#so at least she and shadow can have a happy ending

[cressidagrey]

It's a Love Story - Chapter 11 (The End)

Summary:

Azriel's shadows find their master a wife.

Azriel would just really like his heart not to get broken again.

And Sky...well, she's just really surprised that that far too handsome male is interested in her at all.

Warning:

Rhys Bashing (as usual), I classified this as Azriel x OC, even when it't technically Azriel x Sellyn Drake (but we kinda know nothing about Sellyn Drake other than that she writes books so Sky is kinda an OC), Cassian is kinda a good guy for once, Azriel has a horrible time, as usual... Stuttering, toxic families (For once I do not mean the IC), Self-Esteem Issues, Secret Identity, Body Image Issues, Fat Shaming, People being utterly horrible. Racism against Illyrians/Lesser Faes?

If any of this triggers you or makes you uncomfortable, please take care of your own mental health and don't read it.

I could write more, but quite frankly, I think I would kinda drag it out and the first major arc is tied up with a neat little bow! There are definitely be threads left dangling for me to pick up whenever I want to write more about Sky and Azriel, but I think around 50k is a good place to stop for now ❤️

Even the Spymaster of the Night Court paid taxes.

That was the only reason why Rhysand even found out where exactly Azriel‘s home even was.

Azriel’s home was in the outskirts of Velaris, near the mountains. A little lake cabin. Rhys hadn’t even known that Azriel owned it but apparently he did.

Rhys shouldn’t go there. He knew that.

Rhys should be giving his brother space. That was probably the least he owed him. But he couldn't stop himself. He needed to know Azriel was alright. That he was happy.

Rhys needed to apologise. He needed to make amends…

And Azriel was ignoring him. Mental shields as shored up as they ever had been, shoving back at Rhys at every opportunity…

He had never seen Azriel's mental shields like this before, and it concerned him. He knew Azriel was angry at him, had ever right to be angry,  but Rhys hadn't expected his brother to shut him out so completely.

Reports were still arriving on his desk punctually as always. But Azriel seemed utterly uninterested in actually talking to Rhys. 

It was a small comfort, knowing that Azriel was still working, but Rhysand couldn’t shake off the feeling of guilt that had settled deep in his gut. He knew that he had hurt Azriel deeply, and he couldn’t blame his brother for shutting him out.

Rhys wished he could turn back time and fix things, but he had messed up terribly. He knew he had to give Azriel space, but the silence between them was deafening . It was a constant reminder of just how much damage he had caused.

As the days went on, Rhysand found himself consumed by thoughts of what he could have done…should have done… He tried reaching out to Azriel mentally, only to be rebuffed each time. 

Cassian showed up alone for debriefings and if Rhys showed up at the House of Wind for Valkyrie Training, Azriel was nowhere to be seen. 

So finally…Rhys had enough. So he showed up at that house. 

It was a nice house too, a secluded cabin at a mountain lake. Rhys knew that he wasn’t welcome, not after everything that had passed between them, but he had to see Azriel. 

Rhys raised a hand, knocking gently on the door. He could hear the faint sound of movement inside. Rhysand sighed. He should leave. He knew he should leave. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

And then suddenly, to his surprise…the door opened. 

“…C…Can I….can I h…help you?“

She was brown haired and short… with deep blue eyes and freckles smattering over her nose.

Rhysand looked at the woman in front of him, taken aback by her appearance. He didn't know what he had expected, but it certainly wasn't a small, curvy, freckled brunette.

"I, uh..." Rhysand stammered, his mind blanking. "I was looking for Azriel." he finally brought out. 

The small female studied him carefully, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Az…Azriel's n…not h…here," she stuttered.

Rhysand's heart sank, but he tried not to let it show. "Do you know where he is?" he asked, desperate for any information.

The female hesitated, biting her lip slightly. She seemed to be contemplating her answer, her brow furrowing in thought. After a moment, she finally looked back up at him, her expression unreadable. "He…He's...o…out f…for t…the d…day," she said finally, not giving him anymore than that.

Rhysand tried to keep the frustration out of his voice, but it was difficult. He was so close to his brother, and yet so far away. "Do you know when he'll be back?" he asked sharply.

She nearly flinched away from him at that tone of voice.

He opened his mouth to apologise, but he didn't even get to that. Because some thing with wickedly sharp claws, launched itself at his head with a hissing sound.

Rhysand yelped as the mysterious creature swiped at his face, growling all the while.

"HECTOR NO!" The female shrieked.

Rhysand stumbled backwards, trying to dodge the sharp claws.

Just at that moment, he felt more than he heard his brother's arrival.

Azriel materialized between them with a loud flapping of wings, his siphons blazing. He stood protectively in front of the small female, his expression murderous.

"Hector to me," he snapped. The thing, a cat ...an incredible ugly , murderous looking cat let off Rhys with another growl and slunk back to Azriel's side, heeling like a dog. The woman quickly scooped him up in her arms.

Cassian's laughter washed over him, at that moment, as Rhys was still laying on the ground, bested by a cat .

"Taking down by a cat now, Rhysie?" Cassian asked him with a snort, offering him his hand to gain his feet.

Rhys already knew that he was never going to live this down.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Azriel hissed, his voice filled with anger. His wings were spread wide, and Rhysand could see the barely contained ferocity beneath his brother's cold facade.

Rhysand winced at Azriel's harsh tone. He knew he had messed up, and he didn't blame his brother for being angry with him. "I just wanted to see you," he said, feeling small under Azriel's penetrating glare.

Azriel's expression didn't soften at his words. "You had no right," he said sharply. "You can't just show up here unannounced, Rhysand. This is my home, and you're not welcome here. You terrified Sky!"

Sky. Sky. That was the name of his brother's mate...of the pretty brunette that was standing behind him, fussing over her murderous cat.

Rhysand glanced over at Sky guiltily. "I...I'm sorry," he said to her. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Sky hesitated, before nodding stiffly. Her face remained guarded, her arms still wrapped protectively around the mangy cat. Rhysand couldn't help but notice how small she looked compared to Azriel's imposing form…and the absolute massive cat. 

"I am sorry," he turned to his brother, swallowing. The apology wasn't enough. he knew that. And it wasn't going to fix the fact that Azriel didn't trust him anymore or... *Az. Please.*

"How did you find this house?" Azriel demanded.

"I checked the tax reports," Rhys admitted with a grimace.

Azriel's expression darkened even further, and Rhys braced himself for a reprimand. Instead, his brother let out a harsh, bitter chuckle. "Of course you did," he said flatly. "Just can't stay out of my business, can you?"

Rhysand felt a pang in his chest at the hostility in Azriel's voice. He knew he deserved every ounce of resentment his brother felt, but it still hurt deep to hear it out loud. "I...I was worried about you," he said lamely.”I just needed to see you." he added. "To apologise."

"You don't even realise the lines you keep crossing, do you?" Cassian asked him flatly. "Ever thought about the fact that maybe you should have waited until Azriel was ready to hear you out?

Rhysand winced. Cassian's words struck a nerve, and he knew his friend was right. He had been rash and insensitive in coming here unannounced. "I...I wasn't thinking," he admitted softly.

Cassian shook his head, his expression still stern. "That's the problem, Rhys," he said bluntly. "You never seem to think these days. It's like you're so caught up in your own head that you don't consider how your actions affect those around you."

Rhysand's gaze dropped, shame washing over him. Cassian's words pierced straight through him, and he struggled to find a response. He knew he had been making mistakes, but hearing them laid out so bluntly still stung.

"What do you want?" Azriel asked him flatly. "Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to apologise," Rhys said weakly. "I...fucked up. I know that. I want to...fix things."

Azriel's face remained impassive, his eyes hard. "You can't just fix things with an apology, Rhys," He said curtly. "You crossed more than one line, and you shattered my trust. Do you really think saying sorry is enough?"

"Az," his mate said softly, her voice quiet. "H..He's blee..bleeding all over our front lawn after my cat at..attacked him. At least let him sit down and give him a healing salve…"

Azriel turned to look at his mate, his anger softening ever so slightly at the concern in her voice. He let out a heavy sigh, before nodding stiffly. "Fine," he said gruffly. "But no more than that."

Rhysand nodded gratefully, relieved that Azriel was willing to let him in, even if only slightly. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I...I really am sorry."

Azriel didn't respond, turning away from him and herded Sky and the murder cat into the house. Rhysand watched him go, feeling a pang of sadness. It was clear that his brother's anger was far from abated, and he knew it would take a lot more than just an apology to mend their fractured relationship.

"Come on," Cassian prodded him up.

The first thing that Rhys realised about the house Azriel shared with his mate was that it was absolutely stuffed full with books. The second was, that Azriel clearly doted on the Murder Cat that got a crystal dish with tuna on it put on the floor before Azriel even went in the direction of the healing salve, which he slapped down on the table in front of Rhysand. .

"I…I am so…sorry," Sky apologised to Rhys, bright blue eyes apologetic. "H…Hector has nev…never done anything like that before, I swear."

Yeah, somehow he doubted that. But he also doubted that it was going to help his relationship with Azriel if he was going to annoy his mate about her beastly cat. The thing had a worse personality than Amren . 

"Don't worry about it," he said, with what he hoped he was a gracious smile. "I think your cat and I just got off on the wrong foot." He looked over at the cat, who was now happily devouring the tuna as if it hadn't just tried to claw his face off.

"Good Boy, Hector," Azriel said warmly.

Rhysand could just stare.

Azriel, the feared Spymaster of the Night Court, was cooing at a mangy cat like a proud parent. He never would have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

"Who knew the Spymaster had a soft spot for cats," Rhysand remarked with a faint smile. Azriel shot him a warning glare, but the sternness was lost at the tender way he was petting the cat. "I am really sorry," Rhys apologised again.

"You said so. Numerous times," Azriel shot back.

Rhysand sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He knew Azriel was still angry with him, but it was hard not to feel the guilt weighing down on him. "I know," he said softly. "But I want you to know that I mean it. I am sorry, Azriel. For everything."

Azriel's expression remained impassive, but Rhysand could see the flicker of sadness in his eyes. He knew his brother was struggling to forgive him, but he hoped that with time, Azriel would be able to find it in his heart to do so.

"I just want to make things right," Rhysand said earnestly. "I miss you, Az. I miss my brother."

"You'll need to decide one of those days," Azriel said sharply. "Am I your soldier or am I your brother?"

Rhysand flinched at the words, feeling the weight of the accusation hit him hard. 

He had always tried to balance his role as High Lord with his relationship with his brothers, but he knew that…that he hadn’t been fair to Azriel for a long time. "You're right," he conceded quietly. "I have been treating you like my soldier instead of my brother, and that's not fair to you."

"You have been treating him absolutely deplorably," Cassian cut him off.

Rhysand hung his head, feeling the weight of his mistakes settling heavy on his shoulders. "I know," he said quietly. "I've been so caught up in my own problems and responsibilities as High Lord that I lost sight of what really matters. And I've hurt Azriel because of it."

"And you stuck your nose in things that are none of your business," Cassian continued. "I get it that you are tired of fighting, Rhys, we all are, but you can't keep conflict out of our family by ordering Azriel to behave in the way you would like him to."

Rhysand winced, knowing Cassian was right. He had been trying to control things, to make sure everyone was safe and happy, but in the process, he had driven a wedge between himself and his brothers. "I...I know," he admitted reluctantly. "I was…I was stupid. I am tired of war. Of fighting. And I was just trying to protect him, but I went about it all wrong."

" Protect me?" Azriel asked him, his voice dripping with disdain. " Protect me from what ?"

Rhysand looked away, feeling the shame rise within him. He knew he had overstepped, and he knew that Azriel was angry with him. "The consequences that would have arisen," he said delicately. He didn't know what Azriel had told his mate...didn't know how much she knew, but she was watching him with an expression on his face, he couldn't quite place.

"Well, I am an adult, Rhysand," Azriel snapped. "I am perfectly capable of protecting myself."

Rhys knew that. He knew Azriel was more than capable of taking care of himself. But he still felt the need to protect him, to shield him from harm.

"I...I know that," Rhysand said quietly. "I just didn't want to see you get hurt." He glanced over at Azriel's mate, who was still watching him warily. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being evaluated, judged for his mistakes.

Azriel let out a dry chuckle. "Well, it's a little late for that, don't you think?" he said bitterly. "You've seen to that already." Rhysand winced at the accusation, knowing that he deserved every ounce of Azriel's anger.

"I know," he said again, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I am sorry for that. I see now that it was the wrong way to go about it." He looked into his brother's dark eyes, pleading for understanding.

Azriel met his gaze, his expression softening ever so slightly. "Protecting me by making decisions for me is not protecting me, Rhysand," he said quietly. "It's...it's suffocating. It's demeaning."

Rhysand nodded, knowing that Azriel was right. He had been trying to control everything, trying to make sure that nothing went wrong, and he had lost sight of what was truly important. "I understand," he said quietly. "And I am sorry for making you feel that way. It was wrong of me."

Azriel studied him for a moment, before finally sighing. "Just...stop it," he said simply. "No more interfering in my personal life, no more giving me orders like I am one of your soldiers."

Rhysand let out a shaky breath, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "I promise," he said earnestly. "I won't do it again, Az. I...I'll respect your boundaries, and I'll never overstep again."

Azriel snorted. “I’ll believe that when I see it,” he said gruffly. "And if you do...if you try to control me like that again, I swear Rhysand...it won't end well."

"You'll ha…have He…Hecctor to contend with," Sky said, her voice even.

Rhysand looked over at Hector, who had finished his tuna and was now licking his chops.  Rhys swallowed. "He does seem to be a force to be reckoned with," he said carefully.

Sky gave him a small, tight-lipped smile. "You could say t…that," she said, her tone neutral. Azriel snorted a laugh, shaking his head as he watched his mate. It was the first genuinely carefree sound Rhysand had heard from his brother…in a long time.

Despite the earlier tension, Rhysand found himself smiling too. There was something about the way Azriel looked at his mate, the way he looked...happy, that made Rhysand feel like maybe everything would be alright.

Hector chose that moment to let out a loud meow, his voice sounding like a rusty hinge in the otherwise quiet room. Azriel looked down at the cat, rolling his eyes. "Alright, alright, I'll get you your second helping, spoiled brat," he said, a hint of fondness in his voice.

Rhysand chuckled, feeling the tension that had been weighing him down lift just a little. Things between him and Azriel weren't repaired yet, they had a long way to go, but for the first time in a long while, he felt hopeful.

“They do say the pen is mi…mightier than a sword,” Sky said suddenly. “You treat Azriel like that again and you’ll see just how mighty my pen is.”

Rhysand's eyebrows shot up in surprise at Sky's unexpected threat. It was clear that she wasn't messing around, and Rhys couldn't help but admire her boldness. He glanced over at Azriel, who was trying to suppress a smile.

"I'll keep that in mind," Rhysand said, trying to hide his amusement. "Though I have to say, I can’t imagine a pen being as terrifying as Hector."

Cassian snorted. “Oh you have no idea,” he muttered

Rhysand's eyes widened in curiosity at Cassian's comment. What on earth did that mean? But before he could inquire further, Azriel's voice broke through.

"Don't worry about it," he said, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Let's just say that you don't want to get on Sky's bad side, especially when she has her writing instruments within reach."

"Duly noted," Rhysand said, nodding seriously. He had a feeling that Azriel's mate was not someone to be trifled with, regardless of how harmless she looked, and he had no intention of finding out first-hand just how mighty her pen truly was.

Hector, having finished his second helping of tuna, let out a satisfied meow before padding over to Sky and rubbing against her leg. She reached down and scratched him behind the ears, smiling as he purred contentedly.

Rhysand watched the scene. He had never seen Azriel so relaxed, so happy, and it made him realize just how badly he had missed his brother. It was a reminder that family was more important than anything, and that he needed to cherish the people he cared about.

“Seems like you aren’t Sky’s favourite,” Cassian drawled.

Azriel snorted. “Nah, I come a distant third behind Hector and the shadows.”

Rhys watched with a swallow as these shadows that he had seen torturing people came over to Sky and twined around her hands. Azriel's words were said in jest, but Rhysand could hear the fondness in his voice. It was clear that Azriel adored his mate, and that the shadows had taken a liking to her as well. Rhysand tried not to let the slight sting of jealousy show on his face.

As he watched, the shadows danced around Sky's fingers, like they were alive and had a mind of their own. Rhys had seen the shadows in action, had seen how Azriel used them to fight and spy, but he had never seen them act this way before. There was a tenderness in the way they twined around Sky that was almost...beautiful.

Rhys turned to Azriel, who was watching his mate with a soft expression on his face. "They seem to like her," he commented, keeping his voice neutral.

"That's an understatement," Azriel said drily. "They're obsessed with her. They won't leave her alone."

Rhysand could see that clearly, but what surprised him more was how comfortable Sky seemed with them. She wasn't scared or even bothered by their presence...

It did make sense he supposed. The shadows were Azriel's weapon, his most trusted companions...that they would like his mate.

Rhysand watched as Sky looked up from where the shadows were wrapping around her fingers, a faint smile on her face. She seemed completely at ease with the strange entities, as if they were just another part of Azriel that she had accepted and embraced.

And it was also a sharp reminder of how much trust Rhys had destroyed through his actions. It was very clear who Azriel preferred, who he trusted more. Who he gravitated towards. Who even his shadows doted on, these strange, creatures that Rhys was quite sure would stop at nothing to keep their master safe.

The realization stung, but Rhys knew he had no one to blame but himself. He had caused this rift between them, he had pushed Azriel away, and now he was paying the price for it. But he was determined to make it right, no matter how long it took.

As he watched Azriel gently brush away a stray strand of hair from Sky's face, Rhys made a silent vow. He would do whatever it took to repair their broken bond, to regain Azriel's trust and respect. No matter how hard it was, no matter how long it took, he would make things right.

***

"You want to talk about it?" Sky asked him quietly, after Cassian ad Rhys had gone. 

She was fine now. Content. No more pulling at the mating bond so harshly and pushing all her fear at him. It had shaved at least a century of his life, to feel that from her when Casisan and him had been sparring and he knew that she was supposed to be safe at home.

He had expected near everything…but he hadn’t expected to arrive to the view of Hector scratching Rhys’s face with all his might. 

Azriel took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the day's events bearing down on him. He wasn't sure if he was ready to put his tangled emotions into words yet, but he also knew that he couldn't keep it all bottled up inside.

"Rhys gave me some orders that I didn't agree with," he said drily. "Stuck his nose in things that he had no business to interfere with. He treated me...treated me like my feelings didn't matter. That I didn't matter....It took a really bad fight on Solstice for this apology to occur," he said with a grimace.

"You don't think he means it?" Sky asked him curiously, turning to look at him.

"No, he does mean it," Azriel said with a sigh. He did believe that. “He wants to fix things. to rebuild trust...And I do want that too. Regardless of how much of an asshole he can be on occasion he is still my brother ."

Sky was quiet for a long moment, watching him intently. Azriel felt the weight of her gaze, knowing that she was analyzing the situation, trying to understand what he was feeling. Finally, she spoke.

"You're worried that he'll disappoint you again," she said softly. "That he'll make promises that he can't keep. That he'll go back on his word and hurt you worse than before."

Azriel's throat felt tight. The words hit him hard, because Sky had put a voice to his deepest fears. "Yes," he admitted. "That'sexactly what I'm afraid of. I want to believe him, I do."

But it was hard to trust Rhys right ow. Especially with Sky. Trusting Rhys with the most important, the most precious part of his life...

"I can loan you Hector whenever he pisses you off again," Sky offered him seriously, and Azriel couldn't help but laugh.

"Thanks," he said with a small smile. "I might just take you up on that." He pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair. The scent of caramel and hazelnuts enveloped him, calming his racing thoughts and easing the tension in his shoulders.

"I love you, he whispered into her skin and she hummed. "Regardless of what happens, you  have me," Sky promised him. "I'll be behind you, every step of the way. regardless of whatever you decide."

Those words were like a balm to Azriel's soul. The fear and doubt that had been plaguing him since Rhysand's unexpected visit receded, replaced by a sense of safety and certainty. He held onto Sky tightly.

"I love you too," she murmured, the words barely audible even in the still apartment.

They stayed like that for a long moment, simply holding onto each other.

*I don't think I ever thanked you.* he told the shadows softly as he held his mate in his arms.

The shadows fluttered around him, wrapping around his arms and shoulders like a comforting embrace. They didn't say anything, but Azriel could feel their response. They had been with him through thick and thin, protecting him, guiding him, and never once asking for a word of thanks. And yet, he knew that they understood his gratitude, that they could feel it…

*Thank you for finding her.*

[ofstarsandvibranium]

Feels Like Home

Fandom: Marvel (Mob Boss AU)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Summary: Bucky's world is filled with a lot of blood, death, and danger. But when he's with you, everything is filled with love, light, and gentleness. It's a feeling he didn't know he craved until he met you.

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

Bucky at home was a stark contrast to how he was out on the streets of Brooklyn. To the outside world, he was James Barnes, the fearsome head of the Barnes Family, the leading crime family in Brooklyn. But when it was just you and him, in your dingy apartment, he was your Bucky Bear, a soft man who loved to cuddle, cook you dinner, and watch rom-coms with you.

That's the Bucky you'd always see as soon as he was in your presence.

Right now though, he isn't your Bucky Bear. He's James Barnes and he's got death on his mind. In the shadows of the alleyway, you can see how he's pointing his gun at the man in front of him.

"You've given me excuse after excuse, Dalton. I'm sick of it. Where's my money?" he grips the man by the caller of his shirt, and pulls him in closer, the barrel of the gun staring him in the face.

"Buck," Sam murmurs Bucky's name.

You watch as Bucky looks to Sam and when Sam nods in your direction, Bucky follows. His eyes widen, "Sweetheart." He immediately pockets his gun and rush over to you.

"What're you doing out so late at night?"

Your dog, Taffy, jumps at Bucky's legs when he gets close. Bucky leans down and scratches the corgi behind her ears, "Hiya, girl."

"She had a lot of energy when I got home from work. So I figured a walk around the block would be good for her." Your eyes dart to Sam and the man in the alleyway, "Is everything okay?"

Bucky looks over his shoulder and then back at you, "Yeah. Just...business." He wraps a protective arm around you, leading you away from the alley, "Wait here. I'll walk Taffy with you and we have dinner."

He moves to pull away but you grip at his wrist, "Bucky, it's fine. I can walk the neighborhood by myself. Go handle business or whatever."

Bucky continues to walk back, "Stay there." At his command, Taffy immediately sits and he chuckles, "At least she listens to me."

When he heads back to Sam and the unknown man, they exchange a few words you can't hear. The man looks at you and that pisses Bucky off.

"Don't you fucking look at her," he says, forcibly turns the man's head to look away from you.

After some low words exchanged, Bucky walks away from them, with Sam dragging the man to the other end of the alley where a car waits.

"C'mon, baby," Bucky murmurs, his arm wrapping around your waist. Taffy is happy to continue her walk, as she prances a short distance ahead of you and Bucky.

There's a weird tension between you as you walk Taffy around the block and eventually back to your apartment. You shed your jacket and shoes, unleashing Taffy, and going straight to the kitchen.

Bucky follows you, leaning against the kitchen counter, "You okay?"

You nod, "Mhm. Sorry, I just-I forget sometimes that you're..you know."

"I see."

"I've never seen that side of you, so it was a little...jarring."

"Do you...want to break up?"

You look at him with wide eyes, "What? No! Do you?"

"No, but I told you who I was from the very beginning, baby. If what I do ever puts you off, I'll completely understand if you don't want anything to do with me."

You shake your head, "Bucky, that's not it. I still want to be with you. I just forgot who you are outside of here. I forgot that's actually who you are."

It was Bucky's turn to shake his head, "Nah, baby. That's not who I am. That's who I had to become in order to survive. But here?" he points to the apartment, "This is who I really am."

You hum, "So you're really a big lovey dovey teddy bear that loves to be the little spoon, cook me dinner, and cry at rom-coms?" Bucky playfully rolls his eyes at your teasing and you continue, "Okay, really though. Does anyone else know this side of you?"

He shrugs, "Not really because I never felt super comfortable to be myself until I met you."

You scoff, "Sap."

"Only for you," he leans in and pecks your lips, "You sure you're okay? Are we okay?"

"Yeah. We're good."

Bucky pulls you in, wrapping his arms around you in a tight hug. You nuzzle your face into him, letting his scent encompass you.

You felt at home.

[casual-praxis]

Update!

I let my roommate borrow the manga and she just got done reading it yesterday. I pestered her with questions for a bit to get her general vibe on the story, and she said she liked it.

She took a few pictures of her favorite moments and most of them were just silly zoomed-out shots like when the Colors were all in the boat (and not colored in) and the scene where all of them almost fall into lava (she thought it was funny that Green and Vio had X's in their eyes, "I like that Green and Vio are just dead." <- things the Dunkin employees probably weren't expecting to hear from the only customers in the store at the time).

Vio is her favorite of the Colors since he seems to move the plot forward the most (debatable). She mentioned being surprised that Vio wasn't the one to tell Shadow he could be a hero too (with it instead being Zelda who tells him that), but afterward we got into a discussion over if Vio even saw Shadow as a person during his betrayal arc, or if Shadow would have even believed Vio had he been the one to say that. It culminated in us agreeing that Vio has some wonky morals lmao. Did not even try to stop Shadow from burning down a mountainside.

I thought she might like Green most honestly (besides being her favorite color, Green also gets shit done), but her consensus on him was that he was "just Link". To which I mentioned he seemed anxious a lot, and that just spiraled into a running joke for the rest of the conversation. She was excited about a potential Green-Vio team up during the Tower of Winds, but we got sidetracked so I don't actually know why beyond "they seem to get the most stuff done". That may have just been the reason.

She didn't really state an opinion on either Blue or Red, but she did point out to me that Red's "lesson" he learned while separated from the others was legit the opposite of what they were supposed to be learning. Or at the very least the phrasing was lmao. Teamwork was the goal, but Red's takeaway was "I need to be more self-reliant and not depend on others." Which I get means "I have to carry my own weight" and not "I won't rely on teamwork", but it's still kind of funny.

I want to look further into Red's comment, but this isn't the place for that haha.

When I asked how she felt about Shadow she said she liked him but wasn't actually clear on if he died. I explained that it's kinda up in the air, since he seems to be in the original Links shadow by the end, but apparently the thing that confused her was the bouns non-canon comics at the end. Shadow liking the internet was something she enjoyed.

She also noticed the mixup between Green and Vio in one of the bonus comics, which tells me she was able to identify who was who by the end of it. I gave her some pointers early on, but it was while she was still in the first chapter, and not all the differences had been established yet (ie sleeve colors, eye designs, etc).

Final notes:

She did pick up the Vidow vibes. She's not a shippy type of person, but she did notice the cues lol.

She also messaged me when she got to the Vaati fight just to say "no peeking".

She was flabbergasted when Red lost his sword so early. "Yea, it's actually just the Three Swords," - me, trying to avoid spoiling shit.

Despite not being mentioned much, Blue was appreciated for being the only one with visible character growth and in general being a powerhouse.

"Look at him, he's got anxiety," - us, every time Green popped up in conversation.

I'm happy I have someone irl I can ramble about this series to now. Usually I just yap into the void until the topic changes lmao. No one ever has any context. Now I just have to drag the rest of my friends into the Four Sword fixation and we'll be golden.

I’m attempting to get my roommates into the Four Sword fandom.

One of them already thinks Zelda as a series is pretty cool, though she doesn’t know much about it. The other one is uninterested.

Will be sharing my manga with the first roommate. I’ll let y’all know how that goes.

[hishighnesstheprincess]

Guys I'm gonna be so fucking fr with you if this turns out to be real I'm fully giving up on these movies

[lustspren]

P.S.T EP. 16 | And The Snakes Start To Sing ft Karina, Yeji.

length: 16.9k words ✦

Karina, Yeji X Male Reader

genres:  threesome, anal, facial, double blowjob, pussy eating, dirty talk, creampie, rough sex, bi, blowjob, daddy kink, footjob, titjob, face fuck

✦✧✦✧✦✧

✦✧✦✧✦✧

The air felt different that morning, and so did the mattress and pillow beneath you.

But of course it did. After months of hotel after hotel, after dozens of different beds, you were finally in the comfort of your own bed, in your own place. It was a necessary commodity, since you were close to chronic fatigue or even back problems from changing mattresses so often without optimal rest.

It seemed like an unbeatable scenario for you, only that it could actually be improved; the two beauties you had under your arms when you woke up confirmed it. The two of them, realizing that you had already woken up, snuggled closer to your sides, both with their heads on your chest.

"Now that you're unemployed can we just stay like this all day?" Rina asked in a tender, low voice, clinging to you with her arms and legs.

You weren't prepared to even contemplate how to answer that question; it sounded too weird to hear, like it was a joke to catch you off guard.

"I know a few girls who might be interested in seeing him if he wanted to," Yeji interrupted you from your left to give you a peck on the collarbone, before you could say anything. "But I'm happy to stay with my two bros as long as you two want."

After bringing your hands to rub your eyes and a yawn you put your five senses together to be able to talk.

"We can certainly stay like this for a while," you squeezed them against you with your arms crossed over their soft backs, both pairs of soft breasts pressed against your ribs. "But there's something I didn't tell you last night..."

THE PREVIOUS MORNING.

You didn't know what was scarier, the spooky hangar you were walking to once you got off the jet, or the men in suits waiting for you inside. In the end you decided it was a draw.

The hangar had no lights inside, it was only lit by sunlight filtering through small rectangular windows at the bottom of the wide doors at the back that made the floor shine, which was very worn from probably so many years of one without maintenance. It was obvious that it had not been used for a long time.

But inside they were. The devils in suits. As haughty and visibly detestable as you imagined them. They were not exactly few; at first glance you counted more than a dozen, which led you to think that not only high executives of SM would be there. There had to be at least one from each big company with their respective entourage of assistants and security guards.

However, something caught your attention: neither Irene nor the reporter were there. Confused, you turned to look at Jihye as you crossed the threshold and were covered by the shadow, but she seemed to know perfectly well what was happening. It had to be the part that she left out of the plan for you.

She approached a tall man wearing sunglasses and stopped in front of him. You and the girls stopped behind Jihye. The man had to be the SM delegate, judging by how two men stepped forward from behind him as soon as you approached.

“Are the cars ready?” Jihye asked the man, who merely nodded before he began issuing orders to his men.

“Take them to the airport,” he ordered one of his aides, pointing directly at Rina, Minjeong, Aeri, and Ning. “They don’t need to be here for what’s coming next.”

“Huh?” Rina stepped away from the man who went to escort them to the car, her brow furrowed. “No way, we want to see Irene!”

The other girls came out in support of their leader and joined in the argument, insisting that they wanted to see the bitch who almost ruined their entire career.

The SM representative snorted and took a sharp step forward.

“Shut your fucking mouths and get in the car!” he pointed outside, where the caravan of black-tinted SUVs were. “SM, JYP, YG, and even HYBE have done miracles to be here and clean up the mess that damn bitch made,” he jerked his chin at Minjeong, who cowered in fear and embarrassment.

“Hey!” yelled Aeri, stepping forward and facing the man. “Watch your fucking mouth, you piece of shit!”

You were about to come to Minjeong’s defense as well, but Jihye grabbed your hoodie from behind like you were a little kid.

“It’s okay, girls,” she said, stepping between you and the man, and motioning for Aeri to get away. "Get in the car and behave yourselves. We'll all be meeting up soon."

You wanted to hold onto that as a comfort to them, but you got the slightest bit of a feeling that she didn't quite believe what she was saying. Rina, however, being the responsible person she was, gathered her entire troop together and nodded at them reassuringly. The four of them then hugged you and Jihye.

"Good luck, guys," Rina said, hugging you.

“Thank you, Jiminie,” you said, hugging her back with a few pats on the back.

By the time you and she pulled away, Minjeong and Jihye were still hugging each other for a little longer than you expected.

“Thank you for saving me, unnie…” you heard Minjeong say in a soft voice. “Even though I don’t deserve it.”

Jihye didn’t respond, just closed her eyes and let out a heavy breath. Minjeong stepped away from her a second later, and joined the rest of the girls in letting the man lead them to the car. You had no choice but to watch as they entered and disappeared from your sight behind the tinted windows.

“Very well,” the man continued, as the car carrying the girls pulled away. “The matters discussed at the meeting have already been handled,” he nodded at you. “Does he know all the details?”

"He knows enough," Jihye replied flatly.

That felt like a pang in your heart. Aren't you two supposed to...?

"W-what?" you said to yourself.

"Let's go to the other hangar then," the man nodded, and motioned for Jihye to go with another guy. Then he looked at you. "You'll go with him."

He pointed to a different man, shorter and visibly younger. From the quality of his suit and the classy air he carried, he seemed to be another big shot. The man approached you, and after a bow invited you to follow him to the car. None of that gave you the slightest bit of confidence, but you couldn't feel anything but a deep stupor at Jihye's words, so you just followed him.

When you got into the backseat of the car it was like being on autopilot. You thought you knew the plan; you were supposed to have everything under control, you knew your part and what you had to do. But those words hinted that there was something going on behind the scenes that you didn't know about, and you were terrified just thinking about the possibilities.

The caravan of SUVs set off towards the hangar where Irene and the reporter were. On the way, the man you went with, who was also the one driving, cleared his throat and looked at you in the rearview mirror.

"Irene has a point, doesn't she?" he asked, in a polite and friendly tone of voice. The complete opposite of the SM representative.

Now you weren't just stunned by what had happened, but by that statement as well. The combination didn't let you answer.

"Be honest," he continued, now looking straight ahead. "Don't you think the industry is too cruel to aspiring boys and girls?"

"Uh..."

"I understand that part of the product is formed based on building a parasocial relationship with the fans," he interrupted you, answering his own question. “Honestly it’s cruel even for them. But I like to think that even with all the negatives…” he paused slightly. “The industry has done more good than harm.”

Noticing that he got a little carried away by his thoughts, the man glanced at you in the rearview mirror again and let out a small, embarrassed laugh.

“I apologize, buddy,” he said. “I’m Lee Gunwook, the JYP representative. And well, JYP himself shares the same vision: he just wants to make good progress in the industry for everyone involved.”

“I’m not surprised,” you said finally, looking out the window at the runways. “He looks like an open-minded man.”

Gunwook let out another laugh.

“You have no idea,” he replied. “But I go back to my question: don’t you think Irene has a point even though her methods weren’t the most ethical?”

The hatred and anger you felt towards Irene made your blood boil, but you had to be honest with yourself.

“Yeah,” you said quietly, just enough for him to hear.

He grinned from ear to ear.

“Alright, then you’ll need this and keep your mouth shut during the meeting.”

Gunwook reached into the glove compartment of the car and pulled out a visibly new phone. He handed it to you and you took it. It was a Samsung, you didn’t know which one exactly, but it was certainly a lot better than your current phone.

“Uh… well, I’ll need some time to get all the contacts and pictures from my phone onto this one.”

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that, it’s already taken care of.”

He pulled his phone out from between his legs and fiddled with it. A few seconds later your current phone completely lost signal, and the new phone turned on displaying the Samsung logo.

“May I know what the hell you did, Lee Gunwook?” You asked, seeing that there was absolutely nothing on your phone, no pictures, no contacts, no working mobile network.

“The number is the same, so I don’t think you need to worry about giving a new one to anyone,” he said, as if that was your biggest concern at the moment.

The caravan stopped a few moments later, and by that point you had already realized the immense amount of power that the people involved in this whole situation had. It was kinda scary.

Before getting out of the car, Gunwook turned around to look at you directly and not through the rearview mirror.

"By the way, thanks for taking such good care of the ITZY girls," he told you, with a sincerity that you recognized. "I have a soft spot for them because well, I recruited them years ago," he smiled proudly. "But well, let me and Noze take care of you, please."

Gunwook then opened the door to the snake pit, and you got out of the car with him.

That hangar did look like it had been used recently; it had nothing to do with the previous one. In this one the white floor was perfectly polished and shiny, and it reflected the multiple rows of white lights hanging across the room. The men in suits, you and Noze walked inside.

Inside were Irene and the bastard, and damn, you wished you could have pulled out your phone to photograph Irene’s face as she realized how much firepower Jihye had gathered in such a short time. You approached the two of them in quick steps.

“I see I made a mistake in underestimating such a wonderful woman,” Irene said when you stopped, a tone of affection in her voice and a weak smile on her face. “I should have been more cautious.”

As much as you wanted to crucify her and the other jerk, you couldn’t help but nod discreetly. Jihye just avoided her gaze and crossed her arms, looking up and down one of the hangar walls.

The SM representative quickly stood between them, hands behind his back.

“You are not going to speak to her, Bae Joohyun,” he said, stern. “There are far more important people here right now that you and your pathetic accomplice need to talk to.”

He waved his hand and with almost robotic efficiency, four men began setting up folding chairs and tables for everyone to sit at. The tables ended up pushed together, forming a long single table that looked typical of a boardroom. Irene and the reporter took the seats at one end, and you sat on the right side, between Jihye on your right and Gunwook on your left.

You looked at Jihye and examined her face for a moment. She didn’t seem nervous, or scared. Rather, she looked somewhat calm and impatient at the same time, as if she just wanted to grab her stuff, run away from there, and disappear. You understood that feeling, so you took her hand under the table.

But to your surprise, she didn’t reciprocate even though she always did. And you, after feeling another pang in your heart, let go of her hand and looked down at the table.

"Well, gentlemen," the SM representative began from the other side of the table. "I don't need to remind you why we're here." His gaze went to Irene and the reporter. "I respect your ambition, really. No one had ever managed to get the big companies to collaborate like this. So tell me, Bae Joohyun, what are you trying to achieve?"

"Hey!" the reporter shouted with a bang on the table, butting in. "She's not the only one you're negotiating with!"

The men in suits burst into laughter, Gunwook at your side in a somewhat more discreet manner. You and Jihye weren't amused in the slightest, in fact you didn't even understand why they were laughing so haughty and creepy.

The SM representative raised a hand, and silence fell again at the table.

"I'm afraid you're wrong," he said, still between small traces of laughter. "This isn't a negotiation. You're not even worthy of attention, mine or whoever else's at this table."

"I have the power here!" the reporter shouted back, very sure of his words. "I don't care what she says. I have the photos and enough information about the spa's clientele to have all of you in my pocket!"

"Oh yeah?" the SM delegate chuckled. "If you feel that powerful then go ahead and do it. Send your pathetic photos and publish your pathetic article. We won't stop you."

You looked up from the table and frowned at both the delegate and the reporter. Then you looked at Jihye, but again, she didn't seem the least bit fazed. You searched for her gaze to demand an explanation, but she avoided you. Lastly you looked at Irene, who did share the same terrified look as you.

The reporter pulled out his phone, causing absolute silence inside the hangar. Tension and uncertainty filled the air, but the only sources seemed to be you and Irene. The rest of the men, including Jihye, didn't seem worried. They looked more like orcas having fun with their prey before tearing it apart.

Minutes later the man set his phone down on the table, a triumphant smile on his face. The phones of the men in suits rang with notifications shortly after. The reporter laughed, thinking he had won the battle.

But the men in suits laughed louder than he did after checking their phones. The laughter reverberated through the hangar, like a malevolent chorus of demons rejoicing in the power they knew they had.

A creepy vibe entered your body and made you shudder immediately. You felt tiny. Helpless in that hostile environment where you felt like some really fucked up shit was simmering. A few hours ago you would think your solace would be Jihye, but she seemed to ignore your existence completely.

You were alone. In a deep pool of turbulent waters filled with sharks.

“I’ll spare you from having to read the message we all just received,” laughed the SM delegate, who then looked across the table at another big shot. HYBE or YG, most likely. “Haven’t you guys made a very generous contribution to Dispatch lately?”

That led you to think it must be the HYBE. YG was more disinterested in such matters.

“And not only that, the editor-in-chief and I are old college buddies,” the HYBE delegate nodded, in an exuberant display of arrogance.

“You see?” the SM delegate turned his gaze to the reporter. “I don’t think you understand, mate. What I mean is that you have no power over shit.” he pointed at his HYBE namesake. “That message we just received was from the editor-in-chief letting us know that neither your photos nor your article will see the light of day.”

The reporter and Irene suddenly found themselves backed into a corner, and you had a feeling that the knockout was coming soon.

“Just because Dispatch isn’t going to publish the article doesn’t mean other media won’t,” the reporter said with a nervous chuckle, somewhat desperate to somehow comfort himself.

“What?” The SM representative frowned, pretending he hadn't heard him correctly. "You mean the article you wrote about an illegal and scandalous spa that you and I operate?"

"Huh?" The reporter frowned, confused by that statement that even you couldn't understand. "What the fuck do you mean?"

"For fuck's sake," snorted another bigwig, who by elimination had to be the YG representative. "You think we don't know what goes on inside that fucking spa?" he asked, and slammed the table. "It's ours and we operate it! Through shell companies, of course."

Suddenly you felt like something was wrong with the way you perceived reality at that moment, as if a control tower inside your brain had failed. Did that mean...?

No, fuck. It couldn't be fucking possible.

"Oh, and I should add that I made sure that a certain judge's daughter passed our auditions." The YG representative added, bragging perhaps a little too much. "The good man paid us back by advancing some documents that showed a new owner of the spa. Can you guess who this new owner is?"

It had to be a lie, you were sure.

No, that wasn't the lie. Your job was the lie. Everything you had believed up until that moment was a fucking lie. Were you then... just another fucking pawn? Did they play puppet with you too? You clenched your fists under the table, unable to take it in.

"Do you understand what we want to tell you?" Gunwook asked at your side, for the first time in the entire meeting. "You are powerless. You have no control whatsoever. Just like the idols of our companies."

You were in complete shock, realizing that you had only been another puppet of the industry for much longer than you imagined. You weren't able to take it all in, it was too many revelations in too little time. You could only sink a little in your seat, staring blankly.

“How could you take their side?” Irene asked in a small voice, sounding betrayed, defeated. You didn’t need to look at her to know who she was addressing. “You may have moved on, but the reason I did all this in the first place was because of what these monsters did to us!”

Jihye swallowed thickly and pursed her lips to keep from opening her mouth. She stared at the ceiling lights, nervously moving her leg up and down.

“What did the monsters do to you, Joohyun?” the SM representative asked, in a tone so passive-aggressive that it made your hair stand on end. “Make you a global icon? Make you incredibly wealthy?” he slowly raised his tone of voice with each question. “Make you the face of major global fashion companies? Make thousands upon thousands of people look up to you?!”

“You took my love away, motherfucker!” She screamed, standing up with both hands on the table. “YOU TOOK HER FROM ME!” She pointed at Jihye.

Her words were so heartbreaking that you couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her. If only the images of Ning running out of the dressing room in tears and Minjeong cowering on the couch weren’t burned into your memory, maybe you would have even come to her defense.

Jihye moved her leg faster, and you noticed in her hand how she was trembling. All of this was tearing her apart too, you knew her more than well. You wanted to be able to reassure her somehow, but this was not the place or the time.

And you weren't sure she would have accepted it either.

"So we finally got to where you wanted us to," the SM representative said. "You don't really care about the industry. You just wanted to make us feel guilty and end up just like now. Us here while you express your love for Jihye."

Jihye twisted her head and clenched her fist, visibly cringing at the man calling her by her real name.

"As I was saying," the SM representative continued with a sigh, in a terrifying serenity as if this was just a child's game. "I admire your ambition and your ingenuity. But from a public relations point of view it is much better to handle this matter internally than just terminating your contract and ruining your image," he turned to look at Jihye. "Tell her about the agreement we've reached, Noze."

"No..." you said quietly, realizing that this was when everything would break off.

Jihye stood up and raised her hand, still trembling. Her lower lip was quivering as well.

"I, Noh Jihye, resign from my position as Aespa's manager..." she gulped and squeezed her eyes shut. "And I am honored to accept my new role as division manager for all girl groups under SM Entertainment."

That was the final blow, but not for Irene or the reporter. For you. The multiple stabs in your heart had now turned into one, accurate shot. Betrayal always hurt when it came from the front, but this was like a stab in the back, full of rage. And the worst: it came from the person you loved.

True friends stab you in the front.

Jihye then left your side and walked to sit on Irene's left. You couldn't take your eyes off her, and she knew it, which is why she kept staring at the floor. She was afraid that if she looked into your eyes she would break.

"The four delegates here assured me that they will not interfere in our relationship anymore," Jihye continued, her gaze downcast, kicking you to the ground when you were already unconscious. "No more threats. No more changes in our careers. They will also move to the main office so that I can be here in Seoul with you."

Irene didn't believe it much more than you did. She kept looking at Jihye as if she had gone completely crazy.

"W-what?" she said.

"It will be hard for me to forgive you for all the harm you have caused," Jihye said, a robotic and emotionless tone that led you to think that this was all scripted. "But I know that you did it out of love. We can fix it."

All of that could have been previously agreed upon against Jihye's will, but still, the stab wound hurt like hell, especially since it was still open and receiving blows. So without thinking, you tried to stand up to intervene in all of that, but Gunwook pulled you down by the hoodie and physically prevented you from doing so.

He approached your ear, still holding on to you despite your attempts to get away.

"Trust us," he said, and you had no choice but to swallow dirt and stay still.

"All they ask in return is that the evidence be handed over to them," Jihye continued. "Photos, articles, videos. Everything."

"B-but!" the reporter stood up. "This is not..."

"Shut up!" Irene shouted, cutting him off short. "I'll make it up to you for everything, I promise," she then looked at the SM representative. "We accept the terms."

The SM delegate tapped the table with his knuckles and leaned back in his seat. The cocky grin on his face made you want to jump over the table and knock out every single tooth in him.

“See? Easy,” he said, and looked at all of you present. “I love happy endings, don’t you?”

All the men at the table burst out laughing again, except for you and the reporter.

“Well,” the SM delegate said again. “Can someone take Noze and Irene to the main offices so they can sign their NDAs and have Noze sign the paperwork for her new job which, I might add, comes with a pretty hefty raise?”

Two of the men flanking the SM delegate stepped forward and went to Jihye and Irene, who stood up and were led out of the hangar and into the car.

You just stared at Jihye as she left, still unable to believe that the most wonderful woman you'd ever met had done that to you. And not just to you, but to the girls she claimed to love.

It all seemed like a fucking nightmare. A very fucked up one.

"Next business," the SM delegate said, now looking at the reporter. "Very well, we all know that Irene will more than compensate you. And from the kind of scum we all know you are here, I think that's all you care about."

The reporter gulped and slammed the table, clearly still furious.

"You're not getting away with..."

The SM delegate leaned forward and clasped his hands on the table, looking at him over his sunglasses. That was enough to shut up the reporter.

"Once she's paid you, you'll leave the country, never come back, and you'll stay away from any overseas activities that any of the companies at this table handle," he said menacingly, letting the reporter know that he was on the tightrope. "I think we've made enough of a display of our might for you to know that we're not to be messed with."

The reporter, acknowledging defeat, sat down and crossed his arms.

“Alright, alright…” he grumbled. “I accept the terms.”

The SM delegate returned to his natural position and placed his hands on his thighs.

“Take his phone, give him his plane ticket, and get his stinking ass out of here,” he ordered.

A new team of men went with the reporter and escorted him out of the hangar, in a not-so-gentle manner. You could almost say they kicked his ass out.

All the shock caused by Jihye’s betrayal made you ignore the fact that you were now alone in the snake pit. You only took it in when the SM delegate locked his gaze on you.

“And finally, the last matter,” he said, and looked you up and down as if you were a piece of shit. “What do we do with this upstart who doesn’t know his place? We let him fuck our idols, we pay for his fucking plane ticket, and how does he pay us back? By getting us into this fucking mess.”

Before you could open your mouth and bring up how sharp your tongue felt at the moment, Gunwook poked you in the thigh to shut you up.

“Come on, Sanghyeok,” Gunwook said. “Why torture the poor guy? We’ve all already agreed on what we’d do with him.” He looked at you. “I’d also say we owe him a pat on the back, don’t you think? He took care of our idols as discreetly as he could and made sure this whole thing stayed under our control.”

“Gunwook!” the HYBE manager complained with a chuckle. “It would have been fun to see him squirm a bit before we told him what we had planned for him.”

The anger you felt at how those bastards talked about you like you were a toy made your blood boil like hot lava. But that only made you realize that that was just a portion of what both trainees and idols must have felt over the years.

They were trash. You were surrounded by fucking trash. Scum that didn't deserve the slightest bit of respect. They disgusted you.

"I guess you have a point, and I'm already tired of being here." Sanghyeok, the SM representative, admitted, then looked at you. "Alright kid, you have two options: you can sign the NDAs we have right here and never interact with any idols ever again..."

"I don't think we need to tell you what would happen to you if you broke that agreement," the HYBE representative added, to which you didn't even look at him.

"Or," Sanghyeok continued. “You can run your own contracting company focused on cultural integration and consultation. Of course this will all be a facade, for you to solve the problems we’d like to stay away from and for you to continue fucking our assets.”

Of all the things you heard that day, for some reason that was the one that left you the most baffled. Running your own company? What the hell was that fucker talking about?

“I’m sure I’m wasting my time asking, but what do you choose, kid?” he insisted.

Gunwook put a hand in front of you and again stopped you from answering yourself.

“Hey, hey, why don’t we give him a set of both documents and I’ll advise him on both options before he signs anything?” he proposed.

Luckily for you all the big fish agreed, and then the session was finally adjourned after two folders were handed to you. The tables were pushed back, as were all the chairs. Gunwook escorted you out, while you did nothing but glare at each of the bastards as they drove away.

"Sit in the passenger seat, please," Gunwook said as you approached the car.

You agreed and climbed into the passenger seat. Gunwook climbed into the car as well, and looked at you after a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry, I'm sure that was hard to watch," he said, then started the car.

You didn't know how to respond. You didn't even know how to feel at that moment, with so many emotions churning inside you and isolating you from reality.

Jihye had betrayed you, dammit. And not only that, she had agreed to get back together with the person who hurt her so much in the first place. You were sure a kick in the balls could have hurt less at the time.

"Well, luckily everything went according to Noze's plan," Gunwook said, driving on the way to the airport. "I certainly owe that woman one."

You frowned and turned to look at him.

"Her plan was to betray me in the worst way possible and spit me on the ground once dead?" you asked. "That's fucking bullshit, mate." you looked out the window again.

Gunwook sighed.

"Did you know Noze and my little sister used to be trainees together?" he asked, staring ahead. "My little sister developed a really bad case of anxiety and an eating disorder because of that life. But that never stopped Noze from wanting to take care of her like she was his own sister."

You turned to look at him and realized that it hurt him to talk about it. So you politely paid attention.

"It was a tough time," he continued. "My little sister really kept hitting rock bottom, over and over again, but Noze was always there for her. Even when..." he started to say something, but swallowed hard and took it back. "Anyway, the reason I'm telling you this is so you know you can trust me. I know what my coworkers are capable of."

"You didn't seem to disagree with anything they said."

"What would you have done in my place?" Gunwook asked. "Get up, insult every single one of them, and screw everything up? That's not how it works, kid. You gotta be a little hypocritical in this life every now and then. It'll keep you afloat with certain people."

"Are you afraid of what they might do to you for being rebellious or what?"

"I've seen a lot of shit, mate. Dark shit. Of course I'm afraid," he said. "That's why I stay out of the way and work under the table."

"I guess I can't judge you then," you said with a shrug, and looked ahead.

"Besides, this was Noze's idea too," he said.

"The what?"

"Me sharing our past with you. She said she knew it would be just what you needed to hear."

You couldn't help but let out a disbelieving chuckle, and looked out the window again.

"It doesn't heal the knife wound, but I appreciate it."

When you arrived at the airport, Gunwook was considerate enough to walk you to the point where you would have to go through the re-entry process. Before you left, he grabbed your forearm.

"Boy, I'm asking you, Noze is asking you," he looked you in the eyes. "Take the job, and do everything in your power to protect the girls." He squeezed your forearm, not in a rough way, but rather affectionately. "It's your decision, and if you want to just leave we will respect it. But we need your help."

"Gunwook... I-I..."

"I'll call you tomorrow to discuss the details and explain everything," he interrupted you with a gentle wave of his hand. "But you must know that with or without you, this whole thing with Irene was just the first battle. The industry is about to go to war."

With that said, he nodded at you and let go of your forearm to go back the way he came, leaving you with a nest of angry hornets in your head that didn't let you think clearly.

It was all fucking overwhelming. You would never have imagined carrying a weight of that magnitude on your shoulders in your life, and you certainly weren't prepared for it. All things considered, it was like sending a poor, inexperienced 17-year-old bastard straight into a trench in 1916. Maybe you were exaggerating and it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't what you had in mind when you agreed to go on tour with Aespa.

Speaking of Aespa, you weren't surprised to find Rina waiting for you once you went through the re-entry process. Amidst all the shit that day, seeing her was like seeing your guardian angel. A safe place at last.

"God, you're finally here!" she said as you approached, taking steps towards you. "What happened? How was everything? Where's Jihye?"

Your only response was to hug her tightly and bury your face in her neck. She must have figured this wasn't the time to ask questions, so she just hugged you back and rubbed your back.

"Where are the girls?" you asked after a few long seconds, still clinging to her.

"They distracted the fans at the airport so I could wait for you." Rina replied softly, stroking the hair on the back of your neck.

You pulled away from her with your arms still around her waist so you could look into her eyes. She looked back at you, visibly worried.

"I promise to tell you everything," you assured, and squeezed her waist. "But really, I'm exhausted and I need to process all of this."

"It's okay, honey," she nodded, and pulled you in to kiss your forehead. "Let's go."

Rina led you outside, where a vehicle with tinted windows and a driver was waiting for you. You got into the back seats.

“Do you want to go to your apartment or ITZY’s house to see Chaery?” Rina asked you, removing her hood and mask.

Fuck, the ITZY girls. You hadn’t even let them know you were back in the country. They weren’t expecting you until the next day.

“My apartment,” you answered immediately, still overwhelmed by it all. “I’m not sure I can look Chaery in the eye right now.”

Rina leaned in to examine your face in a small moment of silence.

“Does it have to do with your mood back in Mexico City?” she ventured, knowing you perhaps too well.

As the car pulled away you took a deep breath and sank into the seat with your arms crossed, staring out the window. And before you knew it, you were telling Rina everything that happened that morning between you and Jihye. It wasn't hard to tell; you remembered every word she had said to you. Unfortunately.

"Fuck..." she said under her breath, and sank down into the seat with you to wrap an arm around your abdomen and hug you, her cheek resting on your arm. "Sounds like you need a bros night."

"I couldn't agree more," you said, and uncrossed your arm to wrap it around her.

You and Rina took a short ten-minute nap, until you were woken up by the driver letting you know you had reached your destination. You looked up and looked out the window, immediately recognizing the ground floor of your building.

"Hey, at least tell me something," she grabbed your arm. "Someone hit Irene?"

"I wish." you replied with a disappointed sigh.

Rina snorted.

“That’s a fucking shame,” she let go of your arm, and you opened the door to get out. “Hey, get some sleep okay? I’ll be ready to talk whenever you want.”

“What about the girls?” you asked, hand on the top edge of the door. “They’ll want to know.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rina said. “I’ll keep them at bay until you feel comfortable sharing the details.”

“Alright,” you nodded. “Thanks, Jiminie, really.”

She gave you a loving smirk, and blew you a kiss.

“Nothing to thank, silly.” she said. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Okay.” You smiled back, and then closed the door to let the car drive off.

Going up to your apartment you hoped you could find some peace of mind in the comfort of your place. After all, you'd been gone for a couple of months, anyone would have breathed a deep sigh of relief.

But as soon as you opened that door and stepped through the threshold, your first instinct was to walk straight to your couch, sit down, and sink into tears with your hands on your head.

None of it made sense to you; you couldn't wrap your head around it. You still wanted to believe that it was all a bad dream that would pass at any moment, and that you would wake up next to Jihye in Mexico City as if nothing had happened.

Everything had rotted. Everything.

Between heartbroken sobs you couldn't do anything else but stare at the ceiling, wondering why everything had to turn out that way. Was anything with Jihye real? Did she lie to you all this time? No, fuck, it couldn't be. You weren't even prepared for what was coming, much less did you know if you wanted to find out.

Rina. You needed her. But you hadn't the slightest idea how to break all the news to her; it made your stomach turn just remembering all that. To top it off, you didn't know if it was the right thing to do to tell them everything. That job belonged to someone else.

But that damn person had to be on her way to SM's offices, holding hands with her ex.

No. Not her ex. Her girlfriend. Again.

You couldn't call Rina, not at that moment. So you turned to the only other person you knew you could trust and vent to. You took out your phone to text Yeji.

With that done, you were finally able to calm your sobs. You didn't have the energy for anything else at that moment, even though you were hungry. You just got up from the couch, went to your room and laid there like a sack of potatoes. Your eyes were burning from crying so much, so it wasn't hard for you to fall asleep.

When you woke up you weren't next to Jihye, unfortunately. It had all really happened, and it still felt like the worst nightmare you'd ever had in your life.

But fuck it. You had to face that head on. There was no point in drowning in a glass of water. Things had to work out, by hook or by crook, and it was not the time to be downcast. You would force yourself to get out of that damn bed and get ahead.

You grabbed your phone and sighed in relief when you saw that you hadn't slept too late; it was barely 7PM. You got into Yeji's chat, just to ask her what time she'd be coming over. However, you hadn't even finished typing the message when your apartment doorbell rang.

You got out of bed and walked out of your room straight to the door. When you opened it, Yeji was waiting for you under the threshold with two bags in her hands, dressed in comfy sweatpants and an oversized white hoodie. She wasn't wearing any makeup, and yet she still managed to look stupidly gorgeous.

"Hi!" she smiled from ear to ear, and you automatically did too, having missed that cute cat smile so much.

You didn't even have time to say hello back when she walked inside as if the apartment was hers. She walked into your living room as you closed the door, setting the two bags on top of your circular coffee table and striding over to give you a hug that felt like a breath of fresh air.

“Hey, light fury.” you said softly, squeezing her tight in your arms.

“Do you know how much I missed you, donkey?” she asked, her head on your shoulder. “A lot.”

“And I missed you too, sweetheart.” you replied. “These two months felt like an eternity.”

Yeji pulled away from you and nodded toward the coffee table.

“I brought beer,” she said. “And Lia made you food.”

“Wait what?” you frowned. “Didn’t I tell you not to tell anyone? How did Lia know to make me dinner?”

Yeji made an awkward face and scratched the back of her neck.

"About that... well, I had no choice." she shrugged. "Before I could come up with an excuse to justify being out until morning, Lia came to my room."

You sighed and walked over to the bags to find the one with the tupperwares.

"She and the girls were planning a welcome back surprise for you..." Yeji said, turning to you.

"Which isn't a surprise anymore." you interrupted her, stacking up the three tuperwares.

"No, certainly not." she agreed with a sigh, arms akimbo. "But the thing is, she wanted to know if I wanted to go shopping for swimsuits and party supplies with them, so I had to tell her so she'd cover for me."

As you opened the tupperware your stomach growled, and in your head you blessed Lia in the name of every god you knew. One had bibimbap, the other had kimchi jjigae, and the last had japchae with marinated spinach. The bag also had two metal chopsticks. Everything looked delicious.

“Chaery looked so adorable,” she said with a giggle. “She wanted everything to be perfect, and she was even baking you a cake.”

You hated the fact that Chaery had gone to all that trouble for nothing, but you smiled as you imagined her yelling at everyone while she was in the kitchen. She was just too cute.

“So?” you prompted her to continue, sitting down on the couch.

“Nothing, Lia told the girls that Rina told me you wouldn’t be landing tomorrow due to flight issues.”

You looked down and let out a deep breath.

“I’m sorry for making you lie,” you said, chopsticks in your hand as you looked at the food. “And especially for bringing Lia into this too.”

“Oh don’t worry.” she walked over to one of your counters, where you had your record player. “Just don’t make it a habit. Now eat, your food is going to get cold and Lia put a lot of effort into it.”

Your stomach was growling so much that you didn’t need her to tell you twice. First you tried the bibimbap, some zucchini with some beef. Fucking delicious, as was the kimchi and the japchae.

While you ate, Yeji began to examine your vinyl records. You trusted that she would know how to operate the record player, so you just let her choose. In the end she opted for a jazz classic: Time Out by The Dave Brubeck Quartet. A choice you didn’t expect but appreciated.

She then sat down next to you and crossed her legs to look at you.

“Alright, honey, what’s wrong?” she asked as you chewed on some pork.

You knew you had to be as brief as possible, but in the end you ended up telling her every detail: everything Irene had done, what she had put Minjeong through, why you had unexpectedly returned, and finally, what happened at the meeting that morning.

By the end of your story Yeji was speechless, unable to take in any of what you had told her. A living reflection of what you felt. In her eyes you could see that she was waiting for you to tell her that some of it was a lie, but you wish you could.

"What the fuck..." she said quietly, her gaze lost. "I mean, Irene does have a point, but taking advantage of her hoobaes like that? That's fucking vile."

"I know." you replied, finishing the jjigae.

“I’ve teased the NMIXX girls too, but I’ve made sure to never hurt them,” she leaned back and sank into her seat. “I love those girls like they’re my little sisters, and I’d kill for them just as much as I would for ITZY.”

“Well… I have to admit,” you covered two tupperware containers and focused on the japchae. “That even though I was so fucking upset, seeing Irene so fragile while talking about what the industry had taken from her made me feel some…” you took a moment to measure your words. “Sympathy for her. A smidge.”

That statement caused an awkward silence between the two of you, with nothing but the third track from the record, Take Five, playing.

“So… how are the girls of Aespa handling the loss of their manager?” she finally asked.

“I haven’t told them that,” you admitted. “I thought Noze deserved the right to break the news to them herself.”

Yeji stood up suddenly, startling you.

“HOW COULD YOU HIDE THAT FROM THEM?!” she yelled at you, and you just hung your head like a scolded dog. “The only relationship that’s more important than the one we have with our manager is the one with the members themselves!”

“Yeah, yeah, I get that,” you said, both hands up as if she was going to hit you at any moment. “But Noze and them have been together since day one, and I honestly didn’t feel like going through any more shit today.”

Recalling everything you’d told her, Yeji resigned herself and sat back down beside you to rub your back. But you knew she was right.

“Look, I know we’re close friends and all, and I definitely don’t want to be rude or nosy,” she said. “But… why did you want to spend time with me tonight and not Chaery?”

"Well..."

Your doorbell rang, and with it two knocks.

You frowned in confusion and looked at Yeji, wondering if she had invited anyone else.

Three more knocks, this time louder and more frantic. Yeji then looked at you, also confused and even a bit scared, you might say. You stood up to walk to the door.

"Are you expecting anyone else?" she asked behind you, and you just shook your head with your hand on the doorknob.

Your heart started to beat fast. There were very few people who knew where you lived, including the reporter. Had the bastard returned to take revenge and pay you back? Ready to open it and beat him to a pulp, you suddenly opened the door.

Only to find the four Aespa girls, their beautiful and innocent faces lighting up once they saw you. They were all wearing casual clothes, and you could tell by the looks on their faces that they had taken a well-deserved break upon arriving.

“I’m so sorry for the surprise,” Rina told you with a nervous little smile, before you could say anything, and then held up the bags she was carrying for you to see. “But we brought soju.”

Before you could say anything—again—Yeji ran up from the couch and elbowed you aside to hug all the Aespa girls. They were taken aback at first, but then recognized who she was.

“Gosh, I’m so glad you girls got here safely,” Yeji said, as she was pulled into everyone’s arms. “I’m so sorry for everything you had to go through.”

“We’re sorry for showing up unannounced.” Rina said, and then giggled. “And interrupting whatever was going on.”

You locked eyes with Ning, who blew you a cute little kiss, then Minjeong, who gave you a cute little smile, and finally Aeri, who just made a V with her fingers.

“Can you guys come in?” you said. “The air conditioning is going out.”

You stepped aside to let the five of them in. They all went to sit on the couch. Yeji was the only one who had to sit on the single couch. And you, well, you stayed standing.

“We’ve been texting and calling Noze since we woke up,” Rina said, her forearms resting on her knees. “She never checked in at the dorm manager’s area.”

You and Yeji locked eyes. And you took a deep breath, hands on your waist.

“Look, I know you don’t feel like repeating what happened this morning, but the girls and I are worried about Noze,” Rina said, concerned. "We just want to know if she's okay."

You looked at Yeji again, who just nodded.

"Time for some courage, sweetheart," she said, then stood up to give you her seat. "I'll go to your room to call Lia and you know, tell her you're okay and tell her everything that happened."

You nodded and sat in Yeji's place as she walked down the hall and to your room. So you stayed with the Aespa girls, and damn, it was hard to look them in the eyes with all you had to say.

"Mother of God, where do I start..." you took a deep breath, and brought your hands together to your mouth and nose.

It was hard for you, but you ended up touching on every topic: Jihye's resignation, how she didn't tell you the whole plan, what happened with the reporter, and finally, how she left the hangar with Irene. By the time you finished you felt like you had spat blade after blade from your throat. That's how uncomfortable it was for you. You didn't break down crying again because you had to be strong, but you were close.

In all of them you recognized the feeling of being betrayed, you knew it by their looks, because it was the same one you had earlier. You expected some of them to burst into tears or even make a scene of rage, but no, they were so shocked that they barely blinked. And honestly, it was the most logical reaction for you.

“I guess there’s nothing we can do now…” said Ning, who was the first to speak. She was the one who looked the closest to tears, but she was surprisingly strong.

“We’ve always relied on Noze for everything,” Minjeong said, looking at all of them. “And I think… well, I think it’s not the time to question her.”

Minjeong could say that, but in her low voice you could tell she felt a disappointment so great that it overwhelmed her. The same could be said about Ning.

Rina nodded and turned to Aeri, who had her gaze lost on the floor. You noticed one of her hands shaking. She was not only disappointed, but also furious. You were sure she wasn’t making a scene just because she was in your apartment.

“Gigi, can you make sure the girls get home safely?” she asked. “I’ll be there in the morning.”

“And why don’t you come with us?” Aeri asked back. "I'm the dad who can't take care of two whiny brats and panics easily, and you know it."

"I know that, but my bro and I have a conversation that's been pending for a while."

Aeri sighed and stood up. Ning and Minjeong followed her.

"Alright, just come back tomorrow before noon," Aeri said. "I refuse to cook lunch."

Aeri went with you and leaned down to give you a peck on the cheek. Minjeong was a little more affectionate and cupped your face to do the same. Ning on the other hand went a step higher and took your chin to plant a small kiss on your lips. You grabbed her forearm before she left with Aeri and Minjeong.

"I'll call you, okay?" you told her.

"You know I'll always answer, dear." she nodded, her lips curled into a weak smile. Then you let go of her so she could leave with the girls.

Once you were alone with Rina, she stood up and went to sit on the right side of your lap, wrapping her left arm around your shoulders.

"Well, there's no point in thinking about what happened this morning anymore, but..." she paused as she rubbed your back. "I never got to talk to you about what was bothering you in Mexico City."

Just then Yeji appeared out of the hallway. You looked at her and let out a sigh.

"Good thing you two are here for that."

"For what?" Yeji asked, going to sit on the other side of your lap. It felt good to have them both there, but your legs were going to fall asleep at any moment.

"Oh girl, just listen because it's fucked up."

You hated having to spit it all out again, but you had no choice. You blurted out everything as quickly as you could without letting too many details slip: the incident between you and Jihye, what she said to you and how she even made you question if all of this was fair to Chaery and Ning, and even to the two of them.

Only this time you couldn't hold back a couple of tears, realizing how desperate the situation was.

"Oh honey..." Yeji said sadly, cupping your face with one hand and wiping a tear away with her thumb. "Yeah, it's certainly a fucked up situation."

"God, I hate that you have to go through this, you don't deserve it." Rina said as well, stroking your hair. "Look, you're technically unemployed now, so your career can't put you in an awkward situation anymore. It's up to you who you want to be with, right?"

"Yeah well..." you then stared at the bags piled up on the table. "It would be a shame if we let the beer and soju get warm, wouldn't it?"

Having to keep your new job offer from them sucked, but you hadn't even made a decision yet, so it would be best to keep everything under the table for the moment before jumping to conclusions.

"Yup, I think the three of us deserve a drink," Yeji said, giving you a peck on the side of your head before standing up. "Do you have any shot glasses?"

You shrugged.

"I don't know, look in the kitchen," you said. "I guess I do."

"And I, if you'll excuse me, am going to turn on the Switch," Rina said, giving you a peck on the cheek before standing up and walking over to the TV. "Help me?"

As you and Rina turned on the Switch and TV and set everything up, Yeji came back with the three shot glasses and set them on the table.

“I had to wash them; they were dusty.” she said, standing behind two of you. “Hey, you have a Jenga right? I thought I saw one in your room.”

“Indeed,” you nodded, turning on three joy-cons before setting them down on the coffee table. “Give me a sec.”

You quickly went to your room to get the Jenga game. It was also somewhat dusty; you had to blow it off and wipe the pieces a bit with your hand before walking out and setting it down on the table. Yeji and Rina were waiting for you on the couch, with the three shot glasses already filled with Soju.

The vinyl record Yeji had put on had worn out a while ago, so before you sat down with them, you went to your record player and put on a new one: Too Low For Zero by Elton John. Another classic that you definitely needed to hear right now.

You finally took a seat between the two of them as they grabbed their glasses.

“A little warm-up round before we start,” Rina said, picking up the glass before downing it.

“Geonbae!” Yeji toasted, before downing her drink as well. You followed suit.

That was just the beginning of the fierce drinking olympics that was coming up. Of course you played Jenga first, a game that Yeji turned out to be hilariously terrible at, so she drank the most. You and Rina drank a couple of times as well, but Yeji had to down like six shots.

You then played Two Truths and a Lie, which made you realize how good Rina really was at lying and messing with other people's minds. She had you and Yeji as weak links, drinking over and over again for not guessing almost any of her lies correctly.

You got your revenge when you played Caps, a game where you sat apart from each other in a triangle to throw bottle caps into glasses in front of you, and the player who got a cap in, had to drink. Rina turned out to have a pathetic aim, and the only two caps she managed to hit were more luck than anything else. You and Yeji, on the other hand, were Deadshot and made her drink non-stop.

"Aight stop it!" Rina shrieked, already pissed off. "Let's have some real fun, I don't like this anymore!"

You and Yeji couldn’t stop laughing, forced to stop when Rina glared at you.

“Alright, alright,” you said, controlling your giggles. “What do you propose?”

“Beerio Kart,” Rina said. “But striptease.”

“Uhhh,” Yeji butted in. “I was hoping you’d say something like that.”

“At your own risk, then,” you said with a shrug and standing up.

The three of you grabbed your Joy-Cons, popped open your beers, and quickly set the rules, which were pretty simple. The most notable being that the person who failed to finish their beer before the race had to take off an item of clothing.

And you were just too good; you kept winning, over and over again until you had Yeji and Rina in nothing but a bra and panties. But they, being the devilish and competitive duo you knew they were, teamed up to play dirty and stop you from winning so easily. That turned the tables on you too quickly, and without even noticing, you were the first one to be completely naked. With a hard boner in full view of the two of them, caused by the semi-nakedness of that pair of hot perfect bodies.

"Hey, you remember what I told you the last time we drank, right?" Rina said next to you, with a mocking giggle.

She was on your right, lying on her side and leaning up on her elbow as she played. You didn't hesitate for a single second to grab her head with one hand and shove it down against your cock, hard and without gentleness. Rina took every inch without complaint, until her nose rested on your pubis.

Yeji giggled with her gaze fixed on the screen.

"I'm glad to know I'm not the only one he gets rough with," she teased.

You let go of Rina's head and she was free to pull out for a deep breath. But that didn't stop her from continuing to suck half of your cock in slow pumps, focusing on the race as well.

"God," you gasped, trying to focus. "Enough of the games. I want to fuck you two."

Rina pulled you out of her mouth and looked up to share a small smirk with Yeji.

"There's just one little problem with that, sweetheart," Yeji said. "Neither of us are completely naked yet."

"You have to earn it," Rina added, giving your cock a peck before focusing completely on the race.

They had you in constant agony to win race after race, as they kept playing dirty like the vile rats they were. In some races Rina kept sucking your cock, moaning on purpose just to drive you crazy. In others Yeji masturbated while downing the beer, knowing that her cold hand would make you shiver.

In another race they took it further and took advantage of your weakness for pretty feet, and both of them put their legs up on the couch just to alternate from side to side and give you footjobs. At times it was just Rina's feet, at others it was just Yeji's, but the craziest you went was when they used their feet at the same time to stimulate every part of your cock.

Eventually that pace became unsustainable for them, and it only took one short moment of extreme concentration for you to finally win that race.

As soon as you crossed the finish line and knew victory was yours, you threw the joycon on the table and grabbed Yeji's legs by the calves to shove one of her feet into your mouth.

"About time you got serious, huh?" Yeji teased, reaching behind her back to take off her bra and free her pair of nice perky tits.

"It only took him four races." Rina laughed beside you, caressing your balls with her toes.

After sucking, licking and kissing both the soles of Yeji's feet and her toes, you helped her take off her panties and then went to repeat the process with Rina, who had already taken off both her bra and panties and was waiting for you with her pretty feet up.

Yeji settled herself on the couch and positioned her head facing you, lying on top of your left thigh to take your cock in her hand and take it into her mouth. You, meanwhile, focused on Rina's soft, pretty feet, caressing the tops of her thighs and moving up to grab her tits with strong squeezes.

Having had your fill of her feet, you moved away and she adopted the same position on the couch as Yeji, her arm over your thigh to pepper the side of your cock with kisses and licks while Yeji sucked the tip up and down, pumping it faster and sloppier. Rina followed that trend as soon as it was her turn to have you inside her mouth, only she took in more inches with each pump, until soon your cock was soaked in a combination of both of their thick saliva.

You extended both arms out to the sides and ran your hands down their delicious bodies. Your caresses went from their backs, down their arms and all the way to their hips, where you then just squeezed their buttocks before leaving your hands there. But the excellent job they were doing on your cock made you want to reward them by running your fingers between their butt cheeks and rubbing both their butt holes and pussies.

"Alright, enough." you panted after less than a minute. "Let's go to bed so I can eat you out comfortably."

"Mmm, yes daddy, as you order." Rina said, pulling you out of her mouth, spitting the accumulated saliva onto your tip.

"Are you gonna make me call him that too?" Yeji asked, collecting the saliva Rina had just spit out to spread it over the side of your cock. "I don't refuse, honestly," she looked up at you. "What do you think, daddy?"

"I think you two better get up and walk straight to the bedroom before I go crazy," you gave Yeji a small spank.

"Coming on, daddy," Rina laughed, standing up from the couch and wobbling a bit. It was worth noting that by this point the three of you were walking the fine line between drunk and just turned on. “No need to get grumpy.”

Yeji and Rina held hands and headed straight down the hall to your room. You took a moment, just to pick up the things scattered on the table and turn off the TV and the console before going into the room with them.

You found them wrapped around each other with arms and thighs intertwined, sharing a fierce and sensual kiss that only fueled the flame inside you. They broke the kiss and Yeji turned to look at you with a mischievous smile, while Rina showered her neck with kisses and groped her.

If that was a way to hurry you, then it had worked perfectly, because you threw yourself into the bed like a hungry leopard. First you got between Yeji's legs to get on top of her and lower your mouth directly to her tits, which you kissed and sucked before going up and kissing her.

Rina put her hand between your bodies and reached for your cock to take it and stroke it, now being the one who was eating Yeji's tits while you two were making out. But soon you gave her her turn, directly grabbing her chin to crash your lips together.

In the middle of your kiss with Rina you brought a hand between her thighs and rubbed her pussy up and down before rubbing it in circles. She continued to move her hand on your cock, while you received kisses on your shoulders and neck from Yeji. Then you broke the kiss and moved down to Rina's heavy, round tits to eat them.

Once you had your starter with both of their tits, you decided to move on to the main course. You kissed Yeji again, but just a couple of seconds later you moved down to her cute belly to cover it all over with wet kisses. Before long you were now between her legs, and you grabbed her thighs to push them back and plant your mouth on her wet pussy.

"Oh fuck yeah..." Yeji moaned, arching her back and gripping the pillow behind her head. "I missed that sexy ass fucking mouth so much."

And you certainly missed that nice, delicious pussy, but instead of putting it into words you did it by eating it hungrily, reflecting the whole time you spent without even laying a finger on her. She let you know she loved it by tangling her fingers in your hair and giving it light tugs.

"Daddy's mouth is amazing huh?" Rina teased, lying face down with one knee drawn up as she had one of Yeji's tits inside her mouth. "I had it whenever I wanted for two months, and even a whole weekend."

"Mmmgh then I congratulate you," Yeji gasped, gently twisting her hips as you gave her clit quick licks. "But now daddy's back with me, and I'm not going to let you off easy."

"I don't think there's a problem with that," Rina replied, and you listened as they kissed, Yeji muffling moans against her lips. "Daddy has no problem fucking us both as much as we want, right daddy?"

"No problem at all." you replied, and you pulled away from Yeji's pussy to now go right, pressing Rina's ass cheek up and burying your mouth in her also shiny and silky pussy.

Rina moaned against Yeji's lips and pulled away to look down at you, while you ate her pussy from behind and groped both of her soft ass cheeks. Yeji then began to kiss her tits and neck, but she also put a hand between her thighs and rubbed her clit.

You could have spent the whole night between pussy and pussy feasting and satisfying your hunger for wet flesh, but your cock was so hard that it was starting to hurt. As a measure you adopted what they were most waiting for, and the first to taste it, of course, would be the one who went the longest without you in the first place.

"Tell me something, little cheshire," you said, kneeling up with one hand rubbing your cock. "How long have you been waiting for this?"

Yeji stared at your cock and spread her legs wide for you, massaging her own tits.

"Two fucking months daddy." she replied, biting her bottom lip. "Two months where I didn't have that delicious, juicy cock inside me."

You knelt between her legs and slowly rubbed the back of your cock between her wet folds. She looked into your eyes, holding her legs by the back of her knees.

"So what should I do, baby?" You now grabbed your cock and rubbed the tip up and down, teasing her entrance.

"Fuck me so hard that I can't walk properly tomorrow?" she asked with a moan. "Please? Please daddy, please!"

Not wanting to see her whimper anymore in pleas you grabbed your cock and finally pressed it forward. Yeji's tight pussy met you with only a little resistance, but within seconds you were burying yourself inch by inch inside her.

"Mmmgh yeah daddy put it all inside me!" she moaned, looking straight into your eyes, before you gave one last hard thrust to take your entire length all the way in. "Fuck!! Yes!!"

With your cock resting all the way in her pussy you let out a satisfied moan, realizing how much you truly missed her. It felt like picking up an addiction, and this was a dangerous one.

You removed Yeji's hands from behind her knees and replaced them with your own, pressing her legs back as you gave her the first few slow thrusts, which did nothing but make you both moan equally. Rina made no complaints and looked at you biting her lower lip, turned on by how the two of you were having pleasure. She pressed herself against Yeji's side and kissed her, groping her tits as well.

As you began to move your hips faster, you let go of Yeji's legs and leaned forward to plant them on either side of her torso, getting a close-up view of her and Rina swirling their tongues together and kissing. Rina then pulled away from Yeji's lips and raised her back enough to reach yours. You gladly accepted the kiss, but you also went harder on Yeji.

"Oh fuck fuck fuck!!" Yeji whimpered, your cock going all the way in and out of her tight walls and shaking her back and forth. "Harder daddy! Harder!! Yes!!"

You were forced to pull away from Rina's lips so you could focus entirely on Yeji. You straightened your back, and grabbed her legs to bring them together, holding her thighs and pressing them fully against her upper body. You were now thrusting hard up and down, filling your room with the sounds of flesh slapping together.

"Mmmmgh!!" Yeji squealed, biting the side of one hand and gripping the sheets beneath her with the other. She then released the hand she was biting and swatted it back to the bed to grab the sheet with it as well before arching her back. "Yesss!! FUCK!!"

After a few more thrusts Yeji exploded in spasms and violent contractions, covering her mouth with one hand to stifle screams of pleasure against it. Rina watched every detail with dilated pupils, eager and needing you to fuck her that hard too.

"You want that too, baby?" you asked Rina, slowly pumping in and out of Yeji's pussy as her orgasm passed.

"Yes daddy!" she answered immediately, and she followed your gaze as you pulled out of Yeji and got on top of her. "Use your pretty cumslut and fill her up, please!"

You adjusted your knees on either side of Rina's hips and sat on her thighs, squeezing her ass cheeks sideways to reveal her butthole and pussy, where you brought your hand up to rub a few times up and down. You first brought your thumb inside her pussy, and then pressed it against her butthole to get it halfway in.

"Stop playing around and fuck me already." Rina moaned, lifting her hips impatiently to rub her ass cheeks against your cock.

"You'll have me all night, why are you in such a hurry, baby?" you asked, your thumb now fully inside her ass.

"Because I'm so fucking wet!" she protested with a squeal, fingers gripping the sheets.

"You're just being a whiny bitch." Yeji said from the side, already recovered from her orgasm. "Daddy, should I make her shut up?"

"Go ahead." You nodded, pulling your thumb out of Rina's ass to now bring your index and middle fingers inside her pussy.

Rina moaned, watching as Yeji positioned herself in front of her with her legs spread and her pussy right in front of her face. Yeji didn't even ask for permission, she just grabbed Rina by the hair and sank her mouth against her pussy.

"Mmmgh," Yeji moaned, fingers tangled in Rina's dark strands. "That's so much better."

Teasing Rina was so much fun, and as she ate Yeji's pussy you pumped your fingers at a torturously slow pace for her. She wasn't complaining anymore, but she still desperately twisted her hips upward, looking for any kind of friction with your cock that would make you want to penetrate her already..

You put that moment off for a few seconds, as her pussy looked especially juicy and pretty that night. Watching your fingers enter and then come out soaked and shiny was too hot to ignore, and you kept pumping them slowly until you couldn't take it anymore and grabbed your cock to take it inside her.

That took Rina by surprise. She pulled the sheets under her hands and squealed against Yeji's pussy, with your cock almost completely inside her already. You had never fucked her prone bone, and that was your perfect opportunity to do so.

Sensing that she was intending to pull away, Yeji caught Rina's head between her thighs and squeezed to hold her back. Rina had no choice but to hold onto Yeji's legs with her hands, eating her out as much as her own moans would allow.

"What are you waiting for to fuck the brains out of the whiny brat, daddy?" Yeji asked you, looking into your eyes, a sexy half smile on her face. "You weren't gentle with me at all, and I don't think she deserves any less."

"You hear that, Jiminie?" you asked Rina, hands on her waist as you slowly pumped in and out of her warm, wet pussy. "Because of you I have to agree with Yeji."

You noticed Yeji's annoyed look at that comment, but you did a miracle to hold back your laughter. You made it a priority to move your hips faster and faster, your right hand moving up Rina's soft back until it rested on her right shoulder.

As the seconds passed, you began to get into a rhythm, until you had the bed shaking slightly from how hard you moved your hips, both hands gripping Rina's shoulders. You saw her desperate to break free so she could scream out loud, but Yeji showed no signs of wanting to please her, so you had to intervene.

"Give her a break, baby." you told Yeji between gasps. "I want to hear her cute whimpers as she begs me to fuck her harder."

"Ugh, fine." Yeji replied, and reluctantly untangled her thighs from around Rina's head.

"Agh fuck!!" Rina screamed as soon as the movement of her neck was released, turning to give you a sexy look over her shoulder. "Yeah daddy I fucking love that!!"

You let yourself fall forward and placed your hands on the mattress on either side of Rina's head. She held onto your right forearm with one hand and lifted her head to look up at you. All it took was for her to stick her tongue out for your chip to activate and you spit right on her.

"Fuck, you two really get dirty don't you?" Yeji teased with a playful tone, moving one leg to put one of her feet in front of your face. You caught it with your mouth without hesitation. "Have you ever spit anywhere other than her tongue?"

You certainly hadn't thought about it before, so after a few seconds of sucking Yeji's toes, you grabbed a handful of Rina's hair with your hand and pulled it hard to keep her face looking up at you. Then you spit again, this time on her parted lips and part of her nose.

"Mmmgh yes!!" Rina moaned as you hammered her pussy rapidly up and down, visibly aroused by how you had spit on her. "Use me like a dirty whore daddy, don't hold back, give me all you fucking got!!"

With one hand you had to signal Yeji to move back a little, so you could put that same hand on the back of Rina's head and roughly press her face sideways into the mattress. You left that hand there, and the other you left pressed against her lower back, supporting the full weight of your arms there to keep her completely still.

Rina muffled screams against the mattress, completely trapped beneath you. You used her pussy like a cheap fleshlight, fucking it so hard and so fast that you sweated even with the air conditioning on. Yeji's feet were still at your disposal right in front of your face, so you took her toes in your mouth to muffle your own moans against them.

"So gooood, so gooood!!" Rina squealed beneath you, tears in her eyes. "I'm so close daddy, make your little whore cum and then use her as a fucking cumdump!!"

Her dirty talk was just what you needed to feel close too. You knew you were going to cum together; it was some kind of crazy connection you and her had that for some reason always came true, so you let go of her head and let your body fall on top of hers, wrapping your arms around her neck, lifting her head and kissing her as you gave her your last few pumps.

Just as you had anticipated, the very moment you exploded, she followed just milliseconds later. Moans were muffled against each other's lips, between small wet kisses and spasms of both bodies. Rina grabbed your head, raising her hips to fuck herself against you as you filled every space in her pussy with jets of thick cum.

Your connection when fucking was so strong that once you both came you didn't even realize you were supposed to stop, you just kept going and going no matter how sensitive you were. It was a kind of addiction that you both had to notice first before you could stop. In this case, you were the one who stopped moving.

"Are you satisfied with the load daddy gave you, baby?" you asked, giving her little kisses near her mouth.

"So fucking satisfied..." Rina nodded, looking at you with a pair of eyes that to be frank, you were starting to develop a soft spot for. "Daddy's load feels so warm inside me."

"Daddy, can you come kiss me?" Yeji asked in front of you. She was lying on her side, her legs drawn up and one hand on her thigh. "I deserve it for waiting so long for you."

"It was only two months, Hwang Yeji." You replied with a mischievous smile, coming out of Rina and giving her a peck on the forehead before going to Yeji.

"Are you kidding? That was an eternity for me." she said, as you laid down behind her and wrapped your arms around her. "You're not leaving for a while, are you?"

"Nah, I don't think so." you replied, giving her pecks all over the side of her face until you found her lips.

"Unnie, don't you want to clean daddy's cum off my pussy?" Rina asked a few seconds later, as you and Yeji kissed.

Yeji immediately pulled away from your lips and looked at Rina.

"That's an offer I can't refuse," Yeji said, before licking her lips and going to get on top of Rina.

Yeji got on her hands and knees and had Rina lift her hips to put her in a similar position, then she put her hands on her buttocks and planted her face right between them to start the cleaning process. You watched it all with your hands clasped behind your head and the comfort of the pillow beneath it.

A few seconds later Yeji knelt up. She had a little cum on her upper lip, but she noticed it quickly and ran her tongue to clean it up as well. Rina finally dropped her hips down and crawled to lay beside you, one arm over your chest. Yeji did the same but on the opposite side. You wrapped your arms around both of them.

"Daddy has more where that came from for us, doesn't he?" Rina asked, giving you little kisses on the chest. "Because we don't feel tired at all."

"I bet he does." Yeji said from the other side, a hand caressing your abdomen and her mouth on your neck. "And I don't think he wants to waste having two it girls in his bed."

"You're being modest today, huh?" you teased, turning your head to kiss her. "Why don't you put that big mouth to work to get daddy hard again?"

"I'm not telling lies, am I?" she asked with a smirk, kneeling up. "Anyone would dream of having a threesome with the two of us."

Yeji bent forward over your cock with her ass facing you, then grabbed your limp shaft and took it into her mouth to suck on it. You raised a hand and groped her ass to turn to face Rina.

"You know what I'm going to ask you, don't you?" you said, rubbing the tip of your nose against her forehead to make her look at you.

"It has to do with how much you love my tits, daddy?" she asked, and moved a thigh up over yours to rub them together to press her tits against the side of your body.

"And not just yours," you replied, and looked at Yeji as you sucked on her now hard cock. "Wanna give it a try, sweetie?"

Yeji pulled you out of her mouth with a pop and looked at you.

"My tits aren't that big," she placed kisses around the tip, her hand going up and down. "But with some lube it'll be fun."

You smiled and gave her a small spank.

"I like the way you think."

Yeji put your cock down and climbed off the bed.

"Where do you keep it?" she asked, searching on top of your dresser.

"In the drawer of the nightstand." you nodded to the right.

Yeji went and opened the drawer to take out the white bottle of lube. She shook it and giggled.

"Oh, water-based, perfect. And wow, it's half empty." She looked at you. "You and Chaery sure were busy that week, huh?"

"I'll refrain from answering."

Yeji and Rina laughed in unison, as Yeji climbed back into bed with you. She rolled onto her back.

"I'm not going to go first, no way." Yeji said, and looked over at Rina. "Unnie, the honor is yours."

"I know, I wasn't going to let you go first either," Rina replied, and laid down next to Yeji as you knelt up. "Go ahead daddy."

"You can lube up our entire bodies if you want." Yeji said, handing you the lube.

"Oh yeah?" You raised an eyebrow, taking the little bottle and opening it. "Well, you don't have to tell me twice."

It was a bit of a late process for how hard and horny you were, but lubing up every inch of that pair of beautiful bodies was worth every second. It also served to refresh your memory a bit as to your massage skills, as the moment reminded you directly of that first therapy with Yeji a few months ago.

Damn, time was flying by.

"Mmm, I think someone will have to change the sheets later," Yeji said with a giggle, seeing how soaked everything was beneath the two of them.

"And you're going to help me," you said, putting the bottle of lube aside. "Don't think you're getting off scot-free because you have pretty privileges."

"As long as you fuck us properly we'll never complain, daddy." Rina said, and she brought her arms together a little to press her pair of oily tits together.

"Fuck, it's so easy for her!" Yeji protested, and imitated Rina. She had to bring her arms together a lot more to press her tits together, but she still looked stupidly hot.

"Now who's being the whiny brat?" Rina teased with a giggle, as you straddled her torso.

"You! You almost cried for his cock!"

You sighed and closed your eyes for a moment, remembering the night with Aeri and Rina and how unbearable they had become. The difference was that Yeji was way worse than Aeri.

"If you two start arguing I'm going to the living room to watch Breaking Bad." you said.

"NO!" they both cried in unison, looking at you with puppy dog ​​eyes.

You smiled.

"Good girls."

Rina's tits were at your disposal right below you, and you had lubed up your cock as well. You just had to lean forward a little more, sit down, and slide your shaft between those soft, pale pillows. You moaned immediately. It was a feeling you were never going to get tired of.

"God, it even seems to disappear between them," Yeji sighed, watching as you pumped your shaft in and out of Rina's tits slowly.

"I have to use my good genes for something, don't I?" Rina asked, biting her lip as you squeezed her tits and rubbed your fingers against her nipples as well.

You didn't remember ever trying to fuck Rina's lubed up tits, but if you hadn't, you cursed yourself for never thinking of it. It was such an overwhelmingly amazing feeling that you even entered a little zen moment where you had to close your eyes to keep from exploding right away.

"Feels good, doesn't it daddy?" Rina asked with a moan. “That’s it, use me as you please.”

You reached the maximum speed your hips would allow in record time, pumping in and out of that slippery meat sandwich. But you were forced to stop so you could give Yeji her well-deserved attention.

“Come on baby, you can do a good job too,” you said, now getting on top of Yeji.

You honestly didn’t understand her complaints. It was true that she had to put in more effort than Rina to be able to do the same, but the result was almost as hot to look at and perfect for the task. Putting your cock between her tits didn’t exactly give you the same feeling, as you were missing being wrapped up from above as well. But for that, Yeji used her hands, using them to press her tits together and at the same time catching your cock from above with her fingers.

“Oh fuck, you feel wonderful too, Hwang.” you gasped, moving your hips somewhat quickly from the start.

"Great," she replied between small moans, "because that's the most my modest tits can offer you, honey."

But you didn't need much more, and the lube made everything just perfect. You pumped over and over between Yeji's perky tits, one hand reaching out to the right to grope Rina's tits and slick body, also reaching her pussy from time to time.

When you went back to fuck Rina's tits you repeated the same, now having your left hand squeeze Yeji's tits and moving up and down her flat belly. Without realizing it you lowered your hand a little too much, and ended up between her legs but not to play with her pussy, but with her butthole.

"Mmm, what are you doing daddy?" Yeji asked with a moan, feeling your fingers rubbing her down there. "Starting to feel withdrawal symptoms because of my ass? It's understandable. Two months without fucking it must be hard."

"Do you want to fuck our asses already, daddy?" Rina asked as well, licking your tip every time you pushed your cock forward.

"How do you know?" you replied between labored gasps.

"Because you have a finger inside mine." Yeji said. And it was true, without realizing it you had brought your finger inside her butthole and were pumping it slowly.

"You'll be the first then." you said, and you let go of Rina's tits to get off of her.

You picked Yeji up and laid her on her side, and she automatically pulled her legs up so you could kneel in front of her. Her body had small dry spots, so you took the lube and poured it back on as many parts as you could, including her butthole, which you ended up fingering with two fingers just to get it ready.

Rina went to lay on her side in front of Yeji, getting between her legs so you could put their breasts as close together as possible. They wrapped their arms around each other, rubbing their tits together as they looked at you expectantly. You didn't make Yeji wait. You just grabbed your cock, pressed it against her butthole and pushed forward to get half of it in one motion.

"Oh fuck yes!" Yeji moaned, arms around Rina's head. "And I definitely missed that big cock inside my ass so much!"

You moaned too, focused on getting your whole length inside her as soon as possible. Having achieved that, you put a hand on her waist and decided to give her a fuck worthy of a reunion. Rina did her bit by putting a hand between their bodies and reaching Yeji's pussy, to rub it with the full extent of her palm.

The lube made everything ten times easier. Within seconds there was almost no friction between your cock and Yeji's ass, making the movements smooth and fluid. You took advantage of this to immediately accelerate, pounding her ass and bouncing her tits against Rina's.

"Did you miss my tight little ass daddy? Mmmgh?" Yeji asked between squeals, as Rina quickly fingered her pussy.

"Yes I did." you replied with a grunt, your left hand behind her knee and the other on her ass cheek.

"Then fuck it like your life depended on it." she said, and moaned loudly as Rina moved her wrist faster and made it slam into her pussy.

And so you did for the next minute, hammering her ass with one hand permanently on her ass and thigh and the other varying between squeezing her tits or grabbing her neck. She came in the process, but let you continue fucking her for a few seconds until you suddenly pulled out.

"Now you, Katarina Blu," you said, looking into her eyes.

Rina automatically rolled onto her back and grabbed her legs behind her knees to spread them wide like a good girl. You quickly knelt in front of her, and without much foreplay took your cock into her ass for the second time in 24 hours.

Her ass was so wonderful it felt like another pussy, and a great advantage of fucking it missionary was watching her glistening tits bounce hypnotically as if they had a life of their own. Yeji, quick-witted, pressed herself against the side of her body and took one of her tits into her mouth, sucking that nipple and pinching the other.

With her you of course had to follow the dirty trend, which she loved. You spit in her face several times, choked her, and even slapped her a couple of times that made her clench her teeth in pleasure. Yeji, for her part, had reached between Rina's legs to rub her clit with such frenzy that you swore she was going to set it on fire.

Rina was soon cumming in a violent storm of spasms and moans. Her first instinct was to turn around and meet Yeji's lips to share a sloppy, passionate kiss, while Yeji ran her fingers up and down between her folds. Rina's ass was tight around your cock, but you didn't feel close to cumming yet.

"I'll use your mouths." you warned, but you didn't even give Rina time to respond before you climbed on top of her and buried your cock straight inside her mouth.

Rina didn't complain, instead she grabbed your balls and squeezed them as you pressed your cock against her throat.

"Oh fuck..." Yeji moaned, watching as Rina took you all the way down her throat between cute gagging reflexes. "Daddy, I also-"

But you didn't give her time to say a single word either, because you quickly pulled out of Rina's mouth to penetrate hers. Yeji's eyes widened, and her face scrunched up as you took your cock all the way in. The lack of preparation made her cough and gag even harder than Rina, but within seconds you gave her a break, as you were now going to fuck Katarina's pretty mouth.

You sensed that you had gotten a little too carried away and that you were fucking both of their mouths with less care than you should have, but as you received no stop signal from them, you just continued pumping your cock completely in and out of their mouths, holding their heads and chins to keep them still and making saliva spill everywhere.

After a frantic minute of alternating between mouth and mouth you finally felt close and knelt in the space between them.

"On your hands and knees in front of my cock, now." you ordered, quickly masturbating yourself.

Rina and Yeji quickly complied with the order despite how dizzy the facefucks had left them. The two of them got on their hands and knees, their cute lubricated asses raised. Their faces were now in front of your cock as you rubbed them, and they decided to help by kissing and licking around your tip.

"Paint our pretty little faces, daddy." Yeji moaned, squeezing your balls with one hand.

"We need it." Rina moaned too, giving your tip little sucks.

Within seconds you exploded without even warning. The first drop fell on the sheets, but they quickly closed the gap by pressing their faces together, so that the rest of the jets painted that pair of gorgeous faces with parted lips.

"How warm... fuck." Yeji moaned, drops of cum running down every corner of her face.

"And delicious," Rina added, in exactly the same situation as Yeji.

When your orgasm passed they both took turns eating your cum off each other's faces and also cleaning your cock with slow sucks and licks up and down. So you let yourself fall back to lie down and stare at the ceiling. But soon your view of it was obstructed by Pinky and the Brain.

"Daddy? Tired yet?" they both asked at the same time.

You forced them to let you rest for about ten minutes where you only kissed each other, but you continued fucking for at least two more hours. You fucked both of them doggy style; you fucked Yeji from behind against the wall; you let Rina ride you in reverse while you ate Yeji's pussy; Yeji also rode you but facing you, with Rina fingering her ass from behind. You beat all the records for duration and orgasms that you could beat.

By the end, every bone in your body felt like it had been ground by an industrial steamroller. Yeji and Rina were exhausted too, after you had made them cum at least five more times each. Both of their legs were shaking, and they were shaking badly, so they couldn't help you while you changed the soaked sheets.

Around 1AM you laid down snuggled up under the sheets. You played the big spoon for Rina, cradling her in your arms with her back pressed to your chest, and the little spoon for Yeji, who had her breasts pressed against your back and a shaky leg up against your body.

It would have been one of the best sleeps of your life, if it weren't for the fact that as soon as everything was over and your room was completely silent, your thoughts played tricks on you again and prevented you from falling asleep as quickly as you wanted.

It was a caress on your face from Rina and an affectionate kiss on your back from Yeji that made you calm down until you could finally fall asleep.

BACK TO THAT MORNING.

"Oh my god!" Rina protested, with a little punch on your chest. "Why do you keep hiding things from us!"

"Yeah!" Yeji joined in, tugging on a lock of your hair. "Stop that or I'll kick your fucking ass!"

You smiled even though the tug hurt. But only a little.

"I still hadn't decided what I was going to do yesterday," you said. "But spending the night with you two brightened the way for me. It made me realize that the answer has always been simple."

The two of them stayed silent and looked at you with narrowed eyes and frowns.

"What the fuck does that mean?" Yeji said, confused.

You then told them everything that happened regarding Gunwook and the two possible contracts that had been presented to you. Then you opened your heart a little and told them about how you felt about them and the nice times you had spent together.

"And well... I can't just leave all that behind; it's too precious to me, you literally changed my life for the better." you continued. "So yeah... I'll take the job."

"Wahhh!!" the two of them squealed in happiness, and shook you between kisses.

"Yeah, yeah," you laughed, receiving kisses on both sides of your face. "Besides..." you looked at Rina. "According to Gunwook, Jihye's last request was for me to take good care of all of you. And you know I can't refuse that."

"And you know we're not leaving you alone in this, sweetheart." Rina said, stroking your hair and looking at you with a cute smirk.

"Never." Yeji added, also smiling, and gave you a peck on the cheek.

You hugged each other for another long moment, while you stared at the ceiling with a silly smile on your face. After a minute, however, Rina lifted her head from your chest.

"Wait, does that mean we can stay like this all day?" she asked, unable to hide her excitement.

"Nope," you shook your head softly. "Today marks the start of a new phase in my life, sweetie. A new career!"

"Then that means there's more to celebrate than just your return!" Yeji said, then looked at Rina. "You know what I have in mind, right?"

Rina tilted her head and looked at her with a weak grimace.

"No, unnie, not really." she shook her head. "My head doesn't work in the mornings, much less after fucking all night."

Yeji looked at you and smiled from ear to ear, already excited about what she hadn't even said yet.

"Come to our house next week for a pool party!" she said. "You and the Aespa girls. All five of you are fully invited, and I insist."

"I'm in!" Rina said immediately, a bright smile on her face as well before looking at you. "Come on, say you're in too!"

"You say that like you're going to accept another answer." you chuckled.

"Indeed, we weren't going to accept another answer." Yeji said.

Rina sat up, her bare back facing you.

"Wait a minute," she said. "Will this pool party be anything like Twice's legendary pool parties?"

Twice legendary pool parties? Now that was something you didn’t expect to hear. Literally never.

Yeji laughed and sat up too, and you swore to god you wanted to take a picture of that pair of gorgeous backs covered in gorgeous long hair and frame it.

"I mean, we've never thrown a party on our own," she said. "But Nayeon and Mina unnie have told me a few things. And since you know I'm a competitive bitch... I want to do something even better!"

—-------------------------------

Well, I'm so sorry about all that lol. It was also really fucking hard for me to write, but I promise you that everything has its reason and it will be for the best lol Also, I'm so fucking happy to bring Itzy back. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do. MASTERLIST HERE!

[nicoliine]

About the times when Alastor touched you and when he expected you to do it back.

☆彡 How in the world does the radio demon, who doesn't really like physical contact, end up looking for any excuse to have his hands on you?

 ☆ Reader is g/n; no pronouns or y/n are used.

☆ Warnings: not really. Does a mental breakdown count as a warning? Alastor is a warning itself yk.

☆ English isn't my first language, so if there's any mistake I sorry-

 

You noticed that Alastor didn't like people's proximity when you first arrived at the hotel and he didn't even try to shake your hand. There, with your hand on the air, you stand waiting for his shake as you observe his ramblings about a whole different subject—not that you mind about all the weird souls that can be met in hell—watching him around the other hotel staff, you confirm it.

 

After a couple of days in the hotel and witnessing his power display, you made a mental note to not mess with him. That being said, you didn't really want to touch him.

You were a very touchy person, content to hug Pentious when you first saw him around in the morning or cuddle on the couch with Angel before he started to make a lewd comment about his job and you just ended up leaving him alone. Nifty seemed to enjoy being all over you, sitting on your shoulders while you were reading or just playing with your hair.

 

Another one who was happy about your touchy personality was Charlie, but she is just happy about everything.

 ☆◦•◦☆

It started a month from your arrival.

Alastor, being a self-proclaimed gentleman, didn't seem to be aware of your not touching Alastor rule, he started holding the door open for you then creating a shadow to lift up that heavy box that you needed to move, and you ended up—it was hard for you—just trying to move up your body away so you didn't end up too close to him, but he seemed to love your personal space so much.

 

One time, you were in the hallway, not really aware of your surroundings, until you felt an arm around your shoulders. When you heard his static voice, you froze on your steps, slowly turning your head to see him there, standing with that so-known smile of his. When he started to walk, still holding you, talking about that great idea for the hotel, you just couldn't pay so much attention. Your mind is running on thoughts about his proximity.

This wasn't the only time he ended up having you close to him; being honest, it seems to have a personal liking to your presence. You doubt he was like that before your arrival (as you already spoke with Charlie about it), but he could be found anywhere you were. If you ended up helping fix the balcony fence, he was there behind you—you're glad he's at least silent—or when you are in the bar just scrolling through your phone and he is watching you from the other side of the room, not wanting to be near your technology artifacts, is he just trying to drive you mad? Even though that look of his seems to be asking for something you don't know, you won't ask what it is. Just wait to see how it goes.

 

His touch soon became more frequent. You often end up with your own theory that it's something involuntary, like something he doesn't even notice by the way it feels, like deep in the end he just wants to be touched but don't know how to ask for it. But with that demon, nothing is sure; everything he does used to be planned. That's why you found yourself confused and don't want to test your luck.

 

When you are in the lobby in the middle of one of Charlie's activities and his arm ends up holding you by his side.

Or when he just kisses the back of your hand every time you first see him in the morning and every time he leaves, no exceptions, that confusing look of his is always there.

Just about that, your hands—he often takes your hands. While you are in the kitchen and waiting for the pasta on the stove, one of your hands is resting on the counter as you hold a recipe book, reading the next steps. He's by your side the whole time; one of his hands takes your free hand, making you pause your reading and look at him in surprise for the sudden action. He says nothing, and both of you are standing there in silence until you have to go back to cook. However, he doesn't seem to want to let you go yet because he will follow you as you move around the kitchen.

 

From them, it seems that everyone is aware of this weird Alastor thing.

Nobody talks about it though—you are surprised as they have stayed out of the subject, just making silent bets about the cause of this behavior of his—but you know it wouldn't take long for someone to talk about it.

 

 ☆◦•◦☆

The last time he put his hands on you, you were scared. So much has passed since the last time you felt this way. Anxious and terrified, everything around you was spinning; you had to run away from the hotel activities all day.

When Alastor found you in your room, you were a mess, all your stuff scattered around the room. You saw him from your seat in a corner on the other side of the room; the only candle in the nightstand seemed to be dead soon. He just stood there in front of you; you didn't even try to look up at him, just his shoes. You can tell so much about someone else by his shoes; his shoes seemed almost perfectly clean even after destroying his enemies. He's such a collected person that it scares you.

 

"Why, dear, would you look at me?" Alastor surely doesn't enjoy being ignored; you know that. You just couldn't find the strength to move when he spoke to you. It passed almost 5 minutes before you turned your head up, and he was so patient with you the whole time. "What is that troubling your mind, dear?"

 

You didn't respond right away; you're not sure how much time passed until you did it.

 

"It's just... everything." Your hands run around your face as you try not to have an attack right away in front of him. "I'm so scared, Alastor."

 

He just smiled; nothing was said; he didn't even try to touch your shoulder or hold you; he just smiled with that now so common smile of his, —you could swear it was the biggest smile you had seen on his face —one of his arms extended to you.

You have no idea why you did what you did; maybe he asked you directly, or you imagined it all, or his eyes showed what he wanted, or the candle in your room was one of Angel's drugs, or you just simply had a death wish. You don't know.

But you hugged him—just a hug—so hard that you could break his bones. When you took conscience about what you were doing, you tried to back down, not knowing how he could react to your contact.

But he didn't let you; his arm took you by the waist, and his staff was forgotten on the ground when he held your head against his shoulder.

 

You now understand why he always touched you. While you hands grabbed fists of his coat, he held you so tight, like it wasn't enough, and you just needed to be closer to him forever; he didn't want anything else.

So he did, he didn't let you go for a single moment that night; even when you were in bed, he held your hand the whole time. He just let you go the next morning when Vaggie insisted he needed to go do his job, even so he wouldn't forget to kiss your hand before he left. The ghost of his touch accompanied you all the time; it was like your body grew so used to his presence and his touch that you could feel it as a part of you.

Touch Starved! Alastor folks!!! Alastor is such an interesting character to write! I want ro respect him so bad.

Likes and reblogs are appreciated 💞

[long-live-astronerd-ghost-king]

DPXDC: I wanna be like most girls ghosts.

or Danny: What should I do to make my mom happy?

or ~Danny deserves a little teenage rebellion as a treat~

Maddie: I just want this damned Phantom to stop pretending to be a hero! All ghosts are pure evil, who is he trying to deceive? Danny: Oh, really? And Danny took it personally.

It’s not Danny’s fault that he’s a good kid and wants to make his parents happy. But why would he have to be a monster to make them happy? Why must they hate him to be happy?

Danny’s obsession was going crazy.

Well, when your own parents call you a monster in the face, it hurts. Why do they always believe that only their opinion is the absolute truth? They have no idea how much worse things would be if at least some of the ghosts really behaved the way Maddie and Jack think they’re supposed to. If he really is evil by nature, is there any point in fighting his own fate? They want to see him as a villain, he will become one. He will. He just needs a little help and practice. And not bring it to the level when Clockwork has to clean up his mess. Poor guy is without a vacation for how long? Couple of millennia?

Johnny 13: Sup. Danny: F*ck off, Johnny, I’m not in the mood. Busy thinking about world domination. Get out of here or I’ll call Kitty. Johnny 13: What’s wrong? You’re usually so grouchy only towards the end of the week. Danny: Nothing. Just parents. Again. They are wonderful but I can’t help but feel sometimes that they, em… Johnny 13: Suck? Danny: Right…Damn. I’m a terrible son. Maybe something is wrong with me. Johnny 13: What? No, no, dude. You’re just growing up. And you’re a little late, usually teenagers go through that stage before they graduate. Well, you’ve probably been busy with other issues, so just missed it. Danny: I wonder whose fault it is. Aren’t there ghosts who enjoyed to ruin my life in the middle of school day?

Johnny 13: Oh, bother. Anyway, you’re entering a beautiful time of emancipation, where you’re going to shape your own view of life and, along the way, to get drunk on cheap alcohol at parties, maybe to go to jail and to become the greatest disappointment to your family..And then you will be ashamed to remember it for about the next ten years. Danny: Well, it looks like I’ve already done two out of three additional things. Great success. Johnny 13: When did you get drunk? Danny: I didn’t. Johnny 13: Oh. Want to fix that? Danny: What? No. What an idiot wants to add a headache to his problems? Johnny 13: Well, your loss, then I’ll go terrorize the bars of Gotham alone and no one can stop me. Let’s see what your boyfriend will say about it. ~~~~~ Danny: Bartender, another shot of Dead Man’s Fingers, please. Red Hood: Babe, haven’t you had enough? Danny: Have you ever felt that no matter how hard you try, no matter how many sacrifices you make, in their eyes you’ll always be nothing more than a monster? Nothing more than a mistake? Oh, Death doesn’t give people like me a break. Red Hood: …I’ll have what he’s having. *gives the bartender a sign to switch the rum shots to a batburger milkshake for them, and starts talking to Danny so that he doesn’t understand Hood's scams*

~~~~~

Johnny 13: Other people’s kids are growing up so fast. It seems like yesterday he didn’t know how to shoot ectoblast, and now.. Kitty: Stop trying to make me feel bad, we’re leaving. Johnny 13: But the boy needs our support, honey boo!

~~~~~

Danny: I'm fine. Really, I am. This isn’t the first time mom’s called me a monster. She often called me that when she was upset with my behavior in my childhood. Huh, it's even funny. Jason: There’s nothing funny about that. Danny: No, you don’t understand. Looking back, I was really a very active child and didn’t know when to stop. Not surprisingly that I often annoyed my parents. They’re very busy people, and Jazz couldn’t always keep an eye on me. And I was often afraid to go to sleep alone because there were shadows in the darkness of my room. Well, I used to think they were. But I pretended everything was okay to not distract parents from work. Jason: Hey, it’s not your fault. You were a child. Obviously, kiddo requires a lot of attention, they must have understood that. You are the second child in the family, right? Danny: Well, Jazz was different. I don’t know. Anyway, I thought if the monsters behind the curtain and under the bed were just like me, well, according to my mom, you know, then they wouldn’t want to hurt me. And since they look after me, they are friends. So I kinda greeted all the suspicious noises and howls. Huh, I was a strange kid. Jason: If you smile at someone in the dark alley right now that someone is more likely to wet themselves or faint. Danny: Rude! I’m not that scary. Admit that I’m adorable. Do it right now. Jason: Stunning, darling. But still carry a gun and a knife, please. My childhood taught me that what's hiding in the dark is worth beating up. Danny: Come on, what should I be afraid of? Death? Anyway, I want to try this shit. Like, the inevitable one. Being a bad boy, you know? Hood *raises eyebrows*. Danny: Oh damn it man, I'm talking about ghostliness. I want to try to be like most of dead ones. I want to unleash my side of the trickster and the villain. But only a little bit. I have to be supervised so that things don't go too far. Would you help me, honey?

~~~~~2 hours later~~~~

~~~~~

Goons used to expect a lot of weirdness from working with the boss.

Sometimes Bruce Wayne would go into their base and yell at the Red Hood like he's one of his kids. Of course Wayne's well-known as 'Gotta adopt them all' but the guy must really suffer from insomnia to count the Red Hood into his brood of chicks several times. Sometimes the boss would fight Robin or Nightwing over differences in morals…or for biscuits. It varied from moment to moment. Sometimes the boss caught the local street children, fed them and taught them to steal correctly. And most of the foundlings stayed with them under their protection.

To make a long story short, Red Hood is not the typical crime lord that some of them had to deal with before. Which is a blessing. Thanks Lord for the health insurance. But still the crime lord. Which means he's still scary, and sometimes deadly.

Anyway, when the boss brought in a guy who looked more civilian than any civilian in the whole Gotham and said he was going to be their intern, they thought it was a joke at first. Despite the fact that Hood was not in the habit of joking while working.

The teenager was too well-mannered and sweet to come from Crime Alley. Phil thought the guy was gonna run when he saw the first murder, Jessica didn’t think the domestic boy wouldn’t chicken out at the sight of a fight. But arguing with a boss’s orders in their profession is like asking for a bullet in the head, so these conversations were taking place outside of their boss's sight. God, how can they teach him anything? What do you take from a boy who’s only good to do the coffee run? Fenton will fall if they’ll give him something heavier than 10 pounds. And then boss will yell at them because he treats the new guy like a princess on a pea. Well, at least that’s what they thought until the boss decided to give the new guy his own assignments:

~~~~~

Red Hood: So, what have you learned during your internship, my young Padawan? Danny: Well, it looks like I’m gonna suck at being a criminal mastermind. I think I may have to find myself some other profession. Red Hood: Come on, you just need a little more practice. Danny: Thank you but I don’t think that’s fit my obsession that good. Don't misunderstand me, I wanna be like most ghosts. But I was wrong to go to hit that goal only base on human stereotypes about my nature. Red Hood: What a pity. The newbies just learned not to flinch when you walk in. But, to be honest, I'm not gonna miss the adrenaline-boosting roller coaster of you at work. Danny: Oh, and I guess to hold on to the concept of humanity was really stupid too. I clearly no longer fit in and I’m finally ready to accept that. So, hopefully, if you get into trouble, you can rely on my ghostliness and call for help. I am the spirit of many talents and of my word. I can haunt your enemies or walk through the walls of Arkham Asylum. Whatever you need, I’ll be here. Red Hood: I’ll bear that in mind.

[lbcreations-blog]

Yandere Alastor with daughter reader

A Stag and his Fawn

‐-----‐----‐-----------------------------------

(Not proof read cause I'm tired but I need to post)

Masterlist

---------

Alastor was your adoptive father. He adopted you when you were both still alive. You were only a baby at the time, being left in a dumpster.

When Alastor was dumping bodys in the dumpster he found you, he was originally going to put you in a foster home, but when he saw you open your eyes and look at him seeming at peice, he knew it was a bad idea to put you in any foster home.

Of course, he could not just take you in. He had to get you some medical treatment. So he took you to the nearest hospital to get a check-up and other things. Then he had to do even more other things like birth certificate and adoption stuff. (You know, the essentials)

Anyways, once you were old enough, he taught you his ways of voodoo and murder. (You were already learning from about 4, lmao), and you became a perfect daughter to him (even though you were already perfect to him).

If you were to get bullied in school, those kids would regret it. He would also teach those kids' parents a lesson as well.

If you end up dying before him from it being someone's fault, he would torture that person/persons and eat that person's corpse.

Once he enters hell, he would search for you while aswell becoming a terrifying overlord. And once he finds you, he would pretend you are not his daughter in public so you would not get targeted. He knows you can look after yourself so he would let you in public by yourself, but a shadow will follow you.

But if you are an overlord, he wouldn't admit being your father, but he will treat you like his daughter in public, and he will let others' theories flow. (Overlord or not, a shadow will follow you, btw)

Now, if he dies first, he will patiently wait for you. You, of course, kill the one who mistakes your father for a deer. You then live life how he wanted you to, until you finally arrive in hell.

Once you arrive in hell, he ether will take a while to find you or find you quickly. If you quickly become an overlord just like him, he would be proud, like you have no idea.

(The ways he is with you in hell is the same as I explained in the first death choice.)

Of course, introducing you to people as Alastors' daughter, you will get interesting reactions.

The overlords would be shocked, to say the least, Carmila might like Alastor slightly more cause she has her own daughters.

Now the hotel's reactions ig

Of course, the entire hotel is shocked except for niffty and husk cause yall already probably met (I would tell you that, but that's a different kind of worm)

Anyway, sir pentious would be most likely terrified of you or just won't admit it.

Angel- well, Angel-... he's probably going to start off with sex jokes, and how unfair it is that some random bitch got to fuck Alastor. Your father was not happy.

Vaggie is very suspicious of you once you met. She knew how your father was, so you were not trustworthy. (Which was fair, you showed that same creepy smile your father did)

Charlie loved meeting you. She was and is so happy that Alastor has a daughter and she is and was happy to meet you. She was hoping to help you get redeemed, but you just told her you would rather be in hell with your father.

--------_______--------

I was going to make Alastor more yandere but because of 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑠, he's like that, ok? OK

I did get lazy at the end, so... Yyyeeeaaaa

Hope you enjoyed it

- 𝐋.𝐁 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

[curseofdelos]

mentally I'm still here:

Nico insisting that neither of them are going to be sacrificed/left behind to satisfy the prophecy is a perfect encapsulation of his growth over the series and it makes me SO soft to think about

Nico as a character - particularly in BoO - doesn't have a lot of self-preservation. He doesn't really care what happens to him as long as the mission gets done. We see this most explicitly after he almost fades into nothingness after the Bryce Lawrence incident:

And again when he considers shadow travelling into Octavian's tent to assassinate him:

(Nico himself notes here that it was unlikely he would survive another jump. If Will hadn't stopped him, he probably would have died.)

In both cases, Nico was willing to risk death for the sake of ending the war. He puts very little value on his own life, and repeatedly argues to Reyna, Hedge, and Will that the possibility of saving camp (a place he never felt welcome at, might I add) is worth the risk of losing his life.

Even before Nico went on the quest with Reyna and Hedge, the others were concerned about his safety. Percy tried to remind him how unpredictable his shadow travelling could be, and Hazel notes that he has been acting strangely lately:

It's not quite clear what Hazel is worried about here, but my interpretation of this scene is that she's concerned that Nico isn't thinking - or perhaps, isn't caring - about what effect the constant shadow travelling will have on his wellbeing. Between Tartarus, the jar, and the Cupid incident, Nico's mental state is at its worst at this point in the series, and I think Hazel is worried he'll do something reckless - something he can't come back from.

And so in TSATS, when Nico is told that he's going to have to leave something of equal value behind in order to save Bob, the old him would have had zero issue sacrificing himself if that's what it took to ensure Will and Bob's survival. This version of Nico, who's been going to therapy w/ Mr D and opening up more and built a little support system for himself, can't fathom it.

Nico in BoO did not have a future. He had fully convinced himself that nobody cared about him or would miss him if he was gone - not Percy who fought for him at every turn in PJO, not his sister Hazel, not his new friends Jason and Reyna. He was ready to leave both camps behind because he couldn't see himself ever being happy there. He couldn't see himself being happy at all.

But now, in TSATS, he has a boyfriend that he loves, he has friends that he loves, and he has a community in Camp Half-Blood. He has experienced so much loss that losing someone else is his worst fear. The old Nico would have considered sacrificing himself to protect Will and Bob. At the very least, he would have kept that option in his back pocket as a 'just in case'; he wouldn't have sworn on the Styx that he wouldn't stay behind.

This Nico, however, is doing much better - not perfect, but better. He loves Will, and he wants a life with him, and he's not willing to give that up for anything. Nico has hope for the future, and he's clinging to that hope with everything he has. He sees a light at the end of the tunnel, and he wants to reach it. He's not willing to sacrifice himself because it means losing that future.

Gone is the cynical pessimistic Nico who assumes the worst because the worst is all he thinks he can have. Here is the Nico who has had a taste of happiness and is willing to fight to keep it. He's not going to sacrifice himself because he wants to live. He's not just fighting for Will here; he's fighting for himself too.

And seeing him go from "if it kills me, it kills me" to "it's not going to be me" makes me so ASDFGHJKL

[deadhands69]

Sex Quirk [Tomura Shigaraki] pt 1

MDNI

Shigaraki x gn/afab reader

This ended up about 4x longer than expected so it's broken into two parts. Here's the first part, more of a precursor to the actual smut. Here's the second part.

Warnings/content/etc: minor violence (Shiggy dusts someone), unestablished relationship, discussions of sex and implied future sexual situations, swearing.

It’s too beautiful of an early summer evening to stay in so you, Shigaraki, Dabi, and Spinner decide to go for a walk. Even villains need to get out of the house for supplies every once in a while. Hoodies pulled over your heads, you can stay fairly incognito when you need to. Plus, when it’s busy enough out on a night like tonight, no one really pays attention to any one particular person. 

About 5 minutes into your walk, the sidewalk widens and a small crowd surrounds a cafe. The busy area. Head down, you walk ahead of the group and move to pass around everyone. Unnoticed. Happy to be in the world.

Then you hear it.

A woman screams from the window one story up and you hear glass shatter as a figure emanating black dust falls onto the sidewalk ahead of you. Looking up at you, he smiles, sending a cold chill down your spine. 

Glaring at him, you exclaim “hey-”

BOOM.

He burst into an inky cloud once more, leaving you and everyone else in darkness. 

Screaming. Running. Shoving.

Not a big deal. You’re used to being caught up in the chaos, it was part of your job. The thick air was difficult to breathe in though.

And just like that, the dust dissipated leaving nothing to show for the commotion. 

And you felt - weird? Is that the word for it?

You adjust your shorts and feel a deep ache. The rub of your underwear sends warmth radiating through your body, leaving you throbbing and empty. Fuck. 

Thinking back to the news running in the background at the LOV headquarters that morning, you remember what you heard about some sexist d-list villain’s quirk: overwhelming arousal to the point of insanity. Also something else about it only affecting adult female bodies - which unfortunately includes you and quite a few other people on the street. Maybe you should have paid more attention but it didn’t seem important at the time. Could you do anything about this? There’s no time to think about it right now, revenge first. 

You’d remember his perverted face but he was nowhere to be seen. Must have run. Looking around, you see Spinner talking to a girl - she looks nice. Dabi, always the opportunist, is already leaving with two girls on his arms. Tomura, standing by you looking just as confused as everyone else.

Accessing your surroundings further, you see where he went.

If you were trying to escape, you’d run down the alley behind the dumpsters. It was dimly lit. A much better hiding place than the busy sidewalk with all the streetlights. Heroes would show up any minute now.

Quickly, you sprint across the street, using one arm to launch yourself over the trash. A shadow of a human is visible ahead of you, you were correct. He begins to run when he sees you but you already have the momentum. Out of options, he disappears into a small stairwell.  

Cornered, you stand in front of him and - 

Wait. No. You try again. And again. Your quirk isn’t working. What the fuck.

His creepy face breaks into a laugh “Oh, that’s part of it. Before chasing someone down a dark alleyway, shouldn’t you at least know all of what their quirk does?” 

Everything goes black and you’re once again left coughing. He activated his quirk again??

You feel someone push you out of the way. As the black cloud disappears into grey dust, Tomura Shigaraki looks over his shoulder at you. You know exactly what happened.

A wave of dizziness hits you when you stand and you feel a rush of heat through your body once more.

You see him do this all the time. Is this somehow hotter than usual? Or is it just the effects of the quirk? Both? 

“You got hit twice?” he asks, slightly scolding. 

“My - my quirk won’t work.” 

A voice down the alleyway echoes between the buildings. Time’s up. The two of you leave quickly, opting to walk through the park to avoid streets that were certain to be full of heroes now.

“May cause dizziness, loss of mental clarity, and extreme arousal” Shigaraki read from his phone.

“Oh my god, you sound like a bad prescription commercial” you laugh, still unsure how to feel.

It felt better having him here though. You were used to walking home together. The league would usually split off in their own directions and more often than not, you’d somehow end up with Shigaraki. It feels nice. Familiar. He was usually much more quiet though.  

“It looks like his quirk is unregistered, so there’s not a lot here. Maybe some news articles will have more.” Shigaraki mumbles into his hair before continuing his research. “According to this, it gets neutralized by...” he trails off, his face reddening. 

“What fixes it?” you ask, already having an idea of what the answer is.

“Sex.” he says, wide eyes quickly glancing from under his hair at your reaction. “Can’t I just do it myself?”

“Doesn’t seem like it. This other article has more on that. Oh, definitely not. There’s a whole psych ward of people who tried. It’s pretty fucked up, want to see?” “No, I’ll see that soon enough.” you mumble to yourself.

You sigh and pick up the pace. Unsure why you’re walking so fast or where you’re going, it’s not like you’re about to spend your last sane moments begging some random to fuck you. You wouldn’t let yourself be that desperate. Even if you did, you’re a villain and you know your personality can come across cold to strangers - it probably wouldn’t work even if you did try. 

You continue what feels like a death march to nowhere.

Without warning, the world shifts and the dizziness worsens, forcing you to lean into a cherry blossom tree before sliding your weight to the ground. Staring up at the puffy pink branches above, it seems nice. If this is the end, so be it. You could do without the overwhelming horniness but it could be worse. You watch as each cluster of flowers splits in two and spins like a kaleidoscope.

Two fingers tapping your shoulder pull you back to reality. Bringing your eyes back down, you see a sky blue outline with vivid red eyes seated in front of you. Blinking, Shigaraki comes into focus.

“I could help you, you know, if you want it.” He looks mildly annoyed, focusing hard on the ground.

You couldn’t believe your ears. 

In a daze, you try to process what you’ve heard. “Like…sex?”

“Yeah.” he rolls his eyes, toying with a blade of grass.

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t find him attractive. Every once in a while, you’d be out doing league things when you caught him at the right angle and couldn’t help but stare. Or when he brushed past you in the hallway, moving close enough for your heart to feel like it would jump out of your throat. Sometimes, you even thought you saw him staring back but pushed those thoughts aside. He was always busy and seemed to care more about world destruction and video games than real human interaction. Maybe he was just being nice. He does a lot for the league, you’re sure he’d miss your help but is that enough to-

“Hey!” he waves you out of your thoughts. “It’s getting late, y/n. Do you want my help or not?” He sounds irritated but looks flustered. Eyes still to the ground, you watch the grass he’d been playing with decay between his fingers. Before you can answer, he added “I can try to make it fast for you but I also get if you don’t want me to touch you.”

“Oh.” He must have taken your slow reaction for rejection. “It’s not like that, I’m just - trying to figure this out. Yeah. I’d love your help.” you say before realizing how much you really mean it. 

“Okay, yeah. Well, you better get off the ground then and we can go home.” he says trying to hide nervousness under a gruff front. 

You press yourself slowly up the tree and make a single step before stumbling. “Dizzy. And like really out of it. Fuck.” you mumble to yourself. You want to curl up on the ground but his arm steadies you and you lean most of your weight into him. He starts walking again, basically carrying you. 

It had been a long time since anyone had actually touched you, plus getting hit by a sex quirk two times made you really notice his touch. His toned arms through his sweatshirt, holding you as you made your way back. You looked up into the corner of his neck. His jaw. His chapped but full lips. You fought the urge to kiss him.

Is this actually happening?

pt 2 here

m.list

[faeriekit]

Health and Hybrids (XXV)👽👻💚

[I can't remember the original prompt posters  for the life of me but here's a mashup between a cryptid!Danny, presumed-alien!Danny, dp x dc, and the prompt made the one body horror meat grinder fic.]

🖤Chapter navigation can be found here🖤 Click to browse previous updates.

💚 Ao3 Is here for all parts 💚 (now featuring mediocre mouseover translations, only available on a computer)

Where we last left off... Tim pulls a fast one on Batman for their mutual benefit. Everybody giggles. Danny goggles.

Trigger warnings for this story:  body horror | gore | post-dissection fic | dehumanization (probably) |  my nonexistent attempts at following DC canon. On with the show.

💚👻👽👻💚

(Additional TW: I think this counts as a panic attack ngl)

On the one hand. The room Danny’s in has a killer view of the earth from the moon.

The wall is basically just one big window. Danny is also apparently permitted to mash his face into the glass and ogle the Earth from Space for as long as he wants until the stinky dad, whoever he is, finally emerges from the depths of the building.

Diana’s the only one beside him today. She looks nice—nicer than usual, in her armor and bright clothing rather than soft scrubs and hair net. She can push his chair without getting tired—she could probably fly and carry him too, if she had to, so. Danny’s maybe counting on her liking him if this stinky dad tries to be mean.

So. Diana (nice lady) and Danny (half-dead ghost boy) are quietly seated in a dim, peaceful board room, absorbing the early morning (?) space radiation when the door hisses open across the room.

In the doorway is a long, dark, shadow of a man.

…And the green guy!!

Okay, if the stinky dad man brought a friend to this meeting the same way Diana’s meant to supervise him, Danny feels like he’s been lawyered up for the sake of some kind of court trial. This is not fair. Danny wasn’t able to review his case with his legal representation before this.

Well. Danny fumes. Whatever. His lawyer is Diana, the most powerful living being he’s seen ever in his life, and she can totally kick the green guy’s ass. Hell, Danny could probably kick the green guy’s ass.

...You know. If he wasn’t. Sick.

The stinky dad guy looks a lot like the blob his kid drew him as. That’s kind of neat—his suit is all black with little to no variation, which sort of just washes out the colors Danny might have been able to see if his eyes were still good. He’s very quiet, which is nice, and he’s very not-trying-to-read-Danny’s-mind, which is even better.

The two sit. Danny’s already in a wheelchair, so he just lets Diana wheel him to the table. The lady sits beside him in the spinny office chair.

Hello, the green guy opens with, already toying with the edges of Danny’s aura.

Danny sends back an abundance of ass-kicking emotions.

…Alright then, the green man capitulates, the barest hint of bemusement quickly stifled.

Good. Danny is mean. He’s awake enough to be mad about other people touching his aura from any end of his personal bubble.

But then the green guy…says stuff to the dad guy? And it’s very? Quiet?

Explanations, the green guy says. The image of a sign language translator at a baseball game floats over to him, and—

…Oh. He’s translating. For Danny.

That’s…nice? Nicer than Danny expected, honestly? Most of the time, people are perfectly happy to misinterpret him. It was kind of the way of the world at this point. Getting blamed for stuff, getting accused of stuff…

Man. If they turn out to be indoctrinating him for secret war purposes, at least they’re going all in. Danny might actually. You know. Like it here. A little.

He squirms in his chair, and tries not to look at anyone in particular. Diana—the lady who’s been nice to him—makes as if to straighten his hair for him, and remembers at the last second that he doesn’t like to be touched.

And sure. Danny doesn’t want to be touched. By bad guys.

…But Diana’s been really nice to him, so. Maybe. He scratches at the back of his neck, and ducks his head down—and remembers to use his words. “Yes,” he consents verbally. He can’t make eye contact. But he can…let her. Brush his hair back. A little.

Diana asks something long and complicated—and the green guy presses an image of Wonder Woman asking permission, being kind, being gentle­—up against the edges of Danny’s awareness.

Danny nods at the floor instead of at the lady. It’s fine. She’s fine. It’s fine.

And her fingers carefully brush through the front end of his fringe, and Danny. Danny is so normal about it. He doesn’t even cry or anything. Not even in front of his friend’s stinky dad.

And she doesn’t do it like Mom did it. And she doesn’t ruffle his hair like Dad did.

But it’s. Nice. And she doesn’t pull.

…And she doesn’t hit.

Danny eventually leans back into his wheelchair. It’s a little bit embarrassing to be halfway in and halfway out, but. Whatever. The scary-looking-dad with the earsies on his helmet has his own teenager. He should understand what it feels like to get emotionally weird with your teen in a public place. If he doesn’t, well...he wouldn’t be a great dad, then, and his opinion would suck anyway.

Based on what Danny knows about the masked kid, Danny isn’t sure the guy would tolerate a bad dad. The teen seems kinda unhinged.

The man says something, and the green guy presses a number of translated feelings against Danny’s awareness: Greetings. Questions about Danny’s wellbeing. Curiosity, but not demanding.

“…Hello,” Danny says back, and. Waves.

The man waves back. He’s got little claws on his gloves.

…Like a cat? Is it to go with his ears? Danny wonders about the possibilities of the guy being cat themed. It’s possible, presumably.

So…they want to know how Danny’s doing? Danny shrugs, and he glances at Diana, since, you know, she could probably fill them in? She does speak their language. And she’s been here the whole time.

The lady leans in close to him, black hair falling out from behind her ear. “What do you want to say?” she whispers into her ear, hand covering her mouth from their watchers.

Uh. It’s up to…Danny?? Somehow??

Danny winces. “…Good?” he tries, unsure if the word he uses means okay or fine or well. “…Not…hungry?”

“Very good,” Diana agrees, a little louder. She looks proud. Being not hungry must mean a lot to her, then. It means a lot to Danny too—he can remember the sensation of his stomach rubbing against itself, friction pulling raw at his insides as acid ate at him.

It was. Bad.

It was bad.

Danny’s glad he’s not there anymore. Anyway, there’s a guy in the room who reads minds, and Danny doesn’t really want to share that memory with anyone ever; especially someone who could turn it back on him.

The stinky dad says something else, but he uses words too thick and long for Danny to understand. The green guy translates, pure conceptual recall brushing against Danny’s outer aura—Needs? Wants?

…Danny frowns.

Danny looks at Diana, who looks back at him. Wants, needs…? What?

“Do you need aniþing?” Diana whispers to him, which. You know. Mostly makes sense.

Does Danny…need anything? He has medical care, he has food, he has water, he has toys and brain teasers, even…he has people to hang out with, he has people who stretch his legs with him so that he can go back to normal…heck, he doesn’t even have to clean his own waste bag. There’s people who do that for him.

Like. What more could Danny ask for?

Danny shrugs. He just wants to heal up and run away. Maybe…maybe, if Diana is real and not just pretending to like him to keep an eye on him, she’d let him visit her later or something. Danny would do what Dani doe—did. What Dani…did. And he’d just go a bunch of places and come back when he wants to.

But. No. There’s nothing he really needs right now.

The pointy-eared guy and the green guy share a look and a couple quiet words. Danny flares his annoyance into the silence, but all he gets is a silent Apology/Apology, which isn’t answers.

Ugh. Danny leans over the arm of his wheelchair. This is kind of super boring; it’s more boring than it is frustrating, even.

The stinky dad guy says something else, and Danny feels the push and pull of something double ended tugging on the outer edge of his aura. Additional/information, giving/take?

Danny really wishes he’d brought a fidget toy or something. His nerves are ramping up but all he can do is contort his fingers together, feeling the strain in and the joints click as he pushes them together and twists them apart. They want…to ask him questions? No, they’re already asking him questions. They want Danny to…give them questions??

…Danny doesn’t really want to. Still, he probably…should.

“The…space station,” he says, using the wrong word for their big space building but not knowing the better one; “Is this…where…why is it?”

The black-caped dad grumbles something vaguely approving. A tablet pops out of the table—spooky—and the guy starts drawing on it, explaining all the way. The green guy simplifies more of the verbally complicated concepts for Danny as they go.

Anyway. So they’re in space because it’s their…job? Danny thinks? They do…fighting stuff. Which Danny knew. Because he’d seen them on the news.

But it looks like they do a lot of things—they clean up after storms, and chase regular bad guys and super-bad-guys instead of just big ones. And they stop bad aliens from hurting people on Earth.

The green guy shifts from a green-looking, pointy-headed, red-eyed form to a warm, brown, human skin tone. And even. Like. Human clothing.

Danny stares.

…And the guy immediately takes back his natural form, his body physically shifting and morphing, which, fair, but holy crap. He’s living, on Earth. He passes as normal, on Earth. No one snitches on him. No one’s selling him to the government for parts. No one’s trapping him in a cage and not feeding him.

This guy works here, and everyone lets him.

Danny shifts in his chair. He…he wants that. He wants that. He wants to pass as human and not have to worry about…about anyone getting rid of him. He wants to go back to school. He wants to hide, and never ever not ever be found by anyone or anything when he does.

“I want that,” Danny says. There’s no inflection. He feels dead. He is dead, but usually he doesn’t feel it. “What do I do for…that.”

Help/Searching/Finding? the green—alien—questions, but there’s nothing for Danny to find. He knows exactly where everyone he loves is—and unless they’re already fully formed in the ghost zone…

…Well. Danny has forever to wait and see if he’ll see his friends and sister again. Maybe he’ll find them again one day, in a world purely green and glowing.

He shakes his head.

The next question comes…softer. Gentler. The mental push feels more like a breeze than a gale. Friends…Home/family?

The question comes tinged with all sorts of sensations that Danny’s suppressed—warmth, security, happiness, oxytocin, fondness, pride and being the source thereof, warmth and love, love, love—

Danny’s sweating. He can’t stop. His hands are shaking faster than usual—he kicks the brakes off his chair with the heels of his palms, and jerks the wheels back, pulling away from the desk—

He’s halfway across the room before he hears the noise. It’s just. Noise. It’s Diana, carefully shushing the loud heartbeat churning in his ears, hands on his hand, trying not to cage him but trying to keep skin on skin contact. Her hand is on the back of his hand, and on his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Diana whispers. Danny’s shaking. His whole body is shaking. “Shhh, sh sh sh. It’s alright, it’s okay.”

It’s not it’s not it’snoit’snotit’sNOT. His sister is dead. His friends are dead. His parents sold his captors the equipment to catch him and they didn’t care if he got hurt doing it and now they’re DEAD. They tore open his hometown down the middle just to catch him, they stole him—they took his dead parent’s things as tools to hurt him—they HURT HIM and there isn’t—he can’t—he can’t—

Something is holding him down, and Danny thrashes. He has arms, but they’re injured—he has legs but he needs a tail and he—and—

He cries into Diana’s arms, sobbing and wailing. It’s a miracle that the building stays together. She holds him tighter, and he cries even harder into her soft under-layers.

He wants to run away. He needs to run away. Someone is holding him, and he can’t even flicker through her the way he wants to; his core is already too strained just from talking.

Danny’s sick. He’s dying. He’s—

“Take a breath,” Diana whispers, calm and sure. She models it for him. Danny gasps in air. “Good. Lete it out slow. As bobbels in a straw.”

He tries to copy her he does and she’ll be so angry if he can’t do it right on the first try but she lets him try, over and over again, until Danny’s able to stop hiccupping and leaking tears and ectoplasm all over her and realize that she’s holding him like a baby. Like. Actually cradling him against his body armor.

…You know what. He’s too tired to even be embarrassed. Screw that. Danny leans all the way over her and goes completely limp. Someone else can deal with his him for a little bit.

She does. Diana just…holds him.

It’s nice. Mom and Dad used to do that for him, when Danny was still…more human, he supposed. More than he is right now.

Something else touches his hand. Danny looks blearily downwards.

The teenager’s dad gets to his knees and takes Danny’s hand—and he doesn’t need the translation to understand.

“I’m sorry,” the man says, over and over again. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

Danny blinks sleepily. What does his friend’s stinky dad have to be sorry for? He didn’t even do anything to Danny in the first place.

Danny won’t remember, afterwards, being wheeled back to his room for a nap. They must have wheeled him back, though, because the alternative is that Diana tucked him into bed like a baby, and that’s just kind of embarrassing to even think about for too long.

[yikes-aemond]

I love you. It's ruining my life. (Part II)

pairing: Benjicot Blackwood x Bracken!fem!reader (no descriptions of reader except that she wears dresses and has long hair)

warnings: 18+, smut, canon typical violence, cursing 

summary: You and Benjicot Blackwood return to the woods where your story began. Things get heated. 

word count: 3.6k

author note: Thanks so much to everyone for your kind words about this little story. This is my first time posting fanfiction, and I am overwhelmed by the response. And in case anyone is curious, I pretty much listened exclusively to Taylor Swift’s “Guilty as Sin?” while writing this. Love you babes. Happy reading! 

part I can be found here. part III can be found here. part iv can be found here.

A madness plagued you, of that there could be no doubt.  

Days had passed since the boundary stone incident. But you could barely bring yourself to leave the confines of your chambers. You did not want to see anyone. Not your father. Not your fellow ladies or maids. And certainly not Aeron. 

You only wanted to see Benjicot. Lay eyes on him and hold him and confirm that you were not alone with these feelings. 

In your heart, you knew that he must feel something. No Blackwood would withdraw from a challenge with a Bracken as quickly as he did after your plea without feeling anything. But your mind played tricks on you, turning over every interaction, every look, every word between the two of you.No promises had been made. No tender feelings shared. 

What if you had imagined it all? That thought alone kept you awake at night, tossing and turning with no relief. 

And gods, did you crave relief from this sweet torture. 

You felt trapped beneath your own skin, aching and longing for something that you could not fully name. But even though you did not know the full language of lovers, did not know exactly what happened between a couple when they lied together, you knew enough. Knew that pleasure could be found between your thighs with a twirl of your fingers. Knew it was a sin, but could not bring yourself to care. 

You could not get the look of Benjicot’s enraged face out of your mind. Flushed cheeks, wide eyes, snarling mouth. Even the cuts, bruises, and blood on his hands called to some primal part of you. The way he defended you, fought for you. He was a force, and the thought of having all that frenzied energy focused on you was enough to send you over the edge. 

You touched yourself to images of Benjicot that flashed through your mind. His face hovering over you. His arms encircling your body. His hands touching you. Unlacing your dress and removing your small clothes. Warm, strong, calloused hands traveling across your breasts, hips, and thighs. Moving higher and higher until he reached the core of you. 

And when you reached that pentacle of release, it was his name you sighed allowed. 

This madness had to end. 

So, in the early morning hours before Stone Hedge woke, you made your way back to the woods where it all began.  

You did not know how long you walked but you suspected hours. The sun was steadily rising in the sky, warming the air and casting shadows through the trees. You only vaguely knew the right direction to Raventree Hall and prayed to both the old gods and the new that you were on the right path. 

Not that you really had a plan once you reached Raventree Hall. It was not as if you could march up to the front door, knock, and demand to see the heir. The fact that you were a Bracken almost guaranteed that at best, such a request would be refused, or at worst, end with your head on a spike. 

But even when your legs began to tire and sweat dripped down your brow, you pushed forward—determined that today would be the day you received answers. 

That is until you tripped over a tree root, stumbling to the ground. You landed awkwardly on your front, both hands throbbing from cuts and scrapes you gained while trying to break your fall. But at least you had not rolled your ankle this time. 

Just as you began to pick yourself up, you felt a presence behind you. You were not sure if your imagination was playing tricks on you, but the forest itself seemed to quiet. You could no longer hear the wind rustling the leaves, nor birds chirping or insects humming. 

All your attention focused on one thing. Him. Benjicot. Every part of your being knew he was the one behind you. 

You felt the ghost of his touch before he surrounded you. His front to your back, both kneeling on the ground. His hand brushed against your hip before he leaned in and whispered, “Didn’t I tell you that these lands were not for Brackens, my lady?” 

You tried to turn to face him, but Benjicot stopped the motion by bringing his arm across your stomach, caging you against him. “How typical,” he scolded. “A Bracken who can’t do what they are told.” 

Your senses were overloaded. You could practically hear your heart pounding against your chest. Everything about Benjicot pulled you further and further into his snare—his touch, his scent, his voice. You had never felt so helpless. And you liked it.

But as quickly as Benjicot had trapped you, he let you go. One moment, he was supporting your weight against him, and the next, you were unmoored and alone. Leaping to your feet, you turned to finally face the man who had singlehandedly ruined your sanity and good sense. 

Benjicot had put distance between the two of you. At least two strides away, he was no longer within your reach. A part of you rebelled at the distance. For six years you had longed to be in his presence and have his attention focused on you. And now that you were here, in this place where your fates first intertwined, you could not bear the space. 

But something held you back. The look on Benjicot’s face. He’s angry.

You had witnessed his legendary temper in action, had seen the bloody results. But Benjicot’s anger had never been directed toward you. Even when you first encountered him in these woods all those years ago, he had not been angry. Exasperated and intrigued, sure. But never angry. 

Yet there was no mistaking the look on his face now. His eyes were cold and distant, his lips turned down. He looked at you as if you were a stranger. And you did not care for that at all. 

Breaking the silence, Benjicot asked, “What are you doing here?”

His gruff voice sent a thrill down your spine. For a fleeting moment, you tried to keep your composure, tried to mold your face into a mask of indifference as he had done. But you had neither the patience nor skill to do so. Your emotions always stayed close to the surface, threatening to unleash and break free at any moment. 

“What am I doing here?” you repeated back to him. “I’m here to see you. I thought that was rather obvious.”

Benjicot’s eyes narrowed at your tone. A break in the unfeeling facade he had erected. “I told you that these woods were not safe. I told you to not come back here. I told you—”

“I know what you told me!” Your own anger rising to meet his. “I have thought about what you said to me in these woods every godsdamn day for the last six years,” you seethed. 

Benjicot rolled his eyes at your tantrum. “And yet, here you are.”

Unbelievable. You threw your hands into the air in frustration, eyes seeking the sky for patience. “Well maybe I would not have had to go traipsing through the woods if you had bothered to do something about our situation!” 

A beat passed before Benjicot responded. “Our situation?” he asked, amusement echoing in this tone. “And what situation might that be, my lady?  

You, once again trespassing on Blackwood land in violation of the assize? You, who apparently has no care for your own wellbeing, wandering into these woods alone and defenseless? As helpless as a newborn fawn, completely at the mercy of those who would strike first and ask questions later? That situation?” 

You wanted to tear the smug look off his face. Maybe you really were a Bracken through and through. Because at the moment, you understood with perfect clarity why your ancestors had feuded since time in memoriam. 

You did not know why he was acting this way. Why he was trying to push you away. Why he refused to acknowledge the meaning behind your words. Except— 

What if he did not share your feelings? What if you had really imagined it all?

Your anger fled as quickly as it had appeared; replaced instead by a wave of nausea at your own foolishness. Of course, he did not feel the same way. You were a Bracken. Maybe he thought you were a pretty face to look at, maybe he would have had you warm his bed, but he could never love you. 

You felt the color drain from your face. Trembling, you turned away from him. You could no longer bear to look at him. You needed to get away. Needed to leave this place while you still had the strength to stand. 

You fled. Running as fast your legs could carry you, you weaved through the trees with no thought for direction or destination other than away, away, away. 

The moment you turned away, Benjicot realized his mistake, letting his anger over your lack of self preservation win out over the joy he felt when he found you again in these woods. 

And perhaps his anger was a result of the shame he felt. Shame for waiting so long to go to you that you had felt the need to put yourself at risk to seek him out. 

Benjicot had faced countless opponents and impossible odds, and never once had he wavered. Never once had he questioned his skill or fortitude. But the thought of you being in danger, or gods, someone hurting you, was enough to send him into a panic. 

He chased after you. 

You might have gotten a head start, but Benjicot was faster. He knew these woods like the back of his hand, and there was no place you could go, no place you could hide, where he would not find you. 

Spotting you up ahead, Benjicot surged forward, grasping your arm and pulling you into him. You collided into his chest, nearly sending you both to the forest floor. But Benjicot caught you, both of his hands now resting on your arms to steady you. 

You were both breathing heavily. No space existed between you now. You did not understand him. Did not understand why he did not let you escape in peace. You were close to tears but refused to allow Benjicot Blackwood to steal anymore of your dignity. 

“Let me go, Blackwood,” you demanded, trying to pull away from his grasp. But Benjicot held firm, tightening his bruising grip on you. 

Shaking his head, Benjicot pulled you further into arms, until you stood chest to chest, with your arms caged in between. He was a good head taller than you, forcing you to tilt your head up to meet his eyes. 

Your breaths mixed together as the silence dragged out between you. Only when you tried to pull away again did Benjicot finally say, “I have watched you from afar.”

You finally stilled. Eyes widening, you waited for him to continue. “And I know you have watched me, too.”

Color returned to your face, as you tore your eyes away from his searching gaze. “Do not hide from me now, Bracken.” When you failed to respond, Benjicot scoffed, “I never took you for a craven.”

You felt your blood begin to boil. How dare he call you craven. Shoving at his chest with all your strength, you shouted, “The only one craven here is you, Blackwood!” 

“Oh, please enlighten me, how am I craven?” 

You stopped shoving at his chest, letting all of your frustration and ire rise until all you could see was red. “You dare admit to watching me, yet you refuse to acknowledge my feelings!” 

Benjicot flinched at your accusation. Now it was he who refused to look you in the eye. 

But you pressed on, “Because if you have been watching me for as long as I have watched you, then there can be no doubt as to my feelings. No doubt as to where my heart lies. But you ignored me for years. And now you have the audacity to mock me when I seek you out?” 

Benjicot’s eyes were back on your face, his gaze soft and pleading. A complete departure from the anger and fury he had shown you earlier. This man looked like your Benjicot. The boy who had rescued you. The man who had defended you. The one you loved with all your heart. 

His voice was quiet but his words strong, “I am a simple man, my lady. A simple man who needs plain words. What are these feelings of which you speak?”

Closing your eyes for a brief moment, you sucked in a breath. You swore that he would have no more pieces of you. Swore that would you put an end to this madness. But your heart would always rule over your head. 

Finding your courage, you opened your eyes, and reached for his hand. Bringing his hand to your lips, you pressed a kiss to the cracked knuckles and whispered, “I have loved you ever since we met in these woods all those years ago.” 

Benjicot stilled. You were not sure if he was even breathing, but you pushed on, “You occupy all my thoughts and haunt my dreams. You consume me, and I—” You cut yourself off before you could continue. 

You tried to remain unaffected, but the longer Benjicot held you, the more your body betrayed you. You felt your blood racing through your veins, felt the heat rising to your cheeks, felt a slickness begin to gather between your legs. You tried to pull away again to give yourself a moment of respite from this torture. 

But Benjicot was having none of it. 

He watched the way you squirmed under his gaze. Watched the way your chest heaved from the force of your confession. Watched your cheeks grow flush and warm. And when he caught your eyes again and saw your gaze drift to his lips before licking your own, he knew he was a goner. 

“My lady,” Benjicot’s voice was like gravel, “had I known you were so afflicted, I never would have left you alone for so long.” 

Hauling you closer, Benjicot traced his fingers from your collarbone up your neck, watching as your pulse jumped. Cupping your cheek, he brought his face close to yours, mere inches separating the two of you, and confessed, “From the moment you cut yourself on my dagger, I have loved you.”

Now it was your turn to still. For so long you had waited to hear these words, waited to be in his arms. 

Benjicot kissed your forehead, mumbling against your skin, “No one else could ever compare to you, my lady.” He moved to kiss your jaw. “You are the bravest”—a kiss to your cheek—“strongest”—a kiss to your temple—“most beautiful woman I ever met.” 

Kissing the corner of your mouth, Benjicot pulled back momentarily to stare into your eyes. “From that day until the end of my days, there will only ever be you.”

You were at your breaking point. You could not hold yourself back any longer. Flinging your arms around his neck, you pulled Benjicot toward you and kissed him. 

And oh, what a kiss. 

Your advance might have thrown Benjicot initially off guard, but he recovered quickly, remedying the situation and taking control. One hand in your hair and the other at your waist, he moved your head to the position he wanted, slanting his lips over yours and feasting. 

His kisses left your breathless. Your head held no thoughts other than more, more, more. Benjicot’s teeth nipped at your lips, forcing your mouth to open and surrender. He wasted no time in stroking his tongue against yours, exploring and claiming. And when his hand moved from your waist to knead your breasts, you moaned into his mouth and pulled him closer. 

Your taste, your sounds, your very being—Benjicot wanted it all for himself. You owned him, body and soul. And he was greedy to own you in return. 

In the haze of his kisses, you did not realize that your feet no longer touched the ground. Benjicot had lifted you in the air. You wrapped your legs and arms around him, bringing the hardness of him against the softness of you. 

Your back was against a tree, but you did not feel the rough bark. You only felt Benjicot’s lips and hands, moving across your flesh, mapping and exploring. But when Benjicot made his way to the bottom of your dress, running his hand over your delicate ankle, he paused and pulled back. There was a question in his eyes—did you wish to continue?

You nodded eagerly. No doubt or hesitation with your choice. 

And Benjicot smiled. That wicked, feral smile he donned just before a fight. Another searing kiss to your lips before his hand began to move up your calf to your thigh. He was so close to where wanted him. Where you ached for him. 

But Benjicot paused just short of your cunt. And when you whined at his delay, he laughed and asked, “Tell me, my lady. Have you ever touched yourself before?”

Words were beyond you. You felt dizzied and dazed, but you managed a nod. 

Benjicot moved his hand another inch higher. Lips grazing your ear and hot breath on your neck. “And tell me, what did you think of when you touched yourself? What did you imagine when you brought your fingers to your warm, wet cunt?”

You wanted to die. This surely must be hell. You shook your heard, too embarrassed and flustered to answer. 

Benjicot started to move his hand back down your leg, but you clenched your thighs, trapping his hand between them. Raising your head, you glared at him, but all he did was smile. “I know what you want, my lady. And I am eager to please. All I ask is that you answer the question.”

Wicked, cruel, insufferable man. 

But you were desperate. An impossible ache had built inside you, and you knew that Benjicot was the only one who would relieve you.

So you put aside your pride. Clearing your throat, you whispered, “You. I thought of you, Benjicot Blackwood.”

And that was all he needed. Pushing aside your small clothes, he exposed your cunt to the air. You cried out at the feeling, arching against him as he finally slid his hand between your folds. 

The first brush of him against you dragged a groan from deep in your throat. Benjicot groaned in reply, delighted at the wetness he found waiting for him. His thumb circled your clit, pressing and dragging and teasing. His other hand worked your breast while his lips pressed into your neck. 

It was an assault on all fronts. Your body had never felt so hot. And when he plunged one finger into your core, you bucked your hips in response. 

“I thought of you, too.” How he managed to talk, you had no idea. But even through the haze of lust, you heard him. “Thought of you spread naked on my bed when I took myself in hand. Thought of your tight, wet heat on my cock. Thought of how soft you would feel, how perfect you would be for me.”

“Benji—” You whined as he added a second finger.  You had never felt so full in your life. 

“That’s it,” he murmured, lips against your ears. 

You pulled Benjicot’s face away from your neck and captured his lips with your own, biting his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. 

Benjicot groaned, plunging his fingers in and out, hard and fast. Your existence narrowed to the feeling. You were so close, the tightness becoming nearly unbearable. You just needed one final—

The sound of your name on his lips was your undoing. Release barreled down upon you, so much so that you felt like you could break in half. You cried out Benjicot’s name, as his lips covered yours once again. The kiss was all teeth and tongue. You felt as though you were being devoured. 

You clenched around his fingers again, and Benjicot let out a curse. He stroked you through your release until you were limp in his arms, kissing you all the while. 

You could barely catch you breath. And when Benjicot finally pulled away and withdrew his hand, you met his stare and lost your breath all over again. Because the smile he gave you now was one you had never seen before. It was soft and tender and just for you. His lady. 

You wanted to stay in these woods forever. Your own sanctuary that could not be touched by outside forces. Just when you were about to express that desire, you felt Benjicot tense against you. 

And that’s when you heard. Voices. Loud and angry and coming closer by the second. 

You shot Benjicot a panicked look and watched as he transformed in front of your eyes. Gone was any trace of softness or warmth, replaced instead by a hard and vicious look that had you trembling.

Bloody Ben now stood before you. 

Lowering you to the ground, Benjicot tucked you between his body and the tree. He looked around, trying to decide the best course of action. You could practically see his mind at work, thinking through the various scenarios to get you to safety. 

You saw the moment he reached a decision. Leaning down, he pressed one final kiss to your lips and asked, “Do you trust me?”

You did not hesitate. “Of course, I trust—” But before you could finish, your world went dark. Benjicot Blackwood had once again knocked you unconscious. 

He only hoped that you would forgive him for what he was about to do. 

-- Let me know what you think! And don't worry lovelies--I'm already working on part 3.

taglist: @painted-flag @majoso12 @strollthroughstars29 @a-whiterose

[phantomrose96]

I've mentioned this thing in tags before but I've decided fuck it, it should be its own post.

I've seen this sentiment lumped into Eat the Rich posts which goes like "if you're worth more than $1 million I think you should die" and I think tumblr users need to know this is not the Eat the Rich statement they think it is.

Someone being worth $1 million doesn't mean what you think it means.

A 71-year-old widow who bought a single-family 2,000 sqft home in Somerville Massachusetts with her husband 40 years ago to raise their family in, who now lives in this home all alone because her children are grown and her husband is dead, is--without a shadow of a doubt--worth more than $1 million. Maybe even $1.5 or $2 million. And it's because of her home equity, because that's what single family homes go for these days in that area.

The 71-year-old widow may be living pension check to pension check, because her millionaire status can only be dipped into if she's removed from her home and sells it. And if it's the home she's loved for 40 years, where she simply wants to live out the rest of her time peacefully in, I wouldn't put her to the guillotine for that.

Maybe that comes off as an extreme example, like that's just an outlier of the "we hate millionaires" agenda. But I don't think it truly is. I'll scale back and tell you the median U.S. home price right now is about $430,000. And that's just median. Half of them are more expensive than that.

The statement "I think people should be able to afford to buy and own the homes they live in" is, I would desperately hope, not a radical statement to anyone on Tumblr. I think that's a pretty well-received idea. So someone who's done that, who's bought their home and worked many years to pay off the mortgage and now owns it fully, is worth close to half a million dollars on average. Many of them more than that, as many areas rapidly gentrify and drive up housing worth.

Statement 2: "I think people deserve to have a retirement fund which would comfortably support them through end of life." Too radical for anyone? I hope not. And I won't pretend to be an expert on how much retirement money is ideal. I'm sure it varies with cost of living in places. But considering this is money which, ideally, should support someone for the remaining 10-20 years of life (money which may be necessary to cover the absolutely crippling medical costs of end-of-life treatment) I'd bet it's well into the many hundreds of thousands. Even if someone was simply living off $30k/year of take home money and just making that work, then 15 years of retirement, costing $30k/year, plus maybe $50k+ of end-of-life medical costs... That's at least $500k.

Which is all to say, if you show me someone approaching retirement age who's "worth" $1 million dollars, my hope would be that their house is paid off and their retirement fund is comfortable. I'd be happy for them. I would want this for them.

Even that may not be true, though. Someone "worth" $1 million maybe owns a paid-off house which has rapidly appreciated to being worth $900k, and their $100k in retirement is something they're trying to stretch through end of life. Maybe someone worth $1 million owns a house which has ballooned to $1.1 million, and they're in fact $100k in debt.

And the fact that SO many Americans will never even meet this bar is significantly more appalling to me than the existence of people worth more than $1 million. "I own my home and can retire comfortably" is a bar we want every American to meet. I want more millionaires who are millionaires because they meet these criteria.

If Nana Somerville's house burns down tomorrow, she'll have lost everything. If a billionaire were to similarly lose $1 million of worth, he would not feel it. That's a fickle day at the stock market. That's Tuesday. That's the rich which desperately needs to be eaten.

[rae-writes]

Kny men x stepcest

nsfw || fem!reader || 1k wc

Step Mommy!Mitsuri who’s just so tickled that you’re so sweet to her, even when your father doesn’t treat her that well, so when you sneak up on her one day when she was massaging her aching breasts and envelop one of her nipples in your mouth while one of your hands play with the other, she can’t help but coo at how nice you’re being to Mommy and let you mouth at her for however long you want

Step Mommy!Mitsuri who, when you whine about needing to go shop for new panties, lets you try on some of hers instead. She happily watches you try on her lingerie sets in the comfort of your bedroom and even takes off the set she’s wearing for you to try on too; if you really like it, she’ll let you have it, but only if you let Mommy ride your face

Step Mommy!Mitsuri who’s got you on your back with one of your legs over her shoulder, telling you that it’s okay if she rubs her pussy against yours because your panties are still on, but once you both get so close to cumming, she sneakily pulls your panties to the side and fucks you bare— she says it’s because it feels better like this, though she knows you aren’t really concerned about it from how fucked out you are already

Step Uncle!Gyomei who feels that something’s off when his usual sex doll feels more warm and lifelike, but he just chalks it up to his pent up frustration and continues to pound into the ‘toy’, not realizing it was really you- at least until you start cumming around him, making him jerk his hips and growl at the feel of your convulsing walls. He knows he should pull out and scold you- this was wrong- and yet when you whine and cry and beg him to put his cock back in, he ends up fucking you all night long instead

Step Uncle!Gyomei who smiles whenever you offer to help him walk around -even though he doesn’t actually need help- and willingly lets you lead him in the completely wrong direction. He doesn’t quite know where you’ve taken him, only that his back is pressing against rough brick as your knees hit the ground in front of him. If he were a better man, he’d grab up by the arms, yank you up, and take you home; but he’s not a better man and so he grabs a fistful of your hair and gently guides your mouth along his cock, making sure you keep your gags quiet

Older Step-Brother!Sanemi who lost all of his biological younger siblings, so he’ll be damned if he’s letting your sweet, naive little ass out of his sight— even if that means fingering you in the house’s entrance when you try to walk out of the house in revealing clothing, making you forget all about that ‘date’ you were planning on going to; nobody’s better than your big brother- he’ll show you.

Older Step-Brother!Sanemi who wants to protect you from everything and everyone that could possibly corrupt you and yet he’s helping you grind against his thigh at ungodly hours of the night, all because you couldn’t sleep with that weird, tingly heat pooling inside your stomach. 

Older Step-Brother!Sanemi who’s not really sure who is in the wrong when you wake him up with head the next morning as a thank you for helping you sleep, but when you mumble something about breakfast as you lower your pussy over his mouth before returning to licking at his cock, he decides he just taught you really well like a big brother should.

Little Step-Brother!Giyuu who latches onto you immediately after just the first meeting, falling into the habit of always shadowing you, of always touching you in some way, of always being right. there. He just loves his new older sibling so much and is so happy when you let him sleep in your bed one night- so happy he accidentally starts rubbing himself against your thigh; his embarrassment is washed away by your sweet laugh and the hand that starts stroking his cock, and all he can do is moan and take it when his older sibling tells him they’ll take care of him.

Little Step-Brother!Giyuu who’s always been a little insecure, a little self deprecating, but his attitude always takes a 180 when you let him bury his face in between your thighs and shove his tongue inside you as far as he can. You’ve found out he can’t cry if he’s too focused on making you cry from overstim

Step Daddy!Tengen who cannot stand your bratty attitude and just gets so fed up with you, even if you are grown, that he yanks you by a fistful of your hair straight over his lap and flips your annoyingly short skirt up so he can spank your ass harshly. There are red welts in the shape of his hand by the time he’s done, but as you’re crying and muttering apologies, he decides he’ll be nice and soothe the sting by licking your clit sweetly. 

Step Daddy!Tengen who knows your mom only got with him for his money, though he starts spending all his money on you instead after seeing your shy, sweet smile whenever he gives you something expensive. His favorite thing to give you is lingerie sets; he expects you to be all dolled up and wearing it when he sneaks into your room at night- and if you put on a good show- he’ll show you what he can do with his cock Step Daddy!Tengen who has fucked you everywhere in the house, but his favorite spots are the kitchen counter, the hallway, and his own bedroom— the one he shares with your mother. He likes places with risk because of the thrill it gives him, and because he craves the thought of getting caught with his precious step daughter; he wouldn’t stop fucking you even if you were caught, not until he’d stuffed you full of his cum like he always does

[novaursa]

Hello:) I love your writing and I saw that you're still taking requests, so I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in writing about my idea??

So the whole idea is Cregan x wife!reader where (before her marriage) she was from a more southern house that's closer to Kings landing (Tyrell, Lannister etc. you can choose)

Now, the main plot is that she wants to help during the war, but she's not that good at fighting and also has no dragon. However, she wants to prove that she can help.

So she fakes/has a little argument with Cregan and then, after a cute goodbye, infiltrates the greens in Kings landing.

There, she acts as if she's no longer close to cregan because he is a black supporter and because of her previous house, she's a green loyalist (in reality, she's team black and a true lady stark)

While she's there, she infiltrates them and sneaks information to cregan and rhaenyra etc. While both of them (or at least cregan worry about her)

Larys and aemond are obvi kind of suspicious of her.

You can choose how you want this to end. If it's angsty because she gets caught or happy even though she got caught, or maybe she doesn't get caught at all. You can choose, with your writing, I'm sure you'll find a great solution:)

The whole scenario is inspired by "She Wolf" by shakira (I hope you know the song😅)

For the rating 16+/18+ depending on the violence/gore/sexual themes.

(Also I wanna thank you for actually considering and writing about my idea for your harwin story "chasing the inferno". I was the anon)

I hope the idea isn't too confusing. Have a great day :)

The Silent Game

- Summary: When your family took the side of King Aegon II, the usurper, you felt the need to support the rightful Queen and your husband, the Warden of the North. No matter the cost.

- Paring: lannister!reader/Cregan Stark

- Note: For more of my works, visit my blog. The list is pinned to the top.

- Rating: Mature 16+

- Word count: 8 000+

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff

- A/N: I hope this is what you had in mind. 🙂 That idea you had (about Chasing the Inferno) was brilliant. And just what I needed to continue the plot, as my imagination was at the halt at that time. And I know that song. I was in my Shakira era when it came out. 😄

The North had always been a place of bold contrasts: the cold and the warmth, the silence and the howling winds, the dark nights and the flickering lights of Winterfell. You were still adjusting to these contrasts, even after months of marriage to Cregan Stark, the Warden of the North. Your union had been one of strategy, a lioness from the Westerlands joining forces with the wolves of the North. But in time, your marriage had grown into something deeper, something that transcended the cold calculations of politics.

Yet now, as the war between the Greens and the Blacks brewed, you found yourself increasingly restless. Winterfell felt like a prison, even with its ancient walls and the comforting presence of your husband. You longed to be more than just a silent supporter; you wanted to take action, to show Cregan that you were his equal in all things, that you could be the lioness who fought alongside the wolves.

But Cregan’s attention had shifted, as it often did with the coming of autumn. The Wall and its endless duty had consumed him, and the war in the south seemed a distant concern compared to the threats of the North. It was a reality you understood but did not accept. You needed to contribute, to show your devotion to him and his cause—Rhaenyra's cause.

Tonight, as you sat by the fire in your shared chambers, the flames casting long shadows across the stone walls, you decided to act. You would provoke Cregan, force him to send you away, to the very heart of the enemy’s territory—King’s Landing. There, you could serve as his eyes and ears, a lioness among snakes, sending back crucial information to the Black faction and to your beloved husband.

The plan was simple in theory, but your heart clenched at the thought of deceiving him, even if it was for a greater purpose. You had to make him believe that you no longer wished to stay in Winterfell, that you felt suffocated and out of place in the North. The thought of causing him pain was unbearable, but you knew it was necessary.

Cregan entered the chamber, his dark hair still damp from the cold air outside. His grey eyes softened when they met yours, and he offered you a small smile as he moved to sit beside you. His presence was comforting, a reminder of why you had fallen in love with him.

"You've been quiet tonight," he observed, his voice a low rumble that seemed to resonate with the very stones of Winterfell.

You looked into the fire, gathering your resolve. "I’ve been thinking, Cregan. About our place in this war."

He frowned slightly, not out of anger but concern. "Our place is here, in the North. The Wall needs me, and Winterfell needs its lady."

His words were reasonable, grounded in the reality of your lives, but they ignited the spark of frustration you needed to fuel the argument. "And what of the war in the South? What of Rhaenyra? Do we not owe her our loyalty? Our support?"

Cregan’s brow furrowed further as he regarded you. "We support her, but our duty is here. The North is vast and unpredictable; it cannot be neglected."

You stood up, letting your anger seep into your voice, even as it tore at your heart to speak such words. "I am a Lannister, Cregan! My brothers are in King’s Landing, one serving on the Small Council of the Greens. How can I sit here, idle, while they plot against Rhaenyra and our cause?"

Cregan stood as well, towering over you, his expression a mix of surprise and hurt. "You would leave Winterfell? Leave me?"

The pain in his voice nearly broke your resolve, but you pressed on, knowing this was the only way. "If it means contributing to this war, then yes! I am not some helpless maiden to be kept in the North while the world burns. I want to fight, to serve, to show that I am as much a Stark as I am a Lannister."

His eyes darkened, and for a moment, you feared you had gone too far. "You think I don't need you here? That I don’t want you by my side?"

You softened your tone, taking a step closer to him. "I know you do, Cregan. But I need to prove my worth, not just to you, but to myself. Send me south. Let me be your eyes and ears in King’s Landing. I can be of more use there than I am here."

He looked away, the muscles in his jaw tightening. You could see the conflict in his eyes, the battle between his desire to protect you and his understanding of the larger game at play.

"I cannot send you into the lion’s den, not when your brothers are part of it," he said finally, his voice strained.

You reached out, taking his hand in yours. "They are my brothers, yes, but they are also men who have chosen the wrong side. They may not trust me, but they will allow me close enough to gather information, to play the part of the loyal sister while serving Rhaenyra and you."

Cregan’s gaze returned to you, searching your face as if trying to find any hint of doubt. "This is dangerous. You know that."

"I do," you whispered. "But I am willing to take that risk for you, for our house, for our future."

He closed his eyes, his grip on your hand tightening. "You ask too much of me," he murmured. "But how can I deny you when you speak of duty and love in the same breath?"

You felt a tear slip down your cheek, quickly brushed away before he could see. "Then you will send me?"

Cregan opened his eyes, the decision made but the weight of it clear in his expression. "I will. But promise me, when this is done, you will return to me. I cannot lose you."

You nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat. "I promise, Cregan. I will return."

He pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly as if afraid you would slip away then and there. You buried your face in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent, committing this moment to memory. 

When he released you, his expression was one of determination mixed with sorrow. "I’ll make the arrangements. You’ll leave within the week."

You nodded, unable to speak, your heart heavy with the knowledge of what you were about to do. But you reminded yourself of your purpose, of the love that drove you to this decision. You would prove your loyalty, your devotion, and your love for Cregan Stark, even if it meant walking into the lion’s den to do so.

The morning light filtered through the heavy curtains of your chamber, casting a muted glow over the room. The warmth of the fire had long since faded, leaving a chill in the air that seemed to seep into your very bones. You had spent the night sleepless, lying in the large bed you shared with Cregan, your mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Today was the day you would leave Winterfell, your home, and your husband, to embark on a dangerous mission to the South.

The thought of leaving him, of being apart from the man you loved, filled you with a deep ache. But this was necessary. For Rhaenyra, for the Blacks, for Cregan. You had to believe that.

A soft knock at the door drew you from your thoughts. You sat up, wrapping your robe tightly around yourself as the door creaked open, revealing Cregan. His expression was a mixture of sadness and resolve, a reflection of your own emotions. He entered the room silently, closing the door behind him, and for a moment, you both just stood there, staring at each other.

"You’re leaving soon," he said quietly, his voice rough from the early hour.

You nodded, unable to find the words to respond. You knew that if you spoke, your voice would betray the turmoil inside you.

Cregan crossed the room to stand before you, his large hands gently cupping your face. His touch was warm, comforting, and you leaned into it, closing your eyes as you savored the moment.

"I wish there was another way," he murmured, his thumb brushing softly against your cheek. "I wish I could keep you here, safe, by my side."

You opened your eyes, meeting his gaze. "I know, Cregan. But this is what needs to be done. For Rhaenyra, for the North...for us."

His jaw clenched, and you could see the struggle in his eyes. "I hate that you have to do this, that I have to send you into danger."

You placed your hands over his, squeezing gently. "You’re not sending me into danger, Cregan. I’m choosing this. I want to help, to do my part. And I know you would do the same if our positions were reversed."

He pulled you into his arms then, holding you close against his chest. You could feel the steady beat of his heart, the rise and fall of his breath, and you closed your eyes, trying to memorize every detail of this moment. The thought of being without him, of not feeling his warmth beside you at night, was almost unbearable.

"You must be careful," he whispered into your hair, his voice thick with emotion. "Promise me you’ll stay safe, that you’ll come back to me."

You tightened your hold on him, pressing your face into the crook of his neck. "I promise, Cregan. I will return to you. I will always return to you."

He pulled back slightly, just enough to look into your eyes, his expression serious. "If you find yourself in danger, if things become too perilous, you must come back. The war, the cause—it’s not worth losing you."

Tears welled in your eyes, but you blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. You needed to be strong, for him, for both of you. "I will be careful, I swear it."

Cregan leaned down, capturing your lips in a tender, lingering kiss. It was a kiss full of love, of longing, of a desire to hold on to this moment for as long as possible. You returned it with equal fervor, pouring all your emotions into that kiss, as if it was the last one you would ever share.

When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against yours, his breath warm against your skin. "I love you," he whispered, the words carrying the weight of all the things he couldn’t say.

"I love you too," you replied, your voice barely more than a breath.

The two of you stood there for what felt like an eternity, holding each other, neither wanting to let go. But eventually, you knew the time had come. You stepped back, breaking the embrace, and Cregan’s hand lingered on yours as you moved away.

"I’ll be waiting for you," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Winterfell will be waiting for you."

You nodded, unable to speak, your heart heavy with the knowledge that this might be the last time you saw him for a long while. But you had to stay strong, for both of you.

Cregan escorted you to the courtyard, where a horse had been prepared for your journey. The Northern wind whipped around you, biting at your exposed skin, but you barely felt it. All your focus was on Cregan, on the way his hand gripped yours, as if afraid to let go.

As you approached the horse, Cregan helped you mount, his hands lingering on your waist, his touch warm even through the thick layers of your clothing. Once you were settled, he stepped back, his eyes never leaving yours.

"You’ll have a small escort until you pass the Twins, just enough to keep you safe without drawing too much attention," he said, his voice steady despite the emotion in his eyes. "I trust you, my love. I trust you to do what needs to be done."

You nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat. "And I trust you, Cregan. I will send word as often as I can."

He gave a small, tight smile. "I’ll be waiting for your letters, but more than that, I’ll be waiting for you to return."

You looked down at him, your heart breaking at the thought of leaving him behind. But you steeled yourself, knowing that this was the path you had chosen.

"I will come back to you, Cregan," you promised, your voice firm. "No matter what happens, I will return."

He reached up, his hand brushing against your cheek one last time. "Goodbye, my lioness. Until we meet again."

With a final nod, you urged the horse forward, the sound of hooves on the stone courtyard echoing in your ears. You didn’t look back, knowing that if you did, you might lose the resolve to go through with this. Instead, you focused on the path ahead, on the journey south, on the mission that awaited you.

But as Winterfell disappeared behind you, you couldn’t shake the feeling that a part of you was being left behind, with the man you loved.

The towering walls of the Red Keep loomed ahead as your carriage (courtesy of Lady Frey when you rested in the Twins) rolled through the gates of King’s Landing. The familiar, oppressive weight of the capital settled on your shoulders the moment you crossed into the city. You had grown up in these streets, and while the grandeur of the Lannister seat at Casterly Rock had always called you home, there was something about the Red Keep that felt equally like a gilded cage and a battlefield. You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for what lay ahead.

The journey south had been long and grueling, but that was nothing compared to the task you now faced. You had to convince your brother, Tyland, that your presence here was born out of desperation and exile, not strategy and loyalty to Rhaenyra. Every word, every gesture would need to be calculated, yet natural, to ensure he believed you were truly the sister he thought he knew.

The carriage came to a halt, and before you could fully prepare yourself, the door was pulled open by a Lannister guard. You stepped down, your legs stiff from the journey, and barely had time to straighten your skirts before you saw him—Tyland, rushing down the steps of the Keep, his face etched with worry.

"Sister!" His voice was strained with concern, and he reached you in a few quick strides, enveloping you in a tight embrace.

For a moment, you allowed yourself to melt into his embrace. It had been years since you’d last seen Tyland, and despite everything, despite the sides you had chosen, he was still your brother. The scent of his familiar cologne brought back memories of a simpler time, before the realm had been torn apart by dragons and treachery.

"Tyland," you breathed, your voice trembling as you wrapped your arms around him, drawing on the emotions you needed to sell your story. "I didn’t think I’d ever see you again."

He pulled back slightly, his hands resting on your shoulders as he scanned your face, searching for any signs of harm or distress. "What happened? Why are you here? Why are you alone?" The questions came in a rapid, breathless stream, his eyes wide with worry.

You looked down, feigning shame and sorrow, before meeting his gaze with a carefully crafted expression of despair. "Cregan found out about our family’s support for King Aegon. He was furious, Tyland. He said he couldn’t have a Lannister—a traitor, he called me—living in his house. He… he exiled me. Sent me away with nothing but a few guards and this carriage. I had nowhere else to go."

Tyland’s face darkened with anger, his grip on your shoulders tightening. "That bloody Northern savage," he spat, his voice low and dangerous. "How dare he treat you like this? How dare he?"

You shook your head, tears welling in your eyes as you allowed yourself to lean into the role you had to play. "He said he never wanted to see me again, that I was nothing but a stain on his honor. I begged him to reconsider, but he was adamant. I had no choice but to come here, to you."

Tyland’s expression softened, his anger giving way to concern as he pulled you into another embrace. "You’re safe now," he murmured against your hair. "You’re with your family, where you belong. We’ll protect you, I promise."

You nodded, clinging to him as if for dear life, even as your mind raced with the lies you had spun. "I was so afraid, Tyland. I thought he might… I thought he might harm me. The way he looked at me…"

Tyland pulled back, his eyes fierce with a protective fury you hadn’t seen in him before. "He’ll pay for this, I swear it. But you’re safe now. I’ll make sure of it."

You allowed yourself to sag against him, letting out a shuddering breath as you feigned relief. "Thank you," you whispered, your voice shaking. "I didn’t know where else to turn."

He stroked your hair gently, guiding you back towards the Red Keep. "You did the right thing, coming here. The war… it’s tearing everything apart, but you’re safe with us now. We’ll figure out what to do next."

You let him lead you inside, your heart pounding with the fear that he might see through your act. But Tyland was focused on comforting you, on reassuring you that you were home now, that you were safe. The gods old and new were merciful, it seemed, as he didn’t question your story, didn’t probe deeper into your supposed exile.

As you walked through the familiar halls of the Red Keep, Tyland kept a protective arm around you, guiding you towards the chambers that had been hastily prepared for you. His anger at Cregan, his love for you, were palpable, and you leaned into that, praying silently that you could maintain this charade.

When you reached your chambers, Tyland dismissed the servants, wanting a private moment with you. He led you to a chair by the fire, urging you to sit, and then knelt before you, taking your hands in his. "You don’t have to be afraid anymore. We’ll protect you. The Greens will win this war, and when they do, you’ll be safe, and you’ll have your place in the new order."

You nodded, your eyes fixed on his as you forced yourself to believe in the role you were playing. "I just want to do what’s right, Tyland. I want to support our family, to do whatever I can to help."

He smiled, a hint of the boy you once knew shining through the hard exterior he had built over the years. "And you will, sister. You will. We’ll make sure of it."

As he stood to leave, you squeezed his hand, forcing yourself to look vulnerable, desperate for his protection. "Please… don’t let anyone else know what happened. I don’t want to be seen as a failure, as someone who couldn’t hold onto their marriage."

Tyland nodded, his expression serious. "Of course. We’ll keep this between us. No one will think less of you for what that Northern brute did. You’re a Lannister, and you’re my sister. That’s all that matters."

You nodded, offering him a weak smile as he left the room, closing the door softly behind him. The moment he was gone, you allowed yourself to collapse into the chair, your hands shaking with the weight of the deception you had just woven.

The Red Keep was your tie to home, but now it was a den of enemies, a place where every word, every action, could spell disaster if you were not careful. You prayed to the gods old and new, begging them for strength, for cunning, for the ability to play this dangerous game.

You had convinced Tyland, but there were many others who would not be so easily swayed. You had to be vigilant, careful, and above all, you had to keep Cregan in your heart. You would send him word when you could, slip information back to him and to Rhaenyra. But for now, you had to be the lioness among lions, playing your part in this deadly dance.

And all the while, you prayed that Tyland, or anyone else, would never see through the mask you had so carefully donned.

The grand halls of the Red Keep were as cold and imposing as ever, despite the ornate tapestries and blazing hearths that lined the corridors. You had grown accustomed to the hollow echo of your footsteps as you navigated this labyrinth of stone and secrets, but today, the weight of your task felt heavier than ever. The shadows seemed to cling to you, whispering of the dangers that lurked behind every corner.

In the privacy of your chambers, the faint scent of burning parchment still lingered in the air. You had just destroyed a letter—one that had arrived under the cover of darkness, smuggled into your hands by a loyal servant of the North. The letter had been from Cregan, your heart's anchor in this sea of deception.

You could still feel the warmth of his words lingering in your chest, a reminder of the love that bound you to him, even across the distance. He had written of his worry for you, of the nights he spent staring out over the frozen landscape of the North, wishing you were there beside him. He thanked you for your courage, for the sacrifices you were making, even as he admitted how much it pained him to have sent you away. His words were full of love, but also fear—a fear that you would be caught, that the game you were playing would turn deadly.

My brave lioness, he had written, I know the strength you carry within you, but I cannot help but worry for your safety. Every day, I pray to the old gods to watch over you, to keep you safe in the den of our enemies. You are my heart, my soul, and I am so proud of what you are doing, even though it tears at me to think of you so far away. Return to me, my love, when this is all over. Until then, be careful, and know that my thoughts are with you always.

You had read the letter several times, allowing yourself a few moments of vulnerability as you traced the familiar curves of his handwriting. But you knew that every word was dangerous, that keeping such a letter would be a risk you couldn’t afford to take. So, with a heavy heart, you had burned it, watching as the flames consumed the last tangible connection to your husband.

Now, as you walked through the Red Keep, you carried the memory of that letter with you, tucked away in the deepest part of your heart. You had to be careful, more so than ever before. The walls had ears, and the slightest misstep could unravel everything.

As you rounded a corner, heading towards the private dining chamber where you were to meet Tyland for dinner, you caught the tail end of a conversation that sent a chill down your spine.

Aemond Targaryen’s voice, sharp and filled with frustration, echoed down the hallway. "It’s impossible that Rhaenyra could have known about the ships. Someone must have tipped her off. The fleet from the Free Cities was our best chance to cut off her supply lines at the Gullet!"

You slowed your pace, your heart beginning to race as you listened. Larys Strong’s voice, oily and calm, responded in a tone that made your skin crawl. "It is troubling, my prince. We must consider that there may be a leak within our ranks, someone feeding information to the Blacks. We cannot afford any more missteps."

Your breath caught in your throat as you realized the gravity of their conversation. Rhaenyra had been warned about the ships—a piece of information you had managed to send north discreetly through one of your own messages. If they suspected a spy in their midst, it would only be a matter of time before they began to scrutinize everyone, including you.

As you continued down the hallway, forcing yourself to remain calm, you felt a pair of eyes on you. You turned your head slightly and saw Aemond and Larys watching you from the shadows. Aemond’s single eye glinted in the dim light, his gaze sharp and assessing. Larys’s expression was unreadable, but his presence alone was enough to set your nerves on edge.

You met their gazes briefly, offering a small, polite nod as if nothing was amiss, before continuing on your way. The chill that ran down your spine was unlike anything you had felt before, a cold, creeping fear that settled deep in your bones. They had seen you, and you could only pray that they did not suspect you of anything more than passing by.

As soon as you were out of their sight, you quickened your pace, eager to reach the safety of your brother’s chambers. Your heart pounded in your chest, but you forced yourself to maintain a composed exterior. You couldn’t afford to show any sign of fear or guilt—especially not now.

When you finally reached the private dining chamber, you found Tyland already seated at the table, a glass of wine in hand. He looked up as you entered, his expression softening into a smile.

"Sister," he greeted, rising to embrace you. "You look troubled. Is everything all right?"

You returned his embrace, taking comfort in the familiar scent of your brother, but the tension in your shoulders refused to ease. "I’m just tired," you lied smoothly, offering him a weary smile. "The journey was long, and the atmosphere here… it’s oppressive and difficult to adjust in a few months."

Tyland nodded, leading you to the table where a simple but elegant meal had been laid out. "The war weighs heavily on all of us," he said, pouring you a glass of wine. "But you’re safe here, with family."

You accepted the wine, taking a small sip as you tried to push the encounter with Aemond and Larys from your mind. But the memory of their scrutiny lingered, a constant reminder of the precarious position you were in.

As the meal progressed, you made light conversation with Tyland, discussing family matters and memories of your childhood at Casterly Rock. He seemed genuinely pleased to have you back in his life, and his presence was a balm to your frayed nerves. But even as you laughed at his stories and shared in his plans for the future, you couldn’t shake the feeling that you were walking on a knife’s edge.

Every word you spoke, every gesture you made, was calculated to keep up the facade. Tyland must not suspect anything—nor could anyone else. You were playing a dangerous game, and the stakes were higher than ever.

As the night wore on, you excused yourself, claiming fatigue from the journey, and Tyland kissed your cheek warmly before you left. "Rest well, sister," he said, his voice filled with affection. "We’ll speak more in the morning."

You nodded, offering him a final smile before retreating to your chambers. Once inside, you closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath. You had made it through another day, but the fear remained, gnawing at your resolve.

You crossed the room and knelt by the hearth, staring into the dying embers of the fire. Closing your eyes, you whispered a prayer to the gods old and new, asking for their protection, their guidance. You needed every ounce of strength and cunning to survive this—to complete your mission and return to Cregan’s arms.

As the night deepened, you crawled into bed, but sleep eluded you. Instead, you lay awake, staring at the ceiling, the weight of your deception pressing down on you like a heavy cloak. The memory of Cregan’s letter played over in your mind, a reminder of why you were doing this, of who you were doing it for.

No matter the danger, no matter the fear, you would see this through. For Rhaenyra, for the North, and for the love you carried for the man waiting for you in Winterfell.

But as you drifted into an uneasy sleep, you couldn’t help but wonder how much longer you could keep the truth hidden, how much longer you could play this deadly game before someone discovered the lioness in their midst was indeed a wolf.

The skies above King’s Landing were thick with the smoke of burning ships, the sound of clashing swords and the cries of the wounded echoing through the streets. The city had fallen, its walls breached by Rhaenyra's forces, and now the Blacks had taken control of the capital. The Red Keep, once a symbol of power and authority under the Greens, had become a battlefield, its halls filled with the triumphant and the defeated.

You stood in the throne room, surrounded by the black and red banners of House Targaryen, your heart heavy with a mixture of relief and dread. The mission you had embarked upon months ago had finally reached its conclusion. You had done what you had set out to do—played your part in the fall of the Greens from within their own stronghold. But the price of your success now weighed heavily on your soul.

At the far end of the hall, Rhaenyra Targaryen sat on the Iron Throne, her dark hair cascading down her back, her gaze as fierce as the dragons she commanded. Daemon stood beside her, his presence as menacing as ever, his eyes glittering with the thrill of victory. The throne room was filled with the murmurs of courtiers and soldiers alike, all of them awaiting the queen’s judgment on those who had opposed her.

As you approached the throne, your heart pounded in your chest, knowing what was about to happen, dreading it. Tyland had been captured along with the other members of the Green council, and now they awaited their fates. You had pleaded with the guards to see your brother, to speak to him, but they had refused. You had been kept away from him, kept in the dark until this moment.

"Your Grace," you said, your voice steady despite the storm raging inside you as you curtsied before Rhaenyra. "King’s Landing is yours, and the Greens have been defeated. I am at your service, as always."

Rhaenyra���s gaze softened slightly as she looked down at you, a rare moment of warmth in the midst of the chaos. "You have done much for our cause, my lady. Your loyalty and bravery have not gone unnoticed. It is thanks to your efforts that we were able to anticipate their moves, to strike where they were weakest. For that, you have my gratitude."

You bowed your head, accepting her praise, but the words felt hollow. Gratitude could not ease the tension that coiled in your gut, the fear that gripped your heart as you awaited her next words.

Rhaenyra’s gaze hardened again as she turned her attention to the prisoners being brought before her, shackled and defeated. Among them was your brother, Tyland, his face pale but his expression resolute. He had always been a proud man, and even now, in chains, he refused to show fear.

"Tyland Lannister," Rhaenyra’s voice rang out, echoing through the throne room, "you stand accused of treason against the rightful queen of the Seven Kingdoms. You served the usurper Aegon and conspired to destroy House Targaryen. For your crimes, there can be but one punishment."

You felt the blood drain from your face as the words you had feared most were spoken. "No," you whispered, barely audible, before finding your voice and stepping forward, your heart in your throat. "Your Grace, please, I beg you to spare him."

The entire hall seemed to hold its breath as you spoke, all eyes turning to you. Rhaenyra’s gaze was sharp, questioning. "He is a traitor, my lady. His actions led to the deaths of many, and he must answer for them."

You sank to your knees, desperation in your voice as you pleaded for your brother’s life. "He is my brother, Your Grace. He may have been misguided, but he did what he believed was right, just as we all have. I know his loyalty was to the wrong cause, but I beg you to show mercy. Let him live, and I swear he will never pose a threat to you again. He is all I have left of my family."

Tyland’s eyes met yours, and for the first time since you had reunited in King’s Landing, you saw something break in his stern facade. The love and concern in his gaze were unmistakable, and you felt your heart wrench as you saw your brother—the man who had always protected you, who had stood by you when no one else did—now reduced to this.

Rhaenyra’s expression remained impassive, but you could see the conflict in her eyes. She was a queen, but she was also a mother, a sister. She knew what it was to love and to lose, to be torn between duty and family.

"You ask much of me, my lady," Rhaenyra said slowly, her voice measured. "Tyland Lannister’s hands are stained with the blood of my loyal followers. Mercy for him could be seen as weakness, a precedent that might encourage others to rise against me."

Daemon’s gaze flickered to you, then to Tyland, and back to Rhaenyra. His voice, when he spoke, was cold and calculating. "Mercy is a luxury we cannot afford in these times, Rhaenyra. Traitors must be dealt with swiftly, without exception."

Tears blurred your vision, but you refused to let them fall. You couldn’t afford to be weak now, not when your brother’s life hung in the balance. "Please, Your Grace," you implored, "I will do anything you ask of me. Anything. Just spare him. I will leave the capital, return to the North, or anywhere else you command. I will serve you however you wish, but please, do not take him from me."

The silence that followed your plea was deafening. Rhaenyra looked at you, truly looked at you, and you could see the wheels turning in her mind, weighing your words, considering the options. You held your breath, praying that the love you had for your brother, and the service you had given to her cause, would be enough to sway her.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Rhaenyra spoke. "Tyland Lannister has committed grave crimes against the realm, crimes that warrant death. But in recognition of the service you have rendered to my cause, I will grant him his life." 

A gasp of relief escaped your lips, and you bowed your head in gratitude, tears now streaming down your face. "Thank you, Your Grace. Thank you."

"But know this," Rhaenyra continued, her voice stern and unwavering. "He will live, but his life will be one of exile and dishonor. He will be stripped of his titles and lands, and he will be sent to the Wall. He will live out his days in the service of the Night’s Watch, far from here. He will never again set foot in the South."

You nodded, unable to speak, overwhelmed with a mix of relief and sorrow. It was a harsh sentence, but it was life. Tyland would live, and for that, you were endlessly grateful.

Tyland was led away, his eyes lingering on you until he disappeared from view. You rose to your feet, still trembling, and Rhaenyra gestured for you to approach the throne. 

"You have done much for me, and for that, you have my thanks," she said quietly, so only you could hear. "But remember, this mercy I have granted comes with a cost. Loyalty must be earned and maintained. See to it that you do not waver."

You met her gaze, understanding the weight of her words. "I will not forget, Your Grace."

With that, you turned and left the throne room, your heart heavy but filled with a sense of purpose. Tyland would live, and that was more than you had dared to hope for. But the road ahead would be long and treacherous, for both of you. You had made sacrifices, and you would have to make more. But as long as you could keep the people you loved safe, it would all be worth it.

As you walked through the halls of the Red Keep, the echoes of your footsteps accompanied by the distant sounds of a city under new rule, you prayed once more to the gods old and new. You had survived this day, but there would be many more challenges ahead. And through it all, you would need to stay strong, for yourself, for your brother, and for the North that still awaited your return.

The road to the North was long and arduous, the chill of autumn creeping steadily into the bones of everyone who traveled it. The once green fields had turned to barren landscapes, the sky a constant blanket of grey. You sat in the carriage, wrapped in furs, the bitter cold seeping through the heavy fabric. Beside you, Tyland sat quietly, his expression unreadable as he stared out the window at the bleak countryside.

The silence between you had stretched on for days, the weight of everything that had happened in King’s Landing hanging heavy in the air. You had saved his life, but at a cost. Tyland had lost everything—his titles, his lands, his place in the South. And now, he was being sent to the Wall, to a life of exile and duty in the farthest reaches of the realm. You knew he struggled with the reality of his new fate, and the words he had not yet spoken weighed on your heart.

As the carriage rumbled along the rough road, you finally mustered the courage to speak, breaking the silence that had settled between you like a shroud. "Tyland," you began, your voice soft but steady, "I know this is not the life you envisioned for yourself. I’m sorry for what has happened, for the choices that led us here."

Tyland turned his gaze from the window to you, his eyes searching your face for a moment before he sighed, a heavy sound filled with all the emotions he had kept bottled up. "You did what you thought was right," he said finally, his voice tinged with bitterness but also a hint of resignation. "You always were the clever one, the one who saw the bigger picture. But I can’t say I’m not angry, or that I’m not filled with regret."

You nodded, understanding his feelings all too well. "I had to make a choice, Tyland. I couldn’t let you die, not when there was another way. But I know the Wall is not what you wanted, and for that, I am sorry."

He leaned back against the cushioned seat, rubbing a hand over his face as if trying to wipe away the weariness of the past few months. "The Wall," he muttered, almost to himself. "It’s a place for criminals, for bastards, for those who have nothing left to lose. And now I am one of them."

"But you’re alive," you said gently, reaching out to take his hand in yours. "And you’re still a Lannister, no matter where you go. The North may be harsh, but there is honor in serving at the Wall, especially now that winter is coming. The realm will need men like you, strong and capable, to defend it."

Tyland looked at your hand in his, then back at you, a shadow of a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You always did have a way of making the worst situations seem bearable. I suppose that’s why you’re still alive, too."

You smiled back, though it didn’t quite reach your eyes. "We do what we must to survive, Tyland. But that doesn’t mean we have to face it alone."

The rest of the journey was spent in a tentative peace, the bond between you and Tyland slowly beginning to heal, though it would never be the same. He had accepted his fate, though with a heavy heart, and you had accepted the burden of knowing that your actions had brought him to this point. But as the carriage drew closer to Winterfell, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief.

When Winterfell finally came into view, its ancient walls standing tall against the sky, you felt a wave of emotion wash over you. This was home now, the place where you had found love and purpose, and where you would begin the next chapter of your life. As the carriage rolled through the gates, you could see the figures waiting in the courtyard—Cregan among them, his tall, broad-shouldered form unmistakable.

The carriage came to a stop, and before you could even step out, Cregan was there, pulling the door open and helping you down. His hands were warm, his touch grounding you as he pulled you into a tight embrace. You buried your face in his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of pine and cold air that clung to him.

"I missed you," you whispered, your voice muffled against his furs.

"And I you," he replied, his voice thick with emotion as he held you close. "Every day, every night, I thought of you. But now you’re here, and that’s all that matters."

You pulled back slightly, just enough to look up into his eyes. "I brought Tyland with me. Rhaenyra spared his life, but she sent him to the Wall."

Cregan’s gaze shifted to where Tyland was stepping out of the carriage, his expression unreadable. He nodded in acknowledgment, though there was no warmth in his eyes. "Lord Lannister," he greeted, his tone respectful but formal.

Tyland straightened, meeting Cregan’s gaze with a mixture of pride and resignation. "Lord Stark," he replied, bowing his head slightly. "I’m here to serve, as ordered."

Cregan studied him for a moment, then nodded. "The Wall is not a punishment, Tyland, but an honor. The Night’s Watch may be seen as a place for those with no other options, but the truth is, it’s a place for men who understand the weight of duty. The realm needs protectors, especially now, with winter coming. You will find purpose there, and in time, perhaps even a sense of belonging."

Tyland’s eyes flickered with something unreadable, but he nodded in agreement. "I will do my duty," he said quietly, his voice carrying a note of determination. "If this is my fate, then I will embrace it."

Cregan’s expression softened slightly, and he extended his hand to Tyland. "Then you have my respect, and the respect of the North. You are welcome in Winterfell until you take the black."

Tyland accepted the handshake, and for a moment, the two men stood in silent understanding. You felt a sense of relief wash over you—there was no animosity here, only a shared understanding of the burdens they both carried.

As the three of you made your way inside Winterfell, the warmth of the great hall enveloped you, the familiar scents of wood smoke and roasted meat filling the air. You felt a sense of peace settling over you, knowing that you had done what you could to protect your family, and that here, in the North, you would find the strength to face whatever came next.

That evening, you and Cregan sat together by the fire, the weight of the past few months slowly lifting as you shared stories of what had transpired. Tyland joined you, his demeanor more relaxed than it had been since his capture. The three of you spoke of the future, of the challenges that lay ahead, but also of the hope that lingered just beyond the horizon.

As the fire crackled and the shadows danced on the stone walls, you felt a deep sense of contentment. The North was harsh and unforgiving, but it was also a place of honor, of loyalty, and of love.

The warmth of the fire had long since faded, leaving only the soft glow of embers to illuminate the room. The heavy furs that covered the bed provided a cocoon of warmth, sheltering you from the cold that seeped in through the stone walls of Winterfell. Outside, the wind howled, a reminder of the harshness of the North, but here, in Cregan’s arms, you felt only the warmth of his body against yours.

The two of you lay entwined beneath the blankets, your skin still tingling from the intensity of your lovemaking. It had been so long since you had been together like this, since you had felt the press of his body against yours, the way his hands knew every curve and hollow of your form. You had missed this—missed him—with an ache that had grown unbearable during your time apart.

Cregan’s fingers traced lazy patterns along your spine, his touch light but possessive, as if he was reminding himself that you were truly here, that you were his once more. You pressed closer to him, your head resting on his broad chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath your ear. It was a sound that had become your anchor, a reminder that you were home.

"You’re quiet," Cregan murmured, his voice rough with the remnants of sleep. His hand slid up to cup the back of your neck, his thumb brushing gently against your skin. "What’s on your mind, my love?"

You closed your eyes, savoring the warmth of his touch, the safety of his embrace. "I’m just… grateful," you whispered, your voice barely more than a breath. "Grateful to be here, with you. I missed this, missed us."

Cregan shifted slightly, rolling onto his side so that he could face you, his dark eyes searching yours in the dim light. "I missed you too," he said, his voice low and full of emotion. "Every day you were gone, I thought of you. Wondered if you were safe, if you were thinking of me as much as I was thinking of you."

You reached up, your fingers brushing the stubble on his jaw, feeling the roughness beneath your fingertips. "You were always on my mind," you confessed, your voice trembling slightly with the weight of your emotions. "There were times I didn’t know if I’d make it back, but the thought of you, of us… it kept me going."

His expression softened, and he leaned down to press a gentle kiss to your forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment. "You’re here now," he whispered against your skin. "And I won’t let anything take you away from me again."

You wrapped your arms around him, pulling him closer, needing the reassurance of his presence. "I don’t want to be apart from you ever again," you said, your voice fierce with determination. "I’ll do whatever it takes to stay here, with you, in the North. This is where I belong, where we belong."

Cregan’s hand moved to cradle your face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear that had slipped down your cheek. "You’re my wife, my love," he said, his voice steady and sure. "Nothing will keep us apart again. We’ve been through too much, and we’re stronger for it. This is our home now, and we’ll face whatever comes together."

You nodded, feeling a sense of peace settle over you. It was true—together, you could face anything. The challenges you had overcome, the dangers you had braved, had only strengthened the bond between you. And now, here in the safety of Winterfell, in the warmth of Cregan’s arms, you knew that you could finally allow yourself to rest, to trust that you were where you were meant to be.

Cregan’s lips found yours again, the kiss slow and tender, full of the love and longing that had built up during your time apart. You melted into him, your fingers tangling in his hair as you deepened the kiss, wanting to lose yourself in the warmth and comfort of his embrace.

When you finally pulled away, breathless and flushed, you rested your forehead against his, your eyes closed as you savored the closeness between you. "I love you," you whispered, the words slipping out as naturally as a breath.

"I love you too," Cregan replied, his voice rough with emotion. "More than anything. More than the North, more than duty, more than life itself."

You smiled, feeling the truth of his words settle deep within your heart. There was nothing more important than this, than the love you shared, the life you were building together. And after everything you had been through, you knew that you were ready to face whatever the future held, as long as you had him by your side.

The two of you lay together in silence for a while, simply enjoying the warmth of each other’s presence, the quiet intimacy that had been so hard-won. The world outside might be harsh and unforgiving, but here, in this moment, you were safe. You were loved.

As you drifted off to sleep, your head resting on Cregan’s chest once more, you knew that whatever challenges lay ahead, you would face them with the strength of the North in your veins and the love of your husband in your heart. And that, you knew, would be enough.

[brittle-doughie]

This can be a situation of 'what if' since the five beast were the first ones then what if they would be the first who began with this whole yandere chaos like- they are the ultimates obsessive over y/n cookie the fallen heroes have the first and high level O_O

-🧁 anon

What If: The First.

Something has to start somewhere. Y/N Cookie is a figure beloved by all, sometimes even a little too much from certain, no wait, a large majority of the cookie population on Earthbread.

They’ve seen a lot from what levels of obsession could offer from simple clinginess to the alters and shrines many create amidst their sickly love.

Y/N Cookie was surprisingly no stranger to these gestures. After all, they’ve seen these similar types of obsessive love elsewhere.

Long ago, many years back….you were a Primordial Cookie alongside your long lasting companions, the Five Beast Cookies.

You remembered all the times you’ve had with them.

The times you laughed. Shadow Milk Cookie would tell you many things about this world, but he also liked to sprinkle in some humor too. He’d even do a sort of jester act by using a puppet show, it never failed to make you chuckle at least once…

The times you chose to help others that made Mystic Flour Cookie warm with you. Your choices to make decisions that befitted your Virtue of Compassion was something of a spectacle for her. She adored that you did not question anything about showing compassion for others, some things don’t always have to come down to choice.

The times you felt safe. Red Spice and Silent Salt Cookie were your protectors. You were a cookie of compassion, but that shouldn’t mean that cookies should push you around. It made the two cookies unhappy and advise the perpetrator to back off. Red Spice was all show while Silent Salt was all quiet, but both make sure that you wouldn’t get harmed under their watch.

The times you loved. Eternal Sugar Cookie was always happy to see you. Compassion and Happiness always worked well together, so it only made sense that you were the closest to her. She’d let you join her on her cloud as you two talked the day away, Eternal Sugar being happy that she got to spend time with you in any form.

Oh, how things went south when power corrupts.

One by one, their will crumbled under the weight of their own strength. The Five became twisted apostles of evil and brought forth darkness and devastation.

This corruption had also brought upon unfortunate side effects to their love for you, twisting and change until it’s nothing but sickly and dark.

Shadow Milk Cookie embraced deceit into his heart, controlling and manipulating the cookies around you. His plan to make you belong to him would be to drive everyone you knew away from you whether it be by his twisted mind tricks or more lethal methods. You’d have no one left but him…

Red Spice Cookie only brought nothing but destruction to whoever dared to challenge his sick obsession with you. No cookie could ever survive an encounter with him, only reduced to smoldering crumbs on the ground. No cookie has ever loved you like he has, because there’d be no one left that could…

Silent Salt Cookie’s protectiveness reached insane levels you’d never expect from them. Cookies that so much as raise a hand in your presence are swiftly cut down by Silent Salt. Cookies can’t even look at you without Silent Salt putting an end to their existence. Their worry for you, and you overall, was worth the lives they stomped on.

No other cookie mattered to Mystic Flour Cookie anymore that wasn’t you. She just didn’t see why you should care for any of these insignificant specks of grain as she casually waves her arm, reducing the whole landscape around her into nothing. No longer did choice matter to her, the decisions she once valued mean little to her if it didn’t help you or her out.

What was once happiness has now turned into a deadly and sickly obsession with you. Eternal Sugar Cookie’s mind hazed with nothing but thoughts of you, unable to get you out of her mind. NEVER wanting to get you out of her mind. Only you could get her off her cloud, she’ll simply yawn and turn away anyone else. She believes her love for you triumphs above anyone else, gleefully obliterating anyone who thinks could challenge her…

You can still hear their screams and shocked gasps when the Creators locked them away, their pained cries and shouts all becoming static in your head.

The Ancient Heroes…

They’ve done well in resisting the temptation of power unlike your former comrades, their affection remaining moderate as a result.

Though, one of them have your doubts..