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valiantstarlights · 1 year ago

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[Personal Trainer!Dream AU] Chapter 2: (Much Ado About) Gym Clothes

Chapter 1: First Meeting

This is still for @sadrumihours , who shared Tom Sturridge's highly educational 😏 training videos (part one & part two), as well as everyone who yelled in the comments and reblog tags. I see you all and I love each and every one of you. 🖤

Disclaimer: These are once again just vibes because I still don't know a single thing about gym stuff. Will someone please tell me what the equipment Tom is using called? Because I'm still calling it stretchy jump rope machine in my head. 😭

CW (and summary): Dream being his usual thirsty-for-Hob self, Hob being insecure about his body, and Johanna trying to be a supportive sister to Hob. (Keyword being: 'trying.') This chapter contains spicy spice! Enjoy? 😏

Mojo Jojo

Jo, what do I wear to the gym???

uh, gym clothes?

(You sent a photo.)

Is this okay??

i guess?

why are you being weird?

you're just going to the gym, not going on a date

WAIT, ARE YOU???

HOBERT

answer me or i'm gonna come over and steal all your teeth

I bought pizza since I know you're coming over from your shoot anyway

fine

you can keep both your secrets and your teeth for one more day

"That's it, Professor," Mr. Endless--Dream, says next to his ear, low and inviting. His hands are cool as they caress Hob's overheated and very sensitive inner thighs, and his eyes, so dark and so close to Hob's own, are laser-focused on his panting, straining face. "One more. Just one more for me."

Hob's cheeks are already streaked with tears. How many hours has it been? How much more until they're done? Until he's told that he's been good? "Mr. Endless, please--"

Dream has moved to inspect his position. He adjusts Hob's legs so they spread even wider. The change in angle makes him sob, but Dream shushes him and he leans all the way down to lick at his rim.

Hob wails, body jolting against the restraints. His muscles are already so sore, but he wants to be good.

"You can do it, Professor," Dream says, lightly tapping at his taint to encourage his muscles to clench. "This is the last one."

Hob cries and wiggles, breathes slowly and purposefully like how he has been taught, and forcibly relaxes his muscles one by one, until finally, finally, he manages to push out the last large anal egg from his body with a soft moan.

It plops wetly onto Dream's waiting hand, and the man hums approvingly as Hob's hole gapes for a second before winking closed again.

"Very good," Dream purrs against his rim and dips his tongue into Hob's loosened hole. Hob keens and thrashes against his bonds again. It was so humiliating, but he loves every second of it. He can feel his body slowly becoming stronger, and he owes it all to Dream.

"You see what you can do?" Dream asks, now inserting his long, clever fingers inside him. "What your body can achieve with my guidance?" He moves his fingers in and out slowly, the squelch of the remaining lube loud in the room. "I'm so proud of you, Professor. Only a few sessions in and you're already my beautiful, obedient little slut." He emphasizes his words by drilling his fingers unerringly against Hob's prostate. Hob cries and bucks up, helpless and overwhelmed, unable to do anything else with how good he had been tied up.

"Please, Mr. Endless--"

"Mr. Endless?" Dream repeats. "You have to be specific, Professor Gadling. Are you calling for my brother?"

Hob shakes his head wildly. "No. No, please. I mean you. Just you, sir, no one else. You know that."

Dream rewards him with a soft kiss against the head of his cock. "And what's my name, Professor?" he asks. "What's the name that you'll be screaming in ecstasy for the rest of your life?"

"D-Dream," Hob gasps. "Dream--"

"Good boy," Dream says, and returns to his hole to suck hickeys around the rim. Hob hopes he bruises well. He hopes he'll feel all the love bites Dream gives him every time he sits down. "Shall I give you your reward now?"

Hob remembers last time, when his reward was Dream spanking his hole directly until it was red and puffy, and then fucking him that way, all the while praising him for being so virgin tight.

"Yes, please," Hob says, voice cracking a little. He wants to move. He wants to wrap his arms around Dream and kiss him softly while they fuck. He wants to be called sweet and good and mine.

But in the end, Dream is still his trainer, and he knows Hob's body best. He knows Hob's body better than Hob himself, now. And if he tells Hob he has to wear a vibrating plug while he uses the stationary bike, then he will.

He'll cry and stumble and cum in his underwear countless times, and Dream will coo and kiss his tears away, but he'll do it. Has done it. It had increased his stamina exponentially.

"Very well," Dream says. He leans over Hob so they could share a kiss while he lines his cock up against Hob's waiting hole. "You have been so good for me today, and I think that means you deserve a treat, yes?"

Hob nods, biting his lip at the incredible pressure as the head of Dream's large cock pushes against his rim--

Hob's alarm blares at max volume, and he jolts awake, blindly reaching for his phone to turn it off.

It takes him a few seconds, and once that's done, he's awake enough to notice the sticky feeling in his underwear. He moves the covers aside and peeks inside his boxers.

...Great. Not only did he have an incredibly realistic wet dream (ha) starring his personal trainer, but he's also currently sporting a semi.

Thank goodness he set his alarm hours before he has to go to the gym. He still has time to do some...preliminary stretching.

He blushes as he grabs his favorite dildo, which he had placed conveniently beside his pillow last night, as well as the bottle of lube beside it.

He's already ashamed of himself for thinking about Mr. Endless in such a manner, but try as he might, he can't conjure up the image of another person. Not since he met him.

Oh, he tried thinking about previous people he had a crush on, real and fictional, as well as local and international celebrities: actors and idols and athletes--to no avail. They always turn into Dream Endless in the end, looking down at him as they fuck in a variety of positions, usually missionary because Hob is a dumb romantic at heart, his gorgeous blue eyes loving and captivated, his lips forming 'Professor Gadling' or 'Hob' over and over again, his voice soft with awe and reverence.

It never fails to bring Hob to completion faster than he ever had before, when he had yet to be blessed about the knowledge of Dream Endless's existence. It was mortifying. His imagined scenarios always leave him whining and pressing his face against his pillow so he doesn't scream Mr. Endless's name out loud for the entire neighborhood to hear.

He knows it's pathetic, because it's not like Mr. Endless is going to look at him that way in real life. But if he's sad about it, crying a little like a lovesick fool after he cums, then that's his business and no one ever needs to know.

Boss Dream's newest trainee walks in the gym dressed in a thick hoodie and joggers, and Matthew starts sweating bullets just by looking at him. Is he going snowboarding with Boss Dream or something?

Nope. None of his business. Better just focus on getting the damn blender working.

"Good morning, Mr. Endless!" Professor Gadling says cheerfully as he rounds the corner to where Dream is waiting. "I hope it's alright that I'm a bit early today. I had to make up for last time."

He's an entire 15 minutes early, but Dream won't say no to spending more time with him. He had been reviewing today's agenda, but had turned around as soon as he heard Professor Gadling's voice. And he was just about to greet him back, when his eyes lift from the clipboard he's holding, and the smile falters in his face as he takes in what the man is wearing.

Dream had indicated in his email that they were going to do some mandatory stretches, and after that proceed to doing a full-body pre-test workout that would measure the professor's strength, endurance level, general dexterity, etc. It was important that they do this on the first session so that Dream could come up with a program specifically tailored for him and his end goal.

It was his mistake in assuming that Professor Gadling would do the sensible thing and wear something light. Not winter clothes in the middle of summer.

"Good morning, Professor Gadling," he says, as neutrally as he can manage. "You are dressed quite warmly."

Professor Gadling grimaces. "Oh. Well um, I'm afraid I don't really have gym clothes, and I haven't had the chance to buy some yet since, you know, school. And everything else I own are dress shirts and slacks and lounge wear. But don't worry! I'll go shopping this weekend." He pauses and smiles bashfully. It was just as devastating as Dream remembered. "Sorry. I'm talking too much again."

Meanwhile, Dream's mind had latched on to the words 'lounge wear,' and he imagines Professor Gadling casually walking around his house in nothing but short pajama bottoms.

"I see," he says, glad that he took the time this morning to get himself off so he won't be as tempted to push Professor Gadling against the nearest surface and really give him a full body workout. "Then please, if at any point you wish to take off a layer, feel free to do so."

"Oh, no," Professor Gadling says, still cheerfully. "I'm fine like this. Shall we begin?"

There's still a few minutes before they officially have to start, but Professor Gadling seems to want to begin immediately, so Dream nods and instructs him to stand with his feet shoulder width apart, and gets him to start stretching his upper body.

Professor Gadling obeys, following Dream's example as he demonstrates the set, counting to eight, then back to one again under his breath, before doing the next set without complaint.

Dream watches him closely, because he has to. It's why he notices that the professor's thick hoodie barely shifts, even as the man raises his hands upwards towards the ceiling and counts to 16.

A dark thought crosses Dream's mind then, that perhaps the reason Professor Gadling is wearing clothes that cover his entire body is because he's currently covered in love bites.

Dream clenches his teeth but breathes through it. He knows he's being possessive when he has no right to be, and that Professor Gadling has every right to sleep with whoever he wants.

But knowing these facts and acknowledging them to be logical and true does not stop Dream from hating whoever it was that is currently enjoying Professor Gadling's gorgeous body in bed, perhaps repeatedly throughout the night.

He wants to be that person. He will be that person. He is already fated to be that person.

If his brother Destiny is right about one thing, Dream fucking hopes that it's the power of manifestation, because he doesn't think he would just allow Professor Gadling to end up with someone else without challenging that person to a fight.

Mr. Endless is wearing a tight, sleeveless black shirt and slightly baggy joggers, and Hob is losing his mind. Has lost his mind as soon as he spotted the man a couple of minutes ago, standing by the large glass windows and reading something on his clipboard.

The sight of his toned arms are bad for Hob's concentration. And it's even worse when he circles Hob like a very observant vulture to check his position (just like in his dream) and bids him to raise his arms higher, or at one point, bend a little more to the right.

Hob can't bend as much as he used to in his twenties, but he is very determined to be super flexible at the end of this.

For health reasons, of course.

Mr. Endless demonstrates another pose to stretch the arm muscles, and in doing so calls Hob's attention to how his muscles bunch and flex. Hob is sure that they're far stronger than they look, and he has no doubt that Mr. Endless can carry heavy grocery bags without breaking a sweat.

Hob gets so far as picturing Mr. Endless's hands squeezing his thighs before he immediately shuts the thought down.

No. Absolutely not. And his previous thought about being flexible, too. Mr. Endless would be horrified, if not outright disgusted if he finds out that Hob is thinking about him in that manner.

Professor Gadling continues to obediently follow his orders, getting on the treadmill, walking, jogging, then running, complying as soon as Dream warns him about changing the treadmill's speed, and he does so without a single word of complaint.

Dream could not help but compare him to his past trainees, all of whom had complained on their first session about wanting to go straight to the workouts that would help them achieve their ideal body shape. But not Professor Gadling. He would listen and watch Dream's demonstration well, then immediately obey his orders or mimick his movements. Dream has to bite his tongue multiple times so he wouldn't slip up and say, 'good boy.'

Or worse, 'my good boy.'

Death is going to have Destruction break his spine if, out of all siblings, a sexual harassment complaint would be filed against him and not, say, Desire, who regularly flirts with their own trainees.

Cardio pre-test finished, Dream leads Professor Gadling to the weightlifting area, and once there, bids him to take 2 dumbbells that weighs 1 kilogram each, and do 16 squats while holding the weights.

While Professor Gadling gets the appropriate equipment from the rack, Dream lets his mind wander. Would Professor Gadling be obedient in bed, too? Or would he be a brat? Will Dream have to tame him, or is he already sweet and docile?

Dream imagines that the latter to be more likely, though he wouldn't mind if his lovely professor turns out to be an incorrigible brat in bed. He'll just have to spank him until he's pliant and good enough to deserve his treats.

Fuck. He's teaching. He should be more professional than this.

"Like this, Mr. Endless?"

Dream snaps from his ill-timed daydreams to scrutinize Professor Gadling's form, only to then hold back a lustful groan.

The man is squatting alright, but he's doing so improperly. His heels should be flat against the floor, but instead his thighs and calves are touching, and he's so low that he's almost kneeling on the floor.

Dream has an errant thought that Professor Gadling is being seductive on purpose, except one look at his genuinely unsure expression proves Dream wrong.

Definitely sweet and docile in bed.

Dream wants to eat him alive.

Were this a porno, Dream would tell him that he's doing a terrific job, and if he could please thrust his chest out more so Dream could admire them better. But since he's an actual trainer with the thinnest veneer of professionalism left, he bids Professor Gadling to stand up and instructs him on how to squat properly.

Except, of course, his improved and now very proper form isn't making Dream feel any better, as Professor Gadling now had his ass thrust out instead of his chest, and has to repeat the motion 15 more times.

Dream gets his bottle of vitamin water and drinks deeply, hoping to cool himself down enough to banish his lecherous thoughts.

It doesn't work.

Hob sees from the corner of his eye Mr. Endless drink from his water bottle and immediately looks away. He's glad he's already red from exercising.

When Mr. Endless corrected his squat earlier, he did so by placing a hand gently against Hob's lower back to guide him, and Hob barely bit back a moan from how good a simple, innocent touch from him felt, even through his thick hoodie.

He feels like such a shameless pervert.

Once the assessment is (finally) over, Dream praises Professor Gadling for a job well done, valiantly ignores the shy, pleased look on the man's face, and instead goes on to tell him that he's doing okay overall, but needs more work in certain areas.

Dream does not specify which ones, telling him that he still needs to study the data and compile them together before emailing the whole thing to him.

In truth, Dream does not trust himself to look straight into Professor Gadling's lovely dark brown eyes and say words like 'stamina' and 'flexibility' without exposing the level of hunger he's currently feeling for him.

So yes. Dream will email him his pre-test results later, but he does not tell him that he will only do so after a good long wank.

Professor Gadling, totally unaware of his inner turmoil, only nods understandably, and agrees to read Dream's email as soon as his schedule allows him to. He must be sweating like crazy underneath his get-up, but his choice of clothes show no evidence of it.

Dream worries, and his mouth opens before he can stop it. "Professor Gadling," he says, just as the man had turned away to go to the nearby drinking fountains.

"Yes, Mr. Endless?"

Dream doesn't want to keep him any longer from the fountains than he has to. But next time, he's going to make sure to bring an extra bottle of vitamin water for him, so he could take a sip anytime without going all the way across the room and falling in line.

Dream is also going to be mature about not staring at his throat while he drinks. "When you go shopping for gym clothes, you may want to consider buying lighter fabrics."

"Oh, no, I'm absolutely fine with these," Professor Gadling says, and sounds sincere about it that Dream drops the subject.

"Very well," he says. He will not force him. Professor Gadling's comfort is paramount. If that means that Dream would have to adjust their lesson plans to include more water breaks, then that's what he'll do. "I shall see you next session."

He turns away before he could be tempted to watch Professor Gadling go. He does not think about the possibility that the hoodie might actually belong to Professor Gadling's boyfriend, who is probably waiting for him to get back home, and very eager to get him back in bed.

He has no right to be jealous.

Hob opens his gym bag and starts to take out his clean change of clothes when the texture of the shirt made him pause.

That's not the shirt he folded last night.

He takes the folded black shirt out, wonders at its suddenly lighter weight, then shakes it open to see if he had mistakenly folded another shirt.

As soon as the garment is revealed, however, he shoves it back in his bag, then shakes the accompanying bottom garment open. When that was revealed, he also shoves it back in the bag.

Then, slowly and mindfully, he breathes for a solid minute before he takes out his phone and texts his sister.

Mojo Jojo

Jo what the hell

what

(You sent a photo.)

Why are your gym clothes in my bag???

they're not mine stupid

i had ric buy them yesterday specifically for you

?????

for your ~mysterious~ gym crush to notice you (u///u)❤️

anyway don't worry and just wear them

they'll fit you

That's not the point!

A crop top and booty shorts???

you're right. the booty shorts are fine, but the crop top is too plain.

i should have told ric to pick the other one that says 'daddy's little fuck toy' 😂

JOHANNA CONSTANTINE-GADLING

pfft coward

i'm gonna tell ric to go back to the store and buy the fuck toy crop top

oops the director is shouting at me to get in place bye gtg

Hob is typing another scathing reply in all caps when he hears footsteps stop a short distance from him.

"Professor Gadling?"

Great. The last person in the world he wanted to see right at this very moment.

Hob smiles awkwardly and stows his phone back in his bag. "Mr. Endless."

"Is everything alright?"

Right. Shit. He hasn't even showered yet. He's probably stinking up the place and being a nuisance near the lockers.

"Everything's fine," Hob says, waving the man's concern away. "Just. Sisters being sisters. With their weird and very inappropriate sense of humor."

Someday, he'll learn how to shut his big mouth and stop at 'everything's fine.'

"I'm sure all sisters suffer from having a weird sense of humor," Mr. Endless says politely. "May I ask what your sister has done?"

Hob sighs deeply and zips his bag closed. It's fine. He'll just go shower at home. And anyway, it's not like he has to take the Tube and subject everyone to his sweaty self after a workout. Thank god he drove here. "Better not. If even I, as her brother, didn't find it funny, I very much doubt that you will."

"And yet you remain troubled," Mr. Endless says, and now his brows are furrowed in concern. "Please. I know this is not any of my business, but I would like to help you, if I can."

The fact that Mr. Endless looks very sincere makes Hob want to cry.

And he knows he shouldn't show him. He knows that Mr. Endless should be the last person in the world Hob should show these to. But he figures, what the hell. He could just quit via email as soon as he gets home and never have cause to see Mr. Endless or be seen in the vicinity of Endless Gym ever again.

Maybe it would even be for the best if he did that. Then he would stop having all these unsavory thoughts about him while the man is only trying to do his job.

He sighs and opens his bag once more, tilting it a little so Mr. Endless could see its contents. "My sister swapped my clean change of clothes for these."

Mr. Endless looks inside, and Hob can just see in his mind's eye what the other man saw: an extremely short, short-sleeved, solid black crop top with a deep V-neck that would barely cover Hob's chest area, and slutty black booty shorts with the phrase, 'SQUEEZE ME' printed on the butt area, complete with a cute yellow lemon emoji.

Although to be fair, 'crop top' is a generous term to use for the upper garment in the bag. It's too small and resembles a short-sleeved bra more than a crop top. From a single glance, Hob knows that even if it did fit him, it would be so tight that it would force his pecs to form a cleavage and leave his underboobs exposed.

He cringed internally at the image that would make, and could only imagine the utter revulsion Mr. Endless is feeling right now.

Dream had leaned over to inspect the contents of Professor Gadling's bag, expecting everything from a shark onesie to a clown suit.

Instead he sees further fuel for his already full folder of Professor Gadling-centric fantasies.

He could just imagine the crop top and the booty shorts on the man, and how he'd look like exercising while wearing them.

He had half a mind to ask for his sister's number so he could personally extend his gratitude to her, but doesn't dare to, in case Professor Gadling gets the wrong idea.

He inhales slowly and leans away, placing his hands neatly behind his back so Professor Gadling would not be in danger of being pushed against the lockers and fucked within an inch of his life. Dream did not fail to notice the distinct lack of underwear among the clean change of clothes, and now his mind is working overtime imagining himself standing behind Professor Gadling as he runs on the treadmill, the tiny shorts and the lack of proper underwear leaving nothing to the imagination. Imagines pressing himself against the professor's sweaty back after, the man still panting and out of breath, and pulling down his cute little shorts to jerk him off as a reward for a job well done.

"I see your dilemma," Dream says calmly, like this is an incident that happens every so often and not a cause for alarm or humiliation. "Fortunately, we have a stock of clean clothes in the staff locker room, in case staff members need to change for some reason or another. If you could please stay here for a while, I'm going to get you a clean change of clothes with more coverage."

Yes. It is imperative that he provides Professor Gadling with more conservative clothing than the ones currently in his bag. Otherwise, other people would see and covet what Dream has already envisioned as his. And that will definitely not do.

"Oh," Professor Gadling says, looking incredibly moved by his words. He's probably thinking how kind Dream is, while Dream is still thinking about how easy it would be to fuck his thighs after jerking him off, using the man's own cum as lube. How he would then make an even bigger mess of him and not clean him up after. That way, everyone would know that Professor Gadling is Dream's and Dream's only. "Are you sure? I don't want to trouble you unnecessarily."

"It's no problem at all," Dream says. In his mind, he imagines the man's thighs covered in both their cum, and Professor Gadling scooping some of it up and sucking on his fingers, curious as to what their mixed spend would taste like. "I have also been at the receiving end of a couple of my siblings' pranks, and would not wish another to suffer similarly." When Professor Gadling opened his mouth, possibly to protest, Dream holds up a hand and adds, "Please. I insist."

"Oh. Well then...thank you, Mr. Endless," Professor Gadling says, his dark brown eyes sparkling like precious gems in his gratefulness. Dream wants to kiss him all over. "You're a lifesaver."

Dream speedwalks to the staff locker room, checks to see if the coast is clear, immediately locks himself in a stall, drops his joggers and underwear, and starts jerking himself off furiously.

He barely even had to spit on his palm for lubrication, and he knows it wouldn't take long. He's already so aroused.

He has to do this.

If he doesn't, then Professor Gadling would be in an even greater danger when Dream hands him his clean (and much more conservative) change of clothes, and gets to be on the receiving end of his shy gratitude.

He imagines Professor Gadling, usually so buttoned up, only wearing that infernal crop top and booty shorts in Dream's favorite color, with those taunting fucking words--

"There's a good boy," his imagined self says to a kneeling Professor Gadling, who is pressing his tits closer together to create a valley where Dream could rut his cock against.

"I could...squeeze them even tighter, if you want?" his imagined Professor Gadling says, maintaining his naive, unsure aura about him even as his lips are slick and red from sucking on Dream's cock. "I want you to feel good, Mr. Endless."

Dream cums at the thought of marking Professor Gadling's face and hairy tits with his seed, and him shyly licking his lips for a taste of Dream's cum, moaning in delight when he finds Dream's spend to be thick and delicious. Dream is going to eat more pineapples, just for him. He's going to make Professor Gadling addicted to the taste of his cum that no other cum would do.

"Thank you for lending me your clothes, Mr. Endless," he would say, because he's polite like that. He would lean forward to milk Dream's cock more, making sure to get every last drop, before making a show of swallowing everything down, save for the cum marking him as Dream's. "And for the really tasty post-workout treat."

Mr. Endless looks a little flushed when he returns. However, judging by how far the staff locker room is from the gym goer's lockers that was out in the open (possibly to prevent theft and sexual harassment), as well as any additional effort he may have made in finding clean clothes that are in Hob's size, Hob thinks he got back pretty quickly.

The sight of him slightly flushed makes Hob think naughty thoughts though, which he quickly dispels from his mind. He doesn't have the right to think about Mr. Endless like that, especially after the man went through all this trouble just so Hob would feel comfortable going home.

Still. He wonders what would have happened if he had both the courage and the confidence to wear the clothes Jo bought for him.

Would Mr. Endless...

He viciously cuts the thought off before it could fully form. No. Absolutely not.

Mr. Endless would have felt nauseous at seeing his rolls and body hair and just...general unattractiveness. Hob wouldn't need to email him about quitting because the man himself would drop him as soon as he could, like a hot (temperature-wise) and very unappealing potato.

"Here," Dream says as he hands Professor Gadling a set of clean clothes. In the bundle is a black shirt, a black letterman jacket with the number 03 on it, and black joggers. All of them belong to Dream, and everyone, especially his siblings and the rest of the staff, is going to know that these are his clothes as soon as they see the number 03. "You will have to go commando, but it's definitely preferable to what your sister intended for you to wear."

Professor Gadling looks so grateful and Dream wants to mark him up, this time with his own teeth. Let everyone see Professor Gadling wearing his clothes and his teeth marks, even his boyfriend who lent him this hoodie, whoever he is. "Thank you so much," he says. "And yes. Lord knows I shouldn't subject anyone to the sight of me in that. I'll drive all the gym goers away and then Endless Gym would have to close."

Dream really, absolutely hates how Professor Gadling thinks of himself as unattractive. Is it because his boyfriend tells him that? Is that why Professor Gadling signed up for training in the first place?

Well, whoever he is, he better be prepared because Dream is ready and raring to beat him into a pulp the moment Professor Gadling even implies that his lack of self-esteem is caused by his boyfriend spouting lies about his beautiful body.

Were Dream allowed to freely speak his mind, he would say that if Professor Gadling did don the clothes his sister intended for him to wear, he would no doubt cause multiple accidents due to gym goers losing their concentration: dropping weights on their feet and tripping on the treadmills, not to mention the injuries he would cause in the future, when Dream would casually arrange little minor accidents to those he caught drooling at his lovely future boyfriend.

But because he is still Professor Gadling's trainer and therefore need to have some semblance of control and professionalism, what he says instead is, "I don't think such a thing will happen. And please, feel free to keep those clothes if you wish."

"Oh!" Professor Gadling exclaims. "I absolutely shouldn't. I'll wash them after and return them to you on our next session."

Dream smiles. He's very stubborn, too. "If you do that, I will simply put them in your locker so you will have an extra set of clothes if your sister decides to swap your clean set again."

Hob blushes as soon as Mr. Endless hands him the bundle of clothing, and feels even more flustered when, after showering, he holds them in his arms and smells a hint of Mr. Endless's own scent on them.

He really is so kind and generous and considerate and Hob is so very quickly falling in love with him.

Hob is walking past the gym's cafe after getting dressed when he sees Mr. Endless ordering what looks like a pineapple smoothie. He walks over and nods politely to both the staff member behind the counter and Mr. Endless when both men turn to look at him.

The male staff member quickly walks towards the blender to fulfill Mr. Endless's order, however, and so the two of them are left alone to converse freely.

"Thank you for lending me your clothes, Mr. Endless," Hob tells him, all-smiles. The clothes fit him perfectly, and the fabric feels good on his skin.

There is an undecipherable look in Mr. Endless's eyes. Hob hopes he's not mad. He looks really intense. "I see they fit you well."

Hob laughs. "I was surprised, too! Thank you very much for finding ones that are in my size. This jacket is especially lovely." He rubs his hand over the fabric of the jacket's sleeve, which really does have a nice texture to it.

"I'm glad you like it," Mr. Endless says. "And I hope that this means you are considering keeping it?"

Hob ducks his head to hide his embarrassing lovesick smile. He'd love to, actually. He'll take it off as soon as he gets home and press his face against it, hoping to smell what little remains of Mr. Endless's scent, and how their scents mix together. "Maybe."

"Then it is yours," Mr. Endless says. It might be Hob's delusional imagination, but Mr. Endless looks fond as he looks at him. His heart is beating so fast. If he doesn't leave soon, he may just do the unthinkable and kiss Mr. Endless in front of the poor staff member behind the bar, as well as a couple of random gym goers peacefully eating their salads in the background.

"Oh," Professor Gadling says softly. "Really? You mean that?"

Dream wasn't wrong in his assumption. The man does look good wearing his clothes. And for him to go out of his way just to show Dream how well they fit before he leaves...

Dream wants to tear his own clothes off him and just give him another set after.

"I do, Professor Gadling," he says. "I only say what I mean, and I would love for you to keep them. At home or in your locker, as long as your sister doesn't hide them from you and replace your clean change of clothes again."

"I will care for them well," Professor Gadling vows sincerely. Dream has no doubt that he will. But this is only the first of many clothes that Dream is planning on giving him. In fact, Dream could already envision his own closet at home, interspersed with Professor Gadling's clothes, and the man himself wearing Dream's clothes to bed. Dream is going to let him steal all his hoodies after they burn his ex's hoodies. He's going to spoil him rotten with pretty lingerie so he'll never have to go commando ever again. "Shall I see you in a couple of days for our next session?"

Dream could think of no one else belonging in his life as a romantic partner other than Professor Gadling. He smiles and barely prevents himself from leaning forward and giving the man's delicious-looking lips a chaste peck before he has to leave. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

#personal trainer dream au #your honor they need to chill tf out #dreamling #the sandman #my writing #5800 plus words motherfucker what #good job my thumbs #the rest of my fingers also contributed so 👏👏👏#matthew: boss pls i'm just trying to make you a smoothie here #other gym goers in the gym's cafe: really? right in front of our salads?#I was thinking what this AU's title is going to be if I put it on AO3 and my brain said 'Let's Get Physical' 😂#now I don't know about that but it certainly made me laugh #i'm sorry for laughing miss olivia newton-john 🙇‍♀️

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intimidating-fettuccine · 11 months ago

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YAYYY!!!!! first request, I’m relatively new and I missed it last time lmao😭- pls may I request a scenario with poly Ben and Jeff where reader is known for being emotionally strong and independent, and really struggles with being vulnerable (crying, opening up to people emotionally, etc) and sorta has their first moment of vulnerability with the boys?

Like- maybe they’re all gaming and reader slowly starts to talk or make comments about how they’ve been feeling, maybe some traumatic things that have been on their mind, slowly opening up, which ends in them crying/breaking down Infront of the guys for the first time? Just some comfort, cuddles, etc (I live for comfort w best Boys >:D)

Hcs are alright too if you don’t fancy a scenario, love ur writing!! Have a lovely day/night, take care of yourself <3

I really wanted to write this one but I do need to go with the HCs. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you also have a lovely timezone! <3

You're not the only one in the trio who has a hard time being vulnerable, but perhaps that's what drew you all together. I've even mentioned before how BEN has emotionally discreetly opened up to Jeff over some video games, so it seems fitting that you would do the same. I could see why you might be hesitant to open up and expose all your vulnerabilities to them... They have so much going on themselves, always stressed from work and their own issues, and so even with them constantly encouraging you to be more open with you, your own sense of independence constantly takes over, making it harder and harder for you to finally open up to them until you've bottled it up so much that you begin to overflow, and that's where we find ourselves today.

The three of you were sat bundled up together, trying to stay warm from the growing winter air outside, Mario Kart on the TV and controllers in each of your hands as you just try and relax and have fun together. Eventually, though, the warmth of the atmosphere starts to eat away at you, and the stress you've been holding in from recent and past events in your life finally begins to bubble up over the carefully crafted vase you've been hiding it away in. It starts with your hands, shaking and trembling, and then your jaw and lips follow behind, and then the tears begin quietly falling down your face. Your voice begins level, mentioning how you've been so tired lately. How you've been having those dreams again, and how you just feel like you haven't been doing well enough. Their eyes remain trained on the screen, not wanting to make you uncomfortable by watching you as the three of you continue to race. It's not until you've fallen off the same part of Rainbow Road for the third time and your sniffles reach the air that they both turn to you and notice what's happening with you physically, your whole body shaking and tears they've never seen before traveling down your cheeks.

They're left breathless, unsure of what to do, their hands reaching out for you but unsure if they should make contact. When the first choked sob comes out of your throat they lose all hesitance, Jeff scooping you into his lap and BEN hugging against your back as you bury your face into Jeff's neck and wrap your arms around his back. They're both holding you tightly, whispering that it's okay, that you're alright, and they're there to protect you and keep you safe. As you continue to sob and open up about what's been bothering you a deep ache fills in their chests. They blame themselves for not noticing sooner that you've been this stressed, for not probing deeper into the issues you'd alluded to before. They sit quietly as you open up to them, occasionally asking questions to make sure they have a deeper understanding of what it is you've been feeling the need to keep to yourself. They tell you not to hide things like this from them anymore, that if you ever begin to feel stressed or if anything is making you depressed or bothering you or giving you anxiety, to please open up to them and let them help you, because you always do the same for them. They are your partners, and they want to be able to support you and love you, and they can't do that if you don't let them in.

They hold you close as your tears begin to die down, covering you in gentle kisses and whispering words of comfort and love. When you're fully calmed down and feeling better they'll work at implementing a check-in system with you while you get used to opening up, but for now... For now, it's time to rest and be close. BEN goes off to get you all some snacks and some hot chocolate to relax with, and Jeff continues to hold you in his lap, running his hands through your hair and pressing delicate kisses to your forehead. They won't allow you to be lost and alone like they were, not if they can help it. You took them in emotionally and gave them a home in your heart, a place to belong to, and they're going to do the same for you. They love you too dearly to let you continue wandering alone, and it's time for you to come home to them, where you're warm and welcome and cared for, no matter what. You deserve to be at peace with them, no matter what your brain has told you all these years, it's time for you to be open and free.

#creepypasta #creepypasta headcanons #creepypasta headcanon #creepypasta x reader #jeff the killer headcanons #jeff the killer #jeff the killer headcanon #jeff the killer x reader #ben drowned #ben drowned headcanon #ben drowned x reader #ben drowned headcanons

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welcometothejianghu · 1 year ago

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Hey, you! You should watch Hikaru no Go!

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: Hikaru no Go/Qi Hun/棋魂.

Based on the manga of the same name, this drama is the Chinese live-action adaptation of a story about a boy who plays Go, the spirit only he can see who teaches him how to play Go, and all the friends and enemies he meets along his journey to become a good Go player.

...Wait, no, come back. I swear it's more interesting than that makes it sound.

What it is, is a character-driven tale of a charming young boy who, among a bunch of weird and wonderful people who love him, grows up to be a charming young man.

(You see how his shirt says SWEETIE CUTIE? That is because he is a sweetie cutie.)

It's a sports manga, so you've got Training Montages and The Big Game and all sorts of tense moments like that. But there's also lots of fun, gentle plotlines that are equal parts tearjerking and heartwarming. It is incredibly written, act, and produced, and I can't believe that it's not more popular, because it's so good.

Here are five reasons you should watch it:

1: GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

Word of Honor is merely the second gayest thing I have ever seen a c-drama do. Hikaru no Go is gayer by an order of magnitude.

I think the way they got it past censorship was by saying, oh no, this isn't gay, it's just a sports rivalry! But come on, what do you mean sports rivalries aren't gay, have you seen how all those Canadian and US hockey players keep marrying one another? This is that. This is the tale of two boys who've been in love since they were seven figuring out that they've been in love since they were seven.

(And speaking of seven-year-olds, the kid casting is amazing.)

I mean:

This is an actual still from the show.

So is this.

These are not taken out of context. The context would make them gayer. That's how gay they are for each other.

But you know what the best part is? They're not the only pairing. And I don't just mean this like, oh, here's two other cute boys, you can imagine the times they kiss -- I mean, the show itself has its own ships! Ships you wouldn't expect! Intergenerational gay Go solidarity!

Now here's the catch: You have to wait for it. But oh boy, the payoff had us clutching our heads and screaming as quietly as we could because it was after midnight and we were losing our minds.

That last episode!! You have to see it to believe it!!!

2: EMOTIONS!

Bring the tissues. There are parts where it was kinda hard for me to watch because I was sobbing.

Because it's a sports manga, there are lots of triumphs and tragedies. Not everybody can make it to The Big Game. Not everybody gets to live out their dreams. Sometimes you try your hardest and it's not good enough. Sometimes you play your best and you still lose. Some people have to give up on what they love. Some people who were there with us at the beginning don't get to make it with us to the end.

What really makes it is that the show sits with its emotions. Events will affect people's emotional states for multiple episodes to follow. People who have sadness don't just snap out of it. Loving someone doesn't automatically fix them. Shit's hard!

Of course, this contrast makes the triumphs even more wonderful. I will tell you that the show has a happy ending, but not always the ending you would expect would have been their happy ending. It is overall an incredibly uplifting show. You'll need tissues for that, too.

3: (Nearly) Everything Is Pretty Dang Normal

Part of what I mean by that is that while a lot of the actors are real pretty, they're also done up in ways where, like, if you met this person on the street, you would think, this person is pretty! and not, what the hell fancy-ass magazine cover did you just step off of?

Look at these normal goobers:

There are two exceptions to this. The first is Chu Ying, because he is a ghost energy being from the distant past, and ghosts energy beings from the distant past get astonishing eyeliner.

The second is Fang Xu, because his actor, Han Mubo, is an actual idol. Congratulations on your face, sir.

However, I also mean that the story is delightfully mundane. Sure, there's that one supernatural element to it, but everything else is just a regular story about regular people who have regular human problems. There are characters who disappoint their parents and mentors, struggle to pay their bills, try to balance school and extracurricular activities, have crushes, argue with teachers, flake on responsibilties, get lost in the woods, and do some pretty normal human things. Nobody's avenging anyone or trying to slay anything. It's just people being people.

It's even a bit of a period piece -- the show starts out in 1997, then jumps forward to the late '00s, so everything's just charmingly slightly outdated. Damn, I love everybody's flip phones.

4: Actually Good Television

Okay, if you like c-dramas, you know they can be ... janky. Episodes sometimes end practically in the middle of sentences. CG leaves much to be desired. Obvious cuts and last-minute overdubbing really stand out. You can tell where the censorship mandates got in there and started mucking around with things. That kind of jank.

This show feels different. It feels like someone thought out each episode, start to finish, and then created each piece to fit that vision. Every episode even has a title and beautiful title card. They start and end in dramatically logical places. The cinematography isn't anything particularly artful or experimental, but it's solid and clean and lovely. (And if you're sick of shows so dark you can't see them, you've got no worries here.)

The CG in the show is unobtrusive, and most of it is spent making Chu Ying subtly transparent.

There are a bunch of secondary characters, but to me that never felt overwhelming. Most of them are interesting, three-dimensional characters, no matter how short their screen time is. And while there definitely could have been more female characters, the show itself is pretty open about how sexism in the Go world means that it's mostly a boys' club -- and the ladies that are there are great.

In short, this is a show you can show to people who don't have c-drama brain and thus are less inclined to overlook some of the more cringeworthy aspects of their productions. I bet that your Average American Television Enjoyer Who Can Handle Subtitles would have no trouble getting into the groove of it, which I imagine could be very useful for those of you who have people you'd like to watch c-dramas with, except you don't feel like stopping every five minutes to apologize for one thing or another.

5: Better Than The Source Material?

This is the point where I have to admit that I myself have never read the manga or seen the anime. I came into this with only the vaguest familiarity with the source material. I can only tell you that the live-action drama is good; I can't swear that it's better.

However, @jianghootinandhollerin can speak to this comparison more authoritatively than I:

When I was 20, Hikaru no Go (manga) was my favorite thing, the primary obsession, the source of multiple livejournal themes, custom winamp skins, and a fanfic where Hikaru got a go stone stuck up his nose. Because of this deep love in my history, I was dubious about a live action version and the changes it made, but hey, turns out, those changes were exactly what the 20 years older version of me needed. This version of the story benefits so much from having the full, completed story to work from from the outset. The manga didn't know where it was ending when it started, but this show got to, and the story gets to be richer and the characters' stories get to be deeper thanks to that. And also, very importantly: everyone is older and much, much gayer.

Look, I understand if "but it's not the original manga/anime" is a dealbreaker for you. There are adaptations of things I can't watch because no matter how good the end product may be, I'm going to hold it against it that it's not the source I'd rather be seeing, and that's not a fair standard. That's fine. It happens.

But if you can, give this a go (pun unintended). It does not replace the original thing; it is a different take on the same idea. And yeah, it's one that really speaks to me here, on the other side of forty as I am. Maybe I would have missed it at twenty, but the person I am now really respects its attitude that while Being The Best is all well and good, it is not the only thing, and it is absolutely not more important than being yourself and doing what you love with the people you love. Sometimes you peak and can't advance anymore, so you become a teacher, and you know what, that's better than okay, that's actually pretty great. (Do I overidentify with Bai Chuan? Listen: maybe.)

Have I convinced you to watch it yet?

You can watch it on iQiyi, or you can watch it on iQiyi's YouTube channel. I hope you love it as much as I do.

#hikaru no go #qi hun #棋魂 #rec post #i made this #because I love these go boys #meta

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yellowhollyhock · 5 months ago

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what are some of the strengths and weaknesses of 1987 Michelangelo’s character? I have the hardest time writing for him outside of the super obvious “surfer bro” persona honestly

tbh,, I rarely write for 87... they're too witty,,, I have some wips but as far as writing the 87 boys are definitely not my strength

That said! 1987 Michelangelo! Love that guy. hmmm strengths and weaknesses

Weaknesses

-he can be clueless at times. needs things explained multiple times or doesn't pick up on things other characters were counting on him picking up on. this can be a very useful for plot reasons, he can simply forget what he was told or not understand it and therefore fail to act on it

-very obsessed with pizza. more so than the other turtles

-along that vein, generally not difficult to distract

-hard to motivate. he mostly wants to make himself and those around him comfortable, and he's very good at finding simple easy ways to do that. So whatever task needs to be done for whatever other reason, better find a way to make it comfortable and fun, he has a high threshold. For example during training sometimes he would simply rather enjoy the nice weather and there is nothing Master Splinter or anyone else can say

-this goes with hard to motivate, but in the ep where Leonardo leaves and the others have to try to lead, when it's his turn he's just very passive. he is pretty good about knowing what needs done, but he is definitely not one to take charge, and more than likely he'll wait to be told what to do unless the situation is very urgent

-he does not enjoy watching pro-wrestling, to his brothers' dismay

Strengths!!

-sweetest heart of all time. brings home injured animals, takes them to the zoo so he can learn about how to take care of them or give them to someone who can

-btw he can talk to animals

-often is the one tending to his brothers if they're sore after a battle. not first aid, but like fluffing a pillow or just patting their back. He probably holds their hand while antiseptic is applied. Definitely hugs them when they cry

-very loyal. throws a birthday party for Irma. never believes something bad he hears about someone he knows (he'll say "no way, amigo" if someone who isn't present to defend themselves is accused of literally anything)

-strong moral compass, AND

-the ability to communicate persuasively about what he thinks is right. More often than not he uses the same sentence (what you're doing is majorly wrongiouso) (or something like that siahdhsj), but it's the way he says it amd the timing that's important. He understands people, and as much as he always sees the best in them, he also knows how to bring out the best in them. Idk I don't think I'm explaining it too well, but... he's not just blindly trusting. Trust is a choice he makes out of kindness, but then he will hold people to a standard. Does that make sense?

-great with kids

-he's a good mediator, hears out both sides

-faces his fears (he has the most stage fright of them all but by the end of the ep where they appeared on camera he was also handling it the best)

-he can put his foot down when he needs to. very cool trait for the Nice Guy character to have, y'know?

-not afraid to emote! sobs openly because the stove is broken! hugs! speaks up when he is upset! expresses joy for the little things! 🧡

-psychic (i think? probably? might not know it? i remember feeling like it was implied but I'd have to go find the episode(s) alskjdjvf) (pretty sure it wasn't explicit but like. he's psychic okay)

-so much patience

-everyone loves the way he talks. they're always mimicking him. i remember one time when Leonardo asked a question, Michelangelo was standing right there, and Donatello literally said, "Well as Michelangelo would say" and then said what Michelangelo would say and was in fact about to say, then Michelangelo went to say it and got all confused alfjshsjj. Also Shredder will do this too! And you know you're good when Shredder copies you. He had aspirations of being a writer before he turned to villainy, you know (or maybe you didn't but now you do)

#why did i write this like i was shredder explaining how to capture him akdhshshsh #what are writers if not villains #we're the ones putting the characters in situations after all #tmnt #tmnt 1987 #1987 michelangelo #hope this was helpful

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beanghostprincess · 1 year ago

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also thoughts on yamace now that you've seen them

Stabbing me in the esophagus would have hurt way less than watching these two interact. I want to give you a proper answer like I always do instead of incoherent screaming, but I watched the flashback so recently that I'm still fucking sobbing. I can't stand gay people and their daddy issues. They make me insane. But since I'm an annoying writer, I will try and explain why Yamace has suddenly made his way to my top 5 ships in only three episodes. I'm pretty sure everybody knows all of this already because I'm late to the boom of episode 1015, but damn, I really need to talk about this or I'll die.

Okay, first of all, their personalities are so good together. They're both silly and fun to watch and impulsive and they want to be free from the chains their fathers put them in (metaphorically and, well, also literally). Perhaps the animation and direction of the show (especially on episode 1015 because oh my fucking goodness) helped a little in setting the romantic mood, but the interactions were all them. These two are literally something else.

To me, it's the angst of falling in love in the span of a night with a stranger with whom you have a lot in common and then watching them go, hoping to see them again- Like, basically being the only thing you look forward to because you don't have anything else except them and the freedom they promised you. And then watching them drift away between your fingers without being able to do anything. It's the frustration and helplessness and the way Yamato's life was the best it could've been and then crumbled down to the point where he had to place his faith in a man who he only knows because Ace talked about him constantly without shutting the fuck up because he's the most annoying brother ever (I love him).

And- I don't know, man. The chemistry is unmatched. Like, I actually felt I was interrupting their romantic moment watching that shit. If I hadn't known anything about them I would have genuinely thought they would kiss.

The whole "You can't choose your parents" and "What do you really want to do?" left me crying and sobbing on the floor. I literally had to sit down on the floor and cry because I couldn't take the parallelisms between them, both being children of important pirates and feeling (a very valid) resentment towards them. It's so good. The way they bond and talk to each other,,, The way they look at each other? This is the type of thing you only see in a romcom. Because quite literally: What the fuck.

And it's not only the obvious parallelisms or the fact that their personalities match perfectly (and also that, aesthetically, they look amazing together. But I think that's what happens when both boyfriends are hot af) but the fact that in the span of a night... Their feelings were so genuine. Ace wanted to come back, he just wasn't strong enough at the time and he was so positive and determined to become stronger so he would go back to Tama and Yamato,,, And Yamato? Waiting for Ace? Yamato waiting for his only friend to come back but knowing he will never do it? Yamato was so cute and excited to meet Ace, and seeing him hurt but it hurt less knowing that he would come back. The fact that he's dead takes that away from him. It just makes him have more faith in Luffy because he carries Ace with him.

How can a ship be so fucking good in only three episodes???? Going fucking wild. Ace taught him the meaning of living freely. Ace made him want to fight to be free. Ace changed his life and, honestly, Yamato changed his life too because it was the second biggest promise (first one being with Luffy, about not dying) he made and he had to actually train and fight to fulfill it. And he wasn't able to do it, but the whole "Luffy carrying Ace's promise" thing makes me go fucking wild.

Well, basically, to finish this: Expect a lot of posts from me about Yamace from now on and also a lot of edits to Taylor Swift songs.

This is so,,, God. It's so romantic. The lightning. The smiles. The fact that they're literally two intersecting lines that will never meet again. It makes me sick.

#they make me go wild #i swear i woke up and i quickly started writing this #they make my heart go ERDFCGVNJKMÑOEFLSKJDNHFGFJDKWBKEFNWLENFL #you know?#one piece #yamace #yamato #portgas d. ace

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svtjinny · 1 year ago

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JUYEON :: GAME CATERERS x SVT | 01

[editors captions] | speaking | english , but she only speaks it once and it's clarified there warning: food mentions, use of a razor is mentioned [if i forgot anything don't hesitate to lmk and i'll add it here] for context, during the filming of game caterers she was blonde. she dyed her hair again soon after.

ep 1-1

the first time you see jinny in the episode is when the camera turns to hoshi, mingyu & jinny squatting during s.coups's intro

then again you can see the three

jinny : do well, leader coups!

the camera cuts to jinny yelling during mingyus intro

finally its jinny's part!! they played hot

[ Finally, the 14th member ]

[ The second blonde in SEVENTEEN ]

[ The older ones are her fanboys ]

jinny starts dancing to the post chorus, up until the end of her part (end of chorus)

[ (Jinny) (Vocal Team) (Youngest) ]

[ (Designated cook of SEVENTEEN) ]

[ (Always a Social Butterfly) ]

everyone was shouting during her part as always.. and she was just dancing there and giggling

jinny's last part in the intro is during the super dance bit where they cut to her dancing

theres a small scene of her while they're standing

jinny : i'm already tired and it's only the first time.. how will we perform this...?

she starts laughing when seungkwan is trying to introduce the show

jinny : our seungkwannie works too hard, can you tell? while looking at the staff sitting down LMAO

when they're going to sit she walks in after dino & sits with him, next to joshua

[ (Golden Kids sit together) ]

when s.coups says he doesn't have any friends sitting around him, jinny leans back in her seat and looks towards him

jinny : you'll start rumors with that kind of talk..

during seungcheol's interview she looks at him at the "curious meerkats" part

jinny : [turns to chan] you know, i've been wondering why you've been so moody lately~ while he was explaining why he and seungkwan fought

when joshua picked up his water bottle she moved away so fast

jinny : i was scared he was actually gonna do it :(

[ (Has to keep her guard up) ]

after jun explained while he was so quiet during hybe picnic, the camera cut to jinny looking at him and then a couple of videos of her interacting with EVERYONE at the picnic :sob:

[ Unlike Jinny, who was ready to greet everyone~ ]

when jun said they weren't normal she laughed

jinny : wow, junnie.. i thought you loved us?

that was her last scene in 1-1

ep 1-2

jinny's first part in 1-2 was her agreeing woozi never leaves home

jinny : i always have to drag him out...he's like a vampire

[ Youngest in charge of getting her brothers to sunlight? ]

seungkwan : [seungkwans interview part // after hoshi, before the na pd coupon bit] after the show, jinny told me "you could do better at hosting, honestly"

[ M COUNTDOWN Host Jinny giving feedback ]

the camera cut to jinny laughing at what he said

jinny : i was teasing him~ in all seriousness, i was proud of seungkwan-oppa for being able to host in the show in front of all the groups even though he was nervous

jinny : ["dino, which razor did you use today?" // while they were laughing] he used gillette~ i watched him earlier

[ (16 year best friend can confirm for us) ]

finally it's jinny's turn!

na pd : jinny.. ah, there you are. nice to see you again.

[ Finally, the last member Jinny ]

[ Jinny was the extrovert of Game Caterers x HYBE! ]

na pd : when we looked at the comments of the videos with you before, CARATs were saying you were so friendly with every group there because you were already friends with them. is that true?

jinny : partly, yes! i've either worked with them all on choreo or songs or i knew them from being an MC. but, i am just naturally friendly.. i think i would've felt a little awkward if i just sat there like my members.

[ Youngest is the extrovert of the group ^^ ]

dino : i can back that up! jinny was the one who asked to be friends when we first met..

dokyeom : i remember when we began training as a group, jinny would go out of her way to talk to everyone

jinny : she got flustered :( i wanted to get to know the people i would be stuck in a group with.. you guys are much different now though..

[ (Jinny, is that good or bad?) ]

her bit was her last part in 1-2 !

ep 1-3

this time she sits between seungkwan & seungcheol [ 1:32 : she sits between kwan & hoshi | 14:49 : she sits between cheol & hoshi | 18:30 & 18:49 : she sits between to wonwoo & joshua | 20:35 : she's second in line, next to wonwoo ]

they changed seats so many times.. so if you wanna know where she sits when they move, refer to this LMAO

jinny : ["the game is over food"] food? i think i'll be good at this.. then she giggled

[ (SEVENTEEN's Food Know-It-All) ]

the camera went to her agreeing and laughing when seungcheol said they only listen to the minority in arguments

jinny : [when everyone began yelling over acorn jelly] you see, this is how we settle arguments...shouting

the camera cuts to her being zoned out until cheol gets his question wrong

jinny : [to cheol] yah, why are you sitting there? you're not good at games..

jinny : [ when mingyu moves // to seungkwan ] i think we were all just nervous, kwannie, cut him some slack

cue cheol hitting her leg right after that bc of what she said to him before LMAO

[ (Jinny was the only one to get a question right last year) ]

[ Perks of being an MC? ]

jinny : ["i don't think i'll get it" - wonwoo] i'm sure you'll do fine, oppa. i think it's a lot more nerve-wracking when it's almost your turn. she pats his shoulder while speaking

wonwoo gets his question right :proud: it's jinny's turn now !!!

[ (Next is Jinny, master at the character quiz) ]

the camera zooms in on her concentrating; her person was taeyeon & ofc she got it right !!!! that's mother

jinny : [she puts her head in her lap then brings it back up] wow, i was so scared it would be someone i didn't know..

mingyu : but who don't you know?? [some members start to laugh]

seungkwan : right right, that's what i was going to say!

[ Her members disagree with her for once ]

[ (Let's keep this in mind next time SEVENTEEN visits) ]

jinny : [when joshua got his 'cramp'] she looks at the camera while smiling and then turns to joshua playing along and saying are you okay?

that's it for 1-3 !!

ep 1-4

jinny's first scene was when they reached shua hoshi n cheol on the quiz

[ Urgh/Performance Team leader/Knows everyone/Leader]

her next part is after dino gets mimi

her person was irene (rv) please she was so relieved

jinny got down to the floor and bowed bc they gave her such an easy question :sob:

[ (Thankful for getting someone who she admires) ]

[ (Jinny is the REVELUV president!) ]

jinny : [to hoshi] it's okay~ it can't be that bad...horanghae!

[ (Encouragement) ]

and then the camera turns to staff going "aww".. she gained some fans that day

she moved to the middle between wonwoo and hansol

jinny : you got it wrong? amazing [eng.]

and some of the members started mimicking her "amazing"

[ The two peaks: Jinny and Vernon ]

[ (It's Jinny's turn) ]

her character was wonyoung !!! got it right obvi

[ (Jang Wonyoung, who she's made songs for) ]

[ Even helped with her debut ] + they played a snippet of eleven

jinny : i don't have any faith in us winning the kimchi, but at least i got all my questions right!

they all starting shouting when she said that and she just laughed LMAO

[ (The one who's usually loud watching chaos surround her) ]

skip to when they were eating gyu's cake; she was standing next to joshua (around 23:40)

the camera was zoomed in and you could see shua holding jinny's chin and feeding her a piece

[ (Taking good care of their sister) ]

and that's all! part one was so chaotic but yk i had to end it on a cute note

from xia ! : ermm i got too lazy to change the bold

#svt ; jinny #svt au #svt oc #seventeen female addition #seventeen female member #seventeen addition #seventeen added member #seventeen 14th member #kpop extra member #kpop female oc #kpop added member #kpop addition #kpop oc #fake kpop idol #idol!oc #idol!au #idol oc

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paltaxiox · 1 year ago

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HC that after the war Harry's patronus changed to a snowy owl: Hedwig.

Harry is eighteen, he's survived a war, and he still feels like he could die at any moment. Being back at Hogwarts with other students doesn't erase months of running around, hiding, taking turns sleeping, not eating. Going back doesn't erase anything, and he still remembers every single death and the extreme fear of not waking up one day if he closes his eyes.

His friends try, of course—they try to help him and he's grateful, but he knows it'll never be the same for him. The losses are too much and they weigh on his back, like a giant blanket that won't let him breathe.

It's the last day of school; the next day they'll be returning to London for the last time. They've had their graduation ceremony that day, and the students are celebrating in the common room, drinking, laughing and happy. Harry is, too, but he sees the dark sky, the trees swaying on the horizon, and feels something is missing.

He started Hogwarts eight years ago. He crossed that hidden wall at King's Cross with someone else, and it wasn't the Weasleys—it was someone Harry always thought would be with him, until one or the other died of old age. But he'll come back alone. As he was for the first eleven years of his life until she was given to him, white and magnificent. He's graduated and Hegwig was not with him to see it. He'll take the train for the last time and Hedwig, his first friend, will not be there with him.

For while he considers Ron his first friend, nothing can compare to Hedwig. Actually, his first friend ever was her, not Ron. They're the first of their kind. Ron was her first (human) friend, and Hegwig her first (general) friend. He loves Ron, but he loved Hedwig as well, and the two cannot be compared. Ron accompanied him on his deadly adventures every year, but it was Hegwig who returned with him to the Dursely's, who saw him locked in a room without food, and who listened to him talk and talk, only with his company. And her presence, actually, was all he needed to keep him afloat.

Over the next few minutes, Harry casts spell after spell. He does it without thinking, just from muscle memory. He knows he won't use several of these anymore, and others he will, but it feels good to do it one last time in a school setting, so that twenty years from now he can sit with his family and friends and remember 'Yes, that was my last spell at Hogwarts.'

And in the end, his last spell lands on the tip of his tongue. It's not his signature spell, but it's the one he's most fond of, the one that connects him to his father. He purses his lips, takes a deep breath, and speaks the words:

'Expecto Patronum.'

Instantly, a bluish-white wisp comes out of his wand, curves in the air and bursts into an intense light that makes him squint. The figure that forms is circular, then oval, then changes and twists and turns as if it doesn't know what to do. Harry watches silently, the air trapped in his lungs. At the end, the figure stands still and limbs grow from its sides and it shakes. Instead of fur, it sprouts feathers. And when he opens his eyes, Harry knows that, if the animal had been real and not a bluish-white Patronus, it'd have bright yellow eyes.

It's Hedwig. Not the majestic stag he's had since he was thirteen—but Hedwig, who won't be with him to see him off, who never could, but who has somehow snuck into his own magic so that he'll always remember her. And, oh god, isn't it hilarious?

A sob catches in his throat as the snowy owl returns and flies higher, seeming pleased. She flutters around, disinterested. And then she fixes her eyes on him, and turns to him with the same stern look she gave him when he was talking nonsense or not giving his the bacon.

Before he knows what he's doing, Harry has his arm stretched out to the sky, towards her, and Hegwig flies and flies towards him, and transmits so much light that it illuminates the grass and every pebble on the ground. She comes so close that, as he runs his fingers across her back in a gesture to caress her as he used to do, he runs right through her. Suddenly, his cheeks feel cold, and it's with a tremulous sigh that he realises he has been crying.

He cannot take his eyes off her, off her plumage and her now blue eyes. And the night goes on and on and on and he's still there. And when dawn comes, Hedwig flies past towards the horizon, and finally disappears.

Harry is the only one left.

Years later, many many years later, he'll sit surrounded by grandsons and granddaughters, all together around the fireplace, and introduce them to Hedwig, his first friend.

#fanart #my art #artists on tumblr #csp #paltaxiox #hp fanart #harry potter fanart #harry potter #hc where harry's patronus changed #this was for Harry's birthday and it was actually half finished but it still didn't convince me #It still doesn't really convince me now but I know that if I don't publish it it'll just sit there rotting in my archives.#harry james potter

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cressthebest · 6 months ago

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Crimson Rivers thoughts pt. 27

chapter 46:

1. WOLFSTAR MY BELOVED

2. god i hate that james is having a lapse of time. but also, i LOVE that zar is including their disabilities throughout the fic and not just making it a one-off thing

3. black brothers angst is hitting like a freight train

4. “"The plan was always to take James' place, but I'd be lying if I said the words didn't leave my lips a little easier knowing that Sirius would choke on them."” jesus christ

5. regulus and remus friendship means so much to me. i love that when regulus asked remus the worst thing he did, remus trusted him enough to tell him

6. LILY AND DORCAS FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!

7. also, i love the chaos dorcas knows she’s gonna cause chaos by breaking people out

8. “Lily fucking Evans, everyone.” -dorcas

and that’s the woman i’m in love with!!!

9. AWWW marlene showed up on dorcas’ doorstep!! i love them so much!!

10. “Regulus wonders if James still thinks he's beautiful.” jesus christ, what a way to start a pov

11. “"I didn't break up with you," James snaps. "I didn't exactly get the chance, seeing as we weren't together in the first place."

"Yes, we were," Regulus whispers. In his head, they were. In his heart, they still are.”

oof that fucking HURTS like a punch to the gut. i don’t know how reg is able to survive james being that mad at him

12. god, james is so mad thinking that reg lied about wanting to marry him, and reg meant it 10000%

13. 😶 reg just proposed, right? i read that right??

14. “”He stops, swallows, then gives Remus a soft smile. "You can say it. You probably shouldn't, but—"

"Come back," Remus whispers, like it's a sin, and Sirius' breath hitches.”

i haven’t cried in like five chapters, but this had me SOBBING. i love wolfstar more than the air i breathe

15. “"Do you know that you're the only person who has asked me that? Everyone else—they all just accepted it, what I'm going to do, and there was no one who even—I mean, no one even…argued, or protested. Maybe it's because I'm so stubborn and they know it wouldn't get them anywhere, but—but no one tried. And maybe it makes me selfish, but I'm so glad that you have."”

STOP IM CRYING HARDER NOW WTF THIS HURTS

16. “"I'd die for them, but I'd live for you."” YOOO THIS HURTS

17. “"No, no, I want to hear about this secret fantasy of yours to have sex on or against household appliances. Do tell me more, sweetheart. Give me all the filthy details."”

18. “"I'm partial to the kitchen table. It'd be nice, I think, splaying you out there and enjoying you like a meal. Wouldn't that be nice?"”

remus is so unhinged 😭😭😭

19. 🥰 dorlene mornings after sex

20. awww dorcas is cutting marlene’s hair. this is so intimate

21. god i’m so worried for marlene in this arena

22. james being a big meanie (i don’t blame him) and regulus breaking down and crying and james being like 😶😧😦😟 no! why are you doing that! stop!!

23. “James lasted ten years dealing with Regulus hating him, and being unkind, and ignoring him. Regulus didn't even last five days.”

awww reg is just a big softie

24. 😦 uh oh. dad and pop are fighting. they’re having the screaming match of the century

25. god, this whole fight is reminding me of when effie called regulus gentle.

26. “Not will you marry me, because James can't, but would you marry me, if you could?” i-

27. honorary authors notes from zar:

“oh, and *bursts into tears* THEY'RE ENGAGED 😭

well, okay, not really—but tell that to regulus, who will ABSOLUTELY be running with this new information lmaooo. this is the same man calling james his ex when they weren't even together. james just stating he WOULD marry regulus if he could—yes, regulus' brain has immediately decided they're engaged now. james, babe, you really should have seen that coming 💀

regulus: would you marry me if you could

james: yeah

regulus: so what im hearing is we're engaged now. we just got engaged. that's what this was.

james: ...that's...not... why do i even bother trying to keep up with you? sure, whatever you say!”

#marauders #regulus black #james potter #jegulus #sirius black #remus lupin #wolfstar #sunseeker #starchaser #dorlene #dorcas meadowes #marlene mckinnon #zeppazariel #crimson rivers

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descendinginto-madness · 9 months ago

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every flame will burn out some day.

cw: major character death. descriptions of blood & (not very detailed) a dead body. descriptions of grief and unhealthy habits.

word count: 1654

a/n: uhh this is just 'himeko dies: the fanfic'. i wrote it like a week ago in two days and it sucked the writing juice out of me but i'm still kinda happy with how it came out? also posted it on ao3 here

Welt doesn't remember all the details.

He does remember the fire, though; beautiful, orange flames blooming in the night, burning so brightly, reaching up so high into the sky, so powerful that he could feel the heat on his face, engulfing every monster in its way and turning it into ash; and he does remember this fire disappearing much too soon and much too abruptly.

He remembers a scream cut short, blood splashing around and landing on his face, a body falling.

He remembers that, for a heartbeat, the world stopped.

He remembers rushing towards her; holding desperately onto some little shards of hope that maybe, just maybe, he would still be able to save her - and these shards being ground into dust the moment he kneeled down next to her.

He remembers trying to shield her body, cover it so that neither March 7th, nor Dan Heng, nor Stelle would have to see it; her pale face, and the deep crimson staining her white dress like grotesque flowers. But they were right behind him, and he was much too slow.

He doesn't remember their faces, he isn't sure if he even looked at them, but he can only assume they showed varying degrees of horror.

He remembers March clinging onto him, sobbing into his shoulder, and himself wrapping his arms around her almost mechanically, his eyes glued to Himeko's face.

She looked surprised.

Not scared.

Of course.

He doesn't remember a single time where she would show fear.

He remembers something growing inside him at that moment, too; a decision, crystallizing. Any thoughts about leaving the Astral Express he might've ever had lost any meaning at that moment - now, there was - is - no way he could just abandon them.

He still is almost painfully aware how much Dan Heng, March and Stelle need his guidance.

He doesn't remember how much time it took all of them to finally break out of the initial shock and move, he doesn't remember what ultimately made them do it, he doesn't even know how they got back on the train; he thinks he might've carried March all the way back, but he isn't sure.

He can't quite recall Pom Pom’s reaction, he can only guess what it was, given they were the one who met Himeko first.

The first few days are a blur, too.

He feels like he's in a trance; like he's just watching from the sidelines as his body does everything, a spectator in a grim play. He wakes up the day after and immediately gets to work, because he cannot stand the thought of simply lying there, he's afraid of just what may come across his mind. It's much better to keep working.

He doesn't want to give himself time, he can't give himself time, and he will insist he doesn't need to.

There's so much to take care of around the Astral Express, after all.

It feels natural for him to take over Himeko's responsibilities as well, now. Or maybe he's just looking for ways and excuses to keep himself busy; a part of him certainly is. He attempts to contact her family, or friends, or anyone that might’ve been in any way close to her. He ought to inform them of what had happened.

Aside from that, he doesn't remember much more.

But he does check on the kids; obviously, they're not actually children anymore, but they're his children, and they need him more than ever before, and so he ensures they get up, eat, drink water, go to sleep at acceptable hours, and he regularly checks in during the day, asking if they need anything.

Sometimes they just need him to hold them.

To hug them tightly, making a silent promise that everything will be alright, even though all of them know it won't - not right now, and not any time soon.

Pom Pom does the same for him, reminding him to take care of himself, too, but he forgets to do anything the moment the door to his room closes behind them.

Sometimes he feels like he's underwater, just ran out of air and can't breathe; his lungs are burning, begging him to take even one, small breath, but he can't - if he does, he's surely going to drown.

If he lets himself pay just a bit too much attention to certain thoughts, he's going to crumble, and he simply can't allow that, not when they need him so much - him, not the vulnerable part of him. They need Mr. Yang who's strong, and always knows what to do, and surely has a way for all of them to pick themselves up and piece themselves back together. For Dan Heng to speak again, because he hasn’t said a word since Himeko’s death. For March to go back to being so cheerful like she usually is. For Stelle to stop being so serious, with such an overwhelmingly dark aura around her.

He doesn't.

He won't admit it.

These first few days stretch into a week.

The scent of coffee coming from Himeko's room is much, much, much weaker now.

No one has entered this room since her death.

One morning Stelle knocks on his door.

He's used to working alone, but he lets her help him when she asks if there's anything she could do. Sure. There is quite a lot, actually, he'll find something for her no problem. It does feel tense at first; he’s so exhausted, he definitely hasn’t been taking proper care of himself, and he’s almost certain she will pick up on it even despite her own visible tiredness, but she doesn’t. Or, at the very least, she doesn’t mention it. She does talk about some other things, though, not too much, that’s for sure, but he’s never been more relieved to hear it.

He’s used to relaxing alone, too, but when one evening March asks him if he would like to watch a movie with the three of them, he agrees almost instantly. Her voice is still so quiet, almost unsure, and so unlike her, and obviously he can’t and didn’t even think about blaming her for it in any way, but it still breaks his heart a little-

No, not that.

It only adds onto the pain piling up since the moment he saw Himeko’s body fall to the ground.

But he follows March to her bedroom anyway, and as the four of them settle down, he lets her rest her head on his shoulder eventually. He lets Stelle do the same. He watches the movie - an animated one he isn't familiar with - trying to ignore the overwhelming sense of guilt growing in his heart.

It is his job to protect the crew; all of them, Himeko included, and he failed. If he was just a bit faster that day, nothing would've happened, all five of them would be watching this movie, and the atmosphere of this room wouldn't feel so heavy, this moment of peace wouldn't feel so fragile, like the smallest wrong move would be enough to shatter it into pieces.

His heart feels like something is repeatedly stabbing into it, again, and again, and again, and again-

He speaks up, eventually, and his voice is quiet, but he hopes it will be louder than his thoughts.

He comments on the animation, he compliments the beautifully drawn backgrounds, he even brings up the time he himself worked as an animator.

When Dan Heng asks him a question, it feels like everyone in the room can finally breathe again, but his heart still feels so heavy.

The week extends into two, then three, nearly a month.

The scent of coffee coming from her room is long gone, but he still catches himself surprised by the lack of it; he still catches himself expecting Himeko to leave her bedroom in the morning, to hear her talking to the kids or Pom Pom. When he sits in the parlor car, lost in thought, he's subconsciously waiting for Himeko to enter, with a teasing comment and a playful smile on her face.

The pain has become a little duller, but it remains, and he isn't sure if it will ever disappear. The guilt is persistent as ever, and although he doesn't quite feel like a machine quite as much anymore, he's exhausted.

Some days he feels like he's about to collapse, in every possible way.

The kids leave the Astral Express for a bit one day, finally; there's some shopping that needs to be done and they decide to go together. They ask him if he wants to accompany them, but he declines gently. No, he still has some work to do. Yes, he will be alright, they don't need to worry. No, he's not tired. Yes, he will remember to rest later. He feels bad that he made them feel like they should ask about all that.

The door to his room closes behind them, and he locks it with shaky hands.

He waits.

He waits until the sound of their quiet conversation disappears from the hallway.

His heartbeat is much too loud in his ears.

He wants to scream.

He's frustrated with himself because of that, because it's such a childish want, but he needs to scream until his voice gives up completely and he can't even talk anymore, until he's exhausted and empty, rid of everything he feels.

For now, though, he's struggling to breathe.

He leans against the door and forces himself to take in long, deep, painfully slow and shaky breaths. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

His throat hurts, his eyes start to burn, his vision blurs when the tears finally start to overflow.

He feels so alone that it physically hurts.

He is going to be fine, though.

He has been strong for them. He has been the support they need.

He will continue to be once they return.

#tw death #tw grief #tw dead body #hsr #honkai star rail #himeko #welt yang #march 7th #dan heng #stelle #hurt/comfort #angst #dim writing ☁️

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nephilimcursed · 2 months ago

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Bella & The Boys Headcannons~ Reiji Edition

"I go crazy 'cause here isn't where I wanna be, And satisfaction feels like a distant memory, And I can't help myself, All I wanna ever say is, "Are you mine?""

Reiji and Bella had a connection and shared interests from the beginning.

Some people forget this about Bella, but despite how she was brought up, she is very intelligent. In English and writing, not math and science as much.

But she, during her training, would read classics and educational novels.

It was escapism from her harsh training.

So Reiji actually notices how smart she is with novels and stories. He then takes the opportunity to help her in maths and biology/chem.

Because she struggles, Reiji is frustrated at first. When she gets things wrong, he slaps her on the hand.

But then he notices how she's really trying, and giving it her all. He really appreciated that. So he becomes a little more gentle when she asked questions.

"Rei? How do I...?"

"Firstly, look for the like terms. 5 times 'y' and 8 times 'y'."

"Those can be combined?"

"Yes, to make 40 times 'y'... Good job."

He loves that she's read so many classics, Emily Bronte, Charles Dickins, etc.

They have these moments where they'll quote from one of those books to each other.

OOH, you guys these two have debates too.

As in something will come up and the two will politely bring up points to try to bring their view to make sense in the other's eyes.

Surprisingly, Reiji starts to understand Bella's point of thinking after a while. And they stay very respectful while doing this.

Oh god, it's time to get to the super romantic stuff-

So Reiji takes Bella to balls very often.

Allowing her to dance with him. Which she is talented in due to classes and runes she has.

Although she does end up feeling bad after- because with her eating habits, she'd either not eat at all. Or lose control and overeat.

The first is more common, of course...

If she doesn't eat at all, he normally takes her to a restaurant after and makes her eat.

Or if he's feeling more sentimental, he'll take her home and cook for her himself.

Of which he knows she'll feel guilty, putting him through that work, when she won't eat it.

Kanato isn't the only boy to buy her clothes, you guys.

He gets her Gucci, Prada, Dior, and his personal favorite, Chanel.

You can expect to see her wearing Chanel when they're out and about.

No, but Kanato and Reiji both make sure this girl is SPOILED.

Later on Laito too, but that's in his post lol.

Bella is the girl who has to tell her boyfriend to take breaks not over work when it comes to Reiji.

So she normally uses the 'come spend time with me' method to get him away from work.

And it works 80% of the time.

Now y'all might be wondering why I used R U Mine for Reiji.

It's because Reiji has a hard time sharing Bella.

Seeing her with Shuu? Yeah... nope....

Ya'll she knows not to be too openly affectionate with EITHER in front of the other.

Because Reiji just can't stand it, it hurts him too much.

So Bella normally goes to Reiji and makes up for it in the form of physical affection, like cuddles and kisses, etc.

Reiji constantly asking himself if Bella really does belong partially to him...

When she dies, this man...

Breaks down so hard.

And is actually the first person to charge after Karl.

Like runs after this son of a bitch, and is about to pull his hair out-

It's emotional.

He's sobbing in pain the whole time.

In their individual narratives, I explain the pain as piercing hot agony through their hearts. I think that's accurate to what Reiji feels.

Beats himself up for not finding out what the poison was before the light faded from her eyes.

#diabolik lovers #bella wayland #diabolik lovers ask blog #bella sakamaki #reiji sakamaki #sakamaki reiji #diabolik lovers reiji #relationship #diabolik lovers headcanon #headcannons #diabolik lovers headcanons #dl oc #dl fandom

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your-divine-ribs · 29 days ago

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Ice Cold Part 35

Words: 3.1k

Anyone reading this for the first time, I originally wrote Bondy into this chapter as the new character but I decided to change his name to Billy! 🤭

Ice Cold Masterlist Main Masterlist

Helpless. That's how I felt as Charles accelerated through the snow-covered city streets. Utterly helpless and wildly out of control. Even when things had looked desperate before I’d had Van. He'd always been close, skulking in the shadows, keeping watch, a protective force. Unbeknownst to me he'd even been there when I’d considered him an enemy. Now I had no way of contacting him and for the first time I was completely out of his reach.

I should have been comforted with promises of a safe-house, a refuge where I could lay low until any potential threats were eliminated, but where could be deemed truly safe? When my trust had been shattered so completely could I ever wholeheartedly put my faith in anyone again? Images lingered in my mind. Paul weeping at my father's grave and pulling my distraught mother into a comforting embrace. Candid chats with him during my turbulent teenage years when my mother had 'washed her hands’ with me and he'd been called in as a kindly guiding father figure. An inspiring and encouraging force throughout my tough agency training programme. He'd been there all along... a traitor masquerading as a friend. The proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing.

"You'll be completely safe, no one knows about this safe-house," Charles stated like he was reading my thoughts. "You won't be left alone there either. There'll be protection assigned to you."

"Oh, so other people do know about it then," I interjected.

"I've hand-picked these agents myself. They're new recruits from the London team. They're completely trustworthy." He spoke in his usual brusque manner.

Agents?

The plural term filled me with consternation rather than the comfort Charles was trying to bestow. Multiple agents meant one thing to me and that was that he expected an attack. But if the location was so 'safe' why did I need such a high level of security? A dark sense of dread hung over me like a menacing storm cloud.

"And where is this safe-house Sir?" I asked, watching the bustling city streets turn to outlying residential streets, the snow falling thicker and faster than ever now.

"It's in the countryside, miles from anywhere. It's the last place anyone would think to look. It's completely isolated."

For some reason his last line chilled me through, a shiver radiating through me despite the car's heater belting out hot, dry air.

I could have been in London now by Van's side. The only place, as I was starting to realise, that I felt completely secure. It still seemed like insanity that a cold-blooded murderer who'd been assigned to kill me had turned devoted guardian who would risk his own life for mine, but in an insane world it was the only thing left that made sense.

Not that any of that mattered now. Instead of trusting him and repaying him for his protection and loyalty I’d chosen to pursue my own personal revenge, a selfish choice that might see Van now storm into the agency in a desperate attempt to rescue me. I felt every muscle in my body tense at the thought, a sharp visceral stab of terror in my gut as I envisioned him risking everything to get to me when I was miles away. The agency was sure to be on high alert and no matter how stealthy he was, no matter how skilled, there was no way he could get inside without risk to life or limb. And what's more, it was all my fault.

I swallowed down a choking sob which threatened to rise, disguising it as a cough, turning my head to look out the window at the scenery shooting past. We were leaving residential streets behind now, wide traffic-filled roads giving way to narrower B roads with hair-pin bends, the Porsche's slick tyres navigating the treacherous driving conditions surprisingly well.

We drove in silence for a while, me trying in vain to pinpoint some kind of landmark that might tell me where I was, Charles staring intently at the road ahead. When he finally spoke it made me jump, my nerves showing.

"Do you have your gun?"

I felt the cold steel of the metal digging into my back where it was still uncomfortably concealed in the waistband of my jeans. The notion crossed my mind to lie, but I knew I wouldn't be believed, and why should I lie in any case? The sense of disquietude that seemed to linger in the air intensified.

"Uh-huh," I replied after a pause, sitting forward to reach around and take out my handgun, laying it across my lap.

Charles's eyes darted sideways quickly, then he smacked his lips together before emitting a disgruntled sigh. I knew something bad was coming before any words even left his mouth.

"I'll need that... and your badge."

The shock made me gasp even though I was expecting disagreeable news. "Are you... firing me?"

Charles was silent for a moment so I carried on, caught between outrage and disbelief. My voice had risen a good few octaves when I spoke. "Sir... with respect I don't think that this is a good time to be..."

"With respect Lyla..." Charles' cutting tone quieted me instantly, a reminder that I was being addressed by a superior, and one that wasn't to be argued with at that. "You've blatantly lied to a senior agent which indirectly led to a colleague's death, you've tortured a suspect for information and you've just fled a major crime scene. I said I'd have your back and I will, but you're out of control right now. You need to step back from this case. This isn't a personal vendetta. This is an intricate network of criminals and we need to tread carefully. We're getting so close now... and I will not have you fucking things up... do you understand?"

"But you can't leave me unarmed!" I cried.

"Don't test me!" Charles warned, his grip tightening on the wheel, his jaw tensing. "When Paul's been taken into custody and McCann's lying on a slab in the morgue I'll reinstate you. You can stay here until things have settled down. Rest assured it won't take long. The whole agency's got their orders to track Van down and eliminate him, but until then you do as you're told and you stay put! And that's an order!"

The last line was barked out with enough force to make me wince. A show of authority to leave me in no doubt that his instruction was not up for discussion.

A torrent of emotions swelled up inside me. Hatred for Paul. Worry for my safety. A resigned feeling of impotence. But cutting through them all was a stark and desperate fear for Van.

"You've got to take me back!" I suddenly shouted, twisting around in my seat, looking all around at the rolling white hills of uninhabited countryside on every side, a thick copse of dark woodland in the distance which Charles gunned for, seemingly accelerating in unison with his rising temper.

Charles shot out a fist which connected with the shiny black dash, his knuckles white. "NO LYLA!" He growled, his lips curled into a snarl, his face an angry shade of scarlet. "I've told you! When are you going to start fucking listening for once!"

It was hopeless. I was miles from the city and getting further with every passing minute. The bleak snowy fields were being left behind now as tall leafless trees and thick firs flanked the narrow road, snow-laden branches reaching up for the flint-coloured sky. I could feel panic rising in my throat, clawing its way up, my mind scrambling for a solution to my desperate predicament and drawing a blank.

Suddenly the car slowed and Charles sat forward, hunched over the wheel, his eyes narrowing behind his gold frames. I looked around and saw a narrow lane leading off from the road, leading deeper into the thicket of trees.

"We're nearly there," Charles stated, glancing at me quickly before his attention was back on the winding trail he'd turned into, his rage starting to diffuse a little as he took in my anxious expression.

"You're not the only one who was betrayed," he said quietly. "Me, your father and Paul... we were as thick as thieves back in the day. We always had each other's backs... we looked out for each other. This has come as a terrible shock to me too you know."

I shifted in my seat, dredging up memories from my past. The picture my father had painted of Charles back then wasn't as a close friend and confidant. Many a time I’d heard him spewing out his frustrations to my mother after a particularly hard day at work, berating his boss's abilities as a senior agent in leading a case. His selfish attitude in using any foothold to further his own career even if it meant harming another's clouding his judgement time and time again. 'Ruthless' was how my dad had often described him.

I stewed over the knowledge, firmly biting my tongue. This wasn't the time to start a petty competition about who was more wounded by Paul's betrayal. Needling Charles would only make him push back even harder. I realised reluctantly that I needed to play along for now, take stock of my situation and plan my next move. Maybe I could appeal to the agents who'd been tasked with my security or maybe I could even give them the slip somehow and travel back to the city. A quick look around told me that it wouldn't be easy though, Charles' description of a remote location fully living up to its promise.

The lane got narrower and the terrain rougher, the Porsche's wheels losing traction on the ice, spinning uselessly. Charles muttered angrily, cursing the car's rear-wheel drive before he brought the car to a halt. "We'll have to walk from here, it's just up ahead. Just through those trees."

I waited until Charles opened the driver's door and got out, surreptitiously sneaking my gun into the waistband of my jeans yet again, then I grabbed my bag out of the footwell, pushed open the passenger door and stepped out. The first thing that struck me was how quiet it was. We were far enough away from the main road for any traffic noise not to penetrate the thicket of trees. Charles indicated for me to follow him and I did, my boots crunching against the virgin snow, leaving a trail as we both trudged towards our destination. I pulled my coat tightly around my body against the icy chill, looking all around for any other signs of life. That's when I noticed a large, hulking black SUV parked up ahead, and as we rounded a curve in the trail I saw a small cottage nestled amongst the trees.

It would have been an idyllic scene in any other situation, almost picture postcard perfect in the falling snow. A quaint thatched roof cottage with stone walls and smoke billowing out of the chimney, an inviting glow at one of the lead-paned windows.

"What is this place?" I asked as Charles started up the pathway towards the door.

"Don't worry about the details," he answered, extending a hand towards the wooden door and rapping against it firmly. "The less you know, the better."

I bristled at this comment but brushed it aside as the door swung open to reveal a stocky looking blond man with a thick wiry beard. He didn't greet Charles, just gave him a curt nod as he stood back to let us both enter, his beady eyes flicking over to me with not a hint of any warmth. I stepped forward, following Charles, immediately hit by the stifling warmth as we stepped down a short passageway which led into a deceptively large kitchen and living area.

The room had a low ceiling with thick wooden beams running the length. There was a battered looking patch-worked sofa pushed up to the far wall next to a fully loaded crackling log fire. I let my eyes move further around the room, taking in an old-fashioned stove at the opposite end next to a Belfast sink set into the wooden counter top. Everything looked old and well-worn in a style which would have almost been comforting in a thoroughly lived-in kind of way if I hadn't felt so ill at ease. Tension stiffened my muscles and wormed its way into my gut, intensifying as Charles stepped aside and I noticed another figure in the room.

The man sat reclined on a thickset wooden chair which teetered on its back legs as he pushed himself backwards, his large boot-clad feet up on the sturdy oak top of the kitchen table. He had a menacing air about him which was magnified by his stern features as he peered from under the brim of his dark cap. His eyes were piercing and they regarded me with a certain curiosity which set me even further on edge. I took all of him in, quickly noting the vicious looking serrated knife poorly concealed in the top of his boot, his casual pose and the smirk that simmered on his lips.

"Billy," Charles spoke gruffly, taking off his glasses and wiping the fogged-over lenses on the tail of his shirt which had come untucked.

"Alright... Sir..." came the reply, but the greeting just sounded misplaced, spoken in a teasing, insolent tone which immediately made my hackles rise. No one addressed Charles in that way, not if they valued their job, and especially not a new recruit.

To my surprise Charles ignored it, raising a hand to indicate me whilst I stood, tensed and rigid, on high alert but trying not to show it. "This is Lyla... I'm well aware as should you be that she's more than capable of protecting herself but she appears to have become a target..."

"Fucking McCann..." Billy muttered, his eyes flashing fiercely.

Charles just grunted an agreement, shifting where he stood and glancing at me before his attention was back on Billy. "Now you've been briefed thoroughly. You and Nick just do whatever needs to be done..."

The heat in the cottage was suffocating. I dropped my bag on the floor, feeling beads of perspiration breaking out under my heavy coat. I was loathe to remove it, hoping Charles might have forgotten about my concealed handgun but I wasn’t so lucky. As if on cue he turned to me, hand outstretched, his face stern.

"Like I said before... I'll need your gun."

"This is ridiculous!" I exclaimed, shooting a poisonous glare at Billy who seemed to be enjoying my predicament, his grin widening. "You've just admitted that I'm a target but you're leaving me without a gun?"

"We've discussed this already," Charles barked, anger seeping into his words, but I wasn’t going to let it lie. My sense of foreboding was in overdrive now, and I needed to do all I could to protect myself.

"Just whilst I'm here... please," I begged, aware that I sounded desperate but not being able to keep my composure. "When this is all over I'll hand it in. You can suspend me... you can fire me... I don't care. Just not today. Please Sir. I've got a really bad feeling about all of this."

Charles stood his ground, a flicker of something I couldn't place crossing his countenance before his steely expression was back. "We don't work on feelings in this agency, we work on facts. And the fact is that I just can't trust you right now. Now hand it over."

A throaty chuckle erupted from Billy as he tipped himself back even further on the chair, shaking his head, his amusement at my obvious anxiety clear. "Why don't you do as you're told huh? Be a good girl, eh?"

"I'm glad you find this fucking funny!" I hissed at him, anger mingling with my nerves now. He was lucky Charles was standing there or I would have wiped the smug grin right off his face.

"Don't worry sweetheart, you're in very capable hands," he smirked, plucking a cigarette from behind his ear and placing it between his lips.

Irritation flared in me, exacerbating my already wound up state. I darted forwards, nudging the back leg of the chair with the toe of my boot. The chair wobbled precariously for a moment and I was pleased to see him gasp out loud and grasp hold of the table-top to save himself from a fall, obviously shaken up, the cigarette falling to the floor.

"I'm nobody's sweetheart," I said steadily, pleased to see his smirk replaced with a scowl, but my satisfaction was short-lived when Billy shot up on to his feet in an instant, the wooden chair screeching harshly across the flagstone flooring.

I acted through instinct, my mind perceiving a threat as he lunged towards me, my hand automatically reaching under my coat to grip the butt of my gun. I withdrew it but didn't raise it, just letting my arm hang at my side, a warning. Billy didn't utter a word, but he didn't need to. He stood only a foot away, his jaw set, his eyes holding me in a glare which told me that he wasn't used to being challenged. But that was fine, neither was I, and certainly not by an arrogant prick like he seemed to be.

Seconds ticked by as we were locked in our stand-off, and I was shocked that Charles didn't seem concerned about diffusing the tension. I just heard a drawn out sigh emit from him as he stepped closer.

"When you two have quite finished I'll be taking that gun," he muttered, wrenching it clean from my grasp before I even had a chance to react.

"I'm heading back to the city," Charles announced, and I finally stepped back from Billy, tearing myself away from his piercing stare. I turned to look at Charles who was backing quickly away in the direction of the short hallway.

"I'll be waiting for your call," he said to Billy, then he fixed me with a look, one that caused my intuition to set the hairs prickling on the back of my neck. I knew straight away that something wasn't right. In fact something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Goodbye Lyla."

Then Charles was gone.

#ice cold #van mccann fanfic #au fanfic #vanfic

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