#they were showing you certain game mechanics

[nepotisim]

I'm so tired of phrases like "anti-woke". Just say you're a racist/homophobic weirdo.

[notebooks-and-laptops]

Why Fenris could Never Cameo in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

In the run up to Dragon age: The Veilguard, I was almost certain that Fenris would be our main legacy character from previous games. Not only has he been central in the comics released between DAI and DATV, he is an escaped Tevinter slave who's plot revolved around magisters, magic and the structural prejudices surrounding elves in Thedas. Not only that, but he's canonically in Tevinter killing slavers currently so he's geographically in the right place for us to meet him.

About halfway through the game though, it was clear to me: Fenris could never cameo in The Veilguard. Because he'd break it.

How the Veilguard treats Thedas is...odd to me, to say the least. I will be writing another post about how much I adored the expanded big lore in this game (the titans, ancient elves were spirits, where the blight came from etc.) and yet while these large lore expansions worked for me, the actual culture of modern Thedas is entirely softened, its sharp edges filed down until it's a sanitised fantasy world devoid of what made the franchise so vibrant and compelling in the first place.

So let's start with Fenris and slavery. In all three games, the reality of slavery is pushing at the corners of the world. In DAO Loghain allows Tevinter Magisters to enslave elves in order to raise money for his war effort. In DA2 Fenris is fighting to be free from slavers who will not leave him be, let alone the reminders that the city was built by slaves which are everywhere. In DAI one of the two possible mini-bosses is Calpurnia who was a slave, and characters such as Gatt and Dorian both show us how much slavery is tied into Tevinters culture and success.

But DATV the first game actually set in Tevinter where we get to see the famed Minrathous...it's like the game purposefully wants to avoid the issue. I can feel it tilting the camera away to not allow me to see. Slavery is mentioned, but never talked about in depth or as a specifically ELVEN problem in Tevinter. This might have been done to be less problematic, it feels ignored.

We are in DOCK TOWN. We are at the DOCKS. You would think that slaves from all over Thedas who are being smuggled and bought by various groups would be everywhere. You would think that the injustice in dock town would be partly built on the back of ships we've seen in the comics crammed with elves in chains. This is the world Dragon age set up for us. And yet...nothing. zilch. A tiny easily skippable side quest where we free a couple of venatori slaves, but only one of whom is an elf.

None of our Tevinter characters seem to have been influenced by their culture even a little bit when it comes to how they view elves; there is no moment when Neve fucks up and says something prejudiced, no moment when Bellara or Davrin are distrustful of her for being a Tevinter mage.

The same goes for Zevran; a character who epitomised the issues with the crows. The crows have consistently been characterised as very morally dubious assassins who kill for the highest bidder and who buy children on the slave market and torture them as they grow in order to assure that they reach maturity able to withstand torture without giving away a client's name. Zevran is very explicit about the fact that if you fail a contract your life is forefit.

Nobody responds particularly to you if you're an elf. Nobody trusts rook less for it in Tevinter. Nobody treats Rook any differently. Even DAI had better mechanics for this; with nobles in Orlais less likely to trust you as an elf.

Considering one of the main plot points of this game and what makes Solas sympathetic is the fact that he was fighting against the slavery of ancient elves...you'd think the game might want to mirror that in modern Thedas. It might want to show us how characters fighting to end slavery in Tevinter are similar to Solas and how the society Solas fought against was similar to the one that characters we love such as Fenris have fought against in modern Thedas. Maybe we'd want to explore how in a world of slavery like this, how could the answer NOT be to tear it all down? Maybe we should have that option at the end of the game so it really can chose whether we agree with Solas and his plans or not.

Adding Fenris to this game would entirely break the game because Fenris refuses to allow you to look away from this horror. He is a sympathetic character who had to learn to trust mages again because of course he didn't trust them. Of course he didn't. Fenris wouldn't allow the camera to shift focus because he's literally covered in the lyrium scars that show how slaves are used as experiments in Tevinter. Fenris WOULD question Neve on how she feels about elves and slaves. Fenris WOULD have things to say about Lucanis and the crows (let alone the fact Lucanis is an abomonation). So he could never be in this game; he'd drop a bomb on it's carefully constructed blinders to the very society its supposed to be set in.

And yet, in DATV, the crows are presented as...a found family of misfits and orphans? The politician who opposes the crows having absolute power in Antiva is framed as a comically evil idiot who doesn't understand that the crows are ontologically good. Yet...they're NOT. Crows in this game act more like a secret rebel group than an assassin organisation. We see no crow taking contracts with the VERY RICH venatori magisters despite being hired killers. We see crows just refuse to kill people despite having a contract because 'its crueler to leave them alive'. The crows don't feel like the crows here, they feel like a softened version of a cool assassin group who are cool because they wear black and purple.

Our pirate group are also sanitised; the Lords of Fortune are good pirates who only steal treasure that's not culturally significant. Theyve clearly read the modern critiques of the British Museum and have decided to explicitly stop anyone levelling similar critiques at them. There is no faction of the Lords of Fortune who aren't like this, no internal arguments about it. Everyone just. Agrees. And is able to accurately tell what a cultural artifact is vs. what treasure that you can have yourself is. Rather than showing us why a pirate stealing cultural artifacts might be bad (like in da2 where such a situation literally causes a coup and a war) it just tells us it's bad. But also pirates are cool so we still want them in our world.

This issue seaps into Thedas and drains it of any of the interesting complexity and ability to SAY anything that this franchise had before this game. It becomes a game about telling and not showing rather than the other way around. The games have ALWAYS asked questions about oppressive structural systems and their interplay with society, religion and culture and how these things can affect even the most well meaning character. Dragon age at its best IS a game about society and how society functions both for and against it's characters and what happens to societies built on cruelty and indifference. The best bad guys dragon age has given us are those who are bad because they embody these systems or have been shaped by them. Our main characters have had to wrestle with questions surrounding how to exist in these systems, fight against them, learn and grow.

Yet every group you come across in DATV is sanitised and cleaned up to the point of being as non problematic as humanly possible. None of our cast of characters have to wrestle with where they came from or the world that shaped them. None of them have to confront their own biases. They start the game perfectly non-problematic and end it that way too.

And this just...isn't what Dragon Age has been in the past. It isn't why I love the franchise. The whole game just felt, in a way, hollow. And this was a CHOICE and it is why the legacy characters are few and far between. Too many dragon age characters are just too...angry and complex for this game. You can feel them pulling their punches on this one. I have to imagine they did this because they didn't want to be criticised or have too much controversy? But I think it honestly goes far too much in the other direction and just makes it bland.

I can't imagine what I say here will be unique, but it is the basis for a LOT of my other thoughts on this game so I wanted to get it out of the way first. The softened Thedas and characters make this game by far the weakest in the franchise.

[bookyeom]

whatever you say, bro - chs

pairing: vernon x reader word count: 1.2k warnings: kissing, Shrek slander request prompt: "You're cute." "What did you say?" + "are you flirting with me?" "I’ve been trying to do that for three years."

Read Part Two here!

A/N: Thanks so much for all the support on my 700 follower celebration. You guys rock! I'm doing my best to get through the requests, but there were way more than I anticipated so bear with me!

Vernonie [8:59pm]: we still on for tomorrow night?

Your heart leaps, like it always does, when Vernon’s name pops up on your screen. 

Y/N [9:01pm]: yeah! see you then, bro

You sigh heavily, throwing your phone down onto the bed beside you and rolling over, pulling your pillow into your chest.

Bro.

It’s a defense mechanism, you know, but it’s getting a bit ridiculous now. You’ve taken to throwing out the word nervously when he gets too close – which seems to be more often than not lately. You’d been worried that your crush on Vernon was getting disgustingly apparent, and so you'd started with this whole "bro" nonsense. Now, you don’t know how to get out of it.

Every time he catches you looking at him and raises a dramatic brow; every time you’re making plans to hang out just the two of you; every time his hand accidentally brushes yours while he hands over a headphone for you to listen to a song – you find a way to call him 'bro'. So that he knows it’s all strictly platonic. Which it’s not, of course – not for you – but his friendship means more to you than anything in this world, and you’re not going to jeopardize that just because you think he’s hot. And kind. And funny. 

Sure thing, bro. See you tomorrow, bro. I love movie nights with you, bro. I love when you show me new music or video games and your face lights up, bro. I love your eyes and the way you laugh at your own jokes, bro. While we're at it, your smile is pretty nice too, bro. 

You close your eyes with a sigh. 

"Thumb war."

"What?"

You’re sitting on the floor in Vernon’s apartment the next day, arguing over which movie to watch. It’s been at least a half hour of back and forth, so you'd decided to take matters into your own hands, and had proposed the most obvious solution.

"Thumb war," you repeat. "Winner gets to pick the movie." 

Vernon eyes you warily. "Fine. You're on." 

As soon as his fingers curl into yours, you can feel your stomach flutter. His touch sends goosebumps across your skin, and you regret the suggestion instantly, but you must carry on. For honour – and for the fact that if he makes you watch Shrek 2 again you might scream.

You square your shoulders and laugh at Vernon’s face, which has instantly turned competitive. You count down, and as your thumbs begin to battle, you feel the competitiveness in yourself grow, too. 

“Yes!” You cry. You have him pinned. 

You’re counting down when Vernon suddenly surges forward, your hands falling apart as you let out an ‘oof’ and fall to the ground. You let out a squeak as your back hits the floor with a soft thud, Vernon landing on top of you. His arms are on either side of your head as he pushes himself up a little, chest hovering above yours, and you can audibly hear the way your breath catches in your throat.

"Just shut up and let me pick a movie," he says breathlessly, and you’re sure you've forgotten how to breathe. His hips are between your knees, his chest pressed to yours, and you can feel every part of him against you.  

"Make me shut up," come your words, and you regret it immediately. His eyebrows raise, just as surprised as you are, and you swear he falters a little. 

"I will," he says back after a pause, and you can’t tear your gaze away from his. "I'll kiss you." 

The blood is rushing to your cheeks before you have time to think. Around now would be the time that you look away, but he’s so close that you can’t. Your heart is nearly pounding out of your chest, and you’re certain he can hear it. Or feel it.

Your head is spinning as you force out a laugh before saying, "Okay, bro."

Vernon’s eyes search your face before meeting your gaze again. His expression is serious, and you hold your breath as you wait for him to react.

But all he does is stand up, holding his hands up in surrender. "You can choose.” 

For the rest of the night, things feel a bit awkward between you. You don’t comment on it like you normally would, because Vernon hasn’t said anything, which means he’s probably forgotten and it’s just you that’s making it weird now. You make it through your pick, and then he surprises you by picking one of your other favourites to watch as a second movie. It’s sweet, but you’re confused since he'd caused such a fuss earlier. 

As the movie progresses, you begin to relax a little. You can feel Vernon’s eyes on you as you giggle to yourself, and you shoot him a glare.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shakes his head. You turn back to the TV, focusing again when you hear him add, quieter, “You’re cute.”

Your head whips back in his direction. He avoids your gaze this time, the only telltale sign he notices you looking shown in the way he fidgets with the remote. 

“What did you say?”

“I said you’re annoying.”

You think ignoring everything that’s just transpired in the last minute is probably for the best. 

“I’m about to be really annoying, then,” you quip – and then you begin to quote line after line. 

It’s one of his biggest pet peeves, and he knows you’re doing it on purpose. You continue, waiting for him to break. It doesn’t take very long.

"Oh my god. Shut up." You can hear the smile in his voice, and you know you aren’t annoying him that much. 

"Make me," you shoot back without thinking, your heart stopping as you quickly remember where those two words had gotten you just a couple of hours before. You think Vernon is holding his breath, too, and you resist the urge to shrink even further back into his couch. Don’t make it weird, it’s fine, you’re just joking, don’t make it –

Vernon’s hand is on your face before you can finish your thought, tilting your chin up towards him – and then he’s kissing you.

When he pulls back, it takes a second for your eyes to flutter open again. And when they do, he’s already looking back at you, unwavering. His thumb brushes against your chin before he smirks and says, eyebrows raised, "I told you I would, bro.”

Your mouth is agape as he drops his hand and turns back to the movie. You feel a bit like your entire brain is resetting as you process what just happened.

“Are you flirting with me?”

“I’ve been trying to do that for like, three years now, so… yeah.”

“You kissed me.”

Vernon looks at you again now, and you absolutely cannot understand how he’s so calm about all of this. Smiling about it, even. “I did. Thoughts?”

Your friend is stoic at the best of times, but his eyes always give him away. When he doesn’t break your gaze, when he just waits while you process, you can see it in the way he’s looking at you — that even if he seems calm on the outside, he’s nervous. Nervous that you’re going to reject him, nervous that he may have overstepped, nervous that you don’t like him back. As if that would even be possible. “I think,” you say slowly, “that the movie can wait a little longer if you wanted to kiss me some more… bro.”

@wheeboo @tae-bebe @waldau @eoieopda @gyuminusone @minisugakoobies @lvlystars @seohomrwolf @variety-is-the-joy-of-life @christinewithluv @wqnwoos @iluvseokmin

[bapeach]

Stolen kisses - part 2 ~ Paige's version

Finally posting part 2 of stolen kisses! Sorry it's taken so long, i've been a busy busy bee :) Hope you guys enjoy it! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Paige Bueckers x female!reader  Word count: 6.4k+ Warnings: make out sessions, hickeys, jealousy Summary: Paige finally snaps as jealousy takes a hold of her, revealing your secret relationship to the team. ------------

A few weeks have passed, and you’re still happier than ever. Okay, that’s a lie. Classes have been kicking your ass, and practices have been leaving you completely drained. Relationship-wise, however, things have been great!

You celebrated your 6-month anniversary with Paige a while ago, and it was amazing. You felt a little bad about having lied to your team that night, but you had to. They wanted to have a sleepover in KK and Ice’ dorm and watch movies, but you weren’t about to cancel your date for that. 

You’d taken her to a fancy restaurant for dinner, followed by a movie in your dorm as you held her in your arms. You’d looked up the nicest restaurant in the area because you wanted nothing but the best for your girl, but in the end, you don’t remember anything about the place itself. You were too enthralled by how beautiful Paige looked in that mouthwatering black dress shirt of hers. You didn’t notice the cozy lights, too focused on the way the Minnesotan lit up the room with her smile. The soft music was nothing compared to the sweet laugh that filled the air as you made a joke.

That day might’ve been the best day of your life. The restaurant was quite a distance away from campus and was pretty private, so you didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing you two in such an intimate setting. It felt so freeing. You hoped that it wouldn’t be long before you could finally show everyone that you’d managed to win over the prettiest girl in the world. 

-------

You hum to yourself as you get out of the car. You woke up with a song stuck in your head, and it hadn’t left your mind for the past two hours. Mumbling the lyrics as you grab your bag out of the trunk, you hear your name being yelled. You close the trunk, turning around to see a grinning KK wave at you as she and Azzi make their way towards you. You smile back at the pair, greeting them as KK daps you up. You give Azzi a quick hug before you all start walking towards the facility.

“You ready for practice?” The younger girl asks with a wide smile. “Sure, if being ready means being dead-tired, sore, and barely holding it together,” you reply with a playful smile. “That’s the spirit!” KK laughs as she pats you on the shoulder.

When you reach the court, your eyes immediately zero in on Paige. She’s talking to some of the other girls as she’s stretching. Hearing the doors slam shut, she looks over and sends you a smirk, her eyebrow raised playfully as she catches you staring. You simply smile at her, not bothered by the teasing look on her face. 

You quickly say hi to everyone, giving each girl a hug or a fist bump. When you hug Paige, you let your hands linger on her hips a little longer, giving her 3 soft squeezes. “I love you,” you say without words. When you pull back, the blonde looks at you with a twinkle in her eyes. She bites her lip to hold back the beaming smile that’s threatening to break free. You give a quick wink as you move away from her, walking towards the locker room to put away your stuff.

When you return to the court, you see everyone is already there, including coach Geno and a girl you don’t recognize. You don’t get the chance to ask who she is before KK starts rambling about a new game she’s been obsessed with. You give her your full attention, laughing at her dramatics and wild hand gestures. In the middle of her rant about a certain game mechanic she hates, Geno waves everyone over. KK huffs as she pouts at being interrupted. You pat her shoulder, telling her to continue talking about it later. The younger girl brightens up, beaming at the fact that you want to hear more about her current obsession.

Everyone forms a half-circle around the coach and the mystery girl, giving them curious looks. You know for sure she’s not a new player. She’s a lot shorter than you, standing at about 5’2”, with wavy, brown hair and big, thin glasses. She’s holding her laptop to her chest as she smiles sweetly at everyone. When you make eye contact, you send her a small smile of your own. Her eyes crinkle as her lips curl up even more.

You don’t notice the look Paige sends your way as she notices the interaction. You look back at Geno when he starts talking. “Everyone, meet Emma, she’ll be interviewing everyone for the school newspaper. I trust you’ll all make her feel very welcome!” He says with a smile, but his eyes hold a seriousness as he looks at the team. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you guys,” Emma says with a shy smile, her cheeks becoming a little pink at the attention from the tall, athletic girls around her. 

One by one, the huskies begin introducing themselves. The atmosphere immediately becomes more relaxed as KK sassily introduces herself and immediately follows it with a playful jab at Paige. The blonde gasps dramatically, teasing the younger girl back with her own insults. Everyone chuckles at the childish duo as they both quiet down after getting a pointed look from Geno.

“Alright, practice will go on like normal, but Emma will call each one of you away for small interviews to get to know you all better for her article. She’ll be joining us for the next 5 or so practices, so you might not all be interviewed today. Let’s treat her with respect and show her what it’s like to be part of the Husky family!” Geno speeches. When he finishes, he gives Emma a nod, letting her slip away to go set up her stuff. 

Practice starts like normal, a mix of serious training mixed with laughter as the girls tease each other. Chuckles can be heard as KK whines about not being picked first for the interview, Ice sticking her tongue out at the younger girl as she walks over to Emma. Once Ice is done, KK gets called away, followed by Azzi. You don’t pay them a lot of mind, more focused on fixing your trouble shots. Once Geno is happy with everyone’s progress, he changes the drill. “Okay, pair up! We’re gonna work on defense.”

You don’t get the chance to try to wave Paige over, as the blonde appears beside you in the blink of an eye. “Partners?” She grins. “Partners,” you agree. Once the team is paired up, you grab a ball and take Paige to a quiet corner. “Ready to get destroyed, babe?” She mumbles with a smug smirk. 

Your heart flutters at the nickname. “In your dreams, baby,” you quip back. While you’d proven to her you were the better scorer that day you two first kissed, there was no way you were better at defense. That doesn’t mean you’ll back down and submit, however. You loved riling her up. Especially when you could convince her afterward to sneak off with you to go make out in a random janitor’s room. She’d kiss you with so much fire and passion that it made you see stars.

You’re glad the others are busy with their own stuff and that no one is looking your way. It’s not like you and Paige were being very subtle. You were constantly mumbling flirty comments while letting your hands linger on her body for longer than you would with any other player. You also didn’t need to be told to know you had that look in your eyes. The look that Paige calls your “adoration face”. But how can you not look at her with so much love in your eyes when the love you have for her is one of the main reasons that keeps you going in life?

Your banter gets cut short as you hear your name being called. When you look over, you see Aaliyah making her way towards you. “You’re up, L/N,” she announces as she takes over your spot with Paige. You send both girls a smile before making your way to the interviewer. You miss the sour look on the blue-eyed girl’s face as you walk away. 

You sit down beside Emma, asking her how she’s doing and if the others haven’t been giving her too much trouble. She giggles a little, shaking her head as a few curls fall in her face. You try your best to make the shorter girl feel at ease, knowing your team can be a loud and intimidating bunch. The brunette starts her interview with easy questions, asking how long you’ve been playing basketball, who your favorite players are, and what your dream team would look like. She also asks about what the team dynamics are in your opinion and how you’d describe the other players in only one word.

Your natural charm (or your “otherworldly rizz” as KK would say) shines through during the whole interview. The girls keep glancing over when they hear Emma laugh at another one of your comments, all giving you a grin or a raised eyebrow at your “flirting”. You’re not trying to flirt, being very happy in your relationship with Paige, but that’s just the person you are. 

You give the people you’re talking to your full attention, your eyes never leaving theirs. You make people feel comfortable with your genuine charm and warm smile. It also didn’t help that one of your main love languages is touch. You were always touching the team, be it an arm on someone’s shoulder, a knee against theirs, or a hand on their arm. You don’t notice you’re doing the same with Emma, a hand resting against her upper arm as you lean in a bit to tell her a funny story about your first practice at UConn. 

Hearing your chuckles, which usually sound like music to the blonde’s ears, Paige looks over at the benches, a tiny frown on her face as you laugh with the girl beside you. Her mood only worsens when she sees the brunette slap your arm softly as you give her a little smirk. Being distracted, the blonde doesn’t notice Aaliyah coming a bit close, making her fall to the ground.

You look up towards the far corner of the gym as Aaliyah helps her up. You frown a bit as your muscles tense. You want to go over and check on your girl to make sure she’s okay, but you know it would look suspicious, so you stay seated. It’s moments like this where you wish you could just be open about your relationship with the girl so you could fuss over her without worrying about anyone seeing.

You don’t hear what the two players are saying, but you relax slightly as you see Aaliyah’s smile. Paige’s face looks a bit more thunderous, but you figure she’s just riled up from training and maybe even a bit embarrassed about the fall. You don’t hear anything the brunette beside you is saying as you continue to look at your girlfriend. When the blonde finally looks back your way, you send her a soft smile. You blink slowly at her, sending her another wordless “I love you”. 

A few weeks ago, you’d read something online about how cats blink slowly as to say “I’m happy” or “I love you”. You two had immediately adopted the gesture, adding it to your list of ways to assure each other when others were around. When one of you would slowly blink, the other would do it back.

At least that’s usually the case. Right now, Paige’s frown just deepens a little as she eyes you and Emma. You tilt your head slightly, raising your eyebrow in confusion. You don’t see her reaction as Emma’s voice pulls you back into the moment. “You okay?” She mumbles, looking at you in concern. “Hm? Oh! Uh, yeah, no, I’m fine. Sorry,” you reply, rubbing your neck sheepishly as you look down apologetically.

��Don’t worry about it,” she responds as she puts a hand on your bicep. Your head snaps back up as you hear Paige scoff. You hadn’t noticed everyone had made their way over to the benches as practice had come to an end. You furrow your eyebrow at the girl’s sudden foul mood, intent on finding out what’s troubling her later. 

As everyone starts making their way towards the locker room, you hang back a bit to finish your conversation with Emma. You give the girl your number, happy to have a new friend, before making your way towards the changing room. The second you close the door behind you, the girls start hollering at you.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our favorite player, finally making her way here,” Nika teases, emphasizing the word player to let you know she’s not talking in the sense of basketball. “Do you have to flirt with every girl you meet?” KK jokingly asks. “When’s the wedding?” Ice jumps in. 

“Alright, alright, shut up,” you say, rolling your eyes playfully as you chuckle at them. “For the record, I wasn’t flirting.” “Sureee,” Azzi grins at you. You give her a good-natured push, looking at her with an open mouth in betrayal. “Et tu, Brute?” You gasp, making everyone laugh. Well, almost everyone.

You look over at your favorite person when you don’t hear her angelic laugh. Paige is glaring at the floor, her jaw clenched. You take a step towards her before clearing your throat and moving towards your locker. You want to make sure the shorter girl is okay, but you don’t want to draw attention to her bad mood, nor do you want her to get mad at you again for “being too obvious”.

You hurry to get ready, seeing as the blonde is already starting to leave. You quickly say your goodbyes to the rest of the girls before running after her. When you call her name, she doesn’t react, only continuing her powerful strides. You finally catch up as you leave the building, grabbing onto her elbow. “Hey… What’s wrong?” You mutter, trying to catch her eye as she glowers at the floor. “Nothing,” she mutters, taking a tiny step back, so your hand falls from her arm.

You feel a pang in your chest as she does so. You raise your hand again to reach out to her, letting it hang in the air for a second before putting it in your hoodie pocket instead. You feel heat creep up your neck as you remember the last time she pulled away from you. You’d been standing too close when the girls walked into the room. Paige had taken a quick step back and sent you a stern look, making your heart hurt a little. You knew she wasn’t ashamed of you, she just wasn’t ready to tell people she’s not as straight as they think she is, yet sometimes it does feel like it. 

You swallow harshly before saying her name. It comes out in a whisper as you try not to whimper. You absolutely hate it when the girl is upset with you. It makes you feel like your stomach is in knots and like your throat closes as your chest starts to hurt. 

You quickly go over everything that happened in practice, trying to figure out if you’d done anything wrong, but you come up with a blank. Opening your mouth to say…Well, you weren’t sure what you were going to say, but it doesn’t matter as Paige starts speaking first. “I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later.” She turns away from you, making her way towards her car. You want to go after her, but you know that would only make things worse.

As her car disappears from sight, you continue standing there. Your shoulders are sagged as you pout slightly. Hearing someone call your name, you straighten up, putting on a fake smile as you look over. “You alright?” Azzi asks, her eyes roaming over you as if that’ll show her what's wrong. “Yeah! Sorry, just lost in thought,” you reply, sending her a smile and a wave before you start walking away. 

When you reach your dorm, you’re glad your roommate decided to sleep over at her boyfriend’s dorm. You plop down on the couch with a sigh, leaning your head back as you close your eyes for a moment. You don’t stay like that for long, sitting back up as you grab your phone. You open your messages, hovering your thumbs over the keyboard as you stare at your last messages with Paige. She’d been teasing you and talking shit about how she was going to destroy you in practice this morning. Everything was still fine back then.

You chew your lip as you think about what to text her. You know you won’t get a reply if you ask her what’s wrong again, having enough experience with her when she’s like this. “Dorm’s empty tonight, wanna stay over? :)” You send instead. You stare at the text for a while before realizing you’re not going to get a reply any time soon. Closing the app, you get up, throwing your phone on the couch as you walk over to get some water. 

You sprint walk back over when you hear your phone ding. Quickly grabbing it, you deflate a little when you see it’s a message from Emma instead. “Thanks again for the interview today and being so nice 😊🤗” It reads. For a moment, you consider not answering, but you quickly shake your head. Emma was a nice girl and seemed like she’d be a great friend, she didn’t deserve any rudeness from you just because you were in a bad mood. 

You start feeling better the longer you text the brunette, laughing as she makes awful dad jokes. Before you know it, you two start video calling, your fingers cramping from the hours of typing. You’re looking at her with a wide smile as she animatedly waves her hands around, explaining something that happened to her during an interview. Your eyes dart up as your phone buzzes with a new message. You make a face as you see your girlfriend’s message. “Can’t tonight, I’m busy”.

You’re now certain the blonde is mad at you. Because of the fact that you two aren’t out about your relationship, you always took every chance you got to stay the night in each other’s room. Sure, the girl could really be busy, but you knew she wasn’t, seeing as she would’ve told you about it already. 

When it becomes silent, you look back at your screen to see Emma looking at you. You put another fake smile on your face as you apologize for getting distracted. The brunette shakes her head, sending you a soft smile. “It’s okay… Are you sure you’re alright?” She says, her voice warm and nonjudgmental. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I just…” You frown, not sure what you can even say. “Sorry, I should get going. I’ll talk to you later?” You say instead, sending her a small smile before letting her end the call.

You glance at your clock, seeing it’s already pretty late. You open your chat with Paige again, sending her a goodnight message. “I’m going to bed, I love you baby! Sweet dreams ❤️”. You get up and walk over to the bathroom to get ready to go to sleep. When you return, you see she already replied. You feel a bit better at the fast response, but that feeling quickly passes when you see it. “Night” is all it says.

It feels like someone is squeezing your chest as you read the message. You close out of the app, letting your phone drop beside you as you stare at the ceiling. You lay awake for hours before finally passing out from pure exhaustion. When you wake up again, it feels like you never even slept. Your head is pounding, your chest hurts, and you feel like you’ve been run over by a truck. You squint at the light coming in through your blinds before feeling around your bed to find your phone. As you try to turn it on, you realize it’s completely dead from not being plugged in. You groan to yourself, already annoyed with the day, as you plug your phone in. 

When you look at your clock, you shoot up with wide eyes. You’d overslept. Of course, you had! Your phone was dead, so your alarm didn’t go off. Stumbling out of bed, you stagger into the bathroom, trying to put on some pants as you walk. You brush your teeth while you’re on the toilet to save time before running back to your bedroom to grab a shirt. Quickly grabbing the things you’ll need for class, you linger at the door for a moment, debating if you should grab your phone. You end up leaving it on your nightstand, seeing as it’s dead anyway.

On your way to class, you feel a little bad about not sending your girl a good morning, but you try to shrug it off, knowing she’d probably still be in a pissy mood anyway. You barely pay attention to what’s being said in class as you try not to nod off. Just as your eyes are about to close, the bell rings, signaling the end of class. “Saved by the bell,” you think to yourself. 

As you make your way back across campus, you run into Paige, Azzi, and Nika. You greet everyone, slightly nervous as you say hi to the blue-eyed girl. To your surprise, she sends you a grin as she greets you happily. For a moment, you freeze, not expecting the girl to have gone back to normal, pretending nothing happened. You smile back, but it doesn’t reach your eyes as your mind goes a million miles an hour. You wonder if you should ask to talk to her alone for a moment to understand what was going on. You end up not doing it, however, scared of making her upset again. “She’ll tell me what’s wrong when she’s ready,” you convince yourself.

“I’ve texted you like 10 times already, bro. Did you lose your phone or something?” Nika asks, pulling you out of your thoughts. “Hm? Oh, nah, I forgot to plug it in yesterday, so it was completely dead this morning. I overslept and left my phone back in my room to charge.” 

You glance over at Paige, hoping she knows you didn’t just not text her because you were mad. “You’re such an idiot,” Nika laughs. You see Azzi raise an eyebrow at the brunette, knowing full well Nika forgets to plug in her phone multiple times a week, meaning Azzi has to wake her up on most days. You just roll your eyes at her, too tired to give a good comeback.

“Anywaysss,” Azzi says, “you only had one class today, right? Wanna come over to our dorm?” You think about it for a moment. On one hand, you would love to go back to bed and sleep until the next morning, but on the other hand, you wanted to spend some time with Paige. The blonde looks at you with hopeful eyes and a soft smile, and you know right then and there you’d agree to anything they proposed, as long as she’d be there.

“Sure,” you shrug. “That’s the spirit!” Nika says as she swings an arm around your shoulder. You were hoping to hang back a little and talk to Paige, but it seems like the brunette has other plans as she guides you to her dorm.

The rest of the day you spend in Nika and Azzi’s room, laughing as you laze around. Your chest feels lighter as the star player teases you like she normally would. When it’s getting late, you walk your girl back to her door. You two don’t talk much, instead choosing to walk in a comfortable silence. When you reach her dorm, you lean against the wall as you watch her side profile while she unlocks her door. After stepping inside, she raises her voice, calling out, “Hello?”

Not hearing a response, she turns back towards you, pulling you inside. You barely have time to close the door behind you as she grabs your face and kisses you. Your back hits the door as she pushes you against it, hungrily attacking your lips. You’re not sure what’s happening, but you don’t mind, kissing her back with just as much fervor. It’s crazy how much you’d missed her lips against yours, even though it had only been two days.

She pulls back, her lips now assaulting your neck as you lean back, trying to catch your breath. You can already feel the purple bruises start to form, but you don’t stop her. Though you two had agreed not to leave marks on one another, you loved it when she did. You loved being reminded of your activities and liked the way the girl claimed ownership of you despite the secret relationship. You squeeze her hips as she sucks your sweet spot, a soft groan leaving your lips. 

She pulls back, looking at you with a smug grin at the noise you made. You send her a smirk as you quickly flip her over, now pushing her against the door instead. You kiss her hard as you lean your body against her to keep her up. You let your own lips trail down her neck, but don’t leave marks, knowing everyone would know what you two did otherwise.

Once you have her gasping for air, you make your way back towards her lips. Reaching them, you give her a long, soft kiss before leaning your forehead against hers. She stares up at you, her pupils fully blown out, as she bites her lip. You lift your head, kissing her forehead as you mumble an “I love you”. She sends you a dopey smile as she says it back. You raise one hand to her cheek, rubbing it softly as you stare at her lovingly. 

Once she regains her breath and can stand up on her own again, you take a step back. While you’d love to stay with her all night, you knew her roommate could be back any minute. “I should go,” you whisper, not wanting to break the moment. “Yeah,” she breathes out, a little disappointed. You give her one more soft smile and a squeeze before leaving.

You’ve barely left her hallway when your phone dings. Looking at the message, a wide smile breaks free on your face. It’s a selfie of a pouting Paige with the words “Already miss you :(” below it. You quickly save the picture, reacting to it with a heart and telling her she’s a dork but that you miss her too.

When you text her good night when you go to bed, you’re happy to see a loving message back.

The next morning, you wake up to your alarm feeling well-rested and ready for the day. You grab your phone, texting Paige a good morning and asking if she wants to go to practice with you or if you’d be seeing her there. She replies, letting you know you can pick her up at her dorm in 30 minutes, making you grin widely. You hurriedly get ready, grabbing some toast for on the way, before leaving. You finish your breakfast right as you reach the blonde’s dorm, knocking on the door as you tap your fingers against your thigh to the beat of a random tune. 

The blue-eyed girl opens the door with a wide smile, greeting you as she steps out into the hallway. After she closes the door, she quickly glances both ways before pulling you down into a quick kiss. It ends sooner than you would’ve liked, but it still manages to make you feel dazed. The girl pushes you away with a tiny laugh, “Come on, Romeo, we don’t wanna be late.”

You give her a goofy grin as she links her arm in yours. The gesture is friendly enough that it doesn’t draw anyone’s attention, yet you can still be close to her. You both make small talk as you walk, teasing each other about everything and nothing. Once you reach the facility, you both go your own ways, greeting everyone before making your way towards the changing room.

When you make it back to the court, you pass Paige as she walks towards her locker. You playfully pat her ass, sending her a wink as she sends you a lighthearted glare. You throw her a kiss, grinning as you hear the girls around you laugh at the interaction. You start warming up with Azzi and KK as you wait for the rest of the team to arrive, only stopping when you see Emma walk in.

Seeing her struggle with all her stuff, you jog over to give her a hand. “Need some help, tiny?” You tease as you take over the bag that was sliding off of her shoulder. She sends you a dirty look as she grumbles, “M not tiny, you’re just a goddamn giant.” You laugh as you squeeze her shoulder. “What was that? You need to speak up, shorty, I can’t hear you all the way down there.”

You quickly sidestep to avoid the punch aimed at your arm, rushing forward to catch the younger girl as she stumbles from the momentum. You let out a loud belly laugh as the brunette’s cheeks become a bright red. “I hate youuu,” she mumbles as she reaches her usual spot for the interviews, putting down her stuff before hiding her face in her hands. “Nahh, you love me,” you grin, pulling her into a side hug as you pat her head.

You’re too busy making fun of Emma to notice Paige return to the court. She scowls at your proximity with the girl beside you, hating the way the interviewer is making you laugh the way she usually does.

When coach Geno calls everyone over, you give Emma a playful wink before running over to the other girls. Once everyone knows what today’s plan is, the team slowly starts dispersing. “I see you, girly,” KK says with a smug look. You roll your eyes as you reply, “I really don’t know what you’re on about. We’re just friends.” “Righttt, just friends… You like her, though, don’t cha? I mean, brunettes are your type, right?” Nika asks with a smirk.

Paige clenches her jaw and furrows her brows at the brunette’s words, walking away with her group for their drill. “In your dreams, Mühl,” You retort, giving Nika a little push. Sure, your last two girlfriends were brunettes, but that didn’t mean they were your type. You don’t really have a type, you just love all women. You love a certain star athlete in particular, though. 

Looking over at your girl, you see her staring at the floor angrily. You tilt your head in slight confusion before it dawns on you that she heard the teasing comment aimed your way. “Oh… She’s annoyed because of what Niks said. I’ll talk to her later,” you think to yourself, shaking your head to focus back on practice.

When your girlfriend’s name gets called for her interview, you watch her walk away. She’s chewing on her bottom lip, stomping her feet a little harder than usual, her shoulders hunched. You stare until you get hit by a basketball, reminding you to get your head in the game. 

Not long after, your attention gets taken away again as Paige comes back onto the court, being done with her interview much quicker than the others. You send Emma an apologetic look, feeling bad for her having to feel your girl’s wrath. She gives you a smile back, waving you over to finish your interview.

“‘M sorry about her, she’s not usually so…” You shake your head, not knowing what to say. “Don’t worry about it,” Emma grins. “I think she just has some stuff going on right now…” you trail off. “Mhm… I think she’s jealous,” the brunette shrugs. “Wait, what? Why would she be jealous?” You ask, your speech speeding up a bit, nervous that you might’ve given away your relationship with the girl. 

“Well, the two days I’ve been here, she’s been grumpy. She started off being happy, but then she saw me, and she looked annoyed,” she says in a matter of fact way. You open your mouth to protest but get stopped by the younger girl as she raises her hand. “The fact that she’s also sending me a death glare right now kinda makes me think she doesn’t like you being near me,” she finishes with a smirk. You whip your head around to look at the girl in question, seeing exactly what Emma was talking about. 

“I… It’s not like that,” you stumble, scratching your neck awkwardly. “Mhmmmm,” she hums, her eyes twinkling in amusement. “Okay, you can’t tell anyone!” You beg, your eyes wide as you look at her. “I won’t,” she replies. Seeing the uncertainty in your eyes, she put a hand on your arm, giving you a squeeze as she raises three fingers with her other hand, “Scout’s honor!” You relax with a chuckle. “Alright, dork.” 

You continue your interview, taking quick glances at your girlfriend every so often. Every time you look, you see her frown has deepened. Whenever Emma notices, you apologize, making the girl giggle at the amount of sorry’s you’ve said. When you finish your interview, you get up, shoving your shirt in your pants to continue practicing. You turn towards the brunette one last time, apologizing for the glares aimed her way. “It’s okay, it’s kinda sweet,” she replies. “Yeah, giving people the stink eye is sooo sweet,” you grin as you jog backward, making the younger girl laugh.

Hearing Emma’s sickly sweet laugh, Paige finally snaps. Once you reach the middle of the court, she marches over to you. Everyone moves away, clearly seeing that the girl is on a mission. Once she reaches you, you open your mouth to ask if everything is okay, but you don’t get the chance to say a word. The blonde grips your collar, tugging you down with more force than you expected, and kisses you hard. You automatically kiss her back before realizing what’s going on. 

Once she lets you go, you pull back slightly, looking at her with wide eyes. “You’re mine,” she growls quietly, not letting you get far. You immediately nod your head vigorously as you look her in the eyes before glancing around the room. The once lively gym suddenly having become so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone is staring at you two with a shocked look, while Emma gives you a smirk and an “I told you so” look. You see KK open her mouth a few times but close it again when she can’t find the words. 

Looking back at Paige, you see her anger has simmered down, an adorable pout on her face as she stares up at you. “I thought you didn’t want anyone to know just yet?” You mumble, leaning close so the others don’t hear. “Yeah, well, I changed my mind,” she mutters back, taking a glance towards the bench. You follow her gaze, grinning as you see Emma happily swinging her legs as she looks at you both, her cheek resting against her hand as she leans on the table in front of her. Chuckling, you pull your girl closer, leaning down to whisper, “Are you jealous?”

“What? N-no,” she huffs, burying her red face in your shoulder. You laugh at how adorable she’s being, ready to tease her some more. “You do realize Emma is in a relationship, right? She’s dating one of our hockey players.” The shorter girl becomes an even brighter red, embarrassed about the whole situation. You open your mouth to poke more fun at her, but the team seems to have overcome their initial shock, mumbling to each other in confusion.

“I’m sorry, pause,” Nika blurts out, raising her hand in a “stop” motion. “You two are dating??” She asks, her face still showing pure bewilderment. You look over at her with a wide, proud smile, nodding your head as you pull Paige closer against you, leaning your head on hers. “Since uh when?☝️🤨” KK interrogates. (A/N: Anyone get that reference?)

“We’ve been dating for 7 months and 13 days,” you reply, taking the lead as Paige is still too embarrassed to say much. “Damn, you said that with no hesitation,” Aaliyah says, looking a little impressed. “Yeah, you’re a simp,” KK laughs, making you roll your eyes. “You’re just mad cus I get bitches and you don’t!”

You look down at Paige, feeling her move away from you. She looks at you with a raised eyebrow and an “Oh really?” face. Stumbling over your words, you quickly correct yourself, “I-I mean, not bitches! Beautiful, gorgeous, smart, kind, amazing ladies- lady! One lady! Just you!” You cringe as you embarrass yourself in front of the team, proving just how down bad you are for your girl. Hearing the blonde’s soft laugh makes you feel a bit better, though only slightly.

“Wait, sorry, I’m still hung up on the fact that y’all have been dating for 7 months and somehow kept it a secret from us,” Azzi says, still looking baffled. “Yeah, come on twin, how could you not tell me?” Nika whines with a pout.

“Alright! Since clearly everyone has decided that this is more important than practice, let’s call it for today,” Geno says with an annoyed voice, though his eyes twinkle in amusement. The team starts smiling before the older man continues, “Let’s start practice 30 minutes early tomorrow, and you better come prepared because it’s gonna be a hard one!” 

The girls immediately deflate, groaning as they throw their heads back. You’re not looking forward to the grueling training, but you can’t really be mad after today. At least practice was done early, meaning you could spend the rest of the day with your girl! Even though you were pretty sure the girls would bombard you with questions, your smile doesn’t leave your face, knowing that the whole interrogation, Paige would be right by your side.

[ganondoodle]

botw2 (totk rewritten) ganondorf design (+some story) post

Mummy version what link and zelda discover beneath hyrule castle when investigating the failing shiekah tech and discover a cave system that leads to several abandoned shiekah research/security sites and ultimately lead to a cave in which ganondorf is still sealed away by the ancient queen of hyrule; after the initial sealing (or capture rather) her descendant and the shiekah, who were rapidly advancing their tech at the time, build around it, both to keep the seal secret and safe (as the actual sealing was a short but intense battle between him and the queen that wasnt intended to happen like that, in the middle of the throne room that got broken and both ended up in the underground, the only survivor being the young princess of hyrule from that time- since all involved parties except for her died little was known as to how and why but the stories were spun regardless and ultimately the final narrative was in hyrules favor) and to use ganondorfs immense spiritual power and magical skill- eventually becoming one of the main power sources for all shiekah technology (ouch)

the chamber is all shiekah built (post sealing) and similarly secured like the monks in shrines (though visibly decaying and failing)- once disturbed the remainder of the ancient queen fused into zeldas hand (with seemingly no effect but temporary pain, perhaps she will hear voices from the past telling her not to explore any further .. still working on that) ganondorfs body falls to the ground but then springs back to life, somewhat clumsily but fiercly attacking zelda and link, the shock from being in this horrendous condition between life and death for thousands and thousands of years and suddendly being thrust back into his decayed and used up body still fresh

the mastersword is broken and links arm destroyed, both link and zelda start to flee from the crumbling cave, zelda dragging link behind her in panic (and as he is hurt)- after which link gets his shiekah tech arm (and the arm stays gone) and the world changes

mid game fight- this game is not as free in progression as botw, you can do alot when you want but some things will remain locked, the mid game fight can only happen once the 4 main regions problems have been dealt with (very different to canon totk, but that is for a different post) and the castle, which fell into the underground shortly after the intro, is made accessible (specific way how still in work) the interior is both broken castle, rooms previously blocked, and shiekah tech- since beneath the castle was a whole, giant array of tech made to secure the castle, including reserves of ancient energy specifically for the royal family and the entire mechanism behind the rising pillars filled with guardians-

at the start of the dungeon link is grabbed by malice/miasma hands and dragged into the castle, seperated from zelda and the mechanics she introduced (crafting/reparing weapons and more), theres no way out, teleports are blocked; after getting further in alone, zelda finds you again, and nothing seems out of the ordinary (unless you have a keen eye, she only uses her left arm and would walk past things she usually wouldnt) after a certain amount of progression, without warning, as soon as zelda is out of the cameras view she will attack you relentlessly, not speaking a word and with changed eye color- after fighting with her/beign chased into the main throne room, the real zelda breaks through a wall, her friends in tow (yunobo, teba+tulin, riju, sidon, which she went to to ask for help, explaining the time gap), and ganondorf drops the disguise, a fight with him (mummy version) ensues, though he is very much back to his senses

at the end of the fight he shows (or forces her to see) zelda his last memory from when he lived, the confrontation with the ancient queen to his sealing (since she doesnt know/is in denial of her families role in both all this and the sonaus (zonais) extinction (as well as the betrayal and persecution of the shiekah later on), and his beef is with her specifically, link is just her guard dog after all) (i wasnt sure to include a direct scene from the past, but this one scene is very self contained and gives alot of context while still letting most of the past be a mystery- as i want to keep it as feeling ... removed and unknown as much as possible from the world you know)

(after which he leaves the scene as zelda tries to understand what she just saw)

post revival Ganondorf (beginning of end fight cutscene and phase 1.) only appears at the end (excluding the possible cutscene in the mid game fight, which shows him in his time, alive, which is a different design than this that i will make for a cutscene/story post)

the end of the game is in/on the forgotten plateau (it ends were botw began :) ) perhaps it rose higher and revealed an entrance after more game progression (at least one more dungeon, master kogas, and the restorations of the master sword via deku tree dungeon and sword quest involving the dragons; how much of the past you cared to explore within caves, which ARE the underground- its in several bigger and smaller, harder to access caves, each being somewhat to very unique and reveal more context, is largely irrelevant, it mostly serves to give YOU more context and make you think)

the dungeon is within the plateau, once to the end there is a longer cutscene of zelda trying to talk with ganondorf, now in his, largely, restored form (largely as in, not exactly as he was in past, clothing difference etc), her having come to understand what her legacy is and wanting to take responsibility for it; he listens calmly and talks to her for a bit (but the tension is very high, he knows what threat he poses and his goals, zelda is visibly trying to keep it together) and for a bit it might look like she can avoid this conflict

but he makes it very clear then, that she cannot undo anything, there is no possible price she could pay, he has suffered at hyrules hands for generations, having seen the world that was his home grow into myth, see his own people forget him, and how the history was remembered, not as it was, but as they wanted it to; he is forever changed, ripped from his time and all he ever held dear (there are clues and a mention of him having had two daughters, a little boar figurine, carved from wood of trees now extinct, hangs from his belt even now)- he wasnt a perfect king, but well liked and kept his country to stay strong against hyrules schemes .. until he fell- he is not truly alive, he is in a strangers world and this world hates him, it is anger and hatred, rage against all that happend, guilt for having failed his own, feeling betrayed by them yet, even if not truly their fault as no one knew what really happened except him, but he was imprisoned, with no breath to speak nor air to scream

he does not care for this world and his only goals now are to disrupt as much as possible, be the unstoppable force that hyrules always been, be the monster they wanted him to be, do as he wants until someone stops him ...and kill zelda to end her rotten family- but even if she gave up her life willingly he wouldnt take it, she will have to fight and make her own hands dirty and she does not want to die.

your friends arrive, and the battle begins.

(rough examples of his weapons are further below; he fights with one arm only in phase 1. then reforms his missing arm with malice, borrowed from the boar appearance, though it is not usable enough to truly replace it, it acts more like beasts claw and to copy some of links abilities, like the hookshot)

Beast Ganon(dorf), normal appearance (phase 3)

at the end of phase 2 he knocks out your friends, changes into beast form and attacks you, zelda using her magic to shield both her and link so he cannot bite through, instead smashes them both through stone and dirt all the way to the surface of the plateau on which the fight continues, this time only link and zelda

(his movement isnt a senseless rage, but a graceful being, he moves and jumps, floats and swims through the air as the ground in an almost dragon like way, he still wields magic, not all malice, but lightning and perhaps even more too, it is still him, just a different form)

Beast Ganon(dorf) while charging magic (phase 3)

Ganondorf phase 2 + Ganondorf phase 4 (slightly out of order but the boar wouldnt fit on one picture with other forms)

at the end of phase 3 (beast) it seems like you have beaten him, he is down and zelda takes charge, ready to do as she did to the dark beast she faced before (dark beast ganon in botw) but as she raises her hand a sword slash cuts off half her right hand- he is not done yet and refuses to be dealt with like that again, not by her hand again-

the final phase is a mix of all, including his appearance, this is the final struggle, to give every last drop of strength, the hole in his chest is open, malice eyes staring from within, it keeps him alive yet still-

zelda is disabled for this fight, she has been taken to safety by your friends, this fight is all on link to finish; while this is his most desperate and vengeful form, he is not senseless either, he summons his sword to attack you with as he did in phase 2, then throws it at you, quickly conducting lighting to it and while you are busy dodging lunges like in beast form (to paint the picture a little), this fight is supposed to be truly challenging.

(heres a rough example for his weapons)

(not fully sure of the ending scene, but there is supposed to be a short view into a timeskip in which zelda also has half a prosthetic hand made from shiekah tech)

[seraphinitegames]

The Wayhaven Chronicles—Update 01/March/2025

Sorry for the late update. Wanted to hit a certain check point on my task list before updating!

This week was a week I haven’t had in a while where it was a lot of turning game mechanics into a narrative form. I don’t want it to be obvious that it’s a game mechanic, but it also does kind of needs to be obvious so players understand how it works/what’s going, lol!

First up was getting across how the mechanics work for the MC’s powers during Book Four, and how the choice you make will affect that. I think I managed to show that rather just exposition dump, which makes things a bit easier! Plus it was the perfect opportunity for a angsty love interest moment, and you guys know how much I love slipping those in whenever I can, hehe! ;D

Then it was moving onto an encounter with Li-Sar where things are going to be turning a bit more serious in the romance if you choose it, but I needed to make it obvious that these were important dialogue choices that would affect things.

Li-Sar’s romance is like a more traditional romance game than the vampires—in that I’m tracking points and how much the player is into it for romance moments to trigger.

I’m doing it that way because their romance is so…intense, lol!

There will come an ultimate choice, where you can also just choose to lock in the romance too, though.

So yeah, a bit of a complicated week with trying to figure out coding and narrative and how to make them co-exist. Always a unique task in creating games! :D

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! We'll be offline as usual, so I'll update you all again next week <3

[lupinqs]

SAFE AND SOUND (1/3) ━━ pazzi

☆ ━ summary: in which azzi fudd forms an unexpected alliance with paige bueckers as they fight for survival in the hunger games.

☆ ━ word count: 10.1K

☆ ━ warnings: nothing yet really, should all be in the next chapter lol

☆ ━ links: part two, part three, my masterlist, ao3 link

☆ ━ author’s note: if i had a nickel for every time i wrote one of my ships going to the hunger games together, i’d have two nickels. which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice 🧐 obviously this is a hunger games au so if you haven’t read the book or seen the movie or are not familiar with the premise, i don’t know how well you’ll be able to understand. alsoooo this part is lowkey very much buildup and not actual pazzi just mostly azzi; it was meant to be one whole part but it would’ve been too damn long so i split it!

“AZZI FUDD.”

The words hang in the air, and for a moment, everything stops. The world around her seems to freeze in time. Lucia Bliss, the escort from District Nine, says the name with a certain flair, her voice high-pitched and breathy, as if this is a celebration instead of a death sentence. Lucia’s purple hair gleams under the harsh midday sun, her too-bright smile a sick contrast to the crowd’s silence.

Azzi stands rooted to the ground. Her heart slams in her chest, and her vision narrows as shock seeps through her bones. She can’t move, can’t breathe. Her body is disconnected from her mind, numbness spreading through her limbs. She vaguely registers the weight of the stares from the girls around her—some wide-eyed with horror, others carefully blank. Azzi blinks. Is this real? She swallows hard, but her throat feels like sandpaper.

She never let herself think about this. Never allowed the possibility to take root. She spent the whole week worrying about her little brothers, Jon and Jose, her anxiety circling around them like a storm cloud. Jose, especially. It’s his first Reaping, and he’d been so scared he couldn’t sleep the night before. Azzi had promised him it’d be okay, that the odds were in their favor. She’d lied. And now it’s her name that hangs in the air.

Her legs feel heavy, like they’ve been weighed down with stones, but somehow, she forces them to move. One step. Then another. Each movement is stiff, mechanical, her body obeying while her mind is still reeling. The faces in the crowd blur into a mass of pale colors, and Azzi avoids looking at any of them directly. The sun presses down on her back, making her skin feel tight, suffocating, but she barely registers it. Her heartbeat thuds in her ears, a dull roar that drowns out everything else.

I have to do this. She repeats it in her head, over and over, as if it will numb the panic creeping up her spine. I have to get up there.

The platform is higher than it looks. It looms above her as she approaches, and the closer she gets, the more she feels the weight of the district watching her. Her hands tremble at her sides, but she keeps them balled into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She can’t afford to show fear. Not now.

She steps onto the stage, the wooden floor creaking beneath her shoes. Lucia Bliss beams at her, all synthetic kindness and hollow enthusiasm, like she’s completely oblivious to the fact that she’s sending a sixteen-year-old girl to her death. Azzi wants to scream, to shout at her, to demand to know how she can smile like that. Instead, she stands there, stiff as a board, staring blankly into the crowd.

She doesn’t look at her family. Not yet. If she lets herself see them—really see them—she knows she’ll fall apart. And she can’t afford to break down, not in front of everyone. Not here. The numbness is the only thing keeping her from collapsing.

“Now, for the boys!” Lucia announces, with that same bright cheeriness, like this is all just a grand spectacle and not a nightmare come to life.

The second name is pulled, and Azzi barely registers the sound of the boy’s name. “Kellan Ryder.”

Her eyes catch a glimpse of him as he stumbles forward—a scrawny boy with messy red hair and too-thin arms. He looks no older than fourteen, maybe fifteen at most. His face is pale, his mouth set in a tight line as he walks toward the platform like a condemned man heading to the gallows. There’s no strength in him, no fire. He’s shaking like a leaf, and Azzi knows his fate immediately. Anyone with a brain should. He won’t make it.

Kellan’s knees wobble as he climbs onto the platform, nearly tripping on the last step. His frightened eyes dart around, but when they meet Azzi’s for a fleeting moment, she sees it—the absolute terror, the resignation that’s already settled in him. He knows he’s dead. And now, she’s tethered to him.

Lucia claps her hands together, looking as if she expects the crowd to erupt into applause, but no one moves. District Nine never claps at the Reaping. There’s nothing to celebrate here.

Azzi’s jaw tightens, her hands still clenched at her sides. What now? What happens next? She can’t feel anything except a dull, creeping fear gnawing at the edges of her consciousness. It’s been less than five minutes since her name was called, but it feels like an eternity has passed. She feels lost, unmoored, floating in a space where time no longer makes sense.

As the anthem blares across the square, she chances a glance into the crowd—just for a second. Her gaze locks onto her family. Her mom is there, her face pale but strong. Azzi’s dad stands right next to her, an arm around her waist. They wear the same firm expressions—like they may actually believe their daughter can make it through this. Azzi can’t find Jon and Jose—they’re somewhere within the rest of the relieved crowd of boys who have been spared this year.

Lucia is speaking again, but Azzi barely hears her. The words are muffled, distant, as she’s ushered off the stage and into the cold interior of the Justice Building. Her chest feels tight, her throat burning from holding back everything that’s clawing at her insides, threatening to break free. She can’t let them see her cry.

Inside the Justice Building, it’s quieter, but the silence only makes her pulse race faster. She’s taken to a small room to wait. The goodbyes. They give her only a few minutes with her family before she’s whisked away forever.

Her mother is the first to come in, and the second the door closes behind her, the stoic mask she’s been holding up crumbles. She rushes forward and pulls Azzi into a bone-crushing hug. Katie Fudd does not shed any tears, but Azzi can feel her shaking against her shoulder. Trembling, but trying to fight it.

“You’re going to come back,” her mother says firmly, as if she’s manifesting it into existence. And then, more choked: “Please, Azzi. You have to come back.”

Azzi stands stiffly for a moment, then wraps her arms around her mother. She wants to promise that she’ll come back, that she’ll survive, but the words stick in her throat. How can she make a promise like that when she doesn’t know if she can keep it?

“I’ll try,” Azzi says instead, her voice hollow. I’ll try. It’s all she can offer.

Her brothers come in next, Jon leading Jose. The second Jose sees her, he runs to her, clinging to her waist like he’s afraid she’ll disappear if he lets go. His face is streaked with tears, his breath coming in ragged sobs.

“You’re gonna come back, right?” Jose’s voice is small, broken. Azzi’s reminded that he’s only twelve. “You have to come back.”

Azzi pulls away slightly, brushing the hair out of his face. “I’ll do my best,” she whispers, her voice trembling. She can’t say anything more than that. She wishes she could lie, give him something more hopeful, but the truth is all she has.

Jon is much quieter, and he stands back, his face hard as stone. But his eyes—his eyes are full of pain, full of everything he’s trying not to feel. When he finally steps forward, he pulls her into a tight hug, whispering in her ear, “Please try to come home.”

Azzi nods, her throat too tight to respond.

And then it’s her dad that gets her last, his arms wrapping around her softer, less firm. He rubs a hand along her back, rests his chin on top of her head. It makes Azzi want to cry. But she doesn’t. She keeps the tears in. Tim tells her, “Be smart. Don’t trust anyone.” And then he pulls away, meeting her gaze. His eyes aren’t sad, they don’t memorize the lines of her face as if this is likely the last time they’ll ever see each other. Instead, they’re firm, a fire burning in them, a fire that believes Azzi has enough spark in her to win. “You’re strong, Az. You find what you’re good at, and you stick to it. Just like shooting.”

Azzi nods, though his words don’t truly reach her. She’s good at basketball—great, even. The best shooter in her district. But the Hunger Games isn’t basketball. It’s entirely different.

The goodbye is over too quickly, the Peacekeepers ushering her family out of the room, their voices echoing down the hall. As the door closes behind them, the reality of the situation hits her with full force. This is happening. This is real. There’s no way out of it. In just a few days, she’ll be in the arena, and all that will matter is survival.

Azzi takes a deep breath, her hands trembling. She has to survive. For her family. For her mom. For her dad. For Jon and Jose. I have to win.

But as the cold emptiness settles into her chest, she knows it’s not going to be that simple. Not even close.

THE ROOM in the Capitol’s Remake Center is pristine and clinical—too clean, in fact. The walls are bright white, and the overhead lights are too harsh, casting everything in an almost sterile glow. The faint hum of machinery buzzes in the background, and Azzi sits stiffly on the plush chair in the center of the room, her back straight and hands clenched in her lap. She can feel the cold, unfamiliar air of the Capitol against her skin, a far cry from the familiar, earthy smells of District Nine. The whole place feels wrong.

Azzi’s mind is still spinning from the events of the past day, from the Reaping to the train ride to the Capitol. Everything feels like a blur—one unending nightmare she can’t escape from. The vibrant, colorful city that’s supposed to be awe-inspiring feels nothing more than a glittering cage, trapping her in a world that doesn’t belong to her.

A knock at the door startles her from her thoughts, and she straightens, her heart thudding a little harder in her chest. The door opens, and in walks a tall, slender woman with dark, shimmering hair cut into a sleek bob. Her skin is flawless, glowing in the artificial light, and she’s dressed in an outfit that’s both futuristic and elegant, all smooth lines and shimmering fabric.

She strides into the room with the kind of confidence Azzi has only ever seen in Capitol citizens, her heels clicking against the floor. When she reaches Azzi, she extends a perfectly manicured hand and offers a soft, warm smile.

“Hello, Azzi. I’m Seraphine,” she says, her voice gentle, as though she knows how jarring this experience must be. “I’ll be your stylist for the Games.”

Azzi stares at Seraphine’s hand for a second too long before realizing she’s supposed to shake it. Her fingers feel cold as she grips the stylist’s hand briefly, then pulls away, her eyes flickering nervously to the floor. She hasn’t said a word since entering the Remake Center, and even now, her throat feels tight, like it’s closed off from the weight of everything around her.

Seraphine seems to notice Azzi’s discomfort and doesn’t push her to speak. Instead, she walks around the chair, studying Azzi with a critical yet kind eye, taking in her features as if she’s a sculpture being examined for the first time.

“You’ve got very strong features,” Seraphine says, her voice soft as she moves to stand in front of Azzi. She lifts a hand, her finger tracing the air just in front of Azzi’s face as if imagining her canvas. “A really beautiful face. Great symmetry. Your nose is perfect—straight, but with just a little softness at the tip. And your lips,” she smiles, “plump and well-shaped, the kind people pay for here in the Capitol.”

Azzi doesn’t know what to say. She swallows hard and forces out a quiet, “Thank you.”

But the words feel hollow in her mouth. Two days ago, she probably would’ve flushed at the compliment and grinned at the woman before her. But it doesn’t matter now. Being beautiful won’t keep her alive. It won’t stop a sword or a spear. It won’t protect her when she’s standing in the arena, staring down a tribute who wants her dead. She doesn’t care about her looks. She cares about surviving.

Seraphine seems to sense the tension in her, but she doesn’t comment on it. Instead, she steps back and claps her hands together, her expression shifting into something more professional. “Well, we’ve got a lot to do before the Opening Ceremony tonight. The tributes from District Nine usually get an agricultural theme, but we’re going to make sure you stand out. You’ll need something that catches the eye, something that makes people remember you. The Capitol loves a good first impression.”

Azzi tries to focus on what Seraphine is saying, but her mind keeps drifting, her thoughts pulling her back to District Nine, to the faces of her brothers, her parents, their small home nestled in the farthest corner of the district. She feels like she’s been dropped into an alien world, surrounded by people who don’t understand what it means to fight for survival. Here, everything is about image—how you look, how you present yourself. But in the Games, none of that matters. At least, not to Azzi.

Seraphine motions for Azzi to stand, and she does so stiffly, her muscles aching from sitting so rigidly for so long. The stylist begins to circle her, appraising her figure and murmuring to herself. After a few moments of quiet contemplation, Seraphine snaps her fingers, and a team of assistants rushes in, carrying bolts of fabric and strange devices Azzi doesn’t recognize.

Seraphine smiles softly, her fingers brushing against Azzi’s shoulder. “We’re going to make you look incredible. Trust me, Azzi. I’ve been doing this for years.”

Azzi doesn’t respond. She lets the team of assistants work on her, trying not to flinch as they run strange tools across her skin, smoothing it, shaping it. They tug at her hair, pulling it back tightly from her face, and apply makeup to her cheeks and eyes. She’s never worn anything like this before, and the sensation of it all feels foreign, uncomfortable. The air smells heavily of perfume and hair products, nothing like the open fields and fresh earth of her home.

Seraphine watches closely, making small adjustments as the assistants work. “We’ll keep it simple but striking,” she says as she examines the fabrics. “District Nine is about agriculture, the backbone of Panem’s food production. So we’ll lean into that, but in a way that makes you look powerful. Strong. Like someone the Capitol will want to root for.”

Azzi barely nods, her mind half-absent.

The assistants pull out a long, flowing piece of fabric, the color a rich golden hue that shimmers in the light. It’s embroidered with intricate patterns, resembling the fields of grain District Nine is known for. The material clings to her body, forming into a fitted jumpsuit that accentuates her athletic build. The design is sleek and modern, with a slight flare at the shoulders, giving her the appearance of strength, while the fabric flows behind her like a cape made of golden wheat.

Seraphine steps back, admiring the final look, her lips curling into a satisfied smile. “You look incredible, Azzi. Absolutely stunning. This will make the audience remember you—beautiful, but more importantly, formidable.”

Azzi stares at herself in the mirror, her reflection almost unrecognizable. The girl looking back at her is a Capitol version of herself, someone polished and made to look like she belongs here. But Azzi can see right through it. She doesn’t belong here.

“How do you feel?” Seraphine asks, stepping up beside her.

Azzi hesitates, her eyes lingering on her reflection. She looks strong, she looks like someone people might fear. But the question gnaws at her, the same thought that’s been looping in her head since she arrived at the Capitol.

“Being beautiful won’t help me in the arena,” she says quietly, her voice low, as if the thought escapes her without permission.

Seraphine’s expression softens, and she places a hand gently on Azzi’s shoulder. “It’s not just about beauty. It’s about presence. The Capitol citizens, the sponsors—they want someone they can believe in. If they believe in you, they’ll help you. They’ll send you things you need. And that could be the difference between life and death.”

Azzi doesn’t know how to respond to that. She’s never thought about it that way—never considered that people watching her might care enough to help. She doesn’t know if she likes that idea, though. It feels too distant, too detached. How can she trust that some faceless audience in the Capitol will care enough to keep her alive?

But she nods anyway, her jaw tight as she looks back at her reflection. “I guess.”

Seraphine gives her a reassuring smile, but Azzi can see the flicker of something else in the stylist’s eyes. Maybe a recognition of the bleakness that comes with the Games. Or maybe just sympathy. Either way, it doesn’t change the reality.

And then Seraphine is clapping her hands again, signaling the rush of assistants and stylists bustling back into the room. They tidy up the last few details, adjusting the cape of shimmering gold fabric that flows behind Azzi, smoothing out any wrinkles in the intricate embroidery of her jumpsuit. The noise, the movement, all of it feels overwhelming, but Seraphine stays calm and poised, giving Azzi a reassuring smile before gesturing toward the door.

“Come, Azzi. We need to head downstairs. Your chariot awaits,” Seraphine says.

Azzi’s legs feel unsteady as she follows her stylist. There’s a gnawing anxiety low in her stomach, a knot that’s only been growing tighter since her name was pulled. She walks behind Seraphine, out of the room and down a long, marble hallway that echoes with the click of the stylist’s heels. The air feels heavier here, the anticipation hanging thick in the space around them as they make their way to the first floor.

The elevator doors open, revealing the Remake Center’s ground floor—a massive, gleaming stable. The smell of horses hits her first, a sharp contrast to the sterile air of the upper floors. The space is wide and open, filled with row after row of chariots, each one assigned to a different district, waiting to carry their tributes into the Opening Ceremony. It’s loud, too, with the sound of people bustling around, prepping the tributes, adjusting the horses’ harnesses, and giving last-minute instructions.

Azzi’s eyes dart around, searching for Kellan, her district partner. She spots him off to the side, standing next to one of the chariots, his eyes wide with fear and his shoulders hunched as if he’s trying to make himself as small as possible. He looks terrible, Azzi thinks, her heart twisting in her chest. Kellan is so young—fourteen—the same age as her little brother Jon.

In fact, Kellan could’ve been Jon. Could’ve been Jose. The thought makes her feel sick. He’s just a kid. And now he’s about to be thrown into a fight to the death.

Azzi’s stomach churns as she approaches Kellan, trying to think of something to say, something that might ease his nerves, but nothing comes to mind. What can she say? You’ll be fine? It won’t be that bad? It would be a lie. There’s no comforting truth here.

Lucia is already there, too, flitting around with her usual enthusiasm. Her bright purple wig bounces as she talks, gesturing wildly with her hands. She’s all Capitol—flashy and clueless, too caught up in the spectacle of it all to realize what’s really at stake.

“Ah, Azzi! You look fan-tastic!” Lucia exclaims, clucking her tongue and clapping her hands together. “Seraphine has really outdone herself this year.”

Azzi gives a stiff nod, but her attention is drawn to the figure standing next to Lucia.

Their mentor—Cyrus.

A tall, grizzled man in his mid-forties, Cyrus won the Games when he was seventeen, Azzi knows that. His hair is streaked with silver now, and his face is lined with years of bitterness and loss—an expression she’s come to recognize in former victors. Cyrus isn’t the warmest person, but he knows what it takes to survive, and that’s all that matters to Azzi now.

He steps forward, eyeing her and Kellan critically, his arms crossed over his broad chest. “You both look good,” he says, his voice gruff, as if the compliment costs him something. “But this isn’t about just looking good. It’s about making the Capitol love you. You need them on your side, or you’re dead in the water.”

Kellan swallows hard, his eyes darting nervously toward the chariots. Azzi can see his hands trembling slightly at his sides, and again, that pang of guilt hits her. He shouldn’t be here. He’s too young.

So is Azzi. So is every other tribute here.

Cyrus doesn’t seem to notice Kallan’s behavior—or if he does, he doesn’t care. He steps closer, his voice dropping into a low, urgent tone. “When you get out there, you smile. You wave. You make sure they see you, like you’re already a victor. The crowd loves confidence. They love tributes who look like they’ll win, not ones who are scared to death.” His eyes flick to Kellan, lingering for a second too long. “So you both smile. Got it?”

Azzi nods, even though the last thing she wants to do is smile right now. But Cyrus is right. They have to play the game, even here.

She turns her head slightly, trying to shake off the weight of the moment when something—or someone—catches her eye.

Just across the stable, standing next to another chariot with her district partner, is a girl. She’s tall for a girl, like Azzi is, with long blonde hair that’s been braided back into a bun. Her outfit is clearly themed around District Seven—lumber—and it’s made of rich brown leather, like freshly cut wood, with patterns that resemble tree bark. But what stands out most to Azzi isn’t the outfit. It’s her face.

The girl’s features are sharp but soft in all the right places. She has a defined jawline, high cheekbones, and a pair of piercing blue eyes that seem to flicker with something unspoken. She’s pretty—beautiful, even—but not in the overdone, Capitol way. There’s something natural about her beauty, something real.

Azzi’s breath catches in her throat as their eyes meet. For a moment, the noise of the stable fades into the background, and all she can hear is the pounding of her heart in her chest. The girl holds her gaze, her expression unreadable but intense, like she’s studying Azzi just as much as Azzi is studying her.

This girl is another tribute. Another person Azzi might have to kill. But the thought doesn’t stop her from staring a second too long, from letting herself get caught in the girl’s gaze.

It’s only when Cyrus barks something at them that Azzi snaps her head back around, her cheeks flushing as she tries to focus. This isn’t the time for distractions.

She forces her attention back to Cyrus as he continues giving them last-minute instructions. “Smile. Wave. Make them love you. Got it?”

Azzi nods, though her thoughts are still jumbled. She glances at Kellan, who’s biting his lip nervously, his eyes darting around the stable like a rabbit caught in a trap.

And then they’re being ushered toward their chariot. Azzi takes a deep breath, her legs feeling wobbly as she steps onto the platform, Kellan following behind her. The horses, sleek and muscular, are restless in front of them, their hooves clattering against the marble floor. She grips the edge of the chariot tightly, her knuckles turning white.

As the chariots begin to roll out, Azzi takes one more deep breath. She can hear the roar of the crowd growing louder, the excitement building as the tributes are about to make their grand entrance.

The moment they roll into view of the massive audience, the noise is deafening. The Capitol citizens cheer and shout, their brightly colored hair and outrageous outfits blending together into a sea of vibrant chaos. Azzi forces herself to smile, just like instructed, letting her dimples show through as she waves to the crowd, her arm moving mechanically as if on autopilot. She hates it—the way their eyes are all on her, the way they’re watching her as if she’s nothing more than a piece in their twisted game.

She’s never wanted attention like this. The only way she’d ever dreamed of being noticed was by playing basketball, maybe one day making it big enough to play in the Capitol’s professional leagues. But that was a stupid dream—something far out of reach for someone from a District. Even if she won the Games, even if she became a Capitol darling, she’d never be allowed to play. The basketball leagues are for Capitol citizens, not for tributes. Not for people like her.

Azzi keeps smiling, keeps waving, even though every second of it feels wrong. The crowd’s cheers grow louder, their excitement palpable, but Azzi feels nothing. All she can think about is the girl from District Seven—the girl whose eyes she can still feel on her, even now, as the chariots roll forward.

IT’S THE second day of training. Yesterday, Azzi found her strength—throwing knives. It was quick; the dagger was the first weapon she picked up and tried. And it just… worked. It surprised her at first, but as the blades left her hand, spinning in the air before sinking into the target with a solid thud, it felt almost familiar. The motion, the precision, the focus—it all reminds her of shooting a basketball. In her mind, it’s the same concept: aim, release, make the shot. Whether it’s a knife sinking into a dummy or a ball swooshing through a hoop, the goal is the same. And it comforts her in a strange way, turning something deadly into something she’s used to, something she can control.

Now, Azzi stands several feet away from a dummy, gripping a knife, the handle cool against her palm. She lines it up with the target. Her muscles tighten as she flicks her wrist, releasing the dagger. It slices through the air, embedding itself into where the heart of the dummy would be with a satisfying thud. A perfect hit. She lets out a slow breath, allowing a small flicker of satisfaction to cross her face. The trainers don’t miss it either, nodding with approval as they observe her from across the room.

Cyrus, her mentor, has been watching her closely since she got here. And, after Azzi informed him of her successes with the daggers last night and his compliments of her physique, the true muscle she has, it’s been clear he’s placing his bets on Azzi this time around. It seems there’s just no point in trying with Kellan.

As for Kellan, he hasn’t said much of anything since they were whisked away to the Capitol. He’s just a boy, and Azzi has watched the fear in his eyes grow with each passing day. Cyrus has tried to train him, to offer him advice, but Kellan’s barely even listened. It’s as if he’s already given up. Azzi sees it in the way his hands tremble whenever he holds a weapon, the way he flinches during combat drills, and the way he refuses to meet anyone’s gaze. He’s already dead in his mind, and Azzi knows that mentality will get him killed in the arena.

“Focus on yourself,” Cyrus had told her bluntly last night after dinner. “Kellan’s not gonna make it. You need to accept that now.”

Azzi had nodded, the truth of Cyrus’ words sitting like a heavy weight in her chest. She tried talking to Kellan once, offering him a few words of encouragement, but he barely even acknowledged her. After that, she stopped trying. She can’t afford to waste time or energy on someone who’s already checked out. It isn’t like she doesn’t feel guilty—she does—but she has to survive.

She can’t focus on anyone else’s survival but her own.

Today, Cyrus has her focusing on something other than knives. “You’ve got those down,” he’d told her before the session. “Learn how to survive the elements now. Plants, food, water. You need to know what’s safe and what isn’t. Most tributes die from hunger, dehydration—not all of it is blood and guts.”

So Azzi finds herself crouched in front of an information station, its holographic displays showing various plants, fruits, and fungi. She taps the screen, cycling through images of plants she might find in the arena, trying to commit them to memory. Which ones are edible, which ones are poisonous, which ones could be used to heal wounds. It’s not as exciting as knife-throwing, but it’s necessary, and she knows it.

She’s absorbed in her study, staring intently at a particularly nasty-looking mushroom, when she senses someone approaching from the side. Her muscles tense instinctively, and she glances up, prepared to brush off whoever it is—until she sees Paige Bueckers standing next to her.

Paige Bueckers. District Seven. Azzi knows who she is. She’s memorized all the tributes’ names and districts by now—it’s smart to know who she’s up against—but Paige was the first one she committed to memory. Maybe it’s because of the way Paige caught her eye before the opening ceremony, their silent exchange of glances lingering in Azzi’s mind longer than she’d like to admit. Or maybe it’s because she’s watched Paige train over the past two days and realized just how dangerous the girl really is. Azzi saw her with a sword earlier, moving with a deadly grace that sent chills down her spine. Paige might be one of the most skilled tributes here, and that’s saying something.

Paige is tall, even a little taller than Azzi, and her blonde hair is pulled back into a ponytail, a thin, black headband resting over it. Her sharp, blue eyes meet Azzi’s as she stops next to her, wearing a grin that seems completely out of place in the tense, competitive atmosphere of the training center.

“Azzi Fudd,” Paige says, her tone casual, as if they’re not preparing to kill each other in a matter of days. “District Nine.”

Azzi glances back at the screen, her brows furrowing slightly. She doesn’t know how to feel about Paige approaching her. She doesn’t know what she wants. This could be some kind of strategy—get close to your enemies, make them lower their guard. Azzi isn’t stupid. She knows better than to trust anyone here.

“Bueckers,” Azzi replies, her voice neutral, not giving anything away. She keeps her eyes on the screen, scrolling through more plant images.

But Paige doesn’t leave. She shifts her weight, bouncing slightly on her heels, like she can’t seem to stay still. The grin on her face widens, and Azzi feels even more confused. Why is Paige so friendly? Why is she smiling like they’re just two normal girls having a chat?

“So, you’re, like, really good with daggers, huh?” Paige says, her voice light. “I saw you throwing earlier. Pretty impressive.”

Azzi doesn’t look up. She sighs instead, her fingers hovering over the screen. “Guess so,” she mumbles. In the back of her mind, she knows she should probably be nicer. Paige might be trying to form an alliance, and with Kellan being a dead end, Azzi could use one. But trust is a luxury she can’t afford right now, and Paige’s enthusiasm throws her off.

Paige doesn’t seem fazed by Azzi’s short response, though. She keeps standing there, grinning like an idiot, her eyes twinkling with some kind of amusement. It’s unnerving how at ease she seems, how… happy. It’s probably a mask. She’s probably as terrified as the rest of them, and she’s just getting through it in her own way.

Nevertheless, Azzi can’t take it anymore. She turns her head slightly, locking eyes with Paige. “Why are you talking to me?” she asks bluntly.

Paige blinks, her grin faltering for just a moment. For the first time, she looks a little unsure of herself. “Um… I don’t really know, actually,” she admits with a small, nervous laugh. “Just… wanted to, I guess.”

Azzi narrows her eyes, studying her. She has no idea if the girl before her is being honest. But the sincerity in her voice catches Azzi a little off guard, and for a second, she’s not sure what to say. This is the Hunger Games. No one talks to someone just because they “want to.” Everyone has an angle. Yet Paige stands there, looking oddly genuine, like she really doesn’t have a reason. Like she just wants to talk to Azzi, no strings attached.

For a moment, Azzi’s walls start to crack. She considers the possibility—however slim—that Paige is just… a good person. It doesn’t make sense, not in a place like this, but the warmth in Paige’s smile makes Azzi’s suspicion waver.

“Well,” Azzi finally says, her voice a little softer than before, “maybe you shouldn’t.” She doesn’t look away this time, her eyes lingering on Paige’s, almost like she’s testing her.

Paige’s grin returns, softer this time, but still there. “Maybe,” she says, “but I’m here anyway.”

Azzi shakes her head a little, gaze returning to the screen. She needs to focus on this, not the girl beside her.

Paige doesn’t seem to be deterred, though, still watching Azzi with that easy smile, her eyes bright. “You’re pretty serious, yeah?” she says, tilting her head, almost like she’s teasing but not quite. “Locked in. I get it. Gotta be. But… we’re all here, y'know? Same boat.”

Azzi shifts her weight, feeling her jaw tighten. “I have to be serious,” Azzi mutters, her fingers swiping across the screen, though she’s not really paying attention to the plants anymore. Her heart beats a little faster under Paige’s gaze. “You can’t survive if you’re not.”

Paige leans in just slightly, and Azzi catches the faint scent of something sweet on her, like flowers. “I know that,” she says, her tone softening for a moment. “But you might need some help in there—if you wanna win.”

Azzi’s shoulders tense. The suggestion makes her uneasy, and her instinct is to push back. Help. From anyone, it feels too dangerous. It feels like relying on someone she can’t control. She barely trusts herself in this place, let alone a girl from another district who, let’s be real, could very well end up as an enemy.

“I don’t need help,” Azzi says, her voice firmer than before. “Especially not from people I don’t know.”

Paige’s smile fades a little, but there’s no frustration in her expression. If anything, she just looks… thoughtful, almost curious about Azzi’s reaction. It’s like she’s trying to figure her out, trying to see beneath the guarded exterior.

Azzi hates that. She doesn’t want to be studied or analyzed, especially not by Paige Bueckers. She’s already doing too much of that herself—constantly assessing everyone, weighing their strengths and weaknesses, trying to predict who’s a threat and who might just fade into the background.

“I’m not trying to get in your way, Azzi,” Paige says quietly, her voice losing some of its earlier lightness. “But, y’know, maybe we don’t have to be enemies. I’ve seen you, and you’re good. Like, real good. And neither of us are Careers and both our district partners are kinda duds, so I just thought…”

Azzi cuts her off, turning to face her abruptly. “Thought what? That we’d be allies? Friends?” She shakes her head, ignoring the strange knot of tension building in her chest. Paige might be trying to help, but Azzi doesn’t want it. She can’t want it. Not here. “It doesn’t work like that. I don’t work like that. Sorry.”

Paige stands there, still watching her, and for a second, Azzi thinks she sees something flicker in Paige’s eyes—disappointment, maybe, or understanding. But Paige doesn’t push back. She just nods once, a slow, thoughtful thing.

“Okay,” Paige says, stepping back a little, giving Azzi space. Her smile returns, softer, but still there. “I get it. Just… keep doin' what you’re good at.”

Azzi feels a strange pang in her chest as she watches Paige step away, like maybe she’s made a mistake. But no—she can’t think like that. She needs to stay focused, stay sharp, stay alone. That’s how she’ll survive.

Without another word, Azzi turns on her heel and walks away, her heart beating faster than before.

THE PINK dress hugs Azzi’s figure, its soft blush fabric shimmering under the bright lights of the dressing room. It’s not something she’s ever imagined herself wearing—not this shade, not this tight. She looks almost like a Capitol citizen now, polished and flawless in her own right.

The dress has a high neckline and delicate straps that crisscross her shoulders, falling in elegant folds down to her ankles. It’s simple, yet the color makes her stand out, glowing softly against her dark skin. Her hair is styled in loose waves, not unlike the Capitol’s obsession with effortless beauty, with the font pieces pulled back into braids. The makeup is light but dramatic—plump lips, accentuated cheekbones, and eyes that pop with a subtle pink shimmer.

Seraphine steps back, admiring her work with a satisfied smile. “You look stunning, Azzi. Like a dream.”

Azzi nods, not fully meeting Seraphine’s gaze. She knows she looks good, but it doesn’t feel like her. The face staring back at her in the mirror is a version of herself she doesn’t recognize. It’s not the Azzi from District Nine; it’s not the girl who shoots hoops with her brothers or helps her dad tend to the crops. It’s someone else—someone made for the Capitol’s stage. Someone for their entertainment.

“Thank you,” she says quietly, though her voice lacks enthusiasm. Seraphine doesn’t seem to mind. She knows by now that Azzi is serious, focused. There’s no time for compliments when the Games are looming.

Seraphine’s assistant adjusts the hem of Azzi’s dress one last time before stepping aside. “You’ll knock them dead,” she says with a wink, though the words sit heavy with the weight of their meaning. Knocking them dead. That’s quite literally what Azzi will have to do soon enough.

As she’s led out to the waiting area before the interviews, Azzi’s mind begins to drift. She thinks back to the training evaluations, how she had scored a 10—one of only four tributes to do so. A 10 is good, she knows that, but the competition is fierce. Both the girl and boy from Two scored 10s and Paige managed a 10 as well. There are other tributes with 9s, plenty who will be formidable in their own right. But Paige? Paige is different. She’s unpredictable, unnervingly skilled. And something about her makes Azzi feel a pang of unease.

As Azzi settles into her seat backstage, waiting for her interview with Caesar Flickerman, she watches the other tributes’ interviews on the screen. The Careers are all flashy and confident, playing up their deadliness to the crowd’s delight. Caesar eats it up, grinning and laughing as they boast about their skills and charm the Capitol audience. The boy from District Four also stands out—tall, muscular, and intimidating. A strong swimmer, no doubt. He’ll be dangerous, especially if the arena is at all water-based.

But none of them hold a candle to Paige.

When Paige steps onto the stage, it’s as if the entire room shifts. She looks stunning, effortlessly cool, in a crisp white suit that contrasts sharply with the frilly dresses most of the other girls have chosen. Her hair is down, styled in soft, wavy locks, with the top half pulled back in a way that highlights her sharp features. She looks more masculine than the other girls, but somehow that works in her favor. It’s not just that she’s different—it’s that she owns it. The Capitol loves different.

Azzi watches, unable to tear her eyes away, as Paige charms the entire crowd. She’s funny, confident, and just the right amount of cocky. Caesar practically beams at her, and the audience is eating out of the palm of her hand.

“You’re quite the swordswoman,” Caesar says, raising his eyebrows in admiration. “I saw your score, Paige—a 10! That’s incredible.”

Paige just grins, shrugging casually. “You know, I try.”

The crowd laughs, and Cyrus begins to mutter under his breath. “Damn it,” he says, shaking his head as he runs a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “She’s going to have sponsors lined up around the block.”

Azzi knows he’s right. Paige isn’t just skilled—she’s magnetic. People want to root for her. She’s dangerous, yes, but she’s also got this charm that makes you want to see her win, even if that means she’ll be killing people to get there.

Azzi swallows hard, feeling a knot form in her stomach. As much as she doesn’t want to admit it, she’s drawn to Paige, too. There’s something about her that pulls Azzi in—her confidence, her grace under pressure, her ease in the face of what’s to come. It’s not just attraction, though she can’t deny that Paige is beautiful. It’s more than that. There’s something about Paige that makes Azzi feel like she’s… alive. Like she’s not just surviving, but living fully in the moment, despite everything. Ironic, considering Paige could be the one to kill Azzi in that arena—or vice versa.

And Azzi hates that she feels this way. She shouldn’t be drawn to Paige. She shouldn’t be thinking about how Paige’s eyes had locked onto hers back at the opening ceremony, or how Paige had approached her during training, trying to talk like they were friends. None of it matters. Paige is just another tribute, another obstacle standing between Azzi and survival.

But still… there’s something about her.

As Paige’s interview wraps up, the crowd erupts in applause, and Caesar gives her a hug before she leaves the stage. Azzi watches as Paige walks off, her suit practically glowing under the stage lights. For a brief moment, Paige glances in Azzi’s direction, their eyes meeting across the room. It’s quick—just a fleeting second—but Azzi feels her heart skip a beat before she looks away, reminding herself why she’s here.

Just two interviews later, Azzi is taking a deep breath as the lights hit her, stepping forward onto the stage. The crowd is massive, louder than she imagined, and their cheers seem to echo in her chest. Her eyes land on Caesar Flickerman, who’s grinning wide at her as she approaches him, his flamboyant suit sparkling under the stage lights.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Azzi Fudd from District Nine!” Caesar announces, and the crowd’s cheers grow even louder.

Azzi sits down next to Caesar, her fingers resting awkwardly in her lap. Despite the excitement around her, she feels the familiar nervousness bubbling up inside. This isn’t her element—talking, being the center of attention. She’d rather be on the sidelines, unnoticed, but here, there’s no avoiding it.

“Azzi, you look absolutely radiant tonight!” Caesar says, his voice warm and enthusiastic. “Tell me, how does it feel to be here in the Capitol, getting all this attention?”

Azzi smiles politely, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress. “It’s… different,” she says softly. “I’m not really used to it. But it’s nice, I guess. Everyone’s been very kind.” Very kind because they probably know I’ll be dead in a couple weeks.

Caesar nods, leaning in slightly. “I can imagine it’s quite a change from life in District 9. Tell me, what’s life like back home?”

Azzi pauses, her mind drifting back to the open fields and the quiet days of working alongside her family. “It’s simple,” she says. “We work hard, but it’s peaceful. Most of my days I’m just spending time with my family, doing the chores or playing basketball. It’s nothing like here, but it’s home.”

Caesar smiles warmly, sensing the connection she has to her district. “Family, huh? I bet they’re watching right now, rooting for you. Tell me, do you have a big family?”

Azzi shrugs a little. “Not too big, not too small, I think. There’s my parents, and then I have two younger brothers. And we’re still very close to my grandparents. I just… love my family, they’re very supportive. They’re great.” She feels her throat get choked up by the end of the sentence, not wanting to think too much about her family, how much she misses them. Even though, truthfully, she knows she should be thinking about her family because that is what needs to be her motivation. She needs to win this for them, no matter how impossible it may seem.

The crowd gives a soft murmur of approval, and Caesar’s grin widens. “That’s wonderful. Sounds like you’ve got a lot of people cheering you on back home. And speaking of support…” He pauses dramatically, the audience clearly hanging on his every word. “Any special someone out there you’re hoping to impress? Perhaps a crush back home?”

Azzi’s eyes widen a little at the question, feeling her face heat up. A crush. That is quite literally the last thing on her mind right now. She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, not sure how to answer without sounding awkward.

“I, um… no,” she says with a laugh that’s more nervous than she intended. “Not really. I’ve been focused on training, so… no time for that.”

Caesar laughs good-naturedly, waving a hand as if to brush off the question. “Oh, I get it, I get it! Training comes first, of course. But I’m sure there are plenty of admirers in the Capitol who are wishing they could get your attention.”

The crowd cheers in agreement, and Azzi can’t help but smile a little at their enthusiasm, though she still feels her nerves fluttering in her stomach.

“But let’s talk about something fun,” Caesar continues, changing gears smoothly. “You’ve been in the Capitol for a little while now. What’s your favorite part so far? The food? The fashion? The luxury?”

Azzi takes a moment to think, glancing down at her dress. It’s true, everything in the Capitol has been overwhelming—lavish and excessive compared to the modest life she’s known back in her district. But there’s one thing that stands out to her more than anything.

“The food,” she answers with a small smile. “I’ve never seen so much of it in my life. And it’s all so… colorful. I didn’t even know you could make food look like that.”

Caesar chuckles. “Colorful! I don’t think I’ve heard that one before.” He hits his knee as he laughs, the audience giggling with him. “But, yes! The Capitol chefs do love their extravagant dishes. Has there been anything in particular that’s caught your eye?”

“Honestly, the desserts,” Azzi admits, her smile widening. “There was this cake we had the other night, and it was shaped like a swan. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was so good.”

The crowd laughs once more, clearly charmed by her innocence, and Caesar claps his hands together. “A girl after my own heart! Who can resist a good dessert, right?”

Azzi relaxes a little more, finding it easier to talk now that the conversation has shifted to lighter topics. Caesar’s friendliness helps, and she realizes that, for the first time, the crowd isn’t as intimidating as she thought they’d be.

“You know, Azzi,” Caesar says, his tone softening just a bit, “you’ve got this quiet strength about you. I think a lot of people are really drawn to that. You don’t need to be loud or flashy to make an impact. And clearly you have made an impact—you scored a ten in the training. I mean, come on!”

Azzi smiles a little bit at the validation, her dimples poking through. “Thank you,” she says, nodding. And then she shrugs, her lips quirking up a little further as she adds, “I try.”

Caesar and the crowd chuckle at the action. “Well, you’ve certainly done well,” he tells her earnestly, before adding, with a wink, “And I have to say, your smile is absolutely infectious. I think you’ve got the whole crowd wrapped around your finger.”

The audience cheers again, louder this time, and Azzi feels her face heat up.

“Well, Azzi, it’s been an absolute pleasure talking to you tonight,” Caesar says, standing and offering his hand to help her up. “I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re all rooting for you.”

Azzi stands, shaking Caesar’s hand and giving the crowd a small wave as they erupt into applause. As she walks off the stage, back to where Seraphine, Lucia, and Cyrus are waiting, the adrenaline from the interview still buzzes through her.

Lucia beams at her as she approaches, her hands rushing to cup Azzi’s cheeks. “You were perfect, Azzi! Absolutely perfect.”

Seraphine nods in agreement. “The crowd loves you. You’re going to get so many sponsors, I just know it.”

Even Cyrus gives her a rare grin, clapping her on the shoulder. “You did good out there, kid. Real good. I think you’ve got them in the palm of your hand now.”

Azzi lets out a breath, the tension slowly leaving her body as she realizes she’s done it. She got through the interview, and didn’t just survive it—she actually made a connection, made herself heard and liked. The Capitol might not feel like home, but for now, at least, she knows she’s done everything she can to stand out in the best way possible.

THE MORNING is unnervingly quiet. Azzi walks beside Cyrus, the soles of her shoes barely making a sound on the sleek marble floors of the Capitol building. They’re headed toward the hovercraft, the final step before the arena. The place where everything will change. Each step closer feels heavier, the weight of what’s coming settling into her bones.

Cyrus walks just ahead, his brow furrowed in thought. Azzi knows well enough that he’s not the type for overly emotional goodbyes, but there’s a seriousness to him today that wasn’t there during training. His hands are tucked into his pockets, and Azzi notices the faint lines of tension in his jaw. She’s quiet, still processing the fact that in just a few hours, she’ll be fighting for her life.

As they near the docking area, Cyrus stops abruptly, turning to face her. His eyes are sharp, cutting through the nervous haze that’s settled over her.

“Listen to me, Azzi,” he begins, voice low but firm. “This is it. From here on out, it’s all strategy. Everything you do, every move you make—it has to be calculated, smart.”

Azzi nods, her throat tightening as she listens.

“I know it’s not in your nature to trust easily, but in the arena, you’ll need to be even more cautious,” he continues. “Don’t form alliances unless it’s strategically sound. I don’t care if they seem friendly or if they remind you of someone from back home—trust no one unless it gives you an advantage.”

His words cut deep, and she swallows hard. She hasn’t really thought much about alliances, but it’s clear that Cyrus has. He knows this game inside and out.

“And whatever you do, keep your emotions in check,” Cyrus adds, his gaze hardening. “The moment you start caring too much about anyone in there, you’ve already lost. I know you’re good-hearted, Azzi, but that’s not going to save you—not in the Games.”

She doesn’t say anything, just nods again. The lump in her throat grows as the reality of what’s coming washes over her.

“And the bloodbath.” Cyrus pauses, before his voice lowers slightly. “The moment those platforms rise, it’s going to be chaos. Don’t linger. Don’t get caught up in the fight unless it’s unavoidable. Get what you need and get out. Do you understand?”

Azzi meets his eyes, the weight of his words settling deep in her chest. “I understand,” she says softly.

He studies her for a moment, and for the first time since they arrived in the Capitol, Cyrus’s tough exterior seems to soften. His hand reaches out, resting on her shoulder, and the squeeze he gives is firm, reassuring.

“I believe in you,” he says quietly, his voice sincere. “You’re smart, and you’ve trained hard. I’m going to do everything in my power to help get you home.”

Her eyes well up slightly at his words, but she quickly blinks back the tears. She can’t afford to be emotional right now. There’s no space for it.

“Thank you,” she murmurs, barely able to get the words out past the lump in her throat.

Cyrus nods once, and then he’s stepping back, his hand falling away from her shoulder as they reach the hovercraft. Seraphine is already there, waiting for Azzi, her usual cheerful demeanor muted with the solemnity of the day. The metallic hiss of the hovercraft’s door opening sends a shiver down Azzi’s spine. This is it.

Without another word, Azzi steps inside. Seraphine follows, offering a small, reassuring smile as the door slides shut behind them. The hovercraft hums softly as it lifts off, heading toward the arena.

Inside, the sterile, clinical atmosphere makes her stomach churn. A Capitol medic approaches her almost immediately, a small syringe in hand. Azzi barely flinches as the needle pierces her skin, injecting the tracker into her forearm. She knows it’s necessary. They need to know where she is at all times. It’s standard procedure, but it still makes her feel like livestock.

Seraphine sits beside her, her usual flair for Capitol fashion stark against the dull surroundings of the hovercraft. She doesn’t say much, just watches as Azzi rubs her arm where the tracker was inserted. The silence is heavy, filled with unspoken words, and it’s not long before they arrive at the underground facility just outside the arena.

Once inside, they’re led into a small room where Azzi is handed her arena outfit—a black, water-resistant suit that fits snugly against her frame. It’s durable, sleek, and clearly meant for endurance. The material feels odd against her skin, foreign compared to the simple, looser clothes she’s worn most of her life.

She glances at herself in the mirror. The suit is practical, but its design tells her something about the arena. Water. The Capitol is hinting that water will play a significant role in the Games. Maybe a jungle, maybe a lake, or something more treacherous. Her mind races with possibilities, but she pushes the thoughts aside. She’ll find out soon enough.

As she pulls the last of the suit into place, Seraphine watches her carefully, her eyes glassy. The usually confident stylist seems suddenly small, fragile, as if she’s struggling to keep herself together. She steps forward, her hands gently smoothing the fabric of Azzi’s suit, her fingers trembling slightly.

“You’re going to be alright, Azzi,” Seraphine says softly, her voice cracking just a little. “You’ve been so strong. You’re going to make it back—for your family. I know you will.”

Azzi’s chest tightens at the words. Seraphine’s sincerity, her belief that Azzi can survive this—it’s almost too much to bear.

“Thank you,” Azzi whispers, her voice barely audible.

Seraphine pulls her into a tight hug, her arms wrapping around Azzi’s frame with surprising strength. It’s brief, but Azzi feels the weight of Seraphine’s worry in that embrace. It’s like she’s saying goodbye.

When they pull apart, Seraphine’s eyes are red-rimmed, though she’s trying her best to hold it together. “Good luck, Azzi,” she says, her voice shaky. “You’re going to be okay.”

Azzi swallows the lump in her throat and nods. She doesn’t trust herself to speak, so she just gives Seraphine a small, grateful smile.

The door to the launch chamber opens, and it’s time.

Azzi steps into the glass cylinder, her heart pounding in her chest. The last thing she sees before the platform begins to rise is Seraphine, standing in the doorway, her hands clasped tightly together as if in prayer.

And then the ground shifts beneath her feet, and she’s lifted upward, the glass tube carrying her toward the surface. Toward the arena.

The first thing she notices is the intense humidity. The air is thick, almost suffocating, and it clings to her skin. As her eyes adjust to the sudden brightness, she realizes why—it’s a jungle. Dense, tangled vines hang from towering trees, their massive roots weaving through the ground like some ancient network. The ground beneath her platform is slick with mud, and just beyond the edge of the platform is a large body of water—a vast lake, its surface calm and unnervingly still. It stretches out as far as she can see, bordered by the dense jungle on one side and the metallic glint of the Cornucopia in the center.

Water. She was right.

Azzi’s gaze darts to the other tributes. There’s movement all around her, platforms rising as the others are pulled into view. Some faces are familiar from the training center, others not so much. She spots the Careers first—the boy and girl from District Two, standing tall and confident, both of them dangerous and ready. Their eyes are already locked on the Cornucopia, clearly prepared to kill anyone who stands in their way.

A few spots down, she sees Kellan. His face is pale, his eyes wide with fear. He looks like he’s barely holding it together, his body stiff as if he might bolt the second the gong sounds. He’s trembling slightly, and Azzi’s heart tugs at the sight. He’s not going to last long, not with that kind of fear weighing him down. But she can’t afford to think about him—about anyone, really. Cyrus’s voice echoes in her mind: Don’t get too close to anyone.

She swallows hard, her gaze shifting back to the Cornucopia. The metallic structure gleams in the sunlight, stacked with supplies—everything they’ll need to survive. Weapons, food, water. But it’s a death trap. The Careers will get there first, and they’ll cut down anyone who tries to take something they’ve claimed.

Azzi’s eyes flick to the jungle behind her. It might be safer to head for cover, to avoid the bloodbath entirely. But then again, if she doesn’t grab something now, she could be left empty-handed, vulnerable. She forces herself to breathe deeply, trying to focus on her strategy. It has to be quick, precise. She’ll grab something—anything—and get out. That’s it. Nothing fancy.

The countdown begins, the metallic voice booming over the arena. Sixty seconds.

Azzi’s heart races as the clock ticks down. She glances around once more at the other tributes, trying to gauge their movements before it’s too late. Some are already tensing, their eyes glued to the Cornucopia. Others, like Kellan, are frozen in place, terrified to move. Far across from her, Azzi thinks she sees a flash of blonde hair. Paige. She wonders if she’s scared right now.

Thirty seconds.

Azzi’s hands ball into fists at her sides, every muscle in her body tightening. The humidity, the jungle, the water—it all presses in on her, but she pushes the fear down. She can’t afford to freeze up. She won’t.

Fifteen seconds.

Her pulse pounds in her ears, the world around her narrowing to just the Cornucopia and the water at her back. She feels the weight of everything—Cyrus’s words, Seraphine’s hope, the Capitol’s eyes—bearing down on her. It’s overwhelming, but she won’t let it break her.

Ten seconds.

The other tributes are crouching now, their bodies taut, ready to sprint the moment the gong sounds. Azzi glances at the Cornucopia again, her mind calculating every possible move, every route.

Five seconds.

Her heart hammers in her chest, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts.

Three.

She digs her heels into the platform.

Two.

Her hands tremble.

One.

The gong sounds.

The Sixtieth Hunger Games have begun.

[chxrrysangel]

Deer in Headlights

Pairing | Steve Harrington x fem!reader

Warnings | friends to lovers?/secret third thing, handjobs, Steve is kind of a sub here, cum swallowing, technically voyeurism,college baseball player! Steve, dub con in some ways

A/N | we return to writing while zooted (rip TikTok). Not proofread for obvious reasons. What’s on the page is on the page

You checked your watch as you paced along the sidewalk, a firm crease in your forehead as you panicked.

6:17

Steve should’ve been out of practice nearly an hour ago. After your long day of classes, all you wanted to do was go home and relax. But you couldn’t when a certain friend held your keys hostage.

You made the mistake of letting Steve borrow your car over the weekend while Eddie fixed his. He was supposed to pick it up today, so you agreed to drive him to the mechanic after baseball practice.

You eyed the door to the men’s locker room, debating your chances. It would be embarrassing if he wasn’t there alone, unable to show your face again at any of his future games. You sighed begrudgingly, putting on a brave face and pushing through your fear.

You listened carefully for a few seconds, not hearing any footsteps or chatter. It was eerily…silent?

“Steve?”

As quietly as you could, you made careful steps across the large tiles as you began your search. There wasn’t a single sign of life until you reached the last row, stumbling upon a duffle bag in front of an open locker #17 - Steve’s.

“Harrington?,” you whisper-yelled, too nervous to scream in case someone came across you. You continued walking through the area, until you reached the showers. You blood ran cold, stopping abruptly as your breath hitched.

Just a mere 15 feet in front of you was Steve, completely unaware of your presence as he showered. His back was turned to you, the broad expanse of shoulders making your cheeks feel warm. Considering his status as a baseball player, his ass was certainly stellar. You were staring, but you were too entranced to look away even if every part of your body screamed not to.

Something in you refused to let you close your eyes or turn around, stuck ogling like a pervert. Suddenly he turned around, letting the water rinse the soap from his hair. Your eyes cascaded down to his cock, as if it were instinct.

“Fuck,” you whispered.

He was long and girthy, hardly even erect and yet still impressive. It looked heavy, which did nothing to impede your racing mind. The thought of his blush pink head sitting heavy on your tongue made your thighs clench with need.

This is so inappropriate.

You were too busy staring that you were oblivious to Steve’s eyes opening across from you. He yelped in surprise, pulling you out of your trance with a screech. Your face grew warm with embarrassment, now wishing the earth would open up and swallow you whole.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

You glanced down at his dick again, swinging as he expressed his surprise.

You averted your eyes towards a sign on the far right wall, not wanting to further embarrass yourself.

“I -um, I was looking for you so I could get my car keys. It’s getting late, Harrington, and some of us wanna get home.

You heard his curse under his breath, sighing as he turned off the water.

“Shit, I forgot. Sorry. I’ll be out in a few.”

You scurried out of the locker room into the crisp fall air, willing yourself to calm down before he got out. But all you could think about was how desperate you felt to have your close friend’s dick down your throat.

~~

The car ride to Steve’s place was awkwardly silent. Eddie needed another day, which wasn’t what you hoped for. You could hardly look him in the eye at a stop light, and your voice wavered every time he tried to make conversation. If Steve didn’t know better, he’d believe you were upset with him. But the truth is, you were upset with yourself.

“Wanna come upstairs with me? Maybe have a drink to celebrate getting through the week?” You started to decline, but his eyes looked too hopeful and suddenly you found yourself turning off the ignition.

Steve moved out as soon as he was able to. His parents were always busy, so having his own space was always his normal. Only now, he has his own space in a way he prefers.

The routine was instinctual at this point: drop the keys in the bowl, jacket on the hook, shoes by the door. You never thought about it much anymore, the instructions becoming muscle memory from how frequently you spent time there.

You followed Steve down the hallway towards his bedroom, something you’ve done probably a thousand times. Only this time it felt different, intimate even. It was an odd feeling.

“Be right back.”

Steve leaves you alone with your thoughts, eating you alive as you sit on his bed. Everything was the same to your recollection, even if you’d only been here as recently as two weeks ago. But upon the events of the last hour or so, you felt different.

His arrival with two glasses of mixed drinks pulls you out of the trance, putting on a fake smile that seemed convincing enough. You took a sip, the concoction familiarly strong. It could hardly be considered “mixed”, on par with Steve’s usual ratio. Normally, you might whine that he’s trying to get you plastered before the weekend arrives. But today proved to need some reprieve.

“I saw you staring”

You mildly choke on your drink before feigning innocence. It was extremely wishful thinking, but you hoped that pulling the goldfish brain card might make him go easy on you.

But your best friend's face only showed signs of mischief, a smug grin stretched across his lips. It was frustrating to be this close to a guy with his dick on your mind. You were friends, you had to keep reminding yourself.

He set his drink on the table, wrestling with his thoughts before speaking.

”If you wanted to touch it, you could’ve just said so. No need to fantasize.”

What?

You whip your head towards him, seeing no vitriol or cunning in his eyes. He was serious. He began to unbuckle his belt, feeling a complete lack of anxiety as you stared in shock.

“Steve what are you—”

Your throat felt dry as you stared at his crotch, a growing bulge in his jeans making you throb.

Before he unzipped his fly, he looked at you for confirmation.

“Do you want me to stop? We can forget this ever happened.” Instinct took over as you gaped, shaking your head. The slow reveal of his cock as he pulled down his boxers felt like an eternity. You watched with need as his length slapped against his lower stomach, making you whine desperately.

“Do whatever you want.”

Your warm hands gripped his base,trying to judge the best amount of pressure before making slow hesitant strokes. You heard him let out a shaky gasp for air, whispering a curse under his breath.

”That’s agh that’s good,” he stuttered.

You watched his features with a curiosity that made his dick jump.

“Fuck, keep looking at me like that and I’ll cum.”

You tighten your grip and increase the pace, earning a whimper that sounded like he was on the verge of crying. Steve whimpered out almost intelligible pleas, crying about how good your pussy will feel wrapped around him and how long he’s been wanting this.

“Shit—fuck, doing so good.” You gathered a slob of spit, watching it slowly dribble onto his tip.

The pearls of pre cum that seeped from his tip made your mouth water, prompting you to change your tactics. Feeling less shy than before, you kneeled down between his legs and Steve thought he might die. Watching you sit there, staring at his dick with pure want did something to him.

Without any warning or indication, you wrapped your lips around his tip and began to suck. You focused on suckling the tip, using one hand to guide his head along your tongue and the other to play with his balls.

“Agh, so warm so fucking wet,” he stammered. He was in a daze, unsure and uncaring of how much sense he was making. The base of his spine tingled as he watched you lick the underside of his shaft. Steve was a mess, grinding his hips upward into your hand for more friction and drooling like a bitch in heat.

“Fucking fuck! I’m gonna cum, please let me cum,”he begged.

His high pitched wines were music to your ears, encouraging you to keep him feeling good. He was hysterical.

“Wanna bust in that pretty fucking mouth. Can I do that, please?”

He was practically gasping for air, unable to steady himself with the constant stimulation. You made no move to remove yourself, instead sucking harder and using even a little bit of teeth. That sent him over the edge, his hips stilling as he came along your tongue.

Despite the simplicity of it all, Steve looked throughly fucked out. He watched with pride as you swallowed his cum, almost working himself up again with the mental imagery of what he’d do to you.

[strwbryien]

｢ ᝰ.ᐟ entry 05: ARE YOU BLUSHING? ⭑.ᐟ ｣

“what's wrong with you, man?” heizou sat beside him and slung an arm around scaramouche’s shoulder. “you messaged me out of nowhere. you good?” he asked.

“tch, it’s nothing serious. i just don’t have anyone to talk to about this, and unfortunately for me, you’re the only one who will understand,” the indigo-haired one scowled.

“it’s about [name], isn’t it?” he smirked. he had a hunch about what scaramouche would talk about, and he was 99.9% sure that it was about [name].

“WHA- HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT?!” he shouted. caught red-handed, huh? heizou isn’t called the “best detective of teyvat university” for nothing.

“HAH, i knew it! what about her, hmm? did you finally reveal yourself to her?” heizou wiggled his brows.

“as if! i-it’s more about kumi, actually.”

“did you just fucking stutter? what the heck?”

“SHUT UP!”

“me and kumi are having a collab stream,” he muttered.

“what? i didn’t quite get that,” heizou leaned closer to the male.

“i said we’re having a collab stream, moron,” he spat.

“SERIOUSLY?! that’s great, ma— WAIT, ARE YOU BLUSHING RIGHT NOW?!”

“GET OUT OF MY FACE, SHIKANOIN HEIZOU!”

“HAHAHA, YOU REALLY ARE BLUSHING! THIS IS AMAZING!”

“say goodbye to your family and friends because you're not getting out of this dorm alive.”

“SCARA WAIT-”

prev | masterlist | next

synopsis:

IN WHICH—you, although faceless, are a very famous streamer known as KUMI. you were streaming as usual, playing games and interacting with fans. but when you're about to exit the stream, you accidentally pressed the wrong button that led to you opening your cam and showing your whole face to your audience. this wasn't supposed to happen, no ! so you panicked and quickly ended the stream. numerous screenshots circulated on twitter, which broke both the fans and the internet. this reached a certain someone, SCARAMOUCHE, your rival in streaming. when the said boy saw the trending photo, he almost fell off his gaming chair. because—lo and behold! KUMI was actually [name]?! now who is this [name] in his life, if you may ask? she's the girl that scaramouche has been admiring from afar in real life! quite shocking, right? have i told you that he’s also been sending you anonymous love letters? oh well...

notes ᝰ.ᐟ

— i'll explain the 2-play game mechanics in the next update! — and have you guys noticed that i'm totally (not) in love with childe... so i've been including him whenever i can... haha.... — also, 200 followers is insane, I LOVE YOU GUYS SM, THANK YOU!!! 🩷

ꪆৎ taglist

@imnotyizhuo @kazufavor @najaemism @simonisferal @lovelypadisarah @eternallykira-143 @yourfavoritefreakyhan @yuminako @035814 @squigglewigglewoo @lxkeeeee @blvdmrcnry @wth121 @lloovvv @3lectraheart @lovemiyae @danhenglovebot @heusalettle @automaticpatroltragedy @kyon-cherri @lalalaloveallmydays @musings-of-miss-j @ilxandra @lazy-sanns @vixialuvs @bananasquash @kochothehoe @lily-lmao @shutingstar @sketcheeee @minhosprettywife @crimxeorcremeexistspeacefully @kinanahana @featuredtofu @tamikahoshiko @jayzioxx @kleeboomed @saechiro @shyentsmissingink @poemzcheng @rifran @projectsfantasy @yejiswifex @peachystea @vi0let-writes @sicuit @hee-jinn @6blxe @viannasthings @trulyylee

[thelunarsystemwrites]

Agere terminology!

Originally posted on QuoteV!

(Please keep in mind, at the roots, Regression is a coping/defense mechanism that many rely on. If it makes you uncomfortable, that is fine, you are entitled to your safe space. But please do not shame us who do it, and understand that it is in no way a kink, or anything sexual. It's always SFW!) 

(Also, mentions of panic attacks, trauma, and the term sexual are used here. But NEVER in detail! It is only for educational purposes.)

Age-regression: Is when someone mentally reverts back to the mindset of a younger age. This can range from a few years younger, to that of an infant. Those who are in the mindset of a child, can not consent to most things they normally could. (Example: Alcohol while regressed.)

Pet-Regression: Is when someone mentally retreats to the mindset of similar to an animal. This allows our wilder sides to be free. Those who are in the mindset of an animal can not consent to most things they normally could. (Example: Alcohol while regressed.)

(Note the difference between Retreats and Reverts. Retreat implies it is a mindset that was not experienced before, but still used. Revert implies that you are going back to an age you once were! :D both are very valid coping mechanisms!!) 

Age-Dreaming: Is when someone acts, and often wants to be treated, as though they are a specific age of their choice. This can be a coping mechanism, or just for fun. But never is it sexual in any way. Those who are Age-Dreaming are still fully or partly in the mindset of their actual Age, and is still 100% valid.

Pet-Dreaming: Is when someone acts, and often wants to be treated, as though they are a specific animal of their choice. This can be a coping mechanism, or just for fun. But never is it sexual in any way. Those who are Pet-Dreaming are still partly or fully in the mindset if their actual species, but is still 100% valid.

Caregiver: Sometimes known as a Caretaker, is someone who is responsible for caring for a regressor and or dreamer. The Regressor/Dreamer that they are caring for may give them a nickname like Papa, Daddy, Mama, Sissy, Bubba, or whatever else makes them happy. (Note: Some chose not to use nicknames, others might use specific names that are a version of their caregivers name, and or a specific nickname that doesn't relate to being parental. There's no right or wrong way to do it! ^^)

Babysitter: A person who isn't the primary Caregiver(s) of a Dreamer/Regressor, but May watch over them for certain periods of time, especially if the Caregiver isn't available.

Flip: Is someone who fluctuates between being a Regressor/Dreamer, or both, and Caregiver/Babysitter.

Agere: An aberration of Age-Regression.

Petre: An aberration of Pet-Regression. 

Agedre: An aberration of Age-Dreaming.

Petdre: An aberration of Pet-Dreaming.

CG: An aberration of Caregiver.

Voluntary regression: Is when someone will purposefully regress into the mindset of an animal/younger age. This can be done for coping, stress relief, fun, etc. And can done by colouring, playing with toys, listening to baby music, or other things that make you feel safe, bring positive emotions out, remind you of your childhood, or the childhood you always wanted. (And hey, some like playing games like destiny, ark, etc! Or like listening to rock, watching shows for older people, it's about what makes YOU feel regressed!)

Involuntary regression: Is when someone will go into the mindset of an animal/younger age. This can be triggered by stress, fear, over or understimulation, or a variety of negative feelings.

Partial-Regression:  Sometimes also uses the term Age-Dreaming. Is when someone is only partially in their headspace. Those who are partially regressed can still not consent to what they normally could, as they may not be fully coherent. 

Full-Regression: Also known as just Regression. Is when someone is fully regressed, and will think and act as the age, or animal, they have regressed to.

Slipping: Somethings also known as regressing, or dropping, is when someone regresses. (Example: "Mary started to slip into the age of a toddler.")

Littles: Are someone who primarily regresses to the age, or around, 8 and under. This may fluctuate.

Middles: Are someone who primarily regresses to the age, or around, 9 and older. This may fluctuate.

Regressors: The general term for someone who regresses/chooses not to label themself!

Dreamers: The general term for someone who dreams.

Littlespace: Sometimes spelled little space or little-space, is the mindset of someone 8 or younger.  (Example: Mary slipped into Littlespace.)

Middlespace: Sometimes spelled middle space or middle-space, is the mindset of someone 9 or older. (Example: Mary slipped into Middlespace.)

Petspace: Sometimes spelled pet space or pet-space, is the mindset of someone who is pet regressed! (Example: Mary slipped into Petspace.)

Headspace: Sometimes spelled head space or head-space, is the general term for Littlespaces, Middlespaces, and Petspaces.

Positive regression: Previously known as Pure regression. Is when regressed, you might feel happy, bubbly. It can involves playing, laughing, and or other things associated with the happier side of regression. (Note: some still chose to use the term Pure Regression, and that's absolutely okay!)

Negative regression: Previously known as Impure regression. Sometimes known as Vent Regression. Is when regressed, you may feel sad, moody, angry. It can involve tantrums, crying, kicking, and or other things associated with the less happy side of regression. (Note: some still chose to use the term Impure Regression, and that's absolutely okay!)

Little gear: Sometimes spelled littlegear or little-gear, is the supplies used while regressed/dreaming, this can include, but not limited to: Pacifiers. Blankies. Bottles. Fidgets. Diapers. And or other things used by Regressors/Dreamers, that fit their age and preferences! (Note: Little gear isn't required to regress! ^^)

Petre gear: Sometimes spelled petregear or petre-gear, is the supplies used while regressed/dreaming, this can include, but not limited to: Chew toys. Teethers. Treats. And or other things used by Regressors/Dreamers, that fit their animal and preferences. (Note: Petre gear isn't required to regress! ^^)

(Often both can be shortened to just Gear if wanted!)

Positive triggers: Are something used to trigger someone into Voluntary regression. (Example: Colouring, Music, Dancing, Etc.)

Negative triggers: Is something that triggers unwanted memories, Involuntary regression, panic attacks, or other things that are unwanted to the regressor.(Example: a Negative trigger caused Mary to have a flashback.)

In the closet: It is when someone who is part of the Agere/Petre community is still secret. Sometimes, they are also known as Discreet Littles! (Generally, "closeted" means you are secretly, or not directly promoting that you are in a certain community. The term is often associated with it's use in the LGBTQIAP+ community!)

Finally, if you know a term that I don't, do not be afraid to share! And remember, not all regressors/dreamers are the same! One may love Pacifiers, the other may strongly dislike them. That's okay! We're all different and unique in our own ways! 

Remember that Agere is beautiful, all sides of it. Sometimes you have to have negative regression to feel better, it's okay! All sides of it are needed, and rather voluntarily or not, it's your brain trying to help you, and cope! It's a completely healthy coping mechanism, as long as you don't let it become your life 24/7. (That goes for all coping mechanisms, becoming obsessive over something is a big factor in it becoming unhealthy!)

Please try to hydrate! Stay safe! And have a wonderful day/night/evening my friends!

(To confirm: When regressed, you are still valid if you like swearing while regressed. You are still valid if you like playing/watching more mature games or shows or movies while regressed. You are still valid if nobody can tell you're regressed without you telling them. There are no rules to regression, expect that it's never sexual. Cater to how YOU need to regress, not everyone fits into the same box, and that's the beauty of diversity in how we each do it.) 

Remember I'm not an expert! I've been in the community for years, and I'm trying to share my knowledge! :D

Bai!! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🩷🩵🤎🖤🩶💛

[sharksandjays]

anybody else notice that lloyd is just having so much fun fighting in dragons rising? Of course, with the more serious villains like the Imperium and stuff like that he can become serious, but overall you see him smile a lot more while fighting.

And it's just super cool to me because it's sorta hinted throughout the seasons that the ninja think of certain villains as below them. Like uhh i forgot who but didn't kai or someone call the Mechanic a "third tier" villain in season 6, whereas nadakhan was first tier.

And it could be associated with arrogance but honestly? I just think the ninja know their jobs. Their jobs are to basically keep ninjago together and the citizens alive. Anyone that is a major threat can be handled by them, whereas anyone less than them will be handled by the police force.

But the thing is, the ninja LOVE fighting! They spar all the time, of course to keep their stamina up, but also because they find it fun! Cole was ITCHING to fight for half of the older seasons, and Kai always rushes into them. Even Jay seems to have fun with them. It makes sense that they would see low-level villains that they can easily beat as a game, as something amusing. And yes, there's probably an ego boost in there. Like "lol look at that guy that i just beat in 0.5 seconds while the police are struggling for a day to find and arrest him."

So I honestly just see Lloyd in Dragons Rising as having fun. Low level thugs like the guards in Imperium that he can just flaunt his skills to and maybe add a few flourishes to the fight that he'd never be able to use in a real fight...maybe a little flip that Jay had taught him, or a special spin that Kai showed him. And when he's fighting Wyldfire he's just!! Amused!!!

Ther''s also probably an added "PLEASE these ppl think they can beat ME?" to the mix. Again, it might look like arrogance...but think about this. It's deserved arrogance. Lloyd has literally beaten the master of evil itself. Twice. And here's this 15 year old Kai equivilant raving about killing him. It must be really amusing to him. He is very skilled, professional, and powerful. He knows his worth. Humility is hard to have when you were forced to carry the burden of the world at 9 years old.

[happysparklingshadows]

𝙱𝙶𝟹 𝙻𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜 ✿ 𝙿𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚎 ✿

Note: I am still writing A Certain Hunger but I have been very scared about publish it because it has taken so long to write because of some personal issues with my family and work! I hope you like my headcannons about Bg3 woman. They have infested my brain 😵‍💫

Lae’zel 

-Not one to really give or receive praise in a context outside of battle.

-She would compliment you in her husky tone occasionally if you did impressive work against an enemy. But praise for being around? No. 

-Lae’zel grew up in a culture that refuses kindness or praise. “It only makes us slower. We think of our greatness more than being great; I will not fall for that. I know my greatness in the screams of my enemies.” 

-However, over time, and after being introduced to Faeyan culture, she slowly learned that praise was judged as encouragement or care for others. Especially after staying with you to choose her future, she learns the importance of praise but uses it very sparingly. 

-“You did well.” She would say after you kill some goblins. Or the time she mentioned that she liked the “strength” you showed when you got beaten to your last hit point. 

-She was never good at taking praise. She didn’t like being called a good girl; it implied you were superior to her somehow, and she didn’t like being called anything other than Lae’zel. 

-“Champion, You were so strong tonight. It made me shiver.” You told her once as she was sharpening her sword. She stops abruptly and stares ahead of her momentarily, and she starts sharpening again. She got flustered very easily with those words.

-She does say in sex, though, “You take me so well, my scent still on you from last time. Screaming you are mine.” To you in sex. She likes to praise your good behavior as her mate, but she doesn’t think it is praise. She is stating a fact. You were good at taking her????

-She isn’t the best at giving or taking praise, but nothing is better for her when it is earned. She loves to hear your approval of her, and she tries her best to do the same for you because beneath the coldness was someone who couldn’t imagine a world without you. Didn’t want to. 

-I believe after the end of Act 3 in the game, she would call you “good girl” if you told her you liked it and explained how it made you feel. She won’t develop it independently, even with how well she knows you, but she wants to make you feel good. She isn’t above proving herself to you or changing small things, like what to call you in bed.

Karlach

-Fucking loves it and loves giving it both. 

-She calls you baby (girl or boy) whenever she is pleased with your behavior, and she kisses you whenever the urge comes over her, which is a lot. 

-Karlach has no shame or embarrassment to praise her beautiful Girlfriend. 

-Karlach had helped you once with her strength; you had asked them to hold you up as you wanted to grab a honeycomb. Her solid and big hands grabbed your waist gently and lifted you up like you were nothing; it made you feel flustered and turned on.

-“Gods, I don’t think I have ever met anyone as strong as you, Karlach! That was amazing!” You said without a filter when your feet met the ground again. You looked up to the now-flustered barbarian. “Seriously,” you say as you touch her bicep innocently to investigate your girlfriend's muscle, “What were you fed as a child? Rocks and nails?” 

-Which ended up with you pushed against that tree and fucked beyond belief. 

-The night came over you that night under the tree. You lay naked in the grass with Karlach. You hear the turning of mechanical parts in her chest as you look up at her, resting your chin on her breast, “You are so beautiful. It is just a privilege to love you, Karlach. Truly, I can’t believe we haven’t known each other longer for how much you have taken from my heart.”

-Karlach is a soft girl sometimes, and saying something like that to her would make her stare at you with tears in her eyes. She softly cries, not believing what you are saying. She chuckles at her own tears at such a nice thing. She sniffles and says, “Thank you, baby, I can’t- ah, I can’t find the words to tell you how much that makes me feel. I love you. You are the best love I have ever known.” 

-You kiss her skin softly as you cuddle closer to the tearful tiefling, “I love you too. So greatly… it’s good to know it is mutual.”

-“It is, baby, it really is. Tonight is such a beautiful night.”

Shadowheart 

-Shadowheart doesn’t admit it, but she has such a big praise kink. 

-It started when you two met when you noticed how she would look away when you thanked her for saving you, or she would blush when you told her how great she was beside you in a fight. 

-But she was slow with her love and couldn’t be won over with some simple praise. It takes time to win her trust, let alone her heart.

-She finds her need for your praise as something she needs to hide. It was a vulnerability to exploit if she let it show. It is how she is used to being. She tries to hide her happiness with praise, but it is hard. 

-But, when you two start seeing each other seriously, she takes that shit to the heart every time. 

-“Good girl.” You said in passing when she healed you without being asked. It caused her to blush and feel a heat wave through her.

-She was happy to make things easier for you when she was in love with you and away from Shar. She doesn’t need anyone's approval anymore, no more sacrifices to be enough. She was enough to you. It made her feel comfortable. 

-Shadow wasn’t scared to praise you back. She is similar to Karlach in that way. She has no shame when she is happy with you to tell you that or give you a look that communicates that she will treat you to something more. 

-One night after she had abandoned Shar, she was still very lost and felt not herself. Even her hair isn’t the same as what she remembered. She didn’t remember much. It killed her, and you came to your shared tent. 

-“Shadow, I want you to know I haven’t met someone with so much bravery before.” You say to her as she sits across from you, saddened and quiet, and you come closer to her. “You were scared and did what you thought was right, and it was right, without knowing how it would end up. You dared to do something that terrified you. It inspires me, my love.” You finish as you touch her hand, you move a hair out of her face that still looks at the ground. She had red cheeks, and her breath was hitched. She needed to hear that. But she couldn’t find words to speak. “My brave cleric.” You say as you touch her cheek tenderly with a finger, rubbing it up and down and moving it away. “I think you will find your nerve again. Give it some time.”

-She, of course, finds it again and is her typically goofy brooding self again. And she remembers those words when she is afraid. She reminds herself that you find her brave, so she must act bravely. 

-The praise you give her keeps her sane even if she will never admit it. 

Minthara 

-Praise is not something to take or give lightly to Minthara. 

-Minthara is 230 years old (45ish in human years), and you are way younger than her by a hundred(s) of years. She sees you as someone who has yet to mold into a fully well-rounded person, and she likes to see herself as some kind of mentor and lover. 

-Minthara smirked at you when you did something she liked in the company of your party; she would back you up on almost any decision you made. If you kill or attack someone without asking questions, she will give you a nod and a “Good kill.” 

-Minthara doesn’t hate when she is praised by you. It gave her a reasonable confidence boost that she needed right now. But she scoffs at it and doesn’t like overly affectional praise or one that doesn’t feel earned. 

-She thinks the best praise is in sex with your moans and begs to her. She worships you, eyes devouring you as much as her mouth did to your clit. Her fingers toying and occasionally pinching your nipples, she moans into your body as she tastes your essence. She loves hearing how good she is doing and how great you feel; she keeps her path of getting your cum on her lips. 

-Minthara kisses up your body when she is done. She links her hips with yours with firm thrusts against you, and she says down to you, “Good girl, that’s right, move with me.” 

[bapeach]

Stolen kisses - part 2

Finally posting part 2 of stolen kisses! Sorry it's taken so long, i've been a busy busy bee :) Hope you guys enjoy it! Constructive criticism is always welcome :D Find my masterlist here :)

Pairing(s): Nika Mühl x female!reader  Word count: 6.4k+ Warnings: make out sessions, hickeys, jealousy Summary: Nika finally snaps as jealousy takes a hold of her, revealing your secret relationship to the team. ------------

A few weeks have passed, and you’re still happier than ever. Okay, that’s a lie. Classes have been kicking your ass, and practices have been leaving you completely drained. Relationship-wise, however, things have been great!

You celebrated your 6-month anniversary with Nika a while ago, and it was amazing. You felt a little bad about having lied to your team that night, but you had to. They wanted to have a sleepover in Paige and Azzi’s dorm and watch movies, but you weren’t about to cancel your date for that. 

You’d taken her to a fancy restaurant for dinner, followed by a movie in your dorm as you held her in your arms. You’d looked up the nicest restaurant in the area because you wanted nothing but the best for your girl, but in the end, you don’t remember anything about the place itself. You were too enthralled by how beautiful Nika looked in that mouthwatering maroon dress of hers. You didn’t notice the cozy lights, too focused on the way the Croatian lit up the room with her smile. The soft music was nothing compared to the sweet laugh that filled the air as you made a joke.

That day might’ve been the best day of your life. The restaurant was quite a distance away from campus and was pretty private, so you didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing you two in such an intimate setting. It felt so freeing. You hoped that it wouldn’t be long before you could finally show everyone that you’d managed to win over the prettiest girl in the world. 

-------

You hum to yourself as you get out of the car. You woke up with a song stuck in your head, and it hadn’t left your mind for the past two hours. Mumbling the lyrics as you grab your bag out of the trunk, you hear your name being yelled. You close the trunk, turning around to see a grinning Paige wave at you as she and Azzi make their way towards you. You smile back at the pair, greeting them as Paige daps you up. You give Azzi a quick hug before you all start walking towards the facility.

“You ready for practice?” The blonde asks with a wide smile. “Sure, if being ready means being dead-tired, sore, and barely holding it together,” you reply with a playful smile. “That’s the spirit!” Paige laughs as she pats you on the shoulder.

When you reach the court, your eyes immediately zero in on Nika. She’s talking to some of the other girls as she’s stretching. Hearing the doors slam shut, she looks over and sends you a smirk, her eyebrow raised playfully as she catches you staring. You simply smile at her, not bothered by the teasing look on her face. 

You quickly say hi to everyone, giving each girl a hug or a fist bump. When you hug Nika, you let your hands linger on her hips a little longer, giving her 3 soft squeezes. “I love you,” you say without words. When you pull back, the brunette looks at you with a twinkle in her eyes. She bites her lip to hold back the beaming smile that’s threatening to break free. You give a quick wink as you move away from her, walking towards the locker room to put away your stuff.

When you return to the court, you see everyone is already there, including coach Geno and a girl you don’t recognize. You don’t get the chance to ask who she is before KK starts rambling about a new game she’s been obsessed with. You give her your full attention, laughing at her dramatics and wild hand gestures. In the middle of her rant about a certain game mechanic she hates, Geno waves everyone over. KK huffs as she pouts at being interrupted. You pat her shoulder, telling her to continue talking about it later. The younger girl brightens up, beaming at the fact that you want to hear more about her current obsession.

Everyone forms a half-circle around the coach and the mystery girl, giving them curious looks. You know for sure she’s not a new player. She’s a lot shorter than you, standing at about 5’2”, with wavy, blonde hair and big, thin glasses. She’s holding her laptop to her chest as she smiles sweetly at everyone. When you make eye contact, you send her a small smile of your own. Her eyes crinkle as her lips curl up even more.

You don’t notice the look Nika sends your way as she notices the interaction. You look back at Geno when he starts talking. “Everyone, meet Emma, she’ll be interviewing everyone for the school newspaper. I trust you’ll all make her feel very welcome!” He says with a smile, but his eyes hold a seriousness as he looks at the team. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you guys,” Emma says with a shy smile, her cheeks becoming a little pink at the attention from the tall, athletic girls around her. 

One by one, the huskies begin introducing themselves. The atmosphere immediately becomes more relaxed as KK sassily introduces herself and immediately follows it with a playful jab at Paige. The blonde gasps dramatically, teasing the younger girl back with her own insults. Everyone chuckles at the childish duo as they both quiet down after getting a pointed look from Geno.

“Alright, practice will go on like normal, but Emma will call each one of you away for small interviews to get to know you all better for her article. She’ll be joining us for the next 5 or so practices, so you might not all be interviewed today. Let’s treat her with respect and show her what it’s like to be part of the Husky family!” Geno speeches. When he finishes, he gives Emma a nod, letting her slip away to go set up her stuff. 

Practice starts like normal, a mix of serious training mixed with laughter as the girls tease each other. Chuckles can be heard as KK whines about not being picked first for the interview, Ice sticking her tongue out at the younger girl as she walks over to Emma. Once Ice is done, KK gets called away, followed by Azzi. You don’t pay them a lot of mind, more focused on fixing your trouble shots. Once Geno is happy with everyone’s progress, he changes the drill. “Okay, pair up! We’re gonna work on defense.”

You don’t get the chance to try to wave Nika over, as the brunette appears beside you in the blink of an eye. “Partners?” She grins. “Partners,” you agree. Once the team is paired up, you grab a ball and take Nika to a quiet corner. “Ready to get destroyed, babe?” She mumbles with a smug smirk. 

Your heart flutters at the nickname. “In your dreams, baby,” you quip back. While you’d proven to her you were the better scorer that day you two first kissed, there was no way you were better at defense. While you might be biased, you truly believed Nika was one of the best defensive players out there. That doesn’t mean you’ll back down and submit, however. You loved riling her up. Especially when you could convince her afterward to sneak off with you to go make out in a random janitor’s room. She’d kiss you with so much fire and passion that it made you see stars.

You’re glad the others are busy with their own stuff and that no one is looking your way. It’s not like you and Nika were being very subtle. You were constantly mumbling flirty comments while letting your hands linger on her body for longer than you would with any other player. You also didn’t need to be told to know you had that look in your eyes. The look that Nika calls your “adoration face”. But how can you not look at her with so much love in your eyes when the love you have for her is one of the main reasons that keeps you going in life?

Your banter gets cut short as you hear your name being called. When you look over, you see Aaliyah making her way towards you. “You’re up, L/N,” she announces as she takes over your spot with Nika. You send both girls a smile before making your way to the interviewer. You miss the sour look on the Croatian’s face as you walk away. 

You sit down beside Emma, asking her how she’s doing and if the others haven’t been giving her too much trouble. She giggles a little, shaking her head as a few curls fall in her face. You try your best to make the shorter girl feel at ease, knowing your team can be a loud and intimidating bunch. The blonde starts her interview with easy questions, asking how long you’ve been playing basketball, who your favorite players are, and what your dream team would look like. She also asks about what the team dynamics are in your opinion and how you’d describe the other players in only one word.

Your natural charm (or your “otherworldly rizz” as KK would say) shines through during the whole interview. The girls keep glancing over when they hear Emma laugh at another one of your comments, all giving you a grin or a raised eyebrow at your “flirting”. You’re not trying to flirt, being very happy in your relationship with Nika, but that’s just the person you are. 

You give the people you’re talking to your full attention, your eyes never leaving theirs. You make people feel comfortable with your genuine charm and warm smile. It also didn’t help that one of your main love languages is touch. You were always touching the team, be it an arm on someone’s shoulder, a knee against theirs, or a hand on their arm. You don’t notice you’re doing the same with Emma, a hand resting against her upper arm as you lean in a bit to tell her a funny story about your first practice at UConn. 

Hearing your chuckles, which usually sound like music to the Croatian’s ears, Nika looks over at the benches, a tiny frown on her face as you laugh with the girl beside you. Her mood only worsens when she sees the blonde slap your arm softly as you give her a little smirk. Being distracted, the brunette doesn’t notice Aaliyah coming a bit close, making her fall to the ground.

You look up towards the far corner of the gym as Aaliyah helps her up. You frown a bit as your muscles tense. You want to go over and check on your girl to make sure she’s okay, but you know it would look suspicious, so you stay seated. It’s moments like this where you wish you could just be open about your relationship with the girl so you could fuss over her without worrying about anyone seeing.

You don’t hear what the two players are saying, but you relax slightly as you see Aaliyah’s smile. Nika’s face looks a bit more thunderous, but you figure she’s just riled up from training and maybe even a bit embarrassed about the fall. You don’t hear anything the blonde beside you is saying as you continue to look at your girlfriend. When the Croatian finally looks back your way, you send her a soft smile. You blink slowly at her, sending her another wordless “I love you”. 

A few weeks ago, you’d read something online about how cats blink slowly as to say “I’m happy” or “I love you”. You two had immediately adopted the gesture, adding it to your list of ways to assure each other when others were around. When one of you would slowly blink, the other would do it back.

At least that’s usually the case. Right now, Nika’s frown just deepens a little as she eyes you and Emma. You tilt your head slightly, raising your eyebrow in confusion. You don’t see her reaction as Emma’s voice pulls you back into the moment. “You okay?” She mumbles, looking at you in concern. “Hm? Oh! Uh, yeah, no, I’m fine. Sorry,” you reply, rubbing your neck sheepishly as you look down apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it,” she responds as she puts a hand on your bicep. Your head snaps back up as you hear Nika scoff. You hadn’t noticed everyone had made their way over to the benches as practice had come to an end. You furrow your eyebrow at the girl’s sudden foul mood, intent on finding out what’s troubling her later. 

As everyone starts making their way towards the locker room, you hang back a bit to finish your conversation with Emma. You give the girl your number, happy to have a new friend, before making your way towards the changing room. The second you close the door behind you, the girls start hollering at you.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our favorite player, finally making her way here,” Paige teases, emphasizing the word player to let you know she’s not talking in the sense of basketball. “Do you have to flirt with every girl you meet?” KK jokingly asks. “When’s the wedding?” Ice jumps in. 

“Alright, alright, shut up,” you say, rolling your eyes playfully as you chuckle at them. “For the record, I wasn’t flirting.” “Sureee,” Azzi grins at you. You give her a good-natured push, looking at her with an open mouth in betrayal. “Et tu, Brute?” You gasp, making everyone laugh. Well, almost everyone.

You look over at your favorite person when you don’t hear her angelic laugh. Nika is glaring at the floor, her jaw clenched. You take a step towards her before clearing your throat and moving towards your locker. You want to make sure the shorter girl is okay, but you don’t want to draw attention to her bad mood, nor do you want her to get mad at you again for “being too obvious”.

You hurry to get ready, seeing as the brunette is already starting to leave. You quickly say your goodbyes to the rest of the girls before running after her. When you call her name, she doesn’t react, only continuing her powerful strides. You finally catch up as you leave the building, grabbing onto her elbow. “Hey… What’s wrong?” You mutter, trying to catch her eye as she glowers at the floor. “Nothing,” she mutters, taking a tiny step back, so your hand falls from her arm.

You feel a pang in your chest as she does so. You raise your hand again to reach out to her, letting it hang in the air for a second before putting it in your hoodie pocket instead. You feel heat creep up your neck as you remember the last time she pulled away from you. You’d been standing too close when the girls walked into the room. Nika had taken a quick step back and sent you a stern look, making your heart hurt a little. You knew she wasn’t ashamed of you, she just wasn’t ready to tell people she’s not as straight as they think she is, yet sometimes it does feel like it. 

You swallow harshly before saying her name. It comes out in a whisper as you try not to whimper. You absolutely hate it when the girl is upset with you. It makes you feel like your stomach is in knots and like your throat closes as your chest starts to hurt. 

You quickly go over everything that happened in practice, trying to figure out if you’d done anything wrong, but you come up with a blank. Opening your mouth to say…Well, you weren’t sure what you were going to say, but it doesn’t matter as Nika starts speaking first. “I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later.” She turns away from you, making her way towards her car. You want to go after her, but you know that would only make things worse.

As her car disappears from sight, you continue standing there. Your shoulders are sagged as you pout slightly. Hearing someone call your name, you straighten up, putting on a fake smile as you look over. “You alright?” Paige asks, her eyes roaming over you as if that’ll show her what's wrong. “Yeah! Sorry, just lost in thought,” you reply, sending her a smile and a wave before you start walking away. 

When you reach your dorm, you’re glad your roommate decided to sleep over at her boyfriend’s dorm. You plop down on the couch with a sigh, leaning your head back as you close your eyes for a moment. You don’t stay like that for long, sitting back up as you grab your phone. You open your messages, hovering your thumbs over the keyboard as you stare at your last messages with Nika. She’d been teasing you and talking shit about how she was going to destroy you in practice this morning. Everything was still fine back then.

You chew your lip as you think about what to text her. You know you won’t get a reply if you ask her what’s wrong again, having enough experience with her when she’s like this. “Dorm’s empty tonight, wanna stay over? :)” You send instead. You stare at the text for a while before realizing you’re not going to get a reply any time soon. Closing the app, you get up, throwing your phone on the couch as you walk over to get some water. 

You sprint walk back over when you hear your phone ding. Quickly grabbing it, you deflate a little when you see it’s a message from Emma instead. “Thanks again for the interview today and being so nice 😊🤗” It reads. For a moment, you consider not answering, but you quickly shake your head. Emma was a nice girl and seemed like she’d be a great friend, she didn’t deserve any rudeness from you just because you were in a bad mood. 

You start feeling better the longer you text the blonde, laughing as she makes awful dad jokes. Before you know it, you two start video calling, your fingers cramping from the hours of typing. You’re looking at her with a wide smile as she animatedly waves her hands around, explaining something that happened to her during an interview. Your eyes dart up as your phone buzzes with a new message. You make a face as you see your girlfriend’s message. “Can’t tonight, I’m busy”.

You’re now certain the brunette is mad at you. Because of the fact that you two aren’t out about your relationship, you always took every chance you got to stay the night in each other’s room. Sure, the girl could really be busy, but you knew she wasn’t, seeing as she would’ve told you about it already. 

When it becomes silent, you look back at your screen to see Emma looking at you. You put another fake smile on your face as you apologize for getting distracted. The blonde shakes her head, sending you a soft smile. “It’s okay… Are you sure you’re alright?” She says, her voice warm and nonjudgmental. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I just…” You frown, not sure what you can even say. “Sorry, I should get going. I’ll talk to you later?” You say instead, sending her a small smile before letting her end the call.

You glance at your clock, seeing it’s already pretty late. You open your chat with Nika again, sending her a goodnight message. “I’m going to bed, I love you baby! Sweet dreams ❤️”. You get up and walk over to the bathroom to get ready to go to sleep. When you return, you see she already replied. You feel a bit better at the fast response, but that feeling quickly passes when you see it. “Night” is all it says.

It feels like someone is squeezing your chest as you read the message. You close out of the app, letting your phone drop beside you as you stare at the ceiling. You lay awake for hours before finally passing out from pure exhaustion. When you wake up again, it feels like you never even slept. Your head is pounding, your chest hurts, and you feel like you’ve been run over by a truck. You squint at the light coming in through your blinds before feeling around your bed to find your phone. As you try to turn it on, you realize it’s completely dead from not being plugged in. You groan to yourself, already annoyed with the day, as you plug your phone in. 

When you look at your clock, you shoot up with wide eyes. You’d overslept. Of course, you had! Your phone was dead, so your alarm didn’t go off. Stumbling out of bed, you stagger into the bathroom, trying to put on some pants as you walk. You brush your teeth while you’re on the toilet to save time before running back to your bedroom to grab a shirt. Quickly grabbing the things you’ll need for class, you linger at the door for a moment, debating if you should grab your phone. You end up leaving it on your nightstand, seeing as it’s dead anyway.

On your way to class, you feel a little bad about not sending your girl a good morning, but you try to shrug it off, knowing she’d probably still be in a pissy mood anyway. You barely pay attention to what’s being said in class as you try not to nod off. Just as your eyes are about to close, the bell rings, signaling the end of class. “Saved by the bell,” you think to yourself. 

As you make your way back across campus, you run into Paige, Azzi, and Nika. You greet everyone, slightly nervous as you say hi to the Croatian. To your surprise, she sends you a grin as she greets you happily. For a moment, you freeze, not expecting the girl to have gone back to normal, pretending nothing happened. You smile back, but it doesn’t reach your eyes as your mind goes a million miles an hour. You wonder if you should ask to talk to her alone for a moment to understand what was going on. You end up not doing it, however, scared of making her upset again. “She’ll tell me what’s wrong when she’s ready,” you convince yourself.

“I’ve texted you like 10 times already, bro. Did you lose your phone or something?” Paige asks, pulling you out of your thoughts. “Hm? Oh, nah, I forgot to plug it in yesterday, so it was completely dead this morning. I overslept and left my phone back in my room to charge.” 

You glance over at Nika, hoping she knows you didn’t just not text her because you were mad. “You’re such an idiot,” Paige laughs. You see Azzi raise an eyebrow at the blonde, knowing full well Paige forgets to plug in her phone multiple times a week, meaning Azzi has to wake her up on most days. You just roll your eyes at her, too tired to give a good comeback.

“Anywaysss,” Azzi says, “you only had one class today, right? Wanna come over to our dorm?” You think about it for a moment. On one hand, you would love to go back to bed and sleep until the next morning, but on the other hand, you wanted to spend some time with Nika. The brunette looks at you with hopeful eyes and a soft smile, and you know right then and there you’d agree to anything they proposed, as long as she’d be there.

“Sure,” you shrug. “That’s the spirit!” Paige says as she swings an arm around your shoulder. You were hoping to hang back a little and talk to Nika, but it seems like the blonde has other plans as she guides you to her dorm.

The rest of the day you spend in Pazzi’s room, laughing as you laze around. Your chest feels lighter as the Croatian teases you like she normally would. When it’s getting late, you walk your girl back to her door. You two don’t talk much, instead choosing to walk in a comfortable silence. When you reach her dorm, you lean against the wall as you watch her side profile while she unlocks her door. After stepping inside, she raises her voice, calling out, “Hello?”

Not hearing a response, she turns back towards you, pulling you inside. You barely have time to close the door behind you as she grabs your face and kisses you. Your back hits the door as she pushes you against it, hungrily attacking your lips. You’re not sure what’s happening, but you don’t mind, kissing her back with just as much fervor. It’s crazy how much you’d missed her lips against yours, even though it had only been two days.

She pulls back, her lips now assaulting your neck as you lean back, trying to catch your breath. You can already feel the purple bruises start to form, but you don’t stop her. Though you two had agreed not to leave marks on one another, you loved it when she did. You loved being reminded of your activities and liked the way the girl claimed ownership of you despite the secret relationship. You squeeze her hips as she sucks your sweet spot, a soft groan leaving your lips. 

She pulls back, looking at you with a smug grin at the noise you made. You send her a smirk as you quickly flip her over, now pushing her against the door instead. You kiss her hard as you lean your body against her to keep her up. You let your own lips trail down her neck, but don’t leave marks, knowing everyone would know what you two did otherwise.

Once you have her gasping for air, you make your way back towards her lips. Reaching them, you give her a long, soft kiss before leaning your forehead against hers. She stares up at you, her pupils fully blown out, as she bites her lip. You lift your head, kissing her forehead as you mumble an “I love you”. She sends you a dopey smile as she says it back. You raise one hand to her cheek, rubbing it softly as you stare at her lovingly. 

Once she regains her breath and can stand up on her own again, you take a step back. While you’d love to stay with her all night, you knew her roommate could be back any minute. “I should go,” you whisper, not wanting to break the moment. “Yeah,” she breathes out, a little disappointed. You give her one more soft smile and a squeeze before leaving.

You’ve barely left her hallway when your phone dings. Looking at the message, a wide smile breaks free on your face. It’s a selfie of a pouting Nika with the words “Already miss you :(” below it. You quickly save the picture, reacting to it with a heart and telling her she’s a dork but that you miss her too.

When you text her good night when you go to bed, you’re happy to see a loving message back.

The next morning, you wake up to your alarm feeling well-rested and ready for the day. You grab your phone, texting Nika a good morning and asking if she wants to go to practice with you or if you’d be seeing her there. She replies, letting you know you can pick her up at her dorm in 30 minutes, making you grin widely. You hurriedly get ready, grabbing some toast for on the way, before leaving. You finish your breakfast right as you reach the brunette’s dorm, knocking on the door as you tap your fingers against your thigh to the beat of a random tune. 

The Croatian opens the door with a wide smile, greeting you as she steps out into the hallway. After she closes the door, she quickly glances both ways before pulling you down into a quick kiss. It ends sooner than you would’ve liked, but it still manages to make you feel dazed. The girl pushes you away with a tiny laugh, “Come on, Romeo, we don’t wanna be late.”

You give her a goofy grin as she links her arm in yours. The gesture is friendly enough that it doesn’t draw anyone’s attention, yet you can still be close to her. You both make small talk as you walk, teasing each other about everything and nothing. Once you reach the facility, you both go your own ways, greeting everyone before making your way towards the changing room.

When you make it back to the court, you pass Nika as she walks towards her locker. You playfully pat her ass, sending her a wink as she sends you a lighthearted glare. You throw her a kiss, grinning as you hear the girls around you laugh at the interaction. You start warming up with Azzi and KK as you wait for the rest of the team to arrive, only stopping when you see Emma walk in.

Seeing her struggle with all her stuff, you jog over to give her a hand. “Need some help, tiny?” You tease as you take over the bag that was sliding off of her shoulder. She sends you a dirty look as she grumbles, “M not tiny, you’re just a goddamn giant.” You laugh as you squeeze her shoulder. “What was that? You need to speak up, shorty, I can’t hear you all the way down there.”

You quickly sidestep to avoid the punch aimed at your arm, rushing forward to catch the younger girl as she stumbles from the momentum. You let out a loud belly laugh as the blonde’s cheeks become a bright red. “I hate youuu,” she mumbles as she reaches her usual spot for the interviews, putting down her stuff before hiding her face in her hands. “Nahh, you love me,” you grin, pulling her into a side hug as you pat her head.

You’re too busy making fun of Emma to notice Nika return to the court. She scowls at your proximity with the girl beside you, hating the way the interviewer is making you laugh the way she usually does.

When coach Geno calls everyone over, you give Emma a playful wink before running over to the other girls. Once everyone knows what today’s plan is, the team slowly starts dispersing. “I see you, girly,” KK says with a smug look. You roll your eyes as you reply, “I really don’t know what you’re on about. We’re just friends.” “Righttt, just friends… You like her, though, don’t cha? I mean, blondes are your type, right?” Paige asks with a smirk.

Nika clenches her jaw and furrows her brows at the blonde’s words, walking away with her group for their drill. “In your dreams, blondie,” You retort, giving Paige a little push. Sure, your last two girlfriends were blondes, but that didn’t mean they were your type. You don’t really have a type, you just love all women. You love a certain Croatian in particular, though. 

Looking over at your girl, you see her staring at the floor angrily. You tilt your head in slight confusion before it dawns on you that she heard the teasing comment aimed your way. “Oh… She’s annoyed because of what P said. I’ll talk to her later,” you think to yourself, shaking your head to focus back on practice.

When your girlfriend’s name gets called for her interview, you watch her walk away. She’s chewing her gum aggressively, stomping her feet a little harder than usual, her shoulders hunched. You stare until you get hit by a basketball, reminding you to get your head in the game. 

Not long after, your attention gets taken away again as Nika comes back onto the court, being done with her interview much quicker than the others. You send Emma an apologetic look, feeling bad for her having to feel your girl’s wrath. She gives you a smile back, waving you over to finish your interview.

“‘M sorry about her, she’s not usually so…” You shake your head, not knowing what to say. “Don’t worry about it,” Emma grins. “I think she just has some stuff going on right now…” you trail off. “Mhm… I think she’s jealous,” the blonde shrugs. “Wait, what? Why would she be jealous?” You ask, your speech speeding up a bit, nervous that you might’ve given away your relationship with the girl. 

“Well, the two days I’ve been here, she’s been grumpy. She started off being happy, but then she saw me, and she looked annoyed,” she says in a matter of fact way. You open your mouth to protest but get stopped by the younger girl as she raises her hand. “The fact that she’s also sending me a death glare right now kinda makes me think she doesn’t like you being near me,” she finishes with a smirk. You whip your head around to look at the girl in question, seeing exactly what Emma was talking about. 

“I… It’s not like that,” you stumble, scratching your neck awkwardly. “Mhmmmm,” she hums, her eyes twinkling in amusement. “Okay, you can’t tell anyone!” You beg, your eyes wide as you look at her. “I won’t,” she replies. Seeing the uncertainty in your eyes, she put a hand on your arm, giving you a squeeze as she raises three fingers with her other hand, “Scout’s honor!” You relax with a chuckle. “Alright, dork.” 

You continue your interview, taking quick glances at your girlfriend every so often. Every time you look, you see her frown has deepened. Whenever Emma notices, you apologize, making the girl giggle at the amount of sorry’s you’ve said. When you finish your interview, you get up, shoving your shirt in your pants to continue practicing. You turn towards the blonde one last time, apologizing for the glares aimed her way. “It’s okay, it’s kinda sweet,” she replies. “Yeah, giving people the stink eye is sooo sweet,” you grin as you jog backward, making the younger girl laugh.

Hearing Emma’s sickly sweet laugh, Nika finally snaps. Once you reach the middle of the court, she marches over to you. Everyone moves away, clearly seeing that the girl is on a mission. Once she reaches you, you open your mouth to ask if everything is okay, but you don’t get the chance to say a word. The brunette grips your collar, tugging you down with more force than you expected, and kisses you hard. You automatically kiss her back before realizing what’s going on. 

Once she lets you go, you pull back slightly, looking at her with wide eyes. “You’re mine,” she growls quietly, not letting you get far. You immediately nod your head vigorously as you look her in the eyes before glancing around the room. The once lively gym suddenly having become so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Everyone is staring at you two with a shocked look, while Emma gives you a smirk and an “I told you so” look. You see KK open her mouth a few times but close it again when she can’t find the words. 

Looking back at Nika, you see her anger has simmered down, an adorable pout on her face as she stares up at you. “I thought you didn’t want anyone to know just yet?” You mumble, leaning close so the others don’t hear. “Yeah, well, I changed my mind,” she mutters back, taking a glance towards the bench. You follow her gaze, grinning as you see Emma happily swinging her legs as she looks at you both, her cheek resting against her hand as she leans on the table in front of her. Chuckling, you pull the Croatian closer, leaning down to whisper, “Are you jealous?”

“What? N-no,” she huffs, burying her red face in your shoulder. You laugh at how adorable she’s being, ready to tease her some more. “You do realize Emma is in a relationship, right? She’s dating one of our hockey players.” The shorter girl becomes an even brighter red, embarrassed about the whole situation. You open your mouth to poke more fun at her, but the team seems to have overcome their initial shock, mumbling to each other in confusion.

“I’m sorry, pause,” Paige blurts out, raising her hand in a “stop” motion. “You two are dating??” She asks, her face still showing pure bewilderment. You look over at her with a wide, proud smile, nodding your head as you pull Nika closer against you, leaning your head on hers. “Since uh when?☝️🤨” KK interrogates. (A/N: Anyone get that reference?)

“We’ve been dating for 7 months and 13 days,” you reply, taking the lead as Nika is still too embarrassed to say much. “Damn, you said that with no hesitation,” Aaliyah says, looking a little impressed. “Yeah, you’re a simp,” KK laughs, making you roll your eyes. “You’re just mad cus I get bitches and you don’t!”

You look down at Nika, feeling her move away from you. She looks at you with a raised eyebrow and an “Oh really?” face. Stumbling over your words, you quickly correct yourself, “I-I mean, not bitches! Beautiful, gorgeous, smart, kind, amazing ladies- lady! One lady! Just you!” You cringe as you embarrass yourself in front of the team, proving just how down bad you are for your girl. Hearing the brunette’s soft laugh makes you feel a bit better, though only slightly.

“Wait, sorry, I’m still hung up on the fact that y’all have been dating for 7 months and somehow kept it a secret from us,” Azzi says, still looking baffled. “Yeah, come on twin, how could you not tell me?” Paige whines with a pout.

“Alright! Since clearly everyone has decided that this is more important than practice, let’s call it for today,” Geno says with an annoyed voice, though his eyes twinkle in amusement. The team starts smiling before the older man continues, “Let’s start practice 30 minutes early tomorrow, and you better come prepared because it’s gonna be a hard one!” 

The girls immediately deflate, groaning as they throw their heads back. You’re not looking forward to the grueling training, but you can’t really be mad after today. At least practice was done early, meaning you could spend the rest of the day with your girl! Even though you were pretty sure the girls would bombard you with questions, your smile doesn’t leave your face, knowing that the whole interrogation, Nika would be right by your side.

[vxtanne31]

As The Night Crawls

Part 2

Part 1 can be found in the link below

Sevika/Reader (nickname Cannon)

Made a Part 2 because of requests

Warnings: MEN AND MINORS DNI 18+, Oral (r!receiving,Sev receiving), fingering, Strap (r!receiving) F/F

It had been a week since that fateful night. Probably the best sex you had ever had. Both of you spent that night fucking until Sevika made you both go to bed. You had a job to do the next day and needed rest.

You both avoided showing any affection in public. Sevika was uncomfortable with the idea of anyone knowing she was fucking her work partner.

You and Sevika continued the routine of working for Silco and sitting at the Last Drop to gamble. You were in your usual spot in a chair next to her, nursing a drink and people watching. In between round of cards you would chat with Sevika and the men. You tried to keep things as normal looking as possible.

However, the tension between you and Sevika was thick. Work had been so busy that you and Sevika kept getting interrupted every time you tried to be intimate. It had become a constant frustration. Sometimes when no one was looking, Sevika would pull you into a dark corner and kiss you. The kisses were always hot and heavy, both of you groping every inch of flesh you could find. You never dared let Silco find you.

You were lost in thought when Veronica came up behind you and placed a kiss to your cheek. “Miss me? I was wondering if you wanted to meet me outside…”

You and this girl had once shared some fun in the alley next to the bar. However, a certain tall bionic woman was clenching her jaw as she tried to focus on her cards. Sevika’s grey eyes flickered to Veronica and then back to her cards, feigning disinterest.

“Not tonight, I have a late night job to do,” you took a cigarillo from Sevika’s case and lit one, not bothering to turn to Veronica.

Veronica tutted and began to massage your shoulders, “poor Cannon. Having to work so hard all the time for Silco. I can help release some tension.” Her hands wandered down to move over your chest.

You bit your bottom lip to contain your chuckle. Little did she know that your late night job would be Sevika. After a week of sitting with the sexual tension, you wanted more.

Sevika’s eyes wandered to where Veronica was touching you. She sucked in a breath through her nose, her patience with Veronica waning. She reached under the table and placed her mechanical hand on your knee. No one could see due to her red cloak. It was her only way of showing affection, or in this case, possession, in public.

You couldn’t lie that you were interested in seeing how Sevika would deal with her jealousy. You were, however, concerned about how Veronica would handle it. It wouldn’t be fair.

You gently removed Veronica’s hands from your body “Not now Veronica,” you lit the cigarillo and inhaled the smoke. O

Veronica stiffened at the obvious rejection. “Fine, enjoy being alone,” she huffed and walked away. She walked back to her friends who tried to console her. Didn’t seem to work because, Veronica ran out of the bar with her face in her hands.

Sevika’s eyes darted to yours for a split second, her mouth quirking to a smirk. “Think you just broke her heart.”

Your eyes followed Veronica as she ran out of the bar in tears. “I told her it was never gonna be serious.” You shrugged and took a drag of the cigarillo.

Sevika’s mechanical hand traveled up your leg and gently squeezed the flesh of your inner thigh before letting go. She went back to focusing on her game.

After another hour you were getting bored. You tipped your head back and took the rest of your drink down in one gulp. “Okay you degenerates, I’m going home.”

Before you got up you reached down and gave Sevika’s knee a squeeze. She flicked her eyes over to you briefly and recognized the look you gave her. She looked back at her cards and gave a curt nod, letting you know she understood.

You walked home alone, the streets still crowded with folks of the Undercity. As you placed your key in the keyhole to unlock it, you were met with someone placing their hand around your waist and pulling you against their body, trapping one of your arms between you and them.The familiar scent of cigar smoke, motor oil and sweat hit you.

“You must have walked quick,” you smirked as Sevika’s nose grazed the side of your exposed neck. You shivered as she inhaled your scent and placed a kiss at your pulse point.

“Open the door,” Sevika whispered, her hot breath making your body shudder. She ground her hips into your ass.

You turned the knob with your free hand and pushed the door open. Sevika wasted no time and walked forward, pushing you in along with her.

You laughed and let her take control, knowing it’s what Sevika wanted at this point. She pushed you towards the kitchen counter and made you turn around. You hopped on to sit so she could move between your legs.

Sevika kissed you feverishly, her hands moving and over your strong thighs and gripping.

“I’ve been waiting to fuck you all week,” Sevika rasped between kisses. She moved her hand up and unzipped your black leather vest, moving your tank top up to palm your breast with her flesh hand.

You arched to her touch. “I get it. I was about to pull you into the bathroom at the bar and eat your pussy in one of the stalls.”

Sevika groaned at your dirty words. “Plenty of time for all that tonight,” she brought her lips back to yours, her tongue sliding expertly into your mouth. She pulled your legs higher to wrap around her waist. You locked your legs around her as she lifted you off the counter to carry you to your room.

“Fucking hell you’re heavy,” Sevika grunted as she walked over to your bed and set you down on it.

You scoffed and untangled your limbs from Sevika’s waist, laying on the bed like she wanted. “Yeah well can’t be a wafer when my job is to beat people up.”

Sevika shook her head and kneeled in front of the bed. She took one of your legs and propped your foot on her knee to unlace your combat boot. “If I dropped you in the water you’d sink to the bottom.”

“Oh please, you probably got at least twenty pounds on me,” you rolled your eyes and helped Sevika take your boots off.

Sevika snorted as she finished with the other boot and moved to unbuckle your belt. “Twenty? Try thirty,” she pulled the belt from the loops,the leather making a resounding ‘crack’ and threw it on the floor.

“Hell no, you’ve seen me lift. Definitely only twenty and I’m being generous.” You lifted your hips for Sevika to shimmy off your pants and underwear. You pulled your remaining tank top over your head before Sevika could rip another.

Sevika smirked and shook her head as she toed off her own boots. “Man, you love to argue.” She pulled at her belt and started shedding her own clothes. “Have you forgotten this?” She waves her mechanical hand. “Weighs a bit more than your flesh and bone.” She wiggled her fingers for dramatics.

You rolled your eyes and sat up, unashamed of your nudity. “That doesn’t count.”

Sevika mimicked your eye roll and pushed you down with a large hand. She unbuckled her cropped vest and threw it somewhere in the room. “What did suggest last time? Sit on your face to shut you up?” Sevika unzipped her fly and pulled her underwear and pants down in one.

You stared up at Sevika completely naked before you. “Well hop on then,” you curled your finger, motioning her towards you.

Sevika crawled onto the bed and bent down to kiss you. The kiss was surprisingly tender, especially since both of you had been frantic. Her thigh slid in between your legs, her hips moving to grind against you. Sevika groaned softly as her flesh hand explored the soft skin of your torso. She parted her lips from yours to stare down at you, her eyes hazy and soft.

You looked up at Sevika, reading the slightly vulnerable expression. You reached out a hand and cupped her cheek, pulling her in for another kiss. You poured your affection for her into it, running your fingers over her back, moving to grope her larger chest.

Sevika melted into your embrace, starved for touch. She moved her lips from your neck to your nipple, sucking the pierced bud into her mouth. She wanted to taste you, touch you, inhale the scent of your skin.

You submitted to her embrace, knowing it is what Sevika desired. You let her explore your body, writhing to the sensation her mouth and hands brought to you.

Sevika felt your body relax underneath her and smiled against your nipple. She moved to kiss in between the valley of your breasts, her steel eyes flashing up to meet yours. Her heart jumped when she saw your green eyes staring back at her. Her head swam with feelings, making her heart pound violently. Was she about to have a heart attack? She removed her mouth from your skin and in haled through her nose and exhaled from her mouth. She didn’t know whether she wanted to kiss you or run away.

You could see Sevika’s shoulder’s tense like she was going to bolt, her eyes mildly panicked. “Hey, hey,” you ran your calloused hand over her flesh bicep and then over her back. “It’s okay, just breathe.”

Sevika shook her head furiously to bring her back to reality. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” She kept taking deep breaths, moving to rest her head on your chest.

You continued to rub Sevika’s back soothingly, feeling her body start to relax in your embrace.

Sevika hated to admit that the mere scent of your skin comforted her. She felt embarrassed by the betrayal of her own body.

You pulled Sevika’s head up to meet her eyes. It was the most vulnerable you had ever seen her. You leaned in and kissed Sevika softly.

Sevika began to snap out of her self-sabotaging thoughts as soon as you kissed her again. Her weight fully on top of you as she melted into your embrace. She let you flip her over onto her back, your bodies still pressed against one another.

You came up for air, your lips still centimeters apart. “Let me take care of you Sevika,” you whispered and trailed your mouth to her neck, kissing and nipping gently, moving her hair out of the way for better access. You found the spot that made her groan and grind against you. Your thigh in between her legs ground against her pussy, the wetness becoming more apparent. You wanted her ready, aching for you.

Your mouth kissed down to her chest, mimicking her actions earlier and taking a dark nipple into your mouth. Her other breast was heavy on your palm as you groped her.

Sevika grasped the sheet underneath her as she watched you explore her body. You knew exactly what she needed, you adjusted to help her feel at ease. Sevika had never felt so…taken care of.

You kissed down Sevika’s toned stomach, your hands caressing her sides. “Move back,” you commanded softly.

Sevika sat up and moved further back on the bed. You took another pillow and put t behind her so she was comfortable. Sevika licked her lips, watching you settle in between her legs once more. Your mouth was inches away from her sex.

Your eyes met with her’s as your tongue swiped up the seam of her pussy to her clit. Sevika shuddered and closed her eyes in pleasure. She was met with a harsh smack to her thigh.

“Eyes on me Sevika, I want you to watch me as I make you cum.”

Sevika didn’t know if she was more turned on by the way you said her full name or the vulgarity of your words. She grasped the back of your head and pushed you down to her aching cunt.

You went to work, listening to Sevika’s commands of ‘put your tongue in me,’ or ‘a little to the left,’ and ‘suck my clit.’ You wanted to give her all she wanted and deserved. She took so much crap from everyone, she deserved someone who wanted to give.

Sevika rolled her hips with your mouth, her metal hand cradling the back of your head as she propped herself up with the other. She wasn’t very vocal during sex, only letting out a few groans and grunts. She let her head fall back when you did something that felt really good.

At some point you had closed your eyes, reveling in her taste, your hand wandering up to grasp her breast. Sevika tugged your hair, making you open on eye to look at her.

“Eyes back on me. You wanted to see me cum. Fuck- I’m close.”

Your other eye slowly opened to meet Sevika’s. Her admission in combination with her taste was making you so wet.

“I’m cumming, I’m cumming ah!“ her words came out in gasps as she stared down at you. She kept a firm grip on the back of your head, her body tensing and shuddering as the orgasm rolled through her.

Your face became covered in her wetness, thighs squeezing around your head, almost suffocating you. You sucked on her clit to ride out her orgasm until she tugged on your hair to get you to stop.

You rested your head on her thick thigh, the air returning to your lungs. You felt her reach down with her flesh hand and run her fingers through your loose hair. The affection of the touch was not lost on you. You traced your index finger over her inner thigh, making little patterns over her skin.

This was the most intimate sex Sevika had experienced in a long while. She watched you relax under her touch, your thick locks threaded in her fingers. Eventually, she tugged your hair to get your attention.

“I brought something,” Sevika reached down and took something from a bag you didn’t realize she had brought in. Inside was a large, purple dildo and strap.

You couldn’t help but wince a bit. “I’m assuming you want to fuck me with that?”

Sevika nodded and watched as you sat up on your knees. “I think you’d like it.”

“I-uh, haven’t been on the receiving end of that for a long time.” You rubbed the back of your neck, averting your eyes.

Sevika tilted her head in curiosity. “Have you ever been strapped? Or was it a man?”

You pursed your lips. “I had sex with a man twice. Both times felt physically okay but I realized I didn’t like men pretty quick.”

Sevika sat up and scooted closer to you, gripping your chin to look at her. “Don’t be embarrassed.” She leaned in to kiss you, tasting herself on your tongue. The kiss became heated, your body reacting to her touch. Sevika broke the kiss and moved her lips to graze the shell of your ear. “I’ll be gentle. But if you’re not comfortable, we don’t have to do it.”

You could tell that Sevika really wanted to try. You bit your bottom lip. There was nothing gentle about Sevika. “Okay.”

Sevika pulled her head back to meet your eyes “okay?”

You sighed and nodded, “okay I’ll try it. Just go easy, I need to walk tomorrow.”

Sevika sat up and pulled her legs through the strap pulling it up to her waist. “Lie back,” she commanded as she tightened the straps.

You looked down at the object now covering Sevika’s sex. Even though you preferred looking at her pussy, It was oddly erotic on her. The purple phallus looked intimidating, jutting out in front of you at eye level. You stared at it warily as you complied with Sevika’s request and relaxed back on the bed.

Sevika sensed your tension as she approached between your legs. This was the first time she saw you stripped of your cockiness, unsure and nervous of giving Sevika such control.

Sevika felt her impatience rise to the surface and had to swallow it back down. She wanted to pull you roughly and shove her cock into you. But this was you she was dealing with. You weren’t like the other women she had been with.

“Get on your hands and knees.” Sevika pulled at your hip, deciding to switch it up.

You hesitated again and Sevika pulled you up to bring her lips to yours in a reassuring kiss. Once she felt your body relax, she pulled away. “Trust me pretty girl.”

You nodded and turned around, blushing as Sevika ran her hand over your back and to your firm ass. Sevika reached her fingers down to your entrance, inserting two to see how ready you were. You gasped as her thick fingers easily pushed into you. “You’re so wet. This all from eating my pussy?” Sevika smirked and pumped them a few times.

You moaned, Sevika’s filthy words turning you on even more than her fingers. “I love making women cum.” This earned you her fingers being removed and a harsh slap on the ass. You yelped and turned to glare at her. “Ow! what the fuck!?”

Sevika glared back. “I’m the only woman you’re gonna make cum from now on.”

You rose an eyebrow, “jealous much?” You countered and turned your head back forward

Wrong thing to say. Sevika grasped your hair and hauled you up against her chest, her metal hand trapping you to her. “I’m possessive, and you, doll face, are mine.” Despite the roughness of her actions, she placed a tender kiss to your cheek. “Nod that you understand.”

You didn’t even want to argue. You nodded and Sevika let go of your hair pushing you to back down to brace yourself on the bed.

She pressed the tip to your entrance and grasped your shoulder for support. “Just relax into it.”

“Easy for you to say.”

You took a deep inhale of breath as you felt the tip prod you. You bit your bottom lip and tried to relax your body as much as possible as Sevika pushed in. There was a slight burning as she made it halfway. Then, without warning, Sevika shoved herself fully in. “AH! What the seven hells?!” You turned back to sneer at her.

Sevika pulled back out and thrust back in. “Shut up and give it a few minutes, it will feel good.” Sevika’s eyes were filled with a crazed lust. She really did enjoy using the strap.

You looked away, knowing you wouldn’t back out now and breathed through the discomfort. You felt Sevika’s pelvis hit your ass, forming a tempo as she thrusted in and out. The burning started to turn to pleasure and you pushed yourself back against her.

Sevika noticed you starting to enjoy yourself. “Thats it baby girl, take my fucking cock.”

Your eyebrows almost rose to your hairline at Sevika calling the strap her ‘cock’ but you said nothing. You let yourself get lost in the feeling, enjoying the feel of Sevika gripping your waist as she picked up her pace even faster.

“Sev you feel so fucking good!” You encouraged her, moving along with her thrusts. Her fingers dug into your hips in a bruising force.

Sevika could feel her clit twitch behind the strap as she fucked you with it. She pulled out and flipped you over, leaning into your body to thrust back into you. She grabbed under your knee to push your leg out further. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she slapped her hips against you. Sevika leaned down to give you a sloppy kiss, her body coiling tight. “I wanna see you cum all over me baby.”

“Ah fuck Sev!” You moaned against her lips, gripping her hair hard. It felt really good but you needed more. You moved down to rub your clit but Sevika pulled your hand away and replaced it with her own, her thumb applying the correct pressure.

Sevika’s rhythm was faltering as she held herself above you, her circles on your clit getting sloppy. “Ah! Cum for me baby, let me hear you pretty girl.”

You came at Sevika’s words, crying out her name and arching into her. Sevika fucked you through your orgasm, letting out a string of curses as she shuddered and held the strap deep inside of you, her pelvis pressed against you.

Sevika collapsed, arms going weak, still shaking and panting from the come down. She kissed your breasts as she buried her face against them.

You let Sevika relax against you, running your fingers through her hair soothingly, her hair dampened by sweat. “Man you’re tired for someone who spends hours in the gym.”

Sevika huffed against your breast. “I would tell you to shut up. But I know you won’t.” Sevika didn’t move, enjoying your attention to her scalp.

“Take that thing off and sit on my face. I told you that is the only way to shut me up.”

“Will you give me a minute woman? I just came.” Sevika groaned and shifted her hips.

Your fingers froze in Sevika’s hair. “Wait you came? How?”

Sevika pulled out of you slowly making you hiss. She rolled over next to you in the bed and pulled the strap off her hips, throwing it to the floor. “Come here beautiful” Sevika pulled your head to crook of her flesh arm, your body flush to her side. “For your information, I can cum just by fucking someone with the strap. I love it.”

“Really? Never knew that was a thing.”

You kissed the side of her breast and ran your fingers along her chiseled abdomen.

Sevika took your wandering hand in her mechanical fingers and guided it to her core. “Feel for yourself,” she let your middle and ring finger wander through her sopping folds, her breath going heavy again at your touch. She turned her face so her nose brushed against yours, lips inches from touching. “Don’t doubt my stamina girl. You’ve heard what they’ve said about me at Babbette’s. I’m insatiable.” Sevika brought her mouth to yours in another heated kiss.

You moved your fingers gently, avoiding her twitching clit. You inserted two of your fingers into her, pumping them in and out. You broke the kiss and stared into here beautiful eyes, hooded from pleasure. “And you’ve heard what they said about me.” You pumped your fingers in and out faster.

Sevika shifted her hips towards your body as you fucked her with your fingers, her body moving to your touch. She removed your hands and moved to straddle your face, her body facing your lower half.

“This is a great fucking view,” You smiled and slapped Sevika’s ass as she was bending forward to reach your sex. The sound reverberated through the room.

Sevika stopped her decent and turned to look at you, her upper lip curling into a sneer. “You think you’re funny girl?”

“Hilarious actually,” you shrugged and lifted your head to take a long lick at her sex.

Sevika rolled her eyes and shook her head, turning back to spread your legs. “you’re a little brat,” she said hotly against your wet pussy.

“And you’re a bitch,” you clapped back and attacked her clit with your mouth, sucking on it harshly.

Sevika squeezed her eyes shut at the onslaught and went to pay the same attention to your sex, her skilled mouth delving into your folds.

You both worked tirelessly, both arching and grinding against each other’s mouths. It was almost as if both of you competed to see who could make the other one cum first.

You were nearing the edge when you saw Sevika’s mechanical hand clench the sheets, a familiar tearing sound echoed the room. Sevika was fighting for her life to hold off before you. You were not about to lose to her. You moved to Sevika’s puffy clit and sucked hard, gripping her thick thighs in a bruising hold.

“Ah shit Cannon I’m gonna-“

Sevika snapped, her clit not withstanding your assault. She sat up with her weight on your face as she came, grinding against you, body convulsing.

You were completely under Sevika, her weight against your head. You sucked her clit through her orgasm, letting her use you for her pleasure.

Sevika tried to catch her breath as she came down from the high. Only then did she feel the sharp slaps to her thigh. Sevika hurriedly lifted her hips from your face.

You took a ragged gasp of air. You were a second away from passing out from lack of oxygen. Your vision had darkened around the edges. Every breath felt as though a gift.

Sevika moved away, genuine concern etched into her face as she watched you catch your breath. Sevika hesitantly reached out, her flesh hand moving to rub center of your chest. “Breathe girl. Are you all right?”

You stared at the ceiling and ran a hand through your sweat damp hair. “Yeah, I mean if that was the way I died, would’ve died happy.”

The thought of you being gone from the world made Sevika expel a ragged breath. She moved to lay down next to you, staring up at the ceiling. A comfortable silence befell you both.

You could tell something was on Sevika’s mind. You turned on your side to look at her, resting your head on your hand. “You ok?”

Sev said nothing, she reached down over the bed and found her cigarette holder. She lit one and handed it to you, lighting one for herself. “Mind if I stay here tonight?”

The question was so straightforward, no BS or emotion, just as if she asked you about the weather. “Yeah stay as long as you want Sev. Gotta change the sheets though. You tore through these.”

Sevika shrugged and took a deep inhale of her cigarillo, blowing the smoke out to the air. “I’ll buy you a new set.”

You shrugged back and stared up at the ceiling. You could feel Sevika’s walls climb back up around her as she laid there quiet. She showed you a vulnerability during sex that she wasn’t comfortable with. You took another inhale and sighed, sitting up to go get the fresh sheets.

You felt a cold metal hand wrap around your wrist. “I meant what I said.” She pulled you to lay back down, her eyes still focused on the crack in the ceiling.

“When you said what exactly?”

Sevika’s jaw clenched, “that you’re not going to fuck anyone but me from now on.”

You were silent for a moment and swallowed, “does that same rule apply to you or will you still be frequenting the brothels?”

Sevika gave you a brief side eye and took another drag and exhale before responding. “I haven’t been to Babette’s since I fucked you.”

You quirked your eyebrow and turned your body, lying on your stomach, propping yourself up on your elbows. “You must really like me then.”

Sevika turned her head to look at you, studying your face “I do. Is that a problem?” She moved a strand of hair from your eyes.

Sevika’s eyes bore into you, as if searching for something. “No problem at all. I like you just as much.”

“So we agree? Only me from now on?” Sevika’s stare was unwavering.

You pursed your lips. “Have you ever been in a monogamous relationship Sev?” You sat up and leaned against the headboard, taking another drag before getting an ashtray and putting it in between you two.

Sevika didn’t like where the conversation was turning. “Not for a long time.”

“What happened?”

Sevika was quiet for a moment and flicked her cigarillo’s ash onto the ashtray. “She couldn’t be loyal.”

You tilted your head and took a drag. “How did two you meet?”

“She worked at Babette’s.”

“Well there’s your first problem-“ you started but Sevika gave you a glower that would turn anyone’s insides cold.

“Don’t you think I don’t know that?”

“Well you obviously didn’t at the time.” You shrugged.

“Forget it.” Sevika put out her cigarillo quickly and was about to get off the bed.

You grabbed her wrist. “No no shit I’m sorry Sev. I’m an asshole. I’m really sorry.”

“I’m trying to be serious with you for a moment and you can’t stop giving me wise-ass remarks.” Sevika gritted but didn’t throw your hand away from her.

You put out your cigarillo and sat up on your knees. “I-I’m sorry. I do want this, okay? I want you.” You sighed and looked down and away. “I am new to this too. You were my friend for these two years. And now you’re something more. I need to learn how to be more gentle.”

Sevika sat there silent, watching you grapple with your emotions in front of her. She gave you the space to continue.

You removed your hand from her wrist but held her hand in both of yours. “I’ve only ever really been on my own and- and I guess I use my sarcasm to deflect serious situations. I’m sorry.”

Sevika took her hand from your grasp to grip your chin, tilting your head up. “Look at me.”

You couldn’t, memories of your parents who mistreated you, people who took advantage of you and heartache you endured rushed to the surface. Years of unshed tears threatened to spill from your eyes.

“Cannon, look at me.”

You sucked in air through your nose and let out a shaky breath, repeating the process three times before looking at her. Even though you had stopped the tears, your eyes still head the glassy appearance.

Sevika’s eyes softened when she saw how close you were to breaking down. She loosened her grip on your chin and moved to cup your cheek. “I’m not easy either. I’m just as fucked up too. This could end with both of us even more fucked up than we already are. But-“ she closed her eyes took in a deep breath. “But I’m sick of watching you with other women. I want you, for myself.”

Your lip quirked in a shaky smile that didn’t reach your eyes. “Guess you really didn’t like seeing that girl paw at me earlier.”

“Cannon shut up, yes or no?”

It was your turn to search Sevika’s eyes for a moment, letting her words sink in. Sevika wanted you, and you wanted her. Why were you being so stupid? Why were you making her wait for an answer?

“Yes.”

……………………..

Please let me know if you guys want more with these two!!!

[aurieeeeeenyx]

time travel mechanics in link click — intentional inconsistencies? closed loops and parallel timelines (theory)

Back in 2021 or so, I wanted to make a post about the time travel mechanics in Season 1, and how they seemed to be inconsistent in certain episodes. I never ended up making that post, and the idea slowly faded from my mind, but I want to make that post now (armed with all the new information we've received since then) before Bridon/Yingdu arc episode 4 comes out because of the episode preview when Lu Guang says this:

In Season 1, the time travel seems to operate on the principle of a closed loop. This is especially evident in the Doudou arc, when Cheng Xiaoshi sees himself in the past (while he's in Doudou's body) and realizes that he was always there; the "changes" he inflicted weren't really changes, because by the time he dives back from the future his actions in the past have already happened. This is also demonstrated when Xu Shanshan walks into the photo studio and interacts with Cheng Xiaoshi in S1E8, and we later find out that it was in fact Cheng Xiaoshi in Xu Shanshan's body interacting with himself. And again, with the ploy to use Xu Shanshan in order to lure Liu Min/Red Eyes to the photo studio. We also see this closed loop phenomenon happen in Season 2, for example when Cheng Xiaoshi possesses Lu Guang's body to go save himself in the past.

So I've always been a little bothered by the earthquake arc in Season 1. If the dives into the past have already happened, why does Chen Xiao come to the photo studio in the first place? If Cheng Xiaoshi (in Chen Xiao's body) won the basketball game and gave those kind words to Chen Xiao's loved ones, why does Chen Xiao remember otherwise?

I've wondered before what happens to the clients when Cheng Xiaoshi is possessing them—do they just not remember anything? Are they even aware of themselves being possessed? Why is no one concerned about missing memories for hours at a time or not being in control of their own body? Emma sort of skirts around this when she tells Cheng Xiaoshi, "So you were the one who sent that message" in S1E11, implying she's aware it wasn't her who sent it. For the sake of argument, though, I'm going to pass the general non-reaction of the clients to being possessed as a handwavey "the brain justifies it somehow later" thing and ignore it.**

That brings us again to the question: Why does Chen Xiao remember the past differently to the one Cheng Xiaoshi experienced/changed? Maybe the past isn't set in stone after all? Maybe, instead of just being a closed loop, the time travel in Link Click is operating on multiple systems?

In 2021, right after I watched Season 1, I was going to dismiss this as just an error. The writers slipped up and bungled their time travel mechanics a bit, and therefore the earthquake arc is different on accident. But we've learned since then that nothing is unintentional in this show, so why is that arc different from the others? (Also, I want to note, there is that moment in S1E4 where Lu Guang's face does that weird warping thing; coincidence? Maybe, but maybe not...)

My theory is: the time travel abilities that Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang have operate differently.

DISCLAIMER: My knowledge of photography and film is extremely limited, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

There's always been a lot of film imagery in this show—obviously, since the whole premise is based in photography—but as early as the Season 1 OP, "Dive Back In Time," we can see the repeated use of rewinding film rolls as a metaphor for going back in time.

Note also: Lu Guang dropping the photo and it transitioning into a film roll, and Cheng Xiaoshi being tangled up in film rolls and being "inside" the film in the background/trapped in the frame. I'll get to this later.

The thing is, once you record something on film, you can't change it; you can only rewind and play it again. This tracks with the closed loop theory: no real changes can be made, because they have already happened. So how is it possible that "changes are still happening," as Lu Guang says in the YE4 preview? It's likely that Vein (and Liu Xiao and Xia Fei) are involved, but I don't believe that's the root of the issue. And, I don't think it's just the ever-nebulous "butterfly effect," because in YE1 Lu Guang says this:

I used to think that even a flap of a butterfly might cause a hurricane strong enough to ruin the world. I was wrong. The power of time is still far beyond our imagination. The future may not change due to a ripple of the past. Not at all...

(Yes, Lu Guang is a notoriously unreliable narrator, but I've decided to trust him on this one. Not to mention, butterfly effect shouldn't exist in a closed loop system.)

I've seen lots of excellent analyses illustrating the discrepancies this season, from the very first scene of YE1 (different furniture positioning, cracks in photo frame glass, bloodstains, presence of curtain, etc) to the changing positions of clothing, buildings, time of day, food, and so on in YE2 (go check out hyperfaexation's excellent YouTube video on their Shattered Memories theory for more details). The fandom is constantly theorizing about how many timelines there are. But while we've been asking ourselves how many timelines exist (five, ten, more?), we forgot to stop and ask: why do they exist?

The existence of multiple timelines doesn't fit into Season 1's time travel premise. In Season 1, it was always Cheng Xiaoshi that we were watching. Whereas Cheng Xiaoshi could be said to live "in" the film when he dives, perhaps Lu Guang is cutting the roll short at the point which he dives back to and splicing a new roll onto it. This could explain the scene from "Dive Back In Time" that I referenced earlier, with Lu Guang outside the film and Cheng Xiaoshi in it. It's not exactly that Lu Guang is diving back in time; it's more like he's diving out of time, into a parallel timeline and leaving this one behind. Maybe this season, we'll get to see more complicated time travel mechanics that result from the intersection of different powers. (And, while we're at it, maybe we can get an answer to why Cheng Xiaoshi has golden eyes for a few frames in YE1 when they're running away, because seriously what's up with that?)

**Another explanation for the non-reaction to the clients' possession could be the interaction of different timelines, but I'm not really sure how this would pan out so I'm not going to elaborate too much.

What does this have to do with the earthquake arc? Why would Lu Guang have a (slightly) different power than Cheng Xiaoshi, if he inherited it from Cheng Xiaoshi as we are led to believe? What happens to the discarded film, the abandoned timelines, when Lu Guang casts them away? Can Cheng Xiaoshi ever be saved? I don't have answers to any of these questions, and maybe I'm overthinking (ha) all of this and it really is just a writing inconsistency after all, but I want to believe Link Click's writers know what they're doing with this and all we can do is wait for the reveal.

[moanz111]

✩°⋆｡ system error ⋆｡°✩ - 20

chapter 20 ✧ unforeseen circumstances - written + texts

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synopsis ✧ you've always dreamt of having your fantasy-like love story. naturally, hearing the sweet melodic ring of your love alarm was what you wanted the most, right? until it actually happened. four times.

pairing ✧ uni student! choi san x fem! uni student! reader

wc ✧ 4.2 k (i apologise)

warnings ✧ english is not my native language so there could be mistakes; attempt for humour; reader is confused af and so is san; swearing; mentioned fear of heights (reader is a bit scared but the description is very brief and she's riding a ferris wheel); reader is in an emotional crisis lowkey; lmk if i've missed something

If you got a penny every time you got yourself into an extremely uncomfortable situation, you would’ve had at least 20 by now and it was just 1 pm. 

You weren't going home anytime soon. 

“Y/n, stop spacing out. We still have 2 more hours,” Beomgyu whispered in your ear, nudging you with his elbow. You had agreed to come to this so-called “Love Alarm” dating event just to make him happy and maybe test your own alarm again, but you hadn’t had any idea it was going to be this excruciating for your poor soul. You tried your best to smile, talk to people when they showed interest but with each interaction your social battery was rapidly dying. Beomgyu, on the other hand, seemed to be having the time of his life which made you feel a little guilty for having running away thoughts.

The park was bustling with students and music could be heard playing from speakers placed on the ground. Most of the benches were occupied by groups of friends or newly found matches that the alarm had brought together. A pinch of jealousy stung your heart by the sight of them. 

Wish my alarm and I weren't in a dysfunctional toxic relationship.

You let your eyes wander, trying to spot familiar faces even though the thought of someone you knew seeing you there, mortified you. The possibility of that wasn’t high but never zero since all of your university’s students were invited and granted an entry. You found it kind of funny - the way so many were positive their soulmate was walking the same ground as them right now and what they were waiting for was the love alarm to bring them together. For some that would be the case but others were surely up for disappointment. No one really knew how the whole mechanism worked and it appeared that everything was random - the time, the place but the alarm was certain of one thing - the person. 

Shaking your head as if it could chase away your thoughts, you took in the atmosphere and breathed in the fresh early spring air, the warm breeze ruffling  your hair which you moved out of your face, annoyed. 

“Can’t we go sit down and eat? If I talk to one more man, I’ll explode,” you said, stopping in your tracks and pointing towards an empty blanket on the grass near you. A bunch of people were lying down on the field, chatting, eating or playing board games. You wished you had brought your cards deck. A rematch with Beomgyu was all you wanted after he had beaten you in a game of war last weekend. 

“Fine,” Beomgyu rolled his eyes, strolling towards it and you followed quietly behind him. If you made him talk enough and maybe made him ride the ferris wheel with you, maybe he would get tired enough so both of you could go home. As if sensing your plan, he abruptly turned around, “Stop scheming, we aren't leaving.”

You let out a sigh and sat down on the white blanket with colourful flowers drawn on it. It was warm and fluffy and it tickled your hands as you plopped yourself down, supporting your body on your elbows. Maybe if you fell asleep then…

“Hey, isn't that Wooyoung?”

Yeah, your plan was definitely going down the drain. 

If Wooyoung saw you here, he would make fun of you for centuries and he could even tell Mingi about it. Or even worse. Choi San.

Choi San? Who was currently walking beside his friend, apparently not having spotted you yet.

He had a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket on, his black jeans matching it. A beanie of the same colour was covering his hair and you noticed a necklace dangling around his neck. 

He looked…good?

... handsome? 

You shoved your thoughts away and focused on Wooyoung instead who wore his usual black Chrome Hearts hoodie and some baggy jeans, a beanie on his head. The two boys’ outfits matched which made you smile to yourself. But who were you to laugh when you and Beomgyu weren't any better. Your closets were basically almost identical. 

“Over here,” Beomgyu shouted as he got up to catch their attention. This was going to be the most mortifying interaction of the day. 

Another penny added.

“Beomgyu, don't call them over here,” you whispered as you got up to a seated position, tugging at his jeans. 

“Don’t be so obsessed with me, they’re my friends too.”

You snorted at his answer, turning to look at the boys who were approaching you. Wooyoung was enthusiastically waving in your direction while San looked indifferent to what was about to happen.

Lately, it was harder to be around him. After he made the step to try and make amends with you, you weren't sure how to behave around him. Did that make you friends again? Or maybe just acquaintances? Whatever it was you tried your hardest to be on your best behaviour especially for Wooyoung and Mingi’s sake. For Seonghwa’s too. You had no idea how he managed to stay so composed while you bickered over nothing during tutoring. Maybe he was due his apology soon.

“Now, now, look who we have here,” Wooyoung exclaimed as he stood in front of you, grinning. San was next to him, greeting Beomgyu with a hug. “I’m hurt, Y/n. You could've just asked me out instead of coming here.”

“You and Y/n? I’d rather bleach my eyes than witness this,” Beomgyu chimed in before you got the chance to respond to which Wooyoung laughed.

“Makes two of us,” San added, a slight annoyance apparent in his tone, and you looked at him curiously. For the first time in a while you weren't met with his cold eyes, piercing right through you. His gaze was warm, maybe even friendly? 

My brain is playing tricks on me.

“Don’t be so jealous, Sannie,” Wooyoung said, tapping him on the shoulder which earned him a smack on the neck. “Ouch?”

“Deserved,” Beomgyu laughed and looked over at you. “Cat got your tongue? Oh, right, she said she doesn't want to talk to men anymore today.”

“Trust me, you will get the longest silent treatment out of everyone here.”

“Mean.”

“So what are you two doing here?” Wooyoung asked, changing the topic just as you and Beomgyu were about to start bickering again. Truly fascinating how the biggest instigators turned into peacemakers in dire situations. 

“Y/n wants a boyfriend and since I’m an amazing friend, I came to judge her questionable taste,” Beomgyu teased and you pulled at the fabric of his jeans again, making him slightly lose his balance. 

“He wanted to say he was the one who dragged me here because he can't go anywhere alone,” you said in a matter of fact tone which got a chuckle out of Wooyoung. 

“This version is more believable.”

“And what about you two,” you asked, trying to sound as nonchalantly as possible even though curiosity burned in you. You could imagine Wooyoung coming to an event like that but San? It wasn’t like you knew him that well anyway, maybe he was looking for a partner. For some reason, the thought of that made your stomach twist a little. 

Huh…?

“I dragged San here,” Wooyoung announced proudly and wrapped his hand around his friend’s wide shoulders and San threw him a sarcastic smile. “Don't tell anyone though, it's between the four of us.”

“Yeah, and the 10 other people who saw us here and greeted you,” San added.

“Oh, well…That’s something I can’t control. Having a pretty face means attracting attention.”

“Anyway, why don't we hang out for some time? Y/n and I were just about to eat,” Beomgyu suggested suddenly and all you could do was to side eye him. Sure, of course they were his friends but you and San in the same space was never a good idea.

“A spectacular idea!” Wooyoung’s enthusiasm was contagious. You had to calm down and enjoy the moment, Choi San wasn't the cause of every problem in the universe and he wasn't even that bad. He had a good sense of humour and he had a pretty laugh and dimples and you loved his habit of him closing his eyes when he found something funny and-

“Y/n to Earth…” Beomgyu’s voice brought you back to reality and you shook your head. What was in the air today? Maybe it was the pollen that had you acting this weirdly? “You totally spaced out.”

“Yeah, sorry,” you said after coughing quietly to clear your voice and you shifted your focus to Wooyoung who you thought had probably said something moments ago, judging by the amused expression on his face. Staring at your shoes all day and spacing out wasn't going to make things better. “What were you saying?”

“I said me and Beomgyu will go grab some food from the trucks and you and San can stay here and wait,” he repeated and you shifted uncomfortably in your place. Yes, the universe was testing you.

Sure, you had been alone with him plenty of times be it for tutoring or when you used to hang out before but now it felt different. Your nerves were going to eat you inside out. 

San had an unreadable expression on his face when you looked at him and Beomgyu just winked (?) at you when you turned to him so you just shrugged. “I’m okay with that.”

“I’m okay with that, too,” added San and Beomgyu and Wooyoung looked at each other, a knowing smile forming on both of their lips. 

“Then we’re set,” Beomgyu clapped his hands and patted you on the shoulder as he bent to pick up his bag from the ground. “Behave yourself.”

“What am I? A dog?”

“Obviously. Then, see you in a bit.” As both Beomgyu and Wooyoung turned their back on you and walked towards the food trucks, you felt abandoned. Maybe that was a little dramatic. San was just San. No need to be so stressed. You could just sit in silence and that was going to be it. No need to have a conversation. 

“So how are you doing?” San asked as he laid down on his side next to you, his hand supporting his head. You could sense the scent of his perfume and his biceps were basically almost ripping his jacket in this position. His face was glowing, his clear skin illuminated by the sunlight, gently coming through the tree’s branches. Mentally, you slapped yourself across the face. Staring was rude. 

“I’m alright,” you answered, trying to find strength again. You seriously needed to stand up. Choi San shouldn't have had that much power over your mind. “Exhausted after the social torture Beomgyu put me through.”

San chuckled at your comment, his dimples slightly appearing. “I guess I understand why he and Wooyoung get along.”

“They’re friends?” 

“Shouldn't you know that,” he asked, confused, one of his eyebrows raised. You knew they knew each other. Obviously, Beomgyu was close with San so it was only natural for him to be around Wooyoung too but your friend never talked about this, given how your relationship with San was. 

“I just had no idea they were that close,” you said simply. San regarded you curiously for a moment before speaking again. “I think they’ve got closer recently. I don't know how or why but they’ve been spending a lot of time together.”

“Then they’re definitely up to no good.” This was truly interesting. Beomgyu was notorious for doing things behind your back so you wondered if this was the case this time around too. Him making remarks about your dating life all the time, telling you to stop “adding more men to the equation”, him giving Wooyoung your number, you joining his talent show team, him flirting all the time, San, his best friend and your arch nemesis, suddenly following you on your social media and being kind of friendly, and now Beomgyu dragging you here and Wooyoung was miraculously here too? Was he…No way. There was no way.

Was he setting you up with Wooyoung? 

The thought made you shiver. There was just no way for this to be happening. 

You stopped yourself from gasping at the realisation and instead closed your eyes to take a deep breath. Beomgyu was going to get an earful from you very soon.

Maybe you could ask San about it? But what were you going to say to him?

Hey, I think my best friend is trying to set me up with your best friend so I wanted to ask you if he’s in love with me?

…

I sound so delusional and out of my mind.

You chose silence and turned to look at San who was staring at the small stage being set up a few meters away from you. There was going to be a concert later in the afternoon organised by the university’s band and you wondered if Beomgyu would make you stick around for this long to watch it. 

Suddenly, your phone vibrated in your tote bag and you took it out, seeing you’ve got a text from Beomgyu.

You sighed, locking your phone and turning to San again. “Beomgyu said Wooyoung feels sick so they went back to the dorms.”

“What? Is he okay? I should go there too,” San said and took out his phone. 

“He said they didn't need help and he just needed to take some pills. But you can text him, just in case…” you trailed off, unsure of what to do now. San didn't answer, instead focusing on his phone, seemingly reading a text. His eyebrows furrowed more and more with each movement of his eyes and he rubbed his temples with his free hand. “Yeah, he has texted me. Apparently, he doesn't need any more assistance and will take a nap.”

“Well, then I won't keep you if you want to go home too,” you said even though you weren't sure if you wanted to do that yet. Yes, you absolutely hated the speed dating and Beomgyu dragging you around but this was also a chance to maybe find out what Choi San’s issue with you was. If you cornered him…

That sounds too insane.

“No! I mean,” San hesitated. “We can at least grab some lunch together. Wouldn't hurt, would it?”

“I suppose not,” you said, smiling slightly and surprisingly San did the same.

Hanging out with your so-called arch nemesis wasn't as bad as you thought it could be. 

San ordered for you, paid for your lunch, treated you to some bubble tea and then got you ice cream. Yeah, maybe it sounded like wallet abuse on your part but in reality he just kept insisting on doing all this and wouldn't hear any of your protests. It was a bit flustering even if you were secretly enjoying it. His company was also nice. He was respectful, kept the conversation going and surprisingly he seemed to be having a good time too. 

Time seemed to pass by quickly while you were together. You found yourself talking about anything and everything with him - he told you about his current florist job, how annoying some customers were and how much he adored making bouquets and arrangements, and you told him about your love for clothes and fashion and how you still haven’t returned Hongjoong his sewing machine. You joked, you laughed and you felt liberated in a way. For the first time in a while  you didn’t have to tiptoe around San, too afraid that the thin ice beneath your feet was going to crumble.

Is this what happens when we aren't so stubborn?

Currently, you were sitting on a bench, taking in the atmosphere around you in comfortable silence as the last sunbeams were illuminating the sky. The sunset painted it in shades of orange, pink and purple and you sighed contently, bopping your head in the rhythm of the song that the university’s band was rehearsing. A small group of people had already gathered and was clapping in encouragement after each song. San was humming quietly next to you, tapping with his foot and you snorted. “Don’t you think it’s a little unfair?”

“What do you mean,” he said surprised and turned to look at you. His natural soft blush could be seen on his cheeks and your heart warmed up at the sight. For probably the 10th time today. He had taken his beanie earlier and now his messy locks were falling freely around his face.

“Being good at dancing and now even at singing? Can’t you leave something for the rest of us?”

Your comment earned you a chuckle from San, his fist coming up to cover his lips. you could swear his cheeks turned into a deeper shade of red. “No need to exaggerate, Y/n. Lying is bad.”

“Hey, I’m being serious,” you exclaimed. “But better hide that talent from Beomgyu. He would get even more mad that we aren’t in the same team for the talent show. I heard he has been looking for a vocalist.”

“And while we’re still on the topic,” San said, running his hand through his dark hair. “Why did you agree to join our team?”

“It was a good opportunity to practice my skills. Plus, Wooyoung was way too enthusiastic for me to turn him down.”

“Even though you have to spend more time with me too?” When you met his eyes, a glint of hope and maybe hurt could be read in them. When had things gone so irrevocably wrong with both of you? 

“Listen,” you started, unsure of what to say. There wasn’t truly a right or wrong answer. “I don’t mind spending time with you, it’s just so…”

“Awkward?” “You could say so. But it’s also hard because I have no idea what I have done to you. I want to fix this,” you gestured to the space between you two. “But again - you aren’t helping. Maybe I’m not doing it either. We’re both stubborn.”

“Yes, we are I suppose,” San agreed, seemingly deep in thought. “I just don’t know how much I can tell you and how much you know…”

“What do you mean?”

A ding interrupted San who had just opened his mouth to answer. “I’m sorry.”

You hurriedly took your phone out of your pocket and saw you had 5 new texts from none other than Beomgyu.

Feeling your heart picking up its pace, you clenched your jaw. You were so so so so wrong earlier. Beomgyu wasn’t setting you up with Wooyoung. 

It was San all along.

The tutoring, the way Beomgyu was so opposed of you hanging out with Yeonjun, the way he was trying his hardest to force you and San to interact...

You wondered if Wooyoung was his accomplice then and what had he told San? Did San know anything? 

“Hey, are you okay? You look a little pale,” San’s voice interrupted your thoughts and you locked your phone, forcing yourself to look at his now concerned face as he put his hand on your shoulder. 

“Everything’s alright. It’s just Beomgyu being a menace.” You smiled lightly and you fought the urge to get up and run away. 

Even if the situation was becoming severely uncomfortable with each passing second, this all didn’t automatically overrule how happy you were with San today. You got to see his usual sweet self and not whatever was presented to you on the daily. You also had got so close to him opening up to you so you couldn’t just leave him like that. Your heart was greedy to spend some more time with him before you had to deal with whatever Beomgyu thought he was doing. 

“Are you scared of heights?” Your sudden question made San furrowed his brows confused and you just pointed to the ferris wheel shyly. 

As San took your hand gently and led you to the tickets queue, all you could see were his deep dimples.

Yes, you were positive your heart was going to burst today.

You were a little scared of heights. 

But exposure therapy worked, right? It had to because currently you were hanging meters away from the ground and the only thing you could think about was how you were almost able to feel San’s breath hitting your face. The cabin was rather small and his form being much bigger than yours meant he was taking most of the space even if you were sitting across from each other. Your legs were between his and occasionally your knees would touch which sent a jolt down your spine that you were desperately trying to ignore. 

Instead, you focused on the view before you - the sun had completely disappeared under the moon’s watchful gaze and now the city’s  and the campus’ lights were shimmering like stars in the distance. San’s surprised squeaks would make you giggle now and then when he was showing you something he had spotted while the ferris wheel was spinning slowly. 

“This is my first time riding a ferris wheel,” San said quietly, drawing your attention back to him. Even though the cabin lacked lighting, you could still see the playfulness in his eyes as he looked at you intently. 

“It’s my first time too,” you admitted, fiddling with your fingers in your lap. Was it always this hot here? 

“Really? That’s rather special, Y/n,” San teased you. “Wouldn’t you rather share this moment with someone else? I’ll start thinking we’re friends.” “Well,” you coughed, clearing up your voice. “I’d say I would like to consider us friends given how civilised we were today.”

San laughed loudly, his whole body shaking, “That’s true. Then - friends?”

“Friends,” you answered grinning and took his extended hand to shake it, sealing your deal. His hand was hugging yours completely and you wished you could stay like this a little longer when you lost contact with his skin. “You still haven’t told me the whole story behind our enemies era though.”

“Shouldn’t you tell me your point of view too?

“I was just returning the energy you were giving me.”

“Deserved,” he sighed, shaking his head. “Let’s say this can wait for another time. I don’t want to ruin this moment like any other we’ve had lately.”

Something passed in his eyes, an emotion you couldn’t quite decipher but when were you able to do it when it came to San?

So now, locking eyes with him once again, you felt electricity buzzing between the two of you as he leaned in closer to you. Unspoken words were hanging around you and filled the space but you shoved those aside and noticed his gaze going back and forth between your eyes and lips. You felt your cheeks heating up under his stare and you held your breath, too scared to make even the quietest noise. Your faces were mere centimeters away from each other and

Ding.

Ding.

Ding.

Closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, you cursed your phone mentally. You were sure you put it on dnd mode earlier.

“Don’t worry. Answer it,” San said softly and smiled at you, leaning back on his seat and putting some distance between you two. It wasn’t like you were going to kiss anyway. Right?

Nodding, you reached for your bag, forgotten on the seat next to you and your hand was searching for it impatiently until you felt it and took it out. Just as your trembling fingers were about to unlock it, the cabin shook causing you to drop your phone on the ground. “I’m so sorry.”

“That’s okay. I think we’ll have to get off soon,” San explained as he reached down to grab your phone for you. “And you really need to stop apologising.”

At this moment the doors opened and the employee announced that 20 minutes had passed so the fun was officially over. You stepped out first, feeling a little dizzy and walked to the side so you could wait for San without blocking the way. 

Seconds after, he came next to you, handing you your phone with an unreadable expression, “Here you are.”

“Thanks,” you said, panic arousing inside you. 

What if it was Beomgyu again and he saw his weird texts? Or even worse - it was the group chat since Beomgyu never knows when to shut up-

“I’ll go get us some water, you can wait here if you want to,” San said as he looked around. “There’s an empty bench there.”

“I’ll go sit there then.” 

Parting ways with him even for a bit, gave you room to process what had just happened in the cabin and you sat down with a sigh. Your feet hurt because you chose to wear your new shoes today out of all days and more than anything you felt so many different emotions at once that you had no idea which one to focus on first and it made you even more mentally exhausted. You weren’t sure what was happening between the two of you but whatever it was - it was gaining momentum way too quickly. 

Are we crazy? Yesterday we got into yet another argument and today…

Reading your texts, you decided, was the easiest task for now but as you unlocked your phone, everything came crashing down around you once again. 

Your blood froze as the severity of the situation hit you. The answer had been right under your nose this whole time.

San was possibly your soulmate.

note ✧ i know this got very long and i feel like it's 5 chapters in one but i really want to get things moving so please understand 😭 i haven't written a full length chapter in a while so feedback is greatly appreciated, i hope this isn't that bad (the struggle was real and im not sure im satisfied but)! i hope you enjoyed reading it <3

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