#they never actually prepared me in any way for what I was doing they just told me to figure it out

[organic-bloodbath]

Hiiiiiiii. Could you do a Salesman fic?

I would love to see one where his usual calm and powerful energy is lost around the reader, as he's just enamoured with her. Like no shame, he is down bad and the reader is just flustered and lowkey confused cause they haven't known each other for long.

Idk if this makes any sense to you (up to you if you make it smut i don't really mind)

Teach Ddakji to me

The Salesman x American!Reader

Summary: You play Ddakji with a man at a subway station, but the game brings you two much closer than either of you were prepared to.

A/N: I'm not sure how well i was able to follow the request of how he behaves around the reader but this is what i got ;-; hope you still like 🫶🏻 (i'm so deep in love with this psycho i've been giggling during every other paragraph)

♡♡

You rushed down the stairs in the subway station, only one minute until your train was going to leave. You weren't going to make it, but you had to try.

The doors were closing right in front of you and you wanted to scream and let out several different curses, but you didn't want to draw attention on yourself. Your day at the college lectures had just ended and all you wanted to do was to get home, have a dinner and rest.

You heard noise behind a corner, as if someone was slamming something on the floor. You went to see what was going on out of curiosity.

Two men were standing there, the other one tall and dressed in a grey suit, the other one a lot shorter and dressed in a simple hoodie and loose jeans, a worn out cap covering his messy black hair. Suddenly, the man in the suit slapped the other so hard on the face that the man's head turned to the right.

They slammed blue and red squares on top of each other over and over again, and it ended in the man in the suit slapping the other almost every time. Once in a while he handed to the man what looked like a bill of money. You had never seen anything like that happen anywhere and were confused.

You got a notification on your phone, a text message from your classmate.

"Join us for studying and then a dinner? A new restaurant opened nearby, we'll go and try it tonight," she messaged.

"Another day, i don't feel like going out tonight," you replied, getting a thumbs up emoji as a respond.

You put your phone in your pocket and turned around, almost having a heart attack and jumping a step back when you saw the man in the suit standing mere inches away from you, looking down at you with a slight smirk.

"Enjoyed the show, i hope?" he asked and your eyes widened. Fuck, he had noticed you stalking the two of them.

"Yea, um, sure," you said awkwardly. "Though i didn't know what it was, really."

Seeing his face now closer and him staring at you with his dark eyes made your heart beating faster and it wasn't only because of him scaring you for appearing out of nowhere. He was extremely handsome and the way he looked at you made you blush.

"You haven't heard of Ddakji?" he asked, but didn't seem surprised since he figured you weren't local by the looks of you. "It's a Korean game, want me to show you?"

"Sure," you said, nothing else to do than wait anyway. The man took the squares in his hands and offered you to choose one. You took the red one.

He explained the rules to you, it was simple. You only had to hit your square on the blue one and make it turn around, the upper side facing the floor.

It sounded simple but you were hesitant if you were actually able to do it. You threw it on the floor, aiming at the blue square, but it didn't move even an inch in any direction. You let out a frustrated groan.

"It's okay, very few people succeed on their first try," he said in a comforting tone and took a step closer to you, standing right in front of you. "But do you know what losing means to you, hm?"

You had a very good guess after seeing him and the other man play just a while ago.

"You're gonna slap me?" you asked with a grimace.

He smiled. Without a word, you felt a painful sting on your left cheek when he slapped you, not going any easier on you just because you were a woman.

"Jesus Christ!" you gasped and held your hand on your cheek which was definitely going to have a red mark later. You had never been slapped on your face and it hurt more than you thought it would hurt.

"My turn then," he said and grabbed his blue square from the floor. He slammed it on top of your red square and it immediately jumped in the air and landed on its other side on the floor.

He looked at you with the same smirk again.

"So what happens when you win?" you asked, crossing your arms. If you continued this game much longer, your face would be completely covered in bruises and you'd have a lot of explaining to do to your classmates.

"I get to use your body again," he said with a confident tone.

You closed your eyes and prepared for another slap, hoping that it would be the other one this time because your left cheek still hurt. When you felt a touch on your left cheek, you automatically winced a little bit.

But it wasn't a slap, it was a tender kiss. You opened your eyes when he had already leaned away and you saw a glimpse of kindness in his eyes this time. You felt your cheeks warming up and tried to avoid eye contact for a moment.

"Your turn," he said.

Your hand was shaking when you lifted the red square from the floor. You wanted to succeed, you had never been good at losing in anything, it was always about to start to piss you off if you didn't start winning too.

"Do you want me to help you?" he asked. You looked at him and soon he was right behind you, keeping an eye contact with you when he put his left hand on your waist and his right one to hold your hand which was holding the square. "Is this okay?"

He didn't put too much pressure on holding you, making sure that you gave him a permission for that. You suddenly couldn't get words out of your mouth, so you just nodded and swallowed the lump in your throat. He held you tighter now and instructed how it was supposed to be done. You had to have more force when you would slam the square down.

"Spread your legs a little bit," he whispered.

"What?" you gasped in shock.

"To get a better and more firm position when you throw it," he explained, his breath hot in your ear.

"Oh," you said, cheeks burning even more. You hadn't realized you were standing almost like a stick. He guided your hand up in the air in a correct position.

"Remember to let go of it at the correct moment, i'm going to aim it for you, okay?" he said and you nodded, now much more nervous than you would have been if you did this alone.

With this help, the blue square flew into the air and landed on its other side easily. You were excited of the victory, even though it was for his help, and a wide smile spread on your face.

To be honest, for a second you wished you would have failed on purpose, just to get his hands on you again - you didn't even care if it was a slap, kiss or something else.

He let go of you and you turned around to face him, already missing his touch.

"There you go," he said with a proud expression on his face. "Now, you can choose what to do to me."

You didn't hesitate for even a second longer, you immediately slapped him on his left cheek as hard as you could. However, you knew you didn't have as much as strength in your body as he did, so the slap must have stinged a lot less. His head didn't move even an inch and he only smiled.

Right then, the train you had been waiting for arrived and you took your bag from the ground. You weren't going to miss this train just because of wanting to have another round of Ddakji with this stranger.

He offered you money, worth of 100 dollars, and put them in your hand, closing your fist around the bill. You were about to refuse but he wasn't having it.

"Treat yourself a nice dinner tonight," he said. When you didn't answer, he nodded towards the train which was about to leave soon, with or without you.

"Thank you," you said. "Um, bye."

You made it into the train just in time and when you looked back at the spot where that man had just been, he was already gone.

♡♡

The salesman didn't want you to leave. He was absolutely mesmerized by you, you were the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid eyes on. Your perfume and the smell of your shampoo still lingered in his nose, even after you weren't there anymore.

He would have wanted to ask you to stay, but he couldn't find the correct words and you were in a hurry to catch your train.

He hadn't felt like this of a woman in a long time and he wanted to find you again. To hold you again.

He didn't understand how you could have made this big of an impact on him in only under 10 minutes, but all he knew was that he needed to get to know you better.

♡♡

The next day, you arrived to the class and sat next to your friend.

"Oh my god, what happened to your face?" she gasped in shock.

Yes, there was a visible red mark on your cheek and you didn't have anything at home to cover it. You didn't really use any makeup either except mascara.

"Oh um," you started, trying to find some excuse. "It's my allergies and acne." You didn't have any allergies and hadn't had acne since you were 15. But you couldn't tell her the truth, atleast now that you didn't have time to talk much since the class was about to start.

And what were you going to say to her? A stranger in the subway station slapped you and you enjoyed it?

The teacher arrived and the noise of the door slamming closed interrupted your friend who was about to say something to interview you further.

♡♡

You walked down the subway station stairs again on your way home, just like yesterday. You had your headphones on, listening to random metal songs on Spotify and were texting your mum who catched up with you twice a week how you were doing. You were supposed to have a video call later today but she apparently had to work extra tonight, she was a nurse.

When you had reached the bottom of the stairs, you bumped into something and almost tripped back but managed to keep your balance. You looked up and saw the same man in the suit as yesterday, staring down at you with a smile.

"Hello," he greeted, not moving anywhere.

"Hello," you repeated and lifted your eyebrows, taking of your headphones. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you," he said without thinking.

"Me? Why? How did you know i would be here?"

"I didn't. I only figured you might have the same daily routine and took a chance," he explained.

"Why did you want to see me?" you asked, confused but feeling butterflies in your stomach.

"I didn't have a chance to ask for your phone number yesterday," he said. "And i'd like to take you out."

"Take me out you mean murder or dinner?"

"The second option. I already finished the first task earlier," he said with a smile. Handsome and with a sense of humor.

"Fine, where did you plan to take me?"

"Anywhere you want. Are you hungry?"

"You don't even know my name," you pointed out.

"You can tell me your name and all about you on our date," he smiled.

"Aren't you straightforward," you chuckled. "Are you going to teach me Ddakji again?"

"If you wish so," he said.

You bit your lip, not sure if you should go somewhere with this stranger or not. You hadn't been asked for a dinner at a subway station before, though, so you could write it on your bucketlist and cross it out.

"Okay."

♡♡

He had taken you to a lovely dinner to enjoy local foods you had never eaten before. You rarely tried any new foods, always sticking on the ones you already knew you'd like, but now you had tried something different and loved it.

Now, you were in a park, nobody else in sight. It was already dark and you knew you had to go home soon if you wanted to get enough sleep.

You held the red square in your hand once again and aimed for slamming the blue around finally on your own.

Again, you weren't able to hit it. But you hadn't even tried properly and weren't mad about it.

"Damn it," you mumbled.

"You'll get there," he smirked, stepping closer to you.

He lifted your chin with his finger.

"Close your eyes."

You did as told and waited for the worst option, squeezing your eyes shut tightly.

You felt his lips press on yours, taking you into a slow kiss. He broke the kiss but didn't let go of your chin

"Do i have to play another round of Ddakji to do that again?"

You smiled and stepped on your tiptoes to reach him better, cupped his face and pulled him in a proper, deeper kiss. He instantly wrapped his arms around your waist to press your body against him tighter.

"Just so you know, i don't sleep with men on our first date," you said when the kiss was over, his hands wandering around your back they had almost reached your ass.

He moved his left hand to the back of your neck, keeping the right one on your lower back. He pushed his fingers through your hair, softly massaging your scalp.

"What is it about you that makes me so drawn to you?" he whispered, and you didn't know if the question was for you or just for himself. "Only two days and you've managed to make me absolutely addicted to you."

He pushed a strand of your hair behind your ear, and you felt blush creeping on its way to your cheeks.

He eventually walked you back home like a gentleman, not allowing you to walk anywhere at this hour. He had to make sure you got back home safely.

"Will i see you again tomorrow?" he asked before you managed to leave, gently holding your wrist.

"I have to study, i've fallen behind in couple of courses so i need to catch up," you said and his face fell a little bit. Surely he had other things to do in his life besides seeing you. "Are you free this weekend?"

His face lighted up again for your suggestion.

"For you, of course," he said and brought your hand towards his face, planting a kiss on your knuckles. "Goodnight, Y/N."

You went inside your apartment and silently closed the door, trying to do everything as quietly as you could, but then the lights were turned on.

"Okay who the HELL is that man, Y/N?!" your roommate shouted at you, making you jump and almost have a heart attack. It was so late you thought she was already sleeping, she was the type to be in bed by 8pm and asleep by 9pm.

"Um, well I-"

"That is the most gorgeous man i've ever seen," she said, still speaking loudly, and stepped closer to you and pointed you with her finger. "How couldn't you tell me you were dating a new man?"

"Well i only met him a while ago," you admitted.

"Still?!" she shouted. "You know i like boy talk and you never talk about your dating life! Oh my god, have you finally downloaded Tinder or something?"

"Ew, no," you shook your head.

"You're right, there's no way men THAT hot would still be on Tinder and not married," she said and then gasped. "Girl, he's not married, is he?"

"I sure hope he's not," you said and for a moment you were afraid he might be married. I mean, how could he still be single? Your friend always talked so much that you started to doubt everything you previously knew.

"Wait a minute, i'll get us some popcorn and then you're gonna spill everything," she said and without another word, she was already in the kitchen.

And you did tell her everything because my god you needed to talk to someone about him.

♡♡

A few days and several text conversations later, you were in his hotel room, and he pressed you against the wall, his right hand leaning on the wall right by your head.

He lifted your head by his forefinger on your chin to make you look straight into your eyes.

"How long are you going to stay in Korea?" he asked.

"What, are you going to ask me to move in with you or something? Plan a summer wedding?" you joked.

"If you want to," he said with a serious face and you truly wasn't sure if he was serious or joking. You hadn't yet found a difference between the two.

"Wait what?"

You hadn't dated any Korean men before so you weren't sure how fast they progressed in the dating life. Would it be normal to propose on the first week or ask to move in? Surely not.

He smiled. "I only ask because i don't want to have you only for a short while," he said and let his fingers wander around your shoulder, sending goosebumps all over your body.

"Well, i'll be here for atleast another 5 months," you told him and then pouted. "So, no summer wedding?"

"I'd have to buy a ring first," he smirked.

"It better be a real diamond too then," you chuckled, having seen the stacks of money he had carried with him, and pulled him into another kiss.

He was soon kissing your neck, leaving a mark on your skin, until your stomach growled and interrupted him.

"When was the last time you ate?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I thought you had eaten before you came here."

"Well, it's been a while i suppose," you said, not really remembering anymore when the last time was.

He stepped away from you and pulled out his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"We're ordering food," he said. "What would you like to eat?"

He ordered Chinese food for you and ate it on the bed while watching some brainless comedy movie.

When the movie had ended, he went to the bathroom, leaving you to lay on the bed and making you to fall in your thoughts alone.

You had been in a relationship twice in your life, and in neither of them your relationship had moved on this fast. I mean, you weren't in an official relationship, you had been just barely hooking up, but the way he talked about you only knowing you for a few days wasn't something you had been used to at all.

In the U.S., it took guys several weeks to make any progress in relationships, atleast what you had seen and gone through.

Maybe you should slow down a little, take a step back and see what he really wants from you.

By the time he came back from the bathroom, you had fallen asleep. You looked so peaceful in your sleep, so beautiful even with your messy hair all over the pillow.

He came closer to you and pulled a blanket over you, the edge almost reaching your jaw. You stirred in your sleep, turning to lay on your side, but didn't show any signs of waking up.

He laid himself on the bed next to you and just looked at your sleeping figure for several minutes. He was afraid of getting attached to a woman so fast, in so little time, but he couldn't help it.

To him you were perfect, and he wanted to know everything about you that there was to know.

♡♡

A/N: If you want a part 2, please leave any requests you might have, i'm not sure where to go with this 🫶🏻❤️💙

[ldrfanatic]

Hii! I don't know if you are still doing soulmate prompts but if you are I would love to see one with Theodore Nott (as a series or one-shot) Ofc u don't have to and if you aren't doing them anymore dww!! I love your writing it's so good!

love you for a lifetime

Hiiii!! definitely still doing soulmate prompts, i adore them. feel free to request more with theo or any of the boys. I'm sorry this one is so short and that it took so long to get out, I'm moving in a few weeks so I've been busyyyy. I will however most likely write a part two to this just bc i don't feel like soulmate theo and reader are quite through yet. enjoy! ;)

theodore nott x fem!soulmate!reader

soulmate prompt - you see the world in black and white until you meet your soulmate. when you meet them, everything explodes into color.

warnings - cursing i think??? more soft theo :)

theodore nott didn't need to see the world in color.

he didn't want to.

he didn't need a soulmate. his mother had found hers and look where that left her. dead.

no, theo was perfectly content seeing his world in different shades of gray. there was a quiet peace to a colorless world. and he'd never seen color, so there was nothing for him to miss really. but then he met you, and everything changed.

14 Year Old Theo

theo groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. the taste of dirt filled his mouth. quidditch practice was supposed to be harmless. somehow, he'd been knocked off his broom. while the fall to the ground was a short one, he still felt the painful crunch of his wrist breaking his fall. paired with the hard thunk of his head on the ground, theo knew that this would earn him a trip to madam pomfrey.

theo detested the hospital wing. madam pomfrey was bearable enough, but the white bedspreads and miserable patients made him want to walk all the way to the top of the astronomy tower just to throw himself off.

begrudgingly, he allowed his friends to drag him through the corridors. even through his insistence that he could take himself the hospital wing and didn't need an escort, they still seemed unconfident that he would actually keep his promise and go. maybe they had a point.

what he hadn't expected was to see the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes on. he'd never seen you around school before which seemed odd since you were clearly around his age and probably within his year, give or take.

you were fussing around with a cabinet full of glittering potions and things. theo suspected it to be some kind of medicine cupboard. he cleared his throat in a manner that he hoped was nonchalant. finally, you glanced in his direction. your gaze didn't meet his though. and more than anything, theo found himself disappointed.

you offered him a distracted smile, still without really looking at him and calling absentmindedly for madam pomfrey. theo found himself oddly frustrated that you wouldn't look at him.

madam pomfrey floated into the room and started fussing over theo while you prepared a cot for him to sit on. once he was situated, madam pomfrey waltzed off towards the back broom closet, muttering about a number of items that theo had never heard of.

"oh! y/n, dear. he seems to have hit his head, can you please take his pulse for me."

theo wasn't sure what his pulse had to do with hitting his head, but the moment your delicate hands picked up his wrist, he couldn't bring himself to care. anything that got you touching him was justified enough in his book.

finally, as you were examining his face for signs of distress, your eyes met his.

the world stopped. theo's vision whitened, like the lights were suddenly too bright.

when the light faded, the world was filled with breathtaking shades of every color theo had never even known existed. more importantly, he could see all the hues of you. the glow of the sun against your skin, the sheen of your hair. you were beautiful. there wasn't a sight that compared to you in this moment.

naturally, theo had heard from mattheo about the stunning green grass at the quidditch field and the pretty deep blues and purples of the night sky. and yet, theo knew for certainty that nothing that he'd seen either in color or in black and white could hold a candle to you.

theo didn't need to see the world in color.

he didn't want to.

he didn't want a soulmate.

but the gods had given him one anyway without thought or care for what he wanted. and he would spend the rest of his mortal life cherishing every minute with you. every smile on your face, every giggle that burst from your chest like an eagle learning to fly.

"amour?"

love.

theo snapped back to the present. that's what you were to him. his love. your cheek was pressed against the interior of his shoulder and a concerned look was fixed on your face.

"where'd you go theo?"

"just reminiscing, sweetheart. remembering us."

a tender look from you had theo ready to melt into the couch. had you always been this beautiful? the answer was of course a resounding yes.

sure theo had only had the pleasure of being your boyfriend for the past two years or so, but he couldn't imagine that there was any part of your life where you hadn't been stunning.

theo’s breath caught in his chest as you shifted against him, adjusting to nestle a little closer. the warmth of your skin, the soft rise and fall of your breath, everything about this moment felt so perfectly right—as if the universe had aligned just for the two of you. he had never known peace until now. the kind of peace that made his heart settle in a way he never realized it could.

your fingers traced lazy circles on his chest, the motion so soothing that it made him want to close his eyes and forget about the world outside. but the world, in all its new, brilliant color, was nothing compared to you.

"i still can't believe it," theo murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "how i never saw the world the way i do now... how i almost closed myself off to the possibility of a soulmate."

you pulled back slightly, lifting your head to look at him, your eyes still as bright as the first time he'd seen them, even if now they were surrounded by the hues of a million shades he couldn't describe. your gaze softened as you pushed a stray lock of hair behind his ear, your fingertips grazing his skin in a way that made his heart thump uncomfortably fast.

"i guess it’s a good thing you didn't, huh?" you teased, a small smile tugging at the corner of your lips, but there was an undeniable softness in your eyes, an understanding that only you could give him.

theo shifted slightly, his chest tightening with a quiet emotion he didn’t fully understand but knew was rooted in the purest kind of affection.

"you’ve changed everything," he said, his voice thick with something tender—something almost too big for his chest to hold. "i never needed color. i never needed anyone." he took a slow breath, letting his eyes meet yours, locking onto the deep hues of your soul that were now more than just a feeling; they were as real to him as the air he breathed.

"and yet... there you were." he finished, the words leaving his lips with a quiet finality. "from the moment i saw you, you were everything to me."

you gave him a smile that lit up his entire world, even brighter than the colors he'd once thought he'd never need. your hand reached for his, your fingers intertwining with his with a natural ease that made everything feel like it was meant to be.

"and there i was," you said softly, your hand reaching up to gently cup his cheek. "you don’t have to carry it all alone, theo. i’m here, always. just… let me be the one you need."

theo felt the corners of his lips tug into a small, genuine smile, the weight of his worries dissipating in the air between you. you were everything. in your presence, there was no need for anything more. the colors, the love—it was all right here. in this moment. with you.

"always, sweetheart," theo whispered, his thumb brushing over the back of your hand as he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to your forehead. "forever."

and with that, the rest of the world— once dim and somber, now full of brilliant color and light—felt like it could wait. as long as he had you by his side, he was exactly where he needed to be.

[snowysosturn]

Fire & Desire - Matt Sturniolo Part 12

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13

Pairing: Y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Summary: Y/n has always clashed with Matt. Despite working for Chris’s clothing brand and being close with Nick, her relationship with Matt has always been tense at best. While being forced to be around each other more, their animosity turns into something deeper. Can they overcome their differences, or will their fiery emotions tear them apart?

Warnings: angst, tension, arguments, mentions of alcohol, being intoxicated

I sat cross legged at the small vanity in my room, blending out the last bit of highlighter on my cheekbones. My outfit I had planned to wear was already laid out on the bed behind me, ready for the evening ahead. My hair was half done, still tied back loosely as I finished off my makeup. It felt nice to have a little time to myself to unwind and prepare, especially after the long day of travelling.

I was in the middle of putting eyeliner in my waterline when I heard a knock at the door. "Come in" I called out, not looking away from the mirror as I focused on not poking my eye.

The door creaked open, and I glanced at the reflection to see Matt stepping in, a glass in his hand. "Vodka lemonade" he said, his voice still carrying the unmistakable slur of someone who had had a little too much to drink.

I turned fully to face him, raising an eyebrow. "You remembered what I drink?"

He shrugged, his grin lopsided but genuine. "Of course. Hard to forget when its the only thing you drink"

I rolled my eyes, taking the glass from him. "Thanks, I guess" I said, swirling the liquid before taking a sip. The moment it hit my tongue, I winced, coughing slightly. "Oh my god Matt! All I can taste is vodka!"

He laughed, leaning against the doorframe like it was holding him upright. "Yeah well, you’ve got some catching up to do. Consider it motivation."

I shook my head, setting the glass down on the vanity. "It’s almost like you’re trying to kill me" I teased, but there wasn’t any bite to my words.

He gave me a wink, nearly stumbling in the process, and we both laughed. For a moment, it was like we never hated each other. It was weird. Today, we’d actually been nice to each other. From the plane to downstairs to now, it was almost like we’d turned a corner. Or maybe the alcohol had simply dulled his usual sarcasm.

Matt straightened up and glanced around my room, his eyes landing on the green crochet outfit on the bed. "That what you’re wearing tonight?" he asked, nodding toward it.

"Yep" I said, turning back to the mirror to finish my eye makeup. "I’m just hoping it comes to get the way I have it in my head."

"Bet it’ll look good" he said, his tone softer than I expected. When I glanced back at him, he was already heading out the door. "Hurry up though. Dinner waits for no one, especially when you’re as drunk as I am."

"I’ll be down soon" I replied, watching as he gave me a lazy wave and disappeared into the hallway. After Matt left my room, I set the vodka lemonade on the dresser, deciding to pace myself as I continued getting ready. As I stood back to admire the final look, I adjusted my halterneck top, making sure everything sat just right. 

I slipped on my nude heels, grabbed a small clutch, and downed half of the vodka lemonade Matt had brought up. The burn of vodka was strong, but he wasn’t wrong, I did have catching up to do if I wanted to match their buzz. By the time I walked down to the foyer, everyone was gathered there.

“You took long enough” Nick teased with a grin as I joined them.

“Beauty takes time, Nicholas” I shot back, earning a laugh from the group.

We stepped out of the villa together, the warm evening breeze carrying the faint scent of sea salt. The walk to the restaurant wasn’t far, but navigating the uneven path in heels was proving to be a challenge. After a few steps, I stumbled slightly on a dip in the road.

“You alright?” Matt asked, catching up to me.

“Yeah, these heels and this road aren’t exactly the best of friends, a bit like us” I muttered, half laughing at myself.

Without saying a word, he offered his arm. I hesitated for a moment before looping my hand through it.

“Don’t make it weird” he said, smirking down at me.

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it” I replied with a sarcastic smile, though I appreciated the gesture.

We arrived at the restaurant, a cozy spot with string lights draped across the patio. As we approached our reserved table, I heard Nick let out a quiet yell.

“What are you guys doing here?!” he exclaimed, his voice a mix of shock and excitement.

I looked up to see a couple seated at our table, their parents. Their mom stood up with a wide smile, pulling Nick into a hug.

“We’ve been in Hawaii for the last few days” she said warmly. “We wanted to surprise you!”

Their dad chimed in, “But don’t worry, we’re staying on the opposite side of the island. We’re not here to crash your whole trip.”

Nick let out a laugh, still processing the surprise. Chris and Matt looked equally stunned but pleased to see them. 

The waiter approached to seat us, and we quickly rearranged our tables, one table with four seats and one table with three. I glanced at Matt, who caught my eye with an amused look.

“This should be fun” he said.

“Let’s just hope they don’t figure out how drunk you three are” I whispered back, earning a small chuckle from him.

We settled into our seats, Nate sat across from me, Matt was next to him, and Chris was beside me, while Nick took one of the seats at the table with his parents.

Chris leaned forward toward his parents while pointing at me,  his tone casual yet proud as he introduced me to his parents. “This is Y/n” he said. “She works with me for Fresh Love. We’ve been working hard on the new drop, couldn’t do it without her!.”

I smiled politely, but before I could say anything, Nick chimed in from the other table, his grin as wide as ever. “And she’s also my best friend” he added, his playful tone leaving no room for debate.

Their mom smiled warmly, nodding in approval, but the moment didn’t last long. Nick dove into conversation with his parents, leaving the four of us at our table to converse with each other.

Nate glanced up at Matt and Chris, his lips curling into a smirk. “Actually, I never asked how’d Vegas treat you two? Looked like you guys were.. occupied” he said, his words almost like he was implying something.

Chris chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “Occupied is one way to put it. Christina practically glued herself to Matt” he teased, earning a scoff from Matt.

Hearing another woman’s name left a bitter taste in my mouth. I had no reason to feel jealous, and yet, the idea of Matt being drooled over by someone else stirred something in me that I couldn’t quite place. It was irrational, and I knew it, so I kept my thoughts to myself, silently picking at the edge of my napkin.

Nick’s voice broke the conversation as he turned to Chris. “Hey, wanna head outside for some pictures real quick before we order?”

Chris nodded, standing up and following Nick without hesitation, leaving just me, Matt, and Nate at the table.

There was a brief moment of silence before their mom, who I assume was half listening to our earlier conversation, leaned over with a smile. “So Nate, do you have anyone special in your life right now?”

Nate chuckled, shaking his head. “No, not at all” he replied, his tone light.

Matt, of course, couldn’t resist. “Harsh one.” He snickered under his breath, looking directly at me.

I raised an eyebrow at him, confused by his comment. Before I could even ask what he meant, Matt took things further. He smirked and leaned back in his chair, his voice loud and clear. “Y/n and Nate went on a date last week, you know that?”

My heart sank, my face flushing red as all eyes seemed to land on me.

“What?” I stammered, but Nate jumped in before I could say anything more.

“It wasn’t like that at all” he said firmly, shaking his head. “We just grabbed dinner as friends.”

Matt wasn’t ready to let it go, though. “Oh, come on, Y/n” he teased, his voice making a mockery out of me. “Why so quiet? Feeling the sting of public rejection?”

My stomach twisted in humiliation. I could feel my face burning as I desperately avoided eye contact with anyone at the table. The old Matt was back just like that.

“Matt, stop being so rude” their mom interjected sharply, her tone firm. She turned back to her husband, trying to steer the conversation away from Matt’s antics.

“Yeah c’mon man we’re just friends” Nate tried to make it clear.

But Matt wasn’t done. His next words hit like a punch to the gut. “Oof, imagine just being a quick fuck and then friendzoned.”

The air left my lungs. The humiliation was overwhelming, and I could feel the sting of tears forming in my eyes. None of what he said was true, but the damage was done.

“I.. I’m actually not feeling the best right now.. I think it's the heat.. excuse me” I said quickly, my voice cracking as I stood up. I turned to their parents, forcing a polite smile through the lump in my throat. “But it was lovely to meet you.”

Without waiting for a response, I walked away from the table, the tears streaming down my face before I even reached the door.

As I pushed through the entrance, I nearly ran into Nick and Chris, who were heading back inside.

“Y/n?” Chris asked, his expression immediately shifting to concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t feel well” I mumbled, not stopping to explain. Before either of them could say another word, I kept walking, desperate to escape the restaurant, the humiliation, and, most of all, Matt.

I still felt the heat on my face, not from the warm Hawaiian night, but from the lingering embarrassment curling in my stomach. I really hoped his parents didn’t hear him say that. I was halfway down the quiet street when I heard the sound of running footsteps behind me.

“Y/n, wait!”

I clenched my jaw, picking up my pace, but Matt was faster, jogging until he caught up beside me. “Come on, don’t be like that” he said, slightly out of breath. “I wasn’t trying to embarrass you.”

I stopped abruptly, whipping around to face him. “Oh, really? Because bringing up that in front of your parents sure didn’t make me feel like the star of the evening.”

He ran a hand through his hair, his usual cocky demeanor fading. “I wasn’t thinking. I was just messing around, you know how I am-”

I let out a sharp laugh. “Yeah, I do. That’s the problem.” I turned back around, ready to keep walking, but he stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” His voice was softer now, the arrogance stripped away. “I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”

I folded my arms, giving him a glare. “And yet it did.”

He exhaled heavily, clearly frustrated, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to let him smooth this over with some half assed apology.

“Y/n” he tried again, “I just-”

“I don’t care, Matt.” My voice was cold, firm. “You always do this. Say something without thinking, then act like it’s not a big deal when it is. I don’t need an apology. I just need you to stop.”

He stared at me for a moment, as if trying to figure out a way to fix this, but I wasn’t interested in hearing it. So I stepped around him and walked away, leaving him standing in the middle of the dimly lit street, finally at a loss for words.

He didn’t follow me this time. Maybe he finally got the message, or maybe he knew pushing it any further would only make things worse. Either way, I didn’t care. My chest still burned from embarrassment, and my head was buzzing with frustration as I made my way back toward the villa.

I reached the villa, slamming the door behind me before kicking off my heels and making my way to the room. The relief of being alone and actually having a bedroom door for privacy was short lived because not even five minutes later, there was a knock.

I sighed, already knowing who it was. “Go away, Matt.”

“Just let me in for a second” he called through the door. “Please.”

I rolled my eyes, but something in his voice made me hesitate. It wasn’t his usual cocky tone. It sounded.. tired. Frustrated, even.

Against my better judgment, I walked to the door and swung it open. “You’ve got sixty seconds.”

Matt stepped inside, his jaw tight, hands shoved in his pockets like he wasn’t sure what to do with them. “Look” he started, pausing for a second before meeting my eyes. “I was a dick. I know that.”

I folded my arms. “Great self awareness. Anything else?”

He let out a sharp breath, shaking his head. “I don’t know why I said it. Maybe I was trying to be funny, or maybe I was just being an idiot, probably both. But I didn’t mean it the way it came out.”

I scoffed. “You said I was a quick fuck that got friendzoned, Matt. How else was that supposed to come out?”

He winced, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“But you said it” I shot back, my voice rising. “In front of your parents, no less. Do you even think before you speak, or do you just say the first thing that pops into your head?”

“I-” He stopped, exhaling slowly. “I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t think you’d care so much.”

I blinked at him, stunned. “Care? Are you serious? You embarrassed me, Matt. You made me look like some desperate fool who got used and thrown away. Why wouldn’t I care?”

Matt’s jaw clenched, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite place, frustration, maybe, or something worse. I could tell he wanted to argue, to push back, but I wasn’t going to let him.

“You know what pisses me off the most?” I continued, folding my arms. “It’s not just what you said, it’s that you acted like you knew everything. Like you had some inside joke at my expense. And for what? A laugh?”

Matt exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “It wasn’t like that-”

“Then what was it like?” I challenged, my voice rising. “Because you made it sound like I was some easy target for Nate. And for the record, nothing ever even happened between us.”

Matt’s brows furrowed, his lips parting slightly in surprise. “What?”

“You heard me.” I snapped. “That night? Seven Minutes in Heaven? We didn’t even kiss. We sat there and talked, thought we’d mess with everyone's heads. And when we went out when you were in Vegas, and we made it clear we were just friends. There was nothing more to it.”

Matt blinked, like the idea had never even crossed his mind. “So you-”

“I never hooked up with Nate.” I interrupted, my tone sharp. “Not then. Not ever. So whatever picture you had in your head, whatever assumptions you made, they were wrong.”

He was quiet for a second, his hands still shoved in his pockets. “I didn’t know that.”

“No, you didn’t” I said bitterly. “Because you never asked. You just assumed.”

I could see it sinking in, the weight of his words finally hitting him, but I didn’t feel the satisfaction I thought I would. I just felt tired.

Matt let out a slow breath, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was an asshole.”

“Yeah” I said, my voice flat. “You were.”

He glanced at me, like he wanted to say more, but I was done.

“I don’t have the energy for this” I muttered, stepping back toward the door. “I’m done, Matt. I don’t care how sorry you are. Just leave me alone. It’s best if we just stay out of each other's way for the rest of the trip.”

His jaw tensed, but this time, he didn’t fight it. He just nodded.

“Alright” he said quietly. “Goodnight, Y/n.”

I didn’t reply. I just closed the door, locking it this time.

a/n : everything is .. not changing?

taglist : @mattybearnard @sturn-33 @ncm9696 @yourfavsturniologirl @crazy4jewel @sodakid1234 @stupendoustreewinner @lovealwayssturniolos @matthewsturniolosss @m4ttsmunch @loveexxx @ilusa @starkeyszn @wonnieeluvvr @dylnblue @valxrieq @maggot3647 @cigarettecemetary @ribread03 @chrisstvrns @bandasaruswrx @noplaceissafeanymore @amexiass @witchofthehour @mattssgf @jetaimevous @v33angel  @ivysturnss @urmom69lol @ashlishes @watercolorskyy @sturnioloshottiekay @amelia-sturniolo3 @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @pvssychicken @alizestvrnss @chrisstxrnsaxe @sophand4n4 @vickytaa @marrykisskilled @bxtchboy69 @yourfavsturniologirl @julisturn @sydneyylainn @sophia-77n @trevorsgodmother @sturnslutz @yourmother29 @girl24cherry @astronea @pinkdyit

[itzy-bitsy-spidey]

"Old enemies and spilled coffee pt.4"

Or "Something made a hole in my backyard pt 4"

Shadow the hedghog x reader (platonic)

Notes: I know I´m taking my time to actually make Shadow, well, do something, but we are right there, I swear. As always, if you want to be on the taglist leave a comment, and if you just want to leave a comment I don´t mind either.

Btw, idk if this is obvious but I am NOT proofreading anything of what I'm writing. Enjoy!

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.

You had already taken your alien-ish friend out of the box and laid it down on your bed so that it would be more comfortable. Once again you had doubted yourself over how comfortable it could possibly be, but as long as it couldn´t act in a way that showed uncomformity then it would have to deal with what it was given.

You had agreed to have lunch at your uncle´s house the next day. But in the meantime you had texted your aunt Maddie to ask her to come over to the house you were staying in under the pretense that you would share some pastries and talk about life for a while.

And so you sat on the couch waiting for time to pass and hoping that Maddie would be there soon. And, just like an angel sent from heaven, the doorbell rang and you sprinted to open the door.

On the other side awaited your lovely aunt with a huge smile on her face which reflected your own excitement. Hugs that lasted a little more than necessary and greetings were exchanged, you invited her inside and prepared tea, all while she talked about how much you had grown, how much she had missed you, etc.

"So how´s life? Any cute work friend I should know about or something?" Of course that would be between the questions, it was an aunt´s classic.

"No, everything has been rather boring actually, I mean, I was working at the salon back at home last month because they were short on staff, but truthfully? The gossip was the only entretaining part" You answered as you stirred your coffee, she had chosen chamomille tea.

"Uhhh, does that mean you can braid my hair now?" She asked with a smile as she sipped her tea and proceded to add more sugar to it.

That was one of the reasons you loved Maddie so much (not the sugar part) but the fact that she never juged your style of working, you were a freelance artist, so all the time you weren´t actively working on a project you would spend doing some minor jobs. Usually people would be all over you telling you to ´get a real job´ or stuff like that, but never Maddie, she was your ride or die, you could tell her that you were gonna climb the Everest and she would cheer you from the bottom.

That was why it came so handy that she was a vet. She probably wouldn´t even question the fact that you had brought a weirdly shaped animal all the way across the state. She trusted you, and you trusted her.

"Maddie, there´s something you should know, and I need you to remain calm and trust me, okay?"

She looked at you for a few seconds, her expression getting serious, and as she looked you dead into your eyes she asked softly:

"Is it that you are gay?"

"What! No!"

"OH, sorry, I thought this was like you getting out of the closet or..."

"No, I didn´t mean that I´m not gay, that was not what I was going to tell you!"

"Wait, so you are gay then?"

"Does it matter?"

"No, I just thought that was the topic we were discussing"

At some point between the exchange you both had broken into laughter, and somehow half of your coffe laid then spilled onto the table.

"I-I am so confused hahaha" she tried to speak in between laughs, but you could see how she was struggling to breathe, laugh and talk at the same time.

While still in your happy state you cleaned up the coffee puddle with a rag and took in a few breaths to relax. Once there was air in your lungs once more, and she had calmed down as well, you continued.

"I brought an... animal with me from home, and it kind of seems to be in like a coma? I would appreciate it if you took a look at it." You explained.

"You brought an animal in a coma all the way to Green Hill? That could be very dangerous for it" She scolded you slightly as she got up from her seat to follow you to the bedroom.

"I know, but it´s like nothing I had ever seen before, and I only trust you for this"

"Does this have something to do with your mother not letting you keep pets? Because you are an adult, you can have pets if you take care of them"

You stood in front of the door and looked at her a little bit as if she had lost her mind.

"No, that´s not it, but you have to promise that you won´t say a word to nobody"

She answered an "I promise" under her breath and you opened the door slowly, allowing her into the room. Maddie didn´t scream, neither did she look back at you as she entered the room. You stayed a little behind, just waiting for some type of reaction.

Maybe if you had been by her side you would have seen the way she frowned, as every little detail on the creature in front of her fell in place perfectly with the description that Sonic, her son, had given her about the hedghog who tried to kill her husband.

She knew it was a dangerous being, but laying down on that bed among the fluffy pillows he just looked... so calm.

Silence reigned the room for a few moments, and for some reason you felt that as if the air had become thick. She approached Shadow and lifted his limbs one by one, making sure that none of his bones were broken, even squeezing a little harder than necesary. And then, Maddie turned around with a smile, walked up to you, ruffled your hair, told you that it was unlikely that the thing would be asleep for longer than three days and left with the excuse of having to buy groceries.

And so, after the sound of the front door closing, as you were looking the way your aunt had left you were once more on your own.

And, if you hadn´t turned back around, you would have probably missed the sight of red eyes fluttering open.

Taglist: @boogiemansbitch @vxllys @whoisgami @baby-bloos @sapphireravensworld

[aheathen-conceivably]

Hello, my darlings! 🌻

Since it’s been a while since we've last seen our Darlingtons, I thought it would be nice to do a little recap and see where we left our pixel babes. We also have some new folks who joined us during What the Water Gave Me, so if any of you are interested in my historical story, I thought this might be helpful for yall too! I also have a new reader guide, if you're inclined. And as a reminder, I have also added Previous / Next buttons to the 1930s, so if you’d like to catch up on this decade you can begin here.

But before we jump back into the story in earnest, let's take a look at how 1935 has been going....

We opened with Antoine and Josephine on the road, where Antoine's first tour was such a success that his sister and manager Josephine negotiated a deal for two more. Just like she had previously done, she signed the deal with her former employer Hosa Grove without consulting Antoine, although he didn't hesitate nearly as much as he did the first time (or consult his own wife, Zelda).

When Antoine returns home, Zelda almost immediately senses that something has shifted in him. He returns with a stack of songs he's written, which she's too anxious to admit make her feel as though he's moving on to a new stage of his life, one in which she is notably not included in. His assurances carefully avoid answering her actual question, which both of them notice but neither really know how to address as they each try to defer to the other in some way.

Zelda' question to Antoine continues to echo in his mind after she's asked it. Are you happy when you’re out there? What unveils is something that he doesn't really know how to discuss with her, or anyone other than his own guitar: namely that he's filled with pride at his success, and feels as though he's playing not only for himself now, but also generations of Black men who were never given the opportunity he feels as though he has now. Its driving him back on the road, even if he personally may not find happiness in that life for himself.

The only person who Antoine shares this with in some capacity is his former employer, Abraham Hines. Going back on the road also means formally quitting his job on Abe's ranch, which fills Antoine with both sadness and guilt after Abe offered him the job in good faith. But what began as a professional relationship has turned into warm friendship, especially as their children William and Violette are also now close.

As Josephine and Antoine prepare to go back on the road, a sense of normality returns to the household. Antoine and Zelda choose to ignore the misunderstanding between them in favor of enjoying what little time they have together. Meanwhile, the other couple on the farm, Josephine and Giorgio, reach a point of accord after many years of distrust and dissatisfaction. The root of their tension can primarily be traced to Giorgio’s lie that tricked Josephine into moving on the farm in the first place - a life that made her miserable and feel as though she had lost all autonomy in favor of Gio’s dreams.

The scales between them began to tilt when Jo discovered that Gio had taken out a huge loan on their farm, and that he, Antoine, and Zelda had all been lying to her about it. Her initial deal with Hosa paid off a significant portion of the loan, and she now owns 25% of the farm (with Antoine owning another 25% and Gio 50%). This, and the feeling of freedom that she gets on the road, has allowed her to feel stable, and enjoy the quiet domestic life that Gio had tried to corner her into in the first place. Just before she leaves again he gives her a pair of bright red driving gloves, symbolizing his acceptance of the freedom she wants and the accord they've found in their life.

Only before she returns to the road, Jo’s newfound stability is undermined by her relationship with her former employer, Valcita Grove. After learning of Gio’s loan, Jo had taken a job at Val’s bar, and fostered a close relationship between them in part due to their mutual attraction, but also to get back at Gio for lying to her. Now that the she and Gio are in a happier place, Jo returns to Val’s house to borrow her car, only to still be tormented by the same restless thoughts that she had when she was unhappy. Horrified with herself, Jo leaves for their second tour trying to convince herself that whatever she feels for Val (alongside the nagging sensation that she wants something more) can be blown away by the freedom she feels on the road and the love she has for Gio.

Once Antoine and Josephine leave for their second tour, we are left at the farmhouse with Gio and Zelda, who still has the feeling that her husband is moving on without her. She isn't necessarily unhappy, just stuck with the nagging sensation that something is missing from her life, and she’s ended up in a position she didn’t quite sign up for. Meanwhile, she and Giorgio work the failing fields together as they have for years. With their partners gone, they rely on each other in small ways - Gio's good nature curbing Zelda's anxieties, and Zelda's quiet knowledge keeping Gio from fixating on the fact that his dream is on the cusp of failing.

On a hot Summer day a book truck interrupts the menial life that the two of them are living alongside Zelda and Antoine's daughter Violette. As Violette runs around the book truck excitedly, Zelda immediately gets distracted by it, instantly forgetting her anxieties surrounding parenting her child or the melancholia that her life is missing something. Violette finds a copy of her favorite book, The Wizard of Oz, while Zelda talks to the driver, Alexander Barnes, who gives her his card and invites her to come to his office at the town courthouse.

Rather than take him up on this offer, Zelda agonizes over her desire to do so. When she goes to pick up Violette from school, she muses on how young and full of potential the children are - mirroring her own feeling that her life path is set and any sort of potential change she may long for is childish and imagined. After enthusiastically agreeing with Violette's teacher that her daughter begin ballet lessons, she turns around to look at the courthouse, imagining that she simply crosses the street to ask Alexander Barnes more about the book truck. But just before her daughter emerges, Zelda decides that it was nothing but a foolish daydream.

Meanwhile, Antoine and Josephine's days on the road stretch out, effecting Violette, who is now almost eleven years old. Always closer to her father and aunt, their absence has made her distrustful, angry, and heightened her sense of abandonment. We see her coping through ballet, as she focuses all her energy into perfecting her steps rather than counting down the days until her father returns.

—

And so we last saw our Darlingtons…

- Antoine following the pull of music, approaching a crossroads where he may have to chose it or his family, but unsure if it even makes him happy at all.

- Zelda feeling restless and left behind, within sight of something she wants for her life but too anxious to follow it in earnest.

- Giorgio willing to give up control and share in Jo’s vision of their future, but perhaps at the end of the line of how much he’s willing to give up quietly.

- Josephine finally finding some sense of peace and happiness, only to still unwittingly feeling a restless pull from deep inside of her that she rather ignore than battle.

- And our heiress, Violette, on the cusp of her preteen years developing her independence and emotional maturity in a warped way. She’s channeling her loneliness into perfecting an art that she was already talented at, and developing an understanding that dreams may always lie just outside of Strangerville city limits.

[00valentina-writes00]

✞⛧ Ambessa Medarda x Wolf Vastayan Reader (Part three) ✞⛧

✞⛧ Ambessa has slept in many places—war camps, royal chambers, even the hard ground of battlefields.

✞⛧ But never in her life did she expect to wake up to someone nuzzling between her breasts.

✞⛧ The first time it happens, she blinks down at you, thoroughly unimpressed. “Really?”

✞⛧ You mumble something incoherent in your sleep, your face still firmly buried against her chest, your arms lazily wrapped around her waist. Your ears twitch slightly, tail flicking in contentment.

✞⛧ She sighs, shaking her head. “Hopeless.”

✞⛧ But she doesn’t move you. If anything, her arms tighten around you just a little.

✞⛧ At first, Ambessa thinks it’s just her imagination, but after enough nights, she realizes it’s you.

✞⛧ You whine in your sleep.

✞⛧ Sometimes, it’s little huffs, soft and fleeting. Other times, it’s a low, rumbling growl, like you’re arguing with whatever you’re dreaming about.

✞⛧ The first time you growl, Ambessa actually wakes up, instinct kicking in before she realizes you are the source.

✞⛧ “What could you possibly be mad about in your dreams?” she mutters, running a hand over her face.

✞⛧ You huff again, ears flicking.

✞⛧ She smirks. “If I wake up with bite marks, I will be taking revenge.”

✞⛧ Ambessa has experienced many things in her life, but nothing could have prepared her for the day you licked her face.

✞⛧ “Did you just—” she pauses, staring at you in stunned silence.

✞⛧ You blink up at her, completely unfazed. “Yeah?”

✞⛧ “Why?”

✞⛧ “Felt right,” you shrug

✞⛧ She looks genuinely lost for words. “You do not just lick people.”

✞⛧ “I licked you, not people,” you correct, your tail wagging slightly.

✞⛧ She drags a hand down her face, muttering in disbelief. “I married a damn animal.”

✞⛧ Ambessa is not a woman who backs down from anything.

✞⛧ But when you’re pissed? And she dares to touch you? You bite.

✞⛧ Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make a point.

✞⛧ “Did you just bite me?” Ambessa asks, staring down at her hand where your teeth lightly clamp over her fingers.

✞⛧ You glare up at her, tail flicking irritably.

✞⛧ “Did you just bite me?” she repeats, her tone a mix of disbelief and amusement.

✞⛧ You release her with an exaggerated huff, crossing your arms.

✞⛧ She raises a brow, smirking. “Are you pouting?”

✞⛧ “No.”

✞⛧ “You are.”

✞⛧ “Shut up.”

✞⛧ Ambessa grins. “Bite me all you want, little wolf, but it won’t make me any less right.”

✞⛧ You bare your teeth at her, but she just laughs.

✞ You don’t see the issue. You have fur. You are covered in it. What’s the big deal?

✞⛧ “Would you please put something on?” Ambessa sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose as you casually lounge completely nude on your shared bed.

✞⛧ You tilt your head. “Why?”

✞⛧ She gestures at you. “Why?”

✞⛧ “Yes?”

✞⛧ “You are naked.”

✞⛧ “I have fur,” you argue, stretching

✞⛧ “That is not the point.”

✞⛧ You smirk. “Is it distracting you, General?”

✞⛧ She clenches her jaw, refusing to give you the satisfaction. “Put something on.”

✞⛧ You roll onto your stomach, your tail flicking lazily. “Make me.”

✞⛧ Ambessa exhales sharply through her nose, praying for patience.

✞⛧ Obsession With Her Body – You have priorities, and they are Ambessa’s boobs and ass.

✞⛧ There is no shame. You do not hide it.

✞⛧ “You’re staring,” Ambessa notes as she undresses, glancing at you from the corner of her eye

✞⛧ You nod, completely unashamed. “Yeah.”

✞⛧ She raises a brow. “And?”

✞⛧ “You’re gorgeous,” you say, tail wagging lazily.

✞⛧ She smirks, amused. “You’re obsessed.”

✞⛧ “Absolutely.”

✞⛧ “That wasn’t a compliment.”

✞⛧ “Didn’t say it was.”

✞⛧ Ambessa shakes her head, chuckling. “Hopeless.”

✞⛧ You grin. “Your hopeless little wolf.”

✞⛧ She huffs, rolling her eyes—but the way her lips twitch upward tells you everything.

✞⛧Ambessa has developed a sixth sense for when your tail is about to strike.

✞⛧ It happens randomly—she’ll be sitting at her desk, focused on war strategies, and then—fwip—your tail flicks against her thigh.

✞⛧ “Stop that.”

✞⛧ “Stop what?” You ask, all innocence, even as your tail twitches threateningly.

✞⛧ Fwip.

✞⛧ Ambessa exhales slowly through her nose. “Little wolf,” she warns.

✞⛧ Fwip.

✞⛧ Her patience wears thin. “Do that again, and you’ll regret it.”

✞⛧ Fwip.

✞⛧ The chair scrapes against the floor as she stands, and you bolt, laughing as she chases you through the room.

✞⛧ Ambessa should be used to it by now, but it never stops being infuriating. Begging for a taste of her.

✞⛧ “I can smell that you want it,” you argue, practically purring as you nuzzle against her neck.

✞⛧ “No.”

✞⛧ “Why not?”

✞⛧ “Because,” she says simply, pretending to be unaffected.

✞⛧ You whine, ears flattening. “You’re mean.”

✞⛧ “Persistent is what you are,” Ambessa huffs, trying not to react as your hands wander.

✞⛧ “And you’re stubborn,” you counter, pressing against her. “Just let me—”

✞⛧ “You act as if I ever say no for long,” she smirks, tilting your chin up. “Patience, little wolf.”

✞⛧ You grumble, but your tail wags in excitement.

✞⛧ There is only so much one old woman and her hips can endure.

✞⛧ Ambessa is a warrior, a General, a legend

✞⛧ And yet—

✞⛧ “Another round?” You ask, wide-eyed, tail wagging as you straddle her.

✞⛧ Ambessa stares at you, completely spent, her muscles aching in ways even war hadn’t caused. “You are insatiable.”

✞⛧ You grin. “And you love it.”

✞⛧ She rubs a hand down her face. “I need to order more equipment.”

✞⛧ “You broke it, didn’t you?” You peer down at the strap on

✞⛧ “You broke it,” she corrects, her lips twitching. “Again.”

✞⛧ The mailman is a spy. You are sure of it.

✞⛧ “Look at him,” you mutter, eyes narrowing as the poor man walks up the steps. “Too casual.”

✞⛧ Ambessa, barely glancing from her book: “He is delivering our mail.”

✞⛧ “Or delivering our doom,” you whisper dramatically.

✞⛧ Ambessa sighs. “Do not scare the staff again.”

✞⛧ “I’m protecting us,” you insist.

✞⛧ Ambessa pinches the bridge of her nose. “You growled at him last week.”

✞⛧ “And he ran away, didn’t he?”

✞⛧ Ambessa prays for patience.

✞ You are nothing if not opportunistic.

✞⛧ Ambessa is distracted—speaking to an ambassador, posture rigid and regal. So, naturally, you take your chance.

✞⛧ Squeeze.

✞⛧ She stiffens, mid-sentence. Her jaw tightens. You step away just in time, grinning.

✞⛧ She slowly turns her head toward you. “Did you just—”

✞⛧ “Hm? What?” you ask, completely innocent. The ambassador, utterly oblivious, continues talking.

✞⛧ Ambessa glares, promising retribution. You wink.

✞⛧ Meetings are so boring. So, naturally, you sit at Ambessa’s feet, playing Block Blast on your phone.

✞⛧ A few of her generals glance at you, confused.

✞⛧ Ambessa says nothing.

✞⛧ You yawn, tail flicking against her shin as you drag a tile into place. “Ambessa, say something dramatic.”

✞⛧ She arches a brow. “We are planning war, little wolf.”

✞⛧ “Okay, but like… dramatically.”

✞⛧ She stares at you. The room is silent.

✞⛧ She sighs, rubbing her temple. “Victory is inevitable.” You nod approvingly, completely unfazed. “See? That’s the spirit.”

✞⛧ Her generals are so confused.

✞⛧ You’re a strange creature when it comes to baths.

✞⛧ Showers? You’ll spend hours in the steam, soaking in the warmth, washing away the day. But when it comes to baths, you balk.

✞⛧ “I feel like I’m drowning,” you say with a frown, arms crossed stubbornly as you glance at the bath.

✞⛧ Ambessa raises an eyebrow. “But it’s warm and relaxing. You’re telling me you don’t want to feel pampered?”

✞⛧ You shake your head. “I don’t like the way the water feels against my fur.”

✞⛧ “But you love the shower,” Ambessa teases, pulling you toward the tub. “Don’t be so difficult.”

✞⛧ “Shower or nothing,” you grumble, retreating back into her arms.

✞⛧ Ambessa shakes her head, but she’s amused—it’s not the first time she’s had to deal with your little quirks.

✞⛧ You can’t help it. There’s something about Ambessa’s scent that drives you wild.

✞⛧ One day, as she leaves for a meeting, you find yourself alone in her quarters.

✞⛧ You tiptoe over to her wardrobe, eyes glinting mischievously. You pull out her jacket, pressing it against your face, inhaling deeply.

✞⛧ The rich, intoxicating scent of leather, sweat, and her perfume fills your senses, and a low growl escapes your chest.

✞⛧ You close your eyes, basking in it.

✞⛧ Click.

✞⛧ Ambessa is standing in the doorway, eyebrow raised. “You know, little wolf, if you wanted a hug, you could’ve just asked.”

✞⛧ You freeze, sheepishly putting the jacket back in place. “I—uh—was just… looking for something.”

✞⛧ She chuckles, crossing her arms. “I don’t mind, but next time, don’t get caught.”

✞⛧ There’s nothing more frustrating than rejection when you’re in the mood.

✞⛧ Ambessa had refused intimacy that night. The reports were piling up, and her mind was preoccupied with duties. But you didn’t care about that.

✞⛧ You pouted, unable to stop yourself from staring at her with those eyes.

✞⛧ “Ambessa,” you whispered, crawling onto her desk, your hands sliding over her shoulders. “Come on, just one little kiss…”

✞⛧ “Not tonight,” she said firmly, her eyes not leaving her reports. “I have work to do.”

✞⛧ But you didn’t care about her reports. You wanted her. So, instead of sulking, you decided to take matters into your own hands.

✞⛧ With a quick glance to ensure no one was watching, you slid a hand under your pants, starting to “fix” yourself right in front of her.

✞⛧ Her eyes snapped to you, wide in disbelief. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

✞⛧ “You know… it’s hard to resist,” you said, smirking as you continued. “I can’t help myself when you look this good.”

✞⛧ Ambessa buried her face in her hands. “I swear to the gods…”

✞⛧ You may look like a wild creature, but you’re also demanding when it comes to your affections.

✞⛧ “Ambessa, I want a hug,” you whine, tail flicking behind you as you march toward her.

✞⛧ You bury your face in her chest, nuzzling her with a loud, exaggerated sigh. “So comfy.”

✞⛧ “Little wolf,” she says, trying to push you off. “I’m trying to work.”

✞⛧ “No,” you groan, wrapping your arms tighter around her waist, pressing your face deeper into her chest. “I just need a hug right now.”

✞⛧ She sighs, clearly resigned, and gently pushes you off. “You know I love you, but I cannot work like this.”

✞⛧ You give her a pouty face, tail drooping, and she can’t help but laugh, wrapping her arms around you again.

✞⛧ Ambessa is the one who usually takes charge in the bedroom, but you managed to get her to let you use the strap-on just once.

✞⛧ It was… a very heated discussion beforehand, and Ambessa was adamant about never repeating the experience.

✞⛧ “Just one time,” you begged. “Please, let me show you how much I love you.”

✞⛧ Her face was a shade of crimson you didn’t know was possible as she reluctantly agreed.

✞⛧ And when it finally happened, it was perfect. You, in charge, controlling the pace. Ambessa lost it.

✞⛧ But the morning after?

✞⛧ “We are never speaking of this again,” she growls. You grin and nod in agreement.

✞⛧ You dominated Ambessa at Wii tennis.

✞⛧ She had laughed at you when you suggested it. “*You think you can beat me at a video game?

✞⛧ “Watch and learn,” you smirked, grabbing the controller.

✞⛧ The match was on.

✞⛧ Ambessa was used to real combat, but when it came to tennis? She was overconfident.

✞⛧ In the final round, you scored a perfect game, winning by an impossible margin.

✞⛧ Ambessa was stunned.

✞⛧ “Impossible,” she muttered under her breath. “How did you—”

✞⛧ You did a little victory dance, making her chuckle despite herself. “I told you, you should’ve taken me seriously.”

✞⛧ When you think no one is looking, you try to chase your tail.

✞⛧ Ambessa watches, barely able to suppress her laughter as you spin in circles, failing to catch it.

✞⛧ “What are you doing?” she asks, trying to hide her grin.

✞⛧ “Nothing.” You stop abruptly, trying to act casual. “Just… you know, stretching.”

✞⛧ But she’s already seen enough. “You’ve been chasing your tail for five minutes now, little wolf.”

✞⛧ You blush, tail flicking nervously. “I was just… trying to see if I could catch it.”

✞⛧ She smiles, her fondness for you growing. “You’re adorable, but that’s definitely not how it works.”

✞⛧ You roll your eyes, tail flicking behind you. “Don’t act like you’re not impressed.”

✞⛧ She chuckles softly, pulling you close. “You always keep me on my toes, little wolf.”

✞⛧ The Strap Incident Happens Again – ambessa swore it wouldn’t happen again, but somehow, Ambessa found herself backing down to your pleading for a second time.

✞⛧ The first time was a blur—a flurry of passion, curiosity, and a mix of pleasure and awkwardness. But afterward, Ambessa had firmly stated, “Never again.”

✞⛧ But then… it happened.

✞⛧ You approached her one evening with that familiar gleam in your eye. “Ambessa,” you purred, voice low and playful. “I was thinking… maybe we could try again.”

✞⛧ She gave you an incredulous look, raising a brow. “After everything we discussed?”

✞⛧ You just smiled innocently, crawling over to her, your tail flicking seductively. “You know you want to,” you teased. “Please?”

✞⛧ Ambessa sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Fine,” she grumbled, knowing she was already losing.

✞⛧ You grinned, pleased with your victory.

✞⛧ You’re always teasing Ambessa, and nothing gets under her skin quite like calling her “old.”

✞⛧ “Are you sure you’re up for it, Ambessa? You’re getting pretty old,” you tease one day, winking at her from across the room.

✞⛧ She glares at you, her voice deadly serious. “Careful, little wolf. Keep it up, and you’ll be sleeping outside tonight.”

✞⛧ You laugh, knowing she doesn’t mean it, but you do love to push her buttons. “Come on, old lady,” you taunt again, walking over to poke her in the ribs. “You’ve got a couple of years left in you, don’t you?”

✞⛧ Ambessa narrows her eyes, but there’s a soft chuckle in her voice despite her efforts to remain stern. “You’re lucky I love you, little wolf,” she mutters, though her lips are curling into a smile.

✞⛧ You press a quick kiss to her cheek, your tail wagging. “You’re my old lady, though, and I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

[ccazimi]

Prologue

cw: angst, blood, murder, mc dies, possible dubcon, wounding, mentions of religion/slightly religious themes (more so to do with "purity"), heian era au, decapitation, corruption, mentions of sex/sexual activities, sadism, manipulation, toxic relationship, mdni

wc: 2.6k

a/n: so this is the quick prologue i wrote up a bit of time ago to help me flesh out an idea for a story that revolves around reader reincarnating in a modern au with a connection to sukuna, sort of as a vessel, maybe more like a haunting... this is written in third person but the actual fic would be written from second person pov, like a typical reader insert

A renowned clan, revered for their spiritual bonds and sacred techniques, which stood as protectors against the hordes of cursed spirits that ravaged the land, shielding its people from their relentless destruction.

Their shrine's connection to one of the most powerful sorcerer clans, made it central to a complex web of regional politics, only heightening the family's prestige.

From peasants to royalty, pilgrims journeyed to the shrine they had safeguarded for centuries, seeking purification from cursed afflictions or blessings for protection against malevolent entities and misfortune.

What a joke, Sukuna thought it all was.

Humans and the way they worshipped these pathetic non-existent gods, when he existed.

So just to prove a point, he stormed the lands they owned in a five day long slaughtering spree, leaving a trail of mutilated corpses and the stench of blood in his wake.

Sanctity would not save them, neither could any other sorcerer thrown his way.

And when he learned that the clan had two daughters, things got even better. He offered them a deal, that in exchange for one of the young women from their bloodline he would leave their territories and their people alone.

They agreed, offering up the oldest girl only a few days after she had turned twenty-two.

Every deity does not care for humanity— in the age of gods, sacrifices and offerings were made as frequently to keep them at bay as they were to draw them near.

This was precisely what the clan was hoping to achieve when they gave her to him.

Her family adorned her in the finest silks, whispering assurances that it was a great honor to be chosen—that her sacrifice would not be in vain, that the afterlife would reward her in ways this world never could.

She was bathed in fragrant waters, purified of earthly taint, silken hair bound with a vivid mizuhiki, delicate feet slipped into black lacquered geta sandals.

Such meticulous preparation just to propitiate the King of Curses with an offering that everyone silently understood would be ruined, ravaged, by the demon.

From the moment his gaze fell upon her—her figure draped in a flowing white kosode and crimson hakama, timid eyes lowered yet unable to resist flickering toward his aberrant form, betraying a smoldering curiosity—he knew he wanted to sink his claws into her, to stain her delicate skin with bloodied fingerprints.

And so, he did.

She hid herself at first beneath the mask of chastity, the one she'd been taught to wear her entire life. A mask that buried whatever deep and ugly desires she was told to suffocate, locked away behind the illusion of purity. She bound herself to the chains of who she was expected to be, suffocating under the weight of devotion to a self imposed upon her.

Yet beneath that pristine facade, a fissure began to form— something ugly and raw, desperate to break free, yet so minute it was likely unnoticed even by her.

But he saw it—saw her vulnerability—and turned it into a game, slowly chipping away at her walls with the kind of ruthless patience that made her heart ache and her body tremble.

She was stubborn, desperately clinging onto that mask like it would save her, so he made her flesh worship him when she refused to.

Because try as she might, she couldn’t stop the arousal from dripping so sinfully between her thighs when he touched her like that for the first time, two large fingers eventually piercing through her untouched sex.

Sukuna found it humorous in a way, how she was calling out to her false gods the first time he took her in the garden, cool damp grass and fresh earth rubbing against her bare back while he took her virginity under the pale moon. Hot tears splashed from her eyes, a warm stream of liquids running down her thighs and ass- whether it was spit, her fluids, his precum, or her blood, she did not know.

Neither did she care as soon the cries of her old gods were replaced by the name of her new one- Sukuna.

She had never known herself, her identity smothered beneath the weight of duty and family expectations her whole life. But this impious hunger he had awakened in her—it was the first thing in her existence that felt real.

To her, he was freedom, the door she had never seen, the escape from the miserable, hollow life she had been shackled to, a life that now seemed empty and meaningless.

Only he could understand the true depth of her perversion, perhaps even illuminate it as he drew it from her, delicate as spider's silk—tacky, glistening, tangled in the dark corners of her soul. With every touch, every pull, he wove her twisted desires into something new, something unrecognizable.

He became everything to her in this way, her salvation, her deliverance, pulled from the very grace he offered with his ruthless touch.

To him, she was nothing.

Just another toy to be discarded, another pawn in Sukuna’s game. He had suspected from the beginning that this little act of deference from such a powerful clan of sorcerers was nothing more than a calculated move, a ploy to manipulate and control. And she was just the latest piece to be used, nothing more than a fleeting distraction in his endless pursuit of power.

The amount of times he took her all over the estate were just a means to an end he told himself, that whenever he found his head between her thighs it was so she’d spill what he needed to know after hours of dragging her to the edge and pulling her back right before she could fall, till her muddled and fucked out mind was easily manipulated.

“You conjure up gods because you’re too afraid to judge yourself,” he told her as he pried open her lips and dipped fingers coated in her essence against her wet tongue, “Taste the filth you’re really made of…”

He could have torn her skin off in pieces, plucked the eyeballs from her skull to make her feed on them, but where was the fun in that?

It was far much more enjoyable seeing the war in her mind as she reluctantly sampled the bitter saltiness that wept from between her legs, ending up licking his fingers clean with an almost desperate fervor.

How over and over she tried so pathetically to fight years’ worth of unholy repressed desires, how she failed and the guilt that would storm her after each night she fell further into his grasp, reciting sutras and bathing in waters in a desperate attempt to cleanse herself each time he defiled her body.

He made her forget any allegiance she still had to them, and it didn’t take much.

Born without a cursed technique, with a hollow, shifting disposition that never quite fit anywhere, the family’s power was never meant for her. It would’ve gone to her younger sister anyway—bright, charismatic, the perfect heir, trained as a sorcerer, molded for their cause.

She confessed to Sukuna once, her mind still hazy from their encounter, her body heavy with post-coital bliss. She said it like a revelation, like a curse she was finally free to speak- that she had always known she was a mistake. The weight of her family’s duty had never claimed her, never made her feel tethered to their blood or their expectations.

She never truly felt it, not once.

Night after night, she shed the remnants of who she once believed herself to be, as Sukuna remade her in his image, carving out forgotten parts of herself—the parts untouched by any divine notion, the parts that had always been godless.

With each layer peeled away, a festering resentment toward her family grew, seeping deeper, feeding into the revelations of what she truly felt for them. The hollow sense of obligation she once harbored toward the clan that had cast her aside twisted into something much more visceral, more damning. Chains that had once bound her were rusted, broken, as her truth began to claw its way to the surface.

Unaware, the girl unwittingly drew closer to her own demise with every secret she surrendered about her family and the allied clans. Each confession, each discarded fragment of knowledge, was another step toward the inevitable, until there was nothing left to spill.

Of course she had suspected, at some point, that Sukuna was using her—at least partially—for the information she held. But the truth of it never fully sank in, drowned out by her desperate, naive hope that—however small, however twisted—that maybe, just maybe, there was some kind of meaning to the bond they’d forged. Even if it was merely a byproduct of his schemes, it had felt like something that could be real.

What a stupidly naive notion.

Soon there was nothing left to extract, no more purpose for her- she had outlived her usefulness. And so, one night, as the cold weight of finality settled in, he made the decision that it would be her last night.

He fucks her more mercilessly than he usually did, the two of them cumming who knows how many times.

As usual she's melted by the time he's drained, her fucked out mind yearning and aching for even the smallest shred of his affection afterward, like a starving runt clawing for the faintest drop of its mother's milk, trembling in its need.

"Could you please...lay with me, my Lord?" She askes softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

For once instead of denying the simple request immediately, he pauses to take a good look at her, at the sweat covering her bruised and marked flesh in a thin sheen, the tendrils of her hair sticking to her head, flushed cheeks and unfocused but satisfied eyes, his semen dripping obscenely from her bloated womb, mixing with her arousal in a small puddle on the silken sheets of his futon.

"Fine." He replies, voice low with an unreadable gaze.

Her eyes widen in surprise, a flicker of hope sparking within her. He had agreed, at last.

She's too pleased to overthink it, too eager to bask in the rare moment of his attention. She shifts on the futon, making space for him, a breathless anticipation building as he moves to settle beside her.

He crawls in beside her, the warmth of his body dwarfing her small frame, and she instinctively curls into him, seeking comfort from a man who has never even kissed her, truly kissed her.

"Thank you, Lord Sukuna," she sighs, body melting under the sensation of his calloused fingertips gliding over her delicate skin, grazing through the softness of her hair.

The poor thing has no idea how close she is to her end- he might as well indulge her in these last few moments of her meaningless life, in the fleeting tenderness she allows herself to believe in.

"Do you love me?" he hums, his voice oddly contemplative.

Her heart stutters, once again caught off-guard by the question.

She turns on her back to face him, gazing up at his face as stern and stoic as always, so impossibly beautiful in its coldness. "Of course I do. More than anything, my Lord…"

"You swear?"

"Yes."

She lifts a trembling hand, delicate fingers shyly brushing over the dark markings that adorn his face, tracing them with reverence. He doesn't stop her, only fueling the false hope she clings to.

For a moment there's this most strange sensation, like his heart tightening in his chest and before he can comprehend whatever the feeling is, he raises two fingers.

"How pathetic." He mutters sharply as he flicks his wrist.

Her piercing shriek cut across the silent night as two large slices formed across her abdomen, through the fragile illusion she'd built.

“Silly girl.”

Another cut, another scream.

For a moment, she's disoriented, lost in the searing pain, voice choked with confusion and terror, sobbing "What are you doing?" as she writhes in agony.

But whatever fleeting emotion had gripped him, whatever hint of hesitation, is gone in an instant, burned away by the familiar, twisted hunger within him. The urge to break her, to hear her cries echo in his ears, consumes him entirely. Each scream is fuel to the fire of his sadism, and he savors the sound.

They're quite similar to how she sounded when he would fuck the life out of her, he thinks.

Sukuna laughs, lazily swiping his fingers now so that cuts mar her skin while she begs for him to stop.

"What, did you think that if we -if you- played pretend long enough, your inane fantasy would somehow turn real?" He leans in, to brush her cheek in a mocking gesture imitating that of a lover. "You swore you loved me. Do you still love me?"

She spasms, a frantic, feeble attempt at movement, but her body betrays her. She wills her legs to respond, to flinch, to do anything—but there’s nothing.

No sensation, no control. Just the sickening realization that she’s trapped in her own failing flesh.

Sukuna brings his face close, lips brushing against hers, warm breath feathering against her parted mouth that so desperately struggles for oxygen right now. "If I kissed you now, would you still pretend that I could have been anything more than this?"

He sees it in her eyes then, the realization that he never actually cared, that he was the monster he was known to be right till the bitter, inevitable end.

What had she expected? Mercy? Love? How pathetic.

“Where are your gods now?” He pulls away to admire the sight before him.

The dark, dripping lines that scar her naked body thrills him, cocks hardening at how damaged she looks, at how she uses her last breaths pleading him over and over to stop with such sincerity as if that would truly stop him.

“A shrine maiden taking her last breaths with my seed leaking out of her…What a sight.” He sneers, wiping the hair away from her face and relishing in the way it seems like her heart is breaking in her eyes, the weight of her decisions finally catching up to her in the end. She's given up on begging for mercy, or maybe she simply can't anymore.

Her skin is paling, sweat collecting in beads and rolling off as she bleeds out.

And yet- something is wrong.

Instead of dimming, her eyes sharpen, dark pupils locking onto him with unnerving clarity.

Even her ragged, uneven breaths begin to steady, as if she’s forcing herself to hold on, to say something, to be something in her final moments.

Sukuna doesn’t like it.

The fun is over.

Her lips part—too late. The invisible blade carves through flesh, tendon, and bone in a single merciless stroke, the sharp crack of severed sinew ringing through the air before her head falls clean off.

Few things ever truly unsettle Sukuna.

But this—this was something else.

Her severed head fell onto the sheets with a dull, wet thud, rolling to its side to face him, yet her colorless lips still moved. No breath should remain, no voice should linger—and yet, from the gaping wound of her throat, a sound slithered forth, jagged and unnatural, something no longer human.

Then came the cursed energy.

Thick, suffocating waves poured from the exposed column of her neck, unfurling into the air like a black storm, coiling and twisting before sinking into his skin. He felt it burn as it permeated him, felt the weight of something far more binding than words.

A promise.

A curse.

A fate he had not foreseen.

Through bloodstained lips, her final whisper echoed, disjointed, but with such absoluteness that it was like the future was cemented with the utterance.

“I will find you again, Ryomen Sukuna.”

questions, comments, thoughts are welcome! i might polish this up some more later and decide if it's worth working on the full fic

[ilikekidsshows]

Have you seen the Sublimation leaks? Pretty much the entire episode has been leaked by now and people have made a 19 minutes super cut xD I'm asking cause I don't want to send an ask about Sublimation if you haven't seen it and don't want to be spoiled

---

The entire episode came out while I was busy answering the ask game and I checked it out to respond to this ask properly . But, for future reference: unless it’s a show I’m liveblogging it’s open to spoil.

Okay, so the episode went just like I predicted with Marinette easily forgiven. Even before I saw the whole thing, I saw the collected clips and I could smell the upcoming Marinette validation in the final scenes. And yet, just like this show does time and time again, it's still worse than even what I prepared for. Of course the episode couldn't just be "Marinette gets forgiven without her having to do anything", of course her saying sorry and making reparations aren't just things she does after being forgiven, like she's the one rewarding her victims for their good behavior of forgiving her. No, they had to go even further and end the episode with Marinette's victim coddling her over her "friendship fears".

This episode is so manipulative in how hard it leans on the audience to pity Marinette throughout. Like, seriously, her Lucky Charm calls her the villain? The amount of self-pity there goes way beyond all the other cases of Marinette acting like this that have come before. Little miss “if I make myself miserable asking me to make up for what I did wrong would be cruel” now has her own superpowers take part in her self-flagellation just to make sure no one with the actual right to be mad at her gets there first.

Marinette always does this. She makes a mistake and rather than think of a way to make up for it, she calls herself the worst and whines. “The Lucky Charm pointed her out as the villain” is not Marinette facing consequences or the episode treating her as in the wrong. It’s once again Marinette being her own worst critic whenever she does something wrong, to make sure the audience feels bad for her first and foremost so that they can instantly forgive her even when she never actually learns. “Marinette loves to learn,” my ass. “The villain was me” is just “I’m the worst Guardian” with a new coat of paint.

The important part is that the person with the right to be mad at Marinette, Sublime, had already forgiven her before Marinette even had her little villain realization. Just because a character says something that’s right on paper doesn’t mean it’s being presented as the correct perspective in the episode. It depends on that framing I’ve been harping on about. So, while Sublimation rightfully chewed Marinette out, all the scenes before her Akumatization have her acting entitled, cold and harsh, calling Sublime’s dad a failure and getting on his case for coddling her when he merely offers her a balancing hand and not taking Sublime’s opinions on things into account. In all these scenes, her husband talks calmly while she’s snapping; the writers intend her to come across as misguided or downright unreasonable. This makes it so that her yelling at Marinette comes across as her just being unreasonable again and like we’re meant to see her as being mean, especially because Marinette also looks the saddest in the episode specifically when Sublimation is yelling at her. To further make Sublimation's points worthless, her power to make people the best version of themselves doesn't work on Marinette because she already "perfect". If she's already so perfect, then why does she keep doing this shit?

The only characters calling Marinette out are herself, in her typical “I’m the worst” fashion, and a “jerk-coded” character whose opinion we aren't supposed to respect. This was already visible in the leaked scenes and made it very clear to me that Marinette wouldn’t be suffering any real consequences for what she did, her feeling guilty is meant to be the consequence and punishment. And I was proven correct. When Sublimation is dealt with, no one is mad at Marinette anymore, because being mad at her is what villains do. It doesn’t matter that Marinette claims she was in the wrong because she does it in an overly exaggerated manner that the viewer won’t take seriously. It doesn’t matter that the other characters have a “this is going to end poorly” attitude about Marinette’s nonsense, when they’re clearly pitying Marinette and not her target. It doesn’t matter that Marinette gets called out when the character doing it is the supervillain in an altered state of mind we’re supposed to see as unreasonable.

This episode is so disrespectful towards Sublime. No one voices concern over whether or not she would need to be protected from the downfall of Marinette’s shenanigans, all Tikki, Alya and Trixx are concerned with are that Marinette will come out of this smelling like roses with that “mistakes are an opportunity to earn and Marinette loves to learn” nonsense. Yeah, Marinette loves mistakes because no one is ever concerned with the people those mistakes hurt! Sublime should not be getting treated as a teaching aid in universe, when she’s supposed to be a person Marinette wants to befriend. Like, it’s clear she only wants to befriend Sublime for control freak reasons to make sure she isn’t talking to Adrien behind her back, considering how obsessed she is with that thought, but that is still the stated end goal.

Speaking of, Sublime should not have wanted to be friends with Marinette no matter if Adrien told her she has difficulties making friends, her reaction to Ladybug shattering her legs should not have been “I’m okay!” She should want to stay away from Marinette’s clearly unbalanced ass. She should have been pissed at Ladybug, it was her right. But, no, she couldn’t possibly be upset about any of that because being upset at Marinette is what bad people do and Sublime is a good person and good people always put Marinette’s feelings before their own. It’s a good thing Marinette’s Miraculous Ladybug can fix any damage caused by anyone on the same day a villain fight happens or otherwise she couldn’t have rewarded Sublime and her family for being such good people who forgave her before she could even apologize or make reparations.

Also, if I got cornered by my new friend’s stalker girlfriend alone in a dressing room, I’d book it, not offer to talk about whatever she wanted to talk about to make her comfortable with me. Everyone in Miraculous is either a master of emotional control, or they get Akumatized, except, of course, for Marinette, who can do whatever messed up thing she comes up when she's having an emotion and she will be instantly forgiven because she was just being emotional. Well, in the real world, sometimes, when you do messed up things because of your emotions, another person's emotions make them yell at you for it, and they'll be right to do so.

The fact that Marinette did all that and is getting rewarded with the friendship she wanted at the start of the episode and more coddling from her victim just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Marinette’s magical powers of super convenience fixed her mistakes as a superhero and her super perfect therapist boyfriend's damage control saved her civilian reputation, not her own actions. And she still dared to be upset when she heard that Sublime had been talking with Adrien behind her back, because god forbid Adrien spend time with people who are not Marinette or a part of Marinette’s posse. What is Marinette teaching kids in this episode? That it’s okay if you fuck up and act like a menace as long as you say “I’m sowwy, I don’t deserve to be our friend”. Still keeping up the trend of teaching kids exactly how to manipulate people into forgiving you, I see.

[bellixpog]

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Ultraviolence- Kang Noeul

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pair: Kang No-eul × F!Reader

context: part.2 of my other imagine

warning: hair pulling, bad word (just one sentence), possessive and obsessive jealousy

words: 4,5k

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Two weeks passed. No-eul watched you walk past the store every morning, heading to the café in front of the clothing store, with only a road separating the stores. No-eul noticed that you worked there, simply because you came in at the same time as her, and left work half an hour after her. As soon as she noticed this, she started to leave work in a hurry and go to your cafe, sitting at the tables in the back, watching you work, every move you made. Everything watched by her. She also noticed that you hated your boss, because every time she spoke to you, you would give a fake smile and turn away, rolling your eyes. She loved watching you. It was, however, one afternoon that you finally noticed the woman.

You recognized the face, but you couldn't remember where it came from. Ignoring that, you walked over to the girl, smiling slightly. "Hi... Would you like to order something?" You asked, with your notepad and pen in hand. No-eul smiled slightly and replied, "A chocolate donut and a black coffee, please." You nodded, writing down the order. Before leaving, you looked at the girl and analyzed her, "You work at the store in front, don't you?" You ask, tilting your head slightly. No-eul's smile widens and she nods. "Yes, that's me." You bite your lip, smiling and letting out a nasal laugh. "What is your name?" "No-eul...And yours?" No-eul asks, leaning slightly over the table, curious "Min-young..." You answer and No-eul analyzes you "Nice name... It suits you" You blushed and smiled shyly "Your order will arrive soon"

You say, and head to the counter, still slightly red from the woman's compliment. She exuded a confidence you had never seen before, it was like nothing affected her. It both delighted and frightened you, in a way. You left it aside, starting to prepare the order for No-eul, and other pending customers. You just needed to finish those last few orders and your shift would be over, and you would finally go home to see your little dog, Molly. A sigh left your mouth when you realized your shift was over. You took off your apron and let down your hair, looking around the space, noticing that No-eul was still there, sitting on the same place. "We're closing... Do you need anything?" No-eul raised her head and smiled, standing up. “To take a girl home, if she accepts…” You raised your eyebrows in surprise, and lets out a nasal laugh, grabbing your coat. "I don't think she sees any problem with that..." You say, and No-eul smiles, walking towards the door. "Ladies first." She says, opening the door and making room for you to leave. You smile shyly, stepping out the door, waiting for No-eul.

We can say that these little "dates" were repeated for two months. No-eul was amazing to you: She wrote you letters by hand, your Fridays were spent at a restaurant you both liked, and your Saturday and Sunday mornings were lazy, with No-eul's wet kisses on her neck and shoulder. You noticed No-eul's jealousy. The shape bit the inside of her cheek whenever she saw you talking to someone she didn't know who it was - that is, everyone - This slight possessiveness was something you happily accepted, and sometimes ignored. The request for a date was not something surprising, after all, you were actually being treated as a married person. Over time, there were some things that bothered you a little.

No-eul started to get more jealous, checking her phone every day, even asked you to change jobs so she could "spend more time with you". She even tried to hire someone to walk your dog Molly so you wouldn't have to leave the house, but giving up your dog was not in the cards. Over time, things got...intense. One day, you were putting on your coat, getting ready to take Molly for a walk, when you felt No-eul grab your hair, pulling you back. You groaned in pain, and No-eul rested your head on her shoulder, and whispered in your ear "Where the fuck are you going, Min-young?" No-eul whispered in your ear, she seemed calm, but to you, who knew her quite well, you knew that there was anger in that whisper.You didn't have to say anything: Molly appeared, and barked, wagging her tail. No-eul understood and let go of her hair and took Molly's leash "I'll go with her, babe. You stay." No-eul said wearing her coat. It wasn't the first, nor the last time that his displays of love were a little... rough, so to speak. But every time she hit you, or pulled your hair, it was like a kiss. A real kiss of love. That's how you knew she loved you, in her own way.

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a/n: that one is so small, someone kill me, please

THAT'S IT BABIES, I'M ALREADY WRITING THE NEXT ONE

Hope you liked it, xoxo!

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[vynnyal]

Finally finishing totk

[giddlygoat]

hater has disturbing reoccurring dreams about wander crawling inside his ribcage that always have him waking up in a cold sweat [they just feel too real and hater can’t place why]. wander has reoccurring dreams of hater ceremoniously destroying him with the Disaster Blaster and it’s the one dream he doesn’t eagerly blab to sylvia about because he doesn’t know how to tell her that it never feels like a nightmare. soooo is anyone else sick in the head or is it just me

[wandering-free-and-queer]

Made two bracelets today! Sadly I can't find one of the things I need to fully finish them properly but they're fully constructed!

The first one is Weather, it's five golden charms set on a beautiful sky blue hemp cord in a simple square knot macrame. The cloud, Sun, pentacle, moon, and lightning bolt charms are spaced equally, giving them each an equal influence in the piece.

The second is more simple but no less refined, the centerpiece is a lovely antique silver Tree of Life charm, with richly stained wooden beads flanking it to either side. No specific Intention here, but a blank slate for you to dedicate to a tree spirit or forest near you, in the hopes that you'll find a way to personalize it to your craft.

[imminent-danger-came]

I really am so sad I don't like isat. The themeing was very good

[seaofreverie]

First day back at the university and I still suck at this exactly as much as I did 4 years ago

[orcelito]

Reading up on the people on my election ballot and there's some combination of "can ANYONE tell me what their policies actually are???" (Specifically with the smaller offices) VS "Oh, so YOU'RE the reason why Indiana has an abortion ban! Duly noted!"

[floral-hex]

It’s almost 6 in the morning. Can’t sleep. Admittedly lonely. So I’ll type a little text post to feel like I’m actually “doing” something.

Doubled my vilazadone. Started buspirone. I’ve been on a diuretic for my ears (it’s complicated) for about a week now, but whether it’s coincidental or not, my hearing has been pretty great since I started. But hearing comes and goes, so we’ll see if this holds in the coming weeks. My body is having trouble adjusting to all of these new meds, but I think it’s starting to rebalance itself. Chemicals, man…

Okay, I really don’t know what else to say here. Just bored on a Saturday night… well, now Sunday morning. Might go eat some captain crunch. I just started the buspirone and I think it’s maybe making me.. eeeeee 😬😬😬😬… you get it? Not anxious, just on edge. They said take before bed to get used to it, but maybe they meant “hey, take as you’re falling asleep, because if you’re awake when it kicks in, you will stay awake.” Or maybe it’s just normal loneliness and anxiety keeping me up. Who knows. This seems like a downer post, yeah? Sorry. It’ll be positive, ya. I’ll go make some cereal, watch some tv, you all can do whatever you’re doing this morning. There are some birds chirping outside, I’ll see if my cats are awake, it’ll be nice.