#such fun nighttime themed works!

[so-many-ocs]

practical writing advice

part 2

avoid writing in bed if you can. writing in bed is the mind-killer. writing in bed is the little death that brings obliteration. you may think "but i can write AND be cozy" you will get sleepy so fast. 98% of the time when i try to get a nighttime writing session done in bed i go to sleep. maybe 70% of the time if it's an afternoon writing session. also it fucking kills your wrists.

STRETCH before writing. stretch as many parts of your body as possible ESPECIALLY YOUR WRISTS! i have chronic tendonitis in both of my arms from not doing this and it is manageable but it is Not Fun!

plug your phone in on the other side of the room. better yet, plug it in and leave it in another room. better yet, power it off and leave it in another room. "i'll just check one quick thing" do not underestimate the power of the doomscroll.

do a warmup. look up writing prompts (i like one-word prompts or prompts that focus on a general theme as it's easier to integrate into my writing style), set a timer for fifteen minutes, or ten, or five, and go ham. make it shitty or incomprehensible, as long as you make it. create a dump document for all your warmups. i currently have two novels in the works that started as one of these fifteen minute little warmups.

pick your background noise ahead of time if you use it, and look for something long. i listen to 3-hour-long silent hill ambient mixes on youtube dot com.

take breaks. around every 45 minutes, as i'm noticing myself begin to lose focus, i get up, grab a drink, get my blood flowing, and give myself some space to breathe.

sometimes i sit down to write and i think "every atom in my body is averse to doing this right now. i would rather dance barefoot on a bed of nails than open my laptop and start typing." and you know what i do? i go do something else instead. don't force it! it will become a chore.

that being said! write as often as possible. try to write every day. try to write at the same time. don't beat yourself up if you can’t, BUT the more often you write, the more often you'll want to write.

if you're stuck on a scene or a page or a chapter, go back to the last place where you felt like you knew what you were doing and start writing from there. keep a copy of your other writing in case you want to reuse it or refer back!

i don't know if this is something that will be helpful for other people but i start mentally preparing myself for my writing session a few hours ahead of time. i will say to myself, "today, at this time, i'm gonna sit down and write that scene where mina walks out on her book club, and it's going to be awesome and i'm looking forward to it." then, by the time i actually begin, i basically have the whole thing written out in my head and can just put it down to paper. it's a good way to at least kickstart the session !

ok thanks bye

[saintobio]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐍 & 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐑.

rule #1: even if the world crumbles down in front of you, never, ever trust sylus with your heart. because even the fiercest flames can't match the danger of loving a man like him.

♱ pairings. sylus, fem!reader

♱ genre. angst, smut, boss/assistant, 18+

♱ tags. villain!reader, reader works for onychinus, reader is not l&ds!mc, set in the N109 zone, unrequited love, profanity, petnames (kitten, baby doll, darling, sweetie), unprotected sex, throatfucking (m!receiving), cunnilingus (f!receiving), cum-eating, slight dom/sub play, spitting, hair-pulling, spanking, biting, choking, overstimulation, bondage, blindfolding, lots of jealousy, possessiveness, yandere themes, stalking, blood, violence, usage of guns, allusions to prostitution, killings, death, *coughs* that one harley+joker scene.

♱ notes. 8.2k words. inspired by this song bcos i can’t stop thinking abt him for days

“Boss is looking for ‘ya.”

It was already nighttime when you emerged from the library, only to encounter the eccentric twins, Luke and Kieran, lounging on the window sill as if they had been waiting for you to come out of your bat cave. They always donned their signature uniforms of leathered attire and beaked masks, an outfit reminiscent of Sylus’s mechanical crow, Mephisto. Behind their silhouettes, the red glow of the blood moon poured through the window, casting an eerie, crimson hue across the dimly lit hallways. Any normal person would have found such an atmosphere disturbing. 

But that was the N109 Zone for you—a dark, lawless, enigmatic place you called home.

“Is he in his room already?” you asked, quietly closing the door behind you. In your arm was a thick book, an archival file you had spent nearly two hours searching for. It contained records of historical events, of life before the Chronorift Catastrophe of 2034, before the Deepspace Tunnel was opened. Sylus had tasked you with finding the file for reasons he didn’t care to disclose.

A curious Luke tilted his head and swung his feet in the air as he pointed at the book. “Let me guess,” he began with a teasing tone, “Is that book some sort of Kama Sutra?”

Kieran’s snigger followed. “I bet it is, since it’s her birthday in a few hours.”

“Very funny,” was your quick retort. “It’s a history book, you idiots. Sylus needs it for something.”

The twins then let out a teasing coo. “Aww, so no birthday ‘fun’ for you?” asked Luke, “I thought sleeping with your boss would have its perks, too.”

Although his comment was meant to be a joke, you bristled at his jab at your professionalism. It had been a few years since you started this kind of relationship with Sylus, with him being your boss and the leader of Onychinus, and with you as his personal assistant and, well… escort. 

In and out of the N109 Zone, Sylus was a popular man for both good and bad reasons. His notoriety was mostly for his influence, and sometimes for his crimes. He was known to be unforgiving—a brute man who carried no conscience towards his enemies. One wrong move and you’d find yourself six feet under. Perhaps, that was what you admired so much about him. His aura, his domineering persona, his dangerous charm. He had mastered the art of seduction, the sin of hunger and desire. His power. There was no one like him. 

And so, you were the happiest woman alive when what began as an unrequited admiration eventually blossomed into something more. Spending more time with your boss played a pivotal role in gaining his interest towards you, because day-by-day he started to learn how much of an asset you could be for him. You were his prized possession. You were the most powerful weapon in his arsenal. Despite Luke and Kieran’s constant warnings of the abyss you were throwing yourself into, you were willing to be a pawn in Sylus’s game of chess. You wanted to be the Queen next to a King. Because that meant you were too valuable to simply set aside.

Yet Sylus was never one to clarify the nature of your relationship. He’d often say there was no need to clear up such a silly thing. All you knew was that when Sylus needed you, he had to have you. In all ways. He’d still act professional and distant depending on the audience. But behind closed doors, he spoiled you like a princess, treated you like a queen, and worshiped you like a saint. He was a sadistic, draconic man towards others, but he always had a gentle spot for you. Only for you. 

And that was a spot you would never, ever share with anyone else.

“Whatever. I gotta go see him,” you excused yourself from the two, just as one of them tossed a black box to you. “Is this my present?”

The twins jumped down from the window sill in perfect sync. “Advance happy birthday to the princess of Onychinus. Make sure to open the gift when boss is around.”

Your lips spread into a smile as you held the box in your free hand. Luke and Kieran giving you a gift was the last thing you would expect from them. “Why, thank you—”

“Yeah, yeah. You should go see him now,” said Kieran, pushing you forward by the shoulders. “Can’t keep boss waiting.”

By the time you reached Sylus’s door, the twins’ distant, mischievous chuckles then echoed down the hall. You couldn’t help but laugh and shake your head before grasping the door handles, stepping inside of Sylus’s bedroom with slow, measured steps. You didn’t know why you were nervous. As the door shut behind you, the familiar scent of leather, cardamom, and sandalwood immediately enveloped you like a fragrant, hallucinatory mist. However, his king-sized bed lay empty with the sheets still perfectly arranged. There were no signs of him anywhere, until the sound of cascading rainwater drew your gaze toward the bathroom, where his tall figure was visible through the frosted glass. He was engaged in a steamy shower, clearly unaware of the intruder that entered his room just now.

“Boss?” you called out, standing by his bed. “I’ll leave the file on your nightstand.” 

Receiving no response, you placed the book on the bedside table and waited for him patiently. Should you stay or should you leave? It usually depends on Sylus’s mood. There were nights where he wanted to be left alone, and nights where he craved your presence. His lack of response may be a sign to exit his room. But as you prepared yourself to leave thinking that Sylus purposely ignored you, a certain black velvet box resting on his nightstand suddenly caught your eye. Unlike the typical small box that might hold a ring, this one was more rectangular in shape and you were drawn to it like a moth to a flame. It was your curiosity that led you to touch the soft surface, wondering what lay beneath it.

Is it for me…?

“They say curiosity kills a cat.” Sylus’s deep, resonant voice broke your trance as he stepped out of the shower. Wrapped in nothing but a white towel around his waist, his muscular form was on full display as he approached you with assertive footsteps. Every curve of his muscle flexed as he moved. And his carnelian eyes sparkled with amusement, the corners of his thin, pinkish lips curving upward when he walked closer to you. “Touching my things without permission. Are you asking to be punished, kitten?”

Your heart raced as he closed the distance. Yet, maintaining composure around Sylus was a skill you had honed since the day you began working for him. “Oh, forgive me, master,” you merely teased. “It caught my attention.”

“Curious about the box or who it’s for?” he taunted, raking his fingers through his damp gray hair. Beads of water glistened on his bare skin, and you found your gaze wandering to his perfectly sculpted abs until you felt his finger lifting your chin up. “Eyes on me, honey. Don’t tell me you thought that velvet box was for you?”

So it isn’t? You suppressed a disappointed expression, but your clouded eyes betrayed you. “No, I… just curious.”

“Is that a sad kitten I see?” he asked, tilting his head to catch even the slightest changes in your expression. “You wanna open the box?”

“No, thank you.” Your stubbornness prevailed this time.

Sylus’s lips curved into a smile as he stepped closer, his arms wrapping around your waist and turning you gently. He then went on to open the velvet box and fastened a silver necklace around your neck. “Happy birthday, my darling,” he whispered into your ear, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine as he planted a tender kiss on your shoulder. “That’s a red beryl crystal—one of the rarest gemstones in the world.”

Your eyes sparkled in awe as you touched the red pendant, feeling its exquisite value beneath your fingertips. Oh… to receive such beautiful, rare gem from the boss of Onychinus himself. You were too overwhelmed with appreciation as you turned and wrapped your arms around his neck. “Sy!” you exclaimed, your heart swelling at his effort. “It’s beautiful. I love it.”

He returned your gaze with a smug look. “You better love it. I sacrificed two gold bullets just to get that for you, sweetie.”

“You…” Your eyes widened at the implication behind his words. Someone’s life was lost in exchange for your birthday gift. It was beyond your expectations to know that Sylus went to such macabre lengths just to surprise you, but banality was his worst enemy, and the last thing he would do was be called boring over things like birthday surprises. “...Well, thank you. I’ll treasure it forever, my love.”

“Now,” he said, abruptly breaking the sweet moment as he glanced at the other box on his bed. You realized he was scrutinizing the gift from the twins, which you had unwittingly left behind when you hugged him. His expression darkened slightly, clearly displeased at the foreign object on his bed. “Care to tell me where this is from? Or did some other bastard get you a present before I did?” he questioned, “Tell me his name, his identity. Give me his location.”

Chuckling, you cupped his cheek and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “It’s not what you think. Luke and Kieran gave it to me before I came here.”

Still unimpressed, he raised an eyebrow and nodded toward the box. “Who told you to receive gifts from other men?” 

“I…”

“Let’s see what’s inside, shall we?”

“I’m sure it’s just some…” you began, hurriedly untying the ribbon at the sight of Sylus’s growing pique. But as you opened the box, your mouth dropped in shock upon seeing a black lingerie set inside. An awkward laugh forced its way out of your mouth. Those two! “I… Ha-ha! They fool around too much. Don’t mind it. I’m just gonna throw it away.”

Sylus’s frown quickly transformed into a deep chuckle as he lifted the lingerie by the strap, his eyes widening with interest as he examined the lace corset. “Why don’t you try wearing it first, baby doll?” he suggested, an idea clearly forming in his mind. “It’s rude to toss aside a gift.”

He knows exactly what he’s doing, you thought, feeling your cheeks flush under his gaze. You almost lost your mind when he looked down at you with a roguish smirk, like he was an animal who’s about to devour his first meal in a long time. “You really want me to put it on?”

“Since it’s your special day,” he insisted, settling at the edge of his bed while keeping you positioned between his legs, “Let me help you with that.” His tone was more command than suggestion as he slowly unbuttoned your shirt, peeling it away from your body. “That’s it, be a good kitten. Just follow your master’s orders and you’ll do just fine.”

You felt his cold fingertips brushing against your chest as he slipped your blouse down, his hands reaching behind to unclasp your bra and set your breasts free. Instinctively, you shied away from the intensity of his gaze and covered your chest. But he was quick to grab your wrist, an eyebrow raised at your disobedience. “I’m sorry…” 

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” he mumbled in a deep, orotund voice before continuing to undress you. His hand now fiddled with your pants, unzipping and sliding it down your legs in a painfully slow way. To your surprise, he had also pulled your underwear down along with your pants, leaving your lower body as bare as it could be. “Looks like my kitten’s prepared,” he said with a lowly chuckle, his gaze locked on your freshly waxed lady part. “But I’ll take my time before I devour you.” 

Taking a deep breath, you placed your hand on where his shoulder and neck met. All your clothes were discarded on the floor and you were nothing but naked in front of the very man you so deeply adored. He alone was the most perfect gift for you. “Boss…” your voice came out like a whisper, “About your upcoming transaction with Mr. Davis. H-He agrees to meet at the nightclub this Friday.” 

Sylus displayed a devilish smirk, noticing your effort in opening a subject to distract yourself from the compromising situation he had put you in. Though, instead of shaming you further, he had decided to play the part. “I’m surprised you managed to bargain with him,” he praised, slipping in a black, lace underwear up your legs. It barely covered your folds, and with Sylus’s warm breath tickling your cunny, you knew that your underwear would only be ripped apart sooner or later. “But then again, it must be your… irresistible charm that made him agree to meet up,” with a pause, he made a twirling gesture with his finger. “Turn around for me, sweetie.” 

You did as told, chest rising and falling deeply as your boss began to tie the corset behind you. It was too tight, but he seemed to have liked it that way, because your breasts were almost popping out of the padding. “I-I… Is it supposed to be this tight?” you asked, hesitantly, “I can’t breathe.” 

“It’s perfect.” He let out a deep chuckle before suddenly pushing you down on his bed. The sudden force left your heartbeat somersaulting, the anticipation and nervousness rising deep within you as you looked up at his predatory gaze. “Now, for the best part.” 

Sylus whipped out a handcuff and a blindfold from his drawer, and his first action was to grab your wrists and lock it within the silver handcuff around the headboard. The very next thing he did was cover your eyes with the blindfold, tying it neatly behind your head to deprive you of one of your five senses. 

“Sylus—?” You weren’t sure what was happening now, and hated that you couldn’t see his handsome face because of the blindfold. Your vision offered nothing but darkness, blinding you from whatever Sylus was planning to do with you in his king-sized bed. There were sounds of fabric rustling around you, the sound of clothing dropping to the floor, and the wet, sloppy noises near your face. When you felt the tip hitting your cheek, you realized it was Sylus touching himself, leaving you to imagine how he was stroking his hard length in front of your face, preparing his cock for a wild night ahead. “Are you—”

“Shh.” Your voice was cut off after he held a strong grip around your jaw, forcing your mouth open before the taste of his cocktip started entering your mouth. Not even halfway in, you already gagged from his cock. He was too huge for your mouth—too thick, too veiny, too lengthy. But nonetheless, despite the threads of saliva that waterfalled on the sides of your mouth, Sylus still shoved his entire length in. He didn’t care if you had started choking from his monstrous cock. He was too focused on burying his member in and out of your mouth, hitting your uvula, and allowing for tears to escape your eyes. “That mouth of yours is heaven for me, honey,” he said, your chin on his hand as he released a deep, guttural groan. “Move your tongue around it.” 

“Mmh—ngh!” Even if you were getting asphyxiated, fucking your throat was one of Sylus’s favorite foreplays. And so, like the obedient kitty you were, you started bobbing your head along to the rhythm of his thrusts. You also moved your tongue in circles around his shaft, and Sylus’s moans got louder, turning you on knowing that you were doing great at pleasuring the love of your life. You couldn’t even taste him enough, your mouth was too sore and numb at that point. 

Not even long after, he started angling his cock to your cheeks as if he was desperate to feel every inch of your mouth. When he pulled away, you released his member with a pop, and the string of saliva ended up coating your chin. While you couldn’t move your hand to wipe it off, you did try to move your wrists around the handcuff wondering if you could set yourself free. 

“Trying to break free?” Sylus’s voice was so near your right ear, the weight of his body becoming heavier on top of you. “We’re not done yet, darling.” 

A sloppy, open-mouthed kiss quickly calmed you down. You allowed Sylus to explore your mouth with his tongue, letting him lap you up like a meal he couldn’t stop eating. And with every bite on your lower lip, you were whimpering like a helpless cat. “S-Sylus,” you begged, “S-Sy… I…”

“Hmm?” His mouth was now on your neck, suckling and nibbling on the skin until they would leave purple marks all over. 

“Mmh… I want you.” 

“Not so soon, birthday girl.” Sylus’s teasing led to him pulling away from you. Now, you were unsure of his next move. But your chest only continued to move in an unsteady rhythm, the lack of sight heightening your auditory sense as a compromise. 

The next thing you knew, his manly hands started kneading at your breasts. He cupped them with such a force that made you stop breathing for a moment, focusing the sensation of his touch as he slightly pulled the padding of your corset to peek at one of your tits. In an instant, his mouth was attached to your nub. His tongue licked around your nipple, flicking it playfully before sucking and biting on your mounds. 

“Haaah!” 

“The twins did well in delivering this gift to you,” he made a subtle remark, releasing your tit from his mouth. His movements suggested he was moving down south, down to where your crotch was, and he only confirmed your thoughts when he began spreading your legs open and pulling your underwear to the side. “Look at how wet that pretty pussy is.” 

You moaned at the feeling of Sylus’s finger toying with your entrance. “T-The twins,” you barely said, squirming from the coil you were feeling inside your body. “What do you mean they delivered… the gift? Was it your idea after all?” 

Too bad you couldn’t see his face, but you were sure as hell that there was a triumphant smile spreading on it. “How else would they know your bra size, kitten?” he replied in a low voice before surprising you with the feeling of his tongue moving inside your slit, “Only I have access to your body.” 

Fuck, fuck. You were going insane. “Mhm—ngh! Aah!”

Sylus’s mouth was rough against your cunt, the tip of his nose tickling your clit as he continued spreading your labia apart to give himself better access inside your pussy. He completely devoured your sopping cunt, grunting and growling like a rabid dog as he alternated between french-kissing your pussy to burying his digits inside. His three fingers orchestrated deep and fast movements against your walls, with each stroke inside earning a wild whimper out of you. 

“Haaah—! Sylus, I… I can’t hold it… anymore.” 

He found your sweet spot soon enough, and chuckled darkly as you tried to squirm like a pathetic little kitty under him. With your legs dangling on his shoulders, he resumed abusing your sore cunt by fingering your vulva until you were at your seventh heaven. And as soon as you felt the need to pee, you knew he’d only pick up the speed of his fingers even more. 

“I-I… Please, Sy… I’m…”

For the first time in your life, you felt yourself squirting all over his bed. Your hips raised itself involuntarily, legs shaking violently on top of his shoulders. The overstimulation was sending you to ecstasy, as if you were in a place where every pleasure in the world was given to you. In your extremely vulnerable state, Sylus chose to grab the opportunity and forced all eight inches of his member inside. He hushed your moans and whimpers by kissing you on the mouth, his lips encasing yours in a loving and passionate exchange. 

This was the most erotic you had been with him. 

“You’re so fucking sexy to me, Y/N.” His cock moved fast and hard inside you. You could even feel his member twitching as your tight walls gripped him like vacuum, milking him of his every seed until he was fully drained. His lips then trailed around your jawline, then onto the valleys in between your breasts while he went on to thrust even rougher than the last. He plowed his cock inside you like there was no tomorrow, rutting and rutting and rutting like he was desperate to reach his own climax. “This pussy… Can’t get enough of your sweet pussy, kitten.” 

“Ah—aah! Mmh—ngh.” 

“More?”

“Y-Yes… please!” 

“Harder?”

“Mhmm!” 

“Faster?” 

“S-Sylus!” 

“Such a nasty girl you are,” he quipped, your hips now gripped by his strong hands as he sat in bed, readying for the final position. “Next time, I’m gonna eat your ass.” 

Gosh. You were already feeling limp under him. And when you felt his hands ripping your panties off, you knew it was game over for you. He was a hungry beast whose desire for lust would make him the worst sinner in hell. You couldn’t contain the loudness of your moans and whimpers as Sylus started thrusting into you at an otherworldly speed, your cunt feeling the soreness of his every slam. The skin-slapping sound dominated his entire room as your slick coated his entire length. At that point, he began biting on your lower leg, his cock doing its last twitch deep inside your cavern. He was balls deep inside, his bollocks slapping against your pussy with every jostle. 

“C-Cum…” you pleaded, “Inside me… Please.” 

But to your disappointment, Sylus pulled out. You didn’t know where he was releasing his seed until you felt the warm liquid shooting at your stomach. Three times you had asked him to cum inside, and he still continued to refuse. You thought your birthday would have been an exception, but Sylus was too smart for that. He knew knocking you up would ruin his plans. Getting you pregnant would make him lose his chances with her. 

“You can sleep on my bed tonight, darling.” Sylus easily released your hand from the cuffs with his evol, and did his own effort in untying the blindfold around your eyes. Little did he know that your tired eyes actually carried pain inside. “Close your eyes now. I’ll take care of the rest.”

You watched as he walked toward his nightstand, oblivious to the pessimistic thoughts swirling in your mind. If only she never existed in his life. If only she was you instead. 

“Sylus.” You fixed your gaze on his face. “I love you.”

His eyes widened in panic for a moment before he masked it with indifference. It was as if your declaration had caught him off guard, as if your years of devotion hadn’t already made it clear how deeply in love you were. 

“You shouldn’t.”

~~

The N109 Zone’s most famous nightclub was alive with pulsating lights and thumping bass on a Friday night, a den of excess and shadows where shady deals and dangerous liaisons were also par for the course. Sylus was dressed in his signature dark attire, leaning against a plush booth in the corner, and the red glow from the neon lights flickering off his white hair and crimson eyes. Meanwhile, you, draped in a red revealing dress that accentuated your every curve, moved with foxy grace as you joined Sylus at the booth.

Let’s just say Sylus didn’t exactly approve of your dress tonight. He thought it was revealing too much skin that was supposedly for his eyes only. But ever since the night of your birthday where he didn’t return your declaration of love, you started rebelling against your boss. Everything he disliked, you did out of spite. You did them out of the bitterness boiling inside you. 

Across from you two, in a secluded corner of the club, sat Sylus’s business partner, a man whose sharp suit and cold gaze reflected a ruthless demeanor. The table between you was littered with documents and blueprints, a clear indication of the shady business transaction underway—an armory deal of massive proportions, weapons, and munitions that could alter the balance of power in the underworld. Sylus’s arsenal of weapons could already destroy Linkon City if he wanted to, but there was no fun in that. It would be too much an easy disposal.

Nonetheless, Sylus’s eyes sparkled with approval as he glanced at the stacks of weaponry displayed before him. “I must say, I’m impressed,” he remarked with a sly grin. “The quality of your armory is unparalleled, Davis. You really outdid yourself this time.”

The business partner, clearly pleased, gave a curt nod. “I aim to please. But payment in cash alone doesn’t always satisfy, does it?”

Sylus leaned back, his gaze shifting to you. You were just settling next to him, your quiet presence commanding everyone’s attention as the low neckline of your red dress drew admiring glances from his business partner. Sylus was quick to notice the man’s eyes lingering on your breasts, a hint of predatory interest flickering in the old man’s gaze.

“Seems like my partner here is quite taken with you,” Sylus mused, hinting at a dangerous edge in his voice. “How about it? Would you like something other than money for your trouble?”

Mr. Davis’s eyes never left you as he smirked, a flicker of greed clouding his gaze. It was obvious to everyone in that booth that the old geezer was undressing you with his eyes. “What do you have in mind?”

Sylus’s smile grew sharper. “Y/N here is quite the treasure. If you’re interested, she could be yours for the night. Do what you want with her. What do you say?”

Unbelievable! Stunned by his words, you quickly turned to Sylus in protest. You couldn’t believe he was offering you like some whore to that old man, but you had to hide your disgust after meeting Sylus’s glowing carmine eyes shooting you a knowing look. Just play along and stay quiet, you could almost hear his voice in your head. 

Mr. Davis’s perverted gaze remained fixed on you, clearly tempted as he battled with the demons in his head. And at your boss’s signal, you were ordered to walk towards Mr. Davis apprehensively, sitting on his lap while keeping the disgust you were feeling from showing. His hand soon grazed your thigh, the other squeezing your breast. “That’s a tempting offer,” commented the old man, a triumphant grin on display, “But I’d be a fool to refuse a bad bitch like her.”

“Good,” Sylus said, his tone suddenly serious as he slid a sleek, black gun from the table. He idly toyed with the handgun, clearly unfazed. “Let’s finalize our deal then. I’ll just take this gun you’ve provided. Don’t mind if I do a little ‘quality testing’,” he added with a chilling smile, loading the magazine with .45 ACP bullets.

The business partner’s eyes widened in realization as Sylus’s hand tightened around the weapon. Panic soon flashed across Mr. Davis’s face before he desperately pushed you off his lap and scrambled to his feet, hoping to de-escalate the rift he had caused with the Onychinus leader. “Wait, Mr. Sylus! I-I didn’t mean to offend. I’m not going to steal your lady, I swear! Don’t—”

But just as you expected, Sylus’s expression remained cold and unyielding. With a swift, practiced motion, he pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot was sharp and final, cutting through the pulsating music and leaving a deadly silence in its wake. Mr. Davis quickly dropped to the floor, his eyes wide open and the hole on the side of his head leaking with dark, red blood. 

Your eyes remained cool and detached as you watched the scene unfold, your expression too unreadable for the killer next to you. You’ve seen worse things while living in the N109 Zone, right? was Sylus’s inner thoughts as he placed the gun back on the table, his gaze steady while regarding the now lifeless body of his former business partner. The carpet was now drenched with an unsightly amount of blood. 

Just then, the twins, Luke and Kieran immediately swung the door open with a guarded stance, worried that something had happened to the Onychinus leader whom you all served under. But upon looking at Mr. Davis’s fresh corpse sprawled out on the floor, both twins merely shrugged it off, praising their boss for dealing with the old man in a brutal fashion. 

“Leave us for a while,” Sylus instructed the twins, pulling you closer by gripping your waist, “If any of Davis’s men try to come in, kill them with no mercy.” 

“Roger that, boss.” 

As soon as the door was closed, Sylus turned to you, you recognized a demonic glow in his eyes as he tugged at the neckline of your dress. “You,” he spoke under his breath, “are testing my patience.” 

~~

You weren’t sure how to feel about it.

Heck, you couldn’t tell if you were even turned on by it, but Sylus fucking you in front of a dead man did bring in a rush of adrenaline in you. This was the fourth time he had killed a man for desiring you, and while he would usually play it off and say he was just feeling bloodthirsty at the time those incidents happened, this was the first time he was compelled to actually touch you next to a man he had just mercilessly shot. It was as though he was trying to prove a point, that dead or alive, no other man would have the pleasure of having you. 

“S-Sylus,” you let out a whimper, knees beginning to feel sore as your boss continued to hit you from behind, hips snapping against your bum in a rough, merciless manner. A stinging sensation was soon felt on your butt cheek as Sylus sent a hard, crisp slap on your ass. “Mmh—!” 

His nails dug into your hips, jostling you forwards and backwards so your ass could meet the base of his cock with how deep he was plowing himself into you. You had already creamed around his member multiple times that night, too satiated by the possessiveness Sylus was showing towards you, and yet, the signs of him stopping seemed to be a far end of the line. 

“Did you enjoy my show, kitten?” he asked, a question borne from feelings of spite, “Did you like how he was gawking at your tits? Look at his pathetic face now. You see that?” 

Sylus grabbed you by the face and forced you to look at Mr. Davis’s lifeless body for a good minute. A minute to remember such a ghastly image for the rest of your life. And only after he was satisfied at the fright in your eyes did he start pulling you by the hair, only to then wrap a tight hand around your neck. You couldn’t breathe. You were choking from his hand, restrained to receive any bit of air down your throat. The strong smell of iron, gun powder, and leather was also beginning to intoxicate you, and you knew you were a minute away from passing out. But Sylus was too enraged to stop, his mind was a toxic fire you couldn’t easily extinguish and the only thing you could do was allow him to take his anger out on you. 

“Hnngh! Sy… Sylus…” you cried, moaning as his hard thrust almost sent you forward to his business partner’s corpse. The pressure on your windpipe was too strong that barely any sound came out of your mouth. “Sylus, I’m all y-yours, my love. Ah—aah! All… yours.” 

He did loosen his grip on your neck, because he had pulled you by the chin to spit into your mouth. A string of saliva connected your tongue to his, your chest undulating in heavy breaths as he began to grope your tits from behind. “Dress like a whore again,” he whispered a warning into your ear, “and I wouldn’t hesitate to treat you like one.” 

Your mind, too numbed by the overstimulation all over your body, couldn’t fully grasp the words he had just spoken. All you knew was that he pressed you further down the carpeted floor, with your ass high up and your body down low. The next thing he did was to spread your butt cheeks apart to gape at the exact hole he was destroying. 

Sore. Too sore. Too numb. Too… Too… “Sylus, I’m g-gonna…” 

“Fuck,” he cussed, accelerating his thrusts at an animalistic speed, his deep breaths turning into a guttural groan as he chased his high. His cum was thick when they landed on your face, and the taste was sweet and salty when he forced the rest of his cum onto the back of your throat. You gagged as he hit your uvula, drool oozing at the corner of your mouth as you choked and yet managed to swallow every drop of his semen. 

Like a good girl, for him. Always. 

You didn’t exactly black out afterward. You were caught in a liminal state, not fully awake but not unconscious either, as you collapsed onto the floor. Sylus discarded you like a toy he’d grown tired of. If you had been more aware, you would have immediately noticed the abrupt shift in his behavior. The sound of his fading footsteps made you realize that the man you loved so obsessively had just left you in that booth, right next to a dead man.

“Y/N?”

“Y/N. Hey, you okay?” 

The coat soon enveloping your body wasn’t Sylus’s; it belonged to one of the twins, and you could feel yourself being carried in his arms. 

“Luke…?” you murmured weakly. 

“No, it’s Kieran,” he clarified, since his older brother was occupied with disposing of Mr. Davis’s body. “I’m taking you home.” 

You clung to his shoulder, your heavy-lidded eyes searching for Sylus’s distinctive white hair. “Wha—? Where’s he? Where is Sy—” 

“Boss already left.” His words felt like a blow. “You know he’s dangerous when he’s angry, so you should just go home for today.” 

You tried to wriggle free from Kieran’s grasp, confused by the sudden turn of events. “But what did I do? Why is he angry with me?” 

“It’s not you, just… complicated,” were the last words you heard before exhaustion overtook you, unaware that you were now outside the nightclub. 

Continuing to squirm from Kieran’s hold, you cried, “What do you mean complicated!”

“Luke and I tried to warn you, Y/N,” he said, grimly, as if he felt bad for you. “You’re not supposed to mess with his emotions. Those feelings are reserved for another.”

~~

The night air in the N109 Zone felt heavy and suffocating. It had been a month since Sylus had abruptly cut off contact with you, leaving you in a state of uncertainty, overthinking, and anger. When he had asked you to take a break from work, you already found his command suspicious, and then the silence that followed was a deafening confirmation of your suspicion. No texts, no calls, and every attempt to visit Onychinus’s base was continuously met with cold dismissal. 

With this, you found yourself at your makeshift gun range, the repetitive bang of the shots echoing in the dimly lit space. The targets were riddled with holes, each bullet a release of your pent-up frustration. Your thoughts were a tempest of spiteful musings: how you should have maxed out his credit card for everything it was worth if you had known he was going to just dump you. The thought of doing so now felt petty, but it also served as a bitter reminder of how easily he had discarded you that night.

But amid your rage, a more serious thought began to surface. Sylus’s avoidance wasn’t merely a cruel game or a sudden whim; it seemed to hint at something deeper, something more troubling. Was there something he wasn’t telling you? Had something happened that he couldn’t or wouldn’t explain?

You should probably confront him, but you needed a sign. Barging into Onychinus’s base without prior notice would be a suicide wish, so you had to have a reason on showing up unannounced. A sign. You desperately needed one, and perhaps the universe was toying with you, but the very sign you were looking for came in the form of a mechanical crow that landed on the lightpost. Its red eyes glowed like lasers through the night, tilting its head as it looked at your way. 

“Caw! Caw!” 

“Mephisto,” you breathed a sigh of relief. Did Sylus send him to watch over you? 

With your confidence growing back, you decided to finally confront the situation head-on. This cold war would bring you nothing but a painful whirl of overthinking. And so, you returned to Onychinus’s base that night, your anger tempered by a new, steely resolve. As usual, the base was as imposing and foreboding as ever, its corridors silent except for the occasional echo of footsteps.

Where is everyone? 

As you neared Sylus’s quarters, your heart pounded with a mix of dread and anticipation. You approached his door, and through the thin walls, you could hear soft, unfamiliar voices. Your breath was caught in your throat as you recognized a woman’s voice, distinct and unfamiliar, but laced with a strange resonance that made your skin crawl.

“From the beginning, you trapped me here, forced me to resonate with you, and even said we’re ‘the same’... One wouldn’t treat a stranger like that, so… don’t tell me you like me. Is this all so you can get my attention?” 

…

“You’re so gullible, kitten.” 

The twins, who were lounging nearby and keeping an eye on things as usual, saw you by their boss’s door and exchanged knowing glances. Luke, with his usual smirk, leaned in. “Oh, look who decided to show up. You’re just in time.”

Kieran, with a more serious tone, added, “He’s got a guest in there. A hunter from Linkon, with an Aether Core, no less.”

Your heart sank. The mention of an Aether Core was a dagger to your already shattered heart. Sylus’s connection to you had always been complex, but it was a lot different with this other woman he had been keeping an eye on for the longest time. They were marked by their shared Aether Core, which tied them together in ways you could never fully understand. To hear that he had met the girl he had been searching for with the same rare core was like a death knell.

“Since when did Sylus bring her here?” you asked the twins, struggling to keep your emotions in check. This was the real reason Sylus had asked you to take a break—he knew that the presence of this girl would push you to the edge of losing all sense of morality. For the first time in your life, he saw you as a threat. An enemy. 

Luke responded with a shrug. “A couple weeks ago after she leaked her information in The Nest. Boss has been trying to resonate with her, you see. So don’t mind their little bonding moments.” 

Kieran took the initiative to drag his older brother away. “We gotta get going. Don’t cause a scene, Y/N. You won’t like it when our boss is angry.” 

Disregarding the twins’ words, you pressed your hand against the door, the muffled sounds of conversation and the soft rustling of fabric seeping through. The realization of what this meant was crushing. Sylus’s soul was bound to this new woman in ways you could never compete with. And the anguish of this discovery broke you inside. 

Why? Why can’t it be me? 

With trembling hands, you turned the knob and pushed open the door just a crack to peer inside. The sight that met your eyes was enough to confirm your worst fears. Sylus was there, his attention fully on the woman from Linkon that he had pinned down on his bed, a tenderness in his gaze that had never been directed at you. 

Unable to bear the sight any longer, you quietly closed the door and retreated, and Sylus’s head turning in your direction only made you hide even further. You were already taking hurried steps before he could catch up to you. But then again, what kind of idiot would he be to leave that fragile girl alone to run after a woman he didn’t even care about? You were nothing but a placeholder for her, warming her seat temporarily before she finally came into the picture. And now that she was here, you were easily cast aside like worn-out clothing, no longer bearing any purpose for him. 

“…I hate you,” you muttered, the words barely a whisper as they escaped from your trembling lips. Running through the hallways had quickly become exhausting, each step felt like a drag with the weight of your emotions. “I hate you, Sylus.”

Your hands, shaking uncontrollably, grasped the Beryl pendant that hung around your neck. The sharp pain from the necklace’s chain digging into your skin only added to your anguish. And with a frustrated cry, you yanked the pendant off and hurled it down the hallway. The pendant skittered across the polished floor, its once-beautiful gleam now discarded like mere rubbish.

“What did we tell you?” The twins’ imaginary voices were mocking you in your head, their taunts reverberating through your thoughts as you headed out of the base with no footsteps following you behind. It became clear to you that Sylus had chosen to stay with the girl instead of chasing after you. “Just because boss gave you a chance, doesn’t mean he’ll actually date you! You poor thing! You’re just a game he likes to play!” 

“Stop. Stop!” You had to press your hands into your ear, suppressing the torture that your mind was creating.  

You decided to run away. Far, far away from Onychinus’s base. Far away from Sylus’s reach. 

Your footsteps echoed through the deserted streets, your mind still reeling in jealousy from the events you saw earlier. The image of the woman pinned under him, her dark hair and fair skin, had your hands shaking from the anger in your heart. She was as beautiful as he described, as radiant as he’d often whisper about in his dreams. And now that she was within his reach, did you really think he would let her go? 

~~

The night was cold, the air biting at your skin as you walked aimlessly, lost in a whirlwind of emotions and tortuous thoughts. The betrayal, the hurt, the lingering sense of being used—all of it churned within you, making your steps heavy and your heart even heavier.

“I… hate you,” you murmured under your breath. 

As you turned down a dark alley, a sudden prickle of unease crawled up your spine. You quickened your pace, but the sound of a second set of footsteps followed closely behind you. Panic set in as soon as you realized you were being stalked. 

Before you could react, however, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, blocking your path. The man’s eyes gleamed with malice, a cruel smile spreading across his face. “You no longer have Sylus to protect you,” he sneered, his voice dripping with menace. It was one of Davis’s men. “You're all alone now, and I'm going to make you pay for the death of our master.”

Fear gripped you like a tightrope, but before the man could take another step, a swirling mist of black-red enveloped him. The pressure of the mist seemed to squeeze his entire body, forcing him to his knees, his screams of terror cut short as if the mist were obeying commands from an unseen master.

You turned around, your heart pounding, to see Sylus standing at the edge of the alley. His domineering eyes bore into yours in a mixture of curiosity and cold calculation. “Should I kill this guy? Yes or no?” His voice was low and raspy. “My decision depends on you, kitten.”

Your gaze hardened after hearing the term of endearment he was now recycling with the hunter girl from Linkon. “I can handle him,” was your cold reply, your voice steady despite the turmoil inside you. You drew your gun with a swift motion and fired repeatedly, each shot bouncing in the narrow alley. The man’s body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Sylus watched you with an appraising look. “Impressive. Still feisty as ever.”

You then pointed your gun towards him, but keeping a safe enough distance. “Why were you following me?” you demanded, your tone cold as ice.

A chilling laugh echoed through the alleyway. “My own assistant wants to kill her boss? Now, isn’t that a spectacle?”

“Shut up!” you yelled, finger tightening on the trigger. “I don’t care if one bullet won’t kill you. I can shoot you enough times to make sure you’d at least feel some pain.”

Sylus sighed before reaching into his pocket and revealed the necklace, the red beryl pendant glinting in the dim light. “You forgot your gift,” he said, his voice softening ever so slightly.

You stared at the necklace, feeling a sting in your heart that you couldn’t ignore. “I’m not worthy of such a gift,” you replied monotonously, “Give it to her if you want. And also, take this night as my formal resignation as your assistant."

Sylus’s eyes widened, a rare look of surprise crossing his features. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. It seemed as if he was truly, genuinely stunned, caught off guard by your decision.

I can’t back out now. You repeated it like a desperate mantra in your mind as you turned and walked away, leaving Sylus standing alone in the dark alley, the necklace still clutched in his hand. You were done with his games, done with being played. You were determined to leave him behind, until suddenly, he vanished into a puff of black smoke. Dark feathers floated in the spot where he had stood moments ago. To your shock, he reappeared behind you, his hand forcefully grabbing your chin to make you look up at him.

You struggled, trying to wrench his hand away. “Let go—”

But he silenced you with a bruising kiss, locking his lips around yours despite your desperate punches to his chest. He only pulled away when he felt your warm tears streaming down your face, looking at you with a gaze full of unwanted sympathy. Sympathy that cut deeper than any blade.

“Are you happy she’s back in your life?” you choked out, your voice trembling as you stared at him with tear-filled eyes.

Sylus responded with a hesitant hum. “I am.”

You inhaled shakily, his answer shattering your heart. “Then, why are you here?”

“...I don’t know.” His crimson eyes reflected the sorrowful glow of the moon peeking from behind his head.

“Do you intend to keep me as your lover?” you asked, forcing him to confront his true intentions.

Sylus took a long, agonizing moment to respond, as if wrestling with a tumultuous storm of emotions—the pros and cons, the rights and wrongs. Finally, he spoke, and his words were a dagger to your soul.

“No,” he said at last, his hand retreating from your face. He stepped back and turned the distance between you into a chasm of heartbreak. “It’s been nice working with you, Y/N. I’ll send you a year’s worth of salary for your dedication to me. This should be the last time we meet.”

The weight of his words crashed down on you like an earthquake, and the full reality of your situation made it hard for you to breathe. Yes, it was a gut-punch. You were breaking in half, your heart shattering beyond repair because the pain was too much. It was all too much for a person to take, and it twisted something dark inside you.

“If I can’t have you,” you began, your voice shaking with an amalgam of rage and despair, “then no one can.”

Sylus’s eyes narrowed. “Y/N, you won’t dare—”

“I’ll kill her,” you spat, your tone dripping with venom. Your vow was laced with a genuine resolve, as if it were a promise you had embedded in stone. “The next time I see her, I’ll end her in the most brutal way I can. I swear it.”

His eyes flashed with a sinister light, one eye emitting a faint glow like a candlelight in a dark room. “If you try to go near her,” he said, his voice low and menacing, “I’ll kill you first.”

A twisted smile spread across your face, and madness began to gleam in your eyes. Driven to the brink of insanity, you laughed—a wild, almost feral sound that scared even the rats hiding in the darkest places.

“Then, do it,” you challenged, the final thread of your sanity snapping as he raised a finger, and the tendrils of his black-red mist soon swirling around you and crushing your bones with its pressure. “You’ve already taken everything from me, Sylus. Finish what you started.” 

SECOND PART

[seungkwansphd]

bean me up, scotty

pairing: coffee roaster!seungcheol x cafe manager!YN word count: 2K synopsis: you see seungcheol often enough at work. helpful daytime seungcheol, you can handle. but nighttime, arms fully out seungcheol? that's a problem. themes: fluff, SFW, work crush/work acquaintances vibes. beefy seungcheol. SCOUPS RIZZ at the end, implied smut.

a/n: @wavelikewhat came up with this concept and we both had different ideas about how to approach it, so it was super fun to write and then read both versions! def check hers out here.

“Hey boss, Mr. Choi is here!” the voice of one of your baristas pulled your mind out of inventory suddenly.

“Hey I told you not to to call me mister, kid,” Seungcheol’s voice followed. You can practically hear the pout in his tone, which drew a smile to your lips.

“I’ll be right out,” you called back and tucked your pencil behind your ear.

You stepped out of the back room to greet Choi Seungcheol, head roaster at Brandywine Coffee Roasters.

“Hey Cheol,” you greeted him with a smile, “You can leave the delivery in the usual spot. I’ll put it up later.”

“You sure? I have time today, you’re my last delivery,” he raised an eyebrow at you, an offer to help.

“Well, I won’t say no, if you have the time. I’ll caffeinate you,” you shrugged. This was your typical offer and as usual he took you up on it.

“Okay,” he nodded and rolled his dolly into the back room.

Brandywine was the core coffee roaster that you used at your cafe. Seungcheol had been your point of contact for almost a year now, so he knew his way around without any direction. He set to work on replenishing your two pound bags of espresso blend and let you handle the retail, one pound single-origins.

“Oh? You found it?” your eyes widened as you read the label of the bag in your hands. “Restricted oxygen?”

You had mentioned this specific type of processing to Seungcheol a few months ago. The low oxygen processing conditions selected for a unique proportion of microorganisms, yielding an unusual flavor profile once roasted. It seemed quite niche, so you were surprised to be holding a bag in your own hands. You set one bag aside for your personal tasting needs before shelving the rest of the bags.

“Got time to try this with me?” you asked as you both left the back room. “I can set us up a French press.”

“Yeah,” Seungcheol nodded. “Let me just put this back in the truck.”

“Sure,” you smiled at him, setting about prepping. You were giddy with excitement as you ground the beans. The aroma was already quite striking.

“Are we doing a tasting?” your youngest barista, Chan, asked curiously.

“Yes,” you nodded surely.

“Oh yay! Seungcheol whips up the coolest stuff. What is it today?”

“It’s a restricted oxygen process Ethiopia,” Seungcheol answered, appearing behind Dino. “Experimental processing, but cool. I’ll be interested to hear what you think, YN.”

“Whoa, that’s cool! Like leaning towards anaerobic, huh?”

“Yes, exactly that,” you grinned.

As the timer counted down, Chan helped a customer. Seungcheol stood with his arms crossed, watching you watch the timer.

“Missed you at the roaster showcase,” you commented as you depressed the French press plunger and poured the brew into cortado glasses.

“Eh, you know I don’t like that stuff. Sam is way better at those events. I heard it went well though, thanks again for letting us use the space.”

“Of course,” you chuckled, handing the glass to Seungcheol. It was hard to ignore the jolt you felt when his hands brushed over yours, but you liked to think you did your best. “Chan!” you beckoned during a lull in customers.

“Oh interesting!” Chan’s eyebrows raised with surprise, “It tastes almost like…peachy gummy rings? Fascinating!”

“Hmm,” you hummed thoughtfully as you tasted the liquid in your mouth. “I don’t know that I get peach gummy, but I see what you’re saying. There’s like fruit and sweetness, but it’s not very high, if that makes sense.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Seungcheol nodded before taking another aerated sip. “Really neat, thanks for the suggestion, YN,” he nudged you gently.

You smiled sheepishly at him and ignored Chan’s pointed look. You could already tell that once Seungcheol left, you were going to get yet another earful about how you and the roaster were dancing around each other and denying mutual chemistry. You were overcome by an unreasonable desire to keep Seungcheol here longer so that you could avoid that.

“Something for the road?” you asked instead, shaking that thought out of your mind. “I have a seasonal cherry syrup and we’re doing a cherry cola espresso tonic that’s kind of fun for the summer.”

“Huh. Caffeine and caffeine?” Seungcheol considered the drink with amusement. “Sure, I’ll try it.”

“I’m assuming you’ll want YN to make it, as usual?” Chan teased, stepping back from the bar.

The roaster placed his hands into his packers and shrugged with a soft smile, but didn’t deny it. You laughed and set about crafting his featured beverage.

“I really think you two like each other!” Chan started practically before the door had swung shut behind Seungcheol.

“I do like Seungcheol. And his coffee.”

“I mean in a non-professional way. Please note I didn’t say unprofessional, because I don’t think it would be unprofessional. I just think you think he’s hot and he thinks you’re hot. He’s always taking your coffee suggestions and he looks at you a lot when you’re not looking.”

“Chan,” you planted your hands on your hips.

You didn’t want to talk about this with him anymore. He didn’t need to know that the reason was fear of it pushing your delulu brain further than it already was with this workplace crush. You liked Seungcheol, but you also only saw him at work, so it didn’t need to go further than that.

Outside, Seungcheol was grateful that he worked alone. If he’d had a Chan, they most certainly would’ve called him on the inordinately pleased look that had crossed his face when he’d caught the start of your conversation as he left. While it was a guess on Chan’s part, it at least reassured Seungcheol that he wasn’t the only person who had picked up on a potential something between you. Not that he felt ready to do anything about it yet, but he could at least be comforted that it wasn’t totally fabricated on his end.

…

“Eee, staff outing, I’m so excited!” Naomi and Chan squealed excitedly as they skipped towards the bar.

You smiled, thoroughly entertained, as you watched them. You hadn’t had a chance to do much prying yet, but you had a sneaking suspicion that they had started dating recently.

“The answer is yes,” Seungkwan, one of your higher seniority staff, clicked his tongue judgmentally at the pair.

“Huh?” your head whipped around to look at him more directly.

“They are dating. Just last week.”

You had to burst out laughing. For someone who’s life occasionally got quite messy, he could be quite judgemental, but he was also incredibly reliable and responsible in ways that made you grateful he’d continued to work with you for so long.

“Thank you for the updates as usual,” you smiled before grabbing his arm to pull him into the bar.

You spotted Naomi and Chan whispering to each other at the end of the bar and you made your way towards them.

“Okay, let’s thank Father Chip for bankrolling our annual staff outing. Please drink wisely,” you smiled at him. It was a sorry excuse for a grand speech, but it would do well enough to kick the night off.

You looked over the menu as Chan and Naomi waited to catch the eye of a bartender. You heard some commentary about a ‘beefcake’ as you wondered just what exactly Cynar was made out of.

“Oh, he’s coming, he’s coming!” Naomi bounced on her heels excitedly, which meant you had to decide what you wanted and quickly.

“Hey folks, what can I get-,” the bartender greeted you. You were just in the middle of recognizing his voice when he recognized you first. “Oh hey Chan, Naomi, Seungkwan! Is YN out with you?”

“Seungcheol?” you lifted your head, slightly bewildered, to meet eyes with Brandywine’s own head roaster.

“Hey,” he nodded at you. It was a normal greeting, but something about the way his eyes flicked over you afterwards made you impossibly nervous.

“Do you work here?” Seungkwan asked on your behalf.

“Not usually,” Seungcheol brought his arm up to scratch the back of his neck, “Sammy owns this place too and occasionally he needs a hand.”

Sammy was Seungcheol’s business partner at Brandywine, so this made some sense, but your brain and eyes were busy processing Seungcheol’s arm. Daytime Seungcheol was typically clad in a flannel or a solid Carhartt t-shirt, effectively hiding his build. Nighttime Seungcheol, however, was wearing a cut off t-shirt which favored you with a gratuitous view of his muscles. This was a problem for you.

“So what are we drinking?” Seungcheol asked, “Happy to make recommendations too.”

He held your gaze for a moment.

“I’ll do the Coco Bop,” Seungkwan ordered. Dino and Naomi quickly followed suit and before you knew it, Seungcheol stood before you, arms fully out, waiting for your order.

“What does Cynar taste like?”

“Oh, I don’t know actually. You want to try?” he asked before turning to grab the bottle. He poured out a partial shot and took a sip before handing it to you. When you set down the glass, you were both making mirrored grimacing faces at each other.

“That is foul,” you inhaled sharply, face warm from the overwhelming taste of the liquor. “Thank you though. I will have a glass of white wine, please.”

“Oh we have a skin fermented wine, I think you’ll like that. It’s got a little bit of that funk, like the low oxygen process. How’s that sound?”

“I’m sure it’ll be good!” you nodded, self conscious at the crowd that had built up behind you, eagerly awaiting their turn to order.

“This one’s on me,” he smiled when he returned with the glass.

“Oh no-, I-.”

“You comp me all the time. Let me get this one for you.”

“Okay,” you nodded before seeking out the rest of your staff. You just knew you were going to be teased about this interaction too.

Despite your best efforts, you and Seungcheol continued to cross paths and meet eyes the rest of the evening. Whether you were returning glassware, barreling into him as you left the bathroom, or feeling his gaze on you as you watched the others dance, it all seemed to affect you. Unfortunately for your brain, you liked this version of Seungcheol too and it made you curious for more.

Seungcheol watched you try to avoid his gaze and he glanced at the clock impatiently. He’d only agreed to take on the opening shift, so he had a handful of minutes left. He hoped that you’d stick around until then.

“You can leave now,” Sammy appeared at his side.

“Huh?”

“I’m worried your eyes are going to fall out of your head if you look any harder at YN,” Sammy rolled his eyes. He’d had a sneaking suspicion about you since Seungcheol had brought up the idea of participating in the coffee roaster showcase at your cafe.

“Wish me luck,” Seungcheol chuckled before heading towards you.

“And then she said-,” Seungkwan’s words trailed off as his eyes widened at you.

“What did she say?!” you demanded. You were surprised and confused when all three of them shook their heads and pointed at something behind you. Someone, rather.

“Hey,” Seungcheol was standing behind you with his hands in his pockets. “Are you hungry? I just finished up.”

“...I could eat,” you answered, heat zipping up your spine again.

“Did you drive?”

“No.”

“I’ll give you a ride then,” he smiled. He waved at Chan, Naomi, and Seungkwan before leading you out the staff entrance to his car.

“Should I plan to drop you off at home tonight or tomorrow?” he asked as he backed out of his parking spot.

If you’d been holding something, you most certainly would have dropped it. You bit your lip and still failed to hold in your gobsmacked grin at this line.

“...tomorrow.”

Seungcheol glanced over, eyes flicking over you again, before he smiled smugly and drove out of the parking lot.

[libertys-lovers]

F/O Take-Over Ask-Game ~ Rainbow Theme

(A rainbow themed ask-game was the first ask-game I ever made! So, I thought it’d be fun to revisit the idea!)

💋 [KISS] ~ What’s your favorite love language to practice towards S/I? What about your favorite to receive?

🎈 [BALLOON] ~ Do you ever like to surprise S/I?

💄 [LIPSTICK] ~ What’s your favorite outfit of S/I’s that they’ve worn?

🍑 [PEACH] ~ If you had to describe S/I with a flavor, which would you pick?

🧶 [YARN] ~ What’s your favorite activity to do with S/I?

🍯 [HONEY] ~ What’s your favorite nickname/petname to give S/I? How about your favorite nickname/petname that they call you?

🌕 [FULL MOON] ~ What aspect of S/I stands out to you the most?

🧈 [BUTTER] ~ Do you ever tease/flirt with S/I? If so, how do ya do it, and how well does it usually work?

✨ [STARS] ~ What does your nighttime routine with S/I look like?

🦠 [VIRUS] ~ How do you care for S/I when they’re sick?

📗 [BOOK] ~ What’s your favorite random fun-fact that you know about S/I?

🫂 [HUG] ~ How do you hug S/I, if you’re the type to give hugs at all?

🪼 [JELLYFISH] ~ If you had to pick an animal that represented S/I, which one would you pick?

🦄 [UNICORN] ~ What is something that you still wonder about when it comes to S/I?

[and-all-that-szasz]

Collaborative question to pose to fellow fans (or anyone who wants to add their 2 cents):

If you were planning a Magnus Archive themed party centered around the 14 fears, what would you do for each one?

So far I've got,

The eye: a scavenger hunt maybe? Or charades? I'm not sure what fun activity would evoke "being watched". Fallback plan is eyeball cookies

The buried: I'm real lucky to have a cavern system relatively nearby that does cave crawls, so this one was easy. But I'd love to hear other ideas

The dark: nighttime hide and seek, flashlight tag, maybe a glow-in-the-dark art activity of some kind

The desolation: bonfire. Obviously. Complete with roasting marshmallows

The end: I think the easiest rep here would be skull and bone shaped snacks or candy

The flesh: again, I'm thinking like halloween treats here. That fake raw meat rice krispy treat thing, jello brains, candy corn teeth

The corruption: this is getting repetitive, but I was really struggling I'm sorry. So again, halloween snacks Bug and Worms Edition. Maybe mushrooms if you're feeling adventurous

The hunt: hide and seek tag or some other version of tag, or again a scavenger hunt might work better here instead

The lonely: I call this game "sneaky ninja". It's basically dynamic hide and seek, where you actively stay out of sight but otherwise as close as possible to the It person.

The slaughter: Nerf War

The spiral: nearly any bluffing or lying game will do, but this is another one I was kinda struggling with

The stranger: same as spiral, you can do a bluffing/lying game OR some kind of dress up/costume competition

The vast: indoor skydiving, parasailing or scuba would work Very Well for this, but if we're talking about accessible options that's a little harder. Maybe a stargazing session with a telescope, or some kind of diving game in a deep pool

The web: guess who's back, back again~ creepy/halloween snacks, my beloved. I think spiders/spiderweb treats are easy for this one

[shirecorn]

How do you decide which animals to use as inspiration for your skyscraper god au redesigns? Do you start with a specific animal in mind and then base a character off of that? Or do you go looking for an animal that matches up with what you want in the pony?

Were you already familiar with all of the animals you chose?

I grew up on national geographic, so I'm already familiar with many many many animals that I can draw upon for design.

When I start a character, I think about what animal works for them either colorwise or thematically. I knew before I even started that Luna would be a Black heron, which is a bird I knew about and loved before the "nighttime! daytime!" meme. It's the perfect way to create night!

Rainbow dash was easy. Peregrine falcon because its the fastest animal on the planet.

Vapor Trail's choice was twofold. I chose a swallow because they're strong flyers, and her story is that she's an unexpectedly skillful flyer that people can't tell at first. Little puffballs being aerodynamic flight machines is a fun reveal. And then tree swallow (with a few things added from barn swallow for fun) come in about the right colors, AND that iridescence that the pretty shading in her mane seems to suggest

A lot of the other choices are based more on colors and aesthetics than themes, or just themes without color. Celestia is a tern/albatross for the long wings (and large size), Fluttershy is a barn owl for the barred markings and color, Twilight has flamingo wings for the color only. Cozy Glow has cockatiel cheeks for the "innocence". Cadance is a swan for its romantic symbolism.

And some aren't based on anything, just me going ham at the design. Sometimes I get help as well!

[obanais-koibito]

𝐌𝐮𝐳𝐚𝐧 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

Halloween was coming up in a couple of weeks and you were excited for it. You wanted to decorate the Infinity Castle with Halloween decorations but since you were a demon, you couldn’t go out into town due to the sunlight, your demonic appearance, and that slayers could be in town when you arrive and eliminate you. 

You however, didn’t let that stop you from wanting to get into the Halloween Spirit, so you took the art supplies that Muzan got you for your anniversary, sat down in your room, and started letting your creativity take you away. You began to create an assortment of Halloween themed decorations. 

With some clay and a pencil, you rolled the clay into a ball and molded grooves all around it to make it look like a pumpkin. While it was set to dry, you began drawing ghosts on large sheets of paper and cutting them out.

You were busy painting the now dried clay pumpkin when you felt Muzan’s presence behind you so you turned around. He was standing behind you attempting to decipher what exactly you were doing. You smiled brightly at him, placed your paint brush on a towel, got up and hugged him. He returned the hug and stroked your hair and asked.

“What are you doing?”

“Making Halloween decorations to decorate! I have to make them since I’m a demon and can’t go out to human stores.”

He looked back at where you were working and saw the drawings and clay pumpkin and thought it was adorable. He looked back at you with a slight smile and he patted your head.

“Since I have a human disguise and it is currently nighttime, I can go out and buy decorations for you to use so you don’t have to exhaust yourself too much, okay?”

You smiled brightly and hugged him again.

“Thank you! Can you also decorate with me? It will be so much more fun if you join me!”

He nodded and pressed a kiss to your head.

“Of course darling, I will leave now so that we have more time to decorate together.

You let him go and he grabbed your hand before placing a kiss on it and then left. You started cleaning up and organizing your supplies and walked around the Infinity Castle and started planning out where you wanted decorations. Almost 30 minutes later, Muzan appeared with bags of decorations and shifted out of his human disguise.

“I hope this is enough for you but if not, I can go out and get more.”

He said as he handed you the bags to look inside them. He bought red and black streamers, spider webs, fake little gravestones, candles, plastic bats, plastic spiders, and even some glow in the dark skulls. 

“Real human bones would’ve been better but unfortunately they do not glow in the dark.”

Muzan said and you laughed a bit and pecked him on the cheek.

“Thank you for getting me decorations! I was thinking we should decorate the rooms that are the most used.”

You explained and he agreed and started helping you open the decorations and place them everywhere. He would cover the places you couldn’t reach and when he saw the excited look on your face when you both were done decorating made his heart warm. You both cuddled together and watched horror movies for the rest of the night.

Muzan could’ve never guessed that he would be decorating the castle but he didn’t mind it since he had fun with you and got to see you in a great mood. He enjoyed the feeling you brought to him and decided that he would do more activities with you.

[writtenonreceipts]

In honor of my birthday I'm sharing some blogs and stories that I love and mean the world to me!

@separatist-apologist

MB's works are always such a delight to read! They hold so much heart and creativity and I've been so grateful for her in the fandom! She is wonderful and supportive and has made tumblr a nicer place to be. Between the elucien and feysand love, the random posts that brighten my day, and everything else--MB, I'm so grateful for you!

>>All of the Girls You Loved Before--This fic was such a delight. I don't even know where to begin. I was obsessed with it from the first few paragraphs and it just turned into something so incredible! There was something so beautiful and unique about this story, I couldn't get enough of it!

>>Neon in the Nighttime--This. This is what fanfic is supposed to be, in my humble opinion, take the blorbos and put them where they certainly do not belong and chaos. Idk man, this one is just so much fun and I LOVE IT. Zombies and drama and the impending doom looming around every corner/chapter. It's such a great story!

>>A Lost Princess of Sunlight--of course I have to gush over this one! You started this as a gift in the acotarexchange, and still just blows my mind you took the effort and time to plan a multi-chapter fic for me/the event. AND ANASTASIA themes no less. I just, ugh. The vibes and the aesthetic are glorious and wonderous and I love how all the plot lines are working together and the certainty of doom and chaos that is bound to erupt. Chefs kiss.

And many more are worth the shoutout, but these three are the first that come to mind. MB is remarkable and we're lucky to have you here!

[bunny-lovers]

Any unanswered questions from the f/o takeover rainbow theme? ^^

Thank you for the ask! 😊 @gailpecks @solitaireships

💋 [KISS] ~ What’s your favorite love language to practice towards S/I? What about your favorite to receive?

"Acts of service is my favorite love language to practice towards Rebecca. My favorite to receive is Words of affirmation."

🎈 [BALLOON] ~ Do you ever like to surprise S/I?

"Yes, I really do!"

💄 [LIPSTICK] ~ What’s your favorite outfit of S/I’s that they’ve worn?

"Her long yellow turtleneck sweater with black jeans."

🍑 [PEACH] ~ If you had to describe S/I with a flavor, which would you pick?

"Sweet!"

🧶 [YARN] ~ What’s your favorite activity to do with S/I?

"Binge watch TV shows with her."

🍯 [HONEY] ~ What’s your favorite nickname/petname to give S/I? How about your favorite nickname/petname that they call you?

"My favorite pet name to give my girlfriend would be baby carrot. My favorite pet name she calls me would be love."

🌕 [FULL MOON] ~ What aspect of S/I stands out to you the most?

"Her kindness stands out to me the most."

🧈 [BUTTER] ~ Do you ever tease/flirt with S/I? If so, how do ya do it, and how well does it usually work?

"I do tease her. I give her silly nicknames, point out something nerdy about her, and mimic or mock her. It works well."

✨ [STARS] ~ What does your nighttime routine with S/I look like?

"We eat a light snack while watching TV, we make sure we hydrate, take a warm bath/shower, have a healthy dinner, brush our teeth, and do yoga."

🦠 [VIRUS] ~ How do you care for S/I when they’re sick?

"I take her temperature, give her a glass of water, cook chicken noodle soup, and tell her to rest."

📗 [BOOK] ~ What’s your favorite random fun-fact that you know about S/I?

"She collects erasers. She's been collecting them since she was 9."

🫂 [HUG] ~ How do you hug S/I, if you’re the type to give hugs at all?

"I wrap my arms around her waist. My hugs are lovely, warm and gentle."

🪼 [JELLYFISH] ~ If you had to pick an animal that represented S/I, which one would you pick?

"A cat!"

🦄 [UNICORN] ~ What is something that you still wonder about when it comes to S/I?

"Her deepest fears and her long-term vision for the future."

[macaw-squawks]

hi again. could i please get a mood board and some names + pronouns. for me. :) ?

moodboard - being deep underwater, being a big mysterious sea monster underwater, a bit of night sky (with two moons,) uh. mainly dark blue. maybe perhaps greens or purples i dont really know im not the moodboard maker. have fun. :) !

names and pronouns - masc/neutral, oceanic, nighttime, just general Depths and Vastness. anything with Big Sea Monster. vibes?

hope this is uh. comprehensible. :) !

Sea monster moodboard, with themes of mystery, deep underwater, night skies, and two moons

Requested by: anon

Hope these work, anon! Names + pronouns are under the cut :> let me know if you'd like any changes!

Masc/neu names + pronouns, with themes of night, oceans, depth + vastness, and sea monster vibes

Names

Levi/leviathan (ofc)

Sean

Kai

Caspian

Dylan

Thallas (from thalassophobia)

Scylla

Orion

Nyx

Nova

Luca

Varen

Esra

Char

Star

Sirius

Ness

Pronouns

Monster/monsterself

Unknown/Unknownself

Anomaly/Anomalyself

Cryptid/Cryptidself

Night/nightself

Dark/darkself

Mid/midnightself

Nycto/nyctoself

Ocean/oceanself

Sea/seaself

Wave/waveself

Vast/vastself

Thalass/thalassoself (from thalassophobia)

Depth/depthself

[blistering-typhoons]

Okay, so I watched one or two Rathbone Holmes stories back in high school and decided I didn't like Nigel Bruce, but I've also seen you talking positively about the Rathbone Holmes movies/ episodes. If you're willing, can you say why you like them and/ or which you would recommend starting on? Is it a series to watch in broadcast order, or are they more stand-alone? Which ones are your favorite? I want to give it a second chance.

hiya, thanks for the ask :D adding a cut here cuz this post got realllyyy outta hand- so so sorry xD

I wanna preface by saying that I totally get the frustration of Nigel Bruce Watson- as much as I've come to care for this portrayal, there are still moments of disappointment? I feel? Mostly once you see all the potential in him before it gets unceremoniously dumbed down for the sake of comedy, and it can be trying sometimes, but I've learned to breeze past those moments and! There are definitely movies where he shines brighter than others! In the end, you may warm up to him or you may not, but I fully commend you on taking another chance :D

I did not really start off in broadcast order (my ass still hasn't seen rathbone and bruce's HOUN- bloody disgraceful lmao) and mostly watched in order of vibes, which seems to have worked out alright xD

I started off with Scarlet Claw, and after rewatching it this morning, I feel like it's an alright place to start! It's a good sort of mystery and there was enough element of equal partnership to get me invested in Holmes and Watson. But, I'd say it's still pretty lukewarm, enjoy it as I do, so to compound this long ass post lemme throw a list at you real quick of rathbone movies i strongly recommend-

The Pearl of Death:

Starting off with Pearl of Death not only for the 'Watson gathers the braincells' quality but because it's one of the genuine classics in the series- a brilliantly crafted movie from start to finish, and in my opinion, one of the better shot ones. This one is a good start, it's a bit slow in some places, but it's a good, neutral film that showcases I think some of the more concrete themes and brilliancy of the movies.

House of Fear:

I honestly dunno if I'm biased about this one, but it is genuinely one of my favourite movies of all time. It's the very second one I watched, and it's still in my nighttime viewing collection- I fall asleep watching this movie, which is a compliment I swear. Watson has a more active role, is genuinely trying his best for most of the runtime and falls more in line with 'genuine failure to succeed' more than just 'bungled it up for a gag'. It's a really, really excellent mystery and I adore Holmes and Watson's dynamic throughout- 10/10, freaking banger movie.

Pursuit to Algiers:

Then, of course, the Big Daddy herself- Pursuit to Algiers. This one falls less in line with a mystery (our baddies become pretty clear at one point) and more suspense, but man is that a good thing. The dang thing takes place on a boat for most of it, Holmes and Watson are attached to eachother like pairbonded shelter dogs and have the most balanced, affectionate of interactions, Watson gets to sing! And not to give away any spoilers (yeah shush, i know the movie's old) but a particular plot point happens in this movie and as a result, Nigel Bruce gets to do a genuinely heartbreaking piece of acting- seriously, there is a shot where he goes out onto the deck, completely silent of music and just looks out into the ocean that still has me unwell even after all this time. Goofy moments still happen in the movie, but they feel more organic, and overall there is a wonderfully grounded approach to Watson here- he's still silly, but it's a fun silly, and a silly that Holmes indulges in with him. The depth of affection between these two is ASTOUNDING in this movie, bloody unhinged behaviour. Great movie, do watch it :D

I'd say those three are, at least in my opinion, the best of the best! I do enjoy the others, but I think it best to venture into those once an affection has been developed, they do strain the patience a bit at times I'm afraid. (And it goes without saying, some of the movies have a definite propaganda vibe to them, which is charming sometimes and sometimes just grating, really depends on the day i think- none of the three movies listed above fall under this category though- and the of course, general warning for all the really poorly aged 1940s stuff, but you know that :>)

Except The Spider Woman. In really the bluntest of terms, fuck that movie, all my homies hate The Spider Woman, do NOT watch it (i'm only half joking, oh god its so bad)

Anyways, uh, sorry lmao-

I really must thank you for letting me put this incredibly useless knowledge to use, I'm so goddamn sorry it came out in this absolute massive scrawl- I wish you all the luck in your rathbone holmes adventure, and I hope you have an illuminating time either way it goes for you :D

[girl-in-a-bubbl3]

Glamrock Bonnie(FNAF) x Reader Part 5

Not enough sassy Bonnie fanfic so here we go...I'll try to upload at least once a week.

Notes:

AU Fanfic/NonCanon

Bonnie is terrible but he likes you

5 greenrooms on RSR (we include Monty)

Sun/Moon are the same animatronic

Moon has a lil touch of the virus

Will probably be some spicy parts so...18+

Also just using the gif to have a gif... we know Bonnie is actually blue in this house B)

You entered the lobby of the daycare and felt that same captivating feeling that you’ve been hit with all night.

It. Was. Amazing.

Your childhood self was screaming with excitement. Everything was so colorful and bright. Through the glass you saw the towering play structures, the ballpit that ran like a river through the main floor, and various attraction points like little castles and craft areas. Everything just looked so fun.

Without hesitation you jumped into the slide that was the more exciting entry point to the daycare. Each connecting tube was a flying whirl of colors as you finally reached the end and sank right into the rainbow sea of plastic balls in the pit.

You laughed out loud and as you popped up you heard someone shout somewhere in the daycare, “Why helloooooo new friend!!”

You turned your head and saw a very tall, lanky, sun themed animatronic bounding towards you. His wide smile was infectious as you popped a hand out of the pit to wave hello. The animatronic before you took that as an opportunity to grab you and yank you forward against him, hugging you close as he spun you around the room.

“It’s so so sooooo nice to meet you, new friend! Please, tell me your name!”

He set you down gently and held on to your hands as you regained a bit of your balance. All of the spinning may have been easy for him, but your brain was a little rattled.

You giggled as you finally regained your center. You knew he knew your name because of all of the animatronics access to the employee files. You weren’t sure why he was having you tell him, but you decided you would play into the game.

“I’m y/n! I’m the new nighttime mechanic.”

“Oh it’s so so sooooo nice to meet you! I am Sundrop, or Sun. Or… Sunny. But you can call me whatever you’d like!” He was bouncing from one foot to another while shaking your hand that he was still holding. “I’d love to show you around the daycare!”

You smiled up at him and absentmindedly started swaying as well. “That would be fantastic! But first, can I do a quick scan to make sure everything’s working as it should?”

Sun’s growing smile seemed to shrink a little at the mention of a scan. “I-I think everything’s just fine! No scan needed here!” He chuckled nervously.

“Do you mind if I just take a quick look? They want me to get a scan of everyone just in case.”

Sun started to fidget nervously with his hands. “Maybe tomorrow…? Yes! Yes definitely tomorrow we can do it!” He nodded fervently.

You really didn’t see what the harm was in waiting. Your shift would be over in an hour and a half and you technically didn’t have to scan everyone tonight as long as they felt like nothing was up.

“You know what, that’s alright Sun. We can postpone it until tomorrow.”

Sun immediately swept you up into another warm hug while squealing “thank yous” and “okay now let’s go!”. With your hand in his, he took you all around the daycare. He showed you his favorite part of the play structures, the craft corner where the kids make art (while also showing you all of his favorite materials like glitter glue and googley eyes), as well as random spots that held the best memories (which seemed to be almost every inch of the play area).

You listened enthusiastically and 'oohed' and 'aahed' at every opportunity. After the tour was finally over, you both sat across from each other at the craft table, making a few pieces of art before the end of your shift. You had about 30 minutes left. You were pretty disappointed when you saw the time because you were really enjoying Sun's company.

He was kind and caring when he spoke of the children he watched over, his smile radiated positive energy, and his genuine laugh at your dumb dad jokes made your heart flutter. You couldn't stop thinking about his nighttime counterpart, though. You saw posters around the daycare and you knew there was a different animatronic for naptime but you had yet to see him anywhere.

"Sun, can I ask you something?"

He looked up from his paper with big, red crayon in hand and nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, Sunflower! Ask away!"

Sunflower. I love that.

Coming back from your temporary distraction that was the nickname he just gave you, you continued to ask your question.

"Where is the nighttime animatronic? Moondrop?"

Sun started to fidget with the crayon that he was holding and he was looking everywhere but at you. "O-oh he... he only comes out when the lights are off. But we have to keep the lights on! On... on." He quietly whispered the last few words. You were now more curious than anything.

"What do you mean? Why do we have to keep the lights on? And he can't come out with us while the lights are on in here?"

"O-oh! Look at the time!" Sun pretended to look at an imaginary watch on his wrist. "Your shift's almost up, Sunflower! You've got to get going! But we've loved loved loooved spending time with you!"

We?

Sun got up and grabbed your hand and started pulling you towards the door.

"Sun! Wait!" You tried to dig your feet in and slow him down but he was much stronger than you would ever be. He went to open the large, wooden doors that exit the daycare until you placed your other hand on his warm, silicone chest.

"Sunny, please."

He finally met your eyes and quickly looked away. A small whine escaping his voice box.

"Sunny, it's okay. I just want to meet Moon, too."

Sun let out a sigh and started fidgeting with his hands again. "Not today but maybe..."

"Tomorrow?"

Sun looked like he was about to say something but he closed his mouth and thought for a moment, looking off in the distance. After a moment, he finally spoke. It was soft and quiet, unlike his normal rising shift in pitches.

"Okay, Sunflower. Tomorrow you can meet Moon."

You took both of his hands in yours and looked up at his glowing eyes. "Don't worry, Sunny. I feel like me and Moon will be as great of friends as you and I are."

He finally started to smile again. "We...are friends?"

"Of course we are, Sunshine! I do have to go though because my shift is really almost over."

Sun quickly grabbed you and swept you up into one more, spinning hug before he set you down and waved goodbye. His signature ultra wide grin had returned and he seemed back to his normal, excited self.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, best friend!"

You giggled and waved back at him as you started walking back towards the daycare lobby.

"See you then, Sunshine!"

To be continued....

Author's Notes:

Short filler chapter but also introducing Sun! And soon Moon... but why is Sun so nervous about it? o.o I will also have some illustrations to share tomorrow! Finally have two days off after a long work week so probably going to chill the rest of the night then really dive into the plot. As always, feel free to leave comments, feedback, and more fanfic suggestions! I really love hearing from everyone and I appreciate everyone who's following along so far <3

[xantchaslegacy]

It's no secret that MtG has a fair number of characters with BCGE (Big Catholic Girl Energy); Liliana, Thalia, Teysa, etc. For Easter, I'd like to spotlight one of MtG's earliest and lesser-known big catholic-energy girls: Helana, from the short story Dual Loyalties by Glen Vasey.

Helana is the adopted daughter of preacher who oversees a rural sun-worshiping church. She is an intelligent, well-read and devout (albeit sheltered) young woman who is steadfast in her dedication to the sun-goddess, her father, and the well-being (both spiritual and physical, via healing magic) of the small community they serve.

The tl;dr of her story is that her father is suddenly (though not unexpectedly) summoned by a planeswalker to aid in a fight against a rival 'walker, and during the battle ends up getting cast into hell (this is in keeping with a running theme of the short stories in Distant Planes, a book that could have been fairly re-titled as Oldwalkers are Sociopaths and Here's a Dozen Case Studies Showing Why). Helana, left in charge of the church, immediately takes off to find her father, armed only with gumption, faith, a few pearls of white mana (which the sun god and her nighttime counterpart, Gohrah periodically leave for the devout to find), and a celestial prism (which will turn out to be critical later on, since her knowledge of spellcasting is *extremely basic*, and limited to healing spells used to treat the church's small congregation).

(She's also accompanied in her journey by a flying miniature dog named Rorsa; he's not plot-critical, but a very fun element in the story)

At the battlefield where the 'walkers dueled, she meets Illith, a demon who was summoned for the same fight her father was taken away to participate in. Illith, needing a hostage to return safely to his home in hell (demonic bureaucracy, don't ask), but also fascinated and sympathetic to Helana despite himself, agrees to guide her to the castle of the archduke of hell who has her father prisoner. The exchanges between Illith and Helana are all quite interesting, and I've included a sliver below b/c I really like how their dialogue is done:

(Illith is, though never explicitly stated as such, clearly meant to be the demon depicted on the original art for Demonic Tutor, based on the descriptions of how he assists the wizards/ planeswalkers who summon his aid.)

What Helana does once in hell is nothing short of stunning. Starting with a group of dark dwarves, who she tranquilizes with a surgery-prep spell, she proceeds to take on several squads of black-aligned creatures using nothing but her instincts and a selection of white-aligned healing spells that do absolutely twisted things to the minions of hell. She uses a proliferation/virility spell to make a group of skeleton warriors copulate each other to pieces, a healing spell on zombies so their flesh grows back and causes them immense pain. A spell of charity to make a rag man give her its kneecap. A spell of compassion and self-reflection to cause (implied lethal) psychic damage to an archduke of hell.

The story ends happily, with Helana and her new demon frenemy having gotten what they wanted out of the foray into hell (she her father and he his previous scholarly position). Helana is left at the story's end to confront a new duality of loyalties that has blossomed over the course of the story - to the Sun, but also to Gohrah, Daughter of Night.

It's a very interesting short that touches on the complexity of B and W characters, as well as gives some fun illustrations on how different card mechanics would work in the in-universe fantasy setting.

Happy Easter ;)

[multidimensionalguidance]

New Moon in Libra - what do you need to know?

Take a look at your sidereal ASC, Moon, and Sun placements to have an idea of what might be the themes appearing during this New Moon energy. This will be an opportunity for new romance, balanced communications, artistic spurts, business, or legal agreements to take place (be it for a job, promotion, marriage, etc). If there's a seed and manifestation in regards to those matters that you'd like to plant, check out what might guide you during this time to reap the best possible results on the Full Moon in Aries.

Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Mischief, Influence, Space

You or others may be up to some mischiefs, be it for fun or to be strategic. It's not anything to a detrimental level, but it can turn into an annoying and uncomfortable situation. It's okay to be invite fun, naughty, and passionate experiences that can be shared with others, but be mindful of certain influences leading you towards bad or even unlawful behavior. This highly influential group or individual may make you feel lost or you might be using them to fill up a space. It's best if you put some distance and realign with your goals. Sometimes its necessary to be in moments of silence and self contemplation, as long as it doesn't turn into isolation for the sake of it. Find the place within and out where you usually go when you need to stabilize yourself. Pay attention to the patterns that are occuring in present time, they will be key to understanding the bits of chaos that are arising.

Relevant numbers: 31, 25,11

Taurus, Virgos, Capricorn

Luck, Night, Sadness

There will be a hit of luck coming your way, be ready to seize it and be grateful for it when it occurs. Position yourself in the best way possible to receive good results. Good fortune might be with you, but it's your talents that can seal the deal of whatever you've been manifesting either from a previous full moon or that will come towards you in the following one (Sidereal Aries - 15th of November). Pay attention to your sleeping habits at this moment. The more rested you are, the better it will be for being focused and healthy. If something that makes you feel sad or down, be it from the past or present, make sure you release it in a compassionate way. This new moon comes with your best, yet saddest moments occuring during nighttime. Remember that all emotions are valid, and tears often times can clear us from feeling the weight of it all. A setback is a setup for a comeback!

Relevant numbers: 28,33,16

Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Resistance, Perspective, Ghost

There may be a strong wind coming your way, however, you do have the ability to find a path with least resistance. It might catch you off guard initially, but with some effort and adaptability you'll be able to soar through it. If it's a project or work related, there might an extra step needed to pass on to another phase, or there's additional work being required. Take a moment to stop, disengage, and open your mind to seeing things from a different perspective because whatever it is you need to resolve moving forward will be revealed once you slow down and hold off from making a major decision. You might not have all the necessary information to ensure all situations are considered. This could be a situation from your past or something that hasn't been resolved. As if ghosts are paying you a visit, be it from old connections to old patterns. Stay open minded and focused.

Relevant numbers: 40,35,12

Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Anticipation, Waterproof, Sacred Space, Growth

There's something you might be looking forward to be very badly right now, simply anticipating for the situation or moment to arrive. Even if it's good to feel the rush of hope, be mindful of not attaching to a certain outcome. If you only keep a single possibility of how an event might turn out, it will leave you disappointed once it occurs and doesn't check all your boxes. It's best to stay open minded and not allowing other's comments to impact our emotional or mental wellbeing. Stay waterproof to the snarky comments, casual insults, or emotional vampires. Seek that sacred place, be it home, a beach, place, or person that allows you rejuvenate your spirits and energy. You will witness growth within yourself and whatever situation might be occuring, specially financially wise, and even if it might come with some pain the results will be worth it. Flexible, yet unbreakable is your motto for this New Moon.

Relevant numbers: 3,53,43,18

If you'd like a more personalized reading for your situation with an array of Tarot, Oracle, and intuitive messages, feel free to check out my services!

[maypearlss]

𝐰𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 : 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭!

this is an intro post for my current main (and favorite) wip, "the nona incident!" i've had this wip for about 2 months now and it's currently still in the development and plotting stage, but i'm kinda... obsessed with it... so i'm super excited to actually start writing it, whenever that will be! for now, here's a little bit of information about it!

𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ⋆｡°✩

genres: historical fiction, drama, romance, thriller

target length: novel

setting: the united states, mid-1980s (begins in 1985, ends in a currently undetermined year)

rating + content warnings: "the nona incident!" will be intended for a mature/adult audience. content warnings include strong language, drug/alcohol use and addiction, sex and sexual content, an abusive relationship, biphobia and homophobia, compulsory heterosexuality, misogyny, graphic violence, and death. there will be other content warnings i have yet to nail down; just know that this story will be on the (for lack of better word) grittier side, so if you aren't comfortable with some generally disturbing content, this probably won't be for you.

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 ⋆｡°✩

it’s 1985, and there are two things on may costa’s mind, the same two things that have always been on her mind for as far back as she can remember: making it in the professional music industry, and being with her best friend since childhood, nona darnell. but as a guitarist with no band and few friends to speak of, stuck working as a local music store clerk, and with nona busy living an exciting life on the sunset strip with her too-cool boyfriend, duke strickland, may is about as far from those two things as is possible to be. that is, until nona invites her to accompany duke’s growing band, overconsumption, on their first tour—accompany the band, and her. with this opportunity, may is determined to carve out a place for herself in both the rock legendarium and in nona’s life, but success has unexpected consequences, especially in the untamed world of rock ‘n’ roll.

𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬, + 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐬 ⋆｡°✩

the thing about tni! is that it's a very self-indulgent project—like, even more self-indulgent than usual, which is saying something—so the themes and ideas explored in it are pretty much all things somewhat personal to or specifically geared towards myself. for the most part, they all boil down to one of two things: bisexuality and rock 'n' roll. basically, tni! is meant, in part, to be an exploration of both the good and the bad of the 80s rock scene from the point of view of a closeted bisexual woman who feels out of place in the world she loves. this does make may somewhat of a self-insert, i suppose, but i don't really consider her a self-insert, because she's not meant to be me? she's more meant to be an avenue for me to express my feelings towards the concepts presented in the story. if that makes sense. to get back to the point, tni! is more or less just me projecting onto and living vicariously through a fake 80s rock band for an indeterminate number of pages. boom, there's the theme.

𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 + 𝐜𝐨. ⋆｡°✩

may costa: a talented but lonely guitarist from vermillion spring, california in search of a band and respite from her own dislike of herself

nona darnell: the treasured girlfriend of duke strickland with aspirations of becoming a photographer and filmmaker

duke strickland: overconsumption's charismatic frontman with a famously kind and humble reputation

tommy salem: overconsumption's reserved bassist with a penchant for nighttime motorcycle rides

logan vaughn: overconsumption's multitalented drummer who started it all in the first place

rj patterson: overconsumption's rhythm guitarist who loves stirring up conflict for the sheer fun of it

𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ⋆｡°✩

the short answer to what inspired tni! is music (shocker)! if you haven't put it together yet, i live for the rock music of the 80s (and 70s, and 90s and onward, but especially the 80s). a huge amount of the inspiration for this story came from me listening to my favorite music, and i specifically decided to make this an actual wip while listening to the use your illusion albums by guns n' roses on a drive home. from there, the ideas just sort of collected and collected, which has kinda... never happened for me before? So that was really cool (and probably only because i daydream about being a rockstar way too often).

beyond just the music itself, i've also gathered a lot of ideas and inspiration from researching my favorite bands! i went through a span of time a month or two ago where i was just obsessed with reading up on the history of the bands i love (and i still am, honestly), and a lot of the stories i discovered—there were some crazy-ass stories—had a big influence on some of the plot points and the overall "vibe" of tni!.

𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ⋆｡°✩

⋆ bad obsession - guns n' roses

⋆ nona - mötley crüe

⋆ magic touch - aerosmith

⋆ hide your heart - kiss

⋆ rocket queen - guns n' roses

⋆ detroit rock city - kiss

⋆ patience - guns n' roses

⋆ you could be mine - guns n' roses

⋆ thrills in the night - kiss

⋆ don't cry (original) - guns n' roses

⋆ mr. brownstone - guns n' roses

⋆ get in the ring - guns n' roses

⋆ sweet child o' mine - guns n' roses

⋆ too young to fall in love - mötley crüe

𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 ⋆｡°✩

⋆ the plot of tni! was originally going to be a lot more... extreme? it still gets pretty extreme as it is now, but may used to be a way different character in a way that made the plot much more horrific before i realized that that wasn't the kind of story i wanted to tell with these characters

⋆ may is probably one of my favorite main characters i've ever written, so you guys have that to look forward to <3 facets of her character are also inspired by slash (the person, not the fanfic, since i know this is tumblr lmao), because... i love slash... shock and awe, i guess

⋆ this is my first attempt at realistic and historical fiction

⋆ nona is the first of two ocs i have that unintentionally have the same names as characters from the locked tomb series (maybe you'll meet the second someday? who knows... not me)

so, that's "the nona incident!" if you read this far, thank you so much, i really appreciate it! i'm not new to tumblr, but i am new to writeblr, so i'm not 100% sure of how to go about connecting with people and making friends here, so if any of this seemed interesting to you, or we have some common interests, or you just wanna chat, feel free to reach out in any way you want, and i'd be super happy to talk!

[coulsons-fullmetal-cellist]

Operation Sleepy Hollow

(Dieter x horror loving female)

Words: 1, 789

Summary: you and Dieter go somewhere special for your two-year anniversary and Dieter has something extra special planned

Warnings: failed proposals but not what you think, body injury, crazy shenanigans, Dieter being Dieter and lots of adorable fluff and some fun history! I did lots of research but if I got anything wrong, please let me know!

Check out masterlist here

Dieter looked again at the small box made out to be the key from The Mummy. He’d lost count of how many times he’d sneak a look at it over the past year. He was hoping to go through Operation Sleepy Hollow: take girlfriend to a place she’d enjoy for anniversary, propose in romantic spot, spend the night making passionate love, best boyfriend award guaranteed.

For your second-year anniversary, you were going to a place you’d enjoy, somewhere you always wanted to go: Sleepy Hollow, New York. Originally called North Tarrytown, it changed its name to Sleepy Hollow in 1996. It came to popularity but Washington Irving’s ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ where the author now lays to rest in the cemetery.

Still having time before checking in, you went to Tarrytown in order to just wander around the picturesque town. The Tarrytown Music Hall wasn’t open, but it was still beautiful in its exterior and Dieter adored any historic exterior and so adored this town. After lunch, you went to the Sleepy Hollow Souvenir Store and tried to not buy so much.

Dieter insisted you splash out for accommodation, so you were spending two nights at the Castle Hotel and Spa. The room was lavish with a four-poster bed and fireplace. Wrapping his arms around you, Dieter insisted on immediately trying out the bed.

As you had planned a few nighttime festivities such as the Pumpkin Museum of Art, the Pumpkin Carousel, the Pumpkin Windmill, and the Pumpkin Planetarium, you saw no problem in this.

*****

The following morning, you had breakfast at the Headless Bagel, purely because of its name. After picking up some Halloween themed pastries from a bakery, came all the walking. Starting on Beekman Avenue, you made your way along the Hudson River to find the lighthouse which was built in 1883. You then made your way to the Sleepy Hollow, originally the Tarrytown cemetery which changed its name to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to honour author Washington Irving. His monument was protected from picky tourists, but you went to honour him in passing. You found the Headless Horseman sculpture before making your way to the bridge. It wasn’t the bridge that was in the film or from the folktale as that was now a modern bridge commissioned by the Rockefeller family and now has a placard stating its historic location. This bridge was a beautiful wooden one and hauntingly romantic.

This was the perfect location for Dieter to propose. It didn’t want to do it on the bridge as he didn’t trust himself not to fall into the river. He waited until you both crossed the bridge. Your back was to him the moment he got down on one knee, he moved to get the ring out of his jacket pocket when something caught his eye.

“Ah! A snake!”

It was at this point you turned around to find your boyfriend running towards you in fear. He sort of glomped you but had enough sense to not fall to the ground. He pointed to where he thought he saw the supposed snake. You looked over to where he was pointing but only saw a stick.

He felt embarrassed at the blunder but was soon replaced by sadness that he missed out on the perfect opportunity to propose but he shook it off.

The next location the Union Church of Pocantico Hills held the last works by Henry Matisse. Dieter was mesmerised by the stained-glass windows, and he quietly explained the story of how Nelson Rockefeller commissioned the artwork for his late wife, Abby in 1948. He pointed out the Rose Window, Matisse’s last work and the nine windows which were designed by Marc Chagill, a Belarusian-French artist you hadn’t heard of, but you certainly found the windows beautiful.

It certainly cheered Dieter up and he thought of going to Plan B of Operation Sleepy Hollow: propose over a romantic candlelit dinner followed by a night of passionate lovemaking, bagging best boyfriend award in the process.

*****

After lunch, you went back to the hotel for a break before dinner. You had made your way to the bathroom, so Dieter knelt down to untie his shoelaces; he had the sudden thought of relocating the ring box, so he reached over to get it from his jacket but then something broke.

You heard a pained scream and rushed out of the bathroom. Dieter was on his knees unable to move with tears streaming out of his eyes. He was taking short breaths as moving any part of his body was causing immense pain.

“What happened?”

“My back!” he gasped. “My back!”

You put a hand to his chest, “Let’s try and get you up, okay?”

Putting hands under his armpits, you managed to get him sitting on the edge of the bed. You took his shoes off with no problem.

“I’m going to give you a painkiller, okay?”

He didn’t nod as he feared it would cause pain, but you gathered from his whimper that he consented, so you managed to administer it.

“Now I need to take your pants off.”

It was a gruelling experience for Dieter and the whole time he was whimpering in pain and mumbling how the removal of clothes should be sexy, but you managed to get him down to his boxers and lying face down on the bed. Leaving him for a few seconds, you came back from the bathroom with a hot towel and placed it on his back. He settled down after a few moans of pain. His back was very tense and twitched whenever you touched it.

The painkiller must have kicked in or the hot towel was working but Dieter was soon feeling less pain in his back. Soon after he felt a cooling sensation, the towel was removed from his back, and you were rubbing something in.

“What is that?” he asked.

“It’s Tiger Balm, it’s really good for muscle pain.”

He gave a groan of approval and soon you heard him snoring softly.

*****

Dieter woke up sometime later, he didn’t dare try moving and he worried that his back would flare up again, so he stayed where he was. He managed to follow you with his eyes as you came back into the room.

“How are you feeling?”

“A bit stiff,” he mumbled.

“Well, you are going to have a deep tissue massage tomorrow morning. I went down to the front desk and booked you in while I cancelled out dinner.”

“You did?” you nodded. “But what about the Farmers Market?”

“I can do that on my own. I don’t think you’d survive all that walking.”

He grumbled in agreement, “Unless there was lots of sitting.”

“Do you think you could handle sitting now?” He gave a mumble in place of a shrug, so you managed to slowly get him to stand up. After putting on his teddy bear coat, you moved him to a chair with good back support and placed an ottoman under his feet. He grumbled his thanks.

“I’m sorry I ruined our anniversary.”

“You didn’t ruin it, it’s not your fault your back died on you.”

“But we were going to have a romantic dinner and…” he couldn’t finish his sentence.

“Have a night of passionate lovemaking?”

Dieter almost started crying at the thought of all that was being missed out.

“We could try,” he shyly suggested.

“Sex won’t fix your sore back; it might make it worse.”

“It might. If I lie down the whole time and you can sit on my-“

“We’re not risking anything,” he pouted. “We can do gifts?”

He wiggled his toes in excitement, “Yes, let’s do presents!”

You moved over to where your bags were. Pulling out your present for Dieter, you moved over to his bag. He stopped you opening it, just letting you carry the whole bag over to him. Pulling out a wrapped gift, he handed it to you while you put his bag away and put your gift in his lap.

He gleefully but carefully unwrapped his present to reveal the glorious tie-die beneath.

“I’m Kenough?!” he held up the hoodie. “I love it!”

It was now time to unwrap your gift; it was a book.

“Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.”

“I figured you might want to learn all the history science stuff behind your favourite book.”

You hugged the book close to you and made your way over to Dieter in order to plant a giant kiss on his cheek. You gently hugged him.

“I love it! I’ll not to read it all in one sitting.”

“You want to read it now, don’t you?”

“Yeah, but how about some room service?”

*****

“How was the massage?”

“Amazing! My back is still stiff, but it doesn’t hurt like hell anymore,” he was sitting in the armchair donned in his new favourite hoodie. “How was the Farmers Market?”

“Amazing! So much lovely produce! I could’ve bought one of everything, but I don’t know if I can bring back fresh produce.”

“We’re in the same country.”

“Yeah, but isn’t there a rule about bringing food across state lines?”

“I don’t think so.”

You hmphed, “I guess it’s just an Australian thing. But I got lots of other great things!”

You pulled things out of your tote to show your smiling boyfriend: jams, soaps, various baked goods as well as…

“Cheese?”

“You bet I got cheese! If I can’t bring it back with me, I’ll eat it all on the spot.”

“I think you can bring it with us.”

“I also got you a handmade heat pack. They told me that when it heats up, it smells like pancakes.”

“So I’ll smell like pancakes?”  he loved the thought.

You were surprised you still had room in your suitcase after all your purchases, but you managed to fit everything in. Thankfully, Dieter brought his trusty Crocs with him, so he didn’t have to endure the thought of how he was going to put his footwear on.

The hotel staff were very helpful in getting your luggage and Dieter into the car and soon, you were both on your way back to New York City.

As Dieter watched the trees go flying past, his mind began to wander; he was rethinking his proposal plan. Halloween was approaching and you were both heading to a fancy costumed ball. It would be the perfect opportunity to propose as it was your favourite time of the year so you would already be in a happy mood. So now it was Operation Halloween Proposal: dress up and go to romantic themed ball, propose in super romantic setting, spend the night making passionate love, best boyfriend award guaranteed.

Films referenced: The Mummy (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Barbie (2023)

Book referenced:

Lovingly tagging @boliv-jenta @simpingcowboy @ellenmunn @o-sacra-virgo-laudes-tibi @brilliantopposite187 @chaithetics @myloveistoolittle @cevans-is-classic @glshmbl