#the gods arena of pleasure 1

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: The Gods' Arena of Pleasure 1 {Two-Shot}

Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El x Reader/OFC Bia Dess

Warning: Action, Fighting, Mild Cursing, Backstory Heavy

Words: 4.7k

Synopsis: The city is under yet another attack and guess who comes to the rescue--The Justice League. With their muscle and brawn, and Bia Dess’ brains this new threat doesn’t stand a chance. 

Note: It has been a minute since I’ve written anything Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El. Hell, anything Henry related. I may be rusty, so bear with me and accept my apologies beforehand. I think this is a one shot. At the time of writing this “note”, which is prior to actually writing the story, I am calling it a two shot. We’ll see. Hehehehehe! Also, I had the hardest time deciding what to call him. I am deadest on getting rid of Clark completely and going with Kal-El. Thoughts?

 ***ALSO, ROUND HERE SUPERMAN HAS AND WILL ALWAYS BE HENRY CAVILL UNLESS HE BECOMES IDRIS ELBA!!!! (I SAID WHAT I SAID)***

 As always, thank you for reading. I appreciate it.

If you enjoyed this, please, LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG!!

***NOT Edited/Proofread***

***Slightly Interactive***

 "Again, Superman has just taken out the legs of this massive, massive alien that looks like some electronic tripod. This is unbelievable!”

 From the television in the packed cafe, you and tens of other people gasped and gawked at the coverage. Superman took a bone shattering hit from the alien figure and was sent at least twenty feet back but in seconds he was zipping through the air right back at it to return the favor and then some. His laser eyes beamed through the creature making it roar out in evident pain. The ground violently shook, and everyone screamed and tried to hold on to something.

 While those around you panicked, a thought occurred to you. For its scream to affect the Earth's surface, that told you that this could work to defeat it. Just then you watched the rest of the Justice League sans Aquaman rally around Superman each doing their part to take down the tripod adjacent creature.

 Another ear-piercing scream shook the cafe and everyone around you exclaimed showing their fear at the current turn of events.

 "Oh my god, look!"

 Everyone pressed close to the window and watched as a second and third tripod creature fell from the sky, each confronting a different justice league member. The one before Diana immediately went into action shooting a laser beam at her. Every molecule in your body fired up craving action. You almost wanted to run out the door and join the fight and you didn’t know why.

 Diana crossed her wrists in front of her blocking the beam with her Thymescarian crafted wrist guards. The beam ricocheted right back to the creature making an impact. Its deafening screech pierced the air and everyone including you covered your ears. The internal anguish you felt was powerful. It felt as if your eardrums vibrated threatening to rupture but the effects went deeper than that. Your internal organs quivered like a hand gripped each of them and squeezed. The effects were sudden but only lasted a moment for you but looking around at the others in the café you realized they were still being affected.

 A thought hit you then, "They’re vulnerable to their own weapons," you rushed out. Without thinking, you hurried out of the cafe and into the streets. Pressing your phone to your ear, you called your assistant Vicara.

 “Vee here.”

 “Vee,” you began but was cut off by another screech from one of the creatures.

 “Holy shit, tell me you’re not in town square right now!”

 “I’m in town square right now.”

 “Jesus Bia, get outta’ there. Aren’t you seeing this fight between Justice League and these creatures?”

 “Vee take a breath and listen to me,” you shouted.

 Across the street something crashed into the structure creating a large explosion sending rubble everywhere. You dived behind a car, covered your head and beared down hoping not to get crushed by the large pieces of rock that rained down.

 “Hello? Hello? Bia!”

 “I’m here. Listen, these things effect the Earth’s surface. The soundwaves they produce they use as a weapon. From what I’ve put together so far, they not only alter the tectonic plates under us, but internal organs.”

 “No way! That’s so cool,” Vee marveled.

 “Right! If they affect the surface like this what’s so say we can’t use that against them.”

 “Bia, that’s genius.”

 “I know, I thought of it.”

 It wasn’t meant to sound egotistic at all, it was just a matter-of-fact statement. For some reason you felt you came up with many genius ideas in a short amount of time.

 “If you were so much of a genius maybe you could figure out where you come from once and for all,” Vee teased.

 “Low blow, Vee. I need you to run the scans and tests of this area and find me a Hail Mary.”

 “The square has changed so much I need an arial,” Vee informed.

 You looked around the barren and disheveled streets that no doubt would take weeks to clean up trying to find something you could use. In the distance closer to the fight than you liked, you saw a skyscraper that would be perfect.

 “Of course,” you muttered unenthusiastically.

 “What?”

 You sighed, peeled off your blazer, examined the heels you wore trying to decide if they would hold up, then you began running right toward the fight like someone who had a death wish.

 “I’ll get you the arial. Give me ten minutes.”

 Just as Vee was telling you not to do what she thought you were doing, you ended the call and picked up the speed. Your entire being woke up feeding on the adrenaline coursing through you. While others would be apprehensive charging into a practical battlefield, you weren’t. A mechanical tentacle collided with the pavement a few feet in front of you creating a deep crater.

 It was so close to you that you didn’t have enough time to stop. Quick calculations gave you another route, but it involved some athleticism. Without thinking, you jumped into the air then came down onto the hood of an abandoned car to bounce off of it and over the thinnest part of the tentacle. Once your feet were firmly back on the ground you took off again hoping to get to the building soon.

 When you were close to the door a body fell from the sky ruining the entrance.

 “Oh my god.”

 Again, you didn’t think, you bolted to the body, climbing over rocks, beams and turned over cars. As you got to them, they sprang up sending a piece of cement into the air and several feet away.

 “Son of a--,” Diana groaned.

 “Are you okay?”

 Her head snapped to you and your eyes locked. Diana cocked her head to the side as she took you in. Every time you saw her there was something familiar about her, something that didn’t feel as if she were a stranger.

 “Bia? What’re you doing here?”

 You took a few steps to her, “I need to get to the top of this building.”

 “Why? This is no place for you. It’s dangerous.”

 “I gathered but I may have a way to end these things.”

 Diana’s attention zeroed in then. “How?”

 You quickly explained your theory to her trying to keep the science bit of it minimal. You found she was intelligent enough to grasp the concepts but there were times you’d gotten deeply technical and lost her. When you finished, she looked impressed.

 “And you came up with this in how long?”

 “2 or 3 minutes,” you nonchalantly replied.

 Diana scoffed then smiled. “Always impressive Bia. My people would love a quick, resourceful and seemingly fearless woman like you.”

 “The Amazonians?”

 She nodded. Saying the word gave you another sense of familiarity but you shook it off.

 “What do you need from us?”

 The creature screeched again. Both you and Diana cringed but didn’t cover your ears. She looked bothered but not to the core as the others in the café. Interesting you thought. “You’re already doing it. Oh, and one of its weaknesses is its own weapons. Use them against it.”

 Diana nodded then took off in one mind boggling leap and bound that shot her into the sky.

 “Wow.”

 After climbing over the rest of the rubble, you ran into the building to the elevator banks. It probably wasn’t a good idea seeing that it was possible to get trapped but it would take way too long to run up possibly a hundred flights of stairs. You may not have known where you came from, but you knew for certain you were not Superman. Once in the elevator, you pressed the top floor and took the ride.

 Halfway up, the building shook and the elevator stopped startling you.

 “That’s not good.”

 The elevator doors opened as the lights flickered. Wasting no time, you ran out in search of the stairwell, and it was then a call from Vee came in.

 “Yeah Vee.”

 “All tests and scans look optimal. Your theory will work.”

 “Have you made the preparations with Terra?”

 “All I need are those ariels.”

 “I’m still working on that.”

 You took off climbing up the stairs two at a time. You didn’t even focus on the number of them you climbed you just registered every turn. Round and round you went, when one flight was climbed you tackled the next in an endless loop. Before long, you’d zoned out completely. Though your muscles were beginning to burn and your back aching you continued. By the time you got to the top floor you were winded and almost ready to pass out.

Your heartrate returned to normal within a few moments. you then ran out onto the roof nearly falling on your ass when you realized just how closely the fight was happening to where you were. A fireball zoomed past your head arching over the building and colliding with the one beside you. Thus started a domino effect as the building went down on another and so on and on.

 “Shit!”

 It took a few moments for you to recover. When you did you scurried to the edge of the building and dug into your pocket pulling one of many devices you carried with you at all times. Tapping a sequenced code into its exterior brought the drone, Dot, that was no bigger than the length of your finger alive. Using your phone, you tapped into the drone and entered the coded instructions.

 Dot purred indicating it had understood the command and was ready to comply. You raised your hand into the air and watched it take flight. With the implant in your behind your ear you were able to see what it saw. It enabled you to work faster as you got data instantaneously. As you took the ride with Dot you kept close eye on your wristwatch that relayed the date readings.

 Soon you had an aerial view of the fight. Superman shot rays out his eyes which only made brief impact with one of the creatures before it self-sealed the wound. He and Diana were taking turns working together to confuse them. Diana swung her lasso wrapping it around one of them. She used the side of a building as leverage to withstand the strength of her opponent. Another ray shot out of the creature, but Superman zoomed so fast through the air that you lost sight of him momentarily. All that remained was the red and blue blur of his suit.

 When you saw him next, he’d slammed into the electronic being sending it off balance. The beam it shot went right through the second creature’s head. As it dropped on top of a building you shot your hands into the air and cheered seeing your theory was correct. All the attention turned to you then. Several smaller drones were released from the hull of the creatures, and they all took flight toward you.

 “Shit!”

 Making quick work of the next commands to Dot you paid closer attention to the data coming in while keeping an eye on the incoming swarm moving toward you. Unwaveringly you focused on the task at hand. Sometimes you didn’t know if the way your brain regulated danger and fear was a blessing or a curse. It allowed you to stay calm under pressure and work faster, it also woke you up making you feel like you used more of your brain than humanly possible. Fear and danger did different things to you than it did to others you realized.

 The first drone reached you ready for attack. you dipped down grabbed a stray welded bar and swung sending it flying through the air.

 “Huh. I imagined that should have been harder.”

 Shrugging, you went back to your watch. The data you wanted was coming in and your excitement picked up. A sharp sting of pain caught you off guard. You’d gotten so caught up in the date that you didn’t register the remaining drones closing in for the kill. You swung the bar again but missed and all of them went in for the kill.

 Suddenly, a beam of red light went through all of them at once, dropping them.

“Ms. Dess, funny meeting you here of all places,” Superman said.

 “Ha. You know me.”

 He smiled. “You really shouldn’t be up here. It’s dangerous.”

 “Oh, I get that, but I need this data to end this once and for all.”

 “Diana has told me your theory. Do you think it will work?”

 “I more than think. I’m never wrong and this data I’m seeing proves it.”

 “What do you need me to do?”

 “Don’t let that thing interrupt me or Dot.”

 “Dot?”

 You pointed to your drone overhead and he nodded.

 “Understood.”

 With that he rocketed into the air and back to the two remaining creatures joining the fight with Diana. You zeroed in on what you needed to do, then called Vee.

 “It’s coming in hot Vee. Get it done.”

 “Got it. I’ll need five minutes.”

 “Your get two.”

 “So bossy!”

 You tapped into your watch trying to connect your implant to Terra, one of many disks you’d submerged into the earth’s surface around the world. If everything went smoothly, you’d be able to communicate with Dot and Terra at the same time to open the sinkhole. The pressure and gravity would take care of the rest while the machinery went haywire making them self-combust taking each other out. It was a flawless plan.

 “Now, Bia!”

 You took a deep breath and initialized the connection. Connecting subdural with one device took control but two simultaneously took strength and power. It always put you on your ass for a few hours afterward. It wasn’t pretty. You took a deep breath then went in. The electrical surge that coursed through you made your body tremble, so you exerted some more control to override impulse.

 Gritting your teeth, you proceeded to link the connection with Dot and Terra logging your consciousness into them to input the commands in. Long minutes ticked away and every one of them had an impact. You’d tested this for years and had only been able to sustain it for minutes tops.

 “Four minutes, Bia. Get out now or you’ll fry your brain.”

 Ignoring Vee, you dug deeper. You could hear fighting around you and knew Superman was probably holding the tide of new drones back.

 “I have you,” Superman grunted.

 For some reason, you felt secure knowing that.

 “Bia your vitals are plummeting. Get! Out!”

 “Al—most there.”

 Terra’s command center complied then connected to the others around the city. They were charging up to centralize the shock to your location. It was critical you got the coordinates precise. You’d have hell to pay with the Governor if you sank town square. Suddenly an image took over your mind. You were in a field of grass overlooking a cliff at the ocean. All around you, you heard battle cries, swords clashing, armor colliding together then the yodeling came. It sounded like tens, no hundreds of voices coming together as one making a war cry that brought tears to your eyes. You turned realizing then you were wearing golden armor over one of your shoulders, golden corseted armor across your bodice, thigh high boots and held a sword in one hand and a massive staff in the other.

 “Bia!”

 You dropped to one knee and recognized the strong coppery taste in your mouth. Blood.

 “You’re crashing!”

 Finishing the computation, you sent the order to execute.

 “It’s done.”

 Suddenly the ground around you trembled and broke apart. As the earth crumbled a sinkhole about a mile in radius opened up and down the creatures went. As they dropped their screech echoed around sending nearly all living mortal things to their knees. You gritted your teeth as your brain rattled. Again, you were transported back to that field. Before you, hundreds of women had their weapons raised yodeling. These were faces you recognized but didn’t know, faces of people you knew. You must have because the warmth rushing through you felt awfully like affection, pride and joy. You knew this place.

 Pain ricocheted through your midsection as you were hoisted into the air. A tentacle wrapped around your stomach and pulled you over the ledge of the building. It slowly registered that you were falling and being dragged along for the ride with one of those tentacled bastards. The sinkhole was getting closer and closer.

 “Fuck!”

 You were spent from your connection with the drones and had no more fight. Looking up, you saw Superman beaming down to you with his arm outstretched. As everything went in slow motion, you reached for him, but your hands didn’t touch. You remained just out of reach. His eyes glowed red and you closed yours not wanting to see your end. You could feel the shift in your surroundings. The coolness around you told you that you’d entered the earth’s surface.

 The rest seemed to happen within seconds. The heat of fire against your back made you scream out and squeeze your eyes tighter. It would be over soon you told yourself. Not a bad way to go out you thought. You’d done some good. Another image came to mind, and it was of you falling into murky water a color that you’d never seen before. It looked otherworldly. As you sank into it you smiled. A wave of calm took over though you should have felt terror. You knew you were courting death. Strong arms wrapped around you as the tight squeeze around your midsection subsided. Strong wind whipped across your skin and through your hair and with every few seconds it got colder.

 “Ms. Dess. Ms. Dess? Can you hear me?”

 Lite taps across your cheeks had you fluttering your eyes open. Deep azure ones peered back at you with so much concern.

 “Superman?”

 He sighed and the wrinkles in his brow evened out.

 “Thank god, I thought we lost you there.”

 You looked around you realizing you were among the clouds.

 “Oh my god.”

 “Hold tight, I’ll have you back on solid ground in a few,” Superman said.

 You obeyed and wrapped yourself tightly against him realizing then your legs were also wrapped around him quite intimately. He must have realized it at the same time you did because you felt his muscled frame tense as he cleared his throat and rocketed through the air. Once he put you on solid ground your knees buckled but you never crashed to the ground because Superman’s arms were around you again.

 “Are you all right?”

 “I just need my lab,” you panted.

 “Care for another ride?”

 You nodded as he picked you up once again and took off. This time you drifted off unable to fight the crash of your system.

  ~~~~~~

 -Two Days Later-

 You gasped for air as you bolted upright. It all was blurry but through the blur you could make out familiar things. The steady beep of the machine said your vitals were mostly back to normal. Slowly your sight returned to normal and when it did you saw you were still hooked up to and IV.

 “Uggh.”

 You yanked the needle out of your arm and pulled the leads off of your body which sent the monitors into chaos. Within seconds the door busted open and in stormed Vee.

 “Jesus Christ. Finally, you’re awake.”

 “Finally?”

 You swung your legs over the edge of the bed and stood.

 “Yes finally. You’ve been out for a long time,” Vee clarified.

 “How many hours this time?”

 You walked out of the room toward the pit.

 “Forty-Eight.”

 You stumbled and spun around to her. “2 days?”

 “Yep. 2 freaking days. You were dead to the world and going through some very creepy metamorphosis might I add.”

 “What do you mean?”

 “Come, I’ll show you,” Vee finished leading the way to the pit where you usually huddled around every device you owned and created. It was the information center of your lab.

 Once there you checked a few computers wanting to find out the status of town square.

 “Has the Governor demanded my head yet?”

 “No. Superman and Wonder Woman are taking all the blame.”

 You looked at her in shock. “Really?”

 She nodded then beamed a recording from the pad she held in her hands to the massive screen in the front of the room. The video began with Superman laying your shivering body down then your trusted medical team pouring in to attach every device to your body. As they did, none of the readings made any sense. The lights flickered, machines went out of whack then stopped working and had to be replaced three time.

 As they worked to stabilize you, you thrashed across the bed, screamed, and fought against yourself. It almost looked like you were possessed or going through some metamorphosis as Vee had said. The video progressed with your vitals never stabilizing. They went from dangerous to impossible for the human body. Several times through the video for it to make sense you should have flatlined. When you were left alone the audio picked up your mumblings, conversations with yourself in a language you didn’t know. One word in particular stuck out. You paused the video and replayed it over and over.

 “Matpa.”

 “What the hell is that?”

 Suddenly the answer came to you as if you’d known it your entire life.

 “Sword.”

 Vee stared at you as if you’d grown another head. “How do you know that?”

 You shrugged because you genuinely had no clue how you knew it, but you were sure of it.

 “What if you’re going through a memory that your subconscious has repressed? What if the only way for you to have access to it is in an unconscious state after massive cerebral shock?”

 That sounded plausible. For the first time in years, you felt hope. You didn’t know anything about who you were beyond your name and even that you weren’t sure about. Bia didn’t ring a bell; it didn’t feel like you. Sure, you’d made it your own over the years, but it only felt like a piece of you.

 “We should try it out,” you suggested.

 “What! No! Bia in order to try that out we have to replicate the same conditions you were under.”

 “Okay, we can do it.”

 “No! You were in a neural connection with 2 drones for over seven minutes. You were near brain dead Bia.”

 “I have you here this time.

 The ring of a bell paused your conversation.

 “Who’s that?”

 Vee put on the surveillance feed and standing at the lab entrance was Superman himself—well Clark Kent 2.0 to be exact.

 “It’s damn he sure cleans up nice,” Vee said making you laugh.

 “I’m going to change you can let him in and bring him to my office.”

 You walked away back to the room you’d woken in and went through the clothes you left there for nights you worked late. Deciding on a sky-blue ankle-length suit that hugged every curve you proceeded to clean yourself up a little and change. By the time you walked out and made it to your office, he’d been waiting for a little over ten minutes.

 “Mr. Kent, funny meeting you here of all places,” you said as you walked in and around to your desk.

Once in front of him, you watched his eyes rake over your body before coming back to your face. Bold, you thought.

“Ms. Dess.”

 “Or should I call you Mr. El?”

 He smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “If this were Krypton maybe but on Earth, I’m Clark. You know that.”

 “I must say I think I prefer Kal-El.”

 “Why?”

 “It rolls off the tongue better, and suits you better.”

 your eyes lingered while your speech faltered. He looked in thought.

 “I’m here to check on you. Are you all right?”

 You held your arms out then spun for him. “Quite alright. thank you.”

 “You don’t have one scratch or burn on you. Impressive.”

 “I’ve always been a good healer.”

 He nodded and then you decided you’d call hi, Kal-El.”

 “We may be on Earth, but I prefer Kal-El.”

 You came around and leaned against the front of your desk. “What can I help you with today, Kal-El?”

 He studied you longer. The look on his face was not an annoyed one, or a confused one. It was a pleased look. He was pleased.

 “Without you a few days ago I think things would have gone very differently. I’m here to thank you.”

 You smiled then nodded, “Always happy to help.”

 Silence returned to the room and neither of you rushed to fill it with words. Since you’d gotten to know of him then about him over the years, it had been like this. There was always this easy silence and comfort between you that never felt off.

 “Even if it does put your life in danger,” he said making no effort to hide the displeasure in his tone.

 “I do nothing more than you or the other meta-humans. Do what you can to save who you can. What makes me any different?”

 “You’re not a meta-human. You don’t have super speed, or strength of electricity, or even control over water. You are defenseless.”

 He almost sounded worried.

 “I may not have any of those things but in no way am I defenseless.”

 He cocked his head to the side as he took you in some more. “I have never known someone so—fearless, so brave. It is impressive—you’re impressive.”

 Your eyes lingered on his and something strange happened then, your heart did a double beat. You clapped your hand over your chest, but it only happed once. He lurched to you with his hand outstretched.

 “Are you all right?”

 He was beside you with his hand at the midway point of your back. His scent circled you and immediately reminded you of Bergamot, Cedar, and clean linen. The heat radiating off of his body was so intense your body instantly reacted. You felt the hairs along your body stand on ends, the oxygen in your lungs being sucked out and your entire body tingle and hum. It was the strangest thing you’d ever felt, but oddly enough it wasn’t off-putting.

 “I’m—I’m—all right.”

 “Are you sure? Sit for a moment.”

 He ushered you to a seat then kneeled in front of you peering into your eyes with so much tenderness you could have cried.

 “I’m okay.”

 He did not look convinced, but he did not press you further.

 “I think it’s because I haven’t eaten in two days.”

 “Okay. Let me take you to lunch. Or we could eat here, and you could show me your latest projects.”

 You smirked at his sweetness. “I accept, but I have a better idea for a location.”

 You smirked at the questioning look he gave you no doubt trying to figure out what you had up your sleeve.

To Be Continued.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[mazikeenhyde]

Oh Baby, Pain is Pleasure FINALE - Part 1

I have had to split the Finale into two parts as it was just getting too long to post altogether, and I enjoy making you all wait…. 

POLY JUDGMENT DAY X READER (WRESTLER) 

Y/W/N – Your Wrestling Name 

Y/W/N/F – Your Wrestling Name Finisher

WARNING – THESE WARNINGS COVER ALL PARTS OF THIS FICTION/ IMAGINE STORY- THEY MAY NOT BE SPECIFIC TO THIS PARTICULAR PART! - 

SERIOUS SMUT,  GIRL X GIRL, MAN X MAN, POLY RELATIONSHIPS/SEXUAL, BDSM, BLOOD, PANIC ATTACKS, SPANKING, VIOLENT REFRENCES, INJURY, ABUSE (CONSENTUAL) CHEATING, STALKERS/ STALKING, SMOKING/ CIGARETTES 

Part 1 Word Count - 4.5k (Hence why its in 2 parts!)

Tag List - @babybatlover @p0is0nl0ve @babiidee28 @darlingnikkisixx @commandershepardofthedas gooses-pond  rhiamaymay  scaraskzzs  (SORRY IF I MISSED ANYONE, IF YOU WANT TO BE ADDED OR I MISSED YOU LET ME KNOW BELOW)

Oh Baby…Pain is Pleasure – Finale Part 1  

The stadium erupted into an overwhelming flood of cheering and chants from the many thousands of fans surrounding the ring. The barricades holding them back shook as they lept to their feet, signs which had been discarded in the air from excitement now lay on the floor amongst hundreds of sets of trainers, boots, high heels and the younger bare footed audience members. The once loved handmade card treasures, plastered with slogans and beloved wrestler’s names now trampled upon by wet footprints and washed out by the rain. 

The thunderstorm was now in full force, rain hammered down into the arena as thunder shook throughout, echoing inside that hellish cage. All hell had broken out inside the ring with every member from the opposing families in an absolute free for all brawl out with each other. 

Damian had Rowan up against the ring post as the two continued to trade blows with each other, their faces both semi blinded by the rain and fuelled with an anger which bestowed a look of utter discontent for any form of peace. These men were in it for pride, for love and for honour. Damian, who had now got one up and over a certain ramblin rabbit had climbed onto the second rope, pinning Erik against the post as he continued to hammer blow after blow to the head of the monstrous man. 

Finn and Dexter had somehow made their way out of the ring and into the gap between the steel framed cage as each of them were scrambling to pin the other one down long enough to secure any kind of balance. Dexter, who had made it back to his feet, grabbed Finn by the trouser cuff and launched him back into the ring whilst Dominik and Huskus were fighting tooth and nail across the mat, exchanging blows, kicks and punches. Again, neither one had quite managed to one up the other in such a well-balanced fight until I had run past in an effort to lock back up with Uncle Howdy, kneeing Huskus in the face and allowing Dominik to climb on top of him. 

Rhea and Abby meanwhile were tearing each other apart, feral and fearless as neither woman would let up or give in to their pain. 

With no referee inside and not one person willing to step back in line, it hadn’t taken long for management to act accordingly. Because if this war was ever going to settled, and they knew it needed to be, some form of control needed to be restored. 

The lighting colour scheme was quick to change, black and green lights flashed up across all the LED boards, glowing lettering plastered across each barricade…

‘ITS TIME TO PLAY THE GAME!!!’ 

Smoke bellowed through the doorways and down the entrance ramp as Triple H made his way into centre stage, shouting at the top of his lungs in an attempt to bring about some order of control. 

“ENOUGH!!!!” Paul’s voice was loud with a strong sense of authority, demanding his entitlement for respect. 

“CUT THE MUSIC! CUT THE LIGHTS! CUT THE GOD DAMN DRAMA FOR A MOMENT AND LISTENNN!!!!” 

The audience’s heads turned between the stage and then back to ring as not one person stopped fighting and not one person from either side of the battle was willing to listen or stand down. 

“STOP!!!!” He screamed out again before his voice shallowed out, trying to control the fury that was making his blood boil. His emphasis on specific words made his statements land in the dark parts of the soul that could recognise fear… and when someone meant every word they said. 

“The next PERSON to move from where they are standing! The next PERSON to throw a punch or lay their HANDS on another will be SUSPENDED!” 

We all froze, eyes deadlocked onto each other, with barley the ability or willingness to blink, body parts shaking in anger and fury as we all listened for the next ‘commandment’. Rhea’s hand was wrapped tightly around Abby the witch’s neck with her opposing fist raised in the air, while the witch’s knee was inches from being lodged into Ripley’s rib cage. 

Damian and Finn were being held against adjoining ropes by Dexter and Rowan as the two monsters had only just gotten the advantage before Triple H had come out to ruin our revenge. 

Dominik and Husk had managed to brawl and in turn fall out of the ring to the floor, they were now trapped in between the gap of the cage and the ring post like Finn had been before with Dex, exchanging blows to each other before the interruption. Dom’s hand now pushing Husk’s face further into the ground as he allowed his body weight to ease onto him, building pressure. That clever boy knew he had him pinned and that he wasn’t going to be able move anytime soon. He smirked down to the feeble weakling under his grasp, enjoying the dominance he rarely got to feel. 

Meanwhile I had already retrieved a beloved Kendo stick that had been secured above from the top of the cage and I had climbed my way back to the top of the ring post, gripping the top of the frame while howdy had been in pursuit. I was ready to use an aerial advantage and take this fucker out but after stopping my grip on the steel frame was starting to slip out from underneath me. My desire to drive the weapon straight across the back of Uncle Howdy felt like a dream come true. Shame I hadn’t been able to finish the job…yet. 

“Back. Away. From. Each. Other” Triple H’s words were blunt and begrudgingly we did as we were told, though admittedly I was relieved to finally let go of the cage that I had been slipping out from. Damian and Finn squared up to Rowan & Dexter as they were released from their grasp before making their way over to our side of the ring. 

Rhea had released Abby and tossed her to the side before reaching down to offer a hand to Dominik and help him back into the ring, though the boy wasn’t quite ready to allow Huskus back to his feet. But he did eventually do as he was told after Rhea gave him one of her stern looks and upon doing as he was told, a sultry wink after as a reward. She leaned into his ear, covering her lips and whispered…

“Enjoying being the dominant one I see Dom Dom, you make Mami very… very proud”  

Dominik grinned, licking his teeth and wiping the blood away from a busted lip before placing a hand over his crotch, jiggling around his package to try and calm down the ever-growing tension between his legs. 

I however, standing strong, stood face to face with the prick before me. Uncle Howdy looked down at me, his height towered mine to a degree and his demeanour was infuriating. It felt like he genuinely believed he was better than all those around him, as if he was far better than I could ever be.  He laughed as he stepped to the side and returned back to his family with open arms. Their celebrations glinted at the idea they had won the first battle, like they had gotten one over on us. It felt almost rude, it felt offensive to see him walk away from me, and it made my blood boil, my skin began to heat up, my heat raced, so I spun around on the spot to react the only way I knew how, with violence! But a strong set of arms wrapped around me before I could take another step forward and pulled me back, whispering in my ear. 

“Easy baby, easy” Rhea’s breath was warm, I could smell the sweat on her tattooed skin, the blood from scrapes and scratches from the pre-war fight. Her scent radiated throughout my senses, and it was addictive. Goosebumps took over my entire skin as she pulled me back in line with the others, still keeping her grip tight across my body as we now stood together. The Judgment Day vs The Wyatt Sicks. 

“I feel like there must be some… confusion in the air? There must be some misunderstanding between you all as to who is in charge around here? Some people clearly don’t understand their role in this company. Some people… seem to believe they have the… Authority? To do as they please…when in fact they don’t have any. You all have decided to start a war that, whether you like it or not, is NOT going to end the way YOU ALL want it to” Paul’s voice was clear and precise, but he sounded calm, and that was the most concerning part… Until he wasn’t. 

“Your roles within this company are clear, they are set out. You do as you are told; you go where I tell you to go. You behave like the good little puppets on a string you were designed for, and you DO NOT DISOBEY” 

Each of us turned for a moment to face Triple H, breaking the death glares we had locked on to our opponents. A sense of concern and confusion as to what Paul was going to do next hung in the air, all I wanted was to get my hands back on Howdy, claim my championship and go home to rather unwholesomely fuck my lovers into next week.

“This war will be fought, and this war will end here at WrestleMania…” Triple H turned to the crowd as they all began to cheer and chant. “But… Y/N, you will not be in this cage, you will not be a part of it” 

My Heart ran cold as I threw Rheas hands off me and raced toward the front of the cage in shock, gripping onto the steel frame. The rest of Judgment days reactions, very similar to my own followed behind me as the Wyatts laughed hysterically behind us. We all began shouting our frustrations towards Paul, questioning what possible reason he had to kick me out of this Championship match I had trained so long for, worked so hard to get to?! 

Triple H raised his hand up to silence us and the crowd as the entire arena chimed in with the deafening booing and shouts of discontent. 

“SILENCE!” Paul demanded, turning his attention back to my direction. 

“Because…y/n… “ Paul smirked before raising the Women’s World Championship up from behind him, having secured it from a security guard to his right. 

“As Dakota Kai has now retired injured… YOU, will instead be fighting for THIS, against Abby the Witch, in an adjoining cage. I am declaring RIGHT NOW, that this match, is a Ten Man-Grand Slam all in one, no disqualifications, no count out, no holds barred, all is fair in love and war double caged firefly street fight. Abby the Witch & Y/W/N will be locked inside one cage, whilst Rhea, Damian, Dominik and Finn will be locked in the other with Erik Rowan, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy and Uncle Howdy. This match will run for 1 hour and to secure victory Y/W/N, Abby, you must PIN your opponent. Your families in the opposing cage must also pin their opponents one by one to secure victory. Once pinned, you will be removed. Once the championship has been claimed, once one team comes out on top over the other, only then will this war end. Now, if the hour runs out and the championship has not been claimed, you forfeit your right to it. No arguments, no complaints, those are the rules. Suck it up and move on. I am the puppet master, I am the boss, I am THE AUTHORITY!” Triple H commanded to us all. 

“Now a referee will now come down and unlock the cage. You will all return backstage, the battle commences in 20 minutes… Good Luck.” With the rain now finally clearing, Triple H bowed his head and looked up to the heavens, in respect for the loss of Bray Wyatt before moving to exit the stage.

The lighting returned to normal, and the standard WrestleMania music played out as we began to exit the ring one by one, security keeping a lengthy distance between the Wyatts and the Judgment Day. Fans desperate to get their favourites attention were scrambling over the barricades, leaning their body weights over in an attempt for a high five, but we were all far too distracted. 

Suddenly, Uncle Howdy halted and turned on his heels grabbing a microphone and smirking down at us from the other end of the ramp. 

“Y/N, I do wish you the very best of luck, you know as well as I… I am just the ghost of the man who saved this world but, who are you? You cannot hide from it; you cannot hide from me? The truth will set you free y/n…did you tell them?” Howdy’s words were playful and taunting as he pointed to each of my lovers standing just behind me. 

“I told them! I told them everything!!!” I screamed back up at Howdy. 

He chuckled and turned his back on me, whispering into the microphone before disappearing backstage, “but did you tell, the world?” 

---------------------

THE JUDGMENT DAY CLUBHOUSE 

Swinging the door open I rushed through and began pacing the centre of the room, nervous, anxious and fearful of what could happen if the world ever found out about my past. 

Social media had gone crazy, fans and viewers speculating and debating over whether this had become the greatest WrestleMania of all time, whether Abby the Witch or Y/W/N would become the new Women’s World Champion, how brilliant it was that Rhea would be fighting against a team of all men and that they knew she would beat their asses. But alongside all this there was also the debates over what my secrets were, how they could find out, and with these debates’ rumours had started to spread, like wildfire. Unbeknown to me, Liv Morgan was backstage hiding out, and she was fuelling that fire. 

I was in full panic mode as the others also piled in through the door, Finn entering last locked the door behind him and turned to face me. He took a brisk walk forward before grabbing me by my shoulders and slapping me straight across the face to break my panic. I stood in shock, as did the others, what the actual fuck was he playing at. 

Then, not more than a second later he pulled me in tight, wrapping his hands around my face, my neck, then one hand on my back as he locked his lips in against mine. A full make out session had my hormones come flooding in and my body temperature spiked. My inner core heating up as I felt an all too familiar tingle rise up between my legs. Finn pulled himself off me for a second and looked me dead in the eyes.

“We are going to win this war y/n. You will become champion. There will be absolutely no distractions in that ring, do you hear me!” His Irish accent purred across each syllable, even if he meant to be stern it just sounded beyond sexy to me. I nodded in response to his questions. 

“Good. Because no distractions works both ways and you being in this new gear well, it reminded me that I have been waiting to fuck you for far too long.” The other members of Judgment Day nodded in agreement, Rhea ran her tounge along her teeth, her tounge piercing clinking across each tooth. She turned to Damian who was smirking down at her. Dominik stood running his hand across a growing bulge in his tight black and white printed leggings and watched as Finn tugged at my black and pink leather strapped top, locking his lips back onto mine as he pushed me back onto the wall. His hand quick to prevent my head from hitting the wall before kneeling down and throwing my left leg over his shoulder, Finn began planting kisses up my inner thigh towards my panties, the heartbeat inside growing stronger with every inch he covered. 

I reached out and motioned a grabby hand towards Dominick who didn’t hesitate to race forward and takeover where Finns lips had been. Our tongue’s entwined in a deep desperation for each other as his hands began exploring over my chest, pulling down the front of my top to expose one of my breasts. Dom twisted and tugged at my nipple as Rhea came over to join, swiftly followed by Damian. 

She turned his hips, so his back was against the wall as Dom and I continued to kiss and Rhea pulled down on his pants, exposing his dick to the cold air. It bounced for a moment in its solid form but before it could react to the fresh air she began running her tounge along it and took it in its whole form to the back of her throat. Beginning to bob her head up and down Dominik’s knees became weak and Finn grabbed onto one of his thighs to support him, pressing him back against the wall. 

Finn tugged at my wrestling gear shorts, knowing full well time was not on our side to be able to fully undress. Instead, he tugged at the fabric pulling it to the side, exposing the mini black laced thong I had worn, hoping to finish off a championship winning night with a trip to our sex pit of a bedroom back home. 

Finns warm tounge moved its way up between my folds, the man clearly enjoying the fact I was already soaked down there as he began playing with my clit, his tounge reaching its peak before motioning backwards and repeating the movement over and over. My breath hitched in my throat as I broke the kiss off from Dominik, riding out the pleasure of my Irish lover between my thighs, desperate moans escaped my lips which only drove him to speed up. 

Damian reached out both his strong arms and positioned himself between me and Dominik, his strong legs fitting in the gap between Rhea & Finn who were both on their knees already, busy enjoying themselves. Lowering his black ripped jeans Damian took our hands and placed them on his dick as he leant back to the wall, exchanging make out sessions between myself and Dom as we both tugged, rubbed and fondled his cock together. Damian’s cock was something to behold, the sheer size and girth that man wielded made anyone’s insides turn to jelly. To this day I still say a prayer and thank the sex lords from above and below that I get to call him mine. 

It wasn’t long before the knot in between my stomach began to build, and my thighs began to shake as Finn bought me towards my climax. My grip on Damian loosening and Dom now taking over in full as Finn pinned both my wrists against the wall by my sides. His grip so tight on me small bruises had begun to form, but this only drove my inner sex goddess wild as she was dancing in the awash of my orgasm as Finn drove his fingers deep inside me, pounding three at a time with the inward curl that drove every inch of my body crazy, while his tounge punished my clit. 

“Oh shi..Oh sh..Finn, Finn, shh…shhii” My words were loud and broken as I took quick rapid deep breaths, riding out an all-time high that I had waited so long for it seemed like my body wasn’t quite ready for this flood of pure hormonal ecstasy. 

Rhea, Damian and Dominik all turned their heads to watch as I reached my orgasm, face fully flushed and legs trembling. Dominick followed quickly behind as my summit had driven Rhea to a desperation of her own and a few deep throated swallows later saw her lapping up the delicious cum shot Dom had gracefully given her. 

Finn was quick to drop my leg and rush to his feet, taking a fist full of my hair and dragging me over to the arm of the sofa. He threw me across and pulled at my hips raising my arse higher in the air for a better access point. He was quick to lower his wrestling gear leggings too as he didn’t hesitate to forcefully ram his rock-solid cock deep inside me, I was now wet enough he could easily bury himself. He began thrusting aggressively, pounding his cock deep inside of me as Damian ditched his hand job from Dominik, planting a final kiss on the boy’s lips and then moved to position himself in front of me, opening my mouth and easing in his cock to touch my tonsils. 

Surprisingly, something had clicked inside of Dom who had pulled Rhea up to her feet and had attempted to throw her over the foldup chair in the corner of the room, not far from where Finn and Damian were fucking me front to back. Rhea had smirked at his attempt and wagged her finger in his face before pulling him into a deep kiss and whispering in his ear, “Aye Papi, look at you being the dominant one.” She smirked and winked before finishing her sentence; “Beg me baby boy”. 

Dom grinned and got down on one knee, peppering her thigh with sweet intensive kisses as he began his pleas. Taking a handful of his hair she pulled the boy up to his feet and walked them both over, kicking the stool over and having Dom take a seat. Then Rhea placed one hand on Damian’s shoulder and had him remove his cock from my mouth before Rhea climbed on the sofa cushion in front of me and pulled me into a deep sensual kiss. Damian didn’t hesitate to lower Rheas black leather gear shorts and bury his cock inside of her. 

Dominick sat watching his four partners in front of him, his two girls being fucked intensely by his two dominant daddies. His dick was quick to harden up again as he reached a hand inside his crotch and palmed at himself, ever so loving the view. 

Between the four of us our moans and groans were loud, desperate and full of passion. They echoed throughout our clubhouse, through the hallways and out of the locker room. It was obvious to passersby what was going on, but no one dared comment. It had become common knowledge regarding the relationship between us all, whether people agreed or not, they were instinctively too afraid of Rhea, Damian and Finn to dare comment. 

 Both men now thrusting in unison, groaned deeply and reached out mirroring each other, taking a handful of their girl’s hair to arch our backs as they reached their penultimate high. A warm sensation filling our cores before releasing their grip on our hair and letting us go. A hard slap on my ass from Finn gave me the go ahead to stand up, Damian knew better with Rhea and stepped back allowing Mami to return to her feet on her own accord. 

“Fuck...” I said, turning my head and stretching out my back as I looked in the mirror to see my now full after sex appearance before noticing the clock which stated we had less than 5 minutes until we needed to be at gorilla. 

“Oh Fuck! Shit, look at me!” I stated trying not to laugh, Rhea was quick to grab my hand and pull me over to the dressing table stationed in the corner where she was fast in fixing my make-up, followed by her own. 

The boys all took a seat on the couch, fist bumping each other for a ‘job well done’ while we girls just laughed. 

Once Rhea had given me the all clear I stood up and began stretching out my arms and neck, readjusting my gear and doing all the final checks. 

“Hermosa, I would have thought Finn had stretched you out enough already, no?” Damian chuckled as Finn looked up and winked in my direction, biting his tounge. 

“Very funny…” I said, looking over to them as we all began to make our way out of the clubhouse. 

---------------

We briskly raced our way to Gorilla, as each member of the judgment day walked behind me, psyching up for the match ahead. One way or another, I would be walking out of WrestleMania as the new women’s world champion! They all believed in me, heck I believed in me, and I knew I could do this. 

But it was short lived as when we reached the backstage section with the rest of production team, everyone seemed to be looking over in hushed voices or concerned looks. 

Pushing past them all I followed behind Rhea and Damian, holding on tight to Dominik’s hand as Finn closed in behind us. Security were quick to cut us off as they blocked the entrance to the ramp. 

“What the hell? What’s going on?!” Damian was furious at their actions as he came face to face with one of the security guards, Rhea in a stand-off with the other. 

“I’ll tell you what’s going on…” Hunters voice boomed out from behind us as we all turned, Finn now leading our group as my grip on Dom’s hands became tighter with anxiety and he pulled me in close to his side. Behind him, lurked Liv Morgan who was wearing a devilish grin. 

“You four…” Hunter pointed to Rhea, Damian, Dominik and Finn, “are late, get to the ring now! The match is starting in less than one minute! Liv Morgan will be joining you; she will go 1-1 against Abby the Witch for the Women’s world championship”. 

“The Fuck man?!” Rhea shouted, pushing Dom, Myself and Finn out of the way. She stood head on from Hunter, the fire in her eyes burnt with fury. 

“The Hell she will!” Damian’s voice was loud as his voice filled the room. Finn stood staring down the boss in front of him. Triple H held up a hand in Rhea’s face, his persona calm and collected as he turned to face me, smiling. 

“And you y/w/n ...........” 

His words were blunt, cold and full of the authority he loved to push in everyone’s faces. 

...

...

...

“You're fired.” 

[siennasfix]

Pareidolia

Chapter 1 "Old Blood"

*****

Chapter 2>>>

Trigger warnings: child abuse, human experimentation, human sacrifice, starvation, child neglect, isolation, mentions of suicide, mentions of drowning, mentions of hanging

Clouds were a form of cruelty. Y/n truly believed that. What reason could there be for them to stubbornly mar the midnight sky, concealing the truth of what lay above, other than mere sadistic pleasure? What could possibly be the goal of such obscurity? The questions were of a rhetorical nature, of course. She already knew.

Just as she knew that it wasn’t their fault for existing. Other forces were at play. Forces that clamored in her ears like the sound of a battle cry as millions jumped headfirst into battle. The sound of over 90 thousand demigods and legacies applauding the night’s gladiator as she sauntered out of the underground tunnel and into the arena.

Aggression. Conviction. It was all written in the smirk she sported, in the way she encouraged the crowd to roar louder by raising her sword, in the way her features taunted the weaker crop of those that had divine blood running through their veins. She never failed to make a spectacle of what was, in fact, dutiful bloodshed. As a daughter of Bellona, Shin Ryujin never shied away from the duty of slaughtering monsters to appease the gods. It was an art form that legacies and demigods in particular spent their entire life perfecting. No shirking of obligations was allowed.

Y/n knew this. Ryujin knew this. There wasn’t a single person in the world of myths that didn’t. Everyone knew that once the doors to one of the cages belowground yawned open, the cheers would soon turn to bated breaths, cries of terror, and triumphant cheers as the gladiator fought the monster to the death.

A gladiator’s black uniform wasn’t honored if unbloodied. Soon, the built-in breastplate would be slashed or burned, if not pierced or torn. One or both pauldrons might have clattered to the ground. By the end of it, random integrated elements of her protective gear⸺ vambraces, cuisses, poleyns, and greaves⸺ could be scattered all over the arena.

Eventually, the cheer died down. Ryujin stood at the very center of the fighting ground, feet firmly planted in the dirt. She raised her armor and adjusted her grip on the double-pointed spear. Y/n could almost feel her glancing from one opening to the other, wondering out of which the monster would spring. There was no way to be certain. The Battle Creators were cunning, shrewd, and cruel in their designs.

A minute or two passes in hushed whispers. Many of the spectators were likely wondering whether there would be a fight at all. Some of the more impatient ones were already rising from their seats. Others, like Y/n, sat there as if entranced.

There was at first a low rumbling. It sounded as though it was being filtered through several layers of cement. Suddenly the air grew thick with the stench of sweat, fear, and anticipation. Then came the roar. The ground beneath their feet vibrated as if zapped with lightning. The ones who had planned on leaving stumbled back to their seats and waited. In the arena, Ryujin flinched, and out of the cage, the monster soared.

The Manticore wasted no time in diving down for the girl. But Ryujin wasn't there to be a mere figurine. She propelled herself out of the way once it was too close to change its course and slashed sideways. The beast roared in pain, sinking its claws into the ground. Dust clouded Ryujin’s and the audience’s view of its body. All they could perceive was its mammoth silhouette. Even that was thanks to the burning torches stationed all over the Colosseum.

Fighting a beast at night while the children of Aeolus and its Roman counterpart, Aiolos, did the most to have the clouds smothering moonlight, was no easy feat. Y/n was sure Ryujin was mostly relying on her sense of hearing and touch, feeling the vibrations under the soles of her feet.

Her suspicions were confirmed when the beast flapped its wings, blowing out their only light source. Only Y/n and her younger sister Luna might be able to see and hear the truth of the shadows. Ryujin followed the sound of the manticore’s footsteps as it circled her. Predator and prey. In a fight of this sort, no one was certain which was which. Could you call a beast out of its cage prey? Could you call a demigod a predator?

The Manticore sniffed the air and bared its fangs.

“Ah, the stench of godliness,” It spoke, stalking closer to Ryujin who retreated several steps back. “How you reek of servitude.”

One step forward. One step back for Ryujin. The Manticore ran its lengthy tongue across its pointed teeth.

“Should you slay me,” A low growl, “You shall remain a slave still.”

This time, Ryujin was the first to lunge. She sprinted towards the beast, spear and shield raised. Precisely then, the torches came alive, children of Hecate, Trivia, Hephaestus, and Vulcan having taken it upon themselves to restore the visibility of their surroundings. If you looked carefully, you could pinpoint the exact moment when Ryujin’s plans were foiled.

The Manticore didn’t sidestep. It neither flew as high as the electromagnetic and magic-infused barriers can allow nor leaped over her. And everyone knew it was futile to try and goad it into a defensive mode. This was no horse you could whip into submission, no emaciated child you could starve into servitude. This was an intelligent creature mistakenly taken for a mindless beast. It made Ryujin’s victory seem like a pipe dream.

Staring her down, the monster stood its ground, remaining unmoving as Ryujin thrust her spear forward. The manticore swatted her like a fly, sending her body flying. Many in the crowd gasped. Others yelled encouragements at her, demanding that she pull the heart out of its chest. The rest spoke amongst themselves, making bets and pondering the odds.

Ryujin leaped to her feet, paying no heed to the possible injuries. She had to have at least fractured her elbow. But the demigods healed quickly and this was, by far, not among the most fatal injuries. It was not uncommon for them to shatter ribs, have their guts spilling out, or run even as the bottoms of their feet melted in the scorching hot sand. These were to be expected. As was death.

Her shield had slipped from her grip during the attack. Only her javelin remained. That meant the remaining defense was to attack the beast and hope it didn’t sink its claws in her chest during the struggle. The monster and the girl walked in a circle, maintaining eye contact all the while. As seconds passed, the circle got smaller. Once they were within 10 feet of each other, both raised their weapons. Ryujin’s spear spun in her hand as the manticore raised its unsightly paw. The claws glinted in the flickering light of the torches.

Passing the spear from one hand to the other Ryujin slashed and slashed, all while trying to evade the manticore’s attacks. Just because she was the one doing the attacking, it didn’t mean she was the one in control. In fact, the monster seemed to almost be grinning at her puny effort. It didn’t see her as a threat at all. Ryujin appeared to catch on pretty quickly. Instead of letting the beast manipulate her into thinking she had him cornered, she allowed herself to step sideways.

She didn’t lessen the severity of her attacks, thrusting with all her might and as much rapid succession as she could. This way the manticore would believe she was still being deceived. She ducked as the manticore’s claws swished through the air like behemoth-sized blades. It snapped its jaws right as she saw the light from the torches glowing all brighter as she walked backward toward the wall. It seemed to think it had Ryujin trapped. And, despite her best efforts to outsmart the monster, she was.

It didn’t matter if she slashed at its neck. It didn’t matter that she tried to plunge the point of her spear into its chest. The manticore only needed to loom over her like a shadow of a being. “Foolish child believes herself a victor.” It growled sinisterly.

Scowling, Ryujin sends a gobble of spit flying at the monster’s maw. “Fuck off to Tartarus! I am a victor! I am the-

“Offspring of something that loves you even less than I do.”

No one wants to believe it. No one wants to believe that they can ever cower in terror. But what else can a girl of 19 do when the monster she thought she’d be toying with is toying with her instead? Y/n wonders if this is what food feels like when the other demigods and legacies play with it. She wonders if Ryujin foresees herself becoming the monster’s dinner. The look of horror on her face tells her she might be.

The manticore raises its right muscular foreleg and swipes at her only to find its paw pierced through by a double-edged sword. A normal person would be confounded by the turn of events. But even if this whole thing was normal, this sentient being was no human. It growled in pain but its pain did not register. Saliva trickled from its monstrous maw. Its eyes burned furiously. The shadows told Y/n all about it.

As a child of Bellona, Shin Ryujin possessed the ability of telumkinesis; control over a myriad of weapons. Children of Ares and Athena, as well as those of their Roman counterparts, could also wield such power. It was a blessing truly. Now more than ever.

Ryujin twisted the blade. When the manticore struck again, she dragged the blade across its paw before sliding down between its legs. She made to slash at them. The manticore beat its bat wings before she could do any damage and sent several of the spikes on its tail spearing in her direction. Having no shield to protect herself with, she ran as the spikes stabbed into the ground one after the other. Before the audience could marvel at her agility, the weapon in her grip transformed into a chakram. It arched up into the air toward the monster. The manticore swooped down instead and Ryujin took off to the left, taking hold of the chakram as it came back down in a curved motion. The Manticore was not far behind. Ryujin stepped out of the way before its jaws snapped shut and she was lying there lifeless.

This time she didn’t see the attack coming. Some of the spikes on its tail carved deep gashes across her collarbone and arm as she tried to put some distance between them. Ryujin cried out in pain and faltered. But one look at the crowd, at their watchful, judgmental gaze, and she knew she wasn’t allowed to lick her wounds in the arena.

She had planned on altering the chakram into a spear to pierce right through the monster’s thick skin. Change of plans.

Once the beast turned to face her once more, its ghastly orifice agape, she separated the chakram and molded it into two daggers, each the size of her forearms. Swiftly, she plunged the blades into its feline eyes. The monster roared in agony for everyone to hear. It tried to shake her off but she refused to relent. The spectators rose to their feet, pumping their fists into the air as Ryujin pulled herself up by the two blades, landing right on the manticore’s back. She ruthlessly dragged the daggers through its skull. The monster’s anguish heightened as she split it open. Then she started to scoop up the contents of its head, blackened blood and unearthly matter that only slightly resembled the human brain. The liquified substance dripped down her hands as she hurled fistful after fistful of it to the mud below with a dull thud. The manticore gave a last desperate bellow and knelt. Its surrender became obvious to everyone as it fell limp on its side.

Ryujin yanked out the blades and dismounted. But her duty was far from finished. The spectators had demanded she pull the heart out of its chest. And that’s just what she did. Shin Ryujin was a gladiator and a victor. She never looked the part more than she did then; a monster’s heart in her grasp, bleeding gashes on her body, matted hair on her cheeks. Her weapon was a spear once again and it stood proudly in her grasp, one tip nailed to the ground.

The crowd roared and she stood there, crying out in triumph.

It was amazing, Y/n mused, how fast the world could pretend to have moved on from the mystery murder of the closest thing to a god. As she mulled the last part over and over again, Y/n couldn’t decide if it was the manticore she was thinking of or Juliana Pierce, daughter of Victoria.

******************************************************************************************

Never a dull moment at Olympia University. There was always some clownery to behold at the front steps; a noisy quarrel, laughable theatrics, failed confessions, foolish but clever pranks, et cetera. If you tried, you could probably assign a demigod to each of the aforementioned events. For instance, the boy who handed another boy a bag of chips as a gesture of kindness was a son of Hermes, if the repulsed screaming that followed was anything to go by. He howled with laughter as the victim chased him down the steps and around the fountain built into the expansive yard. Next to the front door, a monstrosity of Celestial Bronze, a buff boy trapped another in a chokehold. Son of Ares and Bacchus respectively. Next to them stood Ryujin, cheering on the ‘assailant’.

You might say it was all a merry affair. And it goes without saying that none of it involves Y/n. She could observe but never make herself welcome. She could study but never make it apparent that she was doing it. She was allowed to be the reason they ate plenty as long as she never made her existence known or felt. It was a rather isolated reality. She owed it all to her godly parent, whoever they were. Her fingers curled around the spine of her book as she crossed the schoolyard. Eye contact proved easier once you erased it from your dictionary. She couldn’t remember the last time she held someone’s gaze for longer than two seconds. Luna was the only exception but, being Y/n’s younger sister by 11 years, she didn’t really count.

The moment she thought of Luna, that’s where her thoughts remained. This morning the nine-year-old wasn’t that chipper about going to class. Actually, she’d begged Y/n to stay in bed, saying it was too cold outside, that her skin prickled and the light streaming in from the open windows was too bright. It hurt her eyes. Not knowing what to do, Y/n had given her one of her thick padded jackets which had been rotting in their shared closet for the past three years.

“See?” She’d told Luna as she zipped it up to the neck. “It’s dark green. Like the forest.”

Luna hadn’t looked too happy about it, pouting as she complained, “Everyone is going to make fun of me.”

Y/n had frowned.

“Why?” She’d asked, sitting at the foot of Luna’s bed.

“Because it’s spring!” The little girl had stomped her foot, hands bunched into fists. “Nobody wears this in spring! Only weird kids do!”

They had both been running late at that point and Y/n had wanted nothing more than to yell at her sister. Tell her to shut up and deal with it, and that they couldn’t afford to skip lessons. It would just make them even more of a target. But there her sister had been, eyes of the darkest brown squeezed shut as she stood her ground. It’s not even that cold, Y/n had sighed internally.

As the older sister, she had tried to reason, “But don’t you want to be warm?”

“I want to stay home.”

“Luna,” Y/n had groaned in exasperation, flopping backward on the covers. “Please, I haven’t slept at all and we’re both late.”

With that, Y/n had dragged her ass and Luna’s out of the cramped apartment and dropped her off her at the primary school on Camp Jupiter. It was a 1-hour walk from their living quarters to the front gate of the Academy for younger kids, a building the monstrous size of which was only rivaled by that of the Colosseum and the University. Only a 20-minute walk from there and up north to the University. But it felt like she’d been sprinting for miles.

The Government spared no expenses where the education sector was concerned, providing only the most updated data on any and every field of study as well as equipment for the harnessing of the demigods and legacies’ physical skills. A system had been put into place that allowed for experimentation in terms of how well supernatural abilities could work in tandem with physical skills and prowess, and children were not exempt from it. In fact, it was made clear on their first day on camp that the training would be a grueling one and that their duty was to endure it without a word of complaint. But like everything else, this was provided for them under several conditions. Unlike the other progeny of the divine, Y/n and Luna were forbidden from accessing certain texts and documents. They were never granted permission to leave the camp and had been warned that if that were the case, neither would be spared from the dungeons of torment. Meals were provided for them but they preferred to have them alone. At least, Y/n tried to convince herself that was the case.

The topic of food was one she hadn’t told Luna about even if she eventually would have to. It was a subject as tender as the flesh from which her blood was drawn, darker than the deep violet bruises littering her skin from shoulder to wrist. It had been some time since she’d last seen the natural hue of the inner part of her arms. For years, her blood had been used as an offering to the Pantheon. What better insult to the primordial entities than bleeding its offspring dry?

By law, everyone was supposed to offer exactly three drops of blood at the temple each morning but, every time a child of the Titans or some other entity that preceded the Gods of Olympus in age was born, the Pantheon would hunt them down and drag them to one of the camps. There, they became the Vetus Sanguis, palió aíma in Greek, or ‘blood piggy’ as campers liked to call them. Before Y/n, it had been more than a century since the birth of a child of an Old God. There had never been that many of them around, to begin with. And even when there were morsels of them for others to feed on, those reserves soon ran drier than a scorching desert. Bot metaphorically and literally.

Vetus Sanguis, Old Bloods, always found a way to escape. If captured, they resorted to committing suicide; hanging, drowning, setting themselves on fire, slitting their wrists in the dead of night, ingesting highly active substances that liquified their insides, and so on. Bottom line⸺ they got creative. Over time, the respective caretakers of Camp Half-Blood and Jupiter had learned to identify the symptoms of a defective blood piggy and taken the necessary precautions. Chiron had told her this one night, in that fatherly way of his, after he’d caught her sobbing in her confinement. To his credit, he had always stayed up late to read her bedtime stories, after which he’d rub her head and leave. The lock on the door always turned.

As she passed through the front door of Olympia University, Y/n could only be thankful for the long sleeves of her midnight blue zip-up hoodie seeing as it was the only thing shielding her arms from scrutiny. She could have worn her uniform jacket⸺ it kept her warmer after all. But to quote Luna, only weird kids wore those at Olympia. It wasn’t obligatory for the students to present themselves clad in formal attire so they didn’t, save for ceremonial events. They were no longer in service to the One Legion Alliance or the Senate as they had once been. Now, they were adults who serviced New Rome and the world at large. To keep them contained, the higher-ups allowed them some freedom of choice. It was taken from them one way or another. Nothing ever evened out.

She passed by countless students on her way to the lab, where blood would be drawn from her vessels. Y/n tried her hardest not to look back, it would make the current so much stronger. It would only embitter her. It always did because she always looked back. She was never strong enough not to glance at the stream of students. She wasn’t strong now either.

At the lab, a nurse she hadn’t seen before made the preparations necessary and sat by her side as the blood left her body through the transparent tube. This nurse was much gentler than the other one, who always pierced the flesh a little too hard, gripping her wrist a little too tight. It was the first time in a while that her arm hadn’t throbbed during the process. That morning, at 7:40, Y/n could move her arm without wincing. Lightheadedness was still there and she had to stop outside the lab for a few minutes. As she sat on one of the benches, the blood collector entered the lab with a box of celestial bronze in his hands and came out just the same. This time, the box wasn’t empty.

Y/n took deep breaths as she walked to her first lecture. At 8:03, it was already too late to have breakfast. The dining hall was sure to be bustling with students, some still drowsy while others screeched. No table would be empty enough for her to eat her meal without the weight of their condemnatory gaze on her.

She was late for everything today; waking up, taking her sister to school, and for the offering. If she kept this up, the principal would likely duck points from her record, which was neither entirely clean nor too grim to behold. But she couldn’t afford further fuckups. Once Y/n got her degree, she would have to get a decent-paying job⸺ hopefully in the field of astronomy, but that dream was far-fetched⸺ in New Rome after University so she could be taken seriously and afford a living that neither she nor Luna found shameful. Especially Luna.

Luckily for her, the lecture had yet to commence. The hall being on the second floor of the northern wing of the palace-like edifice, made it so the walk from the dining hall to where she was currently sitting took about 15 minutes longer than the one from the lab. It made sense as it was on the other side of the campus. Having been bored one morning, Y/n had spent her spare time doing the math. Then, bored once again, she’d found herself studying the cream coloring of the walls, the bronze lining on the columns, the gilded embroidery of the burgundy velvet curtains, as well as the fresco on the ceiling.

Right now, the only students present in the lecture hall were the children of Athena and Minerva. Three of them, two girls and a boy, were clustered in two of the desks on the front row, whispering amongst themselves about the gods knew what. Probably their latest architectural designs or documentary. The fourth sat separate from them and right next to her. It had been his self-assigned seat from the beginning of this academic year.

Kim Seungmin, a son of Athena, presently seated on their shared mahogany bench, was her desk mate and only spoke with her if absolutely necessary. Meaning, his evaluation would have to be on the line. One time, he’d turned to her and asked if she had a pen to spare, and when she’d handed her only pen to him, he’d thanked her and immediately returned to his notes. That had marked the end of their first conversation. After that, they only spoke if paired on an assignment⸺ even then, in fragments. He didn’t seem like the type to enjoy meaningless conversation in general. At times, he quite reminded her of an owl; diligent, studious, and cuttingly critical.

The imagery was painted to completion by his manner of dress. His wardrobe, though of significantly higher quality than Y/n’s, appeared to consist mainly of loose linen dress shirts, wool sweaters, plain slacks, and vests of the same material as the sweaters, most of which were in neutral to earthly colors.

Y/n tried to relax in her seat and lifted her eyes. The lecture hall’s vaulted ceiling echoed sounds to perfection. If one were to start singing, it would sound like if you belted out notes in an empty church like people in the movies did. So, when the students trickled in, their voices were the first indication that the room was coming alive. They poured in, and with that came the sense of being watched, as if from a distance.

Not five minutes later, Liliana Orlova, daughter of Venus and Professor of Hematology took her place at the podium. Like that, the lecture hall went silent and she started taking absences. The speed at which she spoke Y/n’s name was astounding, truly. The woman moved on to the next student before Y/n could even open her mouth to let her know she was present.

Once the roll call was done and every student had opened their textbooks, Professor Orlova got on with the lecture. Last time they had stopped at “Molecular Hematopathology”, a 53-page chapter that had, curiously enough, not bored her into jumping off the balcony at 3 AM. The theoretical analysis was to be wrapped up by the end of today’s lecture and on Friday they had to put the knowledge into practice. Some liked it. Some didn’t. Everyone, however, found the schedule unfortunate. They had this evening and the 3 days in between to get through the class material; not slow enough a pace for most to learn comfortably. Even having gobbled up the information on the pages, Y/n had to agree with the shared plight of the collective.

The room had become too cold for her liking. She felt goosebumps rise on her skin despite the thick, black shirt underneath. Y/n pulled the zipper of her hoodie up to her neck. In a few minutes, the cold had gradually spread to her extremities, freezing her hands and feet to the extent that she had trouble moving her toes inside her scruffy, white sneakers or jotting down notes from the lecture. Not that she could write anything down anyway. Without her noticing, Professor Orlova’s voice had become background noise as Y/n rubbed her palms against her baggy jeans. She could feel the soft flesh burn, but none of the warmth. Soon her vision blurred to the point where the words swam across the page and the entire lecture hall appeared to tilt.

“You’re looking pale.”

Her desk partner’s voice, though startling, was always welcome as it was a rare thing to behold. But at that moment Y/n wished he hadn’t looked her way. She wished he hadn’t witnessed her present state.

She looked down at her book, trying to act as if she was reading.

“And you’re shaking.” He added.

“Yeah, sorry.” She didn’t mean to sound so snappy, especially feeling that drained. But the familiar feeling of folding in on herself always rose from within whenever she felt threatened, humiliated, or flat-out sad. And right now, she was ashamed to be seen in such a state. Trying to fix it, she looks at him and says, “I mean, yeah, I am.”

Kim Seungmin seems to be peering at her through his thin, round-framed spectacles, his gaze dull. “You didn’t have breakfast, did you?”

On her thighs, her hands come to a halt.

“How did you know that?” She asked in a low voice.

“I didn’t either.” He answered, glancing ahead for a second before adding. “And you were here earlier than me. You should take your pill at the very least. They give you 31 each month, don’t they?”

“How do you know so much?” But what she really wanted to ask is ‘why’. “This information isn’t for public record.”

“Really?”

“That’s what they told me.”

“Just because you have no friends doesn’t mean your life isn’t public.” He looked at her as if all of this was common sense. “Everyone knows. So, take the pill and focus.”

“It’s not that-

“L/n.”

Y/n all but jolted. When she looked forward, she was met with the disapproving stare of Professor Orlova. It was as if the woman could penetrate the deepest layers of her skin, capable of finding fault with every fiber of her being. It was not the first time. Every lecture with her was followed by an aftermath of crippling self-assessment.

“Yes, Professor?”

Her delicate features morphed into a scowl but only for a short moment. Then, a sickly-sweet smile took over as she leaned forward with her palms planted on the lectern made out of cherry wood. “It must have been of great interest to you,” She said, “To be interrupting the lecture.”

Y/n swallowed a thick lump in her throat. There was no other way to react with how hypervigilant all eyes that were on her made her. At least Seungmin kept staring down at his open book, pretending to flip through the pages slowly.

“Apologies, Professor,” Y/n tried to keep her voice from sounding like a crow’s, “It wasn’t.”

The woman’s lips twitched.

“Still, I believe we would all like to hear it.” She goaded and turned to the other students as if to urge them to join in. “Wouldn’t we?”

There were a few nods, some firm affirmations, but for the most part, the hall was enveloped in silence. How the hell was Y/n supposed to break it with a convincing enough answer that would get Professor Orlova to let this slide? Why did everyone have to know? It didn’t concern them in the least. She was sure none of them, save for the ones seated closest to them, had managed to catch onto anything.

Y/n looked everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Her glances were furtive at best. But in the short time she swept her eyes across the hall a few faces registered. She caught sight of two guys whispering amongst themselves as they stared at her. She knew them both to be sons of Apollo. The one doing the talking was the one seated closest to the column. From what she could see, he was dressed in a sleeveless black t-shirt. His caramel brown hair had a slight perm to it and a silver earring glinted from his right ear. The more he talked the more his features resembled those of a hamster. By contrast, his desk partner, a boy with bleached blonde hair and plump lips in the shape of a heart, clad in a plain white shirt and washed-out jeans, just listened. If Y/n had looked a little longer, she might have noticed the pity in his gaze.

Near the center of the lecture hall, another boy her age stared. His gaze wasn’t nearly as empathetic though. All she allowed herself to discern before she slid her gaze elsewhere was the sleek black hair flowing down to his shoulders and the full, defined lips.

Next to her, Seungmin stirred. Y/n gaped at him in shock.

“Professor,” He started, “We-

“Not you, Mr. Kim. Her.” She bit out, emphasizing the last part as she pointed in Y/n’s direction. “I wish to hear it from her.”

If she’d felt cold before, it was nothing compared to the glacier plunging into the pit of her belly. Being put on the spot was never something to look forward to, especially for her or Luna. Nothing good ever came of being in the spotlight. Y/n swore she was going to freeze before she managed to get a word out, no matter how long or how hard Seungmin kicked her shin under the desk.

Meeting Professor Orlova’s jeering gaze, she braced herself.

“I wasn’t- there’s nothing to tell.” Her voice sounded at once dead and panicked. The twitch of Professor Orlova’s eye told Y/n that she wasn’t convinced. That she wished to hear more come out of her mouth. “Truly, Professor, it was nothing. Again, I really am sorry for the disruption and I promise not to do it aga-

“You’re looking quite pale, Ms. L/n.”

The sentence was like a punch to the fucking gut. It served as a reminder of where she stood in comparison to her peers. The absence of worth and one sole use. The only part of her that remained visible at the end of the day was the one they couldn’t see, the part that kept them fed. In their eyes, she was merely a tube made of flesh.

From the corner of her eye, she could spy Seungmin shooting a glance at her clenched fists. He shook his head.

“My appearance,” Y/n bit out and trembled with exhaustion, from the cold, and the strength it took not to scream, “Is none of your business.”

Some students gasped behind the hands clasped over their mouths. A few snickers here and there. Seungmin shook his head again, exasperated by the whole thing. But most of all, she felt the colossal weight of the opinion of the collective. Never before had she talked back to a professor, choosing to stare at them until they eventually demerited her, issued a warning, or gave her some sort of punitive task to complete. They likely thought her audacious, a pathetic thing who should have learned her place by now.

Professor Orlova's piercing mint-green eyes twitched. A sandy-brown strand of hair escaped her tight, previously immaculate bun.

“Respect!” She slammed both hands on the lectern, causing the students in the lecture hall to turn their attention to her. Then, in a calmer tone, she continued, “I am your professor, your superior, and you will show me respect.”

“We’re both in bad luck then because my parents never taught me any,” Y/n said slowly, “They weren’t around you see.”

It was no secret that demigods rarely interacted with their godly parents. Over the years, a few had even become estranged from their mortal guardians. But it was different with Old Bloods. No matter their achievements, they were never claimed, or if they had been at one point in history, such was no longer the case. Being acknowledged by the Old Gods only put a target on their back. It meant they were accepted in some form so those around would do anything to prevent them from reveling in it. Y/n had always thought that was such bullshit.

Luna was a daughter of Nyx because she’d once curled into a ball at the corner of her room during a thunderstorm. Nobody had been able to detect her. Trying to escape the terror of lighting, how it made ghouls out of branches, she’d become one with the shadows as if seeking comfort in the closest manifestation to her mother. All of this had happened prior to meeting Y/n, who, unlike Luna, had been told her case was different.

This time, Orlova straightened and regarded her with a cold smile.

“Out of this hall, at once.” She pronounced each word clearly, for all to hear. “Go to the Principal’s office.”

Y/n packed her backpack and left without a word, despite the lump in her throat and the dread leisurely settling in her chest. Luna had been right; it was just so fucking cold today.

******************************************************************************************

The walk to Principal Jiang’s office took about 10 minutes. On the way there she saw a few students smoking pot under stairwells as some of their friends dozed off with their backs to the wall, sitting on the benches along the corridor, students with their noses in books, boys and girls with tears in their eyes as they tried not to get caught howling with laughter. She tried her best to delay the inevitable but her feet, spurred on by humiliation and the desire to put as much distance between her and the lecture hall as possible, were marching across the campus to the personnel building. It was adjacent to the kitchens and the cafeteria, and it made meals much more accessible for the academic staff. If the lecturers ever missed a meal, it was deliberate.

The interior was impressive, to say the least, with marble stairs of cream coloring much like the walls if not a tad darker, and coffee brown handrail to match. On the walls, sconces were installed, and there hung paintings depicting battles, triumphs, slaying of monsters, defeats, revels, and grief. What always struck her (it wasn’t her first time walking up these stairs) was the depiction of the Pantheon as glorious guardians of humanity. It left a bitter taste in her mouth. Was it really how the rest perceived them? Were they really so loved, so revered? Would they look kindly upon her and Luna if she did as everyone did if she saw them as protectors as opposed to predators?

Before her tendency to overthink could take over, Y/n found herself on the third floor of the building. She walked up to the door to Principal Jiang’s office and knocked in hopes that he had taken leave. She should have known better, because, of course, Albert Jiang, ever the punctual man, would be past that door. It wasn’t nearly close to being 4 PM. The class was still in session and after that, a training that ended with some students pressing ice packs to their wounds and nurses administering vials of ambrosia.

“Come in,” She heard the man say in a brittle voice. Y/n turned the knob and walked in. Upon seeing it was her, the old man straightened in his seat and clasped his wrinkly hands on the table before him. “It is you again. Sit. What are you to claim culpability for today?”

The thing about Principal Jiang, son of Pluto, was that he didn’t seem to loathe the sight of her more than he found some of the reasons she was sent to his quarters downright preposterous. A waste of time as he often called it. Many of these offenses consisted of accidentally dropping her ratty pencil case (there was only a pencil, an eraser, and a pen inside so it couldn’t have been that disruptive), laughing when she found another student’s joke too funny to suppress her mirth, and failing to answer a question right because she was too anxious to breathe properly.

Today, she’d been sent here because she’d run her mouth. Knowing he would eventually hear Professor Orlova’s version of the story, Y/n decided to share hers in advance. For a man of 73, who had to have more pressing matters to attend to, Principal Jiang, hands still clasped on the table, listened to her story from start to finish without interrupting her a single time. In a way, she was fortunate to be living at a time when he was in charge.

Near the end, Y/n felt like bursting out laughing when he shook his head and the morning sunlight pouring in from the open mullioned window started tap-dancing on the rock-hard surface of his gelled, swept-back silver hair. Restraint, she told herself. Practice restraint. Because truly, out of all her educators, Principal Jiang was the only one who had never insulted her, which was ironic considering that he wielded more influence than those who had. It would matter very little if the man before her were to change out of his velvet cloak, which was the deepest hue of purple she had ever seen, and into a pair of polka-dot overalls. Having the blood of Hades running through his veins, the old man before her was ruled by the planet of riches, power, and transformation⸺ if one spoke the language of the cosmos.

“Your response, though irreverent, was not unwarranted.” Principal Jiang states after a prolonged silence, during which he caressed his silver bear which ended in a sharp point just an inch below his chin. His serious black eyes look up at her. “However, if I were to let your attitude go unpunished, such leniency on my part would arouse suspicion. That cannot come to pass. Both your place and my position as Principal of Olympia would be viewed with more scrutiny than you can possibly fathom, child.”

With the fear returns the cold, and she rubs her palms over her jeans. “Will I receive another demerit?”

“Perhaps not a demerit,” He says in that brittle, old voice of his, “But a task to allow Professor Orlova to revel in the illusion of having forced a punitive measure upon you.”

Well, that was significantly better than earning yourself a demerit. But the fact remained that her record would be littered with punishments and misdemeanors, one after the other.

“And my record?” She swallowed. “Will I be able to get a decent-paying job if I get in any more trouble?”

Principal Jiang’s pensive expression and the silence conveyed that he was at least considering her words and not just waving them off.

“That remains to be seen.” He told her.

Y/n bit her tongue, curbing her pleas for help. His answer would have to suffice for now.

“It seems proper that I let you know,” His voice, though just as brittle as before, is now nuanced with sympathy, “That if everything were up to me, I would not allow for this. What was decreed by the Gods centuries before you were born, holds value to this day. It may not be what we wish for, but the truth of it remains. They govern us because we remember they exist, and they exist because they never let us forget. That is why the Statute of Realms remains; so that neither can live without the other.”

For a minute or two afterward, Y/n stared at the old man before her, dissecting his words in her mind. Sometimes she wondered whether old people talked just to talk. But that couldn’t be the case with the old man before her. On numerous occasions, namely, her being sent to his office or festivities, he would listen while others rambled away. Whenever he spoke it was always with a purpose and held meaning.

Taking the silence and the way he turned his gaze to the stack of papers on his desk as a dismissal, Y/n stood from the chair.

“Have a good day, Principal Jiang.”

As she left the building, Y/n had another thing to ponder such as why the picture of Juliana Pierce was on Principal Jiang’s desk, stapled to one of the documents in front of him, and why there had been no updates since she’d been pronounced dead.

******************************************************************************************

Classes ended much the way that they began; her limbs freezing despite the faultless heating system, trying to take notes but never managing to follow the lectures for longer than five minutes, dizziness, fatigue, and an immobilizing sense of paranoia. This motley of symptoms was not news in any way. Years ago, she must have been no older than ten, Y/n had been diagnosed with anemia. It was to be expected, they had said as they drew blood from her one morning, it is only normal. So, for the longest time, she’d felt as if the gentlest current could sweep her away if she were to dive into the river⸺ she wasn’t the most athletically inclined. And honestly? She would let herself be carried.

Needless to say, Y/n didn’t bother returning to the lecture hall after leaving Principal Jiang’s office. There would have been no point in doing so. What little she knew of Liliana Orlova was enough to keep her from trying, and she had no energy to waste on lost causes. No, she’d sat on one of the benches in the corridor and waited for the next class, Advanced Radio Astronomy, to start.

At lunch, from 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m., Y/n didn’t bother to occupy her usual spot. Staying in one place was a crime against her body when it came to the cold, but so was moving too much. So, she had to alternate between pacing and sitting, something she couldn’t do in the presence of other people. Not when she’d been kicked out of class three hours or so before that. There would be no end to the rumors. She didn’t want to hear any of it. That’s why she’d grabbed a chocolate bar from the ‘candy store’ and an apple from the fruits section, and left right after. As much as she craved a warm bowl of soup and the soft bread fresh out of the oven, Y/n knew her breathing would turn into wheezing once the jeering began.

There was only one more class after, Celestial Mechanics, which, along with Advanced Radio Astronomy, was mandatory to get a degree in Astrophysics, and around 02:30 PM it was time for her to head to the Training Center.

Now, this building was special in that it was positioned somewhat separate from the main ones on campus and resembled a box with three separate compartments. Calling it spacious would be a severe understatement considering that each ‘compartment’ stood at 20 meters in height with an area of around 10000 square meters. These parameters made the building nothing short of enormous. In every remaining aspect, it was identical to the others with its cream coloring, the vaulted ceiling, the columns near the walls that provided support, and the frescoes above.

Impeccably organized was another way to describe the building. Not all three compartments were of the same layout, but they did have a few elements in common. For example, the mats for wrestling were laid out on the left and the archery unit stood farthest from the entrance, bows, and quivers arranged neatly on shelves just outside the shooting area and range. The first floor of Compartment A (Alpha) focused mainly on hand-to-hand combat (that was meant literally) while the second was furnished with nets and ropes for climbing, acrobatics, and gymnastics. The three floors of Compartment B (Beta) dealt more with blades; swords, knives, daggers, axes, polearms, spears, scythes, and so on. Compartment C (Gamma) consisted of three floors, each with various simulation chambers that one could customize for combat.

Y/n spent much of her time admiring the architecture, weaving the wildest of stories, and observing the other students as they trained with weapons and sculpted their bodies. Sometimes she even took the opportunity to start early on her reading. What else was she to do when she was barred from participating? Well, not exactly. From her first day on Camp Jupiter, after they’d let her scrub the dirt, blood, and gore off of her, it had been made plain to her that her priority was to provide them with her blood. It didn’t matter if she was weak and couldn’t train, leaving her in possession of no skills whatsoever. She was an Old Blood before she was a warrior.

Keeping all of the above in mind, it became obvious then that training was out of the question. Especially on days when she could barely stand or even sit. In all honesty, there was nothing she wanted to do more than sleep. Right there. On the bench. Hugging her knees as she lay on her side.

So, what reason could Professor Hinsen, son of Mars and one of the Overseers, have to be telling her to join the training? It wasn’t like him at all. She knew that for certain not because she was his favorite student but because the last time that she’d asked him to train her he’d basically told her to shut her mouth and fuck right off. Him being a tall, rugged man in his forties, with deep taupe brown hair cropped close to his scalp and a scar running along the length of his bulging neck, had certainly discouraged her from approaching him after that.

Yet, there she was, sitting on the bench with her legs crossed and her Hematology book nestled between them.

“What?” This was her first question to him since that day. “But why?”

One of the veins on his neck became visible as he grunted, “Just get up and do as you’re told.”

Y/n didn’t need to be told twice. Closing her book, she rose from her comfortable seat and dusted off her faded black sweatpants, the closest thing she could afford to the actual training uniform. As she stood there, looking anywhere but the man next to her, she was overcome with the urge to ask.

“Are you going to instruct me?” Y/n hoped her voice sounded steady. Professor Hinsen barked out a laugh as if the mere notion of it was absurd. Y/n frowned, and before she could inquire further as to what she was supposed to do, a figure manifested at the edge of her vision. A man of average height, though still towering over her, with tawny brown skin and hair at least five shades darker that curled just an inch past his ears, slowly made his way toward the benches. It wasn’t that she didn’t know who he was. They had simply never been in each other’s presence before as he didn’t teach any of the courses she took.

“I will.” He stated, and for a moment Y/n had forgotten her previous question entirely. The man held out his hand for her to shake. “Khalil Hajjar, son of Minerva, Professor of Tactical Operations and Military History.”

I know who you are, Y/n wanted to say as she shook his hand. Although, upon meeting his analytical gaze, she suspected he knew. He released her hand.

Not wasting any time, Professor Hajjar asked, “Do you have any skills? Griffith, that’s enough.”

The other man, who had started to laugh at the presumption that she would be skilled at anything, only roared with laughter at his colleague’s reproach. What was he? Five? Was he that overjoyed to know that she was the least capable in the room? Professor Hajjar paid him no mind, and Y/n decided to follow his example.

“Not really.” She answered honestly.

Hajjar stared at her. “If you didn’t, then you wouldn’t be in this camp to begin with.”

“I’m not here because I’m good at something.”

He almost seems startled at her instantaneous answer. I’m here because I’m good for one thing, she wanted to correct him.

Chest rumbling with laughter, the five-year-old man patted Hajjar on the shoulder. “This one is all yours.”

Once Hinsen had disappeared down the corridor leading to Compartment B, Hajjar focused his critical gaze on her. It felt as though she was being probed on all fronts.

“Do you truly believe you’re not skilled at anything?” He asks her.

Ashamed but accepting of this aspect of reality, Y/n replies, “Yeah, I do.”

She didn’t know how long he kept studying her. What she could tell, however, from his impassive expression was that he didn’t take her words at face value. Hajjar neither distrusted nor swore by her account completely, which Y/n would have usually thought a wise thing to do. But at that moment, as they stood facing each other in that large room filled with individuals far more accomplished than her, she would have preferred for him to take her word for it. Better than anyone else, Y/n knew the depth of her incompetence.

“Follow me,” Hajjar tells her, and she does.

While on their way to their unknown destination, she takes the time to take stock of her surroundings. On one of the mats to the right, a girl with flaming red hair had pinned another boy to the ground and had a knee pressed to his back. A second later, the roles were flipped. He made as if to bang the back of his head with her face, a decoy of a move. In reality, he hooked both of his legs around her neck, caging her in. The move required extreme flexibility and core strength, but it was worth it in the end. The girl released the hands that pinned his arms against his back. She clawed at his calves but he yanked her backwards only to release her at the last moment. Before she could rise to her feet, the boy pulled himself up just so he could press his knee at her throat.

On another mat to the left, two girls battled with one another with their arms tied behind their backs. The taller girl sent a kick flying and the other ducked, swiping her leg across the floor. The bigger girl fell down with a thud. Still to the left, on the next mat over, two boys were going at it in full swing. They pulled no punches even as their knuckles bled. Neither was willing to yield. Entranced by the people training on the mats, Y/n almost bumped into Hajjar’s back when he halted.

“Stay here.” He told her without looking. “I’ll be back.”

And stay there she did. While walking, she could at least pretend that she was just passing by, that she wasn’t trying to observe. But standing there, rooted in place, analyzing other students’ matches felt odd. It wasn’t until she truly looked around her that Y/n realized why that was. Never before had she stood in the middle of the room. Always on the bench, barred from training, she’d always been outside looking in. From here, she could smell the sweat, could hear their labored breathing, could sense the exertion it took to be that good. It almost felt as if all that time she’d spent observing from the bench, she had been doing so with one eye closed. It made her want to run.

The students surrounding her, both younger and older than she was, clad in their black and gray skintight training uniforms were far more intimidating from up close. Though she attended classes with them regularly, it was only then that she understood the disparity between them and her. It started from the basics, the uniform, and up to their abilities. She missed her bench.

In an attempt to shake off the tension wound around her muscles; Y/n searched the compartment for Professor Hajjar. She found him speaking with a boy three mats ahead to the right. They seemed to be discussing something, and she could hear none of it from where she stood. It didn’t help that the pair wrestling on the mat closest to her to the left decided to end their match with a triumphant cry. Despite being unable to hear, she could see the way a trio of boys looked at her. Two of them, the tallest of the bunch stood on the mat but weren’t sparring. It didn’t seem like they had any plans of the sort either. No, they regarded their friend and Professor Hajjar with curious eyes and whispered among themselves, glancing at her from time to time. It wasn’t those two that worried her, though they certainly carried an intimidating air. No, it was the third person standing just outside the outer margins of the mat. With his sleek black hair that went just a bit past his shoulder, those defined features, and that flawless posture, he could have been a god. Without a doubt, he was the closest thing to it. The problem was that he was staring right at her.

Y/n looked away at once. She wasn’t a dimwit. Nor was she inclined to forget. That was the same boy she’d caught staring at her during the Hematology lecture. She didn’t remember ever having been in such close proximity to him. It had cold sweat pooling on her forehead. Her hands had become clammy from the nerves. The more violently she tried to wipe it off on her sweatpants, the more anxious she became. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to bolt for the exit. So distraught was she that she didn’t notice Professor Hajjar walking over with the boy in tow.

“Y/n, this is Lee Minho, son of Hermes.” He introduced them while the boy stood there looking at her with a blank expression. “He’ll be your sparring partner throughout today’s training session.”

The boy, Minho steps closer. “Hey.”

Not knowing what to say to him, Y/n chose to speak with Professor Hajjar instead. What did he mean by ‘sparring partner’? Did he truly intend to have them go against each other? Had he not heard what she said back by the benches?

“I just told you I-

“Have no skills. I know. I heard you.” Hajjar repeated, and though he was not rolling his eyes, Y/n could feel it. Maybe it’s the way he’s standing there, utterly confident that this is the right thing to do and she’s the short-sighted little fool who couldn’t see it. “But I need to see it for myself so I can decide how to proceed from here on out.”

He lifted a finger and Minho stepped onto the mat. Though begrudgingly, Y/n does follow suit, taking off her shoes before she does.

“Oh, and Minho,” She heard Professor Hajjar say behind her, “Try not to break her bones.”

They stood at a distance of around 3 meters, and now that they were both facing each other on the mat, Y/n took note of his appearance; coffee brown hair and eyes to match, pronounced upper lip, and a high nose bridge. He wasn’t tall, per se, but that didn’t mean much in a fight. That much she knew. His muscles, though not stretching his training uniform taut like those of some of the children of Ares and Mars, were well-defined in their own right. His thighs, in particular, looked nothing short of lethal. It wasn’t uncommon for children of Hermes and Mercury to possess the ability of enhanced speed, which only became full-fledged once the muscles had been exerted beyond comprehension.

Minho raised a dark eyebrow. Realizing he’d caught her studying him, Y/n looked away and then back at him.

“Now what?” She asked.

His hands formed into fists, positioned on both sides of his head as his elbows stood just a tad wider apart. Both his legs were slightly bent, the right one more so than the other.

Tucking his chin in, he said, “Now you get into position.”

After a prolonged beat of painfully awkward silence, Minho straightened and looked at Professor Hajjar in confusion then back at her.

“You don’t know how.” He finally stated. Y/n simply stared ahead, ignoring him, and before she could turn to ask Hajjar to reconsider the whole thing, she heard Minho say, “Well, try to keep up.”

There was a whoosh, like the sound of an arrow flying right past you, and then she realized it was just her head swinging to the left like one of the speed bags she’d watched students hit repeatedly. It didn’t end there. As if to humiliate her further, her own body betrayed her as she knelt, hands cupped over her nose. Oh, Y/n thought in a daze, oh, fuck, my nose! Until her knees hit the ground, she hadn’t realized he’d kicked her in the face and blood was now gushing out of her nose. It was so cold. Everywhere she touched but especially her nose, was so fucking cold. So why did it burn like hell?

“Get up,” She heard Professor Hajjar order and turned around to glare at him. How pathetic she must have looked. The man didn’t so much as flinch. “The match is not over yet.”

It was at that moment that Y/n understood. He wouldn’t end the fight until she demonstrated something. What that thing was, she had no clue.

Her lips parted so she could breathe. What came out was a wheezing sound as some of the blood started to coat her teeth. Swiping her teeth along her upper teeth, Y/n removed her hands from her nose and placed them on the mat. It occurred to her that they might find this disrespectful and gross. None of that mattered when she could barely find the strength to climb to her feet and then found her vision worsened as she tried to stand properly. Everything switched in and out of focus.

She glared at Minho. He’d messed her up with one kick and there was nothing in his face to convey remorse. Not that Y/n expected anything of the sort.

Deciding it was better to go along with the charade, Y/n formed two fists and tried to mimic his hand placement from before. A poor imitation but it would have to do. This time, Minho’s lips quirked up just a little.

Realizing she wouldn’t throw the first punch, he lunged forward and she sidestepped. He was going easy on her no doubt. As a son of Hermes, he’d have no trouble blocking her evasive attempts. She didn’t see how she’d be able to outmatch him anyway. Her nose continued to bleed profusely as he all but flew across the mat, never doing more than grazing her skin. It hurt to the point that she’d rather tear it off with her nails.

“Don’t just dodge.” He told her at one point. Y/n was out of breath while he seemed to be breathing normally. “Try to get a hit in.”

Inhaling through her mouth, she cupped her hands on her knees, “I can’t.”

“Then what can you do?”

His irritation took her off guard and she stared up at him somewhat shocked. Most would seize the opportunity to humiliate their opponent, driving home the fact that they were far superior in skill. Most would revel in the sadistic joy of hearing the bones of their adversary crunch under their feet. The pleasure was heightened if the enemy was an Old Blood.

Y/n swiped at her nose with the back of her hand again and winced. It vexed her, his annoyance. She’d revealed the truth of her incompetence before stepping onto the mat. Had he not taken her seriously? Or did find the depth of her ineptitude so utterly irredeemable that even the fact that she was an Old Blood couldn’t deter him from expressing his frustration? Whatever the reason, Y/n wanted him to shut the fuck up.

Perhaps sensing her irritation was a response to his, he smirked right before swiveling on his heel and sending his kick flying up to her face. In the short time that she’d been watching the students hone their skills in the Training Center, she’d been able to memorize some of the most commonly used moves and countermoves. But none of them were of much use if it was your first time trying. If she were to stand there and try to block him, she’d only end up getting her forearm bruised. Even shattered. No one would heal her. Knowing this, she bent down.

Pure, unadulterated pain exploded across her back and she dropped on the mat like a fly. It felt like her vertebrae had severed ties with the spinal cord and become one with her front. For a moment she thought her lungs had squeezed through the thin openings between her ribs and spilled out like minced meat. This wasn’t Y/n’s first time experiencing such immeasurable agony. But she had yet to get used to it.

As if to elevate the torture, Minho pressed his knee between her shoulder blades. Her eyes prickled with tears as her mouth let out a silent cry.

“What have you been doing all this time?” He asked.

Her voice sounded weak as she answered, “None of your business.”

“You observe.” His mouth was near her ear now. “I’ve seen you do it. So why don’t you put that knowledge into practice?”

Struggling to breathe or even afraid to do so in case she ruptures something, Y/n settles for scratching at the mud with her blood-caked nails. He just wouldn’t let her go, digging his knee into her spine as she squirmed like a worm on the sullied carpet. Gods, how they must have been enjoying the sight of him besting her like it was nothing. How weak she must appear to them.

“Get off of me.” Y/n hated how wheezy her voice rang to the ear.

Her words seemed to have no effect on him. Neither did he release her, nor did he torment her by pressing his knee further into her injured back.

“That will be it for today, Minho.” Professor Hajjar said.

At the older man’s dismissal, the boy rose to his feet and stepped off the sparring mat. Y/n was slow to do the same, the pain had buried itself deep and her flesh was sure to bear the coloring to prove it. The blood had thinned to a trickle but the throbbing remained. She could just imagine the flecks of blood painting a grotesque image of herself in the middle of Compartment A.

She hunched over for a while, with only her palms and knees to steady her, and then heard a snickering sound not that far from where she was. Upon lifting her gaze, she met those of Minho’s friends, the ones who had been whispering amongst each other and glancing at her earlier. Only now they were unabashedly doing so. There was no reserve in the way they watched her. All they did was snicker and jeer as she coughed blood that had struggled to come up to the surface from when Minho had slammed his leg flat against her back. As blood-tinted saliva slid out of her parted lips, Y/n caught sight of the other boy. He was sizing her up the way a butcher did cattle as they sharpened their blades in preparation for slaughter. He sharpened his dark gaze across her features, cutting into them with a slight smile of self-satisfaction.

Y/n looked away and reached for her shoes. She was conscious of the eyes on her as she put them on.

“Are you angry?” Professor Hajjar asked when she’d climbed to her feet.

She began to scratch off the dried blood on her face. He offered her a wet wipe which she accepted.

“Yes.” She answered, sounding nasal.

“At him? Or at yourself?”

Y/n’s head snapped in his direction to see his analytical gaze trained on her.

“At you.” She emphasized.

Hajjar hummed, almost pensive, and in the meantime Y/n was violently rubbing off the stains. Each movement shot pain across her chest and spine, which she ignored in favor of preserving what remained of her dignity. What had transpired minutes before had been beyond mortifying.

“Those three boys you saw,” Hajjar began to speak in a voice lower than before. Even though she refused to look at him, Y/n felt as though she was staring right into the mockery that they’d made of her. “They’re Minho’s friends, some of the most lethal warriors on Camp Jupiter, and they were laughing at you. Your defeat is their amusement. Do you want it to keep happening? Do you want to remain weak and pathetic, a monkey in a circus? Is that how you want to be seen and remembered?” She opened her mouth to argue but soon discovered that no words form. Hajjar waited and when he received no response, continued, “If your goal is to stay as you are, frail, malnourished, and wretched, then you should know that you’re not getting your wish.”

A million responses brewed in her mind. Acidic. Bitter. Scathing. Violent.

Thinking he won’t hear her with all the usual noise, Y/n mumbles, “It’s unfair.”

“What is?” He said, and her gaze zoomed up to his face. “Speak your mind.”

Under any other circumstance, she would have apologized profusely and walked off, dreading the moment that she’d receive the news of having become homeless. Every word she said would be reflected in their treatment of her. It was nothing stellar, but what little she had could be taken away. She and Luna couldn’t afford to badmouth the laws, the government, least of all the Pantheon. They were to be grateful above all else.

But anger had a way of nibbling at her until nothing remained but to let it out.

“It’s unfair that I’m always miles behind.” She clenched her fingers around the bloodied wet wipe. “From the beginning, everyone, everyone including you, professor, has forbidden me from training. You told me that you’d have no use for someone like me on the battlefield. And now, when I’ve finally accepted it, you decide you’ve had enough of me being frail, malnourished, and wretched. It’s unfair that you get to change your mind.”

Hajjar stared at her, silent, offering a nod while tapping his fingers as he crossed his arms over his chest. Then he spoke.

“Everyone, including yourself, looks at you like you’re a meal. Look at them.” He tilted his head to the side, eyes trained over her shoulder. She turned slightly to see the boys from before training in pairs. The two snickering boys were on one mat and Minho was against the other boy on the one right after. They were a flurry of movement, a blur. But they weren’t the only students Professor Hajjar was referring to. The entire Building is filled with such students. “Do you see that, Ms. L/n? That’s the product of years of training. If the weakest of them were to attack you, you’d stand no chance. No chance against their hand-to-hand combat skills. No chance against their inherited abilities⸺ abilities they’ve been honing under ruthless tutelage. If they come for you, you are dead meat.”

Biting back a string of insults, Y/n shut her eyes and then turned to face him again.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” She snapped and pointed at the mat. “You saw me back there. I was-

“For the past few weeks,” He began in a calm tone that forced her to listen (the man sounded reasonable in anything she said), “I have been coming up with a program. It starts with the basics of every kind of training until you decide what your fighting style and weapons of choice will be. You will need to have more than one, yes. As far as your diet is concerned, there will be adjustments. I am aware of your financial situation, but there will be no more skipping meals in the dining hall because you cannot afford some of the better choices. No more having chocolate as a substitute for a nutritious meal.”

Y/n scoffed and swiped her hand across her forehead to wipe off the sweat, accidentally brushing her wrist against the bridge of her nose. The swelling had progressed for the duration of their talk.

“You don’t seem to understand my financial situation, professor.” She stressed. “That’s what I can afford, so that’s what I’ll eat. Unless you’re suggesting I steal which-

“I will have a word with Principal Jiang, and try to come to an agreement.” That and the committed expression on his face forced her suggestions of theft to a halt. “Other members of the academic staff will surely disagree, which is an understatement, as I am certain you understand. But they’re not the only ones we have to worry about.”

Y/n looked around her. “The other students.”

“They won’t be happy about this,” Hajjar said, nodding. “Once your training begins, many of them will make it their mission to make it as unpleasant as it can get if not more.”

“Can’t the higher-ups just increase my allowance or something? Then I could make proper meals for my sister and me and-

“An Old Blood being granted special privileges?” Hajjar gave her a pointed look. “That would only make matters worse.”

Y/n’s jaw almost hit the floor in disbelief. That was such bullshit.

“Special privilege?” She said, incredulous. “They all get large amounts of money each month.”

That was the truth. Governments all around the world paid exorbitant sums of money for the demigods’ services, and as the students of Olympia University were considered up-and-coming warriors, they, too, received significant payment. On top of that, many of them already were already signed under organizations, institutions, and companies. For example, some were modeling for high-end brands while others had gone into tech. Whatever the talent, it was certain to be channeled in a productive manner. They could leave or stay, and always prosper. Such wasn’t the case for her and Luna. They would never get to leave the Camp, forced to serve until their very last breath.

Roaring laughter pulls Y/n out of her trance of resentment.

“I never said compared to them Ms. L/n.” Hajjar clarified and she only glanced up at him for a second before looking down at her knuckles. There was still some blood left. “Old Bloods have always lived in poverty. If privileges were to be granted to you when your antecedents had none, much like you at the moment, that would signal change. Not everyone likes that. The Gods certainly do not.”

For the first time since they’d been properly introduced, Y/n looked at the older man with genuine curiosity, though still tinged with confusion and acrimony.

“Why are you going out of your way to help me then?” She asked. “You’re one of them too.”

Hajjar looks at her too. But his is a look of understanding, or something akin to it. A look of acknowledgment. There is less condescension in it than she has seen in an adult for the past five years. It reminded her of Chiron and she wanted to grate her brain against scorching hot pavement for it.

“What was the first thing the Council of Elders and the Senate did once Juliana Pierce was pronounced dead?”

The change of direction almost gave her a whiplash and she stared at him, rigid. How was their previous topic in any way related to the mystery murder of Juliana Pierce? In the end, Y/n decided to just go with the flow of the discussion.

“They said that they would be investigating the matter thoroughly.” She answered.

Hajjar nodded.

“And has anything come of this investigation?” He gestured with his hands in the space between them. “Have they divulged the particulars, any novelty?”

“Not to my knowledge,” Y/n replied slowly.

“Why do you think that is?”

Just what kind of answer did he seek to hear from her? Y/n let out a sigh of exhaustion.

“They could be trying to cover it up.” She said, scratching her temple. “It’s only one student, after all, and there hasn’t been a murder since.” She paused, looking at him only briefly before she slid her gaze to her left. “Or they could be trying to come up with a way to frame it on someone.”

That seemed to please him a little, the light in his dark brown eyes shining a bit brighter. He was probably relieved to discover that she wasn’t the clod he’d initially taken her for.

“I will leave you to deliberate about what we have discussed.” He said, and before turning to leave, added, “Do not presume to evade your upcoming training, Ms. L/n.”

She watched him walk straight towards the exit and, in less than a minute, he was out of the Training Center. With his departure, the sense of being watched returned in full force. This time it was just one, however, and it ruthlessly drilled holes into the back of her head. No part of her felt safe and when she turned to catch the culprit in the act, he didn’t look in the least surprised. It looked like he had wanted her to react- like he had wanted her to know it was him.

Seeing as they were nowhere in sight, his friends had to have relocated, but that didn’t matter when his presence alone was this overpowering. As he slipped each finger into his black leather archery gloves, never breaking eye contact, Y/n felt as though she was the deer caught in the headlights. Everything about him unnerved her. From the way he rotated his wrist to his exemplary looks, the boy was his own warning sign. Thankfully, he turned and headed toward the area designated for archery practice without another glance her way. She could finally breathe.

After scanning her surroundings one last time, Y/n headed back toward the benches, gathered her belongings, and marched out of the building. Absentmindedly, she cupped her right hand over her swollen nose and grimaced. They must have found her downright horrid to look at. Especially that boy. Hopefully, they would never have to speak with each other.

******************************************************************************************

Luna and she lived in a cramped apartment, the appliances of which were dysfunctional for the most part and the furniture half-broken. There was no TV in their house as they couldn’t afford to purchase one, so they had no way of watching the news or having a movie night like she’d heard the other students do. This made it all the more difficult for them to bond with their peers. Not that the other campers were dying to, anyway. They didn’t own a laptop to complete their assignments or a phone for communication so every task was completed by hand. They received any grim news by post and did their assignments and projects by borrowing books from the libraries of their respective institutions. But the absence of these ‘luxuries’ paled in comparison to the scarcity of food in the house.

From the moment she and Luna had been given this rat’s nest to live in, there had been several nights, one after the other, that they’d gone to bed on empty stomachs. As a fifteen-year-old, with a four-year-old to care for, Y/n had had a lot to learn in terms of management. She’d spent her entire life until then caged, locked, and kept in such solitary confinement that the workings of the outside world were but silhouettes of the truth, so the task of raising a preschooler who didn’t fully trust her but needed her, had been strenuous to complete. Or ‘handle’ might be the better term. The books Chiron had lent her for study, and the fairytale picture book he’d gifted her on her 15th birthday, weren’t of much use. Geography hadn’t helped her and neither had science because above all else she lacked social skills. Above all else, she found human beings the most callous. Alien creatures amongst which she was the most peculiar.

She’d learned to ration food, skipping at least one meal every day, preferably dinner, and always reserving food for Luna. If there was one crumb of bread left, it was Luna’s. If there was none, then Y/n would beg the restraint down the block for some leftover bread. The quality mattered nothing. It could have stayed on the shelves for a week for all she cared. All that mattered was that Luna didn’t huddle beneath the sheets holding her starving belly.

Of course, whenever they received their monthly stipend, Y/n made sure to set aside the money for the bills and staple food such as potatoes, flour, oil, eggs, milk, and frozen or canned beans. If they were lucky enough to find some cheese on sale, then she seized the opportunity at once. It goes without saying that the eggs, canned or frozen beans, and the rare cheese were for Luna only as that was the only way to ensure the younger girl survived. The only thing Y/n had consumed for years was plain bread, occasional boiled potato (they couldn’t afford to fry them), milk, and water.

She wasn’t stupid. She knew what the malnourishment was doing to her body. She could feel herself wasting away one day at a time. Cracked nails, dull frizzy hair, pallid skin, sickly frame, visible ribs, hipbones, and collarbones, perpetual nausea, constant fatigue⸺ these were things she’d accepted to an extent.

When she came home today, after having picked up Luna from school, she didn’t dare have dinner upon seeing only half a bun and a glass of milk remained. The thought of allowing herself more at Luna’s expense was enough to make her fold in on herself. It made her anxious to think about having more, despite wanting so. She even dreamed of it often; stuffing her face with fried eggs, cheese, fries, sausages, and literally any kind of dessert. The alarm clock always brought the feast to a disillusioned end.

This time it wasn’t the rusty clock on the floor next to her that startled her awake. Luna’s whimpering was enough to jolt Y/n out of dreamland and she was violently pulling off the covers in a hurry to get on the bed to comfort her little sister. Only, when she rose to her feet, Luna wasn’t there. Panic swelled in her chest at first and then she found her in the corner of the cramped bedroom, knees pushed against her chest as she rocked back and forth. Her small hands were pressed against her ears, almost clawing at the shell. Y/n rushed to her and took the younger girl’s hands in her own.

“No!” Luna screeched, freeing her hands to cover her ears again. “No! No! No! Leave me alone!”

The rising panic prevented Y/n from thinking clearly. Her sister was in pain, terrified out of her wits for whatever reason, and she could do nothing but join in the screaming.

“Luna, what’s wrong?!” But the younger girl shook her head rapidly before pressing her forehead to her knees. Y/n wrapped her arms around her sister’s wispy frame. “Luna, you have to tell me. Please, you have to tell me so I can help you!"

But all Luna did was whimper and continue to shake her head. “It’s so cold. So cold. So cold!”

Y/n rubbed her hands up and down Luna’s arms and calves, trying desperately to generate some heat, but the shivers simply refused to cease. Her frustration bubbled to the surface as she stroked at a bruising pace. Luna recoiled away from her touch and nestled further into the dark corner. Her eyes were still screwed shut, tighter than before. Y/n wanted to fling all of their belongings across the room but there were so few of them to begin with. The sour concoction of fatigue, hunger, the throbbing on her face and body, and the awareness of her worthlessness was skewing her judgment. When she managed to calm her breathing, she understood that she could either soothingly coax the truth out of the whimpering girl or waste the night by staying awake and crashing at a random location during the day. Faced with these two options; Y/n sat in front of Luna on the cold floor, legs pressed against her front as she caressed the little girl’s hands. The little girl’s eyes fluttered open, wary of what she might see if she opened them too quickly.

“Hey, little moth,” Y/n said as if in greeting and pressed the tip of her nose, “You look so little sitting here.”

At that, Luna scowled and indignantly said, “I’m not little.”

“But look at you.” Y/n poked her cheek teasingly and then her ribs and then her nose again, watching her sister squirm until she finally gave a little squeal of mirth, “So little.”

When Y/n stopped teasing and instead rubbed Luna’s small hands for warmth, the little girl’s big brown eyes bore into hers.

“Is that why I’m so cold?” She asked in an unsteady voice.

Y/n didn’t know the answer to that. She was older than Luna by more than a decade, had experienced both the biting cold and sweltering heat, and only Chiron had cared to provide her with blankets that didn’t improve her condition much. She’d learned to sleep through it, shivering even in her dreams. But did the cold ever stop hurting?

She gave Luna a small smile.

“Maybe.” She said, easing Luna’s hands inside the frayed sleeves of her nightwear, watching as the fingers curled bunched around the hem to form a stump. Then she moved on to her feet, massaging them as gently as she could. “The smaller you are, the more sensitive you are. When you’re grown, pain doesn’t make you cry easily.”

There was a gleam of uncertainty in Luna’s flitting gaze as she muttered, “But she was crying.”

Y/n halted, and for a few dreadful moments she could hear nothing over the ringing in her ears⸺ not the engine of the motorbikes at such late an hour, not the whistling of the spring wind, not the occasional shout that her neighbors responded to with profanities of their own, not even Luna’s sniveling. Nothing mattered more at this moment than what her little sister had just confessed. Never before had displayed abilities of this nature. For a long time, it had seemed as though she possessed none other than the cloak of darkness she so often draped over her form when anxious, panicked, or terribly hungry. One especially cold night with the wind rattling their sorry windows, bundled up under two incredibly frayed blankets, Luna had asked Y/n if she could do anything with the darkness, and the latter had answered that she could. How it had delighted the 5-year-old, her eyes glinting with excitement as she asked for a display. Y/n had apologized, saying she couldn’t do anything special, only hear what the shadows whispered and listen as the darkness came alive. One look at the disappointed pout on Luna’s face and Y/n had known, as they lay in bed, shivering with their arms around each other, that she would never be able to make her sister proud.

“What?” Y/n asked, and Luna glanced at her before looking down at her feet, clearly avoiding her elder sister’s questioning gaze. She couldn’t. Y/n wasn’t planning on letting her, so she clasps her hands around Luna’s calves, and massages the flesh underneath the tattered clothes. “No, look at me, Luna. Who was crying?”

Finally, the truth bursts out of the girl like water from a dam, “The girl! She was cold! She was crying!”

What girl is she talking about, Y/n thought. But there was no time to dwell on it with how Luna had begun to sob, snot running down her chin. Y/n opened the drawer next to the bed and pulled out a handkerchief she had been gifted four years ago.

She used it to wipe Luna’s nose clean as she tried to calm her down, “It was probably just a dream-

“But I wasn’t sleeping.” It was said in such a small, feeble voice that Y/n almost had to puzzle to the pieces together for the meaning to come in full. Luna herself looked startled and ashamed at her abrupt admission, her eyes wide like those of a spooked animal. Met with Y/n’s silence, the little girl wiped at her eyes with her stumps. “I’m so hungry, I’m sorry. I can’t sleep. I’m sorry. She was screaming and I-

“Do you know where she is right now?” Y/n blurted out the question as she gently helped Luna to her feet and led her to the bed. “Can you tell me?”

Luna sat there at the side of the bed, still wiping at her eyes. Even in the darkness, lifted only slightly by the scant golden hue emitting from the lampposts outside, Y/n could tell the skin around them was red and tender.

“Will you go there?” At her big sister’s stillness, Luna’s expression morphed into one of fear. She launched her shivering body forward and wrapped her scrawny arms around Y/n’s middle to prevent her from leaving. Y/n tried to gently detangle herself, but the girl’s arms tightened. “No, no, don’t leave! Don’t leave! Please, don’t leave!”

This was going to be harder than Y/n had initially thought. Luna wasn’t used to being alone. Y/n had learned during their first few days inhabiting the same space that the little girl loathed the thought of being left alone. That’s why she subconsciously used her powers; so that the shadows might keep her company. If Y/n went to the market, Luna would, too. If Y/n sought refuge in the sunflower fields, it would be while holding Luna’s hand. Even at school, where the nine-year-old spent the majority of her time as an outcast, there was always an adult nearby to keep an eye on her. She was never out of someone’s sight.

Tonight, that would change.

“I have to know what’s going on. I have to know why you’re…” She shut her eyes momentarily, slowly unfastening Luna’s arms from around her. She looked into her big, dark irises that looked up at her, pleading. “I’ll be back, okay? I’ll be back sooner than you think. I promise. But you have to tell me.”

Luna was quiet for a few moments that felt like an eternity at a standstill. When she was ready to talk, her eyes screwed shut once more, removing the present from her sight.

“I saw a fountain. And then- and then stairs.” She hiccupped, and, seemingly trying to recall the events in greater detail, her face scrunched up as if she’d tasted something bitter. Her hands came up to cover her ears, leaving whatever warmth they’d accumulated while bunched up in the sleeves. “There was a big statue.”

Instantly, Y/n pulled Luna into her chest and rocked her back and forth.

“Alright, alright, little moth. Calm down,” She shushed, gently stroking the back of Luna’s head. “It’s alright. It’s alright. Everything’s fine, you’ll see.”

Luna sniffled. “What if you don’t come back?”

Y/n took a deep breath and kissed her temple. Then she eased her sister beneath the blanket, adding her own since she wouldn’t need it for the night.

“Here. You wait for me here, okay?” She instructed, and Luna nodded. Her eyes were the only parts of her peeking above the hem. Y/n put on the thickest hoodies she owned and the jeans she’d worn during the day. Before heading out the door, she turned to Luna once more, “Don’t move, okay? Wait here for me. I’ll be back soon.”

The night air was always crisp in New Rome, regardless of the season. But it being March, the month with the most unpredictable weather of all, it meant she could be going home drenched from head to toe despite it being only a bit humid outside. But the weather was far from being her biggest concern at the moment. No, there was something else in the air. Something foul yet clinical, far removed from the world. The darkness shivered but it did not speak. The streetlights flickered as she all but sprinted up north in the direction of the inner city.

Luna had described the setting using but three objects but that had sufficed. Only one part of New Rome fit that description, but it took 45 minutes by subway to get there, and there was none at this late hour. She looked at her watch to confirm the time; 1:54 AM. Still, she had to try and get there, hopefully not before other people or that would make her a prime suspect if what Luna had seen had indeed happened. She didn’t have the luxury of stopping to catch her breath or gag from exertion and fatigue. Those things she could do back home when she returned.

The farther up north she ran, the more alive the world appeared. Barracks turned into rundown apartments which in turn evolved into skyscrapers. Each time Y/n had come here from age fifteen to eighteen on school trips with her classmates, the inner city had seemed all the more gargantuan, as if expanding. Later, she’d learned that such was indeed the case. New Rome was thrice the size of New York and far better equipped to defend itself against foreign attacks. By the time she turned forty, its borders might have stretched to the size of France. All of this while most humans outside remained none the wiser.

She took several turns to get to her destination, though never straying far from the main road. She wasn’t the most familiar with the nooks and crannies of the city and could easily get lost. But when she got to the destination, she wished that she had.

What had once been a place of magnificence, was now a site of crucifixion. A young woman’s body, probably around her age, remained suspended in the air only thanks to the tip of Jupiter’s lightning which jutted out of her abdomen. The fountain surrounding the gargantuan marble statue resembled less a spot of relaxation and more a pot in which blood had come to a boil and sprayed the crimson hue all over the stairs below. The roaring of the engines of vehicles was reduced to an afterthought as the people gathered around the edges, never daring to climb up the steps. There was screaming but Y/n couldn’t tell if it belonged to a toddler or an adult. Not that it mattered. At one point, everyone was either shrieking for help or screaming at others to call for the ambulance and authorities. Others fled from the scene, horrified at the sight before them.

Because it wasn’t just the death of the young woman that had terror spreading throughout the crowd like wildfire through a forest that hadn’t felt a drop of rain in months. It was the distorted limbs, bent at inhuman angles. It was the sight of her eyes or lack of them. The skin of her upper torso had been flayed and where her heart had once beaten, there now existed nothing but emptiness. Enough muscle had been left intact so as to prevent the organs from spilling. Her lips were open in a scream, one that had likely gone unheard. Part of her long black hair clung to her skin and the rest followed the direction of the wind. Whoever or whatever had done this to her had not done her corpse the courtesy of preserving her dignity in death. She was completely bare from head to toe. A morbid spectacle. Luna had witnessed this. Luna had heard her screams and watched her cry. For some reason, the darkness had wanted Luna to keep her eyes and ears open for the crime. Or hunger had. Perhaps both. And for Luna’s wellbeing, that had to remain a secret between the three of them. In fact, she had to get away from there as fast as she could, before her presence registered.

With this thought in mind, Y/n took three steps backward, still taking in the gruesome sight of the dangling corpse, and turned around to bolt in the direction she’d come from. Before she could take off properly, her feet were held hostage by some invisible force on the ground. It took a few moments for her to realize it was the shock.

Before her, stood the young man she had wished she would never have to speak to mere hours before. He stood there, no more than six yards to the right, apart from the rest as he beheld the crime scene. His dark eyes appeared to hold no emotion, but the way he gulped told Y/n he wasn’t entirely unaffected by the grisly picture. He looked different than he did back at the Training Center, too. Dressed in a simple white shirt with sleeves that reached just two inches above his elbows, washed-out jeans, and plain white trainers, he looked no different from a bystander who had just come across something vile and stopped to look.

Maybe it was the way he immediately found her eyes (as if he’d expected her to look at him) and stared back at her. But there was something in those irises of his, something almost predatory. A gleam so cuttingly uncaring and methodical. It wasn’t studious like that of Seungmin or analytical like that of Professor Hajjar, things she could comprehend and get accustomed to. No, his gaze resembled that of a serpent, one that withheld more than he revealed.

Before she knew what she was doing, Y/n sprinted right past him. She felt him stare as she rounded the corner and it burned against her back all the way home.

Chapter 2>>>

[itsyourchoicedevotionals]

Without Investigating

“Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen…” Genesis 47:27NIV

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness. …total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.” Exodus 10:21-23BSB

Have you ever been in a cavern, when the tour guide shuts off the light momentarily? The darkness can be felt. We stand in sin’s darkness equal to the darkness of a cavern. People are so lost in this darkness, they have nothing pointing to the way out. 

Many of the people lost in this darkness are believers in Christ who have succumbed to a lie and lost their way— “…for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” 2Thessalonians 2:11-12KJV. They chose to believe lies rather than the truth of the gospel. That single choice cost them their salvation, —Matthew 24:12.  Meanwhile they believe they’re going to heaven. Lies such as: ‘the Bible is not the infallible word of God;’ ‘Jesus was not birthed by a virgin mother;’ ‘all religions lead to God.’

Society has become overrun by the demonic. One major area I’ve seen the Believers’ passion waning is the political arena— aka government. These Believers have accepted the lie stating they need to stay out of politics. 

God—Jesus is a judge, and King with a government which will never end— see Luke 1:32-33. Then 2Corinthians 5:10NIV “…we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…”showing, there’s a courtroom in heaven. Somewhere the church became sidetracked. We’ve not been effective in changing the world’s governments by our belief system.  (Newsflash! The reason our world is in such a mess is because Believers don’t hold all of the political offices. Those who do hold offices are fraught with backlash from the overwhelming majority of worldly politicians.) 

Absurdly, Christians are prone to pick candidates according to the political parties of their parents, friends, even the evening news. They do so without investigating politician’s political platforms; where the individual candidate’s actions say they stand; often their voting records. 

Believers numerically have the ability to seat and unseat any politician, IF EVERYONE of us would all vote. Too many Believers say, ‘oh it’s all fake or crooked,’ or ‘I don’t like any of the candidates,’ ‘my vote doesn’t count,’ —therefore I won’t vote. A non-vote is a vote for evil and Holy Spirit sees it. As Believers, all of us, bearing the name of Jesus must pray to get the mind of Christ— then vote. Even if it means voting against our favored political party. Perhaps I am a bit opinionated, but I don’t know how a true Believer could vote for anyone whose political party supports abortion or euthanasia, because that’s murder, Proverbs 24:11NIV “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” God alone has that right to choose the time of death.

Darkness wasn’t allowed in Goshen where the Israelites had settled. They lived in light. None of the evil Egyptian government’s plagues came upon them. They were freed from the sufferings of their slave masters. Per 1Thessalonians 5:5NASB1977 we— “are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;” Our every action and motive of our hearts must come from the Kingdom of our God and His Light within us. Which way will you choose? It’s your choice. You choose.

LET’S PRAY: Holy God we choose to live in the light of Your way and Your gospel. Help us to hold on to You in belief, in the nama of Jesus Christ I pray.

by Debbie Veilleux

Copyright 2024 You have my permission to reblog this devotional for others. Please keep my name with this devotional. as author. Thank you.

[milenadelgadolaborde]

Hunger games 2: catching fire: Reaction-Thoughts-Discussion

[BEWARE THE SPOILERS!!!!]

Alright book munchers- we’re back for more heartache and tears with catching fire

Published: 2009 - Spoilers ahead!

Honestly what I remember from this book is the clock design of the arena which was super sick, Finnick obvi, more Peeta (yay), a little too much Gale for my tastes, loathing Snow, and the end (of the movie at least) - Oh and Cinna getting attacked by Savages! Before the game starts

Let’s get munchin!

——

Part 1: the spark

Ch1:

First line: “I clasp the flask between my hands even though the warmth from the tea has long since leached into the frozen air.”

The first book also started out by referencing the cold and a lack of warmth so that’s interesting

“I’m staring into the snakelike eyes of President Snow.”

I already hate this guy but the snakes thing seems like a connection to the title of the newest book - he keeps getting compared to snakes throughout the next scene

—-

Ch2:

“The smell of roses and blood has grown stronger now that only a desk separates us.”

Gods this man is so disturbing

—-

“Whatever problems anyone may have with the Capitol, believe me when I say that if it released its grip on the districts for even a short time, the entire system would collapse.”

Fucking let it then!

“so I flinch when he (Snow) whispers in my ear. “By the way, I know about the kiss.”

Why does he have to be so creepy?!

——

Ch3:

“The smell of blood . . . it was on his (Snow) breath.”

Absolutely disgusting // absolutely revolting

—-

“but underneath all that, I can feel the steadiness that Peeta brings to everything.”

He’s just the best for you girl

——-

Ch4:

“Given all the trouble I’ve caused, I’ve probably guaranteed any child of mine a spot in the Games.”

Awful- it’s gonna be a no from me man

——

“I hadn’t thought about it much, but in the arena at least some of the boys got to keep their body hair whereas none of the girls did.”

I didn’t pick up on this during the first book but I did mention how awful it was that they basically force the tributes into a fashion show before they fight to the death and to think of them actually doing things that would make it harder for the tributes to survive even if it’s something minimal like body hair that protects your skin etc.

like it’s so disturbing bc it’s already awful to have this group of kids killing each other but the people in charge being like “Oh and they have to look hot while they die” It’s so fucking wrong!!!

——-

“As usual, a special platform has been constructed at the bottom of the stage for the families of the dead tributes.”

So not only do these families have to watch their kids get murdered on screen for entertainment but they also months later have to stand in public and congratulate their murderers? Absolutely sickening

——

Ch5:

My poor babies - I want them to get together but not forced together like this

——

Ch6:

“The party, held in the banquet room of President Snow’s mansion, has no equal.”

I hate this man and his fucking opulence

——

“And here in the Capitol they’re vomiting for the pleasure of filling their bellies again and again.”

On top of it all to be presented with all these rich people who have so much to eat that they literally make themselves throw up several times just to keep gorging themselves on food while the districts starve - Unacceptable- honestly unacceptable// I’m surprised there hasn’t been more revolts

——

Ch 7:

I truly understand Gale because it’s not hard to see why he’s pissed at what the capitol has done to them and why he wants to fight back. I think he’s absolutely right.

I also notice though that every interaction Kat has with Gale seems to leave her frantic and panicked when every time she’s with Peeta she seems calmer and a little more at ease.

—-

Ch8:

“Life in District 12 isn’t really so different from life in the arena. At some point, you have to stop running and turn around and face whoever wants you dead.”

——-

Ch9:

“I have chosen Gale and the rebellion, and a future with Peeta is the Capitol’s design, not mine.”

“I can’t let the Capitol hurt Prim. And then it hits me. They already have.”

———

Part 2: the quell

Ch10:

Ch11:

The threat of constant surveillance is unimaginably exhausting - very big brother

No me gusta

—-

Ah the mystery of the famed District 13

—-

Ch12:

“Whoever devised the Quarter Quell system had prepared for centuries of Hunger Games.”

Absolutely disgusting and awful - gods this series hits my heart and soul // it’s too cruel man

——-

Ch13:

They don’t even let her say goodbye??? This is so twisted!

—-

Ch14:

Ch15:

I already love Johanna and Finnick

——-

“Our new Avox is Darius.”

The cruelty of this Snow guy knows no bounds

——

Ch16:

“As I watch the procession to the City Circle, I think how it’s bad enough that they dress us all up in costumes and parade us through the streets in chariots on a regular year.”

—-

“Johanna Mason is naked again”

😂

——

Katniss making the Seneca Crane dummy = iconic

——

Ch17:

““I just want to spend every possible minute of the rest of my life with you,” Peeta replies.”

My heart ❤️ No puedo mas

““I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever,” he says.”

——-

“It’s so barbaric, the president turning my bridal gown into my shroud,”

Snow putting Kat in a wedding dress for the interview = evil + atrocious

“Cinna has turned me into a mockingjay.” =iconic

——-

Ch18:

““Maybe I’d think that, too, Caesar,” says Peeta bitterly, “if it weren’t for the baby.””

Le Gasp! This Man!!!! I C O N I C

Always with the interview plot twists! I love him!

—-

“By the time the anthem plays its final strains, all twenty-four of us stand in one unbroken line in what must be the first public show of unity among the districts since the Dark Days.”

Ey Snow, you done fucked up. What exactly were you trying to accomplish with this quell? Like all you did was make ppl more pissed off. Big Yikes

And not him having Kat witness Cinna getting beaten right before she goes up into the arena man - why is he so evil?!

—-

Part 3: the enemy

Ch19: 😬

Ch20:😬😬

Ch21:😬😬😬

Ch22:

““No, wait,” says Finnick. “Let’s do it together. Put our faces right in front of his.””

The fact that this man made me laugh while all this horror is going on ❤️❤️

——

““Tick, tock. This is a clock.””

Iconic design to this arena

—-

Ch23:

Ch24: 😢😢😢

Ch25:

Ch26:

Ch27:

Oh no, not Peeta - omg I don’t remember this // what will they do to him?

Fuck what an ending! Next. Next. Next.

[feldspursfiyero]

i have a (very important 😏🐱🐶) compilation to make (excerpts from baby, you're a haunted house by spit-kitten (simon/anthony)):

ch 1:

After all, not everybody had the benefit of Simon's distinguished glare. Anthony smarted at the memory of standing before Nigel Berbrooke this summer and singularly failing to intimidate him. Nigel Berbrooke. He had as good as given up on reprimanding Eloise for anything ever since the day that he had stormed into her room with newly-bruised knees and demanded that she refrain from leaving piles of books lying around in hallways, and she had simply laughed and told him to stop looking like a scalded cat and start looking where he was going. And there was that night in Oxford - he could not remember the beginning of the quarrel, or who it had been with - just recalled looking up at somebody, stung, and a voice full of derision saying, 'God, Bridgerton, spare me the big eyes: you look like a kicked bitch. Can you fetch? Beg? Roll over?'

ch 2:

Not that the strikes themselves were anything like wholehearted: Simon was mostly feinting at his head, giving him the lightest of taps to the shoulder, to the flank – spending more of his energy on laughing at Anthony than earnestly attempting to blacken his eye. Anthony himself was more interested in trying to step on his opponent’s feet than avoiding his strikes. Eventually recklessness earned its just desert, and his efforts brought him close enough to let Simon catch him by the shoulder. And then to squeeze, firmly enough that it had Anthony gasping out a laugh of surprise and trying to squirm away from the pressure of a thumb against his collar bone. Simon, damn him, just grinned and held on; gave him a shake, like he was shaking a boisterous puppy by its scruff.

ch 5:

The difficulty came in keeping his affection, his pathetic lap-dog affection, in check.

He had let it flourish unexamined for so many years now that he found he could no longer remember where the line should be drawn between permissible familiarity and what lay beyond; between teasing camaraderie and – well, there was no way round it – and coquetry.

The delight he took in Simon's company made it all too easy to forget. He was too eager to please, to amuse, to rouse his friend from the fits of guarded melancholy to which he was still prey, and he was too swept along by the pleasure he gained from any success in that arena to heed his own words or to look ahead to where they might be leading him, and then without any warning he would find himself stranded. Breaking off in the middle of the story he was telling, hoping to make Simon laugh. Suddenly remembering that the last time he had recounted it, he had been lying boneless and aglow in Siena's bed, his head pillowed on her thigh, hoping to make her laugh. Hoping to make her love him.

The only real, sustained privacy he was afforded was when George was changing his bandages, and he would spend the entire time with his face heated, sunk in confusion, poring over his conduct so far that day and probing it for slips. On more than one occasion, Simon had remarked on his flush on his return, his 'What do you two do in there?' not sounding entirely like a joke. Well, better that he should believe Anthony was letting every one of his footmen fuck him senseless than that he should suspect the truth.

And that was really, truly the only privacy. Anthony no longer had to worry about retiring to his dark and chilly bedroom: he simply was not doing so. When the first evening since that long, strange night of the shooting had begun to draw to a strained close, he had been so obviously unwilling to part – had sat up so long in front of the fire, talking of nothing – that Simon had finally tired of his slow blinks and stifled yawns, and said, more gentle than Anthony was used to hearing him, 'You need to lie down, Bridgerton, before you fall down. Come, can you bear to spend another night curled up on a sofa like the world's heaviest kitten?'

Anthony had said, less indignant than he was used to hearing himself, that he could bear anything Simon could, and bear it better, or words to a similar effect.

'How fortunate,' his host had replied in tones of grim amusement, guiding him to his less-than-luxurious bed for the night, 'that I am a man with more than one couch. I will take this one, and we shall see whose back gives out first.' And Anthony had concentrated all the parts of his mind that had not already fallen asleep on feeling entirely normal as he watched Simon walk away to the other side of the room – not devastated at all.

He had been so exhausted that first evening that it had been easy, completely natural, to fall asleep there with the soft sound of Simon's breathing in the air. It had become – more difficult over the past couple of days. His mind had been less obligingly empty, the nights less obligingly dreamless and every morning when he woke, sleep-dazed, to see Simon sitting across from him, it had been harder and harder to remember why he was all the way over there, already dressed and attending to his post, and why it was imperative that Anthony should not reach out for him and kiss him good morning.

And it was beginning to do terrible things to his back, but he rather felt he deserved them.

--

His host cut an impressive figure in his boots and long coat, with shining raindrops caught in his hair. Far more suited to a backdrop suddenly grown wild and romantic than Anthony himself, who must already be well on his way to looking as bedraggled as the cat from the poem, after she had slipped into the fish-pond and drowned.

--

Don't, he thought, numbly, don't. But Simon continued, his voice heavy, soaked in scorn.

'I have cheering news for you: unmarried, no heir, beginning to be notorious – in his eyes, you have already failed. Every day that you linger here, tempting fate, you are failing him further. How would he react if he saw you so unmanned by such a hopeless attachment?’ – Anthony stopped breathing – ‘Lapdog to an opera singer, for God's sake. The cast-off plaything of somebody who spurns, who does not even see you. Do you think it would make him proud?'

The pounding of Anthony's pulse was almost too much to let him hear this last. Simon did not even know what he had hit on, could not know the true resonance of his words – He was caught between wanting to lunge at him, and being rooted to the spot, pale and speechless. Here it was, the kind of scene he had been running from all week – must have been fearing for years, without ever truly understanding why. Here was a glimpse of the ridicule, the disgust that awaited him if his mask of indifferent friendship were ever to slip and reveal the detestable truth.

If at any point this past week he had been unsure for a moment that he loved Simon, then he knew it now. He knew it with more certainty than he had known anything in his life, because if he had not loved him then this would not feel quite so much like some vital thread had been pulled out of him, and he was going to shake apart at the seams.

He grasped for the instinctive fury that would have flared up so easily only a week ago; he tried to let it rise and carry him forward, tried to form a fist. But he could not approach. He could not get closer; he could not make himself touch Simon. People will talk, he thought, with a kind of dull horror. Oh, God.

All of his famous temper, all of his precious disdain; it had all abandoned him completely, draining out and leaving him pathetically sick and shaky. He felt only an abject self-loathing, so thick his throat hurt with it.

And he was going to feel like this, he realised, feel a portion of this utter worthlessness, every time he looked at Simon – for the rest of his life.

'You bastard,' he said, voice horribly soft, and did the only thing he could think of. He turned and left.

ch 8:

'How are your ribs?' he asked, fixing the patient with a stern look. He really would leave Anthony alone if there was the slightest hint of pain, no matter how difficult that might be.

Anthony seemed entirely unintimidated; he simply laughed and gave a pleased stretch, pressing into the hand in his hair in the manner of a cat. A self-satisfied but particularly winsome cat. 'Now, what could that question possibly signify?' he said, with a side-long glance and a spirited grin. 'Desperate to fuck me again, by any chance? Do you have a surgeon waiting in the wings to come and clear me for duty – or shall we throw caution to the wind and simply get on with it?’

As Anthony's ideas went, that one did not sound so bad. Simon couldn't very well not grind the wretch's face gently into the pillows for his impertinence, not when he already had a convenient hand in his hair, but he did not make much of a job of it; he was too eager to kiss away his captive’s laughing protestations and turn to other, even more satisfying methods of making him writhe against the sheets.

He was starting to have a notion – appearing before him like a vision, a miracle – of what might come after you had everything you wanted. Perhaps you had it again, and again, and again.

--

The thought of being able to reach over and take Anthony's hand while he was trying to eat his breakfast, of capturing his wrist, leaning down to steal the food from his fork and getting kicked at for his trouble - of doing, in fact, what he always had done, and yet having it be so entirely different; it was absurdly pleasing. Of being able to regard him openly when he was all early morning energy, as he washed and dressed and sat obediently for his shave; of watching as the weight of Simon's gaze made his cheeks hot under George's brisk fingers, the air in the room going tight.

[hooked-on-elvis]

On Friday, November 23, 1956 Elvis (age 21) played at The Cleveland Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, at 8 P.M. -- Photograph by Lew Allen (photo 3)

THIS VIDEO INTERVIEW IS BEYOND PRECIOUS. Lew got some incredible shots, I'll tell you. I've seen his pictures before (I often face them actually, as famous as they are it isn't difficult to see them again and again - which is always a pleasure), but I've never watched any interview with or about Mr. Lew Allen. It was about time. ♥

The "behind the photo" info coming from all the great professionals who snapped Elvis at some point of his life hold incredible stories enough by themselves to tell who Elvis was as a person if you put them all together. I mean... Lew's picture with Elvis on the phone!! I've seen this picture before but the story coming with it now just makes that one of my new favorite Elvis photographs. Such an attentive, caring man. 🥹

🩷 The more we hear about Elvis the deeper we love him 🩷

"There was one of his fans that was in the hospital, and he got on his phone and he start talking to this kid. His managers kept coming in and saying 'Come on! You gotta go onstage, you're an hour late as it is' you know... but he stayed with what he was doing and he finished talking to her."

— Cleaveland Photographer Lew Allen's interview on BBC Broadcast "World's Most Photographed" (2005)

And the google-eyed picture is so famous! In my head, this was a fan photograph... I still I had no idea the name of the photographer behind it and the context of the moment itself when it was taken. Elvis being silly as can be, just gave Lew this face when the man called out his name. Our cute, funny little boy.

‘I just shouted 'Hey Elvis!'’

— Lew Allen, photographer

November 23, 1956 Elvis (age 21) played at the Cleveland Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, at 8 P.M.

Thank you so much for sharing and tagging me, @deke-rivers-1957 ♥ Also, all my appreciation to Youtube fan channels such as "Those Elvis Girls" — which I am already a subscriber but missed this new notification somehow (urgh!) — for such great interviews with the few fortunate souls, blessed-by-God, eye-witnesses to Elvis Presley's life. What a great interview with Bob Shatten (Lew's nephew), Kristen! I enjoyed watching the video very much. God bless him too for taking his time to talk to Presley's fans.

I'm gonna re-share the links Kristen made available on this interview on "Those Elvis Girls" Youtube channel, in case anybody else wants to see it / order the book or some prints:

1. Order a VERY RARE copy of the book of Lew's photography (released with the help of Mike McCartney - Paul's brother - "Elvis & the Birth of Rock" by Lew Allen & Mike McCartney: ): genesis-publications.com

2. Order rare prints of Lew's photos: proudgalleries.com/collections/photographers/lew-allen

3. Prints of Other Artists: rockpaperphoto.com/collections/photographers-lew-allen

Elvis and Scotty Moore onstage at the Cleveland Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. 23 November 1956 © Lew Allen

Elvis History

Shoutout to @leopardandstuds for this interview! It's amazing that we have someone who was alive during the 50s and managed to capture Elvis just before he became a superstar.

I highly recommend giving it a like and spreading it around. This channel does a lot of amazing work preserving Elvis history. They've managed to interview several key figures in Elvis' life and the Elvis fandom. If you're interested in the lives of Hal Lansky, Lowell Hays cousin Billy Smith's son Joey, and other remarkable people subscribe.

Tagging: @vintagepresley, @ash-omalley, @atleastpleasetelephone, @burnthheparaphilia, @bigdaddyelvislover, @cattcb, @claire-elvisgirl, @dilfelvis, @daffieapple, @devilsflowerr, @elvisabutler, @elvisxsposts @feydfuckernation, @gayforelvis, @hooked-on-elvis, @i-r-i-n-a-a, @jaqueline19997, @kiankiwi, @kaiistheguy, @lett-them-eatt-cake, @lovininapinkcadillac, @msamarican, @pledgingmylovee, @smokeymountainboy, @your-nanas-house and anyone else who finds this.

Please reblog if you do see this.

[liketheinferno2]

BUT THAT'S JUST A THEORY... A GAME THEORY

OKAY. As of yet, this is my ultimate read on the machine brothers in NieR:Automata. I won’t be going into the philosophy stuff, just the weird psychosexual bullshit, but my thesis is this:

Eve is an unwanted pregnancy.

Or; Eve is a child conceived by 2B and 9S’ interactions with Adam. Adam is his mother, while 2B9S represents the father.

Tl;dr:

Sword goes in, dramatic penetration metaphor go! (Look at this pose. God.)

Where the sword goes in, there is an opening.

Eve is born from the same opening.

There’s my argument, now stew in its horrors.

So, what happens in this scene? Ostensibly the hostile machines spit out a humanlike unit, prompting 2B and 9S to take it down quickly to avoid whatever such a complex construction of the enemy might have in store for them; however, when they think they’ve killed this machine, another identical one appears and the arena begins to collapse from the shock of their fight, so they fall back and leave.

But a thing with NieR is that if you’re not considering everyone’s perspective, you’re not getting even half of the story here. So on the other side...

Adam is born from the machine network in front of 2B and 9S. Initially he’s nonviolent, naked and confused. On the assumption that machines are the capital-E Enemy, 2B9S immediately attack him, but he quickly learns to fight back by reacting to the way they treat him, even verbally questioning why they’re doing this in the first place. In the end though, the protagonists go too far for him to counter back – they impale him on their swords, he groans, bleeds, falls to the ground, seemingly dead! But from the wound they made, there’s a bright light. Eve is born from Adam. He crawls out of the wound and screams. 2B and 9S see the consequences of their actions are more than they can handle at the moment, so they turn tail and run.

What I want to get into here:

1. What causes Eve to be born,

2. When do violence and sexuality intersect in this game,

3. How does this as a formative experience shape Adam’s character,

4. What, truly, is the relationship between Adam, Eve, 2B and 9S because you know it’s not just twin brothers and the people they torment for no reason, and,

5. What is the point of that intersection, the narrative purpose of this analogy in the first place?

[rubs hands together]

The way that 2B and 9S do this action to Adam, and Eve comes out of the wound they make, tells me one thing – he originates from the wound, he was conceived by the stabbing itself. But like, why. Why does stabbing Adam cause that?

The thing that causes Adam to be born is the community of machines that 2B and 9S find in the desert complex who are, before they all have a big fight about it, having sex. 9S calls it “imitating human speech” but literally, they are are all gathered together pretending to fuck each other or pretending to rock children in prop cradles. The second you get here that connection’s made. Child. Child. I love you. Kill. Machines across the game value their families but here the process that forms families is laid bare and honest. The progression here is love → sex → birth → children → family.

Later, in the desert area itself actually, you get a sidequest from the character Jackass where she’s doing research on the “excitement” YorHa androids feel during battle. The feeling she identifies is described this way – exciting, pleasurable, comforting. It seems more like how one would describe an intimate moment with a partner but it is, textually, what fighting and killing each other makes the androids feel. You can tell this is happening between 2B and 9S too, not just how they act against others as a unit, because later in the game it’s revealed that 9S knows on some level that 2B has been killing him over and over, but instead of pure hatred or betrayal there’s affectionate feelings and overflowing desire tangled up in there, and possessiveness too. He decides this is something he can only do with 2B. See this bit from the novels –

I'll kill anyone who hurts 2B. I'll kill anyone who touches 2B. I'll kill anyone who gets close to 2B. I'll kill anyone who looks at 2B. Because the only one who's allowed to look at 2B is me. The only one who's allowed to get close to 2B is me. The only one who's allowed to touch 2B is me. The only one who's allowed to hurt 2B is me. The only one allowed to…

– Yeah. This is something they do within the boundaries of a relationship where this getting close and hurting and killing him is something she’s done to him already, so it’s part of their intimacy in a fucked up way.

At the same time though, violence in Automata is WAR, it’s something people must dehumanise each other to do, it’s something they are obligated to do, forced by their assigned roles into doing in certain configurations and specifications and to each other only in the correct, commanded way. Again, uh, kinda like sex in the context of a gendered society! 2B’s secret executioner role puts her in the position of always the aggressor, defined by her acts of penetration against the other characters… I want to say usually effeminate or gender-ambiguous men at that.

As an aside, 9S literally re-wires himself to become a perpetrator in this way, he wasn’t built for this but he makes himself assume a penetrative role at the end of the game. The reason it’s not natural is because he’s a Scanner, or, well, he’s male. He has to take a woman’s arm and act with it in order to achieve these things. The gender dynamics are flipped-turnways everywhere in the game, which is part of why I believe 2B absolutely 100% mpregged Adam during the fight; that being pregnant is not a female thing to be here.

Anyway. The way 2B and 9S “kill” Adam is very intimate. Not to be crude, but he’s pressed between them and they shove something inside him. It’s not the only time in the game that stabbing or killing someone is a sexual thing, but it has pretty dire consequences. They penetrate him, and later Eve is born, and Eve’s the final boss of the first two routes. There’s only one action that causes births in real life.

This is sort of a double scene though because while this level of bloody violence is typically not something that’s wanted or consensual, that only applies to the literal version of this moment because of the way androids are wired. Adam is, for all intents and purposes, an android character, even if he’s of machine construction, he is still the full extent of humanlike person that this story presents. And Adam does fight back, he does keep up, the version of this scene where they’re having a weird robot threesome in the sand and overwhelming him IS something he participates in, but they three together go too far. They’re irresponsible with him and it results in this child that is Eve, and then they leave before they have to take responsibility for that. Adam being kind of a sexless creature at first means you can’t use physical sex to write off the fact that this is a pregnancy. Even if it lasts about 5 seconds. Moreover…

Eve calls Adam his brother, but that’s not quite correct. A brother is not the term for the family member that carries you before you’re born.

The dynamic with Eve is that Adam acts a lot older than him, even though they’re the same shape and almost the same age. He’s talking about how he hates wearing clothes and eating dinner, how Adam named him and all he really wants to do is play. He’s not just immature, he’s CHILDISH, genuinely like a child in simplicity and dependence – his boss music’s titled Dependent Weakling of all things.

Thus Adam’s the elder, he's a teacher, a carer, even though he doesn’t want to take care of Eve in this way. You can hear his frustration despite the fact that Eve doesn’t seem to ask for much, Eve has this unconditional love and devotion to him that he just doesn’t return even though he is still doing all these wire mother behaviors of feeding him and clothing him and such. There’s such a distance between them. Opposite sides of the table here.

You understand that the fight with Adam is his first experience. He did not exist before that fight. The thing that’s so interesting about this character is we’ve all seen villains that are manic and unhinged and disconnected from reality due to an early trauma, but this is different. This time it’s a player action. You did this, without even thinking of the ramifications! Like 2B and 9S do it but the fact that it’s a boss fight, the way you have to physically take action against him makes this a dynamic where the villain’s tragic backstory is your fault. Adam’s most formative experience is hatred and violence and it’s your fault. He walks two steps and is betrayed by existence, that’s why he comes to the conclusion that hatred is the core of the human experience.

But Eve’s formative experience is being with Adam. Eve knows what love is. Despite the fact that Adam does a real shithouse job of returning it.

You-the-player-as-2B9S have effectively saddled Adam with a child he never wanted, but is forced to take care of anyway because uh, those two aren’t going to help. It’s not like he never reaches out to them later either.

Eve’s love and gratitude to Adam for doing The Bare Fucking Minimum is reminiscent of a theme that’s been at the core of the series since Replicant; that is, the self-destructive fate of neglected children. When he lashes out HARD at 2B for killing Adam -- which was something Adam invited on himself, nay, abandoned Eve to do – he calls Adam his only brother. But he says it in a way that implies he believes brother is the only form of family.

Eve shares a voice actor with Brother Nier, which is probably just a fun coincidence, but there’s a common thread here that being neglected or abused in childhood, lacking a loving parental figure or being betrayed by that person sets them up to destroy themselves. Specifically, it sets them up to catastrophically explode upon experiencing the loss of a loved one who, even though the neglect dynamic was there, is the only reason that this person has for continuing to live with love in their heart. When Eve’s everything is gone, he hates everything else.

There is such a brutal tragedy to being raised in a way where he can’t do anything but be dependent, only to rip away the person he’s dependent on, which is like… this is entirely a choice that Adam/2B/9S make. Eve’s not wrong to blame 2B for killing Adam, not just because she literally did it, but because it was experiences with her that shaped Adam into the kind of person who would want her to kill him later.

I think it’s so easy to take this whole thing the wrong way and assume this “Niichan, play with me!” situation is part of the weird sexual bullshit, but I’d argue the opposite. The reason Adam and Eve’s interactions are so weird for a couple of brothers is because Adam’s his mother actually.

The other half of the conception is 2B and 9S. Eve looks like Adam because machines can’t transfer their genes or reproduce biologically of course, so he splits off identically like it’s mitosis, but in the function of the story he is a person produced by these other people.

As for abandoning Eve… Adam leaves specifically to repeat his mistakes with 2B. 2B’s the female-father to Adam’s male-mother, but he does drag both her and 9S back to him at one point in the Copied City. It gets WEIRD, he’s teasing and stroking 9S and stabbing him into the wall, goading 2B into killing him (again) and hugging her close when she does. He’s getting in between them to do it, too. Hot takery from the hot take bakery but I really think Adam’s inextricable from the sexuality between 2B9S and that they are inextricable from the sexuality he has as a character. I mean there’s this:

And this, when 2B penetrates him again IN FRONT OF 9S MY GOD:

I think it’s apparent that 2B is far from happy about her role in this.

All this is the first and last time you ever see him away from Eve – this isn’t for Eve’s eyes, it’s not something he has context for, but even further than that it’s the way that Adam abandons him to go seek whatever kind of excitement or pleasure or comfort he can find with 2B who is, y’know, THE DAD.

Before 2B arrives, Adam’s in 9S’ head talking to him about how he’s full of hate and anger and violent urges and desire. I call this the horny little man moment. But the reason Adam knows so intimately and so exactly that 9S, after being hurt by 2B, feels this cocktail of anger and wanting and wanting to [****] all at once is because Adam feels the exact same way and he is having a horny little man moment of destructive intensity on his own. There’s a strong mirror here with how 9S destroys himself in the end only to culminate in the final act of dying writhing on 2B’s sword. Just one last time. 9S :handshake emoji: Adam: “2B put her sword in me and I need it again.”

So if Adam is Eve’s mother and 2B-maybe-9S-also is Eve’s father and none of them no how to deal with him because they didn’t anticipate the consequences of how they deal with each other, if metaphorically Eve was an unwanted pregnancy that they’re all evading responsibility for, then this all begs the question of WHY THOUGH.

WHY IS IT THAT?

WHAT WAS THE REASON.

Because the concept of an unwanted child is a genius thing to evoke when it comes to a character who represents and literalises the consequences of your actions.

People tend to forget about this in the wake of Route C, but for more than half of the game, Eve is the main antagonist. Eve was made by your violence, Eve was motivated by your violence, Eve is a direct product of your violence and now he’s come back to hurt you and the only way you know how to deal with this is, yep, more fucking violence. Eve is the bed you made, Eve is the grave you dig, etc etc, but @sapphixxx said it calls to mind the quote about the Bourgeoisie manufacturing its own gravediggers. The violence feeds itself. This is the fourteenth Machine War.

Humans, as we know, are long gone at this point, the only reason these characters are still fighting and dying together is because the cycle of consequences has been repeating for an unfathomably long time. “You started it” repeating unto infinity. It is only fitting, then, that final boss, the Big Fucking Problem that 2B and 9S face at the end of the first two routes is literally literally literally-and-figuratively BORN from their actions committed to further the vicious cycle of war. Because when a person is born from your actions that’s your baby. That’s why Eve’s so baby.

This isn’t an indictment of 2B and 9S or necessarily sympathy with Adam – the game goes to great pains to show how these two suffer in this cycle and how much they hurt from the horrors they get caught up in and are forced to inflict on each other. But again, much like the first NieR, NieR:Automata maintains that you don’t have to be mentally unsound or consciously evil to do terrible things. You just need to be complicit. You just need to think you’re right. Brother Nier and 9S go so far into this mindset that they take out every human being and everyone from YorHa – the level of destruction is MASSIVE. And the thing that lets people stay complicit in great acts of violence or oppression is dehumanisation of the enemy.

Bringing it back to sex for a minute, Automata’s just so careful with it. Sex as love and sex as destruction coexist in this setting – 2B straddling 9S to strangle him springs to mind – but it’s in this way where you can feel these people wanting so hard for ways to be intimate without hurting each other. We talk about objectification and unwarranted sexualisation a lot and the thing about that is that it’s sexuality + dehumanisation, a combination that is shown to be horribly destructive here.

There’s obviously not a happy ending for all three of the trio I’ve been talking about together, not all at once, but I think it’s really fascinating that before the True End with 2B, 9S’ ending allows him to sort of start a new life on the Ark with Adam and Eve. For a long time I wasn’t sure why they’d bring Adam back at that point, but I feel like I know now. He’s your bi-gendered bi-sexual boy-mom of your baby and he’s in this relationship. He’s in this relationship. Lol.

To sum up:

Weird robot desert threesome real and true and so, so important to the themes of this nasty, grimy, horny story that I really believe is one of the best games ever written. Also Eve did nothing wrong.

[bangtangalicious]

death valley (m) | part 7

summary: welcome to death valley. once you’re in, there’s no telling whether you’ll make it out alive. a summer internship turns wild with blurry nights of dangerous men, dirty money, and extremely hot sex. you soon get caught in a savage game of greed, power and obsession, only to find out that you are the grand prize

pairing: ot7 x f.reader smut ft: yoongi x reader, seokjin x reader, hoseok x reader

genre: smut. yandere. mystery. thriller. gang!au rockstar!au fightclub!au

wordcount: 9.3k 

warnings: reader discretion advised. multiple & explicit smut scenes, rough sex (smacking, manhandling, etc), very obsessive & possessive themes, manipulation, use of restraints (mouth), bondage (collar, leash), slight sadism kink, physical roughness, guns, heavy drug use/reference, breast play, mentions of addiction/addiction prone behaviors, unrealistic sex endurance levels (readers really out here banging), dubcon/coersive sex, reader uses humor as a coping mechanism, degradation, toxic relationships, yelling, crying, character death (or is it), oral sex, shower sex, technically cheating depending on how you look at it, daddy kink, praise, implied stalking, yoongi loves spoiling his baby girl, impreg kink if you squint, dom!yoongi (duh), dom!hoseok, dom!seokjin 

part 0 | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10 | part 11 | series navi | masterlist |

a/n: i spent way too long on this HAHAHA 

F L A S H B A C K--

The crowd roared as the fight came to a close. Jin stepped out of the ring reluctantly, someone handed him water while another man wrapped a towel around his shoulders. A soft ringing noise resonated through his ears, blood teasing the edges of his vision. He pushed everyone away to find his prep room. Sighing deeply, he looked down at his trembling hands. His body was on overdrive, he was getting desperate. 

He placed his hands against the wall, unable to think straight with the way his heart was pounding out of his chest. He could hear the footsteps of someone stop in his doorway, not having to look to know exactly who it was.

“Do you have any coke on you?” Jin wiped the sweat off of his forehead with a towel, panting heavily, “Seriously Jimin. I’m gonna fucking lose my mind” 

Jin had always been extremely unstable. It was in his personality to get aggressively addicted to things. Whenever Jin went too long without it, it was like he surrendered himself to a beast. Jimin liked to call it his maniac side.

“Can you stop thinking about getting high for one fucking second? We have a problem here” Jin hears a soft thud causing him to finally turn and look. Jimin had just dropped your unconscious body onto the hard floor.

“Well well. Who is this?” Jin crouched down and slid his fingers over your parted lips, digging his nail into the soft flesh until it began to bleed slightly. As you eyes slowly began to flutter open, a carnal desire coiled in Jin’s chest. He had never seen anyone quite like you before.

"Hi there cutie” Jin grinned, “What’s your name?” Your eyes were quivering with fear, something about your vulnerable state was so delicious to him. You glanced towards Jimin, only beginning to tremble even more.

“P..park Jimin” You gasped, “Oh my goodness! I...I love you. Wait no. I...sorry...I’m a huge fan” You rubbed your eyes. Jin’s heart trembled at your dazed expression. “Where am I? What’s going on?” He wanted to eat you alive. 

Jimin joined Jin on the floor besides you “Well thank you pretty girl. It’s nice to meet you...?”

“Y/n” You introduced yourself, shaking his hand before turning to Jin, looking at him with your tempting, lustful eyes. Y/n. Jin’s head was pounding as the withdrawal began taking over him. He had never seen someone so beautiful in his life. 

Jin had never found anyone else even close to catching his eye before. He would sit mindlessly on his phone while girls would be on their knees, gagging on his cock, waiting for the mind-numbing minutes until he could finally cum and leave. The prospect of a relationship, of love, it seemed otherworldly. Perhaps it wasn’t for him. He had drugs and that kept him happy. But you. You were a high he had yet to fully taste. Looking at you alone had him feeling a glow unlike any other.

“Hey” You said to him. Jin felt dizzy as you spoke, getting lost in your gaze, “You’re the fighter guy right? Jin?”

Hearing you say his name had him bucking forward, trying to hide his growing erection from the famous star who was by his side. “Yeah. Hi. Great to meet you”

Jimin got up, brushing the dust off of his pants, “I’m getting out of here” He grabbed his jacket from your arms, “Jin, please search her address and get Y/n home.” Jimin reached into his back pocket “These should make her forget” He slid a pill into your mouth and you swallowed obediently. 

Jin began to break a sweat, watching the way your lips sucked in the small capsule and gulped it down it so nicely. Jimin left without another beat, leaving you in Jin’s arms, your eyes getting heavy with each passing second.

You blinked, eyes wide with uncertainty as Jin held you close. “You can take me home?”

Jin nodded, “I need to do something really quick first” He slid his hand down his pants to begin palming his erection. His vision was turning blue as his headache began to spread. “God you’re so pretty” He grabbed your jaw, ensuring that you couldn’t look anywhere but his face. 

Jin felt like his mind was running miles a minute. You looked so cute and helpless. He wanted to tear you to pieces, he wanted to see you bruised and battered, splayed out for him to ravish you as he pleased. 

Was it wrong? Was it wrong that he wanted to shove his cock in your mouth while you slowly lost consciousness? In the moment, nothing made more sense to him. 

Your pretty lips, your sweet eyes, how could he not? Your lips trembled, eyes half lidded, rolling back slightly as you fought to stay awake.

“Oh fuck oh fuck. Don’tttt...don’t fucking look at me like that Y/n. If you look at me like that I’m gonna--gonna--ohhhh baby, fuck what are you doing to me” Jin gasped loudly as cum spilled all over his palm. 

P R E S E N T   D A Y--

Amongst the sweet bliss of your dreams, a current washed over you and reality had your eyes opening. Your heart felt heavy as your vision focused in on the dry walls that continued to encage you. Your body pulsed with soreness, reminding you of the previous nights events.

To say you were upset would be an understatement, but you were shocked more than anything. You had never seen Jin act so unhinged before. It was almost as though he quite literally couldn’t control himself, the thought alone bringing a bitter taste to your mouth.

Before you could decide on whether to give him a piece of your mind and reprimand his behavior, you hear him wincing with pain across the room. He lay leaned against the wall, sweat trickling down his muscles from the heat. His head tilted back in a soft groan, dark hair now extremely tangled and messy.

“Are you okay?” You got up with a start. Jin exhaled before shaking his head in defeat. 

“No, my leg still really fucking hurts. I feel like absolute shit right now” He punched the side of his fist into the ground in frustration. “I feel like I’m going insane” 

You couldn’t even begin to imagine his pain. At least you got to leave the cell for some time, he had been here all along. Alone. Wounded. It was just awful. Yoongi should have had the courtesy to take him to the hospital, but then again did Yoongi even have a courteous bone in his body? You were no longer sure. 

“It just sucks too because I’m trapped here, helpless, and all I can fucking do is feel this pain” Jin's jaw clenched. "And I’m sorry for last night I just...you were just there, so close. I just couldn’t help it. I could finally forget the pain even if it was just for a moment”

“It’s okay, I understand” You knew that feeling far too well. Jin reached his arms out to you, pulling you to sit next to him. His hands trailed down your thighs as he looked at you intently. “You know, I don’t mind...if it helps distract you from the pain. We can” You cleared your throat nervously, heat rising to your cheeks, “I mean, just tell me what you need”

Jin’s eyes widened with surprise. “Really?” He asks, gulping, “You don’t have to”

“I want to Jin. Let me help. I’m half the reason you’re in this mess” You would be lying if you said you hadn’t thought about it. Jin was extremely handsome, you had noticed that from the moment you saw him in the arena. With a body like that, your heart skipped a beat at what all he might have in store for you.

His fingers slid between your legs, making you gasp softly. He tickled your clothed cunt softly. He flattened his fingers, teasing your entrance before moving to your clit. Licking his lips, he sucked lightly on your ear. Your hips bucked up as a ticklish sensation shot through your body. You felt wet. 

And you knew he could feel it too, as he drew his fingers away. “Can I?” He mumbled into your neck. You nodded, flustered and warm all over as he pushed your panties aside and began drawing light circles on your clit. You twitch at the sensations hitting your nerves. His other hand cupped your jaw tightly, turning your face towards him.

“Oh fuckk, Jin that feels so good” You didn’t know why you felt so horny, whether it was the morning or the temporary relief from reality. Jin carefully slid one finger into your cunt, just barely, his delicate movements sending shocks of pleasure through your tired body.

Your pussy clenched down on his finger, and he growled. Pulling out, he popped the finger into his mouth before sighing, “Can I tell you what I want?” You could hear a slight tremble in his voice, “Will you do anything for me?”

You choked on your own breath, nodding dumbly as Jin’s gaze flashed with desire. “Get on all fours over me. Wanna spank that pretty ass”

Jin was taken aback at your willingness. You obeyed so well, his hands kneaded your tender flesh, enjoying the view of your ass sticking out for him. You winced as you felt his palm smack against you hard, making your knees tremble with pain and pleasure. 

That’s for sleeping with Jungkook. He smacked again, with full force. He knew it stung. He could hear the pain in your pathetic whimpers and he loved it. And Hobi. Smack. And Jimin. Smack. You cried out as the impact caused you to fall forward onto your chest. And Yoongi. 

Your ass was flushed, as he tenderly rubbed over the bruises he had so generously given you. He leaned forward, letting his tongue glide over the soreness before playfully biting down.

“Jin...that hurts” He ignored you, proceeded to slide down his pants, his turgid length already incredibly hard. He tugged at his cock quickly, the sounds of his slippery pre-cum barely noticeable under your soft moans. 

“Sit on my cock. Nice and easy, lean back on me” His cock twitched as you turned your head to look back at him briefly, your eyes glossy from the pain, but full of curiosity nevertheless. You crawled back over him to line his cock with your soaking cunt. Jin grabbed your hips, helping ease you down onto his length. 

“Ah...ah...” His size stretched you out, pussy swallowing him in. You cursed, eyes rolling back. He wanted to see your face, see how fucked out you would look as he gave it to you so good. 

“Quiet, he might hear us.” He carefully tugged off his shirt from your body with your help, then used it to cover your mouth. He pulled the knot tight,  the fabric tugging at the sides of your mouth uncomfortably. 

His hands stroked over your bare chest quietly, humming in approval, “That’s a good girl...gonna be all quiet for me now right?” His cock twitched inside of you as he heard your muffled voice. His fingers weaved through your hair before he clenched his fist, making you wince. He pulled your head back as he thrusted up into your soaking cunt “Hear that? You’re loving this aren’t you, you fucking whore”

He grabbed your neck, holding it in a tight grip as he pounded up into you. He no longer cared if he was being too loud, he moaned at the top of his lungs. You felt so good. Your pussy welcomed his cock like it was meant to be there, so slippery and warm for him to just fuck over and over and over again.

He couldn’t hear you softly plead for him to let you breathe over the sounds of his own cursing. He didn’t care. If you passed out, you deserved to. Your body was his for the taking, it had to learn. You said yourself you would do what he wanted. He needed this. It was the least you could do for all the trouble he’d been through for you.

He let your neck go, and as you gasped for a saving breath, he felt your walls leak all over him. Your muffled cries sounding like music to his ears. Your whole body was shaking from pleasure. 

His gaze fell onto your back, sinking his teeth onto your scars. You winced loudly as he marked you, his knife wound from the previous night still stinging and tender with pain.

Grabbing your head again, he pushed your face down onto the ground. You thrusted your hips helplessly, feeling your orgasm approaching as the cold floor pressed painfully against your nose. 

“Wait..wait...I’m so close” Your words were intangible through the cloth. You were humping down on him so desperately he couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him. There, in front of him with your ass bouncing from how feverishly you wanted to cum all over his cock, he was in heaven. 

Jin felt your heat melt as you came, screaming in ecstasy against the restraint. You limply relaxed onto the floor as Jin continued to thrust up into you, holding your hips down tightly to dig deeper and deeper into your messy, dripping cunt.

Jin felt like his whole body would explode in pleasure. This was the peak. His life couldn’t get any better than this moment where he had you just like he dreamed. He wondered if it would always feel this good. Of course it would. It was you after all. 

Your core clenched as the stimulation became too much. He looked into your eyes and could see the streams of tears staining your cute cheeks. It was that look. That pleading look that was begging him to stop. Jin came with a loud cry, tilting his head back as he smacked your locker back one final time. 

Breathing heavily, he lifted you off of him, watching his seed leak out of you. You laid down onto your side, absolutely spent. He slid down to lay behind you, hugging you to him as he undid the mouth wrap with his teeth. He stroked your body tenderly, hands finding your breasts. 

“Holy shit” You coughed, finally able to breathe air directly. “Officer Kim Seokjin, that was...wow”

Jin didn’t respond, he simply smiled, pinching your nipples causing you to squirm. That was nothing baby. 

-

Taehyung hated being wrong. He hated not knowing and not having control of any situation. So when Yoongi was shaking his head, denying that he had caused all the recent chaos that had been keeping Taehyung up at night, he felt like he was going to tear the entire bar apart, floorboard by floorboard. 

“Y/n had mentioned she was kidnapped. I didn’t hear about it from you so I figured it must have been Jimin, and that you made sure she didn’t really get hurt. It ended up with her opening up to me, so I wasn’t really too mad about it” Yoongi said calmly, sipping his drink.

“From the footage it looked like Namjoon and Y/n took the pills and blacked out. Hobi was drunk too, but when he sobered up he had gotten a call to take them to the warehouse. I figured you had told him to do that.” 

Yoongi raised his eyebrows, “Why the fuck would I want to kidnap and beat up Namjoon? I need him healthy to fight. Don’t be such an idiot Kim"

“It wasn’t just that though. Jimin’s accident happened right after I sent you the video. I figured you were jealous”

Setting his glass down, Yoongi swiveled in his stool to light a cigar before leaning back casually “The video of Y/n and Jimin fucking? Please, I don’t give a shit”

“Well, then I told you that Jungkook showed her the lab and gave her literal heroin so I imagine you weren’t happy about that”

The smoke dissipated slowly from his lips. Taehyung frowned at the scent. “I wasn’t. But still, I didn’t stab him. I was with Y/n, taking care of her because I love her.”

Taehyung clenched his fists. He did not want to hear Yoongi go on and on about how much he loved you, he did not care. He wanted to know who was messing with his plans. Taehyung had things to do. He had operations in play. He couldn’t afford any mistakes.  

“Is that all? Jimin’s album is coming out tomorrow so I need to get some rest” Yoongi scoffed suddenly, “Especially now that Jimin’s gone ahead and brought Y/n into the media’s eye. What a fucking idiot”

“How are you planning on dealing with him? Are you gonna kill him?”

Yoongi laughed. “Taehyung. Seriously. What is up with you these days? If I wanted Jimin dead he would be dead dumbass.” Yoongi clicked his tongue, “Like I said before, I’m not worried about her and Jimin. She hates him. I know she does.”

Taehyung was not expecting that at all. Not from Yoongi. He had seen Yoongi wrench out people’s teeth if they didn’t pay him. He had seen Yoongi shoot innocent people, not even noticing when Taehyung had to turn around and puke his guts out because of it. But looking at the powerful man besides him now, he could barely recognize him.

“Just find out who was giving Hobi those orders and kill them. I don’t care who it is, just kill them. I don’t even want to know. I don’t have time for this”

Taehyung pursed his lips, “Yoongi, you know that Jimin does really like Y/n too, right? Like, he might be falling in love with her.” Yoongi gave him a look indicating that he was not taking him seriously, “I’m serious! I’ve never seen him like this and I’m surprised you aren’t more worried”

“Taehyung. Do you think I’m dumb?” Yoongi’s expression shifted to one of annoyance, “I knew what I was doing when I offered her an internship. I knew what I was doing when I signed Jimin on, knowing full well how much of a fan she is. Of course I knew she would pursue him. I needed her to see for herself, what a bratty piece of shit that man is. I knew she would hate him Taehyung, killing him would mean she might still care. She might still have feelings for him. That’s not what I need. She can only love me. I have to show her I’m better than him”

Yoongi took another puff of his cigar before continuing, “Now, I’ll admit things got fucked up when fucking Namjoon kept on bringing her to Death Valley. Idiot doesn’t take a fucking hint.”

Taehyung gulped down the rest of his drink before slamming the glass on the bar top. “Another please” He waved to the bartender. “I can take Jin off your hands now. He’s seen your face, but he might know stuff so it could be good to keep him alive” Yoongi simply shrugged, setting his cigar aside.

“I don’t care what you do with him. I want her alone tomorrow. I’m coming clean”

-

The next morning, Yoongi brought Taehyung back to the apartment. Taehyung lifted Jin out of the cell and claimed to be taking him to a clinic. After they left, it was just you and Yoongi.

Yoongi crouched down and extended a hand to you, not wanting to come too close. He knew you were upset with him. He could feel it. 

“Morning my love” His voice was songlike, eyes pleading as he looked at you, an absolute mess on the floor, like you were his whole world. “Come on, let me run you a bath. I’m sorry”

You knew if you looked at him for too long you wouldn’t be able to resist. But after everything you had just heard, you wanted to just be alone.

“I’ll explain everything. I promise, I don’t want any lies between us” Reluctantly, you took his hand and he pulled you up into a hug. You teared up at his embrace. You could feel the simple adoration through his touch. You could have just melted into his arms.

Leading you out of the cell, he sat you down in the kitchen while he went to draw a hot bath for you. “Will you be joining me?” You asked him dryly, attempting to put up some attitude in whatever way you could. 

To your surprise he shook his head, “No. I’ll wait till you’re done. Enjoy yourself” You frowned slightly, knowing a part of you didn’t want to hear the answer. “If you need anything just call for me okay?” He took your hands in his, kissing them gently. “After, I want to give you something. I’ve put some clothes for you on the dresser inside”

“Wait” You gasped, taking in his presence fully. “I’m sorry a...about Jimin and the media”

Yoongi shook his head, “It’s not your fault. It’s like you said, he’s just a typical rockstar” The two of your shared a small laugh. You realized then how rarely you had ever seen Yoongi smile. It was a beautiful smile, and you hoped to see it again.

You stepped into Yoongi’s bathroom. It wasn’t very large, but it was very high tech. A modern tub lay with soft white suds dancing over it. You grinned inwardly as you saw how he had laid out a blunt and a lighter for you. The water smelt of lavender, and was just the right temperature as you stripped down and slid in. You closed your eyes, inhaling deeply while appreciating the moment of peace. The eye of the storm. Inside you knew that this might be the only break you would get. Jimin’s album was coming out tomorrow. You had no idea what to expect. 

“Yoongi” You called out, tilting your head back and sinking into the tub deeper. 

He appeared rapidly, not really reacting to your undressed state as he knelt down by the tub, “Everything okay?”

“Stay here” You moved your arm out of the water, soap dripping onto the tiled floor as you tilted Yoongi’s cheek towards you and kissed him deeply. “Join me” You gasped into his mouth, “Please”

Yoongi kept his lips on yours, pushing his tongue into your mouth. He missed kissing you so much. Not having you the past night had been incredibly hard for him. “No love. I need you to relax. I’m about to tell you some things today and...you might be scared.”

You whined against him, pulling him closer to you while he did little to resist, “But I want you” You pouted.

Yoongi rolled his eyes with a soft smirk, “I want you too love. Don’t stay in there too long okay. Then get dressed and I’ll be in the kitchen” With one final kiss on your lips, he backed away from you, and you slid back into the warm water.

Yoongi had set out a cute little sundress for you, one that was scandalously sheer, but nevertheless cute. The dress felt blissfully light on your body, a slight breeze fluttering up your skirt as you spun around in front of a large mirror. 

You felt sexy, but most of all you felt free. You sighed heavily as you made your way to the kitchen, twirling around playfully before falling back into Yoongi’s embrace. 

“Hey” You got on your tippy toes to allow Yoongi to plant a kiss on your lips from behind you, smiling into one another. There was that smile again. It made your heart melt like butter. 

He wrapped his arms around you, nuzzling into your neck, “Fuck love you smell so good. You look so good.” You giggled as you felt his erection press up on your ass “How can I control myself...” His words were breathless as his hands trailed down to the hem of your dress, lifting it lightly to reveal the frilly lingerie he had bought for you. He cursed under his breath, pulling your ass back against him.

“Ah ah! You said you were gonna give me something” You teased, getting your payback for earlier. Yoongi nodded, reaching into the drawer to bring out a box. He slid it onto the kitchen counter “Is this for me?” He nods as you excitedly open the box. In it is a pistol, with gold accents and your initials engraved onto the side with what looked like diamonds. Beneath the device was a magazine of matching color. You looked at Yoongi with shock.

“I had it made just for you. Do you like it?” His hands covered yours as he guided you to take the gun into your hands and load the magazine into it. “I hope you never have to use it. But I needed you to have something to protect yourself” He turned and pulled your wrists to aim the barrel against his heart. “You could even kill me if you wanted to”

You were at a loss for words, but Yoongi continued, keeping the gun in your hand aimed at himself “I’m not a good guy Y/n. I’m dangerous. That’s why I had Taehyung take you out of Death Valley that night and had to throw you into that cell.” He gave you so space backing away. You felt bad, knowing that he must be feeling anxious to reveal himself to you, despite you knowing exactly what he was going to say.

You tried to give him a comforting look, unable to move your hands from his steady grip, “I’m a gangster.”

He waited for you to react. You weren’t sure what to do, so you just parted your lips in feigned shock. Wow! No way! Really! You felt like laughing, but his gaze was so serious you stopped yourself.

"I have a drug syndicate. At Death Valley. The money I make from that I use to gamble. That’s why we have the fights. I have boys trained and bet money on them. We make millions through that but really it’s just power plays” He looks away from you momentarily, “Anyways, no one knows that I, Min Yoongi, am the one running things there, but still I have a lot of enemies. A lot of people would love to see me dead. To see me lose.”

“Since you’re my partner, you are a liability. I need you to be safe. Normally I’ll have someone from the gang accompany you wherever you go. You won’t know who it is so don’t worry about it, it’s just in case anything happens” 

Partner? Since when? You frowned slightly at the label. Then again, this guy did carve his name into your skin. Maybe that was how big scary gangsters asked girls out these days, who were you to judge. 

“I don’t want you to be scared of me okay” Yoongi finally took the gun from you and set it aside, “Me giving you this means I trust you. With my secret and my life.”

You began to feel flustered. You hadn’t even thought about what it would mean to actually date or be associated with a gang member, let alone a kingpin. Now the media thought you were dating Jimin, who was also conveniently high up in all this. 

“I know it’s a lot” Yoongi said. “You can always ask me if you have questions. Now let’s get to work okay. Big day coming, I need my your expert opinion by my side”

-

The low growl of the engine was the only sound to be heard as Taehyung drove Jin to his own home. The world came still as he parked the car. Sighing heavily, he checked his radar before exiting the car, lifting Jin.

“You think you can stand buddy?” Jin nodded, and Taehyung slowly helped him find steady ground. He held Jin up, assisting him as they walked in through the back entrance to his basement. 

A single lightbulb illuminated just enough for Taehyung and Jin to see each other’’s faces. Nothing more, nothing less. Wiping sweat from his forehead, he placed Jin into a chair. 

“So it’s this Yoongi guy huh” Jin remarked. “And surprise surprise...you’re his little bitch too. Do your lips hurt from all the ass you have to kiss?”

“Oh please, Yoongi can go to hell for all I care.” Taehyung chuckled, surveying an array of knives that were displayed on the wall before his eyes settled on a small blade, curved ever so slightly. “I do need you to keep your mouth shut about me to Jimin though. If it weren’t for me, Yoongi would have let you rot in there”

Jin tilted his head, a small smile growing on his face as he understood the implications of Taehyung’s words, “I see. You’re plotting against both of them huh?”

“What’s I’m plotting is none of your goddamn business, Officer. So tell me, what’s it gonna take to keep you quiet hm? Money? More coke?”

“You know, I might be able to help you. You’re playing a dangerous game Taehyung. I know what you’re doing and I know how you plan on doing it. You’re using Y/n as bait. You’re using her to pin Jimin against Yoongi so you can sweep in and take over.”

Taehyung froze. First he smiled, then burst out into giggles before full on laughing. “It’s that obvious huh? Fine, hypothetically let’s say we work together. What’s in it for you?”

Jin licked his lips, “All I ask, is that when the dust settles, Y/n is mine. I know things Taehyung. I’m a cop after all”

Taehyung rolled his eyes and sighed, “Is that it?”

“And I get to kill them. My way”

Taehyung took a moment to think. “Okay Officer. You might just have yourself a deal.”

-

The clicking of the keyboard resonated through Yoongi’s office that was all but quiet as the chaos of an upcoming release had taken the whole building by storm. 

He had you sitting on his thigh, hands around his neck as he would run final details by you. But with the way he would occasionally tap his foot, causing his leg to vibrate underneath you, you couldn’t help craving him more and more with each passing minute.

He wouldn’t react as you nibbled his ear, placed kisses on his neck. You sighed loudly, sexual frustration building up within you. Finally you slid down a strap of your dress, letting it, along with your bra, glide down your breast. You tried to pull his chin towards you but he was too caught up in reading the emails he had gotten.

You really did respect the guy. For whatever he is, he took his work...of all kinds...very seriously. That itself turned you on. “Yoongi” You cooed at him, causing him to hum slightly.

“Yes love?” He muttered, a hint of annoyance in his voice. 

“Look” He finally surrendered to you, allowing you to turn his chin to see your perky breast in his line of vision. He was surprised, looking at you briefly before placing his mouth over you and suckling you roughly. 

You bit your lip, his tongue felt hot as he rolled it around your nipples. He took his time, lapping away at you, digging his teeth and gliding his wet lips over the perked bud. 

You buried your face into his soft black hair, his musky scent overwhelming you. Stuttering his name from your lips as he continued to suck your tit harshly, his hands trailed up your bare legs under the skirt of your dress to tug at the waistline of your panties. He let his fingers glide beneath the soft lace, teasing you.

Yoongi gave your breast a final sloppy kiss, before he let go with a pop, looking up at your fucked out face. He chuckled, bringing one hand to slide down your other strap and then tenderly squeezing your other breast. He rolled the tip between his fingers before placing his mouth of it.

Heat was coiling in your chest, soft whines leaving your parted lips. You moved from his thigh to straddle his waist, rolling your hips against his growing bulge. The friction shot pleasure through your core, making you leak with desire. 

You were sure Yoongi could feel how wet you were. Nevertheless his focus remained on ravishing your breast. He left chaste kisses on your eager nub, nipping away as his mouth tenderly sucked, making sure to give it as much attention as the other. 

His kisses then trailed between your breasts, traveling up to your neck where they became rougher. His movements tickled you, making you squirm as he kissed beneath your jaw, tilting your face back. 

“Mmm that’s enough love, we can’t here” He mumbled. You groaned in complaint, panting with frustration as Yoongi’s lips left your skin and his hands pulled your straps back onto your shoulders. “I booked us a room somewhere special for a few days because our bedroom is still fucked up from the other night. We can have each other there, I promise, okay love?”

-

Yoongi was a man of taste. Being in the rock industry, he was used to things being grunge and edgy, but personally he always had a soft spot for excellence. That’s why, while maintaining the all black getup, he would dress in silk shirts, pure silver jewelry and diamond studded jackets. 

He had picked a hotel not too far from the label, but one of the finest places in miles around. It was the same venue that would be the site of Jimin’s album release event the following night. Yoongi had booked out the largest suite in the building, wanting to show you the best night of your life. 

And you had a feeling it would be, as you walked in to the large room, lit with purple LED undertones that complemented the fading sunset that was gleaming in through the expansive glass wall. On the bed was a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice.

“Holy shit” You mumbled, wandering around as Yoongi directed the bellboys to bring in the luggage. Yoongi insisted he would take care of all your needs when packing. He claimed to have someone go back to your apartment and grab some of your essential items, but also insisted in buying you new things. You had to admit, gangster or not, Yoongi really knew how to spoil a girl.

You leaned against the glass, peering out at the skyline, a bright coral pink even still. Yoongi came up besides you, tilting your face towards him to kiss you fondly. 

“Can I pour you a drink love?” He sighed into your mouth. You nodded, watching as Yoongi pulled the champagne out of the bucket, popping the cork and pouring two glasses with ease. He hands you one, clinking his own against yours. You took a few sips, savoring the slightly sour bubbly liquid before setting your glass aside. Yoongi pulled you towards him by the waist. 

“This is all amazing Yoongi” You wrapped your arms around his neck. He caressed your hips, swaying you against him almost as though you were slow dancing. After a quick peck to the lips he spoke again,

“I’ve been thinking about the future. How would you like to work for me full time? As a junior producer?”

Your eyes widened in surprise, “I...wow, I would love that, that would be the dream” Yoongi smiled, gliding his lips over your cheek, behind your ear where he began to leave small wet kisses. His hands trailed up your sides and he hooked his fingers under the strap of your dress, tugging it so the garment slid seamlessly off your body and onto a pile on the floor.

“Shit” Yoongi bit his lip, eying you up and down in your angelic lingerie. “Just missing one thing” You pouted as he stepped away from you, walking over to a cabinet to pull a studded black collar and leash from the drawer. 

He wrapped the collar around your neck carefully, adjusting the strap so that it was nice and tight. He admired the way it looked against your skin, tracing and tugging on it with his fingers.

“Beautiful.” Taking the leash in his hand, he gently pushed you down onto your knees, stroking your cheek as you looked up at him eagerly. “You know what to do” He blew a kiss at you teasingly.

You began to unbutton his pants, sliding them down along with his boxers. Licking you lips, you took his length into your hands, stroking him slowly, looking up for his validation. 

He groaned at your touch “Look at you hm?” His fingers harshly ran along your jaw, pulling playfully at your bottom lip “So fucking pretty”

He tugged your lip forward, prompting you to get your mouth on his cock, his other hand holding himself steady against the wall. You wrapped your lips around the tip, letting you tongue circle around.

Your breath hitched as Yoongi suddenly tugged at your leash, forcing his cock down your throat. You gagged immediately, but he kept your face pulled forward.

You flattened your tongue, allowing Yoongi to thrust himself against the slippery sensation. His cock filled your throat, making it impossible for you to breathe. You could taste the sour pre-cum against the rigid veins all over his girthy length. 

He loved the way you took him, so messy. You slobbered all over his cock, the sounds of you choking and coughing like music to his ears. Your lips were swollen and fucked out, eyes bulging as you desperately tried to maintain yourself. Tears built at the corned of your eyes making him buck his hips. You were his. Like he had always wanted. He finally owned you.

You felt his cum shoot straight down your throat, causing you to gasp in desperation, cheeks hollowing enough to allow him to push even further down your throat. Once you surrendered to swallow, Yoongi pulled out, a mixture of cum and saliva dripping all over your face. 

“Bend over, hands on the wall” He ordered through gritted teeth. He lined himself up behind you, sneaking a finger deep into your heat, relishing in the wet pool of your arousal and how you leaked out all over his palm. He pushed another finger in, pumping you furiously before his eyes narrowed in on your back.

You felt his fingers fall out, causing you to whine. A sudden tug of the leash pulled you back into his chest. 

“What is this?” He growled, a finger gliding over the knife scar through his name on your back. You stuttered, the collar knocking the breath out of you. “Who did this?”  He dug his nails into you making you wince. 

“W..what are you talking about?” Yoongi turned you around and slapped you hard.

“You know what I’m talking about. Who marked you? Who fucking dared?” He was yelling loudly despite being so close to your face. You tried to turn away but he wouldn’t let you.

“I...” You gulp. If you told Yoongi it was Jin, he would definitely go kill him. You needed Jin to be alive, in fact you were hardly even sure if he was anymore. A part of you knew Taehyung wouldn’t actually kill him. He didn’t deserve to die, not for something like this. “I don’t know”

Yoongi glared at you, the fire in his eyes evident. He dragged you relentlessly to the bed, taking the leash and using it to tie your arms to your chest. 

“You wanna play fucking games huh?” Yoongi screamed. You trembled, his demeanor beginning to scare you, “I’ll show you. I’ll fucking show you what happens when you hide something from me. You’re staying like this, locked in here until you decide to tell me the truth you got that?”

Tears were already streaking down your face as you nodded. Yoongi scowled at you before climbing in the other side of the bed and turning off the lights. 

-

Hobi arrived at the banquet hall. Preparations were already being made. The hustle of his coworkers preparing for the album release press conference and the subsequent celebration. 

A few people greeted him, but looking around he noticed an absence of a certain energy. Jimin was sitting on the stage, reading over his answer sheets while his make-up artists poked at his face.

Hobi didn’t feel an ounce of guilt about what he had done to Jimin. He never liked the guy, despite having to put up a cordial face around him. It was tough for him to help Jimin put songs together when he just wanted to wrench his guts out and put a bullet through his head. 

He tried avoiding the star when he could, but Jimin sought him out “Hey Hobi c’mere” Jimin snapped his fingers, pushing away the people surrounding him. Hobi took a deep breath before approaching him.

“Have you seen Y/n?”

Hobi raised his eyebrows. He at first had not been sure if you would have actually been killed or not after Jin’s little stunt the other night. It was a relief to him when he saw you appear in the news at Jimin’s side, but he was confused. 

“I figured she was here already. Maybe she’s with Yoongi” Jimin rolled his eyes, “That motherfucker, honestly. Did you know those two were hanging out because I fucking didn’t” Jimin hissed. “He branded her. Apparently they got really high, she said it was an accident but I dunno that’s a bit much even for Yoongi. You should have seen how pissed off he was”

“Hanging out?” Hobi asked curiously, “Y/n and Yoongi?” He felt his stomach flip uncomfortably. “Yoongi never hangs out with employees, let alone interns”

Jimin shrugged, “Can’t blame him honestly. She’s a temptress. I’ve slept with her a bunch of times and it just keeps getting better and better”

Hobi did everything in his power not to slug Jimin in his face, out of respect to the make up artists who had spent so long trying to make this bastard look presentable. “I know” 

“You do?” Jimin grinned, “Right...you who almost dated for half a second there. Then Yoongi and his fucking rules came and blew it all up” Jimin playfully pushed Hobi’s shoulder, “Man. You gotta just claim what’s yours and say fuck em. Next time. She’s mine now though, sorry”

Hobi rolled his eyes, knowing full well that you loathed Jimin. Nevertheless, the spoilt brat had a point. When the fuck did Yoongi hang out with Y/n? It didn’t make sense. 

Turning to one of the overseeing secretaries, Hobi questioned which room Yoongi was staying, intending to pay him a quick visit. The secretary gave him the room number, warning him that Yoongi had mentioned he might be unavailable in the morning as he had a few errands to run. 

Hobi wandered through the hotel, heading to the elevator to arrive at the top floor with all the suites. When he arrived at the door, he noticed the sign on the handle with raised eyebrows. Nevertheless he knocked “Yoongi! It’s me? Can we chat for a bit?”

“Hobi! Oh my God Hobi help me! Get me out of here!” Goosebumps appeared all over him as your shrill voice leaked through the door, “I can’t move please”

His hands were trembling. What the hell was going on? He budged at the door but it was locked. Cursing under his breath, he pulled out his gun, taking the handle and using it to knock of the handle. He pushed through the door, swallowing thickly as he saw you, leash hooked up to the bed frame, hands tied, in such a sexy little lingerie set his heart felt like exploding then and there.

“What the fuck?” Hobi rushed over to you, untying you from your restraints and clicking off the collar. Your hands went to your neck, soothing the red marks that had appeared due to the tight hold. “Yoongi did this?”

You nodded “He was punishing me. He was gonna keep me locked in here” You wanted to cry but you couldn’t even find it within yourself. Hobi noticed how defeated you looked. He hated seeing you like this.

“Why?”

You looked into his eyes, sighing at the true ignorance. Hobi knew so little about everything you had been through, you didn’t have the heart to place the burden onto him.

“Can we just get out of here? Please? I need a fucking drink” He nodded, rubbing the pads of his fingers softly over the imprints of the tight bands on your arms. “Let me get changed. That motherfucker was gonna make me miss my first album release party,” You scoffed, laughing bitterly as you stood up, “I’ll fucking show him. I’m gonna look hot as fuck and I’m gonna be all over Jimin tonight”

Hobi blinked at you in amusement but said nothing as you marched off into the bathroom.

“Come on” You called back to him, curling your finger to motion him towards you teasingly “Are you really gonna pass up the chance to fuck me in the shower?”

“Damn, you’re really something” Hobi mumbled, unable to hide the blush that grew on his cheeks. 

You didn’t bother taking off your underwear, you could see how turned on Hobi was from seeing you just by the gleam in his eye. You playfully bounced into the shower, turning the water cold.  The white lace on your body dampened, making the coverage practically negligible. 

Hobi almost choked seeing you. You tilted your head back and let the water fall directly on your breasts. You could hear the click of his buckled as he undressed himself quickly to join you.

“Shit this is cold” Hobi touched the water before sliding into the glass cube behind you. You turned around to face him, smiling mischievously. “Can daddy clean me up?” You pouted at him, winking. Hobi rolled his eyes.

“Jesus Y/n” Hobi pulled your hips forward before lifting you into his arms, “You’re such a slut for me aren’t you? All you fucking want is daddy’s big cock is that it?”

You nodded rapidly. “Yeah. Want your cock” You slid your hand down his chest, biting your lip.

“Of course you do baby” He pressed your back against the glass, the ice cold water hitting his back as he rolled his hips into you. His hand snaked around beneath you to push aside your soaked panties and touch your throbbing clit. “Look at me baby. Does that feel good?” He began to rub small circles, watching the way your body responded to him.

“Y...yes” You groaned, burying your face into his wet hair, nails digging into his back as you held on tight. Hobi grunted, gliding his finger back to trace along your folds.

“So fucking needy baby. No one fucks you as good as I do huh?” Hobi’s hot breath tickled your ear. “You missed me didn’t you, you slut. Only I know how you really like it” He pushed one finger in “Isn’t that right?”

You nodded, a sobbing mess of moans muffling into his neck as he rapidly pumped his finger into you, “Yes” You exhaled, “Want Daddy. Only want Daddy”

“I know. Oh, you poor little thing” He shoved another finger in, making you mewl as he stretched you out, “Do you think about me huh? When Jimin’s ramming his cock into do you think about me?” Your pussy clenched down at his words, “Did you fuck Yoongi too? Our boss, god you are such a little whore aren’t you?”

He slid in a third finger and you began to scream out in pleasure, “Oh fuck Hobi yes, right there right there” You panted heavily, “More...please” The mention of Yoongi’s name had you leaking all over. 

The thought that he could just come back in at any moment had you falling apart. He would look so fucking angry. He would probably kill Hobi on the spot. 

Why did that turn you on so much?

Heat pulsed through your body. Hobi slid his fingers out, spanking your pussy before sliding you down onto your feet.

“I missed you” Hobi said weakly. Your eyes softened. You knew you were taking advantage of him. You knew your heart was really elsewhere, as much as you wished it wasn’t. 

“Kiss me” You didn’t want to think, you cupped his face bringing it to yours and pressing your lips against his. You poured yourself into the kiss, the roll of your hips matching the way your lips wrestled one another. 

Hobi deepened the kiss, pining your wrists above your head. He gasped as he pulled away, staring darkly into your eyes, “Do you want Daddy’s big cock?” You nodded, his lips barely inched from yours “Yeah? Want Daddy to fuck you good? Fill you up with his cum? Fuck his babies into you huh? You want that?”

He turned you around, hand gripping under your thigh to prop your leg up onto the sliding shower door handle. You winced at the stretch but Hobi didn’t react. You feel him slap his hot cockhead against your ass. Holding your hips steady, he slid his cock into you easily. Your slick inviting him in deep into your throbbing heat. You whimpered as his dick pushed through your walls, filling you to the brim. 

“Good girl” He growled, “Such a good warm little pussy for daddy, such a good fucking girl oh goddd” He slowly pulled out before thrusting back in. His pace was excruciatingly slow, but the burn of him pumping you in and out felt so good. 

“Fuck I’m close Daddy” You were practically drooling, lips parted in pure bliss as Hobi fucked you deeper and deeper, your head slamming against the glass. “Want you to fill me up daddy. Want your cum” You whined.

“You feel so fucking good baby. Go ahead and cum,” Hobi kissed you again “Cum for Daddy, come on” He quickened his pace as he felt your tight walls begin to twitch around his cock. He could hear your wetness as he pistons into you under your breathless screams. 

“I’m gonna cum Daddy..I..I..” Your eyes were clenched close as you let out a high pitched scream, your hot arousal dripping all over Hobi’s cock as your walls squeezed him tight. He bucked his hips as you came, groaning as he tried to fuck you through it. 

“Shit.” Hobi cursed under his breath as he felt himself come undone immediately after, his sticky cum shooting deep inside of you. “God that was so good” He sighed, landing a lazy kiss on your lips.

You sighed, savoring the small aftershocks of arousal that had you trembling in his embrace. Enjoying the final momentary pleasure before the wild night ahead of you.

-

Jimin stood outside the banquet hall and tightened his tie. There were only a few more minutes until his album officially came out. Fixing loose strands of his hair, he sighed. He wanted you by his side but you were no where to be seen. 

“Jiminnnn” The pitch of your voice gave you away easily. Jimin glowed in anticipation of you. His heart stopped as you arose from the hallway. You looked absolutely stunning in a classy sleeveless pantsuit. 

“Baby” You giggled. Jimin frowned slightly, noticing how you stumbled into his arms before giving you a peck on the lips. “Are you excitedddd?” You slurred your words. “Everyone’s gonna loveeeee your music”

He inhaled your scent, scrunching his nose as he recognized the stench of whiskey on your breath. “Baby. You’re drunk”

“Come onnnnn, everyone is waiting for you at the party” You tugged at his tie. Jimin sighed, he couldn’t help but surrender to your cuteness despite his gut telling him not to bring you there. 

“Jimin...this is my dream.” You giggled, almost losing your balance before Jimin caught you into his arms. “I’m Park Jimin’s girlfriendddd” Jimin dragged you outside slowly, sheepishly bowing to the other people who began giving the pair of you dirty looks. “Hey!” You yelled suddenly, “I’m Park Jimin’s girlfriend! I love him!”

Jimin’s heart skipped a beat. “You...what?” He began trembling, an overwhelming flush of emotions seizing him. “Really?”

You nodded, a big teethy smile on your face. Jimin blushed. “I...” She’s just drunk. He sighed. “Come on baby” He wrapped his arm around your waist, leading you down to the banquet hall. 

The venue was gorgeous. It had a red and black theme that matched Jimin’s album cover. Champagne was being served at every nook and corner. The room broke out into applause as Jimin walked in, you glued to his side.

Jimin’s eyes scanned the room looking for Yoongi. He was no where to be seen.

Jimin waved to his guests, thanking them for the cheer before he turned to you. He stroked your face, gazing into your glittering eyes with nothing but adoration. He felt his eyes tear up as the thought occured to him that maybe it really was you.

He had written so many baseless love songs, songs about yearning, song about searching for someone to make his life worth it again. Maybe it was you. Were you his happy ending?

His mind wandered to what could be. What might be if he marries you, you go on tour together, making love in every city over the world. You would be his biggest fan, his lifeline, and he would love you endlessly. He wanted that. So bad. Did you?

He twirled you around before dipping you down princess style and kissing you passionately. The room burst into cheers as you smiled into one another.

“Sir” One of the staff members tapped on Jimin’s shoulder urgently, “Sorry to interrupt, there’s something you should know” The staff member leaned in to whisper something into Jimin’s ear. You watched as his eyes went wide with shock. 

“I...I need to go. Excuse me” Jimin pardoned himself from the crowd, rushing out of the banquet hall. You followed him.

“Jimin! What is it? What happened?” You held onto his arm.

“He’s dead” Jimin muttered, “Fuck. SHIT. He’s dead” 

Your heart dropped. “Who...?”

“Taehyung. Taehyung is dead”

ᐊ——[ previous ] series navi | masterlist | [ next ]——ᐅ

a/n: i hope this makes up for how shitty part 6 was ahahaha. gosh i must have rewritten this like 4 times. but yeah drop those theories in my asks bbs <3 who killed tae? where’s yoongi? what’s jin up to? joon and kook will be back in action in part 8, next week dw ;) 

also that detail abt jin not listing you fucking taehyung when he’s spanking you is intentional

taglist: @imluckybitches @gee-nee @missseoulite @hcneybees @kooookie​ @queenmasterxx @crustycaitlin @virgo-and-libra @un2-verse @winter-melontea @equivocacies​ @infernal-alpaca @shrimpmsg @meowmeowyoongles @rjsmochii @liltangerined @littlrmills14-blog @issysor @arandomblackgirl @adoringinsanity @giadalin @jeontier @kaithezaftig @jinssexytoe @nonnis97@minyoongiboongi @happygirl62304 @just-me-and-myselfs @purplepebbles @channiespup @lilacdreams-00 @kianam @thmrdrs @kpoppin-mel @namjooningelsewhere @lolzerss @planetsope @ohmykim @xyahrinx

[raedroid]

Free tag!

1. Do you make up your bed?

No I’m too lazy lol. But sometimes I do it on a blue moon lol

2. Favourite number?

4!

3. If you could go back to school, would you?

I have a love hate relationship with school. The school work and the mental strain it puts on me is enough to make me want to rip my hair out. However I miss my friends and the amazing teachers I had. College I would go back to, high school absolutely not

4. Can you parallel park?

Hell no. I can’t even drive yet lol

5. Do you think aliens are real?

Yes I do. With how many wacky things in the world, aliens ain’t that insane

6. Can you drive a manual car?

Nope I’m too scared to do it

7. Guilty Pleasure?

Terrible obscure movies. I love making fun of them repeatedly. Thank you Tubi for blessing me with more lol

8. Tattoos?

I don’t have any and I’m not sure if I would later on down the road

9. Favourite colours?

Blue, purple, pink and black all the way baby

10. Favourite type of music?

Hard rock baby!

11. Do you like puzzles?

I don’t know what puzzles specifically but I love word search puzzles it’s super fun and relaxing for me

12. Any phobias?

Bugs and insects. Thank you Wormy from SpongeBob. That episode traumatized me to my very core lol

13. Favourite childhood sport?

Badminton and Soccer

14. Do you talk to yourself?

All. The. Damn. Time

15. Tea or Coffee?

Don’t like either. Trying new foods and drinks is difficult for me lol

16. First thing you wanted to be when you grew up?

I wanted to work at McDonald’s like my mom. Now I’ve accomplished that dream lol

17. What movies do you adore?

Oh god here’s a list:

Kiss meets the phantom, Scooby Doo and Kiss, Oppenheimer, Barbie, A hard days night, Arena (not a movie but I don’t care lol), Never too young to die, and so many others

Tagging: @doodleborg @gh0stfl0ra @criminallyoverrated @heavy-metal-baby @whysodelirious08 @namelessbutters-doodles @starry-eyed-never-satisfied @spacefoxy @spacedoutman

@only-a-heartbeat-away left an open tag, so I'm taking advantage of that. Thanks, Harlow! 🖤

1. Do you make your bed?

Yes! I do it every day. It helps me feel productive, because at minimum I complete one task every day.

2. Favorite number?

23! There's lots of 2s and 3s in my life.

3. If you could go back to school, would you?

Maybe. I have been considering getting a Masters Degree for years, but I'm not sure I'll ever actually do it. I can't afford it right now, and I'm not sure I'll have the time later in life. If this means like go back in time to middle/high school, then the answer is absolutely not.

4. Can you parallel park?

I have literally never tried, so I'm going to say no. I drive a big vehicle lol. I think it would be too risky!

5. Do you think aliens are real?

Not really. It's one of those things where I'm not going to argue with someone about it, but it doesn't seem that likely to me. At least not like humanoid or intelligent lifeforms. Maybe there's like bacterias and things. Idk.

6. Can you drive a manual car?

No. Nor do I ever intend to learn. Driving is stressful enough as it is, and I've never even been inside of a manual vehicle.

7. Guilty pleasure?

I don't feel guilt regarding my interests.

8. Tattoos?

I do not have any, nor do I think I will ever get any. I am too afraid of needles and worried about the permanency.

9. Favorite color?

Pink!! 🩷

10. Favorite type of music?

Rock and metal! I'm not getting into subgenres for this lol.

11. Do you like puzzles?

I do!! Sometimes they hurt my wrists, so I can't work on them for long. I find them really enjoyable though!! My mom and I used to do puzzles all the time, and I think we should get back into that habit.

12. Any phobias?

Heights!! Elevators. Banana sl*gs.

13. Favorite childhood sport?

I very much did not participate in sports as a child lol.

14. Do you talk to yourself?

I do! Mostly in my head. Occasionally when I'm alone, I'll speak my thoughts out loud. Generally I just converse mentally though.

15. Tea or coffee?

Coffee. Only because I drink it more often though. It's actually really funny, because I hate the taste of coffee. I won't drink it unless it's practically the color of the creamer. Meanwhile I looooove black tea. I just don't drink it as frequently though.

16. First thing you wanted to be when you grew up?

Stay at home mom. Or a teacher.

17. What movies do you adore?

This is difficult!! There's a lot of movies I love, but I'm also more of a television person. Some movies that I watch like at least once a year are Mean Girls, Scooby Doo (2002), and The Boys in the Band (2020).

Tagging: @awrestlinggirlwholoves80sbands @day-trippin-dreamer

[shojo-sylveon]

The Symbolism of Dios - Revolutionary Girl Utena

Okay so this is something I wrote a couple months ago. I didn’t want to post it on my main blog but now that I have this side blog I thought I’d post it. I was really confused on the character of Dios when I first watched Utena, and upon reading other people’s interpretations of him online, I found that I didn’t agree with any of them. So I started making an outline to figure out my own interpretation, which eventually turned into this little mini essay. If anyone agrees or disagrees you are welcome to provide commentary, I most certainly do not claim to understand the enigma that is Revolutionary Girl Utena in its entirety but this is just my understanding of Dios/Akio. I apologize if the formatting on this is a mess, I wrote this in google docs to organize my own thoughts.  Spoilers ahead. Trigger Warnings: abuse mention

Dios means “god.”

Dios represents: childhood fantasies, an idealistic view of men as “princes” which separates them from their wrongdoings, childhood innocence Episodes evalutated: 13, 34, 39

Notable: When the power of Dios assists Utena in each duel, the outline of Dios starts to look more like Akio as the episodes progress. In the short scenes where Dios appears he begins to look more like Akio as the scene progresses. Anthy sees Dios in Utena.

I believe Dios ��died” when Akio was “born.” Anthy sealed away “the power of Dios” in order to stop him from using his power to help others which would only result in his demise, and Akio perpetuates this idea that if he were to regain the power of Dios, he would once again become Dios, but this is not so, and he knows that. Anthy did not seal away Akio, only his power, as he continued to exist. Dios changed to Akio, not because he lost his power, but because his own spite consumed him. To blame Anthy for “sealing away this power” along with his “nobility” is simply a scapegoat he uses so he can continue being a piece of shit. Everything Akio does is in pursuit of power. Akio pursues the power of Dios so he can be more powerful, not so he can regain his nobility. Akio knows he may never regain that power, and he is okay with that. Failure just means he can continue “stay in his comfy coffin” where he lives in a never ending timeline where he is in control and profits off of Anthy’s suffering. He uses the promise of obtaining the power of Dios to comfort himself and maintain control of Anthy. 

The power of Dios is not obtainable to Akio. Without his nobility, which he chose to abandon, he can never again hold the power he held as someone with pure intentions. Questions:

1. Is Dios his own person? Is he a ghost or spirit of some sort? 2. Does Dios truly have good intentions? The ending of the series shows us that there are no princes, and there are no damsels in distress. These are all just idealistic fantasies believed in by children. Utena could not become a prince, not because she was a woman, but because the only person who could save Anthy was Anthy. 

 Utena’s First Encounter with Dios:  I believe that this encounter was with Akio, taking on the form of Dios to help perpetuate the “princely” aesthetic, while it is possible that this vision is some fragment of the memory of Dios, as created by either Akio or Anthy (similar to Mikage’s memories creating a reality), I think Dios’s behavior feels much more on brand with Akio and his motives in this scene. Dios eggs on Utena to become a prince and save Anthy, although there is something about his demeanor which is cold and uncaring, it is not that of a loving concerned brother. Akio sees the “nobility” in Utena’s empathy, and thinks she may be one who can help him regain his old power, which is why he manipulates her into becoming his pawn. Episode 13: 

Here we see Akio talking to Dios; himself. He says the seal on the power of Dios is beginning to break. Dios “glares” at him, and Akio, unphased, says it will benefit them both. One question that really weighed on me here was, who is the Dios we see here? The castle itself where Dios is “sealed” is only an illusion, created by Akio himself. Based on this information, I believe this whole conversation takes place in Akio’s head, and the conversation is with himself. Perhaps Akio knows that his old self might claim to feel disgust with his current lifestyle and actions, but it does not bother him in the slightest, and claims that the power of them being one again would equally benefit them both, implying that power is what the old Dios also would have wanted. If this is correct that Dios is simply inside Akio’s head, it explains how Akio continues to have control over every single aspect of everything that has happened thus far. He continues to manipulate Utena in pursuit of her nobility, hoping it will break the seal on the power he desires. He also continues to spark some sort of hope in Anthy, reawakening her memories of what her brother once was, allowing Akio to further convince her that with the power of Dios, he could once again be that memory for her, which obviously cannot happen but it helps to keep Anthy under his control. The Sword of Dios, and the Power of Dios which possesses Utena: 

The power we see in the duels raises another question: Is this truly the power of Dios? Or is this too Akio’s power? Perhaps he is mimicking Dios’s powers by insisting that these duels are noble. If it is Dios’s power, why does Dios eventually turn into Akio? Once again Akio has shown he has supreme power over everything that happens at Ohtori, especially within that observatory dueling arena castle place of his. I believe everything we see is created by Akio.

Episode 39: Once again, we see Dios in the mysterious Merry-go-round scene. Dios is supposed to be attempting to comfort her, but this time Dios is pushing her to give up, and he speaks to her in a very patronizing way. This is not a prince who wants to motivate a young noble woman to help him save his beloved sister. I believe this is just another image created by Akio to manipulate Utena.

More on Dios: Dios is always drawn with wide child-like eyes at the start of his scenes, that get thinner and start to look more like Akio’s as the scene goes on. Many abusers start out seemingly kind and loving, and that’s how they rope in victims. It’s fair to note that Dios himself was a child in the beginning, though after losing his power he grew up and became corrupted, blaming Anthy for the loss of his power. Yet, like other abusers, I do not believe Dios was ever the perfect idealistic prince he was painted to be. Perhaps this is what Anthy remembers him as, perhaps what he acted as, but as he grew up the evil surfaced. Dios likely always took pleasure in the power he had and the way women demanded his attention, the position of power he held over those he helped. It was these seeds that completely corrupted him as he matured into an adult. 

Questions Revisited:

1. Is Dios his own person? Is he a ghost or spirit of some sort? No, he is simply a vision created by Akio to further remain in control. 2. Does Dios truly have good intentions? 

No, not only are the visions we see all of him actually just Akio, but I do not believe that even the original Dios was truly pure of heart. Anthy never needed a prince, she needed to love and believe in herself, and to be loved and believed in by others. If Dios was truly a perfect man, he would have been aware of this, but the perfect man simply does not exist. 

[wandsandwheezes]

Till You Make It | F.W | CH5

Fake It | The Masterlist

Warnings // SMUT 18+, Hufflepuff!Reader, implied sex, teasing, lingerie, relationship, consent, sexting??

a/n // So im posting this one a day early as there is a chapter 5.5 coming out tomorrow which is pretty much just pure smut <3 once again i have to thank @starlightweasley​ my partner in crime for being my muse while writing this!!

When Fred left that evening after dinner, the under-the-table events still plagued your mind as you threw your head back against your pillow out of desperation. Fred made it very hard for you to concentrate on anything other than him or the feel of his fingers. Substituting his hands for your own didn’t help either, you fell asleep with your lips parted in half pleasure and half agony from missing the man who had been plaguing your thoughts. Chest heaving, shivers running down your spine and fingertips moving only left you breathless for him. You thought that maybe that desperate feeling would leave you when you woke the next morning, to be left in the night but as you walked to a day of appointments, your mind was truly somewhere else, somewhere with him. Each fleeting thought as you hem a skirt or completed your seams only brought you to feel his hot breath fanning against your skin or his stupidly delicate touch, having to take a deep breath just to pull you back to the reality that he wasn’t right there, he was across the street no doubt laughing and joking away like the memory of last night wasn’t plaguing his every thought. 

You were far from the truth. He wanted to storm into your shop like the first time he kissed you, hearing only your choked back moans like a sweet symphony in his brain. George tried to get his attention, only holding it for a few moments before he was distracted again. Fred was meant to be stacking shelves, but the sight of a current Gryffindor quidditch player donning their sweater made all of his thoughts of you race back. 

<< Morning, doll x

>> Fred Weasley I hate you.

<< No kisses? What have i done :(( x 

>> You left me frustrated you absolute git

<< There’s no reason to call me that, petal x

<< I could’ve left you much worse off x

He watched as the typing bubble flashed up on the screen before disappearing a few times. Smirking to himself as he locked his phone, pushing it into his pocket knowing full well what he’d done. You were sighing to yourself as you sipped on the now lukewarm coffee, tapping out the perfect message to retort back at him, but nothing seemed to fit, no matter what you say he would have the perfect witty response to chime back. It hit you, if he wanted to play games you would play along.

>> Wanna see the set I’m working on Freddie? x 

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, as he pushed a box of spare products onto the shelf in the stockroom. He checked the message only to feel his heartbeat about to burst out of his chest as it raced that bit quicker. He was alone but the thought of anyone just walking in or catching a glimpse of the picture on his phone drove his feet to his office as he tapped out his message to you. 

<< I’d love that xx

You smiled to yourself as you laid out the garment on the table for him, making sure that it was smoothed out to perfection before snapping the perfectly innocent picture to send to him. You knew that he was expecting more skin, a lot more skin in fact. In his head he was about to receive a tempting photo of his girl, for his eyes only. 

>> (1)  Attachment.

He tapped open the picture with shaky fingers, unaware of what to expect when the image flashed up on his screen, eyes gazing over the lacy fabric not on your body but on the worktop. Tease. He quickly realised what you were doing, huffing to himself as he let his head fall back against the headrest of his arm chair. If you kept up this teasing to and fro you’d drive each other mad by the end of the night.

<< Why don’t you put it on for me, petal? xx

Two hours had ticked by since his last text to you. He found himself checking every notification, praying it was you, even considering sending another message but he stopped himself. He tried as best he could to focus on his work; taking stock, doing orders and serving customers.  Another hour had passed and still no response. He couldn’t ignore the friction in his boxers at the mere thought of you, mind running wild once again, his thoughts alone pulled him through to lunchtime when he could finally see you. 

The way he stormed into the shop, seeking you out in the back room, eyes dark with hunger as he stared you down made your heart flutter. His brow was furrowed and he looked like a man who was starved. You liked the effect that your little charade seemed to have on him, biting the inside of your lip to stop you from smiling. 

“I don't find your little game funny, love." You simply cocked an eyebrow up at him before continuing with your sewing, the whirring of your machine filling the thick sexual tension in the air. There was an undeniable chemistry between you both, that was visible from the way you latched onto each other so quickly. You loved to see this side of him, less dominant but yet so desperate and needy.

“Uh huh,” you hummed nonchalantly as you pulled the material in the right direction, sending the machine whirring once more. Giving him the silent treatment was enough to send him wild. The sound of your machine muffled his steps as he drew closer to you, gentle touches over your exposed shoulder sending shivers along your skin. Your body wanted to give into him, let him have you right across your desk right here and now but the game was all too fun. 

“The silent treatment, really doll?” You looked up at him with a smile as he uttered those words, your hand moving to hold his, pulling yourself up from the chair to fall into his hold, staring up at him with a mischievous glint in your eye. You pushed yourself up onto your toes to press a kiss to the tip of his nose, breathing in the calming scent of his cologne and you did so. 

“Didn’t you like the lingerie, Freddie?” you asked him innocently as you bat your eyelashes, he leaned in to try and kiss you properly but you quickly pressed a finger to his lips, pushing him away cheekily as you giggled.  

“Buy me dinner first at least.” 

And he did, he bought you several dinners in fact. You made sure to dress up nice for him, let him get hot and needy before making him wait. It had now been a month of torture for the poor boy, letting him get by on no more than kisses and a few lingering touches. You wanted him to feel that same way you felt after the night at Lee’s. You swore he would’ve stopped you by now, out of pure frustration but he continued enduring his own torture just as much as you continued dishing it out.

Being invited to watch the Star Seeker’s last game of the season and coincidentally the last game before her wedding, filled you with pure joy. You invited Fred, not that he needed inviting telling him that it would be a nice date, to which the smitten boy agreed. You held hands in the stands as you both cheered alongside George, who was beaming with pride, listening to Lee commentating the game over the arena speakers.

“You know Freddie, this reminds me a lot of our Hogwarts days... I miss being up in the commentators box, it had a much better view, though for what I was looking at, I think I’m in the best seats now.” You leaned up to press a kiss to his ear as you spoke, causing him to chuckle as you moved to press your lips to his, only to be met by his finger against your lips as he mimicked how you had treated him in your shop all those weeks ago.  

“Just one kiss?” You pouted at him as he pulled you into a kiss, your heart leaping. Here Fred was, kissing you in front of everyone; his friends, family, press and every soul in the stadium but he didn’t care. The whole world could watch but he could only ever focus on you. 

It had been a week now since that event, Fred was still on edge with all of the teasing, he had grown to expect It now, waking up to a cheeky message or a voicemail, That was if he wasn’t waking up to your arms wrapped around him. He was smitten by this point, absolutely enamoured by your very presence, he would do anything to make you smile.

“Joining Lee and I tonight, Freddie?” George asked with a small knock to his brother’s office door. He pondered on it before it struck him. If Lee was out, you were all alone, the thought made his heart skip a beat. The days you’d both stopped yourselves, making out like teenagers on the bed before realising your best friend was only in the other room always seemed to kill the mood. 

“You know what, I don’t think I should be mixing with alcohol… A month sober and all.” Fred pled a fair case to his brother, a feasible enough excuse over the want to have a night with his girl. Even that sounded nice in his head, you being his girl. George nodded, suggesting a dinner instead, to which Fred shook his head again with a small laugh. 

“For the love of god, go out, get smashed and please get Lee laid… he’s driving me mental.” George nodded, laugh falling from his lips as his hand reached out to pull the door closed behind him as he went to leave, mumbling a small ‘noted’ and gesturing a salute from behind the glass.

As the evening fell, the rain came with it - a light dreary drizzle and not heavy downpours but still rain nevertheless. You managed to beat the raindrops before they fell, returning to what you called home to strip off the day’s work clothes. Between appointments you’d finally managed to finish and perfect the gorgeous red set that you had started working on all those months ago, discarded on your dressing table as you pulled on a fresh pair of joggers and Fred’s sweater which he had let you keep in all this time, grateful for the company of his scent as you realised this may be the first time you had been alone in the night since you’d left Joe. 

A knock at the front door made your heart pound out of your chest. Half of you wanted to ignore it but the curious half wanted to see who it was. Peeping through the looking glass to be met with the messy ginger locks you loved so much prompted you to pretty much swing the door open and jump into the unsuspecting boy’s arms, your legs wrapping around his torso. 

"Hi handsome, thought you were going out with George and Lee?" You peppered kisses all over his face as you held his face in your hands, fingers splayed against his cold skin yet his actions were more than inviting. You soon found your back pressed against the wall, soft quick kisses soon replaced with deep, passionate ones, lips locked together as if your lives depended on it. His foot kicked the door closed his hands keeping your thighs in place as he asserted his dominance over you. 

"I wanted you. Fuck, I've wanted you for weeks now, doll." You moaned and hummed against his lips with every kiss. It was electric the way his fingers touched you, everything from the cool sensation of the wall against your back to the heat of his shallow breaths fanning against your neck. You were nervous, wanting nothing but absolute perfection with the angel you cared so deeply about. 

Fred really was an angel to you, he helped you feel like a person again. 

“Please say something,” Fred whispered, forehead now pressed against your own. You hadn’t realised just how deep in thought you were until he spoke again, you could have swore you heard his voice crack ever so slightly as he uttered those words of vulnerability. You nudge your nose against his with a smile that leaves a reassured sigh escaping his lips just before you move once more, pulling him into another kiss, immediately feeling him relax as he closes the space between the both of you, effectively trapping you against the wall. 

“Isn’t it obvious that I want you too, Fred?” He chuckled, holding your weight in his arms as he carried you through the halls to your bedroom. He pretended to drop you twice, both times you hit him on his chest, laughing together in the most gorgeous way, creating a harmony of giggles. Each time he feigned your fall from his arms, droplets of rain fell from his soaking hair onto your face. 

“Oh yeah? Obvious is it?” His large hands gave your ass a playful squeeze before placing you on the bed. You leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek, pushing his wet hair back and out of his face. You caught how his eyes stared so lovingly at you, feeling butterflies in your stomach as he gave you his signature toothy grin. You stand from the bed, grabbing a towel that was hooked over the door to dry his gorgeous ginger locks. 

"Sit down, let's get you dried." He blushed as he sat down on your mattress, tilting his head up towards you ever so slightly as you find your place between his legs while his hands rested gently on the backs of your thighs and you swore to yourself that you had never felt such fireworks linger upon your skin as they did with Fred Weasley. Those hands you had admired for so long, those hands that gripped onto his bat tightly during your school years and hit away bludgers and all had you swooning as you gripped the towel. You draped the towel over his head, giving his hair a rough towel dry and letting your fingertips press against his scalp gently through the soft fabric. When you left him to go and hang the slightly damp towel up once more, his gaze caught a glimpse of something bright in the corner of his eye. Upon further inspection from afar, that something bright was a beautiful red lace that had been thrown on your dressing table in a moment of relief after you had finished it. He stood, making his way to them out of curiosity, his fingers taking hold of the soft lace, immediately recognising the feel and the pattern. His breath hitched, gazing upon the sensual piece that had nonchalantly been draped upon your dresser, his gaze hadn’t left the fabric and he hadn’t even noticed you were staring at him with a lingering look in your eye, your heart beat beginning to pick up once more and this time it wasn’t because he was pretending to drop you.

"It's the material you first kissed me on." You pointed out, holding your hands together in front of your stomach that was now experiencing somersaults and that familiar feeling between your thighs welcomed itself once more as you swallowed thickly. 

"I know… Is this for m–" 

"Yes." 

"Put it on then, petal. Do it for me." You could have sworn your cheeks were as red as the lace he was handing you, gripping onto the soft fabric with shaky hands. This was far from how you could have ever imagined your first time with Fred to have come about, a rain-soaked boy showing up at your door and taking your breath away with his kiss. The months of teasing were finally catching up and you had to take a moment to process it all as you retreated to your bathroom. Part of you wanted to change in front of him but more of you wanted it to be a surprise and if you were honest to yourself, part of you needed a moment before you faced him. To look at the reflection of a woman you hadn’t recognised in a long time and say ‘it’s okay’ because it was okay. This was Fred… it was Fred and you, no one else. 

There was something different about the way you pulled the straps onto your bare shoulders, the way your hair frames your face as you dressed. A smile spread across your lips and you blushed to yourself, how long had it been since you had felt like this? Something like this was truly paradise felt on earth amidst the darkness you had long been suffering within. Joe wasn’t here, you reminded yourself as you exhaled and glanced towards the door and you felt reassured by your inner thoughts. 

He had begun to pace about your room as he waited for you to return, feeling an unfamiliar wave in his stomach. Never in his life had he been nervous about intimacy with a woman, but when it came to you he couldn’t help the fluttery feeling that consumed him with every step. Fred had to remind himself that it was you, not anyone else, not Cherry, his exes or one of his lame one night stands. Lastly, it wasn’t the woman he had been pining for ever since he could remember… the one who chose his brother instead of him. It was a woman who he truly felt something for, a something that he didn’t want to ruin. He hadn’t even noticed your return, staring out of the window as he was consumed by his own thoughts. Your arms snaking around his waist as you pressed yourself into his back, snapped him away from his feelings of nerves and self doubt because he had you there. 

“We still don’t have to do this, you know.” You whispered softly as your cheek pressed against his damp t-shirt, his hands coming to cover yours, giving them a reassuring squeeze as he let out a deep exhale. He didn’t have to worry around you, he didn’t have to fear that it was Cherry’s touch masked as yours. He knew that it was you in the way he could have sworn your hearts beat together. There were no words that could have ever described the way you made him feel. 

“I want this.” he mumbled, as he shook his head, mostly at the way a leech like Cherry still was able to plague his thoughts in his most vulnerable moments. Turning in your arms, your eyes meet his face which is plastered with a deep smile, biting the inside of your cheek when you realise that you are stood half-naked but pressed against the fully clothed man. Against the man who had plagued your daydreams years ago and now your thoughts at night. He took your hand in his, stepping away for a moment before lifting your arm over your head to make you twirl in front of him. The sight of you took his breath away, solidifying the thought in his brain that you truly were a goddess. Fathoming that you were his to kiss and hold made his heart race out of his chest.

“You’re beautiful.” He managed to only just choke out the compliment as his other hand found your jaw to pull you into a kiss. Nothing had ever felt so right to him than the crave of intimacy with you right now, you let him guide your bodies, your skin now flush against the cool sheets while he leant over you. Standing up briefly he pulled his shirt over his head, exposing his toned torso that made you feel weak, counting yourself lucky that you were laying down otherwise you would have surely buckled at the knees. 

Fred knew that the minute he had the opportunity to, he would take his time in worshiping every dip and curve of your body, no matter how long or tedious the process was. His hot open mouthed kisses started at your jaw, it was intoxicating to feel him mumble praise between each kiss, telling you about just how breath-taking you were to him and how much influence you had on him. His kisses along your neck left marks not to claim you but to show you just how much he cared without having to say the words. His lips travelled down to pepper kisses down the valley of your breasts, his slow pace made you grab his face with both hands.

“Don’t be a tease, Freddie.” He chuckled, his hands wrapping around your wrists, pulling them away from his face so that he could press a sweet kiss to the insides of your palms, the hint of a smirk hanging off his lips as he did so. His fingertips grazed over your skin as they ran down your arms, sending goosebumps firing over your skin. His laugh sent every good feeling of pleasure through your veins. His hands went to his belt, immediately he thought of all the ways that this could go wrong, the image of your pained expression and the way you cried into his chest sinking his heart once more. He pondered for a moment before he asked, hardly above a whisper, ‘do you want to?’ before gesturing to the belt buckle. 

You felt your heart stop, remembering how you had stopped yourself going this far before, feeling a sense of calm fall over you as you reached to undo the belt buckle. You knew that this gesture alone was enough for you to realise that Fred really did care about your comfort, he wanted you to feel as if you were in control of the situation, not forced or pressured but completely at your own free will to pull away or stop but you didn’t. You slowly unbuckled his belt and pulled it from the loops before setting it down on the bed, smiling up at him. 

“No more teasing, yeah?” You nodded, pressing your lips to his again as your hands found the back of his head, giving the now damp hair a gentle tug. 

No more teasing. 

taglist //  @starlightweasley @slytherinsunrise @gcdric @theweasleysredhair @pansydaisy @vogueweasley @vivianweasley @feetoffthetablee @darthwheezely @thisismynerdyself @witch-and-a-half @loony-loopy-lupinn @rip-us @hopemalfoyweasley @pigwidgexn-deactivated20210125 @softlyqoos @colorfulprofessornickelangel @fandomscombine @satellitespidey @txtdreamss @aaannabbanana  @starkidpotty @mollydarling-hphm @amwithers2001 @asthmax @sarcasticallywitty15 @whizboingies  @rosietoesy

[thesunshinebunny]

May I be the first to ask for a reaction of the dorm leaders to a fem!reader dancing erotically/sexy?

OF COURSEEE U CAN SWEETY!!!!!

I am very excited to start having the first orders for TW. This is the one that caught my attention the most and  wanted to write ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Off with the spiciness!!

Vice Dorm Leaders reaction

Cater/Jack/Floyd/Epel/Sebek/silver reaction

Riddle

King’s and Queen’s - Ava Max (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj--hAP_Zo0&list=RDRj--hAP_Zo0&start_radio=1)

The tea party was being a total disaster. Dorm members breaking the rules left to right, incompletely painted white roses, lack of control at the tables, a total madness.

Riddle was getting redder and redder, until he reached the same shade as his hair color.

Time to intervene.

“Cater go get your speakers and connect them to your phone with the music I am going to tell you, on my sign you press play. Trey distracts Riddle for a few minutes, lead him to the loung room if necessary. Ace, Deuce, Grimm, get away everything on the main table. NOW NOW NOW”

“YES MA’AM”

You ran into the bushes behind the main table and started to peel off your top, leaving you in a red lingerie bra. You ripped the bottom to fit some modern shorts and waited for everyone to be in position.

Show time, press play

With the beginning of the music, everyone fell silent, looking for the origin of it, but only finding you positioning yourself on the table.

Riddle shot out into the gardens, about to go "OF WITH YOUR HEAD" who deigned to put that kind of music. But ... like everyone else, he only found you....starting to dance.

People were crazy to see you dance with fluidity and speed ... a good crazyness. They were deconcentrated.

Ace and Deuce cheering as gay friends

Riddle was bewildered, he wanted to speak but the words didn’t come out of his mouth.

ASS TIME!

You broke this boy right then. His eyes followed the movement of your hips and hands, unable to avoid thinking of...

Cheers were raised when you stopped at "of with your head" Your eyes locked at Riddle’s and you gave him a...lewd smile.

Ace and Deuce came up to the table to dance with you and all the members of Heartslabyul began to dance in their places.

Cater had filmed everything and had a mischievous smile drawn on his face, just like Trey. May or may not will send it to Riddle late at night

One thing for sure. That day, you broke Riddle in the most erotic way there is.

Leona

Theeth - Lady Gaga (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnwLh6CWdUY)

That fucking bet. That damn Ruggie.

He convince you that if you managed to do the challenge without Leona being intimidated, he would do your homework for a whole month.

You accepted without measuring the consequences and without even thinking clearly about the challenge.

Leona, Ruggie and Jack were going to be training magift after class with their teams in their arena. Time to attack.

The game was about to start, each player in his position, when suddenly ... a few blows began to sound.

Music came from the speakers. Everyone was baffled, including Leona, he was going to teach the herbivore who dared to interrupt his training a good lesson.

Before he even raised his voice angrily, he caught sight of Ruggie who was pointing him, with a wicked smile, toward the stands.

You were standing there, slowly going down and positioning yourself on your stomach. It’s when you started moving your hips that Leona clicked.

You’re dancing, erotically.

No dorm member could swear to have seen Leona so expressive before. His eyes wide open, his mouth almost reaching the floor, and ... if they dared to go lower, they could sight a tent in his pants.

In the middle of the choreography, you turned around, and Leona was nope and went to you, grabbed your hips and placed you on his shoulders.

“the show is over, go back to training”

From your escort, you could see Ruggie laughing and waving at you with an evil grin. You lost the bet.

“You want to move your hips? I'll give you a reason to move them”

He spanked you and took you to his room.

Moans and grolws could be heard at the arena.

Azul

Dangerous Woman - Ariana Grande (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tkfX2phlfE)

It was a disaster.

The person hired to give an entertainment canceled at the last minute. Azul’s throat vein was about to explode.

Customers in Mostro Lounge were getting hysterical, demanding music, dancing, singing, whatever, something.

In desperation he turned to you.

"You need someone for a show, I can help with pleasure"

"Do you know someone who dances, sings, plays an instrument, or tells jokes?"

you gave him a look. Is he serious? You asked him to give you about ten minutes to get ready.

When the lights went down, leaving a dim light directed at you, Azul immediately regretted his choice.

positioned in the middle of the stage, wearing a black top, leaving little to the imagination and tights squeezing your butt, you began to dance a song that he did not know.

“Oh Carp”

The clients, now hypnotized by your dance, began to scream with happiness. Finally the show they were promised.

"The little shrimp sure know how to move" Damn Floyd, don’t make it worse than already is.

Azul felt very uncomfortable from the waist down and felt that at any moment he was going to get ink wink wonk

He asked you to go to the vip room when you’re done to ... discuss your little show in private.

He’ll have to get a few customers to sign a contract to avoid putting their dirty hands on you.

But for now, he's pleased to put his own hands all over your body, and inside you.

Kalim

O Saki Saki - Nora Fatehi (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohRFMg9OxfU)

I know, I know, it is too cliché to put a hindu song for Kalim, but this choreo was around all over tiktok and I couldn't get it out of my head.

Kalim was fascinated when you told him about your old hobby back at your world. Belly dance

He organized a party at his dorm only and exclusively for you and that you could teach not only him but also everyone your fantastic steps.

He even left you a change of clothes in his room and asked you to tell him when you were ready.

Show time, press play

At first he was delighted, you had directed him to cloud nine and had no intention of going down. But...when your movements started to go down, his happy gaze started to fade away.

He settled into his seat and put his hand on his mouth, trying to hide his obvious redness. Jamil realized don't worry. It was hard not to realize that Kalim’s mood had changed and that he needed to solve a...thing.

When you got to the famous part of the dance, he was controlling himself not to go up to you and take you to his room in front of everyone.

Whe you were done, he excused himself from his dorm members and Jamil, grabbed your hand, and the two of you didn't leave his room until the next morning.

Let's say that Jamil didn’t sleep well that night ... or nothing at all.

Vil

Earned It - The Weeknd (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji-l0n6GcnA)

You went to his dorm asking if you could use his ballroom. You've been wanting to dance again for a long time and your own dorm wasn't going to give you the space you needed.

He said yes without problem and left you alone while you practiced.

After a while and intrigued to see your practice, Vil returned to the ballroom hoping to surprise you, but it was he who was surprised.

"Oh ... my, what a view"

His gaze was on your butt, for it round and apple-shaped.

He was intrigued by your dance, impressed by your flexibility and how in those lewd movements, he could find pure beauty.

You were completely immersed in your choreography that you didn't notice Vil standing at the door.

Reaching the end of the dance, you noticed Vil smiling from ear to ear. "Oh no potato, don't stop for me"

You smiled at him and positioned yourself in the middle of the room, turning your back on Vil and looking at him through the huge mirror.

He stood behind you, his hands on your hips. You both waited for the start of a new song.

The two danced together an erotic moves with it’s ending was between the bars and the mirror.

Idia

God is a Woman - Ariana Grande (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evlwPF6g-c8)

Idia was playing on his computer when a movement on his camera caught his attention.

You two used to make video calls constantly because of his fear of interact to other people.

When he opened his app, he noticed that you had left the camera and the computer audio on. He was to say something when music started playing.

You appeared in his field of vision wearing only shorts and a transparent black shirt, which left your nipples visible.

“Oh my Aphrodite. What is this? An unlocked Ero scene?”

Seeing you move so smoothly, he couldn't help but imagine his blue lips on your nipples, watch them harden and turn violet when sucked by him.

Ortho had to enter his room with a fire extinguisher when he started to see smoke coming out of his door.

Idia was completely red, from feet to hair and with a serious problem in his pants.

You may or may not have known he was watching from the beginning.

You will have to pay a visit to Ignihyde dorm leader that night.

Malleus

Buttons - The Pussycat Dolls (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E3CgGyPSr4)

Malleus was taking his night walk when he heard music come out of your dorm. Interested on that unrecognizable music, he went to your door.

He was about to knock when it slammed wide, apparently you had forgotten to close it. It wasn't in his plans to interrupt you, but he was completely curious about what was happening here.

His gaze met with your body dancing something he deciphered as erotic.

"my, my"

He was delighted with your movements to the point of bringing out a genuine smile, which disappeared when your top disappeared, leaving you alone in black and green lingerie.

His eyes widened. His hands began to sweat and he had a strange need to get close to you.

At the end of your dance, you had the scare of your life when you saw the tall and horned figure of Malleus on the doorway of the lounge room.

"Sorry if I scared you, it was not my intention to interrupt you while you’re enjoying yourself"

"How long have you been standing there?" "Since the beginning"

He approched you. He put his thumb on your lips and his piercing gaze met yours. You weren't sure if your legs were shaking from the exercise or how hot and wet Malleus could make you with just his gaze.

"Could you dance for me again?"

You nodded, unable to speak.

He kissed you, lifting you up from your hips and heading to your room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

If you like what you read, I would appreciate if you could support me on: https://ko-fi.com/abrightsunshine

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Flesh Wound

Alit hadn't winced when Leo's blade bit into his arm, bright blood flowing free. But when Emperor Leo wiped the wound down with a wine-soaked cloth, he found himself hard pressed to stop a small yelp. Leo chuckled in amusement.

"My finest gladiator afraid of a little injury?" He teased softly, before picking up a second bowl, this one with vinegar, and carefully used that to ensure the injury remained clean. Alit kept his lips tightly pressed together, refusing to allow a single breath to pass until the sting eased off.

"I'm not afraid," he declared when it ended. "You just took me by surprise, that's all." He rolled his shoulder carefully; the wound wasn't serious, but he suspected Leo would want to wait until it healed before they sparred again.

The young Emperor merely regarded him with a hint of amusement in his eyes, before he leaned forward, whispering prayers to the gods of healing that the injury, small as it was, heal clean and quickly. Alit wasn't so sure if they would have any effect, but he wasn't sure if they wouldn't either. He'd always offered his prayers to the gods of combat, tactics, and victory. So far, they'd honored and blessed him, so he did the same to them. That was all he'd ever found necessary.

Truth to tell, he'd offered a few extra prayers at the temple of love, after the first time he and Leo came together. He'd not actually believed for quite some time that the Emperor himself had an interest in him. It seemed like some sort of wild fantasy, that someone so powerful and wealthy and so much better than he was would want him.

Alit had no illusions about what he was. He'd been born into poverty and becoming a gladiator was his only path to bettering himself. So he'd learned how to fight, and found a knack for it when it came to doing so bare-handed. For years he'd sparred against anyone who would come up against him, being sold from one person to another, finding those of wealth who would sponsor him in the arena.

It wasn't often that the Emperor himself deigned to enter the arena and when he did, whoever he fought against almost always lost. Those who found themselves victorious often ended up worse off than before. City gossip held that some of his councilors ensured that those rare victors were sold elsewhere, if not actually set up against someone in a death match. Death during the games didn't happen often but it wasn't impossible. Other methods could be used as well - wounds not treated properly or someone ambushed in the night - death struck in many ways.

But when Leo and Alit fought that first time, Alit refused to let him win without working for it, and he emerged the victor. He did wonder what might have happened if Leo hadn't held a hand out to him and said quite simply, "I'd like to fight against you again."

Alit stared at the extended hand for a few seconds, then clasped it in his own, the two of them smiling at one another, emotions flickering that flowered later. "My pleasure, Your Majesty."

So it had begun. They sparred against one another day after day, and all the best sponsors in the city politely lined up to offer Alit everything he could ever want. A few of the wealthier - but not noble - ones even made marriage offers. He'd turned them all down as politely as he could. He'd never found himself that interested in marriage. Though he did admit, in the silence of his mind, if it were possible, then he might have - no. Alit knew better than to have some dreams.

One day Leo would marry someone else. Alit suspected that their relationship would still continue, just on an even lower level than it was now. The entire court knew what he and Leo got up to. Leo was the Emperor - he could and did have anyone in his bed that he wanted. He might not be as open about it once he actually married someone, but it would continue. At least, if Alit wanted it to. Alit didn't know, in all truth.

For now, however, he didn't worry about it. Leo wasn't even betrothed to anyone else. All he had to worry about was the next time they sparred against one another.

"So when do you want to do this again?" Alit wanted to know as Leo wrapped his arm with a clean cloth. The wound barely even hurt anymore. It had been a clean hit and he'd won the fight anyway. As far as he was concerned, he could have gone up again without any problems at all.

Leo regarded him sternly however. "Not until the priests can assure me that this is healed all the way. I want you at your best." He grinned a bright grin, like the sun given mortal flesh. "It wouldn't be as interesting to fight you if you weren't doing the best you can."

Alit wasn't going to argue that, even if it mildly annoyed him. Leo guided him to a pleasant little nook where he could get some rest - rest he wasn't going to admit that he actually needed. But the sun streamed in and there was wine in a fine cup and a splendid meal waiting for the both of them. He settled down there, Leo next to him, weapon-hardened hand resting against his own skin. Alit could not have found a more perfect moment if he'd gone to search for one.

But he saw no reason to look when everything he wanted was right here with him.

The End

Notes: You know, post-canon, Leo and Alit would both be Emperors of a sort. Or both just ordinary people, either way. That could be fun to explore.

[hockeynascarfan91258]

Banner made by me!

A/N: Here is Chapter 2. If you need to catch up and the link to Chapter 1 is provided at the end of this Update.

It's been a few days since Eden started her relationship with both Sid and Kris. The day after the gala was Valentine's Day Sid took her out on a nice little date of playing golf before they headed to the game. After the game in which they won and Sid and Kris had both scored a goal and gotten an assist, they head back to Sid's and they celebrated with Kris who had made them all dinner. And of course they had ended the night with wild steamy sex. Eden made sure she was packed and ready as after the Penguins game ended she was headed to the Daytona. She was happy that rain was on her side.

She had her car at the arena with her bag in it. As soon as the game was over she was going to head to the airport and fly to Daytona and Chase going to meet her at the airport.       The game had just started.    They were playing the Red Wings.     Eden was happy.

The Penguins ended up winning and again both Sid and Kris had a goal.    Eden went to clean up and put things away and stock up for the next game.   She then went to look for Sid and Kris to say goodbye before she left for Daytona.  

Eden heads into the locker room.    The guys have all left except for Kris and Sid.    They had media before they could shower and suck.    She walks in and Sid was sitting in front of his make locker stall.   He hadn't showered yet either.    Eden goes over and climbs into his lap.

"Hey baby." Sid says.

"Hey are you okay?" Sid asks.

"Yes just didn't want to leave cus I know when we do I will be going home with out you." Sid says.

"Aww baby.  It's just a few days.   Then I will be back here." Eden says.

"I know but with him." Sid says.

"Who Chase?" Eden asks.

"Yes Chase." Sid says.

"He's just my best friend.   Yes I love him to pieces  but not like the way I love you." Eden says.

"I'm afraid you are going to leave me for him because you don't want to share me with Kris." Sid says.

"Hey look at me baby.   I would never leave you baby or Kris." Eden says.

"Are you sure?" Sid asks.

"Unless you cheated with another girl then yes I am sure." Eden says.

"Okay." Sid says looking up into her eyes.

Eden sees a bunch of emotions swirling in them.    She leans down and kisses him.    One kiss lead to another until they were fighting for control of the kiss.     Soon they were all but ripping each other's clothes off.    Eden then lowers herself down onto Sid's cock and starts to move riding him.

"God baby that's it ride my cock." Sid moans leaning back against his locker watching her.

"God baby you feel so good inside me stretching me." Eden moans throwing her head back in pleasure.

"Hmm you look so pretty taking my cock up inside your sweet pussy, tits bouncing as you ride me cow girl." Sid groans.

Eden starts to move harder and faster.    Sid leans forward and starts to attack her breasted with his mouth ravaging them both making Eden Yelp out in pleasure.

"Fuck Sid." Eden screams.

"That's it baby let them know who is fucking you, making you feel so good." Sid moans.

He flips her onto her back on the bench and starts to pound into her.    Eden wraps her legs around his waist pulling him in further. 

"Sid oh god." Eden calls out as she digs her nails into his back.

"Cum for me pretty girl. " Sid begs knowing she was close.

"Sid god." Eden calls out as she cums hard.

Orgasm rushing trough her.

"Eden baby." Sid moans as he cums hard feeling her walls milking his release out of him.

They ride it out. 

"Hmm we need to head to the showers baby Kris is there waiting for us." Sid says.

"Hmm okay." Eden says.

Eden and Sid head to the showers.    Kris was in a stall locked in.    Eden and Sid shower together.    Eden finished before Sid and goes to get out.   She heads out to Sid's locker so she could get dressed.    She was drying off when   Kris comes up behind her wrapping his arms around her.    He was still wet from his shower.     Eden turns to face him.

"God all wet baby." Eden purrs at him.

"I am now question is are you wet for me?." Kris asks pulling her in for a kiss.

That was all it took.  Eden pulls off his towel and Kris pulls off her.  He then picks her up and slams her back into Sid's locker.   Eden wraps her legs around him letting him go deeper.

"God Kris." Eden moans.

"Sorry I needed you baby.   Its going to be fast and its going to be rough." Kris groans.

They both move together building each other up.    They call out each other's name as they both orgasm.    They ride it out.

"We need to get dressed and go out cus I have a plane to catch." Eden says.

"I know baby but me and Sid wanted to fill you up with our cum so you remember who you belong too." Kris replies kissing her.

Kris puts her feet on the ground so she could get dressed.    She does.   Sid comes out and both him and Kris get dressed.

"Safe trip baby, text me when you get to Daytona." Sid says kissing her cheek.

"I will baby.   See you guys Monday night." Eden says.

"Okay baby." Kris says kissing her too.

"Please play nice when Chase is here." Eden says.

"Can't make promises baby but we will try." Kris and Sid both say.

They then head out of the arena and up to their cars.    Eden gets in hers.    She had a text from Chase.

"After the game drive to the airstrip there is a surprise waiting for you." Chase texted.

"Okay see you soon." Eden replied.

"Sooner then you think. ;)." Chase  replies back.

Eden shook her head.    She then heads out to the airstrip.     A little bit later she arrives and parks.    There was a plane waiting for her that she didn't recognize.    She gets out of the car grabbing her bag.    She heads towards the plane as the door opens up and the steps come down.     Eden happily climbs them.    Waiting inside was none other then Chase, Ryan and Fletch.

"Hi baby." Eden coos as Fletch jumps all over her.

"Down Fletch." Chase says.

Fletch lays down immediately.

"Aww he just missed me." Eden says squatting down scratching his ears and rubbing his belly.

She then stands up and embraces Chase in the biggest hug.    Chase hugged her right back.

"Oh would you two get a damn room." Ryan says rolling his eyes chuckling.

"Hi to you too Ryan." Eden says.

"We better get going." Chase says.

"Yup got a race to run later today." Ryan says.

"Are you flying?" Eden asks Chase.

"Yup this is my plane." Chase says.

"Aww okay." Eden replies.

Chase heads to the cockpit.    Ryan and Eden take seats and buckle up.    When they were cleared they took off for Daytona.    Ryan and Eden both snooze on the flight.

A little bit later they Eden and Ryan woke as they were landing.

"Thanks for coming to get me with Chase."  Eden says.

"Always.   I am just glad you could come.   He has been so happy." Ryan says.

"I am glad I could come too.   I love watching him race." Eden replies.

"Yeah he has a surprise for you when he gets you back to the coach." Ryan says.

"He always does." Eden says smiling.

Chase finished got them on the ground safely.   He then turns off everything and heads out to get Eden and Ryan so they could get off the plane and head back to the track.   Chase comes out.

"Okay we can go now." Chase says leashing Fletch.

"I will take him." Eden says taking the leash from Chase.

"Okay I will get your bags." Chase replies.

Eden nods her head.   Chase grabs the bags and the three of them and Fletch get off the plane.    They head to Chase's car and get in.    Chase drives them to the track.   He shows his credentials and heads to the motor coach lot.    He pulls up beside his coach and parks.

"Thanks for going with me to get her." Chase says to Ryan.

"Anytime man." Ryan says.

"Goodnight Ryan." Eden says.

"Goodnight guys.   See you later today. " Ryan says.

He hugs them both and then heads off to his coach.    Eden walks Fletch over to the grass and lets him use the bathroom.    They then head back to Chase's coach and head inside.   Chase carries her bag into his room.

"Oh am I sleeping in here?" Eden asks.

"Figured you would want the bed.   I will sleep on the couch." Chase says.

"No that is okay Chase we can share the bed." Eden says.

"You sure?" Chase asks.

"Yes figured we could cuddle and watch Netflix until we fell asleep.   That way Fletch could sleep with us too." Eden says.

"Okay." Chase says.

He left her to get changed.    Eden changed into her pajamas and then called Chase back in.   Chase got ready for bed and they both climbed in.    Eden snuggled up against Chase.   Fletch jumped on the bed laying at their feet.

"I missed you Clyde." Eden says.

"I know princess I missed you too." Chase says kissing her head.

"So I have to tell you something.   I know I can and you won't judge me." Eden says.

"Never would I judge you." Chase says.

"Sid isn't just my boyfriend.   I am also dating Kris too." Eden says.

"Wait what?" Chase asks.

"Yeah apparently Kris and Sid are bisexual and are in a relationship.   So they wanted me to be in a poly relationship with them both." Eden replies.

"Okay, are you happy?" Chase asks.

"Yes." Eden says.

"Then I am happy." Chase says kissing her head.

"This is why I love you so much.   You always support me and have my back." Eden says.

"I love you just as much.   I will always have your back and I will always support you.   Just like I know you will always do the same with me." Chase says.

"Always." Eden says.

Chase and Eden cuddle as they watch netflix.    They end up falling asleep.

*****************************

Later that next morning Eden woke up to something smelling amazing.   She opens her eyes seeing Chase walk in with breakfast.

"Something smells so good." Eden says.

"Breakfast in bed for my princess." Chase says.

"Oh what did you make?" Eden asks.

"French Toast, eggs just like you like them, scrapple and sausage." Chase replies.

"My favorites." Eden says.

"Of course." Chase replies smiling.

He sits down and they both dig in.   Fletch tried to steal some.    Eden and Chase didn't feed him food but they did let him lick their plates when they were done.

"So what time is the race?" Eden asks.

"Four." Chase replies.

"Okay." Eden says.

"Since I am racing the hooters theme, I have an outfit for you." Chase says.

"Want me to be your hooters girl huh?' Eden asks chuckling.

"Of course." Chase replies.

Eden laughed.   She would do anything for him.   They hung out at the coach until it time for them to head down to the track.   Eden put her orange shorts and hooters shirt on.   She then links hands with Chase and they head down to the track.    Eden stood on Pitt lane while Chase did drivers intros.   Finally Chase joined her at his car.   Eden looped her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder.    They say a prayer and then the anthem was sung.   Finally it was time for Chase to climb into the car.

"Be safe baby." Eden says.

"I will.   See you after." Chase replies.

"Yes.  Good luck." Eden says.

She kisses him on the cheek.

"Love you Princess." Chase says.

"Love you too Clyde." Eden says.

Chase gets in the car and Eden took her seat on the box.  Ear phones on so she could hear Chase and Allan.

***************************

Meanwhile back in Pittsburgh.   Sid and Kris were at Sid's in the game room.    They were watching the Daytona 500.     During the anthem they zoomed in on Chase and there Eden was looking like a two bit hooker leaning against Chase.

"What the actual fuck." Sid says.

"How the fuck could she do that on National Tv." Kris says.

"She looks like a whore." Sid says.

"Yes and Chase is an asshole." Kris says.

Sid grabbed his phone.

"What the fuck are you doing Eden? Looking like a whore on National TV." Sid texted.

Eden didn't reply which only pissed Sid off more. He would have to teach her a lesson when she got home.

**********************

Eden was enjoying the race. Chase was running good and she was so proud of him.

Chase ended up winning the race and she was so happy and excited. She all but jumped off the box and read to victory lane. A few minutes later Chase pulled in and got out of the car. They celebrated him and then interviewed him. Eden goes over and kisses him.

"Congratulations Clyde I am so happy for you." Eden says.

"Thank you baby." Chase asks returning the kiss.

Eden got an idea. She took the checkered flag. After posing in a few pictures with Chase she left VL. She took the flag back and headed into the coach. She stripped out of her clothes snd wrapped the flag around her body waiting for him to come back.

A little bit later Chase finally came back and entered his coach.

"Eden you here?" Chase calls out.

"Yes in the bedroom." Eden replied.

Chase comes walking through the door a few seconds later.

"What is this?" Chase asks seeing her as she kneeled up on the bed.

"Come get your prize Clyde." Eden says.

Chase walked over to her. Eden locked eyes with him seeing the love and lust in them.

"Are you sure?" Chase asks.

Eden grabbed him by his firesuit belt pulling him closer to her kissing him. Chase kissed back. Eden reaches up and starts to pull down his suit. She then runs her hands up his chest as she lifts his under shirt up and over his head.

"God damn." Eden says voice hitching.

"Eden are you sure about this? Once we cross this we can't go back." Chase says.

"I know Chase trust me. I want this." Eden says.

She then finished taking off his suit followed by his boxers. Eden then looked him up and down wondering why she didn't do this sooner. Chase kisses her as he pulls the flag off her throwing it behind him.

"God Eden you are so beautiful. I love you so much." Chase says as he gently lays her back on the bed.

"You're not bad on the eyes either Clyde." Eden says.

"I don't have any condoms." Chase says.

"Chase I don't care I just need you. And wait why don't you have condoms?" Eden asks.

"Because I am still a virgin Eden. I love you and I was saving myself for you." Chase says.

"Aww Clyde. I love you too." Eden says.

Chase leans down kissing her softly as he pushed into her. Eden moans against his lips. He was a lot bigger then Sid and Kris so it took a few for her to adjust.

"God Eden." Chase moans out as he moves.

"That's it Clyde baby. Doing so good." Eden purrs as she moves with him.

Chase moans as he moved a little harder.

"God Chase that is it." Eden moans moving with him.

She digs her nails into his back as she moves.

"Fuck baby." Chase groans as it made him move harder.

"So close Chase so close." Eden moans.

"Me too baby, I am going to pull out since I don't have a condom." Chase says.

"No baby please cum inside me." Eden begs.

"Are you sure baby? Chase asks.

"God yes please. I want to feel you inside." Eden begs.

"God okay." Chase moans.

He thrusts into her a few more times.

"God Clyde baby." Eden calls out as she cums hard.

Her orgasm running through her.

"Eden baby." Chase moans as he cums hard her walls milking his release from him.

The ride it out together. They make love a few more times before falling to the bed spent. Eden was curled up against Chase's chest. They were still connected from their love making.

"God that was magical." Eden says.

"Really even with my inexperience?" Chase asks.

"God yes baby. You made me orgasm four times. That is pretty good for being a virgin." Eden says kissing his chest.

" I'm glad I lived up to the hype." Chase says kissing her head.

"You did and I love you." Eden says.

"I love you too Eden.   I have always loved you." Chase says.

"I know.   When we went to senior prom together everyone thought we were a couple then.   I should have listened to them and we wouldn't be here right now." Eden says sadly.

"Where do we go from here?" Chase asks.

"I am not sure but I love you.   However after a good nights rest we can figure it out." Eden says.

"Yes so true.    I have some media to do in the morning then I can fly us back to Pittsburgh." Chase says.

"Okay baby get some sleep." Eden says.

"You too princess,   Goodnight I love you." Chase says.

"Goodnight Clyde I love you too." Eden says.

They snuggle together with Fletch at their feel falling into a much needed sleep.

[prettycutebunny]

Wide awake - hisoka x reader collab part 1

Me and my amazing friend @absolute-flaming-trash decided to collab , hope you enjoy it 💙

TW: unhealthy relationship , hisoka being an asshole , hinted non con nothing graphic I can't write lemon to save my life, and manga spoilers !

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

When did it start ? How did the time merge so fast , you couldn't decipher it anymore ?

You've known him for so little time , yet it feels like forever. The moment your eyes met, even in your own memory you feel the time stop

His golden eyes looking at you curiously , eyeing you up and down as you approached him blushing.

You've seen him before. Hisoka Morow , the famous champion of Heaven Arena. A place you never thought you'd step a foot in until your friends dragged you there.

You've seen him fight his way to the top. You used to go because your friend made you , but how did it end up with you being his fan ?

His tickets were the hardest to come by , yet you couldn't stop yourself from spending paychecks on them. The disappointment of him not showing made you promise yourself to never go , yet again you go. He was simply too good to miss.

I'm wide awake

Yeah, I was in the dark

I was falling hard

With an open heart

I'm wide awake

How did I read the stars so wrong

His eyes were piercing you as he tapped his feet impatiently. You had to do it now. There's no knowing when you'll ever see him again.

"I'm a huge fan of you ! I've seen every one of your fights, and I don't know if you have someone ! But ..."

The words flew from your mouth so fast , you had to say them without thinking. If you think , you'll stop.

You swallowed nervously.

"Would you go out with me ?"

A chuckle took you by surprise. You felt your cheeks heat up, as your head lowered in shame.

He's laughing at you. Of course he is, what did you expect ? For him to hug you close and admit his love for you ? That he noticed you watching him in every match and fell for you ?

As your tears formed in your eyes , the laughing stopped and noises of heels clicking took it place.

Your chin was raised as you met his eyes again. His melted gold eyes shone with amusement accompanied with his signature smile.

"Amuse me , and I might♦️"

I'm wide awake

And now it's clear to me

That everything you see

Ain't always what it seems

I'm wide awake

Yeah, I was dreaming for so long

You stood in front of the mirror looking at yourself bitterly; how did he enchant you like that ? You were so far gone you ignored every warning sign even when it hit you in the face. Literally.

Your first "date" if you could call it that was unusual to say the least

You tried so hard to look as pretty as you can. You even bought new clothes and spent more time on a makeup tutorial than you care to admit.

He had texted you about his upcoming fight, naturally you already bought tickets to it before it's sold out. He wanted you watching from his room.

The tickets were pretty expensive but it also meant you could sell them and get a decent profit thanks to the limited number of them.

You walked nervously into Heaven's Arena, displaying your ID at the receptions who allowed you in. Hisoka already gave you a copy of his keys, which surprised you with how sudden it was. Then you laughed , what would you do ? Hurt him ? The idea alone was laughable

Reaching his room , you felt a sharp intense pain as your neck twisted painfully with a loud smack noise deafening your ears.

"You whore , you thieving whore ! He's mine. How dare you !"

Wish I knew then

What I know now

Wouldn't dive in

Wouldn't bow down

Gravity hurts

You made it so sweet

Till I woke up on

On the concrete

Closing the door while breathing heavily , you felt yourself shake with the amount of energy it took you to slam the door in her face and lock it.

Your cheek stung as you looked around at his place. It was quite fancy, which was expected from Heaven's Arena undefeated champion's rooms.

Your shaky hands turned on the tv as you headed to the kitchen looking for ice. Opening the freezer , you found tubs of ice cream and ice. You grabbed the ice while eyeing the neapolitan ice cream.

You were tempted, but you felt rude enough helping yourself to his ice. You didn't want your cheek to swell on your important date.

Hearing the excited announcement ,with the ice pack in hand you rushed to the TV. He was there in all his full glory with some powerful guy you never cared about.

The fight was similar to Hisoka's usual ones. He loved to spend time teasing and messing with his opponents. The death came in too quick after

he managed to land a hit on Hisoka's face, resulting in him being shredded with a stream of cards that came out of nowhere.

Closing the door , checking your face again , retouching your makeup , and changing your posture to your best abilities. You're going to look your best no matter what.

The loud noise of the door opening shocked you , being pinned out of nowhere on the sofa terrified you , seeing Hisoka's excited face aroused you as his hands started touching you all over while the other started ripping the clothes off of you.

Falling from cloud nine

Crashing from the high

I'm letting go tonight

I'm falling from cloud nine

Every single part of you ached. You've never been taken like that , so passionately and with great urgency. His deep alluring voice whispering in your ear; dragging you from the pain and pleasure. You were overwhelmed not only by his body , but also his words and whispers.

Feeling him shifting from atop of you as he walked naked to the phone. He looked at you with a satisfied smile as you tried to move after such a rough session.

Standing up wobbling , his voice faltered as you walked to the bathroom. looking at him , you noticed him glaring at your cheek, your hand went immediately to touch it earning a wince.

He slowly and predatorily approached and you could do nothing but stare.

"Who did this ♠️?"

"A woman slapped me when she saw me unlocking the door , she said I stolen you from her"

Your eyes lowered in embarrassment. That's not something to mention after you spent the night with someone.

Chuckles caught you off guard

"Ahh ! My little fruits tend to be a little too excited about me ♥️ you'll forgive them, won't you ♣️ ?"

I'm wide awake

Not losing any sleep

Picked up every piece

And landed on my feet

I'm wide awake

Need nothing to complete myself, no

It wasn't the last time it happened though. He was rarely around , and when he was he didn't want to do anything but have sex.

Whenever you did anything else , "little fruits" as he called them would attack you. Verbal and sometimes physical abuse towards you ruined the mood for you.

He didn't seem to care much , in fact he always looked amused. Today wasn't any different. He sent you a ticket to his new match with a keycard to his new suite in h]Heaven Arena's. You stopped buying tickets since he always sent you one.

It didn't take a genius to know , he either wanted you to patch him up or looking for a quick fuck. His matches always leave him hurt and aroused.

Why were you okay with this again ? Why can't you say no ? You knew it wasn't healthy but you can't help it. You're addicted to him now.

I'm wide awake

Yeah, I am born again

Out of the lion's den

I don't have to pretend

And it's too late

The story's over now, the end

Going to the match a lot earlier as usual, Heaven Arena's had a first come first serve rule on the seats. It became a habit for you to come hours earlier to book a decent seat.

His rival was someone he already defeated in the past so it should be okay. Not like he would lose or anything.

The noises of people slowly pouring distracted you from the nagging pain in your chest. Was this what you wanted ? A once every few weeks fuck or dinner if you're lucky ?

The match started as usual , Hisoka observing and letting his opponent take shots at him while he taunted them. The sudden severing of Hisoka's arm made you scream so loud , yet it was drowned by the screams of the entire stadium.

Hisoka was smirking and even offered him the other arm. What is he thinking ?

You felt yourself trumble as tears swelled in your eyes , how can he fight without arms? Will he bleed to death ? Why is he happy about it ?!

I wish I knew then

What I know now

Wouldn't dive in

Wouldn't bow down

Gravity hurts

You made it so sweet

Till I woke up on

On the concrete

You sat next to him in shock as you watched the

beautiful pink haired lady do her magic. She didn't seem to care you're watching. Her movements were fast and graceful before she finished and demanded her payment.

"Would you spend the night with me ♥️?"

You felt like you couldn't breath. Did you just hear that ? Her eyes drifted to you as she ignored him and left.

"Pity ♠️"

He looked at you with disappointment in his eyes before he smiled again. You stood back slowly heading to the door.

Where were you headed at this hour ? You can't stay with him ! He asked another woman right in front of you !

A firm hand gripped you as you felt your blood freeze.

"Where do you think you're going ♠️?"

Trying to break free from his grip , the painful lump in your throat making it impossible to breathe normally let alone talk. His hand only gripped you tighter as you started fighting to let go.

His face frowned at you trying your hardest to shake him off. Who did you think you were ? You knew you couldn't win against him , you saw all his fights ! The rational part in your brain didn't work.

All those women ? They weren't some crazy fans ? He's been cheating on you ? Does he even see you as more than a sex doll ?

A scream tore through your silent tears. He pinned you roughly over the table next to him. His face changed from the usual frown to something more sinister.

"Go on , fight me ♦️"

Thunder rumbling

Castles crumbling

I am trying to hold on

God knows that I tried

Seeing the bright side

But I'm not blind anymore

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

Every single muscle in your body hurt. Even the roots of your hair felt like hell. Your throat was dry and so were your eyes.

How did this happen ? Why did your innocent crush turn to this ? Weren't you enough for him ? Did your pain excite him that much ?

He left after the pink haired girl as soon as he was finished with you. Is that really the last time you'd see him ?

It's okay you'll gather your pieces and move on. At least that's what you tell yourself every time you go and bandage him. Every time he has his way with you.

When you heard about his fight with chrollo you refused to go; still traumatized from the last night at his Heaven Arena's place , you simply couldn't. You still watched him on the TV and went the next day after he cooled off. It'll be the same thing over and over.

Why can't you just say no ? Will you only escape him through death ?

Death , it made you laugh. Hisoka dying ? The idea of it seems so far fetched. He was so strong. Too strong.

Wait , did his hand just explode ? His legs too ? Hisoka ?

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake

I'm wide awake