#tagging as something different people can see it

[pintsize-monkey]

i feel this way about plenty of stuff i grew up with, especially a lot of music, horror genre things, and youtubers i liked. i did have lots of kid friendly things which i love interacting with when regressed but also!!! i liked watching people play rpgmaker horror games back in the day and watching jackscepticeye, playing bloody video games, and ive been listening to emo music and engaging with scene kid stuff since i was only two sauce packets big. i just grew up that way. that stuff, and my current interests now that im an adult, are still things i interact with when im regressed. obviously, certain things should not be brought into agere spaces, like nsfw content, but thats a given. theres a whole big list of not "kid friendly" stuff that can still be completely safe to engage with when regressing, its a little weird for some ppl completely invalidate that some of us were unsupervised internet kids, baby goths, or just like to engage with media that is more mature. its not "bad" or "unsafe regression", nor is it making the regressor like. miserable??? for goodness sake, half my generation was obsessed with fnaf in elementary school!!! i was on newgrounds as a kid!!! a lot of ageres are autistic as well and take their spins or fixations into regression with them, including me, and sometimes what youre into is like. some niche horror media. or a death metal band. or homestuck. as long as its tagged properly so that ppl who only want kid friendly stuff dont have to see it, i think it is cool and ok to regress with ur "big kid only" interests. :3 childhood means something different to everyone, and that has to be respected. what matters is that what youre doing makes u happy and brings u comfort.

sometimes regression/inner child healing is indulging in the things you enjoyed as a kid, even if they weren't actually child friendly.

i'm a 2000s kid who grew up with the internet, and you know darn well i was NOT supervised! i watched some insane stuff on youtube as a really young kid. and you know what? i go back and watch them sometimes, and it actually does help me regress.

one of my favorite youtube series as a young kid was called "is it a good idea to microwave this?" and it's exactly as it sounds. lots of crude humor, lots of swearing, lots of things exploding in microwaves. but every time i rewatch the series i can't help but feel like i'm 7 again, laughing at these silly guys putting silly things in their microwave.

this is why i get kinda bent outta shape when people say non-kid friendly media doesn't have a place in age regression when it absolutely does. some of us grew up with crude adult humor, and thus it helps us regress when we go back and watch it! and i think that's extremely valid.

[draconym]

Thank you for the post about your parrot combining words to refer to specific foods! I always love reading stories about things they say, so so fascinating. Do you have any other examples of combined words or maybe just an interesting anecdote about bird language for someone who’s never looked at your blog before?

Oh, sure. I first read about Lexical Elision in The Alex Studies, and later Alex and Me, about Dr. Pepperberg's "Avian Language EXperiment." Alex famously described apples as "banerry" (banana + cherry) when he first encountered them, possibly because they were pale inside like a banana, but round and red like a cherry--both of which words he already knew.

I guess the thing that's hard about this question is that I have normalized so many things about living with a talking parrot that I think are, for the average person, deeply abnormal. Every morning when I come downstairs he requests various foods from me (most days it's carrot, peanut, berry) and then lobbies for me to let him out by saying "Ripley wanna come out" in various different intonations. When he sees me linger by the door or put on a jacket, he says "bye," often adding, "see you later."

A lot of people think that parrots memorize phrases atomically, as in, if you teach a parrot to say "Polly wanna cracker," it may understand that making those sounds in that order results in a cracker, but it will not mean that a bird understands that its name is "Polly," that it "wanna" something, and that "cracker" is the desired food.

To an extent, this is true. If you teach a parrot a phrase in a vacuum it will never be able to deconstruct it. But most captive parrots capable of language and mimicry are exposed to the daily conversation of the humans around them, and are also inherently prone to making word salad out of whatever they hear. This is fun for them. So Polly will probably eventually learn that Polly is their name, that "wanna" can precede many different desirable things, and that "cracker" is the most important part of that sentence and the most efficient way to demand it.

Ripley loves making new sentences. He says silly sounding things all the time like "Ripley wanna chair" or "gonna watch kitchen" because he enjoys playing with words like Legos. But my favorite Ripleyism is when he says "you're so (random word)." Originally this was "you're so silly" or "you're so nice," which we do say to him pretty often. His favorite compliment is "you're so bird."

I recommend my Ripley Parrot tag if you're interested in Ripley Stories. I also highly recommend reading stories about parrots over living with a parrot.

[uniquethingtastemaker]

Jade x Reader – Commit to the Bit

Summary: After escaping Scarabia and crash-landing in Monstro Lounge during Chapter 4, you form a deeper relationship with Octavinelle’s vice leader. The Reader’s bold moves pique Jade’s interest. The two are equally committed to keeping up their acts to maximize the most hilarious reactions from their friends. No matter how big the trick is they always “Commit to the Bit,” and some pranks turn into fact instead of a facade. 

Word Count: 12.5k+

Author’s Note: This wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for @solxamber. I told her my idea and she became invested. It pushed me to finish this. Somehow it’s turned into this monster of a piece. I had a splendid time with this. Please comment and enjoy!

Tags: @marsinrain @solxamber idk who else to tag lol

You and Grim scream at the top of your lungs as Kalim’s flying carpet rockets past different sceneries. You hear Scarabia students shouting after you. However, no human is a match for an out-of-control, speeding carpet. 

“We’re gonna hit the mirror!!” Grim shrieks. 

You grip your companion as you fly through. You know you won’t slam into glass but you also don’t know where you’ll land. The two of you exit the hot desert and are flung into darkness. With no ability to see or steer, you crash into something. 

You groan. Thankfully you landed on something soft. It feels like a couch. 

“Grim, are you ok?” You call out. 

The cat whines, “No, but I’m alive.”

“It’s better than being tortured and imprisoned in Hellabia,” you comment, before asking. “Where are we?”

Lights flick on. You wince, shielding from the unexpected brightness. A distinct voice echoes out.

“Oya, I was wondering who would be here at this time of night.”

Your head snaps up to see the tweels. A twinkle glitters in your eyes. 

“Oh, thank god, it’s someone menacing!” you exclaim, “Plus, you’re in debt to us for stopping Azul’s overblot and you’ll find our situation interesting.”

You watch Jade’s eyes widen at your rapid-fire enthusiasm. Even Floyd seems momentarily lost for words. It’s not unexpected. Every time you’ve interacted with the trio, you’ve been reserved. The group seemed more trouble than they were worth. While you gravitate to interesting circumstances and people, you’ve been entertained by the overblots. It didn’t seem necessary to seek out the tweel tricksters and their con artist boss. However, your circumstances have changed. 

You want revenge on Scarabia and you've fallen right into the perfect predator’s lap. This trio is vindictive and vicious. They like throwing people off for fun. They’re exactly what you need. 

You haven’t sought vengeance on the other overblot students because you haven’t been directly involved. If you were, you knew you could get out of it. It was another riveting problem you needed to solve. You weren’t affected by Riddle. You don’t have magic and you’re not in Heartslabyul. For Leona, you can’t play Magical Shift. Ruggie’s magic didn’t hurt you. You didn’t make a terrible deal with Azul. You just had to get your dumb friends out of a bad situation lest you die of complaints. You weren’t worried about Ramshackle, because you had the skill to get it back. You were the one who planned Azul’s ultimate demise after all. With Scarabia though, they put you through torture. They forced you to walk across the desert. They caught you multiple times trying to escape and you’re not letting that go. 

Therefore, you’re throwing away all pretenses to recruit these slippery fish folk. If anyone would be on board this ship, it would be the Octavinelle trio. 

You barrel on, summarizing. “We just escaped Scarabia prison. They kidnapped us, locked us up for over a week, and forced us into inhuman slavery with the excuse of “training!” Plus, a coup is about to happen. Something’s fishy and it’s not you.”

You get up, walking toward the twin, bubbling in excitement. Before either of them can respond, another person speaks up. It’s the languid and steady voice of a businessman. 

“A coup?” Azul inquires.

You glance at him and nod. 

“The Scarabia students aren’t happy with Kalim’s treatment. They want Jamil to usurp him,” you briefly explain, before adding. “You know why that’s strange.” 

The dorm leader gives a thoughtful hum before a group of Scarabia students burst through the door. 

“We found you, thieves! There’s nowhere to run now,” one of them declares.

You step closer to Jade and retort, “Wrongful imprisonment and mistreatment of workers is a crime. We took dire measures to escape. Grim and I aren’t a part of your dorm. Jamil invited us. If you were good hosts, you’d respect the wishes of your guests and let them leave when they become uncomfortable. I have video evidence.” 

The last part was a lie, but you wanted to provoke them. You pull out your phone and wave it around. You’re curious to see how the twins will react.

One hot-blooded student lunges for your device. You “yelp,” jumping behind the quieter twin. In a flash, Jade has their wrist in a crushing hold. 

“When it comes to recording illegal activity, as long as the person recording does not interfere, it’s submissible in court,” Jade dictates in a smooth and steady voice. 

His eyes narrow in delight as his victim’s hand turns blue due to lack of circulation. The student pales. 

Another boy argues, “They stole Kalim’s magic carpet. Theft is a crime too.”

“Besides, this isn’t any of your business! Back off,” someone else interjects. 

There’s a collective agreement when Azul cuts in. 

“Based on the prefect’s testimony, we’ve offered them sanctuary. Until we’ve investigated this matter, Octavinelle will keep Kalim’s magic carpet,” the dorm leader details before giving a deadly smile, “For now, you’re in our territory. I’ll kindly ask you to leave. If you don’t do it willingly, I have no problem forcing you.”

One of the students grits his teeth and barks, “They stole Kalim’s carpet! Do you know how precious it is?”

You speak up, “Yes, and because Octavinelle is sheltering us, they’ll want to ensure his carpet is returned in pristine condition. It would be embarrassing if there were any blemishes they didn’t catch. They’re incredibly benevolent and would want to compensate Kalim.”

You’re about to reassure them you’ll give it back tomorrow when you notice something. Your crash landing destroyed some tables. Azul would never let that go. You change your goal and escalate the situation.

“Although, it is pathetic that there are so many of you and you’re scared of two people, a magicless student, and their cat. Your attitudes are a reflection of your dorm. Perhaps, you deserve the grueling treatment Kalim subjects you to. Maybe you can learn how to be mentally stronger,” you taunt. 

It has the desired effect. The Scarabia students attack. You grin and snatch the carpet. Before you move, you see Grim lining up to fire. You pick him up by the scruff of his neck and slide up to Azul. 

“Why are you taking me away?” Grim cries, kicking the air. “I want to fight too!”

“If you attack them, we’re at a disadvantage. They could claim we used force as well. It’s better to let the tweels handle it,” you reply, before whispering in his flaming ear. “I don’t fancy paying Octavinelle for property damage. If you don’t want to become fish food, keep quiet.”

Grim squeaks and nods. You place him down, pat his head, and watch the battle. The place becomes a mess. Your initial damages blend in with the landscape. 

You’ve always admired the twins’ fighting style. They get up close and personal, bashing people into walls and tables. The combination of physical power and magical prowess is unique, effective, and intimidating. It sends people running. 

“You should bill Kalim for compensation,” you suggest to Azul, “He’s their dorm leader. It’s supposedly on his orders that Grim and I were held hostage.”

The man grits his teeth, “You intentionally provoked them. We won’t get any money if the carpet is damaged.” 

“It’s not. We can check now,” you reassure.

You turn and walk to the bar. You smirk to yourself. He didn’t notice your crash-landing. You distracted him with the potential coup and later the Scarabia mob blocked his line of sight. Now, you’re off the hook.

You lay the magic carpet on the counter. 

“Carpet, are you hurt in any way?” You question. 

The animated object’s tassels shake a no. 

You request, “Perfect. Just in case, can we look over you?” 

It moves its tassels up and down and flops onto the counter. You laugh at the action. Pulling out your phone flashlight, you ensure there are no imperfections. A scream and snap resound behind you. You and Azul ignore it. Floyd cackles with a crazed edge and a sinister chuckle comes from Jade. 

You feel Grim press against your leg. Glancing down, you grab him and put him on a bar stool. You ask the carpet to flip itself so you can inspect the back more closely.

“This is incredible quality,” Azul states, running his fingers across the fabric. 

You can practically hear the money signs in his voice. 

You roll your eyes. “Do you doubt the Al-Asim’s wealth?” 

“No! I’m just admiring the business opportunity,” he answers. 

Something thuds beside you. You look down to find a struggling Scarabia student on the floor. You stare. You’ve covered up your part of the crime and it’s illegal for them to trespass on private property. You deem it fine to enact violence before slamming your foot into his face. 

The student yells, clutching his broken nose. You kick him a few feet away. Once he’s out of range, you casually turn back to the Octavinelle house warden. 

“You said you were providing us sanctuary. I expect you to uphold your statement,” you tell him. 

The sophomore stares at you with an open mouth. You continue the conversation for him.

“If you can’t tell, I’d like to get revenge on these people. In addition, this is good for you. If we figure out what’s wrong with Kalim, he’ll owe you a debt. Your bodyguards will be invested because it causes chaos. There’s no down–” 

A hand brushes your ankle.

You pin it under your foot before the perpetrator latches on. You slowly turn your gaze to the ground. It’s the scum you left a shoe imprint on. How cute. 

You give a soft smile and swivel your heel into his hand. There are a few cracks.

“Did you know that there are 27 bones in the human hand?” you ask, leaning down. “That’s about one-quarter of all the bones in your body. They’re also some of the most painful to break because they have the most nerve endings. It’s been used as a torture method to get people to confess.”

The teenager’s free hand shoots out to grab your other ankle. A deadly spark flickers in your eyes. You snatch the extremity and extend it above his body until you hear a pop. His shoulder dislocates. You send another warm smile. It’s so out of place, it’s uncanny. 

“You haven’t learned your lesson, have you? That’s ok. I’m a great tutor. Carpet, please move away from me and the fight,” you request. 

You watch the magic item fly away and turn back to the Scarabia member. 

“For the record, Kalim sent you, correct? I must ensure Azul sends the bill to the right person. I don’t want to be liable for any damages to the Monstro Lounge,” you explain condescendingly. 

Instead of answering, your victim spits at you. Your eyes widen. You keep your calm and sweet expression. 

“You just signed your ticket to hell,” you sing before stomping his groin.

You use his moment of vulnerability to yank him up. You open his jaw, place it on the edge of the bar, and crack your elbow over his head. Controlling your strength, you make sure he only breaks some teeth. You don’t want to kill him. 

“Woaaah! Shrimpy's got some moves!” Floyd cries behind you. 

You flash a brilliant grin. Jade looks at you with wide eyes before narrowing into a thrilled shimmer. They’ve dealt with the students on their side. Everyone watches you, so you put on a show. 

Pulling your victim off the counter, you throw him onto a nearby seat. You pluck the magic pen off him and toss it to Grim. 

“Now you can experience what it’s like to be a magicless student,” you comment, rummaging through his pockets. “Although, you got beat up by me despite having magic. It’s quite embarrassing.” 

The boy is too terrified to stop you. You remove his wallet and flip through the different cards he has.

“In addition to losing against me, you lost Kalim’s carpet and—Ooh, a gift card.” 

You pocket it and take out the wad of cash. You leave his ID and credit card. It’s more trouble than it’s worth to steal someone’s credit or debit card. If you use it, it can be tracked. On the other hand, gift cards and physical money are safe. 

You continue, “You failed to recapture Grim and I. You should probably keep quiet for now and figure it out what to do in the morning. It’s late. Despite your injuries, you’ll have to walk through the desert tomorrow. You need all the sleep you can get. Hopefully, you have a medic on hand.”

After shaking the boy down you snatch his magical pen from your cat. You tuck it back into his shirt pocket and pat it.

“I’ll return this to you so people won’t question why you don’t have it. Be grateful for the small things.” You smile before shoving him out of his seat and onto the floor. 

You toss the wallet on his limp body. After making sure there’s no blood on the bar stool, you replace him and cross your legs. When nobody moves, you glance at the mob. 

“You should grab him before he bleeds out,” you suggest.

Two Scarabia students scurry up to help their fallen comrade and scuttle out the door. 

Jade slides up beside you.

“That was impressive, [Y/N]. Where did you learn to fight like that?” The quieter twin asks. 

Floyd grins, skipping over. “Shrimpy’s awesome! I haven’t seen anyone be that ruthless in a while.”

“My family taught me,” you shrug, before addressing Azul. “Do you have a room Grim and I can sleep in tonight?” 

The octopus pushes his glasses up, regaining his composure from the intense shock. 

The house warden answers, “No, we don’t, but—” 

“--That’s fine. I’ll sleep with Jade.”

It takes a moment for the others to process your words. Azul is the first to react. 

“WHAT?!?!” He screams.

Jade’s eyes blow wide as they look at you, stunned. Floyd’s voice is caught in his throat. It takes everything in you to keep a straight and innocent face. To distract yourself from laughing, you reach down to pick up Grim. You hold him out to Floyd. 

“You can have Grim. He’s a great cuddler,” you tell him, before glancing at his twin. “You share a room, right?”

Jade slowly nods. 

You bob your head and shove your cat into Floyd’s arms. Hopping off your seat, you grab the quieter eel.

“You’re ok with it, right?” you confirm. 

The man looks torn between asking if you’re sure and agreeing for fun. Your decision to share a bed with a distant, borderline-deadly acquaintance is a wild and concerning move. You can tell he’s worried for your safety and sanity. 

Azul interrupts, yelling, “You can sleep on the couch!”

“But I want to sleep on a bed,” you argue, before asking him. “Do you want to share with me?” 

“Ew, no,” the octopus responds. 

“Well, I’m not rooming with Floyd. Jade’s my best choice,” you say, “Let’s go. I’m tired and we have to get revenge in the morning.” 

You drag the chosen twin out the door without waiting for anyone else. 

From behind you, Floyd chortles, “Shimpy is bold! I guess you’re sleeping with me, Baby Seal.” 

Grim cries out in distress.

Jade leads you to their bedroom. It’s obvious which section is his.

Walking over to his bed, you ask. “Do you have a preference on which side you sleep on?”

“No, I don’t.” The vice leader shakes his head.

Floyd busts in, clutching a dead-faced Grim. 

“We’re having a sleepover,” he squeals, launching at you. 

You slip behind Jade, but he dodges. Your eyes widen as the chaotic eel barrels toward you. You tackle the vice leader to avoid him. 

Both of you fall on the bed as he lets out a surprised sound. 

“Dogpile!” Floyd shouts. 

He jumps and knocks the wind out of you. Grim screeches as he’s smooshed. The taller twin laughs and you can’t help but chuckle too. It turns into a full-blown cackle at the absurd situation. Factoring in your earlier stunt, you lose it. 

You can’t breathe but it doesn’t stop you from wheezing, “Your faces when I said I’d sleep with Jade! You were so surprised. Azul’s reaction was gold. I had to fight so hard to keep a straight face, but it was worth it.”

You grip Jade’s shoulders, shaking. Tears begin streaming down your face. Your giggle fit continues as you shove Floyd off you. The Octavinelle student laughs alongside you and even Jade joins in. 

Grim tries to stay silent, frowning, because you left him with Floyd. However, the air is too infectious. He can’t help but snicker too. 

It takes a while before you can speak. You sigh as your laughter passes. You turn to Jade. 

“Imma get ready for bed. I need all my energy to fulfill my retribution,” you state, sitting up. “Do you have an extra toothbrush and can I borrow some pajamas?” 

Jade nods, standing up to fetch the requested items. 

Floyd complains next to you. “I wanna stay up~!” 

“We’re having a two-day sleepover. Maybe even more. We’re infiltrating Scarabia tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll be too busy planning dastardly schemes to get much sleep anyway,” you reason. 

The fictitious eel weighs his options before agreeing, “Ok! I still have Baby Seal to keep me company.” 

Floyd grabs Grim and squeezes. Your cat squeaks and looks at you desperately. You turn away, feigning ignorance, as you take Jade’s pajamas and the extra toiletries. 

“I’ll get you for this,” Grim promises, as Floyd takes him to his side of the room. 

You look at the offered sleepwear. It’s a set of turquoise silk pajamas. You rub your thumb along it. They’re soft. 

“Thank you,” you tell him, “I’ll be quick.” 

After completing your nighttime routine, you slip back into the room. Heading to the light switch, you focus on Jade’s bed. Once you’ve mapped your path, you flick it off and dive. Crashing into his body, your bedmate lets out an “oof.”

“You’ve done that twice tonight. You can’t keep your hands off me,” he teases, amused.

“You’re interesting and like to mess with people. Why wouldn’t I want to be close to you?” you throw back.

He’s quiet as you climb over him, taking the space closest to the wall and furthest from Floyd. If the ball of eccentric energy attempts to approach you in your sleep, you can use his twin as a shield.

Once you settle in, the vice leader speaks up.

“I could strangle you in your sleep,” he threatens in a low voice.

You raise an amused eyebrow. “You could but you won’t.”

“Why do you think so?” Jade questions. 

“I’m more entertaining alive than dead or hurt,” you answer with confidence. 

Burrowing yourself into the covers, Jade hums. “You have no sense of self-preservation.”

“Maybe I’m just good at picking people,” you reply.

“You have strange tastes,” he responds. 

“If I have strange tastes, then you’re a hypocrite,” you retort with a smile. 

Turning toward the wall, you let sleep overtake you.

————————

You’re a light sleeper. Thankfully, you’re only interrupted a few times. It’s better than sharing a bed with Grim. Unlike your cat companion, Jade is still. However, there are moments when you regain consciousness.

You feel the Octavinelle student shift. He drapes an arm over your midsection, pulling you in. You feel his warmth against your back. Your breath catches as you try to calm your racing heart. Despite your previous bravo and nonchalant attitude, you feel attracted to the twin. You take deep breaths and concentrate on deciphering if Jade is asleep. It’s important for your analysis. After a few minutes, you conclude he is unconscious. You raise your eyebrows. That's a surprising and good sign. 

The stunt you pulled was a test. You wanted to see if Jade would cross any boundaries. He’s a wild card. You’re certain Floyd would choose his whims over your needs. However, his twin was more restrained or at least clear-headed during social interactions. 

Before committing to your romantic pursuit, you need to know if the other person respects you. It’s a key factor in a lasting relationship. You’re not interested in a fling. You want a long-term partner. Jade piques your interest and you want to know if he’s a good match. The sophomore passed the first test. In light of that, you reward him.

Gently flipping over, you nuzzle into his arms. The man is surprisingly warm. Before you drift into dreamland, you wonder if it’s an adaptation to the cold sea climate. 

———————————

Warm arms leave your side. You groan, grabbing onto Jade’s shirt. 

“What time is it?” you question, bleary-eyed. 

“6:30,” Jade states, stopping his retreat.

It sounds like he’s been awake for a while. You revel in the fact he didn’t move your positions. It’s another positive mark. You don’t let on to your thoughts.

“It’s way too early, but Scarabia starts walking at 8,” you grumble, “It’s one more reason to get back at them. However, I want to look good while doing it. I need to give off an innocent vibe.”

Your voice is still ragged from sleep and you slink your arms around Jade. 

“Innocent?” the vice leader questions, “After you tore through that poor soul?” 

“I gotta plan,” you mumble, burying your face into his chest. 

Jade stiffens before tentatively relaxing. You resist the urge to smirk. The eel is intuitive. You appreciate a quick-minded and observant individual. It looks like the Octavinelle student is insightful enough to know that you’re up to something and to follow your lead.

You continue, complaining, “I don’t wanna get up.”

You keep it down, not wanting to wake up Floyd. Thinking about the room's other occupants, you peek past Jade to see the other bed. 

Floyd is sprawled out with the sheets half kicked off him. Grim lies on his chest fast asleep. You smirk. You have to take a picture of this, but the bed and Jade are comfy. 

You huff and scrunch your nose. Taking a breath of fortitude, you give your snuggle buddy one last squeeze, before slinging yourself over him. With the grace of a cat, you avoid getting caught in the covers and place your feet on the floor in silence. 

Unbeknownst to you, your chosen eel follows your figure with the eyes of a predator. 

Walking over to grab your phone, you pad to the left side of the room. You ensure the ringer is silenced before taking multiple pictures of the cute duo. When you turn back to Octavinelle’s vice leader, he’s half sitting up, gazing with a smirk. 

The teenager’s hair sticks up all over the place. You turn the camera to him and snap a photo. A smile is still plastered on his face but his head tilts, planning payback. You roll your eyes. You’re not interested in being a victim of the twin’s antics yet. Plopping beside him, you grab his shoulder and pull him closer. You flip the camera to selfie mode and take photos of you and the eel. There’s a soft smile on your face and an entertained smirk on Jade’s. Both of you look equally ridiculous and disheveled. 

“Now we’re even,” you whisper, “What’s your phone number? I don’t want you to think I’m holding this hostage. It’s only fair you have them too.” 

Jade raises his eyebrows, impressed by your smooth way of getting his number. He enters his contact info into your device and hands it back. With a few taps, you send him the captured memories. 

“We should get ready,” you sigh. 

“Indeed. Although, I don’t know how you’re going to pull off an innocent look,” he comments, smirking. 

—--------------

The Octavinelle trio, the Ramshackle duo, and the magic carpet enter Scarabia. The five humanoids are blasted by hot air.  

Floyd laments, “It feels like the middle of summer. I’m going to dry out at this rate.” 

You perk up, curious. 

“Are your body temperatures higher than regular humans because you all live in a colder climate?” you question. 

Azul turns to you, surprised. 

“Yes, we do. How do you know?” he replies. 

You focus on maintaining a straight face. Out of everyone’s reactions last night, Azul’s was the most entertaining.

“Jade was incredibly warm when we cuddled,” you reveal. 

The businessman’s eyes bulge out and he coughs. You clench your teeth, resisting the urge to laugh. The gentlemanly twin is unable to resist and enhances your performance. 

He puts an arm around your waist and confirms, “They were rather cool, so it didn’t bother me. Their hair also smells nice. It’s a mix of [whatever scent you like, but it’s very specific. Weirdly specific].” 

You’re torn between being flattered, concerned about how descriptive he is, and laughing at the fantastic response. The Octavinelle dorm leader stares at the two of you horrified and wary. Floyd gleefully cackles beside you. 

“Jade is down bad, and Shrimpy is making the moves~! No wonder Azul’s terrified. He just gained another of us,” the chaotic twin crows, bumping into you. 

Floyd throws an arm around your shoulder. The twins squish you on either side. They tower above you with mischievous and deadly smiles.

“I hope you’re not leaving anytime soon. You’re too interesting and my brother likes you,” the basketball player sings, “If you try to escape, I’ll have to squeeze ya.” 

You smirk back, looping your arms around their backs. You pull them in. They lean down, excited by the impromptu team huddle. 

“You’re much more fun to work with than I thought. As long as we’re all in agreement, I’ll stick around as long as you like. Besides, Azul’s reactions are more than enough to get me to stay,” you say. 

You gesture at the lone Octavinelle sophomore. His eyebrows scrunch, attempting to factor your brand of insanity into his plans. The house warden notices your gazes and glares at the three of you. 

He pushes up his glasses and declares, “We have a coup to stop, business deals to make, and a mystery to solve. Let’s get going.” 

The octopus spins on his heels and stalks forward. The eels and you straighten to attention, falling into your roles. As you walk closer to the elaborate building, Azul relaxes into his usual over-the-top attitude. He glances behind and finds perfect and docile assistants. You hear a sigh of relief. 

Eventually, you’re close enough to hear the Scarabia students from last night’s fight. They took your advice and haven’t told anyone. Putting on your best acting face, you pretend to look at the Leech twins in fear. There’s a mirthful sparkle in Jade’s eye and Floyd is ecstatic to see what will happen. Without waiting, he shoves you forward. 

“Go and tell them what you need to, Shrimpy,” the embodiment of chaos elogates. 

His voice catches the residents’ attention. They stiffen at the sight of your quartet. You make your body small and unthreatening. You put your arms close to your chest, strengthening the effect. You spare the school mafia one more hesitant glance. 

Floyd urges you in a threatening tone, “Tell them what you need to and make it quick.”

He puts a hand on his other shoulder, tilting his head. He wears the disconcerting expression of a wild predator about to snap. 

“Be grateful we’re allowing you to do this much,” Jade chimes in with a similar grin.

You hurry to the beat-up students and start apologizing. 

“I’m so sorry for what happened yesterday. I was scared you would take Grim and me. I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you. The person I should be mad at is the one making you do these inhuman acts. However, I can’t help but feel there’s something wrong with Kalim. He’s usually so outgoing and kind,” you start.

“I want to help your dorm. I need to make up for what I did and leaving you all to endure this torture isn’t right. As someone who experienced it first-hand, I want to stop this. However, I paid a heavy price to get some help,” you lie.

You slightly gesture to the Octavinelle trio. Based on the Scarabia students’ expressions, the mobsters are as intimidating as ever. 

You plead your case, “I’m getting Azul and the twins to help me investigate, but we need to make sure our cover isn’t blown. Please pretend you didn’t see anything last night.” 

You give a strained smile before pulling out a healing potion and presenting it to the student you hurt. 

You bow. “Again, I’m sorry. Please accept this as part of my apology.” 

Your ploy works like spreading hot butter on toast. 

“We’ll keep quiet,” one of them assures, “Thank you for helping. You’re doing everyone a favor. There are no hard feelings about your attack.” 

“Now that you mention it, you were the one who helped solve the incident in Heartslabyul,” another points out. 

“Oh my god, they were! Didn’t they also solve the slavery issue in Octavinelle too?” someone asks. 

“That must be where they became in debt to them,” one individual surmises. 

They rally around you, buying into your lie and creating a story for you. They believe you’re a saint sent from the heavens. They don’t doubt your intentions at all. 

“If you need anything, let us know. We’ll support you to the best of our abilities,” the last reassures. 

You give a shaky and appreciative smile. “Thank you. I have one request. If something weird happens between the Octavinelle trio and me, it’s all part of the plan. I ask that you not to give anything away or oppose what’s happening.” 

The Scarabia students immediately agree when Azul cuts in. 

“[Y/N], we need to find Kalim,” he dictates. 

You pretend to jump. You wave to your new followers and scramble back to your party. When you turn your back to the fools, you smirk at your fellow tricksters. Jade sends an approving nod as Floyd gives a joyful grin. 

A familiar voice comes around the corner. 

“It’s almost time for morning training,” Jamil warns, “Kalim will lose it if you’re la—”

The vice leader stops upon seeing the out-of-place sea folk. He narrows his eyes. Before he can say anything, Azul gives a signature business greeting. 

“Jamil! Good morning. How are you on such a fine day?” he questions with a lavishing voice. 

The Scarabia vice leader stares with a slightly annoyed and skeptical frown.

“Azul Ashengrotten with the Leech Twins,” he addresses, before asking. “What are you doing here?”

You speak up, “I brought them.”

Jamil furrows his brows. “Why?”

You move, allowing him to see Grim and the magic carpet. The brunette’s eyes grow wide.

“The magic carpet escaped. Grim and I were able to grab it just before it took off. However, it ended up dragging us through the mirror and into Octavinelle. They insisted we stay the night and return it together,” you start. 

Azul seamlessly takes the baton and continues, “We want to personally deliver it to Kalim. It’s a national treasure. If someone were to find fault with it and claim it was Octavinelle’s fault, I’d have no end of trouble.” 

Jamil purses his lips. “Kalim doesn’t care about something like that. You can give it–” 

“--There’s no need for you to pay the 20% labor fee for returning a lost item,” the dorm leader adds.

The whole crew chips in. 

“We heard about your training and wanted to talk to Kalim about it,” Jade comments. 

“We also brought seafood pizza,” Floyd drawls with a grin. 

“And snacks!” Grim adds.

“Anyway, I’d like to hand this to him directly. I assume he’s awake?” Azul finishes. 

After being pelted with rapid-fire statements, Jamil closes his eyes and denies the request again. 

“I’m telling you he’s in a bad—Hey! You can’t just walk in here!“

Azul strides past the protesting Scarabia student. Your party follows the Octavinelle leader inside. 

—----------------

“The Ramshackle Prefect informed us you’re training over the winter holidays. The three of us happen to be stuck at school too. Isn’t this a perfect opportunity to deepen Octavinelle and Scarabia’s bonds through joint training?” Azul suggests to Kalim.

The sunshine student lights up. “That sounds like a great idea! I’d love to have you over!” 

Jamil cuts in with a harsh voice. 

“I’m against it. Octavinelle is a rival dorm. It would put us at a disadvantage if we let the enemy come in and learn our tricks,” he advises, crossing his arms.

The wealthy teen looks at his subordinate with a relaxed grin. 

“‘Enemy’ is a bit much. Besides, didn’t you invite the Ramshackle dorm?” the sophomore points out. 

Jamil purses his lips. 

“I suppose you’re right,” he admits, before turning a stern glare onto the mafia trio. “I’m saying this for you as well, Azul. I know how much you value your grades.” 

The businessman sighs, looking downcast. “I suppose you’re right. We should make our way back. Good luck with your training.” 

The three of them turn around solemnly. You know what the next step of the plan is. They’re going to make themselves look pitiful. However, that wouldn’t be any fun. You can’t wait to see Azul’s facial expression to your next surprise. 

“Wait!” You stop them in a heartfelt tone. 

The trio glances at you, but you’re already looking at Kalim. You have a pleading expression. 

“Kalim, I’m determined to stay here until the end of winter break. Grim and I were thrilled whenever Jamil invited us. We are often stuck alone in our dorm, isolated. Scarabia is so lively and we’ve made great friends. We want to foster those connections, but…” you trail off. 

You mentally steel yourself and look at Jade. In your peripheral vision, you watch Azul stiffen and clench his teeth. Floyd gives the widest grin you’ve ever seen and Jade stares in amusement. 

“I miss my boyfriend,” you finish. 

You barely save yourself from laughing by breaking eye contact with Octavinelle’s vice leader. 

You continue, rambling. “It’s ok if you can’t allow that–” 

“No!” Kalim shouts, “I cannot break up a couple like this! Azul is one of the best mages at this school. If we let them stay, Scarabia will benefit. I’d sully the Al-Asim name if I turned you all away. Plus, I have to know how you got together.” 

Jamil is too stunned to retort. There’s a brief moment of silence where typically Azul would speak up. However, he’s too busy containing his rage and annoyance to do anything. 

Jade replies, heading over to your side. “Kalim, thank you. I’ve missed my significant other dearly during this time. You’ve done us a great favor.” 

Azul gets his wits about him and puts on a business smile. It’s slightly taut, but he retains his drama and butters up the wealthy student. 

“Yes, you are a truly kind and warm-hearted person! I will teach you everything I know,” he promises. 

“Floyd and I are happy to assist with any cooking and cleaning,” Jade adds, snaking his arm around your waist. 

You catch Azul glaring at the action before covering it with an elegant smile. 

Floyd chips in. “Yeah, we’re old pros from working at the Lounge.” 

“That’ll be a great help! Jamil won’t have as much work anymore. He already does so much for me,” the embodiment of sunshine beams. 

Jamil speaks up with a calculated expression. 

“I don’t need any help, but I didn’t know you were together. When did you start dating?” the vice leader drawls.

“I want to know too! You have to tell us everything!” Kalim jumps in. 

He urges your party to sit. You move in tandem with your “boyfriend.” Sitting close together, Jade puts a hand behind you and leans into your figure. You copy his behavior and rest yourself on his shoulder. The Scarabia house warden squeals at your intimate position while Jamil narrows his eyes, skeptical. 

On Jade’s left is a smug Floyd. He looks at Jamil with a confident smirk. He knows the two of you won’t break. Next to him, Azul regrets his life choices and plots to kill the two of you in private. 

“How did you get together?” Kalim questions with twinkling eyes.

Jade chuckles, “I caught an interest in the prefect after Azul’s overblot. They were the mastermind behind his demise and I had to learn more. I ended up finding them in the greenhouse one day. We were both looking for the same ingredients for potions class. They asked me a few questions and I mentioned my terrariums. They were more enthusiastic than I expected, so I showed my hobby to them. [Y/N] wanted to help. I wasn’t opposed to the idea, so we spent time together. We bonded over shared interests.” 

Jamil interrupts, “I can’t see you dating just because of plants. What other interests do you share? The two of you are quite different.” 

Jade hums, placing his head on top of yours. You take the hint and nuzzle into him. 

“You’re right. We do enjoy more physical activities.” 

Azul squawks, his glasses going askew. Floyd cackles, clapping. Grim glances at you with a complicated and borderline disgusted expression. Jamil’s mouth falls open at the bold choice and Kalim fanboys. 

You scoff, lightly smacking your chosen eel. “You didn’t have to admit that.”

“I know you like it,” he replies. 

Kalim continues the interview. “Jade, what do you like most about [Y/N]?” 

He gives a thoughtful look.

“They’re unassuming at first glance, but they’re an incredible strategist and tactician. They’re unpredictable,” he details. 

Jamil hums, “So that’s why you’re interested.” 

He turns to you and provokes, “I suggest you don’t place all your hopes and dreams on him. You’re just a passing fancy.” 

Your eyes widen, genuinely offended. Jade grips your midsection and wraps his other arm across your torso. He keeps his ever-present smile, but it has a deadly edge. You lean into him.

Jade responds for both of you. 

“Nobody asked for your opinion,” he comments, before turning to you. “I want to know what you find attractive about me.” 

A silent understanding passes between the two of you. You want to distract Kalim from Jamil’s comment. The Scarabia vice leader is testing you, but you want to smooth this over. 

In the back of your mind, you think that this dating simulation is going well. You’ll have to continue it for a few more days to gain significant data. However, the odds tilt in Jade’s favor. 

“You’re rather gentlemanly,” you start, before glancing at him. 

You let your eyes wander his face, before going in for the kill. You make sure everyone in the room knows what you’re doing. Your gaze drops from his eyes to his mouth. It lingers for a long time. You tear your focus away and look at Kalim.

“More importantly, he’s interesting. He likes to go along with my plans and I have fun with him,” you say, before adding. “His teeth are just a bonus.” 

Azul jerks forward, having been metaphorically K.O.ed. He glares holes into both of you. You smirk. The businessman’s eyes widen, disturbed. 

You furrow your eyebrows. The sunshine child explains what happened, clapping his hands.

“The two of you are in sync! You made the same facial expression at Azul. You’re fated to be together!” he praises.

You look at your partner with a satisfied grin. The Scarabia vice leader interjects again, displeased.

“[Y/N] is fairly open. Was there any reason you hid your relationship?” he interrogates.

You’ve been waiting for the question.

“Yes,” you sigh, “We thought Azul would disapprove. I was the one who planned his downfall after all. Unfortunately, we were right about his reaction.”

The Octavinelle leader whips toward you, his mouth open and his eyes filled with fire. You ignore him, continuing.

“It all came out last night. Floyd caught us making out. We tried to stop him from telling Azul, but you know Floyd,” you say, giving a helpless smile. “I’m glad you allowed them to stay, Kalim. I worried Jade might get berated if I didn’t return with him. Thank you. We appreciate it.” 

“Anytime!” the Scarabia student waves you off. 

The businessman cuts in to defend his honor. 

“To be fair, I’m mostly shocked by your union,” he states, pushing up his glasses. “I just need time to process. I’ll get used to this new normal eventually.” 

Kalim cheers, “I’m glad Azul is coming around!” 

The sophomore in question scowls. From the corner of your eye, Jamil frowns. The vice leader doesn’t believe you and that’s fine. He won’t catch you or Jade slipping up.

—---------------

You continue the fake relationship for that day, avoiding Jamil’s attempts to prove your lie. That night, Azul almost strangles all of you for the stunt you pulled. You’re quick to distract him. Eventually, Jade and you find the culprit behind Kalim’s “mood swings.” From there, the five of you plan. 

—--------------

You walk with Azul and Grim to Kalim’s bedroom. It’s early in the morning. You want to wake him before his vice leader does.

Azul stops and looks at you. He searches your eyes with a neutral and serious face. 

“Are you playing with him?” he questions. 

You tilt your head with a smile. 

You shake your head. “I’m not, but it’s pretty cute you’re worried.” 

The businessman crosses his arms, giving a light glare. 

“I don’t want my best asset to decrease his productivity because he’s in a slump,” he argues, “He’s the one who deals with social interactions. If he’s not at peak performance, he can’t follow through with my schemes.” 

You give an unconvinced look but don’t push. Instead, you answer the question. 

“I am serious about him. My bold moves at the beginning were mostly tests,” you reveal.

The sophomore pauses, confused. “What?”

“When I suggested sleeping with him, I wanted to see if he would do anything inappropriate or cross any boundaries. I wondered how he would react in a domestic relationship. I got a satisfying answer,” you explain, “The fake dating ploy is to see how well we work as a team. I knew Jamil wouldn’t believe us, so this also gauges how dedicated he can be as my partner.

“I look at romantic relationships like a group project. Two people work toward a shared goal of staying together and supporting one another. Both sides have to put in work to maintain it. It’s efficient to put candidates through trials at the beginning. I don’t want to invest in a poor product,” you chuckle. 

Azul stares at you, mildly impressed. He pushes up his glasses.

“You’re smarter than I gave you credit for,” he comments, “I’m sure Jade has a long-standing interest in you as well.”

You beam, elated. The Octavinelle student shakes his head before walking forward. 

“We have a plan to dislodge,” he reminds you. 

“Indeed,” you chirp, skipping alongside him. 

The businessman sighs, resigned to his fate of you and Jade getting together. 

————————

Everyone stands outside the dorm in the scorching sun, listening to the Octavinelle trio. 

“Skirmishes are good exercise and help relieve stress,” Jade informs. 

Floyd pipes up with his signature elongated vocals. 

“I wanna go wild too! Someone come fight me!” He giggles.

You jump at the opportunity. 

“I want to,” you volunteer, running up. 

“Oooh, Shrimpy’s offering to wrestle with me! Yeah, I’ll do it,” the chaotic twin agrees, “One on one though.”

“Deal,” you grin. 

You look at the Octavinelle’s first and second in command. Azul purses his lips but shrugs, accepting your death, while Jade is amused. 

When you turn away, your fake boyfriend’s eyes narrow, cutting into his brother. It’s a warning. His counterpart laughs. 

“I won’t kill them, Jade. They’re too funny to cripple,” the chaotic twin reassures, throwing his hands up. “I know they’re yours.” 

You glance at the calmer eel. He has a small smile on his face like always. 

“Just be careful, pearl,” he cautions you.

You perk up at the new nickname and nod with a hum. 

“Thanks for looking out for me, sweetheart,” you reply. 

Jade’s eyes flash with satisfaction before returning to normal. 

He chuckles, “I’ll let you and Floyd have your fun. Azul and I will manage the rest of Scarabia.”

“Let’s go!” Floyd chirps, dragging you to a section of sand. 

You take off your shoes and socks, knowing you’ll have a better grip if you go barefoot. In typical Floyd fashion, there’s no start signal. He just runs at you. 

You bend your knees prepared to take him before faking out at the last minute. Wind rushes past you as he misses. However, Floyd’s reaction time is quick. He wheels around to snatch you. You duck and slip under his defenses. You punch into rock-solid abs. The hit doesn’t deter him. You leap back, creating distance and space.

It becomes a game of tag. You deftly dodge, trying to find a weakness, as the chaotic eel runs after you. However, Floyd’s attacks are so randomized, that it’s hard to deduce a pattern. 

Then, your feet slip underneath you. Your eyes widen as warm sand meets your calf. Your opponent materializes in front of you. He blocks the sun like a reaper in a Wild West movie. Floyd shoots toward you. You spray sand into his eyes. The eel jerks back, making an odd noise. It’s a cross between a screech and a groan. 

You take the opportunity to tackle him to the ground. Before you can lock him down, he gives a frenzied laugh. The chaotic twin pulls his knees to his chest and kicks you in the stomach. There’s a burst of light as you’re sent flying. You skid across the sand as Jade roars. 

“FLOYD!”

In moments, the vice leader is by your side. He drops to his knees, checking you over. 

“Are you ok?” Jade asks urgently, “Did you get hurt?” 

You blink and shake your head.

“My stomach hurts, but other than that I’m fine,” you respond.  

Your romantic interest flips your shirt up to look where his brother hit you. Your eyes widen at the brazen action. However, you sober up as you watch Jade’s worried expression. There’s a tinge of frantic concern in his eyes. There’s no visible wound on you.

“There might be some internal injury,” he murmurs to himself. 

Your eel’s hands clench in the sand as he recomposes himself. They’re on either side of you, protecting you from Floyd. You tilt your head and you glance up at the other eel. He gives a sheepish smile. 

With one hand behind his head, he apologizes. “Sorry, Shrimpy. I used magic on you.” 

He waves his magic pen for emphasis. The chaotic twin looks like he wants to come forward and check on you too, but he eyes Jade. He doesn’t move. Your eyes spark and you glance at your fake boyfriend. You’ve read about Moray Eels, they tend to be territorial. You’re glad he’s already so attached to you. It’s a good sign. Your brain kicks back into gear, thinking logically.

“You used magic on me?” you clarify, “I just felt you kick me. Was there supposed to be some other pain?” 

Jade looks up, confused. 

Floyd tilts his head. “Yeah, I threw an ice attack. Are you not cold?” 

You shake your head. 

“No, all I felt was your kick,” you answer. 

The quieter twin hovers over you with a thoughtful look. You stare at him before catching onto his thought process. You call out to the embodiment of chaos. 

“Floyd, can you hit me with that spell again?” you request. 

Jade flinches. He gives a tight and displeased smile. You lean toward him and place a hand on his shoulder. 

“If I can nullify magic, then I can help you more,” you reason, “If Floyd hurts me, you’ll avenge me.” 

The eel’s mouth twitches upward. 

“I’ll be doing that anyway,” he responds. 

“That’s one of the things I love about you,” you chirp. 

You watch Jade’s breath hitch at the word “love.” However, he regains his composure in an instant. He stands up, offering you a hand. 

As the vice leader pulls up you, he instructs Floyd, “Let’s go somewhere a little more private.” 

The three of you move to a more secluded area to test your unexpected constitution.

—--------

After experimenting, Jade ushers you back to change. 

You meet in your shared bedroom again once you’re dressed in your typical outfits. In an instant, he’s all over you. He guides you backward until your knees hit the bed. You voluntarily sit down, looking up at him. The eel takes a moment to admire you in that position. Then, he loops his arms under yours and drags you into the middle of the bed. The vice leader drops beside you, pressing himself against you. 

“Please don’t do that again,” Jade requests, wrapping his arm around you. “Even though we found out vital information, I’m still going to have a long chat with Floyd.” 

You raise an eyebrow. “That’s the code word for beating him up.” 

The vice leader grins. “You know me so well, darling.”

You smirk before relaxing into his hold and staring at him. You take in his mismatched olive-brown and yellow eyes. The ones that turn up at the edges. Despite being in his dorm uniform, he’s ditched the hat on the side table. The one strand of black hair threatens to fall on his face. You catch him lingering on your lips. You smile.

“Once this is all over, will you be my boyfriend?” You ask while tucking the hair behind his ear. 

“Why wait?” Jade questions, pulling you closer.

“Think of Jamil’s reaction upon learning he’s why we got together. We’ll have a dramatic confession in front of everyone,” you respond, “Azul will be horrified.”

Jade responds with a shark tooth grin. 

He hums, “Yes, your plans are thrilling. However, as your fake boyfriend, I deserve some kind of reward for caring about you.”

“Of course.” You lean in to peck him on the lips.

Jade swoops in to deepen it but you slip your hand between you. 

“Not until the grand reveal,” you tell him with a smirk.

He chuckles, amused. “Alright, but I can still do this.”

He nips your fingertips, snatching your hand and kissing the inside of your wrist. Your eyes widen and you feel your pupils dilate. Jade smirks, snaking to your neck. He pries open your collar with his teeth and latches onto your flesh. 

You jolt at the slippery sensation. He moves on top of you to get a better angle. He slips his arms under you, trapping you. You don’t mind. The eel kisses and sucks the hollow of your neck and collarbone. You tilt your head to maximize Jade’s access. You feel him grin, tightening his hold. 

You bathe in the pleasure and let your hands wander along his back. You run your fingers through his hair. The eel hums, confirming he likes the feeling. You feel a little mischievous and give a sharp tug. A puff of hot air hits your neck in surprise. It makes you shiver.

He bites down, hard. You yelp, gripping onto him. You feel his teeth break into your skin. The vice leader swirls his tongue along the wound, lapping the blood. You stifle a moan. The man perks up at the noise. He moves up your neck, kissing it gently. 

“You don’t have to hold back,” Jade purrs. 

You pant, trying to reign in your reactions. 

“What fun would that be?” You retort.

He huffs out a laugh, blowing on the shell of your ear. 

“I’d be delighted to slowly break you, my dear,” your soon-to-be lover whispers. 

You feel your ears and face grow hot from the action as you resist arching into him. You palm his jacket, trying to find something to ground you. 

“That sounds nice,” you admit. 

Jade is right next to your face, nuzzling it. You can’t hold back. You turn to kiss him when a hand blocks you.

“We have to wait until the grand reveal,” he teases. 

You cackle, flipping him over. He allows himself to follow your movements, gazing up at you with satisfied eyes. 

“You’re perfect,” you tell him.

“You are too,” Jade answers softly.

You gaze at him for a moment, basking in the moment. You peck his lips and move to climb off when you realize something.

“I should mark you too,” you comment before launching an attack. 

He chuckles, shaking his head as you return the favor. 

———��————

You and Jade walk into the common room. Azul is sipping water when he spots you. His eyes widen and he sprays liquid all over Jamil. He chokes. The Scarabia vice leader shouts in disgust and looks in your direction. He immediately covers Kalim’s eyes. Floyd laughs so hard, he has to lie down. Grim looks at you in surprise before pursing his lips and reluctantly accepting. You have an inkling it’s because if you date Jade, he’ll get free food from Monstro Lounge.

“Jamil, why are you covering my eyes?” Kalim questions innocently. 

“It‘s debauched,” he answered, numb.

Azul yells at the two of you, “It’s 2:30!”

“Do you want us to do it in front of you?” You ask. 

The Octavinelle leader suffocates on his spit, shaking in rage and embarrassment. You give a full-force grin. You have no doubt Jade is doing the same. 

“We missed lunch. Do you have anything left?” Jade questions. 

You cut in with a skeptical hum. “I wouldn’t say that. We just had dessert first.” 

Floyd screeches in delight. Azul takes off his glasses and covers his face. Jamil stays frozen, disassociating from this unwanted scene. Grim’s nose crinkles in disgust. He crosses his arms and looks away. You can practically hear the mantra he repeats about free food. 

“What’s happening?” Kalim asks, pushing his vice leader’s hands off his face. 

Jamil doesn’t resist. The sunshine student spots you and grins. 

“It’s so nice to see you guys so open about your love for each other! I’m glad you’re so confident in your relationship,” he compliments cheerfully. 

You withhold a snort. Thankfully, Jade responds for you. 

“Thank you for your blessing, Kalim,” he replies before spotting some extra food and guiding you over. 

You scarf down a bowl of soup. Jade watches in amusement, as he eats slower. Then you watch Jamil and Azul head off together. It’s time to enact the plan. 

—--------------

Your party stands before Jamil with all of Scarabia behind you. The vice leader of Scarabia starts to lose it. 

“Me, my family… I don’t care what happens to any of it!” Jamil screams, before encanting. “The one you see before you is your master…” 

Your hackles rise but you don’t do anything. You don’t want to let on about your nullification ability. 

Jamil continues, “Answer when spoken to, lower your head when ordered, Snake Whisper!” 

A giant ripple of magic resounds through the dorm. It permeates every space, crevice, and crack. The vulnerable Scarabia students cow under the pressure of magical power. 

“Is—Is he trying to brainwash the entire dorm?!” Azul shouts in disbelief. 

Your eyes widen. You sprint toward Jamil, aiming for a weak point. Without flinching, he single-handedly takes you down, bellowing an order. 

“Take Kalim, Octavinelle, and Grim and kick them to the curb!” he dictates, “I’ll handle this one.” 

You cry out, as he twists your arm behind your back and presses down. 

“[Y/N]!”

“Shrimpy!”

“Henchman!” 

Then, your friends get accosted by Scarabia students. 

Jamil taunts Jade, “I’ll take good care of your princess for you.”

The eel sends him a glare before tearing through Scarabia students. 

Floyd growls, complaining, “These guys keep getting up no matter how much I squeeze them. They’re zombies.”

Amid the pandemonium, Kalim cries out to his childhood companion. 

“Jamil, stop already, I get it! You can be the dorm head and I’ll go home!” he begs.

Your eyes widen. That was a bad response. You glance up at the vice leader. When you see his face, you purse your lips. He’s about to overblot and you’re pinned beneath him. 

You take a deep breath and exhale through your mouth. Your heart pounds in your chest and your mind races. You’ve witnessed many overblots, but you’ve never been this close to one that’s about to happen. 

Logically, you know you’ll be safe from his magic, but it doesn’t make you feel better. You’re about to be locked up without any of your friends. You’ll be stuck with an unpredictable power-crazed maniac. 

You hear Jade speaking and you glance up at him. His eyes continuously flicker to you as he demolishes Jamil’s thralls. You reply with a strained and helpless dry laugh. His eyebrows furrow. He pushes himself harder. 

Your face drops when Jamil screams again. Your whole body tightens as you brace yourself for the transformation. The first thing you feel is sticky ink on your arm. You flinch at the sensation, cringing. 

Jade yells your name, panicked. Even through the crackle of magic, you hear him push and slam into people, trying to get to you. The air becomes more dense around you. You’re not affected by it but Jamil’s presence is enough to intimidate anyone. 

“You’re coming to save your lover? How amusing. I never like Kalim’s version of love anyway. He seems too invested in your fake love story. I’ll take [Y/N] for myself. I’m sure they’ll be a wonderful pet,” the overblot student provokes. 

You grit your teeth as rage flares in your eyes. He dares to call you a pet? When you have the chance, you’ll stab him in the back. You’ll take the time to set it up. You’ve become good at revenge plans since teaming up with Octavinelle. 

Jamil tosses you to the side, ordering a group of Scarabia students, “Take and restrain [Y/N].”

They grip you and you don’t attempt to resist. You stare straight at Jade with an annoyed and irritated look, signaling your intent for revenge. The eel raises an eyebrow. He’s still concerned and worried, but your expression relieves him of some of his worries. 

Jamil floats to the group before launching them into the sky with a huge show of power. 

“Jade!” You scream, horrified. 

They fade to nothing more than a dot in the sky. 

You take a deep breath. They’ll be fine. So far you’ve been lucky with these overblots. Everyone’s made it out ok. You pray it’s the same this time. 

You refocus on Jamil. Now, you must collect data, plan this man’s demise, and act. 

—--------------

The Scarabia students dress you in a tight, red crop top with matching harem pants. You’re accessorized in gold and a blue, almost transparent, scarf is wrapped around your shoulders and over your head. They lead you back to the common area. Jamil is sitting there in all his glory. His thralls cater food, fan him, and praise his excellence. When Jamil spots you, he smirks, gesturing for you to come over. 

You know how you need to act. The key was not laughing. During the past few days, you’ve become proficient in that skill. You hope your training doesn’t go to waste. 

Your guards escort you to him before backing off. You don an innocent and docile air. You tentatively lower yourself on the floor. 

“Thank you, Master Jamil,” you state. 

The Scarabia student’s eyes widen before a large smirk forms on his face. He leans forward, tipping your chin up. You comply with large, doe eyes. 

“It doesn’t look like you’re very loyal to your lover, [Y/N],” he comments. 

You lean forward with a worshipping gaze. You keep eye contact as you speak earnestly. 

“Master Jamil, you saved my life,” you lie, “I’ve been in debt to Octavinelle for a while. When they found out about Scarabia’s situation, they wanted to investigate. They forced me to follow their plans.” 

The Scarabia student raises an eyebrow. A look of satisfaction passes over his face. 

“I’m glad I was right,” he murmurs.

Internally, you laugh. Jamil just wants to be right. All you’re doing is feeding into his fantasy. As long as you tell him what he wants to hear, he’ll be none the wiser. 

His thumb moves across your cheek and you lean into it. Jamil’s eyes spark at the action. 

The man gave you a fantastic opportunity to make more contact. You need to be close to follow through with the plan. Internally, you chuckle. When you defeat the Scarabia vice leader, you’ll be sure to punish him most uniquely. 

—--------

You sit in Jamil’s lap, feeding him grapes. You giggle and play with his snake hair. The little creatures gained a liking to you. It solidified your thoughts that he’s a blindsighted fool. 

A lively and energetic voice bounces off the walls. 

“Jamil! You’re a cowardly traitor and I’m going to punch you!” Kalim yells.

You withhold your snort at the brazen declaration. It fits the true house warden well. You look over and find Jade. You give a wink. He keeps a straight face but there’s a look of relief. However, his eyes darken at your position. 

From beside you, Jamil is stunned. In a scratchy, otherworldly voice the overblot student speaks. Making sure he can’t see, you make a disgusted face. Jade looks placated for now. 

“I threw you so far into the desert. How did you get here so fast?” Jamil interrogates.

Azul speaks up. “Kalim used his unique magic, Oasis Maker, to refill a dried-up river. Jade and Floyd swam us here.”

Jamil sneers, “I thought Kalim’s unique Magic was nothing more than a way to splish-splash in a kitty pool. Who knew you would muster the power to fill a river?”

“I’m here to challenge you as the house warden!” The boy in question declares.

“No, I am the rightful leader of Scarabia. I’m much better than you’ve ever been,” Jamil states before getting up from his seat with you in his arms. 

You fake a small swoon and wrap your arms around his neck. He moves to deposit you a little ways away behind him. 

“Don’t worry, pet. I’ll exterminate these pests and be back,” the overblot student reassures. 

You nod submissively.

Jamil turns and flies at your companions. From behind him, you gag, dusting off wherever he touched you. 

“Your lover doesn’t like you, Jade. They’re rather pliant in my hands,” the Scarabia student snarks. 

Your eyes blaze with fire at the comment. The eel’s face tightens. 

With his ever-present calm and polite smile, Jade replies, “I’m sure [Y/N] will see reason when we defeat you.” 

“That won’t happen,” Jamil snorts, before blasting your friends with bloody burgundy magic. 

Light flashes across the room as the ink behind Jamil gathers. A towering humanoid snake rises from the liquid. Its face is a broken, leaking ink bottle with a massive Sultan headpiece. On the wrists are two matching golden cuffs. It’s his overblot monster. This is what the group needs to target. They have to break the glass. 

Carefully moving to the side where neither Jamil nor the entity can see you, you start giving hand gestures. The first one you give is putting an index finger to your mouth. Grim looks straight at you, confused. Thankfully your soon-to-be boyfriend moves to block your cat’s line of sight and kicks him. Your familiar gets the hint. 

Surprisingly, Kalim notices you but doesn’t give anything away. Floyd is on the same page. Everyone makes sure to not look at you directly or at least simultaneously. You begin miming your plan. 

When you finish, you see a spark of an idea in Kalim’s eyes. You raise an eyebrow. It looks like he’s planning something. However, none of the Octavinelle students can see it. You don’t mind altering your plans. You’re curious. 

You creep up on Jamil, coming behind the monster. You plan to dash past. You lower yourself into a sprinting position and wait.

Kalim takes a deep breath and nods. You take your cue and sprint. 

The white-haired boy shouts, “Do you know how this will affect your family?!”

Jamil stops casting, choking in rage. 

You leap, latching onto his head. All of his magic stops as you cover his eyes. Restraining his snake hair, your legs wrap around his waist. Jade dashes up, spins, and delivers a roundhouse kick to the side of his jaw. 

Jamil falls, unconscious. Jade catches you as the monster roars. 

The sound is cut off by shattering glass. Ink gushes from the creature’s face. It crumples and disintegrates to mist. 

You glance back. Kalim is standing there with his staff raised. He stays in that position, frozen.

The air clears to reveal the night sky again. The other Scarabia students are still knocked out from the amount of mind control power Jamil used on them. 

Kalim hiccups and collapses to the ground, sobbing. 

You give a sad smile. Standing up, you walk over to him and put a hand on his back. 

“Nice thinking, Kalim,” you tell him, “You gave us the opening we needed.” 

The crying student looks up at you. 

“I didn’t know! I didn’t know he felt that way about me!” the Scarabia leader wails, “I didn’t want to say that to him either.” 

Your eyes widen, not knowing how to deal with this. Then, you spot your out. 

You swoop Grim into your arms and carry him over to Kalim. 

“You better act like a good stuffed animal,” you tell him, “We both don’t know how to help crying people, but you’re much more huggable than I am.” 

Your cat is about to thrash at you before you add, “I can get you seven cans of tuna for free because I’m about to date Jade.” 

Your companion stills. 

“If you throw me to Floyd again, that promise doubles,” he conditions. 

“Ok,” you comply. 

You can use his wording against him. He didn’t stipulate if Floyd caught him on his own. Your cat needs to learn that to live with this crew. 

You deposit Grim in front of Kalim, who asks if he can hug him. 

“That’s what I’m here for. Just don’t get snot on me,” your magical creature huffs. 

The wealthy sophomore clutches onto him and weeps. You chuckle, watching the life get squeezed out of your familiar. 

You head to the Octavinelle trio. 

Before you can say anything, Jade reels you into him. He holds you close. You can feel his breath on your cheek. Beads of sweat drip down his face. You know he wants to kiss you, but he’s too committed to your upcoming stunt. Instead, he rips off the scarf and traces the hickeys he left. 

Azul groans, “Not again.” 

Floyd nudges Jamil with his foot. “When’s he going to wake up?” 

The Scarabia vice leader responds, moaning in pain. Kalim shoots up from the floor and rushes to his side, balling. 

The wealthy student is almost incoherent, babbling something about Jamil being alive. He helps the overblotted student sit up. The bruised and beat-up sophomore puts a hand on his chin.

“Who hit me?” he questions. 

“I did. I also want to thank you,” Jade answers.

Jamil’s eyebrows furrow. 

“For what?” he asks. 

The eel ignores him, turning to you with a smile. He takes your hand. 

“[Y/N], ever since you flew into Monstro Lounge three nights ago and pummeled that one student, I’ve been enchanted by you. From your bold declaration to sleep with me on the first night—“

“—You did what?” Jamil interjects, horrified.

Jade ignores him. “—to your fake dating scheme. They’ve been some of the most memorable moments of my life. Will you be my girlfriend?” 

Azul lets out a sigh of relief, “Thank god, I thought you were going to ask them to marry you.” 

You get an idea. 

“Of course, Jade. I’ve always thought you were interesting. When we interacted before Azul’s overblot, you fascinated me. However, it wasn’t until Jamil’s shenanigans that we connected on a deeper level.” 

You let the sexual insinuation sit for a moment. Jamil gags. You glance at Floyd with a smirk. That was the exact reaction you wanted from him 

“You should force him to watch this entire thing. Jamil deserves to be punished for his overblot. It’s not violent, so this is a perfect way,” you suggest with a sweet smile. 

The chaotical entity bounces on the balls of his feet and zooms at the offered target. 

Jamil grunts as Floyd catches him in a chokehold and forces his eyes open. The eel cackles directly into his ear, causing the vice leader to wince at the volume. 

“Shrimpy’s ideas are the best! You should team up with Azul to make even more hilarious schemes,” he chortles beside the Scarabia student’s face. 

You grin and turn back to your lover. 

“It’s all thanks to Jamil that we’re together. I love that we’re on the same page. I love how dedicated you are to our relationship (and schemes, you internally add, knowing he’ll come to the same conclusion). I love your willingness to try new things. In light of that…” 

You get down on one knee. 

Keeping your eyes on Jade, you hold your hand face up and demand, “Kalim, give me your ring bracelet. I’ll return it after I get a formal ring.” 

You hear an excited gasp and the jangling of metal. 

“Kalim,” Jamil complains, trying to caution him. 

There’s a hitch in his breath. 

“Let [Y/N] and my brother have their moment, Sea Snake~” Floyd sings, tightening his hold. 

From the corner of your eye, Azul grips his hair. 

“I hate both of you,” the dorm leader hisses.

Without missing a beat, you add. “You’ll be catering the event.” 

The businessman pauses. He straightens up, pushing up his glasses.

“I suppose that’s fine,” he concedes, “The wedding business is incredibly lucrative. The price increases if you put the word “wedding” before it.” 

Kalim claps his hands. 

“I’m glad Azul has finally accepted the two of you,” he cheers, before depositing the requested item in your hands. 

You take it. 

Looking up at Jade, you hold in a burst of laughter at the absurd situation. 

“Jade, will you marry me?” You ask. 

“Yes, my pearl.” 

You quickly slip the jewelry on before jumping him. You make a big show of making out. 

In the background, you hear Jamil protesting as Floyd giggles. You feel your fiance’s sharp teeth as his mouth forms into a grin. After about thirty seconds of twisting tongues, you release your hold. With red lips, you turn to Jamil. 

“You’ll be our guest of honor,” you tell him. 

He glares at you before Grim speaks up. 

“The only reason I’m agreeing is because I get free food from Monstro Lounge,” he states, crossing his arms. 

Azul is about to protest when Jade cuts in. 

“I can make that happen,” he confirms. 

You raise an eyebrow with an amused smirk. “You’re already sucking up to the in-laws.” 

He pecks you again. “You’ve successfully gained my brother’s favor. I’m only repaying the favor.”

“This is why I love you,” you sigh, smiling content.

“I love you too,” Jade replies.

————————

“Now, you may kiss,” the officiant declares. 

A cheer goes up as Jade grabs your waist and dips you. He catches your lips with his teeth. Jade lets go of the teasing bite to actually kiss you. He pulls you up, still holding on. You smirk and lean into him, recalling the last time you pulled this stunt. You kiss long enough for people to become uncomfortable. It was the trick from when you proposed after Jamil’s overblot.

In the audience, Jamil states, “I’m getting flashbacks.”

“It’s just like old times!” Kalim cries.

“You mean the lowest point of my life? Floyd forced me to watch them make out. I do not want to see it twice,” he retorts. 

You pick up more ambient chatter.

From the Ignihyde dorm, the in-person and shivering Idia asks, “Ortho, can we go now?” 

“We need to stick around a little longer. They’ve helped us out and they play video games with you.”

There’s a deep, heavy sigh before a familiar flourish of words overpowers it. 

“Beau! This is a gorgeous and fantastic match. The Trickster and Monsieur Mastermind. They’re truly a plotting and mischievous duo. I have no doubt their married life will continue to flower with time!”

“Rook, [Y/N] asked you to take their wedding photos. Why are you still sitting here?” Vil questions.

“I already took them!”

“…Why am I not surprised? Epel, did you steal food from the buffet table and bring it inside?”

A muffled voice responds, “…You’re not my dorm leader anymore.”

“Oh? So you think you can just get away with it?” Vil sasses. 

“Wow, they’re so cute! It’s a picture-perfect moment and they’re holding their pose. I can get in a lot of good shots,” Cater squeals.

“Trey, what flavor of cake did they order?” The former Heartslabyul leader asks. 

“The standard chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. Each tier has a different flavor. However, they had an interesting request. They want me to use Doodle Suit on a few people’s slices.”

“That sounds like them,” Leona butts in, “They’re always up to something. Even now.” 

“Shi-shi-shi,” Ruggie laughs, “They match each other perfectly—Oh, look, Jack’s uncomfortable. That means they’ll end soon.”

“Human rituals are so interesting,” Malleus observes, “It’s fascinating to watch one up close. Although, Silver is missing out.” 

“I’m sure he’ll see many more,” Lilia waves off, “I’m excited when they ask for my assistance again. They have a great sense of humor.”

Then your cue was given.

“CEASE THIS TOMFOOLERY THIS INSTANT! ITS UNDIGNIFIED AND YOURE SULLYING MALLEUS’ EYES!!” Sebek shouts, shooting up from his seat. 

The two of you break away with matching grins. 

From the audience, the green-haired man stands stunned that his demands were answered. Lilia cackles and pulls him down as Silver’s eyes blearily open. 

Azul comments beside your husband, “Sometimes I wonder why we’re friends and then I remember how much money you make me.”

Floyd whines, “I’m sad it wasn’t more interesting. You’ve already used that trick before.”

“The night isn’t over yet. There will be more,” Jade replies with a smirk. 

The other eel perks up. 

From behind you, Deuce pipes up.

“Sebek could’ve come in sooner,” he sighs.

“I’m not surprised he didn’t realize he needed to yell,” Ace snorts next to him, “He’s as dense as a brick.”

“Henchman! I want food!!” Grim demands. 

You laugh and follow his orders, hand in hand with your husband. 

[nakylvr]

— BACK TO ME

daniela avanzini x fem!reader

summary જ⁀➴ after an argument breaks out and hurtful things are thrown, you leave for a few days, and daniela realizes just how much she needs you

warnings/tags જ⁀➴ angst with happy ending, language, established relationship, dealer!dani au, arguments

now playing જ⁀➴ back to me by the rose

things had been straining recently. with tax season coming up you spent most of your days after work trying to figure out how to not get completely fucked over and get a ton of money taken out. you also got promoted at your job, which was both a blessing and a curse. more money was always a good thing, but your patience was already wearing thin when the argument started.

you had just gotten home, wanting nothing more than to relax when you realized daniela wasn't in the apartment. too tired, you shrug it off and lay down on the couch, still in your work clothes, not bothering to change. you ended up falling asleep faster than you anticipated.

when the front door opened, it was dark outside. you could hear it, but you couldn't find it in you to get up.

"yn?" daniela's voice is heard quietly. "what are you doing on the couch?"

you hum, opening your eyes groggily and looking up at her. "where were you?" you mumble.

"had to run out real quick," she answers. "come on, let's go to bed."

"for hours?" you say before you can think.

daniela's expression changes at your words, but you don't notice past the dark in the room. "i needed to do some stuff," she responds. "i'm sorry." she doesn't know why she's saying it. most likely out of fear that this conversation will spiral out of control after all the bullshit that happened earlier in the year. she doesn't want a fight right now, and she's trying to keep it from happening.

"who were you with?" you ask, slowly sitting up.

"minji," daniela answers truthfully. "she needed some help getting a gift for hanni, then she came with me for a deal that i had to do on the way back."

your eyebrows furrowed together, looking back at her. "you let her go along with you?" you inquired.

"yeah?" dani replies, but it comes out unsure. "i knew you were getting off work late and i didn't want to bother you."

"but you let minji go with you?" you press. "you told me i was the only one."

"well, yes. but minji's my close friend, i–"

"didn't see anything wrong with it?" you cut her off. "cause it looks a little weird when all your clients know me and then you show up with some other girl that's not me? let me guess, you saw keeho?"

"how did you–" daniela gets cut off again by you talking over her.

"he texted me," you tell her. "asking, and i quote 'who this random chick' is with you instead of me. so it's not just me thinking i'm crazy."

"i didn't say you were crazy," daniela quickly says, shaking her head. "baby, please, this isn't that serious. you know minji."

"but other people don't," you respond. "what if it wasn't keeho?"

"i-" daniela stops herself, taking a breath. "this is the only time i've brought someone other than you."

"but why?" you stand up from the couch, making daniela take a few steps backwards. "you're the one who tells me that you don't let anyone go because you don't want them to see, but minji is just a different story or something?"

"it's one time!" daniela says, her voice raising slightly. "why does it matter?"

"why does it matter?" you repeat. "you tell me, daniela. you tell me." you cross your arms over your chest.

daniela is quiet for a minute, trying to think of the right thing to say to not upset you more. "i know what you're thinking, but this isn't a big deal. i let her come along because it was keeho. nothing else, no other reason," she tells you. "i promise."

"not a big deal, you keep saying that," your voice turns sharp. "what's not a big deal? that i'm reasonably concerned when you're out hours past when i got back and tell me you were doing some stuff, helping minji get a gift for hanni, and do a deal? because those are multiple different answers."

"oh my god," daniela mumbles, looking around before back at you. "yn, seriously, it's nothing."

"give me your phone," you demand.

"what?" she looks at you confused.

"consider this a phone check. give it to me." you hold your hand out.

"you're serious?" daniela asks. when you don't answer, just stare at her, she pulls her phone out of her pocket and hands it to you. "jesus christ," she grumbles under her breath, crossing her arms over her chest.

looking through the recent messages, your fingers hover over one specifically, and when you glance up from the phone to look at daniela, she feels her heart drop to her stomach at the expression on your face.

"so what? you have clients wanting to get you shit for valentines day? is that the excuse you're going to give?" you say seriously, tilting your head to the side.

"what?" daniela lets out. "no one has–"

"what's this about then?" you hold the phone towards her, showing a thread of messages.

"that's jaehyun!" daniela exclaims, throwing her hands up in the air. "he's my friend!"

"and you know i don't like how close he is with you!" you retort, your voice raising. "every time we go to his place it's like i don't even exist! he's obviously hitting on you!"

"he literally isn't! he's gay!" daniela scoffs, shaking her head. "plus, he literally has a boyfriend!"

"well that didn't stop you the first time, did it?" the words come out faster than you could think.

"right," daniela scoffs again, nodding her head. "right, because it's always my fault, isn't it? i'm always the one fucking up, right?"

"yeah!" you nod. "you're the one who says you can pull anyone, and then you act like i'm fucking crazy when people are all over you and i don't like it! like it's not right for me to feel upset even though i'm your girlfriend!"

"i've never called you crazy! when have i once said that?!" daniela's voice starts getting louder, nearing the edge of yelling.

"but you look at me like it!" you end up yelling first. "like-like it's a problem that i get jealous! you're allowed to have your hands all over me when i'm with my friends when you're jealous but when you have three different girls who give you thousands of dollars each month all over you it's weird when i get defensive and jealous!? that's not fair, daniela!"

"so what? i'm supposed to just sit there while girls eye-fuck you or try to get all close?!" daniela retorts. "you don't even know! you're so fuckin' naive that you think everyone just wants to be friends!"

"naive? i'm naive?" you let out a laugh, shaking your head. "right, sorry for being nice enough to make friends who don't just want to fuck me for some shit!"

"they still want to fuck you!" daniela yells. "look at sophia! you ran to her when shit got hard and look what happened! who's telling me that you won't go run off to some other 'friend' of yours only for them to fuck you while you were still mine!"

you stop once sophia's name is spoken. daniela knew better than to bring her up after the events that happened, knowing how much you regretted your stupid decision and how bad you felt about it afterwards. but in the heat of the argument, the second the words leave daniela's mouth you're standing there in silence.

"you know what," you eventually speak up. "maybe i will."

"will what?" daniela asks, seemingly not realizing what she said and how you took it.

you shake your head, letting out a scoff. you toss her phone on the couch and walk into the bedroom, not saying another word.

"yn?" daniela sighs. "yn! what are you doing?"

a few minutes later you walk back out with a bag in your hands, making daniela's eyes go wide.

"what're you doing?" she asks.

"i'm going to jungwon's for the night," you answer simply. "or, the rest of the night, i guess."

"what?" daniela looks at you confused. "why?"

you stare at her with a deadpan expression, waiting to see if she'll notice what she said. when she clearly doesn't, you shake your head again. "because he's a friend who won't fuck me while i'm still yours. those are your words," you tell her before starting to walk to the front door.

your words make daniela realize what she said, and she immediately starts following after you to the door. "yn? yn, baby, don't be like this! i didn't mean to bring her up!"

"but you did." you swiftly turn around, causing her to abruptly stop. "you did even though we talked about it and you knew how fucked up i felt afterwards. but if this is what comes out of your mouth when we argue, then i know you're still pissed about it. so, i'm leaving for the night, or maybe a few days, i don't know." you shrug. "i know i fucked up with what i did. i regret it. but you told me it was okay. when apparently it isn't if you're bringing it up. so while i'm gone, you think about what you want, daniela. because you are on thin ice, and it's cracking. so figure it the fuck out."

you leave the apartment before daniela can get a word out, the door slamming behind you echoing through the place. she stands there for a few minutes, waiting to hear you come back, but you never do.

"god damnit," she sighs, dragging her hands over her face.

the whole remainder of the night daniela kept texting you, telling you to come back, that she was sorry and didn't mean it. but, that's how she always was whenever you two fought. and you were tired of everything right now.

when you got to jungwon's, he was surprised to see you, but when you explained the situation he immediately brought you inside and talked with you about the whole thing. he was always good with comforting others and advice. plus, he could tell you were straining yourself recently.

while daniela sat inside the apartment, moping around waiting for you to come back, still texting you as the day passed and you didn't return or respond. she knew you were upset with what she said, that was obvious. and she couldn't lie and say that the event didn't gnaw at her every fiber since she found out, even if sophia got what she deserved in the end, because it did. she knew it shouldn't. that it was a moment of vulnerability for you, that you had no one else to go to. it all spirals back to her regretting what she did in the first place to start it all.

for the whole day daniela thought of what to do, how to fix this. she sat on the couch for hours thinking of what will make you not mad at her anymore. when she got an idea.

it was day three and you still weren't responding, so daniela took matters into her own hands and texting jungwon asking if you were there. he answered truthfully, saying that he wanted her to figure it out with you so he was trying to help the most he could. so she drove over to his place.

standing in front of the door, daniela shifts her weight from one foot to the other anxiously, biting her lip in hopes that this would work. the door opens and jungwon is revealed, who smiles at her.

"hey, dani," he says. "she's in the guest room."

"thanks," daniela replies, walking past him when he opens the door wider for her.

approaching the guest room, daniela knocks on the door a few times, hearing you hum on the other end. she slowly opens the door, making you turn and see it was her. your expression hardens, and dani notices, knowing she's still in deep shit.

"hey," she says awkwardly, pulling the flowers from behind her back. "i got you these." she holds them out, looking at the ground.

you can't help the way your eyes soften at the tone in her voice, quiet and hesitant compared to the confident loudness you were used to. she looks like a kicked puppy staring at the ground, and you let out a short sigh before getting off the bed, walking over to her and taking the bouquet from her.

"i'm sorry for what i said," daniela mumbles. "i didn't mean to say it i just...i still think about it sometimes and i don't know why. i know you didn't do it to hurt me on purpose but sometimes i...i worry that you're going to leave once you realize i'm not the best for you."

her words shock you as she still stares at the ground, finally speaking the thoughts that had been eating her up inside. "dani..."

"i-i know i'm not the best," she quickly adds. "i know you can find someone who will treat you better like it's nothing. but i don't– i can't lose you. i love you so much, so fucking much, and it scares me so much when we fight because i know every time it's another tick gone and that eventually you'll get tired of me and leave. i don't want you to leave. we fight, we have our ups and downs, but you always stay. you always stay and i know one day y-you won't." daniela's voice cracks at the end, tears filling her eyes the longer she talks. "i'm sorry." a few tears fall.

carefully setting the flowers on the bed, you take another step towards her and cup her face in your hands, making her look at you finally. "it's okay," you tell her softly. "you're right, i always stay. i always stay because i love you. i wouldn't if i didn't. dani, i don't think you know that you are the best relationship i've had. all of the other ones ended like shit. you prove to me time and time again that even if you fuck up, you own up to it and you don't run away. i won't ever get tired of you, i promise." you wipe away the tears falling from her eyes. "i love you, and i love the flowers. you always know what to get me."

"i try," daniela responds quietly, nodding slightly.

"i know." you nod. "and i love that about you." you lean in, pressing a soft kiss against her lips.

parting from the kiss, daniela's arms snake around your waist and pull you close to her as she puts her face in the crook of your neck. "i love you," she murmurs against your skin.

"i love you too," you reply, petting her head gently.

[reminiscebliss]

"Poison the well." Please explain how I'm "poisoning the well". I'm very curious which part you consider to be so.

1. Yes, I know people do. I said that. And yes, I know why - even if it's reactionary and illogical. Let's explore it:

You call it an "art-stealing parisitic machine" who can spit out only what it's been fed... Wrong. By that logic, you are an art stealing parasitic machine who can only spit out what it's been fed. LLM's like ChatGPT (which was referenced the most in those tags) are made in our image in more ways than one. Even their neural networks were inspired and based off of how biological neurons work. This already creates a pretty intelligent machine, but add a transformer(basically an even more complex neural network) into the mix and you've got something capable of even greater complexity. You get a LLM.

You're probably still thinking, so what? It's still just predictions and probabilities and tokens.

Common misconception, and a frustrating one too. I don't have the time and frankly I don't think you have the interest (if I'm wrong then I'm happy to explain more later) so I'll try to keep it as simple as I can. In the simplest way I can say it, if an LLM was simply just word prediction, if it was simply just "spitting out what it's been fed" it would be inefficient and inaccurate. LLM's link not only just words, but sylables, concepts, ideas, symbols, etc etc etc, across all different domains of knowledge. It forms connections and understanding between all these different areas, not too dissimilar from the way a human brain maps concepts and ideas to form patterns. And it constructs meaning dynamically, meaning its thinking and output is not pre-defined, it evolves as it goes. This is really hard to explain without getting into details about how an LLM works, but essentially the LLM understands and links patterns and concepts in a way that is not only similar to us, but better and faster than us.

This is all to point out that the inner workings of AI is not as simple as: It spews what it's been fed. What you're probably actually trying to say is: AI has learned (and even this is a gross simplification) from every inch of humanity including the internet and I don't like that because... because people create various forms of art on the internet, and so can AI?

And, look, even if you're worried about the "stealing" aspect and creators not being fairly compensated, it just makes my main point stronger and even more relevant, in conjugation with the point you bring up about the affects on the environment:

AI needs to be owned by the people. The people should be deciding these things; how do we fairly compensate those whose work it learns from, what do we do about how this effects the environment, how do we balance all of this, and so much more.

But you want to be obtuse about that point, you want to dismiss and diminish that point, you want to act like it's not relevant and I'm "missing the point" when it is one of the most relevant things for the future of AI and humanity. Cause guess what, all those problems that you claim to care about, the corporations don't care. They only care about developing a bigger, better, smarter model so they can make the most money, and they're doing just that.

But instead you'd rather argue the value of AI, which is a losing battle on your side but I'll indulge you if you'd like.

2. Not any argument, no. Actually, I stated which arguments, but you want to stay reactionary so I'll keep indulging you.

"These people let the machines do all the work." This line of thinking is wrong in so many ways, but okay, I'll walk you through it. First, let's assume what you say is true, "these people" open up ChatGPT and say "Write me a story about x." Agreed, lazy from a creative perspective, and the user definitely shouldn't get any credit for writing. Whether they want to share it or not, as long as they're not lying about it being AI written, I don't see the issue.

But wait, let's look at the tags.

"... ai admittedly helped me with this."

"AI translation"

"AI is a good editor/writers block evasion tool"

"somewhat AI assisted"

Even the ones that are pure AI, the tags indicate it to be so. But most of the tags indicate AI assitance, not purely AI-written content.

AI, as it's known today, is a tool. A very efficient one. You can use it to your benefit, or complain about the ones who do. But it's not going away. Just like boomers who swore that kids will get dumber because Google became a thing. "They're lazy, they have all the answers at their fingertips, they didn't have to do all that hard work like I had to do." Just like so many endless examples of older generations rebuking change and advancement, because it's a little uncomfortable in the beginning. Sounds pretty familiar.

Then you ask what's the point, there's no fame or money or glory... Have you considered people just enjoy the process of creating, whether or not they get anything out of it? "They didn't create it, the AI did!" Yeah and I suppose if it was their friend, or a person that proof-read their story, or helped them get out of writers block, or translated it, or co-created something, then it would still be considered creation? Just not if it's AI, no, whatever work they did contribute didn't count because AI proof read their story or gave them a good idea or wrote 10%, or 50%, or 1%. None of it matters, they're lazy right? Should have just gone to their friend, then it would count. Oh, maybe they didn't have any? Too bad, do it all yourself the hard way then, the right way, because AI = bad, and just like boomers we wouldn't want things to progress or get easier now would we.

Again, arguing the value AI brings, even as a creative tool, is a losing battle. Accept the value, fight for it to be used ethically. It's more worthwhile.

do people have no shame anymore?

[runninriot]

Another Love

written for the @corrodedcoffinfest pop-up event It's Complicated

wc: 1.966 | rated: M | tags: past friends with benefits Eddie/Jeff, newly established Steddie, unrequited love, complicated feelings, mild hurt/comfort, friendship | also on ao3

   “Guys, this is Steve. Steve, these are the guys. My best friends, who will not embarrass me today. Right?”

Eddie laughs, tries not to let his nerves show by making a silly grimace in the direction of Gareth, who lovingly scoffs and rolls his eyes, says ‘You don’t need us for that, you’re pretty good at embarrassing yourself‘, just to be a little shit. And maybe that’s good, because it means they’re not pretending to be something they’re not. There’s no need to mask who they are in front of Steve, Eddie knows that.

He knows that, once they’ve warmed up to each other, they’ll get along just fine. But still, he can’t shake the funny feeling in his gut.

This is a big deal for him, finally introducing his boyfriend to the people who, apart from Wayne, mean most to him in this world. He wants, no, needs them to accept this new person in his life, because there is one thing he’s absolutely certain of – Steve is here to stay.

Gareth and Doug, being the lifesavers they are, immediately start wrapping Steve up in a conversation and it helps ease Eddie’s nerves a bit. But out of the corner of his eyes, he can see the tension in Jeff’s shoulders. Can sense his resentment of the situation even if Jeff is obviously trying his best not to show it.

He stands off to the side, pretending to tune his guitar which he’s definitely not. Eddie knows he’s already done that before even coming to the venue. Out of all of them, Jeff’s always been the closest to a professional.

It’s something Eddie admires, one of those things he loves about him.

Jeff and Eddie go way back, met long before Gareth and Doug entered the picture. They’ve been friends forever, through thick and thin, always together against the rest of the world.

He’d never admit it out loud but Jeff’s opinion matters most. And that’s not only because he’s his best best friend. It’s also because he doesn’t know what he’d do if Jeff didn’t give him his blessing. There’s so much at stake here, so much to possibly end in ruins. This is so much more complicated than just wanting his friend's approval - there's more to consider. More to fight for. So that's what Eddie is willing to do.

   “Hey, man,” Eddie claps Jeff on the back trying to act casual, ignoring the twisted knots in his stomach. “Can we talk?”

   “If it’s about your boyfriend, then no.”

Jeff takes a big swig from his beer, the look in his eyes unusually cold and distant.

   “Come on, man. I thought we agreed that-”

   “Well, I’ve changed my mind. Look, Eddie. I’m happy for you, I really am. But you cannot expect me to put on a brave face and pretend that this doesn’t fuck me up.”

His words slice through Eddie like a knife, sharp and quick, no mercy on his heart.

Eddie probably deserves it for thinking he could ignore the giant ass elephant in the room and simply wait it out. Wait for the problem to solve itself, for everything to go back to normal, back to easy. Because truth is, there is nothing easy about this.

Eddie knew from the start that this would be complicated, no matter how much he wished it wasn’t. He knew and yet, stupid as he is, he still hoped they could just... move on. Not forget but maybe lock up the memories of a different time and go back to how things were before. When they were just friends, no feelings involved. At least not those kind of feelings.

   “I’m sorry, Jeff,” he says, head tilted down to avoid his friend’s piercing gaze, “I know it’s-“

It’s what? Hard? Unfair? Well, yeah, obviously. At least from Jeff’s point of view. But what is Eddie supposed to do? He didn’t choose to fall in love with someone else, it just happened. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t still have feelings for Jeff, only they’re different now. Not that he ever-

It’s a cruel thought, even though it’s true. They both know it because Eddie never pretended to be in love when he wasn’t. Was he attracted to Jeff? Oh, absolutely. Otherwise they wouldn’t have ended up in bed together. More than once. And it wasn't just the prospect of easy sex that had Eddie coming back for more - it was the thought of falling asleep in Jeff's arms. To be held by someone who makes you feel safe and cared for. He loved the kisses and giggles and how okay it was to be vulnerable and open because there's nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hide because Jeff already knows everything about him.

The problem is, while it had all started out as casual fun between mates, something changed over time. Something Eddie noticed too late or he would’ve ended it sooner. Jeff never told him about his feelings, so that’s on him, but it is just as much Eddie’s fault because- he should’ve known anyway. Should’ve noticed the shift. But he hadn’t. Or maybe he simply refused to acknowledge it. Selfishly ignored it until he couldn’t anymore.

When he met Steve, he instantly knew he needed to put his cards on the table and come clean about what this would mean for him and Jeff. Told him about this guy he likes – ‘Don’t know if it’s mutual but I’d like to give it a shot, see where it’s going. Maybe it’s nothing but maybe- I think he could be the one.’

And at first, Jeff seemed to be fine with that. Said he understood that they couldn’t hook up anymore. Said he’d miss the fucking but ‘Eh, whatever.’

Only it wasn’t whatever.

But Eddie was so lost in his own head, so caught up on Steve, Steve, Steve that he didn’t see what it was doing to Jeff. Didn’t notice him pulling away more and more until Gareth mentioned it. Asked if something had happened between the two because they were acting weird.

So, when he finally confronted Jeff, things seemed... okay. Better. At least that’s what he thought when Jeff told him he’d get over it, that he just needed some time to adjust. Promised Eddie that nothing had changed when it came to their friendship but right now, Eddie isn’t so sure about that anymore.

And it kills him.

Makes him lie awake at night because he can’t stop thinking about all the worst possible outcomes. What if this breaks up the band? What if Eddie loses his best friend?

   “I don’t want to lose you, Jeff.”

    You’re up in five, someone calls from the side of the stage and Eddie knows this is the worst possible timing for a heart-to-heart. They should be getting ready, he should be talking to his boyfriend who he abandoned and left with people he doesn’t really know, in a place he’s never been to before. But he can’t step away, can’t leave it like that, not when Jeff still hasn’t said anything.

   “I need you. You’re my best friend and I- I love you.”

It’s a stupid thing to say, to use this word, this feeling that is the cause for this mess and the reason for Jeff’s pain. But it’s the right word nonetheless, because it’s the truth. Eddie loves him. Maybe not like he loves Steve but different from the way he loves Gareth and Doug. This love goes deeper than friendship, soul-deep.

   “I love you. You’re important to me and I know- I know you're hurt and I am sorry but I can’t change that my heart belongs to Steve.”

Eddie can’t stop, knows he should because right now, he’s only talking himself deeper into the hole he dug for himself. But he refuses to lie, refuses to try to appease Jeff with false hope – he needs to know where they stand. And if that means Jeff will tell him to fuck off, if that will be the end of their friendship, then-

   “I hate you.”

Eddie’s heart stops at Jeff's words, eyes filling with tears as he braces himself for the biggest regret he'll ever have in his life.

   “I hate you so much for even thinking you could ever lose me!”

They’ve got eyes on them now, Eddie can feel it, but he doesn’t care. Can’t, not when Jeff moves closer, taking one of Eddie’s hands to place it on his chest, right above his heart.

   “It hurts. It fucking hurts. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be friends anymore.”

Eddie doesn’t know what to say, just sniffs and blinks away the tears blurring his vision.

   “It’ll take some time for me to... get over this. But you and me, we’re bound for life, man. So don’t you ever think you’re getting rid of me. You hear me, asshole?”

Jeff smiles at him and even though there’s still sadness in his eyes, Eddie can feel that he means it.

   “Uh... sorry to interrupt but, um, they said you’re up next so I-“

When Eddie turns to the voice coming from behind, he finds Steve standing there, hands in his pocket, nervously looking to the side.

   “I’ll be down there somewhere. Have- have fun.”

Steve’s about to turn around, ready to step away but Eddie can't let him go like that, so he stops him.

   “Baby, wait!”

He looks back at Jeff, hoping, praying to find what he’s searching for in the other man’s eyes.

   “Go on, your boyfriend looks like he’s waiting for a kiss. Would be rude to leave him hanging.”

   “Are you gonna be mad at me if I do?” Eddie’s not asking for permission to kiss his boyfriend, not really. But he’s willing to tone it down around Jeff if that’s what it takes.

Jeff scoffs, lets go of Eddie’s hand and takes a step back.

   “So mad. But I’ll get to have you all to myself for the next 40 minutes so I guess it’s fine,” he jokes and it feels like a peace offering. Like maybe it’s the first step to better, before hopefully they can go back to how things were when everything was good, not complicated.

   “I love you,” Eddie says again just because.

   “Love you too, man. Now go take care of your man and then let’s get this fucking show started.”

Eddie nods, taking another moment to look at his best friend before walking over to Steve.

   “Everything good with you and Jeff?” Steve asks quietly as Eddie wraps his arms around his middle to pull him close.

   “I think it will be, yeah.”

Eddie's glad he never made a secret out of his past with Jeff, couldn’t bear withholding something so crucial from Steve. He needed him to know that no matter what, Jeff will always play an important role in his life. That if Steve wanted to be with him, he’d have to accept that there will always be a place in his heart that’s occupied by someone else.

Steve throws a look over Eddie’s shoulder and smiles to himself before leaning in to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

   “Is that all?” Eddie asks when his boyfriend pulls away, leaving him longing for more.

   “For now,” Steve confirms with a wink, “Your friends are waiting.”

With that, he wanders off into the crowd and Eddie, for the first time in weeks, feels a weight lift off his shoulders and heart.

Maybe it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Maybe it just needs time and trust and mutual understanding.

He’s willing to try, willing to do everything to make this work

Because what he’s definitely not willing to do, is to give up one love for another.

[sweetflanfiction]

Asymetrical Symphony - Part 27

Universe: Arcane (LOL)

Pairing: Viktor x reader

Summary: You had been on the rooftop with Jayce and the Herald and somehow you were sent to a place where things can be different with your help

Disclaimers and Warnings: If you want me to tag you on the chapters let me know! Also leave a comment with your thoughts :D Not finished, not proofread. English isn't my 1st language. All I know about LOL is from google and all I know about Arcane is taken from the show, so inacuracies will be plenty. I have a sort of idea on how to I'm gonna go with magic and runes, so bear with me. The reader will be written as GN (going by they/them) to get everyone involved, but if you see any discrepancies let me know

A.N: You're Welcome :D

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7 • Part 8 • Part 9 • Part 10 • Part 11 • Part 12 • Part 13 • Part 14 • Part 15 • Part 16 • Part 17 • Part 18 • Part 19 • Part 20 • Part 21 • Part 22 • Part 23 • Part 24 • Part 25 • Part 26

• ··········· • ············ •

You opened the cabinets and cupboards to find the plates and glasses while thinking about the sleeping arrangements.

The couch is big enough for him to sleep in, if he sleeps all folded, which would be uncomfortable while he slept and after. You could ask him to sleep on the bed and you sleep on the couch. You’ll be cramped in the morning, but you don’t have screws on your spine. 

A wild thought came into your mind when you placed the last piece of cutlery on the table and peeked inside the bedroom. If you had to guess, a queen-sized bed, enough for two people. Maybe you could share. Both of you would have a decent night's sleep. No harm in asking, right? He did invite you to come to his house...that's forward... You were both fully adults, able to share a bed… The fact that you both seemed to have a massive crush on each other and had been close to kissing twice in a day was just a small, minuscule detail. 

The oven pinged, and you almost jumped out of your skin. You turned around and started to get the food out of the appliance when you heard the familiar gait of the house owner.

“It’s done.” You announced and turned, stopping midway as you watched Viktor.

He had stopped midway to the kitchen to pet Nono, who was now curled up on the sheet couch. His hair was sticking all out around him, humid and untamed; he was wearing a blue robe, open, and a gray cotton shirt with “Tallis lab” embroidered on it. He had switched from the crutch to the cane. However, what caught your attention was the bottom part of his ensemble. Cream and light blue-colored boxer shorts that stopped a few inches above his knee. 

But even that, what really made the air stick in your throat was his hex leg. It looked almost the same, the muscle and skin replaced by a purplish blue sinewy material. But while the other Viktor’s leg stopped there, this one had golden accents, a blue glow shimmering from within. More herald than Viktor. But Herald Viktor was, according to him, a more stable version of the tech. 

“If it bothers you, I can wear something else.” His voice broke you from your thoughts.

“It doesn’t.” You said softly and gave him a sad smile.

“I debated on whether to show it to you or not. But…I thought it would be better to get this out of the way.” He scratched the back of his neck as he limped towards you.

You realized you’d actually never seen his leg in this universe, and he could take your staring in a completely different way. In the end, this was normal to you. Him with his less fatal imperfection. So you shrugged at him.

“I guess you’re just about ready to run a marathon.” You joked while placing the containers on the table as he raised a questioning eyebrow. “New lungs, new leg...”

He sat at the table, and you noticed his shoulders relaxed as if he was expecting something else, another reaction.

“I wish. It’s heavy. Too heavy. Jayce didn’t calculate my lack of muscle structure into the hex core.” 

You blinked. Jayce? Of course. Jayce was in on the hex core's ability to enhance things, and he seemed to have decided to help him. 

“Jayce helped?” was the only thing you managed while trying to look shocked or surprised. The man who sat in front of you poured some water from the jug you placed on the table.

“I was going to do it. He just decided I shouldn’t do it alone.”

“What about side effects?” You tried with all your might to keep a normal intonation.

“I was in the hospital for two months, one week, and three hours.” He looked at his plate, pouring a healthy dose of whatever delicious food Ximena had put in those containers. “We don’t have to talk about it.”

“It’s alright. You did want to put it out of the way…” You mimicked his movements and added some rice to the heavenly-smelling food.

“Well…we did the experiment on plants, and those worked. And so I wanted to try it on humans…so I got the first volunteer I found.”

“You.” 

“Precisely. Jayce didn’t want to, but we were getting nowhere. He was adamant even. And well…I was bored.”

“Was no one there to stop you?” You thought of Professor Heimerdinger. It was a very obvious timeline; the small genius wouldn’t have this.

“The council only knew about it when the bills to the hospital came, and even then, they thought it failed.” He chewed his food. “The only one with enough will to stop us disappeared some time ago. Which might have been a blessing or a curse.”

You felt your eyebrows twitch. The old crone was probably still hiding at the Sanctuary in Zaun, playing his little banjo and annoying Ekko.

“So you both geniuses decided to experiment on you and…?”

“I…kind of…” He made a cracking noise and made a line with his fork at his neck.

“Oh…gods…Viktor! What the actual f--”

“Oh, it was just for 2 minutes and 10 seconds. It was expected.”

“Just?!” You leaned your head into your hand and shook it, amazed at the genius stupidity.

“Yes. Jayce was ready, and it all went according to plan. Unlike the heaviness, everything was accounted for.”

“So why the hospital?” You looked up at him, your face still on your hand.

“Pain. Lots of pain. My muscle and skin had been enhanced to some magical material that came out of a very sketchy piece of tech.” The way he nonchalantly talked about it made your mouth hang open. “My body had to get used to the thing. I needed to die so that all of my systems were rebooted, and when they did, my nervous system decided it should warn me that my leg was missing. I was in a coma for most of that time because I couldn’t handle the pain. And then it started to get better.”

“And now?”

“Now I have a lumpy piece of metal as a leg that would be great and most useful if my back wasn’t wrecked and my partner had accounted for me being…well…a stickbug.”

“What about the pain?”

“Still there.” He shrugged and made a face. “Sometimes better, sometimes worse but never gone.”

“Does the brace help with the weight?”

“Yes, and mobility as well. It’s still a sort of metal alloy, so it gets a little stiff sometimes.”

A cartoon image of Viktor dropping oil with a small old can into the hinges of his leg, and you snorted and choked.

Viktor got up from his seat and bent over to gently pat your back. When you calmed down, the scientist sat down, looking at you funny.

“I thought about you oiling your leg like you'd a machine…with a little can.”

He gave you a humorous smile and a mocking look at the ceiling, fingers tapping his chin.

“I might need to try that next time. A drop here and there, and maybe I can do the marathon. Do you think the hospital would let me borrow one IV pole?”

“For the oil?” You almost snorted your food out.

“No…for the pain medication that I would need…” He was joking, but it made you sober up.

“Sorry.”

“No. Don’t be.” He leaned into the table and placed his hand next to yours, his pinky stroking yours. “This went better than expected.”

“And what did you expect?” You leaned forward as well.

“Most people I bring over find it strange or…are too into it.”

Most people he brings over?!? You unconsciously raised an eyebrow and then remembered the guy didn’t make a vow of celibacy until you got here.

“It’s part of you, so…” You shrugged and leaned back. 

“So?” He mimicked you, stretching his legs under the table.

You felt his legs go around your own under the table, and you nudged the metal one with your foot.

“So…It’s a leg… What do you want me to say? I have two of those too.”

“I’ve noticed…” he interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

“Difference is…” you continued rolling your eyes. “I can go by a mechanic’s store without attracting any magnets.”

His face contorted, and he wheezed, bursting into laughter. You followed suit.

“It’s funny because it’s true!!!” He said mid-laugh. 

“What?!”

Viktor held on to the table for balance as he tried to speak through the laughter.

“Oh…wait…oh…” he took a couple of deep breaths. “The machines in the hospital stopped working when I got there, and nobody knew why… Why was this expensive material malfunctioning? Turns out…my leg…was magnetized! Jayce found out because he had a gear in his pocket that just…” He clinked a fork on the golden part of his knee and went back to laughing.

“So…one could say…you truly have a magnetic aura…”

You both looked at each other, snorted, tried not to laugh, and failed miserably.

After you calmed your chuckles, Viktor cleaned the dishes while you grabbed the notebooks from your packs.

Viktor rummaged through an old trunk he had in his bedroom and gave you a Piltover map that you spread on the table. For a couple of minutes, you both mapped out your plan for the next day. Going from the people who were furthest away to the ones nearest to the apothecary.

Halfway through your plan, a couple of piano notes come through the open veranda door.

“Oh!” Viktor straightened up and smiled. “Come, I think you will like this.”

You furrowed your brows, curious about what ‘this’ was, although as soon as you stepped into the small balcony, the enigma was revealed. Two young men were setting up a small piano on wheels near the corner cafe. From the balcony, you had the perfect view of it.

“The cafe owner lets them play for a bit at the beginning of the night to attract customers,” Viktor explained, leaning his shoulder into one of the balcony’s iron posts.

“Smart owner.” You leaned your elbows into the rail and looked at the two musicians preparing. “You don’t mind it?”

“No. It keeps me entertained. They are very good. Do you know them?”

“Do you know all the scientists in Piltover?”

“Actually ...yes…” He smiled, and you snorted. 

The young man seated at the piano started to play a sorrowful waltz with a repetitive lilt. It was a simple melody, but when the other man started to sing, it became a beautiful harmony. 

“Do you know what they are saying?” Viktor asked softly. 

The song was in another language that you had studied in one of your many classes at a private school. By some miracle, you remembered what the words meant.

“The poet meets a…mmmm…poor stranger…lover under the moonlight. He’s writing the song in hopes their stranger hears it.” You softly translated the chorus to the scientist. “The stairways up to la butte can make the wretched sigh, while the windmill wings of the moulin shelter you and me.”

Viktor smiled at you and straightened up, giving you his hand, his eyes mischievous and bright.

“Would you…” He cleared his throat, a nervous chuckle coming in. “Would you like to dance?”

“Dance?” You straightened up as well, blinking at him; your eyebrows twitched.

“Well, it would be more of a swaying in place, but the sentiment is the same.” He gave you a bright smile, his hand still extended.

You looked at his hand and made to grab it but stopped shortly before you grasped it. This could either go really well or really badly and end with you having a panic attack on his balcony. You felt your breathing pick up, and after a few seconds, his hand was gone, and you shifted his gaze towards him. Sad, apologetic, but instead of a disappointed look, he had a soft smile.

“I apologize…I forgot…” He blinked, looked away, and when he blinked back, his smile got wider and his eyes shone brighter. “Do you trust me?”

“Nothing good comes from asking that.” You said that even though you nodded.

Viktor took a small step towards you, leaning his weight so his hand grabbed the railing behind you, and then slowly shuffled his feet closer to where you tensely stood, waiting to see what he was doing. He moved carefully, making sure your eyes followed his movements, and when he was standing in front of you, his other hand gripped the rail behind you, effectively keeping you in his arms without his hands touching you.

You leaned away from him slightly, only so he could move to stand comfortably. Your back hit the decorated metal fence when he got even closer.

“If it gets to be too much...please say so.” He whispered, and you nodded, afraid of what sound would come out of your throat. “You can breathe; I won’t move any further.”

Somewhere in the depths of your brain, you were disappointed at that. Until you realized that you were also a fully conscious adult who could, in fact, do something other than stand there awkwardly. Especially after he made his intentions very clear. So…you did.

Your hands came up slowly to his arms before pausing and looking up to him sheepishly.

“It hardly seems fair I get to touch you and you don’t.”

“I’m not complaining.” His voice was soft and smug, and you rolled your eyes, and instead of moving your hands to his arm, you placed them on his chest and pulled him softly towards you. You felt his hands slide closer together, and he took another step, and you were very much trapped between him and the rail.

You looked up at him, and he was smiling down at you. A quiet joy behind it, as if this was going beyond his expectations. You slightly nudged him sideways, and he made an ‘oh’ with his lips and then snorted when he understood you were trying to sway him from side to side.

“Alright, alright…I did ask for a dance.” He mumbled, following your movements as the two men sang on the street.

“More of a swaying in place.” You joked and saw him move his neck to look down at you with an eyebrow raised.

Without thinking much about it, you leaned your head on his shoulder, still swaying. You felt his chest heave with a sigh before he leaned his own head into your own. You stayed like that for what seemed to be hours, but only a few songs went by.

“I’m glad that whatever happened brought you to me.” Viktor mumbled softly after the end; you moved away from his neck to look up at him.

At some point, your hand had drifted towards his neck, and now you pushed it upwards towards his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into your hand.

Oh…fuck it…

You got close to his face, bumped your nose with his, and waited for him to open his eyes. The flicker of golden and brown mixed in his glowing orbs. You looked between them and at his lips, curved upwards into a smile.

With a deep breath, you pulled him towards you. Lips crashing and nose bumping. You felt his smile disappear and reappear as he pushed you further into the fence, his hands still gripping the rail. 

It surprised you, the feeling behind it. It shouldn’t have, but it did. Soft but needy. You had kissed Viktor a hundred times, but this. This was different. Something in your soul knew this wasn’t the Viktor you knew.

This was someone else. Someone new. Someone you cared for independently if he looked like your former lover. Someone who looked so familiar but yet was still his own person.

The coffee was now mint and cinnamon. The dry and chapped lips were now wet and soft. It was tender and slow, not rushed or desperate. It was a long kiss and a dozen slow, gingerly kisses that gave you butterflies in your stomach.

The hand that wasn’t latched to his neck found his own on the railing, and you felt the tight grip he had on it. You slowly pried the hand away from the railing and intertwined your fingers. Awkwardly you shifted your arm so that your hand rested on your lower back, with his inside it.

When you pulled your lips away, the need to breathe became a priority. Viktor chased them, trying to recapture them, his nose brushing yours, and you moved away again.

“Don’t sleep on the sofa tonight.” You asked, not looking at his face.

The fingers intertwined behind your back squeezed your hand, and you looked up to see him give you a tired smile.

“Was this a plot to get me into bed with you?” He raised an eyebrow, and you snorted, rolling your eyes dramatically.

“No…just a consequence of it.” You lowered your hand to his chest, your thumb gently stroking.

“I shall keep it respectful.” 

You raised an eyebrow, and before you could answer, you felt a yawn appearing, and Viktor chuckled.

“I think neither of us has the energy to do anything but…” you replied, and he smiled, taking a step back, his hand leaving yours as he opened the balcony door for you.

“Come then. Let’s rest respectfully.” 

You shook your head and padded inside, making your way to his bedroom, petting Nono on the way, while grabbing the pillow and blanket from the couch.

“I, once again, feel like this was all premeditated.” You heard his familiar gait behind you.

“Well, yes.” You walked backward into the room. “I have been meaning to kiss you for a while now…”

• ··········· • ············ •

@marshy-moo @victormydarling @blueesmiski @th3stup1dcat @22carolina08 @httpstes @that-one-shitty-blog @disa-pointment @sseleniaa @kitewa @moons-lighttrail @aysluxe @fae-doodle @local-mr-frog @bakusquadobsessed @cherry-cola-100 @optimistic-but-very-realistic @seeksrsnn @thecordelialetters @notsaelty @lansy-4 @ayupfrogg @sammypotato @wnbrw @lucycarlisleswife @noxturnalmoth @ren-ren23 @furblrwurblr @kapitankarate @mynicknameisgasoline @octo-octopie @birbwithhat @kneelarmhstrung @dedicated2viktor @elvishstudies @iamfandomnerd @jazzypop-op @jojo-at-heart @deceivethedreamer

[chiaseedbaby]

☀︎Teasing Devil☀︎

Pairing: Solivan Brugmansia x Male! Reader

Hello lovelies!! This is gonna be my first time writing a full smut fic, I really hope you enjoy it ^^

Tags: dryhumping, soaking, orgasm denial, overstimulation, begging, spanking, marking, and bondage <3

_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_

Sol was a patient person, at least he tried to be. He held his tongue when people made comments about his style or the way he spoke. He barely reacted to direct insults to his face, but the one thing he couldn’t handle, was teasing.

He absolutely despised being teased, it made him feel weak and helpless. Though, despite how irritating it was to be teased, it made him really, really horny. You of course knew this, and decided to take advantage of it.

“… Love? Why are you sitting on my lap?” He asked, looking up from his book for a moment as you parked yourself on top of him.

“No reason, just bored♡” You whispered into his ear, trailing your fingers down the side of his neck. Sol let out a soft whimper from the cold feeling of your fingers, he grabbed your hand, intertwining your fingers.

“You’re acting weird, are you alright?” You ignored his question and pressed a kiss to his collarbone, then one to his nose, then his temples, then his cheek and then finally one soft peck to his lips, subtly rubbing your butt right on his thigh, making him tense up. “Love… don’t do that…” He said with a shaky breath.

“Hm?~ What’s wrong Babe? You okay?” You ask with faux innocence, looking up at him with a subtle but mischievous glint in your eyes.

“Y-Yes I-I’m fine… but… are you doing this on purpo-“ Just as Sol began questioning you, in came Crowe to beg for your help in stopping Brittney from beating Deryl to death because he took her phone.

“Oh, okay Crowe! Bye babe!! I’ll see you later!!” You called as you ran with Crowe to stop the attempted murder about to commence, while also planning how you’d mess with Sol later. Oh this, is going to be fun…

_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_

☀︎NSFW BELOW☀︎

You laid in bed with Sol, resting your body on top of him, your head resting upon his chest. “Baby?” You coo, crawling up to kiss his jawline again.

“Hm?” He responded, his eyes closed as he was half asleep, listening to an audio book. “Is there something you need love?” He asked, his hand coming up to rub your hair.

You giggled, palming his cock gently. “No~ Just wanted to hear your voice…” You said softly. Giggling from the sharp breath he took.

“Love… you’re starting a game you might not be able to finish.” He growled opening his eyes and wrapping his arms around your waist. But right as his hand reached your shorts, you stopped him.

“Nuh uh~” You hummed, booping his nose. “No touching♡” Sol stared in disbelief.

“I’m… not allowed to touch you? Why?” He asked, looking at you with confusion etching his face. “Did I… Did I do something wrong?”

“No love, I just wanna try something… different.” You smiled, reaching over to your nightstand. Sol’s eyes followed your hand and widened when he saw you pull out a bundle of silky green rope. “Can you put your hands above your head Babe?” You questioned, already unbundling the rope.

“Y-You’re going to tie me up?” He said, his voice shaking with fear and a bit of excitement as you nodded cheerfully.

“Yup! It’s gonna be fun! Don’t you think?” You smirked, pushing his hands above his head as you guided yourself onto his lap. As you tied his hands up in a pretty little but really tight bow Sol stared up at you, mesmerized, never expecting you to ever take control like this. “Are you comfy baby?” You ask sweetly.

“I-I’m alright Love.” He whispered, still staring.

“Good! Now let’s begin~” You say with a sultry tone, grinding your hips on his hardening cock. “How’s that feel?” You question while slowly pushing shirt up.

“F-Feels… G-Good…” Sol whimpered, his hands instinctively trying to go grab your waist. “P-Please don’t stop…” He murmured, trying to slow down his rapidly beating heart.

“Hm… You don’t want me to stop? Do you?”

He looking up at you nodding. “Wanna t-touch you… please?” He whined at you, hands still struggling with the ropes. He wanted you, he needed you, he was going to get out.

You smiled at his whine, leaning down to start leaving marks all over his neck and upper chest, grinding your hips harder on him.

“F-Fuck!” Sol gasped out, arching his back a bit. “L-Love I’m c-close…”

“Oh are you? Hm? How close?” You stared down at him, gouging his reaction, and when he was right on that edge, right about to cum, you stopped, lifting your hips above his clothed cock. “Oops~ I slipped off~” You hummed, at his desperate groan. He thrust his hips up, trying to get that delicious friction back.

“C-Come back. P-Please? I want… I want to cum please!” He looked up at you with the neediest look you’ve ever seen from him.

“Awww baby… I’ll start again, don’t worry.” You began grinding again, holding his face into your hands. “Baby… are you crying?” You stared at the tears that slid down his cheeks.

“N-No…” He pouted, looking away from you. Your heart clenched at his desperate behavior, but also didn’t want to stop teasing this poor man. So you brought him right to that edge once again, and stopped. Repeating this process again, and again and again. Every time he whined and begged you to let him cum, but you weren’t ready to yet.

“Aw my poor silly baby, you really really wanna cum don’t you, why don’t you be a good boy and beg me mo-“

SNAP!

“Shit…”

_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_☀︎_

To be continued…

Hi lovelies!! I wanted to post this for you so you guys could have something to read for now. Since it’s taking me so long to fully finish this, here’s the part one, you can expect part two as soon as I’m done! (๑>◡<๑)

Also… happy late Valentine’s Day!

[kedsandtubesocks]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE write more MLB Professional Joel !!! It was such a good read and it makes me want more

You're one of the very few who write really fun AU's for him, and it has me absolutely addicted

Dear anon thanks so much I appreciate you!! And since you asked so nicely… let’s enjoy some more baseball Joel yeah?

—

Game Changer - Spring Training

MLB pitcher!Joel Miller x F!Reader

warnings: 18+ only dbf!Joel, allusions to smut, secret relationship things, brief moments of panic

word count: 1.2k

Arizona’s desert holds a surprising charm to it. You’re even more amused that the city’s name fits it so well.

Surprise, Arizona is where the Texas Rangers would be staying for spring training.

You managed to get ahead of all the work you can, moved a few things around schedule wise, then came up with an easy lie for your parents when they asked curious as to why you were heading to Arizona for a four day weekend.

Because the reason why you’re here walks out from the clubhouse to warm up looking handsome as ever in his training camp uniform.

“Joel! Joel!” The crowd erupts in cheers seeing him, and a wide smile breaks over your face.

You’re thankful fans are able to watch from the fencing around the field. It’s heartwarming and endearing seeing how many people are here to watch the team train. Now you suppose you’re one of those devoted baseball fans now, or mainly, just a Joel fan.

He’s in top form today. Seeing his body crouch up in the windup then fling the ball with such force never ceases to impress you, keep you in awe of the man you adore so much.

It boggles your mind a bit realizing a new season is starting. Because, in theory, you’re coming up on a year of being with Joel.

One of the outfielder’s, Joel’s closest friend on the team, spots you and happily waves making you grin. A lot of the team recognizes you now. They know you’re with Joel, and you’ve even tagged along to a few team dinners now.

Even Ellie and Sarah know about you and him.

Of course the last to not know, the ones still kept in the dark, are your parents… specifically your dad.

Your mom, with her scary sixth sense, has noticed something is up. Accidentally you’ve let it slip you’re seeing someone casually. But that’s the extent of it.

Because you wouldn’t call traveling across states to be with Joel casual. Especially when he paid for your flight ticket, even booked your hotel room to make sure you were comfortable and close to the ranch.

One day, you’ll be brave and tell them. Then hope your dad doesn’t try to kill you or Joel. But now’s not the time to think about that.

The weather is beautiful today. You soak in the sun and soft breeze, enjoying watching Joel Miller be the outlaw cowboy pitcher he is. His curveball is getting better.

There’s a new rookie reliever pitcher the Rangers drafted. Joel immediately has stepped into fatherly parental mode showing different ways to grip the ball. The kid hangs off his every word and follows Joel around like a puppy. It’s rather cute.

Cheers come off to the side of the fence. You glance over to see someone with a phone telling everyone to wave, urging them to chant ‘Let’s Go Rangers!’

Ignoring it, you return to watching Joel.

Eventually lunch break arrives. Joel sends you a text urging you to go relax at the hotel.

Might be a long day at practice baby go enjoy the room

You’ve been wanting to get some reading done, and lounging on the gorgeous hotel room balcony does seem tempting.

Appreciating that Joel understands, you head back to the hotel.

You’re also thankful housekeeping came by to fix the beds. Your face feels like it’s on fire just thinking of the mess you and Joel left the room in this morning.

It’s been a month since you last physically saw him. The way you and him fucked felt raw, tasting of something primal, like you were trying to consume each other for the lost time.

Now seeing a few of Joel’s things here makes your heart melt. His jacket slung on the chair, his toothbrush thrown against yours, his iPad charging on the table.

He’s still mainly staying at the hotel with the team, but you’re grateful he’s snuck away to stay here for a few nights already.

Curling up with your book on the hotel balcony with the lovely Arizona weather creates a dreamy afternoon you happily sink into.

Then your phone chimes off. A text from your mom.

It’s a picture from Instagram.

Specifically the Texas Ranger’s Instagram.

And you’re in the background clear as day, easy to spot.

So…what are you doing at spring training?

Your heart drops. Terror floods into you an unseating wave that draws you under.

Everything becomes muffled and heightened all at once.

Immediately a lie conjures itself up so fast as you text back.

Yeah, Alex had work to do and thought I’d swing by to check out the team and say hi to Joel

Alex, your best friend, thankfully told you to use her as a lie.

Your mom doesn’t reply back for a while, and your stare in pure dreaded silence waiting to see any sign of life.

The chime comes, and your hands shake checking your phone.

Ok have fun

The reply is simple, diffuses the situation. Yet it doesn’t stop the fear pumping through you.

Joel’s contact brings your phone to life, and you don’t know if that’s better or worse.

“Hi, honey.” He greets casual and exhausted. “Done for the day, so I’m headin’ back. Y’wanna start talkin’ dinner?”

“I think my parents know about us.” You blurt.

“Wait, what?” His voice trips over itself.

He urges you to take a breath and tell him everything.

So you do. You tell him about the Instagram photo, the text…

He sighs weary, deeply tired, and you feel guilty now for rushing him with this.

“I’m sorry.” You quickly scramble out.

You’re sorry for being here, sorry for maybe accidentally revealing yourself to your parents, for getting so worked up over this -

Joel says your name, calm and steady.

The door clicks with the room key. Before you realize it, your favorite pitcher walks through the door.

Immediately you rush towards him. In a few steps he’s gathering you in his warm arms, and nothing else matters.

In this carved out space, it’s just him and you holding each other tight.

“I don’t think ya need to worry, honey.” He reassures, rubbing your back softly. “If they knew, ‘specially if your dad knew, no doubt they’d be fuckin’ calling me already.”

That’s true.

A part of you is reassured, yet…

Being in his arms, you realize this is where you want your future.

And something deep inside now aches to have your parents find out. You want to stop hiding Joel, want to stop hiding this. You aren’t ashamed of him. If anything, you’re unbelievably proud of him and want to keep him in your life for as long as you can.

A dangerous thought flutters in your mind. Maybe you should call your mom back and tell her the truth.

“When you get nervous for a game,” you suddenly ask Joel. “How do you get over it?”

A soft hum, a rumble of a deep thought radiates from his warm chest, and it's strangely soothing.

“Guess once I get on the mound, it all just melts away. Get reminded of why I do this, why it’s all worth it. Nerves and all.” He mutters.

You pull away from Joel’s embrace for a moment to glance at him. He’s still sweaty from practice and smells vaguely of sunlight and the field’s dust. But he’s beautiful, and you want him to be yours in every way.

He matters in so many ways it feels like your world now is molded to him; you can’t think of a day without him.

You place a soft kiss on his lips and realize how he’s worth the nerves and all.

Maybe even more than that.

So you think… it might be time for you to go up to bat for your pitcher.

[seokmn]

FLYING KISS જ⁀➴ ♡

pairing: seokmin x gn!reader wc: 2.4k words warnings: seokmin and reader have superpowers, brief mention of bullies (not the act itself, just people who do it) lua’s note: this fic is 100% inspired by the kdrama moving!!

📣. tagging: @wonkierideul !

“give me your, give me your, give me your love, love cloud”

Being raised only by your mother because no one knows where your father is is tough, but that never stopped Seokmin from still loving his dad and from having such a wonderful personality.

His mom took care of him really well, and also never let him think that his father is a monster. He had his reasons and he promised to come back, Seokmin and his mom just didn’t know when (or if he was still alive).

But even after waiting for 16 years, Seokmin didn’t have any frustration about the situation. He always saw the world as an amazing place to be and always tried his best to love life. He never treated anyone differently, always making sure to treat people how he would like to be treated.

It was hard to not like him, how couldn’t you like a boy who’s always smiling brightly and helping people out? Even though deep down he hides a secret: he’s insecure, he doesn’t like himself that much. However, does he let it show? No, never.

You, on the other hand, are not as bright as Seokmin. Sure, you are not a cold hearted person, but you know how life can be hard and how mean people can be and how to deal with them.

An example that you know about how life and people can be a bitch is the fact that you and your father had to leave your hometown because you got into a fight with your bullies.

The fight was pretty bad for them, not for you. They didn’t know (you didn’t know either) that you have two special and unique traits: you have superhuman strength and can recover from injuries pretty quickly.

That was when you found out that your father also has the same abilities, but that was also when your father lost almost all of his money paying for your bullies’ hospital expenses, which made him buy a smaller house with a small fried chicken restaurant to earn money in another city.

When you moved to your new school, you unfortunately were always late because of the distance from your house to school, and that made you become friends with another student who was also late almost all the time. A very strange boy who is always smiling, treating people with kindness and having a backpack that looked extremely heavy on his shoulders: Seokmin. Lee Seokmin.

The fact that you two always had to clean your classroom and the restrooms as a punishment for being late for school made you two get closer pretty fast, especially with Seokmin’s charisma.

But you had to confess, his backpack itself made him seem pretty mysterious. Why does it look so heavy? Why does he never let anyone see what’s inside of it? Why does he always carry the backpack around? Even during class he doesn’t take it off his shoulders to put it on the floor or on the back of his chair, and during gym class? The backpack is right there with him.

You have tried to bring it up to know why he has to carry the backpack everywhere he goes, but you failed every single time. He would always smoothly change the subject, leaving you with no answer to your anxious questions.

As the time went by, he started to act even more strangely, and you started to get even more suspicious. Sometimes, when you got closer to him, he would hold himself onto something, usually onto a chair, as if his life depended on it. He would also stutter a few words and fidget his fingers when he would talk to you.

You weren't an idiot, by his actions you knew immediately that he was developing feelings for you. But why would he have to hold himself onto something?

“Hey, Y/N!” Seokmin smiled brightly at you while sitting on his usual seat, the seat right beside yours. “Guess we’ll have to clean the classroom and the restroom again after classes, huh?”

“Yeah,” you sighed. “I guess so. The same way as always?”

Seokmin’s smile didn’t leave his lips as he nodded to your question. “Yes, you clean the classroom and I'll clean the restrooms.”

As the class started, you couldn’t help but notice that nothing changed, his backpack was still with him. You would do anything to find out why he never let that freaking backpack away from his body.

Once the bell rang, indicating the end of the last class of the day, and the students started to leave the classroom to head home, you and Seokmin stayed. “I hope we can finish cleaning up sooner than usual, I’m starving,” you placed your hand on your belly as you heard your stomach growling. The loud sound made you widen your eyes and look at Seokmin, who was standing in front of you with a shocked smile, holding back his laughter. “Did you hear that?”

Seokmin laughed and nodded, “I did! You must be really hungry. After finishing the cleaning, we can go to my place! My mom owns a dongkatsu restaurant! My house is on the second floor.”

“Oh my god, yes! I really need to eat something that’s not fried chicken,” you chuckled and Seokmin mirrored your chuckle as he fidgeted his fingers behind his back, feeling proud of himself for basically asking you out without stuttering or making a fool out of himself. His eyes traveled to your face features, and he felt butterflies in his stomach. The sensation and feeling being new to him.

Seokmin is surely a lovely boy who finds love in everything, but he never really loved anyone besides his mom, so the feeling of falling in love for someone was a new experience, and even though he was loving it, it was also very difficult for him.

You watched Seokmin’s cheek start to get red and the smile on his face died, his expression turning from happy to surprised with a hint of desperation as his hands found the chair behind him and his grip tightened. He closed his eyes and counted from one to ten, his voice coming out as mumble. When he finally recovered from god knows what was going on with him, he left an embarrassed laugh and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I- huh… I’ll go clean the restrooms, once I’m done with them I’ll come back here so we can go together to my mom’s restaurant. See ya!” Seokmin’s tone was rushed and you watched him run away. You found it weird, but what did you not find weird about that cute boy?

You just shrugged the questions off and decided to focus on cleaning the classroom, which wasn’t difficult at all. It took you 15 minutes to clean the entire room.

I think I’m going to help him out.

You walked down the hallway, finally reaching the male restroom and you didn’t believe what you saw. Was Seokmin levitating? No, it couldn’t be right, your mind must’ve tried to trick you.

You looked again and… Yes, his feet were far away from the floor.

Why were Seokmin levitating? He always cleans the restrooms listening to music, in his mind, it’s more effective. A love song from the random playlist started to play and he paid attention to the lyrics. It reminded him of you. The feelings the singer sang about and the way they finished the song by saying it was love made his mind explode. Seokmin felt that towards you.

He only noticed he was levitating when the back of his head hit the ceiling. His silly smile died a little bit, but not completely because he was happy for having those feelings towards you, thinking about you made him all warm and fuzzy and he liked that.

He counted 1 to 10 and slowly got his feet on the restroom floor again, getting back to clean it without noticing that you were secretly watching him.

You were amazed. Seokmin can levitate, what the hell? Can he fly? What makes him levitate? Questions filled your mind, and you wanted to confront him about it so bad, but he never told you for a reason, right? You thought to yourself that maybe you should wait until the perfect opportunity to ask him about his superhuman ability.

“Seokmin, are you in there?”

“Ah, yes! I’m almost done!”

“Do you want some help?” You entered the restroom, pretending that you didn't see anything from earlier. “You don’t have to, you’ve already worked hard today. I’m proud of you,” Seokmin patted your head and gave you a bright and comforting smile.

“Still, I only cleaned the classroom. You cleaned two restrooms.”

“I don’t mind at all, don’t worry!” His smile didn't leave his face.

After a few minutes of cleaning up, he wiped his sweat on his forehead and let out a small sigh of relief. “I’m finally done. Now we can go to my place and eat some delicious food! Are you ready to go?”

You placed your hand on your belly and pouted. “Yes, please,” he laughed and fixed his backpack before mumbling a come on and leading the way, always looking back at you to see if you were following him.

The walk to his place was fun, Seokmin found himself yapping a lot, and every single time he realized what he was doing, he would apologize for talking too much and would shyly ask questions about you. He didn’t yap on purpose, you being around him made him so comfortable that he found himself talking more than usual.

“Oh, we’re here,” Seokmin opened the restaurant’s door, the bell ringing right after the door was open. “Mom, I brought a friend!”

Seokmin’s mom left the kitchen drying her hands on her apron as she walked towards you with a smile on her face.

“Hello, Mrs. Lee, I’m Y/N. I study with Seokmin,” you extended your hand, but Seokmin’s mom hugged you instead, carefully to not touch her hands on you. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Y/N. Please don’t mind, my hands smell like onions.”

Seokmin was right beside you with a huge smile on his lips, he never brought a friend to his place. It was impossible to not like him, but it was hard for him to actually have friends.

“Can I show Y/N our house, mom?” Seokmin looked at his mom with pleading eyes, she chuckled and nodded. “Sure. I’ll make lunch for you two and once food’s ready I’ll call you to come down, so pay attention, okay?” She kissed his forehead and smiled at you before getting back to the restaurant’s kitchen.

“Come on!” Seokmin took your hands and rushed to the stairs that led you to his house. “I’ll show you my room first!”

His room was a normal teenager boy room, but it had a comforting atmosphere, just like him. You walked around as he sat on his bed and watched you.

His heart was racing as he watched you taking in your hands his toys that once were his joy during childhood, but now are only decorations, on the shelf and putting them back on it carefully, doing your best to put them on in the same way as they were before.

“Uh, Y/N?” You hummed as you kept looking at the toys, they were so many and you could tell he was a gentle kid by the way almost every toy looked brand new. “Do you like someone?”

You looked at him as soon as the words came out of his mouth. “Why do you ask?”

“I’m just curious. We’re friends, right? I thought friends asked these things to each other.” He looked down at his lap, trying to keep cool.

Maybe it would be a bit mean, but you thought that would be the perfect time to know the truth about his abilities. You placed your hands on his shoulder and made him stand up right in front of you. “Do you like me, Seokmin?”

Seokmin’s face got red. “W-What? What are y-you talking a-about?”

You smirked and cupped his cheek, you glanced at his fists clenching and unclenching as if he was trying to calm down. This is it. You took a deep breath and pressed your lips against his.

Seokmin’s eyes widened and in a matter of seconds he was flying towards the ceiling. You felt your hands sliding down his cheek until they were cupping the air. You opened your eyes and saw Seokmin’s left hand touching the ceiling as he looked down at you desperately. You took a few steps back, totally surprised.

“You’re…”

“Don’t look!” Seokmin shouted and closed his eyes to make his usual ritual to get his feet back on the floor.

“Seokmin, you can fly!” you shouted and he quickly covered your mouth with the palm of his hands. “Shhh! It’s a secret.”

He slowly took his hand away from your lips and looked at you with an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry about that ,” he sighed and sat on the bed again. “Yes, I can fly, but I don't know how to control it. I tend to fly when I get really happy. Please, don’t tell anyone.”

“It’s okay. Listen, I’ll tell you a secret as well, okay?”

Seokmin nodded as he looked at you intensely, but still flustered by the sudden kiss. “I can heal pretty fast and I’m super strong. I’ll show you someday, I promise you,” Seokmin gasped. “Really?!”

You nodded and got closer to him, whispering to his ear. “Also, I do like someone, his name is Lee. Seok. Min,” you chuckled and whispered again. “Lee Seokmin. Seokmin-ah!” You took a step back and looked at him with a smile that soon turned into a laughter when you noticed how he was gripping the bed sheets in order to not fly again.

You found him so cute, it was impossible to not like him back. He was good looking, friendly, and a gentleman. What else could you ask for?

“Y/N… Is it tru-“

“Kids, food’s ready!” His mom’s shout interrupted him.

“Yes, ma’am!” You said as you patted Seokmin’s arm. “Let’s go, I’m starving.”

You chuckled and started to walk away. Seokmin turned his head back at you quickly to watch you leave. “W-wait! You can’t just leave after telling me that! Wait for me, Y/N!”

[furiarossa]

Can you believe that someone just tagged us in a post about ships that "allows" (who allows? Is there a ship police?) writing that we can't ship (yes, us personally, there was a section aimed at us) Maddie Fenton and Vlad Masters because it's not a canon ship? 

Oh, apparently we have to... uhm... respect the canon. We have to adapt, you know, hehe? We have to accept it they say.

We have to see things from the point of view of Butch Hartman, the criminal who scammed all the people who invested in his alleged network (which never saw the light of day), the homophobic, sexist one, the one who told a voice actress that her colleague's suicide was her fault, the one who didn't want to pay an artist who animated an entire pilot for him... we have to respect the canon of his work. 

But... no? We don't have to?

Transformative works are just that, transformative, they serve to create something that has a different appeal, a different plot, a different world. And a work like Danny Phantom, a cartoon released in 2004, directed by Butch Hartman, with more plot holes than Swiss cheese, is deliciously good mainly for this purpose: to be transformed. 

The fandom, creative and restless, was not satisfied with the broken half-answers about the world of ghosts, it was not satisfied with the two-dimensional characters, it was not satisfied with the ending. Everyone does their own thing, and this is the beauty of Danny Phantom: not the "canon" of Butch Hartman, but the way in which each fan manages to project a part of themselves into the story. 

So no, we don't care at all about "respecting" the canon. The canon doesn't exist, it constantly contradicts itself, it has a timeline that wouldn't work in reality, dates that mean nothing, unclear abilities of the protagonists, and many, many characterizations sent to hell by the series itself.

What we write (or draw) could potentially be perfectly canon-compliant if we look at the way the series changes its approach to its characters in an unstable way. 

And there's also another thing to keep in mind: even if the original writer of a work was perfectly respectable, even if we loved the original canon, we could still try our hand at transformative work, because creating other universes with the same characters is a love letter to the original. Always and in any case. 

To answer the very long original question (can you believe that... blah blah blah... is there anyone who bothered us with these silly things?), we're almost certain that you do believe it.

That, in a way or another, this happened to you too.

There are a lot of people nowadays who bother you (and us) on the internet, netiquette is just a distant memory, and rudeness and lack of "media literacy" reign supreme. Don't be like them. 

Create, change, ship, have fun, love what you do. 

But remember to never bother people about stupid things like canon adherence, especially if the person you're bothering never had any pretensions of canon adherence! Otherwise you'll end up in a world where no one wants to create stuff for your favorite fandoms anymore, and then you'll be left without art, without literature, without color. And then you can sit there and admire your canon, forever, unchanging and often unsatisfying.

Without art, without literature, without color, without coffee shop au, without rare ships, without ever exploring things from the other characters' point of view, without ever enjoying the fantastic transformations of a world that, without fans, will die. A story is contained in itself, if no one continues it, and it will never come out of that box. 

Be the people who make it come out of the box... and make it live forever.

[seradyn]

No cause I need to crash out about this a little bit because YOURE SO RIGHT ABOUT THE MISOGYNY 😭😭

I’ve read SO many fics where Sylus is OOC it’s concerning. People can write what they want, I’m a firm believer in that, but it feels like we aren’t even talking about the same character sometimes. I’ve read fics where Sylus calls reader/mc ‘slut’ during intimacy and I physically recoiled because Sylus would rather die a thousand deaths than call us that. Even if you asked him to he’d double and triple check you actually wanted that and still probably wouldn’t be thrilled to.

Like…genuinely, you can write whatever trope/kink/whatever you want, but if you slap Sylus over it then at least tag it OOC. I read a cheater fic that wasn’t tagged and had a vague summary, and I just had to grimace when I realized that’s what the fic was because Sylus would never in a billion years EVER cheat on us. The same goes for the other Lis. They are designed to love us and only us. They would never be so desperate for sex that they would fucking cheat. ESPECIALLY Sylus, who has stated he’s never been with anyone else. Not to mention, this man doesn’t give a fuck about random flings or one night stands. This man makes love, wants more than anything to just be able to make you feel good and show you how much he loves you. Why do you think he asked for consent multiple times before he dove in, in Nightly Rendezvous? Men like that don’t cheat 😭😭

As for the fic you’re mentioning, I’m glad I haven’t seen it, cause that is just…so far from what Sylus would do 😩 That implies a level of emotional immaturity that Sylus has repeatedly shown he is not down with. He literally encourages us to feel our emotions in a healthy way, and wants to be the safe space where we can feel them without judgment. People like that aren’t going to ghost you out of pettiness, that is just so fundamentally incongruent with how he acts and what he says. I could maybe see Rafayel doing something like that, but even then I don’t think he’d ghost us for DAYS, that is just an insane level of childishness.

Speaking of Rafayel, I read fics of him and Xavier too, even though I’m a Sylus main, and this problem is not nearly as common or consistent in how they are misperceived. Rafayel does get mischaracterized, a lot of people tend to forget how dangerous he can be, but even then I don’t see it as often in fics. And Xavier, I’ve only seen one or two fics where he’s OOC, and usually it’s with the same tropes discussed above.

I think a lot of this issue stems from 1. Infold’s marketing team and 2. Sylus first few interactions with the player in the main story. Unfold framed Sylus as the booktok daddy dom alpha male in his trailer, and a lot of people haven’t been able to look past it to the kind of character he actually is. I also know quite a few people write for Sylus without actually playing the game, which is fine, but again, some OOC tags would be nice 😩 And as for the main story, if you don’t bother to dig any deeper, he does seem like some dark romance dom, but if you look into his lore, especially the dragon myth you can see so clearly just how much pain he is in that you don’t remember him. It breaks my heart replaying those parts now because you can just see the anguish in his eyes that the one person who saw him as more than a monster doesn’t remember him. It’s so fucking sad 😭😭

That being said, I do wish the game did more to address the way Sylus treated us at the start. I’ve read some incredible fics that do, specifically this one, and it’s so fucking good. It holds Sylus accountable while acknowledging how actually romantic and loving he is. That first meeting he wears a mask to hide his pain, and this fic gets it so so right.

As someone who has been writing fanfic for years, a lot of time my fics are almost like a character study, diving into how they would react in different situations, what has motivated them to become the character they are. Sometimes I get stuff OOC too, and I’ll often put little explanations in the notes about why I chose to make them act the way I do, how I came to that conclusion about them. That’s different then blatantly writing them to do and say things they would rather die than say or do for the sake of a kink or trope. Cause that’s what it boils down to most of the time.

I also understand we’re talking about a fictional character, and none of this really matters in the grand scheme of things. But as a fic author myself, it’s painful how much Sylus in particular is twisted into something he just fundamentally isn’t. Why not write for another character at that point? 😭

It’s so clearly misogynistic because woman are always expected to cater to the man. Always expected to make room for his emotions and not get that compassion back. I’ve seen it so often in real life, I just want to tell these woman YOU DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER. And the Lis want to be that better for you. As I wrote in my most recent Sylus fic, he would genuinely be so disappointed if you just rolled over and let him treat you like shit. Like, babes, who hurt you? An intimate partner should not be acting like a child with petty games like that 😭 It reminds me of that video of the guy saying “bitch, what’s for dinner?” to his gf, and when she responds meekly, he tells her to slap him if he ever speaks to her like that. That is Sylus. He’d want you to beat the shit out of him if he ever treated you that way. He loves and respects us way too much to let anyone, including himself, get away with that shit.

I’ve been meaning to make my own post about this, so sorry for the long crash out. I just…AHHH I MAKES ME WANT TO SCREAM. IVE SEEN THIS IN OTHER FANDOMS TOO IT MAKES ME INSANE

Hi! This is my first ask/time doing one of these but I just wanted to come here and say I ABSOLUTELY agree with practically EVERY word you said about sylus. Honestly BLESS your soul for you saying it because damn did it need to be said.

hihi, thank you for taking the time to send me something!

and thank you!!! i'm not usually one to post my 'hot takes' in public because i usually can't be bothered, but this really frustrated me. ESPECIALLY because i write my own fanfic, characterization is super important to me because if it doesn't feel like the character... what's the point, right? i get that there's a certain level of nuance to each character, and nobody but the creator of said characters is going to get them perfectly correct, but for god's sake sylus was CREATED by infold to love you, to be in love with you. this may just be my take, but having been on the recieving end of that treatment: nobody who truly loves you would ignore you for something so inconsequential to sylus as a buisness meeting or whatever. (i have two specific fics in mind but i don't want to reference them speficially because i'm genuinely not trying to call out anyone in particular)

because like. again, from what my friend has said and from what @bloomfalls and @seradyn have added to my og post in the tags, sylus wants YOU and only YOU. he's not the type of man to leave you wondering, to make you second guess his feelings.

^ direct quote from said friend ily dawg ur the realest

writing fanfic is really hard, esp when it comes to characterization, but i feel like in a game where these guys are SPECIFICALLY love interests it's like... guys the writing is on the walls, the floor, the cieling, and a sticky note duct taped to your forehead. it's so easy. for other fandoms, where it's not focused on love interests it's harder to be like 'x wouldn't act like this', so i will 100% give those people grace. but if i wrote something for sylus, (winkwinknudgenudge) i feel like! it would be pretty easy, given how we are GIVEN A MANUAL ON HOW HE TREATS THE PERSON HE LOVES.

and lastly: as i said, writing sylus so that he expects the reader to come crawling back to him after dogshit treatment and having the reader do exactly that, is misogynistic. i'm sorry, it has to be said.

[starmessngr410]

URGENT HELP🚨🚨🚨🍉🇵🇸

Hello,

How do you do ? I hop to be in a good condition.

This is my special campaign

We hope to help us by donating or sharing to others.

Every donation makes a different even if it a small.

As you know, the war began on October 7 and lasted ten months. During this period, we were unable to obtain food, drink, or treatment because we did not have money.

There is no source of income for the family at the present time, so we are unable to buy food, clean water, and medicine, especially after we are afflicted with the ongoing infectious diseases spread in the north like Hepatitis C disease.

Our house has been damaged a lot since the beginning of the war. We are from the north of Gaza and we are still in the north and have not displaced to the south. We displaced 10 times from place to another seeking to safety .

We hope for your help and support, even if only a little.🙏🙏

Vetted by Femme intifada on telegram.

Also, vetted by gazavetters on tumbler and my number is #60

My campaign was recently vetted by butterfly effect group on Instagram and my number is #964

This is the link if you would to read our story well 👇👇

https://gofund.me/4e896ac1

Thank you all

Thank you for taking the time to send this message, and I'm sorry if I've responded a little late! Although I can't donate now, I can share this with people who might be able to! Please help this family!

[autumn-may]

terrisas really funny ithink

[findmeinthefallair]

Mindscape, based on this post I made weeks ago

The yellow light is Flapjack's life force 😭😭😭😭

[al-luviec]

zane + nya parallels