#they have one brain cell but they both lost it <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[dilatorywriting]

Monster Mayhem: Donkeys & Dragons

Gender Neutral Reader x Malleus Draconia Word Count: 3.0k

Summary: In which your friends are idiots who think gallivanting around a haunted castle surrounded by lava is a great idea. And then there's a dragon.

ie. Or, I watched Shrek this afternoon and could not stop thinking about the memes of the Prefect being Donkey and Malleus as the Dragon.

[PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 3] [PART 4] [EPILOGUE]

‘Treasure beyond your wildest dreams!’ Ace said.

‘Knowledge long since lost to time!’ Deuce corrected.

‘Yeah, okay, but what is it,’ you asked.

And neither of them had an answer.

Abandoned castles suspended over a sea of bubbling lava were not your preferred holiday destination. You’d told Ace this several times. You’d begged, pleaded, to please just be normal for once. But noooo. Both the snarky, ginger, bastard and the other half of his singular brain cell had apparently decided that suicide ala boiling rocks sounded like a perfectly lovely plan for your Saturday evening.

“I’m just saying,” you huffed as the rope bridge swung worryingly beneath your feet, “taverns are a thing. Faires. Market runs. Casual side quests that won’t wind up with us being flambeed alive.”

“But there’s treasure!” Ace complained, the muddled light off the lava below illuminating his pout in a way that made it look especially punchable. “I heard there’s this really awesome magical sword! Or maybe it was a shield or something—”

“Or something,” you grit out. “What if it’s a book, huh? You can’t even read.”

“We can try!” Deuce returned, a spark of that familiar determination zipping through his blue eyes.

“Or we can sell it,” Ace said, which was certainly the more likely option of the two.

One of the rickety, wooden, slats cracked beneath the low heel of your boot and tumbled down into the lava below. Maybe it hit the gurgling pool of death with a hiss, or a whump, or some other cool sound. But all you could hear was the ringing in your ears.

“Oh my god. I’m going to die.”

“I mean, maybe,” Ace shrugged. “But at least you’ll have a cool new sword propped up at your grave or something.”

You managed to make it all the way to the other side of the horrible death bridge without plummeting to your doom. Except now you were standing at the foot an equally horrifying castle. It was massive—grand on a scale that seemed entirely impossible for something constructed in the heart of a volcano. Its dozens of ebony spires clawed at the sky. The walls crawled with grey ivy and thickets of thorns so dense that you couldn’t see even the barest hint of brick beneath. It looked evil in the way that cursed tombs felt evil—eternal, and still, and oppressive. Like a creature in its own right rather than just an agglomeration of black stone.

Ace drew his sword and Deuce readied his axe. You sighed and plucked at the strings of your stupid fucking lute, and wished once more that you’d had the foresight all those moons ago to take the cushy internship position Lord Crewel had tried to offer you. But, no. You’d wanted to be an adventurer.

The massive double doors of the entrance swung open with an eerie groan. A pair of stern looking gargoyles stood guard as the three of you cautiously made your way into the castle. You swore you could feel their eyes following you—that you’d seen them flex jagged claws into their stone perches in an aborted attempt to dive after you.

The inside of the looming fortress was no more welcoming than out. Dark, emerald, stained glass windows lined the walls—smothering any of the warmer light from the volcano and tinting the entire hall a sickly green-grey. The stone floors and walls were elaborately carved with the faded stories of dynasties long since passed, but what had once surely been immaculate craftsmanship had shifted and cracked with age—crushing floors into tight slopes and littering already narrow walkways with heavy debris.

“We just have to find the tallest tower,” Ace hummed, swiping at a few dangling trails of thorns with the blunted edge of his blade. “And then the highest room in that.”

“The treasure is never in the highest room in the tallest tower,” you complained. “You just heard that in a drinking song once.”

“Is that true?” Deuce frowned, looking terribly betrayed.

“No way!” Ace snipped. “I told you! An old crone read my fortune in her bone dice, and she said to always check the highest room in the tallest tower! Because that’s where I’d find my greatest treasure!”

“Maybe the greatest treasure is the friends we’ve made along the way?” Deuce suggested helpfully.

“No.”

So you split off from a grouchy Ace and dejected Deuce to try and find some stairs. Every room in this stupid castle was swimming in so many shadows that you could hardly tell right from left, let alone if there were any kinds of secret doors or passageways that may lead to an equally secret tower. The chamber you’d found yourself in now was gigantic, and each tentative step you took echoed discordantly through the ashy gloom. You kicked miserably at a loose rock and it skittered off into the darkness with a dull thunk. And then something… odd, began to happen. That darkness began to move—to rise and unfurl like a great set of wings on a beast. And—oh. Oh no.

“Would you look at that,” Ace whistled under his breath, neck craned all the way back as he squinted at what was most definitely the tallest of all the towers this creepy castle had to offer. “Guess what, nonbelievers. I found the—”

“DRAGON!”

Whoosh went the great swathe of emerald fire as it exploded down the barren hallway and nipped at your heels. You dove out into the open courtyard just in time to avoid being roasted alive, and the gargantuan monster behind you let out a roar fit to shake the earth. A quick tuck-and-roll left you crouched behind a fallen pillar, and the dragon’s bright, green, glower turned on you and your garbage hiding spot with a rumbling snarl. Its rows of sharp, white, teeth closing just above your head—missing its mark by barely a hair’s width.

“Gotcha!” Deuce snarled, his armored fists dragging the dragon away by its tail. Or, well, tried to. Because the dragon was a hundred feet long at least, and your blue haired friend probably looked like nothing more than a pesky rat darting between its feet. It turned and snapped at him irritably, taking a great, big, step forward in a bid to get a firmer stance to attack. You threw yourself in the other direction to avoid being trampled.

“Go!” Ace called, charging in from the other side. “Quick!”

Because at the end of the day, they were still both your brave, tanky, warrior, friends. And you were just a very, very, squishy bard who really would not fare well against a particularly motivated goose, let alone a dragon. So you skidded through the rubble and onto your feet, and started to sprint back into the castle’s halls—hoping maybe you’d be able to find a bit more cover.

There was a great clatter, and both Ace and Deuce yelped. You looked back hurriedly to see the pair of them clutching onto the dragon’s tail for dear life as it whipped them back and forth through the ash and debris cluttering the ground. With one, final, great, sweep, the dragon pitched them into the air and sent them careening through the roof of that ‘tallest tower.’ You muttered a hasty incantation and the sparkling outlines of soft feathers danced along your fingers. You hoped you weren’t too far. You were probably too goddamn far. But you hummed frantically under your breath nonetheless and entreated your middling magic to give them a soft landing.

And then there was another wave of green hellfire raining down over your head and you turned and ran.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck—

Even if you’d been a champion sprinter, there was little good it would have done you against a beast whose stride was longer than you were tall. You made it back into some hall or other, and into another cavernous room, and then you were pinned into a corner—the dragon looming over you like a vengeful wraith come to take its due.

It was gigantic. Probably the biggest creature you’d ever seen. And it was sleek—all lithe muscle and glossy rows of black scales that glittered oddly in the dull, grey, light. Its wings spread wide behind it, spanning the entirety of the vast chamber. They looked like the sort of wings that could stir up a hurricane. The curling horns atop its head seemed sharp enough to gore a man or twenty, and the purple crests lining its skull were tapered down flat in a way that reminded you a bit deliriously of a pissy cat pinning its ears back before it swatted at you.

Its lips curled back over pointed canines as it snarled at you, and you were showered in a swathe of hot sparks.

“Oh, what large teeth you have,” you squeaked, and when the dragon dipped closer to bellow into your face, your reeled back with a splutter. “I—I mean white, sparkling, teeth!” you rattled, nearly incoherent. The dragon’s snout twitched away, almost like you’d startled it. “I mean, I’m sure you hear this all the time from your food, but—wow! Just! Very lovely! Definitely the prettiest smile I’ll ever be eaten by!”

Slowly it lowered its great head, and you could see the neon glare from its narrowed eyes.

“Not that you have to eat me,” you added hurriedly, hoping to whatever Gods could hear you that your smart mouth could finally be useful for more than just talking circles around assholes in bars or weaseling your friends out of shitty contracts. “I’d very much like not to be eaten. But all the same, we did intrude in your home—and it’s definitely a very nice home—so I’d totally get it. And I guess if I did have to die today, knowing that my life would be in the hands of something so magnificent is certainly reassuring.”

The dragon seemed to preen a bit at that. You could see the sharp crests beneath its horns soften as tension bled from the beast’s posture. It ducked in close again, and this time you felt a sharp pull of air rush past your cheeks as it sniffed you. Its nostrils were the size your head—bigger even, maybe. You didn’t want to think about it, but the dry heat of its breath puffing into your face made the entire thing a bit hard to ignore.  

“Did I mention what a charming home you have?” you rambled on. “Very aesthetic. The gargoyles at the gate were a lovely touch.”

The dragon made a low, warbling, noise in its throat that wasn’t quite a growl, but wasn’t particularly… reassuring, either. It made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

It ducked away—not far, just enough to reach one of the large, carved, walls at the outskirts of the room. Its long neck slithered out before pausing pointedly over an archway. It took you a long moment to realize it was gesturing to something. Another gargoyle from the looks of things—this one almost entirely crumbled away under the strains of time. You could just barely make out the shape of its square jaw and taloned fingers.

You nodded so hard you nearly gave yourself whiplash.

“Yes! I see! Very beautiful! Such fine craftsmanship!”

The dragon cooed at you. Swear on your life and all the money in your back packet. An actual, honest to God, coo. Fuck, maybe you’d managed to charm your way out of imminent dismemberment and death after all.

It ambled closer once again, a curiosity lighting its eyes and warming those neon irises into something that was less poisonous-hell-fire and more mellow-evening-in-the-forest.

Amidst all the rippling waves of ebony scales, your eyes caught on the smallest smear of crimson. Just a touch of red—right along the spikes of its tail. Carefully, cautiously, slower than molasses, you stepped forward with your hands raised. You whispered a handful of familiar words under your breath and your palms glowed fuzzy and blue. Dragons were supposed to be inherently magical, right? So this one would certainly understand that the string of syllables you’d babbled out were good, and helpful, and not at all a provocation. The dragon was looking down at you with lidded eyes, its gaze a bit unfocused. You gulped.

“I’m sorry my friends messed with your tail,” you apologized, gingerly holding your fingers out to hover over the abrasions without actually touching. “They were just trying to protect me. If—if that makes it any better.” The minuscule wound began to knit itself back together neatly beneath the pulses of your magic. “I do tend to need a lot of protecting—I’m not much a warrior, if that wasn’t completely obvious by the everything about me—so I can’t really blame them for being a bit gung-ho about it.”

After a moment or two, the scratches had faded back into solid, matte, black and you drew back with a content hum.

“There! All fixed!” You gave your most winning smile. Please don’t eat me, your brain chanted on endless repeat. Please don’t eat me please don’t eat me please don’t eat me—

The dragon reared back and settled on its haunches with another heavy puff of sweltering breath. You could feel the heat of it prickling all the way up your arms. After a long, long, moment of silent consideration, the dragon leaned forward again and rumbled deep in its chest. When you only stood there, properly petrified, it huffed again and bumped its nose against your sternum, nearly toppling you over.

“I don’t—” you started, nervous. “I’m sorry. I don’t really get what you’re trying to say.”

With another sigh that sounded entirely too put upon, the dragon lowered its great head. The air itself seemed to grow heavy against your shoulders, and you could taste the cloying bitterness of strong magics on the back of your tongue. Black miasma oozed from beneath the dragon’s talons and melted along its scales. The caustic scent of ash and petrichor burned along your nostrils, and you had to pinch your eyes shut and cover your nose to keep from coughing. You managed to sneak a peek past your fingers just in time to watch the shadowed outline of the beast collapse. And out of that puddle of black goo emerged a man­. He was tall and lithe, just as the dragon had been, with glowing green eyes that were terribly familiar. They were framed with thick, dark, lashes and sat perfectly on a face that was nearly too handsome to be human (well, it really wasn’t human you supposed, so that little tidbit probably accounted for said inhuman beauty well enough). Recognizable eyes and stature or no, the curling horns atop his head would have sealed the deal plenty well enough on their own.

He shook off the shadows twining around his ankles with a lazy twist of the hand and then turned to you with a curious little hum.

And holy fuck Mister Dragon apparently had no sense of shame, or maybe just no qualms about social niceties and practicalities, because his human self was wearing about just as many clothes as his lizard form had been.

You squeezed your eyes shut with a squeak, and then double covered them with your hands for good measure.

A chuckle rolled through the air—as dark and pleasantly rich as the finest of chocolates. And then there was a clawed finger beneath your chin, tilting your head back, and back, and back until you were at least half-way sure it would probably be safe to open your eyes again without infringing on his decency.

“You are fascinating, Child of Man,” it—he—hummed, low in his throat. His thumb dragged down to hook beneath the curve of your jaw and support the finger tucked up under your chin. “And it’s been so, very, long since I’ve been fascinated by anything.”

“Uh,” you replied, like a perfectly functional human being.

The dragon’s lips curled up over his pointed teeth—still just as sharp and white as they had been when he’d been so much bigger and scalier.

“I think I’d like to keep you,” he said with a nod to himself, as casually as one may talk about picking up extra groceries from the market.

“Uh,” you said again.

“You did mention that you needed protecting,” he continued, tapping a clawed finger against his own chin. The small smile quirking his lips twisted into something smug. “And that is certainly something at which I would excel.”

Your head was swimming.

“I—I mean. I’m honored that you—that… you—” You couldn’t even think the words, let alone get them past your brain and out of your mouth. You cleared your throat and fought to keep your eyes level with his clavicle and nowhere else. “D-Don’t you think you’re moving a bit fast?” you laughed nervously. “I mean, I’m sure my friends will probably be on their way back down soon—and—I mean, we haven’t even introduced ourselves yet. I don’t even know your name.”

He blinked, slow and serpentine.

“Oh. I suppose you wouldn’t.” He canted his head to the side, long strands of that inky black hair of his spilling across his shoulder. An amused sort of grin worked its way along his mouth. “Dragons are not keen to give out our true names so readily, but you seem like a clever one. Tell me—what do you think I’m called then, hmm?”

You glanced up quickly at the horns atop his head and couldn’t help yourself.

“Tsunotarou?”

He let out a bark of laughter that seemed to shake the walls.

“Oh,” he trilled, looking positively delighted. The hand not curled beneath your chin reached down to snag your own, and he brought your wrist up to his lips. You could feel the imprints of his canines against the soft skin there. “I’ll definitely be keeping you.”

[mitchellnman]

UPTOWN GIRL / DOWNTOWN BOY.

Request from @slytherincursebreaker

Prompt: Reader all happy and bubbly college student received a text from her boyfriend which her friends were like excited who it was the mystery man like is he handsome or is he a student, the reader describes him tall, sweet, no he's not a student, he's working ( nothing illegal ) and he's handsome, so manly. Her friends are like excited. Then they pointed the bloke who the popular guy in college and has a crush on the Reader and they were excited, until Reader said what no not him oh there he is, she pointed which is Martin which her friends are like wtf, or is she blind or she lost a bet. When she hugged Martin and kissed him.

Word count: 727

Genre: fluff

Warnings: swearing, a slightly shitty friend, she/her pronouns, no beta reader we die like my brain cells scrolling through twitter

A/N: hi hello if you'd like a sequel I've got a few ideas for their date! Hope you enjoy, and have a good day!

—

You loved this time of year. The trees had began to shift from green, to yellow, to orange. The skies were always cloudy, the air was crisp and cool - which meant you could wear your boyfriends windbreakers and hoodies as often as you wanted. Which, was every day, and sometimes to bed if you were particularly lonely.

They smelled like him, and in moments when you thought no one was looking, you would duck your head, and tuck your nose into the collar. He was so supportive of you, and so achingly sweet, it was hard not to miss him every second if every day.

You were both busy now, that was the only downside to this time of year. You were in a good college, studying hard, and he was working. He hadn't told you yet, but you had overheard a phone call he had made to a friend, talking about how he was saving up to buy a slightly bigger place so that you two could live together after you graduated next year.

He was so thoughtful, you mused, as a dreamy smile splayed upon your lips, like a child thinking about their favorite candy bar.

"Hey, space cadet." One of your friends teased, waving her hand in front of your face. "Your phone just went off."

You blinked, your cheeks heating up. "Thanks, Sam." You pulled your phone out, your boyfriend's pet lizard as your screensaver. It was a text from him, and you grinned, brighter than the sun.

M: almost there love <3

"So?" Sam asked, leaning forward on the table the four of you were sitting at; a lovely outdoor cafe, on college grounds. It looked like something off of Pinterest, honestly. "Who is it?"

"My boyfriend, he's picking me up for a date tonight."

"Come on, you have to give us more than that!" Jackie protested to your right. Evelyn nodded in agreement to your left, and they all leaned in conspiratorially.

"Is he a student?" Sam asked.

"Is he tall?" Jackie asked.

"Is he handsome?" Evelyn asked.

You laughed, and covered your face with your hands in an effort to hide your fluster, your skin blisteringly hot under your fingertips. "He's not a student, um, he's fairly tall, and he's... beautiful. Yes, handsome, does all of the manly things you'd expect, opening doors, fixing things, reaching stuff on the high shelves, but - he's so sweet." You said, peeking out from between your fingers. “He's an utter dream.”

"Aww." Jackie said. "He sounds so nice. What does he do?”

“Well,” you said. “He works at a music store, and he has a few hobbies, and he does a recreational sport, for money.”

“Oh, interesting!” Jackie said, genuine invested in this. “I've got to meet him—”

A car pulled up alongside the curb, and a handsome man stepped out; tan, blonde, the star quarterback that was bringing a lot of attention to the college; Tommy.

Sam gasped as the man walked over to them. "Him?"

"The whole school knows he's got a crush on her." Evelyn said, raising an eyebrow. "It's so obvious."

It was, painfully so. He always tried to talk to you, chat you up - but it always came off more like a puppy begging for attention than anything else.

Tommy walked right by you with a wink and a wave, but you shook your head, and pointed. Martin had pulled in alongside him. His resting gloomy face lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw you, and he jogged over. You stood up so fast that you nearly knocked your chair over.

"Did you lose a bet, or something?" Evelyn sneered as she pulled her phone out.

"Don't be such a cunt." Jackie said, flicking cookie crumbs at her.

You didn't care. Martin met you halfway, and picked you up by your waist. He spun you around once, and you kissed him, aching for the warmth of his lips against yours.

"Hullo." He whispered, his hands cupping your flushed cheeks. "You taste like cinnamon."

You smiled. "Apple cider donuts. I was going to get some to go." You whispered, happily ignoring the chatter from your friends behind you.

"Good idea. Are you ready to go?" He asked, his voice soft. He brushed his nose against yours, his wild black hair tickling your cheeks.

You nodded. "With you, always.”

[dovahkiin796]

Poppy Playtime: CH 3 (What-if)

John watches in horror as dozens upon dozens of the Mini–Smiling Critters he has been dealing with ever since he found himself in the Playhouse. Crawl out of the walls and toward the hanging DogDay. The giant version of the toy screams out in panic when seeing the little monsters.

"Leave me! Please! Save yourself!" Every fiber of John's being agreed with what the humanoid dog said. But John couldn't get his legs to move.

He was too caught up in the horrific sight to even twitch a finger. But eventually his brain screamed at him to go, and John responded.

Though instead of running away to get to safety. John fired a few flares at the Mini-Smiling Critters. Like the other times they reared back in fright at the bright fireball.

However, this time, not all of them were backing away. Some continued to crawl toward DogDay. Their feral nature being more powerful than their fear. So, with only one option left. John starts bashing away the plush toys with his GrabPack arms.

"What are you doing?!" Asked a confused DogDay. "I told you to leave me!" John ignored him and continued his assault. One of the Smiling Critters manages to get onto DogDay's head, and it seemed it was about to crawl into his head by his large, black eyes,

John stopped this from happening by actually using his own hand to grab it and then punch it in the face with his other hand by turning it into a fist. John heard a sickening crack, but he pressed on and threw the dead thing away.

In quick speed John was able to free the large dog from his straps and have his arms wrap around his neck for support. "You're a fool for doing this. You're going to get yourself killed."

John could only grin. If that was the case, then at least he died trying to save someone. The Mini-Smiling Critters, angry that their food supply was now free. All snarled in anger.

John didn't bother to wait and see what they'll do and ran back the way he came. But when trying to run through the cell doors, wooden planks that were put in place to cover a large hole in the floor. Collapsed by the combined wait of John and DogDay's.

They fell to a floor beneath the holding cells. Clearing his dazed head from the sudden fall. John sees an open tunnel. Up above he can hear the little Critters coming to where he and DogDay fell.

Wasting no time, he crouch runs down the tube till coming to another tunnel and taking it. It was series of running, taking sharps turns, running up ramps, waiting for shutter doors to open up, and taking a slide down. But eventually John spots their salvation. An elevator that was behind a gap that led to a bottomless pit.

Switching to the purple hand and with what little adrenaline he had left in him. John sprints toward the gap, "Hang on! This won't be an easy landing!" Just as his foot touches the purple hand pad. John fires the hand on it and both he and DogDay launch high in the air.

Fortunately for them they were able to make it. Though John ended up not sticking the landing. He lost his footing and fell to the ground. The giant Smiling Critter rolled off of him, only being stopped by the elevator railing.

Without his choice John's body happened to land on his side where his front would be facing the open doorway he just came through. He can see the horde coming for him and DogDay. He wasn't actually sure if they would make the jump or not. He prayed that they didn't. But he wouldn't be able to know as the shutter suddenly closed before any of them could even make the attempt.

From behind the door, he could hear the little beasts roar and snarl in absolute fury. Crashing their little bodies against the metal in hopes of breaking through it.

Though the door wasn't budging in the slightest. Letting out a much-needed sigh of relief. John turns to DogDay to see if he's alright. "Are you ok?" John asked. The Smiling Critter coughs a little before asking why he saved him. John was silent for a few seconds till saying. "Because this place already has enough death occur in it. It needs at least one life that was saved in these walls."

DogDay took a second to digest what he heard. He lets out a ragged snort. "You really are an Angel. Something this place really needs."

John snorts too. "By the way. The name is John." DogDay said the name sounded too generic and will continue to call him Angel. Rolling his eyes. John picks up DogDay and steps onto the elevator and pushes the button. The contraption heading upward that led them to another slide. With no other option they took it, and it actually took them outside the Playhouse.

"It's been so long since I've been outside. I honestly can't believe that I'm truly free." Said DogDay. "Well believe it, you'll no longer be someone's dinner."

After a phone call from Ollie and telling him what to do next. John first takes DogDay to the elevator where Kissy and Poppy were last seen using.

When reaching it John sees the elevator was still raised up. He calls out for either Poppy or Kissy to lower the elevator so DogDay can be safe with them.

For several long seconds he didn't get a reply back. He was worried that maybe they were no longer up there. But his worries were put to rest when he heard and saw the elevator descending.

The elevator finally reached the bottom and John rested DogDay against the railing. "I don't know about this. Can you trust them?" The Smiling Critter asked. A hint of worry in his voice.

Despite what DogDay said to him back at the Playplace about he and Poppy being the only ones to stop the Prototype. John doesn't blame him for it. For years he was at the mercy of toys who he thought were his friends. And after all those years, he's finally free, only be at the mercy to a different set of toys. John reassures him that that they'll keep him safe while he deals with CatNap.

Pressing the button so the elevator can go back up. DogDay says, "Please don't die, Angel. I don't want to lose any more friends in this place."

Promising he won't. John turns around and heads for the counselor's office to bring more power to the generator.

[cry4mina]

Take Me Back to Eden - Euclid - Part 7

Take Me Back to Eden Series Page

Angst/Fluffy Moments

Word Count: 12k

Summary: After the events of the last chapter, reader finds themselves in a spiral of self hatred as they wait for their beloved to wake up, unbeknownst to them - someone is lurking in the shadows.

TW: Hospitals, spiraling, big sads, talks of death, some happy moments!, knives, talks of guns, talks of abusive relationships, broken glass, aaaaaaand talks of drinking and cheating. I think that's everything?

AN: Two more parts after this one and the story will be complete! I feel like I say this all the time but I never really thought this story would evolve into the series that it is now and I'm so grateful for all your support and kind words along the way! <3 <3 I truly hope you all have a lovely evening! I'd love to hear your predictions on what you all think is going to happen next!

A sharp jolt crackling through your chest wakes you violently, like lightning crawling through every vein cardiovascular system, forcing your eyes open. The fluorescent lights shine down on you, the beeping of machines, someone crying, and the rocking movement overwhelm your senses.

“We got her back! Okay, Y/n! You need to stay with me now, okay?” concern laced in the voice as that spoke to you.

Your vision is still blurred, eyes barely opening when you use as much energy as you can to keep yourself from passing out again. A familiar voice breaks through the machine’s whirring.

“Is she going to be okay?!” Momo is frantically barking at the EMT, seemingly trying to get information from him but unable to hold back the panic in these circumstances.

The rocking of the larger vehicle wakes you up just a little more but not enough to be full cognizant, bringing nausea along with it. Body unmoving as your eyes fight to keep the sliver of sight they have when your brain flashes the last few memories you had before you passed out…

Nayeon, with a smoking gun in her hand pointed past you.

Mina with crimson running down her torso and going pale…

“Mina?” croaked out between heavy breaths from the oxygen machine placed on your face.

“Wait!” Momo snaps at everyone who’s speaking around her, you hear silence again.

“Y/n?” her hand fills yours, feeling her lean into you to make sure she can hear what you’re saying. It must be pretty bad if she’s reacting this way.

“Where…is…Mina?” gravelly and with everything you could muster.

Momo sniffles, you can feel her head down and it on your arm. She sighs heavily before bringing her head back up, aware that she might not have time to fully explain what’s happening. The unanswered question haunts you for a moment.

“She’s on her way to the hospital. You both lost a lot of blood…they don’t know….they don’t know if she’s going to make it, Y/n. She was…shot in a pretty severe place…” tears spilling from her, sobbing at the information she had.

Tears roll down your face, reviving the crystalized blood coating your skin from the circumstances you were just in, dripping and reigniting it’s liquid form as it spills down around you.

If Mina…doesn’t survive…

The dread consumes you instantly. Would it be your fault if she didn’t make it? You were the one who was with her, you were the one who was supposed to protect her, but was it enough? Trying got you here…trying got you in this ambulance with both you and her getting rushed to the emergency room.

How could you stomach losing Mina like this? At the hands of one of her best friends and over…you?

“Nayeon…” whispered through the sadness and the anxiety filled thoughts that consumed every cell in your body.

The silence between her sniffling tells a lot, but not enough.

“Momo…do the police have Nayeon?” a little more aggression out of you, even in this state. You want to make sure that she can’t touch you or Mina ever again.

“Where is she?!” hissed out in an anger that Momo has never seen from you, even in the state of hurt you were in, the rage permeated the vessel you were trapped in.

The only two things you could feel in this moment: Fear and Fury. They walk hand in hand through your mind while patiently waiting for someone to answer your question.

Machines around you start furiously beeping again. Eyes still fighting to stay open but you’re so exhausted that staying awake feels impossible with the frames of darkness around your vision.

“Ma’am, I understand that you want to speak with her but we need to make sure she stays awake.” the EMT started putting needles in your arms.

“Get the crash cart ready! We might lose her again!”

Again?

Momo is in hysterics, understandably so. Wondering how much she witnessed, it would be hard for anyone to see someone they cared about in the position you were in. Imagining the lasting impact of finding the mess of the room that it all happened in, you sigh as the tears keep flowing.

All of this is too much. Too much on everyone around you.

Too much on Mina.

Too much on you.

You're slowly drifting into a dream-like state when what little blood you have runs absolutely cold, the ice that froze hell over ransacks your veins expeditiously. Eyes flying open as your heart pumps faster and faster, a chemically impersonated panic attack brought on to keep you awake.

“Y/n, listen to me. We are on the way to the hospital and it’s imperative you stay awake. I gave you an adrenaline shot so your heart might race. This is normal. Okay?” his voice is fading in and out of your range of hearing.

“So…tired…” breathlessly escapes you.

“Y/n, we are almost there, just please listen and stay awake.” Momo’s sobbing sounds physically painful and drenched in fear.

Fighting as much as you can, you try to count the lights to stay awake, forcing yourself to focus on anything that wasn’t the weight of your eyes or the pounding in your chest.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Suddenly, you’re pulled feet first out of the vehicle, continuing to try and count things as your eyes fight you.

Vision goes as black as the night sky above you while you’re being pushed through the hospital, feeling the gurney bumps over the tracks of the automatic doors you hear glide open.

“We need 2 liters of O negative, stat!” shouted from your right hand side.

Your hearing is fading, replaced by the ringing that you got familiar with when the gun went off. A wave of panic swings through you, hands going up to reach for anything you could grab. This takes all of your energy and you fall into a deep calm sleep.

—

Void. Darkness. Silence.

Familiarity seeps in through your pores as your eyes calibrate to the surroundings, deja vu reflecting what once was in your mind, yet again. The same small metal table, the same figures sitting around it.

Sighing, unable to hear the huff of your wit’s end, you start to walk. Knowing exactly who the figures are before you even approach the table. Cautiously walking towards the shadows sat, almost waiting for something. Maybe, someone?

Both turning their head at you, the faces exactly who you expected, Mina and Nayeon. Mina smiles at you, the glow of her illuminating the endless ether. You have to stop moving to fully take in the essence of her.

Long dark wavy hair that frames her face and torso, welcoming eyes that melt you in the warmth she radiates, that small smile she is giving to you, and the way she gracefully reaches her hand towards you…peace.

The calm washes over you, just like the last time, as you approach her. The other figure at the table shows itself again to be Nayeon, eyes black, the smell of sulfur, the rage emitting off of her skin and the possessiveness that she always carried try to overshadow the care that was brought by Mina.

“Oh, Y/n, it’s great of you to join us.” ethereally leaves Mina’s lips.

“Yes, isn’t it pleasant to have my personal whore here?” hiss between Nayeon’s razor sharp teeth, contorted voice layered in anger and hatred.

“Don’t.” stern and powerful as it leaves the angel's lips.

A bright stream of light beams down from the nothingness, penetrating Nayeon’s chest cavity. She wails out into the void, breathing heavily.

“Do you think you can just take her from me? She’s my favorite piece of meat!” arms lengthening, mouth largening as Nayeon’s body contorts into a tall, lanky, sharp looking demon. Horns growing and snapping into shape, hooves clomping down into the cement harshly as she stakes her claim.

Mina is unaffected by this gesture of power, sending another few beams of light through Nayeon, setting what they touch on fire. Nayeon screams, loud enough to shake the table and it’s settings, rumbling them onto the floor.

Bloodied barbed wire shoots up from the floor, alive in its movements as it wraps around Nayeon’s wrists, slamming her into the ground and tightening with every second. More barbs shoot up and fix themselves around her torso, pulling her even further into the floor.

A demonic shriek can be heard through the hellfire and brimstone, Nayeon crumbles into stone before you, leaving nothing you coated in this dust and ash.

Mina is calm, cool, and collected. Standing up and yanking on your hand, you swing around and land chest first against Mina.

It starts drizzling pure clean water, Mina just holding you close while you look up to observe the rain falling from nothing. It starts picking up, washing the dust off your body.

Both of you soaking wet, standing in this mysterious rain after the monster has been slayed - there’s only one thing left to do in this fairy tale.

Boldly grabbing the sides of her face and bringing her lips to yours. Her eyes were surprised at this gesture but reciprocated the moment of passion before pulling back.

“Wake up” barely over a whisper and in a voice that isn’t hers.

“Please, Y/n, wake up!” Momo?

“WAKE! UP!”

“Don’t worry.” in her own voice, echoing against the walls of your brain before the light around Mina shines its brightest, consuming both of you.

—

Blinking ferociously, your eyes open to bright fluorescence hanging above you.

“Oh thank GOD” Momo throws herself on you before you can even understand what is happening, you wince at the weight of her unsure of what your wounds were.

“Sorry, Sorry!” She hugs you tightly before removing herself from you. Dahyun is seated, allowing you time to get your bearings before coming over to you and placing her hand in yours.

“We are so happy to see you’re awake!” smiled lightly, eyed red and swollen.

She has been crying…

“Where…is…Mina?” croaked out through dry lips and barely any energy as the worry for her consumes you.

“She’s in surgery…” Momo sniffles at the words she spoke.

There was an uneasiness about the way her voice wavered.

“…what did the doctors say?”

“The bullet penetrated her lung…they’re going in to remove it…She lost a lot of blood, Y/nnie…There’s a good chance that she might not…make it.” choking on the last few words as she forced them out.

The droplets fall from your eyes when you register what she’s said…Mina might not make it?

Thinking about the ambulance, thinking about how Momo gave this information to you there as well but it didn’t really connect in your brain until now…This event of Mina getting injured was avoidable…If you just kept your distance from her when Nayeon went crazy, maybe she wouldn’t be where she is….Maybe Mina would’ve been safe from her…

The pit of your stomach flips, all the stress of what happened has come back full force and is slamming all of your fear back into your chest, making friends with the pounding of the headache you have.

“Nayeon?” puffed out of your weak body, wondering if shew as far away and in police custody.

“Is she awake?” an all too familiar voice breaks the moment.

You look up to see who it was, a bouquet of lotus flowers covering the face of the person. They are placed down on the small table at the foot of the bed and the person steps out from behind the display, revealing herself to be Ms. Park Jihyo.

Tensing immediately, you struggle to lift yourself up higher in a move of defense. Momo sees this and puts her hand on your shoulder.

“Just hear her out, you might be surprised at what she says.” smiling and nodding before heading out of the room with Dahyun.

Jihyo stands in the room, looking at the ground before she grabs one of the uncomfortable foldable chairs from the walls of the room and scoots it closer to you.

You try to keep a straight face in her presence but can’t help but shed a few tears as this human who knowingly hurt you sits in front of you, elbows on her knees and hands together as she tries to plead her case.

“I’m sorry, Y/n…I know that this is a lot and has been since everything came out but I think I need to tell you what happened the night that rock flew through your window.” she makes eye contact with you, showing a serious demeanor as she shifts back into her seat trying to find some sense of comfort in the discomfort of this situation.

“Nayeon was…violently upset when we ran into you and Mina at the cafe. She was punching the dashboard of my car the entire way to your apartment…she still had your location. I didn’t like that she did that but honestly…” Jihyo’s voice cracked, eyes reflecting something you had never seen in her before back to you as she forced herself to make eye contact through the discomfort that sat on her chest.

“…I have always kind of…been scared of her, you know? Like she has this intensity that’s just really hard to say no too and when she was raging about seeing you and Mina together…I just didn’t know what to do so I listened to what she said. We went to your apartment and we watched you and Mina walk in together…Nayeon got…quiet and told me to leave so I did.”

Fear, her eyes were reflecting fear.

Jihyo is visibly shaken and remorseful through reliving the events as she spoke them to you, rubbing her hands up and down her face aggressively to smear the intensity of the conversation off.

“We went back to the apartment you both lived in together…I tried to calm her down by massaging her shoulders but she…got angry when I called her “baby”...she told me I would never be you and then she pushed me to the floor…a-a-ggressively.” Shuttering through the dread that was weighing her down.

“After that…Nayeon just got up and left.” Choking on her words as the spilt from her lips.

Jihyo was practically sobbing while sharing the trauma she had endured that you were unaware of. Knowing full and well that Nayeon was an abuser to you, the only moment you really thought she could be a monster to Jihyo as at the cafe…when Jihyo was crying behind her as she tried to seduce you again…in front of her.

She had been affected by this situation just as much as you had. Her eyes hold similar pain that yours did when you and Nayeon first split. It was hard to see, even on someone you were upset with.

“When she came home…things happened…and the cops showed up. She fake cried and told them that I made her go with her, that I was violent and controlling of her. She said that I was the one who had the idea…I tried to tell them it wasn’t me, but they didn’t listen because she was hysterically bawling her eyes out and acting like I had threatened her. They took me to jail after that…she called me after I got bailed out and told me that she was breaking up with me because she was going to exterminate the problem…so she could be with you.” completely serious in her tone, even through the trembling of her voice.

“So you called the police?” still raspy in the way you asked, the puzzle pieces have finally found their place.

“Yes. I called the police and Momo to tell them what was going on…I tried to call you and Mina but neither of you answered…Y/n, I’m so sorry. I really am. I truly loved the friendship we had and I don’t know if we can ever get back to that but I'm very willing to try to fix this…that time we spent at the park, everything I said, I meant. I never wanted to hurt you in this. I just felt so stuck.” sobbing as she makes her apology, genuinely distraught about all of this.

“Hyo…I need to know how this actually started. How did you and her end up…together?” a small ache in your chest reminds you of the confrontation in the elevator. The anger and hatred you felt then was still present to some degree.

“The drunk one night stand part was true…but it was before she met you.” her eyes down at the ground, a semblance of a smile lingers on her face at the nickname you called her.

“She told me when you met and said that she had no intention of it being serious with you. We went on tour and Nayeon couldn’t put her phone down, always texting you and calling you on Facetime… I knew that it was something serious then but when we got back and had that party, it was just different.” making eye contact with you again, voice quivering while she’s holding back even more tears.

“That’s why I called you that night…because I thought you were who she wanted and not me. I just wanted her to be happy. But when we were out of town…she would purposefully ask to be roomed with me. We would get drunk, it would happen again and we would just pretend like it didn’t.”

“My feelings got involved pretty early on and I told her but she was insistent on being with you and I respected that. She would tell me that you broke up and then when we got back, she would say you were together again.”

“Jihyo, this is the first and only time we ever broke up…” whispered to her in the smallest breath, hoping she wouldn’t hear you or at least wishing you didn’t have to tell her the whole truth.

It was hard to see her like this, baring her soul for you to see, dripping in guilt and anger.

“I know that now. I know that she was using me for when you weren’t around. But you can see why I had a hard time getting away from her…and she wasn’t ever as violent as she was the night that we saw you at the cafe…I think that’s when it truly clicked for me that she was dangerous.” Jihyo’s breathing is picking up, she’s on the verge of a panic attack when you see the blood under her nails and knuckles that were bruised.

“Jihyo…what happened to your hands?” whispered in fear of the answer.

“I came to the banquet…when I heard that first shot and saw everyone rushing out of the building, I saw Momo trying to get the members out a side door. We saw each other and I pointed to the room. She ran over and we went in together.” her voice is trembling as she tells you more of what happened.

“When I saw you passed out in Mina’s arms…and what Nayeon did to Mina, I got so angry.” She’s in hysterics now, trying to steady her own breathing and self regulate so she can tell you the information you were owed.

“I tried so hard to get her to stop…and put the gun down…I don’t even know where she got that fucking gun. I punched her to try and get her to stop but she just kept going…I got the gun from her, and was trying to fight her off but she tackled me to the floor. She got on top of me and choked me…I couldn’t get her off me, Y/n.”

Jihyo is now sobbing, trembling and looking very nauseous. Completely drowning in herself when she finally releases the memory that is burnt in her brain for the rest of her life.

“Y/n…I shot her.”

“What?”

“I…shot Nayeon…”

“…Jihyo, you shot Nayeon?”

“It was the only way I could stop her…she would’ve killed me if I didn’t…I feel so guilty. I feel so fucking guilty.”

Jihyo’s face falls into her hands, violently sobbing at the fact that she killed someone she loved, even if that love wasn’t returned.

The sting of this information was something incomprehensible, a grief blending inside your torso, the gut wrenching twist of your stomach, ruining the home where the butterflies once lived and flourished for Im Nayeon.

Your ex-girlfriend of three years.

The girl you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with.

She’s just…gone.

Even with everything that happened between you and Nayeon, you are having a hard time wrapping your thoughts around her being dead. Barely only finding out about how crazy she actually was, the version of her that was sweet and loving still saturates the predatory acts and violent tendencies she exposed to everyone in the end.

Shifting up in your seat weakly, you rotate your legs off the side of the bed. Bare toes touching the cool ground as you try to stand up. Feeling every single bruise and wound left in the altercation. Jihyo stands with you, putting her arms out so she can help you balance yourself.

Without hesitation, you pull her in for the hug you both needed. Crying in each others arms as you both try to process the death of your abuser.

“I’m so sorry Y/n. I’m so fucking sorry.” wept into your shoulder.

“I am too, Jihyo. I am too.” sniffling while you release all irritation you had with Jihyo. She was a victim of Nayeon, just like you. Maybe there was hope for that trust had, to be built again.

Maybe.

“Y/n? Can we come in?”

Both of you turn to look at her, when the entirety of Twice minus Nayeon and Mina walk in with sorrow in their eyes and more flowers in their hands. Worry being on the forefront of their minds. We are all grieving this loss, we are all fearful of the future.

“Jihyo…”

“Yes, Y/n?”

“Thank you.”

Momo is smiling behind the crowd, holding Dahyun’s hand and watching as the girls come in and sit scattered around the room. Jihyo still in the chair near the bed you crawled back in, Sana sitting at the end of that bed across from her, Chae in the big comfortable chair by the window, Jeongyeon is standing and looking a little anxious and Tzuyu pulls up a seat next to Jihyo.

“How long was I asleep?” not knowing what day it is, or what time it was. The sun seems to be either rising or setting and you can’t tell which.

“About 12 hours.” Momo chimes in from the doorway, checking her phone to see the time. She’s got a weird air about her, something is off.

“Momo, what’s wrong?” knowing she’d normally be as close to you as possible in this situation.

“I’m waiting for a phone call.” anxiously blurted across the room.

Everyone is silent with their heads down, whatever this was putting Momo on edge was eating at everyone in the room.

“The police don’t speak Japanese here…so I had to call Mina’s parents…” another piece of your heart breaks off for every syllable of the sentence.

Her parents…her brother…

Dread sinks your heart down to your stomach, weighing like cement in your gut. Skin prickling into a million stipples, remembering the last moment you saw Mina.

Tears rolling down her cheeks.

Blood spilling from her chest.

Then darkness.

Unable to help yourself, you start sobbing uncontrollably.

This was all so overwhelming, trying to process everything that had happened. Nayeon with the gun pointed at you, the person you were with for so long had not only threatened your life, but wounded you beyond what you thought possible.

Weeping as you think about what she had put Mina through. Mina just wanted to be there for you and you found some safety, Nayeon tried to take that away and might’ve been successful…

The doctor walks into the room, looks around and sees all these people around you crying with you and his eyes widen, intimidated by the 8 people who peered up at him as he entered.

“Uh…I can come back later…if you’d prefer.” raising the clipboard by the side of his head, pointing it back towards the door nervously.

“No no, it’s okay. You can come in.” waving him into the room so he can say what he needs to.

“Is it okay if I talk about your medical diagnosis in front of…uhm…” gesturing to the girls scattered around the room.

“Yes, that’s completely fine.” assuring him that he could continue.

“Okay, Ms. Y/n…so we are looking at a concussion, you’ve got 16 stiches on your scalp, 3 broken ribs, and a few lacerations and bruises. I suspect you’ll be sore for a while but you should make a full recovery. You should thank whoever kept the pressure on the back of you head…you had an artery grazed in the…incident and that pressure saved your life.“ The Doctor hesitates as he reads off the clipboard, it looks like he’s wondering if that was the right thing to say.

“I’ve written a few prescriptions for the pain and swelling, but you should be good to be released within the next few hours. Do you have any questions for me?” clicking his pen and putting his clipboard down by his side.

That’s a lot of information to digest.

“I do but I don’t think you’ll be able to tell me…” softly stated back to him.

“I take it it’s about your friend? The one you came in with?”

Nodding your head as the tears fall again, you’re too worried about Mina to not try to get some information out of him.

“I can’t really tell you anything specific without permission, I would need permission from the emergency contact to do so.” the Doctor sighs,

“You have my permission.” Momo raises her hand from across the room, nodding to him, respectfully.

The Doctor nods his head back, his body language shifts into something less pleasant.

“Ms. Mina is out of surgery and the surgeon over seeing her said that it went very well.” He moves his weight to the other leg, crossing his arms and looking at the floor.

“She lost a lot of blood…even with a blood transfusion she wasn’t very stable, we revived her a few times on the table.”

Everyone is frozen at this news, breath held and the whirring and beeping of the machines around you is the only thing keeping all of you present.

“She had a punctured lung from the bullet wound in her chest. We did manage to remove the bullet and patch her up just fine, but with her being unstable…we had to put her in a medically induced coma.”

Everyone gasps in unison, the worry behind everyone’s eyes reflects the deep love of a friend and loved one, who is now in a state of deep sleep for an unknown amount of time.

Jihyo takes over now, directing the conversation and asking what we all wanted to know.

“When will she wake up?”

“Well, that depends…we have her on a 24 hour watch to make sure she can stabilize on her own. She’s on a ventilator to insure proper oxygen intake. Once she stabilizes, we can wake her.”

The Doctor looks around the room and sees many sets of distraught eyes looking back at him.

“I know this is a lot of information, but rest assured we are doing everything we can. I’ll give you some space, but Miss Y/n, I’ll have the nurse bring in your release paperwork soon.” He turns out of the room, swiftly walking to where his next patient was.

It’s silent, everyone can’t seem to wrap their heads around what is happening, yourself included. Everything that happened to Mina would’ve never taken place if you hadn’t hung out with her. If Nayeon hadn’t seen you together she would be okay…

Sobbing quietly to yourself, the girls look at you with saddened eyes, Momo knowing exactly what’s going through your head. Walking up to you and sitting down, she wraps an arm around you, letting you cry openly on her shoulder.

Everyone follows suite, walking up and wrapping their arms around everyone to create a group hug that all of you desperately needed.

“Please, let me have some space.” quietly said into Momo’s neck.

“What do you mean, Y/n? We are all here for you.” confusion in her words, cocking her brow at you to try and understand what you meant.

“This is all my fault.” whispered through the cascade of bitter hatred for yourself that spilled from your eyes.

“No, it isn’t your fault Y/n! This is Nayeon’s fault.” Sana insists, mad that you would even think that you had anything to do with the outcome of this.

Believing that was something you would never do.

“Y/n, it’s so obvious that you care about Mina…You would never intentionally put her in harms way.” Jihyo rubs your shoulder trying to ease you of the mind set that was turning your brain into a web of connections that was weaved in hatred for yourself and Nayeon.

“If you and Nayeon had never seen us at this cafe, it would’ve never happened…I should’ve just ordered in that night. I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.” choking on your tears, coughing, and wincing at the searing pain that erupted from the contractions of your muscles around your broken ribs.

The feeling accumulated from everything that happened poured out of you like steaming lava, burning and aching your chest as the rage of another thing you care about possibly being ripped out from underneath you catches fire under your heart.

Momo is holding you against her, rocking you and trying to comfort you as Dahyun ushers the other girls out into the hallway to let you have this moment.

“Hey, hey. Look at me…” Trying to catch your eyes as they drift to the floor.

“…I said look at me, Y/nnie!” Momo grabs your faces and forces you to look at her, tears heavily coating your cheeks as your eyes blur at the pressure you’re putting on yourself to hold yourself accountable for nothing done wrong.

“You didn’t do anything. Nothing. Not a single thing to deserve any of this. None of this is your fault. Not even close.” pulling you back in immediately for another hug that sucks the life out of you.

Mourning the memory of a Nayeon that never existed and mourning what Mina is going through just from being too close to you…It was too much for you to handle in the state you were in. Physical and emotional wounds compounding into a broken person being held up by those around you.

Just as you’re about to speak, Momo’s phone rings. She let’s go of your hug in a panic to look to see who it is.

“Shit, I have to take this. I’ll be right back.” jumping up off the bed to step out of the room, her eyes brimming with tears as she answers and steps away.

Alone with your thoughts, you think back to how safe Mina made you feel and how unsafe she was when she was with you. How could you have allowed this to happen? Why weren’t you shot instead of her?

A nurse walks in while you’re lost in these thoughts.

“Alright Ms. Y/n, will you please sign these release papers? I’ve brought your medications in this bag so you should be all good to go home. The doctor suggests plenty of rest until your ribs heal in 2-6 weeks.” cheerfully beaming at you like you hadn’t just been through the most traumatic event of your life.

How could someone be so…sunshine at a time like this?

Signing the documents she brought you quickly, she points to a bag that hung off the side of one of the folding chairs.

“Your friend, Ms. Minatozaki, brought you a change of clothes…what you wore to the event is considered evidence now…You are free to change and go home.” The nurse triple checks your paperwork and walks out of the room, closing the door behind her, leaving you to get changed.

Standing up, wobbling as you gain your balance and wincing at your weight of your own body. Gripping the chair that Jihyo left next to your bed, you grab the bag and tug out the clothes that she brought for you.

Knowing that Momo was the only one with a spare key to your apartment, you knew that Sana would have gone and done exactly what she said to do. Your favorite pair of sweatpants and a hoodie that looked unfamiliar…it’s not one you recall.

Picking it up, you pull the arms to the side and take a good look at the sweater.

“A catholic school in Japan?” confused at the lettering on the sweater, you lay it on the chair and slip on the pair of sweats.

Reaching down slowly to grab the hoodie, you lift your arms up - trying not to cause further damage to yourself and cautiously let it glide down into you.

As the fabric passes over your face, you take in the smell and instantly know who it belongs to.

Mina.

Lifting the neck of the sweater, you take a long inhale of her scent and a calm washes over you that you had become accustom to.

“I wish you were awake.” softly spoken to yourself, wiping a tear from your cheeks with the sleeve.

Momo comes through the door again, her eyes wide when she sees the sweater.

“That must have been Sana’s doing…” a small chuckle as she sees you’re dressed.

“Are you ready to go home?”

“I’m not going home.” pushing past her to get to the hallway.

“Y/n, you need to rest.” concern lays thick in the words as she cocks her head at you, seemingly frustrated at your lack of cooperation.

“She didn’t leave me…I’m not leaving her.” taking a slow step to not lose your footing.

Momo watches as you slug down the hallway to sit with the other girls who are patiently waiting for Mina to wake up. Sana smiles up at you when you sit next to her, instinctively putting her arm around you to support some of your weight.

“Thank you for this.” tugging on the front of Mina’s hoodie, trying to smile up at her but you end up biting your lip to hold in the tears.

“Sana…”

“Yeah, Y/nnie?”

“I’m scared.” the breathed statement is so quiet that’s it’s a miracle she heard it.

Leaning in to hug you, she tightens as much as she can without hurting you. Both of you have tears dripping down you face - sharing the moment of fear with each other and some how strengthening the bond that was already in place.

—

Days pass like it’s nothing. Sitting still in that same hospital chair while the world goes on around you. No sleeping, no eating…simply waiting for the doctors to say anything about Mina and her state.

Food is offered to you at every meal, you decline it. The nausea of the unknown clouds your stomach and the idea of any flavor makes you sick. You can only focus on Mina.

Momo walks up and sits down next to you, she rubs your back and you snap out of the dissociative state you sat in for days on end. The trance breaking leaves you realizing how much time had gone by and how much you had been neglecting yourself.

“Hey, come with me?” offering her hand to you and leading you to the room where Mina was.

Two older people, seemingly her parents are sitting in the room across from the bed where Mina sleeps, with tears streaming down their faces.

The man looks up at you, standing and then bowing to you - you return the bow as best as you can, before he starts saying something in Japanese to Momo and then looking at you.

“He wants you to know that he’s seen you sitting outside…he wants you to sit in with him and Mrs. Myoui from now on.” Dr. Myoui says something else to Momo and she translates the same.

“He knows about you and Nayeon, he is really sorry that this happened to you and wants you to know that he doesn’t blame you. “ Momo’s voice cracks as he begins speaking again, he seems to get teary eyed as he continues on, sniffling and clearing his throat as he tries to stay strong.

“He says that Mina had spoken about you…and that she really cares for you. Judging the state you are in, injuries and all, it seems that you really care about her too…and he wants you to be here with them because it’s what she would’ve wanted.”

Stepping up to Dr. Myoui, your jaw quivers trying to hold the tears inside but you can’t help it. He leans in and hugs you gently, all you can do is weep in his arms.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so so-sorry!”

Momo translates it and he offers reassurance that Momo translates for you.

“Please go home and eat, get some sleep and when you come back we will be waiting for you here, okay? If anything happens, I’ll call you.” Half translated and half just an instruction from Momo.

“Thank you.” Releasing from the hug, Mina’s mom stands to offer you a hug, you accept the warm gesture happily.

Mrs. Myoui holds you tightly before pulling back from the hug and rubbing your upper arms.

Catching your eye contact before your head could fall to the floor, she wipes the tears off your cheeks- even with her own falling. A wordless exchange of affection that was a sign of acceptance and care, even her parents were amazing. You can see where she gets it from.

Momo puts her hand on your back, guiding you out of the room.

“Can we go to you and Dahyun’s house instead? I really don’t want to go to that apartment right now…” looking down at the ground while you walk as fast as your body would allow.

“Of course.” patting your back lightly and leading you to the exit from the hospital.

—

When you get to the house, the dogs scramble to greet you. Boo and Dobby come toppling over each other to get their love and affection. Momo goes into the kitchen and you go to the guest bathroom to take a shower.

Being anywhere but at the hospital leaves you feeling guilty, unable to cope with the idea of Mina waking up before you could get back. It makes you nauseous.

The one who accentuated your sense of self after all the trauma Nayeon left behind…she meant so much to you in such a short amount of time - how could you feel anything but shame and guilt?

Showering in your condition was difficult. Physically, mentally, emotionally…it was almost unbearable. Watching as the water as it revives the dried blood from your scalp and carrying down the drain, you relive the silent scene of Mina getting shot by Nayeon over and over again.

Standing in the hot shower and letting the water rinse you, you can’t imagine what would happen if you closed your eyes. What horrific scenes would play on your eyelids while you tried to rest? That and the anticipation of new about Mina kept you from resting in anyway, not even able to relax your body and unclench your back.

Stepping out of the shower now feeling better as you were clean, putting on a pair of jeans and Mina’s hoodie after toweling off, you are consumed with guilt and riddled with shame at the fact that you were here with Momo and Dahyun…and Mina was still in that same bed sleeping against her will just to fight to stay alive.

Walking out into the kitchen, you see that Momo had made you a plate of your favorite food. Her and Dahyun sit at the table and wait for you to come sit with them.

Eating in silence, there’s nothing really to say. All of you are worried about Mina…though they are also worried about you.

You haven’t eaten in days and you were just playing with your food, rolling the array of delicacies around and barely tasting any of it.

“Y/n…I know there is a lot going on right now, but you need to eat something so you can heal properly and fuel yourself.” Dahyun breaks the silence with a slice of care, unintentionally adding to the remorse.

“We care about you and so does Mina…she would want you to eat…”

Jaw tensing, you zone out at the sound of her name, triggering the events to play back through your mind like a film reel that would never stop spinning. Looping over it’s self in complete silence.

“Y/n?” nudging your shoulder, Momo sees your eyes focus back on her.

“It should have been me…” softly before standing up and walking right out the front door, leaving your phone and everything you were truly feeling on the table.

Hearing Momo and Dahyun yelling your name, you just keep walking down the street towards the hospital.

—

Overcast skies drear over your head as you walk towards downtown towards the hospital. There wasn’t much movement on the streets even in the evening.

Unaware of how time is passing, one foot in front of the other takes you far. Without your phone you had no clue what time it was or if anyone was trying to get ahold of you. Regret pangs your stomach when you realize that Mina might have woken up in this time…you should’ve brought your phone with you, but it’s too late to turn back now.

It had to be early afternoon, assumptions made from the light that seeped through the fluffed up grays that block the suns view - the outside grey matching the grey that was alive in your chest, molting into a virus that would infect the rest of you as time goes on - until your own ray of sunshine woke up.

Thoughts of Mina cloud your every waking moment, reminiscing about the last few days spent together and how she made you feel. The stark contrast between what she is and what Nayeon turned out to be made your shattered heart sting as the pieces dug into your chest, piercing your flesh in the sharpest way.

Tears brim in your eyes, threatening to spill over as you cross the street. A car comes out of no where, pulling up to you. The back window rolls down and a familiar voice shouts at you.

“Y/n!”

Turning around, you see Chaeyoung hanging out of the back of the car waving you down.

“Are you going to the hospital?”

Nodding your head gently, the energy that you would normally bring was long sucked out by this traumatic event and there was no will to make anymore.

Chae pops the door open from the inside and slides over to the other seat, waving you into the car.

Hopping in to the back, the driver continues on his path.

The silence is calming, even if it does spark the cyclical thoughts - the agonizing overlay that led you to having to go to the hospital to begin with. You can feel Chaeyoung looking at you as your eyes unfocused.

“It’s not your fault.” Cracking through the walls of the theater playing the film of the banquet in your mind, Chae scoots into the middle seat, wrapping her arm around you and trying to comfort you.

“She would be so pissed if she knew that you were blaming yourself for this, you know?” Eyebrows cocked at you.

She’s right.

“She’s a fighter, Y/n. Mina will be awake soon, she’s not going anywhere.” Hugging you tightly for reassurance.

“Thank you.” meekly spoken to her as she rubs your back.

“I think I’d like to walk the rest of the way, it helps me clear my head. It’s only a few blocks, right?” the misery in your eyes is alarming to her, the look on her face says it all.

“It is, I’ll see you there…right?” A warm smile following, making sure you were agreeing. It was very apparent that everyone was worried about you.

The car comes to a halt, opening the car door, you make your promise to Chaeyoung.

“I’ll see you in a little while.” Sliding out of the car carefully, not to agitate your bruising further.

Just as you’re about to close the door, you hear Chae call you by name.

“Y/n?”

Cocking your head up, you see her eyes blur.

“Please be safe…she’s going to want you when she wakes up.”

Biting the inside of your lip, tears welling up as you close the door to the car and it drives off in the direction of the hospital.

Blinking a few times, you see your liquid grief blends into the rain that was starting to fall. The heavy drops couldn’t compare to the destress that weighed down your skin.

Almost as if you’re walking in slow motion, you trudge through the sky’s sporadic droplets and make your way down the road. Taking the time to really try and process what had happened to you over the past few months.

Revisiting the memories of what had happened was like swallowing a branding iron. Nayeon not being anywhere near who she said she was, ruining everything you had built with her. Jihyo playing a part in it but being a victim in Nayeon’s wrath.

And Mina…the innocent bystander that just wanted to make you feel safe and cared for.

How could you ever forgive yourself for what happened with her? It was a miracle no one was blaming you when the gun was pointed at you…maybe if you would’ve heard Nayeon out at the apartment the evening before then none of this would’ve happened…

The sky opens up, releasing a torrential downpour onto you and your thoughts, weighing your clothes down but it was hard to notice considering the heft of the emotions you were carrying.

The constant silent replay of the bullet that put Mina where she is and Nayeon with the smoking gun before it all just fades to black…

A loud clap of thunder snaps you out of your own mind, you can see the hospital from where you are. Focusing on the doors, you take your slow steps towards the building, eager to be in the room where Mina sleeps so when she wakes up, she knows that you’re there for her, like she was for you.

—

The doors slide open, revealing the fluorescent lights that you had woken up under a few days prior. Dripping rainwater onto the tile, the soft thwaps give you something to focus on while you make your way to the elevator.

The external sounds help to drown out the misery and anxiety that saturates your soul. The digging of the elevator, the click of the button, the tapping of the rain on the windows around you, the sliding of the doors and the people around you creating the white noise that scream over your thoughts as you try to keep yourself from violently shaking.

Everyone is here, Momo and Dahyun must’ve drove here knowing this is where you’d end up. Chae arrived safely and Jihyo, Jeongyeon, Tzuyu and Sana were already present.

Walking to the group, you notice Mina’s parents are out of the room and everyone is sobbing…

Running up to them and wincing at every step, the panic overrides the pain of your injuries.

“What happened? Is Mina okay?” choking on your words.

No one answers.

Your heart sinks, anxiety coursing through your veins brings a need to get inside that room. Mina’s father puts his hand on your shoulder, trying to comfort you words that are out of your realm of understanding as the girls try to compose themselves so they can explain.

Reaching for the door immediately, you try to push it open to find it locked.

Having no patience in this moment, you slam your hands on the door - shaking the it inside the frame and trying to get whoever was in the room to let you in.

“One moment, please!” an unfamiliar male voice chimes through the door seemingly frustrated.

“I don’t have a moment! Open the fucking door!” the panic in your voice is so eminent that everyone around you freezes and looks over at you. It’s the first time they’ve seen you this way, aside from the banquet but even then, your anxiety did not show itself this way.

“Y/n…let them do their job.” whispered by Momo, grabbing your shoulder and pulling you away from the room, putting space between you and the answers you craved.

“But…Mina, I-”

The door opens and the unfamiliar voice reveals himself to be the doctor. He steps to the side of the frame and goes to speak with Momo so she can translate for Mina’s parents, everyone else just looks at you and waits to see what you do.

You face the door and take a deep breath.

The unknown of behind the frame scares you, terrified of what was going to be on the other side of it. The gloom sits on your chest as you attempt to take another deep breath, eyes stinging as they try to create more tears but you had cried so much already that you seemingly had run out of them.

Taking a step into the room, you can’t bring yourself to look at the hospital bed. The machines are beeping so that’s a good sign but you’re so worried about what you were going to see that you needed to do this in steps.

Step 1: Walk in the room.

Step 2: take a deep breath.

Step 3: Turn to look at Mi-

“Y/n?” the smallest, most angelic hoarse whisper cuts through your list of what to do next, pushing you into the 3rd step before you could say it to yourself in your head.

“Mina?!” whipping around to the bed, you see Mina awake, looking exhausted and smiling at you with tears falling from her beautiful eyes, streaming down her perfectly porcelain cheeks.

“Mina!” forget the injuries, forget then soaked sweater, forget everything. Nothing else matters but this human in front of you who was finally awake.

Running to the right side of her bed, you shed her sweater and crawl on top of the sheets to lay next to her. Burying your face into her neck, wrapping your arms gently around her and sobbing into her.

“I th-th-thought I l-lost y-you. I’m so s-s-sorry for everything.” sniffling and trying to compose yourself so you can talk to her, holding her face as you wipe the tears off it.

“I sh-should’ve never p-put you in that s-situation, you deserve s-so m-much more than this, I’m so fucking sorry.” falling apart completely in her arms as you held each other.

“I thought I lost you too, Y/n. I’m so happy to see you.” pulling you in closer to her, you can feel the reverberation of her weeping through her body as you just take the moment to hold each other.

“None of this is your fault! You couldn’t have known that Nayeon was going to go off the rails like that. Do not blame yourself for anything that happened…it wasn’t you, it was her. Okay?” kissing the palm of your hand gently as she cradled you.

“Sit up for me.” Mina coos.

You comply immediately, keeping a hand on her while fixing yourself to the upright position.

Mina cups your face, turning it to the side to see your healing bruises, her lower jaw quivers as she attempts to hold back more tears, trying to get an idea of how bad your wounds were. Tilting your head down to see the stitches on your scalp - she loses the will to keep it together.

Mina is in full hysteria, sobbing as she runs her thumb over your bruised cheeks. You wipe the tears from hers again, grabbing her forearms and gripping them lightly as you go to reassure her that you’re fine.

“Wh-what else?” her raspy voice choking out, sighing and trying to regulate but interrupting you before you can get the sentence out.

“3 broken ribs, 16 stitches on my scalp and a few bruises to my face and stomach. The doctor told me that had you not held the back of my head, I would have died…So thank you for saving my life, Mina…what did they say…about you?” fearing the worst as to what could be…what Nayeon inflicted on her after you fainted.

“Punctured lung and a few cracked ribs. They told me to take it easy for the next few months and that I might get winded easily until my lungs heal. I can’t lift this arm until the muscles heal either but…I would do it again.” sniffling as she calms, realizing you both are okay, she removes her hand from your face and holds a few of your fingers instead.

“You would do it again?” confused in what she meant.

“Y/n, I have admired you from a distance for so long. I watched her take the light from your eyes and I was blessed to see it return. I would take that bullet a million times over if it meant keeping you safe and keeping the glow you have alive.” reaching up to cup your face again, pulling you towards her and placing her lips on yours gently.

Solar systems collide with the energy exchange that was this moment, your lips meeting after all the worry you both experienced for each other. It’s like all the trauma that you both endured melted off your bones, dripping into pure lilac care and comfort for one another, allowing both of you to forget about everything you endured together, even if it’s just for a moment.

Her heart monitor beeps uncontrollably as her heart races, prompting everyone to run in anxiously when they hear the sound of the chirps from the machine.

Separating for only a moment, you both look over at everyone and share a giggle together. Everyone is smiling at you, just happy to see the light between the two of you again.

“Sorry for the scare, everyone…” Mina’s face beams red in the embarrassment from making everyone worry, but that doesn’t stop her from doing what she wanted.

Pulling you back to her, she kisses you in front of Twice and her parents. It was soft and sweet and it contained every comfort you craved in the last few days of living in the unknown, even if the action did surprise you.

It was a welcomed and lovely surprise.

—

After a few hours of talking and sitting together, the Twice members leave to change and get some rest but not before Momo can give you your phone. Wanting Mina to spend some time with her parents, you try to stand and go with Momo to give her some space, but Mina wouldn’t let go of your hand.

“Please stay. I want you next to me.” gripping you tighter and tugging you back to her.

Climbing back onto the bed, you lay with her while she speaks to her family. Unable to join the conversation because of the language barrier, you simply lay next to her and keep her hand in yours.

The sound of her voice brings is a calm to you that you feel like you’ve been missing for years. Body relaxing next to hers, you face her on your side and slowly drift into a peaceful sleep you hadn’t known for days.

—

A buzzing wakes you, jolting you out of your sleep and immediately causing a disgruntle energy to settle in your body. Reaching over to the table next to Mina’s hospital bed, you admire her calmness for a moment, sleeping so peacefully, and your heart soars.

Realizing it was just you and Mina in the room, her parents must’ve gone back to their hotel to get some rest, you grab the phone and look to see an unfamiliar number on the screen.

Swiping to answer, you groggily say your greeting to be met by something unexpected.

“Hello?”

“Good Morning, This is the sheriff’s office and we are looking for Y/n L/n.” the thick southern accent familiar in the way it speaks, this must be the officer from the other day.

“This is she.”

“Well, Ms. L/n, I wish we were calling for better circumstances but unfortunately, that is not the case. Your apartment was broken into and torn apart. Are you currently available to come down and see if anything is missing?”

“What?!” your voice wakes Mina up, she quickly realizes that something is wrong and she’s sitting up next to you.

Putting the phone on speaker, you wait to hear what the officer has to say.

“It looks like they broke in through the window in the kitchen, it also looks like every room has been trashed…I suggest you get down here as soon as you can.” the officer is not aware of the events that had happened just a few days prior.

“I’m currently in the hospital waiting for my girlfriend to be discharged.” Mina perks up at the statement, turning red and blushing.

“We both were in a bit of a targeted situation and are a bit beat up. How long will you be down there?” inquired so you can cooperate in the situation.

“Targeted situation? Does this have to do with that rock with the note from before?” the officer seems to be concerned, realizing that this is way bigger than he realized.

“Yes. Im Nayeon tried to kill us at a friends banquet a few days ago. She was shot…and is…uhm…” realizing that Mina didn’t know about what happened with Nayeon yet.

“Well, she’s dead, sir.”

“What?” Mina gasps at this information, tears welling up as the processes what you’ve just said.

“I’m going to pull the reports for this incident, give me one moment.” the officer says, hearing typing on the other end of the line.

“It looks like she’s very much alive. There are reports that she was taken to the hospital across town and was in police custody but she escaped two days ago and her whereabouts are unknown.” the words ricocheted off your skull and down into your chest.

“What did you just say?” looking over at Mina, who is wide eyed and shivering as she tries to cope with how overwhelming this situation is.

“You should probably get here, Ms. Y/n. We will wait for you.” as he hung up the phone.

Looking over at Mina, you are both in shock.

“I saw Jihyo shoot Nayeon before I passed out…I remember that…but…why did she want to hurt us? Why did she hurt me? ” Mina’s eyes shift back and forth as she recalls what happened that night, the trauma settling in her brain from the betrayal of someone who once was her sister.

“We thought she was…gone. We all thought that she was…” cut off by the hinges of the door squeaking.

Watching as the door to the room opens and the nurse who did your discharge paperwork steps in with a clipboard for Mina.

“I’ll let you do the paperwork, I’m going to step outside and call Momo to let her know what’s going on.” Standing up with a sense of urgency and rushing past the nurse.

“Please hurry back.” Mina chimes as the nurse fills her in on care she would need.

The phone chirps back to you as you wait for Momo to answer. It’s early so you know you’re waking her and Dahyun up but this was an emergency.

“Hello? Y/n? Is everything okay?” Dahyun answers Momo’s phone, worried about you and Mina.

“No. Nayeon’s alive and not in police custody. I think she broke into my apartment and trashed it but Mina is signing her paperwork for discharge now and we are going to head over there.” Giving her the information that was given to you.

“What?! I’ll wake Momo, we can meet you there.” Already hearing Momo grumbling in the background.

“Let me take care of the apartment stuff. We will get a hotel somewhere and call you from there to meet us. I fear we won’t be safe until she’s caught.” Voice shaky as the fear penetrates you.

“Okay, just call us when you can.”

“I will call you soon, I promise.”

Hanging up the phone and spinning around to see Mina standing and struggling to change her clothes, not being able to lift her arm was hindering her mobility.

It breaks your heart into tiny pieces, watching her try to do something so basic by herself but hindered by the wound Nayeon inflicted.

Walking back in, you shut the door behind you and help her get dressed. Being her arm for her, slipping her pants on and finagling her sleeves of her sweater so she can slip the arm that she can’t lift through it and be somewhat comfortable.

“What aftercare did the nurse give you?” Grabbing the bag of her things and her hand before leading her out of the room to the door.

Both of you taking it slowly despite the mess at your apartment and the imminent threat of Nayeon, she could be anywhere. The most important things were safe, you and Mina. Everything else is replaceable.

“Just changing bandages and making sure it’s sterile. Stuff my Dad taught me, very easy.” reassuring you that she had it handled.

“Teach me how to do it once we get somewhere safe?” Offering to help care for her as she did for you when you needed her.

Protect her and care for her, that’s all you wanted.

“Of course, baby.” Leaning in to kiss your cheeks as you walk out of the hospital, just happy to be with each other again.

“To your apartment?” Looking up at you as you hail down a cab.

“To the apartment. Can you call your parents and make sure they’re somewhere safe? I don’t want anyone else hurt in this…” worrying about their safety, you can’t handle anymore hurt to loved ones especially after the kindness they showed you.

“I’ll call them on the way.” pulling her phone out of her pocket and scrolling through her contacts.

“Also, your girlfriend, huh?” Making eyes at you and smirking before looking back at her phone and clicking on her Mom’s contact ID.

“I- well I-…uhm.” Stammering and embarrassed, you hadn’t exactly asked her to be your girlfriend yet…

“I like the way that sounds, can I keep that title?” Winking at you, she lifts her phone to her ear to speak with her family about what comes next.

“Please do.” giving her the biggest smile you’ve shown in days.

—

Arriving at the apartment, you see the crime scene tape and the sheriff outside. You and Mina thank the cab driver before getting out and walking up to the officer.

“Ms. Y/n! Thank you for coming so quickly, will you please walk through the apartment and let us know if anything is missing?” Ushering you inside with Mina, he seems to be in a hurry.

All the windows are broken, the couch has been sliced up with a knife, the TV is shattered and the game consoles you had purchased were in pieces in the living room floor. Sighing at the sight of this, you knew it would only get worse further into the house.

The kitchen was covered in shattered dining ware, all your new plates and cups in ruins on the floor. The sink missing chunks of the tub of it and the water spraying everywhere, creating puddles on the floor.

Thinking back to when Mina cleaned the floor after the window shattered and bandaged up your foot on the island that now was coated in broken ceramics…you were just starting to make happy memories here, why would someone ruin this?

Everything is broken tossed around like it was nothing…the only thing left untouched was the black mug that you had matching with her…

Gasping at each room you went into, you made your way to the bedroom to see what else she could’ve done. It’s astonishing to you that someone who was just beaten and shot could do this much damage to a property.

The bed is in shreds, just like the couch. Headboard broken and falling off the frame. Clothes everywhere, thrown around and in pieces just like the rest of your belongings.

Mina grips your hand tighter, refusing to let go of it as you realize that everything you owned was completely dismantled at what you assumed to be Nayeon’s hands and a very sharp knife.

“We can replace it all, I’m not worried about any of this.” Kicking around the fabrics of what were once your favorite shirts and shoes.

“Y/n?” Mina’s voice quivers as she points to the wall.

Heavy red spray paint spelling out, “Sorry she’s gone but you’re mine.”

“What the fuck…” a chill runs through your spine, you knew it was Nayeon the minute you walked in but this…this felt like such a threat, making you nauseous and fearful of how much farther she would take this.

“We need to get out of here.” Turning around to leave and pulling Mina with you, when you feel a vibration in your pocket.

Pulling your phone out, it’s an unknown number…

Waving over the officer to show him the phone, he hands you a device that clicks into the charging port of the phone, explaining that it would track her location via cell towers and then encourages you to answer the call on speaker.

“Hello?”

“Did you like my art on your walls, my love?” Giggling manically at herself, you sit in silence.

“What do you fucking want, Nayeon? Haven’t you done enough already?!” Seethed through clenched teeth as you watch the sheriff signal you to keep her talking.

“Awh baby, are you mad at me? Sorry about your little girlfriend…she was just collateral damage, a pawn in a bigger game. So is your apartment but don’t worry, you can still come home. I miss our showers together, don’t you?” somewhere between manic and seductive, her strange attempt to get you back to your old home was threatening and violent.

You’re unsure how far she’s going to take this and you don’t want to find out what the last resort is after what she’s already done.

“I told you I don’t want anything to do with you.” Trying to keep calm when in reality the storm brewing in your chest could’ve blown the roof off the apartment, ruining it further.

“Look…she’s dead. Gone. I shot her where it counted, so just come home where you belong. With me. Don’t you want to come home to me again, baby? I broke up with Jihyo…it’s over between us. It’s only you, my love. Only you and me.” trying to conceal her tears from you, but you can see and hear right through them.

This was always about control.

The cops puts his hand up, signaling that they had her location.

“You either show up here in the next few hours or else.” The grit in her voice scares you more than you’d ever admit out loud.

“Like what, Nayeon? What else could you possibly hurt me with?” snarky in your response, knowing that you had the upper hand and she wasn’t aware of that.

“Well…don’t forget I know where Momo and Dahyun live. You have 2 hours to get here. No cops. Just you. I love you.” The phone beeps, indicating she’s hung up on you.

Mina has a look of horror on her face, leaning in to hug you. Feeling her shake in fear sparks a rage in you that you cannot explain.

“Is she actually at the old apartment?” The officer nods his head yes.

“I’m going over there. Follow behind me and come inside 15 minutes after I do, do you want me to wear a wire?” to the sheriff, he nods his head again.

Mina is hasty in her protest, practically slamming her fist down on the counter as she spits her argument at you.

“Don’t you fucking dare put yourself in harm’s way again! I thought I lost you the first time and I don’t want to even imagine what losing you would feel like, please…just let them handle it.” Holding back her sobs, she’s distraught and almost inconsolable.

Hugging her as tightly as you can without sparking pain in both of you, you rub her back in reassurance and kiss the top of her head. Holding you so tightly, she refuses to let you go at all, keeping you in her arms, where she would argue you belong. To that you had no rebuttal.

“I’ll be safe, I promise. And you are safe because she thinks…” the words get caught in your throat.

“…she thinks she killed you…I can’t let her go after Momo and Dahyun, I won’t let her go after them.” kissing her forehead and then reminding her of the one key part of this plan of you going to your old home.

“Besides…I’m just a distraction.”

[bestanimal]

Round 1 - Phylum Tardigrada

(Source - 1, 2, 3, 4)

The phylum Tardigrada comprises eight-legged, segmented, microscopic animals commonly known as Water Bears or Moss Piglets.

Tardigrades have been found in many different ecosystems, from mountaintops to the deep sea to the Antarctic. They are known for their extreme resilience, being able to survive extreme temperatures and pressures, air deprivation, radiation, dehydration, starvation, and even exposure to outer space. However, they prefer to just live in mosses, lichens, and sediments, munching away on plant cells, algae, bacteria, or small invertebrates (including smaller tardigrade species; that’s not cannibalism btw, plenty of chordates eat other chordate species!) They are not considered extremophiles though, as they are not adapted to exploit extreme environments, only to endure them. They do this by going dormant in harsh environments, for up to 30 years, only to rehydrate and continue living when conditions are safer!

Tardigrades are usually about 0.5 mm long when fully grown, with the largest species reaching up to 1.5 mm. They are short and plump, with barrel-shaped bodies and eight legs, each ending in claws or suction disks. Their backwards-facing hind legs allow them to move in reverse when needed. Like arthropods, they have a cuticle exoskeleton which needs to be molted as the animal grows. They feed using a pair of stylets within their tubular mouth, which they use to pierce their food and suck out the contents. These stylets are lost when the tardigrade molts, so they must secrete a new pair each molt. Some species only defecate when they molt, leaving behind both feces and a shed exoskeleton. They have a large brain for their size, and sense the world via sensory bristles, and some species also have pigment-cup eyes. There are both males and females, with females being larger and more common. Males will gather around a female to court her. Most species have external fertilization, with eggs being laid within a shed cuticle by the female and then fertilized by the male. They can live from several months up to two years, depending on species.

There are two main groups of tardigrades, the Eutardigrades which are the more chubby, suction-cup-fingered ones and the Heterotardigrades, which are the armoured, clawed ones. The oldest known modern tardigrades have been found in Cretaceous amber, but their phylum likely emerged in the Cambrian.

Propaganda under the cut:

I mean… they’re freakin tardigrades. They’re cute. They look like mini Catbusses. This is probably the only microscopic animal for which this many plush toys exist.

“Tardigrada” means “slow steppers”

One species, Echiniscoides wyethi, lives on barnacles.

Tardigrades are relatively common and easy to see with a microscope, making them good subjects for budding microbiologists to study. They can also be kept as pets on a piece of moss, regularly checked via microscope.

They don’t actually like all the extreme environment stuff. Stop putting them in space. Let them chill.

[hayatheauthor]

A Writer's Blueprint for Realistic Drowning Scenes

This guide is designed to help writers depict drowning scenes with authenticity and detail. I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of drowning, the physical signs to look for and clear up some common misconceptions. With this information, you’ll have the tools to craft vivid, compelling, and believable drowning scenarios that will captivate your readers and add depth to your narrative.

Fair warning; this is a comprehensive and pretty explicit guide, so if you're uncomfortable with those topics, please just scroll away. 

The Stages of Drowning

1. Initial Entry

When a person first enters the water, especially unexpectedly, their initial reaction is often one of shock and panic. The sudden change in environment, temperature, and the feeling of being submerged triggers an immediate response from the body.

Shock Response

Cold Water Immersion: Sudden immersion in cold water can cause a cold shock response, which includes involuntary gasping, hyperventilation, and a rapid increase in heart rate and blood pressure.

Panic and Disorientation: The person may become disoriented and panic, struggling to stay afloat and breathe normally.

2. Involuntary Breath-Holding

As the person struggles to keep their head above water, they instinctively hold their breath to prevent water from entering their lungs.

Burning Sensation in Lungs

The buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood creates a burning sensation in the lungs, which intensifies the feeling of panic.

Increased Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

The body's stress response causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, further depleting oxygen reserves.

3. Uncontrolled Breathing

When the person can no longer hold their breath, the body's reflexes take over, leading to involuntary attempts to breathe.

Aspiration of Water

Water enters the mouth and is aspirated into the lungs, causing coughing, choking, and a strong gag reflex.

Coughing and Choking

The person may cough and choke as water enters the respiratory tract, leading to more panic and struggle.

Gasping for Air

The body's desperate attempt to get oxygen leads to gasping, but often results in inhaling more water.

4. Laryngospasm

The body's protective reflex to prevent water from entering the lungs can cause the vocal cords to spasm, temporarily sealing the airway.

Temporary Airway Closure

The laryngospasm closes the airway, preventing both water and air from entering the lungs.

Increased CO2 and Decreased O2

As carbon dioxide levels rise and oxygen levels fall, the person becomes increasingly hypoxic.

5. Loss of Consciousness

Due to the lack of oxygen, the person loses consciousness.

Hypoxia and Hypercapnia

Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and hypercapnia (excess carbon dioxide) cause confusion, dizziness, and loss of motor control.

Fading Senses

Vision blurs, hearing diminishes, and the sense of touch becomes numb.

Blackout

The brain, deprived of oxygen, shuts down, leading to unconsciousness.

6. Cardiac Arrest

Prolonged oxygen deprivation leads to cardiac arrest, where the heart stops beating.

Cessation of Breathing

Respiratory effort ceases as the brain's control over breathing is lost.

Heart Stops Beating

The heart, deprived of oxygen, stops beating, leading to complete circulatory failure.

Brain Damage and Death

Without intervention, brain cells die from lack of oxygen, leading to permanent brain damage and eventually death.

7. Aftermath (if Rescued)

If the person is rescued and resuscitated, there are immediate and long-term consequences to consider.

Immediate Aftermath

CPR and First Aid: Immediate resuscitation efforts, including CPR and the use of a defibrillator if necessary.

Hospitalization: The person will likely need to be hospitalized for further treatment and monitoring.

Long-Term Effects

Lung Damage: Inhalation of water can cause damage to the lung tissues, leading to conditions like pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Neurological Damage: Prolonged lack of oxygen can result in brain damage, affecting cognitive and motor functions.

Psychological Impact: Survivors may experience PTSD, anxiety, and a lasting fear of water.

Physical Appearance During Drowning

1. Initial Entry

Shock Response

Wide Eyes and Gasping Mouth: Eyes are wide open, and the mouth is often open in a gasp or scream.

Flailing Limbs: Arms and legs are moving rapidly in an attempt to regain balance and stay afloat.

2. Involuntary Breath-Holding

Tensed Muscles

Rigid Body: Muscles are tensed, and the body may appear stiff as the person tries to maintain control.

Strained Facial Expression: The face may show strain, with furrowed brows and tightly closed eyes.

3. Uncontrolled Breathing

Coughing and Choking

Reddened Face and Eyes: The face may turn red from the effort of coughing and choking.

Foaming at the Mouth: A frothy mixture of saliva and water may be visible around the mouth.

Gasping for Air

Open Mouth and Wide Eyes: The mouth is open wide in an attempt to gasp for air, and the eyes may be bulging with fear.

Erratic Movements: The person’s movements become more erratic and uncoordinated as they struggle to breathe.

4. Laryngospasm

Silent Struggle

Mouth Opening and Closing: The person may appear to be gasping silently as the airway is temporarily sealed.

Clenching Throat: Hands may instinctively clutch at the throat in a futile attempt to open the airway.

5. Loss of Consciousness

Limp Body

Floating Limply: The body becomes limp and may float face down or sink slightly below the surface.

Pale or Blue Skin: Skin may turn pale or blue (cyanosis) due to lack of oxygen.

Relaxed Facial Features

Closed Eyes: Eyes close as the person loses consciousness.

Slack Jaw: The jaw may go slack, and the mouth could be partially open.

6. Cardiac Arrest

Unconsciousness

Still Body: The body is completely still, with no voluntary movements.

Gray or Blue Skin: Skin color becomes ashen, gray, or blue, particularly around the lips and extremities.

7. After Drowning (Post-Rescue Appearance)

If the person is rescued, their appearance post-drowning can indicate the extent of their ordeal and the immediate aftermath.

Immediate Aftermath

Waterlogged Clothing: Clothes may be heavy and waterlogged, clinging to the body.

Coughing and Vomiting: The person may cough up water or vomit as they are resuscitated.

Shivering: If the water was cold, the person might be shivering uncontrollably due to hypothermia.

Long-Term Appearance

Bruising and Cuts: There may be bruises or cuts from the struggle in the water or the rescue process.

Pale or Blue Skin: Skin color might still show signs of cyanosis if oxygen levels are low.

Labored Breathing: Breathing may remain labored and shallow as the lungs recover.

Ways to Drown

Being Tied Down with a Stone

An ancient method where a person is weighted down with a heavy object, preventing them from surfacing.

Pulled Under by a Strong Current

Strong currents or rip tides can overpower a swimmer, pulling them away from safety and making it difficult to stay afloat.

Trapped Under a Capsized Boat

In the event of a boat capsizing, a person can become trapped underneath, unable to reach the surface for air.

Caught in Underwater Vegetation

Dense underwater plants can entangle a swimmer, restricting their movements and preventing them from surfacing.

Unable to Swim in Deep Water

Lack of swimming skills or fatigue in deep water can lead to drowning if the person cannot keep themselves afloat.

Falling Through Ice

Falling through thin ice can trap a person in freezing water, with the ice making it difficult to find an exit.

Getting Caught in a Riptide

A riptide can drag a swimmer out to sea, making it hard to swim back to shore due to the strong current.

Swimming Exhaustion

Overexertion while swimming can lead to exhaustion, making it impossible to continue treading water or swimming to safety.

Diving Accident

A diving mishap, such as hitting one’s head or getting disoriented underwater, can result in drowning.

Shipwreck

In a shipwreck scenario, a person may be stranded in open water, facing potential drowning due to exhaustion, exposure, or lack of flotation devices.

Common Misconceptions About Drowning

1. Drowning is Always Loud and Dramatic

Many people believe that drowning involves a lot of splashing, shouting, and waving for help. In reality, drowning is often a silent and quick event.

Instinctive Drowning Response: When a person is drowning, their body prioritizes breathing over waving or shouting. The struggle to get air means they can’t call for help.

Quiet Struggle: Drowning individuals might be bobbing up and down, with their mouths at water level, making little noise as they gasp for air.

2. People Always Recognize Drowning

It's a common belief that drowning is easily recognizable. However, many drownings go unnoticed until it’s too late.

Subtle Signs: Drowning can look like someone treading water or trying to swim. Signs can be subtle, such as bobbing up and down, head tilted back with mouth open, or eyes glassy and empty.

Misinterpreted Behaviors: Bystanders might mistake a drowning person for someone playing or simply floating.

3. Only Weak Swimmers Drown

Many assume that only those who can’t swim well are at risk of drowning, but even strong swimmers can drown under certain conditions.

Fatigue and Cramps: Strong swimmers can become exhausted, suffer from cramps, or panic, leading to drowning.

Environmental Factors: Strong currents, cold water, and underwater hazards can overwhelm even the best swimmers.

4. Drowning Happens Immediately

There’s a misconception that drowning happens instantly. While it can be quick, it often takes a few minutes for a person to drown.

Struggling Phase: The initial struggle can last for 20-60 seconds, during which the person is trying to stay afloat and breathe.

Silent Submersion: After this, they may silently submerge, often unnoticed.

5. Drowning Only Happens in Deep Water

Many people think that drowning only occurs in deep water. However, shallow water can be just as dangerous.

Shallow Water Drowning: Drowning can occur in as little as a few inches of water, especially with young children or if someone is unconscious.

Bathtubs and Pools: Many drownings occur in bathtubs, kiddie pools, or even buckets.

6. Life Jackets Are Only Needed on Boats

It's commonly believed that life jackets are only necessary when boating, but they are crucial in many other water-related activities.

Swimming and Water Sports: Life jackets provide essential buoyancy and can save lives in swimming pools, lakes, rivers, and during water sports.

Unexpected Situations: Wearing a life jacket can prevent drowning in unexpected situations, like sudden falls into water.

7. People Float After Drowning

A prevalent myth is that drowning victims float on the surface after they die, but this is not always the case.

Initial Sinking: Initially, a drowned body may sink due to the density of the tissues and lack of air in the lungs.

Later Floating: Bodies often float later due to gas buildup from decomposition, but this can take days.

8. Drowning Victims Always Look Distressed

People often think that drowning victims will look distressed or visibly in danger, but many can appear calm and quiet.

Passive Drowning: Drowning individuals may appear to be calmly treading water or just floating.

Lack of Visible Struggle: There may be no visible struggle, making it hard to identify the danger.

9. CPR is Ineffective After Drowning

Some believe that once a person has drowned, CPR cannot help. However, immediate CPR can be life-saving.

Restarting Breathing: CPR can help restart the victim’s breathing and circulation, buying crucial time until emergency services arrive.

Rescue Breathing: Effective rescue breathing can oxygenate the lungs and increase the chances of revival.

Resources

Books

"The Science of Drowning" by Sports Aid Intl

“It offers a significant departure from how drowning is traditionally treated by combining discussions about medical, prevention, and intervention issues.”

Link

"The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea" by Sebastian Junger

A gripping account of the 1991 storm that hit the North Atlantic and the fishermen caught in its deadly grip, providing insights into the perilous nature of the sea and drowning.

Link

Articles

"Drowning vs Aquatic Distress" by Crunderwood

An article detailing the science of drowning + some interesting points.

Link to article

"Drowning Victim" by SLRG

How to identify a drowning person besides the typical flailing. 

Link to article

"Drowning Treatment" by WebMD

Guidelines and tips for healing/treating a drowning person.

Link to article

Websites

American Red Cross: Water Safety Tips

Provides extensive information on water safety, drowning prevention, and emergency response.

Link to website

National Drowning Prevention Alliance

A dedicated organization focused on preventing drowning through education, research, and advocacy.

Link to website

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Drowning Prevention

Offers statistics, prevention strategies, and safety tips to reduce the risk of drowning.

Link to website

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Quillology with Haya Sameer; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors! While you’re at it, don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey! 

[covid-safer-hotties]

Global Emergency Compounded by the AIDS-like Features of SARS-CoV-2 Infection - Published Sept 1, 2024

Over a million people in the US are being infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) every day.

Originally named after the acute respiratory syndrome it can cause as a consequence of blood vessel damage in the lungs, SARS-CoV-2 is actually primarily a blood vessel virus that spreads through the airways. It causes a complex multisystem disease (1). It is airborne (2). It can persist in the body, and is detectable in body and brain tissue even at autopsy of “recovered” patients (3).

Each infection ages the body, causes damage to the blood vessels and the immune system, and affects organs including the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, bones, etc. (4, 5, 6)

Each infection ages the brain. Specifically, it reduces gray matter and cognitive ability (7), and potentially IQ score (8). It increases the risk of psychiatric disorders (9). SARS-CoV-2 has also been identified as contributing to accelerated dementia (10).

The potential post-acute phase impacts of SARS-CoV-2 include long COVID, some manifestations of which are chronic conditions that can last a lifetime, including heart disease, diabetes, myalgic encephalomyelitis and dysautonomia (11).

The Economist has estimated excess deaths from the beginning of the Pandemic through May 2024 at up to 35 million people worldwide. (12)

In Addition, Many Scientists Are Now Issuing Warnings… SARS-CoV-2 triggers a new airborne form of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (13, 14, 15) (some are proposing specific terms such as “CoV-AIDS”).

This is not AIDS as we know it from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, it is a new type of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome with different deleterious effects on immune function (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21), but both resulting in increased vulnerability to infections (22). Immune system deficiency and other COVID properties also suggest a potential link to greater risk of cancers (23, 24, 25, 26, 27).

The “original” AIDS caused by HIV takes up to around 10 to 15 years to make its presence felt, with the initial infection usually barely noticed and often resembling the common cold or a flu-like disease until its damage manifests itself leading to death in the absence of treatments (28, 29).

With SARS-CoV-2, immunodeficiency develops in the weeks and months following infection. It involves reduction and functional exhaustion of T Cells (30), enhanced inhibition of MHC-I expression (31), downregulating CD19 expression in B cells (32) and other evidence of immune dysregulation (33, 34). In one study, the dysregulation persisted for 8 months following initial mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection, the length of the study (35). There is no “cure” for any of the damage caused by SARS-CoV-2 including immune dysregulation.

Did You Know? Repeated infections are leading to prolonged immune dysregulation, and increase the risk of progressive disability and death.

Long COVID is a multisystem disease with debilitating symptoms, which has had a profound impact on society and the global economy. In the USA, economists have estimated that long COVID will incur cumulative future costs of more than US$4 trillion (36, 37).

The worldwide devastating economic consequences of this mass disabling event have been measured in terms of total work hours and GDP lost around the world (38).

It theoretically only takes a single viral particle to initiate an infection, and most infections are initiated by very few viral particles (39).

Despite current popular belief, the immune system is NOT a muscle, and does NOT benefit from being repeatedly challenged with disease-causing microbes. In fact, its finite resources are depleted with each new infection.

Herd immunity is unattainable for a rapidly mutating, immune-disrupting virus, and there is no basis to believe that a vascular infection will evolve into the common cold. Continuing to ignore SARS-CoV-2 will not make it go away. Depriving the virus of publicity does not deprive it of its continuing lethal effects.

SARS-CoV-2 is continuing to evolve and mutate – it is not running out of evolutionary space. It is not a cold or the flu, but primarily a blood vessel disease. It is damaging society as we know it.

How many repeated infections can we expect young people to endure and survive? Even if they get only 1 infection each year, that’s 10 infections in 10 school years. This is not compatible with health and a long life. Repeated infections can lead to long COVID and shortened lifespans.

How Do We Protect Ourselves, How Do We Protect Our Children, When Government Public Health Advice Has Failed?

By reducing transmission so that R0 remains less than one (meaning that each person infects less than one other), we can suppress and gradually eliminate the virus, targeting a safer return to pre-2020 normal.

Handwashing is helpful, but it is not the main way to stop the spread of this airborne virus.

Respirators can block 95% or more of virus particles through electrostatic action, and are therefore highly effective at reducing infection even if only one person in a conversation is wearing them. They are far more effective if all people are wearing them (40).

Transmission can be reduced with HEPA filtration and ventilation of indoor air.

The virus spreads more quickly in indoor settings, but also spreads outdoors.

For medical facilities, it is essential to clean the air with ventilation and filtration and require universal high-quality masking (with N-95/ FFP3 respirators or better) to protect medical staff and patients.

For workplaces, clean air will reduce transmission; and encouraging employees to test and stay home when infectious is essential. High-quality masking should be encouraged in the case of symptoms, a sick person at home, or any other suspicion that one could be carrying the virus. Remote work should be normalized and encouraged wherever possible.

For entertainment venues, events should be held outdoors when possible; and if indoors, clean air is key to protecting audiences. Audiences should also be encouraged to wear respirators to avoid getting infected and infecting others. Digital streaming options should always be offered.

For restaurants, an emphasis on outdoor dining will substantially reduce transmission. Patio service should be encouraged, and indoor dining areas should be well-ventilated with a high level of air-exchanges. Home or curbside delivery offers a safer alternative.

For schools, clean air will reduce transmission; encouraging students to test and stay home when infectious is essential to preserving their health. Masking or remote learning should be initiated whenever a case is detected or the incidence in the general population sharply increases. A permanent hybrid model / digital option can accommodate children with disabilities or those who simply do better learning from home.

Teachers and medical professionals may prefer to use transparent masks, or to wear HEPA-filtered headgear equipment that may be more universally tolerated/accepted.

To track our progress, we need sustained wastewater and population-level testing.

With just 60-70 percent of people taking mitigation measures such as masking, testing and isolating when infected, we can dramatically reduce forward transmission of the virus.

Even with very imperfect measures, as long as one infected person does not infect more than one person on average, the virus will eventually die out. The fewer people each person infects on average, the faster it will happen.

We still have a window of opportunity. Protecting ourselves and our families is in fact protecting the economy and the continued orderly functioning of our society.

[newtthetranswriter]

I'm here to cure your bordem! o7 how are you?

What if peke J took a liking to a new neighbor that just moved in? peke J spending most of his time occupying the new neighbors time <3

How would baji and chifuyu feel or act??

Welcome to my little blog, I’m doing okay. How are you doing? Anyway you didn’t specify if you wanted headcanons or drabble so I’m gonna do a little bit of both if that's okay. Also I wrote this to be fairly platonic, I hope that’s okay. Anyway enjoy, have a good day and remember to hydrate or diedrate.

How it starts:

First off they had no clue someone just moved in, being too busy with toman and school they didn’t notice the moving truck or new name on the mail boxes.

Let’s be honest, they probably only realized someone new lived there when Chifuyu noticed Peke J was missing the first time.

Chifuyu’s first thought was that Peke just snuck out to visit Baji, but upon questioning his friend it was brought to their attention they had no clue where the cat had run off too.

Baji being the only one with a brain cell suggested looking around the complex because he had to be around there somewhere while Chifuyu had a mini meltdown thinking he had lost his cat for good.

Chifuyu would take the suggestion and start looking in the dumbest places for Peke J, the trash cans, behind a potted plant next to a random apartment door, Baji on the other hand was politely knocking on doors asking if they had seen the cat.

After about half an hour Chifuyu had slumped to the floor once again believing Peke J had run away never to be seen again. All Baji could think to do is suggest that they make missing posters for the cat.

Before Chifuyu could even nod in agreement the aforementioned cat just walked over and layed in his lap, shocking the boys.

    “Oh you must be his owner.” Said a voice that neither boy recognised. Turning to the voice, they noticed someone standing at the door to an apartment only a few doors from Chifuyu’s apartment. “Wait, are you okay, you look like you’ve been crying?”  the stranger walked over kneeling next to the blonde who just looked stunned, where the hell did you come from?

   Collecting his train of thought Baji spoke first. “Sorry about this, Chifuyu was just really worried about Peke J, I’m Keisuke Baji and the idiot on the floor is Chifuyu Matsuno” He introduced himself. Chifuyu shot Baji a glare before focusing on Peke J.

   “It’s okay, I can understand being worried about such a sweet cat. Anyway I’m Y/n Y/l/n, I just moved in a week ago. It's nice to meet you two.” You responded standing back up. “Well now that I don’t have a cat laying on all my stuff I have things to finish unpacking so I’ll see you guys around.” With that you disappeared into your apartment leaving two gang members and a cat.

   Chifuyu took that as his cue to pick up Peke J and finally get off the floor. “Who knew we had a new neighbor? Anyway bad cat, you shouldn’t be bugging strangers.” He said holding the cat like a baby. Baji just laughed at his friend, scolding the cat notorious for sneaking out. “What are you laughing at?” Chifuyu said to the grinning boy.

   Shaking his head, Baji just waved him off and headed for the stares. “You’re just stupid, anyway I’m going home now that you found your cat, bye.”

    Little did Chifuyu or Baji know this would be a regular occurrence, every few days Peke J would just disappear. Chifuyu would first go to Baji then have to go knock on your door to see if the cat had once again decided to bug you. After the fifth time he stopped bugging Baji about it, and would just ask you. 

Chifuyu’s feelings on the situation:

Again when Peke J first went missing it freaked him out, like that’s his baby and he just disappeared

But after a few times he accepted that it was just going to keep happening.

Chifuyu would also feel bad for the fact that you had to deal with his cat that would randomly escape, but after multiple conversations assuring him that it’s fine he would apologize but understood that it wasn’t bugging you

He got so used to Peke J going over to hang out with you that if there was a toman meeting or he knew a fight was coming up he would ask if you could keep an eye on Peke J until he got home.

On more than one occasion he would open his phone to see a picture of Peke J asleep somewhere in your apartment when Chifuyu could have sworn the cat was just on his bed.

Eventually he accepted that it was now a split parenting relationship, only differences is are one Peke J is a cat, two you guys aren’t together and never were, and third neither of you had control over when and where the cat wanted to stay

As Peke J spent more time at your place Chifuyu did as well slowly adding you to the mini friend group of him and Baji

Chifuyu also is 100% in support of the random pictures you send of Peke J dressed in various costumes, though his favorite was a mini Toman jacket you had either made yourself or commissioned to be made for the cat if you aren’t very crafty.

Baji’s feelings on the situation:

At first was also worried about the cat, mostly because he knew Chifuyu would lose his shit if something actually happened to Peke J

Got tired of the constant texts saying ‘have you seen Peke J’ from Chifuyu and was the one to suggest he just ask you.

Finds it funny that half the time Peke J chooses you over Chifuyu.

Baji would definitely tell the whole gang that Chifuyu now shares custody of a cat with the new person in the building

He would go with Chifuyu to pick up Peke J after Toman meetings to chat with you cause if you’re gonna be a part of the group he might as well make an effort.

When he saw the cat sized Toman jacket he nearly died laughing at it, because who in their right mind makes a biker gang jacket for a cat, he then immediately sends pictures to everyone.

Honestly he’s happy to have another friend, even if you’re not a fighter and just watch his buddy’s cat, you’re cool, so why not hang out with you sometimes.

Overall I see it starting out as Chifuyu thinking he’s bugging you and Baji just accepting that a cat has picked the newest member of the friend group.

[tokyo-1842]

LIVE FOREVER <3

Zoro x GN!Scientist!Reader

GN!READER, ZORO X GN!!READER, READER IS GENIUS 😥

TW: Uhh reader not sleeping for days (Possibly weeks), READER PURRS😭 (I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CUTE), Pet rat, Zoro taking care of reader, fluffy fluuff that’s all folks, little suggestive in one sentence.

——————————————————————————

“Day…I’ve lost count…” You muttered to yourself as you wrote on the medium sized white board in your lab. The bags under your eyes becoming more visible day by day. The crew worries about you and both your mental and physical health. God…weeks it’s been since your last rest. But it’s not your fault! Science!

Yes science…all you need…you don’t even need sleep!

Ok well maybe a few screws in your head were a little lose during these past months. But it’s nothing to worry about! All the progress and research you’ve made was worth it!

*Squeak, Squeak*

Ah right that’s what this was all about.

So you see, you’ve loved animals your entire life! And one day you decided it’s not fair they don’t get to live as long as humans! The Sunny wasn’t going to be at another island for a long time too. So why not figure out a way too give longer life expectancy to animals.

And so you did but at what cost.

So this brings us here.

“(Name) Open up!” A gruff voice shouted on the other side of the door. “Yeah…give me a second..”

You opened the door to see a seemingly concerned Zoro. “What’s up? Need anything?” You look at him. Only if you could see how tired you looked. “The hell you mean “WhAtS uP”. What’s up is YOU for too long!” “I’m fine I swear…” You take a seat near a table where the mouse you were testing on was laying. (DONT WORRY THE MOUSE IS BEING TAKEN GPOD CARE OF :p)

“What could be so important that could have caused you to not sleep in WEEKS!?” Zoro grunted. “Oh man I’m glad you asked! I’d really like to drag out the years of my life and live past human expectancy. But I can’t.” You paused. “So I made a little buddy who could! This isss…hm (Mouse Name). I called him subject A I never gave a normal name, But anyways-“

Zoro watched as you babbled on about your experiment, he only payed attention to how you looked like you could fall over any moment now.

You pulled out a brush to groom the little critter, slowly stroking is fur.

“(Name)! Are you not seeing the problem here?” “What problem…? Hm are you talking about how I made (Mouse name) to look like me? oh yeah I forgot to mention! I did give him some of my DNA” “(Name)” “I extracted some of my blood and used the cells to form a similar genetic structure to mines” You slurred out while staring into space. “(NAME)! Can’t you see what this is doing to you! You’re clearly not even mentally stable” (That’s a drag) Zoro practically shouted. “Haha…what makes you say that…?”

…

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME? YOUR BRUSHING AIR RIGHT NOW!” You look down to see a comical dotted outline on where (mouse name) should be. Your brain is so tired out you couldn’t even notice nothing was being brushed.

You let out a chuckle. “Funny I could’ve swore he was there…” You sweat dropped. “That’s it. Your putting that mouse to bed then your going to bed.” “But-“ “Do you understand?” The swordsman commanded.

…

“Ok…”

“Great.”

After wrapping up your lab equipment with the help of Zoro (because you would fall over) you changed out of your lab gear.

Roronoa let you borrow one of his T-Shirts. (Totally not just to watch the way the shirt hugs your curves)

“Alright finally let’s head to bed” He picked you up bridal style and you let out an adorable gasp he chuckles at.

…

Finally your curled up to him getting some well needed rest. You snuggled impossibly closer to his chest. Zoro massaged your scalp as he stared off into the moon lit ocean. Observing the way it glistened like a gem and listened to your soft snoring.

That was until he heard a…PURR?

Purring…you were..

The shock wore off as he found it adorable. There were many things about you he never knew but this one is new. It provoked him to keep on petting you as the cat like noises you made were like music to him.

——————————————————————————

BONUS:

- When ever the strawhats have a lil sleepover (idk) when you fall asleep Zoro likes to rub your back until you purr to show it to everyone. You always wonder why your throat is sore in the morning..

THIS WAS INSPIRED BY THAT ONE SCENE FROM ADVENTURE TIME LOL.

THATS ALL GUYS THANK YOU FOR READINF

SOME COOL GIFS:

HAVE A GOOD DAY :p

[amourane]

Hi Yves, thank you for writing such great fics for us! I noticed you haven’t written anything for Blaise so is it ok to request for him?

Blaise and y/n are aurors and “rivals” bcs they think they’re better than e/o. They had to go to a mission tgt and she got hurt/almost got hurt but tried to play it cool while Blaise was so protective (swooning rn).

If you’re uncomfy writing Blaise you can also make it as Theo.

Much love xx

hexed hearts

pairing: blaise zabini x gn!reader

genre: fluff, aurors au, post hogwarts

w/c: 1.6k

summary: hate was a very strong word and it was the word you would use to describe blaise zabini perfectly.

warnings: swearing, you get hit with a hex and you bleed, nothing too graphic

a/n: tysm for requesting this anon!! i'm so happy you enjoy my writing and ofc you can request for blaise, this is my gift to you <3

Hate was a strong word. It was something that everyone said. Arguably it was a word most people used often without truly knowing just how strong the connotations were. No, you didn’t hate Blaize Zabini. You despised him with every single cell in your being. Not only was he a cocky asshole he was also determined to surpass you in everything. 

The two of you had been in the same year in Hogwarts and though you had only met when the both of you were 11 hatred had already been brewing. He was conceited and arrogant and snarky. All the things you hated. The rivalry between the both of you had only grown throughout the years, the tension pulling tighter and tighter.

Now, the both of you were aurors and no one got a wink of peace when the both of you were around.

“Can you not be an insufferable piece of shit for two seconds?” You snarled at his direction and when you see him sporting the same devilish smirk it only fuels your anger further.

“One. Two.” He holds his fingers up as he counts the seconds, mocking your emotions even more. “There, done. I know that you love me Y/n but you can’t even stay away from me for two seconds, that’s adorable.”

You lunged at him, anger bubbling over the top, ready to pounce on him and hex him into oblivion. Blaise was so annoying, so irritating and yet he was also so brain-numbingly handsome and smooth. You felt someone grab your shoulder stopping you just in time before you pummelled the man’s face in. 

“C’mon Y/n I can’t be the one cleaning up after the both of you again.” Harry sighed as he held you back. You watched as Blaise’s smug grin only widened as he leaned back into his chair. “The both of you are going to have to get along, there’s a mission for both of you.”

“But-”

“No buts Y/n, this one came from the guys above. You know how they are so you and Zabini are going to have to get along.” 

Harry didn’t say anything more as he left you standing there in disbelief. You didn’t even have a chance to refuse or even beg to not go. Blaise let out a low whistle as soon as the other auror left. He got up from his seat and made his way towards you, the shit-eating grin on his face only irritating you further. You scowled as he stopped just a few inches in front of you.

“Don’t be a pussy L/n, I’m sure you can resist my charms for a few hours.” He threw you a wink and you felt your skin crawl with disgust. Blaise was attractive, yes, but merlin how you wanted to just punch that annoying expression right off his face.

“You better not fuck this up Zabini or I swear to merlin-”

He cut you off before you could finish and rolled his eyes at the words you spat out. “I know, I know.” He shrugged his shoulders back before glancing at you again. Your glare met his eyes and you found yourself getting lost in his dark gaze. “You should know by now I don’t fuck anything up.”

With that, he snapped you out of your hazy thoughts. Your glare hardened and you scoffed at his arrogant statement. That was the last thing he said before disappearing behind you, leaving you to stew in your own anger. You had just been put together with your worst enemy on a mission. This was unbelievable.

//

The mission was a standard recon, yet the tension between you and Blaise made it anything but. Sneaking through the dense forest, you tried to focus on the task at hand and not the infuriating presence beside you. Blaise, for once, seemed focused, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

It wasn’t meant to be a hard mission, the both of you were skilled enough to handle any of the attacks that were hurled your way. Yet, everything happened so fast. One minute you were shouting hexes, pointing your wand at the danger before you. Blaise was beside you, his movements fluid and precise, something you had always envied. 

In the chaos, you didn’t see the hex coming. It hit you square in the chest, sending you sprawling to the ground, pain searing through your body. It hurt, it hurt a lot but you couldn’t let that stop you. This was a mission and every mission was treated with the utmost importance. There was no way that you were going to give up so easily. You gritted your teeth, trying your best to push yourself up and carry on. 

“I’m fine.” You muttered through clenched teeth as you struggled to stand. The pain only seemed to increase, spreading throughout your body quicker. “Just a scratch.”

Blaise’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at you, his expression shifting from annoyance to something you couldn’t quite place. “Bullshit, Y/N. You’re hurt.”

“I said I’m fine.” You insisted, ignoring the throbbing pain in your side. “Let’s just finish this.”

But Blaise wasn’t having it. He grabbed your arm, his grip firm but not painful. “We need to get you out of here.”

“I don’t need your help, Zabini.” You snapped, trying to pull away, but your strength was waning.

“Stop being stubborn.” He growled, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re not dying on my watch.”

His words stunned you into silence. Before you could protest further, Blaise lifted you into his arms, carrying you with surprising gentleness. You could feel his heart pounding against your back, the adrenaline of the fight still coursing through him. Your own heart was beating just as fast and you tried to steady your laboured breathing. Despite your protests, you couldn’t help but lean into him, exhaustion and pain overcoming your pride. 

As the two of you reached a safer area, he set you down gently, his hands lingering on your shoulders as he checked your wound. You winced when he pressed at your side and you turned to shoot him a glare but apologies were already tumbling from his lips. The concern in his eyes was undeniable, and it confused you. This was the same Blaise Zabini who had always been your rival, your nemesis.

“You’re going to be okay.” He said quietly, his voice softer than you’d ever heard it. He muttered a spell you assumed was to calm the bleeding that was seeping through your clothes. “Just hang in there.”

“Thanks.” You mumbled, not sure what else to say.

“Don’t mention it.” He replied, his usual smirk returning. “Just try not to get yourself killed next time. It’s a lot of paperwork.”

You rolled your eyes at his snarky remark, a small smile tugging at your lips despite the pain. “You wish.”

As the adrenaline wore off you found yourself more in tune with the pain as well as the lingering touches that Blaise left as he helped you. The forest was eerily quiet and you knew that the danger was no longer there yet the silence only made it more awkward between the both of you. Every once in a while you would meet his eyes and your eyes would lock with his for a second before he turned away.

It was weird.

You winced as you shifted, the pain in your side sharp and persistent. Blaise noticed immediately, his brow furrowing in concern.

“Let me see.”

You debated whether to refuse his request before giving in. “Fine.”

He knelt beside you, gently lifting your bloodied shirt to inspect the wound. His fingers brushed against your skin, sending an unexpected shiver down your spine. The wound was deep, and the sight of it made you grimace.

“You’re lucky.” He murmured, his voice oddly tender. “A bit higher and it could have been much worse.”

“Guess I’ll have to thank you for that.”

Blaise looked up, his eyes meeting yours. For a moment, the usual antagonism was absent, replaced by something softer, more intense. “You don’t have to thank me, Y/N. Just… try to be more careful.”

He was so close, his breath warm on your skin. Your heart kept the fast pace it had despite the fact all your adrenaline had already dissipated. He leaned closer towards you, fingertips grazing your wound and his touch somehow soothed the ache you felt.

“I mean it.” He whispered, his voice barely audible. “I hate watching you get hurt.”

“Blaise-” The words die in your throat and you can’t continue the sentence you so desperately wanted to say. You swallowed hard, your heart pounding in your chest. This was the same Blaise who had driven you crazy for years, yet here he was, showing a side of himself that left you breathless.

Before you could open your mouth to respond he had already closed the distance between the two of you. His lips brushed against yours for a tentative kiss. His lips were soft and you found yourself clinging onto him, desperate for the sweet sensation that he filled you with. It was gentle at first before it increased with intensity. The pain you felt disappeared and all you could focus on was the beautiful man in front of you.

When he finally pulled back the both of you were breathless. His eyes searched yours as if he was looking for confirmation if he had read the situation correctly. You took a shaky breath, your mind reeling from the intensity of the kiss.

“Maybe we don’t hate each other as much as we thought.” Your voice was soft, a small smile playing on your lips as your hands loop around his neck, pulling him closer to you.

Blaise’s expression softened, his thumb tracing your jawline. “Maybe not.”

Silence enveloped you once again and this time it felt comforting. Blaise’s arms felt right around you, his warmth radiating off his body making you feel that much more safe. There was no longer the crackling animosity between the two of you.

“Told you you couldn’t resist my charm.”

“Shut the fuck up Zabini.”

[sleepysnk]

a/n: i really wanted to write something for hanma because i missed him a lot </3 so i hope you guys enjoy this!! i felt like something fluffy would work with him this time, so <3.

pairings: hanma shuji x fem!reader

warnings: some brief angst, fluff leading to smut, mentions of violence (not towards reader), established relationship, mentions of food, brief jealousy mentions, nsfw, vanilla sex, use of pet names (baby, babydoll, doll), light choking if you squint, breeding kink, creampie, after care, fluffy hanma.

synopsis: you and hanma had been together for two years. he never thought in a million years that you would both last this long, so he wanted to do something special for you on your special day. you deserved the world, and he was going to be the one to give you it. he had many ideas in mind, but the main one was showing you how much he loved you.

his always and forever ft. hanma shuji

Hanma Shuji was truly blessed to have someone like you in his life. Let alone having you as his girlfriend.

Today was your two year anniversary. It was a date that was imprinted on his brain from the moment you said yes to being his. He was so thrilled to have such a great woman in his life. You were like an angel sent from heaven itself to bless him with your love. You made him such a happier man, and your presence as a whole came at such a difficult moment in his life. In a way, he could say that you saved him from doing the worst to himself or even others.

Hanma had done plenty of bad things in his life. He had fought men who had a debt to the gang he was in, he often drank until his vision was completely blurred, and he even severed ties with family that tried their best to do good for him. He was truly lost before you came. He spent his days wandering his large apartment without a single person to occupy it with him. It was lonely and he despised that feeling more than he would like to admit. He desired someone to share his place with and have someone to come home to every night. Sure, he had hooked up with plenty of women beforehand. Some of them were great and even potential candidates for that lifestyle, but the others were only into him for a cash grab and that was it. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want to be with a woman who only saw him as a piggy bank for whatever shopping spree they wanted to go on. Hanma wanted peace and one person he could rely on, but at the time, he knew that wouldn’t happen. He was a thug, a criminal, no one would want a man like him.

But then, everything changed the day he came across you.

Hanma had a very long day. He was exhausted with all he had to do, so he decided to make a stop at a cafe he had visited many times before. It was sort of busy for a late afternoon day, but that never really provoked the man that much. He paid for his coffee and waited patiently behind a few people. He became distracted by his cell phone because Kisaki had been in his messages for some reason asking about a recent incident that took place. Hanma was about to respond, but when piping hot coffee began to scald his chest that message was discarded.

He looked up, feeling furious about what had just gone down. However, those feelings had disappeared when he made eye contact with you. You were standing there with a very apologetic facial expression. The coffee you once held in your right hand was now splattered onto the floor, and some of it had gotten into Hanma’s plain white shirt. Your cheeks were burning with embarrassment and you wanted to melt into the floor with how shitty you felt. He was a complete stranger, an intimidating one at that. He was taller than you by a few inches, and he honestly had a scary look in his eye that would send any man or woman running for their lives.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there! Oh, god.. let me help clean you up..”

Hanma was stunned at your beauty. He wasn’t even angry about his suit anymore. All his brain was fixated on was you and how your fingertips felt rubbing the thin napkins against his chest and his abdomen. You looked like you were about to burst into tears from how afraid you looked. He began to feel guilty for shooting you such a glare, because you genuinely seemed very sorry for such actions. 

“No worries.. thank you for your help, doll.”

When the pet name slipped from his lips you froze on the spot. Someone as attractive as him was calling you that? It felt almost hard to believe at the time, but you were instantly relieved to hear that he wasn’t angry with you over the accident you created. Hanma honestly began to feel bad for you, though. Your coffee was spilled all over the tiled floor, and many people were still staring at the two of you with these wide eyes that bored into both of your heads. He often hated attention like that. Some people just didn’t know how to mind their own business nowadays. It was a small mistake. It wasn’t like you had a breakdown in the middle of the cafe and threw your coffee at him.

“Let me buy you a new coffee..”

“What? N-No! That was my fault-“

“Doll, it’s fine. I have nowhere else to be and all I need is your order.”

To be honest, you hesitated at such a gesture from the mysterious man. Neither of you knew each other, but he was being so kind to you yet you almost burned his skin with the beverage you swore you were holding onto with all your strength. However, you agreed and gave him your coffee order. He simply went to the barista and paid for it, but you were a bit confused why he was taking so long to come back. You wondered about his motives, but when he grabbed his own coffee and waved as he passed you, you felt disappointed. You thought that maybe you would spark a conversation with him, but alas, that didn’t seem very likely.

Once your coffee was done, you walked past several customers and grabbed it off of the counter. Though, the cup wasn’t blank, and there was something written on the side of it.

“Call me sometime <3 let me buy you an actual drink- Hanma Shuji.”

That’s how your romance had blossomed to what it was today. Hanma wasn’t expecting you to call him that night after the whole incident at the cafe, but he was relieved to hear your voice. The two of you chatted all night about anything that came about in the conversation. Although you didn’t reach very personal levels, Hanma was very interested in knowing things about you. He asked about what you did for a living, if you had any siblings, what kind of food you liked, etc. Talking to you made him so happy and he was so excited to hear that you wanted to go on a date with him at some point. Hearing those words made sunlight shine into his heart, clearing the storm clouds that had surrounded it for such a long time. He knew moving at such a pace could result in some negative reactions, but you seemed different. He was well aware that it sounded cliché of him to say such a thing, but it was how he felt about you. He couldn’t deny that one bit.

Weeks turned to months and eventually two years later you were both still together.

You had zero regrets about saying yes to Hanma all those years ago. He treated you like a princess and spoiled you rotten with whatever you wanted. He was a bit reluctant to let you in at first, considering he had been abandoned many times before by different women, but you assured him that you were sticking around for the long run no matter what. You got to see the real Hanma Shuji, and it was honestly beautiful. He may have had some flaws, but you did too. You were both able to work through those things and be patient with one another. There may have been a few rough days and some fights, but even through that you both fell in love with each other. 

You were able to change Hanma for the better. He was so happy to have found you, and being by your side benefited him in so many ways. He couldn’t ever imagine himself being with another woman besides you. He was fully convinced that he had found his soulmate.

He couldn’t believe that two years had passed. He had so many things planned for the two of you that day, and he couldn’t wait to get started with you by his side. 

The morning began with Hanma making you some delicious breakfast in bed. He was not the greatest cook, but living on his own for almost ten years taught him a lot about cooking and having to rely on home meals rather than ordering take out from the nearest restaurant. He made you some eggs and some really fluffy pancakes with your favorite fruit on top. It was adorable and waking up to the aroma of food made you so happy. The breakfast was delicious and Hanma’s heart warmed when he saw your pretty smile flash when you began to eat your pancakes. He knew they were a favorite of yours. Sometimes you’d only eat his, nobody else’s. It made him feel proud as your boyfriend that he was able to make you happy with his food. 

“Happy Anniversary, babydoll. I love you..”

In the afternoon, he took you out for lunch. He even took you out shopping afterwards to splurge on whatever you wanted. It was adorable to see you walking around the many stores with different items in your hands. You often told Hanma that you didn’t need his money to make you happy, but he insisted that you use it. He made more than enough for all the bills to be paid, so it was no problem at all if he wanted to spoil you for a bit. Despite that, you rarely ever spent more than you needed. You did live a rather comfortable lifestyle, but there was that side of you that wanted to consider Hanma’s feelings as well. 

Once you both arrived home, Hanma was excited to make dinner for you both. There was a toss up between going out and eating at another restaurant somewhere downtown, but you told him you were fine with whatever he wanted to do. He took it upon himself to learn a new recipe for you. He worried he would totally light the kitchen on fire if he wasn’t careful with what he was doing, but it had all gone completely smoothly and he was proud of himself. You were also quite surprised to see that he had been successful in making your supper. Hanma hadn’t always been a fan of working in the kitchen, so seeing him do such a great job made you so happy. The food also smelled divine. Your mouth was watering the second you sat down at the table to eat it. Hanma was a bit worried that you may not like it or you would have a negative reaction to his cooking, but much to his surprise, your face lit up with happiness when the flavors reached your tongue. It was so great. Pride swelled inside his chest when you started smiling at him and looking at him with love in your eyes.

“This is so good, baby! You really outdid yourself with this!”

God, it was like he was falling in love with you all over again.

The feelings Hanma had for you were so overwhelming he could almost break down and cry from how intense it was. He never imagined he would be cooking a meal for a woman he had been dating for two years. He didn’t think the day would ever come that you would move in with him and sleep beside him in the same bed every single night. He felt so lucky to have found someone as great as you even though he had been surrounded with darkness for so long. You helped him escape and surrounded him with such light that the abyss he was once in seemed to be a forgotten memory. 

After dinner was finished, you both retired to your bedroom where Hanma found himself wanting to give you one more anniversary present. 

Himself.

Hanma was hovering above your naked body. His cock was splitting your cunt apart with every rut of his hips. You two had been at it for quite a bit. He had kept up with quite a slow and tender pace. Hanma told himself he wasn’t going to rush such an intimate moment with you on a day like that. He had plenty of time with you to make it nasty and rough, but right now, all he was focusing on was you. Your pretty voice called for him and made his cock twitch. He had sex with you many times prior to this moment, but you never failed to amaze him with your angelic beauty. Your delicate skin, gorgeous face, there was so much to love about you. He just couldn’t keep his eyes off of your form that was taking him so well. He could make love to you like that all day if he really wanted to. There was nothing to get bored of.

Your nails clawed into the skin of his shoulders. Marks covered his flesh, but he didn’t bat a single eye at that. You were in utter bliss underneath your boyfriend. He never failed to make you feel good. Hanma knew your body better than anybody else and he made you feel so much ecstasy. “Ah..! Hanma! So good..” you made eye contact with the man above you. Your eyes were somewhat blurry from the pleasure that he allowed to ripple through your body.

Hanma was sweating. A few strands of his dual colored hair clung to his forehead from the moisture that had collected itself on his skin. He loved whenever his name slipped off your tongue like he was a prayer. Hanma couldn’t hide the smirk that appeared on his features when he heard your whines for him. You were so beautiful and good for him. You deserved all the pleasure that was coming to you tonight. “Yeah, keep sayin’ my name, baby. Fuck.. I love you so much..” he placed his hand around the base of your throat, holding you in place so he could stare at your pretty face while he thrusted up into you. 

You let your jaw fall slack as the euphoria you felt increased with every movement. He reached spots inside of your pussy that made you see stars within your vision. Hanma couldn’t believe that a whole stupid coffee incident allowed him to meet someone like you. He always imagined that he would reach the end of his life alone without a single person to share himself with, but having you completely changed that outlook for him. Your presence alone lit up his life and allowed him to see things through a different perspective. You truly blessed him more than you realized, and he couldn’t believe that you didn’t leave him in those two years you’ve been together. Hanma sometimes thought he didn’t deserve you. He imagined at some point you would find someone better than him and you’d leave him, but you didn’t and he was so happy that you gave him a chance.

Sure, you had your ugly days, but even through that you both worked on those issues and continued loving one another without having a second thought about it.

Hanma’s free hand went to intertwine with your own. He leaned down to press his forehead against you and allowed eye contact to be connected between you both. His honey eyes were blown with lust and staring at you with such admiration you could melt from just one glance from him. You smiled when your eyes flickered around his handsome face. There was no one cuter than Hanma Shuji. He was perfect in every little aspect. 

He then kissed you, which took you by surprise. It was soft and gentle. His lips felt like you were kissing two soft pillows that you couldn’t pull away from. He was such a good kisser. It was one of the many things you loved about Hanma. His kisses could sweep you right off of your feet and you would grow weak in the knees whenever his lips brushed against yours. It was slow, but his tongue would occasionally brush against your bottom lip to try and gain access to your mouth. You obliged and allowed him in, deepening the kiss between you both. The pleasure was just too good. 

You gasped when he finally reached your g-spot, sending bolts of electricity along your belly. Hanma smirked in the kiss when that pretty noise escaped your lips. He had no problem discovering that delicious spot inside of you. He squeezed your throat slightly, but not hard enough to restrict your breathing. “Heh.. look at you, babydoll. You’re takin’ my cock so well..” he whispered, sending shivers down your spine from how hot his voice sounded in your ears. “Wanna cum, baby? You’re really fucking tight right now..”

Your orgasm was creeping upon you faster than you had expected, but nonetheless you craved it more than anything else. Your hands gripped Hanma’s shoulders tightly, fearing he might disappear from his spot between your legs. With every thrust, the pit in your belly grew larger and you became even more needy than before. “Y-Yes! Hanma, please..! ‘Need you!” you whined, sharply. 

Hanma fucking loved hearing how desperate you were for that release inside your gut. He then began to fuck you just a bit faster this time. It was nothing too aggressive or quick for your liking, but it was just enough to really wind you up. The noises slipping from your throat made him smirk and watch you with seduction. He loved you so much when you were like this. He realized that you were a goddess and nobody else would ever compare to you in any department. It didn’t matter if you left him at some point. Hanma Shuji would always be devoted to you at the end of the day. He was so deeply in love with you that it almost hurt him to not be by your side. 

You’d be the one he would come home to, always and forever.

Your eyes rolled behind your skull as your orgasm grew closer. You couldn’t help but arch upwards whenever he kissed at your g-spot with the tip of his cock. The moans that came from your mouth were neverendless and Hanma was living for how pretty you sounded under him. He grunted when he felt your walls tightening around him. He was close himself, but all he desired was seeing you reach your high. After several thrusts, your cunt clamped around his cock. Hanma couldn’t help but hiss at the sensation of your pussy squeezing the life out of his cock. Your moans were much higher as he fucked you through your orgasm. He loved hearing your voice like that. He could play it like his favorite song and never get tired of you. “Fuckkk, yeah.. where do you want my – shit! – my cum, babydoll? Talk to me.. fuck..” he nodded his head, gritting his teeth as the last curse slipped through his mouth. 

“I-Inside! Hanma, inside!” you then locked your ankles around his waist, keeping him nice and snug inside of your dripping cunt.

He couldn’t help but grin at that statement. He wasn’t against it whatsoever, but he was very excited to hear that. He then looked down at you and began to pick up his pace a little. His high was so fucking close he could practically taste the sensation. “Shit.. ‘gonna fill you good, baby. Give you a baby, yeah..? Pregnant with my baby..” he let his head fall backwards as the euphoria took over him.

Within seconds, Hanma reached his climax. Thick white ropes of his cum filled your pussy and reached your womb. Goosebumps littered your skin from the feeling of his cum filling you to the brim. He let out a groan at the affects of his high. It hit him pretty hard, which caused him to tremble a bit. 

After a few minutes, Hanma lied down beside you and pulled you towards him. Both of you were sweating and panting fairly heavily, but that soon calmed when the activities between you two had come to an end. Your ear pressed against his chest to hear his heart beating. It was quite rapid, but once he had you within his arms his beats began to slow down and calm themselves. There was nothing better than holding you after having sex with you. Your skin was so warm underneath his fingertips that you could melt. He didn’t care if you were both dripping with sweat and the smell of sex was lingering around the room. All that mattered was that you were here with him and you were safe in his arms.

He planted a kiss on the top of your head and rested his chin atop it. He couldn’t help but smile at the results of today. It was quite successful and you two had an amazing anniversary with one another. “I love you, doll..” he whispered, squeezing the flesh of your hips softly. “I love you so much.. don’t forget that.”

You grinned, letting your eyes fall shut. “I love you more, Hanma.”

[locke-esque-monster]

Let's talk for a sec about the dynamic of the Featherington household for a moment. Because Portia has created such a unique dynamic in that household, I don't know what to do with it.

First, there's the fact that Portia is determined to succeed in society, but specifically for her daughters' security (understandably after what they've been through). See how she spent 2 seasons trying to get husbands for her daughters. But when Phillipa and Prudence complain they don't have a good of a cook, Portia reminds them it's their fault they didn't find a better marriage. It also is reflected later when Penelope questions if her mother only cares for her if she's engaged/married, since she seems to care more for that than if she's emotionally okay after the break with Lord Debling.

But within that household, it seems like Portia is forever focused on Phillipa and Prudence. Now, Penelope is both self-sufficient to a degree and perfectly happy to entertain herself, so Portia may tend to more naturally focus on the other two.

but this seems to partially have manifested in Prudence and Phillipa expecting their mother's focus. The Featheringtons can be a bit rude to each, cutting each other off or scoffing at statements. But it's to the point where Prudence cuts off a clearly upset Penelope in 3x4. While the news from Prudence isn't nothing, it's also not concrete and didn't need to be addressed that second. It's like it never occurred to her not to interrupt her mother and upset sister, let alone check on or comfort her upset sister herself.

Then there's the fact that Portia, nor her other 2 daughters, ever really considered Penelope viable on the marriage mart. Watch how in season 1, Portia asks the suitors to bid farewell to her other daughters. Phillipa and Prudence are listed by name to consider saying goodbye to, and then it's "even Penelope". Or how Portia thinks Penelope is naïve to think she'd find a husband in season 3, after all this time. Despite this, Portia has put no serious or separate effort into finding a husband for Penelope. It's like she was a lost cause from the start.

So the end result almost gives off a Cinderella vibe. The two less bright stepsisters following around a manipulative mother who never cares or supports the third daughter, who doesn't fit the rest of the family.

And with that in mind, it's even more interesting when you consider that Penelope is the most like her mother of the 3 girls. Prudence and Phillipa either gained or learned their mother's love for security and nice things. But they lack more than a few brain cells to rub together. I assume they take after their father that way, as he didn't make the smartest financial decisions.

At the same time Portia is forging letters and hocking counterfeit rubies, Penelope is writing the most popular gossip sheet in London. And the best part is, neither of them have a clue the majority of what the other is up to. Penelope is also the one capable of adjusting and tweaking Portia's plans to help Marina (from pointing out the problem with tricking Violet at dinner to making a very valid point about Marina wasting her time on Colin vs an older more desperate suitor). And Portia can recognize similarities to herself in others. Season 1 leans into the parallels of Portia and Marina - both in how they view life and how they treat Penelope - as Marina is nice until Penelope gets in her way, and she's ready to dish some harsh critiques her way.

But perhaps it's because Portia never really sees herself in Penelope in part because Penelope is used to hiding bits of herself from her critical mother. And in part because Portia sees Penelope's kindness and treats it as naivety. Because for Portia, she's willing to take the cruel path if not first, pretty early on. See how she immediately decided to trick Marina into think George Crane didn't love her anymore. But she'll consider kindness if someone suggests it and it'll accomplish the same goal - see how she was willing to give Marina a few days for Colin to propose before she sent her off to an older husband. Penelope will pick kindness first, in trying to convince either Colin or Eloise to change their minds when they're making a potentially serious mistake. Only when they won't listen, does she use the last resort of Lady Whistledown. Can you imagine that kind of restraint with Portia if she had the LW access?

That said - for all that I'm critical of Portia, I still enjoy her character a lot. She's not all good or all bad - I think we need parents like that in tv. She loves her daughters, but she doesn't treat them equally and she isn't loving them in a positive way all the time. I think of a callback to a discussion during my Shakespeare class in college that basically went like "You love to read about Lady Macbeth, but you wouldn't want to be friends with her in real life."

I'd like to think in this season Portia and Penelope have it out about how Portia has treated her. Based on previous seasons, I'd be surprised if they don't delve a little into how Penelope was hurt by Portia's parenting. That set up of a line about only caring about Penelope with a ring o her finger is too good to ignore. But it's also Bridgerton, and it's 8 episodes - this will be an acknowledgement or a conversation, not a deep-delve. I'm also betting it's later in the season, since the part 2 trailer seems to suggest that at least some of her family (her sisters) find out at breakfast. Though from what I know of the original text and the way Portia grabs the pamphlet, she seems to already know. With the assumption Eloise gives her deadline to be honest with Colin in episode 5, I can't imagine a full confrontation with Portia in the same episode.

But maybe as much as a parenting confrontation with Portia, I'd kill to see Portia's reaction to finding out Penelope is LW. Would she be angry all the drama Penelope wrought? Impressed or concerned that Penelope pulled off such a thing without Portia even suspecting? Or upset that Penelope had all the solutions to their money problems hidden in her room? No matter how it starts - it always ends with Portia trying to use LW to her own influence. It's why I suspect as much as I love and think it's possible the "what about my dreams" conversation is post-LW reveal to Portia, it's more likely not. Because after the initial reaction, Portia will go from knee-jerk reaction to "how can I use LW to my advantage". And that would be the death of LW (because the slanted writing would get the secret out).

[dumbass-duo-showdown]

DUMBASS DUO SHOWDOWN ROUND 3 BATTLE 1

MONKEY D LUFFY & RORONOA ZORO (aka zolu) VS SHAWN SPENCER & GUS

PROPAGANDA

ZOLU

I could rant about them for actual hours but like it's so hard to put thoughts down. But literally an actual quote was someone telling Zoro that "you promised you wouldn't cause trouble" and Zoro replies, EXACT WORDS, "I had no choice because I ran into Luffy." There was also an exchange where Zoro was giving Luffy food and Luffy warns him it might be poison while eating it and Zoro is just like "huh, so that's why my stomach was hurting". They also both swung from vines once and BOTH decided to Tarzan yell. They agreed it was a requirement. Also, Luffy once said he didn't wanna be a hero because heros would share their meat and he wants all of it, and Zoro entirely separately says the SAME THING BUT WITH BOOZE INSTEAD. There are so many examples of them sharing a single braincell. More than I could ever list. But those are the examples I thought of off the top of my head.

On the surface, Zoro seems to have some common sense, and only follows Luffy’s dumb schemes out of respect. Then Nami joins and you realize that Zoro’s seriousness IS his dumbassedness. He and Luffy have one track minds for their own goals and wants, and while they may clash, they have a decent amount of respect for each other.

haven’t finished one piece yet but one example: zoro when stuck figured cutting off his feet would be a genius idea and luffy is luffy. there’s never any thoughts going on in that head

When I first started One Piece I thought Zoro was going to be the badass smart counterpart to the dumbass protagonist just like Vegeta or Sasuke. Turns out I couldn't be more wrong. Him and Luffy are besties and share one brain cell and even thou Zoro uses it most of the time it's still one.

They share one single braincell at the same time: after being seriously injured in a battle, one wakes up to drink sake the other to eat meat. One almost cut a Noble (which means being pursued til death by the most powerful marines), the other actually punches said Noble. One gest stuck between buildings, the other inside a chimney for absolutely unrelated reasons

Their solution to everything is to fight it. They never have a plan and just rush into everything. Somehow they are technically the leaders of the group as captain and first mate. They have both at some point attempt to cut or tear their legs or arms off to get out something. They used the same metaphor to explain why they aren’t a hero without hearing the other say it (a hero would share their meat/booze I want to keep it all to myself).

they said let us cut/punch a hole trough a giant tsunami and they did it <3 also one time they were suppossed to lay low, but well they both immediately started robbing and attacking a town and being recognized and labeled as criminals in a new country. they don't even share a braincell, whatever braincell they had before immediately leave as soon as they both are together, also King of the Pirates and World Greatest Swordsman dreamteam, also for lasagne thing not only would the house be gone, the city be burning and they are fleeing the police while also fighting the police

They're just soooo stupid. Zoro can't walk to steps without getting lost. So Luffy will yank him miles through the air to land on wood. Or stone. Or some other hard substance. Luffy would fight someone on accident for meat. And Zoro for booze. And they have no brain cells between them. Zoro new Luffy for approx. 3 seconds before he decided he would die for him. And Luffy heard about this big scary bounty hunter who was captured by marines and went. I need him on my crew. They're perfect for each other.

I dont where to begin. One of their latest feats though is them going into the enemy base, Meaning to sneak in, Luffy went in after another guy, Zoro after Luffy, luffy then Announced himself, started a fight bc ppl wasted food on purpose, ZORO hearing a commotion, SLICED THROUGH A BUILDING TO GET TO LUFFY AND THEN REPRIMANDED LUFFY FOR FORGETTING THE PLAN AND BEING UNABLE TO BE QUIET. THEN. T H E N LUFFY SAYS HE SPILT FOOD ON PURPOSE AND ZORO IS INSTANT LIKE oh ok. They gotta die. (Theres more to it but thats the gist. And thats not even. Much. They r just so stupid together <33)

they both get lost very easily, they will throw hands with anyone, very stupid but very understanding, were a 2 person pirate crew that sailed around on a rowboat, motivated entirely by fighting, meat, and sake, neither is particularly literate one time luffy got his hand stuck in a bottle and zoro tried to get it out by cutting his hand off, yes this happened in a canon episode

look, I have a tag for them that's literally #pair of idiots.

Gus & Shawn

They’ve been friends canonically since at least 3 years old and at the start of the show they’re I wanna say 30 maybe? And yet these two grown men are THE most chaotic idiots (affectionate) in the whole show (and let’s be real anywhere). The entire show in fact hinges on the idea that they’re dumbasses and WILL get into carat shenanigans. Episode examples include the one where they are investigating an alien abduction, the one where they’re looking for big foot, the vampire one, all of these by the way they hundred percent believe to be true until they themselves unwillingly prove otherwise. And maybe the most dumbass moment of all time, when Gus finds his boss dead and instead of calling the cops he gets his dna ALL OVER THE CRIME SCENE, calls Shane to help clean up and Shawn gets HIS DNA ALL OVER THE CRIME SCENE AS WELL!!!! Truly cannot think of a worse reaction to finding a dead body. They’ve been sucking that single brain cell that exists between them dry for over 3 decades now and they show no signs of stopping.

they are such idiots (affectionate) and they can't live without each other

they are. so stupid. both of them can be smart in their own ways but when you put them together the dumb best friends energy is unmatched. they are platonic soulmates pretending that shawn has psychic powers and solve crimes by dicking around and somehow always coming out alive. they accidentally befriend the criminals they’re supposed to be investigating constantly. they’re always one step away from being fired or arrested bc of their dumbassery

the entire show is literally shawn pretending to be a psychic (← dumbass behavior) and gus aiding and abetting him and actively a dumbass as well

If you have seen even a single episode of this show, you know these two fools are the best duo ever. Constantly bantering theough 80s movie references and animal like noises, most often above a dead body, these two bring unique different dummy energy that both brings each other up and builds up their own skills along the way. I will love these two men until the day I die and they deserve an honest chance to be the best dumbass duo of all time!

[daftdrac]

If you were in a conversation, what topic would you like to talk about? :D

Something X-Men related, probably specifically anything deadpool or wolverine (Deadpool isn't exactly X-Men but I'm counting him cause he's also a part of this hyperfixation) anyways I LITERALLY GOT THIS NOTIFICATION WHILE IM WATCHING THE WOLVERING AND THE XMEN CARTOON LMAOOO Yeah I'm super into. X-Men shit right now because I watched Deadpool 3 and my brain said YES. THAT. I am absolutely taking this as an opportunity to rant by the way cause there is so much random shit about this show that has me giggling. Errrmmm spoiler warning I guess ?

FIRST OF ALL LOGANS VOICEEEEEVEVEVDBDBE 👹👹👹 I'm not one to simp for fictional characters (lie) but I'm down bad JUST because of the voice (also lie im down bad for a lot of reasons)

ALSO THE FUCKING AMOUNT OF LOVE INTERESTS HE HAS IN THIS. JEAN, (KINDA-ISH) WHO DOESN'T SHOW UP UNTIL EPISODE 23 OF 26??? SOME RANDOM JAPANESE WOMAN WHO'S MARRIED TO A SAMURAI?? SOME ALIEN-MUTANT-THING WOMAN WHO WORKED WITH HIM AND WAS HIS GIRLFRIEND BEFORE HE LOST HIS MEMORIES OR SOMETHING ?? Emma kinda but not really she's not an explicit love interest but you can kinda tell it's a little implied at some points. I definitely am forgetting a few my memory is still shit but A BISEXUAL CHARACTER AND NOT A MALE LOVE INTEREST IN SIGHT <3 thats why Cyclops is here. He's supposed to be kind of a romantic rival to Logan kinda (cause they both like jean or whatever idk it REALLY doesn't seem like Logan likes jean all that much but I guess he does) but it really just ends in them having tension that feels less like they despise each other and more like they're waiting for everyone to leave them alone so they can go at it so I'm counting Scott even if he isn't like OFFICALLY a love interest he basically is

Oh also gambit is a thing for like 2 episodes. All he does is cause issues which. Gambit core I guess idk much about him 💀 all I know is he is REALLY like. Cunning and confident and shit. Tryin to think of the word. CHARMING yeah he's charming. Or supposed to be I guess he looks a little funny so he just makes me giggle looking at him. Honestly if he wanted to fuck Logan he could probably convince him to buy he's in love with one of magneto's daughters or whatever?? That he met for like a few hours and kissed once?? Before being thrown in a cell for kissing magneto's daughter??? And then abandoning her after promising to take her away from genosha with him?? I don't even know man.

Anyways I'm a complete noob X-Men fan I literally didn't know jack shit about anyone but Logan before I started watching this. Already a hardcore wolverine/cyclops fan they're gay to be fr with you. I should read some of the comics huh. Anyways here's my live reaction to Logan and Scott interacting like normal people:

Also silly goofy images from this show no I'm not sorry 3/4 are Logan he's BABYGIRL in this okay

Here have a poolverine meme to end this post

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

May I request all the paps doing a difficult escape room with their S/O for a date? Bonus points if the S/O suggested it and half way into the puzzle, they get stumped and Tall Skele bonefriend coming to the rescue! <3

Undertale Papyrus - He's very excited and keeps running everywhere trying to solve all the puzzles at once because he insists it's more efficient this way and more fun. He can tell you're a little slow though so he gives you the easiest ones to do so you can find the solution by yourself. He gives you hints if you struggle.

Underswap Papyrus - Sorry, but he's as bad as you are lol. Honey is trying his best but it seems you both have one collective brain cell and somehow it's not working properly. The game master is so desperate they're pretty much giving you the solution as you go. You both have a terrible headache when you get out of this and decides to drown your failure at the movie theater instead.

Underfell Papyrus - You can tell he's trying really hard to be patient with you but he's a little tense. Edge likes it when things go fast. And you're clearly not. He's begging you. Let him do your puzzle so they can move on to the next. He's boiling inside. He swears he's going to scream in two minutes if you keep being this slow. His hands are trembling from frustration.

Horrortale Papyrus - Willow thinks the puzzles are too easy and finds it suspicious. He swears there's a trap somewhere and keeps insisting you find another solution. Because of that, you made the game so much more confusing than what it was supposed to be and in the end, you lost because you're stuck with your theories of theories that lead nowhere. Willow is frustrated he didn't manage to end the room and leave a bad review of the place because clearly, they have to be more explicit in their puzzle.

Swapfell Papyrus - Luckiest bastard ever. He accidentally found the key to the ending chest by flipping a carpet not thirty seconds after you entered the room. Well... You win first place in the ranking for sure. But your wallet is hurting right now. That thing was expensive dude.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - You stop watching him for three seconds and the next thing you see is Coffee completely tangled in a net, panicking because he's getting more and more stuck. Help! As you try to free him, he keeps moving, and before you know it, you're completely tangled with him as well. The game master had to call the rescue services to save you both because they didn't manage to free you... That was something...

[3wisellamas]

New Deltarune Chapter 3 dialogue!

From the top, we have:

Really looks like Elnina's recruitment description, from the Cafe? If this is the case then she likes Lanino, dislikes being alone, and her element is Water/Ice. I'm speculating that when we get Lanino's description he'll like Elnina, dislike being alone, and his element might be something to do with fire/heat/maybe sun or light?

Bonus, the Japanese localization calls her a "So-called 'Rainmaker'", as well as "Otenki onēsan", which translates literally as "Weather sister" and is indeed a slang term for a female weathercaster, which I didn't know until now!

(The Japanese translation also clarifies how to pronounce their names -- the middle syllable is emphasized for both, El-NEE-na and La-NEE-no. I actually was wondering so this was just interesting for me. ^^; )

Rouxls!! Ralsei seems to think he's about to start another fight, which to me indicates this dialogue might not be from Castle Town? Rouxls may indeed show up in the chapter 3 Dark World with us! (But maybe not as a miniboss this time, he's just hereth for the snackse.) I have absolutely no idea what a Bimbitoe is though.

(Also oh god please don't try to translate Rouxls' Japanese dialogue, Toby was right. I have indeed lost 6 brain cells already trying. I can make out that instead of Bimbitoe he calls Ralsei "Babyboy" though.)

Lancer's offering treats! I wonder if they're just more Lancer cookies from the Castle Town bakery? Or, if he's the "We" Rouxls mentioned, Lancer might be here for the snackse as well.

Bangles made of Gingerbread people?

It looks like the next dialogue is from somewhere else, possibly a cutscene. Not sure what Ralsei means by a bigger one making Kris, though the Japanese does make it SLIGHTLY clearer, the verb used for Susie's punch is more for drilling a hole / hole punch and Ralsei literally is saying to make / build Kris. Perhaps the Fun Gang are fighting and cutting out cookie shapes, given the GingerGuard description right above?

Finally, we have Shadowman Shadowguy's battle description! Thankfully we know he gets his dream after the chapter concludes...