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slytherinbangchan · 7 months ago

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Chap7: Die For You♡ (Hyunsung Hybrids Au)

This is part of my Han Jisung & Hwang Hyunjin x fem reader hybrids au. There's a bit of angst on this chap but they're fine dw.

Hybrid's Au masterlist -> 🔞contains smxt in most chapters🔞

Your friend and Chan left in the morning, but Hyunjin didn't come back until midnight. He didn't change back into his hybrid form either. Not for a few days at least, nor long periods of time.

He still would come to your room on his nights to sleep next to you, and he also would still growl at you if you tried to pet him, or walk away if you talked to him. So you stopped trying after a few times.

He barely looks at you now.

Sometimes you just want to ask him straight away if you leaving him to check on Jisung was what really bothered him so much, but you have the feeling that it cannot be as simple as that.

You're scared.

And you miss him so much.

Tonight is Hyunjin's night, but Jisung is cuddling you while you all watch a movie since Hyunjin won't even come close to you. When the movie ends, he silently goes upstairs, so you sigh and kiss Jisung goodnight before leaving too.

Your heart skips a beat as you see him in his hybrid form after so long. He's putting on some clothes, and he only turns his head to look at you when you close the door.

“Hi...” You say, and he sighs. “It's just harder to sleep on this bed if I'm a huge fox.” He says, looking away. His cheeks slightly blushed. You pout, but he's not looking at you.

“Jinnie...” You call him, and he sighs again. “I don't wanna talk to you, y/n.” He says, moving to lie on his side of the bed, facing the other way. You feel like crying, but you keep it in and get in bed too instead.

You turn off the lights, but the moonlight enters your room through the windows, so you can still see him well enough once your eyes adapt to darkness.

You can feel the heat emanating from his body too, even if he's away from you. His fluffy tails slightly moving as he tries to fall asleep. How long are you going to keep watching him from a distance? Why won't he just talk to you about what bothers him?

You stare at him, thinking about the same thing again and again for a while. Then he turns around, facing you, and almost giving you a heart attack. His eyes are closed though. He must be asleep already.

God, your heart hurts seeing his face after so long. A couple tears manage to run down your cheeks, silently landing on your pillow. You stare at him for a bit, then you sit up to keep watching.

If you could only touch him, hug him again... Would he understand how much you love him?

You hesitantly reach for him and his ears flick lightly. “I'll bite you.” He calmly says without even opening his eyes. But you're so tired of this situation, at least you have to try.

“I know.” You tell him, and he sits up too. “I mean it.” He insists, seeing your trembling hand getting closer. “I don't care.” You say, then you gasp as he quickly holds your hand by the wrist and brings it to his mouth, biting on it. Really hard. You try not to whine outloud not to alarm Jisung downstairs, but Hyunjin is making it so difficult... He's so mad at you.

No... He's hurt.

“I get it.” You say. He bites a bit harder and some tears of pain run down your cheeks, but you don't whine nor call for Jisung. “I get it.” You repeat, and he huffes and reluctantly lets go. “No, you don't.” He says, and you turn the lights back on. “I'm sorry.” You apologize.

“Hyunjin, I'm really sorry that I hurt your feelings.” You say and he scoffs. “No, you're not. You only truly care about him.” He says. Tears threatening to fall down his cheeks. “That's not true!” You say. “Then why? Why did you just go with him? You were with me, we were having fun. It was my night.” He whines as some tears finally fall. “You always leave me behind.” He says. “Jinnie, that's not true. He has caught us together more than once too. I've come to find you multiple times because I wanted to be with you.” You tell him, but he's still upset.

“No, but you're so different when you're with him. You shouldn't have gone with him that night. Why did you do it?” He asks again and you sigh, feeling some tears coming for you aswell. “Because I love him!” You say, and he stops talking but his tears are still falling.

“I love him, and I was worried. And I had missed him and I wanted to be with him.” You tell him. His lower lip trembling. You approach him carefully to pull him into a hug. “But I love you, and I miss you and I really want to be with you, too.” You say, and he finally squeezes you in his arms as he cries his heart out.

“I'm sorry.” He apologizes after a bit, and you squeeze him tighter before pulling away to look at his face. “It's okay.” You tell him, wipping some tears off his face. “I bit my master.” He sobs, and you chuckle softly. “She hadn't been a very good master.” You say, caressing his cheek with the back of your hand to soothe him, then you chuckle again. “Ah... I guess it is true after all.” You say and he tilts his head at you a bit confused. “Hybrids can't read human's minds.” You say, distractedly combing his hair out of his face.

“Cause there's no way you could read my mind and still have no clue of how much I truly love you.” You tell him, making him blush. “Ah...” He says. “You love me cause I'm pretty?” He asks, a bit shy over your direct words, and you scoff. “I love you cause of too many things.” You honestly say and he silently nods as he keeps blushing. “It's okay if you don't love me back, though.” You tell him, and he looks at you as if you were crazy for a second, then he laughs.

“Ah...” He says, pulling you even closer to him. “Just saying I love you to you is such an understatement, y/n.” He says. His forehead against yours.

“So instead, from now on. Just let me keep showing you how much you mean to me.” He says. His cheeks still red. You purse your lips, trying to hold back some tears, and he chuckles softly, rubbing his nose against yours. “But of course, I do love you.” He says, ghosting his lips over yours. “Just in case you need to hear it too.” He says, closing the distance between your lips.

You lie on your back as he deepens the kiss. Too focused on your fluttering heart to notice your tummy has been hurting for a bit now, until Hyunjin stops kissing and sits up while holding your hand.

“Wait-Wha- Ouch.” You complain as he checks on the bite marks he left. “But... I smell blood.” He says, a bit confused about the lack of it in your hands, then it hits you. “Oh, fuck.” You say, then you rush to the bathroom closing the door on Hyunjin's nose as he tries to follow you in. “Master...?” He asks, getting Jisung's attention too. “What are you doing?” He asks as he climbs up the stairs. “I'm okay!” You tell them. “It's just my period.” You say, taking care of your stained panties before you can get in the tub to take a quick shower. “Oh, why are you so alarmed then?” Jisung asks Hyunjin, and your heart stops for a long second.

“Oh...” Jinnie says. “Jisung!” You call him as the water keeps running over your underwear. “Can you bring me some tampons from the other bathroom?” You ask him, and he stays silent for a bit. “Sure.” He says, then you close the tap, rushing to the door as soon as you hear him walking down the stairs, and grabbing Hyunjin to take him inside the bathroom with you. Only he feels a bit lighter than usual when you drag him in.

“You're not Hyunjin.” You say, seeing Jisung standing in front of you against the bathroom's door. “What? No... I have no idea where the tampons are.” He says, really confused about everything. Then his eyes drift to your hand still grasping on his shirt.

“Is that a bite mark?” He asks holding your hand to see it better, but you pull it away. “No.” You lie, and he heavily sighs, looking at your eyes. “Y/n... That's a fucking bite.” He says, leaning back on the door with his arms crossed. “Why are you lying to me? I'm not gonna do anything to Hyunjin.” He calmly says. “He's already hurt you. I can't do anything to help it now.” He explains, and you blush just for thinking he would do something like that.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed you'd hurt him.” You tell him and he chuckles. “Oh, no. I would have killed him five months ago.” He says, walking over the bathroom cabinet to distractedly take out some ointment and bandages. “But I get him now.” He says, grabbing your hand to take a better look at it. “He's still a bit annoying.” He says, making you chuckle softly. “But I'm pretty sure this was your fault.” He says, and you dramatically gasp, making him uncapable of holding in a smirk.

“Fuck you.” You say, playfully pushing him a bit, pulling a soft chuckle out of him. “Heyy, don't move.” He complains, and you click your tongue and just let him do. “You know I still have to take a shower, right?” You ask, looking at the bandages and he purses his lips. “Well, I'll help you out.” He says. “I'm bleeding.” You tell him. “I'm not a vampire.” He answers, and you scoff as you smile and push him out of the bathroom, bumping into Hyunjin. “Perfect.” You say, taking the tampons from his hands. “You two just wait for me.” You say, making them lean over so you can peck their noses before closing the door again.

“Should we wait here?” You hear Hyunjin ask, and you silently chuckle to yourself. “I guess so.” Jisung says. “Did you see her hand?” The fox asks. “Mhm.” Jisung answers. “Will she be okay?” He asks. “There was no blood so I think it'll be fine.”

Ahh, they must have grown closer while you were away. You feel so stupid. Can't believe you pulled such a stunt just for Hyunjin to tell Jisung about your hand as soon as he was back. You can't help but to softly laugh about it to yourself.

God... They're cute. Guess that Jisung truly was only in guard mode the whole time Hyunjin was mad at you.

After all he never actively attacked the fox, he only put himself in between you and Hyunjin. It must have been exhausting for him too.

You sigh, quickly finishing everything you have to do in the bathroom to go back to your hybrids, then you end up just lying around with them in bed. Jisung fell asleep a bit ago, but Hyunjin is still full of energy even if he's just been lying down with his head on your chest as you stroke his hair. “Hyunjin-ah, aren't you tired?” You ask, chuckling softly at his waggling tails hitting the bed, and he shakes his head. “I'm pretty much nocturnal, master.” He says. “Ah... Right.” You say. Your eyes closing.

“Wait, so you were never asleep before.” You tell him, looking at him, and he bites back a smile. “No, I don't really sleep a lot at night.” He says. “What do you do? Why do you want to be with me while I sleep then?” You ask, chuckling a bit by the end of it. “Oh, I would just watch you sleep or just, you know.” He says and you scoff. “I don't.” You say. “I like being around you.” He says, blushing a bit, making your heart skip a beat.

“Well, I did use to wait around for you to fuck me, but...” He says, and you scoff as you smile. “Yeah, I thought so.” You say, making him chuckle too. “But that was before I fell for you.” He says, distractedly playing with the drawstring in your pjs's shorts. “Oh, so you don't want that anymore?” You tease, and he sits up to throw a look at you, making you laugh. “You know, Jisung is not the only one who enjoys cuddles and kisses.” He protest. “Oh, is that so?” You ask, pulling from him so he'll lie with you again. “Mhm.” He says. “Yeah? Wanna make out until I fall asleep then?” You ask, ghosting your lips over his.

He nods, kissing you right away. You smile on the kiss, deepening it, and hug him closer, spoiling him with kisses until you can't keep your eyes open any longer.

->Next Chap

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Taglist: @a-crazylittlekillerqueen @redstayrosie @kkamismom12 @kim-hao-han @3rachasninja

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butchsophiewalten · 8 months ago

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03/03/2024 Twitter Space Recap (1/2)

Martin & Kyle did a twitter space (with a late appearance of Eva) in the earliest hours of the day on the 3rd, here's a recap of what they talked about then:

-Kyle brings up that he wants to do a charity stream for the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund! He says Him, Martin, Coral, and Eva would be there playing Lethal Company. He says he plans to do this "sometime this month".

-Martin describes the 'Walten Dog Saga', saying that first the family got Carlitos, who was Sophie's dog, and everybody loved him, but then one day in 1968, they're playing and then Carlitos gets run over. And it's so tragic that they're like, 'no more dogs!', until one day in 1973 Jack runs into this homeless street dog and brings him home, and names him Jaimito, and they have him for a few months before he bites Edd's arm and "almost gives him rabies", so Jack just gives the dog to Susan, and the one week that she has this dog is like the worst week of her life. He pees everywhere, he tears up her furniture, and after a week of that he just peacefully dies while Susan is out of the house.

-Martin says that aspects of episode 5 are inspired by some of the leaked stuff he's seen from Joker 2. "It's a very fairy-tale, unreliable narrator kind of episode."

-Martin spitballs his "perfect idea for a Walten Files game", a PS1-style game where you work as a Bon's Burger's employee, "in the kitchen at 3am making burgers", fixing up orders to be delivered (by another employee, I'm assuming? He mentions 'a guy with a motorcycle', so I think this is what he means. Like pizza delivery.) He talks about how the supply closet would be on the other side of the restaurant, so whenever you run out of ingredients you'd have to walk all the way over there and back in the dark. He says it'd be really funny if there wasn't even anything supernatural in it.

-Martin talks about how it really bothers him when people say or imply that, because The Walten Files takes place in the time period it does, it would be more accurate or make more sense for his characters to be bigoted. He brings up a specific instance where someone asked him how the other BSI employees would treat Chris. "The point that this person was making is that it would make sense for the team to be racist, and I was like 'No, it doesn't make sense! That shouldn't happen, it shouldn't be a thing!'" He goes on to say... "And then it was shit like, [mockingly] 'Why are Sophie and Jenny a couple if it was the 1980s?' and it's like, gay people existed in the 1980s!"

"It's just like, just because something was the thing back then, doesn't mean the characters should do a very bad and harmful thing, y'know? It's a really stupid mindset, in my opinion."

-Kyle talks about this genuinely really funny Showstoppers Halloween special idea he had a long time ago, where the Showstoppers are really excited for the holiday, but for some reason Bon has never heard of Halloween before, and the other Showstoppers have to explain it to him, telling him about costumes and trick-or-treating and everything. And it culminates with them going up to somebody's doorstep to trick-or-treat, and all the Showstoppers are telling Bon that he should go first since he's the newbie, and when he knocks on the door some lady answers, going "Hello! How are-" and then she looks up in horror. And the shot reverses to show like a full, "hyper-realistic" Scary Animatronic Bon looming over to her, with a Text-To-Speech voice going "Trick.... Or.... Treat."

-Martin talks about his own funny showstoppers idea, where Bon, for some inexplicable reason, has the feeling that he is dying. and he spends the whole episode trying to make amends with people and be nice to his friends, like 'I don't hate you, Banny, I really care about you,' 'Boozoo, you can have Bon's Burgers when I'm gone, because you're my friend and I trust you,' etc. And at the end of the episode you find out he just had a tummy ache, and he was being really dramatic about it.

-After some related banter, Martin jokes that it'd be funny if Jack was at a table eating with the rest of the 'Bunny Smiles family', and out of the blue he goes, like, 'I've got a tummy ache! :(' in a really high-pitched voice. Eva, who had joined the space a while earlier, jokes that his normal voice is just him faking it, and the high-pitched voice is what he actually sounds like.

-They talk about various Godzilla movies for a while, and Martin brings up how he really enjoyed the way Minus One managed to connect the narrative between its human and its monster characters, and how that's something he thinks a lot of other monster movies and horror films fail to do.

"Y'know, it's funny, because when I wrote The Walten Files, I always had the idea that like, there are two parts of the story? Part one, which is like, the human drama, and Edd and Molly, and the crash. And then part two, which has more to do with the animatronics and the place itself. And you have this feeling where there's going to be a moment where those two parts connect and link to each other, and I think that's something you gotta have in, like, horror movies, where- it- you can't just like, make up characters, and just put them in the existing world and have them exist, and then just sit around waiting for the killer to appear, y'know?"

-Eva brings up an incident that's been happening in the Walten Files community on Twitter, where some people have been getting some flack over headcanoning members of The Showstoppers as Black. Martin gets really incensed talked about how much this bothers him, saying "I saw that, it's so fucking stupid. If you- It's just common sense! If you look at someone going 'Hey, I think this character would be Black, I headcanon this character as black,' and you go, like 'I'm not comfortable with that,' what the fuck do you mean? How? That's so weird! And that's what I'm saying, it's like, how does it effect the story in any way that would be negative to you? Like, the only way you would be against that, is if you were like, racist. And it's like, huh? And I think, a lot of people bring up the argument that, 'Ah, but this character is clearly intended to be White,' and it's like, who cares! Who gives a shit? Like, that's not, like a valid argument to go against someone for doing something like that. It would be very different if, for example, someone looked at Chris and went, like, 'What if he was White?', it's very different. The context of that is very different, than just headcanoning a character as Black, y'know? That's completely fine and normal. Why would you be against that, that's so weird."

"I find it even funnier, because, from what it looked like, it was because someone said they headcanon Sha as Black, and it's like, that makes so much sense! I mean, like, I think that if Sha had a human design, she'd definitely not- she wouldn't be white... again, if you're against headcanons like that, you- you're not welcome here."

-"We end this stream saying these few words: Headcanoning characters as people of color is great, supporting Palestine is great, uh, being a Zionist is Bad! Being a racist is bad! And if you like Godzilla: I will give you a kiss on the head. Muah!"

___ They ended up holding another Space much later the same day, which I've decided to cover in a separate post, because it's twice as long as this one, and a lot more of the conversation in it was Walten Files-Centric, so the recap will take way longer to write.

#the walten files #twitter space recap #I'm heading right to bed after posting this laalala #I promise I'll write the Big Long recap tomorrow... I can do it...

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lizzieislife94x · 10 months ago

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Shes Ours (w.m)

Requested <3

Don't be fooled by the title haha she's ours means wanda/scarlet witch hahasorry 😅

Requests are open babes 😘 I have a feeling this is gonna be a long one Idon't know if this can be classed as a little dark maybe but all the same enjoy Set right after Westview

Wandas POV:

I fly off into the sky as I take one look back at the place that I could have called home westview I decided to head back to new York to lay low.

I've been here for a week and everytime I close my eyes I dream of the man i once loved and place I called home for a short period of time I can't stay here I need to get out of this place I head towards LA once I finally get there later that night I head to a cute little hotel as I walk in sluggishly hood over my head as I wait by the reception after a few minutes the most beautiful woman I've ever seen walks out with a huge smile on her face "hey my names y/n how can I help you is it a room for one or are you waiting on someone" her voice is perfect I clear my throat and smile alittle for the first time in whlie "yeah just a room for one please" she does her thing on the computer before grabbing a key card and swiping it "here you go ma'am hope you enjoy your stay we do have a bar right through there its open till 3am" she smiles handing me the card I can't help but stare at here she has me feeling stuff I've never felt before I take the key and head straight to the bar to find it empty I look around a little confused looking for the bartender "um hey is anyone serving" I say out loud before I know it the girl from reception comes running in a little clumsy making me giggle "I'm so sorry I had to deal with someone booking a room but what can I get you" she says a little out of breath making me feel things "make her ours" I hear echoing in my head I ignore it and order a white wine as we start to chat after an hour we've done nothing but laugh and get to know eachother "so y/n how old are you" I say as I take a sip of my drink as she leans on the counter getting closer to me "I'm 28 wanda how about you cutie how old are you" omg she's definitely flirting "make her ours" I intenerly yell "stop it" I quickly return my attention to y/n "I'm 29" I say sweetly as I smile at her "you know what y/n youre really fucking sexy" I say with a smirk as she bites her lip "thank you so are you wanda" we spend another few hours talking before I decided to head upstairs.

The next day a wake up and groan as the lights hit my eyes I get up and go shower and get ready and head downstairs to get food fuck I hope y/ns here I make my way downstairs and I'm instantly greeted with a smiling y/n "morning sunshine" she greets as I blush a little "hey I was hoping you'd be here I was wondering if you wanted to come on a date with me this Friday" I say confidently as she blushes "oh my god yes and I have Friday off" I smile as we swap info before I check out I make quick work of getting a beautiful apartment set up having powers is a blessing sometimes makes something like getting an apartment sorted in a few hours possible I quickly settle in and smile god why does she have me smiling like this "because she's perfect and she's ours" I shake my head "yeah she is but she isn't ours she only agreed to a date" I say to my other self.

Friday

I'm in the middle of making brownies as my phones dings

Mine😈: Hey are we still on for tonight?x

I smile and reply quickly

Me:Yeah definitely I'll pick you up at 8 sweetheart 😘

I put my phone down and go about my day before it's time to shower and get ready before I know it it's 7:45pm and I'm sitting in my car outside her house, she comes rushing out and I can't keep my eyes off her the dress she's wearing is so short and tight fuck "hey gorgeous" I say as she gets in with a huge grin "hey wanda" she says as I lean forward kissing her cheek.

2 weeks later

I'm currently hanging with y/n watching some movie she wanted to I think it's finally time to ask her to be my girlfriend "so uh y/n can I ask you something" I say as she turns to me cupping my cheek "of course" I smile and lean into her touch "I was wondering if you wanted to be my girlfriend" she smiles wide as she jumps into my lap crashing our lips together "yes yes yes a thousand times yess" she says between kisses causing me to smile pulling her closer.

14 months later

I've been dating y/n for a little over a year and its been amazing everytime I look at her I just wanna make her mine forever I feel her slowly waking up snapping me out of my thoughts "mmh morning baby" she says in her perfect sleepy voice I lean down and kiss her head "morning princess sleep well?" She cuddles up to me "mmh perfect with you beside me" we spent an hour laying in bed cuddling before heading down to make breakfast my eyes glued to her pantie covered ass fuck I can't wait till the day I get to take her completely we've not had sex yet but I'm happy waiting for her but fuck me im gonna rock her world "babyyyyyy" I'm snapped out my thoughts by a giggling y/n "bacon and eggs ok for you baby" I smile and nod as she cooks us breakfast it's her day off so we get to hang out all day which I love.

"OK so next movie is finding nemo" she says excitedly I smirk at her and lay on the couch "I just ordered pizza babe" I say with a smile "fuck I gotta pee" I say jumping up running up to the bathroom once I lock the door the scarlet witch comes crashing in my head "make her ours claim her mark her as ours" I shake my head "she doesn't belong to anyone" I hear her laughing at me "she is and will always be ours claim her imagine her screaming your name or filling her and making a baby in that perfect little tummy" I bite my lip as her words sink in "claim her take her for us" my mind wanders as I start to picture her with a bump carrying my baby a moan leaves my lips as I smirk something snapping inside me I quickly head back downstairs "hey baby you ok" her sweet voice says as I get back on the couch "I'm good honey" we spend the next hour watching the movie my mind thinking of her naked and spread screaming my name then carrying my baby I can't contain myself anymore so I rest my hand higher on her thigh moving closer to her pussy as I feel her breathing increase "w..what are you doing" she says I get up and pin her to the couch as my hands roam her body my lips crushing her lips I feel her moan into my mouth as I groap her tits something taking over completely "fuck" she moans letting me know she likes it she stares into my eyes lust consuming her "what do you want wanda" she pants as my hands rub her thighs "I want you y/n I want to make you mine claim you forever I want to make you scream my name as you forget yours" I say honestly as she starts to rip my clothes off making me giggle I follow her lead taking her clothes off in the matter of seconds we're both naked I lay her down and kiss my way to her stomach sucking and biting everywhere marking her as she moans "wa..wanda I.. I've never done it before" I smirk and bite her stomach as I look up at her "don't you worry I'll take full control my sweet girl" I groan as I spread her legs kissing my way to her cunt "fuck baby" she squirms as my lips ghost over her clit I groan at her scent as I take a deep breath I quickly wrap my lips around her clit and suck gently suddenly I feel my other half trying to break through before I know it she'stook over.

Scarlet Witch POV:

I suck her clit harder lust consuming me as I slowly start to push my fingers inside her I hear her hiss and i smirk letting her clit go "the pain will pass in a minute my sweet girl just relax" I start to thrust my fingers faster as loud moans slip from her lips I feel her walls squeeze my fingers as I rubher clit "let go my precious girl" I moan as my accent slips out after a few thrusts I feel her juices soaking my hand "mhhh such a good girl baby my good girl" I quickly flick my wrists as a dick appears on my waist I smirk and flip her over as my hands roam her back and ass I spread her legs as I guid the dick inside her and moan surprised at the feeling it feels so real I bite my lip as I watch my dick stretching her cunt open "fuck baby such a good girl for me taking my dick so well princess fuck I wish you could see the way my dick is stretching your cunt" she moans drooling all over the couch she starts to push back into my dick taking over the thrusts I lean back and moan watching her sink on my dick I grip her hips as I take over the thrusts slamming deeper and harder inside her "gonna fill that pretty little cunt princess make you mine forever" I feel the orgasm approach as I continue to pound into her loud screams leaving her lips "mmmh such a little cock slut" she whimpers and turns to look at me "on...only for you I'm yours baby" as those words leave her mouth I can't help but explode deep inside her I feel the cum spilling from my dick and filling her as I continue slowly thrusting as imagines of her pregnant cloud my mind.

Y/ns POV:

I wake up in the morning my body a little sore but suddenly smile as I see wanda naked with her arms over my stomach "I'm all yours" I whisperas I gently kiss her head before I know what happens there's a hologram like version of wanda but she looks powerful I'm so confused "y/n it's OK im the scarlet witch im the other half of wanda I'm not going to hurt you I would never hurt what's ours I just need to explain last night I took over when lust consumed both me and wanda and I feel terrible none of us want to hurt you and I feel I might have been to rough" I can't help but smile and look between them both "you didn't I'm OK I loved it and I love wanda which means I love you" she smiles at me and I feel my heart melt "that's what I'm trying to say since we met you something changed we knew you where our soul mate" as the words leave her mouth she disappeared as wanda starts to wake up "mmmmh morning my beautiful baby" she says pulling me on top of her naked body I smile and kiss her "I know the scarlet witch took over she explained it to me" I say while kissing her lips as she looks into my eyes both us smiling.

we spent the day in bed enjoying every inch of eachother.

1 month later

I wake up feeling horrible again I've been sick for 2 weeks now and my period is late I picked a test up last night at the store just incase I sluggishly walk into the bathroom as I grab the test and pee on it I set it aside and clean myself as I get up and wash my face after a few minutes I look at the test in shock it's positive suddenly I feel over come with joy fuck how am I going to tell wanda will she hate me will she leave me oh god I call my friend and ask her to make me a baby grow that says congratulations you're going to be a mommy along with a cute little Teddy, later that day she brings them over gift wrapped and i hug her tight "thank you so much jules you're a life saver" we catch up for a bit before she has to leave I check my phone and see its almost 7pm meaning wanda is on her way I feel my palms sweating as the door closes "uh wanda can you come here please" she comes in with a smile and kisses me "hey beautiful" I take a deep breath and hold her hand as I grab the gift bags and hand her them "what's this beautiful" I feel my nerves take over "just open it please" after what feels like forever I hear her gasp as she looks at me tears in her eyes "your pregnant baby?" I look at her and feel my own tears as we both cry with joy and hold eachother tight.

10 years later

Y/ns POV:

I've been married to wands for 6 years now and together for 10 amazing years she has my heart I love waking up to her every morning I'm snapped out of my thoughts by the pitter patter of tiny feet running into our room followed by giggles "mama! Mommy!" Our 3 youngest yell jumping on the bed ontop of wanda waking her up our oldest comes in shortly after with a smile on her face she looks so much like her mama "morning babies" I say as they all climb into bed with us this right here is my whole world and i wouldnt change a thing.

AN: ok I know this isn't that great but I tried there was so much info I had to try and fit in for the request so if it feels rushed I'm sorry I apologise but I tried I also had to cram it down to under 3k words I didn't want it to be super long please don't hate me haha but I will have the last request posted in a few hours and hopefully will be a little better stay hydrated babes drink water!

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anantplayingdnd · 5 months ago

Text

Oh Hellos' songs and what Curse of Strahd Characters I associate with them!

Oh boy they are my favorite band of all time and boy do I have things to say.

Also this does contain spoilers, so if you're a player, maybe get your DM's permission before reading through this.

Ireena: "Trees" "Notos" "Dear Wormwood" "Exeunt" "Boreas" "Lay Me Down" "On the Mountain Tall"

Oh boy, it's quite a few, if I'm being honest. "Trees" is about her relationship with Izmark, obviously. "Notos" is largely vibes based, but it's a lot of freedom and being willing to fight against the circumstances you find yourself in, which is a major theme for her. "Dear Wormwood" like... come on. Do I even need to say anything about this? Strahd has been controlling so much of her life, and now she's realized who he is and how bad he is. The whole song is about rebellion against an abuser and making your own way, without their influence. Similarly, "Exeunt" is about... leaving. Running away. Saying you've had enough of the treatment you've endured and getting the hell out of there. "Lay me Down" picks up right where that leaves off, bold and determined to get away, if not in life than in death. It's her hope of one day not being trapped in the soul snowglobe of Barovia. "Boreas" and "On the Mountain Tall" are both a little more abstract, but I think Boreas relates to the periods of depression she's been through as a result of.. you know. Strahd. And as for "On the Mountain Tall" like.. tell me you can hear the line, "I know you want me to be afraid, I know you want me to love you," without thinking of her and Strahd.

Izmark: "Trees" and "Soap"

"Trees" is there for symmetry with Ireena, being a song about their childhood and how, for a little while, they were happy. "Soap" is one I just like, can't explain properly. Frankly it came to me in a vision, and sometimes I know a song fits a character long before I figure out why. I think what initially drew me to associating it with Izmark is the lyrics about having a softer side, but needing to become tougher to survive in the world, and trying to figure out how to make who you want to be compatible with who the world says you have to be.

Rahadin: "Pale White Horse"

I feel like there's little to say that isn't obvious. The Pale White Horse is the coming of death, something twisted and horrible that makes even the bravest cower in fear, and if that isn't Rahadin, I don't know what is.

Doru: "The Valley"

Doru hates being trapped in Barovia (I mean, they all do, but Doru really hates it). And because of how much he hated everything about the place he was raised, it made him very eager to follow someone who said they would lead him into something better. Unfortunately, that individual bit off a little more than they could chew in this brilliant attack on Castle Ravenloft, and that's how Doru ended up undead.

Strahd: "Like the Dawn"

One of my favorite things to do with Strahd is take things that are super cute and wholesome, like Adam seeing Eve for the first time and realizing how wonderful it is to have someone who understands him, and making it about how horrible and fucked up Strahd is. This song is normally really romantic, but I dare you, just go imagine Strahd singing this about Tatyana and come back to tell me how icked out you are.

Sykane (OC): "Eat You Alive"

I'll talk more about her one day, but you know that weird Dark Power who can let you reanimate the dead if they've only been dead for a few days? Yeah, she's the Warlock/Necromancer's patron :)

Ezmerelda: "Thus Always To Tyrants"

A song about bringing life back to a dry valley by overthrowing the corrupt tyrants that have destroyed it? Yes, obviously it's the most badass Vampire Hunter out there. (I also think that some of it, especially toward the end, that's in reference to Van Richten).

Ludmilla: "Rose"

My Ludmilla has been hiding who she is from everyone, including Strahd. She was once good friends with the party Druid, but under a different name. Also, the lyrics about appeasing your leviathan groom? Love will get you slaughtered? Ugh. I love her.

Kasimir: "Rounds" and "The Lament of Eustace Scrubb"

"Rounds" is a song I personally use a lot to help myself get out of depressive slumps, due to it's slow building and references to taking in deep breaths, learning how to speak again. In his playlist, this song comes just after everything Rahadin does to the Dusk Elves, and is him slowly trying to pick his life back up after unbelievable pain. "The Lament of Eustace Scrubb" is honestly a bit of wishful thinking on my part, since our Kasimir hasn't quite realized that he has the ability to change and grow from the many, many mistakes he's made. But one day, maybe he'll realize that he can be set free.

BONUS ROUND WITH NO EXPLANATIONS

Escher: "Danse Macabre"

Abbot: "Smoke Rising Like Lifted Hands"

Lady Wachter: "Hieroglyphs"

Volenta: "Torches"

Sergei: "Grow"

#curse of strahd #dungeons and dragons #the oh hellos #music #dnd 5e character #strahd von zarovich #escher #ezmerelda d'avenir #rahadin #the abbot #cos ireena #ismark kolyanovich #kasimir velikov

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fluffy-little-demon · 2 years ago

Text

Daddy's Perfect Toy

Bo Sinclair x Female Reader

18+ ONLY MINORS DNI

This is the nastiest thing I have ever written. and I blame it all on @visceravalentines and @ventiswampwater and both their Bo fics.

This is the first time I have ever written something like this where he isn't your husband he's just holding you captive. My Bo fics are normally soft and comforting but not today. No we're gonna fuck shit up or more like Bo's gonna fuck you up. Now I've only written smut a couple of times so just keep that in mind while reading this.

I'm 5ft and I'm using it in this fic. It does have a tiny tiny bit of softness just cause I can't help it. Reader is on their period during this cause I'm also suffering through it.

Warnings: smut, noncon it's gotten to a point where you kinda sorta like it but not really, bondage, forced orgasms, he is filming the entire thing, taking photos, daddy kink, choking, marking, biting, blood play, creampie, throat fucking, shoves his fingers/thumb in your mouth, dirty talk, degradation, praise, size difference, objectification, overstimulation, dacryphilia, cockwarming, breeding kink, a lot of licking, cunnilingus.

Please let me know if I've missed something.

You woke up sometime in the afternoon with the worst stomach ache you've had in a while. You are sitting with your back against the bed's headrest. Your head falls down as if it's too heavy for your neck to hold up. Your bottom half is completely bare as it would 'restrict access' to have anything on, a certain man would say. The only item of clothing you are wearing is an old shirt that has a few holes in it. You're assuming it's Bo's. Slowly opening your eyes you see a red stain on the bed sheet in between your crossed legs. Your sleepy brain takes a couple minutes to realise that the stain is blood from your period. Your eyes widen as your head shoots up. You begin to panic because you know Bo won't be very happy that you've stained his sheets. You can't move to hide the stain because your arms are bound to the bars on the bed's headrest. Although you know trying to hide it would just piss him off even more.

You have been sitting here for hours. You try to think of what's going to happen next. You're not quite sure what his game is anymore. He told you you deserve a reward for being such a good girl that you went from being tied to a chair in his basement to being tied to his bed in his house. You're not quite sure how long it's been. You wish you knew what was going to happen.

Things were different in the basement. True it was a lot more uncomfortable being tied to that chair but at least you knew the routine. Food, shower then fun time as your captive would call it. You both have very different ideas on what fun is though. The shower however in the basement it consisted of baby wipes. In the house you get to have an actual shower yes but only with him either watching or joining. That little voice in your head that sounded a lot like him reminded you that you hadn't earned privacy yet.

You turn your head to look out the window, noticing it was starting to get dark. It was around this time that Bo would bring you some food down into the basement. Except you had already eaten today. You had a burger and fries that Bo made. He has been giving you actual food since you've moved into his bedroom. You'd never admit this but he is a pretty damn good cook. It's definitely a couple steps up from the microwave meals you were being fed in the basement.

You were snapped out of your thoughts by the glow of headlights and the sound of Bo's truck. Sitting up straighter after hearing the door slam shut. You feel yourself smile hearing his loud footsteps. You can't believe you're even a little excited to see him, you feel sick. You straighten out your legs to try and hide the blood even for a little bit. Putting a smile back on your face before the door opens. Bo walks in holding a glass of water, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey baby girl, got ya a drink." he brought the glass to your lips so you could have a drink. Placing the now empty glass on the bedside table. Bo sat by your leg on the edge on the bed facing you. He slowly puts his hand on your knee. You flinch slightly hoping he doesn't notice, if he did he didn't comment. Tracing circles with his thumb, he sighs then looks at you "ya know I've had a pretty shitty day ta day. Hoping you might help me with that"

Before you had a chance to reply, not that he would listen to you anyway he would do what he wanted regardless. You see him setting up a camera. He makes his way back over to you after the light turns green.

He began by softly holding your chin and running his thumb across your bottom lip before pushing it through your lips into your mouth. You knew exactly what he wanted as you began to suck. Bo smirked, immediately moving to attach his mouth to that sensitive spot behind your ear. You were trying not to make any noise. He removes both his hand and his mouth from you before going to undo his belt and tugging his jeans and boxers off.

Kneeling over you so his crotch is right in front of your face. Grabbing his dick he pumps it a few times before lightly tapping the tip against your lips. You reluctantly open your mouth as he presses himself all the way in. Trying desperately hard not to gag because you know he would enjoy it too much and you weren't going to give him the satisfaction. You could already feel tears starting to form in your eyes, your hands gripping the bars. You can feel him lay heavy on your tongue, trying to breathe through your nose. He grabs your head with both hands pulling out slowly and without any warnings rammed it back into your throat. Causing you to choke and gag. You go to try to push him off so you can get some air but your arms are still tied to the bars on the headrest. Bo chuckles darkly as he is full on fucking your throat. Everything, every part of your body feels like it's on fire, you can't help but start crying. Bo looks down on you and a low growl escapes from the back of his throat. "Goddamn princess, you look fuckin gorgeous when ya cry like that!" He grabs his polaroid camera taking a picture of your tear stained face and cock stuffed mouth. Giving the picture a shake then places the camera and the photo back down.

Bo thrusts a couple more times then rips himself out of you before he has the chance to cum. You take in several deep breaths but they are each painful. Your lungs are burning and your throat is hella sore. Bo leans down and starts licking strips up both your cheeks. He then grabs both your thighs and pulls them apart. He sees the blood stain on the sheets, you think he is about to get mad but his eyes darken in a very lustful way. Looking back up at you with a kinda half smile "don't worry bout it darlin' I'll change it afta we done" he winks and spreads your legs even wider. "This is such a pretty pussy, and it's all mine." He dives right in devouring your cunt hands gripping your thighs. You're trying not to make any noise but with his tongue hitting all the right places in your already sensitive cunt it's becoming really hard not too. He growls into your pussy sending vibrations right into your core when he feels your walls clench around his tongue. Moaning, you try to arch your back but it's difficult in the way you're sitting. Releasing one hand from your thigh, he glides a finger through your folds and then another and then another.

You are so so close "b Bo, ohhh 'm c close" you feel him growl again. Sucking and swirling his tongue like it's his last meal on earth. You wish you could grab hold of his hair as you cum hard in his mouth. He had swallowed your juices yet kept going at it. You feel your eyes tear up again as you try to unsuccessfully wiggle your away from his touch. He has an iron grip on your thighs that will no doubt leave a mark. You try tugging your arms against their restraints to push him away.

"Bo, p please" your over sensitive walls clench as his continues to fuck you with his tongue. After your second orgasm hits. Bo's eyes look up at you as he licks straight up your folds. The way the blood is smeared around his face mixed with some of your juices that has dripped down his chin makes him look absolutely gorgeously feral. Bo straightens up to capture your mouth with his. He loves that you kiss him back. You're breathless as you break away.

"You taste fuckin' amazing baby doll, daddy just can't get enough." He has a smug smile as he uses two fingers to scoop up your folds wiping them on your face not forgetting to smear some on your lips. He shoves his fingers in your mouth to suck the rest off before going to untie your arms. Bo takes off his shirt then yours then guides you to lie down. Lines himself at your entrance before gliding in. Kissing your forehead, giving you a little time to adjust.

"Yer so tiny baby, daddy's cock is all up there" he pokes the bump in your belly where he is buried. He pulls out watching the bump go down then rise as he enters you again. Bo does that a couple more times before his pace speeds up. Your brain feels completely fuzzy. You're not even sure if you can produce words at this point. He lifts your legs up into a mating press. Your back arches as you let out an almost pornographic moan. Your nails are clawing at his back as he sucks marks on your neck and chest.

"Ya really are fuckin' made for me princess" Bo groans "my perfect little whore" his hand wraps around your throat squeezing just enough to make it a little uncomfortable. "Who do ya belong to baby? Who does this pussy belong to?"

"Y you Bo"

His hand squeezed a little bit more "who?"

"Daddy it it belongs to you, I b belong to you d daddy"

"Good slut"

Bo loosens his grip on your throat but keeps his hand there as he thrusts into you harder. Your mouth falls open but you don't hear any sound come out. Your nails dig deeper into his back. If he's leaving marks on you, you're gonna mark him too.

Bo feels your wall clench around his cock. He knows you're close. You try saying your close but all that comes out are whimpers and moans. "What d'ya need sweetheart? I can't understand yer whimpering"

"Wanna cum"

"Ya wanna cum?"

You nod

"Where?"

"O on your cock"

Bo looks at you with a smirk like the big bad wolf. "The little cockslut wants to cum on my cock uh. Who would have guessed that?" "Well you have been very good lately so go ahead, cum for me" "m gonna fill you up for being such a perfect toy for daddy to play with. You deserve it princess" Bo sinks his teeth into the part where your shoulder meets your neck drawing blood, leaving another mark. He fucks you through your orgasm and cums deep inside of you.

Stays still for a few minutes before Bo puts his hand under your back and rolls you onto your side with him still buried in your warm cunt. He wraps his arms around you and you can't help but snuggle into his neck very thankful for the comfort and being too fucked out to care.

Tag List: @sketchy-rosewitch @rottent33th @phantomcat394 @lanamiller comment or send an ask if you want to be added or removed.

#bo sinclair #bo sinclair x reader #bo sinclair fanfic #bo sinclair smut #bo sinclair x you #bo sinclair x female reader #bo sinclair imagine #bo sinclair fic #house of wax #house of wax 2005 #sinclair brothers #sinclair twins #slasher smut #slasher x reader #slasher fucker #house of wax x reader #kim's writing

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beautifulpersonpeach · 10 months ago

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You know what I love so much about BTS's music is when you've not listened to a song or album for a while and when you do not only are you reminded of how good it is, but also sometimes songs you already like and have heard countless times before you suddenly latch onto unexpectedly. It happens to me often with their music, the latest song for me being Let me know. It just got it's claws into me on my Dark and Wild revisit and I've had it on repeatedly the past few days. I don't know what it is about them or their music that manages to just keep grabbing at you the way it does, maybe it's because their discography is so large and varied, but whatever it is I'm very grateful.

***

That’s the thing about excellent quality: it’s timeless. It doesn’t matter how old their songs are, how much you replay them, or whatever. When you listen to BTS’s music, you know it’s good because it feels incredible.

Your experience with Let Me Know is one I relate to so hard. That song was released in 2014 you know. BTS were really dropping bangers right out the gate. Like, it’s no surprise they blew up the way they did because they just had the best music point blank period.

They still do.

The songs I’ve revisited recently that made me feel similarly to you are:

- Mikrokosmos: Not a bad song at all, but one I usually skip and don’t add to my playlists because it’s not exactly my taste and it often reminds me of BTS concerts and that’s a sore topic for me recently. But I was traveling this past weekend and browsing music on the plane, and saw it then played it on a whim. And man, it hit me again just how good that song is. BTS knows how to make good music and execute it perfectly every time.

- I NEED U (Remix): There’s this view in the fandom that BTS only recently started putting out several remixes, but while they’ve certainly put out more in recent years to match pace with Western practices, they’ve also always kinda been into remixes. And back in my day, the fandom actually made it a point to enjoy the remixes. I Need U remix is one such remix I used to jam out to back then, and while playing some of my older lists recently to prepare for Hobi’s birthday, this song played and the nostalgia hit me like a truck.

- Lost: This is the most underrated song in BTS’s discography. It’s one of the songs where you just have to watch the live performance and see the choreography. It’s just too good. In fact, Lost > The Truth Untold. By a mile. Jungkook’s voice and insane runs in that song are something you just have to experience for yourself.

They dropped that banger 3 years after their debut.

- Go Go: This song is what solidified BTS’s success in 2017. Not DNA imo. Just listen to their voices in this song. Listen to how they sing, how unrefined and passionate it is. They sound like they’re having fun. I forgot about Go Go until a few weeks ago and it’s in my rotation again.

- Fly to my Room: Songs like this is why BTS is on top of the k-pop food chain. Nobody in the entire industry can arrange and pull off a song like this: choir/gospel with a fuckass organ + gutter trap + Hoseok’s verse… like, god. Those whispered harmonies in the final chorus before the crescendo outro. Jimin’s high notes…. It’s just such a serve of a song. They killed it.

- Spinebreaker: Someone asked me recently how the rapline became my bias, if I started with one rapline member then the rest followed, or if it was all at once. I didn’t answer that ask but anon if you’re reading this, the answer is all at once. I’d liked the rapline since debut but I think it was this song that did it for me. All of them on this track are insane. From the moment I heard Joon’s voice at the start I just accepted my fate.

Anyway, thanks for this ask Anon. BTS are so loved because they put their heart and soul into the music they make and it shows. It’s why streaming their stuff has never felt like a chore for me. I look forward to listening to their music every day I wake up. It makes my life better. I’m happy it seems to be at least a bit similar for you too.

#BTS #kpop #BTS army #BTS fandom #rapline bias #bts rapline

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phoenixwrites · 4 months ago

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How do you keep yourself from feeling down about your haters/anti your ships?

There’s these (literally) 5 girls who think they’re the queens of my current small fandom and their hate is starting to get to me even though I try to let it roll off my back.

How do you do it, Phoenix?🥺 How do you keep the Plastics from ruining your fandoms and ships?

Oh goodness, Sass, I'm so sorry. I've been in my fair share of fandom dramas (the worst being last summer) and it's never an easy thing to deal with.

I want to gently correct you, though. The hate DOES get to me. Last summer, there were anons in my inbox telling me I deserved to be sexually assaulted as a child because I support dark fic writers. There were anons calling me a pedophile. There is a 600 note reblog going around the Stranger Things fandom claiming I was a pedophile. I was suicidal at that point, because it was triggering as hell.

But at the same time, I refused to give up MY tumblr space because of bullies. This is my blog. I've had it since 2011, it has been a space of freeverse, of gossip, of art, and of joy. I will not change that for the satisfaction of a few teenagers who think TikTok is activism.

I got through it a few ways.

Turn off anons. I am a stubborn bitch and I only turned my anon off once during that period, right after someone told me I deserved being assaulted at seven years old. I turned it off for one night then turned it right back on, because I hated limiting access to my lovely anons because of bullies--same reason I haven't privatized my AO3 account, even though AI very likely will steal my work. I hate the thought of some anon who reads my fics for comfort being denied access to them. But that's my thing. Turning off anon is the best way to shut off their power to hurt you. If you don't want to turn off anon, delete their messages. I am CHOOSY about which anons I answer. They are reaching out to me, on MY blog, it's my decision whether I deign to answer them or not. If I'm in the right mood for it, I might be trolly and snarky. If they're sweet, I love to hear from them. But I delete just as many as I answer.

Get off the internet. The internet is my space where I can zone out and do whatever I want. Sometimes that means watching a carefully curated selection of TV shows while writing fanfic. Sometimes it means doing TV show meta. Sometimes it's just goofing off. But the internet is chocolate, it's a lovely sweet treat. But if you have nothing but chocolate, you will get sick. Take walks. Go outside. Forget online drama (it's never that serious), enjoy your offline friends, snuggle your furry friends, go out for a cup of coffee and read a book.

Curate your experience. If you see someone with an absolutely RANCID take--like how Eddie wasn't flirting outrageously with Chrissy (sure jan) or Neal was a rapist, whatever. Don't engage, don't comment, don't reblog. BLOCK THOSE BITCHES. Block the people who make you feel weird. Block someone who used to be in your fandom but has moved onto reblogging something that annoys you. Block, block, block. Or use tumblr savior assiduously. When it was really bad in Hellcheer land, I watched Smallville and blogged about it until I felt ready to play in Hellcheer again.

At the end of last summer, the hate started dying off for a couple of reasons.

One, school was starting (yes, I do believe the majority of these bitchy anons are bored children, they ALWAYS have an uptick during school breaks).

Two, I got a book deal. I was too thrilled with my success and though they tried to threaten me, it didn't have much of a sting. My publisher and agent don't give a shit about the latest fandom drama. My editor LOVES horror and darklit.

Three, I fell in love. I have an incredibly wonderful partner who is a writer too (for television! I used to write fanfic for a show he worked on! :D). Autumn was an incredibly wonderful season of joy for me (minus my then-work troubles) which bled into a romantic winter, a challenging spring, and now it's becoming a lovely summer.

I had a bunch of lovely things happen to me that made me realize that the internet is actually quite small. It doesn't matter if STEDDIELOVER69 hates me or believes I'm a pedophile. What matters is that there are plenty of other folks who love reading my work, who like hearing my thoughts, who enjoy my VQ gossip, and those are the people I want to engage with.

Those folks don't know you and the joy you experience every day. Keep that joy close to your heart, as closely as they keep their own bitterness and cruelty.

You'll be all right, love. I promise it gets better.

#Sassyandclassy94 #phoenix personal

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virtuousweakling · 12 days ago

Text

Hantengu finds out you have an ED.

⚠️ mentions of ED but not ed sheeran, b-ing/p-ing, restricting, etc. ⚠️

Includes: steaminess

Enjoy! ❤️

(❇)❇(❇)❇(❇)❇(❇)❇(❇)❇(❇)❇(❇)❇(❇)❇(❇)❇(❇)❇(❇)

Hantengu was watching you silently as you sat across from him at the dinner table in the well-hidden rickety little cabin you shared together in the woods. The sun was beginning to set and it wasn't time for him to go out just yet, so he had nothing to do but observe you eating your own dinner. You cleared your throat, breaking the awkward silence. "Um...could you not stare at me while I eat? It makes me uncomfortable. I'm sorry." You spoke in an almost defensive tone, trying to suppress the negative feelings that were arising in you. Feeding yourself was hard enough to do already and feeling someone's eyes on you while you did so was a hard no. "I-I wasn't staring!" Hantengu quickly looked down at the table, avoiding eye contact with you. "Hantengu, really, it's alright just... Try not to do it again." "But I swear, I wasn't doing anything!" You noticed he was beginning to tremble. "It's fine. Let's just drop it, ok?" You were not in the mood to argue so you decided to let it go. Hantengu sniffed as he nodded and you sighed, putting your fork down and excusing yourself to toss the remaining food in the trash. You were washing off your plate when you realized the sky behind the shabby cloth you put over the window (to protect Hantengu) was dark enough for him to head out. "You're probably starving, it looks safe enough to go out if that's what you need to do." Hantengu stood up and as he was about to walk towards the door, you asked him to come to you. He cautiously approached you and you leaned in to give him a quick peck on the cheek which made him flinch and as he turned away from you, you grabbed his bony wrist which caused him to shriek. "Wait a sec," you requested, as he shot back around to look at you. "Be safe, ok? I love you." Hantengu gave you a dying marriage side-face kiss and somberly exited the house.

The moment you saw the door shut, you charged towards the bathroom to evacuate the food you ate. A few minutes in you heard shuffling in the next room. "Y/N, I forgot to tell you that I-..." You quickly straightened your back and wiped your mouth, specks of blood vessels had burst beneath your eyes. Hantengu just blinked, noticing the vomit in the toilet and wondering if you became sick off of the food he'd been bringing you. Hantengu didn't let you leave the house in fear that you would abandon him (you know, the way he abandons you so frequently) so he had a tendency to steal human food from his victims and bring it back to you, claiming he "didn't know how he got it." He wasn't prepared to be accountable for any food poisoning you may have contracted. You began to talk with a rasp, "I can explain, I just..." Hantengu glared at you with a worried stare, listening. You flushed the toilet and rinsed your mouth with some tap water before asking him to sit down in your makeshift living area. He agreed, still nervous you were going to tell him he was at fault for something, but once you both sat down you reassured him it had nothing to do with him and that it was a 'you' thing. "Look, I'm going to explain this in a way I think is easiest to understand and if you're totally disgusted by me after this I get it." Hantengu's shoulders relaxed a bit as he realized it wasn't going to be a confrontation, but he looked so confused and he tilted his head slightly as you spoke. "Sometimes... I make myself throw up after I eat. I dunno I guess I've just done it for so long I..." He furrowed is bare, swollen brow bone, processing. "I restrict a lot, too, which is when I don't eat anything at all for a period of time and then I'll usually eat a ton of food and feel guilty about it. I feel like it's the only thing I can control, you know? I've never liked my body, and I never really felt like I...was in charge of anything. So when I do this, I feel like I'm the one in control." Hantengu took some time to consider everything you were saying, and he knew deep down exactly what you meant but in his own way. He thought to himself about how as a demon, he wouldn't be able to survive without human flesh and he honestly couldn't handle the idea of deliberately depriving himself of that, but he didn't enter that discussion solely because he'd have to open up about actively killing and consuming people. Hantengu paused before speaking and finally perfected the script in his deranged mind; "I...can't imagine why anyone would do such a terrible thing to themselves! Especially in a world where people hurt one another for no good reason at all! How pitiful it is to make yourself hurt when this evil world is capable as it is!" You honestly weren't too interested in reacting to what he'd just said you were so overcome with different emotions. You hugged your knees close to your chest as you looked up at the ceiling, attempting to dry your tearful eyes. "I guess... I guess I'm just going through a hard time, that's all. It's always been this way, I just don't talk about it. Not because I don't want you to know, it's just... Who really wants to hear about me, anyway?" Hantengu just sat quietly, looking down at the floor, taking in as much as his frantic mind would allow him. "Anyways," you tried to divert the subject, "you need to eat. Don't worry about me, I'll be fi-"

Suddenly your sentence was broken off by a kiss. Hantengu's dry lips pressed deeply into yours for what felt like five minutes. He pulled away and placed a frail, cool hand on your cheek. "I'm going to make a deal with you," he said calmly. "I won't eat if you won't eat." "Hantengu... It's not so easy..." Hantengu made another offer, this time more reasonable towards your own feelings. "I'll bring something back for myself and we will sit and eat together, how does that sound? And we'll sit together until you feel better. And if you feel bad, we'll figure it out." Who was this man? Is this the same Hantengu you knew? His consideration surprised you. You gazed into his glowing red eyes and pulled him in for another kiss, savoring the moment. "Ok. You have a deal." It's not as though your relationship was entirely distant and cold, you knew he was possessive over you and did indeed engage in sex with him quite often despite his frequent disposition of absolute terror and fear. In all actuality, Hantengu and you had sex on multiple occasions, a few of those times should have gotten you pregnant but your lack of period prevented that and you just never told him.

You leaned your head back in pleasure as he kissed your jawline, moving down your neck. He inhaled a spot on your throat deeply, particularly close to your main artery and you could tell he was beginning to drool at the scent like a hungry vampire. You caught your breath after a few light moans, "baby... Baby, you're starving. You need to eat." Your fingers were gently entwined in the remainder of his wavy black hair and he was slowly losing control of himself, nipping at you between kisses. You gave him a light, playful push and ordered him to go find someone -or "something"- to eat immediately. He already looked unhinged and emaciated as it was and him being in this state made him look even worse. Hantengu easily could have killed you right then and there and why he didn't was beyond you, perhaps your emotional vulnerability was a useful pawn in his narcissistic plans and hearing you vent was an extra bonus. Finally he agreed to leave and stood up, asking if you were absolutely sure you'd be ok if he left and he even offered to stay in for the night. "No, it's ok, really, do what you have to do. I'll see you when you get back." As Hantengu headed for the door, you stopped him one last time. "Hantengu?" "Hm?" He looked back. "What is it you'd forgotten earlier? You know, when you came back in?" His narrow, sunken red eyes looked so intense in the dim house only partially lit up by a couple of lamps. "I was just going to say that...well, I...I forgot to tell you that..." you looked up at him with big doe eyes, anticipating his next words. "That I love you."

Your heart almost skipped a beat at his kind words and you approached him for one last hug and kiss before sending him off. "Please be safe out there, I love you soooo much." He flashed a smile at you which he rarely ever did and nodded. You saw him out the door and once you knew he was officially gone, you squealed and threw yourself onto the pile of pillows you were sitting on. You kicked your feet in excitement at what he said, your heart still slowing down after your little session. You didn't care if he meant a single word he said, what mattered was the fact that he said it. Could he walk off and never return? Sure, but you knew how gullible you were to stay behind and wait for him. He could have turned up dead after a fatal encounter with a demon slayer and you still would have waited for him, devoted, never engaging with another man after him. You laid on your back, stretching your arms out and staring at the ceiling, daydreaming about you and Hantengu. Silly thoughts, such as picnics, freely and safely frolicking in the sun, kissing beneath a Sakura tree, etc. when...

"Oh, shit."

Suddenly your little fantasy was interrupted.

"How am I going to explain this to all of the clones?"

#demon slayer #hantengu #kimetsu no yaiba #kny #hantengu clones #ed but not ed sheeran #demon slayer fanfic #kny fanfic #hantengu fanfic #fanfic #anime and manga #anime #imagine #tanjiro kamado #upper moon 4 #upper moons #twelve kizuki

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becauseimanicequeen · 7 months ago

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Hey, Ice Queen!

I saw your post on your bad taste in QLs and loved it. I've watched most of them and guess I've got bad taste too. *proud*

I'm wondering what your favorite ships are, though. Actor pairings in particular.

Have a nice day!

Hi, Anon.

The only ships I like are those I see from the beach five minutes from my house.

I know this might be an anticlimactic answer, but it’s an honest one.

I don’t participate in shipping culture because it’s just not my thing. It’s never been my thing. Not even in the Twilight era in my teens.

Are there pairings I like more than others? Sure. But I don’t mind if they go their separate ways and work with other actors. Sometimes I even feel like some pairings are holding themselves back and should split so they can develop their craft. But I’m aware that my perspective is from a more artistic one (I’m an artist) and that I usually value the craft more than popularity (or cuteness or whatever the reason is for people shipping bl actors together).

In other words, my favorites tend to be actors who can act, regardless of pairings. My favorites are ACTORS, not actors, if you get what I mean.

So, let me steer your nice ask onto a more actor-focused path, and I will try to answer it the best I can (but from my non-shipper perspective). (My memory is fucked, so these are the ones I remember off the top of my head right now.) They’re in no particular order, btw.

First Kanaphan

First has chemistry with everyone. EVERYONE. This man could have a rock as a partner and still have more chemistry than the periodic table. He’s an ACTOR, so much so it seems to be a part of his DNA.

He’s currently in a pairing with Khaotung (whom I also love) and they have great chemistry. But, again, First can be paired with anyone (he had more chemistry with Up Poompat in two 3-ish min ads than many pairings have in a whole 12 ep series). And I would probably be the first one in line to watch him act with others in QLs, if that ever happens again.

Khaotung Thanawat

Khaotung portrays emotions really well, which is why I love him. Not every actor can do that but Khao does it like he’s never done anything else in his entire life. That’s an ACTOR right there!

He and First are two of the few actors who can make me cry with their portrayal of emotions. And if an actor can make me cry (since I’m an ice queen who usually doesn’t), that actor will always have a special place in my heart.

Up Poompat

The ACTOR Up is! This man eats complex characters for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And let’s not forget the snacks in between.

Up is the reason I kept watching Step By Step, he’s the reason I loved Lovely Writer, and just like First, he can have chemistry with anyone. Not to forget that he took ownership of my soul less than a full episode into My Stand-In (which is currently airing).

Fluke Natouch

Another great ACTOR. I’ve loved him in everything I’ve seen him in (even in Shadow, even though Shadow was pretty shitty). I especially loved him in Red Wine in the Dark Night (what’s better than be gay, do crime?) and I would love to see him in more complex roles like this because I know he can handle it.

Gun Atthaphan

Gun is another versatile ACTOR that I love with my whole ice-cold heart. I’ve seen him in more stuff than just pure BLs and know that he, just like Up, eats complex characters every meal.

Considering my current profile pic, you know my favorite series is Not Me, and one of the reasons for that is Gun. He didn’t just play one character in that series, but two. Twins, who were completely different! But you still knew exactly who was whom just by looking at Gun. That’s how great his acting was (and is).

With all that said…

Max Nattapol and Tul Pakorn

If I ever were to board a ship, it would be Max and Tul's. But that’s only based on how desperately I want Transplant. And their chemistry, obviously. And Max fisting his hands in Tul’s hair. But, I wouldn’t be unhealthy about it…

Much…

I’m sure I’ll remember more actors I love as soon as I hit publish on this. But, at least this is a start for now.

Thanks for your ask.

#ask me anything #ice queen answers #first kanaphan #khaotung thanawat #up poompat #fluke natouch #gun atthaphan #max nattapol #tul pakorn #ql series #when will I get transplant?!#I need transplant #my shit

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blackjackkent · 1 year ago

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The Ebbs and Flows of Programming

I got a very nice shoutout from @vexacarnivorous the other day as part of their writeup of resources in the codeblr sphere. It made me smile and I very much appreciated it. <3

It also made me think a lot.

Vexa shouted me out for the fact that I offer free programming tutoring as part of my Twitch livestream - which is very true, and I welcome anyone requesting it. I love helping people, especially those just getting into the industry. If you would like to reach out to me for assistance, learning, or just chatting about code, please, please do; I am always available for it.

Anyone paying attention, though, might have noticed I haven't done my coding stream except when tutoring in a number of weeks or really posted much about coding at all. The truth is, I haven't really done much programming outside of work for several months.

I've been hesitant to term it "burnout" because it hasn't come with the hallmarks we typically associate with that word - I don't feel depressed, I don't feel resentful or stressed really. But really it is a flavor of the same thing, and I think as someone who prides myself on representing what being a developer is Really Like, I think this sort of thing bears its own round of discussion.

Sometimes you just won't want to code, and that's also okay.

I think this is a difficult thing to conceptualize when you are a new developer. In my experience, those early years in the field are full of excitement and promise. You have so many ideas and there is so much to learn and every bit of new technique or technology feels like opening a treasure trove. For years, I was the poster child for this level of enthusiasm - late nights working on side projects and coming into work with dark circles under my eyes.

And I am not for a moment saying that's a bad thing! Ride that enthusiasm train as far as it will go whenever it comes into the station. :) This is an exciting field and I love seeing anyone get excited about an idea, implement it, run with it, feel fulfilled by making it.

What I want to talk about, though, is the days when it doesn't feel like that - because you will have them. Everyone has them. Personally, I'm 34 and tired. XD Sometimes I go through periods where I just want to play video games and not think about anything after work. And just as often, the urge to work on a project eventually comes back - probably quicker when I don't force it - but it's really easy to be too hard on myself for those periods where the enthusiasm isn't there.

The reason I think this is important to discuss is that there is a LOT of stigma, spoken and unspoken, in the industry against people who leave work at work. There's the concept of the 10x engineer - a developer whose productivity and output matches that of 10 "regular" engineers, and who is constantly in the trenches. There's the vocal admiration for people who drive themselves to distraction, working 80 hour weeks to achieve their vision of some killer app, side project, or even their company's product. This is viewed as the apotheosis of developer-hood, but in truth, it's unhealthy - both for those grinding that way and those who don't want to but are stuck with the image all the same.

I struggle with this image myself. The last few months, a recurring throughline in my therapy session has been - what am I bringing to the world if I'm not producing project output All The Time. It's been a little humbling stepping into the spaces of young developers to offer my help, and realizing that they are full of that exuberance and energy when I am in a slump where I am not.

But what I want to say here, ultimately, is this, and most likely it goes for other callings as well - sometimes you will feel the fire burning within you, and sometimes you won't. Don't get caught in the trap of feeling that your worth as a person (or as a developer) comes in passionate, all-consuming output. The important thing, always, is whether you are doing work, or living life, in a way that makes you feel fulfilled. And I, for one, am proud of you (and learning to be proud of myself) no matter what that looks like.

#bjk talks #codeblr #programming #software development #coding #this turned out kind of rambly and i'm not sure it matches the image of the post that i had in my head XD #but hopefully it helps someone

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thelooniemoonie · 4 months ago

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Look at how far we've come (Happy 25th birthday to me!)

I'm gonna put some of my thoughts under the cut here, so if you wanna hear me reflect or get personal for a second feel free to scroll past. (CW: mentions of suicide, and other dark topics)

I'm writing this the day or so before queuing this so by the time you read it it will be my birthday but I'm writing this on like. Wednesday

And...well? I guess I'm turning 25? I know it's technically a big milestone because it's like 25% through your life or whatever, but it feels....kinda weird? Like, "oh, I guess I'm turning 25."

I don't quite know how to explain how I'm feeling. It's not necessarily bad? I know we live in a world that puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on age and getting older, but i don't really care about that kinda stuff like getting grey hairs or wrinkles. But this is a new feeling.

It's more like....the feeling of realization once you reflect a bit. A lot of stuff has happened over the past few years, but once you actually turn and look back all of the events you lived through, you kinda realize how much you've grown. Going step by step, day by day, and only realizing once you turn around that you've climbed an entire mountain.

Back when I was 12 years old, I attempted to kill myself.

At the time, the future felt like a dark fog with nothing ahead in sight. I was living in dangerous abusive conditions with my father, severely depressed, and actively spiralling with my own identity, let alone my place in the world. The future was nonexistent.

Now...when I reflect back on that period of my life, it feels like worlds away now.

(Also don't worry if you're reading this and feel concern for me, I haven't felt any suicidal feelings in practically a decade now. I'm sure as hard things may seem sometimes, I genuinely am miles away from that headspace and do not intend to hurt myself in any way.)

It's kinda weird knowing back when I was younger (which isn't that long ago, to be fair) that I already felt like my life was over. Like I just wasn't gonna get into university, I was gonna drop out, I'm gonna have to navigate the entire trajectory of my life in that deep fog.....

.....and now realizing where I am? It's weird. Like I didn't plan for any of this. I should be dead. I'm just winging this entire thing.

But.... it's also realizing that I'm gonna be fine.

To be perfectly honest, this year has been kinda rough for me. While I don't talk about my personal life too much on here I was pretty miserable the first 4 months due to getting screwed over during the start of my Masters, plus not seeing my irl friends for a while hasn't been ideal either. (I also feel kinda shitty complaining about these things in general, as I'm well aware these kinds of opportunities are things not everyone is able to get, and I know there's friends and others that have it worse off than me, so I just kinda keep that shit to myself)

But I've also come a long way haven't I? I've managed to graduate in the middle of a pandemic, managed to land a job helping the covid pandemic in my province, got my drivers licence, made memories with the ones I love and meeting new people, slowly becoming more independent and now doing climate change research for my Masters degree? It's...something.

It's kinda the feeling of your world being very small, like a tiny space where the fog obscures anything outside your view, and slowly it fading away and your world getting bigger. Like sure I can't 100% see the future, but it's important to reflect on knowing what that world was like before.

I wish I had something poetic here or a message or life lesson to articulate my thoughts. But that doesn't really work here. (I'm also being careful to focus on positive aspects of my life here, as it wouldn't really be great to focus on the more negative aspects, like that time I almost died again (this time not on purpose, I promise) in a car crash in 2020 or a really bad breakup I had with a group of friends. But I suppose that's just life, isn't it? You really get a wide variety of experiences, good or bad)

I can't really say my life is 100% improved at this point either, things still aren't perfect as I'm still living with my mom, a closeted queer, and I'm sure there's a lot that I still need to learn and considering, the uh, well (vaguely gestures at all the current events going on right now) stuff....going on........there's still a lot of work to be done.

Dandelions in the spring. A shining moon on a dark night. The first seedling after a forest fire. Fading scars. Light from a birthday candle held in your hands, carrying wishes in the wind long after they burn out.

Hope, I guess.

Anyway if you read this far here's my official adult™ tips from my experience:

If you wear jewellery that tarnishes quickly line a bowl with tinfoil shiny side up, place jewellery in the bowl with equal parts baking soda and salt, and pour boiling water over everything and leave for 5 minutes

Invest in a cushion that supports your tailbone. You have no idea how many office chairs have shit ergonomic design.

#the moon speaks #ask to tag #but then again it's also under the read more #im unfortunately gonna be busy with work the weekend of my birthday #but i have plans next weekend to celebrate with a nice restaurant dinner :3

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stayandot8 · 2 years ago

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Chapter One: Angels Choking On Their Halos

series summary: this one is a little different than anything else I've written. An AU where the members work in a bar with my MC, no idols among them. It's also going to be on the longer side. The fluffy Chris we know and love is nowhere to be found. He's broodier, moodier, and has jokes up the wazoo. So buckle up, kitties. This one's gonna be good 😏.

inspo: the song by Fall Out Boy.

Genre: i'm not really sure tbh

Relationship type: strangers

Important Contents: bar setting, so mentions of alcohol, chris is a lowkey-highkey dick, swearing as usual

WC: ~9k

Next part I masterlist

This wasn’t the place I wanted to work for the rest of my life. This was just a stepping stone for where I wanted to be, a place to gain more experience. Make money for now, save up for later. It would make things easier in the long run and that was what really mattered. It was all part of my plan. Sometimes, plans had to be changed in order to adjust to the moment’s needs.

This was what I would tell myself every time I would get a rude customer or had trouble with anyone I was working with, which wasn’t often. The family I had made here was enough to keep me going through some of the tougher aspects of life: family passing away, money troubles, even a small period of homelessness. The guys here had taken care of me like I was one of them, which I guess I was. They were all like brothers to me, which was inevitable in the three years we had worked together.

Minho’s dad owned the bar so he had to be here to be groomed to take over, not that he didn’t have the wish or experience to. He had longer dark hair that he often put back when he was behind the line. He worked hard, eager to prove himself to his father that he deserved to own the place someday. He was well on his way too; he was the best cook we had. When he clocked in, it was mostly business, not one for too much joking around in his kitchen. But when the place was closed and the after-shift drinks were flowing, his laugh was one of the loudest in the place. Seungmin was a close second though, more well known simply as Min. He had the most experience of all of them. He loomed over everyone back there, offering critiques when it was warranted while often keeping to himself and taking orders from Minho. He kept his hair short so it wouldn’t hang in his face while he was working. His eyes were my favorite; they got big when he was talking about something he loved (food, baseball). He loved to open up after a few (light) drinks in him after hours, making jokes at the others expense but never taking it too far. He never seemed to run out of material though, so I had to give him credit for his wit.

Changbin was the shorter one, which made him the perfect choice for security and hosting. It was odd how his rounder face and short dark hair accentuated his raging muscles without taking away from the kindness in his face when he wanted to show off his dimple. His uniform of all black was also a huge help. He was never without his favorite platform shoes though, adding another few inches just to give him the small confidence boost he needed to truly complete the intimidation feel he desired. But after the final customer had gone, he was always the first to clock out and head to the bar to grab his one drink for the night then make sure everyone else got home safely. He loved doing that, loved that he could care about others that way. He had created the environment here from scratch, letting everyone get into their patterns and learn each other's ways while we navigated how to work around each other. If anyone had any problems with another employee, they went to him and they talked about it. Changbin always made sure to see both sides while not putting himself in the middle. He was the perfect mediator.

Hyunjin was the lead server, in charge of everyone in the front of house. He was tall and lean, his muscle tone inviting long stares from both men and women alike. And when he noticed those stares, boy did he know how to work you. His ease through life was something to be revered, to be chased after for yourself. The way he seamlessly moved from one subject to another made him a flawless conversationalist, suave and sophisticated. It made people wonder what he was doing in a place like this. People had tried to steal him away, but he was loyal to Minho, his best friend since they were young school boys. He once admitted to me that he actually liked this job, never feeling like he was called to do anything else. He was rarely seen wearing the same thing twice, taking his appearance and his job very seriously as the representative of the place. Not to say he was strict with the people under him, he just liked to appear as no-nonsense. But he very much enjoyed the nonsense, especially when Felix was involved.

Felix was our pastry chef who owned a bakery a couple doors down. He would bring stuff in for us to sell and help out when he could. He wasn’t much for cooking but his baked goods were unbeatable. He came in about three times a week, alternating between dropping stuff off, indulging in his free meals and drinks which he insisted on paying for, or just enjoying the company we provided. His blonde mane was a point of fixation from the other guys, always commenting on how they were jealous and wanting to touch it, play with it. And he would let them because that was just the kind of guy he was. Felix would do anything to make the ones around him happy. He had grown close with the team, joking around and laughing with them in the kitchen. He would get a call from Hyunjin later into the night when he had already closed up shop for the night and be begged to come and help on anything. He picked up skills quickly, running food for us or helping me or Han behind the bar or even picking up a few tables here and there too. He never said no, always said he was happy to do it. His deep register was the first thing everyone noticed, his deep rumble of laughter forcing everyone to pause in wonder and seek out that call of Hades. It worked to his advantage whenever he would ask one of us to help him out with anything he ever needed. I knew if I couldn't say no to that voice and I knew for a fact no one else here could either. His juxtaposition to his bright demeanor was striking to anyone meeting him for the first time. He always had a smile on his face, no matter what. He picked up the spirits of everyone around him. That’s just who he was.

Han was similar to Felix, though not quite as pure goodness. If Felix was love and light, Han was love and chaos. He was the perfect combination for a co-lead bartender. His creativity was useful when trying to plan new drinks for special occasions, holidays, and just messing around at the end of the night. He was the creativity behind our little duo, I was more in charge of execution. The ‘but Han, how are you going to make the glass start smoking after the customer drinks it?’ or ‘ no, Han, we cannot incorporate weed for the April special’ and lots of ‘that’s a fire hazard, Han.’ were all things I said to him at least once a week. The boy loved to set things on fire so Minho put him up front with the liquids, where he could do minimal damage unless someone handed him a lighter. There may or may not have been a small sign that said ‘Do not give Han a lighter’ on the shelves for everyone to see. But he always meant well. His big brown eyes were such a warm invitation that you couldn’t help but smile when he introduced himself, never wanting to return anything but his warm energy when he was near. He was good like that, able to turn on the charm and the looks whenever he wanted to. He had a kind face which made him a good bartender, made him good with people. When he wore his glasses, he had all the ladies swooning. And he ingested information like it was food. He could get invested in any topic under the sun. Anything I threw at him during his training, he would be able to repeat back to me within about ten seconds, enough time for his brain to process said information and learn it. He explained this once to me back in ye olden days when he first started.

“When I’m passionate about something, I learn all I can and retain it. It’s a superpower I’ve always had but only when I really want to know something.” I didn’t question him again. Everytime he would come in with random facts about some mountain range somewhere far off or some type of goldfish he was learning about, he didn’t stop until he found his new fixation. I knew more about Ranchu goldfish than I ever cared to know. Ever.

Jeongin, more affectionately known as Innie, was the other server along with Hyunjin. He flitted through styles like they were nothing. That was actually how he got hired. Hyunjin had commented on his jacket and that was all they talked about the entire interview. I know because I was listening to them while they sat at my bar, voices occasionally rising to the point of harsh glares from myself and Han while we tried to help other patrons. He loved showing off his knowledge of the menu to newer customers, eager to help when they were having trouble. Minho had quizzed him a little to help him learn the details, which Jeongin seemed to appreciate. He took to the job quickly, becoming a favorite amongst some of the regulars, his easy charm contagious. It seemed to be a recurring theme among the front of house staff. Hyunjin had put together his team well.

Saturdays were just about the only day we were all here, minus Felix. The weekend was busy for him down at the bakery so he stayed there for the night, sometimes staying open late to come hang out with us later. Saturdays were always busy, classic date nights for the surrounding area. We were located near a hotel as well so the weekenders often came in either for a drink, for a quick meal or just to get out of their hotel room for a minute or two. The clientele ranged from businessmen there for a meeting with a relaxed environment, families, and couples coming in for a night out or simply away from home. Of course you’d get the occasional outlier: a diplomat wanting to just sit down, high-ranking officials grabbing a quick bite, or rarely, if you listen really closely, you can hear an occasional fight in the back of house. Like tonight.

Minho ran a tight ship back there, vetting almost everyone who dared apply. However, he cared less about who was washing the dishes, which opened the door for some pretty weird people to apply and get the job. He really just needed them to rinse and repeat so it made sense when the current dishwasher up and quit during the middle of a Saturday night dinner rush. I was mid-shake, tickets starting to create a small pile by the printer, when I heard the yelling over the music in the dining room.

“Well what the fuck do you want from me then?!” I stopped, searching the packed out dining room for Hyunjin and readying for damage control. I spotted his dark hair a few hundred feet across the room as he was doing the same, our eyes meeting and readying for the worst. Minho was mostly cool and calm but had quite a temper when provoked, as all cooks did who took pride in their work. But it wasn’t his voice that we could hear. And it wasn’t he who came storming into said dining room with his apron in his hands.

“Fuck this place!” Our former dishwasher threw his apron in my direction, hitting me in the face before I could throw my hands or move to avoid it. Luckily for me, the mysterious stains on it did nothing to my uniform of dark jeans and black button down. Winding through the tables, he flew the doors open and disappeared into the night. Hyunjin was still looking at me, his face now red with rage, both at the scene he had just caused and what had just occurred out of his reach. He started to follow after him but I shook my head at him, having too much to do to entertain the idea of being offended. He wasn’t worth it. Hyunjin seemed to agree, albeit reluctantly, as he continued back to the kitchen to assess the damage. I continued my work, Han coming to my side to ask what he could do to help.

“Hyunjin is going back there probably to take over at the sink. What I need from you is to help Innie on the floor. I can take care of everything back here.” I said as yet another ticket printed someone’s order.

“Are you sure? I can help you get tickets down then go.” He looked concerned. Little did he know this was what it was like before he came. I flashed a smile to ease the worry in his eyes.

“Oh please. I could do this in my sleep. I’ll make you something especially good tonight for hangback if you go now.” I continued smiling to cover the sternness in my voice, slipping into problem-solving mode. “And send Changbin up here when he has a second.” I called after him as he pulled his notepad and pen from his pocket to begin serving Hyunjin’s tables, giving me a thumbs up behind his back.

A flash of lemons, limes, and cherries later, a huffing Changbin appeared at the corner of my bar.

“I could kill that guy, leaving us high and dry in the middle of a rush. Did he throw his apron at you?” Everyone looks so concerned these days…

“In his defense, I don’t think it was intentional. I think he just meant to throw it behind the bar and I just happened to be in the way.”

“Yeah, that sounds like you. Giving people the benefit of the doubt.” That seemed to ease his concern a tad.

“Yeah, yeah.” I rolled my eyes at him and smiled, rinsing my cups to make room for new ones. “Could you help bus tables and run food if you have time? Just keep the front phone in your pocket and answer if it rings. I’m putting us on a temporary hold. We’ll check in with the back in about twenty minutes to see how they are.” He nodded, ever the loyal soldier. He even saluted me and ran back to the host stand to grab said phone and do exactly as I had asked, the kitchen doors swinging as he entered.

I spotted Jeongin at the end of my counter standing at our computer for putting in orders. Once I had a moment, I stepped over to him, spotting the slight tremor in his hand as he pressed button after button, glancing from his notepad back to the screen and back down again.

“Innie.” I singsonged to him, trying to perk him up as best I could. He smiled but still didn’t look up at me. “Are you doing okay? Do you need any help? I sent Han on the floor to help you with tables so you wouldn’t feel as swamped. Changbin is helping to run food as well so don’t worry about that. Just worry about keeping people happy, okay? Which shouldn't be hard to do since you’re just so darn cute.” I leaned on the counter to stare up at him, hoping to catch his eye so I could be sure the gleam returned. I got him grinning and blushing which was confirmation enough.

“I’m okay for now, thank you. I’m about to put in for some chilled shots, okay? This table is hell-bent on celebrating something and I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what it was.” I laughed along with him as he gathered his stuff to walk away again. I called out to him.

“I’m here if you need help!”

“I know!” He flashed me another grin as he held the kitchen door open for Hyunjin, who was carrying about eight plates in his arms, then disappeared behind the swinging door.

“How come you never offer to help me, huh?” Hyunjin had shouted as he was walking past me to deliver the food.

“Because you’re magical. You need no help.” He half-heartedly glared at me, smirking at the same time.

“You’ve got tickets again.” Shit. That damn printer…

***

“Han, I swear if you break a bottle, it’s coming out of your paycheck!” Minho was pointedly staring at Han as he tried some new trick he had learned on Youtube the night before. It involved throwing a bottle and that was when I stopped listening to shut it down. Han, ever the rebel, chose to do it anyway. But now he was doing it in front of Minho, who now that the doors were closed, was the young boy he could be without his mask of professionalism. Surrounded by friends instead of coworkers now, he could relax and enjoy the shenanigans from the safety of the bar.

I heard this being shouted from the kitchen, where Hyunjin, Changbin, and I were gathering our food for the night.. I grabbed a to-go tray full of chips and salsa for the table so as not to create more dishes for Hyunjin who had been stuck there all night long. Hyunjin grabbed some cheese from the walk-in fridge like a mouse, and Changbin was chomping down on a steak that was cooked too long for the customer’s request, so it was put aside for him. We gathered what we needed and returned to the bar where everyone was waiting for us, seated in booths and bar stools. Han had decided against his internet trick, settling for being the bartender for the night.

“Okay! What is everyone having?” He asked the room, steadfast in his decision. As orders were placed, I put the chips down in front of Jeongin and sat between him and Hyunjin, Seungmin on his other side and Minho next to Jeongin. Changbin moved from his booth to the bar when his food was finished. He hated being left out.

“I will have whatever that crazy brain can think of that will get me good and drunk so I can forget this stupid night ever happened. I’m off tomorrow, right Minho?” Hyunjin looked expectantly at him. Minho shrugged nonchalantly.

“Whatever. Hey, where’s my scotch?!” He directed that at Han, who got to it immediately, cracking jokes about impatience while he poured the brown liquid into a paper cup. “What, no glass?” Minho jutted out his lip in a pout.

“Do you want to clean it?” Hyunjin retorted, the amusement gone from his face. His fingers were pruned from the constant submersion in water; Seungmin hid the rubber gloves from him. Minho nodded in understanding and took a sip from his cup. Han started pouring different liquids into one cup with a dash of juice at the top and handed it to Hyunjin. He took a sip and coughed. Hard. “Damn, dude. I would have asked for a Long Island if I wanted one.”

“You asked for something that would get you good and drunk so there you go. You don’t like it, give it back. Who’s next?” Without any of us seeing or hearing him, Felix emerged from the kitchen doors.

“I’ll take something fruity please!” His signature smile was plastered on his face as we all greeted him. Jeongin started telling him about what had happened with our former coworker when Han dropped off something pink for the both of them.

“And he just walked out in the middle of it! All of my tables were so confused, they had no idea he worked here. I tried to just laugh it off but my heart stopped for a second.”

“Good riddance, I say. I never liked him anyways.” Minho took another sip.

“Then why did you hire him?” My question was amplified when the others asked the same thing. Han dropped off Changbin’s chilled vodka and Seungmin’s beer.

“We needed a dishwasher.” Minho replied simply. “I’ve got someone in mind to replace him, don’t worry Hyunjin. He’ll be in by the time you come in on Monday.” Hyunin nodded his approval and took as big of a swig as he could muster from his Long Island.

“And what are you having, gorgeous?” Han appeared in front of me, batting his eyelashes. I flicked him on his forehead lightly just because I could. He barely moved and his smile only grew, used to my loving taps.

“I’ll take something with that new blueberry vodka we just got. I think it would be good with-” I was cut off as Han ran over to the shelf where it was.

“I got it! I’ve been thinking about what to do with it all night. See how you like this. I think it’s perfect.” Watching Han work was something to behold. The look of concentration was so intense, you didn’t want to break it. Seeing him focus on one task at a time happened so rarely, it was a wonder he ever got anything done at all.

“Now you owe me a drink if my memory serves me. I’ll take something light please, I’d actually like to be able to drive home tonight.” He rounded the edge of the bar to take my seat as we switched places. I turned my back to the group now excitedly chattering about sports and whatnot to stare at the bottles I got to choose from. After thinking, my lips pursed, I chose something that didn’t take much alcohol, granting him his request. As I switched our drinks to grab mine, I strolled through the back of the bar, my second home, to eavesdrop on all the conversations going on. Smiling to myself, proud of the job by the team in front of me, this family I had made.

***

“Does someone want to tell me why I'm here on my day off?” Hyunjin, decked in casual clothes and sunglasses to ‘hide his eyes from the terror of the sun’ and a drink in front of him. Seungmin was beside him in similar attire having just arrived himself. After the last customer had left the lunch rush, Minho shut the doors behind them and locked them, turning the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’ and leaving the seven of us from the night before sitting once again at the bar in anticipation. Minho called staff meetings only when needed and it seemed whatever situation he deemed necessary, it was rarely good.

“Take off those glasses and I’ll tell you.” Minho replied as he approached us once more, joining me behind the bar to face everyone head on with a signature smirk. Hyunjin scoffed as he refused, grumbling to Seungmin beside him. “Okay losers. I found a new dishwasher. It’s a guy I’ve known for a while so he shouldn’t be any trouble. He’s fallen on some hard times so I thought it might be good for him to come work with us. Everyone is going to be on their best behavior, right?”

“Why, are we meeting him now?” I asked simply, not sure what this big meeting was for.

“Yes actually. He’s staying at the hotel next door ad he’s waiting out back for me to bring him in. I called you all here to meet him and to make sure everyone was on the same page. Yeah?” Minoh widened his eyes just enough to stare everyone directly in the eye to see their resolution for peace and calm before he was satisfied and exited through the kitchen doors to fetch whoever this guy was, wiping his hands on his apron along the way. The rest of us looked around at each other, slightly scared of what he could possibly be bringing in.

“This couldn’t be said in a text?” Hyunin said under his breath.

“No proof, no trail.” Seungmin replied. We all nodded.

Minho returned in a matter of seconds, the mystery guest in tow. He wasn’t entirely short but he wasn’t exactly tall either, his dark hair curly and short and poking out of his black cap. It hung just short of his eyes, dusting his brows with every movement. His eyes were a dark brown, but they were not what I was paying attention to. No, his body was what drew my attention first. His shirt had the sleeves cut off so his muscular arms and peeks of his torso were on full display, cut so low that his chest was almost fully visible to anyone who wanted to take a peek. Which I might have done already when he turned to the side to shake hands with everyone. He greeted everyone with a small smile, chatting for a second with everyone before turning to the next. He introduced himself as Chris. Minho would occasionally call him Chan, making the joke that they were different people. His permanent, shy smile had dropped when he made eye contact with me, drinking in my features like he had all day to do so. He shook his head, trying to get an imaginary fly off of his face and nodded at me. That nod echoed through me as I took him, all of him, in. It was like a bell had gone off in my own mind. For trouble or danger or something else entirely, I didn’t know. But it was all I could hear until Minho’s voice carried through the piercing in my head as I found his eyes again.

“She’s been with me the longest so she’s almost like second in charge without having the title of it. She’s the best around, you won’t find any better than her.” Minho’s proud smile should have comforted me but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had been slighted by him somehow. Changbin interrupted this introduction to ask Minho about a reservation for tonight so his back was turned to us.

“The best he’s got?” He said with the slightest trace of mocking, his eyebrow raised in questioning.

“Of course. I’ve been in this industry long enough to know my way around just about everything.”

“Someone sounds cocky.” Well that’s rude.

“I know what I’m worth.” At least I sounded cooler than I felt. I crossed my arms in front of me as I hardened my features at him, daring him to challenge me. He shrugged his shoulders, brushing me off and turning back to Minho.

“Come on, I’ll show you around.” Minho guided Chris away and led him to the kitchen, Seungmin following close behind to show him everything Minho would deem unimportant. I followed them with my eyes until I could be sure they were out of earshot.

“Can you believe that? The nerve of that guy.” Everything in me felt like yelling at whoever was closest, Hyunjin being the closest target. His face was blank.

“What happened? I wasn’t paying attention.” I sighed, resigned to just let it go until it reared its ugly head again.

“Nothing. Nevermind.”

“Well, since that was it, I’m going to resume my day off activities. I’ll see you troublemakers tomorrow.” Hyunjin rose from his barstool and slid his glasses back over his eyes. He turned his head to face me as he leaned on the bar, leaning his head in closer to me as if to tell me a secret. “I saw that look you gave him. Play nice. I don’t think I can handle more new people coming in and ruining my rhythm.” He feigned brushing his hair off his shoulders. I scoffed at him.

“What rhythm is that?” He trailed away to the door.

“The rhythm of me tolerating those who are already here!” He called from the front doors, halfway open from his outstretched arm. With his other, he pointed a finger at poor Han who was oblivious, gave me an annoyed look, and disappeared through the glass doors.

What look? I wondered to myself. I didn’t give him any specific look… Did I? I shook my head at the thought and continued my prep work for Han’s shift, my mind flitting between thoughts of the new guy and what his problem was between slices of limes and lemons, listening to the chatter behind me grow as the restaurant doors opened for the dinner rush to flood in.

I was gathering the normal clutter for a new table. Napkins piled on top of the extra plates and the only thing left to grab was silverware. But the rack was empty. The only thing to do would be to ask the dishwasher to immediately do a load for some clean ones. This would be my own test to see if Chris could be a professional during service hours. My approach was always to be nice until they hit strike three. He was only at strike one so niceties it was. I pushed the swinging door to find Minho with his back to me, reading a ticket to himself. I marched over to the sink where my target awaited, one headphone in his ear. I tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey Chris, we need more silverware up front. We’re all out.” I said plainly. I waited, watching the back of his head for him to turn to acknowledge me. He didn’t. I tapped him harder. “Hey Chris!” He finally turned, confusion evident.

“What, why are you trying to scare someone who’s working with heavy machinery?”

“I tapped you already and you said nothing. And an industrial dishwasher is hardly heavy machinery. We’re out of silverware up front.” I said just as dry as I had before. I turned to walk away, satisfied with myself. I saw out of the corner of my eye that he hadn’t moved so I stopped to turn back and see that he was still staring at me. “What?” I snipped.

“I didn’t hear a question. Or a certain magic word.” His eyes widened in fake innocence, showcasing for anyone on the outside to see this as playful banter. I knew better, but I had to let him win. He had something I needed and I was ever the chess player in knowing that sacrifices for the short were better for the long run. I took a deep breath and put on my best fake smile.

“Chris, do you mind terribly washing some silverware and bringing it out to us so we can serve our customers and make some damn money? Please.” I batted my eyelashes at him, signaling that this was not over. Not by a long shot.

“Of course I can.” He responded with an equally fake smile. “I’ll bring it out as soon as it’s ready.” He turned back to his sink, grabbing the next bucket of dishes and pulling out the silverware to separate it. I was surprised I wasn’t literally seeing red, my hands were shaking beside me, clenched into fists. I wiped my sweaty palms on my work jeans, desperate for some control over my own body again. Who the fuck was he to question me? Twice in one day too? I think not. I didn’t know how but I would get my revenge one way or another. One day…

But the question was really very simple. Why did I let someone who did not know me get to me so quickly? It had been less than a day and he had already worked his way under my skin, churning the fire I didn’t know was inside. I stopped in the hallway leading to the dining room, taking solace in the darkness and muted noises. I let these thoughts come and go, trying to let them wash over me. If this was how he was, he wouldn’t last very long. Someone would see through him, right? I shook my head and took several breaths, willing my heartbeat to steady out before I went back to my tables.

A slower dinner service than usual allowed Han to work his usual charms on the few lucky ones to sit at his bar. His nights to take full control were almost every other night starting on Sundays, leaving me to either have the days off or work the floor if I needed the money. It was fun to watch him in his element, the easy conversation flowing so naturally with perfect strangers it made anyone wonder if they actually knew each other. I was by the POS station at the edge, counting my tickets to ensure I had them all as the night was dying down. The remaining tables belonged to Jeongin so I was free to sit at the bar until everyone had gone.

I hadn’t seen much of Chris tonight other than the one instance, every other trip I made to the kitchen he seemed to be too occupied with a conversation with Minho or involved in his work to pay much attention to anything else. I was still deciding if I wanted to address his weird behavior or drop it entirely. Until…

I had remembered that I had bought something special for myself and Han after a particularly hard shift weeks prior and it had arrived that morning. I hopped off my stool to grab it from my bag in the office, passing by Chris on his phone in the hallway. His brows were drawn together in concentration and his typing only got more furious after I passed by. I noted it for later dissection.

I returned to Han at the bar with the item behind my back. After he finished, he saw me trying to keep any indication that I was holding a surprise off of my face as best I could. His eyes squinted as he drew nearer, caution written all over his features.

“Whatcha got there, sparky?” He finally spoke as he folded his arms over the counter, leaning his full weight on them as a smile crept over. I whipped out what was behind my back, a rhinestone covered shaker I had found. Han’s eyes got wide with excitement.

“You don’t have to use it obviously if it’s too ‘girly’ for you,” I used my fingers for the air quotes. “But if you want to use it, I’m going to wash it and put it back there. Just remember to hand wash it, don’t send it back to dish. I worry about the stones chipping off or something.” I couldn’t help my smile as Han took it from my hands to examine it, eyes wide. That’s when I felt more than saw another presence coming up behind me.

“What is that?” I could hear the disgust Chris was trying to mask under the layers of feigned curiosity. “I could see it from the kitchen.”

“It’s our new shaker, courtesy of yours truly.” I turned to stare directly into the sun to find his eyes staring right back at me. His brows raised in surprise.

“Oh you bought it for this place? I should call you Sparkles.” He chuckled at his own joke then paused for a moment, his eyes going distant as he watched Han decide where to put our new jewel. “In fact, I think that’s your name from now on.” He said just low enough for only me to hear, giving me a smirk and shuffling off back to the kitchen before I could protest. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Han, proudly displaying our new shaker to anyone who would listen.

An hour later, the floor empty and chairs on top of tables, Jeongin was mopping the stone floor as part of his closing duties. He had drawn the short straw so it was his final duty before he could clock out officially and join the rest of us who had worked that night at our usual spot at the bar. Everyone, sans Seungmin, Hyunjin, and Felix who had been dying to meet the new guy, was waiting for the blonde baker to make an appearance before fully getting into the swing of the evening. Changbin was seated at the end, Minho beside him and fully engaged in the conversation. That left myself, Han, and Chris who was sitting with an empty seat between us. Han was in his usual place behind the bar and asking those who had clocked out what they wanted to drink down at the opposite end. I was busy looking at my phone, catching up on missed notifications while Chris was letting his eyes roam around to take in his surroundings. They landed on Han a few feet away, chatting and laughing with the guys.

“He’s good at that, isn't he.” Not a question. An observation of the world he had waltzed into. More to himself than to me, but I saw my window of opportunity to be the bigger person and I took it. I watched Han do what he did best while mixing different liquids for the men in front of him.

“Yes he is. He’s got a natural knack for people. It’s what makes him good at his job.” He paused, like he wasn’t expecting me to answer, then nodded once in acknowledgement. Then he turned his dark eyes to me and waited until I looked at them to ask his next question.

“And what makes you good at yours, Sparkles? Do you also have a ‘natural knack for people’?” A gentle mix of curiosity and a slight mocking tone in his words. It took me by surprise that he was asking me anything at all.

“No, it’s my ability to judge a person’s character within seconds of meeting them. I knew who Minho was when he introduced himself in primary school.”

“Minho isn’t very hard to read.” He cocked an eyebrow at me.

“Oh I beg to differ.” I cocked one right back. “He’s a master at saying one thing and meaning another. It took me years before he moved away to try and decipher his secret language. You, however…”

He sat back expectantly, a bored expression plastered on his face, waiting for me to dazzle him as my nickname implied. As I drew my pause longer, he shook his head slowly, impatiently at me.

“Yes?

I studied him a moment longer, not quite ready to give up his attention so quickly. I wanted it for some reason, whether it was because I had earned it or some other deep seeded reason to be explored by a therapist. But I wanted his attention for as long as I could keep it. There was something captivating about it. I realized I had been silent for a second too long before I finally spoke.

“You like to tease because it gets a reaction out of people. It keeps their attention on you and you love it. Maybe you didn’t get enough attention as a child or someone took it all away from you. Either way.” I watched his face fall from blank ignorance to stone cold. Nail on the head. “Whatever your parents did, it’s time to forgive them and grow up. You don’t need attention to make people like you.” I felt my smugness flood from my brain straight to my smile as I turned back to my phone. “It’s like I know you already.”

“I promise you don’t.” The quickness of his response snapped my attention back to him. His expression hardened in moments, leaving me with no retort. “I suggest you not parade around claiming to know things you don’t know the first thing about. Hiding behind knowledge you think you have doesn’t suit you. It makes you look ignorant. I would suggest you try to get to know people before assuming things about them. Especially me.” I no longer wanted to be the subject of his attention. I felt the blush involuntarily creep up my cheeks as I tried and begged my eyes to look anywhere but at him. “Let me tell you what I know about you, hm? You’re so buried in your work that you don’t even see what’s happening around you. Take that away and what’s left? Friends? Everyone you know seems to work here. Family? I know by the way you treat your coworkers that you don’t have any. You don’t wear your emotions on your sleeve, you wear them on your face. I can read you like a book.” He had moved off of his seat in the midst of his little speech to lean closer to my face, almost spitting on me several times. He gave a half smile and turned to walk away. I found my brain and my words just in the knick of time.

“I’ve finally got my nickname for you.” I willed my voice to keep from quivering.

“Oh yeah?” He turned back to me, still not far.

“Puck.”

“Puck? Like a hockey puck?” “Like from Shakespeare. He’s a character in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

“Ah. And why is that relevant?”

“Because he’s a donkey. And you’re an ass.”

I grabbed my bag and bolted for the door, ignoring the shouts of protest and questions about where I was going. I felt someone bump into my shoulder as I ran, not bothering to turn to see Felix before shouting an apology and running to my car before anyone saw my tears.

***

“I just don’t understand, Felix. He’s known me less than a day and he already hates me? Tell me how that makes sense.” Sitting across from Felix in his own bakery was my favorite way to spend my days off. He had made such a cozy place to call his own. Cases of baked goods lined the sides with the counter facing the glass front doors. The blue walls had cute pictures of animals all over them, ranging from cats to dogs to bunnies and ferrets to baby chicks and wolf pups to piglets running around in grass fields or playing in mud. I wondered where he got them all from but I hadn’t dared ask. There were fake vines and flowers hanging from the ceiling, creating the feel of being in a pastel forest dream. White steel chairs and tables were spread across the small room and just outside the doors, people enjoying his products were seen constantly with smiles and laughter.

A yellow plate with the wrapper from his newest cupcake flavor, Cherry Lime Surprise, in front of me, Felix stopped me mid-rant.

“And what exactly did he say to you again?” I scoffed.

“Ha! Which time? When he questioned my abilities just after Minho told him I was the best he had, not only insulting me but Minho too? Or when he made me stop and say please when we needed more silverware in the middle of service when I had other shit to do? Or, my personal favorite, when he called me a friendless workaholic with no family and my head up my own ass? Which time are you referring to, Felix?” I had to scoff again, lost in my own thoughts. “It’s ridiculous. He doesn’t even know me. What makes him think he can pass such definite judgment on me?”

“He seemed to be in a sour mood after you left last night. He apologized that he wasn’t in a happier mood. Said he had a bad night and had to leave shortly after you did. The other guys say he’s fine, he jokes around with them and everything. Minho said he was a childhood friend.” “Yeah well so am I. I know he would believe me if I told him but I also know he would tell me to deal with it myself. And I don’t want to have to run to him if I ever have a problem with someone he hires.”

“You literally never have.” Felix gave his best comforting smile, making his eyes sparkle.

“Maybe not. But I don’t want to start now.”

“Why is he bothering you so much? He doesn’t know you so why does his opinion matter?” Now that was a thinker.

“Well, if I’m going to see him so often working there, I thought we could get along. Be friends even. Or at least friendly. But with the way he’s acting after only knowing me a day, I don’t see that happening.” I pushed the plate away towards him, nudging him that I wanted another. I widened my eyes to plead, but he saw right through me and grabbed the plate.

“You have to pay for this one!” He called to me. I followed him up there to do exactly that. “And don’t over tip me! You’re paying too much already.”

“Try and stop me! It’s my way of paying you for listening to me rant about nothing.” I responded as he retrieved my delicious dessert from its case and placed it on my plate to hand to me. I turned the device back to him and grabbed my plate to run away back to my table before he could yell at me. He looked incredulously at the device then back up to me, his mouth agape. I shrugged with my most mischievous smile. “If you tell me it’s too much, I’m just going to double it next time.” I watched his shoulders move up and down dramatically as he threw his head back to look at the ceiling. He stared for a second before coming around the counter to sit in his white chair.

“Anyways. As I was saying.” He narrowed his eyes at me, waiting for me to take a bite before continuing. “If you have to work with him, you only have a few options. The first would be to try and make peace. Remind him you have to work together and see if you can compromise enough to be civil and only talk to him when you need to.” My top lip curled in disgust as I swallowed.

“Or?” I popped the last bit of bliss into my mouth, intent on savoring it while I could.

“Or you could avoid him at all costs. Don’t speak to him. Just ignore him if he tries to talk to you about anything other than work. But I highly advise against this. You do work together now and running away from your problems never works. You know that.”

“Unfortunately, I do. But if I’m going to avoid him effectively, he needs to stay in the kitchen. I won’t bother him if he doesn’t bother me.” Felix took my empty plate from me as I rose to leave, gathering my stuff.

“If that’s how you want to play it, then I’ll be here waiting for it to all go to hell.” He gave me another one of those signature smiles. Every time he flashed me one of those, I knew that everything would be okay. That’s what made Felix such a good friend. He gave good advice but would also be there for you when you ignored it. No matter how much he teased, he never said ‘I told you so’ or judged you when something was your fault. He never threw it in your face when you were wrong, he just patiently waited for you to realize it. He was a good friend, better than I deserved. His sultry voice broke me of my thoughts. “If you want to start your avoiding tactic, now is a great time. He’s across the street on his way over.” I whipped my head around to see Chris dressed in all black with a backpack on his shoulder and indeed headed this way. “He asked if he could come see the place so I told him to come by.”

“Shit.” It was the fastest I had gathered the rest of my things, cursing myself for spreading out so elaborately.

“Use the back door.” Felix, you angel. I told him so as I rushed onto the street outside.

***

“Doesn’t it liven up the place? I think it does.” I stepped back to admire my handiwork. I had lined the shelves of liquor with tiny christmas lights, equipped with a remote to change the colors to anything possible. Changbin was watching me struggle with the different sticky strips to hang them, not offering any helpful suggestions whatsoever but admiring the job once I was done.

“I like it! Can you turn them purple? What about blue?”

“I can do better than that. Watch this.” I pressed the multicolored button on the remote and the lights turned from red to orange to yellow all the way down the rainbow and back again, on a constant loop. I proudly watched Changbin’s face gleam with pride as he watched my lights flicker.

“Yah! I’m so proud of you. You did it all by yourself.” He beamed at me, marveling at them as he walked backwards to the kitchen to discuss tonight’s dinner service with Seungmin. After watching the lights for a little while longer, I pulled out my cutting board and fruits to cut for myself.

I was ready to put my plan into action when Chris walked up to see the commotion.

“I guess Sparkles was the right name for you after all.” He flashed me a quick half-smile. A blink and I would have missed it. “It looks good. Brightens it up.” And then he was gone as quickly as he had come.

What the fuck was that?!

This back and forth was making my head spin. Before I could think too much about it other than my initial reaction, Minho came in through the locked front doors. Which was odd because Tuesdays were his day off, his jeans hanging loosely around his hips and his white tshirt showing off his toned muscles.. His eyes searched around the room for something and landed on me. He nodded, signaling that he was headed for me.

“Why are you here? Don’t you have some expensive wine tasting to attend or something to improve your restaurant?” I gave a sickeningly sweet smile, flashy all of my teeth for him.

“Haha, very funny.” He narrowed his eyes and grimaced. “Where’s Chris?”

“Probably in the back.” I waved my hand in the direction I implied.

“Good. Don’t move. I want to talk to you both.” Uh Oh…

I quite literally couldn’t move, my brain jumping from thought to thought and never quite landing on a reason why he would want to talk to the both of us. Had Felix told him everything? No, he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t betray my trust like that. Minho came back with Chris, an apron tied around his waist and wiping his hands off with a towel before slinging it over his shoulder.

“What’s up, Minho?” I couldn’t help my suspicious tone.

“I want you to train Chris behind the bar starting Monday next week.” He bore into my eyes, daring me to protest. I knew better. Chris had moved his attention to me, a smug smile spreading across his features.

“Why?” Questioning was okay.

“We were talking a few nights ago about how he wanted to learn mixology and there’s no one better to learn from. Chris, before you start to protest, keep in mind that she’s the best in the business when it comes to training. She taught Han everything he knows. If you want to learn, you learn from her.” He turned to me, wiping the smug look off my face when I heard his tone from the first word.

“And you. You can teach anyone, I know you can. You can whip anyone into shape, I've seen it. Give him a chance and you might just see the potential that I see. If he wants to learn, why shouldn’t you be the one to teach him?” He leaned back pushing off the counter, smiling to himself. Like he was proud of making us work together. Like he hadn’t just given me the biggest test of my patience I had no intention of acing a minute ago.

“Oh by the way,” he turned, clearly headed for the back door to the parking lot. “Both of your jobs depend on it. So play nice.” I could swear I just saw devil horns poking through his hair just then as he smirked and twirled on his heel. He sauntered away and whistled some unknown tune, seemingly unaware of the bomb he had just dropped in front of me, its faint ticking in time with his retreating footsteps.

“Can I call you Professor Sparkles?” He had leaned in closer so I could hear his whisper. The urge to slap the smugness off of his face was heavy. My hand may have twitched. On its own, of course. The smile he was sporting was dangerous. Time to throw caution to the wind. I leaned in as well, not wanting anyone else to hear what I was saying.

“Alright Puck. You wanna play?” I leaned in an inch closer, my lips tugging at the corners. “Then let’s play.”

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