#thx for sticking with me fr

[z0r0z]

ok so the rundown is i dropped out and had to start working so i have no free time for real now 😔 BUT!!!!! i have absolutely NOT abandoned this blog or given up writing, i promise i really want to write stuff and share it with you guys but i'm rlly struggling to find the time or motivation atm just with the way life has been going for me.

i miss my moots and my followers, i miss talking to you and reading your tags and just generally everything about the OP fic community. i never thought when i started this blog i'd even post more than a few times but the community here is so amazing ❤️

i say i'm working on stuff and things will be coming soon and i feel bad for almost never following through on those. i care way too much about the quality of the writing i put out to the point where i just end up posting nothing at all. so, it's really hard to write to a standard im happy with and consistently post fics with the little time i have.

i'll definitely be posting SOMETHING at some point; like i said i haven't given up on writing or anything like that. it's just gonna take. a while. so please stick around and be patient with me, i appreciate yous all so much 🙏

GUYS IM SO SORRY FOR BEINNG SO DEAD 😭😭 I WORK FULL TIME NOW I WANNA KMS

[mrworldwideshoulders]

all the wrong places || reader x myg

After getting separated from your friends during a night out, you get stuck with a hefty bill – one that you can’t pay. So when a handsome, emotionless stranger covers your tab in a random act of kindness, you’re determined to track him down and pay him back. inspired by 24K Magic by Bruno Mars.

‣ Pairing: reader x yoongi (dual pov; feat. JK and Jimin) ‣ WC: 6.1k ‣ Genre: slight angst, fluff, strangers to lovers ‣ Warnings: alcohol consumption, reader and jimin joke about her being an alcoholic 🤪 (psa fr tho, please drink responsibly), credit card debt, yoongi (gently) manhandles the reader, bouncer!jungkook and his tattoos, jeon jungkook being freaking annoying, unrealistic scenarios that could only happen in a fic (is it fate, or is it just fanfiction?), reader in her dumb bitch era (said lovingly) ‣ a/n: same yoongi from my fics bang bang and give me novacaine; different y/n tho. i’d def recommend checking those two out first (though for this one i don’t think you really have to unless you’d like more backstory). i like this fic a lot and i think it’s cute so i hope you enjoy it too! as always, bannered and beta’d by the amazing april aka @onmypillow-onmytable​, plus credit for the general idea of this story! 😘 thx! ly – robyn ‣ P.S. I do not own BTS, their likenesses, or the music of Bruno Mars, they just inspire me.

part of the 24k magic collection (masterlist)

This might actually be the worst night of your life. Or at the very least, one of the most embarrassing ones. 

Your friends, who were supposed to be splitting the bar tab with you, have all but evaporated into thin air, and you’re so far gone you can’t even remember when you saw them last. And it’s starting to dawn on you, as your credit card declines for the third time, that you may have overdone it – in more ways than one. Declining once, that’s normal. Two times, that’s just bad luck. Three times declined, however, that’s just embarrassing. If there were ever a time you wished you were more proactive about budgeting and keeping your credit card paid off, it would be now. It’s not the end of the world, of course. You just won’t get your credit card back tonight, and you’ll have to come all the way back over here to retrieve it at some point – after you go home and recover enough of your senses to pay off some of the balance on your card. But going without your credit card for any length of time makes you anxious for some reason, and having to come back over here just for that doesn’t particularly fit into your already busy schedule. 

“Are you sure you don’t have another card?” The bartender that’s trying to close out your tab looks at you pointedly as you’re rummaging through your bag. You can feel the weight of his judgmental gaze all over you.

“No, but, listen,” you ramble, face hot with a mixture of shame and too much alcohol. “I wasn’t supposed to be the one paying for everything. My friends, they stuck me with the bill, and I really need—”

“Sounds like you don’t have very good friends.” He stares you down unsympathetically. “Either cough up or get out.”

“Can’t you just…give me my card back?” you manage helplessly. You feel tears of frustration starting to form behind your eyes. “I’ll come back and pay you tomorrow. I’m good for it. Really. I just have to—” Rearrange my entire bank account, pay off my credit card, reevaluate my whole life, and promise to stick to a budget from here on out, no matter how much Jimin and Nayeon want to go out drinking. Yeah. That’ll last about a week.  

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” grumbles a low, irritated voice from behind you. You turn to find a man dressed completely in black, with dark eyes and an expressionless face shrouded under a heavy curtain of black hair. He hands the bartender a sleek black card. “Here. Will you leave her alone now? Go back to pretending to do your job or something.” Your eyes widen. Who is this guy? And what is he doing? 

The bartender eyes you sullenly and hands you back your card. You turn to the man to thank him, but he’s already walking away, being swallowed up by the crowd. “Hey!” you call. “Wait up!” You push clumsily after him, jostling people left and right as you try to catch up with him. He’s at the front door before you’re finally able to tap him on the shoulder. 

“Now what?” he snaps.

“I just wanted to thank you,” you say breathlessly, taken aback by his brusque reply. “For what you did back there. I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate it. I was about to cry because of that guy, and then you just appeared out of nowhere to save the day. You must be my guardian angel or something.” 

He lets out a bitter chuckle. “Trust me, I’m no angel.”

Your cheeks seem to flush all over again and you almost forget the other reason you chased after him in the first place. “Oh! Money! I can repay you.”

His face doesn’t change. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.” 

“But…it’s money.” Your face falls in disbelief. “Of course it’s a big deal. And I don’t like owing people anything. Especially money.” 

“Well, I’m not big on people feeling like they owe me anything either.” He shrugs. “So consider it forgotten. And stop following me.” He pushes through the front doors and out onto the street. 

You start after him again, but you stumble on your way out the door, falling almost directly into the bouncer’s well-muscled arms, one of which is adorned in a full sleeve of tattoos that recedes under the sleeve of his black t-shirt. “Careful,” he says, steadying you on your feet. 

“Um – thank you,” you manage. “That guy I was following. Did you see where he went?”

“Down there.” He points you toward the taxi stand. “He’s not bothering you, is he?”

“No, it’s just – I need to talk to him, but he keeps running away from me.” You march wobbily toward the man from before. “Hey! You!”

He sighs resignedly and turns around. “Do you make a habit of following random men out of nightclubs?”

“Only when they do me favors and won’t let me pay them back.” You plant yourself in front of him, arms crossed. 

“Look, I told you not to worry about it.” He scowls. “Do you really want to do something for me? Go home, pay your credit card bill, and forget you ever met me. You’ll only hurt yourself if you don’t.” 

“Suppose I don’t want to.” You gaze defiantly into his eyes. “Is that a threat?” 

“No. It’s a warning. I’d listen if I were you.” A taxi pulls up, and he grabs you by the arm, firmly, but loose enough that you could break away if you needed to, and pushes you inside. “Go home.” The door slams, leaving him standing there on the sidewalk. 

“Well?” says the driver impatiently. “Where to?”

You stammer out your address, still too stunned to think about anything else. Who was that guy? And what was that about a warning? He doesn’t seem like a bad person – why else would he have paid a stranger’s bar tab? 

Forget you ever met me. You’ll get hurt if you don’t. 

Why did he say that? You don’t know why, and you’re still far too drunk to figure it out tonight, but one thing is for certain. 

You’re going to track him down. And you’re going to pay him back.

Jungkook whistles as Yoongi heads back toward him. “That was a close one.” 

“Too close,” mutters Yoongi. “She could have blown the whole thing.” 

“What did you do, anyway? Weren’t you supposed to be blending in?” 

Yoongi shrugs. “The bartender was harassing her about her tab and her card wouldn’t go through, so I paid it for her. She wanted to repay me.” He thinks back to the look on your face, like you were about to burst into tears at any moment. A strange, unfamiliar surge of protectiveness in his chest, one that he hadn’t felt since he’d recruited Jungkook all those years ago. ”I told her she didn’t have to, but.”

“Aww.” Jungkook slaps Yoongi good-naturedly on the shoulder. “See, hyung? You’re a good guy after all.” 

“Hah,” he scoffs under his breath. “No. I’ve just gotten soft, that’s all. I’ll probably regret it in a day or two. No good deed goes unpunished and all that.”

“You say ‘soft’ like it’s a bad thing.” 

“Maybe not, maybe so.” Yoongi sighs, running a hand through his hair. “We should get back to work. We’ll stick around here until closing, then debrief in the morning.” 

“All right.” Jungkook nods, resuming his post near the front doors, despite the sidewalk in front of the club now empty at one o’clock, an hour before closing. “I’ll be here.” 

Yoongi heads back inside, his head still filled with thoughts of you, that defiant expression on your face when you’d asked him what would happen if you refused to forget him. Anyone else would have just accepted this good deed and carried on as if nothing had even happened, or worse, they would have screamed at him, told him he was overstepping and a creep, to fuck off and leave them alone. Why hadn’t you screamed at him? He’d even grabbed you, a stranger – and a woman – by the arm to push you into the cab. Yoongi knew for sure he’d overstepped there. You just didn’t do that when you were a man, not in this day and age – especially not when you were a man with a past like his. Even someone as supposedly stupid as he was knew that much. Why, he wondered, were you so intent on repaying him? Had no one ever done anything nice for you before? Purely for the hell of it, never expecting anything in return? The two of you must have something in common, then. No one had ever done anything like this for him – with the exception of Hoseok – but that was different. Hoseok was his friend, for one thing, and didn't understand the concept of taking no for an answer. At least Yoongi knew to just say thank you and get on with his life, instead of trying to push it. A chuckle rises in the back of his throat before he can stop it, and he swallows it down almost as quickly as it came, shoving aside the thoughts of you along with it. 

He tucks his hands into the pockets of his jacket as he forges back into the depths of the club. There was something about you, something that made you want to insist upon repaying a random man that had just done you a favor, something innocent, idealistic, even, that made him want to protect you. Something that made him want to know you, even if it was only as friends, to explore your thoughts, to live inside your head for just a day, to find out just what, exactly, was going on in there. But he would never allow himself to get close enough to discover what that was – or risk you doing the same. Someone like him and someone like you – that could be dangerous. 

Especially someone like you. 

As it’s beginning to turn out, tracking down your angel in black – that’s what you’ve been calling him – is far easier said than done. Somehow you’d stumbled up to your apartment after the cab dropped you off, and from there you’d somehow managed to let yourself inside and fall face-first into your bed, where you’d slept soundly until late the next morning, awakening with a pounding head and a foggy recollection of the man from last night, convinced the whole thing had to have been a dream and that your credit card, at this very moment, was probably stashed behind the counter of that bar. Or so you thought, because it’s definitely there when you go to check your wallet. That man, the angel in black – he was definitely real – and that means his warning was real too. The only problem is…you don’t have his name, and the only thing you can remember was that he was dark-haired and wearing all black – which could be literally any man in Seoul. Now it’s Wednesday, a week later, and you’re staring at your screen, open to a browser window that’s now littered with the failed remnants of your search, and rest your chin on your hand with a sigh. Ugh, what was I even thinking? How am I going to find some guy on the internet when I don’t even know his name and I can barely remember what he looks like? Talk about a needle in a haystack. You’re supposed to be working, as in, doing your actual job, but you haven’t been able to focus all week, and you've been off your game since that night. 

“What are you so laser-focused on over here?” comes Jimin’s lightly chiding voice from over your shoulder. His sudden appearance makes you jump and knock your hand into your half empty mug, causing a small wave of tepid coffee to slosh onto your desk. 

“Damn it, Jimin, you scared me!” You hurriedly reach for the wad of napkins you keep in the top drawer of your desk. “Don’t sneak up on me like that. You know I startle easily.”

“Sorry.” Jimin grins mischievously and leans in to take a closer look at your screen. “Y/n, are you seriously still looking for your mystery man? It’s been a week. You know, if he wanted you to find him he would have at least told you his name. Or slipped you his number. He was probably just being nice. People do that sometimes. Like on those hidden camera shows where little kids will ask you to help them cross the street or tie their shoes. Just accept it and move on already. He’s clearly not that worried about it. You said he had a black card, right? That kind of money is probably nothing to him.”

You finish mopping up the coffee and heave another sigh, sitting back in your chair. “I know It’s stupid. And I’m definitely wasting my time. But he saved my ass in a really big way. I can’t just move on like nothing happened. There has to be some way for me to pay him back. And besides…” You debate whether you should tell Jimin what he told you before he shoved you into a taxi. “He told me to just forget I ever met him, that I’d get hurt if I didn’t. I know it’s a bad idea to keep looking at this point, but you can’t just say something like that and expect me to forget about it. It only makes me want to find him even more.”

"That’s a weird thing for anyone to say," says Jimin, leaning against your desk, "but I suppose that's your choice, even if I do think you’re only setting yourself up for disappointment." 

"Thank you for the vote of support." You run your hands backwards through your hair and hum thoughtfully. "I guess I could always not pay my credit card bill and hope that it summons him out of the abyss to save my ass again." 

"Then he'll think you're trying to scam him instead of repaying him.” Jimin pats your shoulder. "Cheer up, y/n. Maybe you'll find him. Maybe you won't. But we've got a meeting about the new skincare line in about…" He checks his watch. "...two minutes? And they'll kill us if we're both late so maybe put a pin in that for now?" 

Of course, your actual job, the main reason you're able to have a credit card in the first place. "Shit, you're right. I completely forgot about that." You stand and gather your meeting materials into your arms. "What would I do without you, Park Jimin?"

"Mm, probably lose your job?" He straightens up and smirks. 

"Mean." You slap him lightly on the arm. "I wouldn't even be looking for this guy if you and Nayeon hadn't ditched and left me with your billion dollar bar tab." 

Jimin chuckles. "Okay, true, but need I remind you that you were responsible for most of it anyway?" He makes a tutting noise as you're walking down the hall. "Honestly, it's unnatural how much alcohol you can put away.”

"Please," you scoff, pushing open the door to the conference room. "I just have a high tolerance. It takes practice. You’ll get there one day."

“God, I hope not.” Jimin looks horrified at the prospect. “No offense.”

The meeting drags on, well into the afternoon, and your mind continues to wander in the direction of your angel in black, no matter how hard you try to pay attention to the subject at hand. Normally you’d be rapt with attention – skincare is your area of expertise, after all, and it’s been your dream to work at a cosmetics company ever since high school – but for the life of you, you just can’t seem to shake him from your memory and focus on your work. 

Wait. The bouncer. He was standing there the whole time you were arguing with the guy. That sleeve of tattoos was pretty distinctive-looking; you’d definitely remember it if you saw it again. It would be way easier to find him than the guy in black. And he works there. He’s more likely to be there than the other guy. Maybe he remembers something you don’t. 

As soon as the meeting ends, you hurry back to your desk, intent on getting all of today’s work finished by the time it hits six o’clock so you won’t have to work late, and spend the rest of the afternoon in a state of hyperfocus, only noticing that time has passed when you see that most of your coworkers are getting ready to leave. “Jimin.” You sidle up to him as he’s shrugging into his coat. “What are you doing tonight?” 

“Probably just going to head home and—” He stops and narrows his eyes. “You’re up to something, aren’t you? Is this still about that guy?” 

“I was thinking we could go back to that club,” you say earnestly. “There was this bouncer outside, and – well, I don’t really remember what he looked like either, but I’d know him if I saw him. I’m sure of it. I want to ask him if he remembers anything from last week. Maybe he knows something about this guy.”

“Y/n, it's Wednesday." Jimin says. “That place is going to be dead. I doubt anyone will be there, let alone your mystery man.” 

You make your best pouting expression. “You’ll come with me, right? For moral support?” 

“Fine.” Jimin sighs. “If it'll get you to stop fixating on this guy, I'm all for it. But you're buying me dinner.” 

You throw your arms around him. "Jimin-ssi, have I ever told you you're my favorite person in the whole wide world?"

"On multiple occasions.” He smirks. “This is the first time you've ever been sober, though." 

“Wow. See if I ever buy you dinner again.”

The club, as Jimin predicted, was nearly empty, with only a few clumps of people dancing here and there, a handful of people at the bar, and a completely different, tattoo-less bouncer working the front door, who seemed to think the man with the tattoos was a temp. 

“There’s nobody like that working here!” he bellowed back to you, over the thumping music. “Your guy’s probably a temp!”

“No, I’m positive!” you shouted. “It was here. I tripped going out the door and he caught me. I’d know him if I saw him. Are you sure?”

“I’m sure!” he said. “Would you mind stepping away from the door? People are trying to come inside.” You didn’t hang around much longer after that, figuring that if neither the bouncer nor your mystery man were there now they probably wouldn’t be there later either.  

“Well, that was a bust,” comments Jimin, once you’re back in a cab on the way home. 

You blow out a frustrated breath. “Yeah. Sorry to drag you all the way over here for nothing.” 

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” he says. “That’s what friends are for, right? At least I got dinner out of it.” 

“Ha, ha, ha.” You roll your eyes. “I knew I should have just waited ‘til the weekend. I was just so excited to test my theory that I jumped the gun a little.”

Jimin frowns. “Don’t tell me you’re planning on making another special trip back over here to look for this guy.” 

“Well…I was.” You turn to look at him, taken aback. “Why shouldn’t I?” 

“Y/n…” Jimin sighs. “I'm your best friend and I love you, but…don’t you think you’re going too far with this? You don’t think maybe it’s time to move on? I mean, what if this guy really is dangerous, like he said? What if you get hurt?”

You scoff a little. “Would a dangerous person really come right out and say they’re dangerous?”

“Yes. That’s absolutely what a dangerous person would say. Please let this go, y/n. I’m begging you. For your own good. The universe will forgive you this one time for not paying that guy back.” 

"I know, but…" I won't. You sigh. "One more time, Jimin. I have to try one more time before I can tell myself I did everything I could."

"Okay. One more time." Jimin's face softens. "But I'm going to hold you to that. No more midweek club nights, internet searches, whatever. You have to let this go because it’s weird that you’re still hung up on this."

"I promise. One more time, and then no more. If I don't find him this time, I'm done."

"Good. Be careful, okay?"

"When am I not careful?" Your best friend raises an eyebrow and squints at you with the most skeptical of sideways glances, probably armed and ready with at least a dozen examples of how you’ve most decidedly not been careful in the past few years you’ve known each other. "That was rhetorical, Jimin. Drop the judgy look, please."

“What judgy look?” he demands. “This is just my face.” 

“Uh-huh. Sure.” 

If Wednesday night’s visit was bad, then Saturday’s is even worse. It’s crowded, almost as crowded as it was the very first night the man in black saved your ass, with barely any good vantage points to park yourself and people-watch in hopes of catching a glance of your mystery man. You should have taken the other bouncer’s inability – or reluctance – to tell you anything about his tattooed coworker the other night as a warning – because it’s obvious that no one else is going to tell you anything about him either, for one reason or another. You’ve asked bartenders, waitresses, anyone who looks like they work there, and all that’s gotten you is in trouble with management. 

“We’re not allowed to give out that kind of information about our employees.” The manager’s eyes narrow. “Stop nosing around before you get yourself banned. Permanently.” With one final scowl he stalks off.

I guess that’s it, then, you think. You let out a sigh as you sit back down at the bar. God, what was I thinking? I never had any chance of finding this guy, not in a million years. Jimin was right. Why did I drag this out so long? It's time for me to move on. As soon as I finish this drink, I’ll walk out of this club and I’ll never think about him again. I’ll go home, and I’ll catch up on all that work I’m behind on because of him. No, I’ll get ahead. Yeah. That’ll show them. Part of you wants to feel relieved, but the realization only makes you feel dejected. Damn. I really wanted to meet him. You get to your feet, and collect your things, taking one last glance around the room. 

That’s when you see him. 

Your angel in black, drinking whiskey in the corner. Same black suit, same heavy bangs, same blank expression. Right as you’re about to leave and never look back, you just happen to see him? It’s too coincidental to be anything other than fate.  

You draw a deep breath, steel your nerves, and march up to his table. “And to think I was just going to walk right past you and out of this place forever. It's almost like the universe wanted us to meet again." You pull out the chair across from him and sit down. “You know, I never did catch your name.”

“That’s because I never dropped it,” he says dryly. “What are you doing here again? Didn’t I tell you to mind your own business?” 

“What, can’t a girl drink where she likes anymore?” You lean in. “Who says I’m here to mind your business? I’m busy minding my own. Which, as it turns out, happens to involve you – and making sure you get something in return for covering my ass that night. Thank you, by the way. You barely let me get it out last time.” 

He scoffs, sitting back. “I told you to forget about it. I didn’t spot you because I expected you to pay me back.” 

“Why did you do it, then?” You cock your head to one side. “There must have been some reason you felt like rescuing a damsel in distress. Nobody does anything without a reason.” 

The question seems to catch him off-guard for a moment, before he quickly regains his composure. “Why does it matter?” He stares down into his glass. “You don’t know anything about me. I could be dangerous for all you know. Like I've been trying to tell you this whole time.” Dangerous. There’s that word again.

“Well, you can’t be all that bad, or you wouldn’t have helped me out. And besides,” you muse, “if you were going to do anything to me you probably would have done it already.” 

“Suppose that’s true.” One side of his mouth twitches, almost imperceptibly. 

“Then again, maybe it is like you said. Maybe you aren’t a good person. But I don’t think that necessarily makes you a bad person. And I don’t think you would have done anything to me, even if you did have the chance. Which you did, the other night.”

A hard laugh escapes from his lips. "Clearly you haven't been listening to anything I've been saying. Because you definitely wouldn't be saying that if you really knew me.” 

You purse your lips thoughtfully. “Well, you know, I have this theory. Everyone has a color, right? Some people you can just tell whether they’re one way or another, black, white, whatever. But you…well, I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

“Hah. I’ve heard that one before.” The man avoids looking at you and stares down at the table, features set in an unreadable expression. “So, what color am I, then?” 

“Mm.” You grin. “First impression? Silver.” 

“Silver, huh?” He smirks. “Why silver?” 

“On the surface you’re a very gray person. Kind of an enigma. You’re not black and you’re not white, you’re somewhere in between, which makes you gray. But on closer inspection, anyone can see there’s something different about you that sparkles a little bit. Something that shines.” His face doesn’t move. “It’s just a theory, anyway,” you say hastily. “I’d have to get to know you a little better before I could really say for sure.” 

“What makes you think that’s going to happen?” An eyebrow quirks just slightly.

“Hm. You seem like the type who would have gotten up and left already if you weren’t at least a little bit interested in me, even if you came off as rude. And you’re still here, so you must be somewhat intrigued, right?” 

“That’s a compelling theory – but you're wrong. I might be an asshole but I'm not that kind of asshole.” He leans back, an arm draped over the back of the booth. “Anyways, before I answer your question, let me ask you one of my own: why are you so hellbent on paying me back to the point where you thought you had to track me down?” 

“You know, I’m not sure myself.” You rest your chin in your palm. “It just feels like the thing to do, that’s all. Most of the time strangers tend to either ignore me or glare at me when this kind of thing happens. You probably think I’m a mess. I know I do. I also know from experience that I can only ever count on my friends to have my back, so imagine my surprise when you, a random stranger, had my back the other night. You did something only my friends ever do for me.” You shrug nonchalantly. “And I always repay my friends.” 

“All right,” he says after a moment. “I won’t say I’m not at least a little impressed that you even found me. And now that you have…I’m guessing you’re not going to leave me alone until I give you what you want.” The whiskey swirls in his glass, resting in one long, slender hand. “Which is?”

“Dinner,” you say, boldly, without hesitating. “Or drinks, at least. I know I probably can’t afford what you’re used to. Obviously, considering the other night…but let me treat you sometime. Just to say thank you. Honestly, I’m a great date. Really. Or I should be." You sigh. "I've been on a lot, so I've had plenty of practice. But I promise I’ll make it worth your while. I even paid off my credit card. Just for you.”

He releases a resigned sigh and sets his glass down. “Okay. Say I agree, even though you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into and I definitely shouldn’t indulge you any further than I already have. Will you stop following me around if I do?”

“That depends. Are you going to ghost me as soon as it’s over?” 

“Now that,” he says, “depends on whether or not you’re as good of a date as you say you are.” 

“Oh, I’m positively delightful. Excellent conversationalist. Top-notch table manners. I won’t even stick you with the check this time. Best night of your life, guaranteed. Or top-ten, at least.” 

He pauses, looking like he might regret what he’s about to say. “Fine. We can have dinner. On one condition.” 

“Oh? What’s that?”

“You really have to stop following me around.” His expression turns dark. “It’s not a good idea for you to get involved with me. You could get hurt.”

“This again?” You sigh. “Let’s just see how dinner goes, and then I’ll decide if you’re worth any more of my time.” 

“You’ll decide, huh?” He eyes you. “You don’t even know my name.”

“I don’t know your name yet,” you correct him, “and that’s only because you haven’t told me what it is.” 

“Yoongi,” he says finally, after a moment of hesitation. A tinge of amusement plays across his features. “Min Yoongi.” 

“Yoongi,” you repeat. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Yoongi. I’m Y/n. Y/n L/n.” You extend a hand across the table. 

“Y/n,” he says, giving your hand a firm shake. It’s cool and dry, and you spot the barest remains of a scar on his palm as he pulls his hand away. “Only time will tell whether I’m going to be able to say the same for you.”

“Mm.” You shrug. “I think you’ll be surprised.”

“Like I said.” Yoongi gets to his feet, taking his glass with him. “Anyway. I have some business to take care of. Can you get out of here on your own, or are you going to be needing my help again?”

“I’ll be fine, but – wait, I didn’t give you my number. How are we going to get in touch?”

“Don’t worry about it.” He looks down at you and smirks, the unmistakable hint of a sparkle somewhere in those soft, dark eyes. “You seem to think we’re fated, so I’m sure we’ll run into each other again if we’re really meant to. We’ve exchanged names now.” Yoongi raises his glass slightly. “You can find out a lot about a person from just a name.” 

“Hey, wait a—” Yoongi is gone before you can finish your sentence, swallowed up by the dense crowds of the club. “He still didn’t answer my question,” you mutter. 

But despite all that – you have a hopeful feeling about the whole situation. 

"Yoongi," you repeat. "Who are you, Min Yoongi?"

The silence in Yoongi’s office the next morning is nearly palpable, the air between him and Jungkook filled with the sounds of clicking keys as they’re finishing up their paperwork on the case at the club. Even without looking he can sense the younger man eyeing him over the top of his laptop screen. Yoongi heaves a resigned sigh. “Spit it out, Jungkook. I can practically hear the gears grinding inside that giant head of yours.” 

Jungkook stops typing and leans forward, grinning in a suspiciously sunny manner. “I was just noticing how good of a mood you’re in today, boss,” he says. “Better than you’ve been in months.” 

"Bullshit I am." Yoongi’s eyes don’t move. “You're imagining things." 

“You are too!” Jungkook insists. “I told you good morning on my way in and you didn’t even tell me to stop bothering you and get to work.” He squints at Yoongi. “You said it back to me. And you weren’t even being sarcastic about it.”

“So I said good morning to you. Once. Big deal. I’ve been known to be cordial every once in a while, haven’t I?” 

“But you’re never cordial with me,” insists Jungkook. “You're cordial with clients. And people who are gonna give you money. Normally it’s all grunts and scowling when you talk to me. Something good happened last night, didn’t it? I saw you chatting with that girl, the one you paid the bar tab for last week. She managed to track you down, huh?” He’s not going to let this go easily. He’s like a dog with a chew toy whenever he finds an interesting enough tidbit to hang onto. 

Yoongi suppresses a sigh and presses his fingers to the sides of his temples. “Yeah, and? What are you getting at?”

“Oh, nothing.” He plasters an innocent-looking expression on his face. “She went through all of that trouble to track you down when most people would have just let it go. She must like you. Seems like you like her too.” 

Yoongi snorts. “Y/n? Flighty, irresponsible, doesn’t even know her own limits, so impulsive that the first thing she thinks of when a man does something nice for her is to follow him out into the street y/n? No way in hell.”

“And you, a guy who’s so cautious, practical, and down to earth that he never does anything without thinking about it for weeks?” notes Jungkook. “All I’m hearing is that you’d be perfect for each other. Opposites attract, you know?”

“The worst thing she could do would be to get involved with me,” Yoongi scoffs. “Trust me. It’s not happening.” He rolls a pen back and forth in his hand. “It’s not like that, anyway. She said she’d leave me alone if I let her do this. She doesn’t like me, she just feels like she owes me. That’s all. I’m just humoring her so she’ll leave me alone.”

“Uh-huh.” Jungkook smirks. “You do like her, don’t you?” 

“I didn’t say that,” grumbles Yoongi. “Why don’t you mind your own business for once?” 

“In case you’ve forgotten, hyung,” says Jungkook, still grinning, “you left me in charge of minding your business for the past six months. You know, while you were off the grid camping in the middle of nowhere?” 

“Yeah, and I’m starting to regret it,” he mutters. “Humor me and let it go. It’s too early for this shit.” 

“All right, fine.” Jungkook turns his eyes back to his screen, but it doesn’t last for long. “So when are you going to see her again?” 

“We didn’t set a firm—” Yoongi’s eyes narrow, pinning Jungkook with a searing glare. “Hey. I’ll fire you if you don’t watch yourself.” 

“Ah, go ahead and fire me, then,” Jungkook says cheerfully. “I’d like to see how well you manage without me covering your ass.”

Yoongi flings the pen in his hand across the table, aiming for Jungkook’s head, who easily dodges it. “Aish, you’ve gotten cocky since I left. I managed just fine on my own before you got here, thank you. You were the one who came bitching to me about how much you needed me to come back, weren’t you? This case that you just couldn't handle by yourself, even though you've probably handled about a dozen of the exact same type of cases all by yourself?”

“Come on!” snorts Jungkook. “We both know you were ready to come back. I just needed to make you feel good about yourself so you’d actually get off your ass and do it. You should be thanking me, hyung.”  

“Thanking you?” demands Yoongi. “What the hell should I be thanking you for?”

“I think you know.” Jungkook’s eyebrows dance suggestively, eyes twinkling. “Y/n – she’s pretty, isn't she?”

“That’s it. You’re getting demoted.”

“Okay, okay.” Jungkook falls silent suddenly before he speaks again. “I missed you, boss. Good to have you back.” 

“Ah, shut up,” Yoongi snaps. “And get back to work. These reports aren’t going to write themselves, you know.” 

Jungkook turns his attention back to his computer screen again, eyeing Yoongi’s scowl with a knowing smirk. Yeah. He totally likes her. 

©2023 by mrworldwideshoulders || series masterlist || collection masterlist || my masterlist ||

[mariejordans]

I agree Jordan Marie and cate are the best most interesting characters if they're going to kill someone it should be Andre like you said he's useless and also unlikable as a person lmfao he ain't doing anything right. I love cate and I love villains so whatever way they go with her as long as it's believable I'm all for it. My thing with them killing more characters is because we're in the endgame now as in the boys probably has 2 more seasons to go and they're also going to start killing a lot of people like by the end I expect most of the main supes and at least half of the boys to be dead so as the gen v characters get pulled into that they're also going to start getting killed off but idc they better not touch Jordan and Marie I'm not kidding I already have hives thinking about stranger things maybe killing Steve in the last season I don't need this 😂😂😂😂

right EXACTLY jordan marie cate 🔛🔝

i genuinely didn’t expect them to pivot on cate’s character bc i really thought they’d stick with cate wanting to be good/wanting to be a hero, trying to earn her friends’ trust back, but i’m SOOO glad that they’re going the villain/anti-hero route. especially with marie and cate now on opposing sides and them basically being each other’s narrative foils, like i need them to go full on villain with cate like it’s just too good a set up for a really complex relationship between marie and cate.

*sighs* okay so my thing with andre is that he COULD’VE been a really interesting character. like, daddy issues, bisexual, doesn’t really care about being a superhero and lowkey in love with his best friend (the writers are cowards for not making the throuple happen) like there were so many ways his character could’ve been done, but then he ended up being a stereotypical nepo baby. it’s kinda like the writers put little to no effort in his character development and didn’t even try to make him likable 😭 he just constantly gets thrown around by the other characters, he slept with his best friend’s girlfriend, and he’s just kind of a dick in general. really the only thing i found really genuine and likable about andre was his love for luke, and to a certain extent, cate. but beyond that, he’s just not a very sympathetic character to me idk 😭

honestly, i’m not suuper attached to any of the boys characters, maybe it’s bc i always end up taking super long breaks between binge watching but if they decided to start killing off main characters, i think i’d be fine (except kimchie or starlight pls don’t touch them thx) but THEY BETTER NOT TOUCH MARIE OR JORDAN OR I’M STARTING A RIOT IN THE PRIME VIDEO BUILDING FR like you could even take cate from me just dont touch limoreau…

i’m gonna be honest, i kinda wish gen v was less tied into the boys and got to stand on its own more bc i really need homelander to stay FARRRRRR away from marie and jordan and cate. butcher too. but also bc i really liked the college setting but seeing as how we now know the entire college is a scam, it might completely move away from godolkin, which is a shame bc i loved the superhero college-sky high esque concept of it and i wish we had gotten MORE of it before we got into all the plot heavy stuff but…it is what it is ig 🤷🏼‍♀️

[pumpkinsy0]

𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕝𝕚𝕝 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕠𝕗 ℂ𝕦𝕣𝕝𝕪 𝕊𝕙𝕖𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕠𝕟 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕕𝕒𝕪?

𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕 -𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕣𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕚 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕟𝕒 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨- 𝕝𝕠𝕝

𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜 𝕪𝕠𝕦!??!!! 🌼

of course!! i hc curly and angela as twins so allow me to insert her in here a lil bit

•i hc curly and angela as gemeni’s, what month is up to u but they r def gemeni’s

•ill tell u rn, tims the kind of guy to use trick candles on their bday, angela already knows she wont b able to blow the candles out but would that ever, EVER stop curly from trying??? fuck naw

•literally huffing and puffing god save him

•angela and curly would def fight iver what kinda cake they want ice cream cake or haitian cake (they just did both lol)

•literally so??? annoying????? he feels more entitled to do what he wants cause its his bday, someone put a plastic bag over his head

•hes fine w any gifts rlly, hes broke so rlly anything helps, BUT he does live lil trinkets he likes fucking around w

•if i said that bc curlys special interest is bugs, that he would love those lil bugs cased in resin, would my head b put on a stick and paraded into town☹️

• bur fr he goes crazy for those, he has a lil collection (thx to pony mwah)

• at some point during the celebration pony and curly r nowhere to b seen for a while and when they pop up again curly has a lil more swag in his step, take that how u will

[charmikarma]

20 and 5?

20. how homestuck has affected me in real life

buckle in cuz it's STORYTIME. homestuck has done crazy shit for me.

so hmm some background ... i was raised by devout evangelical protestants. my parents r not like .... politically conservative at least, but growing up in a community that is so strongly associated w political conservatism certainly had some Effects on me. i honestly think being raised in this environment was like being brainwashed for the first like 12 years of my life. and one of the things i got brainwashed into thinking was that Gay Is Bad!

when i started middle school i made some rad new friends. these people are still some of my closest friends today. and they were also big into tumblr stuff which included homestuck (this was 2013 for context) and Being Gay. holy fuck did these people give me a lot of grace. if ur reading this you know who you are and i love you dearly. i owe you guys my life <3

i didn't actually start reading homestuck till may 2014, but it was unlike anything i'd ever read before - there were SWEARS. there were GAY PEOPLE. and holy fuck was it cool!!! i couldn't stop reading it! it was a huge turning point for little 13 year old me. it was the beginning of me turning from a little brainwashed christian kid with a stick up their ass into a queer adult who is Just Chillin. btw the specific thing that turned me around on being gay is penis ouija and i think that's beautiful. davekat turned me gay

in short: Homestuck Changed Me. it will never stop being important to me. it's a part of who i am forever <3

5. do i kin

harleyberts... :) they r just like me fr. the emotional repression siblings who are very goofy and at times a bit unaware. i feel like i Get both of them on an emotional level but in terms of outward personality i think i Used To Be more of a jade and nowadays i have Become a john

dirk strider. i have some feelings about that guy. not sure if i would call him a kin. i certainly feel something about him though.

thx for the ask <3

[toonycatuwu]

THX FOR TAGGING ME :3

also yaur i listened to maretu's new song Binomi but ima be fr im sorry please forgive me it was actually kinda mid IM SORRY I LOVE MARETU BUT 😭😭😭😭😭😭

no pressure tags!! @fruityshadow @cheesyquillz @bloodthirstypigeon @crazywolf85 @pennyroks77 @evaiskindaweird @your-pal-nebula @lord-of-the-bundle-of-sticks @maurice-memes (AYEEE TAGGING PPL FROM THE LOTF FANDOM TOO LESS GOOOO 🗣🗣🗣📢📢📢🔥🔥🔥🔊🔊🔊💥💥💥)

i found a cool tag game on twitter and i really wanna import it (o^ ^o)

this picrew + the last song you listened to :]

no pressure tags: @blood-loving-leech @overtaken-boredom @lesbianthatyaps @kameonerd566 @hexedvampire @laczki @anonymous-shxtposter @fleurafae @flovqy + anyone who wants to do it <3

[awesomesauce-abbie]

Hello hope I'm not bothering you but I saw a post of yours it was a billy hargrrove x reader and I liked it but I just wanna ask if you could do like reader works at a restaurant and really upset and tired because their having problems with a waitress and they constantly pushing sh*t on them and billy picks up reader and reader gets in the car and just says "drive please" and then the drive home is quit and they get home and billy just comforts them and being the protective bf he is, I hope you understand I'm writing this because I have trouble with a waitress and I'm a hostess (look it up for more info about being a hostess) and ya I just had a bad day sorry and you can do whatever to the end you want like h going to the restaurant later and confronting the waitress. Omg this is so long lol thx 🙏😊

A/N: I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time with your job, I hope it gets better for you soon. I know this is easier said than done but try to push through the negativity and carry on your day as best as you can and I hope this oneshot will somehow help!

HardWork Pays Off Eventually

Billy Hargrove x reader

You worked at Burger Town, one of the few restaurants in Starcourt mall. If the bright yellow and red uniform with the burger baseball hats wasn't annoying enough, your coworker was a right piece of work meaning that she didn't actually do any. The only time Kimberly Price lifted a finger was when she was in the back with her press on nails or dancing to whatever was on the radio whilst you attended to the lunchtime rush of Hawkins by yourself. What was most infuriating was that her dad was the boss so Kimberly was always getting extra days off with nobody to cover her shifts and always got pay rises. She was only a few dollars short of earning exactly as much as her father, day by day you were regretting not getting a job at the local pool with your boyfriend Billy Hargrove. Despite his bad boy attitude, he was more than happy to teach the younger children of Hawkins how to swim or save them from drowning. He suggested you get a job with him so you could see each other every day but you had already accepted the job at burger town before he suggested it. Today made you absolutely regret applying more than ever.

You quickly served a table of three with a tired smile and a quiet “enjoy your meal.” You rushed back to the kitchen and started preparing the next meal before only to dash to the counter a few seconds later to take another customer’s order. You had to force a smile as you heard Madonna blasting from the break room. The queue was leaving the restaurant and was almost outside of Scoops Ahoy. You actually saw Robin Buckley and Steve Harrington stick their heads out a few times to see what was going on. You spent over an hour running around like a headless chicken serving food, cooking food and taking orders before things actually calmed down which gave you the chance to clean up tables and bin rubbish. Kimberly walked past you with her jacket and bag on. “Where are you going?” She scoffed, glaring at you as if you’d offended her just by existing. “I have a date with Patrick, I’m leaving early. Remember to lock up and clean up properly, anything that’s done wrong won’t make daddy very happy. Oh and your covering my shift with Ben Woods tomorrow. No way am I working with that nerdy little freak ew! Don’t forget to clock me out at the end. Try and snitch on me, well we’ll see who daddy believes. A bumbling idiot who got this job out of pure luck or his precious little darling of a daughter?” Kimberly giggled before strutting away. “We’ve got six hours and tomorrow’s my only day off!” You yelled after her but she didn’t turn back.

You’d left an hour late, having to tidy up everything as well as lock up. If Steve Harrington hadn’t noticed you struggling with putting the tables away, you’d likely still be there. You stormed out to the parking lot and saw Billy leaning against his car with a lit cigarette and there were three cigarette butts not too far from his feet. “What the hell took you so long, I’ve been waiting for over an hour! I was about to come in and find you. I thought something happened.” He was worried, annoyed and exhausted from his own day of work but you got into the passenger’s seat silently. Billy scoffed, throwing away his cigarette before getting in. “You gonna talk to me or what?” “Just…Drive please” you sniffled. Billy rolled his eyes before starting the car and drove to your house. His dad and Susan were out tonight and Max was at Hop’s house for a sleepover with El so he was spending the night with you.

The ride home was silent except for the quiet buzz of music from Billy's car radio. He noticed a few tears run down your face but for most of the journey, you faced away from him and didn't utter a single word. He parked in your driveway with a sigh and turned you, placing a hand on top of yours. “Please tell me what happened today. You've never been this late from work and you're usually pissy yeah but never crying. What happened?” You looked at him, drying your eyes as you tried to find the words. Billy leaned forward and kissed your forehead, cupping your cheek with his hand as he wiped tears away with his thumb. “I’m just tired, I had a really shitty day. Kimberly walked out six hours early and I had to do everything by myself again! I’m supposed to have a day off tomorrow but she dumped her shift on me instead.” Billy let out a harsh sigh and clenched his jaw, this wasn’t the first time you had complained about Kimberly’s laziness and he was sick of her upsetting you. “You need to leave that shit hole, there isn't anything at the pool right now but at least go work with fucking Harrington! At least I know he's not a total asshole like that Kimberly bitch” he huffed. “Though if he even thinks about hitting on you, the only thing he'll be eating is ice cream cus he won’t have the teeth left to chew!” You couldn’t help but chuckle and Billy grinned. “There’s that sexy smile” he kissed you before you both got out of the car. “I’ll help you out

Billy helped you write out a resignation letter as well as help you get your paperwork sorted so you could apply for another job. “If anything comes up at the pool, you’ll be the first to know. She won’t get away with this shit either, I know it’s hard but we’re gonna get out of this shit hole town. I’m going to take you to California, teach you how to surf. We’ll have our own place, the shit bird and her loser friends can visit in the summer. It’ll be perfect, I promise” he smiled, stroking your hair as you leaned against his shoulder. “Think the kids will bury Steve in the sand?” Billy snickered just at the idea and kissed your temple. “Yeah, maybe we’ll leave him there overnight for the fully beach experience” he chuckled before getting up and heading to the kitchen. You cuddled up together with a bowl of popcorn and watched The Terminator with a promise that Kimberly would be sorry for pissing you off.

The next day you turned up at work but Kimberly was there and so was her father? Kimberly was in tears, hr dad was red in the face and his eyes filled with anger but he calmed down slightly as he noticed you walk in. “Ah, sorry. I was meant to call. I had a dozen complaints yesterday from customers who said you were working alone. Kimberly is working her shift today so you can go home, she’ll be working as she should be and her pay has been cut so she’s earning the usual rate which she’ll be using to fix her car. I walked out the house to see the windshield smashed and the doors all scratched and dented” Kimberly merely sobbed at the mention of her car and was even more hysterical after you handed in your notice, she’d be picking up your shifts as a result.

You walked out to the car park, Billy was still there with a smug grin. “Her car? Seriously?” “Told you she’d be sorry for messing with you” he chuckled as you let out an amused sigh. “What would I do without you Billy Hargrove?” “Crash and burn obviously.”

[whomst-art-thou-whomst-whomst]

Texts from the Lost Tomb, 6.2

Okay so listen this is shorter but i gotta wind up this arc before getting to a new adventure!

It's also up on Ao3!

Snake Eyes Chat

Li Cu: Hey how’s your day going? things are good?

Wu Xie: ….yes…

Li Cu: Good! Yeah, that’s good, good to hear

Wu Xie: is everything okay?

Li Cu: haha yeah it’s fine why wouldn’t it be

Wu Xie: bc you are texting me at 7am asking how my day is going?

Li Cu: oh right oops, didn't mean to interrupt sleep

or you and Xiao Ge--ew wait, never mind that

Anyhoo uh I might require some assistance?

for like five minutes tops, no biggie

Wu Xie: !!! What is going on, where are you, are you hurt!? Send me the address so we can come help you.

Li Cu: whoa whoa slow your roll

take deep breaths, you shouldn't be getting overexcited at your advanced age

It’s not an emergency

Wu Xie: oh thank fuck kid. you scared me

Li Cu: It’s just that I have been locked in someone’s freezer

Which is not an emergency

but like

It’s kind of cold and stuff

Wu Xie: wh--how does that not qualify as an emergency?? and how did you even GET locked in someone’s freezer at 7am?

Shit is this how my uncle feels all the time? This sucks.

Li Cu: hey it would be an emergency if it was YOU locked in here bc you’re old and frail

I’m way younger and in better shape I’ll be fine

I just need someone to like open the door at some point

If you have time

Wu Xie: okay. just stay calm, kid, it's all going to be alright. don't panic, it's all handled.

Wushanju Crew Chat

Wu Xie: WE ARE IN CRISIS FUCK FUCK FUCK EVERYONE WAKE UP WE HAVE A CRISIS

Wang Meng: I've specifically told you, I don't do crises until 9:00 am, normal business hours.

Wang Pangzi: ARE YOU HAVING INSOMNIA? BC I BOUGHT THAT "GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP" BOOK ESPECIALLY FOR YOU AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO READ IT TO YOU OR SMACK YOU WITH IT

Wu Xie: check the fucking thing i just sent fuck fuck

Xiao Ge: This is a serious matter, Li Cu is in danger of developing hypothermia. I am going now to find him, Wu Xie, don't worry.

Wang Pangzi: WTF?????? SUIT UP BITCHES WE GOTTA GO SAVE FROSTY

Wang Meng: I'm already up and dressed for my yoga class. I'll go start the car.

Xiao Ge: No one needs to come with me, I can handle this alone.

Wu Xie: baby I love you but please shut the fuck up and get in the goddamn car. FUCK okay everyone wait just one sec, im looking for something

Xiao Ge: ...if it's your knife, i believe it is in Wang Meng's craft bag, where you hid it during Wu Sanxing's birthday party last month

Wu Xie: fuck my life this is such a full bag i cant find anything under the yarn

im just bringing the whole craft bag on the mission

Wang Meng: Another house rule broken>:( and violence is not the answer

Mere Mortals Chat

Wang Pangzi: ITS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT.

HES TOUGH, A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK.

Wu Xie: i know i know why are you telling me what i already know

Wang Pangzi: NO REASON. I THOUGHT YOU--WANG MENG NEEDED TO HEAR IT. BECAUSE UH "WANG MENG" SEEMS SHAKY AND STRESSED.

Wu Xie: yeah good thinking uh huh why can't this car go faster

Wang Pangzi: BECAUSE YOU ARE IN NO CONDITION TO DRIVE, I CAN'T DRIVE STICK SHIFT, XIAO GE IS TOO BUSY HOLDING YOU TOGETHER, AND WANG MENG BELIEVES SPEED LIMITS ARE ACTUAL LIMITS. NERD.

Honorary Wu Chat

Huo Daofu: Hello? You said to come by at 8:00am...is anyone home?

Wang Meng: We can't talk right now, sorry! Li Cu is locked in the freezer of some guy we don't know and we just got onsite but now Wu Xie's knife is stuck to a glue gun. Don't mind the glittery curtain, its probably fine and not dangerous, just make yourself at home:)

Huo Daofu: ...if I ever feel at home in an environment like Wushanju, I will consult another doctor about my sanity.

Liu Sang: ! What's the situation?

Wang Pangzi: NO WORRIES KID WE GOT IT THX THO

Huo Daofu: I'll set up triage at your house. Try not to get killed, any of you.

Liu Sang: Fuck it I'm heading to Wushanju

Doctors and Dandies Chat

Huo Daofu: Im sending you a conversation I just had. We may need help

Xie Yuchen: --how did he even end up in a freezer? Are we certain he's not *actually* Wu Xie's son? I'll send someone immediately...I'm honestly surprised you contacted me?

Huo Daofu: I will deny it to my dying breath, but you and I share what might be called a concern for Wushanju residents' safety and health.

Xie Yuchen: ....true....

Huo Daofu: Just, please let it not be Hei Xiazi you're sending

Unnamed chat:

Hei Xiazi: so i guess u came to play doctor;)

Huo Daofu: I'm not opening the gate for you.

Hei Xiazi: bitch ive got like a dozen entry methods to every major mystic nine estate its like you've never met me lol

but nah im headed to some rich guys house to join the squad in defrosting mini-Wu Xie

im getting pizza delivered there to celebrate Li Cu not turning into a popsicle, hopefully the fighting is over by the time the pizza guy arrives?

Huo Daofu: Ridiculous. Save me a slice.

Wu Family Chat:

Wang Pangzi: AHAHAHA EAT THE RICH

JUST ANOTHER DAY AT WORK

BUT WE GOT THE KID OUT SAFELY

HES NAPPING IN A BLANKET NEST ITS ADORABLE

Wu Erbai: I am delighted to hear it. Relatedly, what on earth are you talking about?

Wang Meng: Not my division. Boss?

Wu Xie: ...hmm?

Wang Pangzi: TIANZHEN?

Wu Xie: :/

Zhang Qiling: Wu Xie...

Wu Xie: <3

Wu Erbai: Nephew, if you don't start talking--

Wu Xie: OK FINE. So at the root of this situation, everything that happened is technically Wu Sanxing's fault.

Wu Erbai: ...at this point, that phrase is going on his tombstone. What happened?

Wu Xie: he uh stole some jewels. and then kinda, uh, sewed them into a beaded curtain. which he hung at wushanju without telling us about it.

Wu Erbai: What.

Wu Xie: anyway Li Cu's friend from university saw Wang Meng's tweet about the curtain when it popped up one day and recognized the jewelry sewn into the design from some famous collection that got stolen from a museum a few years ago, and rumor had it that it got stolen by this rich guy, who happens to be someone Wu Sanxing doesn't like.

Pan Zi: I cannot believe this. Wu Erbai, Wu Xie, I am so sorry, I had no idea this had happened. Is Li Cu alright?

Wu Xie: yep, Huo Daofu checked him out and everything, he and Liu Sang are arguing about setting up a D&D group.

Wu Erbai: I don't know what that means, but how cheering to hear. Now. My dear brother, you have been remarkably silent throughout this fascinating series of revelations. Any thoughts to add?

Wu Sanxing: oh hey everyone hows tricks

Wu Xie: Hello! Well everything is fine, except Li Cu got caught by security investigating your robbery early this morning and almost died, Uncle.

Wang Pangzi: THATS WU XIE SPEAK FOR "GO FUCK YOURSELF" LOVE THAT PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE SOCCER MOM ENERGY

Zhang Qiling: Wu Sanxing. I think it is time that you and I have a conversation.

Wang Pangzi: AND THATS XIAO GE SPEAK FOR "IMMA SLAP THE SHIT OUTTA YOU CUZ IM A HONEY BADGER THAT DONT CARE"

Wu Erbai: Oh dear, dear. How unfortunate. I do hope you won't injure him dreadfully, Zhang Qiling. Particularly not on his left leg, which is weaker and slow to react, and could prevent him from running away.

Pan Zi: Okay, everyone just calm down.

Hei Xiazi: ;) im putting money on Xiao Ge.

Wu Erbai: How did you even get into this chat??

Bonnie and Clyde Chat:

Xie Yuchen: So. I've just heard about the day's events from Wu Xie. You know what's an interesting part? That Wu Sanxing has all the stealth of a camel. So it's interesting that the curtain was put up so sneakily. Don't you think?

Hei Xiazi: listen sister the dude said "put up this bead curtain it's a surprise heres free money for two minutes of labor" he didnt elaborate on why, ive given up trying to make sense of Wu shit.

i was within INCHES of expensive jewelry and somehow i didn't clock it. un-fucking-believable.

Xie Yuchen: Don't forget to pick up the dry-cleaning on your way ho--back here.

Hei Xiazi: you aint the boss of me

Xie Yuchen: ....

Hei Xiazi: ...ill remember the receipt this time.

[cherrycheolliesc]

Without You Masterlist

(sequel to Network Love)

summary: Trying to just run away from the drama of last semester, Yn returns to it all coming back to her. Triangles end up turning into hexagons. Yn’s life just became way more complicated. Sequel to Network Love. (be sure to read that first)

genre: angst, fluff, university au, sm au.

pairing: svt x reader. wonwoo x oc. jihoon x oc. svt x svt.

If you dont like shipping members, then don’t read this. the two ships include verkwan and a bit of junhao

warnings: alcohol, sexual undertones but not actual smut, violence, talks of accidents, injuries, lots of rudeness. probably grammar as well.

updates: mon, fri, sat.

started: september 19, 2020.

ended: december 5, 2020.

just message me or dm me if you wanted to be added to a tag list. i didn’t add people from the network love taglist bc idk if they still want to read or not, so if you want to be re-added please message or dm me

profiles. 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

intro

part 1: Couples Therapy.

part 2: Adult Conversation. 

part 3: Thx Fr Th Mmrs.

part 4: Crossed the Line, Didn’t I?

part 5: Tell Me Everything You Know.

part 6: Plastic Spoon.

part 7: Brainless Sheep.

part 8: Resident Douchebag.

part 9: You Broke Jihoon’s Nose.

part 10: She Didn’t Know.

part 11: So You Guys Do Know?

part 12: Who’s Been Stable.

part 13: Cold Down Already?

part 14: Hamster Boy.

part 15: Simple Librian.

part 16: My New Mommy?

part 17: This Wonu?

part 18: Did Someone Lose Chan?

part 19: Party at the 95’s.

part 20: Calling Yourself a Dinosaur.

part 21: Even I Had a Crush On You.

part 22: Who Tf Is Pledis Uni?

part 23: Only Men I Trust.

part 24: She Still Loves Him.

part 25: What Abt Boys?

part 26: You Really Are Evil.

part 27: Wtf Is Jarms?

par t 28: Cheolyn Poly Relationship.

part 29: We Cryin On the TL Now?

part 30: Don’t You Hate Her?

part 31: Something We’re Missing?

part 32: The Angel Boy.

part 33: It’s All Your Fault, Jihoon.

part 34: Slept With The Lying Jerkface.

part 35: Good Luck With That, Kid.

part 36: Vernon’s Snores.

part 37: Who Died?

part 38: Gucci Incense Sticks.

part 39: But They Look Happy.

part 40: Genuinely Falling For Him.

part 41: Not Very Perceptive.

part 42: Would Wait Forever For You.

epilogue.

[leftover-starlight]

thumbprint challenge

tagged by @herondalelucies tysm this looks super neat!! <3

rules: look back on your work, both past and present, finished and unfinished. what are five to ten narrative elements or tropes that continuously pop up in your work? tag as many people as the number of tropes you listed.

(am definitely going to mislabel at some point so. forgive me. it’s too early for coherency :)

trope - found family: yea starting off w an easy one lmao a definite trademark of all my stuff is found family. even before i knew to label it as found family it was there,,,,, sometimes u just gotta be gay choose your blood and i’m here for that tbh

narrative element - symbolism: this is not as prevalent as the found fam but i felt like i had to have at least one thing on this list that i was Sure was a narrative element so. thx google <3. fr tho i stick a lot of symbolic stuff in my works (whether they’re intended for the audience to notice or not lmao) and there are a couple big ones in blackbird, obviously, but also blink and she’s gone and such

narrative element - antagonist (or lack thereof): cindy i’m gonna be completely honest i snatched this idea from ur thumbprint lmao but ive noticed this in my work as well,,,, there’s no “””villain””” to fight, exactly,,,, it’s more like the Internal Struggle™ or the characters serving as their own antagonist, etc etc. sometimes it’s not even that lmao it’s just 25k of me, projecting, and that’s just how it is

trope - yea we’re sad yea we’re probly actively making it worse what r u gonna do abt it: sometimes (read: often) i set out with sad characters and i’m like hey!! lets get u guys some serotonin!! and at the beginning they roll w it but by the end they like. actively fight me on being happy. they’re like “yea, we could go this super duper fun route you meticulously planned out in ur head and have the perfect wrap up for. or, we could not do that, and instead we can actively make our own lives more miserable!” and like, who am i to stop them? yknow?

narrative element - undefined setting: this one is kind of new for me but in my most recent works i’ve been playing around w not spelling out exactly when and where the characters are. in blink especially, but also w tcas and such,,,,, idk i kind of get the feeling that it enhances the Vibe of the whole thing? yea its cool to be able to visit the exact street the characters walked on but also. maybe u just need to float around in the deep recesses of space and solve ur idiot problems ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(+ bonus trope: everyone is g a y and u can’t stop me :)

that’s 5!! this was harder than i thought it would be lmao but it was v fun :D

tagging @starlitesymphony @blindthewind @semblanche @bulletgirl @etoilesvp @sxnrising if yall want to! anyone else who would like to is welcome as well, as always <3

[seungwoomi-blog]

hewwwwo. if ur wondering why u might have already been following me it’s bc i was here for a hot minute b4 real life absorbed my soul. ANYWAY this is seungwoo! he’s a 24 y/o med student, intern @ myeongcho hospital, and a medic in phoenix. 

click here for more info! and peek below the cut for a (sort of tl;dr) summary. otherwise, plz like this post if u want to plot and i’ll come zoomin to ur ims :’) thx buds! 

background

born and raised in myeongcho !!!! where my party ppl AT !!!! his family’s always been on the poorer side and getting them out of poverty and into a life of comfort has been his motivation and end goal for as long as he can remember. seungwoo has been devoted 2 being diligent abt his studies and making sure 2 be a good kid so people respect his parents since youth :’) he just rly loves his family it hurts 

just works really grossly hard (read: OVERworks) because he’s stuck in this dog eat dog world mentality... genuinely thinks he has to carry the world on his shoulders if he wants to save his family from bearing the blunt of the blow.

yea he just wants his family to be good

sacrifices his dream of becoming a photographer !!!!! to focus his efforts on med school from a Very young age. 

joins a gang (phoenix) when he’s eighteen out of desperation bc his parents need money and he isn’t sure how else to get it quick bc his convenience store gig isn’t cutting it. does a smattering of very low-key, behind the scenes jobs; spends a lot of time shadowing the (then) medics. he doesn’t hate it, tbh? he’s ok with it, but he goes into phoenix with the mindset that This is Not Forever and as soon as the money’s there... he’s gonna dip. 

takes a lil longer !!!! than anticipated ! it’s almost four years later that he finally, finally builds up the resolve to quit when ( tw kidnapping ) he finds out his little brother’s gone missing. this is rly hard on him bc he adores his little brother and beats himself up for not being able to protect him/be as present as he’d like to have been. finds out that there’s a high likelihood that said lil bro might have been kidnapped by a local gang, so seungwoo (begrudgingly) stays in phoenix because he thinks it’ll be easier to find his bro when he has the “connections.” ( end tw )

in 2017, when seungwoo decides to stick with phoenix for those personal reasons, he also starts med school and officially becomes a medic for phoenix. 

he’s v good at keeping his gang life separate and distinct from his “real” life. he doesn’t have any interest in blurring the lines, and is v explicit about keeping what he does in the shadows a secret—mostly bc he doesn’t want to make life any harder for his parents. 

currently: still in med school, still in phoenix, really just an exhausted sack of bones that wants to find his brother and live a comfortable life. 

personality

some powerful big bro energy... he will dote on u... he will tease u...... he loves taking care of ppl............ disgosting

ok but fr? he’s very ambitious and very diligent and sometimes (oftentimes) one-track-minded, but he’s a good guy. has a good head on his shoulders. he just has very distinct priorities and it’ll take a lot to sway him from what he thinks is the right path. 

not the sociable type—doesnt mind meeting new ppl at all! but he’s not the type to approach new ppl. friends are cool but he hates small talk and hates wasting time. 

no he will not talk to u about his problems he doesnt even want to THINK about his problems (jk he does want to think abt them, and he will. he will overthink them 2 death.) (but no he fr does not want to talk to u about them.)

rly good at detaching himself from his surroundings. very good at compartmentalizing things. VERY good at separating gang life from “who he actually is” (haha sike u fake and we been knew). it’s why the violence and shit doesn’t rly bother him as much as he wishes it would—bc he’s good at puttin his heart on the back-burner when it gets too meddlesome.

haha can anyone say gray morality 

has a rly strong survival instinct but it’s kind of hard bc he has to reconcile it with this self-sacrificing martyr syndrome he has where he does not value his life as much as his parents’ or his brother’s but he Does value it to the extent that he obvi needs 2 be alive to help them.

omg ok emo stuff and the harrowing issue of not wanting to talk to anyone abt the important stuff ever, he is GOOD KID.

has a soft spot for ppl who need to be taken care of. having a fship w/ seungwoo is easygoing and low-pressure he just wants to tease u and make u hold his hand Zz

IN CONCLUSION, HE’S GOT SOME ISSUES !!!!! but he’s friendly and harmless for the most pt and really is just like an exhausted grandpa who is almost always on the verge of caffeine od. 

wanted connections

check out some basic ones i whipped up here! otherwise, he’s flexible :’)

[zayashmaya]

Gods and Monsters - 7 - Love.

Marvus x Reader ll Tagora x Reader; SFWish (mention of pailing in the beginning)

More chapters here!

You meet Marvus’s lusus, and Tagora handles you in typical Tagora fashion.

this chapter was inspired by the most magnificent set of tweets to ever exist, as well as my partner in crime @compositecreature :3

Look at you kids, you know you're the coolest 

The world is yours and you can't refuse it 

Seen so much, you could get the blues 

But that don't mean that you should abuse it 

Though it's enough just to make you go crazy, crazy, crazy 

But you get ready, you get all dressed up 

To go nowhere in particular 

Back to work or the coffee shop It don't matter because it's enough 

To be young and in love

- Lana Del Rey

Bathtime was calling for your filthy body.

You had been eager to see the ocean, but something steered you towards sleep instead. The night had been rife with cat-fights and debauchery, and when you caught a glimpse of the enormous ablution trap, you were hit with a wave of exhaustion that drained you of any motivation to visit the beach.

Marvus was busying himself with removing his jewelry while you turned on the shower spray, letting the water heat up on its own as you padded over to him. You took it upon yourself to wet a nearby wash cloth with the intention to clean off his facepaint. As you stood on your tip toes and struggled to reach over the sink, Marvus grinned and taunted you for your height.

“Ain’t got no ladders round here babe, u gonna b climbin me like a tree to get anywhere.”

“Hilarious. How’s the weather up there, by the way?”

“Feelin a lil chilly axxually, mite need a warm rusty to help me w dat.”

You rolled your eyes and smiled, wringing out excess water from the cloth. Marvus looked down at you with a teasing smirk, and it might have looked attractive if not for the comical mess on his face.

“You look like an abstract painting,” you snarked and patted the countertop. “Get me up on here so I can clean that paint off you.”

Marvus quirked a brow at your command, yet obliged you all the same, sitting you down before him and patiently letting you run the wet cloth along his face. You dug your fingers into his mussed up hair to keep it out of the way, focusing diligently on your task while Marvus watched you with amusement.

The paint gradually gave way to neutral gray, and even his eyebrows darkened to their natural black color. You finished off your task with one last swipe along the long, graceful arch of his nose, silently admiring how long his lashes appeared while he kept his eyes closed.

You realized you were staring, much to your embarrassment.

“All done,” you weakly said, tossing the dirtied cloth into the sink, scooting closer to the edge of the countertop in preparation for absconding from this intimate proximity, until you noticed the dark circles under his eyes. You reached out to run a thumb along the evidence of his exhaustion. “Look at this … don’t tell me you’re overworking yourself."

A flash of hesitation flashed across his face. Yet it was gone as quick as it had appeared, replaced with his normal easygoing demeanor. He gently grasped your wrist and moved your questing touch away. “Ain’t nethin to worry bout,” he said, pressing a kiss to your fingertips.

“Liar,” you asserted, stubbornly glaring at him. “I got rid of the facepaint, and yet it seems you’re still hiding behind a mask. You’re lying, and I know it.”

Yet again you managed to shock him into a state of silence, his eyes wide and focused on you during your short tirade. “Damn mama u rly gunna roast me like that?”

“Damn straight.” You took back your hand and crossed your arms, entirely unintimidated by how much larger than you he still was, his arms on either side of you as he leaned over you. “If that’s what it takes to get some honesty out of you.”

“Whoaaa, i don’t remember the last time sumone talked to me this way. 'Specially not a lowblood.” His hands found their way to your hips, and he grinned at you with hooded eyes. “Dat shit b hot, like some kinda pale porn feelz jam. U gettin freaky w me rite now, babe?”

You covered your eyes momentarily and sighed. “No, Marvus. This isn’t a solicitation.”

“Aww :o( “

“Look, all I’m saying is, I notice these things about you. And if there’s no one around to tell you to take better care of yourself, then it may as well be me.”

“Oooh? ;o) “

”Not pale porn.”

“Now who b lyin … “

You were starting to feel a blush bloom across your cheeks. “What did I say about teasing me?” you murmured, bashfully looking away while he pulled you closer to him. With his handsome sculpted body in sight, you were quickly reminded that a platonic relationship with Marvus was out of the question. “Besides,” you continued, sliding your hands up the wide expanse of his chest towards his neck to tilt his face towards you. “ — would a moirail do this?”

You brought him down to your level and planted your lips on his, coaxing his mouth open with a teasing lick as he hummed into the kiss. He effortlessly gathered you in his arms while you made out and brought you both under the running shower spray, reluctantly letting you break off the kiss when you reminded him that you were still filthy.

Everything had been chaste enough, for the first few minutes. You managed to get your hair rinsed and pointedly avoided staring at Marvus’s gorgeous body. The same could not be said for him, however. It all started with his hip bumping against yours as he reached over to grab a bottle, and an offer to help you wash off with something that looked like a mix of a giant beetle and a loofa.

Innocent touches soon led to full-blown groping — you just knew Marvus wouldn’t be able to resist — and eventually you found yourself pressed up against the shower wall with his bulge pumping slowly into your sensitive cunt, overstimulated and yet still craving more of him.

By the time you were clean and swaying on your feet like a sleep-deprived child, Marvus had insisted you stay for the night — or rather, the day — and you couldn’t find the energy to fight him on his impeccable hospitality. So you thanked him with a tired smile and huddled up in the corner of the couch, adorned with a fluffy towel and ready to pass out the moment your head hit the cushion. But Marvus crouched down in front of you with a stupefied expression, and asked, "The fxxk ya doin, baby?”

“Um … going to sleep?”

He blinked at you, still not understanding. “Iz dis a human thang? Sleepin on a couch?”

“Technically we sleep on beds — not that you’d know what that is.”

“Well i ain’t got any o that shiz but i got a slammin cocoon so.” You let out a startled yelp as he scooped you up in his arms. “U coming w me, lil mama.”

And that was how you ended up falling asleep atop Marvus’s very inviting bosom, smiling contently as the sopor slime soothed your aches away.

-

Marvus had a busy schedule the following day, so unfortunately he was gone by the time you woke up. You blearily rubbed your eyes and stretched, letting loose all the tension in your frame as you looked out to see the sun’s last rays disappearing behind the horizon. Seems like he really doesn’t get that much rest if leaving before sundown was a regular thing for him.

You took a quick moment to freshen up in the bathroom, and after one final glance at the painting tainted with Marvus’s genetic material, you began lazily scooping up your scattered clothing and redressed. The weight of your palmhusk stashed away in a discrete pocket reminded you to check your messages, and sure enough, you had quite a few of them.

Stelsa had texted you about her safe return last night as promised, Chixie hit you up with an invite to a show later, and Marvus sent his apologies for not being able to stick around.

— couldn’t wake u up cuz u were lookin too cute but there’s food downstairs if u want

— n i got a guy parked outside to take u anywhere

— b seein u sumtime soon bby thx fr the amazing time ;o)

You smiled shyly to yourself, hoping that he truly wanted to see you again.

Your good mood promptly disappeared when you realized you had several texts and missed calls from Tagora. You knew exactly what he wanted from you, and you were too hungry to deal with it right now.

Stashing away your palmhusk for later, you made your way downstairs and spent a few minutes looking around the spacious floor for the kitchen. The clicks of your heels echoed through the hallway as you wandered, glancing into spare rooms and admiring the beautiful graffiti decorating the walls.

One particular room caught your eye — a shimmer of aquamarine blue in your periphery steered you inside, and you were met with a gigantic in-ground pool that curved beyond a translucent wall fixture, forming a long U-shape. To the right was a spectacular view of what you believed to be a portion of the backyard deck, the entire wall replaced with floor-to-ceiling window panes. The moonlight from outside filtered into the room, illuminating the glistening pool water to an ethereal color.

It was stunning, to say the least. You kneeled at the edge of the pool and gently dipped your fingertips into the water. The temperature was lukewarm and pleasant, stirring up the urge to take a swim. Maybe you could coerce Marvus the next time you visited his hive.

As you pondered on the future, something seemed to bump against your fingertips. You furrowed your brow and felt around for the obstruction, feeling something smooth and uniform taking shape.

The strange object pushed gently against your touch, moving higher and higher until something white emerged from the water. You quickly retracted your hand and leaned over to get a closer look —

And the water bursted upward like a geyser, splashing you as you fell back onto your ass with an indignant shriek. You protected your face with your hands and curled inward, fearing what horrors you managed to rile up in the depths of this pool.

A loud chitter soon followed, and when you lowered your shaking hands, you were suddenly face to face with a white dolphin, its razor sharp teeth on display as its gaping maw puffed air inches away from you.

You let loose a scream and scuttled backwards from the creature, losing your grip on the wet floor and careening onto your side.

The dolphin chirped at you and tilted its head as you came down from your panicked breathing. You stared back at it, wide-eyed and frozen in fear, until you realized that the beast was actually smiling at you, bobbing innocently in the water and patiently waiting for your next move.

Mirthful Messiahs, this was Marvus’s lusus!

You clambered onto hands and knees and crawled back to the dolphin, hoping you looked every bit as pathetic as you felt. “Oh my gosh that was so rude of me I’m so sorry! It’s so nice to meet you my name is — “

You were cut off by a jovial chirp, and the lusus bumped his snout on your forehead. Thank goodness, he didn’t appear to be as horrid as Zebruh’s custodian. Judging by how kind Marvus was, you always assumed his lusus would have led by example. You giggled and carefully petted his head.

“I hope I didn’t frighten you — “ The dolphin let loose a string of eek eek eek’s and shook his head. “ — no, please, don’t be sorry, I reacted like an idiot. I’m a friend of Marvus’s, by the way! Maybe he told you already?”

“Eek eek! Eeeee!” Another nose bump, followed by a nuzzle to your cheek.

You cupped your cheek and blushed. “I’ll take that as a good sign … “ Your conversation was cut short by a low grumbling, and you peevishly smiled. “Do you mind pointing me to the kitchen? I accidentally wandered in here because I got lost.”

The lusus nodded, and instead of tipping his head toward a direction, he slowly emerged from the water’s depths. You stood up and backed away to give him some room, and you nearly gasped at how enormous he was. Sure enough, the lusus was a dolphin, and yet he sported a pair of dinosaur-like back legs that allowed him to stand upright, trailing his tail behind him as he offered a flipper to you.

You smiled gratefully and held onto the proffered flipper as the lusus led you out of the room, stopping briefly for a moment so he could show you were the spare towels were stored away. You grabbed one on the way out and wiped yourself down as you let him guide you, eyeing the trail of water the lusus left in his wake and wondered if it was okay to leave it all over the floor like that.

The kitchen was as grand as the rest of the hive, a circular space with a towering ceiling from which hung a massive chandelier, its multicolored crystalline lights casting rainbow beams everywhere they could. Everything was as large as Marvus said it would be, but thankfully his lusus caught on to your short stature, and took over the task of getting you well-fed. Within minutes you had a whole five course meal set out in front of you at the table, and you couldn’t stop thanking the kind dolphin with tears in your eyes before he ruffled your hair with a flipper and trilled a happy tune.

When was the last time you had this much food at your disposal? Your heart swelled with love for your generous friends as you stuffed your face with questionable meats, deciding that the delicious taste outweighed their strange appearance. The lusus kept you company all the while, sitting across the table from you and chowing down on some sort of large aquatic animal laid out on a giant dish.

You spent your breakfast in amicable discussion, regaling him with tales of your adventures, your worries about the future, and your ever-growing homesickness. You don’t know why, but you felt like you could trust this dolphin with anything. In turn, he eek'd up a storm of stories about Marvus as a wiggler, and how good of a child he had been. You realized, then, how suitable a dolphin was for Marvus — his lusus chirped with as much flare and gusto as the showman, waving his flippers around and smiling all the while. Two whimsical yet powerful individuals. A match made in heaven.

Unfortunately, the time to leave had come. You didn’t want to overstay your welcome.

Marvus’s lusus seemed disappointed by your announcement, and you imagined he might feel lonely in this mansion all by himself, considering how often Marvus had to go on tour or do other work-related things. You helped the dolphin place the empty dishes by the sink and hugged him tight, marveling at how he was just as cold to the touch as Marvus was.

“I promise I’ll come visit you the next time Marvus invites me over,” you murmured into his soft belly, and you were rewarded with a pat to your head. The palmhusk vibrated in your pocket, startling you out of your hazy comfort and reminding you that you had a certain tealblood to attend to.

As the lusus waddled you over to the front door, you looked up at him and noted how sad and quiet he had gotten. “Hey,” you called out, lightly tugging on his flipper. “Why don’t we take a picture together to show Marvus we met?”

Your idea was met with joyous chirps, and as the lusus crouched down to your level, you snapped a ridiculous amount of selfies from all angles, choosing one where you were both sticking out your tongues. You sent it to Marvus and typed:

— i met your lusus, he’s so cute!!

— and he told me to tell you he says hi.

— so in his own words, i say to you, “eek eek!"

You paused and quickly added:

— i had a wonderful time last night too.

And left it at that, because as much as you wanted to pour your heart and thank him for being so selfless and understanding in light of your self-consciousness, you did not want to come off as desperate. Sometimes it had to be like that. Even with him.

-

You were settled in inside a cab as you drove straight for Tagora’s hive, scrolling through the texts he had sent you with increasing anxiety.

— Please let me know how your search goes, I’m very eager to move this case along.

— Have you found any dirt on a certain someone yet?

— Still waiting.

Those were sent last night. The more recent ones were more concerning.

— Seeing as you are not responding to me, I’m going to take that as a no.

— You disappoint me, human. Expect an exorbitant fee added to your balance for every minute you are late in texting me.

Shit. Tagora was always serious about those pesky charges. You fired off a quick ’I’m on my way!’ and spent the whole ride looking at troll memes to lighten up your mood. Tagora may be pissed at you right now, but not for long. He could never stay mad at you.

That thought replayed in your mind as you meandered up his front lawn, trying to come up with a million excuses for your tardy end of the deal. At least you managed to protect the clothes he bought you. Maybe that would cheer him up a bit.

You stared at the door and counted to ten before knocking.

Tagora opened the door just a crack, peering at you through the narrow opening. You sucked in a deep breath.

“Okay. You’re going to be upset — “ The door was swinging shut. You hastily shoved your foot through the threshold and fought to keep it open. “ — but I promise I can still make it all worth your while!”

He paused for a moment and leered at you. “How so?”

“ … gossip?”

Surprisingly, it worked. The door opened a little, and as Tagora finally got a good look at you, his peeved expression fell away to one of shock and slight revulsion, perhaps even a hint of concern. “Have you even looked at yourself today? Did you get mauled by a purrbeast?”

You smiled sheepishly and absentmindedly rubbed at a love bite on your neck. “More like I got pailed senseless by a purpleblood.”

”What? And you’re still alive?”

A chatty, questioning Tagora was a good sign. You slipped past him and wandered inside, waving at his lusus in greeting as you toed off your shoes. “This particular highblood is a good friend of mine. I’m sure you remember who he is, considering I begged you to blackmail whoever uploaded that video of him hand feeding me … “

“You pailed with Marvus Xoloto?” Tagora whirled you around and grabbed you by the shoulders, bringing his face inches away from yours. “Did you mention me?” he excitedly asked.

“In what possible context could I bring you up while getting laid? ’Oh Marvus that feels so good, by the way I happen to know a fantastic lawyer —'"

“Uuugh!” He lightly pushed you away and rolled his eyes, running a hand through his impeccable hair. “You’ll pay for giving me that horrible mental image. And furthermore, you are so damn useless.”

“It’s not my fault,” you grumbled, making your way to the couch and sagging down onto it. Tagora’s lusus instantly materialized in your lap, rolling over to expose his tummy while you scratched it. “My night took a turn for the worst during the party, and after all was said and done I was feeling so shitty that I needed a distraction. I just didn’t have it in me to sleuth around for you, I’m sorry.”

Tagora eyed you quietly as though in deliberation. Maybe you looked tired and mopey, because his expression softened marginally. “Are you.” He paused. “Are you hungry?” You shook your head. “Wait here then.”

You watched him curiously while he wandered away to the bathroom. His lusus chuffed at you when you forgot to keep scratching behind his ear. “Soooorry,” you whispered to the ferret, and you were rewarded with a nuzzle to your face as he rearranged himself like a flailing noodle.

Tagora returned with a tube of neon green paste — it was a familiar sight to you by now, considering how often you were getting injured. He sat beside you and shooed his lusus away, motioning for you to turn to him. “Tell me what happened,” he ordered, squirting a dollop of paste on his hand and massaging the medicine into the bruises along your neck and shoulders.

“Well,” you said with a sigh, tilting your head to let Tagora work his magic. “I had the misfortune of stumbling upon Lanque. Or rather, he made the effort to confront me, and made me look like a fool by bringing up personal bullshit.”

“Ah, that cretin. I hope you told him off properly this time.”

“I tried … but it still sucked to have my insecurities thrown back at me out of nowhere.”

Tagora huffed. “At least you’re not the one crashing parties in search of cheap thrills. Show me where else you’re bruised.” You lifted the hem of your dress and up over your hip to reveal fingerprint shaped marks along your outer thighs. You tried your best to keep your private area covered, wishing you still had your underwear. Tagora seemed to not mind, working with detached efficiency. “And. You know. You’re the one who got lucky in the end. Although judging by how fucked up you look, ‘lucky’ is pretty subjective. Was this a pitch romp?”

“Nope, it was really sweet and fun and a hell of a lot more intimate than I expected,” you gushed, blushing at the memory. “But let’s not get side-tracked. I didn’t even tell you the worst part the night!”

“There’s more?”

“Unfortunately. So, Remele apparently had the wonderful idea of painting me as the main subject, and she auctioned it off to the highest bidder. Which thankfully turned out to be Marvus, and I’m pretty sure he did it just to spare me the embarrassment. It was so vulgar, Tagora! Like, she made me naked and cowering in an alleyway and — and covered in troll blood because she was recreating that time we got into trouble with a purpleblood and — “

Fuck. Tagora didn’t know about your and Remele’s connection to that murder. And you knew he tracked it with fervor when news first hit, trying to tie it to her earlier event.

As if on cue, his eyes widened in excitement, pupils narrowing like a predator honing in on its prey. “Wait, wait. First of all, why didn’t you tell me you were involved in such a high-profile case? And how could that conniving bitch know enough about the crime scene to portray it in such an accurate light?”

“I — um … I can’t tell you!”

“Oh you absolutely will. I think this will be more than sufficient to cover for your failure last night."

You groaned and dug your hands into your hair. “You don’t love me, Gor-Gor! You just love my drama. Is that all I am to you?” Tagora reeled back, biting his lower lip. "Just a — an associate who does dirty work for you? A henchman? A dumb, worthless human? A — “

Your freak-out was cut short when a hand gently yet firmly slapped itself onto your cheek.

You blinked and looked at Tagora. He stared right back, looking equal parts shocked and panicked. His hand was slightly cold, yet ridiculously soft.

“Oh my gods are you shooshpapping me — “

”No!” Tagora wrenched his hand away as though he had been burned. "This is strictly a platonic show of camaraderie, as evidenced by your updated fee charge right here — “ He had the nerve to pull up some sort of app on his palmhusk that tracked your debt, pointing at an absurdly high number.

You bemusedly glanced at the screen as he held it right up to your face before moving his hand out of the way. “Does that mean you’d drop your fees for a moirail?”

“I would consider it a fair trade-off in light of their services towards my mental wellbeing.”

“Hmmm.” You did have a lot of debt accrued … and you were technically just inadvertently proposed to. "Well lucky for you, you have just the right candidate for obsessing over your mental wellbeing right in front of you!”

Tagora blushed a vibrant teal and jerked away from you, stammering several times as he tried to unsuccessfully offer a rebuttal. “Th — that’s — you can’t just say that, you uncultured creature! Don’t you have any tact? Any sense of romance?”

“What do you want me to do, serenade you? Build you a nest out of the finest quality of ablution robes and drown you in expensive chocolates for luxurious feels jam sessions?”

“You are ridiculous.” He paused. “As if you could even afford any of that.”

“Are you seriously considering what I just said?"

“I never said that! The absence of evidence is not evidence in of itself!”

"What does that even mean?”

“I swear I don’t even know why I put up with you — “

“Because I’m so cute and pitiable.”

“Well, you’ve certainly got parts of that right,” he said, turning away from you in a valiant attempt to hide his blush. “You’re so pathetic it’s practically obscene. Indecent, even.”

“Is that some backhanded way of saying I’m quadrant material?”

“This conversation is over.” Excellent, hopefully he forgot about Remele. “And don’t think I’m letting that whole Remele thing go so easily.” Damn it. “But you’re clearly not in your right mind to continue that discussion, so we’ll talk about it later."

“You are so benevolent, Gor-Gor.”

“Yes, I am,” he said with a grin. The majority of your bruises had been dealt with by now, so Tagora screwed the cap back onto the tube of paste and stood up to put the medicine away.

“Tagora?” He turned to look at you with a quirked brow. “Thank you.”

He smiled lightly and nodded before going on his way. His lusus was back in your lap in no time, slipping into your waiting arms with a delighted meep. You pulled out your palmhusk and checked if you received any new messages, and sure enough, Marvus had responded to your earlier texts.

— o shit yo pops lookin happy af

— u gonna have to b comin over to keep him company now

— and maybe me 2 ;o)

You giggled and gripped your palmhusk a little tighter between both hands. Tagora glanced back at you for a split second, his smile mirroring your own.