortality

this allows bakon to regenerate infinitely and helps him survive any biological attack (and immunity system level ones too) but because of how young bakon is his regen and other benifits stated above are more slower, if he was older it would be faster and more potent

this immortality also bounds the soul to the body meaning if someone with this type of immortality were to die theoretically they would literally cease to exist and would both be incapable of being revived and be unable to go to an afterlife

buff modes

there are two buff modes bakon has

he has the un-named buff mode

than there is the named buff mode

unnamed buff mode is bakon but buff

and named buff mode is more buffer its also the current maximum o bakon's strength and techinically his "true form" since his base form is just him with compressed and condensed muscles and if your wondering why he didnt use that form against the immortal killing monster, bakon was both scared and completely forgotten about that form since it was the whole situation was like a quicktime event for him also bakon is used to not using buff form so there's that

opinions (technically a trust level but bakon is too optimistic of people as mentioned)

star

my best friend although she has hurt me a few times but i think its because they care for me :D

Asa

also my best friend they help me stop drinking the hotsauce and they're very fun to be around!

lenora

very cool she got me my passion for hotsauce before i quitted it

john the frog

THE COOOLEST FROG TO MAN, HE IS AN ABSOLUTE BEST TO BE AROUND IF A BEST BEST FRIEND IS A THING ID CALL HIM THAT, HE IS SOOOOOO COOL ^[]^

house

...he is a weirdo

Mr Rimoman

he is my friend but im kinda doubting that now, he keeps claiming he is "the seven deadly sins incarnated" but like when i first met him he was pretty kind hearted so i doubt his words have meaning even jaclk agrees with me on this

lego jaclk

he is very cool, i mean he reached master builder rank how is that not cool?

max godspeed

im starting to get used to him but he sometimes makes me uncomfortable especially what he did to lenora..

jaws

she is very great to be around :D

doctorwhofan/unpleasent

they're cool but they keep attempting to eat my hair, i'm sure i'd have fun talking to her in a distance :D

Cato

a pretty cool friend i think they're pretty chill compared to everyone

Fallen surviver

he's my cousin and he's like an older brother to me! but dont tell him i said that he cried the last time i said that to him

shirou

they're my best friend and im here if incase of any help although i am starting to notice he kinda forgot about me for a bit..but hey some people are like that!

trampolinefan

he is very cool im a fan of him :D but he did crush stars head and star is my best friend so i dunno what to say

daisy bell

bakon views them as a best friend like how he views some of the other main casts but has the least interactions with them

aculia

same with daisy

zailyn

she's really cool!

grat

he is like one of the most coolest guys i've met :D

quepa

no comment i dont know what my opinion on him is

Ebro4

he pretty cool! although recently me and some of my best friends got shot up by his gang thankfully no one died :D

Ebro5

he seems pretty cool as well kinda like his father! i feel bad that his birthday party got inturrupted with a shooting though-

EgDog

my adopted son awwww he so cute i could pet him and give him huggs all day

Nora

she is my best friend by the way did you know she also adopted the egg dog too! nora is really cool and i gotta say she is one of the most chillest people i've met alongside cato aswell :D

backstory/lore:

back when bakon was five years old his dad worked as a scientist in a lab, one day a immortal killing monster the lab had created broke out and seeked vengence against the scientists but it escaped the lab before it could do that, bakon's dad wanted to get bakon down stairs so he can get bakon to do some chores but the moment he did the monster came bursting out catching his dad off guard and brutally mauling him to death (it was quite graphic) the monster was gonna go after bakon but his mom came in time and used herself as a human shield resulting with her also being mauled to death, in the end it was only bakon left of which the monster attempts to maul him two but bakon manages to get it to back off albeit bakon is injured due to his attempt at blocking the monsters attack, this allowed the monster to attempt to stun bakon down with a tackle but he dodged it and grabbed a kitchen knife and after a whole entire battle, bakon wins but heavily injured and scarred both mentally and physically. bakon then has to bury both the monster and his parents in the back yard of which he obviously was crying but due to his imagination and him not having a clear memory of the event bakon belives it was raining making him associate the rain with bad events and caused him to hate it. after burying his parents bakon had to survive on his own and within three years he has completely changed as he became more serious and had an adult-like mindset and behavior and being more mature, he also was more morally grey as he started to resort to stealing the wallets of the random people that picked fights with him but eventually one day he met Mr rimoman whom claimed to know his dead father and gave him the promise of a better life in a better world only if bakon temporarily became rimoman's "eyes" of which bakon accepting out of the fact he didnt want to continue to be like the way he was, rimo also used the blue pheonix that was next to him to heal up the scars bakon had and after bakon was sent to other worlds and dimensions outside of robloxia and he truly felt freedom for the first time and he was like an injured cat warming up to the world finally trusting people again and this eventually resulted with bakon age reggressing to finally have the childhood he had lost all those three years that was taken away from him and not only that but he got a house other than his childhood home he can't return back to for some reason that house being in the cross side where he also was introduced to lego jaclk and some of the other people there but then one day rimo finally cracked, for he kinda somewhat saw himself in bakon and he hated it he hated it so much that one the day he cracked his little "mask" and it broke, he started to self-project his self hatred on bakon whether that be physical or mental it continued and throughout all of that bakon believed and still believed rimo is fine and he will get better and that he is a good person at heart just a bit hateful towards himself, but sometimes bakon belived some things rimoman had said as it was some what the truth, eventually rimo had stop using bakon as his "eyes" and yet his behavior towards bakon worsen and instead of self-projecting bakon he is now been just sadistic towards him, treating bakon as a pawn. one day bakon finally figured out how to dimension hop and travel without the help of rimoman and with that he figured out how to he never was able to return back to his childhood home ꩇׁׅ݊ιռᦔ𝔰ɔʌ℘ꫀׁׅܻ of which he currently lives in although robloxia is a tad bit missing some things like the outside

fun facts:

the reason why bakon doesn't have a exact age is due to the fact he keeps going to places with completely seperate points in time, yes he does age yet its only outside of ɧι𝔰 ꩇׁׅ݊ꫀׁׅܻꩇׁׅ݊✧᥅y𝔰ɔʌ℘ꫀׁׅܻ bakon's childhood home

bakon is broke at the moment because he spent all his tix on a suit he only has 9 tix at the moment

bakon has a missing poster of himself after his parents death since the status of his parents and himself was "disappearing under mysterious circumstances" despite the neighbors being aware of the truth, he was fully a missing person though when he left robloxia as the neighbors barely know of the events of what happened

if bakon never accepted rimoman's deal he probably would've became a mafia boss

bakon's growth:

voice claim:

songs/theme songs:

[lesbiantiresias]

um . so this is arranged in alphabetical order and Not by plot relevancy. some of them Are plot relevant and some are not . but here is some information about. some of my. Ocs. also ignore any formatting errors tumblr is literally homophobic to me

Alan Valentine – Unrelentingly optimistic, to the point where it kind of annoys himself. Cat owner (her name is Princess Unicorn Bunny Kitten Angel). Eccentric & flashy fashion sense. Aromantic. Film major.

Anthony Tegano – Paranoid recluse. Lives in the woods. Incredibly stubborn regarding his worldviews, even when they're inconsistent and logically unsound. Conspiracy theorist but in a weird bizarro twisted way. Cryptozoology enjoyer, which genuinely has nothing to do with the last thing. Objectum.

Ben Bernanke – Didn't MEAN to name himself after the chairman of the fed, swear to god, it was just a coincidence. CAN'T do magic, which doesn't stop him from insisting that he can. Has never had a single normal conversation. Questionably British. Beatles fan. Transgender!

'Dr.' Amnesia Wozwozmiov – Not a real doctor. Receiving a degree in anesthesiology. Nervous wreck & slight control freak, but it's toootally not obvious. Blue (spiritually). Takes chemicals home from work with her w/ no repurcussions. Her surname is like that because it's Russian.

Laurel O. Ward - “Biologist” (necromancer). Total freak. #1 Parasocial Relationship Haver. Needlessly flowery language. Wears a lab coat everywhere. The SAME lab coat, mind you. His portfolio includes the resurrection of former president Ronald Reagan.

Mister Wolfgang – Aggresively Georgian (State). On the run from the law. Former accountant & Current math enjoyer. Butch lesbian. Like if a dog was a guy who was also kind of a girl. No regard for human life in the slightest. Likes to play and draw.

Reanimated Corpse of Ronald Reagan – There is very little to say about this guy but his existence is important. He was a midterm project. He's rotting, like physically rotting, at all times. He can still drive

Sabrina “Beanie” Rott – Currently Dead! Former guitarist for a popular musical trio known as Sal & The Lads. She was one of the lads. Moved to somewhere undisclosed after a nasty break-up with Sal of Sal & The Lads.

Sal Tieran – Annoying Bastard! Former lead singer of Sal & The Lads. Current solo musician but nobody cares about their career anymore (Except One Guy). Dismisses everything they regret as having been satirical. Currently lives in Hollywood. Not for long, though!

Scott Fullerman – Was a troper tales user when the forum was still up. Legally classified as a missing person. Drank a Sinister Cherry Pop one time (gone wrong!). Cloud of mist with possibly toxic characteristics. It shouldn't be! $10K to destroy it!

Spencer Przegrany – His surname means loser. Creator of The Machine, which is a big machine that doesn't actually do anything. Should not reasonably be ABLE to work with heavy machinery considering his poor nutrition and dehydration and sleep deprivation and also he's probably anemic. Doesn't talk to anyone or have other hobbies or anything. Carrier of The Affliction.

Valerie O'Cyrus – No tongue. Doesn't know a lot of ASL, mostly communicates through charades-like gestures. Semi-purposefully mean to all her friends. Plays violin. Tags along for the main plot but has relatively low stakes in or impact on the events, managing to have their plot relevancy cake and eat it too.